What I've found is that with fresh ingredients, a little prep and the right tools, cooking can be relaxing and rewarding, not so last minute. You wouldn't endeavor to build something without a complete toolbox, same goes for cooking a meal. Follow me to see what I've found makes cooking a pleasure. Stella
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I can't tell you how sick I am of my grilling regime. Way too plain old Dick and Jane.
So "Master the Flame. Master the Flavor" McCormick's grilling slogan caught my eye as I need serious help especially with the 4th right around the corner. Yes, I would like to master the grill -- create something tasty. The company offers up some great, easy-to-follow, recipes for steak, beef, burgers, pork and ribs, chicken, seafood and sides, all of them of course involving a shake or two of their spices.
Nutrition info and easy directions are included with each recipe. Rip and ride my friends...that's print and cook to all you non motorcycle riding friends. Better yet send these recipes to your phone so when you are in the store they are at your fingertips. Love it. Visit McCormick for all the details and fire up that grill.
Every party needs dessert. This summer, keep your guests engaged long after the grill is cooled off with some choice sweets. Transform a cupcake into a 4th of July tribute with Martha Stewart's Flag Cupcakes. Start with some patriotic cupcake wrappers to bake your treats in. Choose chocolate or vanilla cakes and top them off with some Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting. This frosting is absolutely delicious and very simple, calling for sugar, egg whites, butter and vanilla extract. Top your cupcakes (you can have the kids help) and then turn them into flags with fun decorations. I like to use blueberries for stars, while Martha uses blue buttercream. Red licorice sticks are perfect for the stripes. This is a simple, fun, kid-friendly recipe that you can even freeze if you want to make ahead of time. If you want to make your dessert table stand out, set the cupcakes up in one of these fancy dessert stands.
For the adults, strawberry shortcake trifle is a cool summer favorite. I like to make mine with strawberries and blueberries for that Memorial Day touch. Paula Deen's recipe on Food Network is my favorite - the custard is made with cream cheese, condensed milk and whipped topping - delicious! The glaze calls for sugar, strawberry Jell-O, water, fresh strawberries (and blueberries, if you choose).
To assemble, start with a layer of angel food cake, followed by a layer of glaze, then a layer of custard. Layer this way until your bowl is full, and watch your guests enjoy. I guarantee you won't have any leftovers from this part of the meal!
Looking for something great to bring to that big Fourth of July cookout? We can hook you up with some great appetizers, like these fancy deviled eggs from behindtheburner.com. These are great because they have some different ingredients: cottage cheese and horseradish, specifically.
You'll need 12 hard-boiled eggs, with yolks separated after they're cooked. Use your food processor to mix yolks with 1/3 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 3 tbsp scallions, 1 tbsp horseradish, 2 tsp mustard and 1/8 tsp salt. Blend and fill the eggs, topping with cayenne pepper or a sprig of parsley.
Or, if you want to get fancy and bypass the normal cookout fare, try these ham and goat cheese canapes. Built on a French baguette, these are quick and easy appetizers that will get you a lot of fans. Combine 1 cup cooked, chopped ham with 2 tbsp goat cheese, 2 tbsp cream and Cayenne pepper to taste. Fry your pieces of bread with butter until brown, then top with the mixture and brown in the oven for a few minutes. Top with your favorite herb and off you go!
After exhausting the Greek and Italian dessert options, I remembered another sweet treat that I'd always loved as a kid - cream puffs. What I didn't know was their ethnicity - Italians often tried to adopt the recipe, but their Hungarian background is the real thing. Touted as similar to French profiteroles, cream puffs are light enough to enjoy without feeling like you ate something too decadent.
What I like about them is the option to fill with either traditional whipped cream filling, or vanilla ice cream. The ice cream is a unique option but you have to eat them faster than if they were just filled with cream, so keep that in mind.
To make, you need water, butter, salt, flour, eggs, heavy cream, and semi sweet chocolate. It's a fairly easy recipe to make. The trick is to get them out of the oven at the right moment, when they're just starting to brown and they're puffy overall.
A pastry bag is the easiest way to fill a mini, but if you're creating a regular size puff, simply cut the top off and insert the filling, then cap it. Drizzle chocolate over and serve!
Who said only Italians can make the best desserts?
All this talk about Greek sweets got me thinking about my own Italian background, and I have to admit - we have the best desserts. I know French desserts are lovely too, but you can't beat Italian sweets. From gelato to biscotti to tiramisu, an Italian finish to a meal is guaranteed to satisfy your worst sweet cravings.
For a different recipe, I tried this tiramisu courtesy of FoodNetwork.com. You need: 6 egg yolks, sugar, mascarpone cheese, espresso, dark rum, ladyfngers, and bittersweet chocolate shavings.
With your electric mixer, beat your egg yolks and sugar, adding in the cheese and finally a tablespoon of espresso (I'm usually pretty generous with the espresso, but that's your choice). Dip your ladyfingers into a mix of the remaining espresso and rum (quick dips or they'll fall apart) and place them at the bottom of your baking dish. Layer the mascarpone mixture, then another layer of ladyfingers and a final layer of mascarpone. Garnish with shavings, cover and chill. Bellissimo!
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