Making Ice Pops for Your Kids and Grandkids

When I was growing up my mom made ice pops for my brothers and me all summer. Generally they were made with juice or punch. As we grew a little older we would make them ourselves. It would take forever for them to freeze because we would open the freezer every 10 minutes to see how they were doing. My wife and I, at the constant urging of my 7 year old son, introduced making home-made ice pops to him and his little sister this summer. There are very few things that will brighten a kid's day like an ice pop. Where we come from, the generic name for ice pops is "p@pcicle$" (sorry for the spelling, but I once received a certified letter from the company that I intentionally misspelled telling me to cease using their trademarked name on my website).

The ice pop molds from my childhood were anything but exciting to me and many times we used the even more unexciting ice tray with toothpicks. Today, you can get some really cool ice pop mold shapes that kids will love like rockets and shooting stars. There are some really cool rocket ice pop molds that allow for two stage freezing so you can have two flavors in one. The most popular one we sell is called the Groovy ice pop mold, which holds a lot of icy goodness.

The problem with store purchased ice pops today is that they are full of refined sugars and corn syrup that many people argue are detrimental to a child's health. I am not an authority on the sugar debate, but I do know that supermarket varieties are full of dead calories with little nutritional content and the fact that the packaging they use is not "green" is of concern. If you want to see healthier recipes for making ice pops try looking at this blog.

Here is a recipe for Red, White and Blue ice pops. It is not the most healthy recipe, but you will know how much sugar your children will be taking into their bodies. Recipe is from Cuisipro.

1/4 cup blue raspberry Jell-O (half package)
1 cup water.
1/4 cup lemon juice.
1/2 cup sugar.
1 teaspoon gelatin powder.
1 cup water.
1/4 cup cherry Jell-O (half package).
1 cup water.

When making ice pops with more than one flavor, make sure to allow each flavor to cool before adding it to the mold or it will melt into the previous layer.

Combine the blue jello powder with 1/2 cup of hot water. Stir until the powder is dissolved and had 1/2 cup of cold water. Pour this mixture into the molds until the bottom one third of the mold is filled. Place in the freezer for at least two hours or until frozen.

While the bottom third is freezing, combine sugar, gelatin, lemon juice and 1/2 cup of hot water. Stir until dissolved and add 1/2 cup cold water. Allow the mixture to cool and fill the next third with this mixture. Freeze for another two hours.

In another bowl, repeat the same process with the cherry flavored gelatin that you did with the blue gelatin powder. Fill the pop molds almost to the top, put on the lids and insert the sticks. Allow to freeze overnight, or at least five hours.

How To Make Chiles Rellenos with How to Video

Dora Jennings visited our cooking class again tonight at Distinctive Decor and bestowed upon us more great Mexican recipes! Tonight, Dora taught us how to make chiles rellenos. Being a chile rellenos lover, I was super excited to learn. We hope that you enjoy these recipes as much as we did. Enjoy our How-to videos embedded in the recipe.

Chiles Rellenos de Picadillo
By Dora Jennings

Picadillo

1/2 pound ground beef.
One large potato, diced.
One half onion, diced.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Brown the ground beef on medium-high heat in a skillet. Break down the meat into very small pieces and add the onions and potatoes and cook until potatoes are cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Preparing the Poblano Peppers

Six poblano peppers
1 cup flour.
Six large eggs separated.
Peanut oil or vegetable oil for frying
One onion sliced.
Salsa.
Crema Caique

Step 1: Place your poblano peppers on the open flame of your gas burner and evenly char the skin of the pepper making sure you don't burn through the pepper. You will need to turn them often to produce a black char over the entire pepper. Make sure that you do not burn the stem, you will need that stem as a handle later when frying.

Step 2: Wrap each charred pepper in a wet kitchen towel as they are done. Allow the peppers to steam from their own heat for at least 10 minutes. The steam from the peppers will facilitate peeling. (You may also use a zip lock bag to do this.).

Step 3: Peel the charred skin from the peppers and (Step 4:) cut a small opening toward the top of the pepper and cut down the pepper about 3 inches and pull out the seeds (you may rinse the pepper in water to make sure all the seeds are gone). See the video on this.

Step 5: Stuff the pepper with Picadillo stuffing and seal with a toothpick and set aside.

Bring a frying pan to high heat and add oil to the pan. Add oil until you have at least 1/2 inch in the bottom.

Whip egg whites at high speed with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. With the mixer on low speed add the egg yokes one at a time until blended.

Step 6: Place flour in a flat plate or pie dish and roll the stuffed peppers in it coating the entire pepper.
Step 7: Dip them in the egg batter making sure they are coated evenly.

Step: 8 Make sure the oil is sizzling and carefully place the pepper on the pan and fry on all sides (I usually fry it on three sides) and set on a cookie sheet with a rack so the oil can drip down away from the pepper. You do not want your pepper to sit in oil while it is cooling. The frying time for each side should only be about 30 seconds, or less per side.

Chiles Rellenos Topping.

3 T. Olive oil
one large onion sliced
3-4 Cups fresh roasted salsa (see the roasted tomato salsa recipe in this blog.)
Crema Cacique

Heat oil in frying pan. Add the sliced onions and sauté until fragrant. Add salsa and cook for about a minute. Serve over the chiles rellenos and top with crema caique. Serve the chiles rellenos immediately.

Making the Roasted Mexican Salsa and Guacamole

3 fresh jalapeno peppers
9-11 fresh Roma tomatoes
2 T. Knorr Powdered Chicken Bullion

Char the tomatoes and peppers on a scorching-hot cast iron griddle or pan until the skins are black and they are softened. Once black and soft throw into a blender along with the 2 T. of bullion. Blend until you get the consistency you want. For a chunkier salsa only pulse the blender.

Note: Dora says that a 2:1 ratio of tomatoes to peppers yeilds a medium-hot salsa. I used three peppers and 11 tomatoes and mine almost blew my head off! I suggest you use 1 whole jalapeno and cut the other two in half. Scoop out the seeds and the white rib that holds the seeds. Blacken the halves on the skin side only. If you like it hot leave them whole. Serve with corn tortilla chips or use as a condiment. If you want to play a joke on someone double the jalapenos or throw in a habanero pepper!

Our Big Fat Greek Cooking Class Recipes: Hummus and Greek Meatballs

Originally posted July 17, 2009

The following recipes are not mine. They were learned by my aunt Jamie when she was in Greece recently. She wrote them and I edited them. She taught the cooking class that we entitled, "Our Big, Fat Greek Cooking Class." The class was sold out and everyone enjoyed the food. Here are her recipes.

Roasted Garlic Hummus

1 can Bush’s Best garbanzo beans
1 head garlic, roasted and squeezed out
1/3 cup Tahini
½ cup plain yogurt
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
Several dashes cayenne pepper
4 Tbls olive oil
½ tsp. cumin (or more to taste


To roast garlic:
Do not peel; leave the entire head together, but cut off the top. Drizzle with olive oil and put in garlic baker or custard cup covered with foil. Bake at 225 for an hour or until soft. Let cool and squeeze the pulp out of each clove.

Rinse beans in strainer. Process a few pulses. Add remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Adjust seasonings. A nice presentation is to serve the hummus in a flat bowl, sprinkled with paprika and drizzled with olive oil. Some assorted olives are a nice addition to the plate. Brush flatbread (pita bread) with olive oil and toast it on a griddle. Cut into wedges and serve with hummus for dipping.


Greek Tzatziki Sauce

2 cups Greek style yogurt
1 English cucumber, seeded, chopped finely and water squeezed out
3 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
2 tbls McCormick Greek Seasoning2 tbls olive oil
2 tbls lemon juice or white wine vinegar
Salt to taste


There are two key steps to making tzatziki so it will not be runny and watery: First, if you cannot find Greek-style yogurt, strain regular plain yogurt over a bowl in a strainer lined with coffee filters or cheesecloth for several hours or overnight. It will reduce by at least half. Second, cucumbers have a lot of water in them, so chop them very finely, sprinkle them with salt, then roll them in a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much moisture as you can.

I like the taste and texture of English cucumbers, but regular cucumbers will do
just fine. Cut the cucumbers in half and use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Mix all ingredients and refrigerate for several hours or overnight to develop best flavor.

Keftethes: Greek Meatballs

2 lbs ground pork
8 slices French bread, soaked in water and then drained
2 eggs
1 onion chopped very finely
2 tbls dried mint
2 tbls dried oregano
2 tbls dried parsley
1 tsp salt


Combine all ingredients---I used latex gloves and mix with my hands. Roll into balls about the size of a walnut, or make into patties. Fry in ¾” vegetable oil at 375 degrees or medium high heat, turning once. At some point they will start getting really loud---you’re on the right track! They will also turn almost black---this is a good thing! Drain on paper towel-lined jelly roll pan. Serve immediately or store. To reheat place in an oven until warm or serve at room temperature.

Brunch! Eggs Benedict and Kentucky Hot Browns

Originally posted April 21, 2009

There are very few things I like to eat better than Eggs Benedict. Here is a nice recipe for those who fear making hollandaise. My recipe uses chilled butter and some water to help make the sauce more stable. It takes a little longer to cook it, but the risk of the sauce separating is decreased. Do not fear; try it!

Eggs Benedict

4 slices of Canadian bacon or ham (warmed)

4 English muffin halves (2 whole ones) toasted

4 eggs poached

Hollandaise sauce

3 egg yolks

1 t. water

1/8 t. cayenne pepper

12 T. butter cubed

Salt to taste

3 t. lemon juice

To prepare the hollandaise pour 2 inches of water into the bottom pan of a double boiler or saucepan and bring to a simmer. Whisk the egg yolks (separate the whites from the yolks using your hands or an egg seperator), water, lemon and salt in the top pan of the double boiler or metal mixing bowl. Place the mixing bowl or upper part of the double boiler on the lower pan and continue to whisk. Do not let the water in the bottom pan touch the bottom of the pan containing the egg yolks. Whisk until the yolks thicken (until you can see the trails left by the whisk wires in the eggs) and add the butter in small quantities while whisking. Incorporate all the butter into the sauce. Take the pan or mixing bowl from the steam for about 10 seconds when you mix in a portion of butter and then return it to the heat.

If the hollandaise starts to get too thick add hot water and continue whisking. Whisk until all butter has been incorporated. Add the cayenne. TASTE! It might need more lemon or salt.

Poaching eggs:

There are a variety of kitchen tools available for poaching eggs like poaching pans or poach pods. I like using an egg cooker most of the time for ease.

The technological way: add eggs and push a button.

The traditional way: In a wide-bottomed sauce pan or sauté add 3 -4 inches of water and about a tablespoon of salt. Bring the water to a simmer.

Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Once water is simmering stir the water in a circle to create a mild whirlpool. Crack the egg and release the contents into the whirlpool. This will keep the yolk and white together. Cook until the white is set and the yolk is still runny. Remove egg from the pan with a slotted spoon.

Kentucky Hot Browns (A Derby Staple)

This dish is quintessentially southern. It is served all around Kentucky. The flavors work beautifully together. Start by roasting the turkey breast, toasting the bread, slicing the tomatoes and cooking the bacon. You will want these to be ready ahead of time. Then prepare your bechamel cheese sauce. Bechamel is a white sauce made of butter, flour and milk and serves as the base for many famous sauces. If you have ever made homemade mac and cheese odds are you have made a bechamel sauce. You could easily pour this sauce over macaroni and become a hero with your kids. This recipe serves 8.

3 tablespoons butter

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups cold whole milk

1/4 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese English White Cheddar is best

8 T. grated Parmesan cheese

1 pound cooked turkey breast

8 slices toast

8 slices tomato

16 strips bacon

More Parmesan for topping

Salt to taste

Place the butter into a saucepan on medium-low heat. Once the butter is melted add the flour and whisk for about 4-5 minutes. Add the cold milk and whisk to remove any lumps. Add salt. Once mixture has thickened add the cheeses. Stir until cheese is melted.

To assemble, place the toast on a baking sheet or in an oven proof dish. Place turkey on top of toast and smother with the sauce. Add grated Parmesan to the top and place under a 400 degree broiler until brown spots appear. Once browned, remove, add tomato to the top and two pieces of bacon. Serve immediately.

Baked Fish with Risotto Primavera and Parmesan Cheese Garlic Bread

Originally published April 7, 2009

Not too long ago My wife and I were in Dallas for market (the World Trade Center in Dallas)--we do this twice a year. People always tell me, "Oh, what fun it must be to go to market!" Well, to me, market pretty much sucks. We have appointments booked from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. All those hours are spent with manufacturers' representatives who want to sell you whatever you will buy. We always leave exhausted. It is far from being fun, but you have to keep up with new product offerings. It is important to go.

This year we decided to only make a few appointments so we could venture from the same old showrooms we always visit and see new lines we might want to offer at www.distinctive-decor.com This allowed us to get to our hotel much earlier in the evening. So, we went out to eat. One night we ate at a really loud and dimly lit restaurant named Avanti in Dallas. It is a yuppie-ish Italian restaurant. My wife had spinach lasagna that she washed down with a beer and I had the dish that I am writing about here- baked fish with risotto primavera (which also was washed down with a beer). The food was good, but best of all it was fairly simple--simple enough for me to deconstruct and make for myself.

Baked Fish

The fish for this dish needs to be a white-fleshed fish. Cod, red snapper, flounder, mahi-mahi or striped bass work well. Season the fish on both sides with salt, pepper and paprika. The paprika promotes browning. Cook fish in 1 T. of olive oil for 3-4 minutes on one side in a hot pan. Flip the fish, squeeze lemon over it and slide the pan into the oven set at 400 degrees. Cook 10 minutes. Remove when the fish begins to flake.

Risotto Primavera

2-3 Cups of Risotto (Arborio) or Short-Grain Rice

1 broccoli head cut into small pieces

3-4 Carrots cut into strips

2 Zucchini squashes cut into strips

¼ Medium Onion Finely Diced

¼ C. White Wine

8-10 Cups of Chicken Broth or Stock

Grated Parmesan Cheese

¼ Cup heavy cream (essential for a primavera)

1 T. Italian seasoning

½ Cup water

Salt to taste

Cut broccoli into small pieces and cut zucchini and carrots into ribbons. You can do this with a julienne peeler. Sauté carrots, zucchini, broccoli and Italian seasoning. Add ½ cup water to steam. Once water has evaporated remove vegetables to a tray.

Pour 2 T. olive oil into a medium sauce pot and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the arborio rice and stir to coat the rice in oil. Deglaze with the white wine and allow the wine to absorb while stirring. Add chicken broth one cup at a time and stir until broth has been absorbed. Risotto gets its creaminess from the starch content of the Arborio rice grains and the action of rubbing them together by stirring. Keep adding stock until the rice is a dente, but tender. Grate in Parmesan cheese, add cream and stir in the vegetables. If the risotto is too tight you may add more stock or cream to loosen it.

Italian Bread Appetizer

Small sourdough loaf, split

4 garlic cloves

4 T. Butter or Olive Oil

Parmesan cheese

Dry basil

Split the sourdough loaf and brush to coat with the garlic butter or garlic oil. (Create the garlic oil/butter by heating the fat and simmering the garlic cloves in the fat for 10-15 minute.) Sprinkle an even layer of parmesan onto the bread and drizzle a little more garlic butter or oil on top. Cook under the broiler at 400 degrees until lightly browned. As soon as the bread is removed from the oven sprinkle crushed dried basil on top. All you want is a dusting of basil.

Basil Oil

2 cups of fresh basil leaves (not packed)

Juice of 1 lemon

½ cup olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Once mixture is smooth, pour into a squeeze bottle

and use. Spoon the risotto on the plate and lay the fish across the risotto. Next squirt basil oil over the top of the fish in a nice design. Make it pretty!

Tres Leches Cake by Dora Jennings

Originally posted February 5,2009

I want to thank Ashley, a friend of mine from high school, who reminded me to blog about this. I was browsing Facebook and noticed that she was musing about her tres' leches cake. I offered this recipe to her from Dora Jennings, who teaches some of our cooking classes in the store.

This is a fabulous cake and it takes a little work, but it is worth the extra labor. The cake is super-moist and sweet and the topping is a simple, sweetened whipped cream with meaty chunks of mango sitting atop--absolutely rich, sweet, creamy and fruity deliciousness. I will add that this cake is full of wonderful waist-size-increasing calories and should be eaten in moderation--if you can resist. If you are lactose intolerant...sorry--this recipe is a "no go" for you! It IS called 3 milks cake!

Here is Dora's Tres' Leches Cake recipe:

6 Large Eggs (yolks and whites separated into two bowls)

2 Cups Sugar

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour

2 t. Baking Powder

½ Cup Whole Milk

1 t. Vanilla Extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and lightly grease and flour a 9” X 13” rectangular cake pan—set it aside until later.

Get out your stand mixer or hand mixer and beat the egg whites on low speed until soft peaks are formed. Add the sugar gradually with the mixer running and beat until stiff peaks are formed. Add the egg yolks one at a time on low speed until all yolks are incorporated.

Sift the flour and baking powder together to mix. Pour the flour mixture into the egg mixture in thirds and fold as to not deflate the mixture.(Pour in a third of the flour mixture, fold until incorporated and repeat two times. Move quickly!)

Add the vanilla, pour into the cake pan you prepared. Cook 25 minutes or until the cake is golden and set in the middle. A toothpick or cake tester will help you with this. If the tester is inserted and comes out clean you are good to go--if not, bake until it is done.

Cream Topping:

1 14 oz. can of evaporated milk

1 14 oz. can of sweetedned condensed milk

1 Cup heavy cream

In a blender or mixer, combine above ingredients and mix at high speed until well mixed. Pour this mixture over the still-hot cake and allow it to cool to room temperature. The idea is to let this topping seep through the entire cake. Cover and refrigerate.

Final Cream Topping:

2 Cups Heavy Cream

½ Cup Powdered Sugar

1 t. Vanilla Extract

1 Bag of Frozen Mango or 2 Ripe Mangos

After cake has been completely chilled, whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla until soft peaks are formed. I usually use a stick blender for whipping cream. Spread the cream topping evenly on top of the cake and arrange the mango chunks on top and serve. You can use other fruits if you do not like mangos.

Lemon Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Risotto

Originally published January 29, 2009
I picked up the know-how on the lemon chicken from the famous New York eatery, Rao's Restaurant. They published a cookbook quite a few year's back and this recipe stood out to me. I thought its tartness would go very well mushroom risotto. Boy, was I correct. My mushroom risotto is very rich and needed an uplift from the lemon pan juices. When you serve this dish make sure to lay down a bed of risotto and lay a piece of chicken on top. Spoon a couple of spoons full of the pan drippings on top of the chicken so that it runs down to the risotto--the result: gastronomical heaven.
This is my "go to" recipe when we entertain 8-12 people in our home. Guests absolutely love it. The secret is that you can prepare this meal in little time. The chicken is super simple and can cook while you are working on the risotto.
Here is the recipe and instructions.

Italian Lemon Chicken

(Inspired by Rao’s Restaurant in NYC)

1-2 chickens cut into pieces (bone in and skin on--don't skimp on the skin)5 Garlic Cloves

Juice of 2-3 Lemons

1 T. Red Wine Vinegar

Salt and Pepper

¾ Cup Oil

Do not season the chicken. All flavor is imparted by the vinaigrette. Making the vinaigrette is easy. Simply place the above ingredients (excluding the chicken) in a blender and blend well. I use an immersion (stick) blender for this. Taste and make sure your marinade is tart, but not overwhelmingly tart.

Arrange unseasoned chicken pieces in a roasting pan or lasagna dish. Place under a 500 degree broiler on the middle rack. Cook for 10 minutes and flip. Cook 10 minutes longer and remove the chicken from the oven. Apply the vinaigrette liberally-coating to each piece of chicken. Any leftover vinaigrette may be poured into the roasting pan. Place back under the broiler for 3 minutes and it will be ready.

Tomatoes & Squash Medley

2 Small Squash

2 Small Zucchinis

1 Clove Garlic Minced

1 flat of Cherry Tomatoes (Halved)

2 t. Italian Herb Seasoning

2 T. Olive Oil

Slice the squash and zucchini on the bias (diagonally slice). Add oil to hot pan and add the squashes, tomatoes and seasoning. Sauté until the squashes are tender.

Creamy Mushroom Risotto

2-3 Cups of Risotto or Short-Grain Rice

1 Flat of Mushrooms Sliced

¼ Medium Onion Finely Diced

¼ C. White Wine

8-10 Cups of Chicken Broth or Stock

Grated Parmesan Cheese

Heavy Cream (Optional)

Of the three dishes here, this risotto is the more challenging of the three, but don’t worry—it is easy, too.

Pour 2 T. olive oil into a medium sauce pot and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook until they release their liquid. Add the rice and stir to coat. Deglaze with the white wine and allow the wine to absorb while stirring. Add chicken broth one cup at a time and stir until broth has been absorbed. Risotto gets its creaminess from the rice grains rubbing together as they release their starch. Keep adding stock until the rice is a dente, but tender. Your rice grains should not be crunchy--just firm. If they are crunchy add more stock and cook longer. Grate in Parmesan cheese. If the risotto is too tight and clumpy you may add more stock to loosen it. When you serve risotto it should relax when it hits the plate, not be in a clump. You may also add cream at this point, but adding cream is cheating! Most restaurants do add cream because they do not have the time to stir the risotto.

Tortilla Soup and Hungarian Mushroom Soup

Originally published January 26,2009

My family loves soup; you should hear my kids slurping soup from their spoons. While their slurping can grate on my nerves, I can take it (for a little while) because I know that they are really enjoying the soup I prepared for them. Both of my kids really like these soups and I taught participants in one of my cooking classes how to make them, too. Both are simply delicious and will warm you on a cold winter's day or night. The tortilla soup works on a warm spring day, too.

The Mansion’s Retired Tortilla Soup

(From the Mansion at Turtle Creek Cookbook--Dean Fearing's recipe adapted by me)

The beauty of this soup lies in the light tomato broth (like a tomato consommé) and the beautiful garnishes. This is absolutely the best tortilla soup I have ever eaten.

3 T. Oil (do not use olive oil)

4 Corn Tortillas (roughly chopped)

6 Cloves Garlic

1 T. Chopped Cilantro

1 Cup Fresh Onion Puree

2 Cups Fresh Tomato Puree

1 T Cumin Powder

2 t. Chili Powder

2 Bay Leaves

4 T. Canned Tomato Puree

2 Qts. (8 Cups) Chicken Broth

¼ t. Cayenne Pepper (or to taste)

1 Cooked Chicken Breast Shredded or cut into strips

1 Avocado (Peeled, seeded, and cubed)

4-5 Corn Tortillas (cut into strips & fried crisp in oil)

½ Lime (squeezed into finished soup)

Lime for garnish

Scallions cut thinly for garnish

Jalapenos for garnish (seeded and ribs removed cut into cubes)

Heat oil in a stock pot or large saucepan and add the chopped corn tortillas, cilantro and the garlic. Sauté until tortillas are soft. Next, add the fresh onion and fresh (not canned) tomato purees into the pot and bring to a boil. (To make the purees, simply blend tomatoes and onion in your blender.) Add the cumin, chili powder, bay leaves, canned tomato puree and the chicken broth and reduce heat to a simmer. Add cayenne and salt to taste and cook for 30 minutes—stirring frequently.

Strain and pour strained soup into a warm tureen or bowl and garnish table-side with the chicken, cheese, lime, avocado, tortilla strips and serve immediately. (Serves 8-10)

Hungarian Mushroom Soup

This soup is rich and hearty. A crusty loaf of sourdough bread is a must with this soup for sopping up the last drops.

½ Med. Onion (finely diced)

2 Garlic Cloves (finely diced or grated)

1 Qt. (4 Cups) Chicken Broth

1 Qt. (4 Cups) Beef Broth

1-1/2 T. Paprika (not smoked)

1 T. Dill

2 T. Butter

2 Flats of White or Cremini Mushrooms

Salt to taste

1 Cup Heavy Cream

2 T. All Purpose Flour

Heat the butter in a large saucepan or stock pot and add the onions and then the garlic (to keep garlic from burning). Once softened, add the mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture. Add the flour and paprika and stir. Cook for two minutes. Add the broths and bring to a boil and reduce the heat to med-low. Cook for 10 minutes and add the cream and taste. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Add the dill.

Serve with a garnish of sour cream and a side of crusty bread.

(Serves 8-10)

Authentic Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chiles Sauce, Spanish Rice and Beans

Originally published October 7, 2008

Authentic Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce, Spanish Rice and Beans

Recipes used with permission of Dora Jennings

Recently, we invited a wonderful lady, Dora Jennings, to teach a cooking class for us on Mexican cuisine. Dora teaches the Mexican cuisine she learned growing up in a Mexican border town. Of course, other regions of Mexico have different takes on what she prepared for us. This meal is fabulous and I was able to re-create it easily.

Chicken Enchiladas and Red Chiles Sauce

10 dried and seeded Huajillo (Guajillo) peppers

5 Ancho peppers dried and seeded

Garlic Powder or Garlic Oil

Enough Corn Tortillas for 2-4 enchiladas per person

4 Chicken breasts de-boned and skinned

1 Med. Onion diced

24 oz. Queso Fresco crumbled

Powdered Chicken Bullion Knorr Brand

1 Cup Peanut oil or other oil with high smoke point

2 tbsp olive oil

Preparing the enchilada sauce:

Split the dried peppers, remove stems, fibers and seeds. Place the peppers into a pot that is deep enough for them to be covered with water. Bring the water to a boil and add the peppers. Boil them until they are soft. Once softened, taste the water used to boil the peppers. If it tastes bitter discard the water.

Place peppers, a tablespoon of powdered chicken bullion and some of the remaining red water used to boil the peppers (if the water is bitter add fresh water) into a blender. Blend until the sauce is smooth. Dip your index finger into the sauce. When you rub your index finger and thumb together you should feel no fibers or skin; it should be slick. If not, you may want to use a sieve and strain it.

Place a sauté pan on medium heat and add the olive oil. Once it is hot add the garlic oil or garlic powder. Once it is fragrant add the red sauce and lower the heat to simmer until you are ready to dip the tortillas.

Poaching the chicken:

Bring a pot of water to a boil add salt or chicken broth and then add the chicken breasts. Bringing the water to a boil first will reduce the amount of white film that leads to boil-overs. Cook the chicken until it is done—about 20 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate so it can cool. Once it is cool enough to handle, shred the chicken.

Creating the Cheese Topping:

Cube one 24oz wheel of Queso Fresco (Queso Fresco is available in most grocery stores) into 1 or 2 inch cubes. Likewise, cube ½ of a medium onion. Place the onion into a food processor and pulse 3 times. Add the cheese and pulse until the cheese and onion are mixed well and cheese is crumbly.

Assembling the Enchiladas:

Add peanut oil to a skillet (about 2 cups) and heat to 350 degrees. Add one corn tortilla and cook on both sides until the edge just begins to crisp (5-10 seconds on each side). You want your tortilla to be pliable. If the tortilla cannot be rolled it has been cooked too long. Repeat this process until you have cooked the entire batch.

Dip a tortilla into the red sauce and place a small amount of chicken on it and roll it tightly. The enchilada should be about the diameter of a nickel. Place it on a baking sheet, seam side down, and repeat until you are finished with the batch. Sprinkle the queso fresco and onion mixture onto the enchiladas and bake for 10 minutes in a preheated oven set to 275 degrees.

Spanish Rice

2 Roma Tomatoes

¼ Onion Chopped in large pieces

1-1/2 cup Basmati, Texmati or other Long Grain Rice

Powdered Chicken Bullion to taste

4 T Olive oil

Chicken Broth (reserved from poaching the chicken)

Pre-soak rice in warm water—the longer you soak it the quicker it will cook. Drain well just prior to cooking.

Boil the tomatoes until soft, place in a blender and add powdered chicken bullion and blend them.

Set a frying pan or sauté pan over medium heat and add the oil. When oil is hot, add the onion and cook until softened. Add the drained rice and toast for 5 minutes. Add the tomato puree, mix well and cook for 2 minutes. Add enough poaching liquid to cover the rice and cover. If rice is undercooked after all broth is absorbed, add more broth until rice is soft.

Mexican Beans

By far, the beans are the easiest part of this meal to make. They taste great. I will always make my beans this way from this point forward.

3 cups of dried pinto beans

½ head of garlic

½ onion

6 slices chopped bacon

Powdered Chicken Bullion

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the bullion, bacon, garlic head and onion and bring back to a boil. Add the beans. Taste the water and adjust seasonings now because your beans will end up tasting like the liquid used to cook them. As the beans cook they will absorb the broth, so keep hot water handy to pour in when the beans begin to absorb the liquid. When the beans are soft, puree them with a hand blender until smooth.

Arroz Con Pollo with Salsa Verde

Originally posted July 25, 2008

Arroz Con Pollo (Chicken with Rice) is one of my favorite Spanish dishes. The chicken is tender and the rice is fluffy. (I made a large pot of it for our staff here at www.distinctive-decor.com and they loved it.)

My recipe is a conglomeration of many recipes. (This brings up a practice of mine. I always research multiple recipes and take what I like from each one. I then piece the recipe back together and give it a whirl. If I like it; I keep it. If not, I go back to the drawing board. This is not a hard thing to do; I promise!)

For this recipe to really be great you need a heavy cooking vessel that retains heat well and can be placed into the oven. I use a 9-1/2 quart Le Creuset French Oven for this, the larger the better. They are somewhat expensive, but the results are outstanding. Consider the investment because I use mine for Sunday pot roasts, soups, stews, braising or even boiling 2 lbs of pasta.

Arroz Con Pollo

1 Fryer or purchase an already cut-up chicken
Enough cooking oil to brown the chicken and sauté your sofrito
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
cayenne pepper to your taste (go sparingly if you make the salsa condiment)
Chorizo sausage
1 yellow onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 green bell pepper chopped

3 bay leaves
4 cups long grain white rice
1 can diced tomatoes with liquid
6 cups chicken broth, warm
(Green olives are optional—if you want them in the dish, scatter them over the top after the dish has cooked.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Mix the paprika, cayenne, salt, pepper and cumin to make a dry rub. Coat each chicken piece with the rub. Gently place the chicken, skin side down, in your heavy, enameled cast iron Dutch/French oven heated to med-high. Brown both sides of chicken pieces and remove to a plate. This will take about 10 minutes.

Saute your chorizo in the French oven and cook for a couple of minutes. (If you are using dry chorizo you need to chop it up and sauté it before browning the chicken. Once crispy remove it and reserve until you reinsert the chicken later. The fat rendered from the dry chorizo will serve as your browning fat for the chicken.) Add your sofrito--onions, peppers, bay leaves and garlic. Saute until softened thoroughly (almost falling apart). Add the broth and tomatoes and cook for another two minutes. At this point, taste the mixture and adjust seasonings. Add the rice and boil (stir a few times to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the Dutch oven. Once you have achieved a boil, reduce heat and cook until the mixture simmers for 7 minutes. Reinsert the chicken (lay it on top so the rice will cook evenly.) Put on the lid and pop your dutch oven into the oven preheated to 350 degrees. Cook the dish for 20 minutes or until the chicken is done and the rice is tender.

(After 20 minutes remove the dutch oven from the oven and check the doneness of the chicken and rice. If your rice is not as tender as you like it and all liquid has been absorbed simply add a few cups of hot water and cook in the oven 10-15 minutes longer. If liquid still remains place back into the oven until visible liquid has been absorbed.

Believe it or not, arroz con pollo can be a little flat on the tongue because the rice tends to weaken the flavor. Sometimes it needs something tangy to really highlight the flavors. This salsa verde is a great way to add that tang and still be true to the dish.

Salsa Verde (Green Sauce):
2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
One whole bunch of fresh cilantro leaves
5 scallions roughly chopped with green ends

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup olive or canola oil
2 Limes, juiced

Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor. Blend well. Pour as much as you like over your arroz con pollo.

Why We do What We Do

Originally published July 22, 2008

I have made no secret about what my wife and I do for a living in this blog (see the links).  Our website, www.distinctive-decor, has been quite a success for us.  We sell gourmet kitchen products, fine china, fine tea ware, bar ware, coffee ware, collectibles and a number of other items. Our goal is to sell the highest quality merchandise and offer it to our customers at a fair price with great customer service.

It has become quite normal, with our store's web presence, to do business with some really neat people working on cool projects [at least, I think so].  We have sold items as props for the movie industry, carafes for green rooms in New York and LA and helped outfit some chic restaurants.  We have worked with casinos, clothiers, coffee houses, tea rooms and a host of other industries.

This past week we worked with the staff at a very well known cooking show.  This was a kick for me because I have watched this guy on TV since he started on the network.  They were interested in Tutto Mio, a line of fine Italian dishes and serving pieces.  We were able to get the deal and they were a pleasure to work with, too.

While last week was gratifying it is not as significant or as gratifying as all the feedback we receive from our repeat and first-time customers.

Frittata and French Omelets

Originally published on April 30, 2008

From now on when I teach a cooking class I will post the recipes here. Although, I have already written an entry on omelets I have learned some things since then. I haven't written anything about frittatas to date. I made these recipes for two classes recently and they went over well.

The beautiful thing about frittatas and omelets is their versatility. You can fill them with practically anything savory. The only limit to them is your culinary imagination. Fillings can be as basic as ham and cheddar cheese to something a little more gourmet - like the filling I will tell you how to make. We will get to this later; first, let's start with the frittata.

Frittatas are Spanish "omelets." They are not flipped to cook the top, rather they are cooked a little over halfway in a nonstick pan or cast iron pan and then placed in the oven or under the broiler to finish them off. You can add whatever you want to them--just make sure that what you are adding has most of its moisture cooked out of it before adding or you will have wet spots in your frittata. (A funny story: I was teaching this class on Thursday and a lady, who was taking the class, lived in Spain for a spell. She talked about how she missed Frittatas and how after they would eat them they would go to a tapas bar. The people in the class started laughing and cackling. I immediately knew that they had mistaken what she said as "topless bar" because I thought she said "topless," too. She was quite embarrassed, but I cleared it up for her. Yes, the wine was flowing for some folks that night. Maybe you had to be there; it was funny at the time!)

Savory Frittata (serves 4-6 people)

8 eggs
5-6 Red or white potatoes (small)
½ Medium onion (large dice)
½ cup cubed ham (ham steak)
½ cup of good grated Swiss or Gruyere cheese
Enough freshly grated Parmesan to sprinkle over the top
12” nonstick pan

Transfer the pan to the broiler and broil until the top is browned and the frittata has puffed. Keep an eye on it while it is in the broiler or it WILL burn. Sprinkle the top with the grated Parmesan cheese and serve with sour cream condiment.

Sour Cream Condiment

16oz Sour cream

1 bunch of scallions or chives (or both)
Salt and white pepper
1 t. ground roasted garlic or garlic powder
1 t. parsley
10 inch nonstick pan. I am linking to this pan because it is the slickest pan that I have ever used. This is the pan I reach for every time I make eggs.
1 T. cream to thin the mixture

Thinly slice the scallions or chives and add other ingredients. Mix well and let sit for an hour or two (a day is better) in the fridge. Other uses: use as a vegetable dip or as a condiment for crackers or baked potatoes.

Port Wine Omelet Filling (serves 10-12 people)

1 medium onion cut into strips
3-4 red and/or yellow bell peppers cut into strips
¼ cup of ham sliced into strips (used for flavor)
2 flats of mushrooms rinsed and sliced (Appx. 30-40 medium mushrooms)
1/2-3/4 bottle of inexpensive Port wine
1 t. beef or chicken base
Chopped parsley for garnish
2 T. Butter for sautéing
2 T. Butter for finishing the filling
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper

Sauté onions, ham and peppers for a few minutes to soften and add the mushrooms (you will think there are too many, but they will cook down)—season with salt and pepper. Once well cooked (very little moisture left in the pan, deglaze with the bottle of Port wine. Reduce the liquid until it starts to “tighten.” You are looking for the consistency of high quality maple syrup (sauce will coat the back of a spoon). DO NOT LEAVE THE PAN. This sauce can go from liquid-to-syrup-to-burnt quickly. Remove pan from the burner and finish the filling with the butter. Now it is time to make your omelets! Grab a high quality nonstick pan and get going.

2-3 egg omelets will give you the tenderest omelets. The French omelet involves a technique that I can’t really write about, but that you need to know. The beautiful thing about the technique is that there is no flipping or turning of the omelet. I will let Julia Child—God rest her soul—show you how to make omelets the “French” way. Click here to see her do it.

Excerpts below are for educational purposes only and are borrowed from: Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume I.
Let the eggs settle in the pan for 2 or 3 seconds to form a film of coagulated egg in the bottom of the pan.
Then increase the angle of the pan slightly, which will force the egg mass to roll over on itself with each jerk at the far lip of the pan.

As soon as the omelet has shaped up, hold it in the angle of the pan to brown the bottom a pale golden color, but only a second or two, for the eggs must not overcook. The center of the omelet should remain soft and creamy. If the omelet has not formed neatly, push it with the back of your fork.

Grasp the handle of the pan with both hands, thumbs on top, and immediately begin jerking the pan vigorously and roughly toward you at an even, 20-degree angle over the heat, one jerk per second. It is the sharp pull of the pan toward you which throws the eggs against the far lip of the pan, then back over its bottom surface. You must have the courage to be rough or the eggs will not loosen themselves from the bottom of the pan. After several jerks, the eggs will begin to thicken. A filling would go in at this point.