“No one who cooks, cooks alone. Even at her most solitary, a cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past, the advice and menus of cooks present, the wisdom of cookbook writers.” Laurie Colwin

In a matter of a month, my life has completely done a 180. As you all know I had to undergo surgery, where I was bedridden for a few weeks. I couldn't cook, clean, work or walk. After three weeks of recovering I finally was able to walk again. Within those three weeks, I began re-evaluating my life. I began working on my business plan to finally follow my dream and passion. I am slowly working on starting my brand in the floral design industry, Miss Adelia's flowers, I have begun making floral arrangements for family, friends and am looking to get into farmers markets and plan on catering small weddings, bridal showers, events and get together's. As I began focusing on that, my main source of income was taken. The company who I thought I would see a future with filed for bankruptcy and in turn I was let go. I guess at the end of the day you could say everything happens for a reason. I am slowly regrouping as I am working n my recovery physically and emotionally and now financially as well.

My life is now focused on my health, possible going back to school and working on two possible three small businesses's.
(Miss Adelia's Flowers and Kiwi Print and Design and possible another catering type business) Although my life is busy, I always will make time for cooking. It's a passion, a fine art that can turn any day around for me so I hope you continue to enjoy reading and trying out this recipes for yourself. With that being said, it was perfect timing for a get-together dinner made by me while my parents were in town.....

Below is a meal that you can serve on any occasion, it will fill a room of people with happy bellies. Enjoy!  

Begin your evening with two small appetizers;

Appetizer #1

Baguette

Dipping Sauce 

A fresh made baguette with a side of dipping sauce

*Sauce of choice- International Classics, Vinaigrette Bread Dipping Sauce

Appetizer #2

Shrimp Cocktail

1/2 -1lb of uncooked deveined shrimp

Garlic Salt

Pepper

Clean fresh shrimp by rising under water. Heat a skillet on the stove with a tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, add the shrimp. Once the shrimp turns a little pink, add the garlic salt and pepper for taste.Cook on a low heat for 15-20 minutes. 

Grab a plate, cover the plate with lettuce leaves and add sliced lemons on the side. Add the shrimp and place in the fridge for about 20 minutes or until cool. Serve with Cocktail sauce (Suggestion, you can make your own sauce, recipe below)

How to make your own cocktail sauce

1/2 cup of ketchup

2 tablespoons horseradish

Worcestershire sauce

1 lemon

Tabasco Sauce, for taste

In a small bowl combine ketchup, horseradish, a dash of Worcestershire, a squirt of lemon and a dash of Tabasco sauce. Chill and serve.

Always have fresh lemon water and a nice bottle of wine to serve and enjoy with the appetizers.

Now onto dinner

Dish # 1

Caprese Salad

3 vine-ripe tomaties. 1/4 inch thick, sliced

1lb fresh mozzarella, 1/4 inch thick, sliced

20-30 fresh basil leaves (buy about 1 bunch of basil) 
Extra Virgin olive oil, to drizzle

Salt and Pepper

Begin by layering a slice of tomato then mozzarella then basil, alternate on a large platter (I used a circular platter) Once you have a full circle and a few layers, add extra virgin olive oil and season with sale and pepper to taste.

Main Course Dish # 2  (While prepping the whole meal, I suggest Frank Sinatra stationon padora with a glass of Merlot)

Lasagna Rolls

10 Lasagna noodles, cooked al dente (This recipe usually makes about 8 rolls, cook 10 just in case one breaks in the pot) 

3/4lb of ground beef meat

1/3 green bell pepper

1/3 onions (yellow)

1 15oz. container of low fat ricotta cheese

1 egg

2 cups of Mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided

3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded and divided

1/4 tsp Kosher salt

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Sauce- (Thanks Wendy for the tip)

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 can of tomato sauce

fresh garlic

basil

oregano

dash of sugar

First, cook the lasagna pastas. You can follow directions on box, if you make your own lasagna, follow your usual instructions. I usually grab a large cooking pot, add 3-4 cups of water, bring to a boil. Add a sprinkle of salt and then slowly add a few lasagna strips at a time. Cook for 8-10 minutes stirring the noodles every few minutes.

*How to know when noodles are done; test the noodles by removing a lasagna noodle before the cooking time ends and bite into it. The whitish area in the center of uncooked pasta should fade when the pasta is done.

Next onto the sauce. Chop 2 garlic cloves and basil. Mix the can of diced tomatoes with tomato sauce into a medium sized pot. Turn on low heat, add the chopped garlic and basil, oregano, salt/pepper and a dash of sugar. Cook on a low heat for 15-20 minutes, if sauce begins boiling you can remove from heat.

For the paste; grab a medium sized bowl; add the ricotta cheese and the egg. Next add the mozzarella, Parmesan and salt. Mix until everything has turned into a thick white paste. Cover and put in fridge until needed.

Now, onto the meat. First chop onions and bell peppers. Grab a medium pan, add 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil (not too much as the ground beef fat will add enough oils) Once pan is hot, add ground beef, allow to cook up to 1 minute while moving the meat around. Now add the onions and bell pepper along with some salt and pepper. Once brown, take away from heat and set to the side.

The finale prepping step is the creation.Preheat over to 450 degrees. Next grab a oven pan, spray with non-stick cooking spray and set aside. Use a large flat area or cutting board. Lay out each lasagna strip. Grab the paste, add a thin layer of the paste to each strip, next comes a thin layer of the ground beef and a small thinner layer of the sauce. Begin rolling towards you, slowly and delicately. Once you have one roll, place onto the rectangular oven pan. Continue the rolling for each lasagna strip, slowly adding another roll to the pan. Once all rolls are added add some more sauce on top of each roll with additional mozzarella and Parmesan shredded cheese.

Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes until a golden color is on top. Allow to cool before serving.

Bon Appetit! 

 

It is hot.... hot..... HOT

Were all guilty of it, dreading the moment you have to come home and cook dinner after a long hot day. You walk into the door and a blast of heat hits your face. You run around the house, either opening all windows, blasting the fans or rushing to turn your AC on so you can get somewhat comfortable after your long day. Next you have to decide what to cook for dinner. 

Below are a few quick easy dinner ideas to make during these hot day and nights....

Black Bean salad  (Previous recipe in my cooking notebook, sorry no pictures)

Ingredients:  

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup diced orange bell pepper

3/4 cup diced fresh tomato

1/2 cup corn kernels

1/3 cup diced persian cucumber

3 green onions, sliced thin

1 jalapeno, deseeded and minced

2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro

the juice of 1 lime

1/2 teaspoon canola or grape seed oil

2 – 3 dashes cumin

2 – 3 dashes coriander

salt and pepper to taste

Combine the beans, bell pepper, tomato, corn, cucumber, green onion, jalapeno, and cilantro in a medium bowl. Stir until ingredients are well distributed.

In another bowl, combine the lime juice, oil, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper. Pour over the bean mixture, tossing to combine. Chill until serving time.

Gazpacho  (Previous recipe, in my cooking notebook, sorry no pictures)

“Gazpacho is a cold Spanish tomato-based raw vegetable soup, originating in the southern region of Andalusia. Gazpacho is widely consumed throughout Spain, neighboring Portugal (where it is known as gaspacho) and parts of Latin America. Gazpacho is mostly consumed during the summer months, due to its cold temperature and acidic bite.”

Ingredients:

1.5 pounds tomatoes (6 small would be perfect), roughly chopped & core removed

1 red pepper, roughly chopped & seeds removed
1 English cucumber, peeled & roughly chopped
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 cups low-sodium V8 (or you may use tomato juice)
3/4-1 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
Red pepper flakes & Freshly ground black pepper, to taste (suggested to use 1/2 tsp each)
2 tbsp chopped fresh Parsley (or other herb)
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

3 tbsp red wine vinegar (or sherry vinegar, balsamic would also work), to taste

Add tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion, garlic clove, lime juice, V8 (or tomato juice), olive oil, and herbs into a blender and blend until smooth. 

Now add the rest of the seasonings (salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, vinegar) slowly and adjust to taste. Chill for 2-4 hours, or overnight. Garnish with chopped peppers, green onion, black pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil just before serving.

Tip: If your blender is small you might have to cut this batch in half so it won’t overflow. Makes about 6.5 cups.

Homemade with LOVE, In other words, I licked the spoon and kept using it.

It has been a few weeks since I have updated my blog with wonderful food recipes. To be honest, it's due to being a little down on myself with my recent surgery. I won't go into detail but it has really made me re-analyze my life, my career and has made me truly understand my passions in life. After the past few weeks of being on bed rest, I am ready to entertain you all with more recipes, so that you can bring enjoyment, quality time and some new recipes back into your kitchen and bellies.  I hope you enjoy.


Sesame Shrimp Lo Mein Recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups of water
1/2 bag of Lo mein noodles
1 pound medium shrimp (peeled)
1/4 ginger- chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper ( I usually eye this out, as I am not too keen on spicy foods)
1 clove garlic-minced,
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (I didn't have any on hand so none were used for this),
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1/2 green pepper, sliced into thin strips
1/3 bundle of cilantro, chopped
10-12 Edible Snow Peas
3-5 mushrooms, chopped
1/4 chopped white onion
3 tablespoons Soy sauce
1/2 pound sugar snap peas
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt (to taste)

For the noodles: In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the noodles according to their package directions. Drain and set aside.

For the sauce: Combine the soy sauce, sesame oil and cayenne pepper in a large glass measuring cup or small bowl and set aside. This may look like a lot of sauce, but you have a lot of noodles and veggies to coat! 

For the lo mein: Heat a wok (I used a basic pan, as I don't have a wok) over high heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, half the garlic, half the ginger and saute 30 seconds. Add in the shrimp and cook until they just start to turn pink and curl up, about 2 minutes. Transfer the shrimp and aromatics to a plate and reserve. 


In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and add the remaining garlic, ginger. Saute 30 seconds, and then add in the mushrooms, red and green peppers, onions, cilantro and snow peas. Saute the veggies until they begin to brown and caramelize, 4 to 5 minutes. 

Whisk the cornstarch into 2 tablespoons cold water. Once dissolved, add to the sauce. Add the sauce to the pan with the vegetables and bring to a simmer. Toss in the reserved shrimp, aromatics and noodles and serve!

Side Dish: Buy the Miso Soup packets, dissolve into water and tada! Easy side dish for dinner.

TIP: Buy some fortune cookies, great treat for dessert!

“Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Banana Nut Loaf- Banana bread first became a standard feature of American cookbooks with the popularization of baking soda and baking powder in the 1930's, appeared in Pillsbury's 1933 Balanced Recipes cookbook, and later gained more acceptance with the release of the original Chiquita Banana's Recipe Book in 1950.

My life is busy as can be and I wouldn't have it any other way. I have a full time job, as a Sales and Project Manager at Skinit, Inc. and I am working on starting two small businesses, as well as bringing a puppy into my boyfriend and my life and working on this blog. It's busy but I still am able to enjoy time with my family and friends. Although things are busy, I always make sure to get my girls together for a brunch or wine night. It's a great way to get the girls together for a few hours, catch up, enjoy some good food and just relax. Below are some great recipes and suggestions for your next brunch! Check them out, trust me they all taste amazing.

Banana Nut Load

Ingredients: 
1 cup of butter
2 cups of sugar
4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups of wholewheat flour (if you don't have whole wheat, you can use white flour, of course)
4-6 banana (ripe, once the bananas get old, you can always put them in the freezer and you can let them thaw once ready to use)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt the butter and put melted butter and sugar into one large bowl. Add eggs (one at a time, mix before you add the next egg)
In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients, flour,salt, baking soda. Once mixed, slowly add the dry ingredients into the butter,egg, sugar mixture. Once mixed add the bananas and begin mashing the bananas in the mixture. Next add the walnuts. 

Pour banana nut batter into a well greased loaf pan. Bake for about an hour and 15 minutes (however check with a tooth pick by sticking in the middle, when you take the toothpick out if nothing is stuck to it the bread is done) Once Banana Nut Loaf is fresh out of the oven add more walnuts on top for decor and extra taste. 

Lightened Hot Browns

Ingredients:
8 (1 oz) wheat, rye, or white bread slices, toasted
3/4 pound sliced deli-roasted turkey breast 
Parmesan Cheese Sauce (see ingredients below on how to make the Parmesan cheese sauce)
1/4 cup freshly shredded Parmesan Cheese
4 cooked reduced- fat bacon slices, crumbled
3 medium- tomatoes, sliced

How to make the Parmesan Cheese Sauce-
1 1/2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 pinch paprika

Melt 1 1/2 Tbsp. butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp. flour into melted butter, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute or until mixture is golden and lumpy. Gradually whisk in 1 cup 1% low-fat milk, and bring to a boil. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thickened. Add 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese, 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper, and a pinch of paprika, whisking until smooth. Remove from heat, and use immediately.

Arrange desired bread slices on an aluminum foil-lined 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Top evenly with turkey and Parmesan Cheese Sauce; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. 

Broil 6 inches from heat 4 to 6 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned; remove from oven. Top with crumbled bacon and tomato slices; serve immediate.

Roasted Potatoes with Tomatoes & Onions

Ingredients:
2-3 large potatoes
1/2 yellow onion
1-2 medium tomatoes, sliced

Wash the potatoes, begin slicing the potatoes. Put to the side in a bowl. Chop the tomatoes, place in another side bowl and chop the onion and place in one more small side bowl. Add oil to a frying pan, let heat. Add potatoes, salt and pepper. Cook until potatoes begin to get soft. Add the chop tomatoes and onions. Cook for another 15-20 minutes. Tip: Don't know if the potatoes are ready, grab a fork and stick one of the potatoes if it is soft, you are good to go.

Allow to cool a bit, but serve while still warm.

Enjoy and Happy Brunching!

P.S. Need a suggestion on a new beverage? Try the sparkling Ruby 
Fill Champagne flute 2/3 with sparkling wine
Top with Ruby Grapefruit Juice
Gently stir and enjoy!

A tavola non si invecchia. - Italian proverb. Translation: At the table with good friends and family you do not become old.

Where did the baguette originate from? The Baguette is a type of bread that originated in France and is much longer than it is wide. The bread is made through the baking process with rolled dough and goes stale within 24 hours.

Each morning is different, my routine is never the same, some mornings, I am up early going to pilates, some mornings I am pushing the snooze button until my absolute last alarm, other mornings, I am taking my time enjoying my morning with a cup of coffee and watching the news. 

Breakfast Baguette

Ingredients: 
1 Baguette (5 inch long pieces of baguette) 
1 egg per piece
1-2 Bacon (chopped and sliced)
Shred cheedar cheese
Other Suggestions: Add sausage, turkey, tomatoes, basil, any veggies per choice

Preheat over to 450 degrees. Cut Baguette into pieces about 5 inches long. Cut a rectangle on the top part of the baguette (don't go to deep but enough to where you can scoop out the middle) Begin scooping the middle out. Add bacon pieces on the bottom. Add egg in the middle (be careful egg tends to fall out, but you can scoop it back in with the egg shell) Add bacon pieces on top and add the shredded cheese. Next once oven is at temperature and put baguette into the over for 10-15 minutes or until golden crisp.

Enjoy! It's the perfect easy breakfast and you can take it to go!

 

Pan de antedía, vino de año y día, carne de ese día- Spanish Proverbs

Ceviche is a seafood dish popular in the coastal regions of the Americas, especially Central and South America. The dish is typically made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices, such as lemon or lime, and spiced with ají or chili peppers. 

Ceviche comes in all shapes, tastes and styles. I go for a more traditional way, that can be paired with any style dish, an appetizer or snack. Below you will find my ceviche recipe with my sangria recipe that goes hand in hand. 

Plus, I'll throw in my Mojito drink recipe.  Great dishes for your summer BBQ or tacos nights.  

Ceviche

Ingredients:
1 lb uncooked, de-veined shrimp
1/2 red onion (chopped)
1 whole red tomato (chopped)
2 Persian cucumbers (chopped)
1/2 cilantro bunch (pull leaves off the stems and chop)
2 whole lemons 
1 whole lime
1 Slice of an avocado (garnish, if needed) 

Grab your pan and heat with a drop of olive oil. Begin cooking the shrimp, add a little salt and pepper (for taste). Cook for about 10-15 minutes until fully pink. Drain, and place into a bowl, cover and put in the refrigerator to cool. 

Begin chopping your onion, tomato, cucumbers and cilantro. Add each layer into a bowl. Grab the shrimp and cut into 4ths or 1/2 depending on how big you would like your shrimp. Add squeezed lemon and lime. Mix with hands or with spoon. Add more salt and pepper to taste.  Place in fridge until serving. 

Sangria

Ingredients:
1 Bottle of Red wine (honestly the bottle can be traditional wine, cheap wine, expensive wine or even box wine. I usually grab a few bottles of 2 Buck Chuck)
2-3 Oranges
1-2 lemons
1-2 limes
3 tablespoons of sugar
1-2 Shots of Brandy 
2 cups of Sparkling Water ( 7-UP, Ginger Ale can be used as a substitute)
Mint (Garnish, if needed, I rarely add this, but it looks nice)
Ice

First slice 2 oranges, cut lemons. Squeeze lemon juice and lime juice into pitcher. Add sliced oranges. Add the bottle of wine to the pitcher and mix.  Heat an pot on the stove, add sugar and 1/2 cup of water. Allow for sugar to dissolve. Once dissolved add to pitcher along with sparkling water. Now add show of brandy mix. Put into fridge to cool Before serving add ice and mint. Enjoy!

Mojito 

Ingredients: Per glass
10 fresh mint leaves
2 limes, cut into 4th's 
2 tablespoons of sugar, or to taste
1 1/2 oz. of white rum
1/2 cup of club soda
Ice 

Place mint leaves and 1 lime wedge into a sturdy glass. Use a muddler (no muddler, I used a spoon) to crush the mint and lime to release the mint oils and lime juice. Add 2 more lime wedges and the sugar (see below on how to use sugar), and muddle again to release the lime juice. Do not strain the mixture. Fill the glass almost to the top with ice. Pour the rum over the ice, and fill the glass with carbonated water. Stir, taste, and add more sugar if desired. Garnish with the remaining lime wedge.

* Tip for sugar. If you plan on making a few drinks and want this drink to taste right. Please follow. 
Add cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of water into a pot. Heat until sugar is dissolved. Add this sugar to each cup. 

*Special Guest Appearance; My Mom. Was able to surprise my mom for her birthday and cook her some of my delish recipes and drinks!