Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Dining in Dallas Part 2
Anyways, onto the food. For an appetizer we started off with the foie gras. For those of you that do not know what foie gras is, it is the fatty part of the liver from a duck or goose. I know it sounds gross, but it is heavenly when prepared the right way. I especially enjoyed Bistro 31's foie gras as they served it with roasted figs and pistachios. It was the perfect blend of sweet and savoury. For entrees, my friend and I shared the seared diver scallops and brioche crusted lemon sole. Both dishes were delicious but if I had to choose my favorite, the scallops were phenomenal. I am always hesitant to order scallops at restaurants because the portions are always so small. This restaurant served four plump scallops over yukon potato mousseline aka mashed potatoes. This combination hit the spot and the scallops were seared to perfection. This restaurant is a great addition to the Dallas dining scene and is definitely worth trying.
Bistro 31
87 Highland Park Village #200 (next to Vince)
Dallas, Texas 75205
(214) 420-3900 Pin It
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Dining in Dallas Part 1
Monday, November 28, 2011
A Vase Like No Other
Thursday, November 24, 2011
My Thanksgiving Feast
This week I took a break from cooking. I got a few requests to post Thanksgiving recipes but unfortunately I was not home to cook. Lucky for me, our grandparents invited us over for a wonderful turkey dinner. I wanted to share with you my amateur photos from our dinner.
Our grandmother used her Sterling silver flatware as well as her beautiful fine china to set the tables. Seeing her tables set so beautifully makes me so excited to use my fine china which is in transit from Germany as we speak.
Our grandmother used a different pattern of china for the kids table!
Last but not least, check out this spread of food. Yum!
It is very impressive to me that our grandparents can throw together such an affair. I have lots to learn from all three of my grandmas and grandpa! I hope to share with you some of these family recipes when I get back to cooking next week.
Pin ItWednesday, November 23, 2011
Pre Black Friday Shopping
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Cornbread Made Easy
Ingredients
1 Package of Gladiola's Mexican Style Cornbread mix
1 Cup of creamed corn
1 Cup of reduced fat shredded cheese
1 Egg
1/3 Cup of skim milk
1 Tbsp of sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl.
Monday, November 21, 2011
What Not To Do
Friday, November 18, 2011
Snack for the True Healthnut
Ingredients
1 bunch of kale
1-2 tbsp of olive oil
Kosher salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
Wash the kale and dry thoroughly.
Peel kale from the stem into bite-size pieces.
After peeling the kale, blot dry with a paper towel. If you have a salad spinner, you can put the kale leaves in it to spin the water out of the kale.
I had so much kale that I put it on two baking sheets.
Drizzle olive oil over the kale leaves and use your hands to toss and coat the leaves.
Bake in the oven for 12-20 minutes. Check on the kale at 12 minutes and if the leaves are paper-thin and flaky, they are done! If not, leave them in for another few minutes. Make sure the kale does not burn and turn brown otherwise it will taste very bitter.
Season with kosher salt after you remove from the oven.
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Thursday, November 17, 2011
Kansas City Black Bean Chili
1 lb. lean or white ground turkey breast (cooked with garlic salt & drain fat)
Brown the meat (ground beef, ground turkey and sausage), one at a time in the microwave in a pyrex measuring cup, covered with a paper towel. Crumble the cooked meat every few minutes with a fork. It should take about 5-7 minutes per pound of ground meat in the microwave. Drain fat into a can (do not put down disposal).
- Serve chili with fritoes (small size), finely shredded mild cheddar cheese, chopped white onion and corn bread. You can also serve this with tamales, hot dogs & buns for chili dogs, or saltine crackers.
- It is best to make this a day ahead of time to meld the flavors!
- If you want more of a “kick” and you want it to have more liquid, add 1 - 6oz can of Spicy Hot V-8 juice.
- You can always freeze the leftovers!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Rockfish with Mango Salsa
Directions
Either prior to cooking the fish or while the fish is baking, make the salsa. Combine mango, onion, cilantro, and lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Balsalmic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Pan-Seared Trout
Yield-2
Ingredients
4 small filets or 2 large filets of Rainbow Trout
1 Tbsp of olive oil
Salt and pepper
Nonstick Pan
Directions
Begin by sprinkling salt and pepper to the "belly" of the fish.
Place 1 tbsp of olive oil into your nonstick pan and place on high heat.
***Allow your pan to heat for at least a few minutes otherwise the fish will not get brown like you want it to while making sure you do not burn the olive oil.
Keep your stove on high heat and place your fish filets in the pan "belly" side down first. Sear until the belly starts to turn a golden brown. This should take no longer than 1.5 minutes.
Flip your filet over and cook the skin for 0.5 minute.
If you are preparing a meal, this should be the last thing you cook since it takes so little time.
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Wednesday, November 9, 2011
To Die For Couscous
Ingredients
1/2 Pound Middle Eastern couscous
1/4 Pound of FRESH sun-dried tomato pesto
***You can find this at Whole Foods where they have the pre-made pestos that you scoop out yourself.
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Bring a pot of water to a boil.
Empty couscous into the boiling water and cook for about 10 minutes or until al dente.
After draining the water from the couscous, return the couscous to the pan and stir in the sun-dried tomato pesto.
Add salt and pepper to taste and enjoy! This couscous is so flavorful and makes the perfect accompaniment to any dinner.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Healthy & Homemade Tomato Basil Soup
Ingredients
1 Tbsp of olive oil
1 Small onion, chopped
1 Clove of garlic, minced
1 Carrot, peeled and chopped
1 Large (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes (USE LIQUID)
2 Cups of chicken broth
***Do not use low sodium chicken broth otherwise you will have to add a lot of salt which is what I ended up having to do because it was too bland.
4 Tbsp of tomato paste
2 Tsp of dried basil or a handful of fresh basil leaves
Salt and pepper
1 Small (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes (OPTIONAL)
In a large pot, heat olive oil and add onion, garlic and carrots. Saute until softened (about 15 minutes).
Add tomatoes, chicken broth, tomato paste and basil. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Puree mixture with hand wand or in the blender. If you like your tomato soup smooth, then you will have to blend for longer.
Return to pot and add parsley, salt and pepper.
If you prefer a chunkier soup, you can add the extra can of diced tomatoes. However, I opted against this as I like my tomato soup smooth.
Serve hot with a dash of chopped parsley, fresh basil or parmesan on top.
My husband and I enjoyed this with a grilled cheese!
You can make this 2 days ahead of time and it will last for up to a week in the refrigerator. Pin It