All posts by Emily

Bacon is always awesome, Dose of Veggies, Fruit, Pork-a-licious, Potato, Southern, Spicy

An Oldie But a Goodie

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I’ve mentioned a few times that out of all of the cooking magazine issues I keep, it is usually the holiday issues. Not only am I a 5-year old trapped in a 29-year old body when it comes to Thanksgiving and Christmas, I love the food so much it is almost painful for me when the holidays are over. (You should see me when I have to take down my holiday decorations, there might be tears involved).
I was thumbing through my old Cooking Light 2007 and 2008 December issues last week and as if I was looking through an old photo album of loved ones, I kept sighing and pointing to certain recipes saying internally, “I remember the time I made that, how delicious and I need to retest and see if it is Cooking Inside the Lines worthy!” Now, you can imagine the grumblings that occurred internally too when I found three delicious looking recipes from the 2008 issue that I had not tried. Quel horreur!

I have to say I planned the timing out pretty well and everything came together very easily, even towards the end of cooking which can sometimes get pretty insane. The Pork Chops were pretty darn awesome. I really liked the Colonial Corn Pudding a lot. Instead of oyster crackers I used multi-grain saltine crackers and they tasted great in the dish. The baked potatoes were good but I think I used too much chipotle that overpowered the other flavors a bit.

Finally, the cobbler. I found some quince at Whole Foods Market the other day and because when cooked it can lend an apple flavor to dishes, I decided to use these instead. This was my first time working with quince and I have to say me likey. Quince is a tough little bugger so it’s best to poach or cook for long periods of time to bring the full flavors out and soften it up. I poached the cut-up quince for 45 minutes before placing in my cast-iron Dutch oven to finish the cobbler recipe. It was delicious! I loved this topping and the quince did take on an apple flavor but had a more firm texture than an apple would have.

I think this meal was a perfect comfort dinner for a rainy night here in Austin. Give them a try!
Dessert, Emily Favorite

Salted Chocolate Ganache Cake

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I love salt. If I ever have to choose over that bowl of salty potato chips or sweet chocolate, the chips will always win. Now, if you can combine the two, kind of like they do with Whoppers (or other favorite chocolate treat) and movie popcorn I am one giddy lady. If you are saying that you’ve never tried this, you are either (a) lying or (b) haven’t truly lived. Now kicking this salty/chocolate-y combo up a notch with their Salted Chocolate Ganache Cake, Cooking Light has delivered a stellar cake recipe.
For a cake, this was very simple for even someone like me to make. Also, it’s an impressive looking cake so it makes you look like an absolute superstar without having to try too hard. Kind of like that old Rice Krispy treat commercial where the mom comes out covered in flour and feigns exhaustion except this is tastier and with salt – lovely, lovely, crunchy, crunchy Fleur de Sel salt. This cake is in the magazine’s special cooking section for the holidays but I say heck make it for any special occasion. Cat passes a hairball? Salted Chocolate Ganache Cake. Sat through an entire episode of the new season of Heroes without rolling your eyes once? Salted Chocolate Ganache Cake. You get the point.

Chicken, Fruit, Lengthy recipe but worth all the whisking, sweat and tears

Dark Meatlove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Dark Meat

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I’ll admit it. I have avoided dark meat. Like that pile of laundry you continue to walk by and starts to overflow out of the basket, you finally throw your hands in the air and say “OK, I’ll do it!” Magazines have been giving these cuts of meat a new life recently and well, if you think about it, it makes sense. Dark meat can require long-cooking times in the oven – perfect for fall – and are wallet friendly – perfect for the economy – so it’s a win/win folks. Plus, if you avoid the skin of dark meat you are actually consuming almost the same amount of calories and fat but could be getting more nutritional benefits, like zinc and iron, than their white meat counterparts. I’m serious! See here and here.

Now all of this is coming to you from a person who claimed to not like dark meat because I had heard the fat rumors and I don’t know, something about it just didn’t appeal to me. Well, it just goes to show that as usual, I was wrong lambs. I just made two dark meat dishes back-to-back for dinner this weekend and am currently swooning over the flavors. The Apple-Braised Turkey Thighs recipe from Everyday Food and Chicken Smothered in Gravy recipe from Food & Wine are two prime and lip-smacking examples of dark meat goodness.

Give these two a try, although if I had to choose just one give the turkey thighs a chance. Of course I would choose the one that doesn’t have a Web link.
Also, I just noticed that this is my 98th post, wow how time flies. I want to do something special for my 100th post. What should I do, what should I do?!
Everyday Food
Apple-Braised Turkey Thighs
Serves 4
Prep Time: 30 MIN
Total time 2 1/2 HR
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 turkey thighs (about 2 pounds total)
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
4 Cortland or Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, and cored
2 cups of apple cider
14.5 ounces low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons cider vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat oil over medium-high. Season turkey on both sides with salt and pepper and add to pot, skin side down. Cook until skin is golden and crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer turkey to a plate and add shallots to pot. Cook until shallots soften, about 5 minutes. Add apples and cook until slightly softened, about five minutes.

2. Return turkey, skin side up, to pot; add cider and broth. Bring to a boil, cover, then place pot in oven. Cook 1 1/2 hours. Uncover, cook 30 minutes more.
3. Remove pot from oven and transfer turkey to plate. Skim fat from cooking liquid and stir in vinegar. Slice meat off bones (discard bones) and server turkey with apples and pan sauce.
Fruit, Global Flavor, Salad

Grilled Shrimp Salad with Mango Dressing

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I’m on a blog posting and Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine kick today! I tried this Grilled Shrimp Salad with Mango Dressing for lunch and it was yummo (yeah I went there). The magazine features mangos in this month’s “Have Your Way With…” section with four delicious looking mango recipes. As I’ve mentioned here in my blog, I work in food public relations and have the pleasure of working with the National Mango Board, so seeing mangos in in the magazine was just too cool and I have to give them a try.
This recipe was really quick to assemble and perfect for a light lunch. I really liked the mango dressing mixed with the shallot as it had a great balance of flavors. One note on this recipe, I couldn’t find jicama so I put this over fresh spinach instead and it was delicious. I also really liked the fresh mint, cilantro and peanuts to give it a great crunch.
As the trend is going today, I couldn’t find the recipe online so here you go!

Every Day with Rachael Ray
Grilled Shrimp Salad with Mango Dressing
Serves 6
Prep 25 min
Cook 5 min

2 mangoes, 1 1/2 cut into matchsticks
1 shallot, peeled and quartered
Grated peel of 1 lime, plus 3 teaspoons lime juice
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
1 pound large shrimp, peeled
1 1/2 pounds jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks
1 1/2 cups cilantro leaves
1 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped

1. Preheat a grill pan to medium-high. Using a blender, puree the 1/2 uncut mango, shallot, lime juice and 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Thread the shrimp onto skewers. Brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill, turning once, until opaque, about 5 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, toss the jicama, cilantro, mint, lime peel and mango matchsticks with the dressing. To serve, sprinkle with the peanuts and top with the shrimp skewers.
© 2008 National Mango Board. Photo used by permission of the National Mango Board. All rights reserved.
Bacon is always awesome, Eggs, Quick and Delicious

My Kind of Eggs Benedict

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I love sauces. In fact, any kind of sauce is a friend of mine and welcome in my tummy. If I had a sauce friendship meter however, hollandaise would register to be around a two or three. It’s always been OK to me but a little too rich or “much” in my opinion. I feel the same way about alfredo sauce, it’s good but whoa nelly after a few bites.
So when I came across this lightened Eggs Benedict recipe in the November issue of Every Day with Rachael Ray I thought I give her a try. Now, they don’t show an original or basic Eggs Benedict recipe to compare but the before vs after comparison of nutritional information was eye-opening, plus if it’s a lighter in flavor hollandaise sauce then I’m all for it.
Eggs Benedict before –
Calories: 731 (once on the lips, a lifetime on the hips)
Saturated Fat: 30 g (ewwww!)
Dietary Fiber: 1g (sad)
Carbs 28 g (ugh)
Eggs Benedict after –
Calories: 271 (better)
Saturated Fat: 6.5 g (much much better)
Dietary Fiber: 3.5 g (I approve)
Carbs: 19 g (yay)I really liked this recipe, especially the sauce. It was light and flavorful, probably because the amount of butter was cut and chicken broth was used instead. I also used a low-sodium version even though the recipe didn’t call for it. The crisp asparagus, a best friend of hollandaise, was also perfect and light for breakfast.

I cut this down for just one person but I’m really happy I have all of the ingredients to make this a few more times this week for breakfast because it was so quick to make and delicious. I think next time I’m going to add some fresh chives on top to give it an herb-y kick. I can’t find the recipe online so I thought I would share here in case you would like to give her a try too.

Every Day with Rachael Ray
Eggs Benedict
Serves 4
Prep 10 min
Cook 20 min
1 pound of asparagus
4 ounces of turkey Canadian Bacon
2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of flour
1/2 cup of chicken broth (low sodium if you prefer)
4 large eggs, plus 2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and Pepper
2 whole wheat English muffins, split and toasted
1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees. Fill a large, deep skillet with enough salted water to reach a depth of 1 inch and bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes; drain. Reserve the skillet.
2. Heat the reserved skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey bacon and cook, turning, until browned about 3 minutes. Transfer the bacon and asparagus to an ovenproof dish and place in the oven to keep warm; reserve skillet.
3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cook whisking for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, then whisk in the 2 egg yolks, 1 at a time. Stir in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Strain the sauce into a bowl.
4. Fill the reserved skillet with enough water to reach a depth of 1 inch and bring to a boil. Crack the 4 whole eggs into the skillet and poach for 2 minutes for soft-set.
5. Place an English muffin half on each of the 4 plates. Divide the bacon among the muffins and top each with asparagus, a poached egg and some sauce. Season with pepper.
Emily Favorite, Soup

Two New Favorites

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Yesterday was a whirlwind cooking day for me. Not only did I make two soups so I could enjoy them for the week, but I made my morning smoothies and froze them, snack pack trail mix to aid in my mid-afternoon snack attack where I tend to reach for chocolate, a granola and my dinner which was a recipe from Gourmet that I didn’t like very much.

Two new favorites from my test kitchen are both from Cooking Light – hello Molasses-Almond Granola and Two-Bean Soup with Kale. I had the granola for a snack, or should I say meal almost, because it was that delicious. I also know a few lovely ladies in my office enjoyed it too!


The Two-Bean Soup with Kale is perfect. As you can tell from this blog, kale is my new obsession and as my dietitian friend and co-worker Allison said, “that’s a really great thing to be obsessed with!”. I seriously do love the stuff and it really sings in this dish. I didn’t add black beans because for my other soup option I made a black bean soup, otherwise I followed this to the tee and it is excellent. Here is a handy dandy video to demonstrate how to make the recipe, if only I looked this good when cooking!

Go try these two now, I think you will enjoy them as much as I did.

Bacon is always awesome, Cheesy Cheese, Mexican

Angel Nachos

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You know you know them, and loathe them. The food devil on your left and food angel on your right. As you know from this blog, I love satisfying both, especially if it’s in a dish like NACHOS! I’ve made my love for anything Tex-Mex or Mexican food evident here as well. Enchiladas, tacos, refried beans and chips and salsa make me weak in the knees and fat in the hips. When I was perusing the October issue of Cooking Light, I stopped and beheld this Pork and Pinto Bean Nachos recipe. “How perfect!” I thought to myself, “not only is it College Gameday, a perfect day for nachos, but I can enjoy these and not feel too guilty.”
After watching the number two Texas Longhorns own UTEP on Saturday, and see Colt McCoy FINALLY be the talented quarterback that we all know he is, I floated on my cloud #9 into the kitchen and started on these nachos. First, the juicy pork was a perfect, healthy protein choice for these nachos. Second, the beans, dear goodness. I loved the silky pinto beans with the added spice of the chipotle in adobo sauce, lime juice and bacon…I repeat bacon. Finally, the fresh, delicious salsa of tomatoes, crunchy jicama and creamy avocado was perfect. Obviously, since this is just for one person I paired it down for just me and it was the perfect size and serving for a healthy spin on nachos.
On a side note, my Fellow Foodie Blogger’s Tour (FFBT) fell with a sad ker-plunk due to well, life getting in the way. I was set to test two recipes on my final day, one from my lady in food crime and fellow foodie team member Jodi from Tasty Touring and Nicole from Feast Your Eyes, who I have never met but I love her blog! I will revisit the FFBT soon and I promise to test the recipes I wanted to try toute suite. In the meantime ladies, thanks for the continued inspiration.
Emily Favorite, Everything is better fried, Lengthy recipe but worth all the whisking, sweat and tears, Seafood, This may contain fish sauce or anchovies

I Heart Portland (Maine that is)

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Can I share a vision in my mind with you? I envision Portland, Maine as this super duper gentle place full of delicious food and chilly, fall days with beautiful coastlines. I know they have summer but shushie we are in my vision. Maybe something like this…

Now, I have never been to Maine, let alone Portland (someday lambs, someday), but I am still quite happy for the city to receive the honor of America’s Foodiest Small Town 2009 from Bon Appetit. I kind of hate that word foodie or foodiest but that’s another story, because I would go there in a heartbeat after reading about the food.

Wanna hear why? An excerpt from the magazine article to tickle your tastebuds:

First, it’s got great product, from oysters to fiddlehead ferns. Second, the town has attracted stellar chefs who know how to turn these resources into great food. Third, it even has a signature meal, breakfast, that turns the first fare of the day into a celebration of all this bounty. And finally, it has citizens who expect a lot, and get even more.

They had me at breakfast.

The magazine featured this absolutely bonkers recipe from a local restaurant in Maine called Cod with Mussels, Chorizo, Fried Croutons and Saffron Mayonnaise. I say bonkers because wow you guys did I pick a lengthy recipe for the week night or what? What was I thinking? I’ll tell you exactly what I was thinking, I had to try this now and nothing was going to stop me. I also use the word bonkers because the combination of these ingredients was intense, just look at the title of the recipe to paint your own mental picture.

Yes, there was a lot going on here but it all really came together for me to truly love it. From the creamy, saffron mayonnaise and delicious, moist cod that has been roasted in clam juice (hold on it’s not bad) and white wine (see I told you) to the spicy chorizo and succulent mussels with their delicious broth plus the fried sourdough croutons that soaked up said broth to absolute perfection. Wow.

Wow.

I’ll pack the bags you go start the car.

(Recipe photo from Bon Appetit.com)

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That Cover Recipe

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Behold a recipe discussion between Apron Adventures and I the weekend after we had both read the new Bon Appetit.

AA: “Did you see the new Bon Appetit and that cover recipe?”

Me: “Yes, I think I marked half the magazine. I love this time of year!”

AA: “Yeah, but did you see that Beef Short Rib recipe on the cover?” Cue AA’s look of pure love when she has a new recipe in sight that’s something like this…

Me: “Yes I might try that soon along with the other recipes.”

AA: “Emily you have to try that Beef Short Rib recipe!”

I agree with Apron Adventures that cover recipe of Braised Beef Short ribs with Red Wine Gravy and Swiss Chard does look absolutely amazing, in fact so amazing that I most certainly did have to try it this weekend. There is nothing like beef short ribs sitting and braising in the oven for hours while the delicious smells fill your house and hungry tummy.

This was a great recipe and you can tell how badly I wanted to try it even though I didn’t have one piece of required equipment – a food mill. Now, I’ve always wanted one of these gentle appliances but everytime I think I want to spring for one I question how much I would use it. Of course, I then choose recipes like this that I HAVE to make and end up kicking myself for not just going ahead and getting one (and an immersion blender and a candy thermometer). This was a very simple recipe to assemble and when it came time to food mill the sauce I just strained it through all of the yummy carrots, celery, sun dried tomatoes and garlic and reheated per the instructions.

Sigh, that I couldn’t really test this recipe to its full potential but I wanted to post here because it was amazing. The flavors of the short ribs were delicious and even without going through food mill land, the sauce was great. I served this over the suggested sauteed chard and also made mashed sweet potatoes that had been mixed with a little bit of maple syrup and some cinnamon. How fall-ish and wonderful this meal was!

If you have tried this recipe in its full glory please leave a comment or a link to your blog to let me know what you thought.
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My Own Apron Adventure

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A Fellow Foodie Blogger Recipe Tour wouldn’t be complete without trying a dish from my fellow food team member/blogger/bestie Lindsay from Apron Adventures. For those of you who don’t have the pleasure of knowing Lindsay she is a walking ray of sunshine. No seriously. Ivette and I joke that Lindsay wakes up in the morning like a Disney princess with birds and mice and bunnies helping her get ready for work while she hums and whistles about – I know Lindsay is lauging right about now.

The other thing that I love about Lindsay is her true passion for food and cooking. The two of us can sit and talk about recipes for ages and never get bored. She is truly a creative, talented cook and of course I love reading her blog to see what she will come up with next.

Lindsay loves goat cheese and pesto, I know this for a fact, so I was dying to try something that combined her two favorites. Enter Lindsay’s Chicken Pesto Panini. Now I tried this recipe as she suggested, no freebies just because we are besties, and Lindsay this was totally awesome. I loved the flavors together and I ate this in about three minutes. I mean really this rocked.

Thanks for the continued inspiration and can’t wait to talk about this recipe tomorrow!