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Sean Thackrey Wines

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So none of the recipes I tested this week really were up to par for the site…sad. So I thought I would mention my deep love for a particular winemaker’s wines out of Marin County, CA named Sean Thackrey. I guess you could call him a rogue winemaker since he goes against the current of what many winemakers strongly believe in such as the importance of
terroir and the role science plays in the development and fermentation of his wines.

You can hear these thoughts and more in this interview on Chow.com. I love how he refers to barrels as “spice” for his wines. If you’ve ever had one of his wines, (I’ve had the cost-effective Pleiades a lot and the wee more expensive Orion once) you can really taste the difference in his wines versus others. I can’t put my finger on what makes it so good but once you taste for yourself you can see his theories really reflect in his work.

For you lovely Austinites I checked at Whole Foods Market and supposedly they might be getting in a shipment of Pleiades (yippee!) in the next few weeks and I will post here if it arrives. They do have bottles of Sirius but it’s a little out of my price range at $78.00! Have you had a Sean Thackrey wine? Would love to hear other thoughts!

Emily Favorite, Fruit, Pizza, Quick and Delicious

Strawberry, Pistachio, and Goat Cheese Pizza

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Exquisite is a word I would use for this pizza dish from Cooking Light. The flavors melded so well and I would highly recommend using watercress if you can find it. I just found a gorgeous bunch of it at Whole Foods Market today and I guess you could substitute its kin arugula if you wanted.

I would never have thought to put these flavors together on a pizza but it turned out beautifully and was so delicious. I couldn’t find pistachios (go figure) at H-E-B or Central Market so I used cashews instead.
This would be great for a party or a simple and quick weeknight meal that is both an entree and dessert. Go make this right now!

Asian, Quick and Delicious, Seafood

Sauteed Scallops with Watercress and Ginger

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I was on a watercress kick last week with the world’s best pizza and all, but I also made this Sauteed Scallops with Watercress and Ginger from Everyday Food which was really good.

This recipe was so super simple for a weeknight meal and had it on the table in about 25 minutes. I did add a dash of red pepper flakes at the end for a little bit of heat. I still can’t find this recipe online so here you go.

Serves 4

Prep Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon of peeled minced fresh ginger

3 bunches of watercress (about 5 ounces each), thick ends trimmed

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

1 pound large sea scallops (about 12)

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Add garlic and ginger and cook until garlic is lightly golden. 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1/2 of the watercress and cook until wilted. Repeat with 1 tablespoon oil and remaining watercress. Stir in lemon juice and sesame seeds and season with salt and pepper. Wipe skillet clean.

Pat scallops dry with a paper towel; season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in skillet over medium-high. Add scallops and cook until browned on one side, about 3 minutes. turn and cook until opaque throughout, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Serve scallops with watercress.

Emily Favorite, Fruit, Quick and Delicious, Seafood

Strawberry-Avocado Salsa

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So after a quick but intense trip to New York and a looooong drive to and from my hometown I was super beat last night but nothing, I repeat nothing, would stop me from making this.

I came across this Strawberry-Avocado Salsa in this month’s Cooking Light and literally squealed with glee and clapped my hands together. It just sounded so good! This salsa was super easy to make and everything melded so nicely with the creamy avocado, crisp red onion, spicy jalapeno and of course delicious and sweet strawberries. I served over a sauteed piece of halibut and dinner was done in 15 minutes. I wish I had made more so I could eat with tortilla chips but I have learned my lesson for next time. Make this immediately!

Fruit, Side Dish, Taco!, Vegetarian

Where’s the Beef? Black Bean Tacos…

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No beef for you! Instead you get really tasty, mashed black beans that have been sprinkled with a little bit of cumin. Place some pepper jack cheese on a tortilla, and then place it flat on a hot skillet with some extra virgin olive oil. Place the bean mixture on top, fold and crisp on both sides. Voila! Yummy vegetarian tacos in no time.
I followed Crispy Black Bean Tacos recipe from Bon Appetit except I did not have corn tortillas or feta but it was still yummy the way I made them, especially if you serve with some low-fat sour cream and homemade guacamole. I also made the Mexican Pineapple Salad to round out the meal. And now back to our regularly scheduled beef programming…
Cheesy Cheese, Dose of Veggies, Emily Favorite, Spicy

Sweet and Spicy Twice As Nice-y

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I have to say that I do enjoy eating healthfully, now if I can eat healthfully while feeling a wee bit sinful that’s even better. Kind of like my obsession with dark chocolate squares, a little bit of guilt but it has antioxidants and other good stuff so it can’t be that bad right? Anyhoodles, when I watched the episode from Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger that featured recipes from A Day at the Diner I was more than intrigued.
This episode featured a grilled cheese sandwich that would become a favorite of mine in no time. Her Sweet and Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches features sauteed red onions, cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, beefsteak tomatoes on whole wheat bread. See, she didn’t even call for reduced fat sucky cheese or anything, rejoice! I like to serve this with her Chopped “Fixin’s” Salad from the same episode which is simply greens, pickles, onions, tomatoes (although I used red bell pepper instead) salt, pepper and a little bit of blended red wine vinegar and olive oil. So simple but what a fun and unique side to go with just about anything.
To really throw Ellie’s Healthy Appetite straight out the window, I thought of another sweet and spicy concoction that I love from Gourmet, that’s right people, Sweet and Spicy BACON. To make myself feel a little better I did use the Oscar Mayer Center Cut kind which counts as being a little healthier correct? :) Not really but I’ll just keep telling myself that. Seriously the sweet and spicy bacon with the sweet and spicy grilled cheese sandwiches is not overkill! Try it for yourself and I promise you will love it.
Dessert, Emily Favorite, Lengthy recipe but worth all the whisking, sweat and tears

Cool, Creamy Dessert from Cooking Light

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This week is a week of “house favorites” so I started it off with Turkey Meatloaf Sandwiches from the Neiman-Marcus cookbook that my dearest friend The Boo gave me for my birthday last year. When I first saw Neiman Marcus I thought “oh dear, this is going to be too fancy schmancy for me!” but dear readers it is NOT at all! The salads, sandwiches, entrees etc are actually pretty easy to make and everything I’ve made so far has been delicious. Now, I’m going to be a tease here because I don’t have the book with me today but will post the recipe soon…sorry, I suck!

I did also make the Cool, Creamy Dessert from Cooking Light last night. I would recommend this for a day when you have some time to spare since it is a layered dessert that takes time to, well, layer. This dish is sweetened by the powdered sugar, fat-free cool whipped topping, cream cheese (1/3 less fat and fat free), fat-free chocolate pudding and the flaky, pecan laden crust is wonderful. This is definitely something for a special occasion and is reminiscent of a tiramisu, without the icky coffee aftertaste or ladyfingers plus the fact that it won’t add 10 pounds to your backside. Also, I just got the new Cooking Light and Everyday Food so watch out all 10 of you gentle readers, there are going to be some really good recipes coming up!

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Open-Face Pork Tacos from Everyday with Rachael Ray

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I love tacos, maybe it’s because I’m a Tex-Mex freak, I don’t know, but me and tacos are like this.

I love trying new flavors for tacos and I have never had one with mashed plantains in it, enter the Open-Face Pork Tacos recipe in Everyday with Rachael Ray that is now one of my new favorites.

I was a little worried that two chipotles plus the adobo sauce would make this bad boy super spicy, but mixed with the sweet onions and crushed tomatoes it thickened into a delicious sauce that complemented the meat and orange juice.

The only thing I changed was instead of avocado, I made a guacamole with lime juice, cumin, salt, chile powder, salt and red pepper flakes. I smoothed the pureed plantain on the tortilla, then crunchy tortilla chips, then the guacamole topped with the saucy beef mixture. I always have to have some kind of crunch when all other textures are soft and this worked out well.

I was thinking this could easily be enjoyed as a vegetarian option too if you wanted to add in kidney or black beans instead of meat.
Dessert, Fruit, Quick and Delicious

Yummy Mango Napoleons

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So I made dinner last night and let’s just say none of the recipes I tried were really worthy of posting here…sad. BUT, the one shining dish was for dessert, these delicious Mango Napoleons from Everyday with Rachael Ray were so tasty that they are going on regular rotation in my house.

Not only were these super-easy to make, they turned out beautifully on the plate and were so, so, so delicious. I was a little worried about the flavor of the Greek-style yogurt (I used the 2% as I eat this stuff like it’s going out of style) since it can have a distinct bite to it. However, with a little sugar and vanilla extract mixed in, it balanced out the flavors and made it very creamy.
The ripe mangos on top with a little bit of sugar were the perfect complement with the yogurt mixture and flaky puff pastry.
Try these for an easy dessert option for a weeknight dinner or these are a great to be enjoyed at a party like the magazine suggests.
I couldn’t find the recipe online so here you go:
Mango Napoleons
Serves 6
Prep: 30 minutes
Bake: 20 minutes
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1/4 cup sugar, plus more for sprinkling
3 ripe mangos, cut into small cubes
3/4 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. On a work surface, unfold the puff pastry and cut into 6 rectangles. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until golden-brown, about 15 minutes then lower the heat to 325 degrees and bake for 5 minutes more. Let cool.
Meanwhile, toss together the mangos and 2 tablespoons sugar; let stand for 5 minutes. Mix the yogurt with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and the vanilla. Using a serrated knife, halve the baked pastries horizontally. Spread the yogurt-vanilla mixture on the bottom halves, spoon the mango on top and cover with the remaining pastry halves.
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Foods I Love to Hate

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I’m very open to anything when it comes to food and love trying new things, but there are just some that I really am not a fan of and they have met their doom here. Muwhahahahahaha! I seriously had a disgusted look on my face the entire time I wrote out this list…it was not pretty.

#1 Fennel: tastes like licorice, no thank you. (Tarragon and anise get off the hook sometimes with me if they are in dishes so they are not on the list).

#2 Portobello Mushrooms: just too meaty for me to be a mushroom, blech

#3 Ricotta: the texture of ricotta is like a grainy, mushy mess

#4 Salmon: I can hear the nutritionistas pulling their hair out now. Salmon, it’s not that I hate you, it’s just if I had choice of any other fish in the sea you would always be last.

#5 – Eggplant: once again a veggie or I guess in this case a fruit (really? I didn’t know that) that is too meaty for my liking. Can you tell I don’t like vegetables that think they are proteins?

#6 – Capers: Ick, the flavor of these just makes me ill which is odd because they have the same flavor profile as olives (see below).

# 7 – Frisee: I was just reminded by a dear reader Wendy that I seriously am not a fan of frisee. You know that curly looking branch stuff that is in spring mix? Ewwww. I loathe this so much that I had to come back and add to my list. Thanks Wendy!

Here are items recently removed from my love to hate list, see Fennel you might be here some day…might being the operative word:

– Olives – until a recent tasting here in the office I removed olives from salads, pizzas or dips because I just didn’t like the taste. However, I have come to appreciate an olives salty bite and varying flavors of each variety.

– Caramel – this is odd I know. I really didn’t like caramel on things until yet again we had a tasting here in the office and I started to like it, not love it, like it.

– Beets – oh beets, you are so earthy and delicious, how did I shut you out of my life for so long?

What are the foods you love to hate? Share with me!