Social Cravings

Chicken Parmigiana

theoracle — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 02:47:38 +0000

Chicken Parmigiana

Ingredients

1 egg, beaten
2 ounces dry bread crumbs
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
3/4 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
2 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a medium baking sheet.
Pour egg into a small shallow bowl. Place bread crumbs in a separate shallow bowl. Dip chicken into egg, then into the bread crumbs. Place coated chicken on the prepared baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until no longer pink and juices run clear.
Pour 1/2 of the spaghetti sauce into a 7×11 inch baking dish. Place chicken over sauce, and cover with remaining sauce. Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses on top and return to the preheated oven for 20 minutes

Cajun Seafood Pasta

theoracle — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 02:44:36 +0000

Cajun Seafood Pasta

Ingredients

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup chopped parsley
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 pound scallops
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound dry fettuccine pasta

Directions

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.
Meanwhile, pour cream into large skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until just about boiling. Reduce heat, and add herbs, salt, peppers, onions, and parsley. Simmer 7 to 8 minutes, or until thickened.
Stir in seafood, cooking until shrimp is no longer transparent. Stir in cheeses, blending well.
Drain pasta. Serve sauce over noodles.

Double Tomato Bruschetta

theoracle — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 02:26:01 +0000

Double Tomato Bruschetta

Ingredients

6 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil

3 cloves minced garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 French baguette

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven on broiler setting.
In a large bowl, combine the roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
Cut the baguette into 3/4-inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.
Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.
Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon with Port Wine Sauce

theoracle — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 02:25:06 +0000

Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon with Port Wine Sauce

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup minced white onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

3/4 cup low-sodium beef broth

1/2 cup port wine

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 filet mignon steaks (1 1/2 inch thick)

3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and thyme. Cook, stirring constantly, until onion is tender. Stir in the beef broth, scraping any onion bits from the bottom of the pan, then stir in the port wine. Bring to a boil, and cook until the mixture has reduced to about 1/2 cup. Set aside. This may also be made ahead of time, and reheated.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Heat oil in a cast-iron or other oven-safe skillet over high heat. Sear steaks quickly on both sides until brown, then place the whole pan into the oven.
Roast steaks in the oven for about 15 minutes for medium rare – with an internal temperature of 145 degrees F (63 degrees C). You may adjust this time to allow the steaks to finish just below your desired degree of doneness if medium is not what you prefer. Remove from the oven, and place on a baking sheet. Stir together the panko crumbs and blue cheese. Top each steak with a layer of this mixture.
Preheat the oven’s broiler. Place steaks under the preheated broiler until the cheese topping is browned and bubbly. 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let stand for at least 15 minutes before serving. Serve with warm port wine sauce.

Grilled Tilapia with Mango Salsa

theoracle — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 02:22:19 +0000

Grilled Tilapia with Mango Salsa

Ingredients

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 (6 ounce) tilapia fillets

1 large ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced

1/2 red bell pepper, diced

2 tablespoons minced red onion

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Whisk together the extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, parsley, garlic, basil, 1 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a bowl and pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add the tilapia fillets, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Prepare the mango salsa by combining the mango, red bell pepper, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeno pepper in a bowl. Add the lime juice and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat, and lightly oil grate.
Remove the tilapia from the marinade, and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade. Grill the fillets until the fish is no longer translucent in the center, and flakes easily with a fork, 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Serve the tilapia topped with mango salsa.

French Toast Casserole

theoracle — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 02:08:07 +0000

French Toast Casserole

Ingredients

5 cups bread cubes

4 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1/4 cup white sugar, divided

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon margarine, softened

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly butter an 8×8 inch baking pan.
Line bottom of pan with bread cubes. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, 2 tablespoons sugar, salt and vanilla. pour egg mixture over bread. Dot with margarine; let stand for 10 minutes.
Combine remaining 2 tablespoons sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Bake in preheated oven about 45 to 50 minutes, until top is golden.

Heather’s Grilled Salmon

social cravings — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 01:18:50 +0000

Heather’s Grilled Salmon

Ingredients

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons lemon pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets

Directions

Whisk together the brown sugar, olive oil, soy sauce, lemon pepper, thyme, basil, parsley, and garlic powder in a bowl, and pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add the salmon fillets, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, turning occasionally.
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate. Remove the salmon from the marinade, and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade.
Grill the salmon on the preheated grill until browned and the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 5 minutes on each side.

Desserts

social cravings — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 01:01:57 +0000

Walnut Banana Bread Pudding

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, divided
1 (16 ounce) loaf day-old French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup chopped walnuts
4 eggs
1 cup heavy cream
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
1 cup brown sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 pinch salt
4 very ripe bananas, mashed

Directions

Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon of butter; place the remaining butter in a saucepan over low heat, and melt the butter. Spread the French bread cubes out into the greased pan, and drizzle the melted butter over the bread.
Place the walnuts into a dry skillet over medium-low heat; cook and stir until the walnuts turn a light golden brown and give off a toasted fragrance, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully so they don’t burn. Remove from heat, and transfer walnuts into a bowl immediately to cool. Set walnuts aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs lightly just to break yolks, and mix in the cream, condensed milk, coconut milk, brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt. Whisk to thoroughly combine until smooth. Stir in mashed banana and 3/4 cup of walnuts. Pour the banana mixture evenly over the bread cubes, and push bread cubes into the mixture to coat well with the custard. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of toasted walnuts. Cover the dish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate 8 to 12 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Remove plastic wrap, and cover dish with foil.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and return to oven until the top is browned and the edges are pulling away from the pan, about 45 more minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

Apple Pie by Grandma Ople

Ingredients

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
1/2 cup unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
8 Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored and sliced

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.
Place the bottom crust in your pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft.

Irish Cream Creme Brulee

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup white sugar
6 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons Irish cream liqueur
superfine sugar as needed

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Place 6 ramekins on a towel set in a roasting pan at least 3 inches deep.
Stir together cream and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, and cook until very hot, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Whisk together egg yolks, vanilla, and Irish cream until combined. Slowly add 1/3 of the hot cream, whisking it in 2 tablespoons at a time until incorporated. Once you have incorporated 1/3 of the cream, you can stir in the remaining hot cream without fear of the mixture curdling.
Pour custard into the ramekins, then fill roasting pan with boiling hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake in preheated oven until set, 50 to 60 minutes.
Once the custard has set, place ramekins on a wire rack, and allow to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Cover, and refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours. Custards may remain refrigerated until ready to serve.
Unwrap the custards, and sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of superfine sugar onto each. Gently shake the custards so the sugar coats the entire top surface, then tip the custards to a 45 degree angle and shake off excess sugar.
Using a small hand torch, melt the sugar by making short passes over top of the custards with the flame not quite touching. Continue melting the sugar until it turns deep brown. Once the sugar has melted and turned to caramel, the cold custard underneath will harden the sugar into a crispy crust. Serve immediately. Alternatively, the sugar-dusted custards may be browned underneath the broiler in the oven.

Appetizers

social cravings — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 00:44:44 +0000

Coconut Shrimp

Ingredients

1 egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup beer
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups flaked coconut
24 shrimp
3 cups oil for frying

Directions

In medium bowl, combine egg, 1/2 cup flour, beer and baking powder. Place 1/4 cup flour and coconut in two separate bowls.
Hold shrimp by tail, and dredge in flour, shaking off excess flour. Dip in egg/beer batter; allow excess to drip off. Roll shrimp in coconut, and place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) in a deep-fryer.
Fry shrimp in batches: cook, turning once, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Using tongs, remove shrimp to paper towels to drain. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.

Maryland Crab Cakes

Ingredients

1 pound crabmeat
2 slices white bread, crusts trimmed
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon-style prepared mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning TM
2 tablespoons butter

Directions

Pick the crab meat to remove any remaining pieces of shell.
Pick bread into small pieces and place in medium-size bowl with crabmeat. Add egg, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and Old Bay seasoning ™. Mix ingredients by hand to avoid overworking the crabmeat, you want to keep the lumps of meat as much as possible. Form into patties; this should make 6 good-size cakes.
Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet, then fry cakes for about 4 minutes each side or until brown crust forms on both sides of the crab cake.

Japanese Chicken Wings

Ingredients

3 pounds chicken wings
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour for coating
1 cup butter
SAUCE
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cut wings in half, dip in egg and coat with flour.
Heat butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Fry wings until deep brown. Place in a shallow roasting pan.
In a small bowl combine soy sauce, water, sugar, vinegar, garlic powder and salt. Pour over wings.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes, basting wings with sauce often.

Every Day Tips To Living A Healthy Life

social cravings — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 14:05:50 +0000

Healthy eating tip 1: Set yourself up for success

To set yourself up for success, think about planning a healthy diet as a number of small, manageable steps rather than one big drastic change. If you approach the changes gradually and with commitment, you will have a healthy diet sooner than you think.

Simplify. Instead of being overly concerned with counting calories or measuring portion sizes, think of your diet in terms of color, variety and freshness—then it should be easier to make healthy choices. Focus on finding foods you love and easy recipes that incorporate a few fresh ingredients. Gradually, your diet will become healthier and more delicious.

Start slow and make changes to your eating habits over time. Trying to make your diet healthy overnight isn’t realistic or smart. Changing everything at once usually leads to cheating or giving up on your new eating plan. Make small steps, like adding a salad (full of different color vegetables) to your diet once a day or switching from butter to olive oil when cooking. As your small changes become habit, you can continue to add more healthy choices to your diet.

Every change you make to improve your diet matters. You don’t have to be perfect and you don’t have to completely eliminate foods you enjoy to have a healthy diet. The long term goal is to feel good, have more energy and reduce the risk of cancer and disease. Don’t let your missteps derail you—every healthy food choice you make counts.

Think of exercise as a food group in your diet.

Find something active that you like to do and add it to your day, just like you would add healthy greens, blueberries or salmon. The benefits of lifelong exercise are abundant and regular exercise may even motivate you to make healthy food choices a habit.

Healthy eating tip 2: Moderation is key

People often think of healthy eating as an all or nothing proposition, but a key foundation for any healthy diet is moderation. Despite what certain fad diets would have you believe, we all need a balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat, fiber, vitamins, and minerals to sustain a healthy body.

Healthy eating tip 3: It’s not just what you eat, it’s how you eat

Healthy eating is about more than the food on your plate—it is also about how you think about food. Healthy eating habits can be learned and it is important to slow down and think about food as nourishment rather than just something to gulp down in between meetings or on the way to pick up the kids.

Eat with others whenever possible. Eating with other people has numerous social and emotional benefits—particularly for children—and allows you to model healthy eating habits. Eating in front of the TV or computer often leads to mindless overeating.

Take time to chew your food and enjoy mealtimes. Chew your food slowly, savoring every bite. We tend to rush though our meals, forgetting to actually taste the flavors and feel the textures of what is in our mouths. Reconnect with the joy of eating.

Listen to your body. Ask yourself if you are really hungry, or have a glass of water to see if you are thirsty instead of hungry. During a meal, stop eating before you feel full. It actually takes a few minutes for your brain to tell your body that it has had enough food, so eat slowly.

Eat breakfast, and eat smaller meals throughout the day. A healthy breakfast can jumpstart your metabolism, and eating small, healthy meals throughout the day (rather than the standard three large meals) keeps your energy up and your metabolism going.