Heart Shaped Carrots Tutorial

Something cute I saw on Pinterest... It's the little touches that make a meal special. ♥

Organic Ground Turkey Sauteed with Cubed Eggplants, Red Bell Peppers Juliennes, Fresh Garlic and Thai Basil in Oyster Sauce :P

Ingredients:

-1 pack of ground Turkey ( I love using minced meat, it's such a time saver)

-1 large eggplant, diced and soaked in salted water for 20 minutes about...and then rinsed ( it helps not itch your tongue for some reason)

-1 Red Bell Pepper cut in juliennes

- 3 or 4 crushed garlic cloves (or chopped)

-a bunch of Thai Basil

-Oyster Sauce (2-3 table spoons...adjust according to taste)

-Onion Powder

-Sugar (1 teaspoon about...)

-Vegetable Oil (enough to cover the pot bottom)

Preparation:

-In a pot large enough to stir fry veggies and meat (the kind I'd use to make a spaghetti sauce for instance), pour the vegetable oil and add the crushed or chopped fresh garlic in it, without heat, and let sit there for about 10 minutes (it flavors the oil and adds to the yummy goodness).

- Turn the heat on to medium and let the garlic cook for a bit but not until it turns golden yet. Add the ground turkey and cook until the pinkness is gone.

- At that point, I add the oyster sauce and sugar and mix the meat up, along with the onion powder (about 1/4 teaspoon). Then I add the cubed eggplants and cover with a lid for a little while, to let the steam work its magic with the eggplants. Stir occasionally, and poke the eggplants with a fork to see when it's done.

- Once the eggplants seem to be almost perfectly cooked (the fork goes through it without any resistance), I add the red bell peppers and stir. Do not overcook the bell peppers as they get soggy and yuck.

- While the heat is still on, add the fresh thai basil and stir until it cooks and turn the heat off. And Tadah! Enjoy!

* Once served over a bed of jasmine rice, feel free to add some hot chilies marinated in soy sauce with it ( as a little condiment), it adds a little kick and pizzaz to the dish.

( I hope I didn't forget to mention anything...Stir fries are such second nature in Asian cuisine, we don't even think about it when cooking it...). lol

Super Bowl of Chili Con Carne

Who said the Super Bowl was all about testosterone and couldn't be romantic?

Tonight, I plan on bundling up and cuddle with my honey while watching the game. I don't care for any of those teams but I surely hope the commercials are funny and clever...(that's pretty much the only reason why I enjoy watching the game, besides from a perfect reason to binge on some good comfort greasy food).

Here's my sexy Chili Con Carne recipe featuring some chocolate chips, beer, and a hint of cinnamon.

Ingredients

2 1/2 lb. lean chuck, ground
1 lb. lean pork, ground
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup finely chopped onion
8 oz. hunt's tomato sauce
1 cup water
1 can beer (12 oz.)
3 Tablespoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons instant beef bouillon (or 6 cubes)
2 Tablespoons cumin, ground
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons oregano leaves
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon coriander, ground
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa or chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce
1 teaspoon cornmeal
1 teaspoon flour
1 teaspoon warm water

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. Finely chop, or process the onion, garlic and chile.

3. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof pan (with a lid) or cast-iron or enameled Dutch oven and fry the onion, garlic and chile until soft, on low for about 10 minutes, then add the cardamom seeds, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and red pepper flakes.

4. Stir the oniony spiced mixture together and then add the chorizo, sliced into 1/4-inch coins, letting them ooze their paprika-orange oil.

5. Drop in the cubes of beef, turning them in the pan with onion mix, to brown the meat.

6. Stir in the tomato paste, ketchup, drained kidney beans and diced tomatoes. Add the water and beer and bring the chili to a boil.

7. Once bubbling, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the chili and give it a good stir. Put on the lid and transfer to the oven.

7. Cook at this low heat for 3 hours. Once cooked it is best left overnight to improve the flavor.

I know some people love to pair their Chili Con Carne with cheese, sour cream on top of Fritos chips, some others with any type of potatoes or fries and some love their Chili with plain white rice..

Enjoy!

Happy Holidays and Happy Festivus to all of you

Growing up, we never really celebrated Christmas, well, not in the traditional sense... It was a great excuse for all to get together for dinner and watch movies, stay up late and eat until we'd have to unbutton our pants.We wouldn't necessarily celebrate every year though. I remember many years, looking through the window to see how other families were celebrating. I never thought we really had a Christmas tradition until this year. We had our tree up, friends over for dinner, a family party and yet, something was still missing. Without the obvious that was missing, which is my family up in Montreal, I was missing a Bûche de Noël (Christmas Yule Log Cake).
Every year, whether we would have a family get together or not, one thing was always present, La Bûche de Noël. My mother would bring it from our store and we would all eat it while talking about all the events that marked the year that was about to end. That Christmas Log Cake was decorated with a plastic axe that I licked the icing or ice cream off of. I never realized its presence in our family tradition until now.
I made an extra effort to not be a curmudgeon and tried to remain mindful of the joy around me, but all I could think about was my beloved grandmother who was admitted to the hospital. This could have been a perfect Christmas. I wish I had a real axe so I could let out my anger. Chopping wood seems so relieving. I miss my grandmother. I miss my family. I can't find any Christmas log cake around here. I will have to settle for a chocolate cake and ice cream, and pretend that I'm eating a Christmas log since I'm such an awful baker...

La Bûche de Noël

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 6 egg whites
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whip cream, 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until thick and stiff. Refrigerate.
2. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until thick and pale. Blend in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, and salt. In large glass bowl, using clean beaters, whip egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, and beat until whites form stiff peaks. Immediately fold the yolk mixture into the whites. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Dust a clean dishtowel with confectioners' sugar. Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and turn the warm cake out onto the towel. Remove and discard parchment paper. Starting at the short edge of the cake, roll the cake up with the towel. Cool for 30 minutes.
4. Unroll the cake, and spread the filling to within 1 inch of the edge. Roll the cake up with the filling inside. Place seam side down onto a serving plate, and refrigerate until serving. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving.

The Delicious Diet

My little cousin was around three years old when I had to watch her for a couple of hours, while I was visiting her family in the D.C area. Her mother had left dinner in the fridge for us but little Kelly didn't want to eat it and requested a grilled cheese instead. Back then, as oddly as it may sound, I never had nor made a grilled cheese before. I asked her what made a grilled cheese a grilled cheese and understood it was a simple melted cheese sandwich. My lazy teenager self didn't feel like doing extra dishes so I popped a toasted cheese sandwich in the microwave to melt the cheese. She seemed happy. It looked like a grilled cheese. She ate nearly half of it. I was proud I could take care of her and when I asked her how it was, that tiny little three year old responded : " It's not delicious". She already knew what delicious was. Tee hee hee.
I often think about that moment when I get into a food binge. I remember that little voice saying " It's not delicious" and it makes me pause, and take a look at this bite I was about to devour and ask myself " is it delicious?". Most of the time, it's good, satisfying but not to the point I would say delicious. What if I would only eat delicious things? If it's not delicious, I would just eat a little, even when I'm really hungry and truly focus on eating what is truly delicious...perhaps I would loose weight and it wouldn't really be a diet but more of a "lifestyle"...
And then, I thought about my relationships. I have many great relationships I really cherish, but sometimes, I feel like it's rather leaning on the quantity rather on quality...and quality, it all depends on point of view, expectations and definitions... Are most of my relationships purely delicious to me? Some are delicious, others are good, some old, some fresh, some stale, and not too many bitter ones but I could still munch on them all. The people are all delicious to me, but it does not mean it translates in the actual relationship. My marriage is truly delicious and now, I would love to find some magic ingredients to season my other hearty and warm relationships into something even more delicious. :)

Recipe of Friendship

Let me see if you like it or not..

Name of the dish: ‘FRIENDSHIP’.
Ingredients:
2 table spoons of TRUST.The most essential ingredient without which the recipe is a complete failure.
1 full cup of SELFLESSNESS — The less this ingredient(which should be in liquid state) in your recipe,the more is the chance of spoiling it.
1 and a half table spoon each of CARE and AFFECTION.

1 table spoon of LOYALTY
1 table spoon each of SINCERITY and UNDERSTANDING both of which are very very important for the dish to be successful.

Take all the ingredients and pour the ingredient selflessness into it and mix it evenly and sprinkle the ingredient “I’LL BE THERE FOR YOU” all over the dish. Don't forget to use a "FUN and COMFORTABLE SILENCES" safe oven dish to bake it in.

–Dont even get SPICES like arrogance,selfishness and possessiveness in the vicinity because they are prone to spoil the recipe forever!!

TaDaaaaaa!!!!!! There you go!!

Curry and Soul Mates

There are as many ways of serving curry as they are ways of defining Soul Mates. From India to Japan to Jamaica, each of these cultures have found a way to adapt their curry recipe to their taste. As the Soul Mates article mentions, they are dangers and several myths about believing in " Finding the Right and Only Perfect One". I am amongst those who believe there could be several soul mates out there for each person, or not at all for others. For instance, a soul mate would be someone who is truly compatible because of common core philosophical and religious beliefs, compatible views on money management and child rearing. Perhaps it is risky to believe in soul mates since some people may never find his or hers? Or some people don't think the notion of soul mate exists at all. I think looking for love is like wanting anything else. Not everyone owns a Ferrari, but doesn't make Ferrari non-existent. Some would have a soul mate, some don't, some may have one and never find it. Whether it exists or not, there is nothing wrong with shooting for the stars. Knowing what you want, and where you want to go in a relationship and finding someone who is as committed and dedicated as you are in the relationship is key in my opinion.

Curry Mouan (Cambodian Chicken Curry)

Recipe Adapted From: The Elephant Walk Cookbook

By: Longtein De Monteiro & Kathereine Neustadt

Serve 8

Paste:

¼ cup vegetable oil

¼ cup sliced lemongrass

3 dried New Mexico chillies, soaked, seeded, and deveined

5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

1 large shallot, coarsely chopped

2 slices peeled galangal, about 1½" across & 1/8" thick

1½ cinnamon sticks, cracked

4 whole star anise

9 cardamom seeds

1 small asian nutmeg

16 peppercorns

½ tsp coriander seeds

½ tsp fennel seeds

¼ tsp turmeric

2½ tsp shrimp paste

1 cup water

¼ cup chopped cilantro

• Heat oil in a large skillet, fry all of the ingredients above, except water and the cilantro, to release their flavor about 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender, add the water and the chopped cilantro, process until smooth. Set aside while you are preparing the other ingredients.

The curry:

½ cup plus 1 - 2 tbs vegetable oil

3½ cups coconut milk

1½ - 2 pounds chicken pieces (2 - 3 whole legs, cut into 1½"pieces, and 2 wings, severed at the joint with a cleaver)

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 tbs fish sauce

4 teaspoon sugar

1 tsp salt

1 pound Idaho potatoes, peeled, halve and cut into 1" thick-slices

• In a large heavy pot pan, heat the oil over medium heat, add 1 cup coconut milk and cook until the oil begin to separate from the milk. Add 1½ cup of the curry paste (freeze any extra for future use) cook and stirring bout 2 minutes until the flavor develop. If the surface of the sauce is not cover with dark spots, add another tablespoon of oil.
• Add the chicken, stirring well to coat, then add onion, fish sauce, sugar, and salt. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the remaining 2½ cups coconut milk, and cook high simmer, partially covered, until the chicken is tender, about 20 - 25 minutes.
• While the curry is cooking, heat the remaining ½ cup oil over medium high heat, add the potatoes, and fry until golden brown.
• Add the fried potato into the chicken curry, and finish cooking until the chicken is done and the potatoes are tender.
• Transfer to a serving dish and serve with steam jasmine rice.

Bonne Appétit!