Tag Archives: blog

Salad (Italian Sub Style)

May 27, 2015Main Course, Side Dish, Soups/ Salads / Stews, Vegetablesblog, capicola, cheese, main course, recipes, Salad, salami, side dishdmariebates

I was eating a small Italian sub the other day and started thinking about my promise to cut back on eating bread. As we all know, eating too many carbs is not good for you. I was feeling guilty since I had already eaten a bagel for breakfast and I was trying to limit my bread intake to once per day if at all.

While eating my sandwich I was thinking of ways I could ditch the roll and just eat what was inside the roll. Then I thought why not turn my sandwich into a salad. Viola! I could still have the ingredients of an Italian sub but no bread. I decided to create a Salad (Italian Sub Style) with lots of romaine lettuce and a sprinkling of meats, cheeses, tomatoes and Italian seasonings. This salad can be either a nice small portioned start to a meal or a meal unto itself. Either way I think you will enjoy it.

Salad (Italian Sub Style)
Ingredients:
1 bunch romaine lettuce chopped
½ cup pepperoni sliced into strips
½ cup capicola sliced into strips
½ cup salami sliced into strips
½ cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
½ cup provolone cheese sliced into strips
¼ cup sweet peppers (optional)
½ tbsp parsley chopped
½ tbsp red onion chopped small (optional)
¼ cup black olives sliced
¼ cup olive oil

Seasonings:
2 tbsp Italian salad dressing
½ tbsp lemon zest
½ tbsp oregano
½ tsp onion powder
½ tbsp dill
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp red pepper flakes
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice

Whisk together oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salad dressing, salt, black pepper, oregano and dill. Set aside.

Combine romaine, tomatoes, red onion, black olives, sweet peppers, meats and cheeses in a large bowl. Whisk olive oil dressing then drizzle over salad. Toss gently. Enjoy!

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Spiced Up Chick Peas and Couscous

May 24, 2015Pasta and Grains, Side Dish, Vegetablesblog, chick peas, couscous, recipes, vegetablesdmariebates

I have been racking my brain trying to come up with a new vegetarian side dish that was a little spicy and different from the “usual” side dishes we have at most meals. I say vegetarian side dish because I didn’t want to add bacon or any other meat product to enhance the flavors. I only wanted to blend together spices and the natural flavor of the veggies to create a wonderful tasting dish.

I decided to use chick peas as my main veggie after searching my cabinets for an idea. I had not prepared anything with chick peas for a while so I figured it would be a nice change of pace to incorporate them into a side dish. I finally decided to make Spiced Up Chick Peas using spices similar to what I use in my Moroccan Chicken recipe. I guess you could say I made Moroccan Chick Peas but I’ll stick with calling them spiced up.

To tell the truth, this dish could be a main entree as well as a side dish. The chick peas are very filling and coupled with couscous it really can be a full meal. Whether you use a fork or a spoon, I think you will want to catch every drop of this very flavorful dish.

Spiced Up Chick Peas

Ingredients:
2 15 oz cans chick peas drained and rinsed
1 14 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1 14 oz can pureed tomatoes
1 small onion diced
2 garlic cloves chopped
2 cups couscous
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
½ tsp cilantro
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp cumin
½ lemon zest
½ tsp mint chopped (optional)
¼ tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp ground ginger

Prepare couscous according to package. Saute onion in olive oil until onion is softened and slightly browned. Add garlic and stir constantly so that garlic does not burn. Place chick peas and all other ingredients in a large pot and simmer over medium heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Serve over couscous.

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Boneless Leg of Lamb

May 17, 2015Main Course, Meat/ Poultryblog, lamb, recipesdmariebates

Boneless Leg of Lamb is one of those “special” meals I make when I find lamb on sale and I have a little extra time to prepare dinner. I like to cook the lamb low and slow which means on relatively low heat and slow in the oven to ensure the lamb gets nice and tender.

The last time I made boneless leg of lamb was for Easter. I wanted something other than the traditional ham we usually have each year and everyone seemed on board for a change of menu. That was my first hurdle. The second hurdle turned out to be browning the lamb. I idea was for me to brown the lamb in my dutch oven then saute the veggies in the same pot to infuse the flavor of the lamb into the veggies. Well, when I placed the lamb in the dutch oven the hot oil sloshed up onto my wrist and burned me. No worries. After I finished screaming and running cool water over the burn I finished browning the lamb and kept on cooking.

Needless to say I was determined that my boneless leg of lamb would be a success since I had suffered for the “art” of cooking. I was not disappointed and neither was the family. Everyone enjoyed the meal and the celebration of renewed life as dictated by the day. I even added to our old family tradition by preparing lamb instead of ham. Next year I think we will have both!

Boneless Leg of Lamb

Ingredients:
1 boneless leg of lamb
1 large onion sliced
1 pint mushrooms whole or sliced
1 bottle good beer
1 cup water
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp thyme
smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat until slightly smoky.

Season lamb with all seasonings then gently place in hot oil. Brown leg of lamb on both sides. Remove from dutch oven and set aside. Add onions and mushrooms to dutch oven and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Stir veggies and let them brown a little. Add beer and water to deglaze the pot. Return leg of lamb to the pot and place in the oven. Baste the lamb every 15 minutes for the first hour then every 30 minutes the next hour. Remove lamb the oven and dutch oven. Let rest for 10 minutes. Slice or shred lamb and enjoy.

Optional:
Make a light gravy with the broth from the lamb or use a jar of beef bistro jus.

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Corn Pudding

May 9, 2015Side Dish, Uncategorized, Vegetablesblog, corn, corn pudding, creamed corn, recipesdmariebates

Corn pudding reminds me of macaroni and cheese without the pasta. Instead of shells surrounded by a rich creamy cheese sauce you have nice sweet corn surrounded by cheese, a light sauce and other veggies. Fresh corn is always best if making this dish in the summer. I love scrapping all of the juices off of cobs to get that added level of sweetness you can only find on a corn cob.

When I was a kid one of my “special” jobs was scrapping corn off the cob. My mom would cut off the kernels and let me do the scrapping. At first I did not understand why we would want to use what looked to me like leftover mush. But, once I compared my Mom’s fried corn and other dishes made with fresh corn scrapped off the cob to the same dishes I experienced at other places I knew why the mush mattered.

Although fresh corn is best, canned corn can still make a tasty corn pudding. I have made corn pudding with both fresh and canned corn and must say each time my family and friends enjoyed it. The secret is all in adding the right ingredients to compliment the corn.

So if you are looking for an alternative to a pasta side dish, try creating a corn pudding. I doubt you will be disappointed.

Corn Pudding

Ingredients:
6 ears sweet corn cut from the cob and scrapped or 2 cups canned corn drained
1 14 oz can creamed corn
2 eggs beaten
1 tbsp butter
½ cup milk
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup sour cream
½ cup shredded white cheddar cheese
¼ cup pepper jack cheese
¼ cup red pepper diced
¼ cup green pepper diced
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray.

Saute corn kernels in a non-stick frying pan for 5 – 10 minutes over medium heat to release some of the juice. Strain the corn prior to adding to the other ingredients. Otherwise casserole may be a little watery when done.

In a large bowl whisk together milk, cream, eggs, sour cream, cheese and cayenne pepper. Add corn,creamed corn, butter, salt and pepper. Stir to mix well. Pour into casserole dish and top with a little cheese then sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until set. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

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Banana Nut Muffins

May 3, 2015Desserts, Fruits, Uncategorizedbananas, blog, breakfast, dessert, muffins, recipesdmariebates

For our first AAU game this season, I and another parent (C.T.) volunteered to provide snacks for the guys to have in between games. CT brought bananas, grapes and clementines while I supplied the Gatorade and granola bars. Although our intentions were good, we found out we could not bring food into the arena. Since it was a cold snowy day we could not organize the guys to go outside and partake of the goodies. Needless to say there was a lot of Gatorade and fruit leftover. CT suggested I keep the fruit and put it to good use so I left the games with a good helping of bananas.

I thought about making some type of fruit salad but I ate quite a few grapes on our long journey home. My hubby ate most of the clementines which meant I only had bananas to worry about. I wasn’t in the mood for banana pudding and wanted to make something I had never tried before. As you know, I am still working on my baking skills and thought I could try out a banana nut muffin recipe.

I found an old recipe in my recipe box for banana bread that I decided to turn into a muffin recipe. I just tweaked the banana bread recipe a little by adding golden raisins and nuts to the mix. Yummy… The muffins came out really moist and flavorful with a subtle crunch from the pecans. Plus, the golden raisins plumped up and added another layer of sweetness along with the ripe bananas. In the end, I was happy with my updated recipe and felt confident I could share this recipe.

Thanks CT for providing the bananas and for helping me to stretch my baking wings once again to create a lovely banana nut muffin.

Banana Nut Muffins

Ingredients:
4 ripe bananas peeled and mashed
2 eggs slightly beaten
2 cups flour
½ cup sugar
½ cup butter softened
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp lemon or orange zest
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray then fill each cup a little more than half way. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until center is set. Place a tooth pick in the center of the muffin and if it comes out clean muffin should be done. If necessary, cook a few more minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edge of the muffin to loosen then gently lift out of the muffin tin. Dust with powdered sugar.

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Chili Nachos

May 1, 2015Appetizers, Main Course, Meat/ Poultry, UncategorizedBeans, black beans, blog, chili, kidney beans, nachos, recipes, white beansdmariebates

Get ready to get messy and grab a fork! I just made chili nachos and they were wonderful. I first made Tex-Mex chili using ground turkey instead of beef but feel free to use any meat you prefer to make chili. I liked the idea of a Tex-Mex chili because the flavors are bolder (in my opinion) than regular chili. Because I planned to use the chili as a topping for nachos I did not add all of the veggies I sometimes use in my chili. I kept this one simple by using only onions instead of adding various peppers and shredded carrots.

Long ago I made all kinds of nacho dishes for the family usually when I was fixed for time to get dinner on the table. I would search the refrigerator for leftovers I could use as a topping for nachos that would not make my hubby and kids look at me like I had two heads.

The idea of combining chili and nachos came to mind while watching a food show about restaurants and their specialties. There was one restaurant that served chili nachos but piled so much stuff on the nachos that you forgot there were nachos some where in the giant mound of food sitting on the table. I liked the concept but not all of the stuff!

Chili Nachos are made to be messy as I said in the beginning. So, if nobody is looking, you can eat them with your fingers. Just let the juices and cheese drip down your fingers. If you aren’t into flavorful fingers, grab a fork and scoop up the chili and nachos without missing a drop. I personally like eating chili and nachos using both my fingers and a fork to make sure I don’t miss anything on my plate … or fingers!

Chili Nachos

Ingredients:

Chili:
2 lbs ground turkey
1 15 oz can black beans (undrained)
1 15 oz can small white beans (undrained)
1 15 oz can small kidney beans (undrained)
1 15 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1 pkg Tex Mex chili seasoning
½ onion diced
½ cup water
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
½ tbsp salt
½ tbsp black pepper
½ tbsp Adobo seasoning
½ tbsp cilantro
½ tsp nutmeg
10 dashes hot sauce

Nachos/ Toppings:
1 bag Tostitos Nacho Chips
2 plum tomatoes seeded and sliced into strips
1 small pkg Velveeta cheese cubed1 small jar salsa (hot or mild)
1 small jar sliced jalapeno peppers
1 avocado sliced
½ cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
¼ cup sliced olives

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Season turkey with salt, pepper and worcestershire sauce over medium high heat and drain. Add beans, remaining seasonings, hot sauce, fired roasted tomatoes and water to a large pot. Let simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add browned turkey to the pot and stir. Simmer and additional 15 minutes.

Add cubed Velveeta cheese and ½ cup of salsa to a microwave safe bowl. Place in microwave for 2 minutes then stir to mix salsa and cheese. Microwave for an additional 1 ½ minutes until bubbly.

Layer an aluminum pie tin or an oven safe plate with nacho chips. Using a slotted spoon scoop chili over nachos then layer with Velveeta mixture. Add a little more chili, jalapeno peppers, fresh tomatoes, olives and shredded cheese. Place in oven until cheese melts. Top with sliced avocados.

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Eggplant, Tomatoes and Onions with Pea Shoots on Flatbread

April 26, 2015Main Course, Uncategorized, Vegetablesblog, eggplant, flatbread, onions, pea shoots, recipes, tomatoesdmariebates

Working with flatbreads is one of my new adventures. I came up with a few recipes that I am trying out on my lovely taste testers. The first one I pulled together was eggplant, tomatoes and onions with pea shoots. I know. Who ever heard of pea shoots. I had never heard of them until I was perusing the fresh vegetables at Trader Joe’s. I am always interested in trying out new veggies and figuring out how I can use them in a recipe. I originally thought I would use spinach or even watercress but the pea shoots caught my eye and I had a second thought. Why not use them on the flatbread!

Because roasting veggies makes them soft I wanted to have another level of texture on the flatbreads. The pea shoots added just the right amount of crunch to go with the roasted eggplant, tomatoes and onions. Plus, the pea shoots have a nice flavor too. They have the subtle “sweet taste of spring peas” just like it says on the package. I will definitely be adding pea shoots to some other recipe in the future.

Getting back to flatbreads, I find it is really just a fancy way of saying pizza. Although when I was researching information about flatbreads, there really is a difference between the two. Flatbreads are thin and made from unleavened dough and pizzas can be be thin or thick and are made with yeast so it rises. What is confusing is that I have seen on restaurant menus the description of flatbread pizzas which means they are just thin flat pizzas with yeast somewhere in the mix.

I am keeping it simple and calling this a flatbread dish based on what it said on the package I purchased. No matter what you call it the taste will be delicious. If your creation works out the way mine did you may have to make two because the family will keep coming back for more.

Eggplant, Tomatoes and Onions with Pea Shoots on Flatbread

Ingredients:
1 14oz flatbread (Trader Joe’s Rustic Ciabatta Flatbread)
1 medium eggplant sliced (skin on)
1 medium onion sliced thin
2 Kumata tomatoes sliced
2 Roma tomatoes sliced
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup organic pea shoots
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
½ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp basil
½ tsp oregano
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Toss together pea shoots, a pinch of salt, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice in a bowl and set aside.

Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Layer eggplant, tomatoes and onions on a the baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over veggies then sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Roast until veggies are soft and browned for approximately 25 – 30 minutes. Toss the veggies mid-way through cooking to make sure all of the veggies brown.

Place flatbread on a cookie sheet and brush with olive oil then sprinkle with ½ cup of mozzarella. Spread eggplant, tomato and onions over the flatbread then sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Top with remaining cheese then sprinkle oregano and basil over cheese. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until cheese melts and turns slightly brown. Let cool for a few minutes then cut with a pizza slicer. Top with pea shoots and enjoy.

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Crab Cakes

April 19, 2015Seafood/ Fishblog, crab cakes, crab meat, recipes, seafooddmariebates

Whenever we go to Baltimore, Maryland I try to have at least one meal that includes Maryland Crab Cakes. Maryland blue crabs are big, meaty and the crab meat is sweet. It’s not always easy to find Maryland blue crab meat but you can still find delicious lump crab meat at your local grocer or Costco. I usually go to Costco because the price for lump crab meat is less than at my grocery store and there are less shells to pick out. Because lump crab meat can be a little pricy I don’t prepare a lot of crab dishes. But when I am in the mood for a nice seafood dinner and can’t get to Maryland I will splurge and make crab cakes or crab imperial.

It has taken me a few years to create a crab cake recipe I found worthy enough to post. Most of my previous recipes just didn’t have the right balance of seasonings. The recipes were so bad (yes, I can admit they were bad) that I was the only one forced to eat the crab cakes. I say forced because the family didn’t like them and I could not bring myself to toss out all of the crab meat I had destroyed.

As I have said many times in the past, simple is usually the best way to go. Instead, of adding too many ingredients and seasonings I kept this crab cake recipe low key. The result was a good tasting crab cake without a lot of filler. The simple seasonings allowed the natural sweetness of the crab meat to shine through. Now, when I decide to make crab cakes I’m not forced to eat them. I can just enjoy eating them and so does my family.

Crab Cakes

Ingredients:
1 lb lump crab meat pick out shells
1 egg lightly beaten
1 stalk celery diced
1 scallion diced
1 tbsp red onion diced
1 tbsp parsley
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp worcestershire
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp lemon zest
½ cup panko bread crumbs
4 – 5 dashes of hot sauce
juice from ½ lemon
paprika
olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add ingredients (except the paprika and olive oil) to a large bowl and gently mix until well blended. Try not to break up lump crab meat. Form crab mixture into a round patty. Drizzle a little olive oil over each patty then sprinkle with paprika. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. Drizzle a little olive oil onto the baking sheet then add crab cakes. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the crab cakes are golden in color. Can also fry the crab cakes in 2 tbsp of vegetable oil over medium high heat. Brown on each side for 3 – 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

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DMarie’s Jambalaya

April 15, 2015Soups/ Salads / Stews, Uncategorizedandouille sausage, blog, Chicken, jambalaya, recipes, sausage, shrimp, Stewdmariebates

Jambalaya is a combination of sausage, seafood and chicken. At least in my recipe. Although Jambalaya is similar to Gumbo there is a slight difference. Gumbo is considered a thick soup or stew you can serve with rice. Jambalaya on the other hand is really a rice dish. Both are delicious with incredible flavors. I like to make Gumbo strictly with seafood not sausage or chicken. However, my Jambalaya is a little bit of everything.

Although the mantra of dmariedining.com is Healthy, Quick and Easy, this recipe takes some time to make but you won’t be disappointed at the time well spent. Most folks will want to come back for a second helping and the leftovers will be few.

Good down home cooking is not easy to get in parts of the northeast. I have been fortunate to discover a couple of restaurants along the east coast that have fantastic southern dishes and occasionally Cajun dishes that truly remind me of the South and Cajun country. Unfortunately, I have to travel too far to enjoy those wonderful dishes on a regular basis. So, I am left to create my own versions of those delectable meals. DMarie’s Jambalaya comes close to what I experienced in Louisiana but even I know nothing will ever beat the real deal.

Still, I haven’t had any complaints so I must be doing something right. Enjoy!

DMarie’s Jambalaya

Ingredients:
1 14 oz pkg smoked kielbasa sliced
1 14 oz pkg andouille sausage sliced
1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 lb ex-large shrimp peeled and deveined
1 large onion diced
1 large green pepper diced
3 cloves garlic minced
2 stalks of celery chopped
1 10 oz can of tomato puree
1 14 oz can fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup chicken broth
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 12 oz bottle “good” beer (Dogfish Head India Pale Ale)

Seasonings:
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp Adobo seasoning
2 tbsp flour
½ tbsp chopped fresh or dried parsley
½ tbsp gumbo file seasoning (if available)
½ tbsp black pepper
½ tbsp basil
½ tbsp thyme
1 tsp old bay seasoning
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp cayenne
¼ tsp red pepper flakes
Boil chicken thighs in 1 quart of water, ¼ cup of diced onions, 1 stalk diced celery, salt and pepper until cooked all the way through. Remove chicken then drain broth from vegetables. Shred the chicken thighs and set aside. Reserve 1 cup of chicken broth and freeze the rest to use later for soup or another recipe creation.

Brown andouille and kielbasa in 1 tbsp of oil. Drain on paper towels and set aside.

Place oil in a large pot and heat over medium heat. Whisk flour into oil and continue stirring until mixture turns to a rich brown color to create a roux. Be careful not to let the roux burn. If necessary, turn down the heat a little to prevent burning. Gradually whisk in chicken broth and beer to the roux. Add seasonings, tomatoes, tomato puree, green pepper and onion. Simmer for 20 minutes then add chicken and sausage. Let simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Add raw shrimp and stir into mixture once they turn pink.

Serve with corn muffins.

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Chocolate Cake Parfait with Lemon Sauce

April 8, 2015Dessertsblog, cake, Chocolate, chocolate cake, dessert, lemon sauce, recipesdmariebates

Whenever I have leftover cake but I don’t have the heart to toss it out I change it into a new dessert. The other day I had leftover chocolate cake and decided I could cut up the cake and make a parfait. For me, a parfait has to have something creamy in the middle. Checking out what I had in the frig I came up with a light cream sauce. I also found some cherry pie filling I had recently used to try out another dessert.

Viola! I had all I needed to create a chocolate cake parfait with lemon cream sauce topped with cherries. The blending of the sweet chocolate with the tart cherries and lemon sauce worked very well together. Who knew leftovers could be made new all over again.

Chocolate Cake Parfait with Lemon Sauce

Ingredients:
1 cup cubed chocolate cake
½ cup Greek yogurt
½ cup cherry pie filling
2 tbsp lemon curd
whipped cream for topping (optional)

Mix together Greek yogurt and lemon curd in a small bowl. Place a small amount of lemon sauce in the bottom of a parfait glass. Add 4 -5 cubes of cake to the glass. Drizzle lemon sauce over the cake. Add a few more cubes of cake to the glass then drizzle more sauce over the cake. Spoon cherry pie filling over the lemon sauce and top with whipped cream if you desire.

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