Well I am in my 3rd week of academic classes and I can't wait for them to be over! I hate not being able to cook. I feel like when I go to Foundations 3 in 3 weeks, I will have forgotten everything I have learned so far. I'm sure that's not true, but that's my fear. I have been cooking at home which is a necessity since my son Malik is growing like a weed, I can't seem to keep up with him.. Lol
I try to cook new things as much as possible, which is probably why I seem to collect recipes. I could cook 5 meals a day and probably still not make them all. watching the movie Julie & Julia recently made me realize how much I love cooking and has inspired me to pull some out and start trying them to either put in a book or throw away. Some recipes I have tried in the past have been hit or misses, as with anything. My boyfriend Chuck and my son Malik aer my biggest critics and are always quick to tell me what they think.
Putting stuff away from the move last week, I found an old cookbook (Better Homes and Gardens Toaster Oven Cook Book 1982) my mom gave me for Toaster Ovens. Going through it I found alot of recipes that seemed really good. So I found a few that I will be trying in the next few weeks. The first thing I decided to make was a sesame chicken recipe. It was pretty good, but I want to make a few changes before I post it on for people to try. The flavor was good, but I thought if I marinate it next time, it would be so much better. Brushing it on as in the recipe now has, doesn't allow the flavor to really penetrate the chicken. If you were to marinate it, it should allow the chicken to absorb the soy flavor better.
The great thing about cooking is creating your own versions and what works best for you. With me I have 2 picky eaters at home, so alot of times that means either removing an ingredient all together, or making 2 separate dishes. I am not a picky eater, I am always willing to try something. How else are you suppose to know if you like it or not?
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Monday, August 16, 2010
Math and Communications
Today I started my 6 weeks of no cooking :( I am in Communications and Math and it is not fun.. I never realized how rusty I was in math until I started doing my homework tonight.. During this 6 week hiatus, I will continue to post recipes we have done at school and also some I have found in either magazines or online.. I hope if you try the recipes I have posted you comment and let me know how they turned out, or if you tweeked it some, what you did in case others would like to try it that way also.. Communications will be a little challenging since I am not very good at public speaking, however I am looking forward to getting over my fears and becoming better at this :)
Veal Scaloppine alla Marsala (or chicken)
1 serving
1 piece scaloppine (flattened) veal (or chicken)
to taste salt
to taste pepper
dredging flour
2 fl oz oil
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 cup minced onion (or shallots)
4 fl oz Marsala Wine
8 fl oz White stock (veal or chicken stock)
2 oz butter
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
-Flatten veal (or chicken) with mallet if needed (should be about 1/4 in thick)
-Dry meat, season with & pepper
-Dredge in flour shake off access flour
-Heat oil in saute pan
-Cook Veal on both sides till brown(do not cook all the way through, just brown meat)
-Remove from pan
-Add mushrooms, onions, and garlic, saute slightly (do not brown)
-Add marsala to pan (pour alcohol in pan while it is not on heat) and deglaze pan
-Add stock and reduce slightly (by about half)
-Add butter, swirl pan until melted & combined in sauce
-Add veal back, bring simmer
-Sprinkle with chopped parsley
-Enjoy! :)
1 piece scaloppine (flattened) veal (or chicken)
to taste salt
to taste pepper
dredging flour
2 fl oz oil
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 cup minced onion (or shallots)
4 fl oz Marsala Wine
8 fl oz White stock (veal or chicken stock)
2 oz butter
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
-Flatten veal (or chicken) with mallet if needed (should be about 1/4 in thick)
-Dry meat, season with & pepper
-Dredge in flour shake off access flour
-Heat oil in saute pan
-Cook Veal on both sides till brown(do not cook all the way through, just brown meat)
-Remove from pan
-Add mushrooms, onions, and garlic, saute slightly (do not brown)
-Add marsala to pan (pour alcohol in pan while it is not on heat) and deglaze pan
-Add stock and reduce slightly (by about half)
-Add butter, swirl pan until melted & combined in sauce
-Add veal back, bring simmer
-Sprinkle with chopped parsley
-Enjoy! :)
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Follow my blog http://cookatheart407.blogspot.com/ to get updates on new recipes i post that we have done at school that I liked, or have been requested.. I really appreciate all the love i have recieved so far! :) As long as you have either google, yahoo, or twitter you can follow me, even if you dont, you can still comment.. ♥
Almost done with Foundations 2
With Foundations 2 coming to an end next week, it is bittersweet! I have had so much fun in this class and have learned so much! I will definitely miss my teacher Chef Lauren Brassil, she has been an awesome teacher and makes learning fun. I can't wait to continue on with my education and learn even more.. It's hard to believe it has already been 3 months, only 18 more to go until I graduate. I hope with this blog people can learn the same I have to cook delicious foods at home. Over the course, I will blog recipes people are interested in that we do in school, and also some of my favorites. I always welcome feedback and any comments! Thank you to everyone who has been supportive throughout my journey! :)
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
Homemade Alfredo Sauce
1 cups heavy cream (heavy whipping cream)
2 tbsp butter
fresh grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste
pepper to taste
nutmeg to taste (maybe 1 tsp, can add more if needed)
-Heat saucepan on medium heat
-add butter and start to melt
-add heavy cream, stir to combine with butter
-add salt, pepper, nutmeg
-simmer over medium heat until it reduces 1/3
-add in Parmesan cheese (if not able to find fresh, i used Kraft shredded Parmesan and asiago mixture (was in cheese section by shredded cheese in a container similar to the grated), it didnt come out as smooth as the fresh Parmesan, but tasted just as good.. never tried with store bought grated (what we normally use on pastas), so I'm not sure if that will work, if it does let me know, maybe i will try just to let everyone know)
-stir to combine
-check seasonings and adjust if needed
-toss with fresh pasta
-Enjoy :)
1 cups heavy cream (heavy whipping cream)
2 tbsp butter
fresh grated Parmesan cheese
salt to taste
pepper to taste
nutmeg to taste (maybe 1 tsp, can add more if needed)
-Heat saucepan on medium heat
-add butter and start to melt
-add heavy cream, stir to combine with butter
-add salt, pepper, nutmeg
-simmer over medium heat until it reduces 1/3
-add in Parmesan cheese (if not able to find fresh, i used Kraft shredded Parmesan and asiago mixture (was in cheese section by shredded cheese in a container similar to the grated), it didnt come out as smooth as the fresh Parmesan, but tasted just as good.. never tried with store bought grated (what we normally use on pastas), so I'm not sure if that will work, if it does let me know, maybe i will try just to let everyone know)
-stir to combine
-check seasonings and adjust if needed
-toss with fresh pasta
-Enjoy :)
Homemade Pasta Dough
Homemade Pasta Dough (1 serving)
8 oz flour
2 eggs
salt to taste
olive oil (start off with 2 tbsp, add more if needed)
-Put flour on counter and make a well (make a hole in the middle of flour to put eggs in)
-add eggs, olive oil, and salt to well
-starting from the inside of well with your finger, do a circular motion, slowly incorporating the flour into the egg mixture
-once the dough is combined, start to knead it (will have to do this about 15 min), the dough should not be sticky, if it is, add a small amount of flour, if it is breaking apart, dip your hands in water and continue kneading
-once kneaded, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let sit on counter for at least 15-20 min
-once the dough has rested, unwrap from plastic
-make sure there is flour on the counter and sprinkle on top of dough also
-start to roll dough out, flipping over and flouring as you go
*if making more then 1 serving, i would suggest dividing dough and rolling out separately so you can get it as thin as possible*
-dough will retract some when you roll it out, should be about 1/4 in thick (if it is too thick, pasta will be thick and take longer to cook) **I did this and it was good, but would have been better if the pasta was a little thinner
**If making to use right away, put on pot of boiling water with a lot of salt to flavor pasta**
-once dough is rolled out, take a pizza cutter and cut dough in long ribbons, once all of it has been cut, put in boiling salted water
-pasta should only take a few mins to cook (fresh pasta is about 2-3 mins, if it is thick, may take a few more mins)
-drain
-toss with sauce
-Enjoy :)
8 oz flour
2 eggs
salt to taste
olive oil (start off with 2 tbsp, add more if needed)
-Put flour on counter and make a well (make a hole in the middle of flour to put eggs in)
-add eggs, olive oil, and salt to well
-starting from the inside of well with your finger, do a circular motion, slowly incorporating the flour into the egg mixture
-once the dough is combined, start to knead it (will have to do this about 15 min), the dough should not be sticky, if it is, add a small amount of flour, if it is breaking apart, dip your hands in water and continue kneading
-once kneaded, wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let sit on counter for at least 15-20 min
-once the dough has rested, unwrap from plastic
-make sure there is flour on the counter and sprinkle on top of dough also
-start to roll dough out, flipping over and flouring as you go
*if making more then 1 serving, i would suggest dividing dough and rolling out separately so you can get it as thin as possible*
-dough will retract some when you roll it out, should be about 1/4 in thick (if it is too thick, pasta will be thick and take longer to cook) **I did this and it was good, but would have been better if the pasta was a little thinner
**If making to use right away, put on pot of boiling water with a lot of salt to flavor pasta**
-once dough is rolled out, take a pizza cutter and cut dough in long ribbons, once all of it has been cut, put in boiling salted water
-pasta should only take a few mins to cook (fresh pasta is about 2-3 mins, if it is thick, may take a few more mins)
-drain
-toss with sauce
-Enjoy :)
Monday, July 26, 2010
Sauce Gribiche (Sauce for Artichokes)
Sauce Gribiche (Sauce for Artichokes)
2 Hard boiled egg yolks
2 tsp Dijon Mustard
to taste Salt
to taste Pepper
5 oz Olive Oil
as needed Wine Vinegar or Water
2 tsp Minced Parsley
2 tsp Minced Chervil
2 tsp Minced Tarragon
2 tsp Capers
2 tsp Cornichones or Gerkins chopped finely
2 Hard Boiled egg whites cut julienne
Directions:
-Mash Yolks
-Add the mustard, salt, and pepper mix well (should be smooth)
-As like making a mayonnaise, slowly (drops at a time, otherwise emulsion will break) beat in olive oil **If mixture curdles, add a few drops of hot water to smooth out**
-Mixture should have the consistency of thin mayo
-Add just enough vinegar to give slight tart taste (just a few drops)
-Stir in Herbs, capers, cornichons, and julienne egg whites
-Taste, add more salt and pepper if needed
Welcome
With being a student at Le Cordon Bleu, I feel blessed to work with so many great chefs. I finally decided to start posting the recipes we do in school since I have had a few requests for the recipes. Most measurements are approximate since we have to convert the recipes from large quantities to smaller quantities, so they may need to be adjusted slightly. One thing I have learned with cooking is your eyes never lie, if it looks dry, add some more liquid, and never add all your liquid at once, gradually add it in so you can always adjust what is in the recipe. I hope you guys enjoy making these as I have in school, I will try to add as many as I can so that you guys have a variety to choose from. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask me! :)
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