Are your Leftovers in need of a Flavor Makeover?

      So last night, I made a delicious Cuban-inspired meal of Ropa Vieja ( shredded flank steak with Sofrito), traditional Black Beans and Rice, and sweet, chewy fried plantains. So good. Family loved it. But, I made a big batch, so there are leftovers. 

Sure, I could reheat last night's meal and enjoy it again. But why not take those great flavors and turn them in to something similar, yet different?

Here's what I started with...

Just your basic leftovers. Now, what else do I have in the pantry and fridge to add to this? I know...I'll make a Mexican Tortilla Soup. 

 I've got a leftover grilled chicken breast. That'll work great with the beef for my soup. I find some leftover grilled corn that I cut from the cob and froze a few weeks ago. Nice. I've got a can of diced tomatoes. They have basil and garlic, that'll work. And there's some beef stock leftover from last night's steak in sofrito sauce. The chips and cheddar will top my soup.

 And for my spices...we'l throw in a good dose of Chili Powder, Cumin, a dash of cayenne pepper, a splash of Worcestershire sauce, and a pinch of Tony's Creole seasoning. Dump it all in a nice soup pot and get it moving towards a low boil. 

So it's tasting pretty good. But it needs a little kick...

Perfect. A bit of spice...add it slowly. you can always add more to taste, but once it's in there, it ain't comin' out.

Just a spoonful ought to do it. Perfect.

So, here's the result of my Leftover Makeover...

Delicious! If only I had a bit of sour cream and chopped Cilantro, but that's the beauty of leftovers - use what you have on hand, don't stress over what you don't have. Improvise when you can, and have fun turning something ordinary into something extraordinary!

****If you are interested in joining us for our next Girls Dine In cooking party, send me an email and I will get the details to you. 

Happy cooking and thanks for visiting!

 We started off the new season of Girls Dine In with a bang.

The theme was The Fruits of Summer - each item contained some sort of fruit. I made the sangria the night before, then ladled it into mason jars and set out in a bucket of ice. That way, no one had to fish around a punch bowl trying to scoop up the yummy fruit. There were a few left over so I tossed them into the freezer. I had company this weekend and thawed them in the fridge. They tasted great! None of the goodness went to waste.

I love that!

White Sangria serves 16-20

2 cups water

1 large bunch fresh mint

1 cup sugar

6 cloves

6 cinnamon sticks

3 bottles dry white wine

½ cup Triple Sec

½ cup brandy

1 liter ginger ale

3 cups sparkling juice or water

1 cup orange juice

4 oranges, sliced

6 peaches, peeled and sliced

1 lemon, sliced

1 lime, sliced

Mix first five ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer for about 5 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. Remove the leaves, cloves and cinnamon. Pour into a large serving pitcher. Mix all of the remaining ingredients, cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve with fruit and garnish with fresh mint.

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Blueberry Lemonade

1 can frozen lemonade concentrate

½ cup sugar

1 cup frozen or fresh blueberries

lemon slices for garnish

Put blueberries in a blender and blend until smooth. In a pitcher, add lemonade concentrate, sugar  and 4 lemonade cans of water. Stir well. Strain blueberries over the pitcher to remove solids. Blend Stir well. Serve over ice with lemon slices.

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While enjoying our drinks, we made these delicious Crab-stuffed Mushrooms with Fig Preserves.

Crab-stuffed mushrooms with Fig Preserves  serves 8

24 mushrooms

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 green onions, minced

¾  cup cooked lump crab meat

1 tbsp. Mrs. Dash garlic and herb seasoning

1- 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

¼  cup grated parmesan cheese

½ tsp. black pepper

¼  tsp. Tony’s seasoning

½ tsp. onion powder

¼ cup extra parmesan

½ cup fig preserves mixed with 2 Tbsp. water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Clean mushrooms and dry with a paper towel. Carefully break off stems. Chop stems extremely fine, discarding tough end of stems. Chop green onions. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and chopped mushroom stems to the skillet. Fry until any moisture has disappeared. Set aside to cool. In a bowl, stir together cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, Mrs. Dash, onion powder and Tony’s. Mixture should be very thick. Fold in the onions and mushrooms and the crab. Dip the mushrooms in melted butter and place on cookie sheet Using a little spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of stuffing. Arrange the mushroom caps on prepared cookie sheet. Sprinkle a bit more parmesan on tops.

Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the mushrooms are piping hot and liquid starts to form under caps. Drizzle with warm fig preserves.

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The cooking kicked in to high gear. Debbie diligently stirred our Pistachio Risotto for a good hour. It was perfect and complimented the Pork tenderloin really well.

 The key to risotto is to stir until all liquid is absorbed, then add more liquid, stir, absorb, add, and repeat until it reaches a luscious velvety consistency. Labor intensive? Yup. Worth it? I think so!

Pistachio Risotto  yields 6 cups

¼ cup unsalted butter

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 tsp. saffron threads

1 ¼ cups uncooked Arborio rice

1 cup dry white sherry

5 cups chicken broth, divided

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

5 tbsp. coarsely chopped pistachios

1 to 2 cups chicken broth if needed as rice cooks down

Melt butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and sauté’ 5 minutes. Add saffron, sauté one minute. Add rice. Cook, stirring constantly 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add vermouth and 2 cups broth. Cook stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed. Repeat this process with remaining broth, adding it ½ cup at a time until liquid is absorbed. If rice still is not rich and creamy, continue adding small amounts of liquid and stirring it until it becomes a velvety consistency. Cooking time is 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese and pistachios.

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While the Risotto simmered, we plated our salads. I used what I call a Cheater's dressing. Bottled dressing with a little something added to give it a deeper flavor. I use this dressing all the time and I love it! Low fat, too!

Berry Chicken Salad serves 6

6 cups baby spinach

1 pint strawberries, sliced

2/3 cup walnuts

2/3 cup feta cheese

½ cup dried cranberries

Honey Balsamic Dressing:

½ cup Ken’s light balsamic salad dressing

¼ cup honey

Mix the dressing well and toss with the salad greens. Plate and top with berries, nuts, cheese and cranberries. Serve with triangles of dense zucchini bread ( I buy mine at Fresh Market) Make this an easy entrée by adding chunks of rotisserie chicken from your grocery.

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The girls made the Peach salsa to top our pork Tenderloin. Man it's good stuff. You can serve it with fish, chicken, over salad greens, on a taco, or with sweet potato chips. Healthy, too!

Peach Salsa

4-5 peaches, peeled and diced

½ cup red onion,  chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

1 tbsp. lime juice

1 tbsp. Wegman’s basting oil or any high quality oil of your choice

¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Combine everything in a bowl and refrigerate for one hour.

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Our Pork was tender and juicy, thanks to a quick sear in a hot cast iron pan on the stove, then finished in the oven on 425 degrees until pink. You don't want to overcook pork - that's a no-no!

Do I always cook with my tongue sticking out? That's not attractive at all. Gotta work on that habit!

Pineapple Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Peach Salsa  serves 6-8

1 pork tenderloin

1 cup Rothchild Pineapple Coconut Mango Tequila Sauce

¼ cup Worchester sauce

1 tbsp. canola oil

1 tsp.  garlic powder

1 tsp. dried rosemary

¼ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

1 – 1½ cups chicken broth

Combine oil and spices. Rub on pork. Sear the pork in a hot cast iron skillet in 1 tbsp. oil ( or use a grill pan or outdoor grill) until brown. Brush generously with the pineapple sauce, add chicken broth to the hot pan,  and roast in a hot oven (425 degrees) until slightly pink in the middle, adding more sauce every few minutes. (  your roasting time will depend on the thickness of the tenderloin. Check at 12 minutes, plan for total time of 15- 20 minutes) Take out of the oven and place back over a flame on the stove. Add a bit more chicken broth if all liquid has been cooked down. As it sizzles, slice the pork into 1 inch thick medallions and coat with the pan sauce.  Serve with Peach Salsa.

TIP:  Look for the Rothchild's sauce at Publix, Fresh Market, and occasionally at Costco. It is a versatile product you will find lots of uses for. I love it as a dipping sauce with grilled shrimp. Ooh - I just had a thought. Mix it with some o' that yummy peach salsa and you've got a dip to die for!

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Garlic Green Beans  serves 6

1 lb. fresh green beans, ends trimmed

1 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. minced garlic

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

Steam green beans for 6-8 minutes or until crisp tender. Drain. Melt butter in the pot, add garlic and cook one minute. Toss garlic butter with beans and salt and pepper to taste.

So, it goes without saying, yet I'm saying it anyway, to choose the freshest beans you can find. Crisp and bright green. Steam them lightly - a little crunch is what you want. The color adds to the plate and makes all the difference.

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These two troopers got their hands dirty (literally) making the truffles. With two ovens and four gas stove burners going, it was pretty steamy in the kitchen and the little guys were melting as fast as the girls could roll them. But, they tasted great and were a nice compliment to the Blueberry Cobbler.

Dark Chocolate Amaretto Truffles makes 30

10 ounces bittersweet (60% or more cocoa) chocolate, chopped fine

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp. liquor such as brandy, Grand Marnier, Kahlua or Amaretto

8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped fine

toppings:

fine chopped almonds, toasted coconut or cocoa powder

Place the 10 ounces of chocolate and butter in a medium size glass mixing bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds. Remove and stir, and repeat this process 1 more time. Set aside.

Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the melted chocolate mixture; let stand for 2 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir gently, starting in the middle of bowl and working in concentric circles until all chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth and creamy. Gently stir in the brandy. Pour the mixture into an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Using a melon baller, scoop chocolate onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Place the cocoa powder, nuts, and/or toasted coconut each in its own pie pan and set aside.

In the meantime, place the 8 ounces of chocolate into a medium mixing bowl which is sitting on top of a heating pad lined bowl, with the heating pad set to medium. Depending on the heating pad, you may need to adjust the heat up or down. Stirring the chocolate occasionally, test the temperature of the chocolate and continue heating until it reaches 90 to 92 degrees F; do not allow the chocolate to go above 94 degrees F. If you do, the coating will not have a nice snap to it when you bite into the chocolate. Once you have reached the optimal temperature, adjust the heat to maintain it.

Remove the truffles from the refrigerator and shape into balls by rolling between the palms of your hands. Use powder-free vinyl or latex gloves, if desired.

Dip an ice cream scoop into the chocolate and turn upside down to remove excess chocolate. Place truffles 1 at time into the scoop and roll around until coated. Then place the truffle into the dish with either the cocoa powder, nuts or coconut. Move the truffle around to coat; leave truffle in the coating for 10 to 15 seconds before removing. In the meantime, continue placing the chocolate-coated truffles in the cocoa or other secondary coating. After 10 to 15 seconds, remove the truffle to a parchment lined sheet pan. Repeat until all truffles are coated. Allow to set in a cool dry place for at least 1 hour; or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Truffles are best when served at room temperature.

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 This cobbler ( I'm sad to say, I didn't get a picture of it) is so easy to make and so good...if you try any recipe on this post, I'd recommend this one. It's awesome warm or chilled.

Fruit Cobbler

¼ cup butter

½ cup sugar

1 cup flour

¼ tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking powder

½ cup milk

2 ½  cups fresh blueberries, blackberries or peaches

¼  to ½ cup sugar

¼ tsp. cinnamon

1 cup water or a compatible fruit juice.

Optional : 2 tbsp. bourbon

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Mix flour, salt and baking powder. Add to creamed mixture into a lightly greased, shallow 2 quart casserole, spreading evenly. Wash and drain fruit. Spoon fruit over the batter. Mix sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the fruit. Pour fruit juice over top. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. During baking, fruit and juice go to the bottom and cake-like layers form on top. Serve warm with ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

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The best part of cooking with friends, is eating with friends! Hope to see you at our next Girls Dine In!

Hooray for May! May means kids coming home from college, school's out for summer, Memorial Day weekend with friends and family, and lovely sunny days to plant veggies and flowers.

This May is a little busier than usual for me. We've sold our house and are preparing to move in a few weeks. Plus, my oldest daughter is expecting her first baby in July, so May equals baby showers and nursery decorating! What fun!

As you might imagine, planning and cooking has to take a back seat with so much else going on. But being short on time doesn't mean you have to sacrifice flavor or satisfying meals.

Instead of the regular Girls Dine In event, this month I asked a few friends over for a Girls Pack it In packing party. These gals were amazing. In under three hours, they dismantled my entire kitchen, breakfast room and family room. They wrapped, they boxed, they labeled.

For this "paper plate" evening, I threw together one of my favorite summertime suppers.
Here's the easy—peazy recipes. I hope you'll try this out on a busy summer night soon.

Pulled Buffalo Chicken Sliders

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup bottled Ranch dressing (any brand will do)
1 cup Frank's Red Hot sauce
1 stick of butter
1 packet HiddenValley Ranch dressing/dip mix
1/2 cup chopped green onions (optional)

Toss everything into a slow cooker. Cover and cook on low heat for 5 hours, or until the meat pulls apart easily with a fork. Stir once during cooking. When you are ready to serve, shred the meat with two forks, stirring into the sauce. Pile onto slider rolls.

I like to serve with celery, carrots and blue cheese dressing for dipping.

Strawberry Lime Margaritas

1 can frozen limeade concentrate
1 cup 100% Agave tequila
1/3 cup Triple Sec
1 cup frozen strawberries
Ice cubes

Add the first four ingredients to a blender in the order listed. It's important that your liquid ingredients are at the bottom, not the ice. Fill the rest of the blender with ice cubes, leaving enough room for your lid. It's not necessary to cram the ice in - just add until the blender looks pretty full. Blend on high for a minute or two until you achieve that nice, frozen drink consistency. Serve in margarita glasses with a lime wedge. Store any leftovers in a pitcher in your freezer and enjoy another round later!

April's event theme was Spring Salad Supper

 

We had a great time preparing our meal, but things got a bit hectic and I neglected getting photos of each dish. The recipes are simple and delicious for casual entertaining or family suppers. Enjoy!

Girls Dine In Spring Salad Supper

Tonight’s wine pairing:   appetizers: Ruffino Prosecco Sparkling Wine, Italy

                            salads:     2013 A to Z Rose’, Oregon

Almond Stuffed Dates – makes around 60

1 pkg. Bacon

1 can of pitted dates

1 can smoked almonds

Stuff each date with an almond. Wrap 1/3 to ½ strip of bacon around and secure with a toothpick. Bake at 350 degrees until bacon is done. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm or room temp.

Berry Delicious Fruit Salsa – makes 10 cups

  

4 medium apples, cored and chopped

2 cups strawberries, chopped

2 kiwifuit, peeled and chopped

1 20 oz. can crushed pineapple in juice, drained

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

¼ cup apple butter

3 TBls. lemon juice

2 TBls. orange juice

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and chill. Serve with cinnamon chips.

Cinnamon Chips

6 - 8inch flour tortillas

vegetable cooking spray

¼ cup sugar

1 ½ tsps. Cinnamon

cut each tortilla into 8 wedges. Spray both sides with cooking spray. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the tortillas. Place on baking shhet. Bake 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes until crisp and slightly golden. Makes 4 dozen.

Red Quinoa and Avacado Salad

1 - 7 oz. box Red Quinoa, cooked and chilled

1 - 12oz. pkg. frozen corn, thawed

1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup green onions, thinly sliced on bias

2 plum tomatoes, ¼ inch dice (about 1 cup)

2 avacados, cubed

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

2/3 cup Lemon Vinaigrette ( see Below)

Mix all ingeridents in a lrge bow. Fold in the dressing. Chill until ready to serve.

Lemon Vinaigrette

1/8 cup Water

½ cup Olive oil

¼ cup White wine vineager

Juice from 1 lemon

¼ tsp. Garlic powder

½ tsp. Mrs. Dash table blend

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

 Whisk all together in a bowl. Toss with salad.

BLT Pasta Salad – serves 8

1 16 oz. box rigatomi, bowtie or other short pasta, cooked and returned to pot.

¾ lb. bacon, (about 12 slices) cooked and drained on paper towels. KEEP BACON DRIPPINGs IN PAN.

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 medium red onion, sliced thin in strips

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved

1 bunch arugula, washed and dried ( about 4 large handfuls)

½ loaf french baguette sliced into ¼ inch thick rounds

1 6 oz. tub feta cheese

Dressing:

½ cup ranch dressing

½ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup white wine vineager

¼ tsp. black pepper

¼ tsp. salt

Whisk all together in a bowl. Set aside.

In the bacon drippings, cook onion till soft. Add garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to pasta pot. Ten place the bread rounds in the hot skillet and cook until golden brwon and crisp, turning as necessary. Remove and cut into pieces. Let cool. Then add tomatoes to the skillet and cook, tossing for 1 minute. Add arugula and toss quickly. Add to the pasta pot, along with bacon. Gently toss with the dressing. Add in the feta cheese and croutons. Serve warm or chilled.

Apricot-glazed Salmon over Baby Spinach – serves 6

6 portions of wild salmon filets ( I buy mine at Costco), thawed

½ cup Apricot preserves

¼ cup worchester sauce

1 tsp. Mrs. Dash Table Blend

2 Tbls. orange juice

Mix together in food processor or whisk very well.

1 bag baby spinach, washed

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced thin

½ cup craisins

1 small red onion, thnly sliced

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

1 cup walnuts

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup Ken’s poppyseed dressing (we are cheating, but it’s still really good!)

Toss walnuts in a mixture of half sugar, half salt in a plastic bag. Arrange on a foil lined baking dish and bake for 3-5 minutes. Do not let them turn brown! Keep your eyes on the oven! Take out and let cool.

Place salmon on foil lined baking sheet. Baste with apricot sauce. Broil 6 inches from heat for just a couple minutes. Keep watch on the fish – it overcooks easily. When sauce is bubbly and fish looks to be cooking part way through, flip over and baste with more sauce. Return to broiler for a couple more minutes. It’s better to undercook than overcook. Also excellent on the grill.

Assemble your salads by first tossing the spinach with the dressing. Arrange on plates and add all of you toppings. Place salmon filet in the center. Garnish with feta cheese if you like.

Strawberry Shortcakes – makes 8

4 cups sliced strawberries

½ cup sugar

½ cup water

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Place berries in a bowl. Toss with sugar. Add water and refrigerate for one hour.

Then drain off the fruit liquid into a small saucepan. Heat until barely boiling. Mix cornstarch with ¼ cup hot water and stir into the boiling juice. Stir until thickened. Take off heat. * If you don’t end up with much sauce, spoon some seedless strawberry jam into your warm sauce and whisk to melt.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 TBls. baking powder

¼ cup sugar

½ tsp. cream of tarter

¼ tsp. salt

½ cup melted butter

1 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tarter and salt. Stir in melted butter, milk and vanilla until just moistened. Do not beat! Drop batter by spoonfuls onto a large greased baking sheet. Bake until edges and peaks are golden, about 8-12 minutes. Remove from pan.

Whipped cream

1 pint very cold heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons sugar

Tip: Chill your mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 10 minutes first.

Whip cold cream until soft peaks form, adding in sugar as it whips.

Assemble shortcakes – slice each biscuit in half and place on a plate. Spoon on ½ cup of berries. Drizzle with berry sauce. Top with whipped cream. Heavenly!