Saturday, October 23, 2010

Potato Crab Chowder

I love the usual clam chowder but last night I just wanted something a bit different. So, I did a different variation using crab rather than clam. For the first time this year, it was actually cool in Florida so this was the perfect dish for me to make on a nippy night.

What you will need:

2 tbsp butter
1 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 garlic clove, minced
3 1/2 cup red potatoes, cubed
3 tbsp all purpose flour
2 cup 2% milk and 1/2 cup of heavy cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp whole nutmeg, grated
1 (14 3/4 oz.) cream style corn
1 (14 oz.) can chicken broth, less sodium
8oz. can lump crabmeat
3 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tsp salt


Melt the butter in a large sauce pan on medium high heat. Add onion, celery, and garlic. Saute until they start to sweat, about 4 minutes. Add potatoes and saute for 1 minute. Sprinkle with flour and saute for another minute. Stir in milk, heavy cream, and the remaining ingredients, except the crab. Bring everything to a boil on medium heat, stirring frequently. Cover and reduce heat. Let simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in crab, parsley, and salt. Cook for 5 minutes. Serve.

Friday, October 22, 2010

Banana Nut Bread

I had two ripe bananas in my kitchen that were going bad so I decided to do a banana nut bread. I don't like my breads dry, nor do I like it excessively moist. This is just right. Perfect with a nice glass of milk.

When making banana nut bread you should always use ripe bananas. Since they don't sell them in the store like this, it is best to get them green and let them sit room temperature until brown spots are formed on the peel. When they are ripe like this, the starch from the banana converts into sugar.

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED:
2 ripe bananas
6 tbsp melted buter
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Start by preparing your loaf pan. Butter the bottom and sides and lightly flour the pan. Remove excess flour.

In a medium sized bowl, mash together the bananas, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Mix in the eggs. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients. Add the walnuts and blend together until all ingredients are blended together.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean.

Remove loaf from pan and let cool on a wire rack. You can serve this warm or cool. The loaf can be stored for up to 4 days.

Sunday, October 3, 2010

Mandarin Orange Cheesecake

The first recipe I want to post is a cheesecake recipe I make. I had gotten a lot of rave about it last year at a Thanksgiving party with some family friends. By the time I left, the only thing remaining to bring home was the washed dish the cheesecake was brought in!

I have a huge sweet tooth and am constantly baking something sweet. I usually take half of what I make to my work or either mom's house, otherwise, anything I make ends up being too much for just two pople.

Mandarin Orange Cheesecake

Crust
1 cup Graham Cracker crumbs
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Filling
3 packages (8 oz.) of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tsp. orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice concentrate
1 tsp. vanilla extract
10 oz. mandarin orange segments

Topping
1 1/2 cup sour cream
2 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. orange juice

Decoration
1 tsp. orange flavoring
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Grease a springform pan.
Crust: In a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into the bottom of the pan and freeze.
Filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, and sugar on medium high speed for 3 minutes. Add eggs and beat together. Mix in sour cream, orange zest, orange juice concentrate, and vanilla. Fold in the orange segments. Pour over the crust. Bake 45 to 55 minutes. Cool on the counter for 10 minutes, do not turn the oven off.
Topping: In a medium bowl, add sour cream, sugar, and orange juice. Pour in center of cake and spread out to the edges. Bake for 5 minutes. Cool for two hours. Cover and refrigerate for 6 hours before decorating.
Decorating: In a well chilled bowl, whip cream on medium high until soft peaks form. Add sugar, and orange flavoring. Mix until firm peaks form. Pipe border around top of cake. Enjoy!

Saturday, October 2, 2010

My First Blog

 In life, there are two types of people: those who eat to live, and those who live to eat. I fall within the latter group :)

When I was younger, I would visit my great grandmother, Mema, on weekends. I remember waking up on Saturdays to see her making homemade biscuits. She made everything from scratch, but these biscuits were always my favorite. When you bit into them, it was like biting into a piece of Heaven. This was one of my favorite childhood memories, when it came to food anyway.

I also remember as a teenager, sitting in the dining room while watching my mother cook. I always wanted to help and learn how to make the recipes. These two ladies are probably the reason I am so fascinated with food and cooking it.

I am now 22 and living with a family of my own. I love to cook, whether it be a main course meal or a sweet dessert. I decided to post my daily recipes in a blog since so many have requested them. I hope you all enjoy them just as much as I!!!