Monday, November 28, 2016

Tiramisu

This Tiramisu was easy to make and turned out pretty good if a little soggy. Nick really liked this one, but Alona and Mitch didn't really like it. The best part of this one was the cream but the lady fingers didn't really work out so well in this one. They kind of just turned into a soggy mess the second they hit the coffee mixture. One final note, you have to make sure to keep stirring cream mixture or else it will clump.




Beat Egg Yolks, Marsala and Sugar

Ingredients:

2 cups boiling-hot water
3 tablespoons instant-espresso powder
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
3 tablespoons Tia Maria (coffee liqueur)
4 large egg yolks
1/3 cup dry Marsala
1 pound mascarpone (2 1/2 cups)
1 cup chilled heavy cream
36 savoiardi (crisp Italian ladyfingers; from two 7-ounce packages)
Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

Directions:

1. Stir together water, espresso powder, 1 tablespoon sugar, and Tia Maria in a shallow bowl until sugar has dissolved, then cool.
2. Beat egg yolks, Marsala, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water using a whisk or handheld electric mixer until tripled in volume, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove bowl from heat. Beat in mascarpone until just combined.
3. Beat cream in a large bowl until it holds stiff peaks.
4. Fold mascarpone mixture into whipped cream gently but thoroughly.
5. Dipping both sides of each ladyfinger into coffee mixture, line bottom of a 13- by 9- by 3-inch baking pan with 18 ladyfingers in 3 rows, trimming edges to fit if necessary. Spread half of mascarpone filling on top. Dip remaining 18 ladyfingers in coffee and arrange over filling in pan.
6. Spread remaining mascarpone filling on top and dust with cocoa. Chill, covered, at least 6 hours.
7. Let tiramisu stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving, then dust with more cocoa.

What we liked:

The cream was great! It was light and fluffy just as it should be. 

What we didn't like:

The lady fingers got crazy soggy with just a second in the coffee. 

What Kaspian thought about it:

Kaspian wouldn't eat this and said he wanted candy instead!

Next time:

We are not quite sure how to fix the sogginess with the lady fingers, but we will not make this again until we come up with something. 

Cilantro Lime Soup

This is a delicious, flavorful soup. It is a great soup for a sick day. it is light enough but still has a ton of flavor and has great lime flavor.




Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
5 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup chopped seeded tomatoes
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro sprigs, tied together with kitchen string.
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
Sour cream

Directions:

1. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until slightly softened, about 3 minutes.
2. Add chili powder; stir 1 minute. Add chicken; stir 2 minutes. Add broth, corn, tomatoes and 1/2 bunch cilantro sprigs to saucepan; bring to boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Discard cilantro sprigs. Bring to simmer before continuing.
4. Add chopped cilantro and lime juice to soup. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with sour cream.

What we liked:

Alona loved the lime flavor and the rich flavors. 

What we didn't like:

Nick thought this was little bit too spicy, but he still liked it. 

What Kaspian thought about it:

Kaspian refused to touch this one too!

Next time:

Maybe we would use a little less spice next time but overall it was great. 

Salmon with Wine Lemon Couscous

Nick loves this recipe! We have made twice in a week after this one. The fish is very tender and the couscous with carrots is incredibly flavorful. We got the recipe from here: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/lemony-roasted-salmon-white-wine-couscous






Ingredients:

2 tablespoons 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
4 teaspoons lemon juice, divided
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
1 1/8 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
2 cups finely chopped carrots
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup hot cooked couscous

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Combine yogurt, chives, 2 teaspoons oil, and 1 tablespoon juice; stir with a whisk. Sprinkle fish with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Rub with 2 tablespoons yogurt mixture. Heat an ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan. Add fish, skin side down; cook 2 minutes. Transfer to oven. Bake at 450° for 5 minutes. Turn fish; cook 1 minute or until done.

3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add carrots, shallots, and garlic; cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining 1 teaspoon lemon juice, remaining 5/8 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and wine. Cook 30 seconds. Add couscous; toss. Serve fish with couscous and yogurt mixture.

What we liked:

Nick loves the fish! Alona liked it, however the second time we made it the fish was a slightly fattier cut and was not as good. The couscous was also excellent and the carrots really added to the dish. 

What we didn't like:

A fatty piece of fish makes the dish way too soft and rich. 

What Kaspian thought about it:

Kaspian liked the carrots and the couscous, but he refused to touch the fish. 

Next time:

Make sure we have a very lean cut of fish and remove any fat on the cut. 

Terra at Four Seasons Santa Fe

For our fifth year anniversary we went out to Terra restaurant at Four Seasons in Santa Fe.
We got a groupon for this restaurant and it was a fun experience.
Kaspian and Astrid were watched by Alona's parents for two whole nights. It was the first time we were away for so long from Astrid. Everyone did really well and had lots of fun! http://www.fourseasons.com/santafe/dining/restaurants/terra/

Scallops

Crab Cake

Market Salad

Lyonnaise Salad


Beef Tenderloin

Lamb Rack

Special Dessert
Strawberry Panna Cotta 


What we liked:

The Lamb Rack was amazing and the appetizers were excellent. We liked the salads, but the Market was far better than Lyonnaise.

What we didn't like:

The Beef was ordered medium well, but the chef apparently thought that was an abomination and gave us a rare steak. 

Next time:

We will likely not return to this restaurant as the food was not quite worth the price even with a groupon. 

Friday, November 25, 2016

Brats in Beer Bath

We made this super easy recipe for the children and Alona's parents because we were leaving for our 5 year anniversary. We needed an easy dish that they could put together any time in the evening. We served it with some hot dog buns, however a nice coleslaw or salad would have gone well with it.

The original recipe: http://www.johnsonville.com/recipe/brat-crock.html


Ingredients:

1-2 bottleS of Guinness beer (enough to cover the brats + onions)
2 tablespoons butter
2 medium yellow onions, sliced into rings
8-9 Johnsonville Original Brats 

Directions:

1) Pour in the beer; add butter and onions into slow cooker and turn on to high.
2) Heat a grill pan or heavy skillet to medium high and grill or sear the brats on all sides.
3) Place your Johnsonville Brats into the slow cooker and heat until the brats are cooked through, about 2 hours. Brats are fully cooked when the internal temperature reaches 160˚F.

What we liked:

This was a super easy recipe to make and incredibly tasty. The Brats don't look as appealing as the grilled one but they were significantly more tender. 

What we didn't like:

The Brats kind of looked like worms! 

What Kaspian thought about it:

Kaspian would not touch them! He thought they were gross!

Next time:

We might cut the onions into chunks instead of rings as the rings were difficult to get onto buns, but they were a good side.