Archive for April, 2007

Beer Margaritas - and I don’t LIKE beer!

First off, I don’t have a photo of this. Obviously I was enjoying the margaritas so much I forgot! Would you have ever tried beer margaritas? I know I wouldn’t have. But, last week my friend Cherrie and I attended a cooking class focusing on the food for Cinco de Mayo; the teacher is one of our favorites, Phillis Carey, who teaches at A Store for Cooks in Laguna Niguel, and at a couple of places in San Diego, where she lives. Rarely does Phillis demonstrate anything that Cherrie and I don’t like, but we shook our heads and made frownie faces as she was describing it and mixing it up. Cherrie doesn’t drink beer, either, but we both whispered that we’d take a sip. Just a little sip. Hah! We both drank the glasses down to the last drop. Not fast, mind you, but we enjoyed it. We both like margaritas, and the flavor is really very similar.

The initial taste of beer is okay with me. It’s the bitter aftertaste that I don’t like. Sometimes on a truly blistering hot, summer day I will drink beer if it’s offered. Otherwise I pass it up every time. But this - there is a little hint of that beer aftertaste, it’s not bothersome somehow. Since I’d never heard of this concoction, I did a little sleuthing on the internet, where I found other recipes for beer margaritas, although most of them included a big glug of vodka in the mixture. I think this is just fine the way it is, but you could add more tequila if you like it stronger. About the only instructions Phillis gave us was to not be tempted to use any fancy beer - you do not want the beer to overwhelm the limade concentrate and tequila. That’s why this works. Oh, and be sure to chill the tequila. You want to start with everything veddy, veddy, chilled.

Cherrie and I prepared a dinner last night of most of the food from this cooking class, and you’ll see the recipes here in coming days. So, stay tuned.

Beer Margaritas with Lime
1 whole lime, cut in wedges
1/4 cup coarse salt
24 ounces light beer, like Miller or Budweiser
1/2 cup limeade, frozen concentrate
1/2 cup tequila, chilled
ice cubes

1. Rub a wedge of lime around the rim of 4 margarita glasses and dip in salt. Fill glasses with ice and drop lime into glass.
2. In a pitcher combine the beer, limeade and tequila. Pour over ice and serve immediately.

Per Serving: 185 Calories; trace Fat (0.7% calories from fat); 1g Protein; 22g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 5646mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Fruit.
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All the Tasting Spoons Recipes

To return to my blog’s home page, http://tastingspoons.blogspot.com

The recipes that are bold are my personal favorites

Appetizers

Avocado Butter - PDF Recipe
Artichoke Bruschetta - PDF Recipe
Bacon & Tomato Dunk - PDF Recipe
Baked Brie/Apples - PDF Recipe
Cape Cod Meatballs - PDF Recipe
Coriander Lime Shrimp - PDF Recipe
Crostini w/Blue, Apples - PDF Recipe
Goat Cheese/Apricot Chutney - PDF Recipe
Grilled Mozz Bread Skewers - PDF Recipe
Hot & Spicy Tofu Herb Dip - PDF Recipe
Lumpia (Filipino) - PDF Recipe
Marinated/Grilled Provolone - PDF Recipe
Sausage Pinwheels - PDF Recipe
Warm Bean & Brie Dip - PDF Recipe

Beef
Bobotie - PDF Recipe
Cabbage Patch Stew - PDF Recipe
Chili Spaghetti - PDF Recipe
Chinese Meatloaf - PDF Recipe
Chipotle Meatballs - PDF Recipe
French Hamburgers - PDF Recipe
Italian Bracciole - PDF Recipe
Meatloaf with Sweet/Sour Sauce - PDF Recipe
Ribeye Steaks/Amazing Glaze - PDF Recipe
Tenderloin in Puff Pastry - PDF Recipe

Beverages
Beer Margaritas - PDF Recipe
Hot as Haiti - PDF Recipe
Hot Buttered Rum - PDF Recipe
Mojito - PDF Recipe
Pink Sangria - PDF Recipe
White Lady - PDF Recipe

Breads-Yeast
Portuguese Sweet Bread - PDF Recipe
Schnecken Rolls - PDF Recipe
Whole Wheat Pizza Dough - PDF Recipe

Breads-Quick
Bishop’s Bread - PDF Recipe
Bloomin’ Sourdough - PDF Recipe
Buttermilk Scones - PDF Recipe
Cardamom Crumb Cake - PDF Recipe
Chocolate Scones - PDF Recipe
Coconut Banana Bread - PDF Recipe
Cranberry Orange Scones - PDF Recipes
Drop Biscuits - PDF Recipe
Carrot Spice Muffins - PDF Recipe
Goat Cheese Chive Muffins - PDF Recipe
Herbed Biscuit Ring - PDF Recipe
Irish Soda Bread - PDF Recipe
New Wave Garlic Bread - PDF Recipe
Refrigerator Bran Muffins
- PDF Recipe
Sour Cream Coffeecake/Choc - PDF Recipe

Brunch
Brunch Gratinee Eggs - PDF Recipe
Quiche Lorraine - PDF Recipe
Southwest Eggs Benedict - PDF Recipe
Pineapple Upside/Down Fr. Toast - PDF Recipe
Spiced Fruit - PDF Recipe

Chicken/Poultry
Bombay Chicken - PDF Recipe
Cajun w/Creole Sauce - PDF Recipe
Bamako - PDF Recipe
Cajun Chicken/Creole Cream - PDF Recipe
Cha Cha Cha Jerk Chicken - PDF Recipe
Chicken Cacciatore - PDF Recipe
Chicken & Dumplings - PDF Recipe
Chicken/Garlic/Lemon/Crust - PDF Recipe
Chicken Breasts/Prosciutto/Mushr/Basil - PDF Recipe
Chicken/Artichokes/Olives - PDF Recipe
Chicken Cacciatore - PDF Recipe
Chicken w/Red Wine Vinegar Sauce - PDF Recipe
Mustard & Herb Chicken - PDF Recipe
Pizza/Chicken/Red Onion/Olives - PDF Recipe
Quick Modern Coq au Vin - PDF Recipe
Roasted Lemon Chicken - PDF Recipe
Shiitake-Crusted Chicken w/Sauce - PDF Recipe
Spicy Garlic Cashew Chicken - PDF Recipe
(Turkey) Gravy - PDF Recipe

Cookies
Almond Bar Cookies - PDF Recipe
Almond-Cranberry - PDF Recipe
BLUE CHIP Choc Chip Cookies - PDF Recipe
Brandied Apricot Bars - PDF Recipe
Brownie Thins - PDF Recipe
Choc Almond Biscotti - PDF Recipe
Choc Kiss Treasures - PDF Recipe
Cranberry Noels - PDF Recipe
Cranberry Orange Cookies - PDF Recipe
Harlequin Pinwheels - PDF Recipe
Heavenly Cream Cheese Brownies - PDF Recipe
New York Special Slices - PDF Recipe
Peanut Butter Cookies - PDF Recipe
Rocky Road - PDF Recipe

Desserts
Almond Custard - PDF Recipe
Anise Pound Cake - PDF Recipe
Apricot Ice Cream - PDF Recipe
Balsami Fig Sorbet - PDF Recipe
Banana Caramel (Choc Chip) Cake - PDF Recipe
Caramelized Apple Gingerbread - PDF Recipe
Carrot Cake - PDF Recipe
Choc Steamed Pudding - PDF Recipe
Classic Brownies (best ever) - PDF Recipe
Crisp Apple Pudding - PDF Recipe
French (Choc) Silk Pie - PDF Recipe
Furr’s Millionaire Pie - PDF Recipe
German Choc Chip Cake - PDF Recipe
Gingerbread Pudding Cake - PDF Recipe
Gourmet Cheesecake - PDF Recipe
Grandgirl’s Fresh Apple Cake - PDF Recipe
Ina Garten’s Lemon Cake - PDF Recipe
Lemon Velvet Ice Cream/Gelato - PDF Recipe
Normandy Apricot Custard - PDF Recipe
Panna Cotta w/Strawberries - PDF Recipe
Peach Raspberry Streusel Cake
- PDF Recipe
Pear & Choc Tart - PDF Recipe
Pumpkin Bread Pudding - PDF Recipe
Pumpkin Cake in Mold - PDF Recipe
Raspberry-Almond Truffle Tart - PDF Recipe
Regal Chocolate Sauce - PDF Recipe
Roasted Banana Ice Cream/Gelato - PDF Recipe
Roasted Apricot Almond Cake - PDF Recipe
Southern Peach Cobbler - PDF Recipe
Steamed Choc Pudding - PDF Recipe
Triple Choc Torte/Raspberry Sauce - PDF Recipe

Fish/Shellfish
Almond Crusted Orange Roughy - PDF Recipe
Crunchy Shrimp/Couscous/Sauce - PDF Recipe
Grilled Salmon w/Watercress - PDF Recipe
Halibut Osso Buco - PDF Recipe
Salmon Maple/Thyme - PDF Recipe
Salmon/Pickled Ginger - PDF Recipe
Seafood Paella - PDF Recipe
Shrimp/Bread/Romesco - PDF Recipe
Sicilian Tuna Salad - PDF Recipe

Lamb
Aromatic Braised Lamb - PDF Recipe
Shepherd’s Pie/Chipotle Potatoes - PDF Recipe

Miscellaneous
Cranberry Relish - PDF Recipe
Peppered Pecans - PDF Recipe
Pineapple Salsa - PDF Recipe
Siciliana Sauce - PDF Recipe

Pasta
Chili Spaghetti - PDF Recipe
Mister Charlie (casserole) - PDF Recipe
Pasta a la Puttanesca - PDF Recipe
Pasta Tomato Cream Sauce - PDF Recipe
Shells w/Pancetta, Spinach - PDF Recipe

Pork
Baby Backribs/Peanut Butter Slather - PDF Recipe
Caramelized Carnitas Tacos - PDF Recipe
Chinese Meatloaf - PDF Recipe
Chops/Apple Cider Sauce - PDF Recipe
Mister Charlie (casserole) - PDF Recipe
Pork & Green Chile Stew - PDF Recipe
Roast Pork Loin/Apricot Compote - PDF Recipe
Roast Pork Tenderloin w/Fennel - PDF Recipe

Salad Dressings
Champagne Wine Vinaigrette - PDF Recipe
Cranberry Vinaigrette - PDF Recipe
Garlic VIP Dressing - PDF Recipe
Mock Caesar Dressing - PDF Recipe
Orange Jalapeno Vinaigrette - PDF Recipe
Tangerine Vinaigrette - PDF Recipe
White Wine Vinaigrette - PDF Recipe

Salads
Apple Cherry Walnut Green Salad - PDF Recipe
Armenian Parsley Walnut Salad - PDF Recipe
Asian Slaw - PDF Recipe
BLT Salad - PDF Recipe
Carrot-Ginger Slaw - PDF Recipe
Escarole, Belg Endive, Apple Salad - PDF Recipe
Grilled Sweet Potato Salad - PDF Recipe
Joan’s Pasta Salad - PDF Recipe
Mexican Chopped Salad - PDF Recipe
Pesto Pea (Spinach) Salad - PDF Recipe
Scott’s Broccoli Salad - PDF Recipe
Sicilian Tuna salad - PDF Recipe
Spinach Salad w/Mango - PDF Recipe
Tex-Mex Jicama Salad - PDF Recipe
The BEST Bean Salad - PDF Recipe
Watercress/Belg End/Olive - PDF Recipe
Wild Rice Salad - PDF Recipe

Soup
Adobe Stew (Gypsy Den) - PDF Recipe
Apple Parsnip Soup - PDF Recipe
Borscht w/Andouille - PDF Recipe
Butternut Sq/Jalapeno/Ginger
- PDF Recipe
Cabbage Patch Stew - PDF Recipe
Cauliflower w/Scallop - PDF Recipe
Citrus Gazpacho - PDF recipe
Cold Green Pea - PDF Recipe
Cream of Cashew - PDF Recipe
Cream of Tomato Soup - PDF Recipe
Creamy Leek Soup - PDF Recipe
Fish Stew/Thai Twist - PDF Recipe
Leek, Kielbasa, Sausage - PDF Recipe
Lentil - PDF Recipe
Mulligatawny - PDF Recipe
Roasted Butternut Squash - PDF Recipe
Roasted Poblano Asiago - PDF Recipe
Senegalese Peanut Soup - PDF Recipe
Strawberry Gazpacho - PDF Recipe
Thai Chicken/Mushroom - PDF Recipe
Tomato Bisque Sip Soup - PDF Recipe
Turkey Tortilla - PDF Recipe
Tuscan Chicken - PDF Recipe

Vegetarian
Pasta/Tomato Cream - PDF Recipe
Stacked Enchiladas - PDF Recipe
Cheese Fondue - PDF Recipe

Vegies/Sides
Algerian Carrots - PDF Recipe
Armenian Parsley/Walnut Salad - PDF Recipe
Asparagus/Chile Butter - PDF Recipe
Baked Onions with Thyme - PDF Recipe
Baked Fennel - PDF Recipe
Broccoli Casserole - PDF Recipe
Butternut Squash Fries - PDF Recipe
Calabacitas con Crema - PDF Recipe
Cauliflower, Bacon & Mushrooms - PDF Recipe
Company Cabbage - PDF Recipe
Dilled Broccoli & Leeks - PDF Recipe
Fennel Fritters - PDF Recipe
Green Beans/Garlic/Olive Oil - PDF Recipe
Green Beans/Shallots/Balsamic - PDF Recipe
Gulliver’s Creamed Corn - PDF Recipe
Hash Brown Casserole - PDF Recipe
Marinated Brussels Sprouts - PDF Recipe
Mashed Potatoes w/Mascarpone - PDF Recipe
No. African Grilled Corn/Cob - PDF Recipe
Orzo Carbonara/Thyme - PDF Recipe
Peas with Pancetta - PDF Recipe
Potato & Onion Cakes - PDF Recipe
Red Cabbage w/Apples - PDF Recipe
Roasted Asparagus/Citrus Butter - PDF Recipe
Sugar Snap Pea Tops
Twice-Baked Cauliflower
- PDF Recipe
Twice-Baked Cauliflower 2 - PDF Recipe
Zucchini Gratin - PDF Recipe


How do I love thee - garlic (Garlic VIP Salad Dressing)

In most things in my life I’ve learned moderation. Like when a recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of crushed thyme, I know to use 1-3 teaspoons. Not 3 tablespoons. Or if it calls for 2 teaspoons of Madras curry powder, I won’t use 2 tablespoons. Now cookbooks are another matter. Well, I’ve never learned moderation there, as my sagging family room bookshelves can attest. And when it comes to garlic, there’s hardly ever enough. If a recipe calls for 1 clove, I’ll generally use 2, maybe even 3 cloves. And I like to buy good-sized heads - I can’t stand those little, puny cloves that need microsurgery to remove the skins and chop. I seek out a couple of markets that always have good, fresh garlic where each clove is the size of a thimble. We’re not talking “elephant garlic” here, but just your everyday garlic. And it’s a rare day when my kitchen is without at least one or two heads in my kitchen-counter bowl. Hence, I have numerous recipes for garlic-enhanced salad dressings. And the more the merrier.

So the next question is, how do you like your garlic - minced, mashed, chopped, squeezed through a press, food processed or blended? I suppose each method would have its proponents. For me, it depends on what it’s in. Bigger pieces go into stews and braises. Minced and chopped might go in a salsa. Food processed I don’t do much anymore because my trusty Cuisinart doesn’t always get the pieces uniformly cut. So what’s that leave? Ta-da:

THE BLENDER METHOD: So, some years ago I heard or read about a method for enhancing garlic flavor. Salt, as we know, can suck the juice out of most things, and that’s exactly what it does here. Using a chef’s knife I mash the clove of garlic with the side of the blade just to remove the skins. Drop the clove(s) into the blender and then add table salt. Whiz briefly (lid solidly affixed) and let it sit for about 5 minutes. That’s while you go collect all the other things that go into this dressing. Measure things out, and you’ll be ready to finish it. I’ve made this with olive oil, but find the olive flavor overwhelms the dressing, so I prefer using Canola oil or other unflavored vegetable oil.

This recipe was given to me in the 1960’s by a family friend. And it’s become one of my standard dressings ever since. Although I’ve tried making the salad with lots of different vegetables, I keep going back to the way it was originally served to me - the salad must contain mostly head lettuce, small florets of cauliflower, some shaved almonds and crumbles of Feta cheese. I like the way head lettuce holds a lot of that garlic-whammy dressing. And I will add, although this dressing keeps, it’s the very best an hour after making it.Garlic VIP Salad Dressing

1-2 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp celery seeds
½ tsp paprika
3/4 tsp dry mustard
1/3 c vegetable oil

Place garlic in blender with salt. Blend briefly and allow to sit while you assemble other ingredients. Add all remaining ingredients and blend until well combined. Pour into a covered container and allow to sit about an hour (ideally) before serving. About ½ cup will dress a side salad for 4 people. Refrigerate remainder and use within a week.

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Chili Spaghetti (aka Cincinnati Chili)

I think it was about 1973. At the time I was living in Oklahoma City with my then husband, and our daughter, Dana, who was about 5 years old. A neighbor invited my daughter and me for dinner. She said “oh, it’s just chili spaghetti, the kids will love it.” Now I must tell you, this IS a casserole (uh oh, is that an ugly word in blogdom?). But, when you consider the ingredients - chili with beans - buttered spaghetti - and a very unhealthy mound of shredded jack and cheddar cheese - it becomes comfort food to the sublime. How can this stuff be so darned good, I ask you? It was only years later - years and years and years - that I found a mention of Cincinnati Chili and reckoned this was a similar piece of work. The Cincinnati version is not baked, but it’s a do-it-yourself plate with many similar ingredients (and a couple of toppings like crumbled crackers and green onions).

Chili Spaghetti is simple. It’s tasty. It can be frozen. It’s kid friendly. It reheats well in the microwave. It can be made in lickety-split time if you need to, as long as you’ve got all the ingredients at the ready.

I made this recently and wondered why I hadn’t prepared it in so long. It’s not gourmet in the least. But it sure tastes good on a cold winter’s night. Below is the original recipe. You could substitute ground turkey with very little taste alteration, and you can definitely reduce the amount of cheese. I’ve even made it with less pasta, to try to bring down the carb count. Serve with a green salad, using a simple oil and vinegar dressing. You can serve garlic bread with it, but you hardly need it.Chili Spaghetti (Cincinnati Chili)

Servings: 10 Preparation Time :1:30
Chili: 1 pound lean ground beef
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 whole yellow onion — chopped
2 cloves garlic — peeled, minced (2 to 3)
1 whole shallot — peeled, minced (optional)
16 ounces chopped tomatoes — with juice
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Casserole:
16 ounces black beans — with juice
8 ounces tomato sauce — preferably low sodium
water - as needed
1 pound linguine — cooked al dente
2 tablespoons butter — optional
6 ounces Monterey jack cheese — shredded
6 ounces cheddar cheese — shredded

1. Heat a large skillet with olive oil, then crumble in the ground beef. While it is cooking, mince up the onion, shallot and garlic separately. Once the beef has lost all its pink color, add the onion and shallot, stir in and continue cooking for about 5 minutes, until the onions are limp. Add the garlic and cook for another 1 minute or so. Add the chili powder and cumin, the tomatoes and tomato sauce. Stir gently with a spoon, then bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed. If the chili is too thick, add water to make it a soupy consistency (the pasta absorbs much of the liquid when it’s baked).

2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add about a teaspoon of salt, then boil the pasta of your choice (I just happen to like the thin linguine, but any pasta will do) until it’s just undercooked, al dente. Drain (but do not rinse). Return pasta to the pot and add the butter (if you want to add it), stir until melted. Have the piles of cheese nearby. Prepare a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray. To the pan add half of the buttered pasta first, then scoop half the hot chili over it, spread to cover the pasta more evenly, then sprinkle liberally with the cheeses, then more pasta, more chili, and top with the remainder of the cheese. Bake for about 25-30 minutes until the cheese is bubbling hot.

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