We Can Finally Fire Up the Grills!

Memorial Day weekend: time to bring on the grill! After months of cold weather and rain it is refreshing to get back into the back yard and spend some time with your grill! Nothing sweetens the deal like a well marinated skewer of meat and grilled vegetables. This recipe combines the freshness of Basil and Lime with tangy Pork Tenderloin for a super moist and flavorful meat that is easy to make and will please even the most picky eaters (my 2 year old - self proclaimed vegetarian - even loved it!)

Grilled Basil and Lime Pork Kabobs
http://saucyplate.com/Recipes/471.aspx

Serves 6

Ingredients
1 1/2 lb pork tenderloin 1 1/2 in. cubes
2 limes - zest and juice reserved
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 oz fresh basil leaves - minced
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey or agave nectar
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
1/3 cup canola oil

Directions:

Place cubed pork tenderloin in a zip top plastic bag.For marinade: Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Pour the marinade into the bag with the pork. Toss to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to overnight. Thread meat onto metal or wooden skewers.Heat grill over high heat. Grill skewers 6 minutes per side, or until slightly pink in the center.

Chef's Notes:
** Do not use Olive Oil in place of the Canola oil. Olive Oil flames up too high over an open flame and will cause the meat to be overly charred.

"I just can't cook without a recipe"

I love to teach cooking classes. It is one of my favorite things about being a Chef. It is so fun to bring new people into a kitchen and show them new, exciting techniques. I love to hear the "ooooh, that's how you do that!" and "Wow I always wondered how to do that!" comments when a tip or method really clicks with someone. I find cooking quite magical and I love to share the magic with others.

Eventually in every class someone will make the statement, "Oh I just can't cook without a recipe" and this is where I always throw down the gauntlet, "Yes you can". It sounds like a really lame response but it is the truth. The thing that everyone forgets, and maybe the piece that us Chefs want them to believe is that cooking is a science. Modern food trends like foams and warm peanut butter mousse may even encourage this belief. But the fact of the matter is cooking is magic not science. It is the magic of amazing flavors coming together....and I bet you know more about flavor combinations than you think.

Knowing the rules of cooking will improve your product, but work with what you know.....a hot pan, oil, vegetables and some seasoning. See what happens.

So feel free to substitute ingredients and try your own combinations. Grab a list of ingredients, choose a technique and don't use a recipe...I think you will be surprised. In fact here is a challenge:

The Un-Recipe for a Great Pasta Dish
Tomatoes
Zucchini
Onion
Garlic
Spinach
Fresh Herbs
Some Kind of oil or butter
Some Kind of Cheese
Some Kind of Wine or Vinegar
Some Kind of Cooked Pasta
Additional Items to make the flavor yours (will it have an Italian, Greek, Asian, Caribean, or South American Flair? What spices would you need to make it so?)

Take advantage of your Mother's Cookie Recipes

This time of year is a great time to experiment with baking, and what better place to start than with the time tested family favorites. My mother-in-law first introduced me to pizzelle cookies at my engagement party 9 years ago, and they are one of my favorite cookies, and I always look forward to having them at Christmas. They are a wonderful light cookie that is a perfect accompaniament to an afternoon cup of tea or coffee. Classic Pizzelle Cookie http://www.saucyplate.com/Recipes/464.aspx

Another family favorite is my mother's recipe for cheesecake cookies. She got the recipe from a good friend back in 1982 and it has always been one of my favorites. You also rarely see them on a plate of cookies, so it is a unique item to bring to a party. This year I altered the recipe to make them a little more festive. I added crushed candy canes and melted white chocolate to make a new family favorite for my two boys: White Chocolate and Peppermint Cheesecake Bars http://www.saucyplate.com/Recipes/463.aspx

Lets Get Roasting

The weather is cooling off, now it is time to start heating up your kitchen with roasted dinners. I love the smell of roasted chicken. It is a hometown American favorite that is often overlooked in our modern eclectic palate. The great thing about roasted chicken is how versatile it is. You can shoot for a straightforward American flavor combination of cinnamon and paprika, a southwest flair of cumin-lime, or a French favorite, lemon-parsley butter. I love the aroma that fills my kitchen when the skin on the chicken begins to brown and release the fat. Here are two great recipes that will feed the whole family.

Cumin-Lime Roast Chicken Breasts

Roast Chicken with Cinnamon and Paprika

Try this full meal that complements the flavors of the Cinnamon and Paprika
Roast Chicken with Apple Raisin Stuffing Meal

• Roast Chicken with Cinnamon and Paprika
• Apple Raisin Stuffing
• Green Beans

Impress the Potluck crowd

It's that time of year again, right in the middle of the never ending BBQ potluck request. You love spending time with all your friends gathered around the grill, but you are completely out of ideas on what to bring to yet another potluck! Well these mini cheesecakes are creamy, delicious, easy and they only take 20 minutes to bake! Go ahead, show off and avoid yet another serving of break and bake chocolate chip cookies....

Mini Cheesecakes

Prep Time : 15 minutes Cook Time : 20 minutes Serves 24

Ingredients

5	cup chocolate graham cracker sticks
2	tbsp sugar
1/2	cup butter - melted
24	oz cream cheese - softened
1	cup sugar
1 1/2	tbsp flour
2	tsp lemon zest
3	eggs
1	egg yolk
1/4	tsp vanilla extract
1	cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2	cup cream
1	tbsp gran marnier (if desired)
1/2	cup slivered almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

For Crust:
Place chocolate graham cracker sticks in a food processor. Process until they resemble coarse sand. Add sugar, and process until sugar is incorporated. Slowly add melted butter until mixture resembles a crumbly wet sand.

Line 2 - 12 muffin pans with muffin cups (24).
Gently press about 2 tbsp of cookie crust into the bottom of each muffin cup. Crust should be about 1/4 an inch thick. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

For Batter:
In an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese, flour, sugar and zest until smooth. Add eggs and yolk, one at a time, scraping sides of the bowl as you go. Add vanilla and beat until well incorporated.

Fill each muffin cup with batter all the way to the top of the muffin cup. Bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Refrigerate overnight.

For Frosting:
Remove cupcakes from refrigerator. Combine chocolate and Gran Marnier (if desired) in a small bowl. Heat cream just to a boil. Remove from heat and pour cream over chocolate. Let sit for 2 minutes. Stir together cream and chocolate until mixture resembles a smooth dark, thick chocolate. Spoon 1 tbsp of chocolate into the center of each cupcake. Sprinkle with slivered almonds and serve.

Simplify!

At SaucyPlate we are all about making your life easier by providing quick, easy and simple steps to get the recipes you want and the grocery list you need to make food in your home. In our hectic world of work, play and families we could all use some ideas for how to get organized and stay on track. Home Concierge is a great site to help us all achieve simplification and their blog has some great reading on ways to achieve simplicity. One post that I have found useful for my personal life and professionally for writing recipes and keeping on top of nutritional data is Healthy Meals...are you sure? This post gives great info on how to find that nutritional info on the foods we eat.

Cooking Class: The Basics Part 2

Roasted Red Peppers
There are so many applications for roasted red peppers; as a topping on a pizza or sandwich, in pasta and soups, dips and spreads. Roasted red peppers are both delicious and a versatile ingredient. You can easily buy bottled roasted red peppers, but for the best flavor, and the lowest cost you can easily roast your own peppers. In this entry I will show you how to roast the pepper, and also include some great recipes. This technique used for roasting can be used on any pepper or chili. Step 1. Remove any sticker from the skin of the whole pepper. Rinse and pat dry. Begin to roast the pepper by placing the entire pepper directly to a flame. In these pictures I demonstrate the technique using a gas stove top but you can also use a kitchen torch, the broiler setting on your oven, a gas grill, or for the bold chef, a blow torch.

Step 2. Continue to hold the pepper to the flame, and turn every minute or so until entire pepper is charred and black.
Step 3. Place the pepper in a zip top bag and allow it to steam for 5-10 minutes. Remove the pepper from the bag and wipe and/or peel off skin.
Step 4. Cut open pepper, discard stem and seed pod.
Step 5. Chop peppers to desired shape and they are now ready to be used in any recipe that calls for roasted red peppers.

Salami, Red Pepper and Goat Cheese Pizza http://saucyplate.com/Recipes/436.aspx
Turkey Pesto Panini http://saucyplate.com/Recipes/105.aspx

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