Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Stuffed Tomatoes with Peaches, Corn, Cucumbers, and Basil




Ingredients
8 ripe medium beefsteak tomatoes
2 ripe peaches pitted and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)
3 Kirby cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (1 1/3 cups)
Kernels from 2 ears corn (1 1/2 cups)
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
1/2 cup shredded fresh basil leaves, plus sprigs for garnish
Directions
Slice off tops of tomatoes (about 1/2 inch). Scoop out the seeds and ribs, and coarsely chop. Stir together chopped tomatoes, peaches, cucumbers, corn, oil, 1 tablespoon lime juice, salt, and pepper. Let stand for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust for acidity, adding up to 1 tablespoon more lime juice. Stir in basil.

Season inside of tomato shells with salt and pepper. Fill tomatoes with tomato mixture, and garnish with basil sprigs. Serve immediately.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Dinner Ideas


Pan-Roasted Beef Tenderloin with Rosemary and Garlic

The red wine for the sauce is reduced to concentrate its flavor. To enrich the sauce, you can also add a bit of Dijon mustard.


Ingredients: 1 beef tenderloin roast

2 1/2 to 3 lb. 3 fresh rosemary sprigs

1 garlic clove,

minced Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

4 shallots, minced

2 cups dry red wine

16 Tbs. (2 sticks) softened unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces


Directions: Preheat an oven to 400ºF. Let the roast stand at room temperature for 30 to 40 minutes. Set the roast on a clean work surface and lay the rosemary sprigs lengthwise along the roast. Using kitchen twine, tie the rosemary to the roast at 2-inch intervals. Rub the roast with the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Preheat an oval skillet or large sauté pan over medium-high heat and warm the vegetable oil. Add the roast and brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast, turning the beef occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat registers 125ºF for very rare to rare, 15 to 20 minutes, or until done to your liking. Transfer the roast to a cutting board, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the shallots and wine and boil until reduced to 1/4 cup, 7 to 10 minutes. Add the butter a few pieces at a time, whisking constantly until blended before adding more. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve and season with salt. Keep warm over very low heat, being careful not to boil. Slice the meat and arrange on a warmed platter. Pass the sauce alongside. Serves 4 to 6. Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.


Cedar-Planked Salmon with Seasoned Lemon Butter


Grilled on a cedar plank, this salmon is moist and succulent and imbued with delicious smoky flavor. It replicates a technique that was pioneered by Native Americans, who roasted fish and game on aromatic wood planks. Here, the fish is first seasoned with a rub, which adds even more layers of flavor.


Ingredients: 8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 Tbs. poultry and fish grilling rub

Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon

3 to 4 lb. salmon fillet, skin intact

2 Tbs. potlatch seasoning

1/2 lemon, thinly sliced


Directions: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the grilling rub and lemon zest and beat until well blended, about 1 minute more. Spoon the butter mixture onto a sheet of waxed paper and form into a log about 1 inch thick. Twist the ends to seal the butter, then wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. Soak a cedar plank in water for at least 20 minutes or up to 4 hours.Prepare a medium fire in a grill. Have ready a spray bottle of water to extinguish any flare-ups on the plank. Bring the seasoned butter to room temperature. Place the plank on the grill, close the lid, and heat until the plank begins to smoke and crackle. Rub the skinless side of the salmon with the potlatch seasoning. Place the salmon, skin side down, on the plank and arrange the lemon slices on top of the sh. Close the lid and grill until the salmon is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the plank with the salmon to a heatproof platter, or carefully transfer the salmon directly to a warmed platter. Cut as much of the seasoned butter as desired into slices 1/4 inch thick and place on the salmon, reserving any remaining butter for another use. Serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8. Williams-Sonoma Kitchen


Spice-Roasted Salmon with Cucumber Salad (Tandoori Spice)


Combining a dozen seasonings, including chili, paprika, cumin and fragrant menthi leaves, our Indian-inspired tandoori spice lends complex flavor to broiled salmon fillets. A cucumber salad provides a refreshing contrast. Ingredients: 1/3 cup plain yogurt 4 Tbs. fresh lemon juice 1 Tbs. plus 1/4 tsp. tandoori spice 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 Tbs. minced fresh ginger 1 tsp. sea salt, plus more, to taste Freshly ground black pepper, to taste 4 skin-on salmon fillets, each about 6 oz. 2 cups peeled, halved and thinly sliced cucumber (about 1 large) 1 cup thinly sliced red onion (about 1/2 onion) 2 cups seeded and diced tomato (1-inch dice) 3 Tbs. olive oil 2 Tbs. minced fresh cilantro Directions: In a large bowl, stir together the yogurt, 2 Tbs. of the lemon juice, the 1 Tbs. tandoori spice, the cayenne, garlic, ginger, 1/2 tsp. of the sea salt and a pinch of black pepper. Add the salmon fillets, coating them with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. Meanwhile, in a bowl, stir together the cucumber, onion, tomato, the remaining 2 Tbs. lemon juice, the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt, a pinch of pepper, 1 Tbs. of the olive oil and 1 Tbs. of the cilantro. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Position a rack in the uppermost position of an oven and preheat the broiler. Line the bottom of a broiler pan with aluminum foil and place the rack on top. Remove the fish from the marinade and brush off the excess. Drizzle the fillets with the remaining 2 Tbs. olive oil and season with salt, black pepper and the 1/4 tsp. tandoori spice. Arrange the fillets on the prepared pan so they are not touching. Broil until they are a golden rose color and slightly opaque in the center, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the fish from the oven, cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 2 minutes. Serve with the cucumber salad and garnish with the remaining 1 Tbs. cilantro. Serves 4. Adapted from a recipe by Williams-Sonoma.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Easter Dinner Ideas

Easter is one of my favorite holidays, along with all the other ones. I love Holidays, no matter who is suppose to be celebrating it. Regardless if its part of my culture.
I am trying to find something to make for just me and my boyfriend the day before Easter, so we can celebrate it together and by ourselves.
So here are some ideas;




Appitizer:
Steamed Artichokes with Tarragon Mayonnaise
Main Course:
Marmalade-Glazed Ham
Side Dish:Scalloped
Potatoes with Leeks and Oven-Roasted Asparagus
Dessert:
Lemon Cake
Sugar Cookie Bunnies
Serves 8

I think I may make relaly yummy mac and cheese instead of the scalloped potatoes... i am not quite sure.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Easter Recipes and Desserts - Martha Stewart

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

My House

I am in the process of decorating my apt....


This is my kitchen... see the bare wall.... ya i am sure you can......

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MARTHA has given me some ideas:


What if this was a dark cherry wood shelf with dark chains, on the top part of the shelf was decorations... hanging off hooks from the bottom of the shelf I could hang up my pots and pans.......
OR.....

Martha is my IDOL

Who would of thought to use wallpaper to cover a shelf.... i would think to use fabric! Martha has got me again!!




Add a splash of personality to a lackluster work space by covering plain floating bookshelves with wallpaper. Measure the shelf, and cut the wallpaper slightly longer than shelf and wide enough to wrap around it with an overlap. Use wallpaper paste to affix the wallpaper to the shelf, pasting one side at a time. Cut slits into excess paper at ends, forming flaps; fold down, and affix with paste. Let dry completely, and hang shelves as usual.



Read more at Marthastewart.com: Wallpapered Shelves - Martha Stewart Home and Garden


Fantastic! I am now trying to find a window in my house to do this!!!!




Instead of spending the winter gazing through glass panes at frozen flower beds, transform a window into a mini-greenhouse where herbs, houseplants, and even little pots of grass will thrive. For best results, choose a large inset window that receives lots of light.

1. To determine the dimensions of the shelves, measure the depth and width of the window frame, and subtract 1/2 inch from the width.

2. Have a glazier cut a 1/2-inch-thick piece of glass to size for each shelf; for a more finished look, have the edges sanded. Using a level and a ruler for precision, make pencil marks where each shelf support should go, starting from the top of the window frame.

3. Make supports out of molding, available at hardware stores: Using a hand saw, cut two lengths of molding for each shelf (the molding length should equal the depth of the frame). Sand the ends smooth.

4. Drill three evenly spaced holes (just bigger than the head of a wood screw) in each support. Hold a support against the appropriate mark on the window frame, insert the bit of an electric drill through one of the holes, and drill a starter spot into the frame. Repeat for the other holes, then countersink screws so the heads don't show. Repeat for remaining supports. Fill holes with wood putty, sand smooth, and paint supports. Once paint dries, attach a felt dot or plastic glide to each support end, and set glass shelves in place.



Read more at Marthastewart.com: Greenhouse Window - Martha Stewart Crafts

Oganization Ideas

I need to get my life together, my goodness. I am so unorganized, its making me crazy.
I was on the Martha Stewart website and I found alot of really cool ideas. Pictures from her website, mine will follow as soon as I finish them.



Few bathrooms have enough places to hang towels. Stacking towel bars behind closed doors is a great way to remedy the shortage and use space efficiently. A flat or single-paneled door provides a crisp frame for three bars; furthermore, it's easier to affix them to a wooden door (as most are) than to a wallboard or a plaster wall. Hang the hardware according to package instructions, evenly spacing the bars along the length of the door.

----- I am thinking of doing my black and white floral print as the bigger towels, then deep red small towels layered over that!! It will be a pretty focal point when you stand in front of the mirror haha.



Bathroom Organizer
THIS IS A BRILLIANT IDEA. I have no room for anything in my tiny apt. but its so cute I will make anything work.



Combs, brushes, and toothpaste take up considerable space when laid horizontally on a shelf. Flat-backed, self-adhesive cups on the inside of the cabinet door hold them more efficiently. Before pressing the cups in place, line them up between the shelves. To ensure the door can close, put thin items on the shelves in the spots where the cups will take up some space.



Read more at Marthastewart.com: Easy Organizing Tips – Martha Stewart


CUBBYHOLE SHELVES
YES! The best idea ever, I dont know why I didnt think of this. Since my bathroom is black white and red, I am going to do the shelves black, add red towels and red decor... especially some really pretty decor accents from Hobby Lobby.




Keep bathroom items neat and accessible with cubbyhole shelves for large items and surgical jars for small toiletries and accessories. The jars, available at medical-supply stores, have easy-to-grab stainless-steel lids. Each of the shelves is made from five pieces of 3/4-inch-thick plywood. The top, bottom, and two sides are each 12 inches by 9 inches; the back is a 12-inch square. The top, bottom, and sides are mitered along the ends, glued together, and secured with 1 1/2-inch finishing nails. If carpentry isn't your cup of tea, you may want to avoid mitering. Instead, have the lumberyard cut the boards for the box's top and bottom to be 10 1/2 inches by 9 inches, and the sides 12 inches by 9 inches. Glue the ends of the bottom and top boards to the inside edges of the side boards, and secure with finishing nails. Glue on the back, and secure with more finishing nails. Sand, prime, and paint the wood. Screw the finished shelves right into the wall through the back (centering them on a stud), and cover the screws with paint.



Read more at Marthastewart.com: Bathroom Cubbyholes - Martha Stewart Home and Garden

I want to go to VEGAS for my Bday....

So, I have never been to Vegas... I want to go.... for my bday.... is that too much to ask lol. Bookit.com is the best website ever.

Here are some choices:


The Venetian: 444.00 per person;
Your booking includes over $150 in Resort Extras received upon check in! Extras include:
20% off Breakfast or Brunch provided by Morels
$30 off a bill of $60 or more provided by ZINE
$35 off 50-min Massage or Facial provided by Canyon Ranch SpaClub
Complimentary line pass and admission provided by LAVO Nightclub
2-for-1 well drinks provided by Salute Lounge

The Luxor; 399.00 per person
The Bellagio; 462.00 per person
The Cosmopolitian; Brand New Resort and Casino; 501.00 per person - Your stay at this NEW Hot Resort includes a FREE bottle of Wine (your choice of red, white or sparkling) PLUS a FREE $50 food credit to use at one of Cosmopolitan's HOT New Dining Establishments!



Palms Casio- WHICH IS WHERE I WANT TO STAY. 309.00 per person


Book at Palms Place and get UNLIMITED FREE club entry to the Playboy Club and Moon nightclub PLUS FREE Daily Spa admission to Drift Spa during your stay! (valid for up to 2 guests)