Cardamom-Ginger Gelato

Again, it has been a while. Lately I have taken a turn towards a wider variety of food in the kitchen, including pickling, Kombucha, and here, perhaps the best of all - ice cream! I got an ice cream maker a month or so back, and have been experimenting. Here is the latest of my experiments with this wonderful machine:

Cardamom-Ginger Gelato (makes roughly 2 pints)

3 ½ cups whole milk

1 ½ cups heavy cream

6 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

2-3 tablespoons ground cardamom

4 large chunks crystalized ginger, chopped into small pieces

1.    Divide milk into two halves, and heat each half on medium heat in separate small and medium saucepans, stirring regularly.
2.    To milk in small saucepan, add cardamom. To milk in medium saucepan, add ½ cup heavy cream.
3.    In medium bowl, combine sugar and egg yolks and whisk until pale yellow mixture forms.
4.    Slowly add warm milk from medium saucepan to egg mixture, stirring constantly to form a thin custard.
5.    Return custard to medium saucepan on medium heat, and stir in milk-cardamom mixture. Heat to 180 degrees, then return to mixing bowl, cover, and refrigerate for at least 5 hours.
6.       Slowly transfer mixture to ice cream maker. Run for 15 minutes, then gradually add ginger chunks, and continue to run ice cream maker for approximately 5 minutes until near desired consistency. Transfer to containers for freezer storage, or serve immediately.

Garlic Shrimp and Spicy Cheesy Grits

It's been so long since my last post, it's time to finally make my way back onto here with what is perhaps the best dish I make. I first discovered "shrimp and grits" in Savannah, GA, and was hooked! There are several different sauce bases, but I have always been a fan of the classic butter sauce. Here is my twist on the recipe, adding both cheese and a bit of heat to the Southern classic:

Spicy Cheesy Grits (serves 2)

2 cups half and half (or milk)
1/2 cup grits
6 ounces cheddar cheese, cubed
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to spice preference)

(May follow package instructions)
1. In medium saucepan, heat 2 cups half and half to a gentle boil.
2. Slowly stir in grits with wire whisk until smooth.
3. Reduce to low heat, cover, and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Uncover and gradually add cheese cubes and cayenne pepper, stirring rigorously until cheese is melted.
5. Heat to desired consistency (I prefer my grits slightly thickened), and cover until ready to serve.


Garlic Shrimp

15 large, raw tail-on shrimp
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon butter
3-4 cloves garlic, finely diced
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
1 teaspoon lemon juice

1. While cooking grits, melt butter and oil in skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and saute 3-5 minutes.
2. Stir in shrimp and lemon juice. Saute shrimp until pink throughout.
3. Serve grits in shallow bowl or on plate. Pour shrimp mixture over grits.

Spicy BBQ Chicken Pizza

So I was just looking through my old posts, and found it bizarre that I had yet to post any of my pizzas. Through the years, pizza, homemade right down to the crust, has become my penultimate specialty of sorts. So finally, here to fill the void, is my personal favorite among the pizzas that I make - Spicy BBQ Chicken Pizza...

Pizza Dough

14in pizza pan
2 1/2 cups flour
1 packet rapid-rise or pizza yeast
1 cup very warm water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons cornmeal
~2/3 tablespoon parsley
~1/2 tablespoon oregano
~8oz low-moisture mozzarella, for topping

1. On large, flat, clean surface, spread thin layer of flour. Lightly oil pizza pan and set aside.
2. In large mixing bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, yeast, cornmeal, parsley, and oregano.
3. Stir in olive oil and warm water. Knead dough by hands, adding small amounts of additional flour as needed, until dough is thick and elastic and no longer as sticky (roughly 5 minutes). Form dough into ball, place on floured surface and cover. Allow to rise for 8-10 minutes.
4. Using rolling pin or lightly floured wine bottle, roll dough to size of pan. Spread hands wide and flat to transport dough from table to pan.
5. Top as desired, with initial layer of tomato sauce (substitute Famous Dave's Devil Spit BBQ Sauce if making Spicy BBQ Chicken Pizza), 2nd layer of mozzarella and slight sprinkling of mozzarella above desired toppings (see below for Spicy BBQ Chicken recipe). Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned.


Spicy BBQ Chicken Topping

2 medium-large chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 sweet vidalia onion, coarsely chopped
~1/2 bottle Famous Dave's Devil Spit BBQ Sauce

1. In medium lightly-oiled skillet, cook chicken and onion 4-5 minutes.
2. Add Famous Dave's BBQ sauce and continue to cook another 6-8 minutes until chicken is cooked through and sauce begins to thicken.
3. Remove from heat and spread evenly over mozzarella layer on pizza. Top with slight sprinkling of mozzarella, then cook as above.

Pesto Pepper Tortellini

I haven't made this one in a while, but for quite some time it was a staple in my kitchen - in part because of how easy it is to make, and in part because of how tasty and creamy it is. This dish can easily be prepared in less than 20 minutes and will have everyone coming back for seconds...

Pesto Pepper Tortellini

1 package tortellini (19oz) (I prefer mushroom- or sausage-filled)
1/2 red bell pepper, julienned
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup ground walnuts
2 tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup butter

1. Boil tortellini according to package instructions.
2. In medium skillet, melt butter, then saute bell pepper and garlic until tender.
3. Stir heavy cream into skillet, and cook 8-10 minutes until sauce is slightly thickened.
4. Add walnuts, basil, parsley and drained tortellini. Stir well and cook 1-2 minute more, then remove from heat and serve warm.

Pork Dumplings

Everyone loves dumplings, so over the past few years I've finally managed to find a good recipe and periodically make them in bulk. It obviously takes a bit longer than ordering, but these freeze wonderfully and can be steamed/fried months in the future, plus the validation of having made them yourself makes them twice as delicious!

Pork Dumplings

~50 dumpling wrappers
1 1/2 lbs ground pork
4-5 cups cabbage, finely shredded
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
6 cloves fresh garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chives, thinly sliced
1 egg, beaten
4 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil

1. In mixing bowl, combine pork, cabbage, ginger, garlic, chives, egg, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix well.
2.  In preparation for making dumplings, pour very thin layer of flour over clean flat surface. To the side, fill small bowl with water.
3. Atop layer of flour, place heaping tablespoon of filling in center of wrapper. To form dumpling, dip fingers in water bowl and wet edges of wrappers. Pinch together edges to form semicircle, fold edges over, and pinch tight. Repeat until wrappers or filling are all used.
4. To cook, steam for 10-15 minutes. If frying, steam first, then in thin layer of cooking oil, fry an additional 5 minutes.
5. To freeze, brush uncooked dumplings with very thin layer of flour then arrange in freezer-safe container. To heat frozen dumplings, add 5 minutes to above steaming time.

Pumpkin Gnocchi and Mushrooms in Sage Butter Sauce

This week I saw pumpkin gnocchi on the shelf at Wegman's, and with no recipe in mind I just couldn't resist. Throwing a few things together in the kitchen, and making some homemade garlic bread on the side, the product certainly did not disappoint...

Pumpkin Gnocchi and Mushrooms in Sage Butter Sauce

1 package pumpkin gnocchi
1/2 cup small mushrooms
1/4 cup pepperoni, sliced into thin slivers
4 tablespoons butter, or butter alternative
2 teaspoons sage
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Cook pumpkin gnocchi as recommended (usually 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes in boiling water). Do not overcook! Drain.
2. While cooking gnocchi, melt butter on low heat in medium skillet or wok.
3. Add all remaining ingredients and saute 3-5 minutes until lightly browned.
4. To butter mixture, add gnocchi. Gently mix gnocchi thoroughly into butter sauce. Serve warm.

Ham w Lingonberry Sauce

This is another strikingly simple one. The hard part (unless you happen to be in Norway) is finding the fresh lingonberries...

Ham w Lingonberry Sauce (serves 2)

~1 lb ham steak
1 cup fresh lingonberries
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup water

1. Combine lingonberries and water in small saucepan and bring to simmer.
2. Slowly mix sugar into lingonberries.
3. Continue to simmer 5-10 minutes until sauce thickens and becomes slightly syrupy.
4. Cut ham steak(s) into roughly 1/2 lb portions. Heat directly on skillet 4-5 minutes on each side until thoroughly cooked.
5. Top ham steaks with lingonberry sauce and serve warm.

Chicken Tacos w Mango-Avocado Salsa

Here's a meal I made a few weeks ago that is quite simple, but fresh and delicious. The cool island salsa mixes well with mild, warmly spiced chicken...

Chicken Tacos (serves 4)

3 chicken breasts, sliced into 1-inch strips
~1 teaspoon cumin
~1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon parsley
1-2 dashes cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper
4 large tortillas

1. In medium bowl, thoroughly rub chicken breasts with spices until evenly coated.

2. Cook chicken thoroughly in greased skillet.
3. Warm tortillas less than 1 minute on separate skillet, or in microwave.
4. Serve with salsa, below.


Mango-Avocado Salsa

1 large mango, sliced into cubes
1 avocado, pitted and cubed
1-2 small vine tomatoes, cubed
1/4 small onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
1-2 tablespoons honey or agave nectar
2 teaspoons lime juice

1. Gently mix all ingredients together in large bowl. Serve cool.

Breaded Eggplant w Mozzarella, Roasted Red Pepper, Lettuce and Balsamic on Ciabatta

I am posting this one by special request. This is a specialty sandwich made at the deli, Mi Amore, in Somerset, NJ. The balsamic eggplant is not only healthy, but has an incredible punch of flavor.

Breaded Eggplant w Mozzarella, Roasted Red Pepper, Lettuce and Balsamic on Ciabatta (serves 4)

1 small purple eggplant, peeled and sliced extra thin
2-3 eggs
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
2 pinches black pepper
1 dash paprika
4 loaves ciabatta bread
1 loaf fresh mozzarella, sliced thin
1 bottle roasted red peppers
several slices fresh lettuce
balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In small bowl, lightly beat eggs. In second small bowl, mix breadcrumbs, black pepper, and paprika.
2. One by one, dip eggplant slices in eggs then dip into breadcrumb mixture, coating thoroughly on both sides. Place battered eggplant slices on pizza pan or baking pan. Cook roughly 5 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Take care not to burn. When done, remove from heat and allow to cool 1-2 minutes.
3. On sliced ciabatta, pour small amount of balsamic vinegar on bottom slice of bread. Add 2-3 slices eggplant and douse eggplant in balsamic vinegar. Top with mozzarella, roasted red peppers, and lettuce.

Thai Peanut Chicken

I haven't had much of a chance to post new dishes lately due to my schedule over the past couple weeks, but here is a classic of mine, slightly altered due to lack of ingredients (usually it is with cashews, which makes it even better!). This is easily among my simplest dishes. Not including defrosting the chicken, it should only take about 10 minutes total between prep and cook time.

Thai Peanut Chicken (serves 2)

2 chicken breasts, cut into thin chunks
1/4 red bell pepper, julienned
1/3 cup roasted peanuts (cashews preferable, if available)
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon oil

1. Add oil to skillet. Combine chicken, garlic, sugar, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sesame oil in warming skillet and mix well.
2. Adjust to high heat, stirring occasionally until liquid reduces to a thin glaze (roughly 5 minutes).
3. Add peanuts (or cashews) and bell pepper. Continue to cook 1 more minute.
4. Remove from heat. Serve plain or with rice.