Simple Roast Beef

3 pounds chuck roast beef

3 tablespoons kosher salt

2 tablespoon fresh cracked pepper

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

Marinate the beef in salt, pepper overnight. Take the roast out 1 hour prior to cooking to bring to room temperature. Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

Sear the roast in the vegetable oil on a fry pan to get a nice browned outer crust.

Transfer the roast to a roasting pan and finish cooking in the oven for 2 hours. Leave roast in the oven for an additional 30 minutes with the oven turned off. Do not open the oven.

The roast will be perfectly done.

Sweet and Salty Chicken Drumsticks

Try this take on Chinese food. It is easy to prepare and healthy for you. Add some steam broccoli or snap peas on the side and you have a complete meal. Let me know what you think…

For the chicken:

¼ cup Hoisen sauce

¼ cup honey

2 tablespoon of soy sauce

3 large garlic cloves mined

1 tablespoon of ginger minced

12 chicken drumsticks

Toasted sesame seeds and spring onion for garnish ( about 2 tablespoons each). Score the chicken. Marinate the chicken over night in mixture of hoisen, honey, soy garlic and ginger mixture.

Preheat the broiler setting. Transfer chicken into a baking dish, lightly oiled. Cook until the chicken is done, about 15 minutes, rotating the chicken for even browning. Transfer chicken to a large platter.

For the rice:

Place Jasmine rice in a rice cooker and follow instructions on the package.

Snap Peas:

Steam 2 cups of snap peas in the steamer for 15 minutes or until tender but not over cooked.

Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Chicken Stew with Lentils

Want a nice warm dinner waiting for you when you get home that feels that you slaved all day in the kitchen? Be sure to try this out. It is my ultimate chicken stew with lentils.

2 lbs chicken drumstick

1 cup black or yellow lentils

2 cloves of garlic

2 onions finely chopped

1 can diced tomato

4 teaspoon red wine

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cups chicken stock

1 tsp dry thyme

Place all ingredients with the chicken on the top

Cook on low heat for 8 hours.

Serve with long grain Basmati rice.

Lamb with Port Wine Sauce

I am not too familiar with making lamb, but I came across a simple recipe and have loved this dish ever since. It provides a nice alternate to ham on Easter and is still festive. Try it out and let me know what you think…

Lamb with Port Wine Sauce

1 boneless leg of lamb trimmed and tied approx. 4 lbs

10 cloves of garlic cut into halves

4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, 2 more sprigs for garnish

1 cup port wine

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Cut ½ inch slits through the lamb and insert the halved garlic cloves. Tuck the rosemary sprigs through the twine used to tie the leg. Season well with salt and pepper. Place in a large freezer bag and then pour in the port wine. Seal well and place in refrigerator over night.

Remove the lamb from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 325F. Place lamb in shallow dish, and cook in the oven on the lower rack for 2 hours, basting with the marinate every 15 min.

Remove from the oven when the meat thermometer registers the following:

For rare 120 F

For medium rare 125 F

For medium 130 F

Place on cutting board and let stand for 15 minutes to redistribute the juices. Make the port wine sauce in the meanwhile (see recipe below). Carve into ¾ inch slices, arrange in a platter, and pour the port wine sauce. Garnish with 2 sprigs of rosemary.

Port Wine sauce:

1 cup port wine

½ cup heavy cream

3 tsp butter.

Scrap all the dripping in the shallow dish, deglazing the bottom of the hot pan with the wine, over high heat. Once you have lifted all the bits at the bottom of pan lower the heat to medium and add the cream and whisk. Let reduce by half over medium to low heat. Do not let the cream boil. Add the butter and melt into the sauce. Pour over the lamb. Serve immediately.

Veal in Marsala Wine Sauce

Veal Marsala

1 lb veal cutlets cut 1/4" thick
1/4 cup flour
salt and pepper
4 Tbsp butter
1 lb sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup beef stock
1/4 cup Marsala wine

Method:

Combine flour, salt and pepper. Coat veal slices lightly on both sides with flour mixture. Melt 2 Tbsp (30mL) butter in skillet over medium-high heat.

Cook veal slices 4 to 5 minutes until golden brown, turning once. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Add remaining butter to skillet and cook mushrooms to golden brown. Add beef stock, bring to boil and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.

Add Marsala wine and return meat and any accumulated juices to the pan. Reheat 1 to 2 minutes.

Try Thai for a change

Thai coconut shrimp curry and rice

Try Thai tonight for a change. Let me know what you think of this recipe.

½ Cup lite coconut milk

2 cloves garlic minced

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

1 tbsp fresh ginger minced

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp hoisen sauce

1 tbsp maple syrup

¾ cup Thai basil chopped finely

16 ounces of large shrimp

Place the reduced-fat coconut milk, minced garlic, lime juice, minced ginger, low-sodium soy sauce, maple syrup and Thai basil in a blender and puree until smooth.

Using two medium sized wooden skewers assemble small kabobs of shrimp. The amount of shrimp on each kabob will be determined by the size of shrimp that is used. For medium sized shrimp, there should be about 4 shrimp per kabob for a total of 8 kabobs.

Put the shrimp in the bottom of an oblong Pyrex dish and add the marinade. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours (overnight is best).

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a non-stick grill pan or skillet in the oven and let it heat for at least 10 minutes. When hot, add the marinated shrimp skewers. As they sear on one side, top the other with about half of the marinade.

The shrimp will grill fast and should be turned after about three minutes. Spread the remaining marinade over the top of the shrimp and grill for another 4 – 5 minutes.

Serve over Jasmine Rice with 2 tablespoons of Thai Peanut sauce.

Spicy Beef Liver

Do you care for Spicy Beef Liver? Well, I made one yesterday , It was delicious and I would like to share with you.

Ingredients

1 lbs beef liver cut into small cubes and soaked in plenty of water for 10 mins

1 medium onion chopped fine

4 cloves of garlic

½ tsp fresh ginger

1 heaped tbs of tomato paste

1 heaped tsp of coriander powder (available at supermarkets in the spices isle)

1 level tsp of garam masala (available at supermarkets in the Indian food isle)

1 tsp of salt

½ tsp of pepper

½ cup of fresh chopped flat leaf parsley

3 tsp of vegetable oil

Method

Heat oil over high heat in a large skillet and brown the onions till golden brown. Add garlic, and ginger and saute for 1 min lowering the heat to medium. Careful not to burn the garlic as it will turn bitter. Add the tomato paste , coriander powder and garam masala pepper and salt. And fry for one more minute till you smell the toasted spices.

Add the strained and pat dried liver pieces and raise the heat back to high. Stir well to incorporate all the spices through the meat. Let the meat cook in medium heat, stirring frequently, for twenty minutes till the meat is nicely fried.

Turn the heat of and add parsley leaves. Serve immediately with heated pita or Naan (Indian Flat bread) and raita… recipe follows.

Raita

½ cup full fat yogurt

¼ cup finely chopped cucumber

1 tsp of finely chopped onion

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together for a cool dipping sauce to accompany the spicy liver.

Pasta Carbonara - Italian Style

Pasta Carbonara

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed and chopped

5 slices of bacon, cut into strips

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 eggs

2/3 cup grated cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Fresh parsley

Spaghetti or linguine

Fresh ground pepper

Method

Heat the oil in a frying pan, over a medium heat. Add garlic and bacon, then cook for 3 minutes over a low heat. Drizzle with wine and cook for a further 2 or 3 minutes. Remove from heat and put to one side.

Beat eggs in a bowl, season, then add cheese, stir well. Pour over warm, strained pasta and stir briskly. Add pepper. Add the garlic and bacon, and then sprinkle with parmesan and parsley.

Feelin’ Crabby?

Feelin’ Crabby? Why not try Maryland’s own Crab Soup. That is what’s for dinner. It is not expensive and is a great way to stretch a meal. It is great as an appetizer or the main course. It cooks in less than 20 minutes.

Ingredients

1 small onion, finely chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1 half green pepper, finely chopped
6 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 cups crabmeat (canned or fresh)
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
3 tablespoons dry sherry
Splash of Tabasco sauce
Chopped parsley for garnish

White Sauce Preparation

1. In a medium sauce pan melt 2 tablespoons of the butter on medium-low heat.
2. Add the flour, and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or whisk to remove any lumps to make a roux.
3. Cook the butter and flour mixture for a minute or so to cook out the floury taste.
4. Remove the mixture from the heat, and begin to add the milk a bit at a time. Whisk well to remove lumps. Strain if necessary.
5. After all the milk has been added; return the sauce to the heat. Gently heat the sauce, stirring occasionally.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep on low heat while you prepare the rest of the soup.

Crab Soup Recipe Preparation

1. In soup pot, melt remaining butter on medium low heat.
2. Add onion, green onion and green pepper. Sprinkle with salt. Cook until onions are soft.
3. Add crab meat, cook for a few minutes to warm the crab meat through.
4. Pour in the white sauce, stir everything together.
5. Add cream. Gently heat the soup until it is hot, steering frequently to prevent burning on the bottom of the pot.
6. Add Tabasco, sherry, and serve garnished with parsley.Serve with crusty bread and salad. Enjoy!

Chicken Au Gratin for Easy Dinner

What’s cooking tonight? Chicken Au Gratin.
Here is what you need for this quick semi-home meal.

2 cups boiling water

1/2 cup milk

1 pkg. (10.23 oz.) Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes

2 cups fresh broccoli florets

5 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/4 lb.)

Make It

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine boiling water, milk, Seasoned Potatoes and broccoli in 13x9-inch baking dish; top with chicken. Reserve Cheese Sauce for later use.

Bake 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
Remove chicken from baking dish; cover to keep warm.
Stir Cheese Sauce into potato mixture; top with chicken.

Serve with as nice side salad and fresh fruits for dessert.

Enjoy!

Egg Fritfata for Dinner

In this economy eggs make a great source of protein, and can be made into various entrees as well. Here is my favorite. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know if there are variations or other egg recipes that you like.

Ingredients:

1 12 ounce box egg fettuccine pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon grated or ground nutmeg,

Salt and black pepper

1/4 cup chopped parsley

12 extra large eggs, beaten

2 to 3 Ham Steaks, pan seared for 1-2 min on each side.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Add pasta and cook 6 minutes -- to a chewy al dente. Pasta will continue to cook in frittata. Drain and reserve.

Heat a large nonstick skillet with oven safe handle over medium high heat. If all of your skillets have rubber handles, cover handle tightly in foil to protect it. Add oil and butter and melt together. Add cream and reduce for about 3 minutes. Add cheese and nutmeg, salt and pepper. Toss sauce with cooked pasta to coat.

Add parsley and beaten eggs to the skillet and stir gently to combine. Allow the eggs to set up on the bottom of the pan and become firm. Transfer pan to hot oven and bake 10 minutes, until golden. Serve from the pan or transfer to a platter. Serve hot or cold, cutting frittata into wedges and serve with Ham Steaks.

Georgia - "The Cradle of Wine"

Share the passion and beauty of wine from the country of Georgia with the rest of the world. The first historical evidence of wine making is found in Georgia, which is why it is known as "The Cradle of Wine." Here is my favorite one from Teliani Valley.

For those who are more interested testing it, you can visit here.

Fallow my other post to get more details about many other Georgian types of grapes.

Healthy Dinner - Baked Tilapia

Today is going to be an easy fish dinner. My choice is Tilapia, which takes a few minutes to prepare, uses few ingredients, and is flavorful. It is so easy that you do not have to even thaw the fish. Enjoy this meal with salad and fresh French bread. Tilapia is a healthy choice for a low carb diet.

Baked Fish Tilapia with cheese.

1 lb. frozen haddock fillets (Do not thaw.)

2 Tbsp. Zesty Italian Dressing

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Heat oven to 450°F. Place fish in 13x9-inch baking dish; drizzle with dressing.

Bake 25 min.; top with mushrooms and cheese. Bake 5 min. or until cheese is melted and fish flakes easily with fork.

Top off with parsley.

Serve with a nice tomato salad.

Another Georgian Delight - Khinkali

Khinkali is the Georgian version of dumplings or Ravioli. They are filled with meat and spices and boiled in large pot of salted water. The Meat can be substituted with lamb for filling.

For the dough:

4 cups of flour
1 1/2 cups of water
1/2 teaspoon of salt

For the filling:

Mix of 2lbs ground beef and pork
4 peeled and ground onions
1 cup of freshly chopped cilantro
1 cup of freshly chopped parsley
1 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of ground red hot pepper
1 cup of water
1 teaspoon of caraway
Salt to taste

Preparation:

Start with mixing the ground meat, onions and herbs. Stir in the spices into the meat mixture, add cup of water, salt and mix it thoroughly. Set aside.

One trick making khinkali is to mix flour with warm water. Pour the flour into a basin, sprinkle it with salt, add water and make the dough. Flour the board and roll the dough out not too thin. Cut circles with a help of a glass with 6-8 inches of diameter. Roll each circle out and place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each round. Fold up and wrinkle the edges of the dough like dumplings.

Place them in salted boiling water for 10 to 15 minutes.

Khinkali are served hot, with no garnish other that coarsely ground black pepper. And there is an art in eating them…

Leftovers

No worries for leftovers, since they are better the next day, just fry khinkali in butter with yogurt and enjoy it for breakfast.

Dinner with an Asian influence

Today I feel like dinner with an Asian influence. My crab rangoons and stir fried beef and vegetables are the perfect and easy. For the stir fry, my son loves Broccoli so this is great. If you are not a fan of broccoli then shredded carrots, green beans or bell peppers and onions make great substitute. Remember not to cook the beef too long as the flank steak tends to get tough and chewy. Enjoy!

Crab Rangoon

1 pkg. of wonton wrappers.

¼ cup cream cheese

¼ cup crab meat drained and flaked

¼ teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce.

¼ clove of garlic paste Oil to fry

Mix crab meat, cream cheese, Worcestershire sauce, garlic paste in a bowl. Place a small amount on the center of the wonton wrapper fold over into a triangle, and seal the edges with egg white. Place in a plate covered with a wet kitchen cloth as they tend to dry out. When ready heat oil and fry till golden brown.

Stir Fried Orange Ginger Beef

3/4 pound beef flank steak, cut into strips

2 teaspoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons orange marmalade

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 (10 ounce) package frozen broccoli florets, thawed

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 cups hot cooked rice

1/4 cup roasted peanuts

Place steak strips in medium bowl. Sprinkle with cornstarch; toss to coat. Add marmalade and ginger; stir until well blended.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add steak mixture; stir-fry 4 to 5 minutes or until steak is cooked through. Reduce heat to medium-low.

Add broccoli, water chestnuts and soy sauce; mix well. Cover; simmer 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently.

Serve over rice; sprinkle with peanuts.

Georgian Savory Cheese bread - Khachapuri Recipe

Georgian cheese bread, Khachapuri (Khacho-Cottage cheese, Puri-Bread) is one of the most delightful of all Caucasian specialties. It is made in different shapes and sizes. It varies region to region, but my favorite one is Imeruli Khachapuri, which typically made in most parts of Georgia. Although Georgians are not accustomed to eating out frequently, every little town or village have tiny cafes hot and fresh khachapuri is served everyday.

Ingredients:

2 ½ Cups of self raising flour.

¾ teaspoon of salt.

1 large egg

½ cup full fat plain yogurt.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil.

2 tablespoons of butter.

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl, and make a well in the middle. Pour in the egg, oil, and yogurt and stir into the flour, to make a soft dough. Transfer the dough to a floured board and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball, cover with a linen or cotton (not terry cloth) kitchen towel, and let stand for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Divide the dough into four equal parts. Butter two baking sheets.

On a floured surface, roll out one of the balls to an 1/8-inch-thick square.

Brush the dough with some of the melted butter. Dip your fingers in melted butter and pull the edges of the dough in different directions, stretching it evenly until it is almost transparently thin. Don't worry if the dough tears, as you will be folding it up. With a sharp knife, trim the edges of the dough to form an even square. Fold the square in half, brush the surface generously with melted butter, and fold in half again crosswise, to form a smaller square. It should be approximately 6 to 7 inches. If it isn't, pull it out slightly to fit the dimensions.

Brush the square with butter. Shape one-fourth of the filling into a ball and place in the center of the square. Fold in the corners of the square like an envelope. With your palm, flatten the pie so it is about 1 inch thick. Brush the top with melted butter, and carefully transfer to a prepared baking sheet.

Repeat the procedure with the rest of the dough and filling.

Bake the pies in the middle of the oven until golden brown; about 35 minutes. Serve warm.

Cheese Filling

10 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated

8 ounces feta cheese, preferably Bulgarian, crumbled

2 tablespoon unsalted butter cut into small pieces

1 large egg

Salt, to taste .

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the salt and mix well.

Season with salt, if necessary.

Makes 4 pies, to serve 8

Two Quick Meals - Bruchetta and Shrimp Linguini

Today I am going to try a quick meal as I really do not feel the mood to be in the kitchen long. As an appetizer, I am going to make some . I have some day old French bread in the fridge. I am going to do Shrimp Linguini for the main course. And for dessert I am doing Marshmallow fondue. The total cooking time should be less that 20 min. Enjoy!

Bruschetta:
4-5 slices of day old crusty bread.
1 clove of garlic.
Olive oil to drizzle.
1 fresh tomato
2 slices of havarti cheese.
Toast the slices of bread drizzled with olive oil in a preheated oven at 350. Once the slices are toasted about 4-5 min, cut the garlic in half and run on to the hot toasts. Top with slices of tomato and havarti cheese. Place back in the oven till the cheese melts and is bubbly.


Shrimp Linguini:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound extra-large shrimp, peeled, divined
3/4 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup Fat Free Sour Cream
2 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled
4 ounces refrigerated linguine, cooked, drained

Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat.
Add shrimp; cook 3 to 5 min. or until shrimp turn pink.
Do not over cook or the shrimp will be tough.
Reduce heat to low; stir in sauce, peas, sour cream and bacon.
Cook until heated through, stirring frequently.
Add hot pasta; toss to coat.
Marshmallow Fondue:
10 1/2 ounces milk chocolate, finely chopped
10 1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
48 marshmallows

In a double boiler or a pot on top of a pan with water melt the chocolate, and the cream.
Transfer to a microwavable dish for easy reheating, and serve with marshmallows that have been skewered.

Keeping with the St Patrick’s theme recipe

Today I am trying the following recipe for dinner. It should take about 40 min and sounds like a hearty meal that should be comforting as well as filling. Try it out and let me know what you think. Include any variations that you suggest… Easy Sheppard’s Pie 1 lb. ground beef 2 cups hot mashed potatoes 4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, cubed 1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese, divided 2 cloves garlic, minced 4 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed 1 cup beef gravy.

1. Preheat oven to 375ºF. Brown meat in large skillet about 10 min. Drain excess fat.

2. Mix potatoes, cream cheese, 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese and the garlic until well blended.

3. Stir in the vegetables and gravy into the browned meat.

4. Spread evenly onto 9-inch square baking dish.

5. Layer the top with potato mixture.

6. Top off with remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Bake for 20 min. or until

7. heated through and top is golden brown.

Makes 6 servings.

The brilliance of Georgian cuisine is backed up by famous white and red wines

Republic of Georgia is a country to the east of the Black Sea, most of which is located in the South Caucasus, while a portion of the territory lies in the North Caucasus. Georgia is an amazing cluster of cultures, religions, fascinating landscapes and ancient history.

According to the legend, "When God was distributing portions of the world to all the people of the Earth, the Georgians were having a party and doing some serious drinking. As a result, they arrived late and were told by God that all the land had been distributed. When they replied that they were late only because they had been lifting their glasses in praise of Him, God was pleased, and gave the Georgians that part of Earth He had been reserving for Himself."

Georgian cuisine uses well familiar products but due to varying proportions of its obligatory ingredients such as walnut, aromatic herbs, garlic, vinegar, red pepper, pomegranate grains, barberries and other spices combined with the traditional secrets of the chef 's art the common products do acquire a special taste and aroma, which make Georgian cuisine very popular and unique.

Winemaking

The brilliance of Georgia cuisine is backed up by famous white and red dry wines. Survived historical monuments of Georgia's tangible culture as well as number of records confirm that the winemaking growth level was rather high in Georgia far before Christ (B.C) and, that the wine was exported from Georgia to Europe.

Among which anyone choose wine to one's own taste: "Mukhuzani" with a pleasant bitter taste, golden cool "Tetra" light straw-coloured "Tsinandali" with a crystal sourish touch, dark amber-coloured slightly astrigent "Teliani", rubycoloured "Ojaleshi" with a mildly sweet, emerald-like sparkling "Manavi", garnet-red honey-tasting "Kindzmarauli", and dark ruby-coloured velvety "Khvanchkara", light-green "Gurjaani" dark golden fruity "Tibaani" and many others. If to Georgian wines you add best-brand cognacs, champagne, not to mention remarkable mineral waters and fruit drinks, you can fancy what pleasure Georgian cuisine will to you.

According to quality:
Table wines;
Vintage wines;
Collection wines;

According to types:
Dry wines;
Naturally semidry and semisweet wines;
Semidry and semisweet wines;
Sparkling and carbonated wines;
Special wines;
Flavored wines;

According to color:
White wines;
Pink wines;
Red wines;

St. Patrick’s Day drink

Let’s start with an event coming up St. Patrick’s Day.

On St. Patrick’s Day drink is just as important as food, if not more. So let us raise our glass and toast to good health. Beer and Irish whiskey would be your average no brainer drinks. Here is an awesome twist to your basic beer can that you can dish out to your friends this St. Patrick Day. It called Black and Tan and basically it is a pale ale poured into a glass and then a stout poured on top, slowly drizzling down the concave side of a spoon so as to not to mix the color. Let the stout settle a bit. Raise your glass and drink it up.

Hit me with more drink recipe if you have some and maybe some fun appetizer menu to serve up.

Welcome to Online Cooking Blog

Welcome to my blog!
Complete cooking and recipe resource offering food tips, meal ideas, recipes, and cooking advice, drinks, entertaining tips and more.

More about me…

I love to blog about cooking tips and what to cook for dinner ideas. As most working moms I stare at the refrigerator at 5.30 PM trying to figure out what I am going to serve my family for dinner in the next 40 minutes. I am in no way a professional chef but have learned out of trial and error. I interested in foods from different parts of the world to the table.


If you have questions please feel free to email me here.