Chicken and Herbed Dumplings

Ahhhhh, there's nothing like homemade comfort food. Before I was married, comfort food to me consisted of Korean-rooted dishes like kimchee soup and rice porridge. Since then, I've broadened my taste buds and found that there's a whole other world of homey and soothing foods out there. I love this recipe because you can taste the time and effort you put into making this soup.  

** = My comments and suggestions





Chicken and Herbed Dumplings
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse



Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 45 min
Level: Intermediate
Serves: 4 to 6 servings.



Ingredients

For the broth:

•1 large roasting chicken, about 5 pounds, back removed and cut into 8 pieces
•2 sweet onions, such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, coarsely chopped
•6 cups low sodium chicken broth
•2 bay leaves
•1 1/2 teaspoons salt

For the dumplings:

•2 cups all-purpose flour
•1/3 cup minced fresh soft herbs, such as parsley, tarragon, and green onion tops
•4 teaspoons baking powder
•1 teaspoon salt
•3 tablespoons butter
•1 cup plus 3 tablespoons milk

For the sauce:

•7 tablespoons butter
•10 tablespoons all-purpose flour
•1/4 cup dry white wine
•2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
•1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
•3 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces on the diagonal
•4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces on the diagonal
•1 large onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
•1/4 cup heavy cream or milk
•1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
•Salt and freshly ground black pepper
•3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Cut chicken backs, necks and wing tips into 1-inch pieces. In a large pot, combine the chicken pieces, onions, chicken broth or water, bay leaves and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until the chicken is tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the chicken pieces and set aside. Discard the chicken backs, necks, and wing tips. When the chicken pieces have cooled, remove the meat from the bones in chunks and set aside. Discard the skin and bones. Strain the broth and discard solids. Using a spoon, skim the fat from the surface of the broth and discard fat. Set broth aside.



Prepare the dumplings: In a medium bowl, mix the flour, herbs, baking powder, and salt together. In a small saucepan over low heat, bring the butter and milk to a simmer. Add the butter and milk mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring with a fork until the mixture just comes together. Drop batter by spoonfuls onto a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until ready to use.


** I really love what the fresh herbs do for the dumplings. Gives them some kick.

In a Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, until golden-brown, 3 to 4 minutes. When golden brown, whisk in the wine, reserved chicken broth, Essence, and thyme. Cook until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes, then add the celery, carrots, and onion. Cook until the vegetables are tender-crisp, about 15 minutes. Add the reserved chicken meat, heavy cream or milk, and peas. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.


** If you're fortunate enough to own a cast iron dutch oven, I would highly recommend using it instead of a stockpot. I don't have a dutch oven and because of the inferior heat distribution, there was a burnt layer at the bottom of the soup...yuck. I want one ASAP but they cost $250-$350! CRAZY!

Place the dumplings on top of the chicken mixture. Cover and simmer until the dumplings are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve in large soup bowls, garnished with the parsley.

**The last step. Looks like a bunch of soccer balls floating in your soup. Try to cook them sitting on top of the soup. I noticed that the sunken ones took longer to cook through.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Yield: 2/3 cup

Print this recipe at:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/chicken-and-herbed-dumplings-recipe/index.html

Pan-fried Trout with Lemon & Garlic Green Beans

I love these recipes! I love to prepare this meal when I need a break from chicken or beef. Pan-searing the fish creates a nice yummy crust and the tartness from the fried capers compliment it perfectly. I prefer some crunch with my food, so I love these green beans as a side dish.

I want to say a special thanks to my sister, Carol, who took much nicer pictures with her much nicer camera in exchange for a sample of the fare. The pictures are beautiful!

** = My comments and suggestions


*************************************************************
Pan Fried Fish
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

Prep Time:15 min
Cook Time:15 min
Serves:2 servings


Ingredients:

•1 large or two small skin-on fish fillets, about 8 ounces (rainbow trout, small salmon, brown trout)
•Kosher salt
•Ground black pepper
•Flour for dredging
•2 tablespoon Canola oil
•3 tablespoons butter
•1 tablespoons capers, drained
•1 lemon, juiced


** Rainbow trout, rinsed capers, and fresh lemon juice.

Directions
Heat a heavy pan over medium high heat.

Season fish on meat side with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge fish in flour and shake off excess. When pan is good and hot, add Canola oil followed immediately by 1 tablespoon butter. As soon as foaming subsides, place fish in pan with the skin side down. Jiggle pan for the first 10 seconds to keep the fish from sticking. Cook until golden crust forms on meat. Carefully turn fish away from you and again jiggle pan for the first few seconds. Cook until skin turns golden brown. Remove to a warm plate.

Pour out the cooking fat, add remaining butter and quickly fry the capers.

Remove pan from the heat, add lemon juice to pan and swirl. Pour sauce over the fish and serve.

** Even if you're not a big fan of capers, I implore you to try it anyway. It needs the tangyness to balance out this meaty type of fish. My husband isn't a huge fan of capers, but he likes them in this dish.

********************************************************************

Green Beans with Lemon and Garlic

Recipe courtesy The Neelys

Prep Time:5 min
Cook Time:12 min
Level: Easy
Serves:6 servings

Ingredients

•2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed
•1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
•3 tablespoons butter
•2 large garlic cloves, minced
•1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
•1 tablespoon lemon zest
•Salt and freshly ground black pepper


Directions:

Blanch green beans in a large stock pot of well salted boiling water until bright green in color and tender crisp, roughly 2 minutes. Drain and shock in a bowl of ice water to stop from cooking.

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and the butter. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the beans and continue to saute until coated in the butter and heated through, about 5 minutes. Add lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.

** I substituted lemon juice for lemon zest because I was afraid zest would make them too bitter.

** Crunchy and so flavorful! They're like crack green beans!

Print these recipes at :
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/good-eats/pan-fried-fish-recipe/index.html
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/neelys/green-beans-with-lemon-and-garlic-recipe/index.html

These are a few of my fa-vo-rite things...

Too Faced Teddy Bear Hair Professional brush set
I guarantee these are the softest brushes that will ever touch your face! Plus, they're made from synthetic fibers instead of animal hair so they're hypo-allergenic. I have a problem with most brushes because my skin is super sensitive and the animal hair makes me breakout. Not to mention they're so pretty! They feel good...and look good!









Ben Nye's Final Seal makeup sealer
I got so sick of my eye makeup always fading or sliding off by the end of the day. I found this product on a makeup artist forum. It's unbelievable. I even spritzed this on my face after I got my makeup done on my wedding day and my makeup didn't even budge! It survived all of my crying and sweating! Now I use it almost every day just so I don't have to worry about touching up, reapplying, or fixing my face throughout the day. Tip: Make sure you only spray in small doses and layer if desired. After spraying, make sure to blot your face or else there will be visible dried droplets on your face.

Jane Iredale Amazing Base Foundation
I stumbled upon this product on a Rosacea forum. I have many tiny red blotches and broken capillaries all over my cheeks that can't be covered by Bare Escentuals mineral foundation. This foundation does a better job at covering MOST of the redness and isn't as drying as Bare Escentuals. Everyone who's tried it, switched to Jane Iredale. Never thought I'd say this but I'm never going back to Bare Escentuals!

Japonesque Artisan Slant tip Tweezers in light pink
These are the greatest tweezers ever! I've always been a Tweezerman girl but once I saw the raving reviews on this pair, I had to try them out. They outperformed my Tweezermans!! And they're pink!!!!

DivaCup menstrual cup
Now for an indelicate subject...periods! When I first heard about the DivaCup, I was a little disturbed, to say the least. A Period CUP??? I couldn't get passed how gross the emptying process, cleaning, and handling would be. At the same time, I was searching for an alternative due to my extremely heavy flows. Dealing with tampons and pads was getting costly and cumbersome, especially since my periods are 10 days long. I saw how outstanding the reviews were on this product so I decided to give it a try. At first, it's really awkward to get used to. But once you learn to insert it properly, it's even more comfortable than tampons. You'll love this product! The cleanup is easy, you save money, you're helping the environment by creating less waste, and you can leave it in for 12 hours at a time without the risk of Toxic Shock Syndrome! Definitely one of my favorite products ever!

Loreal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara I'm a mascara junkie. I'm constantly trying different brands to plump up my short, sparse lashes. I've tried many different drugstore brands, as well as expensive brands such as Chanel, Christian Dior, Lancome, and Estee Lauder. Everytime I venture out to a new expensive brand, I always end up going back to Voluminous. I love how it lengthens, thickens, doesn't smudge and it stays put until you take it off with makeup remover. Trick I learned from a friend: Bend the applicator brush into a curve, it helps you apply the mascara more evenly.

Steak Fajitas

This is the first time I attempted Mexican. With restaurants like La Capilla, Diana's, El Burrito Jr. and Burrito Factory locally accessible, I always left it to the professionals. But I've been having so much fun trying out new recipes and expanding my culinary repertoire that I decided to give Tyler Florence's highly rated recipe a try. Btw, you'll notice that I never cook/ buy anything that doesn't have good reviews.

** = My comments and suggestions

*******************************************************************
Fajitas
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

Prep Time:50 min
Inactive Prep Time: 2 hr
Cook Time: 20 min
Level: Intermediate
Serves: 6 to 8 servings.

Ingredients :
Marinade (Mojo):
•1 orange, juiced
•2 limes, juiced
•4 tablespoons olive oil
•2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
•3 chipolte chiles, in adobo sauce
•3 tablespoon roughly chopped fresh cilantro leaves
•1 teaspoon ground cumin
•1 teaspoon salt

•2 1/4 pounds skirt or flank steak, trimmed of fat cut into thirds or 8-inch pieces
•Salt and pepper
•2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
•1 large onion, thinly sliced
•Lime juice, olive oil, optional
•12 flour tortillas, warm
•Guacamole, recipe follows
•Good quality store bought salsa

Directions
In a small 2 cup measuring cup, or something similar size and shape, combine all the marinade ingredients. Using an immersion blender, puree the marinade until smooth. Transfer to a re-sealable plastic bag and add the steak, seal and shake to coat. Refrigerate the beef for 2 to 4 hours to tenderize and flavor the beef.

**I marinated my steaks for 7 hrs to make them extra flavorful.
Preheat a ridged grill pan on high heat.

Drain the marinade from the beef. Lightly oil the grill or grill pan. Season liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Grill the steak over medium-high heat and cook for 4 minutes on each side and then transfer to a cutting board and let rest. Depending on the size of your grill pan you may need to cook in batches.

**Ohhh the sizzle!! The sound...the smell...heavenly.

Once the beef is off the grill pan and resting, add the bell peppers and onions tossed with lime juice and olive oil, if using. Grill the mixture for 7 to 8 minutes until the vegetables are just barely limp.

**I love that this recipe calls for red bell pepper instead of green since they're sweeter. The recipe says tossing with olive oil and lime juice is optional but i think it definitely needs it.

**Slice them as thinly as possible so they can cook faster

**Eventhough the recipe says to just cook until slightly limp, I turned down the heat to medium and cooked them for about 15 min because I don't like my onions with alot of crunch. I cooked them until they were transparent.


While the peppers and onions are cooking, heat up the tortillas. Turn any free burners on a medium low flame. Place a tortilla on each flame and let it char about 30 seconds to 1 minute, flip the tortilla and repeat on the second side. Once heated and charred remove the tortilla to a clean tea towel and wrap to keep warm. Repeat until you have warmed all of your tortillas.

You can also heat your tortillas in a microwave, lightly dampen a tea towel with some water, wrap the tortillas in the damp towel and heat in the microwave for about 1 minute. Check to see if they are warm, if not repeat the heating at 1 minute intervals until they are warm and pliable.

Thinly slice the steak against the grain on a diagonal.

**Very important to slice against the grain. Makes the meat fall apart when you take a bite instead of the whole piece coming out. Makes it easier to bite and chew.

To serve:
Spread some guacamole on a tortilla, top with a few slices of steak, peppers and onions, and salsa. Roll up the tortilla to enclose the filling.

**Delicioso!! My husband said they were the best fajitas he's ever had! I credit my success to the steak marinade. It made the steak soooo flavorful and juicy! One thing I would change: Steam the tortillas instead of charring them. It made it really tough to chew. ** I didn't make the guacamole. The store-bought kind was yummy enough for me.

May also be served with sour cream and shredded cheese.


Guacamole:
5 ripe Hass avocados

3 to 4 limes, juiced

1/2 small onion, chopped

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 serrano chile, chopped

1 big handful fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Drizzle olive oil

Halve and pit the avocados. With a tablespoon, scoop out the flesh into a mixing bowl. Mash the avocados with a fork, leaving them still a bit chunky. Add all of the rest of the ingredients, and fold everything together.

Lay a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the guacamole so it doesn't brown and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
*************************************************************

Print the recipe at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/fajitas-recipe2/index.html

Shrimp Scampi results

UPDATE:

Personally, I didn't find this recipe garlicky or lemony enough. It wasn't bad, it was just mediocre for my taste. Next time, I will add about 2 more cloves garlic and maybe another Tbsp of lemon juice.

Here are my nicely prepped main ingredients. 2 lbs. of large shrimp, juice of 1 lemon, 1 large shallot, and 1/4 cup of chopped parsley.

Mmmmmm, the kitchen smells sooo good while you're sauteeing the shallots, garlic and red pepper flakes. The aroma even pulled my husband away from the tv! Kinda like in old cartoons when they levitate towards the smell by their noses.

Make sure not to overcook the shrimp. I personally like the texture of shrimp when they are just slightly starting to turn pink and opaque. This shrimp is good enough to eat on it's own...but I need my carbs. I'm kind of a carbs junkie. No meal is complete for me without rice, pasta, or bread.

Voila! Shrimp Scampi with Linguine a la Tyler Florence! It was tasty but needed something more for my palate. I tried adding more lemon juice and some garlic salt but it's still missing something. However, it was a hit with my husband!

Shrimp Scampi with Linguine

Attempting a new, easy recipe tonight. Should be yummy since I love anything lemony and garlicky. Let's see if mine turns out like Tyler Florence's.



Shrimp Scampi with Linguini
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

.Prep Time:15 min
Inactive Prep Time:--
Cook Time:25 min
Level: Easy
Serves:4 to 6 servings.
Ingredients
•1 pound linguini
•4 tablespoons butter
•4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
•2 shallots, finely diced
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•Pinch red pepper flakes, optional
•1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
•Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
•1/2 cup dry white wine
•Juice of 1 lemon
•1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves
Directions
For the pasta, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it has come to the boil, add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the linguini. Stir to make sure the pasta separates; cover. When the water returns to a boil, cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is not quite done. Drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper; add them to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan; set aside and keep warm. Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil. When the butter has melted, return the shrimp to the pan along with the parsley and cooked pasta. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a bit more olive oil and serve immediately.





=========================================================

A workout regimen I will stick to...hopefully

It's always the same story. I get intrigued by the latest core, strength training, butt, abs, you name it workout. Once I find that it's "do-able" I get really pumped and enthused about it. I stick to it for about two weeks, then end up getting really bored. Dedicating 30 minutes to strength training between my cardio days is apparently too much to ask of me.

At the same time, I, like most of you, have heard of the benefits of strength training: that it speeds up your digestion, increases your metabolism, reduces your body fat and most importantly, it helps prevent the flabby excess skin you acquire as a result of weight loss.

So I enlisted the help of my friend Shari, a personal trainer at Easy Fitness in Marina Del Rey (http://easyfitnessresults.com ) about my motivation problems. She gave me news that was like music to my ears! She informed me that long workouts may actually be counterproductive! Hallelujah!! She customized an extremely stick to-able (yes that's a word) strength training workout that I love and that takes only 10 minutes 2 times a week!!! It's comprised of just 5 exercises a day! I love this workout sooo much that I want to shout it on a rooftop for all of the world to hear!

Here is my new favorite workout, thanks to Shari:

Day 1:

1. Squats


2. Step ups


3. Push ups


4. Back bent over Row w/ dumbbells (5-12 lbs)


5. Core exercise: Planks



DAY 2:

1. Romanian Dead lifts w/ dumbbells (7-15 lbs)


2. Reverse lunges


3. Shoulder press (5-12 lbs)


4. Squat dumbbell Row (5-12 lbs)


5. Core Exercise: Crunches



How many reps?

Week 1: 10-15 reps, 2 sets
Week 2: 10-15 reps, 3 sets
Week 3: 15-20 reps, 2 sets
Week 4: 15-20 reps, 3 sets

** You always want to be increasing your weights each week and/or increasing your sets of reps.

And that's all there is to it...doesn't it sound easy??!?

******************************************************************
******************************************************************

So this is how I factor these exercises into my weekly workout routine:

SUNDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY - Walk/Jog for 30 minutes at the park

MONDAY- "DAY 1" exercises

TUESDAY - Elliptical for 30 minutes

THURSDAY - "DAY 2" exercises

SIDE NOTE: This is a picture I googled to show you what my idea of the perfect body is: healthy, curvy, toned, and definitely not stick-skinny. Of course it would be nice to shed a few pounds along the way, but my main goal is to be fit, healthy and to feel good about myself.

My Pink wishlist

Yay, my birthday is almost here!!! These are some of my wish list items:

Savasa 10 lb. total Hand Weights

Evriholder Slipper Genie slippers w/ Bow

Kuhn Rikon Ultimate Shears in Lilac

Mally's 24/7 Professional Blush System in Blushlight

Lock n' Lock Storage bowls in Berry

Hot Tools Titanium Curler in 1 1/2 inch

Plantronics Discovery 935 bluetooth in pink