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Caesar Salad Dressing Simplified

May 132013

I hope that all the moms out there had a great Mother’s Day yesterday.

I learned this recipe from a class that I took a while ago at the CookinStuff and I must tell you…it is a very simple recipe and it is so good. I must confess that I never made Caesar salad prior to this class mainly because of the fear of raw eggs.

This is a simplified version of Caesar salad dressing, which uses mayonnaise instead of raw eggs, and after reading John’s post on Kitchen Riffs, I realized that this might be one of the 21st century versions since the original is lighter. Please check Kitchen Riffs for the history of this famous salad…and his recipe for Caesar Salad which uses raw egg…and many other tips if you are like me…”afraid” of raw eggs.

Now, going back to the “lazy” way of making Caesar salad dressing…since uses mayonnaise instead of raw eggs, the salad dressing can be store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days, according to the chef. The funny thing is that my husband who does not tolerate anchovies loves this dressing…LOL

I made some small changes to accommodate our taste, I mean my taste since I am the one cooking, although knowing that my husband does not like anchovy, I went light on it…but feel free to add more (between us, I would add more if was not because of him).

Ingredients:

2-3 garlic minced
2-3 anchovy fillets
½ fresh lemon, completely juiced
3 drops Worcestershire sauce
½ cup mayonnaise
1/8 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Method:

In a small blender place all the ingredients and blend until smooth and refrigerate for a couple of hours before using.

Toss with romaine lettuce and croutons…and more Parmesan cheese…

Or top with crab meat…

Or with Parmesan Tuiles (follow recipe here).

Thank you for stopping by Simple Recipes [dot] Me and have a great week!

Salt Brined Cod Fish

Posted by Juliana 55 Responses »

May 062013

In Brazil, where I grew up it is very common to find “bacalhau”, which is a salted dried cod fish. So in order to mimic the saltiness of bacalhau, which needs to be soaked in water in order to remove the salt before cooking, I decided to “play” with fresh cod fish. Why not brine cod? So I brined the cod and then use it like some of the dishes that I used to make back in Brazil…it turned out delicious, moist and very flavorful. The potatoes are tender and loaded of flavor.

Ingredients:

Approximately 1 lb cod fish
1 tablespoon rock salt
2 ½ to 3 cups of cold water

3 to 4 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
3 to 4 potatoes, peeled and sliced,
¼ cup of olives, cut into half
Fresh ground pepper
2 to 3 tablespoon of olive oil

Method:

Dissolve the salt in the cold water, cut the cod in approximately 1 ½ to 2 inch and place them in the salty water. Make sure that all the pieces of the cod fish are covered with the salty water. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator overnight.

Remove the cod fish from the salty water, rinse under cold water and drain thoroughly.

In a casserole pan place the olive oil, and alternate layers of potato, onion, olives, cod fish, and tomatoes, sprinkle in between layers fresh ground pepper to taste. Make as many layers as necessary until all the ingredients are used up.

Cover the pot and turn the heat to medium low. Cook for approximately 40 to 45 minutes. Uncover and cook under medium for another 5 minutes, until most of the liquid has been evaporated.

Serve hot.

Curiosity Corner Jan 2013
Bacalhau or salted dried cod was produced in order to preserve the cod before the refrigeration was available. Moreover, the process of salting and drying like in many foods, makes the cod tastier.

Thank you for stopping by Simple Recipes [dot] Me and have a great week!

Jelly Shots

Posted by Juliana 54 Responses »

Feb 112013

I have been under some stress lately and really was not in the mood for baking…but did want to do something easy and cute for Valentine’s Day. Besides we were having a family gathering to celebrate the Chinese New Year at my mom’s. I ended up making cheese balls and these jelly shots. I got the idea from Basic Jello Shots Recipe. Honestly, this is the first time that I tasted jelly shots…after a while testing the optimal ratio concentration of vodka and juice I almost forgot about my distress…but please, do not add any vodka if you plan to serve this jelly to kids…I made two batches, one for the adult taste and the other one for the kids.

The ratio of juice and vodka or distilled spirit is up to your discretion and I will not judge you for that…I decided to go with 1 part of vodka with 3 parts of juice.

This jelly shots were a lot of fun! Next time, instead of using flavored red color gelatin, I will use fresh fruit like strawberries, raspberries, pineapple…the kids love it!

Before I forget…

Happy Chinese New Year to all of you that celebrate!

Now, back to the recipe…

Ingredients:

Red color flavored gelatin of your preference, 3 oz
Any light color juice, I used Trader’s Joe White grape at least 16 oz
2 envelopes of Knox gelatin, unflavored
Vodka, flavored vodka or any other distilled spirit

Method:

For the red color gelatin, follow the instruction described on the box of the gelatin and refrigerate in a square or rectangular container, with approximately ¼ inch depth. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Two hours later or next day, prepare the juice gelatin.

Pour approximately 4 oz of the juice of your preference in a bowl and sprinkle the unflavored gelatin over the juice and let it stand a minute or so, until all the gelatin has been absorbed by the juice.

Heat up the remaining juice, pour the hot juice over the gelatin and stir until is completely dissolved. The liquid should be clear without any particles.

In case you prefer to add vodka, replace juice with whatever amount of vodka or distilled spirit of your preference. I added 12 oz of juice and 4 oz of pear flavored vodka.

Set the juice gelatin until totally cold. In the meantime, remove the flavored red gelatin and place in a warm water bath to release the gelatin from the container. Flip the gelatin into a flat surface and with the help of a cookie cutter, cut the gelatin and gently place the red gelatin molds into a container that you want your final gelatin.

Once you finish all the cutting, gently pour the cold juice gelatin over the mold and refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight.

To serve, place the gelatin in a warm water bath, and flip on a plate.

Serve cold.

Here are more desserts ideas for Valentine’s Day from Simple Recipes [dot] Me…

Meringue Kisses Cookies

Soft Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce

Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache

Did you know that some scientists claim that gelatin can promote joint health? Moreover, there are some scientific evidences that gelatin taken orally can benefit fingernail and even prevent hair loss in men and women.

Thank you for stopping by Simple Recipes [dot] Me and have a great week!

Browned Butter Chocolate Chips Cookies

Posted by Juliana 47 Responses »

Dec 032012

For the longest time I wanted to bake using browned butter…and did not know what to bake until I thought…why not use the brown of the butter for the chocolate chips cookie? And it was exactly what I did.

I just could not believe the aroma that came from browning the butter…I felt like drinking the melted butter…of course I did not, but the smell was very inviting. It is a very simple recipes, very similar to the recipe of my chocolate chips cookies (well, I did not have brown sugar so used ….) and added an extra step for browning the butter, but let me tell you, well worth the extra pan that I had to wash.

Before I forget, I just added a new page, TRAVEL. There you can find pictures from our recent travels, if you are interested in seeing it…be warned, it is kind of long, so get some popcorn and a drink

Now back to the recipe…

Ingredients:

½ cup (1 stick) butter
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
2/3 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup chopped walnut

Method:

Place the butter in a small pan on medium heat. Let the butter melt by stirring frequently, once the butter melts and begins to foam, continue to cook until brown specks start to form. Be careful so you do not burn it. The butter will have a wonderful nutty aroma. Remove from the heat and let it cool down.

Preheat oven to 3500F degrees.

In a bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer cream together the browned butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.

Combine dry ingredients to the creamed butter. Stir in the chocolate chips and the walnut.

With the help of two spoons, spoon the dough on to a wax paper, cover cookie sheet or a silicone mate, 1 inch apart.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or just until edges are slightly brown.

Makes two dozen cookies.

Did you know that browned butter is “beurre noisette” in French? It means hazelnut butter and it is often used in French pastry production. The process of browning the butter starts with placing the butter in heat until the butter melts and begins to foam. The color will be from a yellow to golden tan to a toasty brown. Brown butter is very versatile and can be used wherever butter is used.

Thank you for stopping by Simple Recipes and have a great week!

Peeled Brussels Sprout with Chicken

Posted by Juliana 45 Responses »

Nov 262012

After eating so much over the Thanksgiving holiday I think that this healthy dish will counter balance the feast that we just had.

This dish is very similar to the one that I made a while ago, Chicken with Brussels Sprout, the difference is that I peeled the Brussels sprouts, blanched and added to the stir fried chicken. I have the feeling that the sprouts tasted nicer and less bitter. Maybe the kids will accept better when cooked this way.
This is very simple and great with a bowl of rice…not to mention that makes a great next day lunch.

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast, cut into small chunks
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon soy sauce
½ tablespoon corn starch
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
½ lb Brussels sprouts peeled

Method:

Marinate the chicken with garlic, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Set aside. In the meantime blanch the sprouts. Make sure that you just blanch, otherwise it will be mush. Just before sautéing the chicken add the corn starch by coating slightly the chicken pieces.

In a wok, sauté the chicken in olive oil. Set aside once the chicken is fully cooked. In the same wok brown the onion, add the blanched peeled brussel sprouts. Mix gently and add the chicken back to the wok.

Stir gently and serve hot.

Curiosity Corner Jan 2013
Did you know that Brussels sprouts contain high dietary fiber? Moreover, Brussels sprouts have more vitamin C than oranges, so four to six sprouts contain the adult daily requirement for vitamin C.

Thank you for stopping by Simple Recipes and have a great week!

Twice Cooked Potatoes and Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted by Juliana 37 Responses »

Nov 192012

If you do not care for mashed potatoes with your turkey, you might want to try this simple way to prepare potatoes…

This is a side dish that I love to make, it goes well with any meat, chicken or fish. The potatoes are creamy with a light crunchiness and it is so simple to prepare. I often add bacon or different fresh herbs, whatever is available at the time.

Ingredients:

1 lb of red potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh spring of rosemary
Fresh ground pepper and salt to taste
1 tablespoon of good quality of olive oil

Method:

Boil the potatoes in water with the salt until the potatoes are soft but not falling apart.

Drain and cut the potatoes in half and add the finely chopped rosemary, salt, pepper and olive oil.

Toss gently and place the potatoes facing them up in a pre-heated oven for approximately 15 to 20 minutes at 400 F.

Serve hot or warm.

If you enjoy this simple recipe for side dish, you might want to check on Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sauté Spinach with Bacon, they are very easy to prepare.

Curiosity Corner Jan 2013
Did you know that in spite of the carbohydrate content in potatoes they are an excellent of vitamin C source? Interestingly potatoes contain comparable amounts of potassium to bananas, spinach and broccoli.

Thank you for stopping by Simple Recipes and have a great week!

Pork with Dry Pressed Tofu and Green Beans

Posted by Juliana 38 Responses »

Nov 122012

This is a simple and easy dish, it is delicious especially paired with white rice…no need to mention that it makes a great lunch next day. Every time I make this dish, I end up having more than one bowl of rice. I used pork chop in this dish and the frozen French beans from Trader Joe’s. You can always use fresh beans or chicken if you do not care for pork. Just make sure that the beans are not over cooked.

Ingredients:

1 lb of pork chop, cut in thin strips
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1½ tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 cup string bean, frozen of fresh
5-6 oz of dry tofu cut in strips
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Marinate the pork strips with garlic, ½ tablespoon of olive oil, cornstarch, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Let it sit for a few minutes.

In a wok, add the remaining ½ tablespoon olive oil, pan fry the pork strips. Make sure that the pork in thoroughly cooked.

Remove from the pan and set aside. In the same pan add the tofu strips and a couple of tablespoons of water, cook until the tofu is somehow soft.

Stir in the pre-cooked beans and cook for a minute or so, and add the pork. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with rice.

If you enjoy this pork strips with tofu, you might want to check on the Baked Tofu Salad.

Curiosity Corner Jan 2013
Did you know that tofu is a product made from coagulation of soy milk? Similar to the production of cheese depending of the amount of water extracted tofu can be found in many different textures.

Thank you for stopping by Simple Recipes and have a great week!

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