Let Your Chicken Fingers Do the Walking

I sure hope you enjoyed that phone/Yellow pages/chicken finger pun as much as I did. The chicken finger video has finally been approved and uploaded to YouTube, and Id love to say it will be worth the wait, but Im not sure.

This video recipe is more of a technique tutorial (yes, some people dont know how to bread things), and you more advanced foodies may be underwhelmed. Having said that, this is a really tasty, and pretty easy, appetizer to whip up for your Super Bowl party (and be sure to check out the honey mustard sauce video here).

The secret is the panko breadcrumbs. These larger, flaky crumbs get much crispier, and stay crisp much longer than conventional breadcrumbs. By the way, I can already hear some of you grumbling about finding panko, but its very common these days (thank you Food Network and Bravo), and youll find them in every large grocery chain.

As far as the phone goes, I really enjoyed giving it a test run and it performed very well. Its very fast, feels great in your hand, and the voice activated feature for basically any text input field is perfect for someone like me.

I should also probably state for the record that I was kidding about the Nexus One apps – Im really not developing smart phone programs that chop onions and peel potatoes. Im sorry to disappoint those of you that thought that part of the video was real, but then again, if you were fooled, you have other more important issues to address. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
4 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon chipotle pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
4 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon milk
3 cups Japanese-style panko bread crumbs
canola oil for frying

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Beef Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash

A hearty stuffed acorn squash recipe- comfort food for omnivores.

Yours truly has been stewing. Not in the culinary sense, Darling. Stewing about Sting. And Oy, the photo of him ducking his head down in the back seat of his silver SUV outside the "exclusive" Hamburg brothel Relax. Ouch. A sheepish duck that possibly allegedly connotes canoodling guilt (okay, maybe he didn't actually canoodle-- maybe he innocently indulged in some very chaste and proper lap dances in a post-concert-suffering-from-exhaustion kinda way, you know, while sans wife Trudie and his six children).

Whatever.

I know I'm a little old-school on the whole marriage fidelity thing. I admit it. Marriage- in my book- means monogamy. If you can't keep it in your pants, Buster, why on Earth bother to marry? Go have fun. Who's stopping you? And, yes, even while I'm snug in my quaint monogamy I am well aware that many celebrity marriages are, shall we say, open arrangements (if not totally a sham-- arranged strictly for PR to hide a secret life and keep the heart throb action hero millions flowing in). But I have to ask. Exactly what brilliant meta message in a bottle does this send to your three beautiful daughters, Gordon? 

Oh well. I'm trying my best not to judge. Maybe Trudie's fine with it. Maybe she just got tired of all that tantric sex Sting blathered about in the press while their daughters were in middle school.

Back in the humble world of non-rock star status I may have to edit my Honda Fit driving playlist. I mean, there I was, scooting down to Santa Fe with my muffin-baking dish-washing stripper-free husband (to buy acorn squash, grass fed organic beef, roses and wine for our guests) and every other song blasting over the audio system- it seemed- was a Sting song. I spent half the time in the car reaching over to push the next button.

Man, said my ho-free husband, You're tough. So are you ever going to listen to him again?

The post-feminist warrior mother goddess stirred inside.

Done with Sting, I answered.

Read more + get the recipe >>

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Pumpkin with Coconut Cream Cheese Cake

Pumpkin  with Coconut Cream Cheese Cake

Heres a Delicious recipe that combines Pumpkin and a hint of coconut! This moist scrumptious cake is a great dessert for the holidays, whether its for Thanksgiving, Christmas or any time of the year.

Here are a few Ingredients you will need to acquire:

2/3 cup of 100% PURE PUMKIN
2/3 cup of sugar
3/4 Cup of All-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3 large eggs

1 large and 1 small bowl
1 regular size cake pan (or 3 small cake molds)

*Optional for easy clean up:
Parchment or wax paper
baking spray or grease




PREHEAT oven to 375 degrees. Grease the cake pan then line it with wax or parchment paper. Spray and sprinkle flour on the paper.

COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, and salt in a small bowl. In a large bowl, whisk in the eggs, sugar until thick. Blend in the pumpkin and  flour mixture until smooth.
Pour into prepared cake pan. BAKE for 20 - 25 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean.

FOR CREAM CHEESE COCONUT FROSTING:

1 (8oz) Package of cream cheese, softened
1 cup of sifted powdered sugar
6 tablespoons of softened butter or margarine
1 teaspoon of coconut extract or * 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Coconut flakes or chopped nuts for garnish

BEAT cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter and coconut or vanilla extract until smooth. Spread frosting over the cake, sprinkle with coconut flakes or walnuts, cover  and refrigerate until its ready to serve.


 

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Saturday Kitchen Recipe Buckwheat Mung Sprout Dosa

This weeks Saturday Kitchen Recipe - Buckwheat Dosa with Bean Sprouts!

Traditional Indian Dosa recipes is made by fermenting rice and urad dhal over night.

Do not ferment this recipe as it is not a traditional dosa.

My Saturday Kitchens Buckwheat Dosa Recipe is quick and easy to cook so it is great when you are in a hurry and want that extra side dish to compliment your meal.

This recipe uses a combination of buckwheat flour and bean sprouts as they compliment each other, the flavour is nutty and wholesome and the texture is light and fluffy, you can scoop up some of your delicious curry with a dosa just as good as you could with chapatti bread.

This recipe is also gluten/wheat free and is not a starchy dish which is a great chapatti alternative. Buckwheat is very healthy for you.

Bean sprouts are also packed full of good nutrition and contain many vitamins and protein. Healthy food can be so very tasty!

When you bite into my dosa you will see that they are light and bubbly, this truly is a wonderful dish !

So lets now enter Jeenas Kitchen..... and lets get cooking !

Ingredients
1/2 Cup Fresh Mung Bean Sprouts (washed)
1 Small Onion (chopped)
1 Heaped Tbsp Buckwheat Flour
Pinch Salt and Pepper
Water

Getting Started on this weeks Saturday Kitchen Recipe - Buckwheat Dosas..

Place your washed mung bean sprouts and onion into a food processor and blend into a smooth bubbly paste.

Add buckwheat flour with a little salt and pepper, add enough water to help loosen the dosa mixture. Add only a little water at a time it should be like a pancake batter.

You do not need to ferment this mixtue it can be used straight away.

Heat up a flat pan with a little oil ( you only need oil the once).

Pour some of your dosa mix onto the pan and quickly help it spread with the back of a spoon.

When your buckwheat dosa looks like it has cooked and set enough to turn over use a spatula to turn it over and cook the other side.

You will notice how the dosa gets bubbles forming inside it. Cook until light and golden, you may need to turn again once or twice.

Enjoy Jeenas Saturday Kitchen Buckwheat Dosa Recipe.

Why not check out Jeenas other SATURDAY KITCHEN RECIPES!

Lamb and mushrooms keema recipe

Vegetarian kofta curry recipe

Ginger cake recipe

Rhubarb crumble recipe

Coconut almond cake recipe


I hope you enjoyed reading this weeks Saturday Kitchen Recipe - Buckwheat Dosa!

We ate our buckwheat dosa recipe with some red lentils parippu and it was fantastic as the taste was amazing.

How do you make your dosa ? What would you eat your dosa with?

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Black Out Speak Out

Since Im using Blogger, its apparently a bit difficult to actually black out my blog, so Im making a symbolic gesture here.

Ill just add that there can be no food without environmental protection. Ultimately, farming and protection of the environment must be one and the same. Nor are the pleasures of the table truly pleasures if they depend on the gross exploitation of the labourers who produce it. Nothing exists in a vacuum. We are all an interconnected web and we need a government that understands that.

Go to Black Out Speak Out for more info.

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EASY MINI CHEESECAKES

Picky-picky husband has decided he loves cheesecake. Not just any cheesecake (thats part of his picky-picky-ness), but he loves miniature cheesecakes. I think it is because he can just snag one out of the fridge without plate or utensils.

This recipe for mini-cheesecakes is extremely quick and easy and since you can use any flavor of jam, it is quite versatile. If you dont want to add the jam, just leave it out!!

CRUST
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Mix these three items until everything is moist and crumbly.
Place paper cupcake liners in cupcake pan (recipe makes 24 miniature cheesecakes).  Place a scant tablespoon of the crumbs in the bottom of each paper liner and tamp down a little.

CHEESECAKE FILLING

(3) 8 ounce packages of cream cheese (room temperature)
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs

Beat the softened cream cheese for 2 minutes; it should be very creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat for about 30 seconds.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (on low) in between each egg.

If you are going to use jam in these cheesecakes (it is completely optional), put a rounded tablespoon of cheesecake batter on top of each graham cracker crust. Swirl a little of your favorite jam over the batter, like this:

Top this with another heaping tablespoon of cheesecake filling and then put another swirl of jam on the top surface.

Bake at 325°F for 25-30 minutes (my electric oven takes 25 minutes).

Leave the baked cheesecakes in the pan and cool to room temperature. After they are at room temperature, put them in the fridge to chill for at least a couple hours before serving.

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SANDRAS GRILLED LOBSTER TAILS with CITRUS BUTTER FILLET MIGNON and ASPARAGUS

Our tradition is to serve this decadent 
meal on Valentines Day ~
(It would also be most suitable 
for any other special occasion)...

Servings (2)
Grill: Lobster tails-15 Mins. |
Steaks-8 Mins.

Posted: by Sandra

--Prep: Begin aerating a quality Pinot Noir, and set out steaks and lobster tails for 30 minutes prior to grilling to reach room temp.

INGREDIENTS:

· 2 lobster tails, butterflied (6 to 8 ounces each)—thaw, if frozen

***Sauce:
· 2 tablespoons butter , melted
· 1 teaspoons lemon juice
· 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
· pinch of kosher salt
· dash ground ginger
· dash paprika
· dash of hot sauce
· lemon wedges

· 2 fillet mignon steaks, (pat dry with paper towel before grilling)

***Seasonings:
· grilling seasoning (your favorite brand)
· worcestershire sauce
· olive oil

---Prepared steamed asparagus

METHOD

Preheat grill to medium-high heat, or preheat oven to broil, but cook 8 to 10 inches from heat.

Combine melted butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, ginger, paprika, and hot sauce.

Brush the both sides of steaks with olive oil, liberally rub with grill seasoning, and sprinkle with worcestershire sauce.

Place a metal skewer through the length of each lobster (keeps them from curling while grilling), and brush with butter sauce; place on grill shell side up, and close lid.  After 7 minutes brush with butter sauce again. At this time, add the steaks to the grill and, cover, and cook on the first side for 4 minutes. Turn over with tongs, and continue cooking, covered, for 4 more minutes, or until done to your desired tenderness.

Remove both steaks and lobster tails, and cover loosely with foil and let stand for 5 minutes for juices to redistribute. Serve your grilled steak and lobster with lemon wedges, steamed asparagus, and glasses filled with Pinot Noir.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

TIP: Watch to make sure the lobster does not burn. Meat should be opaque and flake easily.

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