Sweet Plantains

 I've never made plantains before but I wanted to give it a try. I found this recipe on the food network website...which you can find here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/sweet-plantains-recipe/index.html

The recipe turned out fantastic so I decided to take a pictorial and share! I did not alter anything from this recipe!

Here's what you need:

- 2 to 3 ripe black plantains
- 5 tbl unsalted butter, divided
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp natural vanilla extract
- 2 tbl brown sugar

***NOTE***Picking out your plantains: There are lots of recipes that use plantains in different variances of ripeness...when this recipe says "black" it actually means black!

As I had never worked with plantains before, I thought "black" couldn't possibly mean ALL black...they need to be more black than this...google ripe plantains and they actually are ALL black!

1. Take your ripe black plantains and cut off the ends. Then make 3 scores along the skin lengthwise. Peal off the skin.

2. Cut your plantains lengthwise (I also cut mine in half)

3. Melt 4 tbl butter in a skillet over low/med heat

4. Place your plantains in the skillet in a single layer over med/low heat (just like the original recipe says "plantains have a high sugar content and will burn if the heat is too high")

5. Allow your plantains to brown and flip them over with spatula (takes about 7-10min on each side depending on your stove)

6. Once your plantains are browned, add in your brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla and allow to cook for a few more seconds or until the brown sugar caramelizes.

7. Add in 1 tbl butter to finish off the sauce and serve!

Serving suggestions: I would serve these sweet plantains with eggs and a meat of some sort. The savory flavor will cut the sweetness down a bit!

Cake Pops for Everyone!

My husband and I decided today "Let's make cake pops"...having never made these before we looked up a few tutorials online, decided on a flavor, went to the store and BAM! Cake Pops!

We decided on lemon and adapted this tutorial we found online...http://www.yourhomebasedmom.com/lemon-cake-balls/

The biggest change we made was using dark chocolate instead of white chocolate (I'm not too fond of white chocolate...in fact I hate that it's even called "white chocolate" because there is absolutely NO chocolate in it!...ok I'm done with my rant now) We thought the dark chocolate would complement the lemon flavoring the best...however in the end we ran out of the dark chocolate and used some white...and there were some things we learned! (I have pictures...it's ugly!)

Here is what you will need:

- Lemon cake mix (or another flavor of your choice)

- Lemon icing (or another flavor of your choice)
- 3 tbl lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon

- Dark chocolate melts (we used Ghirardelli melts as they melt really well, but you can use whatever brand you want)

- Cake Pop sticks (you can opt for just cake balls with no sticks but it's a little trickier to cover them with chocolate)

***NOTE*** Be sure what ever brand of chocolate you use it is specifically for making candy. If you get regular chocolate chips they DO NOT melt as well

1. Mix up your cake and bake as directed on the box -add in about 3 tbls lemon juice and zest from 1 lemon

2. Once your cake is done it will need to cool. We decided to let it get warm then cut it in large rectangles and pull it out of the pan so it cooled faster

3. After your cake cools, you will crumble it up (as with the recipe we used it should have the consistency of potting soil)

4. Once crumbled add in 2/3 of your icing - if it is not as moist as you would like add in more (it should be moist enough to stick together - make it too moist and it is a sticky mess when you are trying to roll it!)

5. Take the mixed cake and icing and roll into balls - We found it just as easy to roll it by hand than to use a melon baller (the batter is super sticky!).

It's also very helpful to keep a small bowl of water close by to dampen your hands while you roll. Place on a cookie sheet lined with wax or parchment paper

6. Freeze the cake balls for at least an hour

7. Melt your chocolate - the ghirardelli chocolate has instructions on melting in the microwave...however you can use a double broiler as well (Microwave is WAY easier!)

8. Insert your cake pop sticks into the frozen cake balls and dip into chocolate. You may need to use a brush or spoon to help get them completely coated! Place on a wax or parchment paper lined plate and wait for them to dry. It doesn't take but just a few minutes and you can transfer them onto any dish you want...or just eat them!

OK so here is the issues with "white chocolate"!

It doesn't have the same "flow" as chocolate does and therefore it was a lot harder to get a nice smooth coat onto the cake balls...

It's a lot stickier which made it almost impossible for the sticks to stay in the cake balls...resulting in a lot of ugly or broken cake balls

It takes a lot longer to dry

If you like white chocolate or prefer to use it because it goes better with the cake flavor you chose, I'm sure you can find your way around these little annoyances...for me seeing as I don't really like it anyway...well it just isn't worth figuring out. I'll stick with the real stuff!

Beef Tips and Rice

There is nothing better on a rainy or cold day than a good hearty, meaty meal! My family loves beef tips so when it was requested I went on an internet search to find an easy recipe...and boy did I find a good one!
Not one thing was adapted for this recipe, save the types of meat I use sometimes.
Here is the link to the original recipe: http://cooks.com/1n6b1936

Here's what you will need:
- 2lbs of stew meat (the original recipe calls for beef...I have used lamb and it's fantastic and as soon as my husband goes hunting I'm planning on trying venison as well)
- 2 cans cream of mushroom soup
- 2 cans french onion soup
- rice

1. Preheat oven to 275
2. Mix all your cans of soup together

3. Add in meat (again you can use beef, lamb, buffalo, venison...etc...lamb is preferred)

4. Place in an oven safe dish (I use a 9x13) and cook for 4 hours

5. I usually wait until about 20 min before the 4 hours is up and start my rice (I don't normally use minute rice, but feel free)
6. Take the meat mixture out of the oven and serve over rice!

This recipe is SO easy that it has become one of our go to's!

Beans Beans Good for your Heart...hehe

There are only about 478 ways to make pinto beans! With meat...without meat...spicy...not spicy...salt...no salt...etc...etc....This recipe is adapted from my Dad's...

Here's what you need:
- 1lb bag dried pinto beans
- water
- 1 can Rotel
- garlic salt (to taste)
- dried cilantro (to taste)
- garlic powder (to taste)
- onion powder (to taste)
- chili powder (to taste)
The reason the spices say "to taste" is simply because everyone likes their beans a bit different. I suggest starting with 1/2 tsp and work your way up!
***NOTE***Prep time is 24 hrs for beans to soak

1. First thing you need to do is soak your beans...this will take all night long! Put all your beans into a sauce pan and fill up with water. Make sure your water fully comes over the top of all the beans. Cover and leave overnight!

2. In the morning, rinse your beans. Just grab a strainer and while water is running over the beans use your hands to sift through the beans making sure you get them clean.

3. Once your beans are nice and clean you can start them cooking...cover them again with water add in your spices (I like to add any salts close to the end of cooking, that way they are not over salted!)

See how different they look after you soak them!?

You can also add meat at this time if you prefer...anything from bacon (YUM) to a chorizo sausage!

4. Bring them to a boil, turn down your burner to a low to low/med heat. These will cook most of the day. The only thing you will want to make sure of is that your water lever stays just above the beans. You will also need to stir about every hour-hour and a half. 

I was getting some "help" from my sweet little boy! 

And speaking of this little boy...he likes beans so I usually take some out right before the following step for him!

A nice blend in the pureer and he is all set for dinner!

5. Once your beans are where you would like them (I like them ALMOST "refried") you will add in the Rotel and salts.

6. Let this cook for another 30 min or so and allow the liquid to thicken a little...then add rice or cornbread and eat eat eat!

Baked Salmon w/ Lemon White Wine Sauce + Brown Rice and Sauteed Spinach

We love salmon at our house! And as there are only so many ways you can cook it, I decided it was sauce time! I knew I wanted something that I could incorporate capers (YUM!), but that limits what you can make! I finally decided on a nice white wine sauce. I got the base recipe I adapted off of Marta Stewart's website which you can find here along with her own instructions on cooking salmon.
http://www.marthastewart.com/318680/roasted-salmon-with-white-wine-sauce

Then I wanted something tasty to go with it...and seeing as Rice Pilaf is not my most favorite, that was OUT! I made a big pot of plain brown rice and garlic sauteed spinach.

Here is what you will need:
     For the Salmon: (will need to marinate for 1 hr)
- Salmon (You can use pre-cut salmon fillets but you will need to cut off the skin - I opted for getting a large 2 lb Sockeye salmon (USA-wild caught) from our grocer and having them cut the skin off for me
                    ***See Notes for picking out good salmon***
- 3 tbl olive oil
- 1 tbl minced garlic
- Fresh Lemon (2x)
- 4 tbl Lemon Juice
- 1 1/2 tsp Dill
- 1 tsp mustard seed
- 1 tsp celery salt
- 1 tbl parsley
- 1tsp white pepper

     For the Lemon White Wine Sauce:
- 2 tbl unsalted butter
- 2 tbl flour
- 4 tbl lemon juice
- 1 cup white wine (I used Chardonnay)
- 1 tsp chives
- 3/4 jar of capers

    For the Sauteed Spinach:
- 1 to 3 packages of baby spinach (cooking for more than 2 people, you will at least need 2 or more packages!)
- 2 tbl unsalted butter
- 1 tbl minced garlic

***First you need to pick out a good salmon. There are a couple of methods to ensure you have a good fresh fish. Start with your nose! It should have a nice clean fresh smell ad be pleasant...not a fishy, been sitting there for a week smell. You can also look at the flesh of the fish and it should be a pretty pink color and should look supple.***

1. Unwrap your fish and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Rub olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, dill, mustard seed, celery salt, white pepper and parsley...use your hands, it insures your meat is well covered! Wrap pan in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 450. Place fish in oven and set time for 15 min (fish is done when flaking with fork) Times for cooking will vary depending on the size and thickness of your fish

3. While your fish is cooking, get your rice started (if you have a rice cooker...awesome! If not...follow the directions of the back of the package!)

4. Once your rice is going you can start on your sauce. In a large sauce pan or skillet (set on med/high) melt 2 tbl unsalted butter (this time you are just melting it, not waiting for those cute little bubble like you do when you saute!)

5. Whisk in the flour

6. Pour in the white wine (keep whisking)

7. Add in the lemon juice (whisk away) and let cook down to 1/2 the amt of liquid.

8. Add in your chives and capers, stir and your sauce is all done (this whole process takes about 6-7 min)

9. After your sauce is done, you can saute your spinach...this literally takes 4-5 min. In a large skillet (set to med/high), melt your unsalted butter (yes you WANT those bubbles now!)

10. Add in your minced garlic and your spinach (I know it looks like a TON but it cooks down a LOT!)

11. Cook your spinach stirring occasionally so it all cooks down evenly...do this for about 4-5 min tops...you still want your spinach green after all!

12. By this time your fish and rice should be all done!

Enjoy!