Gluten Free Risotto

 Hey, haven't tried this one yet, but was preparing a risotto recipe to put up and found this one.  I thought those of you who are gluten intolerant might like it.

Cooking Delicious Food: Nutty Cinnamon rolls

Cooking Delicious Food: Nutty Cinnamon rolls: " Nutty Cinnamon Rolls Ingredients: 1/2 cup deluxe mixed nuts, crushed 1-10 inch pie crust, homemade or Pillsbury 1/2 cup sugar 1 ..."

Vegetarian Sliders with Homemade Sesame Seed Buns

Vegetarian Sliders

Ingredients:
1 yellow squash sliced thin
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced thin
4-5 small carrots, julienned
small rolls, recipe below for sesame seed french bread buns

Prepare the buns shown below or slice up some small store bought buns.

To Prepare filling vegetables:  Tomatoes are ready as is.  The carrots and the squash should be sauteed in olive oil with salt, pepper, and dill.

 

 Place the sauteed squash on a paper towel to remove any excess oil.  Slice open the buns once well cooled.

Spread the mayonnaise (olive oil, or vegan margarine) onto the bun, both sides.  Alternate layers of a squash circle, then a tomato slice, and then squash, then tomato again.  It makes pretty colorful layers.  Then take 2 carrots sticks and place on the top, and then take 2 more and make an X on the top. 

Drizzle with a small amount of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.    You can serve open face, quite pretty,

or like traditional sliders, topping with the bun top and serve.

For vegetarians,  I use a small amount of mayonnaise, and a little bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar drizzled over at the final moment.

If Vegan, I use vegan margarine or olive oil and balsamic on the bread.

French Bread Sesame Seed Buns


Ingredients:
1 ½ cups mildly warm water (not cold, not boiling, warm to activate yeast properly).
4 cups flour (all purpose flour is fine)
1 Tablespoon organic sugar
1 ¾ tsp salt
2 Tablespoons vegan margarine-Earth Balance is a good choice
1 ½ Teaspoons-Active dry yeast
Use your Kitchen aid mixer with a dough hook and prepare per unit instructions, or put into a bread machine-selecting the dough mode.

When done in the machine-usually about an hour and a half, place into a greased bowl, flip over, cover with cling wrap and a clean towel and place somewhere warm to rise for 1 ½-2 hours.

 
Then with a little flour on your cutting board, cut into 2 equal pieces. Take each piece and cut it into 2 making 4 pieces and so on until you have 32 equal pieces.






Place in a small ring mold and press down slightly. Place on a baking sheet. Create a salt wash for them-really adds a lot of flavor-1 teaspoon salt and ¼ cup of water.  Brush onto the buns. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Let rise 30 minutes more.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (450 degrees if using a stone). Bake for 12-15 minutes, and cool on a rack for 10minutes-1 hour if you can wait that long with the smell of fresh bread in the house.


Hope you enjoy them.



                                

Tons of new recipes coming-Vegan Sliders are just one

Tons of new recipes coming.  I finally got all the pictures uploaded, so here they come.
Hope you like them.  Please comment, I love hearing from you.

Also, I keep adding new things to my store.  I have included a lot of items that can be bought in bulk
to save us all money during these hard times.

I will be putting up $10.00 home cooked meal recipes soon too.
Thanks, and keep checking back

Try a spice from my store or a new product.
Thanks,
Chef Christy

Please buy something from my store

Hi, I have just started a new Store.  I am anxious to start following how the purchases show up etc., but I need someone to buy something to see it. 

I'm sure you'll find something interesting in my store that'll you'd like.  Please check it out, and buy a small new spice or cheese.  I have hard to find items, utensils, organic, Kosher, Vegan, Greek, Mexican, Italian, just to name a few.

Thanks, I really appreciate it.
Have a great day,
Christy

Crab puffs

 

Crab Puffs-makes 8 nice puffs, served with a fruit salsa is great

½ pound of cooked crab meat (l/2 lb w/ shells, and about l/2-3/4cup of meat only)-see above for instructions on how to break down crab legs.

2 ounces cream cheese

l/3 cup Parmesan, grated

l/2 cup approximately of brie cheese, no white rind

salt and pepper, and ½ tbsp dill

16 wonton wrappers

2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp cold water to seal edges

Oil for frying-canola or peanut oil works best

Filling the wonton wrappers:

Mix everything in a small food processor until smooth, place 1 wonton wrapper down, brush along the edges with cornstarch mixture, place small amount of mixture into center, top with 2^nd wrapper.  Make all wontons, then, heat oil on medium heat, ready when a chopstick starts to sizzle.  Fry each on both sides until golden brown, and drain on a paper towel. Hope you like them.

This filling makes an amazing cold cracker topper as a great amus bouche too.

More Food Art

Mini Vegetable Tarts-leeks,broccoli stem,yellow squash, carrot,& onion.
I had fun making these.  Be creative with your vegetables.  The colors are half the fun, make designs, play with your food.

King Crab Legs, how to break them down into meat

Crab-Breaking Down King Crab Legs

Shown is 1 1/2 pounds of cooked* king crab legs. I like to get the ones that have the large knuckles at the end as they produce more meat for your money.  This 1 1/2 pounds purchased gave me 3 cups of crab meat.

If you have a shell cracker and pick, it will really help you.  Also a small cocktail fork or spoon will help push out the crab meat.  And, a rolling pin will help to remove the little bit at the end of the legs

*Note:  Here in California, it is hard to come by fresh king crab.  If you are one of the lucky ones who can find it fresh, simply steam it for 10-12 minutes.  I like to put seasonings in the steaming water-caraway seeds are a super addition.  I usually put salt, caraway seeds, dill, and garlic-(since it's in the steaming water, simply peel, smash the cloves, and just add) in the water.  Serve with melted butter. 

 

Break apart each leg into smaller pieces.  This will make it easier to remove the meat.

Use the cracker or carefully hit with the side of your cleaver to crack the shell a little to help make it easier to get out the meat.  I use the little fork or picker to push the meat to the largest end of the piece.  I also use my fingers a lot to push the meat to the larger end, your hands are your best tool. Shown here is the meat sliding out of the shell, once out a little, pulling on it will often release the whole piece in tact.

Some parts may come out crumbly, but no worries, it'll taste fine.  I usually use them in crab cakes or h'orderves anyway.  If making a crab cocktail (like a shrimp cocktail) you'll probably want to use the largest whole pieces that are created on top.

It's an expensive treat, so get it all out if you can.  The tiny tips have meat too.  Starting at the smallest end, use your rolling pin to roll out the meat. (works for lobster meat too).

Work through all the pieces the same way and your ready for any crab dish.

Perfect Poached egg

Eggs-Poached Egg- perfect every time.
Great for breakfast, but try them on top of a green salad, yummy.  I like them like that with the addition of some real bacon bits.

Bring water to a boil.  Crack egg into a bowl.  Stir water with a spoon to swirl it.  This will keep your egg more together and give you less strings of egg in the water.  Boil for exactly 2 minutes and 20 seconds.  Use a slotted spoon to remove an excess water.  Salt and pepper and done.

Since I was a little kid, I love them on little squares of toast.

The perfect poached egg is very simple.  You want the white done, and the yolk to be done but liquid.

Stuffed Grape Leaves

 Stuffed Grape leaves
stuffed with a chicken/bratwurst mixture
Steam for 5-6 minutes.

Ingredients for filling:

1 boneless chicken thigh, remove fat, and cut into 6-8 pieces
1 Bratwurst (I prefer the Johnsonville bratwurst, they taste the best to me)
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp sherry
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp brown sugar
dash of pepper
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch

Filling directions:

Note, you can fill these with anything you like, I like this recipe best.

Cut off the fat from the chicken thigh, and cut it into 6-8 pieces and place into a Cuisinart or chopper.
Slit the bratwurst casing with a knife and remove inner meat, throw away the casing. Chop up the chicken and the bratwurst in the Cuisinart.  Remove into a bowl.   Add all the other ingredients including the cornstarch.  Wrap the grape leaves as you would an egg roll or  or stuffed cabbage.  Start by spreading out the leaf, and at the larger end of the leaf, place a small amount of the filling, approximately 2-3- tbsp.
Roll away from you one turn, and fold in the sides.  Then continue rolling up until at the end.  Place a cloth that has been rinsed under water and then wrung out a little onto the bamboo or steaming area.  This will keep them from sticking when done.   Then place the finished grape leaves into the steamer, seam sides down.  Steam for approximately 5-6 minutes until firm.  Enjoy with a dipping sauce.  I find a heated apricot preserve very nice.