Cinnamon, Apricot & White Chocolate Whirls

Makes 12

375g puff pastry - ready rolled sheet
50g unsalted butter
3 tsp My Secret Kitchen Vanilla Pudding Spices
75g caster sugar
75g dried apricots, finely chopped
50g white chocolate chunks
1 beaten egg
Apricot jam to glaze

Preheat oven 190C, line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper.
Mix together the butter, Vanilla Pudding Spices and caster sugar in a bowl until soft and spreadable. Unroll the pastry sheet and spread the butter mixture evenly over the surface leaving a 1/2 cm gap around the edges. Sprinkle over the chopped apricots and then the white chocolate chunks. Starting with the longest edge, roll the pastry up as tight as possible into a log. Cut the log into 12 equal slices. Place the slices with the cut faces uppermost on the baking sheet and flatten slightly. Brush with the beaten egg and bake for 15 - 18 minutes until golden. Whilst still warm, brush with the apricot jam to glaze.

brown sugar espresso chocolate chip cookies

sometimes, i just need a cookie. know what i mean? i went through oreos like they were nothing when i was pregnant, and although i'm not usually a chocolate chip cookie girl, lately i've been all over them. i don't know if i'll ever find the perfect recipe - each one i've made has been super delicious for it's own reason. alton brown's chewy stays nice and soft and chewy for a long time. thomas keller's version is perfectly salty. wegmans chocolate chips are a classic and bring back some college nostalgia every time i make them. the browned butter in cook's illustrated's version is nutty and delicious. and the brown sugar in these makes them nice and sweet, not to mention the kick from instant espresso. it doesn't hurt that the recipe makes a ton and they freeze well, so next time i need a cookie, i've got a freezer bag full of them.



brown sugar espresso chocolate chip cookies
click to get the recipe for brown sugar chocolate chip cookies at not without salt. i added 1 tablespoon instant espresso coffee powder with the dry ingredients. this recipe makes a lot of cookies and they freeze really well.

2014.12.01 this was cookaholic wife's pick for the secret recipe club!

6/11/13 ChefElla's Pulled Pork Sandwich with Broccoli Slaw

CHEFELLA'S PULLED PORK SANDWICH WITH BROCCOLI SLAW.

It is finally warm, school is out, and I have plenty of time to play and cook.  When it gets warm out, I change how I cook, and oven is definite no, no.  The oven warms up the whole house and cooking in a hot kitchen on a hot day is just no fun.  My Dad is a good sport.  He would cook on the grill every night for us, but I do not want to stop cooking just because it is summer, so I help by using some of my own recipes for a summer dinner.  BBQ pulled pork, chicken or beef can take many, many hours to cook properly and that is why people usually go to a restaurant to eat it.  BBQ and braising are types of cooking that people use to make tough pieces of meat tender and tasty.  While my pulled pork does take a few hours to cook it does not take a lot of time to make, and it is great for a backyard picnic.  If you do not eat pork you can substitute beef or chicken in this recipe.  So give Dad the night off and enjoy.

For this recipe you will need to use the stove and a knife.  If you are not allowed to use the stove or a knife by yourself you can have a grown up help.

1. Wash your hands.

2. For this recipe you will need measuring cups, a rubber spatula, a small bowl, a large mixing bowl, a stand mixer with a paddle, a small whisk, a sauce pan, a knife and a cutting board.

Pulled Pork

Ingredients: (This recipe will make 8 servings.)

2 Lbs.    Boneless Pork Butt, Shoulder, or Stewing Meat.

1 Btl      BBQ Sauce 15-20oz.  

                -You can use whatever your favorite kind of BBQ sauce is your favorite.  If you do not

                  have a favorite kind of sauce I would recommend starting with a red or brown BBQ

                  sauce like a Kansas City style.  

1/2         Medium Red Onion, minced.
                -Minced is when you cut something into a small dice and then you chop down so that it is
                 in really small pieces.
8 each    Hamburger Buns or 16 slices of Texas Toast.
(Optional)  1 Cup Fresh Pineapple, Small Diced.  If you like sweet BBQ you can add pineapple.

3. Cut pork into 2 inch chunks.  Add pork to your sauce pan and mix with diced pineapple, minced
    onion and BBQ sauce.

4. Put pork on the stove and cook on medium / low heat.  Check the pork after 20 minutes.  The pork
    should simmer slowly, meaning you should see some bubbles coming up regularly.  If it is boiling, or
    rapidly simmering turn the heat down.  Cover and simmer for 2 hours.

5. After two hours turn off the stove, uncover the pork and let it sit for 15 minutes.

6. Pour BBQ pork into your stand mixing bowl.  Using the paddle attachment, turn your mixer onto
    speed one.  When the pork is shredded it is done.  Do not put the mixer on a higher speed.  If you do,
    you will be cleaning BBQ sauce off of everything in your kitchen for days.
    -Traditional pulled meats are shredded by using two forks to pull the meat apart.  This takes a lot of
      time, but if you want, you can try the two forks method.

7. Return the pulled pork to your sauce pan and when ready serve on texas toast (thick toasted bread) or
    a bun.

Broccoli Slaw

Ingredients: (This recipe will make 8-12 servings.)

12 oz.      Broccoli Slaw Mix

                -If you do not like broccoli slaw or cannot find it you can use 16 oz. of cole slaw mix.

1 each     Medium Red Pepper, Julienned

                -First, wash the pepper.  Second, cut off the top and bottom of the pepper and remove the ribs
                 and seeds.  Finally, cut the red pepper into thin strips.

1/2          Medium Red Onion, Julienned

                 -To julienne an onion, cut off the root and plant ends of the onion.  Place the onion on one of

                  the flat sides and then cut in half.  Remove the paper skin of the onion.  Place the onion with

                  its new flat side down.  It should look like a half moon on your cutting board.  Cut the onion

                  into thin strips by following the lines on the back of the onion.  If you cut the onion by

                  following the half moon side you will end up with onion half moons.  

Coleslaw Dressing

1 Tbl.     Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tbl.     Sugar

1/ 2 tsp   Garlic Powder

1 tsp       Celery Salt

1 tsp       Salt

1 tsp       Black Pepper

1/2 Cup  Mayonnaise

                 -I use canola or olive oil mayonnaise because it has less calories then regular mayonnaise
                  and it tastes just as good.

8. In a large mixing bowl mix Broccoli Slaw, Red Pepper and Onion.

9. In a small mixing bowl mix add vinegar and spices.  Mix well until ingredients turn into a paste.

10. Add mayonnaise and mix until all the ingredients are blended.
      -If you use Miracle Whip or salad spread you can omit the sugar and vinegar.  Miracle Whip and
       salad spread already have vinegar and sugar in them.

11. If you like your coleslaw dry then use half of the dressing.  If not then add all of the dressing and
      mix well.

-Many people top their pulled pork with coleslaw.  It adds so many flavors to your sandwich and it is really good.  If you do not like your sandwich with coleslaw you can eat it separately.  You can also top your sandwich with cheese or extra BBQ sauce.  However you eat your BBQ enjoy your picnic and have a happy summer!!!

Enjoy

- ChefElla

greek baked tilapia

i've done a pretty good job at losing the baby weight - all 45 pounds of it was gone within six months. next on the list is getting rid of twelve pounds of what i affectionately call "wife weight." i tend to go through phases of eating really well, working out every day, and eating ok, working out once or twice a week. having meals that are quick, delicious and not so mad for me really help. and this fish is one of them. if you can cut tomatoes and boil pasta, you're set. we served ours with sauteed spinach for an extra dose of vegetables.

baked greek tilapia
30 minutes, serves 2
click to get the recipe at heat oven to 350

tomato, bean, and barley soup

i can't believe i'm sitting here in pants and a long sleeved shirt, listening to the pouring rain, and hoping the temperature will reach 60 degrees today. just two weeks ago, we were turning on the air conditioning as the temp hit above 90 for a couple days in a row. the change in weather messes with my meal planning - one week we're eating salads and grilling chicken, the next we're longing for big bowls of pasta and soup. and while i won't be making this bowl of soup tonight - this chicken marsala risotto won out in the end - if this weather holds out, it might end up on the menu sooner than i think.

tomato, bean, and barley soup
adapted from the macro chef
45 minutes, serves 6

4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
15 ounces diced tomatoes
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup quick cooking barley
2 cups cooked white beans (14 ounce can)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
1 cup chopped spinach

1. coat the bottom of a soup pot with olive oil and place over medium heat. add the mushrooms and onions and saute for about 5 minutes. add the carrots, celery, and garlic, and cook an additional 5 minutes. 
2. add the tomatoes and vegetable stock and bring to a boil. add the barley and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. add the beans, soy sauce, and mirin and season with salt and pepper.
4. right before serving, stir in the spinach. serve with crusty bread.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

1 lb tomatoes - variety of your choice but not too ripe - cut into quarters
5 cloves garlic, unpeeled (optional)
3 tbsp My Secret Kitchen Oak Smoked Rapeseed Oil
3 tsp My Secret Kitchen Lemon & Chipotle Spiced Sea Salt

Preheat oven 200C
Place the tomatoes in a roasting tray and drizzle the oil over and add the sea salt.  Mix together until well coated and roast for 15 - 20 minutes or until the tomatoes are softened and turning brown at the edges. If using garlic, now peel each clove and add back the the tomatoes. Serve hot with grilled meats or cold with salads. The tomatoes can be kept in a jar for 1 week with added vegetable oil to cover and consider adding fresh herbs such as rosemary, thyme or basil.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes served with breaded Red Pepper Cheese Balls

secret recipe club: mojito chicken tacos

for all of my regular readers, you've probably noticed i haven't been around these parts much in the last couple months. yes, i've been cooking - and even photographing a lot of it - and no, i don't have any big life announcement to make that sucked up all my time and would provide a reason for my absence. it's really quite simple: i've been spending a lot more time with the kiddo (and in less than three weeks, he turns one. my god time flies.) and jason and a lot more time away from the computer. and as much as i've loved it, i have been looking forward to my secret recipe club eats, as they give me a great excuse to get back on here, reminding me how much i enjoy sharing here.



my last two src choices were sweet, so this month i definitely wanted to go savory. i stopped dead in my tracks when i spotted these zesty margarita chicken tacos with creamy chipotle lime drizzle over at the weekend gourmet. while i'm not a huge fan of margaritas (drinking way too much tequila once in college has scarred me forever), i love love love mexican food and set off to make the margarita tacos.

until i got to the grocery store. because i don't drink margaritas, we don't have margarita mix at home. while staring at the bottle of it in the store, i noticed the mojito mix next to it. my first thought was to buy both and make up some mojitos to drink with the tacos. half a second later i decided to simply sub the mojito mix for the margarita mix in the recipe. mojitos are my favorite alcoholic drink - there are few things better on a hot, humid summer day - and i knew the flavor of mint and lime would be delicious in tacos. to further the mojito flavor, i swapped chopped cilantro in the marinade with fresh mint. while the chicken was delicious and the tacos as a whole really good, we were split on the sauce. jason really liked it, i could have done without it. honestly, i think this recipe taught me i'm not a fan of the smoky chipotle pepper flavor, because it was that smokiness i didn't care for. none the less, these were a great way to mix up our weekly mexican night.

for more information on the secret recipe club, including the list of participating bloggers, featured recipes from members, and instructions on how to join, visit the secret recipe club website!
 
check out my previous secret recipe club posts: maple glazed whole wheat spiced apple pizza, pig out cookies, pasta with blistered tomatoes & arugula and iced grapefruit cookies, mushroom barley soup, scalloped ham and potato bake & andes mint cake, chicken souvlaki with tzatziki, asian pork chops, lemon lime meltaways, blueberry peach crisp, minted lemon ice, white chocolate macadamia nut blondies, raspberry cream filled eclairs, jam swirled cheesecake, whole wheat grapefruit cake, chewy no bake granola bars & carrot cinnamon waffles, cannoli, gingerbread muffins, double chocolate peanut butter chip oatmeal cookies, butterscotch peach cake, whole wheat honey pancakes, minted pineapple lime agua fresca, breakfast tacos, simple almond sandwich cookies, & roasted banana rum cake.

mojito chicken tacos
adapted from the weekend gourmet
serves 6-8

the sauce makes a relatively large amount - slightly over a cup. if you aren't a huge fan of sauce on your tacos or the flavor of chipotle chilis, consider halving the sauce recipe. leftover chicken is also delicious on a taco salad.

for the marinade:
juice of 1 orange
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup mojito mix
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh mint, chopped
pinch red pepper flakes
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts

for the sauce:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
juice of 1 lime
1 tablespoon puree from chipotle peppers in adobo
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped

tortillas, avocado, grilled onion, cheese, and pico de gallo for serving

1. combine the marinade ingredients in a gallon size zip top bag. add the chicken, seal the bag, and coat the chicken with the marinade. marinate at least two hours.
2. combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl. season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until serving.
3. grill your chicken breasts, tent with foil and let them rest for a few minutes while preparing any other fillings for your tacos. slice the chicken and build your tacos. i like avocado, chicken, cheese, grilled onion, pico de gallo, and sauce layered in a tortilla.