Apple and Banana/Chocolate filled Pastries! Yummo!!

Need a dessert idea in a pinch? Let me share what I did the other night. Boy, it was a fun filled food night for me! I wanted to do something creative and interesting with homemade pastry dough! So, I came up with some interesting and delicious ideas for a filled pastry! I started by only using what I already had in my kitchen. I didn't have to make a trip to the store for anything! For the pastry all I needed was all purpose flour, shortening, water and cold butter, oh and a pinch of salt and sugar! These are staples in my kitchen :) And I followed a basic pastry recipe enough for one crust. Now for some filling ideas... I start by looking around my cupboards and fridge. I have bananas, some Gala apples and find a half a bag of chocolate chips in the cupboard! Hmmm, what could I do with these? Well, I'll tell ya! On the stove top take 2 sauce pans, and in each pan over medium heat melt some butter, brown sugar and some type of spice ie:,cinnamon, allspice or pumpkin pie spice. I used pumpkin pie spice (that's what I had on hand). Then in one pan I put the apples (peeled and chopped-about 2 apples). In the other pan I put sliced bananas and let both cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat , just until softened and their natural sweetness comes out! Turn the burners off and stir in about 1/4 cup of chocolate chips in each pan. Meanwhile, flatten your pastry into about 5 inch discs (should make about 8),and spoon a heaping Tablespoon of filling into each disc. Fold over and seal your pastry and place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until light golden brown. Let pastries cool slightly then cover each one with POWDERED sugar! That's it! It really isn't difficult- I promise! Let me say how absolutely delicious the pastries were! Make sure you eat them while they are warm- your guest will be in for a real treat! Everyone loved them! The apple ones were like warm apple pie with a gooey chocolate and brown sugar goodness inside :) And the banana and chocolate pastries were just as fantastic! You could also serve them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a real treat!
If you would have asked me a few weeks back to make homemade pastry dough w/ a filling I would have run the other way, but you don't have to! I will help you through tough and uncertain cooking experiences! Let me do the trials and errors, then I will share my stories successful and not so successful with you :) Keep watching me for super delicious food ideas!
From one Foodie to the next, be creative and bold in your kitchen!

Food thoughts for today.

These last few days have been trial and error for me. I have been dabbling my hands into homemade pastry dough. Honestly, it was so much easier than what I ever imagined. I somehow created this thought of homemade pie and pastry doughs to be so involved, their not! That's the best news of all! It takes about 5-10 minutes to make the dough. And there are so many uses for it. Like crust for a quiche, or crust for a homemade apple pastry pocket..mmm. That one was GOOD! I mean, really? It took me 34 years to muster up the courage to make homemade pastry dough. Don't let it take you that long to do it! All you need are a few simple ingredients like, flour, shortening, butter, salt and sometimes sugar. Oh yeah and water. Like who doesn't have these basic ingredients just sitting around? No one I know :) Anyway, my culinary world has just became a little brighter! Thanks pastry...I love you!

Pot Roast and Herbed Potatoes with a Leek and Garlic Cream Sauce!

I think you will love this dinner, I guess I could call it "Not Yo' Mama's Pot Roast and Potatoes". This is my spin on a classic dish with a new twist! I LOVED it, and I think you will LOVE it too!

POT ROAST:

1 3-4lb. roast

1 tsp. each sea salt,pepper & garlic powder

2 Tbsp. beef bouillon

1 cup water.

Place roast in 9x13 pan, season with S&P, garlic powder. Pour water in pan with bouillon.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake @ 35o degrees for 1 hr. 15 minutes.

HERBED POTATOES

4-5 potatoes, any kind

2 Tbsp. each Fresh Herbs:Thyme,chives,sage,parsley

1 tsp. sea salt and pepper

2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped

3 Tbsp. olive oil

2Tbsp. butter,melted

Slice potatoes longwise about 1/2 inch thick- leave skin on. Mix ALL ingredients and place into pan, approx. 9x9 size. COVER tightly with aluminum foil. Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Leek and Garlic Cream Sauce:

1 large leek, cleaned and sliced thin

2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped fine

1/2 cup shallot or sweet onion, chopped fine

1/2 cup each orange bell pepper and green (or red), chopped

2 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. flour

1 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 1/2 cups. milk or cream

In medium pan, saute leeks, peppers, onion and garlic in butter. Cook for 5-7 minutes over medium heat. Sprinkle flour into vegetable mixture, stirring until fully incorporated. Slowly add milk stirring constantly, so no lumps will form. Add salt and pepper to season. Bring to boil for about 2 minutes, just until slightly thickened. Then let simmer over low heat, until ready to serve!

Slice roast (as shown in picture), Place potatoes and roast on plate, spoon sauce over meat and potatoes if you wish. Bon Apetite!

Cajun Chicken w/ Beans and Rice!

Tonight I am making Cajun Chicken w/ beans and rice! This dinner is extra special because the Cajun seasoning recipe I'm using was given to me by a homeless man I met yesterday. I'll tell you a little bit about this man. Yesterday I met him downtown, we talked for a while. I must say I usually don't stop and talk to every homeless person I see, but for some reason I just did on this occasion! Anyway, he is very smart. He is also a huge book reader, sometimes a book a day he says. 12 years ago, before he became homeless He told me he was a caterer for a living! I bet you can imagine how my eyes light up! We already had something huge in commom..Food! I told him that every time I come up to this park I would like to bring him a meal, if that was ok with him. Of course it was.
So, today I brought him a hot lunch, some snacks and cold drinks. In return he says I have something for you too! He pulled out this dirty paper that was folded in fours. He opens it up and says, It's a recipe for you! Cajun seasoning and a Cajun Marinade! It's almost as if he already knew me. So tonight, In honor of him, Rick Bishop, I am making Cajun Chicken for dinner, And yes I will be bringing him a plate of this tomorrow for lunch! I will post later the pictures and recipe of this!

So inspired by Julie & Julia!!

I just watched the premiere of Julie & Julia, and all I can say is WOW! It was exactly what I needed to evoke in me that inner most desire of cooking more than ever! I want you, whoever you are, to follow me through my journey of cooking, creating, experimenting cultures and flavors of food like I never have before. I truly know now that my truest love is cooking! Until tomorrow!

Blackened Fish Tacos!

3-4 Tilapia frozen fillets* ( fresh is fine too).

2 Tbsp. each EVOO and melted butter

1 container -8 oz. Fresh Pico de Gallo- I bought mine store bought.

2 cups finely shredded cabbage

2 Tbsp. Blackened seasoning ( a southwestern seasoning can be substituted)

1/2 tsp. each garlic powder,sea salt and black pepper

8 small round flour tortillas (about 7 in.)

1 cup Southwestern Sour Cream *Recipe follows below*

RECIPE

3/4 cup light sour cream (Mexican Crema or creme fresh can be substituted)

1 Tbsp. chili pepper flakes

1 Tbsp. Southwestern seasoning

1 Lime

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Use a 9x13 pan, pour the EVOO into the pan. Place frozen fillets into oiled pan. Brush tops of fish w/ melted butter (this will help the seasonings stick to a frozen fillet). Sprinkle the Blackened seasoning onto fish (be somewhat generous- you'll want lots of flavor), garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Bake fish for 25 minutes, remember you want the fish to be easily flaked using a fork. Meanwhile as the fish is cooking make your Southwestern Sour Cream. Mix sour cream with the chili pepper flakes and the southwestern seasoning, cut the lime in half and use the juice out of half and mix into your sour cream mixture- Set aside! Use remaining half of lime to cut into wedges for garnishment for the tacos! When fish is done cut each fillet (lengthwise) and place into warmed tortilla, top with lots of Pico de Gallo, shredded cabbage and Southwestern Sour Cream, squeeze the juice of a lime wedge on it and ENJOY!!

The layers of ingredients on this dish is very simple but it's the layers of Flavor that make is sooo satisfying! Always remember, you can substitute any of the seasonings or even the fish with something else comparable in flavor!- Use what you love! I served this dish with a Blue Cheese and Ranch wedge salad...mmm...!

Until next time :)

Wendy Russell

Down Home Cooking Girl

Blackened Tilapia Fillets and Summer Squash....

Tonights dinner was delicious! I feel so proud when one of my meals comes out the way it was intended to! Light, flaky, buttery and so savory-that is exactly how my baked blackened Tilapia came out tonight! And my summer squash...almost as delicious as the fish! Really the main reason I'm so excited about tonights dinner is because it was also soooo EASY! I will tell you what I did. First I started with frozen Tilapia fillets. I drizzle EVOO over a 9x13 baking pan and about 3 Tbsp. of melted butter (never margarine). I layed the fish into the pan, brushed the fish with remaining melted butter then seasoned. I used Blackened seasoning (out of the bottle), garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper (made by McCormick). I actually just seasoned the top of the fish pretty generously- I usually eyeball the amount. If you want measurements, I would say about a half teaspoon of everything but the salt. I probably used about 3/4 tsp. of salt on 3-4 fillets- sprinkled evenly. I put the oven on at 350 degrees and baked for 25 minutes! From frozen to cook in under 25 minutes! Now that was awesome! The fish was so perfect, still moist, flaky tender and seasoned so yummy! For me, fish is a finicky food to cook. If it's over cooked- it's dry, if it's under cooked-it's kinda just yucky....But when it's cooked perfectly...It's Delicious! You will know when your fish is done by using your fork to see if it flakes easily. Now, the summer squash was simpler than the fish! I drizzled EVOO into my saute pan over medium heat, sliced my yellow summer squash into large bite size bites, through them into my pan and seasoned them with sea salt, seasoned black pepper, garlic powder and 1/2 of a small red onion, sliced. I sauteed them over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes. That was it!! And it was delicious too! Tender yet still a little crisp to them, and almost a sweet and buttery flavor came out!
Well, I hope this inspires you to try cooking with your favorite fish and using maybe some different seasonings than you usually would- you won't be sorry! IF you're still not sure- ASK me - I will help you through it!
Till another great meal,
Wendy Russell
Down Home Cooking Girl