Recipes Discovered

Moussaka Parmesan Recipe

Moussaka, a traditional Greek dish, is a layered casserole consisting of sauteed eggplant, ground lamb-tomato sauce, and a white bechamel sauce. The lamb-tomato sauce is usually cooked with onions and garlic, and seasoned with oregano and cinnamon. The dish is baked until the top is golden brown. On the other hand, eggplant Parmesan is an Italian dish made with layers of breaded and fried eggplant, tomato sauce, and mozzarella cheese. Although both dishes are delicious, they are rather heavy. I recently came across a recipe for Moussaka that used feta cheese instead of the typical bechamel sauce. About the same time, I saw a recipe for roasted eggplant Parmesan. Using techniques from each recipe, I made a very light dish that I call Moussaka Parmesan. >> Read more

Beef Tender Recipe

I watch a lot of shows on the Food Network, and for some reason, this recipe for beef tenderloin really stuck in my head. The show was Boy Meets Grill, and featured Bobby Flay’s wife, Stephanie March, who was cooking his birthday dinner. She made a beef tenderloin by simply marinating it in some garlic, lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, and butter, and then put it under the broiler for 8 minutes on one side, 5 minutes on the other. After cooking the beef, she wrapped it up tightly in foil, and let the meat rest for 90 minutes at room temperature. On the show, they cut into the beef and it was cooked perfectly to medium rare. It was all very intriguing, so I tried it. Unfortunately, I believe there is very big difference between gas and electric broilers. I have an electric broiler, and even cooking the beef for 8 minutes on each side and then letting it rest, I ended up with one very bloody hunk of meat. However, Seth sliced it up for me, and then a seared each piece for a minute or two on each side, and Seth said it was one of the best steaks he ever had. It was very tender and had a really intense flavor. So while I don’t think the broiler method worked out quite like the TV show (does it ever?), I did discover how to make an incredible tender steak.

Cognac-Sauced Pepper Steaks Recipe

Caramelized Onion-Dressed Salad Recipe

Chocolate Mousse Recipe

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow, and I know a lot of people will probably be going out to dinner, but I thought I would give you an alternative if you wanted to spend the evening at home. It’s a simple menu that seems like a lot more work than it really is. Pepper steaks are served in a creamy cognac sauce, and to go with the steak, a caramelized onion salad. For dessert, a rich, dark chocolate mousse. Like I said, it’s a very fancy meal, but it’s easy to put together.
Since it can go in the refrigerator for a couple hours, I made the chocolate mousse first. I combined cocoa powder, hot coffee, and salt together to make a thin paste. In another bowl, I whipped heavy cream with powdered sugar and Kahlua until it started to thicken, and then added in the cocoa-coffee mixture. Once the cream formed stiff peaks (about 4 minutes total), I spooned the mousse into fancy goblets, sprinkled the top with shaved chocolate, and stored them in the refrigerator.>> Read more

Kaddo Borawni Recipe

I recently saw this picture on a website, and, for whatever reason, I needed to eat whatever the picture was of. At that point, I had no idea what it was, although it appeared to be pumpkin covered in some type of sauce. The picture just looked so good, or maybe I was just that hungry, that I printed the recipe, bought the ingredients, and made it for dinner.

What the picture turned out to be is Kaddo Borawni, or Afghani pumpkin. It’s served as an appetizer at a very popular Afghan restaurant in Baltimore called The Helmond, and basically it’s pumpkin with yogurt and meat sauce. I know, it doesn’t sound good, but trust me (or even ask Seth), this dish is phenomenal. Sadly, I couldn’t find a sugar pumpkin at the store. I’m told they are available mostly during the fall, around Thanksgiving, and are baby pumpkins used mostly for making pies. I wasn’t sure how a butternut squash or an acorn squash would, so I ended up using a carnival squash, which has a dense, sweet flesh. It’s also very difficult to peel because of it’s shape, and by the time I was done, I didn’t have a lot of flesh left. Two and a half pounds of pumpkin turned out to be just enough for Seth and I. >> Read more

Pepper Steak Stir Fry Recipe

Seth’s sister gave me this recipe for pepper steak stir fry that I really wanted to try. I only had chicken, but I figured that would work in place of the steak.

In a ziplock bag, I mixed together vegetable oil, corn starch, soy sauce, and pepper. I left the salt out because I thought the soy sauce would make it salty enough. Once everything was mixed, I added sliced chicken breast and put it in the refrigerator to marinate while I chopped all the vegetables. As with all stir fries, it’s importable to have all the ingredients ready to go. I cut fresh tomatoes into wedges, sliced both a green and a red pepper, diced an onion, and minced a little garlic. I didn’t have any ginger, but would have definitely added it to the mix. Since I was using chicken instead of beef, I made the sauce my combining chicken broth, corn starch, soy sauce, and sugar. >> Read more