Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

I never thought I’d do this in a million years — Broil Romaine Lettuce in the oven before chopping it for a Salad.  Usually wanting the freshest, most chilled Lettuce for a Salad, broiling Romaine would seem out of the question.  After having my first Grilled Romaine Salad from a restaurant, I was hooked on the smokey flavor imparted into the Lettuce with a quick grilling.  It’s now one of my favorite Salads.

To copycat it, I made grilled Romaine on the BBQ, but this evening it was too cold and rainy.  We only have an outdoor grill.  Since Romaine was on hand and I really wanted this Salad, I desperately broiled the Lettuce in the oven for (1) minute.  It worked (a little) — It’s a simple runner-up if you can’t grill it on a BBQ.  The above Romaine was tossed in a bag with Italian Dressing before broiling it.  It wasn’t bad at all and I’ve already made it again.  It’s dubbed the Romaine Runner-Up.

The linked list of 100 Snacking Tips to keep you healthy and satisfied without draining your wallet was sent to me.  It’s marketed towards college students, but I found it to have useful information that everyone could appreciate, thus it’s deemed worthy of being shared here on Nibbles of Tidbits.  Here’s to your health and wallet!

Although Halloween is officially over, our DC Correspondent, Steven Woo sent us a few photos we just had to post.  He reports:  “Arghhh — I was in the Port O’ Baltimore for a Halloween Party, hosted by a zombie bride and groom.  They had some very creative decorations, including a skull ice sculpture that chilled the punch kettle, chili with and without flesh, mad scientist lab jars (cauliflower = brain, grapes = eyes, fennel = heart) and an inflatable coffin with ice cold beverages.  The last shot was some of my intake for the evening.  Are Rolaids available in fun size?”

Thanks Steven — It looks like it was a morbidly fun party.  They certainly were creative with the use of food.  Hopefully that’s not a real finger on the chopping board!  And I agree that Rolaids (like candy) should come in fun size packs too.

As an occasional Tastemaker for Foodbuzz, I opted to try a new brand of 100% Natural Breads.  And although not much of a Bread person, especially Wheat Bread, I’m now sold on Nature’s Pride.  I didn’t expect to like their 100% Whole Wheat and 12 Grain Bread as much as I do — I most often prefer Sourdough, but was happily impressed from the start with the double wrapping and freshness.  The texture and color of the 12 Grain reminded me of the best Amish Friendship Bread I once had, a very good thing.  And the taste of the 100% Whole Wheat won me over.  Once it was finished, I started falling for the 12 Grain.  It appears Nature’s Pride makes high quality, tasty Bread.  Two thumbs up by each of our four Tastemakers who enjoyed the meals prepared above and below.  Hover over each photo for a brief description.  This opportunity was a pleasure.

Since we also report about cooking mishaps, keep an eye on your Toast.  We burnt way too many slices. 🙁

We’re going camping on the beach, so I made the perfect Cupcakes.  Aren’t they cute?!  They’re easy to make too.  I used a Spice Cake Mix, then topped each Cupcake with an Orange Powdered Sugar Glaze.  The sand is ground Teddy Grahams and the towel is a piece of a Fruit Roll-Up.  Just lay a Teddy Graham on the towel, prop open a cocktail umbrella to block the sun and voila.

Since there was extra batter, I made a small Cake in the toaster oven.  It turned out good, but needed to be cooked a little longer than noted.  And as you can see in the photo, it became a sun bathing cliff for the Teddy Grahams.  My Chef Nieces are going to love it.  FYI:  I did not come up with this idea.  Similar Cupcakes won an Honorable Mention at the OC Fair this year.  Unfortunately I didn’t catch a name, nor a photo of the original Cupcakes.  If its creator stumbles across this post, please make yourself known — This copycat is a memory of yours. 🙂

A friend sent me this 5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake Recipe via e-mail.  It’s touted as “The Most Dangerous Cake Recipe in the World” because it’s only 5 Minutes away and the ingredients are usually on hand — I guess one shouldn’t eat too many of these.  With that typed, here’s the Dangerous RECIPE:

1 Mug

4 Tablespoons Flour

4 Tablespoons Sugar

2 Tablespoons Cocoa

1 Egg

3 Tablespoons Milk

3 Tablespoons Canola or Vegetable Oil

1 Teaspoon of Vanilla

Combine the Flour, Sugar and Cocoa in a Mug – Add the Egg and mix thoroughly.  Pour in the Milk, Oil and Vanilla and mix well.  Place Mug in the Microwave and cook on maximum power (1000 watts) for 3 Minutes. Let Cake cool for a few minutes, then eat straight out of the Mug or empty onto a plate or into a bowl with Ice Cream.

The Cake will rise over the top of the Mug while cooking, but don’t be alarmed — It’ll be OK and it looks kinda funny.  The Cake is a little dense and dry and tastes best with Ice Cream, Powdered Sugar, Whipped Cream and/or a big glass of MILK.  Overall, it’s a fun, fast and warm Dessert that fills the air of Chocolate Cake within minutes.

FUN Related Links:

http://www.dizzy-dee.com/recipe/chocolate-cake-in-5-minutes

http://alladither.typepad.com/halfassedkitchen/2008/10/five-minute-chocolate-cake-yes-really.html

Could you eat on $7 a Day for a Week?  That’s Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner, and there’s no accepting free food, no eating what you already have, and the meals should be somewhat healthy.  Many will be doing that April 20-24, 2009 during the United Way’s Hunger Action Week. 

What an interesting challenge — I would probably learn a lot.  If I didn’t already have longstanding lunch and dinner plans next week, I’d do it too.  It appears $7 is the maximum food stamp benefit for an individual.  I’ll make myself take the challenge another week or the economy may force it upon me.  Until then, I’ll be following the food blog reports, especially the posts by Savory Sweet Life.  

United Way Hunger Challenge: http://savorysweetlife.com/?p=205

Getting Started with a Grocery Diary: http://savorysweetlife.com/

One of the magazines I currently subscribe to is Orange Coast and in this month’s issue is this amazing recipe.  It’s Baked Eggs in Ham Cups with Mushrooms and Shallots by Chef Jamie Gwen.  I fell in love with the photo, and the recipe is fairly easy so I had to make it. 

The taste and homemade presentation happily lived up to my initial reaction to the magazine photo (below left).  This recipe is so delicious and impressive looking.  A yummy sautéed Mushroom mixture is layered over the Ham and under the Egg, as you can see before it’s baked (below middle). 

The photo and recipe in Orange Coast Magazine (April 2009) are found within a Special Advertising Section by South Coast Plaza, 13-15. 

These Baked Eggs in Ham Cups are definitely worth making, especially for company.  They’ll definitely be a part of my Brunch repertoire in the future — They’re too FAB!

Chef Jamie Gwen INFO: http://www.chefjamie.com/

Orange Coast Magazine: http://www.orangecoastmagazine.com/

Note:  Leave comment HERE if larger recipe print is needed.

Instead of just one Burger, why not make homemade Sliders for fun and variety — Pictured (L-R) we made a Blue Cheese Burger with Tomatoes, Lettuce and Pickles, a Bacon Cheddar Burger, and a Jalapeno Jack Burger with Tomatoes and Arugula.

We added a little Worcestershire Sauce, Salt and freshly ground Pepper to the small Burger Patties, buttered and toasted the mini Buns/Rolls and laid out all the fixins. 

We fried these Burgers in a pan (after we brought home the Bacon) and topped with Cheese after turning — Then transferred all to Buns with their corresponding counterparts. 

“Shelly’s Sliders” turned out pretty good.  It was fun eating a variety of Burgers and deciphering what tastes best.  We’ve got some great ideas for our next Slider Smorgasbord and would have made them here, but didn’t have Chipotles, Pineapples, or Chili on hand.

If local and don’t feel like making your own Sliders, check out the restaurants and photos linked below.

3-Thirty-3 Sliders: http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=1939

Charlie Palmer’s Sliders: http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=1036

More INFO: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburger

I’ll never forget that “Pound Cake” is the title of a Van Halen song.  My friends and I were once running late to a Van Halen concert at the Pacific Amphitheater, as Pound Cake was just starting to play.  I can’t write what my friend said as we were running in, but I’ll never forget it.  I like the song and the Cake.

Here I made the easy Betty Crocker Pound Cake Mix we’ve all seen in the grocery store for years.  It’s good and simple, but I like to doctor them up differently each time.  The mix makes two small loaves.  This time I added Cinnamon to one and Lemon Zest to the other.  I swirled both into the batter, then topped with leftover Streusel — I had made too much for a pie, so it came in handy here.  Both turned out yummy and are great to have on hand for guests.  Rock on. 🙂

Related Links:

http://www.bettycrocker.com/

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=153

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IWZcf2_aPY

Grilled Bacon Wrapped Asparagus on the BBQ – Just wrap bundles of Asparagus with strips of Bacon.  I usually wrap one slice of Bacon around 3-4 Asparagus.  I’ll add a well placed toothpick to each bundle, so not to worry about the Bacon unraveling on the grill — That’s a bad thing.  Bacon Wrapped Asparagus is an easy tasty appetizer or side dish.  Everyone loves them.

Related Links:

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=380

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=377

Decorating Christmas Cookies is one of our new traditions, thanks to my great friend, Loretta, who makes all the goods.  As previously reported, the rest of us simply show up to decorate, eat and take home our works of art.

Not only do we get to take home our Cookies, but on this occasion we enjoyed, White, Milk and Dark Chocolate dipped Oreo Cookies, Milk Chocolate dipped Graham Crackers, and White Chocolate Peppermint Bark and molded cottages.  As you can see, all look so professional.

The cellophane bags magically turn our labors into gifts.  My office enjoyed much of the above.  Thanks to my wonderful friends for the laughs and goodies.  And Merry Christmas to ALL!

Be sure to check out the related links for more Cookie ideas and to read the story behind the messy apron (above).

Related Links:

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=1214

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=1548

These were created by a food lover and 10% of the proceeds go to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  To learn a lot more, visit Grill Charms’ website.  If you type “grilling” in the Coupon Code box, you’ll save $5.00.  I could have used them on past occasions.  How about you?  Related Link:  www.grillcharms.com

UPDATE (09/29/09):  Leslie Haywood of Grill Charms just got offered a sizzling deal on ABC’s Shark Tank.  Congratulations and good luck!

After my Christmas Party this year I ended up with leftovers from two generous Vegetable Platters.  I love having washed pre-cut vegetables on hand.  They’re a great snack, but you can only eat so many Celery and Carrot sticks with Ranch Dip.  Since I had so many, I tried a few recipes.  Before that I did eat the Red, Yellow and (most) Green Peppers, and there were no Cucumbers after the party — I made a few dishes with the remaining Cherry Tomatoes, Celery, Carrots, Broccoli, Bell Peppers and Sugar Snap Peas.

White Bean & Celery Soup – This may not look like much, but it’s good.  The recipe (linked below) is a combination of Celery, Onion, Garlic, Cannellini Beans, Vegetable Stock and S & P.  I substituted Chicken Stock and added some fresh squeezed Lemon Juice at the end, plus Scallions on top.  It hit the spot after that.  http://www.opensourcefood.com/people/netwalker/recipes/white-bean-and-celery-soup

Creamy Vegetable Soup – I roasted Broccoli, Carrots, Bell Peppers and Sugar Snap Peas in the oven.  After all were a little charred, I removed the vegetables from the oven and added hot Chicken Stock.  I mixed some Milk with a little Cornstarch and poured it in, then brought all to a quick boil, simmered a bit and served this Soup within a short time.  It was easy and flavorful.

 Baked Cherry Tomatoes – I stumbled across this recipe (linked below) which seemed easy and a little different.  I had all ingredients, Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic, Chives, Lemon Juice, Olive Oil and S & P.  I followed the recipe exactly, but next time I might add less Lemon Juice, or add the Peel/Rind instead.  I’ve found that the Rind imparts a Lemon flavor without making a dish too tart.  Or Lemon Juice added at the end is sometimes best.  http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/egg/egg0896/cherryto.html

Roasted Carrots – I roasted Carrots in the oven with a little Olive Oil and Salt.  I ate several, then mashed the rest and incorporated them into an easy Carrot Souffle recipe.  It didn’t turn out like I hoped, mostly because I didn’t have all ingredients.  I tried to improvise, but the final was too dense, not fluffy and light how I want.

Cafeteria Carrot Souffle – Here’s the wannabe Souffle photo and recipe (linked below).  I mickey-moused this one, but you might want to give it a try.  It has potential.  After making all the above, I’m down to a small bag of Cherry Tomatoes, Carrots and Broccoli.  Any suggestions?  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cafeteria-Carrot-Souffle/Detail.aspx

The recipe is from my Niece’s Cookbook, Family Fun Cooking with Kids.  And as declared, it is a simple Bread, especially if you’re not the one getting your hands dirty.  I supervised the preparation of this Turtle Bread and looking back the process wasn’t too bad.

BUT there was a time in the middle that hands were stuck to the Dough and Flour was flying.  There are no pictures of that in the book, nor here, since they’re not pretty.  But Oil up your hands real good BEFORE starting to knead the Dough.

This post is another feature of Kids in the Kitchen with Bailee and Alexis.  It was FUN to watch the Bread rise and shape it into a Turtle.  Its eyes are Raisins that expanded to look like Olives. 

The aroma of Bread baking in the oven and the opportunity to eat your own homemade Bread are special experiences.  We want to do it again.  For the recipe enlarge the picture below, or obtain this creative Cookbook and start cooking with your kids – They have fun doing the dirty work, HA.  It’s a win-win.

Related Link and Cookbook Information:

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=990

We saw this recipe in a cookbook I recent bought for my Niece’s Birthday  — We thought it was so clever and cute that we made it during a sleepover at a family cabin in Lake Arrowhead.  That’s us on the cake from left to right, my sister Ami, Niece Lexi, Mom, Me and Niece Bailee.    

We look a bit like zombies, but it was fun to make.  Our heads are Nilla Wafers, the pillows are Marshmallows, and the bodies are Twinkies.  We used Jawbreakers for the eyes, sweet and sour Candy Rope for the bed skirt and trim, and made a Milk Chocolate Cake instead of a Vanilla one.

Here’s a picture of the book cover and recipe.  The original looks more polished — It was harder to make than we expected.  It’s tricky frosting over the Twinkies, we added toothpicks to hold them in place.  The softer the Frosting and bed trim Candy, the better.  It was a cool experience together.

Our Cake was posted on Culinarty by Lore as one of (10) Original Food Photos.  Take a look at it there and check out her other picks.  They are all pretty amazing.  Thanks Lore.

http://culinarty.sapiensworks.com/articles/lores-choice-10-original-food-photos-5/

Related Links:

http://www.cookingwithkids.com/

http://www.kids-cooking-activities.com/

http://www.amazon.com/FamilyFun-Cooking-Kids-Deanna-Cook/dp/1423100867

It’s always nice in the Summer to receive Herbs from a Friend’s Garden.  Here’s another creative way to keep them for a short period of time.  It’s fun to open the fridge to see a Cup-O-Herbs, especially if the Herbs have blooms.  This bunch includes Garlic Chives, Rosemary, Basil and Pineapple Sage.  There’s a little water at the bottom of the cup.  It’s like a decoration in your fridge.  I thought about adding a tablecloth. 🙂

But learn something from my unrelated mistake.  You probably wouldn’t notice, but if you do — I should have removed the Tomato Paste from the can before placing it in the refrigerator.  I’ve read that’s what you’re supposed to do.  I was just keeping it for a day, but that’s no excuse.  It’s the bad in the good, the bad and the funny.

Related Links:

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=744

It’s the Herbs in the Salad Mix.  They add a sophisticated and notable dimension to the standard BLT.  I now prefer it this way.  I made the same Sandwich yesterday and it was so good I wanted it again.  Since I didn’t have enough Bacon, I only made 1/2 a Sandwich — With a side Salad it’s a great meal.

It’s easy to put together.  The Tomatoes weigh down the Lettuce, and with them in the middle, the Bread doesn’t get soggy.  I toast the Bread and add Mayo to both pieces, and S&P the Tomatoes too.

This Herb Salad Mix includes fresh Dill, Cilantro, Parsley, Arugula, Baby Lettuce, Frisee, Radicchio, and more.  TIP:  I buy this mix most often.  It’s great to have if you need a few Herbs.  It’s less expensive overall and multi-purposeful.  I’ll remove a little Dill or Cilantro to add to a recipe.

Related Links:

http://www.traderjoes.com/

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Cookbook:Frisee

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radicchio

To enjoy variety and test what tastes best, I prepared 9 Scallops 3 different ways.  I seasoned four with S & P and seared them in a pan with a little oil, while the other 2/3 of the trio was broiling in the oven.  Thankfully the seared Scallops couldn’t have turned out better.  The cooking time was about 4 minutes.

I prepared another three Scallops with a mixture of Mayonnaise, Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce, Lemon Juice and S & P — I topped them with the Sauce and sprinkled with Panko Breadcrumbs, then broiled them in the oven with the ones below.  The cooking time was about 5 minutes.

I coated the remaining two Scallops with Ponzu Sauce and Lemon Zest.  They tasted okay, but looked extremely boring.  I won’t be repeating this 1/3 of the trio, but it was still fun to have the assortment and none were terrible.

Overall, the seared Scallops were the best.  The Sriracha Scallops were good too, but mostly because they tasted similar to a Scallop Handroll at a Sushi Bar.  Next time I might just sear them and serve with a Sriracha Dipping Sauce on the side. 

Related Links:

Sriracha Sauce – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sriracha

Sriracha Sauce – http://www.huyfong.com/no_frames/sriracha.htm

Ponzu Sauce – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponzu

Ponzu Sauce – http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-ponzu-sauce.htm

Panko Breadcrumbs – http://www.sacbee.com/taste/story/1003427.html

Since I like Houston’s ‘Chicago-Style Spinach Dip’ so much, I wanted to make it at home.  I researched the Internet and came across a few Copycat Recipes, so I tried a couple. 

I combined and fine tuned all that I learned to decide on the following as my version of the restaurant’s tasty dip, with a little more of the goodies — Artichokes and Spinach.  The Houston’s flavors are there.

Recipe and Ingredients: 

As shown above, first cut off the tough ends of the Artichoke Hearts (if necessary), then mix all ingredients together.  Transfer the mixture to an oven proof dish, then bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

1 (16 oz.) Bag of Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed and squeezed or drained of all water

1 (12 oz.) Jar of Marinated Artichoke Hearts, drained and chopped (Unmarinated is fine)

1 Large Garlic Clove, minced or pressed

1 Cup of Mozzarella Cheese, grated (Jack Cheese can be substituted)

2/3 Cup of Parmesan Cheese, grated or shaved

1/2 Cup Sour Cream (Heaping Cup)

1/4 Cup Cream or Half & Half  (Less, if too runny or watery, add a little at a time)

Houston’s serves their Chicago-Style Spinach Dip with Tortilla Chips, Sour Cream and Salsa, which is great, but at home I usually have it with Stacy’s Simply Naked Pita Chips.  It’s hard to find a good bagged Tortilla Chip — But if you prefer the complete Houston’s combination, Have’a Chips are recommended as one of the better packaged Tortilla Chips.

These Scones were PERFECT.  I’ll never need another Scone recipe.  I mean it!  One of my very dear friends hosted this lovely High Tea to celebrate a couple birthdays.  We had a wonderful time and meal. 

While getting ready to just show up, I thought to myself, she’s probably working hard right now.  I appreciate her efforts even before tasting the fruits of her labor.  In particular, the Scones were better than any I’ve had.  We all said the same thing.  She sent a copy of the recipe, so I attached it below.

The Victorian House table setting was cute and cozy.  She served Tea Sandwiches, aka Canapes, made of Chicken & Rosemary, and Cucumber & Cream Cheese — Along with all was Clotted Cream, Preserves, and Fresh Fruit.

And mustn’t forget the Tea, an Orange flavored combination made by Monks.  It was exceptionally aromatic.  We all thought we were done when she comes out of the kitchen with Key Lime Squares.  Come on now.  She did the High Tea right.

The food and the company couldn’t be beat.  Thank YOU!

Related Links:

cream-scones.pdf – Cream Scone and Mock Clotted Cream Recipe

http://www.joyofbaking.com/

http://www.recipesource.com/

Bonus Link: 

http://www.theritzlondon.com/tea/ – You’ll see that The Ritz in London serves the same at their High Tea.  I wonder if it’s as good?

Melt good quality Chocolate in the microwave at 50% for 1 minute at a time, and stir in between until perfectly melted.  Stir in enough Almonds to generously coat all with the Chocolate.  Drop clusters onto a foil lined tray and pop into the fridge to chill.  They can be considered done at this point, and ready to eat in about 5 – 10 minutes.

In this instance I melted a Coconut White Chocolate bar, then drizzled it across the chilled Almond Clusters.  I usually melt the second Chocolate in a separate microwaveable bowl to keep its color pristine, but this time I needed the bowl for something else.  These taste just as good, but I think the white against the brown looks better than the lighter brown. 

Want a bite?  Just make some real fast.

Related Link:

My favorite Chocolate – http://www.lindt.com/2865/2866.asp

The last couple times I made a Salad for dinner, I made one for tomorrow’s lunch.  I figure WHY NOT, since I already have everything out, and I generally prepare more than I can eat.  So I put together a smaller Salad without the dressing to bring to the office the next day.  I’ve appreciated having it — I know that it’s fresh.  To make sure it stays crisp, I don’t cut all the Tomato until I’m ready to eat, plus I make sure the Lettuce is completely dry.  And I transport the dressing in a small plastic cup.

The Salads featured in this post contain variations of Romaine, Roma Tomatoes, Grated Carrots, Cilantro, and Green Onions.