Leave it to the Sushi Masters

My boyfriend and I had wanted to make sushi at home for a while. Saturday night the idea came up and we decided to head to our fish monger, Mr. Fish and Publix to get the necessities. We bought it all:

-sushi grade tuna

-shrimp

-tempura batter

-sushi rice

-rice wine vinager

-avacado

-cucumber

-carrots

-cream cheese

-nori

-wasabi

AND SOY

We had so much fun making the rolls and we did a damn good job for our first time......... let me also add it will be our LAST time making sushi. It just doesn't taste the same as you get going out. I don't think we even finish 1 of the 4 rolls we made. We dumped it all in the trash and ended up eating Jets pizza.

Lesson: Try everything once. We will look back at this catastrophe and appreciate our sushi chefs at The Blue Fish, Blow Fish, Tee Jays, Lemon Grass and Sushi Thai more than ever.

Roasted Tomato Soup with Red Wine

Roasted Tomato Soup with Red Wine
Originally uploaded by c3howe

- 1 28 oz. can of Italian peeled whole tomatoes
- 3 cloves of garlic, halved
- 1/4 cup of red wine (I used Bridlewood Syrah)
- 2 TBS butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- ricotta salata cheese

1. Strain tomatoes from its juice and reserve juice for later.
2. Place whole tomatoes in a baking dish with garlic and wine. Roast at 375 degrees for 20 mins.
3. Sautee onion and carrots in butter until tender. Add stock, tomatoes and the juice into the pot.
4. Use an immersion blender to puree soup until there are no longer any vegetable chunks left.
5. Season soup with salt and pepper to taste and stir in cream.
6. Top your bowl of soup with shaved ricotta salata!

I served my soup with creamy corn empanadas, perfect for dipping!

McBreakfast

McBreakfast
Originally uploaded by c3howe

McDonalds has nothing on this!

BAM! Asian Baked Tilapia

Saturday night I was lucky enough to get tickets to see none other than the godfather of Food Network, Emeril Lagasse! The show was 90 mins, he did a Q and A session for 45 mins. The other 45 he spent cooking it up in the kitchen. I reinvented his Asian Flounder dish.


- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 TBS dark seasame oil
- 1 TBS olive oil
- juice from 1 lemon
- 3 scallions julienned
- 1 TBS dijion mustard
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 9 oz. Bag baby spinach
- 2 carrots peeled into strips
- creole seasoning
- 2 tilapia fillets

1. Whisk first 8 ingredients in large mixing. Gently toss in spinach and carrots. Fill the bottom of a baking dish with half of the spinach mixture.
2. Season tilapia fillets with creole seasoning and place in top of spinach.
3. Put the rest of the spinach on top of the fish and drizzle any remaining liquid. Bake dish for 20-25 mins at 350 degrees.

I served with brown rice. Sooo good!

Sweet Turkey Minis

Sweet Turkey Minis
Originally uploaded by c3howe

Juicy Turkey Sliders topped with a Sweet Onion Chutney served on a Flakey Croissant

Ingredients:
-1 Large Vidalia Onion(1/2 grated and 1/2 of it diced)
-2 Cloves of Garlic
-1.5 lbs of Ground Turkey Breast
-4 TSP of Worshishire
-2 TSP of Cracked Black Pepper
-2 TSP of Salt
-1 TSP of Steak Seasoning
-1 TBSP of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-4 Croissants cut in half
-8 Slices of Cheddar Cheese
-8 Slices of Tomato

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl grate half of the onion and 2 cloves of garlic. Add in the turkey, 2 TSP of Worshishire, 1 TSP of pepper, 1 TSP of salt and 1 TSP of steak seasoning. Mix with your hands until everything is combined. Divide the meat into 8 small mini burgers. Grill on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side or until turkey is fully cooked through.

In a saucepan, sauté diced onions with olive oil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until onions start to caramelize. Add 1 TSP of salt, 1 TSP of pepper and 2 TSP of Worshishire sauce to sautéed onions and set to low for 3 minutes.

Slice croissant in half; one croissant is the perfect bun size for two sliders. Top each slider with the sweet onion chutney, a slice of cheddar cheese and a slice of tomatoes. These sweet turkey minis taste great with beer battered onion straws! ENJOY!

Cheesy Stuffed Shells with Arrabbiata Sauce

Creamy and Cheesy Stuffed Shells topped with a Spicy Vodka Sauce!....PERFECT COMBO!

Servings: 8
Prep time: 25
Cook time: 25
Total time: 50

Ingredients:
- 1 12oz Box of Jumbo Pasta Shells (appox. 40 shells per box)
- 1 Egg
- 1 32oz Tub of Ricotta Cheese
- 1 cup of Shredded Mozzarella
- 1 cup of Parmesan Cheese
- ½ cup of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- 1 TSP Salt
- 2 TSP Pepper
- 1 TSP Dried Basil
- 3 TBS of Fresh Parsley (chopped)
- 1 TBS of Olive Oil
- 3 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- 1 TSP Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Jar of Vodka Sauce
- ½ a Jar of Marinara Sauce



Directions:
In a large pot of boiling salted water, partially cook the pasta shells, about 6-8 minutes. Shells will finish cooking later in the oven. Drain the pasta and place shells on an oiled baking sheet to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg and then combine ricotta, ½ of the Mozzarella, parmesan, cheddar, salt, pepper, basil and parsley. Set to the side.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium heat, add garlic and red pepper flakes. Sautee until garlic turns light brown. Add both jarred sauces and stir, reduce heat to low.

Spread out 1 cup of the Arrabbiata sauce on the bottom of a 12x9 2 inch baking dish. Start to fill ricotta mixture into each shell until it’s full. Set shells seam side up in the baking dish. Pour the rest of the Arrabbiata sauce evenly over the dish. Top it off with the leftover mozzarella cheese. Cover the dish with a piece of foil and bake for 25-30 mins. DELISH!

don't let that sunrise fool you

don't let that sunrise fool you
Originally uploaded by c3howe

This is the 5th day in a row I have woke up with numb toes! I moved from Michigan to escape the cold and the ugly chill has found me. I am running out of warm clothes!! Dear, 80 degrees please return home...

Arugula Tower

Arugula Tower
Originally uploaded by c3howe

-1 tomato sliced and seasoned with salt and pepper
-baby arugula
-crumbled blue cheese
-red onion thinly slices
- olive oil
- aged balsamic vinager

This is one of my favorite salads! Start to layer the salad with tomato, arugula, onion and blue cheese. Repeat 3 times and drizzle salad with olive oil and balsamic.

*you can always use fresh mozzarella or crumbled goat cheese instead of the blue

Guacaholy

What you need...
- 2 ripe avacados
- 1 large clove of garlic minced tiny
- 1 TBS of sour cream
- 1 TBS of diced jarred jalepenos
- 1 TBS of fresh cilantro
- juice from half a lime
- 2 TSP of cumin
- a pinch of cayanne pepper
- 1/4 cup of diced red onion

What you do...
Mash avacados in a bowl and mix in all ingrediants, done and yum! I make sure to eat with my chicken nachos <3

Ceaser 101

Ceaser 101
Originally uploaded by c3howe

In a blender mix:
-1 large glove of garlic
- 1TBS dijon mustard
- 2 tsp anchovy paste
- 2 tbs olive oil
- juice and zest from half a lemon
-3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
- salt and pepper

Toss ceaser dressing with crisp romaine hearts and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese or pecorino romano. Yummmy!

I also made a pan seared tilapia with a white wine - lemon sauce and a lemon cream angel hair pasta!

Last Dolphins Game...

Last Dolphins Game...
Originally uploaded by c3howe

...of the season and my mind wanders to food. What shall I make tonight?

Chicken Enchiladas

Chicken Enchiladas
Originally uploaded by c3howe

I had to start the new year right! I made my enchiladas sauce from a blend of spices: chili, ancho chili, cumin, and paprika powder mixed with chicken stock and a half cup of roasted corn and black bean salsa. It has the perfect bit of spice and smokiness a enchilada sauce should have.