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Big Dreams

2010-05-17T15:41:00.000-07:00

Me hanging out in Malibu

I have been working on a big dream of mine. I have faced a big obstacle but am going to continue on the quest of this dream and am so determined to make it happen! It's hard for me to post regularly on here because between working on this project and running my catering company, and being a mom to my wonderful son....I have no time! I do plan on posting regularly someday but for now....I will do what I can. I was in California for a few days this week and was lucky enough to spend a few days with my sister Kovan. It is so beautiful out there and it's so strange being back in Omaha.....it seems so quite here! Though I have to admit that it will be nice to sleep in my own bed! Much love to you all! Avesta

Aaahhhh Melinda and Emil!

2010-05-07T21:21:00.000-07:00

Here's a wedding I did this past Fall. The bride and groom are such wonderful people and I am so glad that I've gotten to know them better. The bride Melinda has amazing taste and picked out wonderful food and decor. Which mind you, she made almost all the decorations herself! She owns a design and invitation company called , Revival Design Company (http://www.revivaldesigncompany.com/) please check it out because her prices and services are amazing! Melinda is from Nebraska and her husband Emil is from Brooklyn, NY....what a great mix of guests! It was a lot of fun and I truly enjoyed catering this wedding because everything was just so perfect! :)

I loved Melinda's choice of colors....gray and yellow. It was so beautiful!

Sushi Appetizers

Bruschetta

Smoked Fish Canapes (for the Russian groom)

More Smoked Fish Canapes

Mini Caprese Salad

Mini Milkshakes!

DANCE!

CHAIR DANCE!

Wishing you Melinda and Emil years of love, laughter and of course lots of good food!

It's been awhile.....I know......

2010-03-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

I've been MIA from my blog. Life has been quite hectic and trying these past few months and I've decided that I only want to post when I felt it in my heart and soul. I haven't stopped cooking of course because you know that's what I do for a living but as far as posting.....well....I just needed to straighten some things in my life and head before I could continue on here. I am starting to feel the need to post again so I am preparing some great post entries and will be making a return! I hope you all have survived this horribly cold and long winter and I look forward to sharing my world with you again. Much love, Avesta

This is a shout out to my beloved Buckeyes who are playing today in the NCAA Tournament against Georgia Tech! Go Bucks!

Chicago Food n Fun

2009-11-14T12:13:00.000-08:00

I took a quick trip to Chicago a couple weeks ago to visit two of my best friends...Tiffany and Lisa. It was a great time and even though I was only there for about 30 hours...we made the best of it and of course had some incredible food! I love Chicago food because you can find some really good comfort food....which of course I love since I grew up in Ohio and we love comfort food here in the Midwest!

Check out these places next time you're in Chi-town!!!!

Over Easy Cafe
Hours
Monday: Closed
Tuesday - Saturday: 7:00am - 3:00pm
Sunday: 8:00am - 3:00pm

Location
4943 Damen Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
(773) 506-2605

The Mighty Muffaletta

seriously an amazing sandwich and the potato salad that goes with it is perfect!

They call these Sassy Eggs and that they are!!! Not just the work of art that they appear on the plate....way beyond that....the flavors are so good that before you know it....you've eaten the whole plate of what you thought was a ridiculous amount of food in front of you!
So beautiful and now I dream about this meal....darn it Chef Jon!!!
Inside is so cute...modern but cozy!!!!

Phoebe's Cupcakes
3327 N. Broadway Ave.
(between Aldine Ave & Buckingham Pl)
Chicago, IL 60657

Tel: 773.868.4000
Fax: 773.868.4005

Email: bakery@phoebescupcakes.com

Hours
Monday-Thurs. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Fri-Sat. 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.

Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Early morning pick up available Monday-Thurs. with 24 hour notice. 773-868-4000
These were their Halloween specials....so freakin' cute!!!!!

My friend Tiffany feeding me the little chicken cupcake...it was a coconut cake with coconut icing....absolutely delicious!

Persian Jeweled Rice

2009-10-19T17:16:00.000-07:00

Jeweled Rice

I catered a rehearsal dinner a few months ago that was based on the groom's Persian culture. It was so nice to cook Persian food as I grew up with this type of food and have always loved the flavors and techniques of Persian cooks. I honestly believe that Persian food is the finest in the world. It is always so delicious and beautiful!

When you get married in Iran you must have Javaher Polow or in English...Persian Jeweled Rice. This stunning rice dish is supposed to represent the jewels and sweetness that are to come to the happy couple....and bring them good luck. And the dish truly does look like it is adorned with jewels...so it may take some time and some ingredients that you don't always have on hand....but believe me....this dish is a show stopper and will definitely get your guests to say "oooohhhh" and "aaahhhhhh"....not to mention the amazing flavor that is going to put them over the edge and be so thankful that you made them a dish worthy of royalty!

So here is a recipe for Jeweled Rice that is not as time consuming with a few shortcuts but will still impress your guests and will taste and look amazing!

Jeweled Rice with Lamb
8 cups cooked rice (preferably Basmati Rice)

1 cup blanched and slivered almonds (reserve 1/4 cup for garnish)

1 cup golden raisins (reserve 1/4 cup for garnish)

1 cup barberries (or any other bright red berry) (reserve 1/4 cup for garnish)

3 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 tablespoon sugar

1 can julienned carrots (I learned this shortcut from a Persian friend of mine!)

1 pinch saffron threads

1 tablespoon orange marmalade

orange rind (for optional garnish)

A unique ingredient in Jeweled Rice is dried barberries. You can find these at some Middle Eastern grocery stores but if you cannot find them you can substitute with dried cranberries or cherries or use fresh pomegranate seeds since they are in season right now.

If you do use a dried berry...make sure to rehydrate them by soaking them in some water.

Saffron is also used in Jeweled rice so take the pinch of saffron and let the threads soak in about 1/2 cup of water until the water is bright orangish-red.

Once all your dried fruit is hydrated...saute the raisins with the almonds in one tablespoon butter and one teaspoon of olive oil.

Then add the dried berries. Season this mixture with a teaspoon of cumin, and a little salt and black pepper.

I use fresh lamb from the Middle Eastern butcher whenever I can. For this recipe I use about 1 lb. of lamb. You can also substitute beef or just omit the meat if you want to keep the dish vegetarian.

Cut the lamb into bite size pieces and saute in one tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt, 1 teaspoon cumin and a little black pepper.

Once the lamb is nice and golden add the nut and fruit mixture and then add the saffron mixture, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 tablespoon orange marmalade, 1 teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom and stir. This does not have to cook just heated up all together.

The way to serve this dish is to layer the rice with the lamb, fruit and nut mixture. I then take the julienned carrots and orange peel, and some reserved nuts and dried berries and garnish the dish. I take pita and cut it into wedges and place them around the rice.

This is by no means a traditional Persian Jeweled Rice recipe but again...it takes a fraction of the time (the traditional recipe I used for the wedding took me several hours to make)....But this recipe is still very delicious and will wow your guests with it's beauty!
Isn't this just gorgeous? And the flavor is seriously amazing! Please try this recipe as it really is not that difficult!

Summer Wedding

2009-10-04T21:16:00.000-07:00

As most of you know...I own a catering company here in Omaha and I wanted to share with you a wedding I did this summer that was pretty simple but ended up being just beautiful. I love catering weddings and this wedding was special to me because it was the couple's second marriage and they both have children from their previous marriages (same as me and my husband). The way they included their children in the ceremony was so sweet. Heather and Scott were so easy to work with and they were so appreciative of all the work we did to put their special day together. It's always so nice to work for people who know how much hard work we put in to make everything run smoothly and how difficult it really is to make sure everything is timed just right. Enjoy the pictures and look for more wedding and event pictures to come!

Two of my employees getting the drink/bar station ready.

Heather wanted everything to be simple and elegant...black and white with wild summer flowers.

She had a bunch of small vases with flowers in them on the tables and had this arrangement made for the bar.

The whole ceiling in my event space is a skylight...we hung white lanterns and the effect was amazing!

She didn't want to spend tons of money on flowers (like I said this was a 2nd marriage for both of them and they have better things to spend their money on..for example...kids) so she chose several small vases with wild flowers on each table...it looked great and the guests could still see each other across the table!

Heather also chose a simple yet contemporary dress with a black sash...she looked great!
Guests going through the appetizer station.
Bruschetta
Tabouleh

Instead of a wedding cake...the bride chose to do assorted mini desserts......
not only did they look beautiful.......
guests loved having a choice of many different kinds of desserts.
The first dance...I love how the lanterns look above them!

What a great wedding...thanks Heather and Scott!

Wishing you much love and happiness!

Indian Feast

2009-09-09T15:14:00.000-07:00

My Indian Feast

I love Indian food and though I love going out to eat Indian....sometimes I love making Indian food at home just to try to recreate all those amazing flavors. I think it's fun to experiment with ethnic flavors and spices that I don't usually use at home. I catered a wedding a few months ago and the groom was Indian. They did half Indian food and half American food. It was a great wedding. The guests loved the diverse menu and I even got compliments from the Indian guests about my Indian creations. It's always a huge compliment when those who really know the food (meaning it's in their blood)....tell me that I did their food justice!

So here's a couple Indian recipes that I've simplified so that you can create similar dishes to those you love in Indian restaurants but without all the time and effort....watch out though....your neighbors may come over for some dinner because the aroma from these dishes is amazing!

Easy Vegetable Biryani

1 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon butter or ghee (clarified butter)
1 teaspoon red hot pepper powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic paste or powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala (an Indian spice mix that you can find in ethnic grocery stores and now even some main stream grocery stores or markets)
1-2 cups fresh or frozen mixed vegetables (depending on how many veggies you want in there)
3 1/2 cups water
2 cups uncooked rice (prefer basmati)
salt to taste
for garnish:
1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro chopped
1/2 tablespoon fresh chopped mint leaves

In a large pan heat oil and butter or ghee and add spices and saute for just a minute and add vegetables and stir well. Then add the rice and salt the mixture (at least 1 teaspoon of salt) and make sure the rice is coated with the mixture. Add the water and bring to a boil and mix one last time. Cover and lower the heat to a simmer. Let the rice absorb all the water and do not take off the lid to check for at least 15-20 minutes. If your rice is still too hard, turn off the heat and let the rice sit for another 10-15 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro and mint leaves.

Vegetable Biryani

Indian Butter Chicken (Chicken Makhani)

For Chicken:
1 1/2 pounds chicken (on or off the bone)
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon garam masala
salt and pepper to taste

For Sauce:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 tablespoons ghee or butter
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 bay leaf
1 cup heavy cream or half n half
1 can chopped tomato (including liquid)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon red hot pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup ground unsalted cashews or almonds
1/4 cup water

Salt and pepper the chicken then marinade in the yogurt, lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of the garam masala, garlic and ginger for at least one hour but prefer 6-12 hours.

To make sauce, heat 1 tablespoon oil and the ghee or butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Saute onion until soft and translucent. Add tomato paste and stir, and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently then add chopped tomatoes, stir and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in cream or half-and-half. Reduce heat to low, add rest of spices, stirring frequently. Season with salt pepper and simmer on very low heat for about 5 minutes then turn off heat.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add chicken. Brown the chicken until golden add 1/4 cup water, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes. Then add sauce and ground nuts, simmer until liquid has reduced and thickened, and chicken is completely cooked. If sauce thickens too much add a little water until the chicken is cooked through.

Serve with a drizzle of cream or what I like to drizzle on top is what is called Crema Mexicana. It tastes in between a heavy cream and a sour cream. I know it's not Indian but it really does taste so good drizzled on Indian food! Trust me....try it! Don't eat with a fork...scoop it up with some Indian Naan instead!

I like using a little bit of boneless skinless chicken thighs cut up and some chicken legs. But you can use breasts if you'd like.

As the chicken simmers it soaks up all the yummy flavors of this amazing sauce!
They sell this near the queso cheese and the tortillas in the dairy aisle. I always have some of this in my fridge.

Mmmmmm.....this was so good!!!!

Pomegranate Martini...Avesta Style

2009-08-16T11:43:00.001-07:00

Avesta's Pomegranate Martini

When I owned my restaurant Avesta Eclectic Cuisine we were known for our martini bar with about 40 different martinis on our list. We had a lot of fun coming up with our martini recipes and of course we had to have a signature martini so right away I knew it had to be the Pomegranate Martini. I had grown up eating pomegranates and drinking pomegranate juice so I thought it would be perfect to mix with vodka.

Back when we opened our restaurant pomegranates were yet to be as popular as they are today but once we came up with our recipe we knew we had come up with a winner. And boy were we right....my bartenders couldn't keep up with the demand....we were premixing the pomegranate mix by the gallon. It's been two years since I closed my restaurant and I still get people emailing me about those martinis....and since POM Wonderful was so kind in sending me some samples....here's a version of my Pomegranate Martini....enjoy when of these after the kids have gone to bed and you're wanting to feel really good!

Pomegranate Martini...Avesta Style

Martini Shaker filled with ice

2 oz Premium Vodka (my favs are Absolut, Grey Goose or Belvedere)

1 oz Pomegranate Liquor or Triple Sec

2 oz POM Wonderful juice

1/2 cap full of Pomegranate concentrate (you can get this from Middle Eastern stores but if you can't find it just use 1 oz more of POM)

Champagne or Spumanti to top off the martini

Fresh lime wedges

Fill martini glass with ice and top with soda or tap water to chill the glass. Meanwhile pour all ingredients in the shaker and shake really well....pour out the ice and water out of the martini glass and then pour contents of shaker into the chilled glass. Top with champagne or spumanti, garnish with lime and sit back and enjoy!

One of my best friends Jeni got me this glass....it's one of my rules that everyone must own some pretty martini glasses...it really does make the drink taste better! And I never have all matching glasses...that way your guests can pick what they like and then they'll know which glass is theirs all night.
Always have these ingredients on hand to be the best host...believe me your guests will be impressed with this martini!
The blood red color of the martini is so beautiful and if you don't like champagne or don't have any on hand you can serve it just like this or add a little 7 up or Sprite to the top for a little fizz.

But if you've never had a martini topped with champagne then you have not lived. And you don't have to buy expensive champagne to get the effect...even cheap sparkling wine or spumante will do the job. This just adds that extra special touch to make you feel like a queen....I am a champagne whore and could add it to any drink....try it and you will understand.

POM Wonderful!

2009-08-08T07:11:00.001-07:00

A few weeks ago I received an email from POM Wonderful asking if I'd like some samples of their pomegranate juice. I was so ecstatic as I'm already a huge fan of POM's pomegranate juice. If you are a regular reader of my blog you know that I love anything with pomegranates not just because I love the taste but also because of the great health benefits. Pomegranates are full of antioxidants and have been known for their health benefits for centuries (especially in the Middle East). Growing up Kurdish...we ate pomegranates all the time (my friends would always ask what that weird fruit was that we were eating!) and I am so happy that they are now getting the recognition in the U.S. they deserve.

The great thing about POM's juice is that their juice is 100% authentic pomegranate juice...it's all natural and contains no added sugars, preservatives, colors or cheap filler juices....and their pomegranate orchards are in California so they are local....not imported from overseas.

Very excited to get this package....I will take any freebies I can as this blog does cost me money to make all the recipes....now that doesn't mean I'll always do a good review on a product...I will not endorse or talk up a product just because it was given to me. I will test it in recipes and if it's something I feel is worthy of a post...then I'll write about it.
Loved the fact that they personalized the package and sent me a letter about their company and all the benefits of their product!
Aren't the bottles so pretty? I do love this pomegranate juice and have been using it for years. When I owned my restaurant we bought this by the case to use in our signature pomegranate martinis and our pomegranate vinaigrette. When we started making these two items it was about 6 years ago and before the pomegranate craze....our customers went crazy for both these items. So since POM Wonderful was so generous in giving me these samples....I will be posting a few recipes on here in the next couple days using their product.

For more information about POM Wonderful and the benefits of pomegranates....go to www.pomwonderful.com

Seafood Feast with Grilled Salmon

2009-08-02T19:39:00.001-07:00

I love grilling everything and when it comes to salmon...I really don't think there's a better way to cook it than on the grill. I actually love grilling seafood in general not only because I love the taste but also because it allows you to have seafood at home without making your whole house smell like fish! So when I was in Phoenix visiting my sister and brother-in-law we decided to have a seafood feast one night and I grilled everything from salmon to shrimp and even crab legs. It was amazing! The salmon was the biggest hit but the crab legs were probably next in line...no one there had eaten grilled crab legs before. The great thing about grilling the crab legs is that it crisps up the shells and not only does the grill give the crab meat that smokey flavor...it makes it easier to break the shells...so next time you are in the mood for crab legs....try grilling them instead of steaming or broiling them....I just know you'll love them that way!

Grilled Salmon

Start your grill at least 10-15 minutes ahead of time so that it is hot!

One 3-4 lb Salmon Fillet (de-boned with or without skin)

(you can also use several smaller fillets if you can't find a large fillet)

2 lemons (1 sliced and the other halved)

2 tablespoons chopped dill

6 tablespoons butter

1 clove finely chopped garlic

salt & pepper to taste

aluminum foil

Make sure to pat dry the salmon and place on a long piece of foil (enough so that it can come up on the sides of the fish) that has been sprayed or drizzled with oil. I like to put the salmon on foil for this recipe because the butter and herbs kind of make a sauce and it helps keep the salmon really moist and juicy....plus it's easier to not have to worry about watching it and it's really easy clean up.

If there is skin on the salmon, put it skin side down. Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper and then the garlic and dill. Cut the butter into thin slices and spread over the fish. Squeeze lemon juice all over the salmon with the two lemon halves. Top the salmon with the slices of lemon and place the foil on the hot grill. Close the cover of the grill and cook for 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of your fillet. Salmon is ready when it is flaky, light pink and still moist and juicy inside.

I like using one large fillet because it looks so good when it's served...guests always ooohhh and aaawwww when they see this put on the table.
I love dill, butter and lemon on salmon...it just seems to be a natural combo with this fish!

As the butter melts on the grill, the salmon soaks it all up and you end up with a very moist and juicy piece of fish!

Once my salmon is almost done...I take the lemon slices and put them directly on the grill for about 30 seconds to get them browned and a little smoky. I then place them back on the salmon.

We also had grilled shrimp and King Crab legs!

I marinated the shrimp with olive oil, garlic, paprika and chopped parsley.

The grill gave the crab legs that smoky flavor which made them so good!
Since we grilled outside we also ate outside...this helped again with keeping that seafood smell out of my sister's house.

My family dug in pretty quickly....of all the meals I made that week I think this was the biggest hit....so next time you grill out....don't just think hot dogs and hamburgers....think seafood on the grill...not only does it taste amazing....it's so good for you!

Woman's World Magazine!

2009-07-23T19:24:00.000-07:00

JULY 27, 2009 ISSUE

I am so excited because I was interviewed by the magazine Woman's World and the article came out this week!!!! So if you're in the supermarket or convenience store...pick up a copy and check out my interview (top of page 41). The reporter, Kristina Mastrocola, had stumbled upon my blog and enjoyed it and called me to ask me about my favorite store bought lemonade....of course I had to say it was Minute Maid Pomegranate Lemonade...I really do love this stuff! Anyways...I am just excited to see my name and my blog's name in a national magazine!

So fun!!!!

Article on the top of page 41 about the best lemonade

My part!!!!

Easy Pizza with Farmer's Market Ingredients

2009-07-20T11:07:00.000-07:00

Pizza alla Neapoletana

I'm having some problems with my picture editing program so my posts from my Arizona trip are taking a little longer than I wanted. Sooooo...I'm posting a recipe from my weekend trip to the local Farmer's Market. It is held in downtown Omaha in the Old Market Area and I just love going on Saturday mornings....obviously we have some great farmer's here in Nebraska and this is such a wonderful way to support them and get really fresh (and often organic) veggies and meat. I bought some amazing basil, tomatoes and jalapenos so of course first thing I thought of making was pizza!!! I'm not a big fan of lots of sauce on my pizza and with all these great fresh flavors I didn't even add any meat to this pizza and let me tell you....it was just perfect! So next time you want to eat pizza....don't just think of ordering a greasy...saucy pizza over the phone....make your family a really fresh and healthy version and I promise that they will love it!

Avesta's Version of Pizza alla Neapoletana
Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees (use a pizza stone if you have one)

1 Large Pizza Crust (pre-baked) (I like thin crust so I usually use a Middle Eastern flatbread for my crust or I make my own but you can use whatever crust you like)
(12 or 14 inch)
2 garlic cloves chopped fine
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Yellow Tomatoes (or any heirloom tomato you can find) (sliced thin)
3 Roma Tomatoes (sliced thin)
1 Jalapeno (seeded and diced)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
fresh mozzarella (I used to large balls that I cut up in small pieces)
sea or kosher salt to taste
1-2 tablespoons olive oil to drizzle on top

Mix the olive oil and garlic and spread all over your pizza crust. Then layer the crust with slices of tomatoes, jalapenos and fresh basil. Sprinkle with salt and top with the fresh mozzarella. Drizzle the top of the pizza with the rest of the olive oil to get that golden brown effect. Bake for about 15 minutes or until it is golden and the crust is crisp.

Make sure to spread the toppings evenly over the crust.
I love fresh mozzarella but if you don't have fresh mozz you can substitute this with any shredded pizza cheese that you enjoy.

This isn't a very good picture but I hope that you can see how good this pizza was with the golden baked fresh mozzarella and all those fresh ingredients I got at the farmer's market...simple but oh so good!

My Nephew's 4th Bday Party

2009-07-12T15:51:00.000-07:00

Maxwell's 4th Birthday Party

The next few posts are going to be about my trip to Phoenix last week visiting my sister Avein, her husband Paul and my nephew Maxwell. The trip to Arizona started off with Maxwell's 4th Bday party. My sister and brother-in-law went all out for Maxwell's party, including a popcorn machine, snow cone maker and a giant blow up slip-n-slide that was the hit of the party. I jumped in and took over the food portion of the party (of course). We did simple kid friendly food and it all turned out perfectly! Not only did the kids have a good time.....the parents did, too! I'm not sure how much those blow up slippy slide things cost but believe me....in hot Phoenix weather...that was the best money spent....and it seriously was so much fun!

The menu consisted of mac n cheese, little smokies in puff pastry, fruit, veggies and cheeses. For this entry I am going to post my fruit dip recipe that is always a hit and much better than that pink stuff you can buy in the store.

Avesta's Fruit Dip

1/2 Cup Vanilla or Plain Yogurt (if you can find Greek Yogurt, even better!)

8 oz cream cheese (softened)

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons peach or apricot preserves

Squeeze of lemon juice

Put all ingredients in a bowl, mix and then microwave for 30-45 seconds. Mix well and spoon into a serving bowl. Chill until ready to use. Before serving, drizzle with a little honey on top. Serve with fresh fruit.

Maxwell's cake was a train. He loves train's and this cake turned out perfectly! The inside was chocolate with a chocolate mousse filling....yum!!!!

My sister rented this huge blow up slip and slide. It was like having an water park in the backyard...it was awesome!

Back in Omaha

2009-07-10T14:55:00.000-07:00

I'm finally back in Omaha and back to work. I was in Chicago and then went to Phoenix to cater a couple events for my sister and brother-in-law. I love doing this traveling chef thing....I wish I could do this full-time. I am gathering all my photos and trip recipes so that I can start posting about all the wonderful food I made during my travels. Look for postings to start on Sunday.

I hope you're all having a wonderful summer! To help make your summer even more fun...try my favorite summer cocktail. I love Minute Maid's Pomegranate Lemonade and though I drink it a lot without any alcohol in it....last summer I decided to try to make a martini out of it and let me tell you....it's amazing!!!! You've got to try this out!

Avesta's Summer Martini
2 oz vodka
1 oz pomegranate liquor
2-3 oz Minute Maid Pomegranate Lemonade (2oz if you like it strong, 3 or 4 oz if you want it to go down really easy)
lemon to garnish

Pour all the ingredients into a shaker with ice. Shake well and pour into a chilled martini glass. Enjoy!!! This is also good made in big batches in a pitcher. I slice lemons in it and then serve it in glasses with ice. It's so easy and your guests will love it!

This Minute Maid Lemonade is so addictive!!!!!

And doesn't it look so good?

Caramel Pecan Pie

2009-06-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

My attempt at Caramel Pecan Pie served a la mode

I have been craving pecan pie for weeks now but didn't want just any pecan pie. I was in the mood for a piece of deep dish gooey caramel pecan pie. I was thinking about this kind of pecan pie because I grew up in southeast Ohio and there were many amazing pie bakers in the area. One of my mother's friends made this pecan pie that had caramel in it and I just loved it. I haven't had anything like that in years so I tried to come up with the recipe. I pie ended up tasting soooo good but was a bit more gooey than I remember. I think I may have needed to bake the pie for just a little while longer and on lower heat....but the only issue was really the consistency because everyone loved how it tasted.....especially with the vanilla bean ice cream we served with it. We also didn't cool the pie in the fridge which could have helped the pie set better....but I like my pie warm so that was not an option for me. Maybe some of you out there could tweak the recipe a bit and let me know what you came up with to make this a perfect caramel pecan pie!

Avesta's Caramel Pecan Pie

1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
4 large eggs
1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup of caramel chips

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups pecans (I left some of them in halves and coarsely chopped the other half)

1 unbaked deep dish pie shell

In a medium saucepan bring the sugar and corn syrup to a boil for about 3 minutes. Lower the heat and add the caramel chips, mix until they start to melt. Turn the heat off, and add the pecans, butter and vanilla and mix well then set aside to cool. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the eggs lightly and slowly pour the cooled syrup mixture into the eggs, stirring constantly. Once the mixture is completely mixed together, pour into the unbaked pie shell. I put foil around the edges of my pie for the first 45 minutes so that they would not burn.

Bake in a 350°F oven for about one hour or until set.

You can make your own crust or buy a pre-made one (just make sure it's a good deep crust) I sprinkle a little flour in the bottom of my crust.I used caramel chips that I found near the chocolate chips, but you can also use caramel candies.
I used 2 cups of pecans because I love lots of pecans in my pie!
It looked so good even before I baked it and the smell was amazing!

Smoked Salmon Egg Salad

2009-06-11T14:39:00.000-07:00

Hot Smoked Salmon

Here's a twist on an old classic....egg salad with chopped up pieces of smoked salmon in it! I thought about making this after having smoked salmon and deviled eggs at one too many brunch buffets. Now don't get me wrong...I love classic egg salad, deviled eggs and smoked salmon with creme fraiche and dill but next time you have friends or family over for brunch...try this recipe and see what they think. And it really is an easy way to impress your guests without a lot of work. You can make these for baby or bridal showers, too. Just buy petite baguettes or mini Italian loafs and they end up being so cute and yummy! This recipe is just a great way to make a sandwich a little more sophisticated without making it too complicated.

Smoked Salmon Egg Salad:

6-10 Hard Boiled Eggs (this will make about 4 large sandwiches)

for tips on how to boil the perfect egg go to my post:

http://checkitoutavesta.blogspot.com/2008/08/for-love-of-bacon.html

6-10 oz Smoked Salmon (this is the hot smoked salmon not lox)

2 tablespoon creme fraiche (sour cream if you can't find creme fraiche)

3 tablespoons mayo (I like mine a little dry...you may want to add a little more mayo for your liking)

2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (honey mustard is also good in this recipe)

1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill

pepper to taste

paprika for color & taste

no salt since the smoked salmon is salty and will give the egg salad enough salty flavor

Chop up your eggs into small chunks and mix in a bowl with the creme fraiche, mayo, mustard, pepper, dill and paprika. Make sure your eggs and other ingredients are mixed up well then chop up your salmon into small chunks and add to the egg mixture. Serve as a dip with crusty bread and crackers or serve on toasted french baguette for the best egg salad sandwich you've ever had! For brunch I serve this on petite french baguettes with a side of fruit. And seriously try this as a dip appetizer at your next get together! Your guests will not be able to stop eating it! Enjoy!

I always try to buy good eggs, cage-free & organic and from local farms when available. You can tell the quality of an egg by the color of its yolk. See how nice and bright and almost orange like these yolks are...that's a good egg!

Paprika doesn't add much flavor but I love the red specks in my egg salad. You could also use ground hot red pepper if you want it to be spicy.

Mixing up the egg salad before you add the salmon ensures that the eggs are coated in the sauce and seasoning.

You can add as much smoked salmon as you like. Remember that it is salty so don't add salt to the egg salad.

Toasting the baguette gives the sandwich an extra crunch. If you get a french baguette that's already pretty crispy, you could skip toasting it.

How good does this egg salad sandwich look? So much flavor with the dill and smoked salmon...I promise that you're gonna love it!

Mmmmmm......MUSSELS!

2009-05-18T10:13:00.000-07:00

Bruschetta Style Mussels with Shrimp & Scallops

I love mussels...especially in the Spring and Summer when I am sitting on a patio and having a glass of wine. There are so many great recipes...but I truly love them best when there is butter and garlic in the recipe! If you think you don't like mussels....please try out this recipe...the flavors are bold and before you know it.....you will be picking up your bowl of broth and slurping it up! :) So if you don't want to slurp out of your bowl....make sure you have plenty of crusty bread to serve with this dish so you can soak up the broth with the bread. You can use any type of mussels that you like and if you cannot find fresh mussels....it's ok....just use good quality frozen ones.

Bruschetta Style Mussels
1 lb Mussels (washed and cleaned, discard any that are open)

1 lb Raw Shrimp

1 lb Scallops

2 tomatoes (diced)

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

2-3 tablespoons chopped garlic

1 stick butter
1-2 jalapenos (seeded and chopped) or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 cups fish stock (you can also use clam juice or vegetable stock)

1 lime

Saute garlic and jalapenos or pepper with butter until the butter melts. Add tomatoes and saute for 1-2 minutes, then add the basil and stock. Bring to a slight boil and add the mussels. Cover pan and steam the mussels for 3 minutes, until mussels are almost done. Add shrimp and scallops and cover again and steam for another 3-4 minutes or until most of the mussels are open and the shrimp and scallops are done. Go through and throw away any mussels that have not opened. Squeeze the lime juice all over the pan then use a slotted spoon to put the mussels, shrimp and scallops in either one large bowl or individual bowls then ladle the sauce over the seafood and serve with crusty bread.

I know a whole stick of butter seems like a lot but this is a big recipe which I served to 12 people as an appetizer. (so see splitting the stick of butter by 12 people is really not that bad!) You can modify the recipe to make a smaller batch.
I call this bruschetta mussels bc I use basically the same ingredients (basil, tomato, garlic) as I do to make my bruschetta.
The aroma of the tomatoes, garlic and basil cooking in the butter is amazing!
Once you add the mussels to the sauce, make sure to stir it up so that the mussels get some of the sauce inside the shells.

Adding the shrimp and scallops after the mussels have steamed for a few minutes ensures that the shrimp and scallops don't overcook.
I buy a loaf of French or Italian bread and brush each piece with a garlic butter that I make that also has crushed red pepper in it. I add shredded mozzarella or fresh mozzarella to some of the pieces.
Broil the pieces of bread in the oven until golden brown and the cheese has melted.

I love serving all the seafood in one big bowl and then giving my guests their own bowl to grab what they want.

Make sure to spoon a little of the sauce on the bread then top with a couple mussels and take one big bite.........then tell me you don't like mussels! :)

Moving!

2009-04-20T10:53:00.000-07:00

I have been crazy busy moving the last few weeks so hopefully I'll get internet service soon at home and will be able to post some recipes for you all! Hope you're all doing well. You never really know how much STUFF you have until you move....it's sickening! So if you've put off Spring Cleaning for awhile....take the time this year and really go through your stuff. My husband and I gave away so much stuff to charity and it makes us feel better that someone out there will appreciate it and use it unlike us who kept this stuff in boxes and closets for years!

Avesta's Gourmet Mac n Cheese

2009-03-30T15:45:00.000-07:00

Avesta's Gourmet Mac n Cheese

Ok so for all of you former Avesta Eclectic Cuisine customers who have been emailing me...begging me for this recipe....here you go! For those of you who were never able to visit my restaurant....here's your chance to try one of my most popular dishes at the restaurant by making it at home. This version if very similar to the one we made at the restaurant and will definitely be a hit with your family and guests! Let me know how it turns out!

Avesta's Gourmet Mac n Cheese

1 lb cooked pasta (I like using spiral shaped, fusilli OR rotini OR ruote OR gemelli, though penne is good too)

Cheesy Bechamel Sauce
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup flour
3 cups half n half
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (do not use fresh garlic)
1/2 teaspoon white pepper (you can use black pepper but it will taste and look different)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded white cheddar
1/4 cup shredded havarti
1/4 cup shredded gouda
1/4 cup shredded fontina

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted. Add the flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder and stir until smooth. Cook until the mixture turns a light, golden color so the flour makes a roux.

Mix the half n half and heavy cream together and heat in another sauce pan until warm, do not heat too much. Then slowly add the cream to the roux, whisking constantly until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Bring to a boil then turn heat down, add all the cheeses except for half of the mozzarella and half of the white cheddar and mix again. Cook for a few more minutes until the sauce is nice and thick and all the cheese has melted. Taste the sauce to make sure it has enough seasoning. It should be a bit salty as it will go over pasta and needs a little extra salt to season the pasta dish.

Once your sauce is ready, add the cooked pasta to the pan and mix well. Make sure to spray your baking dish and then pour the pasta and cheese sauce into the baking dish. Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella and white cheddar on top and bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until the cheese on top is as golden as you like it. I love the flavor of crusty, almost burnt cheese on top of my mac n cheese so I leave it in a little longer. Enjoy!

Make sure to spray your baking dish so the pasta doesn't stick.

Mixing the pasta into the sauce before putting it into the baking dish will make sure all the pasta is evenly covered in the gooey cheese sauce.

You could actually eat it like this and not be disappointed!

But topping it off with more cheese and baking it..............................

and getting that crusty, almost burnt cheese on top.....

is too good to not take that extra step.....doesn't this look amazing? mmmmmmmmmmm......

MIA

2009-03-22T18:25:00.001-07:00

Sorry that I've been a bit MIA lately....life in the catering biz is hectic and it's been very hard keeping up with my blog. I worked on several great dishes this past week and will post this coming week....don't give up on me...I will be back as I'm trying to organize my photos and recipes to make it easier for me to do my posts! Much love....Avesta

By the way...my mother and I have been working on making some fun aprons....what do you all think?

Pan Fried Halibut

2009-03-11T09:50:00.000-07:00

Pan Fried Halibut with Dill & Lemon

As most of you know who read my blog regularly...I love seafood and I know I've done a lot of shrimp and scallop recipes on here but have failed to do many fish recipes...so here's the beginning of many to come. I enjoy fish prepared many ways, but my favorite is pan fried. I love the crispiness the fish gets and I feel this process keeps the fish very juicy and flavorful. Halibut is an easy fish to serve as it is mild, slightly sweet and has nice firm and flaky meat. This makes it perfect for grilling and pan frying. When pan frying fish you can coat the fish with breadcrumbs or flour but I often just pan fry fish with just a nice coating of seasoning. This saves me calories and allows the flavor of the fish to stand out. If you have never tried Halibut please try out this recipe! I promise you will have a new favorite fish....yes...there is more to fish than salmon!

Here's some benefits of Halibut from my favorite website http://www.whfoods.com/:

Health Benefits
Halibut are truly a nutrient-dense food. A very good source of high quality protein, halibut are rich in significant amounts of a variety of important nutrients including the minerals selenium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium; the B vitamins B12, niacin, and B6; and perhaps most important, the beneficial omega-3 essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids are so named because they are essential for our health but cannot be made by the body; they must therefore be obtained from foods. Cold-water fish like halibut are a rich source of the omega-3 essential fats, a form of essential fatty acids in which the standard American diet is sorely deficient. (The other form of essential fatty acids, the omega-6s, are plentiful in a variety of commonly consumed oils such as corn and safflower oil. In fact, the omega-6s are so plentiful in the typical American diet that too much omega-6 is consumed in proportion to omega-3s--an imbalance that promotes inflammation, thus contributing to virtually every chronic disease in which inflammation is a key component.)

For more benefits of Halibut....please visit:

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=95

Pan Fried Halibut with Dill & Lemon

4 Halibut steaks

2 lemons (1 sliced for garnish, 1 sliced in half for the juice)

1 tablespoon fresh chopped dill

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or fresh chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground hot red pepper (optional)

sea salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste

4 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

Heat both oils in a saute pan until hot but not smoking. Make sure to pat dry the Halibut steaks and season both sides with salt and pepper. Slowly add Halibut to hot oil and let the steaks fry until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes then flip. After the steaks have been flipped and have fried for about 2-3 minutes, squeeze fresh lemon juice on top of fish and sprinkle with dill, garlic and red hot pepper.

Be careful when squeezing lemon juice as it may spatter if it touches the hot oil. Cover the pan with a lid and let cook for another 1-2 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and serve fish with steamed veggies or herbed rice. Garnish fish with fresh lemon slices and more fresh chopped dill. Sprinkle the top with more ground hot pepper or paprika.

When pan frying...make sure your oil is hot so that you get that browned sear on your meat!

I only sprinkle the Halibut with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper at first.

Make sure the fish is nice and golden brown before flipping. This should take 3-4 minutes per side.

Serve the Halibut with steamed veggies for a low calorie and healthy meal!
I garnish the fish with fresh lemon slices and more fresh dill on top. I top it all off with some more ground red hot pepper or sweet paprika.

Vegetarian Okra Stew

2009-02-26T09:30:00.000-08:00

Vegetarian Okra Stew

I have been trying to workout more and eat healthier this year and so far....so good. I'm not saying that I am limiting my diet in any extreme way...I will never give up any food group or style of food (i.e. no fried food...no white sugar....no white flour...etc) sorry I just can't do that. I live life to enjoy it and one of the biggest enjoyments in my life is well.....eating. But I do believe in moderation and I feel if you do include some very healthy items in your diet well then the bad stuff doesn't hurt you as much....I'm no doctor and this may not be true at all....but it sure does make me feel better! :)

One of the changes I've been making is trying to eat more vegetarian dishes. I don't mind eating vegetarian as long as there is FLAVOR! And there's no better way to add flavor than to add ethnic spices to dishes. This okra stew is a variation of a stew my mom made a lot when we were growing up. I remember thinking okra was horrible the first time I ate it....but as I got older and as I ate it more....I've slowly fallen in love with this very unique vegetable. And even if you don't like okra....please try this stew and see if it changes your mind. It is so delicious with the flavors of cumin and nutmeg and if you eat it over rice........oh wow.....the sauce is soaked up by the rice and really....it's hard for me to eat just one serving! But if you are not eating carbs then skip the rice....it's still delicious on it's own.

My mom always used lamb or beef in this stew but I've added some extra spices and skipped the meat in this version. You can always add some lamb or beef stew meat if you'd like. I have to admit it is spectacular with meat in it, too!

Okra Stew

16 oz frozen or fresh baby okra

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2-3 cups water

2 cloves chopped garlic

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon red hot pepper (optional) I like everything a little spicy

salt and pepper to taste (about 1-2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper)

Saute the chopped onion and garlic in the olive oil just till soft. Add the tomato paste and saute for another 30 seconds and then add the diced tomatoes and mix well. Season with the nutmeg, cumin, allspice, hot pepper and salt and pepper and stir.

Add the water to the mixture, mix and bring to a slight boil. Add the okra, cover your pan and lower the heat to simmer the stew. Let the stew simmer until it has thickened and the okra is nice and soft, continue to mix during the simmering process.

Taste the stew before serving to make sure your seasoning is right as the flavors should intensify as the stew reduces. Add more water if your stew is overwhelming or add more spice if it is not to your liking. Serve over rice or just in a bowl with some naan or pita bread.

I buy frozen baby okra from the Middle Eastern market for this stew (especially when I can't find good fresh okra) but you can use regular frozen okra or if you can find fresh okra...that's great, too!

The flavors in this stew get even better as it continues to simmer and reduce.

I love using the baby okra because it is so tender...so if you can find baby okra....use it!

The final product is a rich and healthy stew that you can keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze it in batches to enjoy later!

Curried Potatoes n Peas

2009-02-18T10:55:00.000-08:00

Curried Peas n Potatoes

I love Indian inspired foods and this curried peas and potatoes recipe is very simple and can be eaten as a side dish but is hearty enough to eat as a main dish. I love eating it with plain white rice. The rice soaks up the flavors of the sauce and it is so good for you! You can adjust the amount of curry and spice to your liking....I like it really hot so I add a bit more when I'm making it just for myself.

Curried Peas n Potatoes
4 tablespoons Ghee (you can find this in nice grocery stores with an ethnic food aisle or in Middle Eastern grocery stores (or you can make your own clarified butter or use 3 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil so the butter doesn't burn)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 Bay leaves
1 tablespoon Curry Powder

2 teaspoon Cumin seeds (or you can use ground cumin)

2 teaspoon ground red hot pepper
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 teaspoon Coriander

pinch of cinnamon
3 Potatoes, peeled, cubed
1 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
Salt to taste

2-3 cups water

Heat ghee or clarified butter in a medium sauce pan and saute the onion and garlic over medium heat until golden.

Add cumin seeds, bay leaves and cinnamon. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Then add the tomato paste and saute for another minute before adding the red pepper, turmeric, coriander, and salt. Mix well and saute for another minute.

Add potatoes and peas and stir. Pour in water and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover the pan and simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened.

You can use fresh potatoes and peas or canned potatoes and frozen peas if that's what you have on hand for this recipe. Just adjust the cooking time if your potatoes are canned because they will not need to cook as long or they'll get super mushy.

The peas are packed full of nutrients, including Vitamin K, folic acid and Vitamin B....all very good for bone and heart health!

So maybe you can get your family to eat peas by adding more flavor to them. Doesn't this look much better than a bowl of plain peas?

Very Easy Peanut Butter Fudge

2009-02-08T15:23:00.000-08:00

Peanut Butter Fudge

So I had to make peanut butter fudge for my son's class and I don't make fudge that often so I was a bit worried. I am not a huge fan of fudge....mostly because a lot of times it is dry and brittle. I don't enjoy fudge that falls apart as you bite into it. I enjoy a creamy piece of fudge so if that's what you like, then try out this recipe....it is very creamy and so simple (as I used the microwave instead of doing it on the stove....I had no time that night to use a candy thermometer...etc)! I also like my fudge to be tall....I don't mess around with flat pieces of fudge so this recipe may seem like it makes a lot but if you use a 9 x 13 pan....it will make nice, tall pieces. If you are using a 8 x 8 pan...then you can half the recipe and it will be fine.

One more thing....I know there's corn syrup in this recipe and that is kind of controversial right now....but I believe (as in everything....in moderation....it is fine) plus it really does help in the consistency here....and if you make this recipe you'll understand what I'm talking about so again....MODERATION is always key.

Quick & Easy Peanut Butter Fudge

8 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups creamy peanut butter

1 cup light corn syrup

2 sticks melted butter (unsalted)

1 tablespoon vanilla

In a microwavable bowl, mix together all ingredients the best you can. Microwave mixture 1-2 minutes at a time and after each time, pull out the bowl and mix well. Repeat this step until your mixture is smooth and creamy (usually takes about 2-3 times in the microwave depending on your microwave's strength). Pour mixture into a buttered or sprayed pan and cover the pan with plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for a few hours. Once the fudge seems to be set and is firm, cut into squares and serve.

Because we don't cook this recipe it is a little difficult mixing the ingredients together at first.

Once you mix everything together the best you can, you microwave the mixture 1-2 minutes at a time.
Once you have a creamy mixture that is well blended, it's ready to be poured.

Pour your mixture into a buttered or sprayed pan so that your fudge will easily come out of the pan.

Final product....rich and creamy....not too sweet peanut butter fudge!

Night of fashion, fun, food and charity

2009-02-05T07:36:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday I was fortunate enough to be part of a great charity event here in Omaha. You all know that I have a deep love for food but I also have quite the love for clothes and fashion so when the two can be combined...well that's just the perfect evening to me! And that perfect evening came together when Avesta Cuisine provided all the food for the 2009 Fashion in Salvation Benefit at the Burlington Train Station.

The night kicked off with an unforgettable runway fashion show. The featured designer was local businesswoman, Angela Poor, with her line John 3:16 A & J Clothing. Jacobi 702, an attractive men’s line from Las Vegas, was the featured guest clothing line. Some of the models that walked the runway included Miss Nebraska USA, Micaela Johnson; and Calvin Klein model, Dolph.

All proceeds of 2009 Fashion in Salvation were donated to the North Omaha Good News Bears and MOHM’S Place. The NOGNB is a weekly children’s outreach club that teaches life skills, Christian living values, community service and citizenship to over 300 youth between the ages of 4 and 18. Their mission is to take young lives that have no good examples of ethical behavior and plant the seed of hope in each young person by providing role modeling that reinforces the positive values of a strong family and society.

MOHM’S Place has been feeding the hungry since 1994, and has not missed serving a single evening meal since then. MOHM’S Place serves approximately 4,000 meals per month, on top of securing immediate, temporary, or transitional housing for those in need, offering counseling and guidance, and they provide almost 70 services from 13 agencies for the homeless and near-homeless.

This was such a fun night and I just wanted to share with you my excitement of being involved in such a great charity event. I love when a night out can be hip, fun and a chance at giving back!

2009 Fashion in Salvation Benefit

The runway was hopping!

It was a packed warehouse!

The food was a hit.....there was not even a crumb leftover!

Hummus & Tabouleh with herbed crisp flatbread.

I always try to incorporate as much color into my displays as I can. This easy by adding veggies, leaf lettuce, fruit and beautiful platters.

I also try to use lots of candles and unique candle holders to add to the decor.

Chocolate mousse in edible chocolate cups....the perfect shot with no alcohol at all!

Cajun Chicken Legs

2009-01-29T20:00:00.001-08:00

Spicy Cajun Chicken Legs

This month I've been loving chicken and loving spicy food so here's a quick recipe that will win over the crowd. You can use this seasoning on any kind of chicken, whether it's on the bone, off the bone, breasts, legs, wings, whatever your heart desires! It's great to have in the spice rack to use to kick things up a bit...it's especially good sprinkled in any creamy pasta sauce!

For Cajun Chicken Seasoning:

(this will make more than you need so store the rest in a container for later use)

2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon saltdiv>1 tablespoon ground hot red pepper
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley

Combine all ingredients and store in an air-tight container

Wash your chicken and then sprinkle with just a little salt. Then make sure to rub the chicken with your Cajun seasoning. I like to make sure there's a nice coat of it on there. Then I drizzle the chicken with a little olive oil and sprinkle the top of the chicken with more paprika because I love that red color it gives the chicken.

If you're using chicken legs, cover your baking dish with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes then remove the aluminum foil and turn oven up to 375 degrees and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is completely done and the skin is nice and crispy.

Peppermint n Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-01-24T12:50:00.000-08:00

Peppermint n Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was in the grocery store the other day and found some different Andes baking chips. These were peppermint and cream baking chips and I knew right away that I had to try them in a cookie recipe. I bought several bags and made cookies with both semi sweet chocolate chips and white chocolate chips. Both recipes turned out great! The cookies were very flavorful and I also loved the color that the peppermint chips added to this cookie. These would be great to make for Valentine's Day! I'd be your sweetie if you made me a batch of these!!!

Peppermint n Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 bag Andes® Peppermint Baking Chips

1 bag semi sweet chocolate chips or white chocolate chips

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup cake flour

Blend butter, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla and eggs until mixed.
Stir in baking chips and then flour.
Chill for at least one hour in refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 350
Put a heaping round spoonful of dough on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake at 350-degrees for about 8-10 minutes (don't overcook!)

Cool on the baking sheets for about 3-5 minutes before removing.

I think these would be great in white cupcakes too for Valentine's Day!

Don't you just wanna dive into this pool of goodness?

Make sure to chill your dough...I promise it makes a difference!

They turned out just perfect!

See the pinkish red color...that's why these are perfect for Valentine's Day!

I love when the chocolate chips are all melty and gooey on top of a cookie...I grabbed this baby and ate it before anyone else could get to it!

Lamb & Green Bean Stew

2009-01-20T12:24:00.000-08:00

Lamb & Green Bean Stew

As I've mentioned before, I'm Kurdish and one of the key dishes in any meal is the "stew" that is served. In a lot of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines, this stew is often served over rice and can be the main dish or as a side dish. Growing up, when my mom made a simple meal, it was basically a pot of stew and a pot of rice on the stove and that's what we ate almost every night. There's all kinds of stews, some with meat and veggies and some with just veggies but none of them is without flavor. Another great thing about these stews is that you can make a big pot and freeze small portions for later use. This recipe calls for lamb but you can make it with beef or chicken or if you're vegetarian, substitute the meat with potatoes.

Lamb & Green Bean Stew:

1 pound whole fresh or frozen green beans

1 pound lamb meat (you can use boneless cubed or on the bone, I use a combination of some boneless and some on the bone)

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 onion (diced small)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 can diced tomatoes (do not drain)

1 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1-2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Salt and pepper the lamb well and in a large pot, heat the olive oil on medium-high heat and brown the lamb meat. Once the lamb is nice and browned, add the onion and then add the garlic.

After the onion and garlic are slightly golden, turn the heat down to medium and add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste. Add salt and pepper to the tomatoes and saute while stirring. Then add the cumin and cayenne pepper to the mixture and stir in the green beans.

Add 3-4 cups of water (enough so that the meat and green beans are covered) and mix well. Bring to a slight boil then turn down heat and simmer covered for about 45 minutes to an hour or until the meat is nice and tender and the stew has reduced and thickened. Taste the stew to make sure it has enough salt once it has reduced, if not, add more. If the stew is too salty, add a little water. Serve over rice for a delicious meal!

I like keeping the green beans whole in this recipe, though you can cut them up or use frozen cut green beans if you'd like. If you're using fresh green beans, make sure to snip off the stems first.
If you don't like lamb, please by some good quality lamb (free range or organic) and try this recipe. The lamb will be so tender and flavorful, you will fall in love!

Stir your stew a few times while it is simmering.

Serving this stew over rice will give it that real Middle Eastern touch. If you don't like rice or are going low carb...the stew is still amazing served by itself in a bowl!

Baked Coconut Curry Chicken

2009-01-14T09:41:00.001-08:00

Coconut Curry Chicken

If you ever ate at my restaurant Avesta Eclectic Cuisine then you may have tried one of our most popular dishes, Curry Chicken. My Curry Chicken was a little different than traditional Indian Curry Chicken but ended up being one of our biggest hits. I have been missing the restaurant a lot lately and decided to make a simpler & quicker version of that Curry Chicken. So if you are one of those loyal customers and have been dreaming of Avesta's Curry Chicken...try this recipe while sipping on a Pomegranate Martini and reminisce about those fun nights in Delaware, Ohio.

Baked Coconut Curry Chicken

2 1/2 pounds chicken (I use chicken legs and boneless, skinless thighs & breasts, but you can use whatever combination of chicken you enjoy most)

1 can coconut milk

2 cups chicken broth

2-3 teaspoons cayenne pepper (depending on how hot you like your food)

2 tablespoons curry powder (again depending on how much you like curry)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon sugar

salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Wash and pat dry the chicken with a paper towel. Pour the chicken broth and coconut milk in a baking dish then lay the chicken in the broth. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle the rest of the spices all over the chicken and broth.

Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven, carefully remove the foil and turn chicken and mix up the broth mixture so the coconut milk breaks up. Put the baking dish back in the oven uncovered for another 30-45 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and very tender.

I cook this chicken a little longer than necessary because I like the thighs and breasts to sort of shred and since the chicken is in a broth, it does not dry out with the extra cooking time.

Once you remove the baking dish from the oven, carefully pour the sauce into a saucepan and add 1 tablespoon butter. Mix using a whisk, bring the sauce to a boil and whisk till smooth and reduced. Taste the sauce to make sure it is spicy enough for your liking...if not...add more cayenne pepper and curry powder. Serve chicken over rice and pour the sauce over the chicken and rice.

This recipe is easy and quick because you basically throw everything in the baking dish.

As the Curry Chicken bakes the sauce starts forming, this is why you pull it out half way through the baking process to give the sauce a mix and turn the chicken.

To thicken the sauce, you pour it in a pan and bring it to a boil and let it reduce. The sauce should be a little spicy and a little sweet.

I sprinkle the top of mine with extra cayenne pepper. I like my curry to be super spicy!

If you don't like using chicken on the bone, you can use just boneless chicken but I do advice you use both breasts and thighs as breasts do tend to be more dry and the dark meat really adds to the dish. If you use all boneless meat, before serving, shred the chicken and mix up the dark and white meat. If you are vegetarian, substitute the chicken with tofu chunks or veggies, but obviously you won't need to cook these as long as chicken.

Still delicious the next day! I like pouring some sauce on my rice the night before and letting it soak up the sauce then warming it up the next day......talk about good stuff! I think it's even better the next day after the rice soaks up all that flavor!!!!

Brown Sugar & Bacon Glazed Chicken

2009-01-09T10:56:00.000-08:00

Brown Sugar & Bacon Glazed Chicken

Happy New Year Everyone! For my first recipe of 2009...I am posting one of my all-time favorites...I absolutely love roasted chicken but the key is cooking it correctly and making sure it has flavor! I also have a big love for bacon and often use it to add flavor to my dishes. This roasted chicken recipe has it all...it is moist, flavorful with the essence of the smoky bacon, the sweetness of the brown sugar and the spiciness of the cayenne pepper! I'm telling you...this is a winner and you will have a hard time not eating the whole chicken while it still sits in the roasting pan! YUM!

Brown Sugar & Bacon Glazed Roasted Chicken

1 1/2-3lb Whole Chicken

4-6 thick slices of bacon

1 tablespoon olive oil

Kosher salt

pepper to taste

Brown Sugar Glaze

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup

pinch of cinnamon

pinch of salt

cayenne pepper to taste (optional but oh so good!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Rinse chicken inside and out under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.

Place the chicken into a roasting pan (breast side up) (I use my ceramic roaster that has a lid but you can use whatever roasting pan you have or just use a baking pan and you can cover the chicken with aluminum foil)

Rub the top of the chicken with the olive oil and sprinkle plenty of salt and as much pepper as you like over the chicken. Now make sure to use plenty of salt...remember when roasting meats a lot of the salt is drawn out of the meat.

Roast the chicken with the lid on for 1 to 1 -1/2 hours or until the chicken is done. Remove the lid and baste the chicken once or twice while cooking. After an hour to 1 1/2 hours, raise the oven to 450 degrees and continue roasting for another 30 minutes with the lid off, to a minimum internal temperature of 180 degrees (make sure to take the temp at the thigh).

In a small sauce pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of flour to make a roux.

Once the butter is melted and the mixture is golden brown (not dark brown) add the juices from the baked chicken and bring to a slight boil while stirring.

Taste the sauce and make sure it is seasoned well.

Carve the chicken and pour a little of the sauce on top of the chicken.

This chicken will blow you away!!!!

This glaze is simple!

Make sure to cook the glaze until it thickens.

Once the glaze is nice and thick and brown...it is ready. This is also yummy on ham or pork loin!

I put a few slices across my chicken breasts so that the flavor can get under the skin.

Cover the top of the chicken with your bacon.

Now drizzle that amazing glaze you just made all over the top of the bacon and chicken!

Don't be stingy...cover it with glaze!

This is what your chicken will look like when it's done....mmmmmmm......

I had to cut into it immediately and taste it...well it was a little more than a taste! Do you see how the chicken is still juicy?

I served my chicken with a simple salad topped with dried cranberries and a light vinaigrette!

Honestly....this will make you and your family or guests so happy!

I'll Be Back!

2008-12-29T10:11:00.001-08:00

It's been a crazy month and I promise I will be back in full force with the new year! I am so excited to continue to share my recipes and love for food with you all out there. I have received so many amazing emails and comments and am so touched by all of you who enjoy my food!

It is especially nice to hear from all of my former restaurant customers who were so loyal to my place. I really do appreciate the nice words and I miss all of you, too! My restaurant was such a big part of my life and this first year without it has been extremely hard for me....but I am now throwing my efforts and talent into Avesta Cuisine the catering company and so far it has been a great success! It is so nice to share my food with others....I cannot imagine living life without that being a big part of my everyday. So whether it is through my blog, cooking for friends and family or cooking for my customers, I do hope you all know what satisfaction I get from being able to cook for you all!

Thank you for all the support in my first year of blogging. I am excited to take this blog to the next level and make it even better....any comments or suggestions are greatly appreciated! I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday season and wish you all the happiest of New Year's Eve and Day and let that happiness continue throughout 2009!

I was lucky enough to get a very nice Christmas gift from my husband...the Canon EOS 40D...so I am even more excited to share the pictures of my food that I will be able to take with my new awesome camera. And to all of you out there asking...yes...the Gourmet Mac n Cheese recipe and pictures will be coming in January!

Mini Chicken Cordon Bleu

2008-12-16T16:13:00.000-08:00

Mini Chicken Cordon Bleu Bites

Hello...I'm back! If you read my blog on a regular basis...you know that I am a professional caterer so at times...you, my reader, will benefit from some of my catering recipes so that you can throw your own party and make professional style catered food that is not that difficult but will wow your guests. And if you read my blog on a regular basis and have visited my company website www.avestacuisine.com you will also know that I just love...love...love mini items. I love one bite finger foods that keep guests from getting messy and allows them to mingle and have a cocktail in the other hand! :)

So since I've been busy with all my holiday parties...I am going to try to post some easy holiday recipes for you in the next couple weeks that I've been busy serving up to my customers. I hope this makes up for my MIA status and I promise I will be more consistent now that most of my 16-18 hour work days are over....at least for now! :) My first appetizer recipe is Mini Chicken Cordon Bleu Bites. These are so good and I promise....sooooo easy! This would make a great New Year's Eve party appetizer! Let me know how they turn out for you!!!!

Mini Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken

12-20 chicken breast tenderloins

4 pieces of Swiss cheese (cut evenly into small squares)

4 pieces of ham (cut evenly into slices that fit along the chicken tenderloin)

12-20 sturdy toothpicks (try to find thicker ones so that they hold the chicken together)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Egg Wash

2 eggs whisked with 2 tablespoons water

Flour Mixture

2 cups flour

1 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Panko Crumbs

2 cups Panko crumbs (if you can't find these you can make your own by putting dried out crustless white bread in a food processor or you can use any other bread crumb that you prefer)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Honey Mustard

(you can also buy your favorite store bought brand if you'd like)

1/2 Cup Dijon Mustard

1/2 Cup Yellow Mustard

2 tablespoons Mayo

1/4 cup honey

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

I love using chicken breast tenderloins rather than breasts because they don't dry out like breasts do. They stay moist and tender and they're already cut to the perfect size!

Once you've layered the chicken with the ham and Swiss cheese, put a drop of the honey mustard on top of the Swiss cheese before rolling up your cordon bleu. I start wrapping from the larger end then I secure the small end with a sturdy toothpick.

To make an egg wash simply whisk 2 eggs with 2 tablespoons water

I use one pan and put the flour and Panko crumbs side by side (less dirty dishes this way!)

After you've rolled up all your chicken, first roll in the flour mixture then dip in the egg wash and finally roll in the Panko crumbs. Lay the mini cordon bleu on a oil sprayed pan, lightly spray the tops of the cordon bleus and bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the Panko crumbs are nice and golden brown and the chicken is fully cooked. This is also why I love using the tenderloins rather than the breasts, they cook pretty fast!

Serve the chicken cordon bleu on a platter with honey mustard dipping sauce. I also like to sprinkle the tops with some paprika for some added color! This is also a good app to serve on festive platters since they do not have a lot of color going on in them so break out your holiday tableware. I love serving these on an all red platter with just a little parsley as garnish...they really pop this way!

Andes Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-12-07T18:43:00.000-08:00

That's not mold...that's the green minty goodness of Andes Mints.

I don't know about you but I ADORE Andes Mints. I don't know if there is anything better that comes in that small of a package! I don't know why I love them so much (besides the fact that they are delicious!)...but I do know that if I get Andes Mints after a meal at a restaurant I am so happy! I love putting one in my mouth and just letting it melt...there really is no better experience than that....well maybe...but it's pretty close! :)

I had my servers give them to customers with their checks for awhile at my restaurant but that only lasted about six months. I think between me and my servers...my after dinner mints bill became quite pricey...so that was the end of the Andes Mints at Avesta Eclectic Cuisine! I try to not have them in the house either because again...I eat them all! But when it comes to holiday season...they're in a bowl everyday around our house! I feel like I can pop one of those babies in my mouth everyday...all day...all month long and not worry about it! Well...it's the holidays for goodness sake!

So a few weeks ago I found Andes Mints chips in my local grocery store. I almost died! I was so excited and when I looked at the back of the package they had a recipe for cookies on it. I also heard from a few friends that the recipe was really good....sooooo...I decided to make them! All I can say is now I have a new love....those cookies are not only damn good...they are addictive! And I figure they freshen your breath so after a nice garlicky meal...it's good to eat one...right?!?!
The recipe is so easy because it's basically one step...then add the mints and bake! So Easy!

It was hard not eating all those yummy Andes baking chips!
Looks like chocolate chip cookie dough...right?
But it's so much more than just a chocolate chip cookie! (not that I don't love chocolate chip cookies...but this cookie is special!)

So here's the recipe for those oh so yummy cookies from the Andes company themselves!

(if you can't find the Andes chips just buy the Andes Mints and either pulse them in a food processor or chop them up with a sharp knife. I did that long ago with a brownie recipe and it worked out great!

Andes Crème de Menthe Chunk Cookies
Servings: 4 Dozen
Preheat oven to 350

• 1/2 cup salted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 package (10 oz) Andes® Creme de Menthe Baking Chips or Andes® After Dinner Mints, coarsely chopped
• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

Blend butter, sugars, baking soda, baking powder, vanilla and eggs until mixed.
Stir in baking chips or chopped candy and then flour.
Chill at least one hour in refrigerator.

Measure out approximately 1 ounce of dough.
Raise oven rack one level above middle and baking on non-stick cookie sheets.
Bake at 350-degrees for approximately 8-10 minutes.
Cool on pans for two minutes before removing.

They turned out just perfect....don't you think?

Make some for your holiday party....or office...make them for gifts....make them for the teachers at school....just make them....and you will be loved by all!

For the love of Gnocchi!

2008-12-03T19:31:00.000-08:00

Basil & Garlic Gnocchi...talk about good stuff!!!!

There is a pasta called gnocchi (pronounced nee-okee) that my son has fallen in love with lately. I have made it from scratch and have bought it ready made in the store and it's good both ways! Honestly...it takes a lot of effort to make homemade pasta so if you don't have time or know-how...just buy some good stuff at the store! Anyways...gnocchi is a pasta that is made with potatoes....and seriously...what is better than that?!?! If you haven't tried it...do so now!!! It's even delicious with no sauce at all! It's hard not to eat it all right after it's boiled and drained!

Boil the Gnocchi just until it is soft and it will rise to the top when it's ready!

Once your garlic and basil are sauteed, toss in the gnocchi and coat the pasta with the sauce.
Let the gnocchi soak up some of the sauce and allow the gnocchi "to brown" a bit in the olive oil and butter. Toss on medium-high heat for about one minute.

Olive Oil Sauce for Gnocchi
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh basil leaves
3-4 cloves finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup reserved pasta water (to add if you want a "saucier" sauce)

Saute the garlic in the butter and olive oil until the garlic is soft. Add the basil leaves and saute with the garlic for about 1 minute. Add the drained Gnocchi and toss with the basil and garlic sauce. If you want more liquid, add a little of the pasta water that you reserved. Once pasta is coated, serve on a platter with shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

Gnocchi
6 potatoes, peeled, quartered
2-3 tablespoons salt
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups all-purpose flour

Boil the potatoes until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain well. Rice potatoes with a ricer and place on cookie sheets to cool. Let potatoes completely dry out.
Bring large stew pot of salted water to a boil.

Once the potatoes are dry, put them in a large bowl and mix in the eggs. Gradually but quickly stir in the flour.

Place the dough on a work surface and divide into 6 pieces. Adding flour as necessary, roll each piece of dough into a rope 1/2 inch wide. Slice ropes into 1/2-inch pieces. Drop gnocchi into boiling water, in batches. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes; they should rise to the surface when fully cooked. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain slightly before combining in your favorite recipe.

Serve the gnocchi with shredded mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top.

We usually eat this as a meal but it's also a great side dish to grilled chicken or shrimp!

Lamb Pilaf

2008-11-30T20:32:00.000-08:00

Lamb Pilaf

Tired of turkey and leftovers but don't have the energy to cook up a feast well....I love one dish meals and here's one that's easy and got some ethnic flavors that will not disappoint! If you don't like lamb, you can substitute ground beef or turkey but like I always say...if you don't like the taste of lamb there's two reasons:

1) Whoever made it doesn't know how to cook lamb.
2) You didn't get good quality lamb meat.

So I urge you to give lamb a try. This recipe is especially good to ease into eating lamb because it calls for ground lamb so it's a lot harder to mess up the meat!

Lamb Pilaf
1 pound ground lamb
1 onion (diced)
2 tomatoes (diced)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne (red hot) pepper
1/2 teaspoon all spice
2 teaspoons salt
sprinkle of black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4-6 cups cooked white rice (should be warm)
2 pieces flatbread, lavash or tortillas (baked in the oven till crisp and cut into triangular pieces)

Make sure to get good ground lamb.

Dice the tomatoes and onions about the same size.

Saute the onions in the olive oil until soft then add the tomatoes, garlic, ground lamb and all the spices.

Saute on medium heat until the tomatoes break down and the meat is cooked.

Your mixture should be a bit "saucy." If it is dry, add 1/2 cup water to your mixture.

Add cooked rice to your meat mixture and fold together. Turn heat down to low and continue to fold mixture together. Once fully together, leave the pan on the burner but turn the heat off and cover to heat through. Leave covered on stove for 10-15 minutes.

I love serving this rice with crispy pita, lavash or tortilla chips.

The rice soaks up all that moisture and flavor from your meat mixture.

If you like your food a little spicier (like I do) sprinkle the top of your rice with more ground cayenne (red hot) pepper before serving.

Make sure to scoop up the rice with the chips!

Southern Comfort with an Asian Twist

2008-11-24T09:46:00.000-08:00

Not your typical fried chicken and mashed potatoes!

I was in the mood for some fried chicken but this time....it wasn't Southern style...it was Asian flavors that inspired my meal! I'm gonna show you how I made some real good comfort food into a modern meal by adding Asian flavors. This is such a great way to switch things up a bit when you're tired of the same old fried chicken and mashed potatoes!

For the flour mixture, combine 1 teaspoon black pepper with 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1-2 tablespoons seasoned salt with 2 cups flour.
Panko crumbs are a light, buttery bread crumb mixture used in many Asian recipes! If you haven't cooked with these before, you must try them! Season the Panko crumbs (about 2 cups) with 1 tablespoon Chinese five spice. If you don't have Chinese five spice you can add 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon ground cloves and 1 teaspoon salt.
Perfectly seasoned flour and Panko crumbs will make your chicken flavorful and delicious!

Have your flour mixture followed by your egg wash then finally your Panko crumbs all in a row for your fried chicken assembly line.

1st dredge chicken in flour mixture.
Then dip in egg wash. Egg wash is 2 eggs whisked with a couple tablespoons of water.
And finally coat in Panko crumbs.
Make sure to press Panko crumbs down to stick to chicken.
Then shake off any excess crumbs.

Place chicken in a oil sprayed pan and top each piece of chicken with a small pat of butter.

Here's your Asian Baked Fried Chicken! Nice, golden skin and crunchy Panko crumbs. It takes about 45-55 minutes at 375 degrees in the oven to get this chicken to perfection.
Don't serve this Asian inspired fried chicken with just plain old mashed potatoes...make some wasabi mash potatoes! These are so good with this chicken! You can buy wasabi powder in almost any grocery store these days.

Mix a little of the wasabi powder (about 1 tablespoon) with 3-4 tablespoons water...making a paste. Mix well and let it sit for a few minutes to absorb and as the mixture sits, it will get stronger.

Mix the wasabi paste into your favorite garlic mash potato recipe. Your potatoes will have a slight green tint to them and just a slight wasabi bite. Honestly....so freakin' good!

I also added some Asian flavors to the broccolini I served with my potatoes and chicken.

I grilled the broccolini on my grill pan drizzled with a little olive oil then added a couple tablespoons of my sweet and spicy Asian sauce to them right before they were done grilling.

For my sweet n spicy Asian sauce recipe go to:
http://checkitoutavesta.blogspot.com/2008/10/sweet-n-spicy-asian-style-meatballs.html

The final product is some good old comfort food with a little kick! Talk about good stuff!

Crazy Busy

2008-11-22T17:56:00.000-08:00

This is where I've been.......

Ok so I've sucked this week when it comes to my blog but I have a good excuse! I have had at least one event...some days two with my catering company. It's so weird because it always happens like this. I guess I shouldn't be complaining....and believe me I'm not...I'm just explaining why I've been MIA when it comes to my blog. I've been working my butt off trying to round up more business and I guess I've succeeded! We are BUSY!!!! :)

I'm going to put up some good recipes for the next few days but for now....I need some rest. I'm exhausted and need to just lounge with a glass if champagne in hand. I really have worked hard in making it efficient. These pictures are of the event space that I have in my building...isn't it just beautiful?!? I catered a 50th birthday party there today and it was so amazing! I love where I have my catering company. It's in the Old Market area of downtown Omaha and it's seriously the coolest place! I feel so lucky to be able to have my business there!

The whole ceiling in the event space is a huge skylight!!!!

How cool is this?

And this is my new oven/stove/broiler/griddle combo I just got! It's sweet!

If you want to check out my catering business go to www.avestacuisine.com

Jalapeno Butter Shrimp

2008-11-15T21:53:00.000-08:00

Jalapeno Butter Shrimp

As you can tell....I have a slight obsession with shrimp. I could seriously eat it everyday or at least every other day and if I could throw scallops in there, too...well then I'd be in true bliss! So if you see that I post a lot of shrimp recipes....well it's because of this slight obsession...so hopefully you, too have a slight obsession with shrimp, too but if you don't...most of these shrimp recipes can be substituted with chicken. You will just have to adjust your cooking time of course! This recipe is similar to a recipe I made a few months ago with a few changes...so if you like this recipe also try this recipe:

http://checkitoutavesta.blogspot.com/2008/09/cilantro-lime-pepper-shrimp-n-scallops.html

Tonight...I made Jalapeno Butter Shrimp. You get the jalapeno butter by pan frying the chopped jalapeno (and I added a little habanero to mine, too because I like really spicy food) in butter until the pepper almost gets crispy. It was so good that after all the shrimp was gone...I ate the rest of the jalapeno butter by dipping crusty bread in it. Oh my....let's just say it was quite "gasmic!"

Start off by dicing and removing the seeds from 2 jalapenos. I also added 1 habanero to mine.

Saute the peppers in 3 tablespoons butter.

I was lucky enough to get these huge U12s at a decent price at the market. You can use any size shrimp you'd like but a bigger shrimp is better. I've used 26/30s and it turns out great. Again...that number simply means how many shrimp come in a pound. The smaller the number...the larger the shrimp. I use between 1lb and 1 1/2 lbs of shrimp for this recipe.

Make sure your shrimp are peeled (I leave the tail on for looks and it makes it easier to grab them by the tail) and deveined. I like to butterfly them so the sauce gets deep into the shrimp. To butterfly a shrimp it simply means to almost slice open the shrimp so that it opens up like a butterfly or fan but is not completely split open.

Let your peppers fry in the butter. Make sure you turn your heat down once the butter is melted or you will burn your butter. Keep an eye on your pan and stir often. Once you add the shrimp to the pan, they are done when they turn pink.
Sprinkle the shrimp with some salt and pepper as they cook. You can also add a splash of white wine if you'd like. I was also serving these to my son so I left out the wine this time.

Arrange the shrimp on a platter and pour the jalapeno butter on top. Squeeze some fresh lemon or lime juice on top and you've got yourself one heck of a dish!
And don't forget to serve some bread with the shrimp so you can sop up the jalapeno butter. It's too good to waste!!! So sop it up baby...sop it up!

Curried Veggies

2008-11-12T19:16:00.000-08:00

Curried Veggies

I get so tired of steamed veggies and so does my son......so tonight....we had curried veggies! I didn't want the veggies to be in a sauce but wanted them to have a nice flavor with a spice other than garlic! A lot of people are afraid of curry but you can use this spice in small portions so that the flavor is not overwhelming but instead adds just enough wow to your dish. This seriously is a simple way to make your veggies stand out and as a side dish it goes really well with just about anything and if you wanted to you could just add some chicken or shrimp or even steak to the dish to make it a main dish with no carbs! I used whatever veggies I had in the fridge. I love broccolini and it was on sale at the grocery store so I bought several packages because usually it is kinda pricey. You can use whatever veggies you have or prefer.

Curried Veggies:

8 oz baby carrots (or you can cut up your own carrots)

1 pound broccolini

1/2 cauliflower head (cut up into florets)

1-2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 cup water

My son always loved broccolini because he thinks they look like little trees. He's 10 now but since he was introduced to them early and thought they were a fun shape, he still loves them! Don't be afraid to introduce your kids to different veggies...they WILL eat what you teach them to eat! I promise! :)
Don't be afraid of curry powder. It doesn't have to be used in large quantities like some typical curries you've tasted or smelled. Start out by using just a little sprinkle and I promise you'll fall in love with this wonderful spice!
Once you're done cutting up your veggies, turn the burner on medium-high heat and start heating up your pan.

I use a grill pan but you can use any non-stick pan that you have. Once your pan is hot add the oil and butter until the butter starts melting.

Then add your veggies to the pan. Keep your heat on medium-high.

Sprinkle the veggies with all the seasonings.

After you saute your veggies for a few minutes, add the water and let the veggies steam for a few minutes to get tender.
Once your veggies are tender, you're done! If you have any liquid left in the pan, just pour it right over your plated veggies!
I ate at least 3 stalks of broccolini while I plated up these veggies....seriously good stuff! And of course....soooo good for you!

Broccolini has the same health benefits as broccoli but is more tender and has a sweeter taste!

Persian Rice & Noodles

2008-11-11T11:56:00.000-08:00

Reshteh Polo (Persian Rice & Noodles)
The Noodles (kinda look like pieces of wood--huh?!?)

Growing up, I always loved when my mom made her rice & noodles dish. It's a Persian style dish that she learned after escaping to Iran. Her and my father escaped to Iran after fleeing Northern Iraq when Saddam Hussein took over in the early 70s. And I have always been so appreciative of that escape because my mom has made such great Persian dishes over the years.

Persian cooking is just amazing. They often combine different styles of cooking and use some European ingredients and cooking techniques. They also use a lot of saffron, which I love! But the best part of Persian cooking is the rice. Honestly...no one makes rice like the Persians. They cook Basmati rice perfectly. It still amazes me that every time, each kernel is separate and cooked perfectly. I can always tell when someone is Persian or has lived in Iran just by how the rice looks!

In Iran this rice & noodles dish is called Reshteh Polo. I know it's a bit of a carb-overload...I mean who needs to eat both rice and noodles in one meal....well I do!!!! And you're gonna love it when you try it. Kids really love this side dish, too! I used to pick out the noodles out of the rice and eat them first when I was a kid! And the roasted noodles give the rice such a nice, toasted flavor. It's a great side dish to any meal. Of course my mother always served it with roasted chicken and a big salad....aaahhh...that so reminds me of being a kid!

2 cups Basmati Rice (washed and soaked for 15-20 minutes, drained)
3 cups water
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 finely chopped onion
salt to taste (about 1-2 teaspoons)
2 ounces (about a handful) of roasted noodles
I buy these already roasted (they've got that nice golden, toasted flavor to them) noodles from a Middle Eastern market. If you can't find these noodles, you can use Vermicelli or Fettuccine noodles.

Break up the noodles to whatever size you'd like. I like my noodles to be a bit long, but when my mom makes this dish, her noodles are broken up into really small pieces. I've had this dish when the noodles have even just been broken in half.

Saute the noodles in 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil with 1/4 cup finely diced onion. The ones I bought are already roasted so I just sauteed them to get a nice coating of butter and oil on them. If your noodles are not toasted or roasted, saute until they turn a nice golden brown. Make sure your heat is not too high so your noodles don't burn.

After you've drained your rice from soaking, add to the pan and mix the rice with the noodles, onion and butter and oil. Add the salt and water and bring to a boil. Once rice is boiling, stir and then turn down heat to low, cover and do not disturb for 20-25 minutes. After 20-25 minutes, turn heat off and use a fork to fluff the rice and noodles. Cover again and do not disturb for about 10 minutes.
In Iran, this dish is sometimes sprinkled with cinnamon and sometimes raisins are added to it. If you want to try it that way, add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 raisins to the dish after it's cooked.

Mini Chocolate Tortes

2008-11-09T09:39:00.000-08:00

Mini Chocolate Tortes

(pre-heat oven to 325 degrees)
Makes about 24 mini tortes (if you're using full size cupcake pans, it will make about 12 and you may need to adjust the cooking time)
*spray or grease your pans or use cupcake liners in the pans

3/4 cup butter (unsalted)
6 ounces semisweet chocolate (you can use chips or chop up a bar)
3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Melt butter and chocolate in a double broiler or use a metal bowl over a pan with barely boiling water underneath it (not touching though) and stir until smooth. Cool to room temperature. Then whisk or beat in the sugar and egg yolks. Stir in flour and baking powder. Then in a separate large bowl, beat egg whites until foamy and add cream of tartar while beating at medium-high speed. Slowly fold in the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture until well mixed.

Fill your Cupcake pans only 2/3 full because the cakes will rise.

Bake the cakes at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes. Let cool completely in pans before removing.

Your cakes will drop back down a bit once they're completely cool.

White Chocolate Glaze:

6 ozs. white chocolate, chips or a bar chopped

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Place chocolate and cream a double broiler or again use the bowl over the pan method to melt the chocolate and heat the cream.Stir frequently until almost melted. Remove from heat and stir until smooth.

Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat or whisk until smooth. I added white chocolate chips to my white glaze to add a rich white chocolate flavor to the cakes.
Remember, this should be a glaze not a frosting so it will be thin.
You can select your own toppings. I used pecan meal (finely ground pecans), an assortment of sprinkles and some coconut powder (I love using coconut powder bc it is so pretty on these mini cakes. I buy this at a Middle Eastern store) Just remember to add your toppings immediately when you frost with your glaze in order for the toppings to stick.
How cute are these?
And because they have a more intense chocolate flavor, they aren't like a typical cupcake. Adults love them but even the kids snatched these up, too!
And because they're "mini" you don't feel as guilty eating one or two!

I also used a chocolate ganache glaze to frost my cakes. For that recipe go to:

http://checkitoutavesta.blogspot.com/2008/10/chocolate-covered-strawberry-cake_17.html

or here it is, too

Chocolate Ganache Glaze:
1 bag of bittersweet chocolate chips (sweetened)
1/2 bag milk chocolate chips
2 cups heavy cream
Bring cream to a simmer in a saucepan and remove from heat. Put a whole bag of bittersweet chocolate and half a bag of milk chocolate chips in the double broiler or bowl that is over slow boiling water. Slowly pour the warm cream in the chocolate and whisk or stir until smooth. Make sure to continue to stir until ready to use.

Asian Noodles with Shrimp & Scallops

2008-11-06T18:11:00.000-08:00

Asian Noodles with Shrimp & Scallops

I had some of that Sweet n Spicy Asian Sauce left in my fridge from last week so I thought...STIR FRY! I decided to make my stir fry with noodles though today. I eat a lot of rice so I was kind of "riced out" shhhhhh don't tell my mom or aunts I said that! They say it's not a meal without rice! And they're serious about that!

The Veggies

(1 cup each of broccoli and sweet peppers and 1/2 cup of each of the rest)

Stir fry veggies in a large hot wok with 2-3 tablespoons oil

After stir-frying for about 2 minutes, push veggies to one side of the wok, add 1-2 tablespoons butter to the empty side of the wok and add shrimp and scallops (or chicken or beef if you prefer) and 2 tablespoons Thai sweet chile sauce (you can find this near the soy sauce in grocery stores) (if you don't like too spicy don't add this extra Thai chili sauce) and 1/4 to 1/2 cup of Avesta's Sweet n Spicy Asian Dipping Sauce, for recipe:

http://checkitoutavesta.blogspot.com/2008/10/sweet-n-spicy-asian-style-meatballs.html

You can find these Asian noodles in most grocery stores in the produce aisle, usually near the wonton and eggroll wrappers. You boil them for just a few minutes before adding them to your Asian dishes.
Once the meat is almost done, stir fry all ingredients together.
Add more or less sauce according to how "saucy" you like it. You can also add some broth to make it more soupy.
I love cashews on my Asian dishes so I took a handful of cashews and pulsed them in my food processor to sprinkle on top of this Asian Noodle dish.
The salty cashews in combination with the sweet and spicy sauce was amazing!

My son didn't want cashews on his and he wanted his more "soupy" so I added a 1/4 cup of vegetable stock to his batch and served it up in a square bowl. He LOVED it!

Here's how it looked the next day. The leftovers were just as amazing. Less sauce, but still so tasty!

The Next Food Network Star!?!?

2008-11-04T09:45:00.001-08:00

Ok so it's a dream of mine to have a cooking show on the Food Network, so I submitted a tape to audition for their next show. I made this tape months ago, my mother was the photog and it's not fancy but I just wanted to show my personality and love for food. I know my hair is down and believe me...I'm a chef and I know not to have my hair down when I cook for customers or guests but this is an audition tape and well...I tried to look like me. Here's the link for my video on Food Network's website and you can comment on it if you'd like!

http://tinyurl.com/Avesta-Food-Network-Star-Video

I'm also getting some Omaha love on this other great local food blog...go check it out!
http://www.gastronomicfightclub.com/

Mini Pecan Pies

2008-11-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

Mini Pecan Pies

Still without my computer but I am so missing blogging that I just have to put something out! So here's the cutest pecan pies you'll ever see and let me tell you....they are not that hard and I love "mini" everything! I think that they make your spread look so good and nowadays no one sits and eats so these babies are perfect for your guests. They're a grab it and eat it in one bite kind of dessert....plus if you're trying to count the calories you don't feel as bad eating one or two of these rather than a whole piece of pecan pie that will take hours on the treadmill to burn off! I made these for a party I had on Sunday. I used frozen pre-made pie crust so they literally took no time to make!

Mini Pecan Pies
1 frozen pie crust (thawed and rolled out into as close to a square as you can get it)

Once you've rolled out your crust, cut out an even number of squares (about 1 inch squares) I got 16 squares out of my crust. Use mini muffin pans that have been sprayed and floured and form little pie crusts in each space using your pie crust squares. Bake the crusts for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Pecan Pie filling:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup chopped pecans

While the crusts are baking, combine the butter, powdered sugar and corn syrup in small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil while stirring frequently. Stir in chopped pecans, turn off heat and mix well. This recipe is good for 16-20 mini pecan pies, double the recipe for 36 or 40 mini pies.

Pour your pecan mixture in each baked crust, bake for another 5-8 minutes. Let the mini pies cool a bit before removing from the pan. I drizzled a little carmel sauce on top of each pie. They were delicious and so easy to make! This pecan pie filling however is not the recipe I use when I make whole pies. It works fine with these mini pies but when making a whole pecan pie I use a recipe that calls for eggs. You can also use those mini phyllo cups for this recipe. I love using those because most grocery stores now carry them and they're perfect for making mini desserts and then you don't have to worry about forming your own mini crusts! These are perfect for any holiday party!

Computer has crashed!

2008-10-27T20:45:00.001-07:00

Sorry it's been a few days. My computer has crashed and I am so upset. I am trying to get it fixed so hopefully within a couple days I will be up and running. I have been cooking some good stuff so when it's back up...I will have some amazing dishes to share with you all. For now...check out my adorable son. He wanted to be a hippy for Halloween...he picked out all his stuff....I love that he thinks hippies are cool! :)

Sweet n Spicy Asian Style Meatballs

2008-10-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

Sweet n Spicy Asian Style Meatballs with Warm Asian Slaw

This is why I love making a recipe that I can use for several different items and occasions. I gave you my simple meatball recipe yesterday and used half of the meatballs for a comforting meatball soup, the other half I saved because I have a party to go to tonight and am going to take a tray of meatballs with me for an appetizer. I skewered the meatballs with toothpicks and dipped them in this very easy Asian dipping sauce that I almost always keep in the fridge because it is so versatile. Everyone makes Swedish meatballs and BBQ meatballs so next time you want to make meatballs, try these Sweet n Spicy Asian Meatballs, your friends and family will love them! This is a good way to take a classic meatball and make it a little modern with an Asian sauce instead....trust me....everyone will love them!

For my meatball recipe go to:

http://checkitoutavesta.blogspot.com/2008/10/kurdish-meatball-potato-soup.html

Sweet n Spicy Asian Dipping Sauce:

1/2 cup Thai Chili Pepper sauce (almost all grocery stores now carry this, even find this at Wal-mart in their ethnic food aisle, near rest of Asian foods/sauces)

1/2 cup Teriyaki Sauce

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
2 tablespoons honey
pinch or dash of ground ginger
pinch or dash of garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring just to a boil. Turn off heat and continue to stir and remove from heat. This sauce can be served warm or cold. Will keep in your fridge for a couple weeks. It is so good on meatballs and chicken wings! You can sprinkle a few sesame seeds on top of meatballs or wings after you dip them in the glaze.
Use a toothpick to skewer your meatball to dip them in the sauce

Make sure to roll the meatball around the sauce to get a good coating of the sauce on it.
I love serving these meatballs with this Warm Asian Slaw.

You can drizzle a little more sauce on top once you've plated your meatballs on top of the slaw.

Warm Asian Slaw:

2-3 cups Broccoli Slaw (I love broccoli slaw because it is PACKED with vitamins and nutrients. You can find this in almost all grocery stores now too, near the salad/slaw items. If you can't find it, just use regular slaw mix)

2 tablespoons butter
2-3 tablespoons Sweet n Spicy Asian Dipping Sauce

Saute the broccoli slaw with the butter for about 1 minute.
Add the Asian dipping sauce, mix well and cook for about another minute.
I like serving this slaw warm but it is still really good cold, too.

I like to take my meatball and pile on the Warm Asian Slaw on top and put it all in my mouth as one big bite...talk about good!!!

There are so many reasons why broccoli is good for you and I know sometimes it's hard to get kids or even grown ups to eat broccoli but it is a no-brainer...you have to find a way to eat this stuff so that's why I love products like broccoli slaw and broccoli sprouts, same health benefits of broccoli but a little easier to hide in foods and add different flavors to please those picky eaters out there. According to http://www.healthfood-guide.com/ (another of my favorite sites)...here's what you get from this magical vegetable.....

Health Benefits Of Broccoli (according to http://www.healthfoood-guide.com/)

Broccoli provides a high amount of vitamin C, which aids iron absorption in the body, prevents the development of cataracts, and also eases the symptoms of the common cold. The folic acid in broccoli helps women sustain normal tissue growth and is often used as a supplement when taking birth control pills and during pregnancies. The potassium in broccoli aids those battling high blood pressure, while a large amount of calcium helps combat osteoporosis.

The vegetable is also fiber-rich, which enhances the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, as well as aims to reduce blood cholesterol levels. In recent years, broccoli has made the headlines regarding three components found in the vegetable. For instance, indole-3-carbinol has captured the attention of those looking to prevent hormone-related cancers, such as breast- and prostate cancer. I3C promotes "good" hormones, while working against destructive ones.

The sulforaphane in broccoli also helps to increase the level of enzymes that block cancer, while the beta-carotene in broccoli transforms into vitamin A within the body, providing an effective antioxidant that destroys free radicals (responsible for weakening the defense of cells).

Additionally, the health benefits of broccoli have been linked to preventing and controlling the following medical concerns: Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, calcium deficiencies, stomach and colon cancer, malignant tumors, lung cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and even the aging process.

Kurdish Meatball & Potato Soup

2008-10-24T10:33:00.000-07:00

I bought a bunch of ground chuck that was on sale today. Not knowing exactly what I was going to do with it (besides freeze a bunch) I thought of what would warm me up on this dreary, rainy, gray day....It's been storming all week here and it's getting really cold, really fast. I mean last week it was in the 60s and now we're in the 40s! How does that happen? I long for a more moderate climate...maybe someday! When I really need some comfort food, something that just the smell alone warms my bones, I think of all the great soups and stews my mother makes. We always had some sort of soup or stew on the stove, alongside a big pot of rice, of course. In our culture, we serve almost all soups/stews over rice which seriously is not a bad idea. Next time you make your favorite soup, ladle it over some rice and you'll see what I'm talking about!

So what to make with pounds of ground beef....hmmmmm. Well, what came to mind first was a recipe where I could make two or three different things out of it. Hmmmmmm....I got it....MEATBALLS! I remember this meatball soup my mom used to make and it is so delicious! Plus, I could make enough meatballs to have some leftover to use as an appetizer for a party this weekend. Perfect!

Avesta's Meatballs:
2 pounds ground beef (or mix 1lb ground beef and 1 pound ground lamb)

1 small chopped onion

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

2 teaspoons garlic powder or 2 cloves crushed fresh garlic

2 teaspoons ground hot red pepper (optional)

salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients together and roll into balls.
I don't use egg or bread crumbs in these meatballs. I don't like any fillers or binders when I don't have to use them. I don't have a problem keeping my meatballs together. If you find you're having trouble or you want a moister meatball, add two eggs to this recipe.

Place rolled meatballs on a pan-sprayed baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes (depending on the size you made them, check inside of one meatball to see if fully cooked).

This recipe should make about 30-40 meatballs.

Kurdish Meatball & Potato Soup:

20-30 meatballs

1 can chopped or diced tomatoes (with their juice)

2 cans tomato sauce

2 cans beef broth

1 small chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped parsley

2 tablespoons lemon juice

pinch of sugar

1 teaspoon cumin

4 potatoes, peeled & cubed

salt & pepper to taste

1-2 cups water (depending on how thick you like your soup/stew)

4 tablespoons olive oil

Kurdish Meatball & Potato Soup

In a large saucepan, saute diced onions in the olive oil until just soft. Add the chopped tomatoes and parsley and saute for just a minute. Add the tomato sauce, beef broth, potatoes, sugar, cumin, salt & pepper and water and mix well. Bring to a boil for about 5 minutes and continue to mix. Lower the temperature, add the cooked meatballs and lemon juice and let simmer until potatoes are soft. You can also add other vegetables to this soup if you'd like. I've added green beans, garbanzo beans, okra, corn...whatever your fancy!

This soup served over rice is so delicious but since it does have potatoes in it, you could eat it alone in a soup bowl with some good buttered bread!

Dolma, not just stuffed grape leaves in our family

2008-10-22T19:00:00.000-07:00

In our family, we stuff any and every veggie we've got on hand. We also throw in any meat we've got on hand, too.

I had some chicken legs and a bone-in ribeye (that I cut up) that I wanted to use in the dolma. I braised the chicken and steak in about 2 cups of water, salt & pepper to taste. Braise for about 45 minutes to make a nice rich stock.

The dolma stuffing is just 2 cups of uncooked medium grain or long grain rice (rinsed but not soaked), 2 tablespoons of chopped curly parsley, 1/2 onion (chopped fine), 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped dill, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice (bottled is fine here), 1/2 cup of tomato sauce & salt and pepper to taste. You can add cooked ground beef or lamb to the mixture if you'd like. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Sometimes I add a teaspoon of ground hot red pepper. If you like spicy...please try the red pepper!

Swiss Chard is one of our family favorites!

Cut off the hard stems on the end.

Place a small amount of the rice mixture near the end of one side of the leaf.

Carefully start rolling your leaf. When you use grape leaves it's easier to bring the sides in, too but with the swiss chard leaves they tend to crack, so just roll them up and not too tight.
These don't have to be perfect because again, the swiss chard tends to crack if you try to roll them really tight. When you place them in the pan, put the loose leaf part down.

Peppers are great to stuff because they add color and are so tasty! Slice the top of the pepper so it is almost sliced off, but not all they way....

Make sure to keep the lid attached and scrape out the inside of the pepper.

Stuff the pepper about half way to the top. Remember the rice is not cooked yet, so don't over stuff your veggies!

Stuffed onions are my favorite! Cut a piece out of your onion so you can grab the layers and pull them apart.

See the layers each become a separate stuffed onion, so one onion can make several stuffed pieces!

Again, stuff about half way full.

And then push one end of the onion behind the other to kind of seal the onion together.

After you've stuffed all your veggies and placed them in a heavy duty pan, place all the meat around your veggies and start pouring the stock on top of the veggies.

Pour all the stock in the pan so that your veggies will sort of "steam" in the stock. This makes the veggies nice and tender and full of flavor!

Move around any meat or veggies to make sure everything is nice and snug next to each other.

Place a heavy ceramic or glass plate on top of the veggies, cover and cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes, then lower the heat to low and cook for another 45 minutes to an hour. The heavy plate helps keep the stuffed veggies together while they cook.

See how nice the inside of the onions look. The rice is nice and soft and so flavorful!

The meat is tender and has all those wonderful flavors from the stuffed

veggies in it.
I ate like 3 stuffed swiss chard just plating up this stuff! If you have any stock left in the pan, pour it over the dish!

Heavenly Chocolate Chip Cookies!

2008-10-21T10:11:00.000-07:00

I have the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe!

These just may be the perfect chocolate chip cookie!

Avesta's Chocolate Chip Cookies

preheat oven to 375 degrees
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cake flour (this is important in this recipe)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups softened butter (3 sticks, unsalted)
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 bag milk chocolate chips
1/2 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Start by mixing both flours, baking powder & baking soda in a large bowl. I like mixing with a large fork, it just seems to combine the ingredients well for me.

Then beat the sugars and butter until really creamy. Once the mixture is nice and creamy, add the eggs and vanilla and beat again. Don't beat too much though, just until eggs and vanilla are blended in. If you don't have a stand mixer, just beat in a bowl with a hand mixer.

Once the sugars and butter are nice and creamy, slowly add the flour mixture and mix until well blended.

I use Ghirardelli Chocolate chips. I love this brand of chocolate but you can use whatever is your favorite brand. You can even chop up your favorite chocolate bars instead of using chocolate chips. I take the bowl off the mixer stand and mix in the chips with a wooden spoon. You can add nuts or white chocolate chips too if you'd like. Once your cookie dough is ready, chill either in the fridge for a few hours or in the freezer for about 30-45 minutes.

I use an ice cream scoop to make my dough balls. These are not small cookies, though if you'd like to make smaller cookies you may, but the cooking time will have to change. Bake the large cookies on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet at 375 degrees for about 10-13 minutes or until nice and golden brown. If you want your cookies to be a bit flatter, after baking for about 5 minutes, pull your cookie sheet out and smash the balls a bit with a spoon and then continue to bake for another 5-8 minutes. I always make half puffy and half flatter so my guests can pick which kind they like better.

Cool cookies before piling them on top of each other so they don't stick.

Is this heavenly or what?

They look and taste just perfect!

Make sure to have a few while they're warm and gooey with a tall glass of milk!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake

2008-10-17T08:07:00.000-07:00

I decided to bake a cake since I'm staying at my brother's house. He has four kids and they love chocolate. I used to make this Swedish strawberry cake that I learned to bake when I lived in Sweden years ago. Here's a twist on that Swedish cake.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake

Bake two 8 inch round chocolate cakes. You can use boxed cake mix or your favorite chocolate cake recipe. Cool cakes completely.
Use a double broiler or like I did here by placing a bowl on top of a pan with boiling water in it to melt the chocolate with the cream.

Chocolate Ganache Glaze:

1 bag of bittersweet chocolate chips (sweetened)

1/2 bag milk chocolate chips

2 cups heavy cream

Bring cream to a simmer in a saucepan and remove from heat. Put a whole bag of bittersweet chocolate and half a bag of milk chocolate chips in the double broiler or bowl that is over slow boiling water. Slowly pour the warm cream in the chocolate and whisk or stir until smooth. Make sure to continue to stir until ready to use.This is what the Ganache glaze should look like when it's ready! Mmmmmm...so good!
Slice the strawberries thin. Leave a few whole for garnish.
Spread the white chocolate cream on top of one of the cakes.

White Chocolate Cream:
1 1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin

3 tablespoons cold water

6 ounce white chocolate chips

1 1/4 cup whipped cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small sauce pan, let stand 5 minutes. Cook over low heat stirring until gelatin dissolves. Add grated chocolate and stir constantly until melted. Cool slightly. Combine whipped cream and gelatin mixture in a mixing bowl, beat at medium speed until thickened. Stir in vanilla.

Then place the strawberry slices all over the white chocolate cream.

Place the other cake right on top.

Pour the Ganache glaze on top of your cake....

Keep going.....

Spread the glaze all over the top and sides of the cake. I took some remaining strawberries and dipped them in the leftover glaze and used them as garnish!

The masterpiece...it sure tasted good!

The layers here are just fabulous! Each piece gets you chocolate, white chocolate cream & strawberries!

This is little girl grabbed the big chocolate covered strawberry in the middle of the cake.

She was so happy about getting that big strawberry!

Hometown & Cooking with Mom

2008-10-14T08:43:00.000-07:00

I'm home in Ohio this week. It feels so good to be where you feel comfortable. I've spent some time in Columbus and some time in my hometown of Logan, Ohio. Logan is a small southeastern Ohio town in the Hocking Hills region. It's bittersweet. All the memories. Driving down 93 South between the orange and red filled trees. Fall in these parts is like no other. I remember thinking this town sucks when I was a teenager. I longed for city life. For more to do...but now I am so glad I grew up here. I am so glad that I can "come home" to Logan, Ohio and feel so comfortable.

When I'm in Logan I stay at my brother's house and we cook so much. My mom and I cook all kinds of food and my sister-in-law Jamie helps and we have so much fun talking and catching up....and of course nibbling on all the food we make.

My all time favorite food my mom makes is what we call Kuba. These are rice ball that are filled with a ground beef, almond and raisin mixture. I am amazed how perfectly my mom forms these balls. It's not as easy as it may look. It takes years to perfect and my Kuba still don't look as nice as my mom's. Here's some pics from our Kuba making today!

The mixture is basically lean ground beef sauteed with finely chopped onion, parsley almonds and raisins with some cumin, salt and pepper.

The rice has to be perfectly boiled. It can't be too soft or hard. It is drained & cooled then mixed with a few eggs, turmeric and a little salt.

You can form the Kuba into round balls or if you can master the real Kuba shape, they are supposed to be more in this oval shape. To shape the Kuba, you have to make sure that your hands are wet so the rice doesn't stick to your hands.

Kuba gets deep fried until the rice is nice and crunchy. Be careful when you first bite into one, the inside is hot! Let them cool a bit first, though I burn my mouth every time my mom and I make Kuba. I just can't wait to eat one!

Crab & Herb Spread

2008-10-14T07:39:00.000-07:00

Crab & Herb Open-Faced Bagel Sandwich

I found this great bagel shop here in Omaha. It's called the Bagel Bin. Kosher, fresh-made bagels everyday. The family is from New York and moved here in the 1970s so these are authentic, good bagels. Their website http://www.bagelbin.com/ has a cool video of the bagel making process. It is very dramatic with music...I love it! And they sell a bakers dozen for only $6.00! Such a steal...I would pay much more!

I made a crab & herb spread to smear all over my egg and poppy seed bagel and topped with slices of English cucumbers and grape tomatoes. I would have loved sprouts on top, too but did not have any in the fridge. This spread is so easy to make and you can make these open-faced bagel sandwiches for a simple lunch or serve them at your next party. You can also serve the spread in a bowl and toast your bagels and cut them up into chunks and serve them on a platter around your spread for your guests to eat like a dip!

Crab & Herb Spread:

12 oz whipped cream cheese

2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions or chives

1 tablespoon finely chopped red bell pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or granulated garlic

1/4 teaspoon dried onion or onion powder (optional)

1 can (6 oz) crab meat

pinch salt & pepper

Start off with finely chopping some fresh green onions. You can use chives instead if you'd like.

Add all your ingredients in the cream cheese and mix well.
Spread the crab dip all over the toasted bagel and top with cucumbers and tomato slices.
This sandwich was sooooo good!!!!
And took less than five minutes to make!!!!
Put the leftover spread in the fridge and eat it for a snack with crackers!

Moroccan Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

2008-10-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

For some odd reason the Fall season puts me in the mood for Moroccan food. I love the smell of those spices when it starts to get cool outside. Moroccan food is not so much spicy, but full of spices. Don't get me wrong, Moroccan food does have a kick to it but it's not that burn your mouth style that so many people are afraid to try....that's more Tunisian style food...which I love...but I love burn your mouth spicy!!! So because I've been thinking about ethnic comfort foods, here's one recipe that always comes up when I'm needing a little comfort....ethnic style!

Grilled Moroccan Chicken with Sweet Potatoes

Grilled Moroccan Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts (I used boneless this time but have used bone-in many times)

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon all spice or cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 olive oil

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, and all spices in a bowl. Place chicken in a shallow baking dish and rub the marinade all over the chicken (both sides). Cover and place in fridge for at least one hour but best if 6 or more hours. Grill chicken breasts over medium heat for about 5-8 minutes on each side or until done.
Moroccan Sweet Potatoes:

3-4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed small
Pinch of saffron (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine the butter with the honey and brown sugar and toss with the sweet potato cubes in a bowl. Sprinkle with the rest of the seasonings, toss again and spread evenly in a baking dish. Roast in the oven at 375 degrees until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

This is such a great combo because the chicken is a little spicy and the sweet potatoes are sweet and buttery. I also served some grilled asparagus with my meal to add some color and I adore grilled asparagus with just about anything!

For my asparagus I just tossed the aspargus with 2 tablespoons olive oil that was mixed with 1 tablespoon chopped garlic. I sprinkled a little salt and pepper on top and grilled the spears for 3-4 minutes.

Middle Eastern Omelet

2008-10-11T10:54:00.001-07:00

Kukuye Kadou (Persian Zucchini Omelet)

I remember growing up and my mom would make these amazing omelets on the weekends. She said she learned a lot of the recipes in Iran when her and my father escaped from Northern Iraq into Iran before moving to the States. She said they were called Kukuye (pronounced koo-koo). Most of the recipes were vegetarian and we didn't just eat them for breakfast. A lot of times she would whip these up for an appetizer or served them alongside her other dinner dishes. I love serving them for brunch because they are easy and can be served warm or at room temperature.

I bought some zucchini at the farmers market and am giving you the recipe to what they call Kukuye Kadou in Persian.

Kukuye Kadou (Zucchini Omelet)

6 eggs (whipped)

1 large or 2 small zucchini (peeled and sliced) 1/2 white onion (chopped) 3 tablespoons butter

salt & pepper to taste

1 teaspoon turmeric (if you don't have turmeric you can use cumin or curry powder)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

8 inch casserole or baking dish (nonstick or glass or ceramic is best)

Saute the onions and zucchini in a frying pan with 2 tablespoons of butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Saute on medium heat stirring and until the onions and zucchini are nicely browned and soft about 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat and add the turmeric and sugar. Cool completely. You can put them in the fridge to cool if you're in a hurry.

Meanwhile, beat the eggs until nice and fluffy and season with a small pinch of salt.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter and mix with 1 tablespoon olive oil and spread in the bottom and sides of your baking dish. Pour the vegetables in the bottom of the baking dish and pour the whipped eggs on top of the vegetables. Bake the kukuye for 30-35 minutes on 350 degrees. The omelet is done when its puffed out and golden brown on top. Let cool for a few minutes and cut into squares and serve with fresh fruit, Greek yogurt and pita bread. You can also serve this for dinner with rice and pita.

Quick App for Unexpected Guests

2008-10-09T09:18:00.000-07:00

Basil & Sweet Yellow Pepper Canapes

Good thing I made that pesto. I'm sure you've all been in this situation. You get a call and someone's five minutes away. They just wanted to stop by to say hello. Well, the way I was raised, you don't have guests without feeding them. It doesn't matter if it's 2am...you feed them something. So here' s a great quick app that you can whip up in minutes and your guests will love!

Pesto & Sweet Yellow Pepper Canapes

12-20 crackers or french baguette pieces

1/4 cup basil pesto

Parmesan cheese

10 cherry tomatoes (cut in half) or slices of Roma tomatoes

Sweet Yellow Pepper Spread

Start out with some good pesto. For my recipe:

http://checkitoutavesta.blogspot.com/2008/10/basic-pesto.html

Spread a nice amount of pesto on the cracker or baguette piece and top with some Parmesan cheese.

I love having these garnish spreads in my fridge. They taste great, are all natural and not only add great flavor to your food but also allow you to decorate and garnish your plates beautifully. If you cannot find this in your grocery store, just combine 1 chopped up yellow or orange sweet pepper with 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and a pinch of sugar. Blend until smooth. Add more or less Olive oil for the right consistency. You can put it in a squeeze bottle or use a toothpick or small spoon to garnish with your spread.

Top off the crackers with a piece of tomato and your sweet pepper spread. See...quick and easy, yet so full of flavor!