My 2018 #CulinaryVoice Scholarship Competition for ICE

I almost completely forgot to share my recent entry into the Institute of Culinary Education’s 2018 #CulinaryVoice Scholarship Contest!  So here’s the deal:

I’m entering to win a full scholarship (valued at $160,000 dollars) to perfect my cooking skills, learn the business aspects of running a restaurant or catering business and to bring professional cooking classes to group homes like The Mentor Network in Ewing, NJ.

I’ve dreamed of having a restaurant but have been told many times to do something else because most restaurants don’t succeed, and on and on, etc.  While that may be true, I have never lost my passion for cooking for others and for learning.

While home visiting my family on the west coast, they always say, ”Dena, you should cook professionally.”  Oh sure, I say.  This last visit home my father flat out said, “Do what you’re passionate about,” and my daughter Emma said, “Mommy just cook for others, you know you love it.”

So, along comes this contest and here we are.  Please vote for me to win a full scholarship to The Institute of Culinary Education. Your vote would mean the world to my kids and I!

Please Vote for Me Here!

 

Infusing the Olive Oil wtih Lemon, Instagram photo taken by Dena Ferreira

Photo by Jason Homa

Beef Stew, Photo by Jason Homa

Double the batch

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Photo by Jason Homa

Key Lime Cake Batter Photo by Jason Homa Photography

My Grandmother, Leona Mae Berg-Strickland

Kale, Chicken and Lentil Soup

Grilled Pork Chops with Rosemary, Garlic, Bay Leaf and Thyme Infused Olive Oil, Photo by Jason Homa Photography

Beefy Nachos with Guacamole, Photo by Jason Homa

Bay Leaf and Garlic Infusing

Hugs & Kisses wtih Granny Mary

Tasty Kale Salad, Photo by Kevin Twomey

Kevin Twomey Photography

Arroz Con Pollo, Photo by Jason Homa Photography

 

A Simple and Savory Bolognese

What can you do with all those leftover celery stocks and carrots from your winter soups?  Chop a few up and throw them in with a tomato sauce and a pound of ground beef and you’ve got a Bolognese that is simple, warm, comforting and satisfying.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion chopped
2 large celery stocks finely chopped
2 large or 4 medium carrots finely chopped
3 large cloves of roasted garlic or raw
2 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce
1 cup bone broth or red wine (or both)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon of turmeric – (not traditionally Italian but it is my new obsession to aide with inflammation)
Sea salt
Black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 handful of chopped fresh parsley (flat or curly – I combined them in this recipe)
6 or 7 large basil leaves chopped
Grana Padana cheese grated
1 pound fresh pasta

Directions:

Heat heavy deep pan on medium, with olive oil and saute onions, celery, and carrots – add salt, pepper, red pepper, and turmeric – until soft, add garlic for another 2 minutes, until fragrant. Add tomato paste until mixed in completely. Deglaze the pan with a bit of bone broth and/or wine until evaporated. Add meat and cook through, breaking up lumps with a wooden spoon. Add the remaining broth/wine and stir for about a minute. Add the tomato sauce and bay leaf. Cook on low or in the oven at about 275 F if using a Dutch Oven for about 1 hour.

Serve over your favorite pasta and top with fresh basil, parsley, and Grana Padana cheese.

Last weekend we visited the Farmer’s Market in Cold Spring, NY and picked up a delicious spinach fettuccini from the Knoll Krest Farm, Hudson Valley Farmhouse.  Here’s a little look:  I admit it may be my new favorite pasta.  It melted in my mouth like butter!

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Honey Mustard Ginger Chicken With Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half, lengthwise
3 scallions, chopped (including the dark green stock)
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced thin
1 knob ( about 2 inches) of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Ginger powder
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp honey Dijon mustard
1 cup water or chicken stock

2 small sweet potatoes washed and cubed

Instructions:

Season both sides of chicken with salt pepper garlic powder and ginger powder.

Cover iron skillet or Dutch oven with 2 tablespoons of olive oil get pan nice and hot.

Pan sear chicken for about 3 minutes on both sides. In the last-minute add your garlic and ginger slices. Remove the chicken pieces and set aside.

Mix honey, mustard, two tablespoons of olive oil and 1/2 – 1 cup of hot water deglaze your pan with the mixture add chicken and sweet potatoes bring to a simmer and then place in the oven for 40 minutes covered.

Serve chicken with sweet potatoes on the side drizzle with the sauce or if you’re not doing paleo go ahead and serve it over a nice dish of white rice.

Not Your Mom’s Meatloaf Recipe

Meatloaf was an American staple in my home growing up.  At least twice a month my mom served it alongside a boiled vegetable, an iceberg salad and rice with butter and salt and pepper – It doesn’t get more Americana than that!

Here’s a new recipe turning a classic on its head.  I snagged this recipe from Timothy Ferriss’ book, The 4-Hour Chef.  More than most dishes, this is one my kids ask for time and again and its perfect if you’re diabetic because instead of using bread crumbs, Ferriss’ recipe comes with baby belle mushrooms.

While visiting my family in Washington this past January, my daughter asked me to make this for everyone.  We enjoyed cooking, laughing and gathering around the table to enjoy this meal and one another’s company; which has become a new and welcomed family tradition at my Aunt’s home whenever I visit.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. fatty ground beef
2 whole eggs
3 scallions chopped
1 large yellow onion chopped
3 cloves of garlic minced
6 medium mushrooms minced
1 large handful of fresh spinach
3 – 4 oz. Chevre goat cheese
2 tbsp. tomato paste
4 shakes of cayenne pepper
3-finger pinch of oregano
2 3-finger pinches of salt
6 coarse grinds of black pepper
1 tsp. turmeric (Not in Ferriss’ recipe but I add to almost every dish now)
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary (1 chopped and the other whole for garnish)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425 F

Mix meat with eggs. Then add chopped scallion, onions and garlic and mix well. Add minced mushrooms (I mince in a food processor to get them really small) and mix all together with hands and then add the spices.

Lay out about 18″ of plastic wrap on the counter and transfer the meat mixture on the plastic and begin to flatten out.

Add the spinach and then goat cheese across one side of the loaf, reaching the ends. Then lift one end of the plastic wrap and begin to gently roll up the loaf, pulling back the plastic so it doesn’t roll into the loaf.

Pull together the sides enclosing all the goodness and transfer to a baking dish. Frost the top of the loaf with the tomato paste and chopped rosemary. Bake for 50 – 60 minutes or until the middle reaches 150 F with a thermometer.

I take all that juice that is in the bottom of my pan and make a delicious gravy.

Garnish with a sprig of rosemary and serve to those you love the most!

UPDATE!!

While home visiting my father and his girlfriend in California, I enhanced this recipe by adding a layer of thick, smokey-sweet, peppery bacon to the top.  It took it to the next level for me.  #everyonelovesbacon #baconmakesitbetter #bacon

Turkey Chili Layered with Smokey Rich Flavors

Did everyone try the South Beach Diet ten years ago? My close friends and I surely did. I couldn’t imagine starving myself and depriving myself of much of the food they said we couldn’t eat in those first weeks. So, naturally I modified and scoured the internet for food they considered acceptable; turkey chili was top of the list. Soon all my guy friends were ordering batches of it from me on a weekly basis. I don’t think I ever lost weight from the diet, probably didn’t need to at the time, but these guys sure did and they loved the chili.

So here’s my recipe but first, full disclosure: this recipe is kicked up a bit by roasting, sautéing and grilling my veggies before they go in with the turkey just to give them an extra layer of smokey rich flavors. I never did this for the boys back in the day.

Ingredients:

• 1 to 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large white onion chopped
• 1 cup celery stalk finely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic oven roasted and chopped
• 2 pounds ground turkey 70% lean
• 2 large heirloom tomatoes chopped with seeds kept in
• 2 tablespoons of chili powder
• 2 teaspoons of cumin
• 1 tablespoon of fresh or dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons of hot Hungarian paprika
• 2 to 4 small sweet red peppers or 1 large red bell pepper
• 1 jalapeño pepper (optional)
• dash or two of crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup of flour
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup of bone broth
• 1 32oz. can of tomato sauce
• 1 to 2 15 oz. cans of beans depending on your preference (kidney, black or pinto)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large heavy pot or dutch oven heat the olive oil and sauté the onions and celery. Fire roast the peppers or grill on pan while oven roasting the garlic. I oven roast the garlic by wrapping it in aluminum foil with a little olive oil and place in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes or so. Once those two are done, add your garlic and peppers to the onions and celery. (You may want to do this ahead of time). Add your spices and herbs and sauté for another 5 minutes until mixed well. Add the ground turkey and cook until lightly brown breaking down the meat with a wooden spoon.

Add the tomatoes, broth and tomato sauce, bringing to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the beans (do not strain) and salt and pepper to taste. Stirring, cook for another 10 minutes. Serve in bowls with grated cheddar, fresh oregano and green onions – or any combination you prefer. I sometimes top mine with homemade tortilla chips and a slice of avocado, lime and cilantro.

I should note that I also like to make my bone broths ahead of time (following Thanksgiving and Christmas I had a lot to work with) and freeze them in ice trays, ziplock bags and repurposed quart containers. I also slow-cooked this for another 4 hours in the oven on low (about 275 degrees Fahrenheit) just to be sure all of those flavors get married, make love and have babies! If you do this too you may want to add another cup of broth, it’s up to you!

I hope you and your friends enjoy this recipe as much as we will tomorrow in the snow!

Happy eating and stay warm!

Homemade fried corn tortilla chips

This bone broth cooked for 12 hours!

Homemade bone broth from pork shoulder (XMAS) stored in quart containers

Bone broth frozen in ice trays

The perfect serving with cheddar and fresh oregano

I still get orders for this dish and when I do, I usually get about 4 quarts out of the recipe. I will add more broth as needed if I’m slow cooking it in the oven as liquid tends to evaporate. This batch is filled to the rim and topped with chopped green onions and flat leaf on parsley!!

Chocolate Chunk Cookies with Almonds & a Twist of Coconut & Rum

One of my favorite classic treats are Nestle’s Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookies with walnuts.  Another favorite of my sweet treats is coconut with chocolate and almonds (as a kid it was the Almond Joy).   On this day I was craving the comforting feeling of those treats and with a freezer filled with almonds and a vat of coconut oil, I came up with a new twist on a classic:  Chocolate Chunk-Almond Cookies with a Twist of Coconut & Rum.

I don’t know about you but I like my cookies gooey in the center with a crispy edge butter edge and lots of chocolate. In this recipe replaced the butter for coconut and well, you get the rest.  These are now my new favorite and quickly becoming a classic with my family.  They came out perfect, gooey, oozing with melted chocolate and dough in the center and a crispy edge – just the way I like them.  So here’s the recipe with my tweaks and twists on the classic Nestle’s recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup organic raw coconut oil, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon rum flavoring- or the real thing
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels or Chunks
• 1 cup chopped toasted almonds

 

Toasted Almonds

Fernandes Rum of Trinidad

TBT: La Romana Coconuts

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. I sift mine to ensure its smooth and their are no funny things in my flour.  Beat coconut oil (don’t let this liquefy prior to using), granulated sugar, brown sugar and rum in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.  I use an ice cream scoop.
3. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
4. Enjoy with your favorite milk or ice cream or just alone.  I like them best warm, right out of the oven!!

Who am I kidding? I ate more than two. These little babies are my weakness!

Double the batch

Fresh out of the oven

My serving

 

 

What do Almonds, Coconuts & Rum have in common? Stay tuned…new recipe coming soon!

Fernandes Rum of Trinidad

TBT: La Romana Coconuts

Toasted Almonds

Blushing Snow Peaks dipped in Dark Chocolate

This is going to be a fast post for my cousin, Debbie George out in California.  I snagged this recipe off of the Food TV website and added my own blushing sugar art to the end.

You’ll see by Tyler’s recipe his snow peaks look more real but mine look like they might be in a Dr. Seuss book; so really whose are better, huh?

Ingredients

• 4 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups dark chocolate chips
• Sugar Luster Dust

Directions

Watch how to make this recipe on Tyler Florence’s Food TV page.

Special equipment: Piping bag, medium size round tip

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites on medium speed with the whisk attachment until the whites become foamy. Add the cream of tartar and turn up the speed to medium, beating until just fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, while whisking, so it incorporates into the whites slowly without collapsing them. Once all the sugar has been added, add the vanilla and increase the speed to high, whisking until the meringue is firm and glossy, 5 to 7 minutes.

Place the meringue into a piping bag with a medium-size round tip attached. Pipe 48 bite-size tear-drop-shaped meringues onto the sheets and place in the oven. Bake for 1 hour undisturbed, and then turn off the heat and leave in the oven overnight to really dry out.

Melt the chocolate over a double-boiler or in the microwave on medium power for 30 seconds. Holding each meringue by the peak, dip the bases in chocolate so the bottom half of the meringue is coated. Let any excess chocolate drip off before placing on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Allow to set at room temperature; do not put in the fridge. Once set, store in an airtight container. – This is where I used the sugar art to the tops as well as to the chocolate edges.

It was a lot of fun making these and even more fun eating.  They are pretty sweet, so I added a smidge of sea salt to my chocolate to balance out that sugary merengue.

 

Mommy’s Juicy Chicken Recipe

This dish is totally delicious and juicy, just like it’s name.  The secret is in the basting.   Gigi used to say, “Yeah, its mommy’s juicy chicken for dinner!” and that’s how it got it’s name.  Back then I took the whole chicken and cut it into parts and that added an additional hour to my work.  Now my kids are big enough to eat half a chicken each, so no need to do all that carving of raw chicken – unless I’m catering for a friend’s kid birthday party, then it tends to look more like this:

Ingredients:

• • 1 tablespoon each of fresh rosemary, sage, thyme and basil, chopped
  • juice of two lemons (save the skins for the cavity of the chicken)
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • half a stick of butter cut into tablespoons
  • 1 large clove of garlic or 3 small cloves
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
  • sea salt and black crushed pepper
  • ½ yellow onion
  • 1 celery stalk cut into quarters

Directions:

1. Salt and pepper chicken and cover in the refrigerator for about an hour while mixing marinade.
2. Mix all herbs and spices with olive oil, lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of butter in glass bowl or measuring cup. Let melt to room temperature or melt in the microwave a few seconds.  Let stand.
3. Roast garlic in a wrap of tin foil at 400 in the oven with a dash of olive oil. Add to the olive oil, herb mixture and smash.  Take chicken out of the refrigerator and pour marinade over chicken.
4. Take the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and insert under the skin of the chicken breast.
5. Take onion, celery and the lemon halves and stuff inside the cavity of the chicken.
6. Cover in plastic and return to fridge for at least an hour or overnight.

 

High heat method (this creates a crispy, darker skin):

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C) and cook whole (thawed) chicken for 10-15 minutes.
2. Then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and roast for 20 minutes per pound.  Today’s chicken is 7 pounds!

Here are some little personal preferences I do:

1. I usually cover my chicken with aluminum foil and baste every 20-30 minutes for extra juicy chicken but then you’re doing a dance between crispy and not crispy enough skin.
2. If you cover your chicken during cooking, remove foil for the last hour (at least) and turn the broiler on at the end and cook for about 3-5 minutes, keeping a careful eye on it.  Also, you can never baste too much, in my opinion.

Other tips for my girls I snagged from the All Recipe’s website Roast Chicken Tips:

How to Tell When Your Chicken Is Done

Regardless of the method used, a whole chicken is ready when a meat thermometer inserted into the inner thigh (close to but not touching the thigh bone) reads at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

• The temperature of the meat will continue to rise slightly when you pull it out of the oven (this is called “carryover cooking”), so if the thermometer shows a few degrees below the target, give it a few minutes–the internal temperature might still rise to at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
• When you remove the chicken from the oven, cover it loosely with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. This redistributes the juices and results in moister chicken.

Now that my chicken is done, I’m going to head out to the airport and pick that little girl in an adolescence body up from the airport.  She’s home for the holidays after a stressful two weeks of finals at BU!  I hope she still loves “Mommy’s Juicy Chicken!”

Lemon & Brown Sugar Baby Bread Pudding

One of my favorite bread pudding recipes has to be the one I created for my daughter Emma’s kindergarten class’ recipe book and bake sale.  While the title says lemon and brown sugar, so much more goes into this delicious warm and cozy treat.  It makes a perfect dessert with coffee and a generous dollop of whipped cream this Chanukah.

Here is the original recipe but today I am out of coconut flakes, blueberries and white chocolate so I’m doing a little creative substitution with dark chocolate, toffee bits, a teaspoon of cinnamon and cocoa powder.  I also cut the recipe in half and used a Greek Easter loaf (Tsoureki) I had in the freezer for just such an occasion of craving!  I’ll put the alternate recipe underneath the images and post.

So we’ll see if its as good as the first one!

Ingredients

• 1 loaf Challah bread, cut into 2-inch dice
• 6 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed
• 1 cup coconut flakes
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 2 lemons, zested
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Whipped cream, for garnish
• 1/2 cup blueberries, for garnish
• Powdered sugar, for garnish
• Coconut flakes, for garnish
• 1 tablespoon of butter for greasing the casserole.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Put bread cubes into large bowl. Mix eggs, cream, brown sugar, zest, coconut, white chocolate chips and vanilla together; pour over bread. Mix well and let sit for a minimum of 15 minutes. Butter a casserole dish and pour the mixture into the casserole. Put into the top half of the oven until the center is slightly firm to the touch, about 30 – 40 minutes. Remove and serve warm, topped with whipped cream, blueberries, and powdered sugar.

Here’s a shot of it just before putting it in the oven.  I’m not sure if you can see that the chocolate chips are mixed into the mixture, whereas I just sprinkled the toffee bits on top.

Setting in the oven

So, the pudding has been in the oven for about 15 minutes and I went to the office to check on something.  I was nearly knocked over by the fragrance that had escaped my kitchen and made its way down the hall.  That combination of butter, chocolate, cinnamon and lemon is so satisfying.  I can’t wait to see how this one comes out!

Turns out I cooked this one for 35 minutes exactly and here it is!

I took my first bite and it did not disappoint.  It may even be my new favorite.  I didn’t bother whipping up any cream.  Its still morning for goodness sake!

I’m not the only one who wanted in on the action.  Our new family member, Graham, tried to sneak a taste too!  No chocolate for doggies, but he did get a corner of the bread and was simply lick-a-licously satisfied!

Alternate Recipe (halved)

• 1/2 loaf Tsoureki bread, cut into 2-inch dice
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, loosely packed
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• Zest of 1 lemon (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup Hershey’s milk chocolate-toffee bits
• 1 tablespoon of butter for greasing the casserole.