Archive for November, 2012

Pizza for Dinner

Pizza-Homemade or “Doctored Up” store bought?

Either way it can be delicious!  Just ask my Facebook friends: http://facebook.com/thesallycevasco

after I posted last night’s pizza via instagram onto my Facebook wall.

I took a fresh store bought pizza and did my “doctoring magic” to make it much more yummy!

I sauteed some onions and baby bella mushrooms. Then I sprinkled the pizza with some basil, oregano

and red pepper flakes. Then drizzled with olive oil.

Here it is before baking:

Pizza ready to bake

Pizza ready to bake

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s the pizza straight out of the oven:

Pizza at home ready to eat

Hot out of the oven Pizza

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please like, share and leave your comments below!

Enjoy!

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Corn on the Cob

Corn on the cob

Corn on the cob

Who doesn’t love corn on the cob?  I have to admit that I could eat it almost every day when it is in season here.

I have very fond memories of picking fresh corn out in the fields with our Aunt and Uncle who were vegetable farmers.

I was about 9 or 10 when I learned how to drive the tracker. I’ll never forget the time that I was first learning how to drive the tractor and my sister was standing on the

back.  Well, I popped the clutch so hard that she got knocked off and was sitting in the middle of the road!  We didn’t realize it until we were about a quarter mile away.

Our Aunt looked back and started laughing so hard!  It was a special moment.

The other thing that I remember from those days is that is was fun to be at their farm stand on a busy street corner selling what we just picked!

There are a few ways to cook corn on the cob that will ensure it comes out perfectly!! But for the love of life PLEASE, PLEASE don’t OVER cook it!

I see people doing this all the time and I just can’t

understand why they think they need to boil

it for 20 mins. or worse yet 30 mins. or more.  STOP!

Here are some options for perfect corn:

1) Boil the water first then put the ears in and only cook for 5 mins. tops.

2) Put the corn in the pot, then turn it on and when it boils remove it from the heat and drain. (if you don’t drain it immediately it will continue to cook)

3) Peel off the outermost husk and leave enough husk on to keep the corn covered. Soak in cold water, then place on outdoor grill on med heat about

10 mins. per side.  Or if you prefer a roasted flavor, peel entirely and place directly on grill, turning a couple of times. Remove when grilled to your liking.

 

You can get the recipes for the tostada HERE

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Shrimp Scampi Dinner

Shrimp Scampi (our version)

Shrimp scampi dinner

Shrimp Scampi Dinner

This is a very easy meal to make!

Be sure to buy the freshest shrimp you can find. We have a seafood

store locally that brings in really fresh fish and seafood. The shrimp is

always much better quality and fresher when purchased there!

1 lb. of shrimp (you can double this if needed)

Fresh cilantro chopped

White wine

Fresh garlic (about 1 to 2 medium cloves to taste) sliced, chopped or minced (I use the garlic zoom featured here)

Olive oil

Fresh cracked pepper

 

Remove shells and clean the shrimp.

Heat a couple of TBS. of olive oil in a skillet. (we use the side burner on the grill when cooking seafood sometimes to keep the house from getting all stinky!)

Saute the shrimp for a few minutes then add the cracked pepper & garlic. Saute for another couple of minutes then pour in the white wine

and simmer for another few minutes.

I love this recipe served over nice hot fluffy Jasmine rice!

And as shown in the photo it goes very well with fresh cooked brussel sprouts!

Bona petit!

Please leave comments below and also feel free to share!

 

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Chocolate Fudge Recipe

Chocolate Fudge Recipe

This recipe came from a very long time dear friend in Vermont. We became very close friends many years ago

when we used to live there too.  Once when my son was very young, probably about 2 or 3, my friend and her

husband were visiting and talking to their son who lives in California. My son was upstairs in bed, supposed to be

sleeping but when Dean yelled out, “hey Dan you’re missing the fudge man, bummer!” My son mimicked him

and yelled down the stairs “bummer!”  It was hilarious!

Homemade Chocolate Fudge

Homemade Chocolate Fudge

Ingredients:

1/3 Cup Milk

1 sq. unsweetened chocolate (or 2 to 3 TBS. of cooa)

Place over low heat stirring until chocolate it melted and mixture is smooth.

Stir in:

2 cups sugar

1 tsp. corn syrup

dash of salt

 

Cook gently stirring from the bottom occasionally to 236 degrees with a candy thermometer

(a little dropped into cold water (a small cup full of water) forms a soft ball)

Remove from heat.

Add 2 TBS. butter and cool without stirring to lukewarm.

Add 1 tsp. vanilla.

(Add chopped nuts now if desired)

Beat until thick & no longer glossy.

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Lady Finger German Sweet Chocolate Cake

I LOVE this Lady Finger German Sweet Chocolate Cake because it is so easy to make but VERY impressive!

You can make your own lady fingers or purchase them pre-made.

Here’s a video on how to make them yourself:

These are the pre-made ones available in most stores near me that I use:

Lady Finger Cake

Specialty Bakers Lady Fingers

Ingredients:
3 pkgs. Lady Fingers

3 pkgs. 8 oz. German Sweet Chocolate for baking

7  & 1/2 TBS. Water

1 tsp. instant coffee (I sometimes combine this with some Kalua)

1 &  1/2 pints whipping cream

1 &   1/2 tsp. vanilla

 

(Click on the image to get more recipes from the Specialty Bakers site)

 

Step 1: Melt 2 & 1/2 pkgs. of chocolate & instant coffee with 7 & 1/2 water over double boiler (you can use a smaller saucepan inside a larger one with water in the bottom one if you don’t have a double boiler)  (reserving last half of pkg. of chocolate for shaving garnish for top)

Step 2: Stir until smooth.

Step 3: Cool it.

Step 4: Whip 1 & 1/2 pints of whipping cream until stiff peaks form and add vanilla and cooled chocolate. (reserve remaining whipped cream for the topping)

Step 5: Line a springform pan with lady fingers standing upright around the edge.

Step 6: Line the bottom of the pan with lady fingers.

Step 7:  Layer filling then lady fingers in pan and end with chocolate filling.

Step 8: Top with reserved whipped cream and sprinkle shaved chocolate over top. Refrigerate to chill completely.

Serve the chilled cake and enjoy!

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Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Chocolate covered strawberries are always a big hit at any party or event!

Now this is one of my favorites! How can you go wrong?

Chocolate covered strawberries

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Buy the best fresh strawberries you can find. Wash them.

There is a chocolate in the produce section of most stores that you can melt and then dip the strawberries in.

Once you dip them, place them upright balanced on the stem if possible. Some will fall over and that’s ok.

The ones that don’t stay up will just have a flat spot on them.

Then they cool and harden.

YUMMY!

 

 

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Maine Lobster

Eating Maine Lobster is an ART!

We had the wonderful opportunity to spend some time in Maine this year when my son got married to a gal that is from Maine.

The wedding was at Pleasant Point Inn right on Kezar lake in Lovell, Maine. Very lovely location.

 

Wedding on Kezar lake

Jesse and Sarah’s wedding

We decided to take several days vacation after the wedding and spend time on the coast of Maine in the same area I used to take

Many do not realize that lobsters come in two shell forms:

Soft shell and hard shell

Soft shell is much easier to get into and you can usually eat the entire lobster without heavy machinery.

Hard shell are great but you definitely need some heavy duty tools to access the meat.

I used to take my kids to Maine every summer for a few days or a week every year when we lived in Vermont. It was a magical and wonderful time

being right on the water and eating lobster every day while we were there!

It’s funny I’ve actually had people in the grocery store ask me how to cook lobsters when I’ve bought them live.

It’s really very easy but some are squeamish when putting the into to the pot live.

You just need a large pot and I actually use an insert into that pot that has holes in it to let the steam through.

Steaming is best because they don’t take on as much water. Once they are done cooking it’s not fun to have the water

drain all over when you break them apart! Timing depends on how many lobsters and the size of them. If they are average 1 1/2 pounds

and you only have a couple, you could cook them about 25 to 30 mins. and it will be fine.

We stayed right next door to a place where we could order the lobsters of any size and have them cooked. Then we brought them back to where we stayed and ate them.

The first night we were there we had a crowd of family join us and we ordered and ate 13 lobsters for dinner!!!

It was great because it would have been 3 times the price to eat them at the restaurant!

Maine Lobsters

Maine Lobsters

 

How to Eat a Maine Lobster

Maine Lobster

How to eat a Maine lobster:

There are many ways to eat a lobster, just like eating Maryland crabs.  I prefer to remove the tail

by turning it upside down and grabbing the tail and pulling it backwards until it snaps off the body.

Then I squeeze the tail inward toward itself until it cracks all the way down. Then use both hands to

pull it apart away from you by pushing it backwards on both sides and then grab the meat and pull it out.

Twist the claws off and break them apart.  Use tools or utensils to push the meat through the claws

and legs. Lots of meat can be found in the body right where the legs attach so don’t forget to

attack that part as well! The legs are more work and many leave them behind but the bigger the lobster the

more meat you will find and the legs should not be ignored.

Dip in drawn butter and you are in HEAVEN!

 

 

After the wedding we spent several days on the coast of Maine and it was just heavenly!

Eating lobster and drinking champagne every day!!

Lighthouse in Maine

Pemiquid Point Lighthouse

 

 

 

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Bagels & Lox

Bagels and Lox are a favorite treat for breakfast!
Everything Bagels, cream cheese, Lox (smoked salmon), capers, red onion slices, tomato

Breakfast with bagels and lox

“Everything Bagels & Lox with layers of goodies”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a very easy and impressive breakfast to serve guests too!

Please leave your comments below and SHARE too!

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Roast Pork on the Grill

Pork Shoulder Roast on the grill:

Using your grill to roast meats is a great way to get the best flavor and very moist meat!

You can use pre-made rubs or create your own using a combination of spices.

One of our favorites is the Smokehouse Boys Reaper Rub

Barbeque Rub

Smokehouse Boys Reaper Rub

The Smokehouse Boys are dear friends for many years and the last several years they have been perfecting this rub.

They have been competing in many BBQ bashes in various locations. This past summer taking 6th place for their pulled pork

out of over 100 entrants!!

You can use this rub on so many things but it is especially tasty when roasting or grilling pork!

You can combine any or all of the following with the Reaper Rub too!

Here is a list of possibles:

Herbs de Provence

Cumin

Chili powder

Garlic powder

Cracked black pepper

Ceyene pepper

Roast Pork

Roast Pork on the Grill

Just use any combination of spices that you like and that compliment each other. Place the pork roast in a roasting pan and place it on the pre-heated (between 400 & 500 degrees) grill. Close the lid and let it roast for at least 2 hrs.

depending on size. If it is on the large side I will let it go for 3 hrs. and just turn the heat down a little so it doesn’t get too charred on the outside. (Although we really love that charred exterior too).

About an hour before it is done you can scrub up some russet potatoes and throw them on the grill turning them after 30 mins.

Let those roast rest for 15 mins. or so after you remove it from the grill. Then carve and eat!
Serve this with the roasted asparagus or steamed veggies and you have a super easy delicious meal.

Pork roast

Pork roast

 

Please comment below and SHARE too!

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Chicago Business Trip and Syrup!

Once while on a business trip the funniest thing happened to me! I was managing the Eastern US for a food manufacturer at the time and I just loved my job.

Maple syrup

Maple Syrup

I had just hired this amazing young man to manage the mid-west territory and we had a big presentation

scheduled at a hotel in the Chicago area. We managed to get everything set up with enough time left to allow us to have some lunch prior to the presentation.

About 5 of us from the company all sat down at the hotel restaurant and ordered lunch. When we finished I started to stand up and the whole chair came with me!!

It was stuck to my butt!  Which of course, had everyone in hysterics. I should mention that I don’t mind being laughed at if it’s funny. And this was funny!

But you can imagine my panic when I realized that I didn’t have time to go upstairs and change and now I had syrup all over my butt!

Thankfully I was wearing a black slack suit. So the only other lady in the group grabbed a cloth napkin off the table and said “come with me.” I followed

her to the ladies room where she wet the cloth napkin then got down on her knees and started wiping my butt.  Too funny!

She said “you didn’t remember me before but I’m thinking you’re going to remember me now!”  Ha ha

And she was right, I never forgot her after that.

Also the young man that I had just hired still keeps in touch many years later and this is only one of the many funny stories we still laugh about. He says he still tells “Sally stories”

all these years later. So stay tuned for more!

 

Be sure to try my recipe for the best Buttermilk Pancakes HERE

And don’t forget to use REAL Maple Syrup!

Please leave your comments below and SHARE too!

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