Basic Cookie Recipe

I use this basic sugar cookie recipe as the base for many different cookies.

Ingredients:

1 egg
2 cups flour
Tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup softened butter

Directions:

Very easy! Mix everything together, let set in fridge for at least one hour before rolling out to 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch and bake @350 10-12 minutes.

Tips
I have added toasted sesame seeds to this dough, I usually just ice with royal icing and let firm up. This is one of the only firm cookies that I like. You could add coconut, or nuts, etc. I am working on 3 variations of this recipe so check back soon! My co-workers should be happy!

Braised Ox Tails

It is snowing today and I really wanted a warm feel good meal.

So I made Braised Ox Tail Stew...

What you will need:

2 pounds Ox Tails
1 cup pmoegranate wine
3 cups beef broth
4 cups water
1 pound potatoes chopped
3 large carrots chopped
1 cup onion chopped
1 tablespoon balsimic vinegar
2 tablespoons parsley
seasonings (I used garlic powder, onion powder, and red chili flakes)
S&P to taste
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

coat your ox tails in flour, brown them in the olive oil, add the wine and stock to a large heavy pan, add the browned ox tails. Let simmer for 1 hour, then add the water and all of the chopped veggies, seasonings, and vinegar. simmer 3-5 hours until the ox tail meat falls off the bone. enjoy!

Turkey Day is almost here...

Thanksgiving is almost here so I know everyone is somewhat interested in new recipes and techniques. Below is a link to a few videos that span, stuffing, roasting a turkey, and brining a turkey.

www.youtube.com/user/teejaytoday75

How to Brine a Turkey/Chicken

What a Brine is:

This is where you piggy back great flavors and seasonings with SALT to penetrate and flavor food, usually vegatables and meats.

Brining works on a cellular level by way of salt molecules wanting to create an equilibrium on either side of a membrane, in this case...poultry skin. As the salt moves in and out of the membrane, seasonings that you add are carried with the salt into the flesh of the meat.

This also creates a more savory and moist piece of meat, (Those Chemistry classes in college finally paid off!)

I recently brined a Chicken and made a video of it...here it is:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NCAUb8E6E04&feature=colike

Panda Express for the First Time

I am still on my training business trip and I got off yesterday before everyone else...so I decided to go and try a place that I have never been before....Panda Express.

I wanted to try a little of everything but the lady behind the counter (Tong) would not let me sample! LOL I got a little Beef and Broccoli, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Orange Chicken, Fried Rice, and Pot Stickers.

The food was pretty good, the beef was tender, the sweet and sour chicken was perfect except I could have used a little more sauce on it!

Overall I would rate it a 6 out of 10, it was tasty and filled me up after a long day of work!

Eating Healthy....What!?!?!?

I am currently on a business trip and I am trying to eat somewhat healthy on this little trip. So I ate at Chili's yesterday...I ordered the Black Bean Burger with Avocado on a Wheat bun. It was REALLY Good! It came with crispy fried onions, french fries, and ranch dipping sauce.

I ate about half of the burger, fries, and onions. I rate it about a 7 out of 10.
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Another way to eat healthy is to eat nuts and seeds as snacks. Since it is nearly Halloween and a lot of people will have a pumpkin...I decided to roast some pumpkin seeds and video it. With a pumpkin around only $4...it is a cheap snack as well!

You can see me do it here: http://youtu.be/2SWqfDCn860

Kick'n Cornbread

I made some of the best cornbread the other day and I just wanted to share it with you.. Here is the link for a video :

http://youtu.be/bcHEkd_Q7BI

The only thing that I would have changed is adding more peppers, we like things hot over here!

I took some to work for co-workers to try and they loved it!

Try it and let me know what changes you would make!

Easy Lunch Idea...

Looking for something easy but good to take for a lunch? Or a great entertaining dish?

What you will need:

Rolls
Onions
Chicken Breast
Cheese
Butter

Cook the Chicken Breast... I like to do this the day before...Put the onions in a pan with a little bit of butter and salt and cook until slightly golden. Cut your rolls in half and put a piece of your favorite cheese on them with some chicken and onions.

I put these chicken sliders into my luch box and take to work...I put the whole thing in the microwave for about 30 seconds until the cheese is nice and gooey!

If you want you can add a few pieces of fresh spinach if you like green stuff on your mini chicken sandwiches.

Enjoy!

Let me know if you make these and any changes that you make!

www.TheFoodieWithin.com

I tried something new...

I was walking through the meat section of my local megamart and saw something new. Boudain....

Boudain...
A sausage like meat product made from Pork, rice, pork livers and other seasonings, served inside pork intestine. Popular in Louisiana.

I have never had this product so I bought it. When I got home I had no idea on how to prepare..the directions told me to simmer in in water or slowly cook on a grill. I knew that I wanted to prepare it so that I could take it for lunch at work.

I took some pizza dough and added a few leaves of fresh bab spinach, then put the boudain on top of the nest of spinach. I sealed it up in the dough and baked at 350 for 20 minutes. Sliced it kind of thin and at it with a little mustard and ketchup.

The flavor was 'alright' I would have loved a little more liver flavor and it was a little spicy for my taste....and I like spicy.

Guaca...Guaca...Guacamole! OLE!

Look...I am making Guacamole!

I am thinking about trying out for Food network Star!

http://youtu.be/Ytyti3Dezdg

Salsa

I made Salsa, and here is the YouTube link


http://youtu.be/EjDf_QR2Uk0

Simple Pecan Candy

2/3 cups sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups pecans (halves or pieces)
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a saucepan combine the sugars, butter, and vanilla, Cook until the sugar is competely melted and not grainy...add the pecans, coat well and spread out on wax paper, once it is cool, enjoy!

Healthier Pancakes

It is against the law for pancakes to actually be good for you in my opinion but there are ways to feel less guilty when you make them. Here is my adaptation:


1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons Agave Nector (or honey)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg
2 - 3 tablespoons oil (sometimes I use melted butter for a richer feel)
2 tablespoons wheat germ
3 tablespoons quick oates
3 tablespoons favorite dried fruit or 1 medium apple chopped finely




Mix the dry ingredients together, then add the other items. DO NOT OVER MIX, hand mix for 30 seconds and walk away for 5 minutes

Heat a skillet on medium heat. When heated, scoop the pancake batter recipe into the frying pan with a large spoon to make individual pancakes about 4 inches across. The pan will probably only take 1 or two pancakes at a time. Cook on one side until the top begins to bubble, then flip over and cook on the other side

Serve with your favorite topping...ie...strawberries and whip cream, honey, syrup, etc...

MMMMM Breakfast of Champs

Doesn't this look amazing????? Here is what I made: Quiche, Yogurt/Agave Parfait, and Berry Smoothie

The Quiche:

In a small skillet I added some fresh spinach, small potato cubes, and a few small broccoli florets...Saute until tender....In a blender combine 7 eggs and 1/2 cup buttermilk and seasonings of you liking....blend until smooth. In 12 small ramekins divide your potato/broccoli mixture. Then pour in your egg mixture....bake at 350 until middle is firm. I garnished with fresh spinach cut into ribbons.

Parfait:

In a parfait glass layer granola, then Greek yogurt, then honey, then yogurt, then granola, and top with agave nectar.

Smoothie:

In a blender add 1/2 cup fresh pineapple, 1/2 cup fresh mango, 1 cup fresh strawberries, and 4 cups grape juice...Blend until smooth and serve over ice or chilled.

Honey Mustard

Never Buy Honey Mustard again! You probably have these ingredients in your cupboard! 1/2 cup mayo 2 tbls mustard 1/4 cup honey 2 tbls orange juice S&P Combine all ingredients and enjoy!

Stay Hydrated

The old wives tale is that you need to have 8 glasses of water per day.....FALSE!

You need 64 ounces of water per day....but you receive water in other forms than liquid!

Some veggies/fruits are nearly all water......

Melons

Citrus

Lettuce

Others

And some other drinks count toward your daily intake of H2O

Teas

Coffees

Sodas (Diet I hope)

Enhanced Waters

Others

The 64 ounce thing is also a misnomer...it depends on your activity level.....a 180 pound man running 3 miles needs more than a 110 receptionist... Hydrate according to what you are doing.

I dont drink enough, and I know it...every morning I have a glass of water and some type of juice...usually have a Monster for Lunch...then one or two glasses of water before I go to bed....My goal this week is to add another glass of water while I am at work....Baby Steps

My tip....Before I leave in the morning, I will put my water in a travel containor (no plastic bottles for me) but I will use mostly ice, that way when I am ready for it...it will still be cold and I am not inconvenienced to walk across the building to the fridge to get my water....

New Diet!!!! yay....

Okay, you caught me, not really a new diet, I started this diet at the first of December 2010. It started with a 10 day herbal cleanse, ...lost 7 pounds....then it was a pill and shake program....up until today I have lost a total of 13 pounds and have not changed anything except having a shake every other day for either breakfast or lunch.

Starting today I am adding a little something different, I saw the book, 400 calorie meals. I bought it yesterday and have been reading it all day...I am going to add this to my plan and see if I can speed up the results...Spring and Summer are just around the corner and I want to look nice for it.

Here is an example of one of the meals that I am making for dinner tomorrow.

Spinach and Potato Salad

1 1/2 cups baby spinach
3 fingerling potatoes
3 cherry tomatoes
2 raspberries
1 tsp whole grain mustard
3 tsp olive oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Boil the potatoes in water just until fork tender, let cool.

Dressing, in blender (I used a coffee grinder due to the small amount) add the raspberries, mustard, olive oil, and apple cider vinegar, blend until smooth. Mix everything together and enjoy...!



My meal plan for tomorrow looks like this.

Breakfast.. 7AM..meal replacement smoothie with 3 strawberries and 1/2 banana blended in.
Brunch...11AM...Spinach and Potato Salad
Late lunch ....2PM...Black Bean Burrito
Dinner...6PM...Bacon and Spinach Salad
Dessert...7PM...1 scoop chocolate fat free frozen yogurt.