Black Beans and Rice

It's no secret that I love Mexican and/or Spanish cuisine. Chipotle, Pollo Tropical, and Qdoba are all in my list of favorite "fast-food" eateries. But when I can cook some of these dishes at home, it saves money and time.  Black beans are great. They're filling, tasty, and they work well in a variety of dishes.

My recipe for black beans is all done to taste. I'll try to give approximations of what I used...

Ingredients
1 can of black beans, undrained
1/4 cup of onion, chopped
1 tbsp. garlic, minced
Olive oil
White vinegar
Water
Cilantro

1. Coat bottom of frying pan in olive oil. Over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in pan till caramelized. 

2. Add beans to the pan. Fill 1/4 of the can with water, and add to pan. Boil for 10 minutes. Lower heat.  Add cilantro and white vinegar to taste. Let simmer for another 10 minutes.

3. Serve over rice. (I used Uncle Ben's Boil in a Bag brown rice).  Top with chopped onion and cilantro. 

Chicken Florentine

It's no secret that I enjoy pasta. I'm Italian. It's practically in my DNA.  So any time I can find a fun, relatively not-fattening recipe with pasta, I get pretty excited.

And, according to this website, Italians are also especially fond of spinach. I'm not incredibly a huge fan of the leafy greens (except in this dish, or in a spinach and artichoke dip...coming up soon, post Super Bowl).  But this recipe was especially tasty. I've made it a few times...but over the course of a few tries, I've altered the recipe to suit my tastes better (my recipe is NOT the recipe posted on the website above).  So, without further ado...Chicken Florentine.

Ingredients

2 cups pasta (use whole grain...it's better for you, and it's more filling)
12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast, cubed
1/4 onion, chopped
1 package (6.5oz) light semi-soft garlic and herb cheese spread (Alouette is amazing)
2 cups fat-free milk
1 tbsp flour
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (reduced fat, preferably)
2 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
1 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered

1. Cook pasta according to package, but do not add any salt. Drain but do not rinse.

2. While pasta is cooking, spray skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Over medium-high heat, cook chicken and onion for four to six minutes (or until chicken is no longer pink and onion is tender). If the onion browns too quickly, reduce heat.

3. Remove skillet from heat, and stir in the semi-soft cheese until completely melted.

4. In a bowl, whisk milk and flour together until smooth. Add the mixture to the chicken. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently.

5. After sauce is thickened, reduce heat to low. Stir in cheddar cheese until melted. Toss in pasta, and cook for another two minutes, until heated through.

6. Stir in spinach and top with cherry tomatoes.

Enjoy!

PointsPlus value: 11 (yields approximately 5 servings)

Devilish Eggs

Deviled eggs are practically a staple as an American appetizer.  The concept is pretty basic: a hard-boiled egg, sliced in half, refilled with a combination of the yolk, mayonnaise, mustard, and spices.  In fact, the mustard and the spices...the ingredients that give the deviled egg it's kick... are also the ingredients that helped to name this tasty little appetizer.  In culinary terms, "deviled" describes something that is spicy, tangy, piquant.

Well, I didn't quite make deviled eggs for New Year's; I made devilish eggs.  Let me explain: the recipe is from Lisa Lillien's Hungry Girl book, 200 Under 200: 200 Recipes Under 200 Calories.  Lillien takes recipes and manipulates them in ways that are completely inconceivable, but entirely delicious.  The purpose is to create healthier dining options.  For example, her recipe for Devilish Eggs is made entirely without the egg yolk, which is the "unhealthiest" part of the egg.  Yeah, you're probably saying to yourself: "But that's the main ingredient!"  Yes, but every single person that tasted the devilish eggs on New Years had no idea that it was made with cauliflower.  Yeah.  Cauliflower.

Are you ready to have your mind blown?

Ingredients

2 cups chopped cauliflower
12 eggs
4 wedges "Laughing Cow" Light Original Swiss Cheese
1/3 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sweet relish, patted dry to remove moisture
2 teaspoons minced shallots
1 1/2 teaspoons yellow mustard
Yellow food coloring
Salt and black pepper to taste
Paprika (optional)

(Disclaimer: Because I cook like the rest of the women in my family, I prepare things based on taste.  So, I added almost another quarter of a cup of sweet relish, a little more yellow mustard...and maybe a bit more mayo.  Don't judge me.)

1. Boil the eggs for about 7 minutes. Turn off the heat, but leave the eggs in the hot water for an additional five minutes. Peel the shells from the eggs under running cold water.  Cover the eggs and leave them in a refrigerator until needed. 

2. In a large microwave-safe bowl, add cauliflower and 1/3 cup of water.  Microwave the cauliflower for about 7 minutes (or until the cauliflower is soft). Drain excess water from the cauliflower.

3. Lightly mash the cauliflower.  (I used a potato masher and that worked brilliantly) Add the mashed cauliflower to a blender. Spoon in the mayonnaise, and puree until it is just blended (not smooth).  It is important to not over-blend.

4. In a mixing bowl, combine the cauliflower/mayo mixture with the cheese wedges, relish, mustard, shallots, and food coloring. Stir until smooth.  Season the mixture with salt and pepper.  Refrigerate for at least one hour.

5. Halve the eggs lengthwise, and scoop out the yolk. Dispose of the yolk.

6. Evenly distribute the filling among the egg halves.  (I placed the filling in a Ziploc bag, cut a small corner off the bag, and used it like a pastry bag to fill the egg halves.)

7. Top with paprika. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

I'm serious when I say that no one knew that these deviled eggs weren't quite so naughty...they were only devilish.  Kudos to Lisa Lillien for an amazing recipe.

PointsPlus value: 2 (4 pieces per serving)

(Adapted from Lisa Lillen's book Hungry Girl: 200 Recipes Under 200 Calories)

Raspberry Linzer Cookies

I love raspberries.

Okay, that's not entirely accurate. I actually don't like to eat raspberries. They're pretty to look at, to photograph, but I'm not particularly keen on the taste of raspberries. Unless they are in jam or jelly form. Then, raspberry is one of my favorite flavors. It's a texture thing, I think.  I exclusively use raspberry jam or jelly: on bagels, on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, with brie...

And because every party needs a little sweetness, these Raspberry Linzer Cookies were ideal!

A brief history on linzer cookies: Linzer cookies are derived from Linzertortes (or linzer tortes, depnding on the source).  Linzertortes originated in Linzer, Austria and are consdiered one of Austria's oldest recipes.  Linzertortes are characterized by a light, flaky, almond-tasting crust, filled with fruity jams or preserves, and topped with a crust of criss-crossed latticework.  Linzer cookies are a derivation of this dessert torte, and they come in many forms, shapes, sizes, and flavors.  Because of my love of the taste of raspberry, I decided to use that.

Ingredients

1.5 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1.5 teaspoons almond extract
1 cup red raspberry preserves
1 cup frozen raspberries
Powdered sugar for garnishing

1. In a food processor, combine flour, powdered sugar, butter, and almond extract. Mix until the dough breaks into small pieces.

2. Pour mixture into a an ungreased 11.5 x 7.5 inch baking dish. With the back of a spatula, press into an even layer to form a crust.  Bake until the crust turns golden, approximately 20 minutes.

Left: Press the crust evenly on the bottom with a spatula; Right: Bake the crust for 20 minutes till golden.

3. While the crust is baking, combine preserves and frozen raspberries in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the preserves turn to liquid and the raspberries are thawed.

4. When both crust and filling are ready, evenly pour the raspberry over the hot crush. Bake until the raspberry is set (about 25 minutes).  Remove from oven and allow to cool. Cut into 20 squares, remove from the baking dish, and cool thoroughly on a wire rack. 

5. Dust with confectioners sugar garnish.

A few more thoughts about this recipe...

One of the greatest things about this recipe is that you can substitute any flavor you want. Like blueberry?  Use blueberry preserves instead, and substitute frozen blueberries for the raspberries. 

Since I've started Weight Watchers, I've been using Smucker's Sugar Free Raspberry Preserves.  And when I went back and had a teaspoon full of the regular ol' Smuckers Raspberry Jelly, it was ridiculously sweet and I couldn't eat it.  Because it's a dessert, though, the cookies may have benefited from the non-Sugar-free variation. 

Another lesson I learned: wait to sprinkle the confectioners sugar on top of the cookies. They hadn't cooled all the way, and so it kept melting into the jelly. Then, I didn't want to keep adding it to the top since it would make the sweetness too high, and keep driving up the points.

For more information about linzer cookies or linzertortes, check out this article (complete with a much more complicated recipe for linzer cookies).

PointsPlus value: 3 points (1 cookie per serving)

Shrimp Nacho Bites

After my culinary adventures on New Year's Eve, I think I've come to the conclusion that cooking dinner for 10 people is infinitely less work than preparing hors d'oeuvres for a group.  Each appetizer is its own little meal...and because you have to prepare multiple appetizers, it is tantamount to preparing five or six mini meals.  And because I'm Italian, and Italians (in my family at least) don't know how to cook for less than 20 people, there may have been about 12 different appetizers from which to choose.

I'm a sucker for an appetizer; I just can't help myself.

Part of the challenge for me in preparing multiple dishes is that I'm prone to picking. I have to taste everything. Often. This doesn't make sticking to my Weight Watchers plan easy, but the beautiful thing about New Year's Eve and all of the hors d'oeuvres that I served is that they were (mostly) Weight Watchers approved.  Including this recipe, which comes form one of the semi-annual publications...

So, without further ado...Shrimp Nacho Bites!

Ingredients

1 cup cheddar cheese (reduced fat, shredded)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
1/4 cup fat-free mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 cup green pepper (chopped)
1/2 pound medium shrimp (cooked and peeled, then chopped)
32 tortilla chip scoops

(Disclaimer: Since recipes are really just jumping off points for negotiations, I added just a bit extra of everything and wound up with about 35 filled scoops)

 1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Combine the first five ingredients in a mixing bowl.

3. Add shrimp. Mix gently with a wooden spoon.

3. Use a teaspoon to to fill each of the tortilla scoops.

4. Place filled scoops on an ungreased baking sheet.

5. Bake the scoops at 450 degrees for about four minutes (or until the cheese melts).
6. Serve immediately...and feel free to garnish the scoops with fresh cilantro!

PointsPlus value: 1 (serving size is one Shrimp Nacho Bite)

These little snacks are delicious, spicy, and creamy...and only one point each!

(Adapted from Weight Watchers Five Ingredient 15 Minute Recipes, published Summer 2011)

Existentialist thoughts about hosting

I'm having a "I wonder what if" moment..."what if" can be dangerous, but it can also be fanciful.  My "what if" of the moment was brought about by my recent venture in hosting a New Year's Eve gathering. It was the first time that I've hosted anything as high-staked as New Year's Eve, but I tried to think of it as a vehicle for further culinary experimentation.  Well, that...and just the fact that I love throwing together a fabulous shindig. 

A (very large) part of me (strongly) believes that in another world, I would be an event planner.  There are few things I enjoy as much as hosting an event.  I love organizing everything: from creating the menu, to compiling the guest list, to cultivating a welcoming atmosphere...and especially to the presentation of the event.

It's part of the reason I love interior design...decorating, finding themes, making a room just click. It's part of the reason I love being around people, bringing them together, building relationships.  It's part of the reason I love organizing and producing....

But this blog isn't about any of that...it's about cooking.  And cooking is one of the biggest reasons I love hosting parties and events! 

Presentation of food

My favorite part is the presentation of the food.  Nothing says "party" or "event" like a spread of food on coordinating platters and trays.  Food arrangement is the most important aspect of presentation.  Maybe it's the photographer in me, but I value symmetry in my food arrangement.  Pieces of hors d'oeuvres, arranged in concentric circles on a circular platter...perfection!  But on the other hand, I also value asymmetry: contrasting colors, textures, flavors. 

One great tip from this excellent article on food photography is to "pay attention not only to the arrangement of the food itself but to the context you put it in."  I think I try to do that organically, placing food off-center, or on a plain background, or blurring the background (thank you, depth of field...I have learned to master you).  These tactics give the food personality in the photograph.

I also take most of my pictures on automatic settings on the camera (as opposed to manual settings...which I'm still learning how to manipulate).  The two that I use most frequently are the "food" setting and the "macro" setting.  The food setting brings out the colors and textures of the food, whereas the macro really allows you to get up close and personal with the food. I really love my camera.

My Nikon D5000.

Also, one more quick photography tip from the aforementioned article (by Darren Rowse): Get down low.  "In most cases you'll get a more better shot by shooting from down close to plate level (or slightly above it)."

Preparation
I derive a sort of pleasure from all of the preparation that goes into hosting events...from the guest list to the menu.  From the shopping trips, to the chopping block. One thing that mildly delays my preparation process is the photography during the process...but it's totally worth it in the end...


Inability to delegate
Anyone who knows me well will tell you that I have a small issue when it comes to delegating. Basically, if I do it, I know it is done right.  And if it's not, then I have no one to blame but myself.  This is apparently true when it comes to cooking.  My best friend stayed with a me a few nights, coming to Jacksonville to ring in the New Year with me.  And bless her heart, she tried valiantly to help me in the preparation of all of the food.  But I need to do everything myself...from the dicing and mincing, to the mixing and pouring, to the baking and arranging.

As one of my closest friends just said to me while we were talking on the phone, my inability to delegate while cooking only "enables [my] control-freak tendencies."  Well, thank you. 

To be fair, I did have to delegate towards the end, and relinquish some of my control.  I allowed two of my friends to help with the plate arrangement since I was running out of time and I had to get dressed.  I mean, I had to look stunning when my guests arrived!

Sense of accomplishment
The biggest reason I really love to cook for events is the sense of accomplishment you get when your guests go home, fully satisfied.  I'm not going to lie; I'm a material person in the sense that in order to feel like I have accomplished something, I have to have something tangible to show for it.  That's why performing arts and I didn't work out; I could perform a monologue, but I couldn't hold the performance in my hand; but I can hold up a pie and say "I baked this."

Even though art and photography have a material output, the cool thing about food, which makes it so unique (in my humble opinion) is that it's more than just tactile.  It appeals to more than just touch; it captivates most of the senses...touch, taste, smell, sight.  Cooking gives me the most satisfaction because it's the most sensory.

The Menu
I know you're probably disappointed that there are no recipes in this existential rambling entry, but there was so much food for New Year's that I needed to give them all their own sort of introduction.

I made a few ol' standbys, like melon wrapped in prosciutto; hummus; tabouli; and fondue.  Some are found elsewhere in this blog, including bruschetta and tzatziki.

But over the course of the next two weeks, expect to see some recipes for the following:

• Nacho Shrimp Bites
• Devilish Eggs (yes, devilish, not deviled)
• Raspberry Linzorte Cookies

My best wishes to you all for a happy and healthy New Year! Try something new...like, some awesome new recipes!

And while you're at it...check out the blog on Twitter! Picture Perfect Plating on Twitter!

Guest Chef: Guacamole

I've decided to start a new segment entitled "Guest Chef."  Many of my friends are excellent in the kitchen as well, so periodically, we'll feature a recipe from one of them.  Today's recipe is for fresh, homemade guacamole! (Bear with these pictures, as they were taken with my iPhone and not originally intended for use in this blog)

Ingredients

2 avocados
1 tomato, diced (or you can cheat, and buy it already diced)
1/4 red onion, diced (or again, you can buy it already done for you...thank you, Publix)
Garlic salt
Cilantro
2 limes, juiced

1. Slice the avocado in half and take the pit out.  In a bowl, scoop out the flesh, and mash it with a fork.

 

2. Mix the tomatoes and the onions into the mashed avocado. 

3. Sprinkle the garlic salt and the cilantro into the mashed avocado, and blend well.  

 4. Slice the limes and squeeze the juice into the bowl.  Mix it well.

Hands in motion

 5. Let the guacamole sit for a few minutes to allow the flavors to blend together. Serve with chips.  Yum!

PointsPlus value: 2 (1/3 cup per serving)