Erika's Favorite Recipes

Stuffed Turkey Meatloaf

2009-03-08T11:43:00.010-04:00

Now I can’t take credit for this dish since it’s my dear friend Elena’s recipe which she improvised from a Mario Batali dish. What I can tell you is that it always comes out divine and it’s wonderful for serving to guests. I like to prep everything before guests arrive so I can hang out with them, what’s the point of guests if you can’t chat with them. This is why for appetizers I tend to make bruschetta and put out olives (see recipe in next blog) so again, I can chat with guests.
This recipe is not difficult; however, you have to be a little patient until you get the hang of rolling the meatloaf up into a gorgeous loaf. I took several pictures so it’s easier to follow along. I also made fingling French fries served with small dishes of ketchup and mustard. This was a lot of fun, since it really made the meal feel like a comfort food experience, not to mention our guests, Dina and Mark both made the experience divine. If you are going to have guests over, pick ones that provide great conversation and are just quite pleasant to have in your home.
I also have a new thing with guests and what they bring. I use to have them bring wine, but since we are not huge dessert folks and it seems to be something that is part of having company, we simply have the guests bring dessert so we can concern our selves with the meal. Last night they brought cupcakes from Magnolia Bakery (score) and the week prior our guests brought gelato and cherry pie. Now that I discovered Fresh Direct delivers wine, it’s no problem to just order an extra bottle or two and they have several great wines in the $10 range.
Onto to the Turkey Stuffed Meatloaf Recipe
· 1 pound of ground turkey
· ¼ to ½ pound of prosciutto sliced thin
· Sliced parmesan or asiago cheese
· Large bunch of spinach washed and chopped
· Cup of shredded carrots
· 2-3 shallots sliced
· 2-3 cloves of garlic chopped
· 1 egg
· Bread crumbs
· Parsley (Italian works best)
· Half a cup of grated parmesan
· Olive oil
· Salt and pepper
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. In a non stick pan sauté the shallots, carrots and garlic until soft. Add in the spinach and sauté until soft, and then set aside.

In a large bowl add the ground turkey, the egg, a handle of bread crumbs (always start with less or it will be too dry), grated parmesan, chopped parsley and salt and pepper. Mix it up; I always use my hands to get the best consistency.
On a non-stick cookie sheet lay a piece of plastic wrap on top. Flatten the turkey to a ½ inch over the cookie sheet lined with plastic wrap – again, you will want to use your hands to get it even. Line the turkey with the cheese, then the prosciutto. Next, place the spinach and carrots mixture the whole width of the turkey on the end closest to you. Then begin folding the turkey into a roll. Use the plastic wrap to keep it tight. Once in the loaf close up any openings and shape it, it helps to have a little olive oil on your hands to smooth it out.
Bake in the oven for about 30-40 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Enjoy.

Tuscan Surprise Soup

2009-03-02T11:55:00.003-05:00

This was one of those soups that was neither planned nor thought out and ended up turning into something delicious. The whole premise of the soup was that I wanted to use leeks, white beans and artichoke hearts, which I did. As I sautéed the leeks, carrots and garlic the aroma sparked something in my imagination. When I started to add all the other ingredients it reminded me of an Italian escarole soup with chicken meatballs. Fortunately we had boneless chicken breasts in the freezer, so I was able to improvise.

I realized when winter is finally over I will actually need to leave my home on Sunday and find something to do outside of our apartment. I enjoy the whole idea of taking care of myself on Sunday: yoga, cooking, facials, baths, reading and sometimes movies. Soon enough it will be sunny and warm and I will long for the days of winter Sundays, but for now, I believe I still have some time.

Tuscan Surprise Soup

*Olive Oil
*1 bunch of leeks sliced
*2-3 carrots peeled and sliced into half inch circles
*2-3 cloves of garlic chopped
*1 can of white or navy beans
*1 can or artichoke hearts in water
*1 quart of low sodium chicken broth
*1 large bag of spinach washed and chopped
*1 boneless chicken breast or 2 chicken sausages
*Grated parmesan or Romano

First get out a big soup pot. Heat up the olive oil on low until warm. Add the leeks, carrots and garlic and sauté until they start to get limp about 10 minutes depending on your stove and your pot. Next add the entire quart of chicken stock and bring to a boil. Once boiled, bring to a simmer and add your beans and artichoke hearts simmer for a 3-5 minutes. In the mean time cut up your chicken breast into small pieces and sauté in olive oil with a little salt and pepper – about 2-3 minutes. If you are using sausage, cut into one inch pieces and brown the outside. Add the chicken to the soup, simmer another 3 minutes. Then add the spinach and about a ¼ cup of parmesan or Romano and simmer for 5 minutes. Add a little salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Once it’s hot enough and the spinach has wilted down dish into bowls and sprinkle with more parmesan. Serve with crusty bread. Enjoy.

Fat Tuesday - Shrimp and Chorizo Etouffee

2009-02-28T09:14:00.007-05:00

FAT TUESDAY DELICIOUS ETOUFFEE

Since this is not my recipe, I have to give it up for Paula Deen for a superb and easy etouffee. In honor of Fat Tuesday, I decided to make a delicious N'awlins dish that I have to say came out incredible. This dish called for 2 pounds of Shrimp (but at $13 a pound) I eliminated one pound and bought a fresh chorizo for $1.98 - and it was a wonderful compliment to the dish. I sliced it into half inches pieces and browned it before putting it into the dish. I also highly recommend a little Cajun music in the background, it certainly made our cooking experience extremely fun. Also, this dish is perfect with some ice cold beers or iced tea if beer is not your thing. As you know, I do not bake, so I splurged and bought pre made bread pudding from Whole Foods, which was just a perfect end to a wonderful Fat Tuesday Feast. Next time I make this I am going to invite friends and make a side of cornbread, it was a meal worth sharing.

Here's what you will need, and to be honest, this was one of those rare occasions that I followed every detail of the ingredients which paid off from the results.

1/2 cup of oil (we used Olive since we use it for everything)

1/2 cup of flour

1 cup chopped yellow onion

1 cup chopped celery

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of white pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon Cajun season

1/2 cup minced green onions (save some for garnish)

1/2 cup minced parsley (save some for garnish)

2-3 dashes of tobacco or whatever hot sauce you have

1 (8 ounce) can of clam juice (I found it in the jar, same thing)

1 (14.5 ounce) chopped tomato's

2 pounds of shrimp (or 1 pound or shrimp plus one large chorizo)

Rice (plain white works best for this dish)

Now the first thing I need to mention is that you have to be patient with the roux. The first thing I did was prep all of the ingredients (including cleaning the shrimp) and then put them in small bowls (see photo above) so I could concentrate on the roux. Start the roux by mixing the oil and flour in a large heavy sauce pan over low heat - whisk flower and oil into a paste. Continue cooking over low heat and whisk continuously until the mixture turns to a caramel color and gives off a nutty aroma - about 20 + minutes. If you get impatient - do NOT raise the heat or you will ruin it.

Once the roux is done, add the onion, celery and garlic and cook over low heat until veggies are translucent (about 5-7 minutes). Then add the black pepper, white pepper, cayenne, Cajun seasoning, green onions and parsley. (TIP: I mixed all the dry spices first and put in a small bowl). Next add the whole can or jar of clam juice and the tomato's including their juice, stir to blend. Add some salt and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add the shrimp (and chroizo) and wait for the shrimp to turn pink. Remove from heat, scoop onto rice, garnish with remaining parsley and scallions - ENJOY!

Butternut Squash Soup

2008-12-07T14:29:00.005-05:00

I am still in the soup making mood and probably will be until it gets warm or I find a new dish I like cooking. I don't know what it is, but making soup is very zen for me. I love it. I think it's because it's comforting to chop vegetables, you really don't have to think much and the end result is something that smells and tastes great. Also, I like my own soup because it doesn't have all the sodium of store bought soup so I don't find myself thirsty and bloated for days.

Today being Sunday is the perfect soup day. We just got some more ornaments for our tree (thanks Sarala!) and it's a cold day so why not make soup. We planned to see the movie Milk but ended up going for a very long walk in the park.

I realized in my short time blogging that writing about cooking is the best therapy I've ever had, not only does cooking relax me, but I then get to write about how it made me feel. When I go back and look at pictures of what I cooked I am able to remember what emotion or events was connected to that meal. Today's soup will remind me of yet another special Sunday with my fiance - good food, a great walk and being together. Okay, on to the recipe before I make anyone ill with my romance:)

Butternut Squash Soup

*One large squash or two small squash peeled and cut up into 1 inch cubes

*Vegetable or Olive Oil

*4-6 shallots or one large onion (you can combine onions and shallots)

*3-5 cloves of chopped garlic

*One piece of ginger peeled and chopped

*3-4 carrots peeled and sliced or one parsnip or both

*Salt and pepper

*Chicken stock or water

*Chopped up chives or parsley

Seriously, this recipe is EASY and ALWAYS comes out well, do NOT think about it, JUST DO IT. Put oil in a large baking sheet or Pyrex dish. Put carrots, squash, ginger and onions/shallots on the oiled pan. Mix it all up so all of the ingredients are covered in oil. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper then place in the oven on about 375 degrees. Bake until everything is soft and you can put a fork into the squash and it's consistency is that of a baked potato.

My oven is very slow and at times it can take just over an hour, I would suggest checking it every twenty minutes since all ovens are different. Once everything is soft you can get out a medium soup pot and a blender or food processor. Please do not be afraid, at first I hated used machinery, but now I don't know how I survived without it.

Fill blender or processor with a combination of half squash/half liquid (stock or water). Blend until smooth, if your squash was soft enough this should take a minute or so. Continue blending and adding to your soup pot. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until hot. You can add more liquid if you do not like it so thick, this is up to your taste. When done, scoop into bowls and garnish with chives or parsley and serve with crusty bread. Enjoy!

Cabbage Soup

2008-12-05T12:10:00.006-05:00

There's a huge connection for me making soups and being stressed. Being unemployed, as I know I am not alone is of course stressful. I am fortunate enough to have had many interviews, however, while waiting for follow up and feed back I find I become (ahem) restless for lack of a better word. The way I am dealing with this stress (today) is to make soup amongst other things. This soup feels a bit old world immigrant in that it is simple, filling and very economical.

I have never cooked with cabbage, but felt like making cabbage soup. I breezed through a few recipes, but then decided to just create it myself and I must say it came out delicious. I think with soup once you get the basics down you should really use it as an opportunity to clean out your pantry and refrigerator. Seriously, you can use beans, minimal amounts of rice that are too small of a portion, veggies or whatever you think will combine well together. With soup, keep it simple: stock, veggies, beans, rice or pasta a few seasonings and call it a day. Anything will taste good when combined with sauteed onions, garlics, carrots and celery.

Green Cabbage Soup

*One head of green cabbage chopped

*One to two onions chopped

*Two to three cloves of garlic chopped

*Several stalks of celery sliced thin

*Four of Five Carrots sliced thin

*Vegetable or olive oil
*Chicken, Vegetable Stock or Water

*One can of organic navy beans

*Canned or boxed organic tomato's

*Salt and pepper

*Chives, parsley or whatever you have on hand

Saute your onions in the oil until limp. Add in your carrots for a few minutes, next add in the celery and garlic. Cook on low for about five minutes. Add in the tomato's and stock. I used about 4 to 6 cups of liquid and about a 15-20 once box of chopped organic tomato's. Bring to a boil, once the soup comes to a boil simmer for about 15 minutes.

Next add in your chopped cabbage and beans. Feel free to use what you prefer, I thought the navy beans would look nice in the tomato base. Add some salt, pepper, parsley and chives and let simmer until the cabbage is limp about 20 to 3o minutes or so. I added some parmersan and romano since as I've mentioned before I think everything taste better with cheese. Enjoy!

My Second Christmas Tree

2008-12-04T16:57:00.003-05:00

I know this is clearly not about cooking, but being Jewish I never had a tree growing up. My finance is responsible for introducing me to the wonderful world of having a live (um, I mean dead) tree right in your very home. I love the smell of pine and the lights and the ornaments. We need to make and buy more ornaments since we got a bigger tree this year - yay. I particularly enjoy putting candy canes on the tree. There's something about this tree that is so cheery, not to diss the menorah, but it's a tree and it's fun. We love to turn out all the lights and just leave the tree lights on. I just wanted to share this lovely moment of joy during a time in this world that is not full of so much joy. The best part is that our friends who we went with (all the way to Jersey) to get our tree have a "deal" with their guy, oddly named Angle, so we too got a deal on our tree. Oh, and this was really fun and I highly recommend. I took our Obama pins and put red ribbon on them to make ornaments - loved this. We also do not go crazy with gifts, we won't even do gifts this year. I don't care, I have a tree and my nonrecipes. I hope you have a great evening and remember how wonderful the little things are in life.

Turkey Chili

2008-12-03T10:05:00.012-05:00

Okay, so I did not make this for dinner last night, but for a very good reason. We went to get our Christmas tree then had a steak dinner with our friends. This is an annual event that I've now been invited too because of my finance - and I love it. Having never had a Christmas tree (we had a menorah - boring) you can imagine how much I love getting own very own tree.

This turkey chili recipe is something that I seriously make a little different every time and every time it comes out delicious. As all my nonrecipes, just remember to cater to your individual style. For this recipe feel free to substitute turkey for ground beef or leave out all meat and have it veggie style.

Turkey Chili

*One pound of ground turkey

*2 or 3 cans of beans (your choice), preferably organic so there's less bad stuff in there - I use black, kidney and sometimes garbanzo and I always use two or three types

*One onion or two shallots

*3 carrots peeled and sliced thin

*2 or 3 cloves of garlic chopped

*Olive Oil

*Chicken stock or water for the vegetarians
*Canned or boxed tomato's, again preferably organic

*Chile powder, bay leaves, and other spicy stuff

*A few pieces of chocolate, any kind even bakers chocolate
*One box of the $.99 corn bread mix (remember, I do not bake)

*Cheddar cheese for topping

Heat up the olive oil in a medium size pot, then saute the onions or shallots and carrots until translucent. Next add in your garlic and heat for a minute or two. Add the ground turkey to the pot and break it up with your spatula so it's in pieces. Heat on medium until it's browned. Next add in the tomato's, again you have to gauge how much you like, I would say a two cans or one box would work. Add in your chicken stock, about half a carton. Throw in some spices and a bay leaf two. Mix it up, leave uncovered on low, go watch some football and come back in 30 minutes.

Once you taste it you will know if you want it more spicy, I like it spicy and I also add some hot sauce once finished. Now for the best part, 5 minutes before it's finished add a handful of chocolate. Mix it in and let it sit for 5 minutes. The chocolate gives it a whole new texture, trust me it makes a huge difference. Even if you have a few Hershey kisses it will work.

Since I do not bake, I always buy the corn bread mix that cost $99. You just have to add an egg and a some milk. It come out great every time and it's a great addition to chili.

Once the chili and corn bread are done, you can scoop the chili in a bowl and add some Cheddar cheese. Enjoy!

Portuguese Green Soup courtesy of "The Joy of Cooking"

2008-12-02T08:34:00.005-05:00

Contrary to the fact that I rarely use recipes, this is one that I followed by the book. When I say the book I am referring to none other than The Joy of Cooking, the bible of all cookbooks. With the cold weather I have been on a stew and soup frenzy. This soup recipe was perfect since we just went shopping and had all the ingredients on hand without even planning for it. I know the photo is not the best, it looks a bit greasy, but it wasn't at all. Given that the soup is from Minho, Portugual, it feels a bit exotic in my Brooklyn home. Regardless, anything with chorizo sausage tends to be "I know it's bad for you" delicious.

Portuguese Green Soup

Olive or vegetable oil

One onion chopped

2 or 3 cloves of garlic minced

4 medium potato's sliced thin

Chicken Stock

Salt and pepper

One package of chorizo sausage sliced thin

4 cups or 8 ounces of Swiss Chard or Collard greens chopped up

Half a lemon or lime

Saute your onion in the olive oil until limp. Add in your garlic, cook until tender but not limp. Next add in about 8 cups of water or 6 cups of water and two cups of chicken stock to the pot. Add in the potato's, salt, pepper and bring to a boil. Once you reach a boil, turn down the heat to a simmer for about 20 minutes. While the soup is simmering, cut up your chorizo and greens. When the potato's are soft mash them up in the pot to give the soup a chunky texture, trust me it works like a charm.

In a non-stick pan cook your chorizo on medium until brown. You do not need oil in the pan since (shhh) chorizocomes equipped with it's own fat. Once browned, about 3-5 minutes, add to soup . Make sure you add all the good stuff from the chorizo pan, you can pour in some soup broth in the pan then return it to the big pot. Simmer for 5 minutes. Next add your greens and simmer for 5 minutes. Lastly, add in the juice of half a lemon or lime and serve.

I served with a hearty bread and sprinkled on a little Parmesan on top. Enjoy!

Mussels in red sauce

2008-12-01T09:39:00.003-05:00

This is one of my fiance's all time favorite dinners, little does he know it's very easy to make. Every time I make this dish I make it different and it always comes out wonderful. There are several variations, but as always, I go by what I have on hand. I often like to make this with white wine but being that we did not have white wine I did a tomato base.

Mussels in Red Sauce for Two

1 pound of mussels thoroughly cleaned
1 box of pasta, linguine works well
Olive Oil
Tomato's or canned organic tomato's
Two or three cloves of garlic chopped
One or two shallots sliced thin
Basil, bay leaf and parsley
Salt and pepper
Honey or sugar
Red pepper

Start boiling your pasta water. In a large saute pan heat up your olive oil, add your shallots and saute until translucent. I like to add a hint of butter which makes them all limp and delicious. Next add your garlic and cook for about a minute or two. If using real tomato's use about three and cut them up in bite size pieces. Add tomato's or one twelve ounce can of tomato's to the pan. Cook on medium for about five minutes.

While cooking add in the bay leaf, parsley and basil (you can use dried herbs of you do not have fresh ones on hand). After five minutes add about a half a cup of the pasta water to the saute pan. I learned this trick from anyone I know that's Italian, this gives you an excellent broth. You will need to gauge how thick or how thin you like your broth, I like it a little more liquidity for mussels.

When your pasta is near done, add the mussels to your broth, raise the heat and cook until all the mussels open. It should take about two or three minutes. Rule of thumb is that you should not eat any mussels that do not open. Put your pasta in individual bowls and then scoop out the mussels in each bowl making sure to be generous with the broth. I always add a grated Parmesan and Romano mixture to the mussels and this is always a crowd pleaser. You will definitely want a nice bread for dunking in the broth. Enjoy!

Baked Fish Italian Style

2008-11-27T09:32:00.009-05:00

Growing up in a household with a choice of lean cuisine is not where I learned how to cook. My Italian college roommate and still very dear friend is where I learned everything I know about cooking Italian, and for that I am grateful. This recipe I learned from her mother and I also learned the real trick about Italian cooking is to always be armed with a glass of vino and be comfortable throwing in a little of this and that. This recipe originated from her grandmother who born in Abruzzo Italy in 1862.

I am thankful for many things this year, mainly my new engagement to my wonderful fiance and the newly elected president. Although the country is in a deep financial crisis my fiance and I find great pleasure and comfort in cooking most if not all of our meals at home. Even when the economy is in better shape, we still like cooking, not only do we enjoy the time together, but we like our food knowing what's in it. We also have a very no fuss mentality making each meal on the quick.

Baked Fish Recipe

*1 pound any good solid fish (I used talipia last night) You can try halibut, blue fish or bass

*Panko or regular old bread crumbs

*Olive oil
*Red Wine Vinegar

*2 minced garlic cloves (more or less depending taste)

*Bay Leaves (an absolute must!)

*One tomato chopped and de-seeded

*Salt & Pepper

Mix the breadcrumbs with a splash of red wine vinegar and olive oil. Add the tomato, salt, pepper and garlic. Mix everything up. You should be able to smell the red wine, but it shouldn't be over saturated. Don't worry you will get use to using your senses and not exact measurements and you will find it much more rewarding and fun.

Spread olive oil in an over proof pan, I use Pyrex. Lay down the fish (see photo above) and cover with bread crumb mixture. Splash some more olive oil on top before putting in the oven. You can always put olive oil on your hands to create a better mold for the fish. Place several bay leaves on top, I am told this is an absolute must! Bake for about a half hour uncovered. I baked talipia last night for about 25 minutes on 375 degrees, again this is something you need to guage with your oven. Serve on rice with a green veggie. I added canned artichokes hearts last night before baking and this was a nice addition. Just sprinkle with lemon and olive oil. Enjoy and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Bloody Marys for the Holidays

2008-11-26T17:38:00.003-05:00

I know it's barely Thanksgiving but I came across these photos from New Years Eve 2007 and couldn't resist the urge to post them. I learned this Bloody Mary recipe while tending bar in college. The restaurant I worked at on Main Street (yes, it really was called Main St.) had this amazing recipe that I never forgot. The real secret is the horseradish and the celery seed. I am sorry I can not give exact measurements, this is something you will need to customize on your own. This is a great afternoon snack in preperation for a delicious meal or whatever you have planned for the evening. Enjoy!

Bloody Marys
*Large container of V8 juice
*White Horse Radish
*Black Pepper
*Celery Seed
*Salt
*Worcestchire Sauce
*Celery
*Big Green Olives
*Tabasco

Put all ingredients in a martini shaker and shake it hard. Fill up a tall glass with ice, pour in mix, and add celery and olives.