11 Point Dinner

Such an easy dish - I sauteed brussel sprouts in EVOO for a few minutes and then took it off the heat when they were ready. I tossed in a chopped Fuji apple at the end (I wanted the apple to be a little cold and crisp, not warm and mushy). For you WW peeps, the only thing that counts in this is the Extra Virgin Olive Oil. (4 pts) Boo YAH!

This my friends is good ol' corned beef and cabbage. I heart this dish - my mom would make it growing up and she made it the right way - slow cooked in the crock pot all day. Yum! I made mine in a large pot on the stove and it only took about 5 hours ( although I think it would of been fine to eat in 4). Here is how to make it yourself...

I got this recipe online and for you WW folks, one serving is only 7 points! Get out!

	2 large onion(s), sliced
	2 clove(s) (medium) garlic clove(s), chopped
	1 3/4 pound(s) corned beef brisket, lean, trimmed of all visible fat
	3 medium carrot(s), cut into 2-inch chunks (optional - I actually didn't add any)
	3 medium uncooked potato(es), all-purpose, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
	1 pound(s) green cabbage, cored and cut into 8 wedges
	1 1/4 cup(s) reduced-sodium chicken broth (I didn't have this item either and it still tasted fine without it)

Instructions

• Place the onions and garlic in a slow cooker. Place the corned beef on top of the onions. Arrange the carrots and potatoes around the meat. Place cabbage wedges on top of vegetables. Pour the broth over and around the vegetables. Cover and cook until the meat and vegetables are fork-tender, 4–5 hours on high or 8–10 hours on low.
  
  
• Transfer the corned beef to a platter and cut into slices. With a slotted spoon, lift the vegetables from the broth and place around the meat. Yields 1/8 of dinner per serving.

Notes

• A tablespoon, or two, of mustard should be enough to accompany this amount of food. For the tamer palate, serve a prepared mustard such as Dijon.
  
  To save precious time in the morning, assemble all the ingredients in the insert of the slow cooker the night before and refrigerate. In the morning, you’ll only need pop the insert into the slow cooker and plug it in.

Seafood Marinara

I was inspired to make this dish from my recent trip to Cancun (yes) we had Seafood Marinara in Cancun! Unfortunately for you, you get the photo of the leftovers because I forgot to take one when I was cooking! This wasn't quite the same (I was missing a giant prawn head - but it was very good nonetheless!) This dish is super easy to make: Take 1 Tbsp of olive oil and saute 1/2 large onion (finely chopped). Add 2 cloves garlic (also finely chopped) and let simmer till onions look cooked. Then add 1/2 c white wine. Let it simmer for 2 minutes then add about 3 cups of good quality tomato sauce, 1/4 ts red pepper flakes, and then your seafood!
I bought a bag of mixed seafood from Trader Joe's that had shrimp, sea scallops and squid. I defrosted it, then tossed it in. It takes about 5 to 6 minutes to cook in the sauce - not long at all. I let it simmer for a few more minutes then I served this over spaghetti noodle pasta. Mmmm....good. WW folks - one cup of sauce (with the seafood) and 1 cup of pasta = 13 points.

My first attempt at ceviche!

Ok, so I labeled this Island cuisine because you can find all sorts of tasty ceviche's in the islands - but my absolute favorite is Ecuadorian ceviche. (Not the islands) Specifically, Mr. Farfan Senior's ceviche (whose son still promises me the recipe one day). Man - that stuff is the stuff that dreams are made of!

Anyways - I attempted to make mine from a hodge-podge of recipes I found online. And I have to admit, for my first attempt - I kinda hit it outta the park. Now you can too! Just follow this recipe:

You can make ceviche with white fish, shrimp or just about any kind of seafood. I chose to do a mix of shrimp and seafood. I cut up 1 lb of shrimp (no tails) and I par-boiled 1 lb of white fish fillets (I chose tilapia but you can also use corvina, halibut, sea bass, or sole), cut into small square pieces.

Next, add about 4 garlic cloves, crushed and then lime juice - lot's of it! If you don't plan to par-boil the fish then you need 20 limes, separated into about 10 limes to cook the fish and 10 limes for the ceviche marinade. Since I cooked my fish first, I only needed 10 limes.

Next: 2-3 hot peppers (I chose jalapenos and I diced them WITH the seeds to make it extra spicy) You can also use red chilies or serranos. If you don't like it too spicy de-seed the pepper. Also add bell peppers, I chose a mix of green, orange and yellow, diced finely.

Lastly, 4-5 large shallots, peeled and sliced finely. 4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced very finely. 1 bunch of cilantro, chopped as finely as possible and trust me hear - take the time to remove the stems. I did and it was well worth it! 2-3 tbs of EVOO or sunflower oil. Salt to taste. (If you are serving with tortilla chips you can go easy on the salt - I actually didn't add any!)

Viola! A wonderful healthy dinner that will be "something different" and a crowd pleaser.

TIP: Make sure you use a non-reactive bowl to make this in. I chose a glass baking dish.

Carolina Pulled Pork BBQ

Yup, I made this. Took me all day - but it was goooood-od!

And here we go:

• 3 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons pepper
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• One 5-pound boneless pork shoulder roast
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 8 hamburger buns, split

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300°. Mix together the salt, pepper and paprika; sprinkle all over the pork and rub in.

2. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a 24-inch-long sheet of heavy-duty foil and double-wrap the pork.

3. Place the pork, skin side up, in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish; roast until tender, about 4-1/2 hours. Remove from the oven and carefully unwrap the top of the pork, revealing the skin. Increase the heat to 450° and roast for 20 minutes more.

4. Transfer the roast to a large bowl, along with any juices. Using two forks, shred the pork. Add the vinegars, sugar and hot sauce; toss. Serve on the hamburger buns.

Bacon Pancakes

This is super easy to make and tastes delicious! Just cook off a few strips of bacon prior to making the pancake batter. Let it cool and then crumble the bacon. Make the pancake batter (any boxed mix will do) and dump the crumbled bacon inside. With a bit of butter and syrup, your pancakes will be sweet and savory! Every bite will have salty bits of bacon with sugary syrupy goodness. Amazing!

Health Nut

Tofu over stir fry veggies.

Terrapins

Over the Xmas holidays I was down in Virgina Beach, VA and I had the chance to dine at one of my favorite restaurants: Terrapins. The first time I went with my good friends Missy and Matt and the second time I went with my parents. Both times I forgot to take pictures of all the dishes. (What's wrong with me? I'm slippin' up!)

However - thanks to the internet I was able to find a few photos for you so that you can have some understanding of what my delightful gastronomic adventures looked like.

We begin with the first courses:

My dad had the MUSHROOM RISOTTO with local & wild mushrooms, fresh thyme

white truffle oil & parmigiano-reggiano. I took a bite (even though I HATE fungus - and I actually liked it!) Truffle oil makes everything amazing!

I had the TRUFFLE MAC & CHEESE with Vermont extra sharp white cheddar & black truffle. I convinced my mom to try it too and she loved it! Some other dishes worth noting but not featured here are Matt's PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND MUSSELS in a green curry & coconut milk broth. Delish!

For dinner, I had the BRANDT "ALL NATURAL" NY STRIP with truffle & Parmesan french fries, local seasonal broccoli rabe and thirty five year old emiliana balsamic drizzle. It was amazing! Both my parents had the same thing - they were not disappointed! BTW - truffle oil and Parmesean french fries? OMG! Where have you been all my life?! Some other dishes not shown here but consumed by us were Matt's Colorado Lamb: pan seared lamb chop loin, cauliflower puree, lemon roasted peewee potatoes, apple cider-mint sauce, smoked chile oil. Also. the second time I went I had the LOCAL ROCKFISH with pee wee potatoes, crispy pancetta, fried sage, collards & whole grain mustard sauce. Missy had the FENNEL POLLEN SPICED SEA SCALLOPS: local dave & dee's oyster mushrooms, wild mushrooms,oven dried tomato, sea beans, & truffle pan sauce.

I had a spoon for dessert - and with it I used it to taste some of everyone's desserts. This was the CHOCOLATE TURTLE: rich valrhona chocolate & caramel cream, warm butter caramel, toasted pecans, tahitian vanilla bean gelato & turtle tuile.

THE MACAROON dark chocolate mousse, rich fudge brownie, crispy french macaroon, sour cherry spoon sauce & pistachio gelato.