Flight of the Conchords: “The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room”

This video, from Episode 1 of Flight of the Conchords, is officially one of my top ten favorite videos:

Beet Tzatziki Recipe

I found this recipe on NYTimes.com and thought I would include it on my blog…

By MARTHA ROSE SHULMAN
Published: April 23, 2010

In the Eastern Mediterranean, the familiar tzatziki is made not just with thick yogurt and cucumbers, but also with grated cooked beets. The combination is quite wonderful, though the bright pink color may give you pause. Serve the tzatziki with rice or bulgur and steamed or blanched beet greens.

Ingredients:

1 pound beets, roasted

2 garlic cloves, green shoots removed

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 cups thick low-fat Greek style yogurt or drained yogurtBlack pepper to taste

1 tablespoon finely chopped dill

1. Grate the roasted beets on the large holes of a grater.

2. Smash the garlic with the salt in a mortar and pestle. Add the lemon juice, and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir into the yogurt. Add back pepper to taste, and adjust salt. Stir in the beets and the dill. If you want a thinner consistency, more like a sauce, add more yogurt to taste.

Yield: About 2 1/3 cups, serving four as a salad, six as a condiment.

Advance preparation: This dish will keep for three or four days in the refrigerator.

Nutritional information per serving (based on six servings): 74 calories; 2 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 5 milligrams cholesterol; 8 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 259 milligrams sodium (does not include salt added during cooking); 7 grams protein

Do You Make These Mistakes When Cooking These Healthy Mediterranean Diet Recipes?

By: Guest Blogger – Felicia R. Mcclinton

Chops Peppers

Ingredients

4 pieces large peppers
150 grams of sliced ham
Breadcrumbs
4 tablespoons of flour
2 pieces of eggs

The Chops and Peppers recipe can make 4 servings. You can prepare this in 50 minutes. This recipe is simple and easy to prepare and very inexpensive. You can also use leftover foods in the refrigerator and still get a flavorful meal. Chops and Peppers have low calorie content and less fat.

Preparation

Clean the peppers thoroughly. Leave large slice then roast them. Cool the peppers then stuffed them with sliced ham and cheese. Properly close the peppers. Get a separate bowl and beat the eggs. Soak the stuffed peppers in the beaten eggs then roll each one in breadcrumbs. You can now fry the peppers and serve them hot.

Nutritional Value:

Penne with Ricotta

Ingredients

100 grams of Penne
40 grams of cheese
20 grams of grated parmesan
Salt and Pepper

This recipe makes a meager serving good for one person only. You can prepare this in 25 minutes. Penne with Ricotta is an energy meal, rich and flavorful. Ricotta is primarily a dairy product made from various types of milk. Penne with Ricotta also contains high level of proteins.

Preparation

Get a saucepan and boil water mixed with salt. Cook the Penne and make sure to follow the directions provided on the packaging. After cooking, drain but make sure to leave approximately 2 to 3 tablespoons of water. Then add cottage cheese and season the dish with salt and pepper. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top before serving.

Nutritional Value:

About the Cooker – Felicia R. Mcclinton writes for the blog mediterranean beef recipes , her personal hobby blog she uses to help people learn how to make Mediterranean recipes to eat healthy to prevent diseases.

Easter Recipe: 4-Pepper Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

• 6 hard boiled eggs, cooled and peeled
• 1 teaspoon whole pink peppercorns, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon whole white peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon whole green peppercorns
• 1/2 teaspoon caper liquid
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Pinch sugar

Directions

Slice the eggs in half from top to bottom. Scoop the yolks into a medium mixing bowl and lay the whites aside. Place all of the peppercorns, except 1/2 teaspoon of the pink peppercorns, into a spice grinder and process until ground well. Add the ground peppers, caper liquid, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and sugar to the egg yolks and using a fork, stir to thoroughly combine. Place the mixture into a zip-top plastic bag and cut a small hole at one of the corners. Pipe the mixture into each of the white halves. Coarsely grind the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of pink peppercorns and use to garnish the top of each egg.

Chill for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.

*From www.foodnetwork.com

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!: Recipes

Delicious St. Patrick’s Day Recipes I found on the web:

1) Chocolate Stout Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa, plus more for dusting finished cupcakes
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• Pinch fine salt
• 1 bottle stout beer (recommended: Guinness)
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened at room temperature
• 3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 (1-pound) box confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugar, flour, baking soda, and salt.

In another medium mixing bowl, combine the stout, melted butter, and vanilla. Beat in eggs, 1 at time. Mix in sour cream until thoroughly combined and smooth. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture.

Lightly grease 24 muffin tins. Divide the batter equally between muffin tins, filling each 3/4 full. Bake for about 12 minutes and then rotate the pans. Bake another 12 to 13 minutes until risen, nicely domed, and set in the middle but still soft and tender. Cool before turning out.

To Make the Icing:

In a medium bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the heavy cream. On low speed, slowly mix in the confectioners’ sugar until incorporated and smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Icing can be made several hours ahead and kept covered and chilled.

Top each cupcake with a heap of frosting and dust with cocoa.

*This recipe was found on Foodnetwork.com

2) Sweet Irish Bread

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan. I use a glass one.
2. In a medium bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the sour cream. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt; stir into the sour cream mixture until just blended. Fold in raisins. Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan.
3. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a small knife inserted into the crown, comes out clean.

*Taken from Allrecipes.com

3) Dublin Lawyer

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 1/2 cups sliced button mushrooms
• 1/2 cup sliced scallions
• 1 pound cooked lobster meat
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup Irish whiskey (recommended: Jameson)
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 2 cups hot cooked rice

Directions:

In a small mixing bowl thoroughly combine softened butter, cayenne pepper, and paprika. In a large deep-sided skillet over medium-high heat, melt the cayenne butter and add the mushrooms, scallions and lobster meat. Saute until mushroom are golden, about 5 minutes, and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Carefully add the whiskey off the heat and cook until almost completely evaporated. Add the cream and reduce until thickened. Serve in large bowls over hot rice.

*Taken from Foodnetwork.com

My Delicious Soul-Warming Cabbage Soup

I went on a spontaneous cooking adventure today! After such an intense week of snow here in New York City, I wanted to create a soup that would warm my SOUL… and I succeeded. I call it the “Soul-Warming Cabbage Soup.”

Ingredients are as follows:

3 lbs. Cabbage (chopped, cut, screwed, whatever you want to call it)
3 large Carrots (chopped into small cubes or circles)
2 large Yellow Onions (chopped in medium sized squares)
2 15-ounce cans of chopped tomatoes
Water (Enough to fill up a large pot. Leave about an inch at the top)
2-3 tbsp Salt (or to taste)
Spices: Chili Pepper, Onion Powder, Dried Garlic Powder, Hungarian Paprika (all to taste)
1 cup Orzo
3 tbsp Olive Oil

Directions:

Place all ingredients (except Orzo, spices, olive oil) in a large pot and fill it up with water. Bring to a boil and boil for about 30-45 minutes (or until the vegetables are soft). Once the vegetables look and feel ready, add the spices and 1 cup Orzo. Stir well. Boil for about 10 more minutes (or until Orzo is soft). Add olive oil, stir well and serve.

Nutrition Facts:

You just can’t get better than soup. You won’t get fat off of this unless you eat the entire pot in one day. So enjoy!!! There are plenty of vitamins. My good friend Google can help you out with the vegetable nutrition details. Food and exercise is the key.

… And “Voila”:

Recipes for Romance

Click here: Recipes for Romance – to read about dishes that contain some of the ingredients that experts say may be aphrodisiacs.

Fig Tart With Caramlized Onions, Rosemary and Stilton

April Bloomfield's Oyster Pan Roast With Sea Urchin Butter

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

10 Things You Should Eat: Avocado Soup Recipe

10 Things You Should Eat: Avocado Soup Recipe.