Redwood Coast Creative Arts

Almond Brittle

Almond Brittle, MMMMMM! This is a totally, yummy, crispy, crunchy treat! It is easy to make and is great for gift giving! You can use any kind of nuts, seeds, or peanuts. Shredded coconut also makes a nice addition. Have all the ingredients for this recipe measured out and ready. This recipe requires that you move quickly. You do not have time to measure ingredients in between steps.

Kick it up a notch by using espresso instead of water and drizzling some melted chocolate over it!

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
½ teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup water (Espresso makes a great substitution. Omit almond extract.)
1/4 tsp pure almond extract
1 1/2 cup toasted whole almonds
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened.  Do not substitute.  Only use real butter!
1 teaspoon baking soda




DIRECTIONS:
Prepare large baking sheet. Grease or line with silicone or Teflon sheet. Set aside.

Toast the almonds, medium heat, in a dry pan, until browned. About 5 minutes.

In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, over medium heat, boil sugar, corn syrup, 1/2 of the salt, and water. Stir until sugar is dissolved.

Set candy thermometer in place, and continue cooking. Stir frequently until temperature reaches 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), or until a small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water separates into hard and brittle threads.

Slowly add extract. Stir in well. Be careful it may splatter and splurt.

Stir in almonds, quickly.

Remove from heat; immediately stir in butter then baking soda; pour at once onto cookie sheet.

Sprinkle remaining salt on hot mixture.

Smooth mixture out as thin as possible. Using two forks to lift and pull mixture into rectangle about 14x12 inches;

After a few minutes it will be firm enough to lift out of pan

Cut into 18-20 1 ½ inch pieces while it is still warm

Cool to room temperature and store in an air tight container such as a mason jar

Enjoy!

Inside Nutritionist Kimberly Snyder's Fridge

Time for an intervention. In today’s video, nutritionist Kimberly Snyder gives us something to aspire to by showing us what’s in her home fridge — and why. Since she specializes in beautifying foods, each item she stocks (from kale to almonds) has qualities that improve hair and/or skin.

Inside Nutritionist Kimberly Snyder's Fridge

I was pleasantly surprised that I stock many ofthe same foods in my fridge.  I love her tip on almonds and kale salad.  I must try both.  :)

For mor recipes and nutrition tips go to her website: http://www.kimberlysnyder.net/

Glowing Green Smoothie Recipe by Kimberly Snyder, Clinical Nutritionist

 

I Am Awesome! Thai Peanut Pork Satay

This has to be one of the most amazing Thai dishes I've ever made! 

I created it by combining 2 recipes and adjusting to my own tastes.  Everyone thought it was excellent!  But, I still had to do the dishes alone!  Ingrates!

Here is the final plate up just before I took it to the table and gobbled it all up!

Traditionally this dish would be served grilled on skewers and served with the peanut "dipping sauce"  I chose to leave my chops whole and drizzle the sauce rather than dip. No matter what type of meat, veg., or soy protein you choose to use for this dish it makes a great main course or a fun and delicious party food!

Thai Pork Satay Marinade (can be used with shrimp, beef, chicken, tofu, and veggies)

• 4-6 thin cut, pork chops (for skewars cut into thin strips)
• SATAY MARINADE:
• 2 shallots OR 1 small onion, sliced
•  cloves garlic
• 1-2 fresh red chilies, sliced, OR 1/2 tsp. to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 inch ginger, pealed
• 1/2 tsp. dried turmeric
• 2 tsp. cumin
• 3 Tbsp. dark soy sauce (available at Asian food stores)
• 4 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 5-6 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 4 inches, crushed lemongrass (optional but recommended)

1. Place all marinade ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process well.
2. Adjust flavors to your liking.  Sweet, spicy, and salty flavors should be balanced.  Add more sugar, fish sauce, or chili sauce to adjust the taste.
3. Pour the marinade over the meat and stir well to combine. Refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap on surface of meat for at least 1 hour (or overnight) .
4. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water while you prepare the meat (to prevent burning).
5. Have everything else ready before starting the meat.  It cooks fast so set the table, get drinks, have your rice, sauce and salad all ready and plated up. 
6. Thread meat onto the skewers.  Poke skewer in and out, like weaving.  Tip: Fill up to 3/4 of the skewer, leaving the lower half empty so that the person grilling has a "handle" to easily turn the satay during cooking.
7. Grill the satay on your BBQ, OR on an indoor grill, basting the first time you time it with a little of the leftover marinade from the bottom of the bowl. OR you can broil in the oven on a broiling pan or baking sheet with the oven set to "broil" Place satay close beneath the heating element and turn the meat every 5 minutes until cooked (be sure to soak your wooden satay sticks in water before skewering). Depending on how thin your meat is, the satay should cook in 10 to 20 minutes.

 

Satay Peanut Sauce Recipe

• 1 cup fresh-tasting dry roasted peanuts, unsalted (salted OK, just adjust other salted ingredients accordingly)
• 2-4 Tbsp. Smooth peanut butter (natural without added sugars preferred)
• 1/3 cup water
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1/2 tsp. dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp. hot sesame oil
• Juice of 2 limes
• 4-6 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 to 2.5 Tbsp. fish sauce - for vegetarians: substitute 2.5 to 3 Tbsp. regular soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, OR  6-8 tsp. Thai chili sauce (more or less to taste)
• 1-1 1/2 cup coconut milk (boxed/canned OK, Fresh is best)
• 1/2 tsp. tamarind paste (optional variation)

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend or process until sauce is smooth.  If you prefer a thinner sauce, add a little more water or coconut milk.

Adjust ingredients according to your own tastes.  The coconut milk, peanuts, and peanut butter make this a very rich and creamy sauce.  I like to balance that richness out with a good amount of tanginess, provided by the limes (or a combination of lime juice and tamarind paste, and generous amount of chili sauce.

All of the elements of taste should be balanced and easily distinguished; sweet, salty, sour, spicy.  If any flavor element is over powering, balance it out by adding the flavors that are not as pronounced.  I usually start making adjustments by adding more coconut milk, lime juice, peanut butter, and chili sauce.

Add more fish sauce (or soy sauce) if not salty enough, more chili sauce if not spicy enough. If too salty, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice. If you'd prefer it sweeter, add a little more sugar.

This sauce can be served warm or at room temperature.  I prefer room temperature.  It is great with Thai Pork Satay, or Thai Shrimp Satay, my two favorites.  It is also good with Beef, Chicken, or Vegetarian/Vegan Satay.  It makes a great dressing for Thai-style noodle dish, cold noodle salad, or dipping sauce for fresh, spring or noodle rolls.

This sauce can be served warm or at room temperature.  I prefer room temperature.  It is great with  makes a great dressing for Thai-style noodle dish, cold noodle salad, or dipping sauce for fresh, spring or noodle rolls.

 Enjoy!

Note: This sauce tends to thicken as it sits - just add a little water or coconut milk to thin it out, as needed. Otherwise it stores well if kept covered in the refrigerator (keep up to 2 weeks; freeze thereafter).

I served this on a fresh Napa Cabbage, avocado, and herb salad that consisted of :

• Shredded Napa Cabbage
• Avocado slices
• Watercress leaves
• Cilantro leaves
• mint leaves
• thai lemon basil
• Thin sliced serrano pepper
• green onion chopped (green parts only)-garnish
• Dried red chilies- garnish that allows each individual to adjust the heat of their dish
• crushed roasted peanuts-garnish That tastes really good and adds a nice crunchy texture

• Place a generous amount of salad down on each plate.
• arrange meat
• place avocado around edges of meat.
• drizzle with Satay Peanut Sauce
• Garnish with crushed peanuts, green onion, and dried chilies

If you try this one out, let me know and Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Potato, Leek Soup -Recipe

Today I made potato, leek soup with garlic and chicken broth.

Chop 6 large, red potatoes, boil in chicken broth (just enough to cover. I used 4 cans) until soft. Mash with potato masher and leave on warm. Coarse chop I large leek or two small, saute with 7 or 8 garlic cloves in 1/2 stick butter until slightly brown (salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic and 1/2 of the leeks to potato soup pot, bled with a stick blender until desired amount of smoothness. I like some chunks of potato. add the remaining leeks. You can add half and half or milk 2-3 cups if you like a creamier soup. I don't do milk so I separated out my husbands serving and added about 50% milk and a little more salt and pepper.

Bon Appetit!

Recipe: Ham, Cheddar, and Spinach Quiche with a Flaky, Butter Crust

Ham, Cheddar, and Spinach Quiche with a Flaky, Butter Crust

Recipe:

Butter Pastry:

2 C AP flour
1-1/2 C cold butter (or 3/4 C) cubed
5-8 T ice water
Pulse flour and butter in food processor until it resembles coarse corn meal. If you take a pinch and press it in your fingers it should clump together.
Add 1 T of ice water at a time, pulse in between to mix into a dough. Once the mixture forms a loose dough roll it out onto a floured surface. Knead it briefly (for about a minute), wrap it in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hr to 1 wk. Don't touch it too much. Colder dough that doesn't get messed with makes a flakier pastry.

After the chill roll out on floured surface and place in pie pan. Trim edges 1 inch deeper than needed, they will shrink. Prick the dough with a fork to release air. Weight the dough down with dry beans or pie weights. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes until it starts to brown.

Quiche fillings:

7 Large eggs
1C milk or half and half
1-1/2 C Cheddar Cheese shredded (or other hard cheese that melts well)
1/2 cup diced ham
2 C chopped fresh spinach
2 green onions finely chopped
1/2 t dried Italian herbs
1/2 t salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients except for cheese in a large bowl. Spread about 1/2 C cheese on bottom of pie crust. Just enough to cover the bottom. This will keep your crust crispier by forming a barrier from the liquids.

Put pie pan in oven, pour wet, egg mixture into pie crust, bake for about 30-50 minutes until knife pulls out clean. After about 20 minutes add remaining cheese on top for a cheesy topping!

This recipe is a great way to use up left overs. Anything can be a filling and you can use toasted sliced bread or pre-made crust in a pinch but, nothing compares to real butter pastry crust!

Let me know if you try this recipe! Enjoy! Eat well and prosper!

Honey lime dressing :
ingredients:
juice from 1/2 lime,
about 1/8C rice wine vinegar,
about 1/8 C veg oil,
about 1 t honey,
salt and pepper to taste.
Whisk in bowl and chill while chop salad ingredients.
Makes enough for two big salads. I used Romaine, Cabbage, Spinach, green onion, avocado, sweet red peppers, and honey crisp apples (cubed) The apples and lime are great together! ENJOY!