Riso: Undiscovered Rice Dishes of Northern Italy
Title: Riso: Undiscovered Rice Dishes of Northern Italy
Author: Gioietta Vitale, Lisa Lawley
Publisher: Open Road Media
Pages: 200
Goodreads: From soups and salads to risottos and desserts, Gioietta Vitale presents the best of northern Italy’s rice-based specialties. Illustrated with line drawings and filled with tips on ingredients, techniques, and even the perfect wine to go with each dish, Riso is a More…
My Review: Risotto allo Champagne should tell all about this book! Filled with riso (rice) recipes from salads, soups, risotto’s, and even desserts. Vitale & Lawley do a stunning job presenting riso in bountiful methods that are simple to recreate. Would be fantastic to see pictures accompany this book although rice is not always the easiest item to photography. Next on my list to try is the Risotto con Prosciutto e Melone!
Riso: Undiscovered Rice Dishes of Northern Italy can be found at Barnes and Noble or Amazon.
Rainier Cherry Ricotta Cobbler
The lovely team at OXO sent me a Cherry Pitter to test out. I am already bias to OXO tools since everything I have tested is wonderful! The cherry pitter is simple to use even for my left handed daughter who is 12. She was excited to use the new tool and insists that I buy all OXO tools for her to use in the kitchen because it is difficult for her with most kitchen gadgets. As you can see below it pops out the seed and has a splatter proof shield.
Here she is using the cherry pitter to pit the rainier cherries for this rainier cherry ricotta cobbler recipe.
In addition to the cherry pitter, OXO is running a recipe contest which will be judged by creativity, taste, and presentation. Below is my recipe for Rainier Cherry Ricotta Cobbler in which I am entering into the OXO Cherry Recipe Contest. The ricotta acts as an ice cream in this dish and it is topped with a crumble crust regularly featured on cobblers with a fresh topping of Rainier cherries that have been tossed lightly in honey added to the top with more honey drizzled over the entire dish.
I hope you all enjoy this refreshing dessert in this relentless heat.
Ingredients
Instructions
In a food processor, add ricotta, cinnamon, heavy cream, and sugar; blend well. Select the dish you plan to serve it in and layer in the ricotta mixture and freeze for about two hours until set.
Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, add brown sugar and flour; whisk well with fork. Adding one tablespoon at a time, whisk in margarine with a fork to make crumble granules. Be careful not to add to much margarine as you want the butter to create the granules rather then make it mushy. With your hand, drizzle the crumbles on to the cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Pull and let cool.
Using a OXO cherry pitter or other pitter of choice, pit cherries and then slice them in halves. Toss with about two tablespoons of honey and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Pull the ricotta ice cream from the freezer and top with crumble crust. Lightly scoop Rainier cherries over the top of the crumble crust. Drizzle lightly with honey and serve.
http://mooshujenne.com/rainier-cherry-ricotta-cobbler/Please stop by Pinterest and have a look at all the other great recipes from bloggers that are entering the OXO Cherry Recipe Contest.
Coconut Lime Chicken Chow Mein
Tropical Traditions sent me out a large jar of coconut oil, so my daughter and I sat thinking of what recipes we could use it in. Of course I went right to curries with fresh mango. My daughter on the other hand loves chow mein noodles and she mentioned how it would be cool to incorporate the coconut into a dish with chow mein. After suggestions of pineapple and mango we moved on to citrus. She hands down said lime. Next, it was time to head to the store and get a new wok! We brought the new wok home and decided to experiment. The recipe turned out wonderful! I am excited to share the recipe for coconut lime chicken chow mein with you below along with a giveaway!
The chicken look a little dry in the pictures because I photographed it the next day due to lighting. I need to get some lights and a tripod!
Ingredients
Instructions
Bring medium pot of water to a boil.
Meanwhile, slice chicken breast lengthwise three times and then cut into 1/2 inch cubes by cutting across. In a wok, add coconut oil and chicken. Squeeze two limes over the chicken and drizzle a little soy sauce over the top; salt and pepper. Cook till chicken is done. Drain wok from the liquid and drizzle a little more soy over the chicken to brown a glaze to the chicken. Remove chicken to a bowl with lid to keep warm.
Boil noodles for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and stir fry in wok with soy sauce and olive oil (you may use coconut oil for more coconut flavor). Stir fry for a few minutes until noodles are sticky and coated. You will cook the noodles in increments not all at once. Remove noodles to bowl after stir frying in batches.
Toss chicken with noodles. You can add spring onions if you would like at this point. Squeeze one lime over chicken and noodles. Use remaining lime to serve on the side of the bowl.
http://mooshujenne.com/coconut-lime-chicken-chow-mein/a Rafflecopter giveaway
Win 1 quart of Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil!
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You can also watch the video they produced about Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil:
Tropical Traditions also carries other varieties of affordable high quality coconut oil. Visit their website to check on current sales, to learn about the many uses of coconut oil, and to read about all the advantages of buying coconut oil online. Since the FDA does not want us to discuss the health benefits of coconut oil on a page where it is being sold or given away, here is the best website to read about the health benefits of coconut oil.
Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product.
Frito Pie & Chili Con Carne
After months of searching and preparing to make a decent Chili Con Carne (sauce/chili) I finally decided to give it a shot. I wanted the taste to be similar to what Taco Cabana uses on their enchiladas and what Sonic uses on their frito pie. Well folks, I have to admit my family said it tastes just like Sonic’s frito pie which is a plus; however, they never eat the enchiladas at Taco Cabana so that was up to my taste buds and it is pretty close.
On another note, who’s planning on seeing Ice Age this weekend? My daughter and I are thinking of going Friday morning. I love Diego! Who’s your favorite character? My daughter says I’m five. Oh well! She’s twelve and still wants to see it, so I will be five and take her 
If you like it with more heat then just add more cayenne and chili powder; just reverse it for less heat.
Ingredients
Instructions
In a medium stockpot (8qt), add in ground beef and onion. Bring to a medium heat and fry for about 8 minutes. Add in the cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Stir well and fry for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add one cup of tomato sauce and one cup of beef broth; stir well. Lower heat to a medium-low heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until you reach the thickness you prefer. Serve over frito pie, hot dogs, or enchiladas.
Line a basket with paper or use a dish. Add a hand full of fritos and top with cheese. Ladle the chili con carne over the top and serve.
http://mooshujenne.com/frito-pie-chili-con-carne/Nanie’s Peppercorn Ranch Salad
Although I made a few changes, this recipe for peppercorn ranch salad my Mom makes for barbecues . It’s a simple salad with very little effort. I put this one together for my son’s 15th birthday. It was interesting because I found most teenage boys do not like canned corn. So strange! Yet they all admitted they like grilled corn on the cob but it has to be only grilled corn on the cob not boiled. Odd! Lesson learned not to make anything with corn in it for teen males.
Ingredients
Instructions
In a trifle bowl (or bowl of your choice) layer in the corn, cucumbers, carrots, red onion, more corn, and top with spring onions. Salt and pepper the top. Drizzle peppercorn ranch dressing over the salad. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
http://mooshujenne.com/nanies-peppercorn-ranch-salad/Italian Garden Pasta Salad
It’s Summer BBQ season with the 4th right around the corner many of us are getting ready to light up the grill. Just like me, I am sure many of you have a go-to Summer salad recipe. For a little fun for the 4th, I invite all of my blogging friends to share their favorite Summer salad recipes. This can be a new or old post just has to be a Summer salad recipe.
Here is a simple Summer salad recipe for Italian garden pasta salad that I use when the last minute BBQ happens. To share your recipe click the “add your link” button below.
Ingredients
Instructions
Fill a large pot with water and one tablespoon of olive oil and bring to a boil. Once boiling at pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes until done. Drain pasta and let cool.
Add pasta to a large bowl with tomatoes, spring onions, salt and pepper; toss well. Drizzle with Italian dressing till desired coating; toss well again. Refrigerate for 30 minutes until cool and serve.
http://mooshujenne.com/italian-garden-pasta-salad/Strawberry Daiquiri Cupcakes
My son always challenges me for his birthday to create a new cupcake with a liquor flavor and no alcohol in it. I have a feeling this will change on his 21st. Until then I get to be creative. This year he asked for a Strawberry Daiquiri Cupcake with a cream cheese icing.
Here you can see his birthday blow out and display of my cool chalkboard wall and the strawberry daiquiri cupcakes.
And here is a picture of the cupcakes with out the top ice cream cake.
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line your cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, strawberry puree, and vanilla extract; set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the butter one piece at a time, mixing until the dough comes together and looks sandy.
Add about half of the egg mixture and mix on low. Then add the other half of the mixer slowly as it is mixing on low.
Fill cupcake pan using a ice cream scoop for even cupcakes. These do not rise as much so make sure to fill almost to top of liner. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and cream cheese together, about 1 to 2 minutes on medium speed until very smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure even mixing.
Add the coconut extract and strawberry puree. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Keep adding until you get to desired sweetness and thickness.
Fill into a piping bag and decorate the cupcakes.
Garnish with strawberries sliced in half.
http://mooshujenne.com/strawberry-daiquiri-cupcakes/Strawberry cupcake recipe adapted from Bakingdom’s Strawberry Cake recipe.
Peanut Butter Choco Ice Cream Cake
To be brutally honest, I am a peanut butter snob, so when Jen at Juanita’s Cocina mentioned PB Crave my interest sparked. Who’s interest would not when someone mentions cookie dough peanut butter or Razzle Dazzle with white chocolate and raspberries. Luckily, the nice group over at PB Crave sent me out four jars to try. Initially we tried it on crackers and bread to get the basic taste of each of these fantastic renditions on the typical peanut butter. Not only did I think the PB Crave pack was wonderful but it was completely approved by all three teenagers. Best of all it’s all natural!
After wondering what to make with these delicious peanut butters I realized my son’s birthday was up and coming. Why not a beautiful ice cream cake. My first task was to decide which icing I was going to use. After a bit of surfing on the net I found that whipping cream was generally used for ice cream cakes. I’ve never before made my own whipped topping. Task two was to make whipped topping for frosting the cake but also infusing PB Crave’s Choco Choco Peanut Butter into the frosting. Turns out it was simple, heavy cream, kitchenaid, powdered sugar, and choco choco peanut butter. The rest is a no fail process and I hope all of you will try it especially in these super hot Summer days.
PB Crave’s is giving me the chance to allow one of you to win a Choco Choco Variety Pack! (pictured below)
To enter to win please follow the steps in the Rafflecopter below but first the recipe.
Ingredients
Instructions
In the large bowl of a KitchenAid stand mixer add in 2 cups of heavy cream and 6 tablespoons of powdered sugar. Whip on medium speed (4) until it is the consistency of whipped topping. This might take up to 3 minutes. Add in 4 tablespoons of the peanut butter and mix just until incorporated.
On a medium size piece of parchment paper, lay out six of the ice cream sandwiches end to end. Apply one thin layer of frosting to top of the sandwiches. Lay out the other six sandwiches on top. Dirty frost the cake and freeze for one hour.
Fill a decorating bag, fitted with the tip of your choice, with the frosting. Decorate the cake. Freeze but remove just thirty minutes or less before you are planning to serve.
I used the ruffle technique on the sides of the cake pictured. You can find Youtube videos demonstrating this technique.
http://mooshujenne.com/peanut-butter-choco-ice-cream-cake/Now for the giveaway! Please follow the instructions in the Rafflecopter below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
*Disclosure: I was given one four pack of PB Crave’s Peanut Butter to review. I was not reimbursed for writing this post and all opinions expressed are my own. Prize can only be shipped within the United States.*
Red Skin Potatoes & Asparagus
This really is a crazy week between Summer college classes starting, birthday planning for my son, and the kids grandmother in the hospital for gall stones not sure how everything is going to get accomplished. My “go to” recipes when the week is super busy and it is HOT outside, IE: TX, is grilled food. Vegetables are the simplest to grill and full of nutrients that everyone needs to keep on moving.
ALWAYS keep potatoes on hand! You can grill them, smash them, fry them, and bake them. They are, in my opinion, the perfect side dish to any recipe. When buying asparagus I never grill the whole bundle. Half the bundle is perfect for one meal and this recipe is what I used the second half in. Mixing in the greens for the other half and teenagers (boys -_-) they will eat the greens this way but alone never!
This recipe can be spiced up by adding paprika and cayenne pepper.
Ingredients
Instructions
Lay out two pieces of of foil. The larger piece on bottom and the smaller in the center. Add quartered red skinned potatoes to the center of the foil. On top of the potatoes add the asparagus tips and centers (no ends). Add sliced rounds of onion over the top of the potatoes and asparagus and spread evenly. Add two sticks of unsalted butter to each side of the foil pack. Salt and pepper evenly over the medley. Pull up sides of foil and crimp to seal. Grill for about 30 to 45 minutes until potatoes and asparagus are tender.
http://mooshujenne.com/red-skin-potatoes-asparagus/Grilled Southern Stuffed Peppers
Three day weekend and three more days until school is out for Summer. At this point it’s all about grilling food for quick dinners! Here is an uber easy quick dinner. Tip: Leave the peppers a little bit crisp for more flavor.
Do you have a Memorial weekend project? I do! I hope to achieve it this weekend, or well maybe even next Thursday, is painting my kitchen wall with chalkboard paint. The wall sits behind the kitchen table. It should be perfect for displaying the weekly menu and chores. It can even be a cool background display in birthday party pictures. No more banners, just chalk up the wall with a creative “Happy Birthday” and let all the guests sign the wall. Yes, I am currently still a 5 year old inside but who doesn’t love some chalk!
Now, if I could just find a creative way to store my cookbooks. Any ideas? If you have an idea please comment below and leave me links if you have pictures.
Ingredients
Instructions
Heat grill to medium heat. Grill chicken tenders until cooked.
Slice bell peppers in halves and remove seeds and ribbing. In a large bowl, add in chopped grilled chicken, refried beans, drained sweet corn, two tablespoons of taco seasoning and salt. Stir mixture and fill bell peppers with mixture.
Place bell peppers on the grill on a medium-low heat. Grill for about 8 minutes until semi-soft. Add pepper jack cheese to tops of the peppers and cook until cheese is melted. Remove from grill and serve.
http://mooshujenne.com/grilled-southern-stuffed-peppers/
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