Smoked Salmon Appetizers

This is one of my favorite party treats. It's quick and easy, but everyone thinks it fabulous.

2 blocks of cream cheese

1 small package of good smoked salmon (about 4-6 oz)

Water crakers

Caviar

Mix the cream cheese and smoked salmon, scope them on to a water cracker. Then make a small indention with your wet thumb, and add about a 1/4 teaspoon of caviar. That is it. I usually use a little rosemary for a decoration.

This is a cedar table I built, with the help of my sister Beth (my photographer except in these, I finally got a camera, welcome to the 21st century Dan). In the knots I inlayed turquoise (I just figured out how to do it well so I've been doing it a lot). The table is 3ft wide, by 6ft long by 30 inches high. There are matching benches that are to come shortly.

Her Necklace

So I made the dark beads on this necklace on my lathe, they are a wood called Texas Ebony, I inlayed one with turquoise. My sisters helped me bead this up, it was all for a girl that I've been dating, I won't put her name so she's not embarrassed.

Pesto Pita Pizza

Alliteration aside this is a fantastic and pretty healthy meal that can be whipped up in minutes and devoured even quicker. I start with a pita dough from one of my earlier posts then cover it with a fresh pesto that is made as follows:

2 cups fresh basil
2 tablespoons or so roasted almonds (pine nuts work)
A few parsley sprigs
2 cloves of garlic
Olive oil
1 1/2 cups of Parmesan Cheese
Kosher Salt
Black Pepper

Using a food processor mince the almonds and the garlic. Add the basil and parsley and chop to a fine texture. Slowly add olive oil until a good consistency is reached. Add the Parmesan and chop, season to taste with salt and pepper.

Once the pesto was done I spread it on uncooked pita and covered it with Feta crumbles, followed by baby bella mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, grilled eggplant (my sister said I had to use eggplant somehow, she's kinda like the chairman on Iron Chef, my favorite show) and grilled chicken. The grilled chicken and eggplant were seasoned with Greek Seasoning and a little olive oil before grilling.

This was all baked at 425 for about 20 minutes, or until the dough is cooked, it really is quite delicious.

Eggplant Eggsmant pictures

Eggplant Eggsmant

So I spent the last week at my father's house, and he fully indoctrinated me on "heart healthy" foods. I must say that I was impressed and upon returning to the land of Texas, which is currently scorching (a nice 101) today, I set about making some heart healthy meals. As you can quickly see most of the meals I have made have no real significant health benefits so I'll try this out and see what happens. As we know Omega-3 fatty acids are good for our hearts, so we take fish oil and Altoids to get rid of the smell, so some fish needed to be included, I chose salmon because of the popularity and high omega-3's. Vegetables are also very important in creating a healthy meal, in this case I used Eggplant which is high in fiber, and a very nutrient dense food, and surprisingly tasty although not always beautiful. The final major ingredient is Bleu Cheese, vitamin K2 has been found in aged cheeses, and there is evidence that it helps to take the calcium from arterial plaque and redeposit it in bones, thus helping with heart disease and osteoporosis both. So enough said here is the recipe.

1 Eggplant (known as Aubergine in the Mediterranean.)
1 8oz Salmon pouch (found by tuna fish) you can also use fresh salmon filets, and it will most likely have a better flavor.
Bleu Cheese
Cavender's Greek Seasoning
Kosher Salt
Garlic
Ground Black Pepper
Olive Oil

Cut the eggplant in half, coat the cut surface with olive oil and roast in a 475 oven until the eggplant softens (using a grill will provide a nice smokey flavor). Scoop out the eggplant so that you are left with two hollow sides. Mix the salmon the scoopings and some seasonings, then restuff the eggplant. Top with bleu cheese and roast until the cheese melts. Enjoy.

sides and a cake from Beth

Faux Italian creme cake

• 4 eggs
• 1 stick melted butter
• 1 1/3 c. coconut flakes
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1 1/3 c. H20
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 vanilla cake mix
• 1 box instant vanilla pudding

mix all ingredients.  cook 350.  for 24-30 minutes for 2-9 inch rounds.  decorate

Another pig recipe

Pictures of the chili making

Steak and Black Bean Chili (or something like it)

So if you have read any of the comments on the other posts you've read a request for a black bean and steak chili, so I took a little time to come up with a recipe for it. Chili, as most know is Spanish (really Mexican) for a pepper. So to make a good chili you need some spice, unless you can't handle it. So Stacy this recipe is for you. Sorry there are no pictures yet my photographer (sister) was not able to be there when I made this so I'll have to do it at her house later this month. Hopefully ya'll love this quick easy and tasty chili.

Ingredients

1 1lb lean steak (cut in cubes) I didn't specify what kind of steak because of availability, I used what is called a Flat Iron ~($5.99/lb) steak, can be bought at Kroger, Smith's, or Food Lion in the east. If that is not available look for Top Blade steaks (same muscle just cut different) make sure you remove the connective tissue in the center of the Top Blade. If none of this is available use a sirloin steak cut, there are many available. Don't use a New York Strip or Ribeye, just too valuable for this.

1 small sweet onion

1 can sundried (look for them in the Italian aisle)

1/4 cup good salsa (Not Pace, or Tostitos. I use habenero salsa but use to your tolerance.)

Small spoon of Garlic

2 cans Black Beans

salt

pepper

cayenne pepper

chili powder

olive oil

Sour Cream

Cheese

Avocado

So take the onion chop it inot small pieces sautee it in olive oil until mostly caramelized, add garlic, cayenne pepper, and chili powder (Not too much). Coat meat with pepper and a little salt, then add your cubed meat, and brown. Next add tomatoes, salsa. Let cook for a few minute and add black beans, allow about 10 minutes simmering time then serve. I serve it with a dollop of Daisy (some sour-cream), cheese, and cubed avocado.

And now for something completely different - Kibbeh, Hummus, Stuffed Tomatos, and Creamy Lime Tarts

These recipes are a tribute to my Lebanese heritage, actually I'm only like 1/16 Lebanese but I still carry the last name and am proud of it.

These Lime Tarts are a favorite. They are a very refreshing end to a meal. Simple and quick and oh so good.

Ingredients:

Phyllo Dough

Whipping Cream

Sugar

Lime Juice

All you do is whip some cream until stiff, add a little sugar and lime juice to the cream. I then just filled these phyllo cups with the lime cream mix and froze them. You can make the cups by cutting 6 sheets of stacked phyllo dough in a circle and place in a muffin tin then bake in a 400 degree oven until golden brown, or you can get them pre-made from most grocery stores.

These are some hollowed out Romas, I love the flavor of Romas.
Here is the stuffed Roma ready to go into the foil.
Hollowed, stuffed, and wrapped all ready for the oven.

Ingredients:

6 Romas

8 ounces feta cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons Greek Seasoning (I like Cavender's, or Penskey's.)

Mix the feta, oil and seasoning. Hollow tomatoes, save the caps. Stuff, recap and wrap, (oops didn't mean to rhyme). Cook for about 20 min in a 400 degree oven.

Here is my favorite pita. Goes great with Kibbeh and Hummus.

Preheat oven to Hi Broil

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons yeast

1 tablespoon salt

Warm Water

I'll be honest I've never measured, but that is about what I put in. Mix all the dry ingredients. Then add water til the dough sticks together. It is better to make it a little sticky, it seems to rise better. Then break it into 8 or so even sized balls. Let them sit for 1/2 hr. Roll them out to 1/8 inch thick or so. Put your top oven rack as high as it can go. This is the fun part, at least for me. I place the rolled out pita on a cookie sheet directly under the broiler then I watch it until it stops rising or gets some brown spots which ever comes first, the rising always amazes me, I guess simple things really amaze simple minds. Then flip and let it do the same. Then pull it out and enjoy.

Hummus and Kibbeh recipes.

Hummus

1 can chick peas

3 tablespoons tahini (look in the health food isle, by peanut butter, or with condiments it is always in a weird place.) Tahini is just sesame butter.

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Small spoonful of garlic (minced or crushed)

salt, pepper, paprika and Greek Seasoning to taste.

Mix everything and blend it in a food processor, let it sit. This one is dusted with paprika a few chick peas and pine nuts.

Kibbeh

1 lb lean ground beef

1/8 lb pine nuts

red wine vinegar

rosemary

basil

thyme

small spoon full of garlic (crushed or minced not powdered.)

Salt, Pepper

Mix all the ingredients together. Shape into balls and place in muffin tins bake at 425 degrees until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 160.

The white sauce in this picture is Tzatziki. It is yogurt, plain - not vanilla or strawberry or the awesome key lime pie that Yoplait makes, with grated cucumber and a small spoonful of garlic.
Cut the pita in half and stuff with everything for a messy Mediterranean Taco.

Herbed Pork Roast with Berry Sauce

Preheat oven 400 degrees

2-3 lb pork loin
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons fresh thyme

1 tablespoons fresh basil
1 tablespoon fresh parsley

1 tablespoon tarragon
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper
2 tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar

These measurements aren't exact. I just get enough of the herbs to cover the entire pork loin, for a larger loin you need more, and more sauce. I like to use more rosemary than anything else, then thyme and basil. Just use these proportions or something like it, but how can you go wrong with rosemary and thyme, or Scarborough Fair for that matter.

For berry sauce.
1/2 C. butter
1/2 C. chopped pecans
1/2 pint fresh blueberries
1 tablespoon red wine
2 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon lemon

Melt butter in sauce pan. Add pecans and blueberries. Cook and stir on medium heat until blueberries are soft. Add the red wine, sugar and lemon juice. Cook until sauce thickens. You can actually use any type of berry; black, straw or ras. Or whatever is available. I like blueberries because I like blue, and I was addicted to blueberry muffins as a child.

Add a side of brown rice cooked with rosemary and lemon juice, a green salad and pickled asparagus. I have to hide the pickled asparagus from some of my nieces one in particular can finish a whole jar lickidy split.

Enjoy!

Welcome The World of Dan

My name is Dan, hence the title to the blog. I've spent a good part of my life interested in food, as my waistline clearly shows. So when it came time to get a masters degree, I chose meat science. I'm currently working on a MS in meat science. On some weekends I spend time with my sister and her family and usually cook for them. So she finally convinced me to start a blog called Cooking with Dan. So here it is.

Oh and thanks to my sis for the awesome pictures.