We are making some changes to this blog. This blog was created by L’EQUIP and Chandani had been posting when she was able to. However, we decided to make some changes to this blog. We will be including some more of our employees in the blog and they’ll be able to post some of their favorite recipes. Eventually we’ll have them introduce themselves so you can get to know them better. Also, a lot of the recipes we will be highlighting will come from our Sensible Cooking cookbook that can be purchased here. We would also love to hear feedback from all of you on whether you tried these recipes or not, and if so, how it turned out, whether you liked it or if you would make it again.

If you have any requests for recipes that you’d like us to post about please feel free to contact us.

- James

Orange Sherbet

First of all I would like to thank you all for your best wishes for Hope. She is doing much better and she is back to her normal self now.

Finally after long long wait, we could see some sunshine instead of rain here. What better way to celebrate that, than simple recipe that can be made without much hassle and satisfies your sweet-tooth too.

Recipe by Freida Nusz

Method:

• 3 Egg
• 1 cup very hot water
• 1 Tbsp gelatin
• ½ cup honey
• ¼ cup oil
• 1 large can frozen orange juice

Method:

• Separate the egg whites and the yolk.
• Process egg yolk, gelatin and hot water in a blender and blend well.
• Then add honey, oil and orange juice and blend.
• While the blender in melting the gelatin in hot water, beat the three egg whites very stiff.
• Pour finished blender mixture over the egg whites and fold in by hand. Freeze. Enjoy!

Blender Pancake

Recipe by Linda Wagner

Pancakes, takes me back to my childhood books. When I was about 7 or 8 years old, mom bought me and my sister a story book. And I read that book like 1000 times. The book had story about how bear made pancake the funny thing was the book actually had recipe. So that was the inspiration I needed for making pancakes and literally destroying mom’s kitchen, trying to make it. Until I was banished from kitchen for limited time.

So here is a easy recipe that won’t get you banished from kitchen and everyone will think you really worked hard for it because it is unbelievably tasty.

Ingredients:

• 2 Eggs
• 2 Tbsp sugar or honey
• ¼ cup cooking oil
• 2 Tbsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 Cup Milk
• 3/4 Cup Whole Wheat Kernels

Method:

• Put 1 cup milk in Bosch blender.
• Add ¾ cup whole-wheat kernels. Blend for four minutes.
• While blending, assemble and add rest of the ingredients. Blend a few seconds.
• Pour on a lightly oiled, hot griddle for the lightest, and most delicious melt-in-mouth pancakes ever!

• 1 clove garlic
• 6 oz. blue cheese
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup sour cream
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup milk

Method:

• In blender mince together the garlic and four ounce of the cheese.
• In Bosch mixing bowl add the mayonnaise and sour cream, and mix well, using wire whisk.
• Add lemon juice, pepper and salt, then blend in the milk and the blue cheese (cut into pea sized pieces).
• Note: Mix until milk is combined. If you like the dressing smooth, not chunky, as all the blue cheese with the garlic.
• Chill and stir before serving. Makes 1 ½ cups. Serve it with your choice of fruits and vegetables or anything you love.

By Chef Dave Prows –  from Sensible Cooking Cookbook

Since I have been back from my vacation, laziness has been my best friend. Just going out to eat not worrying about cleaning and cooking, sleeping till noon. Miss those days. I guess I got too used to it. Now that I am back and lagging behind on my work work and house work combined with my laziness, I find myself using more of my cookbooks then ever. Today is even better as everything was done and all I had to do was write this post, short and savory like Crepes.

I am huge sucker for crapes, specially the sweet dessert versions. Little bit of sweet whipped cream and fresh fruits, you’ve got dessert to die for. Oh! don’t forget the chocolate or caramel sauce. The savory version is equally good and so simple to prepare. And when the recipe is this easy, simple and tasty, there is hardly any changes needed.  Here is the recipe, ENJOY!!!!!

Ingredients:

• 1 Cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 Cups milk
• 2 Large eggs
• 2 Tbsp butter (melted)

Method:

• Mix flour, salt and milk in Bosch Blender.
• Add eggs and melted butter and mix thoroughly.
• Chill batter for 1 hour.
• Coat bottom of 6″ crepe pan with vegalene cooking spray.
• Pour 2 Tbsp batter into pan. Tilt pan in all direction so batter covers bottom. Cook 1 minute or until crepe can be shaken loose.
• Turn crepe over and cook an additional 30 seconds.
• Place crepe on a cloth towel to cool.
• Repeat with remaining batter
• Store in airtight container.

Tip:

Place cooked crepes between sheets of wax paper to prevent sticking together.

Stuff it with your favorite veggies, salad or meat to make an amazing sandwich.

]]> http://sensiblecooking.org/uncategorized/crepes-savory-and-buttery/feed/ 18 http://sensiblecooking.org/uncategorized/chicken-lettuce-wraps/ http://sensiblecooking.org/uncategorized/chicken-lettuce-wraps/#comments Tue, 07 Dec 2010 16:42:21 +0000 L'EQUIP http://sensiblecooking.org/?p=2738

I had a week off from work. What is a girl to do when you have so much free time on hand. What else shop, eat and travel. My week off was to clean my kitchen, my closet, my room, list to be continued. Nothing of that happened. Instead I packed my bag and headed to my friends place, Chicago. My love affair with chicago was instant when I first laid eyes on its downtown from plane, four years ago. Beautiful downtown on the lake side, and abundance of restaurants you will never be board, and shopping you name it they have it, most of all, I could get the new york experience with slightly less crowd.

That is why I have been little lazy with posting my blog. My creative thinking cap was lost and I had my eating hats on, hopping from restaurants to carts. In situations like this I get my magical help (cookbooks) out for blog posts. Today’s recipe is one of my favorite. I only do few changes with the ingredients here and there, to give it a variation. It is easy, tasty and makes you fell better as you are eating healthy. This recipe is from the Delicious Meets Nutritious, Xagave cookbook by Stephen Richards.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp. Xagave
• 2 Tbsp. Canola Oil
• 1 1/2 Lbs. Boneless Chicken Breast cut into pieces( Thighs can be used too)
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp Pepper
• 2 tsp. Minced Garlic
• 1 tsp. Minced Ginger
• 1 Bunch Scallions, trimmed and chopped
• 18 oz Can Water Chestnuts, drained
• 1/4 Cup Roasted Unsalted Cashews
• 1 Small Head Lettuce, leaves seperated

Method:

• Combine soy sauce and xagave in a small bowl.
• Heat oil in pan.
• Add chicken pieces. Season with salt, pepper, garlic and ginger. Note: Can be substituted with shrimp or tofu.
• Stir fry until the meat is done (about  4 to 5 minutes).
• Add 1/2 of the soy sauce and Xagave mix, scallions, chestnuts and cashews.
• Stir fry until warmed through, couple of minutes.
• Divide the lettuce leaves on the plates and chicken mix into lettuce leaves.
• Drizzle the remaining soy sauce mixture over the lettuce wraps and serve.

Time to combine your baking hat with thinking cap and put together you prefect bread recipe: King Arthur Flour, Fleischmann’s Yeast and Kansas Wheat Commission are co-sponsoring the 2011 National Festival of Breads competition, which seeks the best yeast bread recipes from home bakers throughout the United States. The competition is open to home bakers ages 18 and up from all over the nation.

Beginning Sept. 1, 2010, amateur bakers can submit original recipes for Ethnic Breads, Rolls, Time-Saving and Easy Breads, and Whole Grain Breads, to NationalFestivalofBreads.com. A secure, easy-to-use form is available for bakers to enter recipes online; submissions will not be accepted by mail, fax, e-mail or phone. The deadline for entries is Feb. 7, 2011.

Judges will vet all entries and select eight finalists, each of whom will receive airfare to and accommodations in Wichita, to participate in national competition events June 23-25, 2011. In addition, each finalist will receive a $500 cash award, participate in a Wheat Harvest Tour to a working Kansas wheat farm, flour mill and grain elevator, and take part in other activities.

Judges will evaluate the finalists’ yeast bread entries based on taste, originality, ease of preparation, healthfulness and appearance. One Grand Prize Winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to a baking class of his or her choice at the King Arthur Flour Baking Education Center in Norwich, Vt., a year’s supply of Fleischmann’s Yeast, plus $2,000 cash.

Find out more about the competition.

Nothing makes your morning worth while than fresh baked, warm muffin coming out of oven. Just imagine the smell around the house buttery, sweet etc, that is happy dance moment. I started my muffin baking when my parents were here for summer. They were both fascinated and amazed by my cooking. Well lets just put it this way, I wasn’t the best cook growing up.

So here is easy muffin recipe to enjoy your long weekend. Like promised in earlier post I will be posting lot of new recipe this week for you to help with memorial day cooking and enjoy your memorial day.

Ingredients:

Blueberry Muffin (Makes 18 muffins)
• 3 Cups Cake Flour
• 2 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1/2 Cup Butter
• 1 Cup Sugar
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 Cup Sour Cream
• 2 tsp. Mexican Vanilla
• Blueberries

Method:

• Sift all dry ingredients together and set aside.
• Cream Butter and Sugar using cookie paddles until light and fluffy in Bosch Mixer. Switch to batter whisk and add eggs one at a time. Mix well.
• Add Sour Cream and Vanilla and mix. While mixer is turned off, add all dry ingredients. Using speed one, mix only until incorporated. Fold in Blueberries.
• Bake at 375 for 18 minutes. Enjoy the fresh muffin with smoothie.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY

Well every day is Mother’s day but still Mother’s day is just round the corner. This is one day in a year, when we get to show special appreciation to the most important person in our life. Mother, the word that changes our world into better and safer place. So this week’s post is dedicated to all mother out there, specially to my mom who is thousands of miles away but always in my heart.

Hope you have your presents ready for mom and in-case just in-case if you don’t let me share a very easy and tasty recipe that will satisfy any moms sweet tooth, specially if it is made by her kids and family. I used the cupcake recipe I had for valentine because it is easy and also because red is my mom’s favorite color. The Swiss Meringue Butter Cream is so light, airy and creamy that it melts into your mouth. And before you know you might finish the cupcakes so my suggestions always bake some extras.

I remember when my parents visited me last summer they fell in love with the muffins and cupcakes. So I went through my recipe drawer and found Lacy’s easy and lovely recipe card. You can make this meringue without any hassle and top it on any of your or your mom’s favorite cakes, cupcakes or bakery. Without any trouble you will have customized present for mom. Or maybe even Bosch mixer as a present to mom that way you can enjoy the home made bakery every-time you visit her. And if you were a nightmare in kitchen growing up, like I was, she will appreciate it even more. To my defense there were no Bosch mixer like now to make my cooking experience easier. I can’t think of baking without my Bosch mixer.

Enough of talking lets start making our cream.

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 Cups sugar
• 9 Egg Whites
• 4 Cups Unsalted Butter – cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 2 tsp. Mexican Vanilla

Method:

• Place sugar and egg whites into a double boiler over simmering water. Whisk until sugar has dissolved and egg whites are hot to the touch. About 10 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to the Bosch Mixer with the wire whips. Beat on high speed until the mixture has cooled and formed stiff glossy peaks. About 3-5 minutes.
• Add the Butter one piece at a time. Butter cream may appear to be curtled, but it will soon become smooth. Now add vanilla.
• Switch to the cookie paddle attachments and beat on speed one to knock out any air pockets. About 3 minutes. If using the same day, cover with plastic wrap and set out. If not using for several hours, refrigerate for up to 3 days. When ready to use, let set out at room temperature and beat for 3 minutes.
• Enjoy it on top of your favorite cakes, cupcakes or any bakery.

April 22 is a day to appreciate and understand Earth and it’s environment. Gaylord Nelson, U.S. Senate from Wisconsin founded Earth Day in 1970. It is celebrated all around the world with various programs and campaigns. To celebrate and give something back to environment lets cook something using my most favorite kitchen gadget (BRK Pressure cooker) ,which also gives you more reason to celebrate. Here is why I love my pressure cooker and be energy efficient: Single-handed pressure lid, Meals are prepared 70% quicker, You can reduce your energy consumption up to 60%, eat healthier as pressure cooking saves up to 82% vitamin A, 77% vitamin B1 etc. I can go on with the list.

With little help this week I am presenting a recipe that is my personal favorite. Soup are my favorite food and specially the soup that can be prepared in pressure cooker are the best. Here is the recipe from our Chef Lacy.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 Cup Oil
• 2 Onions Diced
• 4 Cloves Garlic Diced
• 1 15 oz. Can Diced Tomatoes Drained
• 3 Quarts Chicken Broth
• Tortilla Chips
• Cilantro Chopped
• 2 Limes
• Grated Cheese
• Optional – Shredded Chicken

Method:

• Heat oil in cooker, then add onions and garlic cloves. Saute until deep golden brown.
• Remove from cooker and pure with tomatoes in blender or Bosch food processor until smooth.
• Return to cooker and add broth. Heat to boiling. Bring up to high pressure, reduce heat and cook 10  minutes.
• Release pressure and remove the lid.
• Add cilantro and salt to taste.
• Place cheese and tortilla chips in individual soup bowls and pour hot soup on top. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.