Crazy For Cocoa Puffs!!

Cocoa Puffs! A cereal you go kookoo for? Nope. If you've ever lived on or visited Oahu you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. There's a bakery that's famous for their Cocoa Puffs, and I hear they now make a green tea version and sugar free version of the original dessert as well. Liliha Bakery on 515 North Kuakini Street makes a pastry that's so ono (delicious) my daughter Sophie and I dream about it! In fact, when she had her birthday party she requested a batch of cocoa puffs in lieu of the traditional birthday cake! Made with a classic choux pastry (think eclair and cream puffs), a chocolaty filling and topped off with a chantilly frosting that's so creamy and sweet you'll be dreaming about it too! If you're like me and can't make a drive to the bakery but have a cocoa puff craving, I've got the remedy. Try it and see why this posting is littered with exclamations!

Cocoa Puffs (makes approximately 22-26)
cocoa puff shell:
1/2 c. butter
1 c. water
1 c. flour
4 eggs
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. combine water and butter and bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add flour and mix vigorously until dough ball is formed. Let dough rest for at least 10 minutes to allow it to cool down. After resting, mix in eggs, one a t a time until all eggs are well Incorporated.
Let rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Make tablespoon sized ball and bake on a parchment paper lined sheet pan for 35-40 minutes or until lightly golden brown and puffed. Let cool on rack before filling.
Filling:2 small boxes instant chocolate pudding
2 c. cold milk
mix the boxes of pudding with cold milk. Filling will be thick. Store in refrigerator.
Chantilly Frosting:
12 oz. can unsweetened evaporated milk
1 1/2 c. sugar
3/4 c. melted butter
4 large egg yolks
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Combine all ingredients in a med. saucepan. While stirring constantly, slowly rise heat on stove over the course of half and hour. Be sure not to heat mixture too fast or stir to slow because you could end up with scrambled eggs. Cook until thick and will coat spoon. Let cool in refrigerator till ready to use.

Cut open puffs and spoon chocolate filling inside or use pastry bag to fill shells. Frost tops like a cupcake with chantilly. Store in airtight container in refrigerator until ready to serve.

*Mahalo to Da Birds and Da Freedland's for the recipe!!*

Szechwan Style Shrimp Stir-Fry

This week I've been trying to cut back on calories and fat without sacrificing good taste. I want a recipe that's easy to execute and quick to cook. Hmmm... low fat, low calorie, quick, easy and delicious- sound impossible? Not so with this meal. Try it and you won't be dissapointed. You may even re-think ordering Chinese take out next time

Szechwan Style Shrimp (serves 4)
1 1/4 lb. fresh medium sized shrimp
4 tsp. reduced- sodium soy sauce
4 tsp. grated fresh ginger or 3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 Tbsp. sherry or water
1 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp. chili sauce with garlic (Mae Ploy or similar)
salt, pepper to taste

1 1/2 tsp. reduced soduim soy sauce
1/2 tsp. cornstarch
4 tsp. canola oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 pkg fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
2 c. fresh pea pods or snow peas
1/2 head Napa cabbage, shredded
1/4 c. cashews
3 Tbsp. sliced green onion

Peel and devein shrimp. Rinse shrimp, pat dry with paper towels. For sauce, in a small bowl combine the 4 tsp. soy sauce, ginger, sherry, chili sauce, 1 tsp. cornstarch, sesame oil and salt/pepper. Set aside.
Place shrimp in med. size bowl and season with salt and pepper. Stir in 1 1/2 tsp. soy sauce and 1/2 tsp. corn starch. Set aside.
In a wok or 12 inch skillet, heat 2 tsp of the canola oil over med-high heat. Add garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and stir fry for 3 minutes. Add bell pepper, and stir fry for 2 minutes. Add peas and stir fry for 2 minutes. Remove ingredients from wok.
Add remaining 2 tsp. canola oil to wok. Add shrimp mixture, stir fry for 2-3 minutes or until shrimp turn opaque. Stir sauce and add to wok. Cook and stir until boiling. Add mushroom mixture and chinese cabbage. Toss to coat.
To serve, sprinkle with chopped cashews and green onions

Lazy Lasagna

I love to cook, and find it really rewarding to make dishes my family will enjoy and request again. Many hours are (mostly) happily spent poring over recipe books, shopping for just the right ingredients, chopping and prepping and then cooking or baking. I especially love to find recipes that feature 'exotic' and really flavorful ingredients like curry, ginger or fennel or try out recipes that leave us getting hungrier by the minute, enticed by the delicious smells of ingredients working their magic.
But, it would be a lie to say that I always love laborious recipes. There are those days when I'm just beat from the daily activities or don't want to spend 45 minutes babysitting a pan of risotto. Times when I just want to throw something easy together and forget about it while the dish does it's own thing in the oven. Evenings when I need to help my girls with homework projects or want to just veg out with a great book on the couch. Does any of this sound familiar to you? Well, tonight's one of those nights and I'll share my secret with you. It's called Lazy Lasagna. Only seven ingredients and about 20 minutes of your time actually putting it all together before it bakes to comforting cheesy-gooey, delectable and satisfying goodness. You don't even have to pre-boil the noodles! Ready? Let's get dinner started...

Lazy Lasagna (makes 1 9X11 pan)
1 lb. ground beef or turkey
32 oz. jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 lb. cottage cheese
8 oz. sour cream
8 uncooked lasagna noodles
12 oz. shredded Italian cheese blend
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 c. water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown meat, drain, and add spaghetti sauce. Reduce heat to low and heat thoroughly. Combine cottage cheese and sour cream and blend in a bowl. Spoon 1/3 of the meat sauce in bottom of pan. Put 4 noodles over sauce, 1/2 of cheese mixture, 1/3 of the shredded cheese mixture and Parmesan. Repeat. Top with remaining meat sauce and cheese. Pour water around the sides of the pan and cover tightly with foil (I lightly spray the underside of the foil with oil so the cheese doesn't stick). Bake for 1 hour. Uncover, and bake 20 more minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes and enjoy your lazy lasagna!

Salade Nicoise

Ask 10 people what ingredients comprise a Nicoise salad, and you may get many different answers. Typically, a true salad Nicoise consists of haricot verts, anchovies and potatoes, but has evolved to sometimes include tuna or even salmon, boiled eggs, tomatoes, olives, bell peppers, artichoke hearts, capers and/or onions.
This salad traces its origins to Nice, France- and therefore, I believe it should be full of big, assertive flavors to mirror the bold and saucy culture found along the coast. If you've ever been to Marseille or Cassis, you know exactly what I mean.
Because the salad has several different components it's a labor of love and won't be ready in just a few minutes. But, because it's a composed salad with varied textures and flavors, your taste buds will thank you with every bite. I like to dress each component before layering on a platter. The recipe for garlic aioli follows, and is, in my opinion an absolute must for this salad. Trust me, you won't get the same garlicky bold flavor without it. Eating this makes me think of warm sunny days by the ocean. All I need with it is a nice glass of wine and maybe even a chunk of toasted bread.

Salade Nicoise (serves 4)
1 lb. haricot verts, lightly blanched but still crunchy
1 lb. baby new potatoes
4-6 anchovy fillets, rinsed
1 can of albacore tuna, drained
5 soft-center hard cooked eggs
basil leaves
head of lettuce
2 tomatoes, cut into 6 pieces each
assorted marinated olives
premade french vinaigrette (or recipe follows)
garlic aioli (recipe follows)

Boil 1/3 cup of water, and a pinch of salt and add baby potatoes. Cover tightly and steam, stirring occasionally until fork tender. Drain water if any remains and toss lightly with vinaigrette while still warm. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, tear lettuce and basil into slightly bigger than bite size pieces and toss lightly with vinaigrette. Arrange on large platter. Lightly dress and toss blanched haricot verts and lay in a section over the lettuce. Cut boiled eggs in half, arrange on platter and season with salt and pepper. Drape the anchovy fillets over some of the eggs. Mound the drained tuna in the middle of the lettuce leaves. Lightly toss cut tomatoes with vinaigrette and arrange in another section over the lettuce. Arrange cooled baby potatoes over lettuce. Sprinkle the olives in the last available section over the lettuce.
Serve immediately at room temperature with the garlic aioli, making sure to get a little bit of everything. Bon Appetit!

Simple French Vinaigrette
1 shallot, finely diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
3-4 T. red wine vinegar
salt, pepper to taste
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. Dijon mustard

Add all ingredients and shake together to create vinaigrette.

Garlic Aioli
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper to taste
3-4 cloves garlic, smashed to a paste with a little bit of salt

Put egg yolks in a bowl and stir with a whisk until slightly thickened. Add a spoonful of oil at a time, whisking well as an emulsion begins to form. Continue whisking until finished sauce is as thick as softly whipped cream. Add salt, pepper and garlic, stir and let aioli sit for a few minutes to incorporate all the flavors. Serve immediately with salade Nicoise.

Roasted Asparagus and Prosciutto

Prosciutto is simply the Italian word for ham. To make prosciutto, a quality piece of ham is salted and then air dried for up to two years. After curing, prosciutto is sliced into paper thin pieces which are usually slightly transparent. It is typically eaten uncooked, on charcuterie plates, wrapped around fruit and vegetables, or in salads. Prosciutto tastes slightly salty and sweet, but has a soft almost melt in your mouth texture. It is simply delicious and best eaten alone or paired with another ingredient that lets its flavor shine through.
Roasted asparagus and prosciutto isn't so much a recipe as it is a method for putting together a beautiful and tasty appetizer. Don't stop at combining prosciutto with asparagus- here's a few other easy ideas:
*wrap pre-boiled baby potatoes in prosciutto, sprinkle with pepper and roast until crisp
*bundle prosciutto around beautifully ripe figs and drizzle with honey
*pair prosciutto with cut honeydew or cantaloupe
*simply arrange on a platter with cheeses, olives and grapes for an easy appetizer
*enclose scallops with prosciutto and caramelize over medium high heat until tender
*fold prosciutto around chicken or fish and bake until done. The proscuitto will create a crisp crust that helps keep the meat juicy
*toss prosciutto in cooked pasta with creme fraiche and lemon zest

you get the idea, right? Prosciutto is a super easy and versatile ingredient that can be enjoyed in so many ways. And now, without further pause, here's the 'recipe' for roasted asparagus and prosciutto. Mangia!

olive oil
prosciutto
asparagus spears (woody bottom stems removed)
freshly ground pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, wrap asparagus with prosciutto, place in a roasting pan, brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper. When all asparagus are ready, roast in oven for about 10 minutes (depending on thickness of asparagus) or until asparagus are tender but still firm enough to pick up with fingers. No overcooked veggies, please! Eat immediately

Bananas Foster Crepes

I guess it's safe to assume that I'm bucking tradition. Yep, I don't want to succumb to convention. You know, when the new calender is put up on January 1st everyone resolves to hit the gym and cut back on all the rich, decadent and delicious food we've been over indulging in since Thanksgiving.
If you're resolving to cut back on the calories, sugar and carbs- great job! I applaud your efforts and wish you luck. Leave this post immediately before temptation sets in and derails you from your goals.
However, if you're in the mood for something absolutely, positively and deliciously sweet and comforting- you're in the right place.
Bananas Foster Crepes... WOW! The perfect breakfast or brunch item on a lazy Sunday morning. Try it and I think you'll agree that bucking tradition is sometimes very rewarding. 2011 is off to a delicious start ;)

Bananas Foster Crepes (serves 4)
for crepes:
1 3/4 c. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups whole milk, room temperature (remember, we're being decadent here!)
3 large eggs, room temperature
5 tbsp. melted butter, plus more for skillet

Sift flour and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together milk and eggs in a medium bowl. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture, whising to combine. Whisk in butter. Batter should be the xoncistency of heavy cream. Add more milk if necessary. Let rest while you start on the bananas foster.

for bananas foster:
3 tbsp. butter
1/2 c. dark brown sugar
3 ripe bananas, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch of salt and pinch of grated nutmeg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 c. dark rum
1/2 c. creme fraiche or vanilla ice cream

warm butter and sugar in a saute pan over med. heat until butter melts, about 1-2 minutes. Add bananas, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and vanilla. Cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add rum and ignite the vapors. Cook until flames stop and the alcohol is burnt off. Turn off stove and remove from heat while you make the crepes.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat and brush with butter. Ladle or pour about 3 tbsp. batter (for small crepes) or 1/3 c. batter (for large crepes) into pan, turning and tilting skillet to coat bottom evenly and thinly with batter. Cook until top of crepe appears set, bottom is firm and golden brown in spots and center is lifted by pockets of air, about 1 minute. Run a spatula around the edge of crepe to loosen. Slip spatula under crepe and gently flip in one swift gesture. Cook until bottom is firm and golden brown on spots, about 45 seconds. Transfer to a plate and cover. Repeat with remaining batter, brushing pan lightly with butter as needed.

Fold each crepe in half, then fold in half again. Drizzle crepes with bananas foster sauce, and top with cremem fraiche or ice cream. Serve immediately