Peach Cobbler

I decided to make peach cobbler for the 4th of July weekend. It wasn't the height of the Palisade peach season but I was able to get some decent looking peaches at the store. I left with $20 in peaches. Was it worth it? After baking, the peaches were all mushy liked Del Monte cling peaches. No wonder so many people use canned peaches.

The peaches were gorgeous.
After a scoring, they were dunked into a pot of boiling water for a few seconds.

See the scoring?
...And the finished product. I peeled and sliced the peaches. I tossed the peaches with some brown sugar, cinnamon, almond extract, and some unflavored gelatin. The cobbler portion was made with flour, leavening, sugar, butter, and milk.

The large one in the aluminum pan was for the 4th of July BBQ we were going to and the little one in the gratin dish was for Mr. J. I served it with some whipped cream.

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Whole Foods Tuna Salad with Sun-Dried Cranberries and Lemon

Whole Foods Tuna with Sun-Dried Cranberries and Lemon

2 cans solid white albacore tuna
6 tablespoons canola mayonnaise
juice from 1 fresh lemon
4 tablespoons finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 teaspoon baker's sugar
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped sun-dried cranberries (not craisins)
kosher salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients except for the tuna. Drain the tuna and add to the other ingredients. Combine gently, making sure to not overmix. (This helps keep the tuna in more solid pieces. Hey you are paying more for the solid pack white albacore.)

Lately I've been spending a small fortune on the tuna salad with cranberries at Whole Foods. I saved on of the lids with the ingredients list and then I searched for a recipe. I found one. I made this for dinner tonight. This is the best tuna salad ever.

For some ingredients I believe it is crucial to use the Whole Foods 365 brand.  I really like the 365 canola mayo and believe it really makes a difference.  The other important ingredient is the sun-dried cranberries. In the bulk food section of Whole Foods there is a product called sun-dried unsweetened cranberries. They also sell the sweetened cranberries right next to it.  On occasion Whole Foods has run out of the unsweetened sun-dried variety and I've used sweetened and reduced the amount of sugar I add.

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Almond Shortbread Lollipops

I decided I wanted to do some Holiday baking. I went to Crate & Barrel yesterday and bought some cute cookie cutters. I opted for pretty generic shapes because I have Jewish friends. I didn't like the snowflake one. Bummer. I made all star cookies on lollipop sticks. They are all baked and in airtight containers rights now. I will decorate with white chocolate and royal icing tomorrow. I made four batches using two pounds of butter.

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter (I bought Horizon Organic)
1/2 cup baker's sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 - 2 1/2 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
water (as needed)

1. Cream together butter, sugar, and almond extract. (Bring butter to room temperature first.)
2. Mix in flour one cup at a time. You may not need the last 1/2 cup depending on consistency. I had to add a few drops of water to get the dough to come together. It was too crumbly. I thought I was going to have to toss it but I did a test bake and it tasted wonderful.

Tommorow they will be dipped in white chocolate and decorated with blue or red royal icing. Too bad the snowflake cutter was too difficult to deal with.

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Grey's Anatomy Season Finale Dinner Party

We had a dinner party for the Grey's Anatomy season finale. Since the show is based in Seattle we decided to have a Seattle-themed menu. We had:

Mussels with Coconut Curry Sauce
Calamari with Sweet Garlic Chili Sauce
Shrimp & Tofu Spring Rolls with Peanut-Hoisin Sauce
Seattle Style Pizza
Oyster Sauce Bok Choi
Braised Artichokes
Lobster Corn Chowder
Ciabbatta and French Bread
Hazel Gelato Profiteroles with Chocolate Kahlua Sauce

It was a crazy rush to cook everything. I am still exhausted.

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Salmon, Guacamole and Lime Chips

I cooked this tonight but I didn't have them together. I was in the mood for guac and the lime chips that Lisa got me hooked on. The salmon is for lunch tomorrow. I am planning on having that with a cesar salad or something.

I also took pictures of the roses I bought for myself. I needed to cheer myself up so I bought some pink roses.

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Chicken Tortellini Salad

I made this salad for a barbecue at Lisa's on Sunday. Lisa barbecued some chicken breast and a pork loin. Kim brought over cheesy potatoes and poundcake for dessert. I also took over a bag full of plantains. We fried them up. They were yummy!


Tortellini Salad
- 1 package cheese tortellini; cooked, drained, and cooled
- 1 jar marinated artichoke hearts; drained and sliced
- 12 sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 ounces feta cheese
- 1 package fresh mozzarella; cut into cubes
- 1/4 onion, diced
-1/2 lb. mushrooms; sliced
- grilled chicken breast (marinated in salt, pepper, olive oil, and carne adobado spices)
- handful of pinenuts
- baby spinach

Vinaigrette Dressing:
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper -- to taste
- 1/2 cup olive oil

In a serving bowl, combine the tortellini, diced chicken, artichoke hearts, spinach, tomatoes, cheese, mushrooms, and onion. Toss together.

To make the vinaigrette, puree the garlic, oregano, tomato paste, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a blender or food processor; then, with the machine running, gradually add the oil to make a smooth emulsion. To serve, combine enough dressing with the salad ingredients to moisten them and toss to coat well. Top with pinenuts. Serve with spinach.

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Chicken and Shrimp with Saffron Brown Basmati

This dish was inspired by Valenciana Paella minus certain ingredients and the paella pan. It was thrown together very quickly with the ingredients I had in the pantry. If I had mussels, seafood, rabbit, chorizo, and a few other items I would have made paella. But paella for one or even two is a sad dish to make so I usually settle for a very simplified version of this yummy spanish dish.

-olive oil
- onion
- garlic
- paprika
- salt
- pepper
- chicken breast
- pimentos
- shrimp
- shrimp shell and chicken bone stock
- brown basmati rice
- saffron
- peas
- parsley flakes

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April 24,2006 - Cherrry Creek Grill's Macho Salad and Cornbread Skillet

Updated again on 3/16/2017 with Cornbread recipe from Hillstone.

***Update: 5/15/2010

I noticed that many people end up at my blog because they google "macho salad." I originally posted a recipe that I found. I didn't make any changes even though I noticed that it was missing a few items. I eat this salad all the time and have made it on several occasions. I can see the restaurant from my office window.

I made a few changes to the recipe. The first is changing the cider vinegar to champagne vinegar. I talked to one of the waiters and tried to get the recipe out of him. He only revealed that they used a champagne vinaigrette for the dressing.

The original recipe called for salad greens. The restaurant uses a mix of different baby lettuces including frisee. It also called for croutons but did not specify what kind of croutons. I know for a fact that they make their own croutons using leftover cornbread that they serve in the restaurant. They also use leftover rotisserie chicken. Rotisserie chicken is one of the entree options. The salad ingredients also changes from time to time. I listed the regular ingredients I find in my salad bowl.

The Hillstone Restaurant Group opened a Houston's in Cherry Creek. I ate there for the very first time a few weeks ago. The menu is definitely different from the Cherry Creek Grill but still very good.

***

Sunday was lunch at the Cherry Creek Grill with Chris. I ordered the macho salad like I usually do. The salad was a little different this time. The dates were missing and the tomatoes were sliced instead of the usual grape tomatoes. It was still good. The cornbread was also delicious. I found the below recipe under Fairway Grill's Macho Salad. The recipe seems pretty close. I think I shall attempt to make it this week. The Cherry Creek Grill is part of the Hillstone restaurant group. It operates under the name Houston's, Bandera, Palm Beach Grill...depending on what city you are in.

Dressing:

This recipe makes a lot of dressing! Halve or quarter it. Trust me.

1/2 cup spicy brown mustard

1 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup champagne vinegar

2 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1/4 cup fresh garlic

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 quart + 1 cup olive oil

Place all ingredients except oil in a bowl. Whisk in oil to emulsify by hand. Keep Chilled.

Salad:

5-6 cornbread croutons

3 cups baby lettuces

1/2 cup rotisserie chicken

1/2 cup grape tomatoes

8 medjool dates, roughly chopped

1/2 cup avocado, diced

1/2 cup fresh corn kernels, raw

1/2 cup almonds, roasted and chopped

goat cheese

green onions, sliced (I always request the salad without the onions.)

dressing (recipe above)

Toss everything together.

Hillstone shared several of their recipes with Bon Appétit Magazine, including their cornbread recipe.  The cornbread is pretty good. It's a toss-up between this cornbread and the other cornbread I make with jalapenos, cheese, and green onions.

Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread

1¼ Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 Cup Fine-Grind Cornmeal

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1½ Teaspoons Kosher Salt

4 Large Eggs

1½ Cups Canned Creamed Corn (From One 15-Ounce Can)

1 4.5-Ounce Can Mild Green Chiles, Drained, Chopped

1½ Ounces Mild White Cheddar, Grated (About ½ Cup)

1½ Ounces Monterey Jack, Grated (About ½ Cup)

¾ Cup Unsalted Butter (1½ Sticks), Room Temperature

⅔ Cup Sugar

Nonstick Vegetable Oil Spray

Place rack in middle of oven. Set 10-inch Cast Iron skillet on a rimmed baking sheet, place on rack, and preheat oven to 400°.

Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl to combine. Lightly beat eggs in a medium bowl to blend; whisk in creamed corn, chiles, cheddar, and Monterey Jack.

Mix butter and sugar in a large bowl with a wooden spoon just until butter absorbs sugar but butter is still in small pieces. Add egg mixture and mix until just combined. Mix in dry ingredients until barely incorporated.

Remove skillet from oven and lightly coat with nonstick spray. Scrape in batter (it should sizzle on contact and stay slightly mounded in the center).

Bake cornbread until top is golden brown and springs back when gently pressed, 35–45 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

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Crú - A Wine Bar

Downtown Denver - Larimer Square
http://www.cruawinebar.com/

From left to right:

Charles Cimicky "Trump" '04 Barossa Valley, Australia
Round and juicy, not as dense as most Barossa Shiraz, but showing lots of ripe cherry and peppery spice notes. Tannins are soft.

Qupe, '04 Central Coast, California
A Firm, taut wine, with an earthy clay flavor at the core, with meat, beef and just-ripe berry flavors

Forefathers '04 McLaren Vale, Australia
Dense, but it seems to get more transparent with each sip. It has pepper and licorice overtones to the dark berry and cherry flavors, lingering enticingly as the finish starts to float.


We decided to go try out the new wine bar in Larimer Square after work on Friday. I highly recommend the place for the wine. The food was good but the portions were tiny for the price. Lisa and I split a few items. Lisa paid for my wine and the calamari, pizza, and the mussels we shared. I don't know why she did. it was too expensive for her to pay for the entire outing.

All three glasses in front of me were for me. It was part of the Sexy Shiraz wine flight. The one on the left was the yummiest. I have to go get myself a bottle of it.

I was a little nervous about venturing downtown right before a Rockies game. (I no longer live downtown so it is so damn inconvenient to drive downtown.) I found a spot right next to the Cheesecake Factory. It was only a few blocks from Larimer Square. I love Larimer Square. The few places that I have eaten at have all been excellent. When I got to the bar, Lisa and I were the only ones there so we grabbed a small table. A few minutes later Nicole arrived and said Oz and her husband were on their way. We asked the server to move us to a bigger table. Aaron showed up a few minutes later and then Karen showed up. We had to pull up an extra chair. I stayed until about 8:00. I ran across the street to the Market and grabbed two slices of the Spring Fling cake. I smiled at the guy. He gave me extra large slices of the cake. I took a slice over to Chris for his birthday. He agreed. It is the best cake in the world.

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Mandarin Chicken Salad

This is an aboslutely gorgeous salad. I injured myself with the mandarin orange can as I was rushing to get this done before kickball last night. The chicken breast was marinated in salt, pepper, olive oil, and carne adobado seasoning. I grilled it in the george foreman beforehand. The greens are a mix of spinach and pre-packaged romaine hearts with red cabbage and carrots. I topped it off with sliced mushrooms, toasted almonds, strawberries, and mandarin oranges.

The star of the salad is the dressing. It is a sesame dressing that was inspired by a recipe I got from Frank's old roommate Steve who got it from a chef friend. The recipe was written on the inside cover of a cookbook. I got this recipe years ago and unfortunately it was misplaced in the many many moves so I came up with something very similar.

- sesame oil (i used to toast the oil first but in a rush so didn;t do it this time)
- balsamic vinegar (i used to reduce the vinegar until it got all syrupy but not this time)
- splenda
- sugar free apricot preserves
- sesame seeds
- paprika
- ground ginger
- salt
- pepper
- seasone rice wine vinegar
- olive oil
- garlic (didn't feel like chopping garlic)
- brown mustard (couldn't find it so i left it out)

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