Getting Ready for Santa & Recipe for No Bake Reindeer Patties - Thursday, December 24, 2008

Hey Young Chefs!

It's been a while since I have posted a blog. With my mom having surgery (she's doing great now) and the holidays, it's been so busy. The past two days have been spent getting ready for Christmas! I couldn't wait for Santa to try my tasty No Bake Reindeer Patties. You can see me stirring the mix above.

One of our dearest family friends, Ms. Kat, sent us a wonderful box full of Christmas goodies. She sent me two cool cookbooks, Hello Cupcake! and The Greatest Cookies Ever. She also sent me my something I really wanted - a set up magic measuring cups and spoons. They are made of silicone and they pop in and out. They clean easily and take up very little space. Thank you, Ms. Kat. I love everything! You rock!

















Ms. Kat also sent me some cookie cutters. So I had fun with some of my Christmas cookie cutters and Play Dough. Like my Christmas scene?

















This evening, we went to church. Then we went to Nana's house and unwrapped one present from Mommy & Daddy, and one present from Nana & Paw Paw. Mommy & Daddy gave me the book Fancy Nancy Bonjour Butterfly. Nana & Paw Paw gave me a Disney Princess book written just for me, with my name in it!! I loved it!

When we went home, we got ready for Santa. I set out his plate with a couple of No Bake Reindeer Patty cookies and milk, reindeer food, and a poem. Here is my poem to Santa:

Santa's on his way
To give me toys on Christmas Day
He always goes around the world on Christmas Eve.
He stays at our house for a little bit
To eat cookies & drink milk.
Then he goes back up the chimney to get on his sleigh
To ride back to the North Pole!
Merry Christmas!


















Here is my recipe for No Bake Reindeer Patties. They are so delish!

NO BAKE REINDEER PATTIES
Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups oats

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients except peanut butter and oats. Cook over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and oats. Quickly spoon out approximately one tablespoon onto wax paper or aluminum foil. Cookies will harden as they set. Yum! Yum!

Remember, cool kids cook so get creative in the kitchen!

Bon Appetit & Merry Christmas! Eliana

Grilled Pork Chops Over Creamed Spinach; Monday, November 10, 2008

Hey Young Chefs!

Here I am cooking creamed spinach. Yum! Yum! It's very simple. First, you wilt the spinach over medium heat. Then you add half a bottle of Mexican Crema (cream). Next, you add 1 cup of Italian blend cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

















Mommy and I grilled pork chops to set on top of the spinach. We also had macaroni & cheese, green beans, and a cheddar cheese biscuit.

















Dinner was delish!

Cool kids cook so get creative in the kitchen!

Bon Appetit! Eliana

Recipe: Turkey Cupcakes; Saturday, November 1, 2008

Hey Young Chefs!

It's been a while since I've blogged. A couple of weekends ago, my cousins spent the night and we made Turkey cupcakes. They were so cute! Here is the recipe!

















Turkey Cupcakes
Ingredients:
Cake mix
Candy corn
Chocolate chips
Chocolate frosting
White frosting
Twizzler

Directions:
Make cupcakes according to package instructions. Frost the cupcakes with chocolate frosting. Line two rows of candy corns to create the turkey’s feathers. Cut 2/3 of the Nutter Butter cookie. Use the larger part of the cookie for the turkey’s head and body. The remaining 1/3 will be a wing. Cut another Nutter Butter cookie to create a second wing. Insert the head/body and the wings into the cupcake. Using the white frosting, attach to the head - chocolate chips for eyes, a candy corn for a beak, and a small piece of Twizzler for the turkey’s wattle. Now you have a cute Thanksgiving turkey! Gobble, gobble!

Note from Mom: If your children are allergic to peanuts, you may also use Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies to make the turkey head and wings.

















Remember, cool kids cook so get creative in the kitchen!

Bon Appetit, Eliana

Eliana Meets Iron Chef Cat Cora - Saturday, October 25, 2008

Hey Young Chefs!

Today, I met awesome Iron Chef Cat Cora!! Macy's department store had a grand opening at the Esplanade Mall in Kenner, Louisiana. To celebrate, Chef Cat Cora cooked some delicious dishes. She is a chef on Macy's Culinary Council. Here is Cat Cora cooking crab cakes. Yum! Yum!

















Don't worry. The balls above her head didn't fall down and crush her. LOL Here is Chef Cat Cora's recipe for Crabcake Sandwiches with Avocado Salsa and Mango Coulis. This recipe appears in her book, Cat Cora's Kitchen: Favorite Meals for Family and Friends.

Crabcake Sandwiches
Ingredients:
2 c. canola oil
1/2 lb. crab meat
3 tbsp. red onion, finely chopped
2 tbsp. scallions, thinly sliced
1 1/2 tbsp. red bell pepper, finely diced
1/4 c. mayonnaise or aioli
1 tbsp. Tabasco
1 1/4 c. bread crumbs
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 c. flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Directions:
In a 10 inch saute' pan, heat 1 cup canola oil on high heat. Test readiness with a piece of bread. Turn heat to medium. Check temperature with thermometer. It should read 375 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl, combine crab, onion, scallions, bell pepper, mayonnaise, Tabasco, bread crumbs, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Mix until fully incorporated. Make 3 oz. cakes and dredge in the flour, then egg and the remaining bread crumbs. Lay the cakes in the oil and pan fry for 5-6 minutes. Remove and place on a paper towel and season with salt in a mixing bowl.

To serve crab cakes, spoon puree' onto the plate in a small pool. Slice the cake in half and lay the bottom portion in the puree'. Spoon avocado on top and place the top of the cake on the avocado like a sandwich. Top with a small amount of avocado and garnish with a cilantro leaf. Serves 4-6.

Avocado Salsa
Ingredients:
2 avocados
2 tbsp. lime juice
1 tbsp. cilantro
2 tbsp. red onion, finely diced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:
In a medium mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to use.

Mango Coulis
Ingredients:
2 mangoes
2 c. water
1 tsp. confectioner's sugar

Directions:
In a blender, combine all ingredients and mix until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Here is Cat Cora with the plated food. She also made Basque Rubbed Shrimp Skewers with Chimichurri Sauce. My favorite dish was definitely the crabcake sandwiches. Delish!

















Cat Cora talked during her cooking demonstration. She told us that she was from Mississippi. She's a Southern girl, like me. She has two children, both boys, 18 months and 5 years old. They are lucky to have a chef for a mom! I bet they grow up with the best meals!

After Cat Cora cooked, Mommy and I met her. She gave me a high five and a hug. We told her about my blog and we hope she comes and visits! I can't wait to try some of the recipes in her cookbook that she autographed for me! I especially want to make Spanokopita and Milk Pie! Iron Chef Cat Cora says, "Keep Cooking!"

It was so exciting to meet Cat Cora. I can't wait to watch Food Network's show, Iron Chef, and see Cat Cora win!

Remember, cool kids cook so get creative in the kitchen!

Bon Appetit, Eliana

Eliana's Spookover - Saturday, October 18, 2008

Hey Young Chefs!

Saturday was the night of my Spookover! 7 friends came to my house for a spooky sleepover. We were treated to ghoulish games, frightening food, creepy crafts, and spooky stories. The above picture is me dressed up as a pirate girl - Argh! Below, you can see all the costumed cuties!

















First, we did the ghoulish guessing game where we had to guess which monster was pinned to our backs. Then we did a cool costume contest. I won first place. The princess bride and the hip hop dancer won second place.






















Next, we played "Pin the Hat on the Witch."






















The "Creepy Clothes Race" was so much fun. We had to race and put on different clothes - shirt, shorts, gloves, scarf, cape and hat. My team didn't win but we laughed a lot.






















The last game was "The Mummy Wrap." We were divided into 2 teams. The smallest person on each team had to be the mummy. The other team members had to wrap the mummy with toilet paper. We had to finish by the end of the song "Monster Mash." Afterwards, we had a toilet paper explosion.

















Check out our terrifying table display. We had Jack-O-Jam cookies, bloody pigs in the blanket, petrifying pizza party pinwheels, and popcorn chicken parts. Fun and frightening food!

















Look at the bubbling Witches Brew! (Here's a secret recipe: it's just one 2-liter bottle of 7Up and 10 scoops of Lime Sherbet ice cream).

















After we ate, we started making crafts. We made Batty Sock bats out of foam, googly eyes, socks, and Fiberfill.













After that, we made mummies out of strips from an old t-shirt wrapped around toilet paper rolls with googly eyes.






















Then we made boo bags from white paper lunch bags, markers, stickers, and chenille sticks.

















After crafts, we headed outside to the patio for marshmallow roasting and spooky stories. My favorite story was "Blood Red Lips."

















Finally, after spooky stories, we set up our sleeping bags on the living room floor and watched Ghostbusters. My cousin, Camrynn; my friend, Bienelyn; and I were the last ones to fall asleep after the movie was over.

I loved having a Spookover! It was tons of fiendish fun with a bunch of goblin girls. I can't wait to do it again! Have a spooktastic time with your friends.

Throw a party because cool kids cook and get creative in the kitchen!

Bon Appetit, Eliana

Sweet & Spicy Italian Turkey Cheddar Meatballs - Saturday, October 10, 2008

Hey Young Chefs!

I made Sweet & Spicy Italian Turkey Cheddar Meatballs for the LSU Tigers v. Florida Gators game. The meatballs make a perfect party food. Here I am rolling the meatballs.






















Here's the recipe:

Sweet & Spicy Italian Turkey Cheddar Meatballs
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey
1 1/4 lbs. Italian sausage (squeezed out of casing)
1/2 c. plain bread crumbs
1 c. grated cheddar cheese

Sauce Ingredients:
2 c. spicy ketchup (or 1 c. regular km etchup with 1 tsp. Tabasco)
1 1/2 c. dark brown sugar
1 c. ketchup

Sauce Directions:
Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly and let cool.

Meatball Directions:
Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix thoroughly. Form into small balls. Coat with half of sweet and spicy sauce. Arrange on baking pan coated with non-stick spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. When meatballs are done, arrange meatballs in a deep dish and pour remaining sauce on top. Pierce with appetizer toothpicks.

Remember, cool kids cook so get creative in the kitchen! Go Tigers!

Bon Appetit, Eliana

Chicken Tortilla Soup - Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Hey Young Chefs!

Today, Mommy and I made her yum! yum! Chicken Tortilla Soup. We boiled the left-over left-over carcass (chicken bones) from the 40 Clove Garlic Roasted Chicken to make the chicken stock. Above, I am cooking 2 lbs. of chicken breast to add to the soup. This recipe only takes 30 minutes. It's super simple and delicioso!

















Chicken Tortilla Soup
Ingredients:
2 lbs. chicken breast, cubed and cooked with Mexican seasoning
4 c. chicken stock
1 14.5 oz. can diced or stewed tomatoes
1 10 oz. can mild Rotel tomatoes
1 14.5 oz. can corn
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. cumin

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a large sauce pot. Cook for 20 minutes over medium heat. Place 1/2 c. shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese in small bowl. Pour soup over top. Garnish with a handful of crushed tortilla chips. Finish with a sprinkle of shredded cheese.

Remember cool kids cook so get creative en la cocina (in the kitchen)!

Bon Appetit, Eliana

40 Clove Roasted Chicken Dinner - Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Hey Young Chefs!

Tonight Mommy and I made 40 Clove Roasted Chicken with sauteed mushrooms, polenta, and spinach salad. Above, I am placing the garlic in and around the whole roasting chicken. We also stuffed the inside with a bunch of uncut chives. It's a super simple recipe with totally yum! yum! flavor! Here is the table I set.

















40 Clove Roasted Chicken
Ingredients:
1 roasting chicken
Seasoning Blend of your choice
40 cloves of garlic (skin on)
1/2 small onion, sliced or bunch of chives

Directions:
Clean and season chicken on both sides (remove parts from inside cavity). Place in roasting pan. Stuff onion or chives inside the chicken's cavity. Place 40 cloves of garlic in and around chicken. Place covered in 400 degree oven for 1 hour and 30 minutes. When chicken is done, remove cover and return to oven for 10 minutes to crisp skin if desired. Garlic can be squeezed out of skin and spread on chicken. Delish!

















Cool kids cook so get creative in the kitchen!

Bon Appetit, Eliana

Super Sirloin, Twice-Baked Taters & Grilled Cabbage - Thursday, October 2, 2008

Hey Young Chefs!

Tonight's dinner was definitely delish! Mommy and I made Top Sirloin steaks, tantalizing twice-baked taters, and grilled cabbage. Yum! Yum!

Here I am wrapping the potatoes for baking. Thank you, Aunt Heidi, for the idea to make bake potatoes with our steaks!

















I made my own seasoning blend for the steaks using three different kinds of seasoning including "Eliana's Magic Seasoning Blend."

















Once the steaks were seasoned, they were thrown on the grill. We also grilled cabbage, which came out fantastic. To grill cabbage, cut the cabbage into four quarters. Drizzle with a little olive oil, season to your liking (we added minced garlic too), and wrap in foil, leaving a little air pocket at the top. Grill for 45 minutes to one hour on low heat. Here is the recipe for our potatoes.

Tantalizing Twice-Baked Taters
Ingredients:
4 Russett or Idaho Brown potatoes
1 1/2 c. light sour cream
1 c. grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 c. grated Pepper Jack cheese
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. white pepper

Directions:
Wrap potatoes in aluminum foil and bake potatoes at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and remove foil. Scoop out insides of potato and place in large bowl. Place empty skins back in the oven to crisp them (without foil) while you prepare the filling. Mash potatoes. Add remaining ingredients to potato and mix thoroughly. Spoon into potato skins and bake for 20 minutes. As soon as spuds are taken out of the oven, top with a little cheese and chives (optional) for presentation. Serve hot.

















For dessert, we had bananas and fresh blueberries with a little Mexican table cream poured on top. Then we sprinkled dark chocolate chips and added a dollop of Cool Whip. Talk about tasty!

Cool kids cook so get creative in the kitchen!

Bon Appetit, Eliana

Veggie-licious Stuffed Chicken Breasts - Monday, September 29, 2008

Hey Young Chefs!

It's dinner time! On tonight's menu -- "Veggie-licious Stuffed Chicken Breasts." Stuffing your food is a great way to add yum! yum! flavor! The cool thing about this recipe is that even though the chicken is loaded with veggies, all you taste is tons of flavor. In the picture above, I am cooking the stuffing. In the picture below, I am seasoning the chicken with Eliana's Magic Seasoning Blend.






















Next, I stuff the boneless chicken breasts.






















Here's the recipe:

Veggie-licious Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Ingredients:
4 whole boneless chicken breasts, butterfly fileted
1 1/2 c. fresh spinach
1/4 c. diced artichoke hearts
1/4 c. diced roasted red peppers
4 green olives, chopped
1 tbsp. garlic
1 tsp. olive oil
Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in sautee' pan. Add spinach and garlic. Cook until wilted. Next, add artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers, and olives. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, to let flavors marry. Let cool. Stuff chicken breasts. Place in oven uncovered and bake for 25 minutes. Sprinkle top of chicken with Parmesan cheese and broil for last five minutes.

Note: You can use any of the following veggies (they all make a good stuffing): mushrooms, cabbage, squash, corn, asparagus, or your favorite veggie. We used almond stuffed olives. You can also use garlic stuffed olives (add less garlic to the stuffing) or pimento stuffed olives. Our sides with this meal were wild/brown rice and green beans.

















Cool kids cook with veggies! Get creative in the kitchen!

Bon Appetit, Eliana

Chocolate Chimp Banana Bars - Saturday, September 27, 2008

Hey Young Chefs!

Ready for some dessert?! You'll love my chocolate chimp banana bars. They're ooey, gooey and yummy in your tummy. Your friends will go ape over this recipe!

Here I am spreading the batter in the baking pan. It looks good already!






















Chocolate Chimp Banana Bars
Ingredients:
2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. butter or margarine (about 8 tbsp.)
2/3 c. dark brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
3 super ripe bananas, mashed
1 heaping c. dark chocolate chips

Directions:
Stir together dry ingredients, except brown sugar. In separate bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Blend in banana. Pour wet mixture into flour. Mix thoroughly, until creamy. Stir in chocolate chimps (oooooh, oooooh, oooooh, eeeeee, eeeeee, eeeeee). Okay, I mean chocolate chips. Spread batter in 10 1/2 X 15 1/2" greased & floured baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden brown and inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes. Cut into bars and serve.






















Now monkey around in the kitchen and go bananas! Ooooh, ooooh, ooooh, ooooh!






















Cool kids cook so get creative in the kitchen!

Bon Appetit, Eliana

Paneed Chicken with Artichoke Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce - Saturday, September 27, 2008

Hey Young Chefs!

Today, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen! I helped Mommy make dinner. On the menu tonight was Paneed Chicken with an Artichoke Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce over whole wheat rotini (the swirly, corkscrew pasta). Paneed means "pan fried" and is pronounced pon-aid. To prepare paneed chicken, you must start with thin chicken breast filets. Mommy pounded the filets with a kitchen mallet. She put 2 sheets of wax paper over the chicken to keep it from being so messy. I breaded the chicken and plated the food. Here I am, plating the pasta.

















Next, we pour the sauce and then top it with the paneed chicken. Then we garnish (top with pretty edibles).

















Here's our recipe:

Paneed Chicken with Artichoke Roasted Red Pepper Cream Sauce
Ingredients for Paneed Chicken:
4 chicken breast filets, butterflied and pounded to 1/4" thick
2 c. Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg, beaten
4 tbsp. olive oil

Directions for Paneed Chicken:
Mix salt with breadcrumbs. Dip chicken in egg mixture. Dredge through breadcrumbs, coating both sides of chicken. Pan fry in olive oil until both sides golden brown. Blot on paper towels.

Ingredients for Sauce:
1 15 oz. container Crema Mexicana (Mexican table cream)
1/2 c. roasted red peppers
1/2 c. artichoke hearts
4 large fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions for Artichoke Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:
In a small sauce pan, sautee artichoke, red peppers, basil, and garlic in a dash of olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat. Using thunderstick, blend mixture (or place in blender and puree). Add Crema Mexicana. Use thunderstick to blend artichoke pepper mixture into cream. Add salt. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes to thicken sauce.

Pour sauce over pasta. Place paneed chicken on top. Garnish with grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil or parsley. Yum! Yum!











Cool kids cook so get creative in the kitchen!

Bon Appetit, Eliana

Spinach & Basil Egg Souffle - Thursday, September 25, 2008

Hey Young Chefs!

This morning, Mommy made us a delish breakfast dish - Spinach & Basil Egg Souffle. Talk about tasty! Yum! Yum! Here is her recipe. (Thank you, Mommy)

Spinach & Basil Egg Souffle
Ingredients:
1 tsp. olive oil
2 c. fresh spinach
1/4 c. torn basil leaves
1 c. grated Italian cheese blend (Mozzarella, Parmesan, Asiago, Fontina)
2 tbsp. chopped black olives
2 tsp. minced garlic
6 eggs
salt and pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Saute' spinach, basil, garlic, and olives in olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Once spinach and basil is completely wilted (2-3 minutes), place mixture in small casserole dish. Sprinkle 3/4 c. grated cheese. Scramble eggs (with water or milk). Pour egg mixture on top. Sprinkle top with remaining cheese. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes. Broil for 5 minutes or until top is golden brown. Cut into squares and place on top of buttered toast. Serves 4.

I loved Mommy's souffle. I hope you do too!

Cool kids cook so get creative in the kitchen!

Bon Appetit, Eliana

Ladybug Pizzettas - Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Hey Young Chefs!

I took over dinner tonight and made my original recipe, "Ladybug Pizzettas." Pizzettas are mini pizzas that are totally tasty. This is a vegetarian dish. Here's my recipe:

Ladybug Pizzettas
Ingredients:
2 sheets of ready-made thin crust refrigerated pizza dough
1/2 c. pizza sauce
1/2 c. Italian blend (mozzarella, parmesan, asiago, fontina)
4 tbsp. chopped black olives
Fresh basil
Tomato slices

Directions:
Cut circles into pizza dough with large upside-down drinking glass. Place on pizza pan or cookie sheet. Spread sauce on pizza dough. Sprinkle cheese on pizza sauce. Place a large basil leaf on top of cheese. Cover with one tomato slice. Top with black olive ladybug dots. Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until crust is puffy and golden. Makes 16-24 pizzettas, depending on the size of your pizzettas. Serve hot with side salad. Yum! Yum!

Here I am spreading the pizza sauce.

















Now I am topping the tomatoes with chopped black olives. See my Food Notes journal next to me? I am following my own recipe!

















Look at the finished Ladybug Pizzettas! They are delish! The tomatoes were tender and the pizza dough was crispy. Mommy says that they would make perfect party tapas (appetizers). The basil is the "secret ingredient" that makes these pizzettas awesome. Grown-ups, you'll love that kids get tons of veggies on this one. Kids, it doesn't even taste veggie-ish! Make plenty because the grown-ups will be sneaking extra pizzettas behind the kids' backs! (I saw you, Mommy...)

















I hope you enjoy this recipe. Yum! Yum!

Cool kids cook so get creative in the kitchen!

Bon Appetit, Eliana