Thursday, May 27, 2010

Golden Rum Cake

Super delicious cake made with Rum. This is a unique twist to the ordinary pound cake. Your house will smell so good when this cake is baking in the oven. It has the perfect density and richness.

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 package yellow cake mix
  • 1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 1/2 cup dark rum
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 cup sugar


Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 325º. Grease a Bundt cake pan then sprinkle walnuts evenly over the bottom.
  2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, and sugar. Mix in the eggs, milk, butter, and rum. Mix batter until smooth.
  3. Pour batter into the cake pan. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Fettuccine con Prosciutto

Hearty and tasty pasta. The prosciutto and parmigiano-reggiano makes it an authentic and super tasty Italian pasta dish. It only takes 15 minutes to make this dish but it will taste like you spent at least 45 minutes.

Ingredients:
  • 1 package egg fettuccine
  • 1/3 pound prosciutto di parma
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup half-n-half
  • 1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
  • Sea salt & black pepper

Directions:
  1. Cook pasta til al dente in a large pot of boiling salted water. Drain and set aside. Slice prosciutto ham into thin strips then set aside.
  2. In a large skillet, melt the butter and add half-n-half cream. Add the cheese and cook for 1 minute. Season with salt & pepper. Turn off the heat and immediately add in pasta and prosciutto. Toss until the sauce evenly coats the pasta. Serve the masterpiece!

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Cauliflower Gratin

This Cauliflower Gratin is a delicious way to get more vegetables in your diet. It's a hearty dish and very easy to prepare.

Ingredients:
  • 1 head cauliflower, cut into large florets
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups hot milk
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • 1/3 cup bread crumbs
  • Sea salt & black pepper

Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 375º. Cook the cauliflower florets in a large pot of salted water for 5 minutes then drain.
  2. In a saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour, stirring constantly. Add the hot milk and stir until it comes to a boil. Add salt & pepper and Parmesan cheese, stir about 1 minute or until mixture thickens.
  3. Pour half of the sauce in a baking dish then add the cauliflower. Pour remaining sauce over the califlower. Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes or until the top is browned. Serve and enjoy hot. 

Monday, May 24, 2010

Rose Garden Salmon

Salmon is the healthiest fish out there with its superior source of Omega-3 which is essential for beautiful skin, hair, and overall health. I recommend using Wild Atlantic Salmon. When you start off with the best ingredients, it's hard to go wrong. Another reason I like salmon is because the variety of preparation choices. It can be served sashimi style, baked or grilled. This Rose Garden Salmon is absolutely delicious. I serve asparagus as a side with this dish.

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound Wild Atlantic Salmon
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • Sea salt & black pepper

Directions:
  1. In a small bowl, mix the maple syrup, soy sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper together.
  2. Place salmon in a baking dish then coat with the maple syrup mixture. Cover the dish and let the salmon marinade in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Turn once after 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400º.
  3. Bake salmon for 15 minutes and serve hot.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Salami Biscuits from Italy

Authentic biscuits from Italy. These are a good alternative to serving regular bread every meal. Just be careful because these delicious biscuits are quite addictive. I like to add some Gorgonzola to these biscuits but it's optional if you don't like cheese.

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into small pieces
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup salami, diced
  • (Optional) 2 tablespoons crumbled Gorgonzola


Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 425º.
  2. Combine the flour, baking powder & soda, salt, and cold butter in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl.
  3. Add buttermilk, salami, and Gorgonzola to the flour mixture. Stir until mixture forms a ball then turn mixture out on a floured surface. Roll dough to 1/2 inch thick.
  4. Cut out biscuits by using a 1-inch diameter cookie cutter and place on baking sheets. Bake until golden which is approximately 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!