Tag Archives: #ForkYeah

Focaccia Di Recco Recipe based on Food & Wine Magazine’s Recipe

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Focaccia Di Recco is a cheese stuffed cracker type bread from North Italy. I became familiar with this tasty treat from Pomo Pizzeria in Scottsdale Arizona.

Pomo’s Focaccia di Recco

It was so darn tasty and different I had to try to make one myself.

The first attempt was Ciao Italia Mary Ann Esposito’s Recipe.

It came out much thicker and softer than from Pomo……….But since then I learned a new trick to get my dough thinner so maybe I can do better?

I tried Food & Wine Magazine’s recipe.

The methods and the recipe did differ some. I got a thin crust this time that was crisper but the center wasn’t quite crisp enough……..I’m thinking if I made two smaller focaccias then maybe I can get a better crisp…….Or maybe just by re-heating it I can get that perfect crisp all the way through?

Ingredients for around 6 servings

1 3/4 cup bread flour

1/2 cup + 1 1/2 Tablespoons water

8 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided into 1/4 cup and the rest for brushing top

1 + 1/4 teaspoon sea salt divided into 1 teaspoon for the dough and the rest for the top

6 oz cheese torn or cut into almost one inch flat chunks (stracchino, crescenza, or caciocavallo cheese)

non stick spray

Directions

Use a stand mixer and add the flour, water, 1/4 cup oil, 1 teaspoon salt. Use a dough hook and mix on medium high speed for 8 minutes.

Make two even dough balls and wrap them in plastic wrap. Let them rest on the counter for three hours.

Roll one dough ball out (use flour as needed) sandwiched between parchment and plastic wrap.

This goes on a pan that is safe at 550 degrees F that was sprayed with non stick spray. Peel the plastic wrap off and flop dough on pan. Add cheese in small pieces.

Repeat second dough ball. It goes on top of the cheese topped dough.

Spray or brush with olive oil.

Sprinkle with sea salt.

Prick with a thin chip stick or skewer.

This goes in a preheated 550 F oven for 12-15 minutes.

I was told that this is too good to share with others.

Focaccia Di Recco

A Special THANKS!!!!! To Food & Wine Magazine so I could do what I got here!

ENJOY!!!

The Forking Truth

Forking Delicious Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipe

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I actually never made spinach artichoke dip before. I read about 10 recipes on the internet for it. Then I knew what to do….There are two different ways to make spinach artichoke dip. One way is to make a white sauce as your base. The other way is to just mix a lot of stuff up. This dip can be served warmed up or room temperature. Most people do prefer it warmed up. This is great to serve with crostini or crackers (flat breads pictures are called crisp breads and recipe can be found in the search). Serving size is always difficult to determine. If you are just doing tasting portions then you will get about 20 servings. I’d say for people at home this is more like 12 portions. For best results make this the day before you need it so the dried chopped onions can rehydrate.

Ingredients for around 12 portions.

8 oz cream cheese

1/4 cup greek yogurt

1/4 cup ranch dressing

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon (heaping) garlic confit (blended)

10 oz fresh spinach chopped and heated for one minute in the microwave

10 oz marinated artichokes – chopped

3/4 cup mozzarella cheese – shredded

1 cup parmesan cheese – shredded

1/2 teaspoon granulated onion

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

2 Tablespoons dried chopped onion

1/2 cup scallions – sliced thin and chopped

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper (or to taste some people might only want 1/4 t.)

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg -or use fresh ground for better flavor

sea salt – to taste

fresh ground black pepper – to taste

optional – 2 Tablespoons – bottom of the jar giardiniera (mine was in tiny pieces like a very fine chop)

Directions

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, ranch, mayonnaise, garlic confit, spinach, artichokes, mozzarella, parmesan, granulated onion, granulated garlic, Italian seasoning, dried chopped onion, white pepper, nutmeg and scallions together. Add giardinera if using. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve either room temperature or warmed up from the oven.

Forking Delicious Spinach Artichoke Dip

Enjoy!!!

The Forking Truth

Asian Style Avocado Dip Recipe

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I was thinking guacamole and basically did guacamole with some Asian ingredients. This makes 4-8 servings. 8 serving if you only eat 1/2 an avocado but up to 4 servings if you eat a whole avocado. I do need to note that this is far more flavorful on the day that you make it but the good news is that it is always tasty. Some people eat more and some people eat less….So I will say 6 servings

Ingredients for around 6 servings

4 avocados – opened up, pit removed, and flesh scraped out

1 lime – just the fresh juice

1 shallot – fine chopped

3-4 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar (I did 3 and at the end decided I wanted a splash more)

1 Tablespoon – yuzu kosho – or to taste (this is a hot pepper/citrus/garlic condiment that is delicious)

1/2 oz. cilantro – chopped

1/2 oz. scallions – chopped

1 teaspoon – dried mint (or use some fresh mint if you have it)

0.16 oz package nori seaweed – fine chopped

1/2 apple – peeled, cored, – fine chopped or thick grated

optional sea salt to taste

optional black pepper to taste

optional more cilantro and or scallions to finish

optional a few pomegranate seeds to finish

Directions

Gently mix all the ingredients together and try not to break up the avocado all the way. You want it to be lumpy.

Asian Style Avocado Dip

This is delicious Enjoy!

The Forking Truth

Reduced Fat Version of Malabar Cauliflower based on Chef Rohit Ghai’s Recipe

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This is a delicious cauliflower recipe that is a reduced fat recipe based on Michelin Stared Chef Rohit Ghai’s Recipe. It’s pretty much the same recipe except that this is oven roasted instead of fried. I also omitted curry leaves because I didn’t have any but it still came out delicious anyway. Depending on the size of your cauliflower and appetite will determine the amount of servings that you will get. On average one cauliflower makes around 4 servings.

Ingredients for around 4 servings.

1 cauliflower – break down to florets

Optional – 2 sprigs curry leaves

2 teaspoons mild chili powder

1 lime – just the fresh squeezed juice

2 Tablespoons rice flour

3 Tablespoons corn starch

2 green chilies – fine chopped

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

3/4 teaspoon grated ginger

3/4 teaspoon ground garlic

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper -or to taste

sea salt – to taste

1/4 cup loose – fresh cilantro chopped or torn

handful coconut chips

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl add the cauliflower and spray well with oil. Add (if using curry leaves), chili powder, lime juice rice flour, corn starch, green chilies, warm masala, ginger, garlic, black pepper, salt. Mix Well.

Lay out in even layer on sheet pan(s)

This goes in preheated 400 F degree oven for around 30 minutes or cooked to your liking.

Finish with cilantro and and coconut chips.

Malabar Cauliflower

THIS CAME OUT FORKING DELICIOUS!!!!

A Special THANKS!!!!!!! to Chef Rohit Ghai so I could do what I got here!!!!

The Forking Truth

Roasted Carrots with Orange and Pistachios Recipe

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My local Sprouts Grocery had these fancy carrots on sale for 98cents a bag so I bought 3 bags of them. They were just roasted up with orange slices, orange zest, oil, a tiny bit of honey, and salt, pepper, and near the end I added pistachios. Serving size depends on the size serving that you desire……If you eat 4 carrots a serving then this will make around 8 servings.

Ingredient for around 8 servings

2+1/4 lb carrots (I had 3 – 12 ounce bags of fancy carrots that were washed and peeled)

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 oranges and zest

1/4 cup pistachios – slightly crushed

sea salt – to taste

black pepper – to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Grate the zest off of the cleaned oranges. Then remove the peel with a knife so you are removing the skin that is around the orange. Then slice it up. Repeat with the second orange.

Line the carrots on sheet pan(s).

Spray the carrots generously with olive oil. Add some sea salt and black pepper. Add the orange slices and zest. Spray again with oil.

Place on middle rack of preheated oven till soft….(about one hour and 15 minutes – one hour and a half).

Add pistachios and spray again with oil. The carrots will need 15-30 minutes more. You want them a little wrinkly and just slightly browned.

Roasted Carrots with Orange and Pistachios

ENJOY!!!!!

The Forking Truth

Green Beans & Kale with Fried Capers Recipe

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My local Sprouts Grocery had great big bags of Green Beans and bags of kale for only 98cents so I picked up a bag of each. After I trimmed the green beans I put them in salted boiling water for three minutes. Then the green beans went in an ice bath. I tried one. It came out so perfect and so sweet that I didn’t feel the need to sauté them. SO…..I fried some capers and the kale. Serving size can differ. I don’t know if you want a small side or a bowl full. I’ll guesstimate around 8 servings.

Ingredients for around 8 servings

2 lbs. green beans – trimmed and boiled in salted water for three minutes and then optional ice bath (you do the ice bath if you want the vegetable to stay green but it gets cold.

12 oz. kale – chopped

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1-small bottle capers (mine was 3 oz.) – drained and pat dry

1/2 lemon – just the fresh juice

sea salt to taste

ground black pepper – to taste

Directions

On medium high heat add the oil to a medium sauce pan. fry the capers till some of them open (3-4 minutes) Remove the capers and add them to the green beans. Fry up the kale. Add some salt and pepper. Fry the kale till it’s wilted and add it to the green beans. Finish with lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Green Beans & Kale with Fried Capers

Enjoy!!!

The Forking Truth

Brown Butter Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies based on Emeril Lagasse’s Recipe

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I came across Emeril Lagasse’s Recipe for Warm Chocolate Chip Cookies with Vanilla Milk. I trust Emeril Recipes so it was worth trying for me. This recipe is different from the one I developed for chocolate chip cookies. The biggest differences are the amount of butter and browning the butter. The other big difference is that it is suggested that you use candy bar chocolate instead of chocolate chips…..I did change a few things based on what I had at home. The other change was the size of the cookies…Emeril says to portion the cookie balls at 2 ounces. I thought that was too much cookie for one serving so I cut the cookie ball size to one ounce.

See photo below.

Brown Butter Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

The 4 bigger cookies are from 2 ounce cookie balls and the smaller ones are from one ounce cookie balls. Do whatever size cookie you want.

I got around 5 large cookies and at least 29 small cookies. If I did all small cookies that would have made at least 39 cookies. I do note that these cookies came out too soft and too gooey for me warm………Or maybe that is how my oven works after getting it fixed????……..and maybe you might prefer soft and gooey? ……I also didn’t make the vanilla milk suggested for dunking cookies.

I will say this recipe makes around 39 cookies

8 oz. unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 oz turbino sugar

4 oz dark brown sugar’

2 oz white sugar

2 eggs

12 oz bread flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon sea salt flakes

6 oz milk chocolate candy bar broke into 1/2 inch squares

6 oz preferably dark chocolate bar broke into 1/2 inch squares (I used 6 oz, 60% chocolate chips)

sea salt flakes

Directions

Put a sauce pan on medium heat and add the butter. Cook till it browns and put to the side and let cool down to room temperature.

In a large bowl add the three sugars and then add the butter. Mix. Next add the vanilla, and eggs. Mix well. Next add the flour, baking soda, salt. Mix well. Then add the chocolate and mix well.

Roll this dough into two logs. You can bake in one hour or let sit over night in the refrigerator. But if you let it go over night the dough will need to sit out a bit to warm up because it will be too hard to roll into balls.

When ready to bake-

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Decide if you want 2 ounce balls for BIG cookies or one ounce balls for smaller cookies. Then go well spaced on a parchment lined sheet pan.

For small cookies they need 5 minutes (NOT DONE YET) on middle rack or 7 minutes for big cookies. NOW YOU NEED TO SPRINKLE THEM WITH SEA SALT AND PUT THEM BACK IN THE OVEN…….

For really soft melty cookies small cookies only need 4 or 5 more minutes and larger cookies need 5-6 minutes.

If you don’t want such soft cookies leave the cookies in a few minutes more till they look slightly browned.

A Special THANKS!!!!!!!! To Emeril Lagasse for sharing such a GREAT Recipe so I could do what I got here!

The Forking Truth

Spicy Chipotle Ground Turkey Cups Recipe

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This recipe is based on my original recipe that appeared on the front page of the food section of the Phoenix Arizona local paper picked by the food critic.

Today I had extra mini corn tortillas and ground turkey to use and that is how I came up with this recipe. For me this made 18 appetizer portions and I also made 9 extra plain meatballs for I had enough leftover for a dinner for two.

Ingredients for 18 appetizers

18 street sized corn tortillas

around 1/2 cup canola oil to soften the corn tortillas (you can save the un-used oil)

1 lb ground turkey (today I used 99% lean)

1 cup cooked rice (I used leftover take out rice)

2 eggs – beaten

1 teaspoon chipotle in adobo and a little of the sauce) – fine chopped

5 roasted garlic cloves – chopped (or you can use around three cloves ground to paste…The roasted garlic has a nice smokey taste and is much sweeter….I just roasted some yesterday and happened to have them)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground annatto

1/2 cup peppers & onions – diced and cooked

1 Tablespoon ground black pepper

1 Tablespoon sea salt flakes (preferably smoked …I used my homemade smoked sea salt)

1/2 cup of preferably home made salsa

Non stick spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray muffin tins with non stick spray.

Get a medium sized microwavable bowl. Brush each tortilla well with oil. Sick them up in a bowl and microwave about two minutes. The tortillas will be hot so be careful and use a spoon and lower each tortilla in a muffin section of the pan.

In a large mixing bowl mix together the turkey, rice, eggs, chipotle, garlic, cumin, annatto, peppers, onions, pepper, salt. *****at this point I pinched off 1/2 a teaspoon and microwaved it to taste and bumped it up slightly with a half a cup of my home made salsa that is very good.

Then I used my meatball scoop and filled each cup.

They went on the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree F oven till cooked. (In my oven this took 20 minutes)

Feel free to top them as you like.

I’m doing scallions, cilantro, and my home made pickled onions……Some people would love sour cream, salsas and cheese…… Or you can put all those things on the side.

ENJOY!!!

The Forking Truth

Pomegranate Roasted Cauliflower with Mediterranean Spices Recipe

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Today I just roasted a cauliflower. I came up with a great spice paste and just mixed up the florets into it. Then I spread the cauliflower out on sheet pans and in only a half hour they were done and then I gave them some optional toppings. Serving size WILL DIFFER….We all like different sizes for servings and also the size of your cauliflower will differ…..Lately I usually find very small cauliflowers but got lucky and found an extra large one. Mine will make a good 6 servings but it is rare that you find the extra large cauliflowers so I will say 4 servings. I do also note that you will have some extra roasting sauce from the cauliflower that is delicious that you should use for either a protein or couscous or rice with the cauliflower.

Ingredients for around 4 servings

1 cauliflower – break down to florets

2 shallots thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves – peeled and thinly sliced

1 1/2 Tablespoons sea salt

1 Tablespoon dried dill

1 Tablespoon ground cumin

1 Tablespoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

6 oz. tomato paste

2 Tablespoons pomegranate molasses

1 Tablespoon urfa pepper

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Optional – fresh pomegranate to taste for finishing

Optional – Feta cheese to taste for finishing

Optional – roasted pistachios (or hazelnuts, or pine nuts) to taste for finishing

Optional – cilantro to taste for finishing

Optional – tahini to taste for finishing

Directions

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F

In a large mixing bowl mix everything except the cauliflower and mix well. Then mix in the cauliflower till it’s coated well. Spread the cauliflower in a single layer on sheet pan(s). This goes in the middle rack of the preheated oven till lightly browned and the cauliflower is cooked. (in my oven this took 30 minutes but oven do differ and your timing could be more or less.)

This is delicious as is…….I added some extras fresh pomegranate, feta cheese, roasted pistachios, and some cilantro. I held back on adding tahini because my husband hates tahini.

Pomegranate Roasted Cauliflower with Mediterranean Spices

ENJOY!!!!

The Forking Truth

Bomba Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

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A few weeks ago Albertson’s gave me a coupon for a FREE 10 pound bag of potatoes. They were getting old so I had to make a big pan of something potato. I got the idea of doing something like a Scalloped potato but with a twist so that is what I did. Scalloped potatoes are thinly sliced potatoes in a creamy sauce. The sauce I made is so darn tasty that I’m going to make it again as a dip. I made the creamy part with ricotta cheese, fontina cheese, parmesan cheese, a little oregano, salt, pepper, and Coluccio Brand Bomba Calabrese. Bomba is a hot pepper condiment. Each brand does taste different so if you use a different brand it will taste different.

Here’s the bottle of Coluccio Bomba Calabrese.

Here are the ingredients.

Serving size is always difficult to determine because I don’t know if you want a tiny serving or a whole meal serving. Based on the amount of potatoes I used I will guesstimate this recipe to make around 12 servings.

Ingredients for around 12 servings.

non stick spray

3 pounds starchy potatoes – peeled and sliced very thin

2 1/2 ounces parmesan cheese – grated

8 ounces fontina cheese – grated

10 ounces ricotta cheese

3 Tablespoons Bomba Calabrese – preferably Coluccio Brand

1 teaspoon course sea salt

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray a large baking dish or 1/2 buffet pan with non stick spray.

In your largest bowl mix together the parmesan, fontina, ricotta cheese, Bomba, salt, pepper, and oregano. Then mix in the potato slices.

This mixture goes in your non stick sprayed pan.

You pat it in the best you can in an even layer and then cover it with foil.

The covered pan goes in the middle rack for about 90 minutes.

You can serve it this way or put it back in till it’s as crispy as you like.

I left mine in another hour…

Your oven might differ so timing can differ…….But I thought that this was nice a little crispy.

Enjoy!!!!

The Forking Truth