Spicy Tuna Roll

Lisa's favorite roll is the Spicy Tuna Roll... I like them too - spicy is good! Making sushi rolls at home is pretty easy. You need to practice making the sushi rice (that's another post on here) for that is base of all sushi.

Ahi Tuna, diced
1 tsp mayo - you can omit this if you don't want it but it helps everything hold together
1 tsp Sriracha hot sauce - more or less depending on your taste - I like more

Dice your tuna and put it in a bowl. Put in a spot of mayo and the Sriracha hot sauce; mix it all together well. Be careful when you mix because we do not to smash the tuna... Once you have everything mixed up give a small piece a taste to make sure everything is good for you.

Prepare your nori and rice like you would for any standard roll. Lay down a nice row of your prepared tuna. Roll it up and slice - some say you have to have an odd number of slices and some say even is ok. Whatever you decide to do just make sure all your pieces are even. Sushi is pretty food so make sure it looks good...

Happy Cooking & Eating!

~Nikko



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Foodie Thoughts

"I drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol." -- Steven Wright.

Sushi - Crunchafornia Roll

I tried something new last night and came up with The Crunchafornia Roll... A twist on the standard California Roll. I proved the concept last night and will have photos and a video up soon. I made it two ways - the first was to make your standard California Roll then dust it in corn starch then dunk it into a tempura batter then fry the whole thing. The second way I did it was just to take the crab sticks and tempura them and put them into the normal California roll. Both ways were good. I'm going to be doing them again and have some people over to see which version wins the taste test...

Happy Cooking & Eating!

~Nikko

Sushi Rice

I've made sushi with long grain rice - it is possible, but I would suggest finding a short grain rice to use. I get mine at the Asian market and I think it's well worth it. I use Nishiki sushi rice - it works for me...

Making sushi rice is a process. There are directions on the bag, but if you follow mine you'll end up with perfect rice every time.

Just so you know 1.5 cups of sushi rice will turn into a bit over 6 cups of rice when it's cooked.

Rice:

1.5 Cups Sushi rice
2 Cups Water

Vinegar Solution:

2 Tbsp + 2 tsp Rice Vinegar
1 Tbsp + 1 1/2 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt

Take 1.5 cups of rice and put it in a fine mesh strainer. Run the rice under water until the water runs clear. You can do this in your pot as well. Put the rice in the pot and fill half way with water. Run your fingers through the rice and the water will become a milky color. Drain off the milky water and replace with fresh water. Keep doing this until the water is clear again. Once you get the rice washed drain it as well as you can, then let the rice sit undisturbed for 20 minutes. It's amazing how white it will become. Add the rice to a pot and put in the water. Cover and bring to a boil. Once you are on the boil reduce the heat to low and let cook for 20 minutes.

Once your 20 minutes is up you need to cool the rice down quickly. If you don't have one of those fancy wooden tubs - a large plate will work just fine. Carefully spread out the rice and start fanning it with a hand fan or I used a magazine... Fan the rice for a few minutes then sprinkle on the vinegar solution. Cut the vinegar into the rice - do not stir the rice slide your spoon or spatula through the rice to mix. You want the rice pieces to stay separated not a huge mushy mass... Continue to fan the rice while you are cutting through it. Turn the rice over and continue to fan. After about 5 minutes the rice should be ready to use. You can store the rice under a moist towel until you are ready to use. I like to put mine in a plastic bowl and cover it with a damp towel... You will need to moisten your hands before working with the rice. It's really sticky!

Sushi On!

~Nikko

Foodie Thoughts

Spices make the difference between food and cuisine. ~ Me

SUSHI - I'm a fan...

Last night's dinner. Spicy Tuna roll (and hand roll), California Roll, Shrimp Tempura. Thee will be posts coming soon showing you how to make each of these (and other) sushi rolls soon...

~Nikko

Dynamite Sushi Sauce

The best Dynamite Sauce I've ever had comes from a sushi house named Sushi Awaji in Plano Texas (suburb of Dallas). As far as I'm concerned Dallas has the the best sushi I've ever had and considering I live a stones throw from the Ocean (now) and Dallas is a land locked city - that kinda makes me mad... They have a dish called the Crawfish Volcano that will put a smile on your face. I've probably ordered a few hundred of them from Awaji and every one of them was amazing. I always compare every Dynamite Sauce to theirs - and most fail... I could never get their recipe out of them but after trying and trying this one comes really close.



All of these items can be found in any Asian market... If you can't find (or don't want to use) the Kewpie, Kraft or Hellman's will work - canola or lite mayo's won't...

1/2 cup Kewpie Mayo
2 Tbsp Sriracha
Sesame oil, just a few drops will do

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. That was hard wasn't it...

There are many uses for this sauce, but my main use is on top of a California roll in what I call a Shrimp Volcano Roll. I mix the sauce with diced cooked shrimp and broil it on a sheet of tin foil for a few minutes. Then I spoon it on top of the roll. It's good, it's very good - But that's another video...

Sushi on!

~Nikko

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Turkey Sausage Fusilli

This is one of the first dishes Lisa cooked for me. She's an amazing cook and I never go hungry... It's hard to believe this is so good given it's so simple, but simple food is usually the best! You can use regular sausage, but if you can find a good turkey sausage why add the extra calories. We get our turkey sausage form Publix - it's the best I've found...

3 Turkey sausage links, casing off and pulled into bite sized pieces
2 Cups Fusilli pasta, the ones that look like corkscrews
2 Red peppers, roasted and diced - can roast them yourself or out of a jar
1/2 Bag Spinach, washed and drained
1/2 Cup Chicken stock
1/4 tsp Red pepper flakes, more or less to your liking
1/2 tsp Oregano
Salt
Pepper

Start by preparing the pasta according to the package. While the pasta is cooking, remove the casings off the sausage and pull them into bite sized pieces. In a large saute pan cook the sausage over a medium heat until it is cooked through. Once the sausage has cooked, remove it to a bowl. Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock. Add the roasted red peppers, red pepper flakes, oregano, salt and pepper to the pan - Cook for 2 minutes. Add the spinach to the pan and cook down - this will take only a few minutes. When the spinach has cooked, add the sausage and drained pasta back to the pan and mix everything together well. Plate, Eat & Enjoy!

Happy Cooking & Eating!

~Nikko

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Pancakes

I have two recipes I use for making pancakes. Both have been tried and trued over many years. The one here is the one that produces very good pancakes, and I share with anyone who asks for it - the other however falls into the secret files, and I'm not sharing...

1 1/2 Cups Flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp Sugar
2 1/2 tsp Baking powder
1 Egg
1 Cup Milk
3 Tbsp Butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for cooking
Softened butter, for serving
Warmed Maple syrup, for serving

Sift the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder into a large bowl. Whisk together the milk, egg, and butter in a small bowl. Make a well into the flour and add in the wet mixture. Whisk everything together well, but do not over mix. It shouldn't take you more than 30-40 strokes to bring it all together well. If there are a few lumps - leave them be they will work themselves out. Bring a griddle (or large saute pan) to a medium head and add a spot of butter. Once the butter has melted coat the bottom of the pan. It's always good to start with a test pancake to make sure your temperature is at the right level (this will vary per pan) - the good thing here is if it's good you can eat it, and if not give it to the dog... You can make your pancakes any size you want, but I almost always go with a 1/4 cup of batter. Once you have your batter in the pan just leave it alone until bubbles form on top and a few of them pop. Once they have popped it's time to flip. Carefully flip them over and cook the other side - this will not take as long as the first side. If you need to store them before serving put your oven on it's lowest serving and store them on a hotel pan under a towel until you're ready to serve. Serve with butter, jelly, syrup, etc... Eat & Enjoy!

Happy Cooking & Eating!

~Nikko

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Cornbread Stuffing

So I made one homemade stuffing that knocked everyone's socks off so I thought I would try my hand at another. Cornbread stuffing has always been a favorite of mine and I'm glad I finally tried it. The only thing I would have done differently in this recipe would be to add some sausage to it.

1 Recipe for cream corn cornbread (http://cookingmywayvideo.blogspot.com/2009/11/creamed-corn-cornbread.html)
1 Cup Celery, diced
1 Cup Carrots, diced or sliced
1/2 Cup Red Onion, diced
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
Chicken Stock, enough to make it all nice and moist
2 Tbsp Butter
Thyme
Marjoram
Sage
Cayenne pepper, pinch
Chipotle pepper, pinch
Salt
Pepper

Start by prepping up the veg. Melt a few tablespoons of butter in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the veg and a healthy pinch of salt to start the sweating process. While the veg is doing its thing, cut the cornbread into inch or so cubes. Be careful when cutting the cornbread because it's quite delicate. Just like in the last stuffing recipe - For the seasoning - I'm going to ask you to add amounts of these that make you happy. Start by adding a heavy pinch of the thyme, marjoram, and sage, and a small pinch of the cayenne and chipotle. Start small and add until it gives you a smell that you like. Once mine started smelling like a nice stuffing mix I stopped. I probably ended up with a few teaspoons of each (a little heaver on the thyme but that's just because I love thyme). You will want to cook this for about 5 minutes or just until everything starts to get a bit soft. Add about a cup of chicken stock to the pan and let it warm up. Once finished add the the bread bowl and carefully fold everything together well. Add enough stock to moisten everything well. Once you have a happy mixture, put into a baking dish and bake at 350 for an hour.

Again next time I make this I'm going to add some nice country sausage to the mix. It was good as it was, but that would have made it a lot better...

Happy Cooking & Eating!

~Nikko

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Bacardi and Coke

I'll start by saying I'm not much of a drinker. I had a "here's your sign" moment the other day when someone asked me how to make a rum and coke. The rum and coke is a long time favorite of many... There's not a lot to making one - all you need is a Glass + Ice + Rum + Coke - that's it - If you want you can add a lime or a lemon but that's really not my thing...

1-2 Oz Bacardi Rum
1 Coke
Ice

Grab your favorite glass and fill it to the rim with ice. Alcohol melts ice quickly so use a lot of ice and get the coke in there fast. You can put as much rum in as you like but I don't like to go more than a double jigger (a jigger = 1 shot = 44 milliliters) - then all you do is top off the glass with your coke. Give it a gentle stir and you're ready to go.

Happy Drinking!

~Nikko

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Drink Responsibility!

Chicken & Broccoli for One

It was just me eating tonight - I didn't want cereal, and I didn't want to go to the store - So I set out to see what I could find... I found pasta, a chicken breast, broccoli, red onion, and some garlic - I had dinner!

1 Chicken breast, cubed
1/4 Red Onion, chopped
2 Garlic cloves, bashed (skin removed)
1 Cup Broccoli
1 Cup Pasta, or more if you're really hungry
2 Tbsp Olive oil
2 tsp Herbs de Provence
Salt
Pepper

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package. Heat a saute pan to a medium heat and add the olive oil. Let the olive oil come to temperature then add the garlic. Fry the garlic for two minutes to flavor the oil, then remove and discard. Add the onion to the pan with a pinch of salt. Cook for 1 minute. Mix the chicken with the Herbs de Provence then add to the pan. Cook until the chicken is cooked all the way through - about 5 minutes or so. Once the chicken is done cooking add the broccoli and cook until it is tender. If you wish you can add a bit of fresh grated parm. Plate, Eat & Enjoy!

Happy Cooking & Eating!

~Nikko

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Testing 1 2 3 - Pizza

Working with a new video editing system and wanted to see what it looks like one the site...

FoodBuzz Tastemaker: Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry - Brie in Puff

This one falls into the extremely easy category... Once you have the puff pastry thawed your prep time is less than 3 minutes... This is a great appetizer for home or if you're going to a party it travels well...

1 package Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry, will only need 1 sheet
1 round of Brie Cheese
1 package garlic cheese spread (will use about 3/4)

Start by thawing the puff pastry on a sheet of wax paper. Once thawed slather on a nice layer of the garlic cheese spread. Place the round of Brie in the middle of the pastry sheet and place a nice layer of the garlic spread on top. Fold in the corners of the puff pulling them tight against the brie. Lightly pinch the creases of the puff and place on a lined baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 then raise the heat to 400 for an additional 10-15 minutes until the pastry has puffed up nicely and is nice and brown. Eat & Enjoy!

Happy Cooking & Eating!

~Nikko

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Pumpkin Pie

This was voted by some pie aficionados as the best freaking pumpkin pie ever... I'd love to tell you about the years of recipe development that went into the dish but to be honest the recipe came from the back of the pumpkin can... I'm not a pie kinda guy but I have to admit it was fantastic!

3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt - use table salt not kosher
1/2 tsp powdered ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
2 eggs, beaten well
1 can pumpkin
1 can evaporated milk
1 9" pie shell

In a large mixing bowl add the sugar and all the spices. Whisk these together well then add the remaining ingredients (ok not all of them hold out the pie shell). Mix everything together well then pour into a 9" pie shell. Bake at 425 for 25 min then reduce to 350 cook for 40-50 min

Happy Cooking & Eating!

~Nikko

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Creamed Corn Cornbread

Please visit our new site at www.CookingMyWay.com

This is a tried and trued recipe that I've been using for years now. Most people will balk at the use of the Jiffy cornbread mix but I tell ya when you want to make a quick and delicious cornbread you just can't beat the ease of use. My x-wife was so much a southerner she wouldn't even let me bring the box into the house... Anyway if you want to have a nice plate of cornbread in under 30 minutes this is the way to go!

2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix
1 can creamed corn - will only need about 3/4 of the can
2 eggs
pepper - I used white pepper just to keep it clean looking
cayenne pepper - just a pinch

Start by dumping the cornbread mix into a large mixing bowl. Use a whisk to break up any big lumps. Make a well in the middle of the mixture and crack in two eggs. Whisk the eggs until they are broken down. Add about a quarter teaspoon of white pepper (you can use black pepper if you want), a pinch of cayenne, the creamed corn and mix everything together well. Pour mixture into a baking dish and bake at 400 for 15 to 20 min...

You can dress this up as you wish. In the past I've added some sweated red onion and celery - have made it with blanched broccoli and cheddar cheese (that was a good one recipe coming soon) - feel free to add your own flair...

Happy cornbreadding!

~Nikko

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Green Bean Casserole

The Green Bean Casserole

I don't think a holiday has ever passed that this dish wasn't on the table. Prep time is about 2 minutes - if you take you time it couldn't take you more than 5 minutes...

2 Cans Green Beans drained
1 Can Mushrooms drained
1 Can Progresso Mushroom Soup
1 Can Frenches Fried Onions

Mix all but the onions in a oven save casserole dish, top with the onions, bake for 20-30 minutes at 400 - Eat & Enjoy - how hard is that?

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko



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Version 1



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Version 2

Foodie Thoughts

Red meat is not bad for you. Now blue-green meat, that’s bad for you! ~Tommy Smothers

I am fluent in French Toast...

My favorite toast comes from France... French toast is such an easy breakfast to put together. Eggs, bread, butter, syrup (if that's your thing), cinnamon, nutmeg and you're ready to go...

4 Eggs, beaten to within an inch of their lives
2 Tbsp water
1 tsp Cinnamon
pinch Nutmeg, fresh ground if you can
4 slices bread - I personally think sour dough is the best here but any will do
butter
syrup

I think the key to really good french toast is breaking down the eggs as much as possible. You really want to whisk them so that they are totally separated. Doing this lets the bread get a nice even coat of the eggs. With that said, add the eggs, water, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a bowl and beat the heck out of them.

Add the bread and give it a minute on each side to soak up a bit of the eggs (you can do this in batches).

Heat a large saute pan to a medium heat and add a bit of butter and let it melt. Make sure the pan is coated with the butter and add your slices of bread. Cook on each side until you see a bit of color start to form. If you want, and I do, you can sprinkle a bit more cinnamon and nutmeg over the bread while it's in the pan for a bit of extra flavor. If you decide to add a bit more don't go too crazy with the spices. I like to serve my french toast (and pancakes) on a heated plate. I feel it makes everything work better for some reason. So warm up your plates, remove the bread from the pan and top with syrup or butter - or both if that's your thing - Eat & Enjoy...

Happy Cooking & Eating!

~Nikko

.:.

Grilled Pastrami & Corned Beef on Rye

I love the sandwich... The possibilities are almost endless. I've been known to go into a deli and just ask for a sandwich and give them free reign on what they make. It usually throws the person into a tailspin when I do - unless they are a true sammy master... Anyhoo, the pastrami and corned beef on rye is one of my favs. I always start with some nice fresh rye and a good quality pastrami, corned beef, and Swiss cheese.

Rye Bread
Pastrami - I like Boars Head the best
Corned Beef
Swiss Cheese
Red Onion, sliced thin
Brown or Dijon Mustard
butter
olive oil

Start by heating a medium saute pan to a mediumish heat (not quite medium but not quite medium/low). Take the pastrami and corned beef and warm it up in the pan for a minute or two then move it to a plate or cutting board. Butter one side of each of the pieces of bread then add the bread butter side down to the pan and let it warm up for a minute or so. Top the brad with the Swiss cheese and you can put on some nice brown or Dijon mustard at this point too. Add the onion and meats on top of the cheese. Put the two slices together and cook until the outside of the bread is browned to your liking and everything inside is nice and warm. Plate, eat & enjoy!

Happy Cooking & Eating...

~Nikko

.:.

Foodie Thoughts

The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook. ~Julia Child

Roasted Butternut Squash

Until the other day I had never cooked with butternut squash. I've seen recipes for all types of things to do with it, but I went off the reservation and created my own! This recipe is really simple and it turned out really good...

1 Butternut Squash
2 Tbsp Oil
3 Tbsp Butter
2 tsp cinnamon
.25 tsp nutmeg
.25 tsp cayenne pepper
.25 Cup brown sugar

The amount of the spices and sugar you use will really depend on the size of the squash you have, and how sweet or spicy you want it. Start by breaking down the squash - cut off about an inch from the top and the bottom of the squash. Cut the squash in half long ways, and using a spoon scoop out the membrane and seeds. Use a peeler to remove the rind from the outside of the squash. Cut the squash into consistent sized pieces - make them about an inch by inch or so. If you cut them too small they will turn to mush when they roast in the oven. Place cubed squash in a baking dish. Drizzle with oil, the brown sugar, and all the spices - mix well so that everyone get's happy. Dot the top with butter then bake in a 375 degree oven for 40-45 minutes.

Happy Cooking & Eating!

~Nikko

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On This Day...

It's National Indian Pudding Day here in the US. I have to admit I've never had Indian Pudding before but I believe I'm going to try out this recipe tonight...

1 quart milk
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup cornmeal
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons ginger
1 tsp salt
1 cup molasses

Bring milk and butter to a boil. Add cornmeal and stir constantly until smooth, well blended, and slightly thickened. Remove from stove, add eggs, sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and molasses. Mix well together and put into a baking dish about 2" deep. Cover with wax paper. Bake approximately one hour at 400°F in a pan of water or until wax paper can be lifted without pudding sticking to it. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream on top. Cooking time: 45 minutes.

On this day...

Well foodie fans it's National Vanilla Cupcake Day... I'm not a big baker - I've never made a cupcake even with a mix. I did however make myself into a cupcake for a joke once...




Happy Cooking & Eating!

~Nikko

The Greek Appetizer Plate...

This can be a nice appetizer plate, a party plate, or I like to call it lunch (breakfast, or dinner) sometimes... All this but the Penzeys' Greek spice can be found at your local Mediterranean store. In Jacksonville we have a place called Hala that has everything, and I'm sure your city probably has someplace you can find it all. I get my hummus at Costco. The brand Costco has is really dang good and is about the same cost as if I made it myself... On the Feta - I love a good Greek feta but the French and the Danish make good varieties too - I've yet to find one made in the US that was worth it - but in a pinch...

Kalamata Olives
Ajavar (a roasted red pepper mixture)
Hummus
Feta
Baked Pita Strips

The trick here is just to make everything look pretty. The hardest thing you have to do is to cut the pita into strips, butter it, sprinkle it with a bit of Penzeys Greek Seasoning and bake it at 400 for a few minutes until it gets crisp.

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

Foodie Thoughts

Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. ~ Harriet Van Horne

I need your help!

I'm in a Tailgating food competition on www.Food2.com and I need your votes!

http://www.food2.com/challenges/tailgate-tastedown-challenge/black-bean-corn-salsa

I submitted my Black Bean & Corn Salsa (along with a few others) to the competition. I would really appreciate your vote!



Thanks and Happy Eating!

~Nikko

French Salsa - I won the Jalapeno Madness Most Unique/Weirdest Salsa contest

www.JalapenoMadness.com

The contest:

Salsa Cookbook Giveaway: Quick Contest ending at noon November 5th. One Free Salsa eCookbook (or more?) to the most creative response(s) to this question: What is the most unique/weirdest salsa you can think of?

My submission:

The French Salsa -

Pâté de Campagne, diced
Dried sausage, diced
Stilton blue cheese, crumbled
Smoked guda, diced
Chev, crumbled
Tomato, diced
Cucumbers, diced
Radish, diced
French olives, chopped
Peppadew, chopped
Avocado, diced
Jalapeno, minced
Arugula, chopped
pine nuts, toasted
Dijon mustard vinaigrette
Toasted Tumaro's Pesto & Garlic Wraps to eat it with....

In a strange way it was really good. You can use as much or as little of each ingredient as you would like. Try and make all your dices and cubes uniform.

Happy Eating!

~Nikko

Foodie Thoughts

“I cook with wine, sometimes I even add it to the food.” -- W. C. Fields

Twisted Tzatziki

Tzatziki goes well with a myriad of food stuffs. Lamb, beef, chicken, veg, even some fish benefit from it's wonderful flavor. The twist in this version comes in from the feta cheese that I added. It really added a nice zing! It's not something I do with it every time but every once and a while it's a nice change.

1 Cucumber, peeled seeded and diced
1/4 Cup onion, diced
1.5 Cups Greek yogurt
.25 Lb Greek Feta
Mint - 4-5 sprigs will do, minced
Fennel - if you have it, if not no biggie

Start off by peeling your cucumber. You're going to want to take out the seeds as well - you can use a spoon or a knife. Dice the cucumber into small pieces and put them in a good sized bowl (you're going to be mixing stuff in there so use one that will accommodate that). Dice up half of a small onion and add it to the bowl. Mince up some mint and fennel (if you have it - it's not really part of the recipe but it looked good in the garden so I used it and it worked)... Add the herbs, yogurt, feta, a shot of pepper, and mix everything well. It's best to let it sit for a bit so everyone gets happy. Eat & Enjoy...

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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To All Who Read My Blog...

First - Thanks. I really appreciate you taking the time to read my crappy writing. I can cook well, but I'll be the first to admit that my writing style is lacking. I hope that you find some of the recipes good enough to try yourself. If you do, please take a minute and leave me a comment - I'd love to know how it worked out for you!

Thanks again,

Nikko

Black Bean & Corn Salsa

I've taken this dish to a few parties now and it is always quickly gobbled up. It's a nice light dish that can be used as a salsa, or even a relish on top of fish or chicken...

2 cans Black beans, rinsed well
1.5 cup Tomatoes, diced
2 cups Corn, off the cob
1/2 cup Red onion, diced
1 Jalapeno, minced
.25 Cup Cilantro, chopped
2 Limes, juiced
2 tsp Cumin
Salt
Pepper
Baked Tortillas or corn chips for serving

Start with a bowl large enough to mix everything in. Add everything, mix well, put in the fridge for an hour so everything can get happy happy - done - Eat & Enjoy... It really is that easy. The hardest part of the dish is prepping all the ingredients. You can serve it with baked tortillas or regular corn chips...

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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Thanks

Lord for food in a world where many walk in hunger
For faith in a world where many walk in fear
And for friends in a world where many walk alone
I give you thanks…

Chicken Finger Wraps

Wraps... They are one flexible food group. I've used a wrap to make simple sandwich, hold salads, baked for desserts, breakfast, lasagna, and I've even made a really good chicken wellington. When they are available I always use Tumaro's Tortillas - they're simply the best I've ever had. If your market doesn't have them - ask them to order some in. I did at my local store and they now carry them all the time. Anyhoo, here is a video with two different ways to do a chicken finger wrap.

2 Tumaro's wraps
4 Chicken Fingers
.25 Cup Cilantro
.25 Cup Tomato
.25 Cup Red onion
.25 Cup Lettuce
.25 Cup Cheese
Sour Cream, to taste

You can use as little or as much of the ingredients as you want.

The first part of the video shows putting it all inside the wrap and the second is an outside version - the outside looks better but it's a knife and fork deal...

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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Boo... Happy Halloween...

Spicy Pumpkin Seeds

I had my first roasted pumpkin seed at John Warner's house when I was in grade school. I can remember they were buttery, garlicky, and a bit salty... I was in the mood for something cuminy, chili powdery, and a bit salty.

1 Cup Pumpkin seeds, cleaned
.5 tsp Sweet Paprika
.5 tsp Chili Powder
.5 tsp Cumin
.25 tsp Garlic Powder
.50 tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Olive Oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix all the spices and oil in a bowl. Pour the mixture over the pumpkin seeds and mix well. Put a sheet of foil over a sheet pan. Spread out the pumpkin seeds in a single layer. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes. Cool - Eat & Enjoy...

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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Happy Birthday Tortilla Guy...

Well it's my buddy Steve The Tortilla Guy's birthday today. I can't bake a cake to save my life so I'm just making a happy b-day blog post for him... Happy birthday buddy...

The Hummus Wrap

First things first - Start with a good wrap - I've said it before and I'll say it again, until I'm proven wrong the best wraps I've used come from Tumaro's Tortillas. This is one of my favorite wraps to do and it's the very first wrap in my upcoming book 101 Things To Do With A Tortilla!







Tumaro's Spinach wrap
Shredded lettuce
Red Onion
Cucumber, seeded
Tomato
Feta Cheese
Hummus
Salt
Pepper

To build - Lay down your wrap and slather on some hummus. Top that with the lettuce, cucumber, tomato, feta, and salt and pepper (given the feta is salty watch how much salt you use). Fold in the sides of the wrap and start rolling from the back. Eat & Enjoy!

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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Foodie Thoughts...

"Tomatoes and oregano make it Italian; wine and tarragon make it French. Sour cream makes it Russian; lemon and cinnamon make it Greek. Soy sauce makes it Chinese; garlic makes it good." ~ Alice May Brock

Sesame Seed Seared Tuna - So easy to make you won't believe it.

I've been wanting to make my own sesame seed seared tuna for about 10 years now. No kidding it really has been that long. I'm not sure why it has taken me so long to make it but now that I have to admit I'm almost upset at how easy it was to do. Really my 9 year old sister could pull this one off...

The first thing you need for this dish is some fresh Ahi Tuna - Fresh is the key here. Since you're not cooking it all the way through you want it as fresh as possible. I got this Ahi tuna at Costco. It was so dang good it almost hurt.

.5 Lbs Ahi Tuna
Black & white sesame seeds
Salt
Pepper

Salad stuff:
Lettuce mix of your choice
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Avocado

Ginger-Soy Dressing (I got mine from the store)
Wasabi (it's ok to say it like the Bud commercials)

The hardest part of this dish is cutting up the veg for the salad. I'd start by preparing the salad first - wash and dry the greens - arrange them on a plate. Chop the veg to your liking and arrange them on the salad. In a dish add a healthy amount of sesame seeds - black and white if they are available (but just white will do). Salt and pepper the tuna on both sides. Coat both sides of the tuna with the seeds. Heat a skillet to medium high and add a few tablespoons of olive oil (or any type of oil you like). Add the tuna to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. When the tuna is cooked, remove it to a cutting board and cut on the bias. Place on the salads - Eat & Enjoy!

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko
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Lasagna For Scott...

It's nice to have some loyal fans - I don't have many, but I don't do this for fame and fortune I do it because I love it... Anyhow a little over a year ago I got an email from a viewer telling me how to make better videos - "hey Nikko i love food vids so i'm going to help you make 5 star shows ! have all your veg cut and ready, and cans open other wise we have to sit through you opening cans and going to the garbage can etc. this way we dont lose our mind and get board plus you can make 1 vid instead of 3 or 4 for 1 dish. ps i love the food you make keep them coming a big fan. Scott" Yes I kept the email - I took the advice and it has helped! Even I get bored watching some of the old videos... Although the blog doesn't get a heap of traffic (yet) the videos on YouTube and Vimeo get quite the hits.

Well I asked Scott what he wanted a video of, and he chose Lasagna. I have made lasagna in the past but none of them were much to talk about. I brought in a ringer and I have to say Lisa put the smack down on this lasagna. It was amazing! This is just a cheese lasagna, but you can certainly stuff it with meat if you want. We're going to do another version that is loaded with meat - so check back...

1 Large tub Ricotta cheese
3 Tbsp parsley, chopped fine
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Lasagna noodles
4 Cups mozzarella cheese
1 Cup Parmesan cheese
2 Large eggs, beaten
1 Jar Ragu Organic Sauce (it's the best I've ever tried)
salt
pepper
13x9x2 baking dish
Large bowl to make your cheese mixture

Start by making your cheese mixture - in a large bowl combine the ricotta, 2 cups of the mozzarella, half a cup of the Parmesan cheese, the parsley, pinch of salt and fresh ground pepper, and the beaten eggs (make sure you beat the eggs before you add them to the mixture). Mix everything together well and store in the fridge until ready for use. Cook your lasagna noodles as directed by the package. After you have drained off your noodles, rinse them with cold water. Now it's time to build some goodness! Lay down a thin layer of the sauce in your baking dish - this will help with no sticking. Put down strips of the noodles to cover the bottom of the dish - top evenly with a third of the cheese mixture. Lay down another layer of the pasta however this time lay them the opposite direction - you will need to cut them to fit. You do this to keep the structure sound when you cut the lasagna later it will stay up and not slide all over the place. Put down another layer of sauce then another third of the cheese. Top this layer of the cheese mixture with a little sprinkling of the mozzarella. Add another layer of the pasta and sauce then the remaining cheese mixture. Add your last layer of pasta, a final layer of sauce then the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Cover with tin foil and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Cut, plate - Eat & Enjoy...

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko
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Bouchon...

A bouchon is a type of restaurant found in Lyon, France, that serves traditional Lyonnaise cuisine...

Frank's Red Hot Popcorn

This is quite easy... Kinda like a buffalo popcorn...

1 bag of popcorn - pick a non buttered one if you can find it...
2Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp Frank's Red Hot Sauce

Melt the butter and add the Frank's and mix together well. Pop the popcorn and put in a bowl. Pour over the butter/Frank's mixture and mix. Eat & Enjoy!

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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Mojitos For Steve

So my buddy Steve the Tortilla Guy loves Mojitos - I decided to make this video in honor of him...

To make a Mojito you will need...

4 mint leaves
1 lime, juiced
1 ounce simple syrup
2 ounces white rum
2 ounces club soda
1 sprig of mint, for a garnish if you wish
ice

Juice the lime into your glass, add the mint and simple syrup. Muddle the mixture in the bottom of the glass. If you do it with a piece of ice down there it will really mix up the mint which is nice... Add the rum, top with the soda, garnish with a slice of lime and the mint - Drink & Enjoy!

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

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Cipriani Tagliolini - The best out of the box pasta you will ever eat. I beg you to prove me wrong.

It's my dad's birthday and when I asked him what he wanted to eat he said pasta. I said I would make it from scratch but as always he said don't go to the trouble. There's something very therapeutic to me about making my own pasta. Even though I can make it in my sleep now I'm still mesmerized every time I see my grandmother make pasta (she doesn't even measure anything and it all comes out perfect every time). Anyhow, I was at the market to get some nice bread and cheese for the meal and just happened to look in the pasta isle. The Cipriani pasta box stood right out at me for some reason and after reading the back of the box (see below) I had to try it. Even in the box it looks wonderful.

From this point forward, when I don't have time to make the pasta myself - Cipriani Tagliolini is my go to boxed pasta. It always will be until someone can prove me wrong. Go ahead I challenge you. I triple dog dare you too... I am man enough to say that it is every bit as good as mine is - it's not exactly the same, but it's really close. When it comes to pasta in a box it's freaking amazing!


The box says that it will give you 5 servings - it's not kidding. I had 5 people around the table tonight and I made two boxes just to be sure, we all ate like Kings and Queens and only ate half of the pasta... It only takes a few minutes to cook - You will spend more time bring the water to a boil than you will making the pasta and heating the sauce...


Here's the finished product - I'll admit I was a total slacker tonight - the pasta was out of a box, and I even used sauce out of a jar - If you've never tried Ragu's Organic sauce you're missing out. It's perfect right out of the jar. I had someone once try and doctor it up and to be honest she should have left it well alone - her messing with it made it not as good. Anyway - I'm all for making your own sauce but give the organic version a try and let me know what you think...

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

From the back of the box!

What makes the Cipriani Pasta Special:
- Seven whole grade A fresh eggs are used for ever kg. of the best durum wheat.
- One hundred times the dough is processed through the press and the cylinders. No other pasta is produced with the same care which makes its thin, delicate but compact texture grow more than any other.
- Sixteen hours the length of time we keep it in a low temperature dryer

In 1931, a long-sought dream became reality. Giuseppe Cipriani opened the doors to Harry's Bar. In a discreet stone building perched along the canal just off Piazza San Marco in Venice, he created a timeless and impeccably appointed establishment. His concept was to serve others like you would want to be served yourself. His vision of luxury in simplicity would touch the soul of people all over the world. At Harry's Bar in Venice, and Italian National Landmark since 2001, all clients are treated like royalty. The secret of Cipriani isn't about what can be seen or touched, but what can be flet and sensed. It's intangible but palpable. It can't be patented, but even after seventy-five years it hasn't been duplicated by others.

I needed a cigarette after I read all that...

Foodie Thoughts...

A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety. - Aesop

I'm a lonely little petunia in an onion patch

Not much to say today but I liked how this photo came out so I thought I would share...

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko

New York Deli - Orlando Florida

I had to have passed this place 50 times before I had the chance to go in and give it a try. I had always wanted to stop, but time was never on my side... It's located in Orlando snuggled amongst a few of my clients, and I live outside of Jacksonville (a few hours away)...

I finally got the chance when I was on my way to a meeting and the client called to push it off for a few hours. I'm really glad they did because the people were friendly, and the food was fantastic!















I'm a huge gyro fan - let me state that again for the record, I'm a huge gyro fan - as you can see from the photos my only option was to get one and see how it was... It looked amazing - it smelled amazing - and it was 100% perfect! The pita was nice and warm, the meat was juicy and tasty, the tzatziki sauce was your standard variety but good, the lettuce, tomatoes and onions were all fresh - and most of al,l it all came together well...

Everything I saw them make looked really good as well, but if you're going to go I highly suggest trying one of their gyros fist...

New York Deli
693 N Orange Ave
Orlando, FL 32801-1342
(407) 649-4900

Bon Appetit...

~Nikko