1/4 teaspoon Cayenne
1/2 cup mayonnaise
.5 cup grated Monterrey jack cheese
1.5 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1.5 oz cream cheese (half of a 3 oz package)
2-3 tablespoons pimentos, diced
Black Pepper
The easiest way to make this dish is to bring everything to room temperature, through all but the pimentos into a food processor and blitz it all up. Add the pimentos and fold them in. You can put it into a bowl and use your hands or a spoon to bring it all together. It's an easy dish to make and you can be somewhat creative with the cheeses you use. Make sure you let it sit for a bit after you bring it together so everybody can get happy with each other. It makes a great grilled cheese sammy, or it's good in mac n cheese...
Happy Cheesing!
~Nikko
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Ok this is one of the first cooking videos I ever made. It may say it's episode 13 but really it was the second video I ever did... I'll admit it's pretty bad, and it's not the one I made for this recipe, but it did make a good pimento cheese... I will be doing another video with this (my new fav recipe).
This is called not quite bruschetta because there's no bread involved - there's cheese... I had an amazing lunch the other day that involved some of the best marinated tomatoes I've ever had (The French Pantry in Jacksonville Fl). I had to see if I could even come close to their amazingness... These turned out really good, but they still need a little work.
2 Cups Roma tomatoes, diced (about 4-6) Fresh Mozzarella Cheese 1 tsp Oregano, dried 1/4 Cup Basil, either torn or chiffonade 1/4 Cup Olive oil 2 Tbsp White Balsamic vinegar Salt Pepper
The yin and yang of sushi - Nice cool cucumber and nice spicy wasabi all wrapped up in a little roll...
1 Sheet Nori 1 Cup Sushi rice 1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into long strips wasabi
Start by cutting your nori in half. put the shiny side down. Spread out a half cup sided ball of sushi rice over the rice. I find that it's easy to roll if you spread the rice all the way to the edges and keep it even.
Once you have your rice spread out, put a line of prepared wasabi down the middle of the rice from side to side. Use as little or as much as you like here. Go easy because they can always add more when they are eating it. Lay down a good quantity of the cucumber right in the middle of the roll.
Use your mat to roll up the roll. Cut into pieces - Eat & Enjoy!
The Aztecs used to dig on guac before it as fashionable... Oddly enough they referred to the avocado tree as the "testicle tree" - I don't know what the Aztec word for it was but that's what it translated to... The hardest part about making the perfect guacamole is finding the perfect avocado. It's hard these days to find ones that really have that perfect avocado taste. I find that when they are truly in season they taste better. I know you can get them year round but when I was a kid you could only get them around the October to May time frame - tomatoes were generally only available in summer... Food sure has come a long way and it travels a long way so you can eat it all year round. But before I go on a tirade about how much food has become big business around the world let's move back to the guac... I digress, avocados need to give just a bit when you put some pressure on the outside skin. It should bounce back. You can also take off the little stem part and if it's nice and green under there you have a pretty good chance of getting a nice avocado to start with...
I see recipes (and yes I have my own) that give you quantities when making guac and I've come to the conclusion that the best way is to play it by sight. Now a days I look at the mixture and it it seems there is enough to go around - that's what I go with. I want every bite to have some goodness in there.
Avocados Tomatoes Red (or sweet) Onion Jalapeno and or Serrano Peppers Cilantro Garlic
Lime juice Salt
Pepper, fresh cracked please
I start by processing the avocados - slice them in half, remove the seed, and use a spoon to remove from the skin - add to a big bowl. I use two forks to mash them up a bit. I like a chunkier version of guac so I don't turn them into a paste. I dice my tomatoes, onions and add them in - but don't stir until everything is in. Mince the peppers, garlic and chop up the cilantro and add it to the bowl. Squeeze 1 or 2 limes into the bowl add the salt and pepper then mix. You don't want to over mix this so that's why I wait until the end to mix everything in. Taste for seasonings and Eat & Enjoy!
I had some cabbage that needed used up one day and this is what came out of it. I was going to make some regular coleslaw but I decided to Greek it up a bit - it worked...
2 Cups Cabbage, sliced thin
3 Tbsp White Balsamic
1 Tbsp Penzey's Greek seasoning (www.penzeys.com)
1/2 Cup Feta cheese
In a medium sized bowl, add the balsamic and Penzey's Greek seasoning. Mix together and let sit for a few minutes. In the meantime slice the cabbage thin and crumble the feta cheese. Add them into the bowl and mix well. Eat & Enjoy!
1 Large piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced 1.5 Cups Rice vinegar 1 Cup Sugar 1 tsp Salt
The first thing you need to do is wash your ginger - it grows in the ground so it can be a bit dirty if they aren't washed before put in the bin. After you have washed your ginger use a spoon to scrape off all the skin - you will waste too much of the ginger if you use a knife. Slice the ginger root as thin as you can and put in a bowl. You can use a vegetable peeler or a mandolin to do your slicing. Add the salt to the ginger slices and mix them well and put in a colander. Let the salted ginger set for an hour. Dry the ginger slices with paper towels and put them in a sterilized container. Mix rice vinegar and sugar in a pan and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Pour the hot sweet vinegar over the ginger slices and let cool. Cover the container and store it in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Eat & Enjoy!
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!
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?
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...
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.
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...
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...
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!
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...
I love salads of all types. There's just so many things you can do with a salad. When I've had a hard day at work and don't want to worry about cooking something that's too heavy or that's too time consuming - a nice salad is usually my answer.
Onto the show...
The Greek Salad
Lettuce Tomatoes Red onion Feta Cheese Bell Pepper Capers Kalamata olives White balsamic vinegar Oregano Pepper Salt
There you go have fun...
Ok I won't leave you with just that.
The lettuce - Pick a nice mix or some Romaine. I'm a fan of Iceberg lettuce for it's nice crispness, but it lacks in flavor. What I do like to mix a bit of it into a spring mix when I make salads so you get the nice flavors of the spring mix and the crunch of the Iceberg. I prefer to rip up the lettuce into bite sized pieces.
Tomatoes - Use any kind you like - cut them how you like or if using the smaller cherry/grape ones leave them whole. When I'm using tomatoes that have been cut I like to put a smidge of salt on them. There's feta, and capers in this dish which is very salty so a little will go a long way - All I will say is that tomatoes love salt...
Red onion - I like the look that red onions give to a dish, and I like their flavor. I usually cut them pretty fine when putting them into a salad because I don't want to bite into a huge chunk on onion. They don't have to be shaved but a thin slice is best if you ask me.
Feta - Nothing beets a good Greek feta. The French make a good one but Greek feta is my favorite. I'm lucky to have a market here that imports all kinds of feta (Greek, French, Danish, etc...) so I can get good feta when needed. If you have no other option that what's at your market - just use it... Feta is quite salty so don't go overboard with it. I tend to but that's because I love it...
Bell pepper - I would use something other than a green bell pepper - red, yellow, and orange are less bitter and usually sweeter.
Capers - Capers are essential to a Greek salad. They bring that little extra something. Most people don't use them - I beg you to do so! You will be happy with the decision!
Kalamata olives - Olives are another essential component to this salad. Just about every market caries Kalamata olives so they should be easy to find. The regular black olives really just don't work in a Greek salad if you ask me - you need something with better flavor.
The rest - I like to use the white balsamic vinegar because it has a good flavor and it doesn't darken the dish up. I put a spot of Oregano in the salad because it adds a really good flavor - you only need a nice pinch. Pepper goes without needing to explain (I hope). And we've talked about the salt - just a small pinch because we have other salty items in the salad...
Yes believe it or not sometimes I eat food that's almost healthy for you. I guess you could go ahead and say this was healthy food but there are a few tablespoons of butter in the dish.
I did all the prep work for this dish with one of those little hand held mandolin slicers - It only took a few minutes to do...
1/2 Cup red onion, thinly sliced 2 Cups zucchini, thinly sliced 2 Cups Squash, thinly sliced 2 Tbsp butter 1 Tsp salt 1 Tsp black pepper (white pepper sucks)
In a large pan melt the butter over a medium heat. Once melted add the red onion and a pinch of salt. Let the onion cook for 3-5 minutes or until it starts to become translucent. Add the zucchini and squash, add a few pinches of salt and some pepper, then mix the onion through. Let cook stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. You want some of the zucchini and squash to maintain a crisper texture. Once cooked to your liking, drain off any liquid that was drawn from the veggies. Eat & Enjoy!
Quick, easy, and good... Tostadas are not only good to eat they're fun to make. Once you have everything prepped, everyone can load their tostada up to their own tastes. They're a big hit at our house for the young and old(er).
With all the pre-prepped food that is available at the market these days if you are in a real hurry you can purchase already fried corn tortillas - onions - tomato - peppers - lettuce - cheese - etc... Personally I like the prep work - it doesn't take too long to do and it keeps your knife skills up!
In the video recipe below you will see we used:
*Fried corn tortillas Refried beans Shredded Mexican blend cheese Tomatoes Red onions Shredded lettuce Hot sauce
It really couldn't be much easier...
* If you don't want fried corn tortillas or are looking for a healthy alternative, try baking up some Tumaro's tortillas in the oven until stiff and using them. They're the best tortillas I've ever used and they come in a variety of interesting flavors. http://www.tumaros.com/
You will need the following (but don't be afraid to add things you like):
.5 lb Fresh mozzarella 1 jar Sun dried tomato spread (or make your own Basil 1 baguette olive oil balsamic vinegar Some love...
Cut the baguette into rounds (or whatever makes you happy). Spritz with a bit of olive oil Top with sun dried tomato spread Top a basil leaf Top with a slice of mozzarella Broil until happy Hit it with a bit of balsamic vinegar...
When it comes to making guacamole, there are thousands of recipes claiming to be the "best". I don't know that I've had an "oh my gosh this is the best guacamole I'll ever eat" moment. As long as it's homemade it's all good to me. I've yet to try a commercial guacamole that I liked right out of the package. Give me a break all you really need is 3 ingredients so why buy guac that was made in some factory?
As long as you have good ripe avocados, tomatoes, and an onion you're on your way. Of course you can add much more than that, and I usually do, but that's all you really need to get the ball rolling. To me you have to keep the guac simple - KIS it - keep it simple...
In this video recipe you will see that all I used is:
2 Avocados 2 Tomatoes 1 Garlic clove minced 1/4 cup of red onion 1 Jalapeno Salt Pepper
If I had cilantro or limes I would have used them - but I didn't, and it wasn't going to stop me from making some guac...
Feel free to add other items such as:
cilantro, lime juice, cumin, hot sauce, tomatillos, red pepper flakes, or any other items you see fit for your guacamole.
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