Platinum Chef!

This is my first entry into the Platinum Chef Challenge. Actually, this is my first time to participate in any food blogging event and I have to say that I had a blast! I really enjoyed thinking outside my usual "food box."

Platinum Chef is a spin off of Iron Chef (on the Food Network - If you've never heard of it you must live under a rock), but with 5 secret ingredients instead of 1. Go here to see this month's challenge, chosen by Kate over at Paved with Good Intentions.

This challenge got me to try an ingredient I had never eaten, much less cooked with before, capers. I will say that I did not dislike the taste, but I don't see them becoming a normal fixture on my grocery shopping list. I do however have some left in the jar, so I will be searching for more recipes in which to use them.

The 5 ingredients that had to be utilized in your recipe(s) were:

• capers

• leeks

• cream (heavy cream, light cream, cream freche or cream cheese - your choice)

• rosemary

• lemon

This was a pretty daunting task for me since I only cook regularly with one of the ingredients - cream cheese. It's not that I dislike the others, they just don't normally show up on my dinner table. I decided to choose basic meal items that were very familiar to me, steak and potatoes, as a building block. (Another factor in choosing this meal was that I had both those items on hand and since we are on a budget these days this would decrease the amount of ingredients I had to pick up at the store.) So here is my very first entry into the Platinum Chef Challenge and the world of blogging events:

Caper Basil Ribeye Steaks with Rosemary Leek Mashed Potatoes

The steak is marinated in a caper-basil vinaigrette that I found on The Food Network's website from Bobby Flay.

Caper-Basil Vinaigrette
Source: Bobby Flay, my additions in italics

6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
4 tablespoons capers, drained and coarsely chopped
4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves, or 4 teaspoons dried basil
Juice of half a lemon

Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified. Stir in the capers and basil.

Reserve some marinade to drizzle over meat after it is cooked. Place individual ribeye’s into a freezer bag with the rest of the marinade for at least 4 hours. **This amount of time worked out perfectly.

Grill until desired done-ness (we like our steak medium). Top with some of the reserved marinade.

Rosemary Leek Mashed Potatoes
Source: Me

5 potatoes, peeled and cubed - the smaller you cube them the quicker they will cook
1 tsp dried rosemary or 1 tbsp fresh chopped rosemary - I used dried since I had it on hand
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small leek, white part only, sliced thin
1 large clove garlic
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
2 tbsp milk
salt, to taste
a dash of cayenne pepper - if you like a little kick

Cook potatoes in boiling water until fork tender. Drain and set to the side.

In a medium sauce pan combine oil, garlic and leeks, sautéing until tender and fragrant. Add the rosemary and cook another minute or two. Place contents in a food processor and pulse until it forms a paste.

Add potatoes and milk to a large bowl and mash. I chose to use my hand mixer to make this job a little easier. Once combined, add cream cheese a few cubes at a time continuing to mix. Then add the garlic/rosemary/leek paste to the potatoes as well as salt and cayenne pepper. Mix to combine.

**This made a LOT of potatoes. We loved them though so we've been incorporating them into other meals. This recipe could easily serve 4.

This meal turned out even better than I expected! I was a little unsure how the marinade would work out, but this was the best steak I've ever cooked! The steak was tender and had a great flavor through out. We will definitely be using it again. Taylor really enjoyed the entire meal, but his favorite was the potatoes. He even went back for seconds which is saying a lot. I think we were both a little surprised at how much we liked this dinner since there were several ingredients we weren't used to eating.

And this is just a cool picture of the sliced leeks my husband took. (He also took the picture of the meal above)

Garden in a Bag

Herbs. I love them! Especially fresh herbs. Last year was the first time I grew my own. It is so much cheaper than buying them at the store. I had cilantro and basil last year. This year I came across little brown bags called Garden in a Bag. Basically you get a little bag filled with soil and seeds. You let the plants sprout, root and grow in the bag and then move them to larger pots when needed. I just loved that I could put these on my kitchen counter and soon I will have fresh herbs. Well, hopefully I will have fresh herbs. First we will have to see if these little Garden in a Bag products actually work. This will be my little spring project.


The first step is to plant the seeds in the soil and cover the bag with plastic. You are supposed to sit the bag in a warm place out of direct sunlight. It says the plants should sprout within 7 to 10 days. We shall see. Stay tuned...

That's Amore!

You know, like "when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie?" Cheesy, I know. :) I got the idea to make homemade pizza from Dela over at Not Your Mama's Southern Cooking. She recently posted about making her own pizza dough for the first time and it inspired me, since I have never made my own either. The husband and I have also been getting tired of my usual meat and potatoes meals (one of which I have planned for this weekend) and wanted a change of pace. Taylor loves pizza and everyone says there is no better pizza that the one you make yourself since you can personalize it to your tastes. This also means we can each have individual pies to our liking. This might not matter to you, but for us it means we will both enjoy our pizza more. I love white sauces, especially Alfredo, on pizza. Taylor is not a big fan and would rather have a really good tomato sauce. This way we will both get what we like!

I wanted to make the entire meal from scratch, so first I had to find a dough recipe. I also wanted to use what I had on hand in my kitchen. No time to run to the grocery store after work...I was way too hungry for that. And that means no yeast in the dough. I don't bake bread often...well ever, so yeast is not something you will regularly find in my cabinets. Dela made her dough with beer, but we also don't keep that on hand, so I had to keep looking. I finally found what looked like a good no yeast pizza dough on EasyPizzaCrusts.com. We both loved the crust. It had a good flavor and texture, but it didn't brown much on the edges.

No Yeast Pizza Crust
Source: EasyPizzaCrusts.com - my additions in italics

2 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup water
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 tbsp Italian Herbs
1/2 tbsp garlic powder
2 dashes cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare pizza pan by spraying with non-stick cooking spray. Combine dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Add liquids and stir to incorporate dry ingredients. Knead dough by hand 6-8 times on a lightly floured surface. Roll dough thinly. I halved the ball of dough and we had individual pizzas that were perfect for one serving. I rolled mine out pretty thin in more of a square shape. Taylor wanted his a little thicker, so we made it round.

Place rolled dough onto prepared pizza pan, rub a little oil over the top to keep the sauce from making the crust soggy. Add your favorite sauce and toppings. Bake at 400 degrees for 18-20 minutes, depending on crust thickness.

I also wanted to make the sauces myself instead of from a jar. However, my attempt at homemade Alfredo sauce was a bust and I ended up using some from a jar. The marinara sauce recipe turned out awesome! I just came up with my own recipe using ingredients I had on hand. It was quick and easy! Taylor loved it!

Quick Marinara Sauce
Source: Me

1 can stewed tomatoes, pureed
2 tbsp Italian Seasoning Spice blend
1 large clove or 2 small cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot or 1/2 small white onion, minced
olive oil, just enough to saute the garlic

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add the oil, garlic and onion. Sautee until tender. Add the tomato puree and Italian seasonings. Bring to a light boil then reduce heat to simmer for about 5 minutes, or longer if you have the time. The longer it simmers, the more the flavors will develop. I made the sauce first and let it simmer while I made the pizza dough.

The pizza's turned out great!


Mine was Alfredo sauce, red pepper flakes, mozzarella, smoked gouda and grilled chicken that had been marinated in Italian dressing.



Taylor's was marinara sauce, mozzarella and pepperoni. He said it was much better than any frozen pizza from the store. We will be making homemade pizza again. We've already been brainstorming about possible toppings for next time!

Quick Shrimp Alfredo

I'd been thinking all day about what I was going to make for dinner tonight. Taylor wanted leftover roast from Saturday night. I however took leftovers for lunch today, and probably will tomorrow too, so I was NOT eating that again. I wanted something quick, but really good. I got home from work around 5:30 and was sitting down to eat at 6:00. Not bad! This isn't an authentic alfredo sauce, but it tastes similar so that is the name I chose.

Jaime's Quick Shrimp Alfredo
Source: Me
Serves One

1 cup uncooked Jasmine rice
2 cups chicken stock
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp Alouette Garlic and Herbs Cheese Spread - See product rave below.
1/2 cup milk - give or take
parmesan cheese, to taste
10 medium shrimp - I only had frozen shrimp, but this would have been even better with fresh!
parsley and red pepper flakes for garnish


Add the sesame oil and pressed garlic to a sautee pan over medium heat. Add the uncooked rice
and stir to coat. I have found that toasting the rice prior to cooking adds a nutty background flavor, which in this case is enhanced by the sesame oil. Toast for about 5 minutes, stirring often.


Add the rice to the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Stir and then cover, reducing the heat to simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. **You will have more rice than you need for the sauce and the shrimp. I plated my serving and saved the rest in the fridge for another quick dinner idea to come soon!**


While the rice is cooking, add the Alouette to the sautee pan from earlier (make sure you remove all the grains of rice) over medium low heat. Add a little milk and stir. As the cheese spread melts, continue to add milk. The amount of milk you need to add depends on how thick you like your sauce. Once the Alouette is completely melted and combined with the milk, add parmesan cheese. Increase heat slightly continuing to stir. Add the thawed, or fresh, shrimp to the sauce and let cook completely. Stir the sauce every once in a while, coating the shrimp. Once the shrimp is done, you can reduce the heat to warm/simmer and wait on the rice to finish cooking.

Once the rice is done, pour sauce and shrimp over one serving of rice. Sprinkle parsley and red pepper flakes on top. A perfect, quick, simple weeknight dinner!

William Sonoma Gift Card Give-Away!!!

Who doesn't love William Sonoma? I love to just wander through the store and lust over all the cooking/baking items. If you are like me, check out The Clean Plate Club. She is giving away a $50 gift card to William Sonoma on May 1st. You have to have your entry in by April 30 at 5 pm EST though.

I have thought about what I would buy if I won and I've decided on a spring form pan. #1, I don't have one and #2 I've recently seen several yummy looking cheesecake recipes that call for this pan. Plus, winning the gift card would be just another good excuse to spend some time browsing the store. ;)

Happy Easter!

We had a beautiful, yet cold and windy, Easter here in Alabama! We spent it with family and enjoyed the day with people we only see once or twice a year. I took dessert to the luncheon at my grandmother's. I usually take an oreo dessert that comes out of a box that everyone loves. But this year I wanted to make something blog worthy. Strawberries are my favorite fruit and one of my favorite foods in general, so I wanted to use them in something. The idea of a trifle came to mind, so I looked through recipe books and searched the internet for a Strawberry Trifle recipe. None were exactly what I wanted, so I took a little from several and came up with something of my own.

Strawberry Trifle
Many sources, combined by me

1 1/2 cups sugar
16 ounces cream cheese
1/2 - 3/4 cup milk
1 store-bought angel food cake, cut into cubes
2 lbs. halfed strawberries

In a large bowl combine the strawberries and 3/4 cup sugar. Mix well and allow the berries to marinate.

In a medium bowl, combine 3/4 cup sugar with the cream cheese. Using an electric mixer, whip on medium speed until combined. Add milk a little at a time, mixing until you get an icing like consistency.

To build the trifle, line the bottom of a trifle bowl with a layer of cake. Spoon a layer of the cheese mixture over the pound cake (I had to use a knife to spread it out), and then a layer of berries. Repeat. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I made this the night before and it was really good the next day. The bread will soak up the juice from the strawberries so if you don't want your bread to get soggy, I would suggest serving this after only an hour or two of chilling. My family actually liked the juice soaked bread and this dessert was a hit.

To Die for (or not) Saturday Night Dinner

My in-laws gave us a beef roast that I tossed in the freezer a few weeks ago and this weekend seemed like the perfect time to pull it out. I am not a huge roast fan mostly because I've never had one with a lot of flavor. I searched the internet for a new pot roast recipe and came across To Die for Crock Pot Roast. I love using the crock pot because you don't have to babysit your dish. You just prep it, throw it in and it cooks itself. Perfect for a Saturday when I have a million things to do.

It was ok. I wouldn't say it was "to die for." I ended up adding a little worcestershire sauce to mine and it was a decent dinner. I think it all comes down to my general dislike of the flavor of roast meat. Taylor liked it though. Anyway, my additions/changes to the recipe are in italics.

To Die for Crock Pot Roast
Source: Recipezaar.com

1 beef roast, any kind
1 package dried brown gravy mix
1 package dried Italian salad dressing mix
1 package dried ranch dressing mix
1/2 cup water -I added a little more
6 medium red potatoes, quartered - you could add any veggies you want.

Mix together dried mixes in a bowl and use as a rub on the roast. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours. You will have some of the dry mix left depending on the size of your roast.

Place potatoes in the bottom of the crock pot. Place beef on top of the potatoes. Sprinkle the left over spice mixture around and over the roast. Pour water around the roast. Cook on low 7-9 hours.



To go with the pot roast, I made a copy cat recipe of Jim N Nicks cheese muffins. My husband and I always order a basket of these when we frequent the restaurant so I decided to give this recipe a try. The recipe comes from my friend Dela's blog, Not Your Mama's Southern Cooking. She has a great blog, you should check it out! These turned out great!! The recipe was really simple and they taste just like the "real thing."

Jim N Nicks Cheese Muffins
Source: Not Your Mama's Southern Cooking

1 1/2 cups self rising flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
4 tbsp butter, melter
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix ingredients together and pour into greased muffin pan. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until done.