Shredded Pork
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A simple and a delicious crockpot recipe for a li’l hot and a li’l spicy Shredded Pork served over a bed of rice, Mexican way.
Shredded Pork
You’ll Need
1 (3 lbs) Boneless Pork Loin Roast, Cut Into 2 Inch Pieces
1/2 Tsp Salt
2 (4 oz) Cans Diced Green Chile Peppers
3 Cloves Garlic, Crushed
1/4 Cup Chipotle Sauce
3 1/4 Cups Water, Divided
1 1/2 Cups Uncooked Long Grain White Rice
1/4 Cup Fresh Lime Juice
1/4 Cup Chopped Cilantro
Let’s Get Started
Place the roast in the slow cooker and season with salt. Place chile peppers and garlic on top of roast. Pour in the chipotle sauce and 1/2 cup of water.
Cover, and cook on Low for 7 hours.
In a pot, bring remaining 2 3/4 cups water and rice to a boil. Mix in the lime juice and cilantro. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Remove roast from the slow cooker and use a fork to shred the pork. Return pork to the slow cooker and allow it to sit about 15 minutes to absorb some of the liquid.
Voila! Your Shredded Pork is ready. Garnish with a sprinkle of finely chopped cilantro and a couple of slices of limes. You can also squeeze in some lime juice.
Serve over a bed of rice and garnish with cilantro.
Enjoy!
With Best Dishes To You All,
ToTo
Hot Chocolate
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A simple recipe for a warm Hot Chocolate on a cold wintry day!! Perfect for coming in out of the cold and warming your hands up!
Hot Chocolate
You’ll Need
3 Cups Milk
1/3 Cup Semisweet Chocolate, grated
1 Tbls Sugar
1/2 Tsp Cinnamon, ground
1 Egg
Let’s Get Started
Pour milk into a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high in microwave for 2 minutes. Mix in chocolate, sugar, and cinnamon.
In a small bowl, whisk an egg until smooth (make sure to whisk the egg really good for at least 3 to 5 minutes to prevent any lumps in the hot chocolate). Temper the eggs by slowly adding the hot chocolate mixture in a steady stream into the egg, while stirring continuously. Stir and mix the egg and chocolate mixture thoroughly until smooth and creamy and there are no lumps.
Return the mixture back into the microwave safe-bowl and heat on high for about 3 to 4 minutes or until frothy. Do not let it boil. Whisk again until smooth and creamy.
Pour the Hot Chocolate into 3 mugs. Top it with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon if desired.
Enjoy!
With Best Dishes To You All,
ToTo
Wine Basics
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Wine is one of the most enjoyable pursuits in the world !
Wine is an alcoholic drink that is produced by fermenting crushes grapes. A solution of sugar and water develops in ripe grapes and the skins easily allow the growth of natural yeasts. Fermentation begins when the yeast begins to digest the sugars present in the grape juice. Carbon dioxide and alcohol are by-products of this process.
This rather simple process of making wines goes back thousands of years. However, in the past hundred years or so, new ideas from the winemakers and technology have played an ever-increasing role in the wine making process.
So here’s how wines are made following these basic principles.
Wine grapes, grow quite easily in any temperate to warm climate. The grapes ripen in late August or September depending on the seasonal climate conditions. The winemaker tastes the grapes, chews the seeds, and measures the sugar content in order to decide when to harvest the grapes.
The grapes are then harvested by hand or with mechanical harvesters. Powdered sulfites are sprinkled on the grapes prior to crushing to prevent too much reaction with the air, in order to keep exposure to air to a minimum at all stages of wine making process. When the grapes are crushed, the skin and seeds remain with red wines but the skins and seeds are removed for white wines.
The juice, skins, and seeds, only for red wines and not for white wines, are poured into stainless steel fermenting tanks. Following fermentation, the wines are poured into oak barrels for aging.
During the process of aging, the wine is pumped from one barrel to an empty barrel in order to remove solids that settle at the bottom of the barrel and the barrel is used again. In other words the wines are racked several times during the barrel aging process.
After the aging process of wines in barrels, the wine is then moved into the bottle where it continues to age at the winery before it’s sufficiently aged and ready to be shipped out and enjoyed by the wine lover.
There are other fruits as well which can be fermented. These fruits can be berries and apples and wines made from these fruits are normally named after the fruit from which they’re made.
For example, strawberry wine, apple wine. Similarly there’s barley wine, rice wine and ginger wine. Rice wine and barley wine resemble beer more than wine. For example, sake. These wines are produced form starch based materials. Thus, in these cases, the use of the term “wine” is a refered to the higher alcohol content, rather than actual production process.
Red Wine and White Wine
Red wine is the outcome of crushed, fermented grapes. Whereas white wine is the outcome of fermented grape juice. There no skins or meat of the fruit in white wine. Blush or Rosé wines are made from red grapes that are made into wine as though they were white grapes. The red grape skins add a bit of color and nutrients to the juice. This leaves a slight blush of red in the wine.
Cheers !
NO SOUP FOR YOU ! NEXT ! – Mulligatawny Soup
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George : Good afternoon. One large crab bisque to go.
George : Bread. Beautiful.
Soup Nazi : You’re pushing your luck little man.
George : Sorry. Thank you.
—————————————————————-
Elaine : Hi there. Um, uh -
Elaine : Oh! Oh! Oh! One mulligatawny and, um… what is that right there? Is that lima bean?
Soup Nazi : Yes.
Elaine : Never been a big fan.
Elaine : Um… you know what? Has anyone ever told you you look exactly like Al Pacino? You know, “Scent Of A Woman.” Who-ah! Who-ah!
Soup Nazi : Very good. Very good.
Elaine : Well, I…
Soup Nazi : You know something?
Elaine : Hmmm?
Soup Nazi : NO SOUP FOR YOU!
Elaine : What?
Soup Nazi : COME BACK ONE YEAR! NEXT!
—————————————————————This is Kramer’s favorite soup by the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld’s episode. Follow these directions and you should end up with an exact clone of the “Mulligatawny Soup” that would fool even our dear Cosmo Kramer himself!!
Al Yeganeh, otherwise known as “The Soup Nazi” from the famous Seinfeld episode, is actually a master at soup kettle.
So here it is!!
NO SOUP FOR YOU ! NEXT ! – Mulligatawny Soup
You’ll Need
16 Cups Water
6 Cups Chicken Stock
2 Potatoes, Peeled & Sliced
2 Stalks Celery, With Tops
2 Cups Peeled & Diced Eggplant (About 1/2 Of An Eggplant)
1 Onion (Medium), Chopped
1 Cup Frozen Corn
2/3 Cup Canned Roasted Red Pepper, Diced
1/2 Cup Tomato Sauce
1/2 Cup Shelled Pistachios
1/2 Cup Roasted Cashews
1/2 Cup Chopped Fresh Italian Parsley
1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
1/4 Butter
3 Tbls Sugar
1/2 Tsp Curry Powder
1/2 Tsp Pepper
1/4 Tsp Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
Dash Marjoram
Dash Nutmeg
Let’s Get Started
Combine all the ingredients in a large pot over high heat.
Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 2 to 3 hours or until soup has reduced and the consistency is thick and brownish in color. It should have the consistency of chili.
Stir occasionally for the first few hours, but stir often in the last hour. The edges of the potatoes should become more rounded, and the nuts will soften.
Your (Soup Nazi’s) Mulligatawny Soup is ready to be enjoyed piping hot.
With Best Dishes To You All,
ToTo
Back to Soups n’ Salads Recipes
Mulligatawny Soup
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This is a classic Anglo-Indian soup. It comes from South India. The name literally means “pepper water,” Fantastic soup……just like wine, it gets better with time. Tastes even better a day or two later than the first day.
Mulligatawny Soup
You’ll Need
1/4 Cup Butter
3 Cups Onions, Finely Chopped
5 Garlic Cloves, Minced
2 Tsp Fresh Grated Ginger
2 Green Chillies (remove seeds to tone down the heat from the chillies, if you prefer less hot)
1 1/2 Tbls Garam Masala
1 1/2 Tsp Ground Coriander
1 Tsp Turmeric
1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 Bay Leaves
4 Pods Cardamoms Slightly Bruised
2 Cups Dried Red Lentils
8 Cups Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
2 Cups Cooked Chicken cut into 1″ Cubes
1/2 Cup Coconut Milk
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
3 Tbls Lemon Juice
2 Tbls Fresh Finely Chopped Cilantro
Let’s Get Started
Heat butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onions, minced garlic, grated ginger and green chillies. Saute until the onions turn transluscent. Do not let it brown or else it gives a burnt taste to the soup. Add garam masala, ground coriander, turmeric, cayenne pepper, bay leaves and cardamom pods and stir for about a minute or two.
To it, add lentils; stir until everything’s mixed well. Add the chicken broth and bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until lentils are tender. Discard bay leaves and cardamom pods.
Take off the heat.
Blend soup in batches in a blender until pureed smooth. Return soup to pot. Stir in chicken, coconut milk, heavy cream and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.Sprinkle fresh chopped cilantro.
You can enjoy this hearty soup on its own or over rice.
Garnish with lemon wedges.
With Best Dishes To You All,
ToTo
Back to Soups n’ Salads Recipes
Cream Cheese Flan
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Here’s another delicious Flan recipe for you all to enjoy!
Cream Cheese Flan
You’ll Need
1 Cup Granulated Sugar
1-8 oz Package Softened Cream Cheese
2 Eggs
1 Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk (14 oz Can)
1 Can of Evaporated Milk (12 oz Can)
1 Tsp Vanilla
Let’s Get Started
Preheat the oven to 350 deg.F
In a medium saucepan, melt the sugar over low heat. Stir constantly for about 5 to 8 minutes or until the sugar is dissolved completely. Bring it to a boil until the sugar turns into a golden caramel color. Take off the heat and pour the melted caramelized sugar in an 8″ square pan. Gently tilt the pan so the melted sugar coats the bottom and sides of the pan. Keep aside.
(If the syrup hardens, you can soften it over low heat.) In a blend, pour the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, cream cheese, eggs and vanilla. Blend everything until smooth.Pour the cream cheese and milk mixture over the caramalized sugar. In a roasting pan, place the flan pan. Fill the roasting pan with enough boiling water, so that it reaches halfway up the sides of the flan pan.
Bake the Flan for about 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in its center comes out clean.
Cool the pan, on a wire rack for about 30 minutes. Chill overnight.
Before serving, run a knife around the rim of the pan. Gently shaken the pan to loosen the flan and carefully invert onto a serving platter.
Top it with fresh berries.Enjoy!
With Best Dishes To You All,
ToTo
Rice Pudding
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Here’s a recipe for a good old delicious comforting Rice Pudding, which never goes out of fashion!!
Rice Pudding
You’ll Need
3 1/2 Cups Whole Milk
1/2 Cup Heavy Cream
1/2 Cup Sugar (divided in two 1/4 cup portions)
1 Stick of Cinnamon
1/2 Long Grain Rice
2 Egg Yolks
1 Tsp. Vanilla
1/2 Cup Golden Raisins
1/4 Cup Coarsely Chopped Walnuts
Let’s Get Started
In a saucepan, heat milk alongwith 1/4 cup sugar and the stick of cinnamon. Heat just till it starts to boil. Stir in the rice and simmer on a low heat for about 40 minutes.
In a bowl, whisk together, cream, vanilla and the remaining 1/4 cup portion of sugar. Stir in this mixture into the rice and milk mixture. Bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often.
From the pudding, remove the cinnamon stick and allow the pudding to cool for about 30 minutes or so.
Once cooled, mix in the raisins and walnuts.
Voila! Dig into your Yummy Rice Pudding! It tastes delicious, hot or cold!!
Enjoy!!
With Best Dishes To You All,
ToTo
Chocolate Fudge
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Another one of my favorite chocolate recipes, I’d like to share with you all.
The most delicious Dark Chocolate Marble Fudge!
Chocolate Fudge
You’ll Need
600 Gms. (2 Bars) Dark Chocolate
125 Gms. White Chocolate Chips
2 Cans (300 Gms.) Sweetened Condensed Milk (divided in two parts of 1 & 1/2 and 1/2 can portions)
1 Cup Toasted and Coarsely Chopped Walnuts
2 Tbls. Brewed Coffee
2 Tsp. Vanilla
Dash of Salt
Let’s Get Started
You’ll need two double boilers.
In one double boiler, melt dark chocolate and 1 & 1/2 cans of sweetened condensed milk and salt. Stir with a spatula till the chocolate is completely melted and has a glossy look. Take off the heat and to it, add brewed coffee and 1 & 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Add in the walnuts and stir the mixture. Keep aside.
In the meanwhile, in another double boiler, melt together white chocolate chips and the remaining 1/2 can portion of the sweetened condensed milk till the chocolate is completely melted. Take off the heat. Add the remaining 1/2 tsp. vanilla to it. Mix well.
Spray an 8 inch pan with cooking oil spray and line the pan with parchment paper and spray the parchment paper with the cooking oil spray as well. This prevents the fudge from sticking to the pan.
First, pour the dark chocolate mixture into the pan. On top of it, pour the white chocolate mixture. To create a marble effect, take a knife and swirl it around in the chocolate in gentle strokes.
Refrigerate for four hours till the fudge is set.
Take out from the fridge and place the fudge block on a cutting board. Cut into 1 & 1/4 inch squares.
And Voila!! Your Decadent Dark Chocolate Marble Fudge is ready to be enjoyed anytime!!
You can store your fudge (if there’s any left !!) in between layers of parchment paper at room temperature in a closed lid container.
Enjoy!
As Always, With Best Dishes To You All,
ToTo
Coffee Souffle
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This is from my darling Mom’s recipe chest and of course my favorite of all!!!
I’m sure you’ll love it, too. So here’s my dearest Mom’s Fluffee Coffee Souffle! Enjoy.
Coffee Souffle
You’ll Need
3 Eggs
3 Cups Whole Milk
3/4 Cups Sugar
2 Tsp. Gelatin Powder
2 Tsp. Good Instant Coffee
1/2 Cup Warm Water
1 Tsp.Vanilla
Let’s Get Started
Separate the whites from the Yolks.
In a small bowl, whisk in together the yolks and coffee. Set aside.
In a pot, heat the milk and sugar. Once it starts boiling, add the yolk and coffee mixture in a steady stream, while whisking continuously so as to prevent the yolks from scrambling. The consistency should be creamy. Add vanilla and mix. Take off the heat.
In the meanwhile, add gelatin powder to 1/2 cup of warm water. Mix and keep aside.
In a medium bowl, whip the egg whites till it forms firm peaks. Add to it, cooled mixture of gelatin and water. Mix gently.
Gently fold in the mixture of milk and yolks into the egg whites.
Pour the mixture into a glass dish and refrigerate till it sets.
Enjoy, your delicious Coffee Souffle topped with a dollop of whipped cream!!
It’s out of this world yummmy!!!
As Always, With Best Dishes To You All,
ToTo
Chocolate Bites
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A simple recipe for all the chocoholics out there. Enjoy!
One of my favorites.
Chocolate Bites
You’ll Need
4 Squares Unsweetened Dark Chocolate
3/4 Cup Butter
2 Cups Sugar
3 eggs
1 Tsp Vanilla
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
Let’s Get Started
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Microwave chocolate and butter in a large microwaveable bowl on high for 1 minute. Stir the chocolate and butter mixture. Microwave again for 1 minute until the butter is melted. Stir well until the chocolate is completely melted.
Add sugar, eggs and vanilla and mix well. To it, add flour and mix again.
Refrigerate the mixture for about 1 hour or until the dough is easy to handle and form into balls.
Shape the dough into 1 inch balls. Place the dough balls on a greased baking sheet, two inches apart.
Bake for about 8 minutes or just until set. Do not overbake.
Let stand on the baking sheet for about a minute, then transfer to wire rack, to cool completely.
Your Luscious Chocolate Bites are ready to be bitten into, anytime!!
(Dust your Chocolate Bites with a little powdered sugar, to jazz it up a bit!)
Enjoy!
With Best Dishes To You All,
ToTo
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