Image 01

Archive for the ‘In the Kitchen’ Category

« Older Entries

Wine Review: Apothic Red

Sunday, May 6th, 2012

Each month I take a trip to Binny’s, our local liquor store, and stock up on wine. I browse the isles, typically selecting wines anywhere from $4.99-$8.99. I’ve always been pretty frugal so it’s hard for me to make an exception for something more than $10 – except RELAX or a Cupcake Wine. Both delicious!

Tonights mix included Apothic Red. In the past year, more so in non-summer months, I find myself drawn to red wines. Pinor Noir, Cabernet or  a Shiraz for sure make the cart. I also like Sweet Red blends. Tonight while walking around I came across this winemakers blend and was quite interested in trying it.

Overall the taste is subtle, sweet with a a bit of a bite towards the end. I definitely will be making notes to purchase again in the future. I think it would pair well with some sharp cheese and for sure a steak. Below I’ve take information from apothic.com to provide more details on the wine itself.

Wine Origin:
Inspired by an “Apotheca,” a mysterious place where wine was blended and stored in 13th century Europe, Apothic Red offers a truly unique wine experience. By crafting a distinctive blend of California grapes, our winemaker has created an epic red wine… nuanced and complex, and undeniably enchanting.

The Wine: 
A captivating blend of three distinct grapes, with the dark fruit flavors of Syrah, brambly spice of Zinfandel, and a smooth elegance of Merlot. Apothic Red reveals intense fruit aromas and flavors of rhubarb and black cherry that are complemented by hints of mocha, chocolate, brown spice and vanilla. The plush, velvety mouthfeel and smooth finish round out this intriguing, full-bodied red blend.

Tags: , ,
Posted in In the Kitchen, Wine & Cocktails | No Comments »

Shish Kabobs

Friday, March 23rd, 2012

With the recent warm weather our household decided it was time for some summer-like foods. We decided to make a few different dishes this week with fresh produce and the first on the list was Shish Kabobs.

We took the recipe from The Grilling Bible and found we really enjoyed the taste of the marinade. This recipe is very simple and we grilled it on our grill pan in our house since we don’t have access to a grill. We paired the kabobs with Lemon & Dill potatoes.

Shish  Kabobs

  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed (I substituted 1 tsp minced garlic)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon fresh oregano or rosemary (we went with rosemary)
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 lbs beef, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • Green bell pepper
  • Red bell Pepper
  • Small onions
  • Mushrooms
  • Cherry tomatoes

Directions:

Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl. Add meat and stir to coat with sauce. Cover and refrigerate overnight (we actually only let it sit for 2 hours in the fridge and enjoyed the flavor)

Alternately skewer cubes of meat with desired combination of peppers, mushrooms, onions and tomatoes.

Place kabobs on grill or grill pan, rotating every 4-5 minutes until desired doneness.

Posted in Cooking, In the Kitchen, Recipes | No Comments »

Lemon & Dill Potatoes

Monday, March 19th, 2012

This past weekend I found a recipe on Pinterest that I really wanted to try to accompany the kabobs we were making. I’m a huge fan of red russet potatoes and here’s the recipe I found that turned out amazing. The potatoes were tender and filled with flavor. I especially enjoyed the hint of lemon in them. Thank you Beloved Green for the awesome recipe!

I altered my recipe a bit because I didn’t have all the ingredients mentioned on the site I found the recipe. The ingredients you will need include:

1 lb of petite potatoes (ie. reds, whites, and purples)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
dash of ground pepper
dash of sea salt
lemon juice ( a splash)
1 Tbsp. dried dill
2 Tbsp. minced garlic

 

Directions:

Preheat 375°F.  Place parchment paper on cookie sheet, or spray with cooking spray.
Wash the potatoes and cut them into quarter slices.  Pour in the 1/4 cup of olive oil and coat the potatoes and then transfer to the baking sheet. Sprinkle ground pepper and salt on the potatoes.  Bake for a half hour.
While baking, mix together remaining ingredients with whisk and set aside until half hour is up.
Pull out the potatoes and flip them.  Using a pastry brush, coat them with the dill dressing and place back in the oven for another 15 minutes.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Cooking, In the Kitchen | No Comments »

Product Review: Calphalon Nonstick Square Grill Pan

Sunday, March 18th, 2012

I would like to quickly do a product review for one of my favorite gifts I received a few years ago at my bridal shower from my aunt in D.C.

I had registered for almost anything you could think of for our future kitchen at both Kohls & Target, however even though this wasn’t on the list she decided to get it for me. I don’t know if she had one herself and loved it or just thought it would be helpful as a soon-to-be wife. I absolutely love this pan! Living in a small apartment and not having access to a grill can be frustrating. There’s just something about the flavor of a grilled steak, burger or what we made tonight – kabobs.

Not only is this pan amazing at cooking foods similar to what it would be like using an outdoor gas or charcoal grill (except for that charcoal flavor), the clean up is phenomenal.  I generally allow the pan to cool and then run it under soapy warm water and wipe down with a dish rag.

If you are considering items to add to a registry or gift list for the holidays, or possibly just to invest in something to cook many summer type meals if you are grill less I’d suggest purchasing this pan. When looking around the web an average price for this Calphalon pan is between $30 – $40 dollars.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Blog, Cooking, In the Kitchen | No Comments »

Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

Wednesday, February 1st, 2012

I”m always interested in trying out a new recipe when I bake. This morning was no exception when I was looking to use up a few ingredients that have been taking up room in the cupboard: white chocolate chips, dried cranberries & walnuts.

One of my favorite cookies to make (& eat) are Cranberry White Chocolate Chip & Cookies. So, this morning I thought I’d add a few more items and see how it turned out. The flavor in these cookies are amazing and I think part of that is due to the assembly. This is first time I”ve put together a cookie recipe that required me to melt all the butter and mix it with brown sugar and an egg. I also have found that the honey called for in this recipes adds flavor.

I hope you will enjoy them as much as I do!

Here’s the Recipe:

  • 2/3 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled until slightly warmed
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups all-purposed flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 1/2 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 Tbs honey
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees. By hand or mixer, blend together butter, brown sugar and honey. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. In a large bowl, stir together flour, oats, soda, salt and cinnamon; add to butter mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Place 1 1/2′ pieces of dough on ungreased cookie sheet, about 2″ apart and bake until edges are lightly browned and centers are still soft, about 12-15 minutes. Cool completely.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Blog, In the Kitchen, Recipes | 1 Comment »

« Older Entries

Copyright © 2013 by Tanya Homan. All Rights Reserved. Subscribe to Tanya Homan's feed.
Aggiornare Theme by GeekDesignGirl