Category: Misc.

Meatless Monday Ideas

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A few weeks ago I mentioned I’m trying to get into the whole Meatless Monday Movement.  I have committed to devoting a few posts per month towards this. For my this weeks post I want to revisit some published and not published ideas and recipes here on Coco Cooks.
Salad and Parmesan Crisps
. OK, not quite vegan, but its meatless and tasty. Try a quick and easy salad with crusty bread and Parmesan crisps. Take a parchment lined baking sheet and add shredded Parmesan Cheese.  Bake at 375 for a few minutes until melted and slightly crispy. Don’t burn. Remove and let cool.
 Sweet or Savory Buckwheat Crepes 
 I love these and find you can make a big batch of them to freeze and use for either breakfast, lunch , or dinner. Fill with sauteed mushrooms and spinach with cream, or a fried egg. Be creative. Fruits , yogurt,and Nutella spreads, butter,sugar, and rum taste divine on them too. Added benefit is Buckwheat is  good for you. Click here for the recipe.
And here are some others I have published before. 
Main Meals
Sides
Roasted sweet winter squash. Skin is edible. This comes in at about 82 calories a serving. I love munching on these wedges that are both filling and sweet.
Ingredients
1 1/4 lb Japanese Pumpkin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 pinch of salt
1 pinch of black pepper
Directions
Cut and slice the Kabocha Squash into small wedges. Arrange on parchment a lined baking sheet. Toss the squash in all the remaining ingredients to be sure the pieces are covered in the oil. Roast at 450 for about 15 minutes or until caramelized and crispy.

How to Make Clotted Cream

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In literature , one always reads of elaborate tea scenes with Devonshire Cream. The authors always make it sound so appetizing. In the United States your don’t see it so much except for small little jars in some groceries which I have seen both in and out of the refrigerator. That unrefrigerated ones always freaked me out , and thus I stayed away from it.
So the other day I was killing time before meeting Certain Someone for dinner. I stopped by Pastoral, an artisnal cheese shop off the Mag Mile and browsed through there selections. A magazine caught my eye called Culture. Imagine a whole magazine devoted to cheese. I purchased a copy and was tranfixed by both the articles and the advertisements. They actually had recipes to make your Feta and such. I found a cheesemaking supply company and ordered on their kits to make my own Camembert. Click to left on the sidebar to see what else they have to offer. Yes. thats coming down the line. Patience. I decided to look at the magazines web site to find other recipes, and I found a recipe that intriqued me . Home Made Clotted Cream. Its not as hard as you would think.
So what is Clotted Cream,  some of you may ask? It’s
divine.A thick almost butter like cream with little yellow clots from the crust formed while the cream rises to the top, while being  processed over 12 hours. The recipe calls for a double boiler type set up as you heat the cream on a very low heat for 12 hours, cool, then allow to set overnight in the fridge while not upsetting the crust formation on top. I used the leftover cream that was left after the crust formed, to bake my scones that morning.So this a project that you need to stay home for and check on your stove top. The taste is almost like caramel. One slathers it on scones with jam or can use it in other desserts. The origins of the Dairy jewel is from South west England in both Devon and Cornwall. Of course the dairy there has a distinctive taste that makes it unique.
In the United States is hard to find unpasteurized milk or cream unless you have access to a trusted dairy farm. Living in the city , I don’t. Some people say your cream cant be pasteurized to be true Cornish clotted Cream.. Mine was . The recipe I used stated as long it wasn’t Homogenized or Ultra Homogenized. So consider this the American version of Clotted Cream.
With Easter coming up, dainty Spring High Teas, Summer garden parties, mix up a bath of this delightful cream. I just want to gobble it up with strawberries. But in the meanwhile I’m content with some blueberry scones. For the full recipe with step by step photos, click here.
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Stir It 28… The Actual Event Had a Ripple Effect

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You know about the ripple effect. You toss a stone into the water and see the endless ripples project out from the center of  where the thrown object landed. That’s what Stir It 28 was for me. I will not lie to say I was worried about meeting the expectations of the rest of the group for the Chicago side. From the get go, I had my network of people who were willing to help, and boy did they help. I could have never done it with out them. In between work and Master Chef auditions, February was just tight for time and focus. I was worried about the sales, as I had the least online sales compared to ATL, LA, and NYC. You cant say I didn’t promote the hell out of it via twitter and Face book, but the sales were not there. Chicago is huge city and asking for $30 on top of a cash bar with competing Restaurant Week  other fund raising initiatives and other events was hard. But I tried to stay positive and just wanted to get through Sunday. The words of  my mother  “Fret Not and to worry is a sin” stayed with me through out the day. I know fund raising is hard work and I approach it realistic expectations.I am grateful for every little bit I can get. At first I thought the venue would be too small. but in the need it was just right. At the stroke of 2:30 fabulous volunteers took charge and helped me set up  the place. Talk about tons of amazing food! The volunteers came through with some amazing dishes. One could barely make it down the buffet  and their plate was full. It would have taken three to four trips alone to sample all. The cash bar was flowing too. The afternoon was perfect and , while a small crowd, we managed to take in more at the door than online. Chicago foodies had a chance to meet and connect with others. Through their tweets and re tweets they inspired others to donate or attend one of the other cities events.  It was classic Midwest, down to earth , simple, and real.So you see the ripple effect happening here?

 And in the end, after we all cleaned up , the beginning of another heavy snow started. With so much food left,  even after people took their share, we had a few trays left. Homeless shelters in Chicago don’t allow you to donate leftovers  food from restaurants ,events, etc. due to health laws.So Certain Someone and I packed the trunk up and drove down to Lower Wacker. Lower Wacker a long running street underground that the many homeless people live on. Its not unusual to see tents and men and women making a home in a dark corner buffeted from the harsh  lakefront winter winds or sweltering summer heat. So Certain Someone and I found a man in his blankets who was eating something in wrapper. We stopped the car and explained we had food leftover from a party. He was happy to get it and the some paper goods so he could share it with others in his community. See the ripple effect at work here. It takes a massive devastating event to remind people to come together and  care for one another. Stir It 28 did that. Haiti will continue to need help even after these next few months. Rebuilding will take years. So whether your efforts are grand or small, everything is and will be appreciated. I cant say Thank You enough.


A Taste of Stir It 28 Chicago… Sunday February 21 at Three Peas Art Lounge

                                                                      
 Wow! When Chrystal and Bren approached me about raising funds for Haiti, who knew it would blow up into a multi city event. In a little over a month we have really planned something phenomenal. But planning aside, we really need your help, where it counts the most! We need those tickets sales for Chicago, LA, Atlanta, and Christy in New York. In between our busy schedules we have come up with some great donors of space, food, and time. I admit I could not have done it without Joelen Tan of the What’s Cooking Meet Up group. She really came together and got us a bunch of great cooks and dishes for this Sunday. Also Proud Italian Cook and Beth , and Afrobella have been remarkable. BUT WE NEED YOU to buy tickets and make donations so this is not in vain. Click on the left sidebar to purchase and  make donations.
Alan Richardson of Hello Cupcake has graciously donated copies of his fabulous book to all cities for a door prize.  Thanks to Christy and a shout out from Dorie Greenspan on Twitter.  We have some great support, now we need the participants! Visit our Facebook page now.
So all we need is you. Here is a taste of some of the dishes that will be served Sunday at the Fabulous Three Peas Art Lounge. There will a top shelf cash bar and sublime cupcakes for sell as well at Three Peas Art Lounge, out gracious donors of space.
 
Avocado Citrus Salad

Risotto

Baked Farfalle with Italian Sausage & Mushrooms

Sage & Balsamic Pork with Creamy Pumpkin Polenta

Italian bruschetta with Toasted Ciabatta Triangles

Cilantro Lime Chicken Skewers with Sauces
 
Haitian Griot in both traditional Pork and Turkey versions
 
Rice and Beans
 
Fried Plantains
 
Vegetarian Chili
 
Shrimp  and Orzo Salad
 
and much , much more!
$30 online and $35 at the door. What a better way to spend Sunday Afternoon from 3-6pm.
*online ticket sales cut off Saturday at 6pm EST.
I hope to see you there!

The Winner Is…. and Read All About My Master Chef Auditions


I have been under the weather this week and now juts getting around to posting a winner of  Ciao Italia: Five Ingredient Favorites by Mary Ann Esposito. Thanks for all the comments. As I stated for every comment I will donate one non perishable food item for One Comment One Eats. That’s 31 food items! Excellent and Thank you.

So the winner is Kathleen of Gonna Want Seconds!
Enjoy the book and be sure to email me you shipping information.

If you want to read about my Master Chef audition process, click here to go to EbonyJet.com.