Balsamic-glazed Salmon Fillets & Asparagus with Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 (5 ounce) salmon Fillet
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon white wine
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 4 teaspoons dijon mustard
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano  
• 
  

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F( 200 degrees C).  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spray with non-stick cooking spray. 
2. Coat a small saucepan with non-stick cooking spray.  Over medium heat, cook & stir garlic until soft, about 3 minutes.  Mix in white wine, honey, balsamic vinegar, mustard, and salt and pepper.  Simmer, uncovered, for about 3 minutes, or until slightly thickened. 

Arrange salmon fillets on foil-lined baking sheet.  Brush fillets with balsamic glaze, and sprinkle with oregano. 

Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 14 minutes, or until flesh flakes easily with a fork. 

Brush fillets with remaining glaze, and season with salt and pepper. Use a spatula to transfer fillets to serving platter, leaving the skin behind on the foil.  

Asparagus with Cream Sauce 

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups water
• 1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 
• 1 teaspoon dill weed 
• 1 cup sour

Directions: 

1.In a large skillet, bring water to boil.  

2. Add asparagus; cover and boil for 3 minutes.  

3. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Stir in flour , garlic powder, lemon-pepper and salt until blended.  Gradually stir in broth.  Add the parsley, vinegar and dill.

4. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened.  Reduce heat to low; whisk in sour cream.  Drain asparagus; arrange on a serving platter.  Top with cream sauce. 

Glitzy Chocolate Receip

Ingredients:
4 ounces of Bittersweet Chocolate
1/2 cup of soft butter
4 Eggs
1 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of flour
1/3 teaspoon of baking soda
1 pinch of salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Break up the chocolate and melt it with the butter in  a bowl in the microwave.  Once its melted, sit the bowl on a cold surface so that the chocolate cools.
3. In freestanding mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until thick , pale and moussey, then gently fold in flour, baking soda, and pinch of salt.

4.  Fold in slightly cooled chocolate and butter mixture and then divide among 8 ramekins or custard cups.  Put in the oven  to bake for 25 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, get on the glaze by the melting the chocolate and butter in a microwave, then whisk to form a smooth glossy moisture and spoon this over the cooked pudding.
6.  You can decorate w/ any candy rubble; Just put  the bars in a freezer bag set to with a rolling pin and stew over the top.

A delicious treat! 

Chicken and Guacamole Tostadas

Ingredients

• 1  ripe peeled avocado
• 1  cup  plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped tomato, divided
• 3  tablespoons  minced fresh onion, divided
• 3  tablespoons  fresh lime juice, divided
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt, divided
• 1  small garlic clove, minced
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1  tablespoon  minced seeded jalapeño pepper
• 2  cups  shredded skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
• 1/4  teaspoon  smoked paprika
• 8  (6-inch) corn tostada shells

Directions: 

1. Place avocado in a small bowl; mash with a fork. Stir in 2 tablespoons tomato, 1 tablespoon onion, 1 tablespoon juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and garlic.

2. Combine remaining 1 cup tomato, 2 tablespoons onion, 1 tablespoon lime juice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cilantro, and jalapeño; toss well.

3. Combine chicken, remaining 1 tablespoon juice, and paprika; toss well to combine. Spread about 1 tablespoon guacamole over each tostada shell; top each with 1/4 cup chicken mixture and about 2 tablespoons salsa.

Pepper Jack, Chicken and Peach Quesadilla

Ingredients

• 1  teaspoon  honey
• 1/2  teaspoon  fresh lime juice
• 1/2  cup  reduced-fat sour cream
• 4  (8-inch) flour tortillas
• 3/4  cup  (3 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeño peppers
• 1  cup  chopped skinless, boneless rotisserie chicken breast
• 1  cup  thinly sliced peeled firm ripe peaches
• 4  teaspoons  chopped fresh cilantro
• Cooking spray
• Directions: 
• 1. Combine honey and lime juice in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir sour cream into honey mixture; cover and chill until ready to serve.

  

  
  

  2. Place tortillas flat on a work surface. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons cheese over half of each tortilla; top each tortilla with 1/4 cup chicken, 1/4 cup peaches, and 1 teaspoon cilantro. Fold tortillas in half.

  

  

  
  

  3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place 2 quesadillas in the pan, and top quesadillas with a cast-iron or other heavy skillet. Cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side or until tortillas are crisp and lightly browned (leave cast-iron skillet on quesadillas as they cook). Remove quesadillas from pan; set aside, and keep warm. Repeat procedure with the remaining quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into wedges. Serve with sauce.

Summer Squash and Corn Chowder Recipe

Summer Squash and Corn Chowder 

Ingredients: 

• 2  slices applewood-smoked bacon
• 3/4  cup  sliced green onions, divided
• 1/4  cup  chopped celery
• 1  pound  yellow summer squash, chopped
• 1  pound  frozen white and yellow baby corn kernels, thawed and divided
• 2 1/4  cups  1% low-fat milk, divided
• 1  teaspoon  chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  cup  (1 ounce) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

Directions: 

1. Cook bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Crumble bacon, and set aside. 

2. Add 1/2 cup onions, celery, and squash to drippings in pan; sauté 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

3. Reserve 1 cup corn; set aside. Place the remaining corn and 1 cup milk in a blender; process until smooth. 

4. Add remaining 1 1/4 cups milk, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to blender; process just until combined.

5. Add pureed mixture and reserved 1 cup corn to pan. Reduce heat to medium; cook 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly. 

6. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt. Ladle about 1 1/2 cups soup into each of 4 bowls; top each serving with about 1 tablespoon bacon, 1 tablespoon remaining onions, and 1 tablespoon cheese.

Yummy summer time Soup 

Bacon- Wrapped Dates

Recipe for Bacon Wrapped Dates 

Ingredients:

1/2 package of Bacon 

1 package of pitted dates

1/2 cup of Ricotta Cheese 

ingredients

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Fill a ziplock bag with 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese and cut a corner off  with scissors. 

2. With a knife make hole at the top of the date.

3. Pump Ricotta cheese into hole of date.

4. Roll bacon around date and secure with a tooth pick.

5.  Place each date on cooking sheet and cook 10-15 minutes or until bacon is crispy.  Turn dates over half way through cooking.  

Makes for a perfect appetizer! 

Fruit Salad Recipe

Summer Time Fruit Salad with Dip 

For the Salad :
2 apples
1 peach
blueberries
cherries
Strawberries

For the Dip: 
Sour cream
Brown Sugar
Lime Juice

Directions:  cut up apples & peaches.  Put in bowl.  Add two handfuls of blueberries and strawberries.  Cut cherries into halves around the pit, put in the bowl.

Direction for Sauce 

1/2 cup of sour cream 

1/2 cup of brown sugar 

2 teaspoons  lime juice 

- mix all the ingredients together and then drizzle over salad.  

Finish product!!  Perfect snack in the summer heat! 

Search for Cooking Experience

I am currently trying to decide where I want to do my cooking Experience at.  I have two options, that are both outstanding restaurants in Tulsa, Ok.  Michael Fusco is a  local chef here that has opened two very popular restaurants, Flavors and Michael Fusco's grill.  Flavors is a italian restaurant that has been around for year and Michael Fusco's grill has more of a variety of  cuisine (steaks, lamb, veal, burgers, salads etc)  and just recently opened.  However, it is gradually becoming a new hotspot because it is located along the Arkansas River and has a wonderful Wine selection and outdoor seating.  I really am excited to get this started, I just need to make up my mind where I want to work.  Which, I'll make it up soon.  Hope everyone has a safe and fun Memorial Day weekend!

-Nicole Revella

My first cooking blog

My name is Nicole Revella and this is my  first of many food prep cooking experience blogs.  I am taking this class online through the University of Arkansas (where I attend college) and I am getting familiar with how this class is going to work.  It is amazing how much technology has evolved that we can all have an opportunity like this one.  I can't believe that people all over the world are enrolled in this class.  I am currently in Tulsa, Oklahoma for the summer doing an internship at Zinke Design and Wedding decoration and I love it.  Just last week I got to work my first wedding and experience working with caterers one on one.  Making sure all there prep work was done before the reception started and making sure food went out  presentable and at a timely matter.   No matter what you want to do in hospitality it seems like every aspect of the business works cohesively together.  I am  exciting to start learning more about food prep and to physically experience it.  I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer so far!!

- Nicole R.