The Gourmet Mama

If you are wanting to cut corn kernals off the cob, stand it in the tube of a bundt pan. Not only does it make it easy to cut off the kernals, it also neatly catches them for you making the process neat and tidy.

Here`s a great video of a very funny, very skilled chef. We can only aspire to chop up a chicken THIS fast!

When you are using a recipe card…put a fork into a glass, tines up, and weave the recipe card through it for a quick and easy recipe holder.

Use a metal strainer or french fry basket when you are boiling eggs, potatoes or pasta for quick and easy draining! It also makes it safer for kids to help with the draining process.

There are days when so much is going on, you really need a recipe that requires a minimum of effort and virtually cooks itself. This delicious rice recipe will do just that and it makes for a wonderful side dish when paired with anything from veggies to chicken to beef.

Ignore-Me Dirty Rice

2 cups uncooked rice

2 tsp. beef consomme

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

1 large onion, cut in half and sliced thinly

1/8 cup vegetable oil

In a medium pot, heat the oil and toss in the onion. Stir and cook for 1 minute. Add rice, stirring until it is thoroughly coated in oil. Cook over high heat, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add consomme powder and herbs. Stir well. Pour in just enough water to cover the rice. Reduce heat to low and cover. Let simmer for 15 min.

Check rice for doneness. If not done, add a little more water and cook uncovered. Otherwise, serve as is.

This makes about 4-6 servings, depending on how hungry you are. You can add any veggies, etc. or even pieces of cooked chicken.

If you ever want to find a quick and easy dessert to whip up last minute to impress company or just your kids, Banana Cream Pie is the best way to go. You can get most of the supplies way ahead of time and have them waiting there for you when you need a quick sugar fix and you can get it all put together in less than five minutes! How’s that for a fast dessert? Here’s what you need.

1 pre made crumb pie crust

1 package instant banana pudding (you can substitute chocolate pudding if you are a chocoholic)

1 cup milk

1 large or two small bananas

1 can of whipped cream (if you are ambitious, you can make it from scratch instead)

optional chocolate syrup for decoration

Now all you have to do is put it all together. Mix the milk and pudding mix together as described on package.  Pour into pie crust and even out with a spoon…only use your tongue to even it out if the pie is to be consumed only by you.  Peel and slice banana and sprinkle over pudding. Top with whipped cream and drizzle chocolate syrup over top. Ta Da!!! A perfectly quick and easy Banana Cream Pie.

If you can, then you`re in luck! There are lots of things you can do with a boiled potato. And knowing how to use the simple ingredients is the main characteristic of a true gourmet mama.

Chop It . . . and fry in a bit of oil with some bacon, onions and chopped celery for a hearty breakfast.

Slice It . . . and pour a can of mushroom soup over the slices, arranged in a casserole dish, sprinkle with some grated cheddar cheese and bake at 400º for 20 min.

Mash It . . . with some butter and a dash of chicken stock. For something fun and unique, add enough flour to make a thick dough and roll into one inch balls. Roll these in beaten egg, then crushed cornflakes and bake at 350º for 15-20 minutes for crispy potato nuggets. (great way to use left over mashed potatoes!)

Blend It . . . along with some previously sauteed leeks and onions. Add enough milk to create the desired texture and you have yourself a very simple potato soup.

Cube It . . . and add cubed hard boiled eggs, chopped pickles, red and green peppers and some mayonnaise and you have a lovely potato salad, just chill before serving.

Eat It . . . with a little butter and chopped parsley. This is particularly nice with a handful of tender new potatoes with the skins still on and makes the perfect side dish to any gourmet meal.

Potatoes are so versatile and easy to work with that it would be a crying shame not to include them in your menu.

Photo by Noonch

There is a potluck lunch at work tomorrow and being as busy as I am, I completly forgot about it until late tonight. I have the reputation of always coming with one of those dishes that everyone wants the recipe for so I had to come up with something that they would all love. After a quick stop at the grocery store, I decided on my famous quick and easy bruchetta.

Bruchetta is a salad that consists mainly of tomatoes and feta cheese and makes a great appetizer, side salad or a topping to anything bland such as a lettuce salad or chicken. There are many complicated recipes out there but mine has been tried and tested and developed into a super simple recipe…mainly from lack of money, ingredients and patience, but nevertheless, it is one of the best bruchetta’s around!

Quick and Easy Bruchetta

3-4 medium tomatoes

1 clove garlic chopped

small handful cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup feta cheese, drained and crumbled (I like to use sundried tomato feta but plain works too)

Chop tomatoes into 1/2 inch dice. Add garlic, cilantro and feta cheese. Mix together. Yup…it’s that simple! You can serve on toast, as a salad, spoon onto chicken or pork chops.

Here`s a great way to use up your stale bread, make a delicious bread pudding. Now, usually bread pudding is considered dessert, but by making some slight changes, I`ve come up with a version that is just ideal for breakfast, not too sweet, with a touch of fruit.

Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Bread Pudding

1 apple, diced

5 cups cubed bread, any kind

1 cup sugar

6 eggs, separated

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 stick margarine, melted

1 1/2 cups milk

Preheat your oven to 350º. Put the bread cubes into a large bowl along with the apples, cinnamon and sugar. Toss to mix and then drizzle the butter over everything and stir.

In a metal bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the egg yolk until they have a lemon color. Add the milk and and mix until blended.

In a metal bowl, use the mixer to whip the egg whites (make sure there are no yolks left on the beaters) until they form standing points when you lift the beaters.

Pour the milk and egg yolk mixture into the bread cubes and stir. When well mixed, fold in the egg whites. Pour the entire thing into a greased 13×9 baking pan and bake for 20 min. or until browned.

Serve warm. Makes about 4 servings, 6 if you have little kids.

Ever seen something in an Asian market or even the supermarket and wondered what the heck it was and how on earth you could use it? Well, no longer. In our Exotic Food posts, we`ll be showing you just how to use those weird foods that you never knew how to cook.

Dragon fruit or pitaya, is a bizarre fruit, indeed. The outside looks, well, kinda like a dragon, with thick, leathery red skin that forms large, green-tipped scales. Cut this fruit open and you`ll find either white or bright purple-red flesh, speckled with tiny black seeds.

You`re most likely to find dragon fruit in the Oriental markets, though it is actually native to Central and South America. Dragon fruit grows on cacti that thrive in the drier tropical areas, but has been cultivated with great success in Asia.

So, now that you know what this sucker is . . . what do you do with it?

The best way to eat dragon fruit is to simply peel it and eat it raw. The taste is similar to a kiwi, but less acidic and usually sweet. Since they don`t last long, you`ll want to eat it the day you bring it home from the market. The flesh should be fairly firm, but give with a squeeze of the fruit.

For something a little more exotic, try one of the following recipes:

Dragon Fruit Smoothie

1 dragon fruit, peeled and diced

1 banana

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/4 cup orange juice

Blend all together in a blender and serve. This is infinitely more colorful if you use the red variety.

Fruit Salad in Dragon Boats

2 dragon fruit

2 kiwis, peeled and cubed

1 cup sliced strawberries

Sugar to taste

Vanilla ice cream

Cut the dragon fruit in half, lengthwise and carefully remove the fruit without damaging the skins. Cube the flesh and toss with remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Place a small scoop of ice cream in the center of each dragon fruit skin half and heap the fruit salad on top. serve immediately.

Want more? Make a dragon fruit pizza, jelly mooncake, or a simple salad.

Photos in order are by: J. Fisher, Denise Soong, Jerry Daykin