After much deliberation, I have chosen my first recipe to test. Albeit an easy one. The main reason for my choice is, as mentioned previously, availability of ingredients and time. Of course, I'm willing to try anything with a little something different as well. So.... from the myriad television chefs I have to choose from, I have made the decision:
Based upon the vast collection of celebrity cook books out there, I've chosen Giada De Laurentiis. I think she's fabulous in many ways. First of all, she's got spunk. She's vibrant, happy, excited, talented, intelligent and easy to watch while she's cooking. She's informative while on her show and I love the way she gives a short description of her recipes in her cookbooks. So, the first recipe I chose is from "Giada's Family Dinners". There are ALOT of recipes in this cookbook. Sometimes it's amazing to me that one chef can come up with so many creations - and this is only ONE of her cookbooks. How many times are these recipes tested and who is testing them? Is it family only and are they providing honest opinions? Probably, but, suffice it to say that I feel there are millions of us out there that may either agree or disagree with the family opinion and we're the ones buying the books, right? So.... here it is...
Roasted Beet and Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese and Avocado
Yum!! So, I chose this because I love beets and goat cheese and as I looked at the recipe, it's topped with walnuts. It just HAS to be delicious, right? So, here are the ingredients listed that I have in my pantry: balsamic vinegar, honey, olive oil, black pepper, walnuts, goat cheese. Here are the ingredients I have to buy: shallots, beets, arugula, dried cranberries, and an avocado. Not too bad. Doesn't feel like I have to spend a whole lot of money on this recipe. The dried cranberries can be bought in bulk for any future recipe so that's always good. My only concern is the avocado. I need it peeled and cubed and if I bought it today, I would have to let it sit for at least 2 days to ripen because it's no good to have a hard avocado in your sald. But, let's start with that. (I also had gum grafting today so it's not a good idea to eat anything too hard. The walnuts are small enough to be able to chew on the good side of my mouth.)
It's not a quick salad. The beets have to be roasted for 30 minutes and then carmelized for another 25 minutes. So, it appears to be more of an entree than a regular salad due to the time involved in making it. Once I make it, I'll be back with full details from start to finish from the moment I start chopping to the time I put it in my mouth. I'll also get full detailed opinion from my boyfriend. He's very open and will pretty much eat anything, within reason. So, I will prepare this salad on Wednesday, January 6th and post the results shortly thereafter if not that night.
Cheers!
Colleen
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Strawberry Filling for Cupcakes is a delicious way to add flavor and sweetness to your cupcakes. This recipe is quick and easy to make, and it only requires a few ingredients that you likely already have in your kitchen. The strawberry filling will add a beautiful pink hue to your cupcakes, and it pairs well with both vanilla and chocolate cupcake recipes.
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