Cooking my Way with Rachael Ray

It's GYRO Time! Do you say it HEERO, or J-IRO or GUY-RO? Who knows...I honestly have never made a gyro before. I can remember back to when I was in college and my roomies and I would go to the Owl's Nest at 3am after a night of, let's say being a College Freshman and getting the Gyro Platter. It was so delish! The tzaziki sauce made it! I can also think back to going to South Street Slouvaki on South Street (when it was open) and munching on a yummy gyro! So, while I was menu planning today, I decided, why not try it out. So, we all know that the traditional gyro is made with Lamb. No thanks. So, since I am not a big red meat eater, mine was made with chicken and Greg's was made with steak. The marinade - take some garlic, EVOO, balsamic, beef stock/broth, thyme, parsley, shallot, lemon juice and lemon zest. Add the steak and chicken OR whatever you are using. Believe me, I am on a budget, so whatever steak is a good price, I grab. In this case, it wa

Nope, we aren't at Philips, we are at the Sobon-Bowers! You know, being that Greg is from Maryland, I always have to make some kind of crab cake, crab ball, crab something every now and again. You know even Parker likes crab legs, crab cakes, anything crab really. We are expanding his palette...next stop...Sushi... Anyway, tonight was crab balls with a dill mayo sauce and oven fries. So let me tell you where this combination came from. Over the summer we went to Brad's house. He made us crab balls (basically a crab cake in ball form) with a fruit salsa, asparagus and potatoes. It was so tastey. So, there is the ball inspiriation. Side note: I have made crab cakes quite a bit and my biggest challenge is keeping them in patty like forms, so the balls make it much easier. The Dill Sauce - One holiday (don't remember which) we were at my Aunt Di's house having a 6 course meal. One of the first courses was a mini crab cake with this red pepper/dill sauce. I

Ever do nothing...just absolutely nothing you know you should be doing? Prime example....me laying on the couch with my monkey (Vixen) watching Lifetime Movie Network and ignoring the pile of laundry, the empty pantry and the dust collecting on the the furniture...The next day I have to play catch up...cleaning, errands, the norm...Well, it's time for me to do just that...Catch up! Basically, I am going to post a bunch at once! Chicken Pesto Presto - cute name huh? (Thanks RR) This is a really yummy meal and so easy and quite healthy. It reminds me of the chicken my mom always gets at our favorite family restaurant, Arpeggio. So start with chicken breasts. Butterfly them so they look like you are opening a book. Sprinkle with S&P. Put a pot of water to boil on the stove. Add salt. In a food processor combine basil, garlic, parm cheese, S&P, garlic and some lemon zest. Steam in some EVOO. Voila - you made a pesto, minus the pine nuts. For me, they were too

Per my previous post, tonight was take out. I did the Sushi thing while Greg and Parker had burgers. Typically I wouldn't post if I wasn't cooking, but I thought, what the heck! I am excited. I have started promoting my blog, thanks to the support of my family. I have a few more followers now...I am also on TWITTER...RaRaCooks. Go follow me. I have decided too that I am going to invite my mom over and cook for her. My mom is more of the baker, me the Chef..not so much baker. So I am going to find a really delicious meal and make it for her! Well, that's it. P.S. Yogi Bear in 3-D is a great movie for adults and children. Minus the mouse that ran across the isle. Gotta write to AMC. Yeah, I'm that person! Tomorrow night...Chicken Pesto Presto a la Rachael Ray!

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I hate Thanksgiving Turkey. There is something about it that just makes me not want anything to do with it. My grandmom always makes a ham for me and my pop pop. This, is kind of like a thanksgiving burger. Kinda! It's a spin off of the ever so famous "turkey burger" which apparently is popular because so many people are health conscious these days. I admit, I made my resolution to "trim" down this year. Who doesn't? Part of the reason why I make our weekly menus and try to have a vegetarian night is to work on the trimming! Ok, back to cooking! So this burger has so many delicious flavors. You can eat it on a bun, english muffin or just on some lettuce. Chop an apple, onion, some celery and add to some melted butter. Cook until tender. Remove from pan. Add ground turkey meat, poultry seasoning, parsley, dijon mustard, 1 egg, bread crumbs (I use whole wheat.) Mash together as you would a regular hamburger. Make into patties. Again, I to

Who doesn't like Italian Food? Looks pretty good huh? And all homemade! This was our vegetarian night. This was really easy and quick. Not to mention not a lot of pots. Take a box of stuffed shells and add about 4 per person to boiling water. Add garlic, EVOO and a box of defrosted chopped spinach to a pan. Put ricotta cheese, rough chopped artichoke hearts, 1 egg yolk and S&P in a bowl. Once spinach mixture is warm, add to ricotta. Add parm cheese and some basil. Toss Quickly! To a casserole dish add a can of whole tomatoes, basil, S&P and butter. Mash tomatoes. When shells are done, spoon the ricotta mixture into the shells and lay into the casserole dish. Sprinkle with parm cheese and cover with foil. Bake at 375 for 20 mins. Then remove the foil and continue baking for 15 mins. Don't worry if you put it in too long. It really can't over cook. You want to make sure the shells are hot. Remember there is a raw egg in the ricotta. When finish

So I came home on Thursday to a very pleasant surprise. My SISTAH! She walked her niece and made herself some sandwiches. With Lettuce! Now here is the thing about my sister...she comes over because being 22, she doesnt cook that often. She mostly eats take out. Remember when you were in college and all you wanted was your mom's home cooked food? Well she comes to my house...(even though she is a college graduate and in the real world.) Now that I am back on my blogging kick, I gave her some options of what I was cooking. We settled on the Beef Noodle Bowl. I personally always enjoy chinese food or ethnic flavors. This recipe called for some things I never cooked with before - red chile paste, fish sauce...but good ol' trusty ACME carried them both. The thing about my family is that we all have sensitive stomaches. My grandmom enjoys anything plain...basically restaurants need to make childrens menus as follows, " For children 12 and under and Adults 65+"

Yup, that's how the conversation went. Greg asked: Is this Chili? I said: Nope, it's a 7-Layer Casserole. What are the 7 layers you ask? 1. Ground Beef 2. Black or Re fried Beans 3. Cheesy Mac and Cheese 4. Lettuce 5. Pico De Gallo 6. Creamy Guacamole 7. Scallions/Green Onions. There is no skimping with this one. This is something that is so delicious and can last a few days. I found this one in my new cookbook "Look and Cook" by RR. This is such an easy meal and something that you can make even easier if you buy some of the items pre-made. So let's talk about how to make it... Take your meat (any kind would do. ) I used ground beef. Add some garlic, onions, jalapenos. Don't forget to take the seeds out of the peppers. That is where the heat is. While the meat is cooking, make some pasta. I used elbow mac. You are going to create a delicious sauce with melted butter, flour and milk. Then add the cheese and some tomatoes w. chillies from the can. W

So, 2011....WOW! The new year is for making plans to lose weight, quit smoking, save money, basically change who you were in 2010. My New Years Resolution....to follow my dreams...I like to think of myself as a talented person. I always was a good swimmer, I can sing pretty well, and now my passion in cooking. Cooking isn't for everyone which is why I like to say that I think I am talented. You know how artists just pick up their paint brush or look at their canvas and create this masterpiece? Well that's what I "like to think" I do in the kitchen. So let's wrap up 2010. I turned 28 on December 18th. I had a great birthday. Coming from the Chef I am, I think my entire family will agree, that our pallets are not versed in the menu offerings at Simon Pierce restaurant in West Chester, PA. While the ambiance is great...live glass blowing, gorgeous scenery, the whole "gamey" aspect of it was not our "cup of tea." Christmas came and went