From My House To Yours

MAY ALL YOUR CHRISTMAS WISHES COME TRUE!

Vicki Bensinger

And the Winner Is....

I want to thank everyone for participating in my contest. Carolyn's Kitchen has so many adorable aprons that it's hard to choose just one. However, each of you that entered the contest all shared which apron you wanted and why. Some of you even entered more than once. So this morning I took all the names and wrote them on their own small square sheet of paper. I put them in a bag and had my husband draw the winning name.

The winner of one of Carolyn's Kitchen aprons is Kelly Locker. Kelly won the apron that she selected for her sister who is getting married, the Red Rock 'N Roll apron. Congratulations Kelly!

I never realized I would feel so bad for those of you whose names weren't drawn. However, the good thing is you can still go online to Carolyn's Kitchen and order an apron for yourself or as a gift for someone. They truely are adorable.

Thank you again and I hope your Labor Day holiday has been a great one!

Ramen Noodle Cole Slaw

Years ago I was invited to a school luncheon at someones home. Among the food that was served was this cole slaw that I just couldn't get enough of. For the life of me I couldn't figure out just what was in it so I asked the hostess if she would share the recipe with me. Much to my surprise the main ingredient in it was Ramen Noodles from the Ramen Noodle packages.

I know that might sound odd or maybe even disgusting to you but since that luncheon I have made it many times for various occasions and each time there's not a bite left in the bowl. It's just that good.

So if you're trying to come up with a salad to serve at your Labor Day BBQ this weekend try this, I'm sure everyone will love it.

Ramen Noodle Cole Slaw

1 package coleslaw mix
1/2-1 cup roasted & salted sunflower seeds
1/2-1 cup toasted almond slivers
2 pkgs. Ramen Chicken Noodles (crushed)
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

Dressing - whisk all ingredients below together

1/2 cup oil (not olive) I use canola
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 pkgs. Ramen Chicken Seasoning

Keep dressing and dry ingredients separate until ready to serve. This makes quite a lot!

Note: There are many varieties of the Ramen Noodles. Feel free to use and try each one with the coleslaw. If you use the Asian noodles you can substitute the oil with sesame and the vinegar with rice wine vinegar.

Also don't be shy about switching out the nuts for others, like cashews or pine nuts, etc. Be creative. Start with the version above and then play with others next time. I think you'll find this will become one of your favorites.

In The News

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote an article about me in the Food Section of the paper today. To view the article click here:

Also DON'T FORGET there are just 5 days left for the contest to win one of Carolyn's Kitchen aprons. To enter, check out my blog for August 24th, 2009 or go to "Labels" and search "Carolyn's Kitchen" and follow the instructions.

Remember to post your comment and add your name as a follower.

Salmon with a Mango & Blueberry Salsa

I love mangoes and blueberries. In fact every morning for breakfast I have a bowl of Oatmeal loaded with mangoes, blueberries and cinnamon. It gives me a jump start for my day.

So when I was having breakfast the other day I wondered what these fruits would taste like in a salsa. Since I was preparing Salmon that evening I decided to to try it, I mean how bad could it be? It actually tasted great and very refreshing.

In addition to the way it tasted did you know that Mangoes are:

High in antioxidants
High in iron
High in vitamins A, E and Selenium which protects against heart disease
Combats degestion

Blueberries also have some health benefits that include:

They help to slow the aging process.
They help reduce cell damage that may lead to some forms of cancer.
They help prevent and even cure urinary tract infections.
They help clean our blood vessels, our arteries and veins.
They are proving to be beneficial to those suffering with arthritis and fibroses myalgia.
They benefit the nervous system and may help to prevent mood swings.
They help you maintain good vision.
They are good for your complextion.
Help you stick to that “diet” and aid in weight control

Plus of course Salmon is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids which help to ward off diseases.

With benefits like that I'm glad I've been eating them on a regular basis.

Below is the recipe for Mango & Blueberry Salsa

Ingredients

1/3 cup blueberries
1/3 cup peeled, diced mangoes
2 tablespoons minced red onions
2 tablespoon minced red bell peppers
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon minced jalepeno peppers, seeded
2 teaspoons honey
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Combine blueberries, mangoes, onions, bell peppers, cilantro, lime juice, jalepenos, honey, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside or cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use (Best if used that day to avoid blueberries discoloring mangoes. Otherwise can hold up to 3 days)

Note: Be sure to wash hands carefully after handling chili peppers and be careful not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth prior to washing hands.

For more information on how to cut mangoes go to "Labels" on the right column of my blog and search for "mangoes".

New Culinary Classes Offered

I'm adding two new classes to the already large list of classes that I currently offer, At Home with Vicki Bensinger, In-Home Culinary Classes. I hope you like them.

As always if you would like to tailor a class to meet your specifications just let me know.

These two classes are the perfect party menus to have when inviting friends over.

Sangria and Paella

We're traveling to Spain for this fun party menu. From appetizers to dessert you'll be partying with friends all night.

Crostini
Sangria
Gazpacho
Paella
Flan


Small Plates

Looking to have a friendly gathering with friends but don't feel like cooking a huge meal? Small plates are the perfect thing where there's something for everyone.

Tuna Wontons
Meatball Sliders
Stuffed Portobella Mushrooms over Tomato Couscous
Chicken Satay

New classes are always being added so please check out my blog or follow it for frequent updates!

Balsamic Vinegars

As I mentioned in previous posts, I spent some time in Italy a couple of years ago. One of the places that I vividly remember was the Mercato Centrale in Florence. This is the main market and houses a variety of commercial activities, as well as cultural and artisanal ones. Along the years this place has become the cities barometer. It is where people of all classes, from the artisocracy to the bourgeoisie mingle as they look for traditional products, as well as for an informal friendly chat. There you will find people looking for good value and natural products, tourists in search of fine wines, and Italian or foreign students spending their money to savour Tuscan delicacies. All mixed together, with the voices, colors and perfumes of a place that gives real pleasures to the senses and filled with incredible meats, cheeses, breads, pasta, fish, olive oils and vinegars. It is truely an experience that my daughter and I must have spent several hours exploring.

Of all the places in the market our favorite was a place called Baroni Alimentari. There they had cheese, wines and liquors, meats, fish, pasta, pickles, pate's, honey & jams, olive oils and the best were the balsamic vinegars.

Never in my life had I experienced such incredible tastes as with their traditional balsamic vinegars drizzled over the most luscious parmigiano reggiano. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. There we sampled so many different varieties along with getting a tutorial on each and everyone.

Did you know that in medieval times balsamic vinegar was thought to have medicinal value, believing that they contained soothing qualities aiding in relieving pain? Years later it was set aside for special celebrations or set aside as special gifts for dignitaries.

Balsamic vinegar is dark in color and has a thick syrupy texture due to the high sugar content and condensing of the syrup with flavors that range from tart to sweet.

There are specific standards that go into the making of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar. Great must is put in large barrels and placed in the attic for years to rest, then transferred from barrel to barrel as it reduces in size. It is transferred to different wood barrels in this order:

Oak

Chestnut

Mulberry

Cherry

Ash

Juniper

each one giving the vinegar a distinct flavor.

The grapes only come from the Emila-Romagna region a process that only takes place in a specific region called Modena.

After the 12-25 years of aging the traditional balsamic vinegar is taken to the Consorzio which grades the balsamic vinegar on color, taste and texture. After graded and approved it is bottled and given a serial code so that it can be authenticated.

Because so much care has gone into making traditional balsamic vinegar is gets granted the DOP status which stands for Denominazione D'Origine Protetta (Denomination of the Origin of Protection)

If you travel anytime soon to Florence be sure to make a morning or afternoon trip to the Mercato Centrale and visit Baroni Alimentari and all the other incredible vendors. It is something you absolutely can't miss.

Links on my site

I'm suddenly having problems with this site and all of the links that I have posted have disappeared. I'm hoping this is just a bug in the system that will fix itself.

If you'd like to visit my links go to:

Stella & Dot www.stelladot.com/vicki
Cupcake Project www.cupcakeproject.com
Food Dictionary www.epicurious.com/tools/fooddictionary
Great American Bake Sale http://gabs.strength.org/site/PageServer?pagename=GABS_homepage
Recipe Exchange http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/recipe-exchange/
Sauce Magazine http://www.saucemagazine.com/
White House http://www.whitehouse.gov/

I have no idea what's going on. Even the links are shown rather than just the names hi-lighted. I sure hope it resolves itself soon or I figure out what's going on. If anyone knows please email me.

Low Fat Banana Bread

I had some very ripe bananas that I knew no one would eat so I decided to make some banana bread. In my house we all like to try and watch our caloric intake, especially around bathing suit season, so years ago I created a recipe for banana bread that is very low in fat. It's so delicious and moist you'd never know. So I thought as long as I made it I'd go ahead and share my recipe with you.

If you should happen to make a loaf for yourself please let me know what you think of it. Of course, if you desparately need to add more fat into it then add some chocolate chips. I mean who doesn't like a little chocolate with their bananas?

This recipe makes two loaves. The one on the right I added some semi-sweet chocolate chips for when we have a chocolate craving. The one on the left is as the recipe reads below:

Low Fat Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1/2 cup applesauce (I used Musselmans Natural Unsweetened)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, well beaten (this is the only fat in the bread)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sifted flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 (6oz) container fat free strawberry banana yogurt (I used Dannon)

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

Cream applesauce and sugar; add eggs and salt and mix well. Add flour, soda and yogurt and mix well. Add bananas blending well into the mixture.

At this time if you wanted to add any chocolate chips or nuts you can blending well. If you prefer having one with and one without then blend in after pouring into pans.

Grease or spray with non-stick cooking spray 2 regular size loaf pans; pour in mixture and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes. When the bread pulls away from the sides of the pan and toothpick comes out clean, the bread is done.

This recipe can be doubled.

If you want to use plain yogurt or some other flavor then feel free to do so. The best part about cooking yourself is that you can modify a recipe anyway you like.

I hope you enjoy this.

Which Olive Oil to Use?

Many of my friends and customers ask me about Olive Oil. They don't know the difference between the various types. Which ones to use in their salad dressings, which ones to cook with and not to cook with and how to store it. So I thought I would devote this blog to sharing with you some facts and tidbits about Olive Oil.

Olive oil adds vibrant flavors and textures to foods and is high in healthy monounsaturated fats along with antioxidants.

Olives are the fruit of the olive tree. Soon after being picked they're cleaned in a water bath. The olives are then crushed.

The best quality olive oils are obtained from the first pressing of the olives and are "cold pressed." This means they're not heated during the pressing process. Heating produces larger amounts of oil, but decreases important flavor and healthy compounds, including flavenols and polyphenols, unique to extra-virgin olive oil.

There are several different grades of olive oil based upon taste, acidity level and processing method. The main types of olive oils starting from the highest quality are:

Extra Virgin - Highest quality oil, made from the first pressing with no heat or chemicals (unrefined). It is considered the finest and fruitiest of the olive oils and is the most expensive. Extra-virgin ranges in color from champagne to bright green. The deeper the color the more intense the olive flavor.

Virgin - Lacks perfect taste of extra-virgin but isn't refined. It has a GOOD taste.

Olive - Blend of virgin and refined (chemically treated) oils. Lacks flavor.

Lite - The word "lite" means the oil has been refined, NOT lower in fat or calories. It is lighter in both color and fragrance, and has little of the classic olive oil flavor, making it perfect for baking and cooking. Plus the filtration system of this light oil gives it a higher smoke point making it more desirable for high heat frying. Whereas regular olive oil is better suited for low to medium heat cooking. Lacks flavor.

Pomace - Lowest quality made by blending virgin and pomace. Lacks flavor.

STORING OLIVE OIL

When you purchase olive oil make sure it's not more than 18 months old, by looking at the bottling date on the bottle.

Store olive oil in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months. It can be refrigerated for up to a year. If chilled it will become cloudy and thick to pour but if left out and brought to room temperature it will clear up and become liquid again.

I hope if you've had any questions about olive oil that I've answered them for you.

If you want to learn to cook, become a better cook or just have a fun time with friends and food, then consider, "At Home with Vicki Bensinger," In-Home Culinary Classes. If there's a skill you'd like to learn in addition to my current classes please let me know and I will teach it to you.

Vinaigrette Dressing

To make the perfect vinaigrette dressing mix:

3 parts olive oil (whatever suits your taste)

1 part vinegar (any type that blends with your oil)

touch of sweetener or honey

Dijon Mustard

Whisk ingredients together and drizzle over salad.

Feel free to add shallots, spices, salt and pepper to your dressing to jazz it up. In addition there are so many varieties of olive oils. Those that are infused with basil, garlic, lemon, orange, etc. as well as many types of vinegars such as: raspberry, champagne, balsamic, etc. Use any of these to go with your salad. Be creative and don't be afraid to try something out. That's the best way to learn.

Hope this has helped. Enjoy!

Cake Balls

This morning I decided to attempt to make cake balls. It's cake that you then add some mixin's and then dip in hard chocolate.

• Use your favorite recipe or box mix


• After baking let cake cool


• Crumble cake into a large bowl


• Add your favorite icing and mix


• Using a small or large melon/ice cream scoop - scoop cake balls onto a parchment lined pan


• Place in FREEZER (important so crumbs don't fall off into melted chocolate)


• Melt "wafer (white or chocolate) confectionary coating" in microwave or on top of double boiler


• Take cake balls out of freezer and with a metal or wood skewer poke into the bottom of a frozen cake ball


• Dip into melted white or dark wafer confectionary coating and place on parchment to dry


• Decorate to your liking with sprinkles (while chocolate is still moist), dots, lines, etc.

These are delicious! You won't believe just how yummy and moist they are. For fun put them in a bowl with ice cream. Then you can have your cake and ice cream too!

This will be part of a class that I am putting together for children and adults.

More information to come.

To get this great platter and 3 square bowls that come with it, contact Robin Raible at:

www.pamperedchef.biz/rraible