Ok… I eat allot of racy food. I’m not afraid of a rare steak, sushi, I’ve eaten 4 dozen oysters on the half shell in the past month (none over the past week) It was a Philly cheese steak and fries that got me. Out of commission all weekend. After about ten rounds in the porcelain ring I was left with almost 24 additional hours of sweaty chills. Euch…. food poisoning sucks. On the bright side I would have been heartbroken if it would have been a favorite food, it took a friend over a year before they could stare a dragon roll in the eye after a bad sushi experience.

I’ve been doing well getting my exercise back on track – barring this weekend. I have 15 miles on the new treadmill and I think it’s level and running smooth. I’m banking a few calories for this tasty looking dish:

Blue Cheesecake

Serves 12 to 16
Ingredients:1-1/2 cups water1/2 cup medium-grind cornmeal1 tablespoon chopped garlic1 tablespoon dried basil, crumbled (optional)1-1/2 teaspoons herbes de Provence, crumbled1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt Three 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature1/2 pound Oregon Blue Vein, Oregonzola, Gorgonzola, Roquefort, or other high-quality blue cheese, cut into chunks, at room temperature 3 large eggs1/4 cup (1 ounce) freshly shredded Parmesan cheese1 head garlic, cloves separated and roasted (See Cook’s Hint, below)1/2 cup whole hazelnuts, pine nuts, or almonds, toasted Crostini or crackers, for serving, optional

Directions:1. Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan. Slowly stir in the cornmeal, stirring in one direction to avoid lumps, then add the garlic, basil (if using), herbes de Provence, and salt. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until smooth and creamy, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as necessary so the polenta doesn’t overcook or bubble up and splatter, 12 to 15 minutes.
2. While the polenta is cooking, place the cream cheese and blue cheese in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs one at a time and mix by hand (if you are very strong!) or beat with an electric mixer until the eggs are thoroughly incorporated. Set aside.
3. Arrange the oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9-inch springform pan or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
4. When the polenta is done, remove it from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Let cool for 5 minutes. With a rubber spatula, press the polenta into the bottom of the prepared springform pan and set aside.
5. Pour the reserved cheese filling evenly over the polenta crust. Tap the pan lightly on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Squeeze the garlic cloves from their skins and arrange them around the perimeter of the pan at equal distances. Sprinkle the hazelnuts evenly in the center of the cheesecake.
6. Place the cheesecake on a baking sheet to catch any drips, transfer to the oven, and bake for 1 hour, or until the cake springs back when lightly jiggled and the internal temperature on an instant-read thermometer reaches 160 degrees F. Cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour.
7. To serve, release and remove the sides of the springform pan. Serve the cheesecake warm or at room temperature, cut into slices as an appetizer or spread onto crostini or crackers for a more rustic look. The cheesecake can be covered and kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 week (its flavors meld and deepen the longer it sits). If serving from the refrigerator, slice and warm it in a 350 degree F oven or microwave briefly before serving.

Cook’s Hint: To roast individual cloves of garlic, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove as much skin as possible from each clove, place in a small baking dish without crowding (a pie plate also works well for this), cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake until the garlic is very tender and easily squeezed from the skin, 35 minutes.

Juice Dujor – Apple carrot fennel ginger yo bananna fo

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Galumpkis)

Chicken Chili and beet soup are on the menu today!

Recipes to follow

Juice Dujor – juiced beet greens, carrot, and pear blended with strawberry yo banana and fish oil. No bad at all and very nutritious!

Here’s the Foo Fighters Catering Rider:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008/0513081foo1.html

GREAT!

Ingredients

* 1 ciabatta loaf
* 4 tablespoons white truffle butter
* 1/2 head shredded romaine lettuce
* 8 thin slices hot sopressata (recommended: Calabrese)
* 4 thick slices mozzarella (recommended: Arthur Ave Italian Deli Fresh Homemade)
* 4 thin slices prosciutto Di Parma (recommended: Arthur Ave Italian Deli)
* 1/2 head sliced radicchio
* 1 jar diced sun-dried peppers (not tomatoes)
* 4 to 6 torn basil leaves
* Drizzle unfiltered Sicilian extra-virgin olive oil
* Drizzle homemade reduced balsamic vinegar or store bought
* Salt
* Pepper

Directions

Panini grill

Heat panini grill.

Slice ciabatta bread in half. Over a preheated hot grill or under broiler, using tongs, grill bread until grill marks appear about 2 to 4 minutes. Using a rubber spatula spread 4 tablespoons of white truffle butter on bread. Layer lettuce, sopressata, mozzarella, prosciutto, radicchio, sun-dried peppers, and basil leaves. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar and add salt and pepper, to taste. Cover sandwich with top piece of bread and cut into 4 equal pieces. Place sandwich on panini press until bread is toasted and cheese is melted about 5 minutes. Remove from grill and serve.

I went to the gym after a week off. A 35 minute 5k. Joints felt ready to go long but I was low energy. I made the crab cakes for lunch, they didn’t want to stay together I think it might need another type of binder in the future. I served it with ham scallion and onion pancakes from yesterday, garnished with a dollop of sour cream and a little caviar. Very tasty….

Crab Cakes

* Nonstick cooking spray
* 1 egg, lightly beaten
* 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
* 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
* Dash hot sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
* 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
* 1 scallion, including green top, finely chopped
* 1 pound lump crab, picked over for cartilage
* 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* Smarter Tartar Sauce, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl mix together the egg, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning and hot sauce. Stir in the bell pepper and scallion. Gently fold in the crab, 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs and salt and pepper to taste. Put the remaining bread crumbs in a shallow dish.

Divide the crab mixture into 8 mounds. Shape 1 mound into a round and coat in bread crumbs. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and flatten the crab cake to form a patty about 1-inch high. Repeat to form the remaining crab cakes.

Bake until golden on the bottom, about 10 minutes. Gently flip the crab cakes and cook until the second side is golden, 5 to 10 minutes longer.
Smarter Tartar Sauce:

6 tablespoons nonfat plain yogurt

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 scallion, finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped sour pickles

1 tablespoon chopped capers

Spoon yogurt into a small bowl lined with paper towels. Place in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour until some of the liquid from the yogurt is released. Scoop thickend yogurt into a small bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.

Yield: 3/4 cup

Blue Cheese and Red Onion Jam Crescent Thumbprints

INGREDIENTS:
1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese (2 oz)*
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations™ refrigerated flaky dough sheet
1/3 cup Fisher® Chef’s Naturals® Chopped Pecans
1 teaspoon CRISCO® 100% Extra Virgin or Pure Olive Oil
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup SMUCKER’S® Apricot Preserves
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 375°F. In small bowl, mix cream cheese and Gorgonzola cheese with fork until blended.
2. If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough; separate into 2 rectangles, each about 11 inches long. Place 1 rectangle on cutting board; press perforations together to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; cut lengthwise into 2 rectangles, each about 11 inches long. Place 1 rectangle on cutting board.
3. Spread half of the cheese mixture over dough to within 1/2 inch of long sides; sprinkle half of the pecans evenly over cheese. Starting at 1 long side, roll up; press seam to seal. Cut roll into 16 (about 3/4-inch) slices with serrated knife; place cut sides down on ungreased large cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, cheese and pecans.
4. Bake 14 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. Meanwhile, in 8-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion; cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until soft and lightly brown. Remove from heat. Stir in vinegar, preserves (breaking up large pieces of fruit if necessary) and thyme; set aside.
5. After removing rolls from oven, immediately press back of a teaspoon into center of each roll to make small indentation. Spoon slightly less than 1/2 teaspoon onion jam into each indentation. Remove from cookie sheet. Serve warm.

1 1/2 to 2 pounds red bliss potatoes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 (10-ounce) box frozen pearl onions, defrosted
Pinch sugar
Splash freshly squeezed lemon juice
5 slices lemon
2 (10-ounce) boxes frozen peas, defrosted
1 lemon, zested
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1/4 cup roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 heaping tablespoons roughly chopped fresh dill
1 bunch watercress, stems trimmed just above the rubber band

Put the potatoes into a large pot, cover them with cold water, and add a large pinch of salt. If they’re large, cut them in half. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Drain. Stick a fork into the potatoes, 1 at a time, lift them out of the colander and peel with a paring knife. Toss the potatoes into a bowl and roughly crush them. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil with the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts. Add the pearl onions, sugar, and lemon juice and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the lemon slices, peas, and lemon zest and continue cooking until the peas are hot. Season with salt and pepper. Dump the vegetables over the potatoes in the bowl, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil add the parsley and dill and taste for salt and pepper. Scatter the watercress over the top, fold it in just until it wilts and call it a day.

Chilli butter

115g (4oz) softened sweet butter
2 tbsp chilli sauce
1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
Ingredients for Corn Cakes:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp basil
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp chilli
230g (8oz) can whole kernel corn
1 cup diced cooked ham
1/2 cup shredded Jack cheese
Method:

For the Chilli Butter: Beat softened sweet butter with chilli sauce and honey or maple syrup until blended and light. Spoon into a butter crock and chill until needed.
In a heavy-based skillet, heat vegetable oil and sauté finely chopped onion until golden.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. In a liquid measure, combine milk, egg, oil, basil, garlic and chilli sauce.
Lightly stir mixture into dry ingredients. Fold in cooked onion, can whole kernel corn (well-drained), cooked ham and Jack cheese.
Heat the skillet (or use a griddle) to 350ªF (180ªC) or until a drop of water sizzles on contact. For each cake, cook about 1/3 cup batter for 2-3 minutes each side or until cooked through and golden. Serve warm with Sweet Chilli Butter and maple syrup.

Greek Chicken Stew

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 large green bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 tablespoon jarred minced garlic
4 teaspoons dried Greek seasoning, crumbled between the fingers
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, in puree
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup fat free, less sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
Pepper, to taste
1 rotisserie chicken, cut into serving pieces
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Cinnamon Couscous, recipe follows
Directions
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and seasoning and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the tomatoes, garbanzo beans, broth, bay leaves, and pepper. Stir well. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chicken, lower the heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. The mixture will thicken. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Stir in the olives and lemon juice, and serve immediately over the couscous.
Cinnamon Couscous:
2 cups fat free, less sodium chicken broth or 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can fat free, less sodium chicken broth plus 1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 (10-ounce) box plain, quick-cooking couscous (about 1 1/3 cups)

1/4 cup raisins

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon orange juice

While the stew is simmering, bring the broth, oil and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the couscous and raisins, cover, and remove the pan from the heat. When the moisture has been absorbed, about 5 minutes, sprinkle the cinnamon and orange juice over the couscous. Fluff with a fork to combine the flavors and loosen the couscous. Do not stir.

Yield: 5 1/4 cups

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Ease of preparation: easy