A Long Overdue Update, plus Chocolate Covered, Coconut Stuffed Stawberries

I took a break from posting to my blog for awhile, but I definitely haven't stopped cooking! Here's a sample of what I've been making for the last few months...

This Filet Mignon with Caramel-Brandy Mushroom Sauce was delicious, with a sweet sauce that complimented the tender filet. My only mistake was substituting some re-hydrated dry mushrooms for fresh mushrooms, since they ended up being a little tougher than they should have been.

This Spinach Gratin was decadent - cheesy and creamy, with a hint of nutmeg to compliment the spinach. It was also really easy to make. If you are in the mood for something rich, I definitely recommend it!

Inspired by the lentils in the Crispy Salmon with Warm Lentils and Balsamic Essence recipe, these lentils with chicken were hearty and flavorful, but I do think the dish needed something sweet to go with it, like the balsamic essence in the salmon recipe.

This mushroom risotto was yummy, but my favorite part were the roasted carrots. They are incredibly easy to make and the carrots get really tender and sweet. You can compliment the carrots with your favorite herb - in this case I used parsley.

This started out as a good concept: scrambled eggs, with sundried tomatoes, spinach, and onions, on some crusty french bread covered with goat cheese. Then I realized I had some leftover turkey and decided to add that in to the mix.  Wow, it was terrible!  There was something about the flavor of the turkey and the eggs that completely clashed - maybe they are too similar? Trust me: turkey and eggs is not a good idea.

These chocolate covered strawberries stuffed with coconut are really easy to make and very yummy!  Since you can make them in advance, they are great as a dessert when you have company over.

Chocolate Covered Strawberries Stuffed with Coconut

10 strawberries

about 5 ounces white chocolate (or dark, whatever you prefer)

1 vanilla bean

1/2 cup shredded coconut, just enough to fill the strawberries

Cut the stem off of each strawberry. Instead of cutting the whole top off, angle the knife and cut just around the stem and the white part of the strawberry.

After you remove the stem, this should reveal a hole in the middle of the strawberry.  Fill liberally with shredded coconut.  (Or, try your favorite ingredient as a filling instead.)

Line a cookie tray with wax paper, to hold the strawberries after they have been dipped in chocolate.

Melt the chocolate in a metal bowl over boiling water, or in a double broiler. Cut the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Add the seeds to the melted chocolate and mix well.

Dip each strawberry in the chocolate, large end down, using a toothpick to hold the strawberry steady, and spooning the melted chocolate up the sides to coat. Optionally, leave the top of the strawberry uncovered.

Place each strawberry on the cookie sheet, large end down, and chill in the fridge for at least 15 minutes, or up to 24 hours, before serving.

Chopped Dates in Milk

It's been an exciting time for me lately. My husband and I just bought a condo and we've been spending the last couple of weeks unpacking. I really love the new place and can't wait until we finish settling in.

There are some things that I miss about our old place, like the view from the balcony, but let me tell you, I don't miss the stove. It was electric, and really small - just big enough to fit a cookie sheet. It was the kind that has one full size burner, with three that are smaller.

And now for the exciting part. Check out our new stove!


I'm really excited to start experimenting with it.

Another thing that has been keeping me busy lately is Ramadan, the month of fasting that Muslims observe once a year. The fast lasts during daylight hours, so traditionally you wake up before sunrise to eat a meal called suhor and break your fast after sunset with a meal called iftar.

I have a lot of food related memories surrounding Ramadan, since there are certain dishes that my family makes during this time. For example, one traditional food to break fast with is dates and milk. My mom likes to let the dates sit for few minutes in the milk before eating, so the sweet flavor of the dates seeps into the milk.

I've seen variations of this that include nuts, but for me the plain version is great as is. It's the perfect refreshing snack to have at the end of a day of fasting.

Chopped Dates and Milk

(appetizer/snack for 4)

12 dates, about 3 per ramekin
4 ramekins
milk, about 2 cups
couple dashes of cinnamon, optional

Chop the dates into bite sized pieces, removing the seed. Divide evenly between the ramekins and then fill to the top with milk. Sprinkle with some cinnamon if you'd like. Allow to site for at least 5 minutes before enjoying.