Anne-Marie's Favorite Biscuits and Gravy

1-2 packages of Farmer John Breakfast sausage (bulk package not individual links)
Flour
Salt
Pepper
baking powder
milk

Preheat oven to 450
To make the biscuits: (appx 12)

• 2 cups flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons shortening
• 1 cup milk, chilled

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Using your fingertips, rub butter and shortening into dry ingredients until mixture looks like crumbs. (The faster the better, you don't want the fats to melt.) Make a well in the center and pour in the chilled milk. Stir just until the dough comes together. The dough will be very sticky. Spoon biscuits on baking sheet so that they just touch. they should be about 2-2 1/2 inches wide they will not look perfect that is perfectly fine. Bake until biscuits are tall and light gold on top, 15 to 20 minutes.

Now for the Gravy
Brown your sausage crumbling it in to small pieces you can leave some larger pieces as well it does not need to be the same size exactly. Once you sausage has browned remove it from your pan with a slotted spoon leave all of the fat in the pan. We will use the sausage drippings to make our roux ( thickener) add about 3 tablespoons of flour to the pan with the sausage drippings and saute on medium low for 5 minutes do not brown the flour we are just cooking out the raw flavor the flour has. Once it has cooked begin by whisking in  2 cups of milk continue to whisk occasionally until it comes to a boil.Check the thickness of the gravy by using a spoon dip it in the gravy and see how it coats the back of the spoon you should be able to run your finger down the spoon and  add more milk if the gravy is too thick if it is not thick enough let it simmer and it will thicken up. Add your salt and pepper to taste and simmer.

While your gravy is simmering put your biscuits in the oven and serve them as son as they are done

Mexican Red Rice

What you'll need:
A large saute pan with high sides that has a lid
Rice ( long grain I use Mahatma)
Oil (I like grape-seed or Olive oil)
1 8 ounce can of plain tomato sauce or two very ripe Roma tomatoes chopped roughly
1/4-1/2 of an onion sliced in to medium sized wedges
Knorr Chicken Bullion to taste or according to package directions I tend to add a little more than the package says but I like strongly flavored foods ( Costco has it for the best price but you van get it at any major grocery store)

I did not put exact amout on the rice and oil because you can make as much rice as you want I will give you the deatil for my standard pan of rice. I use a pint glass as my measuring cup. So I use one pint glass of rice to 2 pint glasses of water and enough oil to just cover the bottom of the pan.

Heat your pan first it is an important step so that your rice does not stick!!!

Once you pan is hot put in the oil let it heat for about 30 seconds now toss in the rice and coat it with the oil add oil if not all of the rice has been coated so that your rice can be evenly browned.
Now brown your rice it should be light golden brown all over once your rice is getting close to being golden brown all over add the wedges of onion stir for 30-45 seconds until they begin to cook and start to fall apart. Next you will add the dry bullion stir that in and immediately add the tomato or tomato sauce and stir that in as well let it bubble for a minute and add water. Bring the rice up to a boil place the cover on and then turn the flame to low. let it cook for about 20 minuted or until all of the water has absorbed. I like to have a glass lid so that I can see whats going on with out opening the lid and letting the moisture out.  Step by step pictures to come!

It's Culinarily Official!

I will be attending The Art Institute of California majoring in Culinary Management. Here is the beginning to making Hawaii come true!

Pineapple cupcakes with fresh cream cheese frosting

I use boxed Betty Crocker yellow cake mix and substitute water or milk for Pineapple juice.
1 Box of Yellow Cake mix
1 15 oz. Can of chunk Dole Pineapple drained with the juice reserved
Follow the direction on the cake mix and substitute the reserved Pineapple juice for the liquid add water if there is not enough juice. Once mixed add the pineapple to the mixture and distribute evenly in to muffin tin.

Next the Frosting.
1 Package of Cream Cheese that has been brought to room temperature.
1/2 stick of butter also room temperature
1 Cup of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of Lemon zest and a small squeeze of the juice to taste.

Beat the Cream Cheese and butter until it is fluffy and soft the fluffier the better! add the powder sugar and gently mix until it is blended then add the zest and juice and beat it on high for 2-3 minutes. Place in it the fridge until the cupcakes are cool and frost.

** for another spin add a small amount of cherry pie filling to the top of the cupcake before placing in the oven.

Elote a spin on a traditional classic style corn

Almost everyone has seen the guy or gal pushing the shopping cart down the street honking the bike horn here is how to make "Elotes" or corn. Not everyone likes corn on the cob so this is a simplified version using a bag of frozen corn.

What you will need:
A bag of frozen 16 ounces
1 Tablespoon of butter or margerine
2 Tablespoons of Best Foods Mayonnaise (it really needs to be name brand since there are so few ingredients)
3 Tablespoons of ground Parmesan Cheese or Cotija if you are near a Mexican market they are interchangeable in just about any recipe.
a pinch of kosher salt
Microwave safe dish

Place corn in the microwave for 2-4 minutes until defrosted and slightly warm I start at 2 minutes and stir every 30 seconds until warmed. once corn is defrosted drain any water and mix in the butter or margarine until melted if the butter is not melting pop everything in the microwave for 30 more seconds. once butter is melted in add pinch of  salt mix in the mayo and 2 of the tablespoons of the parm. Even out the corn mix and top the corn with the remaining parm and put back in the microwave until hot 3 minutes or so depending on your microwave. You don't have to follow it exactly these are just guidelines if you like one ingredient more than another use more it is totally to your taste!

Bruchetta!

This recipe is simple quick and easy not to mention delicious!
I get all of my ingredients from Fresh & Easy but you can get them from any high quality distributor.
6-8 Roma style tomatoes I like the ones on the vine that smell like tomatoes. This is very important that they smell like tomato or they won't have enough flavor.
2 or more whole cloves of garlic grated fine preferable with a rasp(tool used to zest a lemon)
6-8 leaves of fresh Basil I used the potted basil plant from F & E
Fresh cracked black pepper to taste
Kosher salt to taste
Extra Virgin Olive oil

Cut all the tomatoes in half and take out the seeds. Place them in a food processor and pulse until slightly chunky or chop them finely by hand. Add salt to taste at this point it will make the tomatoes lose some of their water you can leave or drain depending on what consistency you like.
Grate the garlic and snip the basil in to the tomato as well or slice in thin strips (chiffonade)
add the fresh pepper taste. It should be a little spicy from the garlic, pepper and basil start with less garlic and basil and add more in to make it to your taste. once you have the flavor that you like add a drizzle of olive oil and mix in.
Slice a baguette thinly and bake at 425 until light golden brown and crunchy. Rub with a clove of fresh garlic. Top the baguette with the bruchetta!
You can also use the bruchetta as a pasta topping as well boil some spaghetti and add bruchetta while it is warm sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Steakhouse meal made easy

Steak with grilled asparagus and Caprese salad

Steak Rub:
2 parts Kosher Salt
1 part ground black pepper
1 part garlic powder
1 part onion powder

Let the steak lose their chill by taking them out of the fridge appx 30 mins before grilling or pan frying. Pat meat dry sprinkle meat liberally with the rub.

Prep the asparagus by snapping the ends off place in the microwave wrapped in a moistened paper towel for one minute. Next in a small bowl place 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 teaspoon to 1 and a half teaspoons of the steak rub in the microwave and cook for 2 mins or until melted.

Preheat your grill for 10 mins or until it is 500 degrees.

Spray or wipe the grill grates with canola oil

Place steaks on the hottest part of your grill let cook for 4-7 mins per side depending on the doneness you like and the thickness of your steaks.

Once you place the steaks on the grill place the asparagus on as well and grill until the tips are slightly browned turning often.  When the asparagus are done toss in the butter mixture.

For the Caprese get your favorite
pesto mine is from Fresh and easy
grape tomatoes
fresh mozzarella balls
a pinch of kosher salt
5-10 grinds of fresh cracked pepper
mix everything in a bowl

I get my steaks from Costco they are really great quality!