PeteyBird Goat Cheese and Fig Ice Cream Roll with Short Bread Cookies

Photographing for Amanda at 5280.com means I get to meet some of the greatest chefs and entrepenuers in town.  My most recent assignment was to photograph these amazing mini ice-cream sandwiches from PeteyBird. Pete of PeteyBird uniquely crafted ice cream sandwiches is engineer turned baker which is fabulous for us Denverites. The creatively flavored sandwiches are ideally sized and will melt in your mouth...just in time for summer!  Pete has mastered all things ice cream and cookies during his lengthy R&D process and this was one of his fabulous creations.  Similar to a savory, spreadable cheese log and cracker duo, this sweet version is a perfect dinner party dessert. The recipe may look a bit daunting but Pete swears it's not that bad (it's really not!).  Well worth a show-stopping and interactive dessert. Also, here are a few of his few ice cream sandwiches first talked about on Amanda Faison's Table Talk blog post.

Quick Tip: Freezing Salmon for Quick Meals

Salmon (or any fish) thaws pretty quickly making it a great weeknight meal option.  Freezing salmon in serving sizes has become my lifesaver for a meal in a rush.  I'm hungry and want something good for me.  Salmon is so versatile as well.  I've listed a few of my favorite recipes below.  If you pull it out of the freezer it will thaw in less than 20 minutes! That means you can having a filling, fresh dinner in less than 30 minutes.  To thaw, just place 1-2 salmon fillets (still in the baggy) in a medium bowl of lukewarm water.  Swap the water every 5-10 minutes. Viola! Thawed, ready-to-broil salmon, already sliced in serving sizes.  My absolute favorite salmon is Scottish Salmon.  You can order it online to be delivered to your door the next day at Chef's Fresh Fish.

Needed:

-1 large salmon fillet (3-4 lbs) (skinned removed or not, your choice)
-1 large sharp knife
-freezer quart plastic bags

Salmon Recipes: 

Salmon with Apricot and Pesto Glaze
Smoked Salmon
Smoked Salmon Spread
Smoked Salmon Bruschetta
Salmon Pho
Stuffed Salmon with Spicy Mayo Sauce

Spicy Crab Sushi Rolls

I've made sushi a couple of times and made a complete mess.  Once in college I tried to tempura fry anything I could get my hands on.  No joke, there was batter splattered on the ceiling of our rental house.  Oops.  This was a little cleaner and easier, especially since I had the help of Blake, master sushi-chef.  Well, maybe not master, but he has taken a class in sushi rolling and got a sushi knife out of the deal!  One of my best friends has been asking for months for a post on rolling sushi.  Sorry it has taken me so long, Allison! Here you go.  Also, get creative with your ingredients...Blake added peanut butter to one. It was actually good!

Ingredients:


-1 cups dry sushi rice (makes about 2 1/2 cups cooked)
-2 Tbsp rice vinegar
-nori wrapper paper
-avacado
-cucumber
-1 pkg refrigerated crab pieces
-2 Tbsp mayo
-1 tsp - 1 Tbsp sriracha (depending on how spicy you want it)
-Wasabi paste or powder
-3 green onions, thinly sliced
-juice 1/2 lemon
-a few slices of pickled ginger to serve with the sushi
-sesame seeds for garnish

Other things needed:


-1 bamboo rolling mat
-plastic/saran wrap (don't use press and seal)
-sharp knife
-wet kitchen towel...helps slice the rolled sushi without smashing it

How-To: Growing Sprouts

Did you know you can grow your own sprouts, in your kitchen, in a mason jar?  It's basically that easy and only takes about 10 days until they're ready to be thrown on a salad or sandwich.  The most popular sprout may be alfalfa which is what I grew my first time around.  Come to find out though there are many many different seeds that can sprout into these crunchy edible garnishes.  And each of them have a different flavor whether it be zesty, spicy, earthy, you name it.  You can grow leafy sprouts, bean sprouts, and even nuts! Give it a shot.  You can get sprouting seeds at health food stores including Whole Foods, your local nursery (mine had 3 varieties) or you can order them online from Sprout People.

What you need:


-1 Tbsp of sprouting seeds
-1 quart-size mason jar with ring
-1 - 6 inch x 6 inch square of cheesecloth (I doubled mine in thickness)

Easy Vegetable Stock from Old Scraps

This is the most thoughtless and cheapest recipe I've ever made because it's basically from water and frozen vegetable scraps.  It started with a gallon freezer bag and a few extra carrots I had leftover from a recipe.  Over the next few weeks I added chopped red onions, white onions halves, celery stalks, parsnips, wilted herbs, sprouting garlic, and a Parmesan rind. Basically anything that was no longer "good" to use in my kitchen but by no means rotten.  After a few weeks I had a FREE bag of vegetable stock goodness.  With olive oil and some water you have an amazing vegetable stock for soups, sauces and more.

Optional Veggies (and other things) to Add to your Freezer Bag:


-carrots
-celery
-parsnips
-turnips
-white, yellow, green or red onions
-leeks
-mushrooms
-tomatoes or tomato paste
-bell peppers
-yellow or butternut squash
-zucchini
-garlic cloves
-parsley leaves and/or stems
-other fresh or dried herbs
-hard cheese rinds such as parmesan
-bay leaves
-cloves
-whole peppercorns

How-To: Easy Homemade Chicken Stock

Chicken Stock at home is so easy that you will be shocked you've never done it before once you've tried it.  First thing's first: What is the difference between stock and broth? Well, they are very similar, both use parts of chickens, water and veggies to make.  The main difference is that stock uses just the bones (carcass) of the bird while broth uses the whole chicken, meat included.  Stock has a richer taste with more "body".  Often times the bones from roasted chickens are used to make a stock.  This is what I have done here.  Just follow one of my two roast chicken recipes below..... and keep the bones:

Easy Roast Chicken

Roast Chicken on a bed of Lemon and Onions

Ingredients:

-bones and carcass from a roasted chicken (most of the meat removed)

-water

-3-4 stalks of celery

-2-3 carrots

-2 white onions

-2 Tbsp black peppercorns

-2 dried bay leaves

-5-6 springs of fresh parsley

Optional additional ingredients:

-fresh springs of thyme

-fresh sprigs of rosemary

-2-3 garlic cloves, crushed with a knife

-1 parsnip, peeled and cut into pieces

-2-3 cloves (if you like the flavor)

Salad Jars

I like salads..especially with fabulous toppings.  The problem is chopping, washing and drying the lettuce EVERY TIME you want a small, quick salad for lunch.  Paula over at Salad in a Jar became the solution to my frustrations.  You only have to prepare your lettuce ONCE and you can enjoy it all week, or even for the next two weeks...yes, that's how long it lasts in these pretty, little, vacuum-sealed mason jars! 


I'm sure you will quickly say, "Ehh, I don't have a vacuum sealing thingy, so this isn't for me".  That's not true.  Yes, they are $150+ at the store, but I found mine on Craigslist for $20, no joke.  Most of them come with the accessory hose, or you can get it from the manufacturer here for $3. The last piece you need is the mason jar attachment(s) found here on Amazon. All mason jars have either a regular or wide-mouth opening. Pick the one that fits your jars or get both, they're only $9.  If you don't have an enormous collection of mason jars and lids (like I do) you can get a pack at Wal-mart or your grocery store. The cute, vintage containers can be used for a lot more than salad containers. Try putting candles in them, a vase for your flowers, or used as lemonade glasses in this summer heat!


Ingredients:


-1 package of romaine lettuce


Equipment Needed:


-6-10 mason jars with lids (2-piece lids)
-FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer
-Accessory Hose
-Wide or Regular Mouth Jar Sealer
-Salad Spinner

Water Bath Canning at Home

As you saw in my last post I made a TON of salsa the other day.  For two reasons, 1. I wanted to keep a lot (most) for myself and 2. I thought I'd be a nice girlfriend and bubble wrap a few jars and risk checking them in my luggage to bring Blake (it actually worked!)  

Canning at home includes sterilizing jars, filling them, and processing them in boiling water to remove bacteria.  Salsa (and other goodies) can be kept for a year and even more in your pantry.  Here are a few gadgets you will need:

1. Water Bath Canner (comes with wire holder for jars)

2. Wide Mouth Funnel

3. 2-Piece Jar and Lids

4. Jar Lifter

5. Magnetic Lid Lifter

6. Lots of Mason Jars (make sure you lids fit your jars. two standard sizes: regular and wide mouth)