Ever wondered how your mother, grandmother, or mother-in-law always come out with perfectly boiled eggs? How the shell peels right off every single time - without ripping most of the egg white off with it? Have you dreamed of making deviled eggs but just can't seem to figure out how in the world to boil a beautiful egg? You're going to love me because with the following tips you'll be showing off your very own beautiful boiled eggs in no time.
1) Gently place (room temperature) eggs in pot or sauce pan.
2) Pour water until it's covering the eggs.
3) Turn the burner on a high heat.
4) Be sure to add a couple extra eggs (more than you're wanting to come out with), just in case you check to see if they're ready and they're not. That way you'll be sure to have the number of eggs you want.
5) Bring to a hard boil.
6) Turn the burner off.
7) Remove eggs from the pot and crack each one, placing them either back in the empty pan or a bowl filled with ice cubes and cold water, covering them. Allow them to cool this way. They peel perfectly most every time!
f you have been to a Mexican restaurant, then you have had chips and salsa. Personally, I like my salsa on the "hot enough to make you sweat" side. Did you know it is easy to make your own salsa and make it as hot as you want? One Habanero pepper, some tomatoes and spices and a cuisinart are all you need. Habanero peppers are the hottest peppers on Earth, so this recipe is not for the timid. Here is what you do:
1
Peel your clove or cloves of garlic and place in the Cuisinart. Turn it on until the garlic is finely chopped.
2
Next,add one Habanero pepper to the garlic. These peppers come in different shades, from green to a ripe orange color. They are deceptively small and innocent looking, but pack a mean punch of something called capsaicin. This is the molecule that registers in your mouth as being hot, and Habanero peppers contain thousands of times more capsaicin than any other type of pepper. Most of it is contained in the seeds, so if you want a milder salsa, add less of them. Cut the pepper in half, remove seeds as desired, then place in Cuisinart and blend.
3
Next, prepare your tomatoes and onion by chopping them into medium sized pieces. You'll need 2-3 tomatoes and one small onion. Once they are in the Cuisinart, add your salt,cumin, and cilantro, then blend.
4
Tomatoes are what give salsa it's rich red color, but they vary a great deal in how well they do this. If your salsa looks anemic, just add some tomato or vegetable juice until the color perks up. Then all you need are some tortilla chips and a party!
Tips & Warnings
Salsa recipes vary quite a bit. If this is too hot, just substitute a milder pepper like a jalepeno. You can also add a small amount of lemon or lime juice.
Habanero peppers are very hot. If you aren't used to spicy foods, they will seem even hotter, so be careful. When you taste the salsa, make your first bite a small one. If it's too hot, you can use tomato or vegetable juice to cool it down.
Cut off the top inch or so from each artichoke. If there are any leaves with thorns on their tops remaining, pull them out.
3
Boil artichokes in salted water 20 to 45 minutes, until artichokes are tender.
4
Alternatively, steam artichokes for 15 to 30 minutes, or until tender.
5
As another option, microwave artichokes, individually wrapped in plastic, for 8 to 15 minutes.
6
Drain artichokes well, upside down. Serve with melted butter to dip the leaves in, or try homemade mayonnaise or garlic mayonnaise.
7
To trim and cook just the artichoke hearts and inner leaves, first fill a large mixing bowl with cold water and add the juice of one lemon.
8
Remove all the tough outer leaves from an artichoke. Stop removing leaves when you get to the tender, light green ones.
9
Cut about 1 to 2 inches off the top of the artichoke, then cut the artichoke into quarters. Put three quarters in the bowl of water and work with the remaining quarter.
10
Use a spoon to remove the fuzzy choke and purple and white inner leaves from the center of the artichoke. Slice the artichoke quarter into as many slices as you want; put the slices in the water and proceed with another quarter.
Chicken:
6 large chicken breasts
1 to 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces goat cheese, softened to room temperature
Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups finely sliced sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Prepare the Chicken: Reduce charcoal briquettes to white-hot coals. Brush chicken breasts with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill chicken over hot coals 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through. Divide goat cheese evenly between chicken breasts, placing some on each breast for the last two minutes of cooking. Place cooked chicken on serving platter and spoon Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce over chicken.
