Buffalo Chicken Dip

Posted by Cooking with Sierra in Appetizers and tagged with appetizer, appetizers, best food to impress, best football dips, best football snacks, buffalo, buffalo chicken, buffalo chicken dip, celery, chicken, chicken breast, chips, dip, hot sauce, ranch dressing, snacks October 1, 2012

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, boiled and shredded
12 oz. bottle of hot sauce
16 oz. packages of cream cheese
16 oz. bottle of Ranch dressing
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

2. Combine the chicken with the bottle of hot sauce and spread in a 9×13-inch baking dish (or any 3-quart baking dish).

3. In a saucepan, combine the cream cheese and the ranch dressing over low heat until the cream cheese is completely melted and smooth. Pour the mixture evenly over the chicken. Then sprinkle the cheese on top.

4. Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with celery sticks (and/or other vegetables), tortilla chips or crackers.

Recipe Compliments of Sierra A. Martin

Romanian Apple Cake

Posted by Cooking with Sierra in Desserts and tagged with all-purpose flour, apple, apple cake, apples, bake, baking, baking soda, best dessert, best dessert recipes, best desserts, cake, chef, chopped walnuts, cinnamon, dessert, devries, egg, eggs, executive chef, flour, food, gala apples, grease, ground cinnamon, inch wedges, macintosh apples, martin, purpose flour, recipe compliments, romanian, romanian apple cake, romanian cusinine, romanian dessert, Romanian far, romanian fare, romanian food, sierra, sierra a. martin, sierra martin, unbleached all-purpose flour, vanilla, vanilla extract, vegetable oil, walnut, walnuts, white sugar September 18, 2012

Ingredients:

5 apples, peeled and cored
3 eggs
1 ½ cups white sugar
¾ cups vegetable oil
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9X13 inch baking pan. Cut the apples into 1 inch wedges. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until blended. Mix in baking soda, vegetable oil, cinnamon and vanilla. Stir in the flour until just incorporated. Fold in apples and walnuts.
Pour batter into pan. Bake for 55 minutes. Allow to cool slightly prior to serving. Enjoy!

Recipe Compliments of Sierra A. Martin

Eggplant Tian

Posted by Cooking with Sierra in Main Courses and tagged with basil, cup olive oil, dinner, eggplant, eggplant slices, eggplant tian, eggplants, executive chef, food, French Cuisine, french fare, french food, fresh mozzarella, Gruyere, Gruyere cheese, herb oil, kevin, kevin devries, martin, nuts, olive oil, parmesan, parmesan cheese, pepper, pine nuts, recipe compliments, regional far, regional fare, salt, salt and pepper, sauce, shredded parmesan cheese, sierra, sierra a. martin, sierra martin, stems thume, stems thyme, taosted, thyme, to taste, toasted, toasted pine nuts, tomato, tomato basil sauce, tomato sauce, tomatoes, vegetarian, vegetarian dishes September 18, 2012

Ingredients:

¾ oz. basil, plus ½ oz.
2 stems thyme, plus 2 stems
¼ cup olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
3 eggplant, cut into ¼-inch slices
1 cup light tomato basil sauce
1 ball fresh mozzarella, finely diced
2/3 cup shredded Gruyere
¼ cup shredded Parmesan
toasted pine nuts, for garnish
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Create a herb oil by mixing together the basil, 2 stems of thyme in a food processor with the oil and salt and pepper for taste.
Toss the eggplant slices together with the herb oil so they are all equally coated. Spread into an even, if slightly overlapping layer, on two large baking sheets. Roast for 12 minutes. The eggplant should be softened and begin to tan. Set them aside.
Turn the oven down to 375°F. Cover the bottom of the dish in a single, slightly overlapping layer of eggplant. Season with salt and pepper, coat lightly with ¼ of the tomato sauce, top with a few basil and thyme leaves, then 1/3 of the mozzarella. Repeat 2 more times.
Finally, brush on the last bit of tomato sauce over the top layer, then cover the whole tian with the mixture of Gruyere and Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes – the eggplant will be soft and the cheese should be brown. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Recipe Compliments of Sierra A. Martin

Borscht

Posted by Cooking with Sierra in Soups and tagged with appetizers, authentic, authentic romanian, basil bay, beef shank, best romanian dishes, boiled potatoes, Borscht, chef, dinner, executive chef, food, recipe compliments, red wine vinegar, romanian, romanian cuising, romanian food, romanian soup, romanian stew, rood, sierra, sierra a martinc, sierra a. martin, sierra martin, Soup, starters, stew, stews, substitution for sour cream, vegetarian, vegetarian soup, vegetarian soups, vegetarian stew September 14, 2012

Ingredients:

8 cups beef broth or vegetable stock
1 lb. bone-in beef shank (may omit for vegetarian version)
1 onion, peel, quartered
4 large beets, peeled, chopped
4 carrots, peeled chopped
1 large potato, peeled, chopped into ½-inch cubes
2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
¾ cup dill, freshly chopped
3 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

**Tip from the Chef: Try these additional possible ingredients: star of anise, basil, bay leaf or cream cheese (in substitution for sour cream)**

Directions:

Bring 4 cups of beef broth, the beef shank and onion to a boil in a large pot. Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Transfer meat to cutting board; trim fat and separate from bone. Chop meat; cover and chill. Cool broth slightly by chilling in pot until cold.
Spoon fat from top of chilled broth and discard. Add remaining 4 cups broth, beets, carrots, and potato; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 30 minutes.
Stir in meat, cabbage and ½ cup dill; cook about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in vinegar. Serve into bowl and garnish with sour cream and remaining dill.
Serve with fresh bread (preferably dark rye) or boiled potatoes. Enjoy!

Recipe Compliments of Sierra A. Martin

Traditional Cured Fish (Umai)

Posted by Cooking with Sierra in Appetizers and tagged with appetizers, ceviche, chile, chile pepper, dinner, fillets, fish, food, ginger, glass bowl, grated lime zest, healthy, healthy living, healthy recipes, juiced limes, lime, lime juice, lime zest, malaysia, malaysian, malaysian cuisine, malaysian dishes, malaysian fare, malaysian food, onion, pepper, red onion, red snapper, red snapper fillets, salt, sierra, sierra a. martin, sierra martin, thin strips, Traditional Cured Fish (Umai), umai, yellow onion, yummy, zest September 14, 2012

Ingredients:

1 yellow onion, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
1 tbsp. ginger, minced
1 red chile pepper, finely chopped
1 tbsp. grated lime zest
2 limes, juiced
2 skinned red snapper, cut into thin strips
salt, to taste

Directions:

Combine the yellow onion, red onion, ginger, chile pepper, lime zest and lime juice in a glass bowl. Gently stir in the red snapper and season to taste with slat.
Cover and refrigerate until snapper turns white and opaque, about 15 minutes. Serve cold.

Stuffed Grape Leaves

Posted by Cooking with Sierra in Main Courses, Vegetarian and tagged with black pepper, cup tomato sauce, dinner, food, fresh parsley, grain, grains, grape, grape leaves, ground beef, ground beef recipe, healthy, healthy living, healthy recipes, kevin, kevin devries, leaves, lemon juice, martin, martins, mediterranean, mediterranean dinner, mediterranean fare, mediterranean food, parsley, rice, salt, short grain, short grain rice, sierra, sierra a. martin, sierra martin, stuffed grape leaves, tbsp lemon juice, tomato sauce, uncooked, vegetarian September 14, 2012

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef, lean
1 cup uncooked white rice
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 jar (16 oz) grape leaves
2 tbsp. lemon juice

Directions

Soak grape leaves in cold water for 2-3 hours. Rinse and drain in a colander. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients. Mix well.

Rolling the Grape Leaves

Be careful to not wrap the leaves too tightly. You will need to leave some room for the rice to expand. As you roll them, place in a circular arrangement in a dutch-oven or large saucepan.
Place a grape leaf side down. Place about 1 to 2 tbsp. mixture in the middle. Fold in the sides and roll upward.
When you have rolled the last leaf, place a heavy plate on top of the stuffed grape leaves in your pan. This helps keep the grape leaves in place during cooking so they don’t shift around. Fill pan with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 30-45 minutes until rice and meat are done. Enjoy!

**For vegetarian Grape Leaves, substitute pine nuts and mint for the ground beef.**

Recipe Compliments of Executive Chef Sierra A. Martin

The Edge Banquet and Conference Center

Brussels Sprouts with Sherry Bacon Cream Sauce

Posted by Cooking with Sierra in Sides and tagged with 425°, 5 more minutes, autumn, bacon, baking sheet, black pepper, boil, brussels, brussels sprouts, brussels sprouts with bacon, brussels sprouts with sherry bacon cream sauce, clove garlic, cooking with sierra, cream, cream sauce, cream sherry, cremini mushrooms, degrees, dinner, drain, F, fall sides, fall sidesa, food, garlic, glove garlic, heavy cream, martin, mushrooms, oil, olive oil, oven, pepper, preheat, recipe compliments, salt, salt and pepper, sauce, sea salt, shallot, shallots, sherry, sherry bacon cream sauce, sherry cream sauce, sides, sierra, sierra a. martin, sierra martin, slat, slices bacon, to taste, vegetarian, whipping cream September 11, 2012

Ingredients:

1 tbsp. salt
1 lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise
2 tbsp. olive oil
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 shallot, chopped
7 cremini mushrooms, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup cream sherry
1/2 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Dissolve 1 tbsp. of salt in enough water to cover the Brussels sprouts in a bowl, and soak the sprouts for 1 hour. Drain off the water, and toss the sprouts in olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper to coat thoroughly.
Preheat oven to 475° F.
Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; stir in the shallot and mushrooms, cook until the shallots turn translucent, about 5 more minutes. Add in garlic, and cook 1 minute, stir in the sherry and cream until well combined. Bring the mixture to a boil, and stir until reduced by half.
While sauce is cooking, lay the Brussels sprouts, cut sides down, onto a baking sheet, and bake until the sprouts are browned, about 15 minutes. Transfer the sprouts to the sauce, toss to coat, and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Enjoy!

Recipe Compliments of Executive Chef Sierra A. Martin

The Edge Banquet and Conference Center

Banana Honey Nut Muffins

Posted by Cooking with Sierra in Bread and tagged with baking powder, baking soda, banana, BANANA HONEY NUT OAT MUFFINS, banana muffin, banana muffins, bread, breakfast, butter, cooking nuts, cooking oats, cup muffin tin, eggs, executive chef, flour, food, granulated, granulated sugar, honey, honey muffin, honey muffins, martin, mashed, milk, muffin, muffin tins, Muffins, nut, nut muffin, nut muffins, oat, oat muffin, oat muffins, raisins, ripe bananas, salt, sierra, sierra a. martin, sierra martin, sugar, unsalted, unsalted butter, walnuts September 4, 2012

Ingredients:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 eggs
2 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup honey
1/4 cup milk
1-3/4 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
salt
1 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375° F and spray a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until creamy. Mix in eggs, honey, bananas and milk.

2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and soda, salt and oats. Gradually mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Stir in raisins and nuts.

3. Spoon batter into cooking spray or butter coated muffin tins. Bake 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Recipe Compliments of Executive Chef Sierra A. Martin

The Edge Banquet and Conference Center

Homemade Apple Cider

Posted by Cooking with Sierra in Beverages and tagged with allspice, allspice berries, apple, apples, autumn, autumn recipes, berries, best fall recipes, beverage, boil water, cheesecloth, cider, cinnamon, cinnamon sticks, cooking with sierra, dinner, drink, drinks, excess juice, executive chef, fall, fall beverages, fall drink, fall drinks, food, gala, gala apples, granulated, granulated sugar, Homemade Apple Cider, martin, place lid, recipe, recipe compliments, Recipes, sierra, sierra a. martin, stir, sugar September 4, 2012

Ingredients:

8 Gala apples, quartered
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 cinnamon sticks
3 tbsp allspice berries

Directions:

1. Combine apples, sugar and enough water to cover them in a large pot. Tie cinnamon and allspice in a double layer of cheesecloth and add to pot.

2. Boil water over high heat for an hour, stirring occasionally. Then lower heat, place lid on pot and let simmer for 2 hours. Remove pot from heat and let cool.

3. Take cheesecloth out of pot and mash apples with a fork or potato masher. Pour mixture into a bowl through a strainer lined with cheesecloth. Wrap solids in cheesecloth and squeeze out excess juice. Discard solids. Enjoy!

Recipe Compliments of Executive Chef Sierra A. Martin

The Edge Banquet and Conference Center

Raspberry Chocolate Pie

Posted by Cooking with Sierra in Desserts and tagged with all-purpose flour, best dessert, best desserts, best pie, bittersweet chocolate, butter, chocolate, coarse salt, cooking with sierra, cornstarch, dessert, desserts, flour, food, heavy cream, inch pie plate, martin, Pie, pies, purpose flour, raspberries, raspberry, Raspberry Chocolate Pie, recipe compliments, salt, sierra, sierra a. martin, sierra martin, sugar, tbsp cornstarch, unsalted butter, water August 29, 2012

Ingredients:

1 disk Chocolate Pâte Sucrée
all-purpose flour
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
pinch of salt
1 1/2 lbs. raspberries
3/4 cups sugar
2 tbsp. cornstarch, plus 1 tsp.
1/3 cup water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Make the crust. Roll out pâte sucrée to a 1/8-inch thickness between 2 sheets of lightly floured parchment. Fit dough into a 9-inch pie plate and trim the crust so it overhangs 1 inch. Fold edges under and pinch to seal. Prick all over bottom of the pie with a fork. Freeze for 15 minutes.
Line crust with parchment, leaving an overhang on all sides. Fill completely with dried beans. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and remove beans and parchment. Bake another 10 minutes, bottom of crust should be completely dry. Allow to cool for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring cream to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat; pour over chocolate and add butter. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add salt and whisk until smooth.
Pour filling into pie crust. Refrigerate for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine 1 cup raspberries, sugar, cornstarch and 1/4 tsp. salt in a small saucepan, lightly crushing berries. Stir in water and bring to a boil. Boil until mixture is thick and liquid is clear, about 3 minutes, stirring. Transfer to a large boil. Let cool for 5 minutes.
Add remaining 4 cups raspberries, stir gently. Let cool for 15 minutes then spoon over pie. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes prior to serving. Enjoy!

Recipe Compliments of Executive Chef Sierra A. Martin

The Edge Banquet and Conference Center

Cooking with Sierra

Cooking is like Love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. -Harriet Van Horne

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Romanian Apple Cake

Eggplant Tian

Borscht

Traditional Cured Fish (Umai)

Stuffed Grape Leaves

Brussels Sprouts with Sherry Bacon Cream Sauce

Banana Honey Nut Muffins

Homemade Apple Cider

Raspberry Chocolate Pie

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