Edwards Dessert's Doing The Holidays Justice

This post brought to you by Edwards. All opinions are 100% mine.

Pie and the holidays go hand in hand. The great people over at Edwards Crème pies have been running a campaign to keep everyone full of pie as well as doing a good deed for the holidays. You see for every pie you purchase during the months of November and December, Edwards Dessert’s will be donating a portion of the sales to Toys for Tots. If you want to really give someone a fresh gift, send them an invite to the microsite where they can redeem a printable coupon good for discounts on all kinds of delicious pies.

The site is incredibly easy to use, fun for everyone of all ages and most importantly it allows you hook people up with delectable treats like our favorite the Key Lime Pie or our runner up the Strawberry Crème Pie.

Edwards Amazing Key Lime Pie. 

Nothing compares to having a huge slice of pie right after eating a filling savory meal. Especially when that pie is as amazing as the premium Key Lime Pie Edwards Crème pies sells.
Make sure you check out the site so you can send an e-card to your loved ones this holiday season. First things first, you have to go over to Edwards Facebook page and give it a like, then enter to win our drawing for your chance to win a free pie as well as $20.00 from The Supreme Plate & the amazing people over at Edwards Dessert’s. The winner of the contest will also have $20.00 donated in their name to the Toys for Tots foundation courtesy of Edwards Dessert’s.

holiday e-card

Readers on our site know the benefits of leaving comments, so make sure to leave comments tellings us what flavors you liked best as well as who you would like to see benefit from sending out your e-card. For those daring cooks out there who have no fears, let us know how you used an Edwards Frozen Dessert to your advantage at your last major holiday function, there is something that can be said about saving time, money and headaches from having to clean up.
Enter to win now & enjoy a good evening with a few slices of pie. For more info on what amazing flavors Edwards offers, how the charity work is going, recipe ideas and much much more check out:

Edwards Crème pies

Vitamix. The Ultimate Kitchen Tool, No Home Should Be Without.

Use the right tool for the right job and you will find yourself doing a lot less work, this is a simple but true fact. Having the proper tools on hand when the time calls for them makes life that much more fulfilling in a sense. You had the thought before hand that in life you may need something, so you went out and bought it and sure enough it was called upon to join you in battle one day.

For instance, your having a party and you run out of food or drinks and need a quick way to whip something up, but don’t want to dirty up the house or go overboard at the moment, so what do you do? 

Well if you had a Vitamix blender, you would easily be able to CREATE something from scratch with a few flicks of a switch, turns of a dial and of course some carefully selected ingredients.

Not too often in the kitchen can entire meals be made with one machine from start to finish, but such is not the case in regards to the powerhouse of a machine labeled the Vitamix Professional Series 300. (click Read More, for the entire review)

BBQ Jerk Shrimp & Veggie Skewers

Shrimp are great. Fried, grilled, sautéed, broiled, raw (if handled correctly of course) and even boiled the great thing about Shrimp is how they play so well off of just about anything you put them in or next too on a plate. With backyard BBQs breaking out around the globe, we figured now is the perfect time to hit you with a recipe for Jerk Shrimp & Veggie Skewers, that scream “eat us by the pool while consuming massive amounts of alcohol!”

For those of you that don’t want to take the time to skewer the shrimp, you can also use a grill pan, that is safe for use on a BBQ, just lightly spray it with cooking spray before tossing the shrimp & veggies in. The results will be the same, we just love eating food off of a stick like a Savage.

With that said, let us get to work…

(click Read More for the entire Recipe...)

Recipe Of The Day: Pan Roasted Sea Bass w/ Citrus Heirloom Tomato Vinaigrette

I have said it time and time again, Southern California has an abundance of fresh food available. So much so that I almost feel spoiled when it comes to taking a trip to the market to gather ingredients for the madness I try to create in the kitchen on a regular basis. 


As Summer prepares to make its exit over the next few weeks, hopefully some of the crops across America will stop taking such a beating from the heat and we can see the beautiful fruits and vegetables we are used to seeing.


Perfect weather aside, the conditions found in California bring about some of the most wonderful ideas when it comes to creating menus and recipes. People out here are able to weave together intricate ideas that pull together ingredients found around the world. The reason it works so well in California is because people consider this state eclectic to begin with, so the thought of having a dish that puts Mexican, Japanese and French cuisines together isn't too uncommon. 
Today’s Recipe Of The Day uses a couple of summertime delights such as Fresh Bass and Tomatoes and will start off your weekend quite perfectly. 

National Creme Brulee Day

Desserts hold a special place in my heart. As a child growing up, I was without a doubt the pickiest eater in my family. Every meal basically revolved around whether or nor I wanted to eat something found on the menu, at the establishment of choice. But over time my family discovered a sure fire way to get me to act accordingly, and that came in the greatest form of payment known to mankind, bribery.

If I knew before hand that we were going to a place that had just one single dessert that I liked, most likely I would be a perfect angel the entire evening. One evening while visiting my Grandmother who lived just a stones throw away from the beach in San Clemente, I was introduced to something that would later play a small part in inspiring me to attend culinary school, Crème Brulee.

Crème Brulee, a wonderful dessert made of Crème Anglaise and Burnt Sugar, at the time to me was the most fascinating thing I had ever had the chance of eating. That dessert has long stuck with me and has been ordered on some of the most amazing nights of my life, where food has played a part in making wonderful memories.

Having introduced many of my friends to it over the years, I feel like each and every time I pass on the knowledge of such a delicious treats existence, I am tipping my hat in honor of my beautiful Grandmother who to this day, checks in to see if I am eating what I like and what makes me happy.

In my Grandmothers honor and in honor of National Crème Brulee Day, I give you my personal Crème Brulee recipe.


Enjoy!

Baked Sweet Potatoes & Caviar

A lot of people are just plain scared to try Caviar. Whether it is because it is the cost or the thought of how it might taste, some people are just afraid to try it.

I can say that without a doubt 90% of those people who are scared to try it, once they have had it, will want it time and time again. Caviar is truly great because it needs no dressing up, just a cracker and a simple spread and your in business.

Now for those of you who are so inclined at your spread making, here is where you can really shine, but for this recipe, som simple Crème Fraiche (found at almost any market) mixed with some Chives chopped on the bias and your on the road to righteousness.

Once you determine how much is just the right amount of Caviar for your liking you will find ways to allow yourself to spend a few bucks on Caviar more often than you would think you would.

Henrys, Trader Joes and stores of that nature carry very high quality Caviars and should be able to supply your fix.

Enjoy.

 Click read more for the entire recipe.

#FoodHoliday National Fudge Day

Today being National Fudge Day, I figured I would share a recipe that 3 things; easy to make, not the slightest bit healthy and so damn delicious no one will be able to put the finalized product down. 

Classic Chocolate Walnut Fudge is something my Grandmother taught me to make when I was child and we would make it every year around the Holidays.

It stuck with me, my entire life and as I got older I realized it was those moments, spending time in the kitchen with my elders that really turned me into the individual I became today.

Often times Parents and Grandparents have little to no time to teach their children these kinds of classic recipes, resulting in the loss of tradition and more importantly the loss of bonding that can be achieved.

I’m not going to get all sentimental on you, cause that isn’t how we get down over here, but take a moment and reflect on what kinds of things stuck with you, your entire life. I am sure a few of those memories came from spending time with your older loved ones.

Nine times out of ten people are scared to make Fudge or things of that nature because they fear they might eat it all or the science of boiling sugar to the correct stage mystifies them. With everyone being so self conscious about how they look, these kinds of classic desserts have had to take a back seat to healthier, lighter treats. Well forget your diet today, make some Fudge, spend some time with your loved ones and maybe even make a care package for your Grandparents, I am sure they will love it.

Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken & Pasta Salad

We have been bumping into a lot of people who think they either don’t have the skills or the time it takes to cook some of the meals they see on the site and I try to tell them they couldn’t be further from the truth.

 Planning out a meal isn’t hard as long as you have all of ingredients measured out (mise en place) in front of you and your focus is on the task at hand. Often times people begin to cook a dish and either the phone rings or someone walks into the house and they take their focus off the food and what happens next, the roast burns, the chicken catches fire you name it, we have heard it.

Today your going to make a simple Creamy Chicken & Pasta Salad that will resemble something you paid too much for, at your favorite restaurant for your entire family and trust us when we say they will love it.

This recipe right here is very easy to pull off, because one of the most important ingredients can be purchased from any quality grocery store, already prepared. We are talking about a Rotisserie Chicken, roasted to perfection by your local Grocer.

Enjoy this recipe this evening or try to make it ahead and take it to work with you the next day (if you plan on doing that, do not put all of the chicken / pasta mixture over the salad greens as they will be come soggy overnight.)

This salad goes great with Stella Rose wine, Mint Juleps, Sangrias and of course a glass of sweet Moscato.

Recipe Of The Day: Shrimp Scampi & Garlic Toast

National Shrimp Scampi Day is April 29^th and with that we wanted to take a few moments and speak on how incredibly important dishes such as these are to the world. What little people know about how overhunted our oceans have become is scary and even more horrifying is the lack of quality Seafood that will be available to both ourselves and our children, over the next 25 to 50 years.

So that we don’t go off on a tangent about switching up diets and always keepings things rotating to avoid eating ourselves into extinction consider this little fact;

Cod, which is one of the most commonly used fish in numerous applications from the Fish Filet to everyday fish-sticks, is in danger of being wiped off the face of the Earth relatively soon.

Shrimp Scampi is a great alternative to fried fish, fish tacos or fried shrimp and cooks up incredibly quick. Served with great tasting Garlic Toast to help soak up all of that wonderful juice, this dish is a meal that comes together in under 20 mins and leaves you full, but not grossly overstuffed so that you cant move and need a nap after your done eating. It is also a great way to introduce kids to seafood because the flavors of the garlic and butter are easy on the palate.

 The term Scampi is actually derived from a Greek word that refers to a species of Lobster that has been widely adapted around the world to reference a style of cooking seafood that commonly includes serving it in butter with lemon on the side.

Enjoy this simple Shrimp Scampi dish with a sweet Moscato wine or some chilled Vodka & Cranberry Juice.

Ingredients:

3 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

3 TBS unsalted butter

5 cloves garlic, chopped

Kosher salt

Pinch of red pepper flakes

8 - ½inch- thick slices crusty bread

1 ¼ lbs large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails intact

¾ cup dry white wine or low-sodium chicken broth

Grated zest and juice of ½ lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/3 cup chopped fresh chives

Sriracha Sauce (as a condiment if desired)

Empanadas Venezuela

Today Ladies & Gents is National Empanada Day. Nothing bad can be said about Empanadas as they encompass so many great things, a flaky crust wrapped around an uncountable amount of possible fillings, from meats, to fruits to even vegetables these are the original on the go treat used to sustain people who had to endure long journeys where food wasn’t always readily available.

Living in Southern California, if you don’t know what they are, or you haven’t had one, first I must say what rock have you been living under and second why the hell haven’t you tried one?

Today’s Recipe of The Day comes from Venezuela, where Empanadas are commonly found just about everywhere you look. The recipe calls for a simple cut of beef that is broken down by slow cooking which results in tender juicy pieces of perfectly seasoned beef wrapped in a warm flaky crust in every bite.

For those that aren’t up on these great treats, an empanada is a stuffed bread or pastry baked or fried in many countries of Latin America and the south of Europe. The name comes from the verb empanar, meaning to wrap or coat in bread. Empanada’s, are made by folding dough around any firm of stuffing you desire and baking or frying them until they are crispy enough to eat.

The stuffing can consist of a variety of meats, vegetables, or even fruits.

Enjoy a few of these today, this weekend or sometime soon, you have no clue what your missing out on.

(Read The Entire Recipe After The Jump)

Recipe Of The Day: National Peking Duck Day

Today let us rejoice in the great Holiday that National Peking Duck Day. Ok maybe that is a bit much. But Duck is incredible. People either seem to love it or hate it and if they haven’t had a perfectly seasoned and cooked Duck, they most likely will hate it. Then they usually start going off about other foods they hate and well the story goes downhill from there.

That is why we here The Supreme Plate, are glad that Peking Duck has its own day, that will hopefully entice people to give it a chance and put it on their plates and in their stomachs.

Something can be said for some crispy duck wrapped inside a warm fresh crepe. For those of you that haven’t had this incredible dish, you might need to be slapped upside the head. Ok we won’t go that far but it is truly some of the most amazing simplistic food you will ever have in your life.

That is to say you can pull off the crepe as it should be done. Don’t overcook the crepe and don’t undercook the Duck that’s just a bad evening waiting to happen at that point. You want to make sure that you have the perfect balance of the crispy skin, sliced Duck meat, scallion, cucumber and Hoisin sauce in your crepe.

Hoisin can be found in most major supermarkets on the Asian foods isle and for those that are leery of buying things they don’t know, Kikkoman makes a nice low sodium version that will work great for this recipe.

Recipe Of The Day: Lobster Quesadilla w/ Tropical Fruit Salsa

This morning was quiet, the skies were clear and all I could think about was Lobster. Does that make me sick person? Anyways I think that taking an entirely different approach to things we have become beyond bored with is the only way to spice up ones life. Oftentimes people feel that because something is easy or not out of the ordinary for their daily routine, they mustn’t change a thing about their actions. We at The Supreme Plate feel that when life becomes to routine whether good or bad, something must be done to change the situation before it becomes stale. No this isn’t some prophetic, retrospective look into our lives, but more a look at a simple Culinary staple that has provided us with many great memories around the world, The Quesadilla.  Making a slight change in the ingredients someone incorporates into a Quesadilla can provide that “Moment of Clarity” if you will as to how amazing something so easy and mundane can be with a bit of ingenuity.

We added some fresh Lobster, an amazing Tropical Fruit Salsa and went for broke this morning, and here is what we created.

Enjoy (because if you don’t, your Crazy!)

End Your Summer On A Sweet Note w/ These Exclusive Honey Based Recipes

Celebrity Chef John Rivera Sedlar and Mixologist Pablo Moix, have teamed up with the National Honey Board, to create an exotic and exclusive tapas and cocktails menu for the end of Summer, using 100% Pure Honey.

Enjoy Chef Rivera Sedlar’s unique blend of Spanish influences and the American

Southwest and try your hand at some Skewers of Cumin Chicken with Yoghurt

Lemon Honey Dipping Sauce or a Pintxos Salad with Seville Oranges, Roasted Beets and Idiazabal Cheese with Honey Medjol Date Vinagreta.

The tapas Chef Rivera Sedlar features using 100% Pure Honey can easily be prepared in your own kitchen thanks to his careful selection of ingredients that fuse together, delivering delicious results. Just remember to use only 100% Pure Honey, which adds unique flavor and texture no other ingredient can match.

Once you’ve served the tapas and aroused your guests’ taste buds, allow Mixologist Pablo Moix’s undeniable passion for mixing drinks to guide you as you prepare some of the most refreshing honey-based cocktails, like the stout Jaime Molido or the sultry and spicy Mari Mercedes. There are few better earthly ways to stimulate your gatherings than with these honey-based cocktails.

But why settle for just a few dishes and drinks when you can learn how to make a variety of signature creations using 100% Pure Honey that will leave your family and guests impressed, satisfied, and wanting to know how you do it? All honey-based recipes by John Rivera Sedlar and Pablo Moix can be found exclusively on www.mielpura.org.

Restaurant Style Filet Mignon Made Easy

Everyone loves a good steak, especially a Filet Mignon when it is seasoned and cooked to perfection. The most commonly ordered piece of protein in America today is the great Steak. People around the world have been tearing down steaks since the beginning of time. 

Often you will hear people complain that they cannot get the steaks they have made at home to resemble the steaks they paid $30 or $40 dollars for at their favorite restaurant.

Well with these few simple steps you too can cook Restaurant Style Filet Mignon steaks at home and impress all of your friends and loved ones. 

Recipe Of The Day: Seared Ahi Tuna Steaks w/ Jalapeno Mango Salsa

The first week of August is always a brutal but fun time in Southern California. The blistering heat really begins to kick into high gear, causing the roadways and beaches to become way beyond overcrowded with people, looking for some form of release.
BBQs, family reunions, cookouts and fish fries start popping up every other weekend  around town and when all of these things combine, some of the greatest food known to mankind becomes readily available, everywhere.

We got a request for a great Summertime seafood recipe that wasn't fried, and we decided what better than a healthy piece of Tuna seared to perfection, topped off with a Jalapeno & Mango Salsa?
The key to the Tuna coming out right, is to have your pan extremely hot before you put the fish in. Too often people think the pan is hot, they drop in their fish and end up having to overcook it because the pan wasn't at the right temperature before beginning to sear of their beloved Tuna.
Take your time, have everything ready before trying to cook this, because scrambling around the kitchen, last minute looking for items will surely result in a ruined dish.
Enjoy!

Recipe Of The Day: Grilled Lobster Tails & Lemon Clarified Butter

Now who said we couldn’t give you an easy to follow recipe for lobster tails that resulted in the most juiciest flavorful pieces of gods greatest crustacean ever made? Ok so no one really said that we just wanted to act like we had a few haters who needed some calming down at the moment.

We do have to advise you as always that when cooking a dish such as this timing is crucial, do not over cook your lobster or else you will be mad at how tough your little treat has become. 

The Key to the butter to also keep an eye on your temperature and your fats. skim the top frequently, do not burn the butter. 

Also we ne know that with every good food must go a great drink, for this simple recipe we recommend a light Moscato wine, for those not into wines, try a Vodka Gimlet, the dash of lime sets off the seafood perfectly.

Enjoy!