I have broken up with Dunkin Donuts

Confession.  I am addicted to coffee.  And when I say addicted, I mean ADDICTED.  I can not start my day without it.  Period.  I like it any way I can get it--hot, cold, straight or fancied up, if you're offering it, I'll take it.

I might take it any way, but I prefer it iced and carmel.

Have you ever had Dunkin Donuts Iced Carmel Latte?  That, to me, is the BEST thing on earth.  It's the perfect marriage of both caffeine and sweetness.  I can suck it down like water.  Actually, maybe even faster than water, because it's a whole lot better!

Since that little sucker is almost $4 though, I've been on a loooong quest to make the perfect replica at home.  My quest has taken me from coffee flavors to syrups to some really horrible "shot syrup" and everything in between.  I have, for awhile now, settled on the method of brewing it hot, refrigerating it in a glass bottle and adding Baileys Coffee creamer.  It was a good solution--it's held me over for a year.  But, I was reading a blog about coffee and decided that it was try to get this right, again.

Can I just tell you:  I WILL NEVER BUY ICED COFFEE AGAIN.  It is that good.

Now, before you read on, please know that this is going to seem a little crazy, and a bit time consuming--but I assure you, it's well worth that effort.  It's my take on a massive cold-french-press coffee, without the french press.  :)  Out of my form though, I'm going to give you some photo illustrations of the processes--

Step 1:  Get a soup-pot and a bag of coffee, ground.  

Step 2:  Place the coffee grounds in the pot.

Step 3:  Add water, just right on top of the grounds!

Step 4:  Mix it up.  Make certain all those grounds are wet and will absorb the water! Cover and let set for hours (I let mine sit for around 6)

Step 5:  Get a large jug/canister that you can transfer the coffee to/dispense from. (pictured is a great refrigerator-jug from walmart that cost about $5)

Step 6:  Cover the top of the opening with a cheescloth and strainer. 

Step 7:  In small batches (about 1 cup each) strain the coffee grounds out--and the coffee into the new container.   You will have to rinse the cloth a few times to get the coffee "sludge" off.  This process is a bit time consuming--so go slow, otherwise you'll end up with coffee grounds in your yummy drinks!

Step 8:  You can choose to leave, or add more water-depending on your taste preference.  The original mixture is strong-and black, so I lightened it up a little bit, with an additional 3-4 cups of water.

Step 9:  Now the fun part--flavor it up!   This is where the real magic happens.  There are a lot of ways you can go with this depending on your preferences.  My goal was to replicate DD's happiness, so I was looking for the perfect combination of sweetness and creaminess.  Do you know what achieves this?!  Canned, condensed sweetened milk and carmel syrup (I used Eagle Brand and Smuckers).  Add just a little sweetened milk and carmel to a glass and stir.  Add ice and coffee--and stir some more.

The result was a light, carmel, lovely iced latte that beats the socks-off of DD.

I'm sorry, Dunkin, we've had a spectacular run, but all good things must come to an end.

Pan-Fried Tilapia and Summer Saute

Holy moly, summer is upon us!  Is it hot enough for you?  The temperature has been rising and we have been sweating our little bums off on the NJ shore.  Thank goodness for air conditioner.

What's good about summer?  Meh, not much in my book.  The ONE thing I look forward to during this time of year is the food--fresh fruit and veggies galore!

We have been munching down on all sorts of healthy goodness around our house this summer and thinking of creative ways to keep it fresh has been a good challenge.  I mean, how many ways can you REALLY make squash?  Oh, and did I mention that the dear husband hates squash?  (who hates squash?!)  To add yet another challenge to the mix, we're also on this whole "see how much we can save in life" kick, which means our meals have to be both a) healthy; and b) cheap.

This week, while shopping, I had a TON of coupons for free and/or low-cost veggies and there was a great sale on fresh fish, so I stocked up.   Armed with with both, I had some serious cooking to do.  Ya.

The outcome was a great meal that prompted a "I still don't understand why you didn't go go culinary school" from the husband.  I think that means he liked it. :)

Pan Fried Tilapia and Summer Saute


Ingredients: 
2 tilapia filets-fresh
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup bread crumbs (any kind)
2 eggs
2 ears of corn, kernels removed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 squash sliced into thin slices
1 zucchini sliced into thin slices
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
4 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs butter
1 tsp old bay seasoning

Directions:

In a large saute pan, bring 2 Tbs olive oil to heat.  Add garlic and stir for about 1 minute.  Add butter and let it melt.  Add zucchini and let simmer for about 1 minute.  Add corn and squash, cook for about 2 minutes.  Add tomatoes and old bay seasoning.  Let simmer for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and let rest.

In a large saute pan, bring 2 Tbs olive oil to heat.  In a small bowl, whisk eggs together.  Place bread crumbs on plate.  Dredge tilapia through egg mixture and roll in bread crumbs-transfer immediately to pan to cook.  Cook on each side until golden and crispy.  Flip only once.

Serve with light scattering of scallions atop both stir fry and tilapia--and add sour cream for a bit of bite!  

Cost Breakdown: $2.75 per person
Calories:  Approximately 320 per person.

Suped-Up Stuffed Chicken

Sometimes I totally forget about the tried-and-true loves of my kitchen.  I'll go months on end without pulling out spices that I adore for no reason at all.  When I find them, tucked in a corner, it's like I've won the culinary lottery--interesting meals are literally right around the corner!

Such was this week when I found old-bay seasoning, nestled in a corner that I'd hadn't reached in months.  Maybe longer.  YES!  I LOVE old bay.  I firmly believe it goes perfectly on just about anything from fries, to chicken, to pork and beyond.  That's where I started this meal-old bay.  What I came up with was delicious chicken that had my husband asking for more.  Winner.

Suped-up Stuffed Chicken:

Ingredients:

2 thin-sliced chicken breasts, brined for 24 hours
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs old bay seasoning
1 tsp garlic salt
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp fresh parsley
2 Tbs blue cheese

Directions:

In a bowl, whisk olive oil, old bay seasoning, garlic salt, lime juice, fresh parsley and blue cheese together.  Poor over chicken and set aside for about 30 minutes.

In a medium skillet, bring 2 Tbs olive oil to heat.  Remove chicken from marinade and lay flat.  In center of chicken breast, sprinkle 1 Tbs blue cheese and fold over each side.  Lay chicken in pan, fold down.  Cook until chicken is white-throughout-about 3-5 minutes, turning once.

Served along side old-bay homefries and vegetable tubitini.

Cost:  Approximately $1/person for chicken, prepared.
Calories: Approximately 220, based on chicken weight and cheese brand