The Think Pink Cosmo

For the last Think Pink Monroe #TastyTuesday, sometimes you just need a cocktail. Today we are giving the classic Cosmo a MaurPowerFoodie twist.

Ingredients:

1 oz Citrus flavored Vodka

.5 oz Chambord

1 oz Cranberry Juice

.5 oz Lime Juice

Optional Garnish:

3 raspberries

sugar

and/or a lime wedge

Combine the drink ingredients into a mixing glass with ice, shake, and strain straight or on rocks. Garnish with lime wedge and/or sprinkle raspberries with sugar and use a torch to brûlée the sugar on the raspberries (if you do not have a torch, put them under a broiler for 15-30 seconds and top the drink wit the brûléed raspberries.

15 Minute Delicious Tomato Sauce for Think Pink

I don’t know about you guys, but I absolutely love pasta. However, I have become spoiled and mostly only eat homemade sauce. Making sauce tends to be a long process so I usually make extremely large batches and freeze it in separate containers. These containers tend to be enough sauce for at the very least feeding 6-8 people pasta, usually more. This creates a couple of problems: 1) sometimes it is just me or me and one other person, AND 2) sometimes I don’t have time to defrost a container of sauce, yet make a whole new batch…. SO I developed a really quick 15 minute pasta sauce that is absolutely divine. When you simply don’t have time or don’t need too much sauce, here is your solution for that quick dinner pasta fix.

You ready?

Here goes….

First the ingredients: Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1 small can tomato paste, 2 ripe tomatoes or 1 carton of ripe cherry tomatoes, 1 onion, 1 Bay leaf, 2 fresh basil leaves, 2 fresh sprigs of rosemary, 4 segments of garlic clove, 1 habanero pepper, garlic powder, a bottle of Bordeaux (optional).

That’s it! Nice and easy. Now for the process.

1) Heat the oil in a medium sauce pan.

2)Finely chop the garlic, half the onion (save the other half for something else), and the habanero. Always wash your hands after handling the pepper, and do not touch your face until you do so.

2) Add the garlic, onion, and pepper to the hot oil, reduce heat, cover, and let the mixture sweat out, stirring occasionally as you proceed with the next steps.

3) Dice the tomato into small chunks. If using the cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters.

4) Finely chop the rosemary and basil.

5) Once the onions, garlic, and pepper have cooked down a bit (about 5 minutes) add the tomatoes, rosemary, basil, and bay leaf to the sauce pan. Stir and cover for 3 minutes.

6) Using a wooden spoon or a potato masher, smush the tomatoes into the mixture.

7) Add the can of tomato paste. If so desired, add a splash of the Bordeaux (This gives the sauce a very deep, bold and unique flavor and helps to counteract the spice of the habanero a bit… completely optional, but I like it). Increase heat to medium-high. Stir frequently and heat for 5 minutes.

8) Season to taste with a bit of garlic powder, probably no more than 3/4 a tablespoon.

There you have it! Deliciously spicy tomato sauce in about 15 minutes. Try it out and let me know what you think. Also goes great with pork and chicken dishes. If you want a full dish, check out my full Simple Italian Dinner Recipe.

Till next time!

Tres Leches Cake… MaurPowerFoodie Style!

I was never one for the traditional cake. I always wanted an ice cream cake, or a cannoli cake, or a lava cake. Regular cake just always seemed to dry and mundane. That is until I stumbled upon my first Tres Leches Cake. Moist, flavorful, delicious, and simply right up may alley. Well recently I thought, “Why only have this special treat when I go out?” And so I set to work to create my perfect Tres Leches Cake recipe… And I did! I put my own twist on this classic Brazilian dessert, and instead of simply a vanilla cake with whipped frosting, I make a citrusy Orange-Vanilla cake with Cherry Whipped Cream. Don’t worry, even if you are not a baker, just follow these instructions and you will be fine… in fact, you will be the talk of the party! (like I was this past Easter when I made it)

Alright, so here goes…. First the Ingredients:

• For the cake:

1. Vegetable oil
2. 1 1/2 cups cake flour
3. 1 teaspoon baking powder
4. 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
5. 4 ounces of room temperature, unsalted butter
6. 1 cup sugar (fill the measuring cup a little of the brim on this one 😉 If you like it sweet )
7. 5 whole eggs
8. 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
9. 1 1/2 teaspoons orange extract
10. 1 tsp lemon juice

• For the glaze (aka The Three Milks or Tres Leches):

1. 1 (12 ounce) can of evaporated milk
2. 1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk
3. 1 cup half and half
4. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5. 1 teaspoon orange extract
6. 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• For the Whipped Cream

1. 2 cups heavy cream
2. 1 cup sugar (again, fill it a little over the brim)
3. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4. 3 tablespoons cherry juices (juice from a jar of maraschino cherries)

• Top of the cake

1. 1 lemon (for zesting)
2. 1 jar maraschino cherries

There you have it. Now that you have all of the ingredients, let’s put this bad boy together. Starting with the cake batter:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Lightly oil and flour a 13″x9″ metal pan.
3. Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed for about a minute until fluffy.
4. Decrease the speed to medium-low, and gradually add the sugar.
5. Add one egg at a time, allowing it to mix thoroughly before adding the next egg.
6. Add the vanilla extract, orange extract, and lemon juice.
7. In a separate bowl, whisk together your flour, baking soda, and salt.
8. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the stand mixer at a time, allowing the ingredients to mix before adding the next batch.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan.
10. Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 20-25 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
11. Remove from oven and set aside and let cool for about 5 minutes.

While the cake is cooling, it is time to make the glaze! Here goes:

1. Whisk together the evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, half and half, vanilla extract, orange extract, and lemon juice.
2. Take the baked and cooled cake and using toothpicks or a fork, perforate (poke) the cake to create tiny little points for the glaze to seep through.
3. Pour the glaze on top of the cake. (this will look like it might overflow, but it won’t)
4. Let the cake sit until the glaze has soaked in and then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (or for at least 6 hours, overnight is better)

Finally, now that the cake has sat and absorbed all that moist goodness, it is time to make the whipped cream:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, whisk together on medium-low the heavy cream, sugar, vanilla, and cherry juice.
2. As stiff peaks begin to form, increase the speed and whisk until thick.
3. Spread the whipped cream over the cake.
4. Place cherries on top of the whipped cream as desired.
5. Zest your lemon, and sprinkle the zest over the cake.

That’s it! Now let’s take a gander at how it looks 🙂

Then simply enjoy it with your friends, family, coworkers, or whoever else you want to impress until it looks more like this:

I hope you all enjoy this delectable dessert as much as I do. Until next time, this is MaurPowerFoodie signing off.

Chicken Noodle Soup Recipe for #ThinkPinkMonroe

One of the things I found when my mom was going through her cancer treatments was how important it was to have meals ready for her when she wanted to and could eat. It is also important for both preventative and continuing health to make sure those ready to eat options were health conscious options. When I think comfort food, the first thing I think of is a nice bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup. This recipe is a great way to feed the whole family without a lot of work, not to mention, you can freeze some of it for future easy meals. I use low sodium chicken stock and add ZERO extra salt outside of that which is in the ingredients already. Note: This recipe is for a large slow cooker but if you do not have a slow cooker, simply put in a large pot, and once you have added all the ingredients, bring to a boil, lower heat to low, cover, and let cook for 8 hours over low heat.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts

10 cups low/no sodium chicken broth

1 package of soup greens (easily found packaged together in most stores, but if not grab a carrot, celery, onion, turnip, and a radish)

1 lb of desired pasta shape (I like mini shells or egg noodles, but this is all personal preference)

1 bushel parsley

4 basil leaves

2 bay leaves

sprig of rosemary

sprig of tyme

1 tsp sage

2 tbsp chopped garlic

4 Thai Chili Pepper (optional if, like me, you like a little heat)

Italian Seasoning

Garlic Powder

Black Pepper

Parika

Old Bay

Olive Oil

Truffle Oil (optional)

Sesame Oil (optional)

Shredded Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Instructions:

1. Prep your soup greens. Wash them and peel the onion. Depending on how chunky you like your soup, chop your vegetables accordingly. I personally like using the soup greens for flavor, but then remove everything but the onions and celery. As such, I cut the other greens in large pieces so that they are easily strained out at the end.
2. Season the chicken breasts (I use a rub of garlic powder, black pepper, paprika, Italian seasoning, and a touch of old bay).
3. In a hot pan, coat the pan with olive oil (if you want to use an infused olive oil, I suggest a basil oil or garlic oil).
4. Sear off the chicken breast on high heat for about 45 second on each side. Remember, you are not cooking the chicken through. Just a nice sear on each side of the chicken to bring out some extra flavor.

5. Add the soup greens, other than the onion and pepper, to your slow cooker and place the seared chicken on top of the greens.

6. In the same pan as you seared the chicken, over medium heat add the onions, peppers, and garlic. Let sweat while moving them around for about 1-2 minutes.

7. Add 1 cup of the chicken broth, and increase heat to high. Bring to a light boil.

8. Pour mixture over the chicken in the slow cooker.

9. Add the remaining 9 cups of stock to the slow cooker.

10. Add your herbs (I used thyme, basil, parsley, sage, bay leaves and rosemary. I also like to leave these whole, not chopped, so I can remove them easily at the end).

11. Season the mixture with 1 tbsp garlic powder, 1 tbsp ground black pepper, 1 tbsp Italian Seasoning, 1 tsp old bay, 1 tsp parika, a few drops of sesame oil, and a few drops of truffle oil.

12. Cover and set the slow cooker on low for 8+ hours.

13. When you have about 10 minutes left, cook your pasta in boiling water to an al dente and then strain (you can do this directly in the crock pot for the final 30 minutes, but I like a lot of broth and do not want the pasta to absorb it all).

14. Strain out the herbs and any vegetables you do not want in your bowl of soup.

15. Shred the chicken.

16. Assemble your soup bowl as follows: Desired amount of noodles, desired amount of chicken, and then ladle broth and vegetables over the noodles and chicken.

17. (Optional) I like to finish my bowl with a little parmesan cheese on top.

18. Enjoy!

Be sure to let me know if/when you make it!!!!

2017 CT TACO FESTIVAL!!!! – Free Ticket Giveaway

Yes, you read that right. A festival that is all about TACOS and I have 2 free tickets that could be yours (details below)! And you know what else, MaurPowerFoodie is going to be your MC all day at the festival. Join me, Rey Mysterio, Jerry “The King” Lawler, VAP Events and all of the wonderful vendors for the best fiesta of the summer at the Connecticut Taco Festival on Saturday, August 26, 2017 from 10 AM to 8 PM! Ages 5+

 

If you want to win tickets, here is how:

Each person can earn entries 5 ways and the winner will be selected at random. You can earn entries as follows:

1. Like Connecticut Taco Festival, MaurPowerFoodie, and VAP Events on facebook, and share the CT Taco Festival event, being sure to tag Connecticut Taco Festival, MaurPowerFoodie, and VAP Events (1 entry)
2. Follow MaurPowerFoodie.Wordpress.com and leave a comment on this post saying why you should get tickets (1 entry)
3. Follow @CT_TacoFestival and @MaurPowerFoodie on Twitter and Tweet about the event tagging @CT_TacoFestival and @MaurPowerFoodie in the tweet (1 entry)
   
4. Follow @connecticuttacofestival and @MaurPowerFoodie on Instagram and post a pic of some of your favorite tacos tagging @connecticuttacofestival and @MaurPowerFoodie on Instagram (1 entry)
5. Donate to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer here! (1 entry for each $10 donated)

All entries must be in my 11:59 PM on August 18th and then the winner will be chosen at random on August 19th.

More information on the event below!

Subscribe to the newsletter for ticket deals at:
https://cttacofestival.com/
Remember to check your spam!

ADVANCE TICKETS AVAILABLE here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/connecticut-taco-festival-tickets-35227922665

Featuring:
Gourmet Tacos from Restaurants & Food Trucks
Frozen Margaritas, Tequila & Mexican Beer provided by Bumski’s
Lucha Libre Mexican Wrestling feat. REY MYSTERIO
Taco-Eating Contests with $1,000 CASH GRAND PRIZE!
Final Taco-Eating Contest JUDGED BY REY MYSTERIO & JERRY LAWLER
Live Music & Performances, including a Mariachi Band, Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Brookfield, Ballet Folklórico Mexicano de Yale and local music
Kids Activities & Vendors!
Submit vendor inquiries to CTtacofestival@gmail.com

Restaurants include:
Panchos Tacos
El Coyote (Monroe, Brookfield, New Milford, Jackson Heights and Forest Hills)
Rubamba restaurant (New Haven)
Hacienda Don Manuel (Brookfield)
Mezon – Tapas Bar & Restaurant (Danbury)
Tigers’ Den (Ridgefield)
Puerto Vallarta Restaurant – Danbury
Agave Mexican Restaurant Danbury CT

Food Trucks include:
HAPA Food Truck
Brazilian gula grill (South Windsor)
Pork Friends And Company LLC (Meriden)
Kathy’s Kitchen Catering & Events, LLC (Sandy Hook)

Sponsors:
townvibe
Conaway Design
Real Estate Photography NYC

Lodging:
Hotel Zero Degrees (203) 730-9200
15 Milestone Rd, Danbury, CT 06810
Mention “CT TACO FESTIVAL” BLOCK. To guarantee your room, make reservation by 7/28
Shuttle Service Available with advanced scheduling
http://www.hotelzerodegrees.com/
Discounted Room Rates:
King $119
Double $139
Executive $200

Italian Corn Summer Salad

Hey all. First time positing since Cooks vs. Cons on Food Network, more on that to come on a later date. I made this one up for Fourth of July when I had  5 picnics to go to and it went over so well that a lot of people have asked me for the recipe and I figured I would share it with everyone!  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

12 ears of corn

1/2 jar Roasted Red Peppers

1/2 jar Sun-dried Tomatoes

1 carton cherry tomatoes

Scallions

garlic

ginger

salt

pepper

Italian seasoning

olive oil

butter

old bay

 

Directions:

1) Butter ears of corn and wrap in foil.  Cook on grill or in oven around 500 degrees for 40 minutes (turn once if on grill).

2) Place all tomatoes on baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Cook in oven or on grill with corn for 15-20 minutes on baking sheet (this way the juices are gathered on the baking sheet)

3) Rough chop the scallions, sun dried tomatoes and roasted red peppers.

4) Cut all corn off the cobs and put in large mixing bowl with tomatoes (reserving the juices on the side), scallions, sun-dried tomatoes, and roasted red peppers. Thoroughly mix.

5) Make a simple dressing by whisking together the juices of the tomatoes, 2 tbs olive oil, 3 cloves roasted garlic, 2 tsp ginger, 1 tbs juices from Roasted Red Pepper jar, 1 tbs juices from sun-dried tomato jar, salt, and pepper.

6) Dress the salad, mixing well, and dust with old bay seasoning.

7) Enjoy!

 

I hope you guys enjoy it as much as we did! Till next time, MaurPowerFoodie signing off.

Avon Walk For Breast Cancer… Make me dye my hair PINK! #InItToEndIt

That’s right MaurPowerFoodie Nation, I am walking in my 4th straight 40 mile Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and I need your help to raise the $1,800.00 to be an official walker. If I can raise the $1,800.00 before October 16, the day of registration, I will dye my hair and beard pink! Just Donate Here: http://t.co/7skEeyEjlY.

 

For those of you who don’t know, my Mom is a Breast Cancer Survivor. I know the strain it puts not only on the person going through the treatments, but on their family and friends. It is a battle, but as my Mom shows, it can be one. That being said, it is still far from a sure fire victory. But it should be! That is why I do this. I have pledged to walk 500 miles in Breast Cancer walks, because I will walk 500 miles, so you can walk 500 more. This year marks my 4th walk and I will be up to 160 miles after I complete it and if I reach my goal, will have raised over $7,200 for the cause. Please help. Whatever you can give, whether it is $5, $500, or anywhere in between, every little bit helps. AND pass on this link (http://t.co/7skEeyEjlY) to your family and friends so they can donate too. Last year I shaved my head for the walk:

This year I grew out my hair and beard and will dye it all pink if I get the $1,800! And let’s sweeten the pot a little. I will send a personalized gift box out to the winner of a contest. All you have to do is donate and comment below with your donation amount. For every $20 you donate, you get 1 entry (If you already donated, simply comment below with the amount, and you do not need to donate again). Also, for anyone who donates $100.00 or more you will be entered to win a signed, first edition of my brand new MaurPowerFoodie baseball caps!

So please…. Donate and Share this post! Help me reach my goal. Make me dye my hair pink. Win some cool prizes. I am counting on all of you. Thanks for all the support and I will see you all when I am good and sore after the 40 mile walk.

CT Chefs Challenge 2015 – MaurPowerFoodie Competes! #CTChefs

That’s right. As you may recall from an earlier post, I have been selected as 1 of the 8 chefs to compete in this year’s CT Chefs Challenge on September 18, 2015, the 5th annual showing of the event.

This is going to be one intense challenge as I take on 7 of the best chefs CT has to offer. Just check out this list of the competitors:

Mark Vecchitto – Seehund German Pub: 2014 Winner
Adam Bedini – StrEATery
Justin Kern – Meeting House Pub
Trevor McGrath – YooNeke: Hells Kitchen Season 9
Carlos Baez – The Spread
Joshua Morosi – A Chef’s Choice
Jason Maur – MaurPowerFoodie: MasterChef Season 3
Carol Koty – The Waterview and Lockwood Lodge: World Food championship competitor

Now Carol and I go way back, and I am psyched to cheer her on (for 2nd place after me). But the competitors aren’t the only amazing part. The event will be hosted by the unstoppable Chef Plum of PlumLuvFoods (you may recognize him from The Taste, Guys Grocery Games, Cutthroat Kitchen, and more) and judged by Chef Derrick Prince (Master Chef Season 2), Judy & Joy (who have made their rounds throughout the culinary world), Ken Tuccio (Welcome to CT), and more! Not to mention my buddy’s over at OmNomCT covering everything on Social Media. It is just ridiculous, in the most amazing way!

Now for the question on everyone’s mind, what will I be making? I am not going to give it all away, but I am sticking with my BBQ roots, but with an extreme upscale twist. Going to be killer, especially thanks to the help of the Chef/Owner of Bar 140 in Shelton, CT, Joe, who has agreed to Sous Chef for me.

The event is taking place at the Lincoln Culinary Institute in Shelton. You can purchase tickets here!

COME OUT FOR THIS! It is going to be one hell of an event and you do not want to miss it.

Saucy n’ Sauced Up: BBQ and Beer Bashes in Danbury, Stamford + Ridgefield Coming Soon

Looking for some great BBQ events coming up? Check these out!

 

Saucy n’ Sauced Up: BBQ and Beer Bashes in Danbury, Stamford + Ridgefield Coming Soon.

Shave MaurPowerFoodie’s Head for Breast Cancer

That’s right. I have decided to propose a challenge. IF you all help me raise the rest of my $1,800.00 goal (I am currently just over $700.00) for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer by Friday, October 10, 2014… I will shave my head for the walk! And to top that off, whoever is my top donor (of at least $250), if they so choose, I will let them be the one to shave it all off. All you have to do is donate. I promise photos and videos of the great shave to come, but first… you have till October 10th to get me up to $1,800.00.

To donate, just go to my site here!

 

To join the facebook event and see pictures and videos of the head shaving, go here!

 

Will I have to shave my head? Time will tell.

A little bit of why I walk. As many of you know, my mother, Bonnie Jolles Maur, is a breast cancer survivor. I have seen first hand how much a diagnosis of breast cancer can change the lives not just of the person diagnosed, but of all of their loved ones. I am #InItToEndIt. Last year I pledged to walk 500 miles to put an end to breast cancer. I have walked 80 so far… being an official walker this year will put me at 120 miles. Please help me in any way you can.

#AvonWalks

Thank you.