Title Pros

Did the Recipe Work? Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Mon, 21 May 2012 01:02:00 +0000

I wanted to make red pepper hummus a few years ago and grabbed the first recipe I found from a search. To this day, I am still not sure how it was rated so high (4.5 stars on AllRecipes.com) since it seemed to be missing olive oil as an ingredient. For kicks, I followed the recipe without olive oil and ended up with a dry looking Play-doh. Added about 3 tbs of EVO to smooth it out.

I write notes on recipes, so I've continued to use this design for hummus, adding a few ingredients of my own (the EVO, fresh basil leaves, and roasted pine nuts). It's a tasty appetizer, spread for toast, and quick snack. Great shelf life in the refrigerator.

Did the Recipe Work? Potato Gratin with Rosemary Crust

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Mon, 14 May 2012 02:28:00 +0000

This Southern Living recipe from 2010 (found in MyRecipes.com) was one I wanted to try since eating it at a pot luck. It looked incredible and tasted great. I picked my birthday as the day to make it, along with Beef Wellington. Two crusty delicacies - starch and beef! My wife isn't a big fan of the prep time that goes into BW, but had to agree since it was my birthday.

We've made the BW before with peppercorn sauce and it looked as good as it tasted. This time, it tasted great but looked terrible. The crust didn't hold because we rolled it too thin. Lesson learned.

The photos below are of the Potato Gratin. It looks great on the plate, and is such a nice way to consume starch and cheese - Gruyere to be specific. My only modifications were throwing on the convection after pulling off the foil, and pulling the dish at 20 minutes instead of 25 minutes. My crust wasn't as soft as the one I ate at the pot luck. I think it was my error of overworking the dough.

What a Difference a Year Makes

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:47:00 +0000

What a Difference a Year Makes

Home Buyers Springing to Life

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:46:00 +0000

Home Buyers Springing to Life

Jobs Solidify the Housing Trend

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:45:00 +0000

Jobs Solidify the Housing Trend

What Not to Do if You Are Buying a Home

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:44:00 +0000

What Not to Do if You Are Buying a Home

A Final Note on the Current Market

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:42:00 +0000

A Final Note on the Current Market

Did the Recipe Work? Coq Au Vin

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Sun, 06 May 2012 20:26:00 +0000

Chicken, cooked with vegetables in a pot, with red wine. Very basic, very good. The ingredient list looks long, but it is a fairly straight forward spin on chicken in a pot. I liked Ina Garten's recipe found on FoodNetwork.com. The only tricks are easy (like freezing the boiling onions before use). My derivations on the recipe were in leaving the chicken whole and adding potatoes. I've had it with potatoes before and I like the way the red wine stains the russets. My only change would be to cut the potatoes into smaller pieces. They were a bit al dente.

Did the Recipe Work? Rosemary Hummus

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Thu, 03 May 2012 00:56:00 +0000

I was getting tired of making Roasted Pepper Hummus, so I looked for an alternative that would let me use some herbs from my garden (time was tight and I didn't want to run to the store). ASpicyPerspective.com blog had a Rosemary Hummus that had the nice twist of crisping the rosemary in olive oil. This step does add a nice crisp to the rosemary and adds the always good infusion of rosemary into the olive oil.

I varied the recipe by sticking with Tahini instead of A Spicy Perspective's recommendation of Greek Yogurt (again, time was tight and I happened to have Tahini). The resulting hummus was gobbled up quickly as an appetizer. The vote-with-your-mouth survey gave it the Yes.

Did the Recipe Work? German Pancake

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Thu, 03 May 2012 00:41:00 +0000

This is a simple recipe I picked up from a friend who learned it from her Austrian mother.

1/4 Cup of Milk
1/4 Cup Flower
1 Egg

Wisk it all together, while: preheating the oven to 400 degrees, and preheating cast iron skillet on the stove (melt a tab of butter in it when it's hot). Pour the ingredients in the skillet, place in the oven, and wait 10 minutes for a plate of carb. I overcooked the apples, but you get the idea.

A Reminder of Why People Buy a Home

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:02:00 +0000

A Reminder of Why People Buy a Home

What Were the Actual Numbers (February 2012)?

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 17:01:00 +0000

What Were the Actual Numbers (February 2012)

Did the Recipe Work? Arroz con Pollo - Take I

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:41:00 +0000

There are many recipes and slants on rice and chicken. I have an occasion coming up where I need to serve up around 40 helpings of this as a Mexican plate. My wife's and my favorite version of this has been the delicious plate delivered by El Farolito Mexican Restaurant in Placentia, CA. House Special #80 tops the mix of rice and all white chicken with a ranchera sauce and cheese. My dairy quota is fulfilled with the cheese, so I pass on the sour cream.

I think their take is so unique that I had to combine a few different recipes to make my version of it. The end result tasted great but was not something I thought I could serve up hot, moist and ready for 40 people. So the quest continues. Here is the result of my dish.

Final Thoughts on the Impending Spring Housing Market

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 17:00:00 +0000

Final Thoughts on the Impending Spring Housing Market

Did the Recipe Work? Roasted Potato Wedges

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 02:27:00 +0000

Do I sound like an idiot for needing a recipe for potato wedges? Maybe so, but my results have always been hit or miss. I thought I'd give Jeff Mauro's recipe a try that he used while compiling his Chicken Vesuvio sandwich. They worked out great. Crispy, cooked through nice looking on the plate. My only adjustment from the recipe in the link below was to sprinkle a little chili powder on one side of the wedges.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jeff-mauro/roasted-potato-wedges-recipe/index.html

Did the Recipe Work? Brussels Sprouts

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 22:49:00 +0000

Brussels Sprouts have all kinds of negative memories for those of us that thought they only came in an over boiled, soft ball. This recipe from Rachel Ray is very easy and hits the mark perfectly. I have used bacon bits (the pixie dust of food) as a quick substitute for cooking bacon. You may loose some of the flavor that comes from sauteing the shallots with the bacon renderings, but it's a nice time save step.

Did the Recipe Work? Cuisinart Vanilla Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 16:00:00 +0000

The ice cream and sorbet makers look so simple to use and make the perfect amount of product to enjoy at a small party. One of my sisters gave one to me as a gift recently. I've tried a couple of different vanilla ice cream recipes (baby steps), settling with the Cuisinart owner's manual basic recipe as the favorite.

It's very simple: 1 cup of milk, 2 cups heavy whipping cream, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla (I add 1 teaspoon more), then BAM! Actually, 21 minutes later I have 1.5 quarts of vanilla goodness. The manual calls for 25-30 minutes but I can't see it. The volume is full and firm by 21 minutes.

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 02:08:00 +0000

Did You Hear the One About . . . No Housing Inventory?

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 02:07:00 +0000

What Were the Actual Numbers - January 2012?

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 02:06:00 +0000

Southland Home Prices May be Declining, But Don't Let that Dissuade Your from Taking Action

Did the Recipe Work? Pork Tenderloin Roulade with Fig-Cherry Stuffing

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 05:17:00 +0000

This recipe for a fig and cherry stuffed pork loin jumped to the top of my list for the weekend. It has it all: pork, figs, cherries and the pretense of saying something French, roulade. Makes roll sound pretty fancy.

My wife and I thought it tasted excellent. I wrote down some notes to change it up the next time I make it.

Flip the amounts of figs and cherries. I'd like a bit more bit to come out of the tart cherries.
Roast some fresh cherries to mix in the reduction sauce at the end. I think this will add to the presentation and add to the final taste.

The recipe was in the OC Register (Feb. 15, 2012). Adapted from "All About Roasting" by Molly Stevens.

Did the Recipe Work? Roasted Beets

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 04:57:00 +0000

Roasted beets have become the go to item on most restaurants lately. The red and gold beets look bright on a salad, taste great and are supposed to be loaded with things that are good for us. They look nasty in the market and even worse coming out of a can. So I gave a simple recipe a try - and it worked.

A nice salad to drop them in (last, so they don't bleed onto the other items) includes mixed greens, baby spinach, carrots and goat cheese. Drizzle some balsamic vinegar on top and it becomes a tasty starter. Add some more of everything and some slices of aged sirloin to make a meal with it.

This recipe is about as simple as it gets for getting a tasty result. http://www.ehow.com/how_3093_cook-beets.html

Some Good News at Last as the Local Economy Appears to Have Turned the Corner

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:21:00 +0000

Some Good News at Last as our Local Economy Appears to Turn the Corner!

What are Investors, Banks and the Media Saying About Housing?

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:20:00 +0000

What Are Investors, Banks and Media Saying About Housing?

What Were the Actual Numbers for December 2011

noreply@blogger.com (The Sloan Team) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 03:19:00 +0000

What Were the Actual Numbers - December 2011?