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Pozole Rojo (Mexican Stew with Pork and Hominy)
Pozole Rojo is a delicious and smoky Mexican stew made with an aromatic broth of dried chiles, onions and oregano and full of pork and hominy.
I can see my Mexican friends yelling at me. "But there's no cabbage!", "Where's the cabbage?" Yes. I am fully aware that I missed the most important garnish to this rustic soup, but I still hope I made all my Latin friends proud by making their classic and so delicious Pozole Rojo. For a South American stew, try my Argentinian beef stew.
For months my mouth would water as I listened my Mexican friends brag and show off photos of this "amazing" pozole made by their mom, aunt, cousin, sister or family friend and no one would give away the recipe. They would bloat and show off how comforting and time consuming this soup was and then here's this white girl begging to find out what the flavors of this masterpiece was made up of.
Pozole rojo is a deliciously hearty Mexican stew with hominy and either pork or chicken. The deep red broth is made with dried chile's and aromatics such as onion, garlic and fresh oregano. I used both guajillo and ancho chile's which gave it a rich deep smokey flavor. My tip: take out ALL the seeds and stems from the chile's. The peppers still have a nice smokey kick to it with a little heat, but by removing the seeds, you won't be running to the fire extinguisher and will still have all the flavor.
Also, I should note that this is a somewhat time consuming soup, easy, but takes time. You first have to make the pork or chicken broth and allow your meet to cook and broth to come together for at least 3 hours. Then you add in all the rest of the ingredients and allow it to simmer for another 30 minutes (at least). It's a tad time consuming but so so worth it. And like any labor intensive meal, it tastes even better the next day. And the next.
Method:
1) In a large soup pot, add pork, 1 onion cut in quarters, 1 garlic bulb cut in half, 3 bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cover everything with water and allow to simmer for 2 hours. As water begins to evaporate, add hot water to keep the broth at the same amount.
2) While stock is cooking, make the chile sauce. Cut open your dried chile's and remove all the seeds and stems. Soak the chiles in water for at least 30 minutes to soften.
3) When chiles are soft, add them to your blender (or food processor) as well as 1 onion (roughly chopped), 6 garlic cloves, few sprigs of fresh oregano, drizzle of olive oil and about ½ cup of the chile water (from soaking). You may need more depending on consistency. Blend everything together until it is all pureed.
4) When stock is done and pork is cooked through, remove pork to cutting board and shred or cut into bite size pieces. Discard stocks onion, garlic and bay. Then add the pureed chile sauce to pork stock and store through. Add hominy and cubed pork. Taste for seasoning.
5) Bring soup to a gentle simmer and allow to continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes.
6) When pozole rojo, ladle soup into bowls and top with garnishes, such as sliced cabbage, sliced radishes, fresh oregano, avocado, like and tortilla chips.
Pozole rojo is a bit time consuming (yes, but so worth it), for a quicker meal with loads of intense Latin flavor, this Mexican noodle soup called sopa de fideos only takes a handful of ingredients and fraction of the time. And if pork isn't your jam, try my vegetarian red pozole loaded with hominy, beans and squash!
And if you're looking for other hearty stews, try my Dominican sancocho recipe!
Pozole Rojo (Mexican Stew with Pork and Hominy)
Pozole Rojo, a delicious and smokey Mexican stew made with an aromatic broth of dried chiles, onions and oregano and full of pork and hominy.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 291kcal
Ingredients
Stock
- 2 lbs pork shoulder or pork butt
- 1 yellow onion cut in quarters
- 1 garlic bulb cut in half
- 3 bay leaves
- Water
Chile Sauce
- 5 dried ancho chiles seeds and stem removed
- 5 dried guajillo chiles seeds and stem removed
- 1 yellow onion roughly chopped
- 6 garlic cloves
- Few sprigs of fresh oregano
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Reserved water from soaked chiles
- 2 19 oz cans hominy drained and rinsed
Pozole Toppings
- Cabbage sliced
- Tortilla chips
- Avocado
- Lime
- Radishes sliced
- Fresh oregano and/or cilantro
- Queso fresco
- Crema
Instructions
- In a large soup pot, add pork, 1 onion cut in quarters, 1 garlic bulb cut in half, 3 bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cover everything with water and allow to simmer for 2 hours. As water begins to evaporate, add hot water to keep the broth at the same amount.
- While stock is cooking, make the chile sauce. Cut open your dried chile's and remove all the seeds and stems. Soak the chiles in water for at least 30 minutes to soften.
- When chiles are soft, add them to your blender (or food processor) as well as 1 onion (roughly chopped), 6 garlic cloves, few sprigs of fresh oregano, drizzle of olive oil and about ½ cup of the chile water (from soaking). You may need more depending on consistency. Blend everything together until it is all pureed.
- When stock is done and pork is cooked through, remove pork to cutting board and shred or cut into bite size pieces. Discard stocks onion, garlic and bay. Then add the pureed chile sauce to pork stock and store through. Add hominy and cubed pork. Taste for seasoning.
- Bring soup to a gentle simmer and allow to continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes.
- When done, ladle soup into bowls and top with garnishes, such as sliced cabbage, sliced radishes, fresh oregano, avocado, like and tortilla chips.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Epicurious and Mexico in my Kitchen
Nutrition
Calories: 291kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 68mg | Sodium: 341mg | Potassium: 936mg | Fiber: 9g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 6378IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 3mg
Sweet Potato Pie with Coconut Whipped Cream
Sweet potato pie gets even better when topped with luscious coconut whipped cream. This classic dessert with a twist of Coconut and flakey crust should wind up on any table that deserves a wonderful sweet finish.
I topped this gorgeous pigmented pie with a healthy dollop of coconut whipped cream!
The flavor of coconut is extraordinary, like on my Coconut Creme Brulee. But I have to say, at first I had some trouble whipping the coconut cream up. I had enough sweet potatoes to make enough for an army! As you can see here, I made little mini sweet potato pies in a jar and also had enough for a large pie. The dough is enough for either 2 pies or 12-14 mini mason jars.
So here are some tips when making coconut whipped cream:
1) Chill everything!! Chill the canned coconut milk overnight in the fridge and chill the mixing bowl and beaters.
2) When you open the can, remove the very watery/thin part and only whip up the thicker coconut milk.
3) Keep your eye on it. Start slow and gradually go faster. It won't whip up like very stiff whip cream but it will get thicker.
4) Add powdered sugar when it begins to get soft. I learned that the coarser sugar weighed it down and it did not fluff up as I liked (at first).
More sweet inspiration
Sweet Potato Pie with Coconut Whipped Cream
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 573kcal
Ingredients
Sweet Potato Pie Mixture
- 3 cups sweet potatoes peeled, cooked and cut into large pieces
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- ¾ c brown sugar
- freshly grated nutmeg about ¼ tsp
Pie Crust
Coconut Whipped Cream
- 1 can coconut milk chilled
- 2 Tb powdered sugar
Instructions
- First make pie crust. In a food processor fitted with a dough blade, add the flour, salt, sugar. Pulse a few times to mix everything. Then add the chilled butter and pulse again until the dough looks like "peas". Then add your chilled vodka (this is key) until the dough comes together and looks like "wet sand" when pressed together in your hand. (Amount of liquid may vary slightly depending on weather).
- Pour dough on floured surface and form together in a ball. Cut in half and wrap in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerate while you make the filling.
- To make the filling, place all the sweet potato mixture ingredients in a food processor (it should be clean by now) and mix until everything is smooth and incorporated. Place in a bowl in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes.
- When dough is chilled, roll out on a floured surface util about ¼ in thick and 10 inches side. You can either use for a whole pie crust or cut out 6-8in circles for mini mason jars.
- Pour filling into pie (or jars) and bake at 400 degrees F for about 20 minutes.
- While the pie is baking, make the coconut whipped cream.
- If you haven't already, open the coconit mulk can and pour out the water in a seperate bowl (Save it and use for smoothies, soups, etc).
- Pour the thicker coconut milk in your chilled mixer and begin to whip starting on low and gradually moving to medium-high setting. As soon as it begins to thicken, add powdered sugar and continue to beat. Check every so often for desired consistency.
- When pies are done, allow them to cool for at least 15 minutes, then top with coconut whipped cream.
Nutrition
Calories: 573kcal | Carbohydrates: 89g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 466mg | Potassium: 520mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 9523IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 4mg
Sweet Potato Stuffed Oranges
A twist on Thanksgiving sweet potatoes, these sweet potato stuffed oranges are flavored with a bit of brown sugar and served right in orange cups.
So these stuffed oranges is my mom's recipe. When I was growing up, she made this every year. We would buy those huge bags of oranges and make trays and trays of them. The only difference with the original recipe, is that my mom used to (and this was way before we both went whole-foods/organic eating) use canned sweet potatoes. They were these dark orange cubes of mush sitting in its thick sugary syrup. Now that we know better, the new recipe has changed to boiling whole sweet potatoes and sweetening with a touch of brown sugar.
How cute are those pillows of marshmallow perfection? I know it's Holiday season when mom buys marshmallows! And how cute are these little orange cups snugly fit on your Thanksgiving plate...very cute!
The secret (according to mom) is to not scoop out all the flesh of the orange. She says that's the best part. After you eat the sweet potato , the orange is soft and delicious and you kind of drag your teeth along the inside of the orange and enjoy the sweet fruit juice.
And speaking of Thanksgiving...have you heard about Thanksgivvikuh?? Yup....Thanksgiving + Hanukkah in 1! It looks like this year the 1st night the 'Festival of Lights" falls on Thanksgiving. Which means Turkey and cranberry latkes...oh man..does that sound awesome or what? And keep your eye out because a few blogger friends and I will be hosting a Thankgivikkuh event on November 1st..so excited!
Method:
1) Peel and boil sweet potatoes until fork tender Then drain and place potatoes in a bowl. Use a fork to mash them up. Then add brown sugar and a pinch of salt.
2) Cut oranges in half and use a fork or spoon to cut out the orange flesh. Have the sweet potato bowl near you so all the orange juice and flesh goes straight in there. Leave some orange fruit pieces intact. Discard seeds. Mix the filling well until most of the lumps are out. Taste for seasoning.
3) Place orange halves in an oven safe dish and scoop sweet potato filling in each one all the way to the brim.
4) Then top with a few medium-sized marshmallows.
5) Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until the marshmallows begin to brown and melt.
Mom’s Sweet Potato Stuffed Oranges
A twist on Thanksgiving sweet potatoes, these sweet potato stuffed oranges are flavored with a bit of brown sugar and served right in orange cups.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 143kcal
Ingredients
- 3-4 Oranges
- 3 Sweet potatoes peeled and cut into large pieces
- 2 Tb brown sugar or more to taste
- Pinch of salt
- 24 Marshmallows
Instructions
- Peel and boil sweet potatoes until fork tender Then drain and place potatoes in a bowl. Use a fork to mash them up. Then add brown sugar and a pinch of salt.
- Cut oranges in half and use a fork or spoon to cut out the orange flesh. Have the sweet potato bowl near you so all the orange juice and flesh goes straight in there. Leave some orange fruit pieces intact. Discard seeds. Mix the filling well until most of the lumps are out. Taste for seasoning.
- Place orange halves in an oven safe dish and scoop sweet potato filling in each one all the way to the brim.
- Then top with a few medium-sized marshmallows.
- Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until the marshmallows begin to brown and melt.
Nutrition
Calories: 143kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Sodium: 44mg | Potassium: 258mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 7027IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Homemade Pumpkin-Ricotta Ravioli with Brown Butter Walnut Sauce
Comfort food at its finest! Pumpkin and ricotta filled ravioli tossed in a nutty brown butter sauce is what fall dinners are made for! And the perfect touch is crisp fried sage and a generous helping of grated Parmesan.
Pumpkin Ricotta Filling
This may be, without a doubt one of my favorite pumpkin recipes to date! And it's all thanks to that savory and creamy pumpkin filling. If you have any extra pumpkin make my Mini Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecakes
Pumpkin Filling: Mix canned pumpkin, ricotta, Parmesan, egg and nutmeg together until creamy and this will be your ravioli filling. You can also use the same filling for a creamy pasta sauce or as a layer for a fall-flavored lasagna.
The pasta is simple, and you can mix everything in the food processor. What takes time is the rolling out of the dough. Of course if you have a pasta machine, it makes life a tad easier, but you have to roll it our a few times and on different settings to get the right "feel". You don't want it too thick or too thin. I can usually tell if I can see my hand print fairly easily.
Brown Butter Sauce
Use a non-stick skillet and add butter, walnuts and sage. Cook butter on low-medium heat until the butter turns a dark brown color. As soon as it darkens, turn off the heat and add whatever ravioli or pasta or use as a garnish like I did with my butternut squash risotto.
How to Make Pumpkin Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce
1) Place all the pasta dough ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it looks like coarse crumbs. Then while the processor is going, slowly drizzle in water until the dough comes together.
2) Place the dough on a well floured surface and knead it a few times until it gets smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
3) When dough is ready, cut into 8 pieces. Each piece will be a layer of ravioli dough. (You'll be able to fit about 3-4 ravioli after its rolled out).
4) With floured hands, stretch out the dough slightly and flatten it so it looks like a thick disk. Run it through your pasta machine on the largest setting and allow the pasta to pass through twice (or so). Then go to the next smallest setting and do the same thing. I go up to setting 3-4. You want the pasta to not be too sheer but soft enough as well. Continue with the rest of the dough.
5) Place your pasta sheets on a dry surface sprinkled with semolina. You can also cover it with a damp cloth to keep it from drying out. Set aside to make filling
6) Now make the filling. In a bowl, mix together pumpkin, ricotta, egg and spices. Whisk together well so it becomes light/fluffy and incorporated.
7) When ready, lay one sheet of pasta on a dry and floured surface and use a teaspoon to spoon filling, placing them about 1-2 inches apart. Don't put too much filling, a little goes a long way.
8) Place another sheet of pasta on top, making sure they lay evenly. Use your hands to gently seal the pasta around the filling. Then use a cookie cutter that is larger than your filling and cut out ravioli. Use a fork to crimp the edges. Place ravioli on surface sprinkled with semolina.
9) When ready, cook ravioli in salted boiling water until they begin to float, about 4 minutes.
10) Next, make the brown butter sauce. In a non-stick skillet add butter, walnuts and sage. Allow to cook on medium heat until the butter turns a dark brown color. As soon as it darkens, add in your cooked ravioli and toss gently to coat.
11) Plate the ravioli and sauce and top with fresh grated parmigiana.
More great pasta recipes:
Homemade Pumpkin-Ricotta Ravioli with Brown Butter Walnut Sauce
Pumpkin ricotta filled ravioli tossed in a nutty brown butter sauce, finished with crisp fried sage and a generous helping of Parmesan.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 629kcal
Ingredients
Pumpkin-Ricotta Filling
- 1 can pumpkin puree 15 oz
- 8 oz fresh ricotta
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Freshly grated nutmeg about ½ tsp
- Freshly grated Parmigiana about ¼ cup
Brown Butter Sauce
- 3-4 Tb butter you want enough to coat the bottom of the pan
- Few fresh sage leaves roughly chopped
- ¼ cup Walnuts chopped
- Freshly grated Parmigiana
Instructions
- Place all the pasta dough ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it looks like coarse crumbs. Then while the processor is going, slowly drizzle in water until the dough comes together.
- Place the dough on a well floured surface and knead it a few times until it gets smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- When dough is ready, cut into 8 pieces. Each piece will be a layer of ravioli dough. (You'll be able to fit about 3-4 ravioli after its rolled out).
- With floured hands, stretch out the dough slightly and flatten it so it looks like a thick disk. Run it through your pasta machine on the largest setting and allow the pasta to pass through twice (or so). Then go to the next smallest setting and do the same thing. I go up to setting 3-4. You want the pasta to not be too sheer but soft enough as well. Continue with the rest of the dough.
- Place your pasta sheets on a dry surface sprinkled with semolina. You can also cover it with a damp cloth to keep it from drying out. Set aside to make filling
- Now make the filling. In a bowl, mix together pumpkin, ricotta, egg and spices. Whisk together well so it becomes light/fluffy and incorporated.
- When ready, lay one sheet of pasta on a dry and floured surface and use a teaspoon to spoon filling, placing them about 1-2 inches apart. Don't put too much filling, a little goes a long way.
- Place another sheet of pasta on top, making sure they lay evenly. Use your hands to gently seal the pasta around the filling. Then use a cookie cutter that is larger than your filling and cut out ravioli. Use a fork to crimp the edges. Place ravioli on surface sprinkled with semolina.
- When ready, cook ravioli in salted boiling water until they begin to float, about 4 minutes.
- Next, make the brown butter sauce. In a non-stick skillet add butter, walnuts and sage. Allow to cook on medium heat until the butter turns a dark brown color. As soon as it darkens, add in your cooked ravioli and toss gently to coat.
- Plate the ravioli and sauce and top with fresh grated parmigiana.
Notes
The filling amount will probably makes more than you need for the ravioli. Save the rest and use it for a pumpkin lasagna or stuffed pasta shells.
The measurements for the brown butter sauce are enough for 1-2 servings. Adjust as needed for more.
Pasta dough recipe adapted from Laura in the Kitchen.
Nutrition
Calories: 629kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 215mg | Sodium: 762mg | Potassium: 248mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 793IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 165mg | Iron: 5mg
Coconut Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Coconut Creme Anglaise
Coconut and Pumpkin Bread Pudding is flavored with warm cinnamon and allspice and a drizzled with a decadent coconut anglaise.
When I am damned to make something, nothing stops me. Even in bustling 90 degree weather, I will stand in front of a stove and bake. Call me crazy. In fact, today I was in such a mood for ramen, Joe and I drove 20 minutes to find the 1 ramen joint that did not have air conditioning...and just for a bowl of spicy shoyu ramen. I really am crazy, aren't I?
I am envious of your snow and fall weather. I want to curl up in a sweater and bake pumpkin and apples up to my ears. But alas, we are stuck in this hot and dry conditions for the next few days. They call this "Santa Ana Winds", which are strong winds that come from inland and are incredibly dry and hot. The only good thing about this weather is that the ocean will be warm for swims and I never have a frizzy hair day (girl problems).
I was thinking of posting step by step photos for this recipe, but honestly, it is the easiest dish you will make. But really, this pumpkin bread pudding is a 1 pot wonder. Throw everything in and wait an hour to have a sweet breakfast treat. The creme anglaise takes a bit more finesse. It is basically heating up cream and slowly adding egg yolks to thicken. That's it. A super easy dish with a fancy name is what I'm always down for.
Oh and another tip...If you want, go "heavy" on the spice. I love the flavors of cinnamon and allspice and you can be a bit generous than I was in the recipe. But really, this is an "anything goes" type of bread pudding with a fun fall twist. Enjoy!
Coconut Pumpkin Bread Pudding with Coconut Creme Anglaise
Coconut and Pumpkin Bread Pudding is flavored with warm cinnamon and allspice and a drizzled with a decadent coconut anglaise.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 619kcal
Cost: $10
Ingredients
Bread Pudding
- 6-8 Brioche rolls roughly torn apart
- 3 Eggs
- 1 can Coconut milk
- 1 ½ cups Whole milk
- 1 can Pumpkin
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Coconut Creme Anglaise
- 1 can Coconut milk
- ½ cup Heavy cream
- ½ cup Sugar
- 4 Egg yolks
- 1 vanilla bean split open and seeds removed
Instructions
Bread Pudding
- Roughly tear apart the brioche rolls and place them in a large baking dish.
- In a large bowl, combine all the rest of the ingredients to the bread pudding and whisk together. Pour mixture over bread and allow to set for at least 15 minutes.
- Cover dish with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Coconut Creme Anglaise
- In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until very well incorporated.
- In a small pot, heat the coconut milk, heavy cream and vanilla bean on low-moderate heat for about 5 minutes. Don't allow to boil.
- Next, slowly (very slowly!) drizzle the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks while whisking at the same time. Do this very gradually and slowly so you don't risk cooking the eggs. Continue to whisk until everything is incorporated. Place the mixture back into the small pot and continue to cook on low until it gets thick. You want to see it coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 5-8 minutes.
- Pour creme through a fine sieve and into another bowl. Place bowl into an ice bath to cool it down and stop its cooking.
- To serve, drizzle anglaise over bread pudding.
Nutrition
Calories: 619kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 36g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 243mg | Sodium: 91mg | Potassium: 511mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 719IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 144mg | Iron: 3mg
25+ Rosh Hashanah Recipes with Apples and Honey
The Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah is just a few days away! A time when I remember dipping apples slices in honey and when I reminisce about my Grandpa dragging me to temple to hear him blow the shofar.
Tradition is to bring in the New Year as sweet as possible. Eat those sweet apples, honey, pomegranates and dates. The sweeter the better! This is a time to make resolutions, goals and prepare for the best year to come.
So in lieu of a sweet New Year, I asked some of my blogger friends to share some of their favorite recipes with apples and honey!
L'shannah Tovah! and I hope your New Year is filled with sweetness, joy, love and blessings.
Honey Caramel Apple Galette by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
Raspberry and Apple Crumble by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
Apples Honey and Goat Cheese Crostini by What Jew Wanna Eat
Mini Apple and Honey Tarts by Overtime Cook
Honey Apple Muffins by Food Babbles
Ice Cream Sundae with Honey Roasted Cherries by Cook the Story
Honey Challah by Karen's Kitchen Stories
Baked Apple Wontons by Overtime Cook
Gluten-Free Hazlenut Yogurt Cake with Honey Berries by The Tomato Tart
Double Crumble Hot Apple Pie by Keep it Sweet
Apple Cinnamon Blondies by Keep it Sweet
Apple Turnovers by Chocolate Moosey
Holiday Apple Kuchen by Karen's Kitchen Stories
And a few more......
Warm Buttermilk Custard Apple Pie by Life and Kitchen
Apple Cinnamon Baked Beans by Life and Kitchen
Honey and Sea Salt Peanut-butter by Cupcakes and Kale Chips
Double Apple Pot Pie by Yummy Smells
Apple Compote by The Hungry Goddess
Apple Cider Cinnamon Rolls by Chocolate Moosey
Quick and Easy Apple Sandwiches by Jew Hungry
Upside Down Apple Cake by Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker
Cinnamon Apple Chips by Shockingly Delicious
Tropical Honey Panna Cotta by Vintage Kitchen Notes
Vegan Holiday Bundt Apple Cake by Ricki Heller
Hawaiian Apple Lattice Pie by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta
Tomato bruschetta with sliced rainbow heirlooms on crusty grilled bread. For another quick impressive appetizer try my Pan Con Tomate with Jamón.
This is not your standard tomato bruschetta. Usually when people think of their favorite antipasto bite, chopped tomatoes submerged in olive oil on sogging bread comes to mind.
But bruschetta has many different variations. The definition says that bruschetta is toasted bread rubbed with garlic and topped with olive oil, I thought it would be fun to leave these beauties sliced large to show off their pretty illustrations.
I have been addictly in love with the tomatoes this season. The strawberries are sweeter, the corn is milkier (yes...milker) and the tomatoes, well, I think it's obvious how much I am loving fresh fruits and veggies.
I want people to enjoy and respect this gorgeous fruit as much as I do.
This bruschetta couldn't be any easier. Grill ciabatta and rub with a cut side of garlic. The heat from the bread slowly melts the garlic and permeates the bread. For the "glue", I used avocado tahini dressing, but I am sure that your favorite pesto or cheese bread would do wonders as well. Then you slice up your rainbow heirlooms and lay accordingly. Top with basil, olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Mmm....mangia!
More wonderful tomatoes
Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta
Tomato bruschetta with sliced rainbow heirlooms on crusty grilled baread.
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 24kcal
Ingredients
- 1 green/yellow tomato
- 1 orange tomato
- 1 deep red tomato
- 1 garlic clove cut in half
- Ciabatta bread
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Few leaves of basil
- Kosher salt
- You can find the Avocado Tahini Dressing here
Instructions
- Cut ciabatta in half and grill or toast on both sides.
- When bread is done, rub half side of garlic on the inside of bread.
- Spread avocado tahini dressing or your favorite spread onto the bread.
- Slice tomatoes about ¼ in thick and layer the tomato slices Red, orange and yellow/green. It's ok to overlap if need to.
- Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle a pinch of kosher salt and top with roughly torn basil leaves.
- Cut bruschetta into large bite size pieces.
Nutrition
Calories: 24kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.3g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 299mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1032IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Coconut Creme Brulee
You can do this Coconut Creme Brulee a few ways. The creme has coconut milk in the recipe and then because I wanted even more coconut, I added sweetened coconut flakes too! You can leave that off and just have the classic sugar brulee or you can add a touch of sweetened flakes and then torch it! I think another delicious way to do it, would be to toast the shredded coconut first and then add it after you brulee the top.
Chocolate has a good reputation, it's always going to be the popular kid and the one people fall back on. But ya know...there are some other awesome sweet flavor friends out there too.
Ingredients
- Coconut Milk
- Heavy Cream
- Vanilla Bean
- Sugar
- Eggs Yolks
- Hot Water
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a saucepan heat together the coconut milk, heavy cream and vanilla bean. Allow mixture to come to a light boil and then remove from heat and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and discard.
- In another medium-sized bow, whisk together ½ c sugar and egg yolks until well blended. Carefully whisk in the warm cream very slowly until the mixture is combined. You don't want to do this quickly because the hot cream could scramble the egg yolks.
- The best dish to use are creme brulee dishes and/or ramekins which are wide and shallow. Place ramekins in roasting pan (or cake pan) and pour cream mixture into ramekins. This recipe makes about 5-6 servings. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come up halfway of the ramekins.
- Bake at 325 degrees F for about 40 minutes until the creme brulee is set but still "wiggles" slightly.
- Refrigerate creme brulees for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
- *You don;t want to brulee the top until right before serving.
- Take out creme brulee 10 minutes before ready to serve. Sprinkle sugar on top and lightly tap so it's an even layer. Use a blow torch to brulee the top until golden brown.
- Top with sweetened coconut flakes if desired.
More fun desserts
Coconut Creme Brulee
Sweet and light coconut creme brûlée recipe made with creamy coconut milk.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 542kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 vanilla bean
- ½ cup sugar + more for brulee crust
- 6 large egg yolks
- Hot water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a saucepan heat together the coconut milk, heavy cream and vanilla bean. Allow mixture to come to a light boil and then remove from heat and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean and discard.
- In another medium-sized bow, whisk together ½ c sugar and egg yolks until well blended. Carefully whisk in the warm cream very slowly until the mixture is combined. You don't want to do this quickly because the hot cream could scramble the egg yolks.
- The best dish to use are creme brulee dishes and/or ramekins which are wide and shallow. Place ramekins in roasting pan (or cake pan) and pour cream mixture into ramekins. This recipe makes about 5-6 servings. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come up halfway of the ramekins.
- Bake at 325 degrees F for about 40 minutes until the creme brulee is set but still "wiggles" slightly.
- Refrigerate creme brulees for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
- *You don;t want to brulee the top until right before serving.
- Take out creme brulee 10 minutes before ready to serve. Sprinkle sugar on top and lightly tap so it's an even layer. Use a blow torch to brulee the top until golden brown.
- Top with sweetened coconut flakes if desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 542kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 34g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 284mg | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 261mg | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 1426IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 3mg
Heirloom Tomato Pomodoro with Whole Wheat Pasta
Heirloom tomato pomodoro is a quick and easy weeknight meal flavored with loads of garlic and tangy goat cheese for creaminess.
The word "pomodoro" means "tomato" in Italian, which makes perfect sense since this easy dish is a bowl of tomato love! This is also a very common dish during the summer time because it's so light and quick to make.
Ingredients
- Whole Wheat Pasta
- Heirloom Tomatoes
- Garlic
- Basil
- Olive Oil
- Goat Cheese
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
1.
- Start by heating up a good drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet. Add chopped garlic and allow to slowly caramelize.
- Meanwhile, cook angel hair pasta in boiling water until al-dente. It cooks fast so keep your eye on it.
- Once the garlic is beginning to golden, add tomatoes and roughly chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Allow tomatoes to cook until they begin to break down a bit.
- When pasta is done, use tongs to add pasta directly to tomatoes. Toss to combine.
- Bowl up your pasta and drizzle with an extra turn of olive oil and top with small pieces of creamy goat cheese and more fresh basil.
Heirloom Tomato Pomodoro with Whole Wheat Pasta
Heirloom tomato pomodoro is a quick and easy weeknight meal flavored with loads of garlic and tangy goat cheese for creaminess.
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 338kcal
Cost: $10
Ingredients
- 8 oz Whole wheat angel hair pasta
- 1 lb assorted heirloom tomatoes larger ones cut into 1 in pieces and cut large cherry tomatoes in half
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- Small bunch of fresh basil
- Olive oil for drizzling
- 4 ounces Goat cheese optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Start by heating up a good drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet. Add chopped garlic and allow to slowly caramelize.
- Meanwhile, cook angel hair pasta in boiling water until al-dente. It cooks fast so keep your eye on it.
- Once the garlic is beginning to golden, add tomatoes and roughly chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Allow tomatoes to cook until they begin to break down a bit.
- When pasta is done, use tongs to add pasta directly to tomatoes. Toss to combine.
- Bowl up your pasta and drizzle with an extra turn of olive oil and top with small pieces of creamy goat cheese and more fresh basil.
Nutrition
Calories: 338kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 224mg | Potassium: 620mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2479IU | Vitamin C: 32mg | Calcium: 127mg | Iron: 3mg
Homemade Ricotta Cheese
Learn to make homemade ricotta cheese made with just 4 ingredients.
The process is pretty easy really. All you need is milk and cream, acid and some time. Get the best whole milk you can find, you can taste the difference.
Then you bring it up to temp and get it nice and sweaty. After a few heightened degrees, acid is added it help form the curds. And speaking of curds, here's a vocabulary lesson for you!
Curds are the curdling cheese that starts to pull away from the whey, which is the liquid that's leftover.
Don't be surprised if you find yourself sneaking big spoonfuls. It's pretty addictive.
Also, another tip, thanks to Wonky Wonderful: As the curds are draining, do not..and I repeat..DO NOT press down on the curds to squeeze more liquid out. This will cause you to have a very dry cheese! Instead, just allow the liquid to naturally drip off and once you don't see any more liquid, then you should be goo to go. It took me a solid 2 hours.
Method:
1) In a large pot, combine milk, cream and salt. Place on low-medium heat and use a candy thermometer to bring the milk up to 190 degrees F.
2) Once it reaches temperature, turn off heat and add lemon juice. Stir it once and allow to sit for 5 minutes. At this point you should see the milk beginning to curdle.
3) Line a large mesh strainer we several layers of cheese cloth. Place the strainer on top of a very large pot and ladle the milk mixture into lined strainer. You will need a large pot to catch all of the liquid, there will be a lot.
4) Allow the mixture to drain for 2 hours. Do not squeeze the cheese, just allow the liquid to nationally drip off.
5) When done, scoop fresh ricotta into large or small mason jars and show off your work to your friends.
Recipes that use Ricotta
Homemade Ricotta Cheese
Learn to make homemade ricotta cheese made with just 4 ingredients.
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 282kcal
Ingredients
- 8 cups whole milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 10 Tb fresh lemon juice strained (about 3-4 lemons)
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- In a large pot, combine milk, cream and salt. Place on low-medium heat and use a candy thermometer to bring the milk up to 190 degrees F.
- Once it reaches temperature, turn off heat and add lemon juice. Stir it once and allow to sit for 5 minutes. At this point you should see the milk beginning to curdle.
- Line a large mesh strainer we several layers of cheese cloth. Place the strainer on top of a very large pot and ladle the milk mixture into lined strainer. You will need a large pot to catch all of the liquid, there will be a lot.
- Allow the mixture to drain for 2 hours. Do not squeeze the cheese, just allow the liquid to nationally drip off.
- When done, scoop fresh ricotta into large or small mason jars chill completely.
Notes
Yields 3-4 cups of ricotta.
Nutrition
Calories: 282kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 320mg | Potassium: 354mg | Fiber: 0.04g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1017IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 273mg | Iron: 0.1mg
What Happens in Vegas......
......Ends up on the blog!
We just got back from a food filling and fun hopping few days in Vegas!
And here are some of the amazing highlights from our trip.
First, we had an amazzzing suite at TheHotel which is part of Mandalay Bay.
And FYI....half of these pics are done with my phone!
We had so many fabulous dinners, my mouth is watering just thinking about them. One of the places we went to was Fleur by Hubert Keller in Mandalay.
The staff and chef treated us like royalty. Our palettes were gifted with truffles, scallops, oysters, potato crusted fish and gnocchi.
We loved this restaurant so much that we came back again for drinks. And look who we happened to chat with!
No biggie here....just chatting it up with Chef Hubert Keller about farmers markets and restaurant recs!
If that wasn't enough, we had another amazingly-intense food-giving-coma night at Sensei in the Bellagio. We found this restaurant becasue the chef is a "local" boy from my home town on the Big Island! We shared this fun dinner with my bloggy bff Shanna from Pineapple and Coconut and didn't stop talking or eating for a minute.
I mean...check out this 3 tier dessert platter, compliments of the Chef, of course!
So fun!
I have been dieing to try Bouchon ever since we went to French Laundry a few years ago. That is an entire different experience! Bouchon is in the Venetian and looks like an airy French cafe. I 've been hearing about their famous french toast and it was as perfect as described. A tall tier of soft, almost souffle like french toast with thinly sliced apples and deep syrup. We also ordered their Hash and Eggs and I have never tasted more perfect eggs in my life.
Dinner at Wofgang Puck's Vegas restaurant, CUT. If you like meat (specifically, Japanese and American wagyu), this is YOUR spot!
For dessert, Banana cream pie with bruleed bananas and raspberry and chocolate covered with meringue and warm raspberries!
And...a few more fun moments....
And for finding $20 bill on the way to our room......
Take me back!
If it has pineapple in it...
I have a slight rant and vent to get off my chest.
I have noticed recently, and understandably it is summer, that many food bloggers and cooks are titling their recipes "Hawaiian ______" because it has pineapple in it.
I have seen Hawaiian hot dogs, Hawaiian dip, Hawaiian kabobs and of course, Hawaiian pizza.
Now don't get me wrong, I am all about trying different cultures and experiencing new foods, but...
I have some news for you. Putting a pineapple in it does NOT make it Hawaiian!
And, having grown up on the beautiful islands of Hawaii, I am taking this a little personally.
Pineapples have roots in South America where the Brazilians introduced pineapples throughout South America. It then reached to the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico. When Columbus was introduced to the pineapple, he brought it back with him to Europe and then it was the Spanish that introduced it to the Philippines and Hawaii. Finally in 1900, James Dole started a pineapple plantation on Oahu that grew substantially, however, Hawaii is not the largest grower of pineapples. (Source: Wikipedia). The Philippines has the most pineapple production in the world, and America isn't even in the top 5!
So why do we keep putting pineapple in our food and calling it Hawaiian?
Well...I just don't know! Do you put an avocado in it and call it "Californian"?
Hawaii is a melting pot of many different cultures such as Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Korean and American.
But trust me, I don't remember putting pineapple in my cheese dip and calling it Hawaiian.
Hawaiian food is about celebrating the numerous cultures that traveled through Hawaii. It's about sustainable eating and using whats on your land and sea.
Here are some ono recipes you will find in Hawaii.
Kalua Pork
Lau lau
Haupia
So the next time you want to make something Hawaiian, what will you make?
Avocado Tahini Dressing
Avocado Tahini Salad dressing is perfect for hearty salads, grilled veggies and grilled bread.
Today is a super easy and quick recipe for avocado tahini dressing and just in time for summer.
I've been known to try new things with avocado like my Creamy Avocado Hummus with Za'atar you know keep it sassy, right?
So..what about a salad dressing! It's thick, creamy and blends well with fresh flavors. Tahini is added to offer a nutty flavor and continue its creaminess and my favorite flavors were added to showcase the beautiful summer avocado.
This is a great dressing for hearty salads like my kale and chickpea salad and I spent the weekend spreading it over grilled ciabatta with fresh tomatoes (coming soon) and dolloping the dressing over hot grilled veggies. Just fabulous!
- Avocado
- Tahini
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Fresh Basil
- Cayenne
- Olive Oil
- Water
- Salt and Pepper
- Blend all ingredients together in a food processor or blender. It will be a tad thick, so you can thin it out with more lemon juice or water.
More dips and dressings
Avocado Tahini Dressing
This is a great dressing for salads, grilled vegetables or bruschetta.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 122kcal
Ingredients
- 1 avocado
- ¼ c tahini
- 1 garlic roughly chopped
- 1 lemon juice and zest
- Few leaves of fresh basil
- Pinch of cayenne
- Few drizzles of olive oil
- ¼ cup of water
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients together in a food processor or blender. It will be a tad thick, so you can thin it out with more lemon juice or water.
Nutrition
Calories: 122kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 0.3mg | Sodium: 21mg | Potassium: 246mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg
Beach Cupcakes for #SundaySupper
Fun and colorful Beach Cupcakes perfect for July 4th!
I am so thrilled that July 4th is just a few days away! Our little beach town is known to have multiple block parties each year we stick our little American flag on our beach cruiser bikes and make the rounds. Hula rides with us in Joe's bike basket and she always turns out to be the summer mascot!
So for this weeks #SundaySupper festivities, one of my favorite blogger gals, Jennie is hosting the #SundaySupper Summer BBQ Party and I am pretty excited to see all the BBQ treats and sweets that everyone is bringing!
And... you're going to laugh. I actually made these cupcakes LAST year! With the annual July 4th party, our block also throws the annual Ice Cream and Dessert Contest. It's pretty ligit and serious if you ask me. Huge tables are filled with themed and patriotic sweets and everything is timed to perfection until the call for the ice cream comes. Then everyone on our block runs to their homes and grabs their award-winning ice cream. I'm tellin' ya, I totally live in Mayberry by the Beach.
My contribution to the desert challenge were these festive and colorful cupcakes. I am really glad I saved the photos for 1 whole year so I can share these super fun and totally adorable patriotic treats with you!
Now if you know me, you know I rarely if ever eat processed foods and colored-candied treats, but ya know...once in a while for some fun is never a bad idea. I did color the icing and the cupcake batter using gel dye. But honestly, it was like a few drops. I have also used organic dye and it just doesn't produce the same color that I was looking for, not for this creation.
For toppings you can have as much fun as you want! The sand is made out of ground graham crackers and the "sea" is a wavy blue icing. I stuck a little cute gummy bear dude on his private island and gave him a life saver if he wanted to hit the waves. Someone else suggested a rolled up fruit roll-up as his beach towel and I think that is an awesome idea!
Beach Cupcakes for #SundaySupper
Fun and colorful Beach Cupcakes perfect for July 4th!
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 351kcal
Ingredients
Red, White and Blue Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
- 2 ¼ cups cake flour
- 1 Tbl baking powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk room temperature
- 4 large egg whites room temperature
- 1 stick 8 tablespoons butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 vanilla bean cut in half and scraped
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- 1 lemon zested
- Red and Blue gel food coloring few drops
"Sea" Vanilla Butter Cream
- 2 cups confectioners sugar sifted
- ½ cup butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 Tbl milk
- Blue food gel few drops to make a light blue
Toppings
- Gummy bears
- Life saver candies
- Ground graham crackers
- Blue sugar
- Drink umbrellas
Instructions
Red, White and Blue Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
- Start making the cupcake batter. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together milk and egg whites.
- Using your stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla bean seeds until everything is well mixed and light. Add the vanilla extract.
- On low speed alternate adding the flour mixture and milk/egg mixture, about ⅓ of each at a time.
- So add ⅓ flour, then ⅓ milk, flour, milk and end with the flour. Mix until well incorporated. Then add the chocolate chips and mix until just combined.
- At this point you can divide the batter into 3 bowls evenly. Using your dye, color 1 bowl with red dye until desired color and another bowl with blue.
- Line cupcake pan with liners use a large tablespoon to scoop each one of the different colored batters. So start with red, white and then blue batter and alternate until batter is about ¾ full.
- Bake cupcakes at 350 degrees F for about 18-20 minutes or until you can stick a toothpick in a cupcake and it comes out clean. When done, cool on wire rack.
"Sea" Vanilla Butter Cream
- In a stand mixer, cream the butter until very smooth (this may take a while) and then add the vanilla extract.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the confectioners sugar until blended and scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Add the milk and beat on high for about 3-4 minutes until butter becomes light and fluffy. Add a few drops of blue dye to get the color of the "sea".
- Coat the cupcakes with a light layer of frosting and top half of cupcake with ground graham crackers. Use a cake spatula to add more frosting to the other side of the cupcakes and make "waves" with the frosting.
- Top with a gummy bear dude, life saver and umbrella.
Notes
Buttercream frosting adapted from Joy of Baking
Nutrition
Calories: 351kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 204mg | Potassium: 95mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 314IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 0.5mg
Blueberry Thyme Pie in a Jar
Little blueberry pie in a jar and flavored with a hint of fresh thyme, is the perfect single serving size for when you want something sweet.
I mean really...are these the cutest little gems you have ever seen? And so perfect for Holiday dessert! Because they are in cute little mason jars, these definitely qualify as portion control with no-guilt! Just don't ask me how much butter is in the crust. 🙂
Blueberries are gorgeous and plentiful now and because I apparently have a thing for putting fresh herbs in desserts, I put the two together and Blueberry Thyme Pie was born.
Method:
1) In a food processor, add the flour, salt and sugar. Pulse once to mix through. Add the pieces of butter to the flour and pulse in the food processor a few time until the mixture looks like little "peas".
2) Add ice cold water to the flour mixture, a few tablespoons at a time until the dough gets wet and its able to "stick" together. I added about 7-8 tablespoons of cold water. It can also look like wet send when you squeeze it together with your hands.
3) Place dough on a clean surface and form into a large ball. Cut ball in half and form into round disks. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and chill in fridge or at least an hour.
4) To make the pie mixture, in a large bowl, add the blueberries, sugar, lemon zest and juice, thyme and corn starch. Toss together with a spoon so everything is coated evenly.
5) Take one of the dough discs and roll it out on a floured surface until it is about ⅛ thick. Then use an 8in round cutter (or a bowl, like I did) and cut out 8 inch circles.
6) Place one of the circles into the jar, pressing the bottom down and the sides up and over the edge. Just make sure to not pull the dough, just press it in.
7) Then fill the jar generously with the blueberry mixture.
8) Use the other dough circle for the top of the pie. You can either cut it into strips and create a lattice look or place the whole thing on top, crimp the edges and cut small slits on the top.
9) Brush the tops with egg wash using a pastry brush and sprinkle with sugar.
10) Place all jars on a cookie sheet and bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes and then cover with tin foil and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the fruit is bubbly.
11) When done, be very careful because the glass jars are very hot! Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes.
More dessert inspiration
Blueberry Thyme Pie in a Jar.
Little blueberry pie in a jar and flavored with a hint of fresh thyme, is the perfect single serving size for when you want something sweet.
Servings: 5 servings
Calories: 700kcal
Ingredients
Pie Crust
Blueberry Thyme Filling
- 3 cups blueberries
- 1 Tb fresh thyme roughly chopped
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 Tb corn starch
- ½ lemon juiced and zest
Instructions
- In a food processor, add the flour, salt and sugar. Pulse once to mix through. Add the pieces of butter to the flour and pulse in the food processor a few time until the mixture looks like little "peas".
- Add ice cold water to the flour mixture, a few tablespoons at a time until the dough gets wet and its able to "stick" together. I added about 7-8 tablespoons of cold water. It can also look like wet send when you squeeze it together with your hands.
- Place dough on a clean surface and form into a large ball. Cut ball in half and form into round disks. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and chill in fridge or at least an hour.
- To make the pie mixture, in a large bowl, add the blueberries, sugar, lemon zest and juice, thyme and corn starch. Toss together with a spoon so everything is coated evenly.
- Take one of the dough discs and roll it out on a floured surface until it is about ⅛ thick. Then use an 8in round cutter (or a bowl, like I did) and cut out 8 inch circles.
- Place one of the circles into the jar, pressing the bottom down and the sides up and over the edge. Just make sure to not pull the dough, just press it in.
- Then fill the jar generously with the blueberry mixture.
- Use the other dough circle for the top of the pie. You can either cut it into strips and create a lattice look or place the whole thing on top, crimp the edges and cut small slits on the top.
- Brush the tops with egg wash using a pastry brush and sprinkle with sugar.
- Place all jars on a cookie sheet and bake in 350 degree oven for 35 minutes and then cover with tin foil and continue baking for another 10-15 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and the fruit is bubbly.
- When done, be very careful because the glass jars are very hot! Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes.
Notes
Yields 5, 8 ounce wide mouth mason jars.
Nutrition
Calories: 700kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 296mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 1251IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 3mg
Roasted Caprese with Basil Oil
Roasted caprese offers a warmer and robust feel than the traditional salad, with roasted tomatoes and garlic and a fresh basil oil.
Well this has been quite the interesting weekend. I originally planned to post this recipe yesterday, but the weekend decided to take over and cause some slightly frightening events. It is fitting to finally post my favorite dish though, because it is somewhat comforting to me.
Sudday started off great. We went to the Angels and Yankees game and saw the Yankees kick some Cali butt!
Now onto one of my my favorite dishes. Anything with Tomatoes like my Heirloom Tomato and Garlic Focaccia or my Roasted Cherry Tomato Bruschetta.
Roasted tomato caprese salad is simple, comforting and explodes with flavor. I eat this salad several times a week because it is that amazing.
Simple ingredients = amazing dishes. All that is here are roasted cherry tomatoes and mini bell peppers with whole garlic cloves. In a high heat oven the tomatoes begin to blister and slowly pop with sweet tomato juice. My favorite part are the whole garlic cloves. When they stay whole, the garlic becomes sweet and creamy and all you want to do is pop them in your mouth or spread it on a crusty toasted piece of Italian bread. To continue with the flavor explosion, I made a super quick basil oil, where i just pulsed together roughly chopped basil and olive oil. The basil's aroma opens up and cuts some of the tomato sweetness.
Roasted Caprese with Basil Oil
Roasted caprese offers a warmer and robust feel than the traditional salad, with roasted tomatoes and garlic and a fresh basil oil.
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 194kcal
Ingredients
- 2 lbs cherry tomatoes any color
- 5-6 mini bell peppers
- 2 oz fresh Mozzarella
- 4-5 whole garlic cloves skin removed
- Few leaves of fresh basil
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a small baking dish, add the tomatoes, peppers and garlic cloves. Drizzle with olive oil and dust with salt and pepper. Toss together and bake in 400 degree F oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the tomatoes blister and garlic begins to get golden.
- When done, allow tomatoes to cool for a few minutes.
- In a small food processor (or you can roughly chop), add basil leaves and olive oil. Pulse together until a rough pesto forms.
- To assemble: spoon basil oil on bottom of plate, then place roughly torn fresh mozzarella and top with caramelized tomatoes, peppers and garlic. Drizzle additional olive on the top.
Nutrition
Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 22mg | Sodium: 231mg | Potassium: 1182mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 4602IU | Vitamin C: 195mg | Calcium: 209mg | Iron: 4mg
Simple Shrimp and Pork Pot-Stickers
Chinese pot-stickers are on the menu for today. I have been reluctant to make these for a while because I first thought they would be too time consuming. I usually like to cook like any other Italian's wife where I make a large portion of something and everyone can grab from there.
Instead, these are individual and each one needs a little time and patience. But to be honest, these didn't take long at all and are fairly easy.
Of course you could make your own wrapper dough, but common...they sell them by the pack for a few dollars and I am no expert dumpling master.
The filling is super flavorful and so easy to throw together. Ground pork, shrimp and Asian flavors of soy, ginger, garlic and sesame oil. One little bite sure does pack a whole lotta flavor. The folding method was not that hard as well. It may be a tad difficult to explain through writing so what I suggest is to YouTube the folding technique like I did and practice on a few. But for my first time, I'm pretty dang proud of myself!
How to Make Potstickers
1) In a bowl, add together the ground pork, minced shrimp, cabbage, green onion and all the flavorings. Toss to combine until mixed through.
2) Place 1 wrapper in the palm of your hand and dip your middle finger into water and smear water on ½side of the wrapper. *This will help the dumplings stick together.
3) Place a teaspoon size of the filling in the middle of the dumpling.
4) Now here is the interesting part, take both sides of the dumpling and make "pleats" and make sure to crimp the sides well. You don't want any of the mixture peaking through, so if there is too much, take some out.
5) As you fill them, place each dumpling on a lightly floured surface so the bottom doesn't stick.
6) When ready to fry, heat a large non-stick skillet on high heat. Drizzle a touch of olive or grape seed oil on the bottom. Place 5-6 dumplings in the pan and pan fry until the bottom is crispy and golden brown.
7) When bottom is golden brown, add ¼ c water to the pan. *Be careful, the water may splat up because the pan is very hot! Then cover the pan with a lid or foil and allow to steam until all the water has evaporated.
8) When done, serve with dipping sauce. In a small bowl, put together soy sauce, rice wine and chopped green onion.
More Asian inspired recipes
And while you're looking for other Chinese recipes to try, shrimp chow mein is one of my favorite recipes with fresh vegetables and head on shrimp!
Simple Shrimp and Pork Pot Stickers
A step by step tutorial on how to make simple shrimp and pork pot-stickers.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 189kcal
Ingredients
Filling
- ½ Pound ground pork
- ½ c Shrimp uncooked and minced fine
- 1 c Napa cabbage chopped
- 3 Garlic cloves grated
- 1 in piece of ginger grated
- 2 Green onions chopped
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 Tb soy sauce
- Wonton wrappers
Dipping Sauce
- ¼ c soy sauce
- 1 Tb rice vinegar
- Fresh green onion chopped
Instructions
- In a bowl, add together the ground pork, minced shrimp, cabbage, green onion and all the flavorings. Toss to combine until mixed through.
- Place 1 wrapper in the palm of your hand and dip your middle finger into water and smear water on ½side of the wrapper. *This will help the dumplings stick together.
- Place a teaspoon size of the filling in the middle of the dumpling.
- Now here is the interesting part, take both sides of the dumpling and make "pleats" and make sure to crimp the sides well. You don't want any of the mixture peaking through, so if there is too much, take some out.
- 5) As you fill them, place each dumplings on a lightly floured surface so the bottom doesn't stick.
- When ready to fry, heat a large non-stick skillet on high heat. Drizzle a touch of olive or grape seed oil on the bottom. Place 5-6 dumplings in the pan and pan fry until the bottom is crispy and golden brown.
- When bottom is golden brown, add ¼ c water to the pan. *Be careful, the water may splat up because the pan is very hot! Then cover the pan with a lid or foil and allow to steam until all the water has evaporated.
- When done, serve with dipping sauce. In a small bowl, put together soy sauce, rice wine and chopped green onion.
Nutrition
Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 1351mg | Potassium: 386mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 252IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 67mg | Iron: 1mg
Lemon Thyme Bars
Ahh..it's good to be back. Joe and I went on another mini/post-grad vacay and hid out in Palm Springs. Even though it didn't break 100 degrees, there is nothing like the desert oasis to purify you of "real-life" duties. Because it is always 100 and over in the summer, we planted our booties by the pool and intermittently jumped in the pool as needed.
And speaking of savoring and enjoying, that is exactly what I did with these fruit bars (See, nice transition, huh?) I have a thing for fruit bars, such as these passion fruit bars, A Taste of Aloha-Lilikoi Bars with Fresh Lilikoi Glaze and kumquat-cardamom bars. If there is some sort of fruit juice involved, I seem to make it into a bar.
I've made simple lemon bars before and it is the usual go-to desert in this house because it is so easy, packs wonderfully and everyone loves them. But sometimes I get a wild hair and and add lavender. But this time I wanted something that mimicked the lemon, something bright and earthy. It was a toss-up between fresh thyme and rosemary. I love them both, but thyme won.
These are not as sweet as you would think with lemon bars. They are tart and the thyme mellows out the sweetness a little more but still leaves the herb delicate in the background like "hmm..what is that earthly aroma."
Ingredients
- Butter
- Sugar
- Flour
- Fresh Thyme
- Salt
- Eggs
- Lemon
- Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. For the crust, cream the butter and sugar together in mixer until well incorporated.
- In another bowl, add together the flour, salt and fresh thyme. Add flour mixture to butter mixture with mixer on low and mix until just incorporated.
- With floured hands, take dough and gather into a ball. Then flatten dough and form in a 9 x 13 baking dish, bringing up ½in on each side.
- Allow to chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for about 30 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.
- Cut into triangles and dust with powdered sugar and fresh thyme.
More Meyer Lemon Dessert
Lemon Thyme Bars
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 670kcal
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 6 eggs room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice About 3-4 lemons
- Zest of 2-3 lemons
- 1 cup flour
- Powdered sugar for dusting
- Fresh thyme for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. For the crust, cream the butter and sugar together in mixer until well incorporated.
- In another bowl, add together the flour, salt and fresh thyme. Add flour mixture to butter mixture with mixer on low and mix until just incorporated.
- With floured hands, take dough and gather into a ball. Then flatten dough and form in a 9 x 13 baking dish, bringing up ½in on each side.
- Allow to chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for about 30 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature.
- Cut into triangles and dust with powdered sugar and fresh thyme.
Nutrition
Calories: 670kcal | Carbohydrates: 101g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 184mg | Sodium: 268mg | Potassium: 146mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 63g | Vitamin A: 972IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 3mg
Persian Doughnuts with Saffron and Rose Water (Bamieh)
Persian doughnuts with floral flavors of rose water and saffron are also known as bamieh.
Assal pastries is in Southern California (Irvine for local folks) and is filled with Persian treats, including these addictive sweet Persian doughnuts. This is unlike the typical American bakeries we're used to here and is filled with aromas or orange and rose and colors of gold and pistachio.
Bamieh are Persian doughnuts that are fried and then soaked in a syrup.
The dough recipe is very similar to a pâte à choux, which is the dough used in making salted caramel eclairs.
The simple syrup is made up of water, sugar and gorgeous floral, golden saffron.
This recipe for these Persian doughnuts makes a lot but trust me, they won't last long in your house. Once you coat the doughnuts in the saffron simple simple, the outside is glistening and gets a little sticky.
When you take a bite, you first notice the perfect outside which is crispy and sweet and then the inside is so soft and bursts with sweet syrup. The rose water is not overwhelming but noticeable.
If you can't find rose water, you can make it yourself! Here is a simple recipe for making rose water. I highly suggest keeping a bottle in stock.
How to Make Bamieh (Persian Donuts)
1) Soak saffron in a bowl with ¼c of boiling water for 20 minutes.
2) Make the simple syrup. In a small pot, add 1 cup sugar and ½ cup water and boil until thickened. Make sure it does not caramelize. When almost thickened, add 1 Tb rose water and 3 teaspoon saffron liquid to pot and continue boiling for 3 more minutes. When done, put aside.
3) In another pot, add 1 cup water, 2 Tb sugar and 3 Tb of butter. Put on low heat and stir until the butter is melted and everything blended.
4) On low heat, add 1 cup flour to the pot and use a spatula to mix the flour into the butter until it looks like a dough ball. When done, remove from heat and allow to get at room temperature (I stuck it in the fridge to help speed it up).
5) When dough is at room temperature, add it to a large bowl and mix in 2 eggs (1 at a time) until everything is incorporated. The dough is very sticky so it helps to use a hand mixer if you have one.
6) Heat a large skillet with 1 in of oil and bring to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
7) Transfer dough to a piping bag with desired tip and squeeze out small doughnuts into the oil. Use a knife to help cut the dough as you're frying them.
8) Fry the zoolbias (dough) on each side until golden brown (2-3 minutes on each side). When done, use a mesh spoon to shake of excess oil and transfer them to saffron syrup. Coat the syrup all over the doughnuts.
9) Repeat until all dough and syrup is used.
More Persian inspiration
Persian Doughnuts with Saffron and Rose Water (Bamieh)
Persian doughnuts with floral flavors of rose water and saffron are also known as bamieh.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 275kcal
Ingredients
- 1 Cup flour
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 2 Eggs
- ¼ teaspoon saffron
- 1 Cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon rose water
- Vegetable or canola oil for frying
Instructions
- Soak saffron in a bowl with ¼c of boiling water for 20 minutes.
- Make the simple syrup. In a small pot, add 1 cup sugar and ½ cup water and boil until thickened. Make sure it does not caramelize. When almost thickened, add 1 Tb rose water and 3 teaspoon saffron liquid to pot and continue boiling for 3 more minutes. When done, put aside.
- In another pot, add 1 cup water, 2 Tb sugar and 3 Tb of butter. Put on low heat and stir until the butter is melted and everything blended.
- On low heat, add 1 cup flour to the pot and use a spatula to mix the flour into the butter until it looks like a dough ball. When done, remove from heat and allow to get at room temperature (I stuck it in the fridge to help speed it up).
- When dough is at room temperature, add it to a large bowl and mix in 2 eggs (1 at a time) until everything is incorporated. The dough is very sticky so it helps to use a hand mixer if you have one.
- Heat a large skillet with 1 in of oil and bring to 375 degrees.
- Transfer dough to a piping bag with desired tip and squeeze out small doughnuts into the oil. Use a knife to help cut the dough as you're frying them,
- Fry the zoolbias (dough) on each side until golden brown (2-3 minutes on each side). When done, use a mesh spoon to shake of excess oil and transfer them to saffron syrup. Coat the syrup all over the doughnuts.
- Repeat until all dough and syrup is used.
Notes
Adapted by Aashpazi.com
Nutrition
Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 67mg | Potassium: 45mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 254IU | Vitamin C: 0.003mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg
Homemade Taro Chips
Crispy and baked homemade taro chips are so easy to whip up!
Taro is a tropical plant that is grown mainly for its edible tubers in Africa, Oceania and South Asia (just like sweet potatoes and yams). While its corms, (stems), are primarily used for cooking, its leaves are also edible. For another quick impressive appetizer try my Pan Con Tomate with Jamón.
There are a few things I miss from living in Hawaii. #1), my mom who just left a few days ago after spending a week for my graduation. #2, lilikoi aka passion fruit. And #3, taro chips.
Taro is a staple on the islands and my step-dad actually harvests the root right in their backyard. Check out the pictures here and for the recipe for taro and coconut.
After a trip to our favorite Asian market, I couldn't wait to slice up this purple root vegetable. And it couldn't be easier. I used one of my favorite tools, the mandolin and put it on setting 2 and sliced away. It's really starchy so be careful with your hands getting a little slippery and starchy.
More great Hawaiian recipes
Homemade Taro Chips
Crispy and baked homemade taro chips are so easy to whip up!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 91kcal
Ingredients
Instructions
- If you're using a mandolin, put on the lowest setting 1 or 2 and slice the taro lengthwise.
- Don't rush this step and watch your fingers as you slice. For parts that are too small to slice with a mandolin, use a sharp knife.
- Place slices on parchment paper lined baking sheets and brush each slice lightly with olive oil.
- Bake in 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for 20 minutes until edges are crisp. Season with extra salt if desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 91kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 480mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 0.3g | Vitamin A: 57IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 0.4mg
I graduated College!
Pheww....I can finally take a breath from all the fun festivities the last few weeks.
Last Wednesday, May 22 2013, I can officially say that I am now a college graduate!
This was such a huge moment in my life and I really want to share it with everyone!
My degree is Bachelor of Science in Community Health Education. It is similar to Public Health and I am so thrilled to be able to educate the community on health, prevention and healthy lifestyle changes. My dream would be to combine my love for cooking and blogging with health education.
A few highlights of my graduation.....
Yes, that is me, with the HUGE smile!
My amazing parents flew in from Hawaii! The only thing I asked my mom was to have a lei! She made the gold and black silk leis and flew in plumeria and orchid leis!
My amazing friends flew in from the East Coast too! I felt so loved!
Some of my college friends!
We did it!!
Of course we had to have the grad party!
My mom and I made these centerpieces! So easy, just daisies and limes and mini peppers! I love the orange and pink together!
The "bar" was a huge hit! I need to blog about these amazing mango margarita's that Joe was whipping up!
For the food, we catered a taco cart! Everyone loved them..who doesn't love tacos?
My amazing husband!
Thank you for sharing this special time with me!
POG Daiquiri [Guest Post}
Passio orange a guava is a classic Hawaiian drink and this POG cocktail has dark rum for an added kick.
Today is my graduation day! And I couldn't have asked a more perfect person than my fav wahine, Shanna from Pineapple and Coconut to guest post for me today! As you will see, we have a special "Aloha" bond and of course she made the most perfect cocktail for today's festivities!
You can follow Shanna's delicious treats on her blog, Facebook and Twitter!
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Hi this is Shanna and I am the owner and operator over at the blog, Pineapple and Coconut. It’s funny that I am doing this guest post for Sam because a few weeks ago I had asked her to do a guest post for me as I was about to have a crazy busy month with finishing up (well almost finishing ) our kitchen remodel and moving into the house, I knew I wouldn’t have as much time to blog so I needed some help from other blogger friends to fill in some gaps. Sam also has had a very busy month with her graduation and wasn’t going to have much time for her blog as well and she asked me to guest post pretty much the same day I asked her. She made an awesome, classic Hawaiian dish, the Loco Moco, for my blog and I wanted to create a fun, Hawaiian drink to celebrate her graduation. So I created this Pog Daiquiri for her.
Hawaii is home away from home. It is my absolute favorite place on earth and every time I meet someone with a connection to Hawaii such as Sam, we almost always hit it off right away. Gotta love that Aloha spirit.
My family went to Hawaii ALL the time when I was growing up; my dad was an airline pilot and was actually based there when I was really little, and I remember having breakfasts at our hotels on Waikiki beach and my favorite treat to get, besides macadamia nut pancakes, was POG.
POG is a combination of passion fruit , orange and guava juices. I also love just guava juice, but there is just something so good about POG that every time I have it now it takes me back to having breakfast at the Beachcomber, Royal Hawaiian or Outrigger hotel when I was a kid. Except now as an adult – I add booze,which makes it THAT much better.
Sam and I also share a love of passion fruit, known as Lilikoi in Hawaiian. Her mom still lives in Hawaii and has Lilikoi trees in her yard. I wish they would grow here!! So when I was at the Hawaiian Lei Days festival here in Vegas at the beginning of May I spotted a vendor that sells these amazing salts and spices with different island flavors and I spotted Lilikoi Cane Sugar and I knew I wanted to use that for rimming the glasses of these drinks. It was a perfect addition to this POG Daiquiri.
I tried these drinks with regular Bacardi silver rum and with Bacardi coconut. I didn’t want to take away too much from the flavor of the POG since it’s not very strong, and I wasn’t sure if the coconut would be too overpowering, but it wasn’t. It really enhanced the flavor of the juice. Plus a little float of dark rum on top and a tropical umbrella straw transports you right to a beach on Hawaii. For a few moments at least. I also tried these on the rocks and blended, and I think a fruity tropical umbrella drink has to be blended.
So raise a glass of this POG Daiquiri in congrats to Sam on her college graduation!! Thank you for having me guest post for you!!
POG Daquiri [Guest Post}
Passio orange a guava is a classic Hawaiian drink and this POG cocktail has dark rum for an added kick.
Servings: 2 cocktails
Calories: 177kcal
Ingredients
- 1 can 15 ounces of Hawaiian Sun Pass-O-Guava nectar
- ½ cup Bacardi coconut rum 4-6 ounces, Or Bacardi Silver
- 2 cups ice
- 2 tablespoon Dark rum Bacardi or Meyers, divided
- Simple syrup even 1:1 water/sugar ratio heated until sugar is dissolved then cooled
- Sugar for rimming glasses use a finer granule sugar or flavored sugar such as the Lilikoi Cane Sugar from www.saltywahine.com
Instructions
- Take two cocktail glasses and dip the rims in simple syrup and then coat in sugar.
- In a blender combine the juice, ½ c (4 ounces) rum and ice and blend well.Taste and add more rum if desired. Divide between the glasses and top each drink with 1 tablespoon of the dark rum. Add a fancy tropical straw and enjoy!!
- Notes: The juice can be found at Whole Foods. There is also a brand of juices called Ceres, that makes guava and passion fruit blends. If you can’t find the Hawaiian Sun nectar, you can combine the passion fruit and guava juice in equal parts with orange juice to make your own POG nectar. So 5 ounces of each to make up for a can of the nectar.
Nutrition
Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Sodium: 15mg | Potassium: 2mg | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 7mg | Iron: 0.03mg
Roasted Vegetable Bruschetta and Giveaway
A simple and colorful appetizer, this roasted vegetable bruschetta has roasted zucchini that is flavored with herbes de provence and layered with tangy goat cheese.
A roasted vegetable bruschetta with zucchini is as simple and delicious as it gets. I was going to add roasted cherry tomatoes as well, but I thought the yellow and green was just so pretty.
I sprinkled herbes de provence over the vegetables and whipped up a combination of cream cheese and goat cheese laced with lemon zest.
This is such an easy appetizer and perfect for using all the gorgeous seasonal produce that is starting to bloom.
Roasted Vegetable Bruschetta and Giveaway
Inspired by the Oldways Cookbook
Ingredients
- 1 yellow squash cut in small cubes
- 1 yellow bell pepper cut in small cubes
- 1 zucchini cut in small cubes
- 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
- ½ c cream cheese
- 3 oz goat cheese
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- Few leaves of fresh basil chopped
- Crusty bread sliced and toasted
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
- Place all vegetables on a foil lined baking sheet and add herbes de provence, garlic, salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Toss together so everything is coated and roast in 350 degree oven for 20 minute or until vegetables begin to caramelize.
- To make the cheese spread, use an electronic mixer to whip the cream cheese, goat cheese and lemon zest. Mix for a minute until everything is incorporated.
- When everything is done, spread the whipped cheese mixture on the crusty bread, top with roasted vegetables and sprinkle fresh basil on top.
Roasted Vegetable Bruschetta
A simple and colorful appetizer, this roasted vegetable bruschetta has roasted zucchini that is flavored with herbes de provence and layered with tangy goat cheese.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 347kcal
Ingredients
- 1 yellow squash cut in small cubes
- 1 yellow bell pepper cut in small cubes
- 1 zucchini cut in small cubes
- 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
- ½ c cream cheese
- 3 oz goat cheese
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- Few leaves of fresh basil chopped
- 8 crostini
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
- Place all vegetables on a foil lined baking sheet and add herbes de provence, garlic, salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Toss together so everything is coated and roast in 350 degree oven for 20 minute or until vegetables begin to caramelize.
- To make the cheese spread, use an electronic mixer to whip the cream cheese, goat cheese and lemon zest. Mix for a minute until everything is incorporated.
- When everything is done, spread the whipped cheese mixture on the crusty bread, top with roasted vegetables and sprinkle fresh basil on top.
Nutrition
Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 569mg | Potassium: 448mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 866IU | Vitamin C: 73mg | Calcium: 150mg | Iron: 3mg
Tandoori-Style Chicken Burgers
A bold and flavorful spin on the traditional burger, these Tandoori chicken burgers are seasoned with garam masala and warm curry.
These tandoori chicken burgers are super easy. All you do is add amazing spices and whip up a simple yogurt sauce, which I make all the time.
Large pita bread instead of burger buns and top with fresh tomato.
This is my kinda summer-grillin'!
Ingredients
- Ground Chicken
- Green Onions
- Ginger
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Cumin
- Cayenne
- Garam Masala
- Curry Powder
- Turmeric
- Garlic Powder
- Salt and Pepper
- Yogurt
- Fresh Mint
- Naan
- Tomato
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the ground chicken, all the spices, garlic, lemon juice, ginger and green onions. Use your hands to score into 4 patties and and form into burgers.
- Heat a skillet or grill (I drizzle oil on the skillet) and cook burgers on each side until cooked through, about 3-4 min each side.
- To make the yogurt sauce, mix all ingredients together in a bowl. (Sometimes I had finely chopped cucumber as well).
- To assemble the burgers: Place burger on pita bread and top with tomato slice, fresh mint pr cilantro or parsley and dollop of yogurt sauce.
Tandoori-Style Chicken Burgers
A bold and flavorful spin on the traditional burger, these Tandoori chicken burgers are seasoned with garam masala and warm curry.
Servings: 4 burgers
Calories: 581kcal
Ingredients
Chicken Mixture
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 2 green onions chopped
- 1 in piece of ginger peeled and grated
- 1 garlic clove chopped
- ½ lemon juiced
- 3 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- ½ teaspoon gram masala
- 2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Yogurt Sauce
- ½ c Greek yogurt
- Small bunch fresh mint chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ lemon juiced
Additions
- 4 naan
- 1 tomato sliced
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the ground chicken, all the spices, garlic, lemon juice, ginger and green onions. Use your hands to score into 4 patties and and form into burgers.
- Heat a skillet or grill (I drizzle oil on the skillet) and cook burgers on each side until cooked through, about 3-4 min each side.
- To make the yogurt sauce, mix all ingredients together in a bowl. (Sometimes I had finely chopped cucumber as well).
- To assemble the burgers: Place burger on pita bread and top with tomato slice, fresh mint pr cilantro or parsley and dollop of yogurt sauce.
Notes
Inspired by Baked Bree
Nutrition
Calories: 581kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 933mg | Potassium: 772mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 210IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 152mg | Iron: 3mg
Burnt Orange Ice Cream
Burnt orange ice cream is loaded with layered flavors of caramel and deep citrus. This is not your every day orange ice cream.
Burnt orange ice cream is a gorgeous caramel with butter and sugar (well obviously) with fresh orange juice, orange zest and of course cream and eggs! Making the caramel was a magic experience.
It turned dark golden-orange and infused the cream mixture with a deep, rich flavor. Ladies and gentleman, this is not your momma's orange ice cream.
Method:
1) In a medium saucepan combine the cream, milk and orange zest and bring to a light boil. Remove the pan from heat, cover, and let stand while you make the other mixture.
2) In another saucepan, combine ½ cup sugar and orange juice and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring with a whisk until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil without stirring, but swirling the pan every so often. Do this until the the mixture turns into a deep caramel color.
3) Remove the caramel from heat and carefully add the warmed cream mixture together, while whisking until smooth. Put back on low heat, while whisking for a few more minutes.
4) In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, ¼c sugar and salt. Slowly had about ½ cup of the warm cream mixture to the eggs while whisking. You want to do this slowly to "temper" the eggs so they don't scramble and everything incorporates well. So this until everything is mixed together.
5) Bring mixture back into the saucepan and cook on low heat while stirring with a wooden spoon. The custard will thicken and you want to be able to coat the back of the spoon.
6) When ready, pour mixture through a fine sieve and into a clean bowl. Stir in vanilla and allow to cool to room temperature. Then place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours until cold.
7) When custard is cool enough, pour into your ice cream maker (I used my Kitchen-Aid attachment). Leave it on setting 1-2 for 20 minutes. At this point it was way too soft and I placed it in an airtight container and allowed it to freeze for a few more hours. The ice cream is silky and soft enough to scoop out easily.
Ingredients
- Heavy Cream
- Milk
- Oranges
- Sugar
- Orange Juice
- Egg
- Salt
- Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan combine the cream, milk and orange zest and bring to a light boil. Remove the pan from heat, cover, and let stand while you make the other mixture.
- In another saucepan, combine ½ cup sugar and orange juice and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring with a whisk until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil without stirring, but swirling the pan every so often. Do this until the the mixture turns into a deep caramel color.
- Remove the caramel from heat and carefully add the warmed cream mixture together, while whisking until smooth. Put back on low heat, while whisking for a few more minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, ¼ cup sugar and salt. Slowly had about ½ cup of the warm cream mixture to the eggs while whisking. You want to do this slowly to "temper" the eggs so they don't scramble and everything incorporates well. So this until everything is mixed together.
- Bring mixture back into the saucepan and cook on low heat while stirring with a wooden spoon. The custard will thicken and you want to be able to coat the back of the spoon.
- When ready, pour mixture through a fine sieve and into a clean bowl. Stir in vanilla and allow to cool to room temperature. Then place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours until cold.
- When custard is cool enough, pour into your ice cream maker (I used my Kitchen-Aid attachment). Leave it on setting 1-2 for 20 minutes. At this point it was way too soft and I placed it in an airtight container and allowed it to freeze for a few more hours. The ice cream is silky and soft enough to scoop out easily.
More interesting desserts
Burnt Orange Ice Cream
Burnt orange ice cream is loaded with layered flavors of caramel and deep citrus. This is not your every day orange ice cream.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 297kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ½ c heavy cream
- 1 ½ c whole milk
- 2 Tb finely grated orange zest from 3 large oranges
- ¾ c sugar divided
- ½ c strained fresh orange juice about 2-3 large oranges
- 5 egg yolks
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan combine the cream, milk and orange zest and bring to a light boil. Remove the pan from heat, cover, and let stand while you make the other mixture.
- In another saucepan, combine ½ cup sugar and orange juice and bring to a boil over medium high heat, stirring with a whisk until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil without stirring, but swirling the pan every so often. Do this until the the mixture turns into a deep caramel color.
- Remove the caramel from heat and carefully add the warmed cream mixture together, while whisking until smooth. Put back on low heat, while whisking for a few more minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, ¼ cup sugar and salt. Slowly heat about ½ cup of the warm cream mixture to the eggs while whisking. You want to do this slowly to "temper" the eggs so they don't scramble and everything incorporates well. So this until everything is mixed together.
- Bring mixture back into the saucepan and cook on low heat while stirring with a wooden spoon. The custard will thicken and you want to be able to coat the back of the spoon.
- When ready, pour mixture through a fine sieve and into a clean bowl. Stir in vanilla and allow to cool to room temperature. Then place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours until cold.
- When custard is cool enough, pour into your ice cream maker (I used my Kitchen-Aid attachment). Leave it on setting 1-2 for 20 minutes. At this point it was way too soft and I placed it in an airtight container and allowed it to freeze for a few more hours. The ice cream is silky and soft enough to scoop out easily.
Notes
Burnt Orange Ice Cream Recipe adapted from Lottie + Doof
Nutrition
Calories: 297kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 177mg | Sodium: 108mg | Potassium: 158mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 930IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Meyer Lemon Souffle
A step by step tutorial on how to make a gorgeous and tall Meyer lemon souffle.
Souffle Takes Patience and a bit of Courage
Souffle is deemed the masterpiece of technique and the damsel of all things baking. The souffle is fragile, beautiful, delicate and oh so temperamental.
The first souffle I made was a savory cheese souffle and now for my 2nd souffle, a sweet lemon souffle was in order, since lemon desserts are some of my favorite flavors! As soon as meyer lemons are in season, lemon bars are always baked and this 4 ingredient no bake lemon pie is next on the list!
The trick with both of the souffles, is the tin foil collar. I initially got this idea from Julia Child and it is the key in making a grand souffle. The collar helps guide the souffle over the mold and holds it up and in my case, you have a few extra minutes to snap a few photos before it begins to sink. Score!
Ingredients
- Milk
- Eggs
- Meyer Lemons
- Granulated Sugar
- Cornstarch
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter
- Vanilla Extract
- Cream of Tartar
- Confectioners’ Sugar
How to Make a Lemon Souffle
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and position oven rack to the lower ⅔.
2) Make the lemon cream: In a medium pot, whisk together the egg yolks, milk, lemon juice and zest, cornstarch, sugar and salt. Over medium heat, whisk until the mixture begins to bubble, about 3-4 minutes. It will continue to get thicker, but constantly whisk it. Continue until it is very thick.
3) Turn heat off and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract. Transfer the hot cream mixture to a large bowl filled with ice to help cool down the mixture. Whisk every few minutes until it gets to room temperature.
4) Make the meringue (egg whites): In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add egg whites. Start on low and work to medium speed. You will see the egg whites begin to "break up" and start to get foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue whisking.
5) Continue whisking and gradually get a little faster. When whites are starting to form and are at "soft peaks" add confectioners sugar slowly, about 1Tb at a time while the whisk is going. Continue whisking until "stiff peaks" form.
6) Next, place the egg whites and pastry cream bowl next to each other. Using a large, soft spatula take a large dollop of cream mixture and add it to the egg whites. Do not mix heavily, you want to FOLD it in. Fold by taking your spatula to the side the bowl then fold-up. You will see streaks of yellow and continue folding gently. Add the rest of the cream mixture about ½ cup at a time until incorporated.
.7) For the molds: Grease a 6 cup mold with softened butter all over and dust with powdered sugar.
*This recipe is enough for a 6 cup mold plus 2 small individual molds.
8) Make the collar: Tear a long enough piece of tin foil that is long enough to wrap around the mold. Fold in half so it is not "too tall". Grease the inside of the foil with butter and wrap around mole, securing at handles.
9) Pour the souffle mixture into the dish and level off the top. Wrap the foil around the mold. (Easier after your pour mixture in).
10) Bake at 375 for exactly 20 minutes. No peeking! When done, dust with powdered sugar.
More Delicious Desserts
Meyer Lemon Souffle
A step by step tutorial, with pictures, on how to make a gorgeous and tall Meyer lemon souffle.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 281kcal
Ingredients
Lemon pastry cream
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup strained Meyer lemon juice + zest of 2 Meyer lemons
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tb cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tb unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
meringue
- 8 large egg whites
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar + more for dusting
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F and position oven rack to the lower ⅔.
- Make the lemon cream: In a medium pot, whisk together the egg yolks, milk, lemon juice and zest, cornstarch, sugar and salt. Over medium heat, whisk until the mixture begins to bubble, about 3-4 minutes. It will continue to get thicker, but constantly whisk it. Continue until it is very thick.
- Turn heat off and whisk in the butter and vanilla extract. Transfer the hot cream mixture to a large bowl filled with ice to help cool down the mixture. Whisk every few minutes until it gets to room temperate.
- Make the meringue (egg whites): In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add egg whites. Start on low and work to medium speed. You will see the egg whites begin to "break up" and start to get foamy. Add cream of tartar and continue whisking.
- Continue whisking and gradually get a little faster. When whites are starting to form and are at "soft peaks" add confectioners sugar slowly, about 1Tb at a time while the whisk is going. Continue whisking until "stiff peeks" form.
- Next, place the egg whites and pastry cream bowl next to each other. Using a large, soft spatula take a large dollop of cream mixture and add it to the egg whites. Do not mix heavily, you want to FOLD it in. Fold by taking your spatula to the side0under-up. You will see streaks of yellow and continue folding gently. Add the rest of the cream mixture about ½c at a time until Incorporated.
- For the molds: Grease a 6cup mold with softened butter all over and dust with powdered sugar.
- *This recipe is enough for a 6cup mold plus 2 small individual molds.
- Make the collar: Tear a long enough piece of tin foil that is long enough to wrap around the mold. Fold in half so it is not "too tall". Grease the inside of the foil with butter and wrap around mole, securing at handles.
- Pour the souffle mixture into the dish and level off the top. Wrap the foil around the mold. (Easier after your pour mixture in).
- Bake at 375 for exactly 20 minutes. No peeking! When done, dust with powdered sugar.
Notes
Enough for a 6 cup mold + 2 small individual molds.
Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking and Julia Child.
Nutrition
Calories: 281kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 209mg | Sodium: 279mg | Potassium: 305mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 448IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 106mg | Iron: 1mg
Pear Grape Sangria
Pear grape sangria is a refreshing and fruity white wine cocktail.
Asian pear, grapes and thyme pulled together to form a gorgeous sangria. If you can let it sit OVERNIGHT, please do!
That's when all the magic happens. To pair with the fruit, I added some St. Germaine which has pear flavors and it was pretty awesome. The fresh thyme offers a light and earthy touch and is a fabulous contrast with the other fruit.
Pear Grape Sangria
Pear grape sangria is a refreshing and fruity white wine cocktail.
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 177kcal
Ingredients
- 750 ml bottle white wine I used a white burgundy
- ½ c St. Germaine
- 2 Asian pears cut in thin strips
- 1 ½ c seedless red grapes cut in half
- Few sprigs of fresh thyme
- Sparkling water optional
Instructions
- Add everything except for the sparkling water in a large pitcher and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
- Serve and top with a touch of sparkling water if desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 177kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 6mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 30IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.4mg
Classic Matzo Brei
Classic Matzo Brei for Passover brunch, made with soaked matzo that's gently scrambled with eggs and finished with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of syrup.
There are no bells and whistles with this matzo dish. Nothing fancy and no fancy ingredients. It is simple, 'in your face'- 'give it t me now', matzo brei.
This is the way my Grandpa would make matzo brei when I was a kid . I would often spend the weekends with my grandparents when I was little and this was the first thing we woke up to on Saturday mornings. Before grandma and I shopped all day at the mall, grandpa was was already up making matzo brei.
What is Matzo Brei?
Matzo brei is simple and quick, and that's the beauty of it. It is basically just soaked matzo + egg that is scrambled together in butter and topped with syrup.
Nowadays, I've seen matzo brei being made in a bunch of different ways, such as a matzo brei fritatta and baking it or making it savory with fancy herbs. But honestly, when I think of matzo brei, I just want it exactly like grandpa made it. Egg+ matzo+ syrup, that's it.
How to make Matzo Brei
1) break up matzo and put in a wide dish ow bowl. Add enough water to cover matzo. Allow to soak for about 10 minutes.
2) Drain water out, squeezing the matzo to make sure all the water is out. It will look mushy. Add whisked eggs and mix together. Add salt and pepper.
3) Heat a skillet with butter and add matzo mixture. Scramble gently until eggs are light and fluffy.
4) When done, plate up your matzo brei and drizzle good maple syrup on top.
Other favorite Passover Recipes
Slow Cooker Brisket with Red Wines and Onions
Classic Matzo Brei
Classic Matzo Brei for Passover brunch, made with soaked matzo that's gently scrambled with eggs and finished with a pinch of salt and a drizzle of syrup.
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 447kcal
Ingredients
- 2 matzo broken into pieces
- 2 eggs whisked
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Salt to taste
- Syrup for drizzling
Instructions
- Break up matzo and put in a wide dish ow bowl. Add enough water to cover matzo. Allow to soak for about 10 minutes.
- Drain water out, squeezing the matzo to make sure all the water is out. It will look mushy. Add whisked eggs and mix together. Add salt and pepper.
- Heat a skillet with butter and add matzo mixture. Scramble gently until eggs are light and fluffy.
- When done, plate up your matzo brei and drizzle good maple syrup on top.
Nutrition
Calories: 447kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 357mg | Sodium: 225mg | Potassium: 184mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 825IU | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 3mg
Spicy Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Spicy Asian Chicken Lettuce wraps is a simple and incredibly flavorful dinner with shiitake mushrooms and ground chicken.
This did come out to be a darn good chicken lettuce wrap. Joe was working late so I whipped up a few wraps for myself, added some extra sriracha and went to town with a cold beer. It was really darn...good.
Method:
1) Season chicken with salt and pepper and cut into small cubes and cook in an oiled pan until all cooked through. Reserve to a plate.
2) Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in a bowl of hot water while you cook everything else. or about 15 minutes. Chop mushrooms when they are re hydrated.
3) In the same pan as the chicken, wipe out clean and scramble eggs. When done, reserve to a plate.
4) Wipe out the same pan again and drizzle with oil. Saute garlic and ginger for about a minute until it begins to caramelize. Add a plash of rice vinegar and stir through.
5) Add back the chicken, carrots, mushrooms and bamboo shoots and and stir all together for about 2 minutes so all the flavors blend.
6) Add back eggs and stir through.
7) Add soy sauce, sriracha and hoisin and stir well. Taste for seasoning.
8) When done, load up chicken mixture into crisp iceberg lettuce cups.
Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts
- Carrot
- Bamboo Shoots
- Garlic Cloves
- Ginger
- Eggs
- Dried Shitake Mushrooms
- Rice Wine Vinegar
- Soy Sauce
- Hoisin Sauce
- Sriracha
- Salt and Pepper
- Oil
- Iceberg Lettuce
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt and pepper and cut into small cubes and cook in an oiled pan until all cooked through. Reserve to a plate.
- Soak dried shiitake mushrooms in a bowl of hot water while you cook everything else. or about 15 minutes. Chop mushrooms when they are re hydrated.
- In the same pan as the chicken, wipe out clean and scramble eggs. When done, reserve to a plate.
- Wipe out the same pan again and drizzle with oil. Saute garlic and ginger for about a minute until it begins to caramelize. Add a splash of rice vinegar and stir through.
- Add back the chicken, carrots, mushrooms and bamboo shoots and and stir all together for about 2 minutes so all the flavors blend.
- Add back eggs and stir through.
- Add soy sauce, sriracha and hoisin and stir well. Taste for seasoning.
- When done, load up chicken mixture into crisp iceberg lettuce cups.
More finger food inspiration
Spicy Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Spicy Asian Chicken Lettuce wraps is a simple and incredibly flavorful dinner with shitake mushrooms and ground chicken.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 221kcal
Cost: $10
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts cut into small chunks
- 1 carrot peeled and chopped
- 1 small can bamboo shoots chopped
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- 1 in piece ginger peeled and shredded (using micro-plane)
- 2 eggs whisked
- 4-5 dried shitake mushrooms
- 1 Tb rice wine vinegar
- 3 Tb soy sauce
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 2 Tb sriracha optional
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Oil for drizzling
- Iceberg lettuce leaves seperated
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt and pepper and cut into small cubes and cook in an oiled pan until all cooked through. Reserve to a plate.
- Soak dried shitake mushrooms in a bowl of hot water while you cook everything else. or about 15 minutes. Chop mushrooms when they are re hydrated.
- In the same pan as the chicken, wipe out clean and scramble eggs. When done, reserve to a plate.
- Wipe out the same pan again and drizzle with oil. Saute garlic and ginger for about a minute until it begins to caramelize. Add a plash of rice vinegar and stir through.
- Add back the chicken, carrots, mushrooms and bamboo shoots and and stir all together for about 2 minutes so all the flavors blend.
- Add back eggs and stir through.
- Add soy sauce, sriracha and hoison and stir well. Taste for seasoning.
- When done, load up chicken mixture into crisp iceberg lettuce cups.
Nutrition
Calories: 221kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 155mg | Sodium: 1378mg | Potassium: 585mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2712IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg
Herb Roasted Pork with Root Vegetables
An easy and gorgeous dinner with herbes de Provence roasted pork with caramelized root vegetables and a sweet and savory balsamic reduction.
Today is the kick off to Pass the Cook Book Club! Oh..what is this you ask? Well, its the coolest book club ever! Kita thought of this idea as she wanted to start dustin off some of her cookbooks. So, she got a bunch of fabulous cooks together, picked out a few recipes from 1 book and we all make them! Pretty neat-o huh?
Today's recipe is from The Pioneer Woman Cooks. Most of us bloggers know her because she is the American Blogger Story, from blogger to TV show, from "rags to riches"..you know. But if you don't, she has the new Food Network show and countless books. I was excited to make this dish because it was rustic and simple. Pork loin is lean and the seasonings were already in my cupboard. I bought gorgeous in season vegetables and chopped them up just as she does, and boy..what a difference cutting vegetables small makes...you eat every single one of them!
For a simple sauce, I reduced leftover fig jam (but you can use whatever jam you have really), with a little water and few tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. It got thick and sweet and was perfect with the pork and vegetables.
Herb Roasted Pork with Root Vegetables
An easy and gorgeous dinner with herbes de Provence roasted pork with caramelized root vegetables and a sweet and savory balsamic reduction.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 555kcal
Ingredients
Pork:
- 1 pork tenderloin about 1 1-2 lbs
- ¼ cup Herbes de Provence
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil for drizzling
Sauce
- 1 cup preserves fig, blueberry, any
- 2 Tb balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tb water
Root Vegetables
- 1 turnip peeled
- 6 carrots peeled
- 3 parsnips peeled
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
- Chop all your root vegetables into 1 in pieces. Arrange on a foiled lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast in oven at 450 degrees F for about 20 minutes until beginning to caramelize.
- In a small roasted dish, place pork loin and run with herbes de provence all over. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes depending on its thickness.
- To make the sauce, in a small sauce pan, add the preserves, vinegar and water. Bring to a boil and whisk. Allow to boil for about 3 minutes and then bring down to a simmer.The sauce should be thicker and able to coat the back of a spoon.
- When done, arrange plate with slice pork and vegetables and drizzle sauce on top.
Notes
Recipe from The Pioneer Woman Cooks
Nutrition
Calories: 555kcal | Carbohydrates: 101g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 199mg | Potassium: 1485mg | Fiber: 15g | Sugar: 54g | Vitamin A: 15848IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 386mg | Iron: 21mg
Aloo Gobi (Indian Spiced Cauliflower)
Aloo Gobi is a delicious and spicy vegetarian Indian dish with chunky potatoes and cauliflower and flavors of turmeric and jalapeno.
This recipe is called "Aloo Gobi" and is basically Indian spiced cauliflower and potatoes. I had a head of cauliflower that I got at the farmers market and was craving something spicy and exotic. Usually, I roast the cauliflower just like I do with brussel sprouts, which is absolutely delicious too. After some searching I found this amazing recipe and video. I was intrigued an
d hungry. I used the spices I had on hand, which is most oft he ones called in the recipe; ginger, turmeric, cayenne and coriander. It is easy if you have the spices on hand.
The turmeric paints the florets so everything comes out beautiful and yellow. The sliced jalapeno and cayenne offer enough spice to do a little pucker.
I absolutely love, love this dish. We paired it with Indian spiced chicken burgers and licked our fingers (burgers coming later).
Method:
1) If you haven't already, cut cauliflower into small florets. Cut potato in ½in thin wedges.
2) In a small bowl, mix grated ginger, coriander, turmeric, cayenne with 3 Tb of water. Set aside.
3) In a large skillet, heat olive oil and add bay and jalapeno. Cook for about a minute.
4) Add spice mixture, bring to a simmer and reduce.
5) Add cauliflower and potatoes and another 3 Tb of water. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and allow to cook for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Toss midway through.
4) When done, garnish with fresh cilantro.
Aloo Gobi (Indian Spiced Cauliflower)
Aloo Gobi is a delicious and spicy vegetarian Indian dish with chunky potatoes and cauliflower and flavors of turmeric and jalapeno.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 120kcal
Ingredients
- 1 head of cauliflower cut into florets and hard stems removed
- 2 cup of white or red potatoes cut into ½ in wedges
- ½ in ginger peeled and grated
- 2 teaspoon coriander
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 jalapeno seeds removed and cut into thin strips
- 6 Tb water divided
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- If you haven't already, cut cauliflower into small florets. Cut potato in ½in thin wedges.
- In a small bowl, mix grated ginger, coriander, turmeric, cayenne with 3 Tb of water. Set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil and add bay and jalapeno. Cook for about a minute.
- Add spice mixture, bring to a simmer and reduce.
- Add cauliflower and potatoes and another 3 Tb of water. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and allow to cook for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Toss midway through.
- When done, garnish with fresh cilantro.
Notes
Recipe inspired by Manjula's Kitchen
Nutrition
Calories: 120kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 51mg | Potassium: 895mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 98IU | Vitamin C: 95mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 2mg
{Guest Post} Paneer Tikka Masala
A step by step guide to making Paneer Tikka Masala recipe, a gorgeous Indian dish made with thick paneer cheese, yogurt, peppers and colorful spices.
I have such a treat for you today. Vijay who reins as the Editor and Chief of one of my favorite new and upcoming websites, Nosh on It is guess posting for us today! Nosh on It features hand-picked recipes and expert cooking tips from amazing up-and-coming bloggers so you don’t have to think about what to make for dinner! What I enjoy most about their site is that each day of the week features a different cuisine, such as Wednesday which is "World Cuisine Day" and the day I shared my Mom's grape leaves!
If you want to try out their emails, just head over here:http://subscribe.noshon.it. And on Facebook!
As most people know, I have a pretty deep fascination with international foods and really believe that we can learn all about different cultures from their foods. Beautiful dishes from around the world are passed down to generations with love, respect and history and Indian food is something I am slowly venturing into. The colors are vibrant, the spices are exotic and their cuisine is tempting.
Today, Vijay is here to introduce this traditional Indian dish with a simple step by step guide! Gosh I am excited!
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Hi everyone! My name is Vijay and I’m the Editor and “Chief Nosher” at NoshOn.It, a daily email to inspire you to cook just a little bit better each and every day. I’m really excited to be posting over here today because Samantha and I share a special bond over the love of cooking foods from around the world. I truly believe that the best way to explore a new culture (whether you can visit the place or not) is through its food. So, today, I want to share with you one of my favorite Indian dishes: Paneer Tikka Masala.
If you’ve ever had Chicken Tikka Masala, think of this dish as its vegetarian cousin. Paneer, an Indian cheese, is marinated in yogurt and a blend of spices then sauteed until crispy. In a different pot, you make a silky, creamy sauce with onions, garlic, ginger, tomatoes, and spices then combine it all together for an absolutely delicious dish. I’m going to venture to say that this is even better than what you get in restaurants!
To be perfectly honest, this is not a dish I grew up eating at home. Over the years, I’ve just come to appreciate the combination of textures and flavors so I figured it was about time to figure it out how to make paneer tikka masala for myself.
And, if you think Indian food is too difficult to make at home, I’m here to prove to you that it’s not! All you need is a well-stocked spice cabinet and a little know-how, which is why I’m going to walk you through it step-by-step. Don’t be scared by the long list of ingredients - it comes together in 30 minutes (after the marinade). So, let’s get started!
Method:
1) Gather the ingredients to marinate the paneer. You should be able to get all of the spices and paneer at any Indian grocery store and maybe even at your local grocery store if they have a well-stocked ethnic aisle. Be sure to use greek yogurt since it’s thicker. If you’ve never heard of Tandoori spice, it’s a combo of cumin, coriander, paprika, chili powder, and other spices.
2) Mix all of the marinade ingredients together, add the paneer and bell peppers, cover, and marinate in the fridge for an hour if you can.
3) Get the ingredients together for the rest of the dish. To make the ginger garlic paste, just add equal parts chopped ginger and chopped garlic into a blender with enough oil or water to puree.
4) After the paneer has marinated for an hour, coat the bottom of a saute pan with oil, heat on medium-high, and add the paneer and vegetables. Saute, flipping every few minutes, until the paneer gets a nice charred crust. Set aside.
5) In a separate large pan, add a few tablespoons of oil, heat, and add the cumin seeds. Once they start sizzling, add the onions and cook until browned. Add a pinch of salt. Add the ginger-garlic paste, stir for 30 seconds, then sprinkle with flour. Cook for 1 minute then add the pureed tomatoes.
6) This is the most important step. Once the tomatoes have started to darken, add the remaining spices and cook, stirring often, until the mixture is almost a paste and you see a bit of oil oozing out, 10-15 minutes. If you don’t let the tomatoes cook enough, the flavor won’t be as deep.
7) Add enough water to make a sauce (for me, it was 2-3 cups), simmer for 5 minutes, then add a sprinkle of garam masala. Add the cooked paneer and peppers and cook for another 5 minutes.
8) Finish with a drizzle of cream to soften the bite and ta-da! You’ve just made an Indian restaurant classic at home!
9) Serve with naan bread (I like the frozen kind from Trader Joe’s) and a wedge of lime. Enjoy!
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Thank you Vijay for making such a gorgeous and authentic paneer tikka masala recipe. I will be sure to visit an Indian market and making this ASAP!
And be sure to follow Nosh On It on Facebook and Twitter too!
Paneer Tikka Masala
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 1810kcal
Ingredients
Paneer Marinade:
- 16 oz. paneer cut into 1” cubes (if you can’t find paneer, you can make your own or use extra firm tofu).
- 1 small green bell pepper cut into 1” cubes
- 1 small red bell pepper cut into 1” cubes
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 ½ tsp. tandoori spice powder
- Juice of ½ lime
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Sauce:
- 2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 medium yellow onion finely diced
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger + 1 tablespoon minced garlic blended into a paste with oil
- 2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
- 3 plum tomatoes stem removed, and pureed in a blender
- 2-3 cups water
- 1 tablespoon coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon tandoori spice powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garam masala powder optional
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- Cilantro and lime for garnish
Instructions
- Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour. You can do shorter but the paneer won’t have the same flavor.
- After the paneer has marinated, coat the bottom of a large saute pan with vegetable oil. Heat until shimmering then add the marinated paneer and peppers. Allow to cook on one side for 3-4 minutes then flip and continue cooking until deep golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Set aside.
- In a separate large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds.
- When the cumin seeds start sizzling, add the onions and a pinch of salt. Saute until the onions are golden brown, 5-6 minutes.
- Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 30 seconds.
- Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
- Add the pureed tomatoes and mix to incorporate, scraping the bits off the bottom of the pan.
- After about 5 minutes once the tomatoes have darkened slightly, add the coriander powder, tandoori spice powder, and turmeric.
- Stir to combine and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have turned into a paste and you see a bit of oil oozing out, 10-15 minutes. Don’t rush this step!
- Add enough water to make a sauce. It was 2-3 cups for me but you can make it as thin or thick as you like. Stir to combine and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the garam masala and the reserved panner and peppers. Simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Add the heavy cream, a sprinkle of cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and you’re ready to eat!
- Serve with naan bread or rice.
Nutrition
Calories: 1810kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 82g | Fat: 139g | Saturated Fat: 83g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 370mg | Sodium: 216mg | Potassium: 1709mg | Fiber: 22g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 7023IU | Vitamin C: 285mg | Calcium: 2801mg | Iron: 14mg
Homemade Tortillas
Step by step tutorial on how to make homemade tortillas.
We usually get these delicious homemade tortillas from a local market. They are somewhat thick and heat up perfectly on the pizza stone we have in the oven.
Homemade tortillas are made from masa, which is ground corn that has been dried, soaked in lime juice and then ground again. I found masa harina, which is translated to "dough flour" in Spanish.
It is easily reconstituted with liquid, and in this case, water. It forms into a slightly sticky ball and is easily molded. All I did was round a medium sized ball between my hands and pressed it between the tortilla press.
How to Make Homemade Tortillas
1) In a large bowl, whisk together the masa and salt.
2) Add 2 cups of water and mix together with your hands until a ball forms. It should feel slightly sticky and not too dry. Add more water if needed.
*I added a little more than 2 cups of water because it was a very dry day.
3) Cover the dough with a damp paper towel or dish towel and allow to rest for about 20-30 minutes.
4) Line your tortilla press with wax or parchment paper and roll a medium sized ball. About 2 Tb worth.
5) Press tortilla into the press until it flattens and use the wax paper to gently peel it off.
6) Place tortillas on a damp kitchen towel and cover while you're making the rest.
7) Heat a large cast-iron skillet (or non-stick skillet) on medium and lightly brush with olive oil.
8) Cook tortillas in skillet for 2 minutes each side.
9) Keep warm in a lightly damp towel until ready.
Recipes that go great with Tortillas:
Homemade Tortillas
Step by step tutorial on how to make homemade tortillas.
Servings: 12 tortillas
Calories: 35kcal
Ingredients
- 1 cups masa harina
- 2 cups warm water plus more if needed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Olive oil for skillet
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the masa and salt.
- Add 2 cups of water and mix together with your hands until a ball forms. It should feel slightly sticky and not too dry. Add more water if needed.
- *I added a little more than 2 cups of water because it was a very dry day.
- Cover the dough with a damp paper towel or dish towel and allow to rest for about 20-30 minutes.
- Line your tortilla press with wax or parchment paper and roll a medium sized ball. About 2 Tb worth.
- Press tortilla into the press until it flattens and use the wax paper to gently peel it off.
- Place tortillas on a damp kitchen towel and cover while you're making the rest.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet (or non-stick skillet) on medium and lightly brush with olive oil.
- Cook tortillas in skillet for 2 minutes each side.
- Keep warm in a lightly damp towel until ready.
Nutrition
Calories: 35kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 196mg | Potassium: 25mg | Fiber: 1g | Vitamin A: 20IU | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 1mg
Homemade TV Dinner
Homemade TV Dinner with all the fixins, including mashed potatoes, meatloaf, peas and carrots and fruit crumble.
It didn't take me long to figure out what I was going to make for this weeks Sunday Supper theme. I mean, come on, retro is where its at! I am sure we all have fond memories of classic TV dinners and i wanted to bring that nostalgia and history of such a revolutionary time.
We may turn up our noses now to those pre-made boxed meals,but TV dinners were a true revelation. Back in 1954, Swanson came out with the first TV dinners at the same time as modern appliances, such as the huge popularity of the TV. According to TLC, the start of TV dinners was an answer to a problem with Thanksgiving leftovers! Swanson had tons of Thanksgiving leftovers and needed a way to use them up. One of Swanson's salesman, Gerry Thomas just traveled via Pan Am where he saw tin trays with compartments. So the Swanson brothers took that idea and loaded up the compartment tin trays. A campaign followed and ever since, TV dinners were an instant hit!
The revolutionary thing about TV dinners is that it allowed woman more free time. Towards the end of WWII, women were the usual home-keepers and cooks of the family.
So having dinner ready within minutes allowed women to find other hobbies and work. The 1960's also brought an addition to the TV dinner, dessert. By this time TV trays had protein, carbs, vegetable and dessert all in 1 package!
For today's Sunday Supper I made a just as easy, homemade TV dinner! Meatloaf made in muffin cups are perfect for portion control and cook up in less time than a larger loaf.
Mashed potatoes with sour cream and Parmesan hit the spot and sweet peas and carrots are tossed with a touch o butter...nothing better than classic! And of course we can't end without a sweet dessert of Pear and pomegranate crumble to make it truly feel like home.
Ain't that swell?
More comfort food
Homemade TV Dinner
Homemade TV Dinner with all the fixins, including mashed potatoes, meatloaf, peas and carrots and fruit crumble.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 633kcal
Ingredients
Meatloaf
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 egg whisked
- ½ c breadcrumbs
- 2 Tb ketchup + more for topping
- 1 Tb mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Mashed Potatoes
- ½ lb potatoes cut in half
- ¼ c sour cream
- ¼ c freshly grated Parmesan
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 Tb butter for topping
Peas and Carrots
- 2 c carrots peeled and chopped
- 2 c peas frozen or fresh
- 2 Tb butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Meatloaf
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.
- Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray and use a tablespoon to full muffin cups. It should make about 9.
- Spread 1 Tb of ketchup on top of each meatloaf and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes until edges begin to crisp.
Mashed Potatoes
- Boil potatoes until fork tender, about 15 minutes.
- Use a potato masher to mash potatoes and add sour cream, Parmesan and salt and pepper.
- Top with extra pat of butter.
Peas and Carrots
- Cook peas and carrots in boiling water under carrots are tender. About 15 minutes.
- When done, drain and place vegetables back in pot. Toss with 2tb butter and allow the warm vegetables to melt butter.
- Season with salt and pepper.
Notes
Find the recipe for pear crumble here.
Nutrition
Calories: 633kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 157mg | Sodium: 543mg | Potassium: 1059mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 11750IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 199mg | Iron: 5mg
Roasted Kabocha Squash with Coconut Oil and Fried Sage
Roasted kabocha squash with healthy and sweet coconut and salty fried sage is the perfect vegan side dish!
Roasted delicata squash, cut into slices and then topped with sizzling brown butter, fried sage and freshly grated Parmigiano.
The squash is roasted and caramelized on the outside and tender on the inside and well, you can go wrong with brown butter and the cheese takes the dish over the top. For another wonderful side dish try my Tartiflette (French Potato and Cheese Casserole).
Method:
1) Prep and fry sage and set aside. You can learn how to fry sage here.
2) Next scrub the outside of the Kabocha squash and with a very sharp knife and someone who has some strong hands, carefully cut it in half and scoop out the seeds.
3) Lay the squash halves on their flat side and again with a sharp knife and a strong person, cut them into wedges.
4) Place squash on a foil lined baking sheet and drizzle with melted coconut oil, salt, pepper, curry and dust the top with brown sugar.
5) Roast in oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for a total of 30 minutes. Turn wedges over half way through.
6) When done, top with freshly grated Parmigiano and fried sage.
Roasted Kabocha Squash with Coconut Oil and Fried Sage
Roasted kabocha squash with healthy and sweet coconut and salty fried sage is the perfect vegan side dish!
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 209kcal
Ingredients
- 1 Kabocha squash
- 4 tablespoons coconut oil melted
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Freshly grated Parmigiano
- Fried Sage
Instructions
- Fry sage leaves in hot oil for 1 minute until crisp, then set aside.
- Next scrub the outside of the Kabocha squash and with a very sharp knife and someone who has some strong hands, carefully cut it in half and scoop out the seeds.
- Lay the squash haves on their flat side and again with a sharp knife and a strong person, cut them into wedges.
- Place squash on a foil lined baking sheet and drizzle with melted coconut oil, salt, pepper, curry and dust the top with brown sugar.
- Roast in oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for a total of 30 minutes. Turn wedges over half way through.
- When done, top with freshly grated Parmigiano and fried sage.
Nutrition
Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 11mg | Potassium: 815mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 3091IU | Vitamin C: 28mg | Calcium: 73mg | Iron: 2mg
Lavender Lemon Bars
Lavender lemon bars have a light and distinct floral background taste thanks to the beautiful dried lavender.
For this years sweet treat, I wanted to make something a little brighter and softer. I asked on Facebook a few weeks ago whether I should pair rosemary, thyme or lavender with the lemon bars and majority chose lavender, so I did. Though..watch out for rosemary and thyme, I think that would be a gorgeous combination too.
Ingredients
- Butter
- Sugar
- Flour
- Dried Lavender
- Salt
- Eggs
- Lemons
- Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. For the crust, cream the butter and sugar together in mixer until well incorporated.
- In another bowl, add together the flour, salt and lavender. Add flour mixture to butter mixture with mixer on low and mix until just incorporated.
- With floured hands, take dough and gather into a ball. Then flatten dough and form in a 9 x 13 baking dish, bringing up ½in on each side.
- Bake the dough for 20 minutes to give the crust a head start, then allow tochil for another 20 minutes before adding filling.
- For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for about 30 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature for at least 2 hours.
- Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.
More sweet inspiration
Lavender Lemon Bars
Lavender lemon bars have a light and distinct floral background taste thanks to the beautiful dried lavender.
Servings: 20 squares
Calories: 268kcal
Cost: $10
Ingredients
For the crust:
- ½ lb butter room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 1 Tb dried lavender
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For the filling:
- 6 eggs room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup fresh lemon juice About 3-4 lemons
- Zest of 2-3 lemons
- 1 cup flour
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. For the crust, cream the butter and sugar together in mixer until well incorporated.
- In another bowl, add together the flour, salt and lavender. Add flour mixture to butter mixture with mixer on low and mix until just incorporated.
- With floured hands, take dough and gather into a ball. Then flatten dough and form in a 9 x 13 baking dish, bringing up ½in on each side.
- Bake the dough for 20 minutes to give the crust a head start, then allow tochil for another 20 minutes before adding filling.
- For the filling, whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour over the crust and bake for about 30 minutes, until the filling is set. Let cool to room temperature for at least 2 hours.
- Cut into triangles and dust with confectioners' sugar.
Nutrition
Calories: 268kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 358IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg
Ruby Red Beet Latkes with Cumin
Beet latkes are perfect for Hanukkah with a gorgeous bright red color and a warm cumin undertone.
I had so much fun experimenting with this new latke recipe just for this event. Based on a whim and trip to the farmers market and voila...beet latkes was born..
Similar to my moms traditional latkes, but this time I wanted to try something different. Beets have such a gorgeous and deep color and I wanted to see how these would fry up.
I threw in some potato for that common feel and just a dusting of cumin, which paired perfectly with the sweetness of the beets.
More frying inspiration
Ruby Red Beet Latkes with Cumin
Beet latkes are perfect for Hanukkah with a gorgeous bright red color and a warm cumin undertone.
Servings: 10 latkes
Calories: 296kcal
Ingredients
- 3 medium red beets peeled
- ½ red onion cut in quarters
- 1 medium Yukon gold potato peeled
- 3 eggs whisked
- ¼ cup matzo meal
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Canola oil for frying
Instructions
- Using a food processor with the small shredding blade, shred the beets, potatoes and onion. Use a dark colored kitchen towel to ring out any excess water from the vegetables.
- *There will be lots of moisture.
- In a large bowl, add the beet mixture, eggs, matzo meal, cumin and salt and pepper together and mix well. I use my hands at this step.
- Heat a large skillet with canola oil, about ¼in high. Make sure oil is hot before frying by testing with a small piece of vegetable. It should sizzle when its ready. Use a regular table spoon to scoop mixture and carefully placing it in the hot oil.
- Allow to cook on first side for about 3 minutes and use a flat spatula to carefully turn latke over and cook other side for about 2-3 minutes/
- Place latkes on paper toweled lined plate r wire rack.
Notes
Yields about 10 latkes
Nutrition
Calories: 296kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 246mg | Sodium: 197mg | Potassium: 922mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 412IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 4mg
L.A.Times Holiday Cookie Bake-Off Winner
A few days ago I had the honor of visiting and touring the L.A. Times building. I wanted to show you what we did that day and am still on a high from such an amazing day. About a month ago I submitted my famous rugelach recipe and didn't hear anything back....until last week! "Congratulations, out of over 120 entries and 2500 votes"... I was in the top 10!
Thank you ALL for your votes and support.
The day started with a fasinating tour tour around the Time's building, showing where everyone works, the history and last but certainly my favorite, the test kitchen. The LA Times offers free tours of the building which is not something to miss if you are visiting Los Angeles.
The winners recipes will be published in the L.A. Times on December 15th, but for now, here are some pics of the fun-filled day.
This globe lies in the lobby of the Times building. On the floor, you can see a circular panel which is a painted compass. The tour also goes into the first 100 years of the Times history.
The winners cookies!
This is the beautiful face of Jenn Harris that is behind the twitter chat #weekendeats that L.A. Times Food hosts every
Monday morning.
Ready for our closeup!
Vegetable and Pancetta Quiche with Potato Crust
A colorful and gluten-free vegetable and pancetta quiche with a simple crust made of thinly sliced potatoes.
I don't make quiche often. Normally we make Butternut Squash Prosciutto Breakfast Hash.
Actually, this was my first time, if you want to call it a quiche. Instead of the standard butter soaked pastry crust, this quiche layers thin potato slices all along the bottom.
Just like most of us days after Thanksgiving, I not only have a mountain worth of mashed potatoes left, enough to make my Easy Homemade Perogies, but potatoes leftover too. I thought it would be neat to use one of my favorite kitchen tools, a mandoline, and thinly slice potato rings, thus forming a delicious (and gluten free) crust. I had some leftover rosemary that I picked from school and sprinkled that all over the overlapping potato slices. I used the rest of the eggs, 1 zucchini, a handful of cherry tomatoes and salty pancetta that all helped clean out the fridge.
The potato crust that edged out of the tart dish became crispy and addictive. Not to mention, this was pretty healthy...right? There is no flour or butter and if you chose to make it vegetarian, just omit the pancetta. But honestly....why would you?
Method:
1) Begin heating oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk eggs and milk together and season with salt and pepper, set aside.
2) In a non stick skillet, cook pancetta in 1Tb olive oil until fully cooked and brown. When done, remove and reserve in a paper-towel lined bowl.
3) In the same pan, drain any excess oil that accumulated but save about 1Tb worth. Add zucchini, season lightly with salt and pepper and saute for2-3 minutes until zucchini begins to color but don't cook through. It should still be snappy. When done, reserve to separate plate.
4) Using a mandoline on setting #3, carefully slice potatoes on the longer side or use a sharp knife to slice thin slices.
*My tip: be careful when using a mandoline, make sure it is secure and sturdy and when slicing with dominant hand, have hand flat so fingers are not curled under, risking cutting.
5) Using a tart dish , drizzle olive oil and use a paper towel to smear oil all over the bottom and sides. Place potato slices all along the bottom and sides, slightly overlapping and making sure all seams are closed. Sprinkle with rosemary and drizzle with olive oil and bake in oven for 10 minutes.
6) Remove potato crust from oven and lower to 350 degrees. Pour in whisked eggs first and then add sliced zucchini, pancetta and cherry tomatoes. Top with shredded cheese and bake for 30 minutes.
More great brunch recipes
More fun brunch recipes
Matzo Brei Eggs Benedict with Lox
Vegetable and Pancetta Quiche with Potato Crust
A colorful and gluten-free vegetable and pancetta quiche with a simple crust made of thinly sliced potatoes.
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 209kcal
Ingredients
- 2 small-medium white potato
- 5 eggs + 1 Tb milk
- 4 oz pancetta chopped
- 1 zucchini sliced thin
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes cut in half
- ½ cup shredded cheese
- 1 Tb fresh rosemary chopped
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Begin heating oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk eggs and milk together and season with salt and pepper, set aside.
- In a non stick skillet, cook pancetta in 1Tb olive oil until fully cooked and brown. When done, remove and reserve in a paper-towel lined bowl.
- In the same pan, drain any excess oil that accumulated but save about 1Tb worth. Add zucchini, season lightly with salt and pepper and saute for2-3 minutes until zucchini begins to color but don't cook through. It should still be snappy. When done, reserve to separate plate.
- Using a mandoline on setting #3, carefully slice potatoes on the longer side or use a sharp knife to slice thin slices.
- *My tip: be careful when using a mandoline, make sure it is secure and sturdy and when slicing with dominant hand, have hand flat so fingers are not curled under, risking cutting.
- Using a tart dish , drizzle olive oil and use a paper towel to smear oil all over the bottom and sides. Place potato slices all along the bottom and sides, slightly overlapping and making sure all seams are closed. Sprinkle with rosemary and drizzle of olive oil and bake in oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove potato crust from oven and lower to 350 degrees. Pour in whisked eggs first and then add sliced zucchini, pancetta and cherry tomatoes. Top with shredded cheese and bake for 30 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 209kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 155mg | Sodium: 257mg | Potassium: 450mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 397IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 143mg | Iron: 1mg