Archives for the month of: October, 2011

Sloppy Joes-Midwest Styyyle…

October 31, 2011 //
0

This weekend we went to a super cute pumpkin carving party. This is as far as I will go with Halloween these days. I am sure you all think I am a scrooge, but I have been over it for years. Too much pressure! Everyone brought a pumpkin to carve and our pal Ashley went all out and made so many delicious things like croissant wrapped brie, mulled wine, and these yummy sloppy joe sliders that she made with turkey and served on Hawaiian rolls. The sliders totally made me homesick and inspired me to ask my sister for her recipe. We used hers and doctored it up a bit with some things like peppers, brown sugar, and worcestershire.

It was pretty impressive how we all got so into the pumpkin carving. We ended up with a goth pumpkin, one with a gold toof, a Danzig pumpkin, one with a fu manchu, a puking pumpkin… rad. I tell ya… a bunch of mid 30 year olds, pumpkins, Catch Phrase, and alcohol sure does make for some good clean fun. All of that and home by 10:30! Man, we old.

For just about every family get together in the midwest, you will find a big ol’ pot of shloppy joes. Mike and I attempted to whip these babies up from scratch last night. They were actually quite delicious and even better today when I took one to the office for lunch:) Here is what we did…

Sloppy Joes- Midwest Styyyle:

  • 2 lbs. lean ground sirloin
  • 1 small chopped onion
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • boat load of worcestershire
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 1 cup ketchup (use as much as you want depending on how “sloppy you want them”)
  • 1-2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • splash of vinegar
  • salt pepper to taste

In a medium skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef, drain off liquids.

Add peppers, onion, worcestershire, and garlic. Season with salt and pep and cook until vegetables are soft.

Stir in the mustard, ketchup, tomato paste, and brown sugar; mix thoroughly. Add a splash of vinegar and adjust seasonings to taste. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve on a whole wheat bun with homemade pickles.

Happy Halloween!!!!

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Categories beef, dinner, food and recipes, lunch

Eggs Bennie with Spinach and Heirloom Tomatoes…

October 30, 2011 //
4

The weather has been so perfect lately that Mike and I have just wanted to spend as much time out there before our summer comes to an end. Instead of going out for brunch today, I decided to cook something up so we that we could stay in our jammies and hang with Luna. I made eggs benedict for the first time ever. I have embarrassingly never poached an egg in my life, so I was a bit nervous, but this was so easy to do. I am not a huge fan of breakfast meats, so we made a veggie option with sauteed spinach and these beautiful heirlooms. It was really tasty and I copped a little Sunday morning buzz from the mimosas we paired with it:)

Veggie Eggs Bennie…

Hollandaise:

  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick)
  • Pinch cayenne
  • Pinch salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Vigorously whisk the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a stainless steel bowl until the mixture is thickened. Place the bowl over a saucepan containing barely simmering water. The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Continue to whisk rapidly. Be careful not to let the eggs get too hot or they will scramble. Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and continue to whisk until the sauce is thickened and doubled in volume.

Remove from heat, whisk in cayenne, salt, and pepper. Cover and place in a warm spot until ready to use for the eggs benedict. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in a few drops of warm water before serving.

The Rest:

  • 2 English muffins, split and toasted
  • 2 teaspoons white vinegar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 bag spinach (we used baby spinach)
  • 1/2 onion thinly sliced
  • 1 garlic clove finely chopped
  • 1 large heirloom tomato cut in 4 thick slices
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Hollandaise sauce, recipe above

Fill a 10-inch nonstick skillet half full of water. Add white vinegar and a dash of salt to the cooking water. This will make the egg white cook faster so it does not spread. Bring to a slow boil. Gently break 1 of the eggs into the water taking care not to break it. Repeat with remaining eggs. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook 3 1/2 minutes until the egg white is set and yolk remains soft. Remove with a slotted spoon, allowing the egg to drain.

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add spinach and cook until soft and bright green. Slice tomato. Toast muffins.

To assemble: Top each muffin half with spoonful of spinach mixture, heirloom slice, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Add poached egg. Season to taste. Spoon hollandaise sauce over the eggs. Make yourself a mimosa or other brunch like adult bevie and enjoy!

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Categories breakfast, food and recipes, lunch, vegetarian

Not So Vegan Lemon Blueberry Loaf…

October 22, 2011 //
0

Today our baby Luna is losing her womanhood. Mike took her to the vet this morning to get spayed. It makes me so sad to leave her in a strange place. He said she was crying and shaking when he left her:( Poor baby. The Pasadena ASPCA spays and microchips rescued pit and pit mixes for free! It is such a good program and all the more reason to adopt one of the million abandoned pit bull puppies in the LA area. We have been on the waiting list for a long time, but finally today is her day. She will be so happy to be able to play with the big dogs at the dog park.

Like it was the 50′s or something, Mike came home and asked what was for breakfast. Being the sucker that I am, I baked him this loaf of blueberry goodness with a recipe that I had played around with from the Joy of Baking. The best part about this bread is the lemon glaze…. Sooo good! This was way better than the vegan pumpkin bread  from the other night. We pick Luna up at 4 today, so send our baby good energy for a speedy recovery!

Lemon Blueberry Loaf:

Makes 1 loaf.

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup milk or half and half
  • 1 cup fresh blueberries (can use frozen if needed)

Lemon Glaze:

  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter (or spray with a non stick vegetable spray) the bottom and sides of a loaf pan.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

In the bowl of your mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until softened (about 1 minute). Add the sugar and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.

With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture (in three additions) and milk (in two additions) alternately, starting and ending with the flour. Mix only until combined. Gently fold in the blueberries. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 55 to 65 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the 1/4 cup (50 grams) of sugar and the 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

When the bread is done, remove from oven and place on a wire rack. Cool the loaf in the pan for about 30 minutes then remove from pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Pierce the hot loaf all over with a wooden skewer or toothpick and then drizzle the top of the loaf with the hot lemon glaze.This bread is best served right away while it is still warm.

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Categories breakfast, dessert, food and recipes, fruit, vegetarian

White Cheddar Risotto Stuffed Butternut Squash…

October 17, 2011 //
0

And it begins… Every fall I go nuts for pumpkin and squash recipes. I love their flavor, color, and definitely the warm aromas they create in the house while cooking them. Butternut squash risotto is a favorite recipe of mine. I can’t stand peeling and chopping squash, so this makes this recipe easier and the presentation is super rad. As you eat the risotto, you can scoop out some squash with every bite!
I changed up my usual basic risotto recipe and used a good English White Cheddar instead of classic Parmesan.  The sweet and salty pairing was delish and Mike loved the crunchy cheesy top. Too bad it was just me and Mike tonight. I definitely want to make this again. Dinner party anyone???

White Cheddar Risotto Stuffed Butternut Squash:

  • 1 butternut squash, halved and seeded
  • 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 onion, small dice
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 4-5 fresh sage leaves
  • pinch red pepper flakes
  • 1 cup Arborio rice
  • 1/4 cup dry white wine
  • 3 cups vegetable stock
  • 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
  • 1/2 cup aged white cheddar
  • shaved parmesan
  • salt, pepper, nutmeg

Directions:

Cut the butternut squash in half long ways, and scoop out the seeds. Rub squash on both sides with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Roast in a 325 degree oven for 45 minutes. This can be done ahead of time.

Warm up vegetable stock until very hot and keep warm on the side. In a large pot, saute onion, red pepper flakes, sage, and garlic in the butter and a rest of olive oil until translucent and aromatic, about 5 minutes. Season.

Add the arborio rice and stir for three minutes on low heat. Add white wine and let alcohol cook out. Add two cups of the warm stock and let simmer until the liquid has been almost all absorbed, stirring consistently. Add another cup of stock and let simmer until absorbed, continually stirring. Add the last cup of stock, cream, and season to taste. Simmer until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the risotto is al dente. Ensure there are no crunchy bits.

Turn the heat to low, add cheese and a little freshly grated nutmeg, stir. Make a larger cavity by scooping out some of the middle of the roasted squash. Add this to the risotto.

Spoon the risotto into the squash, top with a bit of shaved parmesan and pepper, and bake for a few minutes at 350 degrees. You will have extra risotto, so freeze it and save for another day that you don’t have time to cook.

Turn the oven off and turn the broiler on high. Place the squash under the broiler until the cheese is browned. Enjoy.

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Categories appetizer, dinner, food and recipes, side dish, vegetarian

Moist Vegan Pumpkin Bread…

October 17, 2011 //
0

Because I know you all love the word moist…

I went to TJs on my lunch break and everything featured was fall and pumpkin related (my favorite time of year). I originally went in for some vegetable stock and some cheese for a risotto I planned on making tonight, but was a sucka and walked out with a can of pumpkin. When I started gathering my ingredients this afternoon, I had originally intended to make a run of the mill pumpkin bread using my usual recipe for banana bread but substituting pumpkin for the banana. As I was putting the dry ingredients together, I changed my mind and decided to attempt a vegan version. I love vegan baked goods. They always taste a bit richer. This one has no eggs, no butter, no milk… it is all vegetarian, no dairy, and you definitely cannot tell the difference (ok, well maybe a little). Next time I will cut out some of the calories by cutting the oil amount in half and substituting in some applesauce. This turned out so yummy and made the house smell like a dream!

Vegan Pumpkin Bread…

  •  1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1 cups pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/3 cup coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour one large loaf pan. Toast walnuts. In mixer combine sugars, oil, pumpkin, vanilla, and coconut milk.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and ground cinnamon.

Mix dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until all of the flour mixture is gone. Fold in the nuts.

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cover with foil tightly. Allow to steam for 10 minutes. Remove foil and turn out onto a cooling rack. Tent lightly with the foil and allow to cool completely. Slice, top with a bit of powdered sugar, and enjoy. This is gonna be so good for breakfast with coffee.

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Categories breakfast, dessert, food and recipes, vegan, vegetarian

Spicy Bacon and Corn Chowder…

October 15, 2011 //
0

If you can’t tell, Mike and I love soup. When Jeffy and I lived together in Chicago, we used to eat at this neighborhood spot called the Soup Box on Broadway and they made the best corn chowder ever. It was so perfect as they served 12 different soups everyday and it was only open during the fall and winter. For those of you who have not experienced a Chicago winter, believe me when I tell you that soup is the perfect comfort food to get you through it. In the summer months, the Soup Box transformed into the Ice Box where they served a variety of Italian Ices. Genius! I think a soup place in Los Angeles would be a gold mine for all of the health nuts and carb conscious out here. Mike and I could eat soup everyday, so I am always thinking of new combos to simmer up. I was inspired by the Soup Box when putting this together. I kind of winged this, so you can adjust or substitute the ingredients to your liking, but this ended up being the perfect sweet and spicy combo. I wish I had made a larger batch to freeze in individual portions for our lunch, as I have a feeling this will be gone before the weekend!

Spicy Bacon and Corn Chowder:

  • 2 slices thick cut maple bacon
  • 1 large minced white onion
  • i stalk celery chopped
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 1/2 jalapeño diced (if you like a mild, seed the jalapeno)
  • 1 red bell pepper diced
  • 1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin
  • 4 1/2 cups fresh corn (cut off the cob)
  • 1/8 cup chopped cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 cup good beer
  • 1 1/2 qt. vegetable or chicken stock
  • 3 medium yukon gold potatoes diced
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Garnishes:

  • lime wedges
  • Cilantro leaves
  • Diced red radishes and jalapenos
  • creme fraiche

In a large heavy-bottomed soup pot, render the bacon until crispy. Once done, drain bacon on a plate lined with a paper towel. Sweat the onion, celery, garlic, peppers, and cumin in the bacon fat until tender and translucent.

Turn up heat and deglaze pan with beer. Let some of the alcohol cook off. I was drinking this delicious amber ale, but whatever you have will do. I don’t think this step is necessary.

Add the corn, potatoes, and cilantro and continue cooking until tender. Add the stock. Simmer for approximately 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and add the cream, crumbled bacon, and lime juice to the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste. Partially puree with an emulsion blender to improve the texture. If you don’t, all of the corn kernels end up seeming kind of crunchy.

Garnish each cup or bowl of soup with a squeeze of lime juice, cilantro, corn kernels, diced radish, jalapeño, and a dollop of creme fraiche.

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Categories appetizer, dinner, food and recipes, lunch, pork, side dish, soup

Sliced Radish and Sea Salt Sandwiches…

October 15, 2011 //
0

Radishes are so damn good. I love how refreshing and peppery they are. I often forget about them, but we picked up a big bundle today. Here is a simple snack idea that is so yummy to nibble on day to day or to serve as hors d’oeuvres at your next get together. Totes simple and you only need a couple of ingredients:

Radish and Sea Salt Sandwiches:

  • sliced radishes
  • room temperature butter
  • sea salt
  • baguette
  • chives or other herbs you love

Slice the bread and spread each slice with a good amount of creamy butter.  This would be even more amazing if you prepared an herb butter for this. (Just put butter in food processor with a mixture of your favorite herbs.) Top bread with sliced radishes, a pinch of sea salt, and garnish with chives. Enjoy.

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Categories appetizer, food and recipes, lunch, side dish, vegetarian

Campanelle with Roasted Butternut Squash, Spinach, and Goat Cheese…

October 10, 2011 //
0

I am so in the mood for fall. Just when I thought it was here, we had an amazing weekend and today it was in the high 80s. Although it doesn’t feel like fall outside, it def does in the markets. We bought some big ass butternut squashes that i was originally going to make soup out of, but we were more in the mood for pasta tonight. I completely made this recipe up, but glad I did because it was delicious! Here is what you need:

Campanelle with Roasted Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese:

  • 1 lb. butternut squash
  • 1 bundle spinach
  • 1 sweet yellow onion
  • 6-8 fresh sage leaves
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 lb. Campanelle pasta
  • 1/2 cup goat cheese
  • 1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts
  • fresh parmesan for garnish
  • salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Peel, core, and chop butternut squash into 1 1/2 inch pieces. (If you can find it, take a short cut and buy it already prepped and bagged. I would rather gauge my eyes out than peel and chop a butternut squash. It is such a pain!) Toss in a bowl with a tablespoon olive oil, salt, pepper, and chopped fresh sage. Spread out on baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until squash is browned and fork tender.

Boil water for pasta. Slice an onion and caramelize it in a pan with the rest of the olive oil, butter, and salt and pepper.

Once squash is almost done, drop in pasta and boil until al dente. Clean the spinach, dry, and toss in with the onions once they are browned and soft. The spinach will cook down to about half of its original size.

Drain pasta reserving a few tablespoons of the pasta water. Put pasta back in the pot. Add roasted squash, drippings, and spinach mixture to the pasta. Throw in goat cheese, pasta water, and walnuts. Toss, top with parmesan, and serve with a simple salad.

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Categories dinner, food and recipes, lunch, side dish, vegetarian

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal…

October 9, 2011 //
0

Yesterday Mike wanted me to make oatmeal for breakfast, but honestly, I was way too hungover from a fun night of celebrating the LA Weekly’s “Best Of” issue and dancing at the neighborhood gay club. A breakfast burrito from Tacos Delta was more in order for me yesterday, so today I thought I would surprise him with this recipe when he woke up this morning. Mike is one to like sweet things for breakfast and I am more of a savory gal. This morning I put this together based on what we had laying around the house and combining a few different recipes I found on the internet. Besides the brown sugar and butter aspect of this dish, we were able to get in some ingredients that were really good for us… blueberries, oats, almonds, and coconut milk make for a power meal. Next time I will use agave to cut out some of the sugar, but unfortunately this time we did not have any. You could also substitute the butter with grape seed oil for a healthier alternative. Its totes easy, delish, and it makes your house smell delightful. Here is what you need:

Baked Blueberry Oatmeal…

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1/4- 1/2 cup brown sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup frozen blueberries
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter
  • 1 cup vanilla coconut milk (I used Silk brand) plus more for serving
  • 2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl mix together oats with the rest of the dry ingredients. Add the vanilla, blueberries, butter, coconut milk, and eggs. Mix well ensuring ingredients are well incorporated.

Pour ingredients into a 9×13 baking dish and bake for 40-50 minutes or until top is browned. Cut into squares and serve with a bit more coconut milk. Yummy!

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Categories breakfast, dessert, food and recipes, fruit, side dish, vegetarian

Wild Mushroom and Truffle Bisque…

October 8, 2011 //
1

Generally, I am not thrilled to have to travel to Philly often and this month I had to go on two separate week long occasions. I am surprised at what a nice time I had there last week and came back quite inspired. After our long flight with no lunch on Monday, my boss friend and I went to dinner at this lovely restaurant called Audrey Claire. We were starving, so of course, we ordered about half of the menu. The beauty of this place was that it was BYOB. We picked up a decent bottle of red at the wine store (because you can’t just get a bottle of wine at a liquor store in Philly, it has to be a wine store) and to feed our two hungry asses (and you know how we are) it was only around 70 bucks! Everything we had such as the seared brussel sprouts with shaved parmesan; crab, apple, and avocado terrine, wild boar sausage with asparagus and risotto, and shrimp skewers with a fresh fruit and corn salsa served with yam medallions were all delicious. The dish that I enjoyed the most was this mushroom and truffle bisque. I talked about it all week and could not wait to get home and recreate it for Mike. I do not work with mushrooms too often, so I searched the internet and came across this delicious Wild Mushroom Bisque on Oprah’s website. This recipe did not include truffles, so I  easily altered it using some truffle oil that our pal brought us back from his travels. I also used beef stock and topped it with a bit of creme fraiche like they did at the restaurant. Quick note: This would be a really hearty vegetarian dish if you wanted to used vegetable stock. At any rate, it was the bomb and I know Mike enjoyed it based on the orgasmic noises he was making while slurping it down. Can’t wait to take this for lunch on Monday!

Wild Mushroom and Truffle Bisque…

  • 1 cup dried porcini mushrooms
  • 2 pounds mixed fresh mushrooms , such as cremini, button and shiitake
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 4 shallots , thinly sliced
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves
  • 1 stalk celery , thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup Marsala or Madeira wine
  • 1 medium Yukon Gold potato , peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 cup beef broth (chicken or vegetable stock could work as well)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or tarragon leaves , chopped
  • 1 cup milk or cream
  • 2 tablespoons good truffle oil
  • creme fraiche for garnish

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Place porcini mushrooms in a large glass bowl or measuring cup. Pour boiling water over mushrooms and set aside. Wash and trim fresh mushrooms; cut into quarters and set aside.

Heat oil and butter in a 4-quart stockpot over medium heat. Add shallots, pinch salt and pepper and rosemary. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until shallots begin to brown, about 7 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add fresh mushrooms and generously season with salt and pepper, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes, until mushrooms lose approximately half their volume.

Using a slotted spoon, remove porcini mushrooms from water and add them to stockpot. Increase heat to medium high and add Marsala. Cook 1 minute.

Slowly pour porcini liquid into stockpot, leaving any sediment behind. Add potato and beef broth and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let soup cool slightly (about 8 minutes), stirring occasionally.

Using a standard or immersion blender, puree soup until smooth. If using a standard blender, puree in small batches to prevent spillage. Transfer to a clean pot or storage container. Soup can be refrigerated for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

When ready to serve, reheat soup and add thyme and milk; stir well. Use additional milk or beef broth if soup is too thick. Simmer 5 minutes and adjust seasoning to taste. Turn off heat, add truffle oil, stir well and serve with a dollop of creme fraiche and some good bread.

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Categories appetizer, beef, dinner, food and recipes, side dish, soup, vegetarian
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