Just A Few of My Favorite Recipes from Others, Fall 2010- Fall 2011

Every now and then I'll attempt to update my recipe collection and remember all kinds of great finds that I've discovered or that have been passed on to me.  Unfortunately, I've been slacking on this lately, thinking "Oh, I'm never going to forget about THIS recipe."  Then I eventually forget and the blog entry might get deleted by its author and after remembering and frantically searching for the lost recipe my tastebuds begin to cry.

I'll always remember you, tasty noodles with peanut sauce recipe...

So anyway, here are just a few recipes that I'm entering into my files today.  Maybe you'll find something you like as well in this list:

Roasted Red Pepper Pita Pizzas - When I actually buy pita bread, this is part of a quick and fantastic meal.  The best part is the sauce.  I <3 this sauce!  It is sooooooo good.

Arnabeet Mekleh (Fried Cauliflower) Salad Recipe: My Open Sesame Re-creation

My favorite salad.  If you haven't had this before, you are most likely wrinkling your nose at the lowly cauliflower.  Just like I did.  

Whenever we visit Southern California, the restaurant that is always at the top of our must-eat list is Open Sesame, which is located in Long Beach's Belmont Shore.  This restaurant opened up on 2nd Street when I was in college and it was always fun to check in on them and see the rave reviews slooowly appear on the walls and eventually take over.  As word eventually got out, it became harder and harder to grab a quick dinner there, but it was always worth the wait.

Recipe: Snowballs! Most Certainly Not Just for Winter!

One August, about ten years ago, I traveled up north to visit my aunties and their families as well as my grandmother in the state of Washington. My trips up north were always so refreshing. I loved experiencing gardening and having fields of berries at my fingertips. Except for that one time that I dropped an entire flat of hand-picked raspberries in the dirt and wound up acting like a crybaby.  For the most part I loved the slower-paced lifestyle while gazing at the snow-capped Cascade mountains off in the distance. It was always a nice breather for me to get away and experience something a little different than the smog-filled, cement-covered place I called home. It was up there that I first learned about composting, and I think that was the first and only place I ever got to mow a lawn with a riding mower. Never mind the fact that I hit a tree and for years that immature fir tree grew at an 80 degree angle, compared to his other companions. (The tree is fine now, finally.  It seems I had some real coordination issues, doesn't it?)

On that particular trip up north, my aunts and I made our way over to a magical piece of land where someone had once planted and ran a U-pick blueberry farm. The man had since passed away and his heirs were not choosing to maintain it, leaving a delicious, antioxidant-filled gift for those who stumbled across it on their morning walk.  Of course, finding a bit of land such as this was unusual for this Los Angeles girl.

On Picky Eaters: How to Develop A Sense of Food Adventure

I have been blessed in many ways, that's certain, but one of the most frequently things that others comment on is my boys' willingness to try just about anything under the sun. Yes, I do believe that picky eaters are born, but I also believe that there are specific things you can do to make trying new foods a fun and healthy experience that involves the entire family.  I'm recording down my experiences mostly as a way to remember what I did with our young boys and if it helps you figure out what works with your family, even better.

Yes, I was raised vegetarian and I am raising two vegetarians.  When you don't eat at least half of the items on menus in restaurants, you must learn to be a little adventurous.  Unless you want to starve because you don't like mushrooms, eggplant, tomatoes, and garlic.   Or unless you want to die of high cholesterol due to the appalling amount of cheese and cream you are consuming.  I have many memories of dining out in the early 80's and seeing the only option on the entire menu being a grilled cheese sandwich.   If you tried to be sneaky and ordered a baked potato without bacon, it still always came with bacon, but maybe by the third try they got it right.  If we were attending a wedding you could bet that the vegetarian option (if even offered!) would be a frighteningly huge plate of barely steamed cauliflower, carrots, and broccoli with a tiny side of Hollandaise sauce.  Luckily for me, just a few short years later California cuisine took off and restaurants became a little bit more exciting and began to offer new and colorful vegetarian options.  As chain restaurants like CPK opened up, I was delighted to be able to try new things and kiss the vegetable plate and stray bacon pieces goodbye. 

This issue is a tough one.  Like many others, it is an issue that involves cheerful guidance, positive experiences, and a child's own choices.  Having said that, here's what has worked...at least for us. 

Just chompin' on an onion slice.

Smelly...in a Good Way! (A Chai Tea Syrup Recipe)

I stumbled upon an adorable Chai Tea Syrup Recipe this morning and instantly thought it would be the perfect recipe for today's project. While we are not regular coffee drinkers (I think coffee beans are magically delicious, but I hate singing this song after I drink the stuff), chai tea has become JJ's favorite afternoon pick-me-up. We've had a pretty good relationship with Oregon Chai for the last fifteen years or so, but after purchasing Tazo's Chai Tea Concentrate 3-pack from Costco, we both fell in love with its blend. Now I refuse to buy Oregon Chai, especially since the last box I bought tasted like the company forgot to add important ingredients like black tea to their mix!

Not yet having made this month's Costco trip and after just relabeling the contents of my spice rack yesterday, I knew I had everything I needed on hand. As I got started, well, I kind of got a little crazy and completely strayed from the recipe of inspiration. I knew that JJ would reprimand me for doing this and so I created two different batches of Chai Tea Concentrate, creating my own version and also sticking (mostly) to Lucy's recipe. Sorry, JJ. Lucy's recipe is good, but was a little too sweet for me (I should have followed her warning). The only modification that I made was after adding one tablespoon of the recommended three tablespoons of vanilla extract. I stopped at one tablespoon.

Outdone By a Vegan! Sorry Ree.

After cooking up a fierce and fattening storm for JJ's birthday, I was on a roll, and decided to keep on trucking this week. In our house I usually switch between feast and famine mode. I think that this has to do with the fact that the stuff I love to cook is really, really bad for you. I use lots of butter, cream, and cheese. Unfortunately. So usually I try to make all other stuff I make super healthy, but this was still technically a birthday week...so I picked four new recipes to work into our weekly plan.

First up, I decided to make Ree Drummond's Cinnamon Rolls. I have had great success with a few of her recipes (Migas, Olive Cheese Bread, and her favorite sandwich, which is now one of my favorites as well), but I've noticed that Ree's desserts aren't necessarily my cup of tea. The one exception are the semi-delicious Apple Dumplings. I've made a lot of these for youth people we have around. It's a really fast and relatively cheap dessert to make. I've found that kids love these things, especially after I tell them the dessert has had Mountain Dew poured over the whole thing before being baked. "Oooooh yeeeeahhh...I can TOTALLY taste it!" (You really can't.) While the Apple Dumplings recipe is still slightly too sweet for me I know that other people like their desserts that way, so it's worth keeping in my Tastebook for now.

Sick Soup

1 T olive oil

1 large onion

A large handful baby carrots, sliced

2.5 Russet potatoes, peeled and diced

1/2 cup of corn

1 can of roasted tomatoes (or other)

1 box of veggie stock (or water and bouillion)

About a cup of Trader Joe's "Mixed Grain" product - quinoa, garbanzos, orzo, and couscous

Saute onion and carrots in oil in your favorite soup pot until the onion starts to soften. Add all other ingredients, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender and the grains are edible and lovely, about 30 minutes.

Garnish with a heavy sprinkling of chopped garlic and finely chopped parsley or spinach.

Potato and Kale Enchiladas with Roasted Chile Sauce

I have finally tried another recipe from Veganomicon and I did make a few twists with the seasonings/ingredients ratio. This is a wonderfully magical recipe. Your stomach will sing a song of gratitude once it gets to digest such a tasty creation! I plan on making this many more times. It's a sure keeper. If you don't really like lime, I'd stay away from this one. I'm going to recreate this using oyster mushrooms and other grilled veggies when I have another spare afternoon.




Enchilada Chile Sauce:
2 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
1 onion, cut into small dice
3 large green chiles (such as Anaheim), roasted, seeded, peeled, and chopped coarsely
2-3 teaspoons chile powder, preferably ancho
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice (not the kind with basil or other italian seasonings)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons Kosher salt

In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, saute the onions in oil for 4 to 7 minutes, until softened. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, bring to a simmer, and remove from the heat. When the mixture has cooled enough, taste and adjust the salt if necessary. Puree with an immersion or regular blender until mixture is smooth and even.


Potato and Kale Filling:
1 pound potatoes
1/2 pound kale, washed, trimmed, and chopped finely (1/4 lb. works fine if you only want to make 10 enchiladas. That's the amount we had and used. We kept the seasonings as listed so if you use 1/2 lb of kale, please adjust the rest of your seasonings accordingly - taste your creation as you go to get the seasonings right!)
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup water +1 or 2 T McKay's Chicken Seasoning-MSG free (to taste) OR 1/4 vegetable broth
3 T lime juice (I like about 4 T)
1/4 cup toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), plus additional for garnish
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
12-14 corn tortillas
Cheddar cheese, shredded, for the tops of the enchiladas

Preheat the oven to 375 F and have ready a shallow casserole dish, at least 11 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches.

Peel and dice the potatoes, then boil them until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside. Cook the oil and minced garlic in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until the garlic is sizzling and slightly browned (be careful not to let it burn). Add the kale, sprinkle with a little sale, and raise the heat to medium, stirring constantly to cover the kale with the oil and garlic. Partially cover the pot to steam the kale until it has wilted, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the lid and mix in the potatoes, water, spices, and seasonings, lime juice, pumpkin seeds, and salt. use the back of a wooden spoon to mash some of the potatoes. Cook another 3 to 4 minutes, until the stock is absorbed. Add more salt or lime juice to taste.

Create an enchilada assembly line:
Have ready a pie plate filled with about 3/4 cup of enchilada sauce, a casserole dish, a stack of corn tortillas, a lightly greased, heated griddle or cast-iron pan (for softening the tortillas), and the potato and kale filling.

Ladle a little bit of the enchilada sauce onto the bottom of the casserole dish and spread it around. Take a tortilla, place it on the heated griddle for 30 seconds, then flip it over and heat until the tortilla has become soft and pliable. Drop the softened tortilla into the pie plate filled with sauce; allow it to get completely covered in sauce, flip it over, and coat the other side.
Now, place the tortilla either in the casserole dish, run the potato filling down the middle and roll it up. Continue with the rest of the tortillas, tightly packing enchiladas next to each other.



Pour about a cup of sauce over the top (reserving some for later), cover tightly with aluminum foil, and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, until the edges of the tortillas poking out of sauce look just a little browned. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Top individual serving with any remaining enchilada sauce, warmed slightly. Garnish with pepitas. Great served with black beans, chile rellenos, your favorite salad, or arroz con gandules.

Don't forget to stuff yourself up to your uvula with these enchiladas!


They look a little homely, I know. Sometimes ugly food tastes the best. Sometimes. :)

I'm Addicted.

To these.

Carrot Oatmeal Cookies


Ginger. Coconut oil. Walnuts. Carrots. Oats.



Good.

It's yet another one of Heidi Swanson's recipes, can you blame me? The woman is so inspiring! This recipe is free of sugar and eggs and is one I'm sure I'll make for years to come.

I made two necessary variations. First off, I didn't have the fragrant coconut oil, just the refined stuff. So I added a splash of coconut extract and this was so freaking delicious! The smell was intoxicating. I guess I'm just a coconut freak, can you tell? I also only had organic pastry flour, not the whole wheat stuff, so substituted that and I'm sure that made these cookies only more enjoyable!

I prefer them on the soft side. 9 minutes is perfect for my oven, at least. When we cooked these for the full 12 minutes they were way too dry.

I made these two days in a row and as soon as I get more maple syrup, I'm making more, baby! The dough is great, too.



They freeze great (cooked) and the best part of making them on the small side is that you can eat about 9 and it's the equivalent of one "regular-sized" store-bought cookie.

Please Don't Pour it in Your Loafers

Several months ago I tried Heidi's Split-Pea Soup recipe and we definitely enjoyed it. While I enjoy the flavors she suggests, I'm NOT a fan of cooking my lentils and split peas for only 20-30 minutes. That texture kills me. I also don't like having to take the extra step of blending, even though I have a hand blender and my awesome Vita-Mix. I'm just so tired, so if I can possibly eliminate the need to wash an extra dish or appliance, laziness will surely win in order to keep my kitchen sparkling.

A few days ago I made a crock pot variation of her pea soup that has been a wonderfully easy recipe to prepare while the boys are eating their breakfast or snacks. This is ultra-fast, at least in preparation, but not the cook time. Luke and I have been making this together at least once a week, along with Chuck Williams' Country French Bread in our bread machine for a delicious dinner!

Mmmmm.....so good.


Place in crock pot:
One onion, chopped
Approximately two cups of green split peas, rinsed and picked over
One handful of baby carrots
About twice the amount of water as there are ingredients

Cook on high for 4-5 hours (I think that's right. You know how these crock pot recipes are!).

Salt and pepper to taste. Top with drizzle of good-quality olive oil, a good dash of paprika, and chopped scallions. Lemon juice and zest is great, too.

Here it is with a slice of Panera's Tomato Basil bread. I had half a loaf in the freezer, so it was pulled for the occasion. That Sweet Streusel topping keeps me coming back for more!

Forget the Facial Cleanser

I'm eating this instead!

On our way back from visiting Gram V in Long Beach, we took a glorious drive down PCH all the way to Dana Point and stopped at Sprinkles in Newport Beach. We brought home a few and just this morning I tried the brown sugar praline cupcake, which is a special flavor available this week and is featured in their HOP BOX.


Although I wasn't initially excited about trying this seasonal creation, it's one of the best I've tasted. There's just something about those sweetened pecan pieces that is so delicious. That salty sweet crunch just gets you and it's an extremely satisfying crunch that is also delicate due to the size of the granules. The cake part is really good, too!

I was a little disappointed that I wasn't able to try the Flourless Chocolate cupcake that is available for one week starting today in celebration of Passover. We were just one day short. :( Maybe we'll get to try it next year. Yum!

The Little Be.

One of Luke's favorite books is  The Little Pea, an amusing story about a pea who does not want to eat all of his dinner, which just happens to be candy. (That's what you eat for dinner every night when you are a pea.) Eventually he finishes all his candy with much disgust and, as promised, gets his dessert...

Which just happens to be a plate of spinach. YUM!

Sorry to ruin the ending for you.

Tonight I made an almost entirely green dinner. We had roasted broccoli, a fresh watercress salad with lemon dressing and diced avocado, green beans with onion crunchies, Swiss Stake, and a plate of garlicky sauteed spinach that I left on a small plate for myself, you know, because I really like lemony, garlicky spinach. Luke ate about half of his dinner and proclaimed he was done. The boy was so far from being finished. Eyeing the extra plate of spinach, I had an idea.

"Hey Luke, don't you want dessert tonight?"

"Yes!"

"If you want dessert, then you need to finish your dinner."

"How many bites?"

"Twenty."

(I'm into big numbers when it comes to finishing food. None of this one or two bite nonsense. Can you tell I'm an American? I am. But I'm not obese or slightly overweight...anymore! Lay off, I "just" had a baby.)

"Okay."

So he ate half an avocado and about 10 green beans. "Hmm...I wonder if this will actually work," I thought to myself. He has been saying, "Maaaaaaaaammmm" with that reprimanding tone quite a bit these days in response to many of my ideas, especially my best ones.

He continued to eat until he met our goal.

"Finish all of it!" he said with a mouthful of food.

"LUKE! GUESS WHAT YOU GET FOR DESSERT?" I tried to sound as enthusiastic as possible.

"What?"

"SPINACH!!!!!!" I squealed. "Just like Little Pea!"

"Oooooooh!!!!"

To my surprise, he ate all of it and proclaimed, "I lick my dessert plate clean."

There was nothing to say to this except, "Yum. Yum. Extra Yum."

So we did, together, with smiles in our voices and twinkles in our eyes.