Mango Salsa

This salsa is addicting.  I'm giving you complete warning before reading on, you will want to consume the entire bowl in one sitting.  You can use it as plain salsa with chips, put it on tacos, or pulled pork sliders.  It basically helps anything.

Mango Salsa:
1/2 bag of frozen mango pieces from TJ's, defrosted then chopped into small cubes
1/2 jalapeno, minced finely
1 small red onion, chopped finely
2 garlic cloves, minced
juice of 1/2 - 1 lime
2-3 pinches of sugar, depending on how sweet the mango is
15 grape tomatoes, halved
bunch of cilantro, chopped
drizzle of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder, if desired

Combine all in a large bowl and cover.  Let refrigerate for 30 minutes and then serve.

Roasted Heirloom Carrots

My great friend and college roommate was in town this past weekend.  We went to the farmers market at the Ferry Building on Saturday.  We picked up some amazingly fresh veggies, including baby heirloom carrots.  They were amazing, I couldn't believe we scored these.  They are almost too cute to eat, almost.

We made Chili con Carne, an arugula salad, cornbread, and roasted carrots.  I think the carrots were my favorite part of the meal.

Roasted Heirloom Carrots:

1-2 bunches of baby carrots, stems trimmed but left on
olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tbsp brown sugar

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Wash and dry the carrots and place in an oven proof dish.  Drizzle with some olive oil, salt and pepper.  Toss to coat.  Sprinkle the brown sugar on top and bake in the oven for 20ish minutes (depending on the size of your carrots, mine were little).

Kale Salad

New Year, fresh start, new resolutions, and season full of snow (hopefully in Tahoe).  Christmas and New Years was lovely.  Very nice, low key, we cooked a lot, drank red wine and celebrated what's to come in this next year.

After all of that heavy holiday food, I've committed to eating healthier and detoxing from all of the celebrations that December brings.  A lunch spot in downtown SF called Urban Picnic has this amazing Kale and Quinoa salad that I recently tried (remember, trying to eat better).

Kale Salad:

Dressing:
1 small shallot, finely diced
1 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
juice of 1/2 a small lemon
1 tsp. soy sauce
few pinches of sugar
black back pepper
1 tsp. dark sesame oil
1 tsp. grapeseed oil

Salad:
few cups of kale, chopped
handful of slivered almonds, toasted
handful of blueberries
handful of cherry tomatoes
3 small sheets of nori, thinly sliced
few pinches of toasted sesame seeds
5-6 pieces of fresh mozzarella (I used the little balls at TJ's called Ciliegine) 


Combine all the ingredients for the salad dressing and then whisk in the oils.  Add the kale first and toss to coat.  Then add the other ingredients.  Add a little bit more black pepper or sesame oil to your liking.

Ginger, Carrot, and Sweet Potato Soup

Last night, I came home from a work event late and had literally nothing in my fridge.  I remembered this recipe I saw at Simply Scrumptious and thought if I could make something out of nothing, it would have to be soup.  Carrots? Check. Onion? Check. Oh yea, I have a sweet potato lying in my vegetable bowl that's looking questionable, sure let's throw that in there.  Dinner was made in 30 minutes and it warmed my chilly body up thanks to this exceptionally cold weather we've been having in San Francisco.

Ginger, Carrot and Sweet Potato Soup:
Serves 1-2 people

1 shallot, minced
1/4 cup chopped lemongrass (I didn't have it but it would make a nice addition)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 inch knob of ginger, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped
1ish cup low sodium vegetable stock
1/2 - 1 cup light coconut milk
zest and juice of 1 clementine

salt and pepper
chili powder
red pepper flakes
olive oil
cilantro or mint for garnish

Heat oil in small sauce pan.  Add the shallots, onion, garlic, ginger and lemongrass.  Add salt and pepper to sweat.  After a few minutes, add the carrots and sweet potato.  Add a touch more salt along with the chili powder and red pepper flakes.  Let cook for a minute or two and add the veggie stock.  Let simmer on medium low for 10ish minutes, until the sweet potato and the carrot are tender.

CAREFULLY transfer the mixture into a food processor or blender and puree till smooth.  You may need to add a bit more veggie stock to thin it out a bit.  Transfer puree back to stove and add the coconut milk, stir to combine.  Let cook for a few more minutes, taste for seasoning and serve with fresh herbs.  Enjoy!

Corn Cakes

First of all I am very sorry for the lack of posting lately.  My computer is currently broken which makes the whole typing and uploading pictures a bit of a challenge.  Working on it though.  Should be resolved shortly - I hope!

After work yesterday, I realized that I had very little in my fridge to cook with.  I'm talking no lettuce, a half an onion, some limes, frozen corn, and pink lemonade.  Needless to say, it had been awhile since I went grocery shopping.

I just got back from an amazing long weekend in Manhattan with the Boy.  We visited the Boy's college roommate and his girlfriend.  They were very generous in letting us stay with them, which in turn forgoes us spending money on a hotel, which forwards that money to drinks and dinners out.  We had a fantastic but very busy time.  Ate at Momofuku Noodle Bar, almost got struck by lightning in a massive downpour, played with kittens, ate at Mermaid Inn, went to Birreria - a beer restaurant on the top of a 15 story building, ate dumplings at Rickshaw, saw X-Men: First Class, brunch at Elephant and Castle, visited High Line Park, tried to get boys to have pedicures, and lastly went to the Chelsea Market.  That was all in three days.  I finally came home on Sunday night exhausted both mentally and physically, but happy to be sleeping in my own bed, not an air mattress.  New York is an unbelievable city; cabs are everywhere, their driving is some sort of art, everything is always open, their hipsters are different, nothing ever stops, it's hot and humid, even at night.  I loved visiting and can't wait to be back visiting my college roommate in a month or so.  There is something truly unique about Manhattan, a buzz that is hard to describe but is very infectious. 

But back to the fact that there is no food in my fridge.  Here is my dilemma - I'm exhausted from my trip and working all day, don't have the energy to walk to Trader Joes and then up my hill back home, and it's hot (San Francisco is having some record breaking temperatures right now high 80's and low 90's - very un-San Franciscian like).  I figured I have to fashion something together to feed my grumbling belly.  I look into my freezer hoping there would be an amazing 5 course meal ready for me to eat but sadly that doesn't happen.  I see some frozen corn and remember a recipe I saw on Generation Y Foodie these Corn Fritters.  Wham, Bam, Thank You Ma'am - that's what I'm going to make.  Throw whatever I have in my stark fridge into them, serve with a Chipotle Aioli and I had a refreshing vegetarian dinner.  Now that I think about it, I could have added some Pancetta or Bacon to it to make it a little heartier but whatever it was damn tasty and I was very happy with the result.

Corn Cakes:

1 heaping cup of frozen corn, thawed
1/4 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
1 egg lightly beaten
zest of 1 lime - save the juice for the Aioli below
pinch red pepper flakes
few pinches of chili powder
few pinches of garlic powder
2 tbsp flour
1/4 - 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp- 1 tbsp peanut oil

Chipotle Aioli:
2 tbsp light mayonnaise
juice of 1/2 a lime
1/2 tsp chipotle paste
dash of garlic powder
salt and pepper
chopped cilantro

Green onion for garnish.

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

In a large bowl combine the egg, lime zest, and seasonings together.  Add the flour and stir to combine.  Add the corn, onion, garlic and tomatoes.  Add the breadcrumbs until the batter is combined but not too dry.  On a plate sprinkle some of the breadcrumbs, enough to coat the cakes and season with salt and pepper.  Separate the batter into 4 sections and make 4 pattys.  Coat with the breadcrumbs on both sides.  In a large skillet heat the oil and add the cakes, you should hear a sizzle.  Cook on each side about 3 minutes till golden brown and transfer to the oven for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile make the Chipotle Aioli by combining all the ingredients and stir to combine.  You may want to add more lime juice or more chipotle paste to accommodate your liking.

Broccolini with Cheese Sauce

This side dish is a great addition to any meal.  You steam the broccoli or the broccolini in some salted water and then top it with a creamy cheddar cheese sauce.  If you choose to veto the sauce, squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the broccoli right before you eat it, because if you squeeze the lemon juice on it right after steaming, it will turn a weird brownish green color that, well, just isn't appetizing.

Broccolini with Cheddar Cheese Sauce:

1 bunch of broccolini or broccoli
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp Wondra flour
1- 1 1/2 cups warmed skim milk (warm it in the microwave in a liquid measuring cup)
1/4 tsp freshly graded nutmeg
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1 cup freshly graded sharp white cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper

You need 2 pans, one shallow that you can fill with water and steam the boccoli/broccolini and another saucepan that you can make the sauce with.

Boil the water with a large pinch of salt.  When boiling, add the broccolini and cover to steam. 

While the vegetable is steaming, heat the butter in the sauce pan, once melted add the flour.  Cook for at least a minute to cook off the raw flour flavor.  Then add the warmed milk, and stir to combine.  Add the nutmeg, mustard, salt and pepper, then slowly start adding the cheese a hand full at a time, till it's melted completely.

When the broccolini is done, take off the heat and drain.  Make sure the cheese sauce is combined and smooth.  Taste and adjust for seasoning.  Make sure the sauce has cooked for at least 5 minutes on medium low to thicken a bit, drizzle over the cooked broccolini and enjoy!

Sweet Potato Fries

Another side dish to the asparagus that I made were Sweet Potato Fries. Technically they're Yam Fries because we used yams instead of sweet potatoes but that's just a technicality. You cut up the potato into thin fry like strips, coat with olive oil and some seasoning and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes. They're super delicious and extremely good for you.

Sweet Potato Fries

2 large sweet potatoes, cleaned and cut into thin match like strips
olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder (you can use regular or ancho depending on your preference)
1/2 tsp Lawry's seasoned salt

Preheat oven to 400 F. On a lined baking sheet (I used foil) coat the taters in the olive oil and the seasoning, use you hands, get down and dirty and mix it all up. Bake for about 20-30 minutes till the potato is cooked and they're a bit crispy. Keep and eye on them and don't let them get too mushy, you may need to add some olive oil in the middle of the cooking process.

Asparagus

I made a very delicious dinner last night with the boy. It was my take on Steak Frite (recipe soon to follow), however, the asparagus with a bread crumb and egg topping was probably my favorite side dish of the night. I roasted the asparagus instead of steaming them because I like the flavor it develops in the oven. As for the topping, I wanted to use a crumbled egg but put my own little twist on it. This is probably one of the easiest side dishes I've done and yet extremely flavorful.

Asparagus with a Bread Crumb and Egg Topping

2 eggs

1/3- 1/2 cup bread crumbs, unseasoned

1 tbsp butter

1/3 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp. salt and pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

4 springs of thyme and parsley, minced

1/2 tsp lemon zest or half of a lemon zested - eyeball it

1 bunch of asparagus, ends trimmed

extra virgin olive oil - enough to coat the asparagus

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a saucepan, put the two eggs in and add enough cold water to cover them completely. Put on the stove and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, put a top on the lid and take off the heat. Let sit in the hot water for about 15-20 minutes, then drain and fill back up with cold water. Once cool, remove shell (they should come off fairly easily) and separate the yolks from the whites.

While the eggs are cooking, in a pan coat the asparagus in the olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven for about 8-10 minutes.

While the asparagus is roasting. Heat a saute pan with the butter and toast the breadcrumbs till a golden brown, season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Transfer to a bowl and let cool a bit, add the Parmesan cheese, lemon zest, and the crumbled cooked egg yolks. Add the fresh herbs at the end and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust to taste.

Once the asparagus are cooked, align them on plate and sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture on top in a line, allowing the asparagus to be visible on both sides.

Biryani Rice

My roommate's girlfriend is a vegetarian and has exposed me to a completely different idea of cooking. She has great recipes and let me tweak her recipe for her Biryani rice. She says that you can use any type of nut and dried fruit to go with this dish, use whatever you have, it makes it quite delicious. *You can also use leftover takeout rice to make this dish as well.

Biryani Rice:
1 cup of brown basmati rice
1/2 raisins

Cook the brown rice to instructions, about 45 minutes. When the rice is about 40 mins into cooking, throw the raisins in to let them plump up for the last 5 minutes.

1 tbsp peanut oil or any light oil
1 medium onion, sliced into inch slices
1 cup of shredded carrots
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp graded ginger
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp coriander
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground clove
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp powdered ginger
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. ground saffron
S + P
1 tbsp soy sauce
Juice of 1/2 orange
1/4 cup of water or so
3/4 cup of toasted cashews
2 scallions, chopped
1 cup of cubed tofu (optional)

Saute carrots and onion in the oil over medium heat till the onions are translucent (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and ginger and stir to combine. Add all of the spices, including the S + P and toast the spices. Add the rice, raisins, soy and orange juice. Saute and make sure all is combined and mixed well. If the mixture is try, add some water and let cook on low for about 10 minutes or so. At the very last minute, add the cashews and scallions and serve with yogurt sauce on the side, below. You can also add cubed tofu into this dish to add some protein.

Yogurt Sauce:
1/4 cup of non-fat greek style yogurt
juice of 1/2 meyer lemon + some zest
4 mint leaves, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp garlic powder
S + P

Crostini

A few weeks ago I had a college roommate come visit for New Years. We made a fabulous feast and created an appetizer to munch on while the meal was being cooked. Here it is:



Crostini with Avocado, Pine Nuts, and Honey:


1/4 a baguette sliced at an angle, 1/2 inch thick
1 avocado, sliced 1/8 inch thick (if you half the avocado, hit the base of the knife into the pit, twist and the pit should pop right out. Then take a smaller knife and slice the avocado while still in the shell. Use a large spoon and spoon out the sliced avocado.)
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 garlic clove
S+P
Clover Honey
EVOO



Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay the sliced baguette on a baking sheet and drizzle with some EVOO, S & P. Toast for 5ish minutes, till the bread is a little crispy but not hard. Once out of the oven, rub with the garlic clove while the bread is still warm. Then place a few slices (you may need to cut the long slices of the avocado in half to fit onto the baguette) of the avocado on a piece of the toasted bread, then sprinkle a few pine nuts on the top. Top with a little salt and pepper and drizzle with a touch (just a touch) of honey. They're ready to eat!



Enjoy!!

Romesco

I first found this recipe in an Hors d'oeuvres Cookbook and made my own twist to it. You can serve it with many different things, chicken, fish or as an appetizer with toasted pieces of baguette. You put everything into a food processor and it's done in a few minutes. Easy!

This is for a serving for 6-8 people, if you have a smaller party, or just want some for yourself, just cut the recipe in half.

Romesco
1 Jar of Roasted Piquillo Peppers (TJ's has a great one)
1/2 cup of toasted unsalted slivered almonds
4 garlic cloves
1 big hand bunch of Italian parsley
1 big hand bunch of cilantro
1/2 - 3/4 tsp. sherry vinegar
3 scallions, chopped
hand full of cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup of sun dried tomatoes in oil (TJ's has a great one as well)
1/2 cup chopped stale bread
1 tsp - 1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp. ancho chili powder
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
pinch of red pepper flakes
pinch of cumin
pinch of dried chipotle powder
S + P to taste
1/2 - 3/4 c. EVOO

Process everything but the olive oil in a food processor and process till mixed, maybe a minute or two. Then stream in the olive oil while the processor is running and watch to see a mixture turn into that of a pesto. That's it! I love to put it on a toasted piece of bread, or serve it with some fish or chicken. Very tasty and super easy!! You can store this in the fridge for a few weeks with a layer of olive oil on top of it, or a few months in the freezer.

Garbanzo Curry

The original recipe came from a family I babysat for. I of course tweaked it and made it my own but ohhh so tasty and super easy. It's a great vegetarian meal and is very healthy for you as long as you use light coconut milk.

Here is my Garbanzo Bean Curry:





Garbanzo Been Curry:

1-2 tbsp EVOO
1 can of garbanzo beans, drained
1 can of light coconut milk
1 cup of chicken stock
1/2 a large white onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bay leaf
1/2 stock of lemon grass, bruised
1 tsp. red pepper flakes and/or 1/2 a jalapeno minced (take your pick or use them both)
1 tsp. - 1 tbsp. of curry powder
1/2 tsp. coriander powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 pinch of cumin
1 thread of saffron
S + P to taste

In a deep sauce pan, on medium heat, sweat the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, till transparent. Add the lemongrass and curry powder and let the curry powder toast for a few minutes. Add the garbanzo beans, bay leaf, and the rest of the spices and stir to combine for a few minutes. Add the coconut milk and stock. Let simmer for about 20 minutes so everything infuses the broth and coconut milk.

Optional: Add some cooked shredded chicken at the end to the dish for some protein and make it a full meal for those meat eaters.