Category: Food
TGI Friday: Dinner and A Movie (Picadillo)

TGI Friday: Dinner and A Movie (Picadillo)

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Do you remember TBS’s Dinner and A Movie Night on Friday nights?  During each commercial break hosts Paul and Janet and their resident chef would prep and cook a dish that thematically went along with the movie being aired (prime example-Russell’s Mussels for the movie Gladiator).  Silly banter, fun factoids about the movie and cooking tips plus a movie…pretty nifty?  Fast forward a lot of years-babies, kids, teens, gray hair, thinning hair, expanding waistlines, empty-nest and our Monday mom’s coffee klatch has resurrected Friday night Dinner and a Movie.

We started with Big Little Lies, best described as the Housewives of Monterey gone batsh*t crazy and moved on to The Handmaid’s Tale. Based on Margaret Atwood’s book it takes intensity and darkness to a new level.  Luckily cocktails and dinner after each airing helps lighten the mood.  A combination of factors including work and not being able to stomach a dystopian world (it hits a little too close to real life) I show up, along with the hubbies, just in time to enjoy drinks, dinner and conversation.  I rationalize my absence from watching with the feeble excuse “I read the book once upon a time”.

Dinners are potluck and lucky for me Stephanie brought one of her favorite dishes, Picadillo. Its roots are Latin, regional versions can be found from Mexico to Cuba. It’s a delicious mixture of ground beef, sautéed with tomatoes, seasoned with bay leaves and raised to flavor-town by, drum roll please, olives and raisins. The briny tartness from the olives and that little pop of sweetness from the raisins makes this dish a stand out.

Mind blown…never dreamed I would be enamored with a savory dish that included raisins and olives.  Not only is it delicious it is also easy to prepare.  Served with steamed coconut or brown rice and fried plantains this is a simple, beautiful meal.

Stephanie’s recipe is adapted from Cooking Light that includes generous amounts of finely diced carrots and bell peppers not always found in traditional Picadillo. Think of this as Picadillo Light. The dish can be lightened even more by substituting ground turkey or chicken for part of the beef (I would definitely keep it at least 50% beef though).

I perused other recipes for Picadillo and found some included other spices including cumin, oregano, cinnamon, chili, and cloves.  I enjoy the simplicity and the clean bright flavors of Steph’s recipe but I love cumin and cinnamon.  Next time.

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Picadillo

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground beef or a combination of ground beef and turkey or chicken
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onion
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1 1/2 cups 1/4-inch-thick slices yellow bell pepper, each slice cut in half
  • 1 1/2 cups 1/4-inch-thick slices red bell pepper, each slice cut in half
  • 1 cup finely chopped carrot
  • 3/4 cup golden raisins
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/4 cup sliced pimento-stuffed manzanilla or green olives about 15 olives
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 14.5-ounce can no-salt-added stewed tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 8-ounce can no-salt-added tomato sauce

Instructions

  • Cook beef in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned; stir to crumble. Remove from pan; drain well.
  • Add oil to pan. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes. Add bell peppers and carrot; sauté 3 minutes. Return beef to pan. Stir in raisins and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves.

 

 
A-Looo? Anybody there? It’s Gobi time! (Cauliflower and Potato Curry)

A-Looo? Anybody there? It’s Gobi time! (Cauliflower and Potato Curry)

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Do you remember Bend It Like Beckham?  A little movie about soccer and following your dreams that launched a couple of careers (Kira Knightly for one) and was a sleeper hit.  Though a certified sports nut I really loved the scenes of the family gatherings and delicious food.  It reminds me of my own crazy family gatherings where down home food and “sage advice” from elders are the order of the day.  In between bites of fried noodles or dumplings my cousins and I nod in respectful agreement at our aunties and uncles then turn our heads to each other and roll our eyes when the inquisition begins.  Boyfriend? Girlfriend? When you getting married?  The food and their good intentions make the interrogation worth it.

Hidden in the DVD of the movie I found an entertaining bonus clip of the mom and auntie demonstrating how to make Aloo Gobi. A cauliflower and potato curry flavored with onions and tomatoes and spiced with garam masala, chili, ginger, garlic and cumin.  Inspired by the clip I made their version but this time went searching for another recipe.

So I turned to a favorite blog, Ministry of Curry and typed in Aloo Gobi. BINGO, up popped not just a recipe for Aloo Gobi but an Instant Pot version.  The pressure cooker makes short work of the dish.  Perfect for a quick weekday meal.

Prep the ingredients and have them ready to go into your pot.  I cut the cauliflower in good sized chunks and sliced the potato into wedges.  If you are a spice wimp like me use half the amount of garam masala.  Saute’ the spices and vegetables in the pot, cover, pressure cook for a couple of minutes. Voila’ dinner is on the table in the blink of an eye.  If you like your cauliflower with a bit of bite cook for 2 minutes.  I prefer them softer so I use 3 minutes.   Quick release the pressure or the veggies will be too soft.  Tasty dishes like this make it so much easier to focus on eating more vegetables and less meat.  Good for us and for the planet.

This dish can also be cooked on the stovetop.  Saute the onions, garlic, ginger and tomatoes. Add spices except salt and garam masala just like the IP recipe.  Stir in the cauliflower and potatoes, add water and  reduce heat to medium. Cook for 6-8 minutes stirring occasionally.  Add garam masala and salt, stir, cover and continue to cook until potatoes and cauliflower are at desired doneness approximately 10 minutes.  Stir in cilantro reserving some for garnish.  For conventional cooking cut the vegetables smaller or par-boil them halfway this will shorten the cooking time.

A shortcut to peeling and cutting your tomatoes, grating!

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A-Looo? Anybody there? It’s Gobi time! (Cauliflower and Potato Curry)

Ingredients

  • 1 medium onion thinly sliced
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger minced
  • 2 plum tomatoes grated
  • 4 cups cauliflower florets cut into 2 inch pieces
  • 1 medium russet potato peeled and cut into wedges
  • 1 tbsp cooking oil or ghee
  • ½ tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • 1 tbsp mild Kashmiri red chili powder Less if using a spicier chili powder
  • 1 tbsp cumin-coriander powder spice blend
  • 1-1/2 tsp garam masala Add 1/2 to 3/4 tsp for a mild to medium spicy curry
  • 1 tsp salt
  • cilantro for garnish lots

Instructions

  • Turn Instant Pot to Saute mode.
  • Once the hot sign displays add oil and cumin seeds. Sauté for 30 secs.
  • Add onions and mix well. Cook covered with a glass lid on for 3-4 min.
  • Add ginger and garlic, stir and cook for additional minute.
  • Add tomatoes, mix and cook covered for 2 minutes.
  • Add turmeric, red chili powder, cumin-coriander powder, garam masala and salt. Mix well.
  • Add potatoes and cauliflower florets. Add ¼ cup of water. Mix well.
  • Put Instant Pot lid on with pressure valve to sealing. Cook on Manual(Hi) for 3 mins. Note: Cook for only 2 mins if you like cauliflower to be more firm.
  • Quick Release and stir gently. Garnish with cilantro.
  • Serve hot with naan. I like mine with rice.

 
Garlic Rice-Love Letter to Rice

Garlic Rice-Love Letter to Rice

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On one of our weekend food treks, hubby and I headed to East San Jose in search of egg rolls and banh mi. Right in front of the entrance to the market was a display of different dried pasta on sale including tiny little pasta shaped like letters. Woohoo!  Haven’t seen pasta letters in ages. When the kids were little I would make rice pilaf using alphabet pasta. The kids loved it and called it “letter rice.”  They would spell their names and challenge each other to spell as many words as possible on their plates. We were totally bummed when our market stopped carrying our beloved alphabet pasta. A search of other markets came up empty so  I resorted to using star and rice-shaped pasta. Not the same, but a good life lesson for my kiddies…you can’t always get what you want.

Alphabet Soup? Nope, Rice

I took a picture of the display with my phone and sent it to the kids with the exclamation “LETTERS!” then I bought a couple of bags (ok, more than a couple) to have on hand for when they come home.

Letter rice is a fusion of rice pilaf and Hainanese Chicken Rice, a Singaporean dish of poached chicken and rice.  Use the broth from the poached chicken to cook the rice for a double-flavored whammy.  First sautéed the rice with the Asian trinity of garlic, ginger and onions, toss it in a rice cooker (because I don’t know how to cook rice any other way), and cook in the reserved stock.

IT IS STUPID EASY

Maybe not as easy as making plain rice but with little effort you can jazz up your rice making it delicious and fun to eat.  Kid-tested, kid- approved.

Mains that aren’t “saucey” beg for letter rice as an accompaniment.  Letter rice in our house accompanies barbecued ribs or chicken, grilled fish, and STEAK. Yum.

Like many of the recipes, this one lends itself well to changes.  Tweak the Asian trinity.  Replace onions with shallots, or use only garlic and omit the ginger and onions.  Having steak?  Use beef stock instead of chicken. Vegetarian? Use mushroom or vegetable stock instead.  I throw in dried mushrooms to intensify the flavor.  You can use all rice and skip the letters but why would you skip the cute-shaped pasta.

The recipe is easy to remember.  For every cup of uncooked rice, use 1 fat clove of garlic (or 2 skinny ones), 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of ginger, and 1/2 shallot.  For each cup of rice or pasta, use 1 tablespoon butter or oil.  Saute’ the aromatics first, and when they begin to brown add the pasta and rice.  Watch garlic, do not let it burn or it will taste bitter.

The quirky part of this recipe is I only know how to cook rice in a rice cooker (I should be embarrassed-I am).  I use the cup that comes with the rice cooker to measure my rice but a standard 1 cup measure for the pasta.  For 2 cups of rice,  use 1 cup of pasta and fill the rice cooker with the stock up to the 3-cup line.  Yep. Easy peasy if you have a rice cooker…

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Love Letter to Rice (Garlic Rice)

asian rice pilaf
Course dinner, Rice, Side Dish
Cuisine Asian-American
Keyword Garlic Ginger Rice, pilaf, rice
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 2 cups long grain or basmati rice (measured in standard cup that comes with the rice cooker its equivalent to 3/4 cup
  • 1 standard measuring cup any small shaped pasta stars, letters, acini de pepe, or orzo
  • 3 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil or 50/50 of each

Aromatics

  • 3 large cloves of garlic finely chopped (garlic lovers or those living among vampires feel free to increase the amount of garlic)
  • 1 shallot finely chopped (or 1/4 yellow onion or 1 green onion green and white parts, finely chopped)
  • 2 teaspoons minced ginger optional

Liquid

  • Homemade or low sodium chicken broth can substitute beef or vegetable stock approximately 3-4 cups
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup dried sliced shiitakes or dried mushroom mix optional

Garnish:

  • green onions
  • cilantro leaves
  • 1 tsp sesame oil

Instructions

  • Melt butter or oil in pan
  • When butter is fully melted add garlic, shallots and ginger and saute' over medium heat until garlic begins to brown.
  • Add pasta and rice to pan. Stir to coat rice and pasta with oil thoroughly.
  • Put rice and pasta mixture in rice cooker and fill to the three cup line. If using dried mushrooms add them at this point.
  • Set to cook and you're done!

Back from school for the summer, Jordan requested “char Siu” style barbecued ribs and letter rice which prompted this post!  Here is the marinade for the ribs. Grill over indirect heat for 25-30 minutes in a covered bbq.  Flip and baste halfway through, then baste ribs with honey and grill over direct heat to slightly char ribs.

Do Not Play with Your Food, LOL

I remember my mom yelling at my brother and me “STOP PLAYING WITH YOUR FOOD, JUST EAT IT!”  Where is the fun in that?
Thai-rrific Noodles

Thai-rrific Noodles

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My hubby has a certain MO when it comes to food.  Over the years he has become a much more adventurous eater but for the most part he sticks to what he likes and when he likes something, he will eat it all the time.  Well, not all the time but pretty darn regularly.  I think of it as phase eating.  There was his pizza phase, which thankfully was during his training days-before me.  Currently he is in a Thai food phase. Favorite dish, Pad Thai of course.  Which is alright with me, I love Pad Thai. What’s not to like? Rice noodles stir fried with shrimp, bean sprouts, onions, tofu, flavored with fish sauce, tamarind and chilis.  Sweet, spicy, tangy, a flavor explosion.

After Wes came home for the umpteenth time with take out Pad Thai I decided I should try my hand at making Pad Thai. I pulled out my copy of Simple Thai Food (YES I have a Thai cookbook) and flipped to the recipe for Pad Thai.  I scanned the ingredients and much to my chagrin all I had on hand was the fish sauce.  Off to the market.

Tamarind paste-check, Palm sugar-check, radish-check, rice noodles-check.  Grab some shrimp, bean sprouts, cilantro, limes and onions, let’s go home and make a plate of deliciousness.

There is a bit of prep to be done.  Making the sauce, cutting the vegetables, shelling the shrimp and soaking the noodles.  The rice noodles, like pasta come dried but you don’t need to cook it.  You do need to soften the noodles though.  You can either soak them in cool water for 30-40 minutes or if you are in a hurry, soak them for 3 minutes in HOT water.  Drain the noodles and set them aside.  Don’t leave them in the hot water for any longer as the noodles will get mushy.

Not feeling shrimp? You can use beef, chicken or pork in place of the shrimp.  I used a combination of chicken and shrimp in my Pad Thai.  Cut the chicken, beef or pork into bite size pieces that will cook quickly.  Think stir fry.  You can omit the animal protein all together for a vegetarian version.

 

 

 

 

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Pad Thai (Adapted from Simple Thai Food)

Iconic Thai rice noodle dish, Pad Thai you can make at home!
Course dinner, lunch, noodles, One dish meals
Cuisine Thai
Keyword pad thai, rice noodle dish, rice noodles, Thai
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 ounces dried rice noodles 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide

Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons tamarind pulp
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce I like 3 Crabs brand
  • 3 Tablespoons palm sugar grated or 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

Aromatics

  • 1 shallot finely chopped
  • 2 medium cloves garlic minced
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped preserved relish* optional
  • 2 tablespoons tiny dried shrimp soaked in hot water for 15 minutes and drained*
  • 5 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
  • 6 ounces skinless boneless chicken breast trimmed of visible fat and sliced into 1/4-inch thick strips or 6- 8 ounces large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined or a combination of both
  • 6 ounces extra firm tofu cut into matchsticks 1" long, 1/4 inch wide
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 6 Chinese chives or green part of 3 green onions cut into 1 inch lengths
  • 2 cups bean sprouts or 1 cup bean sprouts + 1cup shredded red cabbage

Condiments:

  • 1/3-1/2 cup roasted peanuts finely chopped
  • 1 lime cut into wedges for garnish
  • Fish sauce
  • Red Chile powder
  • Sugar
  • Cilantro sprigs

Instructions

  • Place dried noodles in room temp water and cover for 30-40 minutes until soft enough and pliable enough to wrap around finger without breaking. Drain and set aside.
  • Or bring enough water to a boil to cover noodles. Place noodles in bowl and put heated water over noodles. Let stand for 3 minutes, drain and set aside.
  • In small bowl, stir together sugar, tamarind, fish sauce and chili flakes. If using palm sugar make sure to crush or grate the sugar to help it dissolve. Set aside.
  • Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a flat bottom wok or large frying pan (non-stick), add noodles and stir fry for about 1 min making sure the noodles are soft and coated with the oil.
  • Add sauce mixture to pan, stir fry for additional minute to coat noodles with sauce.
  • Push noodles to one side of pan, add & heat remaining oil. Add shallot, garlic, radish, tofu and dried shrimp to open side of pan. Stir fry additional minute.
  • Add shrimp or protein to shallot mixture side of pan and cook until the shrimp or chicken is almost cooked through 1-2 minutes.
  • Clear center of pan and pour eggs in, stir the eggs similar to cooking scrambled eggs.
  • Once eggs are cooked and most of moisture from noodles has evaporated, stir everything together.
  • Just before removing pan from the heat, fold in half the sprouts, green onions or chives and/or cabbage. AS soon as the vegetables are mixed in remove from heat and plate.
  • Garnish with remaining sprouts, peanuts, cilantro and condiments as desired. Place lime wedges on plate to squeeze on noodles.
  • Serve immediately YUM
Strawberry Squared (Strawberry Bread)

Strawberry Squared (Strawberry Bread)

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The problem with going to the Farmer’s Markets is I end up with way more than we will be able to finish.  As I walk through the market everything looks so delicious and smells so good. The aroma of sun ripened fruit is intoxicating, the variety of greens and tomatoes are mind boggling, every where I turn I see or smell something that I just have to try.

The old adage “my eyes are too big for my stomach” fits me perfectly.  I return home from my market excursion, bag brimming with way too many things and in quantities that make me slap my forehead and wonder “what was I thinking”.  I don’t just have one basket of strawberries (the perfect amount for Wes and me) but a three pack (way too many).

By mid-week I am hunting for recipes that contain strawberries.

I came across this Strawberry Bread recipe in Saveur magazine.  A luscious quick bread that called for not only fresh strawberries but strawberry jam.  Strawberry squared!  It looked and sounded heavenly so I quickly pulled out my loaf pans, my baskets of strawberries and set to work making this bread.  In a wink I had the batter made (the beauty of quick breads) and I was sliding the pans into the oven.

I no longer have to worry about buying too many berries at the market.  This bread is delicious.  It is moist, slightly tart from the fresh berries, sweet from the jam that I swirled into the batter and bursting with strawberry flavor. The cinnamon adds just a hint of spice. I imagine this bread would lend itself well to other fruits. I have plans to try this with the nectarines currently sitting on my counter.

This bread is great warm just out of the oven but it’s also wonderful with a cup of tea or coffee, toasted and spread with a bit of butter.

Boy I love summer.

 

 

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Strawberry Loaf Cake

Ingredients

  • MAKES 2 LOAVES
  • Ingredients
  • Unsalted butter for greasing pans
  • 3 cups flour plus more for dusting
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 ⁄2 tsp. kosher salt
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 1 ⁄4 cups canola oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 cups roughly chopped strawberries substitute peaches or nectarines
  • 1 ⁄2 cup strawberry jam optional or peach jam

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350°. Grease 2 (9" x 5" x 2¾") loaf pans with butter and dust with flour; set aside. Whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk sugar, oil, and eggs.
  • Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and whisk until just combined.
  • Stir in strawberries and pour batter into prepared pans. If using jam, spoon ¼ cup over each loaf and using a knife, swirl jam into batter.
  • Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaves comes out clean, about 1 hour.
  • Let cool for 30 minutes before slicing and serving.
That’s a Wrap, Happy Hour Time! (Korean Tacos)

That’s a Wrap, Happy Hour Time! (Korean Tacos)

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Jamie is in Atlanta for the summer working but fortunately she will be coming home for a couple of weeks.  I miss my Happy Hour buddy.  We both agree happy hours are the best of all worlds.  It’s much more relaxed than throwing a dinner party. People come and go as they please and help themselves to food and drink, it’s all good.  The food is casual and the attire is flips and anything comfortable. It’s all about chillin’ with friends and family. You can hang outside so don’t bother cleaning the house, noone cares, especially after a couple of wine coolers.

Luckily for us, we finally landscaped our yard. Yay.  Years of drought and an invasion of gophers left our yard looking like a moonscape of dirt, holes and mutant weeds.  It was bad.  We called gopherbusters (not really their name but that’s what they do) and a gardener and got to work.  In my defense, I grew up in San Francisco.  The ratio of cement to grass is like a bajillion to one.  Lawn mower? Never seen one much less owned one. But the yard is done, PARTY TIME.

Just need Jamie to come home.

In anticipation  of when she does, I have been checking out recipes that would be perfect for our little casual soirees’.  Korean Chicken Lettuce Wraps from SkinnyTaste caught my eye. SkinnyTaste started out as a blog on healthy seasonal cooking your family will love and has blossomed into a full fledge book.  The Korean wraps remind me of a Chinese appetizer, San Choy Bao, which literally means lettuce bun, think of it as an Asian Taco.  The filling is seasoned Korean BBQ style which I happen to LOVE.  Each bite is sweet, salty, spicy and the lettuce adds a refreshing crunch.  It’s a party in your mouth.  The original recipe calls for brown rice but if you are going low carb like I SHOULD be, you can substitute squash, diced carrots, zoodles or sautéed mushrooms.

We are serious about our happy hour bites and this dish meets the rigorous criteria we set for a date with a wine cooler or bottle of ice cold beer.

STRINGENT Happy Hour Food Standards:

Bite sized- check (2 bites)

Eat with your hands- check

Its YUMMY- check

It’s STUPID EASY- check

4 out of 4!  Lets go make some wraps.

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That's a Wrap! (Korean Style Lettuce Wraps)

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
  • 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • cooking spray
  • 1 pound lean ground chicken or turkey
  • 1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 2 garlic cloves crushed
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

FOR WRAPS

  • 12 large outer lettuce leaves such as green leaf Bibb lettuce or even iceberg lettuce which creates a nice round bowl
  • 2 1/4 cups cooked brown rice
  • 2 tablespoons Gochujong or more if desired
  • 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds plus more for topping
  • 2 sliced scallions white and green parts

Instructions

Filling:

  • Combine soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and chili flakes in a small bowl. Set aside.
  • Heat non-stick pan over medium high heat, add small amount of vegetable oil, add onions to pan and cook for 1-2 minute. Add garlic and ginger, sauce for additional minute before adding ground chicken to pan. Break up the chicken with a spatula or wooden spoon.
  • Cook until the chicken loses its pinkness.
  • Add sauce ingredients to pan and stir to incorporate, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer mixture another 5 minutes.

In place of brown rice:

  • Sauteed diced zucchini, mushrooms
  • Kid friendly version use corn or cooked zucchini zoodles

To Serve:

    You can set up a serve yourself taco bar or assemble each wrap.

    • In each lettuce leaf place 2 tablespoons of rice or prepared vegetables
    • Top with approximately 2 tablespoons of chicken mixture
    • Garnish with a dab of Gochujong or Siracha sauce, green onions and sesame seeds.
    • Serve immediately.
    Blueberry Boy Bait Cake (Gone Bakin’)

    Blueberry Boy Bait Cake (Gone Bakin’)

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    After being on a roll for a couple of weeks I found myself with blogger’s block.  I perused magazines, poured over cookbooks and surfed food blogs looking for inspiration.  Nothing, zippo, nada, zilch, appealed..how could that be? I usually have more than a few recipes tucked away in the back of my mind that I want to try and then share with you.  Maybe I needed a vacation from food. (wow, did I just write that?)

    Luckily a favorite blog lifted me out of my food doldrums.  I came home from the farmer’s market with a basket of beautiful fresh blueberries and just one pie cookie from 2nd Story Bake House (I am on a self-imposed limit).  I plopped down in my favorite spot (the kitchen island) and woke up my laptop to continue my search for inspiration.  A post from Smitten Kitchen popped up on my Facebook page that immediately caught my eye.  An absolutely SCRUMPTIOUS looking cake called Blueberry Boy Bait.

    BOOM!

    Search over. The recipe came from a little cooking contest you might have heard of, Pillsbury Bake-Off.  Created by a teenage contestant way back in the 1950’s and touted as being so delicious it would land you a young man, it garnered her a second place finish.

    Years later the recipe received a “facelift” by Cook’s Country magazine. Shortening replaced by butter,  berries were doubled, and brown sugar replaced granulated sugar.  This elevated the cake to a whole new level of deliciousness.   I started writing this post while the cake was baking, the aroma of butter, sugar, cinnamon and blueberries filled my kitchen and wafted upstairs to my kid’s room. That elicited a “what are you baking, is it ready? and when can I have some?”.

    This truly is a get up off the couch now, run to the store, get some blueberries and BAKE THIS CAKE  folks.  It’s that yummy.

    Spread the batter into a 9×13 pan, then top with the remaining blueberries.  Finish by sprinkling the cake with a generous amount of cinnamon sugar for a sweet crunchy bite.   You can use buttermilk instead of whole milk and substitute raspberries or a mix of fresh berries for the blueberries.

    Baking time was a bit shorter than suggested (I baked it for about 35 minutes) so start checking the cake at 30 minutes.  Enjoy!

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    Blueberry Boy Bait Cake

    A delicious, easy to make cake filled with blueberries and topped with a crunchy sugar coating.
    Course Cake, Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Keyword blueberry, blueberry boy bait cake, blueberry cake, easy recipe
    Prep Time 20 minutes
    Cook Time 45 minutes

    Ingredients

    Adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Cook's County

    Dry ingredients

    • 2 cups plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour 250 grams (not including 1 teaspoon)
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon table salt

    Wet Ingredients:

    • 16 tablespoons softened unsalted butter (2 sticks) 8 ounces or 225 grams,
    • 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 145 grams
    • 1/2 cup granulated sugar 100 grams
    • 3 large eggs
    • 1 cup whole milk or buttermilk 235 ml
    • 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (if frozen, do not defrost first as it tends to muddle in the batter) about 85 grams

    Topping

    • 1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (do not defrost) about 85 grams
    • 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50 grams
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

    Substitute raspberries or mixed berries for blueberries

    Instructions

    • Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 13 by 9-inch baking pan.

    For cake:

    • Whisk two cups flour, baking powder, and salt together in medium bowl. Set aside.
    • In mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, about two minutes.
    • Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just incorporated and scraping down bowl.
    • Reduce speed to medium and beat in one-third of flour mixture until incorporated; beat in half of milk. Beat in half of remaining flour mixture, then remaining milk, and finally remaining flour mixture. Toss blueberries with remaining one teaspoon flour. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in blueberries. Spread batter into prepared pan.

    For topping:

    • Scatter blueberries over top of batter.
    • Stir sugar and cinnamon together in small bowl and sprinkle over batter.
    • Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.
    • Cool in pan 20 minutes, then turn out and place on serving platter (topping side up).
    • Serve warm or at room temperature. (Cake can be stored in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.)
    Red Lentil Soup with Lemon (Just Another Meatless Monday…)

    Red Lentil Soup with Lemon (Just Another Meatless Monday…)

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    In an effort to eat healthier, we have cut back on animal proteins and upped our veggie game.  Don’t get me wrong, we still enjoy a good steak for special occasions and I am not giving up those slices of succulent pork belly in my bowl of ramen-no, not EVER.  Meat is our splurge.  But we have made a conscious decision to eat more vegetables and legumes on a daily basis.  Our search for tasty and different ways to prepare them has led to a virtual trip around the world through food.

    World Food Tour In Our Own Backyard

    Luckily we live in the Bay Area where Korean and Southeast Asian stores, Middle Eastern bazaars, Mexican Pandarias, and Indian markets are a short drive away.  Now that we are empty-nesters, Wes and I find ourselves tootling around on weekends stocking up on goodies from the various stores. As an added bonus, many of the stores have pre-cooked food, delis, and SAMPLES (lol) to try.  We come home not just with bags of groceries but with crispy KFC (Korean Fried Chicken Wings),  samosas, fried tofu flavored with bonito flakes, spicy garlic-chili eggplant, and fresh warm naan.

    I do love going to the markets but at the same time, it’s a little (ok, a lot) intimidating.  I spend half my time standing in aisles Googling stuff or calling friends for advice.  My friend Namrata (whom we affectionately call the professor at work) is on speed dial whenever I go to the Indian Market.

    Phone a Friend

    Me: Uh, Namrata I’m at the store, HELP.  I want to make dal and I am looking at a rainbow spectrum of lentils, black, red, yellow, and green..which am I supposed to get?

    Namrata: Well, what kind of Dal are you making?

    Me:  Hmm, let me look (as I fumble with my phone trying to get to the net and carry on a conversation with her), it says Red Lentil Dal.

    Namrata:  Buy the masoor dal, the yellow ones are moong dal, the black ones are for special occasions…….Namrata begins to sound like the grown-ups in a Peanuts cartoon.  I scan the shelves overwhelmed,  I think I have Dal overload.

    Me: Hmm, this package says masoor or split red lentils, is that right?

    Namrata: yes that’s the one.

    Me: In my defense, the word “split” threw me off.  I come from “The World According to Rice”.

    Next, I ask her about spices and chiles.  I have learned when I ask her “how spicy will that be?”  is a relative term.  If she says not too spicy, that means a glass of water close by and a napkin to blot the sweat off my face.  If she says a bit spicy that means running around with my “HAIR ON FIRE” screaming in an exorcist-like voice “I NEED WATER NOW”.  But she has been my go-to source for ingredients and spices and I’ve learned a lot.

    Follow the ClarkBar

    I wanted to make dal but I found a recipe for a red lentil soup in the New York Times.  So, I decided it would be a good first foray into using lentils. The recipe is by Melissa Clark whose posts in the New York Times are wonderful.  So wonderful, my brother has made her his cooking muse.  Which is amusing, I haven’t seen him go this gaga over anyone since the days when he ripped out pictures of Cybil Shepard from my Seventeen magazines.

    Soup, What’s for Dinner or Lunch

    This soup is delicious.  Wes is not overly fond of soups unless it is clam chowder but this one had him asking for seconds.  We love how the lentils absorb much of the liquid to create a thick substantial soup.  In addition, the flavor kick from chile powder and cumin is delish. A squeeze of lemon brightens the soup and adds a slight yummy tang.  You can tweak it by using ghee instead of olive oil and adding a pinch of garam masala. Dollop a bit of yogurt at the end.  This gives it an Indian flair.

    For a tasty, filling dish that comes together in less than an hour (less time in an Instant Pot) try this soup.  Invite me over for a bowl, please.  Don’t forget the naan to go along!

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    5 from 2 votes

    Just Another Meatless Monday… Lentil Soup with Lemon

    A delicious lentil soup from Melissa Clark and the NYT.
    Course dinner, lunch, Soup
    Cuisine Mediterranean
    Keyword Melissa Clark, NYT Cooking, Red Lentils
    Prep Time 15 minutes
    Cook Time 30 minutes

    Ingredients

    Adapted from NYTCooking Melissa Clark

    The Aromatics

    • 3 tablespoons olive oil or ghee
    • 1 large onion chopped
    • 2 garlic cloves minced
    • 1 tablespoon tomato paste

    The Spices

    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
    • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • Pinch of ground chile powder or cayenne more to taste

    The Rest

    • 1 quart chicken or vegetable broth
    • 2 cups water
    • 1 cup red lentils
    • 1 large carrot peeled and diced
    • Juice of 1/2 lemon more to taste

    The Finishing Touches

    • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
    • Olive oil for drizzling optional
    • yogurt for drizzling optional instead of olive oil

    Instructions

    • In a large pot, heat 2-3 tablespoons oil or ghee over high heat until hot and shimmering**
    • Add onion and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 4 minutes.
    • Stir in tomato paste, cumin, salt, black pepper and chili powder or cayenne, sauté for 2 minutes longer.
    • Add broth, 2 cups water, lentils and carrot. For a thicker soup only 1 cup of water. Note the soup will thicken the longer it sits after cooking.
    • Bring to a simmer, then partially cover pot and turn heat to medium-low.
    • Simmer until lentils are soft, about 30-40 minutes.
    • Salt and pepper to taste.
    • Using an immersion or regular blender or a food processor, purée half the soup then add it back to pot. Soup should be somewhat chunky.
    • Reheat soup if necessary, then stir in lemon juice and cilantro and garam masala if using
    • Serve soup drizzled with good olive oil and dusted lightly with chili powder if desired.
    • Instead of olive oil finish with a dollop of yogurt and garnish with additional cilantro

    And YOU CAN MAKE THIS IN AN INSTANT POT OR PRESSURE COOKER=STUPID EASY **If using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker:

    • Saute vegetables in the bowl of the Instant Pot using the sauce function. This will take longer than stove top due to lower cooking temp of pot around 5-7 minutes.
    • Add all other ingredients, according to recipe. Cover and lock lid in place. Set cooking to manual for 10 minutes.
    • When timer goes off do a quick release.
    • Proceed with recipe, season and use a hand blender to puree soup in Instant Pot bowl.
    • Dunzo.
    Bourdain, Cinco de Mayo and Chicken Chile Verde

    Bourdain, Cinco de Mayo and Chicken Chile Verde

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    Friday night, its Cinco de Mayo!  Time to make something yummy, kickback, relax and catch up on one of my favorite TV shows, Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown.  This episode features the Los Angeles Mexican community thus making my dinner choice easy, Chile Verde.  I am stoked.

    When I was a kid our Friday night ritual was Swanson’s TV dinners (turkey for me, meatloaf for my brother) in front of the tube.  A multi-course meal contained in a cool space age aluminum tray with individual compartments for each course (so cool).   Later Swanson’s added a little square squished between the veggies and potatoes like a tiny jewel box.  It contained a perfect 2-bite apple cobbler or brownie. Since we ate Chinese food most of the time a meal of roast turkey or fried chicken was a special treat.  To top it off we got to watch The Flintstones while we were eating and then Jiffy Pop to finish the evening (kids ask your parents about Jiffy Pop or watch Real Genius).  The best, Friday nights were the bomb.

    So there we were on Cinco de Mayo, sitting back on the couch with bowls of steaming hot Chile Verde and warm corn tortillas watching Bourdain gettin’ real with the homeboys in Eastside LA. Traditions should #persist don’t you think?

    Still on my Instant Pot jag I searched for a recipe for a Chicken Chile Verde in a pressure cooker.  I found a couple that sounded good so I decided to do a mash-up.  I started with a recipe from Serious Eats by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt.  Really difficult (NOT)-chopped tomatillos, jalapeños, poblanos & Anaheim peppers, add chicken thighs and legs, toasted cumin seeds, salt, bunch of garlic, a white onion also chopped and throw it in your pressure cooker.  Seal, set and dinner…It’s yours (Thank you, Stevie). Yep, thirty minutes later eating Chile Verde.  Happy Cinco de Mayo.

    Serious Eats adds a bit of Thai fish sauce at the end for that secret flavor bomb.  Surprisingly it does round out the flavor. I like lots of veggies so I included potatoes and if my kids were home I would have added corn.  I also added a pinch of oregano, fresh ground pepper and some smoked paprika. Delish.

    You can substitute pork for the chicken for a classic Chile Verde.  Use 3-3.5 pounds of Pork Shoulder (aka pork butt) cut into 2 inch pieces.  Set Instant Pot for 30 minutes and use quick release.  Also Delish.

    The recipe makes a lot of sauce, so save the extra sauce to make some awesome enchiladas.

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    Chicken Chile Verde

    Ingredients

    Adapted from Serious Eats and Lemon Lavender Love

    • 3 pounds skinless chicken thighs or legs
    • ¾ pound tomatillos 3-4 large tomatillos, quartered, husks discarded
    • ¾ pound poblano peppers halved with seeds and stem removed
    • ½ pound Anaheim peppers halved with seeds and stem removed
    • 2-3 jalapeño peppers halved with stem removed (you can remove the seeds if you don’t want the heat – make sure you wear gloves or thoroughly wash your hands after cutting, trust me)
    • 1 white or yellow onion quartered
    • 1 russet potato cut into good size chunks 6 pieces
    • 6 medium whole garlic cloves peeled
    • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds toasted and ground
    • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
    • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1 tablespoon Kosher salt
    • 1 tablespoon fish sauce

    Garnish:

    • Cilantro
    • Sour cream
    • avocado-sliced or cubed
    • red cabbage-shredded
    • Corn tortillas

    Instructions

    • Place chicken, vegetables and seasonings except fish sauce in Instant Pot bowl.
    • Cover and seal pot making sure vent knob is set on sealed
    • Select poultry or manual cook mode
    • Adjust cooking time to 30 minutes using the +/- timer
    • When Instant Pot beeps the cooking cycle is complete. Carefully release pressure by moving top knob from sealing to venting.
    • Once pressure is released, uncover.
    • Remove chicken and potato chunks and reserve in bowl.
    • Add fish sauce to pot. If you have an immersion blender, puree vegetables in Instant Pot to desired consistency or spoon vegetables and liquids into a blender to puree.
    • Shred chicken
    • Add potatoes and chicken to pureed sauce.
    • Serve with warm corn or flour tortillas
    • Garnish with cilantro, shredded cabbage, avocado
    • Yum!