Category: Food
Easy as 123 Spareribs

Easy as 123 Spareribs

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As I was driving home the other day I called the Hubster and asked “What’s for dinner?”.  The retired guy replied, “I thought you were making dinner”.  Excuse me? Moi?  The person driving home after a full day at WORK?

Fine, I’ll make dinner but you are on cleanup…

A pack of spareribs, cut crosswise into thirds (thanks Asian market), a knob of ginger and bunch of scallions in the fridge-time to make Irene Kuo’s 12345 Spare Ribs from Food52.  The rest of the ingredients are in my pantry, soy sauce, vinegar, rice wine and sugar, that’s all I need. Oh, and my trusty Instant Pot.

I added the step of browning the ribs with ginger and scallions just to give it a flavor boost. Feel free to skip this step and start by putting the ribs and braising liquid in the instant pot without frying. Add a couple of minutes to the cooking time.

Set time for 15 minutes and let your IP do it’s thing. Meanwhile make some rice and veggies, any greens will do nicely.  Give it a couple of minutes before releasing the pressure on your IP. Remove ribs. switch to sauté and reduce sauce until it thickens to a syrupy consistency.  Add the ribs back in and stir to heat and coat them with sauce.

Scoop rice into a bowl, top with the ribs and greens, and garnish with green onions.  Enjoy!

Epilogue

Me? I headed to the couch, turned on the telly, and relaxed while the hubs did the dishes!

The ingredients for these ribs can be found in most Asian markets.  Use Shaoxing Wine (Chinese Sherry) or dry sherry.  Dark soy sauce has added molasses, don’t substitute regular soy sauce which is actually saltier than dark soy.  Favorite brands include Koon Chun or Lee Kum Kee.

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Sweet & Sticky Chinese Ribs

Adaptation of Irene Kuo's 1-2-3-4-5 Spare Ribs. Sweet, savory braised ribs, delicious with a bowl of rice. Using a pressure cooker will keep ribs moist and shorten the cooking time.
Course Drinks, Main Course, Meat
Cuisine Asian, Asian-American, Chinese
Keyword Instant Pot, spareribs
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes

Equipment

  • 1 Pressure Cooker I use an Instant Pot

Ingredients

Fry It Up

  • 1 1/2 pounds pork spareribs ask the butcher to cut the slab of ribs crosswise into 3 pieces. You can cut them into individual ribs at home
  • 1 stalk scallion, cut into 3 inch lengths optional
  • 2 slices fresh ginger, smashed optional

Braising Liquid

  • 1 tablespoon dry sherry preferably Shao Xing Wine
  • 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 5 tablespoons water

Garnish

  • 1-2 stalks green onions, sliced diagonally in 1/8-1/4" pieces

Instructions

Instant Pot Directions

  • Set Instant Pot on saute'. Once heated add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Toss in ginger and scallions and saute' briefly (30 sec) then add spareribs. Fry until the ribs lose their pinkness.
  • Add braising liquid ingredients. When the liquid comes to a boil, stir well to coat the ribs, turn off saute function, and place lid on Instant Pot.
  • Set IP on high pressure (use Meat setting) and adjust time to 15 minutes. When it is done, wait a couple of minutes before CAREFULLY releasing pressure to your Instant Pot.
  • Remove ribs from pot. Set Instant Pot to saute' and reduce remaining liquid to a thick syrupy sauce. Turn it off and add ribs back into pot, stir to coat the ribs. Spoon ribs onto a serving plate.
  • Garnish with scallions. Serve immediately with rice.

Stovetop Directions

  • Put the ribs in a skillet or saucepan and set it over high heat; add the rest of the ingredients and stir to mingle. When the liquid comes to a boil, adjust heat to maintain a very gentle simmering, and cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Stir and turn the spareribs from time to time.
  • Uncover and turn heat high to bring the sauce to a sizzling boil; stir rapidly until the sauce is all but evaporated. Garnish with scallions. Serve hot with rice.

Notes

Using a pressure cooker not only shortens the cooking time but ensures tender and moist ribs.
It’s The Great Pumpkin Bread, Charlie Brown!

It’s The Great Pumpkin Bread, Charlie Brown!

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Who else besides me groans at the first sign of the fall season.  You walk outside, take in the fall air, admire the color of the leaves on the trees, the golden orange rays of sunlight that filter through…

When you notice

All around, everywhere you look…PUMPKIN, pumpkin lattes, pumpkin soup, pumpkin yogurt, pumpkin ice cream, yes, ALL THINGS PUMPKIN. There is no escape.

Consequently, aside from the mandatory Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, I have developed a slight aversion to pumpkin.  This year, still cautious, we needed only one pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving.  So, what to do with the remaining pumpkin puree (Libby’s of course).  I took a family poll, and it was a unanimous vote (except for me, lol) for pumpkin bread.  Despite having numerous pumpkin bread recipes on 3Jamigos, I decided to do a search. The first recipe that popped up was Pumpkin Bread from Once Upon a Chef.  Her family’s favorite, the recipe was given to her by her grandmother who had clipped it out of a magazine eons ago.  With a 5-star rating and over two thousand ratings, this was a no-brainer.

The recipe reminded me of my Best Damn Banana Bread, instead of oil, the recipes call for butter.  Hmmm, good start. The butter is combined first with sugar, it’s a lot of sugar, and the mixture will be crumbly not creamy so don’t keep beating it until the cows come home.  Add eggs one at a time and combine thoroughly.  Beat until mixture is light and fluffy.  Add the pumpkin puree.  The mixture might look curdled or separated, but that’s ok.

BTW, the recipe calls for 16 ounces of pumpkin, std cans are 15 ounces 🤷🏻‍♀️. Don’t sweat the one ounce. If you happen to have some applesauce you need to use up, throw in a heaping tablespoon. I had some yummy apple butter so I threw that in. You’ll be fine skipping it. Don’t open another can of pumpkin purée!
At low speed, add the flour.  Mix just until combined.  The batter will lose that grainy look. This is a pretty thick batter so you will need to scoop rather than pour it into your loaf pans.  Divide between 2 8×4 loaf pans.

I mulled over adding a streusel topping but since this was the first time I was making it, I deferred.  I’ve included a simple topping for those of us who cannot leave well enough alone.

Made another batch to take to work. Added the sugar topping from Midwest Made. Adds a bit of crunch.

This bread is delicious!  It has a nice crumb, cake-like, not as tight as pumpkin bread made with oil.  A nice balance of spices although I’m already tweaking it in my mind (less clove, add ginger) but totally good as is.  One note, sift the dry ingredients together.  I didn’t, and a few bites had too much clove.

I had forgotten how much I like pumpkin bread and how easy it is to make.  This recipe is definitely going in the rotation!

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Best Damn Pumpkin Bread

Moist and delicious, best damn pumpkin bread recipe
Course Breakfast, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword Pumpkin Bread, quick bread
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 24 servings
Calories 166kcal

Equipment

  • 2-8x4 loaf pans

Ingredients

Da Dry Stuff

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground clove or 3/4 tsp clove and 1/4 tsp ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg can substitute mace

Da Butter-Sugar

  • 1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened 3/4 cup
  • 2 cups sugar

Da Wet Stuff

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 15-1/2 oz can 100% pure pumpkin

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Generously grease two 8 x 4-inch loaf pans with butter and dust with flour, or use a baking spray with flour in it, such as Pam with Flour or Baker's Joy.
  • Sift flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg into a medium bowl. Set aside.
  • Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until just blended. It will be grainy not creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until very light and fluffy, a few minutes. Beat in the pumpkin. The mixture might look grainy and curdled at this point -- not to worry, flour to the rescue in the next step.
  • Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Do not overmix.
  • Turn the batter into the prepared pans, dividing evenly, and bake for 65 – 75 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Start checking at 55 min. Let the loaves cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

This bread freezes well.  Eat one now and save another for a rainy day or surprise guests!  Wrap well, you know the drill, and store for up to 3 months.
Gotta have a topping? Check the ones out for these:
Or this simple sugar topping from Midwest Made: 
  • Place 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar in a small bowl. Dampen your fingertips with water and work them into the sugar until it just begins to look like snow-if you pinch some, it should just barely hold together. Sprinkle the dampened sugar over the batter, aiming to get it clumped up together in spots. If you want, add a 1/2-1 tsp of cinnamon.
  • Right before baking, sprinkle the batter in loaf pans with the nuts and finish with cinnamon sugar.  Adds a bit of crunch.
It is delicious when toasted! 
Whip It, Whip It Good (Coconut Whipped Cream)

Whip It, Whip It Good (Coconut Whipped Cream)

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We’re baaackkkkkkk!  In person meetings, dinners in restaurants instead of take-out, classes on campus instead of on Zoom, we are adjusting to living with COVID.  With midterms just around the corner, our political action group hosted a Democracy Dinner to re-engage and see folks in person.  What better way to entice folks to join us than with food!

Dinner was outside, we live in California, where grillin and chillin is a distinct possibility 24-7-365.  I stepped up to create a main dish and dessert for our Vegan dinner guests. The main dish was a no-brainer,  Spicy Noodle Salad, vegan, plus perfect with whatever came off the grill, protein or veggie. The only glitch was the original recipe called for honey in the dressing.  Made by bees, honey is on the no-fly list for vegans.  I substituted Agave Syrup for the honey which worked seamlessly.  Mission accomplished, onto dessert.

Pudding It All Together

The night of the last presidential elections, as I nervously watched the results roll in, I headed to the kitchen to make something to eat to calm my frayed nerves.  I landed on NYTcooking’s recipe for a Chocolate Pudding made with Oat Milk.  A snap to make, it was chilling in the fridge within minutes.  Intensely chocolate, which appealed to my grown-up tastebuds, while the smooth, creamy texture of the pudding made me feel like a kid again.  AND, it’s vegan, oh yeah. Dessert solved.

Nifty Thrifty Wow Factor

A layer of strawberry compote in between the chocolate pudding and a voluptuous coconut whipped cream on top gave the pudding a little more panache.   I rationalized splurging on expensive French yogurt by repurposing those cute little glass yogurt jars for the pudding.

Whip It, Whip It Good

I LOVE whipped cream.  So what’s a girl to do if she can’t have the perfect topping for vegan dessert?  Coconut Milk to the rescue.  A favorite vegan, gluten-free site, Minimalist Baker was ground zero for tips on how to make a delicious vegan whipped cream from coconut milk.

Start the day before you need whipped cream.  Why?  You need to chill the coconut milk to separate the cream from the liquid.  You will be using the cream part only.

My two favorite brands of coconut milk are Chaokoh and Aroy-D.  Having Aroy-D in my pantry, I placed a can in the fridge.  The overnight chill in the fridge is key to creating two distinct layers.  Aroy-D worked perfectly.  Both brands are found in most Asian Grocery stores.  Minimalist Baker likes Whole Foods 365 Coconut Milk, which might be more accessible.

Open the can, the solids will be on top, scoop all of the solidified coconut milk out and place in a chilled mixing bowl then place the coconut solids in a chilled bowl.  Whip for 30 seconds then add powdered sugar and vanilla.  I used 1/2 cup powdered sugar and it was pretty sweet. The range is 1/4 cup to 3/4 cup of sugar which you can to taste, definitely start with 1/4 cup and go from there.  Beat an additional minute or until light and fluffy.  Don’t overbeat as the cream will break down.

This is the perfect vegan substitute for regular whipped cream!  But, it is so good I would make it even if I didn’t need a vegan alternative.

Ridiculously easy Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies,Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies, like Fred and Ginger, a perfect pairing with Chocolate Puddin

To half of the puddings I added a layer of strawberry compote. Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction, it’s easy and delicious.  Think of it as additional bling.

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Coconut Whipped Cream

A great vegan option for whipped cream, so good you may want to use this vegan or not!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Chill Time 1 day
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 14-ounce can coconut cream or full fat coconut milk* (Savoy Coconut Cream, Aroy-D Coconut Milk, and Nature's Charm Coconut Whipping Cream work best!)
  • 1/4 - 3/4 cup icing/powdered sugar use organic to ensure vegan friendliness
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract optional

Instructions

  • Chill your coconut cream or coconut milk in the refrigerator overnight (see notes for top brands!), being sure not to shake or tip the can to encourage separation of the cream and liquid. See notes for more insight / troubleshooting.
  • The next day, chill a large mixing bowl 10 minutes before whipping.
  • Remove the coconut cream or milk from the fridge without tipping or shaking and remove the lid. Scrape out the top, thickened cream and leave the liquid behind (reserve for use in smoothies).
  • Note: if your coconut milk didn't harden, you probably just got a dud can without the right fat content. In that case, you can try to salvage it with a bit of tapioca flour - 1 to 4 Tbsp (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size)- during the whipping process. That has worked for me several times.
  • Place hardened cream in your chilled mixing bowl. Beat for 30 seconds with a mixer until creamy. Then add vanilla (optional) and powdered sugar (or stevia) and mix until creamy and smooth - about 1 minute. Avoid overwhipping because it can cause separation. Taste and adjust sweetness as needed.
  • Use immediately or refrigerate - it will harden and set in the fridge the longer it's chilled. Will keep for up to 1 - 2 weeks!
  • Coconut whipped cream is perfect for topping desserts like pie, hot cocoa and ice cream. It's also ideal for french toast, pie fillings, mousse, and even no-churn ice cream!
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Strawberry Sauce

Fresh strawberries in this topping for a quick, & easy topping that gives desserts that extra bling!
Course Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword quick and easy, strawberries, strawberry sauce
Prep Time 15 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
  • 3 Tablespoons cold water
  • 1 lb strawberries hulled and sliced in half
  • zest and juice from 1/2 small lemon
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50g
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and water together until all the cornstarch has dissolved.
  • Place the cornstarch mixture, along with the rest of the ingredients, into a small saucepan over medium heat. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir the mixture as it cooks. Break up some of the strawberries as you stir.
  • Bring it to a simmer and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. After 5 minutes, remove pan from the heat and allow to cool. Add vanilla extract. The mixture will thicken as it cools.
Apricot Oat Bars Delicious and Easy, Bar None

Apricot Oat Bars Delicious and Easy, Bar None

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Finally, after months of being a COVID couch potato, I got off my duff and headed up to the reservoir to row again.  I had forgotten how nice it was to be on the water in the early morning, to get in a shell, grip the oars, press with my legs, and propel the boat through the water.  Gliding through the water I would catch glimpses of the resident bald eagles soaring then diving toward the water.  I live for these moments…


Who Am I Kidding?

What I really look forward to is COFFEE after the row, lol.  After every row, we head to our favorite spot for coffee and something to nosh on.  Lately, that nosh has been a tasty apricot bar. It reminds me of an Apricot Oatmeal Bar I used to make when the kids were little…

The recipe is from the Williams-Sonoma Kids Cookbook, that bar was a family favorite once upon a time.  I decided to find it, dust it off, and make it again.

This is a naughty granola bar.  The bars are buttery, sweet, tart, dense, and chewy with a hint of cinnamon and vanilla.  Just packed full of yummy stuff and calories (intentionally made in smaller font, lol).  Incredibly easy to make, all you need is a bowl and a spoon.  Toss old-fashioned oatmeal, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and flour into a large bowl. stir to combine, then add melted butter, vanilla, and chopped apricots. Add nuts too if you like.

Bake, cool, and cut.  How easy is that?  These bars are great after a hard workout, a long hike, or anytime!

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Apricot Oatmeal Bars

Course bar cookies, Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword apricots, bar cookies, oatmeal
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 36 minutes

Ingredients

  • 12 tablespoons 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut up
  • 1 cup firmly packed dried apricots
  • 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/4 - 1/3 cup chopped nuts of your choice like almonds pecans or pistachios (optional)
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • soft butter for greasing pan

Instructions

  • Melt 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter in the microwave. Cut butter into pieces and place in microwave-safe bowl. ?Cover with a small plate or paper towel ( I use the paper the butter comes in) and set power to 50%. Set time to 30 seconds. If butter is not completely melted, continue at 50% power and 15-20 second increments. Or place butter in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, stir with a wooden spoon until the butter is melted, about 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat and set it aside to cool.
  • Preheat an oven to 350°F. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with a large piece of aluminum foil (some foil hanging over the edges is fine). Lightly grease the foil with the soft butter. YOu could also use parchment paper.
  • Cut apricots into about 1/2-inch pieces. (Use kitchen shears to snip apricots works like a charm)
  • In a bowl, combine the rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Stir with a spoon or spatula until well blended and no lumps of sugar remain.
  • Add apricots, nuts if using, melted butter and vanilla to the bowl. Stir until well blended. The dough will be moist and crumbly. Dump the dough into the prepared baking pan. Press the dough into the pan with your fingers.
  • Bake until the top is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Using oven mitts, remove the pan from the oven, set on a wire cooling rack and let cool completely.
  • Lift the foil and the oatmeal bars from the pan and place on a work surface. Peel away the foil from the sides and bottom. Using a small, sharp knife, cut the big square into 1 1/2-by-3-inch rectangles. Store in an airtight container. Makes 18 bar cookies.

Notes

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma The Kid's Cookbook, by Abigail Johnson Dodge (Time-Life Books, 2000).
Puttin’ On the Ritz…Chicken

Puttin’ On the Ritz…Chicken

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This past weekend the hubster went up to Tahoe to do maintenance on our cabin.  So I was flying solo at home with Sammy our dog who has a tough time traveling 😢 these days.

When dinnertime rolled around, I decided to open a bottle of wine and make myself a nice meal.  I had just seen Eric Kim’s recent post for NYTcooking, Ritzy Cheddar Chicken Breast and being a Ritz Cracker fiend, I immediately bookmarked the recipe.  This would be the perfect time to try his recipe.

Competitive Spirit

Aside from Carrot Cake and Good Cookies, if there is a meal that reigns supreme in our house, it is Wes’s Cornflake Chicken.  To be exact, Cornflake Chicken and Cream of Mushroom Soup.  How many of you remember your mom or dad fixing a version of this?  Come on, be honest, we have all had this precursor to Shake and Bake.  Instead of chicken perhaps pork chops?  Gotcha, didn’t I?

Being a card-carrying member of the ridiculous group “I am a foodie” and thus holding an unwarranted disdain for all foods I liked when I was twelve, I have never made cornflake chicken.  To this day, when the kids come home, they will request cornflake chicken or pork chops which Wes is more than happy to fulfill.

Could Eric’s version of chicken, marinated in sour cream, Dijon mustard and rolled in copious amounts of Ritz Crackers and Cheddar Cheese best the gold standard Cornflake Chicken?  I was determined to find out.

Easy Peasy, Chicken Cheesy

The prep for this dish is as easy and quick as Cornflake Chicken.  The chicken breasts are split in half and lightly pounded into cutlets then dropped into a marinade of Dijon mustard, salt, and sour cream which also tenderizes the chicken.

While the chicken marinates make your coating.  Crush a sleeve of Ritz Crackers, grate some sharp cheddar cheese, and season with garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Next time I might just add more spices, maybe some paprika and thyme.  Finish with a glug of olive oil, which will help the coating stick to the chicken and crisp it.

Roll chicken in crumb mixture, really pressing it in so you have a nice coat.  If you have crumbs left, don’t waste them, sprinkle them on the chicken.

The chicken bakes at 450 (hot, hot, hot) and should only take about ten minutes (boneless, split in half, and pounded means quick cooking).

I made a salad of Romaine, ripe cherry tomatoes (thank you Snook), and Japanese cucumbers (very crispy and delicious) with a simple vinaigrette.

Sat down with a glass of wine and a gorgeous dinner plate in about 30 minutes.  How great is that?  Eric strikes again with another fabulous, easy, dish.  The cracker coating was crispy, cheesy and tangy from the mustard, the chicken was perfectly cooked, moist, and tender and the salad a nice counterpoint.

I know what you are all thinking…does this beat out Wes’s Cornflake Chicken?  Probably not.  Nothing beats a dish from your childhood.  Will I make it again?  Absolutely!

I saved the last 2 pieces of chicken, one for Wes to judge, and one which made an amazing sandwich for lunch…yummos!

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Ritzy Cheddar Cheese Chicken Breasts

A quick and easy baked Crispy Cheddar Chicken Breasts
Course dinner
Cuisine American
Keyword baked chicken, cheddar cheese, chicken breasts, easy recipe, ERic KIm, Ritz Crackers, sour cream
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

Da Marinade

  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 1 large egg white
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • Kosher salt Diamond Crystal, use at least 1 teaspoon. For reg salt, start with 1/2 teaspoon

Da protein

  • 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1½ pounds total)
  • 1 sleeve Ritz crackers about 100 grams
  • 2 ounces extra-sharp Cheddar cheese coarsely grated (about 1 cup)
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil plus more for greasing wire rack
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, paprika or chili powder optional

Instructions

  • Position rack in the bottom third of the oven and heat oven to 450 degrees. Place an ovenproof wire rack over a sheet pan. Dab a folded-up paper towel with olive oil and rub it over the wire rack to grease it or use a brush. Place rack in oven to preheat.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, egg white and Dijon mustard until smooth. Season with salt. Set aside.
  • Lay the chicken flat on a cutting board and carve each breast in half horizontally so you end up with four thin cutlets. Add the chicken to the sour cream mixture, and smear the sour cream all over the chicken.
  • In a large bowl, crush the Ritz crackers into coarse pieces with your fingers. Some crackers will turn to rubble while others turn to dust. Leave some chunks, which will crisp up nicely in the oven. Add the cheese, garlic powder, onion powder and olive oil (add some thyme and or paprika, 1/2 t each if you like) . Season with ½ teaspoon salt and toss until evenly distributed.
  • Hold chicken cutlet by its thinner end, add to the bowl with the crumbs, and using your hands, press the crumbs onto the chicken to create a thick coating. Transfer the breaded chicken to the rack in the sheet pan. Repeat with the remaining cutlets. If you have leftover crumb mixture, sprinkle if on chicken before baking.
  • Bake the cutlets until the outsides are crispy and the insides are no longer pink, 10 to 15 minutes (check at 10!!!). Let the chicken cool slightly so the coating can set, about 5 minutes, before transferring to plates.
  • Serve with with a nice crisp salad!
“Drop” Everything & Make This Biscuit Berry Cobbler

“Drop” Everything & Make This Biscuit Berry Cobbler

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Are you like me? Our farmer’s market in the summer is like a candy store and I’m the kid in it, running around and grabbing baskets of berries, peaches and whatever looks delish.  The past few weeks I’ve come home with way too much fruit for the hubs and me.  Thankfully, Dorie Greenspan came to my rescue with a recipe for a  Drop-Biscuit Peach Blueberry Cobbler.  It is so good and so easy, I have made this more times than I can count this summer.

Cobbler, Crisp, Crumble…explained

I LOVE pies…but even I have to admit, when I want an easy dessert, pies do not come to mind.  Enter the 3 Cs, cobbler, crisp and crumble, easy, homey and delicious.

First, a cobbler is your choice of fruit baked with a biscuit topping.  Second, a Crisp is fruit covered with a streusel topping that contains butter, flour, sugar, and oats.  You can find me making Apple Crisps in the fall to chase away the summer is over blues.  A crumble is the English version of a crisp and does not usually have oats in the streusel. But it can, as in this Strawberry Rhubarb Hazelnut Crumble that I adore!  Finally, from Vivian Howard of  A Chef’s Life, her  Blueberry Cobbler with a Cornmeal-Sugar Cookie Crust is so amazing and worth the calories.

So, get thee to a Farmer’s Market now.

Dorie’s original recipe calls for peaches and blueberries. I’ve used all berries, berries plus peaches, nectarines, and mangoes-it’s all scrumptious.  Berries and fruits with a lot of moisture will need cornstarch to thicken the juices.  Adjust the sugar depending on the sweetness of the fruit (and to your taste of course).  Add lemon juice and a bit of lemon zest, for a refreshing citrus zing.

Biscuits Until I Drop

The biscuit dough is essentially a cream biscuit and comes together in a snap, no butter to mess with!).  Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir in the buttermilk and heavy cream.  The fat in the heavy whipping cream stands in for butter.  Mix just until combined without any dry spots, try not to overmix.  The dough will be wet and loose. Use a large ice cream or cookie scoop (about 2-3 T) to drop the dough onto the fruit.  Leave a bit of space between dough scoops (aesthetics).

Bake until the crust is a nice golden brown and the fruit is bubbling.  The biscuits will be tender, light, and cakey, the perfect foil for the delicious fruit compote underneath.

Spoon out warm, just baked wedges into bowls and top with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.  It doesn’t get much better than this although my family would beg to differ.  They actually like it straight out of the fridge the next morning.  The biscuit has had time to absorb some of the lovely juices, the fruit has a toothier bite.  It’s all good in my book.  Let me know if you like this cobbler straight out of the oven or fridge!

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Drop Biscuit Berry Cobbler from Dorie

A quick, easy and DELICIOUS Cobbler perfect for the summer fruit season! Berries, mangoes, peaches, or nectarines all work beautifully in this summer dessert. Thanks Dorie!
Course Berries, Biscuits and scones, Cobbler, Dessert, Stone fruit
Cuisine American
Keyword blueberries, cobbler, Cream Scones with peaches, drop biscuits, strawberries, summer fruits
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 8

Ingredients

Da Fruit- Use whatever fruit you like! You will need 6 cups of cut fruit.

  • 3 pounds ripe peaches or nectarines, peeled or not, your choice. about 1 1/2 kg
  • 1/4 cup sugar, or to taste 50 grams
  • Freshly squeezed lemon juice, and zest of 1/2 -1 lemon Zest is optional but I love the flavor zest imparts
  • 1 cup blueberries 150 grams
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch and up to 1-2 tablespoons for juicy fruit

Biscuit Top

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 204 grams
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt reg table salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup cold heavy cream 240 ml
  • 1/2 cup cold buttermilk (shake well before measuring) 120 ml
  • Ice cream or whipped cream for serving (optional, although in my universe this is not optional)

Instructions

  • Center rack in oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Butter a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate and put it on the baking sheet.
  • If you want peeled peaches, cut a shallow X in the base of each peach. Blanching makes peaches very easy to peel. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Drop in the peaches a few at a time, leave for about 15 seconds, lift out and transfer to a bowl filled with very cold water and ice cubes. Leave for a couple of minutes, then drain and peel.
  • Cut the peaches into bite-sized chunks or slices and toss them into the pie plate. Taste and decide how much sugar you want and then, if you’d like, add some lemon juice. Add the blueberries and then make a decision about the cornstarch: It’s only a tiny bit, but it will thicken the juices a little. If your peaches are very ripe, I’d add it. Give everything a good stir and set aside.
  • To make the biscuit topping: Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl. In a measuring cup or another bowl, whisk together the cream and buttermilk. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry and, using a table fork, stir until the flour is evenly dampened and you’ve got a moist batter.
  • Using a medium (1 1/2-tablespoon capacity) scoop or a tablespoon, dollop the topping over the fruit — leave a little space between each pouf of batter.
  • Bake the cobbler for 45 to 55 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the fruit juices are boiling under, and maybe up, through and over, the biscuits.
  • Transfer to a rack and let cool for at least 20 minutes, or until the cobbler reaches room temperature, before serving, with or without ice cream or whipped cream.

Notes

You can vary the cobbler according to what fruits are in season and within reach: Keep in mind you need about 6 cups of cut-up fruit, sugar to taste and juice of 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon. For an all-berry cobbler — mix whatever berries you can get and, if you want, cut in some ripe mango; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to the berries — they’re very juicy. I've used 3 cups of halved strawberries, 2 cups blueberries and a cup of mango, delish.  Let your imagination go...plums make a pretty cobbler and work well with peaches or nectarines. Early summer, try rhubarb and strawberries (and some cornstarch).
STORING: The cobbler is best the day it is made. You can keep it covered overnight at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch Butter Mochi-Cereal Killa

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Butter Mochi-Cereal Killa

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I am always on the lookout for mochi recipes.  Aside from being downright delicious, it is nice to have gluten-free options in your arsenal.  The blog, Little Fat Boy caught my attention with a recipe for Cinnamon Toast Crunch Butter Mochi.  Holy moly, dessert with not just one but TWO of my favorite foods, mochi and cereal, I am all in.

Bad, Bad Mom

I’m going to admit, I was one of those crazy militant moms about snacks and cereals.  The only cereals that graced our table included Special K, Honey Bunches of Oats, and Rice Krispies.  BORING.  The grams of sugar had to be in single digits for any box to make the cut.  Hostess was not part of our family’s vernacular.   To this day, I’m not sure if my kids have had a Hostess Twinkie.

Eventually, I came clean to my kids, and the flood gates opened.  They rolled their eyes with righteous indignation as I rattled off my favorite childhood snacks and cereals-Captain Crunch, Lucky Charms, HoHos, Milk Duds, BigHunks…lol.  Hey, I was a latch-key kid…unlike them…so lucky to have a mom to constantly police, I mean, watch over them!

Welcome to Adulthood

The perks of growing up, my days of being their sugar police are long over.  In fact, during their college days, care packages with Dad’s Good Cookies, Brownies, Chocolate Chip Cookies, and candies were sent on a regular basis.  We made up for years of deprivation.

All Things Mochi

Ground Zero for mochi recipes is Butter Mochi Muffin, adapted from Snixy Kitchen (a gorgeous blog featuring gluten-free recipes), and still the most popular recipe posted on 3Jamigos.  Variations followed, Mango Mochi Muffins, Chocolate Mochi Donuts and Brownies, and Misugaru Mochi Muffins…in fact mochi has its own category on 3Jamigos.  This is the latest in my mochi mania recipes, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Butter Mochi. Remember the cereal milk at the bottom of your bowl you savored when you were a kid?  Yep, use it to make your mochi.

Soak the cereal for a minimum of an hour in one and a quarter cups of milk, stirring occasionally.  The recipe calls for 1 cup of milk and half a can (200ml) of coconut milk.  The cereal will absorb some of the milk, after soaking, if there is less than 1 cup of milk, add extra coconut milk to bring it to 1 cup.

For the first batch, I followed Little Fat Boy, made them in a pan, and cut them into squares.  For the second batch, I made muffins because everyone deserves their own sweet treat.

To further crisp the Cinnamon Toast Crunch topping, I used Christina Tosi’s method to make cereal crunch.  Toast crushed cereal bathed in butter in the oven.

Delicious, sweet, with cinnamon and caramel undertones and the characteristic gooey, springy texture of mochi, this is a keeper.  Add this to your bucket list.

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Cinnamon Toast Crunch Butter Mochi

Butter Mochi flavored with Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Another delicious, gluten-free treat!
Course Cake, Dessert, Muffins
Cuisine Asian, Asian-American, Hawaiian
Keyword butter mochi, cereal, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, coconut milk
Prep Time 2 hours
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings 12 servings

Ingredients

Wet Stuff

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1.25 cups milk, I like whole but lowfat, skim and alternative milks will work to soak Cinnamon Toast Crunch
  • 1/2 can of coconut milk 200ml I prefer full fat coconut milk
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup or Golden Syrup
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

The Dry Stuff

  • 1/2 box Mochiko sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour) 254 g
  • 1 cup brown sugar preferably dark brown
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1-1.25 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal to soak in milk

Topping

  • 1 cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal for topping
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • unsalted butter to grease pans

Instructions

  • Soak 1.25-1.5 cups of milk with Cinnamon Toast Crunch for at least an hour or overnight. Strain milk into a measuring cup. You should have 1 cup. If it is less than this, use extra coconut milk to make up the difference,
  • Preheat an oven to 350° F. Generously butter an 8x8 baking pan. For muffins, butter a 12-cup muffin tin.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, mix together rice flour, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  • Mix wet ingredients in large bowl, 2 large eggs, 1 cup milk (soaked in Cinnamon Toast Crunch), coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Blend until smooth.
  • Slowly pour dry ingredients into a bowl of wet ingredients, whisking as you pour until it becomes a smooth batter. Mix in melted butter into the batter until incorporated, then pour batter into the buttered pan. If making muffins, pour batter into each muffin tin approximately 7/8 full. Should fill 12 cups. Tap pans on the counter to release air bubbles.

Topping

  • Crush the extra Cinnamon Toast Crunch in a small bowl and add melted butter. Stir to coat cereal with butter. Pour onto a small baking sheet and bake at 275 degrees for 20 minutes or until toasty and fragrant. Remove and cool.
  • Sprinkle toasted cereal on batter just before baking. You can forego the toasting of the cereal but you lose some of the crispiness.

Da Finish

  • Cake pan mochi: Bake for approximately 60 minutes until golden brown and set. Stick a toothpick or bamboo skewer in, it should go in smoothly and come out without any sticky stuff. If you like your mochi a little more set bake a bit longer. The less time you bake the gooey-ier your mochi will be.
    For muffins bake approximately 40-45 minutes.
  • Once cool, sprinkle powdered sugar on mochi before serving. Slice cake into squares like brownies and serve.
  • Will keep a couple of days at room temp. Do not refrigerate. Mochi is freezable.
Cold Noodles with Tomatoes (Tomato Triple Play)

Cold Noodles with Tomatoes (Tomato Triple Play)

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I have taken over tomato duties from the hubby who has given up on becoming an urban farmer.  We just haven’t had any luck with turning our garden into a summer veggie paradise.  My bounty from 5 tomato plants so far has been a grand total of 4 tiny red orbs 🤦🏻‍♀️

FORTUNATELY, we have a wonderful farmer’s market in town.

My haul from last week’s farmer’s market included a variety of cherry tomatoes including Bronze Torch Cherry Tomatoes (pictured on the right above) from Live Earth Farm in Watsonville. We have been buying Live Earth produce since my kids were toddlers and they’re in their twenties now!  The Bronze Torch Cherry Tomatoes are simply AH-MAZING.  Sweet, tomatoey, delicious.

Tomato Trifecta

I am a big fan of Eric Kim.  He writes regularly for New York Times Cooking and just published a wonderful cookbook, Korean American.  It is hands down one of my favorite books. His recipes are easy and delicious and his writing is even better.  You can also find him on YouTube making many of his recipes, he’s funny, personable, and charming.  I went to his book signing at Omnivore Books in SF, fun, I’m such a food groupie.

I love his Grape Tomato Quick Kimchi which I make all the time.  Serve as Banchan (side dish-pictured on the right above) one day and as a sauce over noods the next day.  It is downright delicious.  As soon as I saw his Cold Noodle with Tomatoes recipe I jotted it down on my MAKE ASAP list.  It is so easy and incredibly delicious.  It should go on your list too.

Start with cherry tomatoes, slice them in half, and sprinkle with salt.  Let the tomatoes sit in the bowl while you put together the rest of the dish.  No need to use a strainer as the juices from the salted tomatoes become part of the broth.  Mince garlic, get out the rice vinegar, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, and sesame oil, and toss it all in a bowl along with the tomatoes.  Next, add cold-filtered or bottled water to the bowl (use water that tastes good).  Add diced scallions, and slices of radishes (the little red ones) or cucumbers to the broth. Set the broth aside.

Here’s the Hard Part

How to cook your somen.  DO NOT COOK YOUR SOMEN while you are getting the other components together. Make the broth and set it aside.  Focus on the noods so you don’t overcook them.  For somen (thin Japanese wheat noodles), start with plenty of unsalted water.  Somen has salt in it. If you use too little water, the noods will absorb too much water because of the salinity. Watch them like a hawk, and stir them with chopsticks or tongs while cooking to separate the noodles, this takes 3-4 minutes TOPS.  Remove from heat, rinse thoroughly under cold water and drain well.

Before serving, twirl noodles into a bundle and place them in a bowl.  Add crushed ice to the tomatoes and pour it over your noodles.  Garnish with additional scallions and sesame seeds.  It’s so refreshing, the perfect summer meal.  Carnivores, feel free to add shrimp or chicken or half of a hard-boiled egg.   Serve asap on a hot summer day.  Sooooooo good.

BONUS,  Ottolenghi’s Charred Tomatoes and Cold Yogurt.  Yes, my trifecta of tomato recipes.  Tomatoes, roasted with thyme, cumin seeds, lemon, and garlic,  served over yogurt or Labneh. It’s my go-to party appetizer, especially in the summer.  It’s “lick the bowl clean” good.  A showstopping, easy dish.  Make it, you’ll thank me.

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Cold Noodles with Tomatoes

Refreshing, delicious, and easy to prepare, Eric Kim's Cold Noodles with Tomatoes
Course noodles, one bowl meal, pasta, Soup
Cuisine Asian, Asian-American, Korean
Keyword cherry tomatoes, Cold noodles, Cold Noodles with Tomatoes, soup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

The Star

  • 2 pints ripe cherry tomatoes halved
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

The Noods

  • 12 to 14 ounces somyeon somen, capellini or other thin wheat noodle

Soup and Seasonings

  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce Kikkoman, Sempio 501 or 701 or LKK Premium Soy
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 large garlic clove finely grated
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 cups cold filtered water or bottled water of your choice.
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

The Garnishes

  • 2 radishes thinly sliced, or cucumbers work in a pinch
  • 2 scallions thinly sliced at an angle
  • 2 cups crushed or cubed ice

Omnivore Options

  • cooked shrimp or shredded chicken
  • hard boiled eggs, but not too hard-boiled lol

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, toss together the tomatoes and salt. Let sit until juicy, about 10 minutes.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package instructions, drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside. See post for how to cook somen noodles.
  • Add the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, mustard and sesame oil to the tomatoes, and toss with a spoon until well combined. Stir water into the tomatoes and sprinkle the surface of the broth with the sesame seeds, radishes and scallions.
  • Right before serving, add the ice to the broth. Divide the noodles among bowls, and ladle in the broth and any unmelted ice, making sure each serving gets a nice sprinkling of tomatoes, radishes, scallions and sesame seeds.
Napa Cabbage Salad-Summer’s Here

Napa Cabbage Salad-Summer’s Here

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The dog days of summer are here, the perfect time for salads to be the star of any meal.  Ok, maybe not breakfast, but any other meal.  I don’t like making salads, but the convergence of hot weather and gorgeous produce at our local farmer’s market trumps the drudgery of making one.

Define Salad

Back in the day when I was dating a poor medical resident (now the hubster) we went out for dinner at the famed Angeli Caffe on Melrose Ave in LA.  If memory serves me, this quite possibly was our first solo date (without our mutual matchmaker friends-LONG STORY).  This was back in the day of a burgeoning dining scene in LA.  Think Spago, Mauro’s, and Michael’s.  I was a fledgling foodie, and friends with benefits for me meant they had an expense account for dining, LOL.

We ordered a Caprese Salad and a pizza with olives, onions, and sausage.  The salad arrived and my now hubster looked at it, then at me, and asked quizzically, where’s the lettuce?  I’ll save the pizza story for another post…

Winner, Winner, Salad Dinner

Tasked with making a salad for dinner at my kid’s place (I’ll do anything for smoked brisket), I took stock of what was available in the fridge, Napa Cabbage, red cabbage, scallions, carrots, and my laptop (not in the fridge).  I mashed together a couple of recipes found online and on Tik Tok (haha) and badabing-badaboom…my quick and easy version of an Asian Napa Cabbage Slaw was born. Stir sesame oil, a touch of soy sauce, honey, and rice vinegar together for the dressing and you’re done.  It’s very adaptable so add whatever veggies and or herbs that float your boat.  I like bell peppers, cilantro, mandarin oranges and nuts, peanuts, or almonds.  This is vegetarian BUT if you would like to add protein, shredded chicken is the bomb in this.

Why Napa Cabbage?  I usually cook Napa cabbage but rather recently discovered it is delicious raw.  Used as a wrap for  Korean bbq or Bosaam, it’s delicious.  It’s milder and sweeter than regular cabbage and is pretty nutritious, think fiber, and anti-oxidants.  It is crunchy, refreshing, and versatile.  You might see little black specks on the leaves, NOT to worry, not bugs, but rather a reaction with light that causes spots, it doesn’t affect the taste.

The dressing is a simple soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil blend.  Whisk all the ingredients together.  I add a bit of regular vegetable oil to give the dressing a nicer mouthfeel.   You can omit it if you want.  Garnish with additional sesame seeds, don’t forget a couple of grinds of black pepper when serving.

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Asian Napa Cabbage Salad

A refreshing napa cabbage salad with a soy-sesame dressing perfect for summer!
Course dinner, lunch, Salad
Cuisine Asian-American
Keyword napa cabbage, napa cabbage salad, sesame dressing, vegetarian
Prep Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 cups napa cabbage thinly sliced crosswise
  • 1/2 red bell pepper julienned
  • 1/2 cup carrots shredded
  • 2 stalks green onions thinly sliced on the diagonal

Options

  • 1 cup Red cabbage shredded, replace 1 cup of the napa cabbage with this
  • 1/4 cup cilantro chopped, optional
  • 1/2 cup Mandarin oranges or oranges segmented
  • 1/4 cup almonds or peanuts chopped

Dressing

  • 3 T rice vinegar
  • 1 T soy sauce
  • 1/2 T honey can substitute sugar
  • 1/2-1 tbsp toasted sesame oil to taste, I love sesame oil, I use 1 tbsp
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil you can leave this out but it gives the dressing a little more body
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds + extra for garnish

Instructions

  • Cut Napa cabbage in half lengthwise. Slice leaves crosswise into thin strips. Rinse and dry cabbage and place in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients, julienned bell peppers, shredded carrots, red cabbage, and half of the green onions.
  • Place dressing ingredients in a bowl and whisk to blend. Pour into the bowl of cabbage and other ingredients. Toss, and garnish with remaining green onions, cilantro, and chopped nuts/sesame seeds