Mom's Cucumber & Onion Salad

I picked up a couple pounds of meyer lemons and was planning on making lemon bars or lemon & rosemary jam.  Unfortunately, i just haven't felt like cooking.  But i have felt like some of my mom's delicious cucumber & onion salad.  It's similar to Factor's, but it's even better because we use the persian cucumbers and slice them paper thin.   Plus, i use Splenda sugar instead of the real thing, so at least i don't have to feel guilty when i eat a cucumber salad.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of white vinegar
• 1 cup of sugar (or splenda)
• 1-1/2 cups of water
• 1 sweet onion
• Dill
• 12 Persian cucumbers.

Heat the vinegar, water and sugar in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves.
(To make it super easy, i just add all 3 ingredients to a 4 cup pyrex measuring bowl and then heat it in the microwave for 5 minutes.)
Let the mixture cool, either in the refrigerator or on the counter.
Slice the cucumbers and onion as thin as paper.  I use a mandolin which does the job perfectly and in a flash!
After the mixture has cooled, pour over the cucumber and onions. 
Add the dill.

Buon appetito!

Julia Child's Orgasmic Brownies

Brownies, before and after.

 I wanted to make another batch of Julia Child's delicious brownies, but decided to put a spin on them since it's Valentine's Day.  The "spin" was inspired by Smitten Kitchen's gorgeous brownies, although I decided to stick with the brownie recipe i enjoy so much.

So i made two different batches, which i must say took a number of pots, pans and bowls (yes, and a lot of cleaning!).  Then i realized my heart-shaped cookie cutter was too large, so i figured i'd find a new cookie cutter on Sunday.  Wrong!  Who would have thought how difficult it is to find a small, 1" heart-shaped cookie cutter.  Since i needed something to "cleanly" slice through the brownies, i decided to use an apple corer.  So i didn't have hearts in my brownies, i had a circle.  Or, as Elliot declared, they're more like the "circle of life" brownie.  The fun part is you have dark chocolate brownies with white chocolate centers, or white chocolate brownies with dark chocolate centers.  Keeps everyone happy!

I gave my niece, Jessica, a box of the brownies and told her to share them with Annie and Emily (i've been promising Annie some of these brownies).  She texted me this morning and said I'm free to quote them --

"HOLY $HIT- your brownies are THE $HIT. Hands down best brownie I've had. Honestly, and you can quote me on that. Also you can quote Emily- 'it's orgasmic', and Annie stood up as to give you a standing ovation!  (I think Julia Child would smile knowing her brownies are "orgasmic".)

The following ingredients and recipe are for one pan of 16 brownies.  To do black & white brownies, you need to duplicate the recipe using white chocolate and a little less sugar.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups sifted all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 ounces unsalted butter
• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350°.
Sift the flour and salt together and set aside.
Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water (water should not be touching the upper bowl).  Add 1 cup of sugar to the mixture and stir for half a minute, then remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Pour the mixture into a large bowl.
Put the remaining 1 cup sugar and the eggs into a stand mixer bowl and mix or whisk by hand just to combine.
Little by little, pour half of the sugar and eggs into the chocolate mixture, stirring gently but constantly with a rubber spatula so that the eggs don't set from the heat.
Fit the whisk attachment to the mixer and whip the remaining sugar and eggs until they are thick, pale, and doubled in volume, about 3 minutes.
Using the rubber spatula, delicately fold the whipped eggs into the chocolate mixture.
When the eggs are almost completely incorporated, gently fold in the dry ingredients.
Pour and scrape the batter in to an unbuttered 9-inch square pan. (If you want thin brownies, use a considerably larger pan; say, 9 x 13).
Bake the brownies for 35-40 minutes, during which time they will rise a little and the top will turn dark and dry.
Cool the brownies in the pan on a rack.

Buon Appetito, and happy Valentine's Day!

Chocolate-covered marshmallows

I wanted to think of something super simple to bring to my parents today, and felt something sweet to ring in the new year would be apropos. 

It doesn't get much simpler, quicker or easier than this...

Ingredients --

A bag of marshmallows
1 pound of semi-sweet chocolate

minced sweetened nuts
minced candy cane (gotta have some left over from the holidays)
sprinkles, and anything else that would be good to sprinkle over these sweets
Wooden skewers

Cook the chocolate in a double-boiler.  If you know how to temper chocolate, i suggest doing so.  In the future I'll do a post on tempering chocolate, but not right now since my thermometer broke.  Tempering makes it so that the chocolate is smooth and glossy and dries to a point where you can touch it without it being "soft & gooey".

Once the chocolate is almost melted, take it off the double-boiler and stir it.
Pierce a marshmallow with a wooden skewer, and swirl it into the chocolate.  i like to swirl about 2/3 of the marshmallow, leaving part of the marshmallow exposed.
Then, while the chocolate is still soft and warm, dunk it in a bowl of the chopped nuts, candy canes or sprinkles.
Carefully remove the skewer and place on a sheet of parchment or wax paper until dried.

Voila!

And a wonderful new year to all!

Crunchy Pumpkin Granola

My new friend Becky told me about her new way of eating and how she basically eliminated sodium from her diet and, without trying, dropped a lot of weight.  I was so fascinated by her new "lifestyle", and i asked her for some of her pointers and tips.  Meantime, that evening we were at Beth's, and Beth told me to try this delicious granola that Becky makes.  I've always liked granola, but never thought about making it.  In fact, i rarely buy it because i find it's usually very high in calories.  Let me tell you, Becky's granola is delicious!  Not too sweet and contains no salt, so how bad could it be for you?  I'm now addicted to it and I've been eating it in my yogurt or cottage cheese and fruit mixture just about every morning.  I LOVE IT!!! And each time i've made it i do a little something different - whether it's the variety of dried fruit, or adding some extra grain.  The last batch i added flax seed, which added a nice dimension.  Anyway, you can't go wrong with this.  Oh... my friend Kevin tried it and thought it was delicious, so the next time i made it i doubled the batch and brought some in for just about everyone.  It's been a hit!

 

Ingredients -
4 C Oats
1/2 C Sliced unsalted Almonds
1/3 C Pepitas (raw)
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon (add more cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice if you like)
1 heaping tsp Raw sugar
1/3 C Organic canned pumpkin- Trader Joe's
1/4 C Honey
2 Tbsp Agave
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsp vanilla extract

Extra Honey if needed

In a large bowl, mix all dry ingredients except raw sugar (first 5), together in a large bowl and put aside. Combine wet ingredients and raw sugar in a small bowl then combine dry and wet ingredients. Spread on a cookie sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Cook at 300 degrees for about 40 min. turning every ten minutes or so until medium brown. Taste granola, if it isn't sweet enough drizzle some honey over hot granola. Let cool. Note- finished granola will be slightly sweeter with the dried fruit. Usually, it is sweet enough.

When cool, add in
10 chopped apricots
1/3 C raisins
1/2 C of any other dried fruit you would like- I used cherries, cranberries and blueberries but apples would be good and if you can find dried sweet pumpkin that would be good, too.

I love mine in the morning with yogurt and chopped fruit.  Here i've used chopped persimmon and dried figs.  Yummy in the tummy!

Thanksgiving Day Butternut Squash Soup With Apples & Bacon

Audrie and i thought it would be nice to have a pumpkin soup "starter" this Thanksgiving.  She had a delicious one in Germany, and Laurence has been eating a pumpkin-cider soup in NY that he keeps raving about.  So i was determined to give them a good pumpkin-type soup this Thanksgiving. 

I made three different soups - all with pumpkin or butternut squash and apples - but two of them were disappointing.  One was so healthy that it had no taste; the second one, made with pancetta, was disappointing, but it had potential.  So i decided to modify the recipe with pancetta, and now i think i have the perfect Thanksgiving butternut squash soup!

Ingredients --

• 8 slices of bacon, cut into 1/4-inch strips
• 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch dices (yields about 6 cups)
• 1 small Granny Smith or other tart-sweet apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch dices (yields about 1 cup)
• 1/2 small Gala or other sweet apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch dices (yields 1/2 cup)
• 1-1/2 Tablespoons of finely chopped fresh sage leaves
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups of chicken broth
• 1 cup of apple cider

In a large stockpot set at medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden.
Use a slotted spoon and transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.
Increase the heat to medium-high, and add the squash to the pot with the bacon fat and cook until lightly browned.  Try to resist stirring too often or it won't brown.
Stir in the apple, sage, salt and pepper and cook for about 4 or 5 minutes.  (You'll see more browning occurring on the bottom of the pot than on the veggies.)
Add the broth and apple juice, scraping up any browned bits in the pot with a wooden spoon.
Bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the squash and apples are very soft.
Remove from the heat and let cool somewhat.
Add about half the bacon to the soup and, using an immersion blender, puree.
Add more salt or pepper if needed.
Reheat the soup and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and the remaining bacon.

The players!

Buon appetito, and a joyous Thanksgiving to all!

Schlag (fresh whipped cream)

Schlag, or Whipped Cream

1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-2 tablespoon of confectioner's sugar

Put cold heavy cream, vanilla and sugar in mixing bowl.
With stand mixer, use the whisk attachment and, start out slowly otherwise you have cream all over your kitchen.


It's actually very easy and takes about 2.5 seconds if you use an immersion blender with a whisk attachment.

As the cream thickens, turn the speed up. As it gets foamier, start checking for a soft peak, which is what you want. The peak should bend over at the top when you remove the whisk. As it gets close, slow down, because if it goes too far, it will clump and separate (essentially become butter).

Delicious schlag!

Pumpkin Bread, 3 ways!

Once upon a time, about 150 years ago, (apparently before we had to dial phone numbers preceded by the area code), my girlfriend Beth gave me a cookbook from her City of Hope chapter.  I decided to try the pumpkin bread recipe, primarily because it made 3 loaves (if it's good, why make 1 loaf when you can just as easily make 2, i mean 3 loaves?).  I've made this pumpkin bread just about every year since and it's always a hit!  And because it makes so much, i usually make one loaf with nuts and golden raisins (for mom), one loaf with chocolate (for everyone other than Debbie) and one plain loaf (for Jessica who doesn't eat nuts, raisins or chocolate).

The ancient book of pumpkin bread.

Ingredients --

• 4 cups sugar (i use 1/2 dark brown and 1/2 white)
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 6 large eggs
• 1 (29 oz.) can pumpkin
• 1 cup water
• 6 cups sifted flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 Tablespoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-2 cups of chopped nuts, raisins, dates, chocolate or a combination of your choice

In a very large bowl,
Cream the sugar and butter until light with an electric mixer.
Add eggs and beat thoroughly.
Stir in pumpkin, vanilla and water and blend.
Sift dry ingredients together and fold them into the liquid ingredients, mixing just until dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened.
Add nuts and fruit and chocolate.
Pour into 3 well-buttered loaf pans and let set for 15 minutes.
Bake in a pre-heated 350°F. oven for 1 hour.
Let cool before removing from loaf pan.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bread, 3 ways!

Optional:  Add a dolop of fresh schlag!

Spiced Cranberry and Dried Fruit Chutney

About 5 years ago, my friend Leslie turned me onto this easy cranberry recipe.  Like i said, it's easy and interesting and, with a few of my own touches, it's become my "go to" cranberry dish for Thanksgiving dinner.  It's actually good year-round with turkey or on top of yogurt or cottage cheese.

You can use any kind of dried fruit.  In fact, this year i ventured into a completely different variety -- figs, bing cherries, and blueberries.  But get creative and use whatever you like.

Dried apricots, figs, bing cherries, blueberries and fresh cranberries

All the fruits getting to know each other in this hot bath.

Ingredients --

• 4 cups of fresh cranberries
• 1 cup of dried apricot halves
• 1/2 cup of dried blueberries
• 1/2 cup of dried bing cherries
• 1 cup of dried figs
• 1/4 cup of chopped crystallized ginger
• 2/3 cup of packed golden brown sugar
• 1 cup of frozen concentrated cranberry juice cocktail, thawed i forgot to pick this up at the market, so this year i used apple juice instead.  Great alternative!
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 4 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar

Stir all ingredients except vinegar in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves.
Increase the heat to high and boil until thick, stirring often - about 4 minutes.
Transfer to a bowl and mix in the vinegar.
Season with salt & pepper.
Cover and chill.

Yields 5 or 6 cups.

Can be made 2 weeks ahead of time.

Delicious Truffled Potatoes & Onions

Who said quick and easy can't be delicious?

I've been slaving over a pumpkin cider soup, and decided to take a break to do something quick and easy with my Japanese Yam, fingerling potatoes and red onion. 

Karen and Enrico gave me a special bottle of black truffle infused olive oil for my birthday.  I decided it was time to mix all of these delicious ingredients together.  What a combination!  Because i sliced the onion on the thin side, i thought i might be better off adding it after the potatoes cooked for a bit, but then decided "easy" had to mean easy as 1-2-3. 
   1 - Quickly prepare the ingredients;
   2 - Pop them in the oven; and
   3 - Buon appetito!

Can you see the truffle in the olive oil bottle!

Ingredients --

• Fingerling potatoes
• Japanese Yams
• 1 Red onion
• Truffle-infused extra virgin olive oil
• Black pepper
• Herbes de provence

Chop the potatoes into small pieces.
Slice the onion into thin slices and separate from each other.
Drizzle a little olive oil over the potatoes and onion.
Sprinkle with fresh black pepper and herbes de provence.
Bake at 350°F. for about 30 minutes or until the onions are crispy and the potatoes are starting to crisp on the outside.

Onions are crispy, and potatoes are crispy on the outside and smooth and creamy in the inside.

Mom's Chille Relleno Casserole

On the heels of my last two posts, which were both very healthy, i'm posting this chille relleno casserole which, for the most part, i wouldn't suggest making unless you don't mind the calories or know others will devour it, because it's just too fattening for me. 

Most people that know me know i can't stand any type of peppers, other than an occasional peppadew or bell pepper, any variety other than green.  But when i was at my parents', my mom had made this chile relleno casserole that I never would get near, but this time decided to try.  Yummm... it was tasty and very easy to make.   This would make a great breakfast, snack, or even hors d'oeuvres. 

Layering the chillies and the cheese

Making the egg mixture to pour over the chillies and cheese.

Ingredients --

•  4, 4oz cans of whole green chillies, rinsed and drained.
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese*
• 1 cup of shredded jack cheese*
• 4 beaten eggs or 1 cup of egg product
• 1, 12 oz can of evaporated skim milk
• 2 Tablespoons of flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon of cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon of cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt

*Sidenote -- i used a pre-packagaed grated mexican cheese mix.

 
Grease a 2 quart baking dish.
drain the peppers, remove the seeds and pat dry with paper towels.
Layer half of the peppers lengthwise in the casserole.
Sprinkle with half of the two cheeses.
Repeat a layer of peppers and then the second half of the cheeses.
Combine eggs, milk, flour and seasonings in a bowl.
Stir well and pour over the peppers and cheese.
Bake uncovered at 350°F. for 30-35 minutes.

This is also delicious with a dollop of sour cream or salsa, or maybe both!

Enjoy!

Indian Carrot Salad

A girlfriend brought me a bunch of beautiful Indian carrots at the farmers' market.  I had never seen such beautiful carrots.  They remind me of all the beautiful colors you see in both red and golden beets.

Indian carrots

I wasn't quite sure what to do with them, and most recipes i found were geared towards Indian cuisine.  I do love Indian food, but i've never made it and i wasn't about to try cooking Indian dishes on a school night.  With that said, i decided the easiest thing to do would be to turn them into a beautiful salad.  And beautiful & delicious it was!

Indians and Persians make a great duo.

Juicy pomegrantes

Ingredients --

• 1 bunch Indian carrots (actually, any kind of carrot will work just fine)
• 2 persian cucumbers
• 3 Tablespoons of pomegranate seeds
• 3 slivered scallions
• 3 Tablespoons of dried cranberries or Craisins

Grate the carrots and cucumber.
Add finely sliced scallions, pomegranate seeds and dried cranberries.
I had planned to use just a splash of olive oil, but decided it needed more of a pop, so i threw together the following vinaigrette, but i have no idea what the measurements were --

Autumn Beet and Kale Salad

I enjoy beets, and really appreciate the beautiful colors in "golden" beets.  Yellows, oranges and reds.  At the farmers market i picked up a bunch of baby golden beets and a bunch of baby purple beets.  The man said i can get a third one for $1, or pick any bunch of greens.  Since i only knew i wanted to make a salad, i opted for fresh kale.  And while i was there, i picked up mint and persian cucumbers.  How could i go wrong? 

Baby golden and purple beets

Fresh kale and mint

Then i suddenly realized that i can add golden raisins and dried cranberries to pick up the colors from the beets while adding a sweet touch.  Fun!  My only dilemma was what kind of dressing?  And then i remembered i still had some of the vinaigrette from Sunday Suppers at Lucques (recipe, below).  The dressing was delicious then, and equally good on the beet salad. 

Beets waiting for their jacuzzi to warm up

 

Cooked and peeled beets

Salad Ingredients -

• 1 bunch of baby golden beets
• 1 bunch of baby purple beets
• 1 bunch of kale
• 1 handful of fresh mint leaves
• 2 persian cucumbers, chopped
• 1/4 cup of golden raisins
• 1/4 cup of dried cranberries

Wash and scrub the beets well and cook in a pot with covered water until al dente.
I like to put on rubber gloves and then firmly rub the beets so that the peel falls off.
Cut the beets into bite-size cubes and refrigerate.

In a bowl, add chopped kale and fresh mint.
Add persian cucumbers, beets and then add golden raisins and cranberries.
Crumbled goat cheese and toasted nuts are a delicious option to this salad.

I then lightly tossed with Suzanne Goin's (Sunday Suppers at Lucques) vinaigerette (recipe below)...

~

The beginning of a delicious vinaigrette

Vinaigrette Ingredients -

• 1 T oregano leaves
• 1/2 clove garlic
• 1 1/2 T red wine vinegar
• 1 T balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 t kosher salt

Using a mortar and pestle, pound the oregano, garlic and 1/4+ t of salt until it is a paste.
Transfer the paste into a bowl and stir in both vinegars.
Whisk in remaining 6 T of olive oil.

Buon appetito!

Chicken apple butternut squash filled pumpkin

 The culprits - my beautiful pumpkins

 

 

Last week i stopped at the pumpkin patch (no cameras allowed because g-d forbid we see someone famous without their hair and makeup done this is Beverly Hills) and found the prettiest little pumpkins.  I wasn't sure what i'd do with them, but i knew i would find something.  These pumpkins were larger than those baby pumpkins that you see in markets, but not as big as the good, carving pumpkins.  

I decided to bake the pumpkins and save the pumpkin meat for something i'll use later, but i'll use the pumpkin shell to stuff with my own concoction.  It turned out yummy!  Healthy, yummy, and easy.  What more could you ask for?

Ingredients

•  4 small pumpkin to your liking
• 1 red apple, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped 
• 1 butternut squash, chopped
• 1 cup of sliced mushrooms
• 1 package (4 or 5) of chicken-apple sausages, chopped
• 1/4 cup of golden raisins and/or cranberries
• 1/2 cup of chicken stock or apple juice

Slice off the top of the pumpkin and scrape out the seeds.  (I later roasted my seeds and they were delicious - not very meaty, but had good crunch.)
Bake the pumpkin bowl, lid and butternut squash in a 350°F. oven until it's al dente, or just tender.  The butternut squash should be easy to slice, but not too easy otherwise it will not hold it's shape when you chop it.  When finished baking, allow to cool overnight in the refrigerator.

Spray a pan with olive oil and saute the chopped apple and chopped onion, gradually adding some of the liquid stock or juice.  
When the onions are starting to brown, add the mushrooms, chopped sausages and butternut squash. (I tried chopping all of the ingredients to be pretty much the same size.)
Add more of the liquid, if necessary.
Add the raisins and/or crandberries.
Continue cooking until you can't take it any more.

 Bon appetito!

Ann's Plum Cornbread

Years ago i enjoyed making cornbread, but in those days i "cheated" since i would use a popular brand that comes in a can - all you would do is add milk or water.  But today, i'm proud to say no more boxed or canned mixes for Lollie!  I saw this recipe on The Food Network's show with Ann Burrell.  I thought it sounded nice and hardy and since it's made with a little honey (although i used agave), it would be a tad sweet.  And how could you go wrong with delicious, sweet cooked plums! 

It was easy to make and looked very homey.  I especially liked the outside part which came out a little crispy.  And the cooked plums were delicious!  However, i was a bit disappointed because the cornbread was very dense.  But as i'm writing this post, i can't help but wonder if i remembered to include the 1 cup of milk.  Oh my!  I just got back from the fridge and found my new quart of milk was in fact opened and missing one cup.  This means i didn't omit anything, yet the cornbread is dense.  It's still good; just don't expect light and fluffy.   

Ingredients -

     Plums:

• 4 to 6 black plums (if they are large, use 4, if they are small use 6), sliced
• 3 tablespoons sugar

    Cornbread:

• 1/2 stick melted butter
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons honey (I used 4 tablespoons of Agave Nectar)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream, for serving

Plums:

In a small bowl, combine the sliced plums and sugar and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Sliced plums mascerating.

Cornbread:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter or "spray" an 8-inch cast iron skillet or an 8 by 8-inch square baking pan.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients.
In another mixing bowl, combine all the wet ingredients and whisk to thoroughly combine.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well.
Mix gently to combine.
When the mixture has just come together, transfer it to the prepared skillet or baking pan.
Sprinkle the plums in an even layer over the top of the batter.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool before cutting.
Serve topped with vanilla ice cream (ok... i forgot the ice cream)

Fresh plum cornbread, fresh out of the oven

Only missing the vanilla ice cream

The stars