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Jamaican Coconut Cornbread

Jamacian Coconut Cornbread naturally dairy and gluten free

In the midst of the chaotic tilt that my life has taken lately, I keep being overtaken by the feeling that these are the good ol' days. This is the time I’ll look back on, as an old woman, and wish I could revisit. I’ve had to remind myself of that, when I feel overwhelmed, stressed, pressured to preform at a level that feels higher than I can reach. I won’t remember that, it will all look so shiny in the review.

Jamacian Coconut Cornbread naturally dairy and gluten free

Because of the lack of anything that resembles "free time" lately, I’ve turned to making recipes that are quicker than my usual.  I love bread making, but it can be time consuming. So when I wanted something sweet with a bit of coconut, I decided to figure out a one bowl coconut cornbread. I actually made this twice (I like to make each recipe I post at least twice), but the first time I wanted to give a gluten free version a stab. Instead of flour I used masa harina, it’s corn flour I use to make tortillas. Since I started making homemade corn tortillas, I’ve never gone back to store bought so I always have it on hand, and it’s naturally gluten free. While I really liked the flavor, the texture wasn’t as good as with the flour, as these things often go.  I preferred the flour version better, but the gluten free masa version is a great option if your baking for crowd that includes the gluten averse.

The masa harina version:

Jamacian Coconut Cornbread naturally dairy and gluten free

 

Jamaican Coconut Cornbread

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 1 cup all purpose flour (masa harina for gluten free)
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp allspice
  • pinch cayenne (about 1/8 tsp)
  • ¼ cup shredded dried coconut
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 can (13.5 fl oz) full fat coconut milk

    Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Grease a glass 8X8 baking dish.
  3. In a large bowl combine the cornmeal, flour (or masa harina), brown sugar, baking soda, salt cinnamon, allspice, cayenne, and shredded coconut.
  4. Make a well in the center, add the oil, eggs and coconut milk, stir until just combined.
  5. Pour evenly into the prepared baking dish.
  6. Bake at 375 for 30-25 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched.

 

Jamacian Coconut Cornbread naturally dairy and gluten free

Tailgate Fries with Sriracha Sauce plus a $500 grilling giveaway

 

(This post contains affiliate links)

Tailgate Fries with Sriracha Sauce plus a $500 grilling giveaway

I’ve spent the better part of the past few months obsessing over my new grill. After going a year without one, sad faceing at the grill recipes I saw on other blogs, I finally caved and bought one. As a way to feel a little less guilty about taunting the grill-less, I’ve teamed up with a bunch of other fantastic bloggers to offer one lucky reader a fantastic grill package worth over $500.

Tailgate Fries with Sriracha Sauce plus a $500 grilling giveaway

Although we are on the waining end of summer grill season, we are rapidly approaching tailgating season. The Coleman NXT 200 is powerful portable grill that’s perfect for fall football adventures and the gift card is a perfect way to add some accessorites to your grilling good times.

I have this Cameron Stove Top Smoker, it’s perfect to use indoors as well as on the grill. A good grill brush is important for when you want to cook more delicate food, or grill a pizza.  And don’t forget a grill basket for those vegetables.

In the spirit of grilling and tailgate food, I’ve whipped up some grilled Tailgate Fries with Sriracha Buttermilk Cream Sauce. Enjoy, and don’t forget to visit the other great bloggers hosting this giveaway!

Savory Simple, BakeaholicMama, Cooking Classy, Foodie Crush, Cravings of a Lunatic, 52 Kitchen Adventures, Pineapple and Coconut, Taste Love & Nourish,

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Tailgate Fries with Sriracha Sauce plus a $500 grilling giveaway

 

Tailgate Fries with Sriracha Buttermilk Sauce

Ingredients

For the fries

  • 6 cups water
  • 3 tbs salt
  • 3 lbs russet potatoes
  • 3 tbs olive oil
  • 1 tsp course sea salt or kosher salt
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp black pepper

For the Sauce

  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 3 tbs buttermilk
  • 1 ½ tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1 ½ tsp sriracha (plus additional to taste)

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl stir together the water and 3 tbs salt until the salt has dissolved.
  2. Cut the potatoes into ½ inch wedges.
  3. Soak the potatoes in the salt water for 30 minutes at room temperature.
  4. Remove from water and dry well.
  5. Add potatoes to a large baking dish or rimmed baking sheet.
  6. Drizzle with olive oil and spices, toss to coat.
  7. Preheat the grill to medium high.
  8. Add the potatoes to the grill, close the lid and allow to cook until strong grill makrs appear, about 5 minutes. Turn and continue to cook until tender when pierced with a fork.
  9. To make the sauce whisk together all sauce ingredients until well combined. Add to a squeeze bottle, drizzle over fries.

Tailgate Fries with Sriracha Sauce plus a $500 grilling giveaway

Greek Pasta Salad

Greek Pasta Salad4

 

I can’t sit here and tell you that I have no idea why I love to Greek-ify things. I’ve already told you about my midnight boat experience between Italy and Greece, and the indelible moment that created in my life. More than that, it was Igoumenitsa, a port in Greece, where I realized how important food was to me.

I was broke, I’d worked three jobs for two semesters of my senior year of college to save enough money to send myself on a poorly researched trip through Europe, and I was short on cash. But even with the dwindling funds I decided to spend a the last bit of cash I had on a small piece of Baklava because I figured it was the last time I would ever have the chance to eat such an iconic Greek dessert in Greece.

It’s these little stories you collect over your life that give me no regrets of being firmly inside my thirties. I’ve done well, I suppose, on collecting stories over the past decade. If there is nothing else you do with your life, collect stories you’re proud to dazzle a crowd with over a glass of wine. It makes growing up so worth it.

 

Greek Pasta Salad2

 

Greek Pasta Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 cups ditalini pasta
  • 1 cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
  • 1 English cucumber, peeled and dice ( about 2 cups)
  • ¼ cup diced green onions
  • 2 tbs dill, minced
  • ½ cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes, ripe but firm
  • ½ cup crumbled feta
  • ¼ cup red onion, finely diced
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Add to a large bowl, allow to cool to room temperature.
  2. Gently fold in the remaining ingredients.
  3. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Greek Pasta Salad5

Grilled Watermelon Salad

Grilled Watermelon Salad5

Grilled watermelon salad is the perfect summer side dish. Slice up some watermelon rings, throw them on the grill (literally if you’re brave enough), wait for some gorgeous smokey grill marks to spear and you’re half way there.

Grilled Watermelon Salad

If you don’t have a grill, a grill pan will work fine. You can also skip the egregious use of fire all together and just cut the watermelon into bite sized chunks. The saltiness of the Cotija and the briny quick-pickled red onions set of that great sweetness of in-season watermelons.

Grilled Watermelon Salad2

It’s also a great salad to serve at room temperature, making it the perfect low maintenance side dish to serve on your summer party table. It also has a lovely sweetness that pairs well with a spicy food, I served it with these wings. It does not, however, keep very well. If you plan to make it ahead of time, keep all of the components separate and toss just prior to serving.

If you need a patriotic plan for the rest of the watermelon, check this out.

Grilled Watermelon Salad7
Grilled Watermelon Salad

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar (or rice wine)
  • 1 tbs raw honey
  • ½ red onion, very thinly sliced
  • 2 slices (2 inch thick each) watermelon
  • ½ cup crumbed Cotija cheese (can substitute feta)
  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl whisk together the vinegar and honey. Add the red onions, toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
  2. Place the watermelon slices on a hot grill until grill marks appear, about 3 minutes per side.
  3. Remove the watermelon rind and chop the grilled watermelon into bite sized chunks, place in a large serving bowl.
  4. Pour the red onion and the vinegar over the watermelon. Sprinkle with Cotija cheese and cilantro.

Grilled Watermelon Salad6

Grilled Corn with Sriracha Scallion Butter

Grilled Corn with Sriracha Scallion Butter I’m can’t decide what I’m more excited about, the best grilled vegetable recipes I’ve made in years, or this awesome giveaway.

Lets talk about this corn for a second. Of course the original purpose of the corn itself was merely as a vehicle for the Sriracha butter, which I adapted from The Sriracha Cookbook (you should buy it, and the Veggie Lovers version), but the sweetness of the grilled corn with the spicy butter made me forget that I had acctually made other things for dinner. This is a meal all by itself. I would also recommend serving it American State Fair style in bed of aluminum foil so that you don’t miss all that fabulous butter that will melt away. And don’t be shy about adding it to your other grilled foods, shrimp and zucchini would love to take a dip in this stuff.

Grilled Corn with Sriracha Scallion Butter

Now, we can chat about this little giveaway. I’ve teamed up with some other awesome bloggers to give one lucky reader a shiny new iPad:

Enter to win an iPad!

 

Give them a visit, enter to win and GOOD LUCK! And if you don’t win, you can always console yourself with some tasty, spicy, grilled corn.

Grilled Corn with Sriracha Scallion Butter

Ingredients

  • 1 stick butter, softened
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup scallions, chopped
  • 2 tsp sriracha
  • 6 ears corn
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Place butter in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment (or a small food processor) along with garlic, scallions and sriracha. Process until all ingredients are well combined.
  2. Scrape onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Roll into a log shape, refridgerate until chilled and firm, about 1 hour. Can be made up to 3 days in advance.
  3. Remove the husks and the silk from the corn, leave stalk on, if still attached. Rub corn with olive oil, salt and pepper all sides.
  4. Cook on a preheated grill for 15-20 minutes, rotating every 3-5 minutes.
  5. Place grilled corn on a sheet of aluminum foil, top with a few slices of sriracha butter, fold foil around corn.

Grilled Corn with Sriracha Scallion Butter3

Beverly Hills Potatoes with Pesto Butter

Beverly Hills Potatoes 10

I’m cooking on The Today show on Wednesday.

I wish I was cool enough to have a witty lead in and build up to the exciting news, but I’m just going to digitally blurt it out:

I’m cooking on The Today Show, in New York, on Wednesday. I’ll be battling it out with two other cooks in The Joyful Cook-off for supreme Healthy One Pot Meal domination, although the big prize is merely bragging rights. With a free trip to New York, and the opportunity to cook on The Today show, I feel like I’ve already won.

Beverly Hills Potatoes_

 

Back to these potatoes, that will forever be known as Beverly Hills potatoes. I went to Bazaar in Beverly Hills with a friend for her birthday a few months ago. The food was beautiful, intricate and far beyond my culinary abilities. Then there were these lovely and delicious miniature potatoes that had been salt roasted, served on tooth picks with a side of pesto butter. It’s a good thing I choose to fall in love with the one thing I could actually duplicate at home, although there were these fantastic Japanese Taco’s I’ll need to stop thinking about because I’ll never be able to figure out how to make those.

Beverly Hills Potatoes 3

 

The hardest thing about this dish is finding these miniature potatoes, although I have seen them in several markets. They are far smaller that the baby red potatoes that you might think of, closer to the size of large grapes. I’ve seen them called "teeny tiny potatoes" and "miniature potatoes," either way, they are really small.

Beverly Hills Potatoes 2

Now I’m hooked. I’ve served them as a side dish, and also put toothpicks in the and served them as an appetizer.

Beverly Hills Potatoes 7

And this is what happens when I try to photograph anything while tater is awake. She was laying down the potatoes with toothpicks in them saying, "Potatoes are tired boys."

Beverly Hills Potatoes 6

 

She’s the best.

Beverly Hills Potatoes 8

 

Beverly Hills Potatoes with Pesto Butter

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lbs miniature potatoes
  • 1 to 2 cups kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup pesto
  • 2 tbs melted butter

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400.
  2. Wash the potatoes well, prick each one with a fork.
  3. Place potatoes in a loaf pan. Pour salt over potatoes until most of the potatoes are covered.
  4. Roast for 25-35 minutes or until fork tender. Break up the salt crust with a fork, pour into a large bowl or pot, remove the potatoes (insert one tooth pick into each potato if serving as an appetizer).
  5. To make the pesto butter, combine the pesto and melted butter. Serve alongside the potatoes.

Beverly Hills Potatoes 4

 

 

Salt Roasted Whole Fish with Grilled Artichokes

Salt Roasted Whole Fish with Grilled Artichokes

It’s been a strange few weeks for me, cooking wise. I’ve been getting back to the food I love, remembering why I ever picked up a whisk in the first place, challenging myself as a cook and remembering the food I fell in love with. If you follow my other blog, you are aware of this shift I’ve taken.

I’m happy, and relived in a way, chasing the Traffic Dragon is exhausting and cooking what I love makes me happy, and for the first time in a while I’m excited to share a dish.

Salt Roasted Whole Fish9

The first time I ever had a salt packed roasted anything was while traveling through Italy as a broke college student. I’d worked three jobs and saved for six months to send myself over seas and had ended up in the small city of Trieste. I’d wandered into a restaurant that was far too fancy for my tiny budget. I saw pesci listed on the menu and just pointed to it. There weren’t any prices on the menu and I just hoped that the fish I order wasn’t too expensive.

Grilled Artichokes5

What came to my table was a salt packed whole fish on a cart. I panicked for a second and then decided to order a glass of wine and enjoy it. It ended up costing $60, a small travelers fortune, but it was worth it. I lived off bread and cheese for a week, but I’ll never forget that fish.

Lately I’ve been trying to remember food I’ve fallen in love with and that fish came to mind. It’s a classic, old world, technique that isn’t used much in the US, but it’s brilliant at locking in flavor with zero added cooking fat.

Salt Roasted Whole Fish4

I found a video online by Tom Colicchio about salt roasted fish, just like the one I had in Italy. It paired well with the artichokes, and grilling is my absolute favorite way to make artichokes now, something you need to try this summer if you get a chance.

The fish is simple. Just start with a whole fish that’s been gutted. Most markets sell these cheaper than large fillets because there is less labor involved.

Mix the salt and the egg white, make a bed of salt on an oven safe serving platter (or rimmed baking sheet)

Salt Roasted Whole Fish

 

Put lemon and herbs in the cavity, then pack the remaining salt around the fish before roasting.

Salt Roasted Whole Fish2

 

It comes out of the oven a light golden brown and steamed to perfection. Very impressive, and pretty easy.

Salt Roasted Whole Fish 11

 

For the artichokes, just cut them in half down the center

Grilled Artichokes

 

Grilled Artichokes2

 

Use a melon baller and a sharp paring knife to remove the hair and the purple leaves, then boil for 25 minutes,

Grilled Artichokes3

baste with melted butter and grill until you get those beautiful grill marks.

Grilled Artichokes4

Salt Roasted Whole Fish

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 2 lb whole fish, gutted and cleaned (sturdy fatty fish like: salmon, arctic char, whitefish, sablefish, bass)
  • 3 thin slices of lemon
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 4 egg whites
  • 2 cups coarse Kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Pre heat oven to 400.
  2. Whip the egg whites with a fork for about 1 minute. Add the salt, mix until it resembles wet sand.
  3. Lay about ¾ cup of salt mixture on an oven safe serving platter (you can also use a baking sheet with sides) add the fish to the top of the salt bed. Stuff the cavity of the fish with lemon slices and rosemary.
  4. Add the remaining salt to the top of the fish. Pack the salt around the fish (it’s fine if the head and tail are sticking out).
  5. Roast at 400 for 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 125F and the salt pack is light brown.
  6. Remove from oven, the salt pack should break away cleanly.

Grilled artichokes

Ingredients

  • 2 large globe artichokes
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 4 tbs unsalted butter, melted
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • vegetable oil for grill
  • Dipping sauce, if desired

Instructions

  1. Prepare a pot of lightly salted boiling water.
  2. Slice the artichokes down the center, lengthwise. Using a melon baller and a paring knife remove the hair from the choke as well as the inner purple leaves, leaving a cavity in the center of the each artichoke half.
  3. Boil in the pot of lightly salted boiling water until the outer leaves tear away easily, about 20 minutes.
    Mix the lemon juice, melted butter, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
  4. Brush a preheated grill (or a grill pan) with vegetable oil. Brush artichokes lemon butter mixture, grill cut side down, until nice grill marks appear, about 8 minutes. Baste artichokes with melted butter while grilling.
  5. Serve warm with dipping sauce, if desired (pesto butter, garlic aioli, herbed mayonnaise, lemon butter).

Salt Roasted Whole Fish5

Greekamole: Greek Guacamole

Greekamole: Greek Guacamole

Did I ever tell you about the time I was on a boat halfway between Italy and Greece and had my first Greek salad? I was just out of college, completely broke, and had nearly smuggled myself on board an overnight cruise ship. Although I was supposed to stay on the lower deck, I wandered up to the dinning room, looking for whatever I could afford on my tiny daily food budget. I found these small Greek salads that had all those great flavors found in a Greek salad but with no lettuce. And when you have cucumbers, Kalamata olives, Feta cheese and a lemon vinaigrette, you have no need for any lettuce.

Greekamole: Greek Guacamole

I spent the rest of the night playing "Italian Poker" on the top deck with a father and son from Naples who spoke no English (I, consequently, speak no Italian). Somehow, we managed to communicate, and for hours we played the poker I was familiar with but only used cards ranked 7 and above. They continued to order me those Greek salads, as well as cup after cup of the strongest espresso I have ever had.

I don’t remember parting ways with those two, although I’ll never forget them, but I do remember stumbling off the boat in the wee hours of the morning, in Cofu Greece, rattled by the Espresso Shakes and being handed a shot of Ouzo as I got into port.

Since then I can’t get enough of that magical combination of ingredients. Since you all already know my deep love of the avocado  it was only a matter of time before I made a greek version of guacamole. This was so good I ate the entire bowl for lunch, and then made it again over the weekend.

Greekamole: Greek Guacamole

Greekamole

Ingredients

  • 2 large avocado
  • ¼ cup Greek yogurt
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ½ cup cucumber, peeled and chopped
  • ½ cup red onion, chopped
  • 2 large Roma tomatoes, chopped
  • ¼ cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
  • ½ cup feta cheese

Instructions

  1. Add the meat of the avocados, greek yogurt, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and chili powder, mash until well combined.
  2. Stir in the cucumbers, red onion, tomatoes, kalamata olives and feta cheese. Garnish with additional feta cheese if desired.

Cheap Eats: Rosemary Potato Tart (Serves 4 for $4.87)

I started a Cheap Eats section of my blog because I wanted dishes that were good enough for a dinner party, but didn’t cost a lot. It was a challenge to myself to create dishes that I’m so proud of I want to serve to company, but that will serve 4 people for less than $10. I don’t want to dump  a bunch of pre-packaged food in a slow cooker, I want real food. These dishes aren’t necessarily quick, but they are low cost, easy and taste great. Hope you love them as much as I do. 

Rosemary Potato Tart (Serves 4 for $4.87)

I’m going through a hostess phase right now. I’m also going through a phase where I’m trying to spend less on groceries (my grocery store impulse buying was getting out of control) and these two phases are battling it out right now. I love having people over for dinner, and although I want to spend crazy amounts of money to "play" in the kitchen, that just doesn’t make sense for a freelancer.  By the way, if you see me in the cheese aisle of Whole Foods, remind me that it is not a good idea to spend $45 on cheese when I don’t really have any cheese cookin' plans. Homemade tarts are a great way to bridge the gap between these two phases, they just feel special but can be really affordable (less than $5!).

If you haven’t made a tart crust from scratch, I promise that this is so easy you’ll be thrilled at your new found kitchen talent. You can even make it 3 days ahead of time, this dough stores really well (you can even freeze it in a zip lock bag for up to a month) and for just about $1 and 10 minutes of active time you just can’t go wrong.

I served this with a salad made of what I already had, similar to this one. If you want to add a little protein, serve this with grilled chicken or pan seared red snapper and you’ll probably still be under that $10 mark!

Rosemary Potato Tart (Serves 4 for $4.87)

Ingredients

Crust:

  • 1 ½ cups all purpose flour ($.25)
  • ½ tsp salt ($0.01)
  • 8 tbs of butter (for vegan use vegetable shortening), cold, cut into cubes ($0.80)
  • 1/4 cup cold water ($0.00)

Filling:

  • ¼ cup vegetable oil, divided ($0.22)
  • 1 ½ cups cherry or grape tomatoes ($2.10)
  • 1 tsp salt ($0.02)
  • 1 tsp pepper ($0.02)
  • 2 tsp fresh rosemary, minced ($0.20)
  • 3 large Russet Potatoes, peeled and sliced into ¼ inch slices ($1.25)

Instructions

  1. In a food processor, add 1 cup of flour (reserving the other ½ cup), salt and pulse to combine. Add the butter cubes (or shortening), process until combined. Add the remaining ½ cup of flour, process until well incorporated.
  2. Transfer to a bowl, add the water and mix until combined. Dough will be very soft.
  3. Form into a wide flat disk, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 3 days.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350.
  5. Once the dough has chilled, roll out on a lightly floured surface, transfer to a 9-inch tart pan (or pie pan) press into shape. Remove the excess. Chill until ready to use.
  6. Add 2 tbs of vegetable oil to a pan over high heat. Once the pan is very hot but not smoking, add the tomatoes, toss until softened and blistered, about 5 minutes. Smash slightly with a wooden spoon or spatula, pour into the bottom of the tart in an even layer (this will act like a sauce).
  7. Combine the salt, pepper and rosemary in a small bowl.
  8. In a skillet over medium high heat, add the remaining oil. Working in batches, add potato slices to the pan, sprinkle with seasoning mixture and allow to cook until slightly browned, flip and sprinkle with more seasoning. Once the potatoes have browned lightly on both sides, add to the tart crust (over the tomatoes) in overlapping concentric circles. Repeat until all of the potato slices have been browned and added to the tart. This will give you two or three layers of potatoes depending on how tightly the potatoes are overlapped.
  9. Bake at 350 until the crust is a light golden brown, 22-25 minutes.


Rosemary Potato Tart (Serves 4 for $4.87)

 

Quinoa Crab Salad with Jalapeno Vinaigrette

Quinoa Crab Salad with Jalapeno vinaigrette

I could eat this salad every day.

I realize that quinoa has become a food trend that will inevitably run it’s course, I don’t care. I’ll love it and I’ll eat it long after it’s no longer cool.

The first time I made it, I cooked it the same way I cook rice and the results were pretty sad and mushy. I did some digging and figure out a few quinoa tricks and started to cook it this way. It has more flavor and better texture and it isn’t mushy at all, now I’m hooked.

Quinoa Crab Salad with Jalapeno vinaigrette4

After I made the jalapenos dressing I wandered around my kitchen looking for more things to eat it with, it’s amazing. I’m so glad I started making my own dressing, it takes about 30 seconds. It’s great to be able to through a bunch of ingredients in a blender and those little ingredients come out as a delicious sauce.

Quinoa Crab Salad with Jalapeno Vinaigrette

Ingredients

For the Salad:

  • ½ cup dry quinoa
  • ¾ cup water
  • 2 cup baby arugula, washed
  • 6 ounces lump crab meat, drained
  • 1 heirloom tomato, chopped
  • Yield: 4 side dish portions

For The Jalapeno Vinaigrette:

  • 1 large jalapeno, stem and seeds removed, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, rough chopped
  • 1 small shallot, rough chopped
  • 1 tbs lemon juice
  • 2 tbs aple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • pinch salt and pepper

Instructions

  1. Add the quinoa to a dry pan, toast until you can smell it cooking, about 3 minutes. Add the water, bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the lid at a vent. Cook for 16 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and allow to steam for 10 minutes. Let the quinoa cool to room temperature.
  2. Add quinoa, arugula, crab meat, and tomatoes to a bowl , toss to combine.
  3. In a blender add the jalapeno, garlic, shallots, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Blend until well combined. Drizzle desire amount of vinaigrette to the salad (this recipe makes more dressing than this salad needs, save the extra for future salads).

Quinoa Crab Salad with Jalapeno vinaigrette2

 

Skillet Roasted Potatoes with Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions and Parmesan

 

Skillet Roasted Potatoes with Caramelized Onions Parmesan and rosemary_

I fell in love with side dishes during the three years I spent as a vegetarian. When you don’t eat meat, you tend to go into any holiday celebration or dinner party knowing that your meal will be made up of side dishes and you just hope to end up with more than a garden salad and a dinner roll.

Even though I now eat meat, I want hearty side dishes that can be meals all on their own. I still eat vegetarian food regularly (of the 13 recipes I’ve posted this year 11 have been vegetarian and 7 of those have been vegan) and I want the side dishes I serve to be as important and well crafted as the main dish. Vegetables tend to be the star of the side dish, and being a veggie devotee for three years gave me profound respect for what produce can bring to the table. If you’ve never been a vegetarian, and want to challenge yourself in the kitchen, try to go a month without meat. Even if it’s temporary, it’ll grown you as a cook.

This is a recipe that I already have plans to make again. It has an elegant comfort food vibe to it. The edges get a bit crispy, but the middle has a creamy mashed potato feel. Meat eater or not, this can be a meal or a side dish. I really hope you love it as much as I do.

 

Skillet Roasted Potatoes with Caramelized Onions Parmesan and rosemary 2

Skillet Roasted Potatoes with Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions and Parmesan

Ingredients

For the onions:

  • 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbs butter
  • 1 tbs olive oil

For the Potatoes:

  • 1 lb red potatoes
  • 1 tbs unsalted butter
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • ½ tsp rosemary, minced
  • ¼ cup parmesan

For the Mushrooms:

  • 8 ounces mushrooms
  • 1 tbs olive oil

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 450.
  2. In a large skillet, melt 1 tbs butter and 1 tbs olive oil. Add the onions and cook over low to medium heat until caramelized and a deep amber color, about 30 minutes. Do not turn the heat too high or the onions will burn.
  3. Slice the potatoes into thin 1/8 inch slices. Melt the butter with the olive oil in a 9-inch cast iron skillet. Swirl the pan to distribute evenly, and pour off into a small bowl.
  4. Cover the skillet with a layer of the potato slices, overlapping them. Brush the potatoes with half of the remaining butter mixture, sprinkle with half of the rosemary, and then with salt and pepper. Layer the remaining potatoes in a second even layer, brush with remaining butter sprinkle with remaining rosemary, then with salt and pepper.
  5. Heat the skillet over moderately high heat until it begins to sizzle, transfer the skillet to the middle of a 450° oven, and bake for 25 minutes, or until golden and the potatoes are tender.
  6. Place the mushrooms on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, toss to coat. Roast mushrooms at 450 until dark and soft, about 10 minutes.
  7. Top potatoes with caramelized onions, mushrooms and Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.Skillet Roasted Potatoes with Caramelized Onions Parmesan and rosemary TS

Perfect Skillet Roasted Potatoes


Perfect Skillet Roasted Potatoes_

Have you ever had one of those "What Would You Want Your Last Meal To Be?" conversations?

I have. Partially because I’m a touch more morbid than most, and partially because I think about food nearly constantly. Also, between food writers, food bloggers and chefs, I hang out with quite a few food people and that tends to dictate the sway of conversation.

Julia Child ate French onion soup as her last meal. James Dean had apple pie and a glass of milk at a road side dinner. JFK ate a pretty typical breakfast of eggs, toast and coffee. John Lennon had a corned beef sandwich. Ernest Hemingway had a steak and potatoes.

(*have I totally creeped you out with death talk on my potatoes post?)

Really, what that conversation comes down to is what food could you not bear never eating again. For most people, that’s comfort food, or meals that remind them of childhood. To be honest with you, I can’t really decide on an answer to the super-morbid Last Meal question. But, I can tell you I would want potatoes to be a part of the meal.

I’ve been making these potatoes for a while. Really simple, easy and always turn out great, without much effort. They also just so happen to be vegan and gluten free, how great is that?

Last meal or not, I’ll be having these again soon.

Perfect Skillet Roasted Potatoes 3

Perfect Skillet Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lb baby red potatoes, cut into quarters
  • 3 tbs olive oil
  • 1 tsp sea salt, or kosher salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375.
  2. Add olive oil to cast iron skillet over medium high heat until hot but not smoking.
  3. Add the potatoes, one of the cut sides down.
  4. Cook until browned, about 3 minutes.
  5. Push each piece of potato over, toggling it onto its un-browned cut side.
  6. Cook for one minute, transfer skillet to the oven and cook for 15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender.

 

Perfect Skillet Roasted Potatoes 2

Mirin Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

I’ve reached a goal of sorts, and I wanted to tell you about it. When I started this blog in 2011, it was as a direct response of having to put my 4 month old in the arms of stranger, turn around, and drive to an office.

Tater 6 months I love my job, and I love my babysitter, she has become a part of the family. But at the time, I didn’t know her, she was just the woman who had babysat my friends daughters. If you’ve never had to leave your baby,  it might not sound that terrible, but at the time it felt like a part of my heart was being torn out.

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Every morning when I left her I cried, and my babysitter understood. She has four grown boys of her own, and started watching babies as a way to stay home with them, "I’d worry about you if this didn’t bother you. It’s OK, everyone cries when they leave their babies," She had told me. Somehow, that made me feel better.

I decided to try and find a way to work part time, in order to stay home with her more and maybe, when I decided to have Baby #2, I would be able to stay home longer. For some reason, a blog was my brilliant idea. It wasn’t until after I had fallen in love with blogging that I discovered that the average blogger only makes $40 a month. Although I am lucky enough to make much more than that off my ad revenue, it isn’t enough to quit my job. Even though the income isn’t what I hope, my complete love and utter obsession with food writing, blogging and recipe develop makes up for that. But I needed other ways to make money. Little by little, small job by small job, I’ve been able to nickel and dime my way to part time.

I’m part time!

I only have to go to an office 3 days a week. It really is amazing. One of the ways I’ve been able to do this is freelance writing. I wrote an article last year for Honest Cooking that I was so proud of, I just have to tell you about it. More than 100 food writers and bloggers pitched for only 10 slots in the new Honest Cooking iPad magazine and I was given one of those spots. I was so grateful, but once I got the green light, I froze. Could I do it? Could I really write something I was proud of, that could stand up to the work of real life food writers? Writing this article I was able to prove to myself that I am able to do this. It was a turning point for me, proof that I really can do this. I can move forward in this world I so badly want to be part of. And next time, maybe I wont have to put my infant in the arms of a stranger.

The article I pitched was on a non-profit that I’m a bit starry eyed over. Homeboy industries helps Los Angeles gang members get out of gangs by turning them into chefs and bakers. It’s an incredible organization and for so many people, the only way out of gang life. It is the most successful gang rehabilitation program in the world.

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I spent three days interviewing ex-con, ex-gang members, visiting "urban gardens" spread across East Los Angeles, farmers markets and Homeboy Cafes. I left so inspired, by the people, their stories and the fight they fight daily to pull themselves out of the gangs they were often born into and give themselves and their children a good life.

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So, please, if you have an iPad, please download the app and read my article. It’s a free app full of great food related articles and inspiring stories.

honest cooking

I also have some Brussels sprouts for you! I love these vegetables, but so far, my husband isn’t a fan. I’ve tried so many methods, braising, bacon fan, roasting and yet he remains unimpressed. Until I poured some Mirin  into a cast iron skillet. It gets a bit sweet and caramelized, giving a new life to there little green guys.

He loved these, more than even the bacon fat version. I hope you do too.

Mirin Brussels Sprouts

Mirin Caramelized Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients

  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 3 cups Brussels sprouts, quartered
  • 1/3 cup mirin
  • ½ tsp red chili flakes
  • ¼ tsp Kosher or sea salt

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, add Brussels sprouts and cook until Brussels sprouts start to brown. Add Mirin and cook, stirring occasionally, until mirin has reduced and thickened and the sprouts are fork tender. Sprinkle with chili flakes and salt, stir to combine.

 

Mirin Brussels Sprouts3

Creamy Goat Cheese Dressing

 

 

"Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many." –-Unknown

It’s my birthday today.

Although I’m taking a few minutes to type this up, I get to spend the day with my Husband and daughter.

For me, birthdays are a bit like Thanksgiving, which is fairly fitting seeing as that my birthday often falls during the same week. Maybe it’s because my Dad died in his 20’s, or because I am by nature a grateful person, but birthdays make me feel lucky. Another years worth of experiences and knowledge under my belt.

Time to set some goals and remember the ones I’ve accomplished over the past year. This time last year I was contemplating writing a book proposal, and just two weeks ago I signed my first (yes, first, of what I hope to be many) book deal.

This year my goals are more personal:

1. Learn how to say no without feeling guilty.

2. Know my value and how to ask for it without apologizing (as in, stop doing so much work for free!)

 

So, seriously, help me out. I might need some accountability with those two.

 

 

Creamy Goat Cheese Dressing

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup buttermilk
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 2 tbs chopped chives
  • 4 oz crumbled goat cheese
  • 2 tbs milk (if needed)

Instructions

  1. In a bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream, lemon juice, pepper, salt and chives until well combined. Add the goat cheese and stir, leaving some of the goat cheese lumps intact. Add remaining milk to thin if desired for a thinner consistency.

 

 

Oh, and don’t forget to enter to win $250 from California Strawberries. Details here!

 

 

Potato Artichoke and Goat Cheese Gratin

I think I need to buy a goat. And some chickens.

Although I grew up on a farm, and at the time I found very little of our remote, sequestered-from-civilization-and-my-friends, life very appealing, I now want a little bit of that back. Not all of it. I want to live in the city, a big, huge, full of energy, and excitement, city but with a goat and a couple chickens.

I hope that can someday be possible.

Maybe I’ll move from food blogging to creating lofts in downtown LA with rooftop chicken/goat farms. I think people would be into it.

Until then, I have to settle for putting goat cheese in everything.

I did just find out about Redwood Hill. A goat cheese farm in Sebastopol, CA that is 100% solar powdered and nearly landfil-free, reusing and recycling as much as they can. As well as giving all employees & their families members great health benefits, this is a company I can give my full support. Along with being a pioneer in the humane treatment of animals (they love the crap out of their goats, even the old ones who are past the milk giving prime) they were eco-friendly and free range before it was hipster chic. I love places like this. I love being able to tell you about them.

I hope they will let me visit, feed me cheese and let me pet their goats.

 

 

Potato Artichoke and Goat Cheese Gratin

Ingredients

  • 2 tbs butter
  • 1 large leek, chopped (white and very light green parts only)
  • 2 cups Sunchokes, also called Jerusalem Artichokes, peeled and sliced into 1/8 inch slices (can sub peeled red potatoes)
  • 4 cups red potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8 inch slices
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 14 ounces artichoke heats, quartered
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 6oz parmesan cheese
  • 6 oz goat cheese, crumbled
  • 2/3 cup panko bread crumbs

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400.
  2. In a large skillet with a lid, melt the butter. Add leeks and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the Sunchokes and the potatoes and toss to coat. Reduce heat to medium, cover and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are fork tender, about 12-15 minutes.
  3. Remove from heat. Add the cream, artichoke hearts and the parmesan, stir until combined.
  4. Transfer to a 2 litter baking dish.
  5. Sprinkle the goat cheese on top, cover evenly with panko.
  6. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 400 for 20 minutes. (To make ahead, you can stop here. Return to the oven the following day and cook uncovered for 20 minutes or until warmed through and browned.)
  7. Remove foil and bake until panko has browned, about 15-20 additional minutes.

 

 

Kale Caesar with Goat Gouda, Avocados and Homemade Croutons

 

A few weeks ago I was invited to the opening of Messhall in Los Angeles to partake in an amazing media dinner. I was stuffed with steak tartare tacos, lobster mac n cheese, incredibly memorably cheese grits, the best pork chop of my life and a kale caesar salad I can’t stop thinking about. I was fortunate enough to accompany the incredibly dashing Greg Henry of Sippity Sup, sit with a small group of food writers, publicists, bloggers and magazine editors on the patio of the iconic space that once housed The Brown Derby. a Los Angeles landmark turned into the hip new Mess Hall with a summer camp chic vibe and a menu that is both familiar and vibrantly new.

Although all the food was memorable (how can I forget corn on the cob with smoked tomato butter?), there was something about that salad that I couldn’t stop thinking about. The simplicity and perfectly balanced flavors, how the kale was such an improvement over Romaine, how had I never thought of this?

Even weeks later, when a waiter at a different Los Angeles restaurant attempted to talk me into ordering the kale salad at his place, I had to mention to him the perfection of Mess Hall salad.

So here is my version, a Kale Caesar with Goat Gouda, Avocados and Homemade Croutons. But if you’re in Los Angeles, stop by Messhall for the real thing.

Kale Caesar with Goat Gouda, Avocados and Homemade Croutons

Ingredients

  • 1 egg
  • 3 tbs lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp anchovy paste
  • 1/2 cup parmesan
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 3/4 cup canola oil
  • 2 cups dry crusty bread, cut into cubes
  • 2 tbs butter
  • 1 head of kale, chopped into thin ribbon
  • 1 large beefsteak tomato, chopped
  • 1 large avocado, chopped
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup freshly grated goat gouda

Instructions

  1. In a food processor, add the egg, lemon juice, garlic, Worcestershire, red pepper, mustard, anchovy, black pepper and parmesan. Allow to process until frothy. Add the oil to a microwave safe bowl, microwave for 1 minute or until very hot and steamy. While the food processor is running, very, very slowly add the oil and continue to process until dressing has emulsified, about 3 minutes. Place the dressing in a container with a lid and refrigerator until chilled, about 1 hour (can be made up to 3 days ahead of time).
  2. If the bread you are using for croutons is fresh, place on a baking sheet and dry out in a 250 oven for 10 minutes.
  3. In a skillet over medium high heat, melt the butter. Add the prepared bread cubes and cook, tossing occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes.
  4. In a bowl, add the kale, tomato and avocado. Add the dressing and toss to coat, salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with goat gouda and croutons.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

 (I was provided with a delicious free dinner & cocktails from Messhall,  

however I was not monetarily compensated for this review.

All ideas and opinions are my own.)

Chipotle Corn Chowder

I had this friend once, years ago, who used to live under the Franklin Bridge in Los Angeles. A bridge that is rumored to have been Anthony Kiedis muse for the Red Hot Chili Peppers Under The Bridge. I can’t even remember how I began my friendship with a skinny, old, homeless man named Clarence. A friendship that was unlikely to say the least, but I’ll never forget the last time I saw him. He took up residence on a pile of cardboard on my route home from the gym, and I had a neatly pack care package for him. Socks, a sewing kit, two bananas, a copy of  Sea Biscuit, and a small first aid kit, all packed into a black and white Sephora bag.

I parked at a near by gas station, and met him half way between my car and his make shift bed, his huge smile contagiously lit up my own face. We stood on the corner of Franklin and Cahuenga, talking about the days since I had seen him last.

"Jackie, I’m a blessed man." His dark unwashed skin hung from his boney frame, "I live in the best city in the world! I have friends like you! I found a church that don’t mind me, a place that I can get me some coffee every day and I’m healthy as a horse!" As the sun began to set over LA on an overcast February evening, he went on to detail for me how life had lavishly blessed him. A man who had holes in his shoes, no shower in the foreseeable future and whose worldly possessions I had just double with a small gift bag, was telling me how blessed he was.

This was a conversation that changed my life, and the way I see every situation I’m in. Could I find joy with so little? Why not? A truly happy person can find joy in very little,  an unhappy person will always be that way. Since this conversation I  take time, nearly every day, to find the lavish blessings in my own life.

Maybe you’re dealing with a lot right now, maybe the hardships are outnumber the blessings. But I’ve learned that the thing with counting blessings is that it tends to multiply them, or at the very least amplify them. The same applies to hardships, so be careful.

Taking the time to make some chowder on a lazy summer afternoon, I could not have felt more blessed. At home with my little family, we’re all healthy, I get to cook with fresh ingredients and the chowder turned out amazing. And anyone who spends time developing recipes can tell you that there are days when that feels like noting short of a huge blessing.

Serve this warm, hot or even chilled. I hope you love it as much as I did. And I hope the 30 minutes it takes to makes this will give you time to count all those blessings in your life.

Chipotle Corn Chowder

Ingredients

  • 4 cups of corn kernels cut off fresh ears of corn (about 6 ears, I used sweet white corn)
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 cup shallots, chopped (about 1 to 2 large shallots)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 cups broth (chicken or vegetable, either will work. Do not use beef broth)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup 2% milk
  • 1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce
  • 1 tbs adobo sauce from chipotle chili can
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Instructions

  1. In a large pot or dutch oven, add the oil, shallots, corn, salt and pepper. Saute over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until shallots are opaque. Add remaining ingredients and adjust heat to maintain a simmer, do not boil. Stir occasionally for about 20 minutes or until the corn kernels are soft. Remove from heat. Using a food processor or blender, puree until smooth. Taste, adding additional salt, pepper or chipotle to desired levels.

*Note: it is impossible to predict the heat level of any chili, including chipotles, since the heat level varies widely from pepper to pepper. Use the smallest chili in the can to start, add additional chilies to raise the heat level at the end.

 

 

 

Pig Newton Jam (Bacon & Fig Jam) With Puff Pastry Biscuits

I love forming culinary obsessions. Foods that I can’t stop thinking about, that work their way into my kitchen via said obsession on a regular basis. Maybe you have tired of my bacon jam post, and if that is the case than I can pretty safely assume that you have never made it. It is completely worthy of prolonged obsessions. I promise.

This jam, this lovely spreadably pig and fig hybrid is so good that I beg you to make it. And then you’ll get it.

If I hadn’t already scoured my kitchen and spread this on everything from Trader Joe’s Crisp Chocolate Chip Cookies to stale graham crackers, these are the things that I would have made with this Pig Newton Jam:

Bake shortbread bar cookies + spread jam on top + chill for a few hours + cut into squares = Pig Newton Cookie Bars

Tortilla + Gouda + Bree + PN Jam = Pig Newton Quesadillas

Bake a tart crust in a tart pan (let cool)+ PN Jam + fresh arugula + goat cheese + Fresh tomatoes = Best tart ever

Above ingredients Tart crust + crusty bread = Pig Newton Crostini’s

PN Jam + Puff Pastry + Wheel of Bree cheese = Baked Pig Newton Bree

Crepes + PN Jam + Mascarpone = Breakfast Hog Heaven

 

I know that I have friends and readers who don’t dig the pig, so I’ve added a How To Veg It Up alterations to this post.

 

 

Pig Newton Jam (Bacon & Fig Jam)

Ingredients

  • 12 Black Mission figs
  • 5 strips of bacon
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tbs honey
  • 2 tbs red wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup cooking sherry
  • 1 tbs balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. In a pot with a lid, like an enamel dutch oven, cook the bacon until browned. Remove bacon and set aside. Drain off all of the bacon fat except about 1 tbs. Return pot to the heat and add remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer. Chop bacon and add to the pot.
  2. Reduce heat to maintain a low simmer. Place the lid at an angle to vent and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and syrupy.
  3. Add to a food processor and process until smooth.

*To make vegan, replace the bacon with 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 5 additional fig and 1 tsp olive oil.

 

Puff Pastry Biscuits

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed

2 tbs butter, melted

1 tsp salt

Roll the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface several times in each direction. Cut out 20 to 24 circles with a 3 inch biscuit cutter (note that circles will shrink as they cook). Place circles on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Brush the circles with melted butter and sprinkle with salt.

Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes or until light golden brown. Split across the middle, fill with jam.