all in the name of food…

I love stir-fry! Its one of the easiest and healthiest things to whip up on a week night. I’m sure you all know that there are a lot of different stir-fry recipes out there! Some people like it with bok choy and baby corn, others add peanuts, some like it spicy, and others like a thick sauce gelatinous from corn starch. This is my recipe for the ideal beef stir fry. I like it with lots of veggies and a thin sauce that has a big kick!

I like to start by chopping up all the vegetables you will use. In French this is called mise en place or “putting things in place”. It basically means getting everything ready before you start cooking. I love doing this because it makes things so much easier!

Vegetables:

• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 3/4 cup sliced celery
• 1 diced green bell pepper
• 3 medium sized carrots, shredded
• 1 Tablespoon minced ginger

After that thinnly slice 12 ounces of a tender piece of beef such as flank steak or sirloin. Make sure you slice it really thin and that its not a tough piece of meat! Then heat some cooking oil in a pan and when its hot add the meat. Sautee until the meat is brown and cooked through.

Next add the onions and sautee until tender.

While you’re waiting for the meat and onions to cook you can mix up the delicious sauce.

Sauce

• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon salt
• 3 Teaspoons sugar
• 6 Teaspoons hot sauce (like Texas Pete) i.e. you can add less if you don’t like it so spicy
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon white vinegar
• 6 Tablespoons water

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and set aside.

After the onions are tender add the celery and green peppers. Sautee for 3-4 minutes until tender.

Then add the carrots and ginger. Sautee for 1-2 minutes. Pour in the sauce.

Mix everything together and cover. Cook for a few minutes (4-5) until flavors blend and vegetables are tender (but not mushy).

Serve over white rice and enjoy!

My Mom used to make these cinnamon rolls growing up! I have many memories of carefully selecting a roll with the most frosting or the most spirals from two big cookie sheets full of cinnamon rolls. They are just delicious! The original recipe is actually from my Grandma, so really they are made from my Grandma’s basic roll recipe. My family uses this recipe for “Good Light Rolls” to make regular dinner rolls at Thanksgiving and cinnamon rolls. And you can’t get any more home-y than this! I think making these rolls is more of an artform than anything. I haven’t quite mastered it yet but with time hope too! Both my Mom and Grandma know exactly when the dough “feels about right” when adding the flour and kneading it. But don’t worry – the recipe is actually really hard to mess up! Just make sure you let the dough rise for a long time  – so the rolls are indeed good and light.

Good Light Rolls

Mix together the following and knead several times till soft and incorporated:

• 2 cups of warm water
• 2 tablespoons of yeast
• 1/2 cup of oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 3 beaten eggs
• Flour to make the dough soft (about 7-7 1/2 cups)

Refrigerate the dough and allow it to rise till double or overnight. After the dough has risen, roll it out on a floured surface into a long rectangle shape. (Don’t forget to flour the rolling pin too!)

Mix together one part cinnamon ( 2 Tablespoons) and three parts sugar (6 Tablespoons). Melt 1 stick of salted butter. Spoon melted butted over the dough. Then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the butter. Yum! You can also add raisins at this point. Or raisins soaked in orange juice! That would be good. Or nuts. But I was feeling like keeping it simple.

Carefully roll the dough up into a long log-like shape – to get those nice spirals…

Then grab your pizza cutter and cut the log into rolls! Its very fulfilling…

Place the rolls on a greased cookie sheet and cover with a kitchen towel. Let them rise again for about 45 minutes.

Then bake them at 375 degrees for 17-18 minutes, until light brown. Then admire all your hard work! But wait.. you’re not done yet!

Mix up your favorite vanilla frosting recipe. I wish I could tell you how I made mine, but I never keep track of such things. I’ll just tell you it has butter, powdered sugar, a little bit of milk, AND a healthy dose of vanilla bean paste! The paste adds such pretty specs of vanilla bean – in addition to vanilla extract flavor, all at a much cheaper cost that a real vanilla bean. Secretly, real vanilla beans stress me out. You have to buy 2 beans  that come in a glass container for like $15.00. And then you have to slit the bean and scrape the seeds out. During this I agonize over getting all the seeds into my desired mixture because they are so darn expensive. But vanilla bean paste has solved all my life problems.

Then frost the cinnamon rolls and enjoy! And try hard to remember a time before you started making them! But most importantly get ready to make lots of friends by sharing your home baked goodness with everyone around you.

Salmon is so insanely good for you. I didn’t necessarily love salmon – but after eating it this way I am totally converted! Salmon also conveniently cooks so within minutes under the broiler – and whats not to like about a dinner that take 20 minutes to make? The other day I spent a long time researching salmon recipes and I found one recipe for ”Asain Salmon” that struck my interest- but needed some things added. Here is how I made it:

Asian Salmon

First off – I bought a large bag of salmon from Costco for $20. That is a lot - but its worth it! All the fillets are vacum packed and only take a few hours to thaw in the fridge (unlike chicken that takes days). I threw two fillets in the fridge before work and they were ready to cook when I came home.  

• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger

Lay the salmon in a shallow pan for marinating. Rub 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar into each fillet. (Not too much!)  Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, ginger, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow it to sit for 10 minutes.

Preheat the brolier. Place the salmon on a small pan lined with foil (for easy clean up) and cook 6 to 7 minutes directly under the broiler, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a spatula and cook  for another 6 to 7 minutes. Spoon more of the marinate on the salmon if you wish (I didn’t, but I don’t like excess sauce in general) and serve with brown basmati rice. We also ate ours with delicious steamed brussel sprouts.

*Note: the leftovers are really good for lunch the next day served cold with lettuce, vegetables and your favorite kind of asian dressing.

This weekend it was the first day of spring! To celebrate spring and this beautiful weather Nathan and I invited his parents over for a spring cook-out. We made the most delicious grilled sesame chicken with vegetables and saffron basmati rice. Nathan’s Mom also brought this delicious salad that had fresh red lettuce and vegetables from their garden.

This recipe for sesame chicken marinates overnight, which makes it so delicious! I also love how fresh a variety of grilled vegetables taste. Serve both with a side of saffron rice mixed with some long grain basmati and its delicious! Basmati rice is my favorite. I highly recommend this dinner for a gorgeous spring night!

Grilled Sesame Chicken

• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3 Tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 1 Tbsp minced ginger root
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 4 boneless skinless chicken cut into cubes

Combine all ingredients except sesame seeds and marinate with the chicken overnight. Place marinated chicken chunks on skewers and cook for 14 minutes in the oven at 350 F, turning once in between to begin cooking the chicken. Then finish cooking the chicken on the grill and give it a nice char. You can also place the chicken in a baking dish and cook it for 30 minutes at 425 F until golden. Then sprinkle with sesame seeds. For the vegetables cut what you want to use and place them on skewers. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and salt and grill till done – being careful not to overcook. Serve with saffron basmati rice.

This is the best salad ever! It is oh so special and will make you feel fancy when you eat it. The dressing is a special recipe a lady I know got from a catering company in Utah. It is SO delicious and has one secret and surprising ingredient – maple syrup! That sounds weird but it adds the perfect bit of sweetness. A pair of grainy and Dijon mustard along with the cider vinegar balance out the maple syrup nicely. You can add whatever you want for the salad part, but I think pears (preferably Asian pears sliced thinly), feta cheese, candied pecans, mandarin oranges,  and spring greens go so nicely with this dressing. If you don’t have any candied pecans you can make your own by mixing an egg white with 1/2 cup cold water and sugar/salt to taste. (I even add cinnamon sometimes!)  Then roast the pecans at 300 F or so for 45 minutes.

Maple Vinaigrette

• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• 1 Tablespoon Grainy Mustard
• 1/3 cup real maple syrup
• 1/3 cup imitation maple syrup
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup canola oil

Salad

• Mixed spring greens
• Candied pecans
• Mandarin oranges
• Asian pears – sliced thinly
• Feta cheese

Mix all ingredients together and let sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients for the salad. Shake the dressing well and pour over lettuce to your liking. Then assemble individual plates with the remaining ingredients. Makes enough dressing for 2 salads.

Is there anything better than something you love to eat that is actually really healthy for you? I don’t think so. I love learning about nutrition and how to eat healthy. I kept all my text books for my numerous nutrition classes in college because I loved them so much!  I get to continue to research and read about nutritious food at my job where we put out monthly newsletters to our customers about nutrition, exercise, and dietary supplements. I was recently reading a health magazine that outlined some important superfoods to include in your diet. It was so fascinating that I thought I would share my top 10 favorite superfoods with you!

1. Salmon – all of those omega-3 fatty acids are so important in American’s diets. You body needs omega-3 fatty acids and omega-6 fatty acids. People generally get plenty of omega-6 fatty acids but omega-3s are found in things like fish and nuts – which most don’t eat that often. Salmon also has lean protein and plenty of vitamin D  making it a near perfect food! It is recommended that people eat salmon or fish twice a week. More posts about salmon to come!

2. Blueberries – these tiny gems are packed with antioxidants and vitamins which have been known to stop cancer. Their blue color comes from pigments called anthocyanins which is one of the most powerful forms of antioxidants. They are so easy to incorporate into your diet! Throw them into yogurt, oatmeal, smoothies, etc. During the off-season I like to get a big bag of frozen berries from Costco to incorporate into various meals.

3. Oats – I have always loved eating oatmeal in the morning. I recently discoverd “Coach’s Oats” which are steel cut oats that have been toasted. They have so much more flavor and more texture than regular oats. I still love regular oats when I don’t have Coach’s Oats though. Oats are full of soluble and insoluble fiber which keeps you full. They also lower cholesterol.

4. Broccoli – rich in Vitamin C and a good source of Vitamin A. Broccoli is also a good source of fiber, folate, calcium, iron and potassium. Not to mention broccoli helps you to feel full in less than 30 calories per serving.

5. Walnuts – protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, is there any more to say? And they have one of the most amazing nutty flavors..

6. Avocados – I love slicing these in half and eating a half with salt and pepper for a snack. They are high in GOOD fat. People have become so fat-phobic but the fat in avocados is called monounsaturated fat. It is heart-healthy and can actually help you loose belly fat! The have tons of fiber, plant sterols, potassium, magnesium, folate, and vitamins B, E and K.

7. Red beans – all beans are good for you but these are especially good because of they are packed with protein, fiber, antioxidants, folate, and minerals. The fiber in these beans contains resistant starch which helps boost your bodies ability to burn fat, helps you feel full, and can even reduce the risk of caner.

8. Greek yogurt – so thick, so creamy, so good! Look for Greek yogurt that is low in fat or fat free, I’ve found a brand I like! It is packed with twice as much protein as regular yogurt as well as 1/4 a women’s calcium need in one serving. Greek yogurt also contains probiotics that help digestion.

9. Olive oil – I have always been fascinated by the idea of the” Mediterranean Diet”. I recently read about a lot about the Mediterranean Diet  for a newsletter a work and one of the staples of this diet is olive oil. It is also high in good monounsaturated fat and has been shown to prevent cancer. Try and eat 2 tablespoons of olive oil a day.

10. Dark Chocolate – I wrote a paper all about the benefits of dark chocolate in college and found research that supports eating chocolate with a high percentage of cocoa (at least 70%). Dark chocolate is rich in heart-protective antioxdiants and all kinds of essential minerals. Why wouldn’t you want an excuse to eat more chocolate?

This past week has been a week of many food failures. Food failures cut me deep. They put me in a bad mood because of the great anticipation I generally have at trying a new recipe. Not to mention it usually means I end up picking at my dinner and eating a bowl of cereal later. Luckily I’m married to the most un-picky person in the world who genuinely thinks everything I make is good. That sweetie.Well not everything. We have some epic food failures – like what Nathan calls “toothpaste” brownies (my attempt at mint brownies), a disgusting cranberry chicken (don’t even ask), and a few others. I am blaming this weeks run of food failures on my sinus headache and general lack of energy due to being sick the past few days. I don’t know whats gotten into me. For example I was making pasta on the fly and thought it would be a good idea to season it with feta cheese, lemon, and flat leaf parsley. That sounds good in theory but in actuality – what do all those ingredients have in common? Sour. Not a good call. Food failure. A couple months ago I set a goal to try at least 4 new recipes a week and that has worked out well for the most part. But unfortunately new recipes often mean experimentation with unfamiliar ingredients and dishes! I am learning a TON though. I consider it my self-taught culinary school. It is a lot of fun. Aside from the food failures, I did make an awesome white chili that somewhat redeemed the week (for a later post) – as well as these delicious roasted brown sugar pears!  These roasted brown sugar pears are the perfect finish to any romantic or special dinner. They are easy, but oh-so impressive. You can make them! I would never give you a food failure recipe. Trust me?

Roasted Brown Sugar Pears

• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 stick butter, melted
• 3 firm Bosc pears, peeled, halved, cored (about 1 pound)
• Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Note: I peel the pears then core them using one of those mini ice cream scooper things. Then I cut out the stem vein with a small knife. Bosc pears will always be firm which what you want for the roasting process – but if the pears are green when you peel them they aren’t ripe enough yet.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange the pears cut side up in an 8-inch square glass baking dish. Whisk the apple juice and sugar in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves. Whisk in the butter. Pour the sauce over the pears. Bake until the pears are crisp-tender and beginning to brown, basting occasionally with the juices, about 45 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Picture courtesy smittenkitchen.com (I did not have my pictues while posting)

Stop. I know what you’re thinking. This is another one of those recipes for homemade oreos that uses a box of devil’s cake and a chunk of cream cheese as filling. Well happy surprise, its not! I spent a great deal of time last night making these delicious homemade oreos and also launched into a deep discussion about cooking ‘”styles” with Nathan. I was trying to explain to him that something about who I am derives great satisfaction from making something completely from scratch. For example, these oreos do not use a cake mix as the dough for the cookie. Rather I made the dough using real ingredients like flour, cocoa powder, vanilla, butter, etc. Likewise, the idea of homemade pasta makes me joyful. My heart quickens when I make pizza dough from real whole wheat flour and yeast rather than popping open one of those pillsbury things. And don’t even get me started on making a giant pot of homeade marinara sauce with fresh celery, carrots, onions, and real tomatoes from my in-laws garden. In college I majored in food science and LOVED it because it gave me insight into where food actually comes from – whats in it, how its made, the chemistry of what happens when you cook, and so forth. Learning about all those weird ingredients on food labels made me appreciate even more the value of making something from scratch. Why would you buy hamburger helper when you could use real cheese and vegetables to cook? Sick. Whats the deal Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade?  Stop adding weird artifical colorings and perservatives to your food with premade ”flavor” packets and just mince your own garlic. Its cheaper anyway. Have you ever seen that show? Anyway, Nathan and I both came to the conclusion that we enjoy and embrace a “fresh” cooking style. I decided awhile back that is one of my life goals to move somewhere (eh-hem – Virginia..) and to have a giant home vegetable garden to cook from. But in the mean time I can just live up those awesome farmer’s markets we have in California! I know all this sounds of-so domestic of me but hey – thats what happens when you get married right?

Back to the Oreos… they are delicious! I made them last night for a party we are going to tonight. I had to stop Nathan from eating them all so there would be some for tonight. After I made the dough I used a teaspoon measure to make all the cookies the same size. This also makes them turn out small like real oreos! The cream filling is divine. I used a piping bag to squirt filling onto one cookie then smashed the other cookie on top. So fun! I think I will make it a tradition to bake these with my kids when the time comes. I also think I will end this post now to prevent me from going on about any more of my domestic desires. Enjoy!

Homemade Oreos
Makes 25 to 30 sandwich cookies

For the chocolate wafers:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) room-temperature, unsalted butter
• 1 large egg

For the filling:

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) room-temperature, unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375°F.
2. In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix the flour, cocoa, baking soda and powder, salt, and sugar. While pulsing, or on low speed, add the butter, and then the egg. Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass.
3. Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately two inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 8 minutes, rotating once for even baking. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool.
4. To make the cream, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl, and at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2 to 3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
5. To assemble the cookies, in a pastry bag with a 1/2 inch, round tip, pipe teaspoon-size blobs of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie. Continue this process until all the cookies have been sandwiched with cream.

Recipe adapted from Retro Desserts, Wayne Brachman

This Sunday morning Nathan and I took it easy in our PJs and made a big breakfast! The superstar of the morning was these delicious almond pancakes. They are so light and airy. Not to mention they give off the wonderful aromas of vanilla and almond when the batter begins to heat up on the skillet. The best part of all though is the delicious chunks of almond paste that you mix into the batter. The almond paste chunks give you little surprise bites of sweetness when you eat the pancakes. They are so great that you don’t even need maple syrup! We just topped ours off with a handful of fresh blackberries. I will definitely be making these again sometime soon and you should too!

Almond Pancakes

• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) mascarpone cheese
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure almond extract
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups buttermilk pancake mix (recommend: Krusteaz)
• 4 ounces almond paste, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

In a food processor or blender, combine the mascarpone, water, sugar, almond extract, and vanilla extract. Process until the mixture is smooth. Add the pancake mix and pulse until just combined.

Add the chopped almond paste and pulse once to incorporate.

Preheat a griddle or a large, nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Grease the griddle or skillet with 1 tablespoon of butter. Working in batches, pour 1/4 cup of batter per pancake onto the griddle and cook for about 1 1/2 minutes each side until golden. Repeat with the remaining butter and batter and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from “Giada at Home”

Remember how I discovered Greek Yogurt a couple months ago and it  became an obsession? Also remember Nathan’s parents got me one of those awesome Blendtec Blenders for Christmas and it has become an additional obsession? Great! Now you can fully understand my obession for this smoothie… It is so creamy and delicious and just makes my morning happy!

*FYI they sell large containers of Greek Yogurt that is only 2% fat ( instead of full fat like other brands) at Whole Foods.

Greek Yogurt Citrus Smoothie

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 cups plain Greek yogurt
• 1 1/4 cups orange juice
• 2 medium bananas, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup ice

Bring 1/2 cup water to boil in a small saucepan and add the sugar. Still until the sugar has completely dissolved. Allow the simple syrup to cool. Then place the simple syrup and all the other ingredients in the blender and blend till smooth. Enjoy!