Category: misc
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Strawberry Fruit Leather
May 9, 2016
I couldn't resist buying three pints of strawberries at the opening day for the St. Helena Farmers' Market last Friday. The sweet smell wafted my way and drew me in. For some reason I was reminded of the fruit roll ups I used to eat as a kid (well, only at my friends' houses...my mom would never buy foods with artificially anything! thanks mom!). Starring at a dehydrator I never use, I knew I could do better than those high fructose, artificially colored "fruit" snacks of my youth. And I was right! Plus they are super easy to make...
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“Bread and Butter” Pickled Carrot Chips
March 7, 2016
Why not make tangy, sweet and spicy pickles out of carrots when cukes are out of season?!? I got these beauties from B and B Gardens (@BandBGardens) just a few miles down the road in Napa. Brent and Brenda (hence B and B!) are passionate about their produce! Feel free to use any color carrot you desire, just be aware purple carrots bleed. I canned them separately, but the yellows and oranges can hang out together just fine.
Curious about the name "bread and butter?" In the 1920s, an Illinois farmer couple was short on cash, but long on undersized cucumbers. They packed them in its notable brine and bartered them for...you guessed it...bread and butter.
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Gluten Free Pie Crust
January 19, 2016
Recently I've been getting requests for gluten free (GF) pizza and pie crusts recipes. Since I didn't have one, I thought I'd take the challenge. In culinary school, I became very comfortable using @CupForCup because a very good friend and classmate, Liz (@LizelleTomorrow), is gluten intolerant. Cup4Cup's motto, "gluten free but you'd never know it," is pretty spot on. Classmates scoffed when I told them I made GF lemon bars with it, but the next time when I made brownies and only told Liz on the side they were GF, no one knew the difference and scarfed them up!
That's why I was elated when I attended the Fancy Food Show (@craftcarejoy) in San Fran yesterday and first saw their booth, then found out it was created at The French Laundry (@_TFL_) just down the road in Yountville! Unfortunately, though, when I bought GF flour for this recipe Cup4Cup wasn't availability in my local grocery store so I used @KingArthurFlour's version. The results were pretty solid - not as flaky as I had hoped, but buttery for sure.
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Veggie Chips
November 3, 2015
I decided to make baked veggie chips from beets and turnips that I couldn't seem to incorporate into anything else I was making this week. Cheap, healthy and quick, I developed four different flavorings for them: Curry, Japanese, Spicy "Crab" and Umami. The first two were my favorite and are pictured Japanese, left, and curry, right, in the main photo. Try one of these seasonings or get into your spice cabinet and start experimenting!
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Jicama Stack
March 24, 2015
This recipe is proof that good things come in quick packages. Jicama matchsticks tossed in lime juice and any seasoning or rub mix in your pantry and then stacked jenga-style. I used togarashi - a Japanese seasoning made from red pepper, orange peel, sesame seed, seaweed and ginger - but you could use Mexican, Chinese, or BBQ rubs. The fact that the knife cuts are uneven makes it that much more fun to play!
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Pumpkin Simple Syrup
October 28, 2014
Spice up Halloween with spicy pumpkin simple syrup! With this syrup, you can make treats by drizzling over ice cream or using in cookie batter, or be tricky by adding your favorite liquor for a happy Halloween indeed. Of course, I chose the latter, but to keep the mixture thick for the former just don't strain it. Pumpkin is super high in Vitamin A so no matter if you are tricking or treating, you'll be doing good for your skin, teeth and eyes.
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Puffy Pancake
October 14, 2014
I was watching an old "Good Eats" and Alton was cooking popovers. It made me think about the Puffy Pancake my beau's mom makes, which uses a popover-like dough (basically a very wet one). You may also know this as a Dutch Baby. This traditional one is a sweet and sour version with powdered sugar and lemon butter, but with a neutral batter like this, the possibilities are only limited by your own creativity. The first few ideas that come to mind are topping with Sloppy Joes, Pumpkin Chili, Tofu Cacciatore, or Tandoori Vegetables. Bonus nutrition - one serving is "High In" Riboflavin and Thiamin and "Low In" Sodium.
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Corn Pesto
September 30, 2014
I learned a new trick this week: roasted corn husks = smoky popcorn flavor. Yes, please add me to corn pesto! Corn husk liquid is married with roasted corn, garlic, parmesan cheese, pinenuts and EVOO to create a match made for pasta, pizza or crostini heaven. One serving is "Low In" carbs and cholesterol and a "Good Source" of phosphorous and thiamin - go corn!
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Corned Bean Mash
September 18, 2014
For some reason corned beef hash has been popping up in my life lately. I cubed corned beef at work last week. A woman sitting next to me at brunch was eating it. And when I looked it up online to read about its ingredients and cooking methods, I discovered September 27th is National Corned Beef Day...well, I'll be! But the challenge was: could I vegetarianized it? I thought brining beans in the same vain as brisket would offer the flavor profile and lend to the 'mash' part of the dish since the beans would break up well right along side the potatoes. Thus was born Corned Bean Mash...pair with a Bloody Mary and brunch is on! And you don't need to feel guilty for eating this brunch dish - it's High In Vitamins A and C, Riboflavin, Phosphorus, Potassium, Iron and Fiber (go beans!). You could easily turn these into cakes by adding a few tablespoons of milk to help bind it together - then brown up individually.
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Tomato Strawberry Jam
August 27, 2014
The current breakfast class I'm taking has its pros and cons. Learning how to make doughnuts from scratch, flipping a fried egg in the pan, and getting creative with smoothie flavors - all big pluses. Waking up at 3AM for service at 6:30AM - not so great. Even though I didn't get to make jam in class, I was inspired by a recent trip to the local farmers' market where I saw overflowing baskets of strawberries, tomatoes and hot peppers. Why not combine them for a sweet, savory, spicy condiment to accompany a cheese plate or spread on morning toast for a special treat? Since one serving is one tablespoon, it's not surprising this jam is low in fat, saturated fat, carbs, sodium and cholesterol (even if you have two tablespoons!).
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Vegetable Stock
February 2, 2014
I successfully completed my first week at culinary school (with only one very minor knife incident). All week long we made stock - the flavor base for everything from soups and sauces to rice and grains. After about 30 minutes of the stock simmering, you'll be thankful you spent all that time chopping - an amazing, comfort aroma filled my kitchen! This recipe makes one gallon - can it or divide up and freeze. Cup for cup it's 150% cheaper and has almost 600% less sodium. Go forth and flavor the world!
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Mushroom Onion Rillettes
November 3, 2013
I've been seeing rillettes on a lot of menus lately - perhaps I'm noticing because I'm taking an intro French class! Rillettes is traditionally made by cooking pork over a low temperature for a long time. The fat renders out of the meat and it's packed in jars for winter storage. Here I use the same technique with beautiful portobello and shiitake mushrooms and onions. In place of the natural pork fat, I packed some in butter and some in olive oil. This would be a fantastic Thanksgiving appetizer.
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Blistered Sweet Peppers
July 7, 2013
Summer peppers are here in every color and heat! I've been enjoying a similar version of this dish at Bistro 33 in Davis. If you can't find shishito peppers, other mild peppers you might try are anaheim, banana, gypsy, cherry or cubanelle. They all are significantly lower on the Scoville scale than a jalapeño. An easy go-to appetizer all summer long...
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Dill Pickles
June 23, 2013
Kirby cucumbers, the pickling ones, are in full season so I thought I'd try my hand at homemade pickles. They are twice 'dill-ed' with both dill seed and fresh dill, and packed with a mild vinegar-garlic-pepper brine. Perfect for snacking out of the jar or sliced on your favorite sandwich. These take a week in the fridge, but if you want faster pickles, slice them before they go in the jar. I found that the fridge was far superior to processing the jars in a hot bath. The pickles were brighter and crisper.
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Mini Italian Egg White Frittatas
March 3, 2013
Looking to make a low calorie sweet protein bar, I quickly realized that one of the best vegetarian ingredients with high protein and low calories is actually savory egg whites. One quarter cup of egg white has 30 calories, 6.4g of protein, and no fat, carbs or cholesterol. To add some flavor, I packed it with veggies, herbs and a bit of cheese. Make a couple of batches and snack on these all week for breakfast or post-workout.
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Fig Olive Tapenade
September 16, 2012
Figs are literally falling from the 100+ year old trees behind my office building. I dried more than five pounds and used some to recreate a favorite dip from the grocery store. This tapenade is slightly sweet, savory, briny and fresh all in one. Serve smeared over crostini with goat cheese or Parmesan, as I did here.
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Pickled Hot Peppers
July 29, 2012
You may have guessed by now that I'm crazy about pickling things. I have pickled peppers here, but this is a classic recipe that you could use to pickle any vegetable that you want to make crunchy, sour, salty and sweet. Use with a cheese plate, or on burgers and hot dogs. To can them for long-term storage, use my Honey-Ginger Grapefruit Marmalade recipe and start at step #6. Otherwise, keep in the fridge and use within 2-3 weeks.
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Quinoa Spinach Salad
June 24, 2012
A work colleague, Fadia D., shared her recipe for this flavor-packed salad that would be a great addition at any 4th of July barbecue or picnic. Quinoa brings protein and fiber to this salad party of spinach, almonds, dried apricots, feta, and shallots topped with a tangy-tart dressing made with apricot preserves, lemon and honey. Highly versatile - you can substitute dried cranberries for the apricots, walnuts for the almonds, and add other veggies like tomatoes, broccoli, asparagus or beets.
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Zucchini Relish
June 17, 2012
This is a favorite condiment in my house and at Michael's softball team barbeques. It's the perfect thing to make when you have a glut of zucchini in your garden transforming pounds of veggies into a zesty, slightly sweet topping for burgers and hot dogs.
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Rhubarb Pickle Chips
May 27, 2012
While I'm anxiously waiting for ripening tomatoes and peppers, I jumped on the chance to use an in-season vegetable. I wasn't inspired by the usual rhubarb treatments drowned in sugar for pies, jams and crumbles. Why not embrace the sour? Doing a bit of research I developed this recipe for pickle chips to have a tart yet slightly spicy profile that I think would be an interesting companion for burgers to a cheese platter. Note that these are what is called 'refrigerator pickles' meaning you sterilize your jars and lids, but don't process the jars after they are full. The additional heat will turn the rhubarb to mush.
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Mushroom Rosemary Parmesan Breakfast Muffins
April 15, 2012
Think you can't get in veggies before 8am? Try making a savory breakfast muffin over the weekend and have a grab-n-go treat every morning for weeks. This combo is sherry mushrooms, fresh rosemary and grated parmesan, but the sky's the limit here. Try spinach and feta, faux sausage and mozz, sage and mushrooms, scallions and red pepper - get creative and then get to work with a healthy breakfast in your belly!
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Fig Pear Compote
September 11, 2011
The figs keep coming! I discovered a fig tree behind my office building and easily snatched four pounds worth. I added them to some pears I had to make a compote that could be used for sweet or savory dishes thanks to black peppercorns, rosemary, cinnamon and Madeira wine. If you'd like to can this, go to my recipe for Honey-Ginger Grapefruit Marmalade and follow from instructions 6-9.
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Fresh Mozzarella
August 7, 2011
This recipe is heavily based on Gourmet magazine's take, and well worth the hours it takes. Dedicate a lazy summer afternoon and you will be rewarded. You must use the best milk you can find - here a local dairy that sits right on the Pacific Coast less than 100 miles away called Straus Creamery. Paired with tomatoes and basil from the garden - just perfection.
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Pickled Roast Beets and Onions
April 3, 2011
It's spring and the beets are in bloom. I harvested most of the beets from the garden this weekend and decided to pickle and can them. You can freeze the beet greens for soup or saute them as a side dish with olive oil, garlic, raisins and pine nuts. Pickled beets and onions are wonderful with goat cheese on a crostini, as a topping for hamburgers or hot dogs, or simply as a snack right out of the jar.
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Chocolate Covered “Bacon”
July 18, 2010
Well I know I said I'd be off today, but I was doing my weekly post for Davis Life Magazine (called the Early Girl Foodie Weekend) and I covered the California State Fair that opened last Wednesday. Every year they announce a new food item, usually a greasy, fried abomination. This year was no different (for example, fried scorpions are a new menu item), but I was quite intrigued by the chocolate covered bacon. I had heard of people making bacon ice cream so this seemed interesting. I made my own, veggie style, and I have to say the results were not that bad. I added some creative enhancements - freshly cracked salt, red pepper flakes, brown sugar and banana. I would have to say, remembering what bacon used to taste like, that unless you are a veggie, go with the real stuff. The fakin' bacon just doesn't have the fat and salt punch. Nevertheless, it's a fun little dessert.
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Vegetable Stock
May 24, 2009
Oh, is it not Sunday today?! Sorry folks, I had a bit of slacking on the long weekend. Baseball and beer was calling me. Today it's back to work. A few folks have been asking me about my homemade vegetable stock recipe so I thought I'd give it up. It's quite easy, freezable and just makes the dish when it involves rice, quinoa or any other suck-up-the-liquid-type grain. And vegetable stock is an absolute requirement for soup - that I learned quite early on in my kitchen adventures - water just doesn't cut it. You need to add stock no matter what the recipe says. And did I mention that this homemade stock has about half the sodium of the store-bought stuff? So enjoy the recipe for this great kitchen staple.