Category Archives: Food

Walnut Kale Basil Pesto

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A few weeks ago, the California Farm Water Coalition contacted me to see if I wanted to create a recipe with walnuts for Walnut Day. I immediately knew what I wanted to make…

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Pesto is one of my favorite items in the fridge. It can go on anything from eggs in the morning to a perfect marinade for your favorite meat or an amazing pasta sauce. Pesto packs flavor and nutrients…what more could you want?

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Walnuts are a great replacement to pine nuts in pesto. They provide the same nutty flavor, but are packed with omega 3 fatty acids and are an excellent source of vitamin E. All of this combined with the super powers of Kale, and you’ve got yourself one hell of a pesto! Not to mention, walnuts are a heck of a lot cheaper than pine nuts!

According to the California Walnut Board, there has been a new study that has found that walnuts improve sperm quality in men. Needless to say, my husband will not consume another walnut again…ever. Just kidding! Another study that was conducted at Harvard University reported that walnut consumption can be linked to lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes!

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This pesto is so versatile. I have used it three times this week, with no complaints and clean plates! While grilling chicken breasts, I brushed them with this pesto for a deliciously moist chicken sandwich. I also grilled some veggies to put on the sandwiches and brushed those with pesto too. We loved these sandwiches so much we ate them two days in a row!

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Walnut Kale Basil Pesto

  • 1/2 cup Kale, cleaned and chopped
  •  1/4 cup basil leaves
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1/2-3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Boil a medium sized pot of water with a pinch of salt. Prepare a bowl of cold ice water. Add kale to boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Strain and immediately immerse kale into ice water to stop cooking and strain.

Using a food processor, chop garlic. Add walnuts, kale, basil salt and parmesan cheese. Slowly add olive oil while the machine is running.

Store in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 3 days, but can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Make sure you head on over to the Food Grows Where Water Flows facebook page for fun giveaways!

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Triple Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Last week I finally caved and purchased 2 boxes of Guittard Chocolate Disks. I was planning on using them in the famous Jacques Torres chocolate chip cookies, but  after having made the homemade almond paste, I couldn’t stop thinking about how it would taste in a chocolate chip cookie. I didn’t want to waste the disks on a failed recipe so I baked some dough without chips before adding my precious milk chocolate disks.

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To my surprise, the cookies came out fanastic. I wanted a soft chewy cookie, so I decided to go with more brown sugar than white, which really worked. I am not sure if it was because of this or the added almond paste but the cookies stayed soft and chewy for days!

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Let me describe to you the succession of flavors you taste when you take a bite:

The first bite taste like Tomato soup, you can feel it running down my throat. Next, it starts changing… roast beef and baked potato. Crispy skin and butter! Keep chewing…now Blueberry pie and ice cream!!!

Now spit it out before you blow up like a blueberry line Violet Beauregard in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Juuuust Kidding. Sorry guys, I am having major writer’s block today. This was the only thing I could come up with.

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Back to the cookie. So, the first bite is of course chocolaty from the chocolate chips. Then you bite into a nutty almond, followed by a subtle almond extract flavor that is more of a pleasant after taste.

Take your taste buds on a journey and make these cookies!

Triple Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) softened Butter
  • 1/2 cup homemade or canned Almond Paste
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup chopped almonds

Blend together butter, sugars and extracts until light and fluffy (I really need to find new words to explain that!).

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing thoroughly each time.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. In increments of 1 cup, add the flour to the butter/sugar mixture. Mix until combined. Stir in chocolate chips and almonds. Refrigerate dough for at least one hour up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon dough onto a lined cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake for 12-14 minutes.

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Vanilla Bean Mocha Cupcakes in a Jar

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I love cupcakes in a jar. They stay fresh and moist for days. Frankly, I think they are more fun to eat than a regular cupcake!

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I made these this week for my friend who was coming over for coffee. I knew that if I made regular cupcakes, and left them out, the monsters aka my children and husband would have gobbled them up as soon as I turned my back to them. The solution, make the cupcakes but stick a few in a jar and hide them in the back of the fridge.

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When I removed them and brought them to room temperature a few days later, they were just as moist as the day I baked them! The coffee flavor was a tad bit stronger, but just as delicious, if not better.

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The vanilla bean cupcakes pair perfectly with the coffee chocolate flavored frosting. A perfect afternoon treat with a cup of tea or coffee.

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Vanilla Bean Cake

  • 2 sticks butter (softened)
  • 1 1/2 sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or regular vanilla
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk with a splash of white vinegar)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make sure all your ingredients are room temperature.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, baking powder and soda and mix.

In your mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, blend butter, sugar and vanilla at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add a cup of flour followed by 1/3 of the buttermilk. Repeat this 3 times, until you have incorporated all the flour and buttermilk.

My tips for the best batter:

Work quickly when you are incorporating the flour and milk. You do not want to wait until each addition is fully mixed. I usually add the flour, give it literally 2 seconds, then add the milk, and repeat after 2 seconds. For the last addition of the flour and milk, I usually mix by hand, in order to avoid over beating.

Spoon into greased cupcake pan, and bake for 18-20 minutes. Cool completely before removing.

Mocha Frosting

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 – 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons strongly brewed coffee

Beat butter and extract for 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar, cocoa powder and coffee. Beat with whisk attachment for 3 minutes on high.

Assembly

To assemble, cut one cupcake in half and stick it gently into the bottom of the jar. add about 1 tbsp of filling and place the other half ontop. The filling will spread itself out. Pipe frosting onto the top, adorn with sprinkles, grab a spoon, and enjoy!

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Quick Rhubarb Cake

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I think that my husband’s grandparents were trying to scare me away the first time I met them. However, I don’t think it was intentional because his grandmother is one of the sweetest ladies ever.

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They invited us over for lunch. When we sat down to eat, she placed a huge platter in the center of the table. My face immediately turned white, as I realized what it was. A big whole, like just cut from the mouth, cow’s tongue. Taste buds and all. I was always taught to eat what was served in order to not offend the hostess but, I couldn’t do it this time, I just couldn’t. Thankfully, my husband made some excuse for me in slang French, which I could barely understand with their farmer accent.

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Then, she served this cake. I had never had rhubarb before, and was extremely skeptical after what she had served for lunch. To my surprise, I really liked it. Rhubarb is a bit sour but is a perfect combination with a sweet vanilla cake. Before we left I asked her for the recipe. His grandmother is almost 90 years old, so her recipes consist of a coffee cup full of this and a spoonful of that. But hey, it works!

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After 4 years of trying, my Rhubarb plant finally took last year and now I have hundreds of stalks. I knew that the first thing I was going to had to be this cake. My husband was super stoked too because he hasn’t had this cake since the last time he saw his grandmother over a year ago.

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In French, the cake is called Gateau Vite Fait, which means quickly made cake. It is really simple, and only takes about 15 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook. It can be served warm or at room temperature. The cake portion is light, fluffy and streaked with vanilla bean which contrasts beautifully with the slightly sour rhubarb.

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Quick Rhubarb Cake

  • 1 cup plus 2 tbsp flour
  • 3/4 tsp baking powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar, plus 2 tbsp for top of rhubarb
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 tbsp butter, melted
  • 2 tbsp buttermilk or milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla or vanilla bean paste
  • 2 cups diced rhubarb

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a bowl mix eggs and 2/3 cup of sugar until light. Add melted butter, vanilla, and buttermilk. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt and mix to combine.

Pour into a 8 or 9 inch cake pan that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Spread diced rhubarb around the top of the batter and sprinkle with 2 tbsp sugar.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

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Chive Cheddar Honey Biscuits

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I am proud to report that Easter was a success! If you remember from this post, I was really nervous about cooking for 45 people. I had never cooked an entire meal, with so many different elements, for so many people. Not just any people…people with extremely high expectations.

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Well, I had to serve them Tums with their coffee and roll them out of the house when they were ready to leave. They ate, and they ate again, which I take as a very good sign.

Since I had never served that many people, I had no idea how much everyone would eat. I made WAAAAAAY too much food. We ended up with enough leftovers to actually have another party. But need not worry, we will be eating leftovers for the next week…maybe more.

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We ended up with a ham from a pig that probably weighed over 300 pounds. The ham was delicious, but eating it for a full week with potatoes au gratin can get old.    I needed to revamp the meal. The ham was so juicy and tasty that ordinary bread would not do it justice, and the only thing that would, would be a tender, flaky biscuit. Honestly, three days into ham leftovers, these biscuits actually outshine the ham!

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I used a few of my favorite ingredients that I was sure would result in a perfect biscuit. The first was Plugra Butter. I don’t know what it is about this stuff but it always results in a perfect flaky, yet moist crust or dough.

The next thing I used was Wholesome Sweetner’s Raw organic honey. We love this stuff. Not sure if it is because it is raw, but it is not as sweet as regular honey, which I like. It is perfect for these kind of biscuits because it add just the right amount of sweetness to the dough without being overpowering.

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The chives and cheddar add a savory homey feel to the biscuit and the buttermilk adds a pleasant tang. These moist, flaky biscuits are perfect for sandwiches accompany soups, or just about anything. They’re super easy to make too! From ingredients to final product, it to me about 30 minutes in all! This recipe makes about 10 large biscuits.

Chive Cheddar Honey Buttermilk biscuits adapted from Williams-Sonoma Catalog

  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tbs. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
  • 16 Tbs. (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • 2 Tbs. Wholesome Sweetner’s Raw Organic Honey

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees f. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt and pepper and mix. Cut butter into 8 slices per stick and add to flour mixture. With a pastry cutter, or in my case very clean hands, cut or squish (Yes, I did just use that term in reference to cooking lol) butter into flour until small clumps form. Mix in cheese and chives. With a wooden spoons, gently stir in buttermilk and honey. Once all the liquid has mixed with the flour, gently knead the dough about 4 times. Do not over knead, you will be breaking down the gluten results in a biscuit rock.

On a lightly floured surface, gently flatten dough out 2 inch thick circle. Using a large round cookie cutter, cut out circles and place on cookie sheet. Repeat until you have no dough left.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

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Frosted Vanilla Bean Shortbread Bars

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About a month ago I volunteered myself as baker for a party.  The party originally was supposed to cap off at 50 people, but the host decided to move the location in order to accommodate more people. Now the guest list is well over a hundred people. I quickly had to add to my baking list in order to ensure that everyone gets bit of everything.

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I have said it before and I’ll say it again- the easiest way to bake for a crowd is to serve bars! So far, I have made these bars, snickerdoodle blondies, raspberry cheesecake swirled brownies, and monster bars (brownies, oreos and m&m cookie dough). I also made a large 3 layer vanilla bean sheet cake filled with  Oreo almond truffle filling and vanilla bean frosting. I have a few more things to bake, and then I am retiring.

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Well, not really cause then I have to start prepping for Easter Brunch!

These bars were inspired by Heather Christo’s St. Patricks Day Vanilla Cookie Bars. While I love sugar cookies, I decided to go with a thick shortbread cookie. I used the same recipe that was used in the Tagalong Bars.

All in all, these came out fantastic! The vanilla bean flavor shines in the dense cookie and fluffy frosting.

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Vanilla Bean Shortbread

  • 2 cups AP flour
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 pinch of salt (1/8 tsp)
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 in pan with parchment paper, or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add egg yolks and vanilla, mix until combined. Slowly add flour and salt until everything is mixed together.

Bake until the edges are golden, about 12-14 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Vanilla Buttercream

  • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  • 2-3 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
  • 3 tablespoons milk or heavy cream

Beat butter and extract for 2 minutes. Add powdered sugar and milk or cream. If the frosting still looks to wet, add more powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments. Beat with whisk attachment for 3 minutes on high.

Frost the bars and decorate, if desired. Allow the frosting to set for about an hour before cutting.

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How To Make Homemade Gyro Sandwiches

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I know what your thinking…another savory recipe. I promise we will be back to butter and sugar on Sunday. But first I had to share with your one of our favorite family meals.

Everywhere you look in Europe there are Turkish Kabob Shops, seriously a dime a dozen. Turkish Kabobs are very similar to Greek Gyro Sandwiches. Personally, I prefer the Turkish version because they add a very spicy red sauce.

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When we used to live in Switzerland, our “pizza” night would be to grab a Kabob at the neighborhood shop. When we came back to the States’ we really really missed these sandwiches. It wasn’t until two years later that I went to lunch with a friend at a Greek Restaurant and realized that the two were practically the same! My husband was so excited that we returned there for dinner that night.

Through the years, our family has grown and we seem to always have a toddler, making  it impossible to eat out. So I figured out how to make it at home, and has been a monthly staple ever since. It really is an easy meal to make, and it is healthy!

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I like my Gyro meat a bit dry, so I remove the excess oil during cooking about every 15 minutes. This also removes excess calories! Any sort of flat bread or pita bread works with these sandwiches. I usually make my own, cause it is really easy. This is a good recipe, but OMIT the sugar!

Homemade Gyro Meat

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1 pound ground lamb (if you are not a lamb lover just use all beef, but they will taste different.
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp chopped garlic
  • 1 tbsp rosemary
  • 1 tbsp marjoram
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper

In a food processor, chop onion and garlic until very fine. Add meat and all seasonings and grind in the processor until it becomes pasty.

Grease a loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place the Gyro Meat mixture in a loaf pan, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to 12 hours.

Bake meat at 325 degrees for 60-70 minutes. If desired, drain excess oil about every 15 minutes. Once meat has cooked and cooled for about 5 minutes, remove from pan and slice into thin slices.

Tzatziki Sauce Recipe

  • 16 ounces Plain Greek Yogurt-I used Chobani
  • 3 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 medium to large cucumber, peeled and seeded
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp fresh dill
  • 1/2 tsp salt and pepper

In your food processor or blender, pulse garlic and cucumber until finely chopped. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until completely combined.

To assemble sandwiches, spread a bit of Tzatziki sauce over the flat or pita bread, add meat, tomato, lettuce, red onion and a bit more Tzatziki sauce. Roll up and enjoy!

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Bare Mixers Giveaway and Creamy Avocado Cilantro Dressing

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Over the past few weeks, we have literally been eating like the Easter Bunny. Salad…almost every night. When Whole Foods opened a couple of weeks ago, the kind rep from Earthgrown Organics gave me a few Buy One Get One Free coupons. Then, the extra nice people over at Sprouts decided to run a sale of BOGO free salads. What does that mean? A LOT of free salad! So I had to get creative. This creamy Avocado Cilantro Dressing was a great alternative to classic vinaigrettes. It was perfect on taco salad and a great and tasty spread on sandwiches too.

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Now, what is a taco salad without a delicious margarita? Non festive. And I hate being non festive. That’s where this delicious Bare Mixers comes into play. After all, what’s the point of eating salads all week just to an extra 1000 calories from the WAY overly sweet grocery store margarita mix? Bare Mixers is an all natural, low-calorie and agave sweetened Margarita Mix. It has the perfect balance between sweet and sour. When we first tried the mixer, it was served as a whiskey sour which was equally as delicious as the margarita.

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Bare Mixers wants you to try a bottle too!

To enter the Giveaway:

1. Like Bare Mixers on Facebook and come back here to tell me.

2. Leave a comment telling me your first name and where you are from and your favorite cocktail.

Winner will be chosen by random. com and announced on Monday March 25th, 2013.

Visit the Bare Mixers website to order your own bottle and find more creative recipes.

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Creamy Avocado Cilantro Dressing

  • 1 large ripe avocado
  • 1/2 greek yogurt
  • 1/4 cup cilantro
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 whole shallot
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper

In a blender chop shallot and cilantro, until finely diced. When finished, add the rest of the ingredients and pulse until creamy.

Store in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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Repost-The Marriage Renewing Sandwich

I am reposting this post from last year for 2 reasons. The first is because I could not pull it together enough to make a St. Patty’s Day inspired post. Secondly, this sandwich is one of the only reasons I will be making a St. Patty’s Day meal….it requires left overs. You WILL thank me. Trust me. 

I think my husband fell in love with me all over again over dinner tonight. I didn’t think it would be possible to woo him with food, but apparently I was wrong. After one bite of this sandwich he looked at me and after ten years said, “you’re a keeper”…well finally!

This sandwich is the most masculine, hunky, chunky sandwich known to man! If you have left over corned beef, I highly suggest you make this…it will complete you. Or, if you’re like me, it will complete your marriage.

I originally came across this sandwich on pinterest and my mouth immediately began to water. To be honest with you, I didn’t even make the traditional St. Patrick’s Day corned beef and cabbage, I just bought the corned beef to make this! The original recipe grilled the onions in Guinness, but I used our favorite stout that comes from a local brewery here in San Diego called Stone Brewery.

Stout Caramelized Onion, Corned Beef, and Sauerkraut Sandwich

Makes 4 sandwiches Ingredients:

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 2 medium onions
  • 1 cup stout (dark beer)
  • 2 cups corned beef cooked
  • 1 cup sauerkraut
  • 4 slices cheddar cheese (I used this awesome chili pepper aged cheddar)
  • 8 slices rye bread
  • Dijon mustard and mayonnaise
Directions:
Finely slice your onions and cook until tender in a heated oiled skillet for about 7 minutes. Add your stout and allow to simmer and evaporate.
Spread some mayonnaise and mustard on the rye slices. Place 1/4 of the beef, 1/4 of the sauerkraut, and some grilled onions on one slice. Place the slice of cheese over all the ingredients and close the sandwich with the other slice. Grill the sandwiches (like you would a grilled cheese sandwich) for about 3 minutes in a well-greased hot pan.
Sit back and enjoy with the rest of the bottle of stout!!

Croissant Bread Pudding

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I have been testing recipes for my Easter Day brunch all week. I will be cooking for about 45 family members, which are my harshest critics. There are a few people with aspirations of writing a cook book in the family, me being one of them. Needless to say, we are all a bit competitive, even though I know that I am the best cook of them all :P

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So this is why I am testing recipes now. Each dish has to be perfectly balanced and executed. A lot of pressure right?!?! I think my real challenge will be with the lamb. I have to make it better than my uncle’s perfectly grilled lamb last year!

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Anyway, this Croissant Bread Pudding certainly made the cut. It is sweet from the vanilla bean, buttery from the croissants, and creamy from the creme anglaise. I prefer a dense bread pudding rather than a mushy one. These cut perfectly into dense little squares. Serve with fresh berries and whipped cream for a stunning addition to your brunch or dessert table.

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Croissant Bread Pudding

  • 12 croissants 
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 cups whipping cream
  • 1 cup milk

In a heavy bottomed pot, bring whipping cream and milk to a simmer.

Beat eggs, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla bean paste and salt until light and fluffy.

When milk/cream has come to a simmer remove from heat. Add a half of a cup or cream mixture to egg mixture and mix until combined. Continue this process by adding 1 cup of cream to egg mixture at a time and mix.

Preheat you oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×13 inch pan.

In a large bowl, break up 1in x 1in croissant pieces. Add 1/4 of cream mixture to the croissant pieces and stir to combine. Wait 15 minutes and add another 1/2 of the cream mixture, again stir to combine. Let rest for 5 minutes then stir. Finally, pour the rest of the cream mixture into the croissant bowl, mix and pour into pan.

Bake for 40 minutes. Serve hot or cold with whipped cream and/or fresh berries.

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