Some Favorite Recipes That Aren't Mine

Here are some of my favorite recipes that are actually worth following:

1. Three Bean and Beef Chili by Ellie Krieger
2. Hazelnut Crunch Cake with Mascarpone and Chocolate by Giada (let's be honest, she doesn't need a last name)
3. Mushroom, Butternut Squash & Gruyere Tart by Paul Roberts
4. Cumin-Spiced Red Lentil Burgers by Ann Withey
5. Sweet Breakfast Quinoa by Jill Donenfeld

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

<3 L

Chocolate Panna Cotta with Pepita Brittle

Need a brilliantly delicious dessert? Make this Chocolate Panna Cotta with Pepita Brittle from Food and Wine Magazine. I made this little gem for my mom's birthday last year and it was a hit!

The only change I made was to buy raw pepitas and roast them in butter...mmm butter!

Chickpeas, Garbanzo Beans, Choley...Call it Whatever!

Legumes are the best. Really, you don't need to be a vegetarian to enjoy their healthful and tasty benefits. Chickpeas (that's my name of choice) are one of my favorites!

Here is a simple and satisfying recipe that can be served with naan or flatbread and some yogurt.

What you need:
1 Can of Diced Tomatoes
1 Can of Chickpeas Drained and Rinsed (you don't need that extra sodium)
1 1/2 Yellow Onions
1 Jalapeno (partially seeded to your spice preference)
4 Cloves of Garlic
Cumin
Garam Masala
1 Bay Leaf
Grapeseed Oil
Immersion Blender (a gadget worth getting!)

1. In the food processor attachment of your blender, add the slightly seeded jalapeno and garlic cloves. Blend to small pieces or paste depending on what it will let you achieve.

2. Dice your onions and heat up your pan to medium. Once the temperature is reached, add about a tablespoon of grapeseed oil and wait until it shimmers. 

3. Once your onions are golden, add the garlic mixture and cook for 1 minute. Then add your garam masala and cumin to coat the surface. Mix that around until fragrant (no longer, because you'll burn it).

4. Add the can of diced tomatoes and the bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes. If the mixture begins to stick, add some water/stock.

5. Set aside the bay leaf and blend with the immersion blender. You can still leave it a little chunky.

6. Add the chickpeas and bay leaf and cook for another 10 - 15 minutes. During this step you want the chickpeas to absorb the flavor. So depending on how much water you added previously, you may need to add more or put in a dollop of tomato paste.

7. Remove bay leaf and serve with naan or yogurt!

Announcing our new baby!

My dream has finally come true. I am now a proud owner of a brand new oval Le Creuset. While it wasn't my first choice in enamel color, the price couldn't be beat. Thank you Bloomingdales for closing a store

Recipes made in my little friend to come...

Tofu Bibimbap

The inspiration for this meal comes from my basement. Well, to be more specific, my basement consists of a pool, gym, salon, massage room, travel agency, home refinishing business, oh yeah, and a grocery. The most important part of this list is the grocery. A small store run by a Korean family that does wonders with a rice cooker and a griddle.

On many lazy nights, Josh would ride the elevator down 15 stories to pick up a delicious meal fit with protein, carbs, and vegetables. At one point we caught ourselves eating this twice a week and realized we had a problem. Then the scary thought of "what happens when we move!" hit us. So that sparked an interest in recreating this delicious meal in our own kitchen.

WARNING: This is not for the faint of heart. Get ready for many steps and ingredients...

Protein:

We go back and forth between tofu and thinly sliced beef. You really can do whatever you want here. If you choose tofu, go with the firm version and toss it in some corn starch with powdered ginger and garlic. Have carnivorous instincts? Go with the thinly sliced steak from Trader Joe's (yes, I will continue to plug them). You can marinate it in some soy sauce, sesame oil, a little sugar, garlic and ginger.

The thing I love most with Asian cooking is that you really don't have to be specific measurements. A splash of this and a pinch of that makes it taste wonderful. Especially in my well seasoned wok turned up high.

Vegetables:

With Bibimbap, you can choose whatever veggies you have around. Sprouts and spinach are great, but tonight we went with fake it till you make it kimchi, carrots, and romaine.

Going from simple to complex:

1. Cut up the lettuce.

2. Julienne (cut thin strips) carrots and sear them in the wok.

3. Make fake kimchi by boiling the cabbage until soft and mixing it with 2 parts white vinegar, 1 part sesame oil, a little crushed red pepper, sugar and ginger. 

Last steps are the finishing touches, a fried egg and gochujang sauce.

The egg is easy, I have faith that you can do this without instruction. The sauce on the other hand, I will guide you through.

In a blender combine:
2 tbs rice wine vinegar
4 tsp sesame oil
4 tbs hot bean paste (you are going to have to go to the asian market to find this one)
2 tbs sugar

Now grab a plate or bowl and put a layer of rice down. Put little piles of vegetables and protein around the rice, top with your egg and sauce (and if you're feeling fancy, some scallions) and viola you have your first homemade Korean feast.

I hope you love it as much as we do.

Turkey Nappa Dumplings

Josh and I love this little hole in the wall place called China Bistro down Rockville Pike. They are known for their dumplings and if you ever get the chance to visit, you'll know why. Most of their dumplings consist of pork or seafood, so if you're kosher -- it's not the place for you.

I really wanted to make a healthier "at home" version, and ground pork seems to be hard to come by in my area. So instead, I opted for ground turkey, the 99% lean kind. The only problem I have with turkey is the lack of flavor. That gave me a challenge of making a scrumptious out of notoriously bland.

After making a quick batch of butter tofu, I mustered up the energy to make a couple dozen dumplings.

Ingredients:
- Package of 99% lean ground turkey (health education note: if you get just regular ground turkey because you think it's healthier than ground beef, you're wrong)
- Nappa Cabbage
- 1 Egg
-  1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 tsp Ground Garlic
-  1/2 tsp Ground White Pepper
- 1 Scallion (that's also called Green Onion FYI)
- Sprinkle of Salt
- Wonton Wrappers (I bought eggroll wrappers instead, and cut them in quarters. I'll use the leftover cabbage and wrappers to make eggrolls later in the week.)
- Canola Oil

1. Thinly slice up about a cup and a quarter of cabbage, then cut the other way to mince. Then mince up the scallion and mix it with your cabbage. Your greens are now ready.
2. Grab a mixing bowl and crack your egg in, then beat it...Michael Jackson style.
3. Add to the bowl, your turkey, greens, and seasoning. Now go at it mixing with your hands.
4. Layout your wonton wrappers so that they look like diamonds and scoop about a teaspoon full into each one. You make have to adjust depending on your folding abilities.
5. Wet all the edges with some water. Now freestyle and make the shape you like best!
6. Heat up your pan with some canola oil to medium. Brown each side of the dumpling (note: you will have to do several batches of this).
7. Add about 1/2 cup of water and cover the pan. Steam until almost all the water is gone.

You can make some simple dipping sauce with soy sauce and rice wine vinegar.

Tomato Basil Soup Stolen from Nordstrom

Okay, I know I said that recipes really aren't my thing. But, I have to hand it to Serious Eats on this one for recreating a legend. I am obsessed with Nordstrom's tomato soup. It is creamy without being heavy and perfectly seasoned with basil. 

My tip: Serve it with great crusty whole wheat bread, or even better a grilled cheese and avocado sandwich. To make it fancy, drizzle a little leftover cream on top.