Taste of Guilt

Since I had some fruit and veggies lying around that needed to be eaten up, thought it’d be perfect to blend it all together for a healthy morning snack/drink. Super easy way to get veggies and fruit and calcium into your diet (and trick your kids into eating greens since you don’t taste the spinach)!

Green Drink

1 handful baby spinach, washed

2 kiwis, peeled

1 banana

1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

3/4 scoop of vanilla protein powder

Blend all the ingredients in a blender, or in my case an emulsion hand held blender. Drink!

I’m headed to my first cookie exchange party tomorrow and wanted to make something other than just chocolate chip cookies or oatmeal raisin. So when I saw this recipe…I just had to try it. What’s great about this Chewy Caramel Apple Cookie is that it not only tastes like apple pie, but it’s super fast and easy to make. It’d be perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Chewy Caramel Apple Cookie

makes about 3 dozen cookies

recipe taken directly from here

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter, softened

2 cups brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 apple (I used 2 mini gala apples only because I already had them)

1 bag mini caramels (found at Target)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg and continue to beat until combined.

Whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, baking powder, baking soda and salt in another bowl.

Grate the apple with a cheese grater and squeeze out all liquid with paper towels. Add shredded apple to the flour and then add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and mix until combined. Then, add the caramel bits. Dough will be a little dry.

Roll small balls of dough out and bake on a lined baking sheet for 12-14 minutes. Let cookies completely cool before attempting to move them off the baking sheet or else they will fall apart! Trust her on this one.

Here’s a super simple, healthy snack to munch on in lieu of potato chips. The ingredients/recipe are incredibly versatile so adjust however you please!

Brussel Sprout Chips

1 bunch of brussel sprouts (5-6 sprouts = roughly 1 cup of chips), stems cut and leaves separated

pinch of salt and pepper

pinch of cayenne pepper (for a kick)

pinch of red pepper flakes

pinch of garlic powder

Olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, toss brussel sprout leaves with olive oil (just enough to coat) and seasonings. (I didn’t wash my sprouts because I was afraid the leaves would get soggy so I just trashed the outer leaves). Line a baking sheet with foil and dump the seasoned leaves on, spreading evenly. Bake for 10 minutes. Transfer the browned leaves onto a paper towel to soak up oil. Place pan back into oven with the leaves not yet browned, and repeat as many times as necessary checking on them every few minutes or so.

Kale is another green that bakes up nicely as well. Enjoy!

When I saw this article on SFgate.com, I knew I had to attempt making ramen. It’s a LONG process of simmering but it hit the spot on a cool Fall night.

Roasted Duck Ramen

adapted from this recipe

*We halved the original recipe and we easily served 5 people + extra broth with the portions below

• 1 Chinese-style whole roast ducks*
• 2 pounds chicken bones or feet*
• 1 1/4 gallons water
• 2 12-inch pieces dried kombu seaweed*
• 1/4 cup peeled crushed garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup crushed ginger slices
• 1 yellow onions, chopped
• 1 serrano chiles, chopped
• 4 whole dried shiitake mushrooms
• 12 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
• 1 bunch baby bok choy, cleaned and trimmed
• Store-bought fresh ramen noodles, cooked*
• 5 hardboiled eggs, halved
• bamboo shoots (jarred or canned)
• Japanese fish cake*

Instructions: Using a sharp knife or your hands, separate the roasted duck meat from the bones. Set the meat aside as a topping for the ramen. Cut the duck carcass into smaller pieces, and add all the duck and chicken bones, as well as any extra fat or skin from the roast duck, to a 1.5-gallon stock pot. Cover with 1 gallon of water and bring to a simmer. Continue simmering gently for 1-1.5 hours on medium-low heat, skimming any debris that rises to the top just a few times.

Wipe the kombu with a damp cloth or soak in water for a few minutes, then add it to the pot with another 1/4 gallon of water; simmer 1-2 more hours.

Add the garlic, ginger, onions, chiles and dried shiitakes. Simmer for another hour.

Remove pot from the heat. Strain the broth into another stock pot large enough to hold all the liquid – you should have about 0.5-1 gallon of broth. If you have more than that, continue simmering to reduce further.

Return the strained broth to the stovetop, add salt or soy sauce to taste, and bring to a simmer. Blanch the fresh shiitake mushrooms and greens in the broth for 30 seconds; remove and set aside.

To serve, pour about 2 cups of broth over the desired amount of noodles; refrigerate or freeze extra broth for a later use. Top with the blanched mushrooms and greens, eggs, bamboo and reserved roasted duck meat.

*Whole roast ducks, chicken feet/carcass, kombu, Japanese fish cake and fresh ramen can be purchased at Asian supermarkets like 99 Ranch.

Last night while I was planning out my 4-mile run for this morning, I was figuring out what to eat for breakfast. I knew I needed energy for the run but I also knew I couldn’t eat too much either. Then I came across the perfect combo of fuel + craving for pancakes. Oatmeal pancakes. It gave me the right amount of energy without giving me runner’s cramp (but I waited 20 min after eating )!

Oatmeal Pancakes

adapted from a SmittenKitchen.com recipe

**I prepared the dry ingredients the night before and stored it in mason jars for future use.

Makes about 18 pancakes

3/4 cup oat flour (pulse rolled oats in a food processor. 1 cup of oats =  3/4 cup oat flour)
1 cup whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon Kosher or coarse salt
1 1/4 cups almond milk or whole milk
1 cup cooked oatmeal*
2 large eggs

Apples (chopped into a bowl sprinkled with cinnamon and heated in microwave for 20-25 seconds to soften)

**For 2 pancakes, I used 1/4 cup dry ingredients + 1 egg +  1/2 cup milk + 1/4 cup cooked oatmeal

Whisk the dry ingredients (oat flour, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt) together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk milk, cooked oatmeal, and eggs together until thoroughly combined. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Do not overmix.

Heat pan over medium heat with a little bit of butter. Pour however much batter into pan as you want the size of your pancakes to be. (Add any fruit on top at this time. I don’t tend to like my fruit mixed in the batter but I also heat up the fruit before I put in because it tends to not cook evenly). Once bubbles have begun to form on the top side of the pancake, flip the pancake and cook until the bottom is dark golden-brown, about 5 minutes total. Continue with the rest of the batter.

*Cooked Oatmeal—Heat up 1/4 cup oats + 1/2 to 3/4 cup water in a small saucepan over low heat. Let sit for about 10 min, stirring occasionally. Once thickened up, it’s done.

A substitute for syrup is powdered sugar and Fage if you want to go the healthier route like I did. But the toppings are endless!

I am one of those people who will eat or at least try any sort of innards. Liver is one of my favorites. Pate is delicious and foie gras is even better. A few days ago, I was to bring bread and butter to a gathering but I couldn’t just show up with just that! I decided to make something else that is not only spreadable on bread but is even better than butter. Chicken Liver Pate. This tasty recipe is even easier than I thought it’d be!

Chicken Liver Pate

adapted from this recipe

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 tablespoon onion, chopped
• 1/4 pound chicken livers, trimmed and chopped (bought prepackaged from Ranch 99)
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
• 8 ounce package light whipped spreadable cream cheese
• hot sauce to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

I have been wanting to try Flour + Water for so long that I finally now understand what all the hype is. The pasta is to-die-for and the pizza is just right. Don’t bother making reservations since you’re not going to get one online even 2 weeks in advanced. Walk in on a weekday before 6PM and you’re likely to get a table.

Started off with the Pork Terrina with Fig, Almond & Fresh Horseradish. Perfect light start with the sweet from the fig and the savory from the terrina.

I ordered the Funghi Pizza with Nettles, Chanterelles, Fontina & Sage Cream. YUM. Can’t go wrong with mushrooms.

And then I tried the Garganelli with Rabbit Polpettine & Spinach and wished I had ordered a pasta. Next time!

Finished the night with a Humphry Slocombe Black Sesame kid (but not so kid-like) scoop of ice cream in a cone. Ahhh. The small joys of life.

Just had one of the most delicious meals I’ve had in a long time at Chef’s Night Off. From what I believe, every last Monday of the month for the next 2 months, Radius will host pop-up dinners prepared by husband-and-wife, Evan and Sara Rich (former chefs at Coi, Michael Minna and Quince), with two seatings each at 630PM & 8PM. $60/4-course meal. It’s well worth it, guys!

On the menu for tonight:

• Amuse Bouche: roasted corn fritters :: YUM
• 1st course: red beets, goat cheese, almonds, flame grapes, dill :: LICKED MY PLATE CLEAN
• 2nd course: squid, black olive vinaigrette, watermelon, crispy onions :: MY LEAST FAVORITE DISH OF THE NIGHT
• Palette cleanser: tomato gazpacho :: NORMALLY DISLIKE TOMATOES BUT NOT THIS ONE
• 3rd course: pork shoulder, black garlic, red cabbage ::  MARMITE-LIKE SAUCE MADE THE DISH
• 4th course: “peach cobbler” :: SO SIMPLE BUT A GREAT END TO DINNER
• Complimentary sweets: red pepper gelee :: SAVORY AND SWEET ALL IN ONE

It’s been a long time! Phew. Apologies for the lack of posts but here’s a long one on my trip to So Cal this weekend.

On the way down 101, stopped by H.C. Seafood for a quick snack of some freshly boiled spider and rock crab. Not the most well-kept area but who needs that when you’re just making a bigger mess!

Then we made our way down to our first dinner in LA at Umami. Started with a cold beer and some truffle cheese fries that were to die for. Then ordered their signature Umami burger—Parmesan crisp, shittake mushrooms…mmmm.

The next morning started off with a Westin breakfast of the most nutritious foods.

Lunch was King’s Burger’s – Got Sushi bar in Northridge. Always delicious and always best to try their Omakase (chef’s choice). Generally they serve you until you say stop but my tactic is to give them a set price so I don’t eat and eat until I rack up a huge bill. But even at $35, I was full and completely satisfied.

‘

Seafood Ceviche

Halibut with Uni

Yellowtail with Black Truffle

Octopus Carpaccio

Live Scallop with Uni (on left), not sure what’s on the left as that piece was not for me

Hamachi

Tuna with Garlic Soy Sauce

Salmon with Black Truffle and Hollandaise Sauce

Albacore with Spicy Tuna Roll

Then it was dinner at Father’s Office for more beer + burgers + fries. No pics but it was all good and a fun environment. Be prepared to wait for a table as they’re first come, first served.

The day we left, we tried a cafe around the corner from our hotel called, Euro Pane, known for their egg salad sandwich. Did not disappoint!

Ever since I’ve discovered how un-dry boiled chicken was, I’ve made it a few times not only because it’s easy to cook and healthy for you (than dark meat), but you can use boiled chicken in so many ways!

The other day, I was craving Vietnamese Bun—normally served with grilled pork in restaurants or grilled steak in Andrea’s Kitchen—so I thought I’d go the healthy route and make mine with boiled chicken. I went all out too and pickled some carrots and daikon. But because I was feeling under the weather, I used the broth that cooked the chicken to turn it into Chicken Noodle Soup! Oh, and wait…I had a handful of chicken chunks left after eating 2 Bun bowls and 3 bowls of soup (over the course of 3 days) that I made a chicken & egg salad sandwich (unpictured).

How to Boil Chicken

Fill a large pot with 1 can of chicken stock and water (enough to cover the amount of chicken breasts you have). Chop up some carrots, onions, celery, and any other veggies or herbs you have on hand. I had cilantro and fresh thyme so I threw some of that in as well. Place all that with salt and pepper and the chicken in the pot with the liquid, cover and let boil then simmer for an additional 20-30 minutes.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Take the cooked chicken out. Add the amount of noodles you want and throw it into the pot and boil for another 8 minutes or until pasta is cooked. Toss in some chopped chicken, salt and pepper to taste and it’s ready!

Vietnamese Bun

Take some of the cooked chopped chicken and place it in a bowl with some cooked vermicelli noodles (I only had udon on hand), lettuce and pickled veggies (recipe below) and toss with homemade dipping sauce (recipe below). Super easy dish.

Chicken, Egg & Edamame Salad

Shredded leftover chicken breast
1 tsp mayo
1 tbsp garlic mustard (or dijon)
1/2 c. shelled edamame (if frozen, boil for 2 minutes then strain)
1 boiled egg chopped
couple grinds of salt & pepper

Eat by itself or use it as a filling in a toasted sandwich.

Pickled Carrots and Daikon

In a bowl, combine roughly 2 cups of rice vinegar or regular vinegar (I used a combo of both), 5-7 tsp of sugar and a pinch of salt. Stir until sugar and salt have dissolved. Taste to make sure it has the right sour/sweet taste. Adjust accordingly. Let that sit and chop up a few carrots and a medium sized daikon into 2-3 inch sticks. Grab 2 mason jars or any washed glass jars (with lids) you have on hand and stack the carrots and daikons into the jars. Stuff them as tight as you can and then pour in vinegar to the top. Cover and let sit in the fridge for at least a few hours for the veggies to marinate.

Fish Dipping Sauce (for Bun bowl)

1 cup of water
4 tablespoons of rice vinegar
4 tablespoons of sugar
5 tablespoons of fish sauce
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1/2-1 tsp of garlic chili sauce

Combine the above ingredients in a bowl and let sit in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to come together. Pour over bun bowl (doesn’t take much as the flavor is pretty powerful).