Ok, no cake this time. Because this cake deserves documentation, and my camera is not being friends with my computer right now. So we'll come back to the cake later, maybe after I work off the 5lbs I gained eating it!
I've mentioned before that I like to cook on Sunday afternoons. D and I like to try new things on those days too - we've made dumplings, gnocchi, all sorts of goodness for the first time on Sundays. A few weeks ago I asked D what he wanted to make and he had one word for me: jambalaya.
Side note: This is why I love this man.
Anyway, neither of us have very much experience with jambalaya, and our version is less-than-authentic. He doesn't eat pork and I don't eat seafood so our meats were chicken and turkey sausage. Louisiana, I apologize. However inauthentic, it was still quite tasty!
Jambalaya
2 chicken breasts (1lb)
3 sausages (1lb)
extra virgin olive oil
1 can whole peeled tomatoes
2 onions
2 green peppers
6 celery stalks
Garlic
1/2 can tomato paste
6 green onion
chicken stock
salt and pepper
paprika
italian seasoning
cajun seasoning
4 bay leaves
1 can kidney beans
1 can black eyed peas
tabasco
3c rice
Saute chicken and turkey sausage with olive oil in a large pot until cooked through. Remove and drain meat. Saute chopped onion, pepper, and celery with garlic until onion is translucent.
Add tomatoes, tomato paste, beans, chicken broth and seasoning to pot. Season to taste.
Add rice. Cover and cook on medium heat until rice is done.
Return meat to pot. Serve warm.
September 27, 2009
September 20, 2009
Cuban Dinner
The actual Cuban name for this is Picadillo, but in my family it is simply known as Cuban Dinner. My whole extended family goes on vacation together quite a bit, and every time we are all together we convince my grandmother to make this. Though, I won't lie, its not much work to convince her :) My grandmother grew up in Cuba - my great grandfather was in the CIA and was based at Guantanamo. This is her recipe, based on what she ate in her childhood. Nowadays picadillo can be quite fancy, with potatoes or olives or capers or all sorts of yummy things mixed in, but this recipe is nice and simple. Just like Cuba, in the 30's.
Gran's Picadillo
1 lb ground beef
2 peppers
2 onions
Garlic
1 small can tomato paste
Red Wine
Cumin
Oregano
Black Beans
Rice
Brown beef in a large pan - it does not need to be done all the way, you'll be cooking it again. Remove beef from pan and saute chopped onions, peppers, and garlic. When the onions are done, remove 1/3 of the veggies and mix into the black beans. Return the beef to the pan with the remaining veggies. Add tomato paste plus 1 can-full each of water and red wine. Season to taste with cumin and oregano.
Serve with rice and black beans. My gran also serves with crusty bread or crackers.
Gran's Picadillo
1 lb ground beef
2 peppers
2 onions
Garlic
1 small can tomato paste
Red Wine
Cumin
Oregano
Black Beans
Rice
Brown beef in a large pan - it does not need to be done all the way, you'll be cooking it again. Remove beef from pan and saute chopped onions, peppers, and garlic. When the onions are done, remove 1/3 of the veggies and mix into the black beans. Return the beef to the pan with the remaining veggies. Add tomato paste plus 1 can-full each of water and red wine. Season to taste with cumin and oregano.
Serve with rice and black beans. My gran also serves with crusty bread or crackers.
August 31, 2009
I've Done It
I've disgusted myself. With chocolate. And peanut butter. In cake form.
Its no surprise, I guess. There are 8 cups of sugar in this cake.
8. Freakin. Cups.
More tomorrow. Or whenever I wake up from the food coma.
Its no surprise, I guess. There are 8 cups of sugar in this cake.
8. Freakin. Cups.
More tomorrow. Or whenever I wake up from the food coma.
August 28, 2009
Thai part 2 - Spicy Peanut Noodles
These were SO good. I mean it. Craving good. I don't have to develop a Thai takeout addiction because I can whip up a batch of this for next-to-nothing good. The recipe I found came from allrecipies, but I played with it a bit to suite my tastes... meaning, I added more peanut butter and made it much spicier... can't go wrong there!
Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles
1/2 c chicken broth
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
3 tbsp Sriracha
1 tbsp honey
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh minced ginger
1 tbsp fresh minced garlic
8 oz udon noodles
chopped green onions
chopped cilantro
2 limes
2 cups random veggies
Cook noodles as directed. Boil or steam veggies.
While the noodles are cooking, combine the chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger, juice of 1 lime and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until smooth and uniform.
Toss the noodles and veggies with warm sauce. Garnish with green onions, cilantro, and lime.
Spicy Thai Peanut Noodles
1/2 c chicken broth
1/2 c creamy peanut butter
3 tbsp Sriracha
1 tbsp honey
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh minced ginger
1 tbsp fresh minced garlic
8 oz udon noodles
chopped green onions
chopped cilantro
2 limes
2 cups random veggies
Cook noodles as directed. Boil or steam veggies.
While the noodles are cooking, combine the chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger, juice of 1 lime and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until smooth and uniform.
Toss the noodles and veggies with warm sauce. Garnish with green onions, cilantro, and lime.
August 11, 2009
Tom Kha Gai
One of our favorite restaurants in LA is a little hole in the wall Thai place near Hollywood. Its quite a drive from our little beach town so we don't go very often - usually only when we have guests in town - but it is deeeeeeeelicious. Last time we went was with D's parents (in town for the Greatful Dead concert!) and they introduced us to a few new dishes, including this one. Its a coconut and chicken soup flavored with lemongrass and hot peppers - so yummy!
Tom Kha Gai
1 can coconut milk
2 cups water
1 lb chicken breast, cut into thin strips
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and diced
2 stems lemongrass, sliced lengthwise
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 limes
1 jalepeno (not what you're supposed to use, but its available in LA)
small bunch chopped cilantro
Pour coconut milk, water, lemongrass, ginger, cilantro, and peel of 1/2 lime into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat.
Add fish sauce and juice of 2 limes. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the chicken and cook until chicken is done; about 10 minutes.
Add chile. Serve warm.
Tom Kha Gai
1 can coconut milk
2 cups water
1 lb chicken breast, cut into thin strips
2 inch piece of ginger, peeled and diced
2 stems lemongrass, sliced lengthwise
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 limes
1 jalepeno (not what you're supposed to use, but its available in LA)
small bunch chopped cilantro
Pour coconut milk, water, lemongrass, ginger, cilantro, and peel of 1/2 lime into a saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower heat.
Add fish sauce and juice of 2 limes. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the chicken and cook until chicken is done; about 10 minutes.
Add chile. Serve warm.
August 4, 2009
Pollo con Espinaca
I like to cook on Sundays. Its relaxing, to be able to plan a meal, grocery shop, prep, cook, and of course eat everything. Its one of my favorite ways to end a nice weekend, and great to begin the week with because we always have leftovers!
One night a few weeks ago we were in the mood for something spicy. We also had a big bag of spinach that needed to be used up, so we decided on pollo con espinaca. Sounds easy enough, right?
This is D's favorite dish of maybe all time. Whenever we go out for Mexican this is certainly in consideration. To make things a little more interesting, I have never had pollo con espinaca before, so I had absolutely no idea what I was in for!
We followed a mish mash of recipes from one of my cookbooks and from various sources online. This is what we came up with!
Pollo Espinaca
4 Chicken Breasts
Fresh spinach, washed and stems removed
1 jalepeno, diced
1 package cream cheese
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (I wanted to use crema mexicana or oaxaca, but its $$$)
salt and pepper
Olive Oil
We chose to grill our chicken, so we gave it a little olive oil rub and seasoned with salt and pepper before cooking.
Heat 1tbsp olive oil in a large pan. Saute spinach until wilted.
Stir in softened cream cheese and plain yogurt. Allow to melt, stirring constantly to break up the spinach.
Add cheese and allow to melt. Continue stirring. Add jalepeno, salt and pepper to taste.
We served the grilled chicken and the sauce with rice and beans. Quite delicious, and healthy too! This will definitely be an addition to our regular dinner rotation.
One night a few weeks ago we were in the mood for something spicy. We also had a big bag of spinach that needed to be used up, so we decided on pollo con espinaca. Sounds easy enough, right?
This is D's favorite dish of maybe all time. Whenever we go out for Mexican this is certainly in consideration. To make things a little more interesting, I have never had pollo con espinaca before, so I had absolutely no idea what I was in for!
We followed a mish mash of recipes from one of my cookbooks and from various sources online. This is what we came up with!
Pollo Espinaca
4 Chicken Breasts
Fresh spinach, washed and stems removed
1 jalepeno, diced
1 package cream cheese
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup parmesan cheese (I wanted to use crema mexicana or oaxaca, but its $$$)
salt and pepper
Olive Oil
We chose to grill our chicken, so we gave it a little olive oil rub and seasoned with salt and pepper before cooking.
Heat 1tbsp olive oil in a large pan. Saute spinach until wilted.
Stir in softened cream cheese and plain yogurt. Allow to melt, stirring constantly to break up the spinach.
Add cheese and allow to melt. Continue stirring. Add jalepeno, salt and pepper to taste.
We served the grilled chicken and the sauce with rice and beans. Quite delicious, and healthy too! This will definitely be an addition to our regular dinner rotation.
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