As the weather has been cooling down here in Southern California... wait... no, that can't be right. It was 70 here today. I love where I live :)
Despite the temperate climate, there's no doubt in my mind that its officially fall. Thanksgiving is coming, then Christmas - I LOVE Christmas - and this really is the most wonderful time of the year. Its also the time of year for soup! Yum.
On one of our Friday night dates, D and I ventured to this little hispanic place. It was an interesting combo of Mexican classics - tacos and such - and El Salvadorian meals. We had an order of arepas, which were quite delicious, and shared a big bowl of chicken tortilla soup. Since that night I'd wanted to recreate the fresh simple flavors of that soup at home, and here it is.
This is, as usual, a mish mash of a few recipies tweaked to suit my tastes. I like soups with a lot of stuff in them - this soup is a meal in and of itself. Each time I make it I play around with the ingredients based on the season and what I have in my crisper - I'll add potatoes in the winter, tomatoes in the summer, etc. Its never quite the same but always delicious.
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Olive Oil
1 lb chicken breast
2 onions
Minced garlic
2 peppers of any color
3 carrots
2 zucchini
16 oz chicken stock
16 oz peeled crushed tomatoes
2 limes
1 bunch cilantro
salt and pepper
dash cumin
red pepper, to taste
spicy peppers, to taste (I use a big can of green chiles)
Monterey Jack Cheese
Avocado
Tortilla Chips
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a stockpot. Brown chicken breasts - I usually cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to ensure nice even cooking. Don't worry about cooking the chicken all the way through, it will simmer later. Remove from pan.
In the same pan, saute chopped onions and minced garlic until onions are soft. Add peppers, carrots and saute until soft. Add chicken stock and crushed tomatoes. Add remaining veggies; season to taste.
Shred chicken into bite sized bits and return to soup. Add juice of 2 lemons and lots of chopped cilantro. Let simmer until flavors blend and chicken is cooked through.
Serve topped with cheese, avocado, and crushed tortilla chips.
November 7, 2009
November 1, 2009
The Long-Awaited Chocolate Yogurt Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting and Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache
The Cake.
The Death-by-Chocolate-and-Peanut-Butter Cake.
The Gain-Five-Pounds-by-Reading-the-Recipe Cake.
Yum.
I've become the office baker. Birthdays are my domain. In September a girl I am close with celebrated her birthday, and requested a cake with chocolate and peanut butter... a girl after my own heart. I had bookmarked this recipe so so long ago, and was just itching for an excuse to make it. It was so so good, sinful and rich and moist and delicious. I've made it twice since then, once for another birthday and once because, well, why the hell not? (Reason why not: unhealthy BMI!) Enjoy.
Chocolate Yogurt Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, adapted from Irresistable Triple Layer Cakes
Chocolate Yogurt Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend
1 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch cakepans.
Sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; combine them well. Add the oil and yogurt and blend. Slowly beat in the water, then the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in eggs and beat until well incorporated.
Bake 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool completely in fridge.
Frost and top with ganache. Refrigerate to allow cake to set. Remove 1 hour before serving.
Peanut Butter Frosting
(I usually double this)
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)
Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly. After all sugar is incorporated, beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add peanut butter and mix until blended.
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
8 ounces seimsweet chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup half-and-half
Melt the chocolate and peanut butter over a double boiler, stirring often. Remove from heat, whisk in half-and-half, and beat until smooth.
The Death-by-Chocolate-and-Peanut-Butter Cake.
The Gain-Five-Pounds-by-Reading-the-Recipe Cake.
Yum.
I've become the office baker. Birthdays are my domain. In September a girl I am close with celebrated her birthday, and requested a cake with chocolate and peanut butter... a girl after my own heart. I had bookmarked this recipe so so long ago, and was just itching for an excuse to make it. It was so so good, sinful and rich and moist and delicious. I've made it twice since then, once for another birthday and once because, well, why the hell not? (Reason why not: unhealthy BMI!) Enjoy.
Chocolate Yogurt Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting and Chocolate Peanut Butter Ganache
Adapted from Smitten Kitchen, adapted from Irresistable Triple Layer Cakes
Chocolate Yogurt Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch process
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup neutral vegetable oil, such as canola, soybean or vegetable blend
1 cup plain yogurt
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch cakepans.
Sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; combine them well. Add the oil and yogurt and blend. Slowly beat in the water, then the vinegar and vanilla. Whisk in eggs and beat until well incorporated.
Bake 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let cool completely in fridge.
Frost and top with ganache. Refrigerate to allow cake to set. Remove 1 hour before serving.
Peanut Butter Frosting
(I usually double this)
10 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2/3 cup smooth peanut butter, preferably a commercial brand (because oil doesn’t separate out)
Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners’ sugar 1 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly. After all sugar is incorporated, beat on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add peanut butter and mix until blended.
Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze
8 ounces seimsweet chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup half-and-half
Melt the chocolate and peanut butter over a double boiler, stirring often. Remove from heat, whisk in half-and-half, and beat until smooth.
October 1, 2009
Zucchini Basil Soup
The Boyfriend was out of town last week. This means a few things around here: 1) The apartment was a mess. I didn't do dishes or laundry or wipe off the counters. It was pretty gross. 2) I got to eat whatever I wanted. I didn't have to fight for veggies and I didn't have to have meat at every. single. meal. It was glorious.
I went to the farmer's market in Santa Monica on Saturday morning - another novelty - most of the time I can't drag Boyfriend out of the apartment on days that football is on TV. There was so much pretty, fresh produce and I couldn't help but buy close to 3 pounds of zucchini. And a pound of pluots. And the biggest freakin' sweet potato I have EVER seen. And a pomegranate. Mmmmmmmm fresh produce.
When I got home and assesed my spoils there was no way around it - I needed to do something with all the dang zucchini. When this recipe popped up on my google reader I knew it was the one - besides the abundence of summer squash, I also have a basil plant in my little garden that is just overflowing. And so it was
Zucchini Basil Soup
adapted from caviarandcodfish.com
1 lb zucchini, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup packed basil leaves
salt to taste
Saute onion and garlic in oil in a large saucepan until the onion is clear and soft. Add zucchini, salt, and chicken stock and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer soup to a blender along with the basil and blend until it reaches the desired consistency.
Yum.
I went to the farmer's market in Santa Monica on Saturday morning - another novelty - most of the time I can't drag Boyfriend out of the apartment on days that football is on TV. There was so much pretty, fresh produce and I couldn't help but buy close to 3 pounds of zucchini. And a pound of pluots. And the biggest freakin' sweet potato I have EVER seen. And a pomegranate. Mmmmmmmm fresh produce.
When I got home and assesed my spoils there was no way around it - I needed to do something with all the dang zucchini. When this recipe popped up on my google reader I knew it was the one - besides the abundence of summer squash, I also have a basil plant in my little garden that is just overflowing. And so it was
Zucchini Basil Soup
adapted from caviarandcodfish.com
1 lb zucchini, chopped
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup packed basil leaves
salt to taste
Saute onion and garlic in oil in a large saucepan until the onion is clear and soft. Add zucchini, salt, and chicken stock and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer soup to a blender along with the basil and blend until it reaches the desired consistency.
Yum.
September 27, 2009
Jambalaya
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.
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 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.
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