Pink Mousse

This pink mousse worked well as dessert with whip cream on top and it could also be served with granola in the morning! It was sweet, a little tart, and creamy. I really want to alter this recipe and make it into a chocolate mousse/pudding instead!

Pink Mousse

12 oz of silken tofu

1 1/2 cups of raspberries

1/2 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

-Place all ingredients in a food processor and mix until smooth

-Taste to see if needs anything else

-Chill for two hours and serve with whip cream or granola

Enjoy!

Jamie

Springs Rolls w/ Peanut Sauce

Recently I found out that I have a few food sensitives, therefore I have been avoiding an array of ingredients including eggs, dairy, and wheat. With my love to cook, I have been trying out a lot new  recipes--some recipes have been great and some need tweaking. Don't worry I am only listing the recipes that turn out good!

These springs rolls are crispy, fresh, and surprising filling! They go great with this peanut sauce, which has become my new favorite condiment. I have served it over rice and as a dipping sauce for meat, veggies, spring rolls...

Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Spring Roll

Spring roll wrappers, circle shape (found in the international section of the grocery store, Cost Plus, etc.)

Cucumbers, sliced thin

Carrots, julienned

Bean Sprouts

Butter Lettuce

Basil

Protein--tofu, chicken, or shrimp

Water

Directions:

-Place one spring roll wrapper at a time in warm water for 15 seconds

-Let wet spring roll wrapper rest for 30 seconds or until soft

-Layer lettuce and basil in the middle of wrapper, then add your desired veggies and protein on top

-Fold in the ends on the wrapper, then roll up the rest

-Serve with ponzu or peanut sauce

Peanut Sauce

1 cup of coconut milk

4 tablespoons on peanut butter

2 teaspoons sugar

3 teaspoons lemon or rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon chili paste, like Sriracha

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon soy sauce

Directions:

-Place all ingredients in sauce pan, stir, and bring to a simmer

-Let mixture simmer for 4 minutes, stirring periodically

-Can be served warm or cold and will keep for a week in the fridge

Enjoy!
Jamie 

Pho Soup

I made pho soup during the past rain storm in LA and it did not disappoint. It look 10 minutes to prepare, tasted pretty authentic and soulful. You can substitute any of the vegetables or proteins to what you prefer or what is in season.

Pho Soup for two

5 cups of chicken broth

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

pepper to taste

1/2 clove of garlic (whole)

1 cup of frozen peas

1 cup of thinly sliced mushrooms

2 green onion stocks sliced thinly

1 cooked chicken breast cut into thin chunks

1/2 of a package of rice noodles broken in quarters (found this at Ralph's international aisle)

Scriracha, basil, soy sauce, and limes at table side

Directions:

-Place chicken broth, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, pepper and garlic in a medium sized pot and bring to a boil.

-Turn off broth once it boils, then add peas, mushrooms, green onions, & chicken and cover.

-In another pot bring water to a boil, then follow directions on side of rice noodles to cook, then rise with cold water.

 -Place noodles in bowl and add broth mixture. Have Sriracha, basil, soy sauce, and limes handy as condiments to add at the table.

Enjoy!

Jamie

 

Kale & Brussel Sprout Salad

My friend Kate served this delicious kale and brussel sprout salad that I had to recreate it! It is earthy, crunchy, and very easy to prepare. This salad would accompany a breaded chicken breast or pork loin very well.

Kale & Brussel Sprout Salad

1 bunch of kale, stems removed and thinly sliced

10 brussel sprouts, coarsely grated

1/4 cup of sliced almonds
1 teaspoon olive oil

Dressing: 
1 lemon juiced

1/4 cup of olive oil

1/4 cup of Parmesan grated

1 tablespoon of mustard (stone ground, spicy, brown)

1 teaspoon agave or honey 

1 tablespoon of shallot diced

1/2 clove garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

-Add the sliced kale and grated brussel spouts to a fry pan with a little olive oil. Saute for 5 minutes, then add the almonds and saute for another 3 minutes
-Combine all dressing ingredients together and pour over kale mixture
-Can be serve salad hot or at room temperature

Enjoy,
Jamie

Root Beer Float Cupcakes

My sister was raving about this root beer float cupcake recipe which sounded good, but the best part is that it is only three ingredents! Yes three ingredients--white cake mix, diet root beer, and cool whip. Defently would recommend this recipe for a last minute dessert or for a nostalgic treat!

More about this recipe is found here.

Warmly,
Jamie 

Apple Tart

For a quick dessert that works well for brunch or any time of the day is this apple tart. It takes about 10 minutes to prepare, 30 minutes to cook, and will impress!

(not the prettiest slice)

Apple Tart

1 puff pastry sheet, defrosted

2 granny apples

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter, cubed

2 tablespoons apricot jam

1 tablespoon water

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 400

-Defrost puff pastry for 10 minutes

-Peel apples, cut the apple into thin slices, lay them in rows on the puff pastry

-Sprinkle sugar, cinnamon, and butter on top of the apples

-Bake for 30 minutes and rotate half way through

-Combine water with jam and spread over the apple tart once removed from the oven

-Serve at room temperature with whip cream or vanilla ice cream (will make four servings)

Enjoy,

Jamie

Chili

Whether you're hosting a Super Bowl party this weekend or craving comfort food, this chili recipe will hit the spot!

I prefer cooking this in a crockpot so the flavors really marry together and you can taste the TLC of this being cooked for 10 hours! I think the below spices are spot on, but this recipe easily be altered by what vegetables you already have or what kind of meat you prefer.

Chili

1 1/4 lbs of ground turkey

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (28 oz) of diced tomatoes

3/4 cup of onion

1 Anaheim pepper, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1 1/2 cup of corn--frozen

2 tablespoon of oil 

1 cup of dark beer

3 chicken bouillon cubes

3 tablespoon of chili powder

1 tablespoon of curry powder

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons of hot sauce

1/4 cup of agave

Directions:

-Saute onions on stove top with oil, when they start becoming translucent, add ground meat

-Saute meat until until it isn't pink, then drain off extra fat

-Spray crockpot with non-stick spray, add all ingredients, cook for 8-10 hours on low.

-Some great toppings/accompaniments for this chili is cheddar cheese, sour cream or Greek yogurt, corn bread, baked potato, and chives!

Enjoy,

Jamie

Curry Cauliflower Salad

There's a good lunch place in Venice called Lemonade and they serve an assortment of salads to choose from. One of my favorites is their curry cauliflower salad, so I tried to make it at home!
This salad is creamy, earthy, and reminds me of the classic broccoli salad that I ate in the summer months growing up.

Curry Cauliflower Salad

1/2 of head of cauliflower florets

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

1 teaspoon on curry powder
3 tablespoons sliced almonds

3 tablespoons of golden raisins  
salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:
3 tablespoons of Greek Yogurt
1 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon agave

salt to taste

Directions:

- Pre-heat oven to 375 and line a baking sheet with foil

- Mix the florets, oil, 1 teaspoon of curry powder, salt, and pepper together and pour over foil

- After 9 minutes in the oven, stir

- Pour the sliced almond onto the foil and cook for another 3 minutes

- Bake until golden, approximately 12 minutes total, then let cool
- Combine dressing ingredients together, add raisins and room temperature cauliflower, then taste to see if it needs anything else

Enjoy,
Jamie



Greek 7 Layer Dip

Ryan loves watching sports, but a lot of game day food is unhealthy, so I have been the hunt for healthy alternatives that are still satisfying.

Here is a recipe I made last weekend that was filling, zesty, and unique--Greek 7 Layer Dip! It takes the same concept of the Mexican 7 Layer Dip, but uses Greek ingredients like olives, onion, and feta. Definitely would make this recipe again whether it is for a football game or hosting a dinner!

Greek 7 Layer Dip

1 cup of humus (store bought or follow below recipe)

1/4 cup of red bell pepper

1/4 cup of cherry tomatoes diced

1/4 cup of cucumber cubed

1/4 cup of crumbled feta

8 olives diced

2 tablespoons of onions diced

salt and pepper

Directions:

- Smear 1 cup of humus on the bottom of the serving dish. 

- Scatter chopped ingredients on top of the humus, then add salt and pepper to taste. 

- Serve with pita slices.

Humus Recipe:

1 can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans drained

3 tablespoons of tahini

1 clove of garlic chopped

1/2 lemon juiced

3 tablespoons water

1/4 cup of olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

- Add all ingredients to a food processor and mix until smooth. 

- Try it and see if needs anything else (lemon, oil, salt, etc.), then mix

- Pour into bowl and enjoy with veggies or pita.

Enjoy,

Jamie

Chicken Curry Crockpot Recipe

The crockpot has become my favorite kitchen appliance due to the ease of cooking with it and the tasty meals it creates. I spend 5-10 minutes cutting and pouring everything into the crockpot before work, then when I come home 9 hours later, dinner is ready! This is a great $20 investment.

Here is a new dish that I will be served at my dinner table once a week--chicken curry. I enjoy eating curry when I eat out because it was a dish I knew I couldn't master at home, but I was wrong...

Chicken Curry Crockpot Recipe

2 chicken breast, cut into thirds

1 sweet potatoes, peeled and largely diced

1 can of chickpeas (garbanzo), drained 

1 onion, roughly chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup sour cream

1 cup orange juice

1 tsp salt 

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp ground ginger

3 teaspoons curry powder

Directions: 

- Place chopped onion in crockpot, followed by chicken, garbanzo beans, sweet potato, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, ginger, curry powder, and orange juice, then cover.

- Cook on low for 6 hours.

- 10 minutes before serving, add sour cream, stir.

- Serve over rice.

Enjoy,
Jamie

Sausage Cheese Grits

The first time I had this was in Palm Desert and my sister and I begged for the recipe. This recipe seemed like comfort food to us, even though we never ate grits growing up!

You can adapt this recipe for vegetarians, personal likes, or what meats and vegetables you have in the fridge. I once made this when I was short on sausage, so I added a bacon and mushrooms to add more flavor.

Sausage Cheese Grits Casserole

8 oz of Morning Sausage or any meat sausage
1/4 chopped red onion
1/4 chopped bell pepper
3/4 cup of quick cooking grits uncooked
4 oz sharp cheddar shredded
2 eggs beaten
salt and pepper to taste
2 oz sharp cheddar cheese sprinkled on top

Directions:
Saute the chopped onions, bell pepper, and sausage in a fry pan with a little oil until golden and sausage is cooked.

Cook grits according to the instructions on the box.

Combine sausage mixture, with grits, 4 oz of cheese, eggs, salt and pepper in a bowl. Pour mixture into an oiled baking dish, then place in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until golden on top.

Serve with salad or fruit.

Enjoy,
Jamie

Peanut Butter Pie

To celebrate Ryan's birthday, I made him one of his favorite desserts Peanut Butter Pie. I only make this pie for parties because otherwise I will devour the whole thing! This pie is smooth, salty, chocolaty, and very addicting.

Peanut Butter Pie

1 3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup of peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup of chocolate chips
1 chocolate graham cracker crust, store-bought

Directions:
Whip 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream, 1/4 cup sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form.

In a separate bowl mix the cream cheese, peanut butter, and confectioners' sugar together until blended, then fold in the whip cream. Scoop into crust and chill for an hour or more.

Using a double boiler (a pot with a 1/2 inch of boiling water, then a larger glass bowl on top of the pot), place chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of cream into glass bowl. Stir until chocolate and cream are combined, then pour over peanut butter filling.

Chill pie for another two hours or more, then serve!

Enjoy,
Jamie

Panzanella

I was craving a crisp and zesty salad last night and panzanella was the answer! The recipe reminds me of summer and can be thrown together in minutes. I think tomatoes are a must in this salad, but you can substitute in other veggies like bell peppers, artichokes, grilled zucchini, olives, pepperoncinis, Italian meats, cheeses, etc. Also, a store bought Italian or balsamic dressing would work well too!

We ate this salad on its' own last night, but it would accompany grilled chicken breasts or fish or burgers perfectly.

Panzanella

Salad:

2 1/2 cups of french baguette, cut into 1 inch cubes 

1 cup of cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup of cucumber, cut into cubes

1/4 cup yellow onion, small chop

4 basil leafs, torn

4 tablespoons of feta, chopped or crumbled

Vinaigrette:

3 tablespoons EVOO

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon agave/honey

salt, pepper, and thyme to taste

Directions:

If you have stale bread, please chop that into 1 inch cubes.

If you bought a fresh baguette please pre-heat oven to 400 degrees, then chop the bread into one inch cubes and toast in the oven for 5 minutes or until crisp. The bread needs to be dried out to ensure it doesn't become soggy in the salad.

Chop cucumbers into cubes, small dice the onion, chop cherry tomatoes in half or you can use whole tomatoes and chop in medium size pieces, and tear basil by hand.

Place the vegetables, bread, and feta into a salad bowl.

Stir the vinaigrette ingredients together and pour over the salad, stir until completely covered. Let sit for 10 minutes and then taste. If the salad tastes a little dry, please add more vinaigrette.

Enjoy!

Jamie

Banana Pancakes

Jack Johnson's Banana Pancakes definitely inspired our rainy morning and this song makes me smile whenever I hear it.

Our pancakes followed the back of the Krusteaz pancake box for two people and added 3/4 of a smashed banana.

Warmly,
Jamie

Brussel Sprouts

My family never had brussel sprouts on the table growing up and I knew they had a reputation of tasting horrible, so I avoided them. Within the last year I have grown very fond of them and even crave them now!

Brussel sprouts are now in season and you can buy them in these large stocks at Trader Joes! They are a part of the cabbage family, but they don't taste like it.  Brussel sprouts are easy to prepare and taste nutty and earthy after roasting them--which is my go to way of cooking them, but they are great sauteed with bacon like my friend Kate makes.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

1/2 lbs of brussel sprouts

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 lemon wedge

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and line a cooking sheet pan with tin foil.

Cut brussel sprouts in half from top to bottom and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Line halfs face down of cookie sheet and bake for 12 minutes or until golden. Then flip them over and cook for another 12 minutes or until golden. Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve.

Enjoy!
Jamie

Quiche

Quiche is one of my favorite dishes to make ahead! So the night before I cooked all the veggies and grated the cheese. Then in the morning, I assembled the quiche and threw it into the oven while I got ready!

Below is the recipe I used, but really you can substitute what vegetables and cheese you prefer or have in your fridge.

Photo taken by mom

Vegetable Quiche

1/4 cup chopped yellow onion

3 cups of raw spinach

1 package of crumini mushrooms

1 large Italian squash

1 cup of cheddar cheese

1 cup of jack cheese

2 slices of bacon

1 frozen pie crust

5 eggs

3 tablespoons water

salt and pepper to taste

Turn oven to 350 degrees. The crust will be need to be par-baked to avoid raw dough in the middle, so first poke holes into the crust to let air escape and cook for 7 minutes. Place a layer on cheese on the crust.

Cut the onion and mushroom into bite size pieces and saute till golden, season with salt and pepper, place into pie crust and layer cheese on this. Repeat with squash, spinach, and bacon. **This part can be done the night before and place into fridge.

Combine eggs with water, salt, pepper and beat with whisk, then pour on top of the veggie/cheese mixture. Cook for 40 minutes or until the eggs are fully cooked!

Enjoy!

JB

Chicken Stew w/ Biscuits

In the midst of craving everything yesterday, Ina Gartner's chicken stew with biscuits recipe came to mind and I had to make it that night!

I usually alter most recipes, since I'm cooking for fewer people than the receipe calls for or use what I have in the kitchen or cut down on cost and time.

So here is my take on Ina's chicken stew with biscuits and it would comfortably feed four with a side salad.

Chicken Stew with Biscuits

1 large chicken breast

3 tablespoons EVOO

3/4 cup chopped onions

3/4 cups chopped carrots

3/4 cups frozen peas

2 1/2 cup chicken broth

1/8 cup half and half

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried mustard powder

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Salt and black pepper to taste

4 tablespoons of flour dissolved into 4 tablespoons of water

Pre-made biscuits

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook chicken breast for approximately 25 minutes in oven with EVOO, salt, and pepper. Cool, cut chicken into cubes and set aside. **Would be great to use chicken leftovers or a roasted chicken from the store. 

-In a stockpot, add EVOO and saute chopped onions until clear. Then add the carrots, chicken broth, spices, and bring to a boil. Add half & half and dissolved flour/water mixture, stir until thickened, and lower the heat to a simmer. After simmering for 5 minutes, add peas, chicken, then pour into a oiled casserole dish. 

-Turn oven to 400, then place pre-made biscuits on top of the chicken stew and cook for 15 minutes in oven.

Enjoy!

JB

Mushroom Soup

I am big fan of LA Restaurant Week, where you are able to dine at restaurants for a fixed price.  The restaurants participating in restaurant week can be seen here. Ryan and I treated ourselves to a lunch at Fig and Olive, which is where Obama ate at when he visited LA.

One of the many dishes we enjoyed was their mushroom soup, so I tried to see if I could recreate it. I altered a Wolfgang Puck recipe and it tasted very similar to the original and was delicious!

  

Photo taken by Katelyn

Mushroom Soup Recipe

1 lbs total of fresh portabello and crumini mushrooms

1 medium lemon

1 tablespoon EVOO

2 tablespoons of minced shallots

1 medium garlic clove minced 

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cup of half and half

3/4 cup of white wine

1 3/4 cup of chicken broth

1 tablespoon of flour, dissolved in 1 tablespoon of water

Parsley, truffle oil, and baguette to garnish

Directions:
Combine mushrooms and lemon juice in a food processor and mince. Depending on the size of your food processor, this may need to be done in phases. 

In a stockpot, saute the shallots, mushrooms, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper in EVOO over medium heat until all liquid disappears approx. 12 minutes.

Then add chicken broth, wine, and half and half to stockpot, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Dissolve flour in 1 tablespoon of water and once mixture is smooth, add to soup to help thicken. Simmer for 5 minutes.

Garnish soup with parsley, truffle oil and plenty of baguette to dip!

Enjoy,

Jamie

Barley & Almond Pilaf

Fall is nipping at my toes a.k.a almost 75 degrees in LA... A recipe I enjoyed when growing up was barley & almond pilaf, so I decided to see if I still liked it! I accompanied the pilaf with lemon wine chicken and roasted squash. The pilaf was great with its' depth of flavor and made me nostalgic of being young and would go great with a Thanksgiving feast! You could easily alter this recipe for guests with dietary restrictions like vegans, vegetarian, gluten free, etc.

Recipe courtesy of my mom:
1 cup dried pearl barley
3 T EVOO
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 small onion chopped
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onion
3 cups of chicken broth or veggie broth
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Lightly brown almonds in EVOO, then set aside. Saute onions until clear, then add barley and lightly brown. Place browned almonds, onion, barley, parsley, green onions, salt, & pepper in a oiled casserole dish. **This can in advance and placed in the fridge overnight.

Pre-heat oven to 375. Heat broth until boiling, pour over barley mixture, then stir. Cook uncovered in oven for 60 minutes and enjoy!

Warmly,
Jamie