OC Family Priscilla's OC Kitchen

Step aside ranch dip!

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:11:00 GMT

It's healthy, delicious and GREEN, so St. Patrick's Day could be the perfect time to spring this on your kids! This vegan dip is so creamy you won't believe there's not a drop of dairy in it. Plus it was a snap to make - especially with the new mini food processor I picked up at Sur La Table! Yesterday, I was in heaven - Apple Store and Sur La Table, right across from each other in South Coast Plaza. Ummm, did some damage :-)

Green Goddess Dip

(adapted from Clean Food, by Terry Walters)

12 ounces silken tofu*

3 scallions, chopped

3 tablespoons fresh parsley or cilantro

1 tablespoon maple mustard*

1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar*

2 teaspoons mellow white miso

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Make 2 cups.

Wrap tofu in paper towels and press gently to remove excess water. Place in food processor or blender and process until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and process to combine. Cover and refrigerate to thicken and allow flavors to blend. Store in airtight container in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

*Variations: I had soft silken tofu - for extra firm or firm silken tofu, add water 1 tablespoon at a time to achieve desired consistency. The dip can also be further thinned and used as a salad dressing, or made with 1½ cups great northern or cannellini beans instead of tofu. *If your kitchen isn't stocked with ingredients like brown rice vinegar - use regular rice vinegar. For maple mustard I used 2 tablespoons of natural honey mustard mixed with one tablespoon of maple syrup. Improvise - it's all good ;-)

Serve with cut up veggies of your choice, pita chips, or toasted pita bread as shown.

** I highly recommend Clean Food if you're interested in eating healthier, closer to the source, and venturing into vegetarian and vegan. The book is available in the TM Shop.

In the dog house

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:53:00 GMT

SIT, STAY, EAT The motto of the Lazy Dog Cafe expresses the simple pleasure of taking things a little slower and sharing food with those you love.

The whimsical doggie-themed decor has instant appeal and the creative rustic design has been described as "Frank Lloyd Wright meets Ralph Lauren", inspired by owner Chris Simms' summers in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I have a thing for lighting and fell instantly in awe of the massive chandelier crafted from Aspen logs in the entry and the fun dog-paw ceiling fixture in the bar area (see photo above). Dog print fabrics, canine photos, and metal sculpture make you smile inside and you have to love the playful fire hydrant beer tap!

The Lazy Dog Cafe specializes in an eclectic menu of American fare with touches of Italian, Chinese, Mediterranean and South American with everything from classic American Campfire Pot Roast and BBQ Baby Back Ribs to Bahama Jerk Chicken, Hawaiian inspired Ahi Poke and a Trio of Hummus Sampler. Pictured below is the Pesto Chicken & Hummus Salad, Shrimp Wok Platter and Cast Iron Idaho Trout. They offer a Puppy Dogs menu for kids 8 and under for $4.95 and smaller portions of menu favorites for the Big Dogs, 12 and under. And for us older dogs, there's a terrific Happy Hour, check out the specials here.

The staff was friendly, enthusiastic and eager to please - special thanks to our charming waiter, Michael, who allowed us to take countless photos. I didn't catch the name of the smiling bartender below, who gave us a photo op as he poured one of the 21 draft beers available. Executive Chef, Gabriel Caliendo's attention to detail was evident as he checked plates leaving the line and quizzed staff on the names of the selections they were serving.

Chris Simms' vision came from his older friends who had young children and were finding that 2 year olds were not welcome at the restaurants they used to frequent as a couple. His desire was to create a place with a comfortable but hip feel to it. "A place where kids were welcome and offered the same quality as nicer more expensive restaurants, but comfortable and casual at an affordable level". In 2003, Simms opened the first Lazy Dog on Beach Blvd. in Huntington Beach and his concept has proven to be wildly successful.

Visit their website here. Oh, and in keeping with the canine theme, regulars are encouraged to submit 5"x7" photographs of their dogs for the Lazy Dog Cafe Hall of Fame which is displayed in a designated area in the restaurant.

Thanks to Frank Groff Inc . and The Lazy Dog Cafe for inviting me to this event.

Come and visit me on Facebook or my website if you crave anything food related.

Friday's Fish

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:44:00 GMT

Recently, I posted a recipe for Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya in honor of New Orleans and Fat Tuesday.

What exactly is Fat Tuesday all about? Roman Catholics around the world celebrate Carnival, which comes from the Latin phrase "the removal of meat", and is the three day period preceding the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday. The Tuesday before Ash Wednesday is Shrove Tuesday and is more popularly known by the French term Mardi Gras, meaning "Fat Tuesday", because it is the last day of excess before the fasting traditions of Lent.

Lent has traditionally been marked by penitential prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. Some churches today still observe a rigid schedule of fasting on certain days during Lent, especially the giving up of meat, alcohol, sweets, and other types of food. Other traditions do not place as great an emphasis on fasting, but focus on charitable deeds, especially helping those in physical need with food and clothing, or giving money to charities. Read more about the season of Lent here.

Fish on Friday became a tradition because those of Catholic faith abstain from eating meat on Ash Wednesday and every Friday during Lent. Exceptions to the rules of abstinence are made (by the bishop) - especially, if St. Patrick's Day falls on a Friday - for real :-)

So here's to Fish on Friday, or any day of the week. This fish preparation is embarrassingly easy, no-recipe delicious - I think we can all appreciate that!

Halibut with Lemon and Capers

2 fresh halibut steaks, 8 oz. each

prepared seafood spice rub

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice1 teaspoon capers

Preheat broiler.

Brush halibut with canola oil, sprinkle with spice mix such as lemon pepper or Lawry's Seafood Rub, broil for 5-8 minutes (depending on thickness) until fish is opaque

Meanwhile, melt butter, add lemon juice and teaspoon of capers. Drizzle over fish and serve immediately.

Shown here with roasted fresh asparagus.

Enjoy :-)

If you'd like to read more on cooking traditions or add to your recipe repertoire, visit me at She's Cookin' and leave a comment so I can say, Hi!

Go to Chicken and Sausage Jambalya.

Mission Meatless: Unbelievable Vegan Stuffed Shells

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:08:00 GMT

Even though there's years of research and information published about how unhealthy the typical American diet is, I feel as if the increased publicity of Food, Inc. and Michael Pollan's books are reaching mainstream America and more families are taking action: eating more fruits and vegetables, less meat, closer to the source, etc.

I've been experimenting with cooking more meatless, vegetarian and vegan dishes and I have to say that, since my family are cheese lovers, cooking vegan is a challenge. But I'm determined to find recipes that even the most hardcore meat eater, *ahem* like my husband, The Don, will actually enjoy without sending any quizzical looks my way! (I don't lie to my family, but I've found that full disclosure isn't necessary either.) The crumbled tofu mixture was flavorful and savory with the same texture as traditional ricotta - these shells passed with flying colors!

Baked Stuffed Shells

(Adapted from Clean Food, by Terry Walters**)

8 ounces large pasta shells
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 large onion, chopped¼ cup mirin*, or sherry
1 t. dried basil2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
1 pkg. (14-16 ounces) fresh firm tofu (not silken)
1 bunch kale or collard greens, cut into stripssea salt and freshly ground pepper
28 ounce can organic tomato sauce
1 cup grated soy or rice mozzarella

Cook shells according to instructions. Remove with a slotted spoon, reserving the cooking water. Add the chopped collard greens to water and blanch for 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a colander. Drain, using fingers to press down to remove excess liquid. Transfer to a cutting board and chop.

Filling:
Heat olive oil In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté onions for 2 minutes, add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring. Add mirin, basil and parsley. Wrap tofu in paper towels and press to remove excess liquid. Crumble tofu into skillet, mix with other ingredients and cook for 5 minutes.Stir in collard greens and season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and allow to cool enough to handle.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Assembling:
Stuff shells with filling and place in a 9x12 inch baking dish sprayed with oil. Cover stuffed shells with half of the tomato sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Heat the remaining tomato sauce for the table or spoon on plates and place shells on top to serve. Serves 4-6

Enjoy :-)

* Mirin is Japanese rice cooking wine and can be found at Asian markets or in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets.
** I highly recommend Clean Food - one of the 10 Best Cookbooks of 2009. "Clean Food is a gateway book for the vegan lifestyle, not a hard sell. Who knows, it may end up on your kitchen shelf right next to your copy of The Meat Bible." It's available at the TM Store, as well as Gourmet Today, another of the top 10.

Valentine's Day already buried in the past?

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:17:00 GMT

Yesterday, I posted on Facebook how Valentine's Day was only two weeks ago and it already seems like a distant memory - don't let the day-to-day diminish the special moments in your life! With work, kids, and managing hectic schedules, it's so easy to do.

This year my husband and I attended an underground dinner - my previous post "Scallops and Carmelized Leeks with Arugula" was an adaptation from this unforgettable evening of food and wine that I wrote about on my blog. I decided to share it today so I could relive it.

Never heard of underground dinners? Don't feel bad, I didn't really know what an underground dinner was either; but whatever it was, the name was intriguing, it sounded exciting, and count me IN.

My invitation to the underground dinner was most graciously extended by Toni Purry, founder and CEO of Purry Communications, who I met at the Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa event for the bloggers at OC Family magazine. You can read about our evening of pampering at the spa here. But right now, I need to tell you about my foodie adventure and magical evening in Van Nuys. Say what???

Yes, even though the address for the underground dinner location (disclosed only days before the event) said North Hollywood, a few guests that I talked with referred to the area as Van Nuys. I won't bother to bemoan the travails of driving to Van Nuys from Orange County on a Saturday night before Valentine's Day. These underground dinners are never at a traditional restaurant, how boring would that be... And it is by Invitation Only.

The evening was billed as "La Nuit á Paris" and, with this name, promised to transport us to the banks of the River Seine and the romance of the City of Lights.

Chef Amy Jurist and her amazing staff are the orchestrators of these bi-monthly dining experiences which she likes to think of as "food raves".

Chef Amy's career path to becoming a personal chef, caterer, and host/chef of Amy's Underground Decadent Dinner Parties is a bit like Robert Frost's road not taken . Her journey has included being a successful entertainment marketing executive, a reality star, as well as a photographer, a food product developer, and creator of fine artisanal chocolates! Read more about Amy and reviews of her other decadent dinners at Amy's Culinary Adventures. While you're there check out the mouth-watering menus from past dinners: Cheese Please,Mingle in the Mediterranean, One Night in Italy, The Mushroom Experience, and The Bacon Affair.

Our evening in Paris began with Michel Olivier 2007 Cremant de Limoux Blanc de Blanc champagne and a selection of three amuse bouches: brie with truffle honey, foie gras mousse, and tiny crepes filled with ham, gruyere, and mushrooms.

At the ringing of the dinner bell, guests were seated and Toni Purry introduced Chef Amy along with a little back story on Amy's Culinary Adventures. Amy's breezy style put everyone at ease and we were treated to her self-deprecating and amusingly irreverent sense of humor with each course.

Scallops with Leek Confit and Balsamic Syrup: Delicate and sublime, this dish was my favorite of the evening.

French Onion Soup with Gruyére Crostini: What distinguished this French Onion soup from all others was her method of straining the onions from the soup, leaving a lovely onion broth, much more sophisticated and easier to spoon gracefully from bowl to lips.

Braised Short Ribs with Cabernet & Port: Served with garlic mashed potatoes and topped with shaved brussel sprouts and paired beautifully with a Château Mas Neuf Costières de Nîmes Tradition Rouge 2008.

Pear Almond Tarte Tartin: I was ecstatic that the dessert was not chocolate! Not that I don't love chocolate, but apple tarte tartin is a classic french dessert, and served with lavender vanilla bean ice cream, it was sheer bliss!

Thrilled to share a a table with Toni Purry and VIP guest, Sophie Gayot, daughter of Andre Gayot, founder of the Gayot restaurant rating system and renowned for their reviews and recommendations of the world's finest restaurants and the Gayot travel guide series.

Nancy Friedman chatting with Chef Amy

Truly an evening to remember, Chef Amy made a point of crediting her devoted friends and expert staff for keeping her motivated personally and creatively: Jonathon Fong for the floral decor, Adam Zuckert for wine selections, Tad Weyland for his culinary creativity, Jennifer Doland for keeping her on track and on time, Toni Purry and Jackie Reaume from Purry Communications for getting the word out, and even her childhood French nanny, Diane Marquis-Sebie for her friendship and translation services. :-)

Interested in more culinary adventures? Visit me at She's Cookin'.

A Food Rave Fave

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:04:00 GMT

I enjoy getting creative in the kitchen and that includes trying to recreate favorite dishes that I come across in my foodie adventures. Here's my riff on the Scallops with Leek Confit from the underground dinner that I wrote about last week on my website.

Chef Amy's pan-seared scallops were served on top of a delicate Leek Confit (Confit is a French word that is best translated as preserving. Confit has recently been expanded to include interpretations such as slowly cooking meat, fish or vegetables in a flavorful oil such as olive oil (which may or may not be infused with secondary flavors. You can read the complete definition of confit here.)

The leeks in my dish became a bit more carmelized, so have a more assertive flavor. After searing the scallops I deglazed the pan with some white wine for a light sauce.

Scallops with Carmelized Leeks and Arugula

½ lb. fresh or frozen-defrosted scallops

2 leeks, white and light green parts cut crosswise into ¼" strips

3 T. butter, divided use

1 T. canola oil ½ c. dry white wine

1 t. Wondra gravy flour

1 c. prewashed arugula

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and canola oil over med heat, add leeks, cook until lightly browned. Remove from pan. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the pan. Place scallops in the pan and cook until golden brown, turn to brown other side - about 2 minutes per side for medium size scallops.

Remove scallops to a plate, tent with tin foil to keep warm.

Add 1 tablespoon butter to pan juices, pour in ½ cup white wine, stir to blend and sprinkle with a little gravy flour to thicken a bit. Place scallops on bed of arugula, drizzle with pan sauce. Serves 2.

Enjoy :-)

Celebrating the Year of the Tiger!

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 09:36:00 GMT

Asians all over the world celebrated the first day of the lunar new year on Sunday, February 14th. The Year of the Tiger was welcomed with great joy and hope for prosperity and happiness. The tiger symbolizes such character traits as bravery, competitiveness and unpredictability; if you're curious, you can find out what sign you were born under here and what 2010 may hold for you here.

Last week my friend Monique and I met at the ABC Supermarket shopping center at Bolsa and Brookhurst in what's know as Little Saigon in Westminster. I wanted to photograph and learn about the many symbols and customs associated with Chinese New Year and Monique acted as my translator and tour guide.

Only 10:30 a.m. and traffic was backed up on Brookhurst and the parking lot was swarming with erratic drivers looking for a spot. I parked way in the back.

The banner greets shoppers with a New Year's greeting in Vietnamese:

Chúc mung nam moi

(Below: the marketplace is humming with activity)

Flowers are an important part of decorating a home for Chinese New Year. Plum blossom and water narcissus are the two flowers most associated with the New Year.

(Here: A vendor shows us her plum blossoms. Below: water narcissus)

In the midst of the crush of shoppers and staccato sounds of a foreign language, were two monks walking, eyes cast downwards, moving silently amongst the crowd carrying a bamboo container tucked under their robes, discreetly revealed only when a passer-by offered a few dollars.

Tangerines, oranges and pomelos are frequently displayed in homes and stores. Tangerines are symbolic of good luck and oranges are symbolic of wealth. The first store we entered had a tangerine tree decorated with lai-see envelopes (also called hong-bao). Money is placed inside the red envelopes and given to children and young adults as gifts.

Traditional gifts given to families are rice cakes called banh chung made from white rice, marinated strips of pork and yellow mung beans. Originally, I had wanted to photograph Monique making a traditional New Years food but she said that everyone buys rice cakes from stores now because they are too labor intensive to make at home.

I read a very touching article by Ky-Phong Tran in the Orange County Register recalling memories of his grandfather making the rice cakes every New Year - the only thing he ever made and how this tradition was his father's way of reaching back 35 years and 8,000 miles to his childhood in the homeland.

Piled high were colorful containers of candies and nuts that are given as gifts also.

From here we went to the fruit market where Monique identified the exotic fruits for me and described their taste and how they're eaten. There was dragon fruit, an exotic lemon that looks like it has "fingers", gigantic jack fruit whose seeds are boiled and taste like chestnuts, prickly durian that's called "stinky fruit" and has a custardy filling. I bought a package of mangostine which are cracked open and has white fruit segments similar to an orange.

Monique purchased some traditional Vietnamese desserts, made from rice and similar to what we know as tapioca or rice pudding, and bought plum blossoms for her home from a familiar vendor with a better price than the ones we priced earlier.

More commotion erupted when the police and zoning people arrived and vendors were told that they couldn't be spilling over into the fire lane and some were sent packing because they had no sellers license.

(Below: Eastern spirituality meets Western reality)

This weekend brings the parades and pageantry of Tet Festival followed by 10 days of celebrating the Year of the Tiger with family and friends.

Satisfying your craving for Mexican food...

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 08:16:00 GMT

We are fortunate to have some of the best Mexican food in the nation right here in Orange County, but sometimes I want to satisfy my craving with a less cheesy version of a popular favorite: enchiladas.

Chicken and Corn Enchiladas Verde

Add a little crunch with a bit of romaine along with creamy avocado and your taste buds will be doing the salsa!

3 cups shredded cooked chicken breast

½ red or sweet onion, finely chopped

1 c. frozen corn kernels, thawed

½ c. sour cream

1 t. ground cumin

½ c. purchased salsa

1 c. shredded Mexican blend cheese

2 c. green enchilada sauce

½ c. purchased salsa

12 6-inch corn tortillas

Spray 15x10x2 inch glass baking dish with oil. In a mixing bowl, combine the chicken, onion, corn, sour cream, and cumin. Mix in the salsa.

Variations: add ½ c. chopped fresh cilantro or 4 oz. chopped green chilis (fresh or canned). Red enchilada sauce can also be used instead of green, if you prefer.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set up an assembly line with the tortillas on a cutting board, pour half of the enchilada sauce into a rimmed plate, cheese in a bowl, and the chicken mixture.

Begin by softening the tortillas over a gas flame, in a skillet, or 3-at-a-time in the microwave, wrapped in a paper towel for 20 seconds. Dip in the enchilada sauce, place on cutting board, fill with a spoonful of the chicken filling, sprinkle with grated cheese, roll up, and place seam side down in the baking dish.Repeat with remaining tortillas. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate enchiladas and remaining sauce separately).

Spoon remaining sauce over enchiladas. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for about 30 minutes until heated through. (Up to 45 minutes for refrigerated enchiladas.)

Serve topped with chopped fresh tomatoes, shredded romaine, and sliced avocado. Enjoy :-)

Mission Meatless: Roasted Veggie Lasagna

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 08:38:00 GMT

One day, while surfing Foodbuzz’s “Daily 9”, a photo called the Greatest Vegetable Lasagna in the World caught my eye. I clicked on it and scanned the recipe, the blogger was from Iceland (if I remember correctly) and linked to two sites that inspired her adaptation.

The photo at Ezra Pound Cake resulted in a Pavlovian response of instantaneous salivation and made me determined to develop my own mouth-watering rendition. Preparing all the components for lasagna can be time-consuming, but if you love losagna, it’s totally worth it! I had a rainy afternoon to dedicate to it and there are shortcuts* that can save you time, yet don’t sacrifice taste. This dish is meatless but is chock-full of flavor with a bit of a punch from the Arrabiata sauce.

Veggie Lasagna with Arrabiata Sauce

1 pkg. organic oven-ready lasagna*

2 -25 oz. jars prepared organic Arrabiata Sauce* (one for additional sauce at the table)

1-16 oz. container part-skim ricotta cheese

½ c. prepared pesto sauce

2 T. olive oil 8- oz. grated mozzarella

Vegetables: 2 medium eggplants, cut crosswise into ½ inch rounds

4 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into ¼ inch slices

2 red or yellow peppers, cored and seeded

½ onion, sliced

¼ c. olive oil

1-16 oz. pkg. prewashed spinach, steamed and drained

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two cookie sheets with oil. Brush the vegetables with olive oil. Roast in batches, turning once – about 5 minutes per side or until softened. The peppers need to roast until the skin is blackened. Allow to cool, then remove the skin and slice into strips.

2. In a glass bowl, mix the ricotta with pesto sauce and 2 T. olive oil.

3. Spray a 13x9 baking or lasagna pan with oil. Spread sauce to cover the bottom of the pan. Layer with lasagna, overlapping the pieces. Then a layer of ricotta - use a rubber spatula to spread. Followed by a layer of vegetables, then topped with half of the grated mozzarella. Spoon more sauce on top and repeat layering, ending up with mozzarella and spoonfuls of sauce.

Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, allow the lasagna to rest for 10 minutes before serving. I served the lasagna on a bed of spinach which was meant to be included IN the lasagna :-o Heat additional sauce to spoon over lasagna at the table. Enjoy :-)

* Note: these are shortcuts that can make preparation of this dish less labor intensive. Also, I always suggest buying organic for all ingredients.

Comfort food? How do you spell chicken and dumplings?

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:02:00 GMT

Have loved you for so long! Fragrant dumplings, velvety with broth, tastebuds trigger faint memories of crisp winter nights growing up in the boonies pastoral beauty of the Ozarks.

Chix and Dumplings

(adapted from Comme Ca via Tasting Table)

For the soup:

2 T. butter

1 T. canola oil

3 carrots, chopped *

2 celery stalks, chopped

½ onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 bay leaf Salt and pepper to taste

¼ c. Wondra flour

2 quarts organic, free-range chicken broth

2 c. frozen peas*

2 c. cooked chicken breast, chopped into bite-size pieces

¼ c. heavy cream *

* Changes I made: We like lots of peas & carrots, so quantity here is double the original recipe. I eliminated the cream - gave it up in my home cooking a long time ago (the flour in the dumplings will thicken the soup a bit).

Heat the butter and oil n a large pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, and onion and cook until soft, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, cook for another minute. Stir in the flour until it coats the vegetables, stirring continuously, about 2-3 minutes until the roux is golden-brown. Add the broth a cup at a time, stirring. Add the peas and chicken, bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer until the soup is slightly thickened.

Meanwhile, in a glass bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dumplings:

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

1 T. baking powder

1 t. salt

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 c. buttermilk

1 t. dried thyme or ¼ c. fresh thyme leaves *Chop some fresh parsley with the dried thyme - doing this "refreshes" dried herbs.

Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the soup and cook for 6-8 minutes, until light and fluffy looking. To serve, scoop out a few dumplings and top with soup. Then drop more spoonfuls of batter in to the remaining soup for another batch of deliciousness!

Enjoy :-)

More cooking traditions - Perogies

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:28:00 GMT

Meet Helen Wisniewski from Pittsburg, PA. She is the mother of three grown sons and every year she visits her son, Art, who lives in Costa Mesa and is a dear friend of ours. During her visits she cooks two traditional Polish dishes: perogies which are potato dumplings and halupkis, stuffed cabbage rolls.

According to About.com, the people of Pittsburg eat 11 times the periogies of any other city in the nation and perogi fillings range from traditional potato and cheese to sweet prune. Helen makes the traditional potato and cheese. Because of our 20+ year friendship with Art and his wife, Karen, we are one of the privileged few who are invited to dinner to savor one of these delicious and comforting Polish delicacies. This year I brought my camera so I could photograph and record the art of perogi making.

More check-ins at perogi central

Helen admitted that it is quite a process and she doesn't do all this at home anymore, she endorses Mr. T's Perogies if you're not up to the process :-) If you would like to make some homemade perogies you can find a recipe here or at Food Network.

Salmon with Bow Tie Pasta and Peas

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 09:15:00 GMT

In my Blog Talk Radio interview yesterday, I emphasized being able to improvise with what you have in your fridge or pantry and creating something delicious for dinner. I mentioned the Salmon and Bow Tie Pasta with peas that I had made the night before, so here it is. Since I didn't write it down that evening (that's the most difficult part), and its basically a "no recipe" creation, I'll do my best to recall it here. :-)

1 lb. wild salmon fillet1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon dill

1 tablespoon sweet onion, finely chopped

8 oz. Barilla multi-grain bow tie pasta

8 oz. frozen young peas

½ c. prepared pesto sauce

? c. lowfat milk

2 tablespoons cream cheese, or Neufchatel*

Serves 4. *Neufchatel is slightly lower calorie than cream cheese and is sold in the same section of the market.

Prepare pasta according to directions. Drain and set aside. You can use the pasta pot that has been lightly sprayed with oil to keep the pasta warm. Preheat broiler on high. Rinse the salmon fillet and pat dry with a paper towel. Dot with butter, sprinkle with dill and chopped onion. Place on baking pan lined with aluminum foil and lightly sprayed with oil. Broil for 5-7 minutes, depending on thickness, until salmon is lightly browned and crisped on top and flakes with a fork.

Do not overcook - it's better to be underdone - the fish continues to cook after its removed from the oven, plus it will be cooked again when mixed with the pasta. Allow the fish to cool and use a fork to flake off bite size pieces.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over med-high heat, mix the pesto and milk, bring to a gentle boil, whisk in the cream cheese or neufchatel to thicken. Feel free to increase these quantities if you prefer lots of sauce. Microwave the frozen peas for 2½ minutes, drain. Combine all the ingredients with the pasta in the large pot. Mix well to coat with sauce. I topped with carmelized onions (half an onion, sliced onions and sautéed in a little butter until browned) but this is optional. Enjoy :-)

Mission Meatless: Eggplant Parmesan "My Way"

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 08:53:00 GMT

I love eggplant parmesan but detest the deep-fried, heavily breaded kind that you get in a lot of restaurants. I've experimented over the years and this is about as low calorie as you can make this traditional Italian dish without sacrificing taste. Eggplant soaks up a lot of oil in the traditional preparation, so I brush them with olive oil and bake them instead!

Eggplant Parmesan “My Way”

2 med. eggplants, cut into ½” rounds

2-3 T. extra virgin olive oil

½ t. Cajun spice (optional)

Italian-style bread crumbs

Purchased spaghetti sauce

8 oz. thinly sliced mozzarella

½ c. grated parmesan

Sprinkle both sides with salt and place between paper towels. This draws out the moisture and any bitterness - leave them for about 30 min.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush both sides of the eggplant rounds with olive oil. (I put a dash of Cajun spice because I like a little more zip in about everything.) Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake, turning once, until the eggplant is softened and golden brown, about 30 minutes total. (Remember, they get baked again.)

In a 9½” x 13” baking dish, spread spaghetti sauce to cover bottom of dish, cover with first layer of eggplant,

then layer mozzarella on top and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Dot cheese with sauce and repeat with another layer of eggplant, mozzarella, grated parmesan and sauce. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 10 more minutes until cheese is bubbly. (You may put it under the broiler to brown, but watch carefully!)

Do as the Italians do and enjoy with a bottle of Chianti Classico.

Sassy sausage and peppers

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:54:00 GMT

Sausage and peppers is a classic comfort food and it's so easy to make. Sometimes I add chopped tomatoes to have more juice that soaks into the roll, mmmm. This time I added tiny portabella mushrooms because I had them in the fridge and they add a "meatier" taste - you know, cuz I'm trying to go meatless. All the ingredients are from Trader Joe's - they need to hire me - don't you think? I'm one of their best customers and promoters, yet Sprouts is opening in Huntington Beach on January 29th, so I might defect - hear that Trader Joes?

Sassy Sausage & Peppers (Vegan style)

1 pkg. Trader Joe’s Sausage-less Italian Sausage*, sliced on the diagonal

1 red pepper, cored and sliced

1 green pepper, cored and sliced

1 red onion, peeled and sliced

1 pkg. mini portabella mushrooms, sliced

2 T. olive oil, divided

1 t. butter red pepper flakes

4 Panne Rustique Rolls (it's all about the roll, folks)

Serves 4. *Of course, you may use real Italian sausage if you're not vegan. I've had it both ways and its delicious either way!

Preheat toaster oven to 400 degrees. Cover toaster oven tray with aluminum foil and spray with oil so sausages don’t stick. Brown sausages in toaster oven turning once. Slice on the diagonal and set aside.

Heat 1 t. olive oil in large skillet, sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Add the peppers and onions and sauté, stirring every few minutes to evenly brown. Add more olive oil as needed to prevent vegetables from sticking.

Meanwhile, in a smaller skillet heat 1 T. olive oil plus 1 t. butter over med-high heat and sauté mushrooms, stirring to brown evenly, about 5 minutes or until the juices have cooked off. (I do this in a separate pan because the juices from the mushrooms can make the pepper mixture mushy.) Add mushrooms and sausages to pepper mixture.

Warm the rolls in the toaster oven, slice in half and fill with sausage and pepper mixture. Enjoy!

Mission Meatless: Two-Bean Tostada

Mon, 18 Jan 2010 10:07:00 GMT

As my Tweet Deck pinged and drew me in and out and away from the work I was trying to do on Saturday, I was glad to see that one of Twitter's power women, was tweeting about the PBS show with Robert Kenner, director of "Food Inc." and Michael Pollan which aired in November, 2008. It must have been a rerun but, nevertheless, it was relief from the usual tweets about everything you ever wanted to know and more about SM (social media).

You may have seen Food Inc., the documentary movie that takes a harsh look at everything we should know, but that giant food companies don't want us to know about the journey that our food takes from the processing plant to the grocery stores of America. Michael Pollan is the author of, most recently, In Defense of Food: an Eater's Manifesto, and his previous book, The Omnivore's Dilemma (2006) was named one of the 10 best books of 2006 by the New York Times and Washington Post and was the recipient of the California Book Award and the James Beard award for best food writing, to name a few. He is the Knight Professor of Journalism at UC Berkeley and "few people reflect and report more astutely on the state of American food production and consumption than Michael Pollan". If you read these books, as I have, they will change the way in which you view food forever.

Anyway, that's an intellectual introduction to a very simple recipe for my Mission Meatless series which I've launched in support of the initiative known as Meatless Monday. Meatless Monday stems from the idea that YOU can change our food system and one way is to go without meat one day a week. How does this help? According to this list of 10 things YOU can do to change our food system by the website Hungry for Change, an estimated 70% of all the antibiotics produced in the US are given to farm animals which are then consumed by us. If the entire population went meatless for just one day a week. think of how many fewer injected animals would have to enter the food chain and how much less secondary hormones and antibiotics you would be ingesting.

Two-Bean Taco Salad

*Easy *Vegan *Vegetarian *Gluten-free

This takes about 15 minutes to prepare.

I keep these tostada shells stocked in my pantry (below). Then all you have to do is heat the refried beans, drain the black beans, and prepare the veggies. Tostada shells, warmed in the toaster oven 1 can vegetarian refried beans 1 can low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained 1 pkg. prepared romaine lettuce 2 carrots, peeled and grated 1 avocado, sliced 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced Spread the refried beans on the tostada shells. Top with romaine lettuce and arrange veggies on top, arrange cucumbers around the plate. Serve with purchased salsa. Add cheese if desired (not vegan).

Other meatless dishes previously published here: Vegetarian Minestrone, Pasta Primavera. Or visit TopMomBlog for more, such as Kung Pao Tofu.

Guilt-free Chicken Pot Pie

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 12:28:00 GMT

Winter as we know it here in SoCal is nothing compared to what the rest of the nation experiences, still, with temperatures dipping into the frigid 50's, we shiver in our coats and crave homey, comfort food. Today, Priscilla's OC Kitchen is sharing a personal family favorite (and ssshhh low-calorie version) of an always popular homestyle dish: Chicken Pot Pie. The TopMom (my other blog) style is always one that includes more fresh vegetables, less fat, and less sodium, inspired by a life-time interest in health and nutrition and spurred on by the heart-health issues that came close to taking my husband, The Don, before his time.

Guilt-Free Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken pot pie is one of my family's favorite comfort foods but I used to cringe when my daughter would order it at restaurants because I know how many calories all that yummy pastry shell and creamy sauce contains. (drumroll) Cringe no more!

Filling:

2 half chicken breasts, boned/skinless

2 lg. carrots, peeled and chopped

1 lg. celery, chopped

1/2 lg. onion, chopped

2 T. canola oil

1 c. frozen small green peas

1 can Healthy Choice Cream of Chicken soup (lower sodium than other brands)

1 c. lowfat milk

1 t. curry

Note: Try to buy only organic, kosher, or minimally processed chicken - it makes all the difference in taste.

Bake the chicken breasts, sprinkled with a garlic herb spice, in a tin foil packet in the toaster oven for about 30 min. at 400 degrees. Saute the carrots, celery and onion until softened but not browned, about 7 minutes. Remove pan from burner. Meanwhile, microwave the green peas for 2 minutes. Mix in the peas. Spoon into baking dish. In a glass bowl mix the soup, milk, and curry seasoning with a fork to break up lumps of soup. Blend into the vegetables.

Topping: 1 c. low fat Bisquick baking mix and 1 c. low fat milk

Mix well with spoon until batter is fairly smooth. Pour on top of filling. It may seem a bit more liquid than you think it should be but it will rise and make a nice light crust. Enjoy all the love you'll get for making this!

Mission Meatless: Pasta Primavera

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:02:00 GMT

So many of us have made resolutions, set goals, voiced intentions, or whatever you wish to call it, to eat healthier this year; and I'm no exception. My intention is to eat less meat and I've challenged myself to cook more vegetarian meals that my family, and yours, will find pleasing to the eye and the taste buds, whether they be the young, the finicky, or the only-meat-and-potatoes type.

Primavera means "spring" in Italian and Pasta Primavera is a pasta dish with a variety of vegetables; perfect for a quick dinner, it is a cinch to prepare and great for using whatever is in the fridge.

Pasta Primavera

8 oz. Barilla multi-grain rotini, penne, or spaghetti pasta

8 oz. grape tomatoes, sliced lengthwise

2 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and chopped

8 oz. package spinach

½ onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

red pepper flakes

Prepare 8 oz. of pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil, sprinkled with red pepper flakes, sauté spinach over medium heat for two minutes, turning to expose heat to top leaves. Remove and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and sauté onions over medium heat until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes, stir in garlic. Add tomatoes and cook until softened and juices make a sauce.

Place the drained pasta back in the pasta pot, top with tomato sauce, add spinach, toss. Sprinkle with parmesan if desired and serve. Serves 4.

Want to expand your repertoire of recipes, have good intentions to cook more, or just enjoy looking at food photos? Visit me at http://www.topmomblog.com

Are you "down with" any of these five food trends?

Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:06:00 GMT

Recently I read an article by Joanna Prisco about five Unexpected food trends sweeping America. I'm naturally drawn to articles about food because:

(1) I love food, (2) I love to eat, (3) I love to cook, and (4) I am constantly looking for material for the cooking blog I now find myself writing because of #1, 2, and 3.

It's possible that you've noticed one or two of these trends and even more likely that you've succumbed to one of them. Click here to get Images & Colorful Cupcake Pictures

1. Cut the Cupcake

Cupcakes have literally swept the nation - bakeries totally dedicated to cupcakes have popped up in every major urban area, there are blogs devoted to cupcakes, there are cupcake cookbooks, and cupcakes have even upset wedding cake protocol as many brides and grooms are skipping the traditional tiered wedding cake in favor of the cute, no fork-required, delectable cupcake.

2. Cooks Hit the Books

Even though, or maybe because, the economy is tight, cooking classes have never been hotter. Retail stores like Sur La Table, Williams-Sonoma, and Ikea offer free classes to thrifty home chefs who want to learn the basics quickly. They also offer more specialized classes for a fee for classes such as fresh pasta-making, knife-handling skills, or American classics. Would-be chefs are flocking to professional cooking schools such as Le Cordon Bleu, where according to Ms. Prisco's article, enrollment is way up across the nation.

3. Gourmet Food Trucks

Here in southern California, we're familiar with the mobile food trucks, OK I'll say it: roach coaches, that provide breakfast and lunch to industrial parks and areas with a heavy concentration of office buildings. Now, mobile food trucks have gone gourmet and these purveyors of inventive street-side special are using Twitter to alert followers to their locations and create a feeding frenzy. Hungry lunchtime diners consider this gourmet street fare the equivalent of a restaurant lunch without the hassles of driving, traffic, and parking and at a fraction of the cost. Wildly popular in Los Angeles, and beginning to venture into Orange County is Kogi Korean-BBQ. Other gourmet food trucks that make the rounds in Los Angeles are Sprinkles Cupcake Van, Green Truck - organic fare, good for you and good for the planet , Let's Be Frank - grass-fed beef hot dogs and brats, and the Fish Lips Sushi Truck. For the twitter addresses of these and other listings, click here.

News Flash: In today's Orange County Register, Nancy Luna reports that other mobile food trucks spotted on the streets of Orange County since the holidays are Louks to Go - featuring a menu of Greek specialties and gourmet hot dogs, Taco Dawg with a variety of gourmet tacos and hot dogs, and Piaggio on Wheels, described on Twitter as an Argentine taco truck. According to Nancy, Louks launched this week in Orange County after "getting its feet wet" in Los Angeles over the holidays. They will be in North Orange County about five nights a week, unfortunately lunch stops will be in LA only. Taco Dawg has mostly been hanging out in Costa Mesa bars such as The Huddle, Goat Hill Tavern, Newport-Mesa schools, and office complexes in Irvine but check out their Twitter site for exact times and locations. Piaggio has been in Irvine, Santa Ana and Placentia - check out their site for exact details.

4. Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks...

Snacks at stadiums no longer means just doughy pretzels, popcorn, or peanuts. The American palate has changed to include an array of cultures and, thankfully, stadiums have responded. Yankee Stadium opened this past season with culinary selections ranging from dry-aged prime rib to a sushi station. Kiosks were multi-cultural at the U.S. Open, offering Indian, Italian, and Mexican. Stadiums across the country offer regional specialties and celebrity chefs may soon jump into the action: Iron Chef, MIchael Symon, opened B Spot, a burgers and bratwurst outpost in his hometown of Cleveland. Here in Orange County we've been lucky to enjoy a wide array of ethnic foods at Angel Stadium and the Honda Center since their openings.

5. Get out the Pressure Cooker

Believe it or not, canning is back. "According to Jarden Home Brands - maker of Kerr and Ball brand mason jars - sales of canning equipment were up 30% in 2009. Some people are "putting up" food to save money on groceries, while others are attracted by the health aspects of home-made goods." I even bought mason jars this year. But not with canning in mind. My daughter and I used them for our Cowboy cookie mix holiday gifts. When I think of canning, I remember my mom admitting that the pressure cooker scared her and she always approached that hissing contraption with great caution. Yet every summer, she canned tomatoes, green beans, apples, and peaches that would provide garden-freshness until the next summer's bounty.

So which of these food trends have you been privy to?

I KNOW that you had to have savored a red velvet or chocolate cupcake in the past year, but have your taste buds been treated to a wedding cupcake?

Or perhaps, you've been able to enjoy a spicy tuna roll while watching your home team crush the opponent?

Now that you know there are FREE classes offered by Williams-Sonoma or Sur La Table, will you seek to improve your culinary skills?

Leave a comment below or visit me at http://www.topmomblog.com - I'd love to hear from you!

Kogi photo credit: etundra.com

Hoppin' John - not just for New Years

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 22:31:00 GMT

Eating Hoppin' John blackeyed peas is a Southern New Years tradition to bring good luck and, with the addition of greens which represent money, prosperity in the new year. According to Wikipedia these "good luck" traditions date back to the Civil War, when Union troops, especially in areas targeted by General Sherman, typically stripped the countryside of all stored food, crops, and livestock, and destroyed whatever they couldn't carry away. At that time, Northerners considered "field peas" and field corn suitable only for animal fodder, and didn't steal or destroy these humble foods.

I figured that posting a Hoppin' John recipe as my first of 2010 was so very appropriate because: (1) blackeyed peas fit right in with a recession budget, (2) good intentions to eat healthier, and (3) football. How's that, you might ask? Well, black eyed peas are really beans not peas and beans, whether dried or canned, are very inexpensive. Beans are also packed full of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. (If you'd like more specific information on the health benefits of beans and legumes visit the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.) As far as (3) football, I've adapted this economical and nutritious dish to appeal to sports fans and folks who have only a fleeting interest in nutrition by substituting them for black beans in that all-time favorite: NACHOS.

The Bowl games may be over but there's plenty of football yet to come, so bookmark or print this to serve as one of your munchies during the playoff games and/or the Super Bowl on Sunday, January 31st.

The addition of corn in a black eyed pea salsa recipe, aptly named Recession Caviar from Foodie with Family, works well for those unfamiliar with blackeyed peas. Hoppin' John is tasty served as a salsa or spooned on top of chips and sprinkled with cheese for nachos.

Hoppin' John

1 cup blackeyed peas

1 cup frozen corn

2-3 fresh Anaheim green chiles or jalapenos* (or 1 - 4 oz. can)

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T. chopped fresh cilantro

1 T. olive oil

1 t. chili or cajun spice Juice from

1 fresh lime salt & pepper

Seed and chop the chiles. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Allow flavors to meld for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips as a salsa or spread salsa over chips, sprinkle with shredded cheese and bake at 450 degrees until cheese melts, about 10 minutes. (The salsa is vegan, the nachos have cheese, so are not.)

*use jalapenos if you like it spicy, green chiles for mild

Want to expand your repertoire of recipes, have good intentions to cook more, or just enjoy looking at food photos? Visit me at http://www.topmomblog.com

Tamales - preserving traditions through cooking

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 10:17:00 GMT

In southern California, with its widespread Latin cultural influences, tamales are a Christmas tradition, even for those of non-Hispanic origins. You'll find families ordering tamales from Mexican restaurants (we ordered ours from Las Barcas, a local neighborhood family-owned restaurant) or from some other inside connection established through a friend or co-worker who knows a family that makes tamales to sell during the holidays.

So naturally, including the art of tamale-making had to be part of my series on preserving traditions through cooking and I was lucky enough to be invited to the home of a friend and fellow Orange County blogger, Daytripping Mom, aka Aracely, to experience it first-hand.

Being of inquisitive mind, I wondered how the tradition of tamales began and discovered that it dates back to Meso-American times when, long before the Spaniards arrived, Mesoamericans believed that God crafted humans from corn. "Quite literally, corn was their substance of life." An excerpt from a Seattle PI article states:

Because corn was so important, preciously wrapped tamales became a part of ritual offerings, a human stand-in, of sorts. "When the conquistadors came, and human sacrifice was no longer acceptable, they used tamales as a substitute, placing little bundles of corn as offerings," says Alarcón.

To this day, the most sacred occasions in Mexico -- baptisms, first communions, and special wedding anniversaries -- are still marked with the ritual of tamale making.

Enter Josefina Vega, Aracely's mom, who makes 200-300 tamales every Christmas. She carries on the tradition of beginning at midnight on Christmas eve and working until 4 or 5 a.m. making the masa, slow-cooking the meat, soaking the corn husks, and assembling the tamales. Aracely added that, besides making tamales, the other tradition is having a tired and cranky mother on Christmas Day : ) Nonetheless, she is learning to make tamales and other Latin dishes so her family can appreciate the foods of their heritage.

The best tamales are made from fresh unprepared masa and corn husks purchased at Latin markets. Traditionally masa is mixed with lard, but Josefina uses soybean oil and olive oil rather than animal fat because its a healthier alternative and she is diabetic. The substitution can result in the masa being a little drier and less fluffy. Garlic, onion, and water from the cooked meat is added to the masa for flavor. Josefina doesn't have a recipe but if you would like try your hand at making tamales, here is one. Perfecting a dough (masa) that will be fluffy, not leaden, when it is steamed is the trickiest part of tamale making and, just like anything else, takes practice.

Tamale fillings vary by region (as do the wrappers and masa); savory fillings from shrimp to a rich, dark mole to sweet fillings of fruit such as pineapple and raisins. Josefina is from Sinaloa in northern Mexico where they use more vegetables such as carrots and potatoes. Probably the most common filling is pork with pasilla chiles. Today, Josefina was making spicy pork tamales, with jalapeno peppers adding the heat - I don't know about you, but I love spicy! Not hot, just a little kick that fills your mouth and is soothed by a gulp of icy cold beverage.

But I digress... The meat mixed with pasilla chiles, cumin, oregano, garlic and onion and is slow-cooked in the oven for several hours. While the meat is cooking, prepare the masa and soak the corn husks in water until they are soft.

The other key to tamale success is Organization: before starting the actual assembly, the fillings should be ready to go, leaf wrappers and ties (if you use them) should be soaked and cleaned, and a steamer should be prepared. I now have a baker's dozen of tamales that I'm going to prepare for New Years Day, so I'll let you know how they turn out. Fortunately, all I have to do is steam them for the right amount of time, my notes say to check them after 45 minutes - if the tamale is easily removed from the husk, i.e. the cornmeal is not sticking, then they're done. Looking forward to it!

Happy New Year everybody!

Want to expand your repertoire of recipes, have good intentions to cook more, or just enjoy looking at food photos? Visit me at http://www.topmomblog.com