This comforting drink which is an integral part of Indian life is perfect to help soothe your immune system. I love soy chai lattes best (but you can use regular milk if you prefer) although I’m usually disappointed when ordering one in a restaurant. They always seem to lack something so this recipe is good to start off with as you can adjust the spices to taste. All these spices are easy to find. I hope you enjoy it.
3 cups (750mL) of soy milk
3 Tbsp. (45mL) loose black tea
2 in. (5 cm) cinnamon stick
1 in. (2.5 cm) ginger root, peeled and sliced
2 tsp. (10 mL) honey
¼ tsp. (1mL) black peppercorns
6 whole cloves
4 cardamon seeds
Pinch of Allspice
1 star anise
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
A little vanilla bean (or vanilla extract)
Whipped Cream (optional)
Combine all ingredients except whipped cream in a saucepan, preferably one with a spout, and bring to a simmer. Stir to blend flavors. Simmer gently for 1 minute then turn off heat. Leave pan on burner and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain into mugs and serve with a dollop of whipped cream if you wish. If so, sprinkle top with a bit more cinnamon (for presentation) and put a cinnamon stir stick into the cup. Serves 4.
Spices: before this, I used to gather them all into a cheesecloth, tie it up, put it in a mug and then pour hot water over top – like a teabag.
Last summer two friends insisted requested I make this as part of their birthday brunch. Baked rather than cooked on the stove top, these Dutch pancakes emerge from the oven puffed up like balloons and then quickly deflate, making for a dramatic presentation at the table. Rich and eggy, with just a hint of lemon zest, they’re the perfect foil for sweet, fresh blueberries – preferably wild. I adapted this from Martha Stewart Living replacing whole milk with buttermilk, using maple sugar (or coconut) in place of granulated sugar and adding a tsp. of pure vanilla extract to the mix. It’s not overly sweet. When serving, a few extra blueberries and a sprinkling of icing sugar on top make for a nice presentation. Don’t leave out the maple syrup.
To make four individual pancakes, you will need four little cast-iron skillets, 6 1/4 inches to 6 1/2 inches in diameter. You can use one 12-inch cast-iron skillet instead; it will take about 20 minutes to bake. If you’re able to get them, the little ones make a nice personal touch.
INGREDIENTS
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk (or buttermilk)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup blueberries, plus more for topping
Confectioners’ sugar, for sprinkling
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Blend together eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and salt in a blender.
Heat either one 12 inch or four 6 1/4- to 6 1/2-inch cast-iron skillets over high heat. Divide butter among them, and melt. Divide batter among them, then scatter with berries. Bake until puffed and cooked through and tops are set, 15 to 20 minutes. Top with berries, and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar. Serve immediately.
If you love regular pancakes and crepes you should try making this for something a bit more unusual.
This is a truly comforting dish for this time of season. Sweet, smoky paprika meets the mellow richness of roasted garlic in this perfectly spiced bird. Roasting the chicken at a lower temperature than most achieves a crisp skin without burning the paprika.
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Coarse sea salt
1 whole (3-4 lb.) chicken
1/8 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup chicken stock (made from bouillon – I recommend organic “better than”)
8 heads garlic, halved horizontally
fresh squeezed lemon juice from ½ lemon
DIRECTIONS
STEP 1
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Mix together smoked paprika, oregano, and 1 tablespoon of salt. Place chicken, breast side up, on a rimmed baking sheet or dutch oven, and tuck wings under. Tie legs of each bird together with kitchen twine. Pat dry with paper towels. Rub skin with 1 tablespoon oil, then with paprika mixture. Stuff 2 garlic-head halves into each cavity.
STEP 2
Reduceoven temperature to 400 degrees. Roast chicken for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and baste with pan juices. Scatter remaining garlic-head halves around chicken; add small potatoes cut in half, carrots, chopped leeks (white part only) and onion cut into quarters. Drizzle garlic and veggies with remaining 1/8 cup olive oil and ¼ cup ready-made chicken stock, then turn cut side down on sheet. Squeeze lemon over top. Roast for 10 minutes. Tent bird loosely with foil. Turn oven to 375 degrees. Roast until juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of thigh reaches 165 degrees, about 45 minutes more. Remove chicken to platter and let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Remove garlic and veggies but keep warm. In the meantime you can make gravy (optional) by putting dutch oven over high heat on stovetop (or if using a baking sheet, pour liquid into a pot) and whisk in more stock if needed and to thicken add flour or an instant gravy thickener (like Savoie’s Instant Roux). Add spices if needed.
This has become one of my favorite salads that is like a meal on it’s own.
Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah)—a tiny little seed with an ancient history—packs a big nutritional punch: It’s high in protein and nutrients with anti-inflammatory properties, which is likely why it sustained people in South America’s Andes mountains (where quinoa grows best) for so long. Quinoa has a mild, slightly vegetal flavor and cooks up fluffy, like couscous, but is still slightly crunchy. In this recipe we mix it up with healthy greens, nuts and a bit of dried fruit for a fulfilling and nourishing salad that will make a perfect lunch.
Ingredients
1 cup cooked quinoa (see directions on package). You can also use a mix of sprouted brown rice.
½ cup each of the following: chopped kale, broccoli, cabbage, grated carrot (optional).
Add to your liking about ¼ cup of roasted pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, sundried tomatoes, chopped kalamata olives.
Preparation
1. Using fine-mesh sieve, rinse quinoa well (if the quinoa isn’t pre-rinsed). In small saucepan, combine quinoa with 1-3/4 cups water or chicken/veggie stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until quinoa is translucent and all of the water has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.
2. Remove pan from heat; with fork, fluff quinoa. Let cool slightly. Gently stir in cranberries.
3. Mix into a large bowl all ingredients together.
4. For the vinaigrette, whisk together orange zest, orange juice, lemon juice and ginger. In thin steady stream, gradually whisk in oil. Whisk in salt an pepper.
5. Gently toss salad with vinaigrette until well coated. Top with shredded cheese of your choice.
Citrus Ginger Vinaigrette:
1 tbsp (15 mL) grated orange zest
2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh orange juice
2 tbsp (30 mL) fresh lemon juice
1 tsp (5 mL) grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch each course sea salt and pepper
Of course this vinaigrette is only a suggestion – one of many. Lemon poppyseed and sesame ginger are also excellent. Adding blueberries is nice too, especially in summer.
Add corn & canned, rinsed black beans for another version
Do you have a favorite Quinoa Salad Recipe you’d like to share?
A perfect Valentine’s Day treat with a balance of sweet & salty in very bite. If you love a great chewy chocolate chip cookie then this recipe isfor you.
This is better than the average chocolate chip cookie recipe because of a few changes to basic ingredients. The sugars are a combo of organic brown, *coconut and cane. Usually I don’t add any nuts but this time I added some chopped macadamia nuts for deliciously added crunch. Then some extra vanilla in the form of pure vanilla bean paste and sprinkled the tops of each cookie with lavender sea salt just before baking (but any sea salt is good). My hand mixer wasn’t working properly which resulted in having to manually mix most of the ingredients….which turned out surprisingly good (as over mixing is not recommended especially when adding dry ingredients).
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature (try using one stick of unsalted & one salted).
1 cup sugar (I like using a combo of organic cane and coconut sugar). *Coconut sugar is more nutritious and lower on the glycemic index than regular sugar.
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
½ tsp pure vanilla bean extract (optional)
2 large eggs
2 cups of chocolate chips or chunks (try using a combo of the best quality you can find of bittersweet, milk, semi–sweet & white). *I drizzled some melted dark chocolate over top for added punch (optional).
Go Nuts: ½ – 1 cup (depending on how much you like nuts) of finely chopped walnuts, pecans or *macadamia. (optional)
Sea salt flakes, for sprinkling on top.
Directions
Center one of the racks in the oven; preheat to 350 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Working with a stand mixor (preferable fitted with a paddle attachment) or hand mixor in a large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed for about 3 minutes until well blended. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Reduce mixer to low; add dry ingredients in three portions, mixing only until each addition is incorporated (don’t overmix). By hand or with rubber spatula mix in chocolate and nuts. Spoon dough in slightly rounded tablespoons onto baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cookie. Sprinkle with sea salt.
Bake cookies rotating sheets and switching position from top to bottom at the midway point (about 8-10 minutes is halfway), or until they are brown and the edges are golden in the center. They may still be a little soft in the center, and that’s fine. Remove from oven and allow cookies to rest 1 minute, then carefully transfer them to racks or cookie tray to cool, using a wide metal spatula. Repeat with remaining dough, cooling baking sheets between batches.
The cookies can be kept in a sealed container for about 4 days or wrapped airtight and frozen for up to two months.
TIPS:
1) all recipes call for unsalted butter at room temperature. I keep the butter cold in the fridge until a short time before mixing and cut it into little cubes. Apparently Mrs. Fields makes her cookies like that so now I do too.
2) Rest dough before baking by leaving batter in the fridge for up to 24 hours. It allows the flavors to meld and the sugars to become more like molasses. You can also freeze half or all of the batter.
3) Use a lower temperature and leave them cook a bit longer than recipe calls for (if it calls for 375F, use 350F. If it calls for 350F, use 325F).
4) Never place your batter on a warm cookie sheet. Instead, let it cool between batches. A hot sheet causes the dough to melt before it goes into the oven, which tends to uneven baking, compromising the texture.
5) If your cookies are a little too crispy you can always put a piece of bread in the cookie tin – this will help soften them.
Peppered Chicken & Steamed Halibut with Ginger serves four
Very seldom, if ever do we make Chinese food at home because…1) we think it’s too much work and 2) it’s easier to go to a Chinese restaurant for the assortment. Yes, you will get more selection from going out but you can experiment with a couple of delicious recipes at home that will be on par with any fine Chinese restaurant. Aside from these two main dishes, you can add sides like fried rice and an easy broccoli (gai lan) with oyster sauce to round out the menu for variety. The rice and vegetables for peppered chicken can be made in advance & easily re-heated.
steamed halibut
Steamed Halibut with Ginger (fresh & lovely Asian dish)
Ingredients:
1 lb. halibut fillet – 1 tsp. coarse kosher or sea salt
Pat halibut dry with paper towels. Rub both sides of fillet with salt. Scatter the ginger over the top of the fish and place onto heatproof ceramic dish.
Place into a bamboo steamer (widely available in Chinatown) set over several inches of gently boiling water, and cover. Gently steam for 10 to 12 minutes.
Pour accumulated water out of the dish and sprinkle the fillet with green onion. Pour both soy sauces over the surface of the fish.
Heat peanut oil and sesame oils in a small skillet over medium-high heat until they begin to smoke. When the oil is hot, carefully pour on top of the halibut fillet. The very hot oil will cause the green onions and water on top of the fish to pop and spatter all over – be careful. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and serve immediately.
Peppered Chicken
pepper chicken
Ingredients:
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 cup soup stock (chicken or vegetable)
1 hot pepper, diced
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup onion, diced
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2-3 green peppers, diced
1 cucumber, diced
2 sweet red peppers, diced
1 lb. uncooked chicken meat, cut into ½ or 1 inch pieces
Marinate the chicken meat with 1 Tbsp. cornstarch and 1 Tbsp. soy sauce for ½ hour. Fry in peanut or sesame oil until brown and tender. *Saute all vegetables with remaining ingredients and stir constantly. Combine meat and vegetables. Serve hot. *If vegetables were made in advance, just reheat with the chicken meat.
Gai Lan/Oyster Sauce
For the Gai Lan (Chinese broccoli) with oyster sauce – parboil 2 lbs. fresh gai lan (or you can even use broccolini) in boiling water for 3 minutes with a pinch of salt. For sauce: 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. sugar, 2 Tbsp. dark soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. sherry wine vinegar, 4 Tbsp. oyster sauce, 1 finely minced slice of ginger.
Heat saucepan with oil, sauté broccoli for about 2 minutes, remove and pour sauce ingredients over top with ½ tsp. cornstarch which will thicken it like gravy. Pour a few drops of sesame oil over the broccoli and serve hot.
fried rice
Fried rice is easy. Make or use leftover cold rice (it can be plain, jasmine or basmati) and fry in peanut oil with two beaten eggs, cut-up green onion, fresh or frozen cut green beans, mushrooms, peas and a bit of soy sauce, Chinese five spice (optional) & salt to taste. Garnish with green onion. You can also add shrimp, diced chicken meat or crab. *Make sure to pour slowly the beaten eggs with a bit of salt over the rice so that they will coat it but not settle in lumps.
Have you tried making Chinese food? It’s a lot easier than you think.
1960’s. While no one lays claim to inventing this French salad “niçoise” just means “in the style of Nice,” the French beachside town. Credit goes to Julia Child for popularizing it in America in the 60’s.
Ingredients:
1 pound red-skinned potatoes, sliced 1/3 inch thick Kosher salt
2 tablespoons dry white wine
10 ounces haricots verts or thin green beans, trimmed
4 large eggs
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
8 cherry tomatoes or small cocktail tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 head Boston lettuce, leaves separated
6 radishes, trimmed and quartered
2 5 1/2 -ounce cans Italian or Spanish tuna packed in olive oil, drained
1/2 cup nicoise olives
A modern take with seared Tuna.
Directions
Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan; cover with cold water and season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook until fork-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a medium bowl; drizzle with the wine and let cool. Reserve the saucepan.
Meanwhile, bring a separate saucepan of salted water to a boil. Fill a bowl with salted ice water. Add the haricots verts to the boiling water; cook until crisp-tender and bright green, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain and immediately plunge into the ice water to cool; drain and pat dry.
Place the eggs in the reserved saucepan and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then cover, remove from the heat and let stand, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, then run under cold water to cool. Peel under cold running water.
Make the dressing: Whisk the vinegar, shallot, mustard, thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until emulsified.
Toss the tomatoes in a small bowl with salt and pepper to taste. Add about 1/4 cup dressing to the potatoes and toss. Quarter the hard-cooked eggs.
Divide the lettuce among 4 plates. Arrange the potatoes, haricots verts, radishes, hard-cooked eggs and tuna on top. Pour any juices from the tomatoes into the dressing, then add the tomatoes to the plates. Drizzle with the dressing and top with the *olives.
The Niçoise Olive is grown in Cote d’Azur – a region of the French Riviera.
*Did You Know…?
Because the true Niçoise isn’t a large crop (with harvests rarely exceeding 50 metric tons), most companies and olive importers grab Niçoise StyleOlives from Italy, Spain or Moracco. Most any olive you see in the market that is identified as a “Niçoise” isn’t from Cote d’Azur. Substitutes: Kalamata
So when was the last time you made or ordered a salad like this?
1934. This popular dinner salad originated as a midnight snack for Robert Cobb, owner of the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant in Los Angeles. There’s a replica of the famous restaurant at Disney World.
photo – Johnny Miller for Food Network Magazine
Ingredients:
8 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
4 large eggs Kosher salt
2 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Zest (in wide strips) and juice of 1 lemon
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground pepper
2 avocados
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped
1 large head Bibb lettuce, torn into pieces
2 heads romaine lettuce, cut into pieces
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
Directions: Cook the bacon in a medium skillet over medium heat, stirring, until crisp, 15 to 20 minutes; transfer to paper towels to drain.
Meanwhile, place the eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water by about 1 inch. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then cover, remove from the heat and let stand, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, then run under cold water to cool. Peel under cold running water. Chop the hard-cooked eggs and season with salt.
Combine the chicken, lemon zest and juice, bay leaves, thyme, peppercorns and a large pinch of salt in a medium saucepan; add enough cold water to cover the chicken by 1/2 inch. Bring to a bare simmer over medium heat (do not boil) and cook until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken registers 160 degrees F, about 7 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the dressing: Whisk the vinegar, shallot, mustard and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a serving bowl. Whisk in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until emulsified; season with pepper. Dice the chicken and toss with 1 tablespoon of the dressing in a separate bowl.
Halve, pit and dice the avocados. Season the tomatoes with salt. Add the Bibb and romaine lettuce to the serving bowl on top of the dressing. Arrange the bacon, hard-cooked eggs, chicken, avocados, tomatoes and blue cheese in rows on top of the lettuce. When ready to serve, toss the salad and season with salt and pepper.
Next week – I’ll post a recipe for Classic Niçoise Salad. I’m really into salads more and more these days and it’s nice to incorporate some oldies but goodies into the salad mix.
If there’s a specific recipe you’re looking for please let me know.
Have you ever cooked with coffee? I’m not talking about coffee cake which doesn’t even have coffee in it – it just tastes better when you have it while dunking it into drinking a cup. With all that coffee has going for it (which in moderation helps to improve cognitive performance, enhance alertness, boost your overall mood and is a rich source of antioxidants) why limit it to only a mug? Cooking with your favorite ground or brewed coffee can bring a whole new dimension to your recipe repertoire. Coffee can enhance the flavor of other ingredients (like in homemade barbeque sauce) while lending a subtle earthy undertone to a dish.
Here’s a healthy & hearty soup for a perfect cold weather lunch or light dinner paired with salad.
From Alive Magazine
Cowboy Black Bean Soup
1 lb. (450g) dried black beans (about 2 cups/500 mL)
1 Tbsp (15mL) Coconut Oil
1 cup (250mL) diced onion
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 large celery stalks, thinly sliced across the stalk
½ cup (125mL) carrot, diced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp (10mL) ground cumin
1 tsp (5mL) smoked paprika
1 bay leaf
4 cups (1L) water
2 cups (500mL) brewed coffee
2 cups (500mL) butternut squash, cut into ½ in (1.25cm) cubes
½ tsp (2mL) salt
2 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
6 Tbsp (90mL) reduced-fat sour cream
¼ cup (60mL) fresh cilantro leaves
Pick over beans, making sure to discard any stones or broken beans. Rinse well, place in large bowl or container, and cover with 2 in (5cm) cold water. Let beans soak overnight.
Heat oil in large pot over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add onion, pepper, celery, carrot, jalapeño and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to soften, about 8 minutes. Stir in cumin, smoked paprika, and bay leaf, cooking for another minute. Pour in water and coffee.
Drain beans, rinse well, and stir into soup base. Turn heat up to high and bring soup to a boil. Reduceheat to a simmer and skim off any foam that accumulates on surface. Cover pot and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are very tender, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, steam squash until just cooked, about 5 minutes.
Once beans are cooked, remove pot from heat. Remove bay leaf from soup and stir in salt. Purée about half the soup in blender until smooth. Return purée to pot and stir until incorporated.
When ready to serve, warm soup gently over medium heat, stirring often, until warm. Ladle into bowls and garnish with cooked squash, a sprinkle of green onion, a dollop of sour cream, and a few torn cilantro leaves.
Serves 6. Each serving contains 329 calories.
Do you have a favorite coffee recipe you’d like to share?
First off…let’s just talk about good cheese in general. There are so many great varieties. Just when you think you’ve tried them all…there’s a new kid on the block (or cheeseboard). Today I sampled a bunch of Beecher’s Handmade Cheese at Pike Place Market in Seattle. So good that I decided to do a whole blog dedicated to only cheese….but then decided I’d post a recipe of a gourmet version of Macaroni and Cheese instead.
You can watch them making Curd Cheese
Sometimes you just want a good old Mac’ n Cheese. This one has a little bite to it and the croutons provide a crispy topping.
To make croutons – 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, 4 slices white bread, cut into ½ inch squares, kosher salt, 21 seasoning salute (or something similar). In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add bread; stir until golden. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and season with a pinch of salt & seasoning. Set aside.
Recipe
Unsalted butter, for greasing pan
2 cups elbow pasta
8 ounces each – Monterey Jack,Cheddar and Manchego (or you can use Colby) cheese, all shredded.
2 tsp. all-purpose flour
¼ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ sour cream
1 large egg, beaten
¼ cup grated sweet onion
1 ½ cups half & half
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9” x 13” baking dish. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta until almost al dente; drain, then return pasta to pot. In a medium bowl, combine all three cheeses. Then mix 2/3 of the cheese with pasta. Set aside. In a large bowl combine flour, salt, black pepper, cayenne, mustard, nutmeg, sour cream, egg, onion and the half & half. Pour over pasta and mix.
Transfer to baking dish and scatter remaining cheese over top. Bake uncovered until just beginning to brown, about 35 minutes. Top with croutons and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes more. Let sit 15 minutes before serving. Makes approx. 10 servings.
This comforting drink which is an integral part of Indian life is perfect to help soothe your immune system. I love soy chai lattes best (but you can use regular milk if you prefer) although I’m usually disappointed when ordering one in a restaurant. They always seem to lack something so this recipe is good to start off with as you can adjust the spices to taste. All these spices are easy to find. I hope you enjoy it.
Girl Who Would be KING on Life, Style and INSPIRATION. 
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