I love cooking, for me it's relaxing and enjoyable. I know not everyone feels this way. Some find it tedious, boring or even stressful. And even I'll admit, there's some nights that I find comfort in easy recipes...ones that I can slap together with minimal prep and headache. On nights like these,  I especially love "one skillet" recipes. The more unfussy they are, the more I tend to embrace them. Like this recipe for Pan Roasted Chicken and Mushrooms in a Creamy Dijon Pan Sauce. It's simple but elegant, one of those versatile dishes that's perfect for a weeknight dinner or for when you have company over. Also, it makes your kitchen smell delicious. When I made this Friday night, both Mr.S and Kidlet #1 kept wandering in and out of the kitchen murmuring about how amazing the simmering sauce smelled.


Chicken and Mushrooms in a Creamy Dijon Pan Sauce

Ingredients

3-4 chicken breasts (or 5 skinless, boneless chicken thighs)
1/4 cup AP flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
12 oz. sliced crimini mushrooms
1 medium red onion, diced
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary
1.5 teaspoon dried tarragon (or 1 tablespoon chopped, fresh)
2.5 tablespoons good quality, whole grain Dijon mustard
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup half and half
2 tablespoons butter
slices chives (optional)

Instructions

1. In a shallow baking dish mix together: flour, sea salt and black pepper. Dredge the chicken through the mixture, coating both sides. Set chicken aside.

2. In a large cast iron skillet, heat up your oil. Once it's hot, add your chicken breast. Cook each side for 4 minutes over high heat so that it gets well browned and crispy. (Make sure you don't crowd the chicken.) You may want to use your splatter guard as the oil with be crackin' and hissin'.

3. Place the cooked chicken on a plate and set aside.

4. In the same skillet (keep the pan juices in there), add the onions, mushrooms, garlic, rosemary and tarragon. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook for about three minutes. Deglaze the pan with wine and add in mustard. Scrape the browned bits from the bottom of the pan so that it mixes in with the wine-mushroom mixture. Add your stock, half and half and butter. Reduce heat by half and stir frequently. Allow the sauce to reduce. After a few minutes, add the chicken back to the skillet and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes in the thickened sauce, basting occasionally.

5. Remove from heat and serve chicken with the extra sauce spooned over each piece.

6. Garnish with chives (optional)

Can you feel it? Can you taste it? Can you smell it? (Ok, maybe not smell it, right now all I can smell is the dog tooting up a storm because I made the mistake of sneaking him a few bites of chicken last night after dinner.) Anyhow...Fall is almost here! Despite the fact that Target started trotting out Halloween decorations the minute 4th of July ended, it didn't really feel like autumn was approaching to me until this week. Just within the last few days there's been a distinct change in the feeling of the seasons.


The calendar says September 22nd is the official first day of fall but already I can feel the nights are getting crisper, soups are starting to show up on restaurant menus and cardigans are starting to be taken out of the closets by all the hipsters in Midtown. I'm excited, I love fall! It's the best season (and no, it's not because Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Lattes are being sold-- truth be told, I don't even like them.) I just love how autumn feels. It's like Goldilocks and the Three Bears- all the other seasons are too hot, too cold, too wet...fall is just perfect. It could be because I was born in the fall and an autumn baby thus biased...but c'mon who doesn't love: hot apple cider, rainbow colored leaves, The Great Pumpkin and roaring fireplaces? I can't wait! In the meantime, I'm bridging the gap between seasons with recipes like this rustic shrimp and white bean dish that I adapted from a recipe I dug up from ol' Michael Chiarello (you know that really pompous Napa chef that was on Top Chef Masters awhile back. I was seriously hoping someone would have enough of his BS and stick a BBQ fork in his testicles at some point during that season). Anyhow, I made some tweaks to the recipe to suit my palate and the dish went over very well at the dinner table (aka no kidlets whining). The heirloom tomatoes bring about a nice taste of summer freshness to the dish but the heartiness of the beans and shrimp give the plate a stick-to-your-ribs quality that make it a good choice for the fall as well.


Rustic Shrimp and White Beans with Heirloom Tomato Sauce
(based on Michael Chiarello's Tuscan Shrimp and White Beans recipe)

Ingredients

2 cups canned cannellini white beans
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. med shrimp, peeled and deveined
4-5 cloves garlic, sliced
2 dried chiles de árbol (crushed)
1 cup peeled, seeded and diced fresh heirloom tomatoes
4 oz. Mexican chorizo (or Soyrizo)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup whole fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons Italian flat-leaf parsley-chopped

Instructions

1. Drain the cannellini beans and reserve the liquid.

2. Place the beans in a large skillet with 2-3 tablespoons of the bean liquid. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and bring to a simmer. Set aside. Keep warm while you prepare the rest of your dish.

3. In a separate skillet, heat 1/4 cup olive oil over high heat. Add shrimp. Season with salt, cook for 1 minute. Remove shrimp with tongs, set aside in a bowl. Add garlic to empty skillet. Sauté until fragrant, add chiles de árbol  and chorizo (or Soyrizo), cook for 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and basil. Stir. Add lemon juice and tomato paste. Season with salt and pepper. 

4. Cook for about 3-4 minutes. Add in shrimp and cannellini beans. Mix well. Cook for another minute to reheat shrimp.

5. Spoon onto plate. Sprinkle with parsley.

Shady Lady tomatoes...they're like the sexy, busty sirens of the farmers' market. With their deep lipstick red color and voluptuous shape, how can you resist them? You can eat them sliced on a plate with some buffalo mozzarella with a good balsamic drizzle or stacked with a thick cut of smoky applewood bacon and some creamy avocado on a fresh, hearty slice of sourdough. There's so many delicious ways to enjoy this heavenly fruit. One of my favorite ways to consume Shady Lady tomatoes is to oven-roast them and then make them into a sauce. The sauce is rich in flavor and smooth like butta', much too good to plop on a bowl of ordinary pasta. I like to use it to dress up appetizers like crostini or mini meatballs. With this batch, I used it to sauce some eggplant parmesan bites I made for some patio dining. We grew some wonderful Japanese eggplants in our garden this summer at Mr. S.'s which I sliced up into rounds. I dipped the round in egg yolk, then tossed them in a mixture of Parmesan cheese and dried breadcrumbs and fried them in some olive oil until they were nice and crisp. (I then placed them on some paper to absorb the excess oil.) Next, I spooned a tablespoon of my Shady Lady tomato sauce on the round and sprinkled some Parmesan on top and served the eggplant bite hot. They were a hit! Next year we'll have to grow more eggplants.



Shady Lady Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

5-6 big Shady Lady Tomatoes ( peeled*, cored, seeded, halved)

5-6 garlic cloves, minced

2 small yellow onions, sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil

glug of dry, red wine

2 teaspoons sugar (optional)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 bay leaf

handful of fresh basil, chopped

1 tablespoon good-quality balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Place tomato, garlic and onion in a glass baking dish. Spread out in a single layer, don't crowd. You want them to roast, not steam. Drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 20-30 minutes until they start to caramelize (slightly browned and shriveled).

3. Place roasted tomatoes, garlic, onions in a food processor and give it a few good pulses. Place in a medium-size pot over medium heat. Add wine, sugar, sea salt, bay leaf, and fresh basil. Add a splash of good quality balsamic vinegar. Allow to simmer for 20-25 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

4. Taste. Season with fresh ground pepper. Adjust seasonings if needed.

* The easiest way to peel a tomato is to :

1) Slice a shallow "X" on the bottom of the tomato. Then submerge the tomato in boiling water for 20-30 seconds. Remove and plunge in an ice bath for 30-45 seconds. Remove from the ice bath. The skin should peel off.

OR

2) Freeze the tomato. Remove the tomato from the freezer and let it thaw. Once thawed the skin should slip right off the tomato.

It's that wonderful time of the year...the day most parents count down to (like a kid counts down to Christmas) - THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL. Although Mr.S.'s kidlets are great, by the end of summer both our nerves are pretty frayed. This year the kidlets will be attending different schools so they each had a different start date. Kidlet #1's first day of high school was last Monday and Kidlet #2 starts back up this Tuesday at his elementary school. The consensus after the first week from Kidlet #1 was that high school was "pretty cool," especially since he's already made new friends and due to a scheduling glitch he ended up with TWO lunch periods on the first day.

Anyhow, Mr.S. and I thought we'd celebrate this "holiday" by cooking up a tasty treat for ourselves. A celebration of surviving a summer of teen and preteen hormones, sibling rivalry and incessant "I'm bored's" and "He's looking at me's". I picked up some fresh, plump (or as I like to call them- fat ass) scallops at my favorite seafood store, Sunh Fish, along with some morels at the Co-op. I figured these ingredients paired with a simple beurre blanc (a velvety white butter sauce) would make a mind-blowing meal. And guess what? I was right! [I also made a side of sautéed balsamic carrots and beets greens so that we got our veggies in. ☺] The recipe didn't take too long to make, especially since I did my Back-to-School happy dance while whistling to The Final Countdown as I prepared the meal.

By the way, just a heads up-- beurre blanc is not for the faint of heart, it involves a INSANE amount of butter. Don't say I didn't warn you....




Pan-Seared Scallops and Morels in Beurre Blanc

Ingredients

1 dozen fresh, large scallops  (season on both sides with salt and pepper)
6 morels, cleaned of all grit and sliced in half length-wise
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4  cup champagne vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1 tablespoon heavy cream
2  tablespoon finely minced shallots
Kosher salt and ground white pepper, to taste
2 sticks cold, unsalted butter (cut into tablespoon-size pieces)
1 tablespoon of clarified butter
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
6 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
4-5 finger limes (optional)

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the wine, champagne vinegar and shallots to a boil.

2. Cook for about 10-12 minutes, until the mixture is reduced to a thick sauce-like consistency.

3. Reduce heat to low and add in the cream. Stir.

4. Add 1 tablespoon of COLD butter at a time. Whisk each piece in thoroughly, making sure it incorporates into the sauce. Keep whisking constantly throughout the whole butter adding process. The sauce should be rich and creamy looking when you're done.

5. Season with salt and pepper.

6.  On a large plate, arrange your tomato halves.

7. In a large cast-iron pan, heat up the clarified butter and vegetable oil over high heat. (You want it smokin' hot.)

8. Place the scallops in the pan. Don't crowd them. Then don't touch them for about 2 minutes. Let them cook undisturbed, you want to get that nice golden-brown crust. At two minutes, flip them over and cook them for another minute or two depending on the thickness of the scallops. (Be sure that you don't overcook them, overcooked scallops taste rubbery and gross.)

9. Remove scallops from heat and place on plate.

10. In the same pan, you just removed the scallops, give your morels a quick sauté. Add another pat of butter if you wish.

11. Place the sautéed morels on the plate. Scoop the beurre blanc over the scallops, morels and tomatoes. Garnish the scallops with finger lime caviar if you wish. Enjoy!

* Note: Beurre blanc does not keep well, so you want to make it right before you use it.

I'm sure most of us are familiar with Occam's Razor or as it's more affectionately known- the K.I.S.S (Keep It Simple, Stupid) principle. It's basically a line of reasoning that states that the simplest answer is usually correct. Well, sometimes I think that goes for cooking too. With two large Meyer lemon trees laden with fruit in the courtyard of my urban cottage, I'm always looking for new recipes to use the tangy lil suckers up as I can't stand to see them go to waste. Most of the recipes I come across usually involve tangling with a laundry list of ingredients and slaving over an oven. Well, this time I thought I'd go simple...and it turns out it was the best choice. I did a little experimenting and whipped up this delicious zingy Meyer lemon dressing. It's sweet, it's tangy...it elevates your plain everyday salad to a whole new level and uses stuff that you probably already have lolling about in your fridge and cupboards.

Fresh Meyer Lemon Dressing 
(enough for 2 large salads)

Ingredients

5 tablespoons freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

2 teaspoons prepared Dijon mustard

1.5 teaspoon sea salt (I used Maldon)

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1.5 tablespoons finely diced shallot

1.5 teaspoons fresh ground pepper

1 teaspoon honey


Instructions

1. Whisk all ingredients together in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

2. Serve over your favorite salad.

3. You're done! Simple, huh?

Every year, Mr.S. and I usually throw a big summer BBQ. This summer, however, somehow time got away before we could get one planned. So since the weather was still warm and my birthday was coming up, we decided to host a birthday fiesta. We obtained 20 lbs. of delicious carnitas from La Esperanza and served it up with rice, beans, various dips and fun finger foods. It was a food extravaganza! My friend Cate made an amazing orange-chocolate cake (that was to die for) and we toasted with sangria, hibiscus margaritas and beer. I'm pretty sure everyone had a grand time- kidlets were running amuck, old friends were catching up and new friends were getting to know each other. I couldn't think of a better way to bring in the next year of my life.

Amongst the multitude of tasty eats covering the tables was some Texas Love Dip.  Love Dip...I'm sure most of you are scratching your heads right about now, but if you've ever been to Texas' Central Market, you know exactly what dip I'm taking about. Central Market's Love Dip is unforgettable...and addicting. It's a creamy-tomato concoction with a spicy afterkick that'll make you swoon and become a lifetime convert after just one taste. Give it a go, I think you'll LOVE it   ;)


Texas Love Dip

Ingredients

12 ounces cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup chunky fresh tomato salsa (I buy mine premade-a simple salsa of chopped tomatoes, white onions, cilantro and jalapenos at La Superior Market on Franklin)

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon

1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

dash of white pepper


Instructions

1. Place the cream cheese, salsa, garlic, salt, tarragon and white pepper in food proccesor.

2. Process until it's mixed well and creamy.

3. Add in lemon juice, give the processor another whiz or two.

4. Transfer to a serving bowl. Place in fridge and allow flavors to meld for at least an hour.  Serve with tortilla chips, bread bites or your favorite veggies.

5. Tip: If you have a little leftover the next day, it works great as a sandwich spread also.

So it's been about a week since the attempted break-in at my cottage. The police department came by with a photo line up for me to look at and whattaya-know Ms. Junkie-Burglar's mugshot photo was right there. It may sound heartless but I hope it's her third felony offense and they lock her up and throw away the key. In the meantime, my landlord is looking into putting in security gates around the cottages. It's unfortunate that this happened since this is a really nice part of Midtown. I guess it's not as crime-free as I thought though. I asked around and it turns out that another cottage neighbor had a break-in shortly before mine and they got in and stole some stuff including her laptop. Additionally another neighbor across the street has had their car broken into repeatedly. Talk about the suck.

Other than the burglary, it's been a pretty quiet week- I attended a girls' night get together at a buddy's casa, made loads of homemade strawberry jam, hung out with friends and tonight I saw a really cute movie (with Rashida Jones and Andy Samberg) called, "Celeste and Jesse Forever," at the Tower Theatre. It had a great line in it that made me do some introspective thinking- "Do you want to be right or do you want to be happy?" I'm guilty of choosing the former a lot. I think I need to work on that. The visit to the movie theater also made me think a lot about how the Tower Theatre sucks and is in need of a serious renovation- the seats were so shot in the theatre we were in that I literally had a metal spring digging into my left butt cheek during the entire movie.

Anyhow, to balance out all the strawberry jam I made; I decided to try my hand at homemade peanut butter. Now I could have taken the easier route and bought already roasted/shelled peanuts and gone from there...but oooooh no, not me! That would be too simple. Instead, they happened to have raw, unshelled peanuts at the farmers' market this Sunday so I bought two pounds. The prep took a wee bit more effort but the end result was delish. Kidlet #1 and Mr.S. both gave it the thumbs up.




Peanut Butter From Scratch

Ingredients

2 lbs. raw peanuts, in the shell

Kosher salt

Honey

Canola Oil (or peanut oil)


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Shell peanuts and rub the inner filmy skins off (if you have little ones that like to "help" when cooking , this is a great task to assign to them).

3. Place shelled peanuts on a baking sheet and spread them out evenly in a single layer.

4. Place baking sheet with peanuts in oven, cook for roughly 25 minutes. Toss the peanuts gently with a spatula, midway through the cooking time.

5. Remove baking sheet from oven. Allow peanuts to cool for 10-15 minutes.

6. Place peanuts in a food processor. Add 2 tablespoons of Canola oil. Process mixture for a few minutes.

7. At this point, add salt and honey (to taste).

8. If the peanut butter looks a bit dry, add a bit more Canola oil. Pulse until desired smoothness.

9. Place peanut butter in an airtight container and store in fridge.

Last weekend I was lucky enough to go pick some loquats. I hadn't had them in years; in fact, the last time was probably when I was in Japan as a little kid. Over there they call them "biwa." They're quite delicious! If you've never come across a loquat before, they look a lot like apricots- oval shaped, a peachy-orange colored downy skin and are about a 3-5cm long. However, when cut open they have several glossy brown large seeds in the center instead of a pit. The loquat's flesh is similar in texture to that of a cantaloupe and the fruit tastes like a cross between a mango and an apple. In fact, loquats are part of the pome family and considered a distant relative of the apple. They're are a great source for Vitamin A, manganese and potassium. You can eat them as is but loquats make terrific jams, salsas and fruit hot sauce. You can also use them in pies and cobblers. I used my loquat harvest to make a couple of jars of chutney.



Loquat Chutney (slightly adapted from Garden of Eating)

Ingredients

1.5 lbs of loquats
1 lb. sweet onion, chopped
1/2 lb. apples, cored & chopped
1 lb. granulated sugar
2 teaspoons mustard
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon mustard seeds, crushed
1 tablespoon molasses
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
2 cups apple cider vinegar
2 cups water
1/4 cup raisins

Instructions

1. Wash loquats. Slice around them lengthwise with a sharp knife, twist the halves to open, pop out the seeds and remove the seed membrane. Chop the loquats into small pieces.

2. Put all the ingredients together in a large pot and bring to a boil.

3. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.

4. When done, place chutney in sterilized jars. You can either eat it right away or you can can your chutney.

5. Serve with samosas, meats (roast pork or lamb pair well), on sandwiches or curries.

Ok, I lied to you. I know I said I was going to give the David Chang recipes a rest- buuuuuuut I ended up with a ton of scallions this week and needed to do something with them so I threw together some of his ginger scallion sauce. I ended up pairing it with some soba (Japanese buckwheat noodles) I had laying around in the cupboard and it was absolutely delish. I definitely recommend it unless you hate scallions or hate ginger because this tastes like a whole lotta both. It's also a great sauce to make because it keeps for a few days in the fridge and you can integrate it into all kinds of dishes- chicken, rice, seafood.... Just remember to have an Altoid on hand afterwards because this sauce will definitely leave you with some pungent breath.

Ginger Scallion Sauce (adapted from "Momofuku" by David Chang and Peter Meehan)

Ingredients

2 bundles of dried soba

2 bunches of fresh scallions

1/2 cup finely minced peeled fresh ginger

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

1 1/4 teaspoon usukuchi (or a reduced sodium light soy sauce)

3/4 teaspoon mirin*

3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon sugar (optional)

toasted sesame seeds, for garnish


Instructions

1. Thinly slice the scallions (whites and greens).

2. In a bowl, mix together the sliced scallions, ginger, oil, usukuchi, mirin and salt. Allow it to sit about 20 minutes so the flavors can meld. (Note: Don't skip the waiting period, it does make a difference in the taste.)

3. After 20 minutes, taste. Add more salt if necessary or if it's too salty for you, you can add 3/4 teaspoon of sugar.

4. Boil some buckwheat noodles (about 4-5 minutes). Drain noodles and rinse with cold running water.

5. Mix buckwheat noodles with ginger scallion sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

6. Store the leftover sauce in an airtight container and place in fridge.

* The original recipe calls for sherry vinegar, I didn't have any on hand and mirin worked fine as a substitute.

I'm currently on Day 6 of this wretched summer cold and although it seems to be slowly dissipating, it's not taking a hike quick enough for the likes of me. Since these germs have become wily to the likes of my colds meds, last night I moved onto Plan B- dousing them with a few rounds of good ol' Kentucky bourbon (aka drinks with friends). I'm not quite sure how well my plan worked...I think my cold may have laughed at my attempt and thrown a party in response, but I did sleep well when I got home. C'est la vie! In the meantime, I haven't done any heavy duty cooking projects but I did get around to candying these lovely kumquats (that I got to pick straight from the tree this past weekend). I love kumquats, they're the cutest little fruits ever. Their name comes from the Cantonese word, "kam kwat," which means "golden orange," and in China they're used as a cold remedy. They look like teeny-tiny oranges but you can eat the whole thing, skin and all. The skin is sweet and the juicy flesh is super tart (it'll make you pucker and squinch up your face), which makes them perfect for candying, or making syrup or marmalade. Candied kumquats can be used for several purposes, my favorites being: as a topping on ice cream, mixed in with Greek yogurt, diced up and mixed in with salad vinaigrette or used  as a garnish for summer cocktails. They're also great as a topping on pound cakes, paired with cheeses or cooked with savory dishes like pork.



Candied Kumquats

Ingredients

2 cups of kumquats, halved & pips removed

2 cup of granulated sugar

1/2 cup honey

1 cup of water

1 vanilla bean

pinch of Kosher salt


Instructions

1. Place the sugar, honey, salt and water in a medium-sized pot. Split the vanilla bean length-wise and scrape out the seeds with a knife or spoon. Add the vanilla bean pod and seeds to the pot, bring to a boil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. (Stir the mixture to make sure it does not burn.) Reduce the heat to medium and add the kumquats.

2. Simmer the kumquats in the syrup, stirring occasionally, until the skins become tender and translucent.

3. Using a slotted spoon, remove and place the candied kumquats in a glass jar. Discard the vanilla bean pod.

4. Continue to simmer the syrup over medium-low heat. It should reduce and takes on a syrup-like consistency. Remove from stove, pour over the kumquats. Allow to cool, then cover. Place in the fridge for at least 24 hours, before consuming.

5. Can be stored for up to 2 weeks in the fridge in an airtight container.

Can you believe we're in the middle of February, Sacramento? The daffodils in my courtyard are blooming like crazy and it was so sunny outside that I opened all the windows in the cottage yesterday. In fact the weather was so springlike that Mr.S. and I decided to do a little outdoor grilling last night. He grilled up some fresh black cod from Oto's and I whipped up some tangy roasted Meyer lemon salsa to put on top of it. Have you ever had black cod before? If not, give it a try. We love it, it's really mild not fishy tasting at all and the texture is velvety. We paired it with sauteed mushrooms (hen-of-the-woods, oyster and shimeji in olive oil and garlic) and some roasted romanesco (we can't get enough of this stuff). An easy and healthy dinner.

Roasted Lemon Salsa ("Cooking One on One: Private Lessons in Simple, Contemporary Food From a Master Teacher," by John Ash)

Ingredients

2 large lemons (about 1/2 pound), scrubbed*

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots or scallion (white part only)

1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste

2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt, or to taste

Freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, or to taste


Instructions

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

- Cut the lemons in half and pick out the seeds. Lightly coat the lemons with a tablespoon of the oil. Place the lemons cut side down in a baking dish and roast uncovered for 25 minutes. Remove, cool and cut the lemons into 1/4-inch dice.

- In a bowl, combine the lemons, the remaining olive oil, shallots, sugar and salt and stir gently. Cover and set aside for at least 3 hours so the flavors can marry and mellow. Initially, the lemons may seem a little harsh or bitter but as they sit the flavor changes markedly. Taste it a couple of times throughout the rest period and you'll see. Adjust the seasonings with additional salt, pepper and lemon juice. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.

*NOTE: Commercially grown citrus is coated with a wax that gives it a nice shine and also helps extend its shelf life -- fruits don't dry out as quickly when waxed. Although it's "food-grade" wax, none of us needs to consume it. The best way to remove it is to use a mild detergent solution and a clean pot-scrubber sponge. Rinse thoroughly, of course.

I can't believe it's been nearly two years since I moved into my little cottage in the Grid. Coming from a flat in an old 4-plex on the busy end of Midtown with loud neighbors; I can't express how much I love my adorable girly cottage with it's cute hardwood floors, modern fixtures, quiet neighbors, and ample parking. I love how I can step outside my door and pick juicy Meyer lemons in the winter and how bright yellow daffodils poke their heads up every spring like clockwork. I also love how everyday some unknown person moves the small raccoon statue in my courtyard to a new location (it was a bit creepy at first, but now it's just funny). There's just something about the place that makes it really feel like a home...a mini-oasis. My only beef with the place is during the winter when I do some heavy duty cooking, even with the kitchen fan on, odors linger...especially seafood smells. Last month when I made crab cakes, the cottage smelled like a seafood grotto for days. DAYS. So when I ran across this recipe recently for quinoa cakes, I thought I'd give them a try. The crispiness of a crab cake without the stench of the ocean...yes, please! Well, they turned out to be really delish especially when paired with my fav remoulade or spicy sriracha-mayo. I've been making these quinoa cakes a lot the past couple of weeks...they're stink-free AND healthy (quinoa is a "superfood," didn't you know?). Win-win.


Crispy Quinoa Cakes with Sriracha-Mayo
(quinoa cakes recipe from Running To The Kitchen)
(sriracha-mayo recipe from White on Rice Couple)

Quinoa Cakes

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups cooked quinoa

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 egg

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon capers (rinsed of brine)

zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons AP flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

juice of 1/2 a lemon

3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, for frying


Instructions

- Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a large bowl and mix until fully combined.

- Heat a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.

- In quarter cup scoops, form the quinoa mixture into patties.

- Place patties in skillet and pan fry 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown, adding additional olive oil as needed.

- Serve with additional lemon or your favorite sauce.


Sriracha-Mayo

Ingredients

3 tablespoons mayo

1 tablespoon Sriracha style chili sauce

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon soy sauce  

 
Instructions
 
- In bowl, combine ingredients until smooth.

For weeks I've had a wicked craving for some yakitori and since Mr. S. is sick again (this time with a head cold), I figured he'd be too weak to kick up a fuss about whatever I'd want to cook for dinner so last night I whipped up a batch. (Just in case though, I made a fresh batch of lemon bars for dessert to placate him.) Turned out I need not have worried, he liked the yakitori especially since I kept some extra sauce on the side for dipping and looks like the dish will most likely pop up into our dinner rotation in the near future again. Especially since it's so easy to make...all you have to do is baste, baste, baste! :)

Yakitori with Tare Sauce (adapted from Café Sucré Farine)

Ingredients

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

¾ cup Kikkoman Less Sodium Soy Sauce (green bottle)

½ cup mirin

¼ cup honey

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

6 thin slices fresh ginger

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ tablespoons corn starch

1 ½ tablespoons water

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs), cut into cubes

2 bunches scallions, cut in 1" pieces, discarding top 2-3 inches


Instructions

1. Soak bamboo skewers in cold water for 15 minutes. Drain

2. Combine the chicken broth, soy sauce, mirin, honey, rice vinegar, lime juice, sugar, garlic, ginger slices and sesame oil in a medium size saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Combine cornstarch and water; stir vigorously until there are no lumps. Add to soy mixture and continue to simmer for 4-5 minutes, until bubbly and thickened. Strain the sauce and reserve 1/2 cup for dipping. Set aside to cool completely.

4. Preheat grill to medium-high. Brush or spray grill grate with oil.

5. Alternately skewer chicken pieces then two scallions onto skewers. (All I could find were the super long wooden kabob sticks, so we had "super-sized" yakitori for dinner.) Grill skewers, covered, about 2 minutes on each side.

6. Baste the side of meat facing up with sauce. Grill, covered, 2 minutes more and turn. Continue grilling and basting chicken, 10 minutes total or until cooked through. (Watch chicken carefully; don't over-cook or chicken will be dry and tough.)

You know you've done well when your dinner guest is so enthusiastic about your side dish that he has gone back for seconds and thirds and it looks like he might go as far as to bathe in the sauce.

Rémoulade (adapted from Drick's Rambling Cafe's White Rémoulade Dressing)

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons dry white wine

2 tablespoons capers, chopped

1 garlic clove, finely minced

2 teaspoon green onions, chopped

1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon dried tarragon

 
Instructions
 
- Mix ingredients in a bowl throughly.

- Cover and refrigerate for several hours to meld the flavors together.

- Serve with grilled asparagus.

I spent Friday cooking like a madwoman; after all, we were having the Pope over for dinner...okay, not THE Pope. But rather, Mr. S.'s buddy who's surname is Pope, but it does sound pretty neat to say that we're dining with the Pope, doesn't it? His holiness or not, I wanted to cook up something special for Mr. Pope, the Mrs. and their three kidlets. The menu I decided to go with was :

Appetizers

• Bourbon Bacon Jam & Fried Quail Eggs on Crostini
• Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese Tartlets
• Sweet & Sour Meatballs 

Main Course

• Ribeyes & Filet Mignon from Taylor's Market (for the adults)
• Grilled Cheeseburgers (for the kidlets)
• Roasted New Red Potatoes w/ Herbes de Provence
• Asparagus w/ Remoulade

Dessert

• Cherry Pie Filling Chocolate Cake

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The big hit with the guests turned out to be the bourbon bacon jam and fried quail eggs on crostini (although the meatballs were a close second).  The bacon jam is pretty easy to make and if you store it in an air tight container in the fridge it can keep for up to a week. I chose to use Buffalo Trace Bourbon...it's delicious! I was first introduced to it by a bartender in Portland while on a roadtrip with a friend. I thought the oaky undertones and trace notes of vanilla would complement the rest of the spices in the bacon jam well. You only use a little bit in the recipe so you'll have plenty left over to serve your guests with the dessert should you choose to do so. ;)

Bourbon Bacon Jam (recipe by Evil Shenanigans)

Ingredients

1 pound thick-cup applewood smoked bacon, cut into 1″ pieces (use the best quality bacon you can get)

1 large sweet onion, cut into 1/4″ thick slices

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch fresh grated nutmeg

Pinch ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon dry chipotle powder

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 cup strong brewed coffee

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup good quality bourbon

1/4 cup maple syrup (does not have to be the best quality, any grade B maple syrup will be fine)

1 tablespoon hot sauce (I used sriracha)


Instructions

- In a large skillet over medium high heat cook the bacon pieces until the begin to crisp at the edges but are still soft in the center, about 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Set aside to drain. Pour all but one tablespoon of the bacon drippings from the pan.

- Lower the heat to medium-low and add the onion and brown sugar. Cook until the onions are well caramelized, about twenty minutes. Add the garlic and spices and cook an additional five minutes.

- Add the liquid ingredients and the bacon to the pan. Increase the heat to medium heat bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about two hours. Check the mixture every 30 minutes. If the mixture becomes too dry add a few tablespoons of water. You want the final mixture to be moist and very sticky.

- Let the mixture cool slightly them put it into the bowl of a food processor, or blender, and pulse about 20 times, or until it reaches your preferred consistency.

Wondering what do with those all beautiful tomatoes that are starting to ripen in your garden or all those luscious tomatoes you see beaming at you at the farmers' market? Try this super easy recipe for tomato sauce! I made this recently made this at my night at Community Tap and Table and am now using it on everything- pizzas, ravioli, or my current fav- throw a dollop of the tomato sauce and a some goat cheese on some sliced baguette, pop it in the broiler for a flash and bam!- you've got some tasty grinds to munch on while relaxing in your backyard.

Tasty Tomato Sauce (recipe adapted from Community Tap and Table class)

Ingredients

Fresh Tomatoes

Fresh Basil, torn into small pieces

Fresh Oregeno

Fresh Garlic, peeled & diced

Salt and pepper

* Tip: Handle tomatoes with care, don't store them in the fridge (it slows the ripening process) and don't process them in metal, the acids can react.

Instructions

- Bring salted water to boil.

- Cut crosses in the non stem side of the tomato and blanch in the water. Blanch means to put them into the boiling water for about 15 seconds, then drop them into a bowl filled with ice and water for another 15 seconds. Then when you lift them up, grab the skin from the crosses you cut and peel them. Peel over the pan you're going to sauté in.

- Once they're added, sauté them with olive oil and garlic. Add in basil, oregano and salt & pepper to taste. Simmer down until cooked to desired consistency. The longer you cook it, the smoother & "saucier" it'll get.

Happy Monday! How was your weekend, readers? Over here, the past two weekends Mr. S. and I have been experimenting with different pulled pork recipes. Last weekend we tried cooking it on the BBQ and topping it with a North Carolina-style vinegar sauce and this weekend we slow cooked it for over 8.5 hours in a roaster then mixed it with a homemade BBQ sauce. For the latter (which I'm blogging about), the kidlets were around so I served it up on a sweet french roll with some crispy tator tots and got thumbs up all around. I think this one's a keeper!

Homemade BBQ Sauce (recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

*Makes about 7 cups of barbecue sauce

Ingredients

2 cups ketchup

2 cups tomato sauce

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

1 1/4 cups red wine vinegar

1/2 cups unsulphured molasses

2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

4 teaspoons hickory flavored liquid smoke

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper


Instructions

- In a large saucepan, over medium heat, mix together all the wet ingredients and then add the seasonings.

-Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will thicken as it simmers (and then as it cools).

- Simmer for at least an hour.


BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches (recipe from Mel's Kitchen Cafe)

Ingredients

3 to 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (I've also used boneless pork loin - not tenderloin - but pork loin with good results)

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups water

1 tablespoon hickory flavored liquid smoke

2 cups barbecue sauce


Instructions

- Rinse the pork shoulder and pat dry.

- Rub salt and pepper over the pork and place in a slow cooker.

- Add water and liquid smoke. Cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours, until the pork is very tender.

- Remove the pork from the slow cooker and discard the remaining liquid.

- Shred the pork using a couple of forks.

- Place the meat back in the slow cooker along with the barbecue sauce and continue to cook for another 20-30 minutes until the pork is hot again.

- Serve on buns with extra barbecue sauce.

Mr. S. looooves fish tacos. I kid you not, hand him a nice grilled fish taco and he'll think you're the bee's knees. Last week we made some quick ones from tilapia and topped it with this Spicy Sriracha Mayo Sauce I stumbled upon on White On Rice Couple's food blog. It's super easy to make and quite versatile- you can throw a dollop on a burrito, slather it on a burger or use for simply dipping crisp fries or fresh veggies in.


Spicy Sriracha Mayo Sauce

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons mayo

1 Tablespoons Huy Fong's Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (I like to mix it up sometimes and sub in the Huy Fong's Chili-Garlic Sauce)

1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice

1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
 
 
Instructions
 
1. In bowl, combine ingredients until smooth.

2. Use as dip or spread for your favorite dishes.

Don't be thinking I'm giving up my beloved sriracha; however, a little variation is good for the soul so I've embraced this bottle here as my favorite condiment of the moment. Mmm! Yuzu-It (the liquid form of the popular yuzu-kosho flavoring) hits you with a smack of hot green peppercorns then soothes the sting over with the tang of citrusy yuzu. While I was in LA we were using it to dip our yakitori in but I was so hooked on the taste that I bought a bottle at Oto's and am now shaking it onto pretty much everything. Give it a go!