LolaCooks

2012-01-31T18:55:00.000-08:00

Sometimes all you want to do is snack on some fennel salame, Grand Reblochon cheese, terrine and fresh bread. And the mimosa (the flower, not the champagne drink), whose beauty and scent remind me so much of Januaries growing up, made this particular Saturday mid-day snack, the absolute best.

I feel so lucky to live next door to Cookbook - feeds us healthily and beautifully every day.

Easy Eats: Roasted Chestnuts

2011-12-13T10:30:00.000-08:00

This is my favorite holiday snack. A couple of weeks ago Cookbook LA had the best Maroni chestnuts... perfect start to the holidays.

Slice an "X" over each chestnut (carefully) and roast for about 20 minutes at 425 degrees F.

Rosemary & Garlic Pork Chops

2011-12-12T10:20:00.000-08:00

Low-cal, easy, delicious... what more do you need from dinner?

INGREDIENTS:
2 pork chops
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
salt
freshly ground black pepper
crushed red pepper

METHOD:
In a baking dish, sprinkle pork chops on both sides with olive oil, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, garlic & rosemary. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in fridge for an hour, if you have the time. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cover in aluminum and roast for about 15 minutes. Remove foil and roast for another 20-30 minutes until the pork is no longer pink in the center or an instant read thermometer inserted in the center reads 155-160 degrees F.

Serve with steamed green beans. Spoon the juices from the baking dish over the pork chops and the green beans.

Easy Eats: Sauteed Zucchini & Summer Squash

2011-11-23T08:22:00.000-08:00

Slice and quarter a couple small zucchini and summer squash. Sautee in a little butter with fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Or use olive oil. Add crushed red pepper, too.

Easy Eats: Roasted Veggies

2011-11-21T08:23:00.000-08:00

Pretty and self-explanatory. I used zaatar. Use thyme, oregano... whatever... olive oil, salt, pepper. Done.

Easy Eats: Tilapia and Roasted Scallions

2011-11-20T00:17:00.001-08:00

No time to mince garlic or do anything fancy here ...

Grease baking pan with a little olive oil. Roll the scallions in the oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Add tilapia fillets. Top with salt, pepper, olive oil and minced scallions. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 15 minutes. Serve with a side of steamed veggies. Top everything with some lemon juice.

Sauteed Soft Shell Crab with Leek & Butter Sauce

2011-11-09T07:51:00.000-08:00

This post is a little overdue... I don't think soft shell crabs are still in season... definitely scoop them up if you find them at your local store! Usually, soft shell crabs are sold pre-cleaned but if not, there are plenty of videos on the internet on how to clean them.

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cup milk
4 small soft shell crabs, cleaned
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbs olive oil
2 1/2 tbs butter

for the sauce
1/4-1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 small leeks, finely sliced (white and light green parts)

METHOD:
In a shallow bowl, soak the soft shell crab in the milk in a single layer for 1 hour. Drain and discard the milk. In a shallow plate, mix the flour with the salt and pepper. Dredge each crab in the flour. In the meantime, heat the oil and butter together in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and saute the crabs until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Pop crab in the oven at a very low heat to just keep warm for a couple of minutes.

for the sauce
Add 1/2 tbs butter to the same pan. Sautee the leeks for about 3 minutes until soft. Sprinkle with a little salt & pepper and add the parsley. Stir frequently.

Serve the crab immediately with mashed potatoes. Serve the sauce either on top of the potatoes or the crab... or both.

Crab recipe (not the sauce) adapted from this one on Epicurious.

Messy Potato Gratin with Thyme, Fontina, and Goat Cheese

2011-10-12T10:16:00.000-07:00

So I didn't really have the ingredients or the desire to make a proper gratin here...

Just slice up some young red potatoes (they cook fast). Toss with salt, pepper, olive oil and garlic (optional). Lay the potato slices in a single layer on a roasting pan as well as you can ... it won't be perfect. Sprinkle with fresh thyme and whatever melty cheeses you have... I used fontina and goat cheese. You could use pecorino romano, fontina, grueyere, or gorgonzola... Bake at 375 degrees F until it looks done... about 30-45 minutes.

For other barely-traditional gratins, see:

M's Potato Gratin

Gruyere and Potato Gratin

Chicken and Potato Gratin

Asparagus Gratin

Za'atar and Parmesan Chicken Strips

2011-09-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

The za'atar mix I used here is a blend of dried rosemary, thyme, black sesame seeds and sumac. Available at Cookbook.

INGREDIENTS:
2 chicken breasts, cut diagonally into long strips
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbs za'atar (or toss in thyme and rosemary)
2 cloves garlic, minced
red hot pepper flakes
black pepper
panko or regular bread crumbs (in my case, I ran out of bread crumbs so I crumbled up some seasoned pita chips I had left over in the snack cabinet)
about 1/4 cup grated Parmesan

METHOD:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Ideally, create the olive oil mixture well in advance of dipping the chicken so the flavors can develop. In a shallow bowl, add the olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and za'atar. Dip chicken strips in olive oil mixture then in the bread crumbs. Transfer to lightly greased baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

White Corn & Sage Agnolotti

2011-09-15T14:59:00.000-07:00

I didn't make the agnolotti from scratch here (thanks to Heirloom I got the agnolotti fresh from Cookbook) but I am including a recipe that tells you how to make them. As you can tell, I love the sweet corn/sage combination. At a wedding we attended recently, they served a sweet corn and sage ravioli, which has been my inspiration for these corn recipes. The recipe has been adapted from this Wolfgang Puck recipe.

INGREDIENTS:
Filling -
1 cup heavy cream
4 ears white/sweet corn, grated in a box grater through medium holes
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp sugar
1-2 tbs minced sage (recipe calls for 1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, minced)
note: the recipe calls for adding a mixture of cheeses... I think I would be more inclined to add something less flavorful than goat cheese and Parmesan because the flavor of the corn is so great or to omit the cheese entirely. Here's what the recipe calls for:
1 oz goat cheese
3 oz mascarpone cheese
2 tbs grated Parmesan cheese

Agnolotti -
10 sheets, approx 6-12 inches, fresh pasta dough
Seminola or flour for dusting
1 large egg beaten with 1 tbs water, for egg wash

Sauce -
5 oz butter
1/2 small leek, finely sliced
10-15 small sage leaves, minced
salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:
Filling
In a medium skillet, bring the cream to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce until about 1/3 cup remains. Stir in the grated corn, salt, pepper, and sugar. Bring mixture to a slow boil. Stir constantly. Continue to cook until the mixture reduces and is thick enough to heavily coat the spoon.

Transfer mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in the cheese (if using). Stir in sage (or thyme). Mix until well-blended. Taste and adjust seasoning. Place bowl over ice bath to allow filling to set.

Agnolotti
On a lightly floured board, roll out the pasta sheets as thinly as possible. With a pastry bag or teaspoon, mound little heaps of filling about 1-inch apart in 2 rows. Brush around mounds with eggwash. Cut the pasta sheet in half between the rows, lengthwise. Fold the dough over filling and squeeze dough together between mounds. With a serrated pasta cutter, cut agnolotti. Cut away excess dough lengthwise; there should be no m ore than 1/4-inch around the edges. Cut individual agnolottis and pinch to seal. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Sauce
While the water is boiling, make the sauce. In a heavy skillet, add chicken stock, leeks, sage, and butter. Boil until mixture emulsifies. Season with salt and pepper.

Cook the agnolotti in boiling water until al dente, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and toss gently in the sauce. Serve with Parmesan if desired.

Sweet Corn with Sage

2011-09-13T07:54:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite way to cook corn now. You better hurry up with this one because corn is almost out of season. The corn I used in this recipe I bought from Cookbook. It was plump, crispy, sweet, and very juicy - it did not require much cooking. You could also coarsely blend the mixture in part and use as a filling for ravioli or agnolotti.

INGREDIENTS:
2-3 small corn cobs, kernels sliced off
3 tbs salted butter
1/2 small onion, minced
handful of fresh sage leaves, sliced
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
2 tbs chicken broth
3-4 tbs creme fraiche
*note: I didn't add any salt to this recipe. I thought the salted butter was enough.

METHOD:
Slice off corn kernels with a pairing knife. Under low heat, saute onions with butter for about 10 minutes until transluscent. Add the sage and cook for about a minute until fragrant. Add corn. Stir and add in chicken broth. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add black pepper and red pepper flakes (if using). Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add creme fraiche and stir until the corn is well mixed and creamy. Serve warm.

Lemon Verbena Pesto

2011-09-09T16:01:00.000-07:00

This is a great way to change up your pesto. Add walnuts, almonds, or flax seeds for an extra health kick. Use on turkey paninis as a spread, toss shrimp or chicken in it before roasting or grillin, use on top of grilled steak or alongside roasted lamb, stir into risotto or rice...

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups lightly packed flat leaf parsley (or basil but I like parsley)
1 cup lightly packed lemon verbena leaves
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1/4 cup olive oil (or as needed to blend well)
optional:
2-3 tbs grated Parmesan
freshly ground black pepper

METHOD:
Blend all ingredients well until smooth. Store in freezer for longer duration.

Bean and Vegetable Rice

2011-09-08T08:50:00.000-07:00

In an effort to eat more vegetarian meals, I came up with this recipe. It's light, super low in fat, and totally filling.

Serves 2-3
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups low sodium vegetable broth (optional: substitute a 1/4 cup of white wine)
1 cup long grain white rice
2 small leeks (as in tiny leeks - the kind you'd get straight from the farm), thinly sliced, white and light green parts
1/2 medium onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbs olive oil
5-10 leaves lemon verbena, sliced (optional)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1-2tsp red pepper flakes
1 can kidney beans, rinsed (you don't need to use the whole can, just as much as you want)
crumbled Feta cheese to taste

METHOD:
Heat vegetable broth in small sauce pan. In the meantime, saute the garlic, onion and leeks in the olive oil over medium heat until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Do not let brown.

Add rice. Stir for another 2 minutes. Add 2 cups broth and lemon verbena (if using). Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir and simmer uncovered. Stir frequently and add the rest of the broth as needed. Cook until rice is tender and mixture is thick and creamy, about 20 minutes. Salt, pepper and red pepper to taste.

Mix beans into rice. Serve warm with crumbled feta cheese and freshly ground black pepper.

VARIATION:

Make this risotto style by using arborio rice and ladling in the broth cup by cup instead of all at once.
Add radicchio, endive, or kale into the rice as it cooks as in this recipe from Epicurious.
Use Parmesan instead of feta

Spicy Broccoli with Sesame Seeds

2011-09-07T09:03:00.001-07:00

INGREDIENTS:
1 tbs sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped broccoli
3 tbs chicken stock
1 tbs toasted sesame seeds
1 red bell pepper, sliced (optional)
red pepper flakes, to taste (make it spicy!)
salt
freshly ground black pepper

METHOD:
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes for about a minute but do not brown. Add the broccoli (+pepper) with the chicken broth and cook covered for about 3-5 minutes until desired tenderness/crispness. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and toss with sesame seeds. You can also add a splash of soy sauce while the veggies sautee if you wish, but it's great without.

Thyme & Parmesan Crusted Chicken Tenders

2011-09-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:
1lb Chicken tenders, or chicken breast cut into strips
1 cup bread crumbs, seasoned with:
- 1tbs dry thyme,
- red hot pepper flakes,
- freshly ground black pepper
- handful of grated parmesan
Salt
Olive oil or melted butter

METHOD:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease baking pan. Dip chicken tenders in olive oil or melted butter and sprinkle with a little salt (remember, the parmesan is also salty). Coat with bread crumb mixture. Bake at 375 degrees F until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

*Try coating the chicken in a mustard/honey mixture before dipping in the bread crumbs.

Simplified Chicken Byrek

2011-09-04T10:15:00.000-07:00

Byrek is a traditional Albanian dish. It is made with several layers of dough that has been thinly rolled out by hand. The fillings are varied and I'll show you more over time. This is my simplified version made with puff pastry for convenience. You can also use layers of phyllo dough. Neither version tastes as good as the real thing but it'll do for a quick weeknight meal!

I usually prepare this byrek after I have made chicken broth. Use the broth to make soup and serve it with the byrek.

METHOD:

Shred the chicken after it's been boiled for broth. Toss with one whisked egg white, salt, pepper, and 2-3 tablespoons dried spearmint - be generous, it makes the dish.

Roll out one sheet of phyllo dough to desired thinness, lay on lightly greased baking pan, add the chicken, top with about 4 thin slivers of butter. Roll out another sheet of phyllo and cover your byrek, using water to glue the edges together. Brush with egg wash or melted butter. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 25 minutes until golden. Let cool for a few minutes and serve with a simple chicken soup.

Mashed Potato Salad

2011-09-03T10:11:00.000-07:00

Boil young potatoes with salt until they are fork tender. Roughly mash. Fold in lemon juice to taste, salt, freshly ground black pepper, a handful of minced fresh parsley, and a sprinkle of good olive oil. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving. I served it with garlic and oregano roasted tilapia fillets.

Favorite Roasted Chicken

2011-09-02T10:02:00.000-07:00

I have blogged about this recipe before but I just made it again for company and it's been promoted to favorite roasted chicken recipe. Your home will smell like lemon and rosemary and the chicken will fall off the bone. Thanks Nigella.

Note that this recipe is definitely a plan-ahead type of thing but you can reduce the roasting time if you need to do so. Just roast at 300 instead of 250 for about 45 minutes covered and then at 375 uncovered for another 20-30 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Still, following the actual times and temperatures in the recipe below is totally worth it. It makes a big difference.

INGREDIENTS:

1 chicken, cut into pieces as in the photo

3-5 fingerling or young potatoes, in small chunks (optional)

1 head garlic, separated into unpeeled cloves

2 unwaxed lemons, cut into chunky eighths

fresh rosemary sprigs (be generous)

3 tbs olive oil

1/2 cup white wine

salt

freshly ground black pepper

red pepper flakes to taste

METHOD:

Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees F. Place the chicken pieces skin-side up into a roasting tin or baking dish and add the garlic, lemon, and rosemary. Add some quartered young or fingerling potatoes if you wish.

Toss everything with olive oil and white wine, then top with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Use your hands to rub the seasonings on the chicken.

Tuck some lemon and rosemary under the chicken skin and some garlic under the breast bones.

Squeeze one of the lemon chunks over the chicken and then place the leftover lemon piece back in the pan.

Cover tightly with foil and cook at low heat for 2 hours. Remove foil and cook uncovered at 300 degrees for another 30-45 minutes until the chicken turns golden brown and the lemons begin to scorch.

Oregano Roasted Lamb Ribs

2011-08-25T06:11:00.000-07:00

This is a really simple way to roast lamb ribs. Salt and pepper on both sides, generally rub with oregano, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes to taste. Sprinkle with a little lemon juice. Lightly grease a roasting pan. Add a couple of bay leaves to the pan.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Roast ribs until nicely browned, about 1 hour. About half an hour in, add a bunch of cippollini onions, halved and tossed with salt and pepper. Remove from the oven and let rest for about 5 minutes. Slice into individual ribs and serve.

Roasted Chicken with Cauliflower, Fennel & Green Beans

2011-08-24T05:19:00.000-07:00

So there was a little bit of cheating in this dish to shorten the roasting time and to allow me to use my new Le Creuset pan.

INGREDIENTS
Chicken breast (bone-in or off), split in two
1 small head cauliflower
handful of green beans, cut in half if too long
1 fennel, sliced in eighths
2 cloves minced garlic
salt, freshly ground black pepper, red pepper flakes
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
minced fresh parsley

METHOD
Season chicken on both sides with salt, black pepper and red pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, heavy skillet. Add the vegetables and the garlic. Saute over medium heat, about 7 minutes. Season with salt, black pepper and red pepper. Remove from skillet and place on a baking dish.

Add a little bit more olive oil to the skillet. Over medium-high heat, sear the chicken on both sides. About 3 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet and nestle it among the vegetables. Roast for another 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

Toss vegetables with fresh parsely and serve.

It's a Celebration! Grilled Lobster.

2011-08-23T17:15:00.000-07:00

Having just returned from a great sunny and beachy vacation in Massachusetts, seafood is one of the main things on my mind. One of the best meals we had was at home: grilled lobster, tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden, skillet fries, and lots of champagne.

Here's how:
Boil about 2 inches of water with lemon juice, a lemon, and fresh thyme leaves. When the water boils, put in the lobster. Cover and boil for 3 minutes. Take out of the water, slit the lobster down the middle, brush with olive oil, salt & pepper. Grill for about 6-7 minutes.

Make sure to wash the pot after boiling each lobster if you're making more than one. And do not ever pre-cook the lobster and then plop it back in boiling water to warm it back up. This will cause the lobster to fill with water.

Here's an interesting excerpt on how to cook a lobster from the owner of the Lobster Hut in Maine:

"The secret to boiling lobsters is not to murder them. Give them a nice, slow, respectable way out. Boiling them in a lot of water just boils their flavor out, and too much water waterlogs them. I put in two inches of water, whether I'm cooking two lobsters or 14. I take a salt container and with the spout open I pour it three times around the pot, then, plop! at the end (about three teaspoons). When the water is boiling, put in the lobsters, put the lid on, and steam them for 20 minutes. Not a minute less or a minute more."

- for more, see the feature in Yankee Magazine

Seared Sea Bass and Broccolini

2011-08-17T09:13:00.000-07:00

METHOD:
Heat a little olive oil in a heavy skillet. Season sea bass on both sides with salt and pepper. Toss broccolini in a small bowl with salt, pepper and just a tiny bit of olive oil. Place sea bass on the skillet skin-side down. Sear for 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat depending on thickness of the fillet. Flip and add broccolini. Sear for another 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with minced garlic and pop in the oven for another 5 minutes or so until it looks done. Sprinkle everything with fresh squeezed lemon juice.

SERVING SUGGESTION:
Serve alone or with a side of roasted red fingerling potatoes. I slice them in rounds, toss in salt, pepper and olive oil. They roast very quickly; just pop them in the oven before you get started on the fish.

SIDE SALAD:
As a side salad, I cut up some cherry tomatoes and tossed them with parsley, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Roasted Haddock with Almond & Garlic Topping

2011-08-08T07:07:00.000-07:00

Lightly grease the bottom of a baking pan. Salt and pepper the haddock on both sides. Top with a sprinkle of paprika and a thin sliver of butter. With a mortar and pestle, grind a handful of roasted almonds, and two cloves minced garlic. Top the fish with the almond/garlic mixture and some fresh parsley. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 12 minutes.

I served this fish with an asparagus and parsley risotto. Here's an example of corn & asparagus risotto. Follow the same recipe and just add zest of one lemon while the risotto cooks and fold in lots of minced parsley once its cooked.

Asparagus, Shallots, and Goat Cheese Tart

2011-07-10T19:29:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:
Flour, for work surface
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed according to package instructions
goat cheese, crumbled
10 asparagus, sliced into 1in pieces
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced into rounds
1-2 tbs creme fraiche
1 tbs olive oil
rosemary
salt
pepper

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry into a rectangle big enough to fit your baking sheet (16-by-10-inch for example). Place the pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, slightly score the dough 1 inch in from the edges to mark a rectangle. Using a fork, pierce the dough inside the markings at half-inch intervals. Bake until golden, about 10-15 minutes.

In the meantime, saute the shallots and asparagus with the rosemary in a little olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Remove the pastry shell from the oven, and lightly spread with creme fraiche. Spread the shallots and asparagus on top. Dot the tart with goat cheese. Bake until the cheese has slightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Garlic Roasted Cauliflower

2011-07-09T09:56:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:

1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Red chili flakes

1 tbs curry (optional)

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbs olive oil (or as needed)

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss cauliflower with all the ingredients in a medium bowl until well coated. Spread on a baking pan and roast until slightly golden brown.

SERVING SUGGESTION: Serve with roasted chicken and wild rice.

Baked Sunny Side Up Eggs over Asparagus and Shallots

2011-06-26T16:16:00.000-07:00

This dish takes the frittata idea and changes it up a little. I love that when you cut into the yolk, it runs over the asparagus and the shallots. I added Mimolette cheese here but any cheese you like would work. It would be great with feta!

INGREDIENTS
8 thin asparagus stalks, cut into 1/2 inch segments
1 small shallot, sliced into thin rounds
1/2 cup or less of grated Mimolette cheese
1/4 cup of minced fresh herbs such as parsley
2 eggs
a little olive oil or butter for sautéing the vegetables
salt & pepper

METHOD
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Prep the vegetables. You can either toss the vegetables in a little olive oil and roast for about 10 minutes or saute them before putting in the oven. To saute the vegetables, start by sautéing the shallots under low-medium heat until translucent. Add the asparagus. Saute for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Coat a pie dish lightly with a little butter. Add the vegetables in a flat even layer. Sprinkle the cheese over the vegetables. Crack two eggs on top. Sprinkle eggs with salt & freshly ground black pepper as desired.

Bake until the whites of eggs have set. Serve immediately.

Kale Chips

2011-06-04T18:01:00.000-07:00

I, too, have jumped on the kale chips bandwagon and they are delicious. I don't even like kale normally. But in chip-form, I'll take it.

METHOD

Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees F. Tear the kale chips into thirds or fourths and toss in olive oil. Lay flat in a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until crisp for about 30 minutes.

Roasted Broccoli & Cipollini Onions with Walnuts

2011-05-21T22:54:00.000-07:00

I really love roasted vegetables so I try to come up with new variations whenever I can... it's not hard. This one is super simple:
Toss the broccoli and cipollini onions (quartered) with olive oil, salt, pepper, a pinch of crushed red pepper, rosemary and walnut halves and roast in 400 degree F oven for about 15-20 minutes. You might want to roast the onions a little bit longer so you could add the broccoli after 5 minutes or so but either way the roasted cipollini taste delicious.

Kidney Bean Salad with Asparagus and Walnuts

2011-05-18T10:37:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:
- 15oz kidney beans (if you use dried, boil according to package; or use canned)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder (or toasted cumin seeds ground up)
- 8-10 asparagus stalks, cut into 1 in pieces
- 2 scallions, slice the white and green parts
- 1/4-1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
- appx 2 tbs olive oil
- salt & pepper
- appx 1 tbs lemon juice

- handful of walnut halves for topping

METHOD:
Mix together olive oil, scallions, cilantro, salt, pepper and cumin in a small bowl. Set aside in the fridge. Either roast or blanch the asparagus. Once the beans and the asparagus have cooled, toss together with the olive oil mixture. Adjust salt & pepper as needed and sprinkle with some lemon juice. Refrigerate the salad for an hour or two if you have the time. Bring to room temperature before serving. Garnish salad with walnuts and additional cilantro when ready to serve.

Oregano-Crusted Pork Tenderloin

2011-05-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

The method is super simple on this one: rub the pork tenderloin with a little bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano (be generous). Roast at 375 for about 45 minutes to an hour - check to see when it reaches your desired doneness. Cover with foil for the first 20 minutes. As has been my habit now with meat, the pork tenderloin is from Cookbook LA - delicious.

SERVING SUGGESTION:
Asparagus Gratin
Ravioli tossed in browned butter & thyme

Pesto Roasted Chicken with Potatoes & Fennel

2011-05-07T17:11:00.000-07:00

This was a great way to use some left-over pesto, and an easy one-dish dinner. I removed the chicken's thighs, wings and back to use for broth. As always, my chicken is from Cookbook LA: it's incredibly delicious and not unnaturally humongous.

INGREDIENTS:
1 small chicken or bone-in breasts
a couple of tbs pesto (click here for recipe)
handful of young potatoes: halved, quartered, or thickly sliced
1-2 fennel bulbs, sliced into eighths
salt & pepper
2 tbs olive oil

METHOD:
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
Toss potatoes and fennel with salt, pepper & olive oil in the baking dish. Place the chicken in the middle and rub with the pesto. Give it a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of extra salt (if you think it needs it).
Roast covered in aluminum foil for about 30 minutes. Remove foil and roast for another hour until golden and cooked through.

Light at the end of the tunnel...

2011-05-04T21:37:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,
I am still subsisting on pasta & asparagus, as you can tell. One more week until finals are over! I hope you enjoyed the last few [sporadic] posts & the new lay out.
Bora

In the photo:
Burratta & Ricotta Ravioli from Heirloom, with asparagus, olive oil, lots of freshly ground black pepper, and Parm + a healthy serving of Federal Income Tax notes.

Lemon & Asparagus Calamari

2011-05-01T15:10:00.000-07:00

It's clearly asparagus season here on LolaCooks. I hope all these asparagus recipes are giving you some good ideas. Also, don't think I'm eating asparagus every day because of all these posts - I am posting dishes that have piled up in the queue from the last month or so. Having said that, we do eat asparagus at least twice a week and sometimes toss it in with breakfast omelets right now!

INGREDIENTS:
- 1lb squid tubes, sliced into rounds
- 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
- handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
- red pepper flakes
- salt & pepper
- a couple tbs olive oil
- 1tbs lemon juice for the marinade
- Zest from 1 or more lemons for the saute & lemon wedges for serving
- 10 stalks asparagus, cut into 1in segments

METHOD:
Start by marinading the squid with all the ingredients listed. You can set it aside in fridge for about 20-30 minutes if you have time. Over medium heat, sautee asparagus in a little olive oil for about 3-4 minutes. Add squid and its liquids into the pan. Saute until squid is cooked through. 1-2 minutes before taking off heat, stir in the lemon zest. Remove from heat. Serve over rice or pasta and top with more lemon juice to taste.

Asparagus Gratin

2011-04-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

I served this simple asparagus gratin with a roasted, oregano-crusted pork tenderloin. Everything sourced from Cookbook LA.
INGREDIENTS:
- bunch of asparagus
- crumbled goat cheese
- small handful of breadcrumbs
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
- salt & freshly ground black pepper
- drizzle of olive oil

METHOD:
- Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Arrange the asparagus flat in a baking dish. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.
- In a small bowl, mix the goat cheese with the bread crumbs & thyme.
- Layer the goat cheese mixture on top of the asparagus and drizzle with olive oil.
- Bake for about 10 minutes. Turn on the broiler for a minute at the end to give the goat cheese that nice golden color.

Asparagus & Squash Farro Salad

2011-04-27T10:01:00.000-07:00

I have been totally loading up on asparagus this spring. You will see a lot of it here over the next few weeks as I sneak in a post here and there between finals. This salad makes a great dinner, or lunch

for about 3 servings... adjust as needed. this recipe is pretty loose and does well as left-overs for lunch!
INGREDIENTS
1.5 cups semi-pearled farro
3-4 cups vegetable stock (to cook the farro in - follow directions on farro package & use this instead of water; farro cooks more like pasta, so you will have to drain out the stock once it's cooked)
2 tbs olive oil
1 small clove garlic, minced
1-2 tbs lemon juice, to taste
2-3 tbs good olive oil
salt & pepper
10-15 asparagus stalks, cut diagonally into 1-inch segments, pre-roasted salt&pepper and 10min in oven or blanched (I prefer roasted)
1-2 handfuls of roasted butternut squash cubes (you could use store bought frozen ones; usually, when I don't use the whole squash, I cut it up and freeze it. So for this recipe that's what I used. It gets a little soggy when you roast the frozen squash so the best alternative would be to cut it up and roast it right there if you have the time!)
1 hard-boiled egg, optional (follow my method here)
handful of minced fresh parsley, optional

METHOD
1. Cook farro in vegetable broth just like you would pasta. Check out the packaging for precise directions if you need to.
2. In the meantime, toss the asparagus and the butternut squash in olive oil and a little salt & pepper. If you are using fresh, not frozen, butternut squash, it will need about 45 minutes to roast nicely. I recommend cutting up a fresh squash for this but honestly, I used my frozen left-overs and it turned out fine.
3. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix together the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and a little lemon juice. Set aside.
4. Let everything cool after it has cooked/roasted; then, toss everything together with the dressing. Add the hard boiled eggs, quartered. Feel free to add some feta cheese if you have any on hand.
You could eat this salad warm or refrigerate for 1-2 hours. The garlic flavor will have really settled in if you eat the salad the next day.

What goes in your farro?

Easter Ideas

2011-04-21T17:21:00.000-07:00

In case you're still looking for Easter ideas, here are some suggestions.
(Scroll to the end of the post for links.)

1. Albanian Leg of Lamb
2. Vegetable Risotto
3. Roasted Asparagus with Ham and Sundried Tomatoes
4. Peas with Orange Zest
5. Mushrooms with Tomatoes and Fresh Herbs
6. Arugula Salad with Lemon/Mustard Dressing
7. Three-Tomato and Cucumber Salad

A very happy Easter to all of you!

Roasted Salt & Pepper Shrimp over Spaghetti

2011-04-19T10:17:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

It's that time of the year again: time for the dreaded law school finals. I am almost at the end of my second year and it's now time to focus, with very little distraction, on studying. For this reason, posts will be more sporadic than normal over the next four weeks. Keep checking in though or subscribe to the blog so you know when something new is up. To minimize my distractions further, I have taken myself off of Facebook and Twitter so updates on posts will not show up there. (I really am serious about this studying business!)
The recipe below is one example of the types of dinners I'll be having the next few weeks: packed with nutrition but also super quick and easy. I always keep shrimp on hand in the freezer and cans of San Marzano crushed tomatoes in the pantry so this dish is a snap. Add some peas into the sauce, roast some asparagus on the side, or whip up a quick salad of greens with a drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice, salt & pepper and you've got yourself a very balanced meal.
Enjoy spring and thanks for reading!
Bora.

Roasted Salt & Pepper Shrimp Over Spaghetti
for 4-5 people
INGREDIENTS
- 1lb spaghetti
- 3/4 of a large can of crushed tomatoes (I like San Marzano, or Muir Organic)
- 1-2 tbs of oregano
- 3/4lb shrimp (buy it shelled and deveined to make this dish even faster)
- 3 tbs olive oil (2 for the shrimp, 1 for the sauce)
- 3/4c frozen peas (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (omit if you don't have time or don't feel like it)
- salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes

METHOD
- Cook the pasta according to package directions.
- In the meantime, pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Toss shrimp with 2 tbs olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and a little crushed red pepper to taste (if you have extra time - marinade in advance and add some fresh parsley)
- Then in a medium saucepan warm up the crushed tomatoes with 1-2 tbs oregano, salt, pepper, 1 minced garlic clove, and 1tbs olive oil. Let simmer until everything else is ready. If you are planning on adding veggies to the sauce, such as peas, add them just about 5 minutes before you are ready to take the sauce off the heat.
- Pop shrimp in the oven and roast until no longer pink - this will take about 10-15 min.
- Drain pasta, mix with sauce, serve and top with shrimp!

Serve with a side of roasted asparagus (roast with olive oil, salt & pepper for about 10 min while shrimp cooks) or a salad of mixed greens.

Spicy Calamari in Tomato Sauce

2011-04-14T16:06:00.000-07:00

This dish is super easy for a weeknight meal. The squid doesn't take that long to defrost - just run it under cold water for a little while when you get home from work and let it thaw until you're ready to cook. Serve with white rice or pasta and a side of greens.

serves about 2 people
INGREDIENTS:
- 3/4lb cleaned squid tubes, sliced in small rounds
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2tsp red hot pepper flakes, more to taste
- 1/2c tomato sauce
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1-2tsp dried oregano
- salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

METHOD:
- Under medium heat, saute the garlic in the olive oil for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the tomato sauce, oregano, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, and the black pepper.
- Simmer under low heat for about 10 minutes.
- Add the squid.
- Cook for another 5-10 min under low heat until the squid is cooked through.

Curry Quinoa and Lamb Meatballs

2011-04-13T13:23:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:
for the quinoa
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 cup quinoa
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1/2 small onion
- 1 tbs curry powder
- salt & freshly ground pepper
- handful of crumbled feta cheese

for the meatballs
- 1 lb ground lamb (or ground beef if that's easier), mine procured from Cookbook LA.
- 1 egg
- 1 tbs olive oil
- handful of minced parsley
- 1/2 minced red onion
- salt & freshly ground black pepper

Asparagus for roasting as a side.

METHOD:
for the quinoa
Heat oil in medium saucepan or skillet over medium heat and saute the onion. Add quinoa and cook about 5 minutes. Pour broth into the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, add curry; cover and simmer until tender, about 25 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside. When ready to serve, add in the feta cheese.

for the meatballs
In a glass bowl, mix all ingredients and create small meatballs. Bake at 400 degrees F until nice and golden - about 20-30 minutes. Keep an eye on them.

Serve warm with a side of roasted asparagus or a light salad.
Also, feel free to use ground turkey for these meatballs - you might have to add a little more olive oil because the meat is leaner.

As Seen In: Public Radio Kitchen, WBUR

2011-04-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

LolaCooks was recently featured on WBUR's Public Radio Kitchen Blog! Follow this link for the full story: http://publicradiokitchen.wbur.org/2011/04/08/food-therapy-from-lola-cooks.

Also, make sure to check out the Public Radio Kitchen Blog at: http://publicradiokitchen.wbur.org/

Buffalo Chicken Meatballs

2011-04-06T10:34:00.000-07:00

I actually made these meatballs for a Superbowl party earlier this year but they've just been waiting on the recipe queue to get published! They are super easy to make and a great twist on regular buffalo wings. The ground chicken breast is really lean so I add some olive oil to the mixture to make sure the meatballs don't dry out. I forgot to take a picture of the meatballs smothered in hot sauce but above you can see what they look like right out of the oven - if you want to double this recipe, freeze the second batch (before smothering in hot sauce!) and use in pasta sauce etc. Also, note that the baking dish shown above is where I placed the meatballs for transport. For baking, I used a regular sheet pan so the meatballs could have space in between them.

INGREDIENTS:
1lb ground white meat chicken
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped or grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2c parsley, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbs butter
1/2 cup hot sauce (mine was store bought)

METHOD:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, onion, garlic, parsely, olive oil, salt & pepper. Make small meatballs out of the mixture - you'll get 15-17. Spread out on a lightly greased baking sheet and lightly drizzle with small amount of olive oil. Bake until slightly golden - don't want them to get dry!
Once the meatballs are cooked through, remove from oven and in a sauce pan or skillet melt the butter and whisk in the hot sauce. Toss the baked meatballs in the hot sauce. (Because I brought this dish to a party, I cooked the meatballs at home then brought the hot sauce with me and warmed it up with the butter once I got to the party - this way everything was nice and warm in time for serving)
Serve with bleu cheese, carrot and celery sticks.

Alaskan Cod with Roasted Onions & Veggie Risotto

2011-04-03T13:01:00.000-07:00

For 2-3 people

INGREDIENTS:

- 3 pieces Alaskan Cod (mine was from Santa Monica Seafood)

- 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced

- 2-3 cipollini onions, cut into sixths or quartered

- salt, pepper, fresh chopped parsley

- 1 lemon

METHOD:

Lightly grease baking dish. Lay out fish and sprinkle with a little olive oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Cover the top of the fish loosely with slices of shallots. Toss the cipollini onions with a little salt, pepper, and olive oil and add to the baking dish. Add the parsley and lemon quarters. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for about 10-15 min at 375. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes or so until the fish is cooked through. Serve with some lemon and vegetable risotto.

Pan-Fried Bacon Brussel Sprouts

2011-03-31T22:36:00.000-07:00

I'm sure this recipe is nothing new to y'all... but for us... well, we had never had brussel sprouts before this season. And now I just can't get enough especially because Cookbook LA almost always has the cutest little ones when I stop by there after school to prep for dinner.. and they make for such an easy side to anything. I really like the fried taste of these - especially when some of the leaves detach and crisp up in the pan.

INGREDIENTS:
- 1-2 slices bacon, diced
- brussel sprouts, halved
- salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

METHOD:
Cook 1-2 strips bacon (the one I used also sourced from Cookbook LA - amazing taste) under low heat for about 10 minutes. Add brussel sprouts, turn up heat to medium-low, and cook for a while (20-25 min) until they get the nice toasted look. Salt & pepper to taste.

Roasted Lamb Chops with Fennel, Potatoes & Brussel Sprouts

2011-03-24T13:22:00.000-07:00

Hopefully, you'll enjoy this dish as much as we did! In the summer, I'd probably serve this with some plain white rice pilaf and some tarator. I followed a basic risotto recipe here - see my previous risotto recipes like this one for ideas or follow the instructions on the arborio rice box. I just added some Parmesan to the risotto here and kept it super simple.

INGREDIENTS:
- 2 lamb chops (as shown in picture below). Mine are from Marin Sun Farms, sold at Cookbook LA.
- Oregano (enough to sprinkle chops liberally on all sides)
- Salt and pepper (enough to sprinkle chops liberally on all sides)
- a little olive oil

for the veggies
- 1 fennel, sliced in eighths
- a couple of small red potatoes, quartered
- brussel sprouts (just use however many you think you need), halved
- salt, pepper, olive oil

for the risotto
- 1 cup arborio rice
- 4-5 cups chicken broth
- 1/4c white wine
- handful of parmesan
- 1 small shallot (or 1/2 medium shallot), minced
- 2 tbs butter

METHOD
The vegetables will take about 45 minutes to roast so start with those first. Toss everything with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast at 400 degrees F.
In the meantime, work on the risotto. Liberally sprinkle the lamb chops with salt, pepper, oregano and sprinkle with olive oil.
About 20 minutes before everything else is done, start on the lamb chops. Grill on all sides for about 4-5 minutes each over high heat. You can also sear the chops in a cast-iron pan if you have it. I used my Le Creuset grill pan. Then pop in the oven for a couple of minutes - depending on how well cooked you want the meat. Let the meat rest for about 5 minutes on the cutting board.

Spring Chicken: Cilantro, Garlic & Lemon Chicken

2011-03-22T06:32:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS
- 1 small chicken (I used breast and legs; saved the back and wings to make a small batch of broth)*
- about 3/4 cup loosely packed cilantro, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3-5 cloves garlic, lightly smashed but otherwise intact, skin and all
- juice of 1 lemon + 2 lemons quartered
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- red hot pepper flakes (just about 1tsp)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- a tbs or two of white wine if you've got it
* I bought my chicken at Cookbook LA, my corner greengrocer, and it's from a local farm... can't tell you what a difference it makes!

METHOD
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F.
Quarter chicken and place skin up on a glass baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the cilantro, minced garlic, lemon juice, salt, black & red pepper and olive oil. (If you can do this ahead and let it sit for a while, that'd be even better.)
Rub chicken with olive oil mixture. Add rest of garlic and lemons to the pan. Drizzle with white wine.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 325 F for about 35 minutes. Then remove the foil, increase heat to 375 F and bake for another 30 minutes or until the skin turns golden and the lemons begin to scorch.

Ideally, I would slow roast this chicken at 250 degrees F for about 2 hours to really let the flavors infuse the chicken and to give you that fall-off-the-bone amazingness. Then, after 2 hours, remove the foil and bake uncovered at 300 degrees F for another 30-45 minutes.

SERVING SUGGESTION
Spring Rice: white rice with cilantro, mint, and young garlic. See the recipe here.

Spring Rice: Asparagus & Young Garlic Rice with Mint & Cilantro

2011-03-21T09:12:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch skinny asparagus, cut diagonally into 1 inch pieces
1 young garlic, sliced
handful of mint and cilantro chopped
1 cup rice (I prefer Basmati for this)

METHOD
Cook rice as directed. In the meantime, saute asparagus and young garlic in a little olive oil for about 10 minutes over medium heat. Set aside.
Toss rice with asparagus, young garlic, mint and cilantro, and serve.

I bet this also tastes delicious cold.

I served this dish with my spring chicken - chicken rubbed in herbs and roasted in lemon and garlic. Recipe scheduled to post tomorrow.

Roasted Pesto Shrimp with Chimichurri Rice

2011-03-03T10:30:00.000-08:00

I used my own homemade pesto for this shrimp. Find the recipe here.

After cleaning and deveining shrimp, toss in a large bowl with pesto, a minced garlic clove, some red pepper flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Spread out in a lightly greased baking pan. Roast at 425 for about 10-15min.

I served these with a side of Trader Joe's Chimichurri rice (from the frozen section) - it's just rice and veggies. Healthy, cheap, and super quick for a weeknight along with these shrimp.

Ham & Asparagus Frittata

2011-02-15T19:39:00.000-08:00

INGREDIENTS
- 8-10 stalks asparagus, cut into 1 in pieces
- 1/2 small red onion, diced
- 1 thick slice ham, cubed
- 1 tbs oregano
- 4 eggs, beaten with 1 tbs water
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- freshly ground black pepper
- salt

METHOD
Sautee asparagus with red onion, and ham in a little bit of olive oil. Season with a little salt and oregano. Lay out mixture in a buttered pie dish, top with Parmesan and cover with the eggs. Sprinkle with some freshly ground black pepper. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15 minutes or until the mixture has set and the edges have slightly browned.

Shrimp with Honey, Sherry & Capers

2011-02-13T11:36:00.000-08:00

With this dish I tried to re-create something similar from Blu Jam Cafe here in LA. The only thing I would do differently next time is sautee the shrimp in a big heavy bottomed pan under high heat to get the sides more browned & curly.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined

2 tbsp capers

2 tbsp pickling liquid from the jar of capers

1/2 cup honey (use local honey!)

2 tbsp dry sherry

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tsp salt

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

In a big glass bowl, whisk together: capers with their liquid, honey, sherry, lemon juice, and salt. Once the mixture is well-whisked, add in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream while you continue to whisk. (You can also do this in a food processor.)

Add shrimp to the marinade, stir to coat well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour (in fairness, I only marinaded for 1/2 an hour but recommend you plan ahead).

Lay shrimp flat on a big baking sheet. Sprinkle with some freshly ground black pepper. Broil shrimp - about 2 minutes per side. Or, roast for about 5 minutes and broil for a couple. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

SERVING SUGGESTION:

Grilled asparagus

Roasted Potatoes with Lemon & Anchovies

2011-02-12T14:01:00.000-08:00

So, if anchovies gross you out, I'm sorry, you won't find this post appetizing at all. But if you like them at all, and you like citrus-y tasting stuff, you'll really love these roasted potatoes.
** recipe adapted from this one at Epicurious.

INGREDIENTS
1lb small red potatoes, quartered
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbs evoo
1 1/2 tbs minced anchovy fillets
1 1/2 tbs fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (missing in my picture)

METHOD
- Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees F.
- Toss potatoes with salt, pepper, 1 tbs olive oil in a large, shallow baking pan. Roast, without turning or stirring until the undersides are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Turn over and roast for another 10 minutes.
- In the meantime, whisk together anchovies, lemon juice, garlic, and remaining olive oil.
- Transfer potatoes to a bowl and stir in anchovy mixture and parsley.
- Serve warm.

Warm Farro with Sauteed Mushrooms & Italian Zucchini

2011-02-11T13:39:00.000-08:00

For this quick dish (2 people):
1. Cook 1/2-3/4 cup semi-pearled farro in vegetable broth according to package instructions
2. In a medium pan, sautee 1 package baby bella mushrooms (sliced) and 1 italian zucchini (sliced and quartered) with 1 tbs olive oil, salt, pepper, and rosemary. I also added a little red onion.
3. Mix with farro and serve warm.

** Add some freshly grated parmesan if you like cheese :)

Roasted Quails with Broccoli & Fennel

2011-02-03T10:21:00.000-08:00

Quails are probably one of my favorite foods. You can usually find them in Greek grocery stores or at a specialty meat store (but often you have to order ahead). This recipe is super simple but the quails do take a bit of time to cook - especially if you take time to marinade.

for 4 people
INGREDIENTS
- 4 quails
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbs oregano
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- juice of half a lemon + the other half of the lemon, quartered

- 1 fennel, cut into 8 slices
- 3 medium broccoli crowns, cut up into florets

METHOD
In a large glass bowl mix the olive oil, garlic, lemon juice, oregano, salt, black and red pepper. One by one toss in the quails and rub well with the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least half an hour. If you're in a rush, just pop them in the oven without marinading, it'll be fine.

Drizzle baking dish with a very little bit of olive oil. Place the quails in a glass baking dish along with the left over lemon half, cut into quarters. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 375 degrees F for 20 minutes. Take the aluminum foil off and bake for another 30-40 minutes until the quails are golden brown on the outside and fork tender. Flip halfway through to get both sides equally godlen. If you like yours more rare, just allow for less time.

On the aluminum foil you took off the quails, drizzle the fennel and broccoli with a little olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. (Don't wrap them up in the aluminum foil as if you were going to steam - just use the foil as a baking pan; this is a nice little trick to lessen the number of dishes to clean later!) Pop in the oven about 20 minutes before the quails are ready.

Shiitake Mushroom & Feta Cheese Scramble

2011-02-02T06:01:00.000-08:00

So, I'm seriously loving shiitake mushrooms these days. I sautee them in butter, thinly sliced, until they crisp up with salt & pepper. Then I add them to basically anything... like the butternut squash ravioli from a few weeks ago.

For this easy scramble saute the thinly sliced shiitake in a little butter and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Add some fresh thyme or parsley if you have it. Then, add eggs and crumbled feta to the pan. Scramble and enjoy :)

Roasted Tilapia & Grilled Asparagus

2011-01-31T07:47:00.000-08:00

This is a great weeknight meal because it's so easy and fast to make, but it's so tasty and elegant that it would be great for a weekend or special occasion. Pair the tilapia with grilled asparagus and small servings of brown rice with peas. [I've been trying to add more veggies to the diet!]

For 2-3 people

INGREDIENTS

3 tilapia fillets (mine were from Santa Monica Seafood]
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs oregano
1lb thin asparagus (you'll have left-overs but I used them for a lunch salad)
1/2c brown rice
1 1/4c water or chicken broth
2/3c frozen or fresh peas
1/2 a lemon (to drizzle fish on plate)
olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

Prepare the rice first because it will take about 25 minutes to cook. Bring 1 cup chicken broth or water to a boil. Add brown rice and cover. Cook until all the water is absorbed. When the rice is almost ready, add the peas. Let rice rest off heat covered for about 5 minutes, then uncover until ready to serve (another 5 minutes or so).
Lightly grease a baking pan with olive oil. Season tilapia with salt, pepper, oregano and garlic. Roast for 12 minutes at 425 degrees F.
In the meantime, grill the asparagus in a lightly greased grill pan and then toss with salt and pepper.

Grilled Steak, Chimichurri & Smashed Pan-Fried Potatoes

2011-01-28T19:32:00.000-08:00

This was our New Year's Eve dinner at home. Everything turned out even better than I expected. The pictures here don't do justice to the bright, fresh color of the chimichurri - the sauce really was my favorite part of this dish. I served everything with a side of arugula, walnut and feta salad & a lot of bubbly :)

INGREDIENTS
for steak & sauce
Steak, like top sirloin (quantity up to you - for 4 people: 1 1/4 lbs)
2/3c fresh Italian parsley or a mix of parsley and cilantro
3tbs evoo
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbs water
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp salt

for the potatoes
1lb young yellow potatoes
1/2 of a large red onion, quartered or cut into sixths
2tbs butter
1-2tbs fresh or dried thyme or dried rosemary (I used rosemary)
2tbs olive oil
salt & freshly ground black pepper

METHOD
For the chimichurri sauce
Puree all the ingredients in a small blender or small bowl of food processor until completely smooth. I use the Bella Cucina blender with the small cup.

For the steak
Spray a grill pan with cooking spray and pre-heat over medium-high heat. Season the steak with salt and pepper. Cook the steak, turning once, for 6 minutes per side (for medium... maybe 5 minutes for medium-rare). I also popped it in a pre-heated oven for a couple of minutes because I don't like my steak rare (I know, I know...) so you should omit that step if you want it medium-rare or rare. Allow steak to rest for 5 minutes on a cutting board before slicing.
Serve steak with some sauce on top and place the rest of the sauce in small bowl.

For the potatoes
Boil potatoes until fork tender (about 10-15 minutes). Over medium heat, add butter and oil to a large pan. Also add the dried thyme or dried rosemary if using it. Add the potatoes and onions once the butter is melted and smash the potatoes with the back of a fork. My mistake here was that I tried to smash the potatoes with the back of my wooden spoon. I think a fork would work much better, as The Mother Huddle recommends in the recipe. Let the potatoes brown well on each side. Before flipping, add the fresh thyme if that's what you're using, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

[I got the idea for these potatoes from this blog - The Mother Huddle. I slightly modified it here (using rosemary instead of dill, freshly ground black pepper and red onions). I wasn't quite as successful with the smashing as The Mother Huddle but they were still delicious!]

[The steak and chimichurri recipe is adapted from Ellie Krieger's So Easy]

Butternut Squash Ravioli with Crispy Shiitake

2011-01-19T19:38:00.000-08:00

For this semi-homemade pasta dish I used Heirloom Butternut Squash Ravioli (heirloomLA.com) purchased from my corner grocer here in Echo Park: Cookbook LA. This dish made for a great dinner for one but it's a great choice for company - super easy and flexible.

INGREDIENTS:

1 package Butternut Squash Ravioli - the Heirloom box was just plenty for 1 person
5-6 medium sized shiitake mushrooms, slice in long strips
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbs olive oil
5-6 sprigs fresh or dried thyme
Freshly ground black pepper
Fresh parsley if you have it

METHOD:

Heat oil under medium heat. Toss in mushrooms, thyme, and garlic. Reduce heat to medium-low. Sautee until slightly golden and crispy. Add freshly ground black pepper. This will take about 10-15 minutes.
In the meantime, cook the ravioli in salted water.
Drain ravioli and then saute briefly with the mushrooms and olive oil. Add a little more olive oil if necessary.
You could serve with fresh parsley and grated cheese... but not necessary

[Less healthy but much more delicious] ALTERNATIVE:

Saute mushrooms in butter
Saute ravioli in browned butter omitting the mushrooms and serve with some freshly grated Parm.

Parmesan & Prosciutto Pasta

2011-01-18T17:45:00.000-08:00

Dear Readers,
Thanks for your patience during this long hiatus! A long study/exam period was followed by a long "lack of digital camera" period. Now... back to regular programming. To ease our way back in... here's what I subsisted on most of December:

Parmesan and Prosciutto Pasta

INGREDIENTS
1/2lb pasta
3-4 slices prosciutto
handful of parmesan, grated
2 tbs butter
1 tbs oregano
freshly ground black pepper

METHOD
Cook pasta according to package direction and in the meantime, crisp prosciutto in the oven (about 10 minutes). Drain pasta and in the same pot, melt butter with oregano. Toss pasta back in serve with parmesan, freshly ground black pepper, and crackled, crispy prosciutto on top.

Farro Salad with Grilled Chicken & Green Beans

2010-12-22T17:02:00.000-08:00

This salad is great served warm or cold. It just takes a little coordination with the hard boiled eggs, the grilled chicken and the blanched green beans... but if you have any of those prepared in advance, it makes this salad a snap.

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 cups semi-pearled farro
3 cups chicken broth
2 eggs, hard boiled and cut into wedges
1/2lb green beans
2-3 chicken breast fillets
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
3/4 cup minced fresh parsley
crushed red pepper
salt
freshly ground black pepper

For the dressing:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp mustard (I used a garlic aioli kind)
juice of a half lemon
freshly ground black pepper

METHOD:
1. Marinade the chicken with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, lots of parsley and a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice. Let rest for about 20 minutes while the farro cooks.
2. Prepare the dressing by mixing all the ingredients. Let rest in the fridge
3. Cook the farro according to package directions, using the chicken broth instead of water. Farro cooks more like pasta than rice, so don't wait for it to absorb all the broth. You might have to strain the liquid. Once cooked, let the farro cool down.
4. Grill the chicken and cut into strips. If you dont have a stove top grill, just cut the chicken into strips and pop it in the oven or sautee it in a pan.
5. Blanch the green beans in salted water.
6. Toss the farro with the green beans, lots of parsley, and the dressing in a large bowl. Reserve a little dressing to top the feta cheese and the eggs after the next step.
7. Add the feta cheese and the hardboiled eggs.

Skillet Pasta with Calamari and Tomatoes

2010-12-01T06:36:00.000-08:00

Because it always turns out so comforting and delicious every time, I now cook pasta risotto-style almost constantly! Here's another variation on the others (fancy mac&cheese, chicken&broccoli pasta risotto.) Now, it will probably take about 35-40 minutes to put together but it's totally worth it.

INGREDIENTS:
- 1/2-3/4 lbs farfalle pasta
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-3 tbs salted butter
- about 1 box chicken broth or equivalent if using your own, which I recommend
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- handful of fresh parsley (give it a rough chop right before serving)
- 1/2 lbs calamari, cut into rings
- 1 tomato, seeded and diced
- juice of half a lemon
- freshly ground black pepper
- crushed red pepper flakes
OK... so I also added some chicken here because I already had a little bit leftover from making chicken broth that I just had to use up.

METHOD:
(I cooked the pasta risotto-style, so the steps are the same as risotto.)
1. In a saucepan, heat up the chicken broth over medium heat.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet and saute shallots, garlic, and crushed red pepper under low-medium heat until translucent.
3. Increase heat to medium and add pasta. Sautee until all the pasta is coated and starting to dry. Stir frequently.
4. Add the white wine, stir until it evaporates
5. Start adding broth to the pasta by the cupful. Stir frequently. Wait until the pasta completely absorbs one cup before adding another. As the pasta cooks, you will start to see that the broth sort of thickens.
6. In the meantime, sautee the calamari in a little bit of olive oil in a small skillet on the side - just a few minutes.
7. Once the pasta is almost done, toss in the calamari and lots of freshly cracked black pepper.
8. Remove from heat. Add tomatoes, sprinkle with lemon juice, and top with lots of fresh parsley.
9. Serve immediately

Chicken & Vegetable Sautee

2010-11-29T06:20:00.000-08:00

This dish came together very quickly. The night before I made some chicken broth so with the poached chicken, I sauteed some broccoli, carrots, and acorn squash in a little olive oil and minced garlic. When the vegetables are almost cooked through, add 1-2 spoonfuls of crushed tomato sauce to de-glaze the pan and add some more flavor.

For the rice, I used the Brown Rice Medley mix from Trader Joe's - cook according to package directions or like I did here or here.

If you have them on hand, add some slivered almonds!

Arugula Salad with Mustard/Lemon Dressing

2010-11-26T06:11:00.000-08:00

Semi-homemade is not always bad. For this 10 minute dinner, I whipped up a simple salad and cooked some pre-made dumplings from Trader Joe's.

For the salad I used:
- arugula
- tomatoes
- cucumbers
- walnut halves

For the dressing:
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp mustard - I used the garlic aioli kind from Trader Joe's
- juice of half a small lemon
- a tiny bit of salt & freshly ground black pepper

Whisk all ingredients together well and toss with the salad.

Roasted Vegetables with Mimolette Cheese

2010-11-24T06:45:00.000-08:00

I brought this roasted vegetables dish to a dinner party in October and now, this is my favorite way to make them! Use whatever veggies you have on hand.

INGREDIENTS:
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- young potatoes
- broccoli
- 1 small acorn squash, cut into one inch pieces
- 1 small yellow zucchini, thinly sliced
- 1 fennel, sliced into six parts
- 2-3 carrots, sliced
- a few asparagus stalks
- about 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- salt, pepper (I also added some crushed red pepper flakes... up to you)
- olive oil
- 3/4 cup finely grated Mimolette cheese

METHOD:
- Prep the vegetables
- Toss potatoes in olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 25 minutes.
- In the meantime and in the same bowl in which you tossed the potatoes, toss the carrots and the fennel sprinkle as needed with more olive oil, salt & pepper.
- Add the carrots, squash, and fennel to the pan on top of the potatoes - give it a good flip and roast for about 15 minutes.
- In the meantime, toss the zucchini, broccoli, asparagus, garlic, and half of the thyme in the same bowl as above. Add to the rest of the vegetables in the oven. Roast for another 10 minutes or until all the vegetables look ready.
- Remove from the oven an toss with the Mimolette cheese (be as generous as you'd like!) and the rest of the fresh thyme.

P.S.: save the broccoli stems by freezing them and add them to your chicken broth next time you make some!

Oven Roasted Tilapia

2010-11-22T07:41:00.000-08:00

I like simple seafood and quick dinners - this dinner worked perfectly for a casual Friday night.

Here's the how-to:

Lay out tilapia fillets on a baking pan - either lightly butter the pan or place one thin slice of butter under each fillet
Sprinkle tilapia fillets with salt, pepper, paprika and fresh thyme
Top fillets with thinly sliced shallots
Add 2-3 thin slices of butter on the top of each fillet, and a couple on the baking pan
Roast at 400 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes
Serve immediately, sprinkle with lemon juice.

Egg-in-a-Hole

2010-11-20T22:41:00.000-08:00

To make this simple breakfast:

Use a wide shot glass to cut a hole into a slice of bread.
Toast bread on both sides in a lightly buttered skillet, under medium heat.
Sprinkle bread with fresh thyme.
Crack an egg into the hole - cook the same way you'd cook a normal over-easy egg, flip once, and remove from heat.
Sprinkle with a little more fresh thyme, salt and freshly cracked pepper. Serve with some fresh fruit!

Sausage and Peas Risotto

2010-10-28T09:26:00.000-07:00

Here's yet another risotto recipe! I just can't help making risotto, especially in the fall! You can toss in whatever you have on nights when you just don't have enough of anything to make a decent meal, and turn it into a delicious comforting, healthy (I think) meal. What do you put in your risotto?

INGREDIENTS:

1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs butter
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
3 italian sausage links, cut into bite-size pieces
3/4-1cup Arborio rice
1 quart vegetable stock (you'll probably use less depending on how much rise you make)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small shallot, minced
handful of fresh herbs (I used basil, lemon basil and thyme)
handful of peas
1cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Warm up vegetable stock in a sauce pan and keep it at a low simmer.
In a large pan, heat 1tbs olive oil and 1/4 tsp fennel seeds
Add italian sausage and cook, stir occasionally
Remove italian sausage from pan and set aside
Reduce heat to medium-low and add 1 tbs butter, shallots and garlic to the pan; cook until translucent
Add rice and toast for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently
Add 1/2 cup white wine and stir until evaporated. This should totally deglaze the pan and pick up all those delicious italian sausage remnants.
Add a few sprigs of thyme.
Continue adding vegetable stock, one ladle at a time. Wait until each portion is absorbed and evaporated before adding the next.
Before adding the last ladle (you can tell it'll be your last by tasting the rice to see if it's almost done), add the peas, italian sausage and black pepper.
With the last laddle, add in a cup of Parmesan cheese. If you want it extra creamy, add a little bit more butter now.
Serve immediately, topped with lots of fresh basil.

Mushrooms with Tomatoes & Fresh Herbs

2010-10-25T22:27:00.000-07:00

This side dish is extremely easy to make - I'll often make it on the side while I cook dinner and have it for lunch the next day either by itself or along with some pasta or rice. Although I'm listing this dish as a side, it's usually enough for me as a meal on its own!

To clean the mushrooms, I always use a slightly damp paper towel. I also don't add any salt to this dish because of the Parmesan cheese.

INGREDIENTS

1 package button mushrooms, sliced
1 tbs butter/or a little olive oil instead
2 cloves garlic
1/2-1 tomato seeded, diced
fresh lemon basil
fresh thyme
Parmesan cheese, grated
freshly ground black pepper
red pepper flakes

METHOD

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
Saute mushrooms, garlic, and thyme in butter with black pepper and red pepper flakes over medium heat.
When the mushrooms are cooked through, add tomatoes, lemon basil, and Parmesan cheese.
Stir gently and pop in the oven for about 10 minutes.
Serve immediately with whatever else you're making (chicken, pork chops, rice, bread, over pasta...)

Green Bean & Tomato Stir-Fry

2010-10-19T07:31:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:
Green beans
Cherry tomatoes (I used yellow ones for color!)
Carrots, sliced into rounds
Chicken breast, cut into 1in pieces
1 tbs olive oil
4 tbs crushed tomatoes (canned)
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt
Pepper
Crushed red pepper flakes

METHOD:
Heat olive oil and saute chicken with 1 clove garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Remove chicken from skillet when cooked through. Toss in green beans and carrots with a little more olive oil if needed. When almost cooked through, add tomatoes, rest of garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 2-3 minutes until tomatoes start to cook but still retain their shape.

Add the tomato sauce and chicken. Stir to cover everything and cook until liquid is mostly evaporated.

Serve over rice.

More ways to cook green beans:

1. Spicy Sesame Green Beans

2. With Chicken and Herbs

3. With Sopressata, sun-dried tomatoes and walnuts

4. Curry Green Beans with Ginger & Almonds

Skillet Mac & Cheese with Mimolette

2010-10-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

I just invented this recipe Friday night and it is by far one of my most favorite dishes right now. Perfect for fall... warm and comforting! You'll have to bear with me here because my ingredients/quantities aren't too precise since I hadn't made this dish before. Still, I encourage you to try it. I think it's pretty forgiving. Also, try using different kinds of cheeses if you have a hard time finding Mimolette. I found that it was amazing in this dish though!

INGREDIENTS

1/2-3/4 lbs rotini pasta (I had some left over farfalle too that I tossed in even though they have different cooking times...)
1 small shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tbs salted butter
7 sprigs fresh thyme
1 box chicken broth (you want a full bodied broth here...)
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup finely grated Mimolette cheese
1 shitakee mushroom, sliced
2-3 tbs whipped cream cheese
freshly ground black pepper
*please note that I did not add any extra salt to this dish - salt from the broth, butter, and cheese was enough.

METHOD
(I cooked the pasta risotto style, so the steps are similar to a risotto)
1. In a saucepan, heat up the chicken broth over medium heat. Reduce heat if broth starts to boil.
2. Melt butter in big skillet and saute shallots and garlic under medium-low heat until transluscent.
3. Increase heat to medium and add pasta. Sautee until all the pasta is coated and starting to dry. Stir frequently.
4. Add thyme sprigs and the white wine. Stir until wine evaporates.
5. Start adding broth by the cupful. Stir frequently. Wait until the pasta completely absorbs one cup before adding another. As the pasta cooks, you will start to see that the broth sort of thickens. Remove the sprigs of thyme when you notice that most of the leaves have fallen off. Add more thyme if you want to.
6. Once the pasta is almost done, add 2 cupfuls at once. The goal is to have some extra liquid when the pasta is cooked so it can form your sauce.
7. Add the grated mimolette cheese and stir until the pasta is fully coated.
8. Add the cream cheese and keep stirring. The sauce should have thickened by now.
9. Add lots of freshly cracked black pepper.
10. Serve *immediately* and top with shiitake mushrooms or whatever else you like (I did one plate with shiitake mushrooms and one with leftover pieces of roasted chicken).

While the pasta cooks, in a small pan, sautee the shiitake mushroom with some butter, fresh thyme and lots of freshly cracked black pepper.

For another pasta risotto recipe, check out this pasta risotto with chicken and broccoli.

White Beans with Chicken and Fresh Herbs

2010-10-11T14:53:00.000-07:00

For the chicken:
Thinly slice boneless chicken breast and marinade in olive oil, lemon juice, fresh parsley, garlic (about 2 minced cloves for 2 medium-sized pieces of chicken breast), salt & pepper, crushed red pepper flakes. Marinade for as much time as you have. Heat pan with olive oil and saute chicken at medium heat until no longer pink. Because it is thinly sliced, it will cook quickly.

Remove chicken pieces from pan and reserve in a bowl. Toss back in when the beans are almost ready. Along with the beans, toss with lemon juice and fresh parsley.

For the white beans:
(I used both green and white because that's what I had).
The method here is similar to the green beans recipe here and it is also adapted from the America's Test Kitchen book that you can find here.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 tbs butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp minced fresh thyme
1 tbs fresh parsley
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 lb white beans
3 tbs water

METHOD:
Combine butter, garlic, and thyme in small bowl. Heat oil over medium heat. Add the beans, a pinch of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until the beans are spotty brown. This will take about 5 minutes.

Add the water, cover, and cook for about 2 minutes (you want the beans to still be a little crisp). Remove the cover, increase heat to high, and cook until water evaporates. Add the butter mixture and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the beans are crisp-tender and beginning to wrinkle, about 2 minutes.

Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with parsley and lemon juice.

Serving Suggestion: Three tomato and cucumber salad

Oven-Roasted Chilean Sea Bass

2010-10-05T07:31:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS
2 chilean sea bass fillets
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
1-2 tbs fresh thyme
2 tbs olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

METHOD
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly brush your baking dish (it'd be best to use a shallow pyrex pie dish) with olive oil. Drizzle sea bass on both sides with salt, pepper, olive oil, lemon juice and sprinkle with lots of fresh thyme and garlic. Roast fish until opaque in the center, about 15 minutes.

(as pictured here, I nestled some garlic cloves, the remaining half lemon and fresh thyme around the fish and covered the pan in aluminum foil for the first 5 minutes)

SERVING SUGGESTION
For a side, I roasted young red potatoes tossed in salt, pepper, olive oil and fresh thyme. Just make sure to pop in the oven about 25-30 minutes before roasting the fish.

Farmers Market Finds

2010-10-04T06:38:00.000-07:00

The Palisades Farmers Market made my day on Sunday! Among my favorites: jujube (my favorite fruit since I was little and I could not believe I found it here in CA!!), pomegranates (2 for $1!!), button mushrooms and lemon basil. It's going to be a good week.

Pork Chops with Aspargus and Potato Salad

2010-10-03T20:41:00.000-07:00

Grill the pork chops according to the recipe here. Grill asparagus for about 5 minutes, flipping once, with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Serve along side this light potato salad. Assuming you have made the potato salad ahead of time, this dish will take you about 10-15 minutes to put together

Pork Chops & Skillet Fries

2010-09-29T11:13:00.000-07:00

for the pork chops

2 thin pork chops (faster cooking time)
1 tbs lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste
1-2 tbs oregano
2 tbs olive oil

In a resealable plastic bag or glass bowl, combine pork chops, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and oregano. Turn bag to distribute the marinade. You can marinade for as little as 10-20 minutes when you don't have time, or as long as overnight if you can plan ahead. If you really don't have any time or any fresh lemons, don't stress... just sprinkle the pork chops with some salt, pepper, and oregano and place right on the pre-heated grill - they'll still taste great.
Preheat grill (I just used my le creuset grill pan indoors) on high heat. Lightly oil the grill pan. Grill pork chops on medium-high at about 4 minutes per side. If using thicker pork chops, allow for more time and you can finish it off by putting the grill pan in the oven for a couple of minutes. With the thinner cut chops, I found that grilling it about 4 minutes per side worked well.

for the skillet fries

1 lb potatoes
a little less than 1/4 cup olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Heat 1/4 cup oil in 12 in skillet under moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.
Add potatoes and reduce heat to moderate.
Cook the potatoes covered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Remove lid and cook until potatoes start to get brown. This will take about another 10 minutes.
Remove from oil with a slotted spoon - try to drain as much of the oil out as possible and transfer to a shallow bowl lined with a paper towl. Toss with salt and pepper

Serving Suggestion

Serve with any type of salad. I went for a simple tomato, cucumber, green onion salad in olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Light Potato Salad

2010-09-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

In Albania, this cold potato salad is served alongside fish. Normally, the potatoes would be sliced in thin rounds and nicely displayed on a platter, garnished with lots of parsley. However, it was much easier for me to cut up the potatoes into small chunks here. Allow for 1-2 hours of chilling time for this salad to absorb all the garlic, lemon, and parsley flavors. The measurements are very approximate here - use your own taste preferences and adjust as needed.

INGREDIENTS:

Small yellow potatoes, quartered or cut into bite-size chunks (think enough for 2-3 people)
Olive Oil
Lemon Juice from 1 small lemon
Salt/Pepper
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup fresh parsley, minced

METHOD:

Boil until a fork can easily pierce the skin. You want the potatoes to still be firm though so they retain their shape. Don't go for mushy here.
Peel potatoes and cut up into bite-size pieces.
In a big bowl, drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.
Toss with garlic, parsley, salt and pepper.
Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.

SERVING SUGGESTION:
Great with a white fish! Or...
I served this salad with chicken roasted with garlic, parsley and lemon juice as an easy weekday meal.

Tomato & Asparagus Pesto Pasta

2010-09-25T20:03:00.000-07:00

For this easy week-night pasta I used my homemade walnut cilantro pesto. Cook 1lb of farfalle pasta according to package directions. About 5 minutes before the pasta is ready, sautee asparagus in 1-2 cloves minced garlic. Once the asparagus is bright green and firm, add a cupful of cherry tomatoes. Toss in pasta, 1/4 cup of chopped, toasted (or untoasted) walnuts and 2-3 tbs pesto. Stir to coat. Add a little bit of pasta water if needed.

Vegetable, Shrimp, and Sesame Stir-Fry

2010-09-24T00:21:00.000-07:00

Shrimp and vegetable stir fries are such easy options for weekday dinners! I usually keep a bag of deveined shrimp in the freezer for nights when I am in a rush. The shrimp thaws quickly by running it through cold water so not much advance planning is required. Including the cooking time for the rice, this dish only takes about 25 minutes.

You can follow any basic stir fry recipe... This is roughly what I did here: start by sautéing the shrimp until no longer pink in olive oil, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes. Next, remove the shrimp, add a little more olive oil and saute the vegetables (broccoli and carrots in my case). Once the vegetables are bright green and cooked to your desired level, add back the shrimp, a handful of slivered almonds, 1-2 tbs soy sauce, 2 tsp sesame oil, and 1 tsp garlic chili paste (if you like it extra garlicky and spicy). Stir to coat. Serve on top of white or brown rice. Sprinkle with scallion and sesame seeds.

More Stir Fry Recipes:

Broccoli, Carrots & Sausage

Beef & Broccoli

Spicy Sesame Green Beans

2010-09-21T19:51:00.000-07:00

This recipe has been adapted from an America's Test Kitchen recipe. Buy the book here. The recipe yields perfectly crispy green beans. If you like yours more tender, add more water. I served this dish with a brown rice pilaf cooked in chicken broth and sesame chicken.

INGREDIENTS
1 lb fresh green beans (trim if too long or trim to 2in pieces if you like them smaller)
salt and pepper
1/4 cup water
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced or grated
1 1/4 tbs chili-garlic paste (I like it spicy... so adjust this to taste)
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 tsp sesame seeds

METHOD:

Combine sesame oil, ginger, and chili-garlic paste in small bowl. Heat oil in 12-in nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add the beans, season with salt and pepper. Stir occasionally until spotty brown (about 5 minutes).
Add water, cover and cook until the green beans are bright green and crisp (about 2 minutes).
Remove cover, increase heat to high, and cook until water evaporates (about 1 minute).
Add the sesame oil mixture and cook until the beans are lightly browned - dont let them totally wrinkle.
Remove from pan and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Three Tomato and Cucumber Salad

2010-09-20T10:32:00.000-07:00

The name of this summer salad says it all. I tossed together three kinds of cherry tomatoes, a small cucumber, green onion, and feta cheese with basil, olive oil, salt and pepper.

I served this salad with sauteed chicken and white beans with fresh herbs [recipe to come].

Summer Scramble

2010-09-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

Scrambled eggs are a great way to use whatever leftover veggies you have in the fridge and got some good nutrition for breakfast. Here, I made an easy scramble of halved cherry tomatoes, small pieces of broccoli, red onion, feta cheese, and lots of basil.

Stuffed Chicken with Vegetable Risotto

2010-09-15T08:05:00.000-07:00

This recipe yields enough for 3 small portions or 2 hefty ones.

INGREDIENTS

for the risotto:
3/4 cup arborio rice
appx. 4-5 cups vegetable broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup peas
1/4 cup corn
3-4 fresh basil leaves
2 tbs butter
1/2 shallot, minced
3/4 cup fontina cheese, grated

for the chicken:
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, split in two
2-4 cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 slices prosciutto
1/4 cup fontina cheese, cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
lemon juice
2 tbs dried oregano
1 tsp red pepper flakes

METHOD

Heat the vegetable broth and keep it on low heat to simmer.
Before you get started on anything else, pound the chicken breast into thin pieces and marinade with a drizzle of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, garlic, and a generous serving of oregano.
Next, work on the risotto. Melt the butter and saute the shallot until translucent. Add the rice and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the wine and stir until evaporated.
Start adding about 1/2 cup of vegetable broth to the risotto at a time. Stir frequently and let broth dry completely before adding a new ladle-full.
In the meantime, assemble the chicken. On the chicken, layer 2 slices of prosciutto, cheese, and tomatoes. Wrap the chicken and fix it with toothpicks. As you can see from the picture, I didn't do a great job because my chicken pieces weren't big enough, or because I stuffed them too much, but don't worry! As long as they hold together, it's fine.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and heat a little bit of olive oil in a pan large enough to hold both chicken pieces. Brown the chicken on the pan, turning it on each side. Then pop into the oven for a couple of minutes to make sure it's cooked through.
When the risotto is almost cooked (you have only about 2-3 more ladles of vegetable broth), add the corn and peas.
When the risotto is done, add in the rest of the fontina cheese and stir.
Serve immediately.

VARIATIONS:

Try also stuffing the chicken with spinach and feta cheese, adding other vegetables to the risotto, or using Parmesan instead of Fontina.

Serve the chicken with pasta instead and top with warm tomato sauce.

Search the blog for other risotto recipes.

Ground Turkey, Asparagus, and Feta Cheese Wraps

2010-09-13T07:44:00.000-07:00

This creation was completely a result of scarcity and necessity. Nonetheless, I thought the flavors matched very well for a light, well-balanced dinner.

INGREDIENTS:

10 stalks asparagus, cut into 1in segments
1 lb ground turkey (you will have a lot left over to use for a pasta sauce the next day)
1/2 shallot, finely minced
1 tbs olive oil
1tbs ground cumin
1 tsp red pepper flakes
salt
freshly ground black pepper
feta cheese crumbled - eye ball it depending on how many wraps you want
flour tortillas
1/2 cup white rice

METHOD:

Cook rice according to package instructions, but use chicken broth instead of water and/or flavor with a chicken bouillon.
In a large pan, saute the ground turkey in the olive oil with the shallot, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt and black pepper until cooked through. Break up the meat as it cooks.
In a small pan, saute the asparagus with some salt and black pepper. Set aside.
When ready to serve, heat the tortillas in the same pan you used to saute the asparagus
Serve immediately.

Organic Buckwheat Mini-Pancakes

2010-09-12T12:44:00.000-07:00

With 15g of whole grains per serving, this breakfast was definitely very nutritious. It's kind of like the whole wheat pasta issue... these pancakes won't taste quite like the regular thing but I found them pretty delicious. I used the Arrowhead Mills Buckwheat Pancake Mix but I am sure there are other similar options at the grocery store.

INGREDIENTS:
2/3 cup Arrowhead Mills Buckwheat Pancake Mix
1 egg beaten
2 tsp canola oil
2 tsp honey
3/4 cup milk

METHOD:
Stir all ingredients together only until lumps disappear.
Preheat griddle or pan to 375-400 degrees F. Lightly oil surface.
For my mini-pancakes, I used a 1/4 cup measure to spoon out the mixture. Turn when bubbles form on the surface of the pancake and the edges begin to dry.

For thicker pancakes use less liquid. For thinner pancakes, use more liquid.

SERVING SUGGESTION:

Serve with a fruit salad (peaches, bananas, and strawberries in my case) and with maple syrup. If you don't want to go for sweet, serve with some feta cheese.

VARIATIONS:

Before cooking pancakes, stir in 1/4 cup fresh berries, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 cup chopped nuts, handful of chocolate chips...

* this recipe was adapted from the recipe on the arrowhead mills box.

Grilled Yogurt Chicken

2010-09-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tbs minced garlic
1 tbs ground cumin
1 tbs ground coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
vegetable or olive oil spray for the grill
1lb chicken breast without skin, cut up into 1in pieces

METHOD:
Whisk together yogurt and seasonings in a medium bowl. Add chicken and stir to coat. Marinate for about 20-30 minutes, preferably. Grill, about 4 minutes per side or until no longer pink inside.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

I served this chicken with Grilled Cauliflower Steaks and Stuffed Zucchini Florets.

You can also cut up the chicken in smaller pieces and serve in a pita or naan sandwich with tomatoes, feta, cheese, red onion and herbs.

This recipe was adapted from this one in Sunset magazine.

Pasta with Turkey Meatballs

2010-08-30T07:42:00.000-07:00

This recipe has been adapted from an Ellie Krieger recipe found in this book:

INGREDIENTS:
These ingredients will make enough for 3-4 servings.

3/4 box whole-wheat rotini

For the Sauce:
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
14 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1-2 tsp finely minced chipotle en adobo and sauce (if not in your pantry, just use crushed red pepper)
2 tsp dried oregano
1 sprig fresh rosemary
salt
handful of fresh basil

For the meatballs:
Cooking spray
1/2 lb ground turkey meat
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped onion (I used red)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tbs minced fresh parsley
1 egg lightly beaten
1/2 tsp salt

METHOD:
To make the sauce, heat the oil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Saute the onions until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add tomatoes, chipotle, oregano, rosemary, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for approximately 15 minutes and season with salt and pepper.

While the sauce is cooking, make the meatballs. Preheat the broiler. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine the turkey with all other ingredients in a large bowl. Using your hands, form small balls and place on a baking sheet. Broil for 10 minutes or until browned and cooked through. While the meatballs are cooking, cook the whole-wheat rotini according to package directions.

Remove rosemary sprig from sauce and add fresh basil. Add the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and cook an additional 5 minutes. Toss pasta with sauce and sprinkle with lots of fresh parsley.

Corn & Asparagus Risotto

2010-08-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS:

6 cups chicken broth
10 asparagus stalks (or whatever you have), cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
1 1/2tbs butter
1 shallot, finely chop
1 1/2 cup Arborio rice
1 1/4 cup Champagne or white wine
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (and a little more to sprinkle on top for serving)
salt
black pepper
fresh rosemary

METHOD:

In a saucepan, bring the chicken stock to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer.
In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the shallot and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat in the butter. Continue toasting the rice, stirring constantly, for about 3 more minutes. Add the Champagne or white wine and simmer until the liquid has almost evaporated, about 3 minutes.

Add a ladle-full (or about 1/2 cup) of the broth and stir until rice completely absorbs it. Continue this process until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy. When you think you only have one or two ladles to go, add in the asparagus, the corn, and some fresh rosemary. The rice will take about 20 minutes to cook in this manner.

Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan, salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

SERVING SUGGESTION:
Slow Roasted Lemon Garlic Chicken

MORE RISOTTO RECIPES:
Champagne Risotto
Butternut Squash and Pea Risotto

Farmers Market Finds

2010-08-28T07:29:00.000-07:00

I feel so lucky to have the Echo Park Farmer's Market within walking distance! Here's just some of the great produce I picked up this week: parsley, dill, basil, chive goat cheese, three kinds of tomatoes, pluots, plums, peaches, scallions, figs, green beans etc.

As summer comes to a close and I settle back down into the school routine, I will be posting many more recipes. So, as always, thanks for stopping by!

Slow Roasted Lemon Garlic Chicken

2010-08-27T23:26:00.000-07:00

I adapted this recipe from a Nigella Lawson cookbook. You can find it here.
Or in the book:

INGREDIENTS:

1 chicken, cut into 10 pieces (here, I removed the wings and drumsticks to save for later)
1 head garlic, separated into unpeeled cloves
2 unwaxed lemons, cut into chunky eighths
a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
3 tbs olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
black pepper

METHOD:

1. Pre-heat oven to 250 F
2. Put the chicken into a roasting tin and add the garlic cloves, lemon chinks and the rosemary. Add oil, and mix everything together using your hands.
3. Tuck a couple of slices of lemon and some rosemary under the chicken skin and stuff some garlic and lemon inside the cavity (if you don't cut up the chicken). Make sure all the chicken pieces are skin side up.
4. Sprinkle over white wine and freshly ground black pepper.
5. Cover tightly with foil and put in the oven to cook at low heat for 2 hours.
6. Remove foil and cook uncovered at 300 degrees F for another 30-45 minutes until the chicken's skin turns golden brown and the lemons begin to scorch.

I served this chicken with an asparagus and corn risotto. Recipe to come!

Simple Chicken Soup

2010-08-21T11:49:00.000-07:00

This is a very common way to make chicken soup in Albania. We frequently have it prior to a weekend meal. For this chicken soup, bring chicken broth to a boil. In the meantime, whisk together 1 egg and juice of lemon. Remove chicken broth from heat, let cool for 5 minutes. Slowly stir in the chicken broth in the egg and lemon juice mixture while constantly whisking. It's important to go slow. Once you've mixed in 3/4 of the broth, take the bowl and pour it back into the pot while stirring all the while. Add fresh chopped parsley.

You can add pieces of chicken etc. if you like. Also, to make it a little heftier, add some orzo or other tiny pasta when boiling the broth. You can also add grated carrots, peas or other veggies.

Plum Juice

2010-08-19T19:31:00.000-07:00

If you have some extra plums on hand, this is the perfect summer drink. It reminds me of beach and hot weather because my mom used to make this drink all through the summer. Mix it with sparkling water, stir in some alcohol... get creative.

For 2 small pitchers (as pictured), boil 5 plums in 8 cups of water and 1-2 whole cloves until the skins start to fall apart and break down. Remove plums and stir in 5-7 tbs sugar (once you make this a few times you'll find the right amount of sugar for you.) Simmer another few minutes until sugar dissolves. Cool to room temperature and chill in refrigerator.

Poached Eggs and Toast

2010-08-15T19:52:00.000-07:00

Easy weekend breakfast: poach an egg, serve on top of crunchy toasted bread. Add cubed cheddar or jack cheese if desired.

To poach the egg: Bring water to a boil in medium saucepan, reduce to simmer, add 1 tbs white vinegar. Then, create a vortex with a spoon and drop in the egg. It is easier if you crack the egg into a small bowl and then drop it into the water. When egg floats to the top, scoop it out with a slotted spoon.

To toast the bread: Use day-old bread, cubed. Melt about 2-3 tbs butter into a pan depending on how much bread you use. Toss in bread and sprinkle with oregano and thyme.

Roasted Veggies with Garlic Yogurt Sauce

2010-08-04T06:57:00.000-07:00

Try this dish for a light summer dinner. It's also great for company as a side.

INGREDIENTS:

Red young potatoes, quartered
Broccoli
Thyme
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
greek yogurt
cucumber
garlic
olive oil

* for an exact list of ingredients for the tarator, click here.

METHOD:

Start roasting the potatoes because they will take longer to cook. Toss the potatoes with olive oil, salt, pepper and dried thyme until well covered. Roast for about 30 minutes or until they just start turning golden. Flip halfway through.

In the meantime, toss the broccoli with the same ingredients as the potatoes. Add to the roasting pan and roast for about ten minutes until the broccoli is cooked and the potatoes are golden.
Serve the roasted broccoli and poatoes with some tarator as a dipping sauce.

Summer Dinner: Grilled Chicken, Broccoli & Tarator

2010-08-03T06:18:00.000-07:00

This dinner has been a regular go-to for me this summer. It's ready in 30 minutes and it's super light. Tarator is a cold cucumber, garlic and yogurt sauce. Click here for the recipe.

METHOD:

Marinade chicken cutlets with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes for 1/2-1 hour.
Saute broccoli with almonds and garlic. Season with salt, pepper, crushed red pepper flakes and a squirt of lemon juice just before serving.
In the meantime, grill chicken - the cutlets will cook fast.
Serve with tarator that has been scooped into small, individual bowls.

Skillet Shrimp Pasta

2010-08-02T08:32:00.000-07:00

This dish came together really quickly and it was a perfect dinner after a long beach day - very light and garlicky. As described below, it served 4 generous portions.

INGREDIENTS

1lb shrimp - shelled and deveined
3/4lb angel hair pasta
1 cup cherry tomatoes - halved
3/4 cup minced parsley
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
5-6 tbs olive oil
4 tbs butter (you can cut this out and just add more olive oil or some broth, to thicken the sauce)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
2tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

METHOD
Marinade the shrimp in a drizzle of olive oil, 2-3 cloves garlic, salt, pepper, cayenne and a little parsley. Set aside for about 10-20 minutes. Cook angel hair according to package instructions. 5 minutes before the pasta is done, toss shrimp in a large skillet with 2 tbs olive oil. Cook shrimp at high heat until they turn pink (just about 5-7 minutes).

Add more olive oil to the skillet (3 tbs) and butter (3-4 tbs). I also added 1 clove minced garlic at this point to give the dish some fresh garlic flavor. Add tomatoes. Reduce heat to medium. Cook for about 1 minute. Toss in pasta. Mix in until all pasta is covered with sauce. Toss in parsley. Serve warm.

Chicken Curry with Purple Rice

2010-07-19T18:45:00.000-07:00

This version of chicken curry is adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe. I used carrots and peas as my veggies in this one, but feel free to toss in what you have (or omit altogether.) I like the purple rice in this recipe because it adds to the color of the dish. Purple rice also has a firm robust texture.

For 2 people...

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup purple rice, rinsed (I get mine at Whole Foods)

1 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 small onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, sliced diagonally

1/2 cup frozen/fresh peas

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

7 ounces peeled chopped tomatoes (from a can)

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound), cut into strips

1-2 tablespoons curry

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup coconut milk (I've also used regular milk here instead when I don't have coconut milk)

1 pinch ground cinnamon

Cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped, for garnish

METHOD:

1. Cook rice according to package instructions. This will take about 20 minutes.

2. Remove rice from heat and keep warm.

3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and carrots and cook, stirring, until carrots get soft onion gets golden brown.

4. Add tomatoes, chicken and sprinkle with curry powder.

5. Season with salt and pepper.

6. Reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring, until mixture has thickened and chicken is cooked through. About 15 minutes.

7. Add coconut milk and stir until well combined; cook 5 more mintues.

8. Sprinkle over cinnamon.

9. Serve on top purple rice and garnish with cilantro.

Simple Pad Thai

2010-07-11T23:18:00.000-07:00

So, this isn't authentic pad thai by any means but it's an easy version for a quick week-night meal. I usually throw in chicken, shrimp and whatever veggies I have on hand.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

8 ounces thick rice noodles (I buy them at Trader Joe’s)

¼ cup fresh lime juice (I’ve also used lemon as a sub)

1/3 cup water

3 tbs fish sauce

1 tbs rice vinegar

3 tbs brown sugar

4 tbs vegetable oil

¾ lbs medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

(I usually use both shrimp and chicken so play with the quantities to meet your needs here)

Sliced veggies - carrots, peppers, broccoli, snow peas...

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 large eggs, beaten lightly

Salt

6 tbs chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

3 cups bean sprouts, well rinsed

5 scallions, thinly sliced

1 lime cut into wedges (for serving.. I don’t usually include this)

Tip:

Prep all the ingredients while the noodles soak. Be sure to have everything prepared before you begin cooking because this dish comes together quickly.

Method:

1. SOAK THE NOODLES

Boil water and pour over noodles in large bowl and soak until softened, pliable, and limp but not fully tender, about 12-15 minutes. Drain noodles and set aside

2. MAKE SAUCE

While noodles soak, stir lime juice, water, fish sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar and 2 tbs of oil together and set aside

3. COOK SHRIMP (& Chicken)

Pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Heat 1 more tbs of oil in 12 inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add shrimp, spread into single layer, and cook without stirring for 1 minute. Stir shrimp and continue to cook until spotty brown and just pink around the edges, about 30 seconds. Transfer shrimp to clean bowl, cover, and set aside. If using chicken, cook chicken first, then shrimp.

4. COOK EGGS

Add remaining tbs oil and garlic to skillet and return to medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add eggs and ¼ tsp salt and cook, stirring vigorously until eggs are scrambled, about 20 seconds

5. COOK NOODLES AND SAUCE

Stir soaked noodles into eggs. Add fish sauce mixture, increase heat to high, and cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are evenly coated. Add ¼ cup peanuts, bean sprouts, all but ¼ cup of scallions, and cooked shrimp (& chicken). Continue to cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are tender, about 2 minutes (if not yet tender add 2 tbs water to skillet and continue to cook until tender).

6. GARNISH

Transfer noodles to serving platter and sprinkle with remaining scallions and peanuts. Serve, passing lime wedges separately.

Peach Salad

2010-07-11T06:24:00.000-07:00

Cutting up fruit into a salad makes it seem much more like desert especially if you serve it with ice cream. Here, I cut up some peaches and tossed them with mint leaves and a tbs of Grand Marnier.