Author Archives: jordeeesf

Bacon Cheeseburger Pie (aka Happy 4th of July)

Posted in American, Holiday by

**WARNING: This will cause a heart attack if you eat it every day. So, don’t eat it everyday. Yay! Happy Independence Day!!**

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I need to give credit to the inspiration for this to Jon so you’re welcome if you’re reading this. In two consecutive days he emailed me articles about eating pie for breakfast and then eating a burger for breakfast. Naturally I combined the two in my memory and when reminiscing I came up with… BURGER PIE! Luckily the 4th of July was around the corner so I could use the holiday to hole myself up in my kitchen for a few hours and whip up this uber Americana beauty! The pie dough is an interpretation of Alton Brown’s recipe here but replacing the lard with rendered bacon fat (everyone should hold on to their bacon fat!!).

FYI – This is the first time I made this recipe and I went off of no recipes except for the pie crust. I think I did a pretty awesome job but I think with many additional attempts I/we could make this into something phenomenal. ENJOY.FullSizeRender 78

Pie crust:

  • 6 ounces (~1 cup) flour plus extra for rolling
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 ounces butter chopped and chilled (~6 tablespoons)
  • 1 ounce bacon fat chopped and chilled( ~2 tablespoons)
  • 1/4 cup ice water in a spritz bottle
  • 32 ounces dried beans (or pie weights)

Filling:

  • 2 pounds ground beef (any fat content is fine)FullSizeRender 76
  • Salt + pepper
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 small yellow onion (any type of onion would work here, whatever you prefer), thinly sliced
  • 10 slices applewood smoked bacon
  • 16 slices American cheese (YES, you need this)

Toppings:

  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaiseFullSizeRender 56
  • 1 tablespoon ketchup
  • 2 teaspoons pickle relish
  • 1 teaspoon dijon
  • 1 teaspoon white vinegar
  • French fried onions

Directions:

  • Add flour and salt to the bowl of a food processor and pulse 3-4 times until combined. Add butter pieces and pulse 5-6 times until the consistency looks mealy. Then add the bacon fat and pulse another 3-4 times to combine. Remove the lid and spritz the ice water consistently over the top of the dough. Cover and pulse another 5 times. Check to see if the mixture holds together when squeezed. If not, add more water and pulse again.
  • Pour pie crust dough into a large ziplock bag. Form a ball of the dough in the corner of the bag (note: this took a lot more arm work than what Alton’s video made it out to require). Flatten ball into a rounded disk and throw into the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and place pie pan in refrigerator. Place rounded disk on a large sheet of parchment paper dusted with flour. Dust the top side of the disk with flour and cover with an equal sized sheet of parchment paper (note: Alton calls for rolling the pie dough in the zip lock back but I found that this method worked a lot better).
  • Roll the dough out until it reaches about 11-12 inches. Do you own a rolling pin? I didn’t think so. Neither do I. Guess what works just as well as a rolling pin? A wine bottle!!! I suggest a good cab or zin as their shapes are most even and similar to a rolling pin.
  • Carefully remove the top layer of parchment paper and drape the dough over the pie pan. Press the dough gently into the pan and remove the second layer of parchment paper (reserve it for baking). Fill in the gaps – use whatever excess dough you can find from the edges to fill in any problematic areas. Remember, this is all going to be covered in deliciousness in a second so no need for this to look James Beard worthy. Just make sure there are no huge holes.FullSizeRender 74
  • Using a fork poke holes in the pie crust then place into the fridge to cool for 20 minutes.
  • While the dough is cooling let’s get started on the filling. Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy duty pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot add the ground beef and brown, breaking up with a wooden spoon. When the meat is almost cooked through season quite liberally with salt, freshly ground pepper, and cumin. Cook for another minute then drain fat from pan and reserve meat for later.
  • Remove pie crust from fridge and cover with reserved piece of parchment. Place dried beans on top, making sure that the weights hold down the entire bottom portion of the crust. Place in oven for 10 minutes then remove parchment paper and beans and cook an additional 10-15FullSizeRender 66 minutes until golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack.
  • While crust is cooking let’s start working on the bacon lattice topping. Line a baking sheet with foil or use a wire rack. Place five slices of bacon next to each other vertically. Lift the second and third pieces up partially and place one slice of bacon horizontally down. Repeat with remaining four slices switching up which slices are on top/bottom. Once the lattice square is set, place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes until bacon is starting to brown but is not yet crispy. Let cool.
  • Meanwhile, heat another tablespoon olive oil in the same pan you browned the beef in. Add the sliced onion and saute until they start to brown and become very fragrant (~10 minutes). Season liberally with salt and pepper then remove to a bowl for later.
  • Let’s assemble the pie (keep the oven on)! Once all the parts have cooled you can start assembling the pie. Place ground beef on the bottom of the pie crust, gently pushing down as much as possible (without breaking the crust). Top with the onion slices. Cover beef and onions with the 16 slices of cheese (this may seem like a lot but during the baking the cheese will melt into the beef creating a sort of creamy binder). Finally, top with the bacon lattice (hint: flip the lattice from how it was positioned on the baking sheet to make sure it gets even baking on all sides).

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  • Place assembled pie back in the oven for an additional 20 minutes or until the bacon is nice and crispy. While pie is cooking put together the sauce (ala In N Out)! Combine the mayonnaise through vinegar in a bowl, stirring to combine, Set aside for later.
  • Once the pie is done remove from oven and let cool on a rack for 10-15 minutes. Cut into serving slices and dollop with the sauce and french friend onions. Can also be served room temperature.

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Fig & Blue Cheese Bacon Burger

Posted in Sandwiches by

Anyone that knows me well knows my love for cheeseburgers. I just can’t think of anything more wonderful than grilled beef covered in perfectly melted cheese. Most of the time I crave those juicy, fatty, drippy burgers (with American cheese of course!) but there are times when you want to do things a little fancy. Fig and blue cheese is a perfect pairing and bacon goes with everything. You have sweet, stinky, and smoky all in one bite! It’s perfection! This burger should definitely be served with a light, fresh salad (pictured below is mixed greens and tomatoes with a lemon vinaigrette) to cut the fattiness. Yum!

What you’ll need:

  • 4 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • 4 slices applewood smoked bacon
  • 11/3 lbs ground beef (80% lean is best – fatty = juicy!)
  • Blue cheese, crumbled
  • 4 hamburger buns
  • Fig jam
  • Mixed greens or other toppings of your choice

Directions:

  • Get the shallots cooking first by heating the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and turn the heat down to low. Once they start to break down (about 5-7 minutes) add salt. Let them slowly cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes or until they are a deep golden brown color. At the very end add the balsamic vinegar and remove from heat.
  • The shallots should be left alone to do their thing so use this time to get going on the rest of the burger. Place the bacon in a cool cast iron skillet and place over medium-high heat. Flip bacon consistently to keep the ends from curling. Once the bacon is brown and crispy remove from pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Keep the bacon fat in the pan!
  • Divide the beef into 4 patties (each about 1/3 pound). Make sure your patties are flat and larger in size than your buns as they will seize up with you cook. Nothing worse than the cooked patty being too small for the bun! Season both sides of the patties with salt and pepper.
  • Heat the skillet with the bacon fat over medium-high heat. Place patties in the hot skillet and cook each side for about 5 minutes to medium doneness (160°F). You should get a nice crust on each side and the meat should be cooked through but still pink in the center.
  • When you have 2 minutes left on the second side add crumbled blue cheese to the top of each patty to let it melt. It helps to cover the pan to get it super melty.
  • Toast the buns in the over or in a toaster and add a nice layer of fig jam to the top bun (how much depends on how sweet you want your burger). Spoon a layer of the caramelized balsamic shallots to the bottom bun and top with a patty. Add a slice of bacon (broken into two pieces) and to finish top with mixed greens and whatever additional toppings your heart desires.
  • Enjoy!!!

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Spicy Corn and Sweet Potato Chowder

Posted in Soups by

So, seasons in San Francisco are totally whack. We have summer temps in the winter and now that June is here it’s COLD. One thing I can count on is summer produce and that means fresh, delicious, sweet corn. Mmmmmm sweet corn. I love making corn and black bean salsa or some type of succotash… Basically dishes that use spice to balance out the corn’s sweetness. I wanted to try something new and because soups are my jam, I decided to try my hand at a chowder. Since it’s bathing suit season I wanted to lighten it up and replace the heavy fatness with summer freshness. By finely chopping the mirepoix and letting the sweet potatoes break down during the cooking you create a natural thickness to the soup that eliminates the need of a full cup of heavy cream (I like to add a little at the end to bring it all together still).

What you’ll need:

  • 5 cups chicken stock
  • 4 ears of corn, kernels cut off and cobs reserved
  • 4 pieces of applewood smoked bacon, cut into lardons
  • 1 sweet onion, finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, finely chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 2 jalapenos, chopped (leave the seeds/stems for extra spice)
  • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 tsps cayenne pepper
  • Salt + freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1/4 chopped parsley

Directions:

  • Place stock and corn cobs in a pot over medium-low heat. Simmer to infuse the stock with the corn flavor.
  • In a large pot or dutch oven saute the bacon lardons over medium heat until crispy. Remove with a slotted spatula and place on paper towels to drain. There should be about 3-4 tablespoons bacon fat left in the pot (add butter if you feel there’s not enough fat).
  • Saute onion, carrots, and celery over medium heat for 4 minutes or until translucent and tender. Add the bell pepper, jalapenos, garlic, and cayenne and saute for another minute. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Add the flour and stir to make a roux. Cook until the color turns to blond, about two minutes.
  • Remove cobs from the stock and add to the veggie mixture. Stir to combine. Add remaining ingredients including corn kernels and cook for another 20 minutes.
  • Just before serving add parsley to the soup. Ladle into bowls and top with the crispy bacon. Enjoy!

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Roasted Chicken Bone Stock

Posted in Basics, Soups by

Okay so I recently switched doing stock from the basic “throw it all in a pot” method to taking a few extra steps prior and the result is phenomenal. I took a knife skills class a few months ago and they taught us how to break down a whole chicken. You can usually find whole chickens for a cheaper price per pound than chicken breasts so why not buy the whole bird and use all the parts in the stock? Genius! I go to a snobby meat market because I love to know exactly where my meat lived it’s precious life and what it ate during that time. Anyway, they had these beautiful chickens from a farm in Sebastapol and I had to indulge. I broke down the chicken so I had the breast meat separated from the rest of the bones and cooked those for dinner (separate recipe). With the rest of the chicken (bones plus dark meat) I roasted them with some veggies before throwing them in the stock pot. The result is a deep, rich stock that is a great base to any soup or dish.

What you’ll need:

  • Bones + dark meat from a whole chicken
  • 3 carrots, roughly chopped
  • 4 celery stalks, roughly chopped
  • 1 onion, quartered
  • 4 garlic cloves (left whole)
  • Olive oil, salt + pepper
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • Stalks from 1 bunch of parsley
  • 6 thyme sprigs
  • 1 bay leaf

Directions:

  • Combine chicken, carrots, celery, onions, and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet and coat with olive oil. Season with salt + pepper and roast in a 400 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. The veggies should be starting to caramelize and the bones should release some of their juice.
  • Add the remaining ingredients to a large stock pot. Top with the roasted ingredients and cover with cold water.
  • Bring stock to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 3.5 to 4 hours.
  • Strain, let cool, then remove the layer of fat on the top.
  • Enjoy!

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Strawberry Sunshine in a Glass

Posted in Cocktails by

A group of girls and I participate in a cooking club where we get together monthly for a themed feast. Everyone brings a dish that matches the theme, and some turn out better than others 🙂 Some examples of themes: Mexican, Mediterranean, Family Favorite, Farmers Market, etc. Needless to say, the nights are full of good food, good friends, and lots of wine. A few months ago we decided to switch it up a little and book a chef through Kitchit to come cook for us instead! The theme of the dinner was picnic – salad with beets, strawberries, and goat cheese; pork ribs with panzanella; and a cheesecake dessert. I decided to try my hand at making a cocktail that matched the theme and came up with this strawberry-lemonade type beverage that was a big hit.It’s more fruity and fresh than it is sweet which I prefer. Not only was it totally fruity and delicious but it was also stunning. Make sure to serve it in a pitcher for maximum wow factor.

What you’ll need:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 bunch mint, leaves and stalks separated
  • 2 tablespoons + 1 cup water (divided)
  • 1 pint strawberries, hulled and cut in half
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 4 lemons)
  • 2 cups vodka
  • club soda

Directions:

  • First get the mint simple syrup started. Combine 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the mint stalks and simmer until the sugar is totally dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool (if you have time put the whole mixture including the mint stalks in the fridge for a few hours).
  • Meanwhile make the strawberry puree. Blend the strawberries with the 2 tablespoons of water in a blender or food processor. The puree should be very smooth so add more water if needed (you definitely don’t want it too watery).
  • Once the simple syrup has cooled down combine it with the lemon juice and voila! Minty lemonade!
  • In a large pitcher combine the strawberry puree, lemonade, mint leaves, and vodka with ice. Stir well! Pour into individual glasses and top with soda water for a little fizz.

TIPS:

  • I literally looked up so many recipes for strawberry lemonade drinks before coming up with this one. All of them had different ratios of fruit to sugar to booze and it made me realize that everyone has unique tastes. This is how I like it – less sweet, more fruit, lots of vodka. I suggest before mixing it all together to play around with the ratios first. Make a drink with a little of the puree, lemonade, and vodka until you decide how much of each you want in your final pitcher.
  • For extra visual stimulation add sliced lemons and strawberries. Always important to see what you’re about to consume. We taste with our eyes first after all!

I apologize for the not very pretty picture. We got excited and drank half the pitcher before I got a chance to snap a shot 🙂

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Super Soup!

Posted in Soups by

I make it a point to have some version of healthy soup in my freezer at all times. I try to pack it full of various vegetables and legumes and always use my own homemade chicken stock as the base. You never know when you’re going to wake up with a terrible cold (or hangover….) and you can barely muster up the energy to walk to the kitchen. The nutrients in this soup are guaranteed to make you feel better, whatever your ailment, and studies show that it might even work to prevent hangovers if consumed under the influence the night before 🙂

As with pretty much all of these recipes you can mix it up as you please. A standard soup starts with a mirepoix (onion, celery, carrots) so I suggest you start there and add what you like on top of that. I love chunks of carrots so I always keep those larger than the celery and onion. I had half of a red bell pepper in my fridge that I wanted to use up so it’s included in this recipe but I hadn’t added peppers before. It was good! The green veggies should be added in later to keep them green and al dente (soggy broccoli is not yummy). Blanching the broccoli first will keep the color the best but if you don’t have time you can add them straight into the pot. The spices in this recipe are similar to what you would use for a chili recipe so it produces a deep, rich, spicy flavor. The addition of tomato paste and dark beer also adds to the likeness to chili. You won’t even miss the ground beef!

What you’ll need:

  • 1 cup dried beans (I buy Rancho Gordo and mix it up with different shapes, sizes, and colors. Have fun!), soaked for 10 hours or overnight
  • 1 vegetable bouillon cube (if you don’t have this on hand just omit and make sure to salt the water liberally and throw in some veggies with the beans) FullSizeRender 40
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 3 medium carrots, roughly chopped
  • Half of a red bell pepper, diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp ancho chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp red chili flake
  • 1 tsp paprika (hot or sweet)FullSizeRender 41
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 2 T tomato paste
  • 1 cup of dark beer (I like porter or brown ale)
  • 1 bunch of red chard or any dark leafy green, roughly chopped
  • 1 crown of broccoli, chopped into florets and blanched
  • 6-8 cups of chicken stock (homemade!!!)

Directions:

  • Drain beans from soaking water and place in large pot (I use a pasta pot for easy draining later). Cover completely with water and add bouillon cube or fresh veggies. Bring water to a boil and simmer until tender. The time will vary depending on the size of the beans so just read the package and check on them a few times. They’ll cook more later in the soup but they should be at al dente.
  • In a large heavy pot or dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 3-5 minutes. Add celery and carrots and continue cooking for another 3-5 minutes. Add bell pepper and garlic and cook for an additional minute.
  • Add spices and tomato paste and cook for a minute (this takes the rawness out of the ingredients). Add the beer and deglaze the pot by scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon. Simmer until the alcohol is cooked out and the beer and spices glaze the veggies.
  • Add the chard and cook until it starts to wilt. Add in the broccoli, cooked beans, and chicken stock and stir to combine. Simmer on low for an hour to let the flavors meld together. Check for seasonings at the end, you’ll most likely need to add some more salt depending on how you like it.
  • Serve with some grated parmesan on top or chopped herbs. Freeze leftovers in single serving tupperware for an instant remedy 🙂FullSizeRender 43

TIPS:

  • Blanching broccoli: add florets to a pot of boiling, salted water and cook for a minute. Remove from pot with a slotted spoon or mesh strainer and immediately plunge into an ice bath. The broccoli will remain a vibrant green and the nutrients are locked in.
  • When choosing leafy greens for the soup avoid spinach or anything that quickly wilts/breaks down. You’ll end up with spinach mush. I like to use a green with a fibrous, firm stem so that it holds together throughout the cooking.

Perfectly Poached Eggs with Veggie Hash

Posted in Breakfasts by

I’ll admit, I used to be so scared of poaching eggs at home. I had many misses before I finally perfected my technique. Putting a poached egg on top of certain dishes adds a luxury to it and can really bring a meal together. This morning I wanted to use up some of the veggies I had in my fridge from when I made the stir fry earlier this week so I decided to make an easy veggie hash and top it with these poached eggs. I always find that I have leftover vegetables and herbs from meals I make throughout the week and too often I end up tossing them because they go bad. This is a great way to use up whatever is in your fridge and create a really nice breakfast or brunch dish. Great start to a Saturday!

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What you’ll need:

  • 1 large shiitake mushroom, roughly chopped
  • 3 asparagus stalks, trimmed and chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1/2 of a red bell pepper, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 green onion, sliced (separate the whites and greens)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 T white vinegar
  • Hot sauce

Directions:

  • Fill a medium saucepan with water and put it over high heat. Let it come to a boil while you cook the vegetables.
  • Heat a skillet over medium heat and add a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Add the mushrooms and cook until the juices are released, about 2-3 minutes (they will soak up most of the oil but that’s okay, don’t add more!). Add in the asparagus and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add in the bell pepper, garlic, thyme, and whites of the green onion. Season with salt and pepper and cook an additional 2 minutes. Turn off stove and cover skillet to keep veggies warm while you cook the eggs.
  • Add a tablespoon of white vinegar (or whatever you have on hand that’s light in color) to your pot of boiling water. Crack the eggs separately into small dishes. Take a spoon and stir the water to create a cyclone effect. Drop an egg into the center of the cyclone and let it simmer in the bath for about 45 seconds (let it sit longer if you use XL eggs). Use a slotted spoon to carefully remove the egg from pot and place on a plate lined with paper towels to dry off. Repeat with the other egg.
  • Place veggies in a shallow bowl and top with poached eggs. Crack some sea salt and pepper over the top and sprinkle the sliced green parts of the green onion to finish the dish. Serve with hot sauce.

TIPS:

  • You’ll find that a sort of egg white scum forms when you poach the eggs. For the sake of appearance I separate this from the rest of the egg and feed it to my dog :). It’s edible, but it’s kind of tough and ugly.
  • I suggest you use a light vinegar like distilled white vinegar but truthfully any type will work. The vinegar helps the egg whites bind together immediately when it hits the water, keeping the egg intact while it cooks. If you use a darker vinegar like red wine vinegar you’ll see that it can color the egg a little bit. Avoid using balsamic.
  • Like I said in the intro, this is a great way to use up any leftovers. This would be perfect with winter root veggies like parsnips, turnips, potatoes or add some dark leafy greens like kale or chard to the party too. Really, you can use anything!
  • I had leftover thyme in my fridge but you can use whatever you have on hand for this component too. I hate how much I waste herbs because you have to buy such large packs of them at the store. Toss in whatever you have on hand! Why not!

Better Than Takeout Stir Fry

Posted in Dinners by

{Picture Pending!!}

I love ordering take out like any other city girl but I don’t love thinking about all the unknown ingredients and excessive oils in there (and don’t even get me started on MSG…). I always thought there was no way I could reproduce something as tasty at home but I took a stab at it and was pleasantly surprised! Here’s what I did and as always, modify as you wish 🙂

Here’s what you need:

  • One boneless ribeye
  • 1/2 lb of prawns, shelled and deveined
  • 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 T toasted sesame oil
  • Juice of one lime
  • 3 T chili paste
  • 1-inch knob of ginger, peeled
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 large shiitake mushrooms, sliced
  • 6 asparagus stalks, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 crown broccoli
  • 1 large carrot, sliced
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 large handful (yes this is a measurement…) snow peas
  • 2 green onions, sliced (whites & greens)

Directions:

  • Stick the ribeye in the freezer for 20-30 minutes then thinly slice against the grain (when the meat is super cold it’s much easier to run your knife through!). Place in a large bowl with the shrimp.
  • Whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, veggie oil, lime juice, and chili paste. Use a microplane to grate the ginger and garlic cloves into the sauce and whisk all ingredients together again.
  • Pour enough of the sauce over your meat and shrimp to coat them and reserve the rest for later. Let the meat marinate for as long as possible (can be done the night before or if you’re in a time crunch you can let it marinate on the counter while you cook the veggies).
  • Heat a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add a couple tablespoons of a light oil (peanut is the best… Don’t use olive oil as it has a low burning temperature). Once the oil is hot add the mushrooms and cook until they release their juices, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the asparagus and broccoli and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Add the carrot next and continue cooking for a minute before adding the bell pepper. Add your meat and shrimp and cook until the shrimps are almost cooked through (about 2-3 minutes). Finish by throwing in the snow peas, green onions, and reserved sauce. Cook for another minute or until the shrimp is cooked through.
  • Check for seasoning! The stir fry should already be pretty salty from the soy sauce but feel free to add salt if it’s not enough. Definitely add some pepper and maybe some extra chili paste depending on how spicy you like it.
  • Enjoy!

TIPS:

  • I served this with a brown rice medley from Trader Joe’s but it would be delicious with any type of rice or Asian noodles.
  • Use whatever veggies look best! I stared at the bok choy at the store for a while before deciding I had enough vegetables in my basket already. You could also add in a jalapeño or any type of chili pepper for some extra heat and flavor or try mixing in different types of bell peppers.
  • For a vegetarian option use a variety of mushrooms instead or add tofu (I hate tofu but I realize there are many people out there that love it). You can actually marinate the shiitake mushrooms and/or tofu in the sauce the same way as the meat.
  • This ended up being too much food for two people… Maybe more like 3 servings. I would definitely double the recipe if feeding 4 people.

Warm Brussel Sprout Salad with Bacon and Dijon Vinaigrette

Posted in Veggies by

{Picture Pending!!}

Brussel sprouts are one of my favorite veggies and I think they’re served best with bacon and a tangy finish. We ate these alongside a Fig & Bleu Cheese Burger (that post coming soon).

Here’s what you need:

  • 2 slices applewood smoked bacon, chopped into lardons
  • 1 lb brussel sprouts, halved and outer leaves removed
  • 2 tsps crushed red pepper
  • 2 Tbs dijon mustard
  • 2 Tbs apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tbs olive oil
  • Salt + pepper

Directions:

  • Place bacon lardons in a cold large pan and place on medium heat. Cook until fat is rendered and lardons are crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon or spatula and leave bacon fat in the pan.
  • Turn heat to medium-high and add sprouts. Season with crushed red pepper and salt + pepper to taste. Cook for 5-7 minutes until sprouts are golden brown and cooked through (test with a fork similar to how you do with a potato – the fork should pierce easily but should still be firm).
  • While sprouts are cooking, combine mustard and vinegar in a small bowl and whisk together. Slowly stream in olive oil until it’s incorporated and emulsified. Keep to the side.
  • When sprouts are done add reserved bacon, mix, and remove from heat.
  • Transfer sprouts + bacon to a medium bowl and add the vinaigrette. Make sure to do this while the sprouts are still hot so they absorb the dressing! Check for seasonings and add salt + pepper if needed.
  • Serve hot or at room temperature.

TIPS:

  • Other things you can add: toasted nuts (pecans, walnuts, or pine nuts would work best), lettuces (frisee comes to mind), or even dried fruit
  • Fresh herbs would be great in this too if you have some leftovers you’re looking to use up. I would try dill or basil if you have them on hand! YUM!
  • You can use any light vinegar (i.e. not balsamic) for this recipe. If you only have balsamic try it without the mustard as that’s a lot of powerful flavors and you’ll overpower the bacon and sprouts.

Asian Hot & Sour Soup

Posted in Soups by

I’m calling this soup “Asian Hot & Sour” because the flavors were inspired by Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese soups I love. I’d say it most resembles Tom Yum… Essentially I decided to totally wing it and try to make a tasty soup and it actually turned out pretty good!! I’m sure there are many ways to do this better but for a first attempt I’m pretty proud. I’m fortunate to have access to some exotic ingredients at my local grocery store although I couldn’t find kaffir lime leaves or galangal which would have really made this soup sing I’m sure! Luckily ginger can be substituted for galangal but kaffir is a unique flavor that can’t be replaced. Oh well!FullSizeRender 35

Here’s what you’ll need for all components:

  • 1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined (reserve shells)
  • Five stalks of lemongrass, outer layers removed (four roughly chopped and the last thinly sliced)
  • 2 x 1-inch knobs of ginger, peeled (one kept whole, one finely chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh turmeric
  • I bunch of cilantro (leaves chopped, stems reserved)
  • 2 yellow onions (one quartered, peel kept intact, and the other peeled and sliced thick)
  • 6 cloves garlic (4 kept whole, two finely chopped)
  • 5 stalks green onion (2 roughly chopped, 3 sliced)
  • 1 pound mixed wild mushrooms (whatever looks good – oyster is my fave)
  • 12 thai chilis, stems removed (can substitute with 2-3 jalapeños if you can’t find the little thai ones)
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • Olive oil

For the broth:

  • Combine the shrimp shells, the four stalks of roughly chopped lemongrass, one knob of ginger, one tablespoon turmeric, stems from cilantro bunch, one yellow onion (quartered), 4 garlic cloves (left whole), 2 stalks of green onion (roughly chopped), mushroom stems, and chilis in a large stock pot. Fill pot with water to the top.
  • Simmer stock until water is reduced in half. BE CAREFUL – this happens faster than with other stocks! I accidentally over reduced the mixture (twice!). Makesure that your heat setting is on low as you want the mixture to cook as long as possible without losing too much water so that maximum flavor is created.
  • Strain mixture and reserve stock (can be made a day or two in advance).

For the soup:

  • Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy duty pot or dutch oven.
  • Sauté the onions for a couple minutes until they start to get translucent.
  • Add the mushrooms and sauté, stirring continuously until they release their moisture.
  • Add the remaining lemongrass, ginger, turmeric, and garlic and cook for a couple minutes until the flavors start to develop.
  • Add the cleaned shrimp and cooked until they just START to turn pink (they’re going to keep cooking once you add the broth in!).
  • Add the reserved broth and simmer for another couple minutes to let the flavors combine.
  • Turn the heat off and add the lime juice, fish sauce, soy sauce, green onion, and 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro leaves. Add more/less of any of these ingredients to suit your palette.

TIPS:

  • This is a completely off-the-cuffrecipe that I messed around with one night. I definitely encourage playing around with it and adding more or less of any ingredient. I looked up a lot of recipes to get some inspiration and then played around with whatever ingredients looked good at the store.
  • I like things spicy and this definitely is HOT! Tone down the number of chilis if you like it milder but remember that the heat dissipates after the stock settles and the other flavors balance the heat out.
  • Try out various mushrooms! I found enoki at the store which give it a noodle-like texture. I also love maitake and shitake. The Thai restaurant I fell in love with Tom Yum at always used straw mushrooms but I haven’t found them as easily.
  • Want a heartier meal? Add udon noodles!! The first night I made this as a first course to a big Sunday dinner and then I warmed up the leftovers the next day and served with udon noodles for a complete meal. YUM!