Bake: Orangey Lemony Olive Oil Cake

Happy 2013!!! Things have been busy lately - we're expecting our baby in February (could be any day now - we're in the final stretch!),  and now live in the OC. Things will surely change once the little one arrives, but stay tuned as we continue to live deliciously - cooking and baking good foods at home, and exploring the wonders that LA/OC has to offer as our family grows. :)

I've taken advantage of my maternity leave to nest, and have recently returned to baking - something that I haven't had time for in a while.  Last night, while surfing the web, a tasty treat on Gilt Food caught my eye and suddenly I had a craving for olive oil cake! I was just one click away from buying it, when I thought, why not bake it myself?  I found this recipe online, and we had all the ingredients in our pantry.

So this morning, I satisfied by craving by baking my first Orangey Lemony Olive Oil Cake! After reading reviews, I made a few modifications and came up with the following recipe:

Candied Yams with Pecans

It's been a while since I've last posted! It's been busy - we've moved from LA to the OC, and we're expecting a baby boy in February!!! We have much to be thankful for.  :)

This year, we went over to my cousin Debbie's home for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving for my family is a bicultural feast.  My parents started a tradition of Peking Turkey = eating our turkey in a wrap with scallions/ cucumber / sweet bean paste as if it were peking duck (see photo below). We also like to mix in classic American favorites - stuffing, mashed potatoes, pies. This year, my contribution to dinner was a sweet potato / yam dish.  Although I've been cooking for more than half my life, I had never made this dish before! I browsed many recipes before choosing this one (thanks to my friend Connie for sharing!). It was a hit for Thanksgiving - give it a try for your next holiday dinner!

Candied Yams with Pecans (can do an alternate marshmallow topping)
*Note, I made slight modification -decreasing the butter and sugar just a tad as noted below
Serves 10-12

Yams:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 5 pounds sweet potatoes (about 8 medium), peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes  '
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 
• 1/2 cup water

Pecan Topping:

• 2 cups pecan halves 
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar 
• 1 egg white, lightly beaten 
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Pinch cayenne pepper 
• Pinch ground cumin

Directions
1. FOR THE SWEET POTATOES: Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potatoes, brown sugar, salt, pepper, and water; bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook, stirring often, until the sweet potatoes are tender (a paring knife can be slipped into and out of the center of the potatoes with very little resistance), 45 to 60 minutes.

2. When the sweet potatoes are tender, remove the lid and bring the sauce to a rapid simmer over medium-high heat. Continue to simmer until the sauce has reduced to a glaze, 7 to 10 minutes.

3. FOR THE TOPPING: Meanwhile, mix all the ingredients for the topping together in a medium bowl; set aside.

4. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 450 degrees. Pour the potato mixture into a 13 by 9-inch baking dish (or a shallow casserole dish of similar size). Spread the topping over the potatoes. Bake until the pecans are toasted and crisp, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Variation
CANDIED SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE WITH TOASTED MARSHMALLOW TOPPING
Follow the recipe for Candied Sweet Potato Casserole, substituting 4 cups mini marshmallows for the pecan topping. Bake until the marshmallows are crisp and golden, about 5 minutes.

Peking Turkey :)

Drink: Green Smoothie - Grapes, Pineapple, Banana and Spinach!

Last month, after months of pining for the Vitamix Blender (I had seen it in action at a few of my friends' homes and was thoroughly impressed) - J and I broke down and purchased one from Costco.  60 smoothies later (we have at least a smoothie a day) - we're still as thrilled with it as we were on day one. I haven't tried to make the hot soup or hummus yet - but have gotten pretty good at making tropical and berry smoothies. Today, I decided to incorporate some veggies into our daily smoothie. I found this great recipe online and wanted to share!

Ingredients (makes 2 tall glass servings)

• 1 cup (160 g) green grapes
• 1/2 cup (78 g) pineapple chunks (I used frozen)
• 2 cups (60 g) fresh baby spinach, packed  (I used the prewashed spinach in a bag) 
• 1/2 ripe banana, peeled
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) water
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) ice cubes

Directions
Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid. Use tamper if necessary but I did not find I needed it. I used the "Smoothie" preset on the latest Costco Vitamix version. However, if you do not have this option, you can select Variable 1, turn machine on and slowly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High. Blend for 1 minute or until desired consistency is reached. Serve immediately.

Cook: Pasta with Roasted Garlic and Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes Recipe

Last weekend, we went to the Brentwood farmers market for the first time! We usually visit the Santa Monica market, but our friends highly recommended this one so we decided to give it try.

It must be tomato season, since heirloom tomatoes were going for $2.50 a pound (normally you can find them in CA grocery stores for $4.99). There was one stand selling cherry tomatoes - 3 pints for $5! I picked out the super sweet orange variety, a small yellow(squash shaped) variety, and some juicy looking red ones.  Then I had to figure out what to do with all these tomatoes!  I found this recipe for roasted cherry tomato pasta, and followed it with a few modifications. It was a big hit and was super delicious and easy to make!

Pasta with Roasted Garlic and Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes Recipe, Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half*  (I used the 3 pints minus a few bruised tomatoes = prob closer to 5 cups, and only cut the larger sized red ones in half. The orange and yellow ones were small, so I left them as is) 
• 12 garlic cloves, cut in half (I did use this quantity and it was perfect!)   
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 lb pasta (I used bowtie)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (I used a little less)
• 1/2 cup freshly shaved parmesan cheese

Directions: 

1. In a  bowl toss sliced tomatoes, sliced garlic, oil, basil, salt, hot pepper flakes and ground pepper.
2. Place in a 9 X 13 metal cake pan or baking sheet pan with edges,  and roast at 400°F for approximately 30 minutes, or until tomatoes are shriveled and the garlic tender.
3. Cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water while tomatoes and garlic are cooking.
4. Drain and return pasta to pot.
5. Add garlic tomato mixture and parsley, tossing to coat.
6. Serve with sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
7. If you don't have any fresh Parmesan try other sharp hard cheeses such as Romano or Asiago.

Cook: Watermelon Feta Mint and Heirloom tomato salad

I love Watermelon year round, but there is something so refreshing about Watermelon in the summertime.  Over the summer, I noticed a few watermelon based salads on a few menus and thought that it seemed to be an interesting idea. Last weekend, stocked with a perfectly ripe watermelon and some heirloom tomatoes from the farmer's market- I decided to attempt the salad myself.  We served it with some brioche, grilled sausage, grilled corn, arugula salad and some apps (see bottom photo). It made for a wonderful summer meal!  I loosely based the salad off this recipe that I found online, but adjusted the tomato/ watermelon ratio to my liking, and added slightly less red onion.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped mixed fresh herbs (I used mostly mint, and a few basil leaves)

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

4 heirloom tomatoes (medium size), cut in chunks (mine were approx 1 in cubes)

2 cups (I used a little less than half a mini seedlesswatermelon) cubed

a few thin slices of red onion (optional)

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (more or less to your liking)

Directions: Whisk together the olive oil, herbs, lemon juice and salt in a large bowl. Add tomato, watermelon, onion (if desired) and toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with cheese, toss gently.  I recommend making this salad just before serving - it tastes best fresh!

Cook: LA Burger by Bobby Flay

 

Summertime is a great time for refreshing salads, watermelon, and of course - burgers.  The other day, J and I were looking for a solid simple recipe to try and came across Bobby Flay's recipe for the LA burger. It was a hit - even more delicious than it looks!

Ingredients:

• 80 percent lean ground beef chuck (1 lb serves four)
• Cheese - you pick - monterey jack or cheddar (we used cheddar)
• 2 hass avocado (we picked them up from the farmer's market) 
• 1/2 diced small onion
• 1 minced jalapeno
• juice of 1 lime
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• salt and pepper
• greens - watercress (I think we used arugula)
• tomato slices

Directions: 

1. Bobby's Perfect Patty -  Shape 6 ounces of 80 percent lean ground beef chuck into a uniform patty, no more than 3/4 inch thick (don't overwork the meat). Make a depression in the center with your thumb so the burger won't bulge; the indent will rise as the patty cooks. Preheat a grill or cast-iron grill pan to high. Brush the burger with canola oiland season with salt and pepper. Grill until golden brown and slightly charred, turning once (7 minutes for medium-rare). Avoid pressing with a spatula! Add cheese for the last minute of cooking.
2. Avocado Relish - Avocado is one of Bobby's favorite ingredients. He mixes 2 chopped Hass avocados with 1/2 diced small onion, 1 mincedjalapeno, the juice of 1 lime, 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro, andsalt and pepper.
3. Garnish: According to the recipe, "L.A. doesn't do iceberg lettuce, so Bobby tops off the burger with Watercress instead. (we used arugula)".  Add slice of tomato

 

As seen: served with pan roasted shishito peppers, heirloom tomato salad, and watermelon for dessert. 

Cook: Mushroom tarts

Just the other day, I found this hand-written recipe for delightful mushroom tarts that my mother in law shared with me a while ago. I had to share the recipe with my deliciousLA readers! I hope you enjoy them as much as our families do! Warning - these mushroom tarts really rich and addictive.  :)

Pastry:

• 1/2 lb butter
• 1/2 lb cream cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 3/4 c flour

Filling: 

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, chopped fine
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp sherry
• 1 large onion, chopped fine
• 1/8 tsp thyme
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 tablespoon flour