No Eggs in this Eggplant

Eggplant Parmigiana

Eggplant Parmigiana (from The Illustrated Kitchen Bible)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

salt and freshly gound black pepper

 2 large eggplants, cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch slices

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed

2 cups tomato sauce

10 oz mozzarella, drained and sliced

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup chopped basil leaves

1.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Spread the flour on a plate.  Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper.  One at a time, dredge each eggplant slice in the flour, shaking off the excess, then dip it in the eggs and let the excess drip back into the bowl.  Repeat with the remaining slices.

2.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Working in batches, if necessary, fry the eggplant slices for about 5 minutes on each side, or until golden.  Drain well on paper towels.

3.  Layer the tomato sauce, eggplant slices, mozzarella, parmesan, and basil leaves in a shallow casserole dish, seasoning each layer with salt and pepper, and finishing with a layer of tomato sauce and the cheeses.

4.  Place the dish on a baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese has melted.  Serve hot.  Good with Ceasar salad.  (See Salads for recipe.)

Under the Sea

 Ceasar Salad with Homemade Ceasar Dressing

Eggplant Parmigiana (see Main Dishes for recipe)

Making of the Ceasar dressing...  Swim fishies!

Homemade Ceasar Dressing (from The Illustrated Kitchen Bible)

For the dressing

2 galric cloves, minced into a puree

2 anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained and finely chopped

1/4 cup extra virgin oilive oil

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

freshly ground black pepper

For the salad

2 small heads of romaine lettuce

1 cup croutons

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Anchovies

We tried some anchovies plain just for the experience.  So, so salty!  Sterling said it tasted like SeaWorld and I concur.  Who knew that Ceasar dressing is made with real anchovies?!

Chocolate DOES go with Everything!

Carrot, Orange, and Fennel Watercress Salad (see Salads for recipe)

Sterling's  Tilapia with Dark Chocolate and Saffron Sauce

Our dear friends Nate and Sachi got engaged last week (woot, woot!)  so we decided to have them over to tell us their engagement story.  The last time we saw them, we were saying how chocolate goes with everything.  I challenged this statement by saying that chocolate doesn't go with fish.  Sterling took on the challenge to serve chocolate and fish.  Today he successfully met the seemingly impossible task!  We (happily) ate fish with a rich, dark sauce made from Ghiradelli's chocolate, saffron, and a pinch of cinnamon.  This recipe was not part of the cookbook, but I consider it extremely important to this blog because it demonstrates how awesome Sterling is: creative, innovative, determined, and extremely handsome.  :)

Sterling's  Tilapia with Dark Chocolate and Saffron Sauce

To be honest, he made this on his own, so I will get the "official" recipe from him, but this is what he did:

Tilapia

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

For the sauce

Ghiradelli's dark chocolate (1/2 bar)

Oilve oil

1/8 tsp powdered saffron

pinch of cinnamon

1.  Bake tilapia.

2.  Melt the chocolate in the microwave with a tiny bit of vegetable oil.  Add saffron and cinnamon to taste.  Drizzle over the fish so it looks all fancy.  I bet this sauce would be good over pretty much anything, especially ice cream :)

Happy Salad

Carrot, Orange, and Fennel Watercress Salad

Sterling's  Tilapia with Dark Chocolate and Saffron Sauce (see Fish for recipe)

Our dear friends Nate and Sachi got engaged last week (woot, woot!)  so we decided to have them over to tell us their engagement story.  The last time we saw them, we were saying how chocolate goes with everything.  I challenged this statement by saying that chocolate doesn't go with fish.  Sterling took on the challenge to serve chocolate and fish.  Today he successfully met the seemingly impossible task!  We (happily) ate fish with a rich, dark sauce made from Ghiradelli's chocolate, saffron, and a pinch of cinnamon.  This recipe was not part of the cookbook, but I consider it extremely important to this blog because it demonstrates how awesome Sterling is: creative, innovative, determined, and extremely handsome.  :)

Carrot, Orange, and Fennel Watercress Salad (from The Illustrated Kitchen Bible)

2 large carrots (use a vegetable peeler to make long, super thin strips)

2 large navel oranges

1 fennel bulb

1 bunch watercress

For the dressing

3 tbsp fresh orange juice

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (I added more)

1 tsp honey

 3 tbsp olive oil (maybe a little more)

salt and freshly gound black pepper

2 tsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted

red onion (We haven't tried it yet, but we think it might be good...)

1.  You know how to make a salad.

2.  You know how to make a dressing, too.  I have full confidence that you don't need step-by-step instructions for this!

Beefy Salad

Balsamic Beef Salad

Balsamic Beef Salad (from The Illustrated Kitchen Bible)

For the dressing

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 garlic clove, pressed

2 tbsp chopped basil

2 tsp chopped oregano or marjoram

1 1/2 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp whole grain mustard (I just used Dijon)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the salad

2 small red bell peppers

4 tbsp olive oil

2 small red onions, cut into wedges

6 oz cherry tomatoes

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 lb 5 oz beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied (I just sauteed mine with garlic and pepper to save time.  If you do it this way you can ignore the roasting directions below.)

6 oz arugula or mesclun (a mix of greens)

1.  To prepare the dressing, process the ingredients in a blender.  Season with salt and pepper.  

2.  Preheat the broiler.  Broil the peppers, turning from time to time, until blackened on all sides.  Let cool until handleable.  Remove the blackened skin, seeds, and ribs.  Cup the peppers into thick strips.

3.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place the onions on a rimmed baking sheet, toss with 1 tbsp of the oil, and season with salt and pepper.  Roast for 20 minutes.  Add the cherry tomatoes, drizzle with 1 tbsp more oil, and the vinegar.  Roast for 10 minutes more, until the onions are tender.  Let cool.

4.  Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees.  Heat remaining 4 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over high heat.  Add the beef and cook, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes, until browned on all sides.  Transfer to a roasting pan.  Roast about 20 minutes until a meat thermometer reads 130 degrees for medium-rare meat.  Transfer to a carving board.  Let cool, and thinly slice the beef. 

5.  Toss the arugula or mesclun with 1/4 cup of dressing.  Add the beef, red pepper, onions, and cherry tomatoes.  

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Beets

I can't remember why we were talking about red velvet cupcakes a few months ago. I think it was at some dinner party and it came up. (I know that you are wishing that you would have been there...) I "google-ed" red velvet cupcakes after the party to get to the bottom of what ever we were discussing and it turns out that during the Great Depression, red velvet cupcakes were originally made using beets! What?! Sick, right? I knew I had to try it out. Lance Wheeler's birthday party seemed like a good excuse. Overall conclusion: so good, really moist, and messy to make. Yet to be determined: Are they any healthier than their non-beet-including counterparts? Probably not...

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Beets (from www.coconutandlime.com)

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa (Ghiradelli's is great)

1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon plain yogurt

1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup beet puree (boil 2-3 beets, wait for them to cool, and throw them in the food processor)
2 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease or line 12 wells in a cupcake pan.

2. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside.

3. Mix together the oil, milk, yogurt, vinegar, beet puree, and eggs in a separate bowl. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix thoroughly.

4. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick in the center of the center cupcake comes out clean. Cool before frosting. 

We also made white and chocolate flavored cupcakes and tubs (literally!) of cream cheese and chocolate frosting.  People loved the "cupcake bar" because they could choose their favorite kind of cupcake, frosting, and toppings.  For toppings we had crushed Heath, Oreos, sprinkles, and fruit.  For excellent cream cheese and white frosting recipes check out www.wilton.com!  Afterall, the cupcakes is simply the vehicle for eating absurd amounts of  luscious frosting.

Chicky Chickpeas

Chickpeas with Spinach

Chickpeas with Spinach (from The Illustrated Kitchen Bible)

3 tbsp olive oil

1 thick slice of crusty white bread, torn into small pieces

1 lb 10 oz leaf spinach

1 15 oz can of chickpeas

2 garlic cloves

1 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp ground cumin

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1.  Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a fryig pan.  Add the torn bread and fry, stirring occasionally, until crisp.  Transfer to paper towels to drain.  

2. Remove any thick stems from the spinach.  Wash the spinach well and shake off any excess water.  Put the spinach in a large saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring often until it has wilted.  Drain in a colander and cool.  A handful at a time, squeeze out as much liquid as possible.  Transfer to a chopping board and chop coarsely.

3.  Add the remaining oil in the frying pan over medium-high heat.  Add the spinach and cook, stirring often, about 3 minutes, until warmed through.  Add the chickpeas, paprika, and cumin.  Season with salt and pepper.  Crumble in the fried bread. 
4.  Add the vinegar and 2 tbsp water, and cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes, until the chickpeas are hot.  Serve immediately.

We had the sister missionaries over for a dinner of lemon rice, chickpeas with spinach, chicken--and cupcakes for dessert!  We have some good ones in this area.  Sterling and the sister missionary on the right had a hilarious conversation about sci-fi movies.  I had no idea he knew so much about them!  The things we find out…

Killer spears

Asparagus with Mustard Sauce

Asparagus with Mustard Sauce (from The Illustrated Kitchen Bible)

1 1/2 lbs asparagus

2 tbsp chopped red onion (this totally makes the dish!)

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsbp white wine vinegar (+ a little red wine vinegar for fun)

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp plain yogurt

1 tsp finely chopped tarragon or dill

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.  Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus.  Fill a large frying pan with enough water to come 1/2 in. up the sides and bring to a simmer.  Add the asparagus.  Cover, and cook 3-4 minutes, or until just tender.  Drain and rinse under cold running water.  Pat dry with paper towels.  Refrigerate while making the sauce.  

2.  For the sauce, whisk the oil, vinegar, mustard, and tarragon or dill together in a bowl.  Whisk in the yogurt until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper. 

3.  Divide the asparagus among salad plates.  Top with the mustard sauce and sprinkle with the red onion.  Serve immediately.  

Little Cabbages, How We Love You!

Garlicky Bok Choy

Garlicky Bok Choy (from The Illustrated Kitchen Bible)

1 lb 2 0z baby bok choy (We should have rinsed ours better.  It was kind of gritty.)

1/2 cup chicken stock

2 1/2 tbsp fish sauce

1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp rice wine (or white wine vinegar)

generous pinch of sugar

2 tsp cornstarch

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 in piece of fresh of ginger, peeled and shredded

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1.  Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, add the bok choy, and blanch for 1 minute.  Drain and rinse under cold water to preserve the bright green color of the leaves.  Gently squeeze each bok choy to remove excess water.

2.  Mix together the stock, fish sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar in a mall bowl.  Sprinkle in the cornstarch and stir until dissolved.  Heat the oil in a wok over medium-high heat.  Add the ginger and garlic and stir-fry for 15 seconds.  Add the bok choy and stir-fry for 1 minute.  

3.  Add the stock mixture and stir until the sauce has thickened and coats the bok choy.  Transfer to a swerving bowl and serve hot.  

Soup It Up

 Wonton Soup

Wonton Soup (from The Illustrated Kitchen Bible)

6 oz ground pork

4 scallions, finely chopped (reserve 1 chopped scallion for the broth)

4 oz mushrooms, stemmed and finely chopped

1/2 in piece fresh ginger, peeled and shredded (we used ginger paste)

1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

1 tbsp soy sauce

freshly ground pepper

1 large egg, beather

20 wonton wrappers (found in the frozen food section of Asian grocery stores)

cornstarch, for the baking sheet

6 cups chicken bullion

1.  Mix the pork, scallions, mushrooms, ginger, sesame oil, cilantro, soy sauce, and pepper.

2.  Spoon a teaspoon  of the pork mixture into the center of a wrapper.  Brush the edges lightly with the egg, fold the wrapper in half, and crimp the edges to seal.  Transfer to a cornstarch-dusted baking sheet.

3. Bring the 6 cups of bullion to a boil.  Reduce the heat and add the wontons and remaining 2 chopped scallions.  Cook for about 10 minutes.  We never have, but you could add bok choy, baby corn, or Chinese broccoli if you want some veggies.  

We served this with the Garlicky Bok Choy and it was awesome :)