Crustless Spinach and Mushroom Quiche

Yes, I am writing at 4:15am. That's because I woke up at 2:00am, after forcing myself to sleep at 9:00pm last night. That's because Steve and I are doing what we are calling Project Get On London Time.

We're leaving for our month-long Europe trip today! Our bags are packed, camera batteries charged, and email away message posted. I also packed an insane amount of dried fruit for the journey. So we're all set, I think. Our first stop is London. Steve is excited to get back to his English roots, and I'm excited to find a real British pub. After that we head to Spain and Italy.

I hope to blog while we're there, so stay tuned!

Before I go, I'll leave you with crustless quiche, which is becoming a new regular breakfast in our house. I've made this a few times, with variations on the vegetables (i.e. diced tomatoes added). It usually lasts about two days before disappearing. Quiche without crust may sound like it misses the main point, but we're trying to eat healthier, people. And it really is quite delicious.

Crustless Spinach & Mushroom Quiche
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms
1 tomato, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
5 eggs, beaten
3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch pie pan. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Stir in mushrooms and tomatoes, cook 1-2 minutes. Stir in spinach and continue cooking until excess moisture has evaporated. In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. Add spinach mixture and stir to blend. Scoop into prepared pie pan. Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Granola Bars

Thank you for your comments on my previous post. I truly loved receiving your responses, and was very encouraged by all the opinions, perspectives and personal experiences out there.

This past weekend I got in touch with my inner hippie, and spontaneously decided to make granola bars at eleven o'clock one night (thankfully, Steve was gone on a white water rafting trip, and did not witness this moment of insanity from his wife). I'm still not quite sure what possessed me to do that. As we have become more health-conscious in recent months, our refrigerator and pantry have begun to resemble those of a hippie commune. Soy milk, brown rice, tofu, dried fruit, whole wheat pita bread...it's all there. So I suppose homemade granola bars seemed like the next logical step.

After reading a bunch of granola bar recipes, I came up with the one below. Since it was late at night, beyond grocery store hours, I had to work with ingredients that we already had (which explains the weird blend of fruit). While I'd like to refine the recipe at some point, these actually turned out great. They were chewy and delicious. Plus homemade granola bars are healthier and way less expensive than the store-bought ones! This recipe has so many options, and can be made to fit your taste. Next time I think I'll add flax seed, almonds and dried cherries.

Granola Bars
2 cups oats
1/4 cup sesame seed
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups dried fruit, chopped (I used apricots, cranberries and lychee)

Butter a 9x9-inch baking dish and line it with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread oats onto a sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add sesame seeds and toast for another 2 minutes. In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, peanut butter, vanilla and salt in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until combined. Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and immediately add it into the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish. Cool completely and cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Coconut Shrimp Soup

Since moving to Los Angeles, I've grown a deep appreciation for Thai food. The city is filled with hole-in-the-wall Thai restaurants that proudly serve up their wonderful B and C-rated food to hungry customers. Speaking of restaurant ratings, never ever trust an Asian restaurant that has an A hanging in its window...it will be a disappointing experience. And as many fans will attest, the pride and joy of most Thai eateries is the soup. Thai soups have a unique ability to engage the senses and taste buds in ways that set them apart from other cuisines.

Wanting to try our hand at Thai cooking, Steve and I made this Thai-style soup together one weekend. It was wonderful, and filled the entire house with a sweet, citrus fragrance. The blend of shrimp and coconut was delicious, and we enjoyed every spoonful of it.

Coconut Shrimp Soup
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
1 can (13.5 ounces) low fat coconut milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
5 ounces angel hair pasta
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add ginger, garlic, and red pepper; cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add carrots, coconut milk, and 3 cups water. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until smooth; add to the pot. Bring to a boil. Break pasta in half; add to the pot. Return to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer 3-4 minutes. Add shrimp; stir until opaque, about 1 minute. Remove the pot from heat and stir in the lime juice; season with salt. Serves 4.

Chicken & Shrimp Paella

This weekend was moderately successful, as measured by the goals I set for myself on Friday. I did accomplish 1) watching the Office, and 5) doing some major spring cleaning (it is insane how many opened ketchup bottles were sitting in our fridge). Goals 2-4 were unfortunately not attained. Still no couch for the porch, Steve dominated me at Mario Kart Wii, and I didn't really think at all about my hair this weekend. I blame laziness.

I also blame it on the fact that Steve and I went to see a television taping on Friday night. You can read more about that on my husband's blog here. Suffice it to say, it's a show that involves an 80's superstar with massive biceps, and an event called the Eliminator. Yeah, we go on crazy dates sometimes.

I also did some cooking this weekend, and made paella for the first time. Paella is a Spanish rice dish that gets it's name from the Valencian term for frying pan. Typically, saffron is a key ingredient in paella, but since I didn't have any saffron around, I sort of improvised the spices. It was delicious, and made about a week's worth of meals for us. Try it, and let me know what you think!

Paella
4 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice
1 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
1 large green pepper, julienned
3 green onions, sliced
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 cups frozen peas
1/2 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced

In a saucepan, combine broth, rice, onion, half of the garlic, salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, oregano, pepper and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the green pepper, onions, parsley, thyme, hot pepper sauce and remaining garlic in oil for 2 minutes. Add mushrooms. Cook until green pepper is crisp-tender. Add tomatoes and peas; heat through. Discard bay leaf. Add rice mixture to vegetable mixture and kep warm. In a nonstick skillet, cook and stir shrimp in lemon juice for 2 minutes. Add chicken; cook until chicken is no longer pink and shrimp has turned pink, about 3-5 minutes. Add to rice mixture; toss. Serves 10-12.

Apricot Scones

Whew! It's been a long week - including jury duty, applying for a new passport with my married name, and hitting my weight goal(!). Each of these deserves its very own post, so stay tuned. I just don't have the capacity to articulate much right now. But before I go wind down with my evening ritual of The Year of Living Biblically and sudoku, here's a recipe for you.

Scones...to be perfectly honest, I am usually not too enthralled by scones. They are overly dry and crumbly for my taste. I suppose I am more of the fluffy scone persuasion. So I've been on a quest to find a scone recipe that fit my liking, which has led to the discovery of this version. Here it is - scones with a light, airy and perfectly moist texture. The original recipe called for raisins, but I went apricots instead. When served warm, with some morning coffee, they are a wonderful breakfast. Beware, they get addicting!

Apricot Scones
3/4 cup dried apricots, cut into fourths
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cold butter
1 cup sour cream
2 egg yolks

Topping:
1 egg white
1 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place apricot pieces in a bowl. Cover with hot water and let stand for 5 minutes. Drain well and set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine sour cream and egg yolks; add to crumb mixture. Stir in apricots just until blended. Turn onto a floured surface; knead gently 8-10 times. Divide into four portions. On ungreased baking sheets, pat dough into 4-inch circles. Cut each into 2 wedges, but do not separate. Beat egg white; brush over dough. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over tops. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until golden. Serve warm. Yields 8 scones.

Mushroom and Spinach Tart

How do you cause waves of awe and wonder at the next party or potluck you attend? How do you get friends and family to exclaim, "I had no idea you were such a culinary genius!"? Easy...you whip up a mushroom spinach tart!

I made this last week, and it was equal parts simple, delicious and beautiful. I'm usually not a big fan of meals that use puff pastry, since there's absolutely no healthy thing about it. But for this recipe, it was worth it. And since most of the other ingredients are vegetables, you can eat it and feel at least medium-ish okay about yourself. Feel free to add your own favorite mix of vegetables. It makes a great dinner, or appetizer for a cocktail party.

Ciao and chow, friends!

Mushroom Spinach Tart
Flour for rolling out puff pastry
1 sheet frozen puff pastry (from a 17.3 ounce package), thawed
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and pepper
2 10-ounce packages mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 10-ounce package fresh baby spinach
2 ounces ricotta cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On floured surface, roll puff pastry out to form a 16x10-inch rectangle. Place the pastry on a baking sheet. With a sharp knife, lightly score the dough to form a 1-inch border. Using a fork, prick the dough inside the border every 1/2 inch. Bake until golden, rotating the pan once, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, toss onion with 1 tablespoon of oil. Season with salt. Cover and cook over medium heat until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir. Continue cooking with cover on for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. Set aside. In a large saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the mushrooms. Cover and cook until tender and all liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Fold in the spinach, and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Drain all liquid. Top the dough with mushroom-spinach mixture. Scatter the onions and ricotta cheese on top. Bake about 15 minutes.

I Love Tuesdays & Chicken Tortilla Soup

I adore Tuesdays.

Because of the nature of my job, many of my weekends are consumed with meetings, conferences, and other work-related activities. So Tuesdays are my consistent day off - my personal day to rest, relax and spend time doing things that I enjoy.

So what have I done today? To start, I slept in without an alarm clock...ah, pure joy. Who else can do that on a weekday? Then I ate breakfast, watched You've Got Mail, played Facebook Poker, and got a haircut. A pretty nice way to spend the morning, no? I think I'll go and curl up with a good book next to the heater now.

But before I leave, here's a recipe for some yummo chicken tortilla soup that we enjoyed recently. And as a bonus, I've included my recipe for insanely-easy-to-make flour tortilla chips. Enjoy your Tuesday!

Chicken Tortilla Soup
4 skinless chicken thighs
1 14.5 ounce can reduced sodium chicken broth
1 jalapeno chile, diced
Coarse salt
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
4 large scallions, thinly sliced
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1/4 cup cilantro sprigs
1 lime, cut in wedges

In a large pot, bring chicken, broth, jalapeno, and 8 cups of water to a boil over meduim-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; simmer until chicken is cooked through about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to plate and let cool. Using a large spoon, skim fat from the surface off the broth, and strain the liquid through a sieve into a clean pot. Shred chicken, and return it to the pot. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt. Garnish with remaining ingredients as desired. Serves 4.

Baked Tortilla Chips
12 flour tortillas
Vegetable cooking spray
Coarse salt

Preheat oven to 375. Cut tortillas into eighths. Spread tortilla pieces in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt. Bake until chips are crisp and slightly golden, about 10 minutes.

The Larissatini

The Larissatini, your classy and exotic beverage for the evening.

Last night we celebrated my birthday with a little cocktail party (which was much lovelier than my actual birthday last week). We had some friends and family over, and partied it up. My husband, who is a rock star in the bar tending department, kept the drinks flowing till the late night hours.

The Larissatini was the specialty and favorite of the evening, so I thought I'd share it with you all. Because let's face it, everyone likes a good martini. The recipe calls for lychee, which is an Asian fruit that can be found in the ethnic foods aisle of most grocery stores.

Enjoy one (or three, like I did), and let me know what you think!

Larissatini
2 shots light rum
1/2 shot vermouth
1 shot lychee syrup

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well, strain into a martini glass, and garnish with a lychee.

Homemade Pasta with KitchenAid Mixer

For Christmas, Steve gave me some attachments for our KitchenAid mixer (aforementioned here), including a pasta maker. Yes, since getting married I have morphed into an unapologetic domestic, and so I receive things like that as Christmas presents. I also scored three cookbooks and a cast iron skillet.

Steve and I decided to give the pasta maker a whirl last week. The process of making the dough and running it through the mixer was quite simple and quick, even with my complete lack of ability to properly follow written directions. The most difficult part was after the noodles came out of the pasta maker. The user manual reads, "Lay noodles on flat surface and separate immediately." Simple enough, right? Wrong. Separating a few hundred noodles from each other was a nasty chore. The noodles stuck together, broke into pieces, and basically did not want to cooperate. After lots of tedious work, we finally got them into the pot to cook, and it was a breeze after that.

It ended up being some of the most delicious spaghetti noodles ever - soft, fluffy and tasty - and we decided it was worth the work. I think we'll try making some fresh lasagna next time.

Little noodles with separation anxiety.

Fresh homemade spaghetti, ready to eat.

Basic Egg Noodle Pasta
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons water
2 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon oil

Break eggs into a glass measuring cup. Add water. Carefully check to see that the total liquid amount in 3/4 cup. If less than 3/4 cup, add additional water 1 teaspoon at a time until that amount is reached. Place flour in bowl. Attach bowl and flat beater. Turn to Speed 2 and gradually add eggs and water. Mix for 30 seconds. Stop mixer and exchange dough hook for flat beater. Turn to Speed 2 and knead for 2 minutes. Remove mixture from bowl and hand knead for 1 minute. Cover with plastic wrap and let dough rest for 15 minutes before extruding through Pasta Maker. Lay noodles on flat surface and separate immediately. Add salt and oil to 6 quarts boiling water. Gradually add pasta and boil until pasta is tender. Stir occasionally to cook evenly. Drain pasta in colander.

By the way, thanks to everyone who de-lurked this week. Your introductions made me want to visit every single one of you! Yeah, even the Midwest people.

Baked Chicken Chiles Rellenos

¡Hola! I am a yummy chicken chile relleno.

When I first discovered the joy that is Mexican food, I was blown away by a little dish called chiles rellenos. While this recipe is pretty different from the real thing, it gives a slightly Mexican spin to your typical chicken dish. These baked chicken rolls are flavorful and creative, each with cheese and chile peppers nestled inside. They are also low fat (holla at the health conscious!).

I used a saucepan to pound the chicken since we don't own a meat mallet, which created a lot of ruckus in the kitchen. Steve was so amused at this part of the cooking process, he decided to take a picture. Here I am, taking out my stress on the chicken. Hey, it's cheaper than therapy.


Baked Chicken Chiles Rellenos
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 4-ounce can whole green chile peppers, rinsed, seeded and cut in half length-wise (6 pieces total)
2 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, cut into 6 2x1/2-inch sticks
2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 8-ounce jar red salsa

Place a chicken breast half between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound meat lightly into a rectangle about 1/8 inch thick. Remove plastic wrap and repeat with remaining chicken breast halves. In a shallow dish combine flour, cornmeal and red pepper. Place egg and water in another shallow dish, and beat lightly to combine. For each roll, place a chile pepper half near the edge of a chicken piece. Place a stick of cheese on the chile pepper. Sprinkle with some cilantro and black pepper. Fold in on sides, and roll up, starting from the edge with the chile pepper and cheese. Secure with wooden toothpicks. Dip chicken rolls in egg mixture, and coat with cornmeal mixture. Place rolls seam side down in a shallow baking pan. Drizzle with butter. Bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Remove toothpicks, and serve warmed salsa over chicken.

Meatball Soup

I have a theory that everyone should have at least one really delicious soup recipe.

This meatball soup might be mine. I've been on a soup-making kick lately, and tried this recipe last week. It was hearty and delicious, which was good since it made a pretty large batch (it lasted us almost a week!). It also cooks quickly, as far as soups go. Steve agreed it deserves a place in our regular meal rotation (though he says that about a good many dishes...what a great husband).

Look out for my first meme (yeah, like a dork I had to look it up too), to be posted soon! Yay, I'm like a real blogger or something.

Meatball Soup
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces lean ground beef
2 14-ounce cans reduced-sodium beef broth
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup dried bow tie pasta
3 cups fresh spinach, torn

In a medium bowl, combine egg, bread crumbs, onion, garlic powder and pepper. Add ground beef, and mix well. Shape meat mixture into thirty-six 3/4-inch meatballs. Lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Cook meatballs over medium heat about 8 minute, turning occasionally to brown evenly. Set meatballs aside. In a large saucepan, stir together broth, tomatoes, mushrooms and water. Bring to boiling. Add pasta, and return to boiling. Reduce heat, and simmer covered for 10-12 minutes until pasta is tender. Stir in meatballs and spinach. Cook for 1-2 minutes until spinach wilts. Serves 5.

Rosemary Focaccia

In my first attempt at baking bread, I decided to try some focaccia. It was moderately successful. The recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of yeast, and I accidentally used the entire packet. Oops. Also, I don't think I kneaded the dough enough, and it ended up being a little on the dense side. Despite the setbacks, I was pretty proud of the outcome. We enjoyed the bread all week with olive oil and basalmic vinegar. Don't get overwhelmed by all the instructions...it is totally worth it!

In other news, the husband and I decided on a new and improved "healthy habits plan" - minor and major changes in our diet and exercise, catalyzed by the fact that we have both put on some weight this year. One of the changes is eating brown rice instead of white. Sigh...just saying that makes me sad. We had brown rice for dinner tonight, and man, it is just NOT the same. My Asian instincts are going berserk. I'll keep you posted on how long that one lasts.

Rosemary Focaccia
4-4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup warm water
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
coarse salt

In a bowl combine 1/2 cup of flour, 1/2 cup warm water, and yeast. Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let stand over night at room temperature to ferment. After fermentation, gradually stir in 1 cup warm water, 2 teaspoons salt, and enough flour to make a dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough flour to make a stiff dough (8-10 minutes). Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, turning once. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until double (about 1 hour). Turn dough out onto a well-floured baking sheet. Place an extra large bowl upside down over the dough to cover it, and let rest 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 475 degrees. Shape dough on the baking sheet into a circle about 11 inches in diameter by pulling and pressing with your fingertips. Make 1/2-inch-deep indentations every 2 inches in dough. Brush dough with olive oil, and sprinkle lightly with coarse salt. Carefully slide focaccia onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden, checking after 8 minutes and popping any large air bubbles with a sharp knife. Remove focaccia from pan, and cool on a wire rack about 15 minutes.

Fennel-Crusted Pork Roast

Fall is my favorite time of the year. The chilly weather, the holidays with family, the warmth of the fireplace, the delicious food...oh, the food. There are certain flavors and smells that just work in the fall, you know?

The coming of fall inspired this pork roast. I've been needing a good excuse to use our roasting pan, and this recipe was just the thing. Roasts are simple, and low-maintenance, but result in flavorful meals. Just throw it all together, and pop the whole shebang in the oven. The fennel seeds may be crushed with the bottom of a heavy pan, which allows the full taste of the seeds to release. The pears and fennel blend together perfectly with the pork, and the red onions add a bit of color. It's a fantastic meal for a fall evening at home.

Fennel-Crusted Pork Roast
2 tablespoon fennel seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
4 pounds boneless pork loin
2 red onions, quartered
1 pound small white potatoes, quartered
3 firm Bartlett pears, cored and quartered

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, mix fennel, garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Rub the mixture over the pork, and place pork in a large roasting pan. In a large bowl, mix the onions, potatoes, pears, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and the remaining oil. Scatter around the pork and roast 70 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest at least 5 minutes before slicing. Return pork to pan and serve. Serves 8.

Butter Mochi

A few years ago, a friend gave me Hawaii's Best Mochi Recipes as a birthday present, and I've been enjoying experimenting with mochi ever since. Mochi is a Japanese rice cake that has Chinese, Filipino, and other Asian counterparts. And because of its rich history of Asian culture, Hawaii is a hotbed of hundreds of varieties of the gooey dessert.

I've been trying to perfect my butter mochi for a while now. This most recent batch came out too dry and cakey - I blame our feisty oven. The best butter mochi is moist, soft and chewy. Try it out, and let me know how it goes!

A few notes: mochiko can be found an almost any Asian food section of your local grocery store, so don't worry about having to make a special trip. Mochi will keep for a few days. Do not freeze or refrigerate baked mochi.

Butter Mochi
1 pound mochiko (16 oz. box)
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 cups milk
1/2 cup butter, melted
5 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 can coconut milk (12 oz.)

In large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add in remaining ingredients. Mix with wire wisk until batter is smooth. Pour into well-greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool and cut into squares with a plastic knife.

Chicken Curry

Every true Asian has a special affinity for curry, and this Asian gal is no different. Growing up in Hawaii, I used to think that curry was limited to S & B Golden Curry (those packets of instant curry molded into blocks that you find in the Asian markets). When I left Hawaii, however, my eyes were opened to the hundreds of different curries offered from all parts of Asia - Indian curry, Thai curry, Indonesian curry! The range of flavors and adaptations that you can find is astounding.

I made this curry today. It has a comforting flavor that is creamy, spicy and warm as a good curry should be. And depending on your taste for spiciness, the amount of cayenne pepper can be adjusted. Ladle some onto jasmine or basmati rice, and it will warm your soul.

Chicken Curry
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon paprika
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
salt to taste
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup plain yogurt
1 can coconut milk
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until lightly browned. Stir in garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, paprika, bay leaf, ginger, sugar and salt. Continue stirring for 2 minutes. Add chicken pieces, tomato paste, yogurt, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove bay leaf, and stir in lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Simmer 5 minutes. Mix cornstarch with water, and slowly add to curry while stirring. Simmer 1 minute. Serves 6.

Chicken Piccata

Now that USC is in session, I've had less time to cook. That has meant many trips to our beloved Chano's, your typical little Los Angeles Mexican joint down the street with the not so typical carne asada burritos (if you haven't been to Chano's yet, please notify me and we will remedy that as soon as possible). On the days I do have time to cook, I generally try to make meals in bulk to keep us fed for a few days. But sometimes I still find a way to do some fun experimenting in the kitchen.

This chicken piccata turned out to be a winner. It's one of those recipes that doesn't take much work, but makes people think you're a culinary wizard. My theory is that cooking with wine makes anything a bit yummier. Try it out yourself!

Chicken Piccata
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

In a shallow dish or bowl, mix together flour, paprika and salt. In a separate bowl mix together egg and milk. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture, then in seasoned flour. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium high heat. Saute chicken pieces until golden brown. Add mushrooms and onion and saute for 3 to 5 minutes. In a medium bowl combine the broth, wine, lemon juice and cornstarch. Mix together and pour mixture over chicken and mushrooms. Reduce heat to medium low and let chicken mixture simmer for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Classic Brownies

We had a long week, so I decided to bake some fresh brownies for my husband to come home to. Yes, I can be that sort of wife sometimes.

I originally intended to go the lazy Betty Crocker mix route, but was then inspired to try brownies from scratch. Plus I haven't written up about any recipes in a while, and figured having "Betty Crocker" in the ingredient list would be a bit sad. I love this recipe because it's simple, and calls for basic, already-in-your-pantry items. The brownies came out with a wonderful cakey texture and buttery taste - a perfect version of the classic brownie!

Classic Brownies
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch square pan. In mixing bowl, stir butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract. Beat in cocoa, flour, salt and baking powder. Spread batter into pan. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.

Sauteed Mushrooms and Herbs

My obsession with gardening has opened my eyes to the wonderful world of fresh herbs and vegetables, and I've been finding some great culinary uses for what my garden has been producing. Tonight I experimented a little in the kitchen, and came up with this mushroom dish. The lavender added an especially fresh, unique flavor, and we enjoyed it as a side to some shrimp and pasta.

And to think that all I used to cook with was garlic salt.

Sauteed Mushrooms and Herbs
12 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 teaspoon savory
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon lavender

Saute mushrooms in olive oil on medium high heat until they begin to brown. Add garlic and herbs, and saute for 2-3 minutes. Serves 4.

Ratatouille - Meal and a Movie

We caught a midnight show of Ratatouille, the new Pixar animation about a French rat who has a knack for gourmet cooking. I loved the film, but instead of giving my personal thoughts, I'll let you read a wonderfully written review here, by my friend Justin Chang at Variety.

Ratatouille, a traditional French Provençal vegetable stew, is one of my favorite dishes to make. It is a fantastic medley of fresh vegetables and herbs, and can be served all sorts of ways - warm or cold, as a side dish or main dish, with bread or pasta or alone.

Ratatouille
2 onions, sliced into thin rings
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium eggplant, cubed
2 zucchini, cubed
2 medium yellow squash, cubed
6 mushrooms, sliced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
4 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Parmesean cheese to garnish

Heat 1 1/2 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute the zucchini in batches until slightly browned on all sides. Remove the zucchini and place in the pot with the onions and garlic. Saute all the remaining vegetables one batch at a time, adding 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet each time you add a new set of vegetables. Once each batch has been sauteed add them to the large pot. Season with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaf, thyme, oregano and basil and cover the pot. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes and parsley to the large pot, cook another 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally. Serve with Parmesean cheese. Serves 8.

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

I'm embarrassed to confess that I've owned this KitchenAid for almost a year without touching it. When Steve and I got married, my domestic wife instincts kicked in, and I just had to buy the KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Stand Mixer in Onyx Black. I mean, look at it! It's sleek and beautiful and promises a lifetime of joy in the kitchen. Men have their pretty cars, women have their KitchenAids. Anyway, we bought it, brought it home with us, and promptly set it on a shelf where it began to collect months of dust. And every day I would pass it by, guilt piling up in an ugly heap in my heart until I couldn't even look at it in the face. Until last night.

Last night, I had the urge to bake (which is a rare occurrence for an Asian housewife...baking isn't the most Asian activity) chocolate chip cookies. I think the urge came from watching the Friends episode where Monica is trying to figure out Phoebe's deceased grandmother's secret recipe for chocolate chip cookies. I found this recipe for Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies here on allrecipes.com, and can take absolutely no credit for it whatsoever. It got over 3,000 great reviews, so I figured it couldn't be that bad. One day when I'm the World's Greatest Mom, I'll perfect my own original recipe.

I wiped the dust of the KitchenAid, and went to town with it. It was so simple and fun to use, I venture to say that baking might become more frequent in our house (we'll see about that one). Although I was so distracted with trying to work the KitchenAid for the first time, I accidentally used baking power instead of baking soda. Whoops. Even with my mistake, the result was a house filled with a wonderful aroma, and a batch of the most delightfully soft cookies ever. Try it out yourselves! There was a lot of cookie dough, so I rolled some of it into logs, wrapped them in plastic wrap, and have ready-made dough for later.


Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Sift together the flour and baking soda, set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Beat in the instant pudding mix until blended. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Blend in the flour mixture. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips and nuts. Drop cookies by rounded spoonfuls onto un-greased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Edges should be golden brown.