Carrot pineapple muffins with chia seed topping

I've been testing recipes for healthy on-the-go breakfasts, and this one is a winner! The kids have always loved "sunrise muffins" -- carrot pineapple muffins that they traditionally make at their preschool in the spring. I took the basic recipe and tweaked it, substituting whole wheat and oat flour for part of the bleached flour, and adding ground flax and chia seeds to add protein and fiber. Instead of refined white sugar, I used coconut sugar, which has a much lower glycemic index.

The final product was moist and lightly sweet, with a crunch from the chia seeds on top. Mom-tested, kid-approved!

I used the recipe below, with the following substitutions:

1 cup coconut sugar (rather than 1 cup refined sugar)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour + 1/2 cup oat flour + 1/2 cup bleached flour + 1 tbsp flax meal (rather than 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour)
1/3 cup nonfat plain yogurt + 1/3 cup vegetable oil (rather than 2/3 cup vegetable oil)
1/2 cup chia seeds, sprinkled on top


Carrot Pineapple Muffins

Thanksgiving in June

I recently found myself in a position of having to cook at 15-pound turkey. In June.

It's a long story, but the short version goes something like this:

We spent Thanksgiving on a cruise last year with my in-laws, so we did not have a traditional turkey meal. However, our neighboring supermarket was holding a promotion where they gave away free turkeys to everyone who spent more than x amount of dollars that month.

The friendly manager at the supermarket ended up pressing the free frozen turkey upon my father-in-law, saying "why refuse something free?"

So that's how I found myself with an extra turkey in the freezer for 6 months. Last week, I finally decided it was time to reclaim my freezer, and so decided to throw a "Thanksgiving in June" playdate party on a Monday in June.

I found a "dry-brine" recipe online and brined the turkey in the fridge for 36 hours. The genius part of the recipe is that it brined as it defrosted in the refrigerator, and was ready for the oven by the time I got back from a weekend away! The result was juicy and tender -- the best turkey I've ever made! This will now be my go-to recipe for turkey. I cannot wait to try this again in the fall.

Russ Parson's Dry-Brined Turkey

Banana chocolate chip muffins with chia seeds

I have been on a health kick recently. But with 2 growing kids, and being the baker that I am, I couldn't completely cut out carbohydrates. Instead, I am trying to tweak classic recipes to be a bit more nutritious. Having our cake and eating it too, so to speak.

This morning I decided to bake banana chocolate chip muffins for a playdate. After all, two four year-old boys need lots of energy to run around and wreck havoc on the house!

I started with a straightforward recipe for banana chocolate chip bread, but made the following substitutions:

3/4 cup wheat flour for 3/4 cup bleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon ground flax seed

1/4 cup nonfat greek yogurt for 1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup agave syrup for 1/4 cup refined sugar

I also mixed together 3 tablespoons of chia seeds, 1 tsp of refined sugar, and 1/4 cup crushed banana chips as a crunchy topping.

The final product was moist, banana-y, and not too sweet. Added bonus? It has much more fiber and protein than the original recipe. The boys (and I) gobbled it up!

Banana chocolate chip bread

My favorite chocolate cake

I found this recipe for Beatty's chocolate cake a few years ago and it has changed my life. An amazingly simple recipe for chocolate cake that manages to be both light and decadent at the same time. I've used it to make cupcakes for the kids' birthday parties, and am now working on making layer cakes.

Combined with tangy cream cheese frosting, this cake was a hit for Father's Day yesterday. An easy layer cake? Yes please!

Beatty's Chocolate Cake

Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting

"How hard can it be?"

Quite difficult, it seems. Apparently even blogging about special baking projects was beyond me. (Doesn't help that I haven't really baked anything special since last August.) It's almost funny how breezy my tone was when I began this project.

Rather than a strict resolution to try three new recipes per week, which proved so daunting that I just stopped cold turkey, I will try to come back to this blog periodically to post thoughts on food. And of course post pictures of an annual special birthday cake in August (already planning this year's!)

With my 35th birthday coming up, I've begun to think more seriously about eating healthfully. Thus today's lunch: herbed green salad with lemon dressing, tuna salad with carrots and capers (subbing olive oil in for mayo), and a quinoa pilaf with kale and shallots. I am actually pretty addicted to this pilaf right now. Lemony, tangy, and full of protein and fiber. It feels like an indulgent treat when I know I'm actually getting a ton of nutrition when I eat it!

Kale and Quinoa Pilaf  (I don't like pine nuts so I did without)

decadence

Turns out "three a week" is actually tougher than it sounds. As can be seen through my diminished blog posts, it has proven tougher to try three new recipes per week than I'd originally assumed. Life just gets in the way. However, I can say that the experiment has broadened my repertoire to the point where I can easily whip up a weekday lunch or dinner without giving it much thought. And my picky family is even complaining that some of their favorites are not in rotation enough!

Now I'm saving my energy for bigger projects for special occasions, such as the salted dark chocolate peanutbutter birthday cake above (yes, you read that right. A little slice goes a long way). And yes, the birthday boy has a thing for Star Wars. I won't reveal his age though :)

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen's infinitely more chic looking cake. I need more practice so my celebration cakes can look like that!

ina garten's lemon loaf cake

Finally back in SF after a whirlwind wedding weekend in LA. I was looking forward to seeing family and relatives, and to eating all of the wonderful food that I miss so much, but all of the events left me (and the kids) overtired and cranky. I am glad to be back home, and to have a chance to cook and and eat simply again.

We are kicking off our week home with a lemon loaf cake. A friend is having a tough time in her personal life, and I thought we could give her a little sweet to cheer her up. Filled with lemon zest and eggs, this loaf cake is surprisingly light, with a tender crumb. When life gives you lemons - make lemon cake!

Ina Garten's Lemon Cake

vegetarian gyoza

Not exactly a new recipe. In fact, no recipe link today. Unfortunately in the last few weeks my 3 a week resolution has been felled by 1) Spring Break, 2) a really nasty flu, and 3) my mother's visit from Taiwan. On the upside, what better timing for a visit from my mom? It's been great to bask in her attention and sleep in while she gives the kids breakfast, and have homemade gyoza for dinner. Yippee for moms (especially moms who specialize in homemade gyoza)!

cavatappi with lemon, ricotta, and arugula

After a week in Tahoe and 3 days in bed from a bout with the flu, I'm finally starting to think about cooking again! Tonight's simpler-than-simple dinner was inspired by the beautiful spring produce I found in the market today - just picked corn, tender arugula, and fresh basil. Veggies this fresh don't need much cooking to taste great. Happy Spring!

Lemon, Ricotta, Arugula, and Basil Pasta

marie callendar's lemon cheesecake pie

Having grown up in Southern California, I've always had a fondness for Marie Callendar's pies. When I was young, it was always such a treat if a visitor brought a pie to share. My favorites were the fresh strawberry, piled high with strawberry and glistening under a ruby glaze, or the sour cream cheesecake pie, with its velvety cream cheese layer topped with the smoothest, whitest cloud of sour cream. What luxury!

Faced with a surfeit of lemons this week, I found this recipe for Marie Callendar's lemon cheesecake pie. It was easy and quick to make using a pre-baked graham cracker pieshell, though as you can see the crust doesn't hold up well. Next time I'll probably make my own crust using a shortbread dough, and sprinkle with a touch more sugar to bring out the lemony flavor of the lemon curd on top. For an easy springtime dessert, this recipe worked out great (and apologies for the pictures this week - as you can see, serving the guests took precedence over photography this week!)

Marie Callendar's Lemon Cheesecake Pie

celery and mushroom salad

What a week! Between the kids' Spring Parties and playdates, I've barely had time to sit down. We had an impromptu dinner party on Thursday evening. The menu: curried deviled eggs, celery and mushroom salad, truffled pasta, and lemon cheesecake pie. As it was a last-minute decision to invite friends over, I found recipes using what we had on hand.

This celery and mushroom salad is adapted from Lidia Bastiniach's recipe, linked below. It was fine, but not memorable - next time I'll try substituting kale for the celery, which seemed too bland in this salad.

Lidia's Celery and Mushroom Salad

lemon parmesan pearl barley risotto

We've been trying out various whole grains this year, and pearl barley has turned out to be one of our favorites (for some reason calling it "Monkey Rice" has turned it into a hit with at least one of the buns, which I consider a success). Nutty and sweet, the grain adds some nice texture to this dish, which otherwise can feel almost too simple. Lemon and basil combine to lend a Springtime note. Warm with some crusty bread, it makes a nice early Spring dinner, or have it cold for a lunchtime picnic, as we did yesterday under the cherry blossoms!

Lemon Parmesan Pearl Barley Risotto
3 cups pearl barley, cooked
3 lemons, juiced
1 tablespoon lemon zest
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmesan
2 tablespoons finely julienned fresh basil
sea salt to taste


In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together lemon juice, zest, olive oil, and parmesan. Pour in pearl barley and mix well. Fold in basil. Top with sea salt. Serve hot or at room temperature. 

korean mungbean jelly (muk)

Of all the restaurants in San Francisco, it's funny that the only one where we are considered regulars is a Korean restaurant. Maybe its the underground parking - a lifesaver in the rainy season when dining out with kids - or maybe its the deliciousness of the food, the sweetness of the staff and owner, the cleanliness and child-friendliness of the establishment. But honestly, I think its their muk. Muk is a savory jello-like dish commonly served in Korean restaurants among the little appetizers they pass out called panchan. Whenever my kids hear the words mungbean jelly, they cheer.

There's a korean grocery near the restaurant, and feeling inspired one day, I asked the owner if he stocked the ingredients necessary to make muk. He handed me a package of whitish powder, and painstakingly translated the korean instructions for me. My new favorite grocer!

Muk (Korean mungbean jelly)
For Jelly
1/4 cup mungbean starch powder (available at korean grocery stores)
1/2 tsp sea salt


For Sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 tsp minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1/4 cup minced scallions
1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp red chili flakes (optional - don't add this for the kids' portion!)


In a heavy pot, place 1/4 cup mungbean starch powder and add 1 3/4 cups water. Using a wooden spoon, stir until well mixed. Bring to boil on medium heat, stirring every so often to keep from sticking to bottom of pan. Add salt after mixture reaches boil, turn heat on low, and cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring. You'll know its ready when mixture looks bubbly and translucent. Pour into shallow glass containers and cool, chilling for at least 2 hours. When firm, cut into cubes and serve with sauce.


For sauce: mix all ingredients together, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Spoon over muk and serve chilled or at room temperature.

slow cooker cooking: tuscan chicken & artichokes

Babble's "Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken" recipe popped up in my inbox on Monday morning just as I was checking out at the grocery store, and as I only needed two more ingredients to make it, I decided to try it for a playdate dinner we were hosting this week. I grabbled a couple of organic chicken breasts and a can of fire-roasted chicken, and made my way home. While the kids ate breakfast this morning, I turned the slow cooker on low, added the chicken breasts, the tomatoes, and sprinkled on a teaspoon of dried Italian herbs. I popped a few artichoke hearts in a few hours before serving, and at served dinner at six o'clock.  The chicken was moist and tender, and my toddler loved it diced in small pieces. For adults, serve over pasta with some parmesan, fresh basil, and maldon sea salt.

Slow Cooker Tuscan Chicken
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can fire-roasted tomatoes, with sauce
1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
salt to taste
parmesan cheese
fresh basil (optional)


Place chicken breasts into crock pot. Sprinkle with dried herbs and top with the whole can of tomatoes, including the sauce. Cook on "low" for 7-8 hours. Serve over pasta, with grated parmesan, basil, and sea salt to taste.

the best granola you'll ever eat

Perhaps I'm still a novice, but it's rare that I make something at home and think that it's the best of its category. Usually, I settle for "this is pretty good, for homemade." This granola so exceeds expectations that I'm frankly astonished.

Adapted from a New York Times recipe for Eleven Madison Park granola, I substituted my favorite nuts for the coconut chips and sunflower seeds, and played around with the salt ratio to increase the savoriness. The chocolate chips are folded in after baking, and melt a bit to form little clusters of chocolatey goodness. The recipe is also seriously simple - 15 minutes of prep, 40 minutes in the oven. Honestly, I dare you to try this and then go back to storebought!

The Best Granola Ever
2 3/4 cups rolled oats
1 cup shelled pistachios
1/2 cup cashews
1 tablespoon salt (I used maldon sea salt)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons honey
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup dried sour cherries
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix together oats, pistachios, cashews, and salt. In a small saucepan over low heat, stir together sugar, maple syrup, honey, and olive oil until sugar is just melted. Pour syrup mixture over dry ingredients and mix, making sure everything is coated well. Spread in a single layer on a lipped cookie sheet lined with parchment. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown, stirring every 10 minutes or so. Cool slightly, then mix in cherries in chocolate chips. Cool completely before storing. And make sure to try it immediately - it is amazingly crisp and great on vanilla yogurt or ice cream!

momofuku's ginger-scallion noodles

Though I'm not a big fan of the Momofuku restaurants in New York (too rich, and therefore strangely bland and heavy), I've been looking for new noodle recipes for my noodle-loving kids. The ingredients reminded me of the yummy dipping sauce that accompanies salt-baked chicken in a Chinese restaurant, so I gave it a shot. I substituted sauteed fresh vegetables instead of the pan-fried tofu suggested in the recipe, and am glad I did as it gave the dish some textural interest. The verdict? It's a go! The kids finished every bite.

Momofuku's Ginger-Scallion Noodles
2 1/2 cups thinly minced scallions (about 2 bunches)
1/2 cup finely minced peeled ginger
1/2 cup grapeseed or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3/4 teaspoons sea salt
3/4 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 pound udon noodles
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces
1 cup thinly sliced fresh shitake mushrooms
1 cup thinly sliced bamboo shoot 
1 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt to taste


In a large bowl, mix scallions, ginger, oil, soy sauce, sea salt, and vinegar. Cover and let sit for at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook udon noodles according to package instructions. Drain and add to sauce mixture in bowl. 
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in skillet. Sautee mushrooms, asparagus, and bamboo shoot until tender. Salt to taste, but keep in mind the noodles will be salted as well.
Spoon 1/4 of the noodle mixture into a bowl and top with vegetables.  

Starbucks' Blueberry Scones

I had many odd cravings when I was pregnant - salami, stone fruits, oysters - but one of the most "normal" was the combination of Starbucks' vanilla decaf nonfat latte + blueberry scones. There was something about the sugary and soft consistency of the scone that I just craved, especially when paired with the extra sweet latte. I've bought them at Starbucks all over the country when I was traveling for work, so I know they are probably baked centrally and shipped frozen to the stores.

Yesterday, when faced with a box of absolutely-ripe-won't-last-one-more-day blueberries, I remembered my pregnancy cravings, googled "Starbucks blueberry scone" and was surprised to find pages and pages of recipes replicating the same scone! Perhaps there are lots of pregnant ladies out there craving these scones as well? This recipe worked amazingly well. My kitchen smelled like Starbucks for the afternoon, and I was brought back to those days of endless hunger and eager anticipation!

Starbucks' Blueberry Scones
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
6 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 cup cold butter
1/2 cup cold cream (i substituted 2 tbsp nonfat greek yogurt and 1/4 cup lowfat milk)
1 pint blueberries 


for the topping:
1 egg, beaten
4 tbsp sugar


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut butter into 1/2" cubes, refrigerate until needed.
Stir flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Cut the butter into the mixture with a pastry blender until it resembles a coarse meal. (I used my fingers for this step).
In a small bowl, mix the egg, cream, and vanilla. Add to dry mixture and mix with fork until just combined. It is okay if it is doesn't hold together yet - do not overmix, this ensure the scone is tender and flaky. Stir in blueberries. 
Empty bowl onto lightly floured surface and pat into 2 flattened rounds (this is when you tuck all the crumbs and pieces together). Cut in quarters, then half each triangle for a total of eight triangles.
Brush egg wash on top of scones and sprinkle with a good amount of sugar on each scone.
Transfer onto parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 17 minutes, until golden brown. 

roasted root veggies, eight minute egg

Meatless Monday again. Where does the week(end) go? We ate out more than usual this weekend, starting with a family dinner at our favorite Korean restaurant on Friday night, followed by a fried-chicken  brunch on Saturday, dinner out, and then Sunday dinner out as well. When I began thinking about dinner this afternoon, I decided on something simple and relatively light to counteract all of that restaurant food. Nonetheless, it had been an unusually cold and windy San Francisco day, so I wanted to make something that still felt hearty and warm.

It had also been a busy Monday, with our usual start-of-the week errands, furniture delivery, and playdates, etc and so I was looking for something easy I could prep and just pop into the oven. This fit the bill!

Roasted Root Veggies, Eight-Minute Egg
4 cups winter vegetables, trimmed and cut into 1" pieces (I used radishes, mushrooms, whole garlic cloves and scallions)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
2 Eggs


Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Toss vegetables with olive oil and sea salt, and spread onto baking sheet. Make sure the veggies are in 1 layer (they won't brown if they are crowded on the pan). Divide into 2 pans if necessary. Roast for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Divide into 4 bowls.
Meanwhile, place eggs a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Cover with lid. Heat until water boils, then immediately turn off heat and let eggs sit for eight minutes for a medium-boiled egg. Remove eggs after eight minutes and submerge in ice water until ready to use.
Peel and halve eggs, topping each bowl of roasted vegetables with half an egg. Sprinkle with Maldon sea salt. Serve with crusty bread.

slow cooker stroganoff

Along with trying out 3 new recipes a week, one of my corollary resolutions is to use my slow cooker more. The trouble is I tend to enjoy really fresh, crisp veggies and just seared meats, which is the antithesis of slow cooker food. Currently the main use of the slow cooker is to make overnight oatmeal from steel-cut oats, which couldn't be easier and is absolutely fantastic.

I saw found this slow cooker beef stroganoff online and it looked so simple that I decided it couldn't hurt to try. Prep time is literally 10 minutes, and it filled the house with an amazing aroma the whole entire day. I felt like one of those people who simmer sauces all day long!

The verdict? Still a bit "stewy" for me, though my son actually ate ate a whole chunk of beef with his dinner. (I also forgot the sour cream, so perhaps it might've been better with)? My favorite part of the meal was the kale and cucumber salad, dressed with my go-to lemon shallot vinaigrette.

Slow Cooker Stroganoff (adapted from The Stir)
2 pounds of London broil cubed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 beef bouillon cubes or equivalent granules
1 cup water
1 cup sour cream (light works fine.)

Mix all but sour cream and put in slow cooker (you do not need to even brown the meat first).

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours.

About 10 minutes before serving, stir in sour cream. 

Serve over hot noodles or rice.

whole wheat penne with roasted tomatoes, garlic, and basil

I've been toying with the idea of instituting meatless Mondays for a while now - it's not hard to do, especially as neither the husband and nor the kids particularly enjoy meat. Also, I almost always have basil, tomatoes, and garlic on hand, so I thought it was a good idea to learn some more permutations of pasta with these ingredients.

I adapted this recipe from Lidia's Italy website and thought it sounded earthy and but light, perfect for a cold Spring evening. Roasting the tomatoes brings out an additional, caramelized sweetness, and using whole wheat pasta adds additional fiber and protein (so I don't feel guilty about yet another pasta dinner!)

Penne with Roasted Tomatoes
2 pints cherry tomatoes, washed and sliced in half
1 head garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 
1 cup whole wheat penne
1 bunch basil, washed and dried
Sea salt, to taste


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss cherry tomatoes and garlic in olive oil. Add a pinch of salt, and roast in oven for 20-25 minutes, until caramelized. Meanwhile, heat a pot of water, and cook pasta according to box instructions. When pasta is done, drain but leave about 3-5 tablespoons of cooking liquid. Add roasted tomato mixture, making sure to pour in all of the olive oil. Top with parmesan cheese and roughly torn basil strips. Salt to taste. Voila! Easy meatless monday pasta.