The Week-Cap - Springing Forward

Ooooh I LOVE this time of year, when I get to set the clocks forward and enjoy a little bit more sunshine in my day. Spring is almost here and this week brought the hint of flip flops and flowers right around the corner.

"Blue my Mind" pedicure

• Monday - We started the week off right with a great recipe for Blueberry Buttermilk Waffles. You should make these. They are crispy, chewy and oh so satisfying on a Sunday morning. And if you don't like blueberries, use any other cut up fruit, or just leave them out all together!
• Tuesday - Remember when I said sushi can not be properly prepared at home, so just take me to Benihana? Well someone actually did, for one of the best Happy Hours around! Seriously, 1/2 price on 5 or 6 of the most popular rolls, 1/2 price on 4 types of nigiri sushi and $2 Sake! That's just crazy talk. Get there, because it may not be the latest and greatest conveyer belt café, but it's a classic and serves super fresh fish everytime. And who doesn't love a mini red bridge?
• Wednesday - You don't even want to know about what I posted on Wednesday. My goodness, I mean come on, Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding Pie??? It's everything you love on a spoon. Peanut Butter pudding is pretty much a revelation all by itself, but I'm telling you, the oreo-like chocolate wafers in the middle kill me. I am literally racking my brain for any and all things I can sandwich with chocolate wafers. Watch out.
• Thursday - Yoga please save me from the pudding pie that I just devoured throughout this week. Because I'm about to make another one and my down dog is feeling a bit heavier in the middle. 
• Friday - What better way to end the week and usher in the longer days ahead than with an evening trip to Disneyland. I have a mild obsession with this place...not a Mickey/character obsession, mind you. It's more of a serious Disney theme park addiction. What can I say? I love churros and rides and that Haunted Mansion song gets me every time. I ate shrimp and grits and garlic fries and loved every minute. If you can't get to Disneyland this weekend, make my Mahi Mahi Burritos. Ok, so those two things are not really related, but the yummy lime chipotle flavors of the burrito will definitely remind you of the warmer months to come, and those late summer nights out at any park. 

Mahi Mahi Burritos

If you grew up in Southern California, you know that Mexican food is a way of life. I find that many of my own recipes are based on flavors deeply rooted in Mexican cuisine. So, let me tell you about one of our absolute favorite dinners around here inspired by many trips to la taquería. Mahi Mahi Burritos.

They are ridiculously good...filled with a creamy, citrusy, spicy kick. And the best part is, they're super easy to make and you can even use frozen fish, making it a seasonally and economically friendly dish.

Let's eat.

Make the marinade in a deep casserole dish or bowl.

If using frozen fish, thaw slightly and cut it up into strips while its still a bit frozen (its much easier to cut that way) If your fish is fresh, just cut it very carefully to avoid falling apart.

Dredge the fish in the marinade and let sit for at least 30 minutes or up to a few hours. Do NOT salt the fish if you plan to let it sit for a while, it will draw all of the moisture out...salt it right before you grill it.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce and other trimmings for the burritos.

In a small food processor, blend together mayonnaise, sour cream, one chipotle chile in adobo and a healthy squeeze of lime juice. Chipotle chiles in adobo are VERY spicy, so go easy at first, adding as you blend if you want more heat. They are really one of my very favorite ingredients to use when making Mexican food because they add tons of flavor and can be kept in a jar in the fridge for at least a month.

Mahi Mahi Burritos

1-1 1/2 lbs. Mahi Mahi (this makes about 4 burritos)
1/4 C olive oil
juice of 1 whole lime
juice of 1/2 an orange
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. black pepper
salt to taste
1 Bag shredded cabbage
about 1/2 C tomatoes, cut up
1 can Black Beans
Your favorite mexican style cheese
1 Ripe Avocado
Chipotle Lime Mayonnaise (recipe below)
Your favorite red salsa
Large Flour tortillas

Chipotle Lime Mayonnaise:
1/4 C mayonnaise
1/4 C sour cream
1 Chipotle Chile in Adobo
juice of 1 whole lime


In a shallow dish, combine oil, juice of 1 lime, and herbs through pepper. Slice fish and add to the marinade, coating all sides. Cover and set aside or in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. If you refrigerate it, be sure to take it out at least 20 minutes before you grill it, your fish/meat should not be super cold when you put it on the grill.

In a food processor or blender, mix all ingredients for the chipotle lime mayonnaise. Set aside. You can easily double this recipe, leftovers can be kept in the fridge for more burritos, tacos or salad.

Drain and rinse black beans. In a small saucepan, heat over medium low until hot.

Preheat a grill pan or BBQ to medium high. Be sure to oil the pan or grates using a papertowel or pastry brush (before it gets too hot!). Using tongs, place each piece of Mahi Mahi on the grill and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side. Fish is done when it is opaque throughout, flakes apart easily and has nice golden brown grill marks. Remove from the grill and place in foil to keep warm. Meanwhile, heat the tortillas either in the microwave for about 20 seconds, on the grill, or rolled up in foil in a warm oven.

To assemble the burritos:
Lay out a tortilla. Spoon 1-2 T of Chipotle Lime Mayonnaise in the center of the tortilla in a long strip. Follow with a tsp. of red salsa (optional). Then, scoop a spoonful of black beans along the strip of sauce. Cover with cheese. Place 2 or 3 pieces of Mahi Mahi next to the beans and then 2 strips of avocado on top of that. Finish with a handful of cabbage and a few tomatoes.
Fold in the shorter sides of your burrito, and then roll it up.

*A note on burritos - Less is more! Do not overstuff your burritos or the tortillas will tear and you will be sad. It is better to put small, equal amounts of everything to maintain a good shape and size, rather than try and put lots of ingredients inside.

And that's it! I love using whatever is leftover of the fish, cabbage, beans and chipotle mayonnaise to make a cold salad for lunch the next day. Yum!

Enjoy!

Banana-Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding Pie

 That's a mouthful...literally.

You need to taste this. No seriously, come over here right now and bring a spoon.

This was inspired by What's Gaby Cooking's blog about banana pudding pie. When I saw her post (a perfectly lovely, traditional dish), I immediately thought the only way that it could get any better is if peanut butter was involved. And then I added chocolate wafers instead of nilla, and cinnamon and oh yes, a drizzle of chocolate ganache all over the top. So basically, I went nuts.

But I didn't add nuts, because that would be vulgar.

Here's how it goes: Make the peanut butter pudding...OMG!! YES peanut butter pudding...basically tastes like super creamy, cold and delicious skippy. Why is this not in your refrigerator right now? You probably have everything you need to make it and it is soooo worth it.

Then you make the Cinnamon Chantilly Cream, which is a fancy way of saying there's powdered sugar in your whipped cream. And cinnamon. Because I can't stop myself.

Slice up some bananas and get ready for the layer game.

First, a layer of pudding goes down.

Then a few chocolate wafers.

Next, some of the chantilly cream, followed by bananas.

Continue layering in that order with another layer of pudding, then wafers, cream, bananas, pudding and finally the last of the cream to top it off. 

If you feel like giving your pie an extra chocolate boost, add some drizzled ganache, or even some crushed up wafers, but they are definitely optional.

Then refrigerate and eat...but I'm warning you, this is crazy addicting!

Yeah, this is not the kind of pie you slice...hence the 'bring your own spoon' suggestion.

Banana-Chocolate Peanut Butter Pudding Pie

Inspired by What's Gaby Cooking

14-15 Chocolate Wafer Cookies

2 large or 3 small bananas

Peanut Butter Pudding

Vanilla Cinnamon Chantilly Cream

Chocolate Ganache or sauce of your choice, or crushed wafers

For the pudding:

3 T cornstarch

1/3 C white sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 C whole milk

1/2 C whipping cream

1/2 C creamy peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine cornstarch, sugar and salt. Stir in milk and cream and bring to a slow boil, whisking constantly. Turn heat to low and simmer, continuing to stir for about 5-7 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken to the consistency of pudding. Remove from the heat and add the peanut butter and vanilla. Set aside to cool.

For the Chantilly Cream:

Adapted from What's Gaby Cooking

1 C whipping cream

1/4 plus 2 T powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Beat all ingredients in a bowl until stiff but still slightly soft peaks form. Set aside until ready to layer pie.

Layer as pictured above, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Buttermilk Waffles with Fruit Compote

Waffles are one of my favorite breakfast foods. They are light and crispy outside and smooth and chewy inside. They have perfect squares to hold all of your syrup, or in this case, a nice berry compote.

I like to mix my waffle batter in a large measuring cup, that way it's easy to pour the batter directly onto the waffle iron. 

Fruit compote is one of the easiest things to make. You basically toss a few things in a small saucepan and cook them down to a sweet and tart sauce ready for any morning snack. 

Seriously, I will eat this by the spoonful if you let me...and my husband has been known to eat it next to a jar of peanut butter in the wee hours of the night.

Waffles need not be perfectly shaped, as long as they taste good!

The blueberries will burst in the waffle iron as they cook, which makes them extra delightful to bite into.

Didn't I tell you? Perfect morning plate. I like mine with eggs over easy and a link or two of veggie sausage...mmmmm.

Blueberry Buttermilk Waffles

1 C all-purpose flour

1/2 C cake flour

1/2 C whole wheat flour

2 T white sugar

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 3/4 C buttermilk

2 eggs, separated

4 T butter, melted

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 C fresh blueberries

In a bowl, combine flours, sugar, soda, salt and cinnamon. In a separate bowl or measuring glass, combine buttermilk, egg yolks, melted butter and vanilla. Meanwhile, beat the egg whites in a small bowl until peaks form, but still slightly soft. Beating the whites adds a lighter texture to the inside of the waffles and gives them the crispy outside that is so delicious. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Begin to combine them, then fold in the egg whites and blueberries. Don't overmix the batter as it will get to heavy. Heat a waffle iron, pour about 1/2 C batter onto iron and cook according to your machine. 

Serve with maple syrup, or your favorite berry compote.

* A note on flours. I like to use part whole wheat flour, but it does make the waffles a bit heavier. This is why I added cake flour, to balance out the wheat. If you don't have either whole wheat or cake flour, using all a.p. flour will work fine.

Blackberry Blueberry Compote

1/2 C fresh or frozen blackberries

1/2 C fresh or frozen blueberries

2-3 T honey (depending on how sweet you like it)

2 T lemon juice

1/2 tsp. cornstarch

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

scoop of jam (optional)

In small saucepan over medium heat, combine berries, honey, lemon juice and cinnamon. Let the berries boil, they will begin to pop and break down. Using a fork, mash the berries as they get softer to break them up into smaller pieces. The mixture will begin to resemble a sauce. Place the cornstarch in a small bowl or cup with a scoop of the hot berry sauce and mix well. The cornstarch will dissolve easier and this will prevent lumps. Place the cornstarch/berry mix back into the sauce. Stir well and allow to cook for a minute or two more. The sauce will begin to thicken and be a bit more syrupy. If you would like, add a scoop of berry jam to bump up the flavor and texture of the sauce. Serve warm.

The Week-Cap - Idol Thoughts

What a week!

Let me just tell you, March came in with quite a bang and it's gonna be hard to top this week...let's discuss.

• Monday - What is with Mondays? Seriously, no one ever says "thank goodness it's Monday". This Monday it rained...and right when I had to drive home in it...boooo. There's nothing better than getting home on a cold and rainy day and making soup. I made a delicious tomato basil soup, that seriously made us cozy, I promise I'll share the recipe with you soon.
• Tuesday - What can I even say about Tuesday? It started out like every other Tuesday...and then, suddenly I was on my way to the set of American Idol to watch the first live show of the season. Whaaaa? And it was SO. MUCH. FUN. One of my husbands lovely clients gave us tickets and even though I hadn't watched much of this season (due to the return of the NBA of course) I was very excited. Being there in person was really amazing and fascinating at the same time and I have so much respect for the people that show make that happen every week, not to mention all the contestants who can actually sing. Because I'm not so good at that. Oh, and I posted the recipe for Whole Wheat and Flax English Muffins. For the love of J.Lo, please make them, they are so super delicious.
• Wednesday - Started with the Recipe for Whole Roasted Garlic and ended with a whole lotta wine tasting on a yacht in the harbor near my house. Best. Week. Ever.
• Thursday - Ouch. That Roasted Garlic came out in a big way on some fresh baked bread and in a bowl of Penne Pasta. I seriously needed some of those natural garlic antibiotics after all that red wine from the night before. More American Idol (this time from my couch) to relive Tuesday and see if our favorites made it to the top 13...they did :). 
• Friday - Whether you are a Brownie lover or a Chocolate Chip Cookie traditionalist, you MUST try baking them as one...I did and I am sure I am a better person because of it. Now if only they made me a better singer too.

Chocolate Chip Cookie-Brownie Cups

Williams-Sonoma is where my baking brain goes in its dreams. Everything there is the best of the best, highest quality, most delicious, and insanely overpriced stuff I always wish I felt okay spending money on. But I don't. Take, for example, this incredibly fantastic looking boxed mix for something called a "brookster". Until this weekend, I had never heard of such a thing...and I'm pretty sure it's because that is such a horrible name for such a wonderful little piece of food. 

Yeah, a brookster is not only food, its a cookie baked on top of a brownie...like, how amazing is that idea? The problem is, Williams-Sonoma wanted $16.95 for the box of flour, sugar, and cocoa I was supposed to use to bake it...seriously W.S.?? This is why I only dream of buying things there. 

Having been infected with the idea that I now could only eat cookies and brownies baked as one, I immediately pulled out my muffin pan. How hard could this be? 

Good news! Not hard. You basically need three things: Cookie Dough, Brownie Mix and a Cupcake or Muffin pan. 

I used a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough that I am still working on, recipe wise, so I'm going to tell you to use whatever Cookie Dough you'd like...homemade, store-bought, whatever. Same goes with the brownie batter. You want to use boxed ghiradelli? Go ahead, because I'm pretty sure those are some of the best brownies I've ever had. I, made them from scratch using a recipe from the back of the Ghiradelli Sweet Ground Chocolate Tub.

The idea is this: You butter the muffin pan and place about 2 Tablespoons of Brownie Batter in the bottom. Refrigerate it for 1 hour so the cookie dough does not immediately sink to the bottom of the pan. It's a good idea to make the cookie dough (if you are going to make it) and refrigerate it along with the muffin pan of brownie batter so the two are the same temperature when you go to bake them.

After the hour is up, place about 2 Tablespoons of Cookie Dough on top of the brownie batter. 

Bake at 350 degrees for about 18 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cookie-brownie thing. 

And you have, what I refuse to call the "brookster" 

I'm certain that the New York bakery that created these is a wonderful place, and I am certain that their boxed mix is fantastic...but I just saved $16.95 and gained a lot of new best friends by making them at home. 

Enjoy!

Whole Roasted Garlic Love

I can't even tell you how much we love garlic in my house...

It's practically in every dinner meal I make...actually it's in a lot of breakfast things I make too.

Like eggs, okay? Don't get freaked out.

One of my favorite things to do with garlic is roast it whole because it gives the cloves a wonderfully mild, sweet flavor and you can do so many things with it. 

You just cut the head of garlic across the top (not quite in half) enough to expose most of the cloves.

Dredge it in olive oil in a little foil package. Wrap it up, pop it in a 375 degree oven for 45 minutes and.....

Out comes moist, creamy garlic that will make a multitude of things taste amazing. 

To remove the cloves, you can scoop them with a little spoon or knife, but I find it easiest to just squeeze the head of garlic from the base towards the top, kind of like a toothpaste tube. Each clove will just sort of pop out. 

Then the fun begins. 

Use the cloves to dress up your favorite pasta, pizza or soup. 

Spread the whole buttery cloves onto a great crispy bread for a delicious side dish.

Mix the cloves into your favorite Salad dressing recipe.

Puree the cloves with white beans, lemon juice and oil to make a yummy dip.

The uses are endless...be creative and try things you might like. Just don't do this the night before a job interview. Or a first date. Like whoa.

Enjoy!