My menu for my dinner party

The other night I had my two friends David and Eric over.  As I was planning out my menu, I took my herb plants into consideration.  Right now the thyme part of the plant is completely overwhelming the entire pot!  So I decided to use thyme as my theme of the night, starting with the drinks.  I decided on an Apple and Thyme Martini*.  Thankfully, Eric is a bartender so the drinks came out SUPERBLY, the mix being just right.  I just provided the ingredients.

Look at this plant! Out of control!

You’ll need vodka, thyme sprigs, an apple, apple juice, and sugar.

The first step is making the thyme simple syrup.  Take 1 cup of sugar, 1/2 cup of water and 5 thyme springs.  Combine in a pot and bring to boil, simmering until all the sugar has dissolved.  Remove from the heat, and set aside allowing it to cool.  Once it has cooled, strain the thyme out.  I placed my simple syrup in the fridge to cool it even more.

Confession – I don’t have martini glasses or a shaker, so Eric and David had to bring them over.  Since the glasses were obviously not cooled, what Eric did was place some ice water in the glasses for a few minutes to drop the temperature of the glass before filling them with the drinks.  I had placed the vodka and the apple juice in the fridge for a while to help as well.

Combine 10 ounces of vodka, 6 ounces of apple juice, 1/4 cup of thyme simple syrup, and some ice in the shaker.  Shake until well blended (especially because the simple syrup is a bit thicker) and chilled.  Pour into individual martini glasses.

The recipe calls for using a melon baller to create apple spheres but since I didn’t have one, I simply cut some thin apple slices.  Use these apple slices and thyme to garnish the drink.

* I was in a rush to gather all my ingredients in time and I left the store without getting the top taken off the vodka!  The store clerk didn’t think to take it off either.  David was a champ – he spent 30 minutes using a screwdriver to take the lock off.

Ok, this really isn’t a recipe blog post, because I didn’t create or make a dish.  This is more like amazing food pictures that I had to share.  My friend had the amazing idea to buy some Dungeness crab and steam them for dinner.  Which is exactly what we did.  And it was AMAZING.

So we took a huge pot, filled the bottom with water and placed a steamer inside to hold the crab.

It was kind of intense getting the crab out of the bag, because they were still alive. And pinching!  So we used oven mitts.

We dropped the crab into the pot.  We had to cover it with the lid.  I was scared we were going to have a Julie and Julia moment.  Thankfully, we didn’t.

Yum yum yum!  No spices needed.  No salt. No pepper.  Just the amazingly fresh taste of Dungeness crab.

While it is an amazing 80 degrees in Los Angeles this week, I am pretty sure this weather is not reflective of what the rest of the country is experiencing.  I have been meaning to make this recipe for Minestrone soup* ever since I saw it on the Giada de Laurentis Christmas special.  While it helps me in my goal of healthier eating, it would also be a fantastic soup for cold days, rainy nights, or skiing.

You’ll need a number of ingredients.  An onion, a russet potato, a parmesan cheese rind, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 2 table spoons of olive oil, 3 ounces of pancetta, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 lbs of swiss chard, salt and pepper, 1 can of diced tomatoes in juice, 2 fresh rosemary sprigs, 1 can of cannellini beans (I used garbanzo beans instead), 2 cans of low sodium beef broth, and 1 cup of Italian flat leaf parsley.

You’ll need to chop up the onions, carrots and celery.  Crush the 2 garlic cloves, but don’t mince or chop.  I also used a smaller amount of pancetta (because thats all I had) and also I figured the soup would be less fatty that way.

Using a dutch oven, heat the oil in the pot. Then add the onions, garlic cloves, carrots, celery and pancetta.  Cook for about 10 minutes until the onions become soft and translucent.

While the first batch of veggies are cooking down, you can peel and cut your russet potato (which is surprisingly and pleasingly soft).

Also, wash the swiss chard thoroughly, then cut the ribs (or the stems) out of the leaves.  Then cut up the leaves into bite sized pieces.  They don’t have to be too small, because the swiss chard will wilt down in the soup.

Add the swiss chard and potatoes into the pot.  Cook for a few minutes.

You’ll need to add some fresh rosemary sprigs next, which is super cool because I actually cut them from my herb pot in my kitchen .

Throw these into the pot, along with the can of diced tomatoes, juice and all.

While the vegetables are cooking, take 3/4 of the beans and 1/2 cup of the beef broth.  Puree in a blender until it becomes smooth.

Add the puree into the soup, the rest of the beef broth, and the parmesan rind into the soup.  Simmer for about 15 minutes, then add the rest of the beans and 1 cup of copped Italian flat leaf parsley.  Cook for another two minutes, then discard the rosemary stems (the flavor will already be in the soup, I promise).

This soup came out fantastic, and its so healthy for you! That last added touch of Italian flat leaf parsley is amazing.  I LOVE just chopping flat leaf parsley because the aroma is so intoxicating.

I work long hours and get super hungry on my drives home.  I am often tempted by two big golden arches, or another fast food chain where I know I can get immediate gratification.  As I wanted healthier options, I began to explore different recipes to see what concoctions I could create for healthy snacks.  I found this recipe for Peanut Butter Power Bars*, along with a great blog that focuses on clean eating.  It was very simple to make and made for a great snack to keep in the car.

You’ll need some honey, peanut butter, sunflower seeds, oatmeal, protein powder, and dried cranberries.

The recipe indicates that you should toast your sunflower seeds first, but since mine were already roasted, I bypassed this step.  Instead, I took the honey (1 cup), brought it to a boil, reduced the heat and allowed it to simmer for a few minutes.  This took surprisingly less time than I thought it would.

Remove the honey from the heat, and then mix in the cup of peanut butter until the whole mixture is smooth.

Add the oatmeal, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, and protein powder.  You can really add anything here, including chocolate chips, almonds, etc.

Mix until everything is well combined.

Using a pan lined with parchment paper, press the mixture into the shape of the pan, and allow to cool to room temperature.  Once cooled, you can cut the granola bars into the shape and size you want.

I like to put mine in little ziplock baggies in my car, and snack on them with bananas.

Happy Healthy eating!

This was one of my favorite soups growing up, and I came to realize that it is super easy to make!  I make this soup now all the time, and it is very healthy and delicious (I like foods that bring out the natural flavor of vegetables instead of masking them under tons of spices, sauces, etc.  Not that I don’t like sauces or spices, but there is a time and place for everything!)

You’ll need some watercress (I used two bunches), some carrots (I used 3), some Chicken Thighs (4, still with the skin and bones), and some mushrooms.  The mushrooms are optional, as are the carrots. But I think they are yummy and add more flavor to the soup.

Wash and drain the watercress and set aside.

Peel the carrots and chop them up…

Cut the skin and fat off of the chicken thighs, then slice the thighs up into small, bite sized pieces.  Set the bones aside – you’ll be using them for the broth. I find it helpful to use chicken thighs that are not entirely defrosted – they are a little easier to cut up if they are a bit firm.

Wash and cut the base off of the mushrooms.  I’m not actually sure what these mushrooms are called (sorry! ) but you can find them in Asian groceries stores.

The next part is easy.  Throw the bones of the chicken (just the bones, keep the rest of the meat for later) into a pot of water, bring to a boil and lower to a simmer for about two hours.  At this point, I actually had to go to work so after letting the soup cool, I placed it in the refrigerator.  Now this step is key,  because after a few hours in the refrigerator, all of the fat from the broth and chicken will coagulate and float to the top – allowing you to skim it off and discard.  If you don’t want to wait around for this, you can skim the fat off the top of the broth after you have simmered the broth for a while.  You might have to do this a few times.

Once you have skimmed off the fat, bring the broth back to a boil.  Add the rest of the chicken pieces, simmer for another 30 minutes.  Then add the watercress and simmer for another 40 min.  Add the mushrooms and cook for another 10.  You’re done!

I like to add a little bit of salt and pepper, as well.

I pretty much love my food network magazine, and every time I see it in my mailbox, my heart gives a little skip of joy.  Today was no exception.  As I happily paged through the recipes, this recipe for Light Baked Spaghetti* really caught my eye, and I decided to make it.

You will need some salt, angel hair pasta, olive oil, 1 onion, 2 cloves of garlic, Italian sausage, 2 green bell peppers, 1 lb mushrooms, Italian seasoning, 1 can of crushed tomatoes, cooking spray, mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese.

I made some modifications to the recipe based on what was available at my grocery store and what I had on hand.  The recipe calls for seasoned salt – I used regular salt.  Also, since my grocery store didn’t have any Italian turkey sausage on hand, I used pork Italian sausage.  I also didn’t use any basil, so I just omitted this from the recipe.

Boil your pasta according to the directions on the box, when done, drain and set aside.

Chop up your veggies – the peppers, onions, and mushrooms (thinly slice these).  Also mince 2 cloves of garlic.

Heat the olive oil in a large non stick pan, and add the 2 minced garlic cloves.  Then add the onion and let it cook down for a bit, which takes a few minutes.  Add the sausage and break up the sausage with a wooden spoon.  Continue to stir the sausage in the pan, making sure that it becomes fully cooked through.

One of my good friends in LA is Cuban, so I decided to try more Cuban recipes to expand my horizons (you can see a Cuban recipe I made before here*).  I decided to make Black Beans and Rice with Mango* and after eating some, I seriously felt like I died and went to heaven.

You will need 1/4 cup of chorizo, 1/2 cup of chopped red pepper, 1/2 cup of chopped onion, 3 cloves of minced garlic, 1 can of black beans, 3/4 cup of water, 1 tsp dried oregano, salt, 1/4 tsp of crushed red pepper, 2 cups of cooked white rice, and 1/2 cup of chopped fresh mango.

Put two cups of white rice in a rice cooker to cook.  Chop/mince the red pepper, onion, mango, and garlic.

Rinse and drain the black beans.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onions, red pepper, and chorizo.  Cook for a few minutes until the chorizo is browned.

Next, add water, black beans, oregano, red pepper, and some salt to taste if desired.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

By now, your rice should be done.  Spoon the beans and chorizo over the rice, then top with fresh mango.

Happy New Year!

The new year is almost upon us, and I intend to do some heavy duty cooking.  But for now, here are some pictures of the amazing food that I ingested over the holidays.

Really like stir fried green beans

The most perfect prime rib that has ever been known to man kind

Dumpings!

It’s not Christmas without some Christmas cookies! In this case, gingerbread

A really healthy salad

Noodles with veggies and pork

Christmas log!!

Hope everyone’s holidays were great.  Me? I’m ready for some new cooking in the new year!

Between traveling and cooking for the holidays, I pretty much gorged myself on delicious food everywhere I went.  Here are some pics of what went down.

Glorious fish made by my mother.  No one can quite capture the tenderness of fish meat like she does!

One of my absolute favorite dishes – Fan Qie Chou Dan – Tomatoes with Egg!

I made some gooey butter pumpkin cake* for dessert.

Apple Sausage stuffing*.  One of the best stuffing recipes I have ever tried!

Finished product.

Not your mama’s green bean casserole*.  No canned beans here! Fresh green beans and home made sauce, not to mention home made baked onions?  Delightful.

Boom.

(That was my tummy exploding with happiness.)