fall-inspired pork.

One thing I pride myself in is being able to change my husband's mind about food. Pork chops is one of those things that he never really liked. Me, on the other hand, grew up on pork of many kinds. BBQ'd, fried, braised, sauteed . . . you name it, I probably had it. I made it my mission to have the hubby like at least ONE pork dish.

Why not pork chops?

This recipe is fall-inspired. It has apples, cherries, and sage. I've also added some savory spicy sausage to cut the sweetness of the fruit. I like to serve this with mashed potatoes and collard greens. This time around, I made green beans and leek smashed potatoes. The hubby found this filling and, thankfully, really tasty. Yay for pork!

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Apple-Cherry Stuffed Pork Chops
(makes 4 servings)

4 (thin-cut or 1-in) pork chops, boneless
olive oil
garlic powder
onion powder
paprika
rubbed sage
salt and pepper

2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
2 oz. spicy Italian sausage
1 small apple, peeled and grated
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
4 stalks green onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped dried cherries
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
salt and pepper

 
Preheat oven to 350F degrees.

Cut a pocket in the pork chops with a very sharp knife, carefully bringing the pocket as close to the edge of the chop as possible without cutting through. Drizzle with olive oil then season with garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, rubbed sage, salt, and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Add butter and oil to the pan. When frothy, add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add sausage, sage, and fennel seeds and cook for a few minutes, crumbling the meat. Saute in apple, celery, onion, and cherries until tender and vegetables have given off most of their liquid. Remove from heat then stir in bread crumbs and parsley until mixture comes together. Season with salt and pepper, as needed.

Heat a oven-safe pan over high heat with a little bit of olive oil. Working carefully, stuff each chop firmly with a quarter of the stuffing mixture. Once the pan is hot, add the chops and sear on both sides. Once they have been seared, transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Increase the temperature to 450F degrees and bake for another 5 to 10 minutes or until pork is cooked to desired doneness.

taste it and make it: chicken salad!

Back in 2003, I used to work for Boudin Bakery at the downtown mall back in San Diego. I spent a whopping four years there making salads, sandwiches, and realizing that sourdough wasn't so icky after all. It was also there that I found my love of making all things sandwiches.

Of all the sandwiches that I used to make at my time there, there were two kinds that I really, really loved: their tuna sandwich and their chicken walnut. When I left, and years passed, I've developed my own tuna recipe that was based off Boudin's. Their chicken salad, however, was something that I miss and would never change.

Well...unfortunately, when I went to Boudin the last time and ordered their fabulous chicken salad sandwich, I found that they had changed the recipe. Gone were the walnuts and the cranberries that used to dot the salad. And where was the walnut bread that they used to serve the sandwich on?? This was NOT the sandwich that I loved!

So I've been thinking about the recipe for a while now...and trying to remember exactly what went into the salad. Pre-cooked grilled chicken definitely went in it, as well as Dijon mustard. Granny smith apples, cranberries, and toasted walnuts were also in the mix. Today, I decided to finally sit down and try to re-create the recipe from all those years ago. The result? Exactly like I remembered and a kick-ass copy cat, if I do say so myself.

Ladies and gentlemen, here's Boudin's old-school chicken walnut salad...

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Chicken Walnut Salad
(adapted from Boudin Bakery)

2 to 3 cups cooked chicken, cubed (I usually use this or a couple packages of this)
1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 granny smith apple, chopped
1.5 to 2 cups (about 4 ribs) celery, diced small
1 cup dried cranberries
1 small red onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
3/4 cup or so mayonnaise
kosher salt
coarse ground pepper

Combine chicken with walnuts. Add remaining ingredients to the bowl except for the mayo. Slowly add mayo until desired consistency is reached, adding additional mayo if needed and seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Let chill for 30 minutes before serving. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

If using homemade mayonnaise, this will keep for three days. If using store bought, chicken salad will keep for up to a week.

Serving suggestions: Serve on sourdough or walnut bread with romaine lettuce as a sandwich or on spring lettuce/romaine mix with additional dried cranberries and candied walnuts with a side of walnut bread as a salad.

drunken fruit.

After coming down with a severe allergic reaction to fruitcake, theme-nights got tossed out of the window. That makes me sad as I'm one of those weird people who simply *adores* fruitcake. :'( I found it a little odd that i'd get such a reaction though...I've been eating that fruitcake brand for years! Oh welll....

1 So in an effort to make myself feel better, I decided to make myself some cookies that mimicked fruitcake. Rum? Check! Dried fruit? Check! Everything that I wanted was almost all in this recipe. So, I added some walnuts for texture. Also, for New Years, my mother had sent me some biscotti that was laced with the flavor of anise. I thought they had an awesome flavor profile, so I went ahead and added some anise seed to the mix.

True to the author's word, these cookies aren't that sweet. The rum in the cranberries added the boozy flavor i was looking for and the slight crunch from the walnuts gave them a nice texture. The anise is prominent, which was exactly what I was going for. To me, these buttery cookies came out exactly how I wanted them to. :D

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Rum-Soaked Cranberry and Walnut Shortbread Cookies
(adapted from Everybody Likes Sandwiches)

1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup rum
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp anise seed
1/2 cup walnuts, crushed

In a small saucepan, bring cranberries and rum to a boil. Remove from heat and let stand for 30 minutes until the rum is absorbed into the cranberries. Set aside to cool.

Cream butter, vanilla and sugar together. In another bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder, anise, and walnuts – add gradually to the creamed mixture. Add the dried cranberries, stirring until just combined.

Shape dough into 2 rolls, about 1 1/2″ each in diameter. Wrap tightly in parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F. Slice each log into cookies about 1/4″ thick and place on a prepared cookie sheet lined with ungreased parchment paper. Cookies don’t spread very much, so you can bake more at once if you like. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the edges are lightly golden. Cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.

works every time...

Happy New Year!

For the first post of the year, I think I'll start off with my favorite scone/biscuit recipe. I think everybody goes through a period where they try different things, hoping that whatever new thing that they find will be *the* one (enter resolutions, recipes, style, what-have-yous here). Sometimes it works, but sometimes what you know works best.

Take this recipe, for example. Before I ever found this recipe, I've tried my hand at making scones or biscuits before and sometimes failing miserably. Apparently, cutting butter into dough is not something that I can do easily. So when I found out about "cream scones", I was a little dubious. No butter? What's *that* going to taste like??

I really shouldn't of worried. While they're not as flaky as traditional scones or biscuits, I find that I actually prefer the lighter and fluffier product that this recipe produces. Don't get me wrong, I still love trying different recipes, but this one seems to be "it" for me...my go-to for this kind of bread. Do I really need the butter, anyway? ;P

And what's more, I can easily adapt the recipe to make it savory or sweet. I also found that I could use any dairy (or non-dairy) product that I want and get consistent results! Wow! It's quick, and easy, *and* it freezes really well. What more could I ask for? :D

For this particular version, I decided to make some scones. It's got rum-soaked craisins, sweet flaked coconut, walnuts, and an awesome sugar wash that bakes up delightfully nice and crunchy on top. And yes, some of the scones do have an extra topping of sugar...more crunch! :D For the dairy, I decided to use sour cream as my base since that was all I had in the fridge. This version also has the full amount of sugar called for as well as a little bit of the rum from the soaking cranberries. Holy cow! I think these may be the best scones I've ever made in my life, lol! Maybe next time, I'll add some white chocolate chips and see how that turns out. :)

 
Cream Scones or Biscuits
(adapted from Rita's Recipes)

Scones/Biscuits:
2 cups flour
2 tbsp baking powder
sugar
salt
1-1/4 cup chilled dairy of choice*
1/2 cup add-ins (optional)

Optional cream wash for scones:
1 tbsp chilled dairy of choice*
1 tbsp or so water
1 tbsp powdered sugar

*These have worked well for me so far:
  - heavy cream
  - half and half
  - coconut milk
  - buttermilk
  - sour cream

For scones:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix flour, baking powder, 1/8 to 1/4 cups sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl. Stir in the dairy of choice and any additional add-ins just until a dough forms.

With a floured hand, knead the dough in the bowl for 6-8 times. Turn out on a lightly floured surface and pat out into 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick circle or rectangle. Score and cut, or cut into circles using a biscuit cutter.

Place dough on a foil-lined baking sheet. If using cream wash, combine dairy, water, and powdered sugar together in a small bowl then brush the tops with the wash. Alternately, melted butter and a sprinkle of sugar may be used instead.

Bake about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

For biscuits
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Mix flour, baking powder, 1 tbsp sugar, and I tsp salt in a large bowl. Stir in the dairy of choice and any additional add-ins just until a dough forms.

With a floured hand, knead the dough in the bowl for 6-8 times. Turn out on a lightly floured surface and pat out into 1 to 1 1/2 inch thick circle or rectangle. Score and cut, or cut into circles using a biscuit cutter.

Place dough on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

To freeze:
After cutting the dough, lay cut biscuits on a pan and freeze for a couple of hours. Afterwards, store in freezer safe container or bag for up to 6 months. To serve, bake in preheated 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

persimmon schtick...

i'm in a persimmon schtick. having tried pudding last week, i thought i'd try my hand at making a quick bread this time around. this one was recently bookmarked on my pinterest board, despite it being two years old. i looked over the ingredients list this morning and decided to give it a shot.

man, i'm so glad i tried this recipe! it's nice and sweet and even though the whole thing is spiced with nutmeg (a spice i don't normally like), i found that it's used brilliantly in this bread! actually, the taste reminds me of eating pumpkin bread or christmas fruitcake. either way, this was fantastic and is a nice addition to the collection of seasonal recipes in my repertoire.

for this recipe, i did end up making a few changes (namely halving the recipe and swapping the liquor). i used overly ripe fuyu since i only had that on hand. i also changed out the whiskey for dark spiced rum...more my preference than necessity. didn't bother toasting the pecans too, i figured "recipe ready" was alright. also, did an almost 1:1 ratio of whole wheat and all-purpose flour. the result? it's got a nice nutty flavor, thanks to the pecans and whole wheat flour. the raisins and chopped dates stayed nice and evenly dispersed with the help of a flour coating. and the rum? well, rum makes everything all the more festive for this time of year! ;)

Persimmon Rum Bread
(adapted from Putney Farm)

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, cooled
2 extra large or large eggs, lightly beaten
1/3 cup spiced dark rum
1 cup persimmon puree (i used 2 very ripe large fuyu persimmons)
1 cup pecans (i used the ones labeled "recipe ready")
1 cup or so dried fruit (i used a mix of chopped whole dates, golden raisins, and regular raisins)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour or line loaf pan with a piece of parchment paper.

Mix flour, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup of the flour mixture in a separate small bowl. Toss in the dried fruit in the reserved mixture, making sure to coat each piece well.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and then stir in the butter, eggs, liquor, persimmon puree, pecans and floured dried fruit (note: you want to add any leftover flour that the fruit was tossed in as well...waste not, want not!). Mix the batter just until combined (having little streaks of flour is okay...don't over mix).

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and then place the pan in the oven. Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely in the pan before serving.

creature comforts.

after about three months here on the island, i feel a little homesick at times. especially since my last birthday, i really miss my family and especially my twin sister. it's wierd what you take for granted and how things change. back when i was in san diego, i bitterly missed my fiance and now things are the opposite. i've always been a little bit strong, though, so i've been keeping myself busy with hobbies and cooking. granola was my favorite snack back home and iit still is now. unfortunately, things here are a little bit more pricey so i've made do with making stuff homemade. granola was no exception.

Cranberry Maple Granola
(adapted from Bon Appetit)

3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 egg white
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
3 cups old-fashioned or quick cooking oats
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 cup flaked coconut
1 cup dried cranberries

Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 325°F. Generously coat heavy large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Stir together sugar and syrup. Whisk in egg whites, extracts, and spice. Add oats, flax seeds, and coconut; toss well.

Spread mixture in even layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake 35 minutes. Using metal spatula, turn granola over (bottom will be brown). Bake 10 minutes. Cool granola completely in pan. Sprinkle in cranberries then store in airtight container.

learning how to cook.

my sister has always had trouble with cooking. try as she might, everything that she does is either under-seasoned or just plain off. in an effort to boost her cooking skills, she looked to her favorite food for inspiration: mediterranean food.

maybe it's something about the rice...or maybe the meat...or maybe even the wonderful mix of spices that this cuisine offers...whatever it is, mediterranean food has always been her favorite. every time that we have "ethnic" night for dinner, it's been her go-to for dining out. but after a while, she started to want to be able to cook as well as she was eating. it's been a tricky journey for her to learn how to taste her food and knowing the basics of preparing the ingredients that she loves. and with the help of her newly found favorite cookbook, tonight she made us a meal worthy of all her efforts.

 

Chicken With Caramelized Onion and Cardamom Rice
(from Jerusalem, c/o The New York Times)

Time: 1 hour, plus 30 minutes’ cooking and 10 minutes’ resting
Yield: 4 servings

3 tablespoons sugar (40 grams)
2 1/2 tablespoons barberries, or use currants (25 grams)
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced (2 cups/250 grams)
2 1/4 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (1 kilogram), or 1 whole chicken, quartered
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 cardamom pods
Rounded 1/4 teaspoon whole cloves
2 long cinnamon sticks, broken in two
1 2/3 cups basmati rice (300 grams)
2 1/4 cups boiling water (550 milliliters)
1 1/2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves (5 grams), chopped
1/2 cup dill leaves (5 grams), chopped
1/4 cup cilantro leaves (5 grams), chopped
1/3 cup Greek yogurt (100 grams), mixed with 2 tablespoons olive oil (optional)

1. Put the sugar and scant 3 tablespoons water in a small saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat, add the barberries, and set aside to soak. If using currants, you do not need to soak them in this way.

2. Meanwhile, heat half the olive oil in a large sauté pan for which you have a lid over medium heat. Add the onion, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion has turned a deep golden brown. Transfer the onion to a small bowl and wipe the pan clean.

3. Place the chicken in a large mixing bowl and season with 1½ teaspoons each salt and black pepper. Add the remaining olive oil, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon and use your hands to mix everything together well. Heat the frying pan again and place the chicken and spices in it. Sear chicken for 5 minutes on each side and remove from the pan (this is important as it part-cooks the chicken). The spices can stay in the pan, but don’t worry if they stick to the chicken. Remove most of the remaining oil as well, leaving just a thin film at the bottom. Add the rice, caramelized onion, 1 teaspoon salt and plenty of black pepper. Drain the barberries and add them as well. Stir well and return the seared chicken to the pan, pushing it into the rice.

4. Pour the boiling water over the rice and chicken, cover the pan, and cook over very low heat for 30 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, remove the lid, quickly place a clean tea towel over the pan, and seal again with the lid. Leave the dish undisturbed for another 10 minutes. Finally, add the herbs and use a fork to stir them in and fluff up the rice. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot or warm with yogurt mixture if you like.

 

Mixed Bean Salad
(from Jerusalem c/o The Guardian)

If you can't get yellow beans, just double the amount of french – it won't be a "mixed" bean salad, but it'll still be damned tasty. Serves four.

280g yellow beans
280g french beans, trimmed
2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into 0.5cm strips
2½ tbsp olive oil, plus 1 tsp extra
50g capers, rinsed and patted dry
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
10g roughly chopped tarragon
20g picked chervil (or a mixture of picked dill and shredded parsley)
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Salt and black pepper

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Bring a large pan of water to a boil and add the yellow beans. After two minutes, add the french beans and cook for four minutes more. Refresh under cold water, drain, pat dry and place in a large bowl. Toss the pepper strips in a teaspoon of oil, spread on an oven tray and roast for five minutes, until tender. Remove and add to the beans.

Heat the oil in a small saucepan. Add the capers (be careful, as they'll spit) and garlic, fry for 20 seconds, then add the seeds and fry for another 20 seconds. The garlic should by now have turned golden. Remove from the heat and immediately pour over the beans. Add the spring onion, herbs, lemon zest, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and some black pepper, and toss to combine. This salad will keep well for a day.

making my roots.

it'll be my older brother's birthday tomorrow and one of his favorite filipino desserts is maja blanca. so, as a surprise, i decided to make a couple of batches for him. :D maja blanca is sort of a cold soft-set pudding/panna cotta that's got a coconut base and flavored with sweet corn. it's a very traditional dessert that's also surprisingly easy to make. when i did some research on it, the variance in the recipes were very little. so, i took some notes from this recipe and tweaked it to more my liking. in other words: a slightly less guilty dessert with more creamy coconut and sweet corn!

 
Maja Blanca
(slightly adapted from Lemon and Anchovies)

1 (14oz.) can coconut milk (Aroy-D or Chaokoh brand)
1 can coconut cream (Savoy brand)
1 can cream style sweet corn
1 (11oz.) can extra sweet corn niblets or 2/3 (15oz.) can of whole sweet corn
1 can fat free condensed milk (or plain if you can't find it)
1 pint (16oz.) fat free half and half
1/2 cup sugar (use less if you don't want it that sweet)
3/4 cup corn starch
1/2 cup of shredded sweetened coconut

In a large saucepan, heat together the coconut milk, coconut cream, canned corn, niblets, and sugar over medium heat. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly to incorporate. Add the condensed milk and continue over medium heat for about five minutes.

In a large glass measuring cup, stir together the half and half and corn starch until smooth.

Add the corn starch/milk mixture to the saucepan and cook for another 8-12 minutes, stirring constantly. The mixture should thicken slowly towards the end of the cooking time.

Once the mxture is at your desired consisentcy, take off the heat and pour into a 8x8 baking dish or into separate glasses (I decded to put it in two seperate containers). Leave to cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, in a small shallow pan, toast the flaked coconut over low heat. Cool completely then garnish the maja blanca with the toasted coconut. Chill for a few hours (or overnight) in the refrigerator to set then serve cold. (You can also chill the maja blanca first then top with the garnish right before serving.)