Brown Sugar and Dijon Glazed Pork Loin

We finally have winter in Los Angeles!!! Well, at least what I consider winter while living here. It has me craving all sorts of warming foods and it is finally not torturous to turn on the oven. Late last week when I was prepping for the Eat My Blog bake sale, I realized I would need something to eat besides brownie batter. As I prepped the brownies, I cooked up this pork loin which was a satisfying and insanely easy dinner. Speaking of Eat My Blog, we made over $3000 for LA Regional Foodbank! How cool is that!!?? I can't wait to do it again next summer. I also had way too much fun hanging out with Sonja, Gaby, Nastassia, and HC. Guys, I think we need another Marix meet up, ASAP. Anyway, this pork was so easy to prepare. I served it with some rice cooked with some garlic and chicken stock. That rice is my new favorite thing... The pork is a great combo of sweet and tangy with the spicy dijon pairing perfectly with the sugar. I can't wait to try this again.




Brown Sugar and Dijon Glazed Pork Loin
(Adapted from Rock Recipes)

Pork loin
Salt and pepper
Dijon mustard
Dark brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil. Season the pork loin with salt and pepper and open roast the pork on a rack for 30 minutes.


Brush the entire surface of the roast with the Dijon, then press brown sugar into the mustard, all over the roast. Return the roast to the oven, reduce the heat to 375 degrees. Continue to roast until the internal temperature of the roast hits 145-150 degrees on a meat thermometer. Baste the roast in the drippings/sauce several times during the cooking time. Let the roast rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

Printable Recipe

Kale Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing

A few months ago, I discovered a really awesome kale salad at Whole Foods courtesy of M Cafe de Chaya. It was so good, I was literally having it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I never really thought to try and recreate it on my own until I came across this recipe on The Kitchn. Post-Thanksgiving I was really in the mood for simple, fresh food. I didn't over indulge this year, but I still wanted something light after a day of traveling. This salad is really close to that Chaya version and doesn't weigh you down. The only thing is that I wish I had more of the dressing to really coat everything. If you make this, I strongly suggest that you double the recipe for the dressing. I gobbled this just as willingly and without shame as the Chaya version. It's such a great salad recipe, I will probably be having this at least once a week while kale is in season.




Kale Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing
(Adapted from The Kitchn)

Makes 2 large servings

1 large bunch curly or lacinato kale
1 large carrot, peeled
6 tablespoons roasted, salted peanuts, divided
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons packed brown sugar, or more to taste
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
Pinch red pepper flakes

Fold each leaf of kale in half lengthwise and slice out the center rib. Discard ribs. Roll a stack of the leaves up and slice in half lengthwise, then crosswise into very fine ribbons. Wash and rinse thoroughly in a salad spinner.

Slice the carrot very thin, either by creating curls with a peeler, or by running the halved carrot lengthwise down a mandoline. Toss with the kale and 3 tablespoons of the peanuts.

In a chopper or small food processor, briefly puree the remaining 3 tablespoons peanuts, oil, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper flakes. Pulse it just a few times; the peanuts should be partially pureed, but with some nibs and nubs still left in the dressing. Taste and adjust the seasonings as necessary.

Toss the dressing with the slaw and let it sit for at least a few minutes before serving.

Printable Recipe

Eat My Blog Charity Bake Sale

Hey Angelenos, What are you all up to this weekend? In case you were wondering, the right answer is "I'm going to the Eat My Blog Bake Sale taking place from 10AM to 4PM at Zeke's Smokehouse in West Hollywood". What is Eat My Blog you ask? Well, I will tell you. A couple of months ago, a few fabulous LA bloggers got the idea to put on a bake sale with the proceeds being donated to LA Regional Foodbank. When they asked me to take part, I immediately said yes. We're all fortunate to surround ourselves with food and talk about it constantly, but there are many, many people right in our own backyards who go without. The LA Regional Foodbank has been distributing food since 1973. To learn more about the foodbank click here.

There will be a ton of wonderful LA foodbloggers participating in the event. I'll be making pumpkin swirl brownies and there is a huge list of all of the desserts here (including many with BACON!). Some wonderful companies are sponsoring the event including Challenge Butter and hot drinks from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. Again, the event goes from 10AM to 4PM and if you want to come say hello to me, I'll be working from noon to 4 with some of my Foodbuzz Festival partners in crime. So come on out, say hello, and help raise money for an amazing cause. See you there!

Roasted Cauliflower Puree

Last year I developed a deep and undying love for roasted cauliflower. I have been patiently waiting for cauliflower to be in season again and a few weeks ago, I got to put a different spin on it. I am not a fan of mashed potatoes, but I do love roasted squash or parsnips turned into a simple mash and then topped with some kind of protein. In this case, I decided to try my hand at mashing up the cauliflower and then added some simply cooked shrimp to the mix. Despite me eating many of the roasted cauliflower florets right off the pan, I still got enough to make the puree. I wanted to be simple and low calorie and fat, so instead of using cream, I just pureed them in a bit of water. Chicken or vegetable stock is a great alternative to the water. As always, roasting the cauliflower gives it a delicate, nutty flavor that just works perfectly with the light seafood, but I imagine this would be great with chicken or even a hearty meat instead of mashed potatoes.

Roasted Cauliflower Puree
(By Esi)

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
Olive oil for coating
Salt and pepper to taste
Water as needed (or chicken stock or vegetable stock)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line one or two baking sheets with foil.

In a bowl, toss together the cauliflower, enough olive oil to coat, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread the cauliflower onto an even layer on the baking sheets.

Roast 20 minutes. Using tongs turn the cauliflower on to the other side and roast another 15-20 minutes until browned.

Once the cauliflower has cooled slightly, turn it out into a food processor. Mash until you get a thick puree, adding water as needed. Serve warm.


Printable Recipe

Asian Pork Burgers

Last week I tried a new to me farmers market at the Santa Monica promenade. I really like waking up on Sunday mornings and heading to the market, but sometimes I get busy so it was nice to try a Saturday option, plus this one is all organic! I picked up a bunch of great things for the short week and I also got some pork in anticipation of making this recipe, but later that day I got a craving for a burger. Since I didn't feel like running to the store yet again, I improvised with what I had. I grilled up some sweet onions and mixed together a thick peanut sauce as a topping. The burgers are great! Really flavorful and a nice hint of spice when eaten with the peanut sauce. The carrots may sound odd on a burger, but they added a nice crunch. I used those sandwich thin things instead of buns so I didn't feel so heavy. In fact, I'll be honest with you...these were so tasty I ate them both...in one sitting! Please don't judge me.


Asian Pork Burgers
(Adapted from Steamy Kitchen)

Makes 2 burgers

8 ounces ground pork (or turkey)
1 large garlic clove, grated
1/4 teaspoon grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon fish sauce
1/4 teaspoon brown sugar
1 egg, beaten (you will only need about half)
1/4 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper

Buns

Toppings:
Carrots
Peanut butter
White or rice wine vinegar
Red pepper flakes
Salt
Grilled onions

Combine all ingredients for the burger. Form 2 equal sized burgers. Don’t make them too thick or they will be difficult to cook thoroughly. With your fingers, form a nice little dent in the middle. The burger will puff up in the middle during cooking and the dent will allow your burger will puff up evenly.

Cook burgers on medium-high direct heat for 4 minutes on each side or until internal meat is 160F. Serve with whichever toppings you like.

To make the peanut sauce:
Mix the peanut butter, vinegar, and red pepper flakes to taste. Season with salt as needed.

Printable Recipe

Daring Bakers: Cannoli

HOLY CANNOLI!



The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book.



I'm kind of surprised when I visit the Daring Bakers forum and see people complaining about the challenge. The whole point is to be challenged. Have some fun people! I have had cannoli exactly one other time from a corner bakery in New York city. I loved it, but never imagined I would make it myself. The only thing that really made me nervous about this was frying in my tiny box of an apartment since the smell lingers for days. Luckily SoCal has been experiencing insanely warm temps so I was able to leave the windows open and the smell was not a problem. Rather than buy cannoli forms, I concocted something found in this tutorial. I did half the recipe and got about 10 cannoli. Some were 3 inches and some were 5 inches. The smaller ones were easier to work with. The filling was a simple mix of ricotta, mascarpone, powdered sugar, and a vanilla bean. Nothing fancy here folks (I didn't have a lot of time), but still it all came together well and it was really delicious! I had fun with this challenge and thanks to our fabulous hostess! To see how the other cannolis came out, visit the blogroll.




Cannoli

For the shells:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened baking cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar
Approximately 1/4 cup sweet Marsala or any white or red wine you have on hand (I used Moscat)
Water for sealing the edges

For the filling:
1/2 cup ricotta cheese, drained
1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup cup confectioner’s sugar, (more or less, depending on how sweet you want it), sifted
1/2 teaspoon (1.15 grams/0.04 ounces) ground cinnamon
Seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean
Mini chocolate chips (optional)
Finely chopped pistachios (optional)

To make the shells:

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer or food processor, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the oil, vinegar, and enough of the wine to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and well blended, about 2 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge from 2 hours to overnight.

Cut the dough into two pieces. Keep the remaining dough covered while you work. Lightly flour a large cutting or pastry board and roll the dough until super thin, about 1/16 to 1/8” thick (An area of about 13 inches by 18 inches should give you that). Cut out 3 to 5-inch circles (3-inch – small/medium; 4-inch – medium/large; 5-inch;- large). Roll the cut out circle into an oval, rolling it larger and thinner if it’s shrunk a little.

Oil the outside of the cannoli tubes (You only have to do this once, as the oil from the deep fry will keep them oiled. Since I used parchment wrapped foil, I did not oil the outside of the parchment). Roll a dough oval from the long side (If square, position like a diamond, and place tube/form on the corner closest to you, then roll) around each tube/form and dab a little water on the dough where the edges overlap. Press well to seal.

In a deep heavy saucepan, pour enough oil to reach a depth of 3 inches, or if using an electric deep-fryer, follow the manufacturer's directions. Heat the oil to 375°F (190 °C) on a deep fry thermometer, or until a small piece of the dough or bread cube placed in the oil sizzles and browns in 1 minute. Have ready a tray or sheet pan lined with paper towels or paper bags.

Carefully lower a few of the cannoli tubes into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Fry the shells until golden, about 2 minutes, turning them so that they brown evenly.

Lift a cannoli tube with a wire skimmer or large slotted spoon, out of the oil. Using tongs, grasp the cannoli tube at one end. Very carefully remove the cannoli tube with the open sides straight up and down so that the oil flows back into the pan. Place the tube on paper towels or bags to drain. Repeat with the remaining tubes. While they are still hot, grasp the tubes with a potholder and pull the cannoli shells off the tubes with a pair of tongs, or with your hand protected by an oven mitt or towel. Let the shells cool completely on the paper towels. Place shells on cooling rack until ready to fill.

Repeat making and frying the shells with the remaining dough. If you are reusing the cannoli tubes, let them cool before wrapping them in the dough.

To make the filling:

Beat together the ricotta and mascarpone until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla beans. Fill each cannoli with the ricotta mixture and top the outsides with a few chocolate chips or pistachios if desired.

Printable Recipe

Roasted Squash and Sausage with Herbs

I’m not cooking for Thanksgiving this year. Well, actually I never cook for Thanksgiving, but if I was I imagine I would be making something like this. Instead, this is a dish I enjoyed for lunch over the last couple of days. Although it takes a bit of cooking time, it is simple to prepare and big on flavor. Using chicken sausage also makes it lighter. I used butternut squash that wasn’t quite ripe enough. I have been using butternut for years so I was a little surprised to see how yellow it was versus orange. The flavor was milder too, more like an acorn squash. It still went very well with the spicy chicken Italian sausage and the rosemary and thyme. I bet this would also be great with some sort of balsamic glaze to add a tart and sweet level. Either way, this is a keeper.

Happy (almost) Thanksgiving! How do you all spend the holiday? I’m flying up to SF tomorrow to see my mom and sister and spend the rest of the weekend eating and sleeping. Can’t wait!! Hope you all have a happy day and weekend!

Roasted Squash and Sausage with Herbs
(Adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen)

2 lbs. winter squash, cut into cubes (use any type of winter squash)
4 spicy Italian chicken sausage
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (or more)
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs of your choice (I used rosemary and a bit of fresh thyme)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a dish with foil. (I used a 9x9 pan)

Put squash in a bowl, then toss with olive oil, dried thyme, salt and fresh ground black pepper and chopped fresh herbs, if using. Arrange squash cubes in an even layer in the baking dish and start to roast.

While you're cutting up squash, put the sausage on a plate, poke holes on each side of the sausages, and microwave on high for about 4-5 minutes (or until sausage is firm enough to cut into even slices.) Remove sausage from microwave and let cool. When it's cool enough to handle, cut the sausage into slices about 3/4 inch wide.

After squash has cooked for 20 minutes, stir squash, spread back out into the dish in an even layer, then arrange sausage slices on top of squash and roast 20 minutes more, or until sausage pieces are starting to brown. Then use a fork or tongs to carefully turn each piece of sausage so the other side is facing up and roast 10-20 minutes more, until sausage is browned and squash is slightly browned on top and caramelized on the bottom. Serve hot.

Printable Recipe

Pavlova with Pomegranate Curd

So last year, I sort of overloaded you all with pomegranate recipes (or even recipes that didn't require poms, but just looked pretty with them in the picture). I am trying not to do the same this year, but with poms bursting at the seams at the farmers market and a whole new load of POM Wonderful juice, I am just itching to make many more recipes featuring the forbidden fruit. Last week I became obsessed with the idea of making a pomegranate curd. I just could not get it out of my mind. I am so glad I made it and then I tried to find out brilliant ways to use it. Sonja and Andy were really helpful in the thought process with the idea of a trifle, but all of a sudden it occurred to me me that I had a bunch of leftover egg whites and I should really use them up. Over the summer many people made the beautiful pavlova with lemon curd and fresh fruit featured in the now defunct Gourmet. I thought it would be a nice spin to make the pavlova part, but use the more seasonal pomegranate. It was a great gamble. I have never made a pavlova before and had a bit of trouble converting the number of egg whites into how much they weighed. I ended up choosing 30 grams per large egg white based on this recommendation at Joy of Baking. The pom curd ended up looking a bit (well...a lot) like poo, but with the pom seeds on top of the pavlova I hardly noticed it's unattactiveness. That and the fact that the tart pom curd paired so well with the sweet pavlova and tart and sweet seeds, this was an incredible and yet simple dessert. I have a lot more pom juice and I am definitely going to make some more curd to pair with toast and quite possibly another dessert.


Pomegranate Curd
(From Baroness Tapuzina)

3/4 cup sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
1 cup pomegranate juice
5 egg yolk, beaten well
1 stick butter, cut into small pieces at room temperature

In a bowl placed over a sauce pan of simmering water, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, lemon juice, and pomegranate juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly until the mixture becomes thick like sour cream, about 30-40 minutes.

Remove from the heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Whisk the butter into the mixture until it has melted. The curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Cover immediately with plastic wrap by placing the wrap directly on the curd and refrigerate until cool.

Printable Recipe

Pavlova
(Adapted from Forever Summer (Style Network's))

Makes 1 8-inch pavlova (or two 4-inch pavlovas)

4 egg whites (120 grams)
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon vinegar
Few drop pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Beat the eggs until soft peaks form. Beat in the sugar one spoonful at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny.

Sprinkle over the cornstarch, vinegar, and vanilla. Fold gently until combined. Mound the meringue onto two four-inch circles.

Put the pan into the oven. Immediately turn the heat down to 300 degrees. Cook for 60-75 minutes. When it is ready, the pavlova will be crisp on the edges and dry on the top, but the center will be squidgy. Turn off the oven and open the door slightly. Let the pavlova cool completely.

When ready to serve, inver the pavlova onto a plate. Top with the pomegranate curd and pomegranate seeds.

Printable Recipe

Apple Gruyere Tart

Last week I had some apples lying around and I wanted to do something interesting with them. I also had some gruyere left from the butternut squash pasties and some puff pastry left from my vols-au-vent so the combination that quickly came together in my head was a tart. For some color and added flavor, I added a bit of fresh thyme. If you have been reading this blog for a while, you know I am a huge fan of simple dishes. This is one fantastically dish that does not skimp on flavor. I am so loving the pink lady apples this season both for snacking and cooking with. I did not use quite the whole apple on this tart so snack on the rest while the tart is baking.



Apple and Gruyere Tart
(By Esi)

Makes 1 8-inch tart

1 square puff pastry
4 tablespoons Gruyere cheese
1 apple, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped plus extra thyme sprigs for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured board, roll out the puff pastry to an 8-inch round or square. Score the pastry so that there is a 1-inch border around. Spread 2 tablespoons of cheese over the bottom of the pastry. Lay the apples in a single layer over the cheese, then top with the remaining cheese. Sprinkle the top of the tart with the chopped thyme. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Brush the exposed edges of the pastry with egg wash. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the crust is golden and the cheese has browned. Garnish with extra thyme sprigs if desired.

Printable Recipe

Osteria Mozza: Amaro Bar Menu

Last week, my friend Kris and I decided it had been far too long since we’ve seen each other. We usually decide this about once every six months and meet up for a dinner at a different, random location. Kris quickly shot down my idea to go to Cube (I’m still not sure why) so I was briefly stumped. Then I remembered the Amaro Bar menu that Diana had been raving about recently.

I apologize for the crapstastic nature of the photos. In my excitement about my first Osteria Mozza dining experience, I forgot my camera at home. All I had was my cell phone cam…

We were pleasantly surprised that after being told it would be a 20-45 minute wait for the bar, that we were seated after only about 10 minutes. I almost crapped my pants when we sat right in front of Nancy Silverton…but we soon learned we were at the WRONG BAR. *sigh* After another few minutes wait, we were seated at the Amaro Bar. Honestly, this deal is just too great to pass up. For $35 you get an item from the mozzarella bar, pasta, a dessert and a glass of wine. Normally purchasing each of these items at a full dinner service would cost a lot more. Based on the strength of Diana’s recommendations and my own cravings I had the Oricchiette with Sausage and Swiss Chard, the Rosemary Olive Oil Cakes with Olive Oil Gelato and Rosemary Brittle, and Kris and I shared the mozzarella tasting for two.




The burrata was easily the best item in the mozzarella, bursting with subtle sweet creaminess. Kris wasn’t a fan of the smoked mozzarella saying it reminded him of eating smoked salmon, but I enjoyed it. I also enjoyed the GINORMOUS hunk of garlic toast that came with our cheeses.



When the pasta came out, I was a little surprised to see so much sauce. I thought it would be bigger chunks of sausage and chard, but instead it was a lovely velvety sauce with small chunks of fennel sausage. It was topped with seasoned breadcrumbs which added a great texture. I ate every last bite of my pasta and enjoyed a bite of my dining companion’s oxtail ragu.



Since I was little miss piggy with the pasta, I barely had room for dessert, but I managed a few bites of my rosemary olive oil cakes. The olive oil gelato was especially good when I got it all in one bite with the swirl of olive oil on the bottom of my plate and a few sprinkles of sea salt.



Plus I *managed* a bite of Kris' apple tart with cider ice cream,



This was a really successful meal and you just can’t beat that price. I am definitely looking forward to going back to Osteria Mozza for this deal and other meals.