Mexican, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegetarian, Veggies

Creamy Avocado Dressing

April 10, 2013

AvocadoThis dressing is rich, creamy and tart with just a hint of heat.  It’s delicious served in a salad of crunchy iceberg and romaine lettuce, black beans, chopped tomatoes and cilantro.  I found this recipe on the Noble Pig blog.  Kathy also adds crushed corn chips and shredded cheddar cheese to her salad.  It’s a great salad to take to a party.  Everyone will love it.

Avocado Dressing IngredientsI also discovered this to be the perfect spread for a grilled fish sandwich.  It goes especially well with any blackened fish (such as ahi).  Spread the dressing generously on your toasted bun and top with grilled blackened ahi and crunchy lettuce or simply serve with a side of corn chips.

Avocado Dressing

Creamy Avocado Dressing

Adapted from Noble Pig Blog

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

1 large avocado

1/4 cup light mayonnaise

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon (or more) of your favorite hot sauce

1 small garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.

The dressing will keep well for up to three days.

 

Beans, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegetarian, Veggies

Arugula Salad with Fava Beans & Beets

April 4, 2013

Arugula Beet & Fava Bean Salad #2Like most people, I look forward to weekends. There’s no pesky alarm clock to turn off and once I get out of bed a leisurely breakfast is in store which always includes crispy bacon, poached eggs and homemade toasted bread. After breakfast I head out to my favorite grocery store, Mana Foods.  Although it’s not anywhere near my home (and some friends think I’m a bit loony for driving so far for groceries)  all I can say is “it’s worth the drive.”  They carry items no one else has on Maui.

PaiaYou just can’t find fava beans at Safeway, Foodland or even Whole Foods (here on Maui).  I don’t recall which restaurant it was in San Francisco that I first had fava beans,  but I  clearly remember how delicious they were in the salad I ordered.

Fava BeansFava beans have thick, spongy pods and the ones I bought had just four or five beans in each large pod except for the one above which had six.Fava Beans ShelledAfter cooking the beans briefly,  you’ll need to remove the outer skin which is quite thick (left).  Once you remove the skin you end up with a lovely green bean.

Arugula, Fava Bean, and Beet Salad with Assorted Accompaniments

Arugula Salad with Fava Beans & Beets

Serves 2

Ingredients

Dressing

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Salad

2 oz arugula

1/2 cup cooked, shelled fava beans

1/2 cup roasted beets (to save time, buy prepared beets at your local supermarket or health food store salad bar or, alternatively,  you can easily roast or steam them)

shaved Parmigiano Reggiano to taste

Preparation

In a small bowl whisk lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper until well combined.

Remove the fava beans from their pods.  In a medium saucepan bring water to a boil (add salt to the water) and cook fava beans for about 3 minutes. Drain and submerge beans in an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Drain again and place beans on a kitchen towel.

Place arugula and fava beans in a low, wide salad bowl and toss with 1 1/2 tablespoons of dressing.  Scatter beets and shaved Parmigiano Reggiano over the greens and drizzle with more dressing.  Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Serving suggestions: crusty sourdough bread, salumi, cheese, avocado, and pepperoncini.

Bread, Breakfast, Dinner, Recipes, Side Dishes

Betty’s Cornbread

March 29, 2013

Corn BreadMy mom was a fabulous cook.  Everything she made was delicious and in particular her brownies and lemon meringue pie.  I kept a few of her old cookbooks and every now and then I’ll come across a page where she had made some notes about the recipe. Some are hysterical, for instance the recipe for Blended Almond Paste: “Burned out blender doing this.  Don’t make this!” And Griddle Cakes: “terrible!” And then there are a couple of recipes with a big X over the entire page which I assume was because they were just so bad that there would be no repeat effort.  She was a big fan of Julia Child and James Beard and needless to say, these notes did not appear in either of these chef’s cookbooks.

Corn MealI wrote down this recipe of hers many years ago and continue to make it, first because it is delicious and second because it is ready in just 30 minutes.  This is a hearty cornbread and doesn’t have a fine cakey texture like some other cornbreads I’ve tried.  It has a bit of flour in the recipe however it is mostly cornmeal which is why I love it.

Toasted Corn BreadOnce the cornbread has cooled in the pan for 10 minutes or so, I cut it into 16 pieces.  My favorite way to eat cornbread is to slice a piece in half and toast it in my toaster oven until it is nicely browned and the edges are extra crispy.  A pat of butter is all it needs. Don’t you agree?

Betty’s Cornbread

16 pieces

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups cornmeal

1/2 cup flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups milk

2 large eggs

2/3 stick butter, melted

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Butter a 9 x 9 inch pan.

In a large bowl combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and suger.  Stir to combine.

Pour 1 1/4 cup milk into a 2-cup measuring cup.  Add eggs and whisk until just combined. Melt butter and add to the milk and eggs.

Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients in 3 stages.  Stir to combine then pour batter into your pan.

Bake for 25 minutes.  Using a toothpick check the bread after 20 minutes to see if it is done (some ovens run hotter than others).

Cool cornbread in the pan for 10 minutes then slice and serve.  The cornbread freezes beautifully.

***For lactose free version use lactose free milk and Earth Balance buttery sticks.

Bread, Dinner, Recipes

Refrigerator Rolls

March 24, 2013

Refrigerator RollsA few years ago while checking out food blogs I happened to see this recipe.  These refrigerator rolls looked so light and fluffy, the perfect roll to serve  with a special holiday dinner. I could envision leftover ham sandwiches using these soft, eggy rolls.  Thanks to Cafe Johnsonia blog I added it to my recipe box and have been making them ever since.

Milk, Butter, Sugar

Rising RollsPlace the rolls on a parchment lined baking sheet and let rise until doubled in size.

Regrigator Roll Baked

Refrigerator Rolls

From Cafe Johnsonia blog

16 rolls

Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter

1 cup milk – scant (whole or 2%)

1/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

3 cups flour

1 cup bread flour

1 tablespoon instant yeast

2 teaspoons salt

Preparation

Place butter, milk and sugar in a 4 cup measuring cup.  Microwave for about 1  1/2 minutes until the butter is almost melted, the sugar dissolved, and the mixture is very hot to the touch (about 140 degrees).

In a large bowl whisk the eggs well.  Slowly drizzle the hot milk mixture into the eggs while whisking continuously.  The bowl and the eggs should be warm (110 degrees is the perfect temperature).  If you are in need of a reliable kitchen thermometer I would suggest the Thermapen.  It’s the best.

Place the flour and yeast in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.  Turn the mixer on low to evenly distribute  the yeast.  With the mixer running, add the liquids in a slow, steady stream.  When all the liquid has been added, turn the mixer up to medium and let it run for 1 minute.  Add the salt.  Keep mixing for  2 – 3 minutes, or until the dough starts to form strong webs as it mixes.

Rub the inside of a very large bowl with oil. Place the finished dough in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Place dough in a warm, draft-free spot where it can rise.

When the dough has doubled in size (check after 1 hour) sprinkle it with 1 tablespoon of flour (no more) and punch it down. Wrap the bowl well with a few layers of plastic wrap.  Refrigerate the dough until chilled, about 2 hours.  The dough can be kept overnight and up to 5 days.

Once you are ready to bake the rolls, remove the dough from the refrigerator and place on a lightly floured surface.  Cut the dough into equal pieces.  You can make small rolls (24), medium rolls (16) or large rolls (12).

Roll the dough into a rough ball and place your finger in the center of the dough.  Push your finger up from the bottom while using  your other hand to form a round ball on the top.  Squish the flaps on the underside together.  The dough should be quite smooth and will get smoother once the rolls have risen.

Place the rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Cover the rolls with a clean kitchen towel and let rise, until doubled in size.  This usually takes at least 1 hour and depends on your climate and the temperature in your home.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.  Brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter.  Bake  for about 10 – 15 minutes, until golden.  Check rolls at the 10 minute mark so they do not over bake.

These rolls are soft, fluffy and tender.  They freeze beautifully if you have leftovers or prefer to make them in advance of serving them.

***For lactose free rolls use lactose free milk and Earth Balance buttery sticks.

Dinner, Recipes, Tofu, Vegan, Vegetarian

Baked Mock Chicken Tofu

March 20, 2013

Baked Mock Chicken TofuThis is one of the easiest and most satisfying tofu dishes I know of.  Other than the tofu there are just 3 ingredients.  Long ago I tried this at our local Down to Earth grocery store.  I was immediately hooked, like many other people I know.  The original recipes calls for pan frying the tofu however baking it is much easier. You just set the timer for 30 minutes and using a foil lined pan for the tofu means there’s no clean up.

Extra Firm TofuThe key to making this correctly is to use extra firm tofu such as Wildwood.  Though I like House Foods brand tofu for other dishes, House extra firm tofu is not firm enough for this recipe.

TofuXpressI use my TofuXpress all the time and highly recommend it if you bake tofu often.  In just 1/2 hour a third of a cup of water was pressed out of the tofu block.  Worth the price and no more wasting paper towels.

Tofu SlabsCut the tofu into 4 slabs then break each slab into 4 random pieces for a total of 16 pieces.

Tofu Pieces Tofu SeasoningThe other three ingredients are soy sauce, Spike seasoning and nutritional yeast.  You can find nutritional yeast in the bulk section of your local health food store.

Baked Mock Chicken Tofu 2

Baked Mock Chicken Tofu

Adapted from Down to Earth’s Mock Chicken Tofu Recipe

Serves 2 as a main course

Ingredients

1 package (14 oz) extra firm tofu such as Wildwood

olive or canola oil

1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce, lite or regular

1 teaspoon Spike seasoning

1/4 cup – 1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes

Note: Exact measurements are not critical for this recipe. I don’t measure the soy sauce, Spike or nutritional yeast when making this dish, however, the above measurements are typically the amounts I use.  Some prefer less of one ingredient and some prefer more.  I’m very fond of nutritional yeast so I pour it on generously.  I think it’s the key savory ingredient that makes this dish so tasty.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  If using a toaster oven there’s no need to preheat.

If you have a TofuXpress press the tofu for 30 -45 minutes.  Drain water, cut tofu into four slabs and break each slab into 4 random sized pieces (total 16).

No press?  Slice the tofu into four slabs and place in a single layer on paper towels. Layer additional paper towels on top of the tofu slabs.  Place a cutting board on top of the tofu with a few books or heavy cans to help press out the water quickly. Follow the steps above, breaking slabs into random pieces.

Place the tofu on a foil lined baking pan.  Drizzle a bit of olive or canola oil over the tofu pieces and toss to coat all sides.  You won’t need much oil,  just enough so the tofu doesn’t stick to your pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Let tofu cool for 10 minutes then transfer to a large bowl. Drizzle soy sauce over the tofu, tossing to coat all pieces.  Add the Spike seasoning and toss again. Lastly, add the nutritional yeast flakes and toss so that all of the tofu is well coated.  If you have any leftovers it will keep for a couple of days and makes for a tasty lunch served with brown rice.

Reviews

Stage Restaurant ~ Honolulu

March 16, 2013

StageConveniently located on Kapiolani Boulevard with plenty of complimentary parking, Stage is one of our favorite restaurants.  Situated on the 2nd level of the Honolulu Design Center’s Inspiration showroom.  Stage is one of a kind. You first pass through the Amuse Wine Bar (a terrific concept bar, with dozens of wines available via special dispensing units). You then enter Stage’s full service cocktail lounge where you are greeted by their gracious hostess. Stage Entrance

Stage Dining Room The decor in the restaurant is unique as you’ll notice in the accompanying pictures.  No two dining tables are the same and gorgeous light fixtures hang from above.  The comfortably large tables are placed well apart affording each party some intimacy not found in many restaurants.

Stage Large Party As you enter the restaurant you can’t help but notice this gorgeous table set beautifully for large parties.

Seared Ahi at StageThis seared ahi appetizer was a special on their menu the night we dined there.  I hope they will consider adding it as a regular appetizer.  Beautiful, fresh fish.

Stage House SaladStage House salad.

Stage CalamariTogarashi spiced calamari.

Stage Ahi PokeStage ahi poke with avocado is one of their best appetizers.

Stage Beet & Goat Cheese SaladBeet, tomato and goat cheese salad with marcona almonds.

Beef Wellington at StageBeef Wellington with sake braised spinach and red wine truffle demi glace.

The only thing I wish they would improve on are the purees they serve with many of their main courses. Some come with potato puree or parsley potato puree.  The portion is tiny and almost seems like a garnish rather than part of the meal. It’s spread very thinly on the plate and by the time your meal arrives the puree is not very hot.

Duck at StageThis was a special duck entrée offered the night we dined at Stage.

Flat Iron Steak at StageGrilled flat-iron steak with watercress, enoki and shiitake mushrooms, hasu (lotus root), served with scallion puree and ponzu sauce.

Stage Lamb ChopMarcona almond-honey mustard glazed lamb chop with veal demi glace.

Stage Kitchen StaffStage offers a complete dining experience. The menu and wine list are superb as is the service. And, of course, the captivating decor is the icing on the cake!

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