"Its Ready but Honestly, I Have No Idea"

ROASTED EGGPLANT  PIZZA

For Dinner last night, Lucas and I attempted our very first pizza and it was amazing!  We had some left over kale in the fridge and lightly sauteed it for a healthy side.

 

I really enjoyed making this recipe, especially since the measurements are mostly to taste. Depending on how you like your pizza, throw on more or less of the veggies, cheese, and spices.  From other recipes I saw, most people pre-cooked the veggies before tossing them on the pizza - we baked the veggies but you can also do a light saute or do it on a grill.

We had the hardest time figuring out how to use the dough - when we put in on the baking tray, it would begin to shrink.  We finally gave up and just allowed the dough to be what ever size it wanted and tossed on the the ingredients on. Since our pizza dough was so thick - we had to play around with the timing to make sure the dough baked but the toppings didn't burn.  

 

Tahini Spread

• 3 Tbsp. Tahini
• 1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
• 1 Clove Garlic, minced
• Pinch of Salt + Pepper

The Toppings

• 1 Eggplant
• 1 Red Bell Pepper or a Few Small Sweet Peppers
• 1-2 tsp. Olive Oil
• 1-3 tsp. Dried Oregano
• 1 Small Onion, halved and sliced
• Whole Grain Pizza Crust (there are a ton of recipes online but we used Trader Joe's pre-made dough)
• 3/4 Cup Shredded Mozzarella
• 1 Tbsp. Za'atar Season's (a blend of middle eastern spices - Whole Foods sells the spices already prepared or you can mix them together yourself - see link below)
• 1/3 Cup Crumbled Feta
• Fresh Thyme Leaves
• Salt + Pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 450-500'. Mix all of the tahini spread ingredients together in a bowl, set aside.
2. Cut eggplant and peppers in to small pieces or strips. Drizzle it with the olive oil, generous pinch of salt and dried oregano. Toss to coat. Spread it on a baking sheet and roast it for 15-20 minutes.
3. Saute onions in a pan over medium high heat with a dash of oil for about 10-15 minutes
4. Roll out your crust and put it on a floured sprinkled baking sheet. (we used parchment paper also)
5. Spread the tahini spread across the surface, sprinkle the mozzarella, the eggplant chunks and charred onions, the za'atar, and the crumbled feta.
6. Bake the pizza for 12-18 minutes until the edges crisp up. Garnish the top with a generous sprinkle of the fresh thyme leaves.



Baked and ready to eat!

Kale Salad

• Usually massaging kale in some lemon juice and soy sauce or Bragg's aminos will help soften the leaves but still give them that crunch - this usually takes about 5-8 mins and I just didn't have time for that
• Instead, I tossed the kale, a little balsamic glaze, a table spoon of lemon juice and some left over chopped onions and sauteed for 2-3 mins on high heat or until the kale becomes dark green (I got distracted and over cooked them last night and although they lacked the crunch, they were still yummy).

Simple Za'atar Recipe
Adapted from Sprouted Kitchen and Dr. Gourmet

First Guest Chef - Auntie Pat!

Old Fisherman's Grotto Clam Chowder

      The idea for this recipe started a few weeks ago when Lucas and I were lucky enough to visit with Aunt Pat during her annual visit to Monterrey. We met at one of Aunt Pat's local haunts, Old Fisherman's Grotto.  She has been coming to this restaurant for the past 20 plus years on her trips to the area. 

       Fisherman's Grotto claims to have the best clam chowder in all of Monterrey and guess what, it was pretty freakn' good!  As we were raving about the clam chowder over dinner, Aunt Pat mentioned that years ago, the owner gave her the recipe to their famous clam chowder but never found the time to actually try it out.  A plan was instantly hatched to re-create this tasty clam chowder once in Los Angeles.

 

Ingredients

• 1 carrot - diced
• 1 medium onion -diced
• 1 potato - diced
• 1 stalk of celery diced
• 1/2 lb minced bacon
• 1/4 lb butter
• 3 cloves fresh garlic
• 1/2 quart calm juice
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups of cream
• 2 cups coffee blend (like plain Coffee-Mate)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 lb chopped clams (fresh, frozen, or canned)
• 1/2 tsp clam base (optional - I have no idea what this)

Directions:

• Place vegetables, bacon, and butter in a 5qt sauce pot. Saute over medium heat until vegetables are tender. Be careful not to brown or scorch.
• When vegetables are tender, add flour to make a roux. Cook for 2 mins, allowing flour to cook while stirring occasionally.
• Add clam juice and dairy products. Stir by using a wirewhip
• Add fresh garlic, black pepper, chopped clams and clam base. Cook over low-medium heat stirring occasionally to prevent chowder from scorching. Cook for 2 hours or until chowder is brought to desired thickness.

Tips!

• Use any extra clam juice to thin out the chowder if it gets too thick
• If using a crock pot - cooking time is between 3-4 hours

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Better Know a Trader Joe's Item #2

Super Fast Chimichurri Soup!

 

 

Holy cow the nights are getting cold!  This soup is a perfect combination of creamy and slightly sweet balanced by Chimichurri spices. 

 

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of Trader Joe's frozen Chimichuria Rice
• Turkey Polska Kielbasa
• 1 32oz Butternut Squash Soup

Directions:

• Slice the Kelbasa and lightly brown in a large pot
• Add Chimichuri Rice and Butternut Sqaush soup (you don't need to add the entire 32oz, just until you have the consistency you want)
• Simmer for 15-20mins
• Garnish with avocado and sour cream!

 This soup also goes great with some garlic Naan bread.



One Gnocchi to Rule Them All

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sage Accompanied by Roasted Brussels Sprouts

In honor of the Hobbit being released this weekend, Lucas and I spent Friday and Saturday watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy. We also had to eat, right? So we decided to use some extra pumpkin puree that we had and make Pumpkin Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sage.  The recipe tasted great and paired well with roasted Brussels sprouts. Many thanks to Jamie Z. for the recipe.

 

 

                                   

 

Now for the down dirty truth:

 

This recipe was freakn' hard.  It takes far more patience and time than expected.  Oh it seems so easy, boil some potatoes, mix it with pumpkin, and plop it in water.   But alas, the Gnocchi was far too powerful for mortals such as ourselves and by the end, we were near mad.  



Some Tips:

• You need a least 1 1/2 hours for this recipe. If you take the time, it will be fun and you'll be proud to have made your own gnocchi.
• Be ready for a ton of dough - recipe is for 4-6 and they mean it.  If I did it again, I would adjust the amounts and make less.
• Don't be afraid to use as much flour as you feel is right, it took more than 2 cups for us (but then again, that might be because we probably had a good 2 lbs of potatoes to start).
• Only use as much butter as you want. I only used 1/2-3/4 of a stick and that was more than plenty.
• Make your Gnocchi pieces small - this makes them easier to manage and cook faster
• Don't leave the Gnocchi in the water too long. Keep your eye on these bastards - I thought that they would somehow become more firm but they turn into a watery mess
• Recipe calls for making a separate Brown Butter Sauce that you pour over the Gnocchi.  Instead, I used less butter and lightly sauteed the Gnocchi for a couple mins in the Brown Butter Sauce. Unlike boiling longer, this did seem to help them get firmer.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups russet potatoes, peeled, then boiled until tender
• 1 cup pumpkin or squash purée
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 egg
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• Few twists freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 to 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
• 6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
• About 12 fresh sage leaves, minced
• Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

• In a large bowl, mash or rice the potatoes and allow them to cool. With a fork, gently mix in the pumpkin puree, Parmesan, egg, nutmeg, pepper, salt
• Add flour a little at a time until you have a smooth, sticky dough. Briefly knead the dough in the bowl just until the last bits of flour have been incorporated.
• Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil while you divide the dough into 6 pieces.
• On a floured surface, roll each piece into a long rope, one-half inch in diameter. Cut the rope into half-inch pieces. Use a floured fork to make shallow grooves in the gnocchi pieces.
• Immediately begin boiling small batches of gnocchi. They should rise to the surface after a couple of minutes. Once they rise, boil for 2 to 3 minutes more.
• Test a piece from the first batch to make sure it is cooked through and not gummy, and adjust cooking time accordingly. Remove the pieces with a slotted spoon and add them to a lightly buttered bowl. Keep covered.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet to medium-high and add the butter. Let it cook without stirring until the edges begin to brown. Stir in the sage and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the butter over the gnocchi and stir to coat. Ladle into bowls. Serves 6 to 8.

Sauteing in butter goodness


The Sprouts!

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Toss that all into an ungreased baking dish/ sheet and bake 12-15 mins at 375 degrees, or until they are lightly browned on top. (Next time we may try flipping them halfway through.)

• Halved Brussels sprouts, 2 lbs
• 1 juiced lemon and some lemon zest
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

 

Butternut Squash and Black Bean Soup

Nothing is better than a warm, hearty soup when the weather starts to turn cold.  A friend of mine first introduced me to this soup and its a great way to use those winter CSA items.  The soup was filling and delicious but a little on the bland side for Lucas (perfect for me) so play with the amount of spices you use to fit your taste

This is a stew-like soup, perfection is not necessary. I used canned beans instead of from scratch or to save time.

 

BLACK BEAN + BUTTERNUT SOUP - Serves 4-6

Inspired by Sprouted Kitchen and Molly C. 

 

Ingredients

1 Tbsp. coconut or extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 a small head of cabbage, chopped (about2 cups)

3 cups cubed butternut squash

3 cups low sodium vegetable broth

1/2 cup of water (original recipe does not call for extra water but I wanted it a little more soupy)

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. cocoa powder

pinch of chipotle powder or cayenne pepper

2 cups cooked, black beans (about one can, rinsed and drained)

salt to taste

Garnish

avocado, tortilla strips, and cilantro
highly recommended optional add ons - shredded cheese and sour cream or yogurt.

* to make the soup a little heartier, I added a scoop of quinoa in my bowl and poured the soup over it

Directions

• In a heavy bottomed pot, warm the coconut oil or olive oil over medium heat.
• Add the chopped onion and saute until just beginning to brown, about 6-8 minutes.
• Add the garlic, cabbage, squash and broth.

• Turn the heat down to a gentle simmer, cover the pot and cook for about 15-20 minutes for the vegetables to cook.
• Add the spices and the beans and stir.
• Let everything continue to cook another ten minutes for the flavors to blend.
• Salt to taste.
• To thicken the soup, I ran about 2 cups of the soup through a blender and then added it back to the pot.  You can also use a sprinkle of cornmeal or immersion blender.
• To make the tortilla strips I quickly fried them in oil on the stove - you can also bake by lightly coating tortilla strips in olive oil and baking for 10-15mins @ 375'

 



Big Sur Camping + Esalen

Esalen Bath House

California Coast



Happy Big Sur Mushrooms

Esalen Kitchen



Esalen Art Barn



Julia Pfeiffer Falls Hike  

HWY 1 Coast



Mcway Falls



Big Sur Campground

How to Cook an Egg When You're Camping Sans Cookware

While camping, I learned a little secret, how to cook an egg in a fire pit.  You can't just stick a whole, shell and all, egg in the fire - it will explode, like so

 

You need something to insulate the delicate egg from getting too hot. Websites we checked, recommended using an orange peel but an avocado peel will do too.  Simply remove the contents of the the fruit, crack the egg, and pour it in the empty peel.  It took about 15 mins to cook the egg this way. Once cooked, just take apart the peel or scoop out the egg.  Tasted great!

 

Better know a Trader Joes item(s) #1

Traditional Carnitas and Corn Wheat Tortillas!

 

These 2 items will make carnitas tacos in no time.  The meat is well seasoned and hands down these are the perfect (store bought) tortillas, they are moist, soft, and filling.  You can add the carnitas meat to eggs, nachos, salsas for a dip, or slap it on a french roll for a sandwich.

 

For tacos I like to add the usual fixings plus Trader Joes Corn Salsa.....its down right heaven.

 

 





Extra Tomatoes - Add it to Pasta!

I'm always looking for more ways to convince Lucas that we need to be eating more pasta and this recipe worked!! I had random items in the fridge and tossed them together.  The picture doesn't do the meal justice, it tasted it really good.

Ingredients

• 7 roma tomatoes
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 chopped onion
• 1 cup sliced crimini mushrooms
• spinach
• trader joes turkey kielbasa ( I used about half the package)
• goat cheese - give cows a break, eat goat cheese
• Pinch of salt, oregano, and sugar

Directions

• Add sliced onions and garlic and in a large pan or pot with a pinch of sugar and saute until onions become translucent
• Add sliced mushrooms and sliced kielbasa, saute until lightly brown (2-3mins)
• Add diced tomatoes - Simmer for 20 mins
• Boil water and cook pasta of choice
• Drain cooked pasta, add pasta to tomato sauce and continue simmering for 5-10 mins
• Serve pasta over spinach (to make it feel healthier)
• Sprinkle goat cheese on top
• enjoy!

*I added cooked pasta to the sauce instead of serving it separately because some guy at Lucas's work told him it makes the pasta taste better and Lucas believes him......anything to get pasta in my tummy - it also works pretty well 
**If you dice the tomatoes too fine (like I did), the sauce will be more watery then chunky.

Coq Au Vin - French For Rich Purple Chicken Dish

 

This recipe usually requires a bunch time but I found a little short cut recipe online and gave it a try. To quote Lucas, "that shit smelln' gooood" while it was cooking and be prepared for a heavy, rich, and tasty meal. 

The recipe is for 6-8 servings and I have to admit since the chicken and sauce is so rich, its been a chore eating the leftovers.  After eating the leftovers for a couple meals now, I probably wouldn't make this again unless a large army or a really fat kid requested it.  Its great for a single serving but if you overdo it, your tummy will send you hate mail. I recommend only when feeding bunch of people.

Ingredients

• 1 - 3lb pkg bone in/skin on chicken pieces
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion sliced
• 8 cloves of garlic
• 3 cups red wine (pinot noir, zin, or red blend - we used a red blend)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 parsley and a couple extra springs for garnish
• 1 (10oz) white mushrooms
• 10 slices of bacon
• 1-1.5lbs of red potatoes - can use curly pasta too

Directions

1. Sprinkle chicken with salt (I like to rinse my chicken first - but I don't think you have to)
2. Cook bacon in a separate pan
3. Heat oil in a large pot or deep braising pan. Add chicken skin side down.
4. Add onion and garlic while chicken is browning (2-3mins)
5. Add wine, broth, herbs, and mushrooms
6. Add cooked bacon - cut into 1/2inch pieces, add to pot.  Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Skim surface of any oil
7. While chicken is simmering, boil potatoes until tender (about 20mins).  We roughly mashed potatoes
8. Serve chicken and potatoes together, sprinkle with parsley.

* We used a flour thickener to make a gravy from the chicken broth and it was good!
**Because of the wine, the outside of the chicken was dyed purple and it kinda freaked me out - if serving a blind person, spare them, don't tell them their chicken is purple.

Pumpkin Curry Empanadas with Mint Cilantro Chutney

Lucas found this recipe in the sunset magazine and we gave it a try. These empanadas are incredibly easy to make and so tasty you'll think they're full of unicorns and rainbows.  To make the chutney, you do need a food processor but I'm sure there is a way around that.  The turmeric in this recipe will stain clothes - be careful

I did a couple substitutions - I used store bought Pillsbury pie crust and butternut squash since it was hard to find pumpkin.  Also, Trader Joe's is nice enough to sell pre-cut butternut sqaush, which made this even easier.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 12 ounces cubed peeled baking pumpkin or butternut or kabocha squash
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 cup currants, softened 10 minutes in hot water to cover
• Pie dough - I used 2 packages of Pillsbury pie crust (4 total pie crusts)

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Rub a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tbsp. oil. Spread pumpkin on sheet and roast, uncovered, turning once, till tender when pierced, 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tbsp. oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in spices and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
3. Transfer onion to a medium mixing bowl. Drain currants and stir into bowl. Add warm pumpkin and mix well, mashing with back of a spoon to create a slightly chunky mixture.
4. Working with one pie-dough disk at a time, roll dough on a lightly floured surface into a 1/8-in.-thick round. Using a 4-in. ring cutter, cut out 20 circles, rerolling scraps.
5. Mix 1 tbsp. water into egg and brush onto dough rounds. Spoon 1 tbsp. pumpkin mixture into center of each round, fold over, and seal edges with tines of a fork.
6. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Arrange empanadas on sheets, spaced slightly apart.
7. Bake until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with chutney.

Tip!!! Make ahead: Follow recipe through step 5. Freeze in an airtight container. Then bake from frozen, 25 to 30 minutes at 375°.

Cilantro - Mint Chutney

Ingredients

• 1 serrano chile, stemmed ( Didn't use since I'm a wimp and can't handle spicy foods)
• 12 large fresh mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation

(actually directions)

In a food processor, pulse chile, cilantro, and mint until reduced in volume by half. Add 2 tbsp. water, the oil, lemon juice, and salt. Whirl until smooth, adding 1 more tbsp. water if needed.

(what we did)
tossed everything into the food processor at once and blended until we were happy

 

We Moved...Again!

The KoJos have officially moved to Santa Cruz for the next few months!

 

I'm finally out of school and in the process of learning the ins and outs of being an adult and business woman. I started this blog years ago but promptly forgot about it a few short weeks later.  Now with more time on my hands, I'm hoping to regularly post on daily adventures, favorite quotes from conversations I've eavesdropped on at coffee shops, and food!!

 

First order of business, learning how to cook more than spaghetti!  Over the next couple months I will post recipe successes, failures, and cooking tips.  

 

Enjoy!