Starbucks Pumpkin Bread (egg free if you choose) and Trader Joe's Cookie Butter

Wow, I haven't blogged anything in a VERY long time and that may be because most of what I've been doing is making other people's recipes but that shouldn't stop me from sharing. If I find something incredible, I should share it :) 

Here's a recipe for a copy cat of Starbucks Pumpkin Bread that I made and fell in love with. I did change one little thing. I replaced the eggs with Chia Seeds. This bread will be a regular now and may replace Banana Bread in my life...  Head over to CopyKat Recipes for the recipe and to Trader Joe's for their amazing Speculoos Cookie Butter! 

Fruit, Nuts & Greens Dinner Salad

For two main-dish salads:

Ingredients:

• 1 bag salad greens, of choice
• 1 avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced
• 1 mango, pitted, peeled and chopped
• 1 can mandarine oranges, drained
• about 1 cup dried cranberries
• about 1 cup roasted walnuts
• 2 seasoned (your choice) and cooked chicken breasts, cooled
• salad dressing (your choice, I used an asian ginger and sesame)

Method:

1. Divide the bag of greens among two dinner plates.
2. Top greens with avocado, mango, oranges, cranberries, walnuts and chicken. 
3. Add dressing and serve!

“What is more refreshing than salads when your appetite seems to have deserted you, or even after a capacious dinner - the nice, fresh, green, and crisp salad, full of life and health, which seems to invigorate the palate and dispose the masticating powers to a much larger duration.”

Alexis Soyer 19th century French chef.

Zucchini-Carrot Bread

From Betty Crocker:

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (2 medium)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded carrots (3 medium)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups Gold Medal® whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves (I omitted this)

Method:

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottoms only of 2 (8x4-inch) loaf pans or 1 (9x5-inch) loaf pan with shortening or cooking spray. In large bowl, mix zucchini, carrots, sugar, oil and eggs with wire whisk. Stir in remaining bread ingredients. Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake 8-inch loaves 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, 9-inch loaf 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Enjoy!

Original recipe along with a recipe for honey spread can be found here.

Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana

The copycat recipe for Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana can be found all over the internet and for the most part, they are all the same. I followed this recipe pretty close making only a few changes. It turned out tasting identical to what I've had in Olive Garden... And it's easy!

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Italian sausage
• 2 large Russet baking potatoes, sliced in half and then 1/4 inch slices
• 1 large (very large!) onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup bacon bits (Or Oscar Mayer Real Bacon Bits and more than 1/4 cup!!!)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups Kale or Swiss Chard, chopped (Swiss Chard is so much better)
• 16 ounces chicken broth
• 1 quart water (Or, what I learned is... make this 1 quart chicken broth, too)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Method:

Brown sausage in a soup pot, breaking it up into large, bite-size pieces. Add chicken broth and water (or all broth!) to pot and deglaze. Place onions, potato and garlic in pot. Cook on medium, simmering, until potatoes are done. Add bacon. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer another 10 minutes. Turn heat to low. Add Kale/Swiss Chard and cream. Heat through and serve... With salad!!!

Grilled Chicken & Eggplant in Tomato Dill Sauce

Here's another recipe adapted from feast from the Mideast 250 Sun-Drenched Dishes from the Lands of the Bible by Faye Levy. Once again, this has been modified to make it easier and for more flavor.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 28-ounce can chopped tomatoes
• 6 large garlic cloves, minced
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 1 - 2 teaspoons Penzeys Turkish Seasoning
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 large eggplant, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 - 1.5 pounds chicken, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 - 3 teaspoons lemon juice
• a few sprigs fresh dill, chopped

Method:

Heat oil in a stew pan and fry onion until golden. Add in garlic and chicken, with some salt and pepper and fry until chicken is white. Add canned tomatoes, Turkish seasoning, chicken broth, and eggplant. Simmer, covered, over medium heat until eggplant is soft. Add dill and lemon juice and simmer five more minutes. Serve with a side of flavored couscous.

Chicken & Chickpea Stew

I got the original recipe for this from feast from the Mideast 250 Sun-Drenched Dishes from the Lands of the Bible by Faye Levy but the recipes can be quite time consuming and containing too many steps for my liking, so I tend to modify them quite a bit. I also like to use different vegetables than what is listed, and a bit more of the spices.

Ingredients:

• 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 pounds chicken, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 14-ounce can chopped tomatoes
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 cups cups chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 green pepper, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 3 carrots, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 small sweet potato, peeled and diced into 1-inch pieces

Method:

Heat oil in a stew pan and add onion, frying until golden. Add in garlic and chicken, along with some salt and pepper. Fry until chicken turns white. Add in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer on low until sweet potato's are tender. That's it!

I honestly give up on bloggers text sizing. Whatever I try to do, blogger will choose what size to make my text. I'm seriously thinking of switching to Wordpress but that feels like a lot of work :/ Anybody who has made the switch... does Wordpress import from blogger?

Blessed

Yesterday, while driving to the store, I saw this kid sitting on the side of the road with a sign. Before I could get close enough, I assumed the sign said "homeless." Instead, it said "Blessed." I had to turn around and go back. He told me he's 19, homeless, and trying to sell his artwork to make enough money for a train ticket to California. He had a lot to say about spirituality, God and life and I realized he had more sense than a lot of people I know who, on the outside, seem to have their lives together. He's not a beggar, he's not lazy, he's not stupid or uneducated or on drugs. He's simply taking an unconventional approach to life that, so far, seems to have worked on his character better than the conventional approach I see working in others.

Anu's Adraki "Aloo" Palak

Of course, I knew before I made this Adraki Aloo Palak that it was going to turn out perfect, I consider Mriganayani a no-fail recipe source :)

The only changes I made was to use turnips instead of potatoes and I simply fried them with the onions and ginger until softened.

I added the spinach mixture and as usual to my style, I added about 1/2 tsp. sugar at the end. It was sooooooo good, really easy and everybody loved it :)

~"Told my family I never want to live in a vegetative state dependant on machines & fluids. They unplugged my computer & poured out all my coffee."~

Aloo Biryani w/ Raita

The biryani recipe is adapted from Betty Crocker's Indian Home Cooking, I change very few things here and there...

Ingredients for potato dumplings:

• 3 medium (1 pound) potatoes, peeled and cooked
• 1/2 cup besan
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• salt, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• handfull fresh cilantro, chopped
• vegetable oil, to deep fry

Ingredients for rice:

• 1 1/2 cups basmati rice, rinsed till water runs clear
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup whole, raw cashews
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 6 inches of cinnamon stick
• 6 cardamom pods, split open
• 2 medium onions, halved and sliced
• 2 1/2 cups water
• salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

To assemble potato dumplings:

Mash potatoes in medium bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients except the vegetable oil. Divide into approximately 10 - 12 pieces. Shape each into a ball and flatten slightly. Set aside.

Heat oil in medium frying pan and drop dumplings into hot oil, frying, turning once, until golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside.

To make rice:

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add cashews, fry 10 - 20 seconds till golden. Remove with slotted spoon, drain and set aside. Add raisins to pan, fry 20 - 30 seconds until raisins plump up. Remove with slotted spoon, drain and set aside. Add cumin seed, cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods to hot oil and sizzle 15 - 30 seconds. Mix in onions; stir-fry 3 - 4 minutes or until onions are golden brown. Add rice, stir gently, and add 2 1/2 cups cold water and salt. Heat to boiling, stirring once; reduce heat to medium-high. Cook uncovered, 5 - 6 minutes, until almost all the water has evaporated. Remove from heat. Divide partially cooked rice in half. Mix paprika into one half and turmeric into another. Set aside.

To assemble:

Heat oven to 350ºF. Spray a large casserole with cooking spray. Spread turmeric rice evenly in casserole. Arrange dumplings as second layer. Top with paprika rice as third layer. Sprinkle in a bi of water, cover, and bake 40 - 45 minutes until rice has finished cooking. Serve with roasted cashews and raisins.

For raita I combined fat-free yogurt with a few grated radishes (my new favorite addition,) some spring onions, cilantro, tomatos, salt, pepper, and water for the right consistency. I fry a bit of mustard seeds in oil and add that to finish.

And no recipe for the vanilla jamun's... Just a picture ;)

Stupid STUPID Blogger!

So, for my past few blog posts, I've been unable to increase my font size... It publishes with the tiny print. I'm doing the same things I've done the past two years! Is anyone else having problems or know of a solution?

Spicier Butter Chicken

I wanted to make some Butter Chicken with onion and without the whole spices. I started from my original recipe and came up with this much spicier version...

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup ghee
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed
• 1 onion, halved & sliced
• 1 pound chicken, cut into bite size pieces
• 32 ounce can tomatoes, blended
• 4 tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoon kitchen king masala
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons kasoori methi
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• heavy cream, as needed

Method:

Heat ghee in large skillet and fry cumin seeds until they turn a shade darker. Add onion and fry until it begins to caramelize. Add in chicken and paprika and fry for a few minutes, until chicken is no longer raw. Add in ground tomatoes, nutmeg, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and kitchen king masala. Cook until tomato sauce has reduced and releases oil. Add in the water, kasoori methi and sugar and simmer slowly until the sauce has again reduced and is very thick. Add heavy cream to bring sauce back to desired consistency.

Cabbage Fry

Usually Sri is the one to make Cabbage fry but I decided to do it this time... and yeah, it tasted better than his, but he won't admit it :p

For Cabbage Fry:

• 1 head cabbage, chopped
• 2 carrots, grated
• vegetable oil
• mustard seeds
• cumin seeds
• ajwain seeds
• turmeric powder
• paprika powder
• salt
• bit of sugar
• onions, quite a bit, chopped
  
• frozen peas

Heat oil in a large frying pan and throw in some mustard seeds, cumin seeds, ajwain seeds turmeric powder, paprika powder and salt, wait for seeds to pop. Add onions and sugar and fry until onions caramelize. Add cabbage, little by little, and combine. Cook with a lid, stirring often, until cabbage starts to char. Add in some frozen peas and carrots cook a few more minutes until peas and carrots are hot.

Bell Pepper Masoor Dal w/ Bhel Puri Supreme

This is an easy and super delicious dal that we enjoyed for two days in a row... The recipes is adapted from Raghavan Iyer's 660 Curries. I tend to change the methods a bit.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup masoor dal, washed
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 - 4 fresh, green chilies, stems removed and thinly sliced
• 1 medium tomato, cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• salt, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• handful cilantro leaves, chopped

Method:

Put washed dal along with 3 cups water in medium saucepan and bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium heat. Skim off and discard any foam that forms on the surface. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover pan, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the dal is tender.

While dal is cooking, heat oil in medium skillet over medium heat and add bell pepper and chilies and fry until bell pepper begins to brown , about 10 - 12 minutes. Stir in the tomato, salt and turmeric and scrape the bottom of skillet to deglaze it. Pour in 2 cups water and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the tomato is softened and turnes slightly pulpy, 5 - 8 minutes.

Once the dal is tender, poor the bell pepper sauce into the pan. Raise the heat to medium and continue to simmer the dal, uncovered, stirring occasionally until the flavors mingle and the sauce thickens slightly, 5 - 8 minutes.

Stir in cilantro and serve!

I followed the previous tried recipe for Bhel Puri I found here but instead of peanuts I used cashews and walnuts, I added cucumber, grated carrots, and a few other things that I forgot because I didn't write it down, grrrr... but the point is, this stuff is awesome simple or "supreme!"

~"Having been poor is no shame, but being ashamed of it, is!" - Benjamin Franklin~

Chicken w/ Yellow Split Peas (Murghi Dalcha)

This recipe is adapted from Raghavan Iyer's 660 Curries... I have made a few minor changes to suit my cooking style and tastes... Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup yellow split peas
• 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate/paste, dissolved in a bit of water
• 1 red onion, coarsely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic
• about 3 inches of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 4 fresh green chilies, stems removed
• vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 3 bay leaves, fresh or dried
• 2, 3-inch long cinnamon sticks
• 2 pounds chopped chicken breast
• salt, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• handful chopped, fresh cilantro
• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 12 - 15 fresh curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar or to taste
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Method:

Wash the dal a few times in a small bowl until water runs relatively clear; add 3 cups water and bring dal to a boil over medium-high heat, uncovered. Skim off any foam that forms on the surface. Lower the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the split peas are partially tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tamarind water.

While the split peas are cooking, combing the onion, garlic, ginger, and green chilies in a food processor and process until minced.

Heat about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle in the cumin seeds, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks and cook until they sizzle, about 10 - 15 seconds. Add the onion-chili blend and stir-fry until the onion mixture turns light brown, 3 - 5 minutes. Sprinkle in salt and turmeric.

Throw the chicken pieces in with the onion-chili paste adding the vinegar and sugar and cook until chicken turns light brown, about 2 - 4 minutes. Pour in the split peas with their cooking water and heat to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the meat is cooked and desired texture is reached. Stir in cilantro.

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mustard seeds, cover skillet, and cook until the seeds have stopped popping, about 30-seconds. Remove the skillet and throw in the curry leaves. Pour this oil over the chicken curry, stir once or twice and serve.

~ "What other people think about me is not my business." - Michael J. Fox ~

Thanksgiving 2010

Got some turkey, baked macaroni & cheese, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes & gravy, sweet potatoes, glazed carrots, cranberry sauce, salad, bread, pumpkin pie and pecan pie.

First time making a turkey... Not the most exciting thing to cook.

I enjoyed making my own crust instead of buying one :)

Turned out perfect!

Pecan Pie... I've been waiting for this baby over a year!

"It has been an unchallengeable American doctrine that cranberry sauce, a pink goo with overtones of sugared tomatoes, is a delectable necessity of the Thanksgiving board and that turkey is uneatable without it. ~Alistair Cooke"

"Thanksgiving is America's national chow-down feast, the one occasion each year when gluttony becomes a patriotic duty. ~Michael Dresser"

"The funny thing about Thanksgiving, or any huge meal, is that you spend 12 hours shopping for it and then chopping and cooking and braising and blanching. Then it takes 20 minutes to eat it and everybody sort of sits around in a food coma, and then it takes four hours to clean it up. ~Ted Allen"

"I love Thanksgiving turkey. It's the only time in Los Angeles that you see natural breasts. ~Arnold Schwarzenegger"

Happy Thanksgiving, Friends :)

Asian Inspired Salmon & Broccoli Bake

I'm still looking forward to improving the pics for my blog... This one just really isn't working for me.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup juice from 1 can mandarine oranges
• 2 salmon fillets, sliced in 1 inch strips
• 1 small head broccoli, washed and separated, removing thickest stem
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1/2 inch chunk fresh ginger, grated
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced onion
• couple tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Method:

Preaheat oven to 350ºF and spray a baking dish with oil. Combine the juice, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sriracha sauce, lime juice, fresh ginger, garlic and onion in a bowl. Place the broccoli and salmon in the baking dish and pour sauce over top. Sprinkle with cilantro and bake, covered, for about 30 minutes, making sure the salmon flakes with a fork. Enjoy with some fried rice and the reserved mandarine oranges.

~ "Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." ~

Curried Rice, Baked Curry Chicken & Bell Pepper Apple Salad

This Curried Rice and Bell Pepper Salad were inspired by a couple recipes I found in the Penzey's spice catalog. If you haven't heard of or tried Penzey's spices, I encourage you to do so! It's high quality, the prices are extremely competitive, and the selection is great. I do a large order about twice a year. They add new spices and mixes on a regular basis, and tend to throw a free spice in with each order. It's always nice to get the new catalog and read through all the recipes, and they also have a magazine. Here's a couple recipes adapted from the catalogs along with a Baked Chicken I threw together to go along...

Curried Rice:

• 2 - 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 cup frozen peas (recipe called for 1 carrot, diced)
• 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seed
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 2 teaspoons biryani masala (recipe called for Penzey's Maharajah Curry Powder, I didn't have this so I did the biryani along with a pinch of saffron)
• pinch of saffron
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder (recipe called for whole cumin)
• 1/4 teaspoon kala jeera
• 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed and soaked
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock

Heat vegetable oil over medium heat in large skillet. Add the onion and cook 3 - 4 minutes. Add the mustard seeds and cook until they begin to pop. When seeds begin to pop, add the brown sugar and spices. Cook for a couple minutes, stirring constantly. Add the rice and cook for about a minute. Add the nuts and stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed. If the rice doesn't seem cooked near this point, add a bit more water to finish. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork.

Baked Curry Chicken:

• 2 - 3 whole chicken breasts
• 1 small onion, chunked
• 1 tomato, chunked
• 1/2 cup cream or half & half
• 1 inch chunk fresh ginger, cut into smaller pieces
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon clove powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cardamom powder
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• salt, to taste
• 1 teaspoon garam masala

Preheat oven to 400ºF and place chicken in a baking dish with a lid. In a food processor, grind together the remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Bake for 45 - 50 minutes, covered, until chicken is cooked through.

Bell Pepper Apple Salad:

• 1 bell pepper (any color) sliced into think strips (recipe called for 2 carrots grated)
• 1 tart apple, peeled and grated (recipe called for 1/2 cucumber grated)
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• salt to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon chaat masala (recipe called for 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper)
• cilantro to garnish

Toss together all the ingredients except cilantro and refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with cilantro.

It's been said that we create our own happiness... that it is simply a decision we make or a state of mind... But there are those of us who are unable to find that state of mind regardless of what decision we've made. We search for that perfect balance, and until that balance is found, "living" is nearly impossible.

I've found that, regardless of my circumstances, there is always going to be something missing. My inability to focus on the moment because I cannot let go of what is missing is crushing. It's a trade-off ... One need leads to another creating a seemingly endless void. I do not see a solution and feel I must make peace with this part of me.

"Finding happiness is like finding yourself. You don't find happiness, you make happiness. You choose happiness. Self-actualization is a process of discovering who you are, who you want to be and paving the way to happiness by doing what brings YOU the most meaning and contentment to your life over the long run." - David Leonhardt

...

I won't change or define myself according to the culture or ethnicity of who I am with... I don't feel the need or desire to change who I am to fit into what someone else deems acceptable and I would never expect that in return... It's OK to be different, there's value in accepting yourself as you are and doing the same for someone else... Hopefully, if you stop focusing on your differences, you will find the more meaningful things that you have in common and these are the things you need to hang on to... This creates the necessary independence where needed, and the closeness where It's most important.

Very Excited About This...

Learn Food Photography Blog... Hopefully this can help me improve my food pics!

Super Easy No-Bake Nachos

Try this for some really easy, super tasty, semi-homemade nachos...

You'll need:

• corn/tortilla chips (I used yellow and black corn)
• ground beef/chicken/or boca (recipe below)
• cheese sauce (recipe below)
• guacamole (make it easy, use a powder mix and add it to mashed avocados, tastes great!)
• salsa (again, make it easy and use a powder mix added to chopped tomatoes)
• sliced jalapenos
  
• lettuce, chopped

For ground beef/chicken/or boca:

You can use a pack of taco seasoning mix or you can add salt, pepper, chilli powder and cumin powder to taste. I like to cook a pound of ground beef or boca with 1/2 cup water to make it the right texture. Try different seasonings and spices to find a taste you like.

For cheese sauce:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 1 cup milk
• 2 ounces cream cheese
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon paprika

Melt butter and whisk in cornstarch. Add milk and cream cheese until cream cheese melts. Add cheddar cheese until melted. Whisk in paprika and hot sauce until creamy.

Lay chips out evenly onto plates. Cover each chip with a jalapeno. Spoon some meat/boca mixture onto each chip. Next, pour some cheese over the chips. Repeat this process to get two or three layers on the plate. Top this with the salsa and lettuce, and serve guacamole on the side.

~ "Dense, unenlightened people are notoriously confident that they have the monopoly on truth." - Joshua Loth Liebman ~