Category: Food

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PB&J Day Treat: Peanut Butter and Apple Jelly Sandwich

It’s National Peanut Butter & Jelly Day and I was compelled to celebrate by making a twist on one of my favorite sandwiches. I love spreading peanut butter on apple slices, so I tried to duplicate that flavor with a sandwich made with organic whole wheat toast, plain chunky peanut butter (just peanuts and salt), and homemade apple “jelly.”

The jelly I made is more of a compote, concocted by blending a peeled and chopped apple, the juice of half a tangerine, zest from the same tangerine, a pinch of cinnamon, and a teaspoon of honey. On low heat, I cooked the apple and juice for several minutes until the apple pieces became slightly softened, then I added the honey and let it cool. I used a hand blender to give the apple mixture a slightly smooth, slightly chunky consistency (a few pulses away from apple sauce). Peanut butter on one side, apple compote on the other, sliced in half, devoured. Yum.

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Lemon Risotto with Shrimp and Pea Sprouts

I adapted the Alice Waters recipe for risotto bianco from “The Art of Simple Food” for this, by using olive oil instead of butter and homemade vegetable stock instead of chicken stock (the red cabbage from this batch of vegetable stock gave it a light pink color). While I stirred the risotto, Mr. MVP squeezed the juice from half a lemon on 1/2 pound of shrimp and seasoned them with salt, pepper, and paprika. Then he tossed the shrimp in a saute pan with 1/4 cup of vegetable stock and one tablespoon of olive oil until liquid was reduced and the shrimp were cooked. Final step: I added the zest from one lemon to the risotto before serving with the shrimp and pea sprouts on top.  Yum.

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Almond Milk Hot Chocolate

For a friend’s barbecue on a cool Los Angeles evening, I brought ingredients for almond milk hot chocolate for us to sip by the fire pit. I make my chocolate milk with dark chocolate, cocoa powder, and almond milk. Preparing it couldn’t be easier: I add pieces of a chocolate bar (70%), unsweetened cocoa powder, and a dash of salt to unsweetened almond milk in a saucepan, then stir occasionally with a whisk on medium heat until blended and hot (but not boiling). Measurements? I usually make one or two cups at a time and use 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder and a few pieces of chocolate. Honey, agave nectar, or sugar can be added for sweetness. Our friends Kristine and Dan had marshmallows for toasting by the fire and a few of us added one (or two) to our hot chocolate milk mugs. Yum.

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Thanksgiving: Farmers’ Market Pics

Photos taken at the Santa Monica Farmers’ Market on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite day to go: always crowded and full of people picking out fresh produce for their Thanksgiving feasts. I love to overhear conversations with shoppers and vendors talking about what they’re making and sharing tips and wishes for a good holiday. The “go organic or go home” apple vendor from Paso Robles gave me the tip a few years ago to use some Pink Lady apples with Granny Smith ones when making apple pie.

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Santa Ynez Discovery: The Garlic Guy

On a trip to Santa Ynez Valley last weekend, we happened up the farm stand of the Garlic Guy. Poul Palmer has his stand in Los Olivos on Grand Avenue, the main strip with numerous wine tasting rooms. Poul said he has grown 100 varieties of garlic and we tasted a few. Yes, tasting garlic. I asked for a good garlic for making a marinara sauce and he said he was sold out of the first varieties he would ordinarily recommend. Then he peeled back a clove for me of the Rose de Lautrec and I sniffed it, then timidly touched my tongue to it. Woweee, that was good and strong. Sold. Then Mr. MVP came over and asked for a taste and he less timidly took a bite out of a Burgundy clove.
In addition to numerous varieties of garlic, he also sold salsa boxes. The box contained four heirloom tomatoes, two jalapeno peppers, two bulbs of garlic, and one onion. How perfect: simply chop up the ingredients and you’ve got yourself a pico de gallo. A traditional pico de gallo doesn’t call for garlic, but this was coming to us from the Garlic Guy, so we couldn’t resist. A dash of salt and fresh pepper, plus a squeeze of lime to finish it off, and it was all set. Yum.
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Leftovers Recipe: Grown-Up Sloppy Joe Sandwiches

Original Meal:
Mixed grill with baby back ribs, flank steak, plus pasta and salad sides

Leftovers: 
Grilled flank steak

Leftovers Meal:
Grown-up sloppy joe sandwiches

Making the sloppy joe stew: Chop a whole onion and a few cloves of garlic and saute in olive oil in a large stainless pot. Dice the steak and add it to the pot with a can of whole tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, and salt and pepper. Simmer on low heat for 3-4 hours. Serve on baguette. Enjoy.

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Love and Good Food

“Food is love” was something my grandmother liked to say (before, after, or during meals). I think she would have liked this message as well. Photo taken at Oscar’s Cerveteca in Venice Beach, CA.

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Leftovers Recipe: Burger Salad

Yesterday’s meal: Burger and hot dogs, with side salads

Leftovers: A couple of burgers and a part of a sliced tomato

Today’s leftovers meal: Burger salad

This one is super-easy. Greens, tomato, sliced pickles, crumbled up burger. Dressing for the salad is blended mayonnaise, ketchup, salt and pepper (with a bit of pickle juice).

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Leftovers Recipe: Caprese Pasta

We picked up some beautiful heirloom tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese to make caprese salad the other night, using fresh basil leaves from the garden. But we made too much and I put the leftovers in the fridge.
Yesterday:
Caprese salad
Leftovers:
A couple of slices of tomato and mozzarella
Today’s Leftovers Meal:
Pasta with caprese
Pasta with Caprese
Pasta of your choice
Mozzarella
Tomatoes
Basil
Olive Oil
Garlic
Salt and pepper
Saute a few cloves of chopped garlic in olive oil. Add al dente pasta and the chopped tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Enjoy.