Soft Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yields About 3 dozen mini cookies

2. Ingredients

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 TBSP butter, softened
• 2 TBSP sugar
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1. Combine flour, salt baking soda and baking powder in a small bowl.  Set aside.
2. Using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer, cream butter, sugars together until light and fluffy.  Add egg and vanilla.  Continue to beat until well incorporated.
3. Add dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon.  Once well mixed, add chocolate chips.
4. Drop about 1/2 tsp of batter onto parchment lined baking sheets.
5. Refrigerate for a bout 10 minutes
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 6-8 minutes, just until pale brown

Modified from http://diethood.com/soft-mini-chocolate-chip-cookies/#BCRrA3QkAW8ZD3or.99

Fudgy Nutella Brownies

These should look under-done to have that fudge, gooey texture.

Recipe from: http://www.bunsinmyoven.com/2013/01/03/nutella-brownies/

Makes 1 8X8 pan, double recipe for 9X13 pan

INGREDIENTS:

1 stick of butter

10 TBSP sugar

1/4 cup Nutella

2 large eggs

10 TBSP cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon espresso powder, optional

2 teaspoons vanilla

10 TBSP flour

DIRECTIONS:

Butter a 9×13 glass baking dish.

In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in sugar and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not allow sugar mixture to boil.

Remove from the heat and stir in the Nutella until well combined.

Pour butter mixture into a large bowl, beat in cocoa powder, eggs, salt, baking powder, espresso powder, and vanilla extract.

Mix until well combined. Stir in the flour until just combined. Spread into prepared pan (batter will be very thick and sticky) and bake for about 30 minutes, until a tester comes out mostly clean. The edges should be set and the center should still look slightly moist, but not uncooked. Cool on a wire rack.

Pumpkin Carving with Our Little Pumpkins

It’s that time of year where all of us in Southern California pretends that it feels like fall andante our autumn festivities going!  Actually, on the day we held our 2nd Annual Pumpkin Carving Party, it rain just enough to wet the ground, so pretty close to fall weather!  I was working the day of the party, so decided to keep it simple with ready-made dessert and take-out pizza.

Halloween Pumpkin Carving Party:  Sunday October 30th 4:30-6:30

Adults:  24    Kids:  16

Supplies and Set-up:

• 2 rectangled tables, 2 square tables, covered with plastic table cloth and newspaper
• 6 pumpkin carvers, plus 1 deluxe set, 3 pumpkin scrapers, 2 kids brought their own.  Would buy at least 12 total
• Stickers
• Markers
• Trash cans
• Lighter and tea lights

Food:

• 6 extra large pizzas cut into 16 pieces each
• Water, juice and beer
• Snack bowl with pretzels, popcorn, goldfish
• Cuties
• Cute pumpkin-themed desserts from TJs-macarons, chocolate mouse cake shaped as pumpkins, pumpkin-shaped chocolates, mini pumpkin pies, pumpkin chai cake (too sweet!) and cupcakes for the kids.

Pork Satay and Peanut Sauce

SATAY MARINADE

• 2 pound country spareribs cut into  thin strips
• about 6 oz coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon red curry paste
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• few stalks lemongrass, smashed
• half bunch cilantro stems, smashed

1. Marinate for a few hours, then thread pork onto small bamboo skewers that have been soaked for at least 30 minutes
2. Grill over medium heat

 

 

SAUCE

• about 6 oz coconut milk
• 1 heaping tablespoonful red curry paste
• 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• fish sauce to taste
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/4 cup water

1. Over a medium flame, stir the ingredients together in a small saucepan, cook until smooth.  Adjust seasoning to taste

Thai Chili Sauce

From the shesimmers blog: http://shesimmers.com/2011/03/thai-three-flavored-sauce-newbie.html

• 40 g red chilies (about 20 bird’s eye chilies or 3 large red jalapeño peppers), finely chopped
• 40 g peeled garlic (about 10 large cloves), finely chopped
• 40 g peeled shallots (2 large), finely chopped
• 20 g finely chopped cilantro roots or stems (about 1/2 cup, packed)
  (The above ingredients can be pulsed to a coarse paste in a food processor.)
• 150 g palm sugar, chopped (about 1 cup, packed)
• 4 fluid ounces water (1/2 cup)
• 70 g brown sugar (1/3 cup, packed)
  2.5 fluid ounces fish sauce (1/3 cup)
• 2.5 fluid ounces tamarind pulp (1/3 cup)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

 

1. In a medium saucepan, fry the garlic-shallot-cilantro-chili paste in the vegetable oil over medium-high heat just until fragrant.
2. Add the remaining ingredients to the saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat to maintain a simmer.
3. Reduce the sauce down to about 1 1/2 cups; remove from heat. The sauce will thicken up slightly upon cooling.
4. Store the cooled sauce in a glass jar and refrigerate or freeze.

Weeknight Pork Chops

• thin-cut bone-in pork chops
• oyster sauce
• soy sauce
• garlic powder
• pepper
• agave syrup or brown sugar

Mix the sauce together in a small bowl.  The taste should be salty with just a hint of sweetness.

Add oil to a flat-bottomed pan and heat on medium.

Brush half of the the sauce on one side of the pork chops, then sprinkle pepper over the chops evenly.

Place the seasoned side down on the pan and allow to cook.  Once the chop is a light brown color, turn up the heat to create a sear.

Turn the chops over and brush on the remaining sauce.  Continue to cook until they are done.

 

Ah Ma’s Fried Rice

Every family and cook has their own version of fried rice.  I loved my mom’s fried rice which has a different flavor profile than most fried rices I have had at restaurants.  She used to make it for lunch on the weekends, most commonly.  She would make some substitutions here and there, but her quintessential fried rice always had 1) broccoli  2)Chinese sausage  and pork 3) dried shiitake mushrooms  4) green onions.  If any of those are missing, it is not my mom’s version.  Almost always, pork was added and often times, my mom would also have dried shrimp in the mix, but I don’t consider these mandatory ingredients. My mom said that this is actually her mother’s version, which is why it is called ‘Ah Ma’s’ fried rice.

I’ve changed up the ingredient list a bit, but it still has the three ingredients that makes it taste like home to me.

• 2 cups cooked brown jasmine rice (day old rice preferred to freshly cooked)
• half small stalk broccoli, chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 zucchini, chopped into small pieces*
• 2 large handfuls of fresh spinach, chiffonade*
• 6-8 medium dried shitake mushrooms, rehydrate and chopped into small pieces
• 2 small Chinese sausages, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
• 3 oz fresh pork, sliced into small pieces
• handful cooked shrimp* or 1 tbsp small dried shrimp, rehydrated
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed in a mortar and pestle
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2-3 green onions, sliced
• soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste

*ingredients not included in my mom’s traditional version

1. In a large flat bottomed pan, add oil and saute sausage and pork on medium heat.  Cook until fat has rendered
2. Add garlic and veggies. If using, add dried shrimp too.  Season with say sauce to taste
3. Once veggies are cooked, remove from pan
4. Add more oil to the pan and scramble the eggs, adding salt to taste.  Remove from pan once cooked
5. Add more oil, turn up the heat, then add the rice and green onions, stirring constantly, adding soy sauce to taste
6. Once the rice and soy sauce is well combined, add the cooked shrimp and the rest of the cooked ingredients.  Stir to combine.  Add pepper (but not too much) to taste

Here’s another variation that is a little bit more heavy on the veggies and plant protein:

• 2 cups brown rice
• 3/4 cup quinoa
• garlic
• fresh shitake mushrooms
• baby broccoli, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
• 1 Chinese sausage
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 green onions
• handful of green peas

 

No-Cream Mushroom Soup

Little S loves mushrooms, so this was a hit!  We actually used it as a sauce for store bought mushroom ravioli.  Great Meatless Monday meal.

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced
• 8 oz baby bella mushrooms, thickly sliced
• 4 oz Japanese shemeji mushrooms
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tbsp flour
• 3 cups low sodium chicken stock

1. Add 2 tbsp butter to a medium pot and heat on medium
2. Once melted, add onions and cook until softened, about 7 minutes
3. Add remaining butter and oil.  Add garlic, thyme and mushrooms.  Cook until mushrooms are soft, stirring often.  Do not allow onions to burn.
4. Sprinkle flour and stir to cook
5. Add chicken broth and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.
6. Take soup off the heat.  Remove some of the mushrooms for garnish.  Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

 

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Tasty served warm or room temp, this is a great alternative to sandwiches for a picnic.  I made these for the summer concert in the park series.  The main flavors come from the garlic and oyster sauce.  The water chestnuts and pine nuts add a crunch.  This can be an appetizer if served without the rice.

Chicken Filling

• 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, minced
• 4 cloves minced garlic
• 1 can whole water chestnuts, drained and coarsely chopped
• 1 small zucchini, chopped
• 3 green onions, chopped
• oyster sauce to taste
• fish sauce to taste
• 3 tablespoons pine nuts
• cilantro, chopped

1. Heat pan and add a few swirls of oil.  Add garlic and cook till fragrant, but not browned.
2. Add chicken, oyster sauce and fish sauce until chicken is no longer pink on outside
3. Add zucchini and continue to cook till zucchini is tender
4. Add pine nuts, water chestnuts till warmed through
5. Take off heat and add green onions and cilantro

Serve with steamed white rice rolled in butter lettuce leaves

Mahi Mahi Salad with Ginger Soy Dressing

Made this for me and my dad

Mahi Mahi Basting Sauce:

• Sesame Oil
• Agave Syrup
• Rice Vinegar
• Garlic Powder
• Soy Sauce

Combine ingredients in a small bowl.  Baste first side of the fish, then place fish basted side down in a skillet over med-high heat.  Baste the top side. Turn after 5 minutes and once first side is browned.  Continue cooking and basting till completely cooked (about 10 minutes)

Dressing:

• Sesame Oil
• Grated Ginger
• Lime Juice
• Mustard
• Agave Syrup
• Soy Sauce
• Pepper