Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24: Wasting Not, Wanting Not & Giving Thanks

My submission for Foodbuzz's 24, 24, 24 challenge was to create an elegant four-course dinner for our family using only Thanksgiving leftovers and what was in the pantry inventory. The reward? Donating the $250 stipend for the challenge to Share Our Strength, an organization dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America. The cost to us? $0.

In these tough economic times, the holidays can be trying for families all across the world. Our idea was to emphasize what you can eat without spending any more money. Using leftovers or pantry stock doesn't necessarily imply creating another boring everything-but-the-kitchen-sink casserole. With a dash of creativity and a pinch of inspiration, you can make nutritious and elegant meals out of ingredients you might have thrown away.

To minimize waste is to have a successful kitchen and a savvy household. Inspiring families around the world to take a second look at the fridge before they purchase more food means money saved, or at least money spent in other ways (charity for example). Those starting with very little are well aware of the need to wring every cent from each dollar. For those of us with a little extra, being aware of our spending and reducing waste means you have more to give.





Originally, The Snacking Chef and I were going to cooperate on this challenge, but she had a nasty stomach virus, so I made her stay home.. :( .ЯR. and I started by taking stock of everything we had in our kitchen pantry, refrigerator, and freezer, and made a list. Granted, we cook a lot so we have a consistent stock of staples as well as frozen meats and fresh vegetables, but in the end, most of the ingredients came from our Thanksgiving leftovers! Keep in mind this is something you can do at any time of the year. If you do most of your cooking on the weekend, take inventory on Sunday and plan your weekday menu using up the half head of romaine, the handful of nuts leftover from a party, and the few slices of ham that can be made into hors d'oeuvres. The possibilities and the savings are endless once you begin!

Note: All recipes located at bottom of post!

We began our night with a Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese, Dried Berries + Walnuts tossed with a simple white balsamic vinaigrette. We had just enough spinach for two small plates! The dried cranberries and pomegranate seeds added a fruity contrast to the creamy shard of blue cheese and simple spiced walnuts. I almost threw the walnuts we had away, since they were getting stale and there was only a trivial amount. Once toasted and tossed with cayenne, sugar and salt they emerged perfect for adding crunch and a sweet kick!

Our second plate is an obvious Thanksgiving resurrection with a distinctive twist, King Oyster Mushrooms, Cornbread Stuffing and Gravy. I couldn't resist buying the mushrooms at the farmer's market, even though they had absolutely no place in my Thanksgiving menu. I knew I'd find the right home for them, and sure enough, this was it. We re-warmed our cornbread stuffing, lightly formed it using a circular cutter, and garnished it with slices of king oyster mushrooms sauteed in butter. Drizzled around the edges is the last bit of gravy that almost met the trash the day before. Taste? Exceptional!!

Our main dish was a hearty Tortellini and Vegetable Soup. The star of our Thanksgiving menu was Cornbread Stuffed Game Hens wrapped with Prosciutto, leaving us with one lonely hen leftover. ЯR. got to work picking the meat off and shredding it, while I scoured the refrigerator for every usable vegetable we had! Brussels sprouts, sun-dried tomatoes, shallots, garlic, celery, parsnip, everything found a place in our soup! We even had a use-or-get-trashed package of cheese tortellini that made the cut. This soup is ready in half an hour, is chock full of nutritious vegetables and makes enough for 6-8. We really prefer using chicken sausage to shredded meat, but hen is what we had, so in it went!

At last, we reached the dessert course! After such a feast, we hardly needed dessert, yet we made it and ate it with joy. All the Thanksgiving profiteroles were eaten that night, but they are so easy to make that I made them again! A touch of flour, butter, milk, sugar and salt is all you need to create these beautiful pastry puffs that can be used for either sweet or savory endeavors. The fillings are limited only by your imagination, but I had leftover ricotta and a long-lingering bag of frozen blueberries. ЯR. manned the sauce while I handled the pastry and together we made Lemon-Ricotta Profiteroles with Blueberry-Cabernet Sauce. Incredible, and exceptionally easy to replicate, they also go fantastically with leftover ice cream and of chocolate sauce.

Thank you, Foodbuzz, for giving us this opportunity to demonstrate how day-old food can be transformed into a delectable multi-course meal! No child should go hungry, regardless of the time of year. We are honored to donate the full $250 from Foodbuzz to Share Our Strength. We are grateful for organizations such as S.O.S. for giving children the food they need to survive and thrive.

Spinach Salad with Blue Cheese, Dried Berries and Spiced Walnuts

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups washed baby spinach
• handful of dried cranberries (we used mixed cranberries and pomegranate seeds)
• 2 sliced Castello blue cheese
• handful of walnuts
• pinch each of salt, sugar and cayenne
• 1/4 tsp water
• 1/2 small shallot, shaved or thinly sliced
• 2 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. In small bowl, whisk balsamic vinegar and oil to taste. Add shallot and stir to combine. Set aside.
2. In small pan over medium heat, mix nuts with cayenne, sugar, salt & water. Toast 5-8 minutes.
3. Toss spinach with shallots & vinaigrette.
4. Plate spinach, top with shard of blue cheese, spiced nuts and dried berries.
5. Finish with cracked pepper. Serve.

King Oyster Mushrooms, Cornbread Stuffing and Gravy

Serves 2
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup day old stuffing
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 large King Oyster Mushrooms, thickly sliced (any mushroom will do)
• leftover gravy (need about 1/4-1/2 cup)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Break stuffing up and toss in small pan with 1 Tbsp butter. Rewarm over medium-low heat.
2. Rewarm gravy in pan.
3. Add remaining 1 Tbsp butter in pan and saute mushrooms until golden on each side.
4. Using a large cookie cutter or ring mold, gently press stuffing into circular shape.
5. Top with sauteed mushrooms. Drizzle sauce around plate. Serve.

Tortellini and Vegetable Soup

Serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 shallots, minced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 large parsnip, chopped into quarter sized pieces
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 tsp each (add more if necessary): red chili flakes, oregano, and basil
• 12-16 brussels sprouts, halved or if small, leave whole
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes
• 1 cup shredded, cooked game hen (we prefer using 1 lb chicken sausage, cook first)
• 1 package small cheese tortellini
• few day old crusty baguette (to toast and serve alongside for dipping)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Saute onions, garlic and celery in 1 Tbsp butter in large pot until fragrant, 2-3 minutes.
2. Add parsnip, chicken broth, and spices. Bring to a boil and simmer until parsnip is tender, 5-10 minutes.
3. Add sun dried tomatoes, shredded hen and brussels sprouts, simmer 10 minutes.
4. Add tortellini and simmer until tortellini are tender.
5. Ladle into bowls and serve!

Lemon-Ricotta Profiteroles with Blueberry-Cabernet Sauce
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 3/4 tsp sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 1/2 whole eggs (measure out 1 beaten egg, use roughly half)
• 1/2 egg yolk (roughly)
• 1 whole egg for brushing top of pastry
• ricotta cheese
• lemon zest from one lemon
• 1-2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• splash of Cabernet Sauvignon (we had one open)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 425'. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In small pan, bring milk, water, sugar, salt and butter to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly.
3. Stir in flour, mixing until it becomes a cohesive wet dough. Transfer dough to mixer and beat for 3 minutes on medium to cool.
4. Add beaten eggs in two parts, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Mix in egg yolk half and beat again until well combined.
5. Scoop even size balls on to parchment paper. Smooth tops with a wet finger and brush with beaten egg.
6. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, rotating tray half way through if you have hot spots in your oven.
7. Reduce heat to 375' and bake 15 more minutes. Rotate tray and reduce heat to 325' for the last 10 minutes of cooking. At this point they should be golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. If not hollow sounding, continue to bake reducing the heat as necessary.
8. Set on counter and keep at room temperature.
9. To make the filling, whisk ricotta, sugar and lemon zest. Set aside.
10. To make sauce, warm blueberries in a pan with 1 Tbsp sugar over medium, about 10 minutes. Add splash of cabernet sauvignon and stir thoroughly. Allow to simmer until most of the alcohol has burnt off. Adjust sugar as necessary.
11. Puree with immersion blender. Push through a sieve to strain.
12. To serve, halve each profiterole and fill airy center with ricotta, place top half back on. Drizzle with sauce. Serve.

Old World Pizza

I am not a Friday girl. If anything, I'm a Saturday girl. Friday afternoon, I come home fairly spent from my week. Between work, the early morning alarm clock, rigorous daily exercise, and just generally trying to cram too much activity into 24 too-short hours, I am virtually always in motion. To compensate, I made a pact with myself that Friday nights are for cooking easy meals: dishes that don't require more brain activity that just tossing a few choice ingredients together and enjoying a glass of wine.

This particular Friday, our culinary inspiration was Bonny Doon's 2008 Ca' del Solo Albarino, a bright, crisp white wine. For those of you new to Albarino it is a refreshing, light, acidic Galician (northwest Spain) white that I was fortunate to taste at the Foodbuzz Festival's Outstanding in the Field dinner. It is well worth the $20 price tag and I will reserve a few spots for it in my wine rack.

This quasi-Spanish meal started with Spanish-styled wine and a salad course served with Spanish blue cheese souffles, followed by the old world pizza. I realize that pizza is not Spanish, but I wanted something simple that could use the ingredients commonly found in paella: sausage, roasted red peppers, pine nuts, olives, onions, and garlic. We found a beautiful chunk of Manchego cheese (a semi-firm sheep's milk cheese with a nutty slightly salty taste) to grate on our pizza. The combination of flavors is beautiful: buttery green olives, toasted pine nuts, sweet caramelized onions, and spicy sausage create a pizza fit for a bold palate. It was Friday and I wasn't going to make dough in a hurry, so we used Trader Joe's pizza dough. Buen Provecho!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 bag of Trader Joe's pizza dough
• 1 lb spicy chicken or pork sausage
• 1 jar roasted red peppers
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced
• butter, olive oil, salt & pepper
• dash Worcestershire sauce
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• handful of pine nuts
• large handful of green olives (we LOVE Mezzetta's Castelvetrano olives)
• 1 cup grated Manchego cheese

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 475' with pizza stone on middle rack.
2. Remove sausage from casing and crumble into a pan over high heat, saute until cooked through and lightly browned. Remove from pan and place in bowl lined with paper towels to absorb excess grease.
3. In large pan, melt 1 Tbsp butter with dash of olive oil. Heat to medium high heat.
4. Add onions and saute until golden and caramelized about 15-20 minutes.
5. Add a dash of Worcestershire sauce and cook, stirring, until evaporated 1-2 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and set aside.
7. Pit and halve olives.
8. Drain & chop roasted peppers.
9. Remove pizza stone from oven and set on a trivet. It will be VERY hot.
10. Roll pizza dough out on a floured counter or cutting board until approximately the size of the pizza stone.
11. Carefully place dough on stone and lightly stretch to fit the stone. It will somewhat 'adhere' to the stone as you set it down.
12. Quickly brush dough with a touch of olive oil, scatter with chopped garlic and half of manchego.
13. Top with roasted peppers, onions, sausage, rest of manchego, then scatter with olives and pine nuts.
14. Carefully place stone with pizza back in oven and bake until crust is golden and puffy about 8-10 minutes.
15. Remove, slice and enjoy!

Blue Cheese Souffle with Mixed Greens & Pears

Salad greens. Chopped produce. Whisk dressing. Toss. Top with Cheese.

Serve. Rinse. Repeat.

Sound like any salad you know? Sounds like every salad I know. I'm a big fan of simple salads, but sometimes it can be a stretch to craft something distinctive. We combined a mold-laced Spanish Cabrales, bursting with cavernous flavor, with the wispy fluff of a souffle, baked to golden perfection and served it alongside a simple mixed green salad with spiced walnuts and chopped pears.

From the first bite, the souffle dissolves on your tongue with a light creaminess. The cheese's pungent flavor is more inhaled, or smelled through the mouth than the nose. A bite of salad, dressed in aged balsamic vinegar and a touch of nut oil cleanses the palate, while the clean, crisp flavor of the pear pairs perfectly with the lingering taste of souffle. Cayenne-spiced walnuts accent the salad resulting in a seamless balance between all five basic tastes.

It's simple, elegant, and guaranteed to please the palate as much as the eye.

Recipe modified from this one:

Makes 6 (can be cut in thirds to serve 2)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 6 ounces Cabrales or Maytag blue cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup packed)
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
• 1 tsp+ water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Large pinch of cayenne pepper
• Large pinch of coarse kosher salt

• 1 1/2 tablespoons walnut oil or pistachio oil (can use olive if need be)
• 2 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
• Bunch of mixed greens
• 1 ripe Asian pear, thinly sliced or chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter six 3/4-cup soufflé dishes or custard cups. Dust with flour; shake out excess. Place dishes on baking sheet.
2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium saucepan over medium heat.
3. Add 1/4 cup flour; whisk 1 minute. Gradually add milk and whisk until mixture is thick and smooth, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
4. Add cheese and whisk until melted and smooth. Whisk in egg yolks, pepper, and kosher salt.
5. Cool soufflé base 15 minutes.
6. Using electric mixer, beat egg whites in medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into soufflé base in 2 additions (mixture will be runny).
7. Divide soufflé among prepared dishes.
8. Bake until soufflés are slightly puffed and golden on top, about 35 minutes.
9. Combine walnuts, 1 tablespoon water, sugar, cayenne, and kosher salt in small nonstick skillet.
10. Stir over medium heat until water evaporates and nuts are dry and golden, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat; cool. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)
11. Whisk olive oil, vegetable oil, and vinegar in small bowl to blend. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.
12. Place greens in a large bowl, slowly add dressing and toss, tasting to make sure you don't overdress. You may not need all the dressing!
13. Plate the salad, place the ramekin beside it. Garnish salad with pears & walnuts.

A Return to The Marketplace

This article was published on The Daring Kitchen front page a few months ago. This topic is a passion of mine and although not everyone is able to procure fresh fruit in the winter seasons, consider shopping from local sources for other items, gifts and crafts.

Mass production and over-incorporation in the food industry has been a hot topic for a number of recent films, books, and articles. Most people buy virtually all their food products from big-box retail chains like Target, Wal-Mart, and K-Mart, or grocery giants like Ralph’s, Albertson's, and Vons. Meat comes from a place resembling more a factory than a farm; produce is plucked prematurely from the vine and chemically ripened in warehouses; the majority of our grain products are so convoluted with enriched ingredients that they hardly resemble the original grain. Consumers and (more specifically) chefs, foodies, and home cooks are increasingly aware of the growing distance between the farm and the dining table. The problem is known, but the solution is rarely discussed. In a world where free time is minimized as we juggle children, jobs, social activities, and housekeeping, it appears efficient and cost-effective to make a single stop a week to purchase groceries at a store that carries nearly everything.

As consumers, we are completely separated from our food. The meat we buy is processed and packaged until it no longer resembles a living animal and monumental fruit pyramids, skins waxed to a high sheen, tempt our eyes in the produce section. How much food we can buy for how little money has consumed us so severely that we have forgotten completely how our food should taste. Something fundamental has been lost when the most important features of our food are its value and appearance. A return to buying locally would provide the consumer with higher quality ingredients, and bring us back to the concept of community, fostering the creation of strong neighborhoods and a healthy local economy.

Being in touch with your food means just that. Buying food, at its heart, is a sensory experience: Imagine the earthy scent of unwashed beets; the succulent feel of a perfectly ripe avocado; the bold color and smell of a strawberry basket at ripeness' peak; the thump from a melon that begs to be put in your shopping cart. All these are personal and subjective, and the modern supermarket doesn't comprehend their subtlety.

The local meat market's butcher will proudly tell you exactly what is best that day, and won’t mislead you into buying something that past its prime merely for the sake of clearing inventory. The fishmonger will sell you fish caught that morning, not a week ago or last month, but that morning. Dealing directly with the owner enables people to purchase a better product by placing the consumer directly into the food supply chain. In the chain grocery store, there are no seasons. Tomatoes, for instance, are sold year-round. Taste an in-season, locally-grown heirloom tomato with seeds spilling from its juicy flesh and compare it to the hard, tasteless, pink tomato found at your chain grocer. Their fruit typically has no smell, and the seafood generally does (not one you'd want), and the meat is full of hormones and dyes. Local markets have less variety, but you get what is freshest, not just what's in demand. The relationships formed between buyer and seller are casual, friendly, and enjoyable. At most of the markets I frequent I am greeted by name and offered a variety of special products, sometimes items that aren’t even on the shelves yet. Over time, a local seller learns your taste and helps you select what suits you best. They endeavor to maintain a high standard because they know you can buy in bulk, probably cheaper, at a one-stop chain market. It may be old-fashioned, but business done in this personal and direct way leaves both parties with a satisfaction foreign to the corporate grocery store. It may mean a few extra stops after work, but hand-selecting the finest products for my home reminds me of the value of local business.

Shopping at small businesses, farms, and markets not only fosters a sense of community, it encourages the local economy. Studies show that for each dollar spent at a small farm or market, the farmer keeps 80 cents instead of forking over half of his profit to middlemen for transport, negotiations, and warehousing. The Andersonville Study of Retail Economics in 2004 illustrated that by spending $100 at a neighborhood business creates $68 in local economic activity, while that same $100 spent at a chain store produces only $43. The small business owner then spends their profits supporting other local businesses, further bolstering the local economy. Small businesses are an excellent source of employment, and tend to treat their employees more gratefully. I may find it inconvenient that the nearby Grower's Ranch closes on Sunday, and the fish market shuts at 6:00 pm daily, but I am pleased to know that they do so on behalf of their employees and their families. A good shopkeeper respects her employees' right to have time off and relax. The Magic Formula applied: Happy Employees = Happy Customers.

For most of us, becoming full-time locavores may not be practical, financially possible, or geographically available. Explorer your area for fish markets, meat markets, and produce stands. Ask around! Word of mouth is a powerful ally. I’ve spent almost thirty years in the same 15-mile radius and recently discovered a meat market and a nearby fish market, both within walking distance, and both by word of mouth. Check online at Sustainable Connections and Local Harvest; find CSA’s (Community Supported Agriculture) online that will ship you local produce weekly; visit your local farmer’s market and bring the kids! It’s a great way to expose the younger generation to real food, and a slower, more personal, and friendlier marketplace. For those who worry about the cost-effectiveness of buying local food, consider the value in the product. Small markets and farm stands have considerably lower overhead than large-scale grocers, and therefore can sell your produce for less. Meat and seafood may be more expensive, but considering the exceptional quality, less truly is more. Explore where you live, be a part of your community, support others who are trying to do what they love for a living, and most importantly have fun and be healthy!

For those of you in the Orange County area, here are some of my favorite places:

• Grower's Ranch: Owner operated for 40 years! Started as a farm stand in the same location, now supplies 100's of local restaurants with the best produce around. The owner also makes insanely good cookies.

• Pearson's Port: The husband fishes, the wife sells the catch! Located in the harbor under the bridge in a rickety little floating shack. One of the few people in the area licensed to catch Spot Prawns.

• Celestino's Meats: Don't let the tiny exterior fool you, these guys know their stuff! They make their own sausages, will cut any special meats for you and have a freezer full of hard to find pre-made stocks and miscellaneous meat related items you may just need.

• Irvine Ranch Market: family owned and operated. Well known for having excellent meats, beautiful desserts and a wide variety of locally made jarred goods (salsas, sauces, etc...)

•  The Dory Fishing Fleet: they catch it between midnight and 2 a.m., you come down there between 7-9 am and buy it!

• OC Farmer's Markets: Not only on Saturdays, they have numerous weekday locations you can stop by on your lunch and pick up fresh fruit, veggies, local honey, tamales, fish, oysters, bread, you name it!

• Foodzie.com: You can search for products made near you! How awesome is that?  Gorgeous handmade chocolates from 20 miles away?  Hot sauce from the next county over? That's all local!
  

Foodbuzz Festival - Saturday Morning

Nothing says 'I had fun last night' like my brain's droning dial tone as it rattles around my skull in its hungover state. Gooooooooooooooood morning, San Francisco! I rolled over and cracked an eye open at Leah and we stumbled back through our evening in search of an accurate night's beer tally. Oh, my aching head. The last thing I recalled was standing (swaying, rather) outside a friend's restaurant discussing our next destination when we made the wise choice to head for the sleepy sanctuary of our hotel. Saturday would be the biggest day of the Foodbuzz Festival and there would be no time for whining about self-inflicted wounds. The sun had risen hours ago and it was time for an overpriced breakfast at the hotel before we headed off to the Farmer's Market.

The cab dumps us out at the Ferry Building and we survey the vast array of activity - this place is buzzing like a giant beehive! A musical trio plays behind a fruit-painted screen; a 10-year-old urchin earns coins showcasing his obvious lack of trumpet lessons; tented street vendors display fresh produce, sizzling meats, and paper-wrapped delectables to a hungry mob of foodies. We enter the Ferry Building and find the Hallway of Eden - neat rows of stores line each side of the walkway, proudly displaying their prettily packaged goods. Cowgirl Creamery, the Got 'Shrooms guy, Olive oil, Boccalone's Tasty Salted Pig Parts (awesome slogan btw!), and on and on...

This morning, we have the good fortune to attend Cowgirl Creamery's Cheese Tasting Seminar. I gasp as I see the tremendous platters of cheese unveiled and strategically placed on the table. Sue Conley, part owner of the Cowgirl Creamery led us through a series of outstanding artisanal cheeses. I am obsessed with all things cheesy and a driving desire to pursue making my own cheese beyond my usual fresh ricotta. I want to craft these beautiful pieces of dairy art! I found her passion inspiring; each stage of the cheese-making process came alive with Sue's excitement and clear descriptions. Each piece of cheese we sampled was unique, delightful and memorable. The Fromage Blanc was fresh and airy on the tongue. The Inverness was a bit more intense, ripened rind cheese with a stronger flavor but still an incredibly creamy texture. The Mt. Tam was simply delicious. A beautiful triple-cream cheese with a firm outer edge and a soft, but not runny center. Divine. Finally, we tried a newer, unreleased cheese that was harder with a pleasant bite and mellow flavor, perfect for daily use. I cannot recall the name. Batch 13?

With bellies full of cheese, we headed to the Metroview where the FoodBuzz folks hosted the Tasting Pavilion - Tasting Palace would be more appropriate! Inside we were handed either a wine glass or a pilsner glass for our taste explorations. More food! More booze! More free gift bags! Why isn't every day like this!? I am going through withdrawal at home; I suffer pangs of hunger and thirst writing this, but I do it for you, dear reader.

Time for some highlights! Gorgeous ceviche appetizers from Fusion (Long Beach). Speaking with the couple behind La Mar's Mendocino Sea Salt (nori salt - yum!). Meeting the kind folks of Frog Hollow Farm. Meeting the man with Hearst Ranch beef (loved the cowboy hat!). Foodzie (representing all things food-oriented and handmade ). Zoe Francois and Jeff Hertzberg who graciously signed and gave us their book Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day. Kerrygold Cheese& Butter! Mission Mini's cupcakes! Bertolli and Nature's Pride demos. There was so much to taste, see, and do! We eventually wound up outside basking in the sunshine like a bunch of over-stuffed sea lions until our Merlot tasting an hour later. I really could have used a nap, but no such luck...

The Merlot tasting was refreshing surprise, as I usually find wine tastings a bit boorish and snooty. Alder Yarrow of Vinography led us through a witty and educational tasting of each wine doing a fantastic job explaining the vintages in terms this "all-wine-is-good-wine" girl could understand. Having learned my lesson the previous day, I spit out most of my wine trying to avoid being four sheets to the wind by sundown. Afterward, we struggled to leave the pavilion with our purses, cameras, two gift bags, one hardcover book, and a box of Lenox wine and pilsner glasses each!

Coming up next, what we've all been waiting for...

Dinner with Outstanding in the Field & NamuSF

Small Favor! I Need Your VOTE!

Bon Appetit is holding a virtual Bake-Off!  Their holiday dessert contest is currently up for voting!  I submitted a delicious dessert and I would really appreciate your votes.  The full posting for my dessert is HERE for your reference, and you can VOTE HERE.

My dessert is located under the miscellaneous recipes section (the 5th page!), so if you keep clicking forward past pies and cakes, you'll find the page I'm on.  It only requires a quick login and it would mean a lot to me!

You can vote for one dessert on each page.  The winners from each page will make it to the final round where each dessert will be made and tasted by Bon Appetit and the winner will receive a trip for two to New York City and dinner with Bon Appétit Editor-in-Chief Barbara Fairchild and Restaurant Editor Andrew Knowlton.


Thank you!
~The Bite Me Kitchen

Wild Mushroom & Barley Soup

I don't know why, but ever since the Foodbuzz Festival I've had mushrooms on the brain. There's something so November-ish about the fleshy stone-colored caps of oysters, the saffron splay of chanterelles, and the knobby heads of porcini. Thrust up from the forest floor they beg to be sauteed, roasted, and devoured en masse.

This past week at our house was a big soup week! Every night we've explored a different type of soup, attempting to adjust or replace the high fat, high calorie ingredients to craft a more nutritious meal. Traditional cream of mushroom soup calls for, as you may expect, heavy cream. We used this homey, comforting soup as an inspirational springboard to come up with something healthier. Both fresh and dried wild mushrooms give a woodsy, earthy warmth to the broth, and a generous serving of stock-boiled pearl barley lends a toothsome feel, bringing a hearty weight. We added a little body with reduced fat sour cream and thickened the final base with an arrowroot slurry.

The outcome? A luscious fall soup, heavy on nutrition, not on your diet!

Inspired by this recipe from Eating Well


Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 cup pearl barley
• 4 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (I used a mix of dried chanterelles & porcinis)
  
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 teaspoons butter
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 cloves garlic
  
• 1 cup minced shallots
• 6 cups sliced mushrooms
• 2 portabellos, gills removed & sliced
• 4 oyster mushrooms, sliced
  
• 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoon crumbled dried sage
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup dry sherry
• 1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 Tbsp arrowroot, dissolved in 1 Tbsp water 
  
• 1/4 cup minced fresh chives

DIRECTIONS:

1. Roast garlic: rub unpeeled cloves with olive oil and place on foil lined baking sheet.  Bake at 400' for 10-15 minutes until golden and soft.  Peel, mash with fork and set aside.
   
2. Place barley in pan with 1.5 cups chicken broth & bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes.  
3. Place dried mushrooms in glass or ceramic bowl, cover with 2 cups boiling water and cover bowl to steep 20-30 minutes.  Remove mushrooms & chop, reserving mushroom liquid.
   
4. Heat butter & oil in pot over med-hi heat and saute garlic & shallots for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add fresh chopped mushrooms and saute until softened about 8-10 minutes.
6. Add porcinis, chanterelles, celery, salt, pepper & sage and saute 2 minutes.  Sprinkle with flour, and cook, stirring to coat. 
7. Add sherry and cook until the liquid is almost evaporated.
8. Add mushroom liquid & the rest of the broth.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Simmer 20 minutes.
9. Add arrowroot and stir until thickened slightly.
10. Turn heat all the way the down and stir in sour cream and barley. Serve & garnish with chives.

I think this would also be lovely topped with fried garlic chips, extra sauteed or roasted mushrooms or frizzled shallots...

Sushi - [Daring Cooks-November]

Albacore and Bluefin Tuna with garlic chips, torched

I had the honor of co-hosting the November Daring Cooks Challenge with the one and only Audax or Audax Artifex!  Those of you who are a part of The Daring Kitchen are well aware of the skill, expertise and tremendous source of information that Audax lends to each and every challenge.  For those of you outside The Daring Kitchen, Audax is the first person to complete every Daring Cooks and Daring Bakers challenge, usually within 24 hours of the initial post, while the rest of us usually take a week or three.  He is also the biggest resource the Daring Kitchen has, lending endless ideas, research and information on how to do everything and really investigating the science behind each task.  My part was to attempt to make a very technical challenge something simple enough to read and process!

Inside out Caterpillar Roll

Delicious fresh Uni

We chose sushi as this months challenge, daring all members to tackle a meal that is usually expensive and perceived as too intricate to replicate at home.  There are vegetarians, non-fish eaters, those who've never tried sushi, those who hate sushi...all being dared to come up with something resembling our three sushi selections based around the recipe for real sushi rice: nigiri, caterpillar (or dragon) roll and a decorative roll. My decorative roll photos were eaten along with the sushi, but I have provided you with extra photos of the other rolls ;) 

Messy Caterpillar (Dragon) Roll

We make a lot of sushi at home, although we usually skip rolls and just go straight for super fresh sashimi and extra sake ;)  This was, however, a really good reason to explore the realm of rolls and rice.  Although the challenge seems like it has many steps, once you have the rice made (in our fail proof recipe) the rest is pretty easy!  I hope you all give this a shot at home - it's perfect for parties and a great way to expose people to how fun cooking with a group can be.  Kanpai! (Cheers)

                   Salmon Nigiri and Scallop Nigiri

Bluefin tuna and Yellowtail Nigiri

Pickled Beet Nigiri and Sweet scallop




PART 1 : SUSHI RICE (makes about 7 cups of cooked sushi rice)
Preparation time: 1¾ hours consisting of :-
Rinsing and draining rice: 35 minutes
Soaking rice: 30 minutes (includes 5 minutes making the vinegar dressing)
Cooking and steaming time: 25 minutes
Finishing the rice: 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• 2½ cups uncooked short grain rice
• 2½ cups water
• For superior results use equal volumes of rice and water

Optional Ingredients

• 3 inch (75mm or 15 grams) square dashi konbu (or kombu) (dried kelp seaweed) wipe with a damp cloth to remove white powder & cut a few slits in the sides of the kelp to help release its flavours
• 2½ teaspoons (12.5 mls) of sake (Japanese rice wine)

Sushi vinegar dressing

• 5 Tablespoons (75 mls) rice vinegar
• 5 Teaspoons (25 mls or 21 grams) sugar
• 1¼ Teaspoons (6.25 mls or 4.5 grams) salt

DIRECTIONS:
Rinsing and draining the rice

1. Swirl rice gently in a bowl of water, drain, repeat 3-4 times until water is nearly clear. Don't crush the rice in your hands or against the side of the bowl since dry rice is very brittle.
2. Gently place rice into a strainer and drain well for 30 minutes.

Soaking the rice

1. Gently place the rice into a heavy medium pot with a tight fitting lid (if you have a loose fitting lid use a piece of aluminium foil to make the seal tight).
2. Add 2½ cups of water and the dashi konbu.
3. Set the rice aside to soak for 30 minutes, during this time prepare the sushi rice dressing.

Preparing the Rice Vinegar Dressing

1. Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl.
2. Heat on low setting.
3. Stir until the mixture goes clear and the sugar and salt have dissolved.
4. Set aside at room temperature until the rice is cooked.

Cooking the rice

1. After 30 minutes of soaking add sake (if using) to the rice.
2. Bring rinsed and soaked rice to the boil.
3. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and simmer, covered, until all the water is absorbed, 12-15 minutes. Do not remove the lid during this process. Turn off heat.
4. Let stand with the lid on, 10-15 minutes. Do not peek inside the pot or remove the lid. During this time the rice is steaming which completes the cooking process.

Finishing the rice

• Turning out the rice

1. Moisten lightly a flat thin wooden spatula or spoon and a large shallow flat-bottomed non-metallic (plastic, glass or wood) bowl. Do not use metallic objects since the vinegar will react with it and produce sour and bitter sushi rice.
2. Remove the dashi konbu (kelp) from the cooked rice.
3. Use the spatula to loosen gently the rice and invert the rice pot over the bowl, gently causing the cooked rice to fall into the bowl in one central heap. Do this gently so as not to cause the rice grains to become damaged.

• Dressing the rice with vinegar

1. Slowly pour the cooled sushi vinegar over the spatula onto the hot rice.
2. Using the spatula gently spread the rice into a thin, even layer using a 45° cutting action to break up any lumps and to separate the rice. Don't stir or mash rice.
3. After the rice is spread out, start turning it over gently, in small portions, using a cutting action, allowing steam to escape, for about a minute.

• Fanning & Tossing the rice

1. Continue turning over the rice, but now start fanning (using a piece of stiff cardboard) the rice vigorously as you do so. Don't flip the rice into the air but continue to gently slice, lift and turn the rice occasionally, for 10 minutes. Cooling the rice using a fan gives good flavour, texture and a high-gloss sheen to the rice. The vinegar dressing will be absorbed by the hot rice. Using a small electric fan on the lowest speed setting is highly recommended.
2. Stop fanning when there's no more visible steam, and all the vinegar dressing has been adsorbed and the rice is shiny. Your sushi rice is ready to be used.

• Keeping the rice moist

1. Cover with a damp, lint free cloth to prevent the rice from drying out while preparing your sushi meal. Do not store sushi rice in the refrigerator leave on the counter covered at room temperature. Sushi rice is best used when it is at room temperature.

PART 2 : Dragon Rolls (also called Caterpillar Rolls)
Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus 1¾ hours to make the sushi rice
Cooking time: about 5 minutes (grilling the eel)
Yield: 2 inside-out (uramaki) sushi rolls

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 sheet 7”x8” (17.5cmx20cm) of toasted nori (dried seaweed sheets), cut into halves
• 1/2 Japanese cucumber
• 2 cups of prepared sushi rice
• Glazed Barbecued Eel (ungai) (about 3½ ounces or 100 grams)
• 1 Avocado
• Vinegared Water – ½ cup of water combined with a dash of rice vinegar
• Various small amounts of sauces to use as the flames of the dragon (or legs of a caterpillar)

Optional

• 2 tablespoons (25 grams or 1 oz) Fish Roe (Fish eggs)

DIRECTIONS:
1.Cut cucumber into strips ¼ inch (6mm) x 7” (175mm) long, then salt, rinse & dry the strips.
2.Grill (broil) the eel for about 2-5 minutes until bubbling. Cut into two lengthwise strips.
3.Halve, pit and peel the avocado. Cut the avocado halves into thin even 1/8 inch (3 mm) slices. Fan out the cut avocado into a 7 inch (175 mm) overlapping pattern.
4.Cover bamboo mat with plastic wrap. Place a sheet of nori shiny side down, lengthwise, on the edge the mat.
5.Moisten lightly your hands in the bowl of vinegared water.
6.Place one cup of rice on the nori and gently rake your fingertips across grains to spread rice evenly. Do not mash or squash the rice onto the nori, the rice should appear loosely packed and be evenly distributed over the entire sheet, you should be able to see the nori sheet in a few places.
7.Flip the rice-covered nori over (so the bare nori is now on top) and place on the edge of the mat closest to you.
8.Arrange one of the eel strips across the length of the nori, not quite centred on it but a little closer to you. Place half the cucumber sticks next to the eel.
9.Lift the edge of the mat closest to you with both hands, keeping your fingertips over the fillings, and roll the mat and its contents until the edge of the mat touches straight down on the nori, enclosing the fillings completely. Lift up the edge of the mat you're holding, and continue rolling the inside-out roll away from you until it's sealed. Tug at the mat to tighten the seal. If the rice doesn't quite close the roll add more rice in the gap and re-roll using the mat to completely cover the inside-out roll. Place the roll on a damp, clean smooth surface.
10.Spread about 1 tablespoon of the optional fish roe along the entire top of the rice-covered roll. Using the plastic covered mat gently press the fish roe so it adheres to the rice.
11.Slide a knife under one fan of avocado and transfer it onto the top of an inside-out roll. Gently spread out the avocado layer to cover the entire roll. Lay the plastic wrapped mat over the avocado-covered roll. Squeeze very gently to shape the roll.
12. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the roll. Slice the roll into 6-8 equal, bite-sized pieces, wiping your knife with a damp towel before each slice. Discard the plastic wrap. Repeat the above to make one more roll.
13.Arrange the cut pieces on a serving plate with the sauces so the finished dish appears as a dragon breathing fire and flames (or a caterpillar with many legs).

PART 3 : Spiral Sushi Roll
This is easiest 'decorative' sushi roll.
Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus 1¾ hours to make the sushi rice
Yield: One Roll, cut into 8 pieces

INGREDIENTS:

• 2½ cups prepared sushi rice
• 2 sheets of toasted nori, each sized 7”x8” (17.5cmx20cm)
• Six assorted fillings, each filling should be the size of a pencil (see note below)

DIRECTIONS:
1.Join 2 sheets of nori by moistening the adjacent edges and overlapping them about ½ inch (12mm).
2.Place this double sheet shiny side down on a rolling mat, part of the nori will extend beyond the mat.
3.Using moist fingers place 2½ cups of rice on the nori and gently rake your fingertips across grains to spread rice evenly, leaving ¼ inch (6mm) nori showing on the both ends of the sheet. Do not mash or squash the rice onto the nori, the rice should appear loosely packed and be evenly distributed over the entire sheet, you should be able to see the nori sheet in a few places.
4.Using your fingers form six grooves (in the same direction that you will be rolling the mat) at even intervals across the bed of rice. Make the first groove about 2 inches (50 mm) from the edge of the nori sheet. Form the grooves by pushing the rice away, do not mash or squash the rice, leave a loose one grain layer of rice in the bottom of the grooves. Level the areas between the grooves where you have pushed the rice.
5.Place your fillings in the grooves. Fill the grooves a little higher than the surrounding rice bed.
6.Then roll the sushi up from the edge closest to you, this will form a spiral pattern of nori, rice and fillings inside the roll.
7.Slice into 8 pieces with a very sharp wet knife, wiping the blade with a damp cloth after each cut.
8.Place the pieces on a platter and garnish.


PART 4 : Nigiri Sushi
Nigiri sushi is the type of sushi most often made in sushi bars. In Japanese, nigiri means “squeeze”.
Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus 1¾ hours to make the sushi rice
Yield: 14-16 pieces of sushi
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups prepared sushi rice
• 8 pairs of assorted toppings, 200 gms/7 ozs total of fish, meat or vegetables (see note below)
• 1 tablespoon Wasabi (paste, reconstituted powder) or any other paste to adhere topping to rice

Optional

• Garnishes such as Ginger (pickled), chilli strips, vegetables flowers etc
• Thin strips of nori or vegetables (for tying topping on)

DIRECTIONS:
1.When handling sushi rice, make certain your hands are very clean. To keep the rice from sticking to our hands moisten your hands with vinegared water.
2.Form nigiri sushi by scooping up a small amount (about 2 tablespoons) of rice with your forefinger and second finger of your right hand and placing it in your cupped left palm.
3.Use the fingers and thumb of your right hand to form it into a long, narrow mound (about 2 inches x 1 inch wide or 50mm x 25mm) in your cupped palm.
4.Press enough to make the rice hold firmly together. Place the nigiri on a damp cutting board flat side down. Don't let sushi touch or they'll stick to each other. At this point, you can cover the sushi with plastic wrap, and they'll keep at room temperature (not the refrigerator) for several hours.
5.Smear a thin line of wasabi on top of the rice and place the topping piece on it. You may need to press the topping down lightly with your fingers and adjust the shape of the rice accordingly to form an attractive piece of nigiri sushi. If your topping is very loose like fish roe you can place a strip of nori (higher than the rice) around the nigiri and form 'battleship' sushi. The cavity that the nori forms holds the topping so it does not fall off.
6.Garnish as desired and use strips of nori (or vegetable) to tie the topping to the nigiri if needed.
7.It is customary to make nigiri sushi in pairs, so make two of each variety.

TO DOWNLOAD A PRINTABLE VERSION OF THE RECIPE CLICK HERE

The November 2009 Daring Cooks challenge was brought to you by Audax of Audax Artifex and Rose of The Bite Me Kitchen. They chose sushi as the challenge.

Saffron Tomato Soup with Seared Scallops

November!? Who let the time go by so quickly!? No one ran it by me, that's for sure. Somehow summer got lost while moving and unpacking and organizing our new house... Fall is here as much as southern California will allow it to be. Most days it's crisp and cool in the morning with warm, sunny days. For those of you who don't know, I ride my bike to and from work daily. Fall means my full gloves, my fleecy neck cozy thing that I can pull up over my chin and mouth on extra frosty mornings. It means gorgeous, startling sunrises and darker rides home at night. What better way to warm up than a nice bowl of soup?

This soup started with this but it just seemed too watery, bland, and boring. I wanted something spicy and vibrant, not chunky water. So, we kept adding and adjusting and tinkering until it came out just right. That's the fun part about soups, there's a lot of margin for play.

Enjoy!

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb large scallops, patted dry
• sprinkle of salt
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 Anaheim chili, diced
• 4 cloves garlic,minced
• 1/4 cup white wine
• handful (about 8) baby red potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 can of diced tomatoes
• pinch of saffron
• pinch of dried oregano
• 1/4 cup cream (or milk mixed with 1 tbsp cornstarch)
• as many red pepper flakes as you want ;)
• cracked pepper & salt
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Sprinkle scallops with salt .
2. Heat olive oil in pan until hot, add scallops and allow to brown slightly on one side. Do not flip until they have little golden edges on the underside. Flip each scallop over and cook another 2 minutes or until opaque. Set on plate and set aside.
3. Add 1 tbsp butter and a dash of oil if necessary to same stock pot. Add garlic, onions, chili & celery and cook until beginning to soften.
4. Add wine and simmer 2-3 minutes until alcohol aroma is gone.
5. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, canned tomatoes, potatoes, and saffron and bring to a boil.
6. Simmer until the tomatoes are tender (about 15 minutes).
7. Add seasonings, cream (or milk) and salt & pepper to taste.
8. Simmer on low 10-15 minutes. Add scallops & cook another 5 minutes until heated through.
9. Serve and garnish with chopped tarragon.

SF Foodbuzz Festival - Friday!

First and foremost, thanks to the incredible team behind FOODBUZZ who put together a first-rate festival weekend, and treated the attendees like royalty! You guys & gals ROCK! I can't imagine how much work it took to organize, orchestrate, and execute something of this magnitude. Foodbuzz indulged approximately 250 food bloggers for a full 3 days! Everything went off without a hitch and I cannot wait for next year.

Friday afternoon, Leah (The Snacking Chef) and I arrived in San Francisco. After a quick stop at our hotel, we headed out for sushi! Near starvation, we had no time to locate the finest sushi bar and simply selected something nearby. To our good fortune, we had some excellent sushi! The sweet scallop and the snapper were most impressive.

After downing a tall Asahi each, the next logical decision was, of course, get more beer. Off to an Irish pub we went, not sensing the hoppy evening that lay ahead of us that night. We made our way to the Foodbuzz cocktail hour at the Hotel Vitale where we were greeted by the friendly Foodbuzz team. Finally, we got to meet the people we talk to so often as publishers! Each attendee received an enormous 20 lb gift bag. We're talking about a whole lot of stuff. A hardbound cookbook, Le Creuset utensils, Chef's Catalog loot, olives, pestos, a pie pan, and on, and on, and on!

The Foodbuzz Festival suite overlooked San Francisco bay and the Ferry Building, and gave us a spectacular setting to sip delectable cocktails and watch the evening sky change colors over the Bay Bridge. Skyy Vodka was there mixing drinks; beer, champagne, and hors d'oeuvres were available in large quantities. People of all ages, backgrounds, styles, and accents came together to mingle and socialize. The place was packed and the vibe was buzzing. (Sorry, I couldn't resist!) We hooked up with two lovely ladies - Megan Myers from Stetted and Melissa York from Cheese, Wine & Chocolate! We had the good fortune to spend the rest of the weekend with these two fantastic bloggers and all around fun chicks!

Next we headed to the Ferry Building where an outside section was cordoned off for attendees only. Various vendors of street food, breweries, and Skyy vodka were dug in, prepared for the onslaught of hungry bloggers. I made an immediate stop at Speakeasy for some outstanding beer, and then I RAN toward the Hog Island Oyster Co. stand where I shoveled fresh oysters down my throat like a starved pelican. What?! That ruins the aphrodisiac image? Best. Oysters. Ever. They had been plucked from the Tomales bay that very morning; still full of briny goodness as executive chef Ian Marks shucked them as fast as a oyster-shucker could. Ian was a good sport as we harassed him and essentially took over the entire stand for far too long.

Was there other food there?! Of course! I devoured some of the best thin-crust pizza of my life by Pizza Politana, delicious paper bowls stuffed full of chanterelles and puff pastry, and gorgeous beets with fresh goat cheese by Spencer on the Go. The Pie Truck offered a cute edible baked sign on a table showcasing their insanely rich and delicious hand pies. Lost in FoodBlogger Mecca, I didn't get to sample Tacolicious's tacos or Roli Roti's organic rotisserie meats, but they looked phenomenal.

Endless beer, outstanding food, and good company made Friday a night to remember. I wish I had a chance to meet more of you starting Friday night, but I find it very difficult to focus or converse when surrounded by 249 other bustling bodies and surrounding voices. A huge warm hug to all of you who did say hello and introduce yourselves. Awesomeness.

More to come in the next post...

Poblano Shrimp Corn Chowder

I'm off to the Foodbuzz Festival in San Francisco for the weekend!  I am leaving you with this delicious post until I return.  Photographs & a special Festival blog will follow :)

............

Poblano. Shrimp. Corn. Chowder.

Just typing those four words makes my stomach growl with anticipation. I bet when my mom reads this her stomach will grumble too; for a long time it was her favorite meal. I have a diverse range of recipes but without fail, she always requests this uniquely comforting chowder over everything else. 

The original recipe is a little boring. I've fiddled with it over the years, adding more vegetables for crunchy texture, bacon for depth and flavor, potatoes for body, and lightening the calorie count by using half & half and milk instead of whipping cream. It never comes out the same because I never use a recipe. That's the beauty of soup/stew/chowders... you can add or adjust as you go, creating a unique blend of what is best every time!

This soup seamlessly blends the flavors and textures of seafood chowder and corn chowder, but remains thin enough to be more of a soup than either! It takes far less time than many homemade soups and it tastes delicious (some say better) the next day. The poblano chili packs a subtle heat while the cilantro retains a refreshing cool. My suggestion? Serve this with a crusty baguette and a sprinkle of shredded cheese on top!

I was exceptionally pleased when .ЯR. plowed through his bowl and came up beaming with joy. This is a soup to make in your own fashion to warm the bellies of all those around you. If you don't eat seafood, feel free to substitute cooked, shredded chicken.

Serves 6
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb shrimp, peeled & deveined (halved, lengthwise or crosswise)
• 1 Tbsp butter
  
• 3-4 thick slices of center cut bacon, diced
  
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 2 poblano (or pasilla) chilis seeded & diced
• 1 Tbsp jalapeno chili, minced
• 2 ears corn kernels (cut off cob)
• 2 medium white potatoes (such as white rose), in 1/2" cubes (you need about 1 cup of cubes)
  
• 2 cans sweet cream style corn (reduced sodium)
• 2 cans reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup reduced fat milk
• 1/2 cup half & half
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1 Tbsp cold water
• Salt, cracked pepper, cayenne & chili powder to taste
• 1/3 cup cilantro, minced
• handful of shredded cheese (jack, cheddar, etc...)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cover potatoes with water, cover with lid & bring to a boil. Boil until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain & cool.
2. In large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until bacon begins to brown slightly. Add celery, onion, garlic, jalapenos and poblano chilis. Saute until slightly softened, about 5-8 minutes.
3. Add corn, cream style corn, chicken broth, spices, salt & pepper, half & half and milk. Bring to a gentle boil.
4. Reduce heat to a healthy simmer and add potatoes, cornstarch mixture and cilantro.
5. Simmer 20 minutes.
6. Add shrimp and cook until they are firm, pink and opaque about 3-5 minutes.
7. Ladle into bowls and garnish with cheese and extra cilantro.
8. Enjoy!
   

Pepita Encrusted Chicken Breast Sandwiches

.ЯR. and I take turns cooking weeknights, and we try to create new meals from what have on-hand. Last week, he came up with the idea of grinding pepitas into a crumbly meal and coating chicken breasts with it. Flying by the seats of our respective pants, we improvised our way through the meal producing a sandwich with lettuce, sharp cheddar, and a homemade honey mustard sauce. It was delicious! The same comfort as a breaded chicken sandwich adding some extra nutrition and leaving out some guilt.

I'd seen these sandwich thins in the store earlier, but had yet to try them in lieu of buns for our burgers. We broke down and got them and I am glad we did. At a mere 100 calories per bun, they are more of a burger or sandwich holder than a bready wrapper. We tend to enjoy the filling of the sandwich more than the bun, so this is perfect for our tastes and our weekday healthy eating regimen.

These sandwiches will definitely be a regular part of our weeknight dinners!

Serves 2
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 sandwich thins (Oroweat)
• 2 chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
• 1/2 cup pepitas (we had salted, roasted on hand)
• salt & cracked pepper
• 1 cup flour
• 1 egg white, beaten with a fork
• 1/4 cup sweet hot mustard
• drizzle of honey (to taste)
• iceberg lettuce
  
• 2 slices of cheddar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375'. Spray a baking pan or baking sheet with cooking spray.
   
2. In food processor or spice grinder blitz pepitas until they resemble a coarse meal.
   
3. Place chicken breasts in plastic bag and place on counter smooth side up. Pound chicken until tenderized and thinned out a bit.
4. Sprinkle with salt & pepper. Dredge in flour to coat. Dip in beaten egg. Coat with pepita meal.
5. Heat a frying pan over high with a tablespoon of olive oil or a heavy coating of cooking spray.
6. Add chicken and pan fry until golden & crispy. Flip over and repeat.
7. When both sides are golden and crispy, place chicken on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until cooked through.
8. Meanwhile, combine mustard and honey, adjusting amount of honey to your tastes.
9. Toast sandwich thins and add cheese atop chicken to melt for the last 2 minutes.
   
10. Remove chicken from oven and assemble!