Garlic Noodles with Green Onions

These are so tasty and quick, perfect for a busy weeknight meal.

Ingredients:
7 oz dry Chinese noodles or spaghetti
2 tablespoons butter
1 c chopped green onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP brown sugar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 TBSP oyster sauce

Boil a large pot of water and cook the noodles according to package instructions.

In a 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter.
When the butter is sizzling and bubbling, add the garlic. Fry for 1 minute until very fragrant, but be careful not to let the garlic burn. Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, green onions and oyster sauce and stir well to mix. Add the noodles and toss well to get the sauce evenly distributed throughout the noodles.

Serves 2.

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Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

What could by tastier or cuter than mini pumpkin cheesecakes for Thanksgiving? These are low fat too!

Ingredients:
30 gingersnap cookies
2 TBSP canola oil
2/3 c brown sugar
2/3 c fat-free Greek yogurt
1/2 c pumpkin puree
8 oz low fat cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 300°.

Place cookies in a food processor; process until finely ground. Add oil; pulse to combine. Place 12 cupcake wrappers in a 12-cup muffin tin. Divide cookie crumb mixture evenly among muffin cups; press crumbs firmly into bottom.

Bake at 300° for 9 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven; cool on a wire rack.

Wipe food processor clean. Place brown sugar, yogurt, pumpkin, and cream cheese in processor; process until smooth. Add pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, salt, and eggs; process until smooth. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

Bake at 300° for 15 – 18 minutes or until centers of cheesecakes barely move when pan is touched. Remove pan from oven; cool on a wire rack to room temperature.

Cover pan; refrigerate cheesecakes 3 hours or until well chilled.

Serve with caramel sauce or whipped cream.

Cheesy Cauliflower and Onion Gratin

This is a quick and easy gratin dish, perfect as a side or a main.

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower
1 sweet onion
3/4 c ricotta cheese
2/3 c chicken broth
4 TBSP pecorino cheese, grated
Salt & pepper
1/2 c seasoned bread crumbs
Extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 375F. Remove core and stem of cauliflower and pull apart the florets. Place them and the whole onion in its jacket on a parchment covered baking sheet. Drizzle sparingly with EVOO and season to taste. Mix with your hands.

Bake for 20-30min until fork tender. Turning over after 10-15 min.

Squeeze cooked onion from skin. Add to processor along with, cauliflower, broth, ricotta, 1/2 pecorino and blend to a smooth consistency.

Spoon into a casserole dish. Sprinkle crumbs and cheese over cauliflower and broil for 5 min until cheese is melted and crumbs toasted.

Serves 4 – 6.

Beef Chili

So the rain has finally come, and it’s chili time!! This was loosely inspired by a recipe from Food52. The secret to great chili is to let is simmer all day! The addition of coffee and chocolate make this one very unique and complex. Take a chance and try it you won’t regret it.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 diced onion
2 diced bell peppers
4 cloves minced garlic
2 – 3 diced chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce
1 28 oz can tomatoes
1 16 oz can diced tomatoes with chiles
16 oz stout beer
2-3 dried bay leaves
1 TBSP ground cumin
2 TBSP chili powder
1 TBSP cayenne red pepper
1 TBSP salt
2 TBSP finely chopped dark chocolate (I use 70% cocoa)
2 TBSP instant coffee grounds

Garnish:
Sour cream
Chopped green onions
Shredded cheese

In a large pot, brown the beef over medium heat, remove. Add onions and peppers, cook 4 minutes until soft. Add garlic and chipolte peppers cook for an additional 30 seconds, add spices and cook 1 minute, stirring. Add remaining ingredients except garnish and stir to combine, stir in beef and cook partially covered over the lowest possible heat for several hours.

To serve top with with sour cream, cheese, green onions and what ever else you might fancy.

Serves 4 – 6.

Crab and Avocado Salad

Dungeness Crab season officially opened last week in California, so to kick off the season I’m starting with this crab salad that is all California – fresh crab, avocado, and citrus. This salad requires the freshest crab possible, so if you can’t get fresh crab don’t try substituting the canned stuff. Thank you to the amazing Patricia Wells for the inspiration.

Ingredients:
1 lb cooked crab meat
1 large avocado, sliced thin
Zest of one lime
Zest of one orange
2 TBSP snipped chives
Drizzle of the Best olive oil you have

Toss crab with zest and chives.

Place 1/2 sliced avocado on 2 plates, fanned out. Season with a little salt. Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Top with the crab.

Serves 2.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Sage

This is the ultimate fall pasta recipe, roasted butternut squash with sage and brown butter.

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
Olive oil spray
20 sage leaves
8 oz pasta
4 TBSP butter
Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400. Place squash on a large baking sheet, toss with salt, pepper and 10 of the sage leaves and spray with olive oil. Roast 20 minutes then use a spatula to toss. Roast another 15 – 20 minutes until nicely browned. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package.

In a 12 inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat, watch it closely, as it starts to darken add sage leaves, remove them as the crispy up, add squash and pasta, toss to coat well, stir in sage leaves.

Serve topped with a little parmesan.

Serves 4.

Rosa’s Biscuits

This recipe is from Bon Appetit and it is amazing! These sweetish biscuits are addictive! I cut the recipe in half since I was just baking for 4. Glad I did because we would have inhaled all 2 dozen if I had not.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 c flour
1/3 c sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 c butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
1/3 c buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350.

In a food processor, combine dry ingredients and pulse to combine. Add butter and pulse until fine meal forms. Pour in buttermilk and pulse 2 or 3 times until just combined.

Use a 1 TBSP cookie scoop and place dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet. If the dough get too warn pop the sheet into the fridge for 15 minutes.

Bake for 25 – 30 minutes until golden brown.

Makes 12 small biscuits.

Shaved Brussels Sprouts

I love Brussels Sprouts, especially shave them. I like them roasted in the oven best, but in a pinch I will sauté them with some pancetta, nuts and top with a little cheese. The food processor makes quick work of shaved Brussels Sprouts with the shredding blade.

Ingredients:
1 lb shaved Brussels Sprouts
4 cloves garlic mines
4 oz pancetta cubed
2 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP lemon juice
Red pepper
1/4 c pine nuts, toasted
1 tsp thyme
Gorgonzola

In a large non-stick pan over medium heat, cook the pancetta till crisp. Remove and oil, if needed, and garlic and cook for 30 seconds, add Brussels Sprouts, red pepper flakes, salt and thyme, cook for 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in pine nuts, lemon juice and pancetta. Serve topped with a little Gorgonzola.

Serves 4.

Chopped Salad

This is a great salad and it holds up in the fridge for quick leftover!

Ingredients:
8 oz radishes, medium dice
1 red pepper, medium dice
1 red onion, small dice
2 small cucumbers, medium dice
2 tomatoes, medium dice
1/3 c cilantro, chopped
1/4 c flat leaf parsley, chopped

Toss to combine.

In a small jar combine:
5 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP lemon juice
1 1/2 TBSP sherry vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and pepper.

Combine in a small jar and toss with salad.

Serves 4.

Spiced Lamb on Hummus

This is my 1,000 post to my cooking blog!!! The best thing about the blog is it has really pushed me to try lots of new recipes, though I do have by old favs that I cook now and again. This is my take on an Ottolenghi recipe. Serve it with a simple chopped salad (recipe 1001) and you have an amazing meal. I can’t wait for lunch to have the leftovers!

Ingredients:
Hummus:
2 cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 c lemon juice
6 TBSP water
4 cloves garlic
8 oz tahini sauce (I use TJ’s)
Salt

Combine in a food processor or blender and run till smooth. You may need more water, add by the TBSP.

Lemon Sauce:
4 TBSP lemon juice
2 TBSP white wine vinegar
4 TBSP parley chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Green chili, minced

Combine and set aside.

Lamb;
1 lb ground lamb
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp Za’atar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp allspice
Pinch of nutmeg
1 TBsP parley, minced
1 TBSP mint, minced
1 TBSP white wine vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 TBSP ghee or butter

Topping:
Pine nuts
Parsley, chopped

Combine all ingredients except ghee in a bowl. Let marinate at least 30 min in the fridge.

Heat ghee in a large non stick skillet over medium high heat, add lamb mixture and cook for 3 – 5 minutes until cooked through and slightly pink.

Serve lamb over hummus, topped with lemon sauce, parley and pine nuts.

Serves 4 – 6.