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Mulligatawny

Today we have a soup for you that more of you might know about than you think…Mulligatawny! If some of you are still scratching your head, lets just say it was popularized by THIS guy, as one of his most prized soups. (p.s. best episode ever, right?!) If you’ve never had it before that needs to change! I’ve have mulligatawny a number of times and each time I’ve had it, it’s been totally different.

The first time I had it was in London, when I was in high school. A “classic” version was set in front of me and I got a little sad. It looked like very watered down broth with bits od stewed onions, cabbage and black pepper sprinkled all around. When I tasted it though, the black pepper really stood out (in a good way) and the brothy soup ended up being pretty tasty when sopped up with warm, toasty crumpets. The next time I had it was back in the states. My family and I were trying out a new Indian restaurant that had opened up in our neighborhood. When I ordered the soup I didn’t even realize it was the “same” as what I had gotten in London. This soup was thick, creamy and bright yellow. It was filled with earthy spices like cumin, paprika, cardamom and also had sweet notes to it, which I later found out was from a combination of sautéed apples and raisins…awesome! The soup was served with rice and topped with this delicious braised and shredded lamb. So flavorful, so good!

That night I discovered that there are hundred upon hundreds of versions of mulligatawny, each different and special in its own way. I love that. So today we have our own version of one of my favorite soups! I went with the pureed, creamy version because pureed and creamy is delicious and you still get nice texture from the rice, chicken, cilantro, and raisins. Don’t let the laundry list of ingredients intimidate you, this soup is actually very easy to throw together and everything goes into one pot, which is great and makes for an easier clean up! This soup also stores and reheats very well which is awesome. Great really for anytime of the day, year round, this is my go to soup when I want something a little different, filling and absolutely delicious! xx, Jenny

Mulligatawny
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 red jalapeno, seeded and diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 small apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 roma tomato, seeded and diced
2 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon minced thyme
1/2 cup red or yellow lentils (uncooked)
3 cups chicken stock
2/3cup coconut milk
salt to and extra black pepper to taste
toppings and garnish:
cooked jasmine rice
roasted and shredded chicken breast
golden raisins
cilantro, roughly chopped

1. Place a large pot over medium-high heat and melt butter. Add onion, celery, carrot, and jalapeno and sauté for 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, apples, and tomato and continue to sauté for an additional 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add all the spices, thyme and lentils to the pot and sauté for 3 minutes. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, medium-low and simmer mixture for about 30 to 40 minutes or until lentils have cooked through.
3. Pour mixture into a blender or using and immersion blender, puree until smooth.
4. Pour mixture back into the pot and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in coconut milk and adjust seasonings.
5. To serve: Place about 1/2 cup of rice at the bottom of each bowl and top with a ladle of soup. Top soup with shredded chicken, a sprinkle of raisins and finally the cilantro. Season with freshly cracked black pepper. Serve.

Mulligatawny

March 19, 2013 · Everyday Recipes · 27 comments · PRINT

Sweet Potato & Rosemary Biscuits

Hi Guys! We have more biscuits for you today because it’s Monday and I need something really awesome to keep me going this week. I love sweet potatoes….everything about them. I love their creamy texture, with the hints of natural sweetness they carry…so good. I love cooking with them, but more so I love love love baking with them. When you bake with potatoes it’s like adding instant moisture to whatever it is you’re making. We made these guys a little while back and they’re one of my favorite kinds of doughnuts….with the cutest name, Spudnut! Super cute, right? Not only does baking with sweet potato add a smooth texture and tons of moisture, but they also add a gorgeous orange tinge to whatever it is you’re making as well.

Anyways, back to these biscuits. I love them. Really. They don’t rise quite like regular biscuits because I’ve added so much potato to this (for fluffier biscuits scale back on the sweet potato and add more flour), but they taste amazing! The rosemary is just an added bonus that go really well with the sweet potato. These are best eaten plain, with a schmear of butter or dipped in a nice, thick soup or chowder, like this one! Enjoy! xx, Jenny

Sweet Potato and Rosemary Biscuits
Makes 12

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 stick (1/2cup) unsalted butter
1 small sweet potato, peeled, boiled and mashed (about 3/4 to 1 cup)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced
2 to 3 tablespoons buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Place flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and pepper into a bowl and whisk together.
3. Cut in butter with a pastry knife or using your fingers until a fine grainy texture forms.
4. Fold in rosemary, sweet potato and buttermilk and stir until dough just comes together.
5. Turn dough onto a clean surface and cut out 3 inch rounds using a circle cutter. Place biscuits onto a baking sheet lined with parchment, about 1 inch apart, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the biscuits have baked through. Serve warm.
6. To store: Place biscuits in an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Warm before serving.

Sweet Potato & Rosemary Biscuits

February 25, 2013 · Everyday Recipes · 21 comments · PRINT

Egg Drop Soup

There are two kinds of people, people who turn red when they are embarrassed, and people that do not. I can feel the blood travel from torso into my face when I am embarrassed enough to turn red, and I know it is happening. There is nothing I can do about it, and it sucks. The thing about turning red is you can’t just act cool and that what just happened wasn’t embarrassing because everyone knows you are embarrassed. Your face is red. Yesterday at the gym I had a face turning red incident. Like a lot of people, I have an iPhone Velcro sleeve thing that makes me look like a power ranger and a playlist aptly titled “work out” that contains a bunch of songs that help try and get into doing cardio. While in the locker room sliding my iPhone into my armband thing, the music started playing really loud, and it was a monstrously inappropriate rap song. So so so inappropriate. I tried to swiftly make the music stop but of course my iPhone chose that moment to have a meltdown and so it took an extra couple of seconds to get it to stop. I could feel the heat of the all the naked women in the locker room staring at me questioning my offensive taste in music. Horrible. My face was so red, there was just no way I could play it cool. I ended up just staring at the floor, mumbling sorry, and getting out of there. Ugh. Anyway…

So we all know it’s flu season and people are getting sick left and right. We wanted to share a new sick soup with you. This egg drop soup is for people who are getting sick of chicken noodle, it could also be for people who just want a really cozy soup to eat while they watch this crazy storm brewing outside their windows. I hope everyone stays safe, and uses this as an excuse to make lots of yummy food.
♥ Teri

Egg Drop Soup with Rice Cakes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
5 1/4 cups low sodium chicken stock
2 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
12 rice cake ovalettes (can find in freezer section of Korean/Asian grocery stores)
3 eggs, beaten
2 green onions, thinly sliced
garnish:
green onions, thinly sliced
cracked black pepper

1. Pour broth into a pot, add garlic, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Allow mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes.
2. Turn heat up to medium, bringing mixture to a soft boil. Add rice cake ovalettes and continue to boil for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Slowly drizzle eggs into the broth, in a very thin stream.
4. Once all of the beaten eggs have been incorporated, very gently stir in green onions.
5. Ladle into bowls and garnish with more green onions if desired and cracked black pepper.

Egg Drop Soup

February 8, 2013 · Everyday Recipes · 19 comments · PRINT

Black Pepper & Parmesan Beer Bread

Hi Guys! It’s the day before thanksgiving and I’m sure everyone has their menus planned already. We have thanksgiving in Chicago, at my parents house, every year. It’s kind of funny because when I tell people we have two full thanksgiving dinners, I don’t just mean we eat turkey etc. and then nibble on the same thing a couple hours later, but we really have two whole separate meals. For the most part we have a traditional thanksgiving dinner with the usually suspects, turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, stuffing, veggie sides, etc; that’s dinner number one. About an hour after our turkey/ham dinner has settled in our stomachs (but not really because we tend to eat like gluttons) we have Korean dumpling soup, multiple banchans (Korean side dishes), multiple types of kimchi, a sushi platter, and a sashimi platter. About an hour after THAT we have dessert, usually consisting of multiple pies and a fruit platter. Is this strange? I used to say it was an asian thing, but I soon realized that not all my asian friends partake in the double meal ritual…..so maybe it’s just a Park family thing? Does anyone else have some not so traditional thanksgiving traditions? Whether food related or not?

Anyway, back to the food we actually have up today! BEER BREAD….and not just any beer bread….BLACK PEPPER, PARMESAN BEER BREAD. This is the easiest bread you’ll ever make…no need to wait for rises. You mix everything up, dump it into a loaf pan and bake! When Teri tried it the other week I think she gave the perfect description, “It’s very hearty, but airy”. I totally agree, this bread is actually rather dense, but when you take a bite it’s not heavy like you would expect. So if you’re in a pinch for a last minute bread recipe OR if you want a nice loaf of bread to make leftover turkey sandwiches with, like this one, I recommend this simple and delicious beauty! If you’re not into black pepper or parmesan you can omit them all together or add whatever mix-in flavors you prefer! I hope everyone has an amazing thanksgiving, filled with laughter, loved ones, good food, and plenty of booze and mocktails! xx, Jenny

Black Pepper and Parmesan Beer Bread
Makes 1 (9”x5” loaf)

Ingredients:
3 1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
14 ounces (a nice flavorful) beer
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, divided
zest of 1 lemon (optional)
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 -2 tablespoon freshly cracked black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly grease the loaf pan and set aside.
2. Place flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl and whisk together.
3. Create a small well in the center of the flour mixture and add beer, 1/4 cup melted butter, lemon zest, parmesan, and black pepper. Stir together until the dough just comes together. Do not over mix! (if there are small flour pockets, gently stir them away; a couple remaining flour pockets are okay).
4. Pour mixture into a prepared loaf pan. Pour remaining butter over top and bake for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the loaf.
5. Remove loaf from pan and allow it to cool until just warm to the touch (about 1 hour and 30 minutes), before slicing.
6. Slice and serve with whipped butter, if desired.

Black Pepper & Parmesan Beer Bread

November 21, 2012 · Everyday Recipes · 34 comments · PRINT

Korean Kabocha Porridge

ERMAHGERD! Yes. I have fallen into the internets dark endless hole of memes. This particular type of meme, the ermahgerd meme has earned itself a new Teri voice. A voice I didn’t even know I had in me. Let me explain, to those of you that have animals you probably have an ‘talk to you animal voice.’ I totally have one, its pretty good, and really annoying. Jenny has one, her voice is so high and quite though, humans can definitely not hear it as well as her dog. My friend Adrianna’s animals voice is louder than mine, and she gives animals attitudes. My voice is like a 5 year old boy talking. My new ermahgerd meme voice is like me talking with braces when I had my bands on. If you don’t know what bands are, you’re lucky. They are rubber bands you attach to the metal of your teeth, and it makes it hard to open your mouth. People often think you have gum stuck in your teeth. Anyway, I’m really excited about my new meme voice. Sometimes, it’s so fun to be really annoying.

In honor of my new voice, I am going to ermahgerd you with a new fall soup recipe for your repertoire. This is a silky and smooth perfectly fall soup right down to the color. See those little balls in there? Those are rice balls. Basically this soup already comes with a far superior version of saltines. I love more than anything to put saltines in my soup, but the fact this soup has rice balls in it, makes it the one and only soup that doesn’t need that salty addition. Its ermahgerd! good.
♥ Teri

Korean Kabocha Squash Porridge
Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:
rice cake balls:
1/3 cup sweet rice flour
3 tablespoons warm water
porridge:
1.5 lbs. kabocha squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch chunks
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 1/2 tablespoons sweet rice flour
2 tablespoons water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

1. For the rice cake balls: Place flour into a mixing bowl and stir in water. Stir until no lumps remain. Form 2 teaspoon sized balls with the dough and transfer onto a plate until all dough has been used. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside until ready to use.
2. For porridge: Place squash in a steamer or steam basket (in a large pot) and steam for 45 minutes to an hour.
3. Once squash is fork tender, transfer to a blender, add hot water and puree until smooth. Transfer mixture into a medium pot and stir over medium-low heat.
4. In a small bowl using a fork, whisk together the 1 1/2 tablespoons sweet rice flour and 2 tablespoons warm water and stir into the kabocha puree. Stir in sugars, salt and add rice cake balls. Simmer until porridge thickens and rice cake balls have cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve hot.

Korean Kabocha Porridge

October 24, 2012 · Seasonal Market Recipes · 12 comments · PRINT

Roasted Corn Chowder

Helloooo! It has been so freaking hot in Los Angeles the past few weeks it makes me angry to think about it. I have been lucky enough to have a break in work where I have some days off in a row. It’s weird though; I don’t know what to do with myself with all this free time. I have primarily been spending it drinking iced coffee in bed and powering through seasons and seasons of the West Wing. That show is good! Another show that I know everyone including myself loves in Breaking Bad. Did you see the second to last episode (I think) where the lawyer brings the bank lady BACON BANANA COOKIES?!?! We have a recipe for that. You should check it out. Anyway, what shows have you all been watching that maybe I am missing? I need better TV in my life.

When I am not watching TV, I am thinking about how much I hate this weather, and how much I want it to rain and be cold. I have been pining for scarves, wool coats, socks, and soups. Nothing is better in cold weather than a really bomb bowl of soup. Summer is almost over and I have to say I am so not sad to see it go. To celebrate the end of summer coming, we have Roasted Corn Chowder for you. It’s probably my favorite kind of soup ever in the entire world.
♥ Teri

Roasted Corn Chowder
Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients:
2 ears corn, roasted and kernels removed from cob
1 qt plus 1 cup chicken stock
4 rashers bacon, diced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 roasted poblanos, diced
1 1/2 roasted red bell peppers, diced
1 rib of celery, diced
6 baby new potatoes, diced
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons tequila (anejo)
1/2 bunch cilantro, minced
1 tablespoon oregano, minced
1/2 lime, juiced
1/3 cup heavy cream
garnishes:
2 tablespoons cotija cheese, crumbled
lime wedges
crumbled bacon

1. Place 1/2 corn plus both cobs into a medium pot with the stock and simmer for 40 minutes. Remove cobs, puree until smooth and strain. Place corn infused stock back into the pot and set aside.
2. In a large pot render bacon, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from pan and drain onto paper towels.
3. Drain all but 1 tablespoon grease from pan, add olive oil and sauté onions, garlic, roasted peppers, celery, and potatoes. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes or until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in remaining corn kernels and season with salt and pepper.
4. Sprinkle vegetables with flour and stir for about 3 minutes. Continue to stir while adding the tequila to avoid any lumps forming. Next add the stock until fully incorporated. Allow the mixture to come to a hard simmer, about 5 minutes, or until the mixture thickens.
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the herbs followed by the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Stir in the cream and adjust seasonings. Top with a sprinkle of cotija cheese, extra lime wedges and serve.

Roasted Corn Chowder

September 5, 2012 · Everyday Recipes · 53 comments · PRINT

Arepa Pizza

Hey All! So Last week I was in Wisconsin on a styling job, which was awesome!…not just because the job itself was a lot of fun and I got to work with some super chill people, but also because going to Milwaukee means, driving down to Chicago after the job is done and spending a week with my parents! So here I am now, sitting in my parents home, relaxing and pretty much stuffing my face with all my mom AND dad’s awesome, delicious, unreal, amazing home cooking (sure I’m bias, but hey they really make some kick ass Korean food!) Yes, there are tons of amazing restaurants in Chicago that I miss dearly, but for some reason all I ever crave and seem to want to eat is my parent’s home cooking. Is that weird? Do any of you feel like this? What are some of your favorite “back at home” meals you all crave? For me, it’s usually my dad’s bbqing (both Korean and non), my mom’s amazing Korean soups and her incredibly mouthwatering “banchan” (Korean side dishes). YUMMMM! Of course I do my fair share of cooking for my parents as well! They usually request certain things from me, like my loaded seafood gumbo, panzanella salad and potato, pesto gnocchi. When they don’t have special requests I like to go to town and make them something I know they would never make themselves, but would love…..enter Arepa Pizza.

Remember last fall we gave you an arepa recipe…filled with carnitas? Plus a bit of a whiny story about wandering New York exhausted? Well…today we’ve turned that arepa dough recipe into a nice little pizza crust…topped with a lot of totally awesome things. Just like any good recipe…especially pizza one, feel free to change the toppings around according to your taste, duh.

So I’m off now to go eat more of my parents phenomenal home cooking and hope you all enjoy this Arepa Pizza and have a fab day!
xx Jenny

Arepa Pizza
Makes 1, 10” pizza

Ingredients:
1/2 recipe Arepa
sweet-chipotle chicken:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 chipotle pepper in adobe, minced, plus 1 tablespoon adobe
1 1/2 cups shredded, roasted chicken
2- 2 1/2 tablespoons honey
cilantro yogurt sauce:
1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt (can use sour cream or Mexican crèma)
1/4 bunch cilantro
1/2 lime, juiced
toppings:
1 1/2 cups shredded Oaxaca cheese
1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
8 to 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 avocado, diced
1/2 cup grilled corn
Mexican crèma, as much or as little as you like
4 to 6 lime wedges
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat a large cast iron skillet (or nonstick pan) over medium heat.
2. Make arepa dough according to the recipe. After dough has rested, form into a ball and place between plastic wrap. Using the bottom of a baking dish or large pan, gently and evenly press down on the wrapped ball until you’ve formed somewhat of an 8-10 inch round that’s about 1/8 inch thick.
3. Carefully peel the top layer of the plastic wrap from the arepa and flip into the hot skillet, then removing the bottom layer of plastic wrap. Cook arepa on each side for about 15 minutes.
4. While the arepa cooks, pour oil in a medium sauté pan and place over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté for 1 minute. Add chipotle and adobe to shallots and stir for an additional minute. Add chicken and fold together until fully incorporated. Finally, add the honey, gently stir together and remove from heat. Set aside.
5. For the cilantro sauce: Place all ingredients into a food processor pulse 6-8 times or until cilantro is finely minced and incorporated. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
6. Once the arepa has crisped and slightly browned on each side, remove from heat and spoon cilantro sauce over the surface. Sprinkle half the cheese over the sauce and top with chicken. Sprinkle remaining cheese over chicken and place in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes (you’re just looking to melt the cheese).
7. Remove arepa from the oven and skillet and top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, and a drizzle of crema. Lightly season with salt and pepper and serve with lime wedges.

Arepa Pizza

August 28, 2012 · Everyday Recipes · 20 comments · PRINT

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Coffee Cake Bites

Hey Guys! When I was growing up cereals like shredded wheat wasn’t something we ate….ever. Nor did we do, super healthy, super low in sugar, organic granola, or even steamy hot oatmeal with a sprinkle of brown sugar, diced apples, etc. (and fyi, to this very day I totally hate the stuff….yep, ‘tis true). For breakfast, my family and I ate things like spicy tofu soup, oxtail soup, rice and kimchi, rice porridge, this is just how I grew up!…but I digress. Something we did always seem to have around for a quick and easy “breakfast” was super sugary Cinnamon Toast Crunch….and Corn Pops and Rice Krispies and Cap’n Crunch …but Cinnamon Toast Crunch was by far my absolute favorite! I always felt like I was eating a cinnamon roll when eating a bowl of this cereal….and whenever I’d get to the bottom of the bowl, I was always more than happy to suck down the remaining cinnamon-sugar milk. So Good!

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to create sort of a throwback to one of my favorite childhood cereals, so today we have “Cinnamon Toast Crunch Coffee Cake Bites”. I wanted to stay in the realm of sweet breakfasts and bite-sized anythings, because small is awesome! If you’re worried about the bites themselves sticking to the muffin tin, then go ahead and use mini liners and peel them off the bites once they cool before turning them upside down and glazing them. These are really great with or without the streusel center, so it’s really up to you; the streusel helps to incorporate the actual cereal into the recipe more as well as imparts a great flavor and texture. I hope you guys make a batch of these this weekend while thinking about your favorite sugary cereal growing up….and those cheesy commercials! xx, Jenny

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Coffee Cake Bites
Makes 32

Ingredients:
cereal streusel:
1/2 cup finely crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
cinnamon coffee cake:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
vanilla glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. For the streusel: In a small mixing bowl toss together the cereal and walnuts. Add cold butter and cut into mixture until a fine crumble forms. Set aside.
3. For the cake: Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl and set aside.
4. Place softened butter and sugar into a medium mixing bowl and cream together with a hand mixer (on medium speed). Scrape down sides of bowl and add eggs, one at a time. Add sour cream, yogurt and vanilla and mix together.
5. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and mix until fully incorporated.
6. Lightly grease a mini muffin pan. Scoop batter into a piping bag or large Ziploc bag and fill each muffin hole a third high with the batter and top with a sprinkle of streusel. Pipe more batter over the streusel until about 3/4 full.
7. Bake in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the bites.
8. When cool enough to handle, carefully remove each bite from the muffin tin and place upside down onto a cooling rack. Allow bites to cool completely.
9. Place powdered sugar into a small bowl and add milk and vanilla. Gently stir with a fork until smooth.
10. Pour about 1 teaspoon of the glaze over each bite and top with bits of cereal. Serve.

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Coffee Cake Bites

August 7, 2012 · Party Food · 25 comments · PRINT

Shaved Beetroot Salad with a Sweet Champagne Vinaigrette

Hi All! Hope everyone’s having a great week! Last week I talked about the need to “detox” after a few days of indulging in “awesome, but not so great for you” foods. Today I have anther one of those no fuss, tasty “detox” dishes. I love beets in all ways. I will eat them raw, roasted, steamed, pureed into a soup….I LOVE beets! Not only is this salad healthy and delicious, but it’s super pretty too, right?? Also, the light and tangy vinaigrette pairs quite nicely with the assortment of veggies in this dish! If you’re having a hard time finding black beets or red celery (which has only been around a couple of years), you can swap them out for more common, easy to find varieties. If you like beets, but the thought of eating them raw doesn’t sound appealing to you, you can always slice them into 1/4 inch rounds, toss them in some oil, salt and pepper and grill them for a few minutes on each side. So good! Also, farmers markets everywhere in the states should be in full effect by now, so have a little fun with this dish and go pick up some great seasonal vegetables of your choice and toss them into the mix!

If you haven’t been making the best food decisions lately, guess what? It’s totally okay…so long as you squeeze dishes like this into your weekly rotation every now and then. That’s what I think at least Enjoy! xx, Jenny

**Just a little note: If any of you are as crazy about your dogs as I am, hop over to the best bully sticks blog, an all natural pet treat/food company where we did a guest post for them and gave our recipe for Doggy Fro-Yo! Dogs need Fro-Yo too!

Shaved Beetroot Salad with a Sweet Champagne Vinaigrette
Serves 4 to 5

Ingredients:
1 medium black beet, cleaned and stems removed
1 medium yellow beet, cleaned and stems removed
2 radishes, cleaned and stems removed
2 red celery stalks, cleaned (green celery works fine)
2 sprigs fresh dill, minced
2 ounces feta, crumbled
salt and pepper to taste
champagne vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Shave beets and radishes paper thin, with a mandoline, or thinly slice with a knife and place into a mixing bowl.
2. Thinly slice celery stalks on a bias and add to the bowl along with the minced dill. Gently toss together. Set aside.
3. For vinaigrette: Place shallots, garlic, mustard, vinegar, and honey into a small mixing bowl and whisk together. While whisking, add oil in a thin, steady stream until fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Pour vinaigrette over salad and gently toss together. Top with crumbled feta and lightly season with pepper. Serve.

Shaved Beetroot Salad with a Sweet Champagne Vinaigrette

May 23, 2012 · Everyday Recipes · 13 comments · PRINT

New England Clam Chowder

Hey All! So the weather in LA has been kind of funky lately. We keep getting a weird blend of chilly and warm weather. Seriously, one day I’m out in a spring dress with sandals trying to get a tan while I run errands and the next I’m bundled in a sweater, scarf and boots. It’s weird and kind of annoying. Plus, it’s making me get sick….or was it because I was up in Carmel this weekend, running around the beach in 50 degree weather without a jacket or close toed shoes…hmm…but I digress.

Anyway, I came back to chilly LA weather and now I have a stuffy nose, cough, blah blah blah… This really only means one thing….time for New England Clam Chowder. Yes! Not to mention, after having plenty of chowder up North the past few days, I’ve realized that I have yet to make even a single batch of one of my all time favorite soups/chowders this year! This is my favorite way to make clam chowder. I cut out the usual celery and added some leeks and corn…only because, well…I love leeks and corn, that’s all . This is also quite a simple recipe…not very much fuss beyond cutting up some veg! Enjoy!
xx Jenny

New England Clam Chowder
Serves 5 to 7

Ingredients:
3 rashers bacon, chopped
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
1 leek, cleaned and (the white part only) thinly sliced
1 corn on the cob, kernels and milk removed from cob
1 ½ tablespoons fresh thyme, minced
2 cups new potatoes, diced
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 1/2 cups clam juice (or fish stock or vegetable broth)
2 ½ cups little neck clams
1 – 1 ½ cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
optional:
sourdough bread bowls

1. Place a large pot over medium heat and brown bacon, about 5 minutes. Drain all but 2 tablespoons grease and melt butter.

2. Add onion and carrot and sauté for 5 minutes. Add leek and corn and continue to sauté for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Once onions and leeks have sweat and are translucent, add thyme and potatoes and stir.
4. Sprinkle flour over vegetable mixture and stir well to create a thick roux (make sure all of the flour pockets have been stirred out), about 2 minutes. Continue to stir and cook for an additional minute to allow the “flour taste” to disappear.
5. While whisking, pour clam juice into the mixture in a steady stream until fully incorporated and no lumps remain. Lower the heat and allow the mixture to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the mixture thickens (add ¼ to ½ more clam juice if the mixture becomes to thick while simmering)
6. Gently fold in clams and slowly stir in milk (begin with 1 cup and add extra ½ cup at end, if needed).
7. Allow mixture to simmer for 5 to 7 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Adjust seasonings and serve hot (in hollowed out sourdough bread bowls, if desired).

New England Clam Chowder

March 14, 2012 · Everyday Recipes · 33 comments · PRINT

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