Asian Cabbage Salad

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These days walks to the post office or down to the beach start with layers upon layers of clothing and a briskness in each step. The sky is a faded blue and barely streaked with a few white clouds, the air feels clean, crisp, and cold. There are still trees holding tightly to their leaves, all shades of deep red, brilliant orange, bright yellow and even a few green ones still left; knowing that the first strong wind and rain storm to pass through is coming soon and will tear them from their worn out branches.

As I was preparing this salad, it reminded me exactly of my walks from these recent days. Studded with orange form the carrots, reds and greens from the peppers, and yellow green from the cabbage. Even though I usually crave warming foods this season, this salad was welcome if only for it's beautiful colors. It even tasted of the crispness in the air, if you can image.
It's not very often that I make salads with an Asian inspired dressing, but cabbage seems to beg to be dressed with all things sesame, soy, and vinegar. It comes together pretty quickly once everything has been chopped and if you have a food processor it makes the task of shredding even quicker.
This salad is still great the next day, but it's not quite as pretty because the cabbage begins to soak up lots of the dressing and sort of slumps over. I would however recommend giving it at least 30 minutes to really soak in the dressing before serving if you can.

Asian Cabbage Salad
Adapted from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics
serves 6-8

4 cups grated savoy or napa cabbage
2 cups peeled and grated carrots (about 2 large carrots)
4-5 fresh green and red chilis (use mild and hot varieties), seeded and minced
1 cup diced shallots
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
roughly chopped peanuts or almonds for topping(optional)

dressing
2 tablespoons vegetable or other neutral oil
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
3 tablespoons rice vinegar, or more to taste
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon mirin or dry sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey or sugar, or to taste
pinch of salt

Place the cabbage, carrots, peppers, shallots, garlic, and cilantro in a large bowl (make sure it's large enough that you can toss everything without spilling everywhere).

In a separate smaller bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Pour over the cabbage mixture and toss thoroughly. Taste and and more salt or vinegar if needed. Serve or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pumpkin Hazelnut Bread

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It's already a week into November and the little orange pie pumpkins I bought just before Halloween needed to be taken care of. Because I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do with the puree, I decided to cut them in half, place them in a 9x13 baking dish with a small amount of water and bake them until their flesh became soft enough to scoop out. No salt, no oil, just a little water to get things steaming and soft.

I'm one of those people who is probably a little on the extreme side when it comes to wastefulness. I can't stand it when I have to toss something when it's gone bad. I insist to my husband that there is still at least a whole spoonful left in the peanut butter jar if you just scrape the sides. I reuse and re-purpose things the best that I can. So when it came time to scrape out these pumpkins, I was in there and getting every last bit. I saved the seeds and roasted them too. The only thing that went off to compost was the skin, but I was fine with that.
Have you ever roasted your own pie pumpkins? They have the most beautiful brightly colored orange flesh, nothing like what you get from a can. I'd recommend giving it a long go in a food processor to get all the strands fully chopped up and smooth. Nobody likes stringy things in their baked goods or soup.

I probably was able to get about 5-6 cups worth of pumpkin puree from just one pumpkin. I decided on making a batch of pumpkin ginger cookies first. They turned out alright. I remembered I'm not really a cakey type cookie person and whenever you use something like pumpkin puree, applesauce, or banana puree in any kind of cookie, they always end up on the cakey side. Then I saw a jar of hazelnuts and decided to try out a pumpkin bread with roasted hazelnuts. The resulting taste is strongly hazelnut with hints of spice, in a bread that's slightly sweet with a nice crumb. The only change I latter thought to make was adding a handful of shaved chocolate to the batter. I simply cannot resist hazelnuts and chocolate together.
You can definitely use 1 cup of canned pumpkin puree if you would like. *If you want to roast your own, cut the pumpkin in half, scoop out the center, seeds and all. Place the two halves, cut side down, into a baking dish large enough to hold them. Pour in enough water to come up about 1/4-inch. Place in a preheated 350˚F oven and bake for about 35-45 minutes or until you can pierce the flesh easily with a knife. Time will vary depending on how large your pumpkins are. Cool, scoop out flesh and run through a food processor until completely smooth.

Pumpkin Hazelnut Bread
Adapted from Simply Recipes
makes 1 loaf

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons toasted hazelnuts, divided
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup pumpkin puree *see above notes for making your own
1/2 cup olive oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease or line with parchment a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

Place 1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts in a food processor and process until ground into a flour. Don't blend too far or you will get hazelnut butter.

In a large bowl sift together the hazelnut flour, pastry flour, salt, baking soda, and spices.

In a large bowl combine the pumpkin puree, oil, and sugar. Add in the eggs and water, mixing well. Add the dry mixture to the wet, mixing until everything is just combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons roughly chopped hazelnuts and pop in the oven for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in pan, then remove and cool on wire rack before cutting.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cashew Coconut Cream

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Over the weekend we celebrated my birthday. Celebrating a birthday during the month of November in the North West is sometimes a challenge. I really enjoy doing things outdoors, but I've come to realize that the weather will always be icy cold and most likely rainy, so I should just do whatever I really want because there are just some things you can't predict or change. So when a friend mentioned a trip up to Lopez Island a few weeks ago, I made no hesitation and we started planning.

We woke before the sun rise on Friday and made our way North on I-5 for a 2-3 hour drive. The sunrise that morning was beautiful. A magnificent crack of deep orange sitting just below very dark blue-gray clouds outlining Mt.Rainier. Our first stop before getting on the ferry to Lopez was at Deception Pass. The water was crystal clear blue and looked icy cold. Just as we stepped out from the car we felt the first droplets of rain and bundled up into our coats and boots for a walk down the trail to the beach. We combed the shoreline, watched the diving birds and seals, and chased the tides while running around the rocky shores. It was beautiful.

Soon we found ourselves on the ferry where we slowly rocked across the Puget Sound through all the islands before finally reaching our destination. The first thing you see when getting off the ferry is all the tall evergreen trees lining the cliff edges, soon you find yourself in yellow wheat fields where fluffy sheep are grazing and old farm houses are in the distance. My first thought was "how am I going to leave here?" It's so beautiful, even in all its gray and rain. There are no fast food restaurants or ugly billboard ads, only the locals who wave every time you pass them, we waved back.

We stayed with family that one of our friends had on the island. It was nice to cozy up each evening after a full day of wandering around the grassy cliff side shores of Otis Perkins Park, Shark Reef Park, Iceberg Point, and Lopez Hill. It pretty much poured rain the entire time we were there, but I still had such a great time and now we're trying to figure out how soon we can go back.
The day before we left I wanted to make a little birthday treat to pack along with us. Since we were going to be doing a lot of driving I figured cupcakes would be easier than a full layer cake. I debated about the frosting. I was originally going to make a light coconut whipped cream type, but wasn't sure how it would travel. Instead I settled on making cashew coconut cream and frosting them after arriving so they wouldn't get messy if tossed around.

The cakes themselves are practically sugar-free, using only a little honey. They have a nice chocolate flavor and the cake is a little denser than regular chocolate cake, almost bordering a cake-like brownie.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cashew Coconut Cream / makes 12 cupcakes
cake loosely adapted from My New Roots

The cake and frosting can easily be made vegan by substituting the honey for agave of maple syrup. I think the only change I would make in the future would be the frosting, maybe using coconut butter in place if the coconut milk for a stiffer version. This cake is also great for using up an last bits of pumpkin puree you may have around. It doesn't taste anything like pumpkin and since I used a yellow banana (instead of a super ripe speckled one) it barely tasted of banana at all.

for the cake
1 1/4 cups light spelt flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flax meal mixed with 6 tablespoons water
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 small banana, mashed well
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

for the frosting
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 1 hour
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners

I a large bowl sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium bowl combine the flax mixture, pumpkin puree, honey, vanilla, mashed banana, and apple cider vinegar, mix very well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and slowly fold in just until the dry ingredients are fully wet, do not over mix. 

Pour batter into the paper cups, filling about 3/4 of the way full. Place in the oven and bake for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Prepare the frosting.
Drain the soaked cashews and place in a food processor. Add the coconut milk, honey, and lemon juice. Puree until very smooth, stopping to scrap down the sides if necessary. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. Stores for about 1 week.

Pumpkin Pie with Hazelnut Crust

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As with most years, the holiday season always seems to sneak up on me. We get so busy with day to day tasks, that I always seem to have unaccomplished projects or loose ends to tie up when the new year finally comes around. This year however, instead of rushing through, I want to make the most of every moment. There will never be enough time to do everything or see everyone, so the only thing I can do is be present in all the activities I do find time for. I have so much to be thankful for in my life, that when I sit down to think about it I become overwhelmed with happy thoughts and a very full feeling. Taking it all in, one day at a time, will remind me of all the positive things in my life and to celebrate each of them.
Pumpkin pie was always my favorite dessert on Thanksgiving and still is. Then I realized I don't even have a recipe for pumpkin pie on my blog yet. I think the reason for this was because I've been waiting until inspiration struck. There are already so many great version of pumpkin pie out there, I wanted something different to share. So even though I posted about a pumpkin hazelnut bread recently, I just couldn't help myself to combine the two together again.

This pie however, is something amazing! And will probably end up being made every year. The best part (besides how tasty it is), it's vegan, gluten free, and low in sugar. I know how hard it can be to accommodate everyone at the table, so this might be a good option if you're looking to make only one or two desserts for the table this year, but still have dietary restrictions to maintain. The filling is smooth and creamy and full of pumpkin flavor with slight hints of cinnamon and spice. For those of you who fear pie dough, this is a pat in the pan style crust, which means no rolling or chilling! It's super easy and stays together nicely.


Pumpkin Pie with Hazelnut Crust / makes one 9-inch pie

The most important part in making this pie is to allow it to cool completely before cutting into it. The filling needs time to rest to hold its shape. You can make it the night before and you'll already be on top of your Thanksgiving game, just add any garnish right before serving. Also, using fresh spices and grinding them yourself will lead to a better spice flavor. At the very least, make sure the spices you use are fresh and haven't been sitting on your shelf since last year.

crust
1 3/4 cup + 1/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted
1 cup almond flour
1/2 cup coconut butter, melted
pinch of salt

pie filling
2 cups pumpkin puree
2/3 cup pure maple syrup or brown sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
3/4 cup coconut milk

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

For the crust
Place the 1 3/4 cups hazelnuts into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times, then grind the nuts up to a coarse meal. Should take about 3-4 minutes. You don't want to blend too far or you'll end up with hazelnut butter.

Place the hazelnut meal into a medium bowl, add to it the almond flour, coconut butter, and a pinch of salt, blend until everything is well incorporated.

Dump the nut mixture out into a 9-inch pie pan and start pressing, from the center out, with your fingers, until you have an even crust all the way around, set aside.

For the filling
In a large bowl combine the pumpkin puree, maple syrup, cornstarch, vanilla, salt, and spices. Stir in the coconut milk until no white streaks are left behind. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the prepared pie crust.

Bake the pie in the center of the oven for about 1 hour (check after 50 minutes) or until the sides are completely set and the center jiggles only slightly when shaken lightly. Allow the pie to cool completely before cutting into. Pie can be made the night before and stored in the refrigerator. Right before serving coarsely chop the remaining hazelnuts and use for garnish. You can also top with whipped cream or creme fraiche, unless of coarse you're vegan.

Mini Twice Baked Potatoes with Spinach & White Bean Filling

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I was recently invited by Guilt Taste to participate in reviewing some of their beautiful gourmet products. The first shipment was their Chef's Garden box from Farmer Jones Farm. It arrived on my doorstep late last week and after bringing it inside I headed straight to the kitchen to open what was inside. Carefully wrapped in insulated bubble wrap with a cold pack was a beautiful assortment of seasonal vegetables and herbs. I just about squealed with delight when I discovered the colorful little edible flowers (I guess the sight of flowers this time of year is exciting, considering most of what's outside right now around here is brown and dying). After carefully taking stock of what all was in there I had my mind set on making a healthy seasonal appetizer.
Everyone loves a two-bite sized appetizer, but most of the time they're a little on the unhealthy side, especially when it comes to twice baked potatoes. I decided to resolve that by adding a little protein (in the form of white beans) and spinach to the potato filling and seasoning it all with spices and fresh herbs. The result is so good you won't even miss the cream, butter, or cheese. 
Mini Twice Baked Potatoes with Spinach & White Bean Filling / makes 24 small potatoes
These are simple to make and don't really take much time to make aside from filling them, but they can be assembled a day ahead and quickly re-heated the next day to save yourself some time. It will seem like a lot of spinach when your done chopping, but once it cooks down it all fits in nicely. I had a little leftover, but I just nibbled that up myself. In fact, I could have eaten just the filling by itself, and decided you could make a lazy version of this as a meal and instead of filling the potatoes, just mash everything up together, maybe add more beans and seasoning and call it dinner.


24 small potatoes, scrubbed and washed well2 tablespoons olive oil diveded4 ounces spinach, washed and dried1/2 cup cooked white beans1 clove garlic, minced1 teaspoon ground cumin1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon ground black pepperpinch of cayenne (optional)1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano
Preheat the oven to 425˚F. 
Toss the potatoes in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place on a baking sheet, pierce each with a fork, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when pierced. Let cool for about 10 minutes or until you can handle them without burning yourself.
Once the potatoes are cool enough to handle, use a small spoon to hallow out the middle. Make sure to leave enough of the side so the potatoes maintain their structure. Transfer insides to a bowl and set aside.
Thinly slice the spinach into strips. The easiest way to do this is to stack each leaf on top of one another and slice with a sharp knife. In a large skillet, heat up the last of the olive oil. Gently cook the garlic for a minute, then add the beans, cooked potato flesh, cumin, salt, pepper, and cayenne, if using. Cook while mashing everything together with the back of a fork or a potato masher. Once everything is well mashed and incorporated stir in the spinach. Cook until spinach just begins to wilt. Turn off the heat and stir in the fresh oregano.
Take the hallowed out potato halves and fill them with the spinach mixture. I started this process trying to be really careful with a fork, but soon found it was much easier to really fill each potato if I held it in my hand and used my other hand to grab a bit of the filling and pack it down in. 
At this point you can either pop them right back into the oven for about 8 minutes to warm up again or you can place them in the refrigerator until your ready to heat and serve. If cooking later, turn your oven back up to 425˚F and heat for 8-10 minutes. 
Some tasty topping ideas would be sliced green onion, Greek yogurt, sour cream, caramelized shallots, chives, or more fresh herbs, and cheese. 
* Full Disclosure: Guilt Taste graciously provided me the spinach, potatoes, garlic and oregano for this recipe. I was not paid and all photo's, text, and opinions are my own. 

Ginger Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry with Oyster Sauce

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Tender strips of chicken and warm crisp vegetables combined with an Asian inspired sauce is one of the easiest and most popular ways that I get dinner on the table. Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables to use in a stir fry. The florets hold so much sauce and each bite is full of flavor. The oyster sauce in this recipe added a savory note that we all enjoyed. Most of our Asian dishes incorporate a bit of heat or spice. This is a very flavorful dish without any heat at all.

Ginger Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry with Oyster Sauce
recipe loosely adapted from Cooking Canuck

3 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 1 1lb, cut into 1/2" strips
1 tablespoon coconut oil or olive oil
3" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped very small, about 3 tablespoons minced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 bunch of broccoli, cut into small florets, about 4 cups florets
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch
Optional: 1-2 cups of baby mushrooms, halved as desired

Whisk together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and arrowroot. Set aside.

In a very large skillet or wok, warm the oil over high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring or tossing frequently, until it is browned, about 10 minutes. Add the ginger, green onions, garlic, broccoli and mushrooms if desired. Cook, stirring or tossing constantly, until the pan is fragrant and the broccoli turns bright green, about 2-3 minutes.

Add water to the mixture and use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up all the browned bits. Pour in the soy sauce mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens, about 1 minute. Serve over rice if desired. Enjoy!



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ONE YEAR AGO TODAY: Kitchen Tip: How to Peel a Kiwi

White Bean and Ham Soup - On the Stove or In the Crockpot

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White beans simmered with ham and vegetables until everything is tender, then pureed into smooth and richly flavorful soup, symbolizes the return of fall in our household. I've been making this soup for a few years now. Pam first posted the recipe four years ago and I've made it at least a dozen times since then. This soup has been given rave reviews by every person I have ever served it to. I typically serve this with a crusty bread and a tossed salad. The leftovers freeze beautifully as well, in individual containers for quick lunches.

White Bean and Ham Soup
recipe adapted from For the Love of Cooking (Thanks again, Pam!)
Yield: 8-10 servings

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small yellow sweet onion
1 cup of carrots, thinly sliced
2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups of cooked diced ham
(4) 14 ounce cans great northern or white navy beans OR 1 1/2 lbs dry, cooked the day before
3 cups of chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon kosher salt, adjust to taste
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, adjust to taste

Heat the olive oil a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots & celery. Cook until tender. Add the ham and garlic and saute for about a minute. (If you prefer to cook this in the crockpot; see the instructions below.)

Add half of the beans, chicken broth, bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium low heat on the stove for at least 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaf and blend soup in pot with immersion blender (use regular blender if you don't have an immersion blender). Add the remaining beans to the soup and simmer for another 10-15 minutes.Enjoy!

CROCKPOT DIRECTIONS:
Heat the olive oil a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots & celery. Cook until tender. Add the garlic and ham and saute for about a minute. Transfer this mixture to a large crockpot.

Add half of the beans, chicken broth, bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low for 4 hours, then remove the bay leaf and blend with an immersion blender (use a regular blender if you don't have an immersion blender). Add the remaining beans to the soup and cook on low for 1-2  hours longer. Enjoy!



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ONE YEAR AGO TODAY: Cranberry Almond Crockpot Oatmeal

Salty, Spicy, Sweet and Sticky Asian Chicken

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Salty soy sauce, sweet brown sugar and spicy garlic chili paste combine to make one of the easiest Asian inspired marinades you can imagine. A few weeks ago, I accidentally picked up a jar of garlic chili paste while grocery shopping. I was looking for my favorite chili paste, Sambal Oelek and this one looked similar enough that in a moment of distraction I picked up the wrong one.

I enjoyed the slightly different flavor of this chili paste. The garlic gives the dish a different layer of heat without actually being spicy. You can adjust the chili paste as desired, to determine how spicy the finished chicken will be. For my kids, I used just 2 tablespoons and it was perfect. There was barely any real heat, with plenty of flavor. My middle son enjoyed this so much; he ate four drumsticks before I realized how many he had!

This is such a simple recipe; I've made it a couple times already. The drumsticks were the biggest hit, although the others were delicious as well. Just marinate the chicken for a few hours, then save the marinade to reduce for a simple sauce and drizzle the finished chicken right before serving.

Salty, Spicy, Sweet and Sticky Asian Chicken
Yield: 6-8 servings

4 lbs chicken, I used 16 drumsticks this time*
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
2-3 tablespoons garlic chili paste or a chili paste like Sambal Oelek plus 1 clove minced garlic

Combine the soy sauce, sugar and chili paste in a large measuring cup or bowl and whisk to combine. Place the chicken in a gallon size ziploc bag or airtight container. Cover with the marinade and seal. Place in the refrigerator, turning bag ever hour or two until ready to cook. Marinate for 4 - 6 hours.
About 30 - 60 minutes before you are ready to cook, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and place it on the counter to come closer to room temperature.

OVEN BROILING DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to broil. Place the chicken pieces on a foil lined baking sheet, reserving all the marinade in a small saucepan. Bring the marinade to a slow simmer while you broil the chicken for ten minutes. Remove the chicken from the oven, turn pieces over and lightly baste with the marinade. Return the chicken to the oven and cook another 5 - 8 minutes until the juices run clear when pierced with a knife. Serve the chicken with rice, with the slightly reduced marinade sauce either drizzled over the chicken or on the side. Enjoy!

STOVE-TOP DIRECTIONS: Warm a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken pieces in the skillet skin side down, while reserving all the marinade in a small saucepan. Cover the chicken with a lid and allow it to cook without touching it for about 10 minutes. Bring the marinade to a slow simmer while the chicken cooks. Turn the chicken over. The skin should be super crispy and deeply browned. If it is not, increase the heat and let it cook a couple more minutes before turning it. Turn the chicken and let the other side brown for another 5 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces. Serve the chicken with rice, with the slightly reduced marinade sauce either drizzled over the chicken or on the side. Enjoy!

* I have also used boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts with success. Simply adjust the cooking time as necessary. Thighs and breasts will take about half as long to cook as bone-in pieces, maybe slightly longer than that, depending on thickness.



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ONE YEAR AGO TODAY: Sauteed Ono (White Fish) with Balsamic Butter Sauce

Simple Asian Rice

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Salty and savory rice that is just flavorful enough to be a perfect pairing for the Sticky Asian Chicken. With or without the peas, this is a rice that was declared two thumbs up by all of my boys. My youngest emptied his bowl twice and still asked for more.

Simple Asian Rice

3 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 green onions, very thinly sliced
Optional: 1/2 cup frozen peas

Combine the rice and the chicken stock in a large saucepan or skillet, cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 18 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, stir the rice and check the rice for tenderness. If the liquid has been absorbed, drizzle with the soy sauce and sesame oil and toss well to coat. Add frozen peas, if desired, and stir to combine. The heat of the rice will cook them in just a minute or two. Add the green onions, stir and keep covered until ready to serve. Enjoy!

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ONE YEAR AGO TODAY: Southwest Chicken Soup - Crockpot and Stovetop Recipes

Orange Raspberry Banana Chia Smoothie

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I discovered a forgotten bag of frozen raspberries in the back of my freezer and I couldn't resist turning them into an impromptu smoothie for my boys' snack. This was not as sweet a smoothie as I anticipated and I liked the slight tartness from the berries. I will be picking up more frozen raspberries soon, so that I can include them in future smoothies.

Orange Raspberry Banana Chia Smoothie
Yield: (2) 8 ounce smoothies

1 cup orange juice
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 frozen banana
1-2 tablespoons chia seeds

Layer ingredients into the blender as listed above. Puree until smooth. Enjoy!

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ONE YEAR AGO TODAY: Accidental Smoothie Ice Cream

Blondies - Alice Medrich recipe

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Blondies
Blondies are so often overlooked in favor of their cousin the Brownie. But blondies rock! Without all the chocolate, you really taste the brown sugar and nuts. I might get pelted for saying this, but sometimes you need a break from chocolate (well, not a big break because this blondie has chocolate chips)!

Do you have a copy of Alice Medrich's Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-your-Mouth Cookies? It's very well written, like all her books, and this Blondie recipe is a winner. In the back of the book, she has helpful lists - such as lower fat cookies, dairy-free, cookies that keep at least 2 weeks, and cookie doughs that freeze well. Love that she took the time to make these lists for the reader. I just wish that the publishers used grams as well as ounce measurements. I like "counting" in grams because it is easier to halve recipes. In addition, the book uses decimal measurements (my Salter scale uses fractions) such as 6.125. I love math, but I have a hard time remembering that .125 is 1/8 of an ounce at 4 am in the morning. :)

Super duper easy to make. Melted butter is combined with brown sugar and many basic ingredients - you probably have everything you need in your pantry right now. Don't need a mixer...just a wooden spoon. Can't get easier than that. Make some today and your family and friends will thank you.

Recipe:
Blondies
From Alice Medrich's Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-your-Mouth Cookies, page 174 (find it in your library)

1 cup (4.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
8 T (1 stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup plus 2 T (6.125 ounces) packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp dark rum or bourbon (optional, I did not use it)
2/3 cup walnut pieces (I used Trader Joe's Walnut baking bits)
1/2 cup (3 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used mini chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep a 8 x 8 pan by lining it with parchment or foil.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, and set aside.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the brown sugar. Use a wooden spoon to beat in the egg and vanilla. Gently stir in the flour mixture followed by half of the walnuts. Spread the batter in the pan. Sprinkle the remaining walnuts and the chocolate chips evenly over the top.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the nuts look toasted, the top is golden brown, and the edges have pulled away from the sides of the pan. Cool in the pan on a rack. Lift the ends of the parchment or foil and transfer to a cutting board for cutting.

King's Hawaiian Behind-the-Scenes Factory Tour

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King's Hawaiian Behind-the-Scenes Factory Tour and Lunch
King's Hawaiian Bread has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up in the South Bay of Los Angeles, where founder Robert Taira set up his factory on the mainland. My auntie and uncle live within a mile of that factory, and I have fond memories of driving by and smelling the King's bread baking...always wondering what was going on inside. My mother even remembers friends bringing back King's round bread from Hawaii as omiyage (gifts & souvenirs) in the 1960-1970s.

My mother immigrated from Okinawa, Japan in the 60's. Every single time we eat King's Hawaiian bread or visit the restaurant, she says, "You know, the family that founded King's - Taira? They're Okinawan." Every. Single. Time. (If my mom tweeted, she could hashtag #okinawanpride!)

Yes, King's is the bread for my family. Even now, my mom's Thanksgiving shopping list includes three 24-roll packages...for about 8 people - that's 9 rolls per person!

So, when King's Hawaiian invited me for a special behind-the-scenes factory tour and lunch?! The entire west coast heard me scream with delight.

Mark Taira, son of founder Robert Taira spoke about his dad founding the bakery in Hilo, Hawaii in the 1950's. Mr. Taira's neighbor would bake a Portuguese round sweet bread that only lasted one day. Mr. Taira perfected the recipe to last much longer and an industry was born. After setting up in Honolulu in 1963, on King Street, his bread became known throughout the state. Then, in 1977 they opened the factory in Torrance, California. We visited the second factory in the South Bay. What was even more exciting? It was the very first time non-family and friends of the founders were allowed to tour the facility!

Nothing like seeing thousands of fresh hot dog buns whirling along conveyor belts...from rolling out, proofing, baking and packaging. We saw the new hot dog buns being produced as well as the delicious honey wheat rolls. At the end of the tour, they lifted a few boxes off the belt and served them up with butter. Literally, hot from the oven!

After the tour, we were treated to a wonderful lunch. King's brought in the best food trucks to make special meals on King's Hawaiian bread. Lobsta Truck rolls with butter on the new hot dog bun? OMG....so delicious! The Buttermilk Truck made french toast sticks with King's bread for a sweet treat. The Ludo Truck makes crispy, perfectly seasoned chicken, and the Kogi Truck short rib sliders on King's rolls were amazing. In addition, the King's family made delicious tail-gate treats - great ideas for the upcoming football season!

Three generations of Taira's work at the King's Factory and Restaurants including the founder's brother (not pictured) who rises everyday and works in the bakery. With so much of our food made by large multi-national conglomerates, it was special to see a successful, Southern California family business. And, as my mom would say, "Okinawan too!"

The dessert buffet was outstanding...including two types of bread pudding made with King's Hawaiian bread. Have you been to the King's Hawaiian Restaurant and Bakery in Torrance? Another reason to visit the cool ocean breezes in the South Bay of Los Angeles. I love the Paradise cake, and blogged about it here and here.

I went home and opened the largest swag box ever. It contained every one of King's products, an apron, Hawaiian coffee & candies - oh my! I made a simple dessert with mascarpone fruit toasts - find the recipe in the next post.

Thanks King's Hawaiian and the Taira family for a great day!

With nationwide distribution, you can find King's in a grocery store near you. This Labor Day holiday, you should try the new hot dog buns! More information here.

FCC Disclosure: I was invited for the tour & lunch and received a gift basket from King's Hawaiian. I did not receive compensation. Opinions are my own...I'm seriously this crazy about King's Hawaiian bread.

King's Hawaiian Mascarpone Toast Tarts

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King's Hawaiian Mascarpone Toast Tarts
Thanks to King's Hawaiian, I received lots and lots of bread at the end of the tour (see post here). I normally purchase the original round bread and rolls, so I was excited to try the new products. For this treat, I used the King's Hawaiian Sliced Bread (but you can use the other Kings products - just slice it). This bread is delicious with cold cuts for lunch, french toast, and some homemade jam.

I wanted to make a super easy treat you can throw together in a flash. Just cut King's Hawaiian bread into shapes, toast with butter, and top with a sweetened mascarpone cream mixture and fresh fruit. How easy is that?! I used some Ateco rounds and scalloped edge cutters.

I toasted the bread pieces in my cast iron pan with butter. You can adjust the amount of butter to suit your tastes...it only takes a few minutes. A simple mixture of mascarpone cream, sugar and cream is spread on the toast pieces.

Top with any fruit you have available... a slice of peach, nectarine, pear or kiwi would be nice too.

I used a mascarpone, sugar and chilled heavy whipping cream mixture on top of the toasted Kings Hawaiian bread similar to this one I used to fill pastry shells for a wedding.

King's Hawaiian Mascarpone Toast Tarts

King's Hawaiian Bread - sliced and cut into bite size pieces
Fresh fruit
Mascarpone Cream Filling
4 ounces (half an 8 ounce tub) of  mascarpone cream (I used Trader Joe's)
2-3 Tablespoons granulated sugar (to taste)
2-3 Tablespoons heavy cream, chilled (to taste)

Toast the cut bread in butter. Let cool. Combine the Mascarpone cream mixture with a whisk. Spread on the toast and top with fruit. Serve and enjoy!