Beet Chips

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It's rainy and dreary here today. I'm not complaining...we need the rain and Lord knows we are blessed with gorgeous weather here most days. But, when I saw these pretty little golden beets next to their ruby colored kinfolk at the farmer's market this morning, I bought them just because they cheered me up. Hey, if a root vegetable can cheer you up, it deserves some attention, right?!

I'll be honest with you...I'm not a huge beet fan. They're ok. But I recently came across this recipe and just the sheer beauty of the sliced beets made me want to try it. And then I tasted them. YUM! They actually taste a lot like potato chips, but with a little more umph. They taste nothing like beets. Apparently you can buy a tiny bag of beet chips at Whole Foods for $6. These cost much less. Another bonus--my kids loved them. They're high in potassium and folic acid, so eat up!

First, peel and slice the beets really thin. You'll need some seriously stellar knife skills, or, better yet, a mandoline in order to get them super thin.

So pretty...I want to make jewelry out of them or something!

Next, toss the beets with just a bit of olive oil.

Lay them in a single layer (important) on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with just a touch of sea salt.  Place another baking sheet on top (this keeps them from curling up as they bake.) Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Remove the top sheet and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

When they're done, they'll start to lighten up a bit in color.

Cool them on wire racks. They'll get nice and crispy and snackalicious!

Beet Chips

4 Medium Beets
2 tsp olive oil
sprinkling of sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel and slice the beets about 1/16" thick (use a mandoline for the best results)
2. Toss with olive oil, making sure each slice is coated and lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with just a touch of sea salt. Cover with another baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the top sheet and bake an additional 15-20 minutes or until the beets start to turn a lighter shade and get crispy (watch them carefully so they don't burn).
3. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Note: To speed up the process, once the first batch had been in the oven for 20 minutes, I removed the top baking sheet, put the 2nd batch of beets on and placed it under the first baking sheet in the oven so I always had 2 batches going at once. I had to pay special attention to the timing, but rotating the baking sheets this way cut down on the overall time it took to bake the entire batch. Hope that makes sense! Pin It

My Favorite Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

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I made cookies for you today (well, you and my kids).

You, being human and all, probably live in one of two camps when it comes to chocolate chip cookies: the soft, chewy camp, or over here in the crispy, buttery, crunchy camp where all the cool kids hang out. Or, maybe there's a third camp for people who like both (kinda like one of those Venn Diagrams we learned about in elementary school). Either way, these are just darn good cookies.

This recipe is adapted from the Tate's Bake Shop Cookbook. Tate's Bake Shop is in
Southampton, NY. Whenever we travel back East to visit family, we go there and stock up on several packages of these incredible cookies, with the intention of bringing them home to share with family and friends. Unfortunately, there are rarely any left by the time we've finished our long journey home. So, I decided to track down the recipe and make them myself . I was delighted to see that the owner, Kathleen King, has compiled a great cookbook, including the recipe for her famous chocolate chip cookies.

By the way, feel free to chime in below in the comments section on which camp you fall into when it comes to chocolate chip cookies (I'm feeling a little lonely over here). I'll bet I can convince you to join my side after you try these cookies!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare two baking sheets with a Silpat or parchment paper.

Combine your dry ingredients in large mixing bowl.

Beat the sugars and butter together in a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer).

Add vanilla eggs and water and mix just until combined.

Mix in the dry ingredients by thirds just until combined. Don't over mix...it should be light and fluffy.

With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the chocolate chips. Then find a little one to clean the beater for you!

Using a small ice cream scoop (this keeps the cookies uniform in size and is way easy) or 2 teaspoons, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. I got these at a local restaurant supply company and I LOVE them!  These cookies spread out A LOT, so do them in batches of 6 or they'll melt together.

Bake for 13-15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. This recipe makes 36 big cookies...plenty to share!

Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies

makes 36 big cookies

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp water

1 tsp vanilla

2 large eggs

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with Silpat or parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter, and sugars. Beat with the paddle attachment just until combined, scraping the bowl once. Add the water, vanilla and eggs and mix just until combined.
4. In 3 batches, add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar mixture and gently combine. Don't over mix.
5. With a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate chips.
6. Using a small ice cream scoop or 2 teaspoons, drop the dough onto the prepared cookie sheets (at least 2 inches apart).
7. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the edges are brown and crispy. Cool the cookies on a wire rack.

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Vietnamese Steak Sandwiches

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This is my 14 year-old nephew's all time favorite meal, and everyone else devours them as well.  The flavors are fresh and bright, just like the ingredients. I love to use flank steak because it's a lean protein with lots of flavor, especially with this marinade. It's a quick and satisfying meal that's sure to please!

For the marinade, combine lime juice, soy sauce, scallions, red pepper flakes and fresh ginger (see note below).

Tip: Buy a chunk of fresh ginger, cut it into approx. 1" pieces, freeze it in a baggie. That way you'll always have fresh ginger on hand. No need to thaw, it's actually easier to peel and mince when still frozen. To peel it use the side of a teaspoon like this:

Pour the marinade over the steak (I made a double batch here due to the fact that my aforementioned nephew was in town...have you ever seen a 14 year-old boy eat...it's a marvelous thing!). Let the steak and marinade groove together for at least 30 minutes.

For the sandwich garnish (it's more than a garnish, really) combine minced garlic, sugar, red pepper flakes, rice vinegar, grated carrots, scallions, and cilantro. Is your mouth watering yet?

Grill the steak, discarding the marinade, (5-6 minutes per side for medium rare) and let it rest for 10 minutes or so (don't skip this part or you'll lose all the yummy juices from the steak). Slice it thinly.

Toast your rolls and top them with the sliced steak and carrot, cilantro mixture.

Vietnamese Steak Sandwiches
serves 4

For the Marinade:

• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice (3-4 limes)
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 2 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak

For the Topping/Garnish:

• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 carrots, grated
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 4 sandwich rolls

1. Combine ingredients for marinade in a ziploc bag and add flank steak. Smush it around a bit to coat the steak and refrigerate for 30 minutes, turning occasionally.
2. Season the steak lightly with salt and pepper and grill over high heat for about 5 minutes per side for medium rare. Let the steak rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing.
3. Meanwhile, combine ingredients for garnish; split and toast the rolls.  Evenly layer the steak with the carrot mixture onto the toasted rolls.

Adapted from Everyday Food's Great Food Fast
Photography credit: Cody Nunes-Malone (my nephew)
Sous Chef: Kari Dawn Alan Malone (my niece)



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Sweet Chili Shrimp with Snow Peas

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Sweet Chili Shrimp. Say that five times fast! This dish comes together so quickly, you'll have dinner on the table in a flash and the sauce is so good, you just might find yourself pouring it over your cornflakes in the morning. Try to find shrimp that's been shelled and deveined to save a lot of time. If you like it extra spicy, use a bit more siracha (you can find it, along with the rice noodles next to the other Asian ingredients). I used Thai Kitchen rice noodles, but you can subsitute an equal portion of angel hair pasta or even steamed white rice.

Let's wok and roll (sorry, couldn't resist)...

Heat some oil in your wok or skillet and add the shrimp and snow peas and cook until the shrimp is pink and nearly cooked through.

In a small saucepan, combine the ingredients for the sauce and cook until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce thickens up a bit.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the package directions.

Pour sauce over shrimp and snow peas, stirring to combine:

Serve over noodles and garnish with sesame seeds.

Sweet Chili Shrimp with Snow Peas

serves 4

For the Sauce:

• 3 cloves garlice, minced
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp oil (canola or grapeseed)
• 3 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp chili sauce
• 1 tsp siracha (the one with the rooster)
• 1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp water

For the stir-fry:

• 1 Tbsp oil
• 1 lb peeled, deveined shrimp
• 8 oz. snow peas
• 8 oz. thai rice noodles (or angel hair pasta)
• 1 tsp sesame seeds (for garnish)

1. In a small sacuepan, combine sauce ingredients (except for cornstarch). Bring to boil, stirring to dissolve sugar; add cornstarch mixture and stir until slightly thickened (about 1 minute).
2. Heat oil in wok or large skillet over hight heat; add shrimp and snow peas and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until shrimp is pink and cooked through.  Add sauce and stir to combine.
3. Meanwhile, cook noodles in boiling water, according to package directions. Drain and add to wok or serving platter and combine with shrimp and snow peas. Garnish with sesame seeds.

**Wine Suggestion: We had this with a 2009 Estate Rose` from Chamisal Vineyards here in the Edna Valley. It would also pair nicely with a Pinot Grigio.



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Spinach Salad with Maple Vinaigrette & Blood Oranges

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Do you watch Dexter? If not, you should. You know the part in the show's opener when he squeezes the blood orange? There's something so disturbing about that...I love it! I mean, what is cooler looking than the inside of a blood orange? So, when I saw them at the market, I bought a whole bag--and then had to figure out what to do with them. This is what I came up with. Maple...vinaigrette...yes! It's maple-y and tangy and  has a little cayenne kick and you even get to supreme an orange (sounds fancy but is really easy).  Blood oranges are in season now, so get some quick and try this.  My kids even ate this...just gobbled it down without a word from me.

In the bottom of your salad bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Then, to supreme the orange, cut the ends off the orange, marvel at the beautiful interior, and using a sharp knife, carefully remove the peel and pith by slicing down the orange.

Holding the peeled orange in your hand, carefully (there's a theme here, people!) remove just the fleshy segments of the orange with the knife and drop them into the vinaigrette.

Now, the fun part...once all the segments are removed, take the remainder of the orange and squeeze out the remaining juice over the bowl (a la Dexter).

Plop your salad greens on top and add the pecans and goat cheese. Now it can hang out while you make the rest of your meal. Toss just before serving.

Spinach Salad with Maple Vinaigrette & Blood Oranges

serves 4

Vinaigrette:

• 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
• 2 tsp. maple syrup (the real stuff)
• 1 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• pinch kosher salt
• pinch cayenne pepper (or 2 if you like more of a kick)
• juice from the remainder of 1 orange, after it has been supremed

Salad:

• 4 cups loosely packed spinach (washed and dried)
• 2 blood oranges
• 2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled (optional)
• 1/4 cup toasted peans, broken up

1. In the bottom of your salad bowl, combine ingredients for vinaigrette. Drop in the orange segments and squeeze the remainder of the orange over the bowl and gently combine.
2. Add spinach, nuts and goat cheese and just before serving, toss gently.

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Spanish Tortilla with Sausage

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My cupboards are bare. "Why?" you ask, are my cupboards bare? Have you ever tried to do your grocery shopping with two very active little boys? If not, or if it's been awhile, here's what I want you to do: Kidnap Borrow two baby goats from your local petting zoo. Head on over to the grocery store and buckle the littlest baby goat into the front of the shopping cart--this will keep him safe and secure for approximately 43 seconds. Then, proceed down the aisles, while pulling the other baby goat alongside you. Make sure you get everything on your list (oh, wait, the littlest baby goat ATE your list)... ok, so you'll have to rely on your memory. No prob, right? You get the gist...sometimes my cupboards are bare and/or I don't really feel like whipping up a gourmet meal. It happens...and this is what you can make when it happens to you.

I learned how to make a basic Spanish Tortilla from my flatmate when I was living in London for grad school.  Up until that point, I, being a California girl and growing up on Mexican food, thought she was going to mix some flour and water together, pat-a-pat-pat it between her hands and fry it up in a skillet. So, I was surprised when she pulled out the eggs and potatoes (two of the very few ingredients in this dish). In it's traditional, basic form, it's like a fritatta with thinly sliced potatoes and eggs, but to jazz it up a bit (I like to jazz things up) I've added some herbs and sausage.  The Spanish would make this for lunch or dinner, but it makes a good weekend breakfast too.

*P.S. I adore my kids, despite their occasional display of baby goat-like characteristics.
*P.P.S. No baby goats were harmed during the writing of this post.





Slice up your potatoes (I don't even bother to peel them...more fiber that way and tasty too). A mandoline is great for this if you have one. If not slice them thinly.

Slice the sausage roughly the same thickness as the potatoes, like this:

Heat some olive oil in an ovenproof skillet and cook the sausage and onion over med/hi heat until browned

Add the potatoes in a single layer, add a little water, reduce the heat to low and cover. This allows the potatoes to cook through and takes about 5 minutes. Then, take the cover off, toss in your garlic, rosemary, salt & pepper, increase the heat and cook just until the potatoes start to turn golden, about 2 minutes

Add the eggs and give it a little shimmy-shake. Put it in the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the eggs are set and just start to puff up a bit. The edges will barely be browned.

Remove from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen. Place a cutting board or platter over the top of the pan, say a little prayer, and invert it onto the board.

Slice it up and serve with a tossed green salad.

Spanish Chorizo with Sausage

serves 4-6

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 3 links of fully cooked sausage (I used a chicken sausage to keep it lighter, but Spanish chorizo would be great)
• 3 med. potatoes, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp. chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 7 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees
2. In a non-stick ovenproof skillet, heat oil over med/hi heat. Add sausage and onion and cook until sausage is browned and onion is translucent.
3. Add potatoes in a single layer. Toss in 1/4 cup water. Reduce heat, cover and cook 5 minutes or until potatoes are just tender.
4. Meanwhile, crack eggs into a medium bowl, add milk and whisk until well combined.
5. Add garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper, stirring occasionally to let the potatoes brown up a bit, about 2 minutes.
6. Add eggs, shaking the pan gently to evenly distribute the eggs mixture. Place in the oven for approx 10-12 minutes or until the eggs are firm and the edges are just beginning to brown.
7. Remove from oven, invert onto a platter and slice.

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Italian Chicken Salad

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I'm kind of a walking cliche right now. You know...trying to eat healthier and get more excercise after all the holiday imbibing and cheeriness. It's just not fun to get dressed in the morning. So, if you're in this boat with me, here's a nice, simple healthy recipe--but it's really tasty too. It's great on some whole grain crackers or bread, or even on a bed of lettuce as a salad. My friend Kim brought this for a picnic lunch on a wine tasting outing last year and it was a big hit. It's adapted from a recipe in Cooking Light magazine.  I shred the meat from 1 rotisserie chicken to make it easy, or you can cook up your own.  I used roasted red peppers, but fresh are good too. If you can, refrigerate it for a few hours before serving so the flavors can meld. Mangia!

The Goods



This dressing is deeeelish

Done! Enjoy...

Italian Chicken Salad

serves 6

Dressing:

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 tsp salt

Salad

• 3-4 cups shredded cooked chicken (I used all the meat from 1 rotisserie, minus the wings)
• 1/2 cup roasted red pepper (or 1 cup fresh), chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 (14oz) can artichoke hearts, roughly chopped

1. In a small bowl, whisk dressing ingredients together and set aside
2. In a large bowl, combine chicken, red pepper, basil and artichokes. Stir to combine. Add dressing and stir well.

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Steel Cut Oats with Cranberries & Coconut

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So, the stomach bug darkened our door last week. Not much sounded good...except oatmeal. A nice warm bowl of love! My husband is half Irish, and his family turned me on to steel cut oats, aka Irish Oats. Apparently, they're even better for you than regular oats, and I love the nutty texture and flavor. You just feel healthier after eating them. They don't take any more effort than regular oatmeal. They do take a bit more time to cook, but you can cut the time in half if you use a pressure cooker.  This recipe can easily be doubled and frozen in individual portions. Just reheat with milk in the microwave.

Steel Cut Oats with Cranberries & Coconut
serves 4

• 3 cups water
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup  steel cut oats (I like Bob's Red Mill)
• 2 Tbsp flax seed meal
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup shredded, unsweetened coconut
• 1/4 cup toasted pecans, broken up

1. In a medium saucepan, bring water and salt to a rolling boil.
2. Add oats, flaxseed meal and cranberries. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes (use the low end if you like it on the chewy side)
3. Stir in the coconut.
4. Top with pecans and sweeten to taste with Agave nectar or brown sugar

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