Citrus Blueberry Muffins

Winter is the time for citrus in So. California.  The kumquat trees are dripping with orange fruit and the girls pick more every day.  Today I saw some lemons that had fallen to the ground when I was running so I rescued a couple and then picked a few oranges off our own tree and wanted to make some muffins.  After glancing through my shelf of recipes books, I couldn't find anything like the idea I had in my head so I used an Alton Brown "Old-School Muffin" recipe as the basis for these.  The citrus was subtle but good and the blueberries were a nice addition.  

Instead of using the citrus juice in the recipe, I used the peel of the lemon and orange and put it in the food processor with the sugar until it looked like this: 

I maybe should have pulled them from the oven a couple of minutes sooner but they were delicious!

Citrus Blueberry Muffins

makes 1 dozen

Ingredients:

1 lemon

1 orange

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup plain greek yogurt

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

2 1/4 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup blueberries

Step 1:  Peel the zest of one lemon and one orange with a vegetable peeler (trying not to get too much of the white pith).  Combine with 1/2 cup sugar in a food processor or mini chopper and pulse until well combined.

Step 2:  Put that citrus sugar in a bowl and add vegetable oil, plain greek yogurt, 1 large egg, and 1 egg yolk.  Whisk together until smooth.

Step 3:  In a different bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda.  

Step 4:  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined (don't overmix).  Add  blueberries.

Step 5:  Put batter into a greased muffin tin (makes 1 dozen) and bake in a 375 degree oven for 18 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

 

Quarantine Soup

This is a very flexible, adaptable recipe for using up what produce and protein you have.  You could add more beans or leave them out, add cooked chicken or beef or pork instead of the sausage, start with water instead of chicken broth . . . it ended up delicious and was hearty - just what we needed.

Quarantine Soup (about 4-6 servings)

Start by sautéing an onion and some other vegetables (like a mirepoix) - I used
1/2 - 1 cup chopped onion
1/2  - 1 cup chopped celery
1/2  - 1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

When it's pretty much sautéed, add a few cloves of garlic (diced) and saute a little more.  Then add your liquid and beans.  I used 4 cups chicken chicken broth and a can of white beans (drained but not rinsed).  Add some seasonings - I eyeballed some Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, paprika, and threw in a bay leaf.

Let it simmer for awhile - I let mine simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour.  Then add your cooked protein.  I added 2 links fully cooked Italian sausage, sliced thin.   Right before I was ready to serve it, I stirred in a few handfuls of kale (spinach would also work well or you can leave out the green stuff) and a tablespoon or two of good quality balsamic vinegar.  Taste and add salt and pepper if it's needed.  Grate some parmesan cheese over the top

Enchilada Verde Soup

Some things my girls have done to amuse themselves while we had to stay at home . . . 

Taking glamour shots of each other on my iPhone

Lots of drawing (check out Art Hub for Kids)

Visiting local farms / produce stands

Jedi light saber battles

Painting random crap (she's getting really good!)

Studying (so glad we got the new desk set up before all this) 

Riding bikes

Swimming

Dyeing hair and holding the guinea pig

Back when it was raining while we were doing "stay at home" I was craving some comfort food.  From, chicken enchiladas are the ultimate comfort food but I had also been wanting to make white chicken chili - this is a combination of both. I had some of these ingredients, an old recipe and wanted to remake it for the Instant Pot.  I'll give the IP directions first using frozen chicken and then the way to make it in a slow cooker or on the stove.  I know that using the cooking liquid might seem a little gross at first but it just made a really flavorful chicken broth and since I was using boneless, skinless trimmed chicken breasts, it wasn't very fatty.

I served it with a sheet pan of nachos from the oven which was delish but tortilla chips to dip into it or crumble on top will also work great!

Enchilada Verde Soup (serves 6)

1 lb frozen chicken breasts
1 can of chicken broth (or about 2 cups)
1 can of diced green chilis
12 oz salsa verde or green enchilada sauce
1/2 cup diced onion
1 T cumin
1/2 T chili powder
1 cup frozen corn
8 oz block cream cheese

Place the frozen chicken breasts in the instant pot with the chicken broth and pressure cook at high pressure for 12 minutes.  Do a 5 minute natural release.  Leave the liquid in the pot and remove the chicken and shred it (if it's not shreddable, you can put the lid back on and pressure cook for 2-3 more minutes and do the natural release again.  Mine was good with this amount of time).

Put the shredded chicken back in the pot in the cooking liquid and add the green chilis, salsa verde, frozen corn, diced onion, cumin, and chili powder.  Pressure cook 3 more minutes and do a natural release.  Open the pot up and  add the cream cheese.  Put it on sauté and stir it until the cream cheese is melted and incorporated.  If it's too thick, you could add a little water or chicken broth.  Taste and add salt / pepper / something spicy (tabasco or cayenne pepper?) if desired.

*With chicken that's not frozen:  Adjust the initial cooking time (probably only 7 or 8 minutes)

*Without an Instant pot:  Cook the chicken in some broth on the stove top or in a slow cooker until it's super tender and will shred.  Then add the rest of the ingredients except the cream cheese and simmer for about 20-30 minutes on the stove top or slow cook for 2-3 hours on low.  On a low simmer, do the rest of the steps (stir in cream cheese / check seasonings).

Baked Italian Meatballs

First day of 3rd grade, kindergarten, and preschool

Girls U6 - Purple Pandas

Girls U10 - Tangerine Surfers

We're only two weeks into school, and I haven't started teaching yet, but I'm feeling the pressure of two girls with homework, two AYSO teams, and my involvement on two USTA (tennis) teams.  I'm going to be teaching a night class this term and we've decided that with soccer that evening, we'll pick up food.  But, other than that, I'm committed to still cooking at home the other evenings.  I tried this new recipe which was delicious and popular with the kids.  I made a double batch in the afternoon and put half in the refrigerator to bake after soccer practice and the other half in the freezer so we have a meal for another night.  

You can use all ground beef (I did the 93% lean), all turkey, or a combination of both.  I imagine that regular Italian sausage would be yummy as well.  You can make your own sauce or buy it (like I did) and adjust the other seasonings to your family's liking.  I left the cheese off of some of them because one of my kids has been struggling with dairy.

Italian Meatballs (makes about 3 dozen / 8 servings)

1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground turkey sausage
1/2 cup panko  bread crumbs
2.5 cups marinara (divided)
1 T chopped garlic
1-2 T Italian seasoning
3/4 c. grated or shredded parmesan cheese (divided)
1/2 T dried onion flakes (or 1/4 cup diced onion)
1/2 - 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl, combine the ground beef, ground turkey, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup marinara, 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, garlic, italian seasoning, and onion.  Stir until well combined.  Using your hands, roll into small meatballs and place on a foil lined cookie sheet.  I ended up with 3 dozen small meatballs.

Place cookie sheets in the oven and after 10 minutes, use tongs to turn the meatballs.  Cook for a total of 15-20 minutes or until the meatballs are just cooked through.  You don't want them crisped or browned, just so that the meat isn't pink anymore.  You can make them more on the rare side if you use all ground beef.

Remove from the oven and let cool.  At this point, you can refrigerate or freeze the meatballs if you're not ready to eat right away.  I froze half and put half in the refrigerator to finish at dinner time.

When you're ready to eat them, put 2 cups of marinara in an oven safe pan or skillet.  Add the meatballs in a single layer.  Top with mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese.  Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until the marinara is bubbly and the cheese is melted.

Cold Supper

With hot weather returning to Southern California, cold suppers have replaced my usual rotation of soups and sandwiches.  This new version of a chicken soba noodle salad was a big hit and I wished I had made double the recipe.  It comes together super easy and hit the spot!  Ingredient note:  If you don't want the spiciness of the chili oil, you can leave it out and serve some Sriracha on the side or replace with some red pepper flakes.  You can also substitute whole wheat spaghetti or rice noodles for the soba.

Chicken Soba Noodle Salad with Hoisin Dressing (serves 2)

1 tsp. sesame oil

2 T rice wine vinegar

3 T soy sauce

1 T hoisin

1 tsp. chili oil (optional)

5 T extra virgin olive oil

12 oz soba noodles

1 cup cooked, shredded chicken

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 cup broccoli slaw

2-3 T chopped cilantro

Whisk together the first 6 dressing ingredients in a large bowl.    Add the chicken, stir, and let it stand at room temperature while you cook the soba noodles and chop the vegetables.  Cook soba noodles according to package instructions, drain, and rinse with cold water.  Add the drained noodles and vegetables to the bowl.  Top with the cilantro.

Spring Rolls for Spring!

On the first day of spring, we took the new Metro Goldline extension from the end in Azusa to the South Pasadena Station where we had breakfast, met up with Dad, and found a used bookstore ("It's a library where we can pay for the books and keep them").

The 6th member of our family who has been sleeping this winter woke up and played in the sprinkler.

And, we had some yummy spring rolls for dinner.

Chicken Hoisin Spring Rolls (makes 12)

12 rice paper wrappers
1.5 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 cup broccoli slaw
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1-2 T hoisin sauce
1 T rice wine vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil

In a big bowl, whisk together the vinegar and sesame oil.  Add the chicken, broccoli slaw, and other vegetables.  Stir until combined.  Add the hoisin, 1 tablespoon at a time, and mix until it looks and tastes good to you.

Place each rice paper wrapper in warm water for 5-10 seconds.  Place on a flat surface and put a mound of the chicken filling in the middle.  Fold the right and left side in, over the filling.  Fold the top down and keep rolling until it's all rolled up.

Serve with additional hoisin or another dipping sauce of your choice.

Chicken Burrito Bowls

This quarter I'm working until 6 or 6:30 on Mondays and Wednesdays so I've returned to my crock pot as a main way to get supper on the table.  This was a new recipe that I came up with one day by tossing a bunch of stuff in a crock pot when I hadn't planned ahead very well but it turned out yummy.  This is a great filling for burritos but we ended up making "burrito bowls" - sort of a variation on a taco salad.  .  I bought the flour tortilla bowl / boat things from Vons and put a bunch of shredded lettuce on the bottom and topped it with the chicken filling.  My girls ate theirs in tortillas like tacos.

Chicken Burrito Bowls (serves 4-6)

1 can diced tomatoes

1 can diced green chiles

1 can black beans

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup salsa

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. chile powder

1/2 tsp. salt
1 T dried onion (some diced fresh onion would work too - maybe 1/4 cup)

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 cup cooked white rice

For serving (optional):  shredded lettuce, tortillas, tortilla bowls, shredded cheese, sour cream, more salsa, avocados, cilantro

Place the tomatoes, chiles, beans, broth and salsa in the crockpot and stir.  Place the chicken thighs on top and sprinkle the spices over the top of everything.  Cook on low for 5-7 hours.  Shred the chicken with a fork and give the whole thing a stir.  Stir in the cooked rice.

Serve over lettuce, in tortillas, in bowls, or by itself.  We like to add cheese and more salsa or avocados if we have them!  It's good with tortilla chips to dip into it or as a nacho topping.

Still summer!

My kids have been back to school for a week now and we're getting into soccer and our fall routine, but it's definitely still summer in southern California1  While I daydream about pumpkin desserts and look at crock pot recipes on Pinterest, the reality is that I'm still cooking like summer - grilling and eating a lot of salads.

Here's one of our favorite recent salad dinners.  I doubled the chicken and marinade and used the grilled chicken for two different meals.  It's really versatile and my kids love it this way.  You can grill or roast the chicken and if you want a gluten free version of this recipe, white rice is a decent substitution for the orzo.

Lemon Orzo Salad with Chicken and Asparagus

2 chicken breasts
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 cup orzo
8-12 asparagus spears
2 cups packed fresh spinach
juice of 2 lemons (divided)
1/3 cup feta cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Make the chicken marinade:  Combine yogurt, coriander, cumin, garlic salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in a large ziplock bag.  Add chicken breasts and massage to completely coat.  Refrigerate for 2 hours (or overnight).

Preheat oven to 415 degrees.  Toss the asparagus with some olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 10-15 minutes or until crisp tender.  Chop into 1 inch pieces.
Chop fresh spinach and put in a large bowl.  Cook the orzo according to package instructions.  Drain and stir it together with the fresh spinach (it'll wilt the spinach slightly).  Add the asparagus to the bowl.

Grill or roast the chicken breasts until cooked through (I put mine on the same pan as the asparagus when the asparagus was done and then roasted it at 450 for about 15 minutes).  Slice into thin slices.  Toss with the orzo and vegetables.  Add 2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, and toss.  Add more lemon juice or a drizzle of olive oil if it seems dry.

Sprinkle feta on top and serve warm.

Peaches!

It's July!  So hard to believe that a month of summer vacation is already gone.  We've been having a blast.  Here are some photos from our 4th of July weekend:

One of the summer treats we have all been enjoying is fresh peaches.  We've been eating loads of them every week and I finally got around to making peach ice cream.  It's not a true custard (no eggs or heavy cream) but it was creamy and delicious.

Peach Ice Cream (makes 1.5 quarts)

1.5 lbs ripe peaches
1/2-2/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1.5 T fresh lemon juice
2 cups half and half

Your ingredients all need to be cold to go into the ice cream maker.  You can either peel and chop the peaches and refrigerate until cold, or you can make the ice cream custard and refrigerate it all together.

Peel and chop peaches.  Place 2/3 of the peaches in a blender with the vanilla, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 1/4 - 1/3 cup sugar (depending on the sweetness of the peaches and your own taste preferences).  Blend until smooth.  Add the half and half.

Take the other 1/3 of your peaches and add another 1/4-1/3 cup sugar and 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice.  Mash them up (I used a potato masher).

Put the mixture from the blender into the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker.  Stir in the mashed peaches.  Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers

I love making different kinds of stuffed peppers but my husband and kids aren't always fans.  Recently, I came up with the idea of doing fajitas this way - bell peppers are part of fajitas and it seemed like  a natural combination.  For those of you with negative associations with stuffed peppers bear with me - I also made stuffed chiles.  One of our favorite restaurants in Pasadena is Cafe Verde and they have these amazing stuffed pasilla chiles on their menu and I've also wanted to recreate those for awhile.  As you can see below, I started with half peppers, and half chiles.  I think the key to getting the filling warmed through is to cut the peppers like the chiles - lengthwise instead of just cutting the top off.  When you pick your peppers and chiles at the store, you want to look for ones that seem like they'll lay flat and have a good concave opening for stuffing.

Since this was an original recipe and the first time I made it, the amounts of ingredients are approximate.  If it looks too rice-y or not chees-y enough, add ingredients as you like.  I used the Near East Spanish Rice (it's GF) and a packet of fajita seasoning from Sprouts.  The Lawry's packet or the Border Grill sauces will work fine too.  If you don't like cilantro with your fajitas, you can leave it out.  To make sure your chiles aren't too spicy, remove the seeds and membranes.

Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers (serves 4)

4 bell peppers or pasilla (Anaheim or Poblano) chiles (or a combination)

1 lb chicken breast tenders

Fajita seasoning for chicken

1-2 cups Spanish Rice (cooked and prepared according to package)

1/2 cup diced onion

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1-2 cups shredded cheese (I used a mexican blend - cheddar or jack would work fine)

Salsa, guacamole, sour cream (optional - for serving)

Preheat oven to 375.  Cut your peppers and/or chiles in half lengthwise (from the stem to the base) and remove seeds and membranes.  Place open side up in a lightly oiled baking pan (or two) without crowding the pan. 

In a large skillet, cook chicken breast tenders over medium heat with the fajita seasoning (look at instructions on the seasoning packet - you may need to add olive oil or a little water).  Once it's just cooked through, remove from skillet and dice.  Set aside.  Prepare your spanish rice and also set aside.

Stir together cooked chicken, 1-2 cups cooked rice, onion, cilantro, and 1 cup of cheese.  Spoon filling into the peppers, not packing too tightly and not heaping too high.  Top each pepper with more cheese.  

Pour about an inch of hot, boiling water in the bottom of your pans and cover the pans with foil. The steam will help to soften the chiles / peppers.  Bake at 375 for 25-35 minutes, uncovering the last 10 minutes to make sure the cheese is melted.  Serve with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream for topping.

Homemade Ice Cream Treats

Last week we had friends over for supper and their son has a dairy allergy so I made two batches of sorbet in the ice cream maker for dessert.  Both turned out yummy but I particularly liked the peach.  I added some no-dairy creaminess to that recipe because I thought it would go great with the peach flavor . . . and it did!  I don't like super sweet ice creams and I thought the sweet, ripe summer fruit didn't need too much additional sugar.  For both of these recipes, taste the mixture and adjust it according to your preferences.

I hope you're enjoying your summer as much as we are!  We have had some fun outings, good visits with friends and family, lazy afternoons, and warm nights.  Here is one of my girls' favorite summer songs this year (Lisa Loeb cover of the song from the 80s movie "Meatballs")

Dairy free Peach Ice Cream (makes 1 qt)
adapted from Gluten Free Goddess

About 4 cups of peaches, peeled
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Take one cup of the peaches and dice them small and set aside.  Put the remaining peaches in a small saucepan with the brown sugar and cook over medium heat mashing for about 3-4 minutes (you want the sugar to dissolve and the peaches to soften up).  Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.  Add the coconut milk, almond milk, and vanilla and blend until combined.  Stir in the diced peaches.

Place the mixture in the refrigerator until cold.  Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

Strawberry Sorbet (makes 1 qt)

2 lbs strawberries, stems removed
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup water
juice of 1 lime

Make a simple syrup by combine sugar and water in a saucepan and heating until the sugar has dissolved.

Put the strawberries and lime juice in a blender and puree.  Add the simple syrup and combine.  Place the mixture in the refrigerator until cold.  Freeze according to your ice cream maker's instructions.

Sunday supper

On Sundays, we get home from church around 6:30 and with early school & work mornings, we try to have supper and get the kids to bed by 8pm (especially when it's not summer vacation).  I sometimes try to make a crock pot meal but a few weeks ago, I made this new pasta.  It was really tasty and came together quickly.  Boiling the water for the penne took longer than the rest of the prep.  My husband is a fan of pasta without red sauce and I often do a sausage & olive oil pasta but the mushrooms and spinach tasted great in this version. 

Spinach, Mushroom & Sausage Penne (2 servings)

2 links spicy italian sausage
1 large shallot, diced
3 oz cremini mushrooms, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups baby spinach
salt and pepper
olive oil
1.5 cups penne pasta
grated parmesan cheese

Cook penne according to package directions until al dente.  Drain.  While the pasta is boiling, brown the sausage in a large skillet.  Remove the sausage from the skillet and drain & wipe out the oil.  Add a little olive oil to the same pan, and then add the shallot and mushrooms.  Saute until the softened and just starting to brown (about 4-5 minutes).  Add the garlic and stir for a minute.  Add the spinach and stir until wilted.  Remove from heat.  Add the cooked penne and the sausage to that skillet.  Drizzle with a little more olive oil.  Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine.  Put it back on the stovetop over medium heat and sauté for a minute or two or until it's all combined and sizzling.  Serve with parmesan cheese.

Blackberry Crisp

Fruit crisps seem like a fall dessert to me . . . apples, cinnamon, baking . . . but I was looking for an allergy friendly dessert to serve at Easter and landed on this lighter version.  It's great because it's vegan and gluten free with no nuts.  I really liked the topping - it seemed sort of like granola but a little softer and overall, the dish was much lighter without using butter.  Any fruit mixture for the bottom layer will probably work.  There were loads of blackberries when I was shopping and I ended up with extra, hence that blackberry jam I posted last.  If nuts aren't an issue for your group, you could also mix in some chopped up nuts with the crisp topping.

Blackberry Crisp (serves 10-12)

1 cup gluten free rolled oats
1/2 c. sweetened shredded coconut
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
1/2 cup coconut oil
3 cups blackberries
4 Asian pears, peeled and diced

Lightly grease a 9x13 pan.  Toss the fruit together and spread evenly in the pan.  Combine the oats, coconut, brown sugar, brown rice flour, and spices together.  Add the coconut oil and stir until worked in and crumbly.  Sprinkle topping over fruit.  Bake 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees.

Slow Cooker Potato Soup

First, a little Mini update.  Mini girl is now 8 months old.  She weighs in at about 13.5 lbs and is still wearing 3-6 month clothes.  She can sit up and wave, she recognizes her name and the names of people in our family, and loves to be outside.  It's amazing to see similarities between my girls at this age and I've been feeling sentimental about my girls as baby lately, so here are some photos of all three at 8 months.

First, the youngest (and the most recent photos):

Next, middle when she was 8 months old (and already crawling everywhere):

And finally, from back in 2008, Big at 8 months old:

This is a super easy crockpot soup - you chop some stuff, put it in the crockpot, and turn it on.  There might be more depth of flavor if you browned the onion and leek first (maybe with garlic and olive oil?) but I threw it all in there raw and it turned out great without the extra step.

How big you chop the pieces depends on whether you plan on blending the soup or not . . . if you're going to leave it chunky, dice the potatoes, carrot, celery, and onion smaller.  Make sure you wash the leek well before adding to the soup.  I found that with low-sodium broth and the milk, I needed to add some salt before serving it.

Cream of Potato Soup (serves 8)

2 lbs red potatoes, cut into pieces
1 carrot, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 leek, sliced
1 onion, diced
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
2 cups water
2 tsp salt (more to taste)
pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
1 cup evaporated milk

Optional garnish:
cooked chopped bacon
chives
fresh parsley
grated cheese

Put everything but the evaporated milk in the slow cooker.  Cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low (I did 2 hours on high and then turned it to low for 3 more hours).  Add the evaporated milk and mash up the soup with a potato masher (or for a smoother consistency, use a blender).  Taste and adjust seasonings.  Bring it back to a simmer (the milk & blending will have cooled it off) and serve with bacon, chives, parsley, and cheese to garnish (if you want to).