California Cuisine

Heather and Monica do housewarming and Hungry Beasts in one with a California Cuisine theme.

 

Fritters with tomatoes and arugula

Contributed by Laina

For tomatoes:

6 scallions, white and pale green parts separated from dark green

parts and both finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb cherry or grape tomatoes, halved (3 to 4 cups)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper  

For fritters:

2/3 cup corn (cut from 2 ears)
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
1 large egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil

For arugula:

2 1/2 teaspoons white-wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon whole-grain mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb arugula, coarse stems discarded (8 cups)
 

Prepare tomatoes:

Cook white and pale green scallions in oil in a 10- to 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until tomatoes begin to soften, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in scallion greens. Transfer to a bowl and cool to warm.

Make fritters while tomatoes cool:

Cook corn in a small saucepan of boiling water until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain in a sieve, then rinse under cold water and pat dry.

Whisk together cornmeal, flour, salt, baking soda, and sugar in a bowl. Whisk together milk and egg in another bowl, then add to dry ingredients and stir until just combined (do not overmix). Stir in corn. Heat oil in cleaned skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Working in batches of 4, spoon 1 heaping tablespoon batter per fritter into skillet and fry, turning over once, until lightly browned, about 4 minutes total. Transfer with a spatula to paper towels to drain.

Prepare arugula:

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt, and pepper in a large bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Add arugula and toss to coat. Divide arugula, fritters, and tomatoes among 8 small plates.

 

Grilled Chicken, Mango, and Asparagus Chopped Salad

Contributed by Keri

Ingredients:

2 lbs fresh asparagus, steamed and chilled, then cut into 1 inch pieces

1 fresh mango, sliced in horizontal strips
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 ripe avocados, sliced into 1/2inch cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
kosher salt
fresh ground black pepper
1.5lbs grilled chicken breast strips
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup pecans or walnuts chopped

Place asparagus, mango, onion, avocado, and cherry tomatoes in a bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper and mix with your hands. Add grilled chicken breasts. Pour vinegar and olive oil evenly over the salad. Mix well, using your hands or wooden spoon. Sprinkle nuts over the salad and serve.

 

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans, Avocado and Cumin-Lime Dressing
Contributed by Sarah

Ingredients:

1 cup dry quinoa, rinsed

1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
1 3/4 cup water
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 avocado, chopped into chunks
handful cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 red onion, diced
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped into chunks
small handful cilantro, diced
1 limes, juiced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tbsp olive oil
salt, to taste

Directions:

Warm the olive/coconut oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once it’s hot add the rinsed quinoa and toast for about 2-3 minutes until it starts smelling nutty and lovely. Add water, stir once, cover, and simmer with a lid on for 20 minutes.

While the quinoa is cooking, prepare all other ingredients. Prepare the dressing by combining the lime juice, oil, cumin, and salt. Whisk it aggressively. Adjust seasoning as necessary.

When the quinoa has finished cooking, remove it from heat and fluff with a fork. Add black beans and toss to warm them through.

Let the quinoa cool for about five minutes and then add all the remaining ingredients, including the dressing, and mix. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Picnic

In May we had a mini beasts gathering of sorts at the beach including Watermelon cocktails, fruit and pasta salad, deviled eggs...and canine beasts too!

The Watermelon Picnic Cocktail
Contributed by Sarah


You will need:
2 Parts Kanon Vodka
2 Parts Watermelon Chunks
2 Parts Lemon Lime Soda
1/2 Part Lemon Juice
1/2 part Simple Syrup (easy recipe here)


1. Chop watermelon and muddle in a mixing tin along with lemon juice and simple syrup, add Kanon, shake it like a polaroid picture.
2. Strain into a glass over ice, top with lemon lime soda, garnish with a slice of watermelon. Enjoy!

Chipotle Deviled Eggs

Contributed by Alex

1 doz. Eggs

3 Tbsp. Sour Cream

3 Tbsp. Mayonnaise

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. Dijon mustard

1-2 Tbsp. Chipotle Chile Puree’

(recipe/instructions below)

1 tsp. fresh garlic (finely minced or crushed)

2 Tbsp. thinly slice green onions

(use white and green parts)

Hard boil eggs, cool and peel, halve and put yolks in a bowl, mash yolks then mix in sour cream,

mayonnaise, salt, mustard, chipotle puree’, and garlic til smooth – stir in green onions.

Stuff eggs with mixture. Top stuffed eggs with topping

Chipotle Puree

Put one small can of Chipotle peppers in adobe sauce in a food processor with the sauce – puree

til smooth.

Topping

Tomatoes

White Onion

Fresh Cilantro

Chipotle Puree

Mix ½ Cup of approx. ¼ inch diced tomatoes, 1 Tbsp. minced white onion, 2 Tbsp. chopped

fresh cilantro, and 1-2 tsp. Chipotle Puree.

(Mix above together and put on top of eggs)

Tapas

A small group of beasts made the journey to West Hollywood for an incredible spanish themed feast and Monica's special sangria. 

Gambas al Ajillo

Contributed by Sarah

Ingredients:

1 lb shrimp, 25 count to a pound

4 large cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 tsp sweet Spanish paprika

1 tsp red pepper flakes

2-3 oz of cognac (I substituted pear juice instead)

1/4 cup virgin olive oil

3 tsp chopped fresh parsley

1 lemon for juice

1 Baguette

Preparation:

This garlic shrimp recipe, gambas al ajillo makes 4 servings as an appetizer. If preparing for a main course, double the recipe.

The shrimp can be peeled first, before cooking them if you prefer. In addition, if you like larger shrimp, you may purchase shrimp with fewer count to a pound. However, 25 to a pound are about the right size for this tapa.

In a sauté pan or heavy frying pan, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for about one minute or until they begin to brown. Be careful not to burn the garlic!

Raise the heat to high and add the shrimp, lemon juice, sherry or cognac and paprika. Stir well, then sauté, stirring briskly until the shrimp turn pink and curl – about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and transfer shrimp with oil and sauce to a warm plate or serve right from the pan. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with fresh bread.

Manchego Salad Recipe

Contributed by Heather

Ingredients:

6 cups of arugala

1/2 cup walnut oil

3 tablespoons of champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar

6 ounces of Manchego Cheese (grated or shaved)

1/2 cup of Balsamic Vinegar

Carmelized walnuts

Caramelized shallots (3 shallots)

1 large Fuji apple sliced and cored

Directions:

Boil Balsamic Vinegar until ir reduces to 1/4 cup, about 2-4 minutes. Mix vinegar and oil and season with salt and pepper. Caramelize shallots with butter and olive oil, cook over medium high heat for 5 mins. Caramelize walnuts with sugar and non stick spray until sugar starts to create a dark sauce. Mix ingredients together with dressing and drizzle balsamic right before serving.

Crostini with Spanish Olive Tapenade

Contributed by Anna

1 Baguette, sliced1 1/4 cups pitted Manzanilla Spanish Olives, rinsed and drained well

1 Tbsp. drained capers

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Mix olives, capers, garlic clove, and lemon juice in food processor or chopper.  Then, mix in olive oil and cilantro and let sit for a few hours in the refrigerator to marinade in the flavors.

Place the baguette slices on a tray and toast in the oven at about 350 degrees F, for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Take crostini out of the oven and top with Spanish Olive Tapenade, and Shredded Italian Five Cheese.  Place back into oven until cheese is melted and garnish with thinly sliced green onions, lengthwise, or chives

Spanish Tortilla

Contributed by Alex

Ingredients:

3 large brown potatoes

1 medium to large onion

5-6 cloves of garlic (I usually use big cloves)

6-8 eggs

10” Teflon Skillet

Large plate for flipping

Heat resistant spatula

Paper Towels

Wash and peel potatoes, then

Dice potatoes into ½” cubes no larger

Chop onion up

Garlic – I usually chop it really fine and create a paste. First, chop the garlic up just a bit then

sprinkle with a good amount of salt and continue chopping until it is finely diced and creates a

sort of paste

Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and whisk with a little bit of salt.

Instructions:

Pour a bath of olive oil into the skillet  - do not skimp. 

Heat the oil. Once it is hot (test it by dropping in a potato cube and seeing if it hisses and turns brown), add all the potatoes and sprinkle with a little bit of salt. You will need to watch them and keep turning them. You want them to get golden and at some point you will eventually turn down the heat and continue flipping them. 

Once they are near the golden stage, add the onion and flip it for a bit and finally towards the end, add the garlic and allow to cook for a bit. When you add the onion and garlic, the heat should be no higher than “3”. The potatoes, onions and garlic will absorb the predominance of the oil. 

Once ready, take them out of the pan with a slotted spoon or spatula and dump them in the egg

mixture. Because they are so hot, they will start to cook the eggs – sort of.

Wipe out your Teflon pan with a paper towel.

Dump the mixture from the mixing bowl into the Teflon pan which should be hot. Watch carefully as it as it forms a “skin” and go around the edges of the entire Teflon pan with the heat resistant spatula. 

Turn down the heat to about a “4” or less you don’t want the skin to get too cooked. Once the “skin” looks like it is pretty solid put a plate on top of the skillet and flip the tortilla. 

Slide it back into the pan and go around the edges some more, turn the heat down a bit, and once it has formed a skin press down on it with the spatula. 

Let it cook and flip a few more times until it feels solid/dense.

Comfort Foods

Mac & Cheese

Contributed by Naomi

Ingredients:

Salt

Vegetable Oil

1 pound elbow macaroni

1 quart milk

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1/2 cup all purpous flour

12 ounces Gruyere, grated (4 cups)

8 ounces extra sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

4 small tomatoes

1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Drizzle oil into large pot of boiling salted water. Add macaroni and cook according to directions. Drain well.

Meanwhile heat milk in a saucepan, but do not boil.

Melt 6 tbsp of butter in a large opt and add flour. Cook over low heat for 2 mins, stirring with a whisk. While whisking, add hot milk and cook for 1-2 mins until thickened and smooth.

Off the heat, add Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tbsp salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add cooked macaroni and stir well.

Pour into baking dish.

Slice tomatoes and arrange on top. Melt remaining 2tbsp butter and combine with bread crumbs, sprinkle on top. Bake for 30-35 mins or until sauce is bubbly or macaroni is browned on top.




Kalbi (Korean BBQ short ribs)

Contributed by Anna

Ingredients:

10-12 beef short ribs (ribs that are cut cross-wise)

substitute ribs with Tofu for a vegan dish

2:1 ratio of water to soy sauce, enough for a marinade 

approx. 1/8 cup sesame oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 yellow onion, sliced

3-4 large green onions, sliced

small handful of sugar

Directions:

Mix well and marinade ribs in a large container.  Refrigerate overnight.  Grill, broil, or pan fry meat over medium heat until meat is cooked as desired.  Garnish with sesame seeds.  For a kick, add chopped hot peppers (such as a jalapeño) to the marinade.

Mama Ceddia's Calzone

Contributed by Laina

Roll out store bought (or homemade) pizza dough into a rectangle/oval shape, about 1/8th of an inch thick (enough so you could roll it up lengthwise like a jelly roll 2 or 3 times over). Layer Salami (my mom said to buy "cooked salami" but i don't really know the difference since it is all cooked, the deli counter seemed to know what i meant though, then layer ham, then layer frozen spinach (defrosted and drained well), then layer mozzarella cheese. Roll lengthwise like a jelly roll, tuck ends in and seal tightly. Poke a few holes in the top to let is breathe and then paint with egg wash to help it turn golden in the oven. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese and pepper on top and bake in oven at 350 for about 25 minutes (until golden brown). For the veggie one we just sauteed up onions, peppers, broccoli, zucchini and squash and stuffed the calzone with that (you can use any veggies you want but i would saute with a little garlic and olive oil instead of adding them raw.  Roll up and bake the same as the other one!

Like-a-Virgin Brunch

M'Daya had us over for to enjoy coffee, bloody marys and some of our most chaste brunch dishes.

Brown Rice Salad with Virginal Tendencies

Contributed by Anna

2 1/2 cups cooked brown rice

1 can baby corn, drained and cut

1/2 can Kalamata olives, halved

1/2 lb. cherry tomatoes, halved

1 carrots, shredded

2 scallions, diced

sesame oil

lemon juice, freshly squeezed

salt and pepper

2 cups edamame, cooked and salted

Toss all ingredients together and drizzle sesame oil and freshly squeezed lemon juice on top, as dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste and garnish with edamame.

Put it in your "donut" holes....
Contributed by Laina

Dough:

Mix 1 cup warm water with 1 packet yeast (let sit for 5 minutes until yeast starts to bubble)

Combine active yeast with:

1/3 cup sugar

2 cups flour

1 egg

4 tbsp softened butter

1/2 tsp salt

Whisk together until dough starts to get sticky, add 1 and 1/4 cup flour a little bit at a time while whisking. (at some point you might need to knead with your hands)

Dough will get less sticky and pull away from the sides of the bowl.Cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel

Let sit for 2 hours in warm spot or it can sit in the fridge overnight.

Punch down risen dough then roll out on a floured surface until 1/4 inch thick. Cut into circles using a sharp edged cup.

Cut out smaller circles in the middle. Heat canola oil until 360 degrees (make sure it is not over 375-can use a donut hole as a test to make sure oil is not too hot). Fry donuts on both sides until golden brown -should take about 1 min per side. When donuts are still warm coat with powdered sugar

For Apple stuffed donuts:

Melt 1 1/2 tbsp butter in sauce pan

saute chopped green apple with

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp Cinnamon

Cook until apple starts to soften

Roll dough out on a floured surfaced until 1/8th inch thick. Should be thinner than for the regular donuts.

Place 1 spoonful of apple mixture in a circle cutout of dough.

Place another circle on top.

Press down edges and seal with fork

Poke a few holes in the top with edge of fork to let breathe

Fry the same way as above and coat with glaze.

Glaze:

you can put this on all of the donuts but it went well with the apple stuffed ones

We kind of just made to taste but basic ingredients are:

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp milk

1/4th cup sugar

whisk together in bowl and heat in sauce pan

once hot add 1/2 shot of spiced rum

cook until it forms a glaze

Dip donuts in glaze or coat with a pastry brush

Blue(balls)berry Muffins

Contributed by Alex

1 3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 beaten egg

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup oil

1+ cup blueberries

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl; form a well in the center of mixture. Combine egg, milk, and oil. Pour mixture in well and mix. Add blueberries. Bake at 400 degrees for approximately 20 minutes. Makes 1 dozen muffins.

Angelic Food Cake with Strawberries & Whipped Cream

Recipe provided by Sarah

Betty Crocker angel food cake mix

1 1/4 cup water

fresh strawberries

sugar to taste

whipped cream of your choice

Make cake batter per directions on box. Cut strawberries and mix with sugar to taste. Can refrigerate overnight to allow strawberries to soften in sugar. Serve cake with strawberries and whipped cream. 

Eat Your Heart Out Pink Tacos

Contributed by Alina

Heart Tortillas:

Heat 1 cup Virgin Olive Oil in a frying pan.

Fold flour tortillas in half and cut out half a heart. When you open it up you have a full heart.

Fry the tortillas, turning once, to your desired crispiness.

Pink Taco Dip:

1 jar preferred salsa

1 container whipped cream cheese

Juice from half a lemon

Teaspoon Tabasco

Combine ingredients and serve chilled

Sunday Scramble (for 2)

(Ingredients and measurements are totally subject to your whim!! improvisation is encouraged)

4 eggs

1/4 package of frozen spinach

dash of heavy cream (or milk)

4 tbsps of parmesan (or more if you want it cheesier)

salt/pepper

1/4 onion

Dice onion and heat in skillet with butter or oil until translucent.

Add the frozen spinach and mix until not frozen.

While the spinach is warming up, whip up the eggs in a bowl- add a dash of the heavy cream and you can add the parmesan now or while in the skillet. Pour eggs with everything into the skillet and scramble. Add salt and pepper to your liking. Et voilå! Bon appétit.

Holiday Favorites...with a twist!

Anna had us come over in our ugliest holiday sweaters for candy cane cocktails and our favorite holiday dishes with a twist!

Turkey Sausage, Cranberry and Apple Stuffing

Contributed by Heather

4 cups of cubed white bread

1 1/2 cups of cubed wheat bread

1 lb of ground turkey sausage

1 cup of chopped onion

3 tsp of sage (fresh or dried)

2 tsp of rosemary (fresh or dried)

1/2 tsp of thyme (fresh or dried)

1 1/2 golden delicious apples cored and chopped

1/3 cup of minced fresh parsley

3/4 cup of dried cranberries

3/4 cup of chicken stock

4 tbls of melted butter

Preheat to 350. Bake bread cubes till nicely toasted, about 5-8 minutes. Keep oven on. Meanwhile heat olive oil in pan and cook turkey sausage and onions till brown. Add thyme, rosemary and sage and cook for another 2 minutes. In a large bowl, pour sausage mixture over bread cubes. Mix with apples, parsley and crans. Drizzle in chicken stock and melted butter. Put in glass baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes, mixing it a few times.

Salmon with a Twist of Orange

Contributed by Anna

1 large filet of salmon 

1/2 cup of Orange Juice

Parsley

Black Pepper

Salt

Garlic Powder

Olive Oil

Pat salmon dry and rub lightly with olive oil.  Cut slits into salmon and pour orange juice on top. Sprinkle with parsley, black pepper, salt, and garlic powder and bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Garnish with slices of fresh orange.

Twisty Holiday Cocktails

Contributed by Anna

Combine the ingredients below to taste and serve in glasses with a candy cane:

2 part Vanilla Vodka

1 part Peppermint Schnapps

4 parts Cranberry Juice

1 part Club Soda

Savory Bread Pudding

Contributed by Keri

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for the baking dish
2 cloves garlic, minced

2 medium onions, chopped
1 1/2 pounds butternut squash (about half a medium squash)—peeled,
seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
6 large eggs
2 cups whole milk
3/4 pound soft French or Italian bread, cut into 1-inch pieces (about
7 1/2 cups)
1/2 pound Gruyère, grated (2 cups)

Directions
Heat oven to 375° F. Oil a 2 ½- to 3-quart baking dish.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook, stirring frequently, until beginning to soften, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the squash, season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and cook, tossing frequently, until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes more. Stir in the sage. Let cool for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Add the bread, cheese, and squash mixture and toss to coat. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and bake until golden brown and set, 55 to 60 minutes.

Cauliflower Soup (Creme du Barry)

Contributed by M’Daya

Ingredients:

1 tsp canola oil

1 tsp unsalted butter

2 leeks, white parts only, well-washed and chopped

1 head cauliflower, broken into florets

1 medium all-purpose potato, cubed

6 cups white chicken stock

salt/pepper

1/2 cup milk (it can be low-fat or skim)

parsley or chives as end garnish

a dollop of creme fraiche

Note: the smaller the potato, leeks and cauliflower are chopped, the faster it will be to make the soup...

Directions:

Combine the oil and butter in a large saucepan.  Warm over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and stirring frequently, allow them to cook slowly for ten minutes. Do not brown. Stir in the cauliflower, potatoes, and stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Transfer to blender or a food processor fitted with the metal blade.  Process until smooth, adding the milk.  Transfer to a clean saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer. Taste and adjust the seasoning. If the soup is too thick, thin with milk. Serve with sprinkle of chopped chives or parsley and a dollop of creme fraiche.

Potato Latkes

Contributed by Naomi

Ingredients:

2 cups peeled and grated potatoes

1 tablespoon grated white onion

3 eggs, beaten

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/3 cup oil for frying

Directions:

1. Place grated potatoes on a cloth and attempt to remove as much moisture as possible

2. In a bowl, combine potatoes, onion, eggs, flour, and salt.

3. In a large skillet, heat oil until hot. Place spoonful of potato mixture into oil and press down with back of spoon. Brown on one side, turn and brown on other side. Remove from oil and place on paper towel. Serve with Apple Sauce and Sour Cream on side.

* Serves 6 people

Sweet Potato Latkes

Contributed by Naomi

Ingredients:

1 1/2 Large Sweet potatoes, peeled and grated

3/4 White onion, grated

3 eggs

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Oil for Frying

Directions:

1. Place grated potatoes on a cloth and attempt to remove as much moisture as possible

2. In a bowl, combine potatoes, onion, eggs, flour, pepper, and salt.

3. In a large skillet, heat oil until hot. Place spoonful of potato mixture into oil and press down with back of spoon. Brown on one side, turn and brown on other side. Remove from oil and place on paper towel. Serve with Apple Sauce and Sour Cream on side.

* Serves 6 people