Category: Recipes

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Baja Blast Cake

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Baja Blast Cake

Ingredients

  • Cake

  • 1-1/2 cups butter, softened

  • 3 cups sugar

  • 5 eggs

  • 3 cups flour

  • zest of 1 lime

  • 3/4 cup Baja Blast

  • turquoise food coloring

  • Glaze

  • 3-1/4 cups powdered sugar

  • 1 tsp. vanilla

  • 3 tbsp. lime juice

  • 1/4 cup cold Baja Blast

  • turquoise food coloring

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 325°.
  • Using an electric hand mixer, beat the sugar and butter until creamy.
  • Add in lime zest and mix. Add in eggs and mix. Add in flour and mix. Add in Baja Blast and food coloring and mix for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix for 1 minute at low speed.
  • Pour batter into a well-greased jumbo Bundt pan. Bake for 1 hour, or up to 1 hour and 20 minutes.
  • While the cake bakes, make glaze. Using an electric hand mixer, combine the powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon juice, and 7UP®. Beat until smooth.
  • Let cake stand in the pan for about 10 minutes. Turn cake over onto a plate or platter, remove pan. Let cool, then drizzle with the glaze.

Notes

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Salmon with Fresh Sorrel Sauce

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Salmon with Fresh Sorrel Sauce

Ingredients

  • Sauce

  • 1 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley

  • 1 cup chopped sorrel

  • ⅔ cup water

  • ½ cup chopped fresh chives

  • ¼ cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

  • 1 tablespoon capers

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped

  • 1 (1-ounce) slice white bread

  • Fish

  • 8 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  • To prepare sauce, combine first 10 ingredients in a food processor; process until smooth.
  • Preheat broiler.
  • To prepare fish, sprinkle fish with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place fish on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray; broil 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve fish with sorrel sauce.

Notes

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Turkish Rice

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Turkish Rice

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons pine nuts

  • 1 small onion, chopped

  • 1 cup rice, rinsed well

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

  • 1 teaspoon allspice

  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

  • 2 tablespoons currants/raisins

  • 1 and ½ cups hot water

  • ¼ cup parsley

  • Optional topping

  • 1-2 tablespoons pine nuts

Directions

  • Heat olive oil in a pan. Add in 2 tablespoons of pine nuts and onions. Cook until onions become translucent.
  • Add in rice, salt, sugar, cinnamon, allspice and raisins. Cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
  • Pour 1 and ½ cups hot water and let it cook covered over medium heat until it boils.
  • Bring the heat to the lowest when it starts to boil and let it simmer until the rice is soft and all the water is gone.
  • When there isn’t any water left in the pan, remove from the heat. Uncover, put a paper towel on the top and put the lid back. Let it sit for about 15 minutes. Uncover and add parsley. Give it a gentle stir.
  • For the optional topping, put pine nuts in a pan in a single layer without adding oil. Toast until golden brown.
  • Serve the rice with toasted pine nuts on the top.

Notes

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Lamb Kofta

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Lamb Kofta

Ingredients

  • 1.5lbs ground beef or ground lamb

  • 1/2 small onion, grated and squeezed

  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • 1 cup parsley, chopped

  • 1/2 Tbsp sumac (optional)

  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 2 tsp dried oregano

  • 2 tsp ground cumin

  • 2 tsp ground coriander

  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg

  • 1 tsp paprika

  • 1/2 tsp cayenne

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1/2 tsp pepper

  • For Serving

  • cucumber

  • tomato

  • tzatziki

  • red onion

  • saffron rice or pita bread

Directions

  • Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl until well combined. Store it covered in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or overnight for enhanced flavors.
  • If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for about 30 minutes to an hour.
  • Divide the mixture into 8 roughly even balls. Mold each ball into a cylinder. Insert the skewer into the kebab. They should be about 1 inch in thickness.
  • Place the kofta kebabs on the preheated, oiled griddle pan (see notes for oven and grill instructions). Cook until cooked and browned throughout, rotating the skewers with tongs every 2-3 minutes, for a total of 8-10 mins. The cooking time will depend upon the thickness of kebabs.
  • Serve immediately with side fixings like tomato, cucumber, onion, tzatziki, feta, saffron rice or pita bread.

Notes

  • You can bake these in a preheated oven at 350°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and line up the koftas. Bake for 30 minutes, turning half way through.
  • For outdoor grilling, preheat the grill to 450° to 550°F and grill till brown all over, about 6-8 minutes, turning a few times.
  • From this blog
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Mango Black Bean Chicken Bowls

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Mango Black Bean Chicken Bowls

Ingredients

  • Mango Peach Salsa

  • 1 ripe mango, chopped

  • 1 ripe peach, chopped

  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped

  • 1/2 diced red onion

  • 1 jalapeno, diced

  • 2 cloves garlic, diced

  • 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

  • juice of 1 lime

  • Chicken

  • juice of 1 lime

  • 2 tablespoons canola oil

  • 1 garlic clove, minced

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs

  • Black Beans

  • 1 cup dried black beans

  • 1/4 white onion, chopped

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • 1 teaspoon cumin

  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano

  • 1 teaspoon salt (to start)

Directions

  • Mango Peach Salsa
  • Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use.
  • Chicken
  • In a large shallow bowl, combine lime juice, oil, cumin, chili powder and salt and mix together. Add the chicken thighs and allow to marinate for 30 minutes.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate to rest then slice into strips.
  • Black Beans
  • Check the beans for debris, and rinse in several changes of water.
  • Saute aromatic vegetables in olive oil.
  • Add the dried beans and enough liquid to cover by about 2 inches.
  • Bring the pot to a rapid boil for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Lower the heat to a gentle simmer until the beans are done, between 1 hour and 3 hours. If the bean-cooking water starts to get low, add hot water.
  • Salt when the beans are just starting to turn soft.
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Pink Champagne Cake

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Pink Champagne Cake

Ingredients

  • Cake

  • ¾ stick of softened unsalted butter

  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar

  • 3 cups sifted cake flour

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

  • 1 teaspoon champagne extract or almond extract

  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

  • ½ teaspoon salt

  • 1 cup room temperature whole milk

  • 6 egg whites at room temperature

  • German Buttercream Frosting

  • 12 ounces milk, any percentage will do (about 1 1/2 cups; 340g)

  • 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or other aromatics such as fresh herbs or whole spices

  • 8 ounces sugar (about 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons; 225g)

  • 1 1/2 ounces cornstarch (about 1/3 cup, spooned; 45g)

  • 3 large eggs, straight from the fridge (about 5 1/4 ounces; 150g)

  • 1/2 ounce vanilla extract (about 1 tablespoon; 15g)

  • 20 ounces unsalted butter (5 sticks; 565g), softened to about 68°F (20°C)

  • Pink Chocolate Shavings

  • 2 bags white chocolate chips

  • hot pink food color

Directions

  • Cake
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and parchment line 2-9 inch cake pans. With an electric mixer or stand mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugar. Mix in vanilla, champagne extract or almond extract. In a separate bowl, sift cake flour, baking powder and salt. Add flour mixture alternately with milk until all combined. In a clean, dry bowl beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. With a rubber spatula, add a scoop of the egg whites to the cake batter and slowly fold in, add a little more egg white and fold in, continue until all the egg white is incorporated into the batter. Divide batter between pans. Tap on the counter to level.
  • Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Test with toothpick for doneness, only tiny amounts of crumb should hold to the toothpick. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes then turn over onto rack for 10 minutes. Remove pans and allow to cool completely.
  • Frosting
  • To Flavor the Milk: In a 3-quart stainless steel saucier, combine milk and split vanilla bean (or other flavorings) over medium heat. When milk is steaming hot, remove from heat, cover, and steep at least 1 hour. Proceed as directed below, or refrigerate up to 24 hours to extract a deeper flavor before proceeding.
  • To Make the Custard: Whisk sugar and cornstarch together in a medium bowl, followed by eggs.
  • Return milk to a simmer and discard vanilla bean after scraping out the flavorful seeds and pulp inside (or remove other flavoring elements, and scrape them as best you can, if possible). Ladle 1/2 cup hot milk into the eggs and whisk to combine. Repeat with two more 1/2-cup additions, then pour the warmed eggs into the pot. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until custard turns thick and lumpy, about 3 minutes (the timing can vary depending on the specifics of your stove and cooking vessel, so adjust the heat accordingly if it seems to move too slow). As soon as custard begins to bubble, set a timer and continue cooking and whisking for exactly 2 minutes longer. This helps neutralize a starch-dissolving protein found in egg yolks.
  • Off heat, stir in vanilla extract, then pour custard into a large baking dish to speed the cooling process. Press a sheet of plastic against the surface and refrigerate until thick and cool, about 1 hour, or to roughly 68°F (20°C). Alternatively, refrigerate up to 1 week, then stand at room temperature until warmed to roughly 68°F (20°C).
  • For the Buttercream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened butter on medium speed until fluffy and light, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, stir the thick pudding in its dish to create a thick, dough-like mass. Add pudding a few tablespoons at a time, one right after the other, then scrape the bowl and beater with a flexible spatula, and beat a few seconds longer.
  • Switch to the whisk attachment and whip on medium speed until the buttercream is airy, soft, and light enough to weigh approximately 6 ounces per cup. A heavier weight per cup indicates the frosting is too cool, and/or under-whipped, and will result in a dense, greasy frosting that may seem too sweet. To adjust the frosting’s consistency, warm over a water bath until the edges have just begun to melt, then re-whip. For more detailed instructions, consult our buttercream troubleshooting guide.
  • Use buttercream immediately, or transfer to a large zipper-lock bag, press out the air, and seal. Buttercream can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks and frozen for up to several months. (The main issue with longer storage in the freezer is odor absorption, not spoilage.) Rewarm to approximately 72°F (22°C) and re-whip before using.
  • Pink Chocolate Shavings
  • Heat water in the bottom portion of your double boiler, bring to a boil then turn the heat to low so the water is simmering, in the second bowl add the white chocolate chips and place that bowl over the simmering water, wait 5 minutes then slowly start stirring chocolate. When only a few lumps remain take the bowl off the hot water and continue to stir placing the bowl on a folded towel it will help keep the chocolate warm and the bowl will not slip. When the melted chocolate is smooth add a few drops of food color and mix well. Then spread out your chocolate on a piece of parchment paper and allow to cool for 15-20 then break it up into pieces.

Notes

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Thai Salmon Salad

I couldn’t find a recipe Iiked the look of so we’re going to make this one up on the fly, but here’s the basic outline.

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Thai Salmon Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 salmon filets

  • 1 tablespoon honey

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

  • 2 tablespoons minced chopped herbs preferably a mix of basil, mint and cilantro

  • 2 green onions, sliced

  • 1/2 one red bell pepper, diced

  • 1 miniature cucumber, sliced

  • 1 carrot, peeled and grated

  • 1 heart Romaine lettuce

  • Thai peanut salad dressing

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Mix the honey, soy sauce, garlic and sesame oil in a medium mixing bowl. Add the salmon and marinate while the oven preheats.
  • Add vegetables to two bowls, toss with dressing.
  • Add salmon on top. Enjoy!
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Almond-Nutmeg Granola

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Almond-Nutmeg Granola

Ingredients

  • 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

  • 3 tablespoons oat flour or whole wheat pastry flour

  • 1 cup slivered, blanched almonds

  • 1/2 cup pure maple syrup or honey

  • 1/3 cup canola oil

  • 1 teaspoon pure almond extract

  • 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

  • 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 300°F.
  • Toss together oats, flour and almonds in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together syrup, oil, extract, nutmeg and salt.
  • Add to the oat mixture, stirring well to coat.
  • Spread mixture on a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  • Bake, stirring occasionally to break up clumps, until deep golden brown, fragrant and just dry to the touch, 30 to 40 minutes.
  • Allow granola to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Notes

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Pepita Pesto

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Pepita Pesto

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts or pepitas

  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

  • 1 small garlic clove

  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

  • Freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 cups basil leaves

  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, more for a smoother pesto

  • Optional: nutritional yeast, capers, or oil-packed sun dried tomatoes

Directions

  • In a food processor, combine the pine nuts, lemon juice, garlic, salt, pepper, and pulse until well chopped.
  • Add the basil and pulse until combined.
  • With the food processor running, drizzle in the olive oil and pulse until combined.
  • For extra cheesy flavor, add 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast. For brinier flavor, add 2 teaspoons capers. For more umami, add 2 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. Briefly pulse to combine. Taste and adjust, adding more nutritional yeast, capers, or sun-dried tomatoes, as desired. For a smoother pesto, add more olive oil.

Notes

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Salmon Pasta With Homemade Pesto

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Salmon Pasta With Homemade Pesto

Ingredients

  • 1 (1-pound) salmon filet

  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 pound orecchiette (or medium pasta of your choice)

  • ½ pound green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces

  • 1 cup basil pesto, store-bought or homemade

  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest

  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the center position. Line a rimmed sheet pan with foil.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to the package directions. When the pasta has 1 minute left, add the green beans to the pot. Drain the green beans and pasta and return to the pot.
  • Meanwhile, place the salmon on the prepared sheet pan. Season all over with the salt. Bake for 9 to 12 minutes, or until the fish easily flakes with a fork.
  • In a large bowl, toss the pasta, green beans, and salmon with the pesto and lemon zest until the fish is flaked into bite-size pieces.
  • Divide between bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan to serve.

Notes