Another San Francisco Favorite...

The first time I fell in love with the Famous Ghirardelli Sundae was on a rainy day in Chicago with my dear friend, Naomi. She kept telling me about it and once I took a bite I understood the urgency in her voice when she said, "We have to go get one." Even if I described it's blissful taste my word just wouldn't do it justice. I know you're thinking, "What could be so great about a chocolate fudge sundae? Aren't they the same everywhere?" All I have to say is have a taste and tell me what you think.

Best Crab Dish!

I saw an episode of "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" on the Food Network where Tyler Florence (I believe) ranted and raved about the Hot & Spicy Crab from Penang Garden in San Francisco. Alas we went to SF and experienced the finger licking goodness of the Hot & Spicy Crab. The crab comes whole with the sauce and four buns for dipping. The sauce has a hint of sweetness and then the spicy kicks in but its not overwhelming (Note: I love spicy foods so my level of spiciness may differ from yours). Overall I give this dish a 9 out of 10 and must say that its worth the travel.  

Quick Chicken Paprikash

I saw the "quick" in this Whole Foods recipe and it instantly made it on my favorites list. The tanginess of the sour cream and acidity of the tomatoes make this dish.

Ingredients (1/2 original recipe):

1/2 large yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 large green bell pepper, cored, seeded and sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped (I used minced garlic)

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks

1 can diced tomatoes, with their liquid

1 1/2 tbsp paprika (the original recipe called for Hungarian paprika but I couldn't find any)

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup sour cream

Other ingredients: olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley - chopped (I didn't have any fresh parsley so I used dried), and 1 tbsp cornstarch.

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is golden brown all over, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add onions and garlic to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in paprika until it coats everything in the pot. Add bell peppers and stir again to coat.

Add tomatoes, parsley and chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Add reserved chicken and any accumulated juices, and return to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes, to allow flavors to develop and chicken to become tender. Mix cornstarch and 1 tbsp water in a small bowl then stir in pot. Cook a few minutes more, until thickened.

Remove pot from heat and stir in sour cream.

In 30 minutes you can enjoy this one pot meal!

My Latest Obsession

To those that know me it is no surprise that my obsession comes neatly wrapped in a Nordstrom logoed bag. However, the contents of this bag may not be what you're expecting. Inside is a treat that I cannot go a few days without - Cafe Nordstrom's Lemon Ricotta cookie.

This is no ordinary cookie! It's fluffy, cake-like inside and crispy outer is worlds away from a regular cookie. And the frosting is a perfect blend of lemon and sugar...one word - delish! I found a recipe by Giada that I will try soon, stayed tuned.

Try it and let me know what you think!

Dutch Oven Beef & Noodle Casserole

Autumn is quickly approaching and what better way to welcome it than to cook a casserole! This Whole Foods recipe requires very little prep work and is very easy. The original recipe yielded 6 to 8 servings, I cut it in half and still had enough for leftovers. 

I liked the fact that the recipe doesn't use any oil but I like sauteed onions and that's the only I would change. I would saute the onions first, add the beef and the rest of vegetables. 

Ingredients:

1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped (it's supposed to be a GREEN bell pepper but I accidentally grabbed the red)

2/3 cups sliced mushrooms (more or less - I love mushrooms)

1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 cup frozen corn

 

About 1/2 pound lean ground beef

1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes (I left this measurement as is because it looked like it needed more than half and I was right)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

12 oz. packed egg noodles

Heat a 5-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through.

Add corn, mushrooms, onions, peppers, and salt and pepper and stir well.

Spread uncooked noodles evenly over the top

Then sprinkle cheese over noodles.

Pour can of tomatoes, with their juice, over the cheese and noodles.

Tightly cover pot, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 1 hour.

Uncover pot, set aside for 5 minutes then serve.

Chicken Tostada

This is a healthy, quick weeknight meal. Preheat oven for 350 degrees. 

First, you'll want to season one rinsed and patted dry skinless chicken breast with salt, pepper and cumin. Put it in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. In the meantime, prepare one avocado. I usually cut it in half, twist each half to separate, stick the end of knife in the seed and pry it out. To peel the avocado, I just tear the peel off with my fingers. I've found that this method is the cleanest (and the only way I know). How do you peel your avocados?

Once the avocado is all peeled, cut it lengthwise into thin strips.

Next, cut 1 cup of Romaine lettuce into thin strips. At this point, we're about 6 minutes into preparation.

6 minutes before the chicken is cooked, brush 4-6 corn tortillas with olive oil and put in the oven for 4-5 minutes.

While the chicken and tortillas are in the oven grab shredded Monterey Jack cheese, salsa and refried beans. You can either heat the refried beans on your stove top or in the microwave.

The chicken is done! Use 2 forks to shred the chicken or simply cut into thin strips.

Time to build your tostadas. First, beans....

cheese...

chicken...

avocado...

lettuce...

and finally the salsa. Serve immediately with your favorite hot sauce.

Braised Short Ribs

This recipe was recommended by my sister-in-law and I'm glad I tried it! From the multiple layers of flavor to the tenderness of the meat, this dish will be a permanent addition to my book of recipes. However, it does take 4 hours to prepare so it's definitely a weekend meal. The recipe is courtesy of Anne Burrell (Secrets of a Restaurant Chef) from the Food Network. Enjoy!

Prepare the following vegetables:

- 1 large Spanish onion, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

- 2 ribs celery, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

- 2 carrots, peele, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces

- 2 cloves garlic, smashed

Other ingredients:

- Bone-in short ribs

- Kosher salt

- Extra-virgin olive oil

- 1 1/2 cups tomato paste

- 2 cups water

- 1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with kitchen string

- 2 bay leaves

Generously season each short rib with salt.

Coat a large Dutch oven (or pot that is oven safe) with olive oil and bring to a high heat.

Add short ribs to the Dutch oven and brown very well, about 2-3 minutes each side. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

While the meat is browning, puree prepared vegetables in a food processor.

Puree until vegetables reach a thick consistency. Do not over process.

The puree should be like a thick paste.

To tell if the short ribs are finished browning, you'll notice the caramelization on parts of the meat.

Remove the short ribs from the Dutch oven and drain the fat. Coat the bottom of the same Dutch oven with olive oil and add the pureed vegetables.

Season the vegetables generously with salt and brown until they are very dark and a crud has formed on the bottom of the Dutch oven, about 5-7 minutes. Scrape the crud and let it reform.

Scrape the crud again and add 1 1/2 cups tomato paste.

Brown the tomato paste for 4-5 minutes. Add the wine (I used Merlot for it's full bodied flavor) and scrape the bottom of the Dutch oven. Lower the heat if things start to burn. Reduce (cook) the mixture by half.

Return the short ribs to the pan and add 2 cups water or until the water has just about covered the meat. Add the thyme and bay leaves. Cover the Dutch oven and place in preheated oven for 3 hours. Check periodically and add more water if necessary. Turn the ribs over halfway through the cooking time. Remove the lid during the last 20 minutes of cooking.

Serve the ribs with the braising liquid. I served the ribs with mashed potatoes and it was delicious!