over the holidays i … worked. not very glamorous, i know.
my favorite moment of 2014 was … thailand. walking with the elephants.
my new year’s resolutions are … kiss my husband more. poor guy, his face will be even more lips-mottled. perfect the cinnamon raisin challah. train for 3 half-marathons (!!).
please, let there be peace this coming 2015.
besos.
over the holiday season
we had a phamily reunion of sorts,
laughing and judging and
talking in loud voices that sound
like we’re arguing but what we
were really doing was
just talking loudly and normally.
we had flan for dessert,
which i always call Flan for Lan
because it’s all about me
because it just rhymes with my name.
flan for Lan
18 individual ramekins
*note: to invert the flan onto plate, run a knife along the rim of the ramekin to loosen it. this recipe can easily be halved.
4 cups coconut creamer (i used So Delicious)
1 1/2 cup sugar, divided
juice of one clementine
8 eggs
1. heat oven to 350°. melt ½ cup sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. cook until sugar is a golden brown, 12–13 minutes. DO NOT STIR.
gently pour caramel into individual serving size oven safe ramekins; place inside a roasting pan.
2. whisk remaining 1 cup sugar with eggs in a bowl until thick. add creamer and clementine juice; whisk into a smooth custard. ladle custard into ramekins; transfer roasting pan to oven. pour hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up ramekins. bake until custard is set but still slightly loose in the center, about 1 hour. carefully transfer ramekins to a wire rack; let cool. chill at least 2 hours or up to overnight. invert flan onto serving plates.
BAM!
wishing you and yours a:
joyful
festive
peaceful
(please, peace)
holiday season
i’m excited to share
that the above cookie,
as well as the
inside out pb cups,
were included in
SOOM FOOD’s eCookbook.
and it’s FREE.
head over there for the full recipe.
there’s been talk lately
about cancelling our cable.
and in preparation for it
we’ve been watching more netflix.
thus far,
i haven’t missed television,
not when most shows i enjoy
can be viewed in hd
and sans commercials.
so far, we’ve enjoyed:
spinning plates
sushi: the global catch
haute cuisine
repeats of: The Mind of a Chef, Bizarre Foods, Chopped, & Parts Unknown
what are some of your favorite netflix shows or online viewing pleasures?
cranberry swirl mini-loaves – vegan
makes 7 mini loaves + 2 muffins
these are a riff from the blueberry swirl muffins, making use of the season’s cranberries, and of course, making use of our new mini-loaf pan.
muffins/loaves:
2 cups cranberries, divided
a few sprigs of thyme (optional)
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 flax seed eggs (1 egg = 1 TBL ground flax seed + 3 TBL water)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup mayo, i used veganese
1/4 cup almond milk
streusel topping:
1 1/2 TBL sugar
1 1/2 TBL brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 TBL warm coconut oil
Directions:
in a small bowl make the streusel topping by combining everything and mix evenly. set aside.
in a small sauce pan reduce 1 cup of cranberries (+ sprigs of thyme, if using), mashing with a fork and stirring. you want the berries to break down, the sauce to be thick. strain through a sieve if you’re not keen on the skin/pulp. set aside and cool to room temp.
prepare mini-loaf pan by greasing with coconut oil, or vegan butter.
preheat oven 425F.
in a mixing bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. in another bowl whisk flax seed eggs + sugar until thick and then add in the veggie oil, veganese mayo, and almond milk. now combine the liquid to dry ingredients, with the remaining cranberries. the mixture will be all sorts of fug, but try not to over mix. seriously, it’s a rather dense looking batter.
fill mini loaf pan a little over 3/4 way up, these will expand/rise. spoon about a teaspoon, more or less, of the reduced cranberry sauce on top of each muffin. use a toothpick or some stick-like kitchen tool and swirl the sauce into the batter. finally, top with streusel topping, amount at your discretion.
bake 17 – 20 minutes, i started hawking them around the 15 minute mark.
remove from oven, allow to cool for a few minutes and then remove from pans to cool completely.
will keep for a week, covered, in fridge.
BAM!
it’s a known fact,
probably even scientific,
that the cold makes us all shitty people.
the general lack of sunlight,
or enough of it in the day,
the hovering around freezing temps,
the static hair,
well.
it’s enough to make this girl
cantankerous.
add to that
the decline in desire
to be in the kitchen.
the first week after thanksgiving
i had no meal plan,
some lunches consisted of
sorry apples and oranges
and cookies.
that had to be remedied.
this chili came out far
better than i anticipated.
in our house,
dw likes the tomato based,
hearty chilis and stews,
while i prefer the
brothy, noodle bowls.
this week,
to combat the dreary
this became our lunch.
and boy did it improve
my disposition.
beef, squash & white bean chili
adapted from the everyday squash cook by rob firing, ivy knight and kerry knight
about 8-9 servings
*note: i received this great cookbook from movita beaucoup, after winning her pumpkin carve off. thanks to all who voted for us!
the recipe is very straight forward. i doubled a few of the spices for kick, and i also added more liquid than it calls for.
1 lb of lean ground beef, grass fed
1 onion, chopped
1 28oz can diced tomatoes, with juice (i used muir’s fire roasted diced tomotoes) + 2 cansful of water or stock, divided
2 cups peeled and 1/2″ cubed butternut squash (fine, it may have been more than half the squash)
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1/2 TBL chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
2 bay leaves
1 cup dried navy beans, soaked overnight and cooked until al dente (or a can of white beans, drained and rinsed)
in a big soup pot, brown the ground beef on medium high. depending on how lean/fatty the meat is, you may need to add a few swivels of olive oil. break down the meat until crumbly. at this point, you can drain the meat reserving some of the oil/fat, or you can be lazy like me and push it to the side and add in the chopped onions. saute until translucent. at this point, i season with salt/pepper.
next add in the minced garlic and stir it around, until fragrant. just kidding, it’ll be fragrant almost immediately. add in the spices/dry ingredients. allow the spices to get thoroughly mixed into the meat and onions, about 5 minutes. carefully pour in the can of dice tomatoes + juice. allow to reach boil status and lower the heat. for the next hour, as the liquid reduces, add in a can’s worth of water or stock. do this twice.
for the last time that you pour in can’s worth of liquid, also add in the cubed squash. bring to a furious simmer/gentle boil. you don’t want the squash to get mushy but you do need to cook it through, about 15-20 minutes. for the last 10 minutes of cooking, add in the cooked beans.
can be served with cornbread or eaten as is. i’ve been dipping pretzel crisps for an added crunch.
BAM!
other soups & stews:
autumn harvest soup
3 bean chili
vietnamese beef stew
caribbean oxtail stew
miso ramen bowl
chicken pho
portuguese chicken + chorizo curry
chickpea & sausage stew
morestomach 