Fond Memories in a Monster Cookie

Just recently, I had been exchanging Facebook messages with a good friend from high school. She had just discovered my blog and mentioned I should post my mom's M&M cookie recipe. I was so excited she remembered these cookies, as I had totally forgotten! Always emerging at soccer practice in a large ziploc bag, these babies did not last long. Back in the day of daily soccer practice and cringe inducing homework, this was one of my mom's classic, feel-good desserts. I hope to get a few more up here soon!

Although I don't have the original recipe, I do have Ina Garten's Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. This is an excellent recipe for a good cookie dough that you can easily "make your own." As a cook with no professional training, these are the recipes that I look for and learn to love: the ones that survive any alteration or addition and always taste yummy. Ina calls for chocolate chips and walnuts, but I went for the monster effect - M&M's.

Mom's M&M Monster Cookies
adapted from Barefoot Contessa's Recipe
1/2 lb unsweetened butter (at room temperature)
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs (at room temperature)
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups M&M candies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

In a mixer combine the butter and sugar, beat well. Slowly add the vanilla extract and each egg one at a time so that ingredients are well incorporated. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. In two waves, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet. Once everything is combined, pour the M&Ms into the dough and quickly mix together. Don't over mix!

On a parchment lined cookie sheet, drop heaping spoonfulls of dough an inch and a half apart. Bake for 12-15 minutes. My oven is a little hot, so I cooked mine for 12 minutes. Should yield about 2 dozen.

Sunday Scramble

I have to tell the truth, things have been a bit chaotic over here. February was beyond demanding on the work end, causing my mind to lose focus on the little things that keep me together. For example: a clean apartment, laundry, working out, keeping in touch with friends. All of the above had been unconsciously pushed to the side as I tried to keep my head above water at work. Then, March rolled around and the work stopped. I was left with dirty dishes, laundry spilling out of the closet, an empty fridge and an unrelenting desire to go out and PARTY! Now that it's Sunday, it's time I get my act together. This always begins with the gym; what better way to get focused and determined.

For anyone who sees Sunday as the day to get organized and focused, a healthy egg scramble is just the fuel you need. Eggs are packed with vitamins and protein, and chard is full of vitamin C and flavonoids. A little prosciutto and onion for the taste buds, and you are set to take on the day!

Chard & Prosciutto Sunday Scramble
2 egg whites
1 egg
1 cup chopped chard
1/4 cup torn prosciutto bits
1/4 white onion diced
salt & pepper to taste
1 tablespoon water

Separate the eggs from the whites in a bowl. Add the egg to the egg whites plus 1 tablespoon of water. Whisk well.

In a saute pan, add cooking oil and diced onion. Saute on medium heat for about 2 minutes, then add torn up prosciutto bits. Let the flavors marinate for about 5 minutes, then add the chard and continue to saute until chard appears wilted. Quickly pour in the egg mixture. Using a wooden spoon scramble ingredients together until egg is fully cooked. Salt & pepper to taste. I would wait to add the salt as the prosciutto adds saltiness that may be just enough for your taste buds.

This is a quick and satisfying meal for one on the run! Enjoy!

Ready for Spring... Soup that is

Seasons are what I love most about San Francisco. Originally from the land of palm trees, aka Southern California, it's not too often that I get to pull out my pea coat and mittens for a cold, blustery, winter day (sans snow, thank god). I also no longer take for granted those perfect 75 degrees and sunshine days.

Speaking of seasons, this morning is the first day of March. Spring is on its way, and I'm ready to take on a new adventure - seasonal soup. I pulled out a cookbook from one of my dear friends Breanne, called Soup for All Seasons. The recipe titled "Spinach, Parsley & Honey", (really, honey) had all the qualities I was looking for - vegetarian, satisfying, a bit of sweetness and authenticity. This is sure to keep me satisfied through the first couple rainy spring days of March.

Vegetable Herb & Honey Soup
adapted from Soup for All Seasons
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large carrot, finely chopped or grated
2-3 sticks of celery, chopped
1 small onion, finely diced
1 quart vegetable stock
1/2 cup water
5 ounces baby spinach
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
4 basil leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
6 ounces canned tomato paste
1 drop Worcestershire sauce
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

In a large soup pan sautee the carrot, onion and celery in the olive oil over medium heat for about 5 minutes. The onions should become somewhat translucent while the carrots and celery will become more vibrant in color. Pour in the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Let simmer for around 8 minutes. Next, add the spinach, herbs, honey and tomato paste. Stir quickly to combine all the flavors then simmer rapidly for 5 minutes. Now this is the hard part: Pour the mixture into a blender and puree everything together, leaving some texture. I used a measuring cup and blended the soup cup by cup, leaving some chunks of carrot, onion and spinach. This is difficult as the soup will be hot and has the potential of splattering everywhere! Return the soup to the soup pan and add the drop of Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Re-heat gently for 2-3 minutes and serve.

I topped mine off with a quick homemade basil pesto (basil, olive oil & salt) and some homemade croutons.

For the croutons, I simply sliced up my favorite whole wheat bread into cubes, tossed them in olive oil and salt and baked under 400 degrees fahrenheit for about 10-12 minutes.

Tired of the same ol' Turkey Burger?

Well so am I! This past week was a doozey. Work was starting to become more than a drag and my weeknight meals were definitely following suit... an attitude change was far too necessary! In resistance to the patterns that had been developing over these past couple of weeks, inspiration finally emerged in a delicious, homemade, salsa verde turkey burger. Phew! The corporate world has yet to suck the creativity out of me!


This recipe was a surprise, as I had no clue what the results would be like. I had a feeling the salsa would add a zang and the brown rice flour some nice texture. But I had no idea if it'd be the right zang nor the right texture. After the first bite, I was pleasantly surprised and knew this just had to be my next post. The combination worked perfectly. So, for inspiration to all those who think they can't cook or have no time to cook, first go to Trader Joe's then make these turkey burgers! Easy, healthy and delicious... Enjoy!

Salsa Verde Turkey Burgers
3/4 pounds all white, ground turkey meat
3 tablespoons Trader Joe's Salsa Verde (or any salsa you have on hand)
1/4 cup brown rice flour
salt to taste
Burger condiments
Buns of your liking (I'd use Poppy seed Kaiser rolls)

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl. Warm some canola oil in a fry pan over medium heat. While oil is heating, form turkey burger patties with your hands then place on the hot fry pan (I live in San Francisco and have no grill nor a patio, so the fry pan is the best option, however, a BBQ will work great!). Grill/Fry on your pan until done to your liking. Dress'em up or eat them like Atkin would... you are sure to love Trader Joe afterwards!

Psst ... I made these somewhat on a whim so you may have to alter measurements to your liking. I'm sure to redo this recipe again sometime and promise to take better notes and a better picture.

Easy & Healthy Crab Salad

I stumbled upon this easy crab salad while flipping through Ellie Krieger's cookbook The Food You Crave. If you don't already own this book I suggest you snag one for your cookbook collection. It's full of awesome recipes that are lighter and healthier, yet oh so yummy.

This crab salad is super easy. All you need are fresh ingredients and a fresh approach to presenting the dish. What I love most about this salad is that it is versatile. Ellie serves the salad in baked filo dough cups, however, you could easily serve it in a corn tortilla for crab tacos or wrap it in rice paper for a fun take on spring rolls. I decided to serve mine "spa" style with a lovely leaf of lettuce. I know, I know, this is not really a satiating meal, but after the weekend I was craving a light lunch (I also didn't have the filo dough on hand)... Next time around I'm going to give the crab spring rolls a shot.

Be sure to pick through the crab for any shells or cartilage as this is not a pleasant surprise when chewing. I put together the salad the night before in order to marinade the ingredients. Lastly, the radicchio is my own special ingredient (which, surprisingly I did have on hand, go figure). It adds a bit of a bite and a fun burst of red color.

For the Salad
1/2 pound lump crab meat, picked over for shells and cartilage
1 stalk celery, finely diced (1/4 cup)
1/2 cup peeled and finely diced ripe mango
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup coarsely chopped radicchio

For the Dressing
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons olive oil

In a medium sized bowl, gently toss together the crab with the celery, mango, scallions, cilantro and radicchio. For the dressing, in a small bowl whisk together the lime juice, lime zest, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Next, slowly whisk in the olive oil until an emulsion begins. Add the dressing to the salad and gently toss to combine.

Served any way you like!

Psst... check out my recipe on YumSugar.com!

Ugh... It's Valentine's Day

Nothing like a week of 12 hour work days ending on none other than Valentine's Day. Could I be anymore lucky? Now, I'm not bitter, just frustrated. I came across the idea of Strawberry Cupcakes on Tuesday and have been plotting their creation ever since; unfortunately I had to wait until today (Valentine's Day) to make them. The recipe yields 34, so it looks like I'll be playing cupcake cupid all weekend to avoid the possible accident of eating them all myself...

My friend Doro has perfected the fresh fruit cupcakes, and her creations at SweetieCups were definitely part of my inspiration. Martha (Stewart) provided me with the basic cupcake recipe and I added a few twists and turns: lemon juice to enhance the strawberry flavor and a lighter, healthier frosting. Sorry, but Buttercream makes me gag especially when I look at the recipe, "3 sticks of butter and 1 Cup of Sugar". Sorry Martha, but I want to enjoy my cupcake guiltlessly. However, if you do enjoy guilty pleasures, go for the buttercream frosting. Another tip is instead of chopping your berries coarsely puree them in a cuisinart. This will save you a lot of time and help bring out the ever so soft pink flush in the cake. And, of course, the sweeter the berry the better the cupcake!

Strawberry Cupcakes with Strawberry Frosting
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs plus 1 egg white
1 cup whole milk
1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups coarsely pureed strawberries (save some for garnishing)

Frosting
4 cups + powdered sugar
4 tablespoons butter or margarine, very soft.
4 - 6 tablespoons of the pureed strawberries
1 tablespoon red sprinkles (optional)
squeeze of a lemon
Fresh strawberries or chocolate shavings for decoration

Preheat oven to 350F degrees

Line your standard muffin tins with paper liners, I prefer white. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a mixer cream butter and sugar until light and fluggy. Add the eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition. I like to crack mine into a liquid measuring cup and pour them in one at a time.

Reduce speed to low. In a separate bowl, mix together the milk and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with wet (milk & vanilla) and ending with dry. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl so ingredients are well combined. Divide the batter among the cupcake cups, and fill each about 2/3 full.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until toothpick tester comes out clean (mine took about 20 minutes). Let cool in tins on wire racks. Per Martha, cupcakes will keep, covered, for up to 2 days.

For the frosting, in a bowl, combine the butter, powdered sugar, strawberries, lemon juice and sprinkles in a mixer or with a hand mixer. Beat on very high until ingredients are combined. Continue adding more powdered sugar until frosting reaches your preferred thickness.

Pipe or spoon frosting onto the cooled cupcakes. I topped mine with fresh strawberries and/or chocolate shavings. Although you don't get the typical cupcake look with this frosting, the results taste awesome!

Happy Valentine's Day! Be sure to give your loved ones a hug... or a strawberry cupcake.

San Francisco Fancy Food Show 2009

This past January I had the opportunity, well, $35 gave me the opportunity, to participate in the San Francisco Fancy Food Show. For those of you who don't know, I work in the commercial real estate industry and blog just for my love of all things food. Going to the Fancy Food Show was a totally new experience from all angles. The food industry is HUGE, electrifying and inspirational. For someone who thought they were obsessed with food, this was an eye opener! Or should I say, a realization that maybe I am not that crazy.

Henry of Henry's Olives, a new foodie friend that is the brother of my dad's good friend Murray, met up with me along with his friend Tom (that was a mouth full). Both were there to network and investigate as I was just there to troll the aisles and observe... and eat. There were famous chefs, major international corporations, new products galore, and Ina Garten. Yes, Ina Garten, my favorite person in the entire world - when put in food context.

A couple of highlights were:

• My first absolutely amazing cappuccino that was made by the San Diego coffee roasting company Cafe Calabria. Served in a porcelain cup, every sip was satiny and smooth. They are definitely committed to roasting as if it were a "Culinary Art".
  
• The peanut butter creations by P.B. Loco. This redefines eating peanut butter out of the jar. They have flavor combinations that range from Sumatra Cinnamon and Raisin to Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. P.B. Loco is all natural, so the guilt of eating out of the jar is somewhat removed. I can't wait to find this product in San Francisco!
• The awesomeness that is developing in the natural foods world: an obvious collaboration of natural and organic products with socially responsible endeavors. Not only are foodie entrepreneurs committed to local and organic food but they are combining these efforts with their commitment to social responsibility. Some of my favorite companies are HonestTea and SweetRiot Chocolates.

Oh and one more thing, I met Ina Garten!!!

ChilaQuiles on a Sunday Morning

Just the name itself makes food sound fun! Jose introduced me to this awesome scrambled egg creation in September, and since then I've been seeing this dish everywhere. First, Bobby Flay attempted to recreate the dish on one of his food network shows - Jose's version was better. Then, I saw them on a menu at a local brunch spot in SF - Jose's was better. THEN, I actually got into an argument about what makes a good chilaquile - Jose's recipe, of course! So, now to prove everyone I'm right, my next post is how to make killer ChilaQuiles the right way.

The key is in the sauce! But of course using Guerrero Tortillas, Queso Fresco and fresh organic eggs will improve the results ten fold. Top it off with a little cilantro, fresh green onion and avocado for the perfect Sunday morning brunch. This recipe is one of my favorites so be sure to check it out!

Que Ricas, ChilaQuiles

2 California chiles
1 large tomato
1 clove of garlic
1 pinch of oregano
1 pinch of sea salt & pepper
about a 1/4 cup of water
Oil for frying
2 tortillas sliced into one-half inch squares

3 eggs
1/2 cup diced green onion
Queso fresco
cilantro

For the sauce

Boil the two peppers in the water to soften - this should take no less than two minutes. In a blender or your cuisinart, combine the softened peppers, tomato, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper and water. You want to create a semi thick red sauce, so add more water if needed. Lastly, strain the sauce to remove any seeds or skin from the peppers. The sauce will be mild, tangy and a vibrant red.

The Eggs

In a frying pan, heat the oil and add the tortilla squares. Fry until crispy. This should take about 4 minutes. Avoid soggy tortillas - crispiness is very important! Once crispy, add the eggs and scramble over medium/low heat. Once the eggs are close to done pour the red sauce and continue to scramble the eggs. Once the eggs, tortillas and red sauce are completely combined top off with the diced onions, crumbled queso fresco and cilantro. Let simmer for another couple minutes so flavors are well absorbed. Do not overheat because the point is to keep the tortillas crispy and eggs perfectly cooked.

Disfruta sus Chilaquiles... ay, que ricas!

A Sunday Recipe I can call my own

This weekend started with debauchery and has ended with a productive yet calm Sunday that I decided to make my own. It's one of those days where you unwind, answer emails from friends, browse the net, clean a bit ... Oh! and make flourless macadamia nut coconut cake... a recipe I can also call my own.

Derived from John Ash's cook book From the Earth to the Table, this recipe outlines the basic components of a delicious flourless cake: the division of the egg yolks and whites, a base of finely ground nuts, and the addition of subtle flavors that add depth to a relatively simple recipe. Once you have mastered this recipe it is very easy to improvise and alter the ingredients. A flavor combination that I can't get enough of is macadamia nut and coconut. Both are very rich on their own so I figured it'd be a great combo for a relatively dense flourless cake. Served with fresh berries or chocolate sauce, this cake is sure to be a hit!

Flourless Macadamia Nut & Coconut Cake
4 large eggs separated
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
12 ounces roasted & unsalted macadamia nuts
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 375 Fahrenheit

Butter and flour a 9 inch cake pan. If you eat your cake gluten free, use olive oil and pam with a little bit of gluten free flour.

In a food processor combine macadamia nuts and coconut until finely ground. In an electric mixer combine the egg yolks, sugar and lemon zest. In another bowl (or transfer yolks to another bowl and use electric mixer for egg whites as well), whisk egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold in a quarter of the egg whites into the egg yolk and sugar mixture, then fold in the chopped nuts and coconut. Once combined fold in the remaining egg whites.

Pour batter into the greased pan and cook for about 50 minutes on the middle rack. Keep an eye on this cake as it can brown fast. Baker be warned, it may quickly brown but the center takes a while to bake.

I'm enjoying mine right now with some chocolate sauce and leftover coconut flakes. This would be a great dessert for Valentine's Day if topped with some raspberries and powdered sugar.

Breaking New Year's Resolutions

I admit it, I broke my New Year's resolution and splurged at Whole Foods. But, it was certainly worth it! Virgin, raw, unrefined Coconut Oil has found a place in my fridge and my heart. When used sparingly, it's a great substitution for cooking oils. Although coconut oil has the highest saturated fat for any natural oil, it does NOT contain trans or hydrogenated fats. Decadent and full of natural antioxidants, coconut oil will provide depth and richness to the right recipes - emphasis on the right recipes. And don't forget, because it comes from a coconut, there will be a hint of coconut flavor in your dishes.

Personally, I've been enjoying it with sauteed veggies, rice and quinoa. It adds some flavor to those boring weekday dinners and leftover work lunches. But, this week I found some time and decided to kick it up a notch. I made the Double Chocolate Cookies that I've been drooling over in Julia's big book of baking. The steps are tedious, but it was just the recipe to take my mind off of work and whatever it was that was stressing me out last week. The results were fabulous...

Double Chocolate Cookies
"cookies to put a grin on anyone's face"
Adapted from Baking with Julia

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
12 ounces semisweet chocolate (thanks for the Guittard Henry!), chopped into larger-than-chip-size chunks
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
5 ounces Coconut Oil
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee powder (whoops... no instant coffee in my kitchen. I used 1 tablespoon ground coffee and it worked great)
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

The Dough
Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Divide the chopped up semisweet chocolate in half and set half aside.

Place the butter, half of the semisweet chocolate and unsweetened chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Or if you have limited supplies like me, simply put a glass bowl over a pan with boiling water. Heat and stir occasionally until the butter and chocolates are melted and smooth. Remove from the heat.

Next, in a mixer, combine eggs, sugar, coffee and vanilla. Beat at high speed for about 10 minutes. Mixture should become very thick and form a slowly dissolving ribbon when the whisk is lifted and the mixture is allowed to drizzle back into the bowl.

With the mixer on low speed, very gradually add the warm coconut oil-chocolate mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and work your rubber spatula around the bottom of the bowl, then continue to mix just until the chocolate is thoroughly incorporated. Turn the mixer off, and with a spatula fold in the dry ingredients and the remaining semi sweet chocolate chunks. The mixture is going to look like a thick cake batter - don't get dismayed!

Cover the bowl with plastic and chill overnight. The dough can also be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
Baking the Cookies
Preheat oven to 350F and line your baking sheets with parchment paper.
Spoon out heaping teaspoons of dough for each cookie, drop dough onto the lined sheets leaving at least 2 inches of space between each mound of dough. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes. The cookies are better underdone than overbaked. They appear cake like and will not be crisp. Let cool on parchment paper.

Currently, I have about a dozen of these delicious chocolate cookies in my freezer. The guys at work literally ate another dozen up before noon rolled around last Friday... Hopefully the directions are not too daunting as the results are definitely worth the hard work!