Savorychicks

EATogether

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Thu, 06 Aug 2020 07:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

Savorychicks' serendipitous groundwork began fifteen years ago when a mutual friend recognized the collective passion Anja and I share for food. A few years later, fortuitously we met Shirl and Sun; their culinary style added further depth and color to our pallets by introducing us to recipes and restaurants from their respective cultures and experiences. Eventually, Anja moved back to Switzerland and we continued exchanging recipes from San Diego, Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago. Years later, Anja pitched developing a blog to expand our email exchanges to include our culinary travels, recipes and friendship. As immigrants, Anja, Shirl, Sun and I appreciate cultural diversity and recognize the importance of community through culinary arts. Who knew four friends from four corners of the world would sustain a blog for over twelve years?

Recently I received a newsletter from a non-profit very close to my heart, ARTogether, whose mission is to provide art programs that foster compassionate communities where refugees and immigrants can flourish. Culinary arts has always been a focal point for us; therefore, I was certain you would be equally interested with ARTogether's recent venture.

ARTogether has ingeniously developed EATogether! The genesis of their story runs parallel to ours and I was compelled to share with you not only their poignant cause but also their new EATing journey! ARTogether's recipe to foster compassionate communities through food and art is certain to nurture both body and soul. Click here to visit their very first EATogether collaboration.

Here is a preview:

Larb

Our first video in this series is for larb, a dish popular in Laos and parts of northern Thailand. Anthony Anousone Singhavong shares with us his Lao version that has been handed down to him through the generations:

"My favorite version of larb involves breaking down a whole chicken and using ALL the parts to make a delicious larb gai. My grandma and mom taught me how to refine the recipe over the years with fresh ingredients. The thing I enjoyed most was cooking with them and learning about how they used to prepare meals in the villages they grew up in. Regardless of what protein you use as the base of your larb dish, please know it's meant to be enjoyed with a lot of sticky rice and good people around the table with you." 

"If I'm an advocate for anything, it's to move. As far as you can, as much as you can. Across the ocean, or simply across the river. Walk in someone else's shoes or at least eat their food." ~ Anthony Bourdain

Food nurtured and sustained friendships between immigrant women from four very diverse countries, now living miles apart. We learned from each other's culture while savoring deliciously prepared meals. The world needs more compassion for refugees and immigrants displaced from their homeland facing daily challenges. As immigrant women, we recognize the importance of both food and art to unify and challenge all borders.

Thank you ARTogether for your compassion and creativity; drawing upon art and food to bridge the gap that only exists in the imagination.

Oliver's Twist- Summer Vegetable Lasagna

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Wed, 01 Jul 2020 12:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

When unexpected life events derail you from pursuing your passion, never give up as hope will spring back up to inspire once more. Two years ago, my love for cooking and developing recipes was forced off track. Now with California's shelter-in-place, having to prepare three meals a day for my family further became a monotonous chore vs. joyful expression of love. With a second wave of CV-19, it appears I have to get back on track and create dishes and recipes which will inspire me to cook dishes worthy of our devoted Savorychicks fans and hopefully inspire you to try new recipes!

Thanks to Jamie Oliver's Youtube recipe for Summer Vegetable Lasagna, there is a flicker of joy in my heart once again for cooking. Love and passion, the main ingredients in any recipe, exud from Jamie's presentation. Asparagus, mint, lemon zest, green peas and onion blended with cottage cheese and anchovies was a new twist for me. Prior to this recipe, I had never cooked with anchovies or cottage cheese; rather I always enjoyed them cold on a cracker or in salad. Therefore, I was intrigued and had to try Jamie Oliver's recipe. Certainly delighted I did! Adding touches of my Californian inspired flavors, I hope to make Jamie proud!

Creamy, healthy, delicious, summer vegetables served in layers of comforting lasagna noodles topped with cheese has placed me back on track for cooking. A vegetarian option is to omit anchovies and substitute vegetable instead of chicken stock.

Cooking with inspiration and passion makes each meal more delicious. Adding and substituting a few ingredients and techniques, I'm hoping Oliver will not mind my Twist on his already perfect recipe.

Ingredients:
3 bunches of asparagus (approximately 2+ lbs.)
5 green onions; white and green parts chopped
6-7 cloves of garlic; minced
16 oz. frozen green peas
15 oz. cannellini beans (cook from scratch or use can of beans)
16 oz. whole milk cottage cheese
1 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
4 sardines (optional)
1 cup organic chicken stock (or vegetable stock)
1 cup chopped mint
4-5 sprigs of thyme finely chopped (or 1/4 teaspoon dry thyme)
zest of 1 large lemon
salt, white and black pepper
chili flakes (optional)
butter
olive oil
lasagna noodles (does not need to be boiled)
lasagna baking dish
béchamel sauce (or substitue with 8 oz. cottage cheese)

Prepare asparagus by discarding bottom one inch (which tends to be tough and difficult to chew). Cut heads of asparagus and reserve to be used later. Chop remaining stalks into small (approximately 1/4 inch) pieces. In a large pan, melt 1/4 cup butter; add 1/3 cup olive oil. When oil becomes hot, add asparagus stalk and cook until slightly tender (3-4 minutes) over medium heat. Add green onions, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon each white and black pepper. For a little extra heat, add 1/3 teaspoon of chili flakes (optional). Stir in anchovies and chicken stock. Bring to a gentle boil until anchovies become partially emulsified. Add mint, lemon zest and frozen green beans; once thawed and cooked, mash vegetable base with back of cooking spatula until 1/2 of the ingredients are roughly mashed. Toss in cannellini beans, turn heat off and set aside.

Grease bottom and sides of baking dish. Ladle 2-3 spatulas of vegetable base just to cover the bottom of baking dish. Arrange uncooked lasagna noodles to cover vegetable. Top and cover noodles with cottage cheese; sprinkle 1 cup parmesan over cottage cheese. Ladle remaining vegetable base over cheese followed by second layer of noodles on top.

Preheat oven 350°F.

Prepare béchamel sauce (cottage cheese blended with 1/4 cup of water can be substituted in place of béchamel sauce). Pour sauce over noodles and spread to cover entire surface of noodles. Sprinkle remaining parmesan cheese on top. In a small bowl, toss asparagus and thyme with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and arrange on top of cheese. Bake for 40 minutes; finish by broiling on high heat for 3-4 minutes to gratienate. Remove from oven to rest for 15 minutes prior to serving.

The silence on our blog and something new to share

noreply@blogger.com (Anja (Savorychicks)) — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 17:49:00 +0000

by Anja

You may have noticed that it's gotten pretty quiet around here. While we still enjoy food, our friendship and culinary travels, our focus has changed. As years gone by, some of us moved on to work on other projects, some of us simply didn't feel inspired to create new recipes or review restaurant experiences anymore. Our little blog has always been a project of love and passion. And these things cannot be faked. If we don't really feel inspired to share a new recipe, or simply don't find the time to sit down and write, it will not turn into anything great or meaningful.

But even though there are not many new recipes here at the moment, there's a wealth of amazing recipes to be found in our archives. Many of you check them regularly and use our blog as a cookbook. That's why we will keep our blog alive, so you can always come back here for your favorite recipes.

We may pop up here every once in while and share a new recipe or an outstanding restaurant experience, but certainly not as regularly as we used to. We may also share some of our new projects here.

Today I'll start with my recent little adventure.

Lo+June

For the past few years my family and I have been spending our summers in South of France. We've enjoyed the abundant fresh produce and the outstanding artisanal foods this region has to offer. Visiting the many local markets we have discovered some products that we fell in love with and wanted to bring home to Switzerland. This is how the idea of our little fine food store was born.

Earlier this year we opened our little webshop Lo+June selling artisanal French food for connoisseurs. Spoiler alert: for now we only ship within Switzerland. But for all our Swiss readers, you might want to read on.

All our products are made by selected French farmers and artisans. We know them all personally and appreciate the great passion they have for making their products. We deliberately take a slow approach with our store. We start with a small selection and we will slowly add more products. But we want to take our time, meet producers, learn more about their crafts, taste their products. And if we're in love with what they have to offer, you'll find their products in our shop.

Hopefully the lockdown will be lifted soon, so we can travel back to our beloved South of France, visit more farmers and artisans and scout for new products.

If you want to keep updated, follow us on instagram.

Flavor-Jammed Fancy Italian Meatball Subs

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Fri, 17 May 2019 23:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

I must have Italian blood running through me! I crave Italian food just as often from that of my own heritage. Blessed to have my mother's recipes to satisfy my Persian food cravings; but what is a girl to do when she craves robust flavors of Italy? Lasagna or a hearty Italian meatball sandwich?

Well, I've learned to play with ingredients and flavors to create meals which tickle my fancy! Trying different recipes online and those of my Italian friends, I've concocted a couple of dishes that even my Italian friends approve of: my lasagna and now meatball sandwich!

A total of eleven ingredients are jam packed into these flavorful, moist, juicy, Italian meatballs. Served on top of crunchy seasoned toasted baguettes, slathered with garlic tomato sauce and finished with cheese! Treat yourself to these hearty, sinful, meatballs which can also be served with pasta as well!

Buon Appetito!

Ingredients:

1 baguette loaf
1 lasagna baking dish

Meatballs:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. spicy Italian sausage
2/3 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup milk
3 egg yolks
1/2 (or 3/4 if you like more cheese!) cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon each sea salt and black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes (optional for more spice)
4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
1 small onion finely chopped
4 tablespoons olive oil

Loaf Dressing:
2 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 minced garlic
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
pinch of salt and pepper

Meatball Sauce:
1 15 oz. can organic tomato sauce
4 teaspoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon crushed dried oregano
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 cup each parmesan cheese and mozzarella; mix to combine

Chopped Parsley to Garnish

In a large stainless steel or glass bowl, add bread crumbs and milk. Whisk in egg yolks, cheese, salt, pepper, chili flakes, garlic, parsley and onions until well blended. With a large spoon, mix in Italian sausage and ground beef. Blend in all ingredients until well combined.

Over medium heat, add olive oil to a large frying pan. Use 1/4 cup approximate measurement to create 14-15 round meatballs. Once pan is hot, add meatballs to fit pan.

Depending on size of pan, two to three batches of meatballs is rendered. Turn meatballs over once browned; continue to brown all surfaces and transfer cooked meatballs to a large plate.

Cut bread into 3 equally part loafs; then slice open each loaf (as you would when preparing a subway sandwich) all the way giving 2 separate flat slices of bread (total of 6).

Preheat oven to 425° F.

In a small sauce pan, melt butter; add olive oil, parsley and garlic; remove from heat.

Meanwhile, in another small sauce pan over low heat, add tomato paste, tomato sauce, sugar, garlic salt, crushed dried oregano, and thyme. Simmer for 4-5 minutes and turn heat off.

Brush olive oil on the bottom of baking dish. Arrange bread pieces (crust on the bottom and inside portion facing up) to fit dish. Brush olive oil/butter mix over baguettes and place in the oven for 7-8 minutes.

Remove dish from oven and place meatballs on each slice (2-3 meatballs per slice).

Spoon tomato sauce on top of meatballs.

Sprinkle cheese on top and bake for 15-20 minutes until bread is toasted golden brown and cheese has melted.

Remove from oven and sprinkle chopped parsley on top before serving. Enjoy!

One Bite Kookoo Sabzi

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 00:32:00 +0000

by Marjan

Years past, I shared with you my recipe for kookoo sabzee (Persian herb frittata). Traditionally, it is served with a side of bread or as a side dish to sabzee polo mahi (Persian herb rice and fish). Personally, presentation is just as important as flavor and taste for me; therefore, I have created a one-bit bread and kookoo sabzee to tantalize first your visual appetite.

Then, bite into perfectly baked soft bread filled with scrumptious, flavorful, herb frittata. Of course, I'm once again breaking tradition and know will be raising many eyebrows from conformist who appreciate classical Persian food without variation (as do I when it comes to certain Persian foods such as ghormeh sabzee and ghaimeh). So I 'get it'; but once in a while, change is good.

Be adventurous and try making this stunning, classical Persian dish served up in rolled soft bread designed to visually stun and quench your appetite with each healthy, flavorful and delicious bite.

Ingredients:

Kookoo Sabzee:
1 cup finely chopped parsley
1 cup finally chopped green onions (tarreh is the Persian herb traditionally used; however, if not available in your market, green onions are fine)
2-3 romaine lettuce leaves finely chopped
1 small yellow onion; finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves
1 tablespoon dried dill
2 large organic eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
small pinch of saffron
1/2 cup crushed walnuts
1/4 cup dried barberies (zereshk) or cranberries
2 tablespoon olive oil
medium size frying pan

Rolled Bread:
5 organic eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flower
13"x9"x1" jelly roll baking sheet
parchment paper
kitchen towel
non-stick cooking spray

Over medium-low heat, warm olive oil in frying pan. Sautés turmeric and onion for a minute; then add all wet herbs (except for dill and fenugreek) and lettuce. Sauté for 6-7 minutes until herbs are fragrant and cooked. Stir in dry herbs (dill and fenugreek). Cook for additional minute and transfer herb mix to a stainless steel mixing bowl to cool completely.

Preheat oven to 375° F at center rack. Cut parchment paper to fit the bottom of baking sheet. Grease sheet pan generously with cooking spray; line with parchment paper and grease paper and side of the pan. Using an electric mixer on high speed, mix eggs until light in color (4-5 minutes). Swift salt with flower; decrease speed of mixer to low and add flower until just mixed. Do NOT over mix; once flower is added, it should take less than a minute to blend. Quickly pour batter into center of sheet pan; gently guide batter to all corners of pan until evenly covered. Bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, add eggs, saffron, salt, pepper, walnuts and barberies to herb mix. Hand whip together ingredients to blend well.

Remove pan of bread from oven and quickly spoon herb mix to cover entire sheet bread evenly.
Place back in oven and cook for additional 7-8 minutes until eggs are cooked.
Remove cooked herbs with bread from the oven. Take a knife all around the pan to separate baked bread and herb mix from the sides of pan. Transfer parchment paper over to clean kitchen towel; separate and remove parchment paper. Gently roll bread from the one wide side (13" side) to the other (similar to jelly roll). Wrap up tightly in kitchen towel; cool completely. When ready to serve, cut into 3/4" servings. Place on decorative platter and garnish with parsley, walnuts and barberies.

Vegan Roasted Cauliflower With Tahini

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Tue, 01 Jan 2019 08:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

Another Holiday season behind us and now it's time to shed some weight and gain motivation and inspiration to make 2019 a very good year!

In Januarys past, I shared with you low calorie, healthy recipes such as my cleansing cabbage soup and festive chicken pozole verde soup to start the New Year with delicious heart warming recipes. This year, I am sharing with you a delicious recipe for you to sink your teeth into: roasted cauliflower with a creamy, rich, flavorful tahini sauce.

Not one to jump on diet fads (or fashion trends on that matter), a couple of days a week I eat clean by preparing and eating vegan. In my personal opinion and experience, a balanced diet is always best! Approximately 200 calories for a whole head of cauliflower, this cancer fighting vegetable is my 'go to' diet plan. As you might know I love cauliflower rich recipes such as cauliflower steaks and soup.
This time around, I'm sharing a creamy tahini sauce to add a rich and deeply satisfying meal or side dish. High in potassium and low in calories, roasted cauliflower is comforting sweet; with a tangy and creamy sauce on top, each bite is perfection.
Multicolored cauliflower florets such as purple, yellow and green roasted with any other vegetable of your choice serves as a complete meal. Try it for yourself!

Serves 2-3
I generally roast my vegetables once a week and enjoy for lunch or dinner on days I work late and am not able to cook; therefore if your crunched for time, you can roast and prepare the sauce in advance which stores well in the fridge for three days. Simply re-heat vegetables in the oven and warm up the sauce later in the week to enjoy.
Ingredients:
1 cauliflower head; chopped into bite size florets or multicolored cauliflower of choice equaling to approximately 3 cups of cauliflower florets
2 or 3 celery stalks; chopped into bite size
2 carrot; peeled and chopped into thin slices
1 teaspoon each sea salt and black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black sesame seeds or any seed of choice

Sauce:
3/4 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon tahini
1 garlic clove; minced
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon each coriander and cumin powder
zest and juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large baking sheet, toss together cauliflower, celery, carrot, olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast for 40-50 minutes until vegetables are caramelized, slightly soft. Toss vegetables once or twice while roasting.

In a small saucepan over low heat, warm coconut oil with turmeric for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, coriander and cumin; stir and pour coconut milk. Whisk ingredients together and cook mix for 10 minutes. Whisk in tahini, salt, lemon zest and juice until a creamy sauce is rendered. Turn heat off and serve on top of roasted vegetables. Garnish with black sesame seeds.

Diamond Cut Cardamom Cake

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Fri, 21 Dec 2018 08:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

Cardamom is sometimes referred to as the 'happy spice' reflective of one of its many natural benefits. Therefore, one bite of my diamond cut cardamom syrup cake will put 'happy' in this holiday season celebrations.

This moist and delicious cake is not served in slices rather cut into diamond shape individual servings. Unescapable cardamom taste and smell will rapture your senses with heavenly bites from the far East. Just try to have only one piece! Not possible!

Cardamom is used in a majority of Persian desserts; sheer-berenj, cake, cookies and many more delicious recipes. For us, cardamom is equivalent to vanilla in the Western world. Undeniably fragrant, this third most expensive spice is worth its price tag based on all of it's nutritional benefits: gastrointestinal protection, prevents colorectal cancer, promotes heart and blood circulation health, antidepressant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, anti-asthmatic, and helps regulate both cholesterol and heart beat.

So what makes this recipe special? Not only is cardamom baked into each diamond cut, but it is also enriched in a sweet simple syrup poured over the cake. Moist and fragrant, each bite is dense with flavorful delight. Travel to the East with each delicious bite!

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon ground cardamom

1 teaspoon vanilla

4 eggs; room temperature

1 cup plain greek yogurt

1/2 cup canola oil

butter to grease pan

Syrup:

2 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1 tablespoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon rosewater
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice

9"x13" rectangular cake pan
Optional: almond or pistachio slivers for decoration

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Grease cake pan heavily with butter.
Using an electric mixer at medium speed, whip eggs, sugar, vanilla and cardamom for 6-8 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whip yogurt, oil and baking soda until creamy.
In a separate bowl, swift flour with baking powder.
Add yogurt to egg mix and combine for 2 minutes over medium speed. Add flour and mix for no longer than a minute, just until flour is combined. Over mixing will render a flat cake.

Pour cake mix onto pan and bake for 45 minutes.
Remove cake and while still warm, gently flip over unto wire cooling grid. Carefully flip cake over once again for top baked to be up. Cool completely.

Meanwhile, in a medium size sauce pan, add sugar, water, and cardamom. Bring to gentle boil over medium low heat. Once sugar has melted completely into a clear syrup, add lemon juice and rosewater. Turn heat off and cool.

To cut, use a large serrated knife. Cut 6-7 straight, equal sized lines from one length end to the other. Then cut 14-16 straight, equal lines from one edge to the other edge to reveal diamond shaped serving pieces of cake. Place diamond slices onto serving platter. Spoon syrup gently over each piece. Finish decorating with almond or pistachio slivers.

Do You Name Your Bird?

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Fri, 16 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

A short few days remain until Thanksgiving! Hope you are planning your menu and enjoying the process just as much as the festivities! Every year, we post our favorite menu options starting with appetizers up onto dessert. This past month, we shared with you sweet potato jubilee, cheesy sage corn bread, and spiced pumpkin roll cake. What about the bird? That's coming up; but first, a short story:

When we first moved to our San Diego ranch and started our chicken coop, Anja visited us from Miami (where she was teaching and residing at the time prior to moving back to Switzerland). Curious as to whether our chickens are food or pets, Anja asked my mother: "Do you name your bird?" Having not thought of it before, my mother inquired the reason for her question. Anja replied: "In Germany, we don't name animals if we eat them". Without hesitation, shamelessly and matter of fact, my mother replied: "We don't name them here!" Both Anja and I were bemused with her sharp and quick reply and it has been a satirical joke since then!

However, this Thanksgiving I'm naming my bird Brandy! As you might have already guessed it, I'm using cognac brandy (typically served as an after dinner digestif) to exude richness and festive spirit to my bird.

Butter, brandy, herbes de Provence, orange and lemon zest will make an ordinary bird extraordinary. If your intimidated cooking with liquor, don't be! Really, any whisky, bourbon, or cognac will do.
Rightfully, the French refer to Brandy as "Aeu de Vie" (water of life)! So why not cook with it?

Minutes prior to the turkey's main entrance, I make a little show of flambé with maple syrup, orange zest, butter and brandy to entertain and capture my guest's attention. I brush my sweet glaze over my perfectly prepared bird two to three times over the final 15 minutes of cooking.
Can you smell it already?

I guarantee your guests will be impressed and satisfied with this year's Thanksgiving bird, named Brandy!

Serves 8-10
Ingredients:

Turkey:
10-12 lb. young turkey
1 large lemon zest
1 large orange zest
4 cloves of garlic; minced
1 stick of unsalted butter; room temperature and soft
2 tablespoons herbes de Provence
3 teaspoons fleur de sel or Sea Salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pink peppercorn

Flambe:
1 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup brandy
3 tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon orange zest
4 cloves of garlic; minced
pinch of salt

Stuffing:
2 medium lemons cut in half
1 fennel; chopped
1 onion; chopped
1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Gravy:
2 cups of chicken stock
¼ cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons butter

Defrost turkey in fridge 48 hrs. ahead of Thanksgiving.
3 hours prior to placing turkey in the oven, store turkey at room temperature in a strainer to drain off any stored juices.
In a small bowl combine room temperature butter, garlic, salt, pepper, herbes de Provence, lemon and orange zest.
Delicately, using your fingers, separate the skin from flesh of turkey as best as you can without taring skin. Generously spread seasoned butter to cover mostly under the skin with remaining to spread both inside and outside of turkey.
In a large bowl, combine lemon, fennel, onion, herbes de Provence, and olive oil. Mix well and stuff inside turkey.
Approximately 3 1/2 hours prior to serving, preheat oven to 425°F.
Set rack at lowest level in oven.
Lightly sprinkle turkey with desired salt and pepper on the outside and drizzle with olive oil to lightly coat.
Tie legs together loosely to hold shape, and tuck wing tips under to prevent burning.
Place turkey in a roasting pan.
Roast turkey for approximately 15 minutes at 425°F covered with foil and then lower temperature to 350°F for 3 hours.
Two and a half hours prior to removing turkey from the oven (which is 1hr prior to serving), in a small sauce pan, bring to boil over medium heat maple syrup and butter. Ten minutes later, remove sauce pan from heat and place on heat proof counter top (or sink); add garlic, orange zest, salt and brandy. Clear space to flambé making certain not to burn yourself or surroundings. Using candle lighter, carefully light brandy at arms distance (do not look into the pan as flames will ignite and burn!). Minutes later, all the alcohol will burn off; place over medium heat for 7-8 minutes to boil. Brush brandy sauce over turkey every 15 minutes, three or four times during the next hour (do not cover with foil). Reserve 2-3 tablespoons of syrup for gravy.
Remove turkey from the oven and rest it on a serving platter for 20 minutes prior to serving.

Gravy:
In a sauce pan over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of butter. Once butter is melted, add flour and whisk until until golden. Mix in remaining turkey juices (1/2 cup if remaining) and chicken stock to pan. Add reserved maple syrup with brandy and bring to a boil and whisk until smooth. Reduce heat and simmer until gravy is at desired consistency. Add salt to taste if needed.

Sweet Sage Cheese Corn Bread

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Fri, 09 Nov 2018 08:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

Every year, it appears my number of guests increase for Thanksgiving Dinner. That's a good sign! It was not long ago when I introduced you to Thanksgiving recipes for smaller crowds. Times have changed! Now we love entertaining guests at our ranch and I whole heartedly enjoy refining older recipes and finding new ones to keep my dinner menu exciting and fresh. Most years, I make my crowd favorites such as butternut squash crostini, cranberry relish, haricot vert with maple carrots and all vegetable lasagna. This year, I have created a recipe that I am certain will be an addition to my repertoire for all Thanksgiving dinners to come (unless I find a better one, of course!)

Sweet sage and cheese corn bread is the perfect accompaniment to any Holiday entertain dinner. Easy to make, minimal ingredients, savory and sweet, this bread pairs well with my pomegranate salsa or cranberry relish as either an appetizer or bread for your Thanksgiving feast. Crunchy outside crust with a soft and creamy inside, earthy flavors of sage and gruyere cheese, and delicately sweet, it is going to be difficult finding a recipe to replace this one!

Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoon chopped sage + 4 sage leaves for decoration
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
4-6 tablespoons organic butter
9 inch baking dish

Preheat oven to 350° F.
In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, sage and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together milk and eggs; fold in 1 cup cheese.
Place baking pan in the oven with butter. Add wet ingredients to dry ones and stir to barely combine (do not over stir). Remove pan from oven and pour melted butter into mix and stir until just blended. Place sage leaves on the bottom of pan and gently spoon mix on top of sage. Bake for 30 minutes; cool and serve.

Sweet Potato Jubilee!

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Fri, 02 Nov 2018 07:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

Each week this month, I will post recipes in preparation for Thanksgiving dinner; November 22nd will be here in a heart beat! Last week's recipe for Spiced Rolled Pumpkin Cake has my sweet tooth engaged for a sweet appetizer. One of my favorite side dishes at our Thanksgiving dinner has always been sweet potatoes. Whether you call this starchy vegetable sweet potato or yam, it always is a crowd favorite. Baked, fried, or roasted the sweet flavors of yam can't be beat! As far as my taste buds go, it is my 'appetizer dessert' before I indulge into my pumpkin rolled cake! So it is no surprise, this year I'm baking a mashed sweet potato yam dish which looks and bakes like a cake!

Feast into rich, buttery, sweet layers of both white and orange yam! Decorated with crunchy pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, cinnamon and brown sugar for both contrast in texture and flavor. Similar to my archived recipe for Sweet Yam Crunch, this stunning side dish will be the bells and whistles to your Thanksgiving dinner! Best of all, this recipe may be prepared 2 days in advance helping to decrease last minute preparations of hosting Thanksgiving dinner!

Serves 8-12
Ingredients:
2 lbs orange color sweet potato
2 lbs white color sweet potato
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
12 tablespoon organic salted butter
*2 tablespoons of butter to grease pan and to bake
1/2 cup crushed pecans
1/4 cup crushed walnuts
1/4 cup pine nuts
½ cup dark brown sugar (more or less to taste)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (more or less to taste)
1/2 teaspoon flour
Spring Cake Pan

Separately prepare orange and white sweet potato mash:
Peel, wash, and cube sweet potatoes. First boil white sweet potatoes and 4 cups of water in a large pot over medium heat; add 1/2 teaspoon salt. 20-30 minutes later, potatoes should be soft and ready to mash. Strain and discard liquid; in the same pot, add 1/2 cup cream and 6 tablespoons of butter. Over medium low heat, mash potatoes until silky smooth. Taste for additional salt; add if needed.
Transfer mashed potatoes to a bowl (or use another pot if available) and repeat entire process again with orange colored potatoes; once potatoes are mashed, add 1/4 cup of brown sugar, butter and cream. Again, taste for addition of salt if needed.
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Grease spring cake pan bottom and sides generously with butter. Spoon and spread orange mashed potato evenly on the bottom. Top with white mashed potatoes; make certain the top of the cake is smooth and even.
In a small bowl, mix nuts, brown sugar, cinnamon and flour. Evenly sprinkle mix along side of pan approximately 1" wide sprinkles and in the middle of cake, spoon remaining nut mix in a clean circle. Place small dabs of remaining butter on top of the nut mix and place in the oven for 30 minutes or until nuts are slightly golden.
Remove cake from the oven and cool for 20 minutes. Using a thin flexible knife, carefully run blade against the walls of the pan to make sure potatoes separate from pan. Carefully open side wall of pan. Serve on your favorite round serving platter.
** If preparing dish in advance, follow above steps up until sprinkling nut mix on top. Cover and store in fridge mashed potatoes in the spring cake pan. Two hours prior to serving, remove from fridge and store at room temperature. 1 1/2 hours prior to serving dinner, bake in a 350° F oven for 30 minutes; remove and sprinkle nuts. Place back in the oven to bake for additional 30 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes and remove spring cake side walls and serve.

Spiced Rolled Pumpkin Cake

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Fri, 26 Oct 2018 07:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

Combining my favorite cake recipe with ingredients of the season: pumpkin and spice!

Using the same technique as my rolled cake, I am adding pumpkin, spices, and cream cheese to capture the essence of the season. So far hands down, everyone prefers my rolled cake over my pumpkin pie; therefore, I am considering replacing my traditional pie recipe this upcoming Thanksgiving with cake. Let's face it, most people prefer cake over pie. With the addition of whipped cream, butter and cream cheese, this recipe not only tastes good but looks fantastic!

Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
Cake
4 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon each cinnamon and pumpkin spice
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup organic pumpkin puree

Filling
8 oz. cream cheese; room temperature
6 tablespoons organic butter; room temperature
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*Optional crushed pistachios for decoration

Preheat oven to 375° F at center rack. Cut a sheet of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 12x18x1 sheet pan.
Grease sheet pan generously with cooking spray; line with parchment paper and then grease the paper and sides of the pan again.
Using a electric mixer, mix eggs and sugar at medium high for 4 minutes until fluffy and light in color. Reduce speed to low and add pumpkin puree; blend until just mixed (30 seconds). In a medium size bowel, swift flour, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, salt, baking powder and soda. Reduce speed to low and add flour mix gradually until merely blended. DO NOT OVER MIX! This step should take less than a minute (to prevent cake from becoming dense and flat). Immediately pour the batter in the center of pan. Gently guide batter to all corners of pan until evenly covered. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched.

Meanwhile, cut and place 14" piece of parchment paper on counter top. Remove baked cake form the oven. Take a knife all around the pan to separate the cake from the sides. Invert cake onto the prepared new parchment paper and remove old parchment paper from cake. Use a knife to separate the paper from the cake if needed. Staring at the side closest to you, roll up the cake lengthwise (longer length to yield more slices; if you roll the cake from the shorter width, it will render thicker and fewer slices) with the help of the parchment paper from one end to the other. Gently transfer the cake to a cool space with seam side down. Cool for 1 hour at room temperature.

Whip cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a medium size bowl until smooth. In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream until thick tracks form. Carefully fold whipped cream into cream cheese and butter mix.
Gently unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake and then re-roll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours prior to serving. Use left over cream cheese filling to decorate top of cake with piping tools. Sprinkle crushed pistachios on top. Serve cutting 1/4-1/2 inch slices.

Warm Wild Rice Mushroom Salad

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 07:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

With my favorite Holiday around the corner, I'm experimenting with new dishes. Today, I really enjoyed putting together a warm autumn inspired salad with some of my favorite ingredients of the season: wild rice, mushrooms, parmesan cheese, lemon, and herbs. This earthy salad emits bright notes of herbs and lemon rendering satisfying, delicious, chewy spoonful servings!

A great pot-luck recipe or to make ahead of time and assemble prior to your guests arrival, I guarantee each sophisticated bite will delight the palates of your most finicky food critic.
Enjoy spoonfuls of this exquisite fall inspired dish today!

Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
1/2 cup pearl barley
1/2 cup wild rice
4 shallots, thinly sliced into rings
12 oz. chanterelle or oyster mushrooms, cut into large pieces
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 oz. shaved parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and black pepper

Dressing:
2 large lemon; zest and juice
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon each sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium size pan over medium heat, bring to boil 3 cups of water, pearl barley and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer for approximately 20-30 minutes or just until barley is cooked. Its should not be too soft (over cooked) or too chew (under cooked). Drain and spread barley in a serving platter to cool.
In the same pan over medium heat, bring to boil 3 cups of water, wild rice and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Reduce heat to low and simmer for approximately 40-50 minutes or until rice is cooked.
Drain and spread wild rice over cooled barley.
Meanwhile, cook shallots in vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently for 5-6 minutes just until shallots are golden brown. With a slotted spoon, transfer shallots to paper towel and season with a pinch or two of sea salt.
Heat a large skillet over medium; add 1/2 cup olive oil and arrange mushrooms in the skillet in a single layer; cook undisturbed until undersides are golden brown (2-3 minutes). Toss mushrooms to cook on other side (2-3 minutes). Reduce heat to low and season with thyme, 1/8 teaspoon sea salt and black pepper. Stir and cook for additional couple of minutes and set aside.
For the dressing, in a small bowl mix together lemon juice and zest, extra virgin olive oil, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.
Add mushrooms and parsley to platter of barley along with 1/2 of fried shallots and 1/2 of parmesan cheese. Pour dressing on top; toss to mix. Scatter over the top remaining shallots and shaved parmesan cheese. Serve and enjoy.

If planning to serve hours later, in a pan slightly warm over medium low heat parley, rice and mushrooms. Remove and toss in remaining ingredients prior to serving in platter or bowl.
As a pot luck dish, in a large microwaveable bowl store barley, rice and mushrooms. Keep in individual containers dressing, shallots, parsley, and cheese. Microwave or warm up barley, rice and mushroom mix. Add remaining ingredients, toss and serve.

Finger Lick'n Good!

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 07:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

Don't be shocked! Your probably more familiar with my typical recipe posts which gravitate towards healthy choices. This past year, I have diligently shared with you low-calorie, healthy and delicious recipes such as my cauliflower soup, vegetarian 'steak and eggs', chicken salad, vegetable boat, Mexican chicken pozole verde, and many more.
Eating healthy all year long deserves a cheat once in a while; so I've decided to share with you my recipe for fried chicken! Using over 12 herbs and spices, it still fails to compare with Colonel Sander's Original recipe. However, this recipe is jam packed with flavor and crunch; which in my book is a close second!
Of course, the Colonel has his secrets, and so do I! Since I am all about sharing recipes, I will share with you mine: bourbon! Yes, I marinate my chicken in buttermilk and bourbon which delivers a distinct tender, juicy, flavorful friend chicken!
Served with a robust salad filled with chopped herbs, broccoli, radish, and cabbage, I'm balancing the demon and angel which reside on my shoulders when it comes to food choices!

Crispy, tender, chicken jam packed with flavor, it is worth cheating on my healthy diet! Of course, I always use organic, free-range chicken; just don't ask me where my chicken drumsticks came from!

Serves 8; 2 drumsticks each

Ingredients

10 Drumsticks

Herbs and Spices:

2 tsp sea salt

2 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp celery salt

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tbs black pepper

2 tbs white pepper

1 tbs dry mustard powder

1 tbs paprika

1 tbs ground ginger

1/2 cup all purpose flour

Marinade:

1 cup buttermilk

2 tbs bourbon

Deep Fryer using vegetable oil or 1 large deep frying pan with 6-8 cups of vegetable oil

Thermometer to measure temperature of oil

Rack and Cookie Sheet

In a large ziplock bag, mix buttermilk, bourbon, and 1 teaspoon of sea salt; add chicken and marinate overnight in your refrigerator.

1 hour prior to frying, remove chicken from fridge and store at room temperature.

In a spice mixer or mortar, add first 12 ingredients. Crush herbs and spices until a fine powder is rendered. Add mix to flour in a large dredging dish; blend well.

Remove chicken from buttermilk and dredge in spice/flour mix. Make certain to cover all surfaces. Set aside.

Heat oil in frying pan to 340° F over medium heat or set Deep Fryer to 340°F. Usually takes 15 minutes to achieve temperature.

Once oil is ready, VERY CAREFULLY, add 3-4 drumsticks at a time and fry for 12-13 minutes turning chicken over 2-3 times to cook evenly if frying over stove top. Using a large slotted spoon, remove chicken and place on a rack that has been placed on top of a cookie sheet. Place in oven at 180°F to keep warm while continuing to fry remaining pieces.

Spinach, Pesto, Sun-dried Tomato Roasted Chicken Rollets

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Fri, 21 Sep 2018 07:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

As summer blends into autumn, I am taking advantage of my lingering tomato and basil harvest. I'm welcoming my favorite season and already incorporating flavors of fall such as sweet potatoes with every meal. After all, here in Southern California, the only sign of one season ending and another beginning is with fruits and vegetables we plant, grow and harvest on the ranch.

I love basil pesto and therefore once a month, I prepare a jar and use it frequently as my pizza sauce, to dress my vegetables, fish, or chicken. This year, our tomatoes practically took over our garden! Thankfully, my industrial size dehydrated allows me to make my very own sun-dried tomatoes which I seal in plastic bags, store in the fridge and use throughout the year.

The gravitational pull of both pesto and sun-dried tomatoes is irresistible to my pallet. Therefore, for this easy to make, stylish recipe I butterflied chicken breast, stuffed them with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. Very easily, I rolled the breast, slathered it with pesto topped with Panko bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Forty minutes later, a juicy, healthy, elegant, and delicious meal is ready to be devoured.
Next time you have guests over, prepare this recipe in advance and simply place in the oven to roast prior to dinner. I guarantee everyone will be impressed!

Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 half chicken breasts; butterflied
4 cups roughly chopped spinach
8 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes
8 tablespoons pesto; ready made or use Shirl's recipe
3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 zucchinis; chopped (optional)
handful of cherry tomatoes (optional)
olive oil
8 tooth pics

Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease inside of a deep baking dish with olive oil to cover.

Place each chicken breast with butterflied cut side up; with a meat mallet, tenderize chicken to create a flatter surface. Season both sides of breast with salt and pepper. Place approximately 2 tablespoon of sun-dried tomato to spread along the shorter end of the length side of the breast. Top with approximately 1 cup of chopped spinach and 1 tablespoons of parmesan cheese. Tightly roll from the spinach and tomato side to the other. Secure chicken breast by placing 2 toothpicks one inch in from the ends (penetrating from the top to bottom). Place in baking dish and continue with remaining three.

Spoon 2 tablespoons of pesto over chicken to cover all top surface; sprinkle with Panko and remaining parmesan cheese. If using zucchini and cherry tomatoes, place as many as you desire alongside chicken. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes covered; reduce heat to 400, remove foil and bake for additional 25 minutes and serve.

S'mores Cupcake

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Fri, 07 Sep 2018 07:00:00 +0000

We are very pleased to introduce to you one of our favorite blogs: This Celebrated Life, by Kristen Bell. She is sharing with us her recipe for S'mores Cupcakes. Check out her blog... but first, make these delicious cupcakes to keep summer alive before it becomes a distant memory.
By Kristen Bell

These cupcakes have been on my mind practically all summer! When I was a kid we used to go on at least a few camping trips every year, and of course s'mores are an absolute must. Eventually we plan to get a fire pit for our backyard so we can have s'mores all the time, but for now these s'mores cupcakes will do the trick!

The best part of a s'more is all the pieces coming together just right - it has to be the perfect ratio of marshmallow to graham cracker to chocolate. So for these cupcakes I made a graham cracker crust on the bottom of each. On top I opted for a heavy cream based frosting instead of a traditional buttercream. My first time making these I wanted the frosting to taste like a marshmallow, which it did! The problem was that for my taste the cupcakes were way too sweet. So instead I experimented with heavy cream and sugar to get a light and airy frosting.

In my opinion, a s'more needs just a hint of smokiness (even though I'm a golden brown vs burnt marhmallow gal myself). I brought that into the cupcake with smoked chocolate ganache. I bought these smoked chocolate chips online, but you can also cold smoke chocolate pretty easily at home. Or of course you can use regular chocolate chips too, but trust me on this - the smoked chocolate might sound a little odd, but it is out of this world amazing.

Cupcake Ingredients:

3/4 cup crushed graham crackers, plus more for garnish
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup hot brewed coffee (you can also use hot water if you don't have coffee)
1/2 cup unsalted butter (one stick), plus 2 Tbsp
1 egg, whisked
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate bar for garnish

Whipped Cream Frosting Ingredients:

1 pint heavy cream
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Smoked Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:

1/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup smoked chocolate chips

Cupcake Directions

Preheat oven to 350 and line a muffin tin with liners.

In a small pan, heat the butter and water until the mixture is steaming and the butter is melted. Take off the burner and let cool.

Melt 2 Tbs of butter, and mix with crushed graham cracker in a small bowl until combined. Divide the mixture evenly between the cupcake liners, and press the crust into the bottom of each. Bake the graham cracker crust until golden brown, about 5 minutes, and then set aside.

Whisk together the dry ingredients, flour through baking soda.

Mix together the eggs, buttermilk and mint extract. Add to the butter mixture once cooled. If the butter mixture is still too hot when you mix these together, the egg will cook.

Add the dry ingredients into the now combined wet ingredients in two batches. Fold together until just combined. Pour batter into prepared cupcake tin and bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes - until a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.

Smoked Chocolate Ganache Directions:

Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, until it almost comes to a boil. Make sure to stir regularly so it doesn't scald. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips in heat safe bowl, and let sit for a few minutes. Stir, and voila! You have ganache! If the chocolate doesn't completely melt, you can pop it into the microwave for 10 second increments until the chocolate is smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.

When the cupcakes and ganache have both cooled, fill the cupcakes. I like to let my cupcakes cool, and then I put them in the refrigerator for about an hour to let them get totally cold. It makes this step a whole lot easier! You can buy fancy cupcake corers, but I just use a 1/4 teaspoon to scoop out a bit of the cupcake in the middle (about 1/3 down into the cupcake), then fill with ganache. It doesn't have to look perfect, because you'll cover it with frosting. But it will be delicious!

Frosting Directions:

Whip the heavy cream until it is thickened and frothy - about 3-5 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and continue beating until it holds a stiff peak. Then frost away to your heart's content! Add chocolate and graham cracker as garnish if desired.

Note: Make sure your heavy cream is well chilled before starting this frosting. I

actually put my hand mixer beaters in the freezer for about 10 minutes before getting started too, and might even put my bowl in the freezer with them next time. It definitely helps for everything to be very cold for the cream to stiffen up enough.

Before you go, make sure you check out Kirsten’s blog This Celebrated Lifefor more recipe, fashion and lifestyle inspiration. You can also connect with her on Instagram!

Pan Seared Opah & Saffron

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Fri, 24 Aug 2018 07:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

Frequently my friends ask me for recipes highlighting saffron. This popular spice is used in a majority of Persian recipes, some of which I have shared with our Savorychick followers: sholeh-zard, tahcheen, basmati rice and saffron baked salmon. Fish recipe requests are also in high demand as well; rather than share another salmon recipe, I want to introduce to you Hawaiian Opah! This meaty fish perfectly showcases the distinct essence of saffron.

Not as popular or rich in Omega-3 as salmon, opah has a light orange color and is similar to swordfish with it's meaty texture. Salmon has a very distinct flavor and therefore when combined with other ingredients, it tends to prominently dominate. Opah with it's subtle flavor, is a wonderful canvas to showcase a variety of ingredients. For this week's recipe, I have combined thyme, rosemary, garlic and saffron. Served on top of mashed potatoes, this unknown fish in my household has quickly become popular!

Seared to perfection, I hope you will give both opah and my recipe a try!

Serves 4
Ingredients
Four 6-8 oz. opah fillets
1/4 teaspoon crushed saffron
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 rosemary sprigs
2-3 cloves of garlic; slivered
2-3 sprigs of rosemary
Juice of one lemon
1/2 teaspoon each sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons organic butter
4 tablespoons olive oil

With a thick paper towel, pat dry fillet. In a small bowl, combine thyme, salt and pepper. Sprinkle salt mix over fish.
In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Once pan and oil become hot, carefully add fish and rosemary sprigs; sear fish for 2-3 minutes each side. Add butter to pan along with garlic. Using a large spoon, baste fish with melted butter (arroser). A couple minutes later, turn heat off, add lemon & saffron to pan and continue to baste a minute longer. Remove and toss rosemary sprigs; serve fish on a bed of mashed potatoes (or any vegetable of choice) and spoon butter and garlic sauce over fish.

Vegan Pesto Avocado & Chickpea Sandwich

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Fri, 10 Aug 2018 07:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

"You can't make everybody happy; You're not an avocado!" I read this on Instagram and thought it was brilliant!

Who doesn't like avocados? Whether you are on a healthy eating journey or simply must have guacamole with chips when ordering margaritas, this popular fruit (yes, it is a single seed berry fruit!) is abundant in my little town of Bonsall. Proudly, Bonsall and Fallbrook provide 60% of avocados sold in northern America. Originally indigenous of Mexico, avocados have integrated into cuisines from all over the world! Abundant with over 20 vitamins and minerals, this creamy fruit is also rich in monounsaturated fatty acids which lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels while improving heart health.

Years ago, we shared with you some of our favorite avocado recipes such as shrimp ceviche, open-face avocado and red roasted pepper humus with Persian cucumber sandwiches. A variation of these recipe is my newest crave: pesto chickpea and avocado sandwich. A vegan diet delight, this sandwich is both nutritional and satisfying. Creamy, filling, healthy and delicious, you can use any pre-made pesto of choice; however, I highly recommend making your own. Shirl's recipe for pesto can be used; simply substitute cilantro instead of basil. Squeeze a little more lime juice and instead of bread serve crackers or chips to convert this recipe into a delicious dip!

Since chickpeas are also rich in protein, fiber, amino acids, vitamins and minerals, when combined with avocados, this recipe is a complete meal. Therefore, if you're on a low-carb diet, skip the bread slices altogether to enjoy this recipe one spoonful at a time!

Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
Amounts of ingredients may be altered based on preference.
2 tablespoons of cilantro pesto (substitute cilantro for basil if using Shirl's recipe)
1 1/2 cup cooked chickpea/garbanzo beans; drained from cooking liquid or if from a can
2 avocados
1 large lime; zest and juice (use additional lime if you prefer a little more tang vs. creamy flavors)
optional; chili flakes
optional; bread slices of choice

In a large bowl, roughly mash chickpeas and avocados using potato masher. Add pesto and lime juice. Taste for additional salt and add if needed. Serve in bowls or in-between bread slices with sprinkles of chili flakes if you desire.

Persian Cucumber, Cheese, Sesame & Sriracha

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Fri, 27 Jul 2018 07:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

It's been a while since I posted a quick and easy appetizer recipe; so here it is!

Sliced Persian cucumbers, topped with cream cheese, black and white sesame seeds and Sriracha! To make these beautiful bites slightly more fancy, slice cucumbers lengthwise with a potato peeler, place cream cheese on one end and roll up cucumber; secure with toothpicks, sprinkle with sesame and top with Sriracha.

Addicting, prepare 2-3 slices per guest. This bitesize finger food is perfect for hosting larger gatherings as cucumbers may be sliced a day ahead and stored in a tightly sealed bag. I recommend placing cream cheese in a cake piping bag with a larger tip. Hours prior to your guests arrival, pipe cheese onto cucumbers and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Wait until the last minute to finish off with Sriracha on top (as it does bleed overtime).
Ingredients and supplies needed: Persian cucumbers, soft creme cheese, black and white sesame seeds, and Sriracha. Prepare as many as you like; therefore, I will leave amount per ingredient up to your number of guests.
Additional supplies: toothpick, decorative piping bag with large tip
Optional: herbs may be added to cheese such as thyme or basil. And creamy goat cheese may be substituted for cream cheese

Ricotta Cheese & Eggs For Breakfast

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Fri, 13 Jul 2018 07:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

Ricotta cheese has become my new muse. Up until a couple of weeks ago, I exclusively used it for lasagna. Rich in calcium and phosphorus, combining this creamy cheese as a base to my morning breakfast eggs brings a smile to my face while keeping me satisfied and nourished for busy days on the run.

For one of my recent brunch gatherings at the ranch, I added plentiful spinach and sun-dried tomatoes from our organic garden and fresh eggs from our chickens. Quick and easy, my guests were mesmerized by the creaminess of ricotta cheese in combination with eggs; sun-dried tomatoes adds a delicious contrast, further enhancing each flavorful bite!
Fast, easy, and delicious! Why not make this creamy, cheesy, comforting egg recipe for breakfast this weekend?

Serves 4 (2 eggs per person)
Ingredients:
1 cup ricotta cheese
3 teaspoons butter
1 cup fresh spinach; washed, rinsed and air dried
2 tablespoons sun-dried tomato; chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
8 eggs
1/2 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
oven proof skillet
Optional: chopped basil to garnish

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Over low heat, melt butter in skillet.
Roughly chop spinach and toss in with melted butter.
Mix ricotta cheese, sun-dried tomato, thyme, salt and pepper in a medium size bowl. Spoon ricotta mix evenly on top of spinach. Crack open eggs (making certain to not break yolk) on top of cheese; add a pinch of sea salt over eggs. Transfer skillet from stove top to oven for 20-25 minutes until eggs are no longer runny.
Remove and cool for a couple of minutes prior to serving. Top with chopped basil.

Golden Cod

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Fri, 06 Jul 2018 07:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

Hope you have a couple of teaspoons left of last month's recipe for kumquat marmalade. If not, make a jar of this delicious citrus fruit while in season! This week's recipe for Golden Cod combines kumquat marmalade (or yuzu if available), saffron, thyme and shallots to dress this delicious sweet and sour cod recipe.

Light and easy to prepare meals is my summer time cooking philosophy. Greasy, heavy, and time consuming recipes are replaced with low-calorie meals which I can prepare in 30 minutes or less without sacrificing quality and flavor. For this recipe, you can substitute any white fish filet of your choice. Cooking times may vary, but the secret is always in the sauce: shallots infused in a sweet and slightly tangy kumquat marmalade with a hint of saffron and thyme.
Is your mouth watering yet? Serve alongside potatoes, rice, or any roasted vegetable of choice.
Here is the recipe:

Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 5-6oz. cod filets
1 small shallot; chopped fine
2 large lemons; zest and juice (1/3 cup juice)
2 teaspoons kumquat marmalade (yuzu marmalade is a great substitute!)
small pinch of saffron (less than 1/16th of a teaspoon)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon thyme
4 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons cooking oil
rosemary or thyme sprigs for garnish

In a small sauce pan over low heat marmalade, add saffron, thyme, lemon juice and zest along with a good pinch of salt. Stir to blend in all ingredients and add 2 tablespoons of butter. Minutes later, add shallots and cook until sauce is slightly thick (5 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.
In a large non-stick frying pan, add cooking oil and melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Once pan is hot, add filets and season with salt and pepper; within 3-4 minutes, a golden brown crust will form. Gently flip fish over to brown on the other side. Remove fish from heat; spread sauce over each filet and serve. Garnish with fresh thyme or rosemary.

Mexican Black Bean Veggie Burgers

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Fri, 22 Jun 2018 07:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

Reminiscing of my high school days, when all the cool seniors raved about going to our local sushi restaurant Friday nights. Sushi was 'in' and if you revealed displeasure for raw fish, it wasn't 'cool' and you were cast 'out'.

My Persian cuisine culture deterred me from consuming raw meat. After all, Persians are on the opposite end of the spectrum, since generally food ingredients are over cook, especially all meat/fish products. Even in graduate school, as my palate for a variety of flavors was expanding, I was hesitant to even try California Rolls when classmates gathered at the local sushi restaurant across campus! My friends promised me a good roll without raw fish would be the training wheels I needed to develop a taste for sushi. A young food connoisseur, I tried time and time again bites of California Roll. Without fail, I always digressed to chicken, beef, or salmon teriyaki (to my friends' dismay)! Once again, I was 'out'.

So what does this story have to do with Mexican Black Bean Veggie Burgers?
Be patient, I am coming around to that...

For my brother's 40th birthday, I wanted to treat him to the best Sushi (his favorite food) in LA. My research lead me to Nobu! I dreaded dining in a reputable sushi restaurant and ordering cooked fish, knowing I would embarrass my brother and our friends. It turned out, that faithful magical night transformed my palate. I had sashimi and loved it! In reality, I feel it was my celebration or 're-birth'; kicking off the training wheels and becoming a fan of sushi and sashimi to this day. I guess finally I was 'in'.

The moral of this story: quality ingredients, preparation, and recipe is key to transform even the most finicky of eaters into a Savorychick! Since my experience at Nobu, I realized I never 'disliked' sushi; I just did not have the right exposure. To this day, I do NOT like California Rolls; especially when on the menu it reads as "kalifornia roll"! Please!!

Self-proclaimed carnivore, I do enjoy eating healthy, balanced, whole foods. Never in my mind did I think I would enjoy a veggie 'burger'! On a recent shopping extravaganza to Costco, samples of black bean veggie burgers were being served. Curious, I tried it! Yikes, I will never do that again!

A week later my friend, who does gravitate more towards vegetarian choices, ordered a veggie burger at one of our favorite local restaurants. Again, I had a bite and could barely swallow it. I wondered to myself 'how do vegetarians/vegans survive eating this?'

My thought was 'I need Mr. Matsuhisa Nobu to make me a Veggie burger'! Since the possibilities of that are slim, it was up to my own culinary skills to break down the ingredients into quality whole foods using flavors that appeal to my palate. Hard work does pay off!

Starting with cooking the black beans, using fresh vegetables from our ranch, adding seasoning such as cumin, herbs, chili, garlic salt, etc., I was able to create a black bean veggie patty that I enjoyed! Served with avocados, tomatoes, red onion, jalapeños, and Mexican cream, even my family loved these 'burgers' and didn't complain, 'where is the beef'?

I'm a purest and will admit calling these delicious patties 'burgers' is sacrilegious! There is only ONE type of BURGER in my mind! Many years ago, I shared a post for grilled turkey burgers; yet still hesitate and debate calling them burgers. I really like to call these my Mexican Black Bean Veggie Patties!
However, since these patties are served like a burger, I guess I'll keep the title of this post as it is...What do you think?

Serves 4
Ingredients:
I rarely use canned or preserved foods. Therefore, you can either cook your own black beans until soft or make life easier for yourself and just open up a can of quality organic black beans. For the seasoning, I have recommended using taco seasoning vs. instructing you to use 10 different spices with variety of measured amounts. I make it hard for myself in the kitchen, but you don't have to! One more step to make this recipe even easier, is to finely chop all the veggies in a food processor (red bell pepper, onion, jalapeño, and garlic). Chop just until all the veggies are processed but not muddled.

4 Hamburger buns; choose your favorite bread. I prefer onion bagels as they add an extra layer of flavor. I simply slice my bagels in half and spoon out extra dough on the inside to make a thiner slice of bread to hold all the toppings and dressing with every bite.

Patties:
1 16oz can of black beans
1/2 red bell pepper; finely chopped
1 small onion; finely chopped
1 jalapeño; seeded and finely chopped
1 garlic cloves; finely chopped
2 tablespoons taco seasoning (add 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt if mix does not contain salt)
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
2/3 cup bread crumbs (or more to help hold patties together)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt and black pepper
4 tablespoons of butter (substitute with olive oil if vegan)

Toppings:
lettuce; desired amount sliced
tomatoes; desired amount sliced
red onions; desired amount sliced
avocado; desired amount sliced

Dressing:
1/4 cup Mexican Cream (quality organic mayonnaise may be substituted)
1+ tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce such as Cholula or 1+ tablespoon of adobo sauce
1 large lime; zest and juice

In a small mixing bowl, mix cream, hot sauce, lime zest and juice.

Using a strainer, drain black beans and rinse with water. Shake strainer to discard all liquids.

In a large, flat frying pan, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Sauté onions until soft. Decrease heat to low and add chopped bell pepper, jalapeño, garlic, black pepper and taco seasoning. Stir and sauté for 5-6 minutes just until vegetables are fragrant and slightly tender. Transfer mix to a bowl and cool. Reserve frying pan to cook patties.

Meanwhile, using a food processor, mash beans into a crumble/paste. Add cilantro, bread crumbs, egg, salt, pepper and semi-cooled vegetable mix. Pulse 2-3 times until all ingredients are combined.

Using the same frying pan, melt remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium low heat. With both your hands, form 4 equal size patties; if mix is not holding together add 1/4 cup more bread crumbs until black bean mix binds. Fry each side for 5-6 minutes until golden brown.

While patties are being cooked, toast buns; spoon 1 tablespoons of dressing/sauce onto bread, top with avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, onions. Place cooked patty on top with second half of bun. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Steak & Eggs

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Fri, 08 Jun 2018 07:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

Summer is around the corner and it is already hot here in Southern California! We will be enjoying warm sunny days, blue skies, and beautiful landscapes for the next eight months! Summer time demands eating healthier. Therefore, I truly enjoy using our harvest of organic vegetables and herbs to prepare easy, light and delicious meals.

Last summer, I introduced to you a healthy and vegan cauliflower steaks recipe for lunch. My appreciation for fresh and organic ingredients from our garden inspires delicious, nutritious recipes. Therefore, any vegetable in season, I incorporate on top of my cauliflower steaks; making this recipe a healthy choice all year long.
One morning as I was collecting fresh eggs from our coup, I wondered why not add eggs on top of my cauliflower steaks for a more complete meal rich in protein? A tablespoon of salsa or pesto can further enhance each delicious, healthy bite. I simply caramelized golden brown my cauliflower steaks until sweet and tender; then cracked an egg on top, a dash of salt and pepper and finished it by broiling it in the oven. Topped with freshly chopped tomatoes, and basil (or any herb of your choice), this hearty breakfast is delicious and healthy! My two favorite combinations.
I never would have imagined a simple recipe to deliver as many cheers! So now this year, for my annual brunch gathering, I will be serving steak and eggs! Come on over!
Hope you too enjoy this easy to make, delicious, healthy, nutritious recipe.

Serves 3-4
1 whole large cauliflower
3-4 eggs
1 tablespoon chopped basil (or any herb of preference)
1 cup halved heirloom tomatoes
4 tablespoons olive oil
garlic salt and freshly ground black pepper
sea salt

Optional toppings: Recipe for Tomatillo Salsa click here or recipe for Pesto click here

Preheat oven to 400° F.
Using a large flat sharp knife, slice cauliflower into three or four 1/2" slice steaks.
In a large cast iron or oven proof pan over medium heat, add oil and place cauliflower steaks to sear until a layer of caramelized golden brown flowers are rendered. Season with garlic salt and pepper; turn steaks over to sear on the other side. Steaks should be cooked yet still crunchy with a delicious caramelized sear. Therefore, adjust temperature to medium low if necessary. Season with garlic salt and pepper once again.
When steaks are done, crack one egg on top of each steak. Sprinkle a dash of sea salt and pepper to the eggs, add tomatoes to the pan and place in the oven for 6-8 minutes until eggs are baked. I prefer my eggs slightly 'runny'; if you prefer, bake at broil setting for additional 2 minutes to render a more cooked egg.
Remove pan from oven and toss basil or cilantro on top. Serve with your favorite sauce, breakfast bread or keep it Paleo!

Low-Calorie Californian Inspired Chicken Salad

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Fri, 25 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

Eating light and healthy is easy to do with fresh, organic, quality ingredients. I am excited to share with you my recipe for a versatile low-calorie Chicken Salad which can also be enjoyed as a sandwich.

Living on our small ranch in Southern California, I am daily challenged by two things: keeping up with the bounty harvest of seasonal fresh organic ingredients and creating unique recipes daily. For example, how many different recipes can I creatively come up with during tomato and bell pepper season? Often I pretend I'm a participant on TV Network's Chopped series: "Today's secret basket ingredients include: leftover chicken, guacamole, celery, and heirloom tomatoes. You have 20 minutes to prepare your meal. Remember you will be judged on presentation, taste, and creativity." Images of Zakarian and Guarnaschelli judging me inspires me to deliver a stellar meal!

Of course, you might think the above listed ingredients hardly pose a challenge; however, I have three very accomplished food critics at home accustomed to variety of complex flavors and meals. They easily become board with repetitive meals and show exuberance when I serve them new recipes. Eating largely farm to table, I welcome the constant creativity challenge.

Sunday dinners, I like to roast chicken and serve it along fresh vegetables and a hearty salad (all ingredients from our ranch, of course). We always have leftover chicken and I'm stretching the unconsumed half of dry breast portion to feed 3 people for lunch the next day. Therefore, my trick is to use 3-4 large celery stalks to add a low calorie crunch which is also very filling. I refrain from using mayonnaise and substitute with the creaminess of avocados instead to deliver a moist and creamy chicken. Addition of heirloom tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, lime zest and juice adds just the right balance of acid to transform dry chicken breast into an extraordinary meal.
Margaritas Please!

Enjoyed as either a salad or sandwich, this recipe pops with flavor. Healthy, delicious, nutritious and low-calorie, what more can one ask from a recipe?
Hope this dish takes me to the 'Dessert Round'!

Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
Amounts of ingredients listed below may be modified based on preference and availability. Therefore, if you prefer more chicken vs. celery or scallions to onions, feel free to substitute and alter. The key is to use fresh organic ingredients such as avocado, celery, tomatoes, and lime.

1/2 leftover cooked chicken breast; chopped into small bite-size pieces (grilled or stir fried chicken will do just as well. If you don't have left overs, simply chop 1/2 chicken breast, season with salt and pepper and sauté in olive oil until cooked; 15-20 minutes)
2 large lime zest and juice (to render approximately 1/3 cup of lime juice and 1 teaspoons of zest)
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 avocados; mashed
2 celery stalks with leaves; chop fine
1 cup chopped heirloom tomatoes
3 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons red onion; chop fine
* optional: 1 jalapeño; remove seeds and chop fine

In a medium size mixing bowl, first toss together chicken breast, lime juice and zest, salt and pepper. Add olive oil, chopped avocados, celery and onion. Mix ingredients well to bind with avocados. If looking for a bit of spice or kick, add jalapeños. Prior to serving, add tomatoes and cilantro. Taste for additional salt and pepper. Serve either as a sandwich or salad.
Enjoy!

Kumquat Marmalade

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Fri, 18 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

Spring is blessing us with delicious fruits, vegetables and herbs. Hope you enjoyed last week's exploration of natural herbal teas easily accessible in your own backyard! Currently on our little San Diego ranch, we can't keep up with our plentiful harvest; therefore, what we can't consume now, we either dehydrate to enjoy through out the year for delicious and natural snacks or turn them into jams or preserves.

Many years ago, I wrote a series of posts highlighting my perspective on sharing recipes. Posts included Mehrak's Creme A La Vanille, Aunt Mary's Cardamom Cake, and Diane's Morning Glory Muffins. Some would say I was ranting; which in all truthfulness, I was! Since then, many of our readers expressed similar support for my tirade. After all, cooking is all about love: love of cooking, eating and of course sharing it with others. So with this post, I am sharing with you secrets a dear friend and neighbor shared with me for making Kumquat Marmalade.

I can't believe it has taken me over a decade to post one of my favorite marmalade recipes which I frequently make from the plentiful kumquats on our ranch. Recently, our dear friend Mrs. Homa gifted us with a jar of her homemade marmalade. As you can see from the pictures, her marmalade sparkles with a bright orange burst of color.
Without even asking her, she shared her secret with me! How sweet! So of course, I'm forwarding her gift to all of you!
Her recipe showcases the exquisite essence of kumquat. This fruit has multitude of flavors: bitter, sweet, tart and tangy. Therefore, for this recipe neither liquor or spices were added (which would mask kumquat's natural robust flavors). However, a thread of saffron is added to exclusively enhance and maintain this fruit's natural beautiful orange color.
Who said re-gifting is bad?
Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 lb. kumquat
1 1/2 cup of sugar
3/4 cup of water
small pinch of crushed saffron (1/8 of teaspoon)

In a large pan, bring to boil 5-6 cups of water. Add kumquats whole and boil for 15-20 minutes to extract the highly bitter rind. In your kitchen sink, drain out hot water and cool fruit. Cut in half kumquats and remove seeds. In a medium size copper or regular sauce pan over medium low heat, gently boil saffron, sugar and water. Stir until sugar has dissolved and a gentle boiling syrup is rendered (10 minutes). Add kumquats and gently boil for 30-45 minutes until fruit is soft but not falling apart. Cool and preserve in decorative glass jars.

Garden Tea Time

noreply@blogger.com (marjan) — Fri, 11 May 2018 07:00:00 +0000

by Marjan

Have you ever explored your garden for hidden gems of herbs to brew herbal tea? If not, it is time to be adventurous! Many years ago, I introduced you to homemade quince tea from this exotic fruit we harvest in fall to cook with and make jam.

Now, I want to introduce to you herbs possibly growing in your back yard which you might have disregarded as decorative plants, flowers or even weed... No, it's not what you'r thinking! I'm not talking about the ones legalized in California!

At first glance, this radiant purple flower might appear exotic and interesting. Yes, it is! However, this short lived flower from our grove not only produces delicious passion fruit (which I use in both cooking and baking) but also helps to decrease blood pressure, anxiety, effects of menopause, insulin levels and depression. Beautiful and powerful!

This perennial shrub, serves as a decorative plant bordering our downhill slop. One might simply notice the delicate beautiful pink flowers of bergamot. However, both the leaves and flowers may be used in salads, drinks, and tea! If you drink Earl Gray, you are familiar with bergamot's scent. Used medicinally for colds and sore throat, herbalists praise it's sedative benefits as a tonic for depression.

Look closely at the above picture.

Weeds growing?

No! This is actually camomile! On my daily neighborhood walk, I discovered it growing on my neighbor's side walk. Camomile is used in a variety of calming tea blends to sooth the nerves and help improve sleep for a better night's rest. But did you also know it is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer?

Perhaps the above herb is more recognizable?

Yes! It's mint! Used as peppermint tea! Delicious and refreshing, it also helps to improve digestion, reduce pain, and eliminates inflammation. It relaxes the body and mind, aids in weight loss and boosts the immune system. Truly, a gift from nature!

And then, of course, there is rosemary!

You are most familiar with this plant as an herb used in Italian cuisine, breads, and roast chicken. But did you also know that once brewed, it serves as a powerful tonic tea? Rosemary calms the nerves, relaxes muscles, boosts blood flow to the brain for better memory, decreases stress by lowering cortisol levels, boosts energy by stimulating adrenal glands, and contains carbonic acid which is a vital protein to stimulate nerve growth.

Sign me up for a cup of tea please!

Hope I have inspired you to explore outside your window (whether in your backyard or even neighborhood) to find what nature has in store for you. On our ranch, I am blessed with a vast variety of fruits and herbs I use all year long as natural herbal teas, tonic, and even medicine. I highly recommend for you to do your own research and make certain herbs collected are not toxic. Verify with an expert; then explore on how to prepare your herb as a tonic or tea, how much to drink and how often. Check for any contraindications with medications you might be taking. It is always best to consult with your physician or herbalist.

Weather you collect rose pedals, sage, thyme or camomile, create herb blends which will serve to heal your mind, heart and spirit.