Hot and Sour Soup

1 pack of sliced shiitake mushrooms

veggie oil

1” piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated

1 tbsp garlic chili paste

½ can bamboo shoots sliced

½ can water chestnuts

6 green onion rough cut

¼ lb smoked pork shredded

¼ c soy sauce

¼ c rice vinegar

1 tsp salt

pepper (white but black will do)

large pinch of sugar

2 quarts chicken stoke

1 square of firm tofu cut into ¼ inch strips

3 tbsp of cornstarch (mix ¼ c of the stock with this)

Garnish: green onions and cilantro leaves (raw)

Cook your mushrooms in the wok with some oil as the start to soften/cook  then add in the ginger, chili paste bamboo shoots, water chestnuts and pork. Maybe a min or 2. 

Combine the soy sauce, vinegar, salt, pepper, and sugar and add into the wok. When aromatic add in the stock, bring to boil and then simmer for 10 mins.  Add the tofu in and cook for another 4 min. 

Add the cornstarch mixture into the soup and let simmer until it starts to thicken.  Remove from the heat and stir in one direction.  SLOW pour in 1 beaten egg, I usually add some and then stir again then add the rest.  The egg will start to feather and will cook right away.   Bowl it and add in the cilantro and green onions thinly sliced. 

Make some wontons!!!

Baked Oatmeal on the GO!

Preheat oven: 350º

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 c apple sauces, no sugar added
• 1 banana, mashed
• 1/2 c honey (adjust up or down depending on your sweet tooth)
• 5 c, old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/4 c flaxseed meal
• 1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 3/4 c milk
• Toppings: bag of trail mix 

Mix eggs, vanilla, applesauce, banana and honey together in a bowl.  Add in oats, flax, cinnamon, baking powder, salt and mix well.  Finally pour in milk and mix.  Use cupcake liners will make your life so much easier.  Top with your toppings you choice or not.  

Bake 30 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean

Garlic Shrimp with Cannellini Beans

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp EVOO
• 5 garlic cloves minced 
• 2 dried chiles de árbol
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/4 cups chopped fresh tomatoes
• kosher salt and ground pepper
• 2 (15oz) cans of Cannellini Beans (or white beans)
• 1 cup of chicken broth
• 1 lb med shrimp, peeled
• 1 tsp of smoked paprika
• handful of flat-leaf parsley

Preheat broiler.  Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a large skittles over medium heat.  Add 3 garlic cloves, chiles, and bay leaf.  Stirring constantly, just until fragrant *do not burn garlic.  Add in tomatoes and season with salt and pepper.  Cook and smash the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon, until tomatoes are completely broken down.

Add tomato past and cook, until paste is deep rad and caramelized.  Stir in beans, broth and parsley.  Bring to a brisk simmer and cook until juices are slightly reduced and thickened.

Combine remaining 2 garlic cloves, 2 Tbsp EVOO, paprika and shrimp in a medium bowl.  Scatter shrimp over the beans in an even layer.  Broil until shrimp are golden and cooked, about 4 minutes.  Serve with bread.

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 1 red onion diced
• 5 cloves garlic minced
• 3 cups of Vegetable broth
• 3 (15 oz) cans of black beans rinsed
• 2 (12 oz) whole kernel corn
• 1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
• Sour cream
• Cilantro leaves 

Dutch oven heat EVOO on medium heat add in garlic.  When aromatic add in the diced onion, stir until soften.  Add chili powder, cumin, and smoke paprika and stir for about a minute.  Add beans, corn, broth and tomatoes.  Bring to boil and reduce the heat to simmer for about 10 minutes.  Serve with a spoon full of sour cream and cilantro leaves. Tortilla chips go well with it too

Batali Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:

• 1/4 c EVOO
• 2 1/2  lbs of Chuck (cut into 2" chunks)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 carrots (peeled and rough cut)
• 4 celery stalks (rough chop)
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 6 gloves garlic (minced)
• 2 c Cabernet Sauvignon
• 15 oz can peeled tomatoes (crush them by hand; include their juices)
• 1 c Chicken Stock
• 4 stems of Thyme (chopped)
• 1 (3") sprig of Rosemary chopped
• large pinch of Oregano dried
• 1/2 sour cream
• 1 bag of no yolk dumpling noodles

Preheat oven: 375º
Dutch over heat on high with EVOO until smoking.  Season the beef with salt and pepper, brown in pot and set aside.  Add carrots, onion, celery and garlic (garlic last so it doesn't burn).  Season the veggies and stir it around for about 4 minutes.  Add in the red wines, tomatoes with their juices, chicken stock and herbs.  Scrape the bottom of the pan to dislodge brown bits.  Bring mixture to a boil and return the beef to the pan.  Cover and place into the oven for 1 1/2 hours.  Have pasta ready drain completely.  Scoop a few ladlefuls of the gravy into the pan, 1/2 c of the sour cream and add in the pasta.  Ladle the rest into the pan and mix.  Plate and call it a day

Pan-Roasted Brined Pork Chops (Part 1: brining)

Brine:

2 cups water
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 head of garlic, halved
2-4 springs of thyme
5 cups of ice
2 2" port chaps, bone-in
large zip lock baggy or a bowl for brining


In a large pan bring 2 cups of water to a boil.  Once boiling add kosher salt and sugar and wait for the mix to dissolve.  Remove from heat and add in: peppercorns, the head of garlic (1 half) 2-4 sprigs of thyme, I use 4.  Add in the ice and allow the brine to cool, when it is cool transfer to either a large ziplock baggy or a bowl to brine the pork chops in and put into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours but not more then 12 hours.

Tiramisu Cupcakes

This recipe comes from Nadia G's, Bitchin' Kitchen.  I decided it was be too big for 2 people and decided to reduce it by half, it will yield 10 cupcakes.  Once again this recipe belongs to Nadia G I just made variations in it so if you want the original just let me know.

PREHEAT OVEN: 350

postion a rack in the center of the oven

Espresso Glaze:

2 tbsp sugar
1/3 espresso
1 tbsp dark rum                                                                                              2 tablespoons of sugar to 1/3 of a cup of HOT espresso and stir until resolved.  Add 1 tablespoon of dark rum to the mixture.  Cover it up and chill until ready to use.

Cupcake Mixture:

3 eggs (at room temp)
1/2 cup fine sugar (I just used regular sugar)
1 1/2 tsp dark rum
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup melted butter (unsalted)
1/8 tsp salt

In a stand mixer add 3 eggs and mix on high until they're foamy.  Continue to beat the eggs while adding 1/2 cup of sugar in a slow and steady stream.  Add 1 1/2 tsp of the dark rum, continuously beat the egg mixture for another 6 minutes, until pale and shiny.  In another bowl sift together the flour and salt.  Fold a third of the flour mixture into the eggs, repeat this 2 more times until the flour is incorporated into the egg mixture.  Delicately fold in the melted butter (2 1/2 tbsp).  

I use a silicon cupcake mold.  Butter each of the holes, this will give the cake a little golden brown look on the sides when they're done.  Divid the batter into the molds I was able to fill 10.  DO NOT FILL TO THE TOP!   Cook for 15-20 minutes, or until cupcakes are slightly golden around the edges and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Remove the cupcakes from the oven, and cool them on a rack, about 15 minutes take them out of the silicon mold and leave on rack, brush each one generously with the espresso glaze.  (don't be afraid to really brush it on, the cake doesn't have a lot of flavor without it.)

Espresso Mascarpone Icing:

2 cups mascarpone
3/4 cup powder sugar
3 tbsp of the espresso syrup

In a bowl combine the mascarpone, powder sugar and espresso syrup with a hand mixer.  I use a pastry bag to apply my icing.  Fill pastry back with icing and place in fridge for 1 hour before using.

Frost each  cupcake and finish with some dark chocolate shavings!