Rhubarb Sorbet with Pistachios and Dark Chocolate

Rhubarb Sorbet with Dark Chocolate and Pistachios

This past Sunday I was determined… incredibly determined to make some concoction with rhubarb. I’m always usually pretty persistent with my recipes, but this Sunday was just a little different. Basically, this urge to bake with rhubarb resulted from a visit I had a few weeks ago to Ox in Portland where I had one of the most tasty sweet concoctions of my life: Rhubarb Vanilla Sorbet, Bittersweet Chocolate Magic Shell, Crushed Pistachio.

As a result, I’ve been thinking about rhubarb ever since that visit so I knew I had to fulfill my craving for it.

But, among all of the various options to bake with rhubarb, I decided that instead of a rhubarb crisp or rhubarb pie, I wanted to make something “cooler” (temperature-wise), so I choose to attempt to replicate the Rhubarb Sorbet I had at Ox. However, after two botched tries of locating rhubarb (the first store did not have rhubarb and the second store had unripe rhubarb), my final attempt resulted in just enough (I almost took all of the slim supply at the store) to make this dessert!

Despite the madness of visiting three stores, this recipe was definitely worth the trouble and the wait. Just look at the pictures above and below and you’ll understand!

Step 1: Chop Rhubarb

Rhubarb for Rhubarb Sorbet

Step 2: Dissolve Sugar in Water Over Low Heat

Dissolving Sugar for Rhubarb Sorbet

Step 3: Add Lemon Juice and Rhubarb Pieces

Rhubarb Mixture for Rhubarb Sorbet

Step 4: Put Rhubarb Mixture into a Food Processor

Puree-ing Rhubarb for Rhubarb Sorbet

Step 5: Place Rhubarb Mixture into Ice Cream Machine

Rhubarb Sorbet in the Ice Cream Machine

Step 6: Scoop, Drizzle Chocolate and
Pistachios; Eat!

Rhubarb Sorbet with Dark Chocolate and Pistachios


Even though I didn’t make the “magic shell” like Ox did, I still thoroughly enjoyed this recipe. Basically, this recipe encompasses three distinct flavors: tart, sweet and salty. Usually I only like two of those distinct flavor types, but this time all three converged together quite nicely without overwhelming each other in the process!

Thank you to Ox for offering such a delicious recipe!

Cheers!

Rhubarb Sorbet with Dark  Chocolate and Pistachios

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Chile-Braised Pork Tacos

Chile-braised Pork Tacos

I’ve been traveling quite a bit the first part of this year and have definitely missed my lazy Sunday afternoons of cooking. Luckily for me, things at work have settled down and I now have more time (and energy) to dedicate to cooking and updating this blog!

Lately, the Spring weather has actually been quite nice in an otherwise rainy Northwest climate. As a result, our “teaser” days of 70 degree sunshine have definitely made me reminisce and look forward to days of grilling, sunglasses and playing a little volleyball outside. So, in between the bouts of rain, I wanted to make a recipe that would make anyone eating it look forward to Summer: Chile-braised Pork Tacos.

Step 1: Chop Chiles and Steep in Hot Water

Chiles - Chile-braised Pork Tacos

Steeping Chiles - Chile-braised Pork Tacos

Step 2: Put Chiles, 1/4 Cup Reserved Liquid,
Lime Juice and Sugar in a Food Processor

Chile Marinade - Chile-braised Pork Tacos

Step 3: Put Chile Mixture Onto Pork;
Chill in Refrigerator Overnight

Chile Marinade - Chile-braised Pork Tacos

Step 4: Simmer Onions, Garlic and Spices;
Add Pork and Put in Oven for 2.5 Hours

Chile-braised Pork Tacos

Step 5: Take Out Pork; Shred Pork;
Put Onto Tacos or Rice; Add Toppings

Chile-braised Pork Tacos

At first glance, these tacos might seem like they require a lot of steps and time; however, the looks are definitely deceiving. This recipe is actually quite easy and quick, especially when spread out over two days (which I’d highly recommend).

I decided to pair a jalapeno-mango salsa with this recipe which provided a nice spritz of sweet flavors among the spicy and salty flavors of the pork. However, in hindsight, I wish I would have left the pork in the oven for longer to accumulate even more flavor (this is saying a lot consider that I’m not the most patient cook!), but, all in all, I really can’t complain because this is a great recipe and one that will definitely be repeated this Summer!

Cheers!

Chile-braised Pork Tacos

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

Valentine's Day Cookies
Happy Valentine’s Day!

Last night I spent time with a few girlfriends and I decided to make these. Although I put as little effort possible (store bought Valentine’s Day heart-shaped cookies from Trader Joe’s and store bought icing), I still enjoyed assembling these together to resemble a gigantic version of the classic Necco sweethearts.

I also just had to do the infamous “old-school” FAX ME sweetheart cookie as well as the updated “new-school” #LOVE sweetheart cookie. Even though Valentine’s Day can get a bit silly, I still do enjoy the spirit of it and it’s always a nice reminder to tell your family and friends how much you love them.

Thank you lovely readers for continuing to support this blog and for all of your wonderful comments. I hope you all have a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

Cheers!

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Super Bowl Cupcakes

Super Bowl Cupcakes

Did you watch the Super Bowl?

Even though my city’s team wasn’t in the Super Bowl, I still had fun watching the game, all of the commercials and, of course, the FOOD!

I saw this Super Bowl dessert recipe for Pull Apart Touchdown Cupcakes and just had to make it/them! This recipe was a lot of fun – I definitely reached out to some of my boyfriend’s friends to help me with a play-by-play option to set-up all of the players (Sour Patch Kids) on the field (cupcake valley). After all, I wanted it to be as “authentic” as a Super Bowl dessert has the potential to be!

What recipes did you make or do you make for watching sports?

Cheers!

 

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Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Chicken Lettuce Wraps
I just returned from a long work trip and I’m so incredibly happy to be home. That being said, I was able to visit some great places for work as well as try some delicious food. But, all in all, I definitely missed being able to cook my own food and choose my own menu!

I had originally envisioned a grandiose meal with a decadent dessert for my first meal made at home; however, this quickly faded as reality set in and I realized that I was actually much more tired than I had previously thought!

So, in order to fulfill my quest for an easier meal, I picked up the most recent issue of Cooking Light and immediately gravitated toward the Spicy Thai Basil Chicken (or in my opinion, better referred to as Chicken Lettuce Wraps). I always remembered hearing my friends rave about the Chicken Lettuce Wraps from P.F. Changs and always meant to make them at home and just never found the time. Needless to say, I was pretty ecstatic when I saw this recipe!

Step 1: Finely Chop Shallots, Serrano
Chiles and Garlic; Cut Red Pepper into Slices

Chicken Lettuce Wrap ingredients

Step 2: Saute Red Pepper, Shallots and Garlic

Stuffing for Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Step 3: Cook Ground Chicken, Add Chiles,
Add Red Pepper and Shallot Mixture,
Add Fish Sauce and Other Spices

photo (65)

Step 4: Assemble Chicken Mixture into
Lettuce Cups, Add Basil and Lime Wedges; Enjoy!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I thoroughly enjoyed this recipe, especially since I’m someone who loves the heat (a.k.a spicy flavors).  In addition to the spicy flavors, this recipe tasted light due to the crisp red peppers, lime and soy sauce ingredients.

Aside from the flavor, another nice aspect of this recipe is that this can be used in many other ways, such as with rice, noodles or in a soup. Because this recipe is so simple and versatile just means that I’ll have to make these Chicken Lettuce Wraps again sometime soon!

Cheers!

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

 

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Colorful Bruschetta

colorful tomato bruschetta

I love the idea of having staple items in the kitchen for meals to provide consistency and an easy-to-follow routine. But, in order to avoid getting into a “recipe-rut”, I really try to implement at least one change or a new food item each week.

This week I decided to buy a “tomato medley” of red, orange and yellow colored tomatoes instead of my usual purchase of cherry tomatoes. Although I’d usually use these as an option for a snack or salad topper, I decided that these would be perfect for Tomato, Red Onion and Basil Bruschetta. In my head, I renamed the recipe “colorful bruschetta” as a result of the nice pop of color from all of the different colored tomatoes.

I was excited to make this recipe for two reasons. First, it provides a nice contrast in the winter against traditionally heavy foods. Secondly, I used a very handy and useful new utensil kit consisting of a spoonula, baster and spatula from Kitchen Innovate. See below for the recipe and how I used this new kit!

Step 1: Chop Tomatoes, Garlic, Red Onion and Basil

bruschetta ingredients

Step 2: Mix Ingredients Together With Spoonula

Mixing bruschetta ingredients

Step 3: Slice Bread Into Thin Pieces

bruschetta bread

Step 4: Use Baster to Spread Each
Piece of Bread with Olive Oil

Drizzle olive oil on bread

Brush olive oil on bread

Brush olive oil on bread

Step 5: Place Bread in Broiler for a
Few Minutes; Scrape With Garlic

toasted bruschetta bread

Step 6: Use Spatula to Put Tomato
Mixture onto Each  Piece of Bread

put tomato mixture onto bruschetta

Step 7: Bring to a Party and Enjoy!

colorful tomato bruschetta

I consider this recipe to be a win-win and especially with the help of the utensil kit from Kitchen Innovate. Not only were the flavors delicious, but the baster was a clever tool to use because it allowed me to spread olive oil evenly across the bread instead of just having bites doused with too much olive oil from drizzling. Plus, the spatula worked well for dishing out the last bits of tomato mixture and to ensure to use every last bit!

As it relates to the actual recipe, I ended up serving for my family and guests and they absolutely loved them. The varying flavors from the different colored tomatoes made for nice bursts of flavor against the red onion and basil. I thought that we’d for sure have leftovers, but I was pleasantly surprised!

Cheers!

colorful tomato bruschetta

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Fontina, Spinach & Sundried Tomato Stuffed Chicken

Fontina, Spinach and Sundried Tomato Stuffed Chicken
Thank goodness for tomatoes. Whether in raw, in a sauce or in sun dried form, tomatoes just always seem to put me in a great mood. Now, out of those three options, the last one is the best in my opinion. My favorite recipe to use sun dried tomatoes in is Pasta With Sun Dried Tomato Cream Sauce. I was very tempted to make this recipe again; however, I decided to skip on the calorie-laden sauce of that recipe and go with something a bit more healthy.

I choose to make Chicken Breasts Stuffed With Fontina, Artichokes and Sun Dried Tomatoes. At first glance, this recipe didn’t seem that much healthier than my pasta option due to the copious amounts of cheese needed; therefore, I decided to use significantly less cheese and substituted out artichokes and put in some spinach instead.

Step 1: Chop Garlic, Sun Dried Tomatoes,
Fontina, Spinach and Basil

Fontina, Spinach and Sundried Tomato Stuffed Chicken

Step 2: Mix Ingredients Together in a Bowl

photo (5)

Step 3: Pound Chicken Breast to Make Thin;
Place Filling on Top; Roll and Bake

Fontina, Spinach and Sundried Tomato Stuffed Chicken

Step 4: Pair with Vegetables or Starches; Eat!

Fontina, Spinach and Sundried Tomato Stuffed Chicken
To be perfectly honest, I was a bit skeptical of this recipe. I was worried that I was going to need a sauce to go with it or that the chicken might end up a bit dry. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The flavor from the sun dried tomatoes, basil and garlic really came through nicely for a mix of bold flavors. I’ll definitely be adding this into the usual rotation from time to time!

Cheers!

Fontina, Spinach and Sundried Tomato Stuffed Chicken

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