Tag: recipes

Mashed Cumin Black Bean Quesadillas with Extra-Sharp Cheddar and Cilantro

Mashed Cumin Black Bean Quesadillas with Extra-Sharp Cheddar and Cilantro

often find myself checking out the fridge because I’ve forgotten that I should eat something. I know most people don’t do that, but I think it’s the reminisce of chefdom which occasionally peak it’s head out of the shadows and stops me from eating even 

Sloppy Joes Transformation into Messy Moes with Red Cabbage, Peanut and Carrot Molasses Coleslaw

Sloppy Joes Transformation into Messy Moes with Red Cabbage, Peanut and Carrot Molasses Coleslaw

Yes, I said it: sloppy Joes! Okay, so it’s a guilty pleasure, but I see no guilt in eating it when I really want something to satisfy my childhood craving. The subtle spices of sloppy Joes can be something to master, although once you do, 

Pozole… Happy Fathers Day Dad!

Pozole… Happy Fathers Day Dad!

An Early Father’s Day Wish…

What does a father really need on father’s day? My dad likes peace and quiet, maybe a couple of packs of pro v golf balls,  or these days  to pitch in on his latest eBay find, some food, and a couple of cold beers which really isn’t much. My dad’s a simple man and the best one I know. More than anything my dad is a pillar of strength and stability in my family that I would never ever trade for anything in this world. I love my dad so much and he’s taught me so many lessons in my life that I can’t even begin to tell you how much he means to me but I hope that everyone out there is able to have an amazing dad, husband, father to your child, grandpa, step dad or whoever, that you love and get to say thank you and I love you to on this very special Sunday but really it’s my hope you tell them every day.

I love you Dad.


That’s my dad holding me 🙂 oh memories!

On Sunday I’ll be making brunch of a lavish proportion; my dad has already asked me to make Pozole. Pozole is the name for larger kernels of corn that are processed to make hominy but is also the name of the dish of Mexican soup made from pork and hominy amongst other things. My dad is Japanese but maybe my mom being Mexican and Native American and his love for Mexican food had something to do with him marring her. No but seriously my dad loves Mexican food. I surprised him last year for Christmas and made homemade Pozole and he loved it and said it was one of the best he’s had and we’ve eaten a lot of Pozole. I thought so too. So here’s my recipe adapted from an amazing friend of mine and a couple of cook books and making this soup over time for Pozole and I hope you find it well.

Pozole

4 pig’s feet cleaned and halved

4 lbs of pork soup bones

3 lbs of pork loin cut into large chunks

1 head of garlic outside skin removed then cut in ½

2 large white onions peeled and left whole

1/4 lb of New Mexico chiles seeded and steamed

 8 oz package of Pasilla chiles seeded and steamed

4 cups of very hot water

1 XL can of white hominy

2 tablespoons of dried Mexican oregano

Salt to taste

2 tablespoons of black pepper

1 tablespoon of garlic powder

1 tablespoon of cumin

Boiling water as necessary

This is the real deal… pig’s feet and all.  It’s a long process and it will make your whole house smell like soup. It’s not as bad as boiling tripe for though Menudo but it’s pretty pungent. The key to any amazing soup is knowing how to season it well by letting all the flavors meld and tango with one another. This process is not simple and makes a lot of soup about 12 generous portions which are very generous so make it freeze it eat some now, tomorrow and next month. The cooking times for the different portions of meat are so done in layers which helps prevent over cooked portions of pork.

Here we go…

Rinse pig’s feet in warm water about 5-7 times just to remove any last minute grit.

Place in a very large pot and add water to cover feet

Bring the feet to a boil over high heat and then reduce to medium and simmer for about an hour and a half

Removed feet and set aside reserving liquid in pot

Once meat is cool enough to handle remove meat from the bones and discard bones and skin

Add meat to liquid reserved in the pot

Now add pork soup bones and cubed slices of pork tenderloin (if you find the tenderloin is expensive you can also use pork country ribs as well or in place of the tenderloin the will be a little fattier but are a good substitute or addition for a meater soup) to pot along with garlic intact with just the waxy paper removed and cut cross ways and onions simmer over medium- low heat covered for 2 hour.

Mean while Removed stems and seeds from chilies add them to large bowl and cover with very hot water allow to rehydrate for 25 minutes

Now check to see that all the meat is tender and remove large pieces from pot as well as the garlic and onions and set the vegetables aside from the meat.

Squeeze the garlic from its wrapper into a blender add the cooked onions to the blender as well add the presoaked chilies and about 1 cup of the water they were soaking in

Blend in blender till smooth then pour through a sieve so that any leftover seeds are not in the final puree

Return mixture to the pot.

When the meat is cool enough to handle shred apart with the grain into larger pieces discard any large amounts of fat or bone from the pork soup bone mixture.

Return meat to pot add black pepper, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and Mexican Oregano and cook for 30-45 minutes to allow spices to bloom in broth

(When you salt this soup it’s going to take a good amount of salt to penetrate the natural development of flavors in the chiles and meat, add salt in small quantities and mix making sure not to over salt because prepared hominy has salt in it already. Allow to cook for remainder of time and readjust seasoning at the end before serving)

Finally add the large can of hominy drain and rinse from contents of the can and cook for 20 minutes or longer uncovered. If necessary add extra water to cover meat.

The longer the Hominy sits in the soup the more flavor it will take on but the 20 minutes will make sure the hominy does not overcook and loose its texture.

Cool and let Soup sit over night in fridge for maximum flavor but who are we kidding you just spend about 5 hours on a soup!


eat some right away!!!!! it will still be amazing, just the next day it will develop even more flavor!

Pozole is known for amazing condiments

Thinly sliced green or red cabbage

Minced white onion

Sliced green onions

Cilantro

Lime wedges

Extra Mexican Oregano

Red Chili flakes

Sliced Avocado

 Sliced Radishes

All make amazing additions to this wonderful soup! I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does.


Cheers
Unrivaledkitch

Twitter and Foodbuzz and RSS FEED and Facebook


I’d like to thank foodgawker and tastespotting for featuring my grilled corn on their sites. Very awesome

My blog had record number of views for some entries lately so I want to thank everyone so so much for being here and supporting me and my food writing as well as my food.

Lastly I’m going to be in Chicago for a week… eating and ravaging the city. So I don’t think I’ll be blogging very much if any while I’m gone. I maybe able to get in a couple of blogs before I leave but please keep up to date with me on Twitter and Facebook and I’ll be back with many tales of food adventures!


Lots of love my friends and much gratitude!

Thanks again for being amazing people
-Kimberly

Chicken Spinach Salad Spicy Lettuce Wraps

Chicken Spinach Salad Spicy Lettuce Wraps

Lets just make this quick and dirty. well not too dirty I made these with the absolute intention of making space in the fridge. I used to make “Fuji wraps” which is what my co workers would ask me for when Italian wasn’t cutting it 

Spring Rolls with pickled vegetables, fresh herbs, shrimp, and longanizas

Spring Rolls with pickled vegetables, fresh herbs, shrimp, and longanizas

In Los Angeles its spring in full motion, the clouds are peaking from the top of the sky for the weekend with a bit of rain but the weather reached over 100 one day this week and in the last couple of days it has 

Vegan clementine blueberry cupcakes with candied blueberry compote

Vegan clementine blueberry cupcakes with candied blueberry compote

Baking as you can tell is something I’ve grown to love. There is something that is to be said about a perfectly chewy cookie, a beautiful cake, or a wonderful sweet flavor combination and during my chef days I probably would of never said that to myself. When your a savory chef you hate baking and for the most part that’s what I used to be like. The patience it takes to bake and the precision it takes to make beautiful pastry is something I never thought I would be able to do. So many bloggers have inspired me to bake beautiful pastry, with fresh ideas, classics, as well as amazing ideas drawn up from some of the most eager imaginations, with this inspiration I’ve even been able come up with my own favorites a long the way. These cupcakes are something I’m extremely proud of.

I made these because vegan baked goods are something I love to toy around with. Tofu Cheese cakes, cupcakes, cookies whenever I can I try to test some out. These are really beautiful. Sure maybe they aren’t regular cupcakes but they are wonderful none the less. I hope if you make them you’ll love them just as much as I did when making them for the Online Bake Sale to Aid Japan put on by thetomatotart.com. Sabrina owner and blogger at Thetomatotart.com and Clemence From France bid on these cupcakes and I’d like to take the time to say thank you so much for your donation. Sabrina is currently in a battle with Paypal to get the funds released and sent to Japan’s Second Harvest food bank.  If you have time please click on this link The PayPal Saga, or Let’s Get Some Money To Japan and comment about how horrible it is to be holding these funds that the people of Japan so desperately need.

Clementines (Cuties) are small California mandarins. They are small tart and sweet and one of my very favorite snacks. These cupcakes came to be because I wanted to make My friend Virginia and her boyfriend Jimmy a dessert for Jimmy’s birthday. They both are crazy dieters but they love blueberries so I dreamt up this recipe with them in mind, for a special occasion. Unfortunately our plans fell through that evening and the cupcakes stayed at home, my family and I promptly devoured them anyway, this is one of my sisters new favorite desserts. But these are still something that Virginia would love and they are with her in my heart and mind, I love you dude.

So here’s the recipe I hope you make these and enjoy them as much as I do. You’ve seen these in photos before but here’s how to make them.

 
Vegan clementine blueberry cupcakes with candied blueberry compote

Ingredients
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 Clementine’s zested
• 1 1/2 cups almond milk
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup unrefined raw sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
• 2 Clementine’s juiced

Candied Blueberry compote
• 2 boxes of blueberries
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil or vegan margarine
• 2 juiced Clementine
• 1 pinch of Clementine zest
• 1/4- 1/2 cup of raw sugar (depending on your sweet preference and how sweet your berries are)
• 1 tablespoon of corn starch (optional)

The Way

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line with 18 paper baking cups.

In one small bowl add almond milk to it and the apple cider vinegar, the liquid will start to curdle and change into this weird swirly liquid that’s what it’s supposed to do. leave it there for about 5 minutes


In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond milk mixture, Clementine juice, vegetable oil.

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then zest Clementine into flour


Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir just until blended.

 

Spoon or pour the batter into the prepared cups, dividing evenly.

Okay so here’s the deal. I tried these like three different ways
1) I put the candied blueberries on the bottom
Result- too mushy from the liquid
2) I put some fresh blueberries on the bottom
Result- not as mushy but still a little mushy
3) I put fresh blueberries on top then pushed them in the batter a little so they were in the middle
Result- they came out probably the best
4) place blueberries on the top
Result- the look like blueberry muffins.

So over all I think the best way to go may be either omit the berries in the cake which I think is no fun. Or put them in the middle of the cake about 4-6 per cake for a little accent of goodness, or on top if you don’t mind berries coming out of the top of your cake.

Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 17 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile take 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil or vegan margarine and melt it at the bottom of a small pan. Once melted add blueberries, zest, juice, and raw sugar melt and cook about 12-15 minutes till the blueberries are still somewhat intact but almost thickened a bit like jelly, if your berries are not thickening up or you’d like your compote to be thick add water and corn starch together in a separate bowl and combine till the corn starch is dissolved then add it to the blueberries bring to a boil for maximum thickening.


When times up for the cup cakes… you can use the tooth pick method on these also

Cool in the pan set over a wire rack.

Then wait till the mixture of berries is cooled as well. It will thicken more

Put the cooled berries on top of your cooled cupcakes and you got it

depending on how much liquid the berries have is how thick your sauce is going to be you can continue to adjust the thickening by reducing as well if you’d like to omit the corn starch, I’ve made it both ways i like without corn starch but if your cupcakes are going to sit for a while the corn starch might be a good option for you.

Enjoy!

Unrivaledkitch
Twitter and Foodbuzz

Life and Pita Pizza with Spinach Pomodoro Sauce

Life and Pita Pizza with Spinach Pomodoro Sauce

Life, I’m sure is overwhelming at times for us all. And if it’s not, please tell me what planet you’re residing on, I’ll take a ticket there any time. My life over the last 10 months has become a place where I frequently feel at 

The Perfect? Artichoke…

The Perfect? Artichoke…

Do you eat artichokes? Have you ever not eaten artichokes because they’re such a pain in the ass? If you’re in this category then this may be for you. Spring is the season for these giants in the veggie world, if you’re used to eating 

Zesty Lemon and Raspberry Jamwiches

Zesty Lemon and Raspberry Jamwiches

I saw this beautiful entry anecdotesandapples.weebly.com/1/post/2011/01/strawberry-jamwiches.html about Monet’s Grandmother and her Strawberry Jamwiches. The story is beautiful and inspiring, just how food should be. There’s something about certain dishes, their story and the beautiful artistry of cooking that not just Chefs have but everyone who makes something that means something to them. This is an example of one of those beautiful stories. Thank you Monet for sharing this with everyone and I wanted to pay a little homage to the beautiful innocents these cookie bars showed me.

Please Enjoy Monet’s wonderful Food blog
http://anecdotesandapples.weebly.com/

She’s truly an inspiring person and Baker. Thank you Monet!


Zesty Lemon and Raspberry Jamwiches adapted from Monet’s Strawberry Jamwiches

I decided to adapt this bar to a couple of flavor profiles that I adore. Raspberry and Lemon. When I thought about this beautiful shortbread cookie bar I thought to myself something about raspberry and lemon was screaming at me to make them that way. As with any recipe that I see I try and take inspiration from the pages of whatever I look at and make it something I identify with. There really wasn’t much I needed or wanted to change from this recipe. It was a really simple delicious straight forward cookie bar.

The reason I made these was my sister was having a surprise baby shower last Sunday. The story was that we were supposed to be going to a friend of hers house warming party. If I didn’t make anything for the party it would be just unacceptable for me, so I was so busy on my lap top which my sister was going to use. I wanted to keep her off the internet so she wouldn’t check her registry for the baby because then she would probably know something was going on seeing as no one really knew she was registered yet. So I was using my computer and she fell asleep. Whoa close one. So I made these beautiful buttery wonderful cookie bars. I used very coarsely chopped almonds which gave a nice varying texture in the cookie bar with the sticky seedy warm jam and the light touch of lemon zest.

The Stuff

3/4 cup butter at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup raspberry preserves/jam
pinch of salt
3/4 of a small lemon zested

The Way


Preheat oven to 350 Grease a 9’9 pan with butter and set aside

In a stand mixer, or hand mixer or what you got place butter in and sugar and cream till fluffy

Then add vanilla, lemon zest leaving aside a small pinch for the top of crust, and egg mix till well incorporated



During this time sift together flour, baking powder, and salt
I only had whole allspice so i had to use a grinder if you have powdered skip the grinding

and then after that stir in almonds till incorporated well through out

With a wooden spoon mix the dry ingredients into the wet until everything is evenly incorporated this dough looks dry and kind of crumbly


In the greased pan place the dough inside and press it down with your fingers to form the crust but leave aside about ¼ of dough to place on top.

(i almost spread the jam before i took the picture woops)

Spread jam over the top of the crust evenly then add the dough chunks to the top of the jam and sprinkle over the top a little of the extra lemon zest

Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes till the top is lightly golden


In the oven

out of the oven


Cool and then slice into bars or into bite sized pieces for treats

I really did love these and everyone at the baby shower really enjoyed them as well.

Thanks for stopping by enjoy

Kimberly
Unrivaledkitch

Twitter and Foodbuzz

Focaccina Caprese d’oliva e Rucola

Focaccina Caprese d’oliva e Rucola

So I’ve been going straight back to my Italian roots… well the ones i made for myself that is. I have a very intense love of Italian food. The culture is so romantic and passionate and it really translates into the food. A really luxurious,