Homemade Tangy Barbecue Sauce

Yes, it’s been ages – I know. But in my defense, I was super busy with work-stuff, projects and (ahem, ahem) vacation. You will get a slight benefit from my endless excuses – I will, over the coming weeks, post fabulous pictures of the ridiculous food we got to eat (and yes, ridiculous is the perfect way to describe it). I wanted to start back with this great recipe I made before I traveled, a few weeks back, and have continued to make and package to friends and family: Tangy BBQ Sauce.

While the weather is, for the most part, gross and icky – there are those few gorgeous sunny weekend’s, and this recipe is for those days. There are tons of great BBQ recipes out there – spicy, peppery, asiany, tomato-based, etc. This one is has more of a tangy twist. Of all the easy recipes I’ve made, this has got to be the easiest, since it consists of literally just dumping ingredients into a massive pot and letting them stew.  

1 1/2 cups of chopped yellow onion (about 1 whole onion)

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

1 cup of tomato paste

1 cup cider vinegar

1 cup honey

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 cup Dijon mustard

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 cup hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/2 tablespoon red-pepper flakes

 

On low heat, saute the onions and garlic in vegetable oil for a good 15 minutes. Once the onions have softened, add all the remaining ingredients into the pot and simmer for 30 minutes. Once complete, either use immediately or refrigerate.

 

I found some leftover jars around the house, cleaned them out, labeled them, and packaged a few to send to friends and family. With my portion, I marinated lamb chops for two days and grilled them on the barbecue. They came out gorgeously glazed.

 

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Recipe, courtesy of smittenkitchen

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Garlic and Herb Summer Cherry Tomatoes

I have such a soft spot for delicious, beautiful side-dishes. I think they get such a bad rap and are usually the same-old, standard, bland salads and boiled veggies. Most cook’s concentrate so much on the main, the sides are usually quite boring. I’m on a mission to try and jazz up a bunch of side dishes recipes, and instead of having massive 3-hour main course dishes (although, oh-so-yummy), try and deliver two or three course mains that are simple, healthy and different. I began with these. For one, cherry tomatoes are every where right now. And I mean, everywhere. Large one’s, small one’s medium sized ones – they’re just beautiful and screaming of summer. I grabbed a few boxes (yes, again) and whipped up something quick, light and easy. 

Serves 4-6

 

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic (3 cloves)

2 pints of cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons fresh basil

2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves (I couldn’t find thyme and used rosemary instead)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

This recipe is almost ridiculously easy. First, heat the olive oil in a pan or skillet – I like to use one I will already serve them in. Add the garlic and allow to heat for roughly 1 minute. Add the basil, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper and tomatoes. Move the tomatoes around with a wooden spatula so all sides get saturated in the spices. Allow to cook for a good 5 to 7 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to burst. When finished, garnish with extra parsley.

 

Yes, that’s really it. And you better believe, this is just the beginning of the gorgeous sides I’m going to begin giving homage to. I served this alongside buttermilk mashed potatoes and a nice rib-eye steak. Call me crazy, but I think these tomatoes can also be diced, then added into a crisp, warm, italian baguette with soft-buffalo mozerella and a drizzle of olive-oil, as a take-away vegetarian sandwich. Or, tossed into a mixed green salad. Or, scarfed in one sitting as is (ahem). Enjoy! 

 

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Recipe, courtesy of Ina Garten

Melted-Gooey Blondies

These treats remind me of the 60 Thomspon in NYC, which isn’t like most boutique hotels. Instead of standard little mints awaiting you on your snuggly soft pillow, the Thompson opted for blondies. Yes, blondies. All wrapped up and waiting for me right on my pillow every night. (Of course I gouged mine and stole my husbands, but that’s another story). I loved them, but couldn’t (and still quite can’t) figure these little treats out. Is it a cookie? A sort of inside-out brownie? Or both? Apparently it’s from the cookie-family, although I consider it a brownie. Whatever it is, it’s delicious. A cool thing about this recipe is that there are two parts – the basic mixture and then all the little additives you want to include and customize.

8 tablespoons of butter (or 1 stick), melted

1 cup of brown sugar (a little less if it’s light, a little more of it’s dark)

1 large egg

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 pinch of salt

1 cup of all-purpose flour

 

Additives: (pick one or a combination of whatever you like below)

1 cup of chopped nuts

1 cup of chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon of mint extract, in place of the vanilla

1/2 cup of mashed bananas

2 tablespoons of espresso powder with the vanilla

1/2 cup of dried fruit, mixed in the with the batter

Top with vanilla butter cream or chocolate peanut butter frosting

 

Preheat your oven to 170C and butter an 8 x 8 baking dish. Mix together the brown sugar and and butter until smooth. Once smooth, add the egg and vanilla. Add salt and then stir in flour. This provides the basis of your blondie, add in whatever additional combinations you’d like. I opted for chopped pecans and semi-sweet chocolate chips which turned out excellent. Once the batter is complete, place in baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on the batter, you don’t want to over cook it, as that keeps the gooey and chocolate interior (which is to die for). That’s it.

I served alongside a scoop of ice cream and they were divine. A quick, easy dessert – and a nice change to my routine peanut butter or oatmeal cookies. Plus, when they’re all gooey and melted, they won’t last long on your dessert tray.

 

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Recipe, courtesy of smittenkitchen and How To Cook Everything

Lemon Cream Pasta – Summer is Here

I’m not sure where we lost spring, but it looks like summer is already here. With a supply of fresh bright veggies, it’s almost a shame not to take advantage of it all. The past two weeks I’ve gone grocery shopping the cherry tomatoes have practically been talking to me, begging to finally be incorporated into some delicious dish (of course, I went a little overboard on the cherry tomato themed dishes this week – oh well.) A nice contrast from the heavy and hearty meals of winter, I love the lightness of summer dinners. Dishes like this are substantial enough to stand alone, but I made a smaller portion alongside chicken escalope. Although delicious, I’d recommend serving with veal next time. 

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)

2 cups of good heavy cream

3 lemons

2 bunches of arugula (1/4 kg)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 box of cherry tomatoes, havled

1 box of fusilli pasta (0.5 kg)

salt, pepper and paprika for garnish

Begin by warming the olive oil in a medium saucepan. Add the garlic and allow to sizzle for about a minute, then add the heavy cream, zest of 2 lemons, juice of 2 lemons, 1.5 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. (Although these are the ingredients the recipe calls for, I found the sauce a bit too lemony for my liking – if you prefer a more toned-down lemon sauce, add the zest and juice of only one lemon. You can always squeeze a little extra when it’s complete.) Bring the sauce to a boil, then allow to simmer for about 15-20 minutes so as to intensify it’s flavors. In the meantime, prepare the vegetables and boil the pasta to al dente. Once complete, add the pasta and veggies right into the sauce pan and toss together. Add the parmesan and mix until it melts and the sauce further thickens. Slice the final lemon and toss the lemon slices into the sauce or place on top for presentation.

 

A great aspect of this dish is you can add pretty much whatever you have in your fridge: broccoli, brussel sprouts, or even chopped asparagus. It’s a great spring/ summery dish in that whatever is in season or you had managed to pick up at the grocery store can be tossed in. You can also make a larger portion and serve it as a main dish, which would be just as filling and a great vegetarian option. I served this alongside escalope and stir-fried broccoli with almonds.

 

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Recipe, courtesy of Ina Garten

Meatballs and Sauce – An Italian Game Night

I knew last night would be intense, considering it was the big Chelsea and Barcelona game. No, I’m not a footballer but my husband definitely is, and just in case he’d be sulking around the house if Chelsea lost, I wanted to cook something I knew he’d enjoy (Thank God, they won, though! ). This recipe is quite an important one in my house – the sauce and meatballs were given to me by a good Italian friend in college, who’s grandmother had taught it to her. Although the sauce remains a bit of a “secret recipe” I keep in my dusted tiny book in the corner shelf of my kitchen, the meatball recipe is a staple I think every kitchen should have. It’s absolutely fabulous and, the great thing about meatballs, it can be cooked a few different ways. I opt for the classic meatballs and sauce, but if you like, you could always bake them, make a meatball sandwich or add gravy. It’s quite a flexible and delicious recipe! 

1 package of good ground beef, not lean (I go for 75 or 80 percent)

1 medium-sized egg

1/3 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 1/4 cup of bread crumbs

1/4 cup fresh parsley

3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

few dashes of cooking wine

pinch of salt and pepper

 

You want to begin preparing your meatballs while your sauce is cooking on low. Real Italian sauce takes roughly 2-4 hours to make, depending on how large the size and how low you set the heat while cooking it (the lower and the longer the better). As soon as I get my sauce going, I begin by dumping all the ingredients into a large bowl. Then, it’s time to get your hands dirty. Begin by mixing together all the ingredients with your hands – make sure everything is pretty well squished together and integrated. Then form into one large ball. Start rolling your balls – you can do this by hand, but I use a meatball maker I purchased last summer (and just adore)! You want to roll each ball to be roughly 5 cm each. Once complete, warm a pan that you used to put meat into your sauce earlier (the extra fat and oils from the previous meat add a lot of taste) – if you hadn’t added extra meat to your sauce, a pan with vegetable oil is just fine. You want to make sure the pan is fairly hot before you start with 3-5 balls at a time, since you need the space to roll them around. Around this time the pan should be smoking, which is a good sign. Remember, you’re only trying to cook the outside of the balls, the inside will cook slowly in the sauce. As each ball is complete, drop it into the sauce, as the extra oil also adds taste to the sauce. Brew into your sauce for at least another half hour – and that’s it! 

 

The results are just gorgeous – beautiful meatballs and sauce piled on fresh pasta, it’s such an incredible guilty pleasure. Thankfully, the night went well with football so the hefty dinner was a great way to end the night. Another great perk about this recipe, is because it’s so large, you can always take the sauce and meatballs and freeze them into individual baggies. So, whenever you’re craving some fresh sauce and meatballs, just pop one into a pot on the stove, and you have a delicious home-made meal in a few minutes. 

 

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Ubon – New Thai Spot

There’s been a little bit of talk about this new spot in the city, and a month or so back when it had just opened my husband and I tried it out. I’m a die-hard thai food fan, and mostly when I get a panang chicken craving I opt for pataya beach restaurant or oriental, so I was excited there was another option. The concept of ubon is entirely different that the previous two and quite charming. I found it to be more fusion and modern-edgy, than the shabby, authentic and tucked-away feel the other two have. And yet, the first thing I fell in love with about this place was the ambiance – it’s different: intimate and yet social, modern and yet rustic – I’m not sure who designed the simple metallic theme, but I liked it a lot, particularly the gorgeous chandelier pots.

The dishes are focused on presentation, and offer a little more of a commercial-fusion thai taste – for example, if you want “thai spicy” order the extra spicy, as opposed to medium, like you might when in Thailand. We ordered the tempura, garlic shrimps, green chicken curry, stir-fried beef, pineapple rice, pad thai and mango rice pudding. Stand-out dishes were definitely the garlic shrimps and the rice pudding. The shrimps were lovely with crunchy garlic chips. The pudding was great. I loved it and gobbled the entire serving. I see that dish alone as a potential staple and stand-out for the restaurant. One thing I absolutely adored at the restaurant was the fact that the owners were present and assisting the waiters with serving. It offered a very warm touch and gave the overall experience that extra edge. 

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Egg in a Cup – Friday Morning Breakfasts

Like most of us, Friday morning breakfasts are somewhat of a ritual. I try to get creative once in a while, and instead of the standard eggs and foul routine, I discovered this little recipe I had clipped out a few months back and kept hidden away. I remember thinking these little egg cups were just adorable and offered a great spin on a standard way to eat the staple morning ingredients of toast, eggs and bacon. 

6 slices of toast (I opted for wheat, but whichever you prefer)

6 eggs

6 slices of half-cooked bacon

2 tablespoons of butter

salt, pepper and paprika for garnish

This recipe is just as easy as it’s ingredients. First, pre-heat your oven to 180C. Try to roll each piece of toast with a rolling pin, to get it slightly thinner before we cut and place it into the cups. Once rolled, use a biscuit cutter to cut a large circle in the toast (if you don’t have one, a large glass might work by turning it upside down and pressing). Cut each circle in half, and then melt the butter and brush the cup-cake pan. begin by placing the each bread half into the pan so that all edges and, especially the bottom, are all covered. If there are any gaps use some of the extra bread to fill them in. Place a piece of bacon in each cup. Crack an egg into each cup (don’t do this too slowly, otherwise the yolk will bread, like it did in a few of mine). Place in the oven and cook until the whites are cooked. It was really, that easy.

 

One of the best parts about this breakfast is that it allowed for time to prepare so many other sides! I served it with fritas papas (Mexican fried potatoes) and hashbrowns. This recipe is also great for brunches or serving large groups, since it allows everyone the chance to eat at the same time, without having to fry each egg individually and having the first batch get cold before you’re complete.  Plus, I think the presentation is just adorable!

 

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Recipe, courtesy of Martha Stewart

Elevation Burger – Ingredients Matter

Most of us are frustrated In-N-Out won’t franchise, and unless you’re luckily in California, Nevada or Arizona, chances are, you’re missing out on a great burger (it’s my first stop when landing at LAX). With all the fancy-shamncy burger joints in Kuwait, I’m so glad they finally opened one as close a concept to In-N-Out as possible: informal, quick, organic-‘real-food’ concept and delicious. After tasting this delightful burger a few days ago, I looked up a few of their philosophies and practices and listed the benefits: 

100% organic and grass-fed beef 

100% olive-oil used for frying

Unprocessed Cheddar Cheese (i.e. real cheese)

Real Potatoes used for french-fries

Gluten-Free 

Non-Hazardous and Environmental Friendly run business

There are a few other pointers you can find on their site. Perks like this are so important, not just for enhanced and natural taste, but also in the awareness that you actually know what you’re eating, as opposed to (as is commonly served) a corn-patty that might only contain a fraction of a percentage of real beef. Now, not to say a burger is healthy, but I’m a strong advocate of eating “Real Food,” and not a science project.

 

I opted for the Cheese Burger with Elevation Sauce (a tart tomato-based sauce), with a side of cheese fries and a milk shake. In regards to the taste, I thought the burger was excellent – gorgeous sharp-cheddar cheese on a patty that wasn’t too greasy or heavy. I normally can’t stand cheese fries, as the processed-nacho-cheese slathered on top makes me a little queasy, but this is the first time I can rightfully say I enjoyed cheese fries! (I’m sure a big reason is that the cheese used is unprocessed, and mouth-wateringly good…) The plain fries were well-salted, crisp and a lovely side to the burger. The shake was thick and chocolaty: a great ending to the meal. I didn’t know this when I first went, but they have a protein burger option, which basically excludes the bun of the burger and wraps it instead in lettuce (so, no carbs, only protein) – a great option for carb-free dieters. They also have fresh salad side options, which I think is also good to have. All-in-all, I found it to be great. My biggest criticism would be the location – I really hope informal burger spots will start to expand and open outside busy, crowded malls and have drive-through service.

 

Definitely a must try, and a place I can’t wait to swing by again soon and try other items on their menu. 

 

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Beer-Battered Vegetable Tempura

This was my first attempt at making tempura, and I wanted to do something different that you can’t always find at restaurants. Again, I’m trying to get creative with serving veggie’s (yes, I know, deep-frying isn’t always the healthiest option, even though it’s usually the most delicious)! This turned out just lovely – they were perfectly golden and crispy, and again, very easy to make.

Total Cooking Time:  20 minutes

Serving Portion: 4 persons

1 cup of cold non-alcoholic beer (I purchased mine from Lulu Hypermarket) 

1 cup of all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons of baking powder

1/4 cup of corn starch

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 egg

Mixture of vegetables: onion rings, zucchini strips, carrot strips, broccoli, sweet potato strips, etc.

Sea saltand chili flakes for garnish

 

Begin by slicing your vegetables. If they are vertical, you want to slice them into strips. If they are more round, like an onion, rings can be cut. Once the veggies are prepped, mix together all the ingredients, although make sure the beer is cold before you pour it into the mixture. Refrigerate the mixture while you heat your wok with oil – you want to use a decent amount of oil. Make sure the oil is hot by testing it with a tiny drop of the mixture – if it immediately sizzles, the oil is ready. (This step is crucial to having evenly fried tempura). Dip in a few of your veggies, and make sure they are fully coated in the tempura batter. Once coated, drop them into the wok. Because the mixture is quite light, they might float, which is fine – just stir them around to make sure they brown evenly. Once golden, remove onto a paper towel, and repeat with remaining vegetables. Once you finish frying all the veggies, garish with sea salt and chili flakes. 

 

The tempura came out absolutely delicious – steaming hot, perfectly crispy and golden brown. We just couldn’t eat enough and quickly ate through the entire bowl. For a dipping sauce, you can use soy sauce although it’s a bit strong. Most tempura dipping sauces use mirin (which is a hard Japanese ingredient to find here), but a few friends told me you could just dilute the soy sauce with water and a pinch of sugar. (I would add some more chili myself, cause nothing can be too spicy!) This recipe is a definite keeper.

 

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Eggplant Gratin – A Vegetarian Dinner

Yes, yes – I know it’s been over a month now since I’ve posted! And after a month of a variety of diets, I’m back to cooking whatever my heart desires (yet still keeping in mind the need to stay healthy). Part of that is what inspired a new trend I am trying at home, which is to prepare a vegetarian dinner at least once a week – no meat, whatsoever. (I’m sure my vegetarian readers are excited about this).  I’ve always loved gratin’s, and found their sophisticated individual-sized portions lovely, and decided to start there, with this beautiful eggplant gratin (a favorite vegetable of mine).

Total Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Serving Portion: 3 persons

 

2-3 large-sized eggplants 

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1 egg

1/4 cup of whipping cream or half-and-half

2 cups of Parmesan

1 cup of good marinara sauce (you can use store bought, I made my own)

Olive Oil

Salt and pepper for garnish

This recipe is super easy. First off, pre-heat the oven at 200C. If you have store-bought marina, you can use that, otherwise make sure you first have made your marinara sauce and are ready to use that (I included a quick marina recipe in a previous post). Begin by first slicing your eggplant about 1.5cm thick. Once complete, fry them on both sides in good olive oil, which should take about 5 minutes. Once complete, allow them to drain and pat the excess oil dry with a paper-towel. Leave on the side, and prepare your ricotta mixture – mix together the egg, whipping cream, 1/4 cup of parmesan (you’ll use the rest for layering), ricotta and 1/8 teaspoon of salt and pepper, each. Have your gratin dishes ready for layering – begin with a layer of eggplant on the bottom. Garnish with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with parmesan and spoon over the marinara sauce. Next, add a second layer of eggplant, salt and pepper, and then the ricotta mixture. Cover with additional parmesan – and you’re done. You can sprinkle on some bread crumbs to keep the top crispy if you like. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until top is bubbling and crispy. 

 

The recipe is that simple. It’s a matter of just layering. It’s also such a beautiful center-dish for a quick weeknight dinner. I served it with a side of goat cheese salad and some garlic bread. It’s sometimes difficult to think of delicious, filling and original vegetarian dishes but this is one that definitely won’t disappoint. Plus, if you have kiddies around, you can always chop up additional vegetables and get use this as a way to sneak in some healthy ingredients.

 

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Recipe, courtesy of Ina Garten