I have to admit that I hit a rut lately. I felt like I was running out of ideas on what to make in the kitchen (yep, how could that be possible with all of these great food blogs that I frequent, and stacks of cooking magazines everywhere in the house?). Between planning meals, getting all of the ingredients ready for the meals/recipes that I am scheduled to make, and keeping up with work and everything else, sometimes I just end up making things that are quick to put together and I know will satisfy everyone. I decided to make this recipe recently when I had a few potatoes leftover, and a handful of chives in the refrigerator that I didn’t want to toss.
I was leafing through a new cookbook and my eyes caught this simple recipe that I knew that I’d love. They were easy to make, and fried beautifully. I didn’t even need to wear my safety glasses. A couple of tips: make sure that you squeeze the heck out of the shredded potatoes to get the water out. Also, don’t be too shy when flattening the mixture in the frying pan. I wasn’t sure about how flat I wanted these to be so I was a bit cautious. They were basically fried shredded hash-brown with chives and yellow onion. Sooo good!
Ingredients
1 medium yellow onion
3 large yukon gold potatoes (about 2 1⁄2 lbs.), peeled
Kosher salt, to taste
6 tbsp. finely chopped chives
3 tbsp. plain matzo meal (I substituted this with ground Saltines Crackers)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Freshly ground white pepper, to taste
Canola oil for frying
Sour cream or applesauce
Directions
Working over a bowl, grate some of the onion, followed by some of the potatoes, on the large-hole side of a box grater. Repeat until all the vegetables are used up.
Sprinkle mixture with salt and transfer it to a sieve set over a bowl. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible from mixture, allowing it to collect in bottom of bowl. Transfer mixture to another bowl and cover surface with plastic wrap; set aside. Set reserved potato liquid aside to let the milky white starch settle. Pour off liquid from starch. Transfer starch to mixture along with the chives, matzo, eggs, and salt and pepper. Gently mix.
Pour enough oil into a skillet that it reaches a depth of 1⁄4″; heat over medium-high heat. Working in small batches, form mixture into balls, using about 1⁄4 cup of the mixture for each, and place them in the oil. Flatten each ball gently with a spatula to form 3″–4″ pancakes. Fry, turning once, until golden brown, crisp, and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer the pancakes to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Serve the potato pancakes with sour cream or applesauce. (I actually sprinkled some coarse salt on the top, it really added a nice flavor touch at the end!)
Yield: 6 servings
Adapted from Saveur: The New Comfort Food – Home Cooking from Around the World
I love finger foods! I found this recipe a few weeks ago, and I thought that this would be an appropriate recipe to share with my readers just in case that you still need a quick game day appetizer. I remember making these in my college days when I needed a quick snack or meal that could be put together very quickly. Of course, back then I just relied on the cheapest hot dogs that I could find paired up with the refrigerated dough. I have never attempted making them (the dough, of course, not the hot dogs) from scratch until now. This classic appetizer earns double points with me since they can be prepared ahead of time, and even requires a little freezer time before going into the oven. The bread dough has a nice brown crust on the outside with nice bread/hot-roll texture in the inside. I love having them ready to go in the freezer, so that my daughter can also enjoy them for lunch and my sitter can just throw a few of these in the oven without any special preparation required.
Directions
2-1/4 all-purpose flour
4 tbsp vegetable shortening, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
6 all natural beef hot dogs
Directions
Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Pulse 2 cups of flour, shortening, baking powder, salt and cayenne pepper together in food processor until mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in cream until combined. On lightly floured counter, knead dough until smooth, about 8 to 10 times.
Roll dough into 15×10-inch rectangle. Brush dough with egg and cut into six 5-inch squares. Place remaining 1/4-cup flour in shallow dish. Pat hot dogs dry with paper towels and coat with flour, shaking off excess. Arrange 1 hot-dog in center of each dough square. Roll dough around hot-dog and pinch seam closed. Cut each hot dog into 4 pieces and place on prepared sheet. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. Transfer to zipper lock bag and freeze for up to 1 month.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange wrapped hot dog pieces, seam side down, on parchment rimmed baking sheet. Baked until golden brown 25-30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, serve warm.
Yield: 24 pieces
Adapted from The Best of America’s Test Kitchen 2012
I was fortunate to have had 2 weeks off from work this Christmas. I took full advantage of it by completely slacking off and threw our routine out of the window (to the horror of my daughter). Red and I sneaked in a trip out to East Coast visiting my sister, and we just hung out for about a week. I had big glasses of frozen margaritas for lunch a couple of those days, stayed in my pajamas the whole day for one full day (I would have stayed two days, but everyone was starting to complain), played too much video games (which I hadn’t played in YEARS!!), and ate very yummy food (and I didn’t cook a lot of it). My daughter saw her first live Sesame Street Christmas show, and her eyes lit up like I had never seen before. It was awesome.
Naturally, when I came back home, it was a bit overwhelming to get back to the daily grinds with stacks of laundry, mails to sort, gifts to unpack and put away -especially when I had zero motivation to do anything. I pulled this Slow Roasted Tomato Soup out of the freezer for a quick meal (because it’s too cold and windy to leave the house!), this Golden Brioche Loaves for breakfast, and Chocolate Chip Cookies for dessert. Then my daughter took a nap yesterday and I thought of the soft pretzels that I had during my trip from the famous chain pretzel store. I decided that this could be a perfect opportunity to make these pretzels. Chewy on the outside, soft and tender in the inside – these pretzels are great snacks, party-food, dessert (dust with cinnamon sugar) or even a quick or small meal (roll the dough around a hot-dog, and you’ll get a pretzel dog). I was surprised at how easy this recipe came together. There is a special feeling when enjoying these freshly baked pretzels out of the oven. I’m glad that I started the year on such a high note … carbs and all 
A final note on this, the pretzels are really best eaten fresh out of the oven. However, if they can be warmed up quickly in the microwave or toaster oven for about 10 seconds and you’ll get the same magic back!
Ingredients
2 cups warm water, 100 degrees to 110 degrees
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon active dry yeast
5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 tablespoons baking soda
1 large egg
Coarse or pretzel salt
Vegetable-oil cooking spray
Directions
Pour warm water into bowl of electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. In a small bowl, combine water and sugar, and stir to dissolve sugar. Sprinkle with yeast, and let sit 10 minutes; yeast should be foamy.
Add 1 cup flour to yeast, and mix on low until combined. Add salt and 4 cups flour, and mix until combined, about 30 seconds. Beat on medium-low until dough pulls away from sides of bowl, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add 1/2 cup flour, and knead on low 1 minute more. If dough is still wet and sticky, add 1/2 cup more flour (this will depend on weather conditions); knead until combined, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a lightly floured board, and knead about 10 times, or until smooth.
Pour oil into a large bowl; swirl to coat sides. Transfer dough to bowl, turning dough to completely cover all sides. Cover with a kitchen towel, and leave in a warm spot for 1 hour, or until dough has doubled in size.
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly spray two baking sheets with cooking spray. Set aside. Punch down dough to remove bubbles. Transfer to a lightly floured board. Knead once or twice, divide into 16 pieces (about 2 1/2 ounces each), and wrap in plastic.
Roll one piece of dough at a time into an 18-inch-long strip. Twist into pretzel shape; transfer to prepared baking sheet. Cover with a kitchen towel. Continue to form pretzels; 8 will fit on each sheet. Let pretzels rest until they rise slightly, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, fill large, shallow pot with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil. Add baking soda. Reduce to a simmer; transfer 3 to 4 pretzels to water. Poach 1 minute. Use slotted spoon to transfer pretzels to baking sheet. Continue until all pretzels are poached.
Beat egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush pretzels with egg glaze. Sprinkle with salt. Bake until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool on wire rack, or eat warm. Pretzels are best when eaten the same day, but will keep at room temperature, uncovered, for 2 days. Do not store in covered container or they will become soggy.
Yield: 16 pretzels
Adapted from The Martha Stewart Living Christmas Cookbook
Soup is a big hit at our house as soon as we hit the colder months, and I was ready! I’m still in love with Gwyneth Paltrow’s My Father’s Daughter cookbook because it features very simple but delicious recipes that don’t require a lot of fancy ingredients. I tried a couple of her recipes and have been very satisfied with the results. When I saw this tomato soup recipe, I knew that I had to make it. My daughter really loves anything with tomatoes, so naturally, I had to try making this soup at home. Not only that it is simple to make, I can make a big batch on Sundays, and have leftovers for the next day or two (and freeze the leftovers, if there’s any left). It goes great with grilled cheese sandwiches–that are truly a life-saver for those busy nights when I only want to spend less than 15-minutes in the kitchen. We love dunking our hot sandwiches into this soup and you will too. Enjoy!
Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or more as desired)
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 fresh, large basil leaves
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, with juices
~10 pieces of 2-inch round slow roasted tomatoes slices
Kosher salt (I used 2 teaspoons)
Freshly ground pepper (I used 1/2 teaspoon)
Olive oil for drizzling, optional
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for two minutes, stirring so that it doesn’t burn. Add the basil leaves, tomatoes and juice, and 1 -1/2 cups of water. Bring the soup to a boil for 1 minute, then reduce the heat to low and simmer it uncovered for 40 minutes. As it simmers gently break apart the tomatoes with a wooden spoon. After cooking stir in the slow-roasted tomatoes with any juices and season with salt and pepper. Simmer everything together for 5 more minutes and serve hot. Drizzle with olive oil if you’d like.
Yield: 4 servings
Adapted from My Father’s Daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow
This is a very belated post for me… and I am talking about almost 3 months late 
Our friend generously offered to share her tomatoes from her garden this past summer, and I took her up on it. Nothing beats homegrown vegetables! These tomatoes were sweet and delicious on their own, but I generally love them better cooked, especially roasted. When you roast them in a low-temperature for at least a few hours, they dehydrate which in turn intensifies their flavors. I had seen them everywhere in Italy when Red and I traveled there a couple of years ago. This summer was my first time trying it at home on my own.
I had to play around with the temperature, to make sure that they get to the right level of dehydration. It also depends on the size of the tomatoes. The roasted slices keep well for up to two weeks in refrigerator. They make great toppings for salad, sandwiches/panini, soups, pizza, you name it! This is definitely one of those great pantry staples to have around the house. You don’t know when exactly you may need a little something special on your dinner table. If you run into abundance of tomatoes, pick up some and make this.
Ingredients
1 lb of tomatoes, sliced about 1/2-inch thickness
2 tbsp of olive oil plus 1 tsp of olive oil
A big pinch of salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Lay all of the sliced tomatoes flat, cut side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt. Bake for 2-3 hours, depending on the size of the tomatoes, and how hot your oven gets. For smaller tomatoes, I would say an hour or two. Some of the bigger tomatoes may require 3 hours before they slices are dehydrated enough from the heat.
Store in a tightly covered container, drizzle a little bit of olive oil (~1 tsp), and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
I know that for some of you, the corn season has probably been over for a month or two. But for those of you who are lucky and still can find sweet corn in your grocery stores… make these now! Seriously. Growing up in Southeast Asia, I have had a secret adoration toward fritters for as long as I can remember. It seemed to me that everything could be turned into fritters, from fruit to veggies. This recipe is very similar to the type of corn fritters that I grew up eating, except the addition of cheese (which I don’t mind in this recipe). I didn’t have any cilantro on hand (original recipe called for it), so I chopped up the basil leaves and mixed them into the batter (instead of just sprinkling them on top, again like the original recipe called for). They browned up nice and golden, crispy, sweet and delicious. Make sure that you sprinkle some salt at the end, the saltiness added a great flavor contrast with the sweetness from the corn. They were so addictive that we gobbled up two batches in one day. The final caution that I must mention was the popping of the corn kernels during frying, make sure that you wear closed-toed shoes and have a lid or a spatter guard ready to cover your frying pan. I actually wore my safety glasses when frying these Nerd right? But oh, they were so good. So worth it.
Slightly Adapted from My Father’s Daughter by Gwyneth Paltrow
Ingredients
4 ears of corns, slice the kernels
1/4 cup of all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp corn starch
1 organic egg, beaten
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 tsp sea salt, and more for sprinkling
1/4 tsp Black pepper
1/4 cup of canola oil for frying
~10 large basil leaves, torn up
Directions
Mix all ingredients together until well combined in a bowl. Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan set on a medium to high heat. Using 1/4-cup of measuring cup, spoon the mixture into the frying pan in batches. Fry each fritter on each side for around 2 minutes or until they turn a nice dark brown, do not flip before the patty is browned or it will fall apart.
Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Drain the fritters on paper towel and keep warm in the oven (on an oven safe plate) while you fry the remainder of the mixture.
Yield: 8 fritters
While I absolutely love summer; I have a little soft spot for fall. I love the cooler weather, the changing colors in trees, the abundance of fall fruits, and ….it is officially SOUP weather!!! Summer has its great fruits and produce, but fall also presents wonderful collection of root vegetables and stone fruits that I love to cook and bake with as well. This is a soup that I just sort of came up with a few years ago when I had abundance of root vegetables. The recipe is so simple, and so flexible… you can basically use whatever root vegetables that you have in hand and make them into whatever consistency fits your family’s preference. If you have leftover roasted vegetables or potatoes-throw them in there as well. This soup is really special because of the addition of delicious sun-dried tomatoes. If you want to make this a bit more hearty, feel free to add in some pasta as well. And if you want an added creaminess, add a splash of heavy cream in the last few minutes of cooking. Enjoy a big bowl of this hearty soup with a crusty bread; and you would be glad that fall is here too!
Ingredients
6 cups of chopped root vegetables, about an inch cube (carrot, sweet/regular potatoes, squashes, etc)
2 cups of chopped onions, about an inch cube
1 cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil (preferably homemade)
~ 3-1/2 cups of vegetable broth (depending on your desired consistency)
1 tbsp of olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbsp of chopped fresh garlic
Sour cream and grated cheese, optional for topping
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place chopped vegetables together on a baking pan, drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, toss together. Roast for approximately 50 to 60 minutes, turning the baking pan once and flip the vegetables halfway through. You want the vegetables to be slightly browned and soft, but not mushy yet.
Once the vegetables are cooked, transfer them to a large sauce-pan. Add garlic and vegetable broth into the pot. Cook over medium heat until boiling, and then reduce the heat to low. Add sun dried tomatoes, season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for another 20 minutes.
Cool for approximately 10 minutes, and either using immersion blender or a regular blender, blend the soup to your desired consistency.
Yield: 5-6 servings
I love fritters; both savory and sweet. In the late summer, zucchinis are beautiful and inexpensive at the farmer markets. And if you’re one of the lucky ones with backyard vegetable garden that has zucchini plants, this is a great recipe to use up your produce. These fritters make awesome appetizers, side dish, or even a vegetarian lunch–and I actually also like them as snacks. Since zucchinis are very watery, wringing the shredded vegetables would make sure that you get the water out as much as possible before mixing them with the rest of the ingredients, which in turn make crispier fritters. The cheeses and fresh herbs really make them taste and feel extra special.
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living, August 2011
Ingredients
2 medium zucchini (about 8 ounces each), trimmed
1 medium onion
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese (1 ounce)
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Extra virgin olive oil for frying
Plain yogurt and apricot jam for serving (optional)
Directions
Grate zucchini on the large holes of a box grater, then squeeze dry in a clean kitchen towel or press in a ricer. Repeat with onion.
Mix together zucchini, onion, cheese, flour and herbs. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Stir in eggs just before frying.
Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches, coat skillet with 1-2 tablespoons oil. Scoop mounds (~2 tbsp each) of the zucchini mixture into skillet; flatten slightly using a spatula. Cook until golden brown and cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side.
Transfer fritters to paper towel-lined plates to drain. Serve with dollops of plain yogurt and apricot jam if desired.
Yield: 20 fritters, serve 6-8
With all of the ice-cream that I have made recently, I ended up with tons of egg whites that I wanted to use up. I decided to try making my own Frittata using the leftover egg whites. A while back, my sister kept on raving about egg-white omelets that she used to enjoy with her friends on Sundays, usually after their early morning spin class. I wanted to create my own version using a similar concept . I had tried making a frittata before and it’s a little bit tricky without the right proportion. I didn’t have enough egg mixture and filling, the fritata came out pretty thin, and maybe a bit too crusty for my taste. I think I used a pan that was too large as well.
Through trial and error, I found out that about 8 whole eggs make a pretty good consistency of egg mixture. I also like to have about 4-5 cups of mixed vegetables sauteed to be able to provide enough thickness for the frittata (a great way to get your veggies for the day!). Some vegetables I have used in the past were squashes, mushrooms, eggplants, and I have also thrown in some leftover roasted or grilled potatoes or vegetables (they were so delicious with the added seasoning!). This recipe has now became my go-to breakfast “clean the fridge” meal that is satisfying when enjoyed warm, or cold at lunch with a big bowl of crispy salad. I think it would even make an awesome appetizer, on top of toasted baguettes. I remember enjoying a similar dish as well at a Tapas bar in Spain a few years ago.
Blissfully Delicious original
Ingredients
12 large egg whites (or, 8 egg whites and 3 whole eggs, or 8 whole eggs)
1 small onion, chopped (you can substitute or mix with shallots as well)
1 medium tomato, seeded, and chopped (if using cherry tomatoes, no need to seed)
1 small potato, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese(or your favorite cheese)
1/4 cup of crumbled cooked bacon or prosciutto, or Parma ham (optional)
2 tbsp of olive oil
Directions
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until it foams slightly. Set aside.
In a 12-inch oven proof skillet, heat the olive oil. Saute onion for a few minutes, toss them so they’re slightly browned. Add chopped potatoes, and cook another couple of minutes. Continue tossing them. Add the rest of veggies (tomatoes and zucchini), and cook until everything looks slightly browned, another 3 minutes or so. The total sauteing time should be about 6-8 minutes total depending on how hot your stove is.
Move oven rack to the top or second from the top position. Turn your oven broiler on at high.
After all of the vegetables look like they are cooked thoroughly, pour the egg over the vegetable. Let the egg cook for about 5 minutes, do not touch, let it sit and cook. When the edges are starting to look slightly browned and pulling away from the pan, put the pan into the top rack of the oven. Let it bake for about 2-3 minutes, or until top is golden brown.
Using oven mitts, carefully remove the skillet from the oven. Let stand for about 3 minutes, and slice with rubber spatula or turn over to a large serving platter. Enjoy warm or cold.
Yield: 6-8 wedges
My daughter who just recently turned one, started to be really interested in feeding herself right around ten months. She liked her semi-pureed meals; but got very inpatient when being spoon-fed, and wanted to feed herself halfway through her meals. This recipe below was one of my now go to meals that I came up with for her lunch. I used the inspiration from these very delicious Chicken and Sage Sausages that I often make for myself. I substitute some of the ingredients to make them toddler-approved and make smaller patties for her lunch and dinner. I can then take one patty, cut them into smaller pieces, and she can happily feed herself during lunch… No meltdown, and she gets both her protein and vegetables. Since I didn’t add any salt or pepper, I decided to add a little bit of Parmesan Cheese for extra flavor. These were so delicious that I ended up making double batches so I could have some for myself and some in the freezer for last-minute meals.
Ingredients
Generous 3/4 lb of organic ground turkey (or chicken)
1/2 cup of grated carrot (if you use chicken, replace this with apple)
2 tbsp of grated sweet onion
6-8 purple or green sage leaves, sliced
2 tbsp of Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp of olive oil
Directions
Mix all of the ingredients together in medium mixing bowl. Make about 2-inch round patties, about 1/4-inch in thickness, using all of the turkey mixture. You should end up with about 10-12 patties.
Heat the oil in a medium saute pan. Fry the patties, about 2-min on each side, or until they are golden brown. Continue with all of the patties.
Yield: 10-12 mini patties
