Category: Recipes

Happy 5th Blog Birthday to Me

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5 years ago, I was sitting in my SF apartment with David, longing to write about food again. And so, Dinner with David was born. We’ve been through a lot together! Thank you for being a part of it.

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Technology has come a long way in 5 years!

A month before I started the blog, we had just purchased our very first iPhones, so the pictures in the early days were a little scary. I used a regular point-and-shoot for many meals, which required tedious uploading using a cord plugged into my laptop. The combination of iOS photo stream in the cloud, and Flickr’s iPhone app auto upload has changed everything! Not to mention Pinterest – a major source of inspiration and new readers.

I’ve cooked in 5 different kitchens in 5 years!

The size, lighting, appliances and age of my kitchens have evolved dramatically. From a tiny, modern shoe box in SF, where I didn’t even have an oven; to a Formica countered, fluorescent-lit cookie cutter apartment kitchen in Mountain View; to a larger, white-tiled 90s kitchen with wrap around counter in Santa Clara; to a lovely remodeled 80s townhouse with fancy appliances and lighting in Redwood City; to our turn-of-the-century, re-orchestrated down to every surface and fixture, midtown Sacramento kitchen that I anticipated for a whole year.

My favorite part of the whole thing – beyond having an outlet for creative self expression – is the feedback and suggestions I get from my readers. So keep ’em coming!

I can’t wait to see what the next 5 years holds in store…

Easy Like Sunday Morning Crock Pot Pork & Mashed Potatoes

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2014 is the year of the crock pot, in my book. But finding recipes that use my favorite staples, like pork tenderloin, without delving into canned this or processed that, can be difficult. So this morning, I borrowed from some basic crock pot concepts and added my own healthy spin, to attempt pork tenderloin and carrot stew with mashed potatoes. Fortunately, it worked!

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You will need:
– 1 onion
– Pork tenderloin
– Baby carrots (1 package)
– Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
– Salt & pepper
– Optional: green onions, butter for mashed potatoes; flour for gravy

Slice a whole onion and spread evenly to create a layer on the bottom of the crock pot. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Add two pork loins (from one package) on top of onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Pour one small package of baby carrots on top of the pork. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

For the final layer, add as many freshly peeled potatoes as you can fit on top. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

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Cook on low for 6 hours, and then keep on warm while you prepare the potatoes (or as long as needed).

For the mashed potatoes, remove the cooked potatoes one by one with a spoon from the crock pot (they will be soft). Then mash in an oven-safe casserole dish with desired ingredients. I used 1 cube of melted butter, 1 cup of almond milk, 1-2 chopped green onions, and salt & pepper to taste. Keep warm in the oven at 200 degrees until ready to serve.

For gravy, I ladled some of the juice from the crock pot into a small saucepan and whisked in about 1/8 cup of flour slowly. My gravy turned out pretty lumpy, so this part will require further refinement.

I may also add more liquid next go around, so there’s even more juicy goodness. But all in all, this was a hearty and health home style meal without a parade of dishes!

Pin Record Time: Grilled Cheese in a Waffle Maker

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I’m sure you’ve seen food tricks on Pinterest that use basic kitchen appliances and tools to make otherwise mediocre meals look amazing. Well, 18 minutes after I saw this pin, David and I were gobbling up cheddar and mushroom grilled cheese (panini, if you’re feeling fancy).

A speedy brunch was the perfect solution to Saturday morning breakfast procrastination (triggered by last night’s pizza massacre perhaps?).

Just chop mushrooms into small pieces, and layer on top of cheddar cheese slices in between sourdough or your bread of choice, and press as needed while it cooks in the waffle maker. (I didn’t use butter, but if you’re inclined, go wild.) Done and done.

Valentine’s Day Pizza Massacre

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In theory, homemade pizza with heart-shaped pepperoni sounds like a sweet gesture on this saccharine-soaked holiday. As with matters of the heart, timing is everything, and pizza dough is no exception.

I first cemented the steps last year with much less sophisticated cutlery and no proper pan or pizza stone. But this year, I still found myself staring into the oven wondering why the crust wasn’t fully cooking all the way through after doubling the time listed on the directions.

It still tasted good, once you got past the fact that it required utensils. (Still beats crowded restaurants and overpriced holiday menus!)

If anyone has the answer to avoiding a soupy mess, please let me know. Potential culprits: too much sauce? Mushrooms?

Maybe I’ll get it right in 2015.

Pin Real Life

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This week I tried out a couple of new techniques inspired by discoveries on Pinterest. For better or worse, here’s what happened….

Breakfast Bread Bowl

Here’s the original recipe, but my attempt (cooked in a full baguette with almond milk in place of cream) took 45+ minutes to cook the eggs thoroughly, and I adjusted the heat from 350 to 400 degrees midway through.

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One Dish Potato & Sausage Bake

Inspired by pins that showed a casserole dish with a colorful collage of meat and veggies baked to glistening perfection in the oven, I decided to give it a whirl with potatoes, chicken apple sausage and green onions. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Delicious and easy for weeknights!

Going, Going, Gone Goat Cheese Bean Dip

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There is a highly addictive bean dip that for years permeated many a holiday party and Super Bowl. Then it took a leave of absence as two primary ingredients posed a bit of a problem: cream cheese and sour cream.

For the big game yesterday, I gave it a goat milk makeover and it was a huge hit. To hear previously restricted party-goers give themselves permission to dig in and enthusiastically go back for seconds, made me so happy. There’s no reason we can’t all enjoy traditionally cream-based party dips!

So without further ado, here’s how to make “Going, Going, Gone Goat Cheese Bean Dip” for your next party:

Blend the following in a bowl or food processor:

1 can Frito Lays Bean Dip (available in the chip aisle)
8 oz goat milk yogurt (replaces sour cream in the original)
8 oz goat cheese (replaces cream cheese in the original)
Half a packet or 3 tbsp taco seasoning
Half a bunch of green onions, chopped

Pour the mixture into a casserole dish. Cover with Mexican blend shredded cheese (I used a cheddar blend, which is naturally lactose free but shredded goat cheese could work too). Sliced olives can also top the cheese, if you prefer.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees about 15-20 minutes or until bubbly. Serve with chips and watch as it makes a disappearing act.

Crock Pot Short Ribs for Dummies

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I desperately needed to find a new meat technique to take me out of my weeknight rut. So when I came across slow cooked Asian-style short ribs on Pinterest, I decided to give it a whirl. But there was a catch: all I had to go off of was a list of ingredients, and a leap of faith. As hoped, the meat fell off the bone about 5 hours in. And the results were deceivingly decadent!

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In the crock pot goes:

2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 cloves of garlic, diced or thinly sliced
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons sake
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients together in the crock pot, and then arrange 4 pounds’ worth of beef short ribs in the sauce. Cook on low for 6 hours. Flip about half way through cooking, and then again towards the end if you plan to leave it on warm for extra time like I did. I served the ribs over salad that had been mixed with Asian vinaigrette, but rice or noodles would work well too.

I’m a convert and just pinned about 20 new recipes for my new weekly staple. Welcome to the family, short ribs!

Crock Pot Pork Tacos & Enchiladas

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One crock pot, two dinners. On Sunday, I kept things simple by putting a pork tenderloin in the slow cooker with a carton of chicken broth (4 cups) and 4 tbsp of taco seasoning. After cooking it on low for 4-5 hours, I added some chopped green onions to the broth and kept it on the warm setting, while I prepared the taco ingredients.

The second night is when things got more exciting. I had leftover pulled pork and two small batches of liquid to work with, and didn’t feel like prepping all the dry ingredients that normally go into burritos. I rolled up the leftover meat in tortillas in a casserole dish; sprinkled the batch with plenty of cheddar cheese, and poured the liquid all across the top and along the sides. I baked it for 30 minutes, or until the liquid was boiling.

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The result? Ooey, gooey pulled pork enchiladas that were deliciously “slimy” – as David described them. (You could cut back on the liquid, but what fun would enchiladas be without the goop?)

Almond Milk Mac & Goat Cheese

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Comfort food was in order. So I simmered noodles in almond milk until tender, stirred in two pats of garlic & herb goat cheese, and a sprinkle of salt. Yum and done.

Boiled Chicken, All Grown Up

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In the early days of Dinner with David, I spent a fair number of nights boiling chicken to make enough shredded, juicy meat for several dinners. Nutritious and satisfying, it was about as exciting as, well, boiled chicken.

So, with a generous bunch of green onions in the fridge, and inspiration from Pinterest, I took some liberties with two nights of leftovers.

Soba Noodles Cooked in Chicken Broth, with Peas and Green Onions

Simply boil leftover broth along with two cups of water. Add 1 tbsp each of soy sauce and fish sauce, and green onions. Add soba noodles and cook until nearly tender; then add leftover chicken and frozen peas, and stir until peas are cooked through.

Shredded Chicken with Spanish Rice, Topped with Green Onions

This attempt was a little more dicy. Inspired by Pinterest, I decided to give the ol’ rice cooker a try at making Spanish rice. Add one can of diced tomatoes (I used tomato sauce), 1 1/2 cups water, 1 1/2 cups of rice and 2 tbsp of taco seasoning to the rice cooker. Be prepared to force your rice cooker’s handle to stay in the on position like I did (mine wanted to stop a couple of minutes in). But, unlike me, don’t let it cook so long it chars the bottom of the pot. 🙂 Serve with leftover chicken, broth and green onions.