how to throw a Cinco de Mayo party in 2 hrs

I ususally like to have alot of time to prepare ahead when throwing a party/dinner party so I’m not quite sure what I was thinking to come home and have 2 hours to put everything together by myself for a Cinco de Mayo party. Well, somehow I did it! Here’s a look at what I made and what is essential for a great party.

My Cinco de Mayo menu:
- chips & salsa & guac
- corn/tomato/avocado salad
- mini taco cups
- individual dippers
- shrimp tacos
- taquitos & beef tacos from the freezer (thank you Trader Joes)
- margaritas, bloody marys & beers

Mini Taco Cups
Recipe: http://family.go.com/food/pkg-family-approved-recipes/recipe-644459-taco-cups-t/
Aren’t these so cute? But I discovered that while these were a good idea in theory & easy to pop in your mouth, the bottoms of the cups can get soggy. You’ll need to make them & serve immediately. Just layer each Tostito scooper with refried beans, ground beef with taco seasoning, salsa, shredded cheddar, sour cream & a sliced olive on top. The beans & sour cream are hard to scoop in so might be good to use a piper.

Corn avocado tomato salad
really easy recipe: just mix canned corn, chopped avocado, quartered cherry tomatoes, chopped onions, 3 tablespoons olive oil, fresh lime juice, chopped cilantro, salt & pepper. Refreshing salad that can also be used as salsa.

Individual dippers
I used the same ingredients as the mini taco cups but also added chopped avocado and for a little fun, I stuck in a mustache pick in each cup.

Shrimp Tacos
These were decent tacos. I think it would’ve tasted much better if the shrimp was freshly grilled. I bought already cooked shrimp that I heated in a pan. But it’s a good recipe, the white sauce is easy to make & pretty yummy.
Recipe: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/grilled-shrimp-tacos-10000000635602/index.html

And there you have it.. my Cinco de Mayo menu. For a great party, all you really need is drinks, tasty snacks & great company

I want to live at Sycamore Kitchen

Sycamore Kitchen is one of my favorite places in LA. I needed to escape from work today for a little bit and went here for a feel good meal. It’s such a cute place.. there is an outdoors seating area and inside, it looks like a rustic, modern loft. Everything I have eaten here so far has been so delicious.. the food tastes fresh & homemade and the pastries are mouth watering. I really just want to stay there all the time. Maybe next time I will bring a pillow and nap between meals. Go immediately!

I love latte art! Latte & flourless lemon custard almond tart

Double B-LTA: crispy & braised pork belly, butter lettuce, balsamic tomatoes, avocado, mayo & country bread

Grilled short rib sandwich with onion-stout jam, mushrooms, swiss, horesradish mayo. This melts in your mouth.

Split pea soup with bacon, snap peas & cherry tomato. This is probably the best split pea I’ve ever tasted.

new salmon recipe with lemon caper butter

Why is salmon so good? You can make it so many different ways and they are all delicious. I am loving all the new recipes I have tried with salmon. Today’s new recipe is one of my favorites now. If you like lemon and capers, you will definitely like this recipe. The lemon caper butter blends well with the salmon and is super easy to make. The zestiness from the lemon and saltiness from the capers make an excellent combination. Try it next time you make salmon!

recipe courtesy of http://www.lifesambrosia.com/2009/05/baked-salmon-with-lemon-caper-butter-recipe.html

Salmon baked with a decadent lemon caper butter.
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min

Ingredients:
2 (5 ounce) salmon fillets
kosher salt and pepper
4 lemon slices
non-stick spray

Lemon Caper Butter
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons capers drained and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
juice of 1/2 of a lemon
kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick spray.
3. Place salmon fillets on the prepared baking sheet. (Note: I don’t like the bones so I remove them. Some use needle-nose pliers, I used my finger nails but it did take me a little while). Sprinkle fillets with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Place 2 lemon slices on top of each fillet. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove and tent with aluminum foil for 10 more minutes. Fish will continue to cook during this time. It will flake easily when done.
4. While salmon is cooking, in a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Once butter has melted add garlic, capers, lemon zest and lemon juice. Cook for 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Remove lemon slices and discard. Gently slide a turner or serving spatula between the skin and the flesh of the fillet to remove the skin, it should separate very easily. Transfer fillet to a serving platter and spoon lemon caper butter over the top. Serve.

my fancy Friday night dinner for one

I don’t think I have ever cooked this much in one week.. I guess that is one benefit of being sick.. you’re home & bored so what else to do but try new recipes & eat? This is better than going out, drinking and eating greasy late night food. Oh how I miss being healthy. So instead of going out, I decided to make myself a lovely Friday night dinner. It may look fancy (fennel makes things pretty) but it’s easy. I love Steamy Kitchen recipes- the ones I have tried so far have all been easy, quick & delicious. I’ve been wanting to try this miso salmon recipe with fennel & orange and I am definitely going to make it again. It is full of flavor with the miso marinade and the refreshing taste of orange. As a side, I kept the miso theme going with miso ginger asparagus. The only thing I might try differently next time is to bake the asparagus just a tad longer after pouring on the miso ginger sauce. It was a great Friday night dinner.. so great that I almost ate the second piece of salmon right after

MISO SALMON WITH ORANGE & FENNEL

http://www.steamykitchen.com/21477-miso-salmon-with-orange-and-fennel-recipe.html

Ingredients:
4 salmon fillets
salt and pepper
1/4 cup Miso & Easy (or 2 tablespoons miso paste)
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons sake (or dry white wine)
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 orange
1 bulb fennel (with fronds)

Directions:
1. Marinate the salmon with the salt, pepper, Miso & Easy, honey, sake and ginger at least 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator. It is easiest do this in a resealable bag.

2. When ready to cook, Preheat oven to 375F. Thinly slice the orange (you can keep the peel on) and thinly slices the fennel bulb. Layer the orange slices and fennel slices on a baking sheet. Place the marinated salmon on top (discard the leftover marinade.) Cover the salmon with several sprigs of the fennel fronds. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until desired level of doneness.

MISO GINGER ASPARAGUS

http://www.steamykitchen.com/20068-miso-ginger-asparagus-recipe.html

Ingredients:
1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed
1 teaspoon cooking oil (olive, canola or vegetable)
2 teaspoons Miso & Easy (or 1 teaspoon miso paste + 1 teaspoon hot water)
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375F. Place asparagus on baking sheet and drizzle with cooking oil. Toss to coat. Roast asparagus for 8-10 minutes or until pierces easily with fork. Timing depends on how thick the asparagus spears are.
2. While the asparagus is roasting, prepare the ginger miso sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients until smooth.
3. Pour over asparagus and serve.

new recipe: Curtis Stone’s spaghetti with kale

Being sick at home is not fun.. but a girl still has to eat right? I was browsing through Instagram and saw Curtis Stone’s recipe (from his new cookbook “What’s For Dinner? Delicious Recipes for a Busy Life”) for spaghetti with kale. It is such a simple recipe and once again, I had all the ingredients already so I gave it a try. I know I said I needed more ingredients with my pasta in my last post but sorry Martha Stewart, Curtis Stone changed my mind.. It didn’t need anything else. The dish is light & hearty with the cooked kale.. all the flavors blend well together. My suggestion: add a sprinkle of hot red pepper flakes to give it a kick. Home sick but with a happy belly

Spaghetti with Kale

• 1 lb. kale, well washed, tough stems removed, leaves thinly sliced
• 1 lb. spaghetti
• ¼ cup extra-virgin oil
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. grated lemon zest (from about 4 lemons)
• 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
• 3 oz. Parmesan cheese, shaved or freshly grated

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the kale and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until tender. Using a mesh spoon or sieve, scoop the kale out of the water, draining it well, and transfer it to a bowl.

2. Return the water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook, stirring often to ensure it doesn’t stick together, for about 8 minutes, or until tender but still firm to the bite. Scoop out and reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the spaghetti.

3. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add ½ cup of the oil and the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, or just until fragrant. Stir in the kale, add the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper. Add the spaghetti and the remaining ¼ cup oil and toss to coat. Stir in the lemon juice, followed by half of the cheese. Season again with salt and pepper. Stir in enough of the reserved cooking water to moisten the pasta as necessary.

4. Divide the pasta among four pasta bowls, top with the remaining cheese, and serve.

new recipe: Martha Stewart’s pappardelle with carmelized onions & parmesan

I decided that it will be my new goal to try a new recipe at least once a week. So far, I’ve been doing a good job. I’m so dedicated that I even cooked when I was sick (good thing I was just cooking for myself). Since I didn’t feel like cooking anything too hard or fancy, I found the perfect recipe that included ingredients I already had at home. This recipe for Martha Stewart’s pappardelle with carmelized onions and parmesan is super easy and quick. While I thought it was good, I think I need more ingredients in my pasta than just onions.. maybe next time, I’ll throw in some mushrooms.

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recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/336532/pappardelle-with-caramelized-onions-and

Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 package (8.8 ounces) pappardelle pasta or 8 ounces fettuccine
2 tablespoons butter
2 ounces Parmesan, shaved with a vegetable peeler

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add onions and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cover, and cook, without stirring, until onions have released their liquid, about 5 minutes. Uncover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes more. When bottom of skillet darkens, add a few tablespoons water, and scrape up browned bits with a wooden spoon (you may need to do this 2 or 3 times).
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When onions have about 10 minutes left to cook, add pasta to water in pot, and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and return to pot.
3. Add onions and butter to pasta in pot; season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Gradually add enough pasta water to create a thin sauce that coats pasta. Serve pasta topped with Parmesan.

what is shakshuka?

That’s right, things are getting fancy & cultural up at Delish Thoughts. I was just browsing through recipes online when I randomly saw a photo of eggs cooked in tomato sauce. I became curious and learned that it is a Middle Eastern dish called shakshuka. It’s basically eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, onions, bell peppers & spices.

It’s really easy to make.. I can give you 3 words to describe the process: chop, stir & poach. One issue I had was that I thought I had cayenne pepper but didn’t and it is definitely needed for this dish.. overall still good but it needed a kick. Serve with some toasted bread to dip into the sauce.

mixture of chopped onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, minced garlic & tomato paste

crack eggs directly on top of the sauce

make sure you cover with a lid to let the eggs cook

ta-dah! shakshuka!

recipe courtesy of http://theshiksa.com/2010/07/28/summer-2010-travel-blog-shakshuka/

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Total Time: 30 – 40 Minutes

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium brown or white onion, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 medium green or red bell pepper, chopped
4 cups ripe diced tomatoes, or 2 cans (14 oz. each) diced tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp chili powder (mild)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper (or more to taste– spicy!)
Pinch of sugar (optional, to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste
5-6 eggs
1/2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley (optional, for garnish)

Heat a deep, large skillet or sauté pan on medium. Slowly warm olive oil in the pan. Add chopped onion, sauté for a few minutes until the onion begins to soften. Add garlic and continue to sauté till mixture is fragrant.
Add the bell pepper, sauté for 5-7 minutes over medium until softened. Add tomatoes and tomato paste to pan, stir till blended. Add spices and sugar, stir well, and allow mixture to simmer over medium heat for 5-7 minutes till it starts to reduce. At this point, you can taste the mixture and spice it according to your preferences. Add salt and pepper to taste, more sugar for a sweeter sauce, or more cayenne pepper for a spicier shakshuka (be careful with the cayenne… it is extremely spicy!).

Crack the eggs, one at a time, directly over the tomato mixture, making sure to space them evenly over the sauce. I usually place 4-5 eggs around the outer edge and 1 in the center. The eggs will cook “over easy” style on top of the tomato sauce. Cover the pan. Allow mixture to simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked and the sauce has slightly reduced. Keep an eye on the skillet to make sure that the sauce doesn’t reduce too much, which can lead to burning. Some people prefer their shakshuka eggs more runny. If this is your preference, let the sauce reduce for a few minutes before cracking the eggs on top– then, cover the pan and cook the eggs to taste.

Garnish with the chopped parsley, if desired. Shakshuka can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. For breakfast, serve with warm crusty bread or pita that can be dipped into the sauce (if you’re gluten-intolerant, skip the bread). For dinner, serve with a green side salad for a light, easy meal.

would you say your pesto is the besto?

I will give you mad props if you know where that line is from. Anyone?

I get random cravings and ideas all the time. Yesterday, I was driving home and suddenly decided to make pesto for the first time. I think most people, like myself, assume pesto is made with basil but you can make it with other greens as well– for this recipe (thanks to Giada), arugula was used to make the pesto. I wasn’t sure if it was good when I first tried it so for my own personal taste, I added half more of a garlic glove and 1/2 cup more parmesan cheese and then.. wah lah! Fresh pesto ready to go! Make sure to keep stirring the pesto so that the cheese is mixed throughout evenly.

Recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/spaghetti-with-arugula-pesto-and-seared-jumbo-shrimp-recipe/index.html

Spaghetti with Arugula Pesto and Seared Jumbo Shrimp
Prep Time:10 min
Cook Time:15 min

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh arugula
1 garlic clove
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound jumbo shrimp
1 pound spaghetti
Lemon zest, for garnish
10 parsley leaves, chopped, for garnish

Directions:
Blend the arugula and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add 1/2 cup of oil, processing until well blended. Transfer the pesto to a large bowl. Stir in the Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Prepare the grill (high heat). Using a knife, cut the back of the shrimp. Brush the shrimp with oil. Sprinkle with salt. Grill the shrimp until just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the shrimp to a plate.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

Toss the pasta with the pesto in the large bowl to coat, adding the reserved cooking liquid 1 tablespoon at a time to moisten. Top with the grilled shrimp. Garnish with the lemon zest and parsley.

make your own pizzas at home

Why wait for a pizza to be delivered or spend money on a greasy pizza when you can make delicious, fresh pizzas at home! Trader Joes sells pizza dough (whole wheat too). It’s a bit tough to roll out the dough with a rolling pin but what helps is to place it on an oiled baking pan and then you can spread it out thin using your fingers. Once the dough is ready, drizzle with olive oil and add your favorite toppings. On one pizza, we put shitake mushrooms, tomato sauce, mozzarella, goat cheese & basil and the other included tomato sauce, sun dried tomatoes, proscuitto, topped off with arugula. The directions for the dough says to bake for 8 pizzas but we left it in the oven a few minutes longer for a crispier crust. Fresh pizzas ready in no time

I know how to poach eggs now!

This may be one of my most proudest cooking moments.. I poached eggs for the first time! And it was edible.. hooray! I love egg benedicts.. if there is one on the menu, I usually am tempted to order it. So I thought I would try making it at home sometime but I never knew how to poach eggs.. it seems terrifying but thanks to Youtube & Alton Brown, I am a pro poacher now.

Watch & learn!

This egg benedicts recipe I found is pretty easy. I forced my roommate & his friend to be my guinea pigs and what I learned is that they preferred to have the Canadian bacon sliced thinner. I also now know how to make hollandaise.. I feel totally legit now. And that was my homemade Easter breakfast.. Happy Easter to all!

Eggs benedict recipe courtesy of: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/eggs_benedict/

Ingredients
•8 pieces of bacon or 4 pieces of Canadian bacon
•2 tablespoons chopped parsley, for garnish
•4 eggs
•2 teaspoons white or rice vinegar
•2 English muffins
•Butter

Blender Hollandaise
•10 Tbsp unsalted butter
•3 egg yolks
•1 Tbsp lemon juice
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•Dash of cayenne or tabasco

Method

1 Start with the bacon. Heat a large skillet on medium low heat. Add the strips of bacon or the slices of Canadian bacon. Slowly fry, turning occasionally, until the bacon is browned on both sides, and if using strip bacon, much of the fat is rendered out (about 10 minutes). Use tongs or a fork to remove the bacon from the pan, set on a paper towel to absorb the excess fat. Don’t pour the bacon fat left in the pan down the drain! Either sop it up with paper towels when it has cooled a bit, or pour it into a jar to be used later (see rendering bacon fat).

2 While the bacon is cooking, bring a large saucepan two-thirds-filled with water to a boil, then add the vinegar. Bring the water to a boil again, then lower the heat to a bare simmer.

3 Make the blender hollandaise. To make blender hollandaise, melt 10 Tbsp unsalted butter. Put 3 egg yolks, a tablespoon of lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt in a blender, blend on medium to medium high speed for 20-30 seconds, until eggs lighten in color. Turn blender down to lowest setting, slowly dribble in the hot melted butter, while continuing to blend. Taste for salt and acidity and add more salt or lemon juice to taste.Transfer it to a container you can use for pouring and set it on a warm – but not hot – place on or near the stovetop.

4 Poach the eggs. Here is an easy method for poaching eggs. Essentially, working one egg at a time you crack an egg into a small bowl and slip it into the barely simmering water. Once it begins to solidify, you can slip in another egg, until you have all four cooking. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let sit for 4 minutes. (Remember which egg went in first, you’ll want to take it out first.) When it comes time to remove the eggs, gently lift out with a slotted spoon. Note that the timing is a little variable on the eggs, depending on the size of your pan, how much water, how many eggs, and how runny you like them. You might have to experiment a little with your set-up to figure out what you need to do to get the eggs exactly the way you like them.

5 As soon as all the eggs are in the poaching water, begin toasting your English muffins. If you can’t get all the muffins toasted by the time the eggs are ready, gently remove the eggs from the poaching water and set in a bowl.

6 To assemble the eggs benedict, butter one side of an English muffin. Top with two slices of bacon or 1 slice of Canadian bacon. You can trim the bacon to fit the muffin if you’d like. Put a poached egg on top of the bacon, then pour some hollandaise over. Sprinkle some parsley over it all and serve at once.