Garlic-Chipotle Beef Kebabs

Do you ever wish you could go back in time and experience something from your own life all over again? Is that weird? Well, I feel like that sometimes and if I could pick one experience to revisit I'd go back to age 20 when I spent 3 months in London. Amazing doesn't even begin to describe my time across the pond. However, I never got around to trying kebabs while I was there (London has a huge Indian population, which means they have tons of Indian eateries as well), mistakenly thinking they were the same as the shish-kabobs I'd eaten at home so many times before.

Now, more than nine years later I've come to find out they are totally not the same thing at all. The husband, who as you may remember is Pakistani, mentioned wanting some kebabs the other day, but explained he didn't want what we usually have, he wanted Indian kebabs. He totally laughed when I told him that I thought they were the same thing. A few days later my newest issue of Everyday Food arrived, with a special section on kebabs, including one Indian-style recipe. I was super excited to show the husband and try making them.

The best part of this meal was that the husband decided to join me in the kitchen and help mix up all the ingredients--a rare occurrence for sure. He said these kebabs were very similar to those his mom made when he was growing up and we should definitely make these again. We doubled the recipe to make 12 kebabs since we weren't having any side dishes. I also made a yogurt dip to serve; simply stir about 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/4 cucumber peeled and thinly sliced, and 1/4-1/2 teaspoon garlic salt into a small container of Greek yogurt. Let the flavors meld for about 30 minutes, then dip your kebabs.

Garlic-Chipotle Beef Kebabs
Source: Everyday Food
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1/2 small yellow onion, finely grated (I just threw mine in the food processor)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons chipotle chilies in adobo, minced
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon coarse salt
big pinch black pepper

Directions
Heat a grill to medium heat. (As always, I highly suggest using a charcoal grill rather than gas. Charcoal lends a much better, smokey flavor, which I just feel you cannot achieve with a gas grill.) Clean and lightly oil the grates once they are hot.

If using a charcoal grill, I found it best to build a pyramid of charcoal in the center, so you can set your kebabs in a circle over the direct heat.

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix together with your hands until well combined.

Dived the mixture into 6 equal portions. Using your hands, shape each portion of meat into a long oblong, about 1" across. Make sure they are each an even thickness so they cook evenly. Insert a long skewer lengthwise through each oblong .

Grill the kebabs, turning occasionally, for about 6-9 minutes, until they are cooked through. I found it best to let them cook, with the BBQ lid on, without turning for about 4 minutes, then I turned them about once per 45-60 seconds after that. This keeps the meat from falling apart on the grill.

Samoa Girl Scout Cookie Ice Cream

My favorite Girl Scout cookies are Tag-a-logs and Samoas; so much so that when I bought a box on my way into the grocery store during this year's Girl Scout Cookie season, it was half-eaten as I walked back out of the store. hehehe My friend's daughter is a Daisy this year, so I bought several boxes of cookies from her, and as I was eating a handful of Samoas one day, I thought about the Thin Mint ice cream I've seen in stores in the past.

"These cookies would make some amazing ice cream!" I thought to myself, pulling The Perfect Scoop off the counter. I thumbed through the tome, looking for inspiration for the base, already planning to mix in hot fudge, caramel and cookie pieces. David Lebovitz's Toasted Coconut ice cream jumped out as the perfect foundation for the ice cream, providing a creamy, coconuty flavor, that is key to the Samoa taste.

As the ice cream churned, I flipped to Dave's recipe for caramel sauce, which was super easy to make and didn't involve any corn syrup, which I saw in other recipes online. I used my own hot fudge technique and chopped up some cookies; as soon as the ice cream was done churning, I added my mix-ins and anxiously awaited the completion of the hard freeze. Oh the finished product! SO good and a perfect recreation of my favorite Girl Scout cookie. :)

David Lebovtiz's ice cream calls for a vanilla bean, which I can never seem to find in any stores around here, so I used additional vanilla extract in its place. I'm sure the actual bean produces a much richer flavor if you can find one, but don't stress if they are as elusive for you as they are for me.

Oh and one last note; if you don't have any leftover Samoas (I don't blame you, we ate 3 boxes in about two weeks here!) Keebler's Coconut Dream cookies are almost a dead-on replica. The only difference between the two is the cookie base; the Girl Scout cookie base is more crisp than it's doppelganger.

Samoa Ice Cream
Source: inspired by Girl Scout cookies, ice cream base and caramel sauce from The Perfect Scoup, hot fudge- no source.
Printable Recipe

Mix-Ins
4 Samoas or Coconut Dream cookies
caramel sauce (see below)
hot fudge sauce (see below)

Ice Cream Ingredients

1 cup dried, shredded, unsweetened coconut
1 cup whole milk (I used reduced fat as that's what I had on hand)
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
big pinch salt
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
5 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ice Cream Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the dried coconut on a baking sheet and back for 5 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently so it toasts evenly. Remove from the oven when it is golden brown and fragrant.

In a medium saucepan, warm the milk, 1 cup of the heavy cream, sugar, salt, and the toasted coconut. Use a paring knife and scrape all of the vanilla seeds into the warm milk, adding the pod as well. (I just poured in about 3/4 of teaspoon vanilla extract at this point.)

Cover the pan, remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for one hour.

Rewarm the coconut-infused milk mixture. Set a mesh strainer over a medium bowl and strain the coconut-infused mixture into the bowl. Press down on the coconut firmly with a spatula to extract as much liquid and flavor as possible. Remove the vanilla bean pieces and discard the coconut. Pour the strained liquid back into the saucepan and set aside. Save the medium bowl.

Pour the remaining one cup heavy cream into a large bowl and set the mesh strainer on top.

In the medium bowl (used when straining the liquid from the coconut), whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm coconut-infused mixture into the yolks, whisking constantly. Scrape the mixture back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture over medium heat with a spatula, constantly scraping the bottom as your stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula. Pour this mixture through the mesh strainer, into the heavy cream. Mix in the 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract and stir until cool over and ice bath.

Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator over night. Churn in your ice cream maker, according to manufacturer directions.

Once ice cream has finished churning, transfer half of the soft ice cream to a freezer-safe container. Stir in half of the chopped cookies, and fold in 1/4 of the caramel sauce and half of the hot fudge. Layer the remaining ice cream on top and repeat.

Caramel Sauce Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Caramel Sauce Directions

In a deep, large, heavy-duty saucepan, spread the sugar in an even letter. Cook the sugar over low to medium heat, watching it carefully. When it begins to liquefy, use a heatproof spatula to very gently stir it to encourage even melting.

Gently stir until all of the sugar is melted and the caramel turns a deep amber color. (Note: According to The Perfect Scoop, it will smoke at this point. This did not happen to me, but don't be alarm if it does for you!)

Immediately remove from the heat and whisk in half of the cream, which will steam and bubble furiously. Carefully stir until the sugar is dissolved, then gradually whisk in the remaining cream, as well as the vanilla and salt.

Whisk until smooth.

Any sauce that you don't use for the Samoa ice cream can be refrigerated for two weeks. Simply rewarm for a few seconds in the microwave and stir before using.

Hot Fudge Sauce Ingredients

Milk
chocolate chips

Hot Fudge Sauce Directions

Pour the milk and chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. The more milk you use, the thinner the sauce will be. I like to use about a 1/2 milk to 1 part chocolate chip ratio.

Heat in the microwave in 20 second increments, stirring after each 20 seconds, until the chocolate is completely melted.

Tangerine Curd

Yeah, it's been about 2 months since I've blogged anything. Grad school kicks my butt, work is stressful, and managing pre-diabetes has kept me out of the kitchen for much of 2011. But I've finally returned and with a great offering. Tangerine curd.

I love the pretty yellow color of this sweet-tart spread; it brings a lot of cheeriness into this cold winter weather we're experiencing. I heard it even snowed in LA today!! Citrus is like that though--just when I'm missing the plethora of fruits available during the spring and summer, stacks of citrus fill the grocery store produce section, beckoning with their bright flavors.

This recipe turns out a silky smooth, buttery, sweetly tart spread, that is just as good eaten by the spoonful as it is spread on some toast or a muffin. I planned to spoon it over ice cream, in ode to my grandma, but wound up eating the entire jar-full with a teaspoon.


Tangerine Curd
Source: Joy the Baker
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
5 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon tangerine zest
1/4 cup tangerine juice
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
pinch of salt

Directions
Combine sugar and tangerine zest on a clean cutting board. With the back of a spoon, rub the zest into the sugar until the sugar is very fragrant and slightly orange in color.

In a medium saucepan over medium low heat, whisk together the egg yolks, egg, tangerine sugar, tangerine and lemon juices, butter and salt. Whisk over the heat until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This takes about 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and pour through a fine mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Transfer to a small jar or airtight container and refrigerate until cool and thicker in texture. Curd will last, refrigerated, for about a week.

2010 Recap

I feel like 2010 has gone way too quickly. It's hard to believe that we're about to start another new year in just a couple of days. This New Year's Eve will mark 6 years since the husband and I first met, 4 years as a teacher, and the last 9 months of my twenties.

Time once seemed to stand still for me; hours felt like days, days felt like weeks. Nowadays, time just flies. I feel like my life has been on fast forward these past several years--not necessarily in a bad way though. I just can't believe how fast the months slip by.

It doesn't feel like it's been 4 months since I was on summer vacation. I can't believe I've already finished one quarter of grad school and will be starting my second quarter the Monday after New Year's Day. 2011 is poised to hold a lot of great changes for the husband and I, and I can't wait to see all that will unfold in the coming months.

But for now, here's a look back at some of my favorite recipes from this year. My photography is still pretty poor, but the recipes are what really matter (right?). I had a hard time picking my favorites from this year; I made so many dishes that we enjoyed. My blog, my rules, so I've included a few recipes for each month, rather than the standard one per month. Enjoy!


January
Buffalo Blue Pizza. I made many pizza variations this year, but Buffalo Blue was a flavorful favorite of mine.

Oven-Roasted Parmesean Broccoli I've always hated broccoli, but this recipe is so good, I willingly include broccoli in our meal plans.

February

Basil Ice Cream. A lot of people made a funny face when I told them about basil ice cream. But then they tried it. Those funny faces were replaced with requests for more ice cream.

Grilled Stuffed Potatoes. If I weren't watching my carb intake, I would grill one of these up right now.

Crispy Maple Ginger Tofu. This is the recipe that showed I can make good tofu at home!

March

Grilled Rosemary Chicken Thighs. One of my favorite chicken recipes ever. Savory-sweet with the smokey charcoal flavor from the grill.

Crispy Coconut Tofu Nuggets. Another confidence boost in the tofu department. These appeared on our dinner plates numerous times this year.

Chocolate Mousse. Make this soon.

Barbecue Babyback Ribs. A warm weather staple in our house. So simple, yet so flavorful. Lots of witty commentary with this one.

April

BBQ Chicken Pizza. The husband's hands-down favorite homemade pizza.

Lime Marinated Flank Steak. Be sure to use super ripe avocados. My mouth is watering thinking about this meal.

Strawberries and Cream Cake. Everyone who tried this cake agreed--much better than the traditional angel food cake with sliced strawberries. I went out of town for a day or two, leaving 3/4 of this cake in the fridge. When I came back home, I discovered the husband had completely polished it off.

May

Summery Fruit Salad. I'm craving the summery-sweet flavors right now. Basil is an unexpected, yet perfect, savory addition.

Chocolate Overload Nutella Mousse Pie. Sinful.

Filet Mignon. A simply elegant meal for the husband's 30th birthday.

June

Hummus. A snacking staple.

Cherry Pie. Summer in a pie plate.

July

Beer-a-ritas. Refreshingly light, with a powerful punch. Don't drink too many! I think I'll need to make a batch of these soon...

Cinnamon Ice Cream. ooooo, this is some good stuff. I made this ice cream several times this year and it received rave reviews every time. Even from my cinnamon-hating boss.

Rosemary Dijon Salmon Burgers. A nice alternative to eating fish fillets.

August

Cherry Almond Granola. I made a huge bag of this and snacked on it endlessly. It is perfect on its own, or stirred into plain Greek yogurt.

Guacamole Salad. Is it summer yet? I'd like to grill some ribs and dish up this amazingly flavorful side dish right now.

September

Spicy Oven-Fried Chicken. Make this instead of feeling guilty for hitting the Chik-fil-a drive through.

Apple Cake Pops. Too cute. Super yummy. Perfect for a group of teachers.

October

Herb-Marinated Sirloin Tip Steaks. Meaty deliciousness.

November

Pumpkin Custards. A low-sugar pumpkin dessert. I served these to my friends and family members who are diabetic, or are otherwise watching their sugar intake, and everyone absolutely loved the results.

Almond-Encrusted Chicken Nuggets. Serve with some spicy mustard or barbecue sauce to dip in and say adios to McDonalds.

December

Candy Cane Sugar. Better than trying to crush up candy canes by hand and winding up with huge, sharp shards.

Candy Cane Sugar

I like sprinkling crushed candy canes on Christmas treats, but if you don't crush the candy canes enough, you're left with huge jagged chunks that aren't so fun. I saw a picture of peppermint sugar on Tastespotting and decided to give it a try. I like how finely crushed the candy canes are, and combined with the sugar, they give a sparkly touch to special treats.

Candy Cane Sugar
Source: Tastespotting and Pip & Ebby

Ingredients
1 cup granulated sugar
candy canes (however many you want)

Directions
Break up the candy canes into large chunks (you can skip this step if you're using mini candy canes)/
Put the sugar and the candy canes in the bowl of a food processor. Turn it on and process until you have the desired size. I like mine mostly fine, with a few small chunks.

Store in a airtight container or ziplock bag. Sprinkle on top of cake balls, peppermint bark, cookies, cakes, or whatever treats you like!

Turkey Dumplings with Sesame Dipping Sauce

I love making these turkey dumplings for a weekend meal, though I think they'd be great as a party appetizer as well. Making filling comes together quickly, as does cooking the dumplings, but filling and sealing the wonton wrappers takes awhile, so be sure to give yourself plenty of time.

This is a great recipe for a low-carb diet, which makes me love it even more! If you're vegetarian you can easily omit the turkey and add in 1 cup of spinach leaves, or shredded carrots and diced bell peppers.

Turkey Dumplings with Sesame Dipping Sauce
Source: Adapted from Reverse Diabetes-Holiday Issue
Printable Recipe

Dumpling Ingredients
1 pound ground turkey
6 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green portions)
one 8-ounce can water chestnuts, drained
8 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
48 wonton wrappers

Dipping Sauce Ingredients
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tablespoons sesame oil
4 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup thinly slices green onions, plus additional for garnish

Dumpling Directions

Brown the ground turkey in a skillet until cooked through. Drain off any fat.

Combine the turkey, scallions, water chestnuts, cilantro, soy sauce, ginger and pepper in a medium bowl. Mix well to combine.

Bring a large pot of water to boil.

Working with several wonton wrappers at a time, while keeping the remainder loosly covered with a damp cloth, start filling the wontons. I find it easiest to hold the wrapper in one hand and add about a 1/2 teaspoon to a teaspoon of filling to the center of each wrapper. Dip your finger in water and moisten the edges of the wonton wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half, over the filling, and press the edges together to seal. Set aside and keep covered with a damp cloth. Repeat with the remaining wonton wrappers and filling.

Add the dumplings to the boiling water (it's best to work in batches) and cook until they float to the surface--about 3-4 minutes.

While the dumplings are cooking, make the dipping sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, sugar, and scallions.

Remove the dumplings from the water with a slotted spoon, draining off excess water. Serve with dipping sauce and a sprinkle of chopped green onions.

Pumpkin Pie

My first Thanksgiving away from home was my junior year of college. Going to school in northern California meant that I was an 8 hour drive away from home; I had no desire to make the long trek down the 5, and being a broke college kid meant I couldn't afford holiday airfare home. Much to my parents chagrin, I decided to stay in the Bay Area and drive down to Santa Cruz for Thanksgiving dinner with a high school friend who was attending UCSC.

I made a few pumpkin pies, packed up my car, and headed off to Santa Crux aftr dropping off some friends in San Jose. Everyone was worried about me though, since my car wasn't the most reliable--in fact, it had a penchant for breaking down at the worst possible moment. And of course, why would Thanksgiving be any different. Alone on a windy, two-lane road in the Santa Cruz Mountains, halfway between San Jose and Santa Cruz, my car puttered and jerked to a halt right at a bend in the road. There was no getting it started again, so I pulled out my cell and made some calls...a short while later, AAA was there to give me a lift back to my friend's house in San Jose, the pies still sitting in the back seat.

Though sitting on that mountain road was pretty scary, that turned out to be a great Thanksgiving. We never did eat the pies though, as my hosts already had a full spread prepared. But every year I make the same recipe and laugh when I think about that first Thanksgiving away from home.

This pie is a family favorite; it's bold, spicy flavor puts store-bought--and even the Libby's pumpkin recipe--to shame. I use canned pumpkin, but you can also roast your own pumpkins for the puree.

Ingredients
1 ½ cup pumpkin puree
2 beaten eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon each ground mace and cloves (sub nutmeg for mace if you don't have any mace)
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup evaporated milk
½ teaspoon each salt, ginger and nutmeg
9” pie shell (I use Martha Stewart's pate brisee recipe)

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees. Press pie dough into greased 9" pie pan.

In a large bowl, mix ingredients together in the order given. Pour into unbaked pie shell and bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 45 minutes.

Cool before serving. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.