25 Haziran 2012 Pazartesi

~ Rustic Tomato Sauce with Roasted Peppers and Cannellini Beans ~

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Ingredients:
4 cloves of garlic - chopped3 stalks of celery - chopped½ cup sliced sweet marinated roasted red peppers - sliced - plus a little pepper juice¼ cup roasted marinated hot cherry peppers – sliced1 onion – sliced¼ cup chopped olives -  coarsely chopped29 oz. can cannellini beans – rinsed and drained28 oz. can crushed tomatoes½ tsp. of saltDashes of black pepperDashes of dried oreganoDashes of red pepper flakes½ cup chicken broth¼ cup red wineOlive oil – for drizzlingRomano cheese1 lb. box of spaghetti
Heat a large frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil.  Add the onions and celery and sauté until the onions are slightly caramelized and soft. 
Add the peppers, both hot and sweet and the garlic, and the olives.  Add the crushed tomatoes, seasonings and the cannellini beans.  Continue to gently simmer.
Add the chicken broth, the wine and a tablespoon or two of the marinated juice from the peppers.  Continue to gently simmer.
Prepare the spaghetti as directed.
When the spaghetti is ready lift it from the water into the frying pan.  Drizzle a little olive oil over the spaghetti and few dashes of red pepper flakes and grated Romano cheese and toss.
This is both delicious and satisfying with a good loaf of bread.
With Love,
Catherinexo

LTG Featured Product Post: Nuvia Instant Healthy Coffee

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Coffee can be shared between friends andfamily, or enjoyed alone.  It may be savored over a simple meal oraccompanied with something sweet.  Regardless of all its forms andvarieties, coffee is a pure delight.

Nuvia Instant Coffee embodies everythingthat ‘coffee’ represents and more.With its robust and full-bodied flavor,Nuvia is a unique blend of Sumatran Arabica coffee infused with a trifecta oflegendary ingredients.  Nuvia is blended with the extracts of 100%certified organic Ganoderma (an immune enhancer, studied for its potentialtherapeutic benefits), African Mango Seed (a natural appetite suppressant) andPomegranate (an antioxidant).
Living the Gourmet is delighted to be featuring Nuvia. There really is nothing quite like sitting on the porch, looking out into themorning rays or evening sky while sipping a fresh cup of good coffee!


Note: If you would like to learn more about Nuvia Cafe, visit their website HERE!!!


Sincerely,
Living the Gourmet


Disclaimer: Nuvia is not intended to treat, cure, or diagnose any disease, nor have its claims been investigated by the FDA.  Living the Gourmet neither requested nor received any compensation except a product sample for review purposes for the above post.
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~Corn Pudding~

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(Inspired by The American Girl Collection: Addy’s Cook Book)
Ingredients:
Butter to grease casserole dish3 eggs2 cups corn (fresh or frozen)¼ cup flour½ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon pepper2 tablespoons butter2 cups whole milk
Fill the baking pan with an inch of water and set it in the oven.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Grease the casserole dish with butter. Set it aside.
Crack the eggs into the mixing bowl, and beat them with the fork until bubbles form on the top.
If you are using fresh corn, cut it from the cob.  If you are using frozen corn, run the bag under cold water to separate the kernels.
Stir the corn into the eggs. Sprinkle the flour, salt, and pepper over the eggs and corn, then mix in.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the saucepan over low heat.
Add the melted butter and milk to the corn mixture and stir.
Pour the corn mixture into the greased casserole dish.  Place the casserole dish into the baking dish of water in the oven.
Bake the corn pudding for 1 hour or until the knife inserted into the center comes out clean. 
Remove the casserole dish from the oven and set the pudding on a trivet at the table and serve it warm.  Enjoy!
Here is another traditional all-American dish from Addy!  I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I do!
With love,Catherine xo

The Skinny: Living the Gourmet

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Recently, I was contacted by Skinnymom.com to be the featured blogger for their new featured web series, 'The Skinny' where they feature favorite bloggers in the categories of fitness, food, family and fashion.
To read my interview with Skinnymom.com, please visit this link: The Skinny Series: Food.
I would like to thank all the ladies over at Skinnymom.com for featuring Living the Gourmet.
With love,Catherine xo
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~ Marinated Pork Salad ~

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Ingredients:
1 lb. of leftover grilled boneless pork – sliced into thinstripsHead of Romaine lettuce – cleaned and left whole1 red onion – sliced thin3 stalks of celery – sliced thin with leaves1 grilled jalapeño – sliced with seedsMarinated sweet red peppers – sliced - with a little juiceDashes of red pepper flakes¼ tsp. of saltDashes of black pepperZest of 1 lime
Slice the pork into thin strips and place in a bowl. 
Add the sliced onion, celery, grilled jalapeño, sweetmarinated peppers, lime zest and seasonings and toss. 
Marinade:
You may adjust this marinade to the amount of salad you aremaking.
1 tablespoon of sugar½ tsp. of saltJuice of 2 limes½ cup of red wine vinegar

Prepare the marinade, pour over the pork and toss.
Place in the refrigerator while preparing the Romaineleaves.
Drizzle each leaf with a preparation of 1 tsp. of sugar and¼ tsp. of salt and 3 tablespoons of vinegar and stir.
Plate the leaves and top with the pork salad.  You may crumble feta, gorgonzola or yourfavorite choice of cheese on top.
This is a cool and refreshing lunch or dinner.
With Love,
Catherinexo
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24 Haziran 2012 Pazar

Brodard Vietnamese, Garden Grove, CA

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Brodard Restaurant, Garden GroveBrodard's Vietnamese Restaurant
I went to Brodard's Vietnamese Restaurant in Garden Grove, CA on Friday. The American Library Association's (ALA) annual conference is in town at the Anaheim Convention Center. Some 10,000+ librarians come to town with lots of cardigans.

We went to Brodard's Vietnamese in nearby Garden Grove. If you come to visit Disneyland or have a conference in Anaheim, you really need make your way to Little Saigon in the Santa Ana / Garden Grove / Westminster area of Orange County for something other than conference food. It was our first time at Brodard's. Reviewers either love or hate the sauce that accompanies their famous spring rolls. The spring rolls were very good and very tightly sealed (when I make them they are a floppy mess), but I found the sauce too sweet and used the basic fish sauce instead.

The service gets pretty ripped in Yelp, but I felt it was pretty typical of a fast-paced Vietnamese restaurant. We ordered, got the food and never saw the waiter again. If you want something, just raise your hand and get someone's attention. We talked for a long time and nearly closed down the place so it was great for us! :)

Brodard
Vietnamese Restaurant (Cafe next door)
Inside the Mall of Fortune
9892 Westminster Ave
Garden Grove, CA 92844
Yelp
Gastromony post (Thanks Cathy! Your post really helped us pick dishes!)Pin It!

Earthy Coleslaw

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Ingredients:

½ head green cabbage½ head red cabbage3 long carrots
For Dressing :

1 small sweet onion4 cloves garlic3 sprigs of  mintZest of 1 lemonJuice of ½ lemon4 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar¾ cup milk½ cup mayonnaise
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper


Using a food processor shred the cabbage and carrots and set aside. 
Again, using the food processor shred the onion and garlic and place in a small bowl for the dressing.  Finely chop the mint and add to the onion garlic mix.  Whisk in lemon zest, lemon juice,  vinegar, milk, mayo, salt and pepper.  Whisk until all ingredients are well combined and creamy.  Pour over the cabbage and carrots and mix well.
With fresh mint and tangy notes of citrus, this coleslaw is a refreshing salad for your summer parties!!
With love,

Catherine
xo

~ Summer Salad Wrap ~

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Ingredients:
Tortilla wrapsGround chickenCrispy baconShredded romaine or iceberg lettuceMayonnaiseSweet picklesCrumbled Blue cheeseRed OnionFresh basilHoneyLemon juiceVinegarRed pepper flakesGround cuminOlive oil
Sauté the ground chicken with a drizzle of olive oil, saltand black pepper; set the chicken aside. 
Cook the bacon and lay it on paper towels; set the bacon aside.
Gently, sauté the red onion with the basil and a drizzle ofolive oil; set this aside.
Mix the onion and basil with the ground chicken.  Drizzle fresh lemon juice, a drizzle ofhoney, a little vinegar and dashes of ground cumin over the mixture  and toss.
Heat the tortilla wraps.
To build the Wrap:
Brush the wrap with desired amount of mayonnaise. 
Place the shredded lettuce on the wrap.
Add the ground chicken with basil and onion.
Top this with the bacon and sweet pickles.
Add the blue cheese and fold.
This is a great treat for a cool summer meal.
With Love,
Catherine xo StumbleUpon

~ Spinach and Blue Cheese Ravioli ~

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Ingredients:
For the Ravioli Dough:
2 cups flour – sifted3 egg yolks¼ tsp. saltWarm water
Sift the four onto a board make a well in the center, andplace the egg yolks in the well.  Add 3tablespoons warm water.  Work it into theflour and knead until a stiff dough is formed, adding a little more warm waterif necessary.
Knead until smooth and elastic.  Cover the dough and let it stand for 15minutes.
Divide the dough in half, and roll out 1 of the halves asthinly as possible.  Using a desired sizecover to a jar, (example a mayonnaise jar cover) cut out circles.  Using a teaspoon place filling in center; topwith another round circle and press the edges firmly with a fork.  Repeat until all of the dough is used.
For the Ravioli Filling:
10 oz. box of frozen chopped spinach1 small onion - chopped3 cloves of garlic – chopped6 oz. crumbled blue cheese¼ cup grated Romano cheeseZest of ½ lemonDash of ground nutmegOlive oil for drizzling
Gently, heat a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil.  Add the onion and the spinach to thaw.  Add the garlic after the spinach has thawed.
Transfer the spinach, onion and garlic to a bowl and add the lemon zest, blue cheese and Romano cheese and toss.
To Cook the Ravioli:
Drop into boiling salted water, and simmer for 10minutes.  Drain well.
For the Fennel and Tomato Sauce:
14 oz. of crushed tomatoes1 onion – chopped1 bulb of fresh fennel - sliced1 cup of chicken broth1 tablespoon of butterDash of salt Dash of red pepper flakesOlive oil for drizzling
Heat a frying pan with a drizzle of olive oil and atablespoon of butter.  Add the fennel andonion and sauté until the onion is clear. 
Add crushed tomatoes and the chicken broth and simmer onlow.  Add the seasonings.
Add leftover ravioli filling to the sauce and toss.
This is a delicious treat. 
With Love,
Catherine xoStumbleUpon

~ Cold ~ Marinated Vegetable Salad ~

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Ingredients:
2 red bell peppers – sliced1 onion – sliced1 zucchini – sliced 6 oz. jar ofmarinated artichoke hearts – plus  about¼ of the marinade½ cup of pitted black olives1 tablespoon of capers – plus a little of the caper juice
Marinade:
Juice of 1 lemonJuice of 1 lime¼ cup of vinegar½ tsp. of saltDashes of red pepper flakes1 tablespoon of sugar
Place all of the vegetables in a bowl.  Prepare the marinade and pour over thevegetables.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. 
Serve with a provolone cheese, blue cheese, feta cheese,gorgonzola cheese, parmesan or Romano cheese shavings.
This is a good summer salad.
With Love,
Catherinexo
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23 Haziran 2012 Cumartesi

Chocolate Mochi Brownie Squares

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Mochi Brownies Chocolate Mochi Brownie Squares
Recently, I transferred to a new position at work. Still working for the same library system, but a new position at our headquarters. I'm tardy in posting photos of my going away party at my former library - they hosted a lovely dessert buffet...it was so sweet. Those are coming soon!

At my new workplace, one of my co-workers is on a gluten-free diet (darn you Celiac). I keep bringing in desserts she can't eat so I wanted to make something gluten-free. I love, love, love all things mochi (my family's history with mochi is well documented in my New Year's Mochi Making posts) so this recipe on my friend's blog JustJenn Recipes was a perfect fit.

Mochi Brownies Since these brownies are made with rice flour (I only use Koda Farms Mochiko rice flour), they have a distinctive "mochi" chew. They aren't too sweet and are a nice morning or afternoon treat.

I cut all my work treats "petite" size...I usually cut a 8 x8 pan into 16 or 25 pieces.

Mochi Brownies This is a great gluten-free recipe...and enjoyed by all! It's super easy to make...no electric mixer needed. I hope you make a pan full of yum soon!

P.S. Thanks for all the comments about my last post mourning the loss of Picnik. Picnik certainly had many fans!!! I used PicMonkey to add the text to the first photo. It is easy to use and the fonts are stylin' - I jumped for joy seeing Lobster Two! They say collages are coming soon! Some Picnik folks went to PicMonkey and you can see it. It is web based, but you need to pull your photos in from your computer, and can edit one photo at a time.  I hope they are able to add direct integration with Flickr at some point and make the whole process online, but it a great start!

Recipe:
Find the recipe on my friend's justJENN Recipes blog for Chocolate Mochi Brownies

My changes and notes:
- 1 cup mochiko (Koda Farms brand) was 4 7/8 ounces by weight
- I used 1/2 cup Nestle semi-sweet morsels for the melting
- I mixed 1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips into the batter then put the pan into the oven. After 15 minutes of baking, I sprinkled the remaining 1/4 cup of mini chocolate chips on top. I think this helped prevent the chips from falling to the bottom of the pan.
- I used an 8 x 8 pan and baked it for 52 minutes.


Sinjin, Linnéa, and Katie in the Park

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Shannon & Gwendolyn Kids 2012Absolute Adorableness
A couple weeks ago I spent the day in the park with the cutest kids in the world! Librarian friends Gwendolyn (with hubby Nate) and Shannon brought their kids to the Culver West Park. We all used to work at the same place, and it was too long since we last saw each other...see little Sinjin and Katie hanging out over a year ago!

Shannon & Gwendolyn Kids 2012Katie on the see saw with her mommy, Shannon.

Shannon & Gwendolyn Kids 2012Katie enjoys gardening, her dog, and is not particularly excited about putting on clothes every single day.

Shannon & Gwendolyn Kids 2012Cutie Linnéa getting a lift from her daddy, Nate.

Shannon & Gwendolyn Kids 2012"I'm flying" says Linnéa

Shannon & Gwendolyn Kids 2012Gwendolyn getting her kids ready for the slide.

Shannon & Gwendolyn Kids 2012Sinjin is an energetic boy. Sinjin climbed the rock wall. When he got to the top...

Shannon & Gwendolyn Kids 2012...his daddy was on the other side! Look at the blue sky...it was a lovely day in Los Angeles!

Shannon & Gwendolyn Kids 2012I brought some brownies and these kids could be my spokespeople! So cute!

Shannon & Gwendolyn Kids 2012Such a fun day in the park! For more photos of these cuties, see my Flickr set.Pin It!

Williams Sonoma Cinnamon-Walnut Coffee Cake

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CinnamonWalnutCoffeeCake_aCinnamon-Walnut Coffee Cake
This weekend, I got to see my friend Helen three days in a row! Friday night for the movie Five Year Engagement - it was funny and cute! Saturday night for the awesome Dodger's Game versus the Washington Nationals. The Dodgers came from behind in the 9th and then Matt Kemp's homer in the 10th inning won the game. Hella screams and shouts! Our seats were awesomeness - check these out! And on Sunday Helen hosted a brunch at her house!
William Sonoma Cinnamon Walnut Coffee CakeI borrowed the book, Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Breakfast and Brunch from the library and made this lovely coffee cake. The cake has a layer of cinnamon-walnut-sugar (hence the name of the cake!)

You know I'm totally into the Bundt cake, but sometimes you need a Tube pan (which is NOT a Bundt) to make cakes with a topping.

William Sonoma Cinnamon Walnut Coffee CakeThis cake is made with cake flour, sour cream and oil. The crumb is pretty soft. Don't you just love Helen's oil cloth tablecloth? She's ready for summer entertaining.

William Sonoma Cinnamon Walnut Coffee CakeHelen made some delicious potatoes. I had, um, perhaps three servings. Small servings...over and over.
William Sonoma Cinnamon Walnut Coffee CakeMarie made a great fruit and yogurt parfait. Lots of fresh fruit! Yummmmmmy! Kathryn made fluffy dill eggs and Christine brought mimosas!

William Sonoma Cinnamon Walnut Coffee Cake
Williams Sonoma Cinnamon-Walnut Coffee Cake
For the filling and topping:
1 cup finely chopped walnuts
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon

For the cake:
2 3/4 cups cake flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup canola or corn oil (I used Wesson's vegetable oil)
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream

Preheat an oven to 350°F. Oil a 9 1/2- or 10-inch tube pan with sides at least 3 3/4 inches high. Prep the pan by spraying it with Pam with Flour or oil the bottom of the pan.

Filling and topping: In a bowl, stir together the walnuts, granulated sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

Cake: In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In an electric mixer with paddle, combine the eggs and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Slowly (very slowly) add the oil and vanilla and beat on low speed. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just incorporated. Mix in the sour cream just until no white streaks remain.

Pour about two-thirds of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth top. Set aside 1/4 cup of the walnut-cinnamon mixture to use as a topping. Sprinkle the remaining mixture evenly over the batter. Insert a small knife about halfway into the batter and gently move it through the walnut-cinnamon filling to create a swirled effect. Pour the remaining batter evenly over the filling and smooth the top with the spatula. The batter will not cover the filling completely. Sprinkle evenly with the reserved topping.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 55 minutes. (My cake took about 63 minutes to bake). Transfer to a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the sides and center tube of the pan to loosen the cake sides. Invert to remove and reinvert so it cools on a wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional).

I didn't make the caramel sauce, nor top it with powdered sugar. Here is the caramel glaze recipe on the Williams Sonoma site.

Recipe:
Williams-Sonoma Essentials of Breakfast and Brunch, by Georgeanne Brennan, Elinor Klivans, Jordan Mackay and Charles Pierce
Find it on Amazon here or in your library via WorldCat
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Chocolate Chip Toffee Scones

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CoffeeToffeeScones_a Chocolate Chip Toffee Scones
I love scones! Soooo easy to make. I often make them in the morning and take a shower while they are in the oven!

Um, these were really good and very sweet (much sweeter than a regular scone). The topping of Heath Toffee Bits melts a bit so it can be a little sticky...but not in the gross 10-napkin sticky, but the "oh, I guess I just need to lick my fingers a bit after eating a yummy scone" kind of sticky.

And, before you ask, that beautiful cake stand is by Whitney Smith of Oakland, CA. Isn't it stunning? My friend Sumi got me the cupcake stand (see here) and my co-workers gave me the cake stand! I treasure them immensely.

Chocolate Toffee Scones This scone has both mini chocolate chips and Heath English Toffee Bits. I don't use the Toffee Bits enough...need to incorporate them into more foods in the future.

Chocolate Toffee Scones I almost always make square scones...because I'm lazy! I'm too lazy to pull out a circle cutter and cut rounds, then re-roll the remaining dough. With square scones, you can use a bench scraper to make the cuts and be done with it all! Easy peasy!

You mix all the chocolate chips and some of the toffee bits into the dough. After cutting the squares, additional toffee bits are pressed into the dough.

Chocolate Toffee Scones It is easy to make and freeze these scones too. The cookbook says you can wrap the unbaked scones in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours as well. You should enjoy them the day they are made...not a problem in my library! :)

Recipe:
Chocolate Toffee Scones
From the Art & Soul of Baking (page 154)
Find it on Amazon or in your library

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 cup (3½ ounces) mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup (2½ ounces) plus 1/3 cup (1¾ ounces) toffee baking bits
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) milk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. (The book has instructions for making it in a food processor, but I like to make my scones by hand...less clean-up).
3. Cut the cold butter pieces into the flour mixture until it resembled course sand.
4. Add the mini chocolate chips and the 1/2 cup toffee baking bits.
5. In the small bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla.
6. Pour the egg mixture mix until the dough holds together in large, thick clumps. (I used my hands a bit to quickly mix it together).
7. Use a spatula to scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently squeeze or knead the clumps together until they form a cohesive dough—it may seem a bit dry at first, but will come together with a few kneads.
8. Pat the dough into a circle or square about 1 inch thick. Cut into wedges or squares and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. Recipe yields 8 wedges (I cut mine into 16 small squares).
9. Lightly press the remaining 1/3 cup toffee chips onto the tops of the scones, dividing evenly. Bake for 14 to 17 minutes, until golden brown, especially around the bottom edges. Transfer to a rack and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes.