Friday, January 13, 2012

Peanut Butter, Banana... and Chocolate

I think I buy too many bananas.  Maybe because the bananas are stored in the corner of the kitchen, I don't usually see it and so I forget to eat it.  I am also pretty particular about my bananas - I like them more on the green side and harder than normally ripped bananas.  As soon as I see a few specks of black on the bananas, I would not eat them.  So what can I do with these really ripe bananas?  Bake banana items, of course!

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips
adapted from Joy the Baker

A few variations...
...instead of making an entire loaf of banana bread, I used a 12-cup muffin/cupcake pan instead. 
...baked for 23 minutes at 350 degrees
...added chocolate chips!
...used plain greek yogurt (fage, the best!) instead
...didn't use ground flaxseed meal or dry roasted peanuts because didn't have any
...had left over batter after filling the muffin pan, so I took out my mini-muffin pan and made 8 more mini muffins (not pictured)


Monday, January 9, 2012

Just Pictures: Birthday with a Foodie Adventure - The Mission

I turned 30 this past week.  I was dreading this event about a year ago when I turned 29 and couldn't help but feel like it was just down hill from here.  When my birthday arrived this year, I was at home sick and battling a horrible cough.  The good thing about this year was that I actually did not "freak out" about turning another year older.  Maybe this is what growing up feels like.

To celebrate going over the (small) hill, my dear hubby and friends planned a Saturday of activities for me.  The entire day was a surprise and they kept their mouths shut until the very last minute.  My instructions were to get ready to go by 9 AM, dress comfortably, and bring a "night outfit" to change into.  Interesting.  I did just that and we were off!

We got off San Jose Ave. in San Francisco and I knew we were in the Mission District.  What could we possibly do here so early in the morning (it was only 9:45 AM at this point...)??  They told me we were early, so we found a McDonalds at 24th and Mission St., right in the heart of the Mission, and sat down with a couple of hot drinks.  When it was close to 11 AM, we headed towards the opposite corner of the intersection and stood there, right in front of a place called "Chinese Food & Donuts".  Interesting combination.  We went in to check it out and they literally had chinese food in one corner (smelled so good!) and donuts in the other.  Gotta love diversity in San Francisco!

At this point, I still had NO IDEA what was going on!  After about 5 minutes, I started seeing other people stopping and standing in our corner, looking like people who were also waiting for something.  This one particular girl was holding a piece of paper and so I deviously looked really hard and caught two important words on her printout: Foodie Adventure.  Oh my gosh, how great!  I've always wanted to do something like that!  This event was Chris Milano's Foodie Adventures of the Mission District.  Chris was a wonderful tour guide: enthusiastic, friendly, and really love the culture and the food offered by the people of The Mission.  As he grew up in SF and near The Mission, you can sense a great appreciation and love that he has for this neighborhood.  He started the day by explaining what today's tour will consist of and named all the places and things we were going to eat.  My god.  My mouth was watering so desperately!

I hope that the pictures I took did justice for this tour.  If you love Mexican food and love learning new things, you gotta check it out!

Kings Panaderia (Bakery Cafe)

Believe it or not, this is a Chinese bakery in The Mission!  

Their coconut buns were voted as one of the 100 items to try before you die on 7x7SF for 2011.  Just 60 cents for these bad boys.  We also sampled their fresh baguette rolls (only 30 cents, what?!) and brownies.  I also had my eyes on the cream rolls (bread roll with whipped cream inside... one of my faves), but figured I should pace myself since this was the first place we hit.



If you've ever eaten or bought flap meat, this was the place that flap meat was born.  Sal, the owner and knowledgeable butcher, was the guy that found this tender and fatty meat that most were throwing away at the time.  There is a whole story about it, but I will save it for any fellow foodies that would like to experience the tour.

On Saturdays, the taco shop (in a small corner within the butcher shop) sells sesos (cow brain) tacos (first pictured), sesos and other things stuffed in a corn taco shell and deep fried.  The cecina (beef flap meat) taco was my favorite out of everything we ate (second pictured).  The meat was ten...der!


This place is known for their giant torta sandwiches, a huge selection of different types of tortas to choose from.  Maybe because of its massiveness, we didn't get to try the torta sandwiches but instead another amazing item on their menu.

We sampled the enchiladas caseras verdes (house special enchiladas, filled with tender chicken and topped with green salsa, queso fresco (fresh cheese), and various veggies) and washed it down with a freshly blended fruit and veggie smoothie (I didn't catch the name), containing beets, carrots, celery, pineapple, watermelon, and a couple more!


Known for it's masa (cornmeal dough), this place brings out super fresh tortillas by only making them when you order it.  The dough form goes through a tortilla presser and than on to the hot top grill to cook before it is used to make a giant burrito.  Seriously fresh.

Huaraches (also the word for "shoe" in Spanish), an oblong fried masa and bean-filled dish, with tomatillo salsa, queso fresco, cabbage, onions, and hot sauce.  I've never had this before and it was a delightful discovery.  We bought a pack to go.


This place is just about 500 feet away and is La Palma's masa rival.  

Pupusas, thick masa dough filled with cheese and chicharron (ground deep fried pork), topped with pickled Mexican cole slaw and salsa.  We also sampled masa tamale (super sweet corn paste, it was dessert-like) and a drink called atole, a masa-based warm drink with sugar and cinnamon.  Many will consume this for breakfast because of the heartiness of the masa in the drink.  I have to say I've never had any of these 3 items and enjoyed them quite much.


Our last stop was at the famous El Farolito, a chain taqueria that was born in the heart of The Mission.  Chris told us a story that the last time Lady Gaga was in town for a concert, she wanted to experience the true Mission District and therefore stopped by El Farolito for a burrito.  He stated, quite jokingly, "If it's good for Gaga, it's good for us!"

Taco al pastor (slow-cooked pork) and a surprising horchata (never had one that was so concentrated!).  We can't wait to come back to get some more of these meaty goodness!  My second favorite place!

Sweet souvenirs from the tour, courtesy of Chris.  From left to right, clockwise: Pelon push pop - tamarind and chili gooey goodness.  It's sweet, sour, and spicy all at the same time! I'm addicted to these now.  De la Rosa's Mazapan - peanut-based chewy sweet confection.  Aldama's Cajeta - goat milk caramel.  Lightly sweet, soft and chewy.  I also got a bottle of habanero hot sauce because it was my birthday.  I'm quite scared to try it.

The day ended with a delicious Italian dinner at Osteria Coppa in San Mateo.  I blew out these huge "30" candles on a chocolate truffle cake from Victoria Bakery.  Although not on this exact day, I also received a jaw-dropping present (yes, my jaw literally dropped and I screamed "holy crap!") from the hubby - a MacBook Pro!  I seriously love this thing!  It was truly a wonderful and splendid 30th birthday.  Thank you to my hubby who planned this amazing day.  And to my dear friends and little sister that brainstormed and reassured the hubby's decisions (as I was told).  My birthdays are normally mellow and uneventful, since it happens soon after everyone is partied out from Christmas and New Years, so this one tops as one of the best birthdays, hands down!

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Kimchi Fried Rice

The last week of December is my favorite time of the year.  Besides Christmas and the New Year, we also have a mandatory shutdown at work, as part of my company's required time-off.  An entire week of no work makes me a happy girl!

I had some smokies left over from our Christmas brunch so I decided to make fried rice.  I also had some kimchi in my fridge (always a good thing to have in one's fridge) so came up with the idea to make kimchi fried rice.  We finished all of the rice by the next day.  Yum!

Kimchi Fried Rice

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup of cooked rice (preferably Korean, Japanese or jasmine rice), about 1-2 days old
- 3 large eggs
- about 10-15 smokies, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots
- 1 cup kimchi, thinly sliced
- 1 stalk green onions, chopped
- 2 tsp olive oil + 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 Tbsp butter

Tools
- wok

Steps
1. Heat 2 tsp of olive oil the wok on medium to high heat. In the meantime, beat 3 eggs in a bowl until well mixed.  Once the oil is heated, add beaten eggs and stir until cooked.  Place scrambled eggs in a bowl and set aside.

2. In the same wok (no need to clean it), heat 1 Tbsp olive oil on medium to high heat.  Add in cooked rice and stir until rice is halfway cooked (rice should be softer), for about 5 minutes.  Add in smokies, frozen peas and carrots, and soy sauce.  Stir until well incorporated, for about 8 minutes.

3. Once the smokies, peas, and carrots are cooked, add in sliced kimchi, green onions, and scrambled eggs.  Stir all the ingredients together and cook for another 8 minutes.  Right before the fried rice is done, add in the 1/2 Tbsp of butter and stir until butter is melted.

Serves 4.


Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Christmas Brunch, A Family Tradition

Ever since I can remember, our family always opened presents on Christmas morning and ate a delicious brunch afterwards.  When I was a kid, I used to look forward to the part when we opened presents, but now as an adult and a foodie, I really look forward to the brunch!  It used to be simple: eggs, toast, and bacon.  There would be freshly squeezed orange juice every now and then.  When I started cooking a few years back, I gradually took over cooking the Christmas brunch.  Each year I try to come up with a different breakfast item, from breakfast burritos to asparagus fritatta, or pancakes and scrambled eggs.  I even attempted to make eggs benedict one year, but failed miserably with the hollandaise sauce.  Let's just say, thank goodness that the toasted English muffin, ham, and poached eggs were delicious without the sauce.

This year's menu was Challah french toast, Belgian waffles (2 kinds, regular and with chocolate chips), bacon, smokies, and a fresh fruit salad with strawberries, raspberries, and grapes.  Both the french toasts and waffles were a hit with the family.  That makes me really happy.  We also opened our presents on full and satisfied bellies.  That makes me extra happy.

Challah French Toast

Ingredients
- 1 loaf of challah bread
- 6 large eggs
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- a few dashes of orange zest (optional)
- butter for griddle
- sifted powdered sugar for garnish
- sliced strawberries for garnish

Tools
- whisk
- griddle
- zester (optional)

Steps
1. Heat griddle on medium to high heat.

2. While the griddle is heating up, whisk eggs, milk, cinnamon, and orange zest (if using) together.  Slice the challah bread, in 1/2 inch increments.


3. Place a small chunk of butter on the griddle and let it melt.  Dip a sliced challah bread in the liquid mixture and place the bread on the griddle.  Repeat until griddle is full.  Cook the bread for about 3-4 minutes on each side.


Serves 4-6, with powdered sugar, warm maple syrup, and butter.


********************

Belgian Waffles (with or without Chocolate Chips)

Ingredients
- 2 cups Bisquick mix
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

Tools
- whisk
- waffle maker

Steps
1. Heat the waffle maker.

2. Whisk the egg, buttermilk, melted butter, and vanilla extract together.  Pour in the Bisquick flour and mix until incorporated (lumps are totally OK!).  Mix in chocolate chips if adding.

3. Pour about 1/2 cup of mixture in the waffle maker.  Cook until ready, according to the waffle maker's cooking instructions.  Here are some tips from a previous waffle post.

Makes 4-5 Belgian waffles.

Monday, January 2, 2012

Another Year, Another Birthday

It's the hubby's birthday again!  I swear, the past year flew by like a flash.  In keeping up with last year's post, I wanted to share one thing that the hubs enjoyed in 2011:

Crab Roll from Fish in Salsalito, CA.  

Happy Birthday, you!