Lazy Polenta Lasagna

When I'm craving lasagna but don't have the energy to prepare it, I make Lazy Polenta Lasagna. Because this lasagna uses such few ingredients, it's important to make sure you invest in quality. Skimp on the good stuff and this will taste like a lifeless "these ingredients have been sitting in my pantry for months" casserole. You might also consider adding a few fresh tomatoes and some fresh herbs to liven it up. Be sure to buy the best mozzarella cheese, stay away from ragu sauce, and don't buy the cheapo pepperoni in a bag. The prep work involved in this meal is quick. Just slice the polenta into rounds, top with a little bit of marinara, add the pepperoni, top with the rest of the marinara, sprinkle on the cheese and stick it in the oven. 30 minutes later you've got that warm, comforting lasagna taste in a fraction of the time.

Ingredients:
1 (18-ounce) roll precooked polenta, cut into 9 rounds
1 cup quality marinara sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
9 thin slices pepperoni
Enough shredded mozzarella cheese to top the lasagna

1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
Cooking spray



Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Arrange polenta rounds in an even layer in the bottom of the dish. Spoon marinara over the top, then scatter with oregano and red pepper flakes. Arrange pepperoni over the sauce, then top with cheese and parsley and bake until hot throughout and bubbly, about 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Sunny Spot Venice

Roy Choi, Food & Wine's "Best New Chef" in 2010, is Kogi Korean BBQ food truck's founding chef. Kogi was also recognized as one of the Top 5 Food Trucks in the U.S. by gayot.com, and their short rib sliders would be #1 on the Cristina Lowry episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate. This is no exaggeration. The short rib, sesame mayo, cheese, salsa roja and a chili soy slaw on fluffy toasted buns highlight Choi's culinary genius. His food really does live up to the hype. Our First Friday crew has had Roy Choi food dozens of times, and every time we take our first bite we stand in awe, giving each other that look of, "Is this real life? How can food taste this good?"

Choi has been branching out in LA with A Frame, Chego and Caribbean themed Sunny Spot. Marta, Brooke, Alaina, Jared, Brent and I decided to spend our Saturday afternoon at Sunny Spot on Abbott Kinney and Washington. We loved the fried plantains, torta, burger, mofongo, jerk potatoes, yucca fries, and especially the bottomless mimosa/bloody mary/rum punches. The atmosphere was great too, with a sunny courtyard with a bright, summery feel. We'll definitely be back.  Roy Choi, you can do no wrong.

Sandwich King Greek Tacos

I cheered for Jeff Mauro throughout the seventh season of the Next Food Network Star. Jeff has a charismatic and goofy personality, and an awesome midwest accent. He also knows how to make a quality sandwich. Jeff takes sandwiches up a notch with recipes such as Schnitzel Biscuits, Crunchy Fried PB and J and Filet Mignon Crostini with Rosemary Pesto. So far my favorite has been the Greek Taco, combining the best Mediterranean flavors. The pita topped with seasoned lamb, fresh cucumber salad and a dollop of homemade tzatziki has a heartiness about it, while still feeling fresh and light.

Ingredients
Meat:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 pounds ground lamb
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 red onion, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons dry red wine

Feta Mint Tzatziki:
1 English cucumber
Kosher Salt
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 clove garlic, minced or pressed
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint

Cucumber Tomato Salad:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 firm tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 English cucumber, seeded and diced
1/2 red onion, diced
Black pepper

Taco:
6 pitas, oiled and lightly griddled on each side (I like Trader Joe's Middle Eastern Flatbread and Whole Foods Whole Wheat Pita)

Directions:
For the meat: In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the lamb, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until the meat gets nice and golden brown, 10 to 12 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the lamb/beef and reserve. Lower the heat to medium and saute the onions in the juices until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano and garlic and cook until fragrant. Season. Add the tomato paste and cook until it caramelizes. Deglaze with the red wine and scrape any bits on the pan. Add the lamb back in, stir and set aside.

For the tzatziki: Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater and place in a fine-meshed strainer or cheese cloth fitted over a bowl. Salt the cucumber and let sit 10 minutes. Then squeeze out any excess moisture. Add the strained cucumber into a bowl with the yogurt, feta, garlic and mint. Add salt to taste.

For the cucumber tomato salad: Toss the olive oil, vinegar, tomatoes, cucumbers and onions in a bowl and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Cover and let sit.

To make the taco: Place on the lamb on the pita and top with cucumber tomato relish and tzatziki, or make it Brent style by spreading tzatziki first, then add lamb and relish.

Shrimp and Chorizo Paella

I have been working on perfect paella for about a year. Unfortunately something always went wrong. My paella would be too mushy, too crunchy, too salty or completely bland. After a year of testing the dish, I finally got it right, and found the perfect combination of ingredients. I love the taste of shrimp and spicy sausage with vegetables and rice. Although following the recipe below gives the most delicious results, when I am feeling lazy I throw the rice, saffron, paprika, bay leaves, and broth in a rice cooker. Next, I soften the vegetables on the stove, thrown in the sausage, and add the shrimp for just a few minutes. When the rice is cooked, I mix the cooked rice, vegetables, sausage and shrimp together. When I am pressed for time, this rice cooker version satisfies my paella craving.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 links cooked Spanish chicken chorizo, cut into 1/2 inch rounds

1 pound uncooked peeled deveined large shrimp
1 small onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon paprika

2 cups brown rice
1 pinch saffron threads
2 bay leaves
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 tomato, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat oil in a large dutch oven over high heat. Add onion, red bell pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes. Add the cooked chorizo and cook until browned and fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add rice, paprika, saffron, and bay leaves. Stir to combine and coat the rice, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add frozen peas, tomato and shrimp. Stir to combine.

Transfer skillet to oven. Cook uncovered until rice is tender and no liquid remains, about 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven. Fluff with a fork, season to taste and serve immediately.

Pesto Stuffed Shells

I've been wanting to post this meal for a few weeks, but felt like I needed a break from pasta posts. Over the past few weeks I have branched out with soups, salads, quinoa, and even smoothies recipes. I, however, keep coming back to the good stuff. I can't help it. I absolutely love pasta! I always have. As a little kid I always requested "skabeti" for dinner. I could never handle a low carb diet, or go paleo.  I made these pesto stuffed shells on a Sunday evening, and they looked so cute on the plate. The pesto mixed into the ricotta filling took the flavor up a notch. Ricotta stuffed shells topped with a simple tomato sauce and a little cheese created a blogable dish. 

                          

Ingredients:
Sauce:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon salt
3-4 medium cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 28-ounce can crushed red tomatoes
1 14-ounce can crushed red tomatoes

Filling:
1 15-ounce container low fat ricotta cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 cup grated mozzarella
5 tablespoons store bought pesto

25-30 jumbo dried pasta shells

Directions:
Get a big pot of water boiling, and preheat your oven to 350F.

To make the sauce, combine the olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, and garlic in a cold saucepan. Stir while you heat the saucepan over medium-high heat. Saute just 45 seconds or so until everything is fragrant - you don't want the garlic to brown. Now stir in the tomatoes and heat to a gentle simmer, just a minute or two. Remove from heat and carefully take a taste (you don't want to burn your tongue)...If the sauce needs more salt add it now. Let cool.

To make the filling, combine the ricotta, pesto egg, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix until combined, then stir in the mozzarella. Set aside.

Cook the shells according to package instructions in well-salted water - until al dente. If you overcook, the shells will tear as you attempt to fill them. Drain and let cool long enough to handle with your hands - see photo.

Spread 1/3 of sauce across the bottom of the prepared pan. Fill each shell with ricotta, and arrange in a single layer in the pan. Ladle the remaining sauce over the shells, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, uncover for the final 15 minutes or until the shells are cooked through. Serve hot.

Serves 4 - 6.

Quinoa Caprese Salad

Quinoa Caprese Salad is a simple and fresh dish with bright, beautiful colors. I used a combination of red and white quinoa, cooked it in my rice cooker (the only way to cook quinoa), fluffed the quinoa with quality fresh mozzarella (none of that gross rubbery stuff), evoo, salt and pepper, tomatoes and basil. Do not skimp on the basil! Basil is the power ingredient in this dish. Without it the salad will not have the same crisp, clean and refreshing taste. To chop your basil, roll a couple leaves like a cigar and give the roll a few quick clean chops. This will help prevent bruising. Nobody likes brown basil. This is a great salad to make in a big batch and portion out for weekday lunches. Your co-workers will be jealous!

Ingredients:
1 cup dry quinoa
8-10 oz fresh mozzarella
1 carton grape tomatoes, halved
A few tablespoons of fresh chopped basil
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Method
1. Using a rice cooker, cook the quinoa. It comes out perfect every time! Rinse the quinoa before putting it in the rice cooker, add two cups of water, hit start and wait. You'll never cook quinoa on the stove again.
2. Cool the cooked quinoa in the refrigerator for at least an hour before preparing the salad. IMPORTANT!
3. To prepare the salad, slice grape tomatoes in half and cut the mozzarella into bite size pieces. Mix together. Then, add the chopped basil and cooked quinoa and give the salad a toss. Next, drizzle on the evoo and season with a little salt and pepper. Give your salad a final toss and serve cool or at room temperature.

Runner's World Black Forest Blizzard

Living off of blended foods for the week after I got four wisdom teeth pulled turned me away from smoothies. I have tried to get into the whole green smoothie fad as a way to pack in the leafy greens, but I am just not a smoothie person. This Runner's World recipe, for example, had been hanging on my fridge for over a year. It even has chocolate! I finally blended it up last weekend after a run. Although it is not packed with spinach and kale, the protein from the greek yogurt and antioxidants from the cherries help reduce inflammation after a tough workout. The Black Forest Blizzard is the smoothie for non-smoothie lovers, tasting more like a light milkshake. I'm still working on drinking my greens, and finally blending up this Black Forest Blizzard is a step in the right direction. If anyone has green smoothie recipes that will convert me, send them my way!

Ingredients:
1 cup frozen, dark sweet cherries
1 frozen banana (freeze them with the peel off)
1 cup dark chocolate almond milk
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons agave syrup
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Famous Chocolate Wafer for sprinkling (optional)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients (expect the wafer) in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Top with crumbled chocolate wafer.

Butternut Squash Soup with Truffle Grilled Cheese Croutons

Farm Fresh To You is a home delivery service for local organic produce. As a customer you select how often you'd like delivery service, choose your produce box size, and indicate what types of fruit and vegetables you are interested in getting delivered. I subscribe to Farm Fresh To You bi-weekly, and it has taught me to be more creative and to plan my meals around what in season. I have also learned to work with new ingredients, such as purple cauliflower, bok choy, rainbow chard, and beets. This past week for $25 I received a delivery of apples, oranges, grapefruit, kale, carrots, kumquats, and two beautiful butternut squash. I roasted the first butternut squash, and ate it with a spoon. It was so smooth and creamy! I decided to get a little more creative for the second. I sauteed some vegetables, added chicken stock and the roasted squash, seasoned it and blended it up. To take my soup up a notch, I made grilled cheese sandwiches, cut them into crouton cubes, and sprinkled them with white truffle oil and salt. You can't get this fresh taste from a can of soup, and you definitely can't get truffle grilled cheese croutons from a box. 

 

Ingredients:
3-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 onion, diced
1 large butternut squash, peeled
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Salt & Pepper
4 slices crusty wheat bread
Your favorite cheese
White Truffle Oil and/or salt for sprinkling

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Cut the butternut squash in 1-inch cubes. Place on a sheet pan and toss with the olive oil, about a 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spread it in a single layer. Roast for 40 until tender.

Heat oil in a large soup pot. Add carrot, celery and onion. Cook until vegetables have begun to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in butternut squash, thyme, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Let the soup cool for a few minutes and carefully purée in batches in a blender.

For the truffled grilled cheese croutons, heat a panini grill. Place the four slices of bread on a cutting board and brush lightly with olive oil. Turn the slices over and add cheese to two slices of bread. Place the remaining two slices of bread on top of the cheese, oiled sides up.

Grill the sandwiches on the panini grill for about 4-5 minutes, until melty and brown. Place back on the cutting board, allow to cool for a few minutes and cut into 1-inch cubes. Sprinkle with white truffle salt and oil. 

Truffled Pappardelle with Heirloom Tomatoes and Spinach

I love carbo-loading. It is one of the many benefits of being a runner. This pre-Los Angeles 13.1 meal was made almost entirely from Christmas gifts. I love experimenting with my foodie gifts! Tom, the pappardelle travelled well, and was the perfect canvas for sautéed heirloom tomatoes and spinach. Carmen and Jim, I felt really cool drizzling the pasta with white truffle oil. It made my pasta taste like an expensive entrée straight out of Beverly Hills. I have been using truffle on everything lately: eggs, grilled cheese sandwiches, popcorn. If you do not have truffle oil in your pantry, go buy some. It makes everything taste gourmet. Expect to see more recipes featuring truffle in the upcoming weeks!

 

Ingredients:
8 ounces pappardelle pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes
4 ounces baby spinach (1/2 a bag)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt & Pepper
Pecorino Romano sprinkling
A few drops of white truffle oil

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, reserving some pasta water, and return pasta to pot.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook until tomato skins are split and shallots are golden brown, about 4 minutes.

Gradually add spinach, season with salt and pepper, and cook until tender, 3 minutes.

Toss tomatoes, spinach and pasta, and sprinkle with Pecorino Romano and red pepper flakes. Serve in bowls, and top with a few drops of white truffle oil.

Brent's Salmon Pizza

After meeting Cristina, I was forced to step up my food game. I was raised in a family, God bless us, where meals were store bought lasagna or salad. After graduating college, my culinary repertoire consisted of pressing start on the microwave, and following directions on the mac and cheese box. Enter Cristina, the love of my heart and stomach's life. After mastering basics like Picadillo, Sweet Potato Enchiladas, arrays of Pastas (I now know the difference between penne, rigatoni, and farfalle), I felt comfortable stepping out from behind her tutelage and into my own.

This dish features a humble imitation of a Wolfgang Puck salmon pizza. While the concept of salmon on a pizza is the same, not much else is. The main difference is my own unique take on what pizza sauce should be. Pizza sauce is normally a boring cousin of simple marinera. To give it more spunk, I added sun dried tomato pesto, and chopped garlic. Add part skim mozzarella cheese (Cristina's zeal for health comes through here), artichoke hearts, and salmon. Looking at my first attempt at cuisine creativity, I know that I've come a long way from taking rotesserie chicken out from its grocery store warmth and plastic shield. The "yumms!" coming from my foodie simpleton father and chef master wife confirmed my growth. -Brent

On the pizza stone, ready to go in the oven.

Ingredients:
Pizza Sauce
Mozzarella Cheese
Pizza Dough
Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto
Salmon
Artichoke Hearts, chopped
Red Pepper Flakes

Directions:
There are no measurements with this pizza. It's pretty simple. Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees. Roll out the pizza dough. Mix together equal parts pizza sauce and sun-dried tomato pesto. Sprinkle the sauce with the artichoke hearts. Add however much cheese you'd like, and top with salmon. Bake for 12-14 minutes, depending on the thickness of your pizza. If you intend on making is SUPER heavy, like Brent often prefers, consider pre-heating the dough for 2-3 minutes before adding the toppings. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

Carnitas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

I have been working on a developing a healthier carnitas recipe for months, trying different combinations of braising liquids, cuts of pork, spices and cooking times. After a few failed attempts, I have finally perfected the dish. I use pork tenderloin (pork loin was way too dry), half a beer (the entire beer was too watery), an orange, a few cloves of garlic and my taco seasoning as the dry rub. This dish is low maintenance, but requires planning ahead. We usually prepare carnitas on a Sunday, and have them ready to go for a quick weeknight meal. To prepare, rub the tenderloin with the taco seasoning, brown the meat, throw all the ingredients in a slow cooker, and eight hours later you'll have delicious, tender carnitas. We use the meat to build tacos with Trader Joe's corn & wheat tortillas, roasted tomatillo salsa (you'll never want store bought salsa verde again), avocado and cilantro. It's healthy, simple, delicious Mexifornian cooking. 

Carnitas
Ingredients:
1 pork tenderloin, about 1.5 pounds
1 juicy orange
4 garlic cloves
2-3 tablespoons taco seasoning mix
2 bay leaves
1/2 a beer (drink the other half while you prepare the salsa)

Directions:
Season pork with taco seasoning. In a medium sauté pan on medium-high heat, brown pork on all sides for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Using a sharp knife, insert blade into pork, cutting small holes and insert garlic cloves. Season pork with another tablespoon of taco seasoning.

Pour beer and the juice of 1 orange in the crockpot, add bay leaves. Place pork in slow cooker and cover. Cook low for 8 hours. After 8 hours, shred pork using two forks and combine well with the juices that accumulated at the bottom. Remove bay leaves and adjust spices (you will probably need to add more). Let it cook another 15-30 minutes.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Ingredients:
1 pound tomatillos, husked
1 white onion, peeled, sliced, quartered or whole
4 garlic cloves
2 jalapenos
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1/2 lime, juiced

  

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapenos for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.

Fat Tacos

A few weeks ago Brent and I had a little too much fun sampling menu items at The Tripel. Although our bellies were satisfied, our food budget was not very happy. We challenged ourselves to make pantry items meals for the next few days. While digging around our kitchen cabinets we came across a huge bag of maseca and a can refried beans. That day the fat taco was born. This is less of a recipe, and more of a concept. We loaded them up with refried beans, guacamole, pico de gallo and cheese. Fat tacos were not a one-hit wonder. They're quick, easy, budget friendly, and tasty too! We've also topped them with chorizo, carnitas, and shredded chicken. The options are endless. 

                 

Ingredients:
2 cups maseca
1 1/4 cups water
Refried beans
Guacamole
Pico de Gallo
Shredded Mozzarella

Directions:
Combine Maseca, water, and salt and knead for five minutes or until masa is no longer sticky. Divide into 10 small balls. Flatten into thick tortillas approximately three inches in diameter. On a hot skillet or griddle, cook each taco for three minutes and then turn. Cook the fat tacos until golden. Repeat with remaining masa balls. Top with warm refried beans, guacamole, pico de gallo and a little bit of cheese.