Dinner with David

Almost #Fail Almond Milk Pancakes

Amy Jackson — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 19:12:25 +0000

One of the reasons I hardly ever bake is that I’m not good at following step-by-step directions with precise measurements. Instead, I prefer to wing it or rush it. I made that mistake this morning with the first batch of pancake batter. Lesson learned: don’t combine all the ingredients willy nilly; it’s not a salad!

My next rookie move was to cook the pancakes too quickly. Once I finally slowed down and let them sit much longer in the pan, they had that pretty golden color. (The first few were 50 shades of ivory.)

Adapted from a blueberry pancake recipe first attempted here. (And minus the blueberries, unfortunately.)

Mix in a medium bowl:

2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup brown sugar (note: recipe simply calls for sugar, but I didn’t have any)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Separately, mix together; then gradually incorporate into the dry mixture above and whisk until the lumps are gone:

2 cups almond milk
2 eggs

Cooking in 1/4 cup spoonfuls over medium heat seemed to be slow, but less accident-prone. Makes about 8 pancakes in a smallish frying pan.

Bahn Mi Wannabe

Amy Jackson — Sat, 06 Apr 2013 15:49:05 +0000

The juxtaposition of savory protein and fresh greens elevates sandwiches to other worldly status in my opinion. The decadent Bahn Mi is case in point. I translated this concept for dinner two ways:

Pulled pork topped with cucumbers, tomatoes, fresh basil, spinach, salt and pepper

Ground turkey (seasoned with garlic, salt, pepper) with cheddar and cucumbers

Seafood: To Can or Not to Can

Amy Jackson — Sat, 16 Mar 2013 19:05:16 +0000

Since I always struggle with stocking meat and using it before the expiration date, I decided to experiment with canned seafood. The smell is pungent and not for the fish-averse. But adding shrimp or crab to a meal is incredibly easy when it’s stored in the pantry for dinner emergencies.

Breakfast can benefit too. I made baked eggs with almond milk, spinach, and canned crab meat. For the recipe, see New Year’s Resolution-Worthy Baked Eggs.

I also made a simple “fried rice” dish by sauteeing the canned shrimp in a pan and adding frozen peas towards the end, while cooking the rice separately. Mix it all together and serve. (Even better, try adding the shrimp to a Caesar salad.)

Ladies who Lunch (at home)

Amy Jackson — Sat, 09 Mar 2013 01:05:54 +0000

The fun thing about working in an office is going out to lunch, especially when you work in a thriving foodie corner like San Francisco’s Mission district (see evidence). But working from home presents some lazy lunch temptations. Thinking about my upcoming beach vacation, I decided to trade grilled cheese for veggies…

1. Take a tortilla, spread goat cheese on it, add your veggies of choice and roll it up. I used mushrooms, avocado, tomatoes, spinach and greens. Optional: Cut into 1-inch slices so you can enjoy the pinwheels of colorful veggies and textures.

2. Good news: you can still be lazy about lunch, and eat healthy. This Butternut Squash Ravioli with Walnuts frozen meal from Safeway is low calorie and packed with colorful veggies. The sauce is really good too! If you’re like me and prefer not to microwave plastic, then you can remove the frozen block, put it on a plate and cover it with a bowl. Just decrease the microwave time slightly.

Pulled Pork Pappardelle: Oscar Dinner Flashback

Amy Jackson — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 06:34:50 +0000

Four years ago we lived in San Francisco and “Dinner with David” was born in our tiny little kitchen. On Oscar night that year, I tried a milk-braised pork recipe. The following year, we feasted on fiber-rich turkey meatballs and pasta. Things haven’t changed all that much. So tonight I decided to revisit the pork recipe, this time using almond milk and pappardelle noodles.

Place two halves of pork tenderloin in baking pan; sprinkle with salt, pepper, fresh nutmeg and 2 diced garlic cloves
Pour almond milk over the mixture until the liquid reaches the midline of the pork
Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 2-3 hours, checking and rotating every 30-60 minutes
Once the meat falls apart at the slightest touch, then remove it from the oven
Cook pappardelle noodles separately; drain
If meat needs more moisture or sweetness, then stir with olive oil and maple syrup
Serve a spoonful of pork over a bed of noodles
Be thankful that you can eat carbs and meat without having to worry about squeezing into a red carpet gown

Gimme S’more

Amy Jackson — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 05:30:10 +0000

I knew these heart-shaped marshmallow s’mores would be cute, but I was pleasantly surprised by what a crowd pleaser they were. Don’t let a lack of a campfire prevent you from indulging, either.

The prep was super easy too. Simply stack chocolate bars on a graham cracker, top with one heart-shaped marshmallow (ordered on Amazon) and broil in the oven until melted and golden.

A special thanks to TheCakeBlog.com for sharing the idea on Pinterest!

A Little Pizza My Heart

Amy Jackson — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 06:16:55 +0000

I embraced cheesiness on Valentine’s Day with a homemade, heart-shaped pizza for two. Shape the pepperoni into hearts by cutting a small triangle at the edge (easier to do in a stack), and cut the two opposite sides on a diagonal. For the bell peppers, cut narrow slices and make sure to leave the curvy ends at the top of the pepper. Then cut the slices in half and shape into a heart.

Lazy Lasagna

Amy Jackson — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 05:23:59 +0000

I came home to chaos in the kitchen, and had to quickly make dinner while keeping an eye on my cone-headed puppy. It took me two minutes to throw get this into the oven, so I could get back to juggling all the other balls in the air.

Throw a couple of lasagna noodles in a buttered square casserole dish, add a layer of diced tomatoes and some parmesan; repeat twice, and pour almond milk over the final noodle layer until it was soaking. Finish with parmesan, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees until noodles are swollen and tender.

Ingredients:

Butter to grease casserole dish
No-bake lasagna noodles
Can of diced tomatoes
Shredded parmesan
Almond milk

New Year’s Resolution-Worthy Baked Eggs

Amy Jackson — Tue, 01 Jan 2013 21:17:34 +0000

This morning I embraced resolutions to eat healthy, make more meals at home, and embrace imperfection. Inspired by a baked eggs recipe from Saveur, I made some tweaks; adding mushrooms and onions, swapping cream for almond milk, and leaving out the bacon. Despite some timing adjustments with the eggs, the result was a delicious brunch that’s deceptively healthy.

First, saute sliced mushrooms and chopped onions with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add spinach at the end and remove from heat. Grease two oven-safe bowls or small gratin dishes with butter.

Next, divide mushroom mixture between two bowls. Make 2 wells in each bowl, and carefully crack 1 egg into each well. Add 4 tomato wedges and 2 spoonfuls of almond milk to each bowl. Sprinkle with parmesan, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Bake uncovered at 425 degrees or higher if your stoneware can handle it. Remove once the egg whites are opaque, and topping is golden brown.

Note: It took me much longer than the 5 minutes (under a broiler) that the recipe suggested, to cook the eggs through. In fact, I discovered there was still clear liquid on the bottom layer, so I put them back in until I felt safer about the finished result. In total, I probably cooked them for 20 minutes or so, but it will ultimately depend on your risk tolerance, oven and cookware.

Delicious when served and scooped with sourdough toast!

Ingredient list:

Olive oil, salt and pepper
Sliced mushrooms (4-6 buttons)
1 small onion, chopped
Handful of fresh spinach
Butter or nonstick spray
4 eggs
1 tomato, cut into 8 wedges
4 spoonfuls of almond milk
2 handfuls of shredded parmesan
Nutmeg
Toast, optional

Most Memorable Dining Experiences of 2012

Amy Jackson — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 01:55:17 +0000

How apropos that this is my 200th post. We’ve come a long way baby! Here’s what my taste buds remember from the past year…

Pigging out at Hog & Rocks, Atlas Cafe, Stable and Salumeria in the Mission

The food trucks and general deliciousness at SXSW

Hanging out in Alice Waters’ craftsman, aka Chez Panisse

Life-changing popovers, lobster and last call for California foie gras at Wayfare Tavern

Breakfast, lunch and after-dinner coffee and madeleines on the beach at Baoase in Curacao

Looking forward to seeing what lands on my plate in 2013! What were your most memorable meals of the year?