Sweet and Spicy Asian Pork Shoulder

In my fantasy life, I sleep in as late as I want, spend the morning reading magazines, and spend my afternoons crafting delicious homemade three-course dinners.  Unfortunately I don't live in fantasy land, and I know as much as anyone that cooking during the week can be a struggle.  Luckily, I grew up with a working mom who taught me a thing or two about getting dinner on the table, even when a meal from a Haagen Daazs carton seems like it'll suffice.

Enter the crock pot. Those 50's housewives were onto something, because the crock pot is foolproof.  Prep your meat, turn it on, and walk away.  There's no flame or gas, so you can literally leave the house for hours, and come home to a delicious finished dinner.  When I flipped to this recipe in this month's crock pot recipe in Real Simple, I had to wipe my drool.  The pork shoulder has a rich "falling off the bone" texture, and the sweet and spicy flavors balance perfectly with the braised bok choy.  Not bad for a day at the office.

Start with a big hunk o' pork shoulder.  This one had a bone in it, but the meat will fall off the bone once it's done slow-roasting.  Use a sharp knife to remove any fatty areas from the roast.

 

Now prep your sauce.  Soy sauce, brown sugar, Sriracha, ginger, Chinese five-spice, salt, pepper.

Now pay close attention, because this is where things get very complicated... 

Pizza Dough

I have been on a bit of a pizza kick lately, and I think that you should join me. Mainly because I don’t want to be the only one who’s gorging themselves on pizza in January while those New Year’s Resolutions are still so fresh (thanks for the reminder Mary). But selfish reasons aside, there are many reasons you should make homemade pizza, one of them being that it’s damn tasty. It’s also one of those foods that may seem tricky to make at home, but is really not difficult at all, which means you can impress your friends with your awesome pizza making skills. And once you master a dough recipe that you really like, you will have the basis for endless variations of delicious pizzas.

Ok, so let’s get down to this dough making business. I’ve only been making pizza for about the past year or so, and in that time I’ve tried many different recipes. And I hadn’t found one that I could see myself using as my go-to dough recipe until now. The recipe comes from Bread-God Peter Reinhart’s American Pie: My Search for the Perfect Pizza, which will tell you just about everything you need to know about pizza. For example, the book contains eleven (11!) different recipes for just the dough alone. Needless to say, this book is for serious pizza devotees and can be a bit overwhelming at first. So I made it simple and just started with the first recipe in the book, and I may not end up going any farther than that.

Whole Grain Blueberry Muffins

Pssst...  Hey, it's me.  And I have a pesky reminder...  It's January.  Which means that technically, our New Year's resolutions are not null and void quite yet.  But fret not.  I have some muffins that will start your morning off right, while staying on the right side of the calorie gods.

Frankly, I'm not a dieter.  While I don't count carbs or swear off dairy, eating consciously is really important to me, and I believe in making little tweaks here and there to make my everyday meals and snacks just a little bit healthier (although all bets are off when it comes to those special occasion cakes).  This recipe is a perfect example of that.  White all-purpose flour is replaced with whole wheat flour, whole grain oats get added to the mix, and butter takes a day off in place of lowfat yogurt and just a bit of vegetable oil.  The result is a rustic, satisfying muffin.  And don't worry, the butter will still be there tomorrow.

Blueberry, meet lemon.  You two should be together forever and always.  These blueberries came from the Mar Vista Farmers' Market, and there was a line 15 people deep to get them.  But they are ever so worth it.

Mix whole wheat flour, oats, baking powder, brown sugar, and salt in bowl.

 

Cherry, Almond, and Cinnamon Granola

If some people are morning people and others are night owls, I am undoubtedly a morning girl.  When I was 8, I had my first slumber party and fell asleep before all of my guests did.  Not much has changed in the last 18 years, and it's still a rare occasion that I can get through a Netflix DVD without crashing on the couch.  I'm a huge fan of what my family calls "the slow wake up" in the morning.  Allowing time for a cup of green tea, a quick email check, and some NPR Morning Edition leaves me ready to take on the work day. 

While I love a slow wake up, I'm not a fan of a huge breakfast.  I'm usually content with a piece of fruit, some yogurt, or a bowl of oatmeal, and my morning routine was kicked up a notch when I learned how to make granola at home.  Like many other things, granola from scratch is better than anything you'll find in a box.  It's fresh, healthy, and best of all, customized to your taste.  You can adjust the ingredients to make your granola as sweet, salty, crunchy, or as fruity as you like.  And as you're about to see, it's a snap to make.

Start with some oatmeal (I use the old fashioned kind, not the instant in a packet).

 Then add coconut, sliced almonds, and chopped pecans.  

 

Why hello honey bear.  You're looking awfully cute today.  Raw honey.  Nummy.  

 

Raspberry Pecan Rolls

 Here in Los Angeles we are having weather!  For those of you who live in parts of the country that aren't Southern California, it's quite a novelty for us to hear raindrops on the window, wind in the trees, and the boom of thunder that I thought was going to put my dog into cardiac arrest.

On a night like tonight, cozy and indoors, and not braving said elements, there is nothing better in the world to do than to bake.  And if you're going to bake, you might as well bake these raspberry rolls.  World famous mega-blogger Ree Drummond of ThePioneerWoman.com has a cinnamon roll recipe that is, in a word, perfection.  And while I make no claim to be improving on her classic timeless rolls, I just had a birthday and I'm feeling sassy, so I thought I'd put a different spin on things.

I added raspberry jam, toasted pecans, and a touch of cream cheese to Ree's dough, which results in rolls that are soft, chewy, and comforting as all get out.  Imagine the baby of a PBJ and a raspberry danish, and you have these tasty buns (Tasty Buns is my Jersey Shore nickname).

Let's make some dough...

 

Vegetable oil, whole milk, sugar.  Measure 'em out, toss 'em in a pot.

Lemon Ricotta Muffins

The other day at work I received a message with the sweetest three words a girl can hear: The Oven Works.

I just about fainted with joy. For the last month and half I have been living with a broken oven. That meant no baking cakes, cookies, or pies, no roasting chickens and vegetables; it was all stove-top, all the time. It meant a lot of pasta dishes, soups and stews, salads, and lots and lots of rice pudding (I have an addiction now, it can’t be stopped). It’s not like I should be complaining, those things are all delicious.

But I missed baking. Baking is what I look forward to doing in my free time; it’s my creative outlet and my relaxation technique. So there was definitely a void. A void which can now be filled; with muffins, and cakes, and breads, oh my!

It’s good to have you back oven. I missed you old friend.

Lemon Ricotta Muffins
From Giada De Laurentiis

A note on these muffins: They are absolutely delicious. The lemon and almond mix together in the perfect combination of flavor and their texture is terrific. The ricotta helps makes them moist and yet they are still light at the same time.

Cooking notes: Be careful not to over-bake these. Don’t wait for the tops to get golden brown; they can get a little dry if they stay in the oven that long. 20 minutes was just right for my oven. These muffins do not have a super-strong lemon flavor, so if that’s what you are looking for go ahead and double the amount of lemon zest and juice.

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar or more as needed for sprinkling
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest (from 2 lemons)
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon almond extract
1/3 cup thinly sliced almonds


Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup sugar, butter, and lemon zest in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the ricotta. Beat in the egg, lemon juice, and almond extract. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until blended.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle the almonds and then the remaining teaspoon of sugar over the muffins. Bake until the muffins just become pale golden on top, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly and then remove from muffin tin.

Italian Chopped Salad

In college, I spent many a weeknight waiting tables at the California Pizza Kitchen in Westwood Village.  And while I had to wear a hideous yellow tie and often came home smelling like tortilla soup, a few good things came out of that stint.  One is the boy that lives in my home and eats most of my dinners with me.  Another is this Italian chopped salad that I adore.

One of my favorite things to do in the kitchen is rip off great restaurant meals.  This salad is hearty enough to eat for dinner without feeling weighed down, and perfect for a quick weeknight meal on the go.  Dress it lightly, and you can pack the leftovers for a tasty lunch.  Making your own mustard vinaigrette saves you cash, along with preservatives, artificial flavors, and high-fructose corn syrup.  Best of all, it's easy.  Even if you're inexperienced and afraid of your kitchen, throw these ingredients together and you'll have a great dish to bring to your next potluck or picnic lunch.

Start by chopping a head of romaine lettuce.

Washing lettuce is pretty high on my list of things that annoy me, but a salad spinner makes it bearable.  Rinse the lettuce in the strainer.  Rinse it well...  Dirt in your salad is not a happy time!

Once the salad is good and washed, the strainer basket fits inside a plastic bowl with a special crank lid.

The water spins right out!  Now I understand that not everyone has a salad spinner.  The easiest way to wash your lettuce without one is to rinse the individual romaine leaves, and blot them with paper towels until they're dry.

Since it's a chopped salad, we're gonna keep on chopping.  Salami and turkey...

You can get thick-cut salami and turkey at the deli counter at your grocery store.  I asked for two 1/2 inch slices of each meat (just be sure you say "please" and "thank you", and give 'em a smile).

 

Roughly chop some cherry tomatoes, basil, and garbanzo beans, and add them to the party.

Now grate some mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.  Take a photo of your finished cheese and email it to me so I can put it on the blog.  Thanks!