Category Archives: Sauces

Creamy avocado dip

In many of our lives (mine included), avocados only make an appearance in the form of guacamole, or amongst layers of meat, cheese and lettuce in a sandwich. This isn’t fair. There is no reason why this healthy and sinfully good fruit should not get to lead as exciting a life as its distant fruit cousins.

Here’s how this dip came to be: I was in the midst of making baked coconut shrimp for the fist time and wanted to make a dipping sauce for them, not unlike this kick-ass sour cream dip for fried plantains. Then I spotted an avocado at the bottom on my fridge. It looked so sad and lonesome that I couldn’t help but grab it by the hand and say, “Come along, friend!” (Hypothetically, of course). The ingredients for this dip ended up haphazardly on my counter and I just thought, “This may work.” And it did. Clearly, it’s not that different from guacamole, but it is a small step for avocado-kind.

What happened to the shrimp, you ask? Well, I didn’t adhere to any specific recipe (as I am, unfortunately, all too prone to doing) and although they turned out very tasty, they were also kind of ugly, so I will not share that recipe with you as of yet. For more information on avocados – nutrition, storage and dissection – watch my video!

Dip may be served with: crispy shrimp or other seafood, tortilla chips, chicken tenders, crudites.

(Yield: about 1 cup)

Ingredients:

1 ripe avocado

1 tbsp lemon juice

3 tbsp sour cream

1/2-1 tsp sriracha sauce, to taste

1 tbsp chopped cilantro

Salt, to taste

Procedure: Dice avocado, place into a bowl and mash with a fork along with lemon juice until pureed. Stir in remaining ingredients. Taste and re-season if necessary. Serve immediately.

Homemade honey mustard dressing

I hate salads but force myself to eat them since they’re like healthy and all that jazz. And I know that if I make the effort to make this dressing ahead of time and keep a container of it in my fridge, I’ll be more likely to do the forcing.

Dig my Soviet garlic crusher manufactured circa 1920?

And you may recall my feelings on store-bought dressing from this post.

(Yield: About 1/2 c)

Ingredients:

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp brown mustard

1 heaping tbsp honey

1 small garlic clove, crushed

Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper

About 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Procedure: Whisk together all ingredients except oil in a bowl. Then add oil in a steady stream while continually whisking. The final product should be homogenous; or as fancy food people say, emulsified. Taste and re-season if necessary. If not  using immediately, store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to ten days.

Homemade blue cheese dressing

I never buy bottled salad dressing. Ever. The ingredient labels tend to have a whole list of words that I can’t pronounce and that makes me cringe. Of course the same goes for many of the foods I eat everyday but I think what sets salad dressing apart is that it will eventually grace my romaine leaves, broccoli flourets and avocado cubes, which are meant to be super nutritious. But what good will that nutrition do if I drench in what I feel is most easily described as plastic?

The base of this dressing is buttermilk, which only has 120 calories per cup and a whole 9 g’s of protein. And although the cheese is high in fat, it also has 6 g’s of protein per serving.

(Yield: About 1 c of dressing)

Ingredients:

1/2 c crumbled blue cheese

1/3 c buttermilk

1 tbsp sour cream

1 tbsp mayo

1 tbsp white vinegar

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Procedure: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Store in airtight container in fridge for up to one week.

What’s your favorite dressing recipe?

Breakfast blini w/ peach sauce

It seems like every time I come across a blini recipe, they are served with crème fraîche, smoked salmon and/or caviar. I don’t know what Soviet Union those cooks are from, but as far as I’m concerned, our blini were rarely graced with such lavish toppings. Caviar was a cherished ingredient reserved for birthdays and national holidays that was served atop heavily buttered fresh bread. Blini* are a breakfast food that most prefer to eat with sour cream, jam, or honey.

*Blini: Russian for pancakes, plural; Blin: singular. In my house, we call these blinchiki [bleen-cheeky], which means little pancakes.

If you are a devout reader of this blog, you are no stranger to my love of fresh fruit sauces – as in these strawberry and blueberry varieties. Now I can add peach to this list.

(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:

6 oz buttermilk

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 egg

1 tsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 c – 1 c all-purpose flour

Vegetable oil

Procedure: In a cup, stir together buttermilk and baking soda. Let stand for about 2 min. In a large bowl, lightly beat egg. Then whisk in buttermilk, sugar and vanilla. When combined, add flour – my mom never measures the amount of flour so nor do I. Start by adding 1/2 c and gently whisk. The final batter should be the consistency of a thick smoothie, so add more flour as needed. Then heat a griddle/skillet over medium heat and add enough oil to cover the bottom. Using a small ladle, pour about a tablespoon’s worth of batter onto griddle, spacing blini at least 1/2″ apart. (If blini start to curl up and sizzle around the edges right away, the batter is too thin). Cook about 3 min per side, flipping once. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve hot.

Sauce:

1 medium size peach, finely diced

2 tbsp water

1 tbsp lemon juice

3/4 tsp corn starch

1 tsp sugar (may vary according to fruit’s natural sweetness)

Procedure for sauce: Stir together all ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat. When mixture starts to bubble, turn heat down to low and cook until fruit softens and syrup forms, about 5 min. Serve hot.

Disclaimer: The day I made this batch and took these photos, I miscalculated the recipe a tad. I diligently went over it with the expert – my mom – and we tracked down the problem. The recipe above is the final edited version. However, the proper recipe will yield blini that are puffier than the ones photographed here.

Honey lime grilled chicken w/ cucumber salsa

The idea for this salsa came from the June 2012 issue of Bon Appetit magazine. It was a featured recipe from a restaurant called Citizen Public House in Scottsdale, AZ, as a suggested garnish for seared tuna. But, since I’m always looking for new ways to dress up grilled chicken, I decided to do this instead.

Since the chicken was lightly coated in honey, it caramelized and charred quite nicely, which made it the ideal canvas for the tangy, fresh salsa.

(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken cutlets

1 heaping tbsp honey

2-3 tbsp fresh lime juice

Sriracha, to taste

3/4 tsp salt + 1/2 tsp black pepper

Procedure for chicken: Whisk together marinade in tupperware dish. Wash and dry chicken and place in dish. Massage chicken with marinade until it is evenly coated. Close and place in refrigerator – marinate for at least one hour, or up to six. Then, grease a grill pan with oil or spray and place on high heat. Place cutlets on grill and cook for 2 min. Rotate 45 degrees and cook for another 2 min. Then, turn over and repeat (this cooking time is for cutlets of about 1/3″-thickness). Take off grill and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Salsa (adapted from this recipe):

2 peeled, finely diced medium cucumbers (about 2 c)

2 tbsp finely diced red onion

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

2 tbsp fresh lime juice

Fleur de sel to taste (or the regular ol’ iodized kind)

Procedure for salsa: Combine all ingredients. Use as garnish for seared meat/fish of your choice.

I know you’re probably dying to know the recipe for those delicious looking noodles too, but you’ll have to wait for a later post to find out!

Pan-fried plantains w/ kick-ass sour cream dip

Latin-American cuisine is not something I cook a lot of at home. I am not quite sure why since it is one of my favorites, but ever since these tequitos and now these ah-mazing platanos, I hope my patterns are changing.

I tweeted about how excited I was to finally cook this exotic fruit and my e-friend Olga – from one of my favorite food blogs, Mango & Tomato – tweeted back and helped me figure out how it’s done. Thanks, gurrl!

You’re probably wondering just what is so kick-ass about this dip but I am not going to tell you. I guess you’ll just have to make it and taste for yourself…

Ingredients:

2 very ripe plantains

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

Salt

“Kick-ass dip”:

3 tbsp sour cream

1/2-1 tsp sriracha sauce (to taste)

1 tbsp lime juice

1/2 tsp lime zest

1 small garlic clove, crushed

Procedure: Cut off about 1″ of both ends of plantains. Peel and slice on a diagonal into 1/2″-thick slices. Place skillet over medium heat and add oil and butter. When oil is hot, add about half of slices into oil and cook 2-3 min per side, until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt while plantains are still very hot. Fry the second batch and repeat procedure. Serve warm.

To make dip, simply stir together all ingredients in a bowl. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

This dip would also pair fabulously with crudités (that’s raw vegetables to you un-cultured Americans) or tortilla chips.

In other news, I will be spending next week camping in Cape Cod. The thought of going an entire week sans manicure kind of gives me the shakes, but I am pretty excited for the change of scenery and the much, much needed relaxation. While there, I plan to visit Provincetown so I was wondering if you guys had any suggestions as to where I should eat/drink while there? Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

Panini press not required

Summer has officially arrived and New York City is definitely feeling the heat. Our first heat wave set in yesterday and it is expected to last through today and tomorrow. Upon stepping outside, at first it feels like a gentle embrace by the heat of the sun, but about 30 seconds later, it feels like a hug from a stinky, sweaty, obnoxious third cousin who seems very happy to see you since last year and refuses to let go!

It is disgusting.

When it is too hot to cook a big dinner at home and you don’t want to order in, omelets and sandwiches are ideal. But of course no one wants to have a soggy, limp, cold sandwich after a long day of work, and that’s where panini come in. Fact: “Panini” = plural, “panino” = singular. And don’t worry, you don’t need a fancy panini press to make them. All you need is a grill pan, which almost every household has these days, and a heavy pot or pan.

This recipe also features pistou – the French equivalent of the Italian pesto, usually sans pine nuts or cheese. I made mine in a food processor but I kind of had a hard time. I could not get the sauce to be fine and smooth the way it’s meant to be, but I think that was because I failed to properly dry the leaves prior to working with them. Do you have any idea where I went wrong?

(Yield: 2 sandwiches)

Ingredients:

4 slices of bread

About 6 slices deli ham

2 tbsp goat cheese, softened

1 tomato, thinly sliced

About 2 tbsp pistou (recipe follows*)

Olive oil, for the grill

Procedure: Place a grill pan over medium heat. Dip a piece of paper towel into olive oil and rub on grill. Spread goat cheese on two slices of bread and set aside. Spread pistou on remaining slices. Top with ham and tomatoes and close sandwiches. Place sandwiches on grill and top with a heavy pot or pan (this presses down on the sandwich so they compress and grill marks appear). Flip sandwiches after two min and replace pan on top. Serve immediately.

*Pistou: Combine 1 cup of dry basil leaves and 1 roughly chopped garlic clove in a food processor. Pulse to start breaking down leaves. Add a pinch of salt and about 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Leave processor running until the sauce reaches a smooth consistency.

The easiest strawberry sauce ever.

This sauce is quick and easy to make, and perfect for this time of year because berries are finally in season. Sure, you can buy a jarred sauce in the supermarket, but I assure you that my version is superior. I guarantee your satisfaction. Try it risk-free, and if you’re not happy, I’ll give you your money back! (Just kidding – No, I won’t).

I’ve posted a similar recipe in the past, but this one is a bit more advanced and far more delicious – it’s the vanilla that makes all the difference. This sauce may also be served on waffles, French toast, ice cream, sirniki, blini, crepes, and just about anything else you can imagine.

(Yield: about 2 servings)

Ingredients:

1 c /about 8 large strawberries, finely chopped

1 tbsp water

1 tbsp lemon juice

¾ tsp corn starch

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp granulated sugar (may vary according to sweetness of fruit)

Procedure: Stir together all ingredients in a small saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Lower heat and simmer until sauce has thickened. Taste and add sugar if necessary. Turn heat off.

Gnocchi au Gratin

First, let’s get this out of the way:

  • It’s pronounced “nnn-yo-key oh gra-tan”
  • Gnocchi – Italian potato dumplings
  • Au gratin – French for “baked in a creamy sauce to crusty perfection”

This dish was inspired by my beloved Bon Appetit magazine – this recipe to be exact. Although the photos look sort of similar, the recipes are nothing alike. BA’s recipe calls for homemade gnocchi baked in a rosemary-infused heavy cream and studded with Gorgonzola Dolce cheese. I thought I could outsmart the magazine – silly me – by making a cheese sauce instead. The flavors all turned out right but the dish turned out much less creamy than I’d anticipated. I think this was because the gnocchi were really starchy.

Oh well. Not all recipes are perfect. And, I’m still learning :)

Although this recipe (in my opinion) didn’t work as a casserole, the dumplings and sauce may well work together if not baked. If anyone tests the idea out, please let me know how it goes! Also, this sauce works perfectly as the latter ingredient of mac & cheese – baked or not.

(Yield: 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 package store bought frozen gnocchi

1 1/2 tbsp butter

1 heaping tbsp all-purpose flour

1 c whole milk

1 pinch ground nutmeg

1 c grated Gouda cheese

Salt/freshly ground black pepper

Procedure for sauce:  Melt butter over low heat in a small saucepan. Whisk in flour. Whisk until combined and bubbling, about 60-90 seconds. Whisk in milk, raise heat to medium-low and bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Season with nutmeg and generous pinches of salt and pepper. Simmer sauce, continuing to whisk frequently, until it has thickened. Add cheese, turn heat off, and whisk until melted.

And then…: Preheat oven to 375F. Cook gnocchi in salted boiling water for 10-12 min, until they have all floated to the top and recommenced simmering (or according to package directions). Drain, combine with sauce, transfer to a baking dish and cook for 25-30 min, until the top is golden brown. Remove from oven. Serve immediately.

Skillet-fried chicken w/ sriracha mayo

As soon as I found the February issue of Bon Appetit in my mailbox, I knew I’d absolutely have to cook the cover. Just look at how gracefully this crispy, golden drumstick floats over the white background – it just… says so much by saying so little.

Click photo for full recipe

I’d made this chicken at my friend’s house twice (except that we skipped the marinating overnight step) and it was a great success. The chicken was as crispy and lovely as promised by the minimalist magazine cover.

Then I decided to make it again, at home this time, using skinless, boneless chicken breasts. The results were moist and delicious but not nearly as crispy as when I had used drumsticks, which can probably be attributed to the lack of the fatty skin. Also, I can’t remember whether or not I used an egg in the batter when I cooked the chicken over my friend’s house.

Either way, I’m kind of on the fence about this recipe now. I guess I’m just gonna have to test it out again. And then maybe once more ;)

I served the chicken with sriracha mayo: 1/3 c mayo, 1 tsp sriracha, 1 tsp lemon juice. You can’t go wrong with sriracha, by the way; it’s my new favorite condiment. If you’re still living a sriracha-less life, I suggest you get off your pretty little behind right this minute and purchase a bottle ASAP!