Zucchini cakes with lemon mint aioli

First of all, my apologies for being MIA for the last month or so. In my defense, Carissa (my BFF who I’ve mentioned in multiple entries) moved back to Boston and my heart needed to cry and be pathetic for a while. But, I’m back now and gifting you with my most delicious recipe yet! So, let’s all move on and eat some zucchini cakes.

This is a great vegetarian alternative to crab or salmon cakes for all of you living by Bruce the shark from Finding Nemo’s mantra, “Fish are friends, not food.” They’re super tasty though, so you’re still going to love them if you’re an omnivore, carnivore, or even a cannibal. That was gross, I’m sorry.

If you can get them to be crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, you’re going to be a happy camper. The key is to make sure you really squeeze all the water out of the vegetables before forming the patties. Otherwise you’re going to end up with a soggy patty and a frown.

The lemon aioli lends a great tanginess to cut through the richness of the cake, and the potato make this a surprisingly filling dish. You can have them as an appetizer or serve em up between two buns as a burger. I actually used the leftovers for breakfast the next day to make zucchini cake Florentine. So bomb. I’ll put that recipe up soon.

Ok, my mouth is watering. I need to finish this and put some food in my belly.

Enjoy.

Ingredients

For the cakes

• 2 large zucchini
• 1 russet potato
• 1/2 onion
• fresh parsley, chopped
• fresh thyme, chopped
• salt and pepper
• garlic powder
• 1/2 cup oat flour (or whatever flour you want)
• 1/2 cup Italian panko bread crumbs + extra to coat cakes
• 2 eggs
• coconut oil for frying

For the lemon mint aioli 

• mayo
• greek yogurt
• lemon zest
• lemon juice
• fresh mint, chopped
• garlic powder
• salt and pepper

Instructions

First, make the aioli by combining all ingredients to taste. I used a 1 to 1 ratio of the mayo to greek yogurt. Store in the fridge.

Trim the ends of the Zucchini and grate it. I used a cheese grater to do this, but it would be immensely easier with a food processor. Transfer the grated zucchini to a large mixing bowl. Peel and grate the potato and add to the bowl. Finely dice the onion and add to the bowl. Stir veggies well with your hands and transfer to a runway of paper towels and squeeze as much liquid out as possible. This step is SUPER IMPORTANT, so don’t be lazy about it.

Once dry, transfer the vegetable mixture back into the mixing bowl. Beat eggs in a separate bowl and add to mixture. Add all remaining ingredients (besides the oil) and mix with hands until the texture holds its shape when you form patties. Add more bread crumbs, if necessary.

Place the mixture in the freezer for 10 minutes to make it easier to form the patties. I used a 1/2 cup measuring cup to shape the patties, but you can use your hands, as well.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat coconut oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, place the patties in the pan and cook until a golden brown crust forms. Flip and do the same on the other side.

Place a cooling rack on a baking sheet and transfer the cakes onto it. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until cooked through.

Asian chicken tacos with kale and broccoli slaw

Happy Taco Tuesday!

I absolutely love tacos–ALL tacos. I don’t care if it’s from Taco Bell or an authentic Mexican taco truck, I have no prejudices. Luckily, living in LA grants me infinite taco possibilities and plenty of $1 taco days. When I lived on the Westside, this bar near my place called Busby’s served up $1 tacos every Tuesday. My favorite was their Yukon potato taco with sour cream, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, and salsa. So weird, but so delicious.

That’s the best part about tacos–they can be so versatile. They don’t have to stick to any standard or have any boundaries. I will say, however, that my favorite tacos contain some sort of citrusy slaw and spicy crema sauce. So, when I was craving tacos the other day, that’s exactly what I went for. I didn’t have any cabbage in the fridge for the slaw, so I improvised with kale and shredded broccoli. I tossed it with soy and rice vinegar to give it an Asian flavor. I also used Sriracha and plain Greek yogurt for the crema (traditionally, a Mexican style sour cream) to keep that same flavor profile throughout. I love the fusion of Asian flavors in what is normally thought of as a Mexican dish.

I encourage you all to get a little more creative on your next taco endeavor! And to all my LA friends, check out LA Magazine’s Tacopedia: A Complete Taco Encyclopedia of LA, to learn about the best tacos Los Angeles has to offer.

Enjoy.

Ingredients

• mini corn tortillas

For the slaw

• shredded broccoli slaw (or cabbage)
• kale (finely chopped)
• cilantro
• olive oil
• soy sauce
• rice vinegar
• lime juice

For the chicken

• boneless skinless chicken breast
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper
• soy sauce
• olive oil

For the crema

• Sriracha
• plain Greek yogurt (I used non-fat)

Instructions

First, make the slaw by combining all ingredients in a large bowl. Toss well and season to taste. Store in the fridge until you’re ready to build your tacos.

Next, cut the chicken breast into tiny cubes and season with garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, salt and pepper. Heat a pan over medium heat and lightly coat with olive oil. Because the chicken is so small it will cook fast, so keep an eye out. When the chicken is done, take off the heat and splash some soy sauce in the pan. Toss to coat.

While the chicken is cooking, make the crema by mixing the Sriracha with the yogurt. Adjust the amount of Sriracha you use, depending on how spicy you want it. Transfer the sauce to a Ziplock bag, squeeze it all to the corner and cut the tip off.

Heat a skillet over medium heat to warm the tortillas. When the tortillas are ready, build your tacos by layering the slaw and then the chicken. Drizzle the crema over the top and squeeze with fresh lime juice.

Tuna melt

I feel like tuna salad was a staple in everyone’s diet as a child. Canned tuna mixed with mayo and some sort of crunch (pickles or celery) thrown together with cold macaroni or in between two slices of bread. Whichever poison you chose, the stinky, yet delicious classic reigned strong in our youth. I, personally, was more a fan of the macaroni tuna salad than the sandwich. My mom makes a mean tuna salad.

Speaking of which, can you make it next time I’m home, Mom? Thanks!

That being said, I actually didn’t have many tuna melts growing up, but as I got older they looked more and more appealing. Melty cheese and tuna salad amongst toasty bread? I’ll take it. But, being the “recipe ditcher” that I am (yeah, I hate myself, too), I needed to switch things up a bit. To make it slightly healthier I swapped olive oil for the mayo, added some fresh veggies, and used whole wheat toast. Traditionally, I think people use cheddar or American cheese, but I used swiss–mostly because it’s what I had in the fridge, but party because I like its nutty flavor.

Let this sandwich rekindle the flavors of your childhood, with just a kiss of adultery.

Enjoy.

Ingredients

For the tuna salad

• canned tuna (in water, not oil)
• olive oil
• Dijon mustard
• onion
• celery
• red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper

For the sandwich

• Swiss cheese slices
• tomato
• spinach
• whole wheat toast

Instructions

Start by making the tuna salad. Finely dice the onion and celery. Drain tuna and combine with olive oil, mustard, celery, and onion. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste.

Next toast the bread (I did this in a toaster) and turn on your broiler. Layer the toast with the tuna salad, spinach, sliced tomato, and cheese. Place under the broiler until cheese is completely melted. Done.

BBQ chicken with avocado mango salsa

We can all agree that nothing says “summer” more than the smell of barbecue on the grill. But, why am I talking about summer in January? Well, because LA (or global warming) has graced us with 80-degree weather all week. After spending a couple wintry weeks in the midwest over the holidays, I was pleased with the warm welcome (literally) home. But, even if Jack Frost is nipping at your nose and summer seems like a figment of your imagination, you can still enjoy this dish–I’m looking at you, Wisconsin.

What makes this meal so bright and summery is the fresh avocado mango salsa, but the chicken can stand alone as the main protein for any meal. An outdoor grill is the best way to get that smoky barbecue flavor, but even I don’t have access to that. However, if you have a cast iron skillet or grill pan, you can get similar results. And if you don’t have that, just use any damn pan you want. To marinate the chicken, I used my homemade sweet and spicy BBQ sauce, but any store bought sauce will do. I love this dish because it packs big flavors with little fuss.

Enjoy.

Ingredients

For the chicken

• chicken breast
• sweet and spicy BBQ sauce (or store bought)
• olive oil
• non-stick cooking spray

For the salsa 

• avocado mango salsa

Instructions

If making homemade sauce, follow the instructions for my sweet and spicy BBQ sauce (above) and let cool. If using store bought sauce, uh, just open the bottle. Combine sauce with a drizzle of olive oil in a large ziplock bag and add chicken to marinate. Make sure chicken is completely coated and store in the fridge for 24 hours. I found that allowing the chicken to marinate for a day provides the most flavor, but you can do it for less time if you want.

While the chicken is marinating, make the mango avocado salsa (above). The longer you allow the flavors to meld, the tastier it will be. I usually allow at least an hour in the fridge.

Heat up your iron skillet (or grill pan, or whatever pan you own) and spray with non-stick spray. Add the chicken breast and brush occasionally with the sauce. Cook chicken until it’s opaque, with no pink in the center. I usually make a slit in the thickest part of the breast to check for this. Plate chicken and top with additional sauce and avocado mango salsa (optional).

*The sugars in the BBQ sauce can cause it to burn and smoke, so make sure to use a vent if you are cooking indoors. If not, you should probably unplug your fire alarms. 

Gazpacho

At the restaurant where I work, we always have a soup de jour. If you don’t know what soup de jour is, watch Dumb and Dumber—my friend Flo will fill you in. A few weeks ago the cooks made gazpacho and I fell in love. Hot soup isn’t always appealing in the summer (especially in Southern California), so this was perfect. The cool crunch of the vegetables and cold tomato juice is super refreshing on a hot day. A bowl of this gazpacho could cure even Lana Del Rey’s summertime sadness—it’s amazing.

There’s a ton of ways to make gazpacho (I’ve even seen recipes using watermelon), but I got the cooks’ recipe and went with their version. It’s a really simple and fast process, so it’s a good go-to recipe when you want something quick. Basically, you just chop up all the vegetables, dump everything in a pot, pop it in the fridge, and bam—ya done.

Enjoy.

Ingredients

• 8 cups tomato juice (Campbell’s)
• 3-4 cups water
• juice of a lemon
• 3 medium roma tomatoes
• 1/2 green bell pepper
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1/2 large cucumber
• 1/2 large red onion
• 2-3 small avocados (I love avocados)
•  cilantro
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• salt and pepper
• hot sauce (optional)

Instructions

Pour the tomato juice and water into a large pot and stir to combine. I like to use a 2:1 ratio of tomato juice to water to cut down the saltiness of the tomato juice. Next, chop up all your vegetables into bite-size pieces. I like my gazpacho to be nice and chunky, so I didn’t dice them too small. Add the lemon juice, ketchup, and freshly chopped cilantro. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add hot sauce (if you’re going that route). Give it one last stir and pop in the fridge. Serve cold.

As always, feel free to eliminate, add, or cut down on any of the vegetables.

*This recipe serves a lot of people. If making for yourself or a small number of people, I suggest cutting the recipe in half. 

Pineapple turkey brown rice bowl

One of my favorite things to do is create recipes using a bunch of random ingredients I have in my kitchen. This is especially fun when trying to use up food that’s going bad. It’s like a game and the more ingredients I use, the more points I score (yes, I’m aware of how cool I sound).

As I was poking around the kitchen today, I realized I needed to use up a whole pineapple I bought last week. My boyfriend is probably shaking his head right now, because when I brought home said pineapple his reaction was, “What are you going to do with a whole pineapple?” to which I cleverly responded, “eat it.” I win.

Anyway, after choosing the pineapple as my next victim, I randomly grabbed some things to pair it with and created this surprisingly tasty brown rice bowl. Brown rice is all the rage in LA as it’s figure friendly, which is clearly a big concern for Los Angelenos. Luckily, it can be as equally delicious as it is healthy.

The sweetness of the pineapple paired with the savory flavors of the turkey, garlic, and onions make this dish perfectly balanced. The cinnamon and cayenne give an interesting, somewhat Caribbean kick to the dish. And the freshness of the lime  juice and cilantro pull everything together. I added the cucumbers at the very end to give it a cool crunch, but they can easily be omitted without detracting from the dish.

Enjoy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown rice
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 lb ground turkey
• pineapple chunks (fresh or canned)
• 1/2 red onion
• 1/2 large cucumber
• 1-2 cloves garlic
• lime juice
• cilantro
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• cinnamon
• cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Combine brown rice and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer for 35-45 mins (or until all water is absorbed). Let rice cool.

Heat up the coconut oil (or any oil you’d like) in a skillet over medium heat. Chop up the onions and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes, until soft. Brown the turkey in the pan along with the garlic and onions–season with cinnamon, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Once the turkey is almost completely cooked, throw in the pineapple and cook for another 2 mins. Add the brown rice and lime juice and cook until everything is heated through.

If using cucumber, cut into rings and then quarters. Toss in with the brown rice mixture. Plate and top with fresh, chopped cilantro.