Curried Butternut Squash Crab Soup

Happy new year!

Can you believe it's 2013? Did you make your new year resolutions?

I've got about ten or so... you can read about them here on my author blog. One very exciting possibility—a cookbook based on my blog. I'll provide more details as it starts to come together.

After spending a week back East cooking with my mother, I was inspired to whip up a feast for New Year's Eve. I started the meal with this Curried Butternut Squash Crab Soup. The squash is roasted in the oven and then pureed into a velvety rich soup, spiked with curry powder and coconut milk. I garnish it with lump crab meat, cilantro, and toasted pepitos—this adds both texture and flavor.

The resulting soup is spicy, decadent, and creamy (but without dairy). To make it vegan, simply leave out the crab. This is perfect dish for these cold January days.

Curried Butternut Squash Crab Soup

Serves 4-6 people
Cooking time: about one hour
Gluten-free; dairy-free; easy to veganize

Ingredients

1 butternut squash, halved and seeded
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 garlic cloves, peeled
2 cups low sodium vegetable stock
1 tablespoon maple syrup
salt and freshly ground pepper

for garnishing:
fresh cilantro, chopped
toasted pepitos (pumpkin seeds)
lump crab meat (about 1/4 cup per serving)
extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Place the squash in a roasting pan. Rub the inside of the squash with the olive oil, thyme, and chili flakes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Turn the squash face down and poke holes in the skin with a knife. Roast the squash in the oven for about 50 minutes or until tender.

3. Remove the squash from the oven and allow to cool. Once it's cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh from the skin and place it in a blender. Add the curry powder, garlic cloves, maple syrup, and vegetable stock and puree until smooth, adding more stock as needed for desired consistence.

4. Pour the newly pureed soup into a pot on the stovetop. Stir in the coconut milk and season to taste with salt and pepper. Slowly bring up to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 10 minutes.

5. To serve, ladle soup into bowls and garnish with the crab, cilantro  and pepitos. Finish with a drizzle of good olive oil and freshly ground black pepper.  Enjoy!

Late Harvest Raw Corn Salad

It's been a whirlwind of family and travel!

First up was Portland with my husband and his family. I LOVED this city—more restaurants and food trucks than I could count. I feel like I barely scratched the eating surface Favorites included Ox, Woodsman Tavern, and Salt and Straw for homemade ice cream in unusual flavors.

I can't wait to return for a more extended trip.

My parents just arrived in LA yesterday for a few days, before we all jet off to Hawaii. We'll be visiting the beautiful island of Kauai for the first time. We've rented condos, so we'll be cooking in residence as I like to call it. My chef brother is also flying out from SF.

Should be some yummy food coming out of our kitchen!

I will report back.

In the meantime, here's a great recipe for Late Harvest Raw Corn Salad. It's simple and clean, really showcasing corn in its purest form. I paired it with red bell pepper and arugula, with a touch of lemon juice and cilantro. This makes for a great side dish (I served it with BBQ chicken).

Late Harvest Raw Corn Salad

Serves 4 people
Prep time: less than 10 minutes
Vegan; gluten-free

Ingredients

2 ears of corn, kernels removed
1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and chopped
2 cups baby arugula
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
about 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
2 tablespoons good extra virgin olive oil
pinch of cumin
salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Place the corn, pepper, arugula, and cilantro in a bowl. Add the pinch of cumin, lemon juice (more may be added to taste), and olive oil. Toss well to combine.
2. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Enjoy!

Meatless Monday Features My Recipe For "Spicy Cilantro Corn on the Cob"

Spicy Cilantro Corn on the Cob

Meatless Monday 

Happy Monday! I've got a lot of news to share this morning. 

Firstly, Meatless Monday is featuring my recipe for Spicy Cilantro Corn on the Cob this week. My photograph also graces their homepage (an amazing honor for an amateur photographer like myself). I love this recipe for its simplicity, spices, and deliciousness. 

Here's the description of the recipe:

Summer corn is so naturally delicious, not much preparation is needed to make it shine. Spicy paprika, fresh cilantro and salt and pepper contrast corn’s sweetness to add nuance to the flavor of the classic corn on the cob.This recipe comes to us from Jen Brody, The Domestic Diva.

Click here for the link to my recipe for Spicy Cilantro Corn on the Cob

Twitter Party

Also, in big Meatless Monday news, they asked me to host a potato-themed Twitter Party for them next month. I'm co-hosting along with Stephanie from The Recipe Renovator (her blog is awesome). We actually met at a blogger retreat last year. It should be a fun time.

More details to come—stay tuned!

My Personal Essay

Lastly, I wrote a blog post on my author website that's been getting a great response (tons of pageviews/lots of comments/emails from readers).

The post was inspired by the controversial in the Atlantic, "Why Women Still Can't Have It All" that's been heating up the blogosphere. I decided to share my personal story of working in Hollywood: My Glamorous Hollywood Career... And Why I Gave It Up.

So many women have been reaching out via email and commenting to share their stories. Please continue the dialogue on this very important issue if you relate. Leave a comment, share it on Facebook, Tweet it, or email it to your friends. As always, I appreciate the support. 

Click here to view my personal essay

Spicy Cilantro Corn on the Cob

This weekend flew by.

I had my in-laws visiting from Des Moines, which means that we went out to several fabulous meals.

Cube. Cut. Animal. Pace. Pinches Tacos.

Yum. Yum. Yum. Yum. And Yum.

It also means that I did not do as much cooking this week as normal, though I did manage to sneak in this recipe for Spicy Cilantro Corn on the Cob.

Corn season has arrived! I roasted sweet corn on the cob with spicy paprika and cilantro in the oven. It would also work great on the grill. This was so easy with such minimal clean up that I plan to make it again very soon.

Spicy Cilantro Corn on the Cob

Serves 4 people
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Vegan; gluten-free

Ingredients

4 ears of corn, husks removed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or butter
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon spicy paprika
salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Lay the corn out on a big sheet of aluminium foil. Drizzle with the olive oil or place pats of butter around the corn. Coat the corn with the chopped cilantro, paprika, and season with salt and pepper. Lay a few sprigs of cilantro over the top if desired.

3. Fold up the aluminum foil around the corn. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until the corn is tender. Remove from the foil and serve. Enjoy!

Meatless Monday Features My Recipe for Apricot Cilantro Quinoa Pilaf

This week, Meatless Monday is featuring my recipe for Apricot Cilantro Quinoa Pilaf.

And my photograph graces their main page, too.

I love this recipe—it's quick (cooks up in less than half the time of rice pilaf), healthy, packed with protein, and flavorful. It's great on its own or as a side dish to any meal.

What a great way to start the week!

Here's the link to my recipe on Meatless Monday

Apricot Cilantro Quinoa Pilaf

Happy Monday!

It's a cloudy, rainy one here in to Los Angeles, but a change of pace is nice sometimes. What news do I have? Firstly, Meatless Monday is featuring my soup recipe from last week (which they are calling Orzo Spinach Soup), and my photograph is on their homepage. Love those guys.

And I'm halfway through my new book (quite an accomplishment I think).

Anyway, I've been cooking up a storm and have lots of great recipes waiting in the wings. But today, I'm writing up this one for Apricot Cilantro Quinoa Pilaf.

You see tons of rice pilaf recipes, but I love using quinoa instead. It's super high in protein and has a great nutty flavor. I used an organic tri-color quinoa blend from Trader Joe's that I just love! But any sort will work.

For this recipe, I combine apricots, cilantro, and toasted pumpkin seeds, giving it a little bit of a Middle Eastern flair. This dish is great on its own (lots of protein), as a side dish, or served with eggs for breakfast.

Apricot Cilantro Quinoa Pilaf
Serves 4 people
Cooking time: about 20 minutes
Vegan; gluten-free

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups low sodium vegetable stock or water
• 1/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1 shallot, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• lemon juice (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and saute for a few minutes, until softened. 
2. Meanwhile, rinse the quinoa for 2 minutes under cold water.
3. Add the stock, quinoa, and apricots. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes (per quinoa package instructions). 
4. Once the quinoa has finished cooking, remove from heat and fold in the pumpkin seeds and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. 
5. If desired, finish with a little fresh squeezed lemon juice and garnish with chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Curried Sea Bass with Coconut Milk

Curried Sea Bass with Coconut Milk

Today is one of those days where I'm tackling a huge To Do List. You know the kind... too many entries... certain tasks that get procrastinated and carried over to the next list day after day... like purchasing our Thanksgiving plane tickets, or getting new window treatments for the bedroom.

If truth be told, I'm a To Do List junkie. There I said it!

But they do help me stay organized. It's a way to get all those annoying voices telling me to do things out of my head and down on to a piece of paper, so I focus on my actual life and living in the moment. So they are a blessing, too.

Wow, venting really makes me feel better! Oh, how do I love blogging?

So onto today's recipe for Curried Sea Bass with Coconut Milk. I've made this dish twice in two weeks, which should tell you how much I adore it.

It's a light curry made with coconut oil and coconut milk, fresh ginger, cherry tomatoes, peppers, and cilantro. The local sea bass is very gently poached in the curry, rendering it succulent and flavorful. The flavors taste bright and remarkably fresh. Plus, it's a one pot meal that's a cinch to prepare.

I love serving the curry over a brown basmati rice, but any type of whole grain would be great. As for the fish, I used sea bass in this incarnation, but I've also made it with sole. Almost any white fish would work beautifully.

It's also great -- if not better -- as leftovers the next day.

I'm sure I'll be making this again soon...

Curried Sea Bass with Coconut Milk
Serves 4 people
Cooking time: about 30 minutes
Dairy-free; gluten-free
Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound sea bass or other white fish, cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or grapeseed oil
• 1 onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 bell peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1 cup light coconut milk
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Add the onions and bell peppers. Saute until beginning to soften.
2. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and ginger. Saute until the tomatoes begin to break down. 
3. Then, stir in the curry powder and cook for another two minutes, or until fragrant.
4. Add the coconut milk and stock. Bring to a simmer, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
5. Add the fish and cilantro. Simmer the fish in the broth for a few minutes, until it's cooked through and flakes apart.
6. To serve, ladle the curry over brown basmati rice. Garnish with a little chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients

• local sea bass, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, baby spring onions, garlic, ginger, and cilantro from the West Hollywood Farmers Market
• hot curry powder from All Spice
• coconut oil from Kelapo
• coconut milk and organic vegetable stock from Trader Joe's

Roasted Baby Eggplant with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce

Roasted Baby Eggplant with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce

Happy Monday!

It's another beautiful day in sunny California. We've had a relatively cool summer with idyllic temperatures. Clear, sunny, 70's to low 80's. Let's hope it lasts!

The highlights of my weekend (apart from getting all of my laundry done), included a fabulous dinner at Tasca Wine Bar (they're launching a new Happy Hour--I'll post on it later this week), a showing of RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (my new favorite movie), and a fun dinner with friends at Hollywood gastropub Fat Dog. It was a packed weekend, full of food and friends and uber-intelligent primates.

What news do I have to share? Meatless Monday is featuring my recipe for Blackberry Walnut Muffins this week! So check it out.

In the meantime, here's my new food obsession -- Roasted Baby Eggplant. I found these beauties at the Studio City Farmers Market yesterday. Baby eggplant are delicate and tender, without any of the bitterness of their adult counterparts.

I debated how I wanted to cook them, but ultimately opted for an Indian-inspired take. I halved the baby eggplant and tossed them with olive oil, curry powder, and a little salt. Then, I roasted them in the oven, and topped them with a spicy, garlicky yogurt sauce flecked with cilantro.

The resulting dish was fabulous -- flavorful, creamy, spicy, and everything in between. I could eat a hundred of these! And before eggplant season is over, I just might...

Roasted Baby Eggplant with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
Serves 4-6 people
Cooking time: About 40-50 minutes
Vegetarian; gluten-free
Print Recipe

Ingredients

• about 6 cups baby eggplant, halved
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• 1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, plus more for garnishing
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 serrano or jalapeno pepper (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Toss the eggplant with the olive oil, curry powder, and salt. Arrange in an ovenproof dish, cut side up. Cover and bake for 20 minutes. 
3. Uncover the dish and roast for another 20-30 minutes, or until the eggplant are tender and lightly browned. Remove from the oven.
4. Meanwhile, to make the sauce, place the yogurt, garlic, cilantro, lemon, and pepper in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Season to taste with salt.
5. To plate, spread the eggplant cut side up on a serving platter. Top with the Cilantro Yogurt Sauce. Finish with a sprinkling of chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients

• baby eggplant and cilantro from the Studio City Farmers Market
• hot curry powder from All Spice
• organic plain nonfat Greek yogurt, organic lemons, organic garlic, and extra virgin olive oil from Trader Joe's

Panko-Crusted Red Snapper with Avocado Cream Sauce

Panko-Crusted Red Snapper with Avocado Cream Sauce

Can you believe that it's already Thursday?

This week is flying by. Lots of social engagements, and the winding down of my awesomest birthday week ever. I've been working, working, working on the revisions (minor) to my novel, and they're going great (yay!!). Listening to a lot of bluegrass (I'm obsessed with the new Alison Krauss and Union Station album that my parents gifted me for my birthday). I need to get my tuckus to the gym today!

The Adorable Monster is continuing his life of leisure in our household. Yesterday, a great mobile groomer called Puppy Love came to the house. He got bathed, cut, and fluffed to within an inch of his life and looks soooo ridiculous. On our way back from the pet store, people keep looking at him in my car and just laughing. At least, he brings people joy! He's currently in his favorite spot on our porch, chillaxing to the max, like he does every morning.

I'll join him soon for my daily morning yoga routine, which wakes up my body and gets my mind ready to write and write and write...

But before I make myself breakfast and begin my morning contortions, I'll leave you with a lovely late summer recipe for Panko-Crusted Red Snapper with Avocado Cream. Now, there's no actual cream in the sauce--rather, avocados contain so much glorious, healthy fat that they become like a cream when transformed into a sauce, with lemon and cilantro.

Red Snapper, one of my favorite fish, is crusted with Japanese breadcrumbs called panko (though normal breadcrumbs would work, too). This gives the fish great texture. I served the whole dish over a bit of my homemade gazpacho (it's a nifty trick that it works great as a sauce with fish), but this step is optional.

This is a lovely, delicious late summer dish that you'll want to make again and again. The flavors are reminiscent of south of the border. Enjoy!

Panko-Crusted Red Snapper with Avocado Cream
Serves 2 people
Cooking time: about 30 minutes
Dairy-free
Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 fillets of Red Snapper (about 4-6 oz. each)
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
• 1 avocado, seeded and peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, packed
• 1/2 cup homemade gazpacho (optional)

Directions

1. Heat the grapeseed oil in a saute or frying pan over medium-high heat.
2. Rinse the snapper fillets and pat dry. Season them with salt and freshly ground pepper.
3. Working with one fillet at a time, coat the tenders with flour, shaking off any excess. Then, dip it in the egg mixture, also shaking off the excess. Finally, coat the fillet with the panko breadcrumbs. Repeat with the other fillet.
4. Place the snapper in the pan, cooking for a few minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through. 
5. Meanwhile, to make the avocado cream, place the avocado, cumin, lemon juice, cilantro, a pinch of salt, and about 2 tablespoons of water in a food processor or blender. Puree the ingredients together, adding more water as needed for desired consistency.
6. To serve, ladle a little gazpacho onto the bottom of a bowl (this step is optional). Top with a fillet and spoon some of the avocado cream on top. Finish with a little chopped cilantro and freshly ground pepper if desired. Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients

• red snapper, avocado, cilantro, lemons, eggs, and gazpacho ingredients from the West Hollywood Farmers Market
• organic ground cumin from Whole Foods
• grapeseed oil, flour, and panko breadcrumbs from Trader Joe's 

Seared Tuna with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce and Sweet Corn Hash

In the heat of the summer, I'm always looking for culinary ways to cool off. I make raw vegetable salads, cold soups, and lighter meals. Even the Adorable Monster was feeling the heat. When our neighbors invited us over to their pool, I brought him with me and took him for his second ever swim. You wouldn't think it by looking at him, but he's quite the swimmer! In between trying to swipe grilled steak and chicken off unattended plates, he had a blast paddling around the pool. And afterward, he was even curlier than usual. A regular poof ball of fur.

So two weeks ago, with temperatures soaring into the mid-90's, I picked up some gorgeous, deep red Ahi Tuna from Whole Foods. One of the things I love most about Ahi Tuna is that it only needs to be seared, not cooked all the way through, which makes it taste fresh and clean. After some serious foodie meditation, I settled on making a cilantro yogurt sauce with fresh organic cilantro and plain Greek yogurt. I theorized that the sauce would give the dish an herbaceous, refreshing component.

Boy, was I right! It was so tasty I wanted to eat it with a spoon. Seriously, cilantro flavored yogurt anyone?

To finish the dish, I whipped up a Sweet Corn Hash with Vidalia onions and organic zucchini in my cast iron skillet. The combination of the cilantro-yogurt sauce and the sweet corn hash was so delectable that I ate the leftovers with a fried egg substituting for the tuna the next morning. It was almost better, if that's possible. So stay cool this summer with this recipe!

Seared Tuna with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce and Sweet Corn Hash
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves 4 people
Print Recipe  

Ingredients
4 four ounce pieces of Ahi Tuna
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
salt and pepper

cilantro yogurt sauce
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of cayenne pepper
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper

sweet corn hash
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 ears of corn, kernels removed
2 cups zucchini, chopped
1 Vidalia onion or other sweet onion, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
salt and pepper

Directions
To make the sweet corn hash, heat the olive oil in a cast iron skillet or saute pan.  Add the onions and cook until beginning to soften (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic and saute for one more minute.  Then, add the zucchini and cook until becoming tender. Add the sweet corn kernels and cook the hash down in the skillet until it's tender and the onions are beginning to turn into jam. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, to make the cilantro-yogurt sauce, place all of the ingredients except the salt and pepper in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To cook the tuna, sprinkle both sides of the fish generously with salt and pepper.  Heat the grape seed oil in a saute pan over high heat. Place the fish in the pan and quickly sear on all sides (about one minute per side).  Remove from heat and allow to rest for at least five minutes before cutting into slices.

To plate, spoon some sweet corn hash onto a place. Top with pieces of sliced tuna and drizzle with the cilantro yogurt sauce.  Finish with chopped cilantro and fresh cracked pepper. Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients
organic sweet corn, organic zucchini, organic cilantro, organic Greek yogurt, Ahi tuna, organic lemons, organic ground cumin, and cayenne pepper from Whole Foods 

Wine Pairing
On this night, Kuzak was craving cabernet sauvignon, so we popped a bottle of 1994 BV Private Reserve George De Latour. I picked up the bottle while visiting the winery in Napa with The Wine Lover (my father). We decanted the wine first to allow it to open up. Heck, it had been in a bottle for more than fifteen years. The first whiff I took held great promise - musky, earthy, some latent fruit percolating up through my nostrils. It smelled just how aged cab should. The wine drank beautifully all night long, full of musk and blackberry fruit. It was a fabulous accompaniment to a softer meal, lovely but not overpowering. A great effort from a legendary producer. Bravo.