Check Out My Recipe for "Rustic Peach Pie with Whole Grain Spelt Crust" Published on the Good Food Pie-A-Day Blog!

Divas, I have exciting news!

My recipe for "Rustic Peach Pie with Whole Grain Spelt Crust" was just published on the Good Food Pie-A-Day blog. I created this "healthier" take on the pie just for them. If you're not familiar with "Good Food" on KCRW public radio, it's an amazing food show hosted by Even Kleiman.

It's a huge honor to be published on their site. I can't wait for the upcoming pie contest, which Evan Kleiman hosts every year.

Click here for my recipe!

Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin with Sherry-Shallot Vinaigrette

Here is my first post about my new Sous Vide Supreme.

Let me begin by saying that I've only used it six times so far (in two weeks), but already it's life changing. Sous-vide, French for "under vacuum," involves vacuum sealing food into plastic bags and cooking them at low temperatures for extended periods of time in a temperature controlled water bath. In concept, this method of cooking maintains the integrity of the ingredients due to the low temperatures.

A technique frequently used in fine dining settings (my Top Chef Brother does a ton of it, and is my chief culinary consultant in all things sous vide), it's only recently become affordable to the home chef thanks to the Sous Vide Supreme.

Lean meats (pork tenderloin, beef tenderloin) are the most clearly appropriate for sous vide cooking. Not only does it render them exceptionally tender and keep them moist, but it brings them to a perfect medium rare throughout. With sous vide, there is no risk of overcooking.

Cooking sous vide depends on two things—temperature and time.  To assist in learning this technique, I relied on blog posts, the cookbook "Sous Vide for the Home Cook," the temperature charts that came with the Sous Vide Supreme, and my Top Chef Brother's advice. The ubiquitous tomb, "Under Pressure" by Thomas Keller, is on its way (though I've heard it was written for professionals, but we'll see). More on this once I receive the book.

For my very first sous vide experiment, I decided to cook pork tenderloin and settled on a decadent technique. I decided to cook the pork with rendered bacon fat. Yup, you heard me right. I served the pork tenderloin over a bed of pearl barley and topped with a sherry-shallot vinaigrette, wanting to taste the meat. I was not disappointed! The pork was by far the best and most tender I've ever made. It literally dissolved in my mouth in a pool of bacon-flavored meat. This recipe was a winner.

Next week, following my Top Chef Brother's advice—I'll be trying another preparation of pork tenderloin that involves an apple cider brine, a sear, and then sous vide cooking the meat with bacon slices for flavor. I can't wait!

Sous Vide Pork Tenderloin with Sherry-Shallot Vinaigrette

Prep time: 15 minutes; Cooking time: 2 hours
Serves 4 people
Gluten-free; dairy-free

Ingredients

1 pork tenderloin
1 teaspoon dried garlic, ground
2 tablespoons rendered bacon fat, refrigerated or frozen until solid
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil

sherry-shallot vinaigrette
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
2 tablespoon good extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, peeled and diced
salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat the Sous Vide Supreme to 135 to 140 degrees (depending on how well you want it cooked).

2. Meanwhile, rub the pork tenderloin with the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Place in a plastic bag with the rendered bacon fat. Vacuum seal the bag. Place in the Sous Vide Supreme and cook for at least 2 hours (but you may cook it for longer).

3. To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the olive oil and vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Once the pork has finished cooking in the Sous Vide Supreme, remove from the water bath. Heat the grapeseed oil over medium high heat in a saute pan. Cut open the bag and remove the pork. Quickly sear it on all sides and set aside. Allow it to rest for five minutes before cutting the tenderloin into half inch slices.

5. To plate, layer slices of pork on a plate and drizzle with the sherry-shallot vinaigrette. Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients
organic pork tenderloin, organic ground garlic, sherry vinegar and organic pearl barley from Whole Foods

organic shallots and olive oil from the Hollywood Farmers Market

Special Edition Meatless Monday: New Column in the Hawaii Women's Journal Featuring My Recipe for Vegetable Risotto!

For this special edition of Meatless Monday, hop on over to the Hawaii Women's Journal and read my new column, "Don't Rush the Risotto," and recipe for, "Vegetable Risotto with Asparagus, Savoy Spinach, and Fresh Goat Cheese." Risotto is one of my favorite dishes to make "meatless." The recipe also includes two different ways to make homemade veggie stock.

And while you're at it, peruse the rest of the issue. It's packed with great articles, recipes, and advice. Enjoy!

Click here to link to the Hawaii Women's Journal!

You can read it online or download the pdf.

Grass-Fed Lamb Kabobs with Lemon Tahini Sauce

There's been a big development in my kitchen.

For my birthday, Kuzak gifted me with a Sous Vide Supreme and a vacuum sealer. This new toy is going to take my cooking to a whole new level. Stay tuned in the coming weeks as I begin integrating sous vide cooking into my repertoire. I've made pork tenderloin, rib eye steak, sweet corn and baby carrots so far, and the results are impressive. I'll post pictures and recipes soon.

In the meantime, here's a recipe that uses my other favorite piece of equipment - my grill. This is a recipe for lamb kebobs using grass fed lamb (I get it from my CSA). Grass fed meat is better for you than grain fed meat because it contains omega-3's, that awesome stuff that's also in wild caught fish and is essential to health. I also happen to think it tastes better - less fatty, more tender.

I love making kebobs, too. It's such a great way to get your meat and veggies all in well quick dish. I collect great veggies from my farmers market like cherry tomatoes, summer squash, red onions, and bell peppers. Then, I serve the kebobs over long grain brown rice (new studies show that eating brown rice can lower you risk for diabetes). I finish them off with a quick lemon tahini sauce and come fresh chopped mint, both of which pair great with the lamb.

Give this recipe a shot - it's perfect for an upscale summer BBQ party or just a quiet dinner for two at home - and stay tuned for some serious sous vide action...

Grass-Fed Lamb Kebobs with Lemon Tahini Sauce
Serves 4 people
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Print Recipe

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds lamb kebob meat (lamb or shoulder cut into 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes)
2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 bell peppers, seeded and cut into half inch pieces
2 summer squash, cut into thin slices
1 red onion, peeled and cut into half inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons chopped mint
wooden kebob skewers, soaked in water for 30 minutes prior to use

quick marinade:
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
salt and pepper

lemon tahini sauce:
2 tbsp sesame tahini
1 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
1/4 tsp cumin, ground
salt & pepper

Directions
To make the marinade, whisk together the ingredients in a nonreactive bowl. Add the lamb and allow to marinade for at least 30 minutes and up to four hours (in the refrigerator).

To make the lemon-tahini sauce, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice and cumin in a bowl.  Add water as needed to thin to a nice consistency.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

Preheat the grill.

Assemble the kabobs by spearing the lamb, tomatoes, peppers, squash, and red onion in an alternating pattern. Once all the kabobs have been assembled, season them with salt and pepper and brush them with the olive oil.

Cook the kabobs over the grill, turning once. Remove from heat once the meat is cooked through and the vegetables are tender (about 3-5 minutes per side for medium to medium rare).

To plate, place two kabobs on a plate. Drizzle with the lemon tahini sauce and sprinkle with the fresh chopped mint. Enjoy!

Source for Ingredients
grassfed lamb from Healthy Family Farms, CSA (Hollywood Farmers Market)

organic cherry tomatoes, organic red onion, organic baby summer squash, organic bell pepper, and organic lemons from the Hollywood Farmers Market

organic sesame tahini and organic cumin from Whole Foods

Great NPR Story on Meatless Monday!

Curried Lentils with Mint Rice (MM Recipe)

Divas, you must check out this great NPR article on Meatless Monday. As you know, I'm a big supporter. I publish Meatless Monday recipes once a week (on Monday of course!). So check out this article and read my blog for great meatless recipe ideas.

Click here for the NPR article on Meatless Monday!