Semi Spicy Lentil Stew

My own creation. I was to lazy to make a fancy dinner so I rummaged through the fridge and ate the result. It turned out delicious!
Ingredients
1 or 2 egg/s, lightly scrambled
1/3 cube tofu or 1 roughly one cup tofu
3/4 cup vegetable stock
1 cup pre-cooked lentils
1/4 tsp salt plus more to taste
1/4 tsp curry powder
1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp fennel seed (optional)
Parsley to garnish
Method
Prep tofu by chopping it into large cubes. You may fry the tofu before hand or not. Place tofu in bowl on the side. Mix cayenne pepper, curry powder and fennel in bowl. Place aside. Pour vegetable stock in a pot and turn heat to medium-high, stirring occasionally. Once stock begins to boil on the edges, pour in scrambled egg/s and let egg/s cook. Once egg/s are cooking, add salt and tofu, lowering heat to medium. Stir mixture occasionally for 2-3 minutes. Add cooked lentils and spices. Turn heat to high and cook for 3-4 more minutes. Serve hot over fresh, steamed rice with toasted pita bread. Garnish with parsley if desired.
Note: The amount of spices can be changed, depending on how spicy you like your food.

Easy Cherry Crisp

A delicious dessert that takes only half and hour! Great with vanilla ice cream. My variation of a crisp recipe.
Ingredients
2 cups fresh cherries
1 Tbsp baking sugar
3/4 cups oatmeal or rolled oats
1/4 cup raw sugar
1/4 cup sliced or chopped almonds
4 tsp warmed orange honey

Method
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Rinse cherries and stone. If you don't have a cherry pitter, cut then in half length wise and remove the pit. Place cherries in a pie plate and cover with 1 Tbsp baking sugar and 2 Tbsp water. Bake in the oven until cherries soften(10 minutes). While the cherries cook, mix oatmeal, raw sugar, almonds and honey until completely combined. Remove cherries from the oven and cool for 2 minutes. Cover the cherries evenly with the oatmeal mixture and bake until top is golden(10-12 minutes). Remove from heat and cool on wire rack for 10 minutes then serve with a large scoop of french vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Chapchae

An easy recipe for a delicious, Korean dish. Tastes good cold.

Ingredients
8 oz sweet potato noodles(glass)
1 thinly sliced onion
2 finely chopped garlic cloves
1/2 cup baby spinach
2 julienned carrots
3 chopped scallions
1/2 cup chopped napa cabbage
4-5 shitake mushrooms
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp sesame oil
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1tsp sugar
Pinch of salt, or to taste

Method
Cook noodles according to directions on package. While they cook, saute onions and garlic with one Tbsp sesame oil. Add other veggies and cook for 4-5 minutes. Lower heat and add cooked noodles, soy sauce, sugar and remaining oils. Cook for 2 minutes and season with salt. Serve.

Southern Red Velvet Cake

A rich, delicious dessert that doesn't need a vanilla ice cream side kick. Candied pecans are a great topping.

Ingredients: Cake                                                                             

1/2 cup room temp. butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbsp red food coloring
2 Tbsp cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp white vinegar
1 cup buttermilk
2 cups sifted cake flour (or make your own)
1 tsp salt

Ingredients: Cake
1/2 cup butter (room temperature)
8 oz cream cheese
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups confectioners sugar

Method
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line (with parchment paper) 2 nine inch layer pans. Cream together butter and sugar in a bowl. Add eggs one by one. Beat the mixture after each egg is added. Add remaining wet ingredients besides buttermilk.

In a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Slowly add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients then half of the buttermilk. Mix well and add the remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk.

Pour batter into the prepared pans. bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick , poked through the cake, comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes then remove pans and allow cake to cool completely.

In a separate bowl, mix together the frosting ingredients until light and fluffy (If this frosting is to heavy for you, look up a butter cream frosting recipe). Frost cake and enjoy!

Kebab Koobideh (Ground Meat Kebabs)

This dish is a common Iranian food, the "meatloaf" of Persian culture. Best if cooked on a grill and served with rice or pita bread. Noosh e joon!

Ingredients
2 pounds ground meat (lamb or turkey)                  
1 medium Onion, grated
2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp sumac ( a middle eastern spice)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 medium tomatoes
2 Tbsp melted butter
2 limes, juiced

Method
Mix the meat, onion, spices and baking soda with hands for ten minutes like bread dough until it develops a pasty consistency. In separate bowl, mix the lime juice and butter. Form meat paste into long, sausage like shapes or meatballs. Fire up the grill. Brush shaped meat and tomatoes with lime-butter sauce and grill for 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and cover with foil for 10 minutes so that the meat retains its juices. Serve.

Scalion Pancakes with Plum Sauce

One of my favorite foods is scallion pancakes, especially those at Mandarette Cafe. I have also tried the scallion pancakes from Joan's on Third, but they lack the delicious contrast that comes with Mandarette's signature plum sauce. The sauce is barely spicy, barely any kick, but its subtle delicious flavor is a perfect pair to the comparatively bland pancakes. The pancakes themselves are not light and fluffy like those at IHOP, but dense and chewy. They are lightly flavored with the scallions cooked inside of them so that there are no conflicting flavors with the plum sauce. They are a general favorite due to their mild flavor, without the sauce, that appeals to those with the most sensitive of taste buds.

Location: 8386 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles CA

The Mini Dougnut Muffin

 From the wide array of Big Sugar's fabulous desserts, the doughnut muffin has received the most acclaim. This popularity is not unjustified, for the doughnut muffin's light, cinnamon flavor is both delicate and filling. Unlike the common doughnut that is fried in vats of oil, the doughnut muffin is baked before it is served. Its crumbly texture and sugary coating are irresistible. And for those who are afraid of gaining the calories, it comes in miniature. Though it can be eaten at anytime of day, it is best paired with a light cup of coffee and the morning sun. No tester of this warm delight has ever been disappointed.
 
Big Sugar Bakeshop

Szechuan Green Beans

Joan's on Third. Some of the best food I have ever had, from gourmet mac and cheese to their Toasted Israeli Couscous, has come from them. But my favorite dish is their Szechuan Green Beans. Served cold with a delicious, tangy sauce, they are the perfect side to many meals. I have had them as a side with noodles, stir fry and soups. And each time, their refreshing, crisp bite enhances the meal.  Sometimes there is left-over sauce, which if kept is a great last minute condiment for pot stickers, rice and tofu. Its subtle but tangy flavor is neither overpowering, nor imperceptible. It also differs from many spicier sauces because it has a richer flavor, not as watery. This combined with the almost undercooked beans makes for a simple yet beyond satisfying meal.