Sweet and Spicy Pork Chops by Rachel

Growing up in an asian household, I had pork often.  Now that I'm making food choices for myself, I try not to indulge in too much pork just to keep my meals low fat and to give myself room for the desserts and baked goods that I love so much, but every now and then, I just want a nice pork chop.  Pork chops aren't always my first choice because if not cooked right, pork chops can be very dry.  I'm not the kind of girl that eats apple sauce with my pork chops so I need my pork chops to be sweet and juicy on their own.  What's the secret?

BRINING.  Brining means that you're marinating the meat in a salty solution overnight.  It traps in flavors into the pork chop and keeps the meat moist.  Know that if you want to make this recipe you will need at least a day because the pork needs to brine OVERNIGHT.

Ingredients for the Brine- Per Pork Chop (I bought two bone-in pork chops that were about 1/2 lb each)

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons salt
1/2  teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
canola oil for cooking

My Favorite Pizza by Rachel

With all the snow that's hit New York, I haven't been able to get to my favorite pizza joint in NY- Paulie Gee's.  They are a great pizza joint in Greenpoint and they make wonderful neapolitan style pizzas.  Feeling the cabin fever come on, I decided to do some research about how to get that pizza at home.

I've always kind of stayed away from making breads because of the long wait times needed for bread doughs to rise properly.  Pizza dough research will tell you that the wait time is necessary.  And they're right.  You have to let it ferment overnight.  While there are quick-fix recipes out there, I found that almost all recipes called for overnight fermentation.  So I did that.

I don't have a pizza stone either so I was a little worried that I might not get that crust that I wanted, but I have a solution for you!  Let me take you on my pizza journey, starting with the ingredients:

Really, this is all you need.

Ingredients
For the pizza dough (makes two 12 inch pizzas)
2 cups bread flour
1/2 tsp yeast
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup water

For toppings
1 can crushed tomatoes (you can buy whole peeled tomatoes, but you'll just end up crushing them yourself)
mozzarella, however much you want!  8 oz is probably enough, but if you want more, do it up!
fresh basil
any other toppings your heart desires!  My recommendations would be prosciutto, pepperoni, anchovies, or broccoli rabe.  All great choices- you can't go wrong.

Lemongrass Chicken and Ramen Noodles by Heather

I am so excited to share this recipe because it uses fresh ramen noodles I got from a friend whose grandma owns and runs a Chinese market in the Chinatown in Oakland.  They make their own noodles, and these are honestly the best ramen noodles I've ever had!  I also went to a ramen making class this past weekend, so I feel like I have a new appreciation for how complex the process is.

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup coconut milk (full fat)
1 stalk lemongrass, with core sliced finely
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tbs. ginger, roughly chopped
1 shallot roughly chopped
5 green onions, finely sliced
2 handfulls fresh ramen noodles
1/4 oyster sauce
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tbsp. soy sauce (or more to taste based on your preference)
Sriracha (add based on your preference)

Cinnassant Buns by Rachel

One of my favorite smells during the holiday season is that warm cinnamon baked-good smell.  I've made cinnamon buns many times, but this time, I wanted to change it up a little.

With all the fuss that's been made about cronuts over the last year, I've spent a lot of time perfecting my croissant dough recipe and I thought that pairing my croissant dough with my cinnamon bun know-how would make a delicious treat.  I was right!

Some of these instructions will look repetitive because it's about the same as making the dough for my fauxnut recipe, but I have posted the instructions here again for your convenience:

Croissant Dough Ingredients
1/2 cup cold milk (I used whole milk)
1/2 cup boiling water
1 tbsp active dry yeast
3 tbsp sugar
3 cup all purpose flour, extra for dusting your surface to roll out the dough
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, very cold and diced into small bits
1 tbsp all purpose flour for the butter

Cinnamon Bun Filling Ingredients
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
lemon zest of 1/2 a lemon
2 tbsp melted butter

Orzo Stuffed Peppers by Heather

I've been making a lot of stuffed veggie recipes this fall.  Most stuffed veggie recipes are warm and hearty, and even if they are covered in cheese, well, you're still eating your vegetables!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup mint, chiffonade
1/2 cup shredded Pecorino Romano, plus 1/4 cup
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large zucchini (or two medium) grated with a box grater
1/4 cup olive oil
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup basil, chiffonade
4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups uncooked orzo
6 bell peppers (choose a few colors like red, orange, and yellow)

Butternut Squash and Yam Gnocchi in Sage Brown Butter by Rachel

Hey guys!  I'm back!  It's been a while since I updated the blog, but I've been busy getting things ready for my wedding (I'm getting married in Thailand)!  Now that most of those things are finally settled, here I am!

This recipe was really born out of my needing to use up ingredients around my kitchen, but sometimes the best things happen when you're least expecting it!  Butternut squash is clearly a star ingredient when it comes to making fall favorites, so hopefully this recipe will become a favorite of yours.

Ingredients
1 small butternut squash
1 large yam
1 egg
scant 2 cups of flour
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp of nutmeg
olive oil for roasting

3 tbsp unsalted butter
4-5 leaves of fresh sage, diced finely
salt and pepper for taste
parmesan cheese to finish

Butternut Squash and Mushroom Lasagna by Heather

Even though September and October are apparently the "summer" months in SF, I'm ready for fall.  While this may be a pasta dish, it's still relatively healthy- there's mushrooms, squash, kale, and Greek yogurt!  I'd save this dish for a Sunday supper, though, as it does take some time to prepare, but trust me- it's worth it!

Ingredients:
1 lb. shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped lengthwise (you could also use a blend of chantrelle and oyster mushrooms)
3 portobello mushroom caps, cleaned and roughly chopped lengthwise
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 large shallot (or 3 small), minced
2 rosemary sprigs, leaves separated and chopped
3 tbs. sage leaves, chiffonade
2 lbs (2 packages) chopped butternut squash
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup part-skim ricotta
5 oz. shredded parmesan
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
1 package no boil lasagna noodles
3 leaves kale, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste (note: since butternut squash gets quite sweet when roasted, you'll have to add a good deal of salt.  The best rule of thumb is to taste as you go and season the squash mixture thoroughly once blended)