Palmiers/ Elephant Ears

My bff loves palmiers. I didn’t even know of their existence until she went into ecstasies about them – so of course I had to learn how to make them.

There couldn’t be an easier recipe. All you need is puff pastry and sugar!

 

 

Curried Turnips

I always get tons of turnips in my winter CSA organic box and mostly end up using them in salads. This is is a nice way of cooking them with a nice hit of Indian spices.

 

Almond Raspberry White Chocolate Bars

I recently went to a gathering hosted by Hearst Magazines where Celebrity Chef Alex Hitz, House Beautiful’s new food contributor and author of best-selling cookbook My Beverly Hills Kitchen, prepared a fabulous three-course dinner.

For dessert he served these fabulous bars which dessert blew me away. The recipe is actually really simple and I substituted almonds for walnuts but you can use any nuts you like.

 

Saag Paneer (Spinach with Indian Cheese)

Here is an Indian classic. You see it on every menu in Indian restaurants all over. This is a lightened up, home-style version of the dish which is really delicious. Paneer can be bought from any Indian store.

 

Plant vs. Zombies Cake

This past year my nephew really foxed me when he asked me to make him a “Plant vs. Zombies” cake for his 6th birthday. I had no clue what he was talking about and went scrambling to the net to find out what these creatures looked like.

Thanks to good old ebay I managed to find a set of miniature toys that I could decorate the cake with. Here’s what I made for him.

 

Sweet and Spicy Shrimp (General Tso’s Shrimp)

My mother-in-law Atsuko makes this shrimp dish, which is sort of a Japanese rendition of a General Tso’s recipe. You can substitute the shrimp with chicken or any vegetable too.

 

 

KHATTA JIMIKAND (Indian Yam) – A dish from Himachal Pradesh, India

Jimikand is Indian Yam and is commonly cooked in Pahari or Himachali cuisine. I love Jimikand especially this recipe which really adds a spicy tang to this yam.

 

 

Mushroom and Spinach Pinwheels

My friend Sonu makes these really super appetizers with puff pasty using a mushroom filling which I love! Here is a really simple rendition of her recipe to which I added spinach.

Thai Style Salmon Cakes

This super healthy recipe for fish cakes is from Chiva-Som, which is a wellness spa in Thailand and has some of the best food I have ever eaten. I love these fish cakes – you can use any fish you like and feel free to add spice to the recipe.
 
 
 

Edamame & Asparagus Hummus

I recently was invited to a media event where the Kenmore brand marked its 100th Anniversary. The event was celebrated with a live “cookmore”  demonstration and tasting of super eats from Kenmore’s in-house chef Kari Karch showcased easy recipes, filled with flavor and fun.

This dish was one of my favorites – a really healthy and easy green hummus made with asparagus and edamame.