Donuts: Keep it simple

A doughnut or donut:  a type of fried dough confectionary or dessert food.

Such a simple name for a treat that many have made so incredibly complicated.  Now, I love fancy complex food as much as the next person, but at the end of the day, some things are best left alone.  Donuts are one of them.

At the suggestion of one of my fellow foodies, Jeff, I thought I'd venture out this Sunday morning to a St. Louis institution, aptly named The Donut Stop.  To say that this tiny little building that looked like a strong wind could blow it over was off my beaten path would be an understatement.

I don't spend a lot of time in South County St. Louis, but each time I do, I notice little details that make our city unique.  Jefferson Barracks Cemetery, Civil War Museum, and VA Halls everywhere it seemed.  And I passed at least 4 signs for BBQ spots advertising pork steak dinners (another St. Louis thing).

So Waze (my handy iPhone GPS app) announces my arrival at this little spot and good thing....would be easy to drive right past.  Not unlike many older spots, the building was nondescript...only accommodates about 6 people at a time.  No real customer line to speak of which got confusing, but everyone was extremely patient and somehow we just worked it out.  When I finally made it to the counter and it was my turn, I understood the patience.  These donuts were well worth the short wait.

The choices were plenty, and all options were cheap.  My choices? Plain cake, glazed, cinnamon twists,  red velvet and chocolate with custard filling.  It's a donut, you say.  What's not to love? Well, if you've had bad, stale, dry ones, you know.

The Donut Stop makes donuts the way they should be:  simple, handcut, fresh, served by little old ladies with hair nets on.  For $9.80 (yes, they take credit cards), I walked out with a dozen donuts and a medium coffee.  The coffee reminded me of law school days....watery, not enough caffeine to knock out a toddler.  Nice that they offer it, but you're better off making your own at home.


So what's the verdict? Next time I happen to be in South County, I would happily visit again.

Lebanese Chicken Livers

This recipe was inspired by a tiny Lebanese diner in Mayfair that I used to frequent on business trips to London.  So simple, but so flavorful.  Even if you think you don't like chicken livers, give it a try.  This concoction may just make a believer out of you!

Lebanese Chicken Livers and Basmati Rice

1 lb. of chicken livers

1 tsp of minced garlic

2 TSPs of olive oil

salt and pepper

juice from 1/2 lemon

fresh chopped parsley

Directions for the Chicken Livers:

Combine the first four ingredients, cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

When ready to cook, take skillet, heat to medium high, add the chicken livers, cooking on each side for about 5-7 minutes or until browned.  Add the lemon juice and parsley, turn down and cook for another 5-7 minutes.  Finish with more fresh parsley on top and serve with basmati rice.

Basmati Rice

1 cup of basmati rice

2 cups of water

1/2 tsp of salt

1/2 tsp of clarified butter (ghee)

Directions for the rice:

Add the water to a saucepan, add the rice and salt, bring to a boil.  Add the butter, cover tightly and reduce the heat to simmer for about 15-20 minutes.  Stir occasionally.

Combine the first four ingredients, cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

When ready to cook, take skillet, heat to medium high, add the chicken livers, cooking on each side for about 5-7 minutes or until browned.  Add the lemon juice and parsley, turn down and cook for another 5-7 minutes.  Finish with more fresh parsley on top and serve with basmati rice.

Moderation is the key of life

Friends visiting What's in YOUR Kitchen are asking...so do you only cook uber healthy foods???  My answer?  NOT.  While I cook from scratch most days for my family, I believe in moderation.  I enjoy food WAAAAY too much to always deprive myself of the finer culinary delights in my life.

Duck confit. Real Butter.  GOOD cheese. Whipping Cream. Real Sugar. Good mayonnaise.

Get the picture? :-)

I had business meeting earlier this week.....I woke up knowing that I was going to be eating a catered lunch from one of my favorite specialty local gourmet shops.  Rare beef tenderloin on a crusty artisan roll, dressed with horseradish mayo, Roma tomatoes and peppery arugula leaves. Italian pasta salad and a small triple chocolate brownie.  Debate of the day....do I bring my own food to the meeting (very awkward) or do I do something truly radical and not just EAT the catered food, but ENJOY it too?

Well, I threw caution to the wind and enjoyed it.  Every.single.bite.


Savor the moment.

Lazy Weekend BBQ Ribs

Hope everyone is having a relaxing weekend wherever you are.  I just put some pork baby back ribs in the crockpot and am always amazed at how easy and low maintenance they are, but taste like I slaved over them all day.  I'll show you what I used, but obviously feel free to substitute your own BBQ dry rub and/or BBQ sauce du jour (of the day).  Pappy's Smokehouse makes one of  of my favs as of late, but Maul's Sweet and Smoky is what my mom always used when I was growing up.

Directions:

baby back pork ribs  - allow about 3/4 of a lb (uncooked) per person)
BBQ dry rub seasoning - I use Jack Stack BBQ rub
1/3 cup of vinegar (white or apple cider)
1 small bottle of BBQ sauce (I use Pappy's Smokehouse brand, Jane's Sweet flavor)
olive or canola oil spray

Season both sides of the ribs liberally with the dry rub, put the ribs in a plastic sealable bag, add the vinegar, and refrigerate for 1-3 hours.

When ready to cook, spray your crockpot with the oil (makes clean up easier), place the ribs standing up around the crockpot liner, pour 1/2-3/4 bottle of BBQ sauce directly on top of meat.

Cover and cook on high for 5 hours.  The meat should be falling off the bone when ready to eat.  DONE son!

Brussels Sprouts Slaw

Such a positive response to my first brussels sprouts post this week!  Who knew those "little cabbages" as I used to call them would be so popular? Well, for the folks who did get enough, here's another one of my favorite way to use brussels sprouts.  Just like green cabbage, brussels sprouts can be shaved or grated.  Feel free to use a mandolin (a kitchen tool to turn fruits or veggies into equal sized thin pieces) or, better yet, buy them already shredded in the produce aisle (my personal preference).   Who really has time to sit around and grate sprouts all day?

Brussel Sprouts Slaw

1 lb of shaved brussels sprouts (Trader Joe's, Whole Foods sell them already shaved)
2 shredded carrots
1/4 cup of dried cherries or cranberries
1/2 of a medium red onion, sliced
1/2 cup of canned mandarin oranges (in its natural juices), drained (reserve the juice for the dressing) kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Dressing:
2 tablespoons of honey
1/4 cup of apple juice
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup of of apple cider vinegar
reserved mandarin orange juice

Directions:

• Combine all of the ingredients except for the dressing in a large salad bowl, then set aside.
• In a separate bowl, combine the honey, apple juice and vinegar, wisk until combined.  Use the mandarin orange juice to thin out the dressing to your desired consistency.  
• Pour the dressing over the slaw ingredients, toss thoroughly, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

Since it doesn't contain any mayo, this slaw keeps well without constant refrigeration and is perfect for picnics or school lunches!  It also tastes even better the next day after the flavors have a chance to marry.

Options:  Sunflower seeds, sliced almonds, chopped pecans, cubed avocado, 1 thinly sliced Granny Smith apple or Anjou pear (you'll want them on the crunchy side), 1 cup of quinoa (more about this superfood in my next post).

Happy eating!

The best meal of the day

As a busy mom, I have always been on the hunt for fast HEALTHY breakfast foods that I can get my girls to eat before school.  I've never been a fan of processed cereals, toaster pastries and the like, but who really has time to slave over a hot stove on a work/school day?

Find a few recipes that you and your family LOVE, prepare them over the weekend, and make enough to freeze to be thawed out when you need them.   Here's a new recipe I'm playing with...protein powerhouse, low on carbs, portable and easy to adapt for finicky tastebuds.

Eggy Cupcakes - makes 12

6 eggs
1 TB milk
1/2 cup of sharp cheddar cheese
1 bag of refrigerated shredded hash browns
2 TB canola oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 black pepper

Options:
breakfast sausage (pork, turkey or soy) - cooked, drained and crumbled
bacon - cooked and crumbled
diced onions, peppers, mushrooms, baby spinach

Directions:

Take 2 muffin pans, add cupcake liners, preheat oven to 350.

Mix the hash browns with the oil, half of the salt and pepper, then firmly press the potatoes into each cupcake liner. Don't fill each liner more than a third of the way up.

Bake for about 45 minutes, remove from the oven, and beat the eggs, milk, the rest of the salt and pepper, cheese and whatever other ingredients you want,  and pour on top of each potato cupcake.  Return to the oven for 15 minutes or until the eggs are set (inserted toothpick should come out clean).  Serve warm.  They also freeze beautifully, are microwavable, and ready to eat in about 2 minutes.

Happy eating!

Brussels Sprouts

The older I get, the more selective I've become about what I put into my body.  I'm all about a good food experience (I'm one of those crazy folks that treat trips to the grocery store like an outing at the Mall of America), but a chick can't survive on dry aged beef and pate alone.  Many foods, particularly veggies, that I never liked as a child have slowly become my new BFFs.  So what's the key to my tastebuds' change of heart?  For me, it's all in the preparation.  On the handful of occasions my mom cooked Brussels sprouts when I was growing up, she boiled them.  YUCK (sorry, Bettie).  What a difference it makes when instead of boiling them and killing any flavor they could have had, I tried roasting them for about 20 minutes in the oven.  BRILLIANT.  Here's a quick and easy recipe that you can make in less than 30 minutes....no fooling!  Many grocery stores now sell these tasty little gems already trimmed and cut in half for you; if you're lucky enough to find them already prepped, take advantage of the 10 minutes saved!  Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

Easy Roasted Brussels Sprouts - Serves 4

1 lb of fresh brussels sprouts - washed, and sliced in half

1 tsp kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

1 Tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp of balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese 

1 baking sheet

Preheat oven to 350 with the baking sheet in the oven.

Rinse, trim and slice the Brussels Sprouts in half, then toss with olive oil, vingear, salt and pepper. Toss lightly in a bowl to combine the ingredients. Spread the sprouts on the baking sheet, and roast on the top rack for about 15 minutes or until tender.  Check them at least once to make sure they aren't burning....you want them to be brown, but not burnt!  Last 5 minutes, take the sprouts out, and sprinkle the cheese on top.

Options:  have leftover bacon from breakfast?  Crumble it and toss it with the sprouts before you roast them.  Not a fan of balsamic vinegar? Substitute it with a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice.  Don't do dairy?  Feel free to leave out the cheese (you may want to add a little more salt at the end of roasting though).