Carrot Ginger Dressing

Carrot Ginger Dressing

A night out at your local Japanese restaurant will undoubtedly include a salad with crispy iceberg lettuce, shredded carrots, tomato wedges, and cucumber slices topped with a large dollop of Carrot Ginger Dressing.  This zippy dressing tastes like no other with its bite from the ginger root, saltiness of the miso, and bright orange color and fresh taste from the carrots.  It is packed with flavor and is light and refreshing.

I have been making more and more salad dressings recently as the long list of ingredients on the store bought brands scares me.  I am not sure what Polysorbate 60 is and I definitely don't need Yellow #5 food coloring in my salad dressing.  Most homemade dressings contain only a few ingredients that the well stocked kitchen typically has on hand.  And many are combined in a mason jar or whirled in the blender or food processor which makes prep a breeze.

Carrot Ginger Dressing took all of 5 minutes to make in my food processor and that included the assembling and putting away the ingredients.  The recipe makes about 1 cup of dressing allowing enough for a few salads during the week.

Once you taste your homemade Carrot Ginger Dressing you will want to make all your salad dressings from scratch.  This could be the start of something beautiful.


Carrot Ginger Dressing

makes 1 cup

1 tablespoon grapeseed or peanut oil (or substitute a neutral tasting oil you have on hand)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons white miso*
1 inch piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
4 carrots, peeled and cut in large chunks
3 tablespoons water

Combine the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until well combined but still with small bits of carrot.

Dressing can be kept in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

*Miso is available in most well-stocked grocery stores.  It keeps in the refrigerator for several months or in the freezer indefinately.

Thyme Rubbed Pork Chops with Apple-Shallot Sauce

Thyme Pork Chops with Apple-Onion Sauce

If you grew up in the 1970s, The Brady Bunch was required television viewing.  It is the story of a lovely lady bringing up 3 very lovely girls who meets a man named Brady who was bringing up 3 boys of his own.  They knew that this group would some how form a family and that is how they became the Brady Bunch.  I have seen every episode at least 3 or 4 times and have a few favorites:  the multi part episode when the Brady's vacation in the Grand Canyon and Bobby and Cindy smuggle beans and franks in empty flashlights for the Indian boy Jimmy, the suspenseful episode when Marcia breaks her nose and has dates with 2 different boys on the same night, and the musical episode when the Brady kids compete as "The Silver Platters"  in a television talent show.  Oh the memories........

One classic Brady Bunch episode that particularly stands out for me is the "Pork Chops and Applesauce" episode.  Peter is testing out new personalities and does his best Humphrey Bogart impersonation while discussing dinner with Alice the housekeeper and his mom Carol.

Putting an updated twist on the classic Brady Bunch pork chops and applesauce recipe, I developed Thyme Rubbed Pork Chops with Apple-Shallot Sauce.  Apples are one fruit which we always seem to have on hand at our house. Both crisp, tart Granny Smith and sweet and slightly soft Macintosh apples are two favorites that are readily available in the refrigerator fruit drawer.  Pan sauteed pork chops are topped with a chunky apple and shallot sauce that gets a kick from Dijon mustard and Garam Masala (an Indian spice blend readily available at your local grocery store).  A simple dish to prepare that packs a complex flavor wallop.

Sit down to a family dinner of Thyme Rubbed Pork Chops with Apple-Shallot Sauce and then watch an episode or two of the The Brady Bunch.  You will fall in love with the vintage show all over again.

Thyme Rubbed Pork Chops with Apple-Shallot Sauce

serves 4

4 (6 - ounce) pork chops, center cut and about 1-inch thick each
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil

1 large apple, such as Braeburn or Rome, peeled, and chopped in large dice
2 shallots, sliced thin
1 garlic clove, chopped
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup white wine
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala

Sprinkle pork chops with thyme, salt and pepper.  Heat a saute pan over medium high heat and add oil.  Add pork and saute on each side for about 4 - 5 minutes or until just cooked through.  Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

In the same pan, add the apple, shallot, and garlic.  Saute, stirring occasionally, for 3 - 5 minutes or until the apples begin to just soften and the shallots are translucent.  Stir in chicken stock, wine, honey, mustard, and Garam Masala.  Continue cooking for an additional 3 - 5 minutes or until the sauce is slightly thickened.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, top pork chops with apple-shallot sauce.

Crumb Cake Muffins

Crumb Cake Muffin

New Jerseyans have a crazy love affair with crumb cake.  It is sold in every bakery, diner, and bagel shop across the state.  From north to south and east to west, New Jersey is overflowing with crumb cake and Jerseyites never seem to tire of eating it.  There are even heated discussions over steaming cups of coffee and huge pieces of crumb cake in the local diners as to which part is the most cherished and desirable - the cake or the crumb.

It can be a messy proposition to eat a piece of crumb cake.  All that crumb is crumby.  I am surely not complaining, but sometimes I like to take my treat on the road.  I decided it was time to develop a handheld version of this popular bakery treat.  It would need to be easily portable for a quick breakfast while heading out the door and sturdy enough to be packed in a lunch bag and still make it to school with crumb intact.  After some trial and error and lots of taste testing, the perfect Crumb Cake Muffins were born.  And my No Thank You Boy deemed them "the best muffin.....ever."  With a dense, moist cake-like muffin base and a heaping layer of crumb that both sinks slightly and graces the top of the muffin, the portable baked good does not disappoint.

Make a batch of Crumb Cake Muffins this weekend and decide for yourself which part of the muffin you like the best - the crumb or the cake.  It is a tough decision, but it will be tasty trying to decide.

Crumb Cake Muffins

makes 15 muffins

for the crumb topping--

2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 2/3 cups cake flour *
1 sticks butter, melted


for the muffins--

2/3 cup half and half
1 tablespoon vinegar
2 1/2 cups cake flour *
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 sticks butter, cut in chunks
2 extra large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a regular sized muffin pan with muffin papers and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the crumb topping ingredients and stir to combine into large chunks. Set aside.

In a small bowl, add vinegar to half and half and set aside. In a large mixing bowl of a standing mixer, combine the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. With mixer on low, add the butter chunks, one at a time. Mix for about 2 - 3 minutes until mixture resembles a coarse crumble. Add eggs, vanilla, and half and half mixture. Beat on medium high speed for about 1 - 2 minutes until smooth.

Fill muffin papers about 2/3 full and top with a generous amount of the crumb topping. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool in pan for 5 minutes and then remove to a cooling rack.  Store at room temperature for 3 - 4 days (if they will last that long ;) .

* - If you do not have cake flour, you can make your own with all purpose flour and cornstarch.  Here's the formula: Take one level cup of all-purpose flour, remove two tablespoons, and then add two tablespoons of cornstarch back in.  In other words, 1 cup all purpose flour - 2 tablespoons all purpose flour + 2 tablespoons cornstarch = 1 cup cake flour.

Curried Beef Lettuce Cups



Curried Beef Lettuce Wraps

Has it been a crazy busy day?  Then Curried Beef Lettuce Cups is just the recipe you need to add some peace and calm to your dinner time.  Incorporating Asian and Indian cuisines, Curried Beef Lettuce Cups pack a flavor punch from browned ground beef seasoned with garlic, fresh ginger root, serrano chilies, and slighty sweet and spicy curry powder.  The bright flavors of chopped fresh mint and basil and a squeeze of lemon juice further heighten the flavor of the dish.  Sweet, nutty, and mild Boston Bibb lettuce cups cradle the curried meat making the buttery and crispy lettuce an ideal accompaniment to the spicy meat.

Curried Beef Lettuce Cups is a flavorful entree that can be prepared in about 20 minutes.  Or better yet, make it a do-it-ahead meal and prepare it in the morning or even the day before.  A quick reheat in the microwave or on the stove top is all that is needed before you sit down at the dinner table to enjoy your home cooked meal.

Curried Beef Lettuce Cups

adapted from this recipe

serves 4

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 (1 - inch) piece ginger root, chopped

2 serrano chilies, remove half the seeds and chop chilies

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder

1/2 cup fresh mint, chopped

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 heads Boston bibb lettuce

1/2 red pepper, diced

In a large saute pan, heat oils over medium high heat and add onion, garlic, ginger root, and serrano chilies.  Saute for about 5 - 7 minutes or until the onions are translucent.

Add the ground beef and continue cooking until browned, about 5 - 6 minutes.  Stir frequently and break up and any large pieces of meat.  When browned, pour off any grease.  Add soy sauce and curry powder and stir to combine.  Cook for 3 - 4 minutes so the seasonings cook into the beef.

Meanwhile, separate the leaves of the lettuce to form cups.  Wash and dry thoroughly.

Stir the mint, basil and lemon juice into the cooked meat.  Spoon seasoned meat mixture into lettuce cups and top with the chopped red pepper.