Springtime is here which makes me very happy!!! We are expecting the arrival of our daughter Olivia any day now. The official due date is April 7th so it's really any day. I am feeling great, just anxious and excited.
I have been very busy trying to get as many things done as I possibly can, things I might not have time for when the baby comes such as planting my garden. I went to this great tomato sale in the valley called Tomato Mania. They had hundred's of different types of heirloom tomato seedlings.
It takes place in different locations every weekend you can go to their website and see where they will be this weekend & join the mailing list so you can be ready for next year. (this is the first year I found out about it)
www.tomatomania.com
Recently I had lunch with some of my oldest girlfriends & their kids. We all met back in 2000 when we were waitress's at Sushi on Sunset and have been close ever since. We usually get together for lunch or dinner about every two months. We had a pot luck lunch at my house which was so delicious. Erica made a wonderful vegetable & goat cheese Israeli couscous salad, Pretti brought some hummus & eggplant dip, Zarah made a fabulous vegetable quiche & chocolate cake & Leslie brought a variety of my absolute favorite pizza from Gjelina on Abbot Kinney in Venice. If you haven't been you must go...
www.gjelina.com
I made the following: Chinese Chicken Salad, Mint Lemonade & Meyer Lemon Bars
Mint Lemonade -
2 cups of sugar
6 cups of water
1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup of freshly squeezed meyer lemon juice
1/3 cup of mint leaves and more for garnish
To make simple syrup bring two cups of water & two cups of sugar to a boil stir until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and stir in mint leaves. Simmer for a few minutes to infuse the mint. Let cool and strain out the pieces of mint. Pour lemon juice and meyer lemon juice into a pitcher add cold water and simple syrup. Stir all together and refrigerate.
* Meyer lemons are a little sweeter then regular lemons but if you prefer then you can use 2 cups of regular lemon juice
* I tend to like things a little less sweet so I often use less simple syrup, you can always add it to taste.
One of my favorite things to eat is Chinese Chicken Salad. I probably eat one at least three days a week for lunch. My favorite is from Joans on Third!!! I also like Chin Chin's or I make one at home. The best thing about this is you can really put in as little or as much of whatever you like.
Chinese Chicken Salad -
1/2 pound of chicken breast (boneless & skinless)
carrots
scallions
one head of lettuce, napa cabbage or cabbage
peanuts or slivered almonds
wonton skins
dressing
I boil the chicken until cooked thru then let it cool and shred it. I like to use cabbage or napa cabbage but lettuce works just as well. I wash and chop it very fine. I like to shred the carrots and then roughly chop them. I cut wonton skins into strips and cook them in a shallow pan of hot oil (vegetable is better for frying but I use olive oil) do not over crowd the pan and cook until golden and crispy on both sides. Toast the almonds or peanuts in the oven or in a skillet over medium heat (don't take your eyes of them) slice scallions and toss with dressing of choice.
I have a couple different options for dressing -
I usually make all of my own dressings but if you live in Los Angeles, just go to Joan's on Third and buy it there. Sure you can recreate it yourself but they do such a good job I just buy it.
www.joansonthird.com (make sure you pick up some peanut butter cupcakes they are the best)
or I like Bobby Flay's Red Chile Peanut Dressing
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/chinese-chicken-salad-with-red-chile-peanut-dressing-recipe/index.html
Meyer Lemon Bars
for the crust:
1/2 lb unsalted butter room temperature (I like Plugra which is European butter)
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups of flour
1/8 teaspoon of kosher salt
for the filling:
6 extra large eggs at room temperature
3 cups of sugar
2 tlb of lemon zest
1/2 cup of freshly squeezed meyer lemon juice
1/2 cup of freshly squeezed regular lemon juice
1 cup of flour
powdered sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 350
Cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer with paddle attachment. Mix flour and salt together and add to butter just until combined. Dump the dough onto a well floured board and gather into a ball. Flatten the dough into a 9x13x2 glass baking dish. Press up the sides about 1/2 inch. Chill for about 1/2 hour. Bake crust for 15-20 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool.
Whisk together eggs, lemon juice, sugar, lemon zest & flour. Pour on top of crust and bake for 30-35 minutes until set. Let cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar.
* baking is much more simple then people think. I think the most important thing is the ingredients you use.
* always check to make sure you flour is fresh as it does expire
* try a get your lemons from a neighbor or friends tree or the farmers market (you can always grow your own)
Enjoy.....
Jamielyn xoxo
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