Larabar like Granola Bars

I have always been a big fan of the Larabar.  If you've never tired them, you should.  I love to read the ingredients on the packages.  I think the peanut butter cookie bar has 3 total ingredients.  One of the main they always use is dates, its the base of the bar.  So when my parents came home from Yuma this year bringing me a giant bag of fresh dates from one of the date farms down there, I had to attempt these bars.  And if I do say so myself, they are pretty tasty!

What you'll need: (it seems like a lot of nuts, but if you buy them in bulk its not bad at all.  Also, feel free to substitute one nut for another)
15 dates (be sure they are pitted)
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or raisins)
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup raw cashews
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
1/4 cup raw almonds
2 generous tablespoons peanut butter
3 tablespoons wheat germ
2 tablespoons flax seed
4 tablespoons bran flakes
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Quickly pulse chocolate chips in food processor.  You want them in chunks, not finely ground. Set aside in large bowl.  Add all nuts to food processor, and pulse for a few seconds until they are fairly ground, but still a little chunky.  Place in bowl with chocolate.  Add dates, cranberries and peanut butter to food processor.  Pulse until a gritty paste forms.  Add to bowl.  Now add flax seed, wheat germ and bran flakes to bowl and combine everything together.  I used my hands, the mixtures seems a little dry, but it will combine.  I found it easier to mash together with my hands than try and mix with a large spoon.  Line a small baking dish (I used my 7x11 baking pan that fits inside my 9x13) with parchment paper and pour mix into pan.  Throw your weight into it, and firm press evenly into pan.  Place into fridge or freezer and allow to cool.  Cut into bars, wrap in baggies or parchment paper and store in the fridge.

I eat a granola bar almost every day for breakfast.  So why not make my own.  I had made a batch a while back where the nuts, oats, flax and wheat germ is toasted.  I had everything together, but I think the wheat germ toasted quicker than everything else and tasted a little burnt.  They were good, but not worthy of a post.  I really like these because there was no oven involved.  Maybe next time I will attempt the toasted version again. Enjoy!

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream

This ice cream isn't messing around.  I have never bought or I'm not even sure tasted mascarpone, but I have now.  I didn't know what to expect, but I liked it.  Thick and creamy, the perfect addition to an ice cream base.

What you'll need:
1 small container mascarpone cheese (I think its 6oz)
1 tablespoon amaretto liqueur
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup strawberries crushed
1 cup sugar divided
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
Shortbread cookies

Combine first 5 ingredients and 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl and mix until almost doubles and looks more like whip cream, about 5 minutes.  Freeze according to ice cream makers instructions.

In a medium pan bring water, other half sugar and corn syrup to a boil.  Add strawberries.  Continue to boil for another 5 minutes or until has a syrup consistency.  Pour through mesh strainer into a small bowl and press with a spatula until just strawberry seeds and goop (not sure what you jam makers call that) remains.  Cool syrup in fridge or freezer to speed up.

Break up short bread into pieces.  You will want 2-3 cups depending on how small you crush your pieces.  Once ice cream is done, fold in cookies.  Don't add your strawberry sauce until it is completely cool.  Layer ice cream and syrup.  Let sit over night before serving, usually ice cream is really good fresh out of the ice cream maker when its more like soft serve.  I think this one defiantly needs to be solid.

I finally remembered to show you my Mini Yum Yum Machine.  Thanks Mom!

Good thing these recipes don't make a large batches.  Other wise I would never fit into my wedding dress.  Kam keeps telling me I need to stop cooking.  He doesn't mean it, at all. Enjoy!

Thai Cabbage Wraps

So the whole time I'm making this, I'm thinking that I'm going to have to add a little more sauce than just the marinade.  I didn't think there was anyway that the little bit of sauce that you mix through out the ground beef would ever be enough to give it a good flavor kick.  But, man was I wrong.  I cooked the beef through, then decided to give er a taste to see what else it was going to need.  Bwamo!!  Full flavor in my mouth!  I'm in love with this recipe.


What you'll need:


1 package ground beef (around a pound.  I used the super lean stuff)
1 head green cabbage
1 red bell pepper sliced
1/2 red onion sliced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil


For the marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh ground ginger
1/2 of a lime juiced or about 1 tablespoon 
1 jalapeno  chopped
2 cloves garlic minced


Mix everything together for the marinade and add ground beef.  Using your hands, mix the marinade and the beef together until it is well combined.  Refrigerate for AT LEAST one hour, 2+ is better.


Cook beef.  Do not drain excess liquid, keep cooking until liquid has just about reduced out.  While beef is cooking, add olive oil, brown sugar and purple onions to a small pan and saute over medium low heat until onions are very soft.   When liquid in beef is almost gone, add caramelized onions and bell pepper to pan.  Cook for about another 10 minutes or until peppers are soft.  


By the base of the cabbage head, cut leaves, one or two at a time at the thickest part where they attach to the core.  Gently remove the leaves peeling them fro the base to the top.  


Spoon beef mixture into cabbage leaves. 

After my surprise of how tasty this was, even without a lot of excess sauce, now I'm thinking of what else you could do with this tasty beef.  I'm thinking burgers with grilled pineapple.  Enjoy!

Fortune Friday

Pretty Pictures

So lately I have been in search for the right photographer for my wedding.  So I was looking through Craigslist today at photographer's posts and their portfolio websites.  Its getting to be senior portrait season again, which reminded me that I took some portraits for a friend last fall.  I thought I would pick out my favorites and share them.  It was really fun and I hope to maybe pick up a few more photography jobs this coming year.  Hope you like them!

Much thanks to the fun and beautiful Jannett!

Black Pepper Broccoli Beef

Warning: If you don't like black pepper, skip this post.

However, I love love love pepper (thank you mom!).  And Kam does too.  There is something so satisfying about crisp broccoli and beef all coated in a sweet and pepper spicy sauce. Kam, being the thinks he's funny guy, told me "Well, this is better than Panda Express. Good job."  Thanks hun.

What you'll need:

1 pound thin slice beef cut into bit sized pieces (I buy the beef to make carne asada)
2 broccoli crowns cut into bit sized florets

for the marninade:
1 tablespoons sesame seed oil
1 tablespoons Oyster Sauce
1 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic minced

Mix together.  Add beef and toss to coat.  Refrigerate for at least one hour.

for the black pepper sauce:
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon sriracha sauce (optional)
1 tablespoon corn starch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons oil + 2 tablespoons water (to cook broccoli)

In your wok or a frying pan, add beef and cook until no longer pink.  Remove from pan.  Discard any liquid that is left.  Add broccoli and the 2 tablespoons oil and water.  Cook broccoli until desired tenderness, about 5 minutes.  Add sauce and return beef back to pan.  When sauce begins to bubble,  add cornstarch mixture and stir until thick and everything is well coated with the sauce.  Done!

I made a hybrid of the rice pilaf recipe.  Instead of chicken bouillon, I added 3 tablespoons oyster sauce to the water.  I fried the rice in sesame oil, added the onion, then just before I added the rice to the cooker, I added 1 clove garlic and tossed until fragrant.

Really good, really simple, really satisfying.  What more could you want on a Wednesday night?