California Grape and Prawn Curry Soup

California Grape and Prawn Curry  Soup

2 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon of The Olive Oil Pantry Coconut Balsamic Vinegar

½ cup of Silk Coconut Milk

1 lime (from Farmer’s Market)

1 to 2 Tablespoons of Mild green curry paste (such as Golden Curry Sauce Mix, found at Savemart)

1 12 ounce frozen package of Garlic Herb Shrimp Scampi (found at Walmart in the frozen food aisle)

1 teaspoon of basil flakes

2 dashes of ginger

1 cup of chicken broth

1 cup of California grapes, halved

1 cup of red onion

 

Directions: Heat oils in a large skillet over medium heat. Add red onion and cook until onion is softened, about four minutes, next add coconut milk, curry, chicken broth and bring to a simmer; cook uncovered until slightly thickened. Add prawns (or the Garlic Herb Shrimp Scampi), basil, ginger, and halved grapes as well as lime juice. May add more chicken broth (if you want a soup) or substitute canned unsweetened coconut milk (instead of fresh coconut milk) if you want a thicker consistency and serve over white rice. Fresh basil as well as fresh ginger also works in this recipe, if in season and available. One skillet recipe, easy and healthy meal in minutes.

Resources:

 

Cookbook Author Gina Meyers

 

Love at first bite, sinfully delicious desserts ( Torta Bella, Apple Cake, Chocolate Biscotti)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heavenly Cake/
Torta Bella

 

½ cup of extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the cake pan

1 ½ cups of flour

2 teaspoons of baking soda

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon lemon extract

2 cups of confectioners’ sugar

Grated zest (orange part only, without the underlying white pith) of 1 orange

Grated zest (yellow part only, without the white pith) of 1 lemon

¼ teaspoon salt

4 large egg whites

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-inch cake pan with olive oil. Sprinkle the inside of the pan with flour and rotate the pan to coat the sides and bottom evenly.

 

Sift the 1 ½ cups of flour and baking soda together into a small bowl.

 

In a large bowl, whisk the whole eggs and confectioners’ sugar together until creamy, smooth, and doubled in volume. Add the zests and about half the salt and beat well. Alternately add the olive oil and flour mixture to the sugar mixture, stirring gently after each addition.

 

In a medium-sized bowl, using an electric mixer at high speed, whip the egg whites with the remaining salt until they hold stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted up. Add about one fourth of the whites to the batter and, with a spatula, gently fold them in, scraping the batter from the bottom of the bowl over the whites. Fold in the remaining whites the same way.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the top is deep golden brown and springs back quickly when pressed with your finger, about fifty minutes. Cool cake. With a thin bladed knife, around the edges of the pan and release the sides of the pan. Cool the cake completely, may take ½ hour. Can garnish with mint, fresh strawberries and cream.

 

 Apple Cake

7 apples, such as Gala, Red Delicious, Jonathan, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious

Peeled and sliced into chunks.

1 ½ cups of vegetable oil

2 cups of sugar

3 eggs

3 cups of flour

1 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon of nutmeg

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1 cup of walnuts, chopped

 

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a cutting board, slice apples and discard seeds and skin. Set aside apple slices. In a large bowl, beat together oil, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract and eggs. Mix with an electric mixture and slowly add flour, baking soda and then apples. Stir in walnuts or continue to beat with mixture on medium speed using a spatula to clean sides of bowl. Place in a greased loaf pan and cook for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean in the center. May dust with powdered sugar, and also you can add cranberries or raisins to the Autumn Harvest Cake. Pecans can also be substituted in place of walnuts.

 

 

 

Chocolate Biscotti Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

3 cups of all-purpose flour 
3/4 cup of granulated sugar 
1/2 cup of firmly-packed light brown sugar 
1 teaspoon of baking powder
¾ of a teaspoon of salt 
3 Tablespoons of Cocoa Powder, 100% Cacao
3 eggs
1/3 of cup olive oil 
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed of orange juice 
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract 
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 
1 cup of chopped pecans, walnuts, or almonds

 

Directions: In a medium sized bowl, with an electric mixer, blend sugars, eggs, butter, vanilla extract, olive oil, and orange juice. Next, add baking powder, salt and flour. Continue to mix, add flour a cup at a time, using a spatula to blend mixture. Finally, slowly add the chocolate chips and nut of your choice. Next, with your hands, mold the dough first into a ball and then into a loaf. Place loaf on a greased baking sheet (a Tablespoon of butter or a spray of cooking spray or even a dab of olive oil on the pan spread will help prevent sticking. Flatten dough into a loaf shape with your hands.  In a preheated 350 degree oven, bake for 20 minutes, take out loaf and cut with a sharp knife, into diagonals cookies about ¾ th of an inch thick. Return to oven, and bake on each side of the cookie for an additional ten minutes. If you bake both sides, you will have an extra crunchy biscotti cookie. For a softer biscotti, return to oven and bake on only one side for ten minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

Orange Pineapple Crumb Cake

Orange Pineapple Crumb Cake

 

1 cup of all-purpose flour

4 Tablespoons of butter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

Dash of salt

1 large egg

½ cup of Orange Pineapple Juice (Dole)

 

Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray non- stick cooking spray in an 8-inch square baking pan. In a bowl, with a pastry blender or a fork, combine flour, cinnamon, sugar, and butter until the mixture resembles a coarse meal. Set aside

Measure ½ cup of the crumb mixture and move to a separate bowl. With the main crumb mixture, add baking powder, salt, mix with a wooden spoon. Next, add the pineapple orange juice and egg and mix until well blended.

Pour the batter into a prepared pan. Sprinkle the reserved cinnamon-crumb mixture over the batter. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Makes eight servings.

Love at first bite...Easy Guacamole Recipes

Serve with tortilla chips or carrots. An easy and fun vegan recipe sure to please all avocado fans!

 

Easy Guacamole Recipe

2 Ripe Avocados, mashed

1 Small Onion, diced (purple, white, or yellow onion)

1 ripe tomato, chopped (Campari, Roma, or garden variety tomatoes)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 lime, squeezed and juiced

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions: Peel and mash avocados in a medium serving bowl. Stir in diced onion, minced garlic, chopped tomato, lime juice, and salt and pepper. Season with remaining lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Chill for half an hour in the refrigerator to blend flavors.

 

 

 

Gina’s Easy Guacamole Recipe

2 Ripe Avocados, mashed

2 teaspoons of garlic powder

2 Tablespoons of Marukan All Natural Ponzu (Citrus Marinade)

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions: Peel and mash avocados in a medium serving bowl. Stir in with a spoon, garlic powder and Citrus Marinade, and salt and pepper. Chill for half an hour in the refrigerator to blend flavors.

Love at First Bite: Gina's Easy Guacamole Recipes

Easy Guacamole Recipe

2 Ripe Avocados, mashed

1 Small Onion, diced (purple, white, or yellow onion)

1 ripe tomato, chopped (Campari, Roma, or garden variety tomatoes)

1 garlic clove, minced

1 lime, squeezed and juiced

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Peel and mash avocados in a medium serving bowl. Stir in diced onion, minced garlic, chopped tomato, lime juice, and salt and pepper. Season with remaining lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Chill for half an hour in the refrigerator to blend flavors.

 

Gina’s Easy Guacamole Recipe

2 Ripe Avocados, mashed

2 teaspoons of garlic powder

2 Tablespoons of Marukan All Natural Ponzu (Citrus Marinade)

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions: Peel and mash avocados in a medium serving bowl. Stir in with a spoon, garlic powder and Citrus Marinade, and salt and pepper. Chill for half an hour in the refrigerator to blend flavors.

 

 

The Multicultural Kids Cookbook

Black Jewell Popcorn, Love at first bite

Food For Thought:
A series of thoughts on food products that I was initially introduced to at the National Food Product Expo in Anaheim, California.

Oh my goodness. Christmas came early at Gina's house! Black Jewell makes the best microwavable popcorn on this planet! 100% Natural, Gluten Free, Cholesterol Free, 0g Trans Fats. The popcorn pops pure white. To me, popcorn is an anytime snack. It comes in many different flavors, from Kettle Corn, Natural, and Butter Flavor. My favorite is the Kettle Corn. When making Monster Hands, my recommendation is to use the Natural Flavor Black Jewell Popcorn.

 

Love at First Bite: Tomato Caprese Salad Recipe

Photo courtesy of Rob Stathem of foodsnaps.net

Tomato Caprese Salad

4 large ripe tomatoes, sliced ¼ inch thick

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, washed and dried

Salt and pepper to taste

1 pound of fresh mozzarella, sliced ¼ inch thick

6 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 Tablespoons of Balsamic

Directions: On a large platter, alternate and overlap tomato slices, mozzarella cheese slices, and basil leaves. Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper. May place in the fridge to chill for ½ hour and may eliminate vinegar and add more olive oil if desired.

You can find more recipes at: http://www.ginameyers.com

Love At First Bite

Rob Stathem Photography

 

 

Love at First Bite Cookbook Author Gina Meyers

 

Anytime is the right time for berries. Raspberries can be topped onto yogurt or ice cream, or just eaten by themselves for an anytime sort of snack.

 

http://www.ginameyers.com

 

 

 

 

Question from LA Weekly Magazine: Who has better culinary options, vampires or werewolves?

2. Who do you think has better culinary options, vampires or werewolves?

Well, since vampires don’t eat, werewolves would seem to have better culinary options. In Love at First Bite, I make sure there are plenty of Team Jacob culinary treats, such as Werewolf Chow, Wolf pack Waffles, and Jacob Black’s Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Sprinkled in Love at First Bite, are food quotes from the Twilight Saga books. Edward says, “I wasn’t hunting for food. I was actually trying my hand at, tracking. I’m not very good at it.” For that quote I have an Irritated Grizzly Bear Steak recipe. I also have for the Team Edward fans, I Dare You To Eat Pizza, Edward, Butterscotch Eyes (Bella says Edward’s eyes are the color butterscotch, it is a dessert with butterscotch pudding and little teddy grahams), as well as Vampire Blood Punch, and Edward’s Thirst Quencher.

Love at First Bite, Valentine's Day Recipes, by Author Gina Meyers

• Love at First Bite Cookbook, by Gina Meyers

Thai Prawn Curry with Grapes and Fresh Basil

2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 cup of chopped onions, red or white preferred.

1 Tablespoon of finely chopped fresh ginger

1 14 ounce can of unsweetened coconut milk

¾ cup of chicken broth

1 to 2 Tablespoon of green curry paste

1 ½ pounds of medium sized prawns, peeled and deveined

1 ½ cups of red California seedless grapes, halved

Juice of one lime

½ cup of chopped fresh basil.

Directions: Heat oil in a large skilled over medium heat. Add onions and ginger and cook until onions are softened, about four minutes Add coconut milk, chicken broth and bring to a simmer; cook uncovered until slightly thickened. Whisk in curry paste and add prawns and cook just until prawns are opaque in center, about three minutes. Remove from heat and stir in grapes and lime juice and basil. Serve with rice.

Spice-Rubbed Salmon with Cucumber Relish & Capers

The bold spice rub works well with rich-flavored salmon and would also be tasty on pork. Serve with an angel hair pasta, mashed potatoes or even a spinach salad.

1 Tablespoon of brown sugar

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

1 teaspoon of ground cumin

1 teaspoon of chili powder

1 teaspoon of paprika

½ teaspoon of salt, divided

¼ teaspoon of dried thyme

4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets, skinned

Extra virgin olive oil or Olive Oil Cooking Spray

2 cups of chopped cucumber

½ cup of chopped red bell pepper

¼ cup of chopped onion (red preferred or white onion)

2 Tablespoons of chopped fresh mint

1 Tablespoon of capers

1 Tablespoon of cider vinegar.

Directions: Preheat the broiler. Combine first six ingredients, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and dried thyme; rub evenly over fish. Place fish on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Broil eight minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Combine ¼ teaspoon of salt, cucumber, and remaining ingredients; serve with fish. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fish fillet and about ½ cup of the cucumber relish)

Calories: 312, 39% from fat, 13.6 grams (saturated 3.2 g, mono 5.7 g, poly 3.3 g); protein 37.3g, fiber 2.3 g, Chol 87mg; iron 1.7mg; sodium 450mg; calc 53mg.

Easy Chocolate Raspberry Mocha Cheesecake

2 teaspoons of espresso powder

1 package of cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup of sugar

3 Tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1 container of whipping cream

1 graham cracker pie or chocolate pie crust

1 pint of fresh raspberries, washed.

Directions: With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, espresso powder, sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla extract, mix until smooth. Fold in the whipping cream, mix well. Spoon mixture into prepared chocolate pie crust. Refrigerate for three hours. Dust with cocoa powder or powdered sugar.