Nanette's Dish

OK this is silly but I just have to share this one. Popcorn popped in a brown paper lunch bag with just sea salt. This isn’t a new idea but a smart one.

It’s healthier and more economical than the store bought (artificially oiled) microwave popcorn. It’s also less messy than using the air popper — my air popper pops popcorn everywhere! I love this because its a yummy, low fat snack that offers good ruffage. You can get organic popcorn kernels too!

Ingredients:

• 1 brown paper lunch bag
• 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels
• 3/4 tbsp. of sea salt

Directions:

• Take a brown lunch bag, put 1/4 cup popcorn kernels and 3/4 tbls of sea salt.
• Fold in the top edges (1/4 in.) in (twice). You can use a bit of scotch tape in the middle of the fold if you want but I don’t because it never spills open for me. Some people use a staple but I wouldn’t recommend this in the microwave.
• Place bag in the microwave folded side down.
• Set microwave on high for 2 – 3 mins. until the popping is 5 seconds apart. (I don’t really use the microwave that much — just for popcorn.)
• If you loooove butter, just melt some in the microwave for about 20 seconds or even better, melt on the stove top while you are microwaving the popcorn.
• Pour on top of the popcorn and add more salt to taste if you want.
• You can cook the unpopped kernels after you finish your popcorn for an additional 20- 30 seconds if you want.
• Makes about 3 cups of yummy popcorn

Here’s a fun Irish Coffee recipe in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day. My sister’s Irish in-laws always serve their famous Irish Coffee in their heirloom Irish coffee mugs during their St. Patrick’s Day gathering.

Irish Coffee

Ingredients (Per Serving):

• 1 1/2 oz Irish whiskey (Irish Whiskey is by no means gluten-free)
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• About 6 oz hot dark robust coffee
• Slightly whipped heavy cream

Directions:

• First, always use fresh heavy cream to whip (slightly whipped — don’t over whip), to a somewhat thick creamy consistency.  Place cream in refrigerator to chill.  Some people also add white sugar to the cream.
• In a Irish coffee mug, combine 1tsp of sugar with 1 1/2 Irish whiskey. Stir until the sugar is disolved.
• Add the dark robust coffee and mix.
• Float the slightly whipped heavy cream on top. Do this by carefully pouring the cream over the back of a spoon held above the surface of the coffee. This is to insure the cream won’t break the surface of the coffee and the coffee can be sipped through the cream.

There you have it, please be careful not to have too many .  Oh, and have a great and safe St. Patrick’s Day.

Yes, there is curry on the pecans. Yes, some people don’t like curry — if this is you, don’t be afraid, they just might surprise you. Even my mother in-law “doesn’t like curry” but she absolutely loves these.

These pecans are great noshing on alone or on a gorgeous salad. I like using it as a topping on a *shredded raw beet, *shredded raw carrot, diced red onions, garbanzo beans, gorgonzola cheese, and fresh spinach salad, drizzled with a delicious grapefruit vinaigrette.

The Salad Shooter is an immense help when shredding the beets and the carrots!

Sweet Spicy Pecans

Ingredients:

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350.
• In a sauce pan melt butter (not to brown).
• Add curry powder and cayenne pepper, mix.
• Take the pan off the heat.
• Put pecans on jelly roll pan, drip and pour butter mixture, coat the pecans well, mix with hands (you can use gloves, it’s messy).
• Spread the nuts on the pan in a single layer.
• Sprinkle sugar (about 1/2 cup) and salt on top and mix nuts with hands until incorporated.
• Spread nuts in a single layer again, sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and bake for 10 minutes.
• Mix nuts again (with a spatula, too hot for hands) and bake for another 10 min.
• When ready, check for doneness, you want that slight roasted aftertaste.
• Let it cool for about 20 minutes — if you can!

Grapefruit Vinaigrette

Grapefruit is always available but it is at its peak season now. This light and refreshing vinaigrette is perfect anytime.

• 1/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice
• 1/8 tsp grated zest (optional) (don’t use the pith – the white flesh – it’s very bitter and will ruin the flavor)
• 1 1/2 tsp dijon
• About 1 tbsp agave nectar
• 3/4 cup extra olive oil
• 2 – 3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• In a container, with a lid, shake all the ingredients until mixed.
• Drizzle on your favorite salad.

Eggplant Parmesan has been one of my favorite Italian dishes for most of my adult life. When I was younger and a bit (maybe a lot) naive, I believed the old folklore that feeding a man basil would make him fall in love with you. Well, there’s a lot of basil in this dish

Typically, eggplant slices are dipped in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs and then pan fried. In my version, I use water instead of egg, I spritz the eggplant with oil and then bake instead of pan fry (this helps cut down on the calories). I also like to use goat cheese instead of the mozzarella — it’s easier to digest and most importantly, it’s absolutely delicious.

FOR A GLUTEN-FREE VERSION, I like to use gluten-free breadcrumbs. Or, you can try instant potato flakes (to make finer flakes, use the food processor). Dip the eggplant in egg, then coat with breadcrumbs or potato flakes. Also, I would pan fry the eggplant instead of baking it. I wouldn’t add the potato flakes to the vegetable mixture — otherwise, it will get mushy and gummy.

On either version, get creative with the vegetables and add any of your favorites to the vegetable layer. Also, if you’re not a fan of goat cheese, you can use fresh mozzarella. For the non GF version, Trader Joe’s has frozen breaded eggplant — not as good as doing it yourself, but good if you don’t have the time to prepare it from scratch.

Did you know one of the classic preparations of Eggplant Parmesan uses hard boiled egg slices in the dish? That’s not my cup of tea — but it is an option of course.

Ingredients:

Eggplant Parmesan

• 3 medium eggplants sliced in 1/3” pieces.
• 6 cups of your favorite marinera sauce
• 1 14.5 oz of canned diced tomatoes – drained (I like Muir Glen Organic
  or if available, use San Marzano tomatoes)
• 1 1/2 cups of fresh basil — rinsed and patted with paper towel or air dried
  (Trader Joe’s offers a good sized portion)
• 2 packages of chèvre goat cheese
• 8 oz of grated parmesan
• 1 1/4 cup of Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs
• Olive oil in misto can (or Spectrum Organic Olive Oil spray)

Vegetable Mixture

• 1 can artichoke hearts in water — cut 1/4″ — drained and patted dry
• 1 can black olives or cured black olives — pitted and sliced in half
• 1 cup of any mushrooms: brown, porcini, white… etc. — thinly sliced
• 1 garlic clove pressed or minced
• 1/4 cup Italian-style seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Eggplant Slices

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Moisten each eggplant slice with water (not dripping wet)
• Dredge in bread crumbs and place on greased sheet pan (with olive oil)
• After all eggplant slices are placed, spray top sides with olive oil
• Bake until golden brown for 15 to 20 minutes
• Remove from oven and set aside
• Lower oven temperature down to 350 degrees

Vegetable Mixture

• In a sauté pan over medium high heat, add butter, olive oil, garlic and mushrooms
• Sauté for 7 minutes or until browned
• Add olives and artichokes and sauté for an additional 3 minutes
• Mix in 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs, salt and pepper (to taste) and set aside

Layer 1

• Spray a 9” x 13” (3” deep) lasagna pan with olive oil
• Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of the pan
• Place one layer of eggplant (lay flat) on the bottom of the pan
• Spread marinara sauce lightly on top
• Place a few pieces of the chèvre cheese (one package per layer — for 2 of the 4 layers)
• Sprinkle Parmesan (about 1/3 cup of Parmesan for each layer) on the eggplant
• Place a single layer of basil leaves flat on the cheese
• Place 1/2 of the drained diced tomatoes on top

Layer 2

• Add a layer of eggplant
• Spread 1 cup of marinara sauce over layer of eggplant
• Add layer of vegetable mixture and spread evenly (the only layer using the vegetable mixture)

Layer 3

• Add a layer of eggplant, marinara sauce and goat cheese
• Sprinkle 1/3 cup Parmesan on top
• Add a layer of basil
• Add drained diced tomatoes

Layer 4

• For the last layer, add the remainder of eggplant, marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese

Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbling in a 350 degree oven.

Let set for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 6 to 8 people. I really hope you enjoy this dish. While it takes some time to make it, it’s well worth the effort.  Let me know how it works out for you.

My sis and I just went to Cha Cha Cha (their original location on Virgil) for a long overdue brunch-date. I had the Black Bean Tamales and the Caesar Salad. The tamales were made with sweet corn (which I love) but it came topped with a cold tomatillo sauce, which unfortunately, I’m not crazy about. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not because it’s not a good sauce — I’m just not a fan of tomatillos. No doubt, next time I’ll try a different sauce.

The Caesar Salad was good, but it didn’t have enough dressing or garlic croutons. The dressing was a traditional Caesar dressing (with the anchovies) which was also good. My sister had Huevos Al Salmon (grilled salmon filet over scrambled eggs with garlic and basil), she really enjoyed it. She also highly recommends the Swordfish Caesar and the Tortilla Soup on a rainy day.

The star of the meal however for me , was the sangria. It had apple, orange and most likely brandy in it — I could have sworn there was also some pear in it. It was extremely easy to drink with a wonderful fruity flavor and a slight kick at the end. It’s one of those drinks that you have to be careful with as you don’t realize how much you’ve had until you stand up. At $20 a pitcher (about six glasses), it’s a good deal.

If you can’t make it to Cha Cha Cha and you feel inspired to create your own sangria, there are an infinite number of recipes out there — as far as wine goes, I’d recommend using Pinot Noir (it may be more expensive, but it’s worth it) because of the high resveratrol content. There is an endless array of ingredients that you can use with so many possible flavor combinations — so I’m sure you’re going to come up with something interesting. If you do, please let me know.

I found it at Lulu’s Café in L.A. (on Beverly near La Brea). They have fresh-pressed watermelon juice (as well as orange, grapefruit, apple, carrot, pineapple, celery, beet, parsley and ginger). I have occasionally seen it at some local health food stores (and mail order), but it’s fairly hard to find and nowhere near as good as the fresh.

As you may or may not know already, watermelon juice is extremely good for you — a natural diuretic, detox cleanser, nutrient-rich and of course, absolutely delicious. As with most good things, I have to have it again and again. I’ve sent my poor husband day after day, until I had my fix (similar to my recent Thai Iced Tea and Almond Croissant habits).

While you’re there, you might as well try the food. I like the Caprese sandwich, which was really yummy — it’s hard to mess that one up. Chris (my celiac husband) likes the “create your own” omelette (impressive selection of ingredients — they even have  grilled eggplant, kalamata olives and capers), with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, fresh basil, green onions, goat cheese and a side of pico de gallo.

In terms of being gluten-free friendly, they were happy to answer any questions and would even check with the chef when necessary. As my husband always says, eating out is always a risk, but when you ask the right questions, you minimize that risk.

Lulu’s has an eclectic menu, able to satisfy any craving. Parking can be a bit challenging. Moderately priced. Definitely worth it.

Quinoa (pronounced “keen-wah”) is a somewhat unknown South American grain-like seed.  It is a great alternative to wheat and other grains and can be substituted in many dishes.  High in fiber and a complete protein, its nutritional value far exceeds any traditional grain.

I recently discovered quinoa while attempting to make a tabouli that my gluten-free husband could eat — I was a little skeptical at first, but I now prefer quinoa over the cracked wheat/bulghur in my tabouli. As far as the different varieties of quinoa, I prefer the red.  This salad is potent and energizing and extremely good for you!  For those of you needing to be gluten-free, you won’t have to go without your tabouli anymore.  This healthy and delicious salad takes a bit of prepping, but it is well worth it.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of red quinoa cooked and cooled
• About 1 cup of chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
• About 1/3 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves
• About 1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions 0r 1/3 chopped red onion
• About 1 cup seeded and diced roma tomatoes
• About 3/4 cup seeded and diced cucumber
• 1 clove of minced garlic (optional)
• Fresh juice of 1 lemon
• About 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and pepper to taste
• A dash of allspice (optional)

Directions:

• Follow instructions on preparing the quinoa. Tip: rinse quinoa (before cooking) in a strainer with cold water. Cook until quinoa is translucent and the white thread-like germ separates. Set aside until cool or refrigerate.
• In a food processor, chop parsley and mint.
• Hand chop the tomatoes, cucumber, onion and garlic.
• In a large bowl, combine cooled quinoa, parsley, mint, onions, tomato, cucumber, garlic, lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Chill for 30 minutes before eating.
• Serve with pita bread or corn tortilla chips (to dip) as a gluten-free option.

Sorry, no photo on this one.

As my husband can attest to, I’ve been searching for the perfect almond croissant for most of my adult life.  He’s driven many miles searching for French bakeries, local coffee shops and even the odd donut shop that might stand up to my scrutiny — needless to say, I’m still looking.

From the crowds that I’ve seen at Portos  in Burbank, I thought they might have one — but I was sadly disappointed with their version of an almond croissant.  It was doughy and not nearly enough marzipan, it didn’t have the flakey layers that make a great croissant, well great. And again, I’ll continue to look.

So far, the places that have come the closest in delivering a truly great croissant have been Jennifer’s Coffee Connection in Studio City and the late Zebra Café in the Marina — the one at Zebra was so good it was worth the torment of a continually rude server (think Seinfeld’s Soup Nazi).

I know there are many specialty bakeries (especially the French ones) that probably have a great almond croissant — I can only eat so many croissants in a month   I will continue my search one bakery at a time until I find that perfect almond croissant.

I’m so happy that Poquito Mas (my favorite fast mexican food) has a “Petito Menu” (small portion). Even their famous tostadas are smaller. I wish that every restaurant had this option as I always (and I mean always) find myself taking home a “to go” box with leftover food. It may be available in other Poquito Mas’, but I only seen the petito menu in Burbank. A note to Poquito Mas if you’re reading this; please add this menu to all of your stores — pretty please.

I found a great recipe for Thai Iced Tea on GroupRecipes.com, thanks to ChefMeow. I’ve adapted it a little and below is what I’ve come up with. It’s all natural, no food dyes or artificial sweeteners and is absolutely delicious (and of course it’s gluten-free). I’ve heard that some people add a pinch of salt, but I’ll leave that up to you.

Ingredients:

• 6 cups water
• 3/4 cup (or 3 ozs.) Black tea leaves
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 1 whole star anise
• 1/4 teaspoon ground tamarind
• 1 whole clove
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Agave  nectar to taste
• 1 cup half and half

Directions:

• Crush cardamom pods and set aside.
• Crush whole clove and set aside.
• Keep star anise whole
• Bring water to a boil then stir in tea.
• Add cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, tamarind and star anise then remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes.
• Pour through a strainer then add agave nectar to taste.
• Chill two hours and serve over crushed ice.
• Top with 3 tablespoons half and half.