“The BBQ Yuba Skewers are 100 percent the Kindred staff favorite. The warmth and crunch of the grilled yuba are amazing, and the sweet, tart, and rich ‘pomchujang’ (pomegranate and gochujang) BBQ sauce offsets the spicy mustard, balancing the flavors perfectly,” says Caleigh Castañeda, Kindred General Manager. “The pomegranate in the BBQ really shines through, giving this dish a subtle berry finish that pairs really well with the fall flavors featured in our current cocktail menu.” 

BBQ Yuba Skewers (Serves 12)

Ingredients

Pomchujang

• 1 cup ketchup
• 1⁄2 cup sour
• pomegranate molasses (Sadaf brand)
• 1⁄2 cup gochujang paste
• 3 1⁄2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 3 tablespoons Maggi seasoning
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons sesame oil

Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.

Hot Mustard

• 1⁄3 cup hot water
• 3 tablespoons mustard powder
• 2 tablespoons
• rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 teaspoon mirin
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon white pepper, freshly ground

Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined.

Yuba Skewer

Yields: about 12 one-inch bites

• 1 pack (two sheets) yuba sheets (Hodo brand)
• Six-inch wooden skewers, soaked in water for one hour prior to assembly to prevent burning
• Toasted white and black sesame seeds, for garnish

Cooking Instructions

1. Carefully unfold your yuba sheets into a single layer.
2. Using one layer at a time, lay the yuba in front of you so that the longest side is horizontal.
3. Using a pastry brush, brush both sides of the yuba sheet with the pomchujang.
4. Fold the yuba sheet in half, folding the right side over to the left.
5. Begin to roll the yuba up tightly like you would a Swiss roll, starting from the bottom edge closest to your body and rolling upwards.
6. Repeat with the second yuba sheet.
7. Cut your yuba rolls into one-inch pieces and skewer them (with the spiral facing outwards so that you can see all of the layers), either individually to create yuba “lollipops” or with several pieces per skewer to create kebabs.
8. Brush the yuba pieces with more pomchujang and sear them on a very hot, oiled grill until you achieve hard grill marks on both sides.
9. When they come off the grill, brush them once again with pomchujang, sprinkle them with sesame seeds, and serve them with hot mustard.

The post Recipe: Vegan BBQ Yuba Skewers appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Easy Spiced Vegan Pear Cake (Serves 12)

Toppings

• 2 red pears
• 6 tablespoons dairy-free butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar

1. Prepare pears by cutting them in half and removing seeds and stem, then thinly slicing them lengthways.
2. Mix together dairy-free butter and brown sugar, then spread mixture over the bottom of a nine-inch round baking pan. Top with sliced pears, overlapping to create a circular pattern.

Batter

• 1 stick (4 oz.) dairy-free butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup oat milk
• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup cane sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• Pinch of salt

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. In a medium mixing bowl, add dairy-free butter and brown sugar and mix to combine. Then, add vanilla extract and oat milk and stir to combine.
2. Into a second medium mixing bowl, sift all-purpose flour, baking powder, and baking soda, then add cane sugar, ground spices, and salt. Stir to combine.
3. Pour wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients, then stir until combined.
4. Pour batter into the baking pan on top of the butter, brown sugar, and pear topping.
5. Place pear cake into the oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean. Set aside to cool.
6. Once cooled, flip your pear cake. Place a serving plate over the top of the baking pan. Then, holding the plate and the pan together tightly, turn the pan upside down, placing the plate on your kitchen counter. Carefully remove the baking pan to reveal the spiced pear cake.
7. Serve warm or at room-temperature with a scoop of dairy-free vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

The post Recipe: Easy Spiced Vegan Pear Cake appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

octopus-shawarma-sdm-0223.jpg

Photo Credit: Marley Kepano

Octopus can be daunting. Unlike the chicken or beef you probably have hanging out in your freezer at any given moment, it’s a rare ingredient on most American’s grocery lists. (Also, chickens don’t have tentacles.) Prepared skillfully, octopus is buttery, tender, even lightly sweet. Cook it wrong, and you’ve got rubber with suckers—which is why we usually leave it to the professionals to get it right.

But if you’ve got guts and a recipe (like the one you’re about to read), then you’re capable of transforming the aquatic critter into your most impressive dinner party entree ever. This octopus shawarma serves as a delicacy at the California coastal restaurant Mediterranean Room, located inside of the La Valencia Hotel in La Jolla.

Courtesy of executive chef Fabian Aceves, the recipe pays homage to the restaurant’s waterfront location by bringing together elements of both land and sea. “Octopus is nostalgic for me because it has a connection to memorable days I’ve spent cooking, eating, and learning delicious new versions of it over the years,” Aceves says.

To make chef Aceves’ octopus shawarma, follow the recipe below:

Octopus Shawarma

Octopus

Ingredients

1 whole 3–5 lb octopus (Spanish preferred)

4 gallons water

1 oz whole black peppercorns

1 oz fennel seed

1 oz bay leaves

1 cup red wine vinegar

½ cup sea salt

1 tsp chili flakes

Shawarma Marinade

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Zest of 2 lemons

7 oz lemon juice

7 oz white vinegar

7 oz orange juice

¼ cup tomato paste

2 lb yogurt

1 tbsp onion powder

2 tbsp sumac

1 tbsp coriander

1½ tbsp cumin

3 tbsp ground turmeric

1 tbsp dried oregano

Salt to taste

Mediterranean Bean Mix

Ingredients

1 qt cooked chickpeas

1 qt cooked gigante white beans

2 roasted red bell peppers, diced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup fresh dill, finely chopped

1 oz lemon juice

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp sea salt

Garnish

Ingredients

1 cup mayo

2 tbsp squid ink*

Chili thread to taste

Instructions

1. Poach the whole octopus in water with peppercorns, fennel seed, bay leaves, red wine vinegar, sea salt, and chili flakes for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
2. While the octopus is poaching, marinate chickpeas and gigante white beans in garlic, olive oil, dill, lemon juice, cumin, black pepper, and sea salt for 30 minutes. Mix together shawarma marinade ingredients. Make squid ink aioli by stirring together mayo and squid ink*.
3. Strain the octopus and portion out whole tentacles. Discard the octopus head. Once tentacles are cooled, sear on a flat top grill or large skillet until crispy on both sides (about 2 minutes on each side).
4. Toss the tentacles in the shawarma marinade and bake in a salamander oven or broiler until crispy again (about 4 minutes).
5. Create the Mediterranean bean mix by tossing the marinated garbanzo beans and gigante white beans with the roasted peppers together in a bowl.
6. To serve, arrange the octopus shawarma around the bean mix. Dot squid ink* aioli around the plate and garnish with chili thread.

*If squid ink is not available, substitute lemon juice to make a lemon aioli.

The post SD’s Top Chef Recipes: Octopus Shawarma appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Nog is life. Nog makes us human. Winter celebrations are good for the soul. 

Eggnog. The forbidden milkshake. Breast milk for adults. The boozy smoothie that tastes like mistletoe mischief, and gives the feeling of lounging naked on a lambs wool rug in front of a crackling fireplace in a snowed-in cabin. Nog is sexy. Nog is life.

Nog makes winter better.

Humans have been celebrating winter since we learned to read the stars, and especially once we understood winter solstice, marking the end of darker days. Neolithic humans are thought to have observed the solstice as early as the Stone Age, around 10,200 BC. Meaning today’s winter holiday parties nod to very old traditions. Making a party batch of nog continues these snow celebrations dating back as far as our oldest, freezing-coldest ancestors.

Making nog makes us human.

Regardless of your winter traditions, for best nog results, you’ll want to start a few days early. If you want to serve your nog on December 24th, for example, start on the winter solstice—December 21st.

If you want nog on December 25th, honestly it’s still best to make it on the 21st, if you can. More time equals mellower nog.

Now, let’s nog.

Party Batch Eggnog Recipe

Ingredients

• 18 large eggs, separated
• 2 ¼ cups sugar
• 6 cups heavy cream
• Bottle of bourbon (750ml or more)
• Bottle of rum (750ml or more)
• Freshly grated nutmeg, for sprinkling
• Elvis Christmas record, or your preferred equivalent

Yields: 1 gallon of eggnog

Nog necessities: eggs, heavy cream, sugar, rum, whiskey, and music.

Instructions 

Step 1: Put on that Elvis Christmas record and turn up the volume

First things first, this is no-stress nog. My Elvis Christmas record is in storage, so I’m making do with this CD version I found in a free library, and this Dolly Parton record. No stress. Also, don’t overthink it. Spotify. Just have some music going. This is party nog after all.

Separate the eggs. If you mess one up it’s fine. 

Step 2: Separate eggs and freeze the whites

While Blue Christmas plays…

• Separate 18 large eggs.
• Yolks go in a very large bowl, whites in a freezer-compatible storage container.
• Whites go in the freezer for later.

I like to separate in a third bowl just in case I mess one up, which I always do. It’s fine. If a yolk breaks and becomes impossible to separate, just throw it all in the yolk bowl. One, or even a few, egg whites in there won’t hurt.

I find that 18 egg whites fit nicely in a plastic quart container, while still leaving room for expansion.

Hi Elvis. A quart size container works well for freezing the egg whites.

Step 3: Beat the yolks on high until thick and pale

• With an electric mixer, beat egg yolks well. You want your them looking like Mrs. Claus: thick and pale.

Beat the yolks till thick and pale. Santa approves.

Step 4: Add the sugar

• With the mixer still on high, slowly add the sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time.

Take your time. Like all good things in life, good nog requires patience.

Step 5: Add the cream

• Once the sugar is good and mixed, lower the speed on the mixer to medium and slowly add the heavy cream.
• Keep the mixer speed plenty slow.

We’re not making whipped cream, we’re making nog. It’s more of a stir.

Add the cream slowly at lower speed. It’s more of a stir.

Step 6: Add the liquor

Now we’re talking.

• Dump that rum and whiskey in there and keep stirring until everything is well-blended together.
• Feel free to also add a splash of brandy here.

And by splash I mean about a half a bottle. This is when things get good. You may think, wait, that’s too much alcohol for a batch of nog. But that’s just a subconscious survival instinct. Ignore it.

Note: For this batch we’re using San Diego-local Clever Fox rum and some grocery store whiskey. We’re using Clever Fox because a couple bottles showed up at the office one day. This is why if you’re a liquor company you should send free samples to media outlets. It might get used in a viral nog recipe. Or it might just make an editor happy. Thanks, Clever Fox, the only craft distillers in California that focus exclusively on rum. Their bottles are also made from 100 percent recycled glass. The rum is great in nog.

Add the rum and whiskey, and support local media. Dolly approves.

Step 7: Cover and store in the refrigerator for at least 3 days to mellow the booze

• This recipe makes almost exactly one gallon, so an empty gallon water bottle works great for storing your nog.
• But don’t just dump your nog: scrape. You want to be sure to get any residual sugar from the bowl into your container.
• Seal and refrigerate.
• Once per day, shake the nog.

This last step helps the sugars mix and the liquor mellow out. Make sure to taste periodically too. Just for fun.

Shortly before serving, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Not too stiff. Fold into the nog before serving.

Step 8: Thaw the egg whites

• After 24 hours in the freezer, place egg whites in the refrigerator to thaw.

Step 9: Time for nog

After at least a few days in the refrigerator (again, more time to mellow = smoother nog), it’s time for your NOG PARTY.

• Place thawed egg whites in a very large bowl and beat on high until soft peaks form, not too stiff.
• Then fold. This is the secret to truly great nog: egg white foam gently folded into your nog.
• In a large punchbowl, mix together your nog and your foam.
• Stir gently until nicely mixed. YOUR NOG IS NOW DONE.

PARTY TIME.

Step 10: Serve with a nutmeg sprinkle

Enjoy responsibly while listening to weird holiday records. Sexy.

Happy winter, and cheers to brighter days.

The post Recipe: No-Stress Holiday Eggnog (With Pictures) appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

chestnut soup, AR Valetien

When nightfall begins at 5 p.m., the temps drop to a below-freezing 50 degrees, and San Diegans start to begrudgingly wear close-toe shoes, it can only mean one thing: porcini chestnut soup at A.R. Valentien inside the Lodge at Torrey Pines.

“Many of our regular guests (and cooks for that matter) look forward to seeing this on the menu,” shares chef Kelli Crosson. “This year you’ll find a variation of it on our Christmas prix rixe menu.” Having worked under chef de cuisine Jeff Jackson for the past 11 years at the restaurant, chef Kelli has finally taken the reins of fine dining venue. She’s earned it.

Kelli Crosson

Now, it’s her turn to make her mark on the beloved chestnut soup. Over the years, it has gone through its fair share of iterations, including using different nuts, becoming vegan, getting garnished with extravagant flavors such as truffles and chestnut tuille, and simply getting fancied up by adding crème fraîche and chives.

We asked chef Kelli to share her recipe for us to make at home and luckily, this year’s version doesn’t include any crazy bells and whistles—just some good old fashioned roasted chestnuts to get into the festive spirit. “This is the perfect soup to serve for your holiday dinner,” says chef Kelli. “It’s full of earthy flavor and I’d venture to say it’s unlike most mushroom soups you’ve tasted.”

To make chef Kelli’s porcini chestnut soup, follow the recipe below:

Porcini Chestnut Soup

Ingredients

1 Each Yellow Onion, Small Dice

1 Each Leek, Sliced

1 Pound Frozen Porcini

1/2 Pound Cremini Mushroom, Sliced

1/2 Pound Frozen Chestnuts

1/2 Cup White Wine

1 Cup Dry Sherry

1 Each Bay Leaf

1 Sprig Thyme

3 Quarts Chicken Stock

3 Tablespoons Clarified Butter***

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Thaw porcinis. Squeeze the juices from the mushrooms and reserve.
3. Thaw chestnuts and place on sheet pan. Roast in preheated oven until golden brown. Approximately 10 minutes.
4. In a large pot, heat one tablespoon of clarified butter over medium heat. Add leeks and onions and sauté. When tender add in the reserved porcini juice.
5. In a separate sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of clarified butter over high heat. Add cremini mushrooms and cook until golden. Add porcinis and continue to sauté until they’re golden brown as well. The more color you get on the mushrooms without burning them, the stronger the flavor will be.
6. Add the sherry and white wine to the pan with the mushrooms. Let cook for a minute or two, until the alcohol cooks off.
7. Transfer the mushrooms and chestnuts into the pot with leeks and onions. Add the herbs.
8. Cover with chicken stock by 2 inches.
9. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes
10. Blend in batches in blender until smooth.
11. Serve immediately topped with a dollop of crème fraiche and chive.

*** can use other high heat oil like grapeseed or avocado

The post SD’s Top Chef Recipes: Porcini Chestnut Soup appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Louisiana purchase uptown sink gumbo

Courtesy of Louisiana Purchase

It’s cold out—well, cold for us San Diegans at least (ignore us, Idaho). And with 5 p.m. feeling more like 10 p.m. these days, all we really want are holiday lights outside, cozy blankets inside, reality TV and comfort food to fill our evenings with.

So, we looked to none other than Louisiana Purchase for the goods on what to make to warm up our bones this winter. Their suggestion? Chef Quinnton “Q” Austin’s Uptown Sink Gumbo.

The New Orleans native marinates the charm and character of his hometown into every item on the menu, creating diverse Cajun flavors and creole tastes—with his chef Q twist.

“The background of the Uptown Kitchen Sink Gumbo is taking a little bit from everyone I’ve been around that made great gumbos, bouncing from house to house on Sunday and being a taste tester,” says chef Q.

Louisiana Purchase, gumbo vertical

Courtesy of Louisiana Purchase

There are many different kinds of gumbos and choosing your flavors means you get to pick your party. Chef Q likes to use chicken stock, onion, celery, file, garlic, herbs, and proteins such as andouille sausage. Though he notes it’s hard to find in San Diego.

But the real trick to a good gumbo is the roux, which is equal parts fat to flour, and should be dark brown and silky. For the kitchen sink, you’ll want to throw it all in—go ahead, get crazy.

Chef Q goes with roasted chicken, shrimp, crawfish, and blue crab. “Yes, California people, blue crab,” he says. “Don’t put snow crab in a Louisiana person’s gumbo.”

Finally, don’t forget the spices. Don’t mess with Louisiana’s spices. To make Chef Q’s Gumbo at home, follow the recipe below:

Louisiana Purchases’ Uptown Sink Gumbo 

Ingredients

Lite vegetable oil

1 lb diced onion

1 lb diced celery

2 cups garlic

3 tbsp thyme

2 tbsp oregano

3 lb sausage

½ cup file

Garlic powder (to taste)

Onion powder (to taste)

Cayenne pepper (to taste)

Creole seasoning (to taste)

12 bay leaves

Brown roux

3 gallons chicken or seafood stock

5 blue crabs

2 lbs roasted chicken

3 lbs shrimp

3 lb crawfish tails

3 lb crab meat

Instructions

1. Sweat down your onions, celery, and garlic then add your ½ cup of file

2. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and creole seasoning to taste and add your bay leaves, brown roux, three gallons of chicken or seafood stock, and blue crabs.

3. Allow this to come to a simmer, then add your roasted chicken and shrimp. Take it up to a boil then reduce again to a simmer.

4. Once all of your flavors come together, taste and season more to your liking.

5. Add your crawfish tails and crab meat at the very end and cook for only a few minutes till done.

The post SD’s Top Chef Recipes: Chef Q’s Uptown Sink Gumbo appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Ballast Point Beer Cheese

Credit: James Tran

This past summer, Ballast Point Brewing appointed chef Tommy Dimella as its culinary director overseeing all of the brewer’s kitchen operations. Since taking the reins, Dimella has crafted a globally inspired menu paired with pub favorites to complement the flavor profiles of the brand’s beers.

On his menus, guests can find everything from whipped goat cheese to 12-hour smoked pork shoulder, buttermilk fried chicken sandwiches, and a patron favorite: Sculpin beer cheese sauce. Developed in conjunction with Ballast’s flagship West Coast IPA and expert brewers, the sauce is served alongside pretzel breadsticks in their Little Italy and Miramar tasting rooms.

“It’s so satisfying to make,” says Dimella. “Melted smooth and creamy cheese is always fun to play with. The technique of making this sauce goes back to a classic French Mornay sauce.”

One of five foundational French mother sauces, French Mornay sauce is a variation on béchamel sauce and includes flour as a base, butter, milk, eggs, freshly grated parmesan and gruyere to produce a creamy, white sauce.

Creamy and refined, Dimella’s beer cheese sauce is incredibly versatile and decadent. “This sauce can be used in a variety of dishes, especially for a grown-up version of mac-n-cheese,” says Dimella.

To make chef Tommy Dimella’s Sculpin beer cheese sauce at home, follow the steps below:

Sculpin Beer Cheese sauce

Ingredients 

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup Ballast Point Sculpin IPA
• 1 1/2 cups half & half
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions

1). Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk until the flour is completely absorbed. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, for 1 minute.

2). While whisking constantly, slowly pour in the beer and half & half. Whisk in the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly, then reduce to a simmer and continue cooking, whisking frequently, until thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 3 minutes.

3). With the heat on low, add the cheeses a handful at a time, whisking between each addition, until the cheese is fully melted before adding more. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and sprinkle with fresh chives, if using. Serve immediately.

The post SD’s Top Chef Recipes: Creamy Sculpin Beer Cheese appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Anthony wells recipe

Courtesy of Juniper & Ivy

Anthony Wells has often been called a “chef’s chef.” The Juniper and Ivy executive chef has made a name for himself in the city simply by cooking the best fare without pretense.

Featuring a rotating seasonal menu, chef Well’s recipes often showcase his innovative take on Southern California cuisine while focusing on sustainably and hyper-seasonal, high-quality product from local purveyors.

He’s most known, though, for creating foods that feel comforting and nostalgic, which may be why his biscuit with smoked butter recipe has become a guest favorite. Though the dish has been around since the restaurant’s inception in 2014, it’s gone through a few adaptions over the years.

Now, chef Wells smokes the cream, salt, and butter to offer a more subtle smoky flavor. “It’s an easy recipe to make, a one-pot-wonder kind of dish that is a crowd pleaser,” he shares. “It makes you happy when you eat it.”

With the evenings cooling down and the holidays near, this is a cozy dish that will likely be a go-to in the coming months. To make chef Well’s biscuit with smoked butter recipe, follow the instructions below:

Biscuit with Smoked Butter

Biscuit Ingredients:

4 1/2 cups self rising flour (Chef likes Lily brand)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup Crisco Shortening

1 tsp salt

2 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Instructions:

1). Mix everything gently by hand in a large mixing bowl until a thick batter is formed.

2). Do not overwork, and do not fear that there will be some clumps in the batter.

3). Grease up 4 inch muffin tins and fill batter 4/5 of the way up.

4). Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Smoked Butter Ingredients:* 

Allow 1/2 cup butter to soften, then mix in 1 tsp flaky smoked salt.

Instructions:

When the biscuits are slightly cool, place a dollop of smoked butter on top right before serving.

*This is a shortcut to the way chef Wells makes his at Juniper & Ivy

Have breaking-news, exciting scoops, or great stories about San Diego’s food scene? Send your pitches to [email protected].

The post SD’s Top Chef Recipes: Chef Anthony Wells’ Biscuit with Smoked Butter appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

KEX kale salad

Courtesy of Kettner Exchange

Executive chef Brian Redzikowski of Kettner Exchange (KEX) in Little Italy is the master of a fast and yummy crowd pleaser. The KEX kale salad is just that.

“Back when I was at the Thompson Hotel, we needed a simple salad that was a crowd pleaser. My brother was killing it with a kale salad in Boulder,” says chef Brian. “We decided to give it a shot. We had some different ingredients around the kitchen that we put together… All the components came together, and we’ve been using it at the restaurants ever since.”

Prior to KEX, chef Brian’s path to San Diego began with attending the Culinary Institute of America and roles in some of the nation’s top kitchens such as Nobu Aspen, Le Cirque in NYC and Joël Robuchon, the only three-Michelin-star rated restaurant in Las Vegas.

On top of a stacked resume, chef Brian was also on Iron Chef Showdown. All that to say, you should probably give his salad recipe a shot.

The dynamic combination of fuji apples, almonds, golden raisins, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a lemon pepper vinaigrette atop a bed of earthy kale makes for just the right combination of salty and sweet. With an only half hour prep time, it’s a quick and easy recipe that you can whip up anytime.

To make chef Brian Redzikowski’s KEX kale salad, follow the instructions below:

KEX Kale Salad 

Servings: 3 ea

Cooking / Prepping Time: 30 min

Salad Ingredients:

1ea bunch green kale stems removed, thinly sliced

1ea bunch purple kale stems removed, thinly sliced

1ea Fiji Apple

1/4 cup toasted almonds

1/4 cup golden raisins

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated

Dressing Ingredients:

10-12 ea lemons, segmented squeezed and seeds removed. (You will need 2 cups of lemon)

1 oz salt

1T whole black peppercorns

5 oz sugar

50 oz grape seed oil

5 oz olive oil

Instructions:

1). Blend all dressing ingredients together using a Vita Prep or high power blender, puree until smooth.

2). Assemble, season kale with salt.

3). Slice the apple thin.

4). Add parmesan, sprinkle almonds and raisins. Toss all together

5). Add dressing to your liking.

6). Plate and enjoy!

The post SD’s Top Chef Recipes: Chef Brian Redzikowski’s Kale Salad appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Tara Monsod recipe

“When I think of home, this is one thing that I think of,” says executive chef Tara Monsod of Animae in San Diego’s Marina District when asked about her chicken tinola recipe.

It’s the ultimate comfort food, an indigenous soup that’s full of flavor and a very simple one-pot meal. Chef Tara equates it to traditional chicken noodle soup recipes but with a Filipino twist.

So, what better way to kick off the fall season than with a warm, comforting and satisfying soup recipe. “Growing up, my mom would always make a large pot of chicken tinola when I was sick,” says Chef Monsod. “A bowl of chicken tinola feels like a hug from my mom and instantly transports me back to our family home in Los Angeles.”

A riff on her mother’s recipe (which has itself gone through variations over the years), the power behind this soup is its use of ginger and enough leafy greens to give your immune system a nice boost.

Though it can be difficult to find the original ingredients like Chayote (an edible plant belonging to the gourd family), finger chili leaves (Thai pepper leaves), and malunggay leaves (a plant native to India), chef Tara emphasizes that any of the greens can be substituted with your favorite ingredients. If you can, though, seek out the ingredients at local Asian markets to get those authentic flavors.

To make chef Tara’s recipe, follow the steps below and enjoy:

Chef Tara Monsod’s Chicken Tinola

Ingredients

3 lbs Chicken Legs or Wings

6 tbsp Neutral Cooking Oil

6 each Garlic, Minced

1 each Onion, Large Dice

3 each 2-inch pieces Ginger, peeled and minced

3 each Green Papaya, Large Dice (Chayote if unavailable)

2 bunches Moringa Leaves (spinach if unavailable)

2 each Yellow Pepper

2 tbsp Fish Sauce

Salt to taste

2 Qt Water (extra if want more broth)

Instructions

1). Season chicken with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2). In a pot, sear chicken until lightly brown on all sides. Set aside.

3). Add onion and garlic into the pot. Sweat to help remove brown fond on pot.

4). Add chicken back into the pot and cover with water. Simmer for 45 mins – 1 hour, until chicken is tender.

5). Remove chicken and strain broth. Combine chicken and broth together in new pot.

6). Salt to taste. Then add yellow peppers, green papaya and simmer until papaya is tender.

7). Add moringa and fish sauce.

8). Serve with rice and enjoy!

The post SD’s Top Chef Recipes: Chef Tara Monsod’s Chicken Tinola appeared first on San Diego Magazine.