Sesame Eggplant Dip

May 24, 2025June 4, 2025 ~ Girlmom ~ Leave a comment

This recipe comes from ancient times, a culinary class I took in another life. It makes you break out the food processor. I normally try to avoid using it. However, it’s worth the extra clean up.

This recipe makes about 4 cups.

INGREDIENTS

2 1-1/2 lb eggplants

1 tbs vegetable oil

3/4 cup plus 1 tbs minced green onions

2 1/2 tbs minced fresh peeled ginger

1 tsp chili-garlic sauce

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbs brown sugar

1 tbs rice wine vinegar

2 tbs soy sauce

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

2 large seeded tomatoes, chopped

3/4 cup pack fresh chopped cilantro

1 1/2 tsp sesame oil

pita chips (homemade or store bought)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 425. Pierce eggplants all over with a fork. Place on baking sheet. Roast in oven until eggplants are very soft and deflated, turning once about one hour. Cool slightly.

Cut eggplants in half, scrape flesh into strainer set over large bowl (do not let bottom of the strainer to touch bowl). Let eggplant drain for 30 minutes. Transfer eggplant to processor. Using the pulse button, process until almost smooth.

Heat veg oil in heavy large skillet over med-high heat. Add 1/2 cup of green onions, ginger, garlic and chili-garlic sauce. Saute just until onions soften, about 45 seconds. Stir in brown sugar, soy sauce , vinegar and lemon juice. Bring to simmer stirring constantly. Mix in eggplant puree and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in tomatoes, 3/4 cup green onions and sesame oil. Cool to room temp. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a medium bowl. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead, but bring to room temp before serving.) Garnish with 1 tbs of green onion and cilantro. Serve with toasted pita chips.

Thirteen Candles and a Blank Space Cake

June 12, 2024January 18, 2025 ~ Girlmom ~ Leave a comment

How it started.

How it’s going.

I just can’t. My baby is thirteen years old.

She wanted a Taylor Swift birthday including the cake from her Blank Space video. I almost pulled it off, almost.

The cake.

In the video T Swift stabs her white heart cake and blood spatters out of it. I watched the video countless times and scoured the internet for an actual recipe that I thought would mimic the video. A lot of recipes called for a raspberry jam filling, some just suggested decorating the cake with the knife stabbed in it and blood pooling around. But the birthday girl wanted to actually stab the cake for the bloody result, so I set work.

I made a white cake from the box and layered it and crumb coated with cream cheese frosting.

Next I made some fake blood with corn syrup and red and a dash of blue food coloring. Then I poured it into a water balloon. Sounds easy, it wasn’t.

I cut a hole into the cake, big enough to fit the water balloon. This took trial and error and a little panic.

I pushed it down and covered the hole with some of the cake that I cut out and then covered it with frosting.

I breathed a sigh of relief, I had done the hard part and it didn’t look terrible.

I threw on another ~~coat~~ ~~layer~~ coat of frosting, I don’t know what the proper term is but I added more frosting and then got to piping.

I decided to add some friendship bracelet decor.

What I did next was my big mistake. I put it in the fridge and moved on with my life not thinking of the corn syrup that would thicken.

The build up was too much to handle.

You can see in the video how the corn sryup was too thick to splatter out like we were hoping.

Ugh, so close.

Such a let down.
So, if you make this cake I suggest not using a frosting that needs to be kept cold or make it and serve it right away.
Happy 13th birthday Kbear. I love you to the moon and back and around the entire universe.

Roasted Panzanella

June 11, 2024January 18, 2025 ~ Girlmom ~ Leave a comment

I had so much basil sitting on the counter. I always buy some not knowing if what I have at home is still good and then I get home to see that it is and now I have all this basil to deal with, first world problems. Not wanting to make pesto or have Caprese, again, I decided on a Panzanella salad. However this time I wanted to roast the veggies because, no Caprese again. This recipe is super easy and you’re left with very few dishes, always a win. But you guys, it’s soo good, I mean it’s basically a deconstructed pizza.

INGREDIENTS

8 oz. French or Italian bread, about 5 cups, cut into 1″ pieces

12 oz. cherry tomatoes

1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 small red, yellow or orange bell pepper thinly sliced.

10 cloves of garlic, peeled.

1/2 c. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 c. shaved parmesan

8 oz. small fresh mozzarella balls (ciliegine or bocconcini)

2 c. packed baby arugula

1 c. packed fresh basil leaves

2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400°F. On a rimmed and lined baking sheet, toss bread, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper and garlic with 6 tablespoons oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and several grinds black pepper. Shake the sheet to arrange everything in an even layer.

Bake, shaking the sheet halfway through, until bread begins to turn golden, 10 to 15 minutes.

Scatter the Parmesan over everything and continue to bake until tomatoes burst and bread is golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes longer.

Remove sheet from oven and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Add mozzarella, arugula, and basil to sheet pan. Drizzle with vinegar and remaining 2 tablespoons oil, season with ½ teaspoon salt and toss to combine, scraping up any melted bits from the sheet. Serve hot.

*Recipe adapted from Delish.com

Mandarin Orange, Olive Oil & Cardamom Cake

January 18, 2024January 18, 2025 ~ Girlmom ~ Leave a comment

This is a simple and delicious cake. Not too sweet with warm notes of cardamom, it’s definitely a good back pocket dish to pull out for your next gathering.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for the pan

2 cups all-purpose flour, extra for dusting the pan

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cardamom

1 ½ cups plus 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

3 large eggs

Grated zest of 5 mandarin oranges

2 Tbs of fresh mandarin orange juice

1 ¼ cups whole milk

2 tablespoons sifted confectioners’ sugar, for garnish

*candied orange slices for garnish is optional

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Grease a bundt cake pan with a little olive oil and dust with a bit of the flour, shaking out the excess.

In a medium bowl, whisk together 2 cups flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

In a large bowl, combine the 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, cardamom, and eggs. Using an electric hand mixer set on high, beat the mixture until thick and fluffy, about 5 minutes While the mixer is running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and beat until incorporated. Reduce the speed to low and add half the orange zest, the orange juice, and milk. Beat until smooth.

Add the flour mixture to wet ingredients and mix on low just until you have a uniform batter.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar.

Bake the cake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the center is set.

Allow the cake to cool for 30 minutes in the pan,

Before serving, dust the cake with powdered sugar and sprinkle with orange zest or candied orange slices.

Chicken Salad with Coconut Crunch

December 3, 2023January 18, 2025 ~ Girlmom ~ Leave a comment

This is a delicious chicken salad Inspired by the Indonesian salad Gado Gado. It has crunchy veggies doused in a peanut butter-sesame dressing and topped with a coconut granola like topping. This has the salty-sweet-spicy-crunchy combo of flavors we are always looking for. It’s so good!

INGREDIENTS

2 Limes

1 inch fresh ginger

1 1/2 pound mixed crunchy vegetables; snap peas, carrots, radishes, cucumbers.

1 bunch 0f cilantro

1 large egg

2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken meat

3 TBSP plus 1 Tsp brown sugar

4 Tsp Sesame Oil

1 Tsp Curry powder

Kosher salt and pepper; to taste

1/2 Tsp Cayenne peppeer

1 1/2 cups nuts; cashews, peanuts, almonds

1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes

2 TBSP Sesame Seeds

1/2 Cup full-fat coconut milk

1/4 Cup creamy peanut butter

1 TBSP Vegetable Oil

Make the coconut crunch

Preheat the oven to 325F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Separate 1 egg. Place the white in a large bowl (save the yolk for another time) and vigorously whisk until fluffy, foamy, soft peaks form.

Add 3 TBSP brown sugar, 3 TSP toasted sesame oil, 1 TSP curry powder, 3/4 TSP salt and 1/4 TSP cayenne pepper. Whisk to incorporate.

Add 1 1/2 cups nuts, 1 1/2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes, 2 TBSP sesame seeds and the zest of 1 lime. Fold with a rubber spatula until thoroughly coated.

Scrape the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread in an even layer. Transfer to the oven and bake, stirring halfway through, until the coconut is lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool slightly, then use your hands to break it up into chunks.

Make the dressing

Finely grate a 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger into a large bowl. Ad 1/3 cup coconut milk, 1/4 cup peanut butter, 1 TBSP vegetable oil, the juice of 1 lime, the remaining 1 Tsp toasted sesame oil, and the remaining 1 Tsp brown sugar. Whisk until smooth, salt to taste.

Make the salad

Chop, slice, julienne, trim, shave and/or dice 1 1/2 pounds of mixed crunchy vegetables. Add all of the veg to the bowl of dressing.

Coarsely chop the leaves and tender stems from 1 bunch of cilantro and add to the bowl.

Add 2 cups of packed chicken meat to the same bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add a few handfuls of coconut crunch and toss to combine.

Divide salad into serving bowls/plates and top with more coconut crunch.

Pastelillos de Guayaba {Guava & Cheese Pastries}

June 7, 2023June 7, 2023 ~ Girlmom ~ Leave a comment

A couple of weeks ago we stumbled upon a farmers market where we stumbled upon ‘Crepe on a Stick.’ I thought “how clever” and ordered myself a guava and cheese on a stick. At that moment I forgot how good that combination of flavors is. Which brings me to this recipe. I recently made these for dinner, but they would be just as good in the morning with a cup of coffee.

Pastelillos de Guayaba

Ingredients

1 package puff pastry (2 sheets)

1 egg

7 oz. guava paste, cut into 16 ( 1/4 inch) slices

6 oz. sliced emmentaler cheese (Swiss or gruyere if you need a substitute) cut into 1/4 inch slices

Directions

Thaw your puff pastry.

Once your pastry has thawed, line a 12-by-17-inch baking sheet with 2 pieces of parchment paper. (The double layer helps to protect your pan when you’re cutting the puff pastry.)

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Prepare your egg wash by whisking your egg and a splash of water.

Lay one layer of puff pastry on top of your parchment paper lined baking sheet. Make a 4-by-4 grid (give or take, this isn’t math) and put a piece of guava stacked with cheese on each square…space evenly.

Leave about 1 inch of space in between and top with the second puff pastry sheet.

Using a pizza cutter, slice the puff pastry into pieces, touching the top lightly to determine where to slice.

Use a fork to crimp all four edges twice on each side, then arrange them evenly on the baking sheet, leaving space between each. Brush the tops and edges lightly with the prepared egg wash and place baking sheet in the center of the oven.

Bake for 25 minutes or until pastelillos are beautifully golden brown, flaky and puffy.

Let rest for a few minutes or you will be biting into lava.

Enjoy!

Spicy Honeyed Chicken Wings

May 15, 2023 ~ Girlmom ~ 1 Comment

I tore this recipe out of a 2019 Fine Cooking magazine that I got from who knows where and who knows when, but I’ve had it on the refrigerator door for months just waiting to be made. The recipe calls for Bomba Calabrese hot sauce which I could not find anywhere local. However randomly in one of my Hello Fresh boxes were two packets of Calabrese hot sauce so obvi I had to finally make these wings.

This recipe was different than a lot of wing recipes I have seen, hence why I probably ripped out the page and saved it. The end result was really good, the anchovy paste gives it a depth of flavor that just hits differently but deliciously.

These wings twice cooked, once in the oven, finished on the grill and then drizzled with some of the remaining sauce.

INGREDIENTS

1/14 cups canned crushed tomatoes, preferably San Marzano

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup Italian hot sauce, such as Bomba Calabrese Hot Sauce

1/4 cup olive oil

2 TBS white distilled vinegar

1 1/2 TBS anchovy paste

1 packed tsp. lemon zest

1 packed tsp. orange zest

1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

Kosher salt

Pepper

3 lbs. Chicken wings

1/4 cup canola oil; more for the grill if needed.

DIRECTIONS

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a large heavy duty rimmed baking sheet in the oven until it’s hot, about 10 minutes.

In a blender or food processor, combine the tomatoes, honey, hot sauce, olive oil, vinegar, anchovy paste, zests, thyme, 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 cup water. Purée until smooth, about 1 minute. If not using right away, cover and refrigerate up to 5 days.

In a large bowl, toss the wings with the with the canola oil, 1 TBS salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and dump the wings onto the hot baking sheet. Arrange in a single layer with tongs. Return to oven and bake until the wings and oil begin to sizzle, 12 to 13 minutes.

Remove the wings from the oven, transfer to a large bowl, and toss with half of the sauce. Let stand 10 minutes.

Arrange the wings evenly on the hot grill. Grill until browned and charred in places, turning every 3 minutes for a total of 9 minutes.

As the wings finish cooking, transfer them to a large, clean bowl. Drizzle with some of the remaining sauce, and serve the sauce of the side.

Spanish Tortilla

May 1, 2023 ~ Girlmom ~ 1 Comment

The Spanish tortilla or Spanish omelet is an essential dish in Spain. I am sure if you’ve ever been out for tapas here or in Spain, then you’ve seen it on the menu.

My mom spent three months in Santander, Spain back in 1997 and when she came back she would make this for us, to rave reviews. It is delicious. It has been off my radar until I was watching either Top Chef or Ciao House where they were discussing the tortilla, I wasted no time texting my mom asking for her recipe. She didn’t have her original one anymore but she sent me a recipe that looked closest to what she remembered making.

I actually happened to have all the ingredients on hand..We’ll call that food fate.

I used this recipe.

In a nut shell…it’s easy to make and only calls for five ingredients, potatoes, eggs, onions, olive oil and salt.

Peel and thinly slice about a pound of potatoes ( I think I used four yellow potatoes), then do the same to one medium onion ( I used a sweet onion, which I think is better for this recipe). Heat the olive oil in a nonstick pan until it’s hot and then add the potatoes and onion. Cook for about 20ish minutes, stirring and turning them until they are soft. Meanwhile whisk four eggs in a large bowl and add a good pinch of salt (I also added a few grinds of fresh pepper). Next you’re going to add the potatoes and onions and stir to incorporate them.

Reheat the same pan and add some more olive oil. Pour in the tortilla mixture and swirl the pan as you would an omelet. Cook 6 to 7 minutes until egg is set.

Take the tortilla out of the pan and put the cooked side on a plate. Flip the pan and place it on top of the tortilla as a lid. Flip the plate and pan together to flip the egg in the pan. Cook the other side for another 6 to 7 minutes.

You can eat it right away or wait and enjoy it at room temperature. It’s good any time of day and I like to add a few dashes of Tabasco to mine, Tabasco and eggs are meant to be.

I hope you try it, you wont be disappointed.

I’m the Problem, it’s Me.

April 29, 2023 ~ Girlmom ~ Leave a comment

The irony of my blogs name….Finding time to blog has become an art to say the least. It’s been 55 days since I last posted here, not that I’m counting. I will feel my guilt tug at me and consider sitting down to tell y’all about what we ate or how we are all getting older…. but then I start to feel more guilty and just don’t…I am sure there is a therapist reading this with BIG thoughts.

In reality, I am back in the classroom and just wrapped up DRDP (Desired Results Developmental Profile) to prepare for conferences.

And now that is done, and I am ready to catch you up. Even though it’s been some days since we last chatted, I do remember saying that I was going to make a few of Jet Tila’s recipes out of his cookbook….and I did.

Obviously it was delicious as we knew it would be.

Shawna turned the big 49 and we took ourselves to Vegas to celebrate. Casey and Aileen gifted us a stay at the Golden Nugget so that is just what we did. We LOVE Downtown Vegas. Sure the big hotels with the fancy shit and $25 buy-ins might look nice, but dammit it’s not worth it. (insert Ted Lasso’s voice) They are great for certain shows and concerts but I promise you, the fun and the food is just as good downtown. The end.

Fun story happened minutes after this picture was taken. We were sitting at a great table outside ready to watch a country (cover) band that we quite enjoy. A man approached our table and said “I’ll give you $300 for your table.” Shawna replied with a “fuck you.” I mean it’s Vegas you guys….Then he pulled out $300 and she said, “babe, grab your shit, we are moving!” And that is how I saw my first ever bubbly vending machine.

We took that money and ran….to a pool table and sipped some bubbly with someone who could have been Lil’ John, and didn’t do half bad on the Roulette table.

Oh, I almost forgot Dancing Chucky, you’re welcome.

We also saw the Padre’s play, they lost but the food and weather were winners.

The girls like to make TikTok videos…. but just for us (no they don’t have SM or post this shit..over my dead body.) Anyhow, they liked this one.

We spent Easter Sunday at SeaWorld, we have SoCal passes and can go back and back and back until Averi conquers a roller coaster, little scaredy cat…Definitely not my DNA.

The only plus is that she holds all our stuff while we ride the fun ones.

It’s a phase right?

I think that brings us up to April. I hope to see you guys sooner than 55 days…Cheers!

Snow Day

March 5, 2023 ~ Girlmom ~ Leave a comment

Winter is not my jam. Snow, cold, rain, wet, all of the above, I don’t love….you know? However, the girls are fond of the rain and especially the snow. So to get it out of their systems, we had a snow day.

We drove far enough East until we hit snow and we let them run free.