Panjabi This!

Wafting smells of curry, vibrantly colored silk man-dresses and a choreographed dinner that rivaled the likes of MJ-inspired dance moves in Slumdog Millionaire. Yes, Grub Club went where we have never gone before: India!  In her grand finale appearance as host, Jessica bid adieu अलविदा। to her fellow grubbers before heading down unda’! Guests included: Eric, Bekah, Rebecca and Tim, Kevin and Kim’s fetus, Lara and Ken – who were accidentally not told about the Indian costume contest – sorry!

Lazy Bollywood Appetizer, provided by Megan Young

Visit the Indian booth at farmer’s market (Little Italy or Hillcrest). 

Buy naan bread with spinach inside and mint dipping sauce. 

Saag Paneer, provided by Megan Bitsoff

Ingredients

·         1 large onion

·         6 cloves garlic

·         1 oz fresh ginger (not from a can!)

·         1 lb frozen spinach, thawed

·         1 cup plain yogurt

·         4 oz buttermilk

·         2 teaspoon red chili powder

·         2 teaspoon garam masala

·         1 cup half and half

·         6 oz paneer, a homemade cheese

·         salt to taste

·         Paneer:

·         Ingredients

·         2 litres of milk

·         the juice of two lemons

·         cumin powder

·         salt

·         Equipment:

·         big pan, at least 4 litres

·         cheesecloth

·         wooden spoon

·         two chopping boards or similar

Directions

Grind the onion, garlic, and ginger into a fine paste.

In a medium saucepan, combine the paste, spinach, yogurt, buttermilk, chili powder, and garam masala. Simmer at medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes. Mash the ingredients with a potato masher. Add the half and half. Simmer until the mixture has a creamy consistency, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the cheese, simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Cut Paneer into cubes to use in Saag

Indian Coconut Vegetarian Curry in the Slow Cooker, provided by Hobbs

 

Ingredients

·         1/4 cup curry powder

·         2 tablespoons flour

·         1 tablespoon chili powder

·         1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

·         1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

·         1 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix (such as Lipton®)

·         5 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

·         1 large green bell pepper, cut into strips

·         1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips

·         1 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips

·         1 orange bell pepper, cut into strips

·         1 1/2 cups matchstick-cut carrots

·         1 cup green peas

·         1 cup raw whole cashews

·         1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk

·         ½ c water

Directions

·         Place all dry ingredients into a large bowl.  

·         Mix the curry powder, flour, onion soup mix chili powder, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl; sprinkle over the dry ingredients, and stir to coat evenly.

·         Transfer all ingredients into the slow cooker and pour in coconut milk and water.

·         Cover the slow cooker and cook on high until the mixture is bubbling, adding water as needed and stirring to keep moist.  Once the dish begins to bubble, turn temperature down to low.  Total cook time – 5 hours.

·         Serve over Saffron Basmati Rice and with a small side of  Madras Lentils.  

Coconut Lime Granata, provided by Messey

Ingredients

   

     

·         1 (13 1/2-ounce) can coconut milk (not low-fat!) 
·         1/2 cup sugar

·         Zest of 1 lime

·         Juice of 1/2 a lime

·         2 tablespoons shredded coconut (either fresh or the unsweetened desiccated kind)

·         Coarse sea salt

Directions

·         Place an 8-inch square baking dish in the freezer to chill while you make the simple syrup.

·         Combine the sugar and 1/2 cup of water in a small saucepan over low heat until the sugar is dissolved and syrup is at a gentle boil. Remove it from the heat, and allow it to cool. Cook's Note: I like to pour the syrup into a shallow bowl so that it cools more quickly.

·         Pull the chilled baking dish out of the freezer, and pour the coconut milk into the dish. You may need to whisk it to smooth out any lumps.

·         Whisk in the simple syrup, lime zest, lime juice and fresh coconut until well combined. Place the dish in the freezer, and let it chill for 1 hour.

·         Pull it out of the freezer, and using a fork, break up the ice crystals forming around the edge of the dish, by dragging them into the more molten center. Return to the freezer and repeat this process every hour or so, smoothing out the granita before you return it to the freezer. The whole process should take about 3 hours. When you're ready to serve, allow the granita to sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes so that it softens. Spoon the mixture into a small bowl or glass, and top with a little coarse sea salt

Jazzin' It Up!

Chefs and guests arrived at Megan Young’s armed with passing apps, spirited libations and a Sinatra-inspired swagger. Outfitted in their Mad Men best, party-goers clutched their perspiring cocktails/sippy cups and noshed on a variety of light bites while Ol’ Blue Eyes Pitbull crooned softly in the background.  When the cocktail party ended, the elegance of the evening continued at one of San Diego’s most sophisticated establishments – the Waterfront.  There, copious amounts of shots were consumed inspiring a dance-off that rivaled the likes of JT and Britney.  

Guests included: Michelle Ulrich, Lucy and little jumping Bella Diaz, Johnny and Lauren Yeip, Tom Bedford,  Tim Martin, Quigley, Kalocay, Nic, Kat and Coco Gutilla.

Crab Cakes, provided by Andretta

Ingredients:

8oz. Phillips Crab Meat
½ tsp. Phillips Seafood Seasoning
1 egg
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. dry mustard
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
½ tsp. lemon juice
1 ½ tsp. mustard
1 ½ tsp. melted butter
½ tsp. parsley flakes
¼ c. breadcrumbs or Ritz crackers, finely crushed

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except for crab meat. Gently fold in the crab meat, being careful not to break up the lumps. Shape into cakes. Pan fry or bake at 375°F degrees for 12-15 minutes or until evenly brown on each side and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

Shrimp Cocktail, provided by Messey

Ingredients:

1 pound cooked shrimp

1 cup cocktail sauce

Directions:

Dip and devour

Hanky Panks, provided by Bitsoff

Ingredients:

1 loaf cocktail rye bread
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. mild pork sausage roll
1 lb. Velveeta cheese
1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. garlic powder

Directions:

Brown ground beef and sausage; drain; add Velveeta cheese, oregano, red pepper flakes and garlic powder. Stir until cheese melts. Place approximately 1 teaspoon of beef mixture on cocktail breads. Broil for six minutes! Warning: do not walk away from broiler!

Can be frozen on cookie sheet prior to baking.

Bacon Wrapped Apricots - a fun alternative to the famed Bitsoff Bacon Wrapped Dates, provided by Hobbs

Ingredients:

1 package of dried apricots

1 package of bacon

1 package of almonds

Goat Cheese

Maple Syrup for Dipping

Toothpicks

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 450.

Partially cook bacon in a microwave, and then dice into 1 ½” strips.

Make a small slice at the middle of the apricot. Gently wedge almond into the envelop, and top with a equivalent amount of goat cheese.   

Wrap a slice of bacon around one stuffed apricot, seal with a tooth pick and place on a cookie sheet.

After all apricots have been wrapped and placed on the tray, bake for 20 minutes or until bacon is crispy. 

Brie & Pear Flatbread, provided by Young

Ingredients:

Flatbread from Trader Joe’s

Brie

Prosciutto

Avocado

Red onion

Pear

Arugula

 Sprinkle brown sugar on flatbread; put ingredients on the bread.  5 minutes in the oven at 400.  

Slider Style Mini Burgers, provided by Young

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground beef

1 (1.25 ounce) envelope onion soup mix

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

24 dinner rolls, split

1/2 cup sliced pickles (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.
2. Mix together the ground beef and onion soup mix in a large skillet; cook and stir over medium-high heat until the beef is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Drain and discard any excess grease. Remove from heat. Stir the mayonnaise and Cheddar cheese into the ground beef mixture.
3. Lay the bottoms of the dinner rolls on the prepared baking sheet. Spread the cheese and beef mixture on the bottom half of each roll. Replace the tops. Cover with another sheet of aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the burgers are heated through and cheese melts, about 30 minutes. Serve with sliced pickles.

Cook Your Ethnicity!

To commemorate our one year anno of gleeful grubbing, we paid homage to our ancestral roots that spanned delightfully across the globe Europe. From the Irish cheer to the Bulgarian mimimalism* and Italian flamboyance, the German determination to the Portugese exploration, the collective spirit of each Grub Clubber’s pedigree was carefully imbued into every not-so-fat-free dish.

Kevin Messey, Sarah and Shively joined us for the international feast at Bitsoff’s.

Portuguese Grilled Baguettes with Seasoned Butter, by Messey (3rd generation Portuguese)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
• 1 cup (1/2-pound) unsalted butter, room temperature
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 lemon, zested
• 4 pounds Portuguese linguica sausage, grilled
• Baguettes

Directions:

Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in small saucepan. Once the oil begins to warm, whisk in crab boil seasoning. Bring the mixture up to a simmer and when it starts to foam, remove from heat and allow it to cool completely.

Process the butter in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Add the seasoned olive oil and a pinch of salt, the lemon zest, and process until blended well.

Purchase your favorite baguettes, slice lengthwise. Place baguettes over medium heat on the grill, cook on each side until a golden brown color is achieved. Remove from grill, slather with seasoned butter, cut and serve with grilled linguica sausage.

Cook's note: The seasoned butter can be refrigerated for 1 week and frozen for up to 6 months. Refrigerate until just firm enough to shape into a log roll. Put an 18-inch sheet of foil on work surface. Lay the butter down the center of the foil, forming a log about 1 1/2 inches thick. Wrap in foil and twist the ends to make a sealed log, like a tootsie roll. Remove your seasoned butter from the refrigerator and allow to reach room temperature before using.

Shepard's Pie, by Megan Young (Irish ancestors arrived on the Mayflower)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 lb ground beef or 1 lb lamb
• 1 large onion , finely diced
• 3 -4 large carrots , finely diced
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 3 -4 sprigs fresh thyme , finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 glass red wine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste (or ketchup for a sweeter taste)
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup stock
• 1 large quantity mashed potatoes (estimating 1L or 6 cups, fresh or leftover)
• 1 egg , beaten
• grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 200C/400°F.

2. Saute carrots in the olive oil until starting to get tender.

3. Add in the onions and saute for a minute or two then add the meat.

4. Season with black pepper and thyme.

5. Cook until browned then drain fat.

6. Add the butter and peas.

7. Sprinkle with flour and stir through.

8. Add tomato paste, wine and Worcestershire sauce.

9. Let this reduce slightly then add the chicken stock. Allow to reduce down until you have a thick meaty gravy. Season to your taste.

10. Remove from heat. Grease an oven proof dish** (9x13 works for me, as does an oval baker) with butter and add the sauce.

11. Spoon or pipe the mashed potatoes over top. Brush with egg and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if using.

12. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the potato is nice and browned on top.

13. Serve as is or with some crusty bread to mop up that yummy sauce

Baba’s Bulgarian Pitka, by Bitsoff (2.5 generation Bulgarian)

*Ingredients:

• 4.5 cups of flour
• 1 package of yeast
• 2 cups of water
• 1 T vegetable oil
•  Vegetable oil (for the pan)
• 32 oz. of cottage cheese
• 3 eggs
• Salt
• Butter

Directions:

•  Dissolve package of yeast in a cup of water
• Add the yeast to the flour along with 1 T of vegetable oil and another cup of water. Mix well.
• Oil a baking sheet and place the dough on it. Let the dough sit until it doubles in size (about 40 minutes).
• Throw some flour on the counter and divide the dough into five even balls.
• Roll out one of the dough balls into a thin layer to fit the baking sheet
• Paint melted butter on top of the first layer, add a second layer and paint with melted butter, add a third layer and paint with melted butter
• Mix eggs with the cottage cheese and salt it.
• Spoon half of the mixture on top of the third layer of dough.
• Add another layer of dough, paint it with melted butter and spoon out the remaining cottage cheese mixture.
• Add the remaining layer of dough and paint the top with butter.
• Roll up the sides of the dough and place thumb prints throughout the perimeter
• Throw it in the oven at 350° and bake until golden brown (about 25-30 minutes.)
• Call Baba and thank her for the recipe!

Baked Ziti, by Andretta (3^rd generation Italian)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound whole milk cottage cheese or 1 percent cottage cheese (see note)
• 2 large eggs , lightly beaten
• 3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
• Table salt 1 pound ziti or other short, tubular pasta
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 5 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
• 1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves 1 teaspoon sugar   Ground black pepper 3/4 teaspoon cornstarch 1 cup heavy cream (see note)
• 8 ounces low-moisture whole-milk mozzarella cheese , cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups) (see note)

Directions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan together in medium bowl; set aside. Bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon salt and pasta; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta begins to soften but is not yet cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain pasta and leave in colander (do not wash Dutch oven).

2. Meanwhile, heat oil and garlic in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until garlic is fragrant but not brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and oregano; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Off heat, stir in ½ cup basil and sugar, then season with salt and pepper.

3. Stir cornstarch into heavy cream in small bowl; transfer mixture to now-empty Dutch oven set over medium heat. Bring to simmer and cook until thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and add cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup tomato sauce, and ¾ cup mozzarella, then stir to combine. Add pasta and stir to coat thoroughly with sauce.

4. Transfer pasta mixture to 13- by 9-inch baking dish and spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over pasta. Sprinkle remaining ¾ cup mozzarella and remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan over top. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. 

5. Remove foil and continue to cook until cheese is bubbling and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons basil and serve.

German Chocolate Cake, by Hobbs (3^rd generation German)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup water
• 4 (1 ounce) squares German sweet chocolate
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups white sugar
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 egg yolks, beaten
• 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon shortening
• 1 (1 ounce) square semisweet chocolate

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 3 - 9 inch round pans. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a small saucepan, heat water and 4 ounces chocolate until melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool. 
2. In a large bowl, cream 1 cup butter and 2 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 4 egg yolks one at a time. Blend in the melted chocolate mixture and vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated.
3. In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the whites into the batter, then quickly fold in remaining whites until no streaks remain.
4. Pour into 3 - 9 inch pans Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto wire rack.
5. To make the Filling: In a saucepan combine 1 cup sugar, evaporated milk, 1/2 cup butter, and 3 egg yolks. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in coconut, pecans and vanilla. Cool until thick enough to spread.
6. Spread filling between layers and on top of cake. In a small saucepan, melt shortening and 1 ounce of chocolate. Stir until smooth and drizzle down the sides of the cake.

Loco For Locals!

Always on the cutting edge of groundbreaking trends, the Grub Clubbers collectively snubbed the organic section at Vons and instead marched their recycled cloth grocery bags to a variety of San Diego’s fabulous Farmer’s Markets.  There, vibrantly colorful stands were scoured for the best locally grown fare. 
Inspired by reducing our carbon footprint, we all went shopping for Prius’ shortly thereafter…in our SUVs.   

Host Andretta Bitsoff welcomed a small army of new guests, including: Liz and Nathan Gianneschi, Jessica Hague, Eric Hunter, Nino, the Untaggable and Caroline O’Connor.  

Vegetables and Dips, provided by Bitsoff
Ingredients:

• Zuchinni
• Squash
• Butter
• Chives
• Mayo
• Roasted Red Pepper
• Garlic

Directions:
Place the cut vegetables and a slice of butter in aluminum foil and bake in the oven until soft.

Chive Dip*:
Use a blender and combine mayo, chives and garlic.

Roasted Red Pepper Dip*:
Use a blender and combine mayo roasted red peppers and garlic.

*Or just go to the Buon Apetito Market and buy these amazing dips!

Chicken, provided by Andretta
Ingredients:

• Whole chicken from farmers market
• Diced Carrots
• Onions
• lemons
• salt and pepper
• butter

Directions: 

• Gut and wash whole chicken and pat dry.
• Cover the chicken in butter. add salt and pepper all around the outside.
• Squeeze lemon on the chicken
• Stuff the chick with the squeezed lemons.
• Throw carrots on top and in pan, with onions
• Put the bird in the oven for 20 minutes per pound at a temperature of 375 degrees.

Polenta-Pecan Apple Cobbler, provided by Hobbsy

Ingredients:

·         ½ cup all-purpose flour

·         1/3 cup quick-cooking polenta mix or yellow cornmeal

·         2 tablespoons granulated sugar

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         1/8 teaspoon salt

·         3 tablespoons butter

·         ½ cup chopped pecans

·         2 tablespoons brown sugar

·         ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         8 cups cubed, cored, peeled cooking apples (8 medium)

·         ½ cup dried tart red cherries

·         1/3 cup packed brown sugar

·         1 tablespoon lemon juice

·         ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         ¼ cup cold water

·         1 tablespoon cornstarch

·         1/3 cup half-and-half or light cream

·         Half-and-half, or light cream (optional)

Directions

1. For topping, in a small bowl stir together flour, polenta mix or cornmeal, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set aside.

2. In another small bowl combine the pecans, the 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon; set aside.

3. For filling, in a large saucepan combine the apples, cherries, the 1/3 cup brown sugar, the lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon. Bring to boiling, stirring constantly; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 5 minutes or until fruit is almost tender, stirring occasionally. Combine cold water and cornstarch; add to saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Keep hot.

4. Add the 1/3 cup half-and-half or light cream to topping mixture, stirring just to moisten. Transfer filling to a 2-quart square baking dish. Using a spoon, immediately drop topping into small mounds onto filling. Sprinkle with pecan mixture.

5. Bake in a 375 degree F oven 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into topping comes out clean. If desired, serve with additional ice cream, half-and-half, or light cream. Makes 8 servings.

6. Pick-A-Fruit Polenta-Pecan Cobbler: Omit apples. Substitute pitted cherries, blueberries, sliced peaces, or chopped rhubarb.