Apple & Walnut Spice Cake with Malt Vinegar

I was feeling a bit Irish and thought of this

warm-you-up-by-the-hearth-of-the-fire recipe

using malt vinegar. 

It's a super-moist cake filled to the brim with all kinds of goodies (think raisins, walnuts...),

and the tartness of the vinegar cuts beautifully through the sweetness.

Apple & Walnut Spice Cake with Malt Vinegar

{Note: Nutritional info to come!}

Ingredients

Cake:

One box of yellow cake mix

1/2 c of water

1/2 c applesauce

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons of malt vinegar

1 egg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp all-spice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground whole cloves

1 pinch of salt

2 tbs unsalted butter, divided

1 Golden Delicious apple, peeled and medium-diced

1/3 c of raisins

1/2 c walnuts, chopped, toasted, and divided

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and medium-diced

...

Crumb:

1/2 c regular oats, toasted

 1/3 c brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbs malt vinegar

Directions

Yes, it seems like a lot of ingredients. 

And it is!

 

But I promise you this cake comes together in no time.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a large 9 x 13 glass baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Heat a small saucepan over medium-high heat and melt one tablespoon of the butter.  Add the Golden Delicous apple and the raisins and saute for a few minutes until lightly browned.  Set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl,

combine the cake mix, water, applesauce, and malt vinegar whisking well.  Add the egg making sure it's fully incorporated.  Stir in the spices, and then add the cooled apples and raisin mixture, the walnuts, and the raw Granny Smith apple.  Pour into the baking pan and bake for 20-22 minutes or until the cake is almost set.  (Note: A toothpick inserted into the cake should come out slightly wet.).

While the cake is baking,

in a small bowl combine the toasted oats, remaining 1/4 c of walnuts, the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt.  Mix well and stir in the vanilla extract and malt vinegar.  Finally, melt the remaining one tablespoon of butter and drizzle over the mixture stirring to combine.  When the cake is almost-but not quite-set, sprinkle the crumb mixture over the top and bake for a few minutes longer until done. (Note: A toothpick inserted into the cake should come out with plenty of crumbs.)

Allow the cake to cool before cutting into squares. 

Serve alone or with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and...

Enjoy!

Lola-bola

This weekend was my niece's birthday!

Lola turned three years old and we were so glad

for the chance to visit with my sister and her family in our old hood.

They have the backyard we've always dreamed of

-it's huge!-

and since the weather was nice,

they burned Bom Burrito (their dog) into the ground

chasing balls.



I didn't realize it until just now,

but I've got grey triplets!

...

Lola-bola:

H A P P Y  B I R T H D A Y 

S W E E T H E A R T !

We loved sharing in your special day!



Maple-Glazed Chinese Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin is a favorite cut in my kitchen! 

Though it's lean, with a little care you can produce the most succulent meat.

With some prep a few days in advance,

we've paired classic Asian ingredients such as soy sauce, ginger, and Chinese five-spice powder
for a meal with major wow factor!

{Tip}

Serve with Sesame & Orange Orzo with a Crisp Asian Slaw (recipes to come!)

Maple-Glazed Chinese Pork Tenderloin

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Serves: 6

...

Nutritional Info: 356 calories; 5.89 fat grams

Ingredients

2 lb Pork Tenderloin
1/2 cup Soy Sauce

1/4 cup Chinese Rice Wine Vinegar

1/2 cup Maple Syrup, divided

1/4 tsp Sesame Oil

1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder

1 tbsp Fresh Ginger Root, grated

5 Garlic Cloves, minced and smashed

1/4 cup Red Onion, finely diced

1 large Carrot, finely diced

1/4 cup Green Onions, sliced (include the green & white parts)

1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped

1 tsp Sesame Seeds, toasted

Directions

{Note}

Prep the pork tenderloin two days prior to serving to allow the pork to properly marinate.

Remove the silver skin and any excess fat from the tenderloin. Place in a large zip-lock bag and set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl,

whisk the soy, vinegar, oil, and 1/4 of a cup of syrup (reserve the remaining 1/4 cup for later),

and all the seasonings and veggies.  Mix well, pour over the tenderloin, and refrigerate.

After two days, remove the tenderloin, reserving the marinade, and drizzle with the remaining syrup. If the weather's nice, bar-b-que, if not, sear your tenderloin on all sides and place in a 350 degree oven in a shallow pan until the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees. (Note: Adding a small amount of water to the pan will prevent the sugars from the tenderloin from burning.) Remove your tenderloin and wrap tightly with foil. This will allow the meat to rest and ensures that it will continue to cook bringing the internal temperature up to 160 degrees.

While the meat rests, heat a small saucepan over the medium-high heat and strain the marinade into the pan. Bring to a boil and skim any fat or other impurities from the top. Lower to a simmer and allow to reduce for approximately 6-7 minutes, or until syrupy. Season to taste (i.e. brown sugar or maple syrup for sweetness, cayenne or red chili pepper flakes for heat...), and drizzle over the pork before serving. Toast your sesame seeds and sprinkle as a final garnish with some sprigs of mint or whole cilantro leaves.  Serve additional sauce on the side and...

Enjoy!

{Note}

If you don't have maple syrup, feel free to substitute regular syrup, honey, or even brown sugar.

Dijon & Red Wine Vinaigrette

Tart and sweet, it's the perfect compliment to hardy greens (think spinach),

and plays nicely with apples or other crisp fruits too.

Dijon & Red Wine Vinaigrette

Prep: 2 minutes

Serves: 4

Yield: 1/4 cup

...

Nutritional Info (per 2 tablespoons):

14 calories; 0.58 fat grams

Ingredients

4 tbsp Pomegranate Red Wine Vinegar

1 tsp Dijon Mustard

1/2 tsp Olive Oil

2 tbsp Water

1/4 tsp Lemon Pepper

1/8 tsp Salt

2 tsp Sugar

Directions

Whisk ingredients well in a small bowl,

ensuring that the olive oil is properly emulsified.

Adjust the sweetness with additional salt if necessary and enjoy!

Lacy Coconut Cookies

A decadent dessert cookie with a crisp exterior and a moist and tender interior.

Perfect for the coconut lover in your home!

Lacy Coconut Cookies

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 7 minutes
...
Serves: 12
Yield: 36 dainty cookies
...
Nutritional Info (per 3 dainty cookies):
136 calories; 4.17 fat grams

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups Angel Flake Sweetened Coconut

1 1/4 cups Sugar

2 large Egg Whites

1/2 cup All-purpose Flour

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare a large baking sheet with parchment paper that has been coated lightly with unsalted butter.

Whisk the egg whites in a medium size bowl until frothy. Add teh coconut and sugar until incorporated. Slowly add the flour, mixing by hand until the dough comes together, noting that the dough will remain very wet and sticky. Roll into small 3/4 in. balls, flatten slightly, and place two inches apart on the sheet.

Bake for 6-7 minutes, rotating the pan halfway, until the edges are golden brown.

Remove and allow to set for 3-4 minutes before moving to a cooling rack. Eat immediately or store in a a zip-lock bag for up to one week!

Enjoy!

Note:

You can make larger cookies, just adjust the cooking time accordingly (increase by a few minutes), and be careful to keep the cookies further apart on the sheet.

Variation:

To make Chocolate Coconut Cookies, add 2 tsp of unsweetened cocoa powder.

To make Chocolate Dipped or Chocolate Drizzled Coconut Cookies, melt bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler and dip or drizzle the cookies as desired.

Rocky Road Bark...And Equally Scrumptious Variations

My "go-to" recipe for a simple,

yet dazzling,

sweet treat.

Rocky Road Bark

Makes 24 pieces

Ingredients

8 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

8 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 c toasted almonds, coursely chopped

1 1/2 c mini-marshmallows

Directions

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.

{note}

Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't sit in the water.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil.

Pour 1/2 of the almonds and marshmallows on the pan,

scattering evenly.

Pour half the melted chocolate onto the pan.

Add all but 1/4 of the remaining marshmallows and almonds

to the bowl,

and fold into the chocolate.

Pour the remaining chocolate into the pan,

spreading evenly with a rubber spatula.

{hint}

Work quickly to avoid melting the marshamallows from too much mixing into the chocolate,

and to avoid the chocolate from setting before your done.

Sprinkle with the remaining almonds and marshmallows,

pressing gently into the chocolate.

Set aside for 2 hours until firm,

or place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Remove the parchment paper or foil from beneath the candy (it should peel away easily),

and cut into desired pieces.

{note}

I'm sure it's possible to create perfect cuts,

but I opt for haphazard pieces that are rustic in presentation!

Serve at room temperature

and enjoy!

{p.s.}

This is an extremely versatile recipe!

Substitute endless varieties of

dried fruits, nut, and candy.

Here are some additional ideas...

White Chocolate with

Pistachios

Dark Chocolate with

Dried Cherries & Toasted Walnuts

Milk Chocolate

with Toasted Hazelnuts & Dried Cranberries

Butterscotch with

Crushed Salted Pretzels & Roasted Pecans

White Chocolate with

Crushed Peppermint Candies

Day Trippin' Pacifica

For President's Day we hit the road,

this time heading to Pacifica.

It's a surfing town about 15 miles south of San Francisco and

just miles north of Half Moon Bay.

It has a stunning coastline (Are there really any bad coastlines?),

tidepools,

not to mention,

the only Taco Bell ON the beach!

Now you know why we had to visit!

We started our journey at Rockaway Beach and made our

way to Linda Mar Beach (otherwise known as Pacific State Beach) via a 15-minute trail.

We found the perfect spot for lunch...

Not to mention about fifty plus surfers bobbing happily in the water!

We watched them catch a few waves,

which gave Owen the idea to make some spray of his own...

Linda Mar's a pretty big beach,

so after lunch we headed south in seach of

-what else?-

T.B.!

Gabriel couldn't wait to check it out either.

See how cooperative he's being?

We found it!

Wait!

It's the bathroom?!?

You gotta keep on walkin!

Sure enough, there it was.

Complete with a walk-up ordering window

for when you're too wet and sandy

to place your order on the inside!

How very surfy...

What's up with these kids?

Ava started to pout!

Or is she?

That little rat!





The trail we took to Linda Mar from Rockaway followed the highway. 

On the way back, we opted to take the scenic route...

The best shot ever!

Samuel and I felt like we were on top of the world!

That is if the top of the world included five whiny kids

who could officially see the car and wanted to go, like now.

Too bad!

I'm taking my time enjoying this stunning view!

Making our way down,

you can see the way we originally came up. 

Off in the distance is the "Lombard Street"-like trail

that leads from the parking lot.

Ava and I raced up that zig-zag hill,

and she won me-

but I was carrying Owen!

Samuel's smiling,

but only seconds later we were both freaking out.

Ava,

who notoriously blazes the trail,

 ended up quite a ways ahead after crossing a portion of the path

that basically was ready to give way and fall a good hundred feet to

the beach below.

Isabella,

who followed after her,

realized a little too late that something was wrong,

and was stuck,

not able to move forward or backward

without potentially falling.

We coached her into launching herself into the safety of the bushes

and Samuel blazed a new trail for us to follow

while I started screaming for Ava to slow

down so I could yell at her.

{sigh}

All in a day's hike, right?

Gabriel:

Relieved that we were finally done.

Except...we weren't!

Next stop:

The tidepools at the Fitzgerald Marine Reserve!

But first,

we stop by our future home as beach-bum retirees...

Which happens to be conveniently located next to an LDS meetinghouse!

After crossing a gushing stream,

we hit the pools!

Since the tide was coming in,

we had to pick our way carefully and watch for waves!

A blue sea anemone!

The girls and I scrabbled over the rocks...

Providing entertainment for the boys

who were munching on corn nuts!

Don't kisses bring a smile to everyone?

This is a tribute to the Green Beans.

We originally planned to join them on a hike further north on the Owl Trail.

Aptly named because of the potential to spot Great Horned Owls.

Due to better weather down south,

we opted to take a raincheck,

but we still kept our eyes peeled for owls,

and lo and behold,

we found one!

Our last stop:

The Pacifica Pier



I wasn't feeling particularly down,

but I opted to look up.

Interesting.

The Pier was packed with fisherman,

though most of them weren't reeling in fish,
they were going for the good stuff...

C R A B !

We couldn't leave Pacifica without one final stop at the beach.

Afterall,

we weren't wet yet!

Ava,

just beggin' for it!

She's actually taunting the ocean...

Gabriel finally caught on to Ava & Isabella's game and
became very interested in the ocean.

Unfortunately,
the boy is woefully slow!


Thank goodness for a quick daddy with long arms!

Iris,

safely inland and in her own creative world!

So we know you're wondering,

who won?

The ocean or Ava?

I think we all know the answer to that question!

And Ava doesn't mind one bit!

Unfortunately,

Owen does.

And that concludes the Elmer's Pacifica adventure!

With incredible hiking trails, an amazing orchid garden,
and a fantasy land children's park,
there's still so much left to explore!

We'll definitely have to come back,
and next time we'll bring extra pants, socks, and shoes!