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We’re passionate about helping people in the Bay Area with their legal needs, but we are also passionate about FOOD! From our Brainin Law Office family to yours, we hope you enjoy our favorite recipes and drink mixes.
Texas Sheet Cake Cookies
Cookies
- 1 box chocolate cake mix
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1/3 cup oil
Salsa Fresca
Ingredients
- 3 large, fresh tomatoes, diced
- (about 1 ½ cup) 1/2 red onion, chopped
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 jalapeño (remove the seeds if you like less spicy)
Pasta Primavera
Ingredients
- 8 oz. linguini
- 3 T butter
- 1 T olive oil 1 large zucchini, julienned
- 3 large carrots, julienned
- ½ yellow sweet onion, chopped
Pumpkin Cake
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degreses
- Prepare TWO 8” round cake pans by greasing and flouring sides and lining bottom with parchment paper.
- Set aside In stand mixer bowl (or use hand mixer) combine butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
Chicken Picatta
Ingredients
- 1-1.5 lbs. chicken breast
- ½ c Flour Salt and Pepper to taste
- 2 T olive oil 1 small Vidalia or Sweet Yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 1 bunch of green onions, chopped
Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup
Difficulty: Easy Total Time: 20 minutes prep., plus 5 to 10 hours cooking time Makes: 6 to 8 servings
This soup freezes well, so make a batch and save the extra for later.
Make-ahead note: The recipe can be prepared through step 1 the night before and refrigerated, covered, in the slow cooker’s insert.
Enchiladas De Pollo
SAUCE
3 Tbsp. butter or olive oil
1 Cup chopped onion
2 large garlic cloves, mashed
1 Tbsp. flour
¼ Cup chili powder
½ tsp. dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 tsp. salt
½ Cup chicken broth
½ Cup tomato sauce
Grilled Steak
One thing I really enjoy about the warmer months with later sunsets is the opportunity to use my grill. For many years, though, I was a little intimidated at the prospect of grilling steak for fear of getting it wrong and ruining a good (and expensive) cut of meat.
However, with the right equipment and just a little practice, I’ve discovered that steaks are one of my favorite things to grill. Below is my method, distilled from numerous sources.
“Jammie Dodgers”
These cookies have been a holiday favorite of ours for many years. They’re meant to be a home copy of the packaged English cookies (excuse me, “biscuits”), but I like them better. I adapted the recipe from here. It can be scaled up or down, but the mixing gets messy when doubled, so better to do two separate batches.
Yields about a dozen.
Baked Ziti
Baked Ziti’s ingredients are similar to lasagne’s, but much easier to assemble. This hearty dish is especially welcome on a cold winter evening. The recipe adapted from here is really more of an idea of proportions and a starting point for experimentation.
Party Potato Salad
Makes about 14 cups
INGREDIENTS
4 lbs. Red potatoes (about 12 potatoes) 1 inch dice
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1 large red onion
diced 8 hard-boiled eggs
sliced 1 cup dill pickles chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp.
black pepper
freshly ground 1 tsp. celery seed
Salt & pepper to taste
Baby Back Ribs
Adapted from https://food52.com/ recipes/21963-salt-pepper-babyback-ribs
It’s grilling season again, and this year I started with a very simple favorite:
Pot Roast
Growing up, this simple braised dish was always an occasion.
Coleslaw
Serves 10 to 12
Ingredients
½ cup mayonnaise 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar * ¼ cup milk ¼ cup buttermilk 2 ½ Tablespoons lemon juice 1 ½ Tablespoons white vinegar ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper 8 cups finely chopped green cabbage (about 1 head) 1/2 cup shredded/grated carrot (about 2 medium carrots) 2 Tablespoons minced onion
Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Casserole
(Modified from http://lovegrowswild.com/2014/12/sausage-cheese-breakfast-casserole/)
Ingredients
1 pound pork breakfast
sausage, mild or spicy *
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 oz can of mild green chilies
3 cups croutons **
10 large eggs
11⁄2 cups 2% milk
1 teaspoon ground dry
mustard
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 cups cheddar cheese,
shredded
nonstick cooking spray
Baked Chicken Taquitos
Courtesy of Paulina
Ingredients
1.5 lb. cooked and shredded chicken breast
¾ cup chicken stock
12 oz. petite diced tomatoes
1 medium sized onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. oil for frying
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
10 medium flour tortillas
Oil for brushing tortillas
1 cup shredded cheese *optional
My “Famous” Mulled Wine
Over the years I’ve often been asked about the mulled wine I serve at holiday events. Well, it’s time to let the secret out: I got it off the internet. https://www.thekitchn.com/slow-cooker-mulled-wine-251995
Serves 10 to 12
Ingredients
2 (750-milliliter) bottles red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
(nothing too expensive)
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 cup maple syrup
4 whole cloves
2 whole star anise pods
2 (3-inch) cinnamon sticks
Peel of 1/2 orange, white pith removed
Crockpot Butternut Squash, Chicken, and Quinoa Soup/Stew
(adapted from https://www.chelseasmessyapron.com/crockpot-butternut-squash-chicken-and-quinoa-soup/)
Ingredients
3 pounds chicken thighs
1 cup quinoa
1 (~4 cups) small butternut squash
1 can (15.25 ounces) kidney beans
1 can (15 ounces) corn
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes* (fire-roasted optional)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 packet (1.12 ounces) fajita seasoning mix* – I used 2 Tbsp of Penzey’s Southwest Seasoning.
5 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: fresh parsley, sour cream, cheddar cheese
Spicy Beer Mustard
Ingredients
1/2 cup brown mustard seeds
1/2 cup yellow mustard seeds
1 1/2 cups malt vinegar
2 cups beer
5 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 cup dry ground mustard
Lemon Crinkle Cookies
Servings: 30 soft cookies
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
10 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 cup + 4 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp lemon zest (from about 2 medium lemons)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Spicy Quinoa with Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour (scoop and level to measure)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
10 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 cup + 4 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp lemon zest (from about 2 medium lemons)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
3/4 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Sourdough Crackers
Something to do with the excess sourdough starter you all have lying around. We’ve been enjoying these since we started being stuck at home. We’ve tried Italian herb mix with kosher salt, dill with smoked sea salt, and basil & oregano with flaked sea salt.
Ingredients
• 1 cup (113g) King Arthur White Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup (227g) sourdough starter, unfed/discard
• 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons dried herbs of your choice, optional
• oil, for brushing
• coarse salt (such as kosher or sea salt) for sprinkling on top
Southwestern Turkey Rice Casserole
Very versatile recipe: Don’t have leftover turkey? Use ground
turkey or beef (cook before adding to recipe). Don’t have
cream-of-chicken soup? Just add an extra ½ cup of salsa. Try
using different kinds of beans, or if you like it spicier add jalapenos
instead of green chiles. Add more cheese, or less cheese,
depending on your preference. Recipe can be doubled, and will
just barely fit in a 15×10 inch baking dish – it will take a little longer
to heat through, allow 45-60 minutes.
Ingredients
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 1 cup salsa (your favorite kind)
• 1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
Vermont Maple Cookies
Ingredients
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon maple flavoring
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Spritz Cookies
This recipe requires a cookie press, but is totally worth it, especially if you have young children to help. I remember making these with my grandmother when I was young, and I’m not sure whether I had more fun making or eating!
Ingredients
• ½ lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1 egg
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. vanilla
Good Eats Roast Turkey
by Alton Brown
Alton Brown’s “Good Eats” is probably my favorite TV cooking show. Many years ago, we started following his recipe for brined turkey, and we haven’t had a dry Thanksgiving dinner since. Although Mr. Brown may have moved on to other turkey cooking techniques, we’re still very happy with this one.
Ingredients
• 1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey
For the Brine:
- 1 cup kosher salt
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 gallon vegetable stock
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
- 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
- 1 gallon heavily iced water
For the Aromatics:
- 1 red apple, sliced
- 1/2 onion, sliced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 cup water
- 4 sprigs rosemary
- 6 leaves sage
Hot Fudge Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp instant espresso powder (or
instant coffee) - 1 cup heavy cream (milk will also
work, sauce will be slightly thinner) - 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
Pear Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups cubed peeled ripe pears (about 3 medium)
- 1 cup water
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cinnamon stick (3 inches), broken in half
- 1 package (12 ounces) fresh or frozen cranberries
- ¾ to 1 ¼ cups sugar
