Category Archives: California Fusion

Karl’s Drambuie Pear Sauce

I wanted something a bit different to go with my latkes Monday night. Jan made a Drambuie sauce to go with the mousse she made for Father’s Day. I thought it made for a very tasty sauce and that it would complement the flavor of pears very nicely. Most of the alcohol in this sauce will cook off, leaving only the sweet flavor.

Karl’s Drambuie Pear Sauce

Karl’s Drambuie Pear Sauce

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Filed under Breakfast, California Fusion, Desserts & Treats, Sauces and Spices, Treats, Vegan, Vegetarian

Karl’s Pork Sausage Empanadas

This was a rather spontaneous meal. I was wondering what to do with several things that were cluttering up my refrigerator: one quarter pound homemade pork sausage, one quarter pound of ground pork, a Russet potato—that I had peeled for another meal and ended up not using—half a red bell pepper (ditto), one small yellow onion. I could just chop it all up, throw it in a skillet, fry it up, and call it “hash,” but that would not be me. I am not the first person to face this dilemma, World Cuisine is full of solutions. Hash in a pocket bread is called an empanada.

Karl’s Pork Sausage Empanadas

Karl’s Pork Sausage Empanadas

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Filed under bread, California Fusion, Main Dishes, Pork

Karl’s Greek Spanakorzo Salad (Spinach and Pasta Salad)

I am making some Greek lemon chicken for a weekday meal. I made Spanakorizo (Greek spinach and rice) as a hot side dish last Easter. Today, I want to use the same flavors to make something lighter. This is more a fresh spinach salad with pasta, not orzo with a bit of spinach.

Karl’s Greek Spanakorzo Salad (Spinach and Pasta Salad)

Karl’s Greek Spanakorzo Salad
Spinach and Pasta Salad

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Filed under California Fusion, Salads, Vegan, Vegetarian

Karl’s Italian Sausage Lasagna with Vegetable “Noodles”

The kids are on one of their low-starch diets—South Beach this time—so I have to adapt my Sunday meals to this. Personally, I believe that the secret losing weight is in not eliminating any particular “evil” food group, but in eating healthy and eating less—a bit of exercise wouldn’t hurt (the pot calling the kettle). There is no healthy way to eat massive amounts of food and still lose weight—still I try to accommodate.

Karl’s Italian Sausage Lasagna with Vegetable “Noodles”

Karl’s Italian Sausage Lasagna with Vegetable “Noodles”

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Filed under California Fusion, italian, Main Dishes, Pork

Karl’s Lentil Soup with Chicken Sausage

Sometimes I have a derth of ideas for what to make for dinner. At times like this, I will type “dinner suggestions” into Google and see what comes up. This search produces lists of recipes with pictures that I can scroll through and think, “No, no, no…maybe?”

Karl’s Lentil Soup with Chicken Sausage

Karl’s Lentil Soup with Chicken Sausage

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Filed under California Fusion, Chicken, Main Dishes, Poultry, Soups, Vegan, Vegetarian

Karl’s Molé Basted Barbecued Chicken

A bag of molé has been living in my freezer for months. I wanted to do some barbecued chicken for this Sunday’s dinner, but I did not want it to be the same old, same old. I thought using the molé as a barbecue sauce was just the ticket.

Karl’s Molé Basted Barbecued Chicken

Karl’s Molé Basted Barbecued Chicken

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Filed under Barbeque, California Fusion, Chicken, Main Dishes, Poultry, Sauces and Spices

Karl’s Chili Rellenos in a Casserole

Jan has requested chili rellenos to go with my molé chicken this Sunday. A quick look at recipes on-line told me that it is a fussy recipe that has several steps fraught with peril. You have to broil, deseed, and then stuff the chilies without breaking them. Then you have to coat them in a egg batter and deep fry them, still without breaking the chilies or having the coating fall off.

Karl’s Chili Rellenos in a Casserole

Karl’s Chili Rellenos in a Casserole

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Filed under California Fusion, Casserole, Side Dishes, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Karl’s Salt and Pepper Cabbage

One of our favorite dishes from a local Chinese restaurant is Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings. I am sure right now you have a picture of heavily salted wings covered in black pepper in your mind. You would be wrong, the peppers in this dish are Jalapeños.

Karl’s Salt and Pepper Cabbage

Karl’s Salt and Pepper Cabbage

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Filed under California Fusion, Green Vegetables, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Jan’s Drunken Cherry Chocolate Mousse Cake

I am finally getting around to writing up the recipe that Jan created for Miriam’s Birthday. At our house, my mother’s chocolate mousse has become the standard birthday treat. Jan has made several variations of this creamy dessert, for this one she decided that should would add cherry liqueur.

Jan’s Drunken Cherry Chocolate Mousse Cake

Jan’s Drunken Cherry Chocolate Mousse Cake

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Filed under Cake, California Fusion, Desserts & Treats

Karl’s Middle Eastern Tacos

As a Californian, I like to do mash-ups—taking the ingredients of one culture and the cooking techniques of another to create something new. Jan wanted taco’s, but I was growing of the same old, beef, pork, chicken or fish with the usual Mexican spices and salsas. I decided to take kubideh and make something different with it.

Karl’s Middle Eastern Tacos

Karl’s Middle Eastern Tacos

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Filed under Beef, California Fusion, Lamb, Main Dishes, Sauces and Spices, Stir-fry