I'm sorry to say that I am unable to keep up with a food blog as often as I would like to. To cook, snap pictures and post on a regular basis has just become too difficult in my busy life. I'm lucky for the little time I get to spend in the kitchen at all lately.
I am moving things over to a new blog, one that allows for me to be a little more carefree in the way that I post, and one that incorporates all of the other things I love besides food. Please, come visit me there, and say 'Hi'!
I will be leaving this blog up for the recipes to still be available.
Adios.
xoxo,
me
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
An easy morning
A house for bunbun's "girls". bunbun says radish seedlings look like butterflies. A new picture for her bedroom wall. Our nearby grocery store has these amazing pre-made stuffed portobello caps. Quick soft tacos for an easy lunch for me.
Ordered some of these adorable paper balloons to brighten up bunbun's room. (Click image for link)
xoxo
me
Monday, April 12, 2010
Won't turn your tongue blue
Won't turn your tongue any color for that matter.
I know its a little early to be worrying about school lunch snacks and the like - bun bun is only 2. But I saw this post and couldn't resist making a batch of natural fruit roll-ups. They're ridiculously easy to prepare - you just have to find of a big chunk of time to do other things while they dry out in the oven.
This was an impulse recipe, so I went with what I already had, but I have a million flavor combinations brewing in my head for later. The one Green Kitchen Stories suggested - kiwi, mango, and mint leaves - is first on my list, for sure. This time around I threw together a small bag of frozen mangoes, a handful of fresh raspberries, and a single serving size cup of unsweetened granny smith applesauce.
I heated the mixture on low and stirred until the mangoes were thawed and getting slightly smushy, and then I ran the whole mix through the food processor. I chose not to sieve the mix, as we don't mind seeds in our snackies. Then, on a baking sheet lined with a silpat, I spread the purée thinly and evenly, smoothing out any thicker parts. The lowest temperature my oven goes is 175°F, which worked out just fine with the oven door propped open. It took a little over 5 hours for my roll-ups to dehydrate completely. I cut the sheet into strips with scissors, rolled up, and nom nom nommed. To my surprise they taste just like the real thing, only a little seedier! Bun bun loves them too.
A few tips:
You can do this with whatever fruit choices you like - just aim for a consistency that is pourable, but thick enough that it doesn't run out to the edges of the pan when you try to spread it. Mixing thicker fruits, like bananas, with juice or softer fruits, like papaya or berries, is a good way to go.
Keep the color in mind when you're dreaming up flavor ideas. As good as strawberry kiwi might taste, I don't know how attractive a brown fruit roll would be! ^_^
Spreading evenly before baking is very important - if the thinner parts become too dry while you wait for the wetter parts to cook they will become brittle, and then burn. Watch it closely towards the end.
Leaving the oven door open helps to let the moisture out and speed things along, but you're still looking at a 5-8 hour baking time, depending on how thick your mix was. It's worth it though - you really don't need to babysit it much, and you can keep the finished product in an airtight container for a week or two, maybe more... mine just won't last that long with hungry tummies around!
Happy snacking!
xoxo
me
I know its a little early to be worrying about school lunch snacks and the like - bun bun is only 2. But I saw this post and couldn't resist making a batch of natural fruit roll-ups. They're ridiculously easy to prepare - you just have to find of a big chunk of time to do other things while they dry out in the oven.
This was an impulse recipe, so I went with what I already had, but I have a million flavor combinations brewing in my head for later. The one Green Kitchen Stories suggested - kiwi, mango, and mint leaves - is first on my list, for sure. This time around I threw together a small bag of frozen mangoes, a handful of fresh raspberries, and a single serving size cup of unsweetened granny smith applesauce.
I heated the mixture on low and stirred until the mangoes were thawed and getting slightly smushy, and then I ran the whole mix through the food processor. I chose not to sieve the mix, as we don't mind seeds in our snackies. Then, on a baking sheet lined with a silpat, I spread the purée thinly and evenly, smoothing out any thicker parts. The lowest temperature my oven goes is 175°F, which worked out just fine with the oven door propped open. It took a little over 5 hours for my roll-ups to dehydrate completely. I cut the sheet into strips with scissors, rolled up, and nom nom nommed. To my surprise they taste just like the real thing, only a little seedier! Bun bun loves them too.
A few tips:
You can do this with whatever fruit choices you like - just aim for a consistency that is pourable, but thick enough that it doesn't run out to the edges of the pan when you try to spread it. Mixing thicker fruits, like bananas, with juice or softer fruits, like papaya or berries, is a good way to go.
Keep the color in mind when you're dreaming up flavor ideas. As good as strawberry kiwi might taste, I don't know how attractive a brown fruit roll would be! ^_^
Spreading evenly before baking is very important - if the thinner parts become too dry while you wait for the wetter parts to cook they will become brittle, and then burn. Watch it closely towards the end.
Leaving the oven door open helps to let the moisture out and speed things along, but you're still looking at a 5-8 hour baking time, depending on how thick your mix was. It's worth it though - you really don't need to babysit it much, and you can keep the finished product in an airtight container for a week or two, maybe more... mine just won't last that long with hungry tummies around!
Happy snacking!
xoxo
me
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Dandy
As in dandelion. The bane of beautiful lawns everywhere.
I'm sure you have heard that dandelion leaves are edible. Maybe you've heard the words "dandelion wine" thrown around somewhere. You might have even seen today's recipe, as it has been mentioned several times on this wonderful blog. But maybe, like me, you weren't aware that every part of the plant is edible, and that our little commonplace roadside weed in fact packs a burst of vitamins and medicinal properties. Besides that, when we're talking about foraging around our neighborhoods for free pick-your-own snackies, no plant is easier to find and identify as safe. Even the false dandelions are completely edible. Just be sure to choose spots that are free of herbicides and far enough away from roads to not be absorbing oil runoff. More complete instructions on picking dandies can be found here.
This recipe is another off my to-do list, and I'm glad I got to it in time. Those ubiquitous yellow puffs have been staring at me every time I drive around for weeks now, but I just haven't had the chance to get up early enough for the flowers to still be closed. Apparently you have to sneak up on the little guys. Luckily I was able to recruit my skeptical but happy-to-help sister to get her hands all yellow with me at the crack of dawn today, and I finally got this recipe tested.
The bread is less sweet than I would have imagined. It is moist and chewy, with an almost buttery taste from the petals, and it has a really nice flavor overall. Just perfect with a cup of soup on the side. The sunshine-y color of it doesn't hurt it's appeal either! We will definitely be baking this again, especially as my toddler gets bigger and finds as much silly joy as I do in baking with common flowers.
Dandy Bread
2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dandelion petals, any greenery discarded
1/4 cup canola oil
4 tbsp honey
1 egg
scant 1 1/2 cups milk
Combine dry ingredients in large bowl, including petals, and mix. Make sure to separate clumps of petals. In separate bowl mix together wet ingredients. Add liquid ingredients to dry and stir. Batter should be fairly wet and lumpy. Pour into buttered loaf pan. Bake at 400°F. Bread will take 25-40 or more minutes. At 25 minutes, check doneness of bread with a toothpick. If still too moist inside, lower oven temperature and continue to bake, checking every five minutes. It should be a nice golden brown on the outside when done.
This sunny bread would go beautifully with a sunny soup, like say, this one.
xoxo
me
I'm sure you have heard that dandelion leaves are edible. Maybe you've heard the words "dandelion wine" thrown around somewhere. You might have even seen today's recipe, as it has been mentioned several times on this wonderful blog. But maybe, like me, you weren't aware that every part of the plant is edible, and that our little commonplace roadside weed in fact packs a burst of vitamins and medicinal properties. Besides that, when we're talking about foraging around our neighborhoods for free pick-your-own snackies, no plant is easier to find and identify as safe. Even the false dandelions are completely edible. Just be sure to choose spots that are free of herbicides and far enough away from roads to not be absorbing oil runoff. More complete instructions on picking dandies can be found here.
This recipe is another off my to-do list, and I'm glad I got to it in time. Those ubiquitous yellow puffs have been staring at me every time I drive around for weeks now, but I just haven't had the chance to get up early enough for the flowers to still be closed. Apparently you have to sneak up on the little guys. Luckily I was able to recruit my skeptical but happy-to-help sister to get her hands all yellow with me at the crack of dawn today, and I finally got this recipe tested.
The bread is less sweet than I would have imagined. It is moist and chewy, with an almost buttery taste from the petals, and it has a really nice flavor overall. Just perfect with a cup of soup on the side. The sunshine-y color of it doesn't hurt it's appeal either! We will definitely be baking this again, especially as my toddler gets bigger and finds as much silly joy as I do in baking with common flowers.
Dandy Bread
2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dandelion petals, any greenery discarded
1/4 cup canola oil
4 tbsp honey
1 egg
scant 1 1/2 cups milk
Combine dry ingredients in large bowl, including petals, and mix. Make sure to separate clumps of petals. In separate bowl mix together wet ingredients. Add liquid ingredients to dry and stir. Batter should be fairly wet and lumpy. Pour into buttered loaf pan. Bake at 400°F. Bread will take 25-40 or more minutes. At 25 minutes, check doneness of bread with a toothpick. If still too moist inside, lower oven temperature and continue to bake, checking every five minutes. It should be a nice golden brown on the outside when done.
This sunny bread would go beautifully with a sunny soup, like say, this one.
xoxo
me
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Garden check
Things have been busy around here these last few weeks, and admittedly, I have not been cooking and blogging nearly as much as I had hoped to. In fact, today is the first time I've really had to cook in a while and I'm making a repeat of a recipe I posted 2 months ago - crunchy roasted chickpeas!
What has been taking up my time, however, is worthwhile to my endeavors in the kitchen. I'm maximizing the space on my patio yet again this year for cooking purposes alone. The big, important items that will star throughout the summer - the baby greens, the cherry tomatoes, the heaping pots of fragrant herbs - those will wait until later this spring when the possibility of a freak frost is gone. But I do have a few things started that have me hovering over the soil thermometer and fork aerating the dirt around delicate seedlings. Let me give you a little peek at what I've got going on.
I have 2 out of 4 radish plantings started. Cherry Belle and French Breakfast were my choices for the first two plantings, and I had staggered them but the later planting has caught up.
My green onions have kept me waiting for 30 days (!) to see the first shoots pop up, but finally this week there are little white sprouts peeking out of the dirt.
Despite the fact that a certain annoying kitty has been leaf munching, my Quinault strawberries are growing quite steadily under their cozy blanket of pine mulch.
Last but not least, this little-lavender-plant-that-could managed to survive all fall and winter without a single drop of water from me, and he was rewarded with a bigger pot and a skosh of fertilizer. After the transplant there are oh, about a million little leaf bunches budding out, so I'm expecting to have to move him yet again by the end of the summer.
So there you have it folks, my garden update. Check back later for possible gratuitous true-leaf shots, and perhaps even a bit of baking!
xoxo
me
What has been taking up my time, however, is worthwhile to my endeavors in the kitchen. I'm maximizing the space on my patio yet again this year for cooking purposes alone. The big, important items that will star throughout the summer - the baby greens, the cherry tomatoes, the heaping pots of fragrant herbs - those will wait until later this spring when the possibility of a freak frost is gone. But I do have a few things started that have me hovering over the soil thermometer and fork aerating the dirt around delicate seedlings. Let me give you a little peek at what I've got going on.
I have 2 out of 4 radish plantings started. Cherry Belle and French Breakfast were my choices for the first two plantings, and I had staggered them but the later planting has caught up.
My green onions have kept me waiting for 30 days (!) to see the first shoots pop up, but finally this week there are little white sprouts peeking out of the dirt.
Despite the fact that a certain annoying kitty has been leaf munching, my Quinault strawberries are growing quite steadily under their cozy blanket of pine mulch.
Last but not least, this little-lavender-plant-that-could managed to survive all fall and winter without a single drop of water from me, and he was rewarded with a bigger pot and a skosh of fertilizer. After the transplant there are oh, about a million little leaf bunches budding out, so I'm expecting to have to move him yet again by the end of the summer.
So there you have it folks, my garden update. Check back later for possible gratuitous true-leaf shots, and perhaps even a bit of baking!
xoxo
me
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Tostones
Trying something new, again. I'm a little behind on this year's to do list, thanks to a February full of failures which you will hear about later, should I ever have a success with the one particular recipe that has been making me pull my hair out. After all of that mess and frustration it was time for something easier, something with a more unhealthy and therefore gratifying result.
I have had a recipe for fried plantains in my big binder of food related clippings since I was in high school when my Dad first started encouraging me to try new recipes I had never had before. 10 years later and I think it was about time I finally gave that one a go!
If you have, like me, never tried plantains before, you may be surprised on your first tasting. They are in the same family as bananas, however they are bigger, and firm and starchy. In fact they don't taste anything like bananas at all - they get slightly sweeter as they ripen, but when buying them green for tostones the flavor is more like that of a potato, though without any trace of earthiness. While frying I did notice a slight banana-chip-like scent, but it was mild. For trying this unfamiliar fruit I think tostones were the perfect choice for me. Each toston is a crispy fried little chip intended to scoop up things I already know I love, like homemade guacamole and spicy salsa verdé.
They were gobbled up quickly, as anything that has been fried in this house is. They were a little bit firmer than I expected, and I found that the ones that got a little more than golden brown were not so tasty, but overall I was pleased with the results. Preparation was easy, but time consuming, and I would have to say that after spending an hour and a half in the kitchen for something that was devoured within minutes, we won't be making these again without a special occasion to do so.
This recipe comes from this book, with slight modifications.
Tostones
3 green plantains
4 cups water
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed (optional)
2 tbsp. salt
Canola, or other high smoke point oil for frying
Peel plantains and cut into slices approximately 1/2 inch thick. Add garlic and salt to water in a large bowl. Soak slices for 15 to 20 minutes.
Drain plantain slices well and fry in a deep fryer or in a large skillet heated filled approximately 1/2 full with oil heated to 350°F for about 7 minutes, turning if necessary (I have no idea how hot 350°F is, so I used medium heat).
Remove from fryer and drain on absorbent paper (Be careful not to use thin paper towels as you will be picking shreds of it out of your tostones forever). Fold paper over and pound the plantain slices flat with the base of a drinking glass, or use a Tostonera press.
Dip in salted water again and remove immediately. Drain thoroughly on paper towels.
Return to oil heated to 375°F until golden brown. Remove from oil and place on absorbent paper to drain. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
My guacamole was simple this time - 4 ripe avocados, mashed to a chunky textures with tons of lime juice and a decent sized scoop of super hot store-bought pico de gallo.
xoxo
Me
I have had a recipe for fried plantains in my big binder of food related clippings since I was in high school when my Dad first started encouraging me to try new recipes I had never had before. 10 years later and I think it was about time I finally gave that one a go!
If you have, like me, never tried plantains before, you may be surprised on your first tasting. They are in the same family as bananas, however they are bigger, and firm and starchy. In fact they don't taste anything like bananas at all - they get slightly sweeter as they ripen, but when buying them green for tostones the flavor is more like that of a potato, though without any trace of earthiness. While frying I did notice a slight banana-chip-like scent, but it was mild. For trying this unfamiliar fruit I think tostones were the perfect choice for me. Each toston is a crispy fried little chip intended to scoop up things I already know I love, like homemade guacamole and spicy salsa verdé.
They were gobbled up quickly, as anything that has been fried in this house is. They were a little bit firmer than I expected, and I found that the ones that got a little more than golden brown were not so tasty, but overall I was pleased with the results. Preparation was easy, but time consuming, and I would have to say that after spending an hour and a half in the kitchen for something that was devoured within minutes, we won't be making these again without a special occasion to do so.
This recipe comes from this book, with slight modifications.
Tostones
3 green plantains
4 cups water
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed (optional)
2 tbsp. salt
Canola, or other high smoke point oil for frying
Peel plantains and cut into slices approximately 1/2 inch thick. Add garlic and salt to water in a large bowl. Soak slices for 15 to 20 minutes.
Drain plantain slices well and fry in a deep fryer or in a large skillet heated filled approximately 1/2 full with oil heated to 350°F for about 7 minutes, turning if necessary (I have no idea how hot 350°F is, so I used medium heat).
Remove from fryer and drain on absorbent paper (Be careful not to use thin paper towels as you will be picking shreds of it out of your tostones forever). Fold paper over and pound the plantain slices flat with the base of a drinking glass, or use a Tostonera press.
Dip in salted water again and remove immediately. Drain thoroughly on paper towels.
Return to oil heated to 375°F until golden brown. Remove from oil and place on absorbent paper to drain. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
My guacamole was simple this time - 4 ripe avocados, mashed to a chunky textures with tons of lime juice and a decent sized scoop of super hot store-bought pico de gallo.
xoxo
Me
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Roti Jala
I've been a little lazy - it's actually been 2 weeks since I made this recipe, and I am just now posting it! I can hardly remember what was going on at the time, or what I ate with my delicious roti jala, so I'm afraid you don't get much of a story. Maybe that's a good thing sometimes. But the important thing is I am checking another recipe off my list!
I had a number of troubles with this recipe, but it all worked out in the end. I found that I needed to add quite a bit of extra water to get the runny consistency needed for pouring the batter through the tiny holes in my roti jala mold (a squeeze bottle would have been much easier and less messy). It takes a bit of practice to get the right timing and shape when pouring through the mold, but once I got the hang of it the bread came out easy enough.
I bought my roti jala mold through Rasa Malaysia, but as I said, a squeeze bottle would be a much easier choice for a beginner.
Roti Jala (Net Bread)
This recipe comes from the ever tasty Veggie Belly blog
2 cups all purpose flour
1 egg
1 1/4 cup coconut milk
1 cup water (plus more if you need to get a runnier consistency)
3/4 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
vegetable oil for frying
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Run through a strainer to remove any lumps (I found this step unnecessary for me).
Heat a small amount of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat and make a lacy pattern in the skillet using a squeeze bottle or roti jala mold. It might look like this if you're kind of a noob like me.
Let cook for about 2 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom, then carefully flip and cook for another 1 minute on the other side. The bread should still be soft, not crunchy. Fold into quarters to serve.
Now all you need is a delicious curry to soak up with the bread! I used a coconut milk based curry since the 1 1/4 cups coconut milk required for the roti is less than 1 full can.
xoxo
me
I had a number of troubles with this recipe, but it all worked out in the end. I found that I needed to add quite a bit of extra water to get the runny consistency needed for pouring the batter through the tiny holes in my roti jala mold (a squeeze bottle would have been much easier and less messy). It takes a bit of practice to get the right timing and shape when pouring through the mold, but once I got the hang of it the bread came out easy enough.
I bought my roti jala mold through Rasa Malaysia, but as I said, a squeeze bottle would be a much easier choice for a beginner.
Roti Jala (Net Bread)
This recipe comes from the ever tasty Veggie Belly blog
2 cups all purpose flour
1 egg
1 1/4 cup coconut milk
1 cup water (plus more if you need to get a runnier consistency)
3/4 tsp turmeric
salt to taste
vegetable oil for frying
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Run through a strainer to remove any lumps (I found this step unnecessary for me).
Heat a small amount of oil in a non-stick skillet over medium heat and make a lacy pattern in the skillet using a squeeze bottle or roti jala mold. It might look like this if you're kind of a noob like me.
Let cook for about 2 minutes until lightly browned on the bottom, then carefully flip and cook for another 1 minute on the other side. The bread should still be soft, not crunchy. Fold into quarters to serve.
Now all you need is a delicious curry to soak up with the bread! I used a coconut milk based curry since the 1 1/4 cups coconut milk required for the roti is less than 1 full can.
xoxo
me
Friday, January 22, 2010
Banuffins!
A pair of bananas have been sitting on my kitchen counter for a week now, each day growing more brown and looking less appetizing. I know their secret though - let them go absolutely mushy and they will cooperate with sugar and flour so much more nicely.
While waiting for my bananas to ripen I've been browsing recipes for banana bread. I am accustomed to the type my mother used to make - a dense, moist loaf studded with walnuts and browned perfectly on top. However, when I recreate the recipe I never seem to get it quite right, and I often find a little bite of bitterness in there, possibly from the baking soda. I'd also like something lighter and fluffier - something cuter to look at, perhaps?
I came across this recipe at British Cream Tea and thought I would give it a go. It uses self-rising flour instead of soda and rolled oats for a difference in texture. I made just a few changes - regular granulated sugar instead of caster sugar, I doubled the recipe since I had 2 bananas instead of one, added a good shake of cinnamon since I can't do without it, reduced the liquid (um, accidentally), and poured the batter into my new silicone baking cups rather than a loaf pan. I also got the opportunity to use my new food scale for measuring which had me absolutely giddy (I really shouldn't get so excited over new kitchen toys).
They turned out just as I wanted them to - fluffy and light, slightly sticky, but not too sweet, and absolutely devour-able.
Banuffins
250g self-rising flour
150g granulated sugar
80g rolled oats (plus more for sprinkling)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 large, overripe bananas
1/3 cup milk
5 teaspoons of vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 2 small loaf pans, 1 medium loaf pan, or baking cups.
In a medium bowl mix flour, sugar, oats and cinnamon. In a separate bowl mash bananas with a fork, then add eggs, milk and oil. Add wet ingredients to dry, stirring only enough to combine. Don't over mix.
Spoon mixture into pan/tins, sprinkle rolled oats lightly across the top. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
Eat finished product immediately and hide the evidence. There's no reason why you should share.
xoxo
me
While waiting for my bananas to ripen I've been browsing recipes for banana bread. I am accustomed to the type my mother used to make - a dense, moist loaf studded with walnuts and browned perfectly on top. However, when I recreate the recipe I never seem to get it quite right, and I often find a little bite of bitterness in there, possibly from the baking soda. I'd also like something lighter and fluffier - something cuter to look at, perhaps?
I came across this recipe at British Cream Tea and thought I would give it a go. It uses self-rising flour instead of soda and rolled oats for a difference in texture. I made just a few changes - regular granulated sugar instead of caster sugar, I doubled the recipe since I had 2 bananas instead of one, added a good shake of cinnamon since I can't do without it, reduced the liquid (um, accidentally), and poured the batter into my new silicone baking cups rather than a loaf pan. I also got the opportunity to use my new food scale for measuring which had me absolutely giddy (I really shouldn't get so excited over new kitchen toys).
They turned out just as I wanted them to - fluffy and light, slightly sticky, but not too sweet, and absolutely devour-able.
Banuffins
250g self-rising flour
150g granulated sugar
80g rolled oats (plus more for sprinkling)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 large, overripe bananas
1/3 cup milk
5 teaspoons of vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease 2 small loaf pans, 1 medium loaf pan, or baking cups.
In a medium bowl mix flour, sugar, oats and cinnamon. In a separate bowl mash bananas with a fork, then add eggs, milk and oil. Add wet ingredients to dry, stirring only enough to combine. Don't over mix.
Spoon mixture into pan/tins, sprinkle rolled oats lightly across the top. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
Eat finished product immediately and hide the evidence. There's no reason why you should share.
xoxo
me
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Healthy snackies
Last night Sissy and her Fancy came over (Fancy is seester engagement slang). The boys watched football while we paged through bridal magazines, and then later the two of us left for the mall and spent way too much time and waaay too much money. But hey, we don't get much time to spend together anymore, so we can easily justify all of that shopping!
Rewind to earlier that day. With guests coming over we needed some snacks, but I didn't want to spend a lot of time preparing them. The perfect chance to make one of the recipes on my to do list!
Crunchy roasted chickpeas are quite popular with the food bloggers right now, and there is a good reason why. They're quick, easy to prepare, can be tailored to anyone's tastes, and they're de-lish. They are similar to corn-nuts in texture, but without all of the oily/salty blechiness that makes them not feel like a healthy snack at all. The chickpeas use just a bit of oil and salt and are relatively guilt free. They can be seasoned with whatever spice mixture you like, but just be sure to dry them thoroughly before roasting them.
Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas
2 15oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp garam masala powder
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp kosher salt
Optional serving idea -
1 cucumber, diced finely
1 serrano or jalapeno chili - seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup red onion, diced finely
Drain chickpeas and rinse well. Blot with a paper tower to remove as much water as you can, then sprinkle with lime juice and leave in a colander for an hour or two if you have time. If not, just keep blotting with paper towels and try to get them as dry as possible.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
When chickpeas are dry mix together remaining ingredients in a medium bowl to form a paste and then toss chickpeas very well so that they are coated. Spread evenly across a roasting pan or baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake at 400°F for 45-55 minutes, stirring once halfway through. At 45 minutes begin checking on them every few minutes to be sure they aren't burning - the gap between being crunchy all the way through and being burnt is very small.
If desired, toss with optional ingredients and serve, or just eat them plain by the handful!
Chickpeas are best eaten the day of cooking, but can be kept in an airtight container for a few days. Keep in mind, if you store them they will lose much of their crunch.
xoxo
me
Rewind to earlier that day. With guests coming over we needed some snacks, but I didn't want to spend a lot of time preparing them. The perfect chance to make one of the recipes on my to do list!
Crunchy roasted chickpeas are quite popular with the food bloggers right now, and there is a good reason why. They're quick, easy to prepare, can be tailored to anyone's tastes, and they're de-lish. They are similar to corn-nuts in texture, but without all of the oily/salty blechiness that makes them not feel like a healthy snack at all. The chickpeas use just a bit of oil and salt and are relatively guilt free. They can be seasoned with whatever spice mixture you like, but just be sure to dry them thoroughly before roasting them.
Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas
2 15oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp garam masala powder
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp kosher salt
Optional serving idea -
1 cucumber, diced finely
1 serrano or jalapeno chili - seeded and finely chopped
1/4 cup red onion, diced finely
Drain chickpeas and rinse well. Blot with a paper tower to remove as much water as you can, then sprinkle with lime juice and leave in a colander for an hour or two if you have time. If not, just keep blotting with paper towels and try to get them as dry as possible.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
When chickpeas are dry mix together remaining ingredients in a medium bowl to form a paste and then toss chickpeas very well so that they are coated. Spread evenly across a roasting pan or baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake at 400°F for 45-55 minutes, stirring once halfway through. At 45 minutes begin checking on them every few minutes to be sure they aren't burning - the gap between being crunchy all the way through and being burnt is very small.
If desired, toss with optional ingredients and serve, or just eat them plain by the handful!
Chickpeas are best eaten the day of cooking, but can be kept in an airtight container for a few days. Keep in mind, if you store them they will lose much of their crunch.
xoxo
me
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Lull
It's the first week of the new year, and unsurprisingly the restaurant is dead. I'm sure pretty much everyone in the industry is feeling the exact same lull in business right now. Every year, the same thing. People are strapped for cash after the holidays and with New Year's resolutions still fresh in their minds even the ones who do come into our store tend to eat lighter and less expensively. For people who are still in the mood to eat out though, this is a great time. No crowds, cash hungry waiters falling all over you, and specials designed to draw customers in such as extended happy hours and prix fixe dinners.
In this quiet time in my job I get to come in little later, leave a little earlier, and be a little less stressed out. Of course, my sales are laughable by last months standards, but that's what happens when you work in a seasonal industry. I enjoy the extra time to spend in the kitchen, but now that I'm on a tighter budget I need to get a little more creative with my ingredients. Thankfully I was able to stock up my pantry last week and since my CSA is still delivering plenty of seasonal food (granted, some of it sourced from organic farms down south a little farther) I might possibly be able to squeak through the grocery store without picking up anything other than the toddler necessities.
In my opinion the best types of dishes to make in such situations are curries, stews, casseroles - homey, and comforting, if a little less refined. The preparation can be as simple and lazy as you make it. The perfect choice for a busy work week, or a lazy day spent on the couch.
This particular dish was invented to use up a few things in my fridge. Just follow the same basic steps and add whatever you want to it - change the ingredients entirely, but it will still be as easy.
Cook alliums (onion, garlic, shallot, leeks) and meat/veg protein in a little oil until they begin to color slightly. Add vegetables that need to be cooked through (make sure they are all chopped to the same sized dice), and add salt, pepper, and a little hint of spices of your choice, stir for a few minutes. Add flavorful liquid (pre-made soup, or stock, or even coconut milk). Bring to a low boil, cover, reduce to a simmer and give it 15-20 minutes, or whenever your most dense veggies are soft. Then add the ingredients that need only a minute of cooking - greens or herbs. Give it a couple of minutes on low heat for your fresh ingredients to soften, then serve with rice, bread, quinoa, crackers, whatever. And voila! A steaming hot bowl of yum.
For my dish I used a little yellow onion and garlic with a 5 grain tempeh. Then I added peeled potatoes, turnips, baby yellow carrots, and an apple. For the flavoring I used kosher salt, black pepper, a dash of cayenne, and about a teaspoon of curry powder. My liquid choice was a premade butternut squash soup - about 2 cups of it. It took 20 minutes for my veggies to cook and then I topped it off with some shredded swiss chard. The curried squash soup base goes really well with jasmine rice.
xoxo
Me
In this quiet time in my job I get to come in little later, leave a little earlier, and be a little less stressed out. Of course, my sales are laughable by last months standards, but that's what happens when you work in a seasonal industry. I enjoy the extra time to spend in the kitchen, but now that I'm on a tighter budget I need to get a little more creative with my ingredients. Thankfully I was able to stock up my pantry last week and since my CSA is still delivering plenty of seasonal food (granted, some of it sourced from organic farms down south a little farther) I might possibly be able to squeak through the grocery store without picking up anything other than the toddler necessities.
In my opinion the best types of dishes to make in such situations are curries, stews, casseroles - homey, and comforting, if a little less refined. The preparation can be as simple and lazy as you make it. The perfect choice for a busy work week, or a lazy day spent on the couch.
This particular dish was invented to use up a few things in my fridge. Just follow the same basic steps and add whatever you want to it - change the ingredients entirely, but it will still be as easy.
Cook alliums (onion, garlic, shallot, leeks) and meat/veg protein in a little oil until they begin to color slightly. Add vegetables that need to be cooked through (make sure they are all chopped to the same sized dice), and add salt, pepper, and a little hint of spices of your choice, stir for a few minutes. Add flavorful liquid (pre-made soup, or stock, or even coconut milk). Bring to a low boil, cover, reduce to a simmer and give it 15-20 minutes, or whenever your most dense veggies are soft. Then add the ingredients that need only a minute of cooking - greens or herbs. Give it a couple of minutes on low heat for your fresh ingredients to soften, then serve with rice, bread, quinoa, crackers, whatever. And voila! A steaming hot bowl of yum.
For my dish I used a little yellow onion and garlic with a 5 grain tempeh. Then I added peeled potatoes, turnips, baby yellow carrots, and an apple. For the flavoring I used kosher salt, black pepper, a dash of cayenne, and about a teaspoon of curry powder. My liquid choice was a premade butternut squash soup - about 2 cups of it. It took 20 minutes for my veggies to cook and then I topped it off with some shredded swiss chard. The curried squash soup base goes really well with jasmine rice.
xoxo
Me
Friday, January 1, 2010
Right start for a fresh start
Happy New Year!!
2010. Wow.
My brain can't even handle that number, but hey, another new year is another new year. A fresh page to start on. Another 4 seasons to weather... and another 4 seasons of food to eat! My favorite part of course. Now I get to start looking forward to radishes and baby lettuces and pea vines and all the little crispy, crunchy things and sprout-y green stuff of spring.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. It's only New Year's day, and still quite winter-y out, and while it is time to think about all the great things that lay ahead in 2010 I should be working out how I'm going to get myself there. I'm always a fan of New Years resolutions. Sticking to my limits makes me feel good, although I can only remember one year in particular where I kept my resolution the whole 12 months. This year I feel like there are so many things I need to change and work on that it's hard to settle on any specific resolutions.
One thing that I really should resolve to do, but I know I'd never stick to is to eat breakfast every day. I've never ever been a breakfast person - in fact, oftentimes it makes me feel sick to even smell food in the morning. I typically don't have my first meal until 1 PM. But with a loss of energy during these colder, darker months, and a need to cram more vitamins into my diet, breakfast is starting to sound better. So day 1 of the new year, I made a delicious, healthy, energy packed breakfast with the hopes that it would inspire me to be a little better to myself all through the year.
No need for a recipe, its too simple for that. Just oats simmered with dried cranberries, cardamom and a cinnamon stick. Pour a little milk on when it's done and top it with dates, oranges or grapefruit, and some crushed pistachios. Or use whatever fruit and nut combo you have on hand.
xoxo
Me
2010. Wow.
My brain can't even handle that number, but hey, another new year is another new year. A fresh page to start on. Another 4 seasons to weather... and another 4 seasons of food to eat! My favorite part of course. Now I get to start looking forward to radishes and baby lettuces and pea vines and all the little crispy, crunchy things and sprout-y green stuff of spring.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. It's only New Year's day, and still quite winter-y out, and while it is time to think about all the great things that lay ahead in 2010 I should be working out how I'm going to get myself there. I'm always a fan of New Years resolutions. Sticking to my limits makes me feel good, although I can only remember one year in particular where I kept my resolution the whole 12 months. This year I feel like there are so many things I need to change and work on that it's hard to settle on any specific resolutions.
One thing that I really should resolve to do, but I know I'd never stick to is to eat breakfast every day. I've never ever been a breakfast person - in fact, oftentimes it makes me feel sick to even smell food in the morning. I typically don't have my first meal until 1 PM. But with a loss of energy during these colder, darker months, and a need to cram more vitamins into my diet, breakfast is starting to sound better. So day 1 of the new year, I made a delicious, healthy, energy packed breakfast with the hopes that it would inspire me to be a little better to myself all through the year.
No need for a recipe, its too simple for that. Just oats simmered with dried cranberries, cardamom and a cinnamon stick. Pour a little milk on when it's done and top it with dates, oranges or grapefruit, and some crushed pistachios. Or use whatever fruit and nut combo you have on hand.
xoxo
Me
Thursday, December 31, 2009
2010!
Ok, 2010, here I come with my completed list of dishes to make before 2011.
Malaysian Roti Jala (Net Bread)
Homemade cheese of some kind
Kuih Bahulu
Jasmine Rice Pudding with Mangoes
Pocky
Tortillas
Vegetarian Tamales
Shoyu Tamago
Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas
Dandelion Bread
Vegetarian Big Macs (for Ryan of course)
Matcha Shortbread
Real actual bread with yeast and everything
Thalipeeth
Spinach and Wild Mushroom Souffle
Falafel Pitas with Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing
Crepes
Fried Plantains
Pasta of some kind?
Wish me luck!
xoxo
me
Malaysian Roti Jala (Net Bread)
Homemade cheese of some kind
Kuih Bahulu
Jasmine Rice Pudding with Mangoes
Pocky
Tortillas
Vegetarian Tamales
Shoyu Tamago
Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas
Dandelion Bread
Vegetarian Big Macs (for Ryan of course)
Matcha Shortbread
Real actual bread with yeast and everything
Thalipeeth
Spinach and Wild Mushroom Souffle
Falafel Pitas with Cucumber-Yogurt Dressing
Crepes
Fried Plantains
Pasta of some kind?
Wish me luck!
xoxo
me
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Fresh start, coming right up.
A new year and a new decade start in just a couple of days. New Years is never a big deal for me, in fact, I volunteered to close the restaurant this year and will probably be at work until 12am or later. But it is nice to have a little time for reflection and goal-setting. Well, and for wondering why it's 2010 already and I don't own a hover car or a house on the moon.
My goals for this year involve budgeting, and organizing and getting better at focusing on my projects. Essentially, un-cluttering my life from all perspectives so that I'll have a little more room for creativity. I started early by re-organizing the whole kitchen, and it got me thinking about what goals I need to set for myself in the kitchen for the next few months. Some new products to use, some new recipes, new techniques. I'm excited to be making time for cooking again!
So, wondering what I'm excited about? Well, I'll tell you anyway. For Christmas my wonderful family who treats me to so many goodies to use in the kitchen gave me some new toys, most notably a mandoline slicer and an 11 cup Cuisinart. I also got a food scale and a dough scraper, some adorable molds for cupcakes and petits fours, and lots of food products to try - truffle cream, balsamic/fig syrup, cheeses and salts and snacks and so on! There's so much I want to make right now I thought I'd compile a list and try to make everything on it by the end of the year. If anyone actually reads this, try to hold me accountable, ok?!
Malaysian Roti Jala (Net Bread)
Homemade cheese of some kind
Kuih Bahulu
Jasmine Sticky Rice with Mangoes
Pocky
Tortillas
Vegetarian Tamales
Shoyu Tamago
Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas
Dandelion Bread
Vegetarian Big Macs (for Ryan of course)
Matcha Shortbread
Real actual bread with yeast and everything
I will add to this list over the next couple of days before the new year, and will include recipe links as I check them off.
Happy New Year!!
xoxo
me
My goals for this year involve budgeting, and organizing and getting better at focusing on my projects. Essentially, un-cluttering my life from all perspectives so that I'll have a little more room for creativity. I started early by re-organizing the whole kitchen, and it got me thinking about what goals I need to set for myself in the kitchen for the next few months. Some new products to use, some new recipes, new techniques. I'm excited to be making time for cooking again!
So, wondering what I'm excited about? Well, I'll tell you anyway. For Christmas my wonderful family who treats me to so many goodies to use in the kitchen gave me some new toys, most notably a mandoline slicer and an 11 cup Cuisinart. I also got a food scale and a dough scraper, some adorable molds for cupcakes and petits fours, and lots of food products to try - truffle cream, balsamic/fig syrup, cheeses and salts and snacks and so on! There's so much I want to make right now I thought I'd compile a list and try to make everything on it by the end of the year. If anyone actually reads this, try to hold me accountable, ok?!
Malaysian Roti Jala (Net Bread)
Homemade cheese of some kind
Kuih Bahulu
Jasmine Sticky Rice with Mangoes
Pocky
Tortillas
Vegetarian Tamales
Shoyu Tamago
Crunchy Roasted Chickpeas
Dandelion Bread
Vegetarian Big Macs (for Ryan of course)
Matcha Shortbread
Real actual bread with yeast and everything
I will add to this list over the next couple of days before the new year, and will include recipe links as I check them off.
Happy New Year!!
xoxo
me
Friday, December 11, 2009
Back.
Took a break. A long break. Didn't feel like writing much, and didn't have much time to cook either. But the mood has struck again, and maybe it will stick around for at least a little while.
So what's going on right now... well, it's winter. No snow yet, and none on the forecast, sadly, but it's been in the 20's and below all this week. Usually I'm quite alright with that, but during last summer's heat wave the heat seals melted on our computer and now if the temperature around it reaches a level that is, say, comfortable to humans, it shuts itself off. So here we are, it's 22 degrees outside, and the compy is propped up on the windowsill next to me with the window cracked and a vicious draft coming in. If anything it's a blessing in disguise because it keeps me from sitting at the computer for too long.
Anyway, back to food.
This week I've been experimenting with various recipes for this or that, hoping to find something cheap and easy and at the same time pretty and unusual to give out as gifts for Christmas. My coworkers are my guinea pigs and they were treated to 3 dozen cookies a few days ago. They were all delicious, but they didn't quite meet my gift requirements.
The next item on my list was some form of candied citrus peel. The basic idea is this: peel the citrus and scrape off some of the pith, then blanch, boil in sugar syrup, dry, and roll in sugar or dip in chocolate. But while looking for recipes I noticed that every site I went to suggested a different number of times to blanch, amount of time for blanching, thickness of pith to leave on the peel, etc., and some recipes did not recommend blanching at all. I could spend anywhere from 1 hour to 2 days preparing the candy. So, I decided to go with a rather time intensive, but easy method, and then I would continue with trial and error from there if it didn't work out. And what do you know, the first try was a pretty good success.
I found this recipe on Unfussy Fare which was originally from The Joy of Cooking. The unique aspect of this method is that it uses salted water to remove the bitterness from the citrus peel rather than repeated sets of blanching. No saltiness is retained in the final candy.
Grapefruit-ettes
2 medium pink grapefruits, with lovely skin
Salt
2 cups sugar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
water
6oz 70%+ cacao chocolate
Trim the peel off the grapefruits. To do this slice a little off the top of both ends to give yourself a flat surface to hold them in place while you slice off the peel. Cut the peel off, vertically, taking off plenty of pith, but not cutting so close that you get any of the fruit. You should be able to do this with about 6 slices. This is all much more easily explained with pictures of course, but I forgot to take any, so if I do attempt this again I will snap some photos and put them in the post. Cut each big piece off peel in half lengthwise (this allows you to press them flat, which makes it much easier to trim off the pith). You should have slices about 1" thick. Press them flat, peel side down, and use a very sharp knife to skim off as much of the bitter pith as possible. Don't worry, some will remain, and you want there to be a little bit anyway, otherwise they won't have much chewiness to them. After trimming the pith cut each piece again lengthwise so that you have little strips about 3-4 inches long and 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide.
Put the peels in a bowl, and cover with water, about 3 cups. Add 1 teaspoon of salt per cup of water. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at least 24 hours. Then drain and rinse the peels and soak again in fresh water for 20 minutes. Bring another few cups of fresh water to a boil, add peels, and boil for 20 minutes, draining again.
Mix together 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water in a saucepot and bring to a boil. Add peels, reduce heat to a low simmer, and let simmer for 45 minutes until peels are translucent. If you left the pith especially thick you may boil up to an hour and 15 minutes.
Remove peels from syrup one at a time using a fork or slotted spoon and place on a rack overnight to dry. Make sure you put something underneath to catch the syrupy drips.
Once peels are perfectly dry you may do 1 of two things. Toss them in a big bowl of granulated sugar, or leave the sugar off and dip them in chocolate. If you intend to sugar them just throw a cup or two of sugar in a plastic container, add the peels and shake, and then you can simply put the lid on and tuck them away - the extra sugar adds to their shelf life. If you want them chocolate-y just melt 6oz of good, dark chocolate (I prefer at least 70% cacao) in a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the surface of the water), and dip the peel in, leaving a little tip sticking out as a handle. Lay them on parchment paper, refrigerate, and then store in single layers between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container. If you allow them to sit out in the air the chocolate will get a white bloom on it and they won't be so pretty.
Now I tried these rolled in sugar, and let me just say that I thought I had ruined a whole batch of citrus peels. This was my first time trying candied citrus peels and I wasn't expecting them to be so firm and slightly bitter still. The sugar did nothing to counter-act that feeling that I was chewing on gross grapefruit peels, and I felt like I had been tricked somehow into eating something I normally throw away. But I did like the slight grapefruit flavor, and I had bought chocolate just for the occasion, so I melted just one tiny square in the microwave, dipped the shortest peel in it, and let it cool in the fridge. 10 minutes later I took an apprehensive bite, and found that it was delicious! The strong flavor of the dark chocolate hid the slight bitterness well, and it perfectly complimented the citrus-y flavor, while also adding a softer texture to my too-thin peels. So if you have your heart set on traditional candied and sugared peels, but aren't sure if you're going to like them or not, keep some chocolate around just in case.
xoxo
Me
So what's going on right now... well, it's winter. No snow yet, and none on the forecast, sadly, but it's been in the 20's and below all this week. Usually I'm quite alright with that, but during last summer's heat wave the heat seals melted on our computer and now if the temperature around it reaches a level that is, say, comfortable to humans, it shuts itself off. So here we are, it's 22 degrees outside, and the compy is propped up on the windowsill next to me with the window cracked and a vicious draft coming in. If anything it's a blessing in disguise because it keeps me from sitting at the computer for too long.
Anyway, back to food.
This week I've been experimenting with various recipes for this or that, hoping to find something cheap and easy and at the same time pretty and unusual to give out as gifts for Christmas. My coworkers are my guinea pigs and they were treated to 3 dozen cookies a few days ago. They were all delicious, but they didn't quite meet my gift requirements.
The next item on my list was some form of candied citrus peel. The basic idea is this: peel the citrus and scrape off some of the pith, then blanch, boil in sugar syrup, dry, and roll in sugar or dip in chocolate. But while looking for recipes I noticed that every site I went to suggested a different number of times to blanch, amount of time for blanching, thickness of pith to leave on the peel, etc., and some recipes did not recommend blanching at all. I could spend anywhere from 1 hour to 2 days preparing the candy. So, I decided to go with a rather time intensive, but easy method, and then I would continue with trial and error from there if it didn't work out. And what do you know, the first try was a pretty good success.
I found this recipe on Unfussy Fare which was originally from The Joy of Cooking. The unique aspect of this method is that it uses salted water to remove the bitterness from the citrus peel rather than repeated sets of blanching. No saltiness is retained in the final candy.
Grapefruit-ettes
2 medium pink grapefruits, with lovely skin
Salt
2 cups sugar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
water
6oz 70%+ cacao chocolate
Trim the peel off the grapefruits. To do this slice a little off the top of both ends to give yourself a flat surface to hold them in place while you slice off the peel. Cut the peel off, vertically, taking off plenty of pith, but not cutting so close that you get any of the fruit. You should be able to do this with about 6 slices. This is all much more easily explained with pictures of course, but I forgot to take any, so if I do attempt this again I will snap some photos and put them in the post. Cut each big piece off peel in half lengthwise (this allows you to press them flat, which makes it much easier to trim off the pith). You should have slices about 1" thick. Press them flat, peel side down, and use a very sharp knife to skim off as much of the bitter pith as possible. Don't worry, some will remain, and you want there to be a little bit anyway, otherwise they won't have much chewiness to them. After trimming the pith cut each piece again lengthwise so that you have little strips about 3-4 inches long and 1/4 to 1/2 inch wide.
Put the peels in a bowl, and cover with water, about 3 cups. Add 1 teaspoon of salt per cup of water. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at least 24 hours. Then drain and rinse the peels and soak again in fresh water for 20 minutes. Bring another few cups of fresh water to a boil, add peels, and boil for 20 minutes, draining again.
Mix together 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water in a saucepot and bring to a boil. Add peels, reduce heat to a low simmer, and let simmer for 45 minutes until peels are translucent. If you left the pith especially thick you may boil up to an hour and 15 minutes.
Remove peels from syrup one at a time using a fork or slotted spoon and place on a rack overnight to dry. Make sure you put something underneath to catch the syrupy drips.
Once peels are perfectly dry you may do 1 of two things. Toss them in a big bowl of granulated sugar, or leave the sugar off and dip them in chocolate. If you intend to sugar them just throw a cup or two of sugar in a plastic container, add the peels and shake, and then you can simply put the lid on and tuck them away - the extra sugar adds to their shelf life. If you want them chocolate-y just melt 6oz of good, dark chocolate (I prefer at least 70% cacao) in a metal bowl over a pot of simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn't touch the surface of the water), and dip the peel in, leaving a little tip sticking out as a handle. Lay them on parchment paper, refrigerate, and then store in single layers between sheets of wax paper in an airtight container. If you allow them to sit out in the air the chocolate will get a white bloom on it and they won't be so pretty.
Now I tried these rolled in sugar, and let me just say that I thought I had ruined a whole batch of citrus peels. This was my first time trying candied citrus peels and I wasn't expecting them to be so firm and slightly bitter still. The sugar did nothing to counter-act that feeling that I was chewing on gross grapefruit peels, and I felt like I had been tricked somehow into eating something I normally throw away. But I did like the slight grapefruit flavor, and I had bought chocolate just for the occasion, so I melted just one tiny square in the microwave, dipped the shortest peel in it, and let it cool in the fridge. 10 minutes later I took an apprehensive bite, and found that it was delicious! The strong flavor of the dark chocolate hid the slight bitterness well, and it perfectly complimented the citrus-y flavor, while also adding a softer texture to my too-thin peels. So if you have your heart set on traditional candied and sugared peels, but aren't sure if you're going to like them or not, keep some chocolate around just in case.
xoxo
Me
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Heat wave, nice save.
As I sit here writing it is 102°F outside, and probably somewhere in the 80's inside. Even the computer can't stand it - it keeps shutting itself off. A quick glance at the weather forecast shows that temperatures will remain stupidly high for at least the next ten days, although they may at least dip below the 90's. We are trying to keep ourselves and our kiddo cool as best we can. Frequent trips to air conditioned stores, running through sprinklers, lots of ice packs and ice cream.
But you can't just eat ice cream. The grown-ups in this house have been eating lots of cold, refreshing veggies to stay happy. Shaved cucumbers in soy sauce with a little chili oil and furikake, frozen peas, and yummy salads. I stopped by Trader Joe's and stocked up on snacks that say summer to me, and pretty much threw them all in a bowl for dinner. With a few trimmings from the garden, this is the yummiest meal I have had in a little while, and it doesn't require a stove or oven which might just push us over the brink when it comes to heat.
This doesn't really call for a recipe, since it's more of a throw together whatever you have kind of thing, but I will give you a list of what I tossed in there.
The base:
Lettuce from the garden, soaked in water for 1/2 hour for maximum crunchiness
Mâche
Trader Joe's gourmet microgreens
The good stuff:
Rainbow cherry tomatoes
Steamed and peeled baby beets, chopped
Trader Joe's Abondance cheese
Top it off:
Coriander blossoms from the garden
Chives from the garden, chopped
Salted pepitas
The dressing:
Juice of one lemon
1 small spoonful whole grain mustard
generous pour of extra virgin olive oil
What seems like too much pepper, but isn't
This salad was quickly snarfed down, and served with a fried egg topped with green tomato salsa. I feel better now. ^_^
xoxo
me
But you can't just eat ice cream. The grown-ups in this house have been eating lots of cold, refreshing veggies to stay happy. Shaved cucumbers in soy sauce with a little chili oil and furikake, frozen peas, and yummy salads. I stopped by Trader Joe's and stocked up on snacks that say summer to me, and pretty much threw them all in a bowl for dinner. With a few trimmings from the garden, this is the yummiest meal I have had in a little while, and it doesn't require a stove or oven which might just push us over the brink when it comes to heat.
This doesn't really call for a recipe, since it's more of a throw together whatever you have kind of thing, but I will give you a list of what I tossed in there.
The base:
Lettuce from the garden, soaked in water for 1/2 hour for maximum crunchiness
Mâche
Trader Joe's gourmet microgreens
The good stuff:
Rainbow cherry tomatoes
Steamed and peeled baby beets, chopped
Trader Joe's Abondance cheese
Top it off:
Coriander blossoms from the garden
Chives from the garden, chopped
Salted pepitas
The dressing:
Juice of one lemon
1 small spoonful whole grain mustard
generous pour of extra virgin olive oil
What seems like too much pepper, but isn't
This salad was quickly snarfed down, and served with a fried egg topped with green tomato salsa. I feel better now. ^_^
xoxo
me
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Blechy belly, not ready to detox
This week has been tasty, but has set me back on my diet, and though I'm not paying for it on my waistline I am paying with an overall blechy feeling and probably a few points on my cholesterol score. My junk food laundry list has included "beef" and "chicken" style (aka vegetarian) taquitos smothered in pepper jack and sri racha, plenty of soft tacos filled with chili, vegetable potstickers fried to a crisp and doused with soy sauce and ginger, frequent noshings on chocolate leftover from several holidays, daily trips to Starbucks for mochas and vanilla scones, "family meal" nachos at work, and several paninis fat with mozzarella dipped in oily french onion soup. There have been few veggies and absolutely no salads. It has been delicious and disgusting and I'm not sure if I'm over my junk food binge yet, but I feel like I should be.
You'll know when I am because I will give you a recipe for some decent food.
xoxo
me
You'll know when I am because I will give you a recipe for some decent food.
xoxo
me
Friday, July 10, 2009
Sunny day, sunny food
Yesterday was another CSA delivery day for me, and it was definitely my favorite one I have gotten so far. Blueberries, raspberries, apricots, kale, lettuce, sage, shelling peas, carrots, rainier cherries, and french breakfast radishes. I'm practically rolling in summer right now.
The shelling peas went first. I think the last time I had homegrown shelling peas was when I was about 5 years old. I remember standing on a chair at the kitchen sink, helping my mother wash them and pop them out of their pods. Eating them out of the colander I thought they were the best things I had ever tasted. Unless you have access to a nearby farm or have a friend who grows them, peas like that are hard to come across. Savoring every bite, I ate half of them as I shelled them, and the rest I steamed lightly and tossed with butter, sage, and reduced cream. The apricots were used up in an easy clafoutis after dinner.
Now, for the carrots. I had two bunches in my fridge already, along with some dill, so I made a light soup of of them, being careful to hold onto that bright sunny, summer flavor. The citrus-y flavors of the orange juice and coriander are not overwhelmed by the strong aroma of dill, but the carrots are so fresh and bright that they are the real star. The soup turned out to be so good that I had to eat my whole bowl before I was able to snap a picture, so this is all you get:
Carrot-Dill Soup
Oil
1/2 medium onion, finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped small
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp freshly ground coriander seed
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 cups vegetable stock
3 bunches fresh, crisp carrots
1 small bunch dill, finely chopped
1/2-3/4 cup fresh orange juice
Heat oil on medium heat in a large saucepot or dutch oven. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened and lightly browned. Add cumin, coriander, pepper and carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add vegetable stock, bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or so until the carrots are tender and easy to mash, but not mushy. Stir in dill and remove from heat.
At this point, if you have an immersion blender blend the soup in the pot until you reach the consistency you desire. I prefer mine to be a mix of smooth and chunky so that it has some texture, but you can blend until completely smooth if you wish. Then add the orange juice, tasting it to make sure it's not too strongly orange-y before adding the full amount.
If you don't have an immersion blender add the smaller amount of orange juice, puree in batches in your food processor, and if it doesn't taste orange-y enough for you put the pureed soup back into one container and add the rest of the juice.
xoxo
me
The shelling peas went first. I think the last time I had homegrown shelling peas was when I was about 5 years old. I remember standing on a chair at the kitchen sink, helping my mother wash them and pop them out of their pods. Eating them out of the colander I thought they were the best things I had ever tasted. Unless you have access to a nearby farm or have a friend who grows them, peas like that are hard to come across. Savoring every bite, I ate half of them as I shelled them, and the rest I steamed lightly and tossed with butter, sage, and reduced cream. The apricots were used up in an easy clafoutis after dinner.
Now, for the carrots. I had two bunches in my fridge already, along with some dill, so I made a light soup of of them, being careful to hold onto that bright sunny, summer flavor. The citrus-y flavors of the orange juice and coriander are not overwhelmed by the strong aroma of dill, but the carrots are so fresh and bright that they are the real star. The soup turned out to be so good that I had to eat my whole bowl before I was able to snap a picture, so this is all you get:
Carrot-Dill Soup
Oil
1/2 medium onion, finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped small
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp freshly ground coriander seed
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 cups vegetable stock
3 bunches fresh, crisp carrots
1 small bunch dill, finely chopped
1/2-3/4 cup fresh orange juice
Heat oil on medium heat in a large saucepot or dutch oven. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened and lightly browned. Add cumin, coriander, pepper and carrots and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add vegetable stock, bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or so until the carrots are tender and easy to mash, but not mushy. Stir in dill and remove from heat.
At this point, if you have an immersion blender blend the soup in the pot until you reach the consistency you desire. I prefer mine to be a mix of smooth and chunky so that it has some texture, but you can blend until completely smooth if you wish. Then add the orange juice, tasting it to make sure it's not too strongly orange-y before adding the full amount.
If you don't have an immersion blender add the smaller amount of orange juice, puree in batches in your food processor, and if it doesn't taste orange-y enough for you put the pureed soup back into one container and add the rest of the juice.
xoxo
me
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Cherry pie, a little late
I worked all night this 4th of July, so I didn't get to get into the whole celebration thing, but if I had gotten to go to a summer BBQ I would have brought these turnovers with me. Faced with an excess of cherries from our fantastic cherry season I have been putting them in everything in ridiculous amounts. These little pastries used up the last of my cherry stock, but I'll be getting more in my CSA box tomorrow.
Cherry Turnovers*
1 1/2 cups cherries, pitted (or however many cherries you have left)
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 package puff pastry
1 egg
1 tbsp water
sanding sugar for dusting
Puff pastry needs to thaw for at least 30 minutes on the counter (I usually thaw it in the fridge overnight so I don't have to worry about it being frozen in the middle still when it's time for me to work with it). When ready to go pit and halve the cherries (or halve and pit the cherries, like I do), then add the cornstarch, sugar and lemon juice and stir. Let sit and macerate for a few minutes.
The puff pastry I buy comes in 3 sheets of 3 strips. Tear the strips apart and roll them out slightly. Put about 1/4 cup of cherries in middle of the upper half of one strip and fold the other half over it. Then fold up the edges all around and press the tines of a fork around the edges to crimp it shut. The turnover should be stuffed full, but not leaking out the edges. Repeat for all strips (it only took me 2 sheets to finish off the cherries. The extra pastry dough can be re-frozen).
Whisk together egg and water and brush the entire top of each pastry; dust each one with sanding sugar.
Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. If not toasty and brown enough you can pop them under the broiler for 2 minutes or so, but be careful! Mine obviously were broiling for too long.
*This recipe came from Artichokes and Garlic. She also provided an icing recipe, but I didn't have the ingredients. Her recipe doesn't call for lemon juice either, but I thought these turnovers would be too sweet for me without it.
xoxo
me
Cherry Turnovers*
1 1/2 cups cherries, pitted (or however many cherries you have left)
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 package puff pastry
1 egg
1 tbsp water
sanding sugar for dusting
Puff pastry needs to thaw for at least 30 minutes on the counter (I usually thaw it in the fridge overnight so I don't have to worry about it being frozen in the middle still when it's time for me to work with it). When ready to go pit and halve the cherries (or halve and pit the cherries, like I do), then add the cornstarch, sugar and lemon juice and stir. Let sit and macerate for a few minutes.
The puff pastry I buy comes in 3 sheets of 3 strips. Tear the strips apart and roll them out slightly. Put about 1/4 cup of cherries in middle of the upper half of one strip and fold the other half over it. Then fold up the edges all around and press the tines of a fork around the edges to crimp it shut. The turnover should be stuffed full, but not leaking out the edges. Repeat for all strips (it only took me 2 sheets to finish off the cherries. The extra pastry dough can be re-frozen).
Whisk together egg and water and brush the entire top of each pastry; dust each one with sanding sugar.
Bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. If not toasty and brown enough you can pop them under the broiler for 2 minutes or so, but be careful! Mine obviously were broiling for too long.
*This recipe came from Artichokes and Garlic. She also provided an icing recipe, but I didn't have the ingredients. Her recipe doesn't call for lemon juice either, but I thought these turnovers would be too sweet for me without it.
xoxo
me
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Bringing them to the table
I have spent quite a bit of time lately thinking about what the important things in life are to me. How can I simplify? What will make me, and my family the happiest? The answer to that question in particular is different for all three of us, I think, but I believe that one force can bring us closer together time after time - the home-cooked meal. It is no secret to anyone interested in food that a simple meal can change the dynamic between people, dramatically. Food can unite people within a culture, or bring multiple cultures together to revel in their differences. Sitting down to a holiday dinner can turn even the most quarrelsome of dysfunctional families into contended, thoughtful companions, if only until the food leaves the table. I dream of casual yet elegant dinners with friends and family, taken outside at a table crowded with dishes brought potluck style from each guest; we would linger at the table for hours, chatting and sipping wine, picking at the last bites in each bowl until twilight makes it too dark to see. While occurrences such as that may be regular for some, I have to face the fact that I don't have those sorts of family or friends.
Realistically I will settle for bringing my husband and daughter together just long enough for him to lick his plate clean (an average of 2 1/2 minutes), and for her to get bored of being confined to the highchair and scream relentlessly to get down (only double the time it takes hubby to finish his meal). A notoriously slow eater to anyone who knows me, I will often sit for half an hour after the two of them leave the table, chewing thoughtfully and fending off tugs at my leg from the bunbun. Not my ideal scenario, but at least I can control part of our meals - the part that is on our plates.
I also have it set in my mind that my daughter will be an adventurous eater who will try anything once and who has no fears of bitter aftertastes or strange textures. Thus far... well, I have a lot of work to do. What can I say, I have a toddler. So I am constantly searching for recipes that will appeal to both our adult tastes (and love of all things spicy) and her persnickety palate. A recent addition to my mommy repertoire are these simple sweet potato- black bean cakes. I use mild chiles in the patties, but add spicy salsa on top for me and the hubs. They have their place on our plates next to rice and steamed veggies, with tortilla chips and spicy soup, or sandwiched in a bun with lettuce, tomato and onion. Regardless of their accompaniments they are a favorite with all three of us, and are a way to get us all to the table, if only for the time it takes to devour them.
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Patties*
Oil
2 small sweet potatoes or yams
1 4.5 oz can diced mild green chiles
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 egg
salt and pepper
pinch of smoked paprika
breadcrumbs, at least 1 cup (amount depends on how wet the mixture is)
Peel and dice the sweet potatoes, then boil them until soft (15-20 minutes). Drain, mash, and cool until they won't burn you. In a small skillet heat a teaspoon of oil over medium heat and add the garlic and the chiles, stirring until garlic is tender but not browned (2-3 minutes). Add chile mixture to sweet potatoes, along with black beans, egg, salt and pepper to taste and paprika. Mash the mixture with a fork to crush a few of the black beans (should still be very chunky). Then add breadcrumbs, a bit at a time, until mixture holds together well, but is still moist. Shape into patties and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place under the broiler for about 5 minutes on each side, being careful not to let them burn. Serve however you like. They go great with a spicy, chunky salsa.
*This recipe was inspired by Cooking Books, which was in turn inspired by a few other people, but our internet was not working when I made these the first time, so I improvised on the ingredients and technique.
I found that adding the egg and more breadcrumbs makes them drier after they cook than you will expect, but they stay together nicely on a bun. Leaving the egg out and just putting in enough breadcrumbs to shape them into patties will give you crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside balls that are best eaten with a fork.
I forgot to take a picture when I made them, so instead I'll leave you with this image of bunbun at the beach this weekend. A bun-bum if you will.
xoxo
me
Realistically I will settle for bringing my husband and daughter together just long enough for him to lick his plate clean (an average of 2 1/2 minutes), and for her to get bored of being confined to the highchair and scream relentlessly to get down (only double the time it takes hubby to finish his meal). A notoriously slow eater to anyone who knows me, I will often sit for half an hour after the two of them leave the table, chewing thoughtfully and fending off tugs at my leg from the bunbun. Not my ideal scenario, but at least I can control part of our meals - the part that is on our plates.
I also have it set in my mind that my daughter will be an adventurous eater who will try anything once and who has no fears of bitter aftertastes or strange textures. Thus far... well, I have a lot of work to do. What can I say, I have a toddler. So I am constantly searching for recipes that will appeal to both our adult tastes (and love of all things spicy) and her persnickety palate. A recent addition to my mommy repertoire are these simple sweet potato- black bean cakes. I use mild chiles in the patties, but add spicy salsa on top for me and the hubs. They have their place on our plates next to rice and steamed veggies, with tortilla chips and spicy soup, or sandwiched in a bun with lettuce, tomato and onion. Regardless of their accompaniments they are a favorite with all three of us, and are a way to get us all to the table, if only for the time it takes to devour them.
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Patties*
Oil
2 small sweet potatoes or yams
1 4.5 oz can diced mild green chiles
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 egg
salt and pepper
pinch of smoked paprika
breadcrumbs, at least 1 cup (amount depends on how wet the mixture is)
Peel and dice the sweet potatoes, then boil them until soft (15-20 minutes). Drain, mash, and cool until they won't burn you. In a small skillet heat a teaspoon of oil over medium heat and add the garlic and the chiles, stirring until garlic is tender but not browned (2-3 minutes). Add chile mixture to sweet potatoes, along with black beans, egg, salt and pepper to taste and paprika. Mash the mixture with a fork to crush a few of the black beans (should still be very chunky). Then add breadcrumbs, a bit at a time, until mixture holds together well, but is still moist. Shape into patties and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Place under the broiler for about 5 minutes on each side, being careful not to let them burn. Serve however you like. They go great with a spicy, chunky salsa.
*This recipe was inspired by Cooking Books, which was in turn inspired by a few other people, but our internet was not working when I made these the first time, so I improvised on the ingredients and technique.
I found that adding the egg and more breadcrumbs makes them drier after they cook than you will expect, but they stay together nicely on a bun. Leaving the egg out and just putting in enough breadcrumbs to shape them into patties will give you crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside balls that are best eaten with a fork.
I forgot to take a picture when I made them, so instead I'll leave you with this image of bunbun at the beach this weekend. A bun-bum if you will.
xoxo
me
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