tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39466488137434931982024-03-08T19:26:22.156-05:00scratchLillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-42687079011350248852015-10-19T00:03:00.001-04:002015-10-19T00:05:19.821-04:00New BlogHi friends! Thanks for supporting me all of these years. I decided it was time for me to get more serious about this blogging thing, so that included me jumping ship to a new website. Follow me over at<br />
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<a href="http://scratch-eats.com/">scratch-eats.com</a><br />
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See you there!Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-82058998775025749232014-04-25T13:00:00.001-04:002014-04-25T13:00:46.584-04:00milking an almondWe don't use a lot of dairy products in our home. I do buy my bi-monthly gallon of milk to make yogurt with, and I like to keep a little on hand for cooking and baking, and we have a couple of our cheese staples, oh ... and butter. But seriously, compared to how much I used to rely on my milk and cheese, we're down A LOT. Part of it is because of what I've learned about what an excess of dairy products can do to you, but also because I'm lactose intolerant. Not severely, I don't notice it unless I consume too much, but enough to want to be extra cautious. But there are occasions when a nice creamy beverage of some sort is just a need. Am I the only one? Either for hot chocolate, or to add into cold or hot breakfast cereals, or frankly, just to drink. I do like to make my own soymilk occasionally, especially since I make my own tofu ... occasionally ... but it is a fairly long and laborious process. And sadly, I don't love the taste of fresh soymilk like I used to. I started buying almond milk, but then I discovered raw, homemade almond milk. And I just can't go back to the store bought stuff.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the past year or so, as we've made some adjustments to the way we eat, I've learned a lot about the health benefits of nuts and seeds. And especially about soaking them before hand. Nuts have a particular enzyme inhibitor which, when soaked, is released. And then all of this fabulous nutrition hidden inside is more readily available to digest. And you definitely want what's hidden in there. There are so many health benefits in nuts that unless you have an allergy, there is really no reason not to be eating them. You can follow this recipe with pretty much any nuts, but almonds have a nice balanced sweetness to them without an overwhelming flavor, so it's a good place to start. And I like this particular ratio of nuts to water (plenty creamy, but cost effective), but by all means, experiment with it.<br />
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Once you've run the nuts and water through your blender cycle, you simply strain it. At this point, I like to add a couple of possible flavorings. Sometimes I add the seeds of a vanilla bean, or if I'm feeling extra decadent, I like to add a couple of tablespoons of raw cacao powder to make chocolate almond milk. And once you try this, you might not ever go back to store bought almond milk. You can't compare it to the silky mouthfeel and clean taste of homemade.</div>
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Homemade Raw Almond Milk</div>
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makes roughly 1 quart</div>
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1 cup raw almonds</div>
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4 cups purified water</div>
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1-2 pitted Medjool dates (optional)</div>
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1 cinnamon stick (optional)</div>
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<ol>
<li>In a clean glass pitcher that holds at least 5 cups of liquid, combine all of the ingredients and let soak for 8-24 hours, or overnight.</li>
<li>Add the contents to the jar of your blender and let it run until the mixture looks very milky and frothy. If you don't have a high-speed blender, you might need to let it run extra long, but it'll still work just fine.</li>
<li>Pour the liquid into a nut milk bag or a piece of muslin over a fine mesh strainer, and squeeze out all of the milk into your desired container. Let chill and serve. </li>
</ol>
<div>
variations:</div>
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Once strained, you can clean out your blender jar and add the milk back in with your variation of choice:</div>
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seeds scraped from 1/2 of a vanilla bean</div>
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1-2 tablespoon raw cacao powder or cocoa powder</div>
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honey or pure maple syrup to taste (best if you don't start with the dates if you're using these)</div>
Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-76706746984210881112014-04-08T01:15:00.000-04:002014-04-08T01:15:00.707-04:00cravingsI'm pregnant. And not to be all overly-sentimental, but it really is magical to know that my body is making a person. I love each of my kids so much and I'd do anything for them. But, at least for me, with the miracle of pregnancy comes a couple of very unfortunate changes. Those changes are my sweet tooth and weight gain. Usually, I don't crave sweet things. I love my occasional chewy chocolate chip cookie or bright lemon tart, and let's not forget a super rich chocolate cake smothered in ganache. But, in general, I usually would prefer seconds on dinner over dessert. But once I get over the hurdle of the miserable first trimester morning sickness (which is a total misnomer! Whoever thought to make the world think that the nausea subsides in the afternoon was lying), and I finally have some energy again, I suddenly want chocolate. No, really, like all the time. It hurts.<br />
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And you're thinking, "pregnant lady, then just eat the darn chocolate." But I really shouldn't, right? Not every craving is telling me what my body needs. Some are just crazy pregnant lady pointless cravings. So what am I supposed to do? I can't go out and buy a box of double chocolate magnum bars every time it hits. As much as I want to.</div>
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This exact thing happened to me the other day. And I didn't even have cocoa powder in my pantry. I'm not sure how in the world that could have happened, but it did. And I panicked. My chocolate hankering was a need. I tried to distract myself with chores like doing the dishes, but then I magically got stopped by the pantry, and started digging around for chocolate. So I tried again to take my mind off of it by checking my email, and somehow I ended up on pinterest, searching for no bake cookie recipes. The amazing thing was that I found several nutritious versions which got my mind racing. Somehow, I was able to scrounge up some usable ingredients to experiment with, and I got to work right away. The cool thing is, it all came together in minutes and I was eating my "cookies" within the half hour. And I didn't even have to feel bad because they were good for me!<br />
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The trick to this recipe is the dates. They are the base of the whole cookie. They are the structure and the sweetness. The fabulous thing about dates, particularly the Medjool variety, is that they are not only sweet but have a caramel-like complexity to them. But not only that, they are really good for you! Dates are great at aiding in digestion due to their high fiber content. They also provide calcium, selenium, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, potassium, and a whole bunch of other beneficial nutrients. What's not to love, right?<br />
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Along with the dates, we're using coconut flakes, coconut oil, nut or seed butter, and oats, with the optional cacao nibs instead of chocolate chips. All of which love your body with fiber, protein, all sorts of vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and if you use the seed mix, you'll even get omega 3's and all sorts of other benefits.</div>
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<br /></div>
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... As far as quantity goes, we should probably be careful with these guys. They are addicting. Because even if they're made with good sugars and fats, they're sugars and fats. Too much is still too much. But go ahead and have a couple. It's definitely better than eating your traditional cookies. And you'd be surprised how tasty.</div>
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<div>
Nutritious no-bake, gluten-free, raw, vegan cookie bars</div>
<div>
makes 16</div>
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18 Medjool dates, pitted</div>
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1/2 cup rolled oats (gluten-free if needed)</div>
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1/2 cup chocolate chips (vegan if needed) or 3 tablespoons cacao nibs</div>
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2 tablespoons nut or seed butter (raw if needed)</div>
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2 tablespoons coconut oil, plus more for greasing the pan</div>
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1/4 cup unsweetened coconut flakes</div>
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pinch of coarse sea salt</div>
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raw seeds, optional (I always have a jar in my fridge with equal parts chia seeds, flax seeds, black and brown sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pepitas, and sliced almonds to sprinkle on my yogurt or in my smoothies or whatever. I liked it in these cookies, but they're not necessary for flavor or structure)</div>
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<ol>
<li>Generously grease an 8x8 baking pan with coconut oil.</li>
<li>Pulse the dates in the food processor until coarsely chopped. You may need to stop and redistribute the contents because they tend to clump up a bit.</li>
<li>Add all of the rest of the ingredients and pulse until medium chopped and well mixed. Don't over process, you want a little texture to it.</li>
<li>Press the mixture into the prepared pan and freeze for 15 minutes or until firm. Cut into 16 squares. Put uneaten pieces back in the freezer for later.</li>
</ol>
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Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-83638720979454344322014-04-03T23:54:00.004-04:002014-04-04T01:58:02.640-04:00birthday breakfastMy baby boy turned 2 today. Such a strange feeling. I mean, he is running and jumping like a two year old and feeding himself and speaks in sentences, so it shouldn't feel all that strange, but for some reason it does. I don't think I'll ever get over my children growing up. It's so thrilling to watch them learn and change and grow and become such remarkable people, but losing the baby-ness of it all is somehow so heartbreaking. Who knew parenthood would be two such extremes at the same time? I guess anyone who's had kids could have told me that. But it's one of those things I just didn't grasp until I had my own.<br />
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So one of our family birthday traditions is to have a special breakfast. And lunch. And dinner. And dessert--which is usually a cake of some kind. See, I'm not very good at fun kid stuff, and I'm working on that, but I've discovered, much like my mother, I show my love through food. So I ask my kids several days, sometimes even weeks, in advance what they want to eat on their birthdays. It's fun for me to hear the funny variety of things they'll say. Sometimes it's what we just ate for dinner, and sometimes it's something so way out of nowhere that I'm baffled at the response. But eventually, it starts to narrow down to one or two of their favorite meals. With my 4 year old it was "pink and chocolate and white chia pudding" and spaghetti and meatballs and a "big chocolate cake with ganache." With my oldest, it was very clearly a "pink cake with roses." But what do you expect to hear from a 2 year old? Not a whole lot past babbling. So my husband and I had to think really hard about the foods that he consistently enjoys. And we came up with a couple of very obvious ones. For breakfast it was either some form of eggs or waffles and cream and fruit. Dad, being the serious sweet food junkie that he is, of course tried to convince me baby boy likes waffles more. So it was decided on waffles. And though I would have loved to make some authentic Gaufres de Liege, I just didn't want to wake up at 4 am to start breakfast. (though unfortunately, thanks to a horrible thunderstorm I did end up wake up at 5:30 ... after which my scared little girls would not go back to sleep--which means neither did I ... but that's too long of a grumpy story for this particular piece of the internet) But I wanted that yeasty bite that comes with Gaufres de Liege. So why not make our favorite overnight yeast waffles instead? They're not dense and sturdy like the true Belgian waffle, but I'd say a pretty tasty relative. With a crisp crust and light-as-air crumb, soft enough that the roof of your mouth isn't raw at the end of the meal, but sturdy enough that it holds up to syrups and sauces and juicy berries and lots of whipped cream. Sounds like a dream, right? It kind of is.<br />
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Gah! Do you see that bubbly caramelization pattern on the crust?<br />
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And the best part? Starting the night before means pretty much no prep in the morning. You'll look like a hero come birthday morning because you've managed to make a spectacularly decadent breakfast while still getting to see the look on your baby's face as he opens each present and thanks his sisters and daddy and mommy for them. All the while your house starts to smell fabulously of vanilla and a caramelized yeasty crust forming. Oooh, I want some more. Let's get started.<br />
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Overnight yeast waffles<br />
makes 6-8 waffles (in a deep, Belgian style waffle iron)<br />
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1/2 cup warm water (100-110°F)<br />
2 1/4 (or 1 package) active dry yeast<br />
2 cups warm milk (100-110°F)<br />
1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled<br />
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt<br />
1 teaspoon granulated sugar<br />
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour<br />
2 eggs<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract<br />
pearl sugar or turbinado sugar for sprinkling, optional<br />
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Favorite waffle toppings<br />
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<ol>
<li>Start this batter the night before (or 8-12 hours before) you plan on cooking these waffles. In a large bowl, stir together the warm water and the yeast and let stand for 5 or so minutes to proof the yeast. Once the yeast is bubbles and frothy (proofed), add the milk, butter, salt and sugar, and mix well to combine. Add the flour and whisk vigorously to combine. You may want to use a hand mixer for this job. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let sit on the counter overnight.</li>
<li>In the morning, right before cooking the waffles, add the eggs, baking soda, and vanilla extract. Using a handheld mixer or a whisk, mix well until the eggs are well incorporated. Cook in your waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions. But before you close the lid on that waffle to cook, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon or so of the pearl or turbinado sugar over the top, if using. And I recommend that you do. I tend to prefer my waffles on a slightly darker crust setting. Serve hot with your favorite waffle toppings.</li>
</ol>
<div>
If making a large batch, keep your oven on the lowest temperature you can with wire cooling racks, and keep your cooked waffles in there until ready to serve.</div>
Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-66156091988016200242014-03-19T22:54:00.001-04:002014-04-10T15:22:35.105-04:00< beginnings of a home dairy >Let's talk about yogurt a little, friends. As far as I'm concerned, yogurt is the substance of life. We eat it for breakfast at least twice a week, but we also have it for snacks, use it in baked goods, use it in a dessert, serve it instead of sour cream when we have tacos for dinner, the possibilities are endless in my mind. But it gets expensive. Really expensive. Especially if you're trying to avoid synthetic hormones and antibiotics in your dairy. So a couple of years ago I started making my own yogurt, with very inconsistent results. One day it would be perfect, and the next it would be a curdled mess. But then about a year ago, I remembered that a good friend of mine had given me her old 2 quart maker, so I ventured out into the abyss that is my garage and miraculously dug out the box that it was in, and disinfected it and went to work. And it's completely changed my life. Yogurt couldn't possibly be simpler or more cost effective. (I make 1 gallon of organic yogurt every other week for $6! When I strain it for Greek-style yogurt, it ends up being about 3/4 gallon for $6. Where else could you buy that much yogurt for that cost?) Especially with the right tools. But I'm assuming not everyone has a generous friend who gives you a $50 piece of equipment for only one use, so I'm going to explain the whole process using your average-equipped-kitchen materials.<br />
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Basically, it boils down to a few simple steps. But knowing why we do these steps is pretty important to your success, I think.<br />
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<b>First, we heat the milk </b>(0%~whole and anything in between, but if you know me I never use lowfat, so I always make whole milk yogurt) <b>over low heat to 180°F</b> to kill any bacteria that will interfere with the culturing process that we're trying to control. It's important that you don't mess with the milk at this stage. No stirring. So when I say low heat, I mean very low. Yogurt cultures are persnickety this way and won't like to be bothered. And though you haven't added them yet, it's like they know somehow.<b> </b><br />
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<b>Let it cool back down to about 120°F</b>. Safer to err on the side of too cool than too hot here. 100°F~110°F is the ideal temperature for the live active cultures to work. Too cool and it could take days. Too hot and they'll die and your yogurt will curdle.<br />
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<b>Once cooled to just under 120°F, gently stir in the starter with about 1/4 of the warm milk</b>. The starter will be your favorite brand of PLAIN yogurt clearly labeled "live and active cultures". I like a tangy Greek yogurt, so I started with with a true Greek cultured yogurt. But choose the ones you like, and if you love the result, you can keep reusing it indefinitely. Just store a little bit of each batch for the next.<br />
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<b>Once well mixed, pour your mixed, tempered yogurt to the container you'll be incubating it in, add the rest of the warm milk, and give it another gentle stir, and then you incubate it in an environment that will maintain a temperature of about 100°F~110°F for 6~24 hours, depending on the result you want.</b> 6 hours will give you a thinner, more mellow yogurt flavor, 24 hours will be completely free of lactose (which might be good for some of you) but very strong. Almost ... gamey. I have lactose issues (along with the other 99% of Asians that do), so I go somewhere in between. Around 12~18 hours. I want as much lactose gone as possible, but the 24 hour yogurt just doesn't work for my palate. At this point, if you want that thick, Greek-style yogurt, You can line a sieve with cheesecloth or muslin over a bowl and drain for 4~6 hours until your desired consistency is reached.<br />
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Relatively simple, right? The incubating part might be a little daunting, but there are ways to make it work. This time, I poured the contents into a 1/2 gallon mason jar, wrapped it in foil and a quilt, and placed it in my oven. I had heated my oven to about 100°F and turned it off before adding my yogurt. It turned out beautifully. Some people who are lucky enough to have an oven light that you can turn on and off like to just leave the light on. The heat from the light bulb in there is apparently enough to maintain a warm environment.<br />
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Other options for incubating include placing your container in a cooler and adding a few glasses full of hot water next to your yogurt. Or placing it in a preheated and turned off slow cooker. Or if you're doing it in the Summer, just leave your yogurt in the sun, believe it or not. I liked the oven, though, since it seemed reliable. Of course I prefer my yogurt maker since it's designed to maintain the perfect temperature. So if you love the results, and I think you will, you might want to someday invest in a yogurt maker.<br />
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Tools that are necessary or that I recommend:<br />
candy thermometer or digital thermometer with an alarm. I bought <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80100406/" target="_blank">mine at IKEA</a> and love it<br />
large, non-reactive, heavy-bottomed pot<br />
cheesecloth or fine muslin<br />
fine mesh strainer (sometimes when you heat up the milk, there will be little pieces. You want to start with a smooth base)<br />
Metal spoon for stirring<br />
large container for incubating (preferably glass. non-reactive, doesn't give off flavor, and see-through!)<br />
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Let's get started, shall we?<br />
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Homemade yogurt<br />
<i>makes 1/2 gallon, easily halved or doubled</i><br />
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1/2 gallon of good quality, homogenized milk<br />
3 tablespoons (1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons) of your favorite plain yogurt with live and active cultures<br />
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<ol>
<li>In a large, non-reactive, heavy-bottomed sauce pan or pot, heat the milk over low heat until it reached 180°F (82°C). Don't stir the milk.</li>
<li>Once heated, let the milk cool to 120°F (48°C). You can speed up this process by placing your saucepan inside a large bowl full of ice water, or transferring your milk into a small bowl that will fit inside a larger bowl full of ice water. Taking care not to get any water into the milk.</li>
<li>Once the milk has cooled down to 120°F (or a little lower), put the yogurt in the container you will be using to incubate it in. Pouring through a fine mesh strainer to catch any bits or the skin that has formed, pour about 1/4 of your milk into your container with the yogurt. Stir <b>gently</b> with your metal spoon.</li>
<li>Once incorporated, add the rest of the milk mixture through the strainer as well. Give it another gentle stir, cover, and incubate for 6~24 hours, depending on desired consistency. (Suggested incubation methods above)</li>
<li>If you want a thick, Greek-style yogurt, line a sieve with a piece of clean, damp cheesecloth or muslin, place it over a bowl and pour in your yogurt. Let it strain for 4~6 hours until desired thickness is reached.</li>
</ol>
The coolest thing about this is that once you make it the first time, you never have to buy yogurt again! You can just reserve your 6 tablespoons from your last batch and use it when you're ready to make your next batch. So from now on, your gallon of half gallon of yogurt will only cost you the price of the milk. Not bad, right?Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-49953624237157737232014-03-02T23:54:00.003-05:002014-03-02T23:54:58.396-05:00< so many uses >Remember my <a href="http://scratch-eats.blogspot.com/2014/02/it-seems-im-on-bit-of-chia-seed-kick.html" target="_blank">chia jam</a>? Well, I did more than put it on bread or pancakes or waffles. I put it in a tart. With lightly sweetened créme fraiche. In a crumbly and crisp and sandy and slightly sweet cornmeal browned butter tart crust. And it was fabulous. My family and I accidentally ate the entire thing for second breakfast. Totally worth it.<br />
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Usually I feel really wordy, but I'm not sure I have much else to say. You know you want to try it. And by the way, this took me from start to finish, less than an hour. The crust is unbelievably easy, thanks to no chilling or rolling (just be careful when pressing in the crust to avoid cracking), and I'm embarrassed giving you a "recipe" for the filling because it's really something anyone could figure out. But the combination is sublime. So got for it. Make it for second breakfast. Or elevenses.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Blackberry jam and créme fraiche tart in a cornmeal crust</div>
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<i>adapted from <a href="http://food52.com/recipes/13271-paule-caillat-s-brown-butter-tart-crust" target="_blank">Paule Caillat's brown butter tart crust</a></i></div>
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makes 1 9-inch tart</div>
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for the crust:</div>
6 tablespoons unsalted butter<br />
1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil<br />
3 tablespoons water<br />
1 tablespoon sugar<br />
pinch of salt<br />
5 ounces unbleached all purpose flour<br />
2 tablespoons cornmeal (preferably stone ground)<br />
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract<br />
<br />
for the filling:<br />
1/2 cup créme fraiche<br />
1 tablespoon raw honey*<br />
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup*<br />
1/3 cup<a href="http://scratch-eats.blogspot.com/2014/02/it-seems-im-on-bit-of-chia-seed-kick.html" target="_blank"> blackberry chia jam</a> or your favorite berry jam (blackberry somehow goes especially well with the cornmeal crust, but honestly any jam will be good on this)<br />
*use your favorite sweetener for this. And do it more to taste. I liked it very lightly sweetened, I like the tang of the créme fraiche to shine through. But it's really up to you when you eat it. Just know if you're coming to my house for lunch, it'll be tangy.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Preheat the oven to 410°F. In a 4-cup or larger oven-proof bowl, combine the butter, coconut oil, water, salt, and sugar. Place in the hot oven for 15-20 minutes until the mixture is bubbling and the butter begins to brown. Remove the bowl from the oven and add the flour, cornmeal, and vanilla. Stir vigorously until it forms a ball that pulls away from the sides of the bowl with ease. If necessary, add more flour, one tablespoon at a time.</li>
<li>Once the dough is cool enough to touch, form a slight disc shape and place it in the middle of your 8.5 or 9 inch tart pan. (Don't use a nonstick tart pan) Using your fingers, gently press the dough evenly throughout the pan. Use the bottom and sides of a measuring cup to continue pressing and smooth out the shape. You can use excess to piece together thin or cracking parts, but try to avoid cracks and piecing if you can, for appearance.</li>
<li>Place the tart pan on a baking sheet, prick the base evenly with a fork, and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and shows very fine cracks. Set aside to cool.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, mix together the créme fraiche, honey, and maple syrup together in a small bowl. Once the tart shell has cooled completely, carefully spread the sweetened créme fraiche evenly on the bottom of the crust. Then either with a knife or the back of a spoon, spread the jam over the créme fraiche mixture. If it's too soft, chill the filled crust before adding the jam. I left a slight border around the jam to show the layers. Serve within a few hours to avoid a soggy crust. Enjoy!</li>
</ol>
Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-50996981315092484262014-02-22T00:04:00.003-05:002014-02-22T19:15:17.082-05:00< on a kick >It seems I'm on a bit of a chia seed kick lately. But honestly, I just use them a lot, and love finding new and exciting ways to eat them. This past week at my grocery store, blackberries were on super sale, so I bought several crates and froze a bunch, ate a bunch, and set the rest aside for jam. My husband thinks freezer jam is the sustenance of life, so whenever berries are cheap, I buy as much as I can and make several batches. But it's not something I really love to do for a couple of reasons. First of all, it's kind of a messy, big project. Sure, it's easy, but blackberries in particular stain anything they touch, and crushing them squirts juice all over the place. If you use a food processor (my preferred method) and make as large of a batch as I do, you have a lot of scraping and measuring to do. And all of that to add a bunch of refined sugar and pectin to an otherwise idealistically healthy food. Just never settled quite right with me. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE it. And we use it on everything. But knowing how fast my family goes through this stuff, I wanted to try an alternative. And chia seeds were my magical answer. With chia seeds, you don't have to use any added pectin, and guess what! No refined sugar. No sugar at all, if the berries you are using are plenty sweet. Unfortunately, blackberries are a little less predictable than, say, the perfect batch of Summer strawberries freshly picked from a u-pick farm. (Unless you live in glorious Oregon where they grow wild and are luscious, sweet, juicy little morsels without the slightest hint of bitterness ... not the case for store bought ones. Especially store bought ones in the middle of February) So I did use some honey. And loved it. Jam made with 3 super health foods and no other ingredients? I can live with that. And you know what else is awesome? You can totally freeze it just like any other freezer jam. Thaws like nothing happened.<br />
<br />
Go ahead and research the health benefits of blackberries, honey, and <a href="http://scratch-eats.blogspot.com/2014/02/happy-valentines-day-friends-i-had.html" target="_blank">I've already told you about chia seeds</a>. I think you'll agree that this is a great way to go. Maybe along side a few jars of traditional freezer jam:)<br />
<br />
Chia seed blackberry jam<br />
makes about 4 cups<br />
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4 (ish) cups blackberries (or any other berry you want to use), gently washed and dried<br />
2 tablespoons chia seeds<br />
small pinch of fine sea salt, optional<br />
honey or any sweetener of choice to taste, optional<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Place all of your blackberries and salt (if using) into the bowl of the food processor or a high speed blender and pulse a few times. Add the chia seeds and sweetener to taste. Let the machine run for a few seconds until the desired consistency is reached. Distribute the jam into clean, freezer-safe containers (if planning to freeze), and let rest in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight. (this allows the chia seeds to combine and gel with the liquid from the blackberries and get the right jammy consistency) At this point you can freeze them. Thaw completely before using.</li>
</ol>
Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-9885341521015177402014-02-14T11:04:00.003-05:002015-09-20T23:58:55.410-04:00< sweet way to wake up ><span style="font-family: inherit;">Happy Valentine's day, friends! I had these grand plans to make a special breakfast full of heart-shaped hand pies and and a creamy, pink smoothie for breakfast today, but our car started having problems and my sweetie had to take it in to the shop early before heading to school, so our morning plans were cut short. So I think the hand pies will have to wait until tomorrow. Instead, we had one of our favorite usual breakfasts: Chia seed pudding. And not just any chia seed pudding, but a creamy coconut pudding.</span><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-90TUvHxptn0/Uv45j9cWxII/AAAAAAAAJ7k/P5fRUG0iMMM/s1600/IMG_0972.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-90TUvHxptn0/Uv45j9cWxII/AAAAAAAAJ7k/P5fRUG0iMMM/s1600/IMG_0972.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The texture is more like the coconut milk tapioca "pudding" I grew up eating. Or use less liquid, and it'll be more like American tapioca pudding. Yum, right? Adding coconut has it's health benefits, too. Coconuts are high in fiber, vitamins C, E, and a bunch of the B's, magnesium (which most Americans are deficient in), and phospherus. The coconut milk doesn't have the fiber, so topping it with coconut is not only nice for your palate, the rest of your body will thank you for it, too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So go ahead and make some coconut chia pudding and eat dessert for breakfast and feel good knowing you're doing some good for your body.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Coconut Chia Seed pudding with fruit</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">serves 6-8</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>I know this is a really large portion. We always have a little left over for a snack later in the day. I used to make half of this, and my kids were always asking for more. So if it works better for you, by all means halve this recipe. And use the rest of the coconut milk in curry for dinner, maybe? Or a smoothie! Yum!</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 can coconut milk*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">enough almond milk (or other milk you want to use) to make 5 cups of liquid in combination with the coconut milk</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2/3 cups chia seeds</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">raw honey or pure maple syrup to taste</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">coconut flakes to sprinkle on top (<i>optional</i>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">chopped fruit*</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>*notes: for the coconut milk, make sure you buy coconut milk, not cream of coconut. And don't go light on this. The fat in coconut milk is mostly lauric acid, which "<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.5px;"><a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/ingredient-focus-coconut-milk" target="_blank">is converted in the body into a highly beneficial compound called monolaurin, an antiviral and antibacterial that destroys a wide variety of disease causing organisms.</a>" So feel good about the fat you're eating. I don't believe in low fat anyway.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.5px;"><i>And today I served it with strawberries in the shape of hearts, but usually we like to eat it with fresh pineapple or oranges. But really, I think most fruit would be good in this. Ripe peaches in the middle peach season! Can you imagine?</i></span></span><br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="line-height: 22.5px;">In a large container (I use a half-gallon mason jar, but you can easily do 2 quart sized jars), combine the coconut milk, almond milk, chia seeds, and sweetener. If using a jar, put the lid on the shake until well combined. If using a bowl, stir until well combined. For the first 20 minutes, you'll want to give it another shake or stir a few times until it's thickened enough for the seeds to be evenly distributed and suspended in the liquid. Otherwise, you'll have a huge, extra thick clump on the bottom and a thin liquid on top. Once the seeds are suspended, it's ready for the fridge. Stick it in the fridge overnight, or at least 4 hours. Serve with fresh fruit and coconut flakes (and an extra drizzle of honey if you like it extra sweet).</span></li>
</ol>
Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-23484697304920923292014-02-13T06:00:00.000-05:002014-02-13T06:00:01.604-05:00< winter blues breakfast >We've had a long Winter here in central Illinois. The never ending sub-zero temperatures, the snow, the wind. It's hard to get out of my warm and cozy bed sometimes. Especially to get up and make breakfast for my hungry little monsters because, well, we live in an old house. And the kitchen is the biggest room in the house. Awesome, right? Yes, except there's only one teeny tiny vent in that biggest room in the house, and that vent seems to be the last on the route for the warm air because the air coming out of it doesn't feel as warm as in other rooms. Could be my imagination, but I don't think it is. I usually have to add extra layers to go in there.<br />
<br />
So on those bitter cold mornings, I have to have a plan to keep us warm. Some mornings that's making muffins or German pancakes just so I have an excuse to turn on the oven. But more likely is a hot bowl of oatmeal or multi-grain porridge. My kids love it, and I've learned to appreciate it. And it's a good heat you up from the inside, stick-to-your-ribs kind of breakfast.<br />
<br />
See, I didn't grow up on sweet porridges. I grew up on savory breakfasts. I still don't like donuts or any other extremely sweet food first thing in the morning. I like my eggs and toast and hashbrowns or miso soup and rice and vegetables. But I have a serious sweet tooth husband who is the master pancake maker (mainly because early in our marriage he realized that if he wanted his beloved sweet pancakes for breakfast, he would have to learn to make them himself--and learn he did. They really are the best pancakes ever), and 3 little kids who have a little bit of both of us in them. And oatmeal is our happy compromise. It's nutritious and dense and hearty and can be customized however you want. <a href="http://everydayfoodblog.marthastewart.com/2012/12/healthy-start-savory-oats.html" target="_blank">I eat mine savory sometimes</a>, while everyone else eats their sweet. And other times I join in on the fun.<br />
<br />
But sorry to say, I still don't like your standard rolled oats porridge. It's a little too gluey for my palate. Maybe it's the foreigner in me. Yes, let's blame it on that. But I do really like steel cut oats. It has a sturdier mouthfeel that is so much more pleasing to me. But who wants to stand over a stove, stirring for over 30 minutes just for a your usual weekday morning meal? As I've mentioned before, I'm not a morning person. So my answer would definitely be: not me. And I know there are a lot of slow-cooker methods out there for overnight oats, but the ones I've tried all end up with crusty edges that you can't use or more complicated water baths and such. If any of you have experienced the frustrations that I have, hopefully this method will help. And you know the awesome part? If you have leftovers, pop them in the fridge and reheat when you want to eat them. They don't get gluey-er, they just get creamier.<br />
<br />
So here is the basic overnight oatmeal recipe and a multi-grain porridge variation for you to try. You'll never go back.<br />
<br />
Stove top overnight steel cut oatmeal (and multi-grain porridge variation)<br />
makes about 6 servings (depending on how much you consider to be 1 serving)<br />
<i>adapted from <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-steelcut-oats-for-134185" target="_blank">the kitchn's overnight steel cut oats</a></i><br />
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2 cups steel cut oats<br />
6 cups water<br />
large pinch of salt<br />
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (omit if serving savory)<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>In a medium or large sauce pan, heat the water, oats, and salt over high heat. Once it reaches a boil, turn off the heat, put the lid on it, and let it sit over night. Reheat in the morning. You may need to add milk or water to loosen it up depending on desired thickness. Top with your favorite oatmeal toppings.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Multi-grain porridge variation:</div>
<div>
1 cup steel cut oats</div>
<div>
1/3 cup mixed whole grain or brown rice, rinsed thoroughly</div>
<div>
1/3 cup millet</div>
<div>
1/3 cup quinoa, rinsed thoroughly</div>
<div>
6 cups water</div>
<div>
large pinch of salt</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Follow the instructions above for the standard steel cut oats.</div>
Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-11379297918460032512014-02-11T06:30:00.000-05:002014-02-11T13:24:37.511-05:00< most important meal of the day >When I was in high school, I attended and early morning scripture study class. I had to get up at 5 am and had to leave the house by 5:45. And somehow my mom woke up every morning when I did, and while I was in the shower, she managed to get a hot breakfast ready for me. It was usually a bowl of rice with a Japanese style omelet, and a bowl of miso soup. Or sometimes a fried egg, some vegetables, and toast. Whatever it was, I think I kind of took it for granted because that's just what Japanese moms do. They show their love through the food they make. And I think a part of me has adapted that, thank goodness, but I also think I'm a little more laid back (translated: lazy) than most Japanese moms, and I also have a very kind and understanding husband who lets his sometimes sleep-deprived and exhausted, not-a-morning-person wife sleep in. And for mornings like that, I need to have quick things prepared for him to grab and go in the pantry.<br>
<br>
Cereal, you ask? Go ahead and roll your eyes at me because I don't buy cold cereal like most people, but instead I make my own. But let me defend myself here before you all think I'm some sort of pretentious snob. Yes, I try to avoid processed foods. And yes, I try to use more whole, nutritious foods. But that's not news to anybody, right? And guess what? It's just cheaper to make it yourself. And it's not a whole lot of work. Stir the ingredients together, toss it on a baking sheet, put it in the oven, set the timer, and walk away. Then pull it out of the oven, let it cool, put it in an airtight container to use all week. Not bad, right? Hands on time, maybe 10 minutes. Maybe. We all have 10 minutes, don't we? And I feel good about what I'm feeding my family, which is the best part. So give it a shot, I don't think you'll be disappointed.<br>
<br>
Homemade cold cereal<br>
Makes about 8 cups of cereal<br>
<i>adapted from <a href="http://www.wholeliving.com/185444/toasted-muesli-millet-coconut-pistachios-and-cranberries" target="_blank">whole living's recipe for toasted muesli</a> by <a href="http://www.cannellevanille.com/" target="_blank">Aran Goyoaga of Cannelle et Vanille</a></i><br>
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boiling water (enough to cover millet)<br>
1/2 cup millet<br>
2 cups rolled oats (make sure and get certified gluten-free oats if it needs to be gluten-free)<br>
1 cup almonds (or any other nut or seed of choice) chopped small<br>
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes<br>
1/4 cup ground flax seeds<br>
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract or scrape out 1 vanilla bean<br>
1/2 cup honey<br>
2 tablespoons brown sugar, (optional, see note)<br>
2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil<br>
1 teaspoon fine sea salt<br>
1 oz (or however much or little you want) freeze dried strawberries (see note)<br>
<br>
<i>note: the brown sugar isn't a must. The cane sugar helps to encourage the dry ingredients to "clump" together. If you omit it, the resulting cereal will have a looser consistency. I prefer the clumps, but it's a matter of personal preference, really. Also, you can replace the strawberries with any freeze-dried or dried fruit, or even chocolate chips for a more decadent treat. Totally customizable.</i><br>
<br>
<ol>
<li>In a medium bowl, pour the boiling water over the millet and let sit for 30 minutes to soften.</li>
<li>Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. Drain the millet in a fine mesh strainer. In a large bowl, combine the millet, oats, almonds (or other nuts or seeds), flax seeds, coconut flakes, and vanilla.</li>
<li>In a small sauce pan, heat the honey, salt, coconut oil, and brown sugar until melted and sugar and salt are dissolved. Pour over the oat mixture and stir well to combine.</li>
<li>Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and pat down so that it's an even, thin layer. Place in the oven, tossing once, until golden brown. 20-30 minutes. Let col completely.</li>
<li>Once cooled, add the freeze dried strawberries, and place in an airtight container for up to two weeks.</li>
</ol>
Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-73028064496324070052014-02-09T19:16:00.003-05:002014-03-01T21:16:18.365-05:00< Find something you're passionate about >Hi friends. I hope you've missed me half as much as I've missed being on here. It's really hard for me to articulate the reason for my very long absence, but let me just sum it up by saying I've been going through a lot of changes and research and honestly, a lack of inspiration. I'm not exactly sure where it all began or how I found myself in it. But during my new "self-discovery" (for lack of a better term), I came across a quote from the wise and charming Julia Child:<br />
<br />
"Find something you're passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it."<br />
<br />
And it occurred to me that even our passions deserve care and attention and ... well, work. And I think I've been riding on my passion to create it's own creativity and inspiration instead of working hard for it sometimes. And this last year or so I've been working hard. In a different way. I've been in my kitchen rediscovering what food means to me. I don't think my philosophy has changed, except that I feel it with greater strength. Each meal I prepare means more to me because I put more thought into it.<br />
<br />
You know that magical friendship where you might not talk to each other for months or even years and when you finally pick up the phone or go out to lunch, you can pick up right where you left off? Let's be those friends. I'm back. And we're still besties:)<br />
<br />
One of the big changes our family has gone through in the past year is that we eat a lot less meat. We're not vegetarians by any stretch of the imagination, and if I claimed to be, I think I would be insulting the discipline and life choices of the admirable people who choose to live their lives that way. But we do eat a lot less meat. And the meat we do eat, we avoid (or have eliminated as much as we can control) CAFO meats. And the produce we eat is mostly organic. So when you read my recipes just know that I'm using free-range meats and mostly organic produce, and of course you don't have to. I won't write it in my recipes unless it could comprise the integrity of the dish. And it's probably no surprise to anyone that a person like myself that feels so strongly about knowing what's in my food and therefore cooks mostly from scratch would make that change. I don't tell you this to get on a soapbox or to belittle anyone else's choices. It's just me being transparent. I think the more I research health, the more I realize that there's no umbrella magical answer for health. We all need to find our own path to optimum health. For some that's the choice to eat a completely plant-based diet, for some a paleo diet, for some gluten-free, for some dairy-free, soy-free, whole grains, from scratch, growing a home garden, and the list goes on. But I think the one thing we can all agree on is that we need to be eating more vegetables. So let's start there, shall we?<br />
<br />
I have a good friend, Jill, who is a vegetarian. She is one of those people that is real and down to earth, but is so on top of life. And she gets that she can't do everything, but she does everything she can with her whole heart. And she's a foodie. So we can sit and talk food and health for hours and run out of time. And since meeting Jill, I've been on a quest to invent a vegetarian Bolognese sauce. It's one of my absolute favorite things, a real comfort food for me. But coming up with a meat-free version that is just as hearty and rich in umami flavors is hard to accomplish. But I came across a post from <a href="http://norecipes.com/" target="_blank">a favorite food blogger of mine</a> that explains <a href="http://norecipes.com/vegan-ground-meat/" target="_blank">how to make vegetarian "ground meat" using tofu</a> and I decided to give it a shot. And it's pretty much changed my life. As long as you season it well with aromatics and umami packed foods like mushrooms, you'd be surprised how much you won't miss the meat. You won't even notice. I tested it on a couple of manly men including my husband yesterday, and they had no clue and raved about it. I think that says it all. So if you're joining the Meatless Monday movement, or if you just want some variation, give it a try. Just keep in mind because of freezing and thawing time for the tofu, this will take a couple of days of not-hands-on time.<br />
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Meatless Bolognese Sauce<br />
makes enough for 1 9x13 lasagne or 1 lb of pasta plus lots of leftovers for a rainy day<br />
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<span style="color: #ea9999;">updated 3.1.2014: I just made this for the hundredth time for dinner and discovered a couple of minor adjustments that helped develop even richer flavor. I added that in this color.</span><br />
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Ingredients:<br />
1 large onion, peeled and quartered<br />
2 medium carrots, scrubbed and cut into large chunks<br />
2 stalks of celery, cleaned and cut into large pieces<br />
2-3 cloves garlic, minced<br />
8 oz cremini mushrooms<br />
4 oz shiitake mushrooms<br />
3 28oz cans whole, peeled tomatoes<br />
1 14oz package firm or extra firm organic or Non-GMO verified* tofu<br />
1 sprig fresh thyme<br />
2 bay leaves<br />
1 bunch of basil, separated<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
<span style="color: #e06666;">2</span> tablespoons butter, separated<br />
<span style="color: #e06666;">2</span> tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, separated<br />
<span style="color: #e06666;">depending on the tomatoes you use, you may need some honey to taste (if you stick with San Marzano tomatoes, which I recommend, you most likely won't need to sweeten your sauce, but some canned tomatoes are very tart)</span><br />
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*soybeans are one of the most commonly genetically modified foods on the market, so it's best to stick with organic or non-GMO verified products.<br />
<ol>
<li>3 days before you plan to make the sauce, place your tofu (still in the package) in the freezer and let freeze completely. 24 or so hours before you plan to use it, pull the tofu out of the freezer and let thaw completely in the refrigerator. Once completely thawed, place a colander in a clean sink, and while holding the block of tofu in between your two flat hands (in order to maintain the shape), press gently under cool, running water. The more you rinse, the more of the "soybean" smell you'll get out, so rinse and squeeze several times. Once you've sufficiently rinsed the tofu, squeeze out as much excess liquid as possible, crumble into little pieces, and let rest in the colander to drain some more while preparing the other ingredients.</li>
<li>Place onion, carrot, and celery in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until chopped very fine. You may need to scrape down the sides a few times.</li>
<li>In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, heat <span style="color: #e06666;">1 tablespoon each of</span> the butter and olive oil over medium heat until butter is barely melted. Add the chopped vegetables, season lightly with salt, and sauté until liquid begins to release. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates. </li>
<li>Meanwhile, prepare the mushrooms. Using a damp paper towel, thoroughly wipe the mushrooms clean. (Don't immerse mushrooms in water. Mushrooms are like sponges, and they will get water-logged, which will result in slimy mushrooms) Remove the stems, chop into medium pieces, then pulse in the food processor until chopped medium-fine. You don't want the mushrooms to turn into a paste, so just pulse a few times until it resembles the rubber on a running track. (nice image for food, huh? Sorry, I couldn't come up with something more appetizing that would describe it quite right)</li>
<li>Once the liquid has evaporated from the mirepoix, you want to keep an eye on it, stirring frequently. The vegetables will start to stick together and get some nice color. Keep stirring and scraping up browned bits off of the bottom of the pot, until a nice, dark brown.</li>
<li>Add the mushrooms <span style="color: #e06666;">and garlic </span>and stir frequently. It will also release a lot of liquid so stir occasionally until the liquid has evaporated. <span style="color: #e06666;">Remove the mushroom-mirepoix mixture from the pan. Add the remaining butter and olive oil, add</span> the crumbled tofu and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Continue to stir, breaking up big clumps of tofu, until the tofu gets some color. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant. <span style="color: #e06666;">Add the mushroom mixture back to the pot and stir to combine.</span></li>
<li>Pour the tomatoes and their juices into a large bowl and carefully crush with clean hands until large pieces are broken up. Add to the pot. Stir to combine. Pick off the basil leaves and tear into smaller pieces Add the thyme, bay leaf, and half of the basil. Let simmer for 1~2 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Add the remaining basil leaves <span style="color: #e06666;">and honey, if using</span>. Season with salt and pepper to taste, serve with hot pasta.</li>
</ol>
<ol>
</ol>
Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-79937341277152174572013-03-04T21:26:00.001-05:002014-02-09T20:30:04.229-05:00"Let food be thy medicine ..."" ... and medicine be thy food." -Hypocrites<br />
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I've always been interested in this concept. And really, that's where my cooking-from-scratch journey began. I wanted to understand the process that my food went through, and eliminate as much synthetic processing that went into it as possible.<br />
<br />
See, when I was a kid, I just loved to eat. I was 5'9" by the time I was in 8th grade, and "big boned" (except I am quite literally ...) and I thought there was something wrong with me. I felt like food was my enemy and also my best friend. And then when I was a newlywed, I was so excited to cook for someone (not to mention he loved being cooked for ...) so I cooked delicious food--not paying attention to the cost. Which was my weight. Then I had babies. And when I have babies I gain weight. I'm sure my friends reading this chuckle to themselves because they know exactly what I mean when I say I gain weight. Almost every pregnant woman gains some weight. Not me. I gain SERIOUS weight. And like I mentioned, I wasn't petite to begin with.<br />
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But I've always had otherwise healthy pregnancies and deliveries and recoveries, and thank goodness I've lost all of the weight fairly easily. And really, I've always had pretty good overall health, which I think is a blessing and miracle considering what little I knew about nutrition. But I guess with each child my concern for health became bigger. I started to realize that weight is only a symptom of health, not the definition. And with 2 little girls to raise, I had to figure that out fast before the world told them otherwise. As a foodie I am determined to teach my children to respect food. I want them to learn to love and appreciate delicate and robust flavors alike, to recognize them, to cherish them, to savor them. But I also wanted to provide them with wholesome, nutritious food. I want them to live long, healthy lives. And I think it's my duty to start that process right for them.<br />
<br />
So how does this food-addict do that? I had to re-teach myself what food meant to me first. Sure, it's a beautiful source of joy and comfort. If it wasn't, I wouldn't be me. And I wouldn't feel human. But I've slowly started to realize that health and flavor don't have to disagree with each other. That's not to say I don't enjoy a decadent dessert once in a while (you know, the kind that has absolutely no nutritional value to speak of?), but I actually have learned to ENJOY it. And then stop while I'm still wanting. And don't bother when I don't enjoy it. It's like Anton Ego says in the Disney movie Ratatouille: "If I don't love it, I don't swallow." (Of course there are circumstances where manners come into play, but you get my point.)<br />
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Some of my research has led me to sprouting. It's fun, easy, my kids can help, and packed with nutrition. (<a href="http://www.thedailyrawcafe.com/2007/10/how-to-sprout-garbanzo-beans-chickpeas.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <span id="goog_557150835"></span><a href="http://www.nomeatathlete.com/how-to-sprout-beans-seeds/" target="_blank">here</a><span id="goog_557150836"></span><span id="goog_557150839"></span><span id="goog_557150840"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a> and <a href="http://thestonesoup.com/blog/2012/08/5-things-you-should-know-about-sprouting-at-home-step-by-step-guide/" target="_blank">here</a> you'll find good links to explain why sprouting is so good for you) So it was a good place to experiment. We made raw, sprouted chickpea hummus. And devoured it. And made it again and again.<br />
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I'm not saying I'm suddenly a nutritionist, but this has been a journey for me. I don't think I'll ever stop loving a good buttery dinner roll or sweet and rich panna cotta, but I'm really enjoying the challenge of coming up with delicious food that my body (and my family members bodies) will thank me for.<br />
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Raw, Sprouted Chickpea Hummus<br />
makes about 2 cups<br />
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* keep in mind that this is including soaking and sprouting time, so it'll take up to 4 days from start to finish. But once the beans are sprouted, it really only takes about 15 seconds to pull together<br />
** I also recommend splurging a little and getting the highest quality ingredients that you can afford. This recipe relies so much on the depth of flavor of each individual ingredient because there are so few. So don't skimp!<br />
*** You'll need either a sprouting jar and lid or some way to rinse and strain the beans while sprouting. I bought <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sprout-Ease-Econo-Sprouter-Toppers-Set-Piece/dp/B005P0SM8W/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1362449304&sr=8-3&keywords=sprouting+jar+lids" target="_blank">these lids</a> for a standard wide mouth canning jar at my local food co-op for $3.50 total, but you can also find good deals elsewhere. I've seen people use their usual metal canning jar rings and cut a piece of metal netting to fit inside. Or you could use a double layer of cheesecloth and just put a rubber band around it. (But for simplicity's sake, I'm going to describe the process using a simple caning jar and sprouting lid I purchased) Be creative, do your research, it's so easy to start!<br />
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1.5 cups dried (preferably organic) chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans)<br />
2~3 tablespoons tahini<br />
juice of 1/2 lemon (keep the other half handy just in case)<br />
1 large clove of garlic, minced<br />
1/2 t coarse salt (or more to taste)<br />
4~5 tablespoons good quality extra virgin olive oil<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>spread the dried chickpeas on a large flat surface and pick through for any tiny rocks or debris. Then place the beans in a large canning jar, big enough to hold at least double the size of the beans. Fill the jar with cool, filtered water. Let soak for 8-12 hours.</li>
<li>Once the beans look plumped and no longer dry and hard, put your sprouting lid on and drain the water out. Let the jar rest upside-down at about a 45° angle out of direct sunlight. Rinse and drain 3-4 times a day until you start to see sprouts. This will take a couple of days. I usually stop growing them when the sprouts are still quite short. Use immediately or refrigerate and use within a few days. (if refrigerating, you'll want to rinse them once a day still)</li>
<li>In the bowl of a food processor, combine the garlic, lemon juice, tahini, and salt and pulse to combine. Add the chickpeas and let run until it starts to clump up. Add some clean water, 1 tablespoon at a time just until the beans no longer clump up. They will not be smooth yet. With the motor running, slowly pour in the olive oil. Continue to let the food processor run until the hummus is smooth. This may take a while because these beans are not cooked. If you need to, add a little bit more water, a little bit at a time. Add more salt or lemon to taste.</li>
<li>Serve with crisp vegetables, pita, feta, and herbs. Enjoy!</li>
</ol>
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<br />Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-5432740163604910302013-01-13T23:27:00.002-05:002014-02-09T20:30:31.868-05:00family favorite<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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My Aunt Carolyn is a fabulous cook. Fabulous. And she is famous for her incredible dinner rolls. They are tender and yeasty and sweet and buttery and fluffy and everything you want in an old fashioned American-style dinner roll. But better.<br />
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We have spent Thanksgiving with our dear friends in Elkhart for the last 4 years, and every year now it's been my job to make these rolls. I like being a huge contribution to the feast, but I think it says more about the rolls than me;)<br />
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I've made them probably a hundred times now, and even if I can't seem to get them quite as good as when she makes them, I'm proud of the result. And with her permission, I'm sharing them with you today. And you might not ever make another dinner roll recipe ever again.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;">Carolyn's Dinner Rolls</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;"><b>makes 24 rolls</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: 14px;">2-1/2 cups warm water (about 110°F)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">1/2 cups granulated sugar</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">2/3 cups powdered milk</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">1/3 cups butter, plus more for brushing on the pan and the rolls</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">3 tablespoons rapid rise yeast</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">1 egg</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">2 teaspoons salt</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 14px;">7~7-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour</span></span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;">Pour water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add powdered milk, sugar, and yeast. Mix with whisk attachment until combined. Let the yeast proof.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;">Add egg and cooled melted butter. Mix.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;">Switch to the dough hook attachment and add 5 C flour and mix for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides, and add salt. Beat for another 4-5 minutes until the mixture is smooth and very elastic. Add 1 more C of flour. As you beat the dough, continue adding flour a little at a time until the dough is still slightly sticky.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;">Cover and let stand until double it's size.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;">Punch down and divide into 2 equal parts.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;">Roll each part into a circle 18 inches in diameter. Brush with a thin layer of melted butter. Cut into 12 wedges. Place the wide part of the wedge closest to you, tuck in the sides, and roll. Place on a buttered baking sheet with the point of the rolled wedge down. Let rise in a warm place until double it's size. Place in a preheated 350°F oven and bake 10~12 minutes until golden brown. Brush with butter when done.</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: 14px;">Sometimes I like to make these smaller, so on step 5 I'll cut it into 4 equal parts and follow the rest of the instructions the same. Baking time changes to about 8~10 minutes, but they are still a decent size. Enjoy!</span><br />
<br />Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-48162397989440753612012-12-21T19:18:00.000-05:002012-12-21T21:01:38.603-05:00soul satisfyingHi there, friends! It's been a long time. Way too long. I don't have much of an excuse, but let me try so you understand. I still love to cook, don't worry. But I had a baby, moved, traveled, moved again, and then the holidays started. And I guess this took a back seat. And I regret that.<br />
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My friends and I started a friends "Biggest Loser" which was an attempt to support each other in healthy weight loss. I still have about 8 pounds of my 80 (yes 80!) lbs I gained during pregnancy, so this has been a great motivation. And since we're sharing healthy ideas and recipes, it's helped to get me back on track with this blog.<br />
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About a year and a half ago, my friend Beth decided to have a small get together for her birthday at a restaurant in Bloomington called Turkuaz cafe. It's a Turkish restaurant, and with the minimal experience I have with Turkish food, I was really excited to try. And since then I've returned a few times. One of my favorite things that they serve is their red lentil soup. It comes on the side of most entrees, and is simple and earthy, with the great thick texture of the broken down red lentils that I love.</div>
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So after some serious searching, I found a recipe that I absolutely love (with some of my own adjustments), and to my surprise, it is unbelievably easy, quick, healthy, and delicious! I don't usually trust recipes where you throw everything in a pot and simmer, with no sauteeing beforehand, but this one works for some reason. So to my biggest loser friends, I highly recommend it. Lentils are packed with fiber, which keeps you full (and ... regular;)). And full of veggies and cooked with no fat, you can indulge and serve it with a drizzle of olive oil and a hefty slice of crusty bread. Or millet, which I love. Give it a try. I really recommend it.<br />
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Turkish Red Lentil Soup<br />
About 6 servings<br />
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8 cups low sodium vegetable stock<br />
1 large onion, chopped fine (I use a food processor)<br />
1 large carrot, chopped fine<br />
4 garlic cloves, minced<br />
1 and 1/2 cups red lentils, picked through<br />
2 tablespoons tomato paste<br />
1 teaspoon coarse salt, such as sea salt or kosher salt<br />
1 teaspoon cumin<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li>Add all ingredients to a large, heavy bottomed pot. Simmer until lentils and vegetables are soft and broken down. Serve with a drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil and fresh parsley or mint. </li>
</ol>
Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-46597053083433203082012-05-30T20:07:00.001-04:002013-01-11T23:02:02.745-05:00gluten and dairy freeI feel like I've been made so much more aware of allergies recently. Especially that of gluten and dairy. I'm not sure if it's my imagination, but celiac seems to be much more common than it used to be. And have you ever noticed that most treats we eat have gluten and/or dairy in them? Sadly, at food-related get-togethers (and let's face it, most get-togethers have some kind of food), people with food allergies have to stand by while everyone else helps themselves to yet another decadent cookie or mini tart. And they think it's just a fact of life for them. It breaks my heart, since one of the most important points in my philosophy about good food is that it should bring people together.<br />
<br />
But, because I don't have any food allergies, I rarely stock my pantry with gluten- and dairy-free items like coconut oil and sorghum flour. Last week we had a baby shower for a friend of mine from church and we decided to serve an array of cookies. But we have at least 3 women from our congregation (that I'm aware of) who can't eat gluten, one of them can't have gluten or dairy. And why should these wonderful women have to stand around and only eat the fruit while everyone else asks for recipes for their favorite cookies as they munch on their 10th cookie? (not that I can do that either, since I have a lot of baby weight left;)) But I can't afford to purchase alternate flours and fats for just one evening of cookie celebration.<br />
<br />
I assume a lot of you have come across this dilemma at one time or another, which is why I wanted to write this post. I have 2 simple solutions for you. One is made is peanut butter, though, so obviously be aware of peanut and other tree nut allergies if you're going to make this.<br />
<br />
<i>update: I've made this with soy-nut butter for a family with gluten, dairy, peanut, and tree-nut allergies all in one family, and it was very successful. The texture and flavor were a tiny bit different, but not significant enough to not recommend using it. In fact, I highly recommend it. My little taste testers ate them all right in front of me:)</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
I hope this post can help a lot of you help other people feel more included in social gatherings, or if you have these intolerances or allergies yourself, I hope this brings you a little bit more joy in your life. You don't have to give up enjoying food! (And you should look into learning Japanese cuisine, because it is meant for you!)<br />
<br />
3 ingredient (or an optional 4th) peanut butter cookies<br />
makes about 24 cookies <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cym6S3l27Xc/T8aPXphPyiI/AAAAAAAAJMA/sAjqspJ7DV4/s1600/IMG_4310.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cym6S3l27Xc/T8aPXphPyiI/AAAAAAAAJMA/sAjqspJ7DV4/s640/IMG_4310.JPG.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
2 cups peanut butter<br />
2 cups granulated white sugar (do not replace with brown sugar, it'll ruin the texture)<br />
2 large eggs<br />
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (optional)<br />
<ol>
<li>Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.</li>
<li>Mix together all of the ingredients until smooth.</li>
<li>Drop a rounded tablespoon (I use a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop) onto the cookie sheets, at least 1 inch apart. You should get about 12 on each cookie sheet. Roll the dough in your hands to make smooth balls and lightly press flat. Press the tops in a criss cross pattern with a fork.</li>
<li>Bake the cookies, one cookie sheet at a time at 350°F (175°C) for 7~9 minutes, until edges look slightly crisp, but the centers look a little underdone. Do not overbake the cookies or they will be brittle and dry. Let the cookies finish cooking on the hot baking sheet on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before transferring them directly to a cooling rack. Let cool completely before serving.</li>
</ol>
Old fashioned coconut macaroons (adapted from America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book)<br />
makes about 24 cookies<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2POVs7vJ4s8/T8aPZbbXDRI/AAAAAAAAJMI/5F_l4nAR-kc/s1600/IMG_4314.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2POVs7vJ4s8/T8aPZbbXDRI/AAAAAAAAJMI/5F_l4nAR-kc/s640/IMG_4314.JPG.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
5 cups (20 oz) sweetened shredded coconut<br />
6 large egg white<br />
1/2 C sugar<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract<br />
<ol>
<li>Pulse the coconut in a food processor until fine, 6 to 8 pulses, and transfer to a large bowl. Process the egg whites, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract together in the food processor until light and foamy, about 15 seconds. Stir the egg mixture into the coconut until combined. Wrap the mixture tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, and up to 2 days.</li>
<li>Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and grease the top. After resting the coconut mixture in the refrigerator, give it a quick stir to redistribute any settled liquids. Using wet hands, roll 1 heaping tablespoon (I used a 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop) of the mixture into a ball and lay them in the prepared baking sheets, spaced about 1 inch apart. You should have about 12 on each baking sheet.</li>
<li>Bake the macaroons one baking sheet at a time, until light golden brown, 13~15 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking. Repeat with the second baking sheet.</li>
<li>Let the macaroons cool completely on the baking sheets before serving, about 1 hour.</li>
</ol>
Now go out and get gluten-and-dairy-free-without-any-special-ingredients baking!Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-19502635759613029632012-02-26T22:39:00.003-05:002012-03-04T16:41:18.520-05:00comfortI think we can almost all agree that lasagne is in everyone's top 10, right? It's comforting. Everyone's mom made it a different way, but everyone seems to have fond memories of how their mom made it. And my dear friend Rachel, a fabulous massage therapist (who has healed my aching pregnant back on too many occasions to count, bless you, Rachel!), claims it's her favorite dish of all time. And asked me to teach her how to make the ultimate lasagne from scratch.<br />
<br />
I don't actually remember my mom making lasagne. But I do remember liking it as a kid. The first time I had a lasagne that blew me away, though, was my sister's. She was in college, I was in high school, and I was always impressed with her food. In fact, she's the real reason I started cooking. I wanted to learn to cook like her. And this was the first dish I insisted she teach me.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N3N9FcX1aVc/T0r4pA6oLBI/AAAAAAAAI-w/HA58WmUiKbs/s1600/IMG_3564.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N3N9FcX1aVc/T0r4pA6oLBI/AAAAAAAAI-w/HA58WmUiKbs/s640/IMG_3564.JPG.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>Lasagne alla Bolognese. Not to be mistaken with the more commonly copied version here in the U.S., Lasagne Romana. Both are fantastic and hearty and satisfying, but I tend to favor the former. The creamy bechamel, the hearty bolognese, all layered together into this dense, rich, comforting meal. It's hard not to overeat when this is for dinner. I did try. I kept finding myself going back for more, though.<br />
<br />
Of course I can't really claim it's the ultimate lasagne, and somehow it always turns out better when my sister makes it, but it's one I'm proud of. And after all these years, I've yet to find a recipe that I like better. <br />
<br />
Lasagne alla Bolognese<br />
makes 1 9x13 inch pan, however many people you think that'll serve;)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lV9G2vk26h0/T0r4rSAv1CI/AAAAAAAAI-4/PEWXeTy4lOY/s1600/IMG_3573.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lV9G2vk26h0/T0r4rSAv1CI/AAAAAAAAI-4/PEWXeTy4lOY/s640/IMG_3573.JPG.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 box no-boil lasagna noodles (I use Barilla brand)*<br />
2-1/2 C grated mozzarella cheese</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">1 C finely grated parmigiano reggiano cheese<br />
<br />
for the Bolognese sauce:<br />
2 cans crushed tomatoes<br />
1 medium yellow onion, chopped fine (</span><span style="font-size: 85%;">I use my food processor)</span></div><div style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 85%;">equal amount of carrots, chopped fine<br />
1~2 stalks celery, chopped fine<br />
4-5 cloves of garlic, minced (optional)<br />
vegetable or olive oil<br />
1 lb lean ground beef<br />
1/2 C red wine (optional)<br />
<br />
for the Béchamel sauce:<br />
3 T butter<br />
3 T flour<br />
3 C milk<br />
1/4 onion, chopped fine<br />
salt & pepper to taste<br />
1/8 t grated nutmeg (optional)</span></div><ol style="font-family: inherit;"><li><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">For the Bolognese:</span> In a large pot, cook onions, garlic, celery and carrots on medium-high heat until soft and slightly browned, stirring constantly. Once cooked, add beef, breaking up as you go. Cook through. Add red wine, if using, and cook until completely evaporated. Add the crushed tomatoes, and cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened. Let simmer for 30~45 minutes at least. Longer, if you have time. The longer it simmers, the deeper the flavor.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">For the Béchamel:</span> In a medium pot, melt butter and cook onions until soft. Add flour and stir constantly. Add milk gradually and stir quickly and make sure no lumps form. Add salt and pepper and nutmeg and combine. Keep cooking until sauce thickens. Set aside.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 85%;">In a 9x13 inch pan, pour a layer of Bolognese sauce on the bottom. Layer with 3 pieces of lasagna noodles. Top with Béchamel and 1/3 of the cheese. Place 3 more pieces of noodles. Repeat until no noodles are left. I put a combination of Bolognese & Bechamel with left over cheese on the top layer (because my husband insists that we have Bolognese on top).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 85%;">Bake at 375° for 45 minutes. Take the foil off and let bake for another 10~15 minutes until the cheese is bubbling and browned. Pull out of the oven and let cool for 15 minutes before serving.</span></li>
</ol><span style="font-size: 85%;">* I do realize that using boxed, no-boil noodles takes away from the "made from scratch"-ness of the dish, so if you'd like, by all means make your own <a href="http://scratch-eats.blogspot.com/2011/03/homemade-pasta.html">homemade noodles</a>. I figure lasagne is a time consuming enough dish that we can cheat with 1 ingredient;) </span><br />
<ol style="font-family: arial;"></ol>Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-19632807785572333802012-01-16T14:38:00.000-05:002012-01-16T14:38:07.323-05:00quick and easy and fancyAffogato. A dessert I never indulge in because I don't drink coffee. And though I've used Pero as a coffee substitute for many recipes, for some reason it never occured to me to use it in this simple application. So though I admit that this in not a from-scratch recipe (though now I'm tempted to post about homemade vanilla ice cream and how it really IS worth the time and money), I wanted to share. I made this for dessert last night and my kids loved it! My 3 year old asked for more. And my "I don't like bitter food" husband even liked it. Without any added sweetener of any kind. This is coming from a guy who wants me to add sugar to his hot chocolate, so I think it was definitely a success.<br />
<br />
And here's how simple it is. 2 ingredients. Vanilla ice cream & pero. And since Pero acts like instant coffee, there's no brewing involved. And even if I'm all about the labor intensive process of food, I also like a quick fix once in a while. A good one. And this is. I feel like I'm far away in a tiny street café in Italy. Because, afterall, this is an Italian dessert.<br />
<br />
Coffee-free Affogato<br />
serves 4<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4bKOQL6JNjs/TxR7AUZBsuI/AAAAAAAAI2k/LKl8xlLjYlQ/s1600/IMG_3170.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4bKOQL6JNjs/TxR7AUZBsuI/AAAAAAAAI2k/LKl8xlLjYlQ/s640/IMG_3170.JPG.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>1 C hot water<br />
1 tablespoon Pero (I make it extra dark for this particular recipe. For drinking, I use 1 teaspoon)<br />
4 scoops of your favorite vanilla ice cream<br />
<ol><li>Place one scoop of ice cream in 4 seperate serving dishes. I like to use little cappucino cups for this, but any small dish will work.</li>
<li>Stir the Pero into the hot water until dissolved and pour about 1/4 cup into each serving dish. Serve immediately.</li>
</ol>Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-22892164144774307172012-01-14T14:44:00.034-05:002013-03-09T12:01:25.896-05:00breakfast kickI guess I've been on a bit of a breakfast/brunch food kick, and it might be because my cute husband was home for 3 weeks over the Christmas break. It was so nice! Especially because he spoiled me and let me sleep in every morning that I wanted to. Which was most mornings.<br />
<br />
And like I've mentioned before, he loves sweet food. So on the rare occasion that I got up with everyone else, I thought I should be sweet back and give him his favorite breakfasts. Hence the <a href="http://scratch-eats.blogspot.com/2012/01/happy-new-year.html" target="_blank">waffles</a> from the other day, and now french toast. Although this french toast was after the break this morning. Either way, it's my way of showing my appreciation for my sweetheart. And it's fun to indulge once in a while.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kOcx7uWaJNE/TxSAYf5BQ5I/AAAAAAAAI2s/RTraZYVnxUU/s1600/IMG_2985.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kOcx7uWaJNE/TxSAYf5BQ5I/AAAAAAAAI2s/RTraZYVnxUU/s640/IMG_2985.JPG.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
And I have a pretty strong opinion about french toast. I think most people do. I think french toast is best made with quality bread. Challah and brioche are great, but honestly, my favorite is when it's made with a good crusty loaf. The crust gets the right kind of chewy, and the crumb absorbs the custard perfectly and develops a slightly crisp crust. It's the only way to do it. Just make sure your bread is at least a day old. And if it's a REALLY crusty loaf to begin with, slice it on the thin side and let it soak longer in the custard. Or you won't be able to cut through it too well. I always use my own homemade bread that I bake from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0312362919?ie=UTF8&tag=arbrinfimiada-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0312362919" target="_blank">my favorite bread book</a>.<br />
<br />
My French Toast<br />
serves 4 (or less, if you have a big eater)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-csX5grpFKWY/TxSAaazpfPI/AAAAAAAAI20/3Im7Cmp3cq4/s1600/IMG_2993.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-csX5grpFKWY/TxSAaazpfPI/AAAAAAAAI20/3Im7Cmp3cq4/s640/IMG_2993.JPG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
1 1-lb loaf crusty white bread, such as a simple boule, sliced about 1 inch thick<br />
<br />
1 cup milk<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 teaspoon cinnamon <br />
1 tablespoon light brown sugar<br />
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract<br />
1/4 teaspoon fine(as opposed to coarse, not quality) salt<br />
<br />
butter for the griddle <br />
<ol>
<li>Preheat the oven to lowest setting and place an oven-proof platter in the middle of the oven.</li>
<li>In a shallow mixing bowl (I always use a ceramic or glass pie plate), mix the eggs and cinnamon together. This encourages the cinnamon to properly get mixed into the batter as opposed to sitting on top. Add the milk, sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until combined.</li>
<li>Melt 1/2 tablespoon of butter on a griddle heated to medium-low. Soak 2~3 slices (depending on the size of your griddle) in the custard, about 10 seconds on each side. Let excess custard drip off and place each slice on the griddle in one layer. Once the first side is golden brown, flip it over and cook the other side through. Once cooked through, place the finished slices on the platter in the oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining slices.</li>
<li>Serve with your favorite toppings.</li>
</ol>
Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-978665800392932072012-01-07T22:44:00.001-05:002012-01-11T22:50:53.272-05:00Happy New Year!We started the year at church, with a special Sunday brunch in the morning. My sister taught me this recipe for waffles a while back, and I've tweaked it a little here and there and added our new favorite topping to the mix. A little rich, maybe, but why not start the year with deliciousness, right? We did, after all, practically detox on all Japanese food for the following week. Japanese food is good for that.<br />
<br />
And speaking of Japan and the New Year, one of my new year's resolutions is to be on here at least once a week. And at least one Japanese recipe a month. Hopefully more often, but gotta start somewhere when somehow I've lost some steam. I blame the pregnancy, but it's hard to use that as an excuse when I've been cooking a lot since the second trimester. Let's blame the major lack of sunlight in the Winter months instead.<br />
<br />
I have a passion of my culture and food is so central to it. So why not explore it more and share it with you, my dear friends? So hopefully I still have supporters and followers and please continue to have faith in me. I'm back for real this time, so please frequent this humble little space on your interesting-things-online hunting from time to time.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eoWCb-vJcxc/Tw4hv3gZu7I/AAAAAAAAIz0/FMQv9-h5OUU/s1600/IMG_2946.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eoWCb-vJcxc/Tw4hv3gZu7I/AAAAAAAAIz0/FMQv9-h5OUU/s640/IMG_2946.JPG.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>Our favorite wafffle/pancake/french toast topping is a banana caramel sauce. I got the idea from a book I bought on clearance at TJMaxx one day--purely an impulse purchase. But not one I regret. The dark, rich caramel sauce coating each piece of banana is divine on top of a rich breakfast staple like waffles. And these oatmeal waffles are buttery and tender but crisp and that comforting oat flavor goes so well with it. So when you're feeling decadent and in need of an indulgence, have fun with this easy, probably mostly pantry ingredients waffles recipe.<br />
<br />
Oatmeal waffles<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">makes about 6 large waffles, depending on the size of your waffle iron </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H7n2GTLNfdU/Tw4hyTmPy7I/AAAAAAAAIz8/54l2cSAU5n8/s1600/IMG_2960.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-H7n2GTLNfdU/Tw4hyTmPy7I/AAAAAAAAIz8/54l2cSAU5n8/s640/IMG_2960.JPG.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>1.5 cups unbleached all purpose flour<br />
1 cup quick oats<br />
1 tablespoon baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar <br />
2 eggs<br />
1.5 cups milk<br />
1/2 c melted butter, cooled slightly<br />
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract<br />
<ol><li>In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and sugar.</li>
<li>In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla until combined.</li>
<li>Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until just combined. </li>
<li>Preheat the oven to the lowest setting with a cooling rack resting over a baking sheet. Grease a preheated waffle iron and pour about 1/3~1/2 cup of the batter into it. Close and cook to manufacturer's directions. Place the waffle on the cooling rack in the oven to stay warm while you cook the rest.</li>
<li>Serve with banana caramel sauce (recipe follows), lightly sweetened whipped cream (to soft peaks), your favorite jam, pure maple syrup, apple butter, or fresh fruit.</li>
</ol>banana caramel sauce<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ujma97N9u1s/Tw4hzXtM1TI/AAAAAAAAI0E/X_aGsPrLWXQ/s1600/IMG_2963.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ujma97N9u1s/Tw4hzXtM1TI/AAAAAAAAI0E/X_aGsPrLWXQ/s640/IMG_2963.JPG.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>3 tablespoons butter<br />
1 tablespoon honey<br />
3 tablespoons light brown sugar <br />
3 bananas, peeled and sliced thick<br />
3 tablespoons heavy cream<br />
<ol><li>Melt the butter in a small sauce pan. Once melted, add the honey and sugar and stir to combine. Let the mixture simmer on medium-low until the sugar dissolves and starts to darken a little, 3~5 minutes. Add the heavy cream and bananas and stir until all of the banana slices are coated. Pour into your serving and let cool slightly before serving. (The starches from the banana will thicken the sauce as it cools so don't worry if it seems a little runny when you pour it out of the pan)</li>
</ol>Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-50386263157032077192011-11-08T08:31:00.001-05:002012-01-04T09:33:01.254-05:00long absence/birthday treatWow, it's really been almost 3 months since my last post. I have a reasonable explanation for all of this. I haven't really been in the kitchen too much these last 2 months. Mainly because I haven't been in the mood for food. What?! Is that even physically or emotionally possible for Lillian? It is, in only once instance. And that is during the first trimester of pregnancy. And now that I'm over that hurdle, I've been cooking again, and it's been wonderful! I forgot how much I love the taste of taste. We're having a boy, by the way! And we're all so thrilled.<br />
<br />
About a month ago, we celebrated my husband's 29th birthday. And to my surprise, he asked for a lemon tart for his birthday dessert. Usually he asks for the cloyingly sweet, as much sugar in the form of caramel as possible desserts, but this time he wanted one of the few things my poor pregnant taste buds could stomach. LEMON! (come to think of it, maybe he was just being nice ...) And this tart, my friends, is as lemony as they come. And I was in heaven eating it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Psf5kEbdZ7A/TraA7mgcX-I/AAAAAAAAIog/TTlxK5Kp-NA/s1600/IMG_2134.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Psf5kEbdZ7A/TraA7mgcX-I/AAAAAAAAIog/TTlxK5Kp-NA/s640/IMG_2134.JPG.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>Of course the key to a good lemon tart is the lemons. If you like a sweeter, rounder flavor, try it with meyer lemons. They are fantastic and tangeriney lemons. (Because they're actually a cross between tangerines and lemons) Ooooh, or even limes, if you want that slightly bitter aftertaste without sacrificing that bright citrusy punch. Yum! I even had a dream last night to use yuzu juice. Wow, what would that be like? I think I might have to try it now. A beautiful, delicate Japanese take on a French pastry. Whatever you do, use fresh fruit. This is not an appropriate application for pasteurized, bottled juice. I know I sound like a snob, but I promise it makes a big difference. Take the time to squeeze for yourself!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gup-LZWYB6s/TraA6qb_PTI/AAAAAAAAIoY/K4GWYyRYams/s1600/IMG_1771.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gup-LZWYB6s/TraA6qb_PTI/AAAAAAAAIoY/K4GWYyRYams/s640/IMG_1771.JPG.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>Lemon tart (from America's Test Kitchen)<br />
makes 1 9-inch tart<br />
<br />
for the crust: (this is a traditional tart crust, much crisper and less flaky than a pie crust)<br />
1 large egg yolk<br />
1 tablespoon heavy cream<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour<br />
2/3 cups confectioner's sugar<br />
1/4 teaspoon fine salt<br />
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch pieces and chilled<br />
<br />
<ol><li>In a small bowl whisk together the egg yolk, cream, and vanilla extract. Process the four, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor to aerate. Scatter the chilled butter pieces over the top and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 15~20 pulses.</li>
<li>With the motor running, pour the egg mixture into the food processor through the feed tube until the dough just comes together around the blade.</li>
<li>Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap and flatten into a 6-inch disk. Wrap tightly and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Before rolling out the dough, let it sit on the counter to soften just slightly, about 10 minutes.</li>
<li>Roll the dough out to an 11-inch circle on a lightly floured surface and place it into a 9 inch tart pan. Make sure not to stretch the dough when fitting it into the pan.Set the tart pan on a large plate and freeze for 30 minutes.</li>
<li>Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 375°F. Se the tart pan on a large baking sheet and press a layer of parchment paper and then foil into the tart shell over the edges of the pan and fill with pie weights. Bake until the tart shell is golden brown and set, about 30 minutes, rotating halfway through baking.</li>
<li>Carefully remove pie weights and foil and continue baking the shell until it is fully baked and golden, about 10 minute longer. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the shell cool slightly while making the lemon curd filling.</li>
</ol><br />
for the filling:<br />
7 large egg yolks<br />
2 large eggs<br />
1 cup granulated sugar<br />
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)<br />
pinch of salt<br />
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces<br />
3 tablespoons heavy cream, chilled<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Whisk the egg yolks and eggs together in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the sugar until combined, then whisk in the lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Add the butter and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens slightly and registers 170°F, about 5 minutes. Immediately pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl and stir in the cream.</li>
<li>Pour the lemon filling into the warm tart shell. Bake the tart on the baking sheet until the filling is shiny and opaque and the center jiggles slightly when shaken, 10 to 15 minutes. Let the tart cool completely on the baking sheet, about 1.5 hours.</li>
<li>To serve, carefully remove the outer ring of the tart pan, then slide a thin metal spatula between the crust and the bottom of the pan and slide the tart onto a serving platter or cutting board. Serve plain, dusted with confectioner's sugar, or with some very lightly whipped (soft peaks) cream and fresh fruit.</li>
</ol>Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-88195662186221904402011-08-18T08:21:00.001-04:002011-08-18T08:30:19.573-04:00my kind of comfort foodI love mushrooms. LOVE. And my favorite kind is probably shiitake mushrooms. They have so much depth of flavor, and are so versitile. And though I always grew up eating them in only Japanese dishes, I love how they work in other genres.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-siQ7K4v3OVY/Tk0BeidHeZI/AAAAAAAAIbM/hkBmMOE18A0/s1600/IMG_0087.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-siQ7K4v3OVY/Tk0BeidHeZI/AAAAAAAAIbM/hkBmMOE18A0/s640/IMG_0087.JPG.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>There's a guy I go to every week at our local farmers market who grows shiitakes in tree trunks that he's predrilled. He leaves one tree trunk out for display, and the very last customer of the day gets the ones he picks from the display trunk--the freshest mushrooms of the day. It's beautiful and fascinating. And he sells out every Saturday by 10 am. So the mornings I'm running late, I've been pretty close to not getting what I want. But one time I got lucky and got a 1/2 lb from his display.<br />
<br />
I've used these mushrooms for all sorts of dishes, but I think my favorite is to show off their earthy flavor in a creamy mushroom pasta. This sauce goes well with long or short pastas, but for some reason I think rigatoni works best.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1s1rONptN7A/Tk0BgdiSrSI/AAAAAAAAIbQ/D8f5ND5kUf8/s1600/IMG_0091.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1s1rONptN7A/Tk0BgdiSrSI/AAAAAAAAIbQ/D8f5ND5kUf8/s640/IMG_0091.JPG.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>It's so easy to alter this recipe. Sometimes I add baby spinach right at the end so it barely wilts, sometimes I add fresh basil, but my favorite sprinkle of green comes from the grassy, bright flavor of minced flat leaf parsley. But experiment and decide for yourself what you like.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><i>pâtes à la crème et aux champignons</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">or "pasta with cream and mushrooms" (just wanted to sound fancy with the French)</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UnGfsnNQMxs/Tk0BFYg9btI/AAAAAAAAIbI/ZHdYmhi0eb8/s1600/IMG_0240.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UnGfsnNQMxs/Tk0BFYg9btI/AAAAAAAAIbI/ZHdYmhi0eb8/s640/IMG_0240.JPG.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms, scrubbed clean, stems removed, and caps sliced 1/4 inch thick</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;">1 tablespoon butter</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;">1/2 cup heavy cream</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;">1/4~1/2 cup combination of parmiggiano reggiano and gruyere cheeses, grated</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;">1 tablespoon fresh flat leaf parsley, minced</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;">salt and pepper to taste</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;">1 lb pasta</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><ol style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; border-collapse: separate; line-height: normal; white-space: normal;"><li>In a large saute pan, melt 1/2 tablespoon of the butter. Add enough mushrooms to just cover the bottom of the pan without overlapping. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper and brown the mushrooms. Toss to saute both sides of the mushrooms and set aside. Repeat with remaining butter and mushrooms.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season the water with 1 tablespoon of kosher salt and cook pasta to al dente, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. </li>
<li>Once the mushrooms are cooked, add all of them back to pan. Add cream and cheeses, and stir gently until cheese is completely melted. </li>
<li>Add pasta and parsley and toss to coat. Add pasta water a little bit at a time to loosen the sauce if necessary. Serve immediately.</li>
</ol></span><ol></ol>Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-44669512815845095242011-08-02T22:24:00.001-04:002011-08-02T22:24:54.033-04:00from MY gardenI can't believe it. I have a real garden. I have plants that are growing and I'm literally eating the fruits of my labors. I made salsa with home grown tomatoes for dinner tonight! And the other day we had <i>norimaki</i> with my own home grown mizuna (a leafy green, part of the mustard family, used often in Japan). I LOVE SUMMER! And even if I complain a lot about the humidity here, if it means even I can grow a garden, I think I can appreciate it:)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8mt-XRO_Co/TjixUQoDZnI/AAAAAAAAIZA/kTj1qD_rSTc/s1600/IMG_9923.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z8mt-XRO_Co/TjixUQoDZnI/AAAAAAAAIZA/kTj1qD_rSTc/s640/IMG_9923.JPG.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-12355943644454504842011-08-02T13:24:00.001-04:002011-08-02T13:27:44.067-04:00japanese series part 3Ah, the farmer's market. I love walking around with my family and being inspired by what's available each week. Most weeks I buy some shiitake mushrooms and eggplant first, and then wander. And when it comes to eggplant, I'm generally drawn to Japanese eggplant. But this week I was inspired by this beautiful variety of baby eggplant.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rw0wi10mnu4/TjgvV3UIN-I/AAAAAAAAIXw/cm4FzD7VmAo/s1600/IMG_0233.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rw0wi10mnu4/TjgvV3UIN-I/AAAAAAAAIXw/cm4FzD7VmAo/s640/IMG_0233.JPG.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>With such beautiful, delicate little eggplant, I wanted to showcase their texture and flavor by keeping it simple. My favorite way to eat eggplant is with a simple ginger and soy sauce dressing. Because this recipe only has 3 ingredients, it's really important to start with quality ingredients. Avoid soy sauce with added ingredients like sugar, and don't use dried ginger. Ginger is a lot easier to grate if it's frozen, and because it spoils quickly, I keep mine in the freezer all the time. And if you can find Japanese eggplant, do a little happy dance and buy it. You'll probably have to go to an Asian market to find it, unless you have an impressively stocked grocery store. Your typical globe eggplant is a little too bitter for this recipe.<br />
<br />
When it comes to cooking it through, there really aren't any short cuts. A properly cooked eggplant is buttery and rich, an undercooked eggplant is spongy and bitter. Don't be impatient. Trust me, I've made this mistake;)<br />
<br />
fresh ginger eggplant<br />
serves 4 as a side dish<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GOH9P9csQ7Y/Tjgw8cqeudI/AAAAAAAAIX0/0KrjkZTFUOI/s1600/IMG_0237.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GOH9P9csQ7Y/Tjgw8cqeudI/AAAAAAAAIX0/0KrjkZTFUOI/s640/IMG_0237.JPG.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>8~12 small eggplant<br />
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger<br />
1 tablespoon good quality soy sauce<br />
neutral tasting oil for frying<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Clean eggplant, cut off the tops, and cut each eggplant in half lengthwise. In a small bowl, combine the ginger and soy sauce.</li>
<li>Heave a large skillet, grill pan, or on a grill, to medium heat. Brush the cut side of the eggplant with the oil. Arrange the eggplant, cut side down, in a single layer on the skillet. If it doesn't fit, do it in batches. Cover, and let it cook through. The skin will wrinkle a little and the flesh will be tender all the way through.</li>
<li>Place the eggplant cut side up on a serving platter, and drizzle the soy sauce/ginger mixture over the top and serve.</li>
</ol>Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-70077207488187356042011-07-16T23:58:00.002-04:002011-07-18T16:37:52.466-04:00secret ingredientI started college during Summer term back in 2002, about a week after I graduated from high school. That very first semester in college, I had a roommate from Mexico. She was one of the kindest, most sincerely generous people I've ever met. There were 6 of us girls in the same apartment, and she was basically our mommy. And she showed her love through food. That was one thing I loved about her. Not only because I got to eat that delicious food, but because she really put so much of herself into it. She had such a passion for the food and for the people she was serving it to. And whenever people talk about love being the secret ingredient in good food, I think of Alejandra. She did just that.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NmAvE6-pi2M/TiJcU24P2WI/AAAAAAAAIUw/FVvCd-gYdcI/s1600/IMG_9073.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NmAvE6-pi2M/TiJcU24P2WI/AAAAAAAAIUw/FVvCd-gYdcI/s640/IMG_9073.JPG.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>She inspired my obsession with cilantro, admittedly and ingredient I had never used before I met her. I'd eaten it, but definitely had never purchased it. And now, I can't live without it. I grow it in my garden, and still have to buy more at the store by mid-Summer. And thanks to her, I can make a mean salsa. Still somehow not as good as when she made it, but it's still pretty darn good. And I always have to credit her.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I've made a few alterations since, and let me tell you why. It's not out of disrespect, I promise. They are by no means improvements, just alterations. That's the beauty of this recipe. It's SO versatile. She always made it with avocados, but they can very easily be omitted for a simple fresh salsa. My sister once added fresh sautéed corn and black beans, and it was AMAZING.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mAVqYenXidw/TfIyxS6BalI/AAAAAAAAICY/l_LTsjyMATo/s1600/IMG_9071.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-mAVqYenXidw/TfIyxS6BalI/AAAAAAAAICY/l_LTsjyMATo/s640/IMG_9071.JPG.jpg" width="426" /></a></div> But then, several years after I lost touch with Alejandra, the choir I was a part of got to travel to San Antonio, Texas. The heart of Tex Mex. I know, I know, I shouldn't mix the two. Alejandra made Mexican food, Tex Mex is it's own beautiful thing. And mixing Asian food is so not my thing, so I realize I'm being a complete hypocrite. But when you learn what I learned, I think you'll forgive me. My friend who is a total foodie and also a member of my choir went to a restaurant that I missed out on. He said their salsa was just like mine, but added the juice of 1/4 of an orange to it also. I was so curious that I had to try it. And there was no turning back. That tiny bit of sweet acidity added to the lime is a miracle!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uoymANAFeEU/TiJcWJ1XYUI/AAAAAAAAIU0/ToKHyfs9R90/s1600/IMG_7443.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uoymANAFeEU/TiJcWJ1XYUI/AAAAAAAAIU0/ToKHyfs9R90/s640/IMG_7443.JPG.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>And so, out of respect for Alejandra, there is no substitute for her secret ingredient, but I found one that made me feel a little closer to the perfect flavor she got out of her ingredients.<br />
<br />
basic secret ingredient salsa<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-epN8MxtgHAY/TiJdP6bnKnI/AAAAAAAAIU8/UE9nLPSalvc/s1600/IMG_9074.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-epN8MxtgHAY/TiJdP6bnKnI/AAAAAAAAIU8/UE9nLPSalvc/s640/IMG_9074.JPG.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>juice of 1~2 limes, depending on acidity and juiciness of the limes<br />
juice of 1/4 navel orange, again depending on the juiciness of that particular orange<br />
2 lbs sweet, quality tomatoes, diced (this time I used a combination of red and yellow cherry tomatoes)<br />
1 bunch cilantro, chopped very fine<br />
1/2 vidalia onion, diced small (or for color I'll use a red onion. But make sure you chop it ahead and soak it in cold water, replacing the water 2~3 times, for at least 30 minutes, to remove that pungent raw onion flavor)<br />
kosher salt to taste<br />
<br />
<ol><li>combine all ingredients into bowl. Season with salt to taste.</li>
</ol>variation additions:<br />
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed<br />
1 1/2 cups fresh sauteed corn<br />
2~3 large hass avocadoes, dicedLillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3946648813743493198.post-3509321360283850262011-07-10T23:52:00.001-04:002011-07-14T08:56:10.127-04:00plain and simpleMy mom often says, "simple is best." And as a teenager, I remember being a little annoyed with her mantras that she would enthusiastically repeat, but this one I agree with.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GHBS4mlh5eE/ThpzVgmfDjI/AAAAAAAAIPc/4K3wgzit7Oo/s1600/IMG_9897.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GHBS4mlh5eE/ThpzVgmfDjI/AAAAAAAAIPc/4K3wgzit7Oo/s640/IMG_9897.JPG.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>And though when it comes to my kitchen equipment addiction I may not be the poster child of simplicity, when it comes to the cooking itself, I try to emulate this idea. I really believe in appreciating the flavors of each ingredient. I had a new friend over for dinner tonight, and she paid me the highest compliment I've ever received--or desired to receive. She took a bite and said she's never eaten spaghetti and meatballs with so much flavor. Now, I promise you I don't have the best spaghetti and meatballs recipe out there. No way I can out-cook a real Italian grandma. Not even close. But she got exactly what my passion for food is all about. Flavor. REAL flavor. And it was really exciting to have someone get my food philosophy in one bite.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5kBcjIBKhTc/ThpzR7t65oI/AAAAAAAAIPU/eAHZMOZnBJQ/s1600/IMG_9870.JPG+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5kBcjIBKhTc/ThpzR7t65oI/AAAAAAAAIPU/eAHZMOZnBJQ/s640/IMG_9870.JPG+%25281%2529.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>So I was inspired to share with you my absolute favorite way to cook asparagus. It makes the asparagus taste like ... asparagus! No hiding or altering or adding. I want to highlight that grassy, earthy, almost bitter but somehow sweet, complex flavor that only asparagus has. And I think the best way to do that is by roasting it. And the ingredient list is short. Asparagus, good quality olive oil, salt and pepper. And if you've never tried it, it'll change your life.<br />
<br />
Roasted Asparagus<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UynU0rQVncE/ThpzUkHyAJI/AAAAAAAAIPY/1T9adPYB4Zo/s1600/IMG_9895.JPG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UynU0rQVncE/ThpzUkHyAJI/AAAAAAAAIPY/1T9adPYB4Zo/s640/IMG_9895.JPG.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>2 1/2 lbs fresh asparagus<br />
2 tablespoons good quality olive oil<br />
salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Preheat the oven to 400°F.</li>
<li>Hold one spear of asparagus by the end and about the middle and bend it until it snaps. Cut all spears about the length that it naturally broke at. Peel the bottom inch or so.</li>
<li>Place the trimmed and peeled asparagus spears on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until tips are crisp and stalks are browned. Serve warm.</li>
</ol>Lillianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02314349056864406895noreply@blogger.com2