This year I planned to do a pumpkin bread pudding, but alas, had no pumpkin puree to work with. I also didn't get around to the store to pick up bread, so I made it that morning using the no knead dutch oven bread recipe (a basic bread). The custard part of the bread pudding came out fine; but the exposed part of the bread above the custard seemed dried out.. like I should not have tried to dry out the bread before adding the custard by baking it for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F. Twice baked bread doesn't quite make the texture of dry, stale bread. Anyhow, onto the recipe...
Bread Pudding Ingredients
1 load white bread, cubed
1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced + 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
3 eggs
1 1/2 c whole milk
1 c raw apple cider
1/4 c brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
Bread Pudding Directions
1. In a nonstick skillet, heat apple with ground cinnamon. Cook over medium heat until the apples are tender.
2. Butter a 9" x 13" glass baking dish. Add apple and cubed bread, distributing both evenly in a single layer.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together milk, apple cider, brown sugar, vanilla extract and eggs. This is the custard base. Pour it over the cubed bread. Be sure to dunk all the bread into the custard mixture. Refrigerate dish for 1 hour before baking. This will help to flavor the milk and eggs with the apple cinnamon.
4. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake for 45-50 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and drizzle on apple cider sauce.
Caramel Apple Cider Sauce - this was the sauce I made for the bread pudding; and the ratios seemed off. One, the caramel part of the sauce was too watery and I never got to the dark amber part. The heavy cream and the caramel separate if you let the sauce sit to cool down from the stove to room temperature. Two, the sauce was ridiculously sweet; and three, it made too much. To keep myself from re-making this awful sauce, I am posting an alternate Apple Cider Sauce recipe to pair with the bread pudding.
Apple Cider Sauce:
1 c apple cider
1 tsp cornstarch + 2 tsp cold water
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp bourbon (or apple schnapps), optional
In a small prep bowl, dissolve cornstarch in water before adding to the apple cider. Bring cider and butter to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the cornstarch and let the mixture thicken. Stir in bourbon (if using) and cook for an additional 30 seconds; remove from heat and pour on top of bread pudding.
The recipe ratio of the cider sauce can be doubled, if necessary.
Olive Oil and Rosemary Dinner Rolls
Seems like the amount of bread that goes into turkey stuffing is one of those "invisible" carbs. These rolls went quickly. I only made one batch (a dozen) for a T-Day gathering of twice that. While the rosemary shrub is winter hardy in the Pacific Northwest, I'm glad that the house where I made these rolls has their rosemary potted and on the patio. I used a stand mixer to bring all the ingredients together; though I didn't use it to knead the dough. Maybe that's why the dough really didn't start to double in size until the second rising. And, the rolls didn't rise again after being formed and rested on the baking tray before going into the oven. As for the amount of unsalted butter that is melted so that it can be brushed on top of the rolls, well. it is too much for what the original ratio calls for. I ended up with a lot of leftover butter.
Also, there wasn't any bread flour so I used all-purpose flour, substituting out 3 tbsp flour for 3 tbsp vital wheat gluten. Bread flour plus yeast makes your rolls rise higher. The vital wheat gluten adds more wheat-based protein to all-purpose flour.
Ingredients
1 c warm water (about 100 degrees F)
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast + a pinch of granulated sugar
3 1/2 c all-purpose flour (minus 3 tbsp)
3 tbsp vital wheat gluten
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, roughly chopped, divided
1/4 c unsalted butter, melted (for brushing tops of rolls)
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Directions
Personally, while dinner rolls typically don't call for sugar, I think adding a pinch of it to the yeast helps the yeast bloom faster. You'll see if your yeast is still alive if it starts to foam and bubble in the warm water.
0. Take half of the prepared rosemary and let it steep in the olive oil for at least 30 minutes.
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer: add the yeast water (after bubbles appear, 5-10 mins). Mix in the flour, half cup at a time until it is all incorporated. Add the vital wheat gluten, the oil+rosemary, and salt. Mix until the dough gathers into one mass. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula.
2. Add the other half of the rosemary and knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball. Either use the stand mixer to knead the dough for 2 minutes, or work it by hand for 10.
Empty the dough into a resealable plastic bag, close, and let it sit in a warm place in the kitchen. Let the dough double in size twice (check each hour for two hours).
Divide dough into equal pieces. You can make a dozen small rolls with this recipe. Roll the dough into balls and place onto a baking tray. Cover with linen (lint free) kitchen towel until ready to bake.
Preheat oven to 425 F. Brush tops of rolls with the melted butter. Bake rolls for 10 minutes. This gives the rolls a nice golden brown color.
Reduce heat to 350 F and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and place in a kitchen-towel lined serving container (maybe a bread basket?).
Enjoy.
Also, there wasn't any bread flour so I used all-purpose flour, substituting out 3 tbsp flour for 3 tbsp vital wheat gluten. Bread flour plus yeast makes your rolls rise higher. The vital wheat gluten adds more wheat-based protein to all-purpose flour.
Ingredients
1 c warm water (about 100 degrees F)
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast + a pinch of granulated sugar
3 1/2 c all-purpose flour (minus 3 tbsp)
3 tbsp vital wheat gluten
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, roughly chopped, divided
1/4 c unsalted butter, melted (for brushing tops of rolls)
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Directions
Personally, while dinner rolls typically don't call for sugar, I think adding a pinch of it to the yeast helps the yeast bloom faster. You'll see if your yeast is still alive if it starts to foam and bubble in the warm water.
0. Take half of the prepared rosemary and let it steep in the olive oil for at least 30 minutes.
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer: add the yeast water (after bubbles appear, 5-10 mins). Mix in the flour, half cup at a time until it is all incorporated. Add the vital wheat gluten, the oil+rosemary, and salt. Mix until the dough gathers into one mass. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with a rubber spatula.
2. Add the other half of the rosemary and knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball. Either use the stand mixer to knead the dough for 2 minutes, or work it by hand for 10.
Empty the dough into a resealable plastic bag, close, and let it sit in a warm place in the kitchen. Let the dough double in size twice (check each hour for two hours).
Divide dough into equal pieces. You can make a dozen small rolls with this recipe. Roll the dough into balls and place onto a baking tray. Cover with linen (lint free) kitchen towel until ready to bake.
Preheat oven to 425 F. Brush tops of rolls with the melted butter. Bake rolls for 10 minutes. This gives the rolls a nice golden brown color.
Reduce heat to 350 F and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat and place in a kitchen-towel lined serving container (maybe a bread basket?).
Enjoy.
Mulled Wine Cranberry Sauce
This may be the second time I've made it, though perhaps the first time documenting it as a blog post. The recipe ratio comes from Bon Appetit November 2005 issue. The amount of wine was too much; the end result tasted too much like boiled wine with cranberries. Also, the amount of sugar was too low; this made the sauce not only taste like wine, but like wine with sour cranberries. And, the orange fruit segments did nothing for the sauce; and added too much texture. My corrections are noted below. I wouldn't necessarily say that I have adapted the recipe, more like I am fixing it's glaring mistakes. I'm not sure that the variety of dry red wine has anything to do with the flavor; after all, this is just a condiment the roast turkey. Cranberry sauces are typically pumped full of sugar (to balance the tartness of the fresh cranberries). I am ambivalent about how this sauce came out. The wine drinkers that sampled it on T-day were pleased with how it tasted and there was a lot of it leftover.
The additional sugar depends on how sour/tart the sauce tastes to you. It may need more or none at all.
Wine used: Woodbridge Merlot
Ingredients
2 navel oranges
One 12-oz bag of fresh cranberries, washed and picked over
6 oz dry red wine
2/3 c brown sugar + up to 1/3 c granulated unbleached cane sugar
2 tbsp crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmet
Directions
1. Zest oranges with a fine grater, then juice the oranges.
2. In a medium-sized sauce pan, combine whole cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, wine, sugar, ginger, and spices. Bring to a boil then simmer over low-medium heat until most of the cranberries burst, about 20 minutes, and the sauce has thickened slightly.
2a. Taste the sauce. It is too sour, add more sugar.
3. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Cool to room temperature. Cover and chill until ready to use; or serve warm.
Kitchen Notes:
The additional sugar depends on how sour/tart the sauce tastes to you. It may need more or none at all.
Wine used: Woodbridge Merlot
Ingredients
2 navel oranges
One 12-oz bag of fresh cranberries, washed and picked over
6 oz dry red wine
2/3 c brown sugar + up to 1/3 c granulated unbleached cane sugar
2 tbsp crystallized ginger, finely chopped
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/8 tsp ground nutmet
Directions
1. Zest oranges with a fine grater, then juice the oranges.
2. In a medium-sized sauce pan, combine whole cranberries, orange juice, orange zest, wine, sugar, ginger, and spices. Bring to a boil then simmer over low-medium heat until most of the cranberries burst, about 20 minutes, and the sauce has thickened slightly.
2a. Taste the sauce. It is too sour, add more sugar.
3. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Cool to room temperature. Cover and chill until ready to use; or serve warm.
Kitchen Notes:
- This ratio is terrible. Came out tasting very sour and winey.
- The original 1 1/2 c dry red wine was too much liquid.
- Do not make again (note to self).
AB Marinated Olives
These turned out tasting quite nice after a few days. I was initially concerned because of how salty the olives were after I drained them and let the olives sit in filtered water for a half hour. AB recommends up to 5 hours in water, but I didn't really have the time nor patience. I used a Cambro quart container for this because unlike the quart-size yogurt containers, Cambro containers are see-through and you can always tell how things are going without having to open the container. Except for the tarragon, everything else comes from Trader Joe's.
Recipe source: Citrus Marinated Olives
Ingredients
1 lb green olives with pits (2 jars Picholine Olives from Trader Joe's), drained and rinsed
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil (a good quality olive oil for eating)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried tarragon leaves
1/4 tsp curry powder
Directions
0. Soak the olives in clean water for up to 5 hours. This may reduce the saltiness of the olives; but after a half hour, the olives were just as salty as when it came out of the jar.
1. Combine all the ingredients in a quart container. Shake or stir the olives to make sure all the olives get covered by the marinade.
2. Let the olives sit, covered, for a day in a cool dark place. Refrigerate 1-2 days before serving. (The coldest "dark" place is my refrigerator; then at the house for T-day, the coldest place was the garage).
Recipe source: Citrus Marinated Olives
Ingredients
1 lb green olives with pits (2 jars Picholine Olives from Trader Joe's), drained and rinsed
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil (a good quality olive oil for eating)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp dried tarragon leaves
1/4 tsp curry powder
Directions
0. Soak the olives in clean water for up to 5 hours. This may reduce the saltiness of the olives; but after a half hour, the olives were just as salty as when it came out of the jar.
1. Combine all the ingredients in a quart container. Shake or stir the olives to make sure all the olives get covered by the marinade.
2. Let the olives sit, covered, for a day in a cool dark place. Refrigerate 1-2 days before serving. (The coldest "dark" place is my refrigerator; then at the house for T-day, the coldest place was the garage).
(not smoked) Salmon and Cream Cheese Spread
I like smoked salmon, as a luxury treat to eat on its own. This recipe does not use smoked salmon. Instead, it relies on no-salt added canned salmon and the convenience of a food processor. By way of food storage laziness, I found cream cheese takes on a crumbled cheese texture when thawed after having been frozen solid.
Ingredients
One 6 oz can TJ boneless pink salmon, drained
8 oz cream cheese, frozen then thawed
1/2 c cheddar cheese, grated
2 small dill pickles, diced
Directions
Whirl it all around in a food processor until a well combined paste forms. Scoop it all out and put into a resealable container. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Strangely enough, the cheddar cheese gives the spread a classic light pinkish-orange color.
Ingredients
One 6 oz can TJ boneless pink salmon, drained
8 oz cream cheese, frozen then thawed
1/2 c cheddar cheese, grated
2 small dill pickles, diced
Directions
Whirl it all around in a food processor until a well combined paste forms. Scoop it all out and put into a resealable container. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Strangely enough, the cheddar cheese gives the spread a classic light pinkish-orange color.
Buttermilk Waffles with Bacon
Because bacon makes everything taste better, even waffles. The fact that the waffle maker was a $2 garage sale find makes it even more awesome. But, the prep and ingredients required to make the batter for the waffles is why I don't make waffles that often.
Ingredients
1.75 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1.5 c buttermilk
1/2 c unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/4 lb bacon, any variety, cooked and drained
Directions
Preheat waffle iron (turn on the waffle maker; I set mine to light waffles)
0. Fry the bacon. For this I used 1/4 lb applewood smoked bacon. Reserve bacon lard.
1. In a 2-cup measuring cup, beat eggs until frothy and combined. Add vanilla extract and beat again. Add buttermilk and melted butter. Mix to combine.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
3. Add wet to dry and stir together until no dry bits remain.
4. Add waffle batter to hot waffle maker. Add strips of cooked bacon, then cover bacon with some batter. Close the waffle maker and cook until golden brown.
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| Buttermilk Waffles with Bacon |
1.75 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1.5 c buttermilk
1/2 c unsalted butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/4 lb bacon, any variety, cooked and drained
Directions
Preheat waffle iron (turn on the waffle maker; I set mine to light waffles)
0. Fry the bacon. For this I used 1/4 lb applewood smoked bacon. Reserve bacon lard.
1. In a 2-cup measuring cup, beat eggs until frothy and combined. Add vanilla extract and beat again. Add buttermilk and melted butter. Mix to combine.
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
3. Add wet to dry and stir together until no dry bits remain.
4. Add waffle batter to hot waffle maker. Add strips of cooked bacon, then cover bacon with some batter. Close the waffle maker and cook until golden brown.
Chanterelle and Ginger Soup
Warm and earthy, this soup really hits the spot on a very chilly autumn day. This is a mostly clear broth. The chicken broth could probably swapped out for a vegetarian broth, if you prefer.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 quart homemade chicken broth
2 organic celery ribs, diced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1/2 lb fresh chanterelles, cleaned and halved
Directions
Bring broth to a boil. Add celery, ginger, and chanterelles. Simmer until the celery is fork tender. about 15 minutes.
Serve hot.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 quart homemade chicken broth
2 organic celery ribs, diced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1/2 lb fresh chanterelles, cleaned and halved
Directions
Bring broth to a boil. Add celery, ginger, and chanterelles. Simmer until the celery is fork tender. about 15 minutes.
Serve hot.
Pumpkin Cornbread Muffins
This is definitely not for the gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, or corn-free crowd, as it has wheat, dairy, eggs, and cornmeal in it. My muffin tin holds about a half cup per muffin and made 18 muffins. The cornmeal I used is stone ground from the local grist mill.
Makes: 12-18
Wet Ingredients:
1 c pumpkin puree
1 c half 'n' half or whole milk
2 eggs
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
4-6 tbsp raw honey
Dry ingredients:
1.5 c yellow cornmeal
3/4 c all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Mix wet ingredients together in a large bowl. Sift in dry ingredients. Whisk gently to combine. Use a 1/3 c measuring cup to fill greased muffin tin.
Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown on top.
Let cool on a rack.
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| Ready to eat: pumpkin cornbread muffins |
Makes: 12-18
Wet Ingredients:
1 c pumpkin puree
1 c half 'n' half or whole milk
2 eggs
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
4-6 tbsp raw honey
Dry ingredients:
1.5 c yellow cornmeal
3/4 c all purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Mix wet ingredients together in a large bowl. Sift in dry ingredients. Whisk gently to combine. Use a 1/3 c measuring cup to fill greased muffin tin.
Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown on top.
Let cool on a rack.
Kitchen Notes: Crispy Pork Belly
I had visual aspirations for this food experiment. I thought it would resemble the real thing. But sadly, it seems that how my oven performed versus what it looks like from a restaurant are radically different in taste, texture, and overall appearance. I think the start of the #fail began when I picked up a random portion of pork belly from Fubonn. There was a lot of fat on the cut I got and it should have had more meat. Aside from the very top layer of the pork belly, the skin, the other two layers should be relatively equal in distribution: fat and meat. Just a thought, really. My pork belly had twice as much fat as meat. Also, I don't believe that 465 degrees F is the right temperature for the second baking phase.
This recipe process did not work for me: http://kirbiecravings.com/2014/08/crispy-golden-pork-belly.html
It could also be that I had the pork belly in the freezer for several months instead of using fresh pork belly. The fat content of each slice is too much for me. Ugh. #fail
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| What pork belly looks like after the second roasting; the skin is really, really hard |
This recipe process did not work for me: http://kirbiecravings.com/2014/08/crispy-golden-pork-belly.html
It could also be that I had the pork belly in the freezer for several months instead of using fresh pork belly. The fat content of each slice is too much for me. Ugh. #fail
Miso Ginger Fried Rice with Cherry Tomatoes
For a chilly autumn day, this fried rice dish hits the spot. It's both savory and sweet. I did not come up with the combination of the Miso Ginger and Jasmine rice, the samples counter at my local Trader Joe's did. I'm using homegrown cherry tomatoes, although they're not all that sweet but they'll add more flavor to the rice.
Serves: 1-3
Make the rice
2 c dry jasmine rice
2 1/2 c miso ginger soup
Rinse the rise under water until most of the starch washes away. In an oven-proof bowl, combine rice and soup. Bake for 50 minutes at 400 degrees F.
Stir fry the rice
1 tbsp unsalted butter
a handful of cherry tomatoes
a cup of cooked rice
Melt butter in a skillet. Add rice and tomatoes. Stir around until rice is hot and tomatoes can be squished when gently pressed with a spatula.
No added salt needed.
Serves: 1-3
Make the rice
2 c dry jasmine rice
2 1/2 c miso ginger soup
Rinse the rise under water until most of the starch washes away. In an oven-proof bowl, combine rice and soup. Bake for 50 minutes at 400 degrees F.
Stir fry the rice
1 tbsp unsalted butter
a handful of cherry tomatoes
a cup of cooked rice
Melt butter in a skillet. Add rice and tomatoes. Stir around until rice is hot and tomatoes can be squished when gently pressed with a spatula.
No added salt needed.
Roasted Cauilflower
Over the past year, cauliflower has experienced a revival of sorts and the campaign has been driven by vegan enthusiasts. I am not vegan; heck I avoided cauliflower for decades. Although I am curious as to what textures are attributed to this vegetable. It's been picked up by wheat-free eaters as a replacement for pizza dough (Rachel Ray's cauliflower pizza dough); to replace rice as a side dish (Jamie Oliver's cauliflower risotto); and as mock mashed potatoes. Flavor-wise, eating cauliflower is like eating white bread and isn't substantial on its own. But when paired with other ingredients then the spotlight appears.
Take this recipe for example. All the flavor of the dish comes from the olive oil and the nutritional yeast. The salt and pepper remind you that there's a vegetable hiding under all the mock cheesy flavor brought on by the yeast. If you take all that away, these are just baked cauliflower florets; and that is a sight sadder than seeing people eat cauliflower mashed potatoes because they want to consume fewer carbs.
The majority of the calories in this dish comes from how much olive oil you use to dip the florets before dipping into the nutritional yeast. One cup of olive oil has roughly 1,900 calories. The original ingredient ratio called for more salt (1/2 tsp salt was still too much); and I used a lot more than 1/4 c olive oil. The majority of the calories of this dish comes from oil (aka fat). A large cauliflower head is about 146 calories; that is, if you consume the inner stalk as well. The first pass of this recipe made the kitchen smell really good; but the florets came out soggy and not crunchy.
Ingredients
1 medium organic cauliflower head
1/2 c nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
1. Use a sharp knife and cut the florets off the stalk. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together yeast, salt, and black pepper.
3. Have the olive oil in another small bowl.
4. Dip each floret into the oil, but do not submerse it and then dip it into the nutritional yeast. Place in a single layer on a glass baking dish.
5. Bake for 50 minutes, until browned. Serve hot.
Enjoy.
P.S. There is no "mock cheese" flavor by using nutritional yeast; although, it is an interesting addition.
Take this recipe for example. All the flavor of the dish comes from the olive oil and the nutritional yeast. The salt and pepper remind you that there's a vegetable hiding under all the mock cheesy flavor brought on by the yeast. If you take all that away, these are just baked cauliflower florets; and that is a sight sadder than seeing people eat cauliflower mashed potatoes because they want to consume fewer carbs.
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| Roasted Cauliflower: start to finish |
Ingredients
1 medium organic cauliflower head
1/2 c nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
1. Use a sharp knife and cut the florets off the stalk. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together yeast, salt, and black pepper.
3. Have the olive oil in another small bowl.
4. Dip each floret into the oil, but do not submerse it and then dip it into the nutritional yeast. Place in a single layer on a glass baking dish.
5. Bake for 50 minutes, until browned. Serve hot.
Enjoy.
P.S. There is no "mock cheese" flavor by using nutritional yeast; although, it is an interesting addition.
Dill Pickled Vegetables
So far the only candidates for this dill pickle recipe are cucumbers and carrots. I made 2 pints + 2 quarts of dill pickles and carrots; although, the carrots are only in one of the quart jars because I ran out of cucumbers. Because I lack the equipment to properly can a quart-sized jar, the quart jars became refrigerator pickles.
Ingredients
sliced, quartered, or whole pickling cucumbers (~ 2 lbs)
fresh dill leaves, roughly chopped into 4" pieces
2 garlic cloves, peeled and trimmed, per jar
organic carrot sticks (optional)
the brine:
1 1/2 c white vinegar
1 1/2 c filtered water
1-2 tbsp kosher salt
Bring brine ingredients to a boil in a medium pot. Remove from heat when the salt has dissolved. Set aside until ready to use.
Directions
The order of operations is pretty important. You want all the floaty stuff to start at the bottom and then wedge it all into place by packing the jar with the vegetables. First things to the bottom are the garlic and dill leaves.
Wash and trim the ends of the vegetables. The flower end of the cucumber is what makes it go soft in the brine and nobody wants to eat limp pickles. Pack each jar full. Pour brine on top and leave 1/2" space at the top. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel before placing and securing the lid and jar bands.
Start the timer when the water comes back up to a boil after adding the jars. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 24 hours before shelving.
For the refrigerator pickles, skip the hot water bath. Simply place the sterilized lid and tighten the jar band. Put in refrigerator to cure for a week before eating.
Note: This recipe assumes you have sterilized jars, lids, and jar bands ready to go.
Note to future self: Add brine to jars you intend to can. If you run out of brine, make more.
The ratio was sourced from here (ratios mucked around with since I wasn't about to make 7 quarts of pickles).
Ingredients
sliced, quartered, or whole pickling cucumbers (~ 2 lbs)
fresh dill leaves, roughly chopped into 4" pieces
2 garlic cloves, peeled and trimmed, per jar
organic carrot sticks (optional)
the brine:
1 1/2 c white vinegar
1 1/2 c filtered water
1-2 tbsp kosher salt
Bring brine ingredients to a boil in a medium pot. Remove from heat when the salt has dissolved. Set aside until ready to use.
Directions
The order of operations is pretty important. You want all the floaty stuff to start at the bottom and then wedge it all into place by packing the jar with the vegetables. First things to the bottom are the garlic and dill leaves.
Wash and trim the ends of the vegetables. The flower end of the cucumber is what makes it go soft in the brine and nobody wants to eat limp pickles. Pack each jar full. Pour brine on top and leave 1/2" space at the top. Wipe the rims of the jars with a damp paper towel before placing and securing the lid and jar bands.
Start the timer when the water comes back up to a boil after adding the jars. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 24 hours before shelving.
For the refrigerator pickles, skip the hot water bath. Simply place the sterilized lid and tighten the jar band. Put in refrigerator to cure for a week before eating.
Note: This recipe assumes you have sterilized jars, lids, and jar bands ready to go.
Note to future self: Add brine to jars you intend to can. If you run out of brine, make more.
The ratio was sourced from here (ratios mucked around with since I wasn't about to make 7 quarts of pickles).
Dulce de Leche
Now that I have unused 4 oz jars, I think I should fill them up with something sweet. These would make nice gifts for those sugarholics in your life.
Dulce de leche is a caramel sauce with South American origins and likely the result of needing to preserve dairy in those pre-refrigeration days. This recipe uses the lazy method: a crockpot and sweetened condensed milk.
Food52 via Serious Eats would have you combine these ingredients, if making it from scratch:
1 quart whole milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 vanilla bean, split
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
And, you'd have to slave over a hot stove for 1.5 - 2 hours, stirring constantly so the mixture doesn't burn or scald. And, once you're done this mixture keeps well for four weeks in the refrigerator.
Fortunately, there's always-on electricity and products like already canned sweetened condensed milk. Here's the other not-really-from-scratch process, which comes from the Crazy for Crust blog:
Ingredients
two 14-oz cans sweetened condensed milk
clean glass jars with rings and lids
water
Directions
1. Evenly distribute sweetened condensed milk across the jars being used. It should fill seven 4 oz jars or three 8 oz jars. Attach lids and rings to jars.
2. Place jars (not touching each other) into the slow cooker and fill with enough water to cover the jars by 1-2 inches.
3. Set slow cooker for 10 hours on LOW.
The only problem with this method that the dulce de leche is not shelf stable because of its low acidity. This will also spoil if not used within 4 weeks and must be refrigerated, even though the jars are sealed.
Either method is a LOT better than buying the irradiated stuff from the grocery store, IMHO.
Dulce de leche is a caramel sauce with South American origins and likely the result of needing to preserve dairy in those pre-refrigeration days. This recipe uses the lazy method: a crockpot and sweetened condensed milk.
Food52 via Serious Eats would have you combine these ingredients, if making it from scratch:
1 quart whole milk
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 vanilla bean, split
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
And, you'd have to slave over a hot stove for 1.5 - 2 hours, stirring constantly so the mixture doesn't burn or scald. And, once you're done this mixture keeps well for four weeks in the refrigerator.
Fortunately, there's always-on electricity and products like already canned sweetened condensed milk. Here's the other not-really-from-scratch process, which comes from the Crazy for Crust blog:
Ingredients
two 14-oz cans sweetened condensed milk
clean glass jars with rings and lids
water
Directions
1. Evenly distribute sweetened condensed milk across the jars being used. It should fill seven 4 oz jars or three 8 oz jars. Attach lids and rings to jars.
2. Place jars (not touching each other) into the slow cooker and fill with enough water to cover the jars by 1-2 inches.
3. Set slow cooker for 10 hours on LOW.
The only problem with this method that the dulce de leche is not shelf stable because of its low acidity. This will also spoil if not used within 4 weeks and must be refrigerated, even though the jars are sealed.
Either method is a LOT better than buying the irradiated stuff from the grocery store, IMHO.
Kitchen Notes: Kimchi Pairings
After failing to properly can a batch of kimchi, I have four pint jars of it in my refrigerator. The fifth jar that I took into work seems as unpopular as the fresh longan and fresh litchis that I also brought into work. The kimchi wasn't done fermenting (only a week + 2 days had transpired) and ended up getting cooked a little while canning, plus a lot of its liquid leaked out so I'm not sure how much "life" the jars have in the fridge since then.
Here is the scale. The higher it is on the scale, the more likely it is to be served to others. I'll put comparative recipes in the scale for taste context. As a bachelorette, I'll eat most things that rank at or above a 7. Some of these I've done, some suggestions are imaginary. The kimchi and clam chowder was not imaginary but I think it might taste okay with the Boston version instead.
10 (best, is that even possible?)
9.9 - (my Dad's roast duck recipe)
8 - kimchi and pork stew (Korean jigae)
7.5 - baked chicken parts with kimchi
7.2 - kimchi and beef/pork/shrimp/vegetable pho broth
7.1 - kimchi with ramen noodles
7.0 - homemade kimchi straight from the jar
3 - kimchi and New England Clam Chowder
2 - kimchi using Chinese white radish
1.1 - (tuna casserole)
1 (worst, into the compost heap it goes)
Here is the scale. The higher it is on the scale, the more likely it is to be served to others. I'll put comparative recipes in the scale for taste context. As a bachelorette, I'll eat most things that rank at or above a 7. Some of these I've done, some suggestions are imaginary. The kimchi and clam chowder was not imaginary but I think it might taste okay with the Boston version instead.
10 (best, is that even possible?)
9.9 - (my Dad's roast duck recipe)
8 - kimchi and pork stew (Korean jigae)
7.5 - baked chicken parts with kimchi
7.2 - kimchi and beef/pork/shrimp/vegetable pho broth
7.1 - kimchi with ramen noodles
7.0 - homemade kimchi straight from the jar
3 - kimchi and New England Clam Chowder
2 - kimchi using Chinese white radish
1.1 - (tuna casserole)
1 (worst, into the compost heap it goes)
Preserving Roasted Hatch Chiles
It seems that either canning roasted hot peppers is so commonplace, like making bread, that everyone knows how to do it or doing so without a pressure cooker isn't safe to do so. At any rate, I couldn't find a canning process on the net that actually tell you how to preserve the summer's bounty of hatch chiles. I can't possibly be the only Pacific Northwesterner who enjoys seasonal fruits and vegetables outside of growing seasons. These are great with nachos and cheese.
Wikipedia suggests that the Scoville scale of these peppers ranges from 0 (unlikely!) to 70,000 (more likely). I de-skinned and de-seeded the roasted chiles without gloves and so far no problems. Not like that one time I rubbed my eyes after handling cayenne peppers. Oh the agony!
Prepare the Hatch Chiles (or Anahein, Jalapeno, or whatever hot chile pepper you have)
Wikipedia suggests that the Scoville scale of these peppers ranges from 0 (unlikely!) to 70,000 (more likely). I de-skinned and de-seeded the roasted chiles without gloves and so far no problems. Not like that one time I rubbed my eyes after handling cayenne peppers. Oh the agony!
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| 2015-09 Roasted Hatch Chiles |
Five Spice Powder Roasted Chicken
This came out decent and a tad undercooked in the thigh area; more or less edible straight from the oven. This is adapted from my dad's roast duck recipe. If I do this recipe again (the first time I never wrote it up), I'll have to try the slower roasting method. Most poultry roasting recipes call for 50-60 minutes of unadulterated time in a very hot oven, with temps ranging from 400 degrees F to 450 degrees F. A slow roast would involve dropping the oven temp to 275 degrees F but increasing the time to roast to 3-4 hours. That would definitely not be a weekday meal unless I started it on a weekend.
Ingredients
1 whole fryer chicken, cleaned and giblets removed
2 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
4 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp red Chinese rice wine
2 tbsp organic granulated sugar
3/4 tsp kosher sea salt
1 c filtered water
Directions
Place chicken breast-side up into a 9" x 13" baking dish (or roasting pan, if you have one).
In a bowl, combine five spice powder, sugar, salt, soy sauce, rice wine, and water.
Use a spoon or basting brush to cover the chicken (all sides) with the five-spice sauce.
Roast for an hour in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees F.
Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Ingredients
1 whole fryer chicken, cleaned and giblets removed
2 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
4 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp red Chinese rice wine
2 tbsp organic granulated sugar
3/4 tsp kosher sea salt
1 c filtered water
Directions
Place chicken breast-side up into a 9" x 13" baking dish (or roasting pan, if you have one).
In a bowl, combine five spice powder, sugar, salt, soy sauce, rice wine, and water.
Use a spoon or basting brush to cover the chicken (all sides) with the five-spice sauce.
Roast for an hour in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees F.
Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving.
Spicy Tomato Salsa
This batch came out a lot spicier than last year's and it is likely that I wasn't paying attention to actually reading last year's recipe write-up. Because I also picked up some hatch chiles from the produce market at the same time as the tomatoes, I thought I might reserve some of the tomatoes for another salsa recipe using the hatch chiles as I was already mid-recipe. I ran out of pint jars so I only made 6 pints.
What's different between last year and this year's salsa? I left the seeds in the jalapenos, and there's half as many tomatoes in this batch.
Yield: 6 pints (canned) + 1 quart (refrigerated)
Ingredients
12 green jalapenos, stemmed but not seeded
8 tomatilllos, husk removed and quartered
5-6 lbs ripe Roma tomatoes, quartered, not peeled/seeded
2 green bell peppers, stemmed and seeded, diced
2 heads of garlic, cloves removed and roughly chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 2 limes (4-5 tbsp)
2 tbsp kosher salt (without anti-caking additive)
Directions
Process in batches, a few pulses at a time with a food processor machine, all the ingredients except for the cilantro, lime juice and salt. Last year's salsa was processed into a sauce-like consistency. This time, it's a bit more chunky.
Empty roughly chopped batches into a large stockpot. Add lime juice, salt, and cilantro.
Cook for 1.5 hrs, or until the desired consistency is achieved.
I used a slotted spoon when filling the pint jars for canning. The quart or so of salsa leftover had a lot of water.
I processed the jars in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes.
I'm not sure this will last until next summer. I have already polished off a quart of salsa and gave away one jar. Looks like I may have to procure more of everything. :) :)
What's different between last year and this year's salsa? I left the seeds in the jalapenos, and there's half as many tomatoes in this batch.
Yield: 6 pints (canned) + 1 quart (refrigerated)
Ingredients
12 green jalapenos, stemmed but not seeded
8 tomatilllos, husk removed and quartered
5-6 lbs ripe Roma tomatoes, quartered, not peeled/seeded
2 green bell peppers, stemmed and seeded, diced
2 heads of garlic, cloves removed and roughly chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 2 limes (4-5 tbsp)
2 tbsp kosher salt (without anti-caking additive)
Directions
Process in batches, a few pulses at a time with a food processor machine, all the ingredients except for the cilantro, lime juice and salt. Last year's salsa was processed into a sauce-like consistency. This time, it's a bit more chunky.
Empty roughly chopped batches into a large stockpot. Add lime juice, salt, and cilantro.
Cook for 1.5 hrs, or until the desired consistency is achieved.
I used a slotted spoon when filling the pint jars for canning. The quart or so of salsa leftover had a lot of water.
I processed the jars in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes.
I'm not sure this will last until next summer. I have already polished off a quart of salsa and gave away one jar. Looks like I may have to procure more of everything. :) :)
Kitchen Notes: Everything Pumpkin
Last year's T-day desserts featuring pumpkin were clearly winners: pumpkin pound cake and the pumpkin roll with candied ginger in the cream cheese filling. Here's a listing of all the pumpkin recipes-to-date on this blog:
pumpkin pie spice
pumpkin spice scones
pumpkin fried rice
pumpkin bread with yogurt
pumpkin bread with tofu
pumpkin soup
pumpkin pound cake
pumpkin roll with candied ginger
pumpkin spice latte
pumpkin muffins
pumpkin cranberry biscotti
Should kabocha squash be included in the pumpkin recipes? After all, it is pumpkin-like in shape, cooking methods, and color. If so, here are those recipe links:
Spicy Sweet Roasted Kabocha Squash
pumpkin potage
With the autumn season close by, pumpkins will soon be available at local farms and the produce market. Here are some recipe ideas that I'll be toying with for this year's T-day:
Southern Living's Pumpkin Chips (deep fried)
Pumpkin Butter
Pumpkin Cornbread
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Serious Eats' Pumpkin Liqueur
pumpkin pie spice
pumpkin spice scones
pumpkin fried rice
pumpkin bread with yogurt
pumpkin bread with tofu
pumpkin soup
pumpkin pound cake
pumpkin roll with candied ginger
pumpkin spice latte
pumpkin muffins
pumpkin cranberry biscotti
Should kabocha squash be included in the pumpkin recipes? After all, it is pumpkin-like in shape, cooking methods, and color. If so, here are those recipe links:
Spicy Sweet Roasted Kabocha Squash
pumpkin potage
With the autumn season close by, pumpkins will soon be available at local farms and the produce market. Here are some recipe ideas that I'll be toying with for this year's T-day:
Southern Living's Pumpkin Chips (deep fried)
Pumpkin Butter
Pumpkin Cornbread
Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Serious Eats' Pumpkin Liqueur
Gluten-Free Zucchini Muffins
I feel like I am contributing to California's water shortage by encouraging the use of almonds in recipes, or the desolation of coconut groves in the Philippines by using coconut flour. Nonetheless, here is another egg-heavy coconut flour recipe. The coconut oil and vanilla are not in this recipe. I simply forgot to add it. Let this be a lesson to you.. don't bake when tired, really! Things get missed.
Makes: 12
Ingredients
1/2 c organic coconut flour
1/4 c almond flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
4 large eggs
1/3 c raw honey
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 ripe banana
1 c shredded zucchini
1 shredded organic carrot (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine almond flour, coconut flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, honey, vanilla, and coconut oil. Pulse until combined.
2. If you happen to be using a frozen banana, thaw it then lop off the stem and squeeze the banana out into the bowl. Add apple cider vinegar, banana, and zucchini. Pulse to mix thoroughly.
3. Line a muffin tin with silicone or paper muffin liners. Fill each liner with 1-2 tbsp of mixture.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool and enjoy.
These came out looking really dark and not smooth on top.
Makes: 12
Ingredients
1/2 c organic coconut flour
1/4 c almond flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
4 large eggs
1/3 c raw honey
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 ripe banana
1 c shredded zucchini
1 shredded organic carrot (optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine almond flour, coconut flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs, honey, vanilla, and coconut oil. Pulse until combined.
2. If you happen to be using a frozen banana, thaw it then lop off the stem and squeeze the banana out into the bowl. Add apple cider vinegar, banana, and zucchini. Pulse to mix thoroughly.
3. Line a muffin tin with silicone or paper muffin liners. Fill each liner with 1-2 tbsp of mixture.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool and enjoy.
These came out looking really dark and not smooth on top.
Blackberry Basil Seltzer
This version of the seltzer is more colorful than the strawberry one and can be served in short glass. Refreshing and light on the palate, this is another drink for a summertime dinner party.
For each serving:
1/4 c blackberries
2-3 basil leaves
1 tbsp syrup sweetener (agave, honey, or simple syrup)
seltzer or sparkling water
crushed ice
Directions
In a glass, add ingredients and squish together with the back of a spoon. Add ice and fill glass with seltzer water. Enjoy.
For each serving:
1/4 c blackberries
2-3 basil leaves
1 tbsp syrup sweetener (agave, honey, or simple syrup)
seltzer or sparkling water
crushed ice
Directions
In a glass, add ingredients and squish together with the back of a spoon. Add ice and fill glass with seltzer water. Enjoy.
Strawberry Basil Spritzer
This summer, the sun has been awfully harsh with wanting to be in the sky for 16 hours at a stretch. At least the solstice has passed and the days are starting to get shorter. This beverage can be kicked up a couple notches with the addition of vodka, but is good enough on its own without alcohol.
Ingredients
4-5 organic strawberries, washed, stemmed and halved
8 basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 oz simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, boiled and reduced by half)
juice from 1 lime
club soda or sparkling water
3 oz vodka (optional)
Directions
In a pint jar, combine strawberries, basil leaves, simple syrup, and lime juice. Let chill until ready to use. Scoop out 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture per serving, into a tall glass with ice. Add enough club soda or sparkling water. Stir briskly then serve.
Ingredients
4-5 organic strawberries, washed, stemmed and halved
8 basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 oz simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water, boiled and reduced by half)
juice from 1 lime
club soda or sparkling water
3 oz vodka (optional)
Directions
In a pint jar, combine strawberries, basil leaves, simple syrup, and lime juice. Let chill until ready to use. Scoop out 1-2 tablespoons of the mixture per serving, into a tall glass with ice. Add enough club soda or sparkling water. Stir briskly then serve.
Watermelon Coconut Ice Cream
I'm not sure this even qualifies to be an ice cream since it lacks dairy as a main ingredient. This is something else to do with the watermelon that is ultra-low in calories and high in awesome. I could easily polish off a watermelon by myself. Watermelon granita is how I enjoyed it last year. This summer, I think I can start to experiment a little more.
Makes: 1 quart
4 c seedless watermelon, cubed
1 can full-fat coconut milk (at least 70%), shaken, not stirred
1/4 c raw honey
juice of 1 lemon
Blend everything together in a food processor. Pour into a 9" x 13" baking dish. Place in freezer until set. Scrape everything out and place frozen bits into the food processor. Purée until smooth. Scoop into a freezer-safe container and chill until set, about 3-4 hours.
Makes: 1 quart
4 c seedless watermelon, cubed
1 can full-fat coconut milk (at least 70%), shaken, not stirred
1/4 c raw honey
juice of 1 lemon
Blend everything together in a food processor. Pour into a 9" x 13" baking dish. Place in freezer until set. Scrape everything out and place frozen bits into the food processor. Purée until smooth. Scoop into a freezer-safe container and chill until set, about 3-4 hours.
Workday Breakfasts to Go
This year I am trying something new. Every Sunday I make breakfast for work all at once. That's right. 5 days of breakfast stuffs that I trek to work. Between baking and eating, sometimes I'll have four dozen eggs in the fridge.
The basics
Hard-boiled eggs. I try to stay around $0.20-0.25/egg. This can range anywhere from bulk white eggs or brown eggs. I prefer brown eggs, but only because they're not white. And, I hate to break it to you but there is no such thing as "free range" for eggs nor chickens that bear them. Those happy chickens you see in all the farm-to-table marketing ads are just that.. marketing. In fact, a factory farm can still mass produce eggs and still call itself a "free range" farm. Anyhow, that's a topic for another day.
Put your 10 large eggs into a pot, fill it with enough water to cover, and put a lid on the pot. Bring the pot to a boil then let it simmer covered for 8-10 minutes. Once the timer is up, use a slotted spoon to scoop out the eggs into a large bowl filled with cold water.
Some people like to wait. I do not. Immediately shell all the eggs and put them into a lidded container in the fridge. 70 calories per egg.
Next item.
Oatmeal with dried fruit. The dried fruit can be anything from chopped dried cherries, raisins, dried blueberries, or dried cranberries. This is one of the simplest recipes I have managed to replicate from Pinterest without a fail. About 136 calories.
1/3 c organic old fashioned oats
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp nonfat dry milk
5-8 raisins, cranberries, dried blueberries, or whatever (it's less than 1 tbsp)
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Put this all into an 8 oz mason jar. Put a lid on it and set it aside. Calories will vary by fruit used but not by much. At work, simply fill the jar with hot water, replace lid and screw the band so that the lid stays in place. After 15 minutes or so, the oatmeal will be done. I just eat it straight from the jar.
Organic yogurt. I am not so savvy that I own a yogurt maker. So, this is one of the many organic varieties that Trader Joe's carries. I am partial to the organic vanilla yogurt; though, the quart will only provide four days of yogurt (at 8 oz a day). 213 calories.
I supplement the fifth day with Trader Joe's mango/apricot Greek yogurt. Sure, it's a whopping 300 calories but it's also protein.
Plus coffee (50 calories). A little jolt of caffeine to start the day.
And there you have it. My weekly breakfast is just under 540 calories per morning. This lasts a lot longer than coffee and a bagel that's for sure.
The basics
Hard-boiled eggs. I try to stay around $0.20-0.25/egg. This can range anywhere from bulk white eggs or brown eggs. I prefer brown eggs, but only because they're not white. And, I hate to break it to you but there is no such thing as "free range" for eggs nor chickens that bear them. Those happy chickens you see in all the farm-to-table marketing ads are just that.. marketing. In fact, a factory farm can still mass produce eggs and still call itself a "free range" farm. Anyhow, that's a topic for another day.
Put your 10 large eggs into a pot, fill it with enough water to cover, and put a lid on the pot. Bring the pot to a boil then let it simmer covered for 8-10 minutes. Once the timer is up, use a slotted spoon to scoop out the eggs into a large bowl filled with cold water.
Some people like to wait. I do not. Immediately shell all the eggs and put them into a lidded container in the fridge. 70 calories per egg.
Next item.
Oatmeal with dried fruit. The dried fruit can be anything from chopped dried cherries, raisins, dried blueberries, or dried cranberries. This is one of the simplest recipes I have managed to replicate from Pinterest without a fail. About 136 calories.
1/3 c organic old fashioned oats
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp nonfat dry milk
5-8 raisins, cranberries, dried blueberries, or whatever (it's less than 1 tbsp)
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Put this all into an 8 oz mason jar. Put a lid on it and set it aside. Calories will vary by fruit used but not by much. At work, simply fill the jar with hot water, replace lid and screw the band so that the lid stays in place. After 15 minutes or so, the oatmeal will be done. I just eat it straight from the jar.
Organic yogurt. I am not so savvy that I own a yogurt maker. So, this is one of the many organic varieties that Trader Joe's carries. I am partial to the organic vanilla yogurt; though, the quart will only provide four days of yogurt (at 8 oz a day). 213 calories.
I supplement the fifth day with Trader Joe's mango/apricot Greek yogurt. Sure, it's a whopping 300 calories but it's also protein.
Plus coffee (50 calories). A little jolt of caffeine to start the day.
And there you have it. My weekly breakfast is just under 540 calories per morning. This lasts a lot longer than coffee and a bagel that's for sure.
Red Papaya and Kimchi Salad
Today, my salad has taken on a red theme. With the papaya salad dressing, it is slightly sweet and mildly spicy. I didn't even have to beat up green beans for this salad. That coupled with the inability to find fresh bean sprouts at the grocery store also prompted a different spin on papaya salad. I used a food processor's cheese grating disc (larger holes) to grate the entire papaya. This took about two minutes. Much better than grating it by hand.
Per serving:
1 c fresh, unripe papaya, peeled and grated
handful of ripe red plum or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 c homemade kimchi
1-2 tbsp papaya salad dressing
Toss it all together in a bowl and eat.
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| Red Papaya and Kimchi Salad |
Per serving:
1 c fresh, unripe papaya, peeled and grated
handful of ripe red plum or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 c homemade kimchi
1-2 tbsp papaya salad dressing
Toss it all together in a bowl and eat.
Papaya Salad Dressing
I picked up an unripe red papaya from Trader Joe's the other day ($3.29 each large). It's typically used ripened, either as an eating fruit, in fruit cocktail, or sweetened and dried in a tropical trail mix. I thought it might be a good option for a papaya salad. I'm sure it's done. Most papaya salads call for shredded green papaya; I'm assuming that the flesh stays green through the ripening phase. The partially ripened red papaya looks like an evening sunset, mostly yellow on the outer part and that characteristic salmon red color towards the center. The papaya yielded about 4 tablespoons of seeds.
Ingredients
1 c extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c rice vinegar
2 tbsp fresh papaya seeds
1 tbsp raw honey
2 scallions, white part only, minced
1 tsp dry mustard -or- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
pinch of sea salt
Directions
In the bowl of a food processor, add all ingredients except for the oil. Turn the food prep on and slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing emulsifies.
Ingredients
1 c extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c rice vinegar
2 tbsp fresh papaya seeds
1 tbsp raw honey
2 scallions, white part only, minced
1 tsp dry mustard -or- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
pinch of sea salt
Directions
In the bowl of a food processor, add all ingredients except for the oil. Turn the food prep on and slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing emulsifies.
Kitchen Notes: Cost to Make One Quart Almond Milk
People buy commercially available alternative milks because they believe it is healthier and as a convenience food. Here's the cost breakdown for the previous almond milk post:
1 c almond meal = $1.27
1 tsp vanilla extract = $0.06
2 Medjool dates = $0.35
Total base cost: $1.33 per quart, unsweetened -or- $1.68 per quart, sweetened
About the same price as Trader Joe's private label unsweetened almond milk but without the fillers and vegetable-based thickeners.
- One 16 oz bottle of vanilla extract (from Costco, $6/bottle) = 96 teaspoons = $0.06/tsp
- 1 lb almond meal (from Trader Joe's, $6/lb) = 4.72 cups = $1.27/cup
- 2 Medjool dates (from Trader Joe's, $4.49/lb) = 1.25 oz = $0.35
- Assume cost of water is negligible
1 c almond meal = $1.27
1 tsp vanilla extract = $0.06
2 Medjool dates = $0.35
Total base cost: $1.33 per quart, unsweetened -or- $1.68 per quart, sweetened
About the same price as Trader Joe's private label unsweetened almond milk but without the fillers and vegetable-based thickeners.
Almond Milk Chia Beverage
I got tired of buying cans of 60% coconut cream. There are a few still in the pantry, but I thought I should try to make my afternoon chia beverage out of something other than coconut milk. This is what I did with the quart of almond milk I just made.
Per half-pint mason jar:
1 tbsp organic chia seeds
1 tsp raw honey
1 c fresh almond milk
Stir it together, then lid and band the jar. Put in fridge until later. Give it another stir or shake the jar before drinking.
If you want to make "pudding" out of this, simply double the amount of chia seeds.
Per half-pint mason jar:
1 tbsp organic chia seeds
1 tsp raw honey
1 c fresh almond milk
Stir it together, then lid and band the jar. Put in fridge until later. Give it another stir or shake the jar before drinking.
If you want to make "pudding" out of this, simply double the amount of chia seeds.
How to Make Vanilla Almond Milk from Scratch
My biggest gripe about the rising trend in alternative "milk" beverages are all the fillers that are in an 8 oz glass of it. Take a look at the fillers in these almond milk brands:
Silk: Natural Flavor, Locust Bean Gum, Sunflower Lecithin, Gellan Gum. Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Acetate, Zinc Gluconate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Riboflavin (B2), Vitamin B12, Vitamin D2
What the hell is "natural flavor" as its own ingredient??
Blue Diamond: Evaporated Cane Juice, Calcium Carbonate, Sea Salt, Potassium Citrate, Carrageenan, Sunflower Lecithin, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2, D-Alpha-Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E)
So Delicious: Dried Cane Syrup, Pea Protein, Rice Protein, Calcium Phosphate, Magnesium Phosphate, Carrageenan, Natural Flavor, Locust Bean Gum, Kosher Sea Salt, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D-2, L-Selenomethionine (Selenium), Zinc Oxide, Folic Acid, Vitamin B-12
Protein powder?? WTF!
Pacific Almond: Dried Cane Syrup, Potassium Citrate, Sea Salt, Carrageenan, Riboflavin (B2), Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2
Trader Joe's: Tricalcium Phosphate, Sea Salt, Gellan Gum, Dipotassium Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Natural Flavors, Sunflower Lecithin, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2, Dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate (Vitamin E)
Hands down, if you can handle cow's milk, it is the only way to go for ice cream, milk shakes, pudding, cheese, etc. When you look at the packing for organic milk, it has one ingredient: organic milk. No fillers, nada. Just juice squeezed out of cow udders. Anyhow, I think I'm going to post a homemade almond milk recipe now.
Silk: Natural Flavor, Locust Bean Gum, Sunflower Lecithin, Gellan Gum. Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin E Acetate, Zinc Gluconate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Riboflavin (B2), Vitamin B12, Vitamin D2
What the hell is "natural flavor" as its own ingredient??
Blue Diamond: Evaporated Cane Juice, Calcium Carbonate, Sea Salt, Potassium Citrate, Carrageenan, Sunflower Lecithin, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2, D-Alpha-Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E)
So Delicious: Dried Cane Syrup, Pea Protein, Rice Protein, Calcium Phosphate, Magnesium Phosphate, Carrageenan, Natural Flavor, Locust Bean Gum, Kosher Sea Salt, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D-2, L-Selenomethionine (Selenium), Zinc Oxide, Folic Acid, Vitamin B-12
Protein powder?? WTF!
Pacific Almond: Dried Cane Syrup, Potassium Citrate, Sea Salt, Carrageenan, Riboflavin (B2), Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2
Trader Joe's: Tricalcium Phosphate, Sea Salt, Gellan Gum, Dipotassium Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Natural Flavors, Sunflower Lecithin, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2, Dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate (Vitamin E)
Hands down, if you can handle cow's milk, it is the only way to go for ice cream, milk shakes, pudding, cheese, etc. When you look at the packing for organic milk, it has one ingredient: organic milk. No fillers, nada. Just juice squeezed out of cow udders. Anyhow, I think I'm going to post a homemade almond milk recipe now.
Vinegar Pie
Happy Pi Day!
This recipe hit my radar when I was reading up on pies that people make for Pi Day (March 14). I really didn't know what I wanted to make; but I did know I wanted to make something I hadn't made before. This recipe originates from the mid-19th century and counts as a pioneer style of baking (think Little House on the Prairie). The recipe ratio comes from Michigan's MLive article on the same topic.
Ingredients
1 pre-baked coconut flour pie crust
2 large eggs
1 c organic granulated sugar, divided
1 tbsp tapioca starch
1 c cold filtered water
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
ground cinnamon, for dusting
organic whipped cream, optional
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Whisk together eggs and 1/4 c sugar in a bowl.
2. Attach a candy thermometer to the pot. In a heavy pot, sift together tapioca starch and 3/4 c sugar. Add cold water and vinegar. Whisk together and bring boil until the sugar dissolves. While whisking, add egg mixture in a slow stream. Cook over medium heat until the custard registers 175 degrees F on the cooking thermometer.
3. Remove from heat and pour into pie shell. Cover rim with a pie shield or aluminum foil. The hot pie plate was too much for me and I just let the crust get really dark without either method in play. Bake until the pie filling is set, 15-20 minutes.
4. Let cool completely on a rack. Dust evenly with ground cinnamon.
In this case, mine was still wobbly after cooling on a rack; so I let it chill in the refrigerator and then dusted it with ground cinnamon.
[Update: This one of the worst recipes I have ever made. It's too sweet. The filling is like a runny not-quite-soury meringue that sat out for too long on a hot day. This pie ranks up there with tuna casserole. Don't make it. Well, if you do, don't overbake the coconut crust because that thing gets rock hard!]
This recipe hit my radar when I was reading up on pies that people make for Pi Day (March 14). I really didn't know what I wanted to make; but I did know I wanted to make something I hadn't made before. This recipe originates from the mid-19th century and counts as a pioneer style of baking (think Little House on the Prairie). The recipe ratio comes from Michigan's MLive article on the same topic.
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| Unbaked pie crust, filled pie crust, baked pie, finished pie with cinnamon dusting |
Ingredients
1 pre-baked coconut flour pie crust
2 large eggs
1 c organic granulated sugar, divided
1 tbsp tapioca starch
1 c cold filtered water
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
ground cinnamon, for dusting
organic whipped cream, optional
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. Whisk together eggs and 1/4 c sugar in a bowl.
2. Attach a candy thermometer to the pot. In a heavy pot, sift together tapioca starch and 3/4 c sugar. Add cold water and vinegar. Whisk together and bring boil until the sugar dissolves. While whisking, add egg mixture in a slow stream. Cook over medium heat until the custard registers 175 degrees F on the cooking thermometer.
3. Remove from heat and pour into pie shell. Cover rim with a pie shield or aluminum foil. The hot pie plate was too much for me and I just let the crust get really dark without either method in play. Bake until the pie filling is set, 15-20 minutes.
4. Let cool completely on a rack. Dust evenly with ground cinnamon.
In this case, mine was still wobbly after cooling on a rack; so I let it chill in the refrigerator and then dusted it with ground cinnamon.
[Update: This one of the worst recipes I have ever made. It's too sweet. The filling is like a runny not-quite-soury meringue that sat out for too long on a hot day. This pie ranks up there with tuna casserole. Don't make it. Well, if you do, don't overbake the coconut crust because that thing gets rock hard!]
Coconut Flour Pie Crust
Coconut oil is solid at room temperature and makes it challenging to work with when a recipe calls for more than a tablespoon. I have 16 oz glass jars of organic coconut oil. I suppose that if I ever buy that humongous container from Costco, I would have to move it all into glass containers. I put the jar in a pot of water over medium heat. After a few minutes, enough of the coconut oil liquefied and to pour out what is needed instead of having to guesstimate the solid to liquid ratio. I have gotten many ideas about raw coconuts (like how to make coconut
products from scratch with whole coconuts) from the Coconut Mamma blog. This recipe ratio is hers and I like its simplicity.
Like an almond flour pie crust, this one is hard to gauge how thick it is when you pat it down into a 9" pie plate. Given how it bakes, this pastry is only good for the bottom of the pie.
Ingredients
1/2 c organic coconut oil, melted
2 eggs
1/4 tsp sea salt
3/4 c organic coconut flour
2 tbsp raw honey
Directions
In a large bowl (or food prep), beat together eggs, coconut oil, honey, and salt. Add coconut flour and stir until the dough holds together. Gather into a ball and pat into a 9" pie plate.
Prick the dough with a fork. (Sadly, this does not stop the pastry from rising from steam.)
Bake 10 minutes, until edges are golden brown. Let cool before using.
 |
| Unbaked Coconut Flour Pie Crust |
Like an almond flour pie crust, this one is hard to gauge how thick it is when you pat it down into a 9" pie plate. Given how it bakes, this pastry is only good for the bottom of the pie.
Ingredients
1/2 c organic coconut oil, melted
2 eggs
1/4 tsp sea salt
3/4 c organic coconut flour
2 tbsp raw honey
Directions
In a large bowl (or food prep), beat together eggs, coconut oil, honey, and salt. Add coconut flour and stir until the dough holds together. Gather into a ball and pat into a 9" pie plate.
Prick the dough with a fork. (Sadly, this does not stop the pastry from rising from steam.)
Bake 10 minutes, until edges are golden brown. Let cool before using.
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