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. :) :)
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.
 |
| 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.
 |
| 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.
Homemade Soft Pretzels, batch #2
I planned to make these yesterday but didn't get around to it. The 1-hour proof for the dough turned into a 24-hour proof on the kitchen counter. This hasn't affected the taste or the rise at all. It made 2 lb 7 oz of dough. I converted the weight to ounces then divided by the number of portions I wanted to make. In this recipe I am making 12 pretzels, so each weighed out to be 3 1/8 to 3 1/4 oz on the digital scale. The biggest difference between batch #1 and batch #2 is the exclusion of milk in the dough recipe and the use of baked baking soda in the boiling stage instead of baking soda.
This NY Times article suggests how baked baking soda affects bread-based recipes like noodles and pretzels. However, the sodium carbonate is not the same as potassium carbonate used in Chinese cooking for ramen noodles and mooncake dough. I store my baked baking soda in a lidded mason jar.
Also, the warm water for the yeast was only 75 degrees F instead of the usual 110-115 degrees F. This also doesn't seem to have any effect on the rise of the dough. The weather has been unusually warm for this time of the year. Yesterday we hit a high of 70 degrees, with humidity; though, today we are back in the mid-50s with rain.
Dough Ingredients
1 1/2 c warm water (115 degrees F)
1 tbsp organic granulated sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (or 1 package)
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (I think by mistake I put in 4 oz melted butter)
4 1/2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
Baking Soda Water Ingredients
2/3 c baked baking soda
10 c filtered water
Egg Wash for Pretzels
1 tbsp filtered water
1 egg yolk
Directions
For the dough ingredients, combine sugar, 1 tsp kosher salt and warm water in a 2-cup measuring cup. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Add yeast, stir. Let sit for 5 mins, until the yeast foams up.
In a 7-cup food processor, add flour, butter and 1 tsp kosher salt. Pulse together. Next, add the water/yeast slurry and blend until the dough comes together. Pulse or run the processor for 1-2 minutes. It'll be sticky (vs smooth and satiny in a stand mixer) and this is okay. You don't want to burn out the motor mixing a heavy dough like this.
Prepare a 5-quart mixing bowl with 1 tsp olive oil. Just swirl it around on the bottom. Dump the blob of dough into the bowl. You could rotate the blob so that it gets coated with the oil, but this is really not necessary. Cover the bowl with a dinner plate and set in a warm place in the kitchen. Let dough rise for at least an hour.
Bring a pot of water (10 cups) plus the baked baking soda to a boil. This will take some time, so better to start this step before portioning the dough.
Weigh your dough. Then divide it by the number of portions you want to make. This batch made 12 pretzels when rolled out to 18-20 inches. Alton's method makes 8 portions at 24 inches.
Place your dough on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Given the day's humidity, I did not spritz the kitchen towels with water.
Roll each piece into a 18" to 20" log. If you have trouble figuring out how long this really is, either have a 24" cutting board and measure out 4" from the edge and mark it with a post-it note or tape one of those IKEA paper tape measures to your kitchen counter.
I did a variety of shapes to play with the dough. A double twist looked the most fashionable. Place each shaped pretzel back onto the parchment paper and cover with a kitchen towel until you have rolled out and shaped all the portions of dough. At this point, you could let the dough rise again. Mine did not and that is probably because I didn't knead the dough until it was smooth, or because I let it proof so long the yeast was entirely spent from farting all night.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. (This should take about 10 minutes)
By now, the pot of water should have come to a boil. Drop in two pretzels at a time and boil for 30 seconds. I used a slotted metal spatula to get the pretzels. Remove pretzels from the water and place back onto the parchment-lined trays. Repeat until all the pretzels have bathed in the baking soda solution.
Next, make the egg wash by whisking together water and egg yolk with a fork in a small bowl. Lightly brush this on top of each pretzel before baking. You can sprinkle coarse kosher salt on top or herbs or grated cheese or leave it plain. For this batch, I used a sparse amount of kosher salt.
Bake for 14 minutes total. At the 7-minute mark, rotate all the trays.
Let pretzels cool on a rack. Enjoy with or without mustard.
The ingredient ratio and methodology is adapted from Alton Brown.
This NY Times article suggests how baked baking soda affects bread-based recipes like noodles and pretzels. However, the sodium carbonate is not the same as potassium carbonate used in Chinese cooking for ramen noodles and mooncake dough. I store my baked baking soda in a lidded mason jar.
Also, the warm water for the yeast was only 75 degrees F instead of the usual 110-115 degrees F. This also doesn't seem to have any effect on the rise of the dough. The weather has been unusually warm for this time of the year. Yesterday we hit a high of 70 degrees, with humidity; though, today we are back in the mid-50s with rain.
Dough Ingredients
1 1/2 c warm water (115 degrees F)
1 tbsp organic granulated sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (or 1 package)
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted (I think by mistake I put in 4 oz melted butter)
4 1/2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
Baking Soda Water Ingredients
2/3 c baked baking soda
10 c filtered water
Egg Wash for Pretzels
1 tbsp filtered water
1 egg yolk
Directions
For the dough ingredients, combine sugar, 1 tsp kosher salt and warm water in a 2-cup measuring cup. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Add yeast, stir. Let sit for 5 mins, until the yeast foams up.
In a 7-cup food processor, add flour, butter and 1 tsp kosher salt. Pulse together. Next, add the water/yeast slurry and blend until the dough comes together. Pulse or run the processor for 1-2 minutes. It'll be sticky (vs smooth and satiny in a stand mixer) and this is okay. You don't want to burn out the motor mixing a heavy dough like this.
Prepare a 5-quart mixing bowl with 1 tsp olive oil. Just swirl it around on the bottom. Dump the blob of dough into the bowl. You could rotate the blob so that it gets coated with the oil, but this is really not necessary. Cover the bowl with a dinner plate and set in a warm place in the kitchen. Let dough rise for at least an hour.
Bring a pot of water (10 cups) plus the baked baking soda to a boil. This will take some time, so better to start this step before portioning the dough.
Weigh your dough. Then divide it by the number of portions you want to make. This batch made 12 pretzels when rolled out to 18-20 inches. Alton's method makes 8 portions at 24 inches.
Place your dough on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Given the day's humidity, I did not spritz the kitchen towels with water.
Roll each piece into a 18" to 20" log. If you have trouble figuring out how long this really is, either have a 24" cutting board and measure out 4" from the edge and mark it with a post-it note or tape one of those IKEA paper tape measures to your kitchen counter.
I did a variety of shapes to play with the dough. A double twist looked the most fashionable. Place each shaped pretzel back onto the parchment paper and cover with a kitchen towel until you have rolled out and shaped all the portions of dough. At this point, you could let the dough rise again. Mine did not and that is probably because I didn't knead the dough until it was smooth, or because I let it proof so long the yeast was entirely spent from farting all night.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. (This should take about 10 minutes)
By now, the pot of water should have come to a boil. Drop in two pretzels at a time and boil for 30 seconds. I used a slotted metal spatula to get the pretzels. Remove pretzels from the water and place back onto the parchment-lined trays. Repeat until all the pretzels have bathed in the baking soda solution.
Next, make the egg wash by whisking together water and egg yolk with a fork in a small bowl. Lightly brush this on top of each pretzel before baking. You can sprinkle coarse kosher salt on top or herbs or grated cheese or leave it plain. For this batch, I used a sparse amount of kosher salt.
Bake for 14 minutes total. At the 7-minute mark, rotate all the trays.
Let pretzels cool on a rack. Enjoy with or without mustard.
The ingredient ratio and methodology is adapted from Alton Brown.
Spicy Sweet Roasted Kabocha Squash
I thought about roasting the whole squash this way. I ended up roasting the slices 15 minutes on one side, and 10 minutes on the other. A few of the edges of the thinner slices burnt, so a total bake time of 25 minutes is too much. Maybe 10 minutes on each side might suffice. Smashing the whole squash against a concrete step worked really well in opening it.
Ingredients
1/2 small kabocha squash, washed and seeded
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Slice the kabocha squash into 1/4" slices.
In a large bowl, sprinkle spices on top of squash. Add sesame oil. Toss squash to coat. Add soy sauce and toss again.
Lay slices out in a single layer on a silicone mat-lined baking tray.
Roast for 10 minutes on each side. Flip slices and rotate the tray at the 10 minute mark.
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| Prep to make Roasted Squash |
Ingredients
1/2 small kabocha squash, washed and seeded
3 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Slice the kabocha squash into 1/4" slices.
In a large bowl, sprinkle spices on top of squash. Add sesame oil. Toss squash to coat. Add soy sauce and toss again.
Lay slices out in a single layer on a silicone mat-lined baking tray.
Roast for 10 minutes on each side. Flip slices and rotate the tray at the 10 minute mark.
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| Roasted Kabocha Squash Slices |
Kitchen Notes: Ginger Beer, batch #2
I made another half-gallon batch of this today using bread yeast instead of champagne yeast. I'll find out in a couple of days if the type of yeast has any impact on the taste. You cannot use bread yeast when making hard apple cider, for example, unless you want your cider to taste like apple bread.
From the first batch, the first liter was drunk 2 days after I transferred the brew from the 1-gallon jug to the two 1-liter glass bottles. It was sweet and had a very strong ginger kick to it. The best part was the carbonation. Nice and fizzy. The second bottle was drunk a week after racking and it wasn't as sweet. It had some carbonation and it might have bordered on being slightly alcoholic. Nonetheless it's a fun experiment.
From the first batch, the first liter was drunk 2 days after I transferred the brew from the 1-gallon jug to the two 1-liter glass bottles. It was sweet and had a very strong ginger kick to it. The best part was the carbonation. Nice and fizzy. The second bottle was drunk a week after racking and it wasn't as sweet. It had some carbonation and it might have bordered on being slightly alcoholic. Nonetheless it's a fun experiment.
Coconut Chia Drink
Finally there is a use for my unused half-pint jars. This tastes pretty good at any time, morning or night. I usually make three 8 oz servings at a time. I started using Trader Joe's light coconut milk (the stuff from the can not carton) since it only contains coconut milk and water. You can get coconut milk with 60% or more coconut milk in the can at an Asian grocery store. Be sure to read the labels for the ones that just have coconut milk and water as its ingredients.
Ingredients per 8 oz (half pint) jar:
1 tbsp organic chia seeds
1/3 c light coconut milk
2/3 c filtered water
1 tsp honey or some stevia sweetener, if desired
Directions
Fill each clean jar with chia seeds. Pour in coconut milk, water and sweetener. Stir well so that the chia seeds don't all clump together. Put clean lid onto the jars and secure with a jar band.
Put in refrigerator for a few hours. The chia seeds will have ballooned in size from absorbing the water. Give the jar a quick shake before opening and drinking.
You can also blend the contents of one jar with 2 medium ripe bananas for a quick smoothie.
This doesn't have a pudding consistency and is really meant for drinking. It's also not for anyone counting calories either. Most of the calories in this recipe are in the chia seeds. A third cup of light coconut milk is about 50 calories.
Ingredients per 8 oz (half pint) jar:
1 tbsp organic chia seeds
1/3 c light coconut milk
2/3 c filtered water
1 tsp honey or some stevia sweetener, if desired
Directions
Fill each clean jar with chia seeds. Pour in coconut milk, water and sweetener. Stir well so that the chia seeds don't all clump together. Put clean lid onto the jars and secure with a jar band.
Put in refrigerator for a few hours. The chia seeds will have ballooned in size from absorbing the water. Give the jar a quick shake before opening and drinking.
You can also blend the contents of one jar with 2 medium ripe bananas for a quick smoothie.
This doesn't have a pudding consistency and is really meant for drinking. It's also not for anyone counting calories either. Most of the calories in this recipe are in the chia seeds. A third cup of light coconut milk is about 50 calories.
Perfect Soft Boiled Eggs via Steam
I'm pretty sure that you can use any quantity of eggs for this. It's definitely not something that you'd want to do for Easter though, unless these were for breakfast and not EE dyeing/hunting.
Bring a pot of water to boil. Insert metal steamer basket. Add eggs. Boil for 6 minutes. Turn off heat. Put eggs in cold water to cool down. Peel eggs. Enjoy.
Bring a pot of water to boil. Insert metal steamer basket. Add eggs. Boil for 6 minutes. Turn off heat. Put eggs in cold water to cool down. Peel eggs. Enjoy.
Pumpkin Spice Scones
Just like how Starbucks makes them, well, not really. I really did try to replicate the taste. Except, I forgot to add the vanilla extract to the dough so I added it to the spiced icing instead. This scone tastes less sugary than what you can get at Starbucks. There's only a third of a cup of brown sugar in the whole batch, plus whatever icing that was squiggled on top of the scones. These taste really good when eaten the same day they're baked. They're slightly less fresh the day after. And, the scones have dried out somewhat after that but a good complement to tea and/or coffee.
This dough was really, really wet and sticky. I was concerned that it wouldn't form into the triangles after baking. If you want easier cleanup, place a silicone mat under the rack that the scones are cooling on before glazing.
Scone Ingredients
2 c unbleached all purpose flour
1/3 c light brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground cloves
3/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 c organic pumpkin purée
1 large egg
up to 3 tbsp organic half'n'half
1 stick (8 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
Spiced Glaze Ingredients
1 c powdered sugar
1 tbsp organic half'n'half
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
To make the dough, blend together all the dry ingredients and the butter in a food processor. Next, add all the wet ingredients (egg, pumpkin, half'n'half). Pulse until it just comes together. It'll be sticky and wet.
Turn dough out onto a silicone mat. If the dough is too sticky, wet your fingers with some water and gently press the dough out into a rectangular shape. You're aiming for an even block of dough that is 1/2" tall. If you're as good as a Starbuck's baker, you can pat this dough out to be 10" x 7". But, if you're not, it'll look like some rectangular blob.
Use a pastry knife and cut the triangle in half and in half again. Of the smaller triangles, cut these diagonally to make triangle wedges. Don't try to break these apart when they are wet. It simply will not work.
Bake on a rimmed or unrimmed baking sheet for 15 minutes. Try to break out the wedges as individual pieces and cool on a wire rack.
To make the spiced glaze:
Combine all the glaze ingredients together in a bowl. And use a spoon or sandwich bag to create zig-zag lines on top of the scones.
To make a simple sugar glaze:
Combine all the glaze ingredients except for the pumpkin pie spice and glaze accordingly.
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| Pumpkin Spice Scones, glazed and all for me...! |
This dough was really, really wet and sticky. I was concerned that it wouldn't form into the triangles after baking. If you want easier cleanup, place a silicone mat under the rack that the scones are cooling on before glazing.
Scone Ingredients
2 c unbleached all purpose flour
1/3 c light brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground cloves
3/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 c organic pumpkin purée
1 large egg
up to 3 tbsp organic half'n'half
1 stick (8 tbsp) cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
Spiced Glaze Ingredients
1 c powdered sugar
1 tbsp organic half'n'half
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
To make the dough, blend together all the dry ingredients and the butter in a food processor. Next, add all the wet ingredients (egg, pumpkin, half'n'half). Pulse until it just comes together. It'll be sticky and wet.
Turn dough out onto a silicone mat. If the dough is too sticky, wet your fingers with some water and gently press the dough out into a rectangular shape. You're aiming for an even block of dough that is 1/2" tall. If you're as good as a Starbuck's baker, you can pat this dough out to be 10" x 7". But, if you're not, it'll look like some rectangular blob.
Use a pastry knife and cut the triangle in half and in half again. Of the smaller triangles, cut these diagonally to make triangle wedges. Don't try to break these apart when they are wet. It simply will not work.
Bake on a rimmed or unrimmed baking sheet for 15 minutes. Try to break out the wedges as individual pieces and cool on a wire rack.
To make the spiced glaze:
Combine all the glaze ingredients together in a bowl. And use a spoon or sandwich bag to create zig-zag lines on top of the scones.
To make a simple sugar glaze:
Combine all the glaze ingredients except for the pumpkin pie spice and glaze accordingly.
AB Lavash Crackers
After having consumed many boxes of soda crackers, I thought I might try my hand again at making flat bread crackers. Although, these crackers are neither flat nor very hard cracker-like. This has turned out to be more of a soft flat bread than anything. On a humid, rainy day like today, it needs at least 12 minutes in the oven. I also reduced the amount of salt by half and it doesn't seem to have affected the taste since I am eating it with some baba ganoush.
Ingredients
2 1/2 c unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp organic granulated sugar
2/3 c warm water
1 egg
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1-2 tbsp melted butter for brushing
Directions
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Gently knead into a ball. Divide dough into thirds or quarters. Cover with a tea towel or the same bowl that the dough was mixed in. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
On a silicon mat that is large/small enough to fit on top of a standard sized baking tray, lightly dust with flour and roll out the dough to as thin as it will go without spilling over the sides of the mat.
Lightly brush the melted butter on top of the dough. If you don't own a baking sheet (rimless) Place silicone mat on an inverted rimmed baking tray (simply flip the tray over so you are baking on its flat side). Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are light golden brown.
This recipe is from Alton Brown. And my crackers look nothing like his. Hmm.
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| Freshly made lavash crackers |
Ingredients
2 1/2 c unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp organic granulated sugar
2/3 c warm water
1 egg
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1-2 tbsp melted butter for brushing
Directions
In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Gently knead into a ball. Divide dough into thirds or quarters. Cover with a tea towel or the same bowl that the dough was mixed in. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
On a silicon mat that is large/small enough to fit on top of a standard sized baking tray, lightly dust with flour and roll out the dough to as thin as it will go without spilling over the sides of the mat.
Lightly brush the melted butter on top of the dough. If you don't own a baking sheet (rimless) Place silicone mat on an inverted rimmed baking tray (simply flip the tray over so you are baking on its flat side). Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are light golden brown.
This recipe is from Alton Brown. And my crackers look nothing like his. Hmm.
Ramen Noodles from Scratch
Most of the ramen noodle recipes I found on the web didn't call for egg as one of the dough ingredients. This is my second attempt at making ramen noodles. The recipe is pretty simple. While it is cheap to make, it probably doesn't compare to the convenience of the store-bought packages. The liquid potassium carbonate can be found in most Asian grocery stores and can be substituted with an equal amount baked baking soda.
Serves: 6
Ingredients
2 c unbleached all purpose flour
2 tbsp vital wheat gluten
1/2 c warm water
1 tsp potassium carbonate (liquid)
Directions
In a large bowl, stir all ingredients together. Knead into a ball. Cut into quarters and place unused portions into a plastic bag or covered with a clean kitchen towel.
Flatten the ball out with your hand and lightly dust it with flour on both sides. Either roll it out thin with a rolling pin or use a pasta machine and crank the dough through each setting twice until you come to the second to last setting. My pasta machine goes numerically from 1-8, with 1 being the largest aperture. For ramen noodles, I use setting #7 (second to smallest thickness).
Use the noodle cutting attachment to cut the noodles from the long length of dough.
Bring a large stockpot of lightly salted (1-2 tsp kosher salt) water to a boil. Fresh ramen noodles will cook in about 3-4 minutes.
Do not cook the noodles directly in the broth it will be served in.
To serve: Remove cooked noodles from the pot with a spider strainer (also found at an Asian grocery store, it usually has a long metal or bamboo handle with a steel mesh strainer) to a soup bowl. Add 1 soup ladle of the noodle's cooking water plus 2 soup ladles of the broth you are serving the noodles with. Garnish with toasted nori, halved hard-boiled egg, fresh or fried bean sprouts, etc.
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| Homemade Ramen Noodles w/ shitake mushrooms and egg |
Serves: 6
Ingredients
2 c unbleached all purpose flour
2 tbsp vital wheat gluten
1/2 c warm water
1 tsp potassium carbonate (liquid)
Directions
In a large bowl, stir all ingredients together. Knead into a ball. Cut into quarters and place unused portions into a plastic bag or covered with a clean kitchen towel.
Flatten the ball out with your hand and lightly dust it with flour on both sides. Either roll it out thin with a rolling pin or use a pasta machine and crank the dough through each setting twice until you come to the second to last setting. My pasta machine goes numerically from 1-8, with 1 being the largest aperture. For ramen noodles, I use setting #7 (second to smallest thickness).
Use the noodle cutting attachment to cut the noodles from the long length of dough.
Bring a large stockpot of lightly salted (1-2 tsp kosher salt) water to a boil. Fresh ramen noodles will cook in about 3-4 minutes.
Do not cook the noodles directly in the broth it will be served in.
To serve: Remove cooked noodles from the pot with a spider strainer (also found at an Asian grocery store, it usually has a long metal or bamboo handle with a steel mesh strainer) to a soup bowl. Add 1 soup ladle of the noodle's cooking water plus 2 soup ladles of the broth you are serving the noodles with. Garnish with toasted nori, halved hard-boiled egg, fresh or fried bean sprouts, etc.
Baked Zucchini Chips
These chips took a lot of time and effort for so little reward. Although, now I can say that I ate two zucchinis in five minutes. I'll need a lot more trays, oven racks, or a food dehydrator to do this recipe again. My all-time favorite way to eat zucchini is breaded and deep fried.
Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.
Ingredients
organic zucchinis, as many as will fit in the palm of your hand
a pinch of salt, less than 1/4 tsp
1 tbsp olive oil
Directions
Use the cutting blade disc with the food processor, this is faster and easier than using a mandoline slicer. The only advantage the mandoline has over the food processor is the width size of the vegetable.
On a parchment paper-lined baking tray, place zucchini rounds side by side until the tray is full. Repeat with other trays. Use a pastry brush to brush each round with a little bit of olive oil. Sprinkle salt on top, if you want. You can always add more salt after these finish baking.
If your oven heats evenly, you shouldn't need to rotate the trays.
Bake for two hours, or until everything looks dry and lightly browned. Use a spatula to remove the chips from the trays to a plate or airtight container, should the chips actually last that long.
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| Zucchini chips: slice, place, bake! |
Preheat oven to 225 degrees F.
Ingredients
organic zucchinis, as many as will fit in the palm of your hand
a pinch of salt, less than 1/4 tsp
1 tbsp olive oil
Directions
Use the cutting blade disc with the food processor, this is faster and easier than using a mandoline slicer. The only advantage the mandoline has over the food processor is the width size of the vegetable.
On a parchment paper-lined baking tray, place zucchini rounds side by side until the tray is full. Repeat with other trays. Use a pastry brush to brush each round with a little bit of olive oil. Sprinkle salt on top, if you want. You can always add more salt after these finish baking.
If your oven heats evenly, you shouldn't need to rotate the trays.
Bake for two hours, or until everything looks dry and lightly browned. Use a spatula to remove the chips from the trays to a plate or airtight container, should the chips actually last that long.
Kitchen Notes: Game Day Eats
Thinking about what to make before game day? You'll probably want to start with the easy stuff. Appetizers that people will enjoy and not make a mess as you are heating up the grill for the heavier stuff. Many of these recipes can all be done a day ahead. I'd put the potstickers into the oven on a baking tray to reheat them all up. Maybe 5-10 mins at 400 degrees F would suffice to get them extra crispy.
Here are a few ideas from this blog:
Sauces & Dips
No Mayonnaise Green Onion Sour Cream Dip
Edamame Pesto - good with crackers and sturdier chips
Fresh Salsa - just omit the canning part of the recipe
Appetizers
Pumpkin Fried Rice
Roast Duck Wings
Potstickers
Roasted Shrimp with Honey-Ginger
Soft Pretzels
Sweet Potato Fries
Baked Nachos with Black Beans and Cheese
Easy Kale Chips
Salads
Moroccan Couscous Salad
Quinoa Salad
Spinach and Strawberry Salad
Beverages
Ginger Beer - start this at least 3 days before game day. It's not quite alcoholic nor is it a soft beverage. It's somewhere in between those two. Use your best judgement if children are around.
Here are a few ideas from this blog:
Sauces & Dips
No Mayonnaise Green Onion Sour Cream Dip
Edamame Pesto - good with crackers and sturdier chips
Fresh Salsa - just omit the canning part of the recipe
Appetizers
Pumpkin Fried Rice
Roast Duck Wings
Potstickers
Roasted Shrimp with Honey-Ginger
Soft Pretzels
Sweet Potato Fries
Baked Nachos with Black Beans and Cheese
Easy Kale Chips
Salads
Moroccan Couscous Salad
Quinoa Salad
Spinach and Strawberry Salad
Beverages
Ginger Beer - start this at least 3 days before game day. It's not quite alcoholic nor is it a soft beverage. It's somewhere in between those two. Use your best judgement if children are around.
Edamame Pesto
I really thought I was going to make pea pesto today from Giada de Laurentiis' recipe. Sadly, I ate the last bag of frozen peas and didn't remind myself to buy more. But, what else is green and comes in a pod...? Edamame, the sexy name for soybeans. Per cup, edamame has about 17 grams of protein vs organic green peas which have 4 grams of protein per 2/3 cup (if you were looking at a Trader Joe's package). These pair well with the multiseed flatbread crackers that Trader Joe's also carries. One day, I'll figure out the ratio of seeds on top and make these myself. Onto the recipe...
Ingredients
1 lb edamame in-shell, cooked then unshelled
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
Directions
1. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together edamame, cheese, and garlic.
2. While running, drizzle in olive oil, salt and black pepper until well combined. Less than a minute.
3. Scoop everything out into a small bowl.
Makes almost 2 cups.
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| Ingredients for edamame pesto |
1 lb edamame in-shell, cooked then unshelled
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
Directions
1. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together edamame, cheese, and garlic.
2. While running, drizzle in olive oil, salt and black pepper until well combined. Less than a minute.
3. Scoop everything out into a small bowl.
Makes almost 2 cups.
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| Spreadable Edamame Pesto |
Faux "Cheddar" Cheese aka Coconut Cheese
One of the most dangerous things to have in the pantry is all the ingredients for an experiment. Cost-wise, it isn't any cheaper than buying a gallon of milk on sale; but it does make a lot more of that cheesy substance. The coagulation is achieved by using agar agar, a vegetarian gelatin derived from seaweed; and also tapioca starch, which helps with the thickening. Before I added turmeric powder as a colorant, it tasted a tad on the salty side and had the consistency of a molten cheese sauce.
Also, the agar agar that I bought from Fubonn came in a two-pack of moulded agar agar bars. I used one and ground it into flakes using a mini food prep.
Since coconut oil is a solid at room temperature, as the coconut cheese cools, it will firm up. If I stick it into the refrigerator overnight, I might just be able to slice or grate it like a normal block of cheese.
Ingredients
2 cans (800ml) coconut cream (70% or more coconut milk)
3 tbsp agar flakes
1/2 tsp cider vinegar
4 tbsp tapioca starch
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp sea salt (more than this is too much)
1/4 c nutritional yeast flakes
1/2 tsp turmeric powder (optional, for color) doesn't help the taste
Directions
1. In a large pot, bring coconut milk to a boil. Add vinegar, agar flakes, and salt. Boil gently for 15 minutes until the agar dissolves completely.
2. Whisk in the remainder of the ingredients, one at a time, until everything is well combined. I put in the starch all at once and it clumped up immediately. Maybe next time I should just sprinkle and whisk it in. Cook for another 8-10 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and pour into either a greased glass bowl or a parchment paper-lined loaf pan.
4. Let cool for a few hours. It will set at room temperature. If you would like it to be firmer, for grating or slicing, put it into the fridge overnight.
Recipe ratio from All the Cooks.
[update] 2015-01-29: Well, 2 tsp of sea salt was too much. This batch made 1 lb 7 oz of faux cheese. It is so salty, I'm thinking of reheating it with some potatoes. Refrigeration did not help the consistency. It's like cutting through soft tofu. Definitely cannot "shred" it with a grater. Spreads easily.
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| Coconut Cheese Ingredients |
Also, the agar agar that I bought from Fubonn came in a two-pack of moulded agar agar bars. I used one and ground it into flakes using a mini food prep.
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| Coconut cheese in a parchment lined loaf pan, looks ominous... |
Ingredients
2 cans (800ml) coconut cream (70% or more coconut milk)
3 tbsp agar flakes
1/2 tsp cider vinegar
4 tbsp tapioca starch
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp sea salt (more than this is too much)
1/4 c nutritional yeast flakes
Directions
1. In a large pot, bring coconut milk to a boil. Add vinegar, agar flakes, and salt. Boil gently for 15 minutes until the agar dissolves completely.
2. Whisk in the remainder of the ingredients, one at a time, until everything is well combined. I put in the starch all at once and it clumped up immediately. Maybe next time I should just sprinkle and whisk it in. Cook for another 8-10 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and pour into either a greased glass bowl or a parchment paper-lined loaf pan.
4. Let cool for a few hours. It will set at room temperature. If you would like it to be firmer, for grating or slicing, put it into the fridge overnight.
Recipe ratio from All the Cooks.
[update] 2015-01-29: Well, 2 tsp of sea salt was too much. This batch made 1 lb 7 oz of faux cheese. It is so salty, I'm thinking of reheating it with some potatoes. Refrigeration did not help the consistency. It's like cutting through soft tofu. Definitely cannot "shred" it with a grater. Spreads easily.
Ginger Beer
After the disastrous episode of making hard cider from scratch (came out tasting flat and very, very dry), I thought I would try my hand at making some ginger beer. I hope there is still some oomph left in the leftover champagne yeast. It's been lurking in a ziplocked bag in the fridge for about a year. This batch will presumably make 2 liters, which is good since I have two one-liter flip-top glass bottles.
The ingredient ratio comes from The Roasted Root.
Ingredients
1/4 c fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 c fresh lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
1 c cane sugar (add additional 1/4 c sugar if you enjoy a sweeter ginger beer)
1 tsp active dry yeast or champagne yeast
4 cups of filtered water + 5 cups of cold filtered water
One 2-liter plastic bottle with a screw top or a 1-gallon carboy with an S-curve airlock
Directions
Start by adding ginger, cream of tartar, and lemon juice to an 8-quart stock pot.
Add 4 cups of chlorine-free filtered water. Bring to a boil and add sugar. Boil until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add remaining 5 cups of chlorine-free filtered water.
Wait until the liquid temperature is between 75-100 degrees F. Then, add the yeast and stir.
Cover and let rest in a dark place for 3 hours. I just covered the pot with its lid and stuck it into the oven. Seems dark enough in there.
Use a fine strainer and pour liquid into a 5-quart bowl, to remove the small bits of ginger.
Use a funnel to fill the carboy. Fill airlock with water and attach to carboy. Place carboy in a dark, warm room.
Wait 2 days (sweeter), or 3 days (drier).
Once the beer has finished brewing (e.g., airlock stops releasing CO2), transfer to glass bottles with flip-top lids and store in the refrigerator. This slows the fermentation process and be careful when opening the bottles.
 |
| If everything goes right, ginger beer in 2-3 days. |
The ingredient ratio comes from The Roasted Root.
Ingredients
1/4 c fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 c fresh lemon juice (1-2 lemons)
1 c cane sugar (add additional 1/4 c sugar if you enjoy a sweeter ginger beer)
1 tsp active dry yeast or champagne yeast
4 cups of filtered water + 5 cups of cold filtered water
One 2-liter plastic bottle with a screw top or a 1-gallon carboy with an S-curve airlock
Directions
Start by adding ginger, cream of tartar, and lemon juice to an 8-quart stock pot.
Add 4 cups of chlorine-free filtered water. Bring to a boil and add sugar. Boil until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add remaining 5 cups of chlorine-free filtered water.
Wait until the liquid temperature is between 75-100 degrees F. Then, add the yeast and stir.
Cover and let rest in a dark place for 3 hours. I just covered the pot with its lid and stuck it into the oven. Seems dark enough in there.
Use a fine strainer and pour liquid into a 5-quart bowl, to remove the small bits of ginger.
Use a funnel to fill the carboy. Fill airlock with water and attach to carboy. Place carboy in a dark, warm room.
Wait 2 days (sweeter), or 3 days (drier).
Once the beer has finished brewing (e.g., airlock stops releasing CO2), transfer to glass bottles with flip-top lids and store in the refrigerator. This slows the fermentation process and be careful when opening the bottles.
Radish Kimchi
This is also known as daikon kimchi or Korean "kkakdugi", though it could probably use a lot more chili flakes for that. This recipe is from a book called Asian Pickles by Karen Solomon. When I weighed the radish, I found that I didn't quite have two pounds. I reduced the amount of salt and chili flakes for the initial ferment cycle.
Ingredients
1 daikon radish, about 2 lbs
1 tbsp fine sea salt
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 tbsp Korean chili flakes
2 tbsp fish sauce
Directions
1. Peel and cube the radish into 1/2" pieces. Toss in a large bowl with salt and sugar. Let the water drain from the radish for 30 minutes. Drain the water and reserve the radish.
2. In the same bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
3. Cover with a lid and set bowl in a cool, dark corner in the kitchen. Let ferment for 1-3 days. Stir once each day it ferments.
4. Transfer pickled radish to a clean glass jar and cap. Store in refrigerator. Eat within two weeks.
Ingredients
1 daikon radish, about 2 lbs
1 tbsp fine sea salt
2 tbsp granulated sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 tbsp Korean chili flakes
2 tbsp fish sauce
Directions
1. Peel and cube the radish into 1/2" pieces. Toss in a large bowl with salt and sugar. Let the water drain from the radish for 30 minutes. Drain the water and reserve the radish.
2. In the same bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.
3. Cover with a lid and set bowl in a cool, dark corner in the kitchen. Let ferment for 1-3 days. Stir once each day it ferments.
4. Transfer pickled radish to a clean glass jar and cap. Store in refrigerator. Eat within two weeks.
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