It seems that all you really need is a dry summer day. Laying the sugared peels on a rack then waiting 24 hours for the peels to dry is nonsense. I was able to make a batch of lime peels and a batch of orange peels in the same day. And, a batch of candied lemon peels the next day. Probably could have made it all in the same day if I had more drying space.
In terms of quantities, the peels of six limes filled an 8 oz jar; one medium mandarin orange filled 1/4 of an 8 oz jar, and two large lemons filled 1/2 an 8 oz jar.
Use a sharp edged (not serrated) vegetable peeler to remove the peel from the fruit. Thinly slice the peel into strips. The less pith (white stuff) that is on the peel, the more translucent the peel will become when it is boiled in the sugar syrup.
I used one batch of sugar syrup for all these fruits. I still have 10 oz of sugar syrup leftover.
Sugar Syrup
2 c organic granulated sugar
1 c water
Combine water and sugar in a small pot and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and set aside.
The Process
1. Peel the fruits and slice the peel into strips. Place the strips into a pot and fill with just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil and let boil for 10 minutes. Drain the water.
2. Place the boiled peels into the sugar syrup. Bring to a boil. With a candy thermometer, maintain the heat until the thermometer reads 230 degrees F (syrup stage). The peels should begin to turn translucent. This is best observed with lemon and orange peels. You'll have to make a judgement call when doing lime peels. Boil at 230 degrees F for at least 5 minutes.
3. Remove peels from the syrup using a fork or chopsticks. Lay in a single layer onto a Silpat mat or drying rack. I prefer using a silicone mat for easier removal of the sugared peels. This is just so that the peels cool down a bit.
4. Once the peels have cooled. Fill a shallow bowl with 1/2 c granulated sugar. Transfer peels to the sugar and stir until the peels are coated. Set aside. Every few hours, stir the peels around the sugar. When the moisture has sufficiently evaporated from the sugar-coated peels, remove the peels to a separate container.
I use a canning jar with its inner lid removed and use a square of a paper towel as the temporary lid; using the sealing band to keep the paper towel in place. This way the peels can still dry out and the jar can sit on the counter without bugs getting in.
Watermelon Granita
A warm summer in the Pacific Northwest is a great time to enjoy other recipes using watermelon. This recipe is mixed with lemonade for a refreshing summer cooler. I suppose you could also just eat it as an iced watermelon treat. If you're extra crafty, you can peel the limes with a vegetable peeler and reserve the lime peel to make candied citrus peels.
Makes 1 quart.
Ingredients
6 c seedless watermelon, cut into chunks
1/4 c lime juice (3 limes)
1/2 c organic granulated sugar
Directions
1. Wash and juice three limes. Strain out the pulp and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a 7-cup food prep, add sugar and lime juice. Then fill the bowl with watermelon chunks. Purée until smooth.
3. Pour into a 9" x 13" glass baking dish. Place dish in the freezer.
4. When frozen, use the tines of a fork to scrape the frozen purée into granita.
Scoop into tall glasses and fill with lemonade. Enjoy.
The only difference between this and watermelon sorbet, is that the latter has added water and is processed in an ice cream machine.
Makes 1 quart.
Ingredients
6 c seedless watermelon, cut into chunks
1/4 c lime juice (3 limes)
1/2 c organic granulated sugar
Directions
1. Wash and juice three limes. Strain out the pulp and set aside.
2. In the bowl of a 7-cup food prep, add sugar and lime juice. Then fill the bowl with watermelon chunks. Purée until smooth.
3. Pour into a 9" x 13" glass baking dish. Place dish in the freezer.
4. When frozen, use the tines of a fork to scrape the frozen purée into granita.
Scoop into tall glasses and fill with lemonade. Enjoy.
The only difference between this and watermelon sorbet, is that the latter has added water and is processed in an ice cream machine.
Salt and Pepper Squid
While this recipe is a keeper, the most time-consuming task of the recipe is cleaning the squid if you are using fresh squid. I don't know of any seafood counter at an Asian grocery store that cleans squid before packaging it for sale. This is the third recipe attempt from a collection of Fuchsia Dunlop cookbooks. This recipe comes from her book Every Grain of Rice, which won this year's James Beard award for international cookbooks. The photo of my dish doesn't even look remotely close to the pretty squid shapes in the photo of her book. It was tasty regardless.
This is a dish that you could order at a restaurant and not think twice about how long it takes to prepare it. Between cleaning the whole squids, slicing, then deep frying them, it took about an hour from start to finish. I doubt that starting with cleaned squid tubes would have helped all that much; besides those are usually sold frozen. Fresh squid just has a different taste and texture.
 |
| Salt and Pepper Squid |
The cookbook has a vegetarian option for this recipe where instead of the squid, you use 14 oz of plain white tofu cut into bite-sized cubes then deep fried until golden.
Note: there is no black pepper nor white pepper in this recipe. The pepper here is Sichuan pepper, commonly referred to as Sichuan peppercorns. Also, two stalks of green onions were plenty for this dish. And, when deep frying the squid, watch out for the oil.. it will splatter and spit and crackle when moisture from the squid hits the hot oil.
Ingredients
1 lb squid, cleaned
1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
3 tbsp potato flour (for deep frying)
1 1/2 c neutral cooking oil, such as peanut oil
2 tbsp olive oil, for frying
2 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
2 tbsp spring onion whites, minced
2 tbsp spring onion greens, minced
1 fresh red chili, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp toasted Sichuan pepper mixed with 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Directions
1. Clean squid. You'll only be using the tentacles and the body. Trim the tentacles from the head, then slice in half lengthwise. Score the body using diagonal cuts with a knife.
2. Toss the squid body and tentacles in a bowl with Shaoxing rice wine. Let this marinate while you prep the other ingredients.
3. Drain the liquid from the squid and dredge in potato flour. Deep fry in a wok (or other appliance for deep frying) at 350 degrees F. Use a metal slotted spoon to remove the squid when it has reached a light golden brown color. Drain the oil from the squid on paper towels.
4. Drain off all but one tablespoon of oil from the wok. Add garlic, spring onion whites, and chili to the wok and stir fry over medium heat. Raise the heat to high and return the squid, Sichuan pepper, and salt to the wok. Stir and toss for a minute.
5. Add the spring onion greens last, mix well and serve.
Spicy Hot Eggplant
A madman checked out three of Fuchsia Dunlop's cookbooks from the library and suggested that we cook at least three recipes from them. This is the second of three recipes that looked doable and another attempt at authentic Chinese cuisine. This recipe comes from Dunlop's Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook which highlights the cuisine and cooking style of the Hunan province. Chili bean paste isn't in the pantry, so I mixed chili oil with black bean paste as a substitution. This came out tasting just okay. I'm not terribly inclined to make it again any time soon.
Ingredients
3 Asian eggplants, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
2 dried shitake mushrooms, rehydrated and finely chopped
3 oz ground pork
2 tbsp chili oil + 1 tbsp black bean paste
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 fresh red chili, finely sliced
2/3 c. stock or water
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
2 scallions, green parts only, finely sliced
1 tsp sesame oil
olive oil for frying
kosher salt, to taste
Directions
1. Peel the eggplants then cut them in half lengthwise, then crosswise. Cut each quarter into chunks, sprinkle with salt and let drain for 30 minutes.
2. Squeeze the water from the mushrooms, then finely chop and set aside.
3. Rinse and pat dry the eggplant. Heat the oil for deep frying in a wok over high heat until it reach 350 degrees F and fry eggplant until they are tender.
-or- Blanch the eggplant for a few minutes in salted boiling water until softened. Remove from heat or water and set aside.
4. Fry pork separately and add the chili bean paste. Stir fry until the oil is red.
5. Add the ginger, garlic, mushrooms, and chili paste. Stir in the stock, dark soy sauce, eggplant, and simmer for a few minutes over medium heat. Season to taste with salt.
6. Cook until the sauce is reduced. Add the scallions and stir fry until barely cooked.
7. Remove from heat, stir in sesame oil, and serve.
 |
| Spicy Eggplant with Pork |
3 Asian eggplants, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks
2 dried shitake mushrooms, rehydrated and finely chopped
3 oz ground pork
2 tbsp chili oil + 1 tbsp black bean paste
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 fresh red chili, finely sliced
2/3 c. stock or water
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
2 scallions, green parts only, finely sliced
1 tsp sesame oil
olive oil for frying
kosher salt, to taste
Directions
1. Peel the eggplants then cut them in half lengthwise, then crosswise. Cut each quarter into chunks, sprinkle with salt and let drain for 30 minutes.
2. Squeeze the water from the mushrooms, then finely chop and set aside.
3. Rinse and pat dry the eggplant. Heat the oil for deep frying in a wok over high heat until it reach 350 degrees F and fry eggplant until they are tender.
-or- Blanch the eggplant for a few minutes in salted boiling water until softened. Remove from heat or water and set aside.
4. Fry pork separately and add the chili bean paste. Stir fry until the oil is red.
5. Add the ginger, garlic, mushrooms, and chili paste. Stir in the stock, dark soy sauce, eggplant, and simmer for a few minutes over medium heat. Season to taste with salt.
6. Cook until the sauce is reduced. Add the scallions and stir fry until barely cooked.
7. Remove from heat, stir in sesame oil, and serve.
Sichanese Dan Dan Noodles
If it weren't for this cookbook, I would not have known to make the dish nor the sauce that goes with it. This recipe comes from Fuchsia Dunlop's Land of Plenty. Total prep time is about an hour, including noodle cooking time. This was one of the few times I went out of the way to procure a single recipe ingredient, in this case it was the tianjin preserved vegetable; which is a garlic and salt-preserved cabbage. If you can't find this little clay urn of intensely salty vegetable, you could probably substitute the more commonly used preserved turnip or preserved mustard greens instead.
 |
| Egg Noodles with Pork & Bok Choy, Sichuanese Flavors |
More appalling was the fact that the Wel-pac brand was the only packaged noodle at the Asian grocery store that listed egg as an ingredient instead of yellow food coloring. Sichuanese food is nearly synonymous with hot and spicy. The spiciness of the dish comes from chili oil and toasted sichuan peppercorns.
Serves: 4
For the noodles:
1 pkg (3 bundles) egg noodles
8 bok choy heads, halved and leaves only
For the sauce:
2 tbsp tianjin preserved vegetable, or pickled Chinese cabbage
1 tbsp olive oil
3 spring onions, green parts only, finely chopped
3 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp chili oil, to taste
2 tsp Chinese black vinegar
1 tsp ground toasted sichuan peppercorns
1 qt hot chicken stock
For the pork:
1 tbsp olive oil
3.5 oz ground pork
1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
1 tsp light soy sauce
Directions
1. Rinse the Tianjin vegetable in a sieve under the tap to get rid of excess salt and shake dry. Heat the oil in a wok over a high heat,and stir-fry the Tianjin vegetable until it is dry. Set aside.
2. To prepare the pork topping, add the oil to the wok and heat through. Add the ground pork and stir-fry, splashing in the Shaoxing wine. Add the soy sauce and fry until the meat is cooked but not too dry. Set aside.
3. Divide the stir-fried preserved vegetable, the spring onions and the light and dark soy sauce, chili oil, vinegar, Sichuan pepper and stock among four serving bowls.
4. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the bok choy and blanch until just cooked. Place a couple of leaves in each serving bowl. Meanwhile, add the noodles to the boiling water and boil until cooked to taste. Drain the noodles and divide among the prepared bowls. Top each serving with a spoonful of the cooked pork.
5. Serve immediately. The noodles should be mixed into the sauce at the table, using chopsticks.
Macadamia Nut Brittle, batch #2
I made a second batch of nut brittle on the same day because I didn't think there was enough of the first to use as a garnish for 16 servings of apricot sorbet. This recipe ratio comes from Kendrick & Atkinson's Candymaking cookbook. It has a much richer toffee flavor since it has a lot more fat in it from the butter and a minimal amount of corn syrup.
The recipe is really to make something called Cashew Crunch, which I had assumed at the time was just another brittle. For general eating purposes, this recipe wins it for taste and texture.
Ingredients
1 c. unsalted butter
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1 c. organic granulated sugar
1 c. salted macadamia nuts
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
1. In a heavy 2-quart saucepan with a candy thermometer, melt butter and stir in sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil.
2. At 300 degrees F, add nuts and vanilla extract. Pour out onto a Silpat mat or buttered, rimmed baking tray. Spread thin into a single layer. Let cool to room temperature. Break into pieces and enjoy.
 |
| Macadamia Nut Brittle, batch #2 |
Ingredients
1 c. unsalted butter
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp light corn syrup
1 c. organic granulated sugar
1 c. salted macadamia nuts
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
1. In a heavy 2-quart saucepan with a candy thermometer, melt butter and stir in sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil.
2. At 300 degrees F, add nuts and vanilla extract. Pour out onto a Silpat mat or buttered, rimmed baking tray. Spread thin into a single layer. Let cool to room temperature. Break into pieces and enjoy.
Macadamia Nut Brittle, batch #1
Made a nut brittle for the first time that actually turned out really well. This was the first of two batches. I figured that this might not be enough to garnish 16 servings of apricot sorbet so I made a second batch. This recipe uses an equal amount of sugar to corn syrup. It has more of a candied brittle consistency than a toffee brittle.
This recipe ratio came from Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop, a cookbook about making ice cream. Because this batch was turning brown faster than I anticipated, due to a higher fat content of the nuts, I took it off the stove when the candy thermometer was at 280 degrees F. I am not sure what the baking soda does for brittle. I forgot to add it, even though it was already measured out and in my mise en place.
Ingredients
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. organic granulated sugar
2 tbsp water
1 1/2 c. salted macadamia nuts
1/2 tsp baking soda
Directions
1. In a 2-quart pot with a candy thermometer attached, add corn syrup, sugar, and water together. Bring to a boil, then add the nuts. Cook until the candy thermometer is between 300 degrees F and 305 degrees F.
2. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. (I'm not sure what this does.)
3. Empty pot onto a Silpat mat or buttered, rimmed baking tray. Spread out the nuts into a single layer with a silicone spatula. As the brittle cools, it will harden.
4. Break into pieces and enjoy.
 |
| 2014-05-03, Macadamia Nut Brittle #1 |
Ingredients
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1/2 c. organic granulated sugar
2 tbsp water
1 1/2 c. salted macadamia nuts
1/2 tsp baking soda
Directions
1. In a 2-quart pot with a candy thermometer attached, add corn syrup, sugar, and water together. Bring to a boil, then add the nuts. Cook until the candy thermometer is between 300 degrees F and 305 degrees F.
2. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. (I'm not sure what this does.)
3. Empty pot onto a Silpat mat or buttered, rimmed baking tray. Spread out the nuts into a single layer with a silicone spatula. As the brittle cools, it will harden.
4. Break into pieces and enjoy.
Tangy Lemon Curd
I have eaten lemon curd in tea shops as an accompaniment to scones and shortbread cookies, and in donuts filled with lemon curd. Commercially available lemon curd has always tasted much sweeter than this batch. This batch came out a touch more sour but is just as good. It is ridiculously simple to make.
Yield: about a cup
Ingredients
2 eggs
1/3 c organic granulated sugar
1/4 c unsalted butter, diced
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon peel (one lemon)
Directions
Whisk eggs, sugar, and lemon juice together in a heavy saucepan. Add butter and lemon peel and stir over medium heat until butter has melted and a pudding-like consistency appears.
Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl. Let cool before using.
Yield: about a cup
Ingredients
2 eggs
1/3 c organic granulated sugar
1/4 c unsalted butter, diced
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon peel (one lemon)
Directions
Whisk eggs, sugar, and lemon juice together in a heavy saucepan. Add butter and lemon peel and stir over medium heat until butter has melted and a pudding-like consistency appears.
Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl. Let cool before using.
Simple BBQ Sauce
In an earlier post, I made a spicy homemade catsup. I used that in this recipe. It came out sweeter than I had expected and not as spicy or earthy/smoked as I had hoped. I used this as a basting sauce for roasted chicken legs. Overall, tasty. I'd probably add a lot more smoked chipotle powder to it the next time around.
Yield: about a cup
Ingredients
1 c homemade ketchup
1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c rice vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground red chili flakes
up to 2 tbsp smoked chipotle powder (optional)
Directions
In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for about five minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.
For baked chicken parts:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Baste chicken with sauce and bake for an hour. Flip the parts over on the half hour mark and baste again with the sauce.
Yield: about a cup
Ingredients
1 c homemade ketchup
1/4 c Worcestershire sauce
1/4 c rice vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp ground red chili flakes
up to 2 tbsp smoked chipotle powder (optional)
Directions
In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for about five minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and set aside until ready to use.
For baked chicken parts:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Baste chicken with sauce and bake for an hour. Flip the parts over on the half hour mark and baste again with the sauce.
Rice Milk Tapioca Pudding
You don't realize how hard it is to find a pudding recipe made with rice milk until you try searching for it. The majority of hits on a web search comes up with rice pudding, which is something I definitely did not want to make. The heavy vanilla and butter taste came through in this recipe which beats the artificial colors and flavors out of box pudding any day.
If you wanted to make vanilla pudding without eggs, simply omit the tapioca pearls.
Ingredients
2 c organic rice milk
1 c tapioca pearls, soaked in water
1/2 c organic granulated sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
Directions
1. If you're using a non-instant tapioca, like Reese's tapioca, start a day ahead by soaking the tapioca in two cups of water. Drain with a strainer. Set aside until ready to use.
2. In a small bowl, combine sugar, salt, and cornstarch. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring rice milk to a boil. Gradually add some milk to the cornstarch-sugar mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour the cornstarch mixture back into the milk and cook until the liquid thickens.
4. Add one cup of tapioca pearls and cook until translucent. Whisk to keep the tapioca from burning. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla extract.
5. Let cool. Enjoy warm or chill in individual serving bowls.
If you wanted to make vanilla pudding without eggs, simply omit the tapioca pearls.
Ingredients
2 c organic rice milk
1 c tapioca pearls, soaked in water
1/2 c organic granulated sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
Directions
1. If you're using a non-instant tapioca, like Reese's tapioca, start a day ahead by soaking the tapioca in two cups of water. Drain with a strainer. Set aside until ready to use.
2. In a small bowl, combine sugar, salt, and cornstarch. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring rice milk to a boil. Gradually add some milk to the cornstarch-sugar mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour the cornstarch mixture back into the milk and cook until the liquid thickens.
4. Add one cup of tapioca pearls and cook until translucent. Whisk to keep the tapioca from burning. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla extract.
5. Let cool. Enjoy warm or chill in individual serving bowls.
Homemade Catsup, Ketchup, that red condiment..
One of my new years' resolutions for my pantry was to not buy something I could readily make with ingredients on hand. Fortunately for me, I don't own a deep fryer.. so I can still buy those sweet Maui onion chips. The downside to making these condiments from scratch is not knowing its shelf life. The condiments that I used to buy from Trader Joe's stay fresh for an epic long time in the refrigerator.
I have this stored in a lidded 2-cup glass container. It is spicier than most store bought ketchups because of the chili flakes, but it is quite tasty. I made this batch to be the base for a cocktail sauce for a shrimp appetizer.
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients
One 12 oz can of organic tomato paste
6 oz filtered water
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp dry ground mustard
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp garlic powder
a couple pinches of ground clove and ground allspice
one pinch of ground chili flakes (the kind that is used with asian cuisine)
Directions
1. Start by whisking the water and brown sugar together, making sure that the sugar dissolves completely before adding the rest of the ingredients.
2. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Estimated shelf life: up to a month.
I have this stored in a lidded 2-cup glass container. It is spicier than most store bought ketchups because of the chili flakes, but it is quite tasty. I made this batch to be the base for a cocktail sauce for a shrimp appetizer.
Yield: 2 cups
Ingredients
One 12 oz can of organic tomato paste
6 oz filtered water
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp dry ground mustard
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp garlic powder
a couple pinches of ground clove and ground allspice
one pinch of ground chili flakes (the kind that is used with asian cuisine)
Directions
1. Start by whisking the water and brown sugar together, making sure that the sugar dissolves completely before adding the rest of the ingredients.
2. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Estimated shelf life: up to a month.
Homemade: How to Make Rice Milk from Scratch
I started this recipe with the idea of making rice milk from scratch. How hard could it be? It's just water and rice together.. right? Well, it turns out that ratios are everything and what came out of this experiment looks a lot like I just puréed plain rice congee in a food prep and added a touch of sugar and some flavoring. I got onto this idea since commercially available rice milk has all these other things in it that shouldn't be there, such as expeller pressed safflower oil and/or sunflower oil and/or canola oil, and tricalcium phosphate.
The sugar content in a quart of plain rice milk (Costco has 24 grams, Trader Joe's has 40 grams) is a bit high, considering that there are roughly 4 grams of sugar per teaspoon. The average cup of plain, unsweetened rice milk should be around 50 calories; but as a beverage, it has to compete with cow's milk and other "milk" products, so with all the fillers, it is now 160 calories per cup. Sugar is added and that fakes the brain out into thinking it is getting something good. I started this batch with 2 tbsp organic sugar, which comes out to just over 60 calories per cup.
This particular batch yielded 3 quarts of not-quite rice milk. I wasn't terribly keen on using an exact measurement of water in the cooking phase.
Onto the recipe...
Ingredients
1 c jasmine rice (white or brown, doesn't matter)
2 qt filtered water
sweetener, to taste
1 tsp vanilla extract or almond extract (optional)
pinch of sea salt, to taste (optional)
Directions
1. Start off by putting the rice into a large pot and rinsing the rice a few times. Strain out this liquid and cover the rice with filtered water. Cover and let sit up to 12 hours or overnight.
2. Strain out the water and add two quarts of filtered water to the rice. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 40 minutes on low heat. Remove from heat and let cool.
2a. (optional) Add any additional flavorings or seasonings.
3. Process in batches in a blender or 7-cup food prep machine. Strain liquid through a mesh
strainer into a serving receptacle of your choice. I am using a 2-liter glass carafe, which I have partly filled with two cups of filtered water to help dilute the rice slurry.
Seriously, I thought I was going to make rice milk. I hadn't counted on the rice totally disintegrating. This is much harder to get the proper consistency for drinking than it is to make almond milk or soy milk from scratch.
[Update: 2014-03-29, this recipe needs work! Do not use. Unless you want a gallon of some very slushy rice goo...]
The sugar content in a quart of plain rice milk (Costco has 24 grams, Trader Joe's has 40 grams) is a bit high, considering that there are roughly 4 grams of sugar per teaspoon. The average cup of plain, unsweetened rice milk should be around 50 calories; but as a beverage, it has to compete with cow's milk and other "milk" products, so with all the fillers, it is now 160 calories per cup. Sugar is added and that fakes the brain out into thinking it is getting something good. I started this batch with 2 tbsp organic sugar, which comes out to just over 60 calories per cup.
This particular batch yielded 3 quarts of not-quite rice milk. I wasn't terribly keen on using an exact measurement of water in the cooking phase.
Onto the recipe...
Ingredients
1 c jasmine rice (white or brown, doesn't matter)
2 qt filtered water
sweetener, to taste
1 tsp vanilla extract or almond extract (optional)
pinch of sea salt, to taste (optional)
Directions
1. Start off by putting the rice into a large pot and rinsing the rice a few times. Strain out this liquid and cover the rice with filtered water. Cover and let sit up to 12 hours or overnight.
2. Strain out the water and add two quarts of filtered water to the rice. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 40 minutes on low heat. Remove from heat and let cool.
2a. (optional) Add any additional flavorings or seasonings.
3. Process in batches in a blender or 7-cup food prep machine. Strain liquid through a mesh
strainer into a serving receptacle of your choice. I am using a 2-liter glass carafe, which I have partly filled with two cups of filtered water to help dilute the rice slurry.
Seriously, I thought I was going to make rice milk. I hadn't counted on the rice totally disintegrating. This is much harder to get the proper consistency for drinking than it is to make almond milk or soy milk from scratch.
[Update: 2014-03-29, this recipe needs work! Do not use. Unless you want a gallon of some very slushy rice goo...]
Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage
This is the only time of the year when beef brisket goes on sale for St. Patrick's Day. Depending on where you shop, this cut of beef can be as low as $2/lb in the Pacific Northwest and is already seasoned. This fake food holiday is celebrated in the US because of two things: alcohol and food. I mean really, what other holidays do we have where we aren't consuming these two items. Anyhow. The average cut is about three pounds and while this may seem like a lot of food for a single person, a lot of it will turn into very tasty sandwiches.
Ingredients
3 lb beef brisket, brined
1 packet of pickling spices
3 organic carrots, cut into thirds
3 organic celery stalks, cut into thirds
1 bay leaf
1 small onion, quartered
2-3 tbsp red wine
1 green cabbage, cored and cut into wedges
Directions
1. In the bowl of the slow cooker, place brisket fat-side down, add carrots, celery, onion, bay leaf, and pickling spices. Cover and set cooker to 8 hours on LOW.
2. An hour before the timer is done, add the cabbage wedges to the top of the stewing corned beef and replace lid. Let it cook until the cabbage leaves are fork-tender.
3. Remove brisket from slow cooker and let rest on a plate for 10 minutes before carving.
 |
| Corned beef, all sliced up after resting for 10 mins |
Ingredients
3 lb beef brisket, brined
1 packet of pickling spices
3 organic carrots, cut into thirds
3 organic celery stalks, cut into thirds
1 bay leaf
1 small onion, quartered
2-3 tbsp red wine
1 green cabbage, cored and cut into wedges
Directions
1. In the bowl of the slow cooker, place brisket fat-side down, add carrots, celery, onion, bay leaf, and pickling spices. Cover and set cooker to 8 hours on LOW.
2. An hour before the timer is done, add the cabbage wedges to the top of the stewing corned beef and replace lid. Let it cook until the cabbage leaves are fork-tender.
3. Remove brisket from slow cooker and let rest on a plate for 10 minutes before carving.
 |
| Corned beef, cabbage, carrots and a side of garlic sourdough bread |
Quick Pickled Sliced Jalapenos
This recipe is easy to make and the stinky cloud of jalapenos dissipates quickly if you open the window or turn the fan on. I first had these on top of Indian fry bread at a local event just recently and they were pretty darn good. I also found that if you hold the jalapeno by the stem, it's much easier to slice into rings. This batch made 1.5 pints because I used more than 10 green jalapenos.
Makes: 1 pint
Ingredients
3/4 c water
3/4 c distilled white vinegar
3 tbsp organic granulated sugar
1 tbsp sea salt
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 tsp dried oregano
10 large jalapeno peppers, sliced into rings
Directions
1. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine water, vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic, and oregano and bring to a boil.
2. Stir in peppers and remove from heat. Let cool for 10 minutes before packing into clean glass jars. Use tongs to pack the peppers in, then pour the pickling liquid on top.
3. Refrigerate until needed.
Makes: 1 pint
Ingredients
3/4 c water
3/4 c distilled white vinegar
3 tbsp organic granulated sugar
1 tbsp sea salt
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2 tsp dried oregano
10 large jalapeno peppers, sliced into rings
Directions
1. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine water, vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic, and oregano and bring to a boil.
2. Stir in peppers and remove from heat. Let cool for 10 minutes before packing into clean glass jars. Use tongs to pack the peppers in, then pour the pickling liquid on top.
3. Refrigerate until needed.
Miso-Glazed Fish
I found this wild Alaskan cod in the freezer aisle at Trader Joe's and thought I'd try doing something different with it (other than breaded and fried). At the moment, I don't have any drinking saké in addition to the mirin I use for sauces. I mean really, mirin is a seasoned saké, typically brewed sweeter than what you'd drink out of saké cups. For its replacement in this recipe I used Chinese red rice wine.
The flavors that I'm imagining this dish to taste like is outweighed by the salt from the miso paste. I think refrigerating the raw fish in the marinade overnight is too long. At most, it should marinade for an hour; otherwise you'll lose the essence of the Alaskan cod entirely. This marinade can accommodate up to 24 oz of fish, or four 6-oz fillets.
Serves 2.
Ingredients
3/4 lb wild Alaskan cod fillets
1/4 c Chinese red rice wine (or fine saké)
1/4 c mirin
2 tbsp yellow miso paste
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp sesame oil
Directions
1. In a small pan, bring mirin and rice wine to a boil and whisk in sugar and miso paste. Remove from heat. Whisk in sesame oil and set aside to cool.
2. Wash and gently pat dry the cod fillets.
3. In an 8" x 8" glass baking dish, pour in a portion of the marinade so that it coats the bottom of the dish. Gently lay the fillets on top. Then, pour the remainder of the marinade on top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
4. Place fish skin side up under the broiler, about 6" from the heat. Broil for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until the surface browns and starts to blacken in some spots. Can finish in the oven for up to 5 minutes more depending on the thickness of the fillets.
The fish is done when the flesh turns opaque and can be easily pulled apart with a fork.
This recipe is adapted from the NY Times.
The flavors that I'm imagining this dish to taste like is outweighed by the salt from the miso paste. I think refrigerating the raw fish in the marinade overnight is too long. At most, it should marinade for an hour; otherwise you'll lose the essence of the Alaskan cod entirely. This marinade can accommodate up to 24 oz of fish, or four 6-oz fillets.
Serves 2.
Ingredients
3/4 lb wild Alaskan cod fillets
1/4 c Chinese red rice wine (or fine saké)
1/4 c mirin
2 tbsp yellow miso paste
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp sesame oil
Directions
1. In a small pan, bring mirin and rice wine to a boil and whisk in sugar and miso paste. Remove from heat. Whisk in sesame oil and set aside to cool.
2. Wash and gently pat dry the cod fillets.
3. In an 8" x 8" glass baking dish, pour in a portion of the marinade so that it coats the bottom of the dish. Gently lay the fillets on top. Then, pour the remainder of the marinade on top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
4. Place fish skin side up under the broiler, about 6" from the heat. Broil for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until the surface browns and starts to blacken in some spots. Can finish in the oven for up to 5 minutes more depending on the thickness of the fillets.
The fish is done when the flesh turns opaque and can be easily pulled apart with a fork.
This recipe is adapted from the NY Times.
Kitchen Note: About that Squash
Since November I had a couple of squashes sitting on my kitchen counter. The butternut squash sat in the corner and pretty much looked as though it could have sat there for a few more months before showing any signs of degradation. The kabocha squash, on the other hand, lost its beautiful greenish-orange hue and turned into an unappetizing color. But, it too fared well for how long it sat around doing nothing.
Now, the butternut squash has a mildly sweet taste to it and traditionally I just halve it, scoop its seeds out and bake it up with a drizzling of olive oil and brown sugar. With the kabocha squash I wanted to simulate deep frying, but since the rind cured to a very hard texture, I couldn't slice it with the knives I had on hand. In fact, I couldn't remove the stem at all before baking. Instead, I stabbed it repeatedly with a chef knife to hasten its baking time.
I ended up tossing the roasted flesh of both squashes into a slow cooker and cooked it into a nice winter soup. There is still something amiss in the flavor, but the smooth, soupy texture is there.
Ingredients
One kabocha squash, roasted (seeds, strings and rind removed)
One butternut squash, roasted (seeds, strings and rind removed)
1 quart organic chicken broth
random spices: ground lemongrass powder, garlic powder, thyme, paprika
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
1. On a rimmed baking sheet, scoop out seeds and place halves of a butternut squash cut-side down and drizzle lightly with olive oil. On a second rimmed baking sheet, halve or stab a kabocha squash. Bake both at 400 degrees for an hour. Let cool before handling. Scoop out the flesh from both squashes and put into the bowl of a slow cooker.
2. To the slow cooker: add chicken broth, spices, salt and black pepper. Cook for 8 hours on low. Blend together with an immersion blender. Serve hot.
3. If it is too thick, thin the soup with more broth.
Makes 3 quarts.
Now, the butternut squash has a mildly sweet taste to it and traditionally I just halve it, scoop its seeds out and bake it up with a drizzling of olive oil and brown sugar. With the kabocha squash I wanted to simulate deep frying, but since the rind cured to a very hard texture, I couldn't slice it with the knives I had on hand. In fact, I couldn't remove the stem at all before baking. Instead, I stabbed it repeatedly with a chef knife to hasten its baking time.
I ended up tossing the roasted flesh of both squashes into a slow cooker and cooked it into a nice winter soup. There is still something amiss in the flavor, but the smooth, soupy texture is there.
Ingredients
One kabocha squash, roasted (seeds, strings and rind removed)
One butternut squash, roasted (seeds, strings and rind removed)
1 quart organic chicken broth
random spices: ground lemongrass powder, garlic powder, thyme, paprika
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
1. On a rimmed baking sheet, scoop out seeds and place halves of a butternut squash cut-side down and drizzle lightly with olive oil. On a second rimmed baking sheet, halve or stab a kabocha squash. Bake both at 400 degrees for an hour. Let cool before handling. Scoop out the flesh from both squashes and put into the bowl of a slow cooker.
2. To the slow cooker: add chicken broth, spices, salt and black pepper. Cook for 8 hours on low. Blend together with an immersion blender. Serve hot.
3. If it is too thick, thin the soup with more broth.
Makes 3 quarts.
Simple Israeli Couscous Salad
This is essentially the same as the Peruvian Quinoa Salad recipe, except it uses a box of Israeli couscous (from Trader Joe's) instead. This dish can be served warm or cold. The processed grain does come from Israel, according to Wikipedia. It is hard wheat flour that has been shaped into tiny balls or pearls and toasted in the oven.
Ingredients
Serves 4.
1 1/2 c Israeli couscous
14.5 oz organic tomatoes, diced
1 3/4 c organic chicken broth or water
2 organic bell peppers, diced
1 tbsp olive oil or unsalted butter
sea salt, to taste
Directions
1. In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil on medium-high heat and toast the couscous until it is lightly browned. This step can be skipped. It merely adds some color to the otherwise creamy white couscous.
2. Add water or broth to the couscous and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
3. Add tomatoes and their juice, if any, and the bell peppers. Stir to combine. Remove from heat and serve warm.
 |
| Israeli couscous salad |
Ingredients
Serves 4.
1 1/2 c Israeli couscous
14.5 oz organic tomatoes, diced
1 3/4 c organic chicken broth or water
2 organic bell peppers, diced
1 tbsp olive oil or unsalted butter
sea salt, to taste
Directions
1. In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil on medium-high heat and toast the couscous until it is lightly browned. This step can be skipped. It merely adds some color to the otherwise creamy white couscous.
2. Add water or broth to the couscous and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed.
3. Add tomatoes and their juice, if any, and the bell peppers. Stir to combine. Remove from heat and serve warm.
Stovetop Apple Sauce
This recipe tastes better after the spice and flavors have had time to mellow in the fridge before canning. When I first tasted the batch after using the immersion blender, it tasted sour to me even though I only used the juice of half a lemon. I made this sauce at the same time I was making apple butter because the slow cooker was filled to the brim already with apples for the apple butter.
Red rome apples were used since I was unable to get winesap apples from the Portland Nursery during their apple tasting event last October. The only similarities between the two varieties of apples are that they are dark red in color and are a firm and not sweet tasting apple. The dark red color doesn't have an impact on either of these recipes since the skin is removed and discarded.
For medium-sized apples, one pound of apples with make approximately one pint of sauce (or butter).
Ingredients
at least 2 lbs of peeled, cored, sliced apples (any variety)
1 c. filtered water
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
juice of 1/2 a large lemon
Directions
1. In a lidded pot, add all the ingredients and cook on medium heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to pureé the sauce so that no large chunks remain.
3. Store in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to use. Or, can using hot sterilized jars and lids. Process in a water bath for 20 minutes.
Red rome apples were used since I was unable to get winesap apples from the Portland Nursery during their apple tasting event last October. The only similarities between the two varieties of apples are that they are dark red in color and are a firm and not sweet tasting apple. The dark red color doesn't have an impact on either of these recipes since the skin is removed and discarded.
For medium-sized apples, one pound of apples with make approximately one pint of sauce (or butter).
Ingredients
at least 2 lbs of peeled, cored, sliced apples (any variety)
1 c. filtered water
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
juice of 1/2 a large lemon
Directions
1. In a lidded pot, add all the ingredients and cook on medium heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to pureé the sauce so that no large chunks remain.
3. Store in the refrigerator, covered, until ready to use. Or, can using hot sterilized jars and lids. Process in a water bath for 20 minutes.
Coconut Mochi Cake
This is not the dessert for anyone trying to cut back on sugar. Even though I reduced the sugar, it still tastes rather sweet. It's the perfect rainy day treat to nibble on with a hot cup of tea.
Ingredients
1 lb sweet rice flour (1 box of Mochiko)
1 3/4 c. organic granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 (14 oz) cans unsweetened light coconut milk
5 large eggs
1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. In a large bowl, whisk together rice flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. In another large bowl, whisk together eggs, coconut milk, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until a smooth batter forms.
4. Pour batter into an ungreased 13" x 9" baking dish.
5. Bake for 1.5 hours. Let cool for 1.5 hours before cutting into squares and serving.
Source: Gourmet Magazine, May 2005
Ingredients
1 lb sweet rice flour (1 box of Mochiko)
1 3/4 c. organic granulated sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 (14 oz) cans unsweetened light coconut milk
5 large eggs
1/4 c. unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
1. In a large bowl, whisk together rice flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
2. In another large bowl, whisk together eggs, coconut milk, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until a smooth batter forms.
4. Pour batter into an ungreased 13" x 9" baking dish.
5. Bake for 1.5 hours. Let cool for 1.5 hours before cutting into squares and serving.
Source: Gourmet Magazine, May 2005
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
