tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60924640377920370452024-03-13T14:53:26.096-07:00i'm hungry... what's for dinner?i'm always hungry... and so is Dan. so here's what's cooking at our kitchen.charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-28827822476949323252008-01-04T16:01:00.001-08:002008-01-04T16:28:14.507-08:00holiday roundup 07<a href="http://bp2.blogger.com/_W572rESPF2E/R37JaaIV35I/AAAAAAAAAEE/jXA-Yzfrmeg/s1600-h/IMG_1171+(800x600).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5151776479286517650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp2.blogger.com/_W572rESPF2E/R37JaaIV35I/AAAAAAAAAEE/jXA-Yzfrmeg/s320/IMG_1171+(800x600).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_W572rESPF2E/R37JR6IV34I/AAAAAAAAAD8/FWKE_AQ3NuY/s1600-h/IMG_1175+(800x600).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5151776333257629570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_W572rESPF2E/R37JR6IV34I/AAAAAAAAAD8/FWKE_AQ3NuY/s320/IMG_1175+(800x600).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://bp0.blogger.com/_W572rESPF2E/R37JB6IV33I/AAAAAAAAAD0/y_KVnLabt3A/s1600-h/IMG_1179+(800x600).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5151776058379722610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_W572rESPF2E/R37JB6IV33I/AAAAAAAAAD0/y_KVnLabt3A/s320/IMG_1179+(800x600).jpg" border="0" /></a><br />happy new year!</div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>just got back from a 12 day roadtrip to new mexico and arizona. if there is anything i've learned, it's that i will never ever ever trade my tropical christmas to a white christmas. ever.</div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>dan and i left los angeles the day before christmas. we braced ourselves knowing that camping food and backpacker's dehydrated food will comfort us. we never really put the 5 degree weather plus about 40 mph cold (i mean cold) wind in the equation with our tent. oh well, we somehow knew it will be cold, but never thought it will be that cold. </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div>five days before christmas we had a nice christmas dinner with kathy and dyle. uncomplicated food for the holidays that was easy to prep but with the most flavorful impact was my M.O. kathy loved the creamy cauliflower dish, a spinoff from a cauliflower dish the barefoot contessa made one afternoon. of course, i had to make my favorite stuffed mushrooms.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div>stuffed mushrooms: clean a container of stuffing mushrooms. in a bowl, mix together a package of softened cream cheese, a quarter of sweet onion (minced), a generous handful of chopped walnuts, salt and pepper. stuff the mushrooms. cover the top with a mixture of breadcrumbs, shredded fontina and parmesan and parsley. bake until done.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div>creamy orzo: cook orzo as directed. on a heated pan with olive oil, saute mushrooms. move to the side of the pan when done. saute red pepper flakes, onions and garlic. add chopped tomatoes. throw in some peas. add a splash of cream. add thyme. simmer. add cooked orzo and a splash of pasta water. season to taste. go ahead and grate some parmesan cheese on top.</div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div>ohh... that dessert? check it out at <a href="http://mymixerspeaks.blogspot.com/">http://mymixerspeaks.blogspot.com/</a> for the details.</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div> </div><div>i'd say the memory of this dinner kept me warm while eating a really cold tofurky cold cut sandwich with crunchy lettuce (because it was partly frozen) on a 10 mile trail down the grand canyon.<br /><br /></div><div></div></div>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-69531990675441191942007-12-20T13:26:00.001-08:002007-12-20T13:26:51.093-08:00comfort food<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/2121674587/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2193/2121674587_a81d658d38.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/2121674587/">adobo</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/organicbaker/">organic baker</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> a cheap way to go back home and be with my mom is to make a batch of chicken adobo. it sure is not for me, but the process of making it fills my spirit like any comfort food can.<br /><br />adobo is a staple at my mama nena's lazy susan. at least people from the household can cook it but it never will taste the same. for some reason, it has a personality of its own, and the adobo usually takes it from the hands of its maker.<br /><br />adobo is adobo because of its 5 main ingredients: vinegar, soy sauce, whole peppercorns, bay leaf and garlic. any permutation with these 5 plus your meat (or veggie, or tofu) is totally acceptable and will give you adobo. anything added to it, let's say coconut cream, will still give you adobo. there is only one rule in making adobo: if the vinegar is added, resist the urge to stir it until its first boil - otherwise the flavors will never meld. don't ask me. ask my mom.<br /><br />vingar to soy sauce ratio is a matter of personal taste. my mama nena uses a one to one ratio with a ladle and adds water to the saute pan. a one pot wonder. just boil, simmer and you are done.<br /><br />i personally use a mug to mix my sauce. i thought it was fool proof and i never have to taste it. i always start with vinegar, just about a third of the mug, then add the soy sauce, about until the same level as the top part of the mug's handle (this is how i measure o.k.?) then top it with a little bit of water. pour it to your chicken in a pot (a family pack of chicken on sale does it right). add 5 fingertips full of whole peppercorns, 3 bay leaves (dried of course) and about half a head of garlic, smashed. i squirt in some hoisin sauce just to add a hint of sweetness. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 minutes. Then turn off heat.<br /><br />Transfer the chicken to a colander to drain. Continue to simmer the sauce until slightly thickened. The chicken? Fry it in butter. Nice and golden it will be. After frying your last batch of chicken, gently toast a whole head of smashed garlic, move it to the side of the pan, put all the chicken back then pour the simmering sauce on top. Continue to simmer for about 5 more minutes. Congratulations! You've just made a pot full of garlic and love.<br /><br />Here's a tip: Transfer the adobo in a bowl. Dump some cooked rice to the pot and scrape all that flavors with the rice. How can you not like that?</p>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-41329804865813331042007-12-18T23:35:00.001-08:002007-12-18T23:35:43.882-08:00deliver me from mung beans<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/2122373954/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2320/2122373954_06f0d28527.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/2122373954/">mungo!</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/organicbaker/">organic baker</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> i must admit i have a love-hate relationship with mung beans.<br /><br />mung beans - 'munggo' in filipino epitomizes a more than typical filipino dish. it is centered on a very humble ingredient - the mung bean. the technique, very simple (boil and saute) but after that, it's all about what you want to do and add to it.<br /><br />growing up as a child, i couldn't care less about munggo. it's not my favorite thing in the world, but as constant as the sun shining in the morning, as sure as tito, vic and joey will be there on my tv screen for lunch, the munggo will be at my mama nena's lazy susan on a friday.<br />munggo and some kind of fish cooked in whatever way mama wants it to be. it was a routine so constant it was munggo in your face.<br /><br />my 'tita' alice is smart. she was in charge of going to the market daily and on a friday, has the special duty of cooking the munggo. since i had been my mama's kitchen prep girl since the age of 5, my tita alice would make me inspect the mung beans, making sure there were no pebbles or whatnot with it. she'll start with a canful* (a clean, empty can of evaporated milk) of dry mung beans and boil it for about 30 minutes. i must give it to the mung beans. they are the gremlins of the vegetable world. they swell like crazy. they multiply to the nth degree.<br /><br />after 30 minutes, she'd call me to set aside a bowlful of munggo for us to share. that's usually our secret. at that point, i sooo love munggo! she'd let it cool for a while and would at some point add milk and sugar to the bowl, hide it in the freezer and we'll have it as ice cream for snack! it's the same principle as a red bean ice cream, only that ours is green. hey, it works!<br /><br />back to the simmering pot. at that point, the thought of my munggo ice cream sitting in the freezer has corrupted my brain so much that i actually would volunteer to chop the onions and tomatoes and smash the garlic. not that tita alice was just sitting around reading the newspaper,she was actually pounding the shrimp's head with a pestle, the juice of which was then added to the simmering pot. talk about flavor! the shrimp's body is added to the garlic, onion and tomatoes on a saute pan. everything then is thrown back to the pot of munggo and bittermelon is added with 'moringa' (malunggay in tagalog)' leaves. <br /><br />to my mind, my mama's lazy susan is a roulette. the only way i can turn it is to actually get something. so there, fine, i have to give in to the munggo. at this point i try my best to scatter and press it unto my plate, hoping that the munggo will blend in with the plate's design.<br /><br />(some 25 years later, i actually like the sauteed mung beans and look forward to it every now and then. nope, i dont squeeze shrimp heads, and i use chopped spinach to the pot. nope, i dont make munggo ice cream nor have i had it in a long time. maybe when i see my tita alice again. maybe we'll share a bowl like we used to.)</p>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-16211293236204285092007-12-17T12:34:00.001-08:002007-12-17T12:34:27.632-08:00ramen<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/2112418447/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2024/2112418447_2498a39b1a.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/2112418447/">ramen</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/organicbaker/">organic baker</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> for some reason i'm not so thrilled in making my multi-step meals. one pot wonders are my thing right now, or maybe until the kitchen bug bites me again. <br />it's the perfect weather for ramen. pasta is also good with this dish, but ramen, to me, brings me childhood happiness and memories.<br />the most important thing to do is to cook the ramen separately just as you would with pasta. make sure you use a really good stock and fresh veggies and there's no possible way that you can screw this up.<br />ramen is freedom in a bowl. you can add anything you want and it will be alright.<br />for this version, i added root vegetables in a pot of simmering stock. i cheated and used swanson's organic vegetable stock (not that it's my favorite brand - it's just that it's the one on sale and my favorite is no where in sight). when the pot is in a gentle simmer for about 10 minutes, i added corn and the mushrooms (white button and shitake) and allowed it to simmer some more for about 5 minutes. <br />season with soysauce, salt, pepper and togarashi. <br />laddle the soup in a bowl of cooked ramen noodles. drizzle with sesame oil. add more togarashi! amazingly good and fast!</p>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-2973253917674862842007-12-15T11:53:00.001-08:002007-12-15T11:53:52.166-08:00tofu tostada<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/2113200420/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2119/2113200420_ff605f3e5d.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/2113200420/">tofu tostada</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/organicbaker/">organic baker</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> <br />(Note: The computer gods stopped smiling at me last month and took away the second laptop for the year. Thanks to the persevering deal and coupon fishing by Dan, we got what we needed - a system that hopefully will work and stay for less that 300 bucks! Now on with the cooking.)<br /><br />One of the things i truly look forward to during summer is the LA Tofu Festival. It was my mom who originally discovered it from an asian channel commercial and told me that we SHOULD go there. I remember meeting iron chef Morimoto (picture taking, autograph on a spicy mabo tofu box - the works!) the first time we went there i was totally hooked.<br /><br />Tofu tostada is a meal so simple it's flavors rely only on the freshness of your produce. I used an organic firm tofu for this dish and it made a big impact. The flavors are clean and very fresh. One must remember that tofu is but a blank canvass for flavor - an artist's/chef's dream. While preparing the veggies, i wrapped the block of firm tofu with a kitchen towel and weighed it down by a container of brown rice to expel most of the moisture. In a big bowl, i dumped in chopped onions, tomatoes, cucumbers (inspired by Ralphie's ceviche), about 3 cloves of freshly minced garlic (prepackaged/bottled garlic won't work), juice of 2 limes, a handful of chopped cilantro, seeded and finely chopped jalapeno, salt, pepper and cumin to taste. Cube the tofu and add to the veggies and fold to combine. I'd say leave it alone for about 15 minutes to let the flavors develop.<br /><br />Serve on top of a tostada shell. Great with tapatio!<br /><br />Summer happiness on a plate anytime of the year!</p>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-50626077039864103342007-11-22T03:21:00.001-08:002007-11-22T03:21:09.999-08:00not your ordinary buttered carrots<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/2047969205/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2325/2047969205_3e5443960e.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/2047969205/">IMG_0833</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/organicbaker/">organic baker</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> alton brown inspired me to make this carrot side dish for dinner one autumn night. i remember he used ginger ale but unfortunately (or fortunately) i didn't have one. here goes my take on things - and i loved it!<br /><br />bunch of carrots (with the green top still on) - sliced on a bias<br />water (no more than a quarter cup)<br />ginger (as big as your thumb - lightly smashed and sliced)<br />couple teaspoons of honey<br />a tablespoon butter<br />salt and pepper<br /><br />combine water, honey, ginger and carrots on a saute pan. bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. uncover and allow most of the liquid to evaporate. add butter, toss the pan until a nice caramel develops. season to taste.</p>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-34883904755788193202007-11-15T21:20:00.001-08:002007-11-15T21:24:47.017-08:00another shrimp dinner<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/1767338999/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2383/1767338999_d20c339353.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/1767338999/">couscous</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/organicbaker/">organic baker</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> here's my favorite duet: shrimp and couscous.<br /><br />there's something about shrimp and couscous that just makes me so happy. both can be cooked in 5 minutes and that's that. as much as i love making food, a 5 minute simple yet flavorful meal is simply amazing.<br /><br />dan seasoned and grilled the shrimp to his liking. he makes great grilled shrimp so let's leave it at that. seasoned with salt, pepper, a little bit of cayenne pepper and olive oil and it's a sure winner.<br /><br />dump the whole wheat couscous in boiling water, turn off the heat and in 5 minutes, you are fluffing your way to happiness. i seasoned it with a dressing of olive oil, yogurt, lemon juice, cumin, curry, turmeric, cinnamon, salt and pepper. add a handful (each) of diced carrots, onions, dried cranberries, almonds and chopped parsley and it sure was divine.</p>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-42215858842535429672007-11-12T15:04:00.001-08:002007-11-12T15:08:07.675-08:00bloody mary shrimp taco<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/1768219126/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2250/1768219126_e1c6625bb2.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/1768219126/">bloody mary shrimp taco</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/organicbaker/">organic baker</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> here's an idea for a quick dinner:<br /><br />are you tired of seasoning your shrimp the way you always have it? sure it's good, but after having your good, well seasoned perfectly cooked shrimp from the grill, you just get tired of it. at least i do. one night, knowing that we will be having shrimp for dinner but not wanting to prep for a long time, i decided to have my bloody mary for dinner.<br /><br />so here it goes:<br />shrimp - clean, no shell and deveined<br />dump it all in a ziplock bag... with...<br />bloody mary mix (the spicy one)<br />a small handful of brown sugar<br />celery salt<br />horseradish<br />a splash of vodka if you will<br />(hey... didn't i tell you it's a bloody mary shrimp?)<br />olive oil</p><p class="flickr-yourcomment">while marinating in the refrigerator, prep bamboo skewers by soaking it in hot water.<br /><br />grill yellow bell peppers until nice and done. by then, the shrimp will be very eager to meet the grill. dan grilled the peppers and shrimp with some smoking chips (ask him what... he's the grill master). while he's grilling, i chopped some red onions, tomatoes and cilantro.<br /><br />served with whole wheat tortilla and peach salsa. yummy.</p>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-41104243499382900412007-11-08T18:42:00.001-08:002007-11-08T18:42:39.590-08:00crab fried rice<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/1924035059/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2191/1924035059_fb8e251321.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/1924035059/">crab fried rice</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/organicbaker/">organic baker</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> sunday. lunch time. what's for lunch? tough question. though my sunday muffins are good (read: whole wheat banana apple walnut muffins), i'd say it's not enough. invading the ice box and pantry, here's what i've concocted:<br /><br />crab fried rice<br /><br />the secret in making good fried rice is in the rice. rice should be cold (read: from the refrigerator), never freshly cooked (that would make the dish mushy). my 'papa molo' would make fried rice over the lowest heat possible, with constant stirring and for at least a good 10 minutes.... so let's keep it at that.<br /><br />in a hot wok over high heat, start with a couple teaspoons of oil. sautee garlic, onions and carrots. add a couple squirts oyster sauce and hoisin. sprinkle with a couple dash of chinese five spice. add a teaspoon of sriracha. add frozen corn and peas. add crab meat (i used the canned version... hey that's good enough!) then stir in the cold rice (it will be in a big clump if from the refrigerator - simply break it down by crushing it with your fingers - trust me on that).<br /><br />turn the heat down low and with the use of 2 big serving spoons, mix your rice mixture in the wok for the next 10 minutes. check for seasoning. when cooked, make a well in the middle of the mixture and drop 2 eggs, slowly scrambling then mixing in the rice. sprinkle with sesame seed oil and sesame seeds.<br /><br />amazingly good.</p>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-54806821797566305782007-10-26T21:36:00.001-07:002007-10-27T09:15:20.568-07:00care for karekare?<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/1767303399/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2263/1767303399_05c060d219.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/1767303399/">seabass karekare</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/organicbaker/">organic baker</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> ***warning: this is slightly on the absurd side, so, if by chance you think i've crossed the line... just skip this and move on... read something else... or watch tv...***<br /><br />this week is my glorious chance to eat "sinigang" (tamarind soup - with veggies mind you) without any hesitation. i have to be honest though - if there's any kind of food that i miss terribly the most... it's kare kare. my tito carlo makes the best one because he uses freshly ground peanuts and finely ground toasted rice. it's probably been a good 8 years now since ive had one. kare kare is traditionally an oxtail stew with peanut sauce, served with shrimp paste on the side. the stew itself is on the bland side, mainly getting flavors from the slow simmering of oxtail and peanuts. the shrimp paste, as weird as it sounds, makes a wonderful dipping sauce that takes the dish into another level of epicurean delight. this is the ultimate food pairing.<br /><br />since i dont eat anything that makes a sound audible to the human ears, i gave kare kare a good thought. then at a fish market, it suddenly hit me... sea bass has that gelatin like substance similar to that of an oxtail! perfect candidate! i got a pack a a premade kare kare mix without msg, but lo and behold.. had chicken flavor. i had to do some quick thinking. i decided to simmer the slice of seabass in about a quarter cup of water. while it was simmering, i mixed half a cup of peanut butter with a cup of water, a teaspoon of chicken flavored vegetable powder, 1 tsp rice flour, quarter tsp annatto powder, salt and pepper. discard the simmering liquid and replace with the peanut butter mixture. add a good two hands full of chopped yard long beans, stir frequently during the first 5 minutes until it reaches a boil then let simmer for about 7 minutes. check and adjust seasoning. add baby bok choy and let simmer for about 3 more minutes. turn off heat and let stand for about 10 minutes before eating. serve with steamed rice.<br /><br />sheer happiness.<br /><br />not into stewed fish? how about grilling it, then serve the sauce on the side... or baste the fish with the sauce while grilling then saute the veggies. try it!</p>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-84746816582983675642007-10-26T20:35:00.001-07:002007-10-26T20:35:09.406-07:00unchicken soup<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/1767321185/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2356/1767321185_55d90e73de.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/1767321185/">warning soup for the season</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/organicbaker/">organic baker</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> i decided to be a part of the welcoming committee for this year's flu season. i graciously welcomed the first wave of flu virus and called them my own. it was probably due to the stress of opening another school year, trying to make my cupcake store grow, weather adjustments, change of daily routine, a combination of all factors, i was sniffling like crazy. when i'm sick, roan's sick too, that's just a fact of life. give it a few more days and dan will join in the bandwagon.<br />as a preventive measure, this soup came in very handy on dan's first and last day of feeling sick this year. the key to this soup is using all the fresh veggies you can think of and letting it cook in a real good vegetable stock. in a big pot, saute red pepper flakes, onions, garlic and fennel. add carrots and potatoes then mix in two boxes of good vegetable stock and bring to a boil. add tomatoes, mushrooms, string beans, peas, corn, zucchini and red bell pepper, season to taste. in a separate pot, cook some mini pesto ravioli (just because i dont like my noodles mushy, plus this method makes sure that the noodles doesn't suck all the stock from the soup). put some ravioli in a bowl, ladle some soup, top with parsley and you're done!<br />guaranteed to work faster than zicam or your money back!</p>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-69844392652703114862007-09-30T23:26:00.001-07:002007-09-30T23:26:29.350-07:00tequila lime shrimp pasta<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/1459565599/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1399/1459565599_295d3fa031.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/1459565599/">tequila lime shrimp pasta</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/organicbaker/">organic baker</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> interesting enough, this pic earned a fave of the day applause by a flickr group. well, that was really nice.<br /><br />dan decided he'll make me dinner one random night a few weeks ago. this dish turned out really amazing, quick and simple.<br /><br />he sauteed a generous amount of garlic, red pepper flakes and shrimp, added sun dried tomatoes, tequila, lime and tossed in fettucini, finished it with cilantro.<br /><br />oh how i'd love to have this again!</p>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-29752329103293038502007-09-30T22:03:00.001-07:002007-09-30T22:03:13.168-07:00veggie pizza<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/1465724077/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1034/1465724077_2a47a45a7e.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/1465724077/">veggie pizza</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/organicbaker/">organic baker</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> sunday night. what a better dinner than pizza?<br /><br />i was off to the stores sunday afternoon looking for things i need for my friday booking. then we had to drop by at petco to get something for mr. webster. how convenient.. trader joe's was just right next to petco.<br /><br />i admit i cheated on this pizza. due to lack of foresight, i had to get a premade pizza dough. at least tj's whole wheat pizza dough is great. so there. add a bunch of caramelized onions, sauteed crimini mushrooms, chopped tomatoes from the garden, fresh minced garlic, herbed goat cheese and a generous drizzle of olive oil. yep, no sauce. just fresh veggies.<br /><br />oh, and a pizza stone is but essential for a good pizza. now if only i have a wood fired brick oven!</p>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-89569991538564950432007-09-29T12:51:00.001-07:002007-09-29T12:51:03.527-07:00my first atlas 180 pasta<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/1458539227/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1039/1458539227_63cdd72189.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/1458539227/">whole wheat pasta</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/organicbaker/">organic baker</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> a curtain of pasta<br /><br />1 1 /2 cups soft whole wheat<br />1 1/2 cups durum semolina<br />4 large eggs<br />water<br /><br />mix. add water as needed. let rest for about 30 minutes. roll and cut. hang dry for about 30 minutes. boil in salted water for 3 minutes til al dente. <br /><br />ta da!</p>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-57404934810092385382007-09-29T12:23:00.001-07:002007-09-29T12:27:06.957-07:00atlas 180<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/1458539237/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1388/1458539237_42b3eb3e43.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/1458539237/">whole wheat pasta dinner</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/organicbaker/">organic baker</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> dan asked " if you can have anything for your birthday, what would it be?" as quick as lightning i responded "atlas 180!" accompanied with a grin so bright it was crazy bordering on obsessiveness. he thought it was crazy that i can just give him the model number of whatever it was. what in the world is atlas 180 anyways? "oh, that and a thermos. a nice big floral thermos in bright orange or maybe pink or purple that can hold a nice day's worth of tea for me to bring to school." i says. amusement left his eyes and it quickly turned into confusion.<br /><br />see... a girl needs to know what she wants all the time. before batting an eyelash one should be able to recite the desires of her heart!<br /><br />true enough. on my birthday, lo and behold! a brand new shiny atlas 180 in a paper bag was waiting to be opened just by me! Lordy lordy lordy! My wish came true!<br /><br />i tested my pasta machine a few days after my big day. i was extremely happy to mix and knead the dough. i was all the more happier when i hand cranked the machine! then it suddenly dawned on me... i was barely on my teen years when i spent my money on a set of books that were on sale. one was a book about chocolate, one was about cakes, one was about pasta, and the others, oh well... i forgot. while cranking my pasta machine i was transported back in time. every single saturday morning, while waiting for my mommy to fix our breakfast, my brother Cedric would sit on the couch and play with his G.I. Joe toys and I would read the pasta, chocolate and cake books over and over again. all this time, that little girl's dreams were waiting to come true. suddenly i realize, that all of this is a journey. it's not exactly me cooking those dishes or frosting the cupcakes. it's that little girl living her dreams. talk about a girl who asked for a brand new microwave oven for her 10th birthday!<br /><br />for this dish, i made a whole wheat/durum semolina tagliolini. since the pasta is fresh, it only took about 3 minutes to cook. saute freshly minced garlic, red pepper flakes, parsley, add the noodles and steamed broccoli and it is good to go!<br /><br />amazingly fresh, fast, delicious and healthy!</p>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-57161552631487752032007-09-29T11:19:00.001-07:002007-09-29T11:19:31.453-07:00my birthday "pancit" (noodles)<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/1458539215/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1022/1458539215_798f2c61b2.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/organicbaker/1458539215/">birthday noodles</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/organicbaker/">organic baker</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> *note: my laptop had issues and never woke up again... between school's prep and opening, cuppies and webster, i'm finally able to update this site. thanks for the patience everyone!"<br /> <br />here goes the obligatory noodles for my birthday. it is believed that eating noodles for your birthday will bring long life, so between my birthday noodles, all of my mom's aunts earlobes and the fortune from my fortune cookie, it is estimated that i will until i'm about five hundred and two!<br /><br />dan requested for pancit first week of september. oddly enough his biological clock probably prompted him for noodles. i like using vermicelli noodles the best and did it the way my mom makes it (or at least close to it). then again, my mom's the best in cooking so until dan taste's my mom's pancit, this will have to do.<br /><br />wash the vermicelli noodles in hot water til about pliable. boil half a wok of water/broth with soy sauce and ground pepper then add the noodles until cooked. julienne all vegetables (whatever you fancy). with a very hot wok, flash saute onions, garlic, carrots and green beans. cover and cook for about a minute. add about a cup of broth, bring to a boil then add your mushrooms and shredded cabbage, cover for about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Now combine the sauteed vegetables and vermicelli, add green onions and chinese parsley. Serve with a wedge of lemon. Invite family and friends over. Don't forget the rice cakes, bbq, and mango, ube and rocky road ice cream! Now that's what i call an authentic pinoy birthday party!<br /><br />Tip: Never EVER cover the cooked noodles with vegetables while still hot. Again, I repeat... never!</p>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-85041917682092791602007-08-25T23:43:00.000-07:002007-08-26T00:27:58.041-07:00orzo with zucchini & chipotle buttermilk dressing<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5102902058447785298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_W572rESPF2E/RtEmYsVjzVI/AAAAAAAAACk/wS2fh1BBzQs/s320/texture.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div><div><div><br /><br /><div>there's a royal food joust every month at <a href="http://leftoverqueen.com/">http://leftoverqueen.com/</a> and i thought it would be fun to join. this month's star ingredients are chipotle, buttermilk and zucchini. luckily i have all those without having to go to the grocery so all the more no reason to whip up something new.</div><br /><div>first, i cooked half a pound of orzo, following its package direction. nothing fancy on that!</div><br /><div>next, i sliced a quarter of zucchini (mind you.. the zucchini was as big as my arm... blame my garden!). drizzle it with olive oil, salt and pepper and grill 'til its nice and.... grilled! </div><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5102898467855125810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp0.blogger.com/_W572rESPF2E/RtEjHsVjzTI/AAAAAAAAACU/uMO4Usc7caA/s320/grilly+marks.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>now the fun part:</div><br /><div>dice a quarter of an onion (white, red, whatever's available)</div><div>handful of parsley, chopped</div><br /><div>put these two in a big bowl, combine it with the cooked orzo and zucchini (chop it in bite sized pieced) set aside.</div><br /><div>in another bowl, combine the following:</div><br /><div>3 Tbsp low fat yogurt</div><div>1/2 cup buttermilk</div><div>3 cloves garlic, finely minced</div><div>salt and pepper to taste (i used about 14 twists from a little salt and pepper grinder)</div><div>4 chipotle peppers, chopped (if you like it mild, u'll prolly just want to use 2 peppers)</div><div>1/4 tsp coriander</div><div>1/4 tsp cumin</div><br /><div>at this point it only feels natural to add the dressing to your orzo-zucchini mixture.<br /></div><br /><div>you may want to consider letting the flavors develop for 30 minutes before you start eating. however, you will not offend me if you decide to eat it right away.</div><br /><div>toast 2 tbsp pine nuts and sprinkle it to your orzo zucchini mixture before serving</div><br /><div>you'll have this:</div><br /><br /><br /><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5102896642494024994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_W572rESPF2E/RtEhdcVjzSI/AAAAAAAAACM/f015aq7lQz0/s320/orzo+plate.JPG" border="0" /><br /></div><br /><div>in case you are wondering what you can do with your 30 minutes if in case you want to optimize the flavors of this dish, you can, as a suggestion, grill some kind of protein to your liking... like this:</div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5102903557391371618" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_W572rESPF2E/RtEnv8VjzWI/AAAAAAAAACs/vcFGcty3uT8/s320/plated+orzo+with+shrimp.JPG" border="0" /><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>and there goes saturday's dinner: orzo with zucchini & chipotle buttermilk dressing. a wonderful journey of flavors in your mouth that starts creamy, then spicy, then tangy, followed by crunchy, then fresh, and finally finishes with heat.<br /><div></div><br /><div></div>now if we only had lienenkugel's sunset wheat, that would be the perfect meal.<br /><div></div><div><div> </div></div></div></div>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-14382223588032645632007-08-22T09:03:00.001-07:002007-08-22T09:03:14.810-07:00pesto from the garden<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40778124@N00/1203140359/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1043/1203140359_3eb1cebd60.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40778124@N00/1203140359/">pesto</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/40778124@N00/">organic baker</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> tuesday night's dinner was utterly simple yet amazingly fresh. armed with his petzl headlamp, dan picked basil from our backyard garden at 8pm and started to boil water for pasta. by the time i came home after making a delivery, all was 'mise en place' and ready to go. dan's smart choice of pasta was fettucini.<br /><br />we made a combination of basil and (a touch of) parsley pesto. we added 2 cloves of garlic, toasted pine nuts, a dabble of simple syrup, juice of half a lemon, salt, pepper and parmesan.<br /><br />could've been a lot better if served with freshly made artisanal bread and home made pasta. oh well... i'm happy as it is.</p>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-54992598316721422612007-08-19T17:17:00.001-07:002007-08-22T09:05:36.511-07:00beautiful sunday lunch<div><a href="http://bp1.blogger.com/_W572rESPF2E/RsjdmMVjzPI/AAAAAAAAAB0/EVc3llcyuqc/s1600-h/portabella+lunch.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100570226213506290" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_W572rESPF2E/RsjdmMVjzPI/AAAAAAAAAB0/EVc3llcyuqc/s320/portabella+lunch.JPG" border="0" /></a> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100570303522917634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_W572rESPF2E/RsjdqsVjzQI/AAAAAAAAAB8/Kor4QA2WRPk/s320/my+beautiful+lunch.JPG" border="0" /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5100570449551805714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://bp1.blogger.com/_W572rESPF2E/RsjdzMVjzRI/AAAAAAAAACE/dKMk_bht7n4/s320/the+dan+mojito.JPG" border="0" /><br /><br />after playing 18 holes of discgolf at veteran's park with dan and dyle, nothing can be better than a nice vegetable sandwich with a very cold drink.</div><div></div><div>here we have a grilled portabello mushroom served with a slice of tomato from jeff's garden, sliced cucumber picked from the backyard just before we needed it, sliced pepperoncinis, avocado and romaine lettuce. the whole wheat burger bun was smeared with creamy chipotle dressing.</div><div></div><div>served with a very nice glass of raspberry mojito by dan.<br /></div><div></div>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-6907315755333502432007-08-19T17:06:00.001-07:002007-08-19T17:06:29.207-07:00something to confess about<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40778124@N00/1176197702/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1261/1176197702_bb40ff51b5.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40778124@N00/1176197702/">junk dinner</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/40778124@N00/">organic baker</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> so this saturday dan and i decided we'll have an ultimate junk adventure for dinner! i know it's still kinda sissy... but people who know us know this IS junk for us....<br /><br />nothing can be yummier than a cast iron grilled veggie dog sandwich! we headed to a local grocery at 8pm to get whole wheat hotdog buns and a couple other things for dan's mojitos. dan sauteed onions until it was nicely caramelized. he then grilled the veggie dogs and it almost smelled like the real thing! we had a can of vegetarian baked beans and i thought it would go really well with the sandwich. i caved in to cheetos (i had salty cheese craving i have to cave to) and dan was nice enough to get me a nice bag of baked cheetos. <br /><br />served with a nice tall glass of dan's mojitos. it was all gooood!</p>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-33932887758722955652007-08-16T09:23:00.001-07:002007-08-16T09:23:40.826-07:00cream of zucchini & garlic bread<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40778124@N00/1138427895/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1201/1138427895_6b8487e7e2.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40778124@N00/1138427895/">cream of zucchini</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/40778124@N00/">organic baker</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> Last night, Dan came home with one wisdom tooth less. Talking with him on the phone he felt that he will be subjected to nothing more than smoothie and soup for the next few days. So this enormous zucchini from the garden is still staring at me. It's been sitting at our kitchen counter for a day now and something's got to happen. I figured I have to face my fears and have more than one serving of zucchini per lifetime. <br />I tried making my own version of La Cabanita's cream of zucchini soup. It's La Cabanita's soup of the day every single day. I sauteed onion, garlic and zucchini then added vegetable stock and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. I then blended the chunks to a puree then passed it on a sieve. Added milk & nutmeg, simmered for another 10 minutes, added a bit of flour with olive oil, garnish with flat leaf parsley and that my friend is our soup.<br /><br />And the garlic bread? Mix some crushed garlic to softened butter, a dash of salt, parsley, smear it on bread, then toast!</p>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-26297327256002839402007-08-15T12:12:00.001-07:002007-08-15T12:12:28.567-07:00tuesday night's dinner<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40778124@N00/1129420098/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1437/1129420098_0da0798906.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40778124@N00/1129420098/">salmon</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/40778124@N00/">organic baker</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> my intention for plating was far better than the execution. <br /><br />around 4pm i cooked the orzo. once cooked, i added lemon juice and olive oil, salt and pepper, a diced big tomato, diced quarter of a red onion, chopped slices of muenster cheese with pepper. covered it and set it aside. <br /><br />i marinated the salmon in maple syrup, grated ginger, smashed garlic, balsalmic vinegar and olive oil. stashed it inside the ref til i was ready to grill.<br /><br />around 6pm i started making my vegan cupcakes.<br /><br />dan called around 7, he said he was coming home.<br /><br />time to heat the grill!<br /><br />then i realized... i forgot to soak the cedar!<br /><br />i gave the cedar a quick soak in warm water while the grill was heating. then i wrapped the salmon in cedar. threw it on the grill and went back to it after 8 minutes.<br /><br />i used a ring mold to shape the orzo. it laid perfectly round on my plate. i checked the garden, a lo and behold there was still a lizard crawling around so forget the basil garnish! the salmon looked nice. but then when i put it on top of the orzo.... oh well.... just look at the picture!<br /><br />served with woodchuck granny smith cider. <br /><br />happy....</p>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-78865098606736416132007-08-15T11:59:00.001-07:002007-08-15T11:59:14.359-07:00fried zucchini from the garden<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40778124@N00/1129419974/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1243/1129419974_c4ceff0f27.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40778124@N00/1129419974/">fried zucchini from the garden</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/40778124@N00/">organic baker</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> monday night's dinner... what do you do to the zucchini plant that started to overtake your whole garden? well... love it and start using its fruit! since i am not a zucchini lover (one per year is my nutritional limit.... and i call myself vegetarian????) i have to find great ways on how to put it in my food... and what better way to serve it than fried! even anthony bourdain said that anything tastes better fried right?!?! this dinner is dan's idea... and he's all happy about it. cooking it was fun. we cooked outside the house (heatwave in the valley) and i was in charge of the breading station, while he happily fried. in my first ziplock bag was flour seasoned with salt, a dash of cayenne and paprika, on my second ziplock was italian style bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. in a dish i had a couple of eggs with milk, seasoned with salt and pepper. so i dunked the zucchini in bag a, swished it in the egg bath then bounced it inside bag b, making sure it's all coated well. dan fried away. grated more parm on top and sprinkled with hawaiian pink salt right after frying. served with a fresh creamy dill sauce (sour cream + mayo + dill + garlic powder + salt & pepper) and chipotle dip on the side.</p>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-64386888362027558142007-08-07T10:16:00.001-07:002007-08-07T10:18:54.568-07:00seared tuna on a bed of summer salad<div class="flickr-frame"><a title="photo sharing" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40778124@N00/1041170578/"><img class="flickr-photo" alt="" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1383/1041170578_64e7560a34.jpg" /></a><br /><span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40778124@N00/1041170578/">seared tuna salad</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/40778124@N00/">organic baker</a>.</span></div><p class="flickr-yourcomment">Dan made a deal with me that I cannot resist. He said everytime I have to make cupcakes, he will make us dinner. He kept his word monday night. This dinner was team effort. He prepared and cooked the tuna (to my liking - which is not extremely on the raw side) and i made the salad. I dont know what he marinated the tuna with, but it was tasty and well seasoned. He used a duo of white and black sesame seeds to crust the tuna, then seared in a cast iron pan. For the salad, we had mesclun greens from the farmers market, tossed with white and red onions, halved juliet tomatoes and a nice yellow peach. The dressing was rather simple but tied everything together - juice from one lemon, drizzle of olive oil, a nice big chunk of wasabi, a tablespoon of honey and we are good to go!</p>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6092464037792037045.post-60261648223312166752007-08-07T10:09:00.001-07:002007-08-07T10:09:30.058-07:00sunday dinner in a flash<style type="text/css">.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }</style><div class="flickr-frame"> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40778124@N00/1041170556/" title="photo sharing"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1227/1041170556_0974cfdd2d.jpg" class="flickr-photo" alt="" /></a><br /> <span class="flickr-caption"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/40778124@N00/1041170556/">nuggets dinner</a>, originally uploaded by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/40778124@N00/">organic baker</a>.</span></div> <p class="flickr-yourcomment"> i thought i needed to catch up with my sleep so i decided to take a 6 hour nap sunday afternoon. what do you cook at 9:30 pm and not worry about sleeping by midnight? thank God for quorn! i love this brand of mycoprotein food! it definitely is the best tasting fake nuggest/patties around. even a not so awake person like me can pull this through! just pop in your quorn nuggets in a toaster oven (no need to heat up the house) 400 degrees about 10 minutes. On the tenth minute, i busted out my favorite saute pan, heat up a tad bit of olive oil, threw in a handful of asparagus, add some freshly ground sea salt and black pepper, a little splash of maple syrup, and in about 3 minutes, dinner is served. (chipotle dipping sauce is a must! mix in sourcream and mayo, add a nice big tablespoon of smashed chipotle with adobo sauce, a pinch of salt, and you have a really good thing in your refrigerator worthy of any nugget or veggie there is).</p>charityhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16820713821786349406noreply@blogger.com0