Family Dinner Nite

2013-07-29T14:40:00.000-07:00

Experiencing fresh ricotta cheese was like Dorothy living in black & white Kansas and entering the technicolor Oz. You have no idea how different it is! Doesn't matter if you buy organic or cheap ricotta, if it comes in a plastic container in the grocery store, then you are missing out!

But making fresh ricotta is SO EASY! I got this recipe from Alexandra's Kitchen blog, who got it from the Barefoot Contessa. I love slathering it on excellent bread that's been toasted golden and topping with a roasted fig----it might be a controlled substance so be careful here.

You can also drizzle some honey on it and just eat it with a spoon, use it in lasagne or other pasta recipes, and on your pizzas.

Homemade Ricotta:

http://www.goop.com/journal/make/102/brunch-with-the-barefoot-contessa

Ricotta & Thyme on Grilled Bread:

http://www.alexandracooks.com/2013/06/20/ricotta-with-thyme-olive-oil-grilled-bread/

Ricotta on Pizza:

http://www.alexandracooks.com/2011/08/11/pizza-margherita-homemade-tomato-sauce-homemade-ricotta/

Roasted Fig Ricotta Tartines

http://www.alexandracooks.com/2012/08/29/a-sprouted-kitchen-feast/

2012-10-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

After School Casserole Delight & Delish

Growing up in suburban Dallas in the 70s, Mom and Dad both worked so my younger brother Leo and I got to be pretty self sufficient at an early age. In elementary school, the house key around my neck jangled on a metal chain whenever I tore across the playground to chase soccer balls, boys, and butterflies. After school, pedaling home on bikes sporting book-stuffed baskets, Leo and I slugged out the 2 mile uphill ride. (Yes, really, uphill all the way) By the time we let ourselves in the house, we were starving.

Our after school routine started with turning on the TV (and I do mean “turn”, there was actually a dial), honing in on the cartoon channel. Scooby-Doo, Super Friends, and in a pinch, PopEye. After cartoons, the sitcoms rolled in, like Gilligan’s Island, Brady Bunch, and in a pinch, Bonanza. Leo and I never fought about what to watch. Channel surfing and programming choices were practically non-existent with only about 4 channels available for viewing (hey, this is the pre-cable, pre-satellite dish era.

With cartoons already running lest we miss anything, we’d fix the perfect snack(s) with one eye on the screen, and settle in front of the TV. Being a frugal, Chinese immigrant family, our new couch was covered with sheets when we didn’t have company over. So being on the couch felt like being in a cozy bed.TVs back then were like large heavy pieces of furniture. Ours was built into this wood cabinet. There was a lace doily on top and some kind of empty crystal bowl on top. Empty because Leo and I had eaten all the pastel colored meltaway mints the weekend prior.

But I digress; let’s get back to the perfect snack. The first course snack to go with cartoons usually consisted of a bowl of cereal (Frosted Flakes, Lucky Charms, or in a pinch, Raisin Bran) or maybe a few slices of American cheese. Or both. Another favorite was salty sweet heaven, a scoop or two of chocolate ice cream laced with a generous helping Ruffles potato chips. Then there was Mrs. Baird’s impossibly soft white bread (a local Dallas baker) held together only by the pesky crusts, spread with a thin layer of softened butter); not toasted bread, just plain, straight out of the bag. Or white bread sprinkled with white granulated sugar. The crunch of the sugar on the tenderness of the bread really hit the spot for our simple carbohydrate cravings. The bread would get stuck to the top of our mouths, and we’d have to pry it off with our tongues so we could continue to scarf.

The sitcoms called for something warm and more substantial. Kraft Macaroni & Cheese was a typical second course. The steaming, creamy orange glow so inviting, so satisfying, even though it didn’t really taste like cheese at all. Maybe we craved salt after our sugar binge earlier. Soup out of the can also very popular, particularly cream of mushroom and chicken noodle. By this point, you’re probably thinking that I’ve had 3 heart attacks from early childhood exposure to excessive sugar and salt. But hey it was the 70s, nobody cared about that stuff yet, or whether things were fresh or processed. Convenience was the name of the consumer game. Mom loved that she didn’t have to do anything except buy it. She was relieved to know that we weren’t alone and hungry while she worked. Compared to making Chinese food from scratch (we used to have a potsticker assembly line and wonton wrapping marathons), packaged foods were heaven sent.

By 5th grade, my parents started working longer hours. Dad had started his own business and Mom got promoted to manager. Leo and I had to expand beyond just snacking. In this new era, we learned an exotic new dish known as the casserole. The origins of our first casserole are mysterious, and it’s name is unknown. Perhaps a women’s magazine at the dentist’s office or a friendly neighbor supplied the basic recipe. Wherever it came from, this casserole was here to stay. I call it After School Casserole Delight. An irresistible melange of hearty elbow macaroni bathed in creamy and satisfying mushroom soup. The surprise of chunks of tuna lent a substantial bite, delightfully accented with a crunchy breadcrumb topping. It was the ultimate comfort food that even a 5th grader could compose. A medley of flavors that only processed foods could deliver. Warming, filling, and homey comfort food for growing, home-alone kids.

Now that I am the mom, I wanted to share a bit of my childhood with my kids. So I still make this casserole, but I upgraded ingredients a bit. Though if you wanted to bring back the 70s, you could always use real Campbell’s soup.

After School Casserole Delight
Ingredients

Quantity	Authentic	Upgrade/Food Sensitivity	Substitution
6 oz	dry elbow macaroni; cooked al dente & drained	organic/brown rice
5 oz	canned tuna fish, drained	pole-caught albacore/pan fried Ahi	homemade or store bought shredded chicken; flaked salmon, bones removed
14 oz	1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, made to directions with added milk or water (you will have a total of about 21 oz after adding liquid)	homemade thick style cream of mushroom soup
Optional
1 bag	frozen peas	organic/ fresh shelled
5 T	breadcrumbs	organic/homemade
	grated cheese to taste	California organic dry monterey jack or parmesan
	Salt & pepper to taste

Heat oven to 350F. Butter/oil/grease a 9x9” baking dish.
In a large pot or bowl, combine all ingredients except breadcrumbs and cheese (including the peas if using) until mixed evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired. Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs and grated cheese if using. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbling and top is browned.
Eat in front of TV.

Gluten free AND vegan?! Must be gross, right? WRONG!!!

2012-07-23T16:38:00.000-07:00

And I thought my dietary requirements were picky! apparently there is a whole subculture of us demanding not only homemade, gluten-free but also VEGAN!

I have made my way through 85% of a cookbook I got for xmas called "Babycakes Covers the Classics" by Erin McKenna. what a treasure trove of DELICIOUS recipes. Simple to follow, beautiful images to guide you towards a fabulous finish, and fairly accessible ingredients. Erin rates each of her recipes for difficulty, but even the most difficult are not hand-wringers, they just take more time to see thru. Also, she is very big on VANILLA. I've used a whole bottle on one of her recipes before! The book is available on Amazon.com. I especially recommend the chocolate chip cookies and madeleines. Even my teenagers love these treats and scarf them like their egg & wheat predecessors.

Luckily I just came across this great recipe for homemade vanilla extract from this great food blog Alexandra's Kitchen. She sources Cooks Illustrated as the inspiration for her recipe. Check it out as well as resources she recommends.

http://www.alexandracooks.com/2012/07/20/homemade-vanilla-extract-moo-labels/

Butternut squash, carmelized onion, and pinto bean enchiladas

2012-01-06T15:46:00.000-08:00

Can i just confess that i ate the WHOLE pan in 2 days! Dang, these are good. You can add meat, use real cheese, buy canned sauce or use non organic stuff if you want. I made mine the vegan way cuz that's how i roll.

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, diced, and roasted with a diced large yellow onion with your favorite herbs (dried or fresh) in one layer until cooked thru & slightly carmelized, about 30 min at 400F

1/2 pound of cooked pinto, black or white beans (I cook them in filtered water, with cumin; seasoned w/himalayan salt AFTER beans are tender)

1 package of corn tortillas (usually there are 10-12 in a pack)

extra virgin olive oil

1 package of shredded Daiya vegan pepperjack cheese

Red chile enchilada sauce (see recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix togetherOil the sides & bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish. Fry both sides of a tortilla in XV olive oil. fill with a little roasted squash mixture (2T) and a little beans (1-2T). Sprinkle on some cheese. Roll and place seam side down in glass baking pan. Repeat until you run out of tortillas or filling. Pour enchilada sauce over all. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake for about 20-30 min until bubbly.

YUMMY! Good for lunch. Good for gluten free breakfast too after a grueling workout.

Red Enchilada Sauce

1 package of pasilla dried chiles (about 10-15 chiles), seeded, stem removed

1 medium yellow onion, chopped into smallish pieces

salt to taste

3 large cloves of garlic, peeled

2 T vegetable broth powder

about 1 qt boiling water

Put everything in a blender. Blend til smooth. Voila!

S'mores without a flame

2012-01-05T17:25:00.000-08:00

Happy new discovery: I can make delicious melty hot s'mores in my toaster oven

1 pack of organic cinnamon graham crackers
1 bar of organic dark chocolate
1 jar of RiceMellow

lay a piece of choc on half of a graham cracker

put toaster oven on 180F bake for 2 min or until desired level of melted-ness

slap on a scoop of RiceMellow

I eat mine open-faced but you could top w/the other half of the graham cracker if you're a traditionalist

OMG i had 3!!!

What can I eat if I go veggie??!!

2010-04-05T11:36:00.000-07:00

A lot of people ask me what I eat when they learn that I'm a vegan. I guess it's hard for someone who centers every meal on meat to think outside the box. Their experience of vegetables are only as a side dish or as penitence in the form of THE SALAD for a dietary transgression. But I have such a wide open range of options as a veg only eater, that it always strikes me as a funny question....especially since I happen to be lucky enough to live in Northern California where there are lots of local organic farms, and produce is just gorgeous and abundant. I get them farm fresh at the farmers market, where they are often picked the same morning or day before. What a huge difference fresh picked makes!

So I recently put together this list of recipe-inspirations-sources for a friend who just went veg and realized she can't keep eating bread for dinner. I hope it helps inspire and fire up your inner Iron Chef.
-----------------------------------------

Martha Rose Shulman of the New York Times has a pretty good cooking column. I usually need to make some simple adjustments to make the recipes vegan, as she loves cheese, milk, and eggs. A couple of things I change in her recipes, I don't cook w/canola oil, I don't buy canned beans (so easy & better to make yourself), and I always buy seasonal, organic & local (when possible, obviously they don't grow wheat or bananas in California so nothing I can do about that).

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/health/series/recipes_for_health/index.html?ref=nutrition

some books that i use for inspiration:

The Art of Taste (the author is the chef at the White Lotus Yoga Center, where James & I did a retreat)
http://www.amazon.com/Art-Taste-Gourmet-Vegetarian-Cooking/dp/0964330202/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270256672&sr=1-1

Voluptuous Vegan: more sophisticated (read: complex) recipes but awesome results; dinner party fare
http://www.amazon.com/Voluptuous-Vegan-Sinfully-Delicious-Dairy-Free/dp/0609804898/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270256344&sr=8-1

Chopra Center Cookbook--mostly not indian food
http://www.amazon.com/Chopra-Center-Cookbook-Nutritional-Nourishing/dp/0471454044/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270256416&sr=1-1

The Peaceful Palate
http://www.amazon.com/Peaceful-Palate-Fine-Vegetarian-Cuisine/dp/1570670315/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270256813&sr=1-1

Raw Food/Real World
http://www.amazon.com/Raw-Food-Real-World-Recipes/dp/0060793554/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270257333&sr=1-2

The Vegan Table
http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Table-Unforgettable-Entertaining-Occasion/dp/1592333745/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270256777&sr=1-1

The Esalen Cookbook
http://www.amazon.com/Esalen-Cookbook-Charlie-Cascio/dp/1586858521/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270256293&sr=8-1

The Millenium Cookbook (highly recommend going to this restaurant in SF)
http://www.amazon.com/Millennium-Cookbook-Extraordinary-Vegetarian-Cuisine/dp/0898158990/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1270257223&sr=8-1

i also get ideas from the Mad Cowboy newsletter/Yahoo Group (send email to Mad_Cowboy-owner@yahoogroups.com), Vegetarian Times, Yoga Journal has a recipe section, Eating Well, and just from browsing the stalls at the farmers market and seeing the wonderful, organic, beautiful seasonal and local produce...restaurants are also a source of ideas.

Rosa's Homemade Sweet Black Bean Paste Steamed Buns--aaaahhhh!

2010-02-19T17:27:00.000-08:00

From my cousin-in-law Rosa...

There are different types of dough, mixing with cold (room temp) water, warm water or hot water. After doing some late night research on the web, turned out it involves a lot of food science.   Flour can absorb more hot water than cold water, and hot water dough is softer and more pliable (because heat destroyed the gluten somewhat) than cold water dough.
Usually, I just added random amount of flour to my bowl, then gradually mixed in water till I felt the consistency is right. My experienced coworkers said it usually takes them only minutes to mix the dough, it took me an hour once!!
anyway, cold water dough is good for items you need to boil (like dumplings or noodles) or deep fry.
Hot water dough is good for pan-frying (potstickers, green onion pancakes) or steaming (eg. dumplings).

Of course, for the dough for buns, I added active dry yeast. I usually use 1 teaspoon of yeast. Again, I added random amount of flour (probably 3-4 cups??), added room temp water and the rehydrated active dry yeast (warm water + sugar), and a pinch of salt. I usually let it rise for 2 hours, then started rolling them out. After each bun is formed, I let it rise for another 30-40 min or so.

These sites give better portions. I usually check out a few links (cos everyone uses different amounts), and sort of digest the info and come up with my own. But I never strictly follow a recipe. I think feeling with my hands is the best way to tell whether I need more flour or more water.... hope this helps.
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Chinese-Steamed-Buns/Detail.aspx
http://www.globalgourmet.com/destinations/china/steambread.html

Rosa's advice for what kind of flour to use:

For the buns with fillings, my coworkers (from Northern china, home of these dim sums) told me to use all-purpose flour only. She said whole wheat flour may not be "sticky" enough for you to work with, probably not enough gluten. If you just want to make the plain steamed buns (no fillings), I have tried whole wheat flour as well. They were fine, but not as fluffy as the all-purpose flour. My first batch of veggie/meat buns turned out to be very flat, because I didn't use enough dough for each bun, plus, I think my dough was a bit too wet. Second batch was better.   Oh, by the way, my coworker said for some reason, gold medal AP flour didn't work too well for her for making buns. She said they looked fine while they were being steamed, but once she opened the lid, they collapsed. So she recommended using Safeway brand. Worked well for me! I saved my Pillsbury and Gold Medal AP flour for making dough with no yeast.
For the green onion pancakes and noodles, just AP flour.

I found this recipe for homemade sweet red bean paste:

http://www.applepiepatispate.com/japanese/sweet-azuki-red-bean-paste/

I will try making my own sweet red bean buns this weekend. I will try a batch with unbleached white flour (sinfully stripped of all nutritional value whatsoever) and a batch with whole wheat pastry flour (healthy enough to appease the nutrition-nazi in me). I'll report back on how it turns out.

Eggs & Turkey Hash

2010-02-11T14:36:00.000-08:00

Great for breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks...

Scramble a couple of eggs per person in a small bowl. Add some sliced scallions, dash of sea salt. Set aside.

In a medium sized skillet, brown some ground turkey (I use organically &locally raised, ground turkey thigh meat; about 1/4 pound per person depending on appetite) with some extra virgin olive oil or sunflower oil. Salt to taste.

Add egg mixture to skillet and stir until cooked through.

Serve on freshly made whole grain toast, english muffin, or warmed tortilla. Salsa and fresh avocado are nice condiments. My teenager likes ketchup on it. Yeah, I know, eww.

Crunchy top Mac n Cheese by James

2010-01-04T10:08:00.000-08:00

Comfort food by James. Our teens love baked mac n cheese with crunchy bread crumb topping with a side of buttery corn on the cob and seasoned rice spiked with all beef hot dogs.

Maybe we can get James to divulge his secret recipes...

Xmas Eve Desserts

2009-12-28T21:13:00.000-08:00

Guest Spot: Cabbage & Apple Salad with Warm Mustard Vinaigrette

2009-12-12T12:36:00.000-08:00

This one just in from my childhood friend Kristen. She and her partner Steve just finished the 2800+ mile trek on the Pacific Crest Trail. They are now recuperating in Crested Butte for the winter.
----------------------------
this is one of my favorite winter recipes - which is easy to make completely vegan, especially tasty with an earthy homemade loaf of bread. it serves 6, but we eat it as an entire meal and get 3 full meals out of it, just toss in some already cooked tofu, or chicken or a piece of leftover grilled tuna or salmon for the non vegans in your household. i've never even used pine nuts, just walnuts and toasted pecans. i also alter the cabbage and radicchio, based on what is available, one being red, the other green. also good as leftovers for lunch and i toss in leftover pasta then.

1/2 sm head green cabbage, cored
1/2 sm head radicchio, cored
1 large apple, cored
juice of 1/2 lemon

Vinaigrette
1/4 c olive oil
2 Tb minced shallots
5 Tb Champagne vinegar
1/2 c chicken or vegetable broth - homemade is awesome
1 tsp brown sugar
2 T dijon or stone ground mustard
1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
1/4 tsp pepper, or to taste
3 Tb toasted pine nuts or hazelnuts

Thinly slice the cabbage and radicchio. Set aside. Julienne the unpeeled apple and rinse in a solution of half lemon juice half water to minimize discoloration.

Heat 2 tsp of the oil in a large skillet over med hi heat. Add shallots and saute until soft. Add vinegar, broth and brown sugar. Simmer to reduce slightly, then whisk in the mustard. Remove skillet from heat and whisk in rest of oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Add cabbage, radicchio, and apple to the skillet and toss well to coat. Garnish with nuts and serve warm.

Spiced Gift: Persimmon Chocolate Bread

2009-12-11T22:17:00.000-08:00

Before I went off to college, I commandeered my mom's recipe box. One of the treasures I found in there, was a fool-proof recipe for banana bread. I started experimenting with the base recipe, replacing white flour with whole wheat pastry flour, swapping out eggs for Egg Replacer, and adding things like chocolate chips or different spices or nuts---sometimes only one, sometimes all of them together at once. Then I started experimenting with swapping out bananas for pumpkin (YUM). That was a huge success and so I looked for other alternatives---apple sauce, kabocha or red kuri squash, and hachiya persimmon have been favorites of friends, family, and even picky teenagers.
I get asked to share the recipe a lot so I thought I'd post here...

Ingredients:

2 Egg Replacer eggs (the resuls with Egg Replacer are better than with chicken eggs): 3 t Egg Replacer mixed thoroughly with 4 T hot water
1/2 c organic safflower or sunflower oil
the pulp from 3 completely ripe hachiya persimmons
1-1/2 c organic whole wheat pastry flour
2/3 c organic unrefined sugar
1 t baking soda
1/2 t sea salt, kosher salt, or Himalayan salt (just not iodized table salt, yuck!)

1-1/2 t ground cinnamon, or to taste
1 t ground cloves, or to taste (optional)
organic dark chocolate or semisweet chocolate chips (about 1/2 c or to taste, not optional at our house)

Heat oven 350F. Mix all the wet stuff. Add all the dry stuff except chocolate chips. Mix thoroughly. Fold in chocolate chips with silicone spatula. Scrape into greased 8x8 baking dish or loaf pan.

Bake (8x8 takes about 30 min, test with toothpick; loaf pan takes about 45 min, test w/toothpick). Cool on a rack (this is usually the point at which kids & visitors pounce).

Keeps about a week. If I have any leftovers, I like to cover it & put in fridge after the 2nd or 3rd day (depending on room temperature).

I double or triple this recipe and bake 3 loaves at a time for holiday gifts. Wrap in unbleached wax paper, wrap in recycled alum foil. Tie with ribbon.

Julian's Famous Guacamole

2009-12-11T19:07:00.000-08:00

This delicious but simple simple simple guacamole recipe is Julian's specialty.

Ingredients:

2 ripe large avocados, pitted & peeled

1-2 T fresh lemon juice (depends on your taste preference)

1-3 t sea salt, Himalayan salt, or kosher salt (start with 1 t and check taste before you add more; do not under any circumstances use "table salt" like Morton's)

1-2 large garlic clove minced

ground cumin

fresh ground pepper (optional)

2 T red onion, small dice (optional)

2 T fresh tomato based salsa (optional)

With a potato masher, mash up avocados & some of the lemon juice until it has the desired consistency (I like my guac chunky but some people prefer smoother). Add garlic, 1 t salt and 1/2 t cumin. Taste. Add more lemon, salt, pepper, and cumin as desired. Add other optional ingredients as desired. Serve immediately.

If there is any left (doubt it!), then using a silicone spatula, put it into a smaller container with lid. Before covering, try drizzling a bit more lemon juice over it to preserve.

The World's Best Chocolate Cupcakes

2009-12-11T18:09:00.000-08:00

These are delicious and made with the finest ingredients. Believe it or not, I adapted the recipe that I found off the back of the Hershey's Cocoa box that I clipped off the wrapper about 20 yrs ago. They are best when made with the highest quality ingredients you can find. Green & Blacks is the BEST.

You can "down-market" the ingredients, but if you do, then I can't guarantee the results!!

Cake:

2 cups organic unrefined sugar
1-3/4 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup Green & Black's organic cocoa
1-1/2 t baking powder (I use Hain Feather Weight brand, I think any non-aluminum is ok)
1-1/2 t baking soda
2 "eggs": 3 t Egg Replacer mixed well with 4 T hot water [crucial!!! results are WAY better if you don't use real eggs]
1 c. organic unsweetened soy milk, rice milk, or nut milk
1/2 c organic sunflower or safflower oil
2 t organic vanilla extract
1 c boiling filtered water

Frosting:

1/2 c Earth Balance "butter"
2/3 c Green & Black's organic cocoa
3 c organic powdered sugar
1/3 c organic unsweetened soy milk, rice milk, or nut milk
1 t organic vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350F. Prepare cupcake pans by lining with unbleached paper cupcake cups (I use "If You Care" brand).

Combine all dry ingredients well in a large mixing bowl (I use my trusty Kitchen Aid standing mixer with paddle attachment).

Add Wet ingredients except boiling water, and mix well about 2 min on low-medium speed (so you don't splash all that precious Green & Blacks out of the bowl!).

Mix in boiling water, just until smooth. The batter is really thin at this point.

Fill cupcake cups about 2/3 of the way full if using.

Bake about 25-30 minutes checking for doneness with a toothpick (should come out clean).

Let cool completely on a rack.

To make the frosting (I use the Kitchen Aid with paddle):

Melt the butter. Add to mixing bowl with the cocoa and mix until smooth. Add about 1/4 of the sugar at a time, alternating with 1/4 of the milk until smooth. Add more powdered sugar if you want it stiffer. Add more milk to soften (I've never had to add milk, only sugar to get the right consistency but your experience will depend on your locale's humidity level). Add in the vanilla last. Mix it all up until smooth smooth smooth and stiff enough to be piped onto the cupcakes.

Using a silicone spatula, transfer frosting to pastry bag fitted with your favorite tip.

Have fun with pastry bag tips to see which one works best for you. I saw some fun ideas in a cooking magazine where the frosting looks like a star burst. I usually use a large starburst tip.

Decorate each with a piece of all natural hard candies or all natural candy coated chocolate, all natural gum drops, white chocolate chip, or whatever gives it color & makes it fun.

2009-11-03T07:48:00.000-08:00

Family Dinner Nite started earlier this year. James just remodeled the kitchen, and it inspired him to start cooking. Or maybe it was my cooking that inspired him to cook---too many greens? Not enough butter?