isa-chan's eats

2011-09-13T21:48:00.000-05:00

Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

When baking gluten-free, one of the biggest challenges is getting your baked treats to come out moist and soft instead of dry and gritty. Pumpkin is an ingredient I love to bake with because it not only adds that moisture you need, it also has a great flavor. The ginger snap streusel topping added to these muffins give them a bit of extra spice and would go well with a cup of coffee or tea.

Muffins:

1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour mixture
1 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp xanthum gum

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 15 oz. can of pumpkin

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tbsp sunflower oil

1 egg

Streusel topping:

3/4 - 1 cup crushed gluten-free ginger snaps

3 tbsp gluten-free flour mixture

3 tbsp butter, softened

3 tbsp light brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Add 12 foil lined baking cups to muffin pan or spray muffin pan with non-stick spray.

2. In a large bowl, add all the dry ingredients. Mix together. (Make sure to sift the gluten-free flour mixture into the bowl...this will help keep the muffins less gritty).

3. Add the wet ingredients and mix until just moist.

4. In a separate bowl, add streusel topping ingredients and mix until crumbly.

5. Fill muffin cups with batter and sprinkle with streusel topping.

6. Bake for 25 -35 minutes, depending on your oven. Bake until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Place on wire racks to cool.

2011-09-06T21:31:00.001-05:00

Goya Chanpuru

Goya (bitter cucumber) is a common vegetable eaten in Okinawa. It's incredibly bitter and I never enjoyed it as a child. I always remember my mom telling me to eat it because it was good for me. However, with time I have acquired a taste for it and find it quite tasty. There are different ways to eat goya, but this is the most popular way to prepare it...with tofu and spam.

2 Goya, seeded and sliced

1 package of bean sprouts

1 can of spam, sliced

1 cake of medium firm tofu, cubed

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp dashi no moto

1. In a wok on med. high heat, add the tofu and season with about 1 tbsp of soy sauce for a few minutes, until tofu is heated through.

2. Place tofu in a dish and set aside.

3. Add goya to wok and stir fry with 1/2 tbsp of soy sauce until it starts to get tender then add the bean sprouts and rest of soy sauce.

4. Stir fry until goya is tender and bean sprouts are tender crisp.

5. Add spam and cooked tofu back into wok and heat through.

Serve with rice.

2011-09-02T19:53:00.000-05:00

Isa's Chicken Teriyaki

I was craving the chicken teriyaki from one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in Ohio, so I decided to try to make my own. I remembered watching my mom make it growing up, so I experimented with the sauce and this was the outcome. It's incredibly easy to make with just a few ingredients and everyone always gobbles it up when I make it.

5-6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp mirin
1 tsp sugar
sunflower oil

1. In a wok, heat a small amount of sunflower oil on high

2. While the oil is heating, add soy sauce, mirin, and sugar to a small dish and mix until the sugar is dissolved

3. Turn the stove down to med. high and add chicken

4. Stir fry until the chicken is almost cooked through

5. Turn stove to med. and add sauce and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through. Place chicken with sauce in a dish and serve

Serve with Japanese white rice and a side of vegetables.

2011-09-01T19:54:00.001-05:00

Baby Corn and Sugar Snap Peas Stir Fry

This is a nice blend of flavors from the ginger to the crispiness of the sugar snap peas. This dish goes well with some Japanese white rice and a simple asian meat dish. It's incredibly simple to make and tastes delicious.

Adapted from Easy Thai Cookbook

1 8oz bag of sugar snap peas
2 14.5oz cans of baby corn cut in half
1 yellow onion thinly sliced
2 inch piece of ginger thinly sliced
4 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp boiling water
sunflower oil
freshly ground pepper

1. In a wok, heat some sunflower oil. In a small dish, add the oyster sauce, fish sauce, and boiling water...mix well and set aside.

2. Once oil is hot, reduce to med. high and add onions, ginger, and garlic. Stir fry constantly until the onions are very tender

3. Add baby corn and sugar snap peas and stir fry for a couple minutes...just enough to heat through

4. Add the sauce, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 1-2 minutes

5. Place vegetables in a dish and top with desired freshly ground pepper

Chicken Pulao with Vegetable Curry

2011-03-31T23:03:00.000-05:00

Chicken Pulao with Vegetable Curry

These two Indian dishes compliment each other very nicely. It's fairly simple to make if you have the spices you need, although it is a bit time consuming. I had to chop many vegetables while also watching my son perform his ninja/super hero moves for me. If you do not have a ninja or super hero in your presence then the whole process will probably move along much more quickly.

Recipes adapted from Curry by Mridula Baljekar

Chicken Pulao

2 cups basmati rice

1 stick unsalted sweet cream butter

1 onion, chopped

1 potato cut into 1 inch chunks

2 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed

6-8 oz. skinless chicken, cubed

1 inch fresh ginger root, peeled and grated

1/8 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

handful of fresh cilantro, chopped

3 cups water

raisins (sultanas if you can find them) to garnish

1. Wash and rinse rice and soak in cold water for about 30 minutes.

2. In a pot, melt the butter and cook onions until they are soft.

3. Add all the spices and turn down heat. Cook for about two minutes to release flavors of spices.

4. Add all the vegetables and chicken and mix together well.

5. Add rice and stir to combine.

6. Add the cilantro and cook for 1 minute.

7. Add water and bring to a full boil. Lower heat to simmer, cover with a tight fitting lid and allow to cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to stand for about 5-10 minutes before removing lid.

Vegetable Curry

1 potato, cut into 2 inch pieces

2 yams, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 cup carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces (or use baby carrots)

1- 1 1/2 cups fresh green beans, french cut

1 eggplant, cut into 1 inch chunks and rinsed

1 1/4 cups hot water

1 can coconut milk

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp sunflower oil

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1. Place the potatoes, yams, carrots, green beans, and hot water in a pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to about medium, cover and cook for about 5 minutes.

2. Add the eggplant and coconut milk and salt. Bring it to a simmer and cover and cook for about 5-8 minutes.

3. In a very small pan heat the sunflower oil and add the spices. Stir-fry them for about 15 seconds and add spice mixture to vegetables. Mix well and cover and simmer for an additional 5-10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Serve the two dishes together as shown in the picture and garnish with sultanas. For a lighter or simpler meal, make just one of the dishes served with naan or a raita.

Applesauce Muffins (Gluten-free)

2011-02-09T17:03:00.000-06:00

Applesauce Muffins (gluten-free)

Another tasty breakfast treat that is gluten-free. These muffins are nice and moist and quite nice with a cup of hot, spiced chai. Hope you enjoy them.

2 cups gluten-free flour mixture

1/2 cup butter (1 stick) softened at room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp xanthum gum

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup raisins

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add the egg and beat well. Add applesauce and spices.

3. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, xanthum gum, and salt

4. Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and blend well. Fold in raisins.

5. Fill 12 muffin cups w/ the mixture and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

6. Cool on a wire rack and sprinkle tops with powdered sugar while still warm if desired.

Isis' Strawberry Yogurt Parfait

2011-02-08T21:30:00.001-06:00

Isis' Strawberry Yogurt Parfait

This has been my daughter's breakfast the past couple of days. As you can see, she finished every last bit of it. She especially loved that I served it to her in a special glass. She felt like she was eating a special treat instead of breakfast.

1 cup of vanilla or plain yogurt

10-12 strawberries

cereal of choice

1. Wash strawberries and place them in a food processor. Process until mostly chopped.

2. Add yogurt to food processor and blend all together to desired smoothness.

3. Pour strawberry yogurt in a dish and top with your choice of cereal. And enjoy

Abura Miso Onigiri (Rice Balls)

2011-02-07T23:07:00.000-06:00

Onigiri

Abura Miso

Onigiri or rice balls are a common snack in Japan. You can add many things to your onigiri such as tuna salad, smoked salmon, ume boshi (pickled plums)...the list goes on and on. In Okinawa, people also put abura miso in their onigiri. I grew up eating this snack, and my kids love it too. It's very simple to make. Making the onigiri is fairly simple too but can be a bit messy with the sticky rice. You can cheat and buy onigiri molds at an Asian food store. They are nice and convenient and cut down on a lot of the mess.

1 cup miso paste ..you can use red(aka-miso) or white (shiro-miso) or a mixture of both...aka-miso has a stronger, saltier flavor.

1 cup sugar

2 slices of sanmai niku OR bacon (turkey or pork)... OR 1 small can tuna fish, drained

Japanese sticky rice (kokuho rose and nishiki are both good brands)

1. In a saucepan over med. heat add miso paste and sugar. Heat and stir until sugar is completely dissolved.

2. Chop up sanmai niku/bacon and add to abura miso (or tuna fish) ...stir to blend

3. Add a small amount of rice to a bowl...add about a tbsp of abura miso in the center....add a little more rice on top

4. Scoop up rice with your hands and form into a ball (really looks more like a triangle) ...make sure if you are using your hands, to wet them slightly first before forming the onigiri so the rice doesn't stick.

*If using an onigiri mold, add half of rice to mold...add abura miso...more rice and press mold then pop out the onigiri

Spiced Potatoes

2011-02-04T20:23:00.000-06:00

Spiced Potatoes

My husband and I made this dish out of the leftover spiced chicken and tomato yogurt sauce. It tasted great with the Indian bread and leftover cucumber raita we had. You could easily use some chicken broth, yogurt, tomatoes, and spices to make the sauce if you want to try it without having to make the whole chicken.

1 large potato, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 sweet potato/yam of equal size, peeled and cut into large chunks

1 1/2 - 2 cups Tomato Yogurt Sauce

1 cup cut up leftover Spiced Roasted Chicken or cooked chicken

About 1 roasted shallot, chopped

1. Boil potatoes. Drain and return to pan and mash.

2. Over medium-low heat, add Tomato Yogurt Sauce. Add chicken and shallots. Mix and heat through.

* Serve with Cucumber Raita and Indian bread

Spiced Roasted Chicken w/ Tomato Yogurt Sauce and Cucumber Raita

2011-02-04T20:10:00.000-06:00

Spiced Roasted Chicken w/ Tomato Yogurt Sauce and Cucumber Raita

I adapted this from an Oprah Magazine recipe. There's not much to say about it. It tasted very nice...my kids, husband and I managed to polish off most of it in one sitting. The two sauces I made to go with it were also a nice compliment.

1 4-5 lb. roasting chicken

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp ground cardamom

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

3 tsp minced garlic

2-3 in. fresh ginger piece, peeled and grated

1 tbsp olive oil

1 head of garlic, cloves separated but not peeled

2 shallots, quartered but not peeled

3 cinnamon sticks

1 cup chicken broth

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Pat the chicken dry and place in a roasting pan or baking dish.

2. In a small frying pan, add the cumin, coriander, and cardamom and toast over medium heat for about 45 seconds until becomes fragrant. Remove from heat and add cinnamon and curry powder. Set aside.

3. In a small bowl, add minced garlic, grated ginger and olive oil. Mix together.

4. Add the garlic cloves and shallots to the cavity of the chicken.

5. Rub olive oil mixture over chicken then sprinkle with entire spice mixture.

6. Tie legs together with kitchen string.

7. Roast for 30 minutes then baste with 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Roast for another 20 minutes and baste with remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth. If using a shallow roasting dish, roast uncovered for another 25-30 minutes. If using a deeper baking dish, cover and roast for another 25-30 minutes or until juices run clear and chicken is no longer pink when cut with a knife.

* Serve over basmati rice with Tomato Yogurt Sauce, Cucumber Raita, and Indian bread

Tomato Yogurt Sauce

Drippings from chicken

1 cup plain yogurt at room temperature

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 tsp ground coriander

In a small saucepan, bring drippings from chicken to a boil. Lower heat and slowly add yogurt. Whisk constantly to prevent yogurt from curdling. Add tomatoes and ground coriander. Mix together and serve with chicken. Can be drizzled over the rice and chicken.

Cucumber Raita

1 1/4 cup plain yogurt

1 small cucumber, chopped

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground, black pepper

1. Stir yogurt so it becomes nice and smooth. Add cucumber, cumin, and ground pepper. Chill until ready to serve.

Sun-dried Tomato Hummus

2011-01-29T21:49:00.001-06:00

Sun-dried Tomato Hummus

1 can chickpeas, drained...liquid reserved

5-6 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp tahini

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup water

2-3 tbsp sliced sun-dried tomatoes marinated in oil

1 tbsp olive oil

paprika

1. Add chickpeas, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, salt, water, and sun-dried tomatoes to a food processor. Mix until smooth. Add some reserved liquid if it seems too dry.

2. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle paprika on top...serve with warm pita (my son eats it with blue corn chips..also tasty).

Saute Chicken and Veggies

2011-01-29T21:37:00.000-06:00

Saute Chicken and Veggies

For a quick and easy yet filling meal, I saute some chicken and usually some type of pepper and onions together and wrap them in a flour tortilla along with some other goodies. It's a nice fajita-style meal that my family loves.

6 chicken thighs, cut into chunks

1 yellow bell pepper, green pepper, and onion, sliced

1/2 to 1 tsp seasoned salt

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/2 to 1 tsp minced garlic

1. On medium-high heat saute chicken. Add veggies and saute with chicken.

2. Add seasoned salt, onion powder, and garlic. Add a little water to the pan so the chicken and veggies don't stick.

3. Saute until veggies are tender crisp.

4. Place chicken and veggies in a flour tortilla along with other goodies of your choice.

Possible goodies: chopped tomatoes, sliced avocados, shredded cheese, sour cream, shredded lettuce...etc.

Blueberry Muffins (Gluten-free)

2010-12-15T22:47:00.000-06:00

Blueberry Muffins

I experimented and came up with these muffins. You don't have to use soy yogurt. I use it because my son can't have dairy, so use any yogurt you like. The yogurt and applesauce make these moist and yummy especially when they are still warm.

2 1/4 cups gluten-free flour mixture
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp xanthum gum
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup applesauce
2 6oz. containers of blueberry soy yogurt
2 tbsp. butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 400F

2. In a large mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients..mix to combine.

3. In another mixing bowl, add all other ingredients...mix to blend. Add dry ingredients to wet mixture and mix well.

4. Fill 12 muffin cups full w/ mixture. Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick placed in center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.

Yakiniku

2010-12-15T22:29:00.000-06:00

Yakiniku

Yakiniku is a Japanese dish. You can buy the marinade for it at pretty much any Asian market. I, however, prefer to make my own. This is my mother's recipe for the most part. My mom doesn't measure anything so I basically learned how to make this by being w/ her and taste testing the sauce as I go. The measurements given are about as close as I can get. I suggest tasting the sauce before adding the meat. The sauce should taste a bit sweet..more sweet than salty. If it doesn't, the meat will taste too salty. This dish uses very thin sliced beef that can also be found at Asian markets. You can also use pork or chicken..although that is not the traditional way to make it. Pork holds the flavor nicely and chicken is the least flavorful of the three meats. Meat for sukiyaki or bulgogi (Korean) works well. Shabu Shabu meat is too thin for this dish. Yakiniku goes well w/ Japanese white sticky rice and a stir fry and/or sunomono (pickled salad).

1-2 lbs thin sliced beef

3/4 cups soy sauce

1/2 cup Aji Mirin

1/3 heaping cup of sugar...possible more

1 tsp sesame oil

dash of pepper (japanese pepper is the best b/c it is so fine)

large spoonful of minced garlic

3 tbsp water

2 stalks green onions, thinly chopped

1. Cut meat into large pieces (about 1 1/2 in. wide pieces)

2. In a large glass bowl, add soy sauce, mirin, sugar, sesame oil, pepper, garlic, and water.

3. Mix until the sugar is completely dissolved. This may take a while. Taste sauce to see if it is sweet. If you can't taste the sweet, add a little more sugar and continue doing this until you the sauce has a sweet taste.

4. Add green onions and beef. Stir to make sure all meat is covered with sauce.

5. Cover w/ lid or plastic wrap and marinade over night.

6. In a large nonstick skillet on medium/medium low heat..add pieces of meat. Using tongs or chopsticks, turn each piece of meat to cook both sides. Should take only a 3-5 minutes to cook each batch of meat. Cook all meat and pour any leftover liquid in the skillet over meat.

Chocolate-Oatmeal Cookies (Gluten-free)

2010-12-15T21:34:00.001-06:00

Chocolate-Oatmeal Cookies (Gluten-free)

This is my second attempt at gluten-free cookies. The first attempt was a disaster and hilarious. I posted it earlier. These were very tasty...I even fed them to guests and they went back for more without ever knowing they were gluten-free.

1 3/4 cups gluten-free flour mixture
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp xanthum gum
1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 sticks butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tbsp. rice milk
2tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups oats (i used quick cooking, but you can use any)
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. preheat oven to 375F

2. In a small bowl, add gluten-free flour, baking soda, salt, and xanthum gum.

3. In a large bowl, beat brown sugar, sugar, and butter until creamy

4. Beat in eggs, milk, and vanilla extract.

5. Gradually add the flour mixture.

6. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.

7. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet

8. Bake 9-10 minutes for softer cookies and 12-13 for crispier cookies and cool on baking sheets for about 1 minute then transfer to wire racks.

Baked Sweet Potatoes w/ Apples

2010-12-11T19:48:00.000-06:00

Baked Sweet Potatoes w/ Apples

This is my mother-in-law's recipe. I generally don't like the sweet potatoes that people eat during the holidays because they are usually so sweet. These, however, are very nice. There is no added sugar, so you can really taste the sweet potatoes, and the tartness added by the apples is a nice compliment. It's also a very simple recipe..the hardest part being the peeling and cutting of the sweet potatoes and apples which was very simple for me today because my hubby did that for me.

3-4 medium sweet potatoes or yams, peeled and thinly cut

4-5 apples, peeled and thinly cut (apples with a bit of tartness work the best)

raisins (as many as you like)

1 cup orange juice

3/4 stick butter

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Butter the bottom of a large casserole dish.

3. Place a layer of sweet potatoes, apples, and raisins. Thinly cut some butter over top of the layer. Continue to layer until you fill the dish.

4. Pour orange over the dish.

5. Bake, covered w/ aluminum foil in oven for about an hour or until the sweet potatoes are tender.

Cornbread Muffins (Gluten-free)

2010-12-05T20:00:00.000-06:00

Cornbread Muffins

I made these so my son would have something to eat in place of my corn casserole on Thanksgiving. He enjoyed them. My daughter also liked eating them. They both liked them warmed up a bit w/ some soynut butter or jam.

1/1/4 cups gluten-free flour mixture

3/4 cup yellow cornmeal

1/3 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp xanthum gum

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk substitute

1/3 cup sunflower oil

1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 400F and line muffin pan with 12 cups

2. In a mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients...mix. In a separate bowl, add buttermilk substitute, oil, and egg. Mix then add to dry mixture. Mix until nearly smooth. Spoon evenly into the muffin tins.

3. Bake 17-20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Chocolate Trail Mix Chunks (Gluten-free)

2010-12-05T18:59:00.000-06:00

Chocolate Trail Mix Chunks

These are a nice chocolatey treat that aren't so horribly bad for you like candy bars. They are full of granola, dried fruit, and seeds. They are nice because my son can safely eat them..no wheat, dairy, or nuts. :)

1 package of semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use a dairy-free brand)

6 oz. of your favorite trail mix (I use a nut-free mix w/ sunflower and pumpkins seeds, and dried fruit)

3/4 cup granola

1/2 cup crisped rice cereal

1. Melt chocolate chips in a metal bowl, set on top of a pot of boiling water. Stir until chocolate chips are nice and melted.

2. Add all the dry ingredients and mix together to make sure everything is well coated.

3. Pour the mixture on some wax paper that is placed on a cookie sheet or shallow casserole dish. Press mix to the desired thickness. Stick it in the fridge and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes. Break into chunks and enjoy. These are best stored in the fridge as well...they melt quite easily.

Corn Casserole

2010-11-29T18:02:00.000-06:00

Corn Casserole

I got this recipe from my mom years ago, and I think she got it from one of my aunts. It's nice and moist and so simple to make. When I take this dish places, I almost always end up taking home an empty dish. I generally don't like corn bread or muffins because I don't like the grittiness of the corn meal. This dish, however, doesn't have any of that. I am currently also working on a gluten-free version of this. Wish me luck!

1 box Jiffy brand corn muffin mix

1 can creamed corn

1 can sweet corn

1 stick butter, melted

1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. In a medium to large casserole dish, add all ingredients and mix well until there are no Jiffy mix lumps.

3. Bake in oven, uncovered for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Stir-fry Asparagus

2010-11-29T17:49:00.000-06:00

Stir-fry Asparagus

I love asparagus. It's great in many things, but I love it stir-fried the best. I learned a nice trick a few years ago to getting the tough parts of the asparagus off. I used to cut the ends off and just hope I got all the tough parts. Unfortunately, it didn't always work and there would sometimes be some chewy pieces. The key to making sure you get the tough parts off is snapping. Take each piece of asparagus and simply snap it. The asparagus will naturally break off at the perfect place and leave you with the crisp, delicious parts that cook nicely.

1 bunch of asparagus, sliced

1/4 tsp soy sauce

1/2 - 1 tbsp oyster sauce

1/4 - 1/3 cup water

1. In a wok on med.-high heat, add asparagus, soy sauce, and oyster sauce

2. Stir fry for a couple minutes, coating asparagus with sauce

3. Add 1/4 cup of water, stirring frequently. Cook to desired tenderness. Add more water as needed.

Enoki dake

2010-11-23T19:22:00.000-06:00

Enoki dake

I have used enoki dake in my last two recipes, so I thought I'd post a pic of it just in case anyone was unsure of what it was. It is a mushroom (dake/take is mushroom in Japanese). You may have heard of shiitake..the take at the end means mushroom, so therefore, it is a bit redundant to say shiitake mushroom...lol. Anyway, enoki dake is a mushroom used a lot in Japanese cooking. It tastes great in soups and stir fries. They do not get soft like most mushrooms. They have a slightly crunchy texture. My kids used to call them crunchy noodles until they figured out they were mushrooms. You have to cut the ends off because they are usually covered in dirt and once you use them, you will realize it is difficult to separate them. The little suckers like to stay together. Therefore, I cut the bottoms off and then usually just cut the whole bunch in half.

Coconut Chicken w/ mint and cilantro

2010-11-23T19:12:00.000-06:00

Coconut Chicken w/ mint and cilantro

This dish has a nice blend of flavors. The main thing being the coconut milk, but the addition of the mint and cilantro adds something extra. It's a very simple dish to make. I adapted it from a Mark Bittman recipe. This is the second time I've made this dish, and I like it much better after tweaking it.

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks

2 cans of coconut milk

4 inches of fresh ginger, minced

2 heaping tbsp minced garlic

1 bunch green onion, chopped

1 bunch of enoki dake, cut in half

1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce (nam pla)

dash of salt and pepper

equal amounts of fresh mint and cilantro, chopped for garnish

1. In a large pot or wok, add coconut milk, ginger, garlic, and chicken. Cook on med. to med. high to bring to a boil.

2. Turn to low until chicken is almost done.

3. Add green onions and enoki dake and cook on med. heat for about 5 min.

4. Add fish sauce, salt and pepper and cook for a few more minutes to get the flavors blended together.

5. Serve over white rice (I used Japanese rice but anything you like will do)

6. Garnish generously with chopped mint and cilantro.

Kenchin jiru

2010-11-22T19:12:00.000-06:00

Kenchin jiru

This is a traditional Japanese soup that can be eaten with breakfast, lunch, or dinner. If I eat it for breakfast or lunch, I often add some Japanese rice to it to make it heartier. I made this to go along with several other Japanese dishes I made when my husband and I had some friends over. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pics of the other things I made, so I can't show the whole meal here.

5 cups of dashi broth (5 cups water plus about 1 tbsp. dashinomoto)

3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks

2-3 carrots cut into chunks

1 yellow onion, cut into chunks

1 potato, cut into chunks

1 package of enoki dake, cut in half ( a thin, long, white mushroom)

1 package of silk tofu, cut into cubes (preferably japanese)

1-2 tbsp of sesame oil (you can use vegetable oil..but sesame oil gives it a distinct flavor)

1 tbsp sake (you can buy sake for cooking at an asian store)

1 tsp soysauce

4-5 tbsp miso

3 green onions, chopped for garnish

1. In a medium stockpot, make dashi broth.

2. In a large skillet, heat sesame oil and add chicken, carrots, onion, and potato. Saute for a few minutes until chicken starts to cook and all veggies are coated with oil. Transfer entire mixture, including any oil in pan to stockpot.

3. Bring broth to a boil and add sake...lower heat.

4. Dissolve half of miso in a bowl with some of the dashi broth. Add to the pot.

5. Simmer until veggies are soft...then add soysauce, enoki dake, tofu, and remaining miso dissolved in broth.

6. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Cereal Muffins (gluten-free)

2010-11-19T19:55:00.000-06:00

Cereal Muffins

I'm still on this gluten-free baking kick. Each experiment is getting better. I saw a recipe in a kid's cooking magazine for using the cereal at the bottom of the bag that no one ever eats. I thought it looked like a good idea, so I decided to make it gluten-free and, of course, change it up a bit to make it the way I like.

1 cup gluten-free flour mixture

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup light packed brown sugar

3/4 tsp xanthum gum

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 cups cereal of your choice ( I used a gluten, nut-free berry granola cereal)

1 egg

1/3 cup sunflower oil

1/2 cup rice milk (or whatever milk/milk substitute you like)

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with 12 foil or paper liners.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine egg, oil, milk, and applesauce. Beat lightly to mix.

3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour mixture, sugar, brown sugar, xanthum gum, baking powder, salt, and cereal...mix to combine.

4. Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix until flour mixture is moist. It will be lumpy because of the cereal.

5. Evenly spoon mixture into the muffin tin and bake for about 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

Zucchini Muffins (Gluten-free)

2010-11-17T20:49:00.000-06:00

Zucchini Muffins

I experimented with zucchini bread and it was a disaster...twice. I decided to try out some muffins instead. These are nice and tasty and very moist. If you want them to be a sweeter treat, you can add some cream cheese frosting on top. I wanted my kids to be able to eat these for breakfast, so I just left them as is. I also used tin muffin liners this time and found it much nicer. The muffins didn't stick at all..just came right out of the cup.

2 cups gluten-free flour mixture

3/4 tsp. xanthum gum

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cloves

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

2 cups grated zucchini (about 2 med. zucchini)

3/4 cup sunflower oil

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup raisins, dried cranberries, or mini chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin pan with 12 liners.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine flour mixture, xanthum gum, baking soda, baking powder, ginger, cloves, cinnamon, and salt. Stir to combine.

3. In a separate bowl, combine zucchini, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.

4. Add the zucchini mixture to the dry mixture. Mix until completely moist. Add raisins, dried cranberries, or chocolate chips and stir.

5. Evenly spoon mixture into muffin tin. The tins will be quite full. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. (I add an oven-safe dish with water on the bottom rack while baking to ensure moistness - I read about this trick in a few different places and decided to try it...works wonders).

6. Cool on a wire rack.