Summer Shake

There may be fog out my window, but I have sunshine in my glass. I've stumbled upon the perfect summer smoothie.

8 ounces fresh orange juice
1 fresh or frozen banana, chunks
2-4 tablespoons light coconut milk
1/2 cup fresh or frozen pineapple chunks
small handful ice, optional - only needed if none of the fruit is frozen

Blend in the magic blending machine and voila! Summer in a glass!

Things to Keep Around

Have you seen Molly Shannon and Ana Gasteyer's Delicious Dish spoof of NPR? When I was really young my parents listened to the show that must have been the inspiration for this sketch. It was truly infuriating, listening to this oddly low-key woman discussing the merits of different types of bagels. We couldn't stand her, but listened anyway, just so we could roll our eyes and snort derisively at the inanity. Once she did an entire show on the merits of always keeping a tub of toasted sesame seeds in the house. An entire show! I mocked this episode relentlessly. But I'm old now, very very old - almost 30! - and I'm humiliated to admit that I find I agree with her completely. I adore having large quantities of toasted ingredients on hand whenever I need them. Almond slivers, shredded coconut, and, of course, sesame seeds. Especially sesame seeds. Not only do they come in handy, but boy they sure do smell nice when you're toasting up a big batch on the stove. I reach for these yummy ingredients quite often.


I grab my tub of sesame seeds for one of my favorite munchies: Sesame Soy Snap Peas. I used to stop in at Bryan's, a superior market down the street, when I wanted my fix, but their deli carries them only intermittently, often leaving my craving unfulfilled. And, honsetly, I can eat such embarrassingly large quantities it only made fiscal sense to start making it at home. De-string snap peas, toss them with soy sauce, drizzle with sesame oil, and shake on lots of toasted sesame seeds. Toss it all together and you get a crisp, salty vegetable dish of which I just can't get enough.

Another of my favorites for these nutty little treasures is Sesame Soy Garbanzo Beans. I'm really creative with these names, huh? My mom actually invented this one, though I'm not sure she'd remember. This random combo just stuck with me because I enjoyed it so much the first time. You can use store bought Soy Ginger dressing, but it's so simple to throw together - Smart Balance Mayo or peanut oil, freshly grated ginger (store the roots in the freezer and you don't even have to peel before you grate!), sesame oil, soy sauce, and sugar or other sweetener. It's a cinch! Pour over garbanzo beans, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped onion, and, of course, copious amounts of toasted sesame seeds.

Both slivered almonds and toasted coconut add a pick me up to dull salads and cereals. You can toss the almonds in with a batch of green beans or a bowl of crispy napa cabbage slaw, or sprinkle coconut on top of fish tacos or fruit and granola parfaits. They're both so versatile! But there's one dish I find myself making over and over again that uses both: Coconut Curried Brown Rice Salad.


Since I always have brown rice either leftover in the fridge from a Thai outing or in the freezer from Trader Joe's, I make this often and with many variations, depending on what currently occupies my cupboard. Start with 2 cups cooked and chilled brown rice. Into the rice, mix just about any combination of fruits, nuts, and vegetables you desire: toasted coconut shreds, toasted almond slivers, peanuts, or cashews, fresh or dried cranberries, apricots, mango, and/or grapes/raisins, fresh apple chunks, pineapple, or pomegranate seeds, green onion, bell peppers... Get creative! I often even make this with the plan to add shredded chicken breast, but I find I almost always end up sticking to the fruity vegan version. For the dressing, mix about 1/2 cup coconut milk, roughly 1/4-1/3 cup rice vinegar, 1 clove crushed garlic, and curry powder to taste. I've seen recipes call for as little as 1 teaspoon of curry, but I throw in as much as 1 whole tablespoon, so it must be a personal preference thing. I usually go with the light version of the coconut milk to save calories and fat - coconut milk is good for you and all, but with all the coconut curry and Tom Kha I eat, I think I may already surpass the bounds of its nutritional benefits vs. its saturated fat content. In a pinch you can even skip the coconut milk and use oil or SmartBalance mayo, instead. Then it's just "Curried Brown Rice Salad." In this case, I recommend replacing a couple tablespoons of your fat of choice with extra vinegar plus agave nectar or sugar to reclaim lost sweetness.

So now I've become one of those wacky Delicious Dish gals in real life, babbling on and on about toasting vast quantities of ingredients in advance so they're always at the ready. But with so many wonderful things like this to eat, can you blame me?

Half a Week of Cooking

A friend suggested I blog about a successful three days in the kitchen. We all struggle with keeping our meals healthy, affordable, and interesting. As we've all discovered, dining at home is no cheaper than going out if you don't actually eat the leftovers. But who wants to eat off the same dish all week long? Even your favorite lasagna or casserole gets old on the third go around. I've found that, with a little creativity, one batch of groceries - including full crispers and fruit bowls - can deliver a myriad of delicious dishes much of the week. When you pick an ingredient at the market, think about a few different ways you can use it BEFORE the first meal. This week I've been playing a lot with my George Foreman counter-top grill during this process. This isn't so much a list of recipes as an inspirational guide.

Day 1

Lunch
Salmon Fillets & Corn on the Cob

I always wished my counter-top grill could tackle corn on the cob, but it's nowhere in any manual or cookbook. This week I said "screw it!" and gave it a try myself. It worked beautifully and I'm filled with tauntings of singsong nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nahs in the cookbook writers' general direction. Rip the leaves and silk from corn. Brine for 10-30min in a bath of water mixed with a couple of tablespoons of salt and sugar (tip from either America's Test Kitchen or Cook's Country, I don't remember, but does it matter? Either way, same great group of folks!) Preheat grill to 375. Close cobs in grill perpendicular to grooves. Cook for 30 minutes, turning partway around every ten so they blacken evenly. Spread with your favorite butter substitute (or the real thing) and sprinkle with fresh ground salt & pepper. For the salmon, dust fillets with your favorite seasoning. Layer the top of each fillet with lemon slices. Grill according to manual. Enjoy 3 or 4 ounces of salmon and a cob of corn for your first lunch. Keep leftover salmon and uncooked cobs in the fridge.

Dinner
Rosemary Balsamic Portabella Sandwich

I marinated the portabella in a balsamic rosemary dressing (olive oil, balsamic vinegar friends brought us from Italy, crushed garlic, freshly trimmed rosemary, soy sauce) before grilling it on my George Foreman. I used some of the leftover marinade to make a quick aioli. Luckily, I had simmered rosemary infused olive oil earlier to drizzle over air-popped popcorn per a Giada de Laurentis recommendation. I used a few drops in a pan to toast the sandwich thins - a perfect touch to elevate a simple sandwich to restaurant quality. I topped it all with fresh ground sea salt and black pepper, spring greens, red onion, organic tomato, and thick slices of fresh mozzarella. I stored the leftover marinade in the fridge to dip tomatoes and mozzarella as a snack or to dress a salad. Notice the incorporation of tasty, healthy snack ideas within meal preparation.



Day 2

Lunch
Soyrizo Burrito

I love me some Papalote. I crave their soyrizo burrito on a wheat tortilla with veggies instead of rice. I decided that, since I can buy soyrizo from the store just as easily as they can, I might as well make Papalote at home! I started with a warm low carb/high fiber tortilla, green chili refried beans (organic, vegetarian, fat free), soyrizo, mixed veggies grilled on my trusty Foreman (mushrooms, eggplant, red onion, carrots, zucchini, lemon juice, olive oil, fresh ground sea salt & pepper), plus my favorite brand - Casa Chicas - roasted salsa & guacamole. The California taqueria flavors I love packed with vegetables and fiber, and all coming in around 350 calories. Don't forget to make a lot of that veggie grill - we use leftovers in this household!




Dinner
Salmon Pasta in White Wine Sauce

Time to use up some of those leftovers! I tossed leftover grilled salmon & veggie grill with a light but creamy white wine sauce & whole grain farfalle. A squeeze of lemon juice and a handful of cashews makes the dish spectacular. The best part is how easy it was since the salmon & vegetables were ready to go!


Day 3

Lunch
Soyrizo Nachos

There's all that yummy soyrizo biding its time in the fridge, and that just won't do. It must be in my belly! A handful of Guiltless Gourmet Tortilla Chips in your choice of flavor, a scoop of those refried beans, a serving of soyrizo, a modest portion of shredded cheese, and the rest of those grilled veggies popped under the broiler for a few minutes comes out gooey and delicious. Top with salsa and guacamole to add another serving of vegetables to the mix.

Dinner
Salmon Patties & Elote con Queso

Now that I knew my grill could tackle corn on the cob, I just had to begin experimenting with one of my favorite Mexican dishes: Elote con Queso, or Corn with Cheese. Traditionally, the corn is grilled with cayenne pepper, coated in lime crema, and dipped in cotija cheese. Utilizing what I had on hand, I grilled the corn with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Right after it came off the grill, I drizzled it with a few squeezes of lime juice (I didn't have any sour cream and figured it was healthier this way anyway), and then rolled it in grated parmeggiano reggiano. For an even simpler dish, it was delicious enough without the cheese to skip it. We can always do the traditional recipe another day!

The salmon patties are a variation on crab cakes I saw Ted Allen do on Oprah years ago - way back when Queer Eyes were all the rage. It's a crunchy, baked alternative to the fried patties my mom made growing up. Basically, I mix salmon with a dressing of egg, SmartBalance mayo, lemon juice, Tabasco, and other seasoning & let it set in the fridge. Then I make patties coated with cornflake crumbs - the crunch factor. After another stint in the fridge, they get baked until crispy and hot. Serve with aioli or tartar sauce. Experiment with flavors - spicy dijon, Deliciously Dill, sweet & salty teriyaki, classic Old Bay. Whatever whets your whistle!


And that's 3 days of the same ingredients popping up over and over without things getting boring or redundant. Salmon 3 ways, soyrizo 2 ways, grilled veggies 3 ways, corn 2 ways, and so on and so on. Even minor ingredients make multiple appearances: lemons, parmesan, rosemary, beans, salsa, guacamole. Few items get used only once. Toss in healthy breakfasts and lots of fruit to snack on, and you're set!

We all have to stay on budget by eating our leftovers, but that doesn't mean our meals need to become predictable. Whatever it takes to pull you out of that rut, grab it! Because if we're not excited about our food, why bother? So, what's next for me? Maybe a couple chicken breasts on the grill - shred one into a mushroom lentil casserole (using up the last of that giant bag o' sliced mushrooms!), save the other for curried brown rice salad... Getting inspired, yet? Or should I keep going?

Faux Chinese Goodness - Paying It Forward

There's one problem with growing up in small town Idaho. Ok, so there are a lot of problems with that scenario, but today I'm focusing on possibly the most important issue. Once you escape into the big wide world, you can no longer find the terrible, faux "ethnic" food you grew up loving. Here I am in San Francisco surrounded by wonderful, authentic Chinese food (as well as dear-lordie-that's-going-nowhere-near-my-mouth authentic Chinese food), and sometimes all I can think about is that fake crap I grew up chowing down. I am not the only one with this problem. A couple of fellow Idahomies in the area and I even had a Chinese a la IF potluck a couple of years ago. We each brought the home versions of our favorite Idaho Falls Chinese dishes, dishes with neon sweet & sour sauce, thick coatings of greasy fried batter, too much sugar, and heavy on the soy sauce. These are the dishes it turned out we'd all been secretly recreating in the deep dark corners of our own homes where no urban foodie could discover our shameful cravings.

But now I'm outing us. A high school bestie now a fellow expat recently reached out to me with a desperate text, "do you have a good recipe for crunchy cantonese style chow mein? im craving it so bad and dont know a place in denver that serves it." I knew immediately he meant the sloppy plate of cheap veggies over stale salad noodles served at all Idaho Falls "Chinese" establishments because this, too, is my shameful addiction. This is the dish I learned, through great trial and error, to create at home to the worst of my culinary abilities. I now realize the need for this recipe out in the ether. The demand may be niche, but it surpasses the supply.

The main hurdles I ran into during my years perfecting this "chow mein" were finding a meat that approximated the flavor of the shredded pork/ham the fake Chinese restaurants used and finding the right "sweet" to add. Recipes I found online suggested sugar or even molasses syrup, but they didn't quite get the flavor right. Out of frustration one day I used agave nectar and somehow this worked perfectly, though somehow I'm pretty sure it's not what the restaurants used. My friend said he would try the ultra fine confectioner sugar used in many recipes in his more authentic "Chinese food bible" cookbook. Also, I added snap peas because I love them. They're the only real departure from making this as close as possible to the chow mein we ate growing up, but they're easily left out if going for genuine artificial authenticity.

Before attempting this dish at home, I must give fair warning to anyone not raised on fake Chinese food. My husband grew up in San Francisco with the real stuff and I only make this when he won't be home. He wants nothing to do with it and would rather go to bed hungry than partake in my childhood delight. Which means... more for me.

Crispy Noodle Chow Mein a la IF

• 2 Tblspn peanut oil
• 6 slices Canadian Bacon (I like Rose's brand for this recipe - not too smoky or too sweet), sliced into thin 2-3in long strips - you could also use Chinese BBQ pork
• 1 12oz. bag mung bean sprouts
• 1 bunch celery, chopped into 1/4in slices on the diagonal
• 1-2 handfuls of shredded carrot
• 1 onion, chopped into 2-3in strips
• 1-2 handfuls of snap pea pods, de-stringed and sliced on the diagonal
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 Tblspn soy sauce, more to taste
• 1 Tblspn agave nectar
• 2 Tblspn corn starch

Heat oil in large wok or pan on high heat. Combine 1 1/4 cup broth, soy sauce, and agave nectar in a bowl or measuring cup. Separately, combine remaining broth and corn starch. Meanwhile, add vegetables and meat to hot oil and stir-fry until vegetables just start to soften, about 3-5 minutes. Add broth/soy sauce mixture and continue to stir-fry until liquid reaches a boil, about 2 minutes. Then add well-blended broth/corn starch. Stir-fry until boiling, reduce heat and simmer for a couple minutes more until liquid is thickened. Serve over crunchy chow mein noodles, such as the La Choy brand found in any grocery store across America. Add soy sauce to taste.

Autumn Soup

After many trials over the years of soups made from various autumn vegetables, I think I finally cracked the code for a truly velvety smooth autumn soup. The trick lied in properly cooking each vegetable (even if that meant cooking them separately instead of just tossing them all in broth to boil), mashing each vegetable in the electric mixer and then - and here's big step - straining them through a mesh colander or sieve. I always skipped this step before because, well, it's hard. Not hard as in complicated and difficult. Hard as in time intensive. But boy was it worth it. I will use these methods now for squash & apple soup, lemongrass coconut carrot soup, sweet potato soup, potato leek soup, or cheesy potato soup - any autumn vegetable soup, really. But here is the recipe I created tonight that has me in such a tizzy:

Autumn Pumpkin Sweet Potato Soup

1 sugar pumpkin

1 white/yellow sweet potato

2 cups fat free half & half (or your favorite dairy or non-dairy substitute)

2 Tbsp butter (or your favorite substitute)

2-3 cups vegetable broth

½ tsp dried rubbed sage, more or less to taste (may substitute equivalent of fresh)

½ tsp dried thyme, more or less to taste (may substitute equivalent of fresh)

Fresh ground sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Remove stem and tough nub at the base of pumpkin, scoop out seeds & guts, and slice in half. Reserve seeds for toasting, if desired (toss with melted butter, a little soy sauce, and salt and bake in 250 oven, stirring occasionally, until brown and crisp, 45min-2hr depending on amount of seeds.) Place pumpkin halves face down in shallow baking dish or rimmed cookie sheet. Cover with foil and bake 1½ hr. Allow to cool, and then scoop out flesh. I like to do up to this point a day ahead. Peel & chop sweet potato into large chunks. Place in pot with butter and ¼-½ cup of the half & half. Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook on medium heat until potato is soft and falling apart, about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add more liquid if it all cooks off before the potato is done. While potato is cooking, whip pumpkin in electric mixer (or food processor) with ¼ cup vegetable broth. One scoop at a time, strain pumpkin through mesh colander or sieve by pressing with a rubber spatula (time intensive – yes, worth it – yes). Transfer cooked sweet potato & the remaining cream/butter still in the pot to the mixer and whip. Strain whipped sweet potato through the sieve – same treatment as the pumpkin. Whip the strained pumpkin and potato together in the mixer until well blended. Transfer to a large pot. Gradually stir in remaining half & half and broth until desired consistency, it should be thick and velvety. Amount of broth required will vary depending on amount of flesh on the pumpkin. Add sage, thyme, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and heat for 15-30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. For garnish, top each bowl with toasted pumpkin seeds and/or a swirl of pumpkin seed oil, truffle oil, or half & half. Serves 6.

Nutrition Information, per serving: 136 calories. 4g total fat, 2.5g sat. fat, 10mg cholesterol, 285mg sodium, 19.5g carbohydrates, 2.5g fiber, 8g sugar, 4g protein.

Tonight we ate our velvety soup topped with toasted pumpkin seeds alongside grilled Meyer lemon coho salmon on beds of spinach. Happy Halloween!

Mykita

Me want these sunglasses from Mykita! Acuity Vision Boutique carries Mykita, but not "Lucy," this particularly yummy pair. Does anyone know of a place in San Francisco where I could go try them on and see if they look half as good on me as they do in this picture?

Dagworthy

Loving these giant, Alice-y bows from Dagworthy, so thought I'd take a moment to share! It's Blair from Gossip Girl blended with just a bit of edge from mid-80s Madonna. For those of us who don't live in Toronto, you can find these fabulous accessories on Etsy.