Vox’s posts tagged recipes

Portobello Steaks and Wasabi Potatoes (and Ginger Kale too)

nobody@vox.com(st.even) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:37:44 +0000

I prepared an ambitious meal tonight. American-Asian fusion meat-and-potatoes... vegetarian style!

Ginger-Sesame-Glazed Portobello Steaks

2 garlic cloves, mashed
1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon tahini (sesame paste)
1/2 cup tamari or other soy sauce
1/3 cup toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon firmly packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons sake or dry white wine
4 Portobello mushroom caps
1 tablespoon peanut oil

1. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, ginger, and tahini. Stir in the tamari, sesame oil, brown sugar, and sake, blending well.

2. Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl. Add the marinade, turning to coat the mushrooms, and let stand for 15 to 30 minutes, turning once.

3. Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms (reserve the marinade) and sear, turning once, until well browned and slightly softened, about 5 minutes.

4. Cut each mushroom on a slight angle into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place a serving of hot mashed potatoes on each of four dinner plates. Fan out the mushroom slices over the potatoes.

5. Meanwhile, heat the reserved marinade in a small saucepan. Drizzle a little of it around the edges of each plate and serve hot.

Wasabi Mashed Potatoes

2 pounds potatoes (red or gold) peeled
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon wasabi powder
2 tablespoons water
1/3 to 1/2 cup regular or soy milk, as needed, warmed
1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1. Quarter the potatoes and place them in a large saucepan with cold water to cover. Salt the water, bring to a boil, and boil until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the wasabi powder and water to make a paste. Set aside.

3. Drain the potatoes and mash with a potato masher, ricer, food mill, or rotary mixer. Stir in the wasabi paste, milk, sesame oil, and salt to taste, mixing until smooth. Serve hot.

Sesame Kale

2 bunches of kale
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon canola oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

1. Wash the kale but do not pat it dry. Coarsely chop it.

2. In a 12-inch skillet or wok, warm the sesame and canola oils over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger, and sauté until the garlic is lightly browned. Add the kale with the water that clings to it and sauté it, sprinkling with water until it’s tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Transfer the kale to a bowl and toss with the tamari or soy sauce, sesame seeds, and ground red pepper.

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Crepes Marianne

nobody@vox.com(Noelle) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:34:58 +0000

I made this for my mommy this afternoon. She seemed to enjoy them. These are a good option for those watching cholesterol, or need a healthy serving of variety in their breakfasts.

Ingredients
For crepes:
2 egg whites (or 1 whole egg)
1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar (for stability)
1/2 cup milk (cow, milk, soy - whatever makes you happy)
Stingy pinch salt
3/4 cup cornstarch (Yes, cornstarch, not corn flour).
2 Tbsp margarine or butter
Small amount of oil to coat pan (approx 1/2 tbsp).

For filling:
2 eggs and 2 egg whites, scrambled.
2 cups steamed veggies
garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste.

Directions
Make crepes first
1. Blend together eggs, tartar, milk and salt in a medium bowl.

2. Preheat crepe pan or medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Mix in the cornstarch slowly. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl, as the cornstarch will settle in a layer at the bottom.

3. Once the batter is even and without lumps, mix in the butter. I have been told it smells like popcorn. This is a good sign.

4. Coat pan with oil. I use a pastry brush to spread the oil. This is not necessary if you aren't neurotic like I am. Depending on size of pan, pour about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of batter into pan. Swirl to coat. When edges turn golden brown and release from the edge, flip. After a while, it will start squeeking, indicating it's ready.

5. Slide crepe onto plate to cool. Mix the veggies and the eggs. Arrange filling mix in line down center of cooked crepe, and roll, finishing with the edge on the bottom.

Enjoy!

Makes 4 crepes

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Day 3 - Kid Care

nobody@vox.com(Anyonebutmeplease) — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 03:00:29 +0000

Today was a good day.
Hung out in the morning, Little T played video games while I woke up.
Then we found waffle recipes online and went to my house to make waffles.

Oops. Gotta go, it's 8p. Time for some Tv togetherness time before bed.
Aww, bed... that sounds delicious.

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B.T.E.

nobody@vox.com(Betsy Milligan) — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:33:42 +0000

I got an envelope addressed to BTESY MILLIGAN --- had someone who's known me forever forgotten how to spell my name? No, the card inside explained B.T.E. = Best Thing Ever, c'est moi!

I'm feeling terrific these days and I've decided that as July careens into August I ought to take stock, give a full accounting and possibly dispel some myths about me.

Just in the last month I've begun to feel, honestly, better than I have in at least a year. I hop (yes, I hop) out of bed in the morning eager to start my day with my "appreciation journal" and a large mug of coffee because B.T.E.~

coffee tastes really good to me again and living in Portland, it had better. I spend a couple of hours in my comfortable "chair-office" popping pills, reading, writing and creating Things to Do Today lists. B.T.E.~ lap-robes, lap-tops and lap-dogs. After a small bowl of oatmeal which has been over-powered with Oregon blueberries, peaches and B.T.E.~

"Betsy's Best" home-made granola, I'm ready to walk.

If we stop for a latté on our way home our dog walking can take up to two hours. B.T.E ~ Portland is such a wonderful, walkable town that we sometimes get carried away. We just keep going down different avenues, around new bends, to unexplored parks, always finding something delightful along the way. We've seen many magnificent gardens, a wacky bowling ball border in front of one house and an old Portland bungalow with a huge, welcoming front porch and a pussy-willow wreath on the front door. B.T.E.~ Portlanders express their individuality. Nobody seems reluctant to be different from the next guy. One of our neighbors has a half life-sized statue of John Wayne greeting folks at the top of his driveway.

Technically, I have no friends in Portland. But I'm now feeling well and strong enough to commit to taking a class (yoga/pilates), attending a lecture series with Lee and inviting my second cousins over for dinner next week while my sister is here visiting from France. So, friendships, I know, will be forthcoming but in the meantime, B.T.E.~ in Portland everybody is my friend. Here, a man determinedly weed-whacking his lawn's edge will stop to say hello as we stroll by. Even if a Portlander has three dogs of her own at home she'll bend down to admire and pet my two and chat about age, breed, names and haircuts (mine get theirs cut at "Hair of the Dog" while hers go to "Beauty for the Beast"). If you both have the time this could stretch into more than just a few minutes. Here, teen-aged boys SMILE at us as they whiz by on their bicycles! And while enjoying our lattés and sharing a home-made doughnut --- Lee's vice, not mine --- outside at Ristretto Roasters just a few blocks from home, we always make a friend or two. It might be a little family who are waiting for the bus or the young man who owns the Black Bird Wine Shop around the corner. B.T.E.~ people here don't think it's weird that you might want to connect briefly with a perfect stranger. I've thought that way all my life --- I learned it from my mother and I think my daughters have learned it from me. I call it being human --- nothing weird about that!

The doughnut is very tasty, but these days I am looking for real food. I am even willing to cook it myself! B.T.E.~ my appetite is back and I've regained a number of the pounds that cancer stole from me. Because they are now more experienced cooks, Lee, Loulou and I have been executing some wonderful meals together and I've been preparing some of the old standbys --- like "a pasta salad with character," shrimp & chickpea salad and a Greek fishermen's salad (recipes to follow). I sometimes even enjoy a glass of wine with my meal! B.T.E.~ We are most fortunate to live biking distance (again, that's Lee, not me) of a terrific market called New Seasons --- a friendlier version of Whole Foods with an emphasis on local foods. We have been enjoying Oregon's bounty from cherries to fish to bread and butter, especially this summer.

And that brings me to one major myth I'd like to dispel. B.T.E.~ the weather in Portland is awesome! Why, this morning I walked by a SUNflower that was way taller than I am (and on busy NE Fremont Street)! The lore is that it stops raining here on the 4th of July and doesn't start again until the end of October. So far, so true. It's usually in the 70 - 85° range with clear blue skies, no humidity and no bugs. And people are out reveling in it, crewing dragon boats on the river, riding bikes with their kiddies in tow, mowing lawns, dining al fresco and, speaking of the 4th of July, setting off fireworks to their hearts' delight. We are soaking it all up and storing it in our bodies, hearts and memories to keep us warm and anticipating another summer as we winter over during the "rainy" season. The fact is it doesn't actually rain that much in Portland --- less than in Houston, Atlanta and Seattle --- even during that season. It's more of a continuous greyness and a misty precipitation that's just there --- it almost doesn't seem to fall from the sky.

Here's the best Best Thing Ever~ I'm convinced that living in Portland has contributed greatly to my progress in fighting cancer. This city rocks me like a loving mother in an embrace of contentment and joy. It's slow here; it's manageable, gentle and kind --- a good place to regain one's strength. Call it Stumptown, Bridgetown, PDX, Puddletown or The City of Roses. It's my kind of town.

Recipes as promised ~

A Pasta Salad with Character! (serves six)

12 oz. penne

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/2 cup oil cured Greek olives

1 small red onion

Dressing (make ahead of time)

3/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup tarragon vinegar

1 tsp. crushed dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried basil or eight fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/4 tsp. dried red pepper flakes

4 cloves minced garlic (or more)

1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained

1 tin anchovy filets, drained and chopped

Make dressing ahead of time (the day before even).

Cook pasta until al dente and drain well. Cool slightly in colander.

Transfer pasta to a serving bowl and toss with about 1/2 cup dressing. Refrigerate if making early in the day but bring to room temperature before serving time. Add tomatoes, parsley, black olives, onions and remaining dressing to pasta. Toss genly before serving and taste for seasoning.

Greek Fishermen's Salad

2 large cans of Albacore tuna (packed in water) – or – use the pouch type

1 small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced

1 or more cloves of garlic, pressed (or use Trader Joe’s frozen cubes)

1 Tbl capers

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 Tbl fresh basil, chopped – or – 1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped – or – 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts

1 cup sliced celery

1 cup sliced carrots

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained

pitted kalamata olives

cherry tomatoes or tomato wedges

Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, basil, oregano, garlic and juice from artichokes.

Combine all other ingredients and toss with dressing.

Let stand for 30 minutes or refrigerate for several hours. Serve garnished with cherry tomatoes or tomato wedges.

Shrimp & Chickpea Salad

2 cans chick peas, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 lb. Large, raw shrimp peeled, deveined and cooked

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup Nicoise or Kalamata olives, pitted and halved

3 Tble pimiento, julienned

1 lemon julienned (see note)

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 1/2 lemons worth)

1 Tbl wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 bay leaf, crushed

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1 Tbl dry mustard

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup olive oil

Toss chickpeas, shrimp, onion, olives, pimiento and lemon together in a bowl.

Combine lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, bay leaf, cayenne pepper, dry mustard, and salt in a blender. Mix 30 seconds on medium speed, then slowly add olive

Oil. Pour over shrimp and chickpea mixture. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours, tossing from time to time.

Serves eight

Note: To julienne a lemon: Cut both ends from the lemon and discard. Cut the lemon into very thin rounds with a very sharp knife. Lay each slice flat on the cutting surface and cut into matchsticks. Discard both the extreme right and left-hand pieces which will be all zest and too strong a flavor if you happen to get one in a forkful.

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Blueberry-gingerbread muffins

nobody@vox.com(Purplesque) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:08:47 +0000

Adapted from the post punk kitchen recipe.

I'm not really sure about the difference between muffins and cupcakes, except that muffins have less sugar and no icing. Isa's gingerbread cupcakes seem perfectly suited to become muffins. Adding blueberries picked over the weekend made them seem more like breakfast and less like dessert. :)

Blueberry gingerbread cupmuffins

Ingredients-

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup blueberries

- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 12 cup muffin pan.
- Mix all the dry ingredients, flour through salt.
- Whisk together the wet ingredients in a bowl.
- Whisk in the dry ingredients into the wet.
- Fold in the blueberries.
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let em cool before removing from the pan.
- Serve with vanilla yogurt and fresh fruit.

Per muffin 148 Cals, 4.9 gm fat, 25 gm carbs and 1.6 gm protein. To cut back on the calories replace all but 1 tbsp of oil with applesauce.

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Rice & Bean Cassarole with Ground Tofu instead of Beef

nobody@vox.com(st.even) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:22:28 +0000

A flavorful, spicy yellow rice with beans and meat, tossed with peas, tomatoes, corn, and green pepper, topped with cheese and baked

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon butter
3/4 cup Basmati rice*
2 medium-large onions, diced
1 1/4 cups chicken broth**
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 pound ground beef
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1-2 teaspoons freshly crushed cumin***
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
2 large tomatoes, washed and diced
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 cup cooked black, pinto, or kidney beans
salt, to taste
1 Tablespoon freshly chopped cilantro (or more, if you love cilantro!)
4-6 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded

Instructions:

1. Melt butter in saucepan and add about 1/4 of your total chopped onions (about 1/2 an onion). Cook and stir for several minutes; add rice and stir until mixed. Add chicken broth and turmeric and stir. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir once and re-cover. Cook on low for 20 minutes or until rice is fully cooked.

2. In skillet, brown ground beef with remaining onions; drain excess grease. Add lemon pepper, chili powder, cumin, pepper, bell pepper, tomatoes, sugar, corn, and peas. Cook and stir until simmering; simmer for a minute or so.

3. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish. Drain a little of the juice from the meat mixture into the dish, to coat the bottom.

4. In a large bowl, combine cooked rice, meat mixture, beans, and cilantro. Toss to mix well, and add salt to taste. Pour into prepared baking dish and top with shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes.

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Korean Cold Cucumber Soup

nobody@vox.com(st.even) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:20:46 +0000

I'm going to show you how to make cold cucumber soup at home.

Cucumber Soup Ingredients

For this recipe, you will need:

1 cucumber
1/2 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon Korean hot pepper flakes
1/3 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 1/2 cups water

Julienne the Cucumbers

Cut off cucumber's ends then julienne the cucumber pieces. Slice it into half inch pieces then stack them on top of each other and cut across to get cucumber matchsticks. Mince the garlic by first slicing it then cutting the slices across.

Add Spices to the Soup

Into a medium bowl, place your julienned cucumber. Add to it your seasonings: salt, pepper and garlic. Mix everything together. Then add in sesame oil, vinegar and let the cucumbers marinate in the mixture for about five minutes.

Serve the Cold Cucumber Soup

Add in 2 1/2 cups of water and stir. Your cucumber soup is ready. You can ladle it into a bowl and serve. Cold cucumber soup makes a wonderful food for hot summers.

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Madeleine cakes...

nobody@vox.com(Phil) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:44:24 +0000

Madeleine cakes

Mad for Madeleines

Recipe for Madeleine cakes

Delicious fragrant little cakes, originally from Commercy in Lorraine.

Prep time. 15 -20 mins + resting
Cooking: 15 minutes

Makes around 20 (generally four moulds.)

125g unsalted butter, melted
125g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
125g caster sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp orange flower water or almond essence.
Icing sugar
Fresh grated lemon rind. One lemon.

Heat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Melt the butter and allow to cool slightly, and use 1 tbsp of it to coat the moulds generously. Best applied with a pastry brush.

Sift the flour and baking powder together and set aside. Then beat the sugar, eggs and orange flower water (or almond essence as alternative) together in a bowl until smooth. Whisk in the sifted flour mixture a little at a time, until the mixture is smooth.

Fold in the melted butter until amalgamated, but do not over mix. If you have time, refrigerate the batter for 15 minutes to firm it. If you don’t refrigerate mixture it can prove too liquid to spoon into moulds from my own experience.

Fill the moulds to just under the top and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until puffed up and springy to the touch. Once out of the oven let them rest for a few minutes and then ease out of the moulds and place on a wire rack. Lightly dust cakes with icing sugar and eat while still warm. Great with coffee or ice-cream.

Practical tip: In the UK Madeleine moulds are available at John Lewis stores.

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Recipe -- Chocolate Sticky Cake with Nougat

nobody@vox.com(thereshegoes) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:12:07 +0000

A "kladdkaka" or with its direct translation, "sticky cake" is a form of Swedish chocolate cake. It's similar to a brownie but it is very sticky, unleavened and it has a dense texture. This is taken from a Swedish recipe that won the 'Best Kladdkaka/Sticky Cake' award (there are tons of variations of the original cake) in a newspaper in 2006, which you can find here. I've done some very minor changes (less sugar, more chocolate) but other than that, it's the same recipe except that I have translated it and converted it from Swedish to English :)

Ingredients
100 grams butter
2 eggs
2 decilitre [1.27 cup] sugar
1,5 decilitre [0.63 cup] wheat flour
4 tablespoon cacao
1 teaspoon vanilla powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
100 grams of dark chocolate (I used 60% cacao)
100 grams of nougat (I used 50/50 of hazelnut and almond nougat)
+ shredded coconut
Procedure
1. Turn on the oven on 175 degrees C or 347 degrees F.
2. Smear a baking tin with butter and shredded coconut.
3. Mix the egg and the sugar carefully in a big bowl.
4. Add and mix the flour, cacao, vanilla and salt.
5. Melt the butter and add it to the mixture and mix it well.
6. Melt half of the dark chocolate and add it to the mixture. Mix well.
7. Crush the rest of the dark chocolate into little pieces and add it to the mixture and mix it carefully.
8. Put the mixture in the baking tin and then bake it in the oven for about 15-25 min. It all depends on your oven. Remember that this is a sticky cake and hence, the cake is suppose to be sticky which means you must look at it carefully and take it out before it is too try but not let it be too sticky. Using a toothpick or something to check is recommended. The cake should be done when it doesn't stick to the toothpick but use your intuition and senses as well.
9. Once you have taken out the cake, let it cool down for about 5 min.
10. Slice the nougat into thin pieces (about 1-2mm) and put it on top of the cake. The nougat should melt and then let everything cool down.
11. Once the top has harden, everything is done. Eat and enjoy. It works well with ice cream or cream.

NOTE: Did your cake get so sticky that you couldn't cut it out into pieces without ending up with a gooey mixture on your plate? Then put it in the refrigerator for a whole day and let it harden. That's what I do as my sticky cakes always end up either too sticky or too dry.

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Country flowers and Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

nobody@vox.com(Country By Design) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:27:11 +0000

Black-eyed Susans

These black-eyed Susans came up in the bucket that my hubby had planted a tree in, so he has been watering them.

Flower bed

My flower bed is not formal by any stretch of the imagination. English country is probably a better description. If it comes up, and its a flower, I usually just leave it alone!

All three of these photos were taken just before dark last night using flash. I usually turn the flash off, but in this case, it lights up the flowers and makes the background dark.

Tiger Lillies

Jean requested the recipe for the Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie, so here goes.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE PIE

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter, melted and cooled

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 9-inch deep dish pie shell

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, beat eggs until foamy. Add flour, sugar, and brown sugar; beat until will blended. Blend in melted butter. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour into unbaked pie shell.

Bake at 325 degrees of 1 hour. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Enjoy!

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Scrumptious Sunday

nobody@vox.com([this is connie]) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:28:37 +0000

Scrumptious Sunday

Summer Salads

Gado-Gado (Indonesian Peanut Sauce Salad)

Peanut Sauce:

Get the recipe here.

The vegetables:

1 cup cabbage or spring greens, shredded
2 cups French beans, cut into 1-cm / 1/2-inch lengths
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced thinly
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup beansprouts, washed

The garnish:

Some lettuce leaves and watercress
2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
1 medium-size potato, boiled in its skin, then peeled and sliced;
1/2 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 tbsp crisp-fried onions

Boil the vegetables separately in slightly salted water, for 3-4 minutes, except the beansprouts which only need 2 minutes. Drain each vegetable separately in a colander.
To serve, arrange the lettuce and watercress around the edge of a serving dish. Then pile the vegetables in the middle of the dish. Arrange the eggs, sliced potatoes, and sliced cucumber on top.
Heat the peanut sauce in a small saucepan until hot; add more water if it is too thick. Adjust the seasoning, and pour the sauce over the vegetables. Sprinkle the fried onions on top. Serve warm or cold. If you want to serve hot gado-gado, it can be reheated in a microwave oven. When reheating, however, do not include the lettuce and watercress, cucumber slices, fried onions. Add these garnishes immediately before serving.

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Recipe: Choclate Trifle

nobody@vox.com(VaShopaholic) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:58:42 +0000

Chocolate Trifle

Ingredients:

1 package brownie mix
1 package instant chocolate pudding mix
1/2 c. water
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 8 oz containers of frozen whipped topping (thawed)
Your favorite chocolate candy or cookie

Directions:

(1) Make brownies according to package directions. Cool completely and cut into 1 inch squares.
(2) Mix pudding mix, water, sweetened condensed milk and one 8 oz container of the whipped topping. Stir really well until streaks from whipped topping disappear (should be light brown when done). If you want to add a chocolate candy/cookie to your dessert, this is where to add it. I go with broken up Heath Bars and crumbled up Oreos.
(3) In your clear glass bowl, place half of the brownies, half of the pudding mixture and half of the unused whipped topping in layers. Repeat for another layer and then use a little bit of the leftover candy or cookie for a garnish on top. Refrigerate for 8 hours before serving.

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Coffee colored memories

nobody@vox.com(Purplesque) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:01:03 +0000

American coffee was the biggest culture shock we had on our first visit to the US. I almost gagged at my first sip of the Starbucks Roast. This was not coffee. Where was the milk? The sugar? The sweet stickiness that was supposed to coat the back of your throat?

Coffee, desi style

Several packets of Equal and half-n-half later, we ended up discarding the coffee.

These days, I drink several cups of black hospital coffee to get through the day. But at home, the old cravings tend to come back.

Indian style whipped coffee

- 4 tbsp sugar
- 2 1/2 tbsp instant coffee (yes, I know)
- a few tbsp water
- 3 cups milk (or an equal mixture of milk and water)
- A sprinkling of drinking chocolate

- In a small glass or metal bowl, mix together the sugar and coffee.

- Now with a spoon, add a few drops of water at a time, until you have a paste of toothpaste consistency. Tilting the bowl, start beating this paste with the spoon. It will change color as you beat it, becoming lighter and increasing in volume. When it starts feeling tight, add another few drops of water.

- After ten minutes of wrist and elbow exercise, you'll end with the whipped cream seen above. (If you've ever beaten butter and sugar for a cake, you know what I'm talking about.)

- Boil the milk. Add a generous tbsp(or more) of the cream into a mug, and pour the boiling milk from a distance into the mug. Gently stir with your spoon until the cream is dissolved. A fine foam will rise to the top. Sprinkle with drinking chocolate if you like. Share with loved ones.

Whipped! CLICK July 2008

The picture above goes to CLICK July 2008. This month's theme is Coffee and Tea. I'm super-excited because they asked me to be one of the judges for this month's event...makes me feel all grown-up and important. :)

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Weeknight dinner- Curd Rice

nobody@vox.com(Purplesque) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 00:34:03 +0000

With microwave semolina idlis and coconut cilantro chutney.

The hardest part of this recipe was mashing my perfectly cooked, long, separate grains of fragrant Basmati rice into the creamy mush that is curd rice. [That's conditioning for you.] The mashing is important to give it the creamy texture, though, and for a proper melding of flavors.

White rice, yellow idlis, green chutney

Curd Rice (recipe adapted from here)

- 1 cup raw rice (medium grain is good)
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup sour plain yogurt ( Activia plain yogurt comes closest to homemade.)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- a pinch asfoetida (optional)
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tbsp ginger green chilli paste
- a few curry leaves (I used dried ones that my mother mailed from her kitchen garden in India.)
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
- a handful of seedless grapes, or pomegranate arils, or fresh cherries

- In a saucepan, soak the rice in the water for 20-30 minutes.
- Place the saucepan on high heat and bring to a boil, covered. Then lower the heat and simmer until all the water is absorbed. Keep the lid on as much as you can.
- Turn off the heat, and add the salt and the milk to the rice, stirring and mashing the rice with the back of your spoon. The rice will absorb most of the liquid. Cover, and let it cool.
- Once cooled to room temperature, add the yogurt and mix it in.
- Heat the oil in a small skillet.
- Add the asfoetida and the mustard seeds. Let em pop.
- Add the curry leaves and the ginger green chilli paste. Saute for a minute.
- Add this tempering to the rice along with the fruit and the cilantro. Mix well.
- Chill in the fridge for half an hour.

Serve with your favorite hot pickle.

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Bok Choy and Tofu Steaks

nobody@vox.com(st.even) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:52:30 +0000

Cut baby bok choy lengthwise into quarters, rinse, and dry off. (You can rinse before you cut, but it's easier to get any sort of nasty stuff that's caught between the leaves if they're sliced open). In a saute pan with high sides, bring about ¼ c. water or vegetable broth to a boil (The bok choy will give off some water later, too). Add 2 Tbsp. Korean ggoh-choo-jahng (spicy red pepper paste), 2 Tbsp soy sauce, and about 4-5 cloves chopped garlic. Reduce to simmer, and add bok choy. Let braise until bok choy are tender.

To make sesame crusted seared tofu, slice a tofu block into 1/2-1" thick "steaks." Press between layers of paper towel to squeeze out as much moisture as you can without crushing the tofu. You can even press the tofu overnight in the refrigerator. Press the sides of each tofu "steak" into sesame seeds, then lightly sear the flat sides in a small amount of oil over medium-high heat. Each side will take about 1 minute. Some of the seeds will fall off, but that's expected, and be careful when you place the tofu in the plan, since the water in the tofu will "spit."

Serve the tofu atop scallion fried rice (or plain steamed white rice) and surround with baby bok choy. I also like to pour the braising liquid (which is spicy and salty) over the whole thing.

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So What The Heck Do We Eat? -- Day 114, The Mega Post

nobody@vox.com(Singing Horse) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:09:11 +0000

Time really flies. It's the middle of July now. I haven't been blogging much lately. I have a very good excuse this time. I was transitioning to Ubuntu Hardy (a very popular Linux distro) in the past two weeks. I was really busy configuring my system, getting our wireless network to work, and synchronizing the iPod Touch with my new Ubuntu system. I'm really excited about this move because I'm finally free of Windows and all the Windows woes. And I can cut our future expenses down - no more software purchase! And in the midst of setting up my own notebook, my husband's Windows Vista was actually wiped out by a serious and malicious virus. All of his files and his Windows system files were deleted after a reboot. We got no warning whatsoever from our expensive antivirus software. Yeah, what was I expecting a stupid little Windows program to do? The outcome is that now we are both using Ubuntu only. I guess Windows finally pissed us off enough. I'm certainly not gonna miss it.

Being inundated with setting up two Ubuntu systems, I haven't posted any food porn but I have been eating. Well, that goes without saying. I have been cooking, sort of. So this post may seem a little long.

The first photo is the Deep-Dish Sun-Dried Tomato Quiche. I saved the recipe from Vegetarian Times for several months before I felt perplexed why I hadn't made it earlier. It was worth the wait, I'm telling you. It's good for a summer dinner that will delight your taste buds, which keeps you refreshed and cheerful.

Deep-Dish Sun-Dried Tomato Quiche

Here's a closeup that you can't miss. Oh, I really loved this quiche! It's also the first time that I have made a pie crust with whole wheat pastry flour. I enjoyed the whole process for a good reason then.

Deep-Dish Sun-Dried Tomato Quiche

The second photo is the Lentil, Bok Choy and Potato Soup. The original recipe is Lentil, Spinach and Potato Soup by Carla of "But Did They Eat It?". I liked it very much, but didn't eat the leftover soup the second day. It's really not the soup's fault. I'm just going through a very particular food-crisis phase. I basically don't know what the heck I want to eat for the next meal.

Lentil, Bok Choy and Potato Soup

The third photo is my first attempt at making mochi. I bought a bag of mochiko a month ago and every time I saw it in my pantry, I felt guilty of not picking it up. One hot afternoon my cravings made me venture into the kitchen and made some basic sweet mochi. I was too lazy to make any azuki bean stuffing, and simply pan-fried (or rather, pan-baked) the mochi. The mildly sweet rice cakes came out so good. Boy, I love Japanese desserts! Oh, I almost forogt. I followed this recipe on Chow.com.

Pan-Fried Mochi

The next photo is Nicole's Four Grain Pancakes. I used the modified recipe by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen. Kudos to both Nicole and Aparna! It's a great recipe and I totally loved these healthy and hearty pancakes. These four-grain pancakes can be easily made into savory ones that will go nicely with some beautiful soup.

Four Grain Pancakes

Yet another photo of my regular udon noodle bowl. This one consists of asparagus, dried Shiitake mushrooms (soaked), and faux meatballs. The sauce is simple: a couple dashes of vegetarian oyster sauce, dark soy sauce or tamari, a pinch of hot smoked Spanish paprika and a lot of parsley.

Udon Noodles with Asparagus, Mushroom and Neatballs

And yesterday afternoon I made these beautiful Chocolate Oatmeal Macadamia Butter Muffins. The original recipe is by Katy of Legally Vegan. She used chunky peanut butter but I'm loving the unsalted macadamia butter now so naturally I used that. I also subbed a silken tofu "egg". Definitely a keeper!

Chocolate Oatmeal Macadamia Butter Muffins

This is after my two bites. It wasn't easy to put down my muffin to take this photo, so I didn't care much about the quality of the photo at all.

Chocolate Oatmeal Macadamia Butter Muffin (Closeup)

Finally, I made a very simple side dish - Summer Squash Sizzle. It's just what I needed in this summer. Crispy vegetables with a hint of lemon freshness. The original recipe is found in My Vegan Cookbook. I love that Web site! Many thanks to the man behind the curtain for all those wonderful vegan recipes.

Summer Squash Sizzle

I guess I won't have much time for regular blogging yet. But I'll try to, especially I've got so much to catch up in my

Vox neighborhood. Until then, take care and God bless!

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Scrumptious Sunday: Green Tea Ice Cream

nobody@vox.com([this is connie]) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 19:33:48 +0000

Scrumptious Sunday

National Ice Cream Month

Green Tea Ice Cream

3 tbs green tea leaves (whole)
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups cold milk
2 egg yolks
1 tbs cornstarch
1 cup sugar

In a saucepan, heat milk slowly to boiling. Then add green tea leaves and cover. Let steep (simmer) for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, beat egg yolks with sugar and cornstarch. Remove milk from heat and strain out the tea leaves. Whisk in egg mixture, whisking constantly to keep the eggs from cooking in the hot milk. When mixture is starting to thicken, transfer to a larger bowl and allow to cool. Then stir in the heavy cream. Freeze mixture for at least 2 hours before serving.

- Source

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