Fusion Fried Rice

Our version of Fried Rice would bring tears to my SO's parents and wonder what on earth could possibly be possessing their son. They're Chinese, you see. And our version of fried rice has started to revolve into something, well... far from the Chinese fried rice that they are familiar with. To give you an idea, typical fried rice has rice (of course), soy sauce, scallions, peas, eggs, and maybe some corn. A little more adventurous but still perfectly acceptable additions are shrimp and chinese sausage. Simple, clean flavors. Dare I say boring?

The first step towards non-conformity was using brown rice. But in the grand scheme of things, that was just a tiny step, and really not that crazy since many Chinese families are switching over to brown rice for its health benefits - but that's where it started.

Then, one night, as we opened the fridge and discovered that we had some leftover rice, I dug a little deeper into the fridge to see what else we could use. See, fried rice is kind of like leftovers, right? So who's to say we can't use leftover food in fried rice? The item in question was a small chunk of feta, leftover from a greek salad made earlier that week. Far from Chinese, or anything Asian really, but it was lying around, not being used, and I wanted to put it out of its misery, that is, put it to good use. So I took it out of the fridge and pointed it out to my SO. And so somehow it ended up in the fried rice. Yes, fried rice with feta. And it was delicious! The salty creamy feta added another layer to this otherwise simple dish.

After that it all went downhill - or rather, less and less "standard", since it still tasted good (IMHO). We've added tofu, soy beans, onions, and whenever available, feta. Last night we took it a step further, and created the concotion below:


Fusion Fried Rice, with brown & burmese brown rice, eggs, peas, corn, seafood mix (shrimp, scallops and calamari), and mixed sprouts. No feta or scallions, since we were out, but there was goat cheese and sriracha sauce to top it off! (Mind you, the SO declined the goat cheese...) Now there's for a new take on fried rice.

Weeknight Staples: Stir-Fries and Pesto Pasta

Stir-fries are probably the best recipes out there. Simply open the fridge, take out what you have, toss it in a wok, and voila - you're done. Great for weekday evenings - make it even simpler by cooking the rice in a timed rice cooker, so that when you come home the rice is already on it's way and you don't have to worry (and wait) for it. Added plus is that the smell of cooking rice always gives me that little energy boost to start dinner, especially after a long day. And the best thing about Asian cuisine? No dairy involved!

Tofu, Tomato, Lettuce & Cashew Stir-Fry


This is a slightly more unusual stir-fry, but what else would you expect from Rebar? Granted, we made it a little stranger by substituting the sui choy with romaine lettuce, since that's what our CSA gave us and neither of us are big fans of romaine lettuce - raw, in salads, that is. But stir-fried it's quite tasty. The sauce is a combination of tamarind, garlic, red pepper flakes, lime juice, soy sauce, and sugar, thickened with cornstarch. Although it was a little too sour for our likings (less lime juice next time), it was coloful, fresh, and the leftovers solicited the always much appreciated "what is that??" from my friendly but not so gourmet collegue.

Who, by the way, also is amazed by the concept of a CSA box. What's not to love about a CSA box?


Pesto Both Ways

Both ways? What ways? Vegan and regular, of course! Whenever we make pesto, we always make a large batch which we then freeze in portion-size nuggets in ziplock bags. On "lazy" days, all we have to do is boil some noodles, microwave the pesto, and mix. That's about as easy as microwavable dinners, if you ask me. (And ten times as tasty, again, if you ask me.)

From my golden dairy-full days, we still had some "regular" pesto with cheese for him, and for her there was a cheese-free broccoli-based pesto. Broccoli-based pesto? That's right, it includes everything a regular pesto has (olive oil, basil, nuts, - no cheese) and steamed broccoli. Not bad at all, although I prefer the bean or potato based version, since it's starchier. To make dinner more interesting (sure, I like pesto, but just pesto and pasta? Sigh...) I boiled some zucchini ribbons with the pasta, and almonds and avocado as extra toppings, along with the usual cheese/nutritional yeast. And, to make this dish fully allergen-free, we used Trader Joe's brown rice noodles. I can't tell the difference! (Ok, maybe not quite, but it's really quite good.)

Here's for the regular pesto:


And the vegan pesto - a little less creamy but that's because of all the broccoli:

Here's to a new beginning!

Wow, that was a long break from blogging. I'm not quite sure what happened, but I'm sure it was a combination of too much work, followed by an insightful allergy test and a long midwest winter. If that isn't enough to make somebody slightly discouraged, I don't know what is.

But let's try to pick it up again.

For starters, since I've noticed that time is often the killer of my next post (or lack of time) I will be posting more and more just photos and less recipes. However, if you would like a recipe or are curious about how I made something, just email me and I will happily respond.

Second, allergy test. Yes indeed. The glorious let's-check-all-foods allergy test. See, my stomach had been feeling bloated and queasy for the longest time (I was starting to wonder whether this was how it was supposed to feel??) so finally I decided to do something about it. Long story short, I am allergic to dairy (cow) (ok, highly intolerant of, since technically it won't kill me...) and sensitive to wheat, and goat and sheep's dairy. Oh, and then there's that random intolerance to pineapple. Yes, I also don't know where that came from. The conclusion was to avoid cow's dairy at all cost, and treat wheat and goat and sheep's dairy as a "treat" not to be had too often (in my case, I try to eat it every other day at most.)

From a life-time yogurt addict that was bad news. Very bad. I thought of renaming my blog. (Maybe that's why I didn't post?)

Now a couple months later, I'm in better spirits. I've accumulated a yogurt maker (although I'm not convinced by soy yogurt, but I'm planning on trying other varieties) and my pantry is loaded with various gluten-free flours. I eat rice pasta like I never had wheat pasta (and trust me, there are some very good brands out there). I obsessively look for vegan and gluten-free resources. And that occasional goat cheese keeps my cheese cravings satisfied. Although I still terribly miss yogurt, milk chocolate, and mozzarella, I'm hanging in there and doing quite well. :)

So here's for a quick "catch up" of what I've been doing - although it only represents a fraction of the goodies I've made. Let's hope for a change.

I believe these were chocolate banana muffins, but it's been too long...


Rice pudding made with sticky black rice, apples, and soy milk by our good friend the rice cooker.


Fantastic raw munchies only to be found in Berkeley... On the right, raw rolls (cucumber, beets, carrots, avocado, some dressing and more wrapped in blanched collard greens), on the left raw apple crisp.

Strange combination, but amazingly delicious: butternut squash and leek bechamel lasagna... If I substitute with soy or hemp milk and use gluten free pasta, it'll be Tinker-friendly!

Miso-glazed salmon (I love the caramelized glaze, yum) with miso-sauteed Japanese eggplant and green bell peppers over brown rice.

Meatloaf - for the beloved SO. On the side some oven fries and a salad.

Ingredients prior to adding the meat & eggs: bread crumbs, cottage cheese, mustard, ketchup, onion, parsley, salt, pepper...

With the meat.

Ready for the oven.

And it's done!

Beet-goat cheese filled ravioli with a strange tofu-based white sauce (not sure what the sauce recipe was, but we didn't like it and it needn't be repeated!)

Here's my dough.

The pureed beets and goat cheese - I love that food processor.

Add eggs & breadcrumbs.

And then let the snazzy ravioli-maker do the work for you.

(Ok, it doesn't do all the work but it makes life a lot easier - and nice symmetric raviolis!)

Marroccan lamb stew with apricots and raisins, courtesy of my good friend J.

Chocolate cake for my beloved SO.



And my first attempts at gluten-free bread: Above using a teff-gluten-free mix, below using a mix of sorghum, millet, arrowroot, tapioca, and xantham gum. Although they look amazing, they were both oddly bubbly - as in, filled with large airbubbles and prone to fall apart... Hm.


(Rice) pasta with broccoli, sheep's milk feta cheese, white beans, chard, and flat-leaf parsely. My version of Pasta Primavera.

Fabulous gluten-free dairy-free mac & cheese, recipe by Karina from Gluten Free Goddess. (My new go-to, thank you Karina!)

Soba with tofu, snappeas, scallions, oyster mushrooms and eggplant in a teriyaki sauce.

And that's it for today.

Snozzcumbers and more

Anybody remember Roald Dahl's The BFG? If so, the title might just ring a bell.


Oh, how I love Quentin Blake!

But to get back to my main point: The Snozzcumber. For any of you who have read The BFG (= Big Friendly Giant, for those who haven't), you may remember that Snozzcumbers are what the poor BFG survives on, since that's the only food he knows about in the vast land that he lives in (and because, unlike the not-so-friendly giants, he doesn't eat us humans. Hooray!) Snozzcumbers, according to him, are the most disgusting, bitter, nasty green vegetable-like things that nobody would ever eat voluntarily. Enter the Bitter Melon.

This is a bitter melon - an asian cucumber-squash like vegetable, that - I swear - was Roald Dahl's inspiration - because it sure lives up to his name! However, unlike snozzcumbers, there are people who actually like to eat them - my boyfriend for one. If you've never seen one of these monsters before, don't be surprised, since you generally only find them in China Town. (And in my opinion, if you've never had one, you aren't missing out!) However, since a certain someone DOES like them (how?) we got one the last time we were in Chinatown. Now you may be asking yourself, well, what does it taste like and how do you prepare it? Taste I can tell you - bitter. Kind of like ... I don't know. Slightly crunchy and bitter. Very bitter. As for preparing it - I don't have that much experience, but you can use it in stir-fries.

We (correction, BF) had it as a side with some miso-glazed salmon, coconut wild rice and I some rapini, for an Asian-themed dinner (save for the rapini - and for those of you wondering, yes, bitter melon is even more bitter than rapini.)


Overall it made for a very nice dinner - I marinated the salmon in about a tablespoon of dark miso paste, two tablespoons sweet rice wine (mirin), and a little brown sugar, and then grilled it in my toaster oven. The rice we cooked with a cup of coconut milk, and the bitter melon was sauteed with some wood ears (another Asian vegetable (mushroom) that I don't care for), and the rapini was sauteed with some garlic and lemon juice. The light green half-circle shaped thingies are the bitter melon, and the brown shiny things are the wood ears. Overall a very tasty dinner.

Tomatoes & Feta

I picked a simple title because that's what this dish really is: Simple. Elegant. Tomatoes and Feta. Baked. No more, no less. Ok, so I add some pepper, basil and oregano, but that doesn't really count, does it?

This dish is something my parents found in some random magazine many years ago and that our family has been making for years. My sister and I, both no longer living at home, continue to make it - it's one of those dishes that I simply can't get enough of. It did take my BF a while to realize that a good meal can be a vegetarian meal, but now tomatoes and feta have been welcomed into his group of faves - hooray for me!

Of course, the only catch of this recipe - as with most simple recipes - is that you need amazing ingredients. Back when we lived in California and had access to great produce year-round, as well as delicious (and cheap) cheeses,T&F was a regular on the weekly menu. Now that we are subject to the seasonality of the Midwest's produce, we prefer to skip the dish during the winter months because anemic, flavorless tomatoes just won't do. We made this particular one with low-acid tomatoes from the local farmer's market, and although we though the tomatoes were a little on the sweet side, it was definitely quite amazing. Make sure the feta isn't too salty - because you'll be eating lots of it and, really, a salt overload isn't that good. Wisconsin feta is a good choice; we've had less good experiences with Bulgarian feta.

Finally - a little note on tinkering with the recipe: as much as I love playing around with recipes, this is one that I do not touch. In the past (10 years ago) we've tried adding olive, red onions, bell peppers, mozzarella, and other things, but we always found that the original was still the best. I generally serve this with whole wheat couscous, and my parents & sister serve it with brown rice. The dish gets a lot of juice after baking from the tomatoes, which you can soak up with bread. This time, I decided that I would try baking the couscous with the tomatoes and feta in the oven, to allow it to truly absorb the juices. It turned out great, especially since some of the couscous got a cruncy crust that added more texture to the dish. But if you'd rather serve it with rice or couscous on the side, feel free to leave the couscous out.

Tomatoes and Feta

Serves 4


1/2 pound fresh feta cheese (not too salty!)
4-8 large tomatoes, depending on size (these ones were huge, normally I use 6-8)
basil and oregano (fresh if you have it)
pepper
1 cup whole wheat couscous (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375F/175C
2. Slice the tomatoes into thin slices; cut the feta into thin 2x3 cm or 1x1.5" slices. Make sure you have at least as many feta slices as tomato slices.
3. (optional) Spray or grease a 9x9 or 9x12 baking dish with oil, and pour in couscous. Spread evenly. Pour 1 cup water over couscous, or enough that couscous is barely covered - the juice from the tomatoes will do the rest.



4. Arrange sliced tomatoes on bottom of dish (or over couscous, if using) at an angle. Don't overstuff - if you have extra tomatoes, save them for a second layer.


5. Insert a slice of feta between each tomatoe slice. If you have extra tomatoes and feta, repeat with a second layer. If you have extra of only one kind, spread the remainder evenly among dish. (I always end up with extra feta, which I break into smaller pieces that I insert here and there - or I just sprinkle them over the dish.)


6. Season liberally with pepper, oregano, and basil. (No salt - the feta will have plenty as is!)

7. Bake in pre-heated oven for 30 minutes, then swich oven to broil, and broil for an additional 10 minutes. (If you don't have a broil setting, just bake for 40 minutes). The broiling gives you a cruncy, toasted top. Serve with crunchy bread, rice, or couscous (if you didn't use couscous in the dish).

Note: you can assemble the dish a day ahead and store it in the fridge until you're ready to bake it.

Tastes great the next day in your lunch box. :)

*****

This dish is particularly good if you can use herbs from your own garden! Currently, my "garden" is my windowsill - but that doesn't mean I can't have my herbs too, as well as a cat enjoying the little piece of "nature".


Although the real reason he likes lying there is because he's right on top of the cold air vent - and his belly needs some cooling down on those muggy summer days.



But my little owl made of little bits of wood and straw certainly enjoys hanging out with the organo & rosemary. It's growing wild!

Finally, here's another summer dinner: Seared Bison Salad! This was one of the "kitchen sink" dinners in under 15 minutes, please. While searing the bison, we steamed some fresh corn & green beans from the farmers market, chopped up some tomatoes, and layered the corn, beans and tomatoes over some green lettuce. On top the seared bison, sliced, fresh goat cheese, Worcester sauce and a light vinaigrette. Serve with crunchy bread and enjoy!

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins - A Scrumptious Mess

I tend to be a very rational and logical person. When it comes to baking, however, my irrational side takes over. As in, halfway through the baking process I realized that this will not work out, yet although I have ample opportunities to reverse my "crazy idea" I don't budge and things end up in a disaster. Take a look at the following:


Dare to take a guess what this is? Well, it looks like a loaf of bread or something...

And if you look closely you will see - berries, maybe? Maybe a berry bread of sorts?


Close, but not quite. Actually, this was my attempt at making "overflowing muffins". You know the muffins you get in bakeries, that seem to have way large (and crunchy) tops, that are so popular, that some places just sell "muffin tops"? What you're looking at is a half-dozen regular muffin tray, that is completely covered (or swamped?) in baked muffin. If you look closely at the zoomed-in picture you can even see a bit of the tray on the right. Disaster - Yes. Very much so. However, also a very tasty disaster. Or, as I said to my BF when he got back from playing tennis, "I made a very yummy mess." Sometimes I do get lucky.

Now, to give you an idea that these muffins really do work out, here's a previous version where I didn't attempt to overfill the tins. Exact same recipe, just a smaller amount of batter - and what beauties they are!


By the way, to me the sign of an excellent blueberry muffins is a muffin that practically falls apart because it's so studded with blueberries - if you like your muffins a little less "blue" just reduce the blueberries. :)


This recipe is inspired by the "Melt-In-Your-Mouth" blueberry muffins that my mom used to make, from a cookbook called "Mama never cooked like this" (well, apparently she did.) My version incorporates white whole wheat flour and bran, as well as bananas. I know for many people out there, the ideal blueberry muffins is like a little pound cake with blueberries, preferably with streusel on top. Not so for me - I like my blueberries with whole grains and less sugar. And even with that, the do still melt in your mouth.

Tinker's Melt-In-Your-Mouth Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins

Makes 12, not 6

Dry mixture:
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup bran
3/4 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tbsp baking soda
pinch nutmeg
pinch salt

Wet mixture:
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs
1/3-1/2 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like your muffins)
1/2 cup yogurt
2 tbsp milk
3 tbsp canola oil

1-2 cups fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained

1. Preheat oven to 425F and spray/grease 12 regular-sized muffin tray (or 6 jumbo-sized) with oil or butter
2. Combine dry ingredients in medium-sized bowl, whisk out any lumps
3. Beat eggs in a large bowl, and add remaining wet ingredients
4. Add dry mixture to wet mixture, stirring until almost combined. Add blueberries, stir until combined
5. Spread batter evenly over muffin tins and bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown

... I finally made it back

For the past few weeks I've been avoiding my blog, and any other blogs for that matter. Why? Well, if you care to look at the date of my previous post, you might just guess. I haven't been that good at keeping up. Pretty bad, in fact. The excuse? Well, the first three weeks I was swamped with work, and thus there were no exciting things to blog about since dinner consisted of "what can I throw together in 10 minutes?" - let alone time to blog.

And the other two weeks? Well, I'm sad to admit that I felt bad not having posted in so long, so I didn't have the heart to post something new. A viscous cycle, maybe? Well, here I am, making an end to this! Finally!

To start, I will address the meme that I've been tagged with (twice!).

Bagel and Maggie tagged me with my first meme! Thank you Bagel & Maggie! Here's your reply: (And apologies for taking so long...)


Tag Rules:

• Link to the person who tagged you.
• Post the rules on the blog.
• Write six random things about yourself.
• Tag six people at the end of your post.
• Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
• Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Here are my 6 random things:

1) I could subsist off of fruit and yogurt (ok, maybe not so random)
2) I can't stand watermelon (it's too sugary and crumbly...)
3) I'm a self-proclaimed food snob, but I love vast quantities of ketchup with my roasted potatoes & burgers
4) When I was a little kid I used to eat butter by itself, and my mom loves reminding me about this. Yuck.
5) I love teaspoons and hate any larger spoons, because larger spoons make you eat faster (and I want to enjoy every last bit of that yogurt/ice cream/cake/soup/you name it, thank you!)
6) I eat my bananas by a. cutting or breaking them into thin slices, and then b. breaking them into thirds (you know how bananas break into thirds lengthwise?) and then eating each third of a slice at a time. The first time my BF met my sister, he asked her whether she also eats her bananas in "that funny way". She looked a little confused. (She doesn't - it's just me.)


And here's who I tag (if you've already done this, just let me know!) (And I take no offense if it takes you over a month to respond... :) )

Johanna from Green Gourmet Giraffe
Ricki from Diet, Desserts & Dogs
Katie from Apple & Spice
Camilla from Enlightened Cooking
Deb from Kahakai Kitchen
Katie from The Summer Tree Cafe