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Asian Delights

8/21/2015

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  • I love ethnic cuisine. One of the nice things about being home is sampling some of Mom's new recipes.  This week we had a dinner where we both made something delightful and let Dad eat all the goodies. We like to have themes for meals and this one was DELISH!

    I am slowly introducing my family to Kimchee. To be honest I'm not sure what authentic Kimchee is suppose to taste like but I devour whatever it is that I'm making and calling Kimchee. It's essentially Asian sauerkraut. I started making it last summer and am addicted to it.  I soon discovered my co-workers did not care for the pungent scent that came from my Asian delight as I ate it during morning safety huddle at work. Everyone that walked in the room thought the garbage needed to be taken out and then they saw me eating and were like "ohhh...." Even though it smells a little stinky, it tastes good. I don't really have a good recipe that I follow. I just kinda eyeball things. It is really good but I will warn you this is a potent concoction of probiotics. This stuff will clean you OUT! I seemed to forget that when I'm shoveling this stuff down my pie hole until a couple of hours later I feel the unwelcome grumbling in my GI tract and I break out in a cold sweat (It's probably due to the fact I was out at a restaurant with my boyfriend and that's the worst time to feel like you have "to go..") I still gobble this stuff down without abandon. Love it.

    I have fond memories of Mom making feasts of food for special occasions when we randomly had company over. One time there was an Asian theme and Mom made little tasty Shrimp Puffs. MMMMmmm. I love appetizers but they take so much time to make and prep and 2 seconds to eat. Mom and gotten smarter with age and has taken the shrimp puff recipe and made it into Shrimp Patties. Genius!

    Tofu-TOFUN!
    When I met Nate his culinary tastes were different than mine. He was a bit picky and preferred basic food. (He's SO BASIC! J/K) A lot of things I cooked he would politely say "Umm, I'll try it later" or "No Thanks". That was the case with my Sesame Tofu Steaks. He flat out refused to eat them. More for me I thought. Then one day I nagged him enough and he sampled some of my culinary delights. Since then all he wants me to make for dinner is Tofu Steaks. We eat it probably once a week, he loves it! It's the only way he will eat tofu but I'm not complaining. My Dad on the other hand loves tofu (see previous Tofu Scramble post) so he loved this recipe (although he wished there was crushed pepper incorporated into these steaks somehow) Gramps even ate these when I came home to visit. Everyone has sampled them except Mom (I cry myself to sleep thinking about this. I'm never good enough for her... j/k!) Love you mom :)

    Kimchee
    Inspired by Marisa McClellan's recipe on Food in Jars



    • 1 head napa cabbage, cored and sliced
    • 1 medium daikon radish, grated
    • 1 large carrot, grated
    • 8-10 red radishes, grated or julienned
    • 5-6 green onions, chopped
    • 4-5 garlic cloves, pressed
    • 2 tablespoons grated ginger
    • 1 1/2 tablespoons grey sea salt
    • 1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean red chili powder)
    Instructions

    I put everything through the food processor grating blade but you can finely chop all the veggies.  Massage the veggies with salt and pepper flakes until they start looking limp and you have some veggie juice squeezed out. Pack in a clean jar, pressing down until you have an inch of fluid hovering above the top. I stick a weight in (jelly jar, beer bottle) to keep the fluid level above the kimchee. Let sit on the countertop for a week and then enjoy! Then stick in the fridge and chow down!

    Mom's Shrimp Patties

    1 pound peeled shrimp
    1 Tbsp cornstarch
    1 can water chestnuts
    1 egg beaten

    Pulse everything in the food processor. Eat 1 inch of oil in a skillet. Drop mounds of into hot oil and cook for 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and enjoy!


    Nathan's Favorite Tofu Steaks
    From Eating Well

  • 1/3 cup sesame seeds, preferably a mixture of white and black
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 14-ounce package extra-firm water-packed tofu, drained
  • 4 Tbsp. Canola Oil

    1. Mix sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and salt in a shallow dish. Cut the block of tofu lengthwise into 8 thin “steaks.” Pat dry with a paper towel, and press both sides into the sesame-seed mixture.
    2. Heat 2 teaspoons canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm






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    The spread
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    Before taking a dip in the hot tub
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    After getting fried
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    Kimchee cleanse
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    Shrimp puffs
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    Everything but the kitchen sink

    8/17/2015

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    Protein is suppose to be good when you're slimming down, right? It's better than scarfing down bagels and cream cheese :) I was meal prepping and since Mom's got gobs of it, I've been eating my fair share of Tuna. I like to eat it but every time I do I feel like I'm one of those gym junkies who is bulking up on my whey powder shake, living at the gym, lifting weights to the extreme and setting my alarm for 2 am just so I can eat a can of tuna for protein. I don't know where I got this mental image from but it's mainly what I think about every time I crack open a can of albacore. Maybe it's wishful thinking that eating tuna will give me muscles. I like to eat it with more than just mayo. I like to incorporate a lot of crunchy bits. I pretty much clean out the veggie bin and chop it up real fine. Another healthy "trick" is I like to put half mayo and half Greek yogurt into my tuna. Tangy and healthy (even more protein for muscle growth!)

    Everything Tuna Salad

    2 cans of tuna packed in water
    2 scallions
    3 radishes
    4 baby carrots
    2 stalks celery
    4 dill baby pickles
    Capers to taste
    1 heaping Tbsp. of each: Mayo and Greek Yogurt
    * I prefer Duke's Mayo but use whatever you like. I brought up my own stash of mayo from NC due to the unavailability of it above the Mason Dixon Line.*

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    Ninja chopping skills
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    Love dukes
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    Hippie Treats

    8/16/2015

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    I like to eat healthy and try making healthy alternatives to goodies I crave. That would be the case with these Hippie treats. They are a different version of Rice Crispie Treats. I have been really diving into some of the recipes I have pinned on Pinterest and surprised by what a good cook I am... and modest too! Sometimes the pictures look better on Pinterest than what really comes out or it doesn't taste the way it looks or I imagine it will be. That would be the case with my Hippie Treats. I think it was a good idea and I will still eat them. I might even make them again but I was hoping for a crispier snack. I got the recipe from a blog where the author likes to use Puffed/Toasted Quinoa. She buys it at Whole Foods in the bulk bin section. Let me tell you lady, you must be shopping in some magical land because I have checked MULTIPLE Whole Foods and other health food stores in multiple cities/states and it is impossible to find. I even looked on Amazon where I found it for $20 a box (OUTRAGEOUS!) I finally found a tiny box of puffed quinoa at Healthy Living (aka Wealthy Living) up here in S. Burlington but it was $5 and only 2 cups of grains. I NEEDED 6! I found a bag of puffed millet for only 1.99 and it looked like puffed quinoa. I'll just substitute it. I also decided to stray from the recipe a bit and I used real marshmallows instead of the vegan ones the author recommends. I was afraid of what they would taste like. I have a pretty open mind and like to try new things but I had a feeling they would ruin this recipe. So far Dad has sampled them but Mom is wary of trying them... Maybe we can get the kids to try them. They like sweets, right?!? Who are we kidding. Henry will eat anything that doesn't move or try to eat him first.


    Hippie Treats

    6 C. Puffed Quinoa (if you can find it) or millet
    6 oz. Marshmallows
    4 Tbsp. Butter
    1 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
    1 Tbsp. Sesame seeds
    1 Tbsp. Flax seeds


    Melt the butter, marshmallows and syrup over medium heat. Then add dry ingredients until combined. Dump into a glass baking dish and squish down to fill out pan. Voila! 
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    Can't drop a pound to save my life

    8/15/2015

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    I love being home but one of the downfalls is that I am surrounded by tasty treats at Mom and Dad's that I don't usually purchase on my weekly grocery store trips. Plus I have a real problem when it comes to carbs. I could eat my weight in bread, pasta, crackers, cookies, BEER, taters etc.  Plus now that I am in my 30's I've realized it takes a little bit more effort to slim down. It's not my college days anymore. I can't just eat a couple of salads and magically drop 5 lbs. I have to like, really work for lose half a pound.  And that's living off of rabbit food. On top of my #carbaddict status and enjoying the perks of travel nursing I am considering buying stock in elastic anything.  I refuse to miss out on regional food treats,  As Heather would say "I'm living life in the moment" and just getting used to my new curvaceous curves.  

    I never knew how much I loved biscuits until I lived in the south.  When Dad came to visit NC this past spring we went out for lunch to Tupelo Honey ( It was AMAZING) and he bought Mom the restaurant cookbook. I've had a hankering for some southern delights when I cracked open the cookbook and decided to make something new. 

    I have also started working some scattered night shifts for the first time in my life.  It's been a little boring. So I kill time by looking at food blogs and hunting down even more recipes to try. This is where my inspiration came to make Mom and Southern breakfast based on some recipes I found.


    Tupelo Honey Red Eye Gravy

    1/4 c. Chopped Country Ham
    1/4 c. Chopped Virginia Ham
    2 Slices chopped bacon
    1/2 c. Chopped onion
    1 Tbsp Flour
    1 c. Chicken Stock
    1/2 c. Coffee
    1/2 c. Heavy Cream
    Pepper

    Throw the chopped meats and onion in a pan over medium heat for 5 minutes or until the meats are crispy and the onions are translucent.  At flour and stir to form a roux. Cook 3 minutes. Add stock and coffee and crank up the heat to boil then reduce heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Stir in cream and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.  Pour this magical concoction over biscuits. MMMMmmmmm!


    Southern at Heart
    Damarius Phillip's 
    Collard Green and Grits Casserole.


    Ingredients
    1 cup uncooked yellow grits (not instant)
    4 cups vegetable stock
    Kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper
    2 tablespoons unrefined coconut oil
    2 shallots, small diced (1/2 cup)
    One 10-ounce package frozen collards, thawed and squeezed dry
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    1/2 cup heavy cream
    1 cup ricotta
    1 cup grated aged Gouda
    2 large eggs, beaten


    Directions
    Add the grits, vegetable stock, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper to a 12-cup slow cooker. Cover and cook on low until tender, 5 to 6 hours. Now that the grits are done you can build the bake!

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

    Heat the coconut oil in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the collards and the garlic, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute to remove excess water, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

    Add the heavy cream, collards, ricotta and half of the Gouda to the cooked grits, stirring to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Stir in the eggs and pour it all back into the skillet. Top with the remaining Gouda and bake until the center is just set and the top is golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Serve hot or warm.


    *** I can tell I am not in the south anymore because it was impossible to find country ham and frozen collard greens. If you living above the Mason Dixon Line you can substitute pancetta for country ham and I just cooked  fresh collard greens for 15 minutes in boiling water to soften them up for this recipe.


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      Author

      I am an aquarius who likes long walks on the beach and the flicker of candle light.  If you haven't noticed yet, Just kidding! I'm a Vermonter who has left my beautiful home state in search of adventure. This blog contains all of my favorite things, mostly food so that my family back home can keep tabs on me. Mom & Dad I'm still alive!!!! Side note: I am terrible at spelling and grammar. There are bound to be typos all over this blog. It's like Where's Waldo. If you look hard enough you will find an error. 

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