Mark Bittman is My Hero

We can't be a meat and potatoes society any longer...

Better for You Benedict

Reading Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential was enlightening and frightening all at the same time. His mention of brunch simply being a meal that chefs create using leftover scraps from the week makes me want to just stay at home and cook. Oh yeah, and that delicious fattening hollandaise sauce is a playground for bacteria just sitting beside the stove. So instead of going out to Founding Farmers, which by the way has made a huge slide downhill, I stayed in my kitchen and mastered the poached egg.

Here is my recipe for a healthier, yet oh-so-satisfying eggs benedict:

2 servings

30-45 mins

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs (I like mine brown, organic, and cage free)
• 2 whole wheat english muffins 
• lox a.k.a smoked salmon (Whole Foods sells this little container of pieces that worked out well)
• white vinegar
• heaping tablespoon of lite mayo
• heaping tablespoon of non-fat plain yogurt
• squeeze of lemon
• dash of white pepper
• a few grinds of sea salt
• a small handful of chives, finely sliced
• buttery spread or butter

Put a small pot of water on and bring to a boil. While it is coming to temperature, open up your english muffins and spread a light layer of buttery spread/butter on the tops.

In a small bowl combine: mayo, yogurt, lemon, chives, white pepper, and salt.

Once the water is boiling, turn it down to a simmer and add a dash of white vinegar. Crack your first egg into a small bowl. Then with your spoon start swirling it in the water until you have a little tornado brewing. Drop the egg into the water and cook for about 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel. Repeat until all 4 eggs are cooked.

While you are poaching the eggs, you will want to toast your english muffins. I like to do this in a pan or griddle. Start by toasting the bottoms and flip it over onto the top so that both sides are golden. 

Now it's time to assemble! First the english muffin, then your lox, gently place your egg on top , and a sauce drizzle to finish.

Serve and enjoy without the concern of food poisoning...yay!

Butternut Squash Lasagna

Josh: Butternut squash is on sale, should we buy it?
Me: Yes!

A week goes by and that squash is still sitting on my counter begging to be cooked. What should I do with it? Soup...nah, not in the mood, just have it on the side...nope too much for that, lasagna...yes!

And so it began -- the "I'm going to make a lasagna because I have a bunch of stuff in my fridge that I need to use before it goes bad." As most of my recipes go, I didn't measure, you've been warned.

Ingredients:

• 9 sheets of lasagna noodles
• 3/4 container of part skim ricotta
• 1 egg
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup of fresh basil
• half a bag of baby spinach
• 6 or 7 decent sized cremini mushrooms sliced
• butternut squash
• olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 3 slices or so of prosciutto
• 1 cup 2% milk
• 3/4 - 1 cup of grated parmigiano reggiano (you can use regular parm, this is just what I had)
• white pepper
• ground sage
• ground allspice
• garlic powder

Step 1: Heat oven to 400 and put a large pot of water on to boil the noodles. In the meantime, peel and chop the squash and place it in a 9 x 13 baking dish and coat with olive oil, a sprinkling of sage and allspice over the whole top. Put in oven and cook until soft, tossing often.

Step 2: In a bowl add the ricotta, chopped basil, and the egg. Put this back in the fridge for use later. At this point your water should be at a boil. Add the noodles and cook for 9 minutes. Strain.

Step 3: In a saucepan heat a tsp of olive oil. Roll slices of prosciutto and cut into small pieces. Add prosciutto to oil cooking until crisp. Remove, but leave behind the oil. Melt butter and then whisk in the flour slowly. You will see that it begins to create a sort of paste. Slowly add in the milk while whisking. You do not want this to become lumpy! Add in your parmigiano reggiano and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat. Then add the prosciutto back in and add white pepper and garlic powder to taste.

Step 4: To use less pots, use the same one you cooked the noodles in. Add some olive oil and brown the mushrooms. Dump in the spinach and cook until it is wilted. 

Step 5: Your squash should be soft now. Move it to a bowl and mush it into smaller pieces. 

Step 6: The 9 x 13 pan should still have some olive oil, which you will want to prevent the noodles from sticking. Layer your first three noodles, then add the ricotta mixture, then 3 more noodles, then the mushroom/spinach mixture, then the butternut squash, now sprinkle allspice, garlic powder and sage, layer on the last three noodles, pour and spread the sauce across the top. Place in oven at 350 for 20-30 minutes until cooked through.

Oatmeal Bars to Replace Your Granola Bar Habit

It's back to school time and that means finding snacks for your kids that are affordable and healthy. Granola bars were always a go-to snack for my family, so I decided to create a DIY alternative. These oatmeal bars are filled with nutrients, are super easy to make, and can be adapted to your taste.

You can choose different nuts, fruits, and seeds. I've been enjoying a mixture of walnuts, flax, cranberries and dates. I also add some chocolate chips for sweetness.

Here is a basic list to help you with the proportions:

• 1 1/2 cups rolled oats 
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 
• 1/2 cup dried fruit 
• 1/4 cup seeds 
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips 
• 1 tsp cinnamon 
• pinch of salt 
• 1 1/4 cups milk 
• 1 egg 
• 1 tsp vanilla 

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. Grab a 2-cup measuring cup, add your milk, crack and egg into the cup and add a dash of vanilla.
4. Pour your wet ingredients into the dry. Stir until combined.
5. Pour into a square baking dish lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake for 45 minutes.
7. Cut into 9 squares and wrap for grab-and-go ease. You can store in the fridge, which keeps the chocolate firm. Yum! 

Quinoa Crusted Eggplant Parmigiana

Eggplant Parm has to be one of my favorite guilty pleasures. But who likes feeling guilty? Not me, especially since I get enough Jewish guilt from the women in my family. So the challenge became, making a healthy eggplant parm without it being a soggy mess.

My grandfather has always grown prize eggplants that my bubbe thoughtfully prepares. Growing up I would eat these aubrigene beauties, baked, with a layer of marinara tossed pasta. In my own kitchen I follow this process, which often leads to the sauce soaking in and ruining the fried eggplant crust.

Like many days, I was having a long drive home and dreaming about cooking up something creative. It was in that moment that a light went off -- QUINOA. There was my answer. I would grind it down to a granular flour and then follow my normal steps.

This is what you'll need:

- 1/2 - 1 cup of quinoa ground by either a coffee grinder or mortar and pestle to about a quarter size of the normal quinoa grain (if it's flour consistency you've ground too much and it might not be as crispy)
- 1/4 cup or so of shredded hard cheese like pecorino or parmesan
- seasoning such as garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper, parsley
- egg whites
- pasta (whole wheat penne is what I use)
- marinara sauce (I whip up my own, but I also like Rinaldi)
- eggplant
- mozzarella
- olive oil spray*

Step 1:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick slices. Place a layer of eggplant in a strainer and sprinkle kosher salt so that it is on each piece. Repeat until all layers are salted.

Step 2:
While the eggplant is sitting in the salt grind the quinoa. Once you have reached the right consistency dump it into a mixing bowl and add the shredded hard cheese and any seasoning you would like. This basically makes a "seasoned quinoa crumb."

Step 3:
Rinse the eggplant thoroughly so that no salt is left behind. Then get another bowl for your egg whites. The amount will vary depending on your eggplant size. I use the pourable ones to make it easy and adjust as I go.

Step 4:
Grab a cookie sheet and spray it with olive oil. Now it's time to bread! One piece at a time, dip each side of the slice in the egg whites, let it drip off some, and then into the quinoa it goes. Now place it on the baking sheet.

Step 5:
Spray the tops of the eggplant and put the sheet in the oven. Bake for 10- 15 minutes and then flip for another 10 minutes or so until both sides are golden brown.

Step 6:
While the eggplant is baking, put some water on to make your pasta. Cook according to package directions and then toss with sauce. Once that is complete, layer it on the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish.

Step 7:
Layer the eggplant on top of the pasta, top with sauce and mozzarella. Lower the oven to 350 degrees and bake until the cheese is melted. Let it sit for 5 minutes, cut and enjoy!

*Note: I like using the Misto for the olive oil spray. You pump it by hand and then it makes a mist. This product also allows you to select your own oil, which is awesome.

Lunching on Lentils

So if you didn't know that lentils are delicious and full of nutrients, well you know now.

Based on Self Magazine's nutrition page, one cup of cooked lentils without salt comes out to:

That's great stuff you should be eating. I know Josh and I are going to make a more concerted effort to do so. In fact, this week we made two separate dishes featuring this protein packed legume.

Lentils found their way into my belly in two forms this week: swiss chard rolls with lentils (duh) and brown rice, and a grilled lentil wrap.

While I enjoyed the swiss chard rolls, I didn't perfect it enough to share with you. Instead, we can just cover the wraps which were loosely based off of this recipe.

We left out the brown rice, used spinach, and shredded smoke mozzarella. The schmear was substituted with Stone Wall Kitchen's Hot Pepper Peach Jam.

Feta Watermelon Salad

Want a delicious and easy salad? Throw this together:

Ingredients:

• Watermelon
• Romaine
• Red Onion (sliced thin)
• Cucumber
• Red Bell Pepper
• Feta
• Fresh Mint (just a little)

Dressing:

• Red Wine Vinegar
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Honey
• Salt and Pepper

If it sounds weird to you, just try it. You will be amazed at how excited your tastebuds will be. And if you're trying to lose weight, this is a great outside-the-box healthy recipe. Keeping that weight off is about finding healthy foods that don't bore you.

If You Give a Lea a Cookie...

She will want a dozen more.

While I LOVE all desserts, I am a total cookie monster. When I first started baking in my teens, I had a few specialties. Hands down, my most popular was the chocolate chip cookies from The Joy of Cooking. My dad has a huge sweet tooth and still asks for them to this day.

This Mother's Day, I was in charge of the desserts. So I immediately thought...COOKIES! Everyone loves chocolate chip cookies and there are a trillion recipes out there, many claiming to be "the best." But who wants to keep making the same ones over and over and over? Not me. So instead, I made hazelnut toffee chocolate chip cookies.

Let's just say, the moment I ate the first one I turned blue and fuzzy. Thank goodness the recipe made about four dozen because no one wanted to stop eating these delicious morsels. My counter and kitchen table looked like a sea of cookies -- pre-scooped oven ready on sheets and freshly baked on cooling racks. Absolute heaven.

So here are my tips for this recipe:

• Since you need to put the oatmeal in a food processor, do the nuts in it too after you take the oatmeal out. Then do the toffee in there too. Make it easy on yourself -- no chopping by hand!
• Get a cookie scoop. It will be your best friend, just trust me. Plus each one will be the perfect size, making baking time easier.

General tips:

• Bring your ingredients to room temperature. You have probably heard this before, but it really is the number one rule for baking (with some exceptions). There is no way you can properly cream your butter and sugar without this step. If you are patient and do this, your cookies will be a lot softer and won't get stale as quickly.

C is for _____. Come on, go bake these already!

Palate Pleasing Pizza

Pizza is one of those foods that even when bad, is still good. So why not try and make it at home? The worst you can end up with is good if you consider it to be bad. Do you follow?

What really gets me is how expensive a delivery pizza is, considering the ingredients used. We aren't talking about fontina cheese, truffle oil, and a farm fresh egg on this pie. Just some mediocre pepperoni and mozzarella that is uber processed.

So my dear reader, are you ready to erase that pizza delivery place from your cell? I know you can do it! Now now, I understand that half the beauty of a pizza night is the convenience. I'm not denying that making your own pizza from start to finish will be more work. But I can assure you that you will feel better about what you are eating and maybe you will be a little inspired by all the topping choices. If you're still on the fence, I'll do you a solid and recommend you pick up some pre-made dough. We aren't talking that already cooked stuff, I want you to roll it out yourself. It won't be that hard after it comes to room temperature.

Maybe you are the type of person that doesn't mind whipping up dough. If so, Food and Wine has a bunch of great crust recipes. I've tried several and they all seem to be good. One time I got the perfect bubbles and I was so giddy. Of course, I couldn't remember how I made it, so it hasn't happened again.

Last week Josh and I made one of our favorite at-home pizzas topped with marinara mixed with a little adobo sauce, onion (we normally use red, but only had yellow), smoked mozzarella, sliced garlic, and this time, some sliced red peppers. If I have a couple extra minutes, I often roast the red pepper for a smokier flavor.

This is what I'm talking about people! A pizza like that would cost about $16 in our area and I just used what was leftover in my fridge. Be creative and get some great cheese, your taste buds will thank you.

Check out Mark Bittman's view on homemade pizza for even more inspiration. Ciao!

Look Back on Seder

Preparing Passover really wasn't that bad. I spent most of my non-working hours in the kitchen the week before seder, but that's a-okay with me. If you plan out what to make each night, most things can be refrigerated ahead of time, in fact, some should.

Here's a rundown of some of the most popular items I made:

Matzo Balls

1 cup matzo meal
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons schmaltz (rendered seasoned chicken fat, sold at butcher shops) at room temperature
1 tablespoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup seltzer

Bring the schmaltz to room temperature in a bowl. Add the dry ingredients and mix together. Separate your eggs and add them to the bowl, mix. Add seltzer and mix until it all comes together: DON'T OVER MIX!

Cover your bowl and put it in the fridge for at least one hour.

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a simmer. With wet hands, roll out 1-ounce balls (about the size of a walnut). Add balls to water and simmer until tender, light and fluffy in the center, 45 to 60 minutes. (To test centers, insert a toothpick, which should slide easily all the way through.) Drain and cool in a baking dish and then cover and put it in the freezer. Don't ask me why, it's just better that way.

Sephardic Charoset

If you like bland food, this recipe isn't for you. As a child I had very fond memories of a charoset my Iranian grandmother made. So this year, I was determined to make my own with a faint memory of what it tasted like.

2/3 cup hazelnuts
2 cups whole pitted dates
1/3 cup whole blanched almonds
1/3 cup walnuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup golden raisins
4 tablespoons sweet red wine
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves (you may want less if you don't like cloves that much)
2 shredded Granny Smith Apples
2/3 cup sliced banana

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and toast your nuts in a pie plate (about 10 minutes). You will want to stir them around a couple of times to make sure they don't burn.

Combine nuts, dates, raisins, and golden raisins in a food processor. Process until ground, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. (Mixture will be thick and crumbly but will hold together when pressed.) Add wine, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves; pulse 4 times or until combined. Add apple and banana; pulse 4 times or until combined. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of days. The flavors will combine and mellow out. Trust me with this one, let it sit and taste it a day or so later, that will give you a true feeling for how it will sit on the palate during seder. If you need to make adjustments you will know at this point.

Chocolate Raspberry Pavlova

6 large egg whites
2 cups superfine sugar
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon balsamic
2 ounces Trader Joe's dark chocolate, finely chopped

Topping:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 container raspberries
1 1/2 ounces Trader Joe's dark chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a flat cookie sheet with parchment paper. Trace a 9-inch cake pan on the paper and turn the paper over. You should still be able to see the circle.

Make the meringue: Beat the egg whites in a stand mixer until satiny peaks form, and then beat in the sugar a spoonful at a time until the meringue is stiff and shiny.

Add the chocolate: Sprinkle the cocoa, vinegar and then the chopped chocolate over the egg whites. Gently fold everything with a rubber spatula until the cocoa is thoroughly mixed in. DO NOT MIX, FOLD! You want to keep it fluffy.

Put a dab of meringue under each corner to secure the parchment paper. To shape the meringue pour a mound in the middle. Then with a large frosting spatula, create a cake shape in the circle you drew. Smooth the tops and the sides.

Place in the oven, then immediately turn the temperature down to 300 degrees and cook for one hour. When it's ready, it should look crisp and dry on top, and squishy in the middle.

Turn off the oven and open the door slightly; let the meringue cool completely in the oven.

Ready for the hard part? You will most likely need two people. Put a large serving platter on top so it is just touching, but not actually putting any pressure. In a coordinated fashion flip the meringue onto the plate. Remember, this thing falls apart easily! After your heart slows down and the meringue is safely flipped, peel off the parchment.

Now it's time to decorate!!!

Whisk the cream till thick but still soft and pile it on top of the meringue, then scatter the raspberries on top. Now take your chocolate and a peeler and make chocolate curls. Collect in a container and sprinkle over the top. Voila!

The Countdown to Passover Begins!

Culinary landmarks are no different from any other momentous occasion, they're kinda a big deal. I will be hosting my first Jewish holiday for family (read: In-laws) this Saturday. Of course I had to choose the most difficult one -- PASSOVER! For those of you who don't know, Passover equates to dietary restrictions. Leavened food cannot be consumed for eight gut wrenching days, which is kicked off with two nights of seders.

Josh and I will be hosting night two, since I always go to my Bubbe's for the first seder. Let's just stop right there. Bubbe set the bar high, she works magic in the kitchen. You will never see a jar of that grayish looking gefilte fish in her fridge because she makes it down to the fish grinding. Then you bring my mom into the equation with her should-be world famous brisket. Yeah...the bar is set high. Luckily, they will always share their secrets with me, even though I can barely get Bubbe to write down a recipe. I guess that was passed down in the blood to me? Writing actual measurements are almost impossible, I prefer "enough" and "some" as my guidelines.

Anyway, I digress. So here is what is on the menu so far:

Seder Plate: sephardic charoset and handmade horseradish (and the rest of the normal stuff)

Matzoball soup

Brisket

Red skin potatoes with some kind of herbs most likely

String beans

Roasted asparagus

Chocolate fudge walnut cookies

Almond macaroons - non-coconut variety

Also, the MIL is bringing chopped liver and Carla is bringing another dessert.

For night one, I'm going to try making a Chocolate Pavlova with homemade whipped cream and raspberries.

I'm playing it safe this year for seder to get my feet wet. But, during the week I will try and create some more inventive Pesach dishes.  I swear it can't be that hard...at least for a Reformed Jew :)

Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts have a reputation of being so gross you have to feed them to the family dog. Not true! They are a fantastic little veggie.

We ate at Graffiato in DC earlier this month and had the most divine brussels sprouts I have ever had. They have this delicious light cream sauce that I still can't put my finger on. Maybe some sort of Creme Fraiche? Pancetta, maple, and bits of hard boiled egg to boost the flavor.

Want an easy at home recipe? Start with trimming the bottoms just a little, then halving the little darlings lengthwise. Next you will want to parboil them so they are bright green.

In the meantime, dice up some pancetta and brown it in a pan. Once that is completed, add your parboiled brussels sprouts and cook until browned. 

Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and red wine vinegar and serve.

Throughout this post I really wanted to refer to brussels sprouts as BS, but it just didn't seem right. Enjoy this delightful little cabbage, but don't eat too much because then you will be tooting all night long.

Update: I had the BS again, and it appears the cream may just be sour cream.

Easy Dinners

Weekdays get crazy, we come home tired, and just want to do something simple. Well that doesn't mean that you can't have something delicious and nutritious!

Here a couple of easy ideas:

Tofu Tacos

Cube up some tofu and toss it in cornstarch, garlic powder, and ginger powder.

Fry it in the wok (not deep fry) with just enough oil to make it golden brown.

Slice up some green cabbage.

Spread some hoison on a tortilla, lay down the cabbage and tofu and you are good to go!

Lazy Lady's Lasagna

Cook some whole wheat penne, then toss it with your favorite red sauce and a vegetable like peas or spinach. Those are vegetables I always keep on hand in my freezer for quick meals.

Brown up some ground beef or use a vegetarian substitute.

Mix together some part skim ricotta and pesto.

Now time to layer: spread some sauce on the bottom of a baking dish, layer some pasta/vegetable, layer the ricotta/pesto, layer the meat, layer the rest of the pasta, and top with shredded mozzarella.

Put under the broiler  to melt and slightly brown.

Pretzel Crusted Chicken Salad

Put some pretzels in the food processor and grind until you get small bits.

Mix together some whole grain mustard, dijon mustard, a little red wine vinegar and oil.

Dredge the chicken breast in the mustard sauce, then dip in the pretzels. 

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 mins, flipping once.

Slice up the chicken and serve over a salad. Keeping with the theme you can use honey mustard dressing.

Simple Salmon

Clean and pat dry a piece of salmon.

In a bowl, mix together 1/3 cup yogurt, 2 tbsp light mayo, juice from half a lemon, lots of dill (dried or fresh), a dash of white pepper, and a clove of garlic (you could also sub garlic powder).

Spread the yogurt mixture on the salmon and cook at 375 until the fish flakes.

While your salmon cooks you can saute some baby spinach in olive oil with some salt, pepper, and a finishing squeeze of lemon. Do the lemon after you take the spinach off of the heat.

Throw in a bag of 3 minute microwavable brown rice from Trader Joes and enjoy!

Notice that these posts weren't that specific (I mean even more so than I usually am). That's because following a recipe slows you down. You have to get into that groove in the kitchen. Taste as you go along and trust yourself. 

Cooking isn't about being in your head. You can get in there, spend some time with your family and let the stress of the day melt away. The worst that can happen by taking the recipe training wheels off is that you learn. And maybe have to order chinese delivery if your meal really is that bad.

Some Favorite Recipes That Aren't Mine

Here are some of my favorite recipes that are actually worth following:

1. Three Bean and Beef Chili by Ellie Krieger
2. Hazelnut Crunch Cake with Mascarpone and Chocolate by Giada (let's be honest, she doesn't need a last name)
3. Mushroom, Butternut Squash & Gruyere Tart by Paul Roberts
4. Cumin-Spiced Red Lentil Burgers by Ann Withey
5. Sweet Breakfast Quinoa by Jill Donenfeld

I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

<3 L

Chocolate Panna Cotta with Pepita Brittle

Need a brilliantly delicious dessert? Make this Chocolate Panna Cotta with Pepita Brittle from Food and Wine Magazine. I made this little gem for my mom's birthday last year and it was a hit!

The only change I made was to buy raw pepitas and roast them in butter...mmm butter!

Chickpeas, Garbanzo Beans, Choley...Call it Whatever!

Legumes are the best. Really, you don't need to be a vegetarian to enjoy their healthful and tasty benefits. Chickpeas (that's my name of choice) are one of my favorites!

Here is a simple and satisfying recipe that can be served with naan or flatbread and some yogurt.

What you need:
1 Can of Diced Tomatoes
1 Can of Chickpeas Drained and Rinsed (you don't need that extra sodium)
1 1/2 Yellow Onions
1 Jalapeno (partially seeded to your spice preference)
4 Cloves of Garlic
Cumin
Garam Masala
1 Bay Leaf
Grapeseed Oil
Immersion Blender (a gadget worth getting!)

1. In the food processor attachment of your blender, add the slightly seeded jalapeno and garlic cloves. Blend to small pieces or paste depending on what it will let you achieve.

2. Dice your onions and heat up your pan to medium. Once the temperature is reached, add about a tablespoon of grapeseed oil and wait until it shimmers. 

3. Once your onions are golden, add the garlic mixture and cook for 1 minute. Then add your garam masala and cumin to coat the surface. Mix that around until fragrant (no longer, because you'll burn it).

4. Add the can of diced tomatoes and the bay leaf. Cover and cook on low for 20 minutes. If the mixture begins to stick, add some water/stock.

5. Set aside the bay leaf and blend with the immersion blender. You can still leave it a little chunky.

6. Add the chickpeas and bay leaf and cook for another 10 - 15 minutes. During this step you want the chickpeas to absorb the flavor. So depending on how much water you added previously, you may need to add more or put in a dollop of tomato paste.

7. Remove bay leaf and serve with naan or yogurt!

Announcing our new baby!

My dream has finally come true. I am now a proud owner of a brand new oval Le Creuset. While it wasn't my first choice in enamel color, the price couldn't be beat. Thank you Bloomingdales for closing a store

Recipes made in my little friend to come...

Tofu Bibimbap

The inspiration for this meal comes from my basement. Well, to be more specific, my basement consists of a pool, gym, salon, massage room, travel agency, home refinishing business, oh yeah, and a grocery. The most important part of this list is the grocery. A small store run by a Korean family that does wonders with a rice cooker and a griddle.

On many lazy nights, Josh would ride the elevator down 15 stories to pick up a delicious meal fit with protein, carbs, and vegetables. At one point we caught ourselves eating this twice a week and realized we had a problem. Then the scary thought of "what happens when we move!" hit us. So that sparked an interest in recreating this delicious meal in our own kitchen.

WARNING: This is not for the faint of heart. Get ready for many steps and ingredients...

Protein:

We go back and forth between tofu and thinly sliced beef. You really can do whatever you want here. If you choose tofu, go with the firm version and toss it in some corn starch with powdered ginger and garlic. Have carnivorous instincts? Go with the thinly sliced steak from Trader Joe's (yes, I will continue to plug them). You can marinate it in some soy sauce, sesame oil, a little sugar, garlic and ginger.

The thing I love most with Asian cooking is that you really don't have to be specific measurements. A splash of this and a pinch of that makes it taste wonderful. Especially in my well seasoned wok turned up high.

Vegetables:

With Bibimbap, you can choose whatever veggies you have around. Sprouts and spinach are great, but tonight we went with fake it till you make it kimchi, carrots, and romaine.

Going from simple to complex:

1. Cut up the lettuce.

2. Julienne (cut thin strips) carrots and sear them in the wok.

3. Make fake kimchi by boiling the cabbage until soft and mixing it with 2 parts white vinegar, 1 part sesame oil, a little crushed red pepper, sugar and ginger. 

Last steps are the finishing touches, a fried egg and gochujang sauce.

The egg is easy, I have faith that you can do this without instruction. The sauce on the other hand, I will guide you through.

In a blender combine:
2 tbs rice wine vinegar
4 tsp sesame oil
4 tbs hot bean paste (you are going to have to go to the asian market to find this one)
2 tbs sugar

Now grab a plate or bowl and put a layer of rice down. Put little piles of vegetables and protein around the rice, top with your egg and sauce (and if you're feeling fancy, some scallions) and viola you have your first homemade Korean feast.

I hope you love it as much as we do.

Turkey Nappa Dumplings

Josh and I love this little hole in the wall place called China Bistro down Rockville Pike. They are known for their dumplings and if you ever get the chance to visit, you'll know why. Most of their dumplings consist of pork or seafood, so if you're kosher -- it's not the place for you.

I really wanted to make a healthier "at home" version, and ground pork seems to be hard to come by in my area. So instead, I opted for ground turkey, the 99% lean kind. The only problem I have with turkey is the lack of flavor. That gave me a challenge of making a scrumptious out of notoriously bland.

After making a quick batch of butter tofu, I mustered up the energy to make a couple dozen dumplings.

Ingredients:
- Package of 99% lean ground turkey (health education note: if you get just regular ground turkey because you think it's healthier than ground beef, you're wrong)
- Nappa Cabbage
- 1 Egg
-  1/2 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 tsp Ground Garlic
-  1/2 tsp Ground White Pepper
- 1 Scallion (that's also called Green Onion FYI)
- Sprinkle of Salt
- Wonton Wrappers (I bought eggroll wrappers instead, and cut them in quarters. I'll use the leftover cabbage and wrappers to make eggrolls later in the week.)
- Canola Oil

1. Thinly slice up about a cup and a quarter of cabbage, then cut the other way to mince. Then mince up the scallion and mix it with your cabbage. Your greens are now ready.
2. Grab a mixing bowl and crack your egg in, then beat it...Michael Jackson style.
3. Add to the bowl, your turkey, greens, and seasoning. Now go at it mixing with your hands.
4. Layout your wonton wrappers so that they look like diamonds and scoop about a teaspoon full into each one. You make have to adjust depending on your folding abilities.
5. Wet all the edges with some water. Now freestyle and make the shape you like best!
6. Heat up your pan with some canola oil to medium. Brown each side of the dumpling (note: you will have to do several batches of this).
7. Add about 1/2 cup of water and cover the pan. Steam until almost all the water is gone.

You can make some simple dipping sauce with soy sauce and rice wine vinegar.

Tomato Basil Soup Stolen from Nordstrom

Okay, I know I said that recipes really aren't my thing. But, I have to hand it to Serious Eats on this one for recreating a legend. I am obsessed with Nordstrom's tomato soup. It is creamy without being heavy and perfectly seasoned with basil. 

My tip: Serve it with great crusty whole wheat bread, or even better a grilled cheese and avocado sandwich. To make it fancy, drizzle a little leftover cream on top.