Pantry Perk

Normally, I am all about food shopping. I love it. Except this weekend. Just couldn''t get myself out there. And so, I scrounged around to see what I had and what I could make that was exotic. A lot of my snow-weary Facebook pals are posting about tropical get-aways and so I decided to have one too and give my tastes buds a trip.

Here is where we went...

Pantry Pad Thai

8 ounces dried brown rice noodles (Lundberg Farms make great ones...Any noodle will do, I just happened to have these)
4 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, plus wedges for serving
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil
3 scallions, white and green parts separated and thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 bunch broccoli, steamed and florets cut
½ cup fresh cilantro
¼ cup chopped roasted, lightly salted peanuts per serving


Cook noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Whisk together brown sugar, lime juice, and soy sauce. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add scallions and garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant.

Add broccoli, noodles, and soy sauce mixture to skillet, toss constantly until noodles and broccoli are coated with sauce. Serve noodles with lime wedges and top with cilantro and peanuts. Serves 3-4.

Fitting the Bill

Happy Presidents' Day!!! And while I should be lauding George and Abe collectively, I still do on their individual days. Abe's big day was February 12th and as a little girl, I made log cakes for the occasion. Tomorrow is George's big day and something cherry will have my name on it, his, too! Which reminds me, I do need to research both of those remarkable men and their foods...get back to you on that next year! Til then, here is another president that's on my mind.

As you know, Bill Clinton no longer eats animals. For about a year now, he has eaten generous amounts of veggies, fruits, whole grains and legumes. Like me, he also starts off every morning with a protein shake. Chelsea, his daughter, wanted him to look picture perfect for her wedding and designed a plant-based diet for him to lose 15 pounds. He embraced it and lost 23.

Bill himself had read some of the books we list as references and decided that going plant-based would fill both his daughter's heart's desire and it might even help fix his. He has had bypass surgery and some lingering complications to boot. Judging from the recent photo below, his new way of eating fits the Bill.

He was in Little Rock this past Saturday to open up a new community theater. I would have given my eye teeth to be there. I wonder what and where he ate??? Here is a soup that might have been perfect to serve him.  A Korean variation of a miso soup, it is a shoe-in fit for Meatless Monday, especially on a Monday during this raging flu season, and it is about time for a tofu recipe. Like a rare visit from a former president, I don't eat or feature tofu very often. Lots of folks have a tummy virus. (All the more reason to let me help you with your food and skincare for whole body defense!) This soup fits the bill for that, too...delicious, soothing, and healing.

Bill's Tofu Soup

1/4 cup crumbled dried seaweed, such as wakame or kelp (see Tip) 
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 cups water
2 tablespoons white miso (see Note), or to taste
1/2 cup diced firm tofu...must be organic, non-GMO!!
  *I also add in some mushrooms

Place seaweed in a medium bowl, cover with water and let soak for 20 minutes.
Combine scallions, garlic, sesame oil and pepper in another bowl. Warm a medium saucepan over high heat and add the scallion mixture. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in 4 cups water and miso. Reduce the heat to medium-low so the liquid does not boil. Whisk to dissolve the miso.

Drain the seaweed and stir it into the soup along with tofu. Cook over medium-low for about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Taste and season with more miso, if desired. Don't let soup boil after you add in the miso...it will diminish some of miso's wonderful natural, healing powers!

Tip: Wakame is easier to find than you think. Look for wakame in natural-foods stores,  Asian markets, lots of grocery stores in the "international section" and even Drug Emporium has it.

Note: Miso is fermented bean paste made from barley, rice or soybeans and is used to add flavor to dishes such as soups, sauces and salad dressings. It is available in different colors, depending on the type of grain or bean and how long it’s been fermented. In general, the lighter the color, the more mild the flavor. It will keep, in the refrigerator, for at least a year and is usually found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. There are also some dried misos available. Check the label to see how to use them.

Here are the brands I use...

CSI Week: Clearly in need...

There are two posts today, OGT's version of "Dinner and a Movie"...

Post #1...

As some weeks do, mine started off so-so and then got better. Kind of like this post will.  I am going to let the story start where it actually did, though, and lead into a delicious ending. Maybe there are some things in the middle that may be helpful. Just in case you have a week like mine.

This was my CSI Week: cancer screening intensive. Got 'em all done.There is a lot of cancer in my family: my dad, brother (diagnosed with 2 cancers the same day as my dad...baaaad day for us), cousin, mother-in-law and a couple others I won't mention to protect their privacy.

Our family is not unusual nowadays. You'd think there was something in the food and water...

One of the things that I feel needs a good health screening is the list of gloppy "clear liquids" okayed to drink before some tests. Good lord. Most were riddled with high fructose corn syrup, artificial coloring, artificial flavoring, tons of sodium, preservatives...all the suspicious characters that are linked to illness!! One "beverage" listed MSG, partially hydrogenated soybean and cottonseed oils and hydrolyzed soy protein!!  No way was I going to down 48 hours' worth of those liquids. My parents had some beverage glasses with "Name Your Poison" written on them. Sure makes one think...

In case you don't want to slug back those sketch-y liquids or even if you just want a stash of healthy clear liquids on hand in case someone gets the flu, here is what I found that is tasty, refreshingly delicious and not at all toxic: all kinds of regular teas and herbal teas, coconut water, lemonade, water with cucumber and mint in it and tea made out of steeping a few star anise "stars" in boiling water. I also froze my leftover coffee for a "slushy". It was kind of fun actually, thinking up new clear "spa beverages". There are also many great sparkling beverages. Here are two of my fave's: Izze's Sparkling Apple and Reed's Ginger Beer.

Also here is an especially fabulous tea recommended by The Divine Ms M. Loved it just by reading the box...it had me when it listed "playful" as an ingredient. It is really delicious and great if you are trying to de-soda yourself or kids. Just do it!

Setting that fun aside, here is what I made to celebrate the end of  CSI week, such a colorful and happy dish and a great one to take to a potluck:

Celebration Soba Salad

8 ounces soba noodles*
1 pound sugar snap peas
3-4 stalks asparagus (optional), cut into 1 inch lengths
2 carrots, scrubbed and julienned
1/2 medium yellow and red bell pepper (they can be quite large!), deseeded and julienned
3 scallions, diced
2 T sesame seeds (toasted until golden in a hot skillet and then cooled. Watch closely. They can burn easily. If they do burn, try again. Burned sesame seeds are really bitter!)

Ginger Dressing

3/4  cup toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup shoyu or soy sauce
1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice and zest from whole lime
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon fresh black pepper

Heat a pan of water to boiling and add soba noodles. Boil until done according to the brand you buy. Times will be listed on the package and vary between 6-8 minutes. I do not salt the water. When done, remove noodles from pan and place in a colander to drain quickly. Rinse with cold water, drain again. Blot with towel and then pour 1/4-1/2 of dressing over noodles. Set aside.

In noodle water, quickly blanch snap peas, asparagus and carrots for a minute or two to your desired doneness. Plunge into ice water and drain. I prefer to blanch these veggies for this recipe instead of using them raw, but go ahead and omit this if you want.

Add veggies to noodles, add extra dressing and toss lightly. Sprinkle with chopped green onions, toasted sesame seeds and wedges of lime. If desired for a veg main dish option, also add in cubes of tofu.

*If you don't care for the nutty flavor of buckwheat flour soba noodles, you can substitute a fine spaghetti. Also, the dressing makes a lot and is great for other salads and as a marinade.

And now, for post #2...

Chicken Soup Redux

This is how I felt for several days last week. I had a headache to beat the band. We had a lot of storm systems roll through here and every one rocked and rolled through my head. Between my head and curly hair, who needs The Weather Channel? I am a walking weather report. Rarely under the weather, I was growing increasingly annoyed with the heat, humidity, storms and my headache-y malaise. I needed some chicken soup...my go-to remedy for almost everything. Soup, especially chicken soup, really relieves my barometricly induced head pressure. But, here's the rub. I don't eat chicken any more.

Fueled by pain, my curiosity kicked into overdrive. I remembered having some delicious miso soup last spring. There is a farmstand of sorts near Mom that serves miso soup in its take-out area. It is wonderful and very nourishing, and made with fermented organic soy, not the scary stuff. Sounded like the perfect soup to soothe me and help me learn something new. I am not very experienced in Asian foods...there are just a few Asian recipes on this blog and so pursuing miso soup looked like a win-win.  Just a note: There is so much hype out there about soy. It is in everything and so, be aware. You only want organic tofu and fermented soy products like miso, tamari and tempeh. Steer clear of as many soy protein isolates as you can...they usually have high fructose corn syrup and other bad actors in their mix.

 

I made a big batch and tweaked it throughout the week, adding in chopped green onions, leftover soba noodles, a few chunks of tofu and some baby bok choy.  Every day it was a little different and gave me the fix and relief I needed. It was all gone (and so was my headache) before I got to try out a bunch of other add-in's that would be good, like broccoli and mushrooms. Next time. The miso I had on hand also had a "per serving" recipe enclosed, if you don't want a whole pot full! Just like chicken soup, there are tons of recipes for miso soup...so play.

                                     

Soothing Miso Soup 

The ingredients were easy to find at the grocery (International Food aisle for wakame and refrigerated case for reasonably priced miso) and I even found the wakame at a drug store.

1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced 

3-4 carrots, julienned

3 T wakame, soaked in cold water for 5 minutes*

1 cup white miso (you can also use red or brown)

In a soup pot, combine 6 cups of  water, onion, carrots and wakame. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Add one cup of water to miso (it is a paste) and blend thoroughly. Add miso to soup and heat through to warm miso but do not boil! Miso loses some of its healing magic if it boils.

Serves 5-6.

*Wakame is a sea vegetable and comes in dried form and was new to me! Click on the picture and it should enlarge it so you can read what's on the package better. You rehydrate it by soaking in cool water for 5 minutes. The directions are on the bag. I used 3T from about a $4 bag and there is tons left for lots more soup. Wakame adds a nice salty/sweet favor.

Tipsy Times

My son Christian is here for a couple of days and thankfully, is whipping me into shape...technologically and otherwise! He is a whiz with this computer and has helped me gather all (well, most all) of my thoughts and dreams to date under one site...this blog. Feel the love, big love...this is not an easy task! I have a mind that can spin in many directions and formatting it into one spot can be quite like herding wild cats. And so, to balance the order and structure that technology demands, we are cutting loose in the kitchen.

Horses are a favorite animal of mine...they are precious and sweet, like big dogs. (Gosh, I should do a post on my pony Topper! Oh, we had such great times!  Ha...you see how challenging trying to stay focused is? Ok, getting the GPS in my mind back on track...) The Kentucky Derby ran this weekend and while not a fan of horse racing per se, I have to watch the Derby and marvel at those magnificent animals and pray for a safe race. Mint Juleps are the perfect go-with and after several years of different recipes, I think we mashed up a winner of our own. In fact, they were so good on Derby day, we had one last night, too! What the heck. Our mint is quite robust this year and if you need some, give me a shout. It is growing everywhere!!!

Mint Julep


6-8 mint leaves
1 Tablespoon sugar
crushed ice
2 1/2 ounces bourbon
simple syrup (1 part sugar to 1 part water and boiled 5-7 minutes)
sprigs of mint


Put mint leaves and sugar in the bottom of a cup or heavy glass. Crush and mash well. Fill cup with crushed ice, pour in bourbon and top off with a splash of simple syrup. Garnish with a sprig of mint. Yum. Serves 1

Now, Christian is also a confirmed vegetarian and conservationist and I have learned so much about food and helping the environment from him. Both he, his wife Reshma and sister Melissa (all veggies) are whizzes in the kitchen and have been cooking since they were knee high (hmmm...I sense another the post on those early cooking days!) When Christian was in college, there was a favorite restaurant in Boston called Brown Sugar that served Drunken Noodles, fiery and luscious, and although the name suggests otherwise, made without a drop of alcohol. And so, with Mint Juleps in hand, here is the homemade version we cooked up.


Drunken Noodles

1-14-ounce packages 1/4-inch-wide flat rice noodles* (we used 1 14 ounce package Tinkyada brand Brown Rice Pasta "Fettuccine/Pad Thai" size)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (we used combo of coconut and olive oil)
12 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh Thai chilies* (we used 1 Anaheim, 1 Hungarian and 1 jalapeno)
1 16 ounce package extra firm tofu
1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc nam)* (we used 1/4 cup mirin)
1/4 cup black soy sauce* (we used organic shoyu soy sauce)
1/4 cup Golden Mountain sauce* or light soy sauce (organic shoyu)
1 tablespoon sugar
4 large plum tomatoes, each cut into 6 wedges
4 Anaheim chilies or Italian frying peppers, or 2 green bell peppers (about 12 ounces total), cut into strips
1/2 cup fresh Thai basil leaves* or regular basil leaves
We also decided it needed some onions and a few shitaki mushrooms for "chew".


The ingredients with an * could be available in specialty groceries or markets, but we couldn't find them here and our substitutions worked well. If not a veggie, you can use 1 1/2 pounds of chicken instead of the tofu.



Cook noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring frequently. Drain.


Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and Thai chilies; sauté 30 seconds. (we did this a little longer) Add tofu and next 4 ingredients and sauté until tofu is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add noodles, tomatoes, and Anaheim chilies; toss to coat. Transfer to large platter, sprinkle with basil leaves, and serve.


Serves 4-6.

There is something fish-y here

My dad was born in China and as a young girl, that was soooo confusing. Remember those reports we (or at least I) had to write in elementary school about our families? For me, it was a nightmare that made no sense. You see my dad's mom was born in Mexico and so by the time I got through explaining my dad's and grandmother's origins, I was totally confused and felt isolated as no one else in the class had such a far-traveled family tale! To make matters even more confusing, they lived in Canada most of their lives until dad went to college. Phew!

As an adult, I wanted dad to go back to China and see where he had lived, but by the time he applied for a passport, he was beyond the adventuring stage. And, it took some time for the government to figure things out, too! We tried to locate Grandma Jean's birthplace while we lived in Mexico but so much had changed. Maybe that is what discouraged dad from revisiting his birthplace. Anyway, we still have his beautiful silk baby booties!

Here is a delicious Asian sauce recipe that is perfect on rice or soba noodles and welcomes the addition of some shrimp if you'd like it even "fishier" or tofu. It is spicy and so you may want to tone it down or fire it up!

Lime Chili Sauce

1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ cup finely shredded carrots
½ teaspoon chili paste
1 tablespoon each chopped fresh mint and cilantro

Whisk all together. Makes ¾ cup