Yangtze

I love a good Chinese restaurant. I'm not talking about cheap takeout, because my standards have been raised sky-high by all of my discoveries in New York's Chinatown. I'm a little on the picky side when it comes to authenticity, and I've been bummed out about the Chinese population over here in England. Don't get me wrong, it's not like this country is devoid of good Chinese cooks, but there's a distinct lack of large immigrant groups in small areas. Let's be realistic; America is relatively young, and most ethnic groups that immigrated together, settled together. Not really the case over here, since there wasn't that sort of immigration boom in a short period of time. So I started to panic that I wouldn't be able to find the really good Chinese food that I grew to know and love in NYC.

I hate to be proven wrong most of the time, but not this time. After our Sunday adventures at Blackbushe market, hubby and I went out for a lunch date at Yangtze in Windsor. Down at the end of a street, a little off the beaten path, without any real signage or decor outside, lies a £14 all-you-can-eat experience that will knock your socks off. It's like a buffet, but different and better. To be honest, I think this is a genius idea, though I've never experienced it in an Asian restaurant before. You basically get a menu - with plenty of options for first, second, and third courses - and you just pick as much as you'd like. The portions are sort of tapas-sized, so you get to try a lot of stuff (although, we may have overeaten just a little bit).

Wonderfully authentic flavors and ambience, I'd recommend it to anyone. It cured my homesickness instantly (Isn't it kind of funny that I was most homesick for Chinese food?) and I can't stop thinking about the crispy duck pancakes. If you haven't had them before, it's super crispy duck, cooked pulled-pork style, accompanied by cucumber, slivers of spring onion, and a sweet plum sauce. You wrap everything up in a wafer-thin pancake (sort of like a tiny burrito) and it's fabulous. This place totally rocked it, and I can't wait to go back and stuff my face again.

Berry Good

Cooking: it never gets old (well, at least for me it doesn't). Experimentation is a constant, exciting adventure. Flavors I never would have thought to combine can actually be complimentary, and it's an exciting inspiration when I'm in the kitchen. Since lavender has continued to gain popularity in recipes (being used for culinary flavor instead of being used solely for fragrance), I've tried to use more herbs outside of their 'original purpose comfort zone'.

Blackberries are in season here at the moment, so I've been picking them at every chance I get. I munch them on their own or in some greek yogurt with a drizzle of honey. Yesterday, sitting on the kitchen windowsill there were five basil plants, so I thought, What the heck, and tossed a few leaves into my yogurt and berry snack. What a yummy flavor pairing! This isn't the first time I've had a basil-and-fruit epiphany; remember my recipe for Pineapple Basil Granita? That one was a favorite. 

It's so fun to continue to incorporate basil into my cooking, outside of traditional savory recipes. Another favorite summer snack with an unexpected spiced twist is watermelon sprinkled with chai tea masala. (I buy this brand, or pick up a spice mixture from a local Middle Eastern grocery store).

Have any tips on unexpected herbal or spice flavor pairings? Comment and let me know so I can give it a try, too!

Technically Tea

It is the social responsibility of all grandmothers to make their loved ones' diets fail miserably. And let me tell you, tea this past Sunday with my "nanna-in-law" was no exception. She had been up early baking a chocolate cake from scratch, preparing cherry scones, and whipping up fresh cream that was literally the most addictive substance I've ever come in contact with. The tea itself was an afterthought; necessary only for washing down the veritable mountain of baked goods that I consumed in her conservatory. My thighs will hate me later, but it was absolutely worth it.

Aren't these "fairy cakes" adorable? Those little bits on top are wings perched on a mound of fresh whipped cream. 

Moving Meals!

Well, it's no secret: in less than a week... we will officially have moved to England! Consequently, most of our apartment is being put in boxes, and our kitchen is growing emptier by the day. I'm determined to use up as much of the contents of our fridge/freezer/pantry as humanly possible before we depart, and so I bring you the "Moving Meals" series. These recipes are quick, cheap, require minimal ingredients, and are perfect for those ramen-noodle-budget times. Today's lunch: Cheap Chicken Chow Mein!

Ingredients: 

Ramen noodles, or rice noodles (whichever you have or prefer, one serving)
Broccoli: one box frozen, or one small head, fresh
1 bell pepper (optional)
1/2 of one yellow (or red) onion
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 chicken breast, diced (or 1 can of cooked chicken breast meat)
Soy Sauce
Black bean garlic sauce (or hoisin sauce + rice vinegar)
Water
Corn starch (optional, it just helps the sauce to thicken & look nicer, but doesn't effect taste)

Saute all of the vegetables with olive oil or sesame oil in a lidded pan while the water for the ramen (or rice) noodles comes to a boil.
Combine 1 tbsp black bean sauce with 3/4 cup water and 1/2 tbsp cornstarch and set aside
(Alternative: combine 1/2 tbsp hoisin, 1 tsp rice vinegar, and 1 clove finely minced garlic with cornstarch)
Add 1/2 of the sauce/water mixture to the vegetables, and cover while continuing to cook on medium low heat.
Add cooked noodles to vegetables (after straining, obviously) and add the rest of the sauce, too.
Cover with a lid, toss a little, and cook on low/medium low for another 1-3  minutes.
Garnish with... whatever! Herbs, lime, radish, etc - use up all the fresh bits in the fridge, and dig in!

If you try this recipe, comment below and let me know what you think!

Iced Over

So, as some of my instagram followers may or may not know, I was surprised with the wedding gift to end all wedding gifts: a Cuisinart ice cream maker. And guess what??? It arrived early, and I'm taking it home with me for the weekend. Pinterest has been providing an overwhelming amount of flavor inspiration, and I just can't decide what to make first! (I think I'm going to need to buy a second freezer.) Any suggestions? Anyone want to be my official taste tester? :)

Seasonal Eats

I try to keep my grocery shopping and diet in line with seasonal, local ingredients whenever possible. Summer and autumn may seem like the most exciting seasons for fresh produce, but I personally love winter! Winter is harvest time for cruciferous and root vegetables that I absolutely love, like brussel sprouts, kale, and beets. Contrary to popular belief, a lot of delicious veggies are available at this time of year. Below is a recipe for a super simple, super yummy beet soup that will warm (and fill) you up on the coldest of days.

I came up with this yummy creation yesterday, while experimenting with some Japanese black garlic I had bought. Black garlic is fermented and delicious, with a mild roasted garlic flavor and the sweetness of molasses. It can make an amazing salad dressing or aioli, or in this case, add tangy, earthy notes to round out my soup.

Roasted & Spiced Beet Soup

1 medium (3.5") beet, peeled and cut into 1/2" chunks
1 red onion, quartered
1 bell pepper, red or yellow, sliced into 1" thick strips
2 cloves raw garlic, sliced thinly
2 cloves black garlic (optional- substitute w/ 1 tsp molasses)
salt
pepper
cumin (I toasted and ground whole seeds, but powdered is OK if it is fresh)
chili powder
turmeric (optional - I added this for health benefits, not necessarily for flavor)
chili flakes (optional - I like a little spice in everything!)
olive oil
water

Place all of your vegetable, except garlic, on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil just enough to coat all vegetables evenly when mixed together, then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes, or until beets are caramelized (shown below). Check on them frequently, as the peppers and onions may burn around the edges. If you need to turn the oven heat down to 350 to prevent burning, do so; the roasting will simply take longer.

Remove veggies from oven and transfer to large pot on stove.
If you are using whole spices, toast and grind 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds with 1 tsp chili powder, pepper flakes, peppercorns, sea salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric. If using ground spices, mix all together in ramekin or other small dish for easy addition to the soup.
Add 1/2 of your spice mixture to the vegetables and toss with  a wooden spoon to coat evenly. Over low heat, saute the vegetables while adding the raw and black garlic.
Once the aroma of the garlic begins to bloom, add filtered water the top of the vegetables. Do not completely submerge - some tips and ends of the veggies should be poking out of the water.
Cover and let simmer over low medium heat until the beets are fork tender. Taste the broth after about 10 minutes and add the remaining spices, or additional salt/pepper, to taste.
Once everything is well incorporated and cooked through, remove from heat and prepare to blend.
I used a stick (submersible) blender, but the blending could also take place in a high-powered blender or food processor, though the soup will have to be left to cool first before blending.
Try to use a deep pot for the blending, or you will be painting your kitchen walls beet red!
Blend until it is a creamy, thick soup without lumps. You may need to add a few tablespoons of water, if some liquid evaporated in the cooking process.
Garnish with fresh parsley, sour cream, or horseradish cream (sour cream or yogurt with horseradish mixed in).
Bon apetit!

Let me know if you tried and enjoyed this recipe, or if you have any other seasonal recipes you'd like to share, in the comments or by emailing me at disownedclothing@gmail.com!

That Warm Fuzzy Feeling

It's the time of year when cold nights and mornings, snow flurries, and blustery winds begin to penetrate through layers of clothing and leave us all a little chilled. What better way to spend an evening curled up on the couch, than with a warm spiced drink that can also keep those seasonal sniffles away? Here's a recipe for my favorite home sniffles remedy drink, and it's darn yummy too.

It begins with some spices: cinnamon, anise, and cardamom (optional - I added it to the recipe because I love it). Cinnamon is a natural anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial, and anise and cardamom aids in digestion and stomach issues.

Next, ginger. Ginger is my favorite natural year-round health boosting addition. Pop a chunk in a cup of tea, or finely chop and add to stir fry or soup for a delicious zing with countless benefits. Ginger aids in detox, is anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial, and can calm an upset stomach. (Ever wonder why your mom gave you ginger ale when you had a stomach bug? Because there's actually ginger in it, and ginger is good for your stomach)

Finally, fruits. Oranges (I used tangerines, because they happened to look particularly delicious today), lemons, and pear add natural sweetness and immune boosting vitamins, as well as essential oils from their peels. The full recipe is below, but basically you bring everything to a boil, then cover and let steep, and drink warm or cold. Or, if you'd like to keep a batch ready for the next day, put everything in the slow cooker the night before. Tadaaa!!! Hope you stay all warm and toasty this winter.

Sniffles Stopper Spiced Drink

2" ginger root, peeled & cut into several pieces

2 cinnamon sticks

1 star anise

1-3 green cardamom pods (optional)

2 slices orange, with rind

1 sliver of lemon peel

2 slices of pear

4 cups water

-Add all ingredients to a small saucepot & bring to a boil

-Cover & let sit until warm (drinking temperature). 

-Enjoy!

PS- As mentioned above, this drink can be made in a slow cooker (crock pot) and stay warm for you all day. I recommend doubling the recipe listed above and preparing the night before if you choose to cook it this way.

Pork Two Ways

A couple on a budget still wants to have a nice big roast dinner on Sundays.
For the first time, I attempted to cook a whole pork shoulder into tender, moist, succulent (I swear I'm not trying to make this sound sexy, it's just happening. I mean, it IS pork. These things happen)...

Disclaimer: sorry for the photo quality, I was in too much of a hurry to grab my camera today, so my iphone did the job. 



I have truly, truly outdone myself this time. *Pats self on back*

On Sunday morning, I put this behemoth in the oven. 7 hours later...

A whole pork shoulder. Which then became the Sunday roast dinner (ahem, see below)...

Whose astronomically tender leftovers were repurposed (I mean, there are like 9 lbs left, I'm going to be eating pork in various dishes for a week)... into the below Asian delight. 

This is a wonton noodle soup bowl version I made for my honey... mine sported GF rice noodles and a squeeze of lime. I could probably eat noodle bowls every day of my life. Tomorrow will probably be pork tacos. (Taco Tuesday, duh!). Loving this whole one-meal-lasts-a-week thing. We can eat well on a budget without a casserole dish in sight! 

Juicy.

Have you ever tried "real" grapes? Not the ones on grocery store shelves; no, I'm talking about the mouth-puckering, vibrant smelling grapes used in juice and wine making. If you haven't, you should. Quick! While they're in season- get your hands on some. You won't regret it. 

A local vineyard brought juice and fresh grapes to the farmers' market this past weekend. I smelled their stand before I saw it, whipping around instantly at the distinctive scent. It took me back to childhood walks in the woods with my father, and the smell of the wild grapes along the edge of the water in the fall.

I spent all afternoon slowly eating a bunch, careful to save all of the seeds. I'll be really excited if I can manage to get some vines growing next spring. 

I love the label on this bottle. Maybe I won't refrigerate the next one, tee hee...

Please excuse my gross burn wound scab thing on my hand. Such is the life of the (unprofessional) chef.