On My Plate: Week of March 8th

So, this is the second post in my "On My Plate" series. You can catch the first one here if you missed it.

This week was pretty awesome, in terms of deliciousness. I mastered the gluten free sweet potato gnocchi, and I've incorporated it into 3 meals so far. I also came up with a fantastic recipe for balsamic glazed chicken, and it was such a hit that I'll be doing a recipe post for it soon. Unfortunately, I don't have any photos of it at the moment. It was one of those meals that was eaten too quickly to photograph.

I haven't had bubble tea since leaving New York, so I was thrilled to see a bubble tea stand when Steve and I were out & about. It was a nice little treat (and a splurge that I wouldn't usually spend money on) that brought back a lot of fond memories of my former home, and my beloved Chinatown.

Speaking of foods that remind me of home, I made a classic "mom's cooking" favorite: pickled eggs & beets. If you're not from Pennsylvania Dutch country, you're probably not going to understand why anyone would enjoy eating stinky, pickled purple eggs, but trust me: they're incredible. And I love them. And as soon as the weather starts to turn warm, I can't get them out of my head. Well, pickled eggs and deviled eggs... basically, any eggs that you would find served at a picnic potluck. Which is ironic, because they're probably the last foods that you'd want to eat after they'd been left out in the sun. But I digress...

Then I experimented today with my classic tomato sauce. Since it's a Lenten Friday and I won't be partaking in meat today, I made a tuna tomato sauce (served with the last of my sweet potato gnocchi) with fresh spinach & basil. I was a bit skeptical at first, but the flavors are a match made in heaven. I'm even playing around with the idea of a tuna meatball recipe, just for kicks.

Let me know in the comments if you'd like me to post any of the above recipes!

On My Plate: Week of March 1st

Optional title for this post: "How to eat Mexican food every day for a week: The Dani Robinson story". Sounds like a Lifetime movie akin to a documentary about the morbidly obese, but I digress:

This is a new little feature that I'd like to get into, because I know I've taken some time off from food and recipe blogging on Street Cred until we move into our new flat. But as someone who is obsessed with cooking, I figured that some of my readers might be wondering what I actually eat. And it's usually pretty healthy, so if there's enough interest in any particular recipe or meal, I'd be more than happy to post it.

First up: Taco-lasagna. I know, this is not the prettiest meal you've ever seen. It's a total weeknight casserole type of thing. But we do "Taco Tuesday" in this house on a pretty regular basis, so this week I mixed it up with all of our favorite taco fixin's in a big lasagna-style presentation. The verdict? Less mess and cleanup, and leftovers were consumed for breakfast the next day (they didn't even make it until lunch, is the point I'm getting at here).

Basically, the taco meat (w/ added crushed tomatoes) was layered with sauteed onions and peppers, cheese, and tortillas replaced the pasta in this lasagna assembly. Then once it came out of the oven, the whole thing was topped with lettuce and tomatoes, and individuals could garnish their portion with salsa, sour cream, guac, etc.

Next up: Leftover pork chops turned burrito bowl. I thinly sliced the pork, added it to onions and peppers, and cooked it up with garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Then I threw it on top of some rice and topped it with homemade salsa, some guac, and greek yogurt (instead of sour cream). It was a great lunch in a pinch, and only took all of 10 minutes to make. On a larger scale, it could make a pretty filling dinner.

Souper: (that's a pun between "soup" and "supper", by the way)
I cooked up some black beans the other night, so I used what was left to whip up a quick black bean soup for lunch. About 1 cup of homemade chicken stock, some onions and peppers (are you sensing a theme yet?), garlic, frozen sweet corn, cumin, chili powder, kale and fresh cilantro (coriander) all cooked up in another 10-minute lunch. A great filling and healthy vegetarian option if you use vegetable stock i/o chicken, and it's perfect on a deceptively chilly day.

The week isn't even over yet! I wonder if I'll end up with a quesadilla tonight...

What's Cooking: Easy Homemade Pasta

This recipe is from my food blog, Street Cred. Click on the photo below to check it out!

BUM-BUM-BUM! I know that this might sound intimidating, but please trust me, it's not. If you can roll out sugar cookies, you can make pasta. No lie! When I started making my own pasta about a year ago, I didn't even own a rolling pin - I used an empty wine bottle to roll out my dough. And it worked great! So there is no need for a fancy pasta machine, and in about half an hour you can have amazing fresh handmade pasta.

I do have the advantage of owning a pasta machine now, since it was an anniversary gift this year (and a hint that the hubs wants me to make pasta more often). If you make pasta using this recipe and you decide that it's worth the time, effort, and you like to know exactly what's in your food - you can pick up a basic hand crank model like mine for about 20 bucks (or pounds, or whatever your unit of currency is). It still won't save you from the upper body workout that is kneading dough, but hey! The more calories you burn, the more of that fantastic pasta you can eat later.

So, without further adieu, here are the ingredients for my pasta recipe:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (plus a little more for dusting)

3 large eggs

That's it! I swear! That's all that goes into pasta. Or, should I say, it should be. This stuff can be hang dried or refrigerated for up to a week, so even if you don't use this whole batch at once, it won't go to waste. Typically this makes 6-8 servings, depending on your appetite. I made lasagna noodles this time around, and about 1/3 of the dough was leftover and cut into fettucini for the later this week. 

Make sure your work surface is washed clean and dried thoroughly. You can use a large cutting board, but I prefer a nonporous surface like a countertop. Place your flour in a pile, then hollow out the center to create a well. Crack all 3 eggs into the center well of your flour, and whisk gently with a fork (if you'd prefer, you can whisk before pouring into your flour). While stirring with the fork, gradually incorporate flour from the center edges of the well. 

When the flour is about 2/3 incorporated, you can begin mixing with your hand until a ball of dough has formed. This dough will probably be flaking off and quite messy now, and that's when the fun of kneading begins! Knead the dough ball using the heel of your hand. Flatten, fold over, and repeat. Continue this for about 8-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and stops cracking when kneaded. It's extremely important to knead the dough, since this process gives the pasta its elasticity. 

When your dough ball is ready to be rolled out, clean and dry your work surface, and dust it with a layer of flour. Divide the ball of dough into 3-4 even pieces, and work with one at a time. Dust the top of the dough and your rolling pin (or rolling wine bottle) with flour, and begin rolling! If you're using a pasta machine, you can probably begin rolling in the machine once you have the dough at about 3/8" thickness. If you are rolling by hand, skip the rest of this paragraph and see below!

For machine rolling, start on the lowest (biggest) setting, #1, and each time the dough is rolled through, increase the number by 1. I like my lasagna noodles to be a #6 thickness, and my linguine to be a #7. Unless you're making angel hair pasta, I don't think it's really necessary to roll anything out to the thinnest setting, but that's a personal preference. I like a little substance to my pasta. Then you can either use one of the cutting wheels on your pasta machine, or remove your pasta and cut it by hand (instructions below).

For hand rolling dough, roll into a large flat sheet of desired thickness - about 1/8" is usually good. Dust the top of the pasta sheet well with flour, then fold over in half. Repeat until you have a log shaped roll of pasta. Then, using a sharp knife that is lightly dusted in flour, simply slice your log into the desired thickness. Here's a good little demo video, in case you'd like a visual for this process. Shake out your cut pasta so that it doesnt stick together, and dust with another tbsp or so of flour if you're not planning to cook it right away. 

Simply repeat this process (whether by hand or machine) for the rest of the remaining dough, and voila! The first time I made this, I think it took about 20 minutes, so please don't be intimidated - give it a try! You'll never want to buy store-bought pasta again.

Adventures in: Bread Making

This post comes from my food blog, Street Cred!

I am not a baker; I absolutely hate math and all things to do with precise measurement. Most of my cooking style, and my recipes, involve a list of ingredients without quantities or instructions. Why? Because I just sort of "wing it"; nothing is ever the same twice (except my tomato sauce, but that's a closely guarded secret). I think it's important to cook based on taste, because ingredients can vary in freshness, intensity, and often need to be adjusted to perfect the overall balance. But with that rant aside, I'll get back to my story about bread, and how I actually followed a recipe for once.

Nothing quite excites me like a good rustic crusty loaf of REAL bread. My eyes light up in an Italian restaurant every time a basket full of hot-out-of-the-oven goodness plops down on the table in front of me. When I don't feel like cooking, I'll pick up a fresh baguette on the way home and just dip it in some good olive oil, or spread some nice soft bleu cheese on it while it's warm. Ah, the wonders of good bread.

I've seen countless recipes of the "no-knead Dutch oven" variety floating around the internets lately, but upon further investigation, these look like they come out resembling a dense white bread, which is not what I am looking for. No, I want hard-crusted oblong and round loaves with a fluffy, bubbly interior. And I want to make it myself.

So, without further delay, I present to you my first attempt at homemade crusty bread. And I double-pinkie-promise that it's easy and idiot-proof. I mean, I baked something. That's proof enough.

You will need: 

Patience (Start to finish, this recipe takes about 4 hours)

3 1/2 cups bread flour (may be labeled as "strong flour") + extra for kneading/dusting

1 tsp dry instant yeast

2 tsp fine sea salt

1 1/4 - 1 1/2 cups warm water (Tap water is fine, it should be "bath water" temperature. Not too hot!)

1 baking sheet OR pizza stone

1 metal or glass pan with 1" sides

1 large mixing bowl

Your hands

The Dough:

Mix the flour, dry yeast, and salt in a bowl.

Slowly add the warm water, stirring constantly (I used a regular spoon to mix, but this can also be done in a stand mixer with a bread hook. I have none, so I did it the old fashioned way.)

When the dough is "sticky" (should look like the photo above), stop adding water, dust the top with flour, cover with a tea towel and let sit.

Let it rise for two hours. Leave it alone. Go do something else.

Dividing the Dough:

Divide the gooey dough into 3 balls. To do this, dust some flour on your countertop or wooden cutting/baking board, and roll the balls in it so that they're less sticky. Cover again, and let rest for 15 minutes.

Kneading the Dough:

A lot of people think that this is the hardest stage. Well, it's not. This isn't pasta, so the kneading part isn't the most difficult. Actually, the difficult part is done (for me, that was the waiting).

Take each ball and knead 5-8 times. Basically, roll the heel of your hand into the center of the ball, fold it in half, turn 90 degrees, and repeat. Once you have kneaded all 3 balls, either leave them in a round shape, or form/roll/stretch them into a baguette-like shape. Cover again, and let rest 30 minutes.

Baking:

Preheat your oven to 450 Farenheit (or 230 Celsius) with the baking pan inside, and the 1" deep pan below your baking pan on the lowest rack.

Score (slash) the tops of your bread balls/loaves a few times with a very sharp knife. If it is too stretchy and doesn't want to be scored, then use scissors and take a few shallow snips right in the middle. That's what I did for my first try, and it worked like a charm.

Get some hot water ready - about 3/4 cup. Once the oven is preheated, sprinkle a little flour onto the preheated pan (don't remove it from the oven, though! It will cool off too quickly) and plop your little dough balls onto it. Pour the hot water into the pan in the bottom of the oven, and quickly shut the door to trap the steam. This steam is what creates a really nice crust.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven, and let cool on a baking rack.

Tadaaaaa! I'm so proud of myself that I want to shout it from the rooftops. This recipe made 3 baguette-shaped loaves, but only two survived to be photographed shortly after their removal from the oven. My taste-testers clearly approved, and I ended up baking a whole big round loaf later that evening (which follows the exact same recipe, except doesn't divide the dough before kneading). 

So, give it a try!  If I can do it, anyone can. 

Diary of a Diet: Everyone is Different

Maybe you recall my post last week about my recent budding adventures on a "Pairing Diet", due to a decrease in my energy levels and an overall want to feel healthier in my day-to-day life. I also pointed out in that post that different people have different dietary needs, and sometimes certain approaches just don't work for some people. Well, this diet just wasn't doing it for me. Nope.

The lack of carbs in the majority of my meals left me clinging to a bowl of basmati rice while my internal voice screamed, "You'll never take me alive!"

I ended up even more drained of energy, and craving processed and sugary snacks, so I decided to nip this diet in the bud before I did more harm than good. It was a good jump start back into healthier eating, though, and made me more conscious of the balances of foods I had been eating (ie: wine, cheese, and red meat). I'm enjoying more of a lean-protein, veggie-centric meal style so far this week. Although there are no strict dietary guidelines to the way I'm eating, it's nice to get back to a style of cooking that I have preferred in the past. I'll admit, it's not easy to feed a meat-and-potatoes guy when you're trying to be mostly veg, but I think I've found a good balance and everyone is happy.

Some might argue that being forced into strict dietary guidelines actually makes one more likely to revert back to an unhealthy eating pattern; when food is seen as "bad" or "cheating", the temptation is there to, well, cheat. But when the food is simply purchased/prepared/served as the only option, and it has enough carbs/fat/yum to satisfy while remaining healthy, there is less of a chance of straying from the path.
So, while I did try to go on a two-week, supposedly energy-boosting diet, I decided that it wasn't working for me, and my long-held strategy of enjoying my food was the better option. Here's a little glimpse of what has made it onto my plate this week.

 This very veggie-laden stir fry with rice noodles is a lunchtime favorite

My "Border Patrol Breakfast Burrito" : Get the recipe here

This family dinner from last night: Tequila Lime Chicken. Om nom nom. This was definitely a crowd pleaser at the dinner table. Next time I make it, I'll be sure to post the recipe!

My favorite use for leftover chili: Taco salad! I'm beginning to sense a very southwest-heavy trend in my eating this week. Maybe a little bit of homesickness is manifesting itself in taco-themed everything. 

Which I am totally ok with. 

Border Patrol Breakfast Burrito

Most mornings, I'm not a big 'breakfast person'. This morning, however, I had some really Kafka dreams about touring Martha Washington's house and being turned into a statue (I'm not even joking. Any dream interpreters out there?). My odd sleep experiences woke me up around 4am, and I have simply not been able to fall back asleep. Around 6:30, Millie (the dog) started whining to be let outside, so I gave up and began what has become a coffee marathon.

On mornings like this, I need some fuel to keep me going for the rest of the day. Breakfast burritos are a recent homemade obsession of mine, so I employed some leftover taco night ingredients and threw together what I call a the Border Patrol Breakfast Burrito. The sauces look like a Mexican flag, teehee! (I'm easily amused.)

Ingredients: 

Diced onion, caramelized first!

1 egg, scrambled

Lettuce

Tomato

Cucumber (Hey, it's not Mexican but I'm trying to be healthy. Bring on the veggies!)

Hot sauce

Greek yogurt

Guacamole or fresh avocado

Salt & pepper

Fresh cilantro/coriander

1 10-inch tortilla  *hint: I microwave for 15 seconds before wrapping, so that it doesn't crack!*

Wrap it up, baby! It's that simple. YUM!

The Baked Omelet

Sounds complicated and fancy, right? Looks it, too. But it's not, I promise! Baking an omelet means you don't have to flip it on the stove, so whatever ingredients you pile on top can stay sittin' pretty. The recipe starts on a stove, then moves to the oven: they key is having a saucepan that handle it (metal handled pans work best!) If you saw my recipe post from yesterday, you know that there's smoked trout in the fridge right now. It's a real treat/obsession for me, so I'm basically incorporating it into everything I eat, until it's all gone. [insert sad face]

This technique works for any kind of omelet though, so you can use your traditional favorites (ham and cheese), or branch out with some really lovely ideas (asparagus and bacon?). It's a blank canvas!

Here's how I made mine: 

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter or olive oil (or 1/2 butter & 1/2 olive oil, if you're feeling fancy and French)

2 medium eggs

1 tbsp milk

1/4 cup finely diced onion

3-4 basil leaves, sliced into 1/8" strips (chiffonade, for those of you in the culinary know)

1/2 fillet of smoked trout

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Add milk to the eggs and beat with a fork - **Do not add salt or pepper yet! Salt will dry out the eggs at this stage; save that for the last step**

Heat pan on the stove on medium heat, with butter or oil

When the butter/oil is fully melted and heated, tilt the pan to cover the entire bottom. This will ensure that your omelet slides out nicely at the end

Add the eggs, reducing heat to low, and add toppings of your choice

When the edges of the omelet are just beginning to firm up, add salt & pepper, and transfer the pan to the oven at 250 degrees (Farenheit. I don't know the conversion to Celsius yet, and I'm sorry.)

Keep an eye on it, and your omelet will be finished when the center is solid

Remove pan from the oven (remember that the handle will be hot!) and use a spatula to slide your omelet onto the plate

Garnish with fresh herbs or leftover ingredients. Voila! A fancy omelet made simple. 

Warm and Seasonal

In an effort to eat healthier (and cut back on my daily French cheese binges) I'm trying to make sure that my meals stay fresh and seasonal. August is one of my favorite months for fresh produce; the start of the "harvest season."

One cannot live on salads alone, so I tried to dress this one up with a toasty twist: on a bed of fresh cool spinach, I've piled some roasted vegetables. I love the interplay of warm and cool, and the contrast in crunchy and soft textures. The spinach underneath wilts ever so slightly, as the tomatoes burst and the juices create their own dressing for this salad. As an extra treat today, I've put some cold smoked trout flaked on top. It's salty and creamy, and reminds me of the fish I loved to eat growing up. You could substitute some good tuna, or even some sardines or anchovies if that's more to your taste. Or, if you're not much of a fish person, this flavorful veggie feast doesn't need any additional adornment. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1/2 of a medium sized (8-9 inch long) courgette (zucchini), in 1/4" slices
1/4 of one large yellow or red onion, sliced thinly
1 clove of garlic, sliced thin OR 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Fresh cherry tomatoes, whole, one handful
1 handful fresh baby spinach, rinsed and dried
1/2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped (dried is ok, too!)
Olive oil
Salt & pepper, to taste

In a saucepan over medium high heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil and coat the base of the pan
Add tomato, onion, garlic, and courgette, salt and pepper, and toss to coat
Saute for 6-8 minutes or until the ingredients are cooked to your liking (some like it crunchier, some like it softer)
Place spinach in a large bowl, and top with the cooked veggies
Flake smoked fish (or your fish of choice) over the top
Enjoy!

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!

Cold Soba Salad

I'm a big fan of soba noodles. When I was on an exclusively gluten-free diet for several years, these buckwheat beauties opened the door to many new culinary options. Lately, I've been loving them in cold dishes and salads, where their nutty flavor really stands out. Here's a recipe that I've been making for lunch the past few days; feel free to substitute your own veggies or protein, depending on what is on hand.

The beauty of this recipe is that once you adjust the dressing to your liking, you can really do anything you'd like with the other ingredients. Sometimes I like to add lime juice and make the dressing more acidic, whereas other days a more nutty sesame-heavy dressing pairs well with the ingredients I'm using. I've tossed in some leftover roast chicken, and sometimes I like a soft boiled egg on top. Shrimp is a great addition, too - leave me a comment if you give this recipe a try!

Salad Ingredients:
Soba Noodles - 1 bundle (these often come packaged in 3-4 "bundles")
Spring Onions -2 *save 1/3 for garnish*
Bell Pepper, diced
Cucumber, sliced into matchsticks
Soft Boiled Egg *Optional - substitute your own protein, like tofu or chicken or shrimp*

Dressing Ingredients: *adjust these to your liking*
Sesame Oil
Soy Sauce
Rice Vinegar
Sriracha (or any other Asian hot sauce) *use this for garnish on top as well*
Spring Onion - 2 stalks

-Boil water, then add soba noodles and stir to avoid sticking.
-While noodles are cooking (takes about 5-7 minutes), mix dressing ingredients together. Adjust flavors until you are happy with the outcome; you will need about 1/3 cup of liquid (start with small quantities!)
-Once noodles are fully cooked (either follow instructions on package, or taste them to determine done-ness), drain and rinse in cold water.
-Return cold cooked noodles to the pan, adding the vegetables and dressing.
-If you are adding a protein that can be mixed in, add that now as well. Toss together gently and pour into a bowl or onto a plate.
-Top with an egg (optional), and garnish with spring onion and a little more hot sauce.

Voila!

Buh-buh-buh-BEETS!

A combination of summer's finest seasonal ingredients, and my recent wanderings in Brighton Beach (known as "Little Russia" to the Brooklyn locals), has left me with a craving for beets.

Red, ripe, naturally sweet - I love them picked or steamed, in salads and soups. One of my favorite summer foods from my childhood was my mom's pickled eggs & beets, the eggs stained burgundy with the vinegary sweetness of the beet-infused pickling liquid.

This time, I whipped up a quick beet soup - it's super simple and, if you omit the yogurt or sour cream garnish, it's vegan too!

You'll Need:
2 medium sized red beets, peeled and diced into 1/2" cubes

1/2 one yellow onion, chopped

3-5 cloves garlic, chopped 

1tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 tsp lemon zest 

White pepper

Black pepper

Sea salt 

For the Garnish: 

Greek yogurt (or sour cream) 

Fresh dill (or parsley)

Add beets, onion, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper to a medium saucepan.
Fill with water just to the top of the beets, and bring to a boil.
Simmer until the beets are fork tender (the softness you'd want potatoes to be for mashed potatoes)
Add lemon zest just at the end, and remove from the heat.

Using a stick (immersion) blender, puree until smooth.
Garnish with Greek yogurt, or sour cream, and some fresh dill.
Enjoy!

      

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! 

Market Months

New York is chock full of amazing markets in the summer months. Local farmers, purveyors, artists and producers band together in different locations every day of the week to bring the concrete jungle a little bit of the gifts of the great outdoors. Immeasurable physical and social benefits in less than half of a city block, right at your fingertips.

This summer, I've challenged myself to avoid grocery stores. Other than purchasing non-grocery supplies, I haven't set foot in a "real" grocery store since the warm months began to give way to these bountiful outdoor markets. Seasonal, fresh, fruitful... what's not to love? My greatest feelings of accomplishment stem from making a really simple, delicious, amazing meal out of my semi-weekly finds.