Red Swiss Chard Sauteed

A note on cooking and writing sociology

I have been doing a lot of cooking, and a lot of writing sociology in the past several weeks.  I realized that there are striking similarities between the two.  In both, I am trying to tell a story in an organized way, and in both, I am trying to accomplish multiple things in a simplistic, comprehensive way.  If I am successful in both, the consumer and the reader are left wanting more.

Lemon bar with chocolate gelato

Modified version of Giada's “lemon thyme bars.”  Changes: I omitted thyme, and substituted the powdered sugar with regular sugar.  Omission of thyme, good idea; substitution of regular sugar for powdered sugar, not the best idea I have ever had, but I didn’t want to buy powdered sugar hahaha…remember this is food in a jiffy…and that would have required going to the store.  Still tasty, but if I were to make these again, I would definitely go with the powdered sugar.  The gelato you ask?  No, I did not make this—store bought.

Recipe:

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 stick butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

Mix butter, sugar, and 1/2 of lemon for juice, lemon zest if you like, add in dry ingredients.  Butter a square glass dish.  Take mixture and spread on the bottom of the dish.  Preheat oven 325 degrees, bake for 30 minutes. 

The lemon glaze:

1/2 of lemon for juice, 1/2 powdered sugar (I used regular sugar even for this), mix.  Cool the bars, and top the glaze over bars in the dish.  Let set, and serve. 

Rice Porridge

Rice gone mushy from too much water in the rice cooker?  No problem!

Just take all that rice, put in a large pot on the stove.  Add 2-4 cups of water to the pot, depending on how chunky or smooth you like it.  In this particular rice porridge, I added one chicken bouillon cube for every cup of water. 

However, you can make this vegetarian with veggie stock instead of water and bouillon cubes. 

Let simmer on low for several minutes until you get the consistency seen on the right. -------->

Top with whatever ingredients you like, the rice porridge absorbs any flavors you add. 

I topped this porridge with green onions, cilantro, soy sauce drizzle, seven spice mix, red chili flakes. 

You can also add meat, veggies, etc. into the pot to simmer before serving if you like.

You can also use this same method with day old rice!

This dish is perfect for a cold, rainy afternoon such as the one today.

Soba noodles with summer veggies

Zucchini, Eggplant, Tofu Stir Fry

Chicken Curry with Peas

Beef Stew

Tomato, Basil, and Garlic Pasta

Veggie Momos! (aka Nepali Pot Stickers)

The mixture in the bowl is cabbage, carrots, onions, ginger, garlic, and any kind of spices you like.  Chop finely, and mix. Take regular ol' won ton wrappers you find at the local "Asian" market...or the one we go to- Pacific Ocean Market.

Stuff the won ton wrappers, fold into triangles, and tightly press the sides together with little folds to seal.

If you do not have a steamer, no worries, use a makeshift steamer, with a metal pie tin.  Simply poke holes all over the bottom of the pie tin, place over a large pot filled half way with water, cover, and let steam until won ton wrappers are cooked through.

I am not sure how to make this sauce, all I know is it was tasty, but is some kind of Nepali red sauce that is spicy.  I suppose you could use any sauce you like, such as a pot sticker sauce, or a gyoza sauce.  Eat Momos after dipping in whatever sauce you like. 

Potato Pea Curry

This is the first dish I have ever made in a pressure cooker! Yup, my first pressure cooker...thank you Justin for the gift. 

I am not sure how the pressure cooker works exactly (e.g. the technical details or the physics of it all), but gee, it does amazing things.  In layman’s terms, you stick shit in it, and shit comes out cooked in a matter of minutes. 

This simple dish includes purple, red, and russet potatoes with peas, and green onions.  Oh yeah, and did I mention the overcooked broccoli?  Yes, I learned very quickly that you cannot put items with cooking times that are not equivalent in the pot at the same time, or else they turn into mush, or pesto-like coloring as in this dish.  Aside from that minor problem, this dish actually tasted pretty good, and is quite pretty if I do say so myself. 

The spices include curry powder, salt, pepper, cumin seeds, and garam masala.  All I did was chop up the ingredients, throw them in the pressure cooker, with a 1/2 cup of water, and the spices.  Place the pressure cooker on the stove on high until it is a "whistle blower" hehehe, turn the heat to low and cook for 2 1/2 minutes.  Turn the stove off, and allow for all the pressure to release.  Out pops some yummy goodness as this picture obviously depicts!

(Time: 5-10  minutes to mise-en-place and cook)

Sautéed Kale

So Simple, clean the kale very well under some cold water to get off all the sand.  Chop.  sauté in a pan with garlic, salt, minced onions, and lemon juice.

DONE and DONE!

(Time: 3-5 minutes to cook.) 

Beet Dyed Zucchini

Watermelon? Nope, it's beets and zucchini.  Sauteed with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt.  The beets are so potent that they turn the zucchini a beautiful, bright burgundy. 

Note: This dish will turn your pee red, so do not worry, you do not have an infection (wink wink!)

(Time: 10 minutes to make)

Veggie Tofu Curry

Similar to the other curry dishes I have made, I used curry powder, garam masala, cumin seeds, garlic, a splash of lemon juice, and salt.  I tried coriander seeds this time, but I probably won't do that again...(left a funny taste in my mouth).  And no, please do not insert a "that's was she said" comment after my parenthetical.   

The ingredients in this dish include: tofu, peas, spinach, zucchini, one large tomato, half a white onion, and the spices mentioned above.

(Time: 20 minutes to make, but you can let simmer for as long as you want, the flavor develops the longer you let simmmer.)

Ethiopian Platter

At a local Boulder, CO restaurant, Ras Kassa, we ordered 4 dished that came on this family style platter.  Two different veggie combos, one spicy veggie combo, and a yellow split pea dish.

The rolls you see are the injera fermented sponge-like bread that you hold to pick up the different foods.

The dishes include spicy red lentils, green lentils, beets, potatoes, green beans, yellow split peas, collard greens, carrots, and more.

I am not sure I could make any of this at home...there are just too many yummy spices involved.

Coconut Cake

Ingredients:
1 pound unsalted butter
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 1/2 cups heavy cream or coconut milk
1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups shredded coconut









Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees
Spray two 10-inch round cake pans with cooking spray
Mix cream or coconut milk with the butter, vanilla extract, and sugar until fluffy
Add in the eggs one at a time and beat until creamy
Slowly add in the flour, baking powder, shredded coconut, and lemon zest
Pour batter into cake pans and bake about 40 to 45 minutes


Icing:
Let cake cool before attempting to ice
Using store-bought white icing
Spread icing all over the sides of the cake
Place shredded coconut all over the icing

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Simply followed the recipe on the back of the Ghirardelli premium milk chocolate chip package. These cookies are tasty, but I still prefer the Nesle Toll House chocolate chip cookies. Note: be careful with the oven temperature, 375 degrees might be too high. Go down to 350 degrees, and bake cookies for 10-11 minutes.

Baby Arugula and Green Grape Salad

Hmmm! I must say this was the best salad I have ever made. The simple things in life are the best. This is a baby arugula salad with slices of green grapes. I dressed the salad with a simple homemade dressing. Take half a lemon, squeeze, match the amount of lemon juice with extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, and pour over salad. The sweetness of the grapes cuts the peppery taste of the greens perfectly. What a nice ending to a long day :)

(Time: 3 minutes to make)

Japanese Cold Tofu

Often eaten as an appetizer or snack, this is my variation of a Japanese cold tofu dish. This is the simplest dish to make. You take a package of firm cold tofu. Slice it into small squares, and top with dried and/or fresh seaweed, dried fish flakes, green onions, fresh graded ginger, and soy sauce to taste.

You may have even seen this dish in a Japanese restaurant with ice cubes surrounding the tofu to keep it really cold.

(Time: 5 minutes to make)

Decorative Seattle Coffee

Seeking a mid-day pick me up during a conference in Seattle, some friends and I decided to grab some caffeine at a local coffee shop.

Excited at the thought that said coffee shop baristas will draw "man on the moon" in your cup, to our dismay, they claimed they simply did not have the time, and yet there simply was no line. However, we did get the standard leaf looking design.

Note: do not ask "sophisticated" baristas what unfamiliar words on the menu mean, or else you risk receiving a response said in a smug voice, "itssss espresssso wiiith milk...(and no, it was not a latte)," duh, I'm sorry, if it's espresso with milk, why doesn't it just say that?

I also must give James the credit for taking this lovely picture with the perfect lighting, thank you James.

(Time: Took way longer than expected, get it together baristas!)

Potato, Green Bean, and Shitake Curry with pea rice

This little dish took about 30 minutes to create. Following similar directions as in the previous post, I made a mixture of white onions, potatoes, green beans, and shitake mushrooms with curry powder, cumin seeds, garlic, salt, and masala powder, with a dash of garlic chutney.

The rice is again cooked in the rice cooker, but with frozen peas and some caraway seeds sprinkled on top of the rice before cooked.

Potato, Radish, Tomato Curry Delight*

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 Teaspoon cumin seeds
(if you do not have cumin seeds, you can use another spice of your choosing, or leave them out.)
1 Salt shaker (salt to taste 1-2 teaspoons)
1 Small yellow onion (sweeter than other onions)
5 Small potatoes
2 Bunches of radishes (about 15 radishes)
3 Small tomatoes
2-4 Tablespoons of curry powder
1-2 pinches of marsala powder (optional)
Sprigs of cilantro (optional)
green onions (optional)

Step 1: Wok time

Peel potatoes and chop them into small squares (see picture above)

Cut radishes into quarters (see picture above)

Chop onion into small squares (see picture above)

Take a wok, or large fry pan

On Medium heat

Add vegetable oil and cumin seeds

Let oil become infused with cumin of a minute or two

Add onions, radishes, and pototoes

Add salt (roughly a teaspoon)

Let sautee for several minutes stirring contents to get a little browned

To soften the potatoes quicker, I use the trick of using a few tablespoons of water, covering contents with a lid, and let everything steam for a few minutes.

When the contents are almost soft, but not completely, continue onto step 2

Step 2: Curry and Marsala

Add the curry powder

Add the marsala

Let simmer until combined
<--------------

Step 3: Tomatoes

Chop Tomatoes into small pieces (See picture to the right)
Add to the mix (and salt to your preferred taste, roughly another teaspoon)

Simmer once again for a few minutes ------>

Final Steps: Cilantro, Simmer, Rice, and Dish
Add Cilantro, simmer more, dish the rice, and top with curry
Top with clilantro and chopped green onions and EAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All of this takes about 30-40 minutes depending how good you are at your prep work.

*Although I did indeed cook this dish all by myself, I must give credit for the recipe and instructions to Nitika and Amit (Nitika, some of this will arrive on Monday for you, sorry Amit...)

White Chocolate Coconut Cookies

Step 1: Batter
If you make your batter correctly, it should look a little sticky like in this picture. Don't be worried if it sticks to your fingers when you role the cookie balls, this is how it should be.




Ingredients:
2 sticks (1 cup) of unsalted softened butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk (optional)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 ½ cups flour
2 cups coconut flakes
11 ounces (1 bag) white chocolate chips

Step 2: Bake
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix softened butter with both the brown/white sugar.
(I prefer to mix in a large bowl with a fork)
3. Add the vanilla, milk (optional), and eggs mix until fluffy.
4. Add the flour, baking soda, and baking powder until completely mixed.
5. Add the white chocolate chips and the coconut, stir until combined.
6. On a cooking sheet, create small 1 inch balls and separate evenly.
7. Bake for about 12 minutes, until edges are golden brown.
(FYI This recipe has worked in high altitude conditions)
~You will have about 50-60 cookies.
~Feel free to cut this recipe in half

Step 3: Cool on Cooling Rack

<--------

Extra Credit:
If you want to try it, take some of the extra coconut. After you roll a cookie out of the dough, dip one of the sides into the coconut, and then put it on the cooking sheet. (See picture to the right -----> )



P.S. If you were at all concerned on the deliciousness of these cookies, they were tested and approved by sociologists.

Nepalese Inspired Potato Masala

Hello all, whenever I have the Nepali gang over, they like to raid my kitchen and make something special at around 12am or 1am. I usually do not have a Nepalese section in my frig, so, Amit (Sajal and Nitika were there too, but they just played the Wii) knows how to figure something out.

With potatoes, green beans, cilantro, garlic, hot sauce, tomato sauce, various spices, Vietnamese chili paste, salt, onions, and tomatoes, Amit put together this delicious Nepalese Inspired Potato Marsala without the Marsala powder. Then in my rice cooker he threw rice, red onions, cardimom seeds, and some butter (and some water hehehe). Topped with cilantro, and Indian garlic chutney that I did have on hand, what a nice, delicious meal we had. It probably only took about an hour for all of this to be ready. Food in a jiffy, just as Nitika likes to say!

Salmon Teriyaki and Sauteed Spinach and Broccoli

Dinner Time! Late dinner that is. 9pm-ish began to get hungry, so I made a quick salmon teriyaki and sauteed veggies. Simple, simple!







Yep, placed a salmon fillet in a glass dish, smear fish with dash of teriyaki sauce, dash of Vietnamese chili paste, squirt of lemon juice and dash minced garlic. Took only 5 minutes in the mic to cook, turning over once. Comes out perfectly! I would normally use the conventional oven, or saute the salmon in a pan, but too lazy so late at night. Took a pan with some lemon juice and salt, and sauteed the veggies. All done. Yep, yep, this is definitely GOOD food in a jiffy!