Nicoise Salad - Simple Ingredients, Fabulous Dinner

Over the weekend, family went out to eat lunch and we ended up at the Nordstroms cafe. After scanning the menu, I realized that there was nothing for me to eat (all had butter, cream, or cheese) until I spotted the Salmon Nicoise Salad. No dairy, no cheese, no shellfish, no soy - so I went for it. Now, my days of eating a "light salad" for lunch are far gone - a breastfeeding mom of three needs SUSTENANCE and a hearty three meals a day, but given that I had no choice, I just went for it.

I was wrong about the salad not being a thing of sustenance. First of all, the protein of salmon AND eggs really adds a lot of heft to the dish. On top of that the potatoes with the starch component also help add to the salad's ability to satisfy. The green beans, tomatoes, and mixed greens are all great for the vegetable component and to top it off, the olives and capers just make the dish sing. This is a GREAT lunch and a fabulous light dinner.

While eating it, and trying to block older daughter from scarfing down the ONLY thing at the table that I could eat, I marveled at the simplicity of the ingredients. Some salmon, some green beans, some eggs, some potatoes and all the other ingredients, when put together made something fabulous. And I knew, right then, that I would try to make it for myself at home.

Upon searching the web, I discovered a wide range of interpretations of the salad. Of course it is traditionally tuna nicoise, but with the price of tuna and mercury mumbo jumbo I decided to stick with salmon. There was talk of radishes and of cucumbers and of arugula and of romaine and of lemon vinaigrette and caper vinaigrette, quail eggs and regular eggs. With the wide range of interpretations, I simply decided to do my own. I like it because the components can be prepared in advanced, and the salad can just be constructed at the last minute. And it does taste like it's more effort than it really is.

Salmon Nicoise Salad
Serves 4

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 pound red potatoes
1 pound trimmed and green beans
1 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (or just roma tomatoes chopped)
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and slivered
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed
2-3 cups mixed greens (baby lettuces or arugula are particularly good)
4 eggs
4 salmon filets
1 tablespoon of olive oil

Directions
In a medium bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard with balsamic vinegar and olive oil; season with coarse salt and ground pepper.

In a pot of salted water, blanch green beans until crisp tender. Dunk into cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400. Cut potatoes into wedges. Toss in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven until tender - about 15 -20 minutes.

Put eggs into cold water. Set on high heat until boiling. Remove from heat and let rest in the hot water for 10 minutes. Cool, then cut into quarters.

Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add oil. Salt and pepper salmon fillets. Cook them in the pan - about 4-5 minutes on each side, until just opaque all the way through.

Assemble the salad by placing greens/lettuce on the bottom of the plate. Arrange each element as you like (I chose going around the salad in a circle) Eggs, green beans, tomatoes,olives, salmon on top. Sprinkle with capers. Drizzle dressing over.

Printable recipe

Bon Apetit!

Cranberry Toffee Oatmeal Cookies: Your Winning Cookie Recipe

I am about to share a very special cookie recipe. These cookies have been called "Joanne's Cookies" in three different countries and are probably the cookies that garner me the greatest compliments all around. This will be your go-to cookie recipe, any time you have to make cookies for a special occasion.

I started making these cookies 10 years ago. I saw them on the "Martha Stewart Show" and was so struck by the the ingredients that I ran to grab a pad and rapidly wrote long hand the recipe. I stared at the recipe for one night and the next day set out to get the ingredients. I was not disappointed in the results and neither were my three roommates (guinea pigs). They are a chewy cookie, a buttery cookie, a rich cookie with a great texture from the oatmeal.

I started out with Martha's original recipe, but I have gone and made a few minor changes of my own - mostly ingredient changes. I have to say that I prefer MY version to Martha's (and I even made hers with $20 Vahlrona chocolate) and most will find my version easier to make in terms of ingredient sourcing.

My friends have taken this recipe, gone out into the wide wide world and made them, and suddenly these cookies have a new name - they become "Cathy's cookies" or "Halim's cookies" or "Betty's cookies" and they are no longer "Joanne's cookies." That is the power of these cookies - if you make them, they will be named after you. After eating one of "your" cookies, people will wax eloquent about your baking skills, your personality, and your beauty. These cookies will transform you.

My only problem with this cookie is that they do require an electric mixer. Do NOT attempt to make these by hand because no one (except for some super hero) has the arm strength to beat all the ingredients together, let alone cream butter and sugar until it is "light and fluffy."

However, I do encourage you to make these cookies and give them a try - you will find soon enough that you have a cookie that is named after you - and I won't even resent you for the name change. Go out, and claim a cookie recipe for your own. I hope one day, some stranger will offer me the same cookie and it will be called something else, not "Joanne's cookies."

Note
I often make the dough, mold them into logs, and refrigerate them to bake in the future, just a few at a time. You do NOT have to bake them all right then and there, and in fact, having some cookie dough on standby in your fridge makes for easy, spontaneous dessert making when you have the need.

Oatmeal Toffee Cookies (adapted from Martha Stewart's Original Recipe)

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light-brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup toffee pieces, (5 1/2 ounces) OR 4 toffee bars coarsely chopped. (if you use the toffee bars reduce your chocolate chips by 1/4 cup.)

Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour and baking soda, and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice during mixing. Add egg, and mix on high speed to combine. Add vanilla extract; mix to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Add the sifted flour a bit at a time on a low speed until well combined. Add oatmeal, cherries, chocolate, and toffee pieces; mix to combine.

Divide dough into three equal portions, and roll into logs using plastic wrap, approximately 1 1/2 inches in diameter. To bake, cut logs into 3/4-inch pieces. Bake on parchment-lined baking sheets, until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and transfer to a baking rack to cool.

Printable recipe

Pork Chops with Apples and Shallots, Sauteed Spinach

This next recipe came to me from my friend - she also has 3 kids and is always pressed for time. Her words were that it took "literally 30 minutes to make this dish." Her family has similar taste buds to mine (meaning they like anything with sauce, slightly sweet, and tasty) and I figured it would be a hit with my family as well.

Turns out that everyone liked it except for younger daughter. She ate a few bites and decided it really wasn't' for her, and so I gave her homemade baby food instead. (Before you judge me, the homemade baby food is SUPER nutritious and was a mix of broccoli, sweet potatoes, pumpkin and turkey.) But husband, older daughter, and I all loved it. It was YUMMY and SO fast to make. I liked it with the sauteed spinach on the side as well as it finished out the meal. Enjoy this meal - as it's quick and easy to make and clean up!

Pork Chops with Apples and Shallots (Martha Stewart, Everyday Food)

Serves 4

2 tablespoons butter (I just used olive oil instead)
1/2 pound medium shallots, halved or quartered lengthwise (pieces should be about 3/4 inch thick)
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into eighths
1/2 cup white wine
4 pork rib chops (each 1/2 inch thick and 6 to 8 ounces)
Coarse salt and ground pepper

Directions:
Heat broiler; set rack 4 inches from heat. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high. Add shallots; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Cover pan; reduce heat to medium. Continue cooking until shallots are soft, about 5 minutes more.

Add apples and wine; cover, and cook until apples are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Uncover; cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated and apples are tender, 2 to 4 minutes more. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm.

While apples are cooking, season pork chops generously with salt and pepper; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Broil until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side. To serve, spoon warm apple mixture over chops.

Sauteed Spinach
1 bunch of spinach, well washed and drained, and chopped up into3 inch pieces (down the stalk.)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
4 garlic cloves chopped or put through a press
salt and pepper to taste

Heat up oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add the spinach. Add the garlic. Cook quickly, turning the spinach until it wilts. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Pizza Bread - Better Than Delivery

Okay - so pizza isn't exactly dinner fare - BUT - I know that there are many who, when things are hectic and tiring, decide to order a pizza for dinner. I just wanted to show that you can make a pretty tasty pizza at home for less money and less time. Sometimes for a quick meal - you can make PIZZA BREAD! (this is what older daughter calls it.)

I just used what I had in my fridge and put it on some dairy free, soy free wheat bread. (Okay I actually didn't eat it due to the cheese, but my kids loved it as did husband.) I had some leftover pasta sauce from spaghetti and meatballs, some of those sweet mini bell peppers, some ham deli meat, and some fresh basil. I topped it all with mozzarella cheese and stuck it in my toaster oven and baked it for a bit - and VOILA! PIZZA BREAD! (faster than delivery and nominally healthier too.)

Mix it - put what you like on it - just use a good jarred tomato sauce if you don't have any homemade marinara around...whatever you like that works for you - do it. Just make it simple - the melted cheese and the crisp bread will help.

NOTE
I found toasting the bread before putting the sauce on helped make a crispier chewier crust vs. a soggier crust when you just put the sauce on the bread before toasting.

Pomodoro Sauce (Tyler Florence)

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 (28-ounce) cans whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, drained and crushed by hand, liquid reserved

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the vegetables are soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully add the tomatoes (nothing splashes like tomatoes) and about 1/2 cup of the reserved liquid and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the sauce is thick, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring for a few minutes with a wooden spoon to further break up the tomatoes. Reduce the heat and let simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the fresh basil and season again.

Yield: 4 cups

pizza before going into the toaster oven

East Meets West - Using Steak to Your Advantage

The problem I often find with Korean food is that so many of the components are time consuming - and therefore often discourage people from making it too often. But sometimes, just using a good ol' steak instead of marinated meat works out well, and cuts out a significant amount of work, but still creates a delicious meal. This is what we had for dinner and no one was complaining.

Menu
Ribeye steak (rubbed in olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper)
Kimchee chigae
Cucumber side dish
Steamed broccoli

Simple Dinner: Grilled Chicken and Tri-Colore Orzo

I suddenly find myself quite addicted to orzo - I love the way it looks all tossed with other ingredients, I love the way it looks on my plate, I enjoy it on my fork, and I like the way it moves in my mouth. I found myself last week, making orzo in one form or another THREE times. (two times even in one day.) This next orzo recipe, I have posted once before to eat with the BBQ chicken, but I actually think it deserves it's own post, because it is good. It is different from the Tomato Basil Orzo Salad that I talk about quite a bit. This one has sweet cranberries and peppery arugula (I love this leaf) and just goes well with so many things. My kids love the cranberries as well and so they eat this one quite easily. It requires no chopping and so it makes it the perfect throw together pasta salad.

I ate mine with some chicken that I cooked in a pan with olive oil, salt and pepper. A perfect dinner! (I happened to eat it alone that night...didn't miss a thing.)

Tri-Colore Orzo by Giada de Laurentiis
Serves 8

1 pound orzo pasta
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1/4 cup
2 cups fresh arugula (about 3 ounces)
3/4 cup crumbled ricotta salata cheese (or feta cheese) (I left this out)
1/2 cup dried cherries (I used cranberries)
12 fresh basil leaves, torn
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (I also left this out.)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta. Toss with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and let cool.

Once the orzo is cool, transfer to a large serving bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and toss gently to combine. Serve.

Printable recipe

Gaelahn Jjim - Steamed Egg Custard

The inspiration for making this dish actually came from two distinct stories I heard from close friends. One mom told me that she was so tired at the end of the day that she was giving her kids water and rice and I scolded her, saying, "At least offer some protein in the form of an egg." The other was from another conversation I had with a friend whose refrigerator has been broken for two weeks and is living a half-life with one of those tiny refrigerators really only designed to hold drinks in your college dorm room. (She is forced to grocery shop every other day because of this.) She told me that she no longer cooks any meat because it is too bulky and instead relies on eggs and tofu for their family's protein source.

On a Friday evening, I was tired, had a rice cooker full of rice, some soup, and some steamed broccoli but no protein source. I could certainly have defrosted some chicken and made something but even that sounded like too much work - so I decided to do an egg custard. This dish can be put together in 5 minutes, cooked in 2 minutes, and served right then and there if you like to burn your mouth. (Otherwise I'd let it cool for a good 5 minutes or so.) It's simple because it is a one bowl dish and it cooks in the microwave. It doesn't have QUITE the silky texture of, let's say a traditional Japanese custard, but it is very good considering the speed at which it comes together.

Steamed Egg Custard
3 scallions/green onions chopped (green and white parts)
3 eggs (I use organic, free range - Horizon brand is sold at Costco)
1 teaspoon crushed sesame seeds
2 tablespoons of water
1 pinch of salt

Place all ingredients into a microwave safe bowl. Mix with a fork breaking up the egg.

Cover and seal with saran wrap. Place into microwave and cook for 2 minutes, or until egg is puffed up.

Remove from microwave and let the egg set. (you will have to play around with microwave times as the power on them vary.) Remove saran wrap and serve - it can be cut carefully into wedges (like a pizza) or served in the bowl and letting everyone scoop chunks of egg into their mouth.

WARNING - usually if you make one, you'll need to make one more.

Menu
Meeyuk Gook (Korean seaweed soup)
Steamed broccoli served with sesame oil and soy sauce dipping sauce
Rice
Steamed Egg Custard

No recipes - just THANK YOU!

I'm about to hit the 400 mark with visitors to my site. Clearly this does not indicate 400 unique visitors, but visits in general - perhaps by the same person 400 times? (doubtful - but if it is the case - THANK YOU to that single person!) It's been fun writing, gratifying a lot of the time. I've gotten lots of thank you from moms who've tried quite a few dishes to positive reviews -making me smile. Probably the most exciting compliment I got was today - when a teacher at daughter's school came up to me to say that the "pseudo bibimbap" was really good. Hysterical thing was that she didn't make it herself - she ate it at another mom's house who happens to read my blog and made it for the family. Even more exciting - the woman who made the dish is not Korean, but could figure out what I meant from my post and execute it. (She did say it took her all day...which is not the point of this blog - but I'm still excited.)

Thanks for all of your support! I'm going to industriously post more recipes!

Sausages,Peppers, and Onions over Polenta

I love polenta. It's creamy (even without cream since I can't have dairy), rich, comforting and satisfying. I love it with mushrooms and fontina cheese baked on top, but since I can't have dairy, I yearned for that baked polenta creamy feeling. Older daughter had been asking for sausages and I suddenly remembered my post about sausages, peppers, and onions over polenta, and decided I would try it.

I used quick cooking polenta - I've generally made polenta just using straight up cornmeal and had to stir and and stir and add and stir and add more water, so I was curious as to how quick cooking polenta would perform. It was GREAT! The danger with polenta is the splatters of scalding hot corn mixture that go flying into the air, much like volcanic lava. When one of those splatters gets you there are screams. Just be careful. Turn down the heat and whisk away! (I did get splattered today despite my own precautions.)

I decided to bake the polenta in a well oiled casserole dish and then have the sausages and peppers mixture on top. I also tried to cut out a step (of having to cook a separate vegetable) and added a layer of baby spinach (uncooked) in between the polenta and the sausages. This was probably a mistake because the spinach started weeping water into the polenta and made the whole thing a bit more watery than I would have liked. So don't do that.

But overall, the dish was good. My kids loved eating the creamy polenta with the sausage and the peppers and onions. It was definitely comfort food - I of course would have loved some cheese sprinkled on top - so those of you inclined to do the same, PLEASE DO SO and let me live vicariously through you.

Sausage, Peppers, and Onions (by Giada de Laurentiis)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage
2 red bell peppers, sliced
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup Marsala wine
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
4 to 6 fresh Italian sandwich rolls, optional

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown on both sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain.

Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the peppers, onions, salt, and pepper and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano, basil, and garlic and cook 2 more minutes.

Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the Marsala wine, tomatoes, and chili flakes, if using. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the browned bits. Bring to a simmer.

Cut the sausages into 4 to 6 pieces each, about 1-inch cubes. Add the sausage back to the pan and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.

Follow package directions for cooking polenta. Pour into well-oiled 2 quart casserole. Add the sausage mixture on top. Bake in preheated 350 oven for 15 minutes. ENJOY!

Tomato Soup and Chicken Salad Sandwich

As the weather begins to cool (at least in Northern California) my thoughts always turns to warm soups and hearty sandwiches. The soup I always have around our house is the Roasted Tomato Soup, because it is easy to make, rich in lycopenes (and low in fat) and all around comforting. My favorite sandwich filling is my curried chicken salad, so I made myself a sandwich and had it with soup for dinner. Husband loves this as well as older daughter, but for some reason, younger daughter is not keen on this - I'm unsure why. But it was a delicious meal for me, and I encourage you to explore making yourself this warm comforting meal for dinner one night.

Ome-Rice (Rice wrapped up in egg like an omelet)

I found myself with a full rice cooker of rice - left over from the weekend when we never ate it. That sort of rice really bothers me as it just never tastes super fresh. It always has a slight "old" feeling to it and I never really enjoy eating. Generally that rice has to be "transformed" - sometimes I do a "jook" (aka congee or porridge) but this time I decided to do Ome-rice.

Ome-rice is really just fried rice with an egg wrapped around it, served with ketchup on top. It is typically a Korean fast food lunch dish, but of course I always try to make nutrition a focal point of the fried rice. I added some chopped bok choy, mushrooms, carrots, onions, and some finely chopped steak. The kids gobbled it up, and husband enjoyed it although he did comment on the "crispy not tender" nature of the egg. (I was busy getting something else on the table and the omelette got a bit over cooked.) You can certainly be creative with this dish, which I ended up serving with meeyuk gook (Korean seaweed soup) on the side.

Ome-Rice
4 eggs (one egg per person)

Beat eggs individually and fry molding them into flat omelettes. If cholesterol isn't an issue for your family, you can go with two eggs per person. Then the omelette will be thicker and fluffier.

Fried Rice
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 bokchoy, chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
5 mushrooms, finely chopped
3 scallions, chopped
4-5 cups cooked rice
3-4 tablespoons of oil

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a deep frying pan. Saute all the vegetables. Season with salt. (don't wait to season food at the very end - things just end up salty, not seasoned.) Cook until vegetables are starting to tender. Make a well in the center of the vegetables and add some more oil. Place rice in the center of the well and begin to incorporate the rice and the vegetables. Cook until rice has heated through and the vegetables are well mixed with the rice.

To serve - Place egg omelette on the plate and put rice across one side of the omelette. Fold the omelette over. Enjoy!

Guacamole - Bringing People Together

This summer, my second child went to her first days of preschool. She went reluctantly at first but eventually (after 4 weeks) she was willing to go and actually enjoyed herself. One of the things that helped her was eating lunch with her mates after her school was over. A group of complete strangers (mommies) ate lunch together with their kids who were beginning to know each other through the class. And what happened was that we all began to know each other and by the end of nine weeks, we could call each other by name, the kids by name, and have a general sense of everyone's personalities. Dare I say it? We became friends.

I'd like to take credit for that coming together of bodies - because I think it was the guacamole. The first lunch date, I made fresh, homemade guacamole, and brought in a plastic container with a bag of chips. My daughter and I shared it with one boy, who just couldn't keep his hands out of it. Their teachers came out and talked with us and also ate some guacamole. The next lunch, I also brought it and then a few more kids couldn't keep their hands out of it. Before I knew it, I felt that bringing the guacamole and chips and a tub of cut watermelon was my assignment and I did it. And the crowd that gathered at the table was steady and the kids enjoyed it. We shared that guacamole and chips, laughed together and got through the emotions of sending our children to school. And the kids - they became friends. My daughter still talks about those times eating with her friends at the table outside of her classroom.

The lesson in all of this - you want to make friends? Bring some guacamole to the table.

Tip
Avocados generally come to the market pretty hard - makes for better transportation. So how do you ripen them?

Can you identify the picture below?

Fast food drink tray is only part of the answer.

Avocado ripening tray is a better answer.

I saw this tip on Alton Brown's show on the Food Network and thought it brilliant. His logic? Keeps each of the avocados separate and prevents them from bruising each other. Truly, avocados this way ripen so gorgeously you just want to smoosh them into your face. The next time you go to fast food, don't forget to pick one of these bad boys up. (Avocados not included.)

Friendship Guacamole

2 ripe avocados (I prefer Haas, but get what you can.)
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (more if you like some kick)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 roma tomato, seeded and chopped
2 T finely chopped cilantro

In a large bowl place the scooped avocado pulp and lime juice, toss to coat. Using a fork, add the salt, cumin, and cayenne and mash. Then, fold in the tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic.

Printable recipe

Steak, Grilled Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus, Grilled Mushrooms, Steamed Corn on the Cob

I like steak for its simplicity. You'll notice we cook it about once a week at our house. Because it is so simple, sometimes I like to come up with a more complex side just to stretch my cooking muscle a bit. This just adds one layer to the meal, and often takes it makes it a bit more special (just that tiny bit of effort).

This time I decided to experiment with some asparagus bundles. Prosciutto is normally eaten uncooked - as that is what makes the prosciutto so delicious - but sometimes I find the flavor almost - too - THERE. I have made grilled asparagus and then wrapped it in prosciutto and although good, I found this version more delicious. I took three asparagus spears, wrapped it in a slice of prosciutto, and drizzled it all with olive oil and pepper. (no salt as the prosciutto took care of that.) Then husband grilled them until they were crisp tender and the prosciutto was grilled up and slightly smoky. It was soo good! My kids were grabbing the spear bundles and chewing them like there was no tomorrow. It cooks up beautifully (I am missing a picture of that unfortunately - sorry) and would be a very impressive side dish. You can wrap the asparagus early, and just put it in the fridge covered. Then when you are ready to gril, simply take them out, drizzle oil and pepper them.

Menu

Grilled ribeye steak (rubbed with olive oil, salt and pepper both sides)
Prosciutto wrapped asparagus
Grilled mushrooms (just skewered, drizzled with olive oil and pepper)
Steamed corn

Kimchee Fried Rice - Korean Fast Food

I usually try, on the weekends, to make one nice family meal for my family, and one quicker meal. This is the quicker meal. I guess, for many, fried rice is not really considered "a meal." But I use fried rice as a meal often - it's easy, you can make it more nutritious, and sometimes, when you are tired, this is the best that you can do - and it is INFINITELY better than fast food - so why not?

In case you think that fried rice is not "refined" or "gourmet." I will only say this - on Top Chef (one of my favorite TV shows about food) one of the challenges was to do something with rice - and this one chef, Dale, he made fried rice. And he did it with Chinese long beans and scallops - TOTALLY gourmet and refined. Fried rice is about what YOU put into it - you can make it as gourmet as you want.

The key to good fried rice? Good rice. We eat Korean at our house fairly often, but we don't always finish our cooker of rice. I personally dislike rice that has been sitting in the cooker overnight - so after our meal is done, I turn off the cooker and let the rice cool. After it is no longer piping hot, I actually take freezer ziploc bags and freeze portions of rice. These are handy if someone in your family decides that they want rice for dinner one night - you can simply pull one of the packets out and heat it on a plate for 2 minutes. VOILA! Fresh rice. These packets are ALSO great for making fried rice. I take out a few packages, put them in the microwave and again - BAM - rice for your fried rice.

This weekend, I didn't have very many things in my fridge to put in the fried rice. So I opted to go the route of kimchee fried rice. My kids love it, my husband loves it, and I like a quiet mealtime with no one complaining about their food. I had the great kimchee that my mother had made for me without shrimp paste, so I used that. I also didn't have any Korean pork belly (my normal first choice for kimchee fried rice protein) but I did have some very nice Niman Ranch Bacon. So I decided to use that.

These proportions are rough - I apologize, but I generally do fried rice haphazardly like this.

Kimchee Fried Rice

2 eggs, beaten
8 slices of bacon, chopped (feel free to substitute Spam, samgyupsahl (Korean pork belly, steak (cooked and just chopped),Bulgogi (cooked and chopped.)
2 cups of kimchee, chopped roughly. (if you have young kids, you can actually RINSE the kimchee drain out the water and chop this to reduce the spicy factor.)
1 medium onion, chopped fine
3 T of sesame oil
2 T of vegetable oil
6 cups of cooked rice (if it is frozen, you'll need to defrost it.)
crushed sesame seeds
1 bunch of scallions, chopped

Heat a frying pan. Put a bit of oil in the bottom and cook up the eggs as if you're scrambling them. Set the cooked eggs aside.

Put the bacon (or your choice of protein) in the frying pan with onions and kimchee. If you're using bacon there is no need for any other oil as the bacon fat will render and that will be enough to cook your onions and kimchee. I do add some sesame oil for additional flavor and some crushed sesame seeds at this point. Cook until the kimchee is tender and translucent.

Then - make a well in the center of your pan. Pour a bit more oil in there (this is to fry the rice.) Add your rice and cook it up, quickly while incorporating the kimchee mixture. Cook until rice is hot and all the ingredients are well mixed.

Turn off the heat. Add the cooked eggs, scallions and sesame seeds. We always serve ours with either meeyuk gook or gohlee gohmtang. Enjoy!

Curried Chicken Salad - For Lunch or Dinner

One reader of my blog, a friend, casually mentioned that I should cover all the meals - not just dinner. She specifically asked for a good LUNCH menu - and this is for her.

I love rotisserie chicken. I love it because it's warm, I don't have to fuss with it, and for the most part is juicy, succulent and very tender. I'm a huge fan of the one from Costco, because it's so big. Yes, it is not organic, nor is it completely free of random injections that they give it, but on the whole, for $4.99, it's a good piece of chicken. If you're into the organic, free range, etc. - that's fine - use it for this recipe, but I feel like it's almost a waste. For that price, you should enjoy it on its own. This is about enhancing chicken and making it even better.

I often let my kids eat the drumsticks of the rotisserie chicken for dinner. I remove the rest of the meat, while wearing those plastic food service gloves, while it is warm, as it is much more difficult to shred cold. (note - invest in plastic food service gloves -they are perfect for jobs such as chicken meat removal.) I then store the chicken in a container for lunch the next day.

The cold chicken chunks I chop it into a small dice, add some shallots, celery, green apples, raisins, curry powder, mayo - and turn it into curried chicken salad. It's sweet with a bit of heat, and I get lots of requests for this recipe. I thoroughly enjoy eating it myself.

Joanne's Curried Chicken Salad

1 Rotisserie Chicken - shred by hand and chop into small pieces. If you like a chunkier chicken salad, you don't need to chop it smaller, but it looks more refined the smaller you chop the chicken
4 shallots - chopped fine
3/4 cup celery, chopped - again the finer the chop, the more refined the salad
1/2 cup raisins, golden or black
1 Granny Smith Apple, peeled and diced
1 cup of mayonnaise - mix to taste (creamier requires MORE)
curry powder - start with a good 2 T and work your way up to achieve the taste you like.
2 T (or more if you like) cilantro, finely chopped.

Mix all ingredients together. Serve on a bed of lettuce, between two slices of bed for a sandwich, or just eat it plain.

Printable recipe

Banana Muffins - With or Without Egg?

In my Banana Muffin post a week back, I wrote that it was possible to make the muffins with or without the egg, depending on dietary restrictions. (Many children do have an egg allergy.) I had made them without eggs twice, but became a bit curious as to how they would turn out WITH the egg. The picture on the left is the EGGLESS muffin while the picture on the right is the egg muffin. There is a significant difference in the visual (aside from the plate color) and the egg muffin has the more "traditional" look of the muffin.

Texturally, the egg muffin is lighter and more "cake-like" while the eggless muffin is denser, moister and possible a bit "puddingish." I do like both - but while eating the egg muffin yesterday, I found myself wishing for the texture of the eggless muffin - the super moist dense rich banana flavor. My children preferred the egg muffin, only because they like muffin tops with their crispy chewiness, which is lost in the eggless muffin.

It's an interesting experiment and I encourage everyone to try both versions. Happy Baking everyone!

Banana Muffins (nuts optional)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon salt (only 1/2 teaspoon if you are using butter)
4-5 large bananas, mashed (depends on how banana-y you like it)
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg (OPTIONAL - you can leave it out)
1/3 cup safflower oil or sunflower oil (or melted butter if you prefer)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat muffin pans with non-stick spray, or use paper liners. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside. (DO THIS THE NIGHT BEFORE)

Combine bananas, sugar, egg (optional), vanilla and oil (or butter) in a large bowl. Fold in flour mixture, and mix until smooth. Add nuts (optional). Scoop into muffin pan.

Bake in preheated oven. Bake mini muffins for 10 to 15 minutes and large muffins for 25 to 30 minutes. Muffins will spring back when lightly tapped.

Printable recipe

Sausages, Orzo Salad and Arugula - Dinner for One

I had the luxury of eating alone tonight. I call it luxury. I don't know if anyone appreciates a meal alone as much as a mother does. Because during this meal, you get to think, you get to breathe, you get to chew your food slowly without the chance of interruption from a child, you get to SIT the whole time...it truly is a luxury. And when I get the chance to eat alone, I like to eat good food, but I don't necessarily want to cook for myself.

I had some leftover orzo salad from today's lunch (I cooked for my daughter's teachers) and so I just placed a mound on a bed of arugula and cooked up two turkey sausages. It was a very simple, yet delicious meal.

I quietly ate alone...and enjoyed it...

Potato Salad - Cooking for My Eating Pleasure

Growing up, my mom cooked all of our meals. She was, and still is, what many would consider a fabulous cook. She gets it from my maternal grandmother who is also a tremendous cook and took some lessons from my paternal grandmother, who also was a great cook from a different province in Korea. (one of the famous "culinary" provinces, Kaesong.) With this kind of background, meals at our house were always tremendous, tables overflowing with food, but ALWAYS Korean. Because that is what my father ate. He liked to come home from work, sit down and eat his Korean meal. And so all of our dinners were these fabulously cooked Korean meals.

EXCEPT on the nights when he was "on call" at the hospital, which meant he wasn't coming home. Then my mom would mix things up and make things that he didn't want to eat, but his three children were craving to eat. Things like tacos, hamburgers (boy were these good), Japanese style curry rice, spaghetti and meatballs, lasagne, and spare ribs. These dinners were only a few times a month but I remember coming home from school, asking my mom, "What's for dinner?" and when she would answer with one of our non Korean meals - I would be so excited.

I find that I'm doing something similar now. I generally cook for my husband and children and not for me. I want to cook something that I know they will enjoy and like. I do this, not because I care SO much about my family, but because I don't want to hear complaints of "I don't want to eat this" or "Mommy can I eat something else." I'd rather just avoid that scene altogether - so oftentimes what I REALLY want to eat, I don't make for myself.

I especially love potatoes - but this food item is husband's nemesis. He likes potato chips - but there his affinity for potatoes ends. Which means, I rarely, if ever, cook potatoes. I only cook them when I know husband will not be around for dinner - and then I get pretty excited. But I got news that he was not going to be home for dinner, so I rushed to the supermarket lugging my 9 month old to buy potatoes - because I wanted to make potato salad.

This is my version of the potato salad. I like the green peas in it for color and sweetness, the shallots and the celery both for bite and crunch and the eggs - for that extra richness. The boiled potatoes are dressed in vinegar, oil, salt and pepper while hot, so that they absorb the dressing well. Then I add the rest of the ingredients and mix together. This is great with burgers, sandwiches, steak, friend chicken. Sometimes, my kids just eat the potato salad. A very large bowl of it. And then I imagine them, also in the future, secretly craving those nights when Daddy isn't home so that they can have some forbidden food.

Joanne's "Forbidden" Potato Salad
(serves 10)

2 lbs New red potatoes
1/4 cup white or red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
3/4 cup frozen peas (no need to cook or defrost)
2 shallots chopped fine (can also use red onion if you prefer)
1/2 cup celery chopped fine
6 hard boiled eggs
1 cup of mayonnaise (for my dietary restrictions I use canola oil based mayo)

1. Wash potatoes. In a pot filled with cold water, add the potatoes and cook until tender but firm. (the time will depend on your size of potato.)

2. When potatoes are done, drain them, and cut them into bite sized pieces (they are hot! Watch out!) and put them in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle the still-hot potatoes with vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Take a taste here - the potatoes should have soaked up some of that vinegary goodness and taste like warm seasoning. YUM!

3. Add the shallots, celery and peas. Add mayonnaise. Mix to combine. Then finally add eggs and mix carefully. Chill in the refrigerator. May be made the day before.

Printable recipe

Forbidden like ice cream

Roasted Tomato Soup - Not Just For Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

I have a very good friend, who in high school, could eat a bowl of soup with a crusty piece of french bread for lunch, and be satisfied. I watched her do it on countless occasions in high school and beyond and the image of her slowly savoring that soup with her piece of bread still inspires me. What it says - soup satisfies. A really good soup satisfies really well.

But does a really good soup also require a lot of work or effort? I have found a few recipes (The Chicken, Bean, and Vegetable soup being one) that are really satisfying yet simple enough that they don't turn you off from cooking soup completely. This Roasted Tomato Soup is a staple in my family's rotation - it often appears at lunch next to the occasional hot dog or corn dog, or at dinner, right before some steak. It's a great one to master, as its ingredients are simple and it requires little to no serious cooking skill - can you slice a tomato in half? Can you turn on an oven? Can you peel some garlic? Can you pour some olive oil? Can you use a hand blender? It's a great source of lycopenes (found in tomaotes, and better absorbed by your body when consumed with olive oil, as is in this recipe) and it just tastes so good.

I started with Tyler Florence's recipe for Roasted Tomato Soup, but changed it up as my dietary needs changed. (no dairy...sad...) If you prefer a creamier soup, you'll like Tyler's but since I can't have cream, I find this version also satisfying.

Roasted Tomato Soup

2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes (mix of fresh heirlooms, cherry, vine and plum tomatoes)
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 small yellow onions, sliced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 quart chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Wash, core and cut the tomatoes into halves. Spread the tomatoes, garlic cloves and onions onto a baking tray. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until caramelized.

Remove roasted tomatoes, garlic and onion from the oven and transfer to a large stock pot. Add 3/4 of the chicken stock and bay leaves Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until liquid has reduced by a third.

Wash and dry basil leaves and add to the pot. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Return soup to low heat and adjust consistency with remaining chicken stock, if necessary. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Printable recipe

Basic, inexpensive handblender that will do the job.

Chicken, Bean, Vegetable Soup - Round Out Your Dinner

In must be the Korean in me, for if I don't have some warm in my stomach for my dinner, I feel incomplete. Most Korean meals offer some sort of gook (soup) or chigae (often gets translated as casserole but I think stew is a better translation.) This warmth, with your meal, fills you up and leaves you satisfied.

I use Western type soups and stews in the same way. I confess, there are more than a few times my kids have grilled cheese or another type of sandwich for dinner - but I always pair it with a soup. The soup gives some heft and depth to the meal and warms up the tummy leaving everyone feeling more satisfied. I always have some frozen in the freezer because many soups freeze very well and so it's a matter of pulling it out from the freezer, heating it up while you make your sandwiches. And then it's a complete meal. I definitely don't think that there is anything wrong with having sandwiches for dinner - just have it with some soup.

I love this Chicken Stew from Giada de Laurentiis. It's simple but the flavors are really satisfying and there are enough vegetables in there for me to calm my nutrition gauge for my kids. It freezes really well (even tastes better the next day) and is a great staple for any dinner table. I always DOUBLE the recipe because I want to have some frozen. Also, feel free to add extra chicken broth if you like it more "soupy" vs. "stewy." (I tend to add a lot more broth.)

Chicken Stew

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 stalks celery, cut into bite-size pieces
1 carrot, peeled, cut into bite-size pieces
1 small onion, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 (14-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 chicken breast with ribs (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
1 (15-ounce) can organic kidney beans, drained (rinsed if not organic) (I used cannelini beans today, only because I didn't have any kidney beans on hand...equally delicious.)

Serving suggestion: crusty bread (or sandwiches!)

Heat the oil in a heavy 5 1/2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the celery, carrot, and onion. Saute the vegetables until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, basil, tomato paste, bay leaf, and thyme. Add the chicken breasts; press to submerge.

Bring the cooking liquid to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently uncovered until the chicken is almost cooked through, turning the chicken breasts over and stirring the mixture occasionally, about 25 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken breasts to a work surface and cool for 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Add the kidney beans to the pot and simmer until the liquid has reduced into a stew consistency, about 10 minutes.

Discard the skin and bones from the chicken breasts. Shred or cut the chicken into bite- size pieces. Return the chicken meat to the stew. Bring the stew just to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Ladle the stew into serving bowls and serve with the bread.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/chicken-stew-recipe/index.html

As an additional note, referring back to my post about The Influential Power of Simple Food where I encouraged my readers to go and cook for someone (a teacher) who may need a bit of extra affection, this is ALSO another great recipe for that. I made some and packed it for my daughter's teachers, as today was their first day of school with 21, four-year old kids. (AGGH!) If you make a double batch, you'll have more than enough to share.

Another Pseudo Bibim Bap: Two Ways

I think the thing I love about bibimbap (Korean mixed rice) is that it has a lot of different variations. In Seoul, they have this cheese version (I've never tried it because it sounds a bit funky to me) where they also add a topping of American cheese on top and you mix that in as well. There are kimchee versions, straight up vegetable versions, those in the stone pot (which makes that awesome crispy rice on the bottom), and those with seasonal vegetables. Free your mind about bibimbap - use what you have and make it taste good.

I actually did two versions today - one for my kids and one for husband and me. My children's one was simpler. Both versions had my cucumber nameul side dish as the vegetable component and I messed around with the other ingredients.

My children today had an egg, cucumber, and dried seaweed (roasted laver) version, mixed with sesame oil and a touch of soy sauce. They really enjoyed it. I just made the cucumber side dish, beat an egg and fried it up flat, and added this roasted seaweed sidedish that my mother had made for me. You can buy it at many Korean and Chinese supermarkets. (I've gotten it from Ranch 99 on more than one occasion.) I liked the color combination of the black, green, yellow and white, and since my #2 daughter is obsessed with yellow, she particularly enjoyed it. Both girls gobbled it up with white kimchee. (baek kimchee compliments of my mom.)

For my husband and me, I knew I needed something a bit more "meaty" to satisfy my husband's appetite. Normally I would use bulgogi or ground beef that has been mixed with soy sauce and sugar, but since I can't have soy I decided to try something different. Instead, I asked husband to grill up a ribeye steak - my normal way, with just olive oil rub and salt and pepper. I let it rest after cooking and diced it up as my protein component. I added this lovely organic lettuce that my friend had grown in her garden, the cucumber side dish, and a sunny side up egg on top. (Husband complained that I had over cooked the egg because he likes to mix in the super runny yolk with his rice, which is VERY Korean.) We added sesame oil and gotchujahng (Korean red chili pepper paste) and mixed (which is what bibim means) it all together. Very good meal. I was satisfied and husband finished his meal in total silence. I served it with meeyuk gook (Korean seaweed soup) to round out the meal.

Make your own version of bibimbap today!

Korean Cucumber Nameul Banchan (오이나물) Mini Lesson

Cucumbers are cool, refreshing and oh so good on hot summer days. Koreans have their own style of making them. Generally, Korean "oh-ee" banchan (오이나물) or side dish comes in two forms -a sugar and vinegar based one and one that is cooked. It will sound strange to people who have never had cooked cucumbers, but the Korean side dish is nothing that you would expect. The cooking actually enhances the cucumber flavor and gives it an extra crunch that you wouldn't normally have. I actually prefer the cooked version on most occasions as it CAN be stored for a few days while the vinegar-based version cannot. It is simple and straightforward and the primary technique that turns the dish from ordinary to excellent is actually good knife skills.


Korean Cucumber Side Dish (오이나물)
Ingredients
4 Japanese cucumbers, 6-8 Persian "mini" cucumbers, or 4-5 pickling cucumbers (these varieties have fewer seeds - do NOT substitute anything else.)
1 or 2 tablespoons of salt
3-4 cloves of garlic finely minced (use more if you like the garlic flavor)
3-4 tablespoons sesame oil
Crushed sesame seeds

The MOST difficult part of this side dish is actually slicing the cucumbers. You want to slice straight circles, perpendicular to the cucumber length and make the slices about 1/8 in thick. The difficulty is getting them to ALL be the same thickness - and without really good knife skills this can be difficult. If you intend to do a lot of even cutting or slicing in the future, it wouldn't be a horrible idea to invest in a Japanese mandolin/benriner.


After cutting, liberally salt the cucumbers, making sure that all the cucumbers get a bit of salt. This is to draw water OUT of the cucumbers, and by doing this, you are actually increasing the "crunch factor" of the dish. You are able to salt the cucumbers and leave them this way in a fridge for ate least 30 minutes and up to two days. This is a make ahead step that you can use to your advantage. Slice, cut and salt, and then store in the fridge.

When you are ready, take small handfuls of the cucumbers and squeeze the excess water out. (this is like our Spinach Nameul) Do this until you have squeeze the water out of the entire mound of cucumbers. It should look something like this:

Heat the frying pan. Add sesame oil. Toss in cucumbers and garlic and saute, quickly for about 1-2 minutes.

Finish with toasted sesame seeds.
Serve and enjoy!

Bibim Gooksoo - Korean Style Mixed Noodles

It was unexpectedly warm for me today (maybe no one else was surprised but I haven't had time to watch the news) and the thought of cooking was not appealing...so I wanted to make something conveniently cool but delicious at the same time. I decided to make Korean-style mixed noodles, which is something that my family enjoys.

The great news about the noodles is that it requires as little to no cooking as you wish. Of course you do have to cook the noodles and the beef, but those are two simple things to do. The rest is chopping and a bit of mixing - again you can keep it simple. For this, you'll notice I have four components - the noodles, kimchee which has been mixed with sugar, sesame oil and sesame seeds, cucumbers julienne and some beef.

Some tips
For today's beef I used thinly sliced ribeye, mostly because I didn't have ground beef which is what I usually use. I have to say - the thinly sliced ribeye elevated the dish slightly -so if you want something a bit more special, I recommend you try the thinly sliced ribeye.

Traditionally the noodles used for this is the super thin "somen" noodles which can be found at any half way decent Chinese, Japanese or Korean supermarket. I did not use somen because I prefer the flavor of buckwheat noodles. A reader of this blog always uses green tea or "nok cha" noodles, so feel free to experiment to find the one that you like.

Use either Japanese cucumbers, the new "Persian" or mini cucumbers or pickling cucumbers. Avoid the regular super market cucumbers, and if you HAVE to, go for an English Hot house cucumber, seeded. You want to avoid a cucumber that has a high concentration of seeds - as generally, they are more bitter.

I also did this with a "white" kimchee, a non-spicy type. Since I have dietary restriction against all shrimp products, my lovely mom made me shrimp free kimchee - but she also decided to kill two birds with one stone and make the kind that my girls love - white kimchee. I would have preferred the spicy kind with no shrimp, but this white kimchee ended up being really delicous. My kids and I had the white version of mixed noodles and husband the spicy version.

Preparation (serves about 4 depending on how hungry your family gets.)
Boil water for noodles. Follow instructions on package.
Julienne two cucumbers.
Chop 2 cups of kimchee into small pieces. Mix with 3-4 tablespoons of sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of sesame oil. (this depends on the ripeness of your kimchess so you have to taste and see. Always put less then add more as needed.) Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Pan fry your thinly sliced ribeye. Add sesame oil to a hot fry pan, fry over medium high heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Construction time - pile your noodles at the bottom of a bowl. Arrange prettily on top your other ingredients. ENJOY!