Salad with Thai Peanut Dressing

This recipe is credited to my mother, who upon finding herself headed to a Midwest barbecue (read: lots of unhealthy food), wanted to make a vegetable heavy dish that she could nibble on without worry. My younger brother also gets a shout out because he was the one that introduced us to Thai pizza, which is delicious. My mother took the sauce and used it as a dressing over a mix of vegetables. What is below is a rough estimate of what I put in my own version tonight. (At some point I will invest in a camera so that I can share images of these dishes with you).

Salad with Thai Peanut Dressing

3 chicken quarters
1/2 head red cabbage, sliced thin
1 tsp salt
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin 2 inch strips
2 small broccoli stems, sliced into thin 2 inch strips
1 1/2 cups 1-inch pieces snow peas
2 c bean sprouts
5 carrots, julienned
4 green onions, green parts only sliced thin
1/4 c peanut butter (I used smooth, natural)
2 tbsp hoisin sauce, heaping
2 tbsp teriyaki sauce, heaping
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp minced onion
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 large clove garlic, minced
4 tbsp water
chopped peanuts for garnish

Place chicken quarters in a pot and cover with water.
Put over high heat and bring to a boil.
Reduce to a low boil and let cook until cooked through.
While chicken is boiling, place red cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt.
Toss to coat and let sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Chop remaining ingredients and place in a large serving bowl.
In a small sauce pan, mix together peanut butter, hoisin sauce, teriyaki sauce, maple syrup, red pepper flakes, onion, ginger, garlic, and water.
Put dressing over medium heat and bring to a simmer.
Let dressing simmer for a few minutes, then remove from heat.
Once chicken is done, remove from heat, drain, and let cool before handling.
Place cabbage in a salad spinner and cover with water.
Stir cabbage around to remove salt, then drain and spin dry.
Add cabbage to large serving bowl.
Once chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and remove meat from bones.
Chop meat into small pieces and add to serving bowl.
Pour dressing over the top and toss until everything is coated.
You can serve at this point or chill it before serving.
When serving, sprinkle top with chopped peanuts.

Creamy Mango-Carrot Smoothie

Another smoothie for you to try. This one is similar in color to the Berry Smoothie due to the blueberries and beets, but the soy milk, banana, and walnuts give it a creamier texture. I made it tonight for my breakfast tomorrow morning, so I am hoping that it stores well. The Berry Smoothie is best enjoyed once it is made, as by the next day the flavor had changed. I think it was because of the kale, but I am not sure.

Creamy Mango-Carrot Smoothie

1 c soy milk
1/2 c carrot juice (get pure carrot juice)
1 banana, broken into pieces
1 beet, washed and cubed
1/2 c frozen blueberries
1 c frozen mango
1 tbsp raw honey
1/2 oz raw walnuts
2 tbsp grated ginger

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If it seems a little too thick for your taste, add a little water and blend to mix. Pour into glasses and serve.

Berry Smoothie

Lately I have been drinking smoothies for most of my lunches. I like being able to get extra fruits and vegetables while also feeling full. Plus, it is easy to drink at my desk. I workout during most of my lunch breaks, so a quick lunch that is desk-suitable is perfect. I recently saw this smoothie recipe on the New York Times and it inspired the smoothie below. It is bright pink and not too sweet, which is perfect in my opinion. The recipe makes about four cups, so you can cut it in half to make just enough for one serving.

Berry Smoothie

1/2 c frozen blackberries
1/2 c frozen mango
1/2 c frozen blueberries
2 tbsp chopped ginger
1 3-4 inch beet, washed and cubed
3 leaves kale, washed and torn into pieces
1/2 c yogurt
3 oz silken tofu
1 c water (or a little more, if needed)
1 tbsp honey

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve.

Ginger Quinoa with Vegetables

Another transfer recipe that may already exist on this site, but just to be sure, here it is!

3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp grated ginger
8 oz tempeh

1 c quinoa
1 3/4 c water
2 tsp minced ginger
1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp oil
5 oz sliced shitake mushrooms
1 red bell pepper, sliced
5 oz snow peas
1/4 c tamari almonds

1/3 c sliced green onion (green part only)

Preheat over to 400 degrees. In a small baking pan, mix soy sauce, grated ginger. Add tempeh, turn and let sit while oven heats. When oven is hot, put tempeh in and bake until brown, turning half way. When done, let cool a bit and then cut into small squares.

In a pan, mix quinoa, water, minced ginger and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, turn down to low, stir, and cover. Let cook, covered, for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered.

In a frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add shitake mushrooms and cook until starting to dry. Add bell pepper, snow peas, and almonds and cook for a few minutes (until pepper and peas are bright in color).

In a serving bowl, mix together tempeh, quinoa, vegetables and green onion. Serve hot.

Where My Ego Takes Over

This past weekend was practically perfect. I went to a friend's camp on Thursday night and we had some wine, enjoyed the weather, and built a fire. Friday started off warm, but overcast, so we read for a while on the dock. Once the sun came out, it was hot and lovely; perfect for sunning and swimming! In the afternoon, a storm rolled in and we went inside to watch the pouring rain. On Saturday, I biked to the beach with another friend. Even though we didn't do much swimming (the water was thick with tiny red seaweed), we laid in the sun. It was very hot, but the wind kept us from getting overheated. Sunday I went back to camp for more sun (slightly less humid and definitely more windy) and swimming. I am now more than relaxed; it's almost like I was on vacation.

I also picked up my farm share on Friday. This week I received:

1 gallon tatsoi
1 quart green beans
1 very full gallon of lettuce
3 small zucchini
1 gallon kale
1 gallon chard
1/2 gallon carrots
fresh herbs (cilantro, basil, marjoram, thyme, oregano, parsley, chives)
fresh cut flowers

The farm also raises sheep, pigs, and chickens; so I picked up some lamb steaks, bacon and eggs. I made some bacon on Saturday morning. It's interesting, not quite as salty and smokey as bacon usually is, but still really good. This was my breakfast on Saturday:

Herbed Scrambled Eggs, Greens and Bacon

3 strips bacon
2 cups mixed greens (spinach, tatsoi, and kale)
1 tsp butter
2 eggs, beaten
pinch of salt and pepper
1 tbsp fresh basil, cut into thin strips
toast
strawberries

In a heavy skillet, place the bacon strips and turn to medium-high heat.
Once bacon starts cooking, turn the heat down to medium-low and continue cooking, turning frequently.
While bacon is cooking, melt butter in a small skillet over medium heat.
Beat eggs well, then beat in salt, pepper and basil.
Once butter is melted, pour eggs into skillet. Allow to cook for a while, then stir gently, allowing uncooked egg to reach the bottom of the pan. Continue this method until eggs are cooked but not dry. Remove to a plate.
Once bacon is done to your liking, remove to a cooling rack (put paper towel under the cooling rack to catch any drippings).
Drain most of the grease from the pan (put in a heat-safe pyrex dish to save for later use).
Add greens to the pan and cook until wilted, then transfer to plate.
Serve bacon, eggs, and greens with toast and fresh fruit.

Besides my wonderful breakfast, I also experimented with carrot soup. I really like cooked carrots and raw carrot sticks are a great snack, but with all the carrots I got this week, I knew I was going to have to try something new. I decided to try making a ginger-carrot soup, but since it's so hot, I wanted to chill it. I ended up with a fresh tasting, simple soup that is perfect for a hot summer day. Served with a plain green salad and bread with butter, it was another mark of happiness in a wonderful weekend.*

Chilled Ginger Carrot Soup

1 tbsp bacon grease (or olive oil)
2 to 3 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1/4 c red onion, grated
2 c carrot, grated
3 c water
1 tsp chicken Better than Bouillon
salt and pepper to taste
3 tbsp cilantro, rinsed and chopped

In a soup pan, melt bacon grease over medium heat.
Add ginger and onion and cook until onion is translucent.
Add carrot and cook, stirring for 3 minutes.
Add water, bouillon, salt and pepper and turn heat up to high.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
Pour soup into a blender and blend on high until smooth.
Pour soup into a serving bowl, stir in cilantro, then place in the refrigerator until chilled.
Serve with green salad and bread.

*As noted, I forgot the ego bit. I meant to say how I couldn't believe the amazing deliciousness of the soup. It was just so perfect! And I made it without starting from another recipe. It's all me and all wonderful. (There, ego boost).

Caution: Hot

It's been hot and humid here in Maine, which is unusual. For example, for a good portion of June I still needed to wear a jacket and leggings on my bike ride to work. I'm enjoying the heat and hope it lasts long enough for me to want it to go away. I have to say, this summer has been absolutely beautiful. While it may not have been hot in June, it didn't rain all month like last year. I'm not sure if a lack of rain (well, it's rained, but not constantly, day after day) is affecting the farm. They mentioned in the last newsletter that it's been dry enough for them to dry and bale hay. And the vegetables are still coming. They think next week they will also have flowers in the pick-your-own section, which is cool.

So, where am I with my vegetables from last week? Mostly gone, though I still have some napa cabbage, a small cabbage, some lettuce, and the zucchini left. Perhaps I'll make some coleslaw inspired salad this weekend. Most of the remaining vegetables went into my dinner last night, a hot and sour soup inspired stew. The hot and sour soup recipe I use is from Ken Hom's Fool Proof Chinese Cooking. If you've never made Hot and Sour soup, you really should pick up a copy of this book and try his out. I've never been a fan of the glutinous vibrant red variety in most Chinese restaurants in the US. Hom's recipe, however, is a proper soup and the only vibrant red comes from the hot pepper oil. It's absolutely delicious.

I was already considering using his marinade for some ground pork I had and as I got going I decided to make a stew that I could put over rice. His recipe has tofu, egg, pork, woodears and shitake mushrooms. I used the egg, pork, and shitake mushrooms and added broccoli, baby bok choy leaves, napa cabbage and some spicy red peppers. It's important, when making his soup, to make a chicken stock. I didn't have any, so I used bouillon and simmered it with slices of ginger, crushed garlic, and onion to make the base. After making that, the rest of the soup went together rather quickly. And despite the heat, it was a perfect meal.

Vegetable Hot and Sour Stew

6 c water
2 tsp chicken bouillon
4 inches of ginger, sliced
6 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
1/2 c sliced red onion
12 shitake mushrooms, stems and tops separated; slice tops
1/2 lb pork
4 tsp soy sauce
4 tsp rice wine
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp sugar
12 napa cabbage leaves, washed and sliced into 1 inch strips
8 to 10 baby bok choy, leaves separated from stems
3 c broccoli pieces*
2 hot peppers, sliced into rounds
2 eggs
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
8 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tsp chili oil
1/4 c cilantro
2 tsp sesame oil
cooked rice

In a stock pot, combine water, bouillon, ginger, garlic, onion, and stems from the shitake mushrooms.
Bring to a boil, turn down a tad and let cook for 15 to 20 minutes.
While the base is boiling, mix the 4 tsp soy sauce, 4 tsp rice wine, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp sugar and pork.
Use a wire strainer to remove the ginger, garlic, onion, and shitake stems from the base.
Turn down heat so base is simmering, then slowly add the pork, breaking it into small pieces. Allow to simmer for a few minutes.
Once pork is no longer visibly pink, add the cabbage, bok choy, broccoli, shitake caps, and red pepper. Allow to cook until broccoli is bright green and cabbage and bok choy are wilted.
In a small bowl, beat the eggs with the 1 tbsp sesame oil.
Push the vegetables to the sides of the pan, clearing a space where there is mostly broth in the center. Slowly pour the egg into this space, stirring with a fork to break it up, then stir.
Add the remaining ingredients and allow to simmer for a few minutes.
Remove from heat and serve in a bowl over cooked rice.

*I typically cut the long stemmed florets off the sides, until I reach the heart of the top. Then I cut this from the stem and break into pieces. I then cut off the bottom of the stem, peel the skin off the main stem at the bottom, and then quarter lengthwise and cut into 2 inch lengths.

Christmas Eve Breakfast

My whole family has postponed our Christmas celebration to January. While this meant that we haven't quite felt that holiday spirit this year, it turns out it wasn't that bad of a decision. If my brother and his girlfriend had been flying home, they would have found themselves stuck on the west coast due to the recent weather. Let's hope that January, which tends to be snowier all around, doesn't throw us for a loop too!

Postponed family Christmas celebration means postponed traditional meals. On Christmas Eve we usually have sausage, cheese, dill bread and soup. Christmas morning brings caramel rolls and scrambled eggs. The Christmas Day meal is typically either ham or turkey. There was one Christmas where my mom and I tried to break with tradition and had an Indian meal one day and Cajun the next. I still haven't heard the end of the gastronomic adventures my weaker stomached family members experienced.

Since I have tradition to look forward to and I'm spending this Christmas Eve and Day with my brother and sister-in-law, we're covering the Puerto Rican traditions of my sister-in-law's family. If you haven't had the pleasure to eat good home cooked Puerto Rican food, you are missing out! Earlier this week Jen (my sister-in-law) made Frijoles con bollitas (stewed black eyed pea with green banana dumplings). It's one of my favorite Puerto dishes. Tonight, for Christmas Eve dinner we'll be having Alcapurrias (green banana and plantain dough filled with seasoned beef and deep fried). Tomorrow we'll be having pork roast seasoned with garlic, green olives and adobo. Yum!

This morning, while my brother, Kurt, and Jen went for a run, I made breakfast. I fried up the mashed potato filling from the varenyky like hash. I scrambled a few eggs and cooked some sausages. While all of that was delicious, it mainly played the role of accompanying my first attempt at Ginger Scones. Jen and I have both had Ginger Scones that we've loved. I wanted to capture the variety of tastes you can get from ginger in its many forms, so I used candied ginger, ground ginger, and freshly grated ginger. The only thing I would do differently is to squeeze the juice out of the grated ginger and not use the pulp. Oh, and follow the recipe accurately and not add an extra 1/4 c of butter (oops). What follows is an adaptation of a Buttermilk Scone recipe that my mother found online and which we've found to be the best basic scone recipe. I've marked the items I added with an asterisk. That way you can omit or change those to make your own creations.

Ginger Scones

3 c flour
1/3 c sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon*
1/2 tsp ground ginger*
3/4 c unsalted butter
1/2 c candied ginger, chopped*
1/4 c walnuts, chopped*
juice from 3 inches of fresh ginger, grated*
1 c plus a dash buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Put flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and ground ginger in a large mixing bowl and stir together well.
Cut butter into the dry ingredients until coarse meal is achieved.
Stir in candied ginger and walnuts.
Mix fresh ginger juice into buttermilk.
Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients.
Using a wooden spoon or stiff rubber spatula, gently mix. (I slide the spoon into the bowl along the edge, scooping up through the center.)
When everything is JUST moist, gather dough into your hands and gently form into a loose ball.
Divide dough in half.
With each half, pat into a loose ball then place on a lightly floured surface.
Pat ball flat to about 1 inch thick.
Cut each dough round into 8 wedges and arrange on cookie sheets.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until inside is dry and outside is only slightly browned.
Serve warm.