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Dinner, Japanese, Lactose Free, Recipes, Vegetarian, Veggies

Sesame Broccoli Salad

July 11, 2019

Sesame Broccoli Salad

This is a refreshing and healthy salad that is perfect to serve during the warm summer months.  The broccoli is quickly steamed until crisp and tender then drizzled with a tasty dressing.  You can serve it chilled or at room temperature.

Broccoli

Broccoli Florets

Cut the broccoli into bite-sized (not too small) florets.  Steam the broccoli just until crisp and tender.

Steamed Broccoli Florets

Chill the broccoli while you make the dressing.  If I’m in a rush, I place the steamed broccoli on a plate and put it in the freezer for a few minutes.

Broccoli Salad Dressing

The dressing is a snap to prepare.  Mix the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil and honey together in a small bowl.  Throw in a spoonful of roasted sesame seeds and you will end up with a well- balanced, flavorful sauce for the broccoli.

Sesame Broccoli Salad with Rice, Nori & Tuna Salad, Mango & Kimchi

My favorite accompaniments with this broccoli salad are steamed Japanese rice, crispy nori with tuna salad, kimchi and fruit.  It is the perfect summer lunch.

Sesame Broccoli Salad

Sesame Broccoli Salad
 
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Adapted from epicurious.com
Author:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman recommended)
  • 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil (Kadoya recommended)
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • freshly ground black pepper (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds, divided
  • 1 pound (about 8 cups) broccoli florets
Preparation
  1. Steam the broccoli florets until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Cool on a plate in the refrigerator for about 5 minutes or so.
  2. Whisk soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey and a few grinds of fresh black pepper in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of roasted sesame seeds. Set aside.
  3. In a large shallow bowl, toss broccoli with dressing (you may not need all of the dressing). Toss to coat all of the florets. Let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or cover and refrigerate if you prefer to serve it cold, or at a later time during the day. When ready to serve, toss once again then transfer the broccoli to a large low-sided serving bowl. Pour the dressing over the broccoli and sprinkle the remaining sesame seeds over the top.

 

Dinner, Dressing, Lactose Free, Mexican, Recipes, Rice Dishes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Cilantro Brown Rice

June 28, 2019

Cilantro Brown Rice Bowl with Avocado, Tomato & Cucumbers

During a recent trip to Seattle to visit family, we baked up some Enchiladas Suizas for a luncheon one afternoon.  My stepdaughter Jessica made a delicious cilantro rice side dish she had recently discovered on What’s Gaby Cooking blog.  Generally there’s no middle ground on the subject of cilantro.  You either love or hate it.  Even though she may not yet be a fully converted cilantro lover, I’m happy she shared this recipe with us.  It’s truly delicious.

Fresh Cilantro

Besides waiting for the brown rice to cook, the only other step that takes a few minutes to complete is removing the stems from the cilantro sprigs. Otherwise, it’s a snap to make.  I used our immersion blender the first time I made the cilantro dressing. It did a decent job but our Vitamix turned out perfectly pureed ingredients in just a few seconds.

Cilantro Dressing

Brown Rice & Cilantro Dressing

The rice makes a wonderful side dish for any Mexican meal or as a meal of its own served with avocado and crispy cucumbers.  Mexican Style Grilled Chicken is the perfect main dish to serve with this rice.

Cilantro Brown Rice

Cilantro Brown Rice
 
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Adapted from What's Gaby Cooking
Author:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 2 cups long grain brown rice
  • 2 tablespoons roughly chopped shallot
  • 2 cups tightly packed fresh cilantro, tough stems discarded
  • 1 medium garlic clove
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you prefer a spicier flavor)
  • ⅓ scant cup mild olive oil, or a mix of canola and extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Preparation
  1. Cook brown rice in a rice cooker or on the stove top according to package directions.
  2. Combine shallot through salt in a blender (Vitamix or other high-powered blender works best). Blend ingredients for about 20 seconds. Scrape down the sides as needed. Blend another 15 seconds, or until the cilantro dressing is very smooth.
  3. Place cooked brown rice in a large serving bowl. Pour cilantro dressing over the rice and toss to coat well.
  4. The rice is best eaten when warm. You may reheat the rice if made in advance or if frozen, defrost in the refrigerator and reheat gently.

 

Bread, Breakfast, Lactose Free, Recipes

Favorite English Muffins

June 16, 2019

Favorite Homemade English Muffins

Homemade English muffins have been something we have wanted to make for years. Recently John came upon a recipe in Cook’s Country magazine that inspired him to give it a try.  After the first batch and a few adjustments to the recipe, we were hooked.  We always keep our freezer stocked with these beauties.  We enjoy eating them toasted with butter and jam as well as with our favorite eggs Benedict with avocado hollandaise.  The nice thing about these English muffins is that they don’t take very long to make and the finished product is far superior to any commercial product.

Favorite Homemade English Muffins - Fork-Split

Cornmeal Sifted

If your cornmeal is on the coarse side, you may want to sift out the large, gritty pieces which can become very hard upon toasting the muffins.

Muffin Rings with Cornmeal

Dough rings help to ensure perfectly tall, well-shaped muffins. We had purchased a dozen rings for another recipe so we were thrilled to be able to make use of them for this recipe.  Sprinkle cornmeal into each muffin ring before placing dough inside.

Muffin Rings Filled with Dough & Topped with Cornmeal

After the dough rounds go into the rings, sprinkle more cornmeal over the top and press lightly into the dough.

Muffin Dough Rising

The dough will rise for 1 hour before being fried in butter for a quick 30 seconds or so on each side.  If you don’t mind a chewier and darker crust, they can be fried longer (up to 2 minutes per side).

Frying Muffins Before Baking

Frying Muffins Before Baking

Once all of the dough has been fried they go into the oven to bake.

Favorite Homemade English Muffins

Beautiful English muffins cooling on a wire rack.

Favorite Homemade English Muffins

Fork-splitting the muffins rather than slicing them with a knife will ensure little nooks and crannies that not only produce beautiful crispy edges when toasted, but also allow the toppings such as butter and jam to sink in to all the crevices. Yum.

Favorite Homemade English Muffins with Butter & Mango Jam

Favorite English Muffins
 
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Adapted from Cook's Country
Author:
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 1 cup + 6 tablespoons of warm whole lactose free milk or regular whole milk,110 degrees (312 grams/11 oz.)
  • 2 tablespoons honey (40 grams)
  • 2¾ cups bread flour (428 grams/15⅛ oz.)
  • 1 tablespoon instant or rapid rise yeast (11 grams)
  • 1¼ teaspoons table salt (7 grams)
  • ⅓ cup cornmeal (sifted if very coarse)
  • 2 tablespoons + butter (we use Miyoko's vegan butter)
Preparation
  1. Special equipment: 10 muffin rings 3½-inch size (recommended for perfectly shaped, tall muffins), 2 half-sheet pans, 2 silicone baking mats or parchment paper
  2. Combine milk with honey in a large bowl. Heat in microwave to 110 degrees but no more (about 20 - 30 seconds). A digital thermometer is useful here. We like the Thermapen. Whisk warm milk and honey together.
  3. In a separate smaller bowl, whisk dry ingredients (flour, yeast and salt) together. Combine wet and dry ingredients together in first bowl. Mix thoroughly (we like to use a Danish dough whisk). Cover the bowl and proof for 1 hour. Do one set of stretches and folds after 30 minutes of proofing.
  4. Line a half sheet pan with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Place 10 muffin rings on pan. Spray thoroughly with cooking spray making sure the ring interiors are well coated. Sprinkle corn meal inside the rings.
  5. Once dough has proofed, divide into 10 equal pieces (about 79 grams each). Round each piece slightly on a floured surface then flatten the dough pieces until approximately the diameter of the rings. Press the dough gently into the rings. Sprinkle corn meal over the top and press into the dough with your fingers. Cover the pan with a second sheet pan. Proof for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.
  6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees once dough has proofed for 50 minutes.
  7. Once dough has proofed for 1 hour, heat a 12" non-stick skillet on medium to medium-low heat with 1 tablespoon of butter. In batches of up to four, add dough (in rings) to the skillet and cook for 30 seconds on each side, or until lightly browned. Add more butter to the pan for each batch. Transfer fried muffins to second silicone baking mat or parchment lined half sheet pan. Continue frying until all 10 are done. Transfer pan to oven and bake for 12-13 minutes, or until centers register 205-210 degrees.
  8. Remove rings and let muffins cool completely on a wire rack. Fork-split muffins before toasting. Muffins freeze well.

 

 

Dinner, Lactose Free, Pork, Recipes, Side Dishes

Braised French Lentils with Bacon

June 4, 2019

Braised French Lentils with Bacon

When visiting San Francisco, I always return to Fringale restaurant for their duck confit and French lentils (we have successfully made sous vide duck confit at home which I will cover in a future post).  You may serve duck confit with side dishes other than lentils, but to me, there is nothing that compliments the savory duck as well.  French lentils are small so they cook very quickly but unlike other lentils they hold their shape extremely well.  But cooking quickly does not mean they aren’t full of flavor. Mirepoix, the foundation for many French dishes, is a combination of carrots, onions and celery that are finely diced and sautéed gently in olive oil or butter.  Mirepoix will add aromatic flavor to your dish as they do here, without being too bold. All of the elements meld together to make a delicious meal.

Braised French Lentils with Bacon & Sous Vide Duck Confit

Dried Lentils

French lentils, which are a must for this dish, can be found packaged or in the bulk section of many markets.  For a real treat buy French lentils du Puy.  Wash them well in a sieve before using them in any recipe.  The rinsed and drained lentils are added to the pot along with chicken broth. They will braise in the liquid and aromatics for about 45 minutes.  Then they are ready to serve.

Dried Lentils

Mire Poix, Thyme, Bay Leaf & Garlic

The mirepoix consists of onion, carrots and celery.  Fresh thyme, garlic and bay leaf also contribute to the flavor of the braised lentils.

One of the highlights of this recipe is bacon.   Not only does bacon smell divine when it’s cooking, it adds so much flavor to this humble dish. The vegetables are sautéed  just until they soften a bit.  The idea is to coax out the flavors without browning them too much. They should me meltingly tender and sweet.

Braised French Lentils with Bacon

A bit of garlic goes in the pot along with a bay leaf and fresh thyme, followed by Sherry to deglaze the pan.  You could also use red wine, however, there’s something about Sherry that is magical.  It’s the secret ingredient in Granny’s Teriyaki Sauce.  Be sure to use the real deal Sherry from Spain.  One that we like to use is Hartley & Gibson’s Blend of Amontillado Medium Sherry.  It’s not expensive and relatively easy to find in larger supermarkets or local wine stores.

Braised French Lentils with Bacon

Braised French Lentils with Bacon
 
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Author:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 cup French lentils, rinsed and drained
  • 3 pieces bacon, finely diced
  • 2 heaping tablespoons minced onion
  • 2 heaping tablespoons finely diced carrot
  • 2 heaping tablespoons finely diced celery
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 - 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • ⅓ cup sherry (Hartley & Gibsons Amontillado Medium Sherry recommended)
  • 2¾ cups chicken broth
  • few grinds of pepper (optional)
Preparation
  1. Wash lentils and drain in a sieve.
  2. In a medium saucepan (I use my Le Creuset 3½ quart Dutch oven) cook diced bacon until crisp and rendered. If there is too much bacon fat in the pan you may pour off some of it. Once the bacon is crisp, turn heat down to medium-low and add mirepoix. Sauté gently (do not brown) until vegetables soften a bit, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic, bay leaf and thyme stirring continuously for 1 minute.
  3. Deglaze pan with the Sherry, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add lentils and chicken broth to the pan. Bring to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for about 45 minutes, or until the lentils are just tender. Check the lentils occasionally making sure they are not boiling. Adjust the heat as necessary. I usually have the heat set to low allowing the lentils to simmer gently.
  4. The lentils are done when just tender. You may uncover the pan for a few minutes if there is too much liquid (the lentils should not be dry). Keep in mind the lentils will absorb some of the liquid once refrigerated.

 

Dessert, Fruit, Lactose Free, Recipes

Aunty Ruby’s Country Inn Lemon Loaf

May 15, 2019

Aunty Ruby's Country Inn Lemon Loaf

It has been nearly 30 years since my late Aunty Ruby shared this recipe with me.  She was such an excellent cook and baker. Ever so thoughtful, she sent me 2 loaf pans with liners along with the recipe. This is one of those recipes that has family heirloom status.  There are no fancy ingredients, just flour, eggs, sugar, milk, lemons.  The essence of simplicity.

Aunty Ruby's Country Inn Lemon Loaf

This cake is reminiscent of a dessert you might find at a quaint bed and breakfast or country inn. Or, for that matter, even a 5-star restaurant. It is that good!  I serve it without any accompaniments, however you might choose to serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or fresh fruit.

Lemon Loaf Glaze

The glaze is a simple mixture of fresh lemon juice and sugar. It may seem that there is too much glaze, but make sure to use all of it.  The tangy-sweet lemon glaze moistens the cake with a wonderful flavor. I use a toothpick and poke holes all over the top of the cake so that the glaze seeps into each bite you take.

Aunty Ruby's Country Inn Lemon Loaf

Aunty Ruby's Country Inn Lemon Loaf
 
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Ingredients
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 of a cube) Earth Balance Buttery Sticks at room temperature (or regular butter)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs at room temperature
  • grated rind of 1 lemon
  • ½ cup 2% lactose free milk at room temperature (or regular milk)
  • Glaze:
  • Juice of 1 lemon and 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
Preparation
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Butter an 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan (or use a loaf liner).
  3. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder.
  4. Cream together Buttery Sticks and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time. Do not overbeat. Mix in grated lemon rind. Add alternatively, flour mixture and milk.
  5. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Check for doneness at 50 minutes.
  6. While cake is baking, make the glaze. Combine the lemon juice and sugar, stirring occasionally.
  7. Let cake rest in pan for about 5 minutes. Remove cake gently from pan and place on a small cooling rack with foil under the rack. Spoon glaze over the cake allowing it to soak in. You may use a toothpick to make small indentations in the cake so that the glaze will moisten the entire cake. Slice and serve lemon loaf at room temperature.
  8. Recipe may be doubled to make two loaves.

Dinner, Japanese, Lactose Free, Pork, Recipes

Spicy-Sweet Sambal Pork Noodles

May 8, 2019

Spicy-Sweet Sambal Pork with Udon Noodles

Leave it to Chris Morocco, Senior Editor of Bon Appetit magazine to come up with this terrific pork and noodle dish.  The flavors of both sweet and spicy along with the crispy bits of pork and chewy noodles can’t be beat.  I made this with fresh ramen noodles and udon noodles. They are both delicious, but if I had to choose one or the other, it would be the udon noodles because they are a bit thicker, springy, and toothsome (ramen noodles are my favorite for soup based bowls).  Luckily, we have some pretty decent fresh noodles available at the markets.

Sun Noodle Fresh Udon

Sun Noodle is one of the largest producers of specialty Asian style noodles.  They make over 300 different types of fresh noodles for markets and restaurants.  Both the ramen and udon are made by Sun Noodle and sold at our local Island Grocery store.

Rice Vinegar, Sambal Oelek, Ginger, Garlic, Basie

A few of the seasoning ingredients are shown above.  There’s also a bit of tomato paste, soy sauce and sugar that gets mixed in with the pork.

Spicy-Sweet Sambal Pork with Ramen Noodles

Don’t skip the basil.  It is an essential topping that brings the dish together just before serving it.

Sun Noodle Fresh Ramen

Cooking Pork with Seasonings

A portion of the pork is first cooked until the edges are crisp.  The rest of the pork and seasonings are added to the pan along with water.  Everything simmers until the sauce is thickened and the flavors have melded.

Simmering Pork

If you happen to have any leftovers (rarely the case) pack it up and take it to work for lunch.

Spicy-Sweet Sambal Pork Noodles

Spicy-Sweet Sambal Pork Noodles
 
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Adapted from Bon Appetit Magazine
Author:
Serves: 2-4 servings
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound ground pork, divided
  • 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 2 sprigs fresh basil
  • 2 tablespoons Sambal Oelek ground chili paste
  • ⅛ cup soy sauce
  • ⅛ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
  • ¾ pounds fresh udon or ramen noodles
  • 1 tablespoon butter (optional)
  • kosher salt to taste
Preparation
  1. Heat oil in a large wide heavy pot (Le Creuset works great) over medium to medium-high heat. Add half of the pork, breaking apart into 3 large chunks with a wooden spoon. Cook, undisturbed, until well browned underneath, about 5 minutes. Turn pieces and continue to cook until pork is nicely browned on both sides, about 3-4 minutes longer.
  2. Add ginger, garlic, sugar, and remaining pork to the pot and cook, breaking up pork into small clumps, until meat is nearly cooked through, about 5 minutes, adjusting heat as necessary. Add tomato paste and 1 basil sprig. Cook, stirring occasionally until tomato paste darkens, about 2 minutes. Add chili sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat too low. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally , until sauce is slightly thickened and flavors have melded, about 30 minutes.
  3. Cook noodles per the instructions, in a large pot of boiling salted water (short of al dente). Add noodles to the pot with sauce along with the butter. Add a splash of pasta cooking water if sauce seems too thick. Simmer, tossing occasionally until the sauce begins to cling to the noodles, about 1 minute. Remove basil sprig.
  4. Divide noodles among plates or bowls and top with torn basil.

 

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