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Breakfast, Dinner, Eggs, Recipes

Scrambled Eggs with Avocado & Feta

September 12, 2015

Scrambled Eggs with Avocado & FetaOur neighbor Judy has six chickens that provide her with plenty of fresh eggs.  Lucky for us, Judy shares with us and dropped off a dozen the other day.  Every now and then I visit The Guardian web site which always has an interesting story, or in this case, a really good recipe.  Well one thing led to another, and before you know it we had ourselves a wonderful meal.

Neighbor Judy's Eggs, Avocado & Feta, Sourdough BreadAll you need are a few eggs, an avocado, some feta cheese, and good bread.  There’s no way you can mess this up.

Favorite Feta CheeseMt. Vikos is my favorite feta.  It’s delicious and not at all overly salty as some of the other feta cheeses I’ve tried.  It’s made with sheep and goat’s milk which is a plus for anyone who is lactose intolerant.

Scrambled Eggs with Avocado, Feta & Chili Flakes

Scrambled Eggs with Avocado & Feta

Scrambled Eggs with Avocado & Feta
 
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Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner!
Author:
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 5 large eggs
  • splash of milk or cream
  • 1 medium-sized avocado
  • 2 tablespoons crumbled feta
  • salt and pepper
  • lemon juice
  • 4 pieces good sourdough bread
Preparation
  1. In a small bowl beat the eggs with a splash of milk or cream and a little salt and pepper. Set aside.
  2. Mash the avocado, season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Fold in the feta cheese. Set aside.
  3. Toast and butter the bread, keep warm.
  4. Meanwhile melt a bit of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the eggs and cook, stirring constantly until eggs are done to your liking. It's best to remove the eggs from the heat while still a little soft as they will continue to cook in the residual heat.
  5. Divide the avocado and cheese mix between the toast and top with the eggs. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and chili flakes if desired.

 

 

Lactose Free, Potato Salad, Recipes, Side Dishes

Crispy Potatoes with Lemon & Lots of Oregano

September 5, 2015

Crispy Potatoes with Lemon & Lots of OreganoIt’s not very often that I choose a dried herb over a fresh one, but oregano is one of those few. Dried oregano is one of the most versatile herbs and a staple in my kitchen. A dash of oregano in tomato sauce, salad dressing, chimichurri sauce, baked herb tofu, and sprinkled over homemade pizza adds a delightful note. Rub it between your fingers before adding it to any dish to release its aromatic flavor.

Mini Gold PotatoesMini Golds I found at Safeway are the perfect size for these pan-fried potatoes.

Zesty Lemon DressingI love a dressing with a bright citrus flavor.  Fresh lemon juice and lemon rind makes this dressing a perfect match for the potatoes and oregano.

Crushed PotatoesBoiled until just tender, cooled slightly and crushed to maximize contact in the skillet.  This creates lots of crispy edges and crevices for that delicious dressing.

Crispy Potatoes with Lemon & Lots of Oregano

Crispy Potatoes with Lemon & Lots of Oregano
 
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Crispy pan-fried potatoes with a zesty lemon dressing makes the perfect side dish for any meal.
Author:
Ingredients
  • 1½ pounds baby yellow potatoes (about 2-inch), washed well
  • kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
Preparation
  1. In a 6-quart pot, combine potatoes and enough cold water to cover by 2 inches. Add 2 teaspoons kosher salt, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender enough to be easily pierced with a metal skewer, about 12 - 20 minutes. Cooking time will depend upon the size of your potatoes.
  2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, lemon juice and zest, mustard, and honey. Slowly whisk in the ⅓ cup olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  3. Drain the potatoes well and let them cool on a large plate for a few minutes. Place a piece of plastic wrap around the bottom of a small bowl and flatten potatoes to about ½-inch thick.
  4. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch heavy-duty skillet over medium heat. Cook the potatoes in batches, flipping once about halfway through, until golden and crispy on both sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a platter and repeat, adding additional oil as needed.
  5. Season potatoes with a little kosher salt and pepper. Coat the potatoes well with dressing (pass the rest at the table). Crush the oregano between your fingers and sprinkle it over the potatoes. Serve warm or hot.

 

Dinner, Fish, Japanese, Lactose Free, Recipes

Furikake Seared Ahi Salad with Nobu Matsuhisa Style Dressing

August 29, 2015

Furikake Seared Ahi Salad with Nobu Matsuhisa Style DressingThis is one of the simplest and most delicious ways to prepare fresh sashimi grade ahi.  The fish is coated with furikake, seared for just a few seconds on each side, and served with a flavorful dressing adapted from Nobu Matsuhisa’s original recipe.

Grapeseed OilGrapeseed oil has a clean light flavor.  It emulsifies well which makes it perfect for salad dressings and homemade mayonnaise.  If you don’t have grapeseed oil on hand, you may substitute it with canola oil.

Nobu Matsuhisa Style DressingMinced onion and a handful of other ingredients such as soy sauce and rice vinegar are mixed up in one bowl. That’s it!

furikake - 1 (1)There are many varieties of furikake.  Some are flavored with dried salmon or ume, others have shiso or bonito mixed in with the dried seaweed.  My favorite furikake is simply seaweed mixed with white and black roasted sesame seeds.  It’s the best choice for this seared ahi recipe.

Furikake Seared AhiI lucked out and found a beautiful ahi block for a decent price while shopping at Foodland in Kahului.  Other times I will splurge and buy fish at Whole Foods paying nearly twice the price.  But when I have a craving, nothing stops me from telling the fishmonger to wrap it up!

Furikake Seared AhiWe served the ahi over finely shredded greens with a side of Japanese rice and takuan.

Furikake Seared Ahi Salad with Nobu Matsuhisa Style Dressing

Furikake Seared Ahi Salad with Nobu Matsuhisa Style Dressing
 
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Dressing adapted from Nobu Matsuhisa's recipe
Author:
Cuisine: Japanese
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • Ahi:
  • 1 block sashimi grade ahi, about ¾ pound
  • grapeseed or canola oil
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • furikake
  • Salad:
  • 2 cups finely shredded salad greens, such as iceberg lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, red cabbage
  • Keep refrigerated until ready to use
  • Dressing: Makes ⅔ cup
  • ½ cup packed finely minced sweet onion, rinsed in a sieve and drained well on paper towels
  • 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon rice vinegar (not seasoned)
  • ¾ teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon powdered mustard, such as Coleman's, mixed with water to make a paste
  • few grinds of fresh pepper
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon grape seed oil (or other mild flavored oil such as canola)
  • 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons sesame oil
Preparation
  1. Lightly coat the ahi with grapeseed or canola oil. Season the ahi with a little kosher salt and pepper. Sprinkle furikake on all four sides of the ahi, patting gently so furikake adheres to the fish.
  2. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat with a teaspoon of oil. Once hot, sear ahi on all four sides just until the coating is lightly browned, about 1 minute total.
  3. Set aside to cool, then slice into ⅓-inch pieces.
  4. In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Mix in mustard paste and pepper. Add the minced onion and whisk in grapeseed and sesame oil.
  5. Place sliced ahi over salad greens. Drizzle some of the dressing over ahi and salad greens just before serving. Leftover dressing is delicious drizzled over a tofu salad.

 

 

 

 

Canning, Pickles, Recipes

Maui Cowboy Candy

August 20, 2015

Maui Cowboy CandyA while back, our friend Kim shared the tail end of a jar of candied jalapeños (also known as Cowboy Candy) that someone had given to her.  Distinctly sweet, crisp, and hot at the same time, John told me that they were delicious (I was nervous about the partial bottle. John is more adventurous!).  John grows several varieties of jalapeños that produce large, hot, gorgeous, peppers, and we make nacho rings as well as a delicious hot sauce with these peppers.  Intrigued by a new way to use our peppers we began searching on-line for a recipe.  We found several, but this one stood out.

Jalapeños from the GardenWe wait until some of the jalapeños ripen to red before making our Maui Cowboy Candy.  The jars look beautiful and festive.

Maui Cowboy Candy

Filling Jars with Maui Cowboy CandyThey are delightful with Mexican cuisine, sandwiches, in cheesy corn bread, potato salad, on crackers with cream cheese, or straight out of the jar.  I added them to my tofu banh mi sandwich below.

Maui Cowboy Candy on Banh Mi

Maui Cowboy Candy
 
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Adapted from Foodie with Family ~ Blog Makes 7 - 8 half pint jars
Author:
Recipe type: Pickles
Ingredients
  • 3½ - 4 pounds fresh jalapeños
  • 2 cups cider vinegar
  • 6 cups granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
  • ½ teaspoon celery seed
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
Preparation
  1. Prepare jars and canner: Wash jars and place them in boiling water canner. Fill the jars and canner with water to the top of the jars. Cover and bring water to a simmer over medium heat, do not boil. Prepare the two-piece closures. Wash lids and place in a small saucepan and cover with water. Heat to just a simmer but do not boil. Do not heat screw bands.
  2. Wash jalapeños and slice into rings. Set aside.
  3. Combine cider vinegar, sugar, turmeric, celery seed, and granulated garlic in a large pot. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add pepper slices, raise heat to medium-high, cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
  4. Remove jars and empty hot water back into the canner. Place jars on a cutting board. Using a canning funnel and slotted spoon, fill the jars with peppers one at at time to within ½ inch of the rim of the jar.
  5. After all peppers are removed and placed in jars, bring syrup to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 5 minutes. Using a ladle, pour boiling syrup into the jars over the jalapeños within ¼ inch of the rim of the jar. Remove air pockets in jar with a chopstick. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp paper towel. Secure two-piece lids and rings.
  6. Return jars to canner and ensure that all jars are covered by at least 1 inch of water. Cover canner and bring water to a full boil over high heat. Process for 10 minutes, starting timer only when water reaches a full boil.
  7. Remove jars to cooling rack. Once thoroughly cooled, date jars and use within 1 year.

 

 

 

Appetizers, Breakfast, Dinner, Lactose Free, Pork, Recipes, Rice Dishes

Spam Musubi

August 12, 2015

It’s true.  Every now and then I eat Spam.  Phew!  Now that I got that out-of-the-way, let’s move on to my latest Spam preparation:  The beloved Spam musubi.  Found at local convenience stores, airports, and mom and pop stores, Spam musubi is a tasty snack that travels well in your bag, backpack, and even fits snugly in your pocket.  It’s an island favorite.

Spam & Musubi Presses

I have a good laugh every time I see the little man on the Spam can announcing “Glorious Spam!”

If you live near a Nijiya Japanese market, I recommend buying this nori.  It is not expensive and it’s a good nori for Spam musubi as well as maki sushi rolls.

Favorite Furikake

There’s a large variety of furikake at the markets.  Salmon, shiso, wasabi, and more.  I favor the simple combination of nori flakes with black and white roasted sesame seeds.  It’s perfect for Spam musubi.

Fried Spam

Slice the Spam into eight pieces.  Fry the Spam for a few minutes on each side until lightly browned.

Seasoned Spam

Add your soy sauce mixture and turn the Spam over and over in the sauce to coat well.  This will take just a minute.

Ready for Musubi!

Perfectly cooked Spam and seasoned Spam.

Making Spam Musubi

Making Spam musubi is quick and easy.  Cook the rice, pan fry the Spam, put it all together, press, eat.

Making Spam Musubi

I bookmarked this recipe from Serious Eats  years ago and finally got around to making it.  Not all Spam musubis are alike.  This one is a winner.

Spam Musubi

Recipe updated 7/28/23 to make 8 Spam musubi (originally 6)

Spam Musubi
 
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Quick and easy snack that packs and travels well. Adapted from Kathy Chan's recipe/Serious Eats blog.
Author:
Cuisine: Hawaiian-Style
Ingredients
  • 3 cups short grain or medium grain white rice, cooked according to package directions
  • 1 can original or 25% less sodium Spam
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 tablespoons less sodium soy sauce (Kikkoman recommended)
  • 4 pieces sushi nori, cut in half lengthwise to make 8 pieces
  • furikake
Preparation
  1. Slice Spam into 8 equal sized pieces (slice across the longest portion of Spam)
  2. Mix together brown sugar and soy sauce, set aside.
  3. Fry Spam on medium-high heat for a few minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Turn heat down to medium-low, add brown sugar and soy sauce mixture and turn Spam over a few times to coat well. If the pan seems too hot, take it off the burner for a few seconds. You want the soy sauce mixture to caramelize a bit and coat the Spam nicely (watch closely so that it doesn't burn). Remove Spam to a plate to cool.
  4. Lay a piece of nori on a clean work surface. Place musubi shaper on top of the nori (in the center). Scoop enough rice into the musubi shaper to make a thin layer. Press the rice firmly with the musubi compressor. Sprinkle furikake over the rice, add a piece of Spam, more furikake, and lastly, more rice. Press firmly using the musubi compressor. You want the musubi to hold together when you eat it. To remove Spam musubi, hold the shaper and lift it up as you continue to press down on the musubi. Gently remove the compressor (if the rice sticks a bit loosen it with a butter knife). Wrap the nori around the musubi tightly.  You may need to trim a bit of the nori if it's too long.
  5. Serve right away or wrap and pack for a mid-morning or afternoon snack.

Breakfast, Eggs, Lactose Free, Recipes

Cream Cheese & Chive Scrambled Eggs

August 4, 2015

Cream Cheese & Chive Scrambled Eggs with Fried Potatoes, Bacon & ToastCream cheese adds richness to these scrambled eggs without altering the flavor of the  eggs.  Luckily for us, our neighbors Judy and John who have three chickens, deliver beautiful, fresh, eggs to our front door.

Neighbor Judy's Fresh EggsJudy writes the date on each egg so that you use them in the correct order.  Brilliant!

Neighbor Judy's Fresh Eggs

Lactose Free Cream CheeseThese days there are more and more lactose free products available, such as this delicious cream cheese.  Green Valley Organics also makes lactose free sour cream and yogurt.  All of their products are superb.

Chopped Chives

Soft Scrambled EggsKeep the heat low throughout the cooking time of your scrambled eggs.  Stir occasionally with a soft spatula.

Cream Cheese & Chives Scrambled EggsOnce the eggs have set a bit, fold in dollops of cream cheese and most of the chives to the eggs.  Keep stirring.

Cream Cheese & Chives Scrambled EggsThe eggs are almost ready to serve.  It’s your decision when to remove the eggs from the pan.  Some prefer very soft, runny, eggs, others like me prefer them to be just a bit more firm.  By the way, these scrambled eggs are delicious piled on buttered toast.

Cream Cheese & Chives Scrambled Eggs on Toast

Cream Cheese & Chive Scrambled Eggs
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast
Serves: 2
Ingredients
  • 4 - 5 eggs (Mine varied in size so I used 5. If using large or extra-large eggs use 4)
  • 1 tablespoon Earth Balance Buttery Spread (or butter)
  • 2 tablespoons Green Valley Organics lactose free cream cheese (or regular cream cheese)
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
  1. Place a medium-sized skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1 tablespoon Earth Balance Buttery Spread (or butter).
  2. Crack eggs into a medium bowl and whisk well. Add salt and a few grinds of pepper to the eggs. Pour eggs into skillet, stirring occasionally. Keep stirring until the eggs have set just a bit. Add dollops of cream cheese and most of the chives and fold into the eggs gently. Continue cooking until the eggs are as soft or firm as you like them. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with reserved chives.

 

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