Food – Page 11 – morestomach

Guinea Hen Liver Pâté

Published on May 2, 2016May 19, 2016 by Lan | MoreStomach1 Comment

last thursday marked the 2 year anniversary
of my beloved gpa’s passing.
something he and i had an affinity for was
liver.
weird right?
as a kid, i loved the stuff.
i wonder now though
if i liked liver because he did,
or cus i really did like it.
my memories of gma’s pâté
are murky at best.
i know that she would make it as a treat.
i know that gpa and i,
during our bonding time on a sunday morning,
would share french bread chunks,
me with the soft insides
and he with the crusty outsides,
sneaking pieces of cheese
and sipping milky coffee
and generous slathers of pâté.
it was always an adventure
eating with gpa.
i credit him for introducing me to good eats,
and this was made with him on my mind.

guinea hen liver pâté
i sorta followed this ingredient list, but did this method
makes 16oz

*note: there was no way gma was going to give me her recipe. she’s forgotten it and besides, she is adamant about eating BORING. bad cholesterol runs in the family, though *i* am in the clear despite genes, she would be furious if she knew i made pâté. i turned to two resources, one for the method that most looks like how gma made it and the other for the use of duck fat, instead of butter & cream.
**note: our local butcher had guinea hen liver (i saw GUINEA on the package and nearly tackled dw, i seriously thought he purchased guinea pig liver) and we hunted around the city for duck fat. thank you twitter for hooking a sister up.

8 TBL (1/2 cup) melted chicken or duck fat (we used epic)
1/4 of large red onion, peeled and diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
3/4 lbs guinea hen livers (though any poultry liver is fine)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
2 large hard-boiled eggs, peeled
2 tsp sherry vinegar
1 TBL reisling (i think any alcohol like brandy, whisky or port would be fine, or NONE at all)
dash of cayenne pepper

preheat oven to 300F and bring a pot of water to boil.

in a sauce pan, saute together the diced onions and minced garlic in 1 TBL of duck fat over medium heat. leela was not going for caramelization while lebovitz totally was, i was aiming to not burn the house down. season the onions and garlic with salt and add the remaining 7 TBL of duck fat to the pan, allowing mixture to simmer away happily for a few minutes. turn off heat and set aside to cool slightly.

in a strong blender or vitamix, add in the raw livers, hard-boiled eggs, sherry vinegar, reisling, salt/pepper, cayenne pepper and onion/garlic saute mixture. blitz until smooth, and then blitz some more.

pour liver mixture into ramekin(s) (i used 2 4oz and 1 8 oz ramekin). tap bottom of ramekins to let the air bubbles out. place the ramekins into a larger casserole dish, and place into the preheated oven. very carefully pour the boiling water into the larger dish, until the water reaches about half way up the ramekins.

bake time: 15 – 25 minutes, depending on how big the ramekins used are.
because the liver mixture was divided among 3 dishes i timed it to bake for about 12-15 minutes. you’re looking for set sides but slightly wiggly middles. (so scientific, i know)

remove the ramekins from the casserole dish and allow to cool to room temp.

meanwhile, you can make a jelly to cover over top the pâté. both leela and lebovitz made completely different versions. i deferred to leela only because it’s so pretty, and i had a bunch of parsley to use up. either are fine, but i definitely think it should be done. pâté is not pretty and cover up makes it more appetizing looking.

cover and fridge overnight. when ready to consume, take it out of the fridge about 20-30 minutes prior. slather on warmed crusty bread.

BAM!

previous odes to gpa:
citrus curd mille feuille
salt&pepper shrimp

1 year ago: tangerine ice cream
2 years ago: vegan japchae
3 years ago: asparagus + scrambled egg salad

herby cauliflower salad + chili roasted tofu

Published on April 25, 2016April 24, 2016 by Lan | MoreStomach2 Comments

this last week has been beautiful,
on the cold side of warm when the wind
is acting up
but in the sunlight,
bliss.
we’re heavily in the middle of
a massive abode cleaning,
as well as painting.
doing at-home chores is never
my idea of time well-spent.
but these things hafta occur,
and to balance all that nonsense
i dragged dw out for a picnic.
an afternoon better spent
than doing home improvement, methinks.

hope you’re enjoying spring, friends!

thanks to Mastro Co for sponsoring this post. large casserole can be found here.

herby cauliflower salad + chili roasted tofu

*note: this isn’t a hard a dish to prepare and all measurements are guesses. i would recommend adding the herbs according to your preference, you may like mint more than parsley. the dressing is the standard dressing that i usually make for salads, and i never measure, i kinda just throw it together. you can use any vinaigrette dressing you want. finally, i used the very last pomegranate of the season, i would imagine dried cranberries would be a nice sub, though fresh strawberries or raspberries would be good too, just be gentle when mixing.

seed from one pomegranate (dried cranberries when off season)
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/2 cup spring onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, rough chopped
1/3 cup fresh mint, rough chopped
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

dressing
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 TBL dijon spicy brown mustard
1 TBL maple syrup

chili roasted tofu
1 package of extra firm tofu, drained & pressed of water
juice of 2 lemons
1-2 tsp of chili powder, depending on how spicy it is
generous drizzle of maple syrup
1 TBL olive oil
salt to taste

prepare the cauliflower by working in batches, pulse it in a food processor until they’re pea-sized, aka riced. move to big mixing bowl. add in the pomegranate seeds, spring onions, mint and parsley. set aside.

make the dressing by mixing the ingredients together. set aside.

prepare the tofu by first wrapping the tofu in a towel and putting something heavy on top. this step is to extract the water out and can be done in advance as long as a day, or short as 30 minutes.

preheat oven 425F and prepare a baking sheet with foil.

in a bowl mix together the lemon juice with chili powder, maple syrup, olive oil and salt. cut the tofu in squares or if you’re feeling fancy, triangles. add the tofu to the chili marinade and coat it through. this particular step can be as long as overnight or as short as however long it takes your oven to heat up, up to you.

lay the marinated tofu on the baking sheet. bake for 30 minutes, the edges will get all golden brown and crispy.

when ready to serve, drizzle desired amount of dressing over the herby cauliflower. mix thoroughly, adding more dressing if needed. transfer salad to serving platter or dish. sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

serve alongside the tofu.

can be served when the tofu is hot straight from the oven, or at room temp.

BAM!

other delightful salads:
crunchy celery salad
lamb larb
spicy cantaloupe salad

stuffed cabbage casserole (gf + df)

Published on April 18, 2016April 22, 2016 by Lan | MoreStomach12 Comments

i’m sitting here
watching pbs
watching dw paint our living room wall
watching the chocolate banana bread cool
spring is being a tease
but we’re moving on like
it’s not messing with us
i watched a few youtube videos
on how to re-pot plants
then i went crazy
re-potted 3 plants:
2 cyclamens and a jade
AND
planted 2 pots
of some blue flowers
and sweet basil.
we’ll know in a few weeks
if i have a knack for these things.
in the meanwhile,
i made a warming casserole
to counter the winter-like weather outside.

thanks to Mastro Co for sponsoring this post. large casserole can be found here.

stuffed cabbage casserole (gf + df)

1 head of savoy cabbage (any cabbage will do, though i think red would be quite messy as the color would bleed), leaves peeled and cleaned. shoot for 15 leaves
1 lb ground pork
1/2 lb sausage, we used spicy italian
olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
salt & pepper
1 jar of dice tomatoes (our local grocery store has them now!) (1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes would be fine)
2 TBL tomato paste
1/4 brown sugar
3 tsp sherry wine vinegar
1/2 cup of day old, cooked rice
1/4 cup nut milk, i used oat

preheat oven to 350.

on the stove top, bring a pot of water to boil. if you have a steamer, this step will be easier. steam the cabbage leaves for anywhere from 5-10 minutes, until pliable. if you don’t have a steamer, blanch the leaves, a couple at a time done in batches. you’re looking for translucent leaves that are pliable.

in a pan, heat up some olive oil. saute the onions and garlic. add in the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg. season with salt & pepper, be generous. transfer half the mixture into a big mixing bowl. set aside.

in the pan with the remaining onion mixture, add in the diced tomato, tomato paste, brown sugar, and sherry wine vinegar. season with salt & pepper. warm through, turn off heat and set aside.

in a food processor throw in the rice and nut milk. pulse until a combined. add in the reserved onion mixture, ground pork and sausage, salt & pepper and PULSE to combine. you don’t want the mixture to turn to mush, but all the ingredients need to be thoroughly mixed together.

using one leaf at time, with the hard ribs removed, roll about 2-3 TBL of the meat mixture. here’s a very amateur video of how to roll something. arrnage the rolls seam-side down in a heat proof casserole dish. pour tomato sauce over the rolls, cover with foil and bake for about 40-45 minutes. remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes.

serve with side of braised radishes.

BAM!

2 years ago: chocolate babka rolls

Pear-Apple Yogurt Crumb Cake (GF + DF)

Published on April 4, 2016April 3, 2016 by Lan | MoreStomach6 Comments

the mornings come lighter now,
this is not a lament,
it’s more of a fervent relief.
with the mild temps,
hovering anywhere from 35 to 60F,
there’s been an voracious hunger at first rise.
putting aside the cereal + kefir bowls
and not yet ready for the fruit smoothies,
this crumb cake appeases the stomach rumbles
while not leaving a heavy feeling in the pit.

pear-apple yogurt crumb cake (gf + df)
makes one 8″ round cake

loosely adapted from dolly and oatmeal

*note: a springfoam pan would be best but if you don’t have one, a simple cake pan is fine. i don’t have one and as long as you are careful with flipping the cake onto a plate and then flipping it again so that it’s crumb-side up, you’re good to go.

crumb topping
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch of salt
2 TBL coconut oil, melted
1 TBL grade B maple syrup
1/4 cup slivered almonds

cake
1 cup sweet rice flour
1/2 cup almond flour flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2/3 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy yogurt, i usually use the so delicious brand
1 1/2 cups mixed peeled and cut apples and pears, with lemon juice mixed in to keep from browning

preheat the oven to 350°F

grease an 8″ pan & line the bottom with parchment paper

to make the crumb topping whisk together the almond meal, cinnamon & salt, pour in the coconut oil and maple syrup and mix until crumbly. throw in the almonds and mix to combine. set aside.

to make the cake, mix the dry ingredients, except for the sugar, in a large bowl. in a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and oil, add in the sugar and vanilla until mixed through. switching back & forth between the dry ingredients mixture and yogurt, add to the bowl until well incorporated. fold in half the apples & pears. pour batter into the prepared pan. with the remaining apples & pears sprinkle with sweet rice flour, which will absorb the excess fruit juice and keep fruits buoyed in the cake during baking. sprinkle floured fruits over top the cake. next, sprinkle the crumb topping over top the cake.

bake cake for 60 – 70 minutes, until a cake test inserted into the cake comes out clean. be diligent with checking for doneness around the hour mark.

remove from oven and place on a rack.

if using a springfoam pan, allow to cool completely and then remove sides of pan.

if using a regular pan, allow to cool sufficiently that you can handle the pan. place a plate over top of the pan, invert onto pan. invert again onto serving plate. try not to lose the crumb topping.

will keep for a week, well covered, in fridge.

BAM!

3 years ago: i started morestomach 3 years ago this month!
2 years ago: we were on our honeymoon in thailand!
1 year ago: i didn’t do shit last year

creamy polenta and roasted mushrooms

Published on March 28, 2016March 27, 2016 by Lan | MoreStomach8 Comments

this spring has kinda crept up on me
but i feel like i’ve made a valiant effort
at catching up —
winter clothes were packed up,
dressing room tidied up
and garbs not touched for ages
were given up.
i feel lighter already.

i start a new job this week,
one i didn’t even know i was looking for
but one that i fought very hard for.
while the warmth makes its way
into our days,
and i’m figuring out my way,
you can follow along over on IG.

happy spring!

creamy polenta and roasted mushrooms – gluten free
inspired by yotam ottolenghi and america’s test kitchen

*note: i have made ottolenghi’s mushroom and herb polenta, sans the cheese, and it’s delicious. but rather than frying the shrooms i wanted to try roasting them. enter america’s test kitchen with their scientific brine action. this entire dish was all about prepping and getting the mise en place in place, but once that was all done, it was quick to throw together.
**note: rather than grate parmesan over top the entire dish, i made a smoked egg yolk bottarga, that might be my new fave ingredient.

mushroom brine
1 lb white button mushrooms, stems removed, quartered or halved, keep sizes relatively the same
5 teaspoons kosher salt
6 cups water

in big bowl combine the salt and water. stir to mix. add in the cut mushrooms and keep them submerged with a heavy plate. ignore for 15 minutes.

mushroom seasoning
generous drizzle of olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
thyme, amount to your liking
4-5 sage leaves, rough chopped

preheat oven to 400F

remove mushroom from brine and dry on kitchen towel. clean and dry the bowl that had the brine water. in that bowl add in the oil, minced garlic and herbs. toss the brined mushrooms in the bowl and then spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet.

roast for 30 minutes. they will shrink down significantly, fyi.

remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

*fyi: an alternative way: roast the mushrooms, without the herbs and garlic but coated in olive oil immediately after dried from brine. roast for 20 minutes, remove from oven and then toss with the herbs and garlic with another drizzle of olive oil. roast for remaining 10 minutes.

polenta – made according to package instructions, enough for two hungry people
2 TBL grated smoked egg yolk bottarga
(parmesan cheese can be used instead)
2 TBL chopped parsley, garnish

assemble:
on serving platter or in a bowl, pour the creamy polenta. top with the roasted mushrooms, get as much of the herbs and garlic goodness as possible. grate the egg yolk bottarga or parmesan cheese over top and garnish with the chopped parsley. serve immediately.

BAM!