Main – Page 10 – morestomach

japchae – vegan

Published on May 5, 2014April 30, 2014 by Lan | MoreStomach15 Comments

most saturdays you’ll find me
unshowered at 3pm
no judgement please
if we don’t go out
i won’t shower until bedtime
it’s usually a battle of
doing something
or
doing nothing
what ends up happening is
something gets started
i get bored
and nothing is finished

currently our spare room
is empty of its usual dressing room fixings:
vanity
mirror
dresser
water cooler bottle that holds all our change
window curtain
all that shit is
in the hallway
the fire marshall would have a fit,
if we had a fire marshall

spackling
choosing paint
priming
choosing paint
more priming
eventual painting
it takes time
and the concentration
and determination
of a warrior to complete it

guys
i am no warrior
instead i paused partway
and went into the kitchen,
not emerging until dinner time
the room may still have naked walls
i may walk into the room to grab undies
only to backtrack into the hallway to grab said undies
i may have skipped the whole painting step
and started on the whole decorating step,
a step i’m sure i’ll leave incomplete, ahem,
but damn
dinner was done
and in fact,
it was dinner for 3 nights
bam!
fine. you can call me part-warrior

japchae – vegan & gluten free
makes about 5-6 servings

*note: i don’t know if this authentic or not, this is just a guess based on the various times i’ve had it at restaurants etc. the vegs were in the pantry waiting to be used up, make use of whatever you have on hand or whatever is in season. i used tamari to keep it gluten free but soy sauce is fine too. personally, i liked this much better as a leftover than fresh.

1 package of korean sweet potato noodles
3 zucchinis, sliced into thin strips
3 carrots, peeled and cut into match sticks
half a medium onion, sliced
2 stalks of celery, diced at an angle (optional, dw likes fancy knife work)
3-5 dried woodear mushrooms, reconstituted in hot water, and then sliced thin
splash or two of soy sauce or tamari
drizzle of sesame oil
toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
oil for frying

cook up the noodles according to package instructions

in a big pot or pan, heat up some oil, whatever you wanna use, i used olive oil. add in the onions and carrots. saute for about 3-4 minutes, or however soft you want your carrots to be. next, add in the wood ear mushrooms and celery. at this point, add in a splash of soy sauce or tamari

add in the noodles AND zucchini strips, stir until everything is well mixed and the zucchini has been warmed though and has softened. add another splash or two of soy sauce or tamari, toss it till it’s mixed though

at the last second, drizzle in sesame oil to coat through. this is for fragrance mainly, not so much for taste. garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

bam!

vietnamese bò kho – beef stew

Published on February 24, 2014February 21, 2014 by Lan | MoreStomach21 Comments

i finished a book last week
it took me awhile
i had to re-borrow
it from the library
because it was taking me so long
there was a time
oh, 20 years ago
when i could finish a book in a day
— A DAY!
now i take snatches of time
to read a few pages,
maybe a few paragraphs
there is always something else to do
stirring the pot
yarn stitches
washing dishes
kissing my husband
now
now i find that i actually
read all the words
i don’t gloss over the text
i formulate the words
in my head
until they string together
into coherent sentences
and if there’s a word i’m unfamiliar with
i ask dw what it means
(he’s always so good to me,
he always answers,
he always helps me)
i guess the best way to describe
my reading is:
i savor it,
i relish the story
(unless the book sucks,
and then i just move on)
it takes time to sink into a book
rushing through it
doesn’t do the story justice
anything worth reading
is worth reading slowly, yes?

as new year’s resolutions go,
i’m doing damn good
with this reading thing

what books have you been reading?

vietnamese bò kho – beef stew
adapted from secrets of the red lantern and wandering chopsticks
makes 4-6 servings

*last spring dw & i traveled with some friends to nashville to run a half marathon. we found a random hole in the wall viet joint outside of the city and they had the best bò kho i have ever had. we went there 2x. this is my attempt at recreating that dish. i have failed. however, this version is still pretty good and perfect for the vicious winter we’re dealing with. it takes time for the flavors to meld. i made it one day and didn’t eat it until the next, because like all good stews, it’s always better as a leftover.
**i used two recipes for reference, though on the day of cooking, i winged it completely, in regards to measurements and method. the links i’ve referred have the exact details you might need.
***Luke Nguyen’s recipe intrigued me because it uses beef pho broth as its base. i love me some pho and the spices used in the stock really does add a layer of flavor. for cheater’s version of pho stock, heat up some homemade beef/veggie/chicken stock (store bought is fine too, though shoot for organic and low-sodium) with a stick of cinnamon, a few cloves and anise pods. let it simmer for an hour or so, allow the spices to infuse the stock. BAM! if you’re too lazy or time pressured, regular stock is fine, even water is fine, though the depth of flavor might be lacking.

2lb beef brisket, rump, stew meat, grassfed & cut into bigger than bite size pieces
olive oil or veg oil
1 TBL annatto seeds
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 QT pho stock*** note above
1/2 lb carrots, skinned and chunked
2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
1 cinnamon stick
1 onion, studded with cloves and charred
knob of ginger, also charred
2 cloves of garlic, charred
2 bay leaves
basil, for garnish
rice noodles, cooked, to serve

beef marinade
6 hot bap, which i researched is the seed within a cardamom pod
3 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
2 tsp rice wine

start off with the marinade – dry fry/roast the hot bap, star anise, cinnamon stick and cloves until fragrant. grind them up in a spice grinder. add the ground up spices and rice wine in a bowl. add the beef pieces and mix well. you can marinate it overnight, i let it sit for the time it took me to assemble the other ingredients and heat up the pho stock, which was about an hour.

in large pot, heat up the oil along with the annatto seeds. this is for color, i’ll be honest, i don’t think it imparts much flavor to the over all dish, so if you want to skip this, i won’t judge you. when the oil reaches desired redness, discard seeds.

pan fry the beef pieces until brown. do this in batches.

add in the lemongrass, ginger, clove studded onion, garlic, ginger, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and prepared pho stock. mix in the tomato paste, stir well to incorporate. bring pot to a boil and the lower the heat and simmer on low for anywhere from 90 minutes to 2 hours. during the last 30 minutes, add in the carrot chunks. this should sufficiently soften them, but they will retain their shape and not get mushy. season with salt to taste, though i will say i didn’t add anything and it came out so lovely & perfectly seasoned.

to serve, pour over white rice noodles (cooked according to package instructions). steamed rice is fine, as is baguette to dip is appropriate too. garnish with green scallions, thinly sliced onions, chopped cilantro, or basil.

best the next day, and then the next.

kale + tofu balls with pasta

Published on January 27, 2014June 18, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach30 Comments

when i lived with my grandparents
school let out before they got off work
i went to an after school center
where i received tutoring for my homework
or i played with other kids in similar
situations
on occasion this place would
take us on field trips
one such field trip was to the local
roller skating rink
i was not a klutzy child,
not more than the usual
actually,
i was quite coordinated at sports
but put round wheels on my shoes
and it was a mess
i fell on my ass more times
than i was standing
and no lie
the next day i could not poop

now,
there is potential scientific
and/or medical proof
that falling on your rear from
roller skating impedes your
daily constitution
in fact
my dear friend Nuria
& i discussed it
something about bruising
and all that
so there is a correlation
between the poop and roller skating
plus, that’s what gpa told me
and i believed him

i’m still a shitty
roller skater
and ever since
my colonoscopy a few
years ago
i’ve been very meticulous
about what i eat
there are always greens in the house
i always reach for the kale
or spinach
or beet greens
or collard greens
or mustard greens
anything verdant
when at the markets
because pooping is important

and that’s it for the TMI stuff

kale + tofu balls with pasta
this is an updated version of my original recipe, with actual exact measurements!!

note: i have a soft spot for baby greens: spinach, kale, arugala/rocket. they’re more tender and honestly, cuter. any greens would be fine with this recipe, i’ve made it with dinosaur kale before and it turned out fine. also, i’ve made it with regular firm tofu and it was fine too.

makes about 22 golf-sized balls, with pasta serves 4-6

2 containers of extra firm tofu (28 oz), excess water squeezed out, i use nasoya
1 carrot (about 1.8 oz) minced
1/2 red onion (about 3 oz) minced
5.5 oz baby kale, rough chopped
3 cloves garlic, divided & minced
1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
2 TBL nutritional yeast
3 TBL panko flakes
8 TBL olive oil, divided
3 TBL parsley, minced
pasta of choice

first squeeze out as much water as you can from the tofu blocks. i normally wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and put a heavy bottom pot filled with cans to weigh it down on top. if i plan ahead i do it the night before, or i leave it on the counter while i do other kitchen duties.

get your mise en place in order: wash, skin and mince carrots. mince the onions and garlic. rough chop the baby kale.

heat 2 TBL olive oil in pan, medium high heat. add in the onions, garlic and carrots, saute for a few minutes until softened. i generally shoot for the onions to get translucent. season with salt & pepper. turn off heat and quickly add in the baby kale. the residual heat will wilt it down. set aside to cool.

in a mixing bowl, crumble the tofu. you’re aiming for pea-sized crumbles. add in the panko flakes, nutritional yeast, red pepper flakes if using, and sauteed baby kale mixture. with your hands mix everything together. season again with salt & pepper. you’re going for texture here. depending on how much water was squeezed out of the tofu, you want to be able to form/mold balls. you may need to add more binding, like water, or add in more noosh or panko flakes to soak up excess moisture. just remember, you’re going to fry up these babies, too much water or too dry, and it will not work.

form your balls.

in the same pan, heat up 1 TBL of olive oil. carefully fry the balls up until golden on all sides. i was able to do this in two batches. keep the balls warm by putting on cookie sheet lined with a paper towel in the oven, set at warm.

meanwhile, cook up the pasta according to package instructions. i used linguine.

while the pasta is cooking, in the same pan you used to saute the vegs and fry up the balls, heat up the remaining olive oil, on medium low. you’re not aiming to get it scorching hot. add in the final minced clove of garlic and warm through. when pasta is cooked to liking, add it to the warmed garlic oil and toss to coat. add in the parsley.

divvy up pasta in bowls and top with kale tofu balls. BAM!

red pepper & baked egg galette

Published on January 13, 2014January 10, 2014 by Lan | MoreStomach21 Comments

i must tell you:
i’m all laze bones right now
this time of year,
the beginning that is,
is all about fresh gung-ho-ness
for resolution fruition
instead
i’ve got nothing for you
so lemme go ahead
and tell you a few things
and we’ll call it
catching up

|| i’m walking around with glasses on because ~~now that i’m married i don’t have to look cute~~ i’m getting my eyes ready to get lasik surgery’d. i’m shitting myself scared so positive vibes please.
|| a few weeks ago, just before the polar vortex, dw & i sat down and marathoned the Following. the new season begins on the 20th and i’m already pooping myself scared. there’s a lot of scared pooping this month.
|| we finally booked our honeymoon, set for the spring, and I’VE ALREADY DONE CHECKED OUT. there’s still WEEKS till the trip and i’m useless in everything right now.
|| i am mad crocheting for a foodie penpal thing i signed up for way back in November, when i was in the thankful and gift giving mood, and now that it’s time to send stuff, i’m stresssssssed that my stitches suck. this is why i so rarely gift yarn stuff — because of the pressure!
|| our favorite local pho joint is shutting down for TWO MONTHS, to vacation in vietnam for the winter. the fact that winter is the best time to enjoy pho is lost to them; but i really can’t blame them because it’s hot as shit in the motherland. again, why do i not winter in the southern hemisphere?
|| i have been discussing the reasons why i am so not offended by the likes of one Miley Cyrus and how i have been listening to her new song over and over and over again, ~~that i might as well just plop down good money & download her album~~. update: dw downloaded it for me! ~~party in the USA~~… i don’t have a good respectable answer, i just know that i’d like to have brunch with her, while telling her that she needs to put her tongue back in her mouth and trim her finger nails.

speaking of brunch
this dish
is from the Jerusalem cookbook
dw gifted to me
last month for my birthday
i ~~caress~~ thumb through it every night
and daydream about the
mediterranean-arab-israeli dishes
i could make for him
it’s his favorite cuisine
whereas it’s something
i’n not that familiar with
the spices
the combinations
the preparation
but despite all that
i’ve managed to make quite a bit
of the recipes already
one i’m still tinkering with
and will hopefully showcase eventually
think chocolate doughy goodness

anyway
i won’t write out the recipe,
which you can get here
instead
i will tell you that
in lieu of the sour cream
i used so delicious’s almond milk yogurt,
which i mixed with a splash of lemon juice, garlic & salt&pepper
for the puff pastry, i used pepperidge farm,
which is not organic but is pareve, meaning it’s dairy free

what up with you?

Caribbean Oxtail Stew

Published on December 30, 2013December 26, 2013 by Lan | MoreStomach20 Comments

and lookie here
it’s the end of the month
the end of the year
in 48 hours time
twenty fourteen will arrive
and with it
goals
ideals
declarations
promises

i suppose in order
to ensure i keep my
resolutions
i ought to say them out loud
to be kept in check
be held accountable

ok
here goes:
|| read more. i love reading, i need to do that more
|| run again, my booty needs it
|| travel, with my husband. obvi
|| attempt ONE dinner party. even if we all end up sitting on the floor

2014. let’s do this.

caribbean oxtail stew
adapted from saveur
*note: before we moved into my condo, as we were moving out of dw’s apartment he introduced me to a Trinidadian restaurant around the corner. i was pissed. because the food’s amazing and it’s within walking distance and he’d never taken me before. we haven’t been back in a long time, this is very similar to a trinidadian oxtail stew.
*call around to your local butchers or favorite grocer to see if they have fresh oxtail, grassfed being the best.
*this is a fatty dish, have a salad on the side to cut through the richness. then run a mile or so.
*the original dish calls for carrots, brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce, ingredients we had every intention of adding in the last hour or so. but we forgot. we were busy watching the Following.

canola oil, to brown the oxtail
3lbs oxtails
salt/pepper to taste
3 TBL homemade tomato concentrate
1 TBL ginger, minced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 large onions, rough chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
2 TBL flour
4 cups homemade bouillon/stock
1 TBL whole allspice berries
4 sprigs thyme
1 generous tsp of habanero paste, or 2 habanero peppers
cooked wild rice, for serving

season oxtails with salt & pepper
in a dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot, over medium high heat, heat up the oil and brown the oxtail to your heart’s content. go for a deep color. transfer to plate, ignore.

into the pot add the tomato paste, ginger, onions and celery, saute until soft. add in the flour and stir until smooth. just make sure the flour’s all gone. add the oxtail in again, along with the stock, allspice, thyme and chiles. bring to a broil, then reduce heat to low, cook for about 3 hours. i may have let it go for 4 hours, until meat is tender and falling off the bone. check seasoning.

serve atop wild rice.