flour – Page 6 – morestomach

meyer lemon bars

Published on September 3, 2013June 17, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach15 Comments

so avoid using the word ‘very’ because it’s lazy. a man is not very tired, he is exhausted. don’t use very sad, use morose. language was invented for one reason, boys – to woo women – and, in that endeavor, laziness will not do.” N.H. Kleinbaum, Dead Poets Society

this may be a weird thought,
but i equate online dating,
or rather,
the reading of online dating profiles
to reading a professional resume
i know in my previous
post i used the analogy of
Online Dating as
a Swimming Pool,
one where i dove headfirst into
the deep end
(cus, what other way is there?)
when i signed into
the match making site
i really viewed it as a
job application –
this looking for an ideal mate,
and interviewing to see if i’m
someone’s ideal mate
as a professional headhunter
i say without ego
that i am an excellent judger of
a shitty resume

personally, i have rules with
regards to how a resume should look:
punctuation (this space is exempt)
capitalization (again, this space is exempt)
grammar (seriously)
first person vs third person perspective
length of resume (too short shows lack
of imagination, too much bores me to death & i end up skimming)

this isn’t even touching on the subject
of pictures

again, with my rules:
recent pictures
(i can normally tell if a photo
is outdated, hello 1996 high school class pic)
group picture or worse, a picture
with someone (usually a chick) cropped out
the topless in the bathroom shot
(there’s an alarming amount out there)

last, but actually the beginning:
the manner in which the
perspective applicant applied
the wink or “yo” emails were
promptly deleted and depending
on my mood, blocked
if there was even a slightest
indication that the guy did not
read my profile
(which, i’ll be truthful, read
very much like how i talk,
which incidentally, is how i write here)
if the email was interesting enough,
the profile was alright,
it was then that i responded

i know, i’m such a brat
it’s a wonder i got asked out
but i managed to go on dates,
a few of them repeats!
this went on for an exhausting 3 weeks
when one night
i received an email that
stopped me in my tracks
made me sit down
log into my account
to respond
and give him my personal contact
information right off the bat
it was dw’s email
i just knew

you know when you ask your
mother/whoever how they knew they met
The One
and they say vaguely,
and maddeningly,
that you just know
that was my moment
i just knew
he woo’d me from the first email
and i just knew
he was The One

Meyer Lemon Bars
*note: i didn’t make these. dw did. i know. see what i mean?

1 cup flour
1/3 cup scant coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 350°
Mix flour, coconut oil, and confectioner’s sugar.
Press evenly into bottom of square pan
Bake for 20 minutes

Beat remaining ingredients until light and fluffy.
Pour over hot crust and bake about 25 minutes longer
Cool
Cut into squares

other citrus and/or bars:
angry asian creations – lemon bars
angry asian creations – lime bars
morestomach blog – chocolate wonderfuls
spontaneous tomato – peach rhubarb oatmeal bars
une gamine dans la cuisine – brown butter peach crumb bars

vegan indian feast

Published on August 26, 2013August 26, 2013 by Lan | MoreStomach15 Comments

last week dw & i went on a Road Trip
to upstate New York,
to Rochester,
for his high school reunion
the thing about seeing where
the love of my life went to school,
the streets he ambled on,
(just kidding, the man doesn’t amble)
the little pizza store he used to
order from that got robbed,
is that i got to meet the him Before,
the him before we met,
and my opinion of him was re-enforced,
the man i’m officially (and legally)
binding my heart to is a good guy
he is sincere
he is the salt of the earth
he is so funny
and he can be so g h e t t o sometimes,
dropping old-school rap lyrics
at a moment’s notice,
which just tickles me so much

during our 4 day stay up there
we dined on indian twice
i will admit to
being in absolute AWE
that these small ethnic establishments
meticulously indicated what ingredients they used,
if it was merely vegetarian,
or specifically vegan
they scored major points with
me in that regard, and
it made me so incredibly annoyed
with the places we have here further south
that do not pay that kind of attention

anyway, despite having had indian
so recently
i was inspired to try my hand
at making a few of the dishes i tried
i will admit that the flavorings
were not as bold,
i had a light hand on spices
and spiciness levels
and my naan making skills could
use some practice
but dw, being the good guy that he is
devoured everything
the daal, or lentil stew,
will probably be a staple for us
as the weather cools
eggplants are in season now,
as are tomatoes, although i suppose
canned tomatoes could work in a
pinch
the flavorings
were all the better the next day
as leftovers

peshawari naan
adapted from manger

2 cups sifted spelt plain flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp active yeast
1 tsp sugar
½ cup coconut milk, lukewarm (the drinking variety, not the canned stuff)
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp olive oil, for brushing over the naan before serving

Filling: 2/3 cups mixture of dried coconut, chopped raisins and handful of sunflower seeds

in a small bowl, mix milk, active yeast and oil together, leave for a few minutes while the yeast is activated

sift flour into a large bowl. add salt, sugar, baking powder and mix well.add the liquid ingredients and start mixing the dough with a fork or a dough whisk. dump mixture on the counter and knead for about 10 minutes, or until you get a soft dough. shape into a ball, lightly oil and put back into the bowl, cover with a clean cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for an hour.

when ready, preheat oven to 450F.

divide the dough into 6 balls, cover, leave to rise in a warm place for a another 15 minutes.

on a lightly floured surface, roll the balls to a small palm-sized circle, add a tbsp of nut mixture in the center, wetting the edges with some water. fold the circles in half. roll again to an oval shape, so all the nut mixture gets spread out in the naan. place the naans on a hot pre-heated baking tray, and bake for about 5 minutes, until they puff and have a few brown patches.

when ready, brush naans with olive oil. serve immediately.

red lentil curry
adapted from Real Simple

splash of canola oil
2 TBL chopped fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped
half red onion chopped
1 TBL curry powder
4 medium carrots, chopped
1 large potato, cubed
1 cup red lentils (soaked overnight)
4 cups water
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

in a pot heat up the oil and add in the ginger, garlic & onions. saute until fragrant and softened. stir in the curry powder, coating the mixture well. next, throw in the carrots, potato cubes and lentils, stirring the pot to warm all the ingredients through. at this point, season with salt & pepper. pour in the water, bring to a boil and then a low simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the veggies are soft.

serve with naan

baingan bharta
adapted from sinfully spicy, recipe found here

1 large eggplant
some oil to rub over the eggplant
3 TBL olive oil
1 cup chopped red onions
1″ fresh ginger root, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup fresh tomatoes, rough chopped
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 whole dried red chilies
1/2 tsp garam masala
Salt, to taste p

reheat oven to 325F wash and dry eggplant, cut in half length-wise. rub with oil. when oven is warm, put eggplant cut side down onto cookie sheet. roast for about 30 minutes. the goal is to soften the flesh and have it pull from the skin.

meanwhile, in a mortar & pestle, grind the coriander seeds and dried red chilis. set aside. remove the eggplant from oven, allow to cool. when easy to handle, peel off the skin. you can remove seeds if you’d like. using a fork, mash or tear the flesh. set aside.

in a pan heat up the olive oil. add the chopped onions, sauteing until translucent. add in the chopped ginger and minced garlic, until super fragrant. add in the coriander & red chili mixture, mix well. finally, add in the tomatoes, until mixture has softened. at this point, i season with salt & pepper to taste. add in the mashed eggplant and mix thoroughly, again season to taste. remove from heat, add in the garam masala. bam.

diy homemade goldfish crackers

Published on August 12, 2013August 9, 2013 by Lan | MoreStomach13 Comments

we went to get dw fitted for a few suits
this summer
doing the grown up thing,
chatting with a proper
tailor
dw standing in front of a
3-way mirror
being tucked and nipped
and damnit, me kissing him silly
cus he is just so dang c u t e
(fyi: making out in public,
in a men’s fancy schmancy suit store
is only entertaining for me,
everyone else gets all flustered)

pda aside,
i always equated getting clothes specially
fitted and tailored
to be oh so grown up,
adult,
and well, i realize i am a
grown ass woman,
i feel so (not to mention, act) adolescent
does this feeling ever go away?
i hope not

when i was younger i wasn’t
much of a snacker
sure we had the random dorritos
or triscuits in the house,
sometimes,
however that was later, when my
sisters grew up and for
convenience sake there were
nibbles available
but when it was pretty much
just me in the house,
with my gparents,
there was never enough in the grocery
fund for cookies or fruit roll ups
as a result, i’m awful with
remembering to pick up
snacks
and even with the means to buy
them now,
and even when it’s on the list
i draw blanks with what to buy
so poor dw’s lunches are
always bland:
(he’d be the kid in the cafeteria
with nothing to trade)
the leftovers from the previous
night’s dinner
maybe a piece of fruit
and
that’s it
i know, right?

goldfish crackers are a
childhood staple,
not my childhood,
but you know,
~~the white folk~~
i could buy them now
i suppose, but they’ve been on
my radar to attempt,
and since i’m a grown up without
little ones to mind
i spent a sunday morning rolling the dough,
cutting the fish shapes
no lie, they’re adorable
they taste like the real stuff
i think i would just rather
re-learn how to grocery shop
for snacks

homemade goldfish crackers
adapted from she wears many hats

8 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded. i used cabot’s seriously sharp cheddar
4 TBL cold coconut oil, Cut Into Cubes
1 cup spelt flour
pinch of salt
2 TBL ice cold water

in a food processor pulse everything but the water until the mixture looks like coarse sand

add in the water, one tablespoon at a time. resist the urge to add more. just don’t.

divide the dough into 3, wrapped in plastic and chill for 20 minutes.

preheat oven at 350F.

remove dough from fridge and allow for the cold edge to warm a smidge. remember, coconut oil is finicky, it gets hard at a lower temp but also melts real easily.

roll out the dough and cut into desired shapes. for the first 3 dozen i made little goldfish and then i got over it and just cut the rest of the dough into little random shapes with a pizza cutter. it all tastes the same, trust me.

place crackers on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. bake for about 15 minutes. store at room temp in air tight container.

chocolate wonderfuls

Published on July 15, 2013October 3, 2013 by Lan | MoreStomach16 Comments

the thing about planning a wedding
is that there are a bajillion little pieces,
that on their own are manageable,
but the total sum of them all
makes me want to take a nap

and i’m not a napper.

when in the midst of
planning a major blueberry picking expedition
organizing a jam & can session
brainstorming wedding invite layouts
discussing wedding cake options
eyerolling at my bridesmaids’ still not being attired
i had a hankering for chocolate.
these chocolate treats first appeared
in my previous space.
but due to a heavy crack down on dairy treats
we shelved it

it was quickly decided that chocolate wonderfuls
had to make a re-appearance in our lives.
i luckily found a good NON-DAIRY
sub for CONDENSED MILK
(which the consumption of would have me in a moaning fetal position)
(let’s not think about that)

there is no lie in my heart
when i tell you that this is an ass growing treat
i’ve been working out like a mad woman
and counting my calories ~~like kate moss counts cocaine lines~~
to fit into my gown
but these …
all else ceases to matter
the entire pan was meant to be shared
but the most we could bear
was to share with each other

sometimes
just sometimes
when things are chaotic
and the things that need to be done
don’t get done
instead, baked goods get made
(& consumed)
and it’s not just ok,
it’s wonderful

chocolate wonderfuls
adapted from dw’s mama (who’s his gma)

Chocolate Layer

6 oz dairy free organic semi sweet chocolate chips (i used taste the dream)
1 egg + ½ cup brown sugar + ½ tsp vanilla + 1 TBL flour + ¼ tsp baking powder + pinch of salt (from Cooks.com)
1 TBL barely melted coconut oil (you could probably nix it, i will next time)
Pinch of salt
½ cup chopped pecans

Shortbread layer & crumb topping

1 ¼ cups spelt flour, sifted
1 ½ cups quick cooking rolled oats
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
½ cup softened coconut oil (i usually measure out a cup and put in fridge to firm up for 20-30 min)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

preheat oven 350F.

double boiler style, melt chocolate. in a bowl mix together 1 egg + ½ cup brown sugar + ½ tsp vanilla + 1 TBL flour + ¼ tsp baking powder + pinch of salt. very carefully add to the heated chocolate, whisking like mad, you don’t want scrambled chocolate eggs. add in the coconut oil (or nix it) and the salt. finally add in the pecans and vanilla. remove from heat, set aside.

in a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, cream the coconut oil and brown sugar. add in the egg and vanilla. stir in the dry ingredients.

in a 9X9 pan, (you can first add in parchment paper if you want). press about 2/3 of mixture in as evenly as possible. spread the chocolate filling. crumble remaining oat mixture over the filling.

bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly brown.

cut into bars when cool.

to store: well covered in fridge. take out for about 15 minutes prior to eating, though eaten fresh out of fridge is fine, albeit they’ll be hard. due to the use of coconut oil if left out at room temp the treats are on the softer side, since coconut oil melts at such a low temp. we ~~like~~ love these chocolate wonderfuls cold & hard or super soft & warm.

baked yeast s’mores donuts

Published on June 24, 2013June 23, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach37 Comments

it’s early morn,
8am.
well, early for Sunday.
roll over and
he’s sprawled out,
with child-like abandon,
vulnerable
adorable
kissable
accede to impulse –
kiss his cheek
the kind of kiss that
doesn’t take much thought
a take for granted kind of kiss
the kind that
you know will happen
again
and
again
and
again
like a habit,
like we’d kiss everyday
for the rest of our lives.

make way to the
tiny urban kitchen:
dishes from the evening before’s meal
piled high.
it’s a struggle
sometimes
to not succumb to the desire to
dine on throwaway
paper plates.

with kitchen cleared,
coffee cooling
set out ingredients for
breakfast —
a dessert really.
it’s a messy job,
one that requires
cleaning of more dishes,
of scrubbing counter tops
but with an end result like this,
it’s acceptable.

and when he finally
emerges,
slumber still clinging to his body
greet him with yet
another kiss
(we can’t ever get enough!)
(stop gagging)
and offer up a small delight
to fully waken him up.
because the rest of the day
beckons…

how do you like to spend your Sundays?

S’mores Donuts (baked & with yeast)
*listen. i didn’t taste a s’more until i was well into my late 20s. i was in West Virginia and i loved this so much that during the 5 day camping trip i had marshmallow and chocolate smeared all over my face and graham cracker crumbs in my hair the entire time. when i have a hankering for this i buy all the ingredients and in our urban living room dw puts it all together for me and torches it with a creme brulee torche. i won’t lie, this is more like a cake shaped in a donut form, but it is nonetheless delicious. because it’s a cake, it keeps well, covered, at room temp for a few days or in fridge. if you don’t have a torch, ~~i feel sorry for you,~~ it’s still good and gooey. (click on pic to enlarge & see the recipe, or the recipe follows with a few notes…)

donut ingredients
3/4 cup spelt flour
1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 3 crackers whizzed in food processor, leftover can be used a garnish)
1 tsp active dry yeast
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup semi soft coconut oil
6 tbsp sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp coconut yogurt (So Delicious has a great Greek yogurt)
1/4 cup coconut milk

toppings:
melted vegan marshmallows, amount at your discretion
melted tempered dark chocolate, amount at your discretion

method:
preheat oven 350F
sift together dry ingredients in a bowl
in a mixing bowl, cream together coconut oil + sugar, add in egg + vanilla. add in the coconut yogurt. alternating between the dry ingredients and milk, add to mixing bowl. pour into prepared donut pans. bake for 10-12 minutes (aim for 11 minutes). allow to cool slightly in pan and then flip them out carefully onto wire rack and cool completely. repeat with remaining batter.

assemble by drizzling melted dark chocolate on top. allow to cool before drizzling the melted vegan marshmallows. again, cool slightly and then sprinkle on some graham cracker crumbs. torch it up if you want.

will keep at room temp, covered for a few days, or move to fridge.