lactose free – Page 17

chocolate meringue kisses

Published on February 16, 2015February 15, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach23 Comments

there’s been no kissing for us lately:
dw was sick last week
and i’m fighting UFC-style
to not get what he had.
it’s too soon to determine
who the winner is.
in the meantime,
i managed to whip up this treat
for our valentine’s day/
4 year anniversary of our first date.
it’s just one egg
a whole lot of mixer action
and the end result is
the perfect sub
for kisses,
but without the germs.
stay warm and healthy friends.

chocolate meringue kisses
adapted from movita beaucoup
makes 40

*note: movita’s bossy, and in this case, correct: don’t be lazy and do your mise en place.
**note: if you’re like me, and forget to leave your egg out to reach room temp, put your egg in some hot TAP water for about 5 minutes. you should be good. scientifically speaking i might be off a few degrees but whatever.

1 large egg white, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp chocolate extract
2 TBL boiling water

preheat oven to 225F.

in a stand mixer bowl, add your egg white with sugar, cocoa powder, cornstarch, chocolate extract, and vinegar and with your whisk attachment, mix on low. it’s going to look like a hot mess, just keep at it. at some point that tickles your fancy use a spatula and scrape the bottom of the bowl. you want the cocoa powder to be fully incorporated. keeping the mixer on low speed, add in the 2 TBL of boiling water.

incrementally pump up the speed until medium-high and let it go. you’re aiming for glossy stiff peaks, about 15 minutes.

pipe meringue on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. i used a Wilton 1M tip, cus it was the first one i grabbed and let’s be honest, the easiest tip to wash. i came up with exactly 40.

bake for an hour. movita says to check around 45 minutes. i live on the edge. and i was too lazy to get off the couch and i let it go the full hour. turn off oven, ignore for an hour to allow to cool and dry completely.

serve with whipped cream + berries, like a fancy pavlova or an eton mess, or just on its own.

BAM!

previous vday treats:
lychee jelly hearts

chinese egg tarts

Published on February 12, 2015February 23, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach10 Comments

i’ve been watching
PBS’s The Great British Baking Show
every monday
(our sundays were taken up
with Football or the Walking Dead)
sure, i realize the series aired
during the summer
across the pond,
i’m upset about things
that have blown over already
but that doesn’t stop me from
taking to twitter
to wax poetry about
all things #GBBO
have you seen it?
who are you rooting?

Chinese Egg Tarts
dough adapted from Use Real Butter

*note: i made these tarts mainly to see if i could, because we so very rarely go to dimsum. i’d say it’s a great dairy free option, a little time consuming, with two types of dough to work with. the lunar new year is a week away, these would make a great addition to the 15 3 day feast that usually takes place to celebrate all things new.

water dough
1 cup AP flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
5 TBL lard
10 TBL water
1/4 tsp salt

fat dough
1 cup AP flour
5 TBL lard

egg custard
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups full fat, lactose free milk (i used organic valley)
pinch of salt

preheat oven 350F.

to make the water dough, mix all the ingredients in a bowl. mix it until smooth, let stand for 20 minutes covered with a damn towel. roll into log and cut into 20 pieces. set aside, covered.

to make the fat dough, mix all the ingredients until smooth. don’t be stressed, it will be crumblier than the water dough. roll into a log and cut into 20 equal pieces, them into small balls.

to make the pastries, first roll out the water dough piece, flatten into a disk about 3″. put a fat dough ball into the center of the disk and wrap the ball completely to make a ball. now flatten it again, rolling it out about 4″ long. fold it into thirds, turn 90 degrees and flatten/roll out again 4″ long. fold into thirds, turn and flat out, though aim for a circle/disk this time, about 4″ wide (or however big your molds are. mine were about 3″) line a mold with the pastry dough, crimp edges. do this for the rest of the dough.

to make egg custard: in a sauce pan heat up the milk very very gently. add the sugar and salt and mix until completely dissolved and incorporated. take off the heat. in a bowl with the egg yolks, very gently pour in a ladle of the warm sweet milk, all the while stirring the yolks. you don’t want to scramble the yolks, add another ladle for good measure, stirring continuously. finally, add in the rest of the mixture, stirring constantly. if you want, strain through a sieve, though i’ll tell you i didn’t bother. set aside until ready to fill pans.

when ready, fill the pans with the custard filling, about 3/4 of way up, don’t overflow it.

bake 30-35 minutes.

these will keep in fridge, covered for a week, though they taste best the day made, about 20 minutes out of the oven.

BAM!

update:
i was included on the worktop recently, a lovely roundup of other lunar new year goodies.

savory sticky rice

Published on February 9, 2015February 9, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach29 Comments

did you guys see
Fresh Off the Boat last week?
i don’t like the show
(it gives me a vague sense
that i’m being side-eyed
and laughed at)
there was one scene
that rang true:
the lunch scene.
it was common that my lunch
consisted of
whatever was leftover
from the dinner table the night before.
which you can imagine,
while super tasty at home
did not translate in the school cafeteria.
i got side eyed
and one time
an entire table left,
after making a fuss.
that was high school.
(specifically, freshman year,
2nd semester where i was the NEW KID,
fresh from ethiopia
and in deep culture shock,
as an ASIAN AMERICAN IN AMERICA.
wtf?)

anyway,
this particular dish
was something i brought to school
in third grade.
i was so excited.
i was too young to realize that
pb&jelly sandwiches were de rigueur
and when i busted this sticky rice
out of its wrapper
and offered it to my bff
she wrinkled her nose.
i was crestfallen,
though i rallied and figured:
more for me.
(just kidding.
i threw it away)
but thus began my
battle with home brought lunches.
the struggle was real people.

xôi or 糯米饭 no mi fan, or, Savory Sticky Rice
from memory, and a combination of woks of life and le jus d’orange

*note: nowadays, i have an office i can hide in if my food is on the strong side, though i do err on the side of safe foods. (there was that one time, years ago at another job, i brought dumplings and the odor caused my coworkers to pause. i was so embarrassed.) you won’t ever find fish in my lunch box. this, thankfully, did not disrupt anybody’s olfactory senses the week i brought it for noshing.

3 cups of brown sticky rice, soaked overnight
5 lap xuoung links, chinese pork sausage, sliced on a diagonal
3 garlic cloves, minced fine
2 cups worth of fresh shiitake mushroom caps, (reserve the caps in a freezer bag to make stock), sliced
1 cups worth of dried wood ear mushroom, sliced (reconstituted in hot water)
1 cups worth of enokie mushrooms, cut in half
2 cups of liquid, you can use stock for flavor or leftover water from soaking the mushroom, or just water
1/2 dried shrimp, reconstituted in hot water
4 stalks of green onions, sliced on a diagonal, divided, half to cook and half for garnish

sauce:
light/thin soy sauce
dark soy sauce
shaoxing wine
sesame oil
oyster sauce

night before, soak the rice.

when ready, prepare your mis en place:
for the sauce, refer to the links for exact measurements. i won’t lie, i winged the proportions and guessed on amount. basically, shoot for a tablespoon of each, except for the sesame oil. mix it all together and taste, add more of whatever you want until you reach desired flavor. you’re aiming for salty sweet. add in the sesame oil last, my guess: about 1/2 TBL. set aside.

have all your components ready sliced/minced/soaked and close at hand. strain the soaked rice.

in a large skillet, cook up the lap xuoung, it is going to give up so much fat. don’t be alarmed. when sufficiently cooked through, remove from pan onto paper napkins. pour out excess oil/fat, leaving behind about a tablespoon. throw in a handful of sliced scallions and garlic, mix. next add in the mushrooms and dried shrimp, and mix. remove from heat and last, add the rice and sauce. mix it all thoroughly together.

transfer entire contents of the pan to a rice cooker. we have a fancy rice cooker that has a STICKY RICE feature. if you’re incensed that i’m using a rice cooker, or you don’t have a rice cooker with that feature, or you want something more authentic, refer to the links of the original recipes for those instructions.

add in two cups of liquid (we used a combo of water and leftover mushroom water) and set timer accordingly. i think it was done after about an hour.

when cooked through, adjust seasoning to taste. serve garnished with leftover green scallions.

BAM!

other asian delights, or stank food:
vietnamese bò kho – beef stew
Vietnamese Vermicelli Noodle Bowl {bun thit ga nuong}

CMP : chocolate, marshmallow & peanuts ice cream

Published on February 5, 2015February 5, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach16 Comments

in our Real Life
it’s no secret that
woodberry kitchen is dw’s favorite restaurant.
i like it just fine,
(ahem. fine enough that we had our wedding there…)
but dw really likes wk.

they have this dessert
that is simply put:
amazing.
so good that it made it on
The Best Thing I Ever Ate
so delicious that
we requested it for our wedding.
the recipe changes every so often:
i’ve had it with chocolate mint sorbet,
in the video malt ice cream is used,
it’s whatever ice cream flavor they have
and for me,
i can request it made dairy free
and that, friends,
is why i usually have one all to myself.
and then i stare longingly at dw’s too.

we made this version in preparation
of Ice Cream For Breakfast Day.
the marshmallow fluff recipe made an assload amount,
so that’ll be coming with us to the party
the ice cream base is vegan
and as such, we upped the chocolate flavor.
and the wet peanuts:
well. we used a combo of honey+water
though the first time we attempted it
it was all just honey and it solidified.
oops.

super chocolate ice cream – vegan
*note: i made the ice cream base less sweet than usual, because i knew it was being consumed with sweetened nuts and fluff. if eaten alone, i’d up the sugar amount to maybe 1/2 cup or even 2/3 cup.
**note: we used king arthur’s marshmallow fluff recipe, using honey instead of corn syrup, without the vanilla, and used organic, cage free, free range eggs
***note: the wet peanuts was just raw peanuts that were coarsely chopped, roasted in a dry frying pan and then doused in some water and smidge of honey

2 cans of full fat coconut milk
1/3 cup sugar
2 generous TBL cocoa powder, we used Scharffen Berger
1 cup semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips, we used enjoy life
2 tsps pure chocolate extract, we used Nielsen-Massey
1/2 TBL cornstarch

in a saucepan, heat the sugar with 1 1/2 cans of the coconut milk. don’t scald the liquid, you want it to be just warmed through and the sugar to dissolve and be fully incorporated.

mix in the cocoa powder, stir for a minute or two, just until the coconut milk is a lovely shade of brown. next add in the chocolate chips. you want the chips to melt and to be fully mixed in. it’s going to look all fleck-y as the chips melt, just keep a consistent stir. add in the extract.

with the remaining coconut milk stir in the cornstarch, then add to the hot liquid. mix thoroughly.

pour into bowl and allow to cool completely befor covering with plastic wrap. store in fridge over night.

when ready, pour into ice cream maker and churn according to machine’s directions.

to assemble, layer the wet peanuts and ice cream and top with marshmallow fluff. if you’re feeling fancy, you can make sugar shards and/or torch the fluff.

BAM!

lan-devin-eng-00798 photo courtesy of luke eshelman

other ice cream concoctions:
coffee chocolate chip ice cream – lactose free
peppermint chocolate chip ice cream – lactose free
spiced coconut pecan ice cream – dairy free, gluten free
strawberry ice cream + almond waffle cones – gluten free, dairy free

brinjal pickle hummus

Published on February 2, 2015February 3, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach20 Comments

things i don’t like right now:
the cold
my hair length, it’s that in-between thing
doing dishes
bad internet connection
coffee creamer saying it’s non-dairy
but closer look at the ingredients list lists milk.
WHAT DOES THAT EVEN MEAN?!
the ravens not making the superbowl

things i like right now:
not having cable
watching mpt/pbs/bbc
burt’s bee’s skincare line
blooming cyclamens
this taytay mashup
smothering my superbowl disappointment with ~~dip~~ two dips
one dip is usually fine,
but two makes it all the more bearable

brinjal pickle hummus – vegan & gluten free
brinjal pickle adapted from the Splendid Table
basic hummus adapted from Ottenlenghi’s Jerusalem, click on link for full ingredients or purchase the book for instructions. Or, use your own fave hummus recipe, but for the love of gawd, don’t add olive oil!

note about the brinjal: original recipe calls to store in jars in dark corner and ignore for a month before consuming. that’s not happening, we’ll likely finish this batch in a week. it also says can be ignored, unopened for MONTHS and once opened can be kept in fridge for at least 2-3 months. we might test that. in the meantime, we’ll add it to our hummus or eat as a side along with rice.

brinjal pickle:
2 lbs indian eggplants, trimmed & cubed
2 TBL salt
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp brown mustard seeds
2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 1/2″ knob of fresh ginger, minced
2 red peppers, seeded and diced
1 generous TBL tamarind paste
1 cup vinegar
5 generous TBL light brown sugar

place cubed eggplant into colander in sink and sprinkle with salt. ignore for an hour as the eggplants supposedly releases its bitter juices.

toast cumin, coriander, fenugreek, and fennel seeds in dry frying pan. when warmed through and fragrant, grind in mortar & pestle (or as dw would’ve preferred, in a spice grinder). when finely ground, add in the cinnamon stick, ground tumeric and mustard seed, ignore until needed.

rinse eggplant and pat dry. or like me, ignore for awhile until sufficiently dry.

in batches (i did it in two) fry up eggplant cubes in oil, add more oil as needed. brown and soften.

when done, remove eggplant and set aside. heat remaining oil and saute onion, garlic, ginger and red pepper over medium high heat, until soft. add in ground spices, mix through, then add in the tamarind paste and brown sugar. finally put the eggplant back into pan and mix it thoroughly. last, pour the vinegar over the mixture and simmer gently for 30 minutes, or until very tender. some pieces will be mush, don’t be alarmed.

taste for seasoning. cool completely before storing in clean jars.

to assemble the dip, take the hummus out of the fridge for at least 30 minutes, to soften.

in a food processor ladle two generous scoops of the brinjal pickle and pulse. i like a chunky texture but i wanted to break down the brinjal a little.

the point is to add these two dips together. dw likes it all mixed together, i like some division, it’s up to you. serve with pita chips, veg sticks, or as a spread.

BAM!