lactose free – Page 25

quinoa chocolate cake

Published on March 10, 2014June 21, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach24 Comments

friends
we’re missing an hour
never before have
i wanted an hour back
like i do now

daylight saving time
never bothered me before
growing up
either because my body didn’t
register the loss
or the countries i lived in
didn’t participate in DST

it’s an adjustment
certainly
much like making minor
dietary changes
we made the decision
recently to cut back on
our gluten intake,
for health-reasons
and as it happens,
our close friends are
also attempting the gf lifestyle

for less than 2 weeks
i’ve missed bread
i’ve missed pasta
no lie:
i’ve cheated
and i have to remind myself
that much like when i went
dairy free
it’s not so much what i’m missing,
it’s what i could be gaining
the challenges i could tackle
in the kitchen

quinoa chocolate cake – gluten free & dairy free
adapted from Quinoa 365

*note: i baked this cake for my dear friend Nuria’s birthday. i’ve made many, many desserts for this hooker, including her wedding cakes, and she said this was her most favorite. the flour wasn’t missed.
*initially i had wanted to make it a two layered cake with whipped coconut milk but the coconut milk was too runny, though delicious, and i wasn’t confident that it would make the trek to the party. so i topped with powdered sugar and called it a day.

2 cups cooked and cooled quinoa (about 1/2 cup dried quinoa, though just cook a full cup and find another use for the unused)
1/3 cup coconut creamer, i used So Delicious
4 large eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil, liquid but cool
1 cups sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

cook up the quinoa according to package instructions, be sure to fight the urge to NOT cook it with broth, cus i damn near forgot… allow to cool completely.

preheat oven to 350F and prep 2 8″ round pans.

in a bowl, sift the dry ingredients.

in a food processor, whizz up the eggs, coconut oil and coconut creamer. add in the cooled cooked quinoa and process until smooth, or as smooth as you want it to be. pour mixture into the bowl of dried ingredients and mix everything until fully combined.

divvy up into pans equally and bake for 28-30 minutes. the sides will pull clean from the pans.

cool on rack and either top with powdered sugar or frosting of your choice.

BAM!

ultimate white cake

Published on March 4, 2014March 5, 2014 by Lan | MoreStomach29 Comments

when she was a girl, and still growing, ravenous, whenever there had been a cake – a sponge cake, dusted with sugar, which mrs. hill had conjured up out of eggs and flour and creamy butter — sarah would never even herself look at it, because she knew that it was not for her… so sarah would stare instead at the carpet underneath her feet, or the rippled yellow curtains in the parlour, and would do her best not to breathe, not to inhale the scent of vanilla or lemon or almonds; even to glance at the cake was an impossible agony.

and for months, she realized, james had hardly looked at her at all.
~Longbourn by Jo Baker

this book
just read it
i will freely admit
to feeling anger towards
elizabeth
even jane
and mr. darcy
the book is written from
the perspective of the servants
in Pride & Prejudice
and our hero & heroine
are not painted in the most
forgiving light

anyway
just read it
you’re welcome

chocolate kissed white cake (dairy free)
inspiration attire
adapted from garlic girl

*note: one of my hires is expecting a wee lass. we’re having a shower for her today and this was one of my contributions to the fete. i’m not for superlatives but i will say that this was one of the easier white cakes i’ve dealt with, the last one being nuria’s wedding cake which was a chiffon cake. that was a more involved cake and i need something quick to fall back on. this just might be that cake that i turn to.

5 large egg whites, room temp
1 cup soy milk cream, room temp, i used organic valley
345 grams cake flour, sifted
350 grams sugar
1 TBL + 1 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
1 1/2 sticks soy margarine cut in cubes, room temp, i used earth balance

preheat oven 350F

prep two 8″ round pans, grease/flour/whatever

in a glass measuring cup mix the egg whites with 1/4 cup of the soy creamer. set aside

in mixing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. add in the butter and remaining soy creamer and mix until moistened. in increments of 3 add in the egg/soy creamer mixture to the batter, scraping down the sides continuously. beat on medium until batter is fully incorporated

divide batter evenly between the two prepared pans.

bake for 25-35 minutes. i checked on them at 30 minutes and kept them in there for another 5 minutes. the cakes do rise to the very brim of the pan (my pans are 8×2″). allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, the cakes will pull from the sides just slightly. invert onto wire racks and cool completely. cover with plastic wrap, can be left out at room temp for 2 days, in fridge for 5 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.

vegan cream cheese frosting

12 oz tofutti cream cheese, room temp
1 stick of vegan margarine, i used earth balance
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
optional: coloring gel. i used a dab of wilton’s pink

in a standard mixer, beat the cream cheese and margarine until fluffy and incorporated. gradually add the powdered sugar, scraping down the sides often. use your best judgement on consistency. you can add more or less powdered sugar depending on how warm your house is, or how comfortable you are with thicker frosting.

chocolate glaze

6oz of good chocolate, at least 70% cacao
half stick of margarine

place ingredients in a heat safe bowl over a pot of simmering water. be sure that not a drop of water gets into the bowl. it’ll make the chocolate seize and that shit’s just ugly. mix well. mixture will be shiny and smooth.

to assemble

i made this a 4 layer cake, so dw halved the two layers for me into equal 1″ layers. stack the layers accordingly, with frosting between. crumb coat, leave in fridge for 30 minutes. do final coat of frosting as smooth as you can. finally, pour the chocolate glaze over top, do this slowly, and smooth out the top so that it spills artfully over the sides. believe me when i tell you that it’s not as easy as it sounds, just be patient.

BAM!

another of my cakes: minty snow cake

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.

Soy Sauced Chocolate Chip Cookies

Published on February 17, 2014February 16, 2014 by Lan | MoreStomach41 Comments

allow me to confess something
it’s not embarrassing
at least not anymore:
when i was a kid,
still living with my gparents,
i had to wear the same outfit
two days in a row
before putting the clothes in the hamper
this was a horror to me
not from a fashion sense
not really anyway
but
it was embarrassing
to be asked by my classmates why
i was wearing the same thing
as the day before
it was humiliating the reason
was because we had to lug
laundry to the laundromat
five blocks from home
to wash our clothes
and to make it worthwhile,
to ensure that my clothes were
sufficiently dirty,
gma mandated that i wear the same
outfit
in retrospect
it was humbling
it didn’t physically hurt me any,
to be seen in the same
shirt and pants combo
over & over again
these days i don’t wash
my jeans after just one wearing
and lord knows,
i wore the same outfit for a week straight
in college during exams
and honestly,
there have been times
i’ve worn a cute outfit running errands
on a saturday
and will wear it all over again
to work
the following monday
repeats are fine
in fact
i’ve made a version of these cookies
multiple times
off & on
for years
i’ve made them vegan
i’ve made them exactly as the recipe states
and now i’ve made them asian

Soy Sauced Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Jacques Torres in the NY Times

note: this is what i served in lieu of fortune cookies at our chinese new year dinner party. it was fun having our friends figure out the secret ingredient. the soy sauce is subtle, dw can discern it, i wanted more impact. i might have to make these with an extra tsp or so of soy sauce. but for now, we’ve attempted it twice and we have plenty of cookies already formed in our freezer…

makes about 4 doz pingpong sized cookie balls, which obvi flatten out during baking

8 1/2 oz cake flour
8 1/2 oz AP flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 sticks vegan butter, i use earth balance, at room temp
10 ounces light brown sugar
8 ounces sugar
2 large eggs
4 tsp soy sauce, i use Bluegrass Soy Sauce
1 1/4 pounds chocolate chips or chunks
sesame seeds

in a bowl, sift all dry ingredients

in mixing bowl cream the vegan butter with sugars until fluffy. add eggs, one at a time until incorporated. add in the soy sauce. reduce speed, and in 3 batches, add in the dry ingredients, mix until just incorporated. gently, add in the chocolate chips or chunks. cover with plastic and refrigerate 24-26 hours. can be kept in fridge for up to 72 hours, if not used after that period, freeze them.

when ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F.

line a baking sheet with parchment paper. on plate, pour out some sesame seeds.

using an ice cream scoop, scoop out dough. i typically bake in batches of 6. roll dough around sesame seeds. bake for 18 minutes. allow to cool on sheet a few minutes, then cool completely on rack.

typically, we form the cookies and line them up side by side on parchment’d baking sheets, freeze them and then put them in freezer bags for quick desserts or snacks. if baking straight from freezer, add about a minute or two to the bake time.

BAM!

lychee jelly hearts

Published on February 14, 2014February 13, 2014 by Lan | MoreStomach21 Comments

just days ago
dw & i celebrated our
3 year anniversary
celebrated is kind of a strong word
unless it’s defined as
hanging out on the couch
with lap blankets
chocolate chip cookies
and airbnb options on the tv screen
then yes,
we whooped it up good
on sunday
we are such party animals

all i know is:
we finally FINALLY
booked accommodations for our honeymoon
i made tentative plans with
high school
AND middle school classmates
researched where to find the best
khao man gai
and cried my eyes out when
we put down a deposit to visit the elephants

and during my melt down,
very similar to our 2nd date!!
when we saw biutiful
and i SOBBED during a scene,
dw comforted me
only this time
i was totally crying in happiness,
in part cus of the elephants
and cus
damnit, my eyes have been really dry
since the lasik surgery
and i’ll take extra moisture
anywhere i can get it

anyway
for vday this year
i made jelly candy
my beloved enjoys snacking
and these are the best kind

dw:
i love you
more than pho
more than there are stars in the sky
more than seven jeans that make my ass look great
more than tom hiddleston
let’s be each other’s mushy gushy valentines
forever

lychee jelly hearts
adapted from the jewels of ny

1/3 cup lychee syrup (canned, cus i wasn’t about to juice them fresh, THEY’RE NOT AVAIL HERE ANYWAY)
1/3 cup water
2 packets gelatin
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup lychee, chopped up nice & small (the original recipe calls for the use of store-bought jam. knock yourself out, just use a mild/neutral flavored jam, like apricot)
2 TBL a red jam, i used wendi’s cherry jam (optional, for color only)
2 tsp lemon juice
zest of lemon, optiuonal

lightly oil 8X8 baking pan

in a bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1/3 cup of water. ignore for 5 minutes, let the gelatin soften.

in saucepan, combine syrup with sugar, stir over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. add in the applesauce and lychee bits, and red jam if using, and mix until well combined. add in the gelatin mixture and bring to a boil. at this point you can vitamix it smooth, or keep the chunks if you want. pour mixture into prepared baking pan, allow to cool to room temp and then transfer to fridge until firm, 3 hours.

cut into squares, or if you’re being cutesy, use 1/2″ cookie cutters. i had dw fashion small hearts for me made out of strips of aluminum from a soda can, like when i made goldfish crackers.

dredge in some sugar to coat. BAM.

store in airtight container in fridge for up to a week