Organic – Page 10 – morestomach

Somen Noodle Bowl

Published on June 7, 2016June 6, 2016 by Lan | MoreStomach9 Comments

i finished two books recently,
which isn’t very remarkable
when i think about the period of time
in high school when i was able to knock out
a book a day.
sure, school work likely suffered,
but damn if i couldn’t just open
up a book at 1:38pm after 7th period
and lose myself.
if i find myself in a particularly
engrossing story
i tell dw it’s his turn to make dinner
or i throw something very
quick and easy together
and call it dinner.
either way,
i’m able to put my nose back into the pages.

fyi, for those interested,
i read:
me, earl & the dying girl
me before you
i know, so depressing
but they’re fast reads
and available as movies as now.

somen noodle bowl
makes enough for 2

*note: the way japanese noodles are packaged makes life easier. it’s usually already been divvied up into servings so i can tell dw how much to cook up. in this case: 2 servings. somen noodles also don’t clump, i’ve only ever used them cold and they are still really good the next day.
**note: this is ridiculous fast and easy, i may have been reading while i was making this.

2 bundles of somen noodles, cooked according to package instructions

sauce:
2-3 TBL tamarin or soy sauce
2-3 TBL rice vinegar or mirin
2 TBL sesame oil
splash of maple syrup, optional (just for taste)

seaweed dressing:
2 sheets of nori/seaweed, shredded by hand
2-3 TBL toasted sesame seeds, very important to toast!
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp sesame oil
pinch of salt

topping options:
sliced cucumbers
fried or boiled egg
kim chi or shredded cabbage
2-3 scallions, sliced thin
sesame seeds
nuts, like crushed peanuts or cashews
carrots, matchsticks
WHATEVER YOUR HEART DESIRES

essentially, for every component of this recipe: the noodles, the sauce and the sesame dressing, make/mix ingredients accordingly.

divvy up the noodles into two bowls. you can either pour the sauce and mix throughout the noodles and then top with whatever.

or you can assemble your bowl with the noodles and topped with whatever and then pour in the sauce.

either way, it works and it’s easy.

BAM!

3 years ago: strawberry sweet biscuit
2 years ago: strawberries & cream pavlova
1 year ago: yarn cupcakes

chia tea

Published on May 23, 2016May 22, 2016 by Lan | MoreStomach8 Comments

it’s been quiet around this parts
behind the scenes though
it’s anything but.
nuria is in her final weeks with us,
and with that comes
happy hours
dinners —
all around busyness.
on top of that
dw and i have been slowly,
but steadily,
doing home projects.
things that could be shared
but likely won’t be
because
who the hell wants to hear
about my thought process when picking
paint colors
or curtains?

in the meantime,
the weather continues to confuzzle.
it looks like it’ll go from mild winter
to mild summer,
with lots of rain and grey in between.
i could cry,
but that would just add to
the dreariness.
inspired by the few
pockets of sunshine we have had
i make this tea
to sip on while at my desk,
or sitting on the couch.
it keeps me keeping.

chia tea cooler
makes 4-5 servings

this isn’t so much a recipe, but what i throw together based on what is available in the pantry

4 TBL of tea of choice (i’ve used hibiscus or in this case, a cucumber-melon green tea) or 2 bags of flavored tea of choice
4-5 cups of hot water
maple syrup, amount to taste (or honey, agave or simple syrup)
juice of one lemon
4 TBL chia seeds

brew the tea: what i do is boil the water in a pot (because even though i’m a grown up, i don’t have a kettle) and add in the loose tea or dunk the tea bags in. turn off heat, and allow to steep for 5-6 minutes. remove bags or strain the loose tea out. cool to room temp.

doctor up the tea to taste, with the maple syrup and lemon juice.

with whisk in hand, add the chia seed, one tablespoon at a time, stirring all the while. this is an important step, or else the seeds will clump and it’s gross and you’ve failed.

portion out into bottles or glasses. allow to chill in fridge.

the chia seeds will bloom and add a nice texture to the drink.

BAM!

swirl gif

3 years ago: portuguese chicken curry with chorizo and olives
2 years ago: spiced coconut pecan ice cream – dairy free
1 year ago: grass jelly with chia seeds

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!