OMG a Recipe: Konquering Kiwi

Food Confessional: I'm just not that into kiwi anymore. It's important to say "anymore," because as a kid, I LOVED kiwi. The first time I had it, I felt so proud of myself for eating something so strange and exotic, and really enjoying the tart/sweet fruit with its edible fuzzy skin and inner ring of crunchy seeds. But these days....? Meh. If it's already in a dish, I'm happy to eat it, but I just don't get a hearty yen for this funky fruit, especially when our Full Circle produce delivery bag is full of the little buggers. It was the one fruit I'd either give away, or make sure I sliced up and served at brunch with friends, to get rid of it, ASAP. But I managed to conquer (konquer?) my lack of enthusiasm for kiwi in the form of salsa, specifically served atop quinoa crab cakes!

Konquering Mt. Kiwi-Crab Cake - Photo by Wasabi Prime

UnRecipe: You're My Hero, DIY Gyro! (and the Interwebs, too)

Sometimes I think, I should try and write down more of my recipes and actually make this a real recipe blog. And then I ignore that voice and keep reading through cookbooks, browsing recipes sites, and other cooking blogs, which basically all inform how this blog winds up. In the evenings, I multitask while re-watching that Downton Abbey episode for the fourth time to figure out what the hell is going on, and dinking around on my smartphone, reading recipes and looking up what other people do with specific ingredients. This is exactly what happened not long ago, when a wicked craving for gyros came about, and the solution was (as always) The Interwebs.

Make-at-home-gyros on lavash; a near-perfect restaurant-style reproduction - Photo by Wasabi Prime

OMG a Recipe: CSA-Curious Seeking LTR w/ Fresh, Seasonal Produce for Exciting Cooking Adventures

It's easy to fall into the routine of weekly recipes and organized grocery lists, but what about being a little spontaneous? Why not flirt with the mystery and excitement of a delivery of fresh, seasonal produce, and let your meals be swept away by a swarthy CSA box from Oxbow Farm? I was pleased to participate in this year's Oxbow Box Project, a great challenge for local food bloggers to get a big ol' box of seasonal summer produce and see what winds up on the table. If you're already a subscriber to one of the many CSA programs out there, you already know what this at-home Iron Chef-style of cooking is like, but if you've always been CSA-curious, I'm here to say, as Rob Schneider so often shouts in terrible Adam Sandler movies: YOU CAN DO IT!

Oxbow Farm CSA, you take my breath away - Photo by Wasabi Prime

UnRecipe: Medite-grainian Salad and All Things Green

I get a little bit of culture shock when warmer weather hits and I have to change my cooking habits. It's hard for me to transition from months of slow-cooked stews, hearty soups and spicy stir frys to meals where I should probably limit the use of the stove, just to keep the house from any additional heat. Salads are an obvious choice, but I need a transitional dish, something that could be eaten warm or cold, with a lot of the flavors that transport my palate to a summery state of mind. Mediterranean style dishes always work for me -- perfectly fresh and summery, but a hearty enough meal that doesn't leave you feeling hungry later. 

Grains, vegetables and beans, with a Mediterranean flavor - Photo by Wasabi Prime

UnRecipe: Mostly Meatless Monday

Nobody's perfect, least of all me. I would even say I aspire towards tragic imperfection, given my familiarity with so many Epic Fails. But one thing I've been making attempts towards is cutting back on meat consumption. Meatless Mondays are a great mnemonic reminder, but sometimes my no-meat days end up being midweek or even on a weekend. And sometimes, I make great vegetarian strides and suddenly smack myself on the head with a Homer Simpson "doh!" moment, realizing I just un-meatless-ized a dish with a quick splash of fish sauce. And so our story goes thusly...

At least these little quinoa-chickpea fritters were meatless! - Photo by Wasabi Prime

OMG a Recipe: Meatless... Wednesday?

Happy Meatless Wednesday! Doesn't quite have the same ring to it as Meatless Monday, does it?  Of course, the point is not to embrace vegetarianism specifically for Monday, but to pick at least one day out of the week to eat your greens and curb your animal consumption. And it's not just for consideration for food with a face, but on a larger planetary scale, given the fact that livestock requires a considerable amount of resources, something we all agree are in finite supply. By cutting back the demand, it reduces not only the draw on the planet's resources, it makes makes the notion of smaller farms a more attainable goal, so that when we do eat meat, they're raised in better, healthier conditions, which positively affects the eater, ie, us. This isn't some pie-in-the-sky, hippie-dippy idea, it's sound advice to consider, but the reason I'm doing a Meatless Wednesday post is because I think the key to any goal-oriented diet is very simple: Planning. So note to self: you have several days to get inspired over what you'll be eating this upcoming Monday, and I hope this is it!

The delicious meal where you won't miss a thing, especially flavor - Photo by Wasabi Prime

Vegetarian isn't a bad word, despite Anthony Bourdain's railings, rants and wailings. Agreed, I'm not going to just sit in an ashram and eat birdseed until I stumble upon Nirvana or the blood sugar crash of the century, but I don't see any issue with choosing ingredients for a meal that didn't once roam or swim the earth, prior to making its way into my kitchen. I'm the first person to say we were inducted into the Cult of High Protein Diets, where if there wasn't something meaty on the plate, it wasn't something worth eating. But one can't subsist on bacon and steaks alone, sorry to burst your Man-Dream Bubble. I will say embracing a love of eating meat and making it a point to get more protein in my diet was a good thing -- if anything, I learned how unbalanced my meals were, prior to the change, having meals of too much refined carbohydrates like pasta and bread. But a pendulum swings both ways -- I've had meals where you're in a food coma, stricken with the dreaded meat-sweats, wondering why your pores are weeping bacon grease. Middle ground, let's find that, shall we? 

Going meatless for one day out of the week isn't such a chore -- you've probably done it many times, just not realizing it. Some oatmeal for breakfast, a simple salad for lunch and maybe a cheese pizza or grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup for dinner -- not a face on any of those foods. Granted, not vegan, but nobody's perfect. The biggest challenge for going meatless is choosing the right balance of ingredients so you're not just eating grilled cheese sandwiches and French fries, as tempting as that sounds. I've been relying on beans and whole grains like quinoa and pearled barley. I've pretty much changed over to brown rice, only getting short grain white rice once in a while if I'm making the marvelous thing that is Spam Musubi -- gotta have sticky rice. The problem with a lot of classic American and European dishes is that they're built on the notion of an omnivorous meal.  By taking out the meat, you cripple the dish considerably -- roast chicken and vegetables is a little lackluster with just roasted vegetables. So I get inspiration from other places, specifically Indian, Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine. Indian food, especially, as vegetarianism is a way of life, and their dishes are so rich with flavor and spices, you could put cardboard in a marvelous curry sauce and it would taste like a dream. Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine is similar in that their seasonings are intense and they use a lot of citrus and garlic to heighten flavors. The enjoyment of a meal is not focused solely on the ingredient, but how it's prepared and the way flavors are manipulated.

Don't fear your vegetables, they are your friends! - Photos by Wasabi Prime

So this led to my Marvelous Meatless Monday Meal that I'm Sharing on a Wednesday: chickpea and quinoa patties topped with a minted yogurt and cucumber sauce, served with salad greens and toasted pearl barley mixed with roasted vegetables. This is not the sadface herbed pasta primavera that gets served to the one vegetarian from standard restaurant menus. This is the dish you want to eat, you crave it because of what it is, and not what it's missing.

The "meat" of the dish is of course the chickpea and quinoa patties, inspired by falafel, a traditional Middle Eastern style of chickpea or bean-based fritter. This version is fairly simple, with the addition of quinoa to add more protein and a nice bite, as chickpeas can be quite creamy when mashed. I used some cornmeal as well, mostly for added texture, plus it gives it a little sweetness as well. I used an egg to bind, but if you're making this vegan-friendly, consider adding a little tahini paste to help tighten the mix and make it easier to form into their shape. I made these as little patties, versus little round meatballs. It's easier to pan-fry and they cook faster with the widened surface area. I topped them with plain yogurt mixed with citrus zest and juice, chopped cucumber and shredded mint, but the patties are delicious on their own, you don't really need anything, as I was snacking on them plain, without complaint.

Chickpeas, quinoa and seasonings ready for HULK SMASH - Photo by Wasabi Prime

The side dish of toasted barley with roasted vegetables was inspired by a One Night Only Dinner with Chef Josh Henderson, where barley was cooked, and then toasted in the oven to give it a little extra crunch. That was a great touch, and the method stayed fully locked in my mind. I roasted a mix of vegetables -- squash, broccoli, whatever I had available. I cooked the barley on the stovetop and let it cool and chill before spreading it on a baking sheet and letting the broiler crisp it up a little. I put everything together with a light drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper. Very simple, the seasonings can vary, as can the vegetables, but the key was the cooked and toasted barley. It's a more nutrient-rich alternative to pasta and it will give you that sated, full feeling more than brown rice. I admit, I was never much of a barley-eater, it was something I'd find in soups or stews as a filler, but it's really delicious as a side dish, and the way its texture can be played with, it makes for a fun ingredient to work with.

Celebrate the season and try new ingredients you've never used before - Photos by Wasabi Prime

I'm sharing the chickpea fritter recipe, as the barley and yogurt sauce are pretty self-explanatory -- when you buy barley in a bag, it will come with basic cooking ingredients, and I trust you to figure out which vegetables you wish to roast. This should be a dish of your favorite vegetables so that you get excited about this meal and not feel like it's your civic responsibility. It's dinner, not jury duty.

Chickpea and Quinoa Fritters
(servings vary on how large or small you want to make 'em)

Ingredients
1 can of chickpeas (15 oz)
1 cup of cooked quinoa (follow the preparation on the box or bag)
2 tablespoons of cornmeal
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 whole egg
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
vegetable oil to pan-fry

(Optional seasonings to add - if you don't have them, it's fine to leave out)
2 teaspoons dried dill
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 teaspoon sumac
1 teaspoon turmeric (mostly for color - gives it a nice golden color)

Take all ingredients and mash in a bowl - a potato masher works well to crush the chickpeas into a soft paste. Once mashed, place in refrigerator to cool and set for at least an hour.Take the mixture and separate into the portion size you want and form into patties.

When ready to cook, take a large frying pan, preheat it to medium and drizzle the bottom with a tablespoon or two of vegetable oil to coat. Carefully place the formed patties into the oil, and cook in batches so that the pan isn't overcrowded. The medium heat will give the patties a nice, crispy outer toasting and gently cook the inside, but not burn the patties. You want a nice crust, which will help keep the patty shape, as it will still be more delicate than a meat patty. Cook on both sides and set finished patties on paper towels to drain before serving. 

They can be served with a yogurt sauce or enjoyed on their own. If made into larger patties, they can be a vegetarian option for a hamburger.

OMG a Recipe: Fond Adieu to Boring Beef Stew

Never fear, I haven't really given up on beef stew, I just liked the title because it rhymed. But I do admit to being tired and bored of the same ol' winter beef stew. There's nothing wrong with it, I appreciate a classic staple that's easy to make without a lot of fuss. My standard stew is basically a slow cooker riff on Beef Burgundy, with a few basic spices, a sinewy cut of beef, and root veggies that won't turn to mush when cooked on low for hours. Add a bunch of wine before letting the slow cooker do its thing and you're done, son. All well and good. But like every long-term relationship, you need to spice things up. So I took my LTR Beef Stew on a trip to the Mediterranean.

Beef Stew takes a Mediterranean Holiday - Photo by Wasabi Prime

Is it weird to say you're taking food on a vacation? Perhaps. A friend and her husband took a romantic trip to Greece a while back, and it was super sweet and romantic-like. So there must be something about the Mediterranean region that just makes everything better. That would include the flavors and spices of the region, which include wonderful things like turmeric, cardamom or sumac. Smoky, spicy, aromatic and a playground for the tastebuds, as they all lend unique layers to a dish. I'm sure you're familiar with those spices because they're the ones you buy a whole jar of for one random, exotic dish and you're stuck looking at them with silent wonder, pondering what the heck you're going to make with the rest. Don't lie, you've lived in the house where you wind up with four jars of cumin because you think you don't have it, buy a fresh jar and come home to find two or three half-used jars of cumin staring back at you.

So my challenge was twofold: to make beef stew a little more interesting and make better use of the Island of Misfit Spices congregating in my pantry. I got to mixing up some dried herbs and spices, coming up with a basic mix that's easy to combine in bulk and just keep for later use, as it could be used as a dry rub or mixed as a flavoring in hearty soups. Scroll below to see the spice mix, if you're curious. Aside from making use of your leftover spices, it's quite pretty -- don't you think?? 

The Spice must flow... into my dinner, and oh yeah, don't forget dessert - Photos by Wasabi Prime

As to how the stew was constructed, it was similar to the original beef stew: cubes of about a pound or so of beef shoulder meat seasoned in salt and pepper, lightly dusted in flour and seared for a caramelized surface; deglaze the pot with some stock (skip the wine for this stew) and throw in some chopped root vegetables like carrots, potatoes (sweet potatoes are extra y-u-m), and plenty of onions before putting the meat back in. Sprinkle about a quarter cup of the spice mix, depending on how large your pot is and how strong you want the flavor to be. Let everything cook down and in the last hour of slow cooking, throw in some raisins and chickpeas to give it a more Mediterranean feel. You can serve it over rice, couscous, quinoa, even pasta. When I made this, I had a wealth of eggplant, so I made this side that has the best name, like, ever: Silky Eggplant, from Epicurious. It's one half of the whole dish called Sultan's Delight, another awesome name for food. I was very much inspired by this recipe as a whole, getting the idea for the spice mix, I just modified based on what I had in the pantry -- I admit, I have an unusually large stockpile of spices from a lovely aunt whose in-laws are Persian and I get tons of good stuff from them.

Cold, chilly evening equals rich, hearty food - this math is sound! - Photos by Wasabi Prime

The Silky Eggplant (I'm just going to say that all day) took a few extra steps, but the result did not disappoint. It's super-rich and, like the name promises, silky. *Insert Catwoman purr here* Definitely an indulgence, as there's an astonishing amount of cream and butter in the recipe, but if you don't want to fuss with it, don't bother. The stew is perfectly fine on its own. And using the slow cooker gives you extra time to make something extra special, like little fruit pies, which I did with some extra pie dough and random fruit. Don't look at me like dessert is so complicated -- pies, especially fruit ones, are as easy as... well, pie. We're in a constant state of whittling down our supply of extra fruit from our CSA box. Sure, we could just eat the fruit like normal people, but that wouldn't be as enjoyable.

But on to the nitty-gritty, if you would like to make your own Moroccan/Mediterranean-inspired seasoning mix for a beef stew, this was my combo. It will make enough for one large pot of stew, or double it if you want to keep some for later. Note, I don't include any salt or pepper in this -- I like to keep the spice mix pepper and sodium-free so you can add based on your personal taste or health needs.

No-More-Boring Beef Stew Spice Mix
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp dried mint leaves
1 tbsp ground sumac (this gives it a sour/citrus flavor; if you don't have it, just add fresh citrus to stew)
2 tsp ground cumin
1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp dried marjoram leaves
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cardamom

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix to incorporate. If you're making an extra large batch and saving some for later, pour the remainder in a resealable jar and store in a dry place.

UnRecipe: Truly Tabbouleh

I attended a traditional four-year university and got a fine arts degree. Which basically means I alienated my parents and went to art school on their dime -- this still elicits confused looks from both of 'em when I try to explain what it is I do. But as a result of immersing my medulla oblongata in this artism (as Joaquin Phoenix would say), I was granted access to a treasure trove of interesting and creative folks. It’s been a few years since I left those halls of readin’ ritin’ and ‘rithmetic but have managed to keep in touch with some of those friends from those hallowed days of dollar pitcher nights at the favorite cowboy bars (I went to school in Tucson, AZ) and 80s night at Club Congress.

Whole grains? Don't be so bulgur! - Photo by Wasabi Prime

Illustrator friend GB Tran and his wife Stephanie came out for a visit, while on their whirwind roadtrip throughout the western half of the country, including a stopoff at Portland’s Voodoo Doughnuts to bring back a delicious voodoo jelly doughnut man stabbed with a pretzel and an outstanding Elephantitis apple fritter. They’re an adorable couple who I love to bits – he’s a comic book artist/writer and illustrator and she’s a yoga instructor. They live in New York. She’s vegan and he’ll eat anything, regardless of the face it once may have had, even if it’s the cartoon persona of a lasso-loopin' Mr. Twinkie sitting on the label. Come on, it’s the breakfast of champions and it kept us going into the wee hours of the a.m., working in the art school computer labs when we were as young and idealistic as our metabolism.

Voodoo sweets and vegan treats (and GB!)  - Photos by Wasabi Prime

I kind of like when vegetarian or vegan friends come for dinners. It’s a nice challenge to step away from one’s cooking comfort zone. I don’t like deferring to the lowly, flavorless pasta dish for those who eschew meaty-meats. For breakfast, I made fresh raspberry smoothies with silken tofu instead of milk and yogurt -- and it was lovely, so the heck with you soy naysayers. For dinner, I decided to look towards the Mediterranean and make something summery, flavorful and easy to recreate, as the very next night I was going to make the same thing for a different crowd of guests, all of whom were big meat eaters. The vegan dinner game plan was to make tabbouleh and serve with grilled vegetables, toasted pita bread and hummus, with a dessert of peanut butter soy ice cream. I thought about making an orzo or couscous salad, but the nice thing about using whole grains like bulgur wheat – the main ingredient in tabbouleh – or quinoa, is that it’s a great flavor sponge that won’t get quite as soggy or start to fall apart like pasta. I’m a fan of making things a day or two ahead, so tabbouleh it was, with an extra day of flavor marination in the fridge.

Giant tub o' hummus, grilled veggies, and required grilling beer (for me) - Photos by Wasabi Prime

So what the heck is tabbouleh other than the fact it has bulgur in it? Luckily with the rise in health-conscious eating, getting a bag o' bulgur isn’t so tricky; chances are you can find it in the organic or bulk foods section of your grocery store. My UnRecipe tabbouleh basically consisted of about two cups of bulgur soaked in warm water until plumped up, then tossed with chopped kalamata olives, sliced English cucumbers, seeded tomatoes, a can or two of garbanzo beans, and several handfuls of finely chopped parsley and a bit of mint. Making it for non-vegans, I'd add crumbled feta, but it's fine without it, just add a little more salt.

Greens from Le Jardin de Wasabi - Photos by Wasabi Prime

One of the nice things about throwing a whole packet of parsley seeds in some outdoor planters is, during the summer you’ll never want for fresh parsley and to keep the plants from bolting and going to seed, make tabbouleh to get rid of cups’ worth of the stuff. I also threw in some fresh basil and some little baby onions because that's what the backyard farmers market had available that day. For flavoring of the salad, my magic formula is the zest and juice of two lemons, maybe 6 or 7 whole garlic cloves, olive oil, fresh or dried oregano, salt and pepper to taste, and buzz everything into a frothy dressing in a blender. It’s a lemony-garlic delight that is sure to keep the vampires away and the heavy acid should keep the vegetables or anything else that comes in contact with it from discoloring. It has to be mixed in a blender – I’ve tried doing this in a food processor and while it chops things up, the blender just does a better job of emulsifying the oil and lemon juice and prevents it from separating later if you’re storing it in the fridge.

Summer tastes delicious! - Photos by Wasabi Prime

This anti-vampire cocktail is also what I used to marinate some chicken that was used the following night for grilled chicken skewers with an encore of the tabbouleh, roasted vegetables, pita and hummus. Overall, both dinners went over well enough with the different crowds of vegan and meat-eaters, and without the sacrifice of flavor and nor that nagging feeling of someone getting dietarily short-changed -- at least I hope not. Funny enough, for my friends GB and Stephanie, I was told Stephanie broke her vegan vow that year, sampling a bit of barbecue pork at a festival earlier that year. I thought that was a great testament to the seductive power of Homer Simpson’s Magical Animal. I certainly don’t wish I made a giant suckling pig instead of a bulgur wheat salad; if anything it was just a nice reminder that cooking without some ingredients can remind you of what you don’t really miss if it’s not there.

A rare night when meat gets second bililing to other dishes - Photos by Wasabi Prime