Miso Ramen

I have an obsession with Ramen. My two favorite places in Pittsburgh to go to are Ramen Bar in Squirrel Hill and Fukuda in Bloomfield (my old stomping grounds!) Just Yelping it now, Fukuda is now closed. RIP best ramen ever with pork belly. 

It's crazy how much the restaurant scene in Pittsburgh has changed since I've left!! So many new places to try. To be honest, I'll probably just continue to go to my favorites like OTB. I do want to try the new Smoke location though.

I haven't had ramen yet in Philly but I heard there's some good hipster Jewish ramen in south philly!! My cousin told me about it!! Can't wait to try.

I have had ramen at Momofuku in NYC and it is fantastic. Also when we had ramen in Japan, there were lots of hungover dudes at the same place as us. Ramen = the best hangover food ever I guess?? Either way I'm all about ramen for breakfast.

I found large packets of ramen noodles (instead of the instant ones) at whole foods. You can also find fresh ramen noodles at certain whole foods or Asian grocery stores.

Sorry in advance for sucky pictures. I was in a hurry to eat. Will replace later.

Sushi

I thought it would be good to do a basic sushi post. My cousin, Kara, took a sushi making class years ago. She taught my family how to make sushi and we've been hooked ever since. My 18th birthday party was a sushi making party. We even made some of my not so adventurous friends try the nori. I just learned that all sushi fish is flash frozen at sea so it's still raw but not in the way I always thought. I always imagined ocean, boat, then sushi. 

I just had my parents over for dinner last week since they were coming up anyways to pick up the monkey. She shadowed me (and was super bored) but I like to think that I made up for it with awesome food. I made my miso soup (in the archives) and we had some appetizers from the Korean grocery store. Octopus, etc.

I get my fish fresh from Whole Foods. It is technically sushi grade but the fish people aren't allowed to condone making sushi. But I trust them. Also YOLO. There are no quantities included because it really depends on how many people you're serving and how much those people can eat. In the case of my family, we eat A LOT. Also sushi is meant to be eaten right away. Leftovers aren't as good but definitely edible.

You're going to need:

For the rice:
Sushi rice (short grain white rice)
Rice wine vinegar
Sea salt
White sugar

Nori sheets

Veggies + misc:
Carrots (I love the multicolored ones)
Cucumber
Avocados
Cream cheese (for Philadelphia rolls, duh)
Black sesame seeds (to be fancy)

For the seafood:
Imitation crab
Salmon filet
Tuna steak
Shrimp

Dippings + sides:
Wasabi
Soy sauce
Pickled ginger

Supplies-wise:
Bamboo sushi mats (found at Asian grocery store)
Plastic wrap

Ok to start wrap the plastic wrap around the bamboo mats to decrease the mess.

Then cook the rice. I cooked about 2 1/4 cups sushi to make enough rolls for 7 people. 1 cup uncooked rice makes 3 rolls.
Rinse the rice under running water until the water runs clear. Cook in a rice cooker or according to directions. So for 3 cups uncooked rice, you will need 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar, 2 tbsp white sugar, and 2 tsp sea salt. So I decreased each a bit since I had less rice.  My cousin just used rice wine vinegar, so you can do that too. Once the rice is cooked stir about half the vinegar mixture in with chopsticks or a wooden spoon in a ceramic bowl. Metal reacts with the acid so avoid metal utensils for the sushi. Then taste the rice and add more seasoning as needed. I like a lot of seasoning. Let rice cool at room temperature until it is easy to handle.
Source for rice instructions: Make My Sushi

Chop the vegetables and fish while the rice is cooking and cooling. I like to set them out on separate plates so it's easier for people to grab what they want.

Fill a bowl with warm water. Place a nori sheet on the mat. There will be subtle lines on the nori and you want them vertical on your mat. Then wet your hands and grab some rice (maybe a couple tablespoons) and press pretty firmly all over nori leaving a small strip at the top edge empty. Make sure not to use too much rice unless you want huge sushi rolls. A thin layer is enough. Rewet hands as necessary. Then line the fillings evenly one inch up from the bottom of the nori sheet. Roll from the bottom up pressing the roll into itself firmly as you roll. So roll, press, roll, press. This is how you get a nice looking roll!

Some favorites are:
Salmon, cream cheese, cucumber
Tuna, avocado, carrot
Carrot, cucumber, avocado
Tuna, salmon, cucumber
Imitation crab, cucumber, carrot

Then to slice the rolls, wet a large and sharp knife and slice in a quick downward motion. You may have to clean the knife as you go along. It helps to have one person be in charge of slicing. If it's your first time it may take a couple tries to get the rhythm down. It's easy though, I promise.

Eat right away with some wasabi swirled into soy or tamari sauce. You can also sprinkle some sesame seeds on top of the sushi!

Mochi Cake!

In the spirit of Lunar New Year (which was 2 weeks ago but who's counting?), I want to share an awesome cake with you all- mochi cake! I love mochi, especially with ice cream. Check out the mochi sold in the Trader Joe's freezer section. It's gooey and has a great crust. My mom makes a similar version but with yams somehow. I found the recipe on A Periodic Table's blog and she has a warning on eating the cake. I'm not going to post it here since this is a New Year's post and should only be positive! By the way, I am really sad to live in Pennsylvania right now (so much snow). I'm looking up flights to anywhere everyday and hopefully Laura and I will cement some exciting plans to share with everyone...

But first, the recipe:

2 cups sweet rice flour (found at your local Asian food store)

1 1/4 cups white sugar

1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 1/3 cups evaporated milk

1 1/4 cups coconut milk

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted at room temperature 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan (9x5) and a mini loaf pan (or some cupcake tins). Mix dry ingredients together in a small bowl including sugar. Whisk together liquid ingredients in a larger bowl. Stir ingredients together. 

Pour into loaf pans. Bake for 30 minutes. Check smaller one for readiness. A toothpick removed should just have a few crumbs stuck to it. Rotate larger pan and bake for another 30 minutes, checking after 15 to see if the cake is baked.

Let cool completely and serve with some vanilla ice cream. Also my cake collapsed just a bit but was still delicious.

Green Tea Cake

The first time I made this cake was in high school. Surprisingly, a lot of my staples come from my high school baking days. I suppose running 5+ miles a day all year round made me want to bake year round too. Anyways, when my friends and I made this cake, one of the girls accidentally baked the teaspoon into the cake. While it was baking, we looked for it to no avail. Then while slicing our dessert, my knife hit something solid. Kind of like king cake, right? Anyways, it was pretty hilarious as we all figured out where the teaspoon ended up. The cake tasted, just fine by the way! It still continues to be my mom's favorite. I made this green tea cake to celebrate her birthday right after Christmas. We also got her a spa day, chocolates, and cleaned the house since she is one amazing momma. The recipe is from All Recipes.

Cake:

1 cup all-purpose flour 

1 cup cake flour

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/4 cup matcha powder latte mix (I use trader joe's)

1 cup white sugar 

1 cup vegetable oil 

3 eggs 

1 cup plain yogurt 

1 vanilla bean

Scallion Pancakes

Twilly and I are out porch-sittting in the crazy nice weather! Actually, he is lying down right now, but every time a human or dog walks by he jumps up and wants to run away and become that human or dog's new friend instead of ours. 

I've made scallion pancakes a few times, but I think I've used a different recipe every time. I'm not really sure if I've liked any version much better than any other - what you're going for is nice flaky layers, and I've gotten that every time. I'm posting a combo of the different versions I've tried, which is what I made this time. I like to make a big batch of smallish pancakes and freeze them, frying them up as needed. This time I was a genius and started eating them with a runny fried egg on top, with Sriracha and soy sauce. It's pretty much perfect. I think I had it for breakfast three times that week.

Turmeric Milk

The idea for this milk came from My Edible Sunshine's Instagram one day. Turmeric has great anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Since I had been feeling sickly (too many cookies + freezing cold weather during December), I figured I would give this tea a try. You can definitely taste the turmeric but it's surprisingly subtle, and the honey balances it out nicely.

Fast forward to Vietnam!! I discovered that my grandpa also drinks turmeric tea! By turmeric tea, I mean he just mixes the turmeric with water. He also eats bee pollen (like me!) and bird's nest water (ew). I promise you, my version is a lot tastier.

The practice of medicine is dramatically different here and it has taken me awhile to get used to it. I agree with the practice of Eastern medicine (herbs, acupunture, and food as medicine), but I can't agree with the rampant use of antibiotics plus other drugs. Then again, it's a third world country. What can I expect?

On the other hand, the people here know so much more about food than I do. It's just common knowledge on what foods cure which ailments. Sore throat? Drink some aloe vera. Stomach pains? Tapioca+water. In that way, the pharmacist here has been teaching me so much. Lastly, there's a lot of focus on what foods make you hot (mango, longan, rambutan) or cold (coconut water, avocado, watermelon, and green mango). If there's an imbalance, then you're more susceptible to sickness. It's a pretty cool system that teaches you to be in tune with yo body! So now you know!

 

Turmeric Tea (one serving)

1 1/4 cup cashew milk
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon
1-2 tsp raw honey

Warm up the cashew milk in a little saucepan until lukewarm. You don't want it to get too hot since heat destroys the awesomeness of the enzymes in the raw honey. Meanwhile, mix the spices with the honey in the bottom of a large mug. Once the milk is warm enough, pour into mug while stirring to incorporate all the goodness. Add more honey if desired. Drink up first thing in the morning.
An alternative is making cashew cream to store in the fridge and then mixing it with the spices and honey. Then adding some warm water to the mix.

Lo Mein Noodles

Like the dumplings that I make pretty often and like to have in the freezer, I also like to have fresh noodles from Lotus around to make lo mein. It's very quick, filling dinner that's easy to have on hand and fun to make different variations of based on what's in the fridge. Britt likes lo mein but does not want to learn how it make it because apparently she would rather I make it for her. However, she is very good at baking blondies!

LAURA'S LO MEIN 

1 package fresh noodles 

4-5 tbsp soy sauce (just squirt in as needed)

2 tbsp sesame oil

2-3 tbsp hoisin 

1 tsp + Sriracha

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 eggs

2-3 cups chopped veggies (peppers, onions, bok choy, spinach, carrots, brocoli...)

Do you want to add in...

2-3 chicken thighs, cut up and sauteed with a little soy sauce and sesame oil

1 cup bean sprouts

Noodle Salad Bowl

It's way too cold today, so I tried to counter all the never-ending wintery terribleness with this light summery noodle-y salad bowl. Like the even simpler Rice Noodles, Fried Egg & Stuff that I posted almost a year ago, this is based on my favorite dish at Tram's, a Vietnamese place in Bloomfield. It's cheap and easy and full of great fresh flavor. 

Also, Michelle & Nick are in Vietnam!!!! They are probably eating the actual authentic version of this right now. 

Noodle Salad Bowls

(Serves 3-4)

I'm listing all the ingredients that ideally I would use to make this dish. I always seem to be missing a couple things, but this is what I aim for. This time I was missing thai basil, cucumber and peanuts, and it was still great.

2 handfuls rice noodles (when I buy them at Lotus, they normally come in bundles within a package)

4-5 cups romaine lettuce, roughly chopped 

1 cup bean sprouts

1 cup grated carrot

1 cup diced cucumber 

1/4 loosely packed cup mint - roughly chopped right before serving

1/4 loosely packed cup thai basil - roughly chopped right before serving

5-6 frozen egg rolls, baked and cut into about 1" thick slices

hoisin sauce & Sriracha (for squirting on top)

1/4 cup peanuts, crushed into little pieces (put them in a bag and smash with the bottom of a mug)

Nuoc mam cham for dressing (see below for recipe)

Prepare the rice noodles - I usually boil a pot of water, pop the noodles in for just a couple minutes and then turn off the heat. Drain the noodles and run cold water over them. 

Build the bowl - start with a base of romaine lettuce, then top with the noodles. Pour a couple tablespoons of nuoc mam cham on the noodles. Then add the other toppings (bean sprouts, carrot, cucumber, mint, thai basil, egg roll slices, peanuts, hoisin and Sriracha). I usually spread them out on top and them mix it all together when I'm ready to eat.

Twilly's "Before" pic - he got a haircut yesterday! I need to take a picture of his new look.

Nuoc mam cham (dressing or spring roll dipping sauce)

1 ½ cup water

8 Tbsp fish sauce

6 Tbsp fresh lime juice

6 tsp rice vinegar

6 Tbsp sugar

1 deseeded and finely chopped fresh red chili

4 cloves of finely chopped garlic

¼ cup finely sliced carrots (optional)

1. Combine water, rice vinegar and sugar in a saucepan and bring to boil.
2. Remove from heat and cool.
3. Add the fish sauce, lime juice, chili, garlic and carrots.
4. Note: If you have any leftovers, just put it into a container and freeze it for another meal.

Green Smoothies

It's our second last day in Orange County. We're staying with my aunt Theresa in Westminster which is where little Saigon is located. It's basically like a warm-up to Vietnam with more space. Every morning we wake up, drink Vietnamese coffee that my uncle makes, eat Vietnamese pastries from the French bakery down the street, and drink a green smoothie made for us by my cousin, Kevin. He got a Nutri-blend (magic bullet on steroids) and it liquifies almonds. Pretty awesome. Just because it's your lucky day, I'll be blogging 2 of my favorite green smoothie recipes that he has made for us.

We've been spending a lot of time with my little cousins and my aunt. The thing about not having a job is that it leaves time for other things like extra eating time and daily mass. All in all, it's pretty amazing. Everyone in our family has been taking us out to the best Vietnamese food in town (which by deduction via my uncle is the best Vietnamese food in America). We've had pho, crawfish, a 7-course spring roll dinner, French-Vietnamese pastries by the dozen, and so many other treats. I'm grateful for the green smoothies so we have some small amount of healthfulness going for us.

Also, my aunt lives just 15 minutes from the beach! We rented single speed bikes that were the heaviest things in the world and biked 14 miles from Huntington to Newport beach and back. We were fueled by ham and cheese croissants, poke bowls (like a Hawaiian sushi bowl) + a spam roll, and banzai bowls.

This is not a picture of the smoothies Kevin made for me, but rather a failed attempt by me to replicate him by not using any part of his recipe.

So back to the recipe (each recipe makes enough for you plus a friend.)

Nasi kuning (Indonesian Yellow Rice)

This version of yellow rice would make a great side dish or quick lunch. I got the recipe from an Indonesian cooking book that I bought on sale at Half-Price Books!

I haven't been cooking many new recipes lately - I've actually been using previous blog posts to cook some favorites, like Honey Wheat Bread, Pierogie Pizza, and Breakfast Quesadillas (not that you need a recipe). Too busy reading Game of Thrones for much fancy cooking. I did make these chocolate oatmeal cookies, but I didn't write them up. They were good!

---

NASI KUNING
From Indonesian: Exotic Dishes from Empal daging to Nasi goreng for Creative Cooking

1 tbsp vegetable oil 

1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander 
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 3/4 cups long-grain rice
2 cups coconut milk
1 cup water
4 curry leaves (or 1 tsp curry powder)
1 cinnamon stick

Chinese Dumplings & Bok Choy Stir-fry

Nope, the dumplings are not homemade! It's not that kind of recipe. This dish is more of a simple stir-fry suggestion. I get the frozen pork & cabbage dumplings from Lotus in the Strip District all the time.

For years I've been keeping frozen dumplings in the freezer and making variations of this recipe whenever I've been in the mood for a quick and easy meal, especially when it's just me (and maybe Twilly) for dinner. 

CHINESE DUMPLING STIR-FRY

about 20 Chinese dumplings (probably frozen)
7-8+ heads baby bok choy
1/2 cup-ish green onions, chopped
any other veg you have (optional)
~2 tbsp soy sauce
~1 tbsp sesame oil
~1 tsp Sriracha

Sesame Soba Noodles

These noodles have been a staple for me ever since college. I usually make them with whatever vegetables I have on hand. This time, I stopped at the farmer's market and picked up some heirloom varieties of asian eggplants. They come in all colors-white, pale green, and lavender.

Ingredients:
1- 8 ounce box soba noodles (buckwheat noodles)
3 shallots, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic
1 medium eggplant
1 small zucchini
3 banana peppers
1 large handful spinach
1 bunch green onions, chopped (white and green parts separated)
1 small bunch thai basil
1/4 cup sesame seeds
2-3 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 splash fish sauce

Heat some vegetable oil in a medium saucepan. Fry the shallots and the whites of the green onions until golden brown. Then add the garlic and fry for 30 seconds. Slice the eggplant, zucchini, and peppers into thin, long strips. Saute in the oil until softened without overcooking. Add in the spinach until soft. Set vegetables aside to cool.
Meanwhile cook the noodles. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Then cook the noodles until just soft enough to eat for about 5-7 minutes. Watch closely since they tend to cook quickly. Strain the noodles as soon as they are done, then rinse under cold running water in a strainer. This will prevent them from sticking together. Set aside to cool.
Mix the dressing together with the sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and the fish sauce. Pour over the noodles and mix in the cooked vegetables. Mix in the sesame seeds and the chopped thai basil to your liking. Serve cold or hot. These make a great packed lunch!

Vegetarian Pho

We served this at our rehearsal dinner, and this was my first attempt to make it on my own.  The recipe is based off of several recipes, including my mom's but the basis is from the New York Times. This is one of my favorite Vietnamese dishes. My aunts are so good at making it since they have had years of perfecting their recipes! The important thing for this recipe is to have the highest quality ingredients from the freshest vegetables and herbs (from the garden or the farmer's market) you can find to the most fragrant spices (we hit up Penzy's in the strip).

For the broth:

1 large white onion, unpeeled and quartered

1 5-inch piece of fresh ginger, unpeeled

3 quarts water

1 large leek, cleaned and cut in thick slices

5 small turnips, cut in half

3 large carrots

8 shiitake mushroom stems

1 head of garlic, cut in half

2 stalks lemon grass, trimmed, smashed with the side of a knife, and sliced

Salt to taste

1 1/2 tablespoons raw brown sugar (rock sugar is ideal) 

7 star anise pods

6 whole cloves

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 cinnamon stick

3 tablespoons fish sauce

Scorch the onion and ginger on all sides by holding the pieces above a flame with tongs. This is the fun part! There will be noticeable black spots.

Slice the ginger into coin slices once cool enough to handle.

Cook the spices in the empty soup pot until fragrant, just a couple minutes. Tie the spices in a cheesecloth bag. Combine the scorched onion and ginger with the water, leeks, turnips, carrots, mushroom stems, garlic, lemon grass, salt to taste and sugar in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Add the spice bag. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add the fish sauce if using, and simmer for another hour. Pull out the spice bag if the spices are strong enough. I like to keep the vegetables in the pot and just ladle out the broth to serve. Taste and adjust salt and sugar.

Pho toppings and add-ins:

pho rice noodles (you can get fresh noodles in the strip- so good) 

1 small onion, sliced paper thin

thai basil 

chopped cilantro

fresh mint

mung bean sprouts

thai chilies, finely chopped 

3 to 4 limes, cut in wedges

plenty of fresh ground pepper

sriracha sauce

hoisin sauce

To make individual bowls, just cook the rice noodles until al dente. Then place the noodles into each bowl. Ladle hot broth over the noodles. Add in sriracha, hoisin sauce, and lime to taste. Then add in the onion and fresh herbs to taste. I like plenty of onions, thai basil, and mung beans.

Vietnamese Honeycomb Cake

This cake is called Banh Bo Nuong in Vietnamese. It is definitely tricky to make, so I would follow the directions carefully. I used a combination from 2 different recipes. It's gluten free and dairy free. The taste is subtle and it has a unique texture- kind of gelatinous. It personally reminds me of home and my mother's cooking. The original recipe calls for pandan leaves which I didn't have on hand so I used vanilla instead.

200 ml coconut cream (1/2 can)
150 g sugar (1 cup)
6 eggs, at room temperature
200 grams tapioca starch/flour (2 cups)
2 1/2 tsp SINGLE ACTING baking powder (see below)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

To make single acting baking powder:
2 tbsp cream of tartar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp baking soda
Mix and put in a sealed container.

For the cake:
Weigh out the tapioca flour and baking powder and mix together.
Mix the coconut cream with the sugar until the sugar is dissolved. You may have to heat up the coconut cream a bit to accomplish this. Let cool if it needs to be heated and then add the vanilla extract into the mixture.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt pan generously and place in the oven to heat.
Stir the eggs in a separate bowl gently to mix them together. Make sure the whisk is always touching the bottom of the bowl to minimize air bubbles.
Gently stir the cooled coconut mixture into the eggs. Then working in parts, sift the flour into the wet ingredients a little bit at a time while stirring. Stir gently until there are just a few lumps left. The key is not to over mix the ingredients.
Pull the hot bundt pan out of the oven and pour the batter in quickly. Then bake for 35-40 minutes until nicely golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes and then unmold.

Ideally you want the cake to rise with all the striations from the air bubbles! This is the correct texture to aim for.

Thai Curry with Rice

This dish was made for my lovely sisters, as they spent a week with me in Pittsburgh. This meant I had to be continuously feeding them since they are always hungry. We had lots of fun blueberry picking and touring Duquesne and Pitt. We also dyed the monkey's hair purple! Also this is from online somewhere...

Ingredients:

•2 shallots, thinly sliced
•1 thumb-size piece galangal, minced
•4 cloves garlic, minced
•2 chilies, minced (I used jalapenos!)
•1 Tbsp ground coriander
•1 tsp ground cumin
•2 tsp ground turmeric
•1/3 tsp ground black pepper
•2 bay leaves
•1 cup vegetable stock
•1 can chickpeas (drained)
•2 carrots, sliced
•2-3 cups broccoli and cauliflower, chopped
•1 large potato, cubed
•1 can coconut milk (full fat)
•3 Tbsp soy sauce
•3 Tbsp fresh lime juice (about 2 small limes)
•2 Tbsp brown sugar
•2 Tbsp ketchup
•1/2 tsp. whole cumin seed
•1/4 cup fresh Thai basil 

To make:

Stir fry shallots, ginger, garlic, and chili for 2 minutes. Add the dry spices: coriander, ground cumin, turmeric, black pepper, and bay leaves.

Add the chickpeas, carrot,  potato, and broccoli/cauliflower, stirring well. Add enough stock to cover the vegetables.

Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Then add the coconut milk and bring back to a simmer. While simmering, add the soy sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, and ketchup. Finally, add the whole cumin seed. Continue simmering until vegetables are cooked to your liking.

Serve over rice and top with plenty of fresh thai basil.

Thai Coconut Soup

I've been wanting to make this soup as soon as I saw it on My New Roots. The first time I had it was when we were in Iceland in a great Thai restaurant. It blew my mind! Nick and I were amazed at the complexity of the subtle flavors. It was perfect served over rice.
We pulled out the cilantro plants at the farm today and I was able to take all the roots home. They have a great delicate taste. The roots:

I wasn't able to track down the keffir lime leaves, sadly. I left them in the recipe just in case someone out there can track them down. There's actually an article in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette about how you can't buy them in Pittsburgh, even at Lotus. Therefore, I'm investing in a lime tree!!! I was, however, lucky enough to get some gorgeous spring shallots. If you can't find them, just use the shallots themselves.

Ingredients:
2 cans coconut milk (full-fat!)
10 cilantro roots
7 stalks lemongrass
3 spring shallots with greens attached
3 whole thai chilies (I used fish peppers)
50g / 1.75oz ginger root
1/4 cup palm sugar
12 kaffir lime leaves
7-9 shittake mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic
juice of 3 limes
3 Tbsp. fish sauce
1 pound shrimp, deveined
thai basil, to garnish

Prep:

-Wash the cilantro root well in a bowl full of water. Cut the stems off, leaving about a half inch attached to the root.
-Bruise the lemongrass by pounding it with the side of the knife and cut some slits in the stalks.
-Slice the shallots about 1/3 of their greens (use the other greens as you would a green onion).
-Peel and cut the ginger into chunks and pound it until it releases a little liquid.
-Peel and smash the garlic.
-Cut slits into the chilies.
-Slice the mushrooms.
-Cook the shrimp in about 3 cups boiling water for about 1 minute. Reserve the water.

Cooking Directions:

In a soup pot, place the coconut milk, cilantro roots, lemongrass, shallots, chili, ginger, sugar, lime leaves, and garlic. Bring to a very gentle simmer and cook for about 15 minutes, with a lid on.
 

Strain soup through a sieve into another saucepan. I kept the shallots and garlic in the soup to eat. Add the sliced mushrooms, lime juice, fish sauce, and 2 cups shrimp cooking water. Bring soup up to a light simmer again just to cook the mushrooms slightly. Do not boil. Season to taste and serve immediately with thai basil and shrimp. Serve over rice.

Update! Since I went home this weekend, I was able to stop at the asian market with my mom. They had all the ingredients I needed like galangal root and keffir lime leaves. We were also able to use lemongrass and thai chilies from my parents' garden. The coconut sugar was from a neighbor. It was definitely a group effort. We also got some shrimp with the shells on, which makes a much better shrimp broth. Overall, this soup was excellent with all the right ingredients. I also ordered a lime tree so we can make coconut soup whenever we want!

Simple Cilantro Salad

When I saw this post on 101 Cookbooks, I had to make this salad as it is cilantro season. Pretty soon, it will be too hot for cilantro to grow so make it now! I actually liked it so much, I made it as the salad for Mother's Day too. We have an abundance of cilantro at the farm from the winter.

makes about 6 servings
1 cup high heat canola oil
1 cup thinly sliced shallots, about 6
1 large bunch of cilantro with stems (the freshest you can find)
1 tablespoon soy sauce or liquid aminos
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

To make the shallot oil, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. turn down the heat to medium, sprinkle in the shallots, and cook slowly until they are golden brown for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, strain the oil off into a mason jar. Place the shallots on a paper towel and allow them to cool and crisp. Toast the sunflower seeds and sesame seeds, watching closely to make sure you don't burn them.

Cut off any tough, thick stems from the cilantro. Keep the tender ones. Whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, sea salt, and shallot oil to make the dressing. Place the cilantro, sunflower seeds, and sesame seeds in a large bowl. Drizzle the dressing on top and garnish with the crispy shallots.

From the farm:

Spring Rolls

Since we just harvested lettuce and trimmed some thai basil at the farm, I was compelled to make some vegetarian spring rolls. It is spring time after all! I surprised Nick and Brittany with a picnic in Schenley Park instead of packing for the big move. Whoops. It was such a gorgeous day to be outside though. I coudn't resist!

spring roll wrappers
vermicelli noodles
thai basil
lettuce
carrots, sliced thinly
cucumbers, sliced thinly
sesame seeds
marinated tempeh
additional options or alternatives: mint, cilantro, sacred basil, shrimp, pork belly

I used bacon that was made from tempeh marinated in soy sauce. Cook the tempeh until golden brown over medium heat, turning over to cook both sides.

Slice all the veggies. Cook the rice noodles in boiling water for 1-2 minutes until soft and strain. I like to lay everything out on a plate, ready to be wrapped up.

Fill a large bowl with hot tap water. Take a wrapper and dip it in the water, wetting all parts of it quickly. Set down on a plate and wait 30 seconds for the rice paper to soften. Meanwhile, layer all ingredients and wrap like a little burrito!

almond butter dipping sauce:

3/4 cup raw almond butter
1/4 cup soy sauce (I used liquid aminos)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2-3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup tahini sauce
1/4 cup water to thin
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
3 garlic cloves, crushed

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. Keep adding ingredients until the sauce tastes just right. Use the sauce for dipping the spring rolls in!

Thai Chicken & Coconut Soup

This soup is one (not at all traditional) version of tom kha gai, a very popular Thai soup, adapted so you don't need things like fresh galangal and kafir lime leaves. I pretty much always get tom kha gai when I go to Thai restaurants, so I've been working on different home versions for a while. 

It's such a light, tasty soup. And like most soups, it's flexible. This time I added in cubed tofu, green onions and baby bok choy to make it even more filling. You could also try brocoli, carrots, radishes, definitely mushrooms... Or just add in everything in the produce section of Lotus, the Asian store at the Strip where you can get the lemongrass and fish sauce.

I've made another shrimpy version where I did a shrimp broth with the shrimp shells, and it was really really good but I'm not sure where I got that recipe from. If I find it, I will make it again and post it!

1. THAI CHICKEN AND COCONUT SOUP
2. From Food & Wine
3. 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3), cut into 2 1/2-by-1/4-inch strips
4. 3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam)
5. 1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
6. 1 quart plus 3/4 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth or homemade stock
7. 3 stalks lemongrass, bottom third only, peeled, smashed, and cut into 2-inch pieces, or three 3-inch-by-1/4-inch strips lemon zest
8. 1 1-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, cut into thirds
9. 1/2 cup long-grain rice
10. 1 3/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk (15-ounce can)
11. 2 fresh red chiles or jalapeño peppers, seeds and ribs removed, cut crosswise into thin slices (or Sriracha hot sauce to taste)
12. 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Pad Thai Take Two

If you all haven't heard the news yet, Brittany, Linda, Laura, Nick, Twilly, and I are all moving in to a big house in Highland Park together in May! Yay. The house is gorgeous and we get a backyard! I'm already planning the garden : )
Anyways, we're trying to use up all of our food in the apartment before moving. I found an old box of Pad Thai noodles and decided to make this dish for Nick's birthday. I like this recipe (from Alton Brown) better than the last one I made in December.

Ingredients (makes about 4 servings)

• 1/3 cup tamarind concentrate
• 1 cup boiling water
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 packet stevia
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1 heaping tablespoon peanut butter
• 8 ounces Pad Thai noodles
• Tempeh plus hoisin sauce to marinate
• 1 bunch chopped scallions, divided
• 3 large cloves minced garlic
• 1 inch piece ginger, peeled and minced
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 small head green cabbage
• 7 shiitake mushrooms
• 1 large bunch bean sprouts
• 1 lemon, halved

Directions

Slice the tempeh into 1/2 inch pieces and marinate with a mixture of hoisin and soy sauce overnight.

Stir the tamarind into the boiling water. Add the peanut butter and stir until incorporated. Add the fish sauce, stevia and rice wine vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.

Place the rice noodles in a large mixing bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside.

Place a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add some coconut oil. Cook the tempeh until golden brown, moving constantly, for about 5 minutes. Add the cabbage and saute until very softened, about 3 minutes.

Add 2/3 of the scallions and then the garlic and ginger, cook for 10 to 15 seconds. Break the eggs directly on top of the cooking vegetables; once the eggs begin to set up, about 15 to 20 seconds, stir to scramble.

Add the remaining ingredients in the following order and toss after each addition: noodles, sauce, and 2/3 of the bean sprouts and shiitake mushrooms. Toss everything until the mushrooms are barely cooked, about 2-3 minutes.

To serve, drizzle some Sriracha sauce and some fresh lemon juice over the Pad Thai. Garnish with the extra scallions and fresh lettuce.