a fresh start

This will be my last post on this blog. But I promise, I'm not done blogging about food! I'm just starting over at with a new blog called scratch.

http://scratch-eats.blogspot.com/

Switching blogs has been an idea a long time coming. I've been contemplating the thought for about six months now, and I finally decided to do it. So, don't give up on me! And thank you for supporting me all this time. I felt like my creativity was lacking and I didn't like my voice on this blog anymore. I needed a new reason to post recipes and food ideas for you. And for me.

Recently I was watching food network and a certain cook I sometimes enjoy watching (no need to mention names, right?) was making pancakes. And used a mix. Now, don't get me wrong, I love an easy breakfast just as much as the next person, but I was frustrated with the idea that this person was getting paid to tell me to go buy a mix. Especially for something as simple as pancakes. And I decided I can do better for my readers and for my family.

So here I am, and this time, I know what I'm doing. I've been at this food blogging for over 3 years now, can you believe it? It's a little sad to let something so precious and personal to me come to an end, but it's an exciting new adventure. I look forward to seeing where this takes me. There will be a few changes from the old blog. Mainly, that I will be cooking from scratch only. This is something I learned to do while living in Elkhart. There wasn't much around, so if I wanted to eat it, I had to make it. I wanted Indian Tikka Masala with naan, I had to make it. From scratch. I wanted real European bakery style crusty bread, I had to make it. From scratch. If I wanted Japanese panko crusted pork cutlets (とんかつ), I had to make it. From scratch. Hence the new title, new feel. And I'm loving where that experience has taken me. I've learned to make my own cheese, bread, pasta, yogurt, all sorts of things I never thought I'd learn to do. So now, I'm sharing it all with you. You'll be amazed at how simple it can be, and how much better everything tastes when you treat the food you eat with respect. I think over these 3.5 years I've been writing this blog, I've learned so much about myself and learned to have a healthier relationship with food. No over-indulgences, no deprivation. Just appreciation and respect. I know I sound like a bit of a hippie, but I'll take that over gluttonous or fake.

I hope you enjoy taking this new journey with me. Thanks for the support until now, and thanks for sticking with me. So hop on over to SCRATCH.

  

http://scratch-eats.blogspot.com/

Lillian.

love to Japan

I haven't been around my blogs lately, mainly because I've been overwhelmed by what has happened in Japan. My mother's family lives in the Sendai area, where the biggest impact of the earthquake happened, and I've been so focused on that.

 

photos from news.com

I have been so touched by all of the reports by American journalists who have expressed their astoniment at how peaceful the people are considering what they are going through. They line up in an orderly fashion to get any sort of aid and are so grateful. They help each other. There is absolutely not looting. There is such a sense of community and compassion among victims. I love these people. I am so grateful to be a part of such a beautiful culture, and I pray that they will be relieved soon. 

Please pray for Japan.

birthday

My baby turned 1!  And for her big day, we had steak fajitas and a big, fat chocolate ganache cake.  It was so ridiculously rich that I felt a little weird the rest of the day, but boy was it worth it!  It was so fun to have just a few of our dear friends (some of whom traveled all the way from Northern Indiana for the occasion!!!--Thank you!!!) with us to celebrate such a special day for our family.

Steak Fajitas + the fixins

yes, I like my steak fairly rare ... so cook it to your desired doneness when you make it.

I usually make salsa that my Mexican roommate back in college taught me, which includes avocados.  But just in case, I separated them.  I should have known everyone would love it either way, though.  I had a very non-picky eater crowd.

the steak:
1 flank steak (whatever size you think will feed your guests best, I used a pretty big one)
salt and pepper to taste
fresh limes (lots of them so you can make fresh salsa)
canola oil

1. Let the steak rest at room temperature to take the chill off of the meat.  Pat the steak dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
2. Get a large skillet (preferably cast iron), heat a tablespoon of canola oil on nigh heat.  Place the steak on the hot skillet and let the meat sear on one side for 3~4 minutes.  Don't move the meat around.  You want a good sear.  Flip the steak over and cook on the second side for 3~5 minutes, depending on your desired doneness.
3. Place the steak on a platter, drizzle with the juice of 1 lime.  Tent with foil and let rest.  Slice the steak very thin across the grain.

the peppers: (I was serving 6 adults and 8 kids, so I made a lot, adjust to your number of people)
5 red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, trimmed and sliced thin
2 large yellow onions, ends cut off, sliced in half pole to pole, then sliced thin pole to pole.
salt to taste
canola oil

1.  In a large skillet, add a little canola oil and heat on medium high heat.  Add peppers and onions and season with salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and slightly caramelized.

the salsa: (*I added a trick I learned in San Antonio at the best Tex Mex restaurant I've ever been to ... but if it offends you to be so non-authentic, leave it out.  It's good, though!)
2 lbs good tomatoes (I used red and gold cherry tomatoes this time, but in the Summer I'd probably use Megan's garden tomatoes:) ), cut as small or coarse as you like.  With cherries, I keep them halved, I like the texture.
1/2 ~ 1 vidalia onion (or any other onion, but make sure you soak in cold water for at least 30 minutes, changing the water at least once), diced small
juice of 1 lime (or to taste)
juice of 1/2 orange*, optional
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped very fine (about 1/4 C)
2 avocados, diced, optional
salt to taste

the avocados: (if you're not adding avocados to the salsa
2 avocadoes, diced
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped very fine
juice of 1/2 lime (or to taste)
salt to taste

serve with warm small flour tortillas and sour cream.

another old favorite

I've been really craving eggs lately.  And since it was Saturday morning, I decided it was time for a big, hearty, rustic frittata.  I love these things.  You can pretty much do whatever the heck you want with them.  This time I used orange bell peppers, purple fingerling potatoes, onions, manchego and ricotta cheeses, and spinach.  With salted yellow and red cherry tomatoes and fresh parsley leaves for garnish.

5~6 purple fingerling potatoes, cleaned and sliced thin
1 Spanish onion, cut in half and sliced thin (pole-to-pole)
1 orange bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, diced small
handful of fresh baby spinach, chopped
6 eggs
2 egg whites
splash of milk
1/2 freshly grated Manchego cheese
1/4 c (ish) ricotta cheese
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

1.  In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, egg whites, milk, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
2. Meanwhile, in a large, oven-safe (preferably nonstick) skillet, heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and potatoes, and cook until almost tender, 5~8 minutes.  Add peppers, and cook until tender.
3. Once peppers, potatoes, and onions are tender and starting to caramelize a little, add another 1/2 tablespoon of oil to prevent sticking, and add spinach and eggs.  Drop heat to medium-low, and periodically pull the sides into the middle as they cook.  Once the eggs are about halfway cooked, turn on the broiler.  Dollop a few spoonfuls for ricotta on top of the eggs and evenly sprinkle the manchego.  Place skillet under the broiler until eggs are set and the cheese is golden and bubbly.  The time will depend on your broiler.
4. Pull out from under the broiler and let cool for a few minutes.  Serve warm, cut into wedges.

my lunch

I made 2 roasted chickens for Saturday night's dinner.  One for dinner and one for leftovers.  So Sunday, when I got home from church, I sliced up some of my everyday crusty bread, avocados, tomatoes, and mmmmmmmmmmmmm chicken.  With a little Japanese mayo.  Heaven.

What's your favorite sandwich?

it's cold outside

It's supposed to freezing rain all night.  All day tomorrow.  All through Wednesday.

And it's weather like this that calls for a good, warm soup.  I was inspired by Throw Down with Bobby Flay where they had a salmon chowder throw down (in the Pacific Northwest, yeah!) and this food blog that I LOVE.  I had salmon in the freezer and a bunch of beautiful root vegetables in my vegetable basket, so I thought I'd make my own version ... and yes, fresh salmon is better, but we're in the Midwest here.  Definitely miss the Northwest when it comes to seafood.  Particularly the salmon.

Anyway, this soup was perfect for a cold, wintry day.  I kept it pretty brothy, but still creamy.  I love a good, thick clam chowder.  But once in a while, I like a cleaner taste and texture.  So there you go.  My attempt at salmon chowder.

Creamy Salmon soup with root vegetables

1 rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 turnip, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1.5 lbs fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped fine
4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
6 C stock (if you have seafood stock, use it.  If not, do what I did.  Whatever is in your freezer/pantry--other than beef.  This is not the time for beef stock)
1 C cream
salt and pepper to taste
3 large salmon fillets, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
minced parsley, for garnish

1. In a large dutch oven, cook the bacon until crisp.  Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the rendered fat, add the onions and cook until softened.  Add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add all of the rutabaga, turnip, potatoes, stock, and salt and pepper to taste.  Throw in the thyme and rosemary whole and put the lid on top.  Turn the heat to medium-low and let simmer until vegetables are tender.
2. Remove thyme and rosemary (most of the leaves should have fallen off in the soup) and discard.  Add the salmon and cream.  Let gently simmer until Salmon is just cooked through.  Remove from heat and serve.  Garnish with parsley, if you want.  (obviously, I didn't have any fresh parsley in my fridge ... so sad!)

get. the. book.

Recently I received an email from my sweet Aunt Carolyn (the genius behind these rolls) informing me that she bought the book.  Yeah, THE book.  You know, the one I can't stop talking about?  The one that made me, a non-bread baker into a pretty much daily fancy shmancy bread baker?  The one that changed my life?  The one that makes 100% from scratch pizza a last minute dinner?  Yup, that one.  I'm excited to hear what her very skilled and experienced hands will create!

Go out and get the book, people!

Come on, you want this coming out of your oven.

old favorite revisited

I haven't made this dish in a while because it's really a Summer dish.  But at Sam's club they had these beautiful little yellow cherry tomatoes that were so juicy and sweet, so I just had to give it a shot.  And I'm so glad I did!  It was a little weird eating something so fresh and bright when there's snow on everything outside of my window, but I liked pretending I was in some kind of an orchard.  It's so fun to eat good food that takes you to a different place, isn't it?

Summer Garden Pasta
serves 6

1 lb thin long pasta, such as spaghetti or linguine
extra virgin olive oil (this is the center of flavor for this dish, so get the best you can afford)
1.5 lbs cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bunch basil, sliced into thin strips (with a sharp knife to prevent bruising)
1~2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 C freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (I like the bite this cheese has, but Parmiggiano Reggiano would be a great substitute)
1/4 teaspoon (more or less, depending on how much heat you want)
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, basil, herbs, crushed red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper.  Pour enough olive oil to cover the tomatoes half way.  Toss to coat, cover and set aside.  Let sit on the counter for up to 4 hours.
2. Right before serving, toss tomato and oil mixture with the cheese and set aside.  Cook pasta to al dente, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.  Drain and add directly into the tomato mixture.  Toss to coat, adding cooking liquid to loosen the sauce as needed.  Season with salt to taste.  Serve immediately alongside a slice of hearty, crusty bread to sop up the sauce.

new year's resolution

It's actually been almost 3 months since my last post.  Unbelievable!  I don't really know what the problem was, but for a while I wasn't feeling very creative in the kitchen.  I didn't have a ton of motivation to try new recipes, experiment with new ideas or techniques, and so this blog has suffered.  Well, one of my New Year's Resolutions is to b more diligent in the kitchen.  Remember to enjoy the creative process of cooking, not just try to get to the end result as fast and easily as possible.  I got a few cherished cookbooks for Christmas, and became a lot closer to a new foodie friend, and now I feel this renewed passion for cooking.  I've missed it!

So the other day, I made a simple ham and cheese tart for dinner.  We had so much cheese in our fridge, so I had to think of a way to use some of it up.  I think it turned out perfectly.  I love the thyme and black forest ham with the complex flavors of the different cheeses.  It was a fun and successful experiment.

Cheese and Black Forest Ham Tart
serves 6

1/4 C grated Gruyere cheese
1/4 C grated Manchego cheese
1/4 C grated smoked Gouda cheese
1/4 C grated Irish cheese
(or use any combination of any cheese you think will go well together.  I liked these because each had it's own very distinct and unique, deep flavor that complimented each other really well)
1 sheet frozed puff pastry, thawed in the fridge
1/2 C caramelized onions*
4~5 super thin slices of Black Forest Ham
1/4 t fresh thyme leaves

1. Preheat the over to 400°F.  On a floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to a 16x10 inch rectangle.  Trim the uneven edges.  Place the pastry on a baking sheet.  Lightly score a 1 inch border around the edge of the puff pastry, and prick the inside of border every 1/2 inch with a fork.  Bake until light brown, about 15 minutes.
2. Place the slices of ham over the pastry, followed by the onions, and evenly sprinkle the cheese and thyme over the top.  Place back in the oven until the cheese is lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

I served it with a simple green salad with a lemon vinaigrette.  Helped to balance out the cheese:)

Caramelized Onions (America's Test Kitchen Recipe)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 lbs onions (about 4 medium), halved and sliced thin
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon water
pepper

1. Melt the butter with the oil in a 12 inch non-stick skillet over high heat.  Stir in the onions, brown sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are deeply browned, about 40 minutes.
3. Off the heat, stir in the water and season with salt and pepper to taste.

everyday comfort

It's getting dark earlier, cool enough for sweaters, and it occasionally rains.  Perfect for salted caramel hot chocolate from Starbucks and good, hearty comfort food for dinner.  But let's face it, most people aren't really interested in eating a heavy, rich, (DELICIOUS, but unfortunately rich) meal on a normal week night.  So we all come up with ways to cut calorie corners and sacrifice flavor.  Not my style.  But I don't want to pack back on all of those baby pounds I've finally lost.  Which is why I bought this book.  I trust them to make delicious food.  And why not healthy delicious food, right?

Well, this isn't a recipe from their book, but I wanted to follow their philosophy of delicious healthy food.  But not as a wannabe version of something else.  I'm kind of a purist about ingredients and their purposes.  I don't think of tofu as a meat replacement.  I don't think pureed cauliflower can be a substitute for mashed potatoes.  Olive oil isn't a healthy alternative to butter.  Tofu, cauliflower, and olive oil each have their own gorgeous place in our palates.  Don't cheat them by using them as "healthy alternatives".  No, no.  Food is meant to be enjoyed and celebrated for what they are.

So let's not kid ourselves and think of this as a spaghetti and meatballs recipe.  Because it's not.  It's a turkey and vegetable "meatball" pasta recipe.  it's just a new thing.  But a nice hearty dinner without the guilt.  And I love it.  And it's pretty good for you.  But if you want real spaghetti and meatballs, please use lots of good meat and make it rich and hearty.  But for our Monday night, this worked out great as a new dish.

Turkey and Vegetable Meatballs with Spaghetti

1 lb spaghetti

for the sauce:
2 cans whole tomatoes
2 T tomato paste
1/2 onion, minced (reserve the other half for the "meatballs")
1 carrot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

for the "meatballs":
1 lb lean ground turkey (go for the 93/7, not the "extra lean" 99% fat free kind. you need that teeny little bit of fat to make it a juicy meatball)
1 carrot, minced
1/2 onion, minced (the leftovers from making the sauce)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C loosley packed flat peal parsley, minced
8 oz mushrooms (I used cremini, lots of good meaty flavor and makes the meatballs nice and moist), minced
1/4 C frozen spinach, thawed, and chopped small
2 T toasted walnuts (I know, weird. But it's an amazing texture and flavor), processed fine in the food processor
1/2 C freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 C panko
1 egg, lightly beaten
salt and pepper to taste (go easy on the salt, though.  The cheese is plenty salty)

1. In a large, heavy bottom pot, heat about 1~2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions, and carrots, salt, and stir together occassionally until completely softened and browned, about 15 minutes.  Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, until the color changes to a reddish-brown.  Add the 2 can of whole tomatoes, breaking them up as you cook (or, if you prefer, pour them into a large bowl and crush them with your hands before adding to the pot).  Add salt and pepper to taste, bring the sauce down to a low simmer, and let cook until meatballs are done.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the broiler.  In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the meatballs and make each meatball with about 3~4 T of the veggie/turkey mixture.  Evenly space the meatballs on a baking sheet and place under the broiler until nice and browned and crunchy on top.  Add them to the pot of sauce and continue to simmer until meatballs soak in all the flavor and cook all the way through.
3. Cook the pasta to al dente.  Right before tossing the pasta into the sauce, take out the meaballs (they're pretty fragile because they're mostly vegetable), and set aside.  Toss the al dente pasta right into the sauce pot, adding some pasta water to loosen the sauce if necessary.  Serve sauced pasta with meatballs op top, and a little extra sauce on top of that.  Parsley and cheese, if you want:)  Oh, and a slice of good, crusty bread.  Yum!

i'm in love with bread

... but we all know that, right?  I mean, don't I talk about good bread about every 3~4 posts?  I think so.  I made some more of my favorite bread the other day so I could make some eggplant toasts.  But I went with a teeny batard shape instead of the typical boule, and made my eggplant toasts more like a healthy variation on eggplant parmesan.  If you don't cook much eggplant, here's a good place to start.  Super simple and delicious.  And you'll fall in love with the perfect, buttery, creamy texture of eggplant.

baked eggplant parmesan toasts
serves 4

 2 large crusty rolls, cut in half lengthwise, like a hot dog bun
1/2 C homemade tomato sauce (I used diced tomatoes, but next time I think I'll use crushed, this was too chunky), or just some chopped up tomatoes with salt and pepper
super thin sliced red onions
4 oz mozzarella cheese, grated (if you have fresh mozzarella, you can freeze it to grate it)
1/2 globe eggplant, sliced about 1/2 inch thick.  You should have 8 slices.
2 slices of stale bread
1/4 C parsley
2~4 T grated Pecorino Romano cheese (or Parmigiano Reggiano)
2 eggs
1/2 C flour
salt and pepper
canola oil spray

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place a cooling rack on top.  Toast the stale bread slices in the toaster and let cool.
2. Beat the eggs in a shallow dish and set aside.  In another shallow dish, place the flour and season with salt and lots of pepper.
3. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the toasted bread, parsley, and Pecorino Romano cheese.  Place seasoned breadcrumbs in another shallow dish.
4. First dredge the eggplant slices in the seasoned flour, then dip in the egg mixture, letting the excess drip off, and then coat with the breadcrumbs.  Place them evenly spaced on the rack over the parchment lined baking sheet.  Spray lightly with canola oil spray.  Bake in the oven until the eggplants are cooked through completely and the crust is golden brown, 15~20 minutes.
5. Take the 2 tops and 2 bottoms of the loaves of bread, and place them on a baking sheet crust-side down.  Spread 2 tablespoon of sauce, place 2 slices of the eggplant, (and a little more sauce, if you like) then a tablespoon of grated mozzarella and pecorino cheeses, and the sliced red onions on top.  Place under the broiler for a few minutes (depending on your broiler--so keep an eye on it), until cheese is bubbling and browned.  Serve hot.

fresh

We have a farmer's market here.  Like a real one.  I know, all of you out there in places like California or NYC or even SLC are thinking, "what?  All this time she didn't have one close by?"  And my answer to you is ... no.  Fortunately, we had cute little farm stands here and there, but you had to go searching for them.  But that's better than nothing.  But here in Bloomington?  We have a REAL FARMERS MARKET!  And I've been addicted since we've moved.  Our weekly Saturday morning ritual is to get up, eat a quick breakfast, get ready, and GO.  And once we're there, the first thing I do is buy a little carton of cherry--or other variety of teeny, snackable tomatoes--for my 2 year old daughter to munch on while we browse through all of the different vendors.  There's one that I feel particularly pressed to visit every week because not only do they sell amazing produce, they are Asian.  And we Asians support each other.  And they're so nice and have stuff that other people don't.  Like nashi (Japanese pears), and Thai basil for $0.75 a bag.  Not kidding.  $0.75 a bag.  A big bag.

Anyway, there I was with a bunch of pretty, colorful cherry tomatoes one Tuesday morning, with no lunch planned for me and the kids.  But thankfully I had made some good bread the day before, and a whole handful of sweet basil from my friend's backyard garden, so I made us a quick cherry tomato bruschetta.  And it was quite satisfying.  It might have been the hearty bread we ate it on.  Whatever it was, I was in heaven.


quick cherry tomato bruschetta

6~8 basil leaves (more or less, depending on what you like.  I like as much fresh herbs as possible--especially when it comes to sweet basil), rolled up and sliced thin with a shaaaaaarp knife.
1 pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half across the middle, not pole-to-pole
2~4 T extra virgin olive oil
1/2 garlic clove, minced or grated
salt and pepper to taste

2~4 slices of good, crusty bread, toasted

1. In a medium bowl, combine the basil, tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  Toss to combine.  The longer you let it sit, the more the flavors will meld together.  Mmm.
2. Pile on as much or as little of the tomato mixture onto your crusty bread and eat immediately.

out of it. again.

I've had a crazy few weeks.  That's my excuse, anyway.  We moved from Elkhart, IN to Bloomington, IN.  My kids are doing awesome and my cute husband started grad school.  The crazy stuff included having to move twice because management here put us in the wrong kind of apartment, all sorts of moving truck drama, getting in a car accident (not our fault, thank goodness), and a whole host of other interesting experiences.  But in the long run, it's been exciting and very tiring.  So that's why I haven't been in the kitchen like I should.  I'm sorry, friends!  But now we're settled (well, getting there), and feeling happy about life, and I have been happily cooking and baking away.

So here's a recipe for the last meal I cooked in my kitchen in Elkhart.  Wasn't my favorite space, but I feel like I grew so much in my style and skill, and in a lot of ways I miss it.

Prosciutto and Vegetable pasta
for 1 lb of pasta

1 lb long pasta, such as linguine or spaghetti
2 small zucchini, cut in half lengthwise and sliced thin at an angle
1 small onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces of thin sliced prosciutto, about 8 slices, cut into small pieces
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 T finely shopped parsley
zest of 1/2 lemon
juice of 1/2 lemon
parmiggiano reggiano cheese, grated

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add salt, cook pasta to al dente, reserving about 1/2 C of the cooking water.  Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saute pan, heat about 2 T of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and onions, and cook until fragrant and softened.  Add the zucchini, and cook until softened and very lightly browned.  Add the prosciutto, season with salt and pepper, stir until the prosciutto is curled and a little crispy.  Take off the heat and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, toss together the pasta, zucchini/prosciutto mixture, juice and zest of the lemon, parsley, and cheese.  Serve with an extra little drizzle of the oil.

my favorite

I've had a lot of people tell me how much they love the one ingredient ice cream I shared a while back.  I'm so glad I discovered it and could share it with all of you!  I've loved hearing what you've added to it to make it your way.  The other day I added nutella.  Nutella makes everything better.  It was really neat because the nutella hardened a little bit so there were teeny pieces instead of it getting blended in completely.  So good!

Have you tried anything to make your ice cream your own style?