birthday party for kids

My daughter just turned 2.  Not kidding! I can't believe it, myself!  This lucky girl got to celebrate a couple of times because on her actual birthday we made roasted banana cupcakes (bananas are her favorite food and monkeys are her favorite animal, so I found it very fitting) with honey cinnamon frosting.  And then, she's lucky enough to have a best friend who has the same name as her, who happens to celebrate her birthday less than 2 weeks before!  So we had a mini birthday party for the girls with mini oreo cheesecakes for each person.  So happy birthday to my sweetie.  Hope you enjoyed all of the treats!  (Because you're not getting any for a while after last weekend;) )

Both of these recipes come from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, which I got for my birthday from my friend Lori.  Cupcakes are so trendy in food these days, and for good reason.  It's such a fun way to entertain.  And cupcakes can be anything from really simple and casual to very decadent and elegant.  I love reading through it and learning more about decorating and baking.  It has a TON of amazing ideas and recipes, so go out and get this book!  If you have kids, or somehow have become the go-to person for bridal/baby showers, you'll really appreciate having this in your library.

Roasted Banana Cupcakes (frosting recipe follows)
makes 16~18 (weird number, I know.  Just do it in 2 muffin pans with 9 in each)

3 ripe bananas, plus 1 for garnish
2 C cake flour, sifted
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
3/4 C sugar
3 large eggs, seperated
1/2 C sour cream
1 t pure vanilla extract

1. 
   Preheat the oven to 400°F.  Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.  Place 3 whole unpeeled bananas on a rimmed baking sheet and roast 15 minutes (the peels will darken and the fruit will release some liquid).  Meanwhile, sift together cake flour baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Remove bananas from oven and let cool before peeling them.  Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy.  Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating until each is fully encorporated, scraping down sides as needed. Add roasted bananas, and beat in to combine.  Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with sour cream in 2 batches, and beat until just combined after each addition.  Beat in the vanilla.
3. In another mixing bowl, with an electric mixer on medium speed, whisk the egg whites to soft peaks; fold one third of the white into the batter to lighten.  Gently fold the rest of the whites in 2 batches until no streaks remain, careful to avoid deflating the batter.
4. Divide the batter evenly among the lined cups, filling each about 3/4 full.  Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 20 minutes.  Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Honey-Cinnamon Frosting


2 C confectioner's sugar
1 C unsalted butter, room temperature
2 T honey
1/4 t ground cinnamon

With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat all ingredients together until smooth.  Use immediately.  If storing, store in an airtight container up to 5 days.  Bring to room temperature and beat until smooth before using.

Mini Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes
makes 24+

The beauty of this recipe is how simple but delicious it is.  Isn't it genius to use an oreo on the bottom?

1 pack of original (not double stuffed) oreos, 24~30 left whole and 15 coarsely chopped
2 pounds cream cheese (yup. that's 4 packages)
1 C sugar
1 t pure vanilla extract
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 C sour cream
pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 275°F.  Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.  Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.
2. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat cream cheese unti smooth, scraping down sides as needed.  Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined.  Add vanilla.
3. Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, betaing to combine and scraping down sides as needed.  Beat in sour cream and salt.  Stir in the chopped cookies by hand.  (don't want to over mix or the batter will start to turn grey.)
4. Divide batter evenly among cookie-filled cups, filling each almost to the top.  Bake, rotating tine halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes.  Transfer tins to wire racks to cool completely.  Refrigerate (in tins) at least 4 hours, or up to overnight.  Remove from tins just before serving.

so behind

June is the busiest month for me.  We have about 8 birthdays in our extended family, 2 of those are me and my daughter.  And then there's father's day.  And this year, we're taking a trip to Utah!  Hooray!  So I've been busy.  Lots of cooking that I need to catch up on!  So to you loyal readers that have had nothing to read, I'm sorry.  I'm here.  I'm alive.  I'm well.  I'm happy!  And I'm still in the kitchen ... just not so much on the computer.  So here I am, ready to fill you in on the delicious treats we've been eating.  A lot of it has been desserts, which I doubt anyone has much of a problem with.  Except maybe  Melissa, who I'm always trying to impress with my healthy "gourmet" (or just not "diet) recipes.  So Meliss, I'll post some yummy Japanese recipes for you so you and Katelyn can make them together!  Meanwhile, ignore these posts and read this book.  You'll love it.


So maybe I'll work backwards.  For my sweetheart, I decided only the most decadent would be acceptable.  So I made him the gorgeous coconut pudding.  It was divine!  And the caramel sauce on top made it even more unbelievable evil for your body.  But it's father's day, right?  Just go run a few extra miles!


I can't claim the recipe for this one, so I'll just direct you to it.  It was so easy, and so rich!  And bursting with fresh coconut flavor.  You just have to make this!  But one thing.  PLEASE don't use sweetened coconut flakes.  Go to a health food store and buy unsweetened flakes.  It's cheaper and so much better tasting.  And sweetened coconut flakes would make this delight much too craggy and dense and ... of course, much too sweet.


You can find the recipe here.  Except I use the classic caramel sauce I always use from this genius foodblogger.

 Isn't it just beautiful?  I promise, it tastes as good as it looks.

best treat ever

I've introduced the amazing one ingredient ice cream to all of you, and now it's time for another delicious slightly less guilty frozen treat.  I am in love!  It's not what I'd call "healthy" by any means, but it is definitely FULL of chocolate flavor without any fat.  I am completely in love with this recipe and I think I'll be making it again and again.

I don't drink coffee, and everywhere I read, chefs and foodies say coffee brings out the flavor of chocolate, so I use a natural coffee substitute called Pero.  And it's true.  That dark, rich, bitter taste really heightens the flavor of chocolate.  SO good.

Chocolate Sorbet
makes roughly 2 quarts

2 C sugar (I used evaporated pure cane sugar and gave it a whirl in the food processor to make it super fine.  But of course, normal granulated sugar works great)
1 C high quality cocoa powder (this is the main ingredient so you definitely want it to taste good)
1/2 t pure vanilla extract
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/4 coarse sea salt
1/4 C Pero, "bloomed" in 1/3 C boiling water

1. In a large saucepan, mix the sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.Stir in 4 C water and the pero/water mixture.  Cook over low heat until the ingredients are completely dissolved.
2. Transfer to a large container and refrigerate until very cold, at least 2 hours.
3. Once the mixture is well chilled, freeze the mixture in 2 batches in your ice cream maker, according to manufacturer's directions.  The sorbet will still be very soft, so place it into plastic containers with lids that seal.  Place a sheet or parchment or plastic wrap right against the surface before sealing the lid.  This will prevent freezer burn and keep it fresh longer.  Freeze for at least an hour, until firm enough to scoop.

more cravings

I was reading through a cookbook and came across a pan banga and HAD to have it right away.  But I didn't have all of the ingredients, so I had to improvise, and it was really good!  But I'm going to go out and buy the right ingredients and make it again.

trying new things

Has it really been a week and a half since my last post?  Sheesh!  Well, this should make up for it.  I love risotto, but I rarely ever make it.  There's something about standing in front of the pot, constantly stirring that is just too much work.  Especially compared to the usual dump, rinse, and push a button that is required of me when I use my most frequently used kitchen appliance: the handy dandy rice cooker.  Couldn't live without that thing.

Anyway, I found a new recipe for barley risotto, and I had to give it a try.  With completely different add-ins.  Now, I realize that risotto comes from riso, which means "rice" but apparently you can use the same technique for some other grains.  And it really worked well with pearled barley.  It turns out a little chewy, and it's really delicious.  And I thing making it with eggplant and mushrooms was a good idea.  Yum!

 

1 cup pearled barley

3 C vegetable or chicken stock (buy low-sodium, but it's best--and so cheap and easy--to make it yourself)

2 T olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

3 T minced parsley

2 Japanese eggplant, stem and end removed, cut in half lengthwise and sliced 1/2 inch thick

8 oz white button, shiitake, or cremini mushrooms, cleaned, stems trimmed (removed for shiitake), and sliced

1/2 freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

1. In a medium saucepan, bring stock and 2 C water to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cover, to keep warm.
2. In a large skillet, heat 2 T olive oil over medium-high heat.  Toss in the eggplant, season lightly with salt and pepper.  Flip over, and cook through.  Eggplant should have a soft, creamy texture on the inside.  If it's at all spongy, it's underdone.  Remove the eggplant from the pan and set aside on a plate.  Add the mushrooms, season lightly with salt and pepper, and let brown.  Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium.  Add onion, season with salt and pepper, cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add barley; cook, stirring, for about 1 minute.  Add 1/2 C stock; cook, stirring, until absorbed, about 1 minute.
4. Ladle in about 2 more cups of stock; cook, stirring frequently until almost completely absorbed.  About 10 minutes.  Continue to add 1 C of stock at a time, waiting for the liquid to be almost completely absorbed before adding more, until barley is tender and the mixture is creamy, 40~50 minutes.
5. Add in sauteed eggplant and mushrooms.  Remove from heat, stir parsley and parmesan.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately, garnished with more cheese.

color

I love food that has lots of color.  And fish tacos have lots of color.  (And to prove it to you, this photo is completely untouched) It was such a simple meal, and SO delicious, I can't believe we don't make these more often.  It's going to be a Summer standard, I think.

I don't really think I need to write a recipe since it was so simple.  I just pan fried some well seasoned white flesh fish (tilapia, in this case).   I just seasoned with salt, pepper, and a little cumin, and then squeezed some fresh lime over the top.  I combined it with finely shredded red cabbage, avocado, fresh salsa*, sour cream, some sauteed fresh corn, cheese, and some lime juice on top of it all.  Yum!

* for the salsa:

juice of 1 lime
1/2 vidalia onion, diced small (if you don't have vidalia, use any onion, dice small and soak in water for at least 30 minutes, changing the water at least twice)
4~6 sweet tomatoes or 1 whole package grape/cherry tomatoes, diced small
1 bunch cilantro, chopped fine (and I mean FINE)
salt to taste 

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and toss. Serve.

cravings

We eat Japanese food at least twice a week in our home.  I love how it tastes and how it makes me feel.    So this may come as a surprise to most of you, but I've never made sushi at home.  I've made it on special occasions with my family, and I've eaten the "real thing" at some incredible places in Tokyo, but that's it.  I've never made it for my own family.  And really, sushi is a special occasion kind of thing, not an everyday food by any means, but I decided it was time.  Especially for my little girl to eat some!  Afterall, being a 1/4 Japanese, she's going to be asked her whole life if she likes sushi or not.  So she better know what it is.

Oh, and she does like it, by the way.

So just in case you didn't know this, sushi doesn't mean raw fish in Japanese.  It refers to the way the rice is prepared.  And sushi can have cooked fish, sometimes even egg on/in it.

We decided on the simple California Roll.  With short grain brown rice instead of white.  Not at all traditional, but I wasn't about to try nigirizushi since pretty much only trained sushi chefs make that, and some of the other ingredients that usually go in makizushi aren't so readily availabe here.  And I like avocado.  And I got a huge bag at Sam's this week for our fish tacos.


Brown Rice California Rolls
serves 2

For the rice:
1.5 C short grain (brown--optional) rice
1.5 C water
1/4 C rice vinegar
2 T sugar
1/2 t salt

1. Wash rice until water runs clear.  Cook with water in a rice cooker.  (Or cook it on the stove top like most people;) )
2.  In a small pot, put the vinegar, sugar, and salt.  Heat over medium heat and stir occasionally until the sugar is completely dissolved.
3. Once the rice is cooked, transfer to a large bowl (ideally a Japanese wooden bowl designed for sushi), and pour over the vinegar dressing over the rice.  Toss the rice with a flat wooden spoon or a rice paddle, with horizontal slashing strokes.

For the sushi: (depends on how much you want to put in)
vinegar rice
2 sheets toasted nori seaweed
1 egg, lightly beaten
crab meat (or imitation crab, which is what you'll usually get at a sushi place)
avocado, sliced thin
seedless cucmber, cut into thin, long strips

1. Cook the egg on medium heat into a very thin "pancake", remove from pan and let cool.  Once cooled, cut the egg pancake into thin strips.  Cut the crab meat into thin, bite sized pieces.
2. Using a bamboo sushi rolling mat, place the nori down with the shiny side up.
3. In a thin layer, place some rice over the nori, leaving a 3/4 inch gap at the top and bottom.
4. In a horizontal line, layer the ingredients.  Then, using the rolling mat, tightly roll up the nori around the rice and filling.  Using your finger, spread some water over the exposed nori and seal shut.
5. Using a very sharp knife, slice the roll into 6~8 pieces.  It's easiest if the sushi is chilled a little bit.

another one of those last minute meals

In fact, I looked in my fridge and saw parsnips and broccoli that needed to be eaten pretty quick, so I got them prepped while I thought what in the world to serve with that.  Afterall, you can't really have a dinner of just pureed parsnips and roasted broccoli, can you?

So I made aglio e olio, but this time with fabulous minced shallots along with the minced garlic.  Good choice!

These were all so simple that I don't feel like I need to add a recipe. 

For the pureed parsnips, I peeled and cut off the ends of 2 medium sized parsnips, cut them into little pieces, and boiled them in slightly salted water.  Then I drained them, threw them in the food processor with about a tablespoon of butter, salt and pepper to taste, and a little (about 2 T?) whole milk.  After tasting it I felt like it needed a bit of a bite so I added some freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese.  My baby girl ate a ton!  It's similar to the texture of mashed potatoes, but silkier and a VERY different flavor.  It's kind of sweet, almost floral.  You have to try it sometime!

Roasted broccoli, I'm sure I've had on here before.  450°F oven, cut broccoli into bite size pieces, toss in salt, pepper, olive oil.  Roast in the oven until the florets are crispy and browned and the stems are no longer crunchy.

And the aglio e olio I've done before.  It's a staple in our home.  It's a nice simple but delicious dish that goes with ANYTHING.  Fish, chicken, even heavier meat, and of course--like tonight--veggies.

had to get creative

I didn't have too many vegetables in my fridge today and did a poor job of planning out my meals for the week, so I had to get creative with dinner tonight.  I made a sort of spaghetti alla carbonara without the bacon and used asparagus instead.  I don't really know what to call it, but it was good!  And a nice change from the heavy (but delicious) carbonara.  I think this might make it into our usual rotation.

Spring pasta alla carbonara, minus the bacon (how's that for a name?)
enough for 1 lb of pasta

1 lb long pasta such as spaghetti or linguine

1/2 lb asparagus spears (the thicker the better)

3 cloves garlic

1 C (approximately) finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese (depending on your tastes and what's available)

3 eggs

juice of 1/2 lemon

coarse salt

fresh ground black pepper

3 T extra virgin olive oil

1. Heat the oven to 200°F and place a large oven safe serving bowl in the oven.
2. Cook the pasta to al dente, reserving about 1/2~3/4 C of pasta water.
3. Prepare the asparagus by snapping off the tough end of one or two spears then trimming the rest to the same length.  Peel the last inch or the skin off to eliminate stringy ends.  Line up the asparagus and cut into 2 inch pieces.
4. Slice 2 of the garlic cloves very thin.  In a large skillet, pour 1 T olive oil and bring to medium high heat.  Place the asparagus in the skillet, sprinkle with salt, and saute until the skin starts to wrinkle a little and brown in some spots.  Add the garlic slices, and bring the heat to medium.  Continue to let cook, tossing occasionally, until garlic is very frangrant and the asparagus is tender.  Add the remaining olive oil and set aside.
5. Grate the remaining clove of garlic.  Then in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, cheese, grated garlic, and lemon juice.  Add as much or as little fresh cracked black pepper as you'd like.  (I like a lot for that rich carbonara taste)
6. Quickly pull out the bowl from the oven, put all of the hot pasta in the bowl, pour all of the asparagus and garlic and oil on top, then toss with tongs.  While tossing, slowly pour in the egg mixture.  Add some reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.  Make sure to keep tossing and get all of the egg mixture encorporated until smooth and creamy.  Serve warm.

cake make over

I love a good citrus cake.  I grew up eating them in French style bakeries in Japan, where they don't use a ton of sugar in order to enhance the delicate citrus flavor.  And somehow they're really light but moist.  I discovered several recipes for a classic French yogurt cake, and needed to give it a go.  I made it according to the recipe yesterday and ... sadly ate a few too many pieces.  And then today I wanted to tweak the recipe a bit to make it healthier--for a cake.  And for some reason it turned out more moist and tender.  I absolutely love this cake!  I used blood oranges today instead of lemons or limes and I love the milder flavor (but I might prefer the brighter tang of the tarter fruit).  The batter was even a rosy pink, but sadly it baked up yellow like any other cake.  I used extra virgin olive oil as an experiment, and I loved the result.  And I just feel good knowing it's olive oil in there:)

So if you're in the mood for a tasty but less guilt-ridden cake, you should try this out.  Just don't fool yourself into thinking you can have a lot;)  It's still a cake, after all.

Blood Orange, Yogurt, and Olive Oil Afternoon Cake

1 C plain yogurt (I actually used fat free and it turned out so well! But use any kind of plain yogurt you want)
2/3 C sugar, plus more for dusting the pan
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil
zest of 2 blood oranges
1/4 C fresh blood orange juice
2 eggs
1 2/3 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/8 t salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.  Grease the sides and bottom of a 9 inch cake pan.  Line the bottom with parchment paper and grease again.  Sprinkle about 1 1/2 T of sugar to coat the bottom and sides of the pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, oil, sugar, zest and juice of the blood orange until combined.  Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking in completely with each addition.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk or sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add to the liquid mixture, and stir until just combined.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 35~40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then release from the pan and let cool completely.  Serve with a dusting of confectioner's sugar or some citrus whipped cream and some fresh fruit on the side.

one ingredient ice cream

You heard me.  One ingredient.  And surprisingly yummy.  I heard about this a few months ago and tried it right away, and I don't think I wrote about it here.  It's a really nice refreshing dessert for those creamy-sweet cravings, without all of the guilt.  This one ingredient is sweet and creamy and really pretty good for you.  Bananas.  It sounds crazy and potentially not tasty, but it really is impressively smooth and creamy and perfect.  All you do is freeze your ripe bananas (make sure they're ripe or it'll turn out bitter), and once they're frozen, throw them in your food processor.  You might have to add a teaspoon or two of milk (or soy milk, almond milk, whatever) but nothing else.  Turns out like soft serve and you can eat *almost* as much as you want without feeling guilty at all.  Yay for amazing healthy treats!

pizza pizza

I know, I know, I said I was going to eat Japanese food this week.  And I have, actually.  I've eaten at least 1 Japanese meal a day, sometimes 2 or 3, and I am feeling great!  Tonight had to be something simple and quick, though, and since I had dough in the fridge, I decided on healthy pizza.  We eat a lot of homemade pizza.  So tonight had to be a little different, so I tried my artisan bread dough for the pizza dough (fantastic idea and couldn't be simpler), and the toppings were fancy but very low maintenance.  And of course, delicious.  My kind of dinner.

For toppings I used sliced, sauteed cremini mushrooms, tiny pieces of eggplant, leeks, and the usual sauce and cheeses.  The crust was perfectly crisp.  It was really good.  What kind of pizza topping combinations do you like to try?

needing the veggies

I've been feeling sluggish.  The annoying part is that I've been running and watching what I eat, so I didn't know what to do!  Then I started thinking about when I feel the best.  It's when I eat what I think my body is meant to eat.  Japanese food.

I was watching the Martha show and got really hungry when she was making this recipe.  I'm generally a purist when it comes to Japanese food, but this one seemed too good to pass up.  And then I picked up one of my favorite books, "Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat", and was inspired to get back to my roots.  And though this recipe isn't really Japanese, I wanted it.  I made some adjustments to make it more my style, of course.  And I was in heaven.  Then we had yoplait's new Greek yogurt, honey, and fresh strawberries for dessert.  They aren't kidding in those commercials when they say that one healthy decision leads to another.

Soba salad

Coarse salt
8 ounces snow peas (or sugar snap peas), trimmed, strings removed
12 ounces soba noodles
2 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sesame oil, plus extra to brush on tofu slices
2 medium carrots, about 1/2 pound, peeled and shaved into thin strips using a vegetable peeler
3 inch piece of daikon (Japanese white radish), peeled and shaved into thin strips using a vegetable peeler
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
4 scallions, thinly sliced crosswise
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 t fresh lemon (or if you can find it, yuzu) juice
4 large perilla leaves, cut into a chiffonade
1 block firm tofu, cut into 1/2 inch thick rectangles, then into triangles

1. Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water until cooked through, but still slightly firm to the bite.  Drain, set aside to cool.
2. In a small pot, blanch the snow peas.  Drain, set aside.
3. Place the tofu slices on a baking sheet, brush with a little sesame oil, and place under the broiler until slightly crispy on top, about 7 minutes.
4. In a small bowl, combine the salt (to taste), 2 T and 1 t sesame oil, ginger, soy sauce, and lemon juice.
5. In a large bowl, toss together the noodles, carrots, daikon, sugar snap peas, perilla, scallions, and tofu.  Pour over the sauce and toss to coat.  Serve at room temperature or cold.

lunch

My cute husband came home early from work today, so we got to have lunch together.  I taught a class at church last night on artisan bread, and we made some varieties.  One was herb bread.  I'm not always a fan of herb bread.  It's usually so overpowering that I think it distracts from the meal instead of complimenting it.  So I made it really subtle.  But today for lunch, I decided to try using the leftovers for some good ol' grilled cheese sandwiches.  And oh my goodness, I wish I had a sound clip to share with you of the moment we bit into our sandwiches.  Unreal crunch!

So if you're needing some variety in your grilled cheese (not that you need to, it's such a classic!), try it with some flavored artisan bread.  And use olive oil instead of butter.  You'll get the most beautiful golden exterior with a perfect, perfect crunch.  And that subtle herby aroma is a really nice change without being too distracting.