Follow me on Twitter One of the easiest meals to “make” at home is spaghetti. It’s so easy to make, that a five year old can do it. All you have to do is take the pasta out of its … Continue reading
Breaking Down Pasta (with recipe)
Category Archives: Recipes
Meatless Monday: Pistachio Quinoa and Butternut Squash
Follow me on Twitter or Facebook. Since Autumn has really hit San Francisco, I have fully embraced the seasonal vegetables. Pumpkin, squash, persimmons, carrots, potatoes, heirloom beans, grapes, pistachios, and pomegranates. Mondays are my favorite days to cook, because my … Continue reading
Indian-Spiced Pumpkin Latte
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When I hear the words Fall or Autumn, these images pop into my head:
Also, I am more inclined to use my oven to make vegetable roasts, poultry, and pumpkin pie. This time of the year, I like to try out new jams and experiment with anything that has pumpkin in it, except for pumpkin lattes at cafes. I remember paying $5 for a small pumpkin latte a few years ago and I threw it out after 5 sips. I couldn’t stand the flavors and haven’t been so inclined to mix pumpkin with espresso since then. However, Satish has a homemade espresso everyday and almost everyday I am tempted to make a specialty drink. However, he likes to keep it rather simple when it comes to his basic staples (coffee, cereal, rice) and prefers that I leave the experimenting to myself. I have waited a whole year to buy pumpkins, pumpkin purees, pumpkin spices, and pumpkin butter and I have been determined to make the best use of all my newly acquired pumpkin products. So when I woke up to rainfall yesterday morning, I knew that it was the day to make a pumpkin latte.
Indian-Spiced Pumpkin Latte
Serves 2.
Ingredients:
2 cups milk, organic preferred
2 tablespoons Pumpkin Butter*
1-2 teaspoons sugar, unrefined, unprocessed preferred**
1/8 teaspoon cardamom powder, fresh if possible
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
3-4 strands of saffron, soaked in 1 tsp water for 15-30 mins (optional)
2 shots espresso or 1/2 cup brewed coffee***
1/4 cup milk to create a foam with espresso machine (optional)
1. Add milk, pumpkin butter, cardamom powder, soaked saffron with its water, and ginger in a saucepan. Gently whisk to combine all of the ingredients and make sure the Pumpkin Butter is mixed in well (no lumps). Taste the mixture and add sugar if needed.
We prefer to use Fair Trade coffee and espresso grounds. Shouldn't all coffee be Fair Trade?
Organic milk is humane, healthy, hormone-free and tastes pretty phenomenal.
Whisk and taste. Add sugar or anymore of other spices to your liking.
We prefer to use unrefined, unprocessed sugar. Mascobado is less sweet than refined white sugar.
2. Bring the mixture to a boil on medium heat. Remove from the stove, and give the saucepan a whirl. While the mixture is coming to a boil, make the espresso or coffee. Also, make the foam using the milk steamer on your espresso machine or a foamer. Keep an eye on the mixture, though.
The scent will be strong and colors rich.
Pour in the steamed milk on top for extra velvety richness.
3. Pour into two mugs and add espresso on top. Add foam from steamed milk on top if desired.
**If using store bought pumpkin butter, read the ingredients! Simple, unprocessed pumpkin butter has the following ingredients: pumpkin, spices, apple cider or lemon, and sugar.
**The pumpkin butter is really sweet, so hold off until adding sugar until you taste all of the ingredients. Also, white sugar is highly processed and I encourage you to try alternatives, such as unrefined Muscovado sugar.
***Read why Fair Trade coffee is a better option and how you can help poor farmers by making the better choices here. This latte can be made completely Fair Trade by using Fair Trade coffee, sugar, and spices.
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Give Vegetables a Second Chance
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Most of our memories of vegetables are bland, blah, and ugh. At schools we were served pre-cut and pre-diced corn, carrots, and peas. There were no spices to give these large agriculturally farmed vegetables flavor or depth. It was no wonder that we ate the cheese burgers filled with chemicals, fake flavors, and sodium and threw away the vegetables. Some people still shiver at the thought of carrots and peas. I was the same way too, especially when I saw vegetables crinkle cut like this:
However, real carrots, straight from the farm, in heirloom varieties taste better than candy. And real, non-GMO corn is delicious plain or prepared with other vegetables and meats. A few weeks ago, my dad checked out a local produce stand where the back of the store was actually the farm. He came back and said to me, with a childish grin on his face, “I really liked the carrots. They tasted so good.”
Heirloom Carrots
Wash and peel the skin, rub olive oil, sprinkle salt, pepper and dried basil, bake for 15-20 minutes on 350 degrees. Enjoy as a snack or side dish.
So if you give vegetables a second (or third) chance, you may find that they are not that bad after all. Of course, try to pick up fresh, seasonal vegetables for maximum flavor and nutrition. Sprinkling spices and herbs will go a long way in your appreciation for vegetables.
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Real Bread and a Recipe
Image via Wikipedia
Tartine is simply a French word for an open faced sandwich, usually with jam or a spread on top. And I LOVE tartines. They can be casual, easy, fancy, complicated, but always scrumptious. The key in making a tartine is using fresh, unprocessed bread. The bread should be simple, like an old-fashion country loaf, made with as little as four real ingredients. Skip the loaves that contain sugars, preservatives, additives, hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, and corn syrup. There is a distinct difference in taste and texture with breads made fresh at home or a small bakery compared to the bread found in supermarkets. Most breads sold in supermarkets are made on an industrial scale (mass-produced) and meant to have a long shelf-life (not grow old). Also, bread found in the supermarket is usually pre-sliced for your convenience, which would normally become stale a lot faster than an unsliced loaf of bread. To extend the shelf-life of the bread, the breadmakers (chemists) add a ton of preservatives and possibly other additives to make the bread look attractive (dyes, bleach). The goal of industrial bread makers is to make the bread as cheaply as possible by using low quality ingredients, extending the shelf-life, and charging consumers the pre-sliced convenience fee. Taste and nutrition are really not important factors in the bread making process. However, a true bread maker puts in a lot of dedication and passion into making each loaf. Let’s compare the ingredient lists between typical store-bought bread and one that would be made at home:
Store Bought Bread
Enriched Bleached Flour [Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Folic Acid], Water, Whey, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Yeast, Contains 2% or Less of Each of the Following: Sugar, Wheat Gluten, Calcium Sulfate, Soybean Oil, Salt, Dough Conditioners (May Contain One or More of the Following: Mono- and Diglycerides, Ethoxylated Mono- and Diglycerides, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Calcium Peroxide, DATEM, Ascorbic Acid, Azodicarbonamide, Enzymes), Guar Gum, Calcium Propionate (Preservative), Distilled Vinegar, Yeast Nutrients (Monocalcium Phosphate, Calcium Sulfate, Ammonium Sulfate and/or Calcium Carbonate), Corn Starch, Vitamin D3, Soy Lecithin, Soy Flour.
Homemade/ Artisan Bread
Flour, Water, Yeast, Salt.
Slice your own bread, it’s worth it!
I like to get my loaf from Tartine Bakery, Acme Bread, and La Boulangerie. Though I try not get it too often, as I cannot practice any restraint around a fresh, aromatic loaf. I like to eat tartines with warmed jams and nut butters, pure butter, fresh fruits, or heirloom tomatoes, cheeses, grilled chicken breast, arugula, or farm fresh eggs.
Which loaf of bread would you feel comfortable eating and digesting? Which do you think is better for your kids and family?
Early Autumn Savory Tartine
Ingredients
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
1 tsp garlic, chopped
2 tsp olive oil, plus more for coating pan
1/2 cup zebra zucchini, sliced
1/3 cup onions, sliced
1 small ripe heirloom tomato
2 slices of a country loaf bread
2 tbs sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 tbs goat cheese, crumbles
2 tbs Parmesan cheese, grated
1 tsp dried basil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Methods
1. In a mixing bowl, toss 1 tsp olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and cherry tomatoes to mix well. Meanwhile, heat a cast iron pan (or nonstick skillet) on medium heat. Gently toss the cherry tomatoes in the pan and let cook until the skins are wrinkly and juice starts to burst out, about 7-10 minutes. Stir frequently.
2. In the same skillet or another, cook the onions until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes. Cook the zucchini until tender, about 5 minutes. You may need to drizzle a little olive oil over the pan so the onions or zucchini does not stick. Meanwhile, slice the heirloom tomatoes and reserve the juice.
3. Toast the slices of bread in a toaster or on the skillet (my preference, so it picks up flavor and oil from the vegetables). Sprinkle the cheeses over the bread immediately after it’s done toasting. Pour the reserved juice of the heirloom tomato over the bread. Layer the zucchini, onion and tomatoes over the bread. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and dried basil over the tartine. Enjoy warm with a side salad.
Makes two tartines.
Meatless Monday: The Many Reasons For a Healtiful Diet and Vegetable Pilaf
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Over the weekend, I learned a lot about different dietary needs and restrictions. For so many reasons, people follow either a vegan, vegetarian, lacto-ovo-vegetarian, gluten-free, etc. diet. Not all of their reasons are political, environmental, erratic, religious, or trendsetting. Some people choose specific diets for serious health reasons, such as Celiac Disease. Giving up food that you have always loved but your body cannot tolerate is emotionally draining. It’s like being in a life-long marriage that has come to a sudden end. However, finding food “that loves you back” (Gluten Free Girl) will give you your life back! Also, following a certain diet doesn’t mean you have to be stuck eating disgusting, bland food. There is a world of food beyond meat, potatoes, wheat, and lettuce.
At the food bloggers picnic, I only ate gluten-free food and I couldn’t even tell that the food was any different than “regular” food. We had chickpeas and dill, butternut squash and grapes, brownies, wild rice, quinoa, cookies, truffles, and pies. I had wanted to make Upama, a South Indian breakfast, but decided that it was easy enough to make something gluten-free. I flipped a coin between butternut squash gratin and a pilaf. I settled on the pilaf after buying beautiful cauliflower at the market that morning. The pilaf (seasoned rice dish) is something my mom often makes and isn’t anything extraordinary or of culinary genius. It’s comforting, delicious, and simple.
Cauliflower and Potato Pilaf
Ingredients
1 cup Basmati rice
1 tablespoon Ghee, butter or olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ginger, grated
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 cup leeks, sliced
1 large potato, cut into cubes
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup green peas
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
2 cups water
1/2 lemon
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped, for garnishing
Methods
1. Wash and soak rice in water for 30 minutes and drain. This helps the rice cook evenly and properly.
Cover the rice in enough water to soak for 30 minutes.
While the rice is soaking, prep the vegetables.
2. Heat Ghee in a flat, deep pan/pot for 30 seconds on medium heat. Add the cumin, coriander, and turmeric and let the spices cook for 1 minute. Add ginger, leeks and onions and sautee for 3 minutes. Add potatoes, cauliflower, peas, salt, and pepper and mix well; cook for 1 minute. Add the rice and mix well.
Ghee is simply unprocessed, clarified butter. It is slightly liquidy and stores well in a jar, kept away from bright light and heat.
Cook the spices alone first to bring out their oils and aroma.
Stir the onions and leeks once, before adding in the other vegetables.
The rice!
3. Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low heat until the water evaporates, about 15-20 minutes.
Cover the pot once water is boiling. Remeber to reduce heat to low and leave pot covered!
4. Squeeze the half lemon over the pilaf and stir once. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately. Serves 4-6.
Cilantro will brighten up the dish and provide extra flavor.
Can be eaten as the main meal or as a side dish. Great comfort food in the Fall and Winter.
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Meatless Mondays: Kids Love Vegetables
Follow Club Dine In! on Twitter The kids love their veggies and will eat them up without creating a scene, but you will have to show them how. Five years ago, Chez Panisse Foundation, Center for Ecoliteracy, and Berkeley Unified … Continue reading
Meatless Mondays: Late Summer, Early Fall Vegetables
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A sure sign that the season is changing is the subtle transition in vegetables and fruits harvested. In the late summer, tomatoes are more abundant, but stone fruit, berries, and summer squashes start to dwindle. Apples, potatoes, Kabocha squash, and pears start to appear slowly. This is a super simple dish blending the two seasons together. Eat it as a side dish or as a filling for omelets or quesidellas, tossed in with pasta, or on top of a baguette.
Medly of summer/fall vegetables!
Ingredients
1/4 tsp grated fresh ginger
3 tbsp variety of olives, halved (optional)
3-4 small Padron peppers, sliced, seeds removed (optional)
5 sun-dried tomatoes, drained and finely chopped
1/2 cup leeks, sliced
1 small onion, sliced
1 medium zucchini, cut into thick, round slices
1 medium yellow summer squash, cut into thick, round slices
1 medium potato, cut into small cubes
1 medium orange/yellow/red bell pepper, cored and sliced
1/4 cup lemon basil, chopped*
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp luke warm water
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1tablespoons olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, salt and pepper.
If adding olives, use less salt!
2. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent and tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the leeks and cook for another 1 minute, stirring once. Add the ginger, stir, and sautee for another minute. Add the remaining oil and potatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the water and let simmer. Once the water evaporates, add the zucchini, yellow squash, and peppers. Cook, stirring frequently, for 6 to 8 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
Sautee the onions, then add the leeks, and then the ginger
Toss in the potatoes and cook for a few minutes before adding in the rest of the vegetables.
Add in the remaining vegetables and stir frequently.
3. Add the warm vegetables to sun-dried tomato mixture and toss until coated.
Adjust the seasoning if you need to, before transferring to serving plate.
4. Transfer the vegetables to a serving bowl and sprinkle the lemon-basil over the vegetables. Serve immediately.
*If you cannot find lemon-basil, use regular basil and 2 tsp fresh lemon juice.
Lemon-basil gives off a strong lemon scent went chopping it, absolutely wonderful! You can find it at your farmer's market during the summer.
Serve as a side dish or with sliced baguette.
Fill a tortilla with shaved Parmesan and the vegetables to eat like a "quesidella".
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An Econista Baby Shower
This week I had to skip the Farmer’s Market for my best friend’s (Nafisah) baby shower. Nafisah is a true econista; she has been working as a manager for Green Citizen for the last four plus years and tries to live a sustainable life as much as possible. (She also met her husband while working at Green Citizen). I wanted to make the baby shower really special for her by catering to her preference. I contacted friend and fellow blogger, Phantom Floranista, to help me create sustainable flower arrangements to be used as decor at the baby shower. We left early on Saturday morning to get flowers from San Francisco’s Flower Market. It was my first time going there and I was just in heaven at the sight of so many beautiful and unique flowers. To keep with the color scheme of the baby shower, we picked up locally grown greenish purple Hydrangea, green and purple Spider Mums, and purple branches for about $32. We went back to the Floranista’s beautiful apartment and had a light Iranian breakfast before getting to work. Out of five yogurt containers of varied sizes, tissue paper, net, and ribbon, we created the centerpieces. By turning the yogurt containers (which would have just ended up in the recycling) into vases, I saved a lot of money and made the world a little bit greener. We had flowers left over to make one more arrangement, so we made another for me to take to Eat The Love’s Dessert Party later that day. The dessert party was beyond delicious, where Irvin Lin (who bakes from his heart) made at least a dozen different, intricate desserts. Stay tuned for a link to Irvin’s blogpost and pictures about the party.
The San Francisco Flower Market is large, hosting flowers from around the world!
Can you believe that an ugly yogurt container is under the net and tissue paper?!
We created these beautiful arrangements from just a few materials and $32!
The flowers complimented the buffet table well.
A baby shower just wouldn't be complete without mini cupcakes!
I also made macaroni and cheese cupcakes for the baby shower feast. I played around with a recipe from Rachel Ray, and then completely changed it. After making the mac n’ cheese, I realized just how much I loved the classic American childhood dish. However, I was also reminded by how unhealthy mac n’ cheese really is…The cupcake size portions were just perfect to completely enjoy it without guilt. You can find my green mac n’ cheese recipe here.
Mac n' Cheese baked in cupcake shells are perfect for portion size control and baby showers!
An organic-cotton bear for the baby to come.
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Caprese Salad Differently
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After having Nancy Silverton’s Mozza Caprese at Mario Batali’s Pizzeria Mozza’s, I just had to make it myself. Mozza caprese is just a salad of mozzarella, tomatoes, and fresh basil, drizzled with olive oil. It’s a simple, summertime staple in Italy and the colors (red, green, and white) represent the Italian flag, hence sometimes called insalate tricolore. This is my (quicker) interpretation of the salad, but can find Pizzeria Mozza’s authentic recipe here.
Estimate 2-3 tomatoes for each person.
Ingredients
1-2 small cluster of small or cherry tomatoes on the vine (5-6)
2 tbsp fresh basil pesto*
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, preferred mozzarella di bufala or burrata
1 1/2 tbsp good quality olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
fresh basil leaves for garnish
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Gently wash the tomatoes without breaking them from the vine and let dry for a couple of minutes. Brush tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange the tomatoes, with their vines intact, on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the skins begin to shrivel like a raisin but the tomatoes remain plump. Remove from the oven and let cool.
2. Drain the mozzarella from its water for 1/2 hour, by place it on a paper towel. Divide mozzarella balls in half, slicing the cheese crosswise about 1/4-inch thick. Arrange the cheese on a platter or two small serving plates. Spread 1 tablespoon of the pesto over each cheese portion.
3. With scissors, cut the vines of the tomatoes to create 2 portions with their vines intact, and arrange the tomatoes on top of the cheese. Drizzle with olive oil over each serving of tomatoes. Garnish with basil leaves and serve immediately. Careful, the tomatoes will be steaming hot!
- Slow roast the tomatoes in the oven for at least 2 hours
- Handle the tomatoes gently, making sure to leave the tomatoes intact with the vine
- Beautiful
- Arrgange cheese, pesto, and tomatoes on a serving plate. This presentation is sure to impress anyone.
- Careful when biting into a tomato, maybe steaming hot!
- Enjoy as an antipasti to a hearty Italian meal with a glass of wine.
- Mozza Caprese at Mario Batali’s Pizzeria Mozza
*When buying pre-made pesto, read the ingredient label carefully! There should be no added sugars and preservatives. Check with a local Italian deli. Ingredients in authentic pesto sauce are: pine nuts, garlic, basil, parsley, olive oil, Parmigiano-Reggiano/Parmesan cheese, lemon juice and salt.
**If you want to cook the tomatoes in a much shorter time, roast the tomatoes on medium heat in a cast iron pan for 10-15 minutes. The results will not be the same as slow roasting them in the oven, but works fine if you are pressed for time.
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