Tag Archives: cooking

Limeade

I make the most awesome green tea limeade (if I don’t say so myself).  Cool, refreshing, and perfect for Summer Solstice.

You’ll need:

  • a few teaspoons of jasmine green tea leaves,
  • one lime,
  • a couple quarts of hot water,
  • and some honey.

Directions:

  1. Brew the tea.
  2. Squeeze in the lime juice and drop in a couple of slices.
  3. Sweeten with honey according to your liking. Be sure to use real honey, not that vile corn syrup mixture crap disguised as such.
  4. Chill and enjoy.

 

Baked Chopped Liver

bakedchoppedliver

Baked Chopped Liver

1 large onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons schmaltz *(see note)
2 pounds chicken liver, rinsed
2 hard boiled eggs, diced
salt, pepper, paprika to taste

  1. Mix onion, oil, and schmaltz in a baking pan and bake in 380 degree (F) oven for 20 minutes or until soft.
  2. Give the onions a stir.
  3. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees (F).
  4. Layer chicken liver on top of onion and bake for 40 minutes.
  5. Take a potato masher and mash up the liver and onion.
  6. Mix in eggs. (I like a chunky texture. If you prefer a smoother texture, run it through the food processor.)
  7. Season to taste.
  8. Serve with matzo or on toast.

*Note:  Schmaltz is rendered chicken fat. You can either buy it at the supermarket or make it yourself. Head over to NY Times for the recipe.

When you want it relatively now

You come back from work and/or school. You’re exhausted and hungry. You’re sick and tired of Chinese takeouts, but you still want something wholesome and quick.

What if I told you there is such a dish that you can cook in four minutes? And you only need four ingredients? And the meal will cover the need for carbohydrates, vegetables, and protein? Behold the Four Minute Soba. Boom.

sobakimchi

FOUR MINUTE SOBA
(makes 1 serving)

80 grams soba noodles
50 grams mushrooms (brown beech, enoki, or white button)
70-80 grams kimchi
1-2 eggs (depending on how hungry you are)

1) Wash eggs well while waiting for water to boil.
2) Once boiling, put noodles, mushrooms, & eggs into the pot & cook for 4 minutes.
3) Drain and peel eggs.
4) Put noodles, mushrooms, eggs on plate and add kimchi.
5) Eat.

sobakimchi2

Egg tip: If you prefer a firmer less runny yolk, simply place them in a pot of cold water (after washing, of course) and bring to boil before adding the noodles and mushrooms.

A salad. Popeye approved.

chickpea spinach salad

Chickpea Spinach Salad with Radish Sprouts

Whisk together in a large bowl:

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced. (If you like garlic-perfumed breath, then by all means, add more cloves.)
  • juice of half a lime or lemon
  • couple tablespoons of olive oil
  • salt and pepper

Then toss in:

  • a handful or two of fresh spinach, chopped
  • 1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, as desired.
  • as much radish sprouts as you can handle; they have a spicy bite to them.

Eat and enjoy!

$29 Food Stamp Challenge – the recipes

Ohai.  I present three recipes with my #FoodBankNYCChallenge haul.

Baked Lentils

1 1/2 cup lentils
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
diced fresh tomatoes
1 teaspoon dal spice mix (more or less according to personal taste)

Wash and drain lentils first. Then mix everything in a casserole dish and cover with water by one inch.  Bake in a 350F oven for 40-55 minutes or until liquid is absorbed.  Stir half-way during the baking process.

Serve with rice, which you can prepare according to package directions.

I didn’t buy olive oil because its cost doesn’t fit into the $29 budget.  I wondered if it’s possible to roast vegetables without oil.  The internet says yes, it is so.  So here we go…

Dry Oven Roasted Bitter Gourd

Slice gourds in thick rounds, roughly 1 inch thick.
Season with a bit of salt.*
Arrange in pie plate.
Bake in 350F oven for 30 minutes.

*The Food Bank NYC Challenge Took Kit states that common spices (like salt) already in your pantry is okay to use.

No-cook oatmeal
This one is easy to put together.
Mix together equal parts raw rolled oats and almond milk in a bowl or mason jar.  Add in as much raisins as you like.  Let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.  In the morning, add in some sliced fruit (banana or apple) and eat.

Bread Pudding Recipe

Bread pudding

You’ll need:

one 14oz. can condensed milk.
vanilla extract, 1 tsp.
3-4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 ripe bananas, sliced into coins
handful of raisins
any stale bread you have lying around (I had half loaf of Italian sesame bread which resulted in a salty nutty/sweet flavor combo)
butter to grease baking dish

1. Grease baking dish with butter.
2. Cut bread into cubes.
3. Beat together condensed milk, vanilla, eggs and salt in bowl.
4. Arrange bread in baking dish in one layer, sprinkle some raisins, then layer on the bananas. Ladle some egg mixture over the first layer.
5. Repeat with another layer of bread, raisins and banana, and soak with the rest of egg mixture.
6. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes in a 350°F oven.

Variations:
Use any fresh fruit in season.
Any dried fruit besides raisins would work nicely.
Dashes of spice of choice: cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ground ginger.

Giant stuffed oddly-shapped chicken meatballs pretending to be Cordon Bleu

Yep, it’s exactly what it is.

So this is my take on the Chicken Cordon Bleu for someone who doesn’t feel like pounding chicken breasts or own a meat mallet.

Baked Cordon Bleu
Makes 4

stuff you will need

stuff you will need

  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 4 slices of beef salami (or pastrami)
  • 4 oz Havarti, Gruyere or Swiss cheese
  • 1/2 – 2/3 cup panko breadcrumbs plus 1/4 cup for coating (pre-seasoned or add your own spices)
  • 1 egg
  • salt & pepper
  1. Combine chicken, egg, bread crumbs, and seasonings in a bowl
  2. Wrap salami around the 1 oz slab of cheese.
  3. Now wrap the salami & cheese with the ground chicken and form into a cutlet shape.
  4. Coat the cutlets in some bread crumbs.
  5. Bake, uncovered, at 350°F for 35-45 minutes or until juices run clear.
  6. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before digging in.

cordon bleu finished

2 black bean salads

Because many people have asked for my black bean salad recipes. And I think these should reside on my own website other than a third party host. 😛

quinoa black bean salad with corn & avocado

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of corn, drained and rinsed
1 avocado, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, finely minced
couple teaspoons flax seeds
sesame oil, salt, and fresh ground pepper to taste
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water

Bring water and quinoa to a boil, cover, and simmer over low heat. Simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and mix in the rest of ingredients.

Kasha salad

Bring to boil 1 cup kasha in 2 cups water, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

Mix in:
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
1/2 or 1 whole medium red onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, diced
salt & pepper to taste
squeeze of 1 lime
splash of apple cider vinegar (optional)