Won-Ton-A-Mera!

Before

After

After, after

Last Friday I saw "My Week With Marilyn," a good movie with great acting that made me feel just, melancholy 

:(

(sigh)

So I was craving some comfort food, and yes, this usually includes massive amounts of pasta, But I went for the biggest bowl of won ton soup from PF Changs instead.
And while this is a fine establishment, I was quite dissapointed-the won tons were not fully cooked and the broth was tasteless.

And so, I decided this week to make some seriously satisfying Won Ton Soup.
I had planned on spending the evening in the kitchen Monday, but when I opened the package of ground veal for the won tons, a rank odor filled the kitchen and I quickly dumped the whole rotten thing.


And so, Tuesday was my day to create!

I started to make a bubbling broth of chicken bouillon, onion bouillon, and bay leaves.
Then I grated ginger and garlic

While the flavors came together, I mixed ground beef with soy sauce, lemon juice, rice vinegar, garlic powder, ground ginger, and an egg

And started making triangular parcels of meat with won ton wrappers


Every once in a while I added more ingredients to the soup-
Oyster mushrooms,
Baby Bok Choy (courtesy of the asian market in upper darby, H Mart, thanks for the introduction, Beardface) 


Then I added about 25 won tons to the soup and some scallions too


I seasoned the broth a bit with soy sauce


And it became a gorgeous, rich soup with tons of flavor and fulfilling components.


And then...I realized I had made far too many won tons!
I took the remaining 20 and greased 'em up too good with oil and threw them in the oven, baking them to a near burnt crisp!
Luckily, for the photo's sake, only one side was charred-
I made a dipping sauce of rice vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil, sriracha, garlic and ginger powder.

Despite some of the "burnies," it was still a quality side dish!
Mostly because the sauce was tangy and spicy and suited my palate perfectly.


Excellent meal for a rainy, gloomy Tuesday!

Okey Dokey Gnocchi

What a disaster experience
The dish nearly became "no-cchi"

When I first came home from India, I found myself a little lost in the culinary arts
I was so excited to finally be able to freely enjoy the kitchen after 2 months of being shooed away by Aachie, my Indian Grannie
(I did manage to get an ingredient list for her famous banana pancakes and also pongal, more to come on that at a later date...)

My first real attempt was a spicy indian eggplant parm-i forgot stewed tomatoes and I by accidently poured half the bottle of tumeric in there and then it was so thin so I added flour and my goodness-I somehow managed to save it, and it turned out pretty excellent actually-but i didnt take my new tolerance for spice into account-and my mama could barely eat it unless there was a huge glob of cheese along with each bite!


I found my stride however with a spicy roasted tomato soup with sharp chedder grilled cheese-
I finally felt at home


So when we had a Fakesgiving the Sunday before Thanksgiving, I was so excited to spend the whole day in the kitchen-

(and of course spend quality time with my fam, shout out to the bocks/madieros/robbins!)


I made carmelized onions and a bernaise sauce to go with the filet my padj brilliantly grilled on the Big Green Egg
Madj made crisp green beans with persimmon and green onion (sauteed in the oil from the carmelized onions, so sweet and light)


But my main project was Wheat, Sweet Potato Gnocchi 


It started out smooth and enjoyable-
Peeled the sweet potatoes, boiled them 'till tender
Then mixed together with whole milk ricotta cheese and a dash of cinnamon, salt, and pepper
1/2 cup by 1/2 cup I added the wheat flour until the consistency was manageable


Made many small, palm-full, balls of dough
Then rolled out each ball
sliced the dough into 1 inch pillows 
then rolled a fork over them to complete the process


This portion: the rolling, slicing, and forking-took forever
FOREVERR
I mean, it took Michelangelo quicker to complete the Sistine Chapel 
(Not a true statement, but I'm getting my point across here)


When I had done this whole business, I placed them in a big blue bowl to be transferred to a boiling pot of salted water to cook for 5 ish minutes-


And when I went to place my first batch inside, Tragedy Struck!


All the little dumplings had melded together into one!


SO MUCH TIME WASTED


And if you know me at all, I am efficient with my time.


UHHH


So I started over


But not before I managed to pluck a few lucky gnocchis to start cooking, maybe a third of the whole batch


I took a break from the whole rolling and slicing, for the second time, after about 5 minutes to taste a gnocchi
It was horrendous
Slimy
Definately not ready


10 minutes passed-but it was even slimier! Gross!


But after 15 and there was no change, I took out this first batch and put 'em in a strainer because they were gushy and weird
And then all them stuck together into one big blob!

Tragedy Number Two!

It was repulsive, I wanted to dump them immediately
But I cant stand wasting food, 
So I kept them out, no real goal in mind-
Other than mourning all the time and ingredients I had wasted

(sad face)


But then from there, and with the addition of more flour
The rest turned out well

(very happy face)


And then I made a brown butter sage sauce
(butter and sage, then I added a bit of cinnamon, salt and pepper)


And WOW


How did I manage to salvage this meal? I will never understand


But it was a hit

And I'm being modest-


I can't wait to wake up tomorrow and eat the leftovers for a nutricious and filling breakfast.

Top of the Mornin' India

Shepherd's pie is a traditional dish that has been made for over 2 hundred years by cooking chopped lamb or mutton with gravy and topped with mashed potatoes


The family took a trip when I was 11 to England and rented a van to travel up to Scotland.
In London, I was dazzled by Sherlock Holmes' house, the wax figures at Madame Toussaud's, the expansiveness of Big Ben, the feeling of history in the Globe Theatre
I remember we so lavishly dined at Johnny Rockets before seeing Mama Mia-I sang/listened Abba and only Abba for months-
On our UK roadtrip- Mimi taught me how to knit-

One night between London and Edinburgh, in a small, dark, greenish restaurant, I ordered Shepherd's Pie.  I remember mom first being worried i wouldn't like it-then she quickly remembered who i was.


it was soft and heavy-but felt good in my belly.
but unfortunately, i dont remember it being all that flavorful

This shepherd's pie is rather unlike the above description.

For-its vegetarian, uses Indian spices, and there are no mashed potatoes.

You ask, "Is this really a Shepherd's pie then?"

I still say, yes.

I've actually been making this dish in my head for a long while-
A rather unusual process for me-
But I have been pondering combining these two very traditional cultures in 1 pyrex, trying to make it something spectacular
I've been looking forward to it
I waited till I had several hours to prepare it, enjoy it, ect.
This opportunity rarely arises-
But one Sunday afternoon when I finally had a little time to do nothing-i realized i couldn't just do nothing! I would finally make my Shephard's Pie!  

it was rather simple-
I slowly roasted my vegetables-eggplant, italian baby squash, sweet onion, brown button mushrooms-with turmeric, sweet/hot paprika, cumin, coriander, mustard
I cooked garbanzos with just a pinch of salt-and since the food processor died :( i mashed them by hand with a ton of mint and just a bit of greek yogurt


Veg first, Mashed beans on top-
And into the oven


It was a perfect combination-
the spicy, almost over seasoned vegetables exploding with indian flavor-
mashed with the cool, refreshing minty beans 


What a Balance
How zen 


I tried to eat only half and leave some for my roommate or someone to try and revel in my genius skills-
I really tried!
But i couldn't help myself-
I ate it all up :)

I Do Like Green Eggs (No Ham)

So there was nothing particularly special about this day's lunch.
But I wanted to share this meal with you because 
1) It tasted spectacularly
2) I found a use for edamame hummus!

I bought a container of edamame hummus 
I was intrigued 
Would it have the same bite that a garbanzo bean possesses?
Would it have that acidic tang?
Would it be weird to eat edamame with edamame hummus?
All these questions, I needed answers.


I was excited when I first came home from class the following day, needing a little snack-
I cut up some cucumber slices and took out some sliced turkey-and sat down in front of the TV with my dipping utensils and the edamame hummus.
I slowly removed the plastic from the container-
this strange smell erupted in my nose
I tasted it...
And it tasted disgusting.
It did not agree with my tastebuds...

So I put it back in the fridge because I couldnt manage to trash it-there's nothing I dislike more than wasting food


And then this day for lunch.
I had a pretty basic egg scramble

1) Collard greens (I have never bought fresh collard greens before, what attractive, big, green leaves-and ive noticed how vivid green the leaf remains even after heat has been applied for some time)


2) Italian baby squash (I admit-when I bought this package of vegetables, i immediately thought it was okra and went on my way...it wasnt till i made this scramble that i realized what an illiterate fool i am) (a note on baby squash: they're adorable! and taste just like normal zucchini except they dont get as mushy)


3) Oyster mushrooms- a graceful and delicate Pleurotus ostreatus

But i needed something-and so...


4) edamame hummus!


It raised the dish up to a new level entirely!


The scramble was so creamy

Like velvet

and wildly healthy

Sunny Side Up Salad

I have come into the habit of buying a sammie from the coffee cart at school.  
Now, these are actually pretty tasty-
But I've decided I need to start utilizing my groceries before dinner again


I didn't have a whole heck of a lot of time-less than an hour to make lunch, eat lunch, and drive to my DAT session-
So nothing too complex here


The apartment building gave us breakfast on the go that morning, and so I grabbed an orange for later, not knowing it would be a integral ingredient in my lunch...


A Simple Orange, Asparagus, Egg, Spinach Salad:


I made the asparagus nice and tender on the stove with a little salt and some white wine-the asparagus was this beautiful hunky veg-i was so pleased with it


I laid the asparagus on the bed of spinach along with orange pieces-

I sprinkled the salad with ChiaLife-
A friend (KB!) introduced me to ChiaLife in the fall when I was having way too much fun with my new juicer to add a bit more protein to my beverages
They're these little seeds, lookin like a poppy, that are a great source of fiber, Omega-3, antioxidants, are gluten-free without preservatives, and claim to be a higher quality of protein than soy.
It is also known to promote neurological and cardiovascular function-
I am in GOOD shape here

I also fried some eggs sunny side up to brighten the partly-cloudy day

and made a dressing out of the remaining orange: 
Sour cream (STILL had some left over, had to use it up), dijon mustard, orange juice, salt, pepper, oil 

and YUMM
SO refreshing and gave me the energy to pack a years worth of organic chemistry in 1 DAT session :)

Let's Rock and Cassa-Role

Pre-bake

Whyy are cauliflower bunches so large? 

I still had so much left over cauliflower after the big Top Chef Chowdown and really, not much else-except half a Texas sweet onion, half a purple onion, some sour cream, spinach, veggie shreds, asparagus, eggs, and some thyme

And so, instead of going to the grocery store, I did what any resourceful (lazy) individual would do
I decided to make a casserole 


The idea of a casserole has been on my mind because even though the weather outside is delightful (synonymous with eating nice, light meals) - i still desire something hearty and filling to get me through the studying-day


People may associate casseroles with unsophistication and domesticated women who would make a 1 pot, no fuss meal consisting of boring ingredients
and put cheese/breadcrumbs on top to mask its blandness 

Ridiculuous.  That's absurd. Who thinks like that?


A casserole is a wonderful dish-
It allows you to combine different tastes and textures, all in one scoop!


And is an excellent solution to left overs :) 


Cheesy-Cheese-Less-Cauliflower-Casserole


Step one:
Chopped and caramelized the 2 different onions for a very long time in some salt and sugar
when they were nearly done i added some garlic powder and oregano for a little something extra-then i added sour cream, thyme, a little salt, and Veggie Shreds


Veggie Shreds are pretty cool-
It is a soy-based product with no cholesterol, very little fat (certainly no trans fat), some salt and protein...and it's a cheese substitute. 
Oh i know you are skeptical!
But the mozarella flavor is real good-
and last year, I made a quiche using only Veggie Shreds-
it was a huge hit-
nobody could tell it was cheese-free! 
And everybody was thrilled to hear how darn healthy it was-


Step 2:
Steamed the cauliflower and chopped it up real nice


Step 3:
Combined it all together with some more VegShreds, chopped spinach, and some white wine into the mini casserole dish


Step 4:
Baked in the oven


Step 5:
Enjoyed.

delicious-light, but filling-it tasted frenchy...and strangely reminded me of fondue

with each bite, i was immediately transported to those precious times my family would make the 45 minute trip to the Melting Pot as a young, hungry child (this was way before they put one in KOP)
those were good times.
and that was one simple and sophisticated tasting meal.

hours later, the apartment still lingers with the aromas of the casserole-and i feel satisfied.

Feelin' Hunggggarian

If you talk to me for ehh, 7 minutes-Hungary/abroad is bound to come up
It's been over a year-and yes, I know I shouldn't still be this excited and obsessed
But the country charmed me
I am under some kind of Hungarian Spell 
Love Potion Number Kilenc 


And i'm lucky that 4 other DU kids went on my 20 person CIEE program (dominateddd)
and that we all love each other and get together for good food and good reminiscing 


While I usually make Lesco (pronounced Let-cho), i decided to change it up a bit


Atypical Hungarian Stuffed Cabbage 

Filling:
First I did make a pretty traditional Lesco-
but i fried up the sweet Texas onions in veg oil and salt and a ton of paprika paste (piros arany, it is literally a paste that comes in a tube and has unreal flavor, and i use it in nearly everything i make, and even sometimes just with raw vegetables for snacking, and sometimes i add a bit to greek yogurt for breakfast-dont make fun of me-its awesome.) 
when i was being a bit overzealous with the paprika paste, some squirted onto my shirt-and i looked later and the paste is so serious my belly was stained orange! hahah i laughed out loud  
so i added 2 green peppers/2 yellow peppers chopped real small
there is no equivalent to the flavor that a Hungarian paprika pepper has-but ive experimented a great deal-and i think half green half yellow works alright
Stewed, for a long time-i really wanted the peppers to sing
then some bouillon, some salt, some lemon, some sweet (edes) paprika
Stewed, for a long time-layering flavors
Then i added ground turkey-some more salt, Maggi, more edes paprika, and sour cream (which is a first for me-but it added a nice tangy flavor)
And let everything meld together, layer, for another while


Stuffing the cabbage:
I steamed some cabbage to make them flexible and easy to work with, took the leaves piece by piece and added a spoonful of filling-wrapped up it up, and placed it back into the pot-and then i kept the pot on low heat to allow the flavors to develop even more


And there you go-
Neat and tight packages of Hungarian Love

There's Something About Noodles

There is something about lately that has made me in the mood for noodles-
Not only do i love saying the word noodles (what a jolly, silly word, nooooodles)
but theyre comforting, and fun to twirl around your fork

That night, i couldn't have a huge, stuffing meal and fall into a food coma, like i so love to do-
i needed to stay focused-get some real studying done later on


When I was strolling through the Safeway I spotted the Soyrizo-I had just watched a Hungry Girl video a few days ago where she used soy-chorizo in a healthy, mexican pizza
And so, Dinner was Born:


Cabbage Noodles with Soyrizo Bolognese


Saucy:
Carmelized onions with paprika paste/salt
Big can of tomatoes in basil, fresh sage and thyme, chicken bouillon, 2:1 sweet(edes):hot (eros) Hungarian paprika, lemon, Maggi, salt, and soyrizo


Cabbage Noodles:
I used savoy cabbage to add a bit more texta-
and simply took a leaf and sliced it long-ways to produce a ton of long, slender cabbage noodles and added them to the pot-where everything continued to stew 


When the noodles went nice and limp, i dove on in!


It was a crafty dish-
and yea
it tasted damn good.

Making Tom, Gail, and Padma Proud

So when people ask me about my view of reality tv-which obviously happens often due to my "television afficionado" status-my immediate, jerk reaction, is a disgusted face.

HOWEVER-

i think some reality tv is kinda incredible 
i used to obsess over American Idol (shout out to halls 5 south)
I am in a serious relationship with the cooking channel
not to offend my first love, the food network
and of course the travel channel 
But, there is something special about Bravo.
I feel like Bravo revolutionized reality television into not only something incredibly entertaining, but educational-and starred people that are relatable and lovable-
andd produced the show that reigns supreme over any other, TOP CHEF


So to make an event out of this season's finale-my rooms suggested we make dinner from the Top Chef Cookbook (and of course Annie is as devoted as I am, and made the finest decision to buy the cookbook)

Casey and Dale's Turkey and Pork Meatballs with Orecchiette Pasta and Spinach-Almond Pesto

So,
I watch recipes being prepared
I read recipes in magazines, online, various cook books
But even when i was first starting out...
Neverrrr did i follow a recipe.
They're wonderful for inspiration-but to follow one?
You see, cooking is a creative outlet for me-
i combine new and interesting flavors and textures in different ways-its my favorite activity, my release-and following a recipe would contradict all that i love about cooking
(Oy-this makes me sound like such a snob, huh?)


BUT, I really respect Casey and Dale
SO I reallyyy tried to follow their directions!


For the Meatballs:
Ground turkey, ground pork, garlic powder, parm, beadcrumbs, some softened minced onions, parsley, fresh oregano, white wine, lemon zest (which was a serious feat without having an actual grater, i used the edge of a sharp serrated knife), egg, salt
fried 'em up in some oil in batches and set on a paper towel 


Pasta:
normal and al dente, drained and set aside


Vegetables:
cauliflower, artichoke hearts-i left out the baby carrots because uuhhh i dont like them all cooked, and i added some broccoli stem too-just sauteed in some wine wine and a little salt and peppa


Spinach Almond Pesto:
Chopped the spinach, garlic powder, sliced almonds, parm, lemon juice, veg oil, and my own addition-carmelized onions-
but something inexplicable happened to the food processor! i dont know whats wrong-
So, my super duper amazing next door neighbors and friends AMANDA and JORDAN let me use their magic bullet-
and i did it in batches-and it worked perrrfectly! that little bullet is truly magical.


mixed everything up in a big pot


finished in exemplary time, right as the finale began


That night, i had some seriously scrumptious pasta, lovely company/conversation during commercials...but what was most satisfying? RICHARD WON! Love you Richie, you clever, whimsical chef, you have finally gained The Title...of...TOP CHEF

The Master of Disguise

 

What do you see in these (poorly taken) pictures?

Nope, this is not a simple question, it is a riddle.


Noodles you say? Noodles?!?


How wrong you are! 


You give up?


It's Shirataki silly goose!

Tofu Shirataki, a revelation.
It comes in three varieties: spaghetti, fettuccine, and angel hair-which is the best because its thin noodles actually embody the same texture of a true pasta, opposed to the other two, which have a weird elastic quality...
It is composed of tofu and a type of yam (Konnyaku)
It's gluten-free, diary-free, sugar-free, free of cholesterol, is low carb, low cal, and even has calcium.
It is Genius.


To cook the noodles:
Boiled in a pot of salted water and drained...


Sauteed the shiitakes (using pam and some fresh thyme)
I had a TON of leftover lemony-thyme-coconut broth from the fishy dish-
so i heated up a good amount in a soup pot, added the noodles, mushrooms, some tangy, but light sliced yellow tomatoes, and baby spinach.
waited just a few for the greens to wilt, and feasted.


How long did this lovely meal take?
MAYBE 10 minutes. 
i utilized leftovers and still managed to create a something that felt fresh and dynamic.
My Goodness, Robin Miller would be proud :) 

Chilean Out

I've started to drink more and more coconut water- 
1) because it comes in this killer, gigantic can 
and 2) because it is crazy refreshing, hydrating, energizing, has just a hint of something sweet (but theres no added sugar), and i guess, puts me in an exotic mood


After my DAT session, which certainly allowed me to work up an appetite-i went over to the sunflower market and bought my first piece of raw fish here in denver, Chilean sea bass, and i decided to have a medley of veg-brown button mushrooms, broccoli, and red onions in a coconut-lemon-thyme broth.

There was one time last summer where i was fortunate to find these luscious, purple japanese eggplants (at the opening of the newest wegmans)- i knew id do a curry (i also bought several varieties of currys there too)- 
i love to add greek yogurt to currys becuase it adds a tangy flavor and a creamy texture-
BUT i completely ruined those gorgeous eggplants because the pot was far too hot and when i added to yogurt-it curdled into this fibrous, rough cheese. grrrooossssssss
and very sad.

Therefore, i have been hesitant to add yogurt since


and while i am not working with yogurt in this dish, i was still working with coconut milk, a creamy, white product, and so, as they repeat constantly on top chef-i was taking a risk


For the broth:
i turned the range onto low heat and added the coconut milk, a ton of thyme, water, lemon juice, a little chicken bouillon, and salt-i let the flavors stew and meld together for ages


For the veg:
i simply chopped-added to onions to the skillet first (which had been Pammed) with some salt and thyme until slightly softened (i want them to still have a bit of a bite to 'em)
then added the broc and mushrooms with just a smidge of lemon juice and salt


For the fish:
what made me do this> i havent a clue-
but i poached the fillet in the broth and then used the veg skillet to get a crispy bottom


Ladeled the broth down in the bowl, then the fish, the veg around 
And devoured it
  

Dumplings Italiano!

Now these dumplings were pretty spectacular. 

Over the summer I watched Everyday Exotic host Roger Mooking create lovely little raviolis using egg roll wrappers (or maybe it was won ton papers, I'm not positive).  There was no fuss over making, waiting, or rolling out dough.  He simply stuffed 'em and blanched them in some salted water.  I was certainly inspired.  

When I returned to school after break, I made a new spring resolution: to actually cook.  One of the reasons why I don't go completely nuts when I go home is because I get to really spend quality time with my (family's) kitchen: my stocked pantry, my cool, spacious refrigerator, my drawers of diverse pots/pans, my hot range, and my best friend, the spice cabinet.  One deep breathe, and I am totally content.  But at school, who has the time to conceive a meal, shop for said meal, cook said meal, and eat/enjoy said meal?  

MuhHahaha I do now.

That's right-no more just buying the basic vegetables, deli turkey, hummus (well I keep buying that too, for snacking of course) 

I am done with cookin' up a quick egg scramble (I don't really mean that egg scramble, you are oh so delicious)

And this silly blog will be my proof of my improved dining lifestyle.  

These delectable dumplings were my first Denver Culinary Feat.

Inside:

Ground turkey, lots of fresh sage, fresh basil, a little parsley, red onions, a few shakes of Maggi (honestly, I have not a clue what this is, but when I went to Krakow one weekend abroad it was served with the perogies, I became immediately obsessed and bought a bottle in a market right there), salt, and some lemon juice- 

Then I simply laid out my lovely squares of won ton wrapper-scooped a small spoonful of filling-spread some egg wash around it, placed another wrapper on top-and squished it all together (using these wrappers cut out so much unnecessary fat)

I blanched them in some chicken stock (I use chicken stock in nearly everything, and rarely use water-here, it's low sodium but still adds loads of flavor to my dumplings)

For my pesto:

Basil, salt, pepper, garlic, lemon, pecorino, vegetable oil (I made a hot pesto, so of course I used veg oil-if I had used olive oil, yeah maybe I would have gotten a slightly richer flavor, but I also would have chemically altered the bonds within the oil to trans fats.  which are the devil. take note, would you-do not heat up olive oil.) I also melted down some left over red onions to be incorporated in the saucyness. 

And my god. A beautiful meal.  I felt so fresh and satisfied after eating a massive amount-stopping myself from finishing the whole batch was a serious struggle.