80 Breakfasts

Breakfast #22: Risotto Patty with Prosciutto and Egg and Pesto

2008-07-17T11:45:00.005+08:00

I am the world’s lousiest recipe name giver.

When I think about food there is always a fantastical backdrop, the stage is littered with metaphor and simile, and sometimes reckless exaggeration trips the actors up (although they don’t mind). The colors are vibrant or soft, the textures play tricks on my tongue, the smells bring me backwards or forwards in time, and the flavours...they make me see stars, and other worlds, and limitless possibilities, and sometimes if I’m lucky, a bright green fairy that grants three wishes. This is what’s in my heads and under my skin when I think of food.

When I write this all down and have it sorted into a recipe, the fanfare suddenly quiets. I have successfully captured all the essentials to be able to repeat the experience, but none of the tra-la-la is left for the recipe’s name.

Which is why it reads like a list of ingredients instead of something more exciting.

This could have been:

Italian Eggs Benedict (which was really my peg and inspiration for this breakfast)
Arancini con Prosciutto e l'uovo (I could have gone down the fancy foreign language path – since I am irrationally attracted to recipe names that I don’t understand anyway)
What to do with Leftover Risotto Breakfast (Explanatory title)
I’m too Lazy to make real Arancini (really, deep frying is such work...especially for breakfast...especially for leftovers)
ChichaJo’s Breakfast Special (um, one of those titles that say nothing really about the dish itself...until I reach my magnum opus this will never happen...perhaps not even then)

I guess I just don’t like titles.

Risotto Patty with Prosciutto and Egg and Pesto

1/2 cup leftover risotto
2-3 tablespoons breadcrumbs
Olive oil
3 slice prosciutto
1 egg
1 tablespoon pesto

- Form the risotto into a patty. I like to pack it into the measuring cup as it comes out formed into a nice uniform shape that I just have to flatten a bit. Coat this all over in the breadcrumbs. Keep it in the fridge until you are ready to fry it.
- Prepare your pesto. I use my basic recipe for basil pesto, substituting the pili nuts for pine nuts and almonds. In truth, I just stick (more or less) to the quantities and use any herb/nut combination I want, many times using the pesto as a final resting place for little bits of nuts and herbs! Store in a jar (tightly covered and in the fridge) with a thin film of olive oil to cover the top surface of the pesto.
- Bring a saucepan of water, with a small glug of vinegar, to a rapid simmer.
- While you are waiting for your water to simmer, heat oil in a skillet. Once oil is hot lay risotto patty in the pan and fry until the bottom is golden. Flip patty and fry until the other side is golden and has developed a nice crust. Set aside.
- When the water in the saucepan has reached a rapid simmer, it’s time to poach your egg. Say a prayer (this is how I poach eggs). Crack the egg into a small bowl. With a wooden spoon make a little whirlpool in the water. Now gently (gently!) slip egg into the center of the whirlpool. Don’t freak out as alien strings of egg white churn wildly in the water. I’ll keep my egg in there for about 2 minutes (you can keep it in for more – whites should be firm and yolks done to your liking). Turn off the heat and gently (gently!) pick up egg with a slotted spoon. Brush off alien egg white strings and pat excess water off with a paper towel (Sorry Earth!).
- Arrange prosciutto slices on risotto patty. Top with egg and pesto.

These are the quantities that will serve one – you can multiply it all you want to make a breakfast for two or a brunch for 12. Despite my longish explanations above (I just wanted to be thorough), it is very simple to make and can easily be put together in the morning. You can shape and coat the risotto patty the night before and the pesto can be prepared in advance as well.

Suffice to say I have an inordinate amount of leftover risotto lying around so I will be making more of these patties. They are a bit simpler to prepare and cook than arancini (which is another reason why I dare not call them so) and can be served with many things. Try them as a side for meat or fish...or make smaller patties and place them in a salad. I think mini-patties topped with a smidgen of pesto or salsa verde would make a great appetizer.

I love Eggs Benedict but this has definitely given it a run for its money among my list of breakfast favorites. The combination of creamy risotto and salty prosciutto, bound with the richness of a runny egg yolk and punctuated by the zesty pesto is definitely worthy of a title to match any Italian aria...too bad I'm the one writing the recipe. I guess the food will have to speak for itself. Which is actually the way I prefer it :)

Salsa Verde

2008-07-12T15:39:00.003+08:00

Going green...everyone seems to be heading in that direction. And a good thing too. Our little planet is straining a little more everyday under the pressure of the zillions of children (that would be us) she holds to her bosom. We use her gifts with no regard to what’s left in the larder. We clutter our playrooms with our toys and forget to pick up. We play mad scientist while the fumes from our experiments burn holes in the umbrella she holds up to protect us. Naughty, naughty children.

Slowly but ever so surely though, we are wizening up. All heads are unquestionably turning towards the one common goal of helping Mother Earth. Awareness, resources, and necessity are at different levels in different places -- so the pace of change is sometimes slow, sometimes fast -- but change is undeniably in the air. We are picking up after ourselves. We recycle. We lug our own bags to the grocery. We compost. We try to educate ourselves. We try to consume less and waste less.

We dream of a sustainable pig farm...ok, that’s just me. Anyways.

I am not a green goddess by any stretch of the imagination...the Earth has her own bone (or two) to pick with me. I use more than my fair share of paper (I love stationary and notepads...and paper towels). Ziplock and I are inseparable. I use too much dishwashing liquid and love to keep a plate under a stream of running water until I am 500% sure that there isn’t a trace of soap left. I smoke (oh wow. True confessions!).

On the upside, I do lug my own bags to market (I even have one for wine bottles!). I recycle as much paper as I can (not the paper towels). I try to support enterprises that are working towards this same goal (looking for locally-made Earth-friendly cleaning products? See here! They smell fabulous too!). So I hope I am not that errant of a child.

But just in case...here’s a small, green bit of deliciousness in her honor...

Salsa Verde
(adapted from Donna Hay Magazine issue 23, page 70)

1/2 cup dill leaves
1 cup flat leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup mint leaves
1 tablespoon capers in brine, drained (original recipe had 2 tablespoons salted capers, rinsed, but I can’t find any here)
1-2 anchovy fillets (original recipe had 4 fillets, optional, but the anchovies I had were salty enough)
1 garlic clove
Cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil

- Place the dill, parsley, mint, capers, anchovies, garlic, and pepper in the bowl of a food processor and process in short bursts until roughly chopped.
- Add lemon juice and olive oil and pulse a few times until just combined.

There are many versions of this herb sauce out there – Mexican (which would have things like tomatillos and jalapenos in it and is usually thinner/smoother in texture), French (sauce verte), Italian (gremolata is just one famous example), and German (Grüne Soße). This roughly chopped version I’ve made seems closest to Italian in origin.

I loved the chunkiness of this version along with its incredibly crisp and leafy flavour -- robust and clean at the same time. It goes amazingly well with fish...especially fish that is both fatty and flavourful like salmon. I also added it to some deviled eggs – yum! I imagine there must be heaps of other ways to use this as it is delicious!

I realize that that (up top) was quite a long-winded and perhaps a bit way-off introduction to a salsa verde recipe, but both in appearance and in taste, this was so brilliantly green and fresh and bright that it did turn my daydreams towards a world that could be the same way. Plus, everything in this gorgeous sauce is really a gift from a planet filled with life. And besides, anytime is the right time to talk about going green and saving the Earth :)

Banana Bread with Streusel Nut Topping

2008-07-09T10:04:00.003+08:00

One more time...with streusel!

I know what you are thinking. I am a blog-post repeater. I could tell you that the rotting bananas were causing such a scene that People Asia was knocking down my door demanding to know what the smell was. I could tell you that oh no, I haven’t posted about banana bead before, nor banana muffins, oh no not me. I could tell you that this isn’t banana bread at all...but that would be a lie. And a shame too because then I wouldn’t get to tell you about the streusel.

Yes! That burnished blanket of crumble and nuts that is valiantly trying to disguise my blog-post-repeater-ness. It’s a wonder what the right accessories can do!

I love the humble banana bread, and in all likelihood this isn’t going to be the last time you see it on this blog is one form or another (eep!). I can’t help it! And I can’t say that I feel totally to blame for it either. I mean, I’ve already got one go-to recipe that has served me well, but food bloggers everywhere just keep coming up with more and more convincing classics and enticing variations! How can I resist?

Maybe I should just make a separate category for my banana bread exploits? Hmmm...

Anyway, enough chatter and on to the streusel! I had bookmarked the recipe way back when from my good friend Christine’s blog, Ramblings From a Gypsy Soul. I had been meaning to try her definitive banana bread recipe, but when my bananas were on the brink and ready for cake there were only 3 left. I used this recipe from Elise of Simply Recipes that I have used before. It uses 3-4 bananas and makes one loaf so it was perfect. Because I was making only one loaf I halved Christine’s streusel recipe.

This mixture of flour, sugar, butter, and walnuts is deceptively simple but high on deliciousness. It adds a sweet crunch and moist chew that is ideal...especially as I am a firm believer in walnuts in banana bread, even if making this for my brother always involved forgoing the nuts. Plus, it makes your banana bread look gorgeous! It came out of the oven looking transformed by its high golden crown of goodness. You know what I’m talking about...this is the same glow you get toting that fabulous bag on your elbow, or feeling the swish on those new drop earrings on your shoulders...the right accessories can do that.

This domestic-goddess look that the streusel gives goes over very well with friends. My best friend K gave a heartfelt, “Oooh! That looks so nice!”, when she saw it...and after tasting it complained that there was “too much cake”. A better testament to a streusel topping I have yet to hear :)

If you are in search of a quick pick-me-up, accessories can do the job – go put streusel on your banana bread...or buy some pretty earrings! Good accessories are the saving grace for both blog-post-repeaters and outfit-repeaters! ;)

Chori-Gamba Pasta

2008-07-04T10:47:00.004+08:00

We all have our favoured pasta sauce camp. There is the cream sauce camp. The tomato-based camp. And the olive oil-based camp. Although I am mostly an equal opportunity pasta enjoyer, I pretty much stand with the olive oil-based sauce camp (greedily taking butter-based and pesto-based in with me as “sub-camps”). C meanwhile is steadfastly entrenched in the tomato-based camp...a pasta sauce monogamist.

Now, we all know that marriage is about give and take, about finding compromises and happy mediums. People talk of the “big commitment”, and the “big decisions”, and the “big changes”, and yes, that is all definitely important and should be given a good amount of thought. But don’t ignore the small things. Not even the itty, bitty, tiny things. Oh no. These are important as well. Teeny tiny bits swept under a rug grow into nasty creatures I tell you.

So in the spirit of compromise amongst the little things, I put together this pasta dish. Pairing chorizo and gambas in pasta in not that novel an idea over here, but it’s usually done as an oil-based sauce, not a tomato-based one. I added the tomato thinking to make a version more to C’s liking (although chorizo and gambas is already much to C’s liking...and mine!) and ended up loving it myself!

Pay attention to the little things. They can lead to the most delicious resolutions.

Our Chori-Gamba Pasta Sauce

Olive oil
150 grams shrimp (weight peeled without heads and tails)
130-150 grams chorizo for cooking (your favourite type), taken out of its casings
1 medium white onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, finely chopped (this is supposed to be garlicky but feel free to reduce the number)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley, leaves and stems
A glug of red wine (about 1/8 cup)
A scant 1/2 teaspoon pimentón de la vera
1/4 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
1 400-gram can crushed/chopped tomatoes
A small handful of basil leaves
Freshly ground black pepper and salt

- Sprinkle shrimp with some salt.
- Heat olive oil in a saucepan. When hot add garlic, onions, parsley, and chilli and sauté until onions are soft.
- Add shrimp, pimentón, and pepper. Toss lightly until shrimps are just colored then remove shrimps (leaving everything else) from pan and set aside. Do not over-cook the shrimps!
- Add chorizo to the pan and sauté (making sure to de-clump the meat) until cooked. De-glaze the pan with wine.
- Add the tomatoes and simmer until think and pulpy. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Remove from the heat and stir through shrimp and basil.
- Serves 2. We prepare 200-250 grams (uncooked weight) spaghetti or linguini noodles for this.

The tomatoes make this dish less oily-feeling than the tomato-less version and the greens give it a sharp, bright flavour that brilliantly cuts through that richness of the chorizo and the pungency of the garlic. I use all the parsley, leaves and stem. Parsley stems are so underutilized! I never throw them away. The chopped up stems can be used in sautés (add them with the onion and garlic – they give a nice bright “green” punch) and the whole stems in stocks. Freeze them if you’re not using them immediately. If I don’t have parsley, I have also used gotu kola stems in this recipe and they worked fine.

I still make oil and pesto based pastas (of course!), but usually for lunch, when C is at the office. I’ll sometimes spring one on him, and he’ll give the requisite MMM although I can tell that it’s different from his tomato-sauce MMM (or his adobo MMM). But that’s fine. Give and take can taste good with a little creativity :)

This pasta’s for you C! There is more where this came from so watch out...I’m planning to get a lot more MMM’s out of you yet! :) There is no one else I’d rather be give-and-taking with! Happy birthday!!!

Zucchini with Toasted Almonds

2008-07-01T09:48:00.003+08:00

Now, I’m not going to go off on some philosophical tangent here, but there is something really so perfect about a pair. Yin and Yang, night and day, Fred and Ginger, coffee and donuts, Harold and Kumar, strawberries and champagne. Two things that go together so well that the sum is altogether a different creature from the parts, something more, something better. It really is quite mysterious and beautiful how the one can reach across the void to the other and find a match so unquestionably right.

Ok, I have no idea where that came from. Most probably from the vestiges of my sub-consciousness...you see I’m still in my pyjamas and halfway through my coffee so I can't really be held responsible for these pre-coffee thoughts. In any case, a perfect pair is a pretty magical thing, in life and in food.

(and then you have chocolate...which can go and take over the universe all by its little self...but that would be for another post...)

I love two-ingredient recipes that work. When two ingredients complement each other so brilliantly that you feel like you’ve just struck gold – these are precious moments in gastronomy. Even if everyone yawns at your happiness with a bored “been there, done that”, you still can’t help but marvel at your luck. Of course, there is also the small factor of ease of preparation...and clean-up :) In these hectic times not something to be discounted!

This perfect pairing is brought to us by Deb of Smitten Kitchen, whose photos are as luscious as her writing. Really dangerous stuff on an empty stomach. Lots of recipes bookmarked from her you can be sure, but (surprise!) it’s the easiest one that gets test driven first.

The recipe is enticingly simple – you toast some slivered almonds in a pan with some oil. When it’s all nice and tan, toss in a bunch of zucchini matchsticks and cook for just a minute. Season with salt and pepper and enjoy immediately. You can find Deb’s original recipe here.

Oh the beauty of it!

Simple, delicious, elegant, vibrant. A perfect pair.

Lots of work to do today. Plus errands. Plus dinner. Plus brainstorming for a small but exciting new project. And miles to go before I sleep. I think it’s time to get out of these pyjamas.

No-Knead Bread: round 1

2008-06-27T11:19:00.005+08:00

Finally! After much hemming and hawing and expert procrastination, I have finally made the famous (infamous) No-Knead Bread! Yes, the very yeasty monster that so many have tried before, most raving about the results. Mark Bittman, a writer for the New York Times, featured the recipe of Jim Lahey, a breadmaker from the Sullivan St. Bakery in New York. What makes the recipe special is that it involves no kneading (yes, as the name suggest, I know) and a long (12-20 hours) rest period. But of course, you already knew that seeing as to how I am probably the last to attempt this.

As you can imagine of a recipe that effectively nixes what is seen to be the most onerous part of bread-making, it took off like a rocket and spread like wildfire. Everyone tried it. It was simple, it was easy, you could do it with one hand! And best of all, it worked. People who had never made bread before were turning out boules straight out of a Montmartre boulangerie. I had to have a piece of the action.

Two things though: First, I actually like kneading. It relaxes me tremendously and, along with shopping, is my only form of exercise. Second, I am, if you haven’t yet figured out, a horrible procrastinator. If you are one too, then you know how it can be – rationalization and avoidance are our weapons.

I don’t have a Le Creuset/enamel/cast iron pot! (the vessel where you are to bake the bread) That was my common refrain (excuse). My friend M (Bond isn’t the only one with an M you know) quickly laid that doubt to rest as she made her No-Knead Bread in a crockpot bowl covered with a ceramic plate in a turbo broiler. Yes, I know she rocks. It was soon a moot point though because I bought two cast iron faux creusets (my wallet is not yet ready to spring for the Patek Philippe of enamel/cast iron French/Dutch ovens) in IKEA during a trip to Hong Kong. So no more excuses.

And if I still was the least bit hesitant this post totally won me over. There are more no-knead blog posts out there then you can shake a stick at, but if you need to be convinced to make this bread right now, just take a look at this. I love Jaden of Steamy Kitchen – love her recipes and her story-telling – but most of all I love her two adorable sons! Technically, it wasn’t Jaden that convinced me to get my tush in the kitchen and bake this bread...it was Andrew. See him in action...you won’t be sorry :)

So! Faux creuset at the ready, I started. As Jaden says (and Andrew demonstrated) it is simpler than boiling pasta: 3 cups flour, 1/4 teaspoon yeast, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water, stir! Then cover the bowl and leave to rest for 12-20 hours. After the rest, dump it on a floured surface and with wet hands grab the dough and fold the ends towards the middle, then flip it over and tuck the dough ends under so you get a taut surface. Cover and let rest again for two hours. Half an hour before the rest ends, preheat your oven to 450F and stick the covered pot into the oven. After the dough has rested, remove the pot from the oven and dump the dough into the pot (I put a bit of parchment in to avoid sticking as Jaden advised). Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for a further 15-20 minutes. You’re done! (please see Jaden’s post for a more detailed procedure and photos of the dashing Andrew making the bread)

Now. The reason it says “round 1” up there is because it did not turn out as perfect as I dreamed it would, but it did turn out good enough for me to keep at it until it does. If there are expert No-Knead Bread bakers out there (and I know there are!) or any kind of bakers at all, your advice would be seriously appreciated.

Here’s my result:

This is by far the best crust I have ever had on bread that I have baked.
I like the hole-y interior...again, bigger holes than I’ve ever baked before.
The depth of flavour was superior to any of my past breads.
It was soft, hearty, with a good chew but too gummy.

As you can see, the good outweighs the bad...but it still needs some work. I’ve consulted with M and she mentioned that it could be too much water (causing the gumminess), which is very likely as we live in an amazing amount of humidity. Extra (too much) moisture in the air is something we need to deal with constantly, wreaking havoc to our baked goods and our hair. So one thing to think about for the next round would be to lessen the water from 1 1/2 cup to 1 1/4 cup.

Any other suggestions? Temperature, baking time, baking vessel? Did I bake it too long? Too short? Did it rest too long (I let it rest for 19 hours)? Do I actually need more water (who knows)? The dough looked just as wet as it should compared to the photos I’ve seen around...

Help please! :) I am already half in love with this bread...if only I could turn out a less gummy crumb!

Another reason for my excitement and determination: As soon as I am done cutting my teeth on No-Knead Bread, I will move on to Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day! Yes, I have bought the book and I’m ready to eat homemade bread for the rest of my life! Ok, a dream maybe, but Jeff Hertzberg and Zoë François (the authors) are actually making it possible!

Just so you know, I still plan to knead every once in a while. I mean, a girl needs her exercise right? :)

My Top 10 Photo Picks

2008-06-24T12:27:00.006+08:00

I am terrible at meme’s.

I get tagged and then the information goes into some meme-sucking black hole in my head, never to be heard of again. So although I do enjoy reading them (many times a neat way to learn new things about you all), I rarely take part or pass them along. For this I owe a heartfelt apology to anyone who has ever tagged me! I’m sorry...my internal hard drive doesn’t seem to work the way it used to!

On occasion though, something survives the meme-sucking black hole. It gets spit out at the other end, to float; a little tattered from the ride but still intact, back into my consciousness. So here I am now, dusting off and holding up the Top 10 Photo Picks from my blog – a tag from Dhanggit of Dhanggit’s Kitchen. I have long swooned over Dhanggit’s beautiful creations as I imagine her whipping them up in a gorgeous country kitchen somewhere in Aix en Provence. I would certainly have trouble picking only 10 photos from her blog!

So, enough chat, here’s my 10:

Ampalaya – I think the most amazing thing about this picture is that I actually don’t like ampalaya (bitter melon)...yet I found it so pretty (which is why I took this photo) – green, curly half-moons.

Arugula and Apple Salad – I took this in such a hurry because we were going to eat already...and I was pleasantly surprised that it came out looking so crisp. Salads (if you’ve got fresh ingredients) make great models!

Bakies Day – My first and so far only food photo with a model. I think I like this photo more for having my fabulous godchild Z in it than for the cookies (em, bakies).

Brussels Sprout and Camembert Gratin in Butternut Squash – I think I like how this looks so “autumn-y”...especially since I don’t have an autumn to speak of. I also like the colors in the photo – orange and green...the colors of my blog!

Matcha – This was one of my first attempts at active food styling. My pictures, to this day, are pretty simple. Just the food, a nice plate, and a spoon or fork (in fact, if you’ve been reading for a while I’m sure you are tired of seeing the same old tea towel and placemat as backdrop!). Here I remember actually thinking of each element...the cork, the earthenware plate, the spoon, exactly where the matcha would be, and the depth of field thingy. Hmmm...I think it’s time to bring out that cork again!

Yogurt with Red Wine Poached Nectarines – Sometimes the simplest things look best. Like vegetables (above) and fruits. I like how this picture seems to suck in the sun – something I wish I could do with more ease in the mornings!

Carrots – What was I saying about veggies taking good photos? Case in point, carrots that actually still have dirt on them! I am beginning to realize how much I love taking photos of vegetables...and how much they love having their picture taken!

Nutella Banana Muffins – Ok, I had to have some sort of sweets in this list! I like how this picture incorporates so many things I love: Nutella, bananas, cupcakes, and the color pink :)

French Toast with Blueberry Syrup – I was happy at how the syrup came out so shiny and jewel-like. Even when it comes to non-food, I am attracted to shiny like an insect diving towards a light bulb. This breakfast, and looking at the shiny syrup picture, kept me smiling all morning. No joke...I can really be that shallow.

Pili nuts – Again something very simple. Nature is really the best Janice. Her models always deliver. Oh yes, and this was my attempt at the “stuff spilling out of the glass” effect. Not too shabby I think!

Thanks Dhanggit for giving me the opportunity to revisit all my photos here! I actually had a bit of a reflection on my photos :)

And speaking of the lovely Dhanggit: She’s got a new project! Check out Recipe Muncher for food blog post updates!

Some shameless own-horn-tooting: I have some recipes published in Yummy Magazine July issue! Seven sandwiches prepared right here in my little flat (including a sweet sandwich...and a couple of vegetarian ones too)! The best part about the shoot for me? Having an actual photographer and food stylist work on my stuff! My sandwiches and I were thrilled :) (I took notes don’t worry)

Breakfast #21: Breakfast Quinoa Cereal

2008-06-17T10:43:00.004+08:00

Sometimes I feel that the only time I can hear myself think is early in the morning, when the world is still asleep. Then, there is no one to interrupt the steady train of important musings that go through my head like: What is the meaning of life? What will we have for dinner? Should we be making more long term investments? Should I get a new laptop? When will I finally make no-knead bread? Why can’t we all just get along?

In the silence of the early hours, the answers to these questions seem almost within my reach...if not staring right at me. (Love, tinapang bangus*, yes, yes, next week, start with me). As the day wears on, the din of work, errands, cooking, washing my snazzy new top, coordinating schedules drown out all but the most persistent of thoughts (what will we have for dinner?). Don’t get me wrong, I do love the wonderful clamour of friends and loved ones, but we all need a little quiet time (me-time) for just us.

Unfortunately, it’s not that easy for this body to get out of bed in those early hours, so these important questions are often left unanswered. (Hence the lack no-knead bread on this blog or sophisticated financial instruments in my life – although I’m happy to report the new laptop did make it). Most days I just launch myself head-on into the racket of everyday.

This breakfast is good for both – early-waking, slow-blooming days, as well as rapid-rise, hit-the-ground-running days.

Breakfast Quinoa Cereal
(adapted from culinography – original recipe here, along with quinoa preparation)

1 cup prepared quinoa
1/2 – 3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon honey (or to taste)
Dried fruit and nuts (the amount depends on how chunky you want it and the kinds are up to your taste – I used a small handful of raisins, dried figs, walnuts, and pine nuts)

- Place prepared quinoa in a small saucepan with milk, butter, honey, dried fruit, and nuts.
- Simmer, stirring often, until thickened slightly...about 5 minutes.
- Garnish with extra nuts and honey if you want. This will feed one hungry person or two regular ones :)

I learned about quinoa through (where else?) food blogs and, as I love grains of all kinds (although quinoa is technically a seed – but I love those too), kept my eyes peeled. I found some last year in ThreeSixty, and organic grocery in Hong Kong, and have since found it in a health food store here...and have been loving it from that day. For someone who has eaten (white) rice with almost every meal of her life, it is liberating to suddenly have more choices! Especially one as pleasingly nutty and springy and cute (little curlicue!) as quinoa. And did I mention healthy? And ancient (referred to as the Mother Grain by the Incas)? Learn more here and here.

I’ve had quinoa in other savoury preparations but when I saw this breakfast dish I knew I had to try it! And Michelle’s enticing photo was proof that resistance would be futile. I’m glad I didn’t resist. Earthy, comforting, fortifying...with a steadfast “back-to-basics” quality with every bite. Not to mention delicious! This is a simple recipe with which you can play -- add spice when cooking (Michelle uses cinnamon) or top with fresh fruit before eating!

Whether you wake at the crack of dawn or the last possible minute, this breakfast can be had by you. Just prepare the quinoa ahead (and you’ll have extra for quick meals too...a good thing this) and mix everything in a small saucepan the next morning, which really doesn’t take much time at all. Just enough time to ponder one or two of life’s all-important questions :)

Other quinoa breakfasts:
101 Cookbooks
Morsels & Musings
Closet Cooking
Food Blogga

*Tinapang bangus is smoked milkfish...much loved in our household!

Red Wine and Tomato Lamb Stew

2008-06-12T14:53:00.003+08:00

Incongruous, illogical, foolish.

It’s when you wear 4-inch pointy-toe stilettos to a party where you know you will be standing up all night. It’s when you get a blowout and it’s raining. It’s when you eat chilli with onions and pizza with garlic and anchovies on the night of your first kiss. It’s when you drink coffee at midnight. It’s when you eat classic French Onion Soup and you’re a vegetarian. It’s when you get in the car of that ex-boyfriend and accept his breath mints.

It’s when you make lamb stew in steaming 32C (and climbing!) weather.

As always, our summer was deadly hot and mind-numbingly humid. Somewhere in the latter part of May though, it seemed to lose steam (no pun intended). Rains came (rainy season follows summer...that’s how our seasons go) and it looked like the summer would be shorter than normal – sad in a way, but a relief too. It was way too hot already and I was running out of skirts and dresses to wear (the breeziest way to go in the summer).

Then suddenly, in June (which fyi, should already be rainy/back to school season) like an avenging angel, the heat swooped back down to flatten us. Sweat and lethargy grappled with me...sometimes rendering me unable to do even the most basic tasks! The heat raged anew, ignoring the thunder that tried to bully it away.

So why was I melting over a heavy pot of bubbling lamb stew when I was in danger of getting a good braise myself? Why do I wear stilettos? Why did I get into that car?

I know! I would have been kicking myself if only I had the energy.

Red Wine and Tomato Lamb Stew
(inspired by* Red Wine and Tomato Lamb Shanks, page 124 Donna Hay Magazine issue #33)

1 kilo lamb (stewing cuts, with bones)
flour for dusting
olive oil
4-5 garlic cloves, minced, plus 1 head garlic, outer skins peeled but inner skin left intact
3 onions, peeled and cut into wedges
1 cup red wine
1 800-gram tin chopped tomatoes
1 400-gram tin chickpeas (260 grams drained weight)
2-3 smallish potatoes (about 300 grams total), peeled
4 bay leaves
3 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon sugar
a generous pinch of your favourite chilli powder or flakes**
sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

- Dust the lamb with flour and shake off any excess. In a heavy-based pot heat oil. Add lamb pieces and sear until browned, seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Add the onions and minced garlic to the pot and cook until soft and golden.
- Gradually add wine, scraping the bottom of the pot as you do to deglaze and get all the yummy bits.
- Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, potatoes, bay leaves, rosemary sprigs, sugar, chilli, and the whole garlic head. Give everything a good stir.
- Add lamb and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 2 hours or until meat is tender and sauce is thickened. Stir occasionally after the first hour to make sure the stew does not stick to the bottom of your pot and scorch it! When you do this, taste and adjust seasoning.

In my defense, we had some stewing lamb*** in the freezer and it was taunting us mercilessly! I had bookmarked a lamb shank recipe from the Donna Hay magazine winter 2007 (winter? Could I not see the warning signs?) issue that sounded fabulous – lamb stewed in tomatoes and red wine. I was itching to try it. And at the end of the day, we did enjoy the dish...even as I stared unbelievingly at C, who was wolfing everything down while beads of sweat popped up on his forehead. He loved it! So did I. But yes, it would have been much better eaten while a storm raged outside. Now I’m thinking of tossing the leftovers in the freezer...to be resurrected**** once the rains come again.

*I changed and added a lot (the garlic head, chickpeas, and potatoes for example are my additions, all the quantities are different, I added chili, she used marjoram instead of rosemary...) so aside from the wine, tomatoes, and lamb, my recipe differs quite a lot from Donna's (but I still give her credit for inspiring me!)...so if you try this, and you don't like it, please don't blame Donna :)

**I used dried chipotle pepper flakes and a couple of generous glugs of Chipotle Tabasco sauce – my latest favourite supermarket thing :)

***This was made with another batch of mum-in-law lamb. She may not know this, but I haven’t had to buy lamb since she gave me the first batch! Thank goodness for small favors eh? ;) I hope I don’t jinx this seemingly steady supply of lamb. I’m making something for her soon I swear!

****The leftovers will make a kick-a** pasta sauce...I just know it! And you know I don’t use the word a** lightly (again, no pun intended).

HHDD #20: Double Chocolate Choux

2008-06-05T09:10:00.004+08:00

After all that white chocolate used in my L’Opera, I was craving for something dark and bittersweet. Dark and bittersweet are, after all, how I like my chocolate. I love the sophisticated yet sinful taste it has, the exquisitely long time it takes to melt, and the little tug it leaves at the back of your mouth when it’s all but gone.

And now it’s supposed to be a Super Food! It is loaded with antioxidants that can improve health. Flavonoids, the antioxidant found in dark chocolate (and tea!), can help lower blood pressure and keep your arteries from clogging. The more cocoa solids the better, so check your label and look for the stuff that’s 70% and up! I always knew dark chocolate was super...flavonoids or no :)

So as not to wait too long to get a dark chocolate fix, I decided I would incorporate it into my very next baking project lined up (Donna Day!). Ok, that was a sneaky excuse...it would have been quicker just to buy a bar of it! But humor me and my whims, and let me bake when I want to (even if there is hardly anyone around to eat what comes out of my oven!**).

I had already been eyeing the double chocolate éclairs in Donna Hay’s Simple Essentials Chocolate when Suzana from Home Gourmets (delicious food, gorgeous photos...oh my!), winner of the last round of Hay Hay It’s Donna Day, announced this round’s theme to be choux. Hooray! I love it when a plan comes together...especially if it results in chocolate confections for me to eat :)

Double Chocolate Éclairs
(from Donna Hay’s Simple Essentials Chocolate, page 50)

1 cup water
100 grams butter, chopped
3/4 cup all purpose flour
5 eggs
1 quantity chocolate crème pâtissière
Melted dark chocolate, for topping

- Place the butter and water in a saucepan and cook until butter is melted and mixture starts to simmer.
- Add flour to the saucepan and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Keep stirring over low heat until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
- Remove from heat and place the mixture in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add eggs one by one, beating well in between each egg (make sure the one is incorporated before adding the next!).
- Spoon mixture into a piping bag with a 1/2 plain nozzle. Pipe onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet: in 3-inch lengths for the éclairs and 1-inch in diameter mounds for the puffs.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes in a 180C (350F) oven until golden and puffed up (mine stayed in for longer than 25 minutes).
- Cool on wire racks.
- Halve éclairs and puffs and fill bases with chocolate crème pâtissière. Dip the top halves in the melted chocolate and let set (I took the photo above before the chocolate set). Sandwich tops to bottoms.

Chocolate Crème Pâtissière
(from Donna Hay’s Simple Essentials Chocolate, page 88)

2 cups/500 ml milk
200 grams chopped dark chocolate (I used Valrhona 70%)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup caster sugar
1/3 cup cornflour/cornstartch

- Place milk, chocolate, and vanilla in a saucepan and bring to a boil (be watchful that it doesn’t burn!).
- Whisk together egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale. Add the cornflour and whisk to combine.
- Slowly pour in the hot milk, whisking continuously.
- Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and simmer rapidly while whisking continuously for 5 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat.
- Place a piece of parchment paper directly on top of the pastry cream and set aside to cool.

I have made choux only one other time in my life so I was not that confident. It ’s really not that difficult though...considering the puffy and proud results! Definitely a case of maximum bang for minimal buck. I did encounter a spot (or two) of trouble. The two things Suzana specifically warned us about! Sigh...why do I not listen when I’m supposed to?

The first thing she mentioned was that she had to add more flour because the mixture was looking too soft even before adding the eggs. I should have taken note! And I live in a place that is chock-full of humidity...so you can just imagine! Next time I am definitely adding a bit more flour. The second tip was to make sure not to under bake the choux. Although I gave it a few more minutes in the oven, my first batch came out undercooked and deflated slightly after a while. (insert good cry here) I baked my second batch longer (longer than the recommended 20-25 minutes) and they came out nice and puffed and stayed that way...yay! I may even bake it slightly longer next time. I decided to make a combination of éclairs and puffs because, although I like the filling to pastry ratio of éclairs more, puffs are more fun to watch rise in the oven!

The chocolate crème pâtissière was lovely! Rich, creamy, not too sweet...and I have some extra! Suggestions on what to do with it (aside from eat with a spoon because I’ve already done that) are welcome :)

For the glaze I just melted a bar of dark chocolate and it worked fine. The combination of dark chocolate on dark chocolate was perfect...at least for me. I’m the type of girl that likes chocolate ice cream on her brownie a la mode you see. I will definitely make this again...I need to perfect my choux! And get my share of super foods ;)

HHDD Update: Barbara of winosandfoodies.com, the brilliant creator of Hay Hay It's Donna Day has decided, after building HHDD into the fabulous blog event that it has become, that it is time to let her spread her wings and leave home :) HHDD is now continuing to blossom under the caring eye of Bron, her new gaurdian :)

On another note: I am loving Simple Essentials Chocolate! I may be horribly biased, being such a Donna Hay fan, I know. Normally, I am no proof against Donna’s beautiful styling and temptingly simple recipes. But all in Chocolate? I am lost (sigh of bliss)...totally and irrevocably. Now, don’t think I only want to stick to what looks simple! I also have this book (another sigh of bliss)...and I mean to use it (soon)!

**I am happy to report that all the éclairs found good homes with friends!

L'Opera...Do I Dare?

2008-05-29T01:53:00.004+08:00

I think in all my time as a Daring Baker (which hasn’t been that long, admittedly), I have been waiting for this challenge. Not this challenge in particular, but a challenge like this. Oh, I do love bread and sticky buns and cake and all...but there in the back of my head lies the dream of making something...patisserie-esque. You know what I mean, something pretty and chic-sounding, something you would find in your neighbourhood French-style patisserie (unless you live in France, in which case it would be a real live French patisserie, in which case lucky you!), something that I am never brave enough to attempt. Something that would make me feel like Audrey Tautou in the mood to whip up something sweet. Yes, I know this French girl fixation has got to stop.

But not today! No, for today we make L’Opera!

As much as I was thrilled at this month’s challenge, I was also shaking in my black ballet flats. This little cake had five parts and five parts in one cake is still a daunting task for me! But I wasn’t backing down because: 1. I wanted to earn French points in the kitchen**, 2. I already pointed out what L’Opera was to C in our neighbourhood patisserie brazenly telling him that I would make it, and 3. I’m a Daring Baker ;)

The syrup – This was the first thing I made as it can be made way in advance. I flavoured it with some vanilla-infused vodka which was given to me by my friend M. I met her through blogging so I thought it fitting to use her fabulous infusion for a blogging event :)

The buttercream – My first time! Much trepidation here as I thought of hot syrup going into the whirling eggs in the mixer. I am happy to report that all went swimmingly! It came together like a charm and oh-my-lord the smell. Spoons and spatulas were definitely licked. I’ve made buttercream...yeah!

The joconde – Yes, another snazzy French name. You can imagine how thrilled I was to make it! I loved how this almond-based cake turned out. Light and fluffy and soft...a major achievement for me. I think this also had to do with my using a metal spoon to fold...a tip from Donna Hay to avoid deflating your whipped egg whites!

The white chocolate ganache/mousse – This was optional but I wasn’t about to scrimp. I wanted layers! This was a simple whipped cream type mousse – quick and easy to make. I flavoured it again with M’s vanilla/vodka infusion.

The glaze – A simple white chocolate glaze.

Assembly – This is the fun part because all the hard work is done. Joconde, brush with syrup, top with buttercream, another piece of joconde, more syrup, more buttercream, the last layer of joconde, more syrup. A nap in the fridge. Top with ganache/mousse. Another longer nap in the fridge. Top with glaze. Yet another nap in the fridge. Slice! Photograph! Eat!

The more traditional Opera is made with dark chocolate (or coffee), but for this month we have lightened things up! The only rule for the challenge was no dark colors/flavours...everything should be light and bright! I could have gone with light pink (very tempting...pink is my favorite color!) or yellow, flavouring with fruit or honey or liqueur, but I decided to leave everything as white as I could. A white chocolate and vanilla Opera...I wonder how that would sound?

I am very happy to dedicate this month’s challenge to Barbara of winosandfoodies.com – not only is she daring in many ways, she is also a source of inspiration to many (myself included). If there is someone deserving of an Opera full of light it’s you Barbara! Wish we could share a slice of this over a cup of tea and a long chat! :)

Please check our hosts’ sites for the complete recipe: Ivonne, Lis, Fran, and Shea! And for a gugillion versions of this cake go to the Daring Bakers blogroll :)

**Ok, I was too scared to decorate it and make it nice and tra-la-la...one step at a time! Simplicity will have to do for now. This challenge did move me to buy my first ever palette knife and offset spatula (gasp-gasp, I know) so we will see what the future brings...

Breakfast #20: Not So English Breakfast

2008-05-21T13:02:00.004+08:00

Are you wondering what happened to the “chicha” in Chichajo? Chicha stands for my love for chicharon and all things piggy (literally and figuratively)…like bacon, ham, slow-braised pork belly, roasted suckling pig, and all that go in that direction. This also stands for my dangerous liaisons with food that is not exactly good for me: Bone marrow, foie gras, burnt animal fat (you know, that bit at the end of a roast), butter, mayonnaise, egg yolk.

Lately, I have humoring my healthy side…indulging in fruits and vegetables and yogurt and granola (all of which I also love). High time to shake things up a little as the “chicha” in me has been clamoring for some action. So I appeased her with this – my slightly Spanish version of an English breakfast.

I wasn’t bashful in the fat department when preparing this, so if you are in any way squeamish about fat and calories and cholesterol, please go no further! Stay here or here and we’ll call you back when it’s safe!

The first time I had an English breakfast was, aptly enough, in London. I was visiting my good friend Christine. She was based in London at the time, and I had just come from Finland. It was my first time to live on my own and away from home. I was thrilled with the freedom and discovery, but work weighed heavy on my shoulders as I fought to learn the ropes far from any support system. Thank goodness for Christine! She was a major lifesaver (still is) during some very anxious times. There were many things she did that cheered me up (and on!) and one of them was preparing an English breakfast for me.

A full English breakfast is a lollapalooza of breakfast proteins and starches (and fat), heaped together on a plate – substantial, zany, unapologetic, and in my book – awesome! Sure you can start with the backbone of bacon and eggs, but for me, the more over the top the better! Yes to the beans and the blood sausage! Yes to toast and hash browns! Fry it up and pile it on!

In that spirit of everything goes, I threw together this version. I had some leftover fabada (a Spanish bean stew) with I used for the beans element. Since my fabada had bacon slab, chorizo, and morcilla, I figured that covered the bacon, sausage, and black pudding. Instead of hash browns I used leftover roast potatoes (from a roast chicken dish) which I refried in olive oil with shallots, red pepper, and olives to stay within the Spanish theme. I then fried an egg in some chorizo oil**, smooshed everything onto a plate with a small baguette, and dove right in!

This type of breakfast is an excellent way to use leftovers, like I’ve done here with the beans and potatoes. It is also the type of breakfast that works great if you are in need of major fortification. Or cheering up. Or if it’s a Sunday and you want to be lazy and piggy :) And it does wonders for a hangover.

Thank you Christine for that long ago English breakfast (and the countless everything elses)! Here’s to sharing more food and adventure with you! :)

**What is chorizo oil? When I make fabada (or fry up chorizo) a lot of deep red, aromatic oil from the chorizo floats up. Normal people would skim this off and toss it. But I’m not normal people. I keep it in the fridge and fry eggs in it. Waste not, want not.

Breakfast #19: Mixed Fruit Yogurt Parfait

2008-05-16T20:20:00.003+08:00

I didn’t want the week to end without showing you what I did with the rest of my blueberry syrup. You may want to make a nice breakfast over the weekend after all and I want to make sure you have not one, but two suggestions from me :) One rich and decadent, the other lighter, though certainly no less decadent (or less pretty).

Layering in a glass has been all the rage for a while now, and as usual, I am quite late in jumping on the bandwagon. But that has not stopped me before, and it certainly won’t stop me now, or ever :) Call it what you will…verrine, parfait…serving sweets or savories this way gives you a great visual representation of flavor/texture contrasts. Plus, it’s a pretty nice way to have your yogurt :)

It’s no secret that I love yogurt, and that I am always on the prowl for the thick creamy variety I used to have in Greece. I was over the moon when found this one. I was even more thrilled to find a local dairy farm** that makes their own Greek-style yogurt!

And did I mention that mangoes are in season?

So this may look like a simple mixed fruit yogurt parfait, but really what you are looking at is fate in a glass: a brilliant surprise from the market, the season’s darling in fruit, a creamy yogurt long sought-after, and my favorite granola to make things interesting. Seek and you shall find they say…I certainly did :)

No recipe here. Just go to your farmers market. Find some fruit in season – one to make into jam or syrup, one that begs to be eaten fresh. Chat with the purveyors. Get the best yogurt you can find. If you live in Greece say a prayer of thanks to the yogurt deities. Make your own granola (it’s easy!). Pat yourself on the back. Showcase all this in the way they deserve – so that each brilliant layer can be admired (syrup/jam, then yogurt, then fresh fruit, then yogurt, then granola). Sit somewhere where you can see a little sunshine (I live in a little 3rd floor flat in a cramped city, no garden, no balcony, so no excuses…even the tiniest ray will do!). Dunk your spoon in all the way down. Enjoy. Really, I mean it. Stop thinking about what you are going to wear tomorrow or if you have time to gas up the car. Enjooooy.

Happy weekend everyone!

**Rizal Dairy Farms makes Greek style yogurt. It’s thick and creamy and delicious! You can find them at the Saturday Salcedo Market in Makati, or at the fresh produce open air section at Market! Market! Taguig.

I just remembered! I have made a layered dessert before! :)

Breakfast #18: French Toast with Blueberry Syrup

2008-05-13T14:19:00.004+08:00

It’s been happy market weekends for me lately…it being summer and produce being plentiful. Despite feeling like I’m in a perpetual sauna, I’m enjoying all that the markets have to offer (along with the weekend trips and the general holiday-like feeling that summer brings). Our gorgeous mangoes are even more gorgeous in the summer and I have been religiously buying them every chance I get (it’s my duty!). This is the perfect season to go to the market with no menu plans in mind…to just let the day’s bounty inspire you, like I did with the carrots and fennel and tomatoes (well, the tomatoes kinda came to me).

As if the season weren't enough, ingenious and determined citizens are growing things like wild rocket, mizuna, kaffir lime, Vietnamese mint, fennel, galangal, butternut squash, and all sorts of goodness. All in all, exciting days for market-goers!

Now, I have bemoaned our lack of berries before. Strawberries are the often-found berries around here. They grow in our mountain province in the North where the climate is more to their liking. Blueberries too, grow up there, but don’t make it down to us as often as the strawberries do.

The produce gods must have been smiling down at me though, because I chanced upon a box of them in the same stall that sold the butternut squash last year. The berries were tiny…much smaller than imported blueberries. They are also less sweet (some were a little sour). But they were local blueberries, and I wasn’t leaving the market without some, so I bought a small 100-gram bag.

Now, what to do with these less then sweet berries? I pondered the possibilities. Visions of blueberry muffins and blueberry pancakes danced in my head but I feared that the berries weren’t sweet enough. So I decided to do the logical and just add sugar :)

Blueberry Syrup

100 grams Baguio blueberries
75 grams sugar
1/4 cup water

- Place all ingredients in a pan over medium heat until mixture bubbles and thickens. Swish contents of pan around occasionally to avoid burning.

Yes, that’s all! The syrup was dark and glossy and delicious…and just begging to be poured onto something equally delicious – French toast! I used my basic French toast recipe (perfect for a solo breakfast), but substituted Swiss zopf, a challah-like bread that my mum-in-law gives me (which C doesn’t really eat, so I have loaves of it in the freezer, just waiting for meals like these!). I am not making French toast using any other bread ever! You can serve this with a dollop of cream or yogurt…but I prefer my French toast slathered in butter, before pouring on the blueberry syrup. Be generous!

The taste? Oh MY! Have you ever experienced a foot-pop? A foot-pop is what happens when you receive a kiss of such magnitude and dizzying bliss that one knee bends, and your foot “pops” upwards, toes pointing to the sky. You have seen it happen in countless of old movies, and explained by the endearing Mia of Princess Diaries. Well, my dears, it happened to me as I was standing by my kitchen counter eating this! Foot-POP!

If you have just one serving of French toast, as I did here, you will have some blueberry syrup leftover…and soon I’ll show you just what to do with it! :)

Honey Roasted Carrots & Fennel

2008-05-08T17:46:00.005+08:00

I am lucky enough (in my book at least) to have a husband that loves vegetables. Now, loving vegetables may seem like a regular given in your life but in mine, I can actually count with the fingers on one hand how many of my near and dear can actually claim truth in that statement. Ok, let’s see, there’s one…then um…well, there's my mom…

You get the picture.

So, it is with no small amount of joy that I listen to C’s words, “Where’s the veg?”

Not to paint a misleading picture of C. He does eat meat…and enjoys it. He is by no means a vegetarian by any stretch of the imagination. And he is just as likely to say, “We haven’t had steak in a while”, as he is to say, “We haven’t had pechay in a while.” He is more an alpha-jock than he is a sensitive-poet. But he does love his veggies…he even loves this one!

That being said, as with all aspects of life, there are times when, even forearmed with important knowledge, you can still strike out. As I did with these roasted carrots.

I tell you – they were fabulous! Not just any roasted carrots, but honey roasted carrots with fennel. Not just any carrots, but pretty, svelte ones that came crowned with a gorgeous mane of green, from my favorite organic farmer (like these carrots). Not just any honey, but honey from a local bee farm in Tagaytay, brought back for me by my dear friend N. Not just any fennel, but locally-grown fennel which I spotted in the stall of another organic farmer in the market. So you see, pretty special stuff!

I tossed the fennel and carrots with the honey and some olive oil and in the oven they went to slowly roast and caramelize. Roasting is one of my favorite things to do with sturdy vegetables such as carrots -- the slow heat concentrating the sugars until you are left with a soft, yielding piece of veg with all its natural sugars singing in tandem! And for a vegetable like fennel, which I don’t particularly like raw, it tames the sharp anise-flavor, aside from heightening the sweetness. The honey just brings everything to a crescendo…the perfect siding for roast meats, or just to snack on indiscriminately as you would carrot sticks.

Knowing this, you can imagine that I was just a wee bit proud of myself as I trotted this out to C come dinner time. He looked at the pan, and then at me, and said, “Carrots are not really my favorite vegetable…” What??? (Yes, there are still many surprises in marriage) He likes this but not my honey-roasted carrots???

Honey Roasted Carrots & Fennel

500-600 grams carrots (weighed without the stalks)
1 bulb of fennel (mine was about 300 grams trimmed)
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

- Trim stalks off the carrots and peel. If you have bigger carrots, slice lengthways into sticks. Trim and cut the fennel into quarters or eighths (depending on size).
- Line a roasting tin with baking paper, lay carrots and fennel flat in the tin, and drizzle with the honey and olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
- Place in a 180-190C oven and roast for about 35-45 minutes or until carrots are tender.

I shouldn’t complain, I know. C loves most all other veggies. And I can always make this in small batches to enjoy by myself. Plus we will celebrate our 2nd year of “surprises” next week (I know…more to come!) :) So all’s well in love, if not in veggies. You can’t ask for much more than that :)

p.s. I’m secretly hoping my friends will read this and get all defensive, suddenly claiming…"I do like vegetables!"

p.p.s. Incidentally, N, my friend who gave me the honey, isn’t a great big fan of vegetables either…although she does eat them in salad ;)

Bumper Crop: Tomatoes

2008-05-05T12:23:00.004+08:00

In the city, a bumper crop is something you get when you idle too close to the taxi in front of you in traffic. It never really meant a surfeit of glorious produce, which then brings about the pleasant dilemma of how we are to dispose of our bounty. No, that type of bumper crop belonged in the corner of my head right next to the wood nymphs and faeries, while I satisfy myself with what finds its way to our groceries and city markets.

But times are a-changing as more consumers see the need to: 1. Have fresher produce, untouched by chemicals (and in the process getting closer to the source of where our food comes from), and 2. Support our smaller local farmers (who are really such champs…go local farmers!). Small organic farms/farmers are forming cooperatives and groups to get their products to us. Concerned consumers are working directly with smaller farmers (who perhaps cannot afford to come all this way) to make available the treasures they offer.

So now, aside from the small farmers I see at my markets, and religiously try to support (especially if they show some spunk in trying to grow herbs not commonly available), it is not surprising that emails announcing “Organic tomatoes!” needing to be sold in 10-kilo batches filter down the food chain to little ole me. Organic, native tomatoes, grown by a newbie organic farmer, “grown using local community labor at fair wages”…would I be interested to buy? That would be a resounding yes! :)

We got a tomato-buying group together (10 kilos is a bit of a stretch for C and I no matter how much we like tomatoes) and placed our order of half red, half green tomatoes. I was thrilled when they arrived…truly looking all rosy and cheerful from a life without chemicals. We left for Hanoi the next day so my tomatoes had to take a nap in the fridge (I know, I know, but we had no choice) while we were away. When we got back I was faced with the tomatoes, at this point having to all be used without further delay.

Ah! The “pleasant dilemma of how we are to dispose of our bounty”…this is how we solved it…

Pickled Green Tomatoes
(adapted and pieced together from various recipes)

Green tomatoes, about 1 kilo
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 1/3 cups water
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
Black pepper

- Place vinegar, water, sugar, salt, bay leaves, and pepper in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil for a couple of minutes.
- While you are bringing the pickling solution to a boil, slice your tomatoes into quarters lengthways. Stuff the slices into clean/sterilized (I boil them) glass jars.
- After the pickling solution has boiled for a couple of minutes pour into the jars with the tomatoes until about 1/2 or 1/4-inch from the top, making sure all the tomatoes are covered. Cover and let cool.
- When cool, place in the fridge. Let it rest for about a day before eating. Serve with smoked, grilled, or fried fish. A nice condiment to add to your hamburger sandwiches too!

Tomato Chutney
(adapted from Modern Classics 1 by Donna Hay)

Ripe tomatoes, about 500-600 grams, roughly chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper

- Simmer everything (except the salt and pepper) in a saucepan or a deep frying pan, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until thickened. Mine took longer than 30 minutes…about 45 minutes – 1 hour until it was nice, thick, and sticky.
- Add salt and pepper to taste, stir, and simmer a bit more, about 5 minutes, then take off the heat.
- Immediately pour into cleaned/sterilized jar/s, cover, and turn sealed jar upside down until cool.
- When cool, turn right-side-up and store in fridge. Serve with savory tarts or pies, or use as relish in ham/roast chicken sandwiches.

Oven-roasted Tomatoes
(adapted from Falling Cloudberries by Tessa Kiros)

Ripe tomatoes, about 1-1.5 kilos
Olive oil for drizzling and for storing
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
2 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed

- Preheat the oven to 200C (400F). Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and brush with oil. You can use a tray or a jelly roll pan, or even a cookie sheet that’s got a little sides.
- Slice the tomatoes in half lengthways and place snugly side by side in the baking tray, seeded side up. Drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake for around 15 minutes or until you see the tomatoes sizzling and coloring, then lower the temperature to 150C (300F) for another 1 1/2 hours until they are a little shriveled but not completely dried out. I lowered it to 170-180C and kept it for about 2 hours until I liked the way they looked. They will look similar to the sun-dried tomatoes you get in the store but meatier and not as dried – and tons more gorgeous ;)
- Leave tomatoes to cool then transfer them to a clean/sterilized jar. Place the 2 garlic cloves in the jar and cover everything with olive oil – you can add more herbs and/or spices in here if you like. Store in the fridge.

All recipes were adapted to the tomato quantities we had and are very flexible. Note also that I do not follow any approved procedures for sterilizing and canning. These are immediately refrigerated and consumed shortly after. They are not for long-term storage.

C is loving the pickled green tomatoes…having it as a siding (or what he likes to call pampaganang espesyal) with tinapang bangus (smoked milkfish). The tomato chutney still waits in the fridge for an occasion to trot its sweet-and-sour-y goodness out. My favorite of the bunch though is the oven-roasted tomatoes! The slow-roasting essentially concentrated all the tomatoes’ sweetness and intensified its flavor exponentially. I have used it in salads, pasta, and in one delicious tomato/mozzarella/basil tart! And it is so easy to make! I use the oil it is soaking in as well, adding it to pasta sauces and salad dressings.

I’ve got more local purveyors lined up to try out – this time for fruits and dairy products. My palate is tingling in anticipation :) Go out and support your local farmers today!

I'm submitting this homage to tomatoes and the valiant small farmers who grow them to Weekend Herb Blogging, that wonderful event that celebrates everything that plants can give us :) WHB was created by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen and this week's round is hosted by Laurie of Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska.