16

Mar

Seafood: To Can or Not to Can

Since I always struggle with stocking meat and using it before the expiration date, I decided to experiment with canned seafood. The smell is pungent and not for the fish-averse. But adding shrimp or crab to a meal is incredibly easy when it’s stored in the pantry for dinner emergencies.

Breakfast can benefit too. I made baked eggs with almond milk, spinach, and canned crab meat. For the recipe, see New Year’s Resolution-Worthy Baked Eggs.

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I also made a simple “fried rice” dish by sauteeing the canned shrimp in a pan and adding frozen peas towards the end, while cooking the rice separately. Mix it all together and serve. (Even better, try adding the shrimp to a Caesar salad.)

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66 days ago Short URL Comments

Almond milk/Breakfast/Budget/Dairy-free/Lactose intolerance/Recipes/Shortcuts

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24

Feb

Pulled Pork Pappardelle: Oscar Dinner Flashback

Four years ago we lived in San Francisco and “Dinner with David” was born in our tiny little kitchen. On Oscar night that year, I tried a milk-braised pork recipe. The following year, we feasted on fiber-rich turkey meatballs and pasta. Things haven’t changed all that much. So tonight I decided to revisit the pork recipe, this time using almond milk and pappardelle noodles.

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  • Place two halves of pork tenderloin in baking pan; sprinkle with salt, pepper, fresh nutmeg and 2 diced garlic cloves
  • Pour almond milk over the mixture until the liquid reaches the midline of the pork
  • Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 2-3 hours, checking and rotating every 30-60 minutes
  • Once the meat falls apart at the slightest touch, then remove it from the oven
  • Cook pappardelle noodles separately; drain
  • If meat needs more moisture or sweetness, then stir with olive oil and maple syrup
  • Serve a spoonful of pork over a bed of noodles
  • Be thankful that you can eat carbs and meat without having to worry about squeezing into a red carpet gown

85 days ago Short URL Comments

Almond milk/Dairy-free/Dinner/Lactose intolerance/Recipes

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20

Jul

Meal ‘n Steal: $5 Banh Mi Sandwich

Today I was introduced to a whole new world inside of Duc Loi Supermarket in the Mission. They carry all kinds of local produce, organic products and wine, for a fraction of the price of fancier gourmet shops. But what we really came for was the Banh Mi Sandwich from the deli counter. At just $5 a pop, you get an entire meal in one sandwich – and bite by bite, it lived up to its rep.

Banh Mi Sandwich @ Duc Loi Supermarket

So what’s in a Banh Mi sandwich? Five kinds of meat: pork pot roast, liverwurst, pork roll, head cheese and pork belly. But here’s the kicker, all that rich protein is balanced with carrots, jicama, cilantro, cucumber, daikon, and jalapeno – served on French bread.

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Oh, and I walked out with a bunch of green onions for $0.49. Can you think of anything that costs less than a $1 at the grocery store? Me neither. Consider me a convert!

304 days ago Short URL Comments

Asian/Budget/Dairy-free/Local/Restaurants

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07

Jun

Ramen for a Modern Woman

Us modern girls like to have our cake and eat it too. Why not squeeze in a workout while making dinner?

Lately I’ve been putting this theory to the test, courtesy of our makeshift home gym.Here’s how to make ramen inspired by Everyday Food‘s Asian-Style Chicken Soup, while doing four sets of three exercises.

It may sound crazy, but if you’re a multi-tasker like me, you’ll eat it up (pun intended). And if all that juggling makes it hard for you to remember to defrost the chicken ahead of time, no worries – this version uses straight-from-the-freezer tenders.

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1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Put 5 frozen chicken tenders in pan; cover with foil. Fill large pot with water.

Do a set

3. Put chicken in oven and set timer for 20 min. Turn stove on high; put pot of water on.

Do 2 sets

4. Put Chinese-style ramen noodles in the boiling water for 3 minutes; stir to separate.

Do a set

5. Check on chicken; set timer for 15 more minutes, if needed. Remove noodles from stove; drain and leave in colander.

Do 2 sets

6. Put drained noodles in bowl with 1 tbsp of oil to avoid sticking.

Do 2 sets

7. Remove chicken from oven to cool. To make the soup base, combine 10 cups of chicken broth, 3 tbsp fish sauce, 4 tbsp soy sauce, and a dash of ground ginger in the same large pot you used for noodles; bring to boil.

Do 2 sets

8. Shred chicken with forks

Do 2 sets

9. Add noodles, chicken, and any veggies you like (I used spinach and radish slices) to the broth. Bring back to boil. Simmer for a couple of minutes. Season as needed.

Enjoy your ramen with a side of endorphins.

347 days ago Short URL Comments

Asian/BRAT friendly/Dairy-free/Healthy/milk-free/Recipes

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12

Feb

Let’s be Flank

I’ve been wanting to try a flank steak recipe for some time, so tonight I modified Everyday Food’s Asian Steak Salad with Napa Cabbage.

I used radicchio in place of napa cabbage, and half an orange instead of two limes. I also used the same stoneware casserole dish to marinade and cook the steak. Since the radicchio is more bitter than cabbage, I cut it with a diced fuji apple. Lastly, I diced up the other half of the orange for extra sweetness.

Results: delicious!

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463 days ago Short URL Comments

Asian/Dairy-free/Dinner/Healthy/milk-free/Recipes

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14

Jan

There will be Breadcrumbs

I’m always in search of fresh, handmade pappardelle, so when I found it at Bi-Rite Market, I was excited to get to work on a new recipe. With leeks on hand, I searched around and found this recipe.

I enjoyed the process of cleaning and prepping the leeks – they’re such a gorgeous color. And the rosemary smelled delightful.

But things took a turn for the worse when I (ignored the recipe) and dumped the entire breadcrumb mixture into the finished pasta. Those thick, buttery ribbons got lost in the sandy coating.

Lesson learned: treat breadcrumbs like salt, unless you’re making Mac & cheese or gratin.

493 days ago Short URL 2 Comments

Dairy-free/Dinner/milk-free/Recipes/Seasonal

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23

Oct

Healthy Soup

When I see kale in my fridge, I immediately think of soup. It’s the easiest way to tame the beast – those tough and rough leaves. So, tonight I made a satisfying, hearty and healthy soup.

First, I sauteed one chopped onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper. Next I added diced Yukon Gold potatoes, and chopped kale (stripped off the spine). Once kale was sufficiently wilted, I added two cups of chicken broth and two cups of water. I brought it back to a boil for a few minutes, then added two cans of white beans.

Delicious and I didn’t feel guilty about having multiple seconds!

575 days ago Short URL Comments

Dairy-free/Healthy/Seasonal

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21

Aug

Zin-ful Pork Tenderloin

We had an abundance of zinfandel following our weekend away, so I decided to put it to work in the kitchen by braising pork tenderloin in one of the leftover zins. I made sure to pull it out of the bubbling liquid while still pink, and left it to rest for a few minutes. That final move made it nice and tender, plus the purple-stained skin created an interested marble effect.

I served it over rice, but mashed potatoes would be a more decadent option if you’re feeling zin-ful. Pretty simple!

638 days ago Short URL Comments

Dairy-free/Healthy/Shortcuts/wine

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21

Aug

Cleaning out the fridge: white bean chili

In the third and last chapter of desperation in the kitchen, I used my stash of white beans, frozen chicken breasts, onion and spices to make an amended version (for spicy weaklings) of Epicurious’ White Bean Chicken Chili. You’ll see some suggestions at the end on how to make it vegan or vegetarian, as well.

It’s pretty simple when you break it down. I sauteed onion, oregano and cumin; and added the frozen chicken breasts directly on one side of the pan. They required more cooking time since they were frozen, but easy regardless. Next, you basically add the beans and water (I didn’t have chicken broth) and it thickens over time. Note: I don’t think chicken is necessary; you could skip that step and I don’t think you’d miss it.

David and I are both sensitive to spicy foods, so I skipped the green chilies, red pepper and cilantro. Also, a tablespoon of cumin was too much; I almost wondered if it was a typo. In order to cut down on heat, I added about 3/4 a stick of butter towards the end, and it did the trick. (I skipped the whipping cream, so that may have had something to do with it.)

So to summarize, if you cut down on cumin and skipped the chicken, chicken broth and butter/cream, you’d have a vegan, dairy-free white bean chili.

639 days ago Short URL Comments

Budget/Dairy-free/Recipes/Vegetarian

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21

Aug

Cleaning out the fridge: fettuccine with mushrooms

For Part II of this week’s cleaning out the fridge installment, I used the remaining dried porcini mushrooms (see Porcini Couscous) and added Wine Forest Dried Lobster Mushrooms for an adaptation of Epicurious’ Fettuccine with Wild Mushroom Sauce.

For my replication, I soaked both sets of dried mushrooms before adding them to a pan with sauteed onions (instead of garlic). I also swapped water for chicken broth, simply because I didn’t have any, and served it with spinach fettuccine.

It was absolutely delicious, especially when paired with the bacon-licious and smoky Syrah Bacon Reserve from Oreana Winery.

639 days ago Short URL Comments

Dairy-free/Local/Products/Recipes

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