Grilled Fish Tacos

I decided to test out the little charcoal grill my parents gave me, and I thought grilled fish tacos would be fun to try. I used tilapia and made a simple citrus marinade of fresh lime and orange juice. They turned out perfectly and I made some pico de gallo, guacamole, pickled red onion and a white sauce to go along with the fish and shredded cabbage. Here's the recipe I found on the Coastal Seafoods website:

1½ pounds white sea bass or other firm white fish
½ cup orange juice
½ cup lime juice
1 Tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp salt
2 tsp oregano leaf
2tsp chili powder
3 cloves garlic, crushed

Combine ingredients and marinate fish for two hours. Place fish on hot grill, turning once for 8-10 minutes per inch of thickness. Break up fish and place in warmed tortillas. Dress with onions, cabbage, and mayo sauce.

Red Onion Pickle
1 large red onion, sliced
1 cup white vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
2 tsps salt

Bring vinegar to boil in small pan. Add sugar and salt until dissolved. Pour over onions and set aside, stirring occasionally for two hours.

Mayo Sauce (I used sour cream instead of mayo)
1 cup mayo
¼ to ½ cup milk
juice of one lime
cumin
salt

Summer Salads and Gomashio Buns

I started the day by attempting to make baguettes, but I got lazy and opted for dinner rolls instead. I decided to dip them in salt and black sesame seeds. I was inspired by my love of gomashio furikake, a simple Japanese topping for rice. They turned out puffy and beautiful, which made my day. I tend to get very upset when my bread doesn't turn out.

I also made a salad of mung beans, cucumbers marinated in a dill dressing, avocado, tofu and pine nuts. My roommate, Debbie also made a salad with mixed spring greens, fennel, black olives, orange slices and a balsamic vinaigrette.

Sourdough Mini Pancakes

This is a great way to use up leftover starter from refreshing your sourdough starter. These are quite sour and have a very chewy texture. I just used what I had lying around to whip up a quick breakfast, which happened to be some extra flour, sugar, baking powder, vinegar, and soy milk. Feel free to experiment with whatever you have in your kitchen. I ate them with a squeeze of lemon and some turbinado sugar sprinkled on top for a nice sour, sweet crunch.

Last Minute Mini Sourdough Pancakes:

1/2 cup prepared sourdough starter
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup all purpose or whole-wheat flour (or really any flour you feel like using)
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup soy milk, more or less depending on desired consistency of the batter

I just mixed everything together loosely, maintaining some lumps in the batter, then heated some oil in a cast-iron skillet. I dropped little spoonfuls of batter in the skillet and fried on both sides until golden brown. They are good with real maple syrup or topped with fresh lemon juice and crunchy raw sugar. I wish I had some plan yogurt and fresh blueberries to top this off.

Rainy Day Baking

Today is another dreary cold day in Minneapolis and rainy weather makes me feel lazy and tired. I couldn't manage to motivate myself to do anything productive today except make some scones. Since I love the combination of dark chocolate and ginger I decided to make chocolate ginger scones. These happen to be vegan, substituting oil for the butter typically found in scones and soy milk for the dairy. Surprisingly they turned out pretty well, my roommate and even my picky boyfriend liked them. I got the recipe from Bikram Baking: Ginger Chocolate Chunk Scones from the Vegan Cupcakes Take over the World. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips for the chocolate chunks and added some crystalized ginger. They are a perfect accompaniment to tea or coffee.

Spinach Goma Ae

This is one of my favorite Japanese vegetable dishes. It is so simple to make (only 4 ingredients!) but has such a nice balance of flavors. I first learned how to spinach goma ae when I was in college, and my Japanese roommate, Misaki, and I would take sugar packets and soy sauce from the school cafeteria. I know, I was quite rebellious back then. Anyways, you can make this side dish with boiled spinach, soy sauce, sugar (raw, white, or I used agave nectar), and sesame seeds (usually made with white sesame seeds, but I only had black ones so I just used those). Spinach goma ae is on the menu at the Japanese restaurant that I work at, but I can't understand why anyone would pay $6.25 for something that is so easy to make.

Spinach goma ae Recipe:

1 lb washed spinach
4 Tablespoons roasted sesame seeds
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add washed spinach. Boil until just wilted, about 30 seconds or less, depending on how thick the spinach leaves are. Immediately remove from heat and drain hot water from pot and fill with cold water to stop cooking. Continue until spinach is no longer warm. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Cut spinach into 2 inch lengths and set aside.

Make the sauce: Add sesame seeds to mortar and pestle or food processor and roughly crush seeds. Then add sugar and soy sauce and continue to mix until well combined. Pour dressing over spinach and mix well so that all of spinach is dressed. Serve cold or room temperature with rice, miso soup or other Japanese dishes.

Pasta with Harissa

Whole-wheat Fettucinne, Moroccan chili paste (harissa), kale, olives, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil and some lemon zest. I got the recipe for Harissa Spaghettini from 101 Cookbooks.

Caesar Salad

I snagged this recipe from 101 Cookbooks, a site dedicated to healthy delicious vegetarian recipes. I really love reading this blog and testing out the recipes. I took this one from the Vegan Caesar Salad Recipe. This version substituted capers and capers' brine for the anchovies, and silken tofu for the eggs, in traditional caesar salad. I made a few changes by using plain yogurt instead of the silken tofu (so my version is not vegan, obviously). I also did not roast the garlic for the croutons ahead of time, but I think I will next time I make this, when I have more time. I also omitted the sliced almonds because I forgot to buy them at the store (oops!), so I'm guessing my dressing was a little more tangy and sour. I added a little agave nectar (love that stuff) to take the bite out a little. The avocado slices I added were also a nice touch. I was pretty satisfied with how the salad turned out, and I prefer it to traditional Caesar salad that is too rich and always makes me feel a little nasty after I eat it. I also love the challenge of updating classic recipes and making them vegetarian, healthier and tastier!

Pad Thai

After watching the Minimalist cooking video on the New York Times website, I had to make Pad Thai myself. I have attempted to make it before with unsuccessful results, using recipes that call for ketchup. I love Pad Thai, even the Americanized versions, but nothing compares to the street food I ate in Bangkok at a dirty little street stall in Bangkok at 1 o'clock in the morning. In fact, that was the first thing I did when I arrived in Thailand. My friend, Tong, who is from Bangkok took me to the place, claiming it was the very best Pad Thai. And indeed, it was the very best; hot noodles that were perfectly seasoned, with fresh herbs and vegetables and just the right amount of greasiness to be satisfying without feeling heavy. I was in heaven, and I almost ordered another plate. Actually now I wish I had

I created a recipe based on the Minimalist video, although it is not exactly true to way I made it because I didn't measure. Feel free to play around with measurements or adjust to your personal taste.

Recipe for Pad Thai:

For the Sauce:
3 tablespoons tamarind concentrate (found at most Asian markets)
2 tablespoons fish sauce (a necessary ingredient in Thai cooking, vegetarian versions available)
1-2 teaspoons cane sugar, agave nectar or honey
1 spoonful of chili flakes or chili paste, depending on how spicy you like it

6 oz Thai or Vietnamese rice noodles or sticks, sometimes called rice vermicelli
2 tablespoons oil for frying, peanut or vegetable
a few tablespoons of chopped roasted peanuts
8 oz. fried tofu, chopped into small cubes
2 eggs
bean sprouts
baby bok choy, choppped
3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
5-6 scallions, finely sliced
2-3 Thai chilies
1-2 limes
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil and remove from heat. Add rice noodles and soak 10 to 12 minutes until noodles are soft. Rinse and drain thoroughly, and add a little oil to keep the noodles from clumping together.

Make the sauce: combine ingredients for sauce and bring to a simmer in a small sauce pan. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat oil in wok or large skillet, then add the garlic and scallions. Cook for a minute or so and then crack the eggs into the pan. Stir the eggs around for about half a minute then add the boy choy, sprouts, chilies, tofu and stir fry for a another minute. Add the noodles and stir until everything is combined. Turn off the heat and pour the sauce over the stir-fry and mix thoroughly. Garnish with chopped cilantro, fresh lime, and chopped peanuts.

A quick lunch I created with the last of the sourdough bread. Not much to say about this one. A well known classic: tomato, basil and mozzarella finished with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Breakfast is served

Since this is my first post, I decided to start with breakfast. A few days ago I documented my breakfast of homemade sourdough bread with apple butter, a tangelo, and some good strong coffee. It is not often that I photograph my breakfast before I eat it, but it was a surprisingly satisfying experience. Sitting there in the morning sunlight it almost seemed too perfect to spoil the experience by eating, but alas I gave in to my hunger. Unfortunately the photograph does not quite capture these contemplative moments, so you will have to use your imagination a bit.

The bread recipe comes from Local Breads by Daniel Leader, a book I have recently fallen in love with. I started making sourdough bread a few months ago, and this book has become my bread bible. It goes through, in meticulous detail, the history, process and culture of traditional European breads. I also made the apple butter, taking the recipe from good ol' Joy of Cooking, with a few deviations. I did not strain the apple pulp as recommended because I like the texture of the apple skins. I also substituted turbinado sugar for white sugar and added a pinch of cayenne pepper. The tangelo I found at my local co-op, a mix between a tangerine and a pomelo; very sour with a hint of sweetness. Overall, it was great way to start the day.