Marninated Zucchini, Carrot and Tofu Strips

Yes, I know it's freakin' freezing out there and this is what washed up ashore—a bunch of marinated raw veggies and tofu strips on a bed of trevise or radicchio as we know it.  Let me go back to dreaming of the black sand beach in Bali, the surfers, the sultry heat...

Marinated Zucchini, Carrot and Tofu Strips

INGREDIENTS//Serves 5-6

• 3 zucchinis, raw and peeled into noodle strips
• 2 carrots
• 150 grams tofu strips (optional)
• 1 lemon, juiced
•  1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• A handful of coriander leaves

INSTRUCTIONS

To prepare your zucchini and carrot strips/noodles you can use a julienne peeler, handheld spiralizer, spiralizer, peeler, or mandoline.

Place all your veggie strips in a large glass mixing bowl and add the lemon juice and minced garlic.  Let it marinate overnight or for at least 8 hours in the refigerator.

Take the marinated vegetables out of the fridge and add your tofu strips, sesame oil, tamari sauce, and white pepper.  Toss all together.

Garnish with plenty of coriander leaves.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Granola Crust

It's my party!  FotoFeedMe is officially one year old.  Can't believe I haven't skipped a beat since last December! I've been pretty obsessed about styling, photographing, and cooking up a storm and what better way than to share them with you on this blog. 

Thanks everyone for keeping me company through this insatiable and experimental journey.  There are terrific days, blah days, sunny days, dreary days, healthy and not so healthy days, freezing your butt off days—on top of that there are mindless tasks and chores to do or on the To Do list/lists.  No matter what, sprucing up my food has been a delight for me and I hope it brings you some cheer too.   

Pumpkin Cheesecake With Granola Crust

INGREDIENTS//6 muffin size cakes

• 200 grams kefir cream cheese or regular cream cheese
• 120 grams pumpkin, purée
• 60 grams brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch of nutmeg

FOR GRANOLA CRUST

• 100 grams plain granola, blended
• 25 grams butter, melted
 

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare the crust first.  In a small pot, melt your butter on low heat.

Preheat your oven to 175° C or 350°F.

Blend your granola and transfer it into a small bowl. 

Add the melted butter and stir.

In your muffin mold, fill the bottom with the granola mix and press down on it with your fingers.

Put it in the oven for 10 minutes.  Take it out and let it cool.

Prepare the pumpkin cheesecake filling.

In a medium size mixing bowl, combine all your ingredients and beat until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 165°C or 325°F.

Fill your granola crusted muffin molds three quarters full and place it in the oven for 30 minutes.

Allow it to cool and then place it in the refigerator for at least a few hours or overnight before serving.

NOTE

I used my kefir cream cheese in this recipe which brought a citrusy taste to this cake.  It was almost as if I added lemon juice or something of that nature.  It slightly overpowered the pumpkin flavor of this cake but nevertheless, it was still delish!

Turning Leftover Mash Potatoes to Homemade Gnocci

Mamie Jacotte was in town.  She usually cooks up a storm for us and it was no different this time around. 

I leaped at the idea when she mentioned that we could make gnocci with the leftover mash potatoes.  We love gnocci and had never made them from scratch.  On top of that, Mila was home so what better idea than to spend the afternoon with her Mamie Jacotte learning how to make gnocci.

The kids are lucky to have grandparents with healthy appetites or rather in this case a grandparent who loves to cook.   Needless to say, Mamie Jacotte spends a lot of time in the kitchen.  She's a wonderful hostess who adores entertaining too and you can usually find her with a glass of bubbles in her hand.

One nice thing is coming home from a long day, stepping off the elevator and being enveloped by the warmth and aroma of her cuisine.  The best part is opening the door to the apartment to be greeted by her and to feel so thankful all that warmth and aroma is coming from my own home.

Homemade Gnocci

INGREDIENTS//Serves 5-6

• 650 grams mashed potatoes
• 2 eggs (1 whole egg, 1 egg yellow)
• 1/4 tspn nutmeg
• 200 grams flour

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large mixing bowl with your mash potatoes, stir in the nutmeg and the eggs.

Slowly add some flour, a tablespoon or two at a time to combine with the mash potatoes.

Keep adding the flour and gently knead with your hands until you get a dough-like consistency and until the dough does not glue to your finger or the sides of the bowl.  You still want the dough to be slightly sticky but firm enough to hold its shape.

Once you have a ball of dough, you can quarter it, take a piece and roll it into a thin, long log.

On a floured surface, place the log shaped dough in front of you and cut it into 1-1 1/2 inch size pieces.

With the back of the fork, gently press into each piece to create the ridges. 

Sprinkle the dough with a litte flour.

In a large pot of boiling water, add a bit of salt.

Add a batch of gnocci in the boiling water for about 2-3 minutes or until they rise to the top and use a slotted spoon to scoop it out.  Continue to cook in batchfuls.

Season with some salt and pepper, sprinkle with your favorite cheese and drizzle on some olive oil.

NOTE

I used our left over mashed potatoes in this recipe which was already seasoned with dallops of crème fraîche, olive oil, nutmeg, and salt.   It brought out more flavors in the gnocci. 

 

Beetroot Crackers

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  I'll be celebrating on Saturday with friends.  As the years go by in Paris, I find myself defeated against upholding a traditional fanfare feast each year.  The thought of basting a Turkey—which I don't even eat—for hours and preparing all the side dishes that go along with it just plain 'ole fatigues me.

The fact that it is celebrated on a Thursday is another challenge.  We obviously don't get the long weekend to recuperate from all that feasting, but we don't even get the turkey Thursday off to feast.   But of course, I'm in France.  What do I expect?  What does anyone expect around me?  What does anyone expect from me? 

You got it...nothing.

I try to give a nod to turkey Thursdays, as there is a whole lot to be thankful for.  I've been reduced to taking the family out to a local "American" diner called Breakfast of America (BOA) in the Marais where they usually serve turkey plates on this particular Thursday. 

The ironic thing is that my French husband usually winds up being the only one ordering the turkey plate.  My kids don't have any recollection of a moment when their mum comes out of the kitchen with the star turkey and places it on the table along with the beautiful side dishes that match.  Ooh, and stuffing, well I never got the traditional stuff as I grew up in an Asian household and our turkeys were stuffed with sticky rice but at least I grew up with the concept and nostalgia of stuffing.  Stuffing is for stuffed animals as far as my children are concerned.

This is the time when I miss my family the most.  I miss the football playing on the t.v. screen (it's just part of the background scene), Nat King Cole singing in the background, adults drinking, kids playing, and the scent of sweets and spices tickling our noses—Mmmm, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, sweet potato marshmallow mash.... 

So this is just another Thursday in Paris, France...no turkey day recipe here.  Like I said, I'll be celebrating on Saturday, we'll be creating new traditions.

Beetroot Crackers

INGREDIENTS//Yields 20 pieces

• 100 grams beetroot, raw and finely grated
• 30 grams chia seeds
• 60 grams oats
• 70 grams sunflower seeds
• 20 grams flax seeds
• 10 grams poppy seeds
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin

PREPARATION

Let the chia seeds sit in 12 tablespoons of water for about 15 minutes.  It will become gelatinous.
 

INSTRUCTIONS

In a food processor, pulse your beet. 

In a medium size mixing bowl, combine your beets and chia seeds.

Then stir in your oats, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, and poppy seeds.

Add the salt and cumin.

Pre-heat your oven to 150° celsius.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper and then spread your mix onto it.

Use a spatula to spread and flatten the mix flat to form a rectangular shape, and don't forget to score it into square bite-size pieces.  Thiis will make it easy to break into cracker shapes afterwards.

Place it in the oven for an hour.   Your crackers should harden up around this time.  If not, leave it in longer.

Take out your ready made crackers and let it cool down.  

Break your beetroot sheet along the lines you have scored for bite size cracker shapes.

Homemade Kefir Cream Cheese

1. Start with your cultured kefir milk.

I can't believe I have just made soft cream cheese.  Crazy thing is that I went back to the land where my kefir grains came from—Thailand!—to learn how to make this soft kefir cream cheese.

2. Seperate the kefir grains from the kefir.

Remember in my previous post I had a friend, SIlvia, who brought me these wonderful kefir gems?   She traveled all the way from Bangkok to Paris bestowing me with these lovely gem of grains. 

3. Ready-made kefir milk.

While visiting her in her home in Bangkok recently, one of her neighbor-friends popped up with some homemade cream cheese for us to taste.   She too shares the same family of kefir grains.  I was excited to do the same with my kefir grains.

4.  Pour the ready-made milk kefir into a cheesecloth lined sieve hanging over a bowl. Tie it up and place it in the fridge overnight.  You will be left with whey, the liquid at the bottom of the bowl.

Boy, I didn't realize what my kefir grains were capable of.  Not only have these grains grown and been shared across continents, they are now my supplier for cream cheese. 

5.  After the whey has seeped out, you will be left with a lump of soft cheese.

There was a moment I was drowning in kefir milk.  Now, I can take it one step further and make a cheese that spreads easliy on crackers and bread, and can easily be used as dips.   The possibilities are endless: herb spreads, vegetable spreads, veggie dips, cinnamon and spice cream...yum!  I'll have to try to make a cheesecake with my newfound love too.

6. Soft cream cheese ready to use as a spread.

Homemade Kefir Cream Cheese

PREPARTION

• One cheesecloth or a cotton tight-weave cloth
• 1 plastic sieve
• 1 bowl

INGREDIENTS//Yields one cup

• 4 cups ready-made kefir

INSTRUCTI0NS

Line your sieve with the cheesecloth and hang the sieve over the bowl.

Pour the ready-made kefir into the cloth lined sieve.

Tie up the ends of the cloth and place it in the fridge overnight.

When you untie your cheesecloth on the next day, you will be left with a lovely lump of soft cream cheese.  The liquid left at the bottom of the bowl is whey.  Apparently there are ways to use this whey.  I haven't gotten there yet but when time comes, you'll be sure to know!

NOTE

Homemade kefir cream cheese has more of a sour taste than the store-bought ones.   It's also softer.  I noticed that if I leave the kefir cheese in the fridge longer to strain the whey it hardens up.

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake and Cashew Frosting

I don't know if it's the sudden change in weather from cold to freezing—ahem, it snowed on Monday—or the nerves on edge leading up to America's election day that I suddenly find myself in a state of shock today realizing that President Obama is about to hand over the keys of the White House to Donald Trump.

I've been baking up a storm and you can call it comfort food or not.  Either way, my apartment smells like carrots and spices and it calms my senses.  I posted a carrot cake recipe last week too.  Here's another to consider, it's gluten-free and just as moist and tasty.  I don't build walls between gluten and gluten-free food camps (I am not allergic to gluten!).   I just like a varied and moderate diet and love to experiment with ingredients. 

I have used chestnut flour as an alternative to all-purpose wheat flour.  It has a similar starchiness to that of traditional flour and has a sweeter and slightly nuttier flavor to it. 

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake and Cashew Frosting

INGREDIENTS//YIeilds 10 muffin size cakes

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
•  3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup chestnut flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder (use a brand that uses cornstarch not wheat flour for gluten-free option)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cup carrot, finely grated
• 1 tablespoon flax seed (optional)
•  1/2 pecans, walnuts, Brazil nuts, chopped (optional)

Cashew Frosting

• 1 cup raw cashews, soaked
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1/2 cup almond milk
 

PREPARATION
Soak the cashew nuts in a glass bowl and cover overnight.

INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the first five ingredients.

Then add in the chestnut flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Stir in the carrots and then fold in your flax seeds and nuts (optional).

Preheat oven to 350°F (175° C).

I used a muffin tray on this particular day but it's perfect in a loaf mold too (fills one 9.6 x 4 inch mold).

Pour the batter a little more than halfway into your mold.

Bake for 30 minutes or until you can poke a skewer in the carrot cake to see if it comes out clean.

While your muffins are in the oven, you can prepare the dairy-free frosting.

Cashew Frosting

Drain and rinse your soaked cashews. 

Place in a processor along with the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.  You can add a little bit of water if needed.

Once the carrot cake is cooled, you can frost them.

Moist Carrot Cake

Baked and styled by Mila and Viktor.

This is one of those cakes that doesn't last very long in our household.  It is easily eaten for breakfast, snack time, and for dessert. 

My kids are starting to get their hands involved, not only on the cooking front but on styling ideas and taking pictures of food.  This is their first project together from beginning to end.  It was an all day affair which kept them busy.  I turned a blind eye to my messy kitchen and devoured one of the most delish carrot cakes ever.

Moist Carrot Cake

INGREDIENTS

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, or Brazil nuts (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla extract.

Then gradually mix in the flour.  Add the baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

Stir in the carrots and then fold in your nuts (optional).

Preheat oven to 350°F (175° C).

Pour the batter a little more than halfway into a loaf pan or a round baking pan.   I have a silicone loaf pan so I don't need to grease my mold.

Bake for 40 minutes and check by inserting a knife to see if it pulls out cleanly.

I use a 9.6 x 4 inch mold.  I get two carrot loaves out of this recipe.

Heart Shaped White Chocolate with Black Sesame Filling

This is a simple and fun recipe to make with kids by converting a chocolate bar into fun heart shaped chocolates.  

My kids and I paired white chocolate with black sesame filling and loved the black grit that's left behind in the teeth.

We love wrapping them up in transparent bags tied with a pretty ribbon around it and offering it to friends.

White Chocolate with Black Sesame Filling
 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bar white chocolate
• black sesame paste

INSTRUCTIONS

If you have a double boiler, go ahead and melt your white chocolate.  I don't have one so I use a heat-proof mixing bowl over a saucepan of boiling water to melt my chocolate.  Make sure the bowl fits snugly and doesn't touch the bottom of the saucepan. 

Fill each heart shaped mold a little less than halfway with the melted chocolate. 

Use the back of the teaspoon to coat the sides of the mold with chocolate.   Finish up coating the bottom and sides of the heart molds and then place it in the refigerator for 10-15 minutes.

After the chocolate has hardened into place, fill the center with the black sesame paste.  Be careful not to overfill.

Cover the filling with the rest of the melted white chocolate and place it back in the fridge for another round of 10-15 minutes.

When hardened up, pop the chocolates out of the mold.  Let it sit at room temperature before serving.

Vegetable Filled Tofu Pockets- Inari Sushi

When I was a kid, this was one of my favorite things to eat.  Although I must admit my choice in toppings back then were not quite the same as today.  Abura age is a slightly sweetened, fried tofu pocket that is usually found vacuum packed or in tins and is used for inari sushi.  You can find this easily in any Japanese or other Asian food market.

I enjoy inari sushi without rice and just fill my tofu pockets up with veggies nowadays.  If you are using rice, fill the tofu pocket a little less than half way maximizing most of the pocket with fresh vegetables so that you can optimize on all its nutritional value.

There are plenty of toppings for you to choose from.  You can add shrimp, smoked salmon, fish roe, crab, ground meat, etc. to your list of toppings.  Just balance it out with some colorful veggie so that it pops out and is inviting to eat!

Vegetable Filled Tofu Pockets—Inari Sushi

INGREDIENTS//Yields 16

• 1 pack of abura age (slightly sweetened tofu pouches)
• 1 1/2 cup rice, Japanese sushi rice, uncooked (optional)
• 1 egg, yolk only
• 1 small cucumber, diced
• 1 zucchini, julienned or spiraled (think zoodle!)
• 1 carrot, julienned or spiraled
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 tin corn, small
• 150 grams edamame beans
• 1/2 avocado smash with yuzu and poppy seeds

PREPARATION

To prepare the egg omelette, we use only the yolk.   Seperate the egg white from the yolk in a small bowl.
Give the yolk a quick stir (optional- you can add a smidgeon of sugar to this mix).  Heat up your skillet, add a little bit of butter to the surface and pour your yolk in the skillet.  Cook for about a minute on each side and slide it off onto a flat cutting board.  Slice across your flat yolk omelette horizontally and vertically a few times to cut them into strips.  Kitchen shears come in handy for this too. 
 

INSTRUCTIONS

If you are using rice, cook it first and then let it cool down.  You can add a little bit of sushi vinegar to it if you like but I find that the abura age is sweet enough.

Prepare all your vegetables and egg and line them up in a bowl.

Open a tofu pocket up, and using wet hands ball up a small portion of rice and place it into the base of the pocket.

Complete the top up with your choice of vegetable fillings.

NOTE

For any leftover veggies, I just simply cut them up and prepare a small salad on the side.
 

Chard and Kale Chips

This is not something I would normally make but given its popularity over the past few years and then seeing the cost of a 35 gram bag (6 euros!—Well ok, 5.99 euros but still... ) at the Veggie World trade fair recently, I thought I would give it a go and make it myself.

I'm not quite convinced on these chard and kale chips but I suppose it's a great option for those looking for something healthier than regular potato chips.  Though there's no comparison since potatoes, kale, and chard don't taste the same anyways.  If you are going for the crunch factor then I suppose these offer a healthier crunch.

It seems like the more I eat them, the more I enjoy them or perhaps I am subconsciously telling myself that since I am the only person in the family eating them.  To be fair, my husband hasn't tasted them yet and my eldest is away on a class trip.  So that just leaves my youngest and me.  Viktor was more amused by the fact that he was eating a feuille, a leaf that is.  He is entertained in thinking he has eaten a leaf from a tree.

It's on my list to make in the future and to place it along side with other dips and tidbits during apéro with friends,  then I will know if it is well-received or not.  Keep ya posted!

Chard and Kale Chips

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup or 50 grams kale
• 2 leaves swiss chard

FLAVORING FOR KALE

• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon of tamarind paste
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 5 grams roasted buckwheat
• coarse sea salt (according to taste)

FLAVORING FOR CHARD

• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• 5 grams fried onions
• coarse sea salt (according to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS

Wash your chard and kale leaves, then make sure they are completely dried off.

For flavoring the kale:

In a medium size mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the buckwheat and and salt for flavoring the kale.

Add the kale and rub in the flavored sauce making sure to coat it well.

Then add in the buckwheat and the salt and toss it around.

On a baking tray with parchment paper, lay out each leaf of kale making sure it has its own space.

Place it in the oven at 135° Celsius for 30 minutes with a convection setting if you have one.

Take it out of the oven and let it cool before serving.

For flavoring the chard:

Add all the ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl.

Add your cut up chard leaves and rub in the flavored sauce making sure to coat the leaves well.

Be sure your chard leaves are big enough so that they lay flat and that thefried onions and salt can sit on it.

Line your baking tray with parchment paper and lay out each leaf side by side.

Place it in the oven at 135° Celsius for 30 minutes with a convection setting if you have one.

Take it out of the oven and let it cool before serving.

NOTE

I don't have a food dehydrator, so baking these chard and kale leaves in the oven in low heat and over a long duration of time is another way to dehydrate food.

Avocado Smash with Yuzu and Poppy Seeds

Yuzu is a citrus fruit that is the size of a mandarin.  It resembles a small grapefruit with uneven skin and is usually yellowish to greenish in color.  It's tart in taste with a delicate accent of grapefruit and lime-like flavors.

Yuzu originates from East Asia and is most commonly cultivated and used in Japan.  It is not eaten like a whole fruit but the juice and the zest are widely used in Japanese and Korean cuisine.  Similar in use as that of the lemon it can be found in pastries, teas, jams, dressings, sauces, beers, etc. 

Try replacing lemon with a dash of yuzu for something different.  It's subtle on the palate and less citrusy.

This is a great simple twist to plain avocado using yuzu juice in place of lemon juice.  Don't forget to sprinkle some poppy seeds for some added texture and decoration.

Avocado Smash with Yuzu and Poppy Seeds

INGREDIENTS//Serves 2-3

• 1 ripe avocado
• 1/2 teaspoon of yuzu juice, concentrated
• 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 clove garlic (small clove)
• a pinch of coarse sea salt (adjust according to taste)

INSTRUCTIONS

Halve your avocado and scoop out the flesh with a spoon and place it in a small bowl.

Add your yuzu juice and garlic.

Start to mash the avocado with the back of a fork.  Make sure not to mash it up too much.  It's nice to have bits and chunks in it.

Add your salt and your poppy seeds. Give it a final whirl in the bowl.

I used an ice cream scooper to give this avocado some shape. 

Plop it on a plate and it's ready to be served.

Buddha Bowl #1. Eat Bold and Bloom.

Buddha bowls have been the rage in healthy living in the past year or two.  I never knew what I had been eating actually had a name to it.  I like to think of it as a gratitude bowl.  Now, I'm not trying to get hippy-dippy on you, but it is a bowl of goodness for your health, mind, and body so we should be grateful for what we have on this earth and for what Mother Nature gives to us.

Brown rice and quinoa mix topped with hijiki tofu patties, beetroot, cucumber wakame sunomono, red cabbage, spinach, crushed avocado with yuzu and poppy seeds, and carrot ginger dressing.

This is a one meal bowl with an emphasis on plant based foods.  There are 4 basic components to it: grains and/or nuts and seeds, protein veggies, starchy vegetables, and a dazzling dressing or sauce.

You can use plant based proteins such as avocado, beans, nuts, seeds, and tofu.  Other protein substitutes may be egg, sustainable fish and lean meats (for those who need a little more).  Play around with the textures of your veggies which can easily be achieved by the way you cook them (boiled, steamed, sautéed, raw, roasted) or cut them (diced, cubed, sliced, julienned). 

The combination between texture and taste is something you can be mindful to while eating.  A mix of raw vegetables and lightly cooked, steamed, or roasted vegetables add different dimensions to a bowl.  Be generous to yourself and be abundant in your veggie servings.

What's great about it is that you can reincarnate any leftovers and recreate new bowls. 

Buddha Bowl #1

INGREDIENTS// 1 meal bowl

• brown rice and quinoa mix
• hijiki tofu patties
• beetroot, raw and grated
• cucumber wakame sunomono
• red cabbage, marinated
• spinach or chard
• crushed avocado with yuzu and poppy seeds
• carrot ginger dressing


INSTRUCTIONS

Choose a special bowl and assemble all your elements of goodness on top and around your grains.

Top it off with your special dressing or sauce. 

Eat bold and bloom.

Cucumber Wakame Sunomono

Wakame is a delicious seaweed often found in soups, salads, and side dishes in Japanese cuisine.  It is rich in vitamins and minerals, notably: calcium, magnesium, iodine, riboflavin, folate, vitamins A,C,E,K—all the stuff that's good for the bones, energy production, muscle contraction, iron metabloism, and for pregnant ladies (folate!)  

In Korea, Miyeokguk, a seaweed soup, is often served to women as postpartum care.  It is strongly believed that it cleanses the blood, contracts the womb, and increases milk production though one should watch out for the high sodium content.  Also, wakame has some beneficial components like lignans and fucoxanthins which are linked to lower levels of breast cancer,  prevents fat accumulation, and aids in burning fatty tissue.

You can find this cucumber wakame sunomono served as a starter or side dish in many Japanese restaurants.  Su is vinegar in Japanese and sunonmono is usually referenced to vinegared dishes.  Now you can enjoy this simple recipe at home.

Cucumber Wakame Sunomono
 

INGREDIENTS//Serves 2

• 1/2 English cucumber or Kyuri (Japanese cucumber)
•  10 grams wakame, dehydrated
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• ginger, grated or finely sliced matchsticks (garnish, optional)

PREPARATION

To rehydrate your wakame, soak your wakame in a cup of room temperature water for about 10 minutes.  Drain and squeeze out any excess water.

Cut your cucumber in half lengthwise.  Deseed it.  Use your mandoline to thinly slice the cucumbers.  Add salt and let sit for 15-30 minutes.  Drain the water, rinse, and then give the cucumbers a squeeze to get rid of any excess water.
 

INSTRUCTIONS

In a small bowl, combine cucumbers and the rehydrated wakame. 

Combine your rice vinegar and sugar in a small separate bowl.  Stir until the sugar dissolves.

Pour the vinegar mix in with the cucumber and wakame, add salt accordingly.   Toss and let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.  Garnish with sesame seeds or ginger.
 

Matcha Cookies with White Chocolate Chunks

I participated in a Japanese tea ceremony in Kyoto once.  I fell in love with the ritual, the serenity, the aesthetics, and all the equipment involved but I never mastered the way of tea.  I do enjoy my green teas (teabags please) at home and I sometimes whisk up some matcha (special treat to myself) when I have a moment to just sit and do nothing but sip my matcha. 

I sit and reflect as the weight of the matcha (I prepare it thick) sits on my tongue and glides down my throat.  I savor the bitterness that coats my palate and then fades away as I continue to take another sip.  This is my way of tea.

Matcha can easily be incorporated in smoothies, baked goods, ice cream, and lattes.   If you find yourself with some at home,  here's a recipe for you to try.

Matcha Cookies with White Chocolate Chunks
 

INGREDIENTS//Yields 35 cookies

• 300 grams (2 cups) flour
• 125 grams butter (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
•  2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon matcha powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 100 grams white chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

In a medium size mixing bowl, add your butter and sugars.  Mix together until it starts to get creamy.

Add your eggs and continue to mix.

In a separate medium size mixing bowl, sift your dry ingredients together: flour, matcha powder, baking soda, and salt.  Combine well.

Then add this dry mixture in with the wet ingredients and mix together.

After everything is well combined, add your white chocolate chunks.  Use a spatula to fold them in.

Chill this cookie dough in the fridge for an hour or more.

Prepare your baking sheet. 

Scoop out a tablespoon full of dough and roll it into a ball and place it on a baking sheet two inches apart from one another.

Once your oven is pre-heated to 175°C or 350°F, place your baking tray in the oven for 8-12 minutes.

Every oven varies, I put mine in for 10 minutes. 

Take out your cookies and let it cool.

NOTE
These cookies come out soft and moist.

Dates, Nut, and Seed Toast

This bread is chock full of seeds and nuts and is naturally sweetened with dates. 

I love stumbling on new ideas and in this recipe it was using dried dates as a sweetener.  I've used date syrup in the past but I never thought of making it myself.   Then I came across this raw, homemade date syrup recipe in The Kitchn.

Toast served with St. Môret cheese spread, a slice of cucumber, smoked salmon, chives, and white onions.

I was unsuccessfully trying to make granola bars using my own adaptations from Deliciously Ella's Date and Oat bars recipe...

but I successfully turned it into toast bits that go great with dips and spreads.  They are packed full of nutritious seeds.  Add a nut butter spread to it and you've got a great "start the day off right"  kind of breakfast or a "pick me up energy snack" for the afternoon.

Dates, Nut, and Seed Toast

INGREDIENTS//Yields 36 squared pieces

• 2 cups (220 grams) buckwheat flakes (unroasted)
• 1/2 cup (70 grams) sunflower seed
• 3 tablespoons chia seed
• 1/2 cup (90 grams) flax seed
• 100 grams Brazil nuts, finely chopped     
• 12-15 dates, pitted (use 15 for a touch more of sweetness)
• 1/2 cup (100 ml) coconut oil
•  1 1/4 (300ml) cup water
• 1/2 cup amaranth (30-40 grams), popped (optional-I had some on reserve)  Use 3 tablespoons raw amaranth to get 1/2 cup popped amaranth.

PREPARATION

Let the chia seeds sit in 12 tablespoons of water for about 15 minutes.  It will become gelatinous.
Pop your amaranth seeds if you don't have some on reserve.

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine the buckwheat flakes, sunflower seeds, flax seed and Brazil nuts in a large mixing bowl.

Put your dates and coconut oil in a blender and mix with 1 1/4 cup water.  Blend until you get a nice smooth consistency.

Add this to the ingredients in the large mixing bowl and stir to combine everything.

Once the chia seeds have set into a gelatinous state, add this to the mixing bowl and stir.

Line a baking tray (33x20 cm or 13 x 9 inch tray) with parchment paper making sure that you use more than enough parchment paper so that it pulls up on the sides.

Fill your tray with the seed date toast mix.

Sprinkle the popped amaranth seed all over the mix and using the back of a spatula, spread it across evenly press down to flatten and smooth out the mix.

Bake at 150°C for 30-40 minutes or until the top turns golden brown.

Let cool and set for at least a half an hour.  Then cut up into square shape bite size toasts.  They will be around 2 centimeters thick, then slice through the middle to divide into two to get about 1 centimeter slices of bite size toast.

Place it back in the oven open face up and toast until the top turns golden. 

Let it cool.  These can be stored in a seal tight container for up to a week.

NOTE

I divided the length into six parts and the width into three parts which yields 18 pieces.  Then I divided the 18 pieces by slicing through the middle which yields 36 pieces of toast.  You can store these in a seal tight container for up to a week.

 

Homemade Fruit Popsicles

Fruit flavors, coconut milk, and agave syrup.

Early Sunday morning as I stepped out the door on my way to the market, I was greeted by brisk weather.  We had a heat wave just up until then so the contrast was startling.   A surge of anxiety immediately entered my head—Where did I store the children's down jackets?  Time to pack up the summer clothes (gosh, didn't i just take them out a month ago?)  And the comforters?...

Piña colada flavor.

At the market, my hoarding tendencies shone through and I quickly filled my bag up with as much summer fresh fruit as possible. We never know when that dark, grey nimbostratus cloud may appear and disappear.  If we are lucky, by next spring we will see sunshine again.  That was me heading into panic mode.

We love berries & coconut and mango coconut flavor.

That all went away rather quickly.  The sun proved stronger and stuck around.  I came home with a load of fresh fruits, spent the following days making different flavor fruit popsicles, and eating them on our balcony in the sweltering heat with the kids.

We clung onto our last summer days together, sucking down our popsicles before heading back to school today.  After the long summer hols, people are back at work, and children are back to school.  Paris has resumed its daily rhythm.  In France, they call it la rentrée.  Wishing everyone a bonne rentrée!
 

Homemade Fruit Popsicles

INGREDIENTS//Yields 8 popsicles (2 ounce molds)

• Fresh fruit
• 1 cup coconut milk  
• 3 tablespoons agave syrup or maple syrup
• 1 lemon


INSTRUCTIONS

You will probably have to adjust the quantity of fruit and coconut milk to fill your popsicle mold. 

We chose to make different fruit flavors for each popsicle holder so we blended each concoction individually and then filled the mold.

Prepare your coconut milk by adding 3 tablespoons of agave syrup to it.  Stir to combine.

Choose a couple of pieces of fresh fruit (don't be afraid to mix and match!), add two tablespoons of coconut milk, and squeeze a couple of drops of lemon juice.  Blend it, fill your mold, and then freeze it.

Kefir and Berries

Kefir with Chia Seeds, Oats, and Raspberries

Last week I posted about making milk kefir at home.  I make about a cup a day to keep my kefir grains active, healthy and multiplying.  It usually rotates among the four of us in our family.   Some days it will be someone's breakfast, on other days it will be someone else's afternoon snack or dessert. 

Milk Kefir is consumed as a drink but I usually let it fement until I get a thicker consistency, that's the way I like it.  It works well as a smoothie base or with a muesli base.   Add any fruit, nuts, and seeds and have yourself a healthy treat to start your day or for any time of the day.

Kefir with Chia Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Goji Berries, and Blueberries

How to Make Milk Kefir

I recently adopted some kefir grains about two months ago.  It traveled all the way from Bangkok to meet me in Paris.   My friend Silvia lives in Bangkok and comes to Paris for her annual holidays.  She has a generous heart, is waste conscious, and she's the one who bestowed me these clumpy, glutinous kefir grain jewels.  If you are lucky, you'll find someone to share some grains with you too. 

Being a newbie to any cultural or fermentation process, I admit I was a bit dubious in the beginning about caring for these grains.  I grew up with the notion that milk should be refigerated at all times otherwise one would get deathly ill from drinking spoiled milk.   Calling out for my stomach of steel and rolling up my sleeves, I embraced this thoughtful gift that traveled distances just to be with me knowing its full health benefits but wary of the road never taken.

Kefir grains contain a yeast and bacteria starter that ferments the milk.  Having several different strains of yeast and bacteria in it makes it a powerful probiotic source, as well as being high in calcium, protein, vitamins and other minerals. 

The simplest way I care for my kefir grains is to use them everyday to produce kefir milk.  I produce a cup of kefir milk per day with my grains.  As long as they stay healthy, they are re-usable.  You should achieve a consistency of a drinking yogurt.  Milk kefir may taste more sour than yogurt which is normal.  You can alter the consistency and the taste of the milk kefir by playing with the fermentation time.
 

MILK KEFIR

INGREDIENTS//Yields 1 cup

• 1 cup whole organic milk (cow, goat, or sheep's milk—just stick to the same one)
• 1 tablespoon active kefir grain

INSTRUCTIONS

In a clean glass jar place your active kefir grains and pour in a cup of milk (straight from the fridge.

Cover the jar with a tea towel, cheesecloth, or paper towel.

Place the jar in an area avoiding direct sunlightwith room temperature around 21°C-30°C (70-85°F).

Let it sit for 24 hours.  Check after 12 hours to see if the consistency of the milk has thickened or clumped.  If so, give it a taste to see if it has a tartness to it.  Then, it's ready for use. 

Milk ferments faster in warmer temperatures and slower in cooler temperatures.  Usually it takes 24 hours for it to be ready in an ideal room temperature environment. 

Once it's fermented according to your taste buds,  pass the milk kefir and its grains through a plastic strainer into the container for the milk kefir.

Scoop out the grains and begin the process again by adding fresh milk into another clean glass jar.


NOTE

When Silvia arrived in Paris at the end of June, it was still 18°C while Bangkok was near 40°C.  It took us days for our first batch of milk kefir to form.  Once it started warming up in Paris, I was able to get a batch of kefir milk in 24 hours.  Remember that these are active grains, you want to keep them nourished so constantly feeding them with fresh milk (not ultra-pasteurized milk) will keep them healthy and growing.  You want to keep the clumps small so that they have more surface area to be exposed to the milk which in turn feeds them and nourishes them so that they can mulitply.

Also, best to use a plastic strainer as metal can damage the grain.

You can also make non-dairy kefir.

Amaranth

Popped and Unpopped Amaranth Seeds

Did you know that amaranth is actually a seed of a plant and that you can eat the leaves too?  I went to pick up a basket of organic veggies the other day and there was an unrecognizeable stalk with some leaves dangling off of it.  The lady told me it was amaranth.

I'm familiar with the seeds but I never saw an unrooted amaranth stalk.  After some research,  it turns out that I grew up eating amaranth leaves without ever realizing it.  It is a staple food to the Aztecs and it's used in Asian cuisine too.  In Chinese it is called xiàncài,莧菜.   Apparently there are many species and it comes in a large range in colors from light to dark green shades, and violet to red leaf hues.

My mother would sauté the amaranth (xiàncài,莧菜) and include that in the many dishes served in front of us.    Similar to spinach, it offers the same nutritional qualities full of antioxidants, protein, vitamins, calcium, iron and minerals.  FYI, I used those few dangling leaves in my japchae dish.

Categorized as a whole-grain food, it is actually a seed.  Just like quinoa, it has a higher plant protein and calcium content compared to its other grain competitors.  It's gluten-free too.

You can cook this as the grain portion of your meal, have it for breakfast as porridge, pop it and use it as toppings for yogurt, salad, dessert, and other dishes.

Popped Amaranth
 

INGREDIENTS// Yields 1/2 cup

• 3 tablespoons amaranth seed, uncooked


INSTUCTIONS

Heat a pan over medium to high heat.

Add a drop of water to it.  If it sizzles and evaporates immediately, your pan is good to go.

Add one tablespoon of amaranth at a time.  It should begin to pop immediately.  If not, then your pan is not hot enough.  Then entire popping process should take less than 10 seconds.  Not all of it will pop so remove it from the heat before it burns and transfer it to a bowl.

Let it cool completely before you store it in a sealed jar or container.

NOTE

It took me a couple of tries until I got this right.  You will know when you get it right.  It will take a matter of seconds before the amaranth begins to pop so if it is taking longer it means your pan is not hot enough.  Also, I don't use a cover for the pan so it gets slightly messy, but a hoover will take care of that quickly.

Market Fresh Cod Ceviche

Market Fresh Cod Ceviche

INGREDIENTS//Serves 4

• 350-400 grams cod fish —high quality, fresh, de-boned, filleted, skinned, and pin bones free
• 1 small-medium red pepper, deseeded and diced
• 1 small fennel with its fronds, sliced thinly, fronds picked
• 1 spring onion, sliced finely
• A few sprigs of coriander—leaves picked, stalks chopped
• 2 limes, juiced or 1 lime and 1 small orange, juiced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon espelette pepper purée, sriracha sauce, or tabasco
• extra virgin olive oil, optional
 

INSTRUCTIONS

Prepare your pepper, fennel, spring onions, and coriander.  Place it on the side.

Cut your filleted fish into small chunks and place it into a pyrex mixing bowl.

Add the salt, lime-orange juice, and the chili pepper to the fish and toss it around.

Place it in the refigerator for 15-30 minutes making sure to toss it around every so often.

When the sides are marinated, the color will turn opaque.  Take it out of the refigerator.

Add the pepper, fennel, and spring onion to the marinated fish and toss together.

If needed, add some more salt accordingly.

Then add the coriander leaves, a bit of the chopped sprigs and toss it together.

Garnish with the fennel fronds.

Divvy it up, drizzle a touch of olive oil and serve immediately!

NOTE
Spring onions or scallions as we call them in the U.S. are known as oignon nouveau, oignon frais, or cébettes in France.  The ones in France seem to have a larger bulb so I can easily slice them along a mandoline.