The Peaceable Kingdom

So What The Heck Do We Eat? -- Day 114, The Mega Post

2008-07-14T15:09:11Z

Time really flies. It's the middle of July now. I haven't been blogging much lately. I have a very good excuse this time. I was transitioning to Ubuntu Hardy (a very popular Linux distro) in the past two weeks. I was really busy configuring my system, getting our wireless network to work, and synchronizing the iPod Touch with my new Ubuntu system. I'm really excited about this move because I'm finally free of Windows and all the Windows woes. And I can cut our future expenses down - no more software purchase! And in the midst of setting up my own notebook, my husband's Windows Vista was actually wiped out by a serious and malicious virus. All of his files and his Windows system files were deleted after a reboot. We got no warning whatsoever from our expensive antivirus software. Yeah, what was I expecting a stupid little Windows program to do? The outcome is that now we are both using Ubuntu only. I guess Windows finally pissed us off enough. I'm certainly not gonna miss it.

Being inundated with setting up two Ubuntu systems, I haven't posted any food porn but I have been eating. Well, that goes without saying. I have been cooking, sort of. So this post may seem a little long.

The first photo is the Deep-Dish Sun-Dried Tomato Quiche. I saved the recipe from Vegetarian Times for several months before I felt perplexed why I hadn't made it earlier. It was worth the wait, I'm telling you. It's good for a summer dinner that will delight your taste buds, which keeps you refreshed and cheerful.

Deep-Dish Sun-Dried Tomato Quiche

Here's a closeup that you can't miss. Oh, I really loved this quiche! It's also the first time that I have made a pie crust with whole wheat pastry flour. I enjoyed the whole process for a good reason then.

Deep-Dish Sun-Dried Tomato Quiche

The second photo is the Lentil, Bok Choy and Potato Soup. The original recipe is Lentil, Spinach and Potato Soup by Carla of "But Did They Eat It?". I liked it very much, but didn't eat the leftover soup the second day. It's really not the soup's fault. I'm just going through a very particular food-crisis phase. I basically don't know what the heck I want to eat for the next meal.

Lentil, Bok Choy and Potato Soup

The third photo is my first attempt at making mochi. I bought a bag of mochiko a month ago and every time I saw it in my pantry, I felt guilty of not picking it up. One hot afternoon my cravings made me venture into the kitchen and made some basic sweet mochi. I was too lazy to make any azuki bean stuffing, and simply pan-fried (or rather, pan-baked) the mochi. The mildly sweet rice cakes came out so good. Boy, I love Japanese desserts! Oh, I almost forogt. I followed this recipe on Chow.com.

Pan-Fried Mochi

The next photo is Nicole's Four Grain Pancakes. I used the modified recipe by Aparna of My Diverse Kitchen. Kudos to both Nicole and Aparna! It's a great recipe and I totally loved these healthy and hearty pancakes. These four-grain pancakes can be easily made into savory ones that will go nicely with some beautiful soup.

Four Grain Pancakes

Yet another photo of my regular udon noodle bowl. This one consists of asparagus, dried Shiitake mushrooms (soaked), and faux meatballs. The sauce is simple: a couple dashes of vegetarian oyster sauce, dark soy sauce or tamari, a pinch of hot smoked Spanish paprika and a lot of parsley.

Udon Noodles with Asparagus, Mushroom and Neatballs

And yesterday afternoon I made these beautiful Chocolate Oatmeal Macadamia Butter Muffins. The original recipe is by Katy of Legally Vegan. She used chunky peanut butter but I'm loving the unsalted macadamia butter now so naturally I used that. I also subbed a silken tofu "egg". Definitely a keeper!

Chocolate Oatmeal Macadamia Butter Muffins

This is after my two bites. It wasn't easy to put down my muffin to take this photo, so I didn't care much about the quality of the photo at all.

Chocolate Oatmeal Macadamia Butter Muffin (Closeup)

Finally, I made a very simple side dish - Summer Squash Sizzle. It's just what I needed in this summer. Crispy vegetables with a hint of lemon freshness. The original recipe is found in My Vegan Cookbook. I love that Web site! Many thanks to the man behind the curtain for all those wonderful vegan recipes.

Summer Squash Sizzle

I guess I won't have much time for regular blogging yet. But I'll try to, especially I've got so much to catch up in my

Vox neighborhood. Until then, take care and God bless!

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So What The Heck Do We Eat? -- Day 103, Dolmades and More

2008-05-22T12:53:43Z

Dolmades (Mediterranean Rice Casserole)

I'm glad that I finally have something half decent to post here. The tasty and nutritious Dolmades (Meditarranean rice casserole) by Ricki of Diet, Dessert and Dogs really made my day. It's a very easy dish to put together within 25 minutes. I didn't bake the casserole since everything was already cooked and my husband is very determined to keep all the nutritional values as much as possible and we plan to eventually go raw some day.

Dolmades (Mediterranean Rice Casserole)

My major changes: I used both pine nuts and almonds in the rice. I subbed bok choy. I must admit the balsamic vinegar and dill smell was very appealing. I had my little doubt before I used balsamic vinegar in the rice. Afterwards I was thrilled.

Mock Shrimp Noodles

I also have a not-so-appealing photo here. I don't even remember exactly what it was since didn't write down the recipe. It was a very quick dish - Japanese buckwheat noodles with mock shrimps and leeks. I'm pretty sure I used some dark soy sauce, paprika, and some Asian black-bean-based sauces. Anyway, I thought those mock shrimps I bought looked quite real. They tasted quite good.

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So What The Heck Do We Eat? -- Day 102

2008-05-05T11:42:52Z

I loved the potato-pea-quinoa soup so much that I had it with some noodles together with some bok choy. It was still really good. Soups with potatoes are just incredible.

Noodles with Potato-Pea-Quinoa Soup

I finally tried the famous penne vodka from the excellent Veganomicon (page 193). I used whole-wheat elbows instead of penne and used a little more red pepper flakes. Towards the end of making the sauce, I added some fresh cilantro since we really love cilantro. The penne vodka came out really good. I loved the sauce since it packed a lot of zing. Of course, we can't live without some broccoli in the pasta.

Penne Vodka with Elbows

On a final note, I do plan to master my new camera (though I've had it for a few months already) in the next few weeks so that I can take better photos. I bought a whole bunch of vegan frozen food so the following days will be culinarily interesting.

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So What The Heck Do We Eat? -- Day 99, One More Banner

2008-04-10T03:47:45Z

I can see that the 100th post of "So what the heck do we eat?" series is approaching. I don't know what to do to make it special. Am I obligated to make it into some special event? I don't know, but I do know that I've wanted to make something elaborate for a while. We shall see.

For today, nothing too fancy. The first thing is the Messy Rice (Veganomicon, page 118). The rice wasn't that messy and boy, it was good! It's so easy to make that I'm sure I'll be making this rice on the side often.

Messy Rice

And with this photo, I was able to make another banner utilizing another gorgeous photo from Purplesque. This is our orange banner to celebrate the coming of spring.

Purplesque SingingHorse Banner

When I was feeling lazy about cooking, I made a Shanghai-style Braised Chick'n and Bamboo Shoots with Udon Noodles. It was a 15-minute recipe (from preparing to plating). Ingredients: fresh bamboo shoots, button mushrooms, tempeh, and udon noodles. Simply sauté bamboo shoots, button mushrooms and tempeh in vegetable oil with loads of chives (or scallions) for around 7-9 minutes, then deglaze with water and soy sauce and add some sugar. Bring to a boil and cover to simmer for 10 minutes. In the last 3 minutes, add udon noodles. That's it. It was very tasty but I know I shouldn't eat this often.

Braised Chick'n and Bamboo Shoots with Udon Noodles

After this desperate act, I had to make a nutritious and delectable soup to make a good diet day. I made the lentil soup with tarragon and thyme from Veganomicon again. But it's Red Lentil, Quinoa and Potato Soup with Tarragon and Thyme this time. I ran out of carrots so subbed potatoes. And after the onions and potatos were in the pot cooking, I found out that I only had one cup of lentils left. Merde! So, quinoa saved my day again. Oh, did I mention fresh tarragon made the soup even better? The soup turned out to be extremely pleasant and satisfying and my husband really liked it. He said it was very Italian., which made me rather proud of myself.

Red Lentil, Quinoa and Potato Soup with Tarragon and Thyme

I really hope I can find the perfect recipe for the 100th post.

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So What The Heck Do We Eat? -- Day 86, Wholewheat Noodles with Chanterelles, Green Peas and Spinach

2008-03-08T03:49:58Z

Since I'm not cooking and feeling a little under the weather, my husband made this noodle dish for me to combat the sore throat. The noodles were delectable, spicy and comforting. The main ingredients: Japanese wholewheat noodles, chanterelles, spinach, green peas (a.k.a. English peas), extra virgin olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, Taris Green Olives Paste (a wonderful discovery in the supermarket, vegan, made in Turkey), fermented tofu (a.k.a. tofu cheese), doshee hot bean sauce (basically an Asian chili sauce), preserved mustard-leaf olive sauce, salt and pepper. Simply cook your chanterelles, noodles, green peas and spinach in water. Drain and add all the spices and sauces, salt and pepper, and mix well. When you're sick and don't feel like cooking for an hour, this is the way to go. A nutritious gourmet meal ready in 10 minutes. I totally loved it!

Wholewheat Noodles with Chanterelles, Green Peas and Spinach

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So What The Heck Do We Eat? -- Day 85

2008-03-04T04:54:56Z

I'm still not in a cooking mood, but I surprised myself with this peanut butter sauce for noodles. This is called Peanut Udon Noodles with Radish and Chickpeas, which is very easy to make. Within 15 minutes you can have a tasty gourmet meal without the stress of going through a lengthy preparation process. This dish is very creamy and full of flavors.

Peanut Udon Noodles with Radish and Chickpeas

Peanut Udon Noodles with Radish and Chickpeas
(serves 2)

For Noodles:

1 package instant udon noodles

1 radish, cut into pieces

1 can (14-ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 bunch spinach, washed and torn into pieces

Peanut Sauce:

1 1/2 cups creamy (or chunky) natural peanut butter

2 cups coconut milk

2 1/2 Tbsp. dark soy sauce

1 1/2 Tbsp. rice vinegar

1 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger

2 tsp. coriander

1 1/2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. your favorite Asian chili sauce

Juice of one medium lime
Pinch of red pepper flakes

1. Boil 7-8 cups of water together with radish pieces. When the water boils, add udon noodles. Please note that the timing depends on the instructions on your udon package. Mine takes 3 minutes to cook. In the last minute, add chickpeas and spinach. When done, drain and put back into the pot.

2. Combine all the ingredients for the peanut sauce. Mix thoroughly to make sure there is no peanut butter chunk left.

3. Add the peanut sauce to the noodles and combine well. Serve immediately.

If you have fresh cilantro and some chopped peanuts, add on top as garnish. Enjoy!

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So What The Heck Do We Eat? -- Day 84, Udon Noodles with Yuba, Bok Choy and Bamboo Shoots

2008-02-24T06:01:55Z

Udon Noodles with Yuba, Bok Choy and Bamboo Shoots

I'm still not completely back to cooking yet. So every morning our breakfast is whipped up within 10 minutes. The homemade instant food, as I call it.

This bowl of udon noodles, again, is very easy to make. The ingredients are simply udon noodles, bok choy, yuba, bamboo shoots (cut into pieces), and lots of fresh cilantro. For seasoning, two tablespoons of white miso, two tablespoons of dark soy sauce, some toasted sesame oil, generous amount of garlic powder, black pepper, and paprika.

When you peel bamboo shoots, make sure that you peel off all the rough skins that won't easily break. Just let the skins naturally break away as you keep pulling. There shouldn't be any stringy rough part left. You can feel the crunchy texture when you cut the bamboo shoots with your knife.

Hopefully I can begin to cook very soon. I'm slowly getting tired of all the homemade instant food.

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Thing-A-Day #16: Udon Noodles with Brussels Sprouts and Edamame

2008-02-16T11:20:03Z

I don't know how this happened but we suddenly got busy a couple of days ago so I had to skip the 14th and 15th things-a-day. I was planning on making one more Valentine's dessert. I can still do it in the next few days. Today I have a very fast recipe to share with you. When you get busy and don't feel like making something complicated or time-consuming, this is the one for you. It took me only 15 minutes to make altogether including waiting for a pot of water to boil. And it was such a delicious and healthy meal on a cold wintry morning.

Udon Noodles with Brussels Sprouts and Edamame

Udon Noodles with Brussels Sprouts, Bean Sprouts and Edamame

(serves 1, but you can easily double it)

This noodle bowl has a very toothsome texture because of the edamame (fresh soy beans) which I love. You can use fresh or frozen edamame. Feel free to alter any ingredient or the amount to suit your taste.

1 package of "instant" udon noodles (enough for 1 person)

8-9 shiitake mushrooms, wiped clean* (see notes below)

5 oz. Brussels sprouts

4 oz. soybean sprouts

1 package of fresh spinach

2 tsp. olive oil

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1.5 Tbsp. mushroom dark soy sauce

1 tsp. garlic powder

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. coriander

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1. In a pot, boil 8 cups of water together with shiitake mushrooms, Brussels sprouts and soybean sprouts. (You can adjust the amount of water according to the vegetables you choose.)

2. When the water boils, add udon noodles. Mine takes only 3 minutes to cook. Towards the end throw in spinach. Drain when the noodles are cooked.

3. Mix in olive oil, sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic powder, paprika, coriander and black pepper. Stir well and serve immediately. Enjoy!

* Generally you shouldn't wash mushrooms as they soak too much water and become mushy very quickly. Use a paper towel to wipe them clean.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that Brussels sprouts taste very good in this noodle bowl too. No bitterness at all.

x-posted

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Thing-A-Day #10: Udon Noodles with Double Mushrooms and Spinach

2008-02-11T04:18:21Z

This is very similar to what I made yesterday. I'm madly in love with udon noodles now. Instead of dark soy sauce, I used sea salt and garlic powder. I added a little more sesame oil and miso and used two different types of mushrooms: dried shiitake mushrooms and the other, I have no idea. They have much fatter stems than enoki mushrooms but taste a little like oyster mushrooms. So they add a natural seafood flavor to the noodles. I have to share the photo here since I love how the noodle bowl looks.

Udon Noodles with Double Mushrooms and Spinach

x-posted

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Thing-A-Day #9: Udon Noodles with Bok Choy and Seaweed

2008-02-10T03:35:06Z

This is a very simple dish. We've been really busy so I haven't really cooked. I'm still trying to get back into our regular routine. Somehow I was craving for some Japanese noodles and nothing beats the easy-and-simple-yet-flavorful udon noodles.

Udon Noodles with Bok Choy and Seaweed

Udon Noodles with Bok Choy and Seaweed

(serves 1)

1 pkg. udon noodles (cooking time according to the package instructions)
5 cups water
8-9 dried shiitake mushrooms
1/3 block extra-firm tofu, cubed
4 cups of baby bok choy, roughly chopped
Some Japanese seaweed (any type you like), torn into pieces
1 1/2 Tbsp. white miso
1 1/2 Tbsp. dark soy sauce
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

1. Add dried mushrooms to the water in a pot and cook together. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat to medium.
2. Add tofu cubes and stir in the miso. Cook for 2 minutes. One minute before everything is cooked, add bok choy.
3. Turn off heat when the noodles are done. Add soy sauce, sesame oil and seaweed. Stir. Serve right away.

* Feel free to adjust all the ingredients to your own preference.

x-posted

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