Ginger Granola Coleslaw

The leftover red cabbage needed to be used. I hate to waste healthy, tasty food and cabbage, especially red, is packed with all manor of vitamins and nutrition.   It all started when I had diced up far too much for a dish two nights ago and set the a  vegetal time bomb to ticking. I knew that I must eat it today or throw it away. There was Gruyère in the fridge bought this weekend with the thought  that doing so would help me use up my cabbage and any extra could go into a quiche.

I stood staring at these two friends, cabbage and cheese, knowing that my slaw was not yet complete. For me, slaws have several key components. First is the vegetable base. Cabbage (red or green) are the most common but I have used Nappa cabbage, bok choy, broccoli, cauliflower or even ong choy (aka water cabbage). Second is the cheese. I have used American Swiss, Emmental,  Gruyère, any and all of the blue chesses and even cheddar has made an appearance. Third is the fruit, tho' I have been know to leave it out. Blueberries, for that matter ANY berry, currents, raisins (either regular or golden), diced apples, dried (or fresh) cherries or pears. I have even bought mixed dried fruit and used that. Stranger still, I make a Russian based slaw that even has prunes in it, but that is another tale. Strawberries work well as do any of the citrus family: mandarin or regular oranges or grapefruit. I often throw in nuts or seeds as well. Onions (green or regular) or celery will go into the mix too. Hint: if you are making a cold coleslaw and you find that your onion is too strong, soak it in a little cold water for 15 minutes, pat it dry and then chop or mince and add.

And then there is the dressing which usually contains a vinegar or, if I'm using citrus, some of its juice. Depending on the other ingredients, I may add a bit of honey, raw sugar, maple syrup, marmalade or other jams as a balancing sweetener. Mood entirely decides whether I add cream, mayo, sour cream or any combination thereof to the slaw. I have also added various spices, as the mood suits me: cinnamon, ginger (fresh or candied), nutmeg, cardamom, pepper, dill, or celery salt. Even horseradish can be a tasty addition. Like all cooking, balance is the key. I like a sweet element in my slaw as well as nuts or seeds textural interest and flavour. Bring in cheese not only for its saltiness but creaminess.

But back to my slaw. The  granola sat not far away, brought out to mix with a little yogurt for a second lunch dish. But upon thinking about the carb content of the meal and realizing I was going to get more than desired, I began to put the granola back… then inspiration struck… granola, sweet, nutcrunchy, spices which are often used in with cabbage dishes, whole grain, sunflower seeds, coconut & pecans...hmmm… worth a try! And try I did, the result was SO good! I love you, coleslaw. You are one of the most versatile of dishes - in fact, you are a class of dishes all unto yourself! You bring seemingly disparate ingredients together and make them "play nice". This may sound like an odd combination but it is one I shall do again.

Ginger Granola Coleslaw

Dressing:

1 TB sour cream

1 TB mayonnaise
1 TB Pear infused white balsamic vinegar (or any kind of light vinegar - i.e. rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar
Pepper to taste

 Slaw:

1-1/2 C Chopped Red Cabbage

1 TB minced candied ginger
1 oz (30 gm) cubed Gruyère (1/4" cubes)
1/4 C granola (I used one that's made by an Amish family who live outside of Arthur, IL)

In a small bowl, stir dressing ingredients together. Toss cabbage, ginger & Gruyère together in another bowl. Pour dressing over all and mix gently together. Just before serving, sprinkle the granola over the slaw and fold together. If you want to take this dish for a lunch. Pack the slaw & the granola in separate containers. Otherwise the granola loses most of its crunch which adds so much to the dish.

Picture from: http://www.purcellmountainfarms.com/

I happily survived the holidays this year. Yule was beautiful! The morning was cloudy and fairly well lit with predawn glow, but the roads were clear enough that I drove out to the very edge of town just before sunrise. There was a dusting of snow on the grass & the plowed cornfield in front of my car. I was cozy in my car, enjoying the stillness all around. At the appointed time (0714 here in Central IL) I noticed a definite strengthening in the light. The morning began to glow from the backlit clouds. So quiet. I was reminded of the final line from a song that I sang for a play (Oh, oh! Here Comes Christmas) several years past, "And tomorrow morning, when the longest night is done, something ancient & deep will stir in me and my face will tilt toward the sun."

Christmas Eve found us at the bedecked house of my sister-in-law, feasting on all manner of Christmas goodies. There was ham, deviled eggs, German potato salad, cheese platter, cookies, homemade jalapeño poppers, and - my personal favourite - bacon crackers… ho, these are wicked good! They are a Paula Deen recipe (see FoodNetwork.com), the queen of decadent yummies. They are so rich that it is a good & healthy thing that we only eat them at Christmas. Even then, I limit myself to two or three… ok, four at the utmost. ~_^ So rich! The recipe is simplicity itself:

One sleeve of rectangular butter crackers
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
1 lb sliced bacon cut in half (I only use 1/2 lb and cut THAT in 1/2 for a little "lighter" version)

Preheat oven to desired temperature. You'll be baking them for 2 hours at 250 degrees F or at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes if you're in a hurry. I line my cookie sheets with parchment paper (not wax) to ease clean-up. Take a cracker, place about a tsp of cheese on top of it and wrap it with 1/2 (or 1/4) of a slice of bacon, tucking the end underneath the cracker and place it on the cookie sheet. Repeat until you have used the sleeve of crackers (24 pcs) and bake as directed above. They should be crisp & the bacon brown when done. Set to drain on paper towels. Can be served cold but they are at their best right out of the oven.

So after all the decadence of this weekend, I felt like something lighter & healthier. Thus today's bento. I am quite fond of breakfast for dinner and it sounded good for lunch as well. I made Japanese/American/Scottish fusion that turned out rather yummy, very filling but not too rich.

Lazy-Girl's Tomago-yaki (Japanese-style Omelet)

diced onion, to taste (I used about 1/4 C)
1 egg
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp mirin (Japanese cooking wine. Use a healthy pinch of sugar if you prefer)

Heat small fry pan (I use a 6" cast iron) on medium. Take a stick of butter (no, don't panic; I'm not Paula Deen. ~_^) & peel back the wrapper on one end & glide it quickly over the bottom of the hot pan to just coat it. I use this technique all the time when I want just enough to cook with & add a little flavour without adding a lot of calories or using cooking spray. Brown the onions. While they are browning, crack the egg into a small bowl & whisk until just blended but not frothy. Chopsticks or a fork work great for this. Mix in the soy sauce & mirin. When the onions are ready, turn down the heat to medium low. Pour the mixture into the pan & tilt to coat the bottom evenly. Let it cook very slowly until it is almost completely set but still a touch damp. Turn off the heat & gently roll the egg up, like a jelly-roll. Cover your pan and let it set for a few minutes. It will finish cooking and help it to stay rolled. Take it out of the pan and let it cool. Refrigerate and slice into 1/2 inch rounds before putting in bento. I like to take a little furikake to sprinkle on it or even a little Bull Dog/tonkatsu sauce, but it's tasty enough all by itself. If you are having this as your main protein, you will want to double or triple the recipe.

To go along with my eggs, I wanted some oat meal or pancakes for my carb. I love oats, crave them actually, more than any carbohydrate. Of the different types of oatmeal, steel cut (also called Scottish) are my ultimate fave; they are so nutty & delicious! I had some on hand that I wanted to use before they went rancid but I didn't feel like plain oatmeal. I had fried patties on my mind from recipes I'd read over at Just Bento & Hapa Bento blogs that I frequent (wonderful sites, BTW if you're into bento lunches!). I am not a baker by any means; too much of that pesky measuring involved for this throw-it-in-the-pan-if-it-sounds-good gal. ^_^ As long as I've learned a basic recipe & know my proportions, I feel confident that I can cook anything be it for one person or 20 but the only recipe creation that I've ever attempted as far as baking is concerned, was modifying my mother's pecan pie recipe so that it wouldn't boil over in the 7000 ft+ altitude of Flagstaff, AZ. But, I figured, I'd give these pancakes for one a try and, if they didn't turn out, I could try a different combo with little loss of ingredients. Miracle of miracles, they were a nice consistency and tasted great! There was just enough for my lunch with the above eggs, a few nibbles of cheese (Swiss emmental) and a few nuts to round it out.

Oatcakes for One

1/2 C water
1/4 C steel cut oats
a small handful of dried cherries, cranberries or raisins
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1-2 TB of whole wheat flour
pinch of salt
large pinch of cinnamon
2 pieces of leftover maple bacon, crumbled (optional but a wonderful addition for taste & texture)

Place the oats and dried cherries in a heat-proof bowl. I use a small round Rubbermaid dish that's about a pint (2 C) - boiling water won't hurt it. Boil the water and stir it into the oats & cherries. Cover loosely and let soak overnight.

In the morning, drain off any non-absorbed water. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg until blended but not frothy. Add the vanilla, salt cinnamon and oats. Stir until blended. Add a little whole wheat flour at a time to the mixture until it is the consistency of a medium loose pancake batter. I used only about 2 TB but you'll have to adjust it according to how damp your oats still are and how large your egg is. Fold in the bacon, if you're using it.

Heat your pan to medium or just a little less and melt a little butter in the bottom. Spoon out a couple of tablespoons worth for each pancake to form a cake about 2-1/2 inches (7 cm) wide. Brown them on the one side and flip browning the other as well. If you are putting them into a bento, let them cool before packing. Otherwise they are wonderful hot. The above recipe makes about 6 of the little cakes. I drizzled them with the tiniest amount of real maple syrup and that was all the sweetener they needed. So filling and healthy!

Enjoy! Aloha!

Photo from: iStockphoto.com

I love gardening and am passionate about tomatoes in particular. To quote my beloved John Denver, "Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes, ain't nothin' in the world like homegrown tomatoes. Only two things that money can't buy and that's true love and homegrown tomatoes." We've lived at the house for five summers now. I plant more and more each year but I keep still keep it very basic. This year I planted grape & full-sized tomatoes, rosemary, cilantro, catnip, parsley, Japanese & American eggplant, carrots, marigolds & pansies (which I love in salads) and then chicks & hens (which my mom-in-love gave me last year). Odd thing with the large tomatoes, I didn't have a single one that matured to red-ripe on the vine and even the ones that were picked greener and put on a shaded windowsill never ripened properly and turned quite mealy. And so began the great search and ongoing experimentation to create green tomato recipes. ^_^ I do make a mean fried green tomato but one of my favourite recipes so far is one of the simplest… green tomato parmesan. It was loosely inspired by a recipe on Taste of Home's site. First I browned a couple of handfuls of pine nuts in a little butter. Watch them closely; they go from toasty to black in a heartbeat. I make fried green tomatoes with a drench of soured milk (a little drizzle of vinegar does the trick - I never have buttermilk on hand so I use this), a few shakes of Frank's hot sauce, pepper, a tiny pinch of celery salt, and enough all purpose flour to make a very thin, pancake-like batter. Make a dredge of one part corn flour (corn meal will work but the finer grade clings better) and one part inexpensive grated parmesan cheese. Stir in a TB or two of sugar into the dredge as well. Take thinly sliced green tomatoes (between 1/8"-1/4"), drench them in the batter, dredge them, gently shaking off the excess, and pan fry them in about 1/2" of hot olive oil until deep golden brown. Set aside on paper towels while cooking the other batches. When you are on your last batch, preheat oven to 350 F. After the last batch has drained, take a baking dish & pour a little of your favourite spaghetti sauce to coat the bottom, put a layer of fried tomatoes, sprinkle grated mozzarella over all and then another layer of tomatoes (if your dish is deep enough). Top with more sauce, a goodly sprinkling of toasted pine nuts and mozzarella, finally finishing with grated parmesan (regiano, if you have it). Bake until heated thru', bubbly and golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. I took this to lunch for a couple of days & goodly sized portion is just about all you need, since it has veggies & plenty of gooey, cheezy protein. Aloha!

I LOVE cornbread, any way, shape or form. As we transition into Autumn, I am craving it more and more. I am still taking a bento for lunch four days a week. I wanted something more than just a carb to fill in for the rice, something savoury but easily packable in the bento form. I had some excess broccoli that I wanted to use up before it slimed out but, as much as I like salads or pickled anything, I just wasn't in the mood. I played it completely by ear as to the liquid content & got VERY lucky. These turned out perfectly. The measurements of the everything other than the eggs & the milk are approximate; I just threw things in by "feel". ^_^

Cornbread "Casserole" Muffins

1 box Jiffy cornbread mix
2 eggs
1/3 C milk
2 TB toasted pine nuts
1-1/2 C parboiled broccoli
2 TB minced sweet onion
6 sliced sundried tomato halves
1/4 C grated cheddar cheese
sweet corn, 1/4 C thawed if frozen or cut off ear if fresh
small hand full of cubed cooked bacon or ham (optional)

Preheat oven 375 F.
Prep all the extra items. I don't sauté the onion but you could. Put all into a medium sized bowl and let cool so as not to scramble your eggs when you add them. In a small bowl, gently beat eggs until homogenous but not frothy. Add milk, stir to combine and then pour over ingredients in other bowl. Dump cornbread mix into bowl and stir (actually "fold" is a better word here) until just combined. Lumpy is good. Line a 6-hole muffin tin with paper cups or grease the cups. Spoon mixture to the top of each one. Depending on how much extras you've added, you may have enough for one or two extra muffins. I had enough just for one and I spooned it into an oven proof baking cup. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown and fragrant. Remove from oven let cool in the tin until room temperature. Remove from tin & place in a gallon baggie or Rubbermaid-type container in a single layer. The extra one, store in it's container or eat immediately. These are better the second day after the veggies give off some of their liquid to the cornbread. Nuke for about 20 seconds each or split them in half horizontally, melt a little butter in a hot skillet (I use my little cast iron) and brown with the cut side down, covered until toasted. Aloha!!!

More Pickled Tofu

After the success of my last pickled tofu, I am in a pickling frenzy. Next I pickled tofu & beets. I used Aunt Nellie's (but YOUR favourite brand would do) pickled beets & juice. It's even easier than the Tofu with Dill:

Pickled Tofu with Beets

1 block firm tofu
6-8 pearl onions
4 cloves of garlic, julienned
4-6 pickled beets, diced
leftover red wine (any kind of drinkable red wine will do, experiment with your favorite)
1/2 C (125ml) leftover pickled beet juice

Cut the tofu block in half, length-wise & parallel to the table. Place the halves between two cutting boards or a cutting board and a plate. Tilt them slightly (put a knife handle or a fork or something underneath to add a moderate slope) and place a light weight on the top one… I used a 6" (15cm) iron fry pan. Let the extra water drain from the tofu while you prep the rest. Slice the pearl onions in half, lengthwise, cutting the roots and the top ends off. Slip off the skins. Heat a small fry pan on medium high heat, drizzle a little sesame oil in (or olive oil, if you prefer) and swirl to coat the bottom. Put the onions, sliced sides down and brown them until almost burned, flip them over ( I use cooking chopsticks) and push on them to separate the layers. Toss them for a minute or two until they have softened and browned on the other side. While the onions are browning, slice up your garlic and beets. Turn the heat down to medium low, add the garlic, and stir. Let that sauté a bit until it begins to soften, being careful that you don't let it burn and turn bitter. Meanwhile, pat the drained tofu lightly on both sides with a clean cloth or paper towel, then slice each half into thirds lengthwise. Cut those slices crosswise forming little cubes. Place tofu & beets within storage container. Increase your heat to medium. Add the wine to deglaze the pan. Stir for a moment. Pour pickling juice into hot pan and stir until hot and it just begins to boil. Remove pan from heat and let cool for a minute so that you don't melt your container and then pour it over the tofu and beets . Make sure all the tofu is below the pickling juice. If not add a little more. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days.

As with the dilly tofu, I put a half of a block's worth into my bento lunches and added a little more protein with nuts and/or cheese. Aloha!

Pickle My Fancy

Picture from: http://passionateeater.blogspot.com/

Oh... I'm sorry... that's a terrible pun but I just couldn't resist! ^_^

Something you should know about me… I LOVE pickles! I crave them in any shape or form. Last week I was going through my refrigerator looking for items to make for lunch and found some firm tofu that was going to go out of date in a few days. I wasn't in the mood for my usual teriyaki or BBQ'd tofu, so I had a few moments of, "What to do?" I then remembered that I had saved some of the pickling "juice" from pickled green beans. It was all natural, with only white wine vinegar, sugar, dill seeds and garlic… yummo! I was instantly inspired. I would make pickled tofu with a German/European influence rather than Asian or Mediterranean. This was so easy it hardly needs a recipe but here we go:

Pickled Tofu with Dill

1 block firm tofu
6-8 pearl onions
4 cloves of garlic, julienned
4 oz fresh baby portabella mushrooms or white or even fresh shiitake
1 tsp dried dill weed or 1 Tablespoon of fresh
2 Tablespoons of any white wine (optional & more to taste) (I used about 1/4 Cup/60ml)
1 Tablespoon brown sugar or honey (optional)
1/2 C leftover pickling juice (or make your own from 1/4 C white wine vinegar, 1/4 C water, 2 TB sugar, 1/2 tsp dill seed. Warmed & stirred 'til sugar is melted. Let set for a day or two if you have the time)

Cut the tofu block in half, length-wise & parallel to the table. Place the halves between two cutting boards or a cutting board and a plate. Tilt them slightly (put a knife handle or a fork or something underneath to add a moderate slope) and place a light weight on the top one… I used a 6" (15cm) iron fry pan. Let the extra water drain from the tofu while you prep the rest. Slice the pearl onions in half, lengthwise, cutting the roots and the top ends off. Slip off the skins. Heat a small fry pan on medium high heat, drizzle a little sesame oil in (or olive oil, if you prefer, but realize that it will solidify somewhat when cold) and swirl to coat the bottom. Put the onions, sliced sides down and brown them until almost burned, flip them over ( I use cooking chopsticks) and push on them to separate the layers. Toss them for a minute or two until they have softened and browned on the other side. While the onions are browning, wipe off any dirt on the mushrooms and quarter them if they're small and cut them into 1/2 inch cubes (1cm to 1-1/2cm) & slice up your garlic. Remove the onions from the pan and put them into the container you plan to store them in. Quickly rinse the pan out with cold water (be careful! It may sputter a bit) to remove any overly browned bits. Wipe carefully with a paper towel and put back on medium heat. Let pan warm for a moment and then swirl in a little oil as before. Toss the mushrooms and let them sauté' and brown just a bit. Meanwhile, pat the drained tofu lightly on both sides with a clean cloth or paper towel, then slice each half into thirds lengthwise. Cut those slices crosswise forming little cubes. Toss them very gently with the onions in the container. Turn down the heat in your pan to medium low and add the garlic. Let that sauté' a bit until it begins to soften. Sprinkle the brown sugar or honey over the mushrooms & garlic. Toss and immediately increase your heat to medium. Add the white wine to deglaze the pan. Stir for a moment. Pour pickling juice into the pan and stir until hot and it just begins to boil. Remove pan from heat and let cool for a minute so that you don't melt your container and then pour it over the tofu and onions . Make sure all the tofu is below the pickling juice. If not add a little more. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days.

I put a half of a block's worth into my bento lunches and add a little more protein with nuts and/or cheese. Otherwise, enjoy with any meal as you would pickles. Aloha!

Bigos (Polish Hunter's Stew)

Image from : http://www.joker-herby.pl/spezial/bigos.jpg

One of my favourite Fall/Winter foods is Bigos, aka Polish Hunters Stew. Oh how I adore the rich sauce, the sweet and savory combination, & the easily varied ingredients. Whatever is freshest or on hand can go into the pot, tho' there are a few ingredients that form the framework of this lovely dish: paprika, onions, garlic, good rich meat of some sort, sausage (I love to use turkey/pork Polska Kielbasa) or bacon, dried or fresh fruit of choice, apples, cabbage, mushrooms, tomato juice &/or fresh tomatoes (but only if you perchance have perfectly ripe, garden-fresh ones) and a simple full bodied red wine (Egri Bikavér [Bull's Blood] from Hungary is far and above my favourite to use as well as one of my favourite reds for drinking). For the sweet paprika, all I ever use is Szeged Hungarian sweet paprika... it has an incredible richness without having any uncomfortable heat.

I made Bigos recently with fresh blackberries that I had on hand. They had looked so lovely when I bought them, but they were far too sour to eat plain. I didn't want the extra carbs that it would have taken to make them edible, so I thought, "Why not put them in a small batch of Bigos?" With the berries as a sort of limiting factor, the batch of stew that I made was only about 3 to 4 servings. Here's the rough recp:

• 1/2 to 3/4 lb of diced pork (beef would be fine but I prefer lamb, venison or elk, if I can get it!!!)
  
• 1/2 lb of Polska Kielbasa, halved length-wise and cut into 1" lengths (Polish Sausage - Butterball or Eckridge make some of the tastiest, low fat sausage)
  
• 1 med. sized onion roughly chopped into 1" cubes
  
• 2 diced cloves of garlic
  
• 1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced (shiitake are the best, of course, but white mushrooms would be
  just fine. Play with this... try some Portobellos, chanterelles, cremini or morels.)
  
• 2 apples, quartered, cored and cut into 1" cubes
  
• 1/4 head of cubed cabbage broken apart (or more, if you love it as much as I do)
  
• 2 TB sweet paprika (yes 2 tablespoons & make sure it is the sweet kind... the hot would be
  overwhelming at this strength... if you are going to double this recipe, I'd use only about 3 TB... you'll get a feel for the right amount after a while)
  
• 1/2 pint of fresh black berries (the recipe I have calls for six quartered prunes... yes prunes
  and they are wonderful!)
  
• 4 to 6 dried apricots, cut into quarters (I've also used used dried cranberries or cherries or
  even mixed dried fruit)
  
• 1/2 to 1 C tasty red wine (if you must use Burgundy, add a tablespoon of brown sugar to cut some of the dryness. I like a very slightly sweet wine. It cuts some of the acid of the tomatoes and still adds an earthy depth of character. I once even used 3 TB of REALLY GOOD balsamic vinegar.)
  
• 2 large fresh tomatoes, skinned, seeded and quartered or small can of diced tomatoes, drained (I prefer the "no salt added" variety) Tomatoes are optional. It just depends on my mood if I add them or not.
  
• 6 to 12 oz. of V-8 juice (I use the low salt kind)
  3 oz of organic strained babyfood carrots or 2 sliced carrots (I hate slices of cooked carrots, so I add the babyfood at the last second for it's slight sweetness and fabulous nutrition... it's also good in spaghetti sauce)

If you're going to have fresh tomatoes in the stew, plunge them into boiling water for a minute. Peel off the loosened skins, cut them in half crosswise, and over the sink or trash, give them a good squeeze and a firm downward shake. Bingo you have just seeded them and easily removed most of the extra moister from them in one motion. Dice them up and set them aside for now. Brown your meat on medium high heat with a tablespoon of sesame, peanut or olive oil. When browned on all sides, remove to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Brown the sausage the same way and remove it to the bowl. Turn down to medium. Add a little more oil, if necessary, and sauté onions until well browned. Then add garlic & mushrooms and apples. Sauté them until the mushrooms & apples have given up much of their moisture, taking care not to brown the garlic as it will get bitter. Add the cabbage and sauté it until it begins to soften a bit. Add sliced carrots with cabbage if you're using them. Put the reserved meats back in the pan, along with any juices and add the paprika. Toss it around for a minute or two until it smells fragrant but not burned. It will also thicken the pan juices. Turn up the heat to medium high again and quickly add the wine, making sure to scrape loose any tasty browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it bubble a minute and reduce and thicken a bit. Add the tomatoes, if you are using them, the V-8 along with the dried and fresh fruit. Let the fruit & tomatoes heat thru' and soften. Just before you pull the pan off the heat, add the puréed carrots and give a stir to incorporate. Serve hot immediately. This stew, like most, reaches it's peak of flavour when it's left overnight in the fridge and reheated. Nummies!!!!

Play with the ingredients of this wonderful stew. The flavours are so rich. I would serve it with a light salad and some Pumpernickel with sweet butter... and of course, sop up those juices... don't you dare waste a drop! ^_^ Aloha!