Scalloped Yam Casserole (Sweet Potato Gratin)

Posted on December 9, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

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I told you we were back tracking to Thanksgiving. Here’s another recipe, in case you thought I was kidding. But the truth is, these sweet potatoes would be good at any time of year. Don’t limit yourself to the holidays. When I was trying to think of a dish to include with our Thanksgiving dinner using sweet potatoes, I knew I didn’t want to go with mashed yams. We were already having mashed potatoes and I didn’t see the need for two mash-y dishes, even if they varied in color.

Growing up, we always had that traditional style of sweet potatoes. You know what I’m talking about. A casserole filled with sweetly smashed yams filled with brown sugar, topped with pecans or walnuts and massive amounts of little marshmallows. I’m not giving this dish a bad rap at all. In fact, if it were on the table at a friend’s Thanksgiving meal, I’d gladly have some. But I wanted something texturally different.

I remembered my dad making scalloped ham and potatoes, usually after Christmas. I thought about scalloped sweet potatoes. Had I ever eaten something like that? No. I decided to cook the potatoes ahead of time, which would cut down on the amount of time in the oven. Plus I have a knack for under-baking potatoes, especially in a gratin/scalloped situation. I knew I wanted to make it with a creamy Béchamel (white) sauce that had a sage flavor, but wasn’t overpowering. Pecorino Romano is an Italian cheese made from sheep milk, which is quite salty and crumbly. I liked the idea of having that flavor without an overwhelming cheesiness. The result was a creamy, sweet, and rich side dish. The flavors worked well with one another.

That all said, I’ve got one other thing to talk about. A couple days ago, I got an e-mail inviting me to participate in a food photography contest called Top Dog Food Fight, wherein you have to submit a Thanksgiving recipe/photo of yours for people to vote on. The one catch (there’s always something, isn’t there?) is that you need to be on Facebook in order to vote; it’s how you login to the site to vote. That said, if any of you are on the ‘ole FB and would like to help, I posted my cranberry apple pie recipe, which can be voted for here:  I would appreciate it a ton… and thank you for taking the time. I genuinely appreciate any and all of you who take the time to read these posts – without readers, each post means very little at the end of the day.

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Scalloped Yam Casserole
(Sweet Potato Gratin)

Yields one 9 x 9 inch pan.
Ingredients:
3 pounds of sweet potatoes (yams)
¼ cup butter
¼ cup fresh sage, minced
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. fresh thyme, chopped fine
¼ tsp. fresh ground nutmeg
1½ cups half and half
½ cup pecorino romano cheese
salt and white pepper, to taste

Directions:
Wash the sweet potatoes in order to remove excess dirt. Place the potatoes in a large pot, then cover them with water. Bring the sweet potatoes to a boil over high heat. Once the potatoes have completely softened (20-30 minutes), enough to easily be punctured with a fork, remove the pot from the heat and drain. Cool the sweet potatoes completely in a colander. Peel off the skins (like peeling a banana). Slice the sweet potatoes into rounds that are about half an inch thick. Set aside until ready to use.

Place the butter in a medium sized pot over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the fresh minced sage. Allow the mixture to cook together for a minute or two, then whisk in the flour, thyme, some salt and white pepper (don’t go overboard with the salt and pepper – you can always add more later), until smooth. Allow the flour mixture to cook for 2-3 minutes, whisking constantly.

Whisk in the half and half, as well as the fresh ground nutmeg. Continue whisking until the sauce thickens (10-12 minutes). Taste, then add more salt and pepper to your liking.

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Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a 9 x 9 inch square pan. Arrange one third of the sliced sweet potatoes on the bottom of your baking dish, slightly overlapping the edges. Evenly spread a third of the sauce on top of the potatoes, then a third of the romano cheese. Repeat the layer with potatoes, sauce, cheese, potatoes, sauce, and ending with a sprinkling of romano cheese on top.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is nicely golden brown. Allow the potatoes to sit for five minutes before serving.

Posted in Appetizer, Dinner, Gluten-Free, Life, Sauces, Sides, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Cheesy Anaheim and Poblano Pepper Rice

Posted on December 6, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

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Sometimes you need to throw together a dish on a whim. Since I’m not much of a baker most of the time, I prefer contributing savory items. My utmost dreaded requested item: salad. I love to eat salads, mind you. But when it comes to putting them together, I feel like my creativity goes running in the opposite direction from where I need it. We recently had to contribute a side dish for one of the kids’ potluck style dinners. Being quite last minute, I thought, “Oh hell. I’ll made a #%$*ing salad.” Then I realized I had a lot of rice in the house. And cheese. Cheesy rice? Sounded like a decent savory side that didn’t require haphazardly throwing around vegetables.

Long before I started this blog, we’d occasionally eat one-dish meals that consisted of a base of rice, then some kind of sauce thrown in it. Sometimes I’d add veggie sausage, other times broccoli, or tomatoes and corn. When it comes down to it, those meals were like a quick risotto-style dish, only made in half the time. The following rice was born out of knowing my husband’s love for roasted Poblano peppers paired with nearly anything. I actually included Anaheim peppers, too, as they aren’t spicy but add great pepper-flavor.

This rice isn’t overly spicy, but has a great flavor where the peppers are obvious. The cheese adds creaminess, along with a little saltiness that works with the roasted peppers. I ended up opting out of the potluck (sometimes I enjoy being antisocial), but sent the dish along. My husband told me it was quickly gone. I kept a small bowl for myself and ate it with a Quorn brand Turk’y burger and raw spinach. The flavors worked together nicely. You could easily serve this with a bowl of homemade beans, or alongside some enchiladas. Or eat it on it’s own. Whatever your game play, it’ll be a tasty one.

 

Cheesy Anaheim and Poblano Pepper Rice

Ingredients:

2½ cups long grain white rice
1 tsp. salt
5 cups water (or broth)
3 Anaheim peppers
2 Poblano peppers
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ a yellow onion
6 medium-sized tomatillos
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
½ cup cotija cheese, crumbled
8 oz. light sour cream
½ tsp. dried, ground coriander
1 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to your liking

 

Directions:

Roast the peppers. If you have a gas stove, this is easily done by toasting the peppers over an open flame (on high), using tongs to turn the peppers constantly. Once the peppers are nicely blackened on all sides, place in a bowl and then tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap.

The trapped steam will soften the peppers and loosen their skins. After 15 minutes, pull the stems out of each pepper. Pull the skins off the pepper. I like to do this under running cold water, as it seems to help make the job quicker. You can also use a paper towel to rub off the loosened skins. Holding one end, squeeze the pepper length-wise, to remove the bulk of its seeds.

If you are using an oven, turn it on to the broiler setting. Brush each pepper with 1-2 teaspoons of vegetable, sunflower, or another high-smoke point oil. Arrange the peppers on a baking sheet, then place the sheet on the highest rack in your oven. Keeping a close eye on the peppers, remove them once dark, blackened spots appear. As with stove-top roasted peppers, place in a bowl and cover for 15 minutes. Follow the above directions for removing the skins and seeds.

Cook the rice. Place the 5 cups of water and salt in a large pot with a lid. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in the rice, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 22-25 minutes, until the  water has evaporated completely.

Turn off the heat. Use a fork to fluff up the rice, then cover again and let the rice sit for 5 minutes.

Attach the large chopping blade to your food processor (or use a high powered blender). Add the roasted Anaheim peppers, one of the Poblano peppers, garlic, onion tomatillos. Blend until smooth. Add in the sour cream until completely combined.

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly oil or butter a 9×9 inch baking pan.

Dice up the remaining Poblano pepper. Fold the diced Poblano pepper as well as the blended pepper mixture into the rice. Add about half of the cheddar, half of the monterey jack cheese and half of the cotija cheese, coriander, oregano, pepper and salt, stirring until everything is evenly combined. Pour the rice into your prepared baking dish.  Sprinkle on the remaining cheddar, monterey jack, and cotija cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the top is nicely golden brown. Allow the rice to sit for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy while still hot.

Posted in Dinner, Gluten-Free, Lunch, Sides, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Vegetarian Shiitake Leek Stuffing

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

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I am deliriously behind in sharing some recipes from… oh, Thanksgiving. We’ve been busy. My husband and I just celebrated our one year anniversary. Then his birthday, the following week. Not to mention my mister has a band, Cast of Clowns, and we just got back from a four-day run of shows around the Bay Area. Needless to say, there hasn’t been a lot of cooking. There have been burritos for many meals. And I’ve got a number of recipes and photos back-logged, waiting to show up here.

The thing is, from what I remember, my family’s Thanksgiving meals and Christmas meals more or less included many of the same dishes. The main difference was that Thanksgiving meant turkey and Christmas meant ham. Sometimes Christmas included both. I figure we weren’t the only folks that did that, so I’m actually ahead of the game, posting recipes that can be used in a couple weeks… rational brain.

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So, let’s backtrack. Thanksgiving. We had a small, super casual lunch/dinner with my husband and mother-in-law. She covered the vegetarian “turkey” roast – Trader Joe’s variety, since it was a type we hadn’t tried before (pleasantly surprising in texture, but lacking a bit in flavor). She also handled making her mother’s chocolate meringue pie, as per my husband’s request. My contributions included the side dishes (my favorite part of Thanksgiving dinners): sweet potato gratin, cheesy green beans, apple cranberry sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, creamy mushroom gravy, big fluffy whole wheat rolls and shiitake leek stuffing.

I am a huge fan of stuffing. When I was in college, there were numerous times I’d buy a box of Stove Top stuffing mix and call it dinner. I don’t think I’ve gone the Stove Top route since then, thank goodness. While I’ve made my own bread cubes before (Just use day-old, thick sliced bread. Cut it into cubes and bake at 350° F for 12-15 minutes, until the cubes are golden brown. Cool completely before using.) I opted for a bag of store-bought bread cubes due to ease and availability.

This stuffing is entirely vegetarian. The shiitake mushrooms add little bits of chewiness, much like sausage or bacon does in other stuffing recipes. The apples add just the tiniest bit of sweetness to a very savory dish. I would gladly eat this at any time of year, on its own, or as an additional side dish to another meal.

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Vegetarian Shiitake Leek Stuffing

Ingredients:
13 oz. dried bread cubes
1 large leek, tough green parts removed
1 large yellow bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced small
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large granny smith apple, cored
4 oz. fresh shiitake mushrooms
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tsp. ground white pepper
3 tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
3 tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
2 tsp. poultry seasoning
½ tsp. ground black pepper
2½ cups No-Chicken broth (vegetable broth can be substituted)
sea salt, to your liking
butter


Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375° F. Generously butter a large baking dish (at least 9×13-inches).

Once the tough green parts have been removed from the leek, slice the stalk in half lengthwise, then finely cut the leek. Dice the bell pepper and granny smith apple into small pieces. Thinly slice up the shiitake mushrooms.

Melt the butter in a large stock pot over medium-high heat. Once the butter has completely melted, add the diced onion, sliced leek, bell pepper, celery and garlic. Sauté the mixture until everything has softened, and the onions appear translucent.

Add the diced apple, sliced shiitake mushrooms, white pepper, sage, thyme, poultry seasoning, black pepper and salt. Stir to combine everything really well. Remove the mixture from the stove. Add the bread cubes, then add the No-Chicken or vegetable broth, gently folding the mixture together to evenly distribute everything.

Pour the mixture into your buttered baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 30-40 minutes, until the top is lightly golden brown. Let the stuffing sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Posted in Dinner, Sides, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Leo’s Limoncello

Posted on November 30, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

Forbidden Rice Blog | Leo's Limoncello

When one of my stepsons turned thirteen, his mom hosted a dinner at her house which also included her parents as guests – Vincent’s grandparents. Quickly after we arrived, Leo – Vincent’s Italian grandfather – pulled out a green Grolsch bottle from the freezer. “Would you like some?” he asked me. I had no idea what was in this bottle, but responded with, “Sure – thank you.” Turns out it was his homemade limoncello – a liqueur made of lemons, everclear, sugar, and water. The limoncello was creamy, colder than ice, and  that cordial glass full was love at first taste.

Leo is someone whom I adore and have been grateful to know, even if our interactions are often reliant on kids’ sporting events or family celebrations. I have never met someone who is so consistently gracious, kind, or giving. On occasion, Leo has gifted my husband and I with bottles of his amazing limoncello.

Leo Zaro | Forbidden Rice Blog | Leo's Limoncello

A couple months ago, I asked both Leo and his wife, Gail, for their limoncello recipe. I’ve never once attempted a homemade liqueur and thought it would be fun to try a recipe from someone I admire (as well as someone whose limoncello is so amazingly good!). It didn’t take long for me to receive an e-mail from Gail, including a short history on their recipe and directions from Leo. Turns out Gail had stayed with Leo’s relatives in Italy, back in 1987. She brought the recipe back to California from Leo’s cousin. The original recipe was written in the metric system and Gail says the first batch came out much too sweet, so the recipe Leo uses now is his own refined version of what they started with.

I attempted to use Leo’s recipe, but when I got to the liquor store, I was informed that the only everclear they had was a half gallon, rather than the fifth Leo’s recipe called for. This altered the number of lemons, as well as the simple syrup ratio. I was terrified of putting the time into something that wouldn’t turn out very tasty. Leo started a new batch of limoncello at the same time I was attempting to, then said we could exchange a bottle to see how they come out. We exchanged limoncellos this past Thanksgiving. Mine did not taste the same, though both bottles were quite tasty. Leo said he liked mine better than his, but I’ve got a feeling I could’ve handed him a bottle of lemonade and out of kindness, he would’ve said something similar.

Leo sat down with me, trying to figure out where the differences in flavor came from. “You used Eureka lemons?” “Yes.” “Everclear?” “Yes.” I told him how I could only get a half gallon, though, so I had to do some math that may have gone awry. “A HALF GALLON!” he said, wide-eyed. “You’re not supposed to use a half gallon! Oh no, no.” He read  the ingredients I had labeled, trying to figure out what could possibly be different (other than my vastly larger proportions) and said, “Organic cane sugar! That must be the magic ingredient!” My husband asked, “What do you use, Leo?” and his response was delightfully, “Whatever I’ve got!” I received the greatest complement when leaving, however. Leo told me, “You have the Zaro touch.” Their family name.

Since the limoncellos came out noticeably different from one another (and every batch will differ slightly), I am actually going to include both the recipe Leo gave me to start with and then the quantities I ended up using for my own batch.

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Leo’s Limoncello

Original Recipe

Ingredients:
12 large, firm Eureka lemons
750 ml. bottle of 190-proof everclear (grain alcohol)
1.5 liters hot water
12 tbsp. sugar

Directions:

Scrub each of the lemons with a vegetable brush, to remove any protective wax from the skins, and simply to clean them.

Forbidden Rice Blog | Leo's Limoncello

Use a sharp knife or vegetable peeler to peel only the outer most yellow skin from the lemons. The white parts have a bitter flavor, so you want to exclude as much of it as you can.  Place the skins in a one liter jar with a clamp down lid.

Pour the 750-ml bottle of everclear over the skins, close the lid, and shake the bottle. Repeat the shaking process several times a day for at least two weeks.

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The lemons can be squeezed, and the juice freezes well for recipes that later call for fresh lemon juice. (Gail’s idea!)

Once at least two weeks have passed, place a strainer over a large cooking pot. Line the strainer with cheese cloth or a coffee filter. Pour the everclear and lemon peels through the filter.

While the everclear is filtering, combine the 1.5 liters of hot water (not boiling) and twelve tablespoons of sugar. Add the sugar water to the filtered everclear, stirring well. (The color will instantly change from a clear yellow to clouded yellow.)

Pour into clean bottles (preferably swing-top style). Refrigerate and serve cold in small cordial glasses.

The limoncello can be frozen – just make sure to shake it before serving.

My Altered Recipe

Ingredients:
18 large, firm organic Eureka lemons
one half-gallon bottle 190-proof everclear (grain alcohol)
10 cups of hot water
1½  cups organic cane sugar

Directions: 

Scrub each of the lemons with a vegetable brush, to remove any protective wax from the skins, and simply to clean them.

Use a sharp knife or vegetable peeler to peel only the outer most yellow skin from the lemons. The white parts have a bitter flavor, so you want to exclude as much of it as you can.  Place the skins in large jar that can be sealed airtight.

Pour half gallon bottle of everclear over the skins, close the lid, and shake the bottle. Repeat the shaking process several times a day for at least two weeks. (I let mine soak for three weeks before straining.)

Once at least two weeks have passed, place a strainer over a large cooking pot. Line the strainer with cheese cloth or a coffee filter. Pour the everclear and lemon peels through the filter.

While the everclear is filtering, combine the 10 cups of hot water and sugar in a saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until the sugar has dissolved (the cane sugar I used is a little larger in grain size, compared with granulated sugar, so I heated the mixture to help it dissolve completely). Cool the sugar water completely before adding it to the everclear mixture.

Pour the cooled sugar water into the strained everclear and stir well.  Pour the limoncello into clean bottles (preferably swing-top style).

You can refrigerate the bottled limoncello. Personally, I prefer keeping it in the freezer and find the taste much for pleasant. Serve in small cordial glasses.

Note: This limoncello had a stronger alcohol-taste than Leo’s original recipe, though it remained smooth and nicely tart for drinking. If you find your limoncello to be too strong, simply add more sugar water to dilute the alcohol.

Forbidden Rice Blog | Leo's Limoncello

Posted in Beverages, Booze, Gluten-Free, Life, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , | 52 Comments

Overnight Pumpkin Pie Steel Cut Oats

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery


As I’ve mentioned before, if I am going to eat breakfast at breakfast time (rather than for dinner), I like recipes that are easy to throw together. I like the bulkiness of steel cut oats, although preparing them in the morning means I need to get up forty-five minutes earlier than I would need to if I used quick-cooking oats instead. But I don’t enjoy the texture of quick oats nearly as much, so what to do.

The beauty of steel cut oats is that you can prepare them ahead of time and they don’t lose their consistency whatsoever. These oats are made the night before, thus the bulk of the work happens while you’re fast asleep.  I decided to flavor these oats like pumpkin pie, using the spices that are familiar to this fall-time dessert.

While walking out the door to Silas’s flag football game, I placed a serving of oats in a jar to go, then topped it with a spoonful of almond butter, a couple tablespoons of unsweetened coconut, and a small handful of dried cranberries. It was a delicious blend of flavors and very filling along with a hot cup of coffee!

 

Overnight Pumpkin Pie Steel Cut Oats

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup steel cut oats
3 cups water
pinch of salt
pinch of ground cloves
¼ tsp. all-spice
¼ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. fresh ground nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ cup light brown sugar
½ cup canned pumpkin
2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
whole milk

 

Directions:

In a large saucepan, melt the two tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the steel cut oats and stir frequently, until the oats begin to smell toasty (5-6 minutes).

Stir in the water, salt, cloves, all-spice, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar, pumpkin, and maple syrup. Continue stirring until everything is well combined.

Bring the mixture up to a boil. Boil for two to three minutes, then cover the pot and allow it to sit overnight (at least 8 hours). You can leave it on your stovetop or refrigerate the oats.

The next morning, bring the mixture back up to temperature over medium heat, occasionally stirring. Mix in the maple syrup and unsalted butter, along with enough milk to get the consistency you prefer.

Serve hot, either plain or add toppings you’d like.

Posted in Breakfast, Kids, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Cheesy Herb Pull-Apart Bread

Posted on November 24, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery


Pinterest generally has me wanting to paint everything I own in chalkboard paint, make various things from mason jars, try fifty new workout routines, and make nine thousand varieties of pull-apart breads (after I’ve hoarded an equal number of recipes I may or may not use someday).

I have always been intrigued by pull-apart loaves, although most varieties I’ve seen have been sweet, dessert-like creations. A while back, I came across Deb Perelman’s (Smitten Kitchen) recipe for a cheddar, beer and mustard pull-apart bread and was instantly excited at the thought of a savory pull-apart. When I was trying to decide what to make alongside a huge batch of homemade Romesco soup, homemade bread sounded like the best option. I wanted to use things I had on hand and opted for this cheesy, herb-laden bread.

While it was baking, the loaf smelled like pizza baking up in the oven. Initially I had planned for a loaf that was very cheesy, so that when the layers were pulled apart, there would be some obvious cheese-stretch going on. While the loaf didn’t wind up with those apparent cheese strings, it was deliciously cheesy without being overwhelming or greasy.

This bread is great along with a bowl of hot soup for dipping. I imagine if it were served with a pizza dipping sauce (marinara) that would be equally tasty. For the bread dough, I started off with Joy the Baker’s dough recipe for this cinnamon sugar pull apart bread, but tweaked it to work for a savory style loaf. The result is a very soft, flavorful, bread that pulls apart best when still warm or hot.

Cheesy Herb Pull-Apart Bread

Makes one 9×5-inch loaf

Ingredients:

For the bread dough:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. cane sugar
2¼ tsp. (1 pkg.) dry active yeast
½ tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. dried basil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 oz. butter, softened (1/2 a stick)
¼ cup warm milk (85°-95°F)
½ cup warm water (85°-95°F)

For the filling:
2 oz. butter, softened (1/2 a stick)
1 tsp. granulated garlic
2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. ground white pepper
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
½ cup shredded monterey jack cheese

Directions:

Combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of your stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl if you’re making the bread by hand). Allow the mixture to proof (get bubbly, frothy, active).

Once the yeast has proofed, add in the salt, granulated garlic, thyme, basil, softened butter, beaten eggs, and milk. Stir to combine everything. Attach the dough hook to your mixer. Add in the flour, one cup at a time, kneading the dough on low speed until it’s smooth and slightly sticky (5-6 minutes).

Lightly flour a large work surface, then turn your dough out to it. Knead 4-5 times, until the dough comes together into a ball.

Lightly grease either the bowl of your stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl. Place the dough into the bowl, turning once to coat both sides. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise in a warm area until it doubles in size, about one hour.

Gently “punch” the dough down, then turn it out to a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out into a rectangle about 20-inches long, about 12-inches wide. Brush the rolled dough with your softened butter. Sprinkle with the granulated garlic, dried basil, dried oregano, ground white pepper, and shredded cheeses.

Cut the rectangle width-wise into 5 or 6 equal strips. Stack the strips on top of one another, so the filling is layered between the layers of dough. Cut the strips into 4 equal-sized parts.

Lightly butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Stack the squares against each other, cut sides down. Lightly cover the pan with plastic wrap and set the pan aside to rise again for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the bread for 30-35 minutes, or until the loaf is nicely golden brown on top. This bread is best served warm (and/or just out of the oven).

Posted in Baking, Bread, Dinner, Sides, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Chai Nog Latte

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery


Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. Am I stressed out about making a meal to impress? No, not really. I’ve got almost five cups of homemade cranberry apple pear sauce in the fridge. There’s a pan of scalloped yams in a sage béchamel sauce ready to bake. There’s a giant baking dish full of apple-leek-shiitake stuffing ready to hop into the oven. I’ve got a cheesy green bean casserole with crimini mushrooms and fontina cheese also set for the oven. And then there’s the five pound bag of potatoes to peel, cook, and mash. I’ve cut up the mushrooms for my vegetarian gravy. I’m baking bread in the morning.

Yet for the first time in a long while when it comes to extensive meals, I am feeling far from overwhelmed with the cooking. My mother in law is making a vegetarian “turkey” roast and her mother’s chocolate pie. It’s just she, my husband, and I this Thanksgiving. And it feels low-key, which is how I prefer celebrations. I try to remember this time of year, how easy it is to get overwhelmed with things that should actually be enjoyable: time with family and friends, cold weather that encourages bundling up or sleeping in, cooking rich and warm meals…

I am not really good at making time for doing nothing, especially around this time of year. One time of day where it feels like I can let go and do that, even for 15 minutes is right after I get out of bed. I like the quiet that comes with this time. Generally I’ll have a cup of coffee while checking my e-mails and facebook. Then once that first cup is gone, my mind is focused on what needs to get done for the day. Another drink I enjoy during this time of year has nothing to do with pumpkins or coffee.

I have loved chai as long as I’ve known its existence. It’s comforting, warm, inviting, and a good accompaniment to quiet mornings. I don’t remember where the idea for this drink came from. I vaguely remember drinking it in college, perhaps as I was running from one class to another, or on my way to work before classes. I am not fond of eggnog on its own, but paired with the spiciness of chai, it’s delicious. I like to add equal portions of milk and eggnog, to keep things from getting overly creamy. You can use a pre-made chai concentrate, like Oregon Chai Concentrate  or Tazo  chai,  which is a little more spicy and a little less sweet. If you’re up for it, you can also make your own chai concentrate which allows for more personalization (my preference). You can also use your preferred eggnog variety.

I guess I should also mention that I have spiked this drink with both spiced rum and bourbon before, both of which make this a tasty after-dinner drink. On that note, Happy Thanksgiving. I’m thankful for any of you readers who drop by here day-to-day.

Chai Nog Latte

Serves one

Ingredients:

6 oz. sweetened chai tea
3 oz. eggnog
3 oz. milk
fresh nutmeg
ground cinnamon

Directions:

In a small saucepan, combine the chai, eggnog, and milk. Over medium heat, bring up to just under a boil (or until it’s as hot as you’d like for drinking.

Serve in your favorite mug, topped with a pinch of fresh ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon.

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Romesco Soup

Posted on November 19, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

Let’s talk about Van Morrison. We can simultaneously discuss my love for stormy weather and how the last couple days have threatened (offered) exactly that: blustery, windy, cold. On days like these, all I’d really like to do is lay in bed and listen to Van serenade me through the day. I rediscovered this song  yesterday and listened to it about 30 times in a row. And then again in the same fashion this afternoon.

What do blustery days that resonate with Van Morrison serenades also require? Soup, of course. Originally I saw a similar recipe for this soup in Sunset Magazine while peddling on a spin bike at the gym. I book marked the idea in my brain and looked it up online later.

Traditionally, Romesco is a nut and red pepper sauce from Spain, made up of almonds or hazelnuts, olive oil, and red peppers. The following recipe is a Romesco soup, borrowing similar flavors, but made into a main dish rather than a sauce or dip.

To make this soup very simple, you can use jarred roasted red peppers and canned tomatoes. I had fresh versions of each on hand and decided to roast the ingredients myself. (This allows more fresh flavor, which really cannot be beat.) This soup is thick, hearty, and a feels like a full meal on its own. Don’t listen to Van while eating though, you may pass out into a fall time stimulus-overdrive coma.

 

Romesco Soup

Modified from Sunset Magazine

Makes a large pot of soup.
Will easily serve 10-12 people. 

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 onions, diced
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground white pepper
32 oz. roasted red peppers *
28 oz. diced tomatoes *
¾ cup sliced raw almonds
1 cup red lentils
6-8 cups No-Chicken broth
3 tbsp. smoked paprika
1/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
sea salt
sliced raw almonds for serving

**You can used jarred roasted red peppers and canned tomatoes, making this soup quite easy. I used fresh red peppers and fresh tomatoes, mostly because I had both on hand. If you go that route, simply cut the red bell, removing the stem, seeds, and ribs before doing so. Cut into strips about 1-inch wide. Drizzle generously with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 30-40 minutes at 400°F, until lightly charred and soft.

To roast the tomatoes, if you’re using fresh ones, remove the stem and cut the tomatoes into chunks about 1-2 inches in size. Drizzle with olive oil, about 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Roast at 400°F for 25-30 minutes until deep red and slightly crisp on the edges. Set the roasted peppers and tomatoes aside until ready to use.

 

Directions:

Heat the oil in a large stock pot, over medium-high heat. Add the diced onions, garlic, and ground white pepper. Sauté until the onion is tender.

If using jarred red peppers, drain and rinse. Add the peppers to your stock pot, along with the tomatoes, sliced raw almonds, lentils, and enough broth to cover everything. Stir in the smoked paprika, then allow the mixture to simmer over medium-low heat until the lentils are tender (30-45 minutes).

Once the lentils are cooked, blend the cooked ingredients in a high powered blender or food processor until smooth. Add the nonfat dry milk and red wine vinegar, blending until everything is fully combined.

Return the blended soup to your stock pot. Gently bring back up to temperature. Add sea salt and more white pepper to your liking. Serve hot, topped with sliced almonds.

Posted in Appetizer, Dinner, Lunch, Sides, Soup, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling

Posted on November 17, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery


Some people work well with others in the kitchen. Some people enjoy help from others while preparing ingredients or concocting recipes. I will tell you right now – I am not one of those people. Yes, when needed, I can chill out and make it fun. I can let go of my OCD tendencies and remember that even if someone else isn’t doing things exactly the same way I would, the end product can still come out well. I’m not very good at doing this, but it’s not impossible.

The kitchen is one of the few places these days where I can completely immerse myself in what I’m doing, be creative without any hesitation about what I’m doing, where I can work without worry about doing something else at the same time. When you’ve got a 7 year old who thoroughly enjoys cooking, there’s a balance that needs to be found somewhere. Both for encouraging a creative outlet in a child that comes with genuine interest and curiosity, and still making room to find some peace of mind while diving into creative outlets I enjoy, alone.

Today, after Silas’s flag football game, we were wandering through the grocery store. I said, “what do you want for lunch?” His response: “Seaweed. But I want to make a Chinese salad and put the seaweed on it.” Number one, I’ve never eaten a Chinese salad. Number two, I don’t know what would logically go into one. Number three, I realized this was a good place to let go and work with him. “What goes in a Chinese salad?” I asked. “Ummmm… seaweed… soy sauce, noodles, and that’s it.” We worked together to come up with a salad made of udon noodles, grated carrots, shredded cabbage, roasted sesame seaweed strips, fresh pomegranate arils, topped with a sauce made of soy sauce, ginger, garlic, orange juice, and pomegranate juice. Silas did most of the work and felt entirely accomplished afterwards. Win-win.

The other day when I had planned to make a pumpkin roll (which I hadn’t even heard of until moving to Oregon) – a rolled cake filled with cream cheese frosting – I did the brunt of the work while Silas was at school. All that remained was frosting the cake. When he asked to help, I admit: I really, really wanted to say no. Not out of meanness, but simply because in my head, I had thought out every second of what I needed to do to put this cake together. Help? No, that wasn’t in my head-plan. I said “okay,” very hesitatingly. The result wasn’t a disaster. Together, we frosted and rolled the pumpkin roll and the result was a delicious, moist, very fall-flavored dessert.

 

 

Pumpkin Roll with Cream Cheese Filling

Recipe adapted from Libby’s Pumpkin Roll

Ingredients:

For the cake:
¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cloves
¼ tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg
1 cup cane sugar
1 vanilla bean, scraped
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2/3 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

For the filling:
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch of fresh ground nutmeg

oil
additional powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a jelly roll pan if you have one. If you don’t, lightly grease a half-sheet pan. Line with parchment paper. Lightly oil the parchment paper and then dust (lightly) with flour.

Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, sea salt, nutmeg, cane sugar, and scraped vanilla bean together in a bowl.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and canned pumpkin until thick and well combined.

Fold your dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Spread the batter into your prepared pan, using a spatula to evenly distribute everything.

Bake the cake for 12-15 minutes, until the top of the cake springs back when you touch it. While the cake is baking, prepare a piece of parchment paper that is at least 20-inches long, dusting it generously with powdered sugar.

Once the cake is done baking, immediately use a knife to loosen the cake from the sides of your pan. Turn the cake out onto your prepared parchment paper. Peel off the paper that was on the bottom side of the cake as it baked (now on the top).

Roll up the cake and new powdered sugar-dusted parchment paper, starting with one of the narrow ends. Cool on a wire rack, seam side of the cake down. Cool the cake completely to room temperature before filling.

To make the filling, beat the cream cheese and unsalted butter together until smooth (1-2 minutes). Add in the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla, then beat again until smooth.

Carefully unroll your cake (its probably shrunk a bit as it cooled). Evenly spread the cream cheese mixture over the cake. Re-roll the cake, starting again with one of the narrow sides. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

When ready to serve, sprinkle the top of your pumpkin roll with powdered sugar. Cut into slices about ½-1 inch thick.

The pumpkin roll can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 3 days, but tastes better fresh.

Posted in Baking, Dessert, Kids, Life, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Pretzel Hot Dog Buns

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery


Generally, I’m pretty good about going with the flow of things. However, the other day when I had plans to make homemade veggie hot dogs, pretzel buns, and coleslaw, we found our electricity out for a good portion of the afternoon and evening. Since our stove is gas-lit, I didn’t have any problems steam cooking the hot dogs, but I was a little perplexed about what to do with the pretzel buns that were sitting on my kitchen counter rising.

To pass the time, I watched the light hours quickly pass away as I scrambled to get the coleslaw made with the last minutes of daylight, while drinking adult beverages made with bourbon. Bourbon apparently makes the daylight pass more quickly than usual. I decided to boil the buns even though I had no working oven. I still don’t know if that was a good choice or a bad one. The beautifully risen bread deflated slightly as it was boiling, which had me alarmed. I proceeded to cook them anyway.

Luckily, my mother in law lives here in town and her side of Ashland still had electricity from wired llc . We brought over the coleslaw, steamed veggie dogs, and boiled hot dog buns. They baked up nicely, despite losing some air while boiling. I’m not sure if they would have had more rise post-boiling if they went straight into the oven. The result anyway, was a bun that tasted just like a soft pretzel. They were a great compliment to the homemade hot dogs, both in flavor and texture, and especially with lots of mustard :)


Pretzel Hot Dog Buns

Makes about 8 buns

Ingredients:
1 cup warm water (85°-95°F)
1 tsp. sugar
2¼  tsp. dry active yeast (1 package)
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. barley malt powder
2 tbsp. light brown sugar

2 quarts water
½ cup baking soda
1 egg white, lightly beaten

coarse sea salt


Directions:

Combine the warm water and sugar in the bowl of your stand mixer. Sprinkle in the yeast. Allow the mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes, until frothy and bubbly.

Once the yeast has proofed, add in the olive oil, sea salt, malt powder, brown sugar, and one cup of flour. Use the dough hook to mix the ingredients until completely combined. Add the remaining flour, one cup at a time until all the flour’s incorporated.

Turn the speed up to medium-high. Knead the dough for 4-6 minutes. The dough should be stiff, slightly sticky, but not overly sticky where it doesn’t release from the sides of your bowl. Lightly dust the dough with flour.

Oil your bowl and place the dough into it, turning once to coat the other side with oil. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel or plastic wrap, then set in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size (about 1 hour).

Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Pat the dough into a round, flat disc, about 8 inches in diameter. Cut into 8 wedges of equal size. Let the dough rest for 5 – 10 minutes.

While the dough is resting, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Use your hands to roll the dough into cylinder-shapes (hot dog bun shapes!) about 5-6 inches long, 2 inches wide.  Place the dough on your prepared baking sheet. Set aside until the rolls rise again (30 minutes).

While the buns are rising, combine your two quarts of water and ½ cup of baking soda in a large stock pot. Bring to a rolling boil. Preheat your oven to 375°F.

Once the water comes to boiling point, gently lower one or two buns into the water. After 20-30 seconds, flip the buns over. Boil for an additional 20-30 seconds, then remove the pretzel roll to a cooling rack. Boil all of the pretzel buns this way.

Lightly oil your parchment paper (the baking sheet your rolls rose on). Arrange the buns on the prepared sheet, about one inch apart. Brush each roll with the beaten egg white then lightly sprinkle with the coarse sea salt.

Bake for 15-25 minutes, until the rolls are very golden in color. Allow the buns to sit for 5 minutes before slicing lengthwise and serving with your hot dogs.

Store unused hot dog buns in an airtight container at room temperature.

Posted in Appetizer, Baking, Bread, Dinner, Kids, Lunch, Vegetarian | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment