Ashland Sneak Preview Interview

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

I had a cool opportunity recently, to participate in an interview about this blog in one of the best local newspapers here in Ashland, the Sneak Preview. The following is the article that was just released. I was completely nervous, even if I got to answer all the questions via e-mail. And even though I know Cat and she’s pretty damn awesome. Even so. However, I thought it turned out well and am grateful for such an experience. The recipe included is also delicious. “Chicken” and Chive-Goat Cheese Dumplings. A must try… vegetarian or not.

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Ginger Vanilla Applesauce

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

What do you do when you’ve got a handful of apples too soft to enjoy eating on their own? You make applesauce, because it’s easy. And delicious. I’ve eaten homemade applesauce, though I hadn’t made it myself before today. There isn’t a whole lot to it and the results are tastier than store-bought varieties.

Today I was awoken at 7, to fat snowflakes and a blanket of white (I’ve come to terms with living in Ashland, where the weather’s bound to change minute to minute without warning). After going back to sleep, next I awoke to sunshine. Then rain, sun, hail, rain, gray skies, sunshine, cold. A good day for a home scented with fall: warm apples, cinnamon, vanilla.

I’m sure everyone has their own variation of homemade applesauce, though all more or less follow the same instruction: peeled, cored, seeded apples of whatever variety you prefer; water or fruit juice; sugar or not; etc. I decided to try mine with organic Braeburn apples, fresh ginger and vanilla bean, simply because that’s what I had on hand. The ginger taste is faint, the vanilla noticeable but not overpowering. It’s good. Try it.

Ginger Vanilla Applesauce

Ingredients:
4 apples, peeled, cored, seeded
1 cup water
2 tbsp. light brown sugar
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. fresh grated ginger
¼ tsp. orange zest
contents from 1 vanilla bean

Directions:

Chop the peeled apples into small chunks. Place in a pot with all the remaining ingredients. Stir well, then cover. Cook over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, until the apples are very soft (nearly falling apart).

Use a wooden spoon, potato masher, or fork and mash the apples to your preferred consistency. Enjoy warm or cold. Plain or alongside a meal. Enjoy!

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Lemon and Roasted Asparagus Risotto

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

Although I grew up in a place where the change in seasons wasn’t often clearly evident, I really do enjoy the changes that come season-to-season now that I live on “The Mainland.” One of my favorite changes is what ingredients become readily available. Everything really does taste better “in season,” despite sometimes being available at other times throughout the year.

Spring means fresh artichokes, spinach, lemons, green onions, grapefruits… and my recent favorite: fresh asparagus. I remember eating asparagus now and then as a kid. My mom always made hollandaise sauce to top steamed asparagus. I could eat the whole dish of both, happily.

Rice was a daily staple for our family. We had rice with everything, at nearly every meal. I don’t remember a night where there wasn’t a pot of rice on the dinner table… except maybe nights we had pasta of some sort. I hated it (eventually). I enjoy the stuff these days and have a newer-found love of risotto. I’d always thought risotto was difficult to make; really it’s just a matter of stirring… and anyone can stir. This is a great spring risotto with the fresh asparagus, fresh mushrooms, and perfectly in season hint of lemon.

 

Lemon and Roasted Asparagus Risotto

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
10-12 young asparagus spears
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper

5 tbsp. unsalted butter
½ a medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup sliced crimini mushrooms
1½ cups Arborio rice (risotto rice)
1 cup milk, warmed
4 cups vegetable broth, warmed
½ cup dry white wine
¾ cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and fresh ground pepper
2 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
¼ tsp. lemon zest

 

Directions:

Prepare the asparagus:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss all of the asparagus spears in 1 tbsp. of olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Roast for 12-15 minutes, until the asparagus is tender, turning every now and then. Cut each stalk into pieces about 1-2” long. 

Prepare the risotto:
Heat the 5 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a heavy bottomed 2½ – 3½ quart pot. Add the onion and garlic, cooking until softened but not browned (5 minutes or so). Add the mushrooms, cooking for a minute or two. Add the Arborio rice, stirring to coat each grain of rice well. Cook for a few minutes until the rice smells slightly nutty and becomes slightly transluscent.

Add the white wine into the pot, stirring until all the liquid is completely absorbed. Add the warmed vegetable broth to the risotto pot, one cup at a time, allowing the rice to absorb the liquid almost completely before adding the next cup. Once all the broth has been used, add in the milk in the same way. Continue stirring, stirring, stirring.

Once the liquid has more or less been absorbed and the rice is tender with just the slightest bite to it, remove from heat. Stir in the parmesan cheese, fresh lemon juice, zest, and salt and pepper to your liking.      

Serve topped with fresh ground pepper and fresh parmesan cheese if you like.

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Roasted Asparagus and Sweet Pepper Frittata

Posted on April 2, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

I must admit, I love to sleep in. Especially through the winter and early spring, when my insomniac tendencies are at their all time high. Sometimes “bedtime” is nearly 3 AM, which means waking up falls somewhere between 9 and 11 AM. That said, breakfast is an interesting meal. It usually takes a couple of hours before I feel any sense of hunger, especially after a cup of coffee or two. “Breakfast” more or less becomes lunch.

The perfect meal for such a thing? A tasty frittata. I never made a frittata in my life prior to this one though. A frittata is basically the Italian version of an omelette. It sounds fancy-schmancy, but really, the dish is quite easy. Not only that, they’re very versatile: you can essentially throw in anything that sounds good. I believe in keeping the ingredients pretty simple though – pick a couple key ingredients and work around them. I happened to have asparagus and sweet peppers on hand, so I went with those things.

This makes enough for one large meal, for one… or perhaps enough for two with a side salad. Frittatas are delicious hot, but honestly they’re equally as tasty at room temperature or even cold.

  

Roasted Asparagus and Sweet Pepper Frittata

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:
3 eggs
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. sweet peppers, minced
1 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped
1 tbsp. grated pecorino romano cheese
5-6 stalks young asparagus
1½ tsp. olive oil
salt and pepper to your liking

 

Directions:

Prepare the asparagus:

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Toss the asparagus in 1 tsp. of olive oil, about ¼ tsp. salt, and a generous amount of fresh ground pepper. Roast for 12-15 minutes, until the asparagus is tender. Cut each stalk into thirds (about 3” long pieces). Leave the oven on 400°F.

Prepare the frittata:

Heat the remaining ½ tsp. of olive oil in a 7-inch cast iron pan, over medium-high. Sauté the garlic, sweet peppers, and basil until the peppers are tender (1-2 minutes). Whip together the eggs, pecorino romano cheese, salt and pepper until it’s frothy. Pour the eggs over the sautéed garlic and peppers. Sprinkle in the cheese and arrange the asparagus however you’d like on the top of your eggs (you can add more sweet peppers then, too, if you want some added color). Allow the eggs to almost set (3-4 minutes), then place the pan in your heated oven. Once the frittata begins to puff up (3-5 minutes), browns on the edges and top, it’s done. Cut into wedges and serve.

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Eggs in an Avocado Basket

Posted on March 31, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

I used to love an egg in the basket. Perhaps you know it by another name? Wikipedia tells me there are many names for an egg fried into a hole cut into a piece of bread. For instance (my favorites): moon eggs, one-eyed monsters, gas house eggs, frog in a hole, bull’s eye eggs? I’ll tell you the truth… my favorite part about egg in a basket? The little, round, crust-less, buttery piece of toast that you get from cutting out the hole in the larger slice of bread. It’s childish. But I don’t care. I’m almost 27 years old and I still prefer the little round circle of buttered toast to the rest of the dish.

Awhile back, I saw a photo on good ‘ole Pinterest: egg in an avocado basket. Interesting, I thought. My next thoughts went back and forth, trying to decide if this would be delicious or awful. It was pretty looking… and although I couldn’t have cared less about avocados for nearly two decades, I’ve been enjoying them a lot recently. Perhaps because they were on sale at our co-op last week. Maybe because I love green so very much. At any rate, I decided to try this strange concoction and was pleasantly surprised.

The avocado holds itself together, because you’re leaving the skin intact. As it slowly cooks though, the avocado becomes even creamier than usual. It’s almost custard-like by the time it’s ready. Albeit, this recipe’s a little unusual, but it’s worth trying at least once.

Eggs in an Avocado Basket

Serves 1

Ingredients:

1 medium ripe, but slightly firm avocado
2 small eggs
salt and pepper, to your taste
1 tbsp. diced sweet peppers
optional ½ tsp. diced chives
olive oil

Directions:

Slice the avocado lengthwise, into 4 slices, the middle two about ½-inch thick, leaving the skins on. The outer two slices we won’t use, but you can eat them… or use them to make guacamole? An added bonus? Remove the pit to create a hole in each slice (I actually had to cut a hole that was big enough to hold the eggs, using a knife).

Lightly oil a small non-stick skillet over medium heat. Place the avocado slices into your hot pan. Break an egg into the hole in each slice. Add salt and pepper to your liking, then cover the pan. Allow the eggs to cook to your liking, until the whites are set.

Serve topped with the diced peppers and chives.

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Avocado Alfredo

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

This will look questionable. It sounds questionable. Consider that your forewarning, but please don’t let it keep you from at least considering this dish. It’s good. It’s good for you. Again, don’t let that stop you.

I grew up around avocados and absolutely despised eating them. My dad would make an avocado-laden sandwich or piece of toast and you couldn’t get me within 10 feet of it. At this point, the avocado trees have replanted themselves all over the yard I grew up playing in. With fruit in such abundance they can’t possibly all be picked when ripe, eventually they fall off, fall into the earth, and begin sprouting… It’s an avocado grove. And I miss it.

Now that I live an ocean away and have to spend over a dollar on one measly avocado at the grocery store, which often doesn’t taste as creamy and rich as I remember, I can’t get enough of the little green beauties.

I saw a recipe floating around the blogger networks a few months back and thought it sounded awfully curious… potentially disgusting, potentially amazing. I like those sorts of recipes. It was essentially a fettucini “alfredo” with an avocado-based sauce. I thought it couldn’t possibly be good without the cream, without the fresh parmesan cheese, without the butter. I love fettucini alfredo. But this recipe boasted creaminess, deliciousness, all completely vegan. Shut up—there’s no way—my brain said.

Due to the potential failure, this week seemed like a perfect time to experiment with this mysterious avocado “alfredo” sauce. I was happily surprised at the richness of the following recipe. It’s loosely based on the original recipe I saw, with extra green goodness. The food processor or blender does the majority of your work and the result is amazing. I didn’t even miss the cheese… and I’ll tell you again, I love cheese.

 

Avocado Alfredo

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 oz baby spinach
1 medium avocado, pitted and peeled
½ a lemon
4 cloves garlic
½ oz chives
½ tsp salt
½ oz fresh basil
2 tbsp. olive (or avocado) oil
6 oz. linguine, spaghetti, or fettucini
½ tsp. fresh ground black pepper
zest from 1 lemon

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to the directions it comes with.

While the pasta is cooking, combine the spinach, avocado, lemon, garlic, chives, salt, basil, and oil in your food processor or high-powered blender. Blend until you have a creamy, smooth sauce.

Drain the pasta and return it to your pot. Pour the sauce in and mix well, until all the ingredients are combined. Stir in the grated lemon zest and ground black pepper.

Serve hot!

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Banana Cranberry Ginger Oatmeal

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

For the first time in nearly five years, I’ve had our home to myself for the week. Its been strange in various facets. There is no one yelling “JULIE!” every two minutes, meaning trouble, help, or hunger. I can go to the bathroom without knowing that one minute later there will be pounding on the door, followed with another “JULIE!” No messes to pickup after in places I don’t expect them. Quiet. Lots of quiet. I’ve been missing my husband in big ways and subtle ways though–like having to get up and turn the heat up myself in the morning, or resorting to sleeping on the couch because our bed’s too big for one Julie in a house so quiet and still, or kisses on my eyelids at 4:30 in the morning. Meals for one and not an army… that has been questionable.

Since I haven’t had to think about feeding anyone but myself (well, and the dogs, but they don’t require a home-cooked dinner), my eating habits have been super sketchy. Oatmeal at 1:30 in the afternoon? Why not. French press instead of a pot of coffee? Okay. Dinner at 9:30? Sounds good. Breakfast at 3? That’ll work, too. A beer at 4:30 and dinner four hours later? Sure thing.

I read a book a couple years ago, Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant, which is about cooking for one as well as eating alone. I loved it. The book is made up of a collection of stories from writers, foodies, and well known others who indulge you in the secrets of dining alone–though in the fashion of celebration, rather than complaint. When you have no one else’s hunger to consider, what do you indulge in?

I’ve been eating oatmeal. Doctored-up frozen pizza. Roasted asparagus. Risotto. Oatmeal. Oatmeal. Bananas. Yogurt straight out of the 32 oz. container. Sandwiches full of ripe tomatoes, massive amounts of lettuce, cheese and yellow mustard, not on a plate. Oatmeal. Turns out cooking for one isn’t as fun as cooking for my family, though. The following recipe is my favorite oatmeal. I am positive that I could eat this for two out of three meals a day.

 

Banana Cranberry Ginger Oatmeal

Serves 1

Ingredients:
2/3 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup milk (whatever type you like; easy to veganize this recipe!)
1 small banana, sliced
pinch of salt
2 tbsp. unsweetened cranberries
1 tbsp. crystallized ginger, chopped
1 tbsp. pure maple syrup
¼ tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
In a small pot, combine the oats, milk, banana and salt over medium heat. Allow the oatmeal to heat up, about 3 minutes. Once it becomes bubbly, stir well to break up the banana chunks. Once all the liquid has been absorbed (about 3 more minutes), the oats are finished.

Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the cranberries, ginger, maple syrup, and vanilla. Serve immediately and enjoy.

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Panko Breaded Baked Tofu

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

I watched a rerun of America’s Worst Cooks the other night. Don’t hold a grudge. We don’t have TV so I’m limited to Hulu cooking shows and Netflix movies. AWC seemed like an okay decision at 11:30, post wine-consumption. The contestants were throwing together a stir-fry that included tofu. Except one woman kept calling it “too-foo,” which cracked me up every time. I’ve been meaning to post this recipe for a few days now… Every time I’d start to type “tofu” though, it would make me laugh and think, “too-foo.” I hope the remainder of this post does the same for you.

I love tofu. Plain, fried, baked, crumbled into things, diced with ginger, green onions and soy sauce.  I could eat it every day. Really. All things too-foo.

One thing I learned quickly when it comes to baking tofu is that pressing it is essential. This gets rid of the water, allowing the tofu to soak up whatever flavor you allow it to. While there may seem to be repetitive ingredients in each of the following stages, the reason is simply to build layers of flavor. You won’t be disappointed by your efforts.

 

Panko Breaded Baked Tofu

Ingredients:
oil for pan
20 oz. super firm tofu (this is my favorite), cut ¼” thick then pressed for at least 1 hour

For the soak:
1 ¼ cup vegetable broth
¼ cup tamari
¼ cup milk
1” piece of ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp. ground sage
1 tsp. dried thyme

For the flour mixture:
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. granulated garlic
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
½ tsp. dried thyme 

For the wet ingredients:
½ cup vegetable broth
½ cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
½ tsp. granulated garlic
¼ tsp. ground sage

For the panko mixture:
6 oz. panko bread crumbs
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. ground black pepper
Directions:

You need 4 separate, shallow dishes. Combine all the soaking ingredients in one, all the flour mixture ingredients in another, all the wet ingredients in the third dish, then the remaining panko mixture ingredients in the fourth dish.

Place the tofu in a single layer on a baking pan deep enough to hold the soaking liquid, which you can now pour over the layered tofu. Let the tofu soak for about 30 minutes. (If you want, reserve the soaking liquid and you can use it to make gravy for your baked tofu!)

Lightly grease a baking pan or two if needed. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Dredge the tofu slices first in the flour mixture, then the wet mixture, then the panko mixture, coating evenly each time. You can gently press the panko onto the tofu slices, to get more on them.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, turning the slices over halfway through. The tofu is done when lightly browned and crispy on the outside.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauces or topped with gravy. Enjoy!

 

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Broccoli Potato Cheese Soup

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

 

If I had to choose, I’d say springing forward isn’t exactly my thing. I’m more of a falling back kind of girl. Sunshine at 6 AM? No thanks. I enjoy winter, which is actually a little funny since I spent half of my life on an island where winter simply means rain, not cold. I don’t mind cold. My moods definitely work with the weather, though. Winter’s not always kind, but there are comforts in those times. Like soup.

The last few winters, I’ve said I’d make more soup. I have failed miserably at following through. I’m not disappointed, really. I don’t know what I have against the stuff; I enjoy eating soup, just not thinking about eating it. It’s crazy. I don’t know if my apprehension is because the only times I really remember eating soup over the course of my life has been times I’ve been sick. That and a Chinese turkey rice soup (jook) my parents would make a few days after Thanksgiving.

I love cheddar broccoli soup. The following recipe is a version of that. I happened to have some sweet peppers that needed to be used up. If you can’t find them, simply replace them with a little bell pepper if you’d like. This soup freezes well, too!

Broccoli Potato Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

1 large onion, diced
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
½ cup sweet peppers, diced
3 cloves garlic
½ cup all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
7 cups vegetable broth
2 cups low-fat milk (or whatever you have on hand)
½ cup heavy cream
5 cups fresh broccoli (florets and non-tough stems)
2 cups diced russet potatoes
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 oz. light beer (Drink the rest, of course… or use the whole thing.)

Directions:

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook until the onions are soft and opaque, stirring occasionally (10-15 minutes). Add the sweet peppers and garlic. Stir and allow the mixture to cook for 3 or 4 minutes.

Sprinkle in the flour, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat everything in the pot evenly. Cook for a couple minutes then add in your broth, milk, and cream. Stir well. Add the potatoes and broccoli, stirring again. Cover the pot and reduce your heat to low. Cook until the broccoli and potatoes are tender (40-50 minutes).

At this point I like to strain the liquid from the solid ingredients, blending the solids in my food processor then adding them back to the liquids. You can do that or work in batches, blending everything in a high-power blender or food processor.

Add the pureed soup back to your hot pot, over low heat. Stir in the cheddar cheese and beer, mixing well. Taste then add more salt and pepper to your liking. Serve hot.

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Spinach and Ricotta Dumplings with Shrimp in Cream Sauce

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Julie Hashimoto-McCreery

 

I first heard of Pinterest a handful of months ago, while reading through some of my favorite food blogs. I do understand some of the controversies of the site, especially its rampant issues with copyrights… I try to link directly to original sources, so the real owner or artist of what I’m pinning at least gets some credit… Personally, I’ve loved using the site as a way to visually organize recipes I’ve found while roaming the inter-nets. Plus its been a site of many new recipe discoveries.

The following recipe is one I saw while browsing food/beverage pins. I am a sucker for good food photos, which often draw me into wanting to cook what I’m seeing. Sometimes even the best photos, unfortunately, are duds in real-life flavor. That hasn’t stopped me from attempting things that look like they’d be tasty. The original recipe for the following dish sounded simple enough and the photos looked delicious.

While I should’ve realized prior to making this, that it would be very rich, I didn’t. After a few dumplings (which really are like gigantic gnocchi), shrimp, and the creamy sauce, I was ready for a food coma almost immediately. You can easily serve this as a main dish for 4 people, although I have to admit that Craig and I did pretty well polishing this off.

 

Spinach and Ricotta Dumplings with Shrimp in Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil
6 oz. fresh baby spinach, chopped
8 cloves garlic, minced
1- 15 oz. container ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 cup flour, plus ½ cup for rolling
1½ tsp. fresh ground pepper
1½ tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cups crimini mushrooms, sliced
1½ cups heavy cream
18-20 fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
salt and pepper


Directions:

Prepare the dumplings: In a medium-large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté half of the garlic (save the rest for when it’s time to cook the sauce) until fragrant (2-3 minutes). Add the spinach and cook until completely wilted. It’s important that you don’t add any water to the spinach; let the oil and heat be the only elements that wilt it (your dough will be too wet otherwise).

In a large bowl, mix together the ricotta cheese and eggs until completely combined. Stir in the spinach mixture, then the one cup of flour, 1½ teaspoon of salt and pepper, and 1 teaspoon of oregano.  Mix until well combined.

Place the remaining half-cup of flour in a shallow dish or flat surface. Bring a large pot of water to boiling while you form the dumplings. Scoop the dough, a teaspoon at a time and drop lightly into the flour. Roll in your hands to form a oval dumpling, then shake off the excess flour.

Cook the dumplings in batches, dropping them gently into the boiling water. Give the pot a light stir to keep the dumplings from sticking to the bottom. Boil for 2-3 minutes, until the dumpling freely floats to the surface. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a cooling rack until all the dumplings are boiled.

After all the dumplings are cooked, heat the 4 tablespoons of butter in a medium-large skillet (I just used the same one I cooked my spinach in) over medium. Add the dumplings and cook until golden brown, turning occasionally (2-3 minutes per side). Transfer the browned dumplings to a plate or cooling rack.

In the same pan you cooked the dumplings, add the shrimp. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. You don’t want them to overcook. Add the mushrooms to the pan, cooking until the mushrooms become tender. Once the mushrooms have cooked down, add in the heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. Once the heavy cream begins to thicken up, turn off the heat.

Add the dumplings to the pan. Delicately fold into the cream sauce. Serve hot and enjoy!

Posted in Dinner, Sauces, Seafood | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments