Friday, June 10, 2011

Fresh Beet Salad

      I  love salads!!!   Hot, room temp, cold, veggie, pasta, main dish,  side, seafood salads are all fantastic additions to any meal or a meal in themselves. I have been re-evaluating my diet lately.  I realized that at one time in my life I gravitated towards salads.  They were the first things I was allowed to create in my mother's kitchen and my dad claimed I never made the same salad twice.  I have decided to go back to the way I used to eat.  I think this is a good time in my life to come back around to this way of eating.  With this in mind, I am going to record some of my favorite salads   The first one has morphed into the one I will share today.  The original used lemon and oil as a dressing.  It is still delicious but I like this one ever so much more. See what you think.  This recipe makes 4 servings with a little leftover for lunch the next day.
   
6 beets the size of baseballs ( Save the tops)
juice of 1 large lime (not key lime) 1/4 cup more or less
1 can of corn no salt  (fresh is better but I didn't have any)
1 cup Greek yogurt
3 green onions sliced on the diagonal green and white parts
1/4 of parsley coarsely chopped.
s/p to taste

1. Wash and  put beets w/o the tops into a pot and cover with water.  Bring to a boil.  Boil for about 5-7  min. Sharp knife should be able to pierce through the beet.
2.  Cool.  Then peel skin.  The skin should just rub off.  If it doesn't it really doesn't matter if it doesn't more fiber!
3.   Cut the beets into cubes.  (In half then halves into 1/3 and then cut into cubes.)
4.   In another bowl mix the yogurt and the lime.  Pour over the beets and mix.
5.  Add corn, onions and parsley.
6.  Taste and add salt and pepper.
7.  You can chop up the beet greens and add to the salad.   This is an individual preference.  I love beet greens!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Japanese Cooking Made Easy

     My husband is the Athletic Director at Monte Vitsa and he hired Kinomi.  She is the trainer.  Because the District pays her so little, we decided long ago to buy her breakfast every Sunday after we go to mass as often as she is able to meet us.  She meets us and we get to feed her before she dashes off to a soccer game rain or snow, sunny day or blustery day.  To say that she is a wonderful trainer and person falls short of how much we have grown to love her. During one of these breakfasts, I asked if she'd be willing to come and teach me a few of her favorite Japanese dishes. She had come to make tamales at my annual "tamalada."  She had enjoyed that very much.  I knew that I would love whatever she taught me.  What a treat!  Kinomi doesn't eat much in the way of meat and especially doesn't like chicken nor cat fish.  (Funny story about that.)  But because she knows that we do eat meat, she included some delicious chicken dishes and a ground beef dish.  Like me, she gave me many examples of ways to "change things up." Everything we made was so super easy and quick.  She says that this is food that we would find in a home not necessarily in a restaurant.
     The ingredients were easy to find and nothing was so unusual that one would have to go to a specialty store.  This kind of cooking is very affordable and super fast.  Nothing about it is fussy or pretentious.  Kinomi said that this would be food that would be served family style and most definitely considered "home cooking."  That is not to say that one could not kick any of these dishes up a notch.


     I am going to start with the way I would serve this meal next time I make it.  I am going to begin with the soup.  Normally, Miso soup is a hot salty soup with no umph.  Today's Miso was very good.  You'll see in a minute that a "mother's " touch made this soup a stand out. One could sprinkle tofu as well as the green onion to garnish this soup.

Miso Soup

Miso paste
4 cups of boiling water
2 to 3 TBSP Miso paste
kale rough cut about 2 cups  (cabbage, or spinach can be substituted)
2 eggs whisked
1 green onion cut on the diagonal into very thin slivers.  Use white and green parts of the onion.

Reduce the water to a simmer.
1. Using a ladle, fill it with a TBSP of the miso paste.
2.  Dip the ladle into the water and  using a tsp.  stir until  the miso is dissolved in the ladle.  Dump that into the water.
3.  Do this again at least twice more.  Taste and see if more paste is needed.
4,  Pour the eggs onto the back of the ladle which is suspended over the simmering water.  Stir the egg into ribbons.
5.  Serve with a garnish of green onion.

     My next course would be the eggplant salad.  That's what I called it because it can be served at room temp or cold.  Man is this good.  Kinomi says when her mom makes this, she makes Kinomi her own dish.  It is that good.

Nasuno tsu yuzuke

sesame oil to coat the bottom of a large skillet  (This oil imparts a nuttiness that is essential.)
6 smallish Japanese eggplant cut lengthwise in thin slices
1 green onion sliced into thin diagonal slices
juice of 1 whole lemon
1 tsp.fresh grated ginger  (Must be fresh ginger.)
1/2 to 3/4 of a cup Mentsuyu sauce
1/4 cup of water

1.  Saute eggplant in the skillet.  Turn when just golden around the edges.  Kinomi uses chop sticks to turn the eggplant.  I used tongs.  :)
2. In a flatish dish with a bit of a lip, place all of the eggplant, onion, lemon juice and ginger.  Toss to coat.
3.  In a bowl, mix the Mentsuyu sauce and water.  Taste.  If too salty add more water.  If not flavorful enough add more Mentsuyu.
4.  Pour over the eggplant.  Let cool completely or refrigerate until serving.


     My next dish would be Nikujaba.  This is so very tasty and so delicious.  It will remind you of many dishes you have eaten at home. Kinomi says the flavor improves as it sits.  And she claims it's best if eaten the next day.

Nikujaba
oil to coat the bottom of the skillet
1 lb ground beef  leaner is better
4 medium sized  russet potatoes cut into chunks
1 cup of diced  white onion
5 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP sugar
2 TBSP Mirin
2TBSP cooking sake
some water

1.  Brown the beef.
2. Add the potatoes and onions
3.  When everything has been added, taste the sauce.  Adjust by adding water if too salty.
4.  Reduce heat and let simmer with lid off for about 20 min. until potatoes are soft but not mushy.
5.  The longer this sits in the sauce the tastier but be careful not to let the potatoes get mushy.

     I would end this meal with the chicken.  She did not give it a name but it was very good and fast cooking.  I could see eating this on a picnic cold. Very simple and very good.

preheat heaven to 375

3 lbs of chicken wings tips of the wings cut off
3 cloves of grated garlic
juice of 1 lemon
enough soy sauce to cover the chicken in a single layer in a pan.
2 or 3 tsp of sesame seeds

1.  Wash and cut off the tips of the chicken wings.
2. Coat the wings in the garlic, onion and soy sauce.
3.  Let marinate for at least 30 min. or overnight.
4.  Put on a foil covered baking dish.  Cook for 30 min at 375.   15 on one side 15 on the other.  Check to make sure liquid is clear.
5. While still in the oven, last few minutes sprinkle with sesame seeds.