Japan! Part 2: Dinner

While lunch and dinner in Japan mainly consisted of meat and noodles, dinner was always fish.  Massive amounts of fish…

The last night at I&I Land we had a party

Sashimi:

Sushi:

Deli Meats: Ham, smoked salmon, duck, and chicken served atop a bead of onions.The food kept coming…after the raw meat we had steak, two types of soup, salad, chocolate cake, and coffee.

Another huge meal: fish, two salads-one fish and one green, and squash soup with corn flakes.

Fish with parsnips, clams, and asparagus in a cream sauce.
The only green salad I had all week.

Japan! Part 1: Breakfast and Lunch

I just spend 8 days in Japan for a cultural exchange program through the Nara Institute of Science and Technology.  10 students from Davis met with 10 students from NAIST as well as 10 students from China to present our research.  It was an amazing experience.  Good conversation, beautiful scenery and historic monumets, and of course phenomical food.

I took pictures of everything I ate.  There was a meal I didn’t like. The food was delicious and beautifully presented.  Lucky for me, I eat almost anything.  It would be almost impossible to be a vegetarian in Japan.  There was meat or fish in every meal and very few veges.  I ordered a “salad” at a fancy restraunt and got a side of pickled cucumbers and cocktail onions.

BREAKFAST

For the first four days of the trip we were housed at I&I Land in Osaka.  Breakfast everyday was a buffet.  There was everything from toast to salad, french fries to soba noodles.  My favorite item was shrimp dumplings.  I had them everyday along with green tea, toast, soba, miso, tofu, cabbage rolls, fried chicken, and sometimes fruit.

LUNCH

The lunches at I&I Land were fancy.  Sadly, they were mostly “American” food.  Burgers, fries, and a side of veges.  The only difference was the teriyaki sauce the burger was drenched in.

 

After we left I&I Land, we stayed at the dorms at NAIST.  That meant cafeteria food.  Prices ranged anywhere from 5-10 dollars for lunch.  I thought that was very reasonable for the quality and quantity of food.

Soba curry and fried rice.

Curry is very popular.  I also had the same meal over rice.

And fast food lunch would not be complete without ramen. =)

Lime- and Honey-Glazed Salmon with Rice and Broccoli

I got a free subscription to Bon Appetit with my new Bon Appetit cookbook.  I immediate set to work tearing out recipes and completely ignoring all articles.  On the list of things to try is: wild rice and mushroom stuffing, sausage and lentils with spinach, pork tenderloin stir-fry with tangerines and chili sauce, and this salmon recipe.  Being that I had both cilantro and broccoli in my box and rice in the pantry, this seemed like an easy and relatively cheap dinner.  

I was very pleased with this recipe.  The salmon was moist and flavorful.  I added at least twice as much cilantro as suggested (only because I have so much at home) and I still thought that it didn’t dominate the dish.  If anything, I thought the lime was a bit too much.  It was fine on the fish, but it ran off onto the rice and veges where it overpowered the chicken broth flavor.  Next time I’ll add a little less lime juice or more honey. 

The best part of the meal is the lack of dirty dishes. 

Everything is cooked in the same casserole.  The meal looks fancy, but it couldn’t be easier to make.  I’ll definitely save this recipe and add it to my collection.  I don’t usually make salmon for various reasons, but this will be my new go to recipe.

You can find the recipe here.

Menu: Halloween Week

A recap of the last two weeks: I lived off yogurt, soup, mashed potatoes, and fish.  I can’t tell you how excited I am to eat again.  I planned what I consider to be a fantastic  menu this week and have spent the past few days cooking up a storm and essentially binge eating.  (tisk tisk)

This weeks CSA contents include: corn, cilantro, stir fry green, salad mix, pears, persimmons, and butternut squash.

Saturday: Halloween.  Leftover grilled veges and cabbage salad.  Sugar cookies for dessert.   Recipe to follow.

Sunday: Tacos!  So good.  You’d never know they are 2/3 mashed potatoes.

Monday: Honey-cilantro salmon with brocoli and rice.  This recipe is from Bon Appetit Magazine.  It was super easy to make and delicious.  I love one pot dinners.

Tuesday: Gayle’s Spinach-Gorgonzola.  It is fabulous.

Wednesday: White beans and green bake with salad.  This recipe is also from Bon Appetit.  I am not a big fan of greens and tomatoes, but I’m willing to try it.  I am sick of putting greens on pasta or slathering them in garlic and cheese. 

Thursday: Butternut squash soup, garlic bread, and salad.  I love squash soup.  Some people find the texture unappetizing but I love it. 

Friday: Pretty sure I’m going out for dinner as I leave for Japan at 540am the next morning.  Eep.

As for Halloween this year, I wasn’t feeling festive.  Two Halloween parties and I opted to stay home and pass out candy.  The children were ridiculously cute.

Menu Plan

J is sweet and volunteered to cook every day this week. (Thank you!) Our theme-simple meals that can be thrown in the food processor so I can eat them. You see I got all four wisdom teeth out today. And as much as I don’t want to eat anything, J is making me. Yay for mashed potatoes and soup.

Friday-Carb-loading at a friends. Pasta with chicken and mushrooms, spicy potatoes, couscous salad, pie, and mousse. Nom nom nom nom. Ate way too much. Good thing I biked for hours on Saturday.

Saturday-J made delicious bean soup (the one we were supposed to have on Thursday). I haven’t blogged about it yet, but will soon. It is very flavorful thanks to the salt pork, jalapeno, and copious amounts of garlic. And it is simple to make. Throw everything in a crock pot and wait forever (we usually don’t presoak the beans). The best part is I can blend the leftovers and have them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner later this week.

Sunday-Stir fry. Bok choy, carrots, tofu, celery, green beans, ginger, onion, and fresh garlic over rice. Yummy, but a little too salty. Not what I would have chosen for my last meal before semi starvation, but we needed to use up the veges. I’d probably pick spinach gorgonzola or maybe garlic bread.

Monday-Chicken broth and yogurt. I made the broth last week and froze it for this express purpose. The boys had chicken soup with egg noodles, carrots, and celery. I have no idea how it tasted.

Tuesday-More chicken broth and mashed potatoes. The boys are having hot dogs stuffed with potatoes and cheese. The healthful factor decreases significantly when I don’t have any say in the food. =P

Wednesday- French onion soup. This is usually one of my winter favorites. I just can’t seem to get excited about food when I have to eat it all at room temp esp when it is raining.

Thursday-Chili w/ corn.

Friday-Pizza (which I also won’t be eating).

And now an adorable puppy picture.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake with Rasberry Curd Filling

Yes I do bake on occasion.  And the occasion was my housewarming party.  And I wanted to bake a cake.  A small cake (as I asked the guests to bring dessert), but a cake nonetheless.  While raspberries might be in season somewhere up north, all the berries in my area withered with the 100F heat we were greeted with in early June.  I made it anyway and it was very yummy.  The acidity of the lemon and raspberry complimented the sweet butter-cream frosting well.   Some people thought it was too sweet, but I thought it was perfect.   There was a lot of curd leftover.  Next time I will make three layers and spread the curd on thicker so it is less cakey and more fruity.  All in all, A+ and 5 gold stars.  I will definitely make this recipe next year when I can pick fresh raspberries at Impossible Acres.

The recipe can be found here at Annie’s Eats.

Kicking off Fall (and the Foxy’s Fall Century) with a Spiced Pecan Tart

It’s finally Fall!  The leaves here in Davis don’t really turn, but it’s rained 2″ and there was fog this morning.  I couldn’t be happier.  In celebration of the changing season, I’ve been cooking up a storm.  Stuffed chicken, meatballs, squash, and pie.  While pecan isn’t my favorite, it is a close second to blackberry.  I was invited to a dinner party tonight and pecan pie seemed like an obvious choice.

And what is the cause for celebration?  Some girlfriends and I are doing a Metric Century tomorrow.  Eek.  The Foxy’s Fall Century is a bike ride hosted by the Davis bike club.  There are three choices: 50km, 100km, and 100mi.  We opted for the 100km.  Back in July, I felt like I had months to train.  (I even considered the 100mi.  What was I thinking?)  Now that it is tomorrow, I’m scared.  I did bike a little.  I even did a 64 mile ride with hills.  But ever since the puppy, I’ve been running every day.  That means I haven’t road seriously in about a month.  To set aside our fears, a group of us are getting together tonight to “Carb-load”.  While it isn’t really necessary as we plan to stop for snacks along the way, it is a great excuse to get together and share good food and company.  (But no booze.  I would hate to drink tonight and have to get up at 6am and bike for about 5 hours.  Teehehe).

Now back to the tart.  I knew I wanted something with pecans.  So I typed pecan into my google reader search bar and this recipe popped up.  I was super excited it was a tart because I just got a beautiful tart pan from my mom.

The pat in pastry was also a plus because I was in no mood to wrestle with dough after a dinner mixup.  (The crock pot wasn’t actually turned on so the bean soup I’d been drooling over all day went straight in the trash when I arrived home from work).

Somehow everything came together and dinner was on the table by 8pm and the tart was in the oven by 10pm.  I even made a second pie for my house.  I wanted to try the recipe before I served it to friends.  My first impression was it was a bit too flavorful (the alcohol was a bit overpowering), but I ate some this morning and liked it much better.  J thought it was different, but delicious.  It doesnt’ taste like traditional pecan pie (definitely spicier), but it is wonderful nonetheless.

The recipe can be found at “The Canadian Baker”.

My new housemate has been coaching me in food photography.  Apparently it is all about lighting.  This is challenging as 2/3 of the bulbs in my kitchen are burnt out.  Still, I think my photos are getting a bit better.  Thanks!

Indian-spiced chicken kebabs with cilantro-mint chutney (and chipotle rice)

My friends Sarah and Zac gave me The Bon Appetite Cookbook as a wedding/housewarming gift.  I couldn’t be happier.  I’ve tried many recipes already (french onion soup, chipotle mashed potatoes…) and I have been pleased with all of them.  I chose to make this recipe first because I enjoy flavorful foods with an ethnic flare. I think this recipe delivers (for the most part).  The chicken was tender and deliciously spicy.  The chutney on the other hand left something to be desired.  Did I mention I hate mint?  And the cilantro, jalapeno, and lemon juice did nothing to mask the flavor.  Bummer.  I served the recipe with chipotle rice, which couldn’t be easier to make.  J threw a chipotle smoked in banana leaves in the rice cooker with a little salt.  Mmm….chipotle.  Oh yes, and the obligatory green vegetable, straight from our CSA box.

The recipe can be found below or at the epicurious website here.

*******************

“Indian-spiced chicken kebabs with cilantro-mint chutney”

(~24, 2 inch cubes.  This barely served three people.  I’d recommend doubling the amount of chicken.)

Chutney

• 1/2 cup (packed) fresh mint leaves
• 1/2 cup (packed) fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 1/2 tbsp minced ginger
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 2 tbsp plain yogurt

Chicken

• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 3 tbsp tikka paste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (I used a couple more)
• 2 tsp minced ginger
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 small white onion, diced (this wasn’t in the recipe, but I thought it was a nice addition)
• 1 1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes

• 24 6″ bamboo skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes
• limes

FOR CHUTNEY: Blend mint, cilantro, lemon, ginger, jalapeno, and yogurt in blender or processor until smooth.  Cover and refrigerate.

FOR CHICKEN: Whisk yogurt, tikka paste, olive oil, garlic, ginger, onion, and pepper in bowl.  Add chicken and coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours (up to 12 hours).

…And here is where I stopped following the recipe.  The recipe wants you to:

Preheat broiler.  Thread 1 chicken piece onto each skewer.  Cover exposed part of skewer with foil.  Broil chicken until cooked through, turning occasionally, about 8 minutes.  Serve.

I packed as many chicken pieces would fit on my 12″ skewers and then cooked over a medium-high flame on my lovely grill pan.

Bon Appetit recommended serving the chicken on a bed of lettuce and cucumber.  While I’m not much for presentation, I’m all for hearty meals with a nice balance of protein, carbs, and veges.  Enjoy!

On second thought cucumbers might be a cool compliment to the spicy meat.  No lettuce.  I like to eat everything on my plate and wilted lettuce does not sound appetizing.

Vegetable Stir Fry

I’m trying to eat less meat and more veges for environmental as well as health reason.  Because I lead an active lifestyle and I need my protein, I’ve turned to tofu or other bean products on nights I don’t eat meat.

Tofu is not for everyone, but luckily I love it.  Raw, cooked, whatever.  I’ll even eat unseasoned soybeans.  I used to make soy-milk from scratch and on occasion I’d take the soybeans straight out of the boiling pot and eat them.

For those people who are on the fence about tofu, stir-fries might be a good starter meal because the tofu absorbs all the yummy seasonings.  Also, firm tofu isn’t as slimy, which I can be a deal breaker for some people.

…And the best thing about stir fries is you can throw in whatever vege you have on hand.  It’s a great way to clean out the fridge!

Here is a list of what I used.

• 1 block firm tofu
• 2 summer squash (one yellow and one green)
• 1 bell pepper
• 1 yellow onion
• 1 large bunch bok choy
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tsp fresh ginger (grated)
• sweet chili sauce
• soy sauce
• 1 tsp of dijon mustard
• canola oil
• sesame oil

Heat a couple tbsp of canola to wok over medium heat.

Saute onions for a few minutes until tender.

Add garlic and ginger and saute until golden brown (approx 2 minutes).  (Some people remove the ginger at this point, but I always leave it in. If you are going to take out the ginger, slice it instead of grating.)

Add veges (squash, bell pepper) and saute until tender.  If veges start to dry out, add a splash of warm water.  (I added tofu at this point too.  If you aren’t using extra firm tofu you might want to hold off a bit.)

Add sauce to the wok and bring to a boil.  Throw in bok choy stem and cook until tender.

Wilt leafy greens.

Serve over rice or noodles.  Enjoy!

Dinner Menu: Week of Sept 11th

I’m back after almost two months sans food blogging.  I was busy.  Maybe I’ll post about it later.  I managed to cook every night through a move and a wedding.  The food wasn’t amazing or anything, but I probably saved a fair amount of money.

Now I’m back with a bigger kitchen and even more recipe books.  And the CSA boxes keep on coming.  This week: egg plant, watermelon, honeydew mellon, sweet peppers, corn, cucumbers, basil, garlic, and red potatoes.

Friday: At the Asilomar conference center (Monterey) for a Plant Bio Conference.  Dinner consisted of breaded white fish, zucchini, salad, pasta, and white cake.  I ate too much.  It wasn’t particularly good.

Saturday: Bean and cheese burritos

Sunday: Leftover pasta and salad.

Monday: Grilled eggplant, corn, and sweat peppers served over rice.

Tuesday: Chipotle mashed potatoes, chicken, and green beans.

Wednesday: Pesto panini and cucumber salad

Thursday: Big salad (green, tomatoes, peppers, walnuts, cheese) and deviled eggls.

Friday: Salmon Burgers and Salad