Veggie Stir Fry With Jasmine Rice

This is one of my favorite go to recipes! When I am looking to make something quick during the middle of the week this meal really hits the spot. This time around I am trying out something new. My grocery store offers bagged veggies ready to steam for only $1 per bag. I got two. This bag is a mixture of broccoli, red cabbage and carrots sliced very thin. I also made jasmine rice with this dish, it's so much better than plain white rice (not sushi rice, long grain white rice, BORING!). The rice makes it filling and the quick saute of veggies keeps them crunchy and full of nutrients. Here's what you'll need:




Ingredients
1/2 of a white onion, sliced thin
1/2 cut into match sticks, batonette***
1/2 yellow crookneck, cut into match sticks
1/2 bell pepper of your choice, sliced thin
1/2 rib of celery sliced thin lengthwise
1 bag mixed, sliced vegetables
1 large Handful of washed and torn spinach
1 TBSP minced ginger
1 large garlic clove, minced
Ponzu Sauce TT
Teriyaki Sauce/Soy Sauce TT
Sesame Oil TT or enough to saute veggies
Fish Sauce TT                                               
Pinch of white sugar
Pinch of red pepper flakes


Directions:


1.) Wash and prep the vegetables as instructed in the ingredients list. 
2.) Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet on medium. Once hot, add in the vegetables. 
3.) Stir constantly while you saute the vegetables for 3 minutes. Add in the seasonings to your taste at this point and saute for 2 minutes or to your desired level of doneness. 
4.) Right before switching off the heat, add in your minced ginger and garlic so they do not burn. 
5.) Serve over freshly steamed jasmine rice. 

 My current obsession in rice

  
     


Final result! :D 


















This dish serves 4. You can eat leftovers of this and not feel guilty about grease, too much salt or cholesterol. You add what you want to it, TT. Soy sauce and Ponzu sauce go a long way especially when it concentrates in the pan so go light!! The sugar adds a new depth of flavor by enhancing the lemon in the ponzu sauce.I really hope you enjoy this dish and thanks so much for reading! 




**Cooks side note: Batonette is a french term used in the kitchen referring to a style of cut (vegetables, fruits, meats etc.) The size of a batonette cut measures 2 inches long x 1/4 in. x 1/4 inch. It is from this cut that you can make small dice cuts. 

Japanese/Korean Inspired Dinner

2012 is off to a great start for me. I am proud to say I am eating healthier and creating more vegetarian options for myself. This meal I have created technically isn’t vegetarian because I added fish sauce in it, but please feel free to leave it out. I am in no way a vegetarian but it's nice to have the option. This meal I cooked for myself is Japanese and Korean inspired, I hope you try it for yourself. 

There are 3 parts to this meal: Vegetable stir fry, Korean seasoned cucumbers and jasmine rice. Here's the recipe for the vegetable stir fry. 

Ingredients

- 1 package bean sprouts, washed and drained (Sprouts of your choice, mung, soy etc.)

- 2 medium sized carrots, washed, peeled and sliced into thin 2 inch. strips

- 1 pint baby bella mushrooms, wiped free of dirt and quartered (you can use the stems too)

- 1 red bell pepper, sliced thin

- 2 roma tomatoes, deseeded and diced

- 2 TBSP toasted sesame oil

- 1 tsp. grated ginger

- 1 grated garlic clove

- pinch hot pepper flakes

- TT Fish sauce

- TT Teriyaki sauce

-TT Ponzu sauce

- 1/2 of an onion sliced thin ( I forgot to add onion but please feel free to use it here)

Directions

1.) Prep the vegetables as they are listed in the ingredients. 

2.) Separate the vegetables into 3 different bowls: Bean sprouts in one, tomatoes and carrots into one, and mushrooms, bell pepper and onion into another. 

3.) In a large skillet, warm up the sesame oil. Add in the tomatoes, carrots and hot pepper flakes. Cook them for 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes soften into a sauce. 

4.) Add in the mushrooms, bell pepper and onion and cook for 2 minutes. Be sure to stir every so often. 

5.) Finally add in the bean sprouts and liquid seasonings. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. 

6.) To prevent burning, add in the grated garlic and ginger at the end. Stir to combine for 30 seconds to 1 minute and remove from the heat. 

I apologize if the picture is dark, I am still getting used to this camera. As I said before, I left out onion in my stir fry but please feel free to add it. 


Moving onto the seasoned cucumbers, here is what you'll need: 

Ingredients:

- 3 large cucumbers

- 1 grated garlic clove

- 1 tsp. grated ginger

- pinch of hot pepper flakes

- TT fish sauce

- TT toasted sesame oil

- TT Black pepper

- Optional, scallion for garnish

Directions

1.) Add in all of the ingredients to a large bowl minus the cucumbers. You want to make it a little strong because the cucumbers will water it down slightly.

2.) Wash the cucumbers. (This is totally optional but I do it because it makes for a great presentation.->) Use a channel knife to score strips into the cucumbers. I save these strips and add them to the cucumber dish. 

2.) Cut off both ends of each cucumbers and throw away. 

3.) Cut each cucumber lengthwise and remove their seeds with a spoon. 

4.) Thinly slice the cucumber to look like half moons. (When they are scored, they look more like gears in a clock, kinda cool!)

5.) As you are cutting the cucumbers, add them to the large bowl with the sauce. Once all of the cucumbers and strips are added to the sauce, toss to combine. Allow them to marinade for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or overnight in your fridge if you have the time. 

6.) Before serving, toss to coat once more and enjoy! 

In my picture, I left the seeds on some and others I didn’t. I wanted a variety. We eat with our eyes first after all! :D

Even though they have been marinated, the cucumbers retain their crunch. These are great served cold in the summer time! 

I drew inspiration for this recipe from two beautiful ladies I follow on Youtube, please subscribe to them if you are at all interested in Korean Cuisine. 

Maangchi - http://www.youtube.com/user/Maangchi

Aeri's Kitchen - http://www.youtube.com/user/aeriskitchen

Lastly we have the jasmine rice. As far as the jasmine rice goes, this always seems to work great for me! NOTE: You do not have to have a rice cooker, you can make this on the stove top. 

Ingredients

- Jasmine rice (I just eye ball the quantity for 1 serving but if you are serving a crowd, please measure.)

-Water 

- Optional, a pinch of salt or dried kelp 

Directions

- Wash the rice in a bowl until the water runs clean. Rice is notorious for sticking together and you need to get rid of the extra starch. 

- Pour the rice into a medium size pot and pour water over it. Pour enough so that 1/2 an inch of water is above the rice. 

- Bring the rice to a boil. Reduce to a simmer until almost all of the water is evaporated. 

-Fluff with a fork, put on a lid and remove it from the heat source. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes. 

If you want to time this recipe just right, make the cucumbers first. Their timing really doesn't matter. Then do the prep for the vegetables and then make the rice. Once the rice starts boiling, then cook the vegetables. They should finish around the same time. I really hope you enjoy these recipes and try them some day! Thanks for reading! 


Just a side note though, the cucumber side dish and the vegetable stir fry are very different in flavor so you might want to eat one first, and then the other. They are probably not meant to be on the same plate but I was feeling it The bell peppers are pretty strong and can make the cucumber side dish taste funny if you are eating both. lol. You have been warned! 

Fall Is In The Air!!

Don't you just love when fall arrives? You get those beautiful changing leaves, cool crisp air, scarves become the favorite accessory and my personal favorite, fall produce! I crave pumpkin pie all year round and when fall finally arrives, I try not to gorge myself haha. I wanna refresh or maybe teach those who don't know about fall produce. It's really simple and it will cost you a lot less to buy these produce items while they are in season. Let's get started. 


Buying seasonally is not only helpful to your wallet, but great for your body. You are buying produce that thrives in that type of weather and receiving great nutrients in return! Seasonal produce is cheaper to purchase because there is an abundance of certain crops at that time of year. For example, we all associate fall with pumpkins, squashes and apples right? We don't exactly eat juicy peaches and citrus now do we? No.... lol. Just because our grocery stores carry citrus all year round, doesn't mean we should buy it. 


Our society has become one of convenience and we are able to buy these produce out of season. What we would normally be growing ourselves last season, we are now importing from other countries and paying a great deal for them.Without a second thought, people will buy a bag of oranges and pay like 8 bucks for them. Get home, and realize that your oranges are full of pith and hardly any orange and have no flavor. I hear a lot of this too," My son's soccer team likes oranges before and after practice." I can't exactly argue that one, but what's wrong with giving them their own pint of berries or a juicy plum? We need to demand that our grocery stores stock up on seasonal produce! Grown either locally or in the United States! But that's another blog lol. 


Back to what I was saying before. Not a lot of people know more than a few fall produce. Things to look out for are: Blackberries, figs, apples including the honey crisp apples (Sooo amazing, please go try some if you haven't already. Their very seasonal, like 2 months out of the year), pomegranates, pomelos, plums, pears, grapes, persimmons and a probably a lot more depending on where you live lol. That's just the fruit!!


Vegetables include potatoes, leeks, onions, carrots, cauliflower, squashes, sweet corn, peppers, parsnips, fennel, cucumbers, broccoli, eggplant, the list goes on and on. I work at a grocery store and it is no coincidence that people are buying these produce! They are buying them in large quantities too, especially the fruits. The fall produce are those that have a great robustness and hearty feel. They are our comfort foods against the cold weather. Even the small berries, they are big and bursting with flavor! 


Soups are one of those simple and very versatile meals to make. Not only can you make up recipes for soup, but you can add what ever you want to them! They freeze great and can be enjoyed year round! Add any vegetables you wish, you really can't go wrong! 


Go online and find more about seasonal produce that's available in the fall. Also, if your city or town have fresh markets, I greatly encourage you to go to one! Farmers are more than happy to share how they grow their crops and how to get the most nutrients out of their produce. Produce bought from a market are going to cost you much less than paying for it at a grocery store, I guarantee it! Even organic produce! Farmers take great pride in organic produce, as they should. 


Did you know that: It takes a minimum of 7 years for a farmers land to even become ready to start growing organically! They have to get their soil approved by the government before they can grow any crops, and have to get it tested every few months or once a year? So if you ever wonder why organics are a little more expensive, there ya go! 


Anyway, please take my advice and buy seasonal produce. I have listed a few of the available fruits and vegetables that are really thriving right now. If you are an avid grocery shopper like I am, you will notice a great difference in price for what's in, and what's out of season. Just see the prices for yourself! If you like enjoying produce out of it's season, by all means by frozen produce. They are much better than canned. If you really enjoy foods like that, try making your own preserves or canned foods. You will reap the benefits of buying seasonally again and then enjoying the literal fruits of your labor. 


Have a wonderful fall season, stay warm! 

20 Kitchen Tips and Tricks

Like the title says, here are a few random tips and tricks that I would recommend to you to make your life a little easier in the kitchen:


1.) Got garlicy or oniony smelling hands? Find something that is stainless steel in your kitchen and rub your hands on it. Seriously!! Trust me. Rub your hands on your sink faucet or a spoon, you can even buy something called "Stainless Steel Soap" and the garlic smell comes right out. The stainless steel soap looks like an actual bar of soap that you pretend to lather in your hands to get the smell out. Works every time!!
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=stainless+steel+soap&x=0&y=0


2.) If you want to boil water faster try these two tips: When you are actually filling up your pot with water, start with hot water, it will boil much quicker! Also, if you have a lid that fits the pot you wish to boil in, the lid will keep in heat that is being lost as steam and will also make the water boil faster. 


3.) Non stick pans: Just because a pan is non-stick, doesn't mean you shouldn't use some kind of oil to cook with. A lot of people use these pans so they can reduce the amount of cooking oil for health reasons. But under no circumstances are you to use an abrasive cleaner with these pans. To get the most life out of them, use a mild soap, very soft cloth, and clean immediately after cooking in it. Don't soak it for too long either, it wears out the tephlon. 


4.) Ripening Produce: If you want any kind of fruit or vegetable to ripen, put it in a plastic/paper bag with a banana. The gas given off by the banana ripens the produce itself and will ripen anything next to it. 


5.) As seen on TV: Please do not fall for every "convenient" piece of cookware you see on television. I'm talking about the slap chop or a stupid strawberry huller, you really don't need to waste your money on them. The slap chop is a waste because the food has to be cut small enough to fit inside the container, and you can just as easily hull a strawberry with a paring knife. Use common sense with what you already have at your disposal. Please do not succumb to the lazy man's way of cooking.  


6.) Cutting Board: When you are using a cutting board, put a damp towel underneath it to prevent it from slipping. I have had a few close calls with a very sharp knife and I could have easily prevented it had I thought to put a towel under it. Paper towels work great on smaller cutting boards. 


7.) Dull Knives: Just because a certain knife can't cut through a tomato, doesn't mean it isn't sharp on your skin. There are those dull knives in everyone's kitchen that nobody uses to cut food because they are so dull. But they are still sharp on the skin. It sounds silly but it is safer to sharpen that knife so you don't have to hack your way through your food and risk cutting a finger off. The sharper your knife is, the less work you have to do. Let the knife do the work for you. 


8.) Thermometers: NEVER, EVER use a mercury filled thermometer to check the temperature of food. Not only is the mercury poisonous, but the glass surrounding it is a hazard to eat. Use a digital thermometer. They give very fast temperature readings, never need calibrating, and are super easy to clean. 


9.) Measuring ingredients: Measure out ingredients in their appropriate measuring cups. Liquids are meant to be measured in fluid ounces.Pyrex measuring cups are in just about every household, they are clear with red markings. Dry ingredients you either weigh on a scale or measured in their own cup. These measuring cups are typically not clear and clearly labeled from 1/4 cup to 1 cup. Anything smaller than that gets measured with measuring spoons, like tablespoons and teaspoons. 


10.) Understanding Recipe Abbreviations: For those who get confused with abbreviations in recipes, this might help you out: 
-tsp. = Teaspoon. (Note: All lower cased letters used and a period at the end.) 
-TBSP. = Tablespoon. (Note: All letters are upper cased. 3 tsp. = 1 TBSP just fyi. lol)
-lb.  = A reference for a  Pound. Like a pound of flour or a pound of beef. 
-c. = Cup. I don't see this too often in recipes now a days, but I see it a lot in my families recipe box. I'm talking like, my grandma's recipes that she got from her mom!
-ct. = Count. This is used for things like lemons, or eggs. It represents how many individual items you need for a recipe. So if a recipe says Lemons  6ct. that means you need 6 lemons. 


11.) NOT ALL RECIPES YOU FIND WILL TURN OUT RIGHT. 
 If you are looking at recipes online be sure to read a good amount of reviews to see if it's worth even cooking it. Often times people who comment on the recipe, they will change the amount of ingredients which saves other people a lot of trouble. Another thing to remember is this: there are different ways to measure out ingredients, such as pounds, ounces, and cups. I always get screwed when I measure out flour in a measuring cup. The flour can pack differently if you are measuring it straight from the bag or if you are measuring it out from a large canister sitting on your counter. If you have room to sort of fluff the flour before leveling it off you will get a better measurement of the flour versus scraping the flour off the side of the actual bag it comes in and risk increasing the flour amount. lol get it? 


12.) Tiny Amounts of Ingredients: When people say add a pinch of something, a pinch usually equals out to 1/8 of a teaspoon. There is no real measurement for an 1/8th of a teaspoon, so it ends up being called a "Pinch". Practice making a pinch by pouring some salt or sugar in a bowl. Grab what you think would be an 1/8th of a teaspoon and test it out! This would mostly be used in a savory application where salt is something that is to taste. Such as soup or a sauce. 


13.) Grilling technique: If you want to perfect grill marks on food, try this method: Imagine you are looking at a clock on your grill. Visualize where the 10:00 and 2:00 positions would be on the clock. Lay the food that's about to be grilled pointing towards 10:00 with one end. While the food is still on that same side, rotate it to the 2:00 position. Flip over to the other side and repeat. This will create perfect hatch marks which is desirable when grilling. 


14.) Onions: Get teary eyed while cutting onions?? Yeah it's not something you can really avoid. People will tell you that if you put the onion in the freezer for a few minutes or run it through cold water, that it will decrease the pungency but those will not work. If you have a sharp knife, you will not damage the cells in the onion as much and will make for happier eyes! Also if you have a candle handy preferably a strong scented one, it can help distract your nose from the oniony fume. lol so light that sucker up! I have seen some people go as far as having a pair of "Onion Goggles" so the fumes won't reach their eyes. LOL


15.) Pasta Trouble: Ever find a clump of spaghetti noodles stuck together after you boiled them? They stuck together thanks to the starch and lack of room to boil. When you are boiling pasta you need to use the largest pot you have or just a big pot in general. Each pasta strand should have room to "swim" in the boiling water so they won't stick together. Stir the pasta throughout it's cooking time to agitate the starch in the water. Oil doesn't help because water and oil don't mix and it just floats to the top. So give your pasta plenty of room to cook in a large pot. 


16.) Dried Herbs: Dried herbs DO NOT last you a life time. Believe it or not, there are essential oils stored in dried herbs that help give them that extra oomph that fresh herbs sometimes can't give you. Dried herbs are to be used cautiously because their flavor is more concentrated. If you know that you aren't going to be using dried herbs all that often, buy the smallest container possible, or don't buy them at all. They are 3 times more potent than fresh and are best kept in a cool dark environment, I.E. your pantry. 


17.) Cooking Oil: Be cautious when using oils in your kitchen. Olive oil has a very low smoke point meaning that the oil will begin to smoke and break down at a certain temperature. A better substitute would be vegetable oil or peanut oil. Also, olive oil has a very distinct flavor and is often used in uncooked applications, so use it sparingly. Grape seed oil and Canola Oil are great because they are flavorless and have high smoke points. These can be used to simply sautee or even deep fry. There are oil blends out there, but just read the labels to be sure you are using the correct oil for the correct application. 


18.) Thawing Meat: The best way to thaw meat at home, is to do so in your refrigerator. We do not always plan our meals but if you can, please thaw meat this way. Leave the meat in it's original container, place it on a plate, and put it in the lowest part of your refrigerator. Allow it to thaw overnight or for a few hours until completely thawed. The plate catches any water or juices the meat might give off. If you thaw meat at room temperature outside the fridge, bacteria will grow on the surface of the meat and can get you very sick. This bacteria cannot be cooked out either. 




19.) Veggie Nutrition: If you want to get the most nutrition out of your vegetables, keep them as close to raw as you can. By that I mean eat them raw or cook them minimally. Steaming vegetables instead of boiling retains much more nutrients. Quick sauteing is also another great method, you are still retaining a slight crunch and most of the nutrients! By the way, vegetables do NOT have to be boring in flavor. Example: Core and remove the white pithy parts of a few red bell peppers. Slice them thin, add them in a large bowl,  add a tiny splash of olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper and cumin and toss to combine. This makes a great antipasto side dish or salad topper. 


20.) Fridge storage and spoilage: If you want to get the most out of your food in the refrigerator follow these tips:
 If you can help it, don't allow items in your fridge to touch because that cold air won't circulate between them. 
Store your milk in the back of the fridge to get the most life out of it. Keep the humidity in the produce drawers to a reasonable level.
 If you need to cool anything down in the fridge, put it on the top shelf. The residual heat can damage other foods if the hot foods are placed below already chilled foods. 


My list could literally go on and on but I must stop here. I hope some of these tips were helpful to you. They are pretty random but I have had these tips stuck in my head all day and had to get them out. Have a wonderful day!! 

A Rainbow of Produce?!? Where??

HAHA I don't have a cool picture of a rainbow of produce, but you could make it happen in your kitchen. I am talking about variety here people!! It is so important that you add colorful foods into your diet and those colors speak to you in different ways. This blog will tell you what certain colored foods hold and what produce fall under certain colors. Also, I won't throw anything in there that you can't pronounce. :P


Okay our first color up is.... (drum roll please)...... RED!!
Fruits and vegetables that are red contain nutrients that help reduce the risk of prostate cancer, lower blood pressure, reduce tumor growth, lower LDL cholesterol (the bad kind, there is a good kind also lol), and support joint tissue in people who have arthritis. So some of the fruits and vegetables that qualify for the red category are: tomatoes, strawberries, beets, red bell peppers, grapefruit, red onions, red apples, raspberries, rhubarb, radishes and much more. 


Next color up is..... YELLOW/ORANGE produce!! These produce share a few of the same benefits as red produce but they also promote collagen formation and healthy joints, fight harmful free radicals, they are full of vitamin C, and encourages alkaline balance (keeping our body at a happy pH). Some produce that falls into this category are: apricots, carrots, lemons, mangoes, oranges, yellow peppers, summer squash, pumpkin, peaches, pineapples, and sweet corn. 


Third color up is......GREEN produce!! I think we can all think of a few different types of green produce, but what about their benefits. So, eating green produce can reduce cancer risks, normalize digestion time (salad before the entree of a dinner), support retinal health and vision and boost your immune system activity. Some of the produce in this category include: limes, honey dew melon, artichokes, spinach, romaine lettuce, cucumbers, sugar snap peas, celery, avocados, and green onions. 


Fourth color up is....... BLUE/PURPLE produce!! Now there are fewer of these types of foods but hold some of the best benefits of all of the colors. Some of their many benefits are: they fight inflammation, improve calcium and other mineral absorption, act as anticarcinogens in your digestive tract, limit the activity of cancer cells and boost your immune system. Some of the produce in this category include blackberries, blueberries, grapes, plums, purple cabbage, eggplant, purple Belgian endive, purple potatoes and black currants. 


Last but certainly not least is....WHITE produce!! lol there aren't very many of these produce either but they too have wonderful benefits. Some of which include: Reduce the risk of colon, breast and prostate cancer, balance hormonal levels, activate natural killer B and T cells (fight off infections and bad things in your body) and reduce the risk of hormone-related cancers. Some of these food include bananas, brown pears, potatoes, cauliflower, garlic, mushrooms, parsnips, onions, white peaches and white nectarines. 


All of this produce talk is making me soo hungry LOL seeing as how peach season is almost here. They get as big as soft balls where I live! lol I thank my mother for introducing me to a lot of great foods. She taught me their benefits as I ate them and now I am a healthy young woman. A variety of foods are so important not only for children but for adults as well, it is never too late to start eating healthy. Learn when these fruits and vegetables are in season and you will save a ton. If you want to eat seasonal foods year round, you can always preserve them or freeze them. If you don't have any at all, frozen produce is a great way to go also. If you can, buy from local farmers and help support your  community too. You can buy produce from local farmers stands or fresh markets for real cheap also. Make it a fun day for you and your kids, have them pick out what they want to eat!! Enjoy!


All of this info is from http://www.disabled-world.com/artman/publish/fruits-vegetables.shtml