vegetarian

Farmer’s Market Day – Historic Park @ the Irvine Ranch

| Doyd

We are very lucky to have a number of local farmer’s market around where we live.  Going to a farmer’s market makes me remember memories of going to the wet/dry markets of Manila with my parents when I was young.  The picture below was taken during our last vacation in 2009 at a wet market in Pasay City, Manila.

This place is called “Dampa Seafood Market.”  It is located alongside rows of restaurants that cooks the freshest seafoods (according to how one wants it cooked) purchased at stalls like the one in the photo below.  This is another story I will explore on our next visit to Manila (this year) and will definitely share to all my readers 🙂


It was a beautiful morning today so I decided to bring my daughters to the Farmer’s Market located behind the Katie Wheeler Library in Irvine.  This particular farmer’s market is open on Tuesdays only from 9AM to 1PM.  I’ve been going to this place for many years now.  It’s only a small group of local sellers but every time I go there, I get to buy everything that I need.

The best inspiration to a good meal are fresh organic ingredients readily available and affordable.

Fond memories are created each time I bring my children to this place.  When they grow up, they will always remember the happy times we shared going to farmer’s markets and the library 🙂

Related Articles:

Orange County Farmer’s Markets Information

Katie Wheeler Library – Great library for the family!  I’ve been bringing my children here since it opened in 2008.  This library shows a great history of the Irvine family.  I specially love the Children’s department at the library where I can relax and read books with my daughters.

Massaman Tofu Curry with eggplants and mushroom (แกงมัสมั่น)

| Doyd

Enjoying the rich flavor of curry is like diving into the enticing food culture of the East. The depth of flavor, the goodness of the combination of different spices and the bright color is simply appetizing.

I used to not like curry at all.  I didn’t like the boring flavor I get from the kind I ate when I was young because I only knew one kind of curry then and it wasn’t the kind of curry I now know of.  I’ve tasted chicken curry of many sorts but by the looks of it, it was as simple as adding instant curry powder to cut-up chicken, mixing coconut milk, potatoes, carrots and a few other variety of extenders.

This recipe I am sharing was inspired by my brother who loves to create his own vegan cuisine in his healthy kitchen.  He always gives me ideas on how to cook vegetarian dishes.  This version is a twist of my own taste and choice of ingredients.

I hope you like it!

Ingredients:

  • Block of firm organic tofu, cut into 1″ cubes
  • 270 ml. of Light coconut cream
  • 3 pcs. Indian eggplant, washed and sliced in chunks
  • 2 tbsp. Massaman curry paste
  • 1 Zucchini, washed and sliced half-moon
  • 1 can Black beans, washed and drained
  • 1 Shallots
  • 1 bunch Spinach with stems, washed and drained
  • 1 cup Mushrooms, sliced in half
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper

In a shallow pan, heat olive oil on medium high then sauté the curry paste and shallots.  Add the tofu, mushrooms and zucchini and continue cooking for a minute or two.  Stir in the coconut cream then add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water (depending on consistency desired).  Cover the pan and cook until the veggies are almost cooked.  Add the eggplants, spinach and beans then season with salt and pepper.  Close the lid and let everything cook according to how you want it done.

 

Kale Stir-Fry

| Doyd

I first learned about Kale when I was reading recipes for baby food back in 2004 when our eldest daughter was still a baby.  It was intimidating at first because I never used or tasted this type of vegetable which was not available at the local markets when I was growing up in Manila.  That’s why in my many years of learning to cook, I barely had any interest with Kale.

Making baby food out of Kale was challenging.  At first, we thought the kids will not like it but actually, they did!  They really did and it was their favorite homemade baby food and since our children like it so much, we should learn to eat it too.  This is the start of my Kale challenge:

Here’s an easy recipe that’s not only appealing to the taste, but also appetizing to the eyes.

Ingredients:

1 Block firm tofu

1 lb. Kale

1/2 Large eggplant (North American Variety)

1/4 cup Low sodium vegetable stock

Sliced garlic

Olive oil

Chili pepper flakes

Salt and Pepper

Heat olive oil on medium low heat.  Sauté garlic with a dash of salt until light brown and crispy.  Add chili pepper flakes.  Add a little more olive oil then cook the eggplant and tofu.  Stir in the vegetable stock then turn up the heat to medium high.  Lastly, add the kale and cook for a few minutes until cooked to desired texture.  Salt and pepper to taste.

 

Related Articles:

The Truth about Kale

The World’s Healthiest Foods dot ORG

 

Vegetable Minestrone

| Doyd

I have this feeling that this Vegetable Minestrone will not be a sellout at home because my family is not into eating over-cooked veggies like the mixed greens I put in this soup. Let’s see what they have to say.

 

Anyway, it’s tough learning about cooking healthful options for our family’s menu but I am trying my best to change our eating habits. Hard as I thought, it was difficult to throw away almost all the processed food from our pantry but after slowly changing our supply with only the fresh, wholefood and necessary – I feel more challenged as the mother and the “cook”.

I am responsible for what my family eats. Eat healthy and enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Brown onion, chopped
  • 1 Large carrot, peeled and diced
  • 4 Celery stalks, chopped
  • 5 Cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 Lb. of Swiss chard or Kale, coarsely chopped (I used mixed greens on this recipe)
  • 1 Medium Potato, peeled and cubed
  • 15 Ounces of canned diced tomatoes (unsalted)
  • 1 Fresh rosemary sprig
  • 1 Piece of parmesan cheese rind
  • 2 Cans (14-ounce) Low-sodium beef broth or vegetable broth
  • 1 Can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 Can black whole olives, drained and roughly chopped
  • 2 Tbsp of chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Salt and Pepper

Heat the olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat. Add garlic, onions, carrots and celery. Saute until the onion is translucent. After a few minutes, add the potato and the greens. Saute for a few minutes then add the canned tomatoes and the rosemary. Simmer until the greens are wilted, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, blend 1/2 of the beans with 1/4 cup of the beef or vegetable broth until smooth. Add the pureed bean mixture, remaining of the broth and the parmesan cheese rind into the pot of vegetable mixture. Simmer and stir occasionally, about 10-12 minutes. Stir in the rest of the cannellini beans, olives and parsley. Simmer until the beans and olives are heated through. Season with salt and pepper, according to taste.

Jade’s score: 9.8 (out of 10) 🙂

Homemade Kimch’i (김치)

| Doyd

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This is one of my favorite recipes and I’ve been saving to write about this on a special day like today.  But before I start, I want to thank Maangchi, my favorite cooking mentor for teaching me how to make this.

Not all people like Kimchi because of the strong sour smell.  I cannot blame them but a lot of other people (like me) love that smell anyway.  Years before, I honestly did not mind about what Kimchi is all about but when I started reading about Korean dishes, I became curious.

I first tried Kimchi at Korean restaurants as a side-dish.  It was appetizing to me because of the savory kick of spicy and sour sauce.  Then slowly, I appreciated the taste of the sauce and my palate started to want for more.

I only like the ones from the restaurant because it tastes more fresh.  I never had a store-bought Kimchi in our home and because of that, I realized I had to learn to make my own Kimchi 🙂  To me, it’s comforting to know what ingredients I have used on my recipes.  Then I am more confident serving food to my family knowing that they are eating homemade dishes by me.

I hope you enjoy learning this recipe as much as I did.  I will make a new batch this weekend 🙂

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 medium Napa Cabbages
  • 2 medium Korean Radishes (Daikon), cut into 1 inch cubes (leave some for the porridge, julienned)
  • Sea Salt
  • 1 big Onion
  • Ginger
  • 10-15 pieces of Garlic (I like to use a lot!)
  • Green Onions
  • Asian Chives
  • Hot Pepper Powder (pick a nice one that’s bright red)
  • Fish Sauce
  • Sweet Rice Powder

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Cut the cabbages in half, then slit each half through the core, but NOT through the rest of the leaves.  Soak each piece in cold water and liberally sprinkle some salt (about 3/4 cup of Sea Salt per medium cabbage), then set aside for 2 hours.

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Salt the diced radishes too and leave for 2 hours as well.  After 2 hours, turn the pieces of cabbage and radishes over so they are salted evenly. Leave for another 2 hours (Total of 4 hours of salting).

Prepare the porridge.  Put 1/2 cup sweet rice powder and 3 cups of water in a sauce pan and cook over medium high heat while stirring constantly.  Add 1/4 cup sugar then cool it down.  After 4 hours, wash the cabbages and radishes in a cold tub of water… wash 3-4 times making sure you soak it well in water to REMOVE ALL the salt.

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To the porridge, add 1 cup good quality fish sauce, 2-6 cups of hot pepper flakes (depending on your taste), 1 cup of crushed garlic, 1-3 tbsp. of minced ginger, 1 large minced onion. (I use my food processor to mince and crush the ingredients on this part)

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Mix the porridge and continue washing the cabbages and radishes.

Take a look at my photos and see how I soak the cabbages in water to make sure all the salt is removed.

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Prepare the following:

  • 7-12 diagonally sliced green onions
  • 2 cups asian chives cut into 2 inches in length
  • 2 cups of shredded korean radish (left-over from the cubes that you used before)

Combine the porridge and the ingredients above.

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Make sure the water from the cabbages drip off before starting to spread the paste on the leaves.  You will see on my slideshow how my paste looks like (it will make you salivate if you love Kimchi like me – LOL!)

Start spreading the paste on the leaves and leave some paste for your cubed radishes (Kaktugi).  Put your homemade Kimchi into an air-tight sealed container or glass jar.

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Make sure you use a clean spoon each time you get a portion of your Kimchi when you eat. Also, press down on your Kimchi after getting your serving to make sure there is no air in between your cabbages. Eat this fresh or wait until it’s bubbly and fermented.

Put the Kimchi container at room temperature for a day then keep it in the refrigerator after the first day of fermentation. In a few days, you will see some bubbles and you will start smelling the sour Kimchi. That means it’s ready being fermented.

Enjoy your Kimchi!!!!

 

Related Articles:

MAANGCHI where I learned how to make Kimchi

 


More vegetables please Mommy!!!! (Buchujeon)

| Doyd





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more about “More vegetables please Mommy!!!!“, posted with vodpod

 

I can’t believe it myself but you’re reading it right. My title says “more vegetables please Mommy!” My daughter is an addict! She loves this recipe so much she can’t get enough and will even ask for more and not leave anything for her Dad. 

This is Maangchi’s Korean Vegetable Pancake recipe called Buchujeon in Korean. You can see her recipe at her website but as always, I give my version a personal touch. 

Here’s what I do: 

INGREDIENTS: 

Small Korean Zucchini (or italian zucchini) 

5-8 Stalks of Green Onions 

1 Korean Chili (I use this because it’s not hot/spicy – good for kid-friendly recipes) 

1 Egg 

 A piece of small Carrot 

3 Garlic cloves 

Fresh Oysters (optional: or shrimp and try scallops) 

Chop and julienne the carrots and zucchini. Add in the thinly chopped green onions and korean chili. In a separate bowl, mix in 1/2 cup flour, salt and 2/3 cup water or sometimes I use a store-bought korean vegetable pancake mix and follow the package instructions. 

Chopped vegetables should be around 3 cups. Mix the vegetables with the batter and mix it up with your hands to spread evenly.Chop 3-6 pieces of fresh oysters and set aside. 

In a big heated non-stick pan, put some olive oil and spread the vegetable pancake mixture. Put your heat to medium. Top the raw side of the cooking pancake with fresh oysters and one beaten egg. Wait about 5-8 minutes before flipping the pancake. 

After 8 minutes, flip the pancake and add more olive oil (if needed) to make it crunchy (a cooking tip from Maangchi). Press the pancake down with a spatula and check once in a while to see if it’s getting cooked the way you want it to be. 

My secret dipping sauce that really makes my daughter eat this pancake a lot is a mixture of 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 2 tablespoon of light soy sauce and a pack of splenda. You can use sugar if you want but I don’t have that in my pantry 🙂 

Use other vegetables if you want to explore it! I’ve tried, sweet potato with green onions, chives and red peppers, I even tried bean sprouts with oysters as suggested by my husband. 

Enjoy and let me know about your version!