oishii: baked breakfast barley

I'm a big fan of breakfast, and in the colder seasons I find myself making warm, nourishing meals (as opposed to my favorite cold cereals). We love oatmeal, but then I came across this baked barley recipe and I had to try it. What a treat! With chopped dried apricots, pistachios, and honey, it is a nod to middle eastern fare and it was so substantive and delicious.

I used regular pearled barley as well as some fancy purple barley too, though it ended up looking just plain brown after it was cooked. If you like the chew in steel-cut oatmeal, you probably like barley as well. And it is so good for you! The sweetness comes from the honey and apricots - there is no refined sugar here. I prepared it the night before and put it in the fridge so that in the morning I just had to pop it in the oven. The recipe is adapted from Not Your Mother's Casseroles by Faith Durand.

Baked Barley Breakfast

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups pearled barley

1 T unsalted butter

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk

2 1/2 cups water

3 T honey, plus more for serving

2 large eggs, beaten

1/4 cup chopped, dried unsulphured apricots

1/4 cup shelled pistachios, chopped

1/2 cup unsweetened dried coconut

Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly grease 8-inch square baking dish.

Rinse barley in water and drain. Heat butter over medium heat in a saucepan and cook barley for 3-5 minutes or until it smells toasty. Add salt, almond milk, water and honey and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, beat eggs in a small bowl. Once barley mixture is boiling, turn off heat. Pour a spoonful or two of milk into the egg and whisk together to temper. Whisk egg into barley mixture.

Stir in apricots, pistachios, and coconut. Pour everything into prepared dish.

Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until top is light brown and it is no longer liquid-y. Serve warm, with a drizzle of honey. Oh, and I may have eaten it with a piece of baklava, too...

There are a few other baked barley recipes floating around. This week I'm going to try the blackberry barley bake and also try to make it in the slow cooker. 

This morning I ate some leftovers while Miss Mayumi and I had our morning Advent devotional. This year I created little cards that outline our devotional (song and scripture) along with a simple activity and service project, as well as a corresponding ornament for the tree. It has been so endearing to see her excitedly open the little drawer every morning to see what they day will bring her.

In other news, I've finished addressing our holiday card and am hoping to stamp them and get them in the mail today (these are the exciting things in my life!). Though sending out all those cards is a daunting task every year, I love to do it. I smile at the idea of family and friends opening it and seeing our THREE little munchkins - how fun to announce a new birth this way! I still get a childish thrill when I receive cards in the mail, especially Christmas cards. I adore it when people send out their yearly newsletter with updates on every one in the family. So I like to imagine that our humble little card will bring cheer into some homes this season.

oishii: savory bread pudding

Cooler weather finds me searching for nourishing comfort foods. We've always been a fan of sweet bread pudding but this is my first time trying a savory one. Yum! It was just what I needed to use up leftover stale bread, some veggies in the fridge and have something relatively healthy that we could eat for several meals.

Savory Bread Pudding with Veggies
Ingredients:
olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
bunch of asparagus, chopped
bunch of beet greens or chard, chopped
2 cups whole wheat stale bread, cubed
5 eggs
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup grated gruyere cheese
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sautee onions in olive oil. When softened, add garlic and asparagus. After a few minutes add greens and cook until wilted, just a minute or two.
3. In a large bowl whisk together eggs, milk and cheese. Add bread and vegetables and a dash of salt and pepper and mix well. Pour into a casserole dish.
4. Place casserole in oven and cook for 50 minutes, until puffed and browned. Remove from oven and serve!

oishii: lactation cookies

At first I thought it was a joke when my next-door neighbor Heather sent over a bag of delicious oatmeal cookies claiming that they were "lactation" cookies. But then my friend Elizabeth sent over a bag of her version as well. It was the first I'd ever heard of such a thing. A quick Google search (isn't that how we confirm everything these days?) revealed that there is some substance behind a milk supply-boosting cookie, largely thanks to the oats, ground flax seed and brewer's yeast in the ingredients. Add some chopped nuts (and okay, lots of sugar) and you have a powerhouse of a cookie. 

PapaQ claimed they were so delicious that even he was starting to feel his mammaries swell. How nice would that be? Then I could have some help with those nighttime feeding sessions.

You can read a bit more about lactation cookies and find variants on the recipe on the Peaceful Parenting blog and the  Progressive Parent blog. If you're too pooped from those midnight feedings and  don't have the time or energy to make them yourself you can always order them from Yummy Mummy Cookies or from Milk Makers. Two batches was not enough for me so I went ahead and made myself some more (folding the laundry can wait!). 

Not that I really need help boosting my milk supply (I am soaking through those nursing pads like a demon and everything around me smells like breast milk). But no matter, these cookies are good for you and whether or not they are contributing to my over-production, they are perfect for snacking in between meals. I imagine they are good for you even if you are not nursing (as evidenced by dear hubby) so go ahead and indulge. But don't hold me responsible if you start leaking...

Fontana di Nettuna in Italy

Oishii: Japanese Potato Salad

Happy September everyone! When I realized that summer was almost over I had a reflex reaction of regret, then came to my senses and wanted to cheer. Hurray! The long, hot, unbearable summer is about to give way to fall showers, autumnal foliage, cooler weather and coziness. I, for one, am elated. 
So perhaps this post is a bit off-schedule; Japanese potato salad is a a staple in our home all summer long. But I have a feeling that we'll enjoy it a few times more as the seasons transition. After all, it stays quite warm round these parts until October, and frankly, this potato salad is good enough to eat all year long.

You may wonder what the difference is between western-style potato salad and Japanese potato salad and that is a valid question. In short, Japanese potato salad is a sort of summer-inspired mashed potato dish with just enough mayonnaise to make it interesting. PBS has a short article and recipe here. the Just Hungry blog offers another version here. But this is the way mom taught me:

Kumi's Japanese Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 6-8 potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes (I've used all sorts of different potatoes, even mixed them and it always comes out good. So use whatever you have on hand or whatever your favorite is)
• 3-4 boiled eggs, chopped
• 2-3 carrots, peeled
• 2 apples, cored, quartered and sliced (I like Pink Lady)
• 1-2 Japanese cucumbers, thinly sliced (Persian cukes also work well - something without big seeds)
• 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (Kewpie for the most authentic version, but any brand will do)
• salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Cook potatoes and carrots (and eggs if you haven't boiled them yet) in boiling water until soft, then drain. Remove carrots and slice into chunks. Mash the potatoes to desired consistency (soft but with a few chunks for texture). Gently fold in all other ingredients and season to taste.

I usually make ours vegetarian style, but I've had it before with chopped ham, which is also delicious.  It is a very forgiving dish and you can make it with fewer or more vegetable/fruit, according to your tastes. We like ours to be bursting with fruit and veggies... 

If you try it, let me know how it worked for you!

Oishii: Japanese Cheesecake

In the summer there is nothing like a Japanese-style "rare" cheesecake. It is light and refreshing, doesn't require any baking, and Mayumi and I could probably polish an entire cake off by ourselves. Supremely oishii. Here's the way I learned to make it from my mom.

Kumi's Japanese Rare Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust:

1 cup crushed Nilla Wafers

3 T butter, melted

1 T sugar

Filling:

1 T gelatin (1 packet of Knox Gelatine) 

1/4 cup water

1/3 cup milk

1 egg, yolk and whites separated

1/4 cup sugar

8 oz cream cheese, softened

2-3 T lemon juice and zest (from one good-sized lemon)

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 whipping cream

Instructions

Combine crushed wafers, melted butter, and sugar in a bowl. Press the crumbs into the bottom of an 8 inch round cake pan or springform pan. 

Dissolve gelatin in water in a small cup and set aside. Scorch milk in a small saucepan and then add in gelatin mixture, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla extract.  Mix well while bringing the mixture to a light boil, then remove from heat. Meanwhile, mix together softened cream cheese, lemon juice and rind. Add gelatin mixture and combine well and allow to cool a bit.

Whip egg whites until peak, adding a pinch of sugar.  Remove stiff egg whites from bowl and then whip whipping cream. Gently fold egg whites and whipped cream into cooled (not warm) cream cheese mixture then pour over crust. (Mom likes to push mixture through a sieve to remove any clumps and lemon rind). Chill in the refrigerator for 3 hours or until firm.  Decorate with a sprinkling of crushed wafers and/or fruit before serving.

Hope you like it!

candy for the eyes and tummy

My friend sent this podcast/article from NPR about Japanese Omanju. If you're a fan of unique sweets, and haven't tried anything like this, I highly recommend it. I'm particularly a fan of chestnut manju. But where to find such treats on the east coast? If you find out, let me know!

via

Noodles and Tanabata

Few "holidays" are more evocative of summer for me than Tanabata, the Japanese star festival. When we're in Japan we enjoy the festive bamboo decorations with colorful tanzaku (small pieces of paper with wishes written on them) fluttering from the branches. Every town seems to have their own matsuri festival with carnival games, treats and performances... I'm filled with nostalgia just thinking about it and longing to find one in our area.

via

Though we'll miss out on attending a matsuri this year, at least we can indulge in some summery Japanese treats. One of our favorite summertime dishes is hiyashi somen, a delightful cold noodle dish. There is a great recipe on La Fuji Mama that I am excited to try, mostly because I like the idea of making my own dipping sauce as opposed to purchasing a ready-made sauce (full of MSG).

via which also has a recipe for dipping sauce sans MSG.

In the midst of this excruciating heat wave (am I allowed to be that dramatic? I am 5 months pregnant with twins after all...) this seems like the perfect food to prepare and eat. Minimal time over a hot stove and maximum cooling power. A must for tonight's dinner.

Oishii: Colcannon

Mr. Q's great grandparents came to Boston from Ireland and he is proud of his Irish roots. We love celebrating St. Patrick's Day in our house. Leprechauns, shamrocks, parades, folklore, and antics are all a part of our celebration. Oh, and food! A few years ago we discovered a wonderful dish that has become part of our traditional meal on St. Patty's: colcannon. Here is our version, adapted from The Country Cooking of Ireland by Coleman Andrews.

Colcannon at the Q's
Ingredients
5 or 6 good size russet potatoes
6 Tablespoons of butter
3 cups of spinach leaves
1 1/3 cup buttermilk or whole milk
4 scallions, minced
salt and pepper

Directions
Put the potatoes in a pot and add water to come halfway up the potatoes. Cover and boil over high heat. When the water begins to boil, carefully drain half the water and return pot to heat, cover again, and reduce heat to low to steam the potatoes for about 40 minutes. Remover from heat. Add milk and spinach and gently mash the potatoes, leaving large chunks. Gently stir in butter and scallion and add salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer potatoes to serving dish and cretate a well in the center. Place a large pat of butter in the crater and serve.

our little leprechaun gnomes made from a pattern from Wee Folk Art a year or two ago

Beware of Leprechauns who may make an appearance and try to swipe your colcannon. It's that good.

Spiritual Food

A few weeks ago my friend, Katie, sent me this article on Mormon food from the New York Times. It was fascinating to read and got me thinking about how my Mormon cultural background has influenced my food choices and preparations. Of course, there is the avoidance of coffee, tea and alcohol. And the propensity to store food, grind my own wheat (something new for me!), can my own produce and make my own bread.

But as much as I'd like to congratulate myself on my sophisticated and healthy eating habits and be snooty about how I generally avoid Mormon mid-western fare, I have made a recent re-discovery. A new guilty pleasure. A return to traditional Mormon roots.

JELLO!

What?! I forgot how tasty and easy to make this stuff is!

Okay, granted it is not GREEN and there is no sign of COOL WHIP anywhere. And though I found some old boxes of actual Jello, I've actually been making the Natural Desserts brand kind (because I'd rather avoid the artificial colors and flavors), but I have to admit that I have become a fan of this little culinary throwback. And while I may not be casting my vote for Mitt anytime soon, I'll jump on the Mormon bandwagon when it comes to this simple little treat.

What better way to celebrate this new discovery then to create something that combines both my Mormon and my Japanese heritage by making... Grapefruit Jelly!

Japanese Grapefruit Jelly

Ingredients

1 ruby red grapefruit
1 T gelatin powder (1 packet)

1 cup water

1 T honey

1 T sugar

Directions

Peel grapefruit and cut them between the membranes, keeping the juice in a bowl. Dissolve gelatin powder in 4 T of water, whisking briskly. Bring 3/4 cup of water to a boil in a pan. Remove from heat and dissolve sugar and honey in the boiling water. Add gelatin mixture to the pan and stir well. When the liquid has cooled off somewhat, add about 4 T of grapefruit juice and stir well. Pour the liquid into four cups and arrange grapefruit pieces on the surface. Cool them in the refrigerater.

*Makes 4 servings

Pinterest Comes Through!

It seems like everyone I know is addicted to Pinterest these days (okay, I don't know that many people - my world is small!). I include myself among the addicted. Definitely too much time has been spent browsing through other people's boards and justifying it by saying that I'm organizing bits of inspiration for future projects...

But occasionally there is follow-through. I actually make something that I found on Pinterest. 

Like brussels sprouts with bacon, avocado and lime. And it was DELICIOUS. We were devouring it at dinner. I like brussels sprouts, but this was beyond my normal powers of simply roasting them with a little coconut oil (another yummy way to serve them, though!). If you'd like to try the recipe, visit The Little Red House.

Now I feel a bit more justified by my obsession. 

Out Demons, Out!

Onimanju (devil's cake) is a Japanese pastry made with sweet potato, which creates a bumpy texture that makes the cakes resemble devil's horns (at least according to the Japanese)! I've never had it before, so it was a leap of faith to make them myself to celebrate Setsubun today.

The recipe I used (sorry, I don't know the source - it was sent to me ages ago and I'm only now trying it!):

Onimanju (Devil's Cake)
Ingredients
3/4 lb satsumaimo (sweet potato, preferably the Japanese variety), cut into about 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup flour (I used half whole wheat and half all-purpose)
1 Tbsp shiratamako flour (I used sweet or glutinous rice flour [mochiko])
2 Tbsp milk

Preparation
Soak satsumaimo cubes in water for about 15 minutes and drain (to draw out the starchiness, perhaps?).

Place satsumaimo cubes in a large bowl and sprinkle sugar over them. Set aside for about 30 minutes so that some liquid gather at the bottom of the bowl. Drain the satsumaimo cubes and keep the liquid in another bowl. Add mixture of flour and shiratamako in the liquid and mix. Add milk to the dough. If the dough is too thick to stir, add a little bit of water. Mix in satsumaimo cubes.

Scoop a spoonful of the dough on parchment paper (I used cheese cloth) and place them in a preheated steamer. Steam for about 10 minutes.

*makes 8-10 cakes

The consensus? We all loved them! They weren't especially pretty to look at (but they're supposed to be devilish, right?) but they were mildly sweet and chewy and yummy. And so easy to make. A keeper all around.

Afterwards we went out onto the back deck and threw our beans over the rails yelling, "Demons out, good fortune in!"

I Can't imagine what the neighbors must think...

Oishii: Kabocha Cookies

Kabocha is a type of pumpkin very popular in Japan, but now widely available in the States. It has a slightly sweet taste, so it's often used to make desserts--like these kabocha cookies.

These soft cookies make a nice light treat and I can feel good (or at least not feel that bad) about giving my toddler a nibble.

But I have to admit--the cookies didn't look like the picture when I first made them.

No, not at all.

I have this habit of not following recipes exactly...not because I want to get creative, but because I have dyslexia when it comes to reading recipe instructions. Like how I was supposed to use a quarter pound of kabocha in the cookies , but I decided not to measure the kabocha, guessing instead that half a pumpkin was probably about a quarter pound. Wrong. (Note: the recipe below calls for a half-pound of kabocha because the initial yield was only about eight cookies, and that's certainly not enough for my sweet tooth!) I realized my mistake when the recipe called for flattening the cookie dough out and cutting shapes. My dough was so batter-y that there was no way to even attempt to roll it out.

So I doubled the recipe, going back and dumping everything in the already-made batter. Still terrible, but I figured I'd try it out anyway. I dumped rough spoons full onto a cookie tray, thinking the batter would melt into perfect little rounds. Wrong again.

BUT despite all my mistakes and the turd-like appearance of the cookies, the botched batch actually turned out pretty good! Cakey, but really sweet--just the way I like 'em. So I can say that this is probably a fool-proof recipe--the cookies will still taste good even if you completely screw it up like I did!

Kabocha Cookies

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. kabocha
4 Tbsp butter
6 Tbsp sugar
2 egg yolks
1 1/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder

Instructions:

1. Cut kabocha into large chunks. Steam kabocha in the microwave until softened. Peel kabocha and mash in a bowl.

2. Mix butter and sugar in another bowl. Add mashed kabocha in the bowl. Mix well. Add an egg yolk and stir well.

3. Sift flour and baking powder together. Add the flour in the bowl. Mix the dough. Rest the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 340 degrees F. Flatten the cookie dough on floured board and cut into your favorite shapes. Place a cooking sheet in a baking pan and place shaped cookie dough on the sheet. Bake cookies in 340F oven for 15-20 minutes.

*Makes 16 cookies

Sweet Treat

We consider ourselves conscientious mamas who try to feed our families wholesome, natural, nutrient-rich foods.
But occasionally there's room for indulgence.

 Like when you are walking by Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory and feel like you would die unless you ate a caramel apple right this instant!

Do they make extra-strength toothpaste? Or do you make up for this by eating only vegetables for the next three meals in a row? Oh boy!

Mmmmmm.... Chocolate!

My friend, Nancy, maintains a gorgeous blog about gourmet dark chocolate and throughout our friendship I have learned bits and pieces about the wonders of that little bean. Since we were in this neck of the woods, we had to make a stop in at the Amano Chocolate Factory Store.

Though this designer (DELICIOUS) chocolate was a bit beyond our normal price range I was inspired by Nancy to host a little homegrown chocolate tasting of our own.

By the time we actually had time to have a tasting, Uncle Chris and all the daddies weren't around. Sorry guys! But the sisters (and the kiddos!) didn't want to miss our chance at some dark chocolate decadence.

I unwrapped and broke off pieces of five different bars and divided them into five bowls so that it could be a bit more anonymous. The girls could hardly wait...

In a chocolate tasting you want to use all five senses. First you examine the piece and observe the texture and appearance. Then you break it and listen to the snap. Next, inhale that chocolatey aroma and note what other smells it reminds you of. Let it melt for a second between your fingers and feel the texture.

Then comes time to actually taste it. Put it in your mouth and let in melt on your tongue, noting any notes or flavors it brings to mind. Sometimes it help to take notes.

We could never claim to be foodies (though we LOVE eating) - our chocolate experience has mostly been limited to M&Ms and Kit Kats. So I admit there were a few exclamations of "This smells like armpit" and "Oh, this is DISGUSTING!" We're working on refining our palates...

The consensus?
MamaQ: I adore the Amano Madagascar chocolate. Deep, complex, and fruity. Way more sophisticated than milk chocolate any day - and it better be at $8 a bar!
MamaM: My preference is for the cheap stuff - lots of sugar and cream for me, please!
MamaD: I think I need to work on my sense of taste...

Oh, brother!

Oishii: Oriental Chicken Salad

Have you ever wished you could recreate dishes from your favorite (chain) restaurants? Now you can!

I came across the  Insider's Recipes Master Edition that has dozens of recipes from eateries like Macaroni Grill, Marie Callendar, Red Lobster and Cinnabon, as well as brand names like Hostess, Kraft and Mrs. Fields--all of the recipes for their most popular items in one giant PDF. 

One of my favorite salads of all time is Applebee's oriental chicken salad, so I was wicked excited to see the recipe in the master edition. I put it to the test and here's how it came out:

It wasn't exactly like the real thing, but it was a close imitation. It's easy and fairly healthy (minus the corn-flake fried chicken and mayonnaise in the dressing--but hey, it's a salad). If you like a honey-mustard dressing, you'll like this dish.

It's the only recipe I've tried in the book, but would like to try more. Like Pepperidge Farms milano cookies. Or Outback's blooming onion. Or Girl Scout samoa cookies. Yum...

Just Because...

maybe this is something that might make you smile today.
Sushi Cat.

from http://www.catsparella.com/2010/11/sushi-cats.html

Oishii: Honey-lime enchiladas

One great thing about this recipe for honey-lime chicken enchiladas is that it makes enough to fill up a 3-quart and 1.5-quart casserole pan (about 12-15 enchiladas). That means if you have a big family, you'll have no problem feeding all those mouths, and if you have a small family like mine, you'll have a couple days' worth of leftovers.

Honey-lime chicken enchiladas

1.5 lbs chicken, cooked and shredded
3 10-oz cans green enchilada sauce
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
12+ tortillas

Sauce:
1/3 c. honey
1/4 c. lime juice
1 tbsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1) Mix together sauce ingredients. Marinate shredded chicken in sauce for at least an hour.

2) Lightly spray 2 pans with non-stick baking spray (usually a 9x13 and an 8x8). Pour 1.5 cans of green enchilada sauce to coat the entire bottom of pans.

3) Fill tortillas with shredded meat and cheese, using all the meat and about half of the cheese. Roll and place in dish seam side down.

4) Pour remaining 1.5 cans of enchilada sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.