Do the Dough Thang

I set my bucket o' dough to rise in the foyer. It did! Now it's in the fridge cooling down for the night. I plan to bake it tomorrow.

Asparagus, Noodles and Peanuts IMPROV Dinner

I bought two bunches of asparagus today and decided to steam them with leftover multigrain spaghetti and peanuts. I added soy sauce olive oil and red chili jam. I used chick pea broth to steam everything. Fabulous!

Southeast Asian Canned Salmon & Rice Cakes with Sriracha Mayo

http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-southeast-asian-canned-salmon-rice-cakes-with-sriracha-mayo-recipes-from-the-kitchn-186433

Lately I've been looking to add more healthy seafood to my diet without breaking the bank, and while canned fish will never have the allure of a fresh filet, today's good-quality canned salmon is not the fishy, bone-studded mush you may be picturing. The boneless and skinless fish — once flaked and mixed with brown rice, cilantro, shallots and lime juice — cooks up into crisp-edged cakes that make an easy and satisfying weeknight meal, especially when topped with a dollop of Sriracha-spiked mayonnaise.

The fresh flavors of Southeast Asia season these cakes, making them a little different from the usual mustard- and celery-studded fish cakes. In addition to cilantro, lime juice, and minced shallot, a bit of fish sauce adds depth and savoriness to the mixture. But I think it's really the Sriracha mayonnaise that takes it over the top, whether dolloped over each cake or served on the side for dipping.

It's one of those condiments that tastes so much better than it ought to, given how simple it is to make. Mix bottled Sriracha sauce with mayonnaise. Done. Yet the subtly spicy sauce that results is so much better than plain old mayonnaise, it's difficult to not slather it onto everything. I have my friend Lydia of Apples & Onions to thank for this magic condiment; she made it for the bánh mì bridal shower she and some friends hosted for me a couple years ago, and I have found many excuses to make it since then.

And while these cakes don't take much time to mix together if you have cooked rice on hand, they hold together a little better if they are allowed to rest in the fridge. This makes them easy to assemble ahead of time — either in the morning or the night before cooking — for a quick, healthy main dish that feels fancy enough to forget it's actually budget-friendly.

Makes about five 2-1/2-inch cakes (Serves 2)

2 6-ounce cans boneless skinless pink salmon
1 cup cooked short-grain brown rice
1 large egg
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon grapeseed or canola oil

For the mayonnaise:
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
3/4 teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce

Before cooking cakes, place a large cast iron or other oven-safe skillet in the oven. Preheat to 400°F.

Combine the salmon, rice, egg, cilantro, shallots, lime juice and fish sauce in a large mixing bowl and mix with a fork until thoroughly combined. Using your hands, shape and lightly squeeze the mixture into cakes about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and set aside on a plate. If you have time, cover and let rest in the refrigerator. (See note below.)

Remove the hot pan from the oven with oven mitts. Coat pan with oil and place cakes in pan. (Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to cook in batches.) Return to oven and cook 5-7 minutes, until lightly browned on one side. Flip and cook for another 5-7 minutes.

While the cakes are cooking, whisk together the mayonnaise and Sriracha in a small bowl. Dollop mayonnaise on top of cakes or serve on the side for dipping.
Additional Notes

Refrigerating the cakes for at least 15 minutes or up to one day before cooking will help them hold their shape better. Otherwise, just handle them more carefully as you cook them.
Short-grain brown rice has a sticky texture that helps hold the cakes together better than long-grain brown rice. (The cakes will still be delicious if made with long-grain brown rice, but they will fall apart a bit during cooking.)
You can also cook the cakes in a skillet on the stove over medium heat until browned on both sides.
Try cooking the cakes in coconut oil for another flavor variation.

Salmon Burgers

PACIFIC SALMON BURGERS
1 pt. jar salmon, drained and flaked
1 c. crumbs (bread or cracker)
1/2 tsp. dill weed
1/4 c. shredded Swiss cheese
1 egg
1/4 c. mayonnaise
2 drops hot pepper sauce
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. oil
Hamburger buns, toasted and dressed with sweet pickles (I like red onion)

Or use 1 (16 oz.) can red salmon, drained and flaked (or tuna, no bones or skin).

In bowl, combine the salmon, crumbs, dill weed and Swiss cheese. Beat the egg, mayonnaise, hot pepper sauce and Dijon. Add to salmon. Shape into 4 patties, 1/2 inch thick. Heat large fry pan and add butter and oil. Add patties and gently saute 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Serve on buns.
http://www.cooks.com/recipe/oj1ci6ab/pacific-salmon-burgers.html

Pub Dinner at Home

Home made bread toasted and sliced into strips dipped into homemade hummus, Greek yogurt and spicy homemade tomato sauce. Great with RAVENOUS brewery Woonsocket's finest beer.

Honey and Cashew Butter Yogurt Ice Pops

http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-honey-and-cashew-butter-yogurt-popsicles-228123

Makes 6 (1/2-cup) ice pops

2 cups plain Greek yogurt
2/3 cup milk
1/3 cup creamy cashew butter
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until completely smooth. Divide the mixture among ice pop molds, insert the sticks, and freeze until completely solid, at least 8 hours.

To serve, run the molds briefly under running hot water until the pops loosen from the molds.

Waffle Day March 25th

1⁄2 cup sourdough starter
1⁄2 cup whole wheat flour
1⁄2 cup any whole grain flour
1 cup 1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 tablespoons oil or 2 tablespoons butter
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda

In a large bowl, stir together the starter, flours and buttermilk. While you're waiting for the waffle iron or pancake pan to heat up, mix the egg, oil, and salt into the flour mixture. Just before cooking, stir in the baking soda.
Using a quarter or half cup measuring cup ladle the batter onto the hot pan. For waffles cook according to the waffle iron directions, usually around 5 minutes, for pancakes flip when the edges start to bubble and the surface loses it's gloss.
Notes- You can use your choice of whole grains. I like rice flour, available at Whole Foods or health food stores. It adds a light crunchy texture to waffles. I've also used quinoa, barley, spelt, and coconut flours with great success. (If you use half cornmeal it makes a most excellent supper when topped with chili or beans n cheese!).
This recipe doubles or triples beautifully if you're feeding a crowd.
This recipe doesn't call for sugar, as I've found that using sugar in waffles makes them stick to the waffle iron. Without sugar they never stick (no need to grease the iron) and with the sweet flavor of whole grains you truly won't miss it. For pancakes you can add a tablespoon or two of sugar if you must.
A teaspoon of vanilla in the batter makes them smell terrific as they bake but we don't notice much difference in the taste, so I save that for company.
http://www.food.com/recipe/healthy-sourdough-whole-grain-waffles-and-pancakes-226011

Six Sourdough Boules Rising

Lately I have been using loaf pans and letting my bread rise in the cold oven. When the desired poof has been reached I turn on the oven to 450 F and bake them starting from a cold oven.

Don't try this technique with lobster like my Brighton Beach Brooklyn grandmother did. She put two lobsters in a vat of cold water and turned on the gas burner to high. They crawled out! She stood on a kitchen chair screaming for my grandfather.

Don't say it. I know what you're thinking: that apples don't fall far from the tree. True. When we first moved in I woke up my husband one Sunday morning to see the scariest bug alive. He came downstairs and picked it up. It was made of plastic.

Waffle Day

Tomorrow is waffle day. I'm going to join in the fun with mixed grain sourdough waffles, for breakfast.

Delightful Spaghetti Sauce

We enjoy living on this.

It's very simple to make.

Simmer all day in slow cooker:

fresh garlic sauteed in extra virgin olive oil

3 large cans of crushed tomatoes

2 cans of chopped black olives

1 small can of tomato paste

3-6 stalks chopped celery

3-6 chopped carrots

2 bay leaves

basil

oregano

parsley

red chili pepper

optional: A splash of robust red wine if you have it.

Hummus to live for

The secret to great hummus is soaking and cooking your own 1 pound bag of chick peas and then drain the excess liquid and SAVE IT for soups or breads. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice, (three lemons worth) and fresh garlic cloves, some powdered cumin, kosher salt and sesame tahini. BLEND. Use a potato masher or blender or food processor to merge the ingredients. Enjoy with pita bread or carrots. You can freeze the extra for another day.

Woonsocket: Cupcake City

Brainstorming with librarians about decorating cupcakes for April vacation. It would be great to get the public officials involved. The Mayor's Cupcake, the Fire Chief's Cupcake, the Building Inspector's cupcake, the Chief of Police's cupcake. You get the idea. I've volunteered to photograph them.

Triggers and Cravings

“Triggers are the same for everyone,” says Martinez. “These are stress, boredom and anxiety.” You may be binging to soothe yourself, but you’ll suffer after you finish. Identify your triggers and make a plan to deal with each of them. For instance, if you eat when you’re bored, structure your time more by deciding what you’ll do next before you start the task at hand. For stress and anxiety, try using coping mechanisms like meditation, walking, talking with a friend or reading a book.
article

Delish Fast Lunch

Tuna and small white beans and robust red wine vinegar. Delish and fast.

Peanut Brittle

1 cup Agave nectar
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 1/2 cup roasted peanuts
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Measure agave and coconut oil into a small to medium sized pot. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the peanuts. Stir continually for 20-30 minutes until you’ve reached hard crack temperature (300F). Remove from heat and stir in salt and baking soda. It will be very frothy so be careful that it doesn’t bubble over. Pour onto a Silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Put into freezer for two hours to cool. Once cool, break into pieces. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

Enjoy!


http://cooklisacook.blogspot.com/2012/02/healthier-peanut-brittle.html

Starts and Ends

I have discovered I like Nutella on toast or a digestive biscuit for breakfast with coffee.
I also like a small jam jar of home made India Pale Ale before supper.
I know what you're thinking.
It's all downhill from here.

Dawn Lerman's Love in a Bowl of Soup

Article
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017934-mushroom-barley-soup

Hazelnut Joy Churros

I finally bought NUTELLA yesterday at Job Lot and spread it on my toast at 4AM this morning. My friend Andi told me about it. It was excellent with coffee. It was like Spanish churros.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/churros-and-hot-chocolate-recipe.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churro
http://theprisma.co.uk/2011/07/17/churros-a-secret-history/

BORSCHT: Black Beans and Beets

We're still eating the crazy borscht I made from bok choy and beets and carrots. I added it to the back beans and rice and turnips. Yum!

Snow Day: Second Breakfast

Smashed twice-baked olive oil and vinegar potatoes with fried eggs hatched on our street and BARRY'S Irish Breakfast tea.

SNOW DAY HURRAY!!!

Impatient Almond Joy

Toasted almonds, sweetened cocoanut, and semi sweet chocolate morsels.

Spaghetti and Home Made Red Sauce

Home made tomato sauce on top of old fashioned white pasta was so delicious we ate it for dinner two nights in a row.

Borscht and Humus!

A colorful lunch.

Leave the CLOCKS ALONE!

I prefer daylight wasting time.
http://www.standardtime.com/

This is how it goes:

Woke at 3:00 because alarm goes off at 4 Lily comes in to wake us. After making Bill's breakfast and lunch I walked Lily. I came home and boiled soaked black beans and then dumped all the leftover rice and spinach and roasted veggies in with olive oil and it became a soup. Then I boiled the soaked chick peas and took them away from the liquid for making humus (later). I boiled 4 pounds of beets in the chick peas broth. SMELLS LIKE DIRT!! I baked six pounds of potatoes to SMASH and add salt and olive oil and pepper and malt vinegar (a knish without fussy pastry!) Baked four fennel herbed flat bread to crisp-crackers. Hazards of work at home. I hope to BICYCLE to grocery store for lemons.