Cold Beet and Hot potatoes… in honor of Grandmama Mattus.

Pickled beets in a jar are a pretty common item in our household fridge while I was growing up. I was also one of those odd kid that loved borscht soup. I learned to really appreciate the beautiful vegetable even more at the Mattus' house.

Matt’s mom introduced me to cold borscht with hot potatoes one summer. I loved it and I started making this every summer when the vegetable is bountiful.

This recipe is my version and it is my tribute to Grandmama Suzi, a woman who took me under her wings when I came to Mainland. I loved cooking with her and I thought of her often when I made some of her dishes. Miss you much!!!

Cold beet soup with hot potatoes

2 bunches of beets, I am using red and golden beets here. About 2 cups cleaned, peeled and cubed.

1 Vidalia onion, chopped

3 cups of water

Juice of ½ lemon.

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

4 yellow potatoes, I am using German potatoes from this week’s CSA, otherwise I would prefer Yukon

½ cup low fat Greek yogurt
Finely chopped chives.

Directions:

Soak the beets in cold water, brush and clean off the soil. Remove the leaves, separate the stem. Peel the root and cut into cubes. Keep the stems and chopped into small ½” pieces.

You can sauté the greens and serve as a side dish. In this recipe, the leaves will not be used.

In a medium size pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil till hot over med high heat.

Sauté and caramelize the onion.

Add beets and stems. Sauté for a couple more mins.

Add 3 cups of water, you can use vegetable stock. Grandmama used beef stock for this. These were organic beets and they were very sweet. I found taste is much brighter and the sweetness of the beets came through better with water.

Season with salt and pepper. Squeeze in juice of 1/2 of a lemon

Bring to a boil and lower to med low heat. Cover and simmer the soup for about 30 mins till the beets are tender.

Remove the soup from heat and let rest for 5 mins. Prepare the blender, puree the soup to a thick texture. Taste and correct seasoning.

Remove from the blender into a storage container. Chill soup for about 1.5 hours till cold.

15 mins before serving. Boil potatoes. Peel and cubed into ½ inch piece.

When ready to serve:

Please ¼ cup of hot potatoes cubes in the bottom of a soup bowl.

Top with cold beet soup

Garnish with a Tbsp of Greek yogurt, sprinkle generously with chopped chive.

Enjoy

Aloha!

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner with Scape

I didn't realize I have not posted any recipe for a month!!! Yes I am still here. June has been a busy month, apart from being busy at work, there were a couple of weddings and shower.  My sister, Kawailani was back in MN with her hubby for her step-daughter's wedding.  She "hired" me to photography the wedding... it was my first time shooting "human" vs stuffed animals. The bride was happy with the shots. Whew... I can breathe now.We also had a Halau BBQ at the house after the wedding. We had a lot of fun visiting. I miss my sis so much, I wish we live closer to each other...

Now, you know the reason for my MIA... back to a little cooking challenge

I picked up the 1st CSA box for the season, There were scape in this box. A friend of mine asked me for some ideas what to do with them… so I am going to make this a “Scape”day!!
Most of the greens and potatoes I used this week is from The Tangletown CSA share. 

Scape is a relatively new “vegetable in the scene. It is actually the blossom and the stem of garlic. They are usually cut before the flower blooms to keep the stem tender.

I love the mild garlic flavor and the crunchy texture of the stem. 

It's 4th of July long weekend. I am staying home while Mr Wonderful is off at the lake with his grandson. I need some "down" time. The recipes here, can easily be doubled or triple if needed.

All American Breakfast for 1

Egg Scramble with Scape, potatoes and green. Top with blue cheese

1 egg beaten egg

1 scape, chopped

1 cooked Yukon potato, cubed.

1 Tbsp blue cheese crumble.

A few tender leaves such as spinach or arugula. (I am using arugula today), cut or tear into small pieces.

In a small fry pan (preferable non-stick), heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Sauté the chopped scape for 1-2 mins till they are bright green

Add potato, lightly fried till light brown, season with salt and pepper

Add egg, fold in lightly. Fold arugula in with the egg mixture.

Cook a min or so till the egg is set.

Top with blue cheese. Turn heat to low, heat till chest starts to melt

Transfer to a plate and serve immediately.

Mexican inspired Lunch for 1

Nacho with scape fusion salsa

Salsa:

1 scape, chopped

2 small tomato, chopped

1 tsp chopped Thai Basil

1 tsp chopped summery savory or cilantro

1 tsp chopped mint

Juice of ½ lime

1/8 tsp smoked paprika (optional)

¼ tsp grounded cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

I use whatever herb available in my garden. I am using 2 of my favorites here: Thai basil and mint. Since I am out of cilantro, I am using summer savory instead.

The scape gives this salad its garlicky favor.

Simply blend everything together and let it sit for about 10 min.

Store in a glass jar in the fridge. Must used within 2 days. (make about a cup)

Nacho building:

2 ozs (or ¼ cup) of grated cheddar jack, or any cheese of your choice

1 Tostada

¼ cup shredded dandelion leaves (or other greens of choice)

2 tbsp scape salsa

Break up the tostada on a oven/microwave proof plate

Sprinkle ½ of the cheese on the shell, follow by 1 tbsp of Salsa.

Top with ¾ of the shredded leaves.

Follow by the reminding cheese.

Broil or microwave for 1 min till the cheese melts.

Garnish with the reminding leaves and salsa.

Fusion Asian Dinner

This may sound odd. I grew up with fish cakes being a staple in the household. My favorite is the Thai version. A few years ago, I discovered Morning star Thai burger.

The texture and the taste reminded me of the fishcakes my Thai auntie used to make. I started using a product in other ways. This is a very simple preparation. Just remember: you don’t need salt in this recipe. The sea-beans are salty.

Thai mock “fish-cake” with scape and sea-beans

2 Morning star Thai burger, defrosted and cut into wide strips. You can easily use Shrimp of fish instead of the burger strips.

½ cup of sea beans

3 scape – cut into 1” bite size pieces

2 tbsp low salt shoyu

1 tbsp Asian sesame oil

Soak the sea beans for ½ hour in cold water, please make sure you change water a couple to time. We need to draw some of the salt out of them. Drain and roughly chopped the beans up into bite size

In a small bowl combine shoyu with sesame oil

In a small fry pan, heat 2 tablespoon of olive oil over med high heat. Saute scape till bright green.

Add burger strips. Cook for 2  min or so, stir constantly to make sure the strips are not sticking.

Add sea-bean. Toss and let cook for an additional min.

While the pan is very hot, pour in shoyu mix. Toss immediately and remove from heat.

Plate and serve while hot! Serve 2! (I will have leftover tomorrow :) )

Enjoy!

Aloha

India meets Hawaii - a vegan Island inspired Kheer

Yoga is an important part of my life. I have one of the most compassionate and kind teacher in the world!!! I have been studying with Momi for the last 10 years. Momi loves sweet and one of her all time favorite is Kheer (Indian rice pudding). I offered to make a dessert for her women’s yoga retreat in April. I wanted to come up with something vegan. Kheer is usually made with milk. I decide to replace milk with coconut milk, I also change the classic basmati rice to jasmine rice. It was a big hit! It’s also one my most request recipe. 

Vegan Coconut Kheer (rice pudding) with mango.

½ cups of jasmine rice

2 cups water

1 1lb bag of defrosted frozen coconut milk (about 1.5 cups) or 1 can of coconut milk (14 ozs)

1/3 cup sugar

1 large ripe mango, peeled, flesh removed and dice.

Dash of sea salt for garnish

Direction:

Wash the rice a few times, drain.

In a medium pot, boil rice with 2 cups of water till the rice is cooked and thickened.

 Add coconut milk to the rice mixture. Stir constantly, the pudding will stick at this point. 

Add sugar and stir till dissolved. 

Cook till the rice “flower” and to the thickness of porridge and coating the back of the spoon.

 Serve hot or cold in bowl. Garnish with 1 large Tbsp of mango. Top with a small dash of finishing salt. I use a black lava sea salt from Hawai’i. You can easy substitute with any finishing or coarse sea salt. I love the sweet/salty contrast

Aloha

Fiddleheads, Morels and ramps, now that’s Spring!!

I love vegetable, especially spring vegetable. I guess we have been deprived for freshness for 6 months. The sign of spring is one of those simple pleasures in life.

As I wait for my CSA to come in, I am picking up my vegetable from Wedge Coop for the interim. As expect, my favorite spring vegetables are in: fiddleheads, morel and ramps. They are beautiful.

Fiddlehead is one of those “funny” vegetables. Here is the official description of what they are: “Fiddleheads or Fiddlehead greens are the furled fronds of a young fern, harvested for use as a vegetable. Left on the plant, each fiddlehead would unroll into a new frond. As fiddleheads are harvested early in the black season before the frond has opened and reached its full height, they are cut fairly close to the ground.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddlehead_fern. 

These were from Maine.

Morels are expensive, but it’s worthy treat. They were $40 a pound today, but you don’t need a lot and they are also light. You can substitute this with crimini mushrooms or other wild mushrooms.

I want to preserve the freshness and the earthy taste of these wonderful treat. Here is a very simple one pan vegan dinner for my vegetarian friends.

Spring Fiddlehead and Morel stir-fried with ramp fried rice

• 1 cup fiddleheads.
• 1 cup small/med size morel
• 2 ramps
• 1 cup cooked rice. I use hapa rice: ½ Japanese short grain white rice, mix with ½ Japanese short grain brown rice.
• Ready-made fried onion
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp shoyu
• Dash of sesame oil
• Salt and pepper

Direction:

Trim the dark ends from the stems and soak the fiddleheads for about 15 mins. Swirl them around and rub off the thin flaskof chaff on the fern. Drain and raise.

Trim the morel and quarters.

Trim and chopped 2 ramps, set aside.

In a small saucepan, bring some water to a full bowl, sprinkle with sea salt. Blanch the fiddleheads for the about 5 mins. Drain and raise with coldwater in colander. Set asset. 

In a hot fry pan over high heat, add 1 tbsp olive oil. When the oil is hot, add morel. Saute for a couple of min. Season with salt and pepper

Add fiddleheads, cook for about 3-4 mins

Add 1 tbsp shoyu. Stir. Add a dash of sesame oil. Remove for the pan and set a side. Keep warm

In the same pan, over medium high heat, add remaining 2 tbsp olive oil. I don’t wash the pan, I want that taste of morel to transfer to the rice. Saute ramp till lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper.

 Add rice. Fry till heated thoroughly. Season with salt. Add a dash of sesame oil.

In a small ramekin, pack fried rice tightly.

Invert rice onto your serving plate on one side and spoon the fiddlehead and morel sauté on the other. Sprinkle with ready-made fried onion. This is one my favorite product that adds texture and flavor.

Dinner for 2 is served!! 

Aloha