Roasted Cauliflower

Tried this with the garlic powder and next time would like to try it without (for my allium sensitivity, not that it didn't taste delicious).

• 1 head of cauliflower
• 2 T olive oil
• 3 T butter, melted (original was only 2 T but I had a big head of cauliflower)
• [1/2 t garlic powder]
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 t paprika
• 1/4 t pepper

1. Preheat oven to 200C.
2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Break off cauliflower into pieces, slicing the larger ones in half if necessary to make them fairly even and bite-sized.
4. Place on sheet and drizzle with oil and butter. Toss to combine.
5. Combine the seasoning and then sprinkle on. Toss again.
6. Spread evenly and bake at 200C convection (or 425F regular) for 15-20 min until desired tenderness/crispiness.

Gan Bian Si Ji Dou

DBD started liking this dish last year. This is my second attempt at making it. Still needs improving, but ok as is.

• vegetable oil
• green beans (400-500 g)
• salt
• 115 g pork
• 1/4 t sichuan peppercorns
• 3 dried chilis
• +3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 t ginger, minced
• 1 T shaoxing wine
• 1 T soy sauce
• splash dark soy sauce (optional)
• ~1 t sugar

1. Wash beans. Break off rough end. Dry thoroughly.
2. Heat 1 T oil on medium-high in large skillet. Layer beans, without overlap, and fry for 6-8 minutes, flipping every 15-20 seconds. Beans should start to brown and wither. If pan starts to smoke, turn down heat to medium. Move to plate.
3. Add pork and sichuan peppers to empty pan and cook until surface of pork is cooked.
4. Add the chilis, garlic and ginger. Stir until aromatic.
5. Add the beans, and stir for a few seconds.
6. Add the remaining ingredients (wine, soy(s), sugar). Stir until beans absorb sauce, about 1-2 minutes.
7. Salt to taste.

Chinese Cabbage

My mom made this dish constantly when I was growing up and I hated it. But I always had to have a few bites. It seemed like we had it every other day. The crunchy pieces and the leafy pieces were equally bad to me. As I got older, it was a tolerated dish, with the crunchy pieces being easier to eat. Fast forward many decades and I haven't had this dish in ages. I found xia-mi (tiny dried shrimp) in the local asian store and tried to give this a go, using an internet recipe. (Couldn't get the recipe from my mom because she no longer believes in using xia-mi.) Thoroughly enjoyed it. Ginger was quite strong and I would try without the scallions next time.

• 1 chinese cabbage
• 2 T dried shrimp (xia-mi)
• 2 T oil
• 4 scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces (I don't think my mom's recipe used this)
• 1" ginger, peeled and grated (nor this)
• 1 T soy sauce
• 1 T cold water
• 2 t cornstarch
• 1 t salt
• 1/2 t white pepper

1. Place xia-mi in small bowl and cover with boiling water to rehydrate for 15-30 min.
2. Split the cabbage in half lengthwise. Rinse it and shake it dry. Cut out the core and discard. 
3. Cut the cabbage into 1 inch pieces and separate into 2 bowls - one for leafy bits, one for thick white pieces.
4. Drain the shrimp.
5. In large skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add scallions, ginger, and xiami. Toss until fragrant, about 1 min.
6. Add the thick cabbage pieces and lower heat to medium high. Cook for 3-4 min until edges start to look slightly translucent but center is still opaque white.
7. Reduce heat to medium low and add leafy pieces. Cook until wilted, about 2 min.
8. Make cornstarch slurry: combine soy, water, cornstarch in small bowl. Pour over cabbage and cook until sauce has thickened.
9. Season with salt and pepper.

Dal Saag - Spinach Dahl

Quick and delicious. 1/2 c of dahl doesn't look like much but it expands quite a bit. Based on original recipe but left out onions and missing spices.

• 1/2 c moong dal (the quickest cooking one that doesn't require soaking, and easiest to digest, but other dahls can be substituted if soaked)
• 1 c water
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped (90g, 3/4 c) [omitted]
• 1-4 cloves garlic
• 1 roma tomato, chopped
• 1 c baby spinach (8 oz/227 g)
• 1/4 t turmeric (did not use)
• salt
• 2 t ghee, melted
• 1/4 t cumin seeds
• 1/2 t mustard seeds (did not have)
• pinch of asofoetida
• 1-4 dried chillis

1. Rinse the dahl until water is no longer cloudy. Fill bowl halfway with water and swish with fingers.
2. Heat oil in pan. If using onion, saute 2 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant. Add the tomatoes and optional dried chilis, plus 1/2 t salt. Tomatoes should soften and release juices. About 1-2 min.
3. Add the washed dal, water (and turmeric). Layer the spinach on top. Cover with lid. Cook for 30 min. Dal should be cooked through and mushy to the touch. Use a wooden spoon to stir until the dish becomes creamy. Add 1/2 t salt (or to taste). 
4. In separate saucepan, melt ghee. Add mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add the cumin, asofoetida, and 1-2 dried chilis. After a few seconds, cumin seeds should dance. Pour this spice tadka over the dal. 
5. Serve with rice. 

Cong You Mian

HM made this for us and it was beyond delicious. I wanted to try my hand at it but it did not come out nearly as well, so I will have to play with it. I used olive oil instead of cooking oil and the noodles were from Amazing Oriental and weren't just flour and water (they had sugar and other ingredients in them). The cong were very big (how does that change the flavor?). Or perhaps I didn't use enough noodles, as they came out very dark. The cong you (scallion oil) flavor was not as strong in mine - perhaps I didn't cook them long enough.

• 
  4 T cooking oil
• 5 stalks scallions, cut into long sections (about 50 g)
• 2 T soy sauce
• 2 T dark soy sauce
• 2 t sugar
• 400 g dried thin, round noodles

1. Pour oil in wok. Add white parts of scallions. Simmer over medium low heat until they wrinkle. Add the green part. Continue to cook until they turn brown, about 10 min. Remove scallions.
2. Add soy sauces and sugar. Cook until the sauce starts to bubble. Remove from heat.
3. Cook the noodles. Drain and rinse briefly. 
4. Put noodles in oil and stir to evenly coat. 
5. Portion out to 4 serving bowls. Top with the fried spring onion and optional cooked vegetables.  

Brown Eggs

I grew up helping my mom peel eggs to make this dish but I never paid attention to how she made the broth. Even as an adult she would make it for me when she visited. Because of the pandemic visits have come to a halt. So since I made beef shanks I used the broth to make the eggs for the first time in my life. Now that the BDs like hard boiled eggs, they enjoy these too.
Jan '23 XBD loves this dish.

• 8-12 eggs (whatever fits in the pot)
  
• leftover braising liquid (from braised beef shank, brown chicken, or braised pork)

1. Add eggs to pot in single layer. Add cold water
1. Gas stove: bring to boil
2. Induction stove: use power mode to bring to boil and then continue to boil at reduced heat for 3 min
2. Cover pot and turn off heat. Wait 7 minutes (up to 9 for gas stove, and depending on size of eggs).
3. Immediately drain to prevent further cooking (which leads to stinky, green layer on yolk) and run cold tap water over the eggs. Let cool in cold water bath (optionally with ice cubes).
4. Once cooled, peel the eggs. Place each egg in broth.
5. Soak overnight in fridge. They will get darker and soak up more broth the longer they sit.
6. Enjoy as snack, sliced or as accompaniment to a noodle soup or rice dish.

White Pickled Daikon

This is a quick pickle of daikon that leaves it white, NOT the luo buo gan recipe that leaves it brown and takes longer to make. I tried a random recipe and it had sugar-vinegar ratio opposite to what I expected. So it came out very sweet. I think it could be adjusted to tone down the sugar and increase the tartness. But it was very easy to make - crunchy and delicious.

• 
  1/2 large daikon, peeled (~500 g) 
  
• 1/2 c sugar (try reducing this next time)
• 1 T salt
• 1 T vinegar (try increasing this next time)

1. Cut the daikon in quarters lengthwise. Then slice to desired thickness.
2. Place in a large ziploc and add the remaining ingredients.
3. Massage for a few minutes.
4. Transfer to airtight container, like a leftover pasta sauce jar. Keep in fridge for 24 hours minimum. Flavor will continue to develop the longer it sits.

Cornbread

 I made a big tray for a bbq at the park. It disappeared quickly.

• 1 c cornmeal
• 3 c flour
• 1 c sugar
• 2 T baking powder
• 1 t salt
• 2/3 c canola oil
• 1/3 c butter, melted
• 2 T honey
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2.5 c lactose-free milk

1. Butter a 9x13 baking dish/tray.
2. In a large bowl mix the dry ingredients.
3. Pour in the wet ingredients and stir until moistened.
4. Pour into baking dish and bake at 350F for 45-50 minutes, or until cracks appear and golden in color.
5. Let cool. Serve warm, cooled, with butter, or as a side.

Chilled Braised Bamboo

I love the texture of bamboo. I enjoy them chilled as a side dish or in a thai curry. I feel like I could eat 2 cups of it one sitting. I've avoided cooking it for a long time because the canned stuff has such a weird taste that even boiling doesn't get rid of it. But I recently found a source shrink wrapped instead of canned and it doesn't suffer from the weird taste problem. But now I need to find the perfect marinade/braising technique for making it Chinese style. This was my first attempt and good enough to enjoy, but I think it could still use improving. I can't find dark soy sauce anywhere so perhaps this was the missing ingredient.

• 2 t minced garlic
• 1 T olive oil
• bamboo, sliced thin and cut into rectangles
• 2 T soy sauce
• [didn't use: 1 t dark soy sauce]
• 1 t sugar
• 1/4 t salt
• 200 ml water
• 1 t sesame oil

1. Heat oil in pan and add garlic. Stir and saute for 2-3 min until lightly browned.
2. Add the bamboo and stir.
3. Add the soy sauces, sugar and salt. Cook for another 3 min.
4. Add the water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and cover. Let simmer for 20 min.
5. Stir in the sesame oil for 1 minute.
6. Remove from heat and transfer to bowl to cool. Refrigerate and serve chilled. In a rush, eat warm instead.

Recipe #2

• 2 c water
• 1/2 c teriyaki marinade
• 1/4 c sake
• 1 T soy sauce
• 2 T dry sherry
• 1 dry shitaake mushroom

Zucchini Feta Patties

The ground quinoa and walnuts in place of breadcrumbs intrigued me. I used a tiny sprig of French tarragon, and then added dried rosemary which is when I discovered the jar of dried tarragon. The combination was very tasty! XP had a few bites of each but wasn't overly enthralled (I did sell them to her as "cakes").

• 1/2 c uncooked quinoa
• 1/4 c chopped walnuts
• 2 zucchini (medium sized, about 4.5 c)
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 t minced garlic
• 3 T fresh tarragon (or parsley or rosemary)
• 1/2 t black pepper
• 1/4 t salt
• 3 oz feta (~2/3 c)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 T olive oil

1. Place quinoa in mini food processor and pulse for 1 min until finely ground.
2. Add walnuts and process until smooth.
3. Grate zucchini. Sprinkle with 1/4 t salt. Toss well. Place in strainer and let drain for 10 minutes.
4. Combine zucchini, garlic, parsley, pepper, 1/4 t salt, cheese, and eggs. 
5. Sprinkle quinoa mixture over mixture. Stir well.
6. Grease the pan with 1 T oil. Add four 1/4c-1/3c mounds of batter, flattening to 3" cakes. Cook ~4 min on each side until browned. Repeat for remaining batches batch.
7. Serve immediately.

Steamed Veggies Plus

Been steaming a lot since buying the metal insert steamer. Has been a lifesaver in Baby Led Weaning and increased my own veggie intake and simplified preparation. Put the longer cooking ones on the bottom and add ones that take less cooking as time goes on.

1-2 min
spinach/bok choy
5 min
frozen peas
5-10 min
Broccoli/Cauliflower
frozen okra
10 min
Green beans (frozen or fresh)
Asparagus
15 min
Carrots
Corn on the cob
Pumpkin/Squash
20-25 min
Yams
20-30 min
Potatoes

B bought salmon fillets and steamed them - oh so good. So much more tender. Important NOT to salt them beforehand (which would dry them out). 3 minutes for thin part, 9-10 min for thick part.

Lentil Cheese Wedges

Based on recipe from Baby Led Weaning Cookbook (this version leaves out the onions). Very easy to make and pretty tasty from the herb mixture.  MM said needed salt but I thought it was fine. Need to cut into thinner fingers for baby to prevent gagging.

• 1 c red lentils, rinsed
• 2 c water
• 3/4 c grated cheese (I used cheddar blend)
• 1 egg, beaten [better with 2 eggs]
• 1/2 c breadcrumbs [or dried coconut]
• 1 t herbs (whatever you have. I used oregano, basil, parsley, thyme, ...)
• black pepper

1. Put lentils and water in small pot. Bring to boil. Cover and simmer for 10-15 min, occasionally skimming off froth as needed.
2. DRAIN and place in large bowl.
3. Add cheese, breadcrumbs, spices and egg. Mix thoroughly.
4. Spread in greased 9" cake pan.
5. Bake 375 for 30 min.
6. Serve warm or cold.

Notes

Have made this many times since, including:

• Indian style: using cumin, turmeric, chili, curry powder. 
• Used dried coconut instead of bread crumbs to make it gluten-free
• Forgetting to drain the lentils - very moist (better to drain it)
• Double the egg
• Less cheese, different cheeses (cheddar, mozzarella, etc)
• Add grated carrot

Adults eat it up - especially those from Oz.

Spinach side dish

Whipped this up in no time.

• 1 package frozen spinach, nuked for 2 min to defrost a bit
• 2 T chopped garlic
• 1 inch ginger, chopped
• 1 t cumin (ran out of whole cumin)
• canola oil
• 1 t turmeric
• 1 t ground coriander
• 2 t tomato sauce (original: puree)
• 2 T slow-cooker-dahl

1. Heat garlic, ginger and cumin in oil over medium heat.
2. Add spinach and turmeric. Stir for 5 minutes.
3. Add coriander, tomato sauce and slow-cooker-dahl. Cook for 10 minutes.
4. Salt to taste.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

First time I had brussel sprouts was at G's house - fresh from her garden. Delicious! I had no idea why there were the dreaded vegetable of commercials. They're everywhere at the markets now so I finally bought some. Not as good as garden grown, but still tasty.

• 2 handfuls of brussel sprouts (or however many you want to eat)
• butter
• sea salt
• pepper
• garlic cloves (to taste, I did 2)

1. Chop off stem of brussel sprouts. Optional: Cut in half.
2. Place in baking dish (cut half down unless you like them dry).
3. Dot with butter. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.
4. Cut garlic in half. Place in dish.
5. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes or until desired tenderness. It's ok if the outer layer goes black - the inside will still be tender.

Millet Salad w/ Cranberries

Another gluten-free side dish. Based on this one.

• 1 c millet
• 2 c water, boiling
• 1 c frozen peas, defrosted
• 1/4 c walnuts, chopped
• 1/4 c green onions, sliced
• 1/4 c balsamic vinegar
• 1.5 T olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper

1. Toast millet over medium heat until it starts popping and smells fragrant.
2. Add water and cover. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes until water is absorbed and millet is cooked through.
3. Fluff with fork.
4. In a medium bowl, combine cooked millet, dried cranberries, green beans, walnuts, and green onions until well mixed. 
5. In a small bowl, whisk the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and garlic until well blended. 
6. Pour over the millet mixture. Toss until well blended.
7. Chill until ready to serve.

Variations
Use green beans instead of peas.
Use quinoa instead of millet.

Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad

Just put this together and it's chilling now for tomorrow's consumption. I detest celery so this salad uses apple in place to get a similar crunch.

• 6 chicken breasts
• 1 t salt
• 3 T white part of scallions
• ~1/3 c mayo
• ~1/3 c yogurt
• 2 t italian seasoning
• 1 c walnuts, toasted
• 1 apple, peeled and chopped
• 1.5 c craisins
• 4 T lemon juice
• salt & pepper

1. In a large bowl, combine 1 quart of water with 1 t salt. Place chicken breasts in bowl and let sit in brine for 10 minutes.
2. In a shallow pan, heat water to a simmer. Add chicken breasts and cook for 12 minutes or until done.
3. Remove the chicken and cool on plate.
4. In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients.
5. Chop chicken into 1/2" cubes. Add to bowl and toss. 
6. Refrigerate.
7. Serve on lettuce, in tomato cups, or with sliced bread.

Variations

• Use shallots instead of scallions.
• Add curry powder.
• Use fresh tarragon.
• Use white or red wine vinegar, orange juice or champagne instead of lemon juice.
• Add diced red onion.
• Top with freshly chopped herbs (tarragon, chives, green onions, etc).
• Instead of the apple, use celery, carrot, chopped green beans, water chestnut, or cucumber for similar texture.

Take #2

This turned out a lot better - in texture, color and taste.

• 6 chicken breasts
• coarse salt + chicken broth
• 2 small carrots
• 1 tiny cucumber
• ~1/2 c chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1 apple, diced and covered with lemon juice to prevent browning
• 2 green onions, chopped
• chives, chopped
• ~1/2 c yogurt
• ~1/2 c sour cream
• seasoning: oregano, basil, tarragon, parsley
• lemon juice
• 1/2 c craisins

Take #3

6/21/15 Made a giant batch. The chicken breasts were the ginormous kind so used just the 4 in the package. Had to boil them for closer to 20 minutes because they were so thick in parts.

4 giant chicken breasts

1 T salt + water = brine

2 carrots

3 mini cucumbers

1 apple

~1/3 c yogurt

~1/3 c mayo

1/2 c chopped walnuts

lime juice

1/2 c craisins

oregano, parsley, tarragon

Deviled Eggs

I'm not sure I've ever eaten deviled eggs, so I wasn't sure what this was supposed to taste like. When I was making the yolk mixture I couldn't taste the 1 t of mustard so I added the rest of the jar (maybe another 1 t). To some the mustard had a good kick, and to others it was overpowering.

• 6 eggs
• 1-2 t dijon mustard
• 1-3 T mayo
• salt
• pepper
• garlic powder
• paprika

1. Place eggs in deep pot. Add cold water so eggs are covered by at least 1" of water. Heat to boiling. Immediately cover and turn off the heat. Let sit for 10-15 minutes. Put eggs in small container and run cold water over eggs until cooled. Dry the eggs and place them in a covered container in the fridge to cool for at least 2 hours.
2. Peel the eggs. Cut in half. Set whites on plate. Put yolks in a bowl.
3. Mash up the yolks. Add 1 t mustard. Add mayo, 1 T at a time until desired consistency. Add additional mustard if desired. Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
4. Place in piping bag and pipe back into egg whites.
5. Sprinkle with paprika.
6. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Variations

• Instead of garlic powder, use a minced clove of garlic or horseradish.
• Add something green: minced green onions, chives, cilantro or parsley.
• Use a curry base instead of mustard.

1 clove garlic
2 serrano chiles, seeded and minced
1/2 c mayo
1 t fresh lemon juice
2 t dried mustard powder
1/4 t cayenne powder
1/4 t pure chile powder
1/4 t paprika
1/2 t salt
1 t chopped cilantro
1 t chopped chives

Baked Mashed Potatoes

I love hash browns but instead of frying potatoes I wanted to serve something that was baked. Use this as a  potato side option.

• 4 c mashed potatoes (w/ butter, salt, pepper and milk)
• 1/2 c diced onions
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• oil
• 3/4 - 1.5 c cheddar cheese, grated
• salt and pepper

1.  Heat oil in pan. Saute onions and bell pepper until tender.
2. Stir into mashed potatoes.
3. Add cheese to taste (about half a cup).
4. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed (If the cheese is salty, you won't need to).
5. Spread evenly in 8x8 dish.
6. Cover with remaining grated cheese.
7. Bake at 180C uncovered 25 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Variations

• Add sliced green onions and/or bacon.
• Add eggs - yolks with the potatoes and stiffened egg whites at the last step to make the potatoes lighter.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Another portion of the sweet potatoes went towards making biscuits. Most biscuit recipes don't have an egg in them, but there are a handful that do. I tried the egg-less version with a smidgen of milk.

• 2 c flour
• 1 T powder
• 1 t salt
• 2 t sugar
• 4-6 T butter, cold
  
• 1 c sweet potatoes, mashed
• milk

1. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Cut the butter into the bowl. Use hands to mix until butter is in pea size pieces.
3. Add potatoes and enough milk to hold the dough together. Do not overmix!
4. Put on lightly floured surface and spread to about half-inch thickness. Use 2"-2.5" cup to cut biscuits.
5. Place on ungreased sheet. [Note: you can freeze them at this point, covered tightly in plastic wrap.]
   
6. Bake 230C for 15-20 min or until golden brown.
   
7. Let cool 15 min before eating.

Variations

• Use brown sugar instead of white.
• Add cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg for a twist.

Notes

• Made 13 biscuits.
• Cook in mini-oven above center.
  

Spicy Indian Cauliflower

Made rice with dahl and had this as a side vege. Delicious.

• 2-3 T oil
• pinch of mustard seed
• few dashes of cumin
• 2 t ginger, minced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• half an onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 t ground turmeric
• 1 head cauliflower, divided into bite size pieces
• spicy powder (red chili, red pepper, paprika)
• salt and pepper

1. Heat oil in pan. Add mustard seeds.
2. When mustard begins to pop, add cumin, ginger, garlic and onion. Stir fry until onions are golden (at too high of a heat they will burn).
3. Add turmeric and cauliflower. Stir to coat.
4. Add 1/4 c water, chili, salt and pepper. Cover.
5. Let cook until desired texture, stirring occasionally.