Tag Archives: recipes

Homemade Chewy Ramen Noodles

Posted on by
5

ramen n

Homemade ramen – the adult (just better) version of that ten-cent package we used to subsist on in college.

Mongolians love their noodles. It is a staple food available in any grocery. Any Mongolian woman knows how to whip up a batch of noodles from scratch and cut them to perfection. I think nearby influences have brought in another version of a popular noodle – ramen. There are lots of tasty ramen shops around Ulaanbaatar. Some shops feature windows into the back where you can see highly skilled noodle makers tossing, spinning, stretching, and cutting dough by hand with a wizard’s touch.

I always liked ramen. But my ramen memories had always included that super-salty instant soup that I used to buy in my early college years. Both Jack and I have fond memories of throwing something into that soup to make it more healthful and more tasty. Now, I have been exposed to beautiful bowls of tasty, chewy ramen noodles swimming in flavorful broth and topped with hard boiled eggs, vegetables, and different meats. On a cold day in Ulaanbaatar, there is nothing more satisfying than a giant bowl of ramen.

Being an experienced pasta maker, I thought there was nothing to making ramen noodles. I even thought they were probably just spaghetti noodles. With that in mind, I made a batch of spaghetti and handed it over to Jack for the creation of soup. That didn’t work. Turns out, it isn’t that simple. The noodles got soggy and fell apart. My pasta-making ego was bruised. After a spell, I decided to give it a try again, this time armed with some research. What gives ramen noodles that necessary chewiness? After reading through a few websites, I decided to experiment. It seems that ramen noodles need something called an alkaline salt. One website cited that the origin of the noodles is from a place where the water has a high minerality which contributes to the texture. The most common ingredient for this alkaline salt is called kansui, which can be purchased in Chinatown. As there is no “Chinatown” in Ulaanbaatar, I needed to make my own. Thank goodness for the internet. A quick search revealed that kansui can be made at home by baking baking soda for an hour in a 250 degree F oven. Harold McGee of the New York Times explained baking the baking soda essentially changes the sodium bicarbonate into sodium carbonate which is an alkaline salt, that works perfectly in ramen noodle dough.

After a few experiments I learned that adding a little salt to the dough recipe made the noodles taste better. I never add salt to my regular pasta noodles. I also tried making noodles with all purpose flour and again with semolina flour. I happen to have a lot of semolina in my pantry right now. Turns out the noodle texture and flavor is similar with either flour, so I can say that those two flours are interchangable in this recipe.

With a successful recipe in the box, we are happily eating ramen that is 1,000 times better than the ramen both of us subjected ourselves to in college. Jack has been creating soup bases from broth, miso and even tomato juice. We’ve been adding pan fried meat like chicken or pork. Sauteed vegetables like eggplant and asparagus have entered the scene lately. Sometimes we amp up the spice by floating a bit of Cholula or Sweet Chili Sauce atop the whole dish. I’ve found that keeping portions of the noodles in ziptop bags in the freezer allows us to have the “instant meal” like the old days but with a fresh-made flavor.

Homemade Chewy Ramen Noodles

Ingredients

  • 1 cup hot water
  • 2 tbsp kansui
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 cups all purpose or semolina flour

Directions

  1. In a bowl, mix together water, kansui, and salt. Stir until salt is dissolved.
  2. Place flour in a large bowl.
  3. Make a well in the middle of the flour. Pour hot water mixture into the well.
  4. Using a fork, begin to blend the water and flour starting in the middle.
  5. Pull more flour in from the edge of bowl into the well in order to moisten all the flour. Continue to stir with the fork. The mixture should all look like scrambled eggs. There should not be any dry parts or really wet parts. If the mixture is too wet, add a little flour. If it is too dry, add a bit more water.
  6. When the whole mixture looks like the texture of scrambled eggs, knead it by hand until it is formed into a ball.
  7. Place ball into a ziptop bag, seal, and let rest for an hour.
  8. Divide dough into 8 pieces.
  9. Roll each piece through a pasta machine starting with largest setting (mine is 7). Keep running dough through the machine decreasing the setting by one each time.
  10. After some experimenting, I liked the texture and thickness rolled down through a 2 setting (second to smallest). Then, cut the pasta using the spaghetti cutter.
  11. Boil the noodles for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes to cook. They should be al dente. After cooking, drain them and immediately add them to your favorite broth.

Store-bought is easier, but homemade is tastier – Homemade Basil Pesto

Posted on by
Reply

pesto n

A bright, fresh taste that is missing in our store-bought favorite. Homemade pesto can’t be beat.

The combination of creamy pine nuts, salty parmesan cheese, bright and flavorful basil, spicy fresh garlic all combined to make a sauce that is simply magic. We douse our pasta in pesto, smear it on sandwiches, and swirl it into bread dough. We freeze big batches of basil when the leaves ripen in the summer and make fresh pesto all year long.

Homemade Pesto

Ingredients

  • 2 cups packed basil leaves (or frozen equivalent)
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/3 cup pine nuts
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Place basil, parmesan, pine nuts, and garlic cloves in blender, food processor, or nut chopper attachment of a stick blender. Give the mixture a couple of blitzes to chop the basil leaves.
  2. With the  machine running, drizzle olive oil into basil mixture.
  3. When all is chopped and nicely blended, salt and pepper to taste.

Reduced Guilt Cinnamon Rolls – Banana, Wheat and Pecans, Yum!

Posted on by
Reply

wheat banana cinnamon rolls n

A delicious and satisfying cinnamon roll – this reduced guilt version has more fiber from the whole wheat, natural sweetness and flavor from bananas, and a pecan crunch.

A few years ago, a friend graciously helped us out with taxi service for one of our 4 a.m. flights back to the bush. After dropping us off by the ticket counter, he disappeared and quickly reappeared laden with Cinnabon cinnamon rolls for all three of us. How sweet, right? Really, how sweet! I’ve always thought there must be a way to create a cinnamon roll with lots of flavor and sweetness, but not so much sweetness that when you’ve finished eating it, you feel gut-bombed. Sorry, Cinnabon. This banana-wheat creation did the trick. The dough gets moistness and flavor from smashed bananas. The swirl of banana slices, cinnamon, sugar and nuts give you that tasty, satisfying, fun unwrapping and unrolling experience that we expect from eating a cinnomon roll. And the drizzle of glaze on the top gives a sweet Pow you’d expect on traditional cinnamon rolls without overloading them. So, go ahead and enjoy a healthier version of this breakfast treat today!

Banana Wheat Pecan Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 tsp instant yeast
  • 1 cup milk (any kind of milk will work)
  • 8 tbsp unsalted butter, separated
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar, separated
  • pinch salt
  • 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana
  • 1/2 cup sliced bananas
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 chopped pecans

Directions

  1. Place yeast and 1 tbsp of granulated sugar in a large bowl.
  2. Warm milk and 2 tbsp butter to 105 degrees F (40 degrees C).
  3. Stir milk mixture into yeast mixture and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
  4. Mix in mashed banana and salt.
  5. Mix in flours, 1/2 cup at a time. Dough should be sticky.
  6. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface for another minute.
  7. Place dough in a bowl lightly coated with light oil, like canola. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm, draft free place until doubled in size, about an hour.
  8. Grease an 8×8 square pan (or equivalent round). Set aside.
  9. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a long rectangle which is about 1/4 inch thick (about 6 mm).
  10. Melt 4 tbsp butter. Mix in remaining sugar and cinnamon.
  11. Brush dough with butter mixture. Evenly sprinkle chopped pecans over dough. Evenly spread out banana slices over dough.
  12. Roll dough jelly-roll style. Make sure the seam side is down. Slice the dough log into 10 pieces with a serrated knife.
  13. Place cut pieces in the prepared pan. Brush the rolls with remaining melted butter. Sprinkle additional sugar and nuts on top, if desired.
  14. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and let rise again while you preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  15. Bake rolls for 25-35 minutes. They should be slightly golden brown.
  16. Let cool slightly and serve warm.
  17. These rolls are delicious without glaze. If you need a glaze, you can make one quickly by mixing 1 cup powdered sugar with a couple of tsp of milk (glaze should be consistency of honey). Drizzle glaze over rolls.

A Homemade Spice and Seasoning Mix – Better Than Doritos!

Posted on by
4

Dorito Spices n

A mix of spices and flavors that will remind you of those chips that maybe you should be avoiding.

Awhile ago, I was at a camp with 33 students. As much fun as that sounds like it might be, I ate an entire family-sized bag of Doritos at the end of the first day to de-stress. That was the strongest thing I could find. There is something about those chips that is ridiculously addictive. I really don’t know what it is. What I do know is that those chips are not good for me. And, a whole bag? I knew better than that. Even though I enjoyed every tasty chip, I immediately went into a salt coma after finishing that bag. As much as I enjoyed the flavor of Doritos, I have not touched them since. But the flavor…

Recently, I came across a popcorn recipe that featured a spice mix reminiscent of those terribly addictive chips. Jack and I love a good date night featuring a movie and popcorn.  After tinkering with the recipe (it is no longer vegan), I have come up with a keeper. I’ve used it on popcorn and enjoyed it on homemade oven-baked potato chips which we devoured.

Better Than Doritos Spice Mix

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 tbsp finely shredded parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Mix all ingredients.
  2. Use to taste on popcorn, fried potatoes, grilled corn, and anything you’d imagine.
  3. Store leftovers in an air-tight container.

Whole Wheat Pita – Our Go-To Weekly Bread

Posted on by
Reply

whole wheat pita n

Versatile, soft and tasty pita pockets perfect for so many things – sandwiches, mini pizzas, and anything else you can imagine.

These delicious little breads are quite literally better than sliced bread. We’ve stuffed them with hummus and cucumber. We’ve enjoyed them warm along with a hearty homemade soup. Just this morning, Jack made a breakfast pizzas with these delicious pitas as the base, topped with a hearty roasted tomato sauce, mozzarella and a perfectly poached egg. We’ve even had them smeared (to Jack’s chagrin) with peanut butter and jelly for a quick and easy lunch. They’re also great stuffed with cheese and salmon and toasted.

I’ve made pita bread before using only white flour. Jack and I really enjoy the pizza crusts I make with half and half wheat and white all purpose flour. I was confident the pita would also be enjoyable with the wheat and white mixture. The wheat does add some healthful fiber, but it also adds a nice flavor and a little heartier texture. We enjoy this bread so much, I make a batch every weekend. I freeze the extra pitas and thaw them as I need them throughout the week. The thawed bread tastes like it just came out of the oven. Perfect!

Whole Wheat Pita Bread

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1 1/4 cups warm water
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (plus extra for coating the bowl)
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 tsp salt

Directions

  1. Stir together yeast, honey and warm water in a large bowl. Let stand about 5 minutes. Mixture should become foamy indicating the yeast is good.
  2. Stir in olive oil.
  3. Whisk in 1/2 cup of all purpose flour and 1/2 cup whole wheat flour. Mix until smooth.
  4. Stir in another 1/2 cup of all purpose flour, 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and salt.
  5. Knead in last 1/2 cups of flours until dough is smooth and elastic.
  6. Form dough into a ball and set in a clean, oil-coated bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm, draft-free place. Let rise until doubled, about an hour.
  7. Punch dough down and cut into 10 equal pieces.
  8. Form each piece into a ball. Flatten and roll out into about 5 – 6 inch rounds.
  9. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
  10. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place baking sheet in center of oven while oven preheats.
  11. Place two pitas on baking sheet and bake for 3 minutes. Flip and continue to bake for 2 minutes.
  12. Cool baked pitas on a cooling rack and cover with a clean kitchen towel.
  13. Repeat with remaining pitas.
  14. Serve warm or store in zip top bags in the freezer.

Honey Wheat Oat Banana Pancakes – Recipe for a Great Morning

Posted on by
4

pancakes oat wheat banana n

Good morning Ulaanbaatar! A stack of moist, flavorful pancakes topped with real maple syrup and we’re ready for anything the day has to offer. 

Boring oatmeal for breakfast? No way! One bite and you will forget how healthful these pancakes are. This may become your go-to pancake recipe. It is now ours!

Honey Wheat Oat Banana Pancakes

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 ripened banana, mashed
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • pinch mace or grated nutmeg
  • pinch salt
  • chopped nuts for garnish

Directions

  1. Chop oats finely by using a blender or a nut chopper.
  2. In a medium bowl, soak oats in buttermilk for 10 minutes.
  3. Mix egg, banana, butter and honey into oat mixture.
  4. Mix flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, mace and salt into oat mixture.
  5. Heat pan over medium heat.
  6. Lightly oil pan.
  7. Pour 1/4 cup of batter onto pan. Cook until bubbles appear on surface, then flip. Continue cooking for another minute until pancake is golden brown.
  8. Serve warm with maple syrup and garnish with nuts.

The Joy of Almonds and Coconut

Posted on by
Reply

Coconut almond chocolate bar n

No oven needed to make these tasty treats. We made them in the freezer… and ate them frosty cold!

I’ve been experimenting with coconut oil and came across a recipe at detoxinista.com for a “candy bar” using coconut oil and some other favorite ingredients I had on hand. If you are looking for a gluten free, vegan sweet, this is a terrific recipe. For a second version, I chopped up some maraschino cherries I had on hand and added another layer atop the coconut for added flavor and visual pizzaz. This is an easy and versatile recipe.

No Bake Almond Coconut Sweet Bars

Ingredients

Bottom layer:

  • 1 cup pulverized raw almonds (I used the nut chopper attachment for my stick blender)
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp melted coconut oil
  • pinch salt

Middle layer:

  • 1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
  • 1 tbsp water

Top layer:

  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
  • 2 tbsp pure maple syrup

Directions

  1. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
  2. Mix bottom layer ingredients together until well incorporated.
  3. Spread bottom layer mixture evenly on base of loaf pan.
  4. Mix middle layer ingredients together until well incorporated.
  5. Spread middle layer mixture evenly atop bottom layer.
  6. Mix top layer ingredients together until well incorporated.
  7. Pour top layer mixture over middle layer and spread to evenly cover.
  8. Place in freezer to set, about an hour.
  9. When set, pull bars out with parchment paper and place on cutting board. Cut into pieces.
  10. Serve immediately.
  11. Store in air tight container in freezer.

Don’t Throw Out Your Broccoli Stems! Delicious Broccoli Potato Soup

Posted on by
Reply

broccoli potato soup n

Creamy, delicious and packed with flavor, this soup puts to tasty use something people tend to throw out – broccoli stems! 

In our kitchen, we try to get the most out of everything. We roast whole chickens and crack the bones for chicken stock. The fish we catch get picked clean to the bones. The vegetable odds and ends a lot of cooking show hosts scrape off cutting boards into into the trash end up in soups and other dishes. Having read that banana peels are edible, we gave them a go last summer. (Edible, perhaps; palatable, not.) For some reason, I grew up thinking that the only part of broccoli that people are supposed to eat are the florets. When I began to cook as an adult, a friend introduced me to a recipe with stir-fried broccoli stems. Delicious. Even before we met, Jack had been combining stems, garlic and chicken stock to make a tasty, nutritious soup as well as slicing the stems thin and adding them to stir-fries.

With a sunny high of 5° F here in Ulaanbaatar, this day called for a hot bowl of homemade soup. The tough outer layer of the broccoli stems do have to be peeled away, but it’s worth the effort. (I use a vegetable peeler for this.) Once you’ve removed this fibrous outer layer, you’re left with a tender, flavorful vegetable that can be sautéed and added to pasta dishes or puréed and served in soup, as is the case here.

Broccoli Stem Potato Soup

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 3 cups chopped potatoes
  • 3 cups peeled and chopped broccoli stems
  • generous pinch dried thyme
  • generous pinch salt
  • 4 cups broth (beef, chicken, or vegetable)
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream
  • freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • toppings – Cholula hot sauce, parmesan cheese

Directions

  1. Sauté onions for a couple of minutes until they begin to be translucent.
  2. Add garlic to onions and continue to sauté for a couple of more minutes.
  3. Add potatoes, broccoli, thyme, salt, and broth.
  4. Bring mixture to a simmer. Continue to simmer until broccoli and potatoes are fork tender, about 15 minutes.
  5. Purée soup with a stick blender, or in batches in a regular blender.
  6. Serve hot topped with splashes of Cholula hot sauce and some shavings of parmesan cheese.

Homemade Rye Crackers with Chickpea and White Bean Hummus

Posted on by
4

rye crackers and hummus n

We can’t wait for lunch this week! Creamy and smooth garlicky hummus smeared on homemade savory rye crackers. Hurry up, Monday!

Instead of making bread to go with our lunches this week, I opted for homemade crackers. My last attempts at cheese crackers (see this link) were highly successful and ridiculously addictive. Maybe that’s why I’ve stayed away from them for awhile. I had some rye flour left from my Swiss Farmer’s bread recipe. The mix of rye flour and caraway seeds are always a winning combination. These crackers are also flavored with garlic, onion, and a bit of salt.

To go with these delicious crackers, I made a hummus with the ingredients I had on hand. I find that the canned white beans add a nice smooth texture like tahini, but do not have the sharp flavor of tahini. What I like best about this hummus is the zing of the cumin and garlic.

Join me for lunch this week? Here are the recipes for both the crackers and the hummus.

Homemade Rye Crackers

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rye flour
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp caraway seeds
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/3 cup canola oil
  • 2/3 cup water (as needed)

Directions

  1. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
  2. Combine first six ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
  3. With a fork, stir in canola oil.
  4. Continue to stir with fork and add water by tablespoons. Dough will come together into ball.
  5. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.
  6. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
  7. Divide dough into 4 pieces.
  8. Roll out dough, one piece at a time, until it is about 1/8 inch thick (3 cm).
  9. Cut rolled dough into serving-sized pieces. Prick each cracker several times with a fork.
  10. Place crackers on parchment-covered baking sheet.
  11. Bake crackers for 12 minutes. They will be lightly browned on edges when done.
  12. Allow to cool completely on wire racks.

 

Chickpea and White Bean Hummus

Ingredients

  • 1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans
  • 1 15 oz. can white beans
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • a few dashes hot sauce, we like Cholula
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • pepper

Directions

  1. Rinse and drain beans.
  2. Combine beans, lemon, cumin, garlic, hot sauce, salt and half of the olive oil. Place combination in bowl of a food processor in a regular bowl with stick blender at the ready.
  3.  Process mixture until smooth, adding more olive oil in order to reach desired consistency.
  4. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a crack of black pepper.

Chocolate Chip Strawberry Oat Bran Nutty Muffins

Posted on by
Reply

muffins oat chocolate strawberry nut n

These moist and flavorful muffins packed with beautiful strawberries and speckles of chocolate will start your day off with a guiltless smile and maybe even a happy dance.

Every now and again, I come across a product that I love. I’ve become a huge fan of Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat pastry flour. If you follow this blog, you’ll know we love cooking. But you’ve probably noticed that we are obsessed with baking. Ok, the obsessed baker is actually Barbra. In Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, finding unique and interesting products to cook and bake with is kind of a scavenger hunt. A couple of weeks ago, I checked the “specialty” food section at one of our stops on our regular shopping rounds. I noticed a bag of Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat pastry flour. The packaging boasted that it is “America’s best baking flour.” The words “biscuits, muffins, pie crusts, and pancakes” were in large print to catch the’ attention of bakers. Nice job, marketing department. Hooked me!

I purchased a three-pound bag and began experimenting. Increasingly, I’ve been reading about replacing all-purpose flour with whole wheat – or at least replacing some of the white flour with whole wheat. What I’ve noticed with Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat pastry flour is that it is very light – not even making a noticeable difference when I tried out recipes with half wheat and half white flour. I wanted the wheat benefits without the heavy “wheat” feeling in my baked goods. Today I tried substituting all the white flour called for in my muffin recipe with the whole wheat pastry flour. The results? Delicious! There was definitely a wheat flavor which was nicely balanced with the oat bran.

This recipe is a great base. The fruits and nuts could be substituted with any kind of fruits and nuts. If you don’t want the chocolate chips, simply omit them. These muffins are not overly sweet. In this case, I liked the little bits of chocolate which complemented the unsweetened frozen strawberries.

Chocolate Chip Strawberry Oat Bran Nutty Muffins

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups oat bran
  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • pinch salt
  • 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups applesauce
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped strawberries (fresh or frozen)

Directions

  1. Grease 16 regular-sized muffin cups. I used a 12-muffin tin and a 6-muffin tin and only greased 4 of the 6 in the smaller tin.
  2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together oat bran, pastry flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
  4. Stir chocolate chips into flour mixture. Set aside.
  5. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until well blended.
  6. Mix applesauce and vanilla into egg mixture.
  7. Mix egg mixture into flour mixture.
  8. Fold pecans into dough.
  9. Fold strawberries into dough.
  10. Using an ice cream scoop, place scoopfuls of dough into each muffin section of the muffin tins.
  11. Bake muffins for 15 minutes. An inserted toothpick should come out clean when muffins are done.
  12. Let cool in tin on wire rack for about 5 minutes before removing from tin.