Baked Beans and an annoying, whiny 5-year-old

My favorite food in the whole wide world used to be baked beans. My mom says that in kindergarten I was supposed to draw a picture of my 3 favorite foods, and I came home with a drawing of 3 brown blobs. My mom asked me what the blobs were and I said, "Baked beans, hamburgers and chocolate!" Duhhhhhh, Mom. 
But my exposure to baked beans has really only been to the canned variety. I was particularly a fan of B&M. We used to drive past a B&M factory on our way to Maine every summer (I believe it's since closed down) and I would pretty much drool.

Baked beans are no longer my favorite food. Hamburgers and chocolate have been knocked off the top tiers, as well. Of course that doesn't mean I still don't enjoy them; my taste buds have just matured to appreciate things that my 5-year-old self would stick her boogery nose up at. 5-year-old Mo would roll her eyes at being told that her nickname would be Carrot Girl in 6th grade. And she'd probably cry to know that people call her Mo now. But that's a boyyyyy's naaaaaaaaame!

5-year-old Mo wouldn't like these baked beans one bit. They're not sweet enough, she'd say. I don't like onions! Where's the baaaaaaaaconnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn?

My current self agrees with my younger self that this stuff could use a little bacon, but I feel it does quite fine without it. Little Mo is picky, picky, picky. Am noooooooooooooooooooot! And whiny.

I got this recipe from Moosewood. I had checked another Moosewood cookbook out ages ago and written down a recipe for baked beans that sounded absolutely delicious, and then I returned the book to the library. As luck would have it,  I can't find the recipe for the life of me and just cleaned my room and am not about to tear it apart again looking for it. Better yet, the library from which I checked the book out is now undergoing construction and the internet didn't have it. So I found another recipe in one of our 4 other Moosewood cookbooks. It's not the same, but I trust Mollie with my tongue so I made it.

The recipe calls for 3 cups dried beans, which then you actually cook. However, I decided to be all frugal a couple weeks ago and cook up the TONS of dried beans we have. The bag below is some sort of white bean. Navy? I honestly don't know. The beans themselves are actually considerably older than I am, and the bags just said "white beans". So yeah, I just cooked them up, let them drain a bit and then froze them. And in case you're wondering, yes it took a very very very long time for the beans to cook.
Moving on, I estimated that 3 cups of dried would make about 9 cups of cooked beans, which ended up being this whole bag.

If you're not the type to make huge batches of beans to freeze, then soak 3 cups of dried white or pinto beans in water in 4 hours, then cook them in that water and drain off any excess. Then you may proceed with ze recipe.

"Tart and Tangy Baked Beans"
(Recipe adapted by Mo from Moosewood Cookbook: New Revised Edition)

2 tbsp oil of choice
A pinch of asafoetida (optional, but makes beans less of a magical fruit if you catch my drift)
4 cups chopped onion
1.5 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin powder
1.5 tsp dried mustard powder
6-8 medium cloves of garlic, pressed
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1.25 cups water
9 cups cooked white or pinto beans
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
Lots of black pepper
Crushed red pepper to taste (I forgot this)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
12 oz (2 small cans) tomato paste (only ingredient should be tomatoes)
1/4-1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4-1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
You forgot the bacon! :(


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.


Heat oil in a large dutch oven over high or otherwise oven-proof pot, then add the asafoetida and onions. Sauté for a couple of minutes, then add the spices. Let that cook for a couple more minutes, then add the garlic, turning the heat down to medium. Cook for a couple more minutes. At this point there should be a crust at the bottom of the pot, but it should not be burnt and gross. 5-year-old and 16-year-old Mos alike do not like burnt stuff. Deglaze with the cider vinegar and water and kill the heat. Add the rest of the ingredients and the baaaaacon and mix well. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Then take the foil off and bake for 20 more minutes. Serve with bacon! as you like. This goes really well with greens. And bacon. :(

The verdict:

Euuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh!

Just kidding. These are really good. They're slightly reminiscent of the canned variety and all that, but it's got a different flavor to it. I really like it. Bacon or no bacon.


(Note: if you knew me as a kid, you'd realize how accurate a portrayal of me this post is. Actually, sometimes it's accurate of my behavior now. Sorry, Daddy.)

Applesauce Bran-Oat Muffins

Hey, folks. I've been feeling a bit uninspired lately. Not sure why, but I'm having trouble getting those creative juices flowing. Sometimes it's easy to think up something on the spot... and sometimes it's not.

So I decided to make some muffins that aren't mine, although I did change them a bit. I've been making these for over a year now, and I hadn't made them in some time because I lost the recipe. I found it again recently, got super excited, and tucked the recipe away safely. Even though it's really friggin' hot right now, I felt a need to make them. And so I did.

When I first found the recipe at Tea Spot NYC, I misread the ingredient list because of her phrasing of the title. "Applesauce Oat Bran Muffins". So when writing it down I said it called for oat bran instead of wheat bran, and made it for the first few times with it.

Amazing. I much prefer oat bran to wheat, but wheat bran is more nutritious even though it can taste rather like cardboard if given the opportunity. I wish white wheat bran were more available. But both brans taste great in this. I use a little of oat but mostly wheat usually, but feel free to use whatever you want!

Applesauce Bran-Oat Muffins
(Recipe adapted by Mo from Tea Spot NYC)

488 g (2 cups) unsweetened applesauce
56 g/2 oz (~ 1/2 cup) dried dates

3/4 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup oat bran
42 g (2 tbsp) honey
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk (or the usual lemon juice/vinegar + milk trick)
50 g (1/4 cup) flax egg
3/4 tsp grated fresh ginger (honestly, I never measure this; I just grate away until I feel an adequate amount has been added)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

75 g (1/2 cup + 2 tbsp) white whole wheat flour
2 tbsp ground golden flaxseed
1.5 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon, baking spice blend or allspice
1/4 cup rolled oats

In a small saucepan, measure out the applesauce. Chop the dates finely, add to the applesauce, and then reduce the applesauce to about 1.25 cups. This will take around 20 minutes. Be sure to stir often!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine the brans, honey, buttermilk, flax egg, ginger and vanilla. Add the applesauce-date mixture to the bowl and combine well. (If you use a real egg instead of a flax egg, you HAVE to let the applesauce-date mixture cool down completely before they meet each other. Otherwise you'll end up with something quite gross and possibly illegal.)
Let that sit while you combine everything from flour to oats in a slightly larger bowl.

Fold the wet into the dry until just barely combined. Divide evenly into 12 muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let cool on rack and enjoy!

The verdict: These are really soft, nicely sweetened mostly by applesauce and dates, and while they kind of look small, they're very satisfying. You should try 'em.

Long-Overdue Blog Awards

This post is extremely belated, so I apologize!

A month ago, damn-near simultaneously, I became the recipient of several blog awards:

From Sara at The Lonely Radish

From Lazaro Cooks!

From Lazaro Cooks! and Dennis at More than a Mount Full

From Lazaro Cooks! and Dennis at More than a Mount Full

From Lazaro Cooks! and Dennis at More Than a Mount Full (Dennis has given me this award twice, silly man)

From Dennis at More Than a Mount Full

From Dennis at More Than a Mount Full

From Dennis at More Than a Mount Full

From Dennis at More Than a Mount Full

From Dennis at More Than a Mount Full

... and I'd like to thank all three of you for them! :)

Now, if I had the time and the friends, I'd work out a way to extend one award to several people, then another to several other, and so on. But I haven't either, so I'm going to follow the lead of Lazaro and Dennis and just send these all out to several people at once. Too many awards never hurt anyone, did they? ;)

So I'd like to pass these accolades to the following wonderful people (who may or may not already be in possession of these... shush):

Rebekah at Clarity in Creation

Emily aka Girl Foodie at Chasing the Dish

Stella at The Witchy Kitchen

Artemis at t.a.p.e.s.t.r.y

Mo Diva at Food Snob

Katie at Chocolate Covered Katie

Mangocheeks (sorry, I couldn't find your name!) at Allotment 2 Kitchen

JodieMo at Eatin' on the Cheap

Devaki at Weave a Thousand Flavors

Katie at Health for the Whole Self

Last time I did an award post, there was a rule that you had to list something about yourself or something entertaining like that, but it's kind of been lost in the process of giving so many awards at once I think. I thought I'd bring it back and list ten random things about myself for every person I nominated:

1) The first job I ever wanted was to sell shoes. I liked the stools shoe salesmen got to sit on.

2) I'm the first person in my immediate family to own and use a passport, but the last person in my immediate family to cross the United States border. 

3) I'm very picky about grammar and spelling. If I were an English teacher (a job I've considered, by the way), my students would hate me.

 "But Ms. Mo, why did I get 2 points off? I proofread my paper very carefully." 

"You misused the semicolon! MWAHAHA!"

4) I have to do the dishes. It started out as a chore but now it annoys/bugs me when someone else does them because I've worked out the most suitable way to not waste water and get dishes very very very clean. My dad thinks I'm losing it since I go, "NOOOOOOOOOOO!" and do a slow-motion dive toward the sink every time I see him trying to help me out with the dishes.

5) I'm a bookworm and currently reading a collection of novels by PG Wodehouse. Also, my favorite book is probably The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.

6) Gross, gory things fascinate me for some reason.

7) Two of my all-time favorite TV shows revolve around serial killers (Dexter and Criminal Minds, in case you were wondering). See above.

8) I'm slightly in love with Alton Brown. Just a little bit. Not enough that it's creepy, so it's all good.

9) I know the alphabet in sign language and can read lips. I'm not fantastic at the latter, but I can still do it. ;)

10) I am arachnophobic, to the point where I can't touch a realistic picture/drawing of a spider without freaking out a bit. I have no idea where this comes from, because my sister and I used to play with daddy long-legs when we were younger. Back when playing with spiders was cool, I guess.

So here are the rules, lads and ladies:

- Copy the award(s) onto your blog.

- List and link back to the person from whom you received said award(s).

- Pass on the award to other bloggers and visit their blogs to let them know that such goings-on have occurred.

- If you'd like, since it's oodles of fun, list some random things about yourself.

That's all, folks. Have a great day! :)

Carrot-Banana Bread?

I'll be the first to say it.

This loaf of quick bread is ugly.

And by that I mean, U-G-L-Y, lack-of-alibi ugly.

I don't say this to be self-depreciating, or to fish for compliments. I don't expect you all to go, "Oh, Mo, perish the thought! It's gorgeous!"

I'm just stating it clearly so that there are no pretensions. It's just the way it is. I assumed it was going to come out ugly and hey, it did!

But just because it's ugly doesn't mean it's not good, or interesting, or good-for-ya. It just means that in the world of quick breads, this here is Danny DeVito and Steve Buscemi's love child. (Aww, Mo, don't be mean.)

For one, it's complex. Like that metaphor that people like to apply to themselves about being chocolates or whatever, this loaf of carrot-banana bread is rather firm/hard on the outside, but super soft on the inside.

Cruuuuust.

Soooooft.

Just like life sometimes, it's a little gritty. Just like life all the time, it's too short.

And just like life none of the time (unless you count that one time...) it tastes strongly of bananas.

If I may be honest, I'm not sure I feel right calling this a bread. It reminds me more of the baked oatmeal I used to make a lot, except way easier. But whatever you want to call it, it's not half-bad and is wholly good for you.

This recipe is the foundation for a quick bread that, if you made simple substitutions/subtractions, could be not only flourless but also gluten-free, sugarless and vegan. So who really cares if it's ugly? In its own way, this thing is beautiful.

Carrot-Banana Bread
(Recipe by Mo)

3 medium ripe-to-overripe bananas
2 average-sized carrots, peeled and grated
75 g oat or quinoa flour (process slightly less than 1 cup of rolled oats/rolled quinoa in the processor until it resembles flour; I didn't measure the flour itself volumetrically, sorry)
75 g (about 1.25 cups + 2 tsp) unprocessed wheat bran (or rice bran)
50 g (1/4 cup) flax egg
5 g (1 tsp) oil
1/4 tsp salt
2.5 tsp cinnamon
50 g (about 1/4 cup + 1.5 tbsp, not packed) raisins
21 g (1 tbsp) honey (optional; you could also use another liquid sweetener such as agave, molasses, brown rice syrup, et cetera)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Mash the bananas in a bowl, then add all of the other ingredients and mix well. Let sit for about 20 minutes to let everything soak a bit. Dump into a greased loaf pan about 8.5x4.5" and smooth out. If you don't smooth it out, you'll end up with a rather strange-looking loaf, so I suggest doing this.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until when you stick a cake tester in the middle it feels rather firm and not mushy.
Let cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before removing to a large plate (I suppose a rack could work but I was unsure of whether it would be stable enough to not collapse and crumble through the rack) and sticking in the fridge, uncovered, to cool.

The verdict: Like I said, this was gritty, but it's not too bad, texture-wise. It's a lot sweeter than I thought it'd be, which is why the honey, which was added at the last minute in a moment of doubt, is optional. The carrots are kind of lost in here but hey, why not add them? This tastes wonderfully of banana bread, just with a slight wheat taste and a different texture.
Because of the grittiness, I might try to cook the wheat bran before I add it to the ingredients. Not sure whether this will help and the cooking time would have to be a bit higher to accommodate the additional moisture, but we'll see. :)
I didn't create this intending for it to be some sort of culinary masterpiece. I simply need more fiber in my diet. It's just fortunate that it actually tastes good. :P


To awkwardly end this post, here's a lovely article/video about sweating. Don't be grossed out; it's kind of awesome. Plus Lev Yilmaz is never a bore.

Smelly Coconut Oil

Hey, buds. Busy bee today but it's my last day of school so I'll have something more interesting up tomorrow (still am kind of busy; lots of cleaning to do).

Anyway, just wanted to ask a quick question - is coconut oil supposed to smell like I lit an old gym sock on fire? If one were to come across coconut oil that did, in fact, smell like an old gym sock ablaze, should one throw it out? Should one be ashamed that the low price of the oil, even though it was bought at a reputable store that always sells things rather cheap, did not tip one off as one bought it on a whim that it may not be the best coconut oil to be spending one's money on? Should coconut oil accidentally get on one's hands, should it make one's hands smell really, really bad and should it not leave despite numerous occasions of hand-scrubbing?

Thanks. <3

Semolina Rosewater Biscotti

Today's been a weird day. I woke up to find that my hearing aid went totally, completely and irreversibly dead overnight. (I don't think I've mentioned before that I'm hearing impaired, but I've never really had a need to, so... surprise?)

I had decided yesterday that I would make Stella's semolina rosewater biscotti as a thank-you present for my teacher this year. I still did, but we'll talk about that in a bit. My mom got a temporary replacement aid just a half-hour ago, and it sucks. I now absolutely adore the hearing aid I can't have anymore.

At the top is my beautiful, wonderful, modern Adapto aid, with an on/off switch and volume control. I've had it for 5 years, which should tell you how old the ugly thing at the bottom of the picture is. The best thing about it is its name. Senso Diva. As though it's some kind of fabulous new earwear suitable for a diva. Like Mariah Carey would choose this one if she ever lost some hearing. It's way too loud, it sounds like everything's underwater, and noises like floorboards creaking are louder than people's voices. Plus to turn it off I have to take the battery out. So fun!

But on the bright side, I made biscotti, so today hasn't been that bad. Except for the fact that I didn't hear the timer go off all three times that I needed to hear it (dur) so they're a bit darker than I'd like, but they still taste good. :D

Semolina Rosewater Biscotti
(Recipe adapted by Mo from The Witchy Kitchen)

Part one:
90 g (3/4 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
60 g (1/2 cup) white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
78 g (1/2 cup) semolina flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp sea salt

Part two:
14 g/0.5 oz raw unsalted almonds, chopped fine
100 g (1/2 cup) flax egg
21 g (1 tbsp) honey
116 g (2/3 cup) white sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp rosewater
13 g (1 tbsp) coconut or palm kernel oil (I used Spectrum Organics shortening, which is really just palm kernel oil), melted

Milk (dairy or non) or water as needed

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper. (Stella says to spray the paper with oil but I didn't and it worked out fine.)

Combine all of part one in a large bowl. Combine all of part two in a smaller bowl, except for the milk/water. Pour the wet over the dry, scraping out the wet bowl to make sure you got it all. Fold them together, and if it seems too dry add a splash or two of milk/water to help moisten the dough. When it's come together into a dough, dump onto the parchment paper and with floured hands, form into a rectangle approximately 3-4x10-11" and bake for 25 minutes. Remove onto a rack (it helps to use two spatulas for this) to cool for 10 minutes. Then return to the baking sheet and with a serrated or bread knife, slice and lay down flat. Bake for 5 minutes, then flip them, then bake for 5 minutes more. Remove to a rack to cool, and enjoy!

The verdict: I really like this, and I hope my teacher does, too. She's into health food like I am so I think she'll appreciate that it's only subtly sweet. I think the rosewater lends a very lovely flavor. Although you wouldn't bite into one of these and go, "Is that rosewater I taste?" it's definitely noticeable and wonderful. :)

Have a scrumptdiddlyumptious day!

PS: I'm visiting les grands-parents this weekend so I'll be MIA for a touch.

Roasted Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi is one of my favorite vegetables. Reason being is pretty much that it tastes like broccoli stems, which are the reason I love broccoli so much.
I chose to cook the swiss chard first when we got all of these veggies on Saturday, which lasted me a pretty good while (Yes, me. No one else wanted chard, I guess. *shrugs*). So I only got around to roasting kohlrabi yesterday. It's still great, don't get me wrong, but 2 factors played into it not being oh-so-delicious as it normally is: it was a few days old and my fridge is weird and likes to freeze things that end up in the back of it, so I pulled out half-frozen kohlrabi yesterday morning. Therefore, if and when you get kohlrabi, be sure to treat it nice and eat it soon. And don't freeze it.

Kohlrabi is a member of the brassica family, I believe (hence why it and brussels sprouts all just taste like broccoli to me) and is pretty cool-looking if I do say so myself.

I bought one purple and one green. :D

I first had it last year, in the fall, and it was omgdelicious. My mom and I picked it up at the farmers' market as an impulse buy, and then had to literally google what the heck it was. We read a suggestion to roast it with potatoes, and that we did. And I found that after roasting, I couldn't really tell the difference between the potatoes and the kohlrabi, except for the kohlrabi is slightly sweeter. But it really is reminiscent of roasted potatoes, so while I like to eat it straight, I adore it roasted. There's nothing bad to be said about a veggie that makes it easy to pretend you're eating potatoes, is there?

So, yesterday I decided to roast 'em up! There's not really a recipe here, because it's more of a "chop up what you have, add a dash of this and a dash of that until it's how you like it" recipe. Ooh, rosemary goes well here, but I didn't have fresh on hand (have I mentioned that I killed my rosemary? Yay me.) and didn't feel like dried would be worth all the rosemary-crumbling. XD

Anywho, roasting occurred, and to do this you will need:

Kohlrabi
Oil (any kind you like)
A coarse salt, such as coarse sea salt or kosher
Black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Snip the leaves off of the kohlrabi at the bottom of the stems. This is all edible, but I don't care for it so I compost it.

The stems remind me greatly of celery:

Anyhow, snip all that off and either find a way to cook it or throw it out/compost it.
Give the kohlrabi a nice rinse to remove any dirt (you won't get all of it, as it hides in the grooves created by the stems emerging from the body of the vegetable) and then peel it as well as you can. Kohlrabi has a rather bumpy surface so instead of taking a vegetable peeler to it, I suggest cutting a slab off as though you were getting ready to cut it in to equal pieces, then take your knife and cut the peel off, trying to save as much kohlrabi as possible. Then chop up the peeled piece and place in a colander, and continue on with the peeling and cutting. Once all the kohlrabi's in the colander, give it another rinse, because there's a good chance some dirt got on it once you started cutting it. Let that drain for a bit, then place in a good-sized roasting pan. Add enough oil to coat, sprinkle with the coarse salt and the pepper, and pop in the oven.
Roast for about 25-30 minutes total or until they're browned as much as you want them to be, giving them a flip/stir about halfway through.

Annnnnnnnnnnnd eat. :)

(In case you missed the edit in my last post, Rebekah is hosting BSI this week!)

I suck.

Alright, so here's the situation: Saturday night, right as I was going to bed, I realized I hadn't gotten anyone to host this week of the contest. So, Sunday morning, I contacted the first person I thought of. I got a reply in the afternoon that she wasn't available. Then I contacted a second person, who didn't see my message until very late last night and regrettably isn't available either. Then I thought, "Well, I'll just contact Biz." But I hadn't read Biz's last post, which says she's coming back tomorrow. So I sent a frantic email to another person, and I think she just didn't receive the email (we've had email troubles before).
So basically, I haven't gotten anyone to host this week, and this post is really late because I was waiting for the email confirming it so I could direct readers over. Which is not happening.
The first person who says he/she'd like to host gets to host. I just hope someone wants to. Because there's supposed to be a secret ingredient chosen already and a post and blah.
I'm in a pretty sucky mood because I've screwed this up so bad so it would make my week if someone would just please take this off my hands. It's very embarrassing. =| (It really is a simple task; it's just a matter of finding someone else in time. I should have started asking sooner.)

EDIT: The ever-so-lovely Rebekah has kindly agreed to host this week. :)

The rest of the post was written last night while I was still in a good mood, hence the change in tone haha.




Today's the day! The end of the Blogger Secret Ingredient: Rice contest!

The submissions were all lovely and mouthwatering, and you know how judges are always like, "Oh, this is so hard," and you think, "Yeah, right."? Well it is hard. Seriously. :S

A giant thank you to all of the participants:

Hema submitted her Aloo Pudina Bhat (Potato-Mint Rice) (In case it's unclear, the recipe she gives is meant to be mixed with cooked rice. :) )

Kelly at Healthy Living with Kelly submitted Southewestern Confetti Salad:

Tigerfish at Teczcape submitted Four-Grain Congee:

Kim at Affairs of Living submitted Homemade Rice Milk (and variations!):

Debbi from Debbi Does Dinner submitted Jambalaya Chicken and Sausage Casserole:

Alisa of One Frugal Foodie submitted three of her recipes (she gave me an option of one or the other regarding the last two but they're both great so they were both considered):

Hearty Maple Cinnamon Muffins (Gluten Free):

Chocolate Marshmallow Crispies:

and Chocolate Chip Crispy Cereal Treats:

Vanessa at Sweet Artichoke submitted Vegan Hazelnut Brownies:

Akheela from Torview submitted Spicy Eggplant Rice:

After careful deliberation and drooling, I've decided that I would most like to chow down on Alisa's Chocolate Chip Crispy Cereal Treats! :)


Thanks again to all of the participants! It may take a while but I want to try to make all of the recipes eventually. :)

Reminder!

This week's BSI contest ends tonight at 7 PM EST! Submit!

Swiss/Rainbow Chard

I'm a girl of simplicity. Maybe you could call it minimalism?

This especially applies to produce. Something Jeffrey Steingarten said once on Iron Chef America, I think on the Battle Melon episode, was, possibly paraphrasing here, that he'd never had something made with peaches that was as good as a really good peach. Do you ever hear something and go, in your head or out loud, "YEAH!"? That's what I did.

Because I can think of tons of foodstuffs that, given the choice between something delicious made with the ingredient or just the ingredient itself (good-quality, of course), I'd choose the ingredient. Some things just get worse when you add things to them. Not that apple pies and mango sorbets are gross, but I'd much rather just have a nice, crisp Pink Lady or a perfectly ripe mango that I refuse to learn how to properly chop, because to me the nice thing about slowly carving off mango flesh from the kernel, eating as you carve, is that it gives you the time to really savor it. I love frozen chopped mango like no other, but I always enjoy my mango more when I've really spent time to get to it.

But this isn't about mangoes. This is about Swiss chard. I call it Swiss chard because that was the first name I heard for it. Rainbow chard is more fun, but if you showed me a bunch of the leafy stuff with colorful stalks the first name to come to mind would be Swiss. Oh well.

We went to the farmer's market today. It was fun. :D I got some chard, kale, kohlrabi, and basil. Greeeeeeeeeeeeeen. Actually one of the kohlrabi was purple. Nevermind, I totally ruined the color scheme.

Can you tell my mind is going a mile a minute right now? Haha.

Anyway, I took pictures of the very simple process of cooking chard, but either someone messed with my camera settings and won't tell me or I was sleepwalking and screwed it up. It'll behave well in certain lightings now and will just laugh at me if I dare try to photograph something under my kitchen light, no matter what settings I put it to. Except for this one which, while still gross, is being posted to show you how much chard I got for 5 bucks:

It's a lot, if the picture doesn't show...

Getting back to the simplicity thing: this is simple. I mean, really simple. Just chop it up and go. You can season it with whatever you like, but if you're buying good chard, it shouldn't be needed. Of course, I am just one person with silly little taste buds of my own, and you may think it needs salt or pepper or nutmeg or garlic or somethin'. I just think it needs to be eaten.

Chard smells like summer. I first had it in the summer of 2006, I think, when my Nana cooked it for dinner up at my grandparents' summer house in Maine. I don't know what she did to it exactly, but it was probably just a simple sauté. Now, every time I smell it, I smell Maine. And Maine needs no seasoning to be awesome. For some reason I would love for that sentence to be on a t-shirt.

So here's whatchya do:

Cut off the ends of the stems, then strip the leaves from the stems (if the stem is thick while entering leafy territory, just cut the leaf from the stem by cutting it along the thick part of the stem, then just chopping off the stem to where it stops being thick). Chop the stems as evenly as possible, and place in a small colander. Bunch up the leaves and cut in strips, usually 1/2 - 1 inch wide. Place in a large colander. Wash the stems first while a large pan preheats. When the pan's hot, add the stems (if you're not using nonstick, a little oil would suffice, but I just cooked them in the little bit of water that was still on them from being washed). While those cook, wash the leaves well. After a few minutes of the stems cooking, add the leaves and, pretty much just walk away for a bit. I checked email. Come back every few minutes to stir around the chard, but for the most part it just needs to sit there and wilt down.
When the leaves look wilted, find a piece of stem and bite it to see if it's cooked through. If it's not, keep on cooking, if not, eat up!


I have some thingymabobbits to share with you, since this post wasn't very interesting. XD

I've recently fallen in love with thrift shops. I mean, I knew they were cool but I didn't really think about going in one until a couple weeks ago. I hadn't bought any clothes since 2008 (except a shirt I got in February at a Tegan and Sara concert, but shh) and figured I kind of needed some more by now. I hate spending money, particularly because I have little to speak of, so I stepped into Treasure Trove, which is a store owned by the local hospital (as in, the proceeds go to the hospital), looking for clothes, and found this:

KitchenAid silicone muffin tin - $7
I also got this 4-cup fat separator that I just use as a measuring cup because I can for $2.50ish. Steal!

Thennnn on Thursday my sister and I had a thrift store day, heading out to the Treasure Trove in Springfield (which is pretty far from where I live and that was the first I'd been there since late '08 I think). We were looking for clothes but while she was trying stuff on, I of course was again drawn to the kitchen section.

I got this:

Ignore the Dasani in the window. It's not mine.

This is a huuuge erm container/jar thing that's super cute, and apparently was made in Elkins, West Virginia. It was originally selling for $12 but was 50% off so I got it for $6. I also got two dainty little dark blue containers that refused to be photographed which I paid $3.75 for. I'm very pleased and now have storage for all my bulk items. :D

We also went to a ridiculously large thrift store called Unique, which was where most of the clothes of the day came from. Their kitchen section sucked, though. Also, the place was, despite having cool clothes for very cheap, quite skeevy. There was one section where they were selling half-empty bottles of hand lotion. o.O

Well, this post reeks of longevity and digressions so I'm going to stop typing now. :)

Have a wonderful weekend!



Oh, wait, I forgot to shamelessly plug the contest. Which ends tomorrow night so hurry up, fellas.

Basmati Rice Bread

Yeah, I just don't stop, do I?

Rice rice rice rice rice rice.

Obviously I can't submit my recipes to the contest I'm hosting, but that doesn't mean I can't play along! I love a good challenge to get me to experience an ingredient in a different way.

Yesterday I decided bread would be the way to go. I still haven't gotten very "out there" with my rice, but just you wait. ;)

I've had this recipe in my bookmarks for ages, and I thought I'd use it as a guide. (By the way, am I the only one who uses bookmarks pretty much just for recipes? heh...) It uses forbidden black rice, which I already used this week in my almond forbidden rice pudding, so I decided to just go with good-old brown basmati.

Basmati Rice Bread

(Recipe adapted by Mo from Bittersweet blog, who in turn adapted it from Bon Appétit)

1/4 cup uncooked brown basmati rice, rinsed

1/2 cup water

240 g (2 cups) white whole wheat flour

1 tsp instant yeast

1/4 cup wheat bran

2 tbsp wheat germ

2 tbsp flax meal

1 tsp salt

1.25 cups warm water

35 g (1 tbsp + 2 tsp) honey

15 g (1 tbsp) canola oil

90 g (3/4 cup) unbleached bread flour

In a small pot, bring the rice and 1/2 cup of water to a boil, then turn the stove to its lowest setting, cover, and let cook for 25-30 minutes or until the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked. Let cool completely.

In a large bowl, combine everything from white whole wheat flour to salt. Add the warm water, honey and oil, and combine well until there are no more dry patches. Then, add 60 g (1/2 cup) of the bread flour and combine well. Using the final 30 g (1/4 cup) of bread flour, flour your kneading surface well and turn out the dough. Knead with well-floured hands by folding the dough over onto itself, pushing down to press out, turning and folding again. It's not an exact science, but you need to incorporate more flour into the dough without kneading it before you can actually knead, because it's very sticky but like Hannah said, sticky results in a nicer loaf. Once you feel it's absorbed enough flour, knead it, adding more of the 1/4 cup of flour as needed and flouring often. It should only take a few minutes. (Of course, you don't want to bother with all this, use a dough hook, something that I don't have.)

Oil a bowl, plop the dough in, turn to coat, cover with a towel or plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight. Mine went in for about 12 hours.

Take the dough out of the fridge about an hour before you intend to start the rising process. This lets it cool down and makes it easier to knead and shape into a loaf. After an hour, flour your kneading surface and give the dough a few kneads. Shape into a loaf and place in a greased 8.5x4.5" or slightly smaller loaf pan. Cover with a damp dishcloth or plastic wrap and rise for about 45-60 minutes, or until it's reached the top of the loaf pan. It is a short loaf so don't expect too much of a rise. :)

30 minutes into rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. When the loaf is done rising, place in the oven, turn the temperature down to 375 degrees F and bake for 30-35 minutes. When it's done it will be toasty-browned all over and if you stick a skewer in the middle it will come out dry. :D Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool on a rack for at least 45 minutes before cutting open. Difficult, I know!

See? Rice. :D


The verdict: Yum! It's very soft, like a pillow, but the crust is nice and has a crunch from the brown rice. It doesn't have a heavy or "brown" flavor, which is an added bonus. This may become a favorite of mine. :)


There's still time to submit your favorite rice recipe, so be a doll and send one if you've got it!

Also, lovely people of mine, check out Marla's giveaway! :)

Minty Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake

Also known as, This is What Happens When Mo Changes Things and then Ends Up Needing to Change More Things to Accommodate the First Changes

The goal: make Reeni's Chocolate Sour Cream Tea Bread.
The original changes: nonfat Greek yogurt instead of sour cream; canola instead of butter and slightly less of; slightly less sugar; less chocolate chips; flax egg instead of eggs; more baking soda because flax eggs don't make things rise.
The problem: Greek yogurt was older than originally thought. Moldy yogurt is not good.
The solution: Blend cream cheese with milk.
Delicious idea: "Say, I've got some chocolate mint growing... why not use some?"
The random idea: "Hey, since this week is all about rice, why not substitute some brown rice flour?"
The problem: Very very very very very thick. Very. Forgot that rice absorbs a lot more liquid than wheat.
The solution: Lots of water. Lots and lots and lots. Okay, not really, but I added it in small portions so it felt like a lot. And substitute some of the sugar for honey.
The result: Not bad. Not bad at all.

Minty Chocolate Cream Cheese Cake
(Recipe adapted by Mo from Cinnamon Spice & Everything Nice, who in turn adapted it from Winnie-the-Pooh's Teatime Cookbook)

70 g (7 tbsp) brown rice flour
187 g (1.25 cups + 1 tbsp) white whole wheat flour

180 g (3/4 cup) room-temperature Neufchâtel cream cheese (also called 1/3 less fat cream cheese)
1/4 cup skim milk
1/2 cup loosely packed chocolate mint or peppermint leaves


96 g (1 cup) good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
45 - 60 g (3-4 tbsp) canola oil
1/3 cup skim milk
1/2 cup water
100 g (1/2 cup) flax egg
58 g (1/3 cup) white sugar
72 g (3 tbsp + 1.25 tsp) honey
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda


45 g good-quality dark or semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped (I can't possibly give an accurate volumetric measurement for this)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 8x4 - 9x5" loaf pan.


Combine the flours in a large bowl.


Purée the cream cheese, milk and mint until well-combined and the mint leaves are well-chopped.
Add the purée to a smaller bowl along with the rest of the ingredients and mix well.


Add the wet ingredients to the dry slightly, add in the chocolate, and fold in until everything is just combined. It will be really thick, but that's okay. Add to the loaf pan, try to smooth out the top, and bake for 50-60 minutes. Honestly if you stick a cake tester or toothpick in it'll most likely not come out dry because it's studded with chocolate chips, so just be wary of the cooking time and make sure it's not in there too long. It's okay if it's a little undercooked because there's nothing "raw" in here. As long as you let it cool down it should come out of the pan in one piece.

This was the best picture I could get, which should say something about how shitty my camera and the weather are acting.

The verdict: I think it tastes like those Girl Scout cookies. It's not too sweet like mint chocolate ice cream is, and it has a hint of bitterness to it because there's more cocoa than sugar, so I'm not just saying that because it's mint and chocolate together. It really does taste like them, at least to me. :P I used 3 tbsp of oil and it's a tad dry, so add more if you'd like! And feel free to just use Greek yogurt. Or just follow Reeni's recipe and ignore me and my crazy antics.


Just to remind you: you've got a few more days to submit your favorite unique and creative rice recipes! And please don't forget about suggesting ideas for prizes. 


Toodle-oo for now...


PS: Check out this awesome giveaway at Weave a Thousand Flavors! I nearly peed myself with excitement.

Almond Forbidden Rice Pudding

(I am frustrated. I wrote my post and it wouldn't allow me to publish it. Then Blogger told me to hit the back button to go back to my draft. It is now gone except for the title, which means I have to write the whole thing up again. Thanks so much, Blogger.)

To start off the blog's focus on rice this week, let's talk about forbidden black rice.

Also called Chinese black rice or just black rice, it's believed that the rice used to be forbidden to anyone but the emperors of China. Which is kind of understandable, since it's a rather remarkable grain. Appearing black when raw, this rice and anything it touches takes on a deep purple hue when cooked. As you may have guessed, the dark colors of this rice means it's packed with nutrients. It's very rich in phytochemicals (ie antioxidants, etc.) and other nutrients, especially iron. Boy, if you've got iron deficiency, I highly recommend eating this rice with some spinach. The back of my bag, which is mostly in Chinese but has an excerpt in English, says:

Continued consumption of black rice improves metabolism and enhances immune system. Ultimately it slows down aging process, prevents diseases, and works on skin care. Especially, abundance in iron and mineral is of essence to children or pregnant women. It provokes an appetite when cooked with regular rice at the rate of 10% - 20% back rice due to its flavor and scent. It is used as a natural food color additives in virtue of its uniqueness and purity.


Not sure how much of that is based on fact, but not a bad reputation for rice, anyway! And this really is a good source of food coloring. When I was cooking the rice all I could think of was how it looked like I'd plopped a bunch of blackberries in the pot instead of simply rice. And like blackberries, this stuff stains. Beware of the pot boiling over and staining your countertops purple. Ah, well, it's being replaced soon anyway.

This was my first time making rice pudding. It was interesting, but I don't think it's my favorite of desserts.
This was also my first time making something with forbidden black rice. It won't be my last! (Well, obviously, I've still got a whole bag to finish. But that's not the point.)

Almond Forbidden Rice Pudding
(Recipe adapted by Mo from Food & Wine)

1/2 cup black rice
2.5 cups water
1/4 tsp salt

1.5 tsp pure almond extract

2 (3-4") cinnamon sticks

3/4 cup organic nonfat milk
1/4 cup organic 1% milk
2-3 tbsp dark brown sugar
Almonds to garnish

Combine the rice, water and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice is almost tender and the water is almost gone, about 40 minutes. When the rice is halfway through to that point (~ 20 minutes of cooking) add the almond extract and cinnamon. When the rice is done, add the milks and bring the heat back up. Give the pot love and attention by way of stirring often. When it's nice and thick and resembles pudding, add the sugar to taste and let cool. Serve garnished with chopped almonds.

I tried to candy some chopped almonds to make a cool topping, but I burned the sugar. Go Mo.

The verdict: This is really filling, so only try to serve it in small portions! I used three tablespoons of sugar and found it way too sweet. I think the rice is already a bit sweet so that's probably why. I used much less flavoring than in the recipe above, which I modified to make sure the flavor was more pronounced because this kind of just tasted like an interesting-flavored rice that was sweetened too much haha.
The flavor of black rice itself is very hard to place (I wrote "taste" as a typo, whoops). It's good, no doubt, but difficult to describe. I'll have to try cooking with it with no sweetener to see if I can compare it to anything else.

Remember that you have until Sunday the 13th, 7 PM EST, to submit your great rice recipes! I've already gotten a few yummy submissions, and I look forward to seeing what the rest of you come up with. :)

Blogger Secret Ingredient Contest

I know, I know.

"Hey, Mo, way to not post in forever."

I've been busyyy. And tired.

But! I come back rejuvenated (kinda) and ready to get my creative boogie on.

Nicole at Prevention RD asked me if I'd like to host this week of the Blogger Secret Ingredient (BSI) contest, and I took up the opportunity with glee. Thanks, Nicole! :D

What is the BSI contest, you ask?

Basically, each week a food blogger hosts the contest, in which s/he picks one ingredient and challenges the world (hey, everyone's eligible, technically) to come up with a creative recipe which features said ingredient.

The rules go:

• The host (moi) chooses an ingredient that is preferably in season, readily available and doesn't involve selling a kidney to justify paying for it. 
• The host links back to all previous posts.
• Participants create a unique recipe using the BSI, then email the host (moi) with the recipe or the link to the recipe. Participants can also enter by leaving the host a comment with the link to the recipe.
• You don't have to have a blog to submit. If you've created a really cool recipe using the secret ingredient, just email it to the host! You don't even have to include a photograph. Of course, pictures are pretty, but it's the recipe that counts.
• The host will review all of the recipes next Sunday (in this case, the 13th; please send it in no later than 7 PM EST) and pick his/her favorite.
• The winner will be announced on Monday, and said lucky duck will receive a prize of the host's choice.

After much pondering (okay, I thought about it for like 5 minutes before getting all excited about my idea), this week's blogger secret ingredient issss...

Rice.

And by rice I mean, rice and its various forms. Cooked rice, rice flour, rice noodles/pasta (made with rice flour and water only, please) and your choice of rice varieties. White rice, brown rice, basmati, arborio, sticky, short-grain, long-grain, wild rice, black rice... Whatever floats your boat and is available to you!

To submit your recipes featuring rice, please send me a message at moskitchen(at)yahoo(dot)com* sharing your recipe or link to the recipe on your site. If you don't have a site, but do have a picture and want me to post it along with the recipe, you can send it to me as an attachment. Sending a picture isn't necessary if your website already has one. :)

Alternatively, you may post a comment with a link only. If you don't have a link, email will be the best way to send it. 

If you submit via comment, make sure I have your email address because if you win I'll be sending you a message. And a prize!

*I now understand why people don't just write down their email addresses. I've been getting spam galore ever since I posted this, and when I'm asking strangers to email me and someone named "John Bergman" or whatever sends me a message with no subject I'm kind of forced to open it, and then immediately run a virus scan.

As for the prize, I'll have to think about that but hopefully it'll knock your socks off...
Actually, if you have any suggestions as to what the prize could be, share them! As I've said before, I live in an area where much is available, food-wise, that isn't in many places. If you can think of some items that are shippable, not too expensive, and not readily available in your area, suggest it! Off the top of my head I can think of tons of "exotic" spices that you can't find in a regular grocery store, or maybe you can't find a certain type of legume, lentil, flour or whole grain (all of these I can get pretty cheap, especially "weird" types of flour like chickpea, mung mean, millet, sorghum, etc...) that you've heard lots about. Let me know what interests you! 

The previous hosts and ingredients of BSI:

• Week 82: Prevention RD – Paprika
• Week 81: Waisting Duxie – Swiss Chard
• Week 80: Fuss Free Flavors – Capers
• Week 79: Jenn Cuisine – Honey
• Week 78: Living Free – Cashews
• Week 77: Affairs of Living – Artichokes
• Week 76: One Frugal Foodie – Sunflower Seeds
• Week 75: Part of the Whole – Beets
• Week 74: Dinner at Christina's – Sour Cream
• Week 73: The Chef in My Head – Goat Cheese
• Week 72: 5 Star Foodie – Asparagus
• Week 71: Eats Well With Others – Carrots
• Week 70: Burp and Slurp – Brussel Sprouts
• Week 69: Fun Fearless Foodie – Parmesan Cheese
• Week: 68: Natalie's Killer Cuisine – Cocoa Powder
• Week 67: Eat, Live, Travel, Write – Lemon Zest
• Week 66: Travel Eat Love – Coconut Milk
• Week 65: Run Beans Run – Tofu
• Week 64: Chicago Marathon Val – Mushrooms
• Week 63: Biggest Diabetic Loser – Cheddar Cheese
• Week 62: A Fit and Spicy Life – Balsamic Vinegar
• Week 61: Peanut Butter Fingers – Nutmeg
• Week 60: Jenn Eats Nutritiously Now – Garlic
• Week 59: Home Cooked Em – Cinnamon
• Week 58: The Balance Broad – Flax
• Week 57: Cookin Fanatic – Blue Cheese
• Week 56: Foodie in the City – Ricotta Cheese
• Week 55: Savvy Eats – Maple Syrup
• Weel 54: Sound Eats – Dried Fruit
• Week 53: Mega Nerd Runs – Acorn Squash
• Week 52: Healthy Tipping Point –Pancake Mix
• Week 51: Live Laugh Eat  – Almond Butter
• Week 50: Balance, Joy and Delicias – Cauliflower
• Week 49: Healthy San Diego Living – Chickpeas
• Week 48: Food for Thought – Yogurt
• Week 47: London Foodie in New York – Chocolate
• Week 46:  Johnstone's Vic Blanc – Oats
• Week 45: Guilty Kitchen – Figs
• Week 44: Ordinary Recipes Made Gourmet – Peanut Butter
• Week 43: The Sophisticated Gourmet – Brown Sugar
• Week 42: My Kitchen Addiction – Lime
• Week 41: Nutmeg Nanny – Coffee
• Week 40: Chaya's Comfy Cook – Broccoli
• Week 39: Healthy Delicious – Plums
• Week 38: Zoe – Feta
• Week 37: ChezWhat – Potatoes
• Week 36: Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice – Blueberries
• Week 35: Girlichef – Greens
• Week 34: The Ungourmet – Watermelon
• Week 33: Bread + Butter – Bell Pepper
• Week 32: Burp and Slurp – Corn
• Week 31: Say Yes to Salad – Kabocha
• Week 31 1/2: Simply Fabulous Now – Cherries
• Week 30: Thinspired – Bananas
• Week 29: To Be the Whole Package – Almonds
• Week 28: Krista's Kravings – Lemon
• Week 27: From French Fries to Flax Seeds – Coconut
• Week 26: Plentiful Plants – Avocado
• Week 25: Training Fuel – Eggs
• Week 24: Dinner at Christina's – Cabbage
• Week 23: Hey What's For Dinner Mom? – Strawberries
• Week 22: One Bite at a Time – Basil
• Week 21: Just Sweet Enough – Black Beans
• Week 20: Honoring Health – Kale
• Week 19: What's for Dinner – Orange
• Week 18: Bran Appetit! – Spinach
• Week 17: Tales of Expansion – Dates
• Week 16: Biggest Diabetic Loser – Zucchini
• Week 15: Sweet and Natural – Peppermint
• Week 14: bella eats – Ginger
• Week 13: Coffee Talk – Walnuts
• Week 12: For the Love of Oats – Pumpkin
• Week 11: Trying to Heal – Sweet Potatoes
• Week 10: The Inner Workings of a College Graduate – Eggplant
• Week 9: Itzy's Kitchen – Pears
• Week 8: The Fitnessista – Cranberries
• Week 7: Tri to Cook – Lentils
• Week 6: Rhodey Girl Tests – Polenta
• Week 5: Eating Bender – Butternut Squash
• Week 4: Care to Eat – Apples
• Week 3: On a Lobster Placemat – Mushrooms
• Week 2: Hangry Pants – Tomatoes
• Week 1: sportsnutritionliving – Quinoa

Some wordiness to help get your ideas started:

Puddings, pilafs, baked goods, soups, stir-fries, milk (if you're gonna do that, make really interesting rice milk :P), risotto, sushi...

I will try my best to incorporate this contest into what I make/eat for the week, and look forward to seeing what you all come up with! :)


PS: I'm writing this while eating breakfast and would like you all to know that if the store is out of organic spinach, don't think that organic arugula is going to work in place of it in green monsters. It doesn't. It really, really doesn't. It tastes like someone poured pepper over blueberries. Yet, I'm still eating it. Just... just don't do it. *sigh*