Kumquat Jam

One day at our local store a bright orange fruits caught my attention. I went by it once, than came back to the produce section to pick something else and looked at it again, then before I went to the register I came back to the produce section and couldn't resist to put in my basket a couple of kumquat packs. They were so sunny, so cheerful, and so happy looking at me, how could I had left without them?!

I came home, had a few kumquats with all their flavor bursting up to my brain. Then I had a few more, then... well, by the end of the day we finished it. Needless to say that the very next morning I went back to the store and headed straight to the section, where the little sunshine fruits were sitting. I bought a few more boxes with a single thought: "I need to preserve some of it". I didn't know how and what I was going to make, I just wanted a jar of this fantastic flavor to be preserved. 

And here it is, Kumquat Jam. I made it traditionally by pre-soaking sliced kumquats in sugar overnight, then adding some grapefruit juice and cooking for 30 minutes. The hardest part was to slice those tiny fruits into half moons. It took me just two hours to get it done. :) 

See you,
Marina

P.S. It looks like we will be moving back to Washington State in July. And we also have two graduations: our teenager is graduating from high school in May, and my husband is graduating from the residency in June. With all that said, my posts will be sporadic for the time being, until we move and settle somewhere. I also may not be visiting your lovely blogs as often as I'd like to.  But I think of you all often. 

Mushroom Stuffed Eggs (for Chinese New Year)

Chinese New Year started on February 10th, so I am just a few days late with this post. My intention, a very good intention I must tell you, was to make this post upon our arrival to Seattle, illustrating it with some photos from celebration in China Town. And it didn't happened the way I planned. The closest I got to the celebration was this sign in the Bellevue Square Mall:

Because I already had this festive appetizer made, and also because I have two  snakes in my home (I meant two people born in the year of Snake: my daughter and my husband), I decided to go for it and post. Better late than never, right? :)

And what is the best food to welcome the Snake?

Mushroom stuffed eggs. 

Ingredients:

• 10 hard boiled eggs
• 2 portabello mushrooms, cleaned and cubed
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 1 Table spoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dry dill (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

In a medium saute pan pre-heat olive oil, add onion, and saute until golden brown.
Add mushrooms, and cook on medium heat until all water evaporates, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Cut eggs in half, remove from each half egg yolk.
In a food processor combine egg yolk, mushroom and onions, dill, garlic, and salt and pepper (start with a little pinch and taste). Pulse 2-3 times until all ingredients mix. Taste for salt and adjust if needed.
Carefully fill each egg white with filling and serve. 

Variation: use cooked chicken liver (my personal favorite) and follow the same direction. 

This appetizer is on top of 10 favorite appetizers:  easy to make, and everyone loves it. 
Although, now that I am thinking, I may not even have 10 on that list, but anyway it's on the top of however many are there. 

Happy Year of the Snake! May prosperity be with you!

See you,
Marina

Cranberry and Quince Preserve

February is a month when I least think of preserving. Nevertheless, I made some cranberry preserve that lasted not longer than a week (can you even call it a preserve if it didn't have any time to actually go through all the stages to be a mature preserve?!)

A week ago, while I was doing my monthly shopping, I got stalked by  bags of cranberries. Yes, those bags kept looking at me when I added to my basket carrots, leeks, beets, cabbages, onions, greens. 
Each time I put something in the basket, cranberries would appear either before my eyes or in the corner of my eyes. 
When I reached for turnips, my hand somehow piked a bag of cranberries instead. 
"Oh, well, if you insist I might do something with you", was my thought, and I added another bag of cranberries to the basket. 
"Cranberries make a good winter drink, quick and easy, yet loaded with nutrients. It will make the teenager happy and help him fight his after practice thirst", I convinced myself.

Ingredients

I came home, washed the cranberries and set it aside, still deciding what to do with it. I rotated produce in my refrigerator (something I forced myself to do a few years back, and now doing it on autopilot: saves a lot of food, not to mention money), and found a lone quince. As soon as I looked at it, I smiled and my eyes lit with this spark of adventure: I know what I am going to do! 

Cranberry and Quince preserve (sauce)

Cranberry and Quince Preserve

Ingredients:

• 2 (12oz each)  bags cranberries - 700 grams
• 1,5 cups sugar 
• 1 quince, cored and quartered
• 2 cups water

In a blender or food processor blend together washed cranberries, quince, and water. If you don't have any of the mentioned equipment, just crash the cranberries with the potato masher. Cut quince into a small cubes with the knife.
Transfer all ingredients to a heavy-bottomed stainless steel or enameled cast iron 6+ Quarts pot.
Bring it to a boil, stirring a few times. 
Add sugar, reduce the heat to a medium and simmer for 10 minutes, stir well.
Turn off the stove, and let it rest (uncovered) until it cools down (2-3 hours at least).
Bring the mixture to a boil again, stirring frequently (to prevent scorching), reduce the heat to a medium and boil for another 10 minutes. 
Transfer hot preserve into a sterilized pint (500 ml) jar (s), leaving 1/2 inch from the top, wipe the rims of the jars with a clean damp cloth, close with sterilized lid. 
Let the jars cool completely (I usually leave it overnight), and refrigerate.
This preserve keeps up to 4 months in the refrigerator (if it stays that long. Not in my house though!)
If you process it by boiling the jars for 10 minutes, it will stay for up to a year (USDA has a resource)

Whether you like it with turkey on your sandwich, or as a dessert with your tea (my personal preference), this cranberry preserve (sauce) would be another homemade addition to your pantry. 
Two teaspoons dissolved in a cup of hot water will make a perfect cold remedy, loaded with vitamins and fiber. 

Cranberry drink

Have you ever been "stalked" by a fruit or vegetable on a  market? :)

See you,
Marina

Hot Water Soup, Also Known as Chicken Broth

Really, what else do you put in a hot water soup?! :) 
Occasionally, I make a hot water soup too, although my hot water soup has a little bit more than just hot water, and it is my husband's favorite soup to have in the winter: the colder it gets, more often he asks for it! Often times just plain chicken broth (a.k.a. hot water soup) and a toast is all he wants. 

Sometimes I get "creative" and add a potato and a carrot with some herbs to it. But whether you add "extras" to it or not, the good chicken broth is a meal on it's own. 
It takes some time to make a good stock, but it is just time, not a work as you let it slowly cook  for several hours (6-8, even 10-12), then leave overnight in the refrigerator. The next day you'll be praised with flavor of the most delicious chicken broth. 

Needless to say, but I'll say it anyway, a good stock starts with good ingredients, in this case a good natural chicken.  
A few years back we did experiment with a few chickens: one store bought natural (#1), another one was organic (#2), and a third was from a local farmer (#3), who was selling his free range chickens (for this one I had to be on a waiting list!).  
I made three stocks, using the same ingredients (except chickens), same cooking time. And can you guess which stock was the most popular and was gone before it even cooled down? If you picked #3, you were absolutely right. The color and rich flavor of the stock was amazing. The runner up was #1, made from natural store bought chicken (from Whole Foods): it's flavor was milder, yet it had good body. 
Chicken stock made of organic chicken was too plain to our tastes even with all the vegetables and herbs used, however it was still much better than the one you get from a box or a can. Waaay better, and worth all the effort.

Chicken Broth (Stock)

Ingredients:

• 3-4 chicken carcasses or 1 good quality whole chicken
• 2 carrots, pilled
• 1 medium or large onion (peel and cut it in half or leave it whole)
• 2 celery ribs
• 2 parsley roots, peeled (if you can't find it, use one celery root, peeled and quartered)
• 1 parsnip, peeled and cut in half
• 1/2 fennel bulb (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 10 peppercorns
• 2-3 clove garlic (optional)
• 4-5 parsley stems (no leaves)
• 2-3 dry dill "hay" (dry whole dill plant, that is usually used for pickling); dry dill seeds can be used instead
• 4-5 dry lovage leaves (optional)
• 6-7 liters (1,5 gallon) cold water

Parsley root

Place chicken carcasses in a big stock pot, add water and bring it to a simmer (do not let it boil!), skim all the foam (scum) from the top (it will take you about 40-60 minutes, be patient). You do not have to stand there, just attend to it every 15-20 minutes, skim the scum, and come back to it in another 15-20 minutes.  Then add all other ingredients, except bay leaf and simmer for 6-7 hours. Once again, simmer, do not bring it to a rapid boil (rapid boil will result in a grey cloudy stock!). Walk by the simmering stock every couple of hours to skim (if necessary) and add some water, if needed, although I rarely do it as I want my stock to have more gelatinous  body and reach flavor.

Dill "hey" (left), dill seeds (center), dry lovage (right)

After 6-7 hours of simmering the deep fragrant smell will invite you to check it out, and now you can add a bay leaf.  The reason I add it in the end is because bay leaf can make your stock bitter in a very short time. Hence, add it in the end of cooking for 20-30 minutes and then discard it. 

Strain stock into another large pot, and refrigerate overnight. Next day remove solidified fat and store it in refrigerator for 2-3 days, or freeze for up to three months. Once again, I prefer to freeze it in a wide mouth glass jars. I tried different containers: BPA-free plastic, Ziploc bags, etc, and I can taste and smell plastic in my broth after de-frosting.

Now you can do with your broth/stock whatever you want: reduce it to make a velvety sauce, make a soup, cook some risotto, or just drink it plain with some fresh herbs and a little salt.

You don't have to use all listed ingredients. It is my preference and I usually have it all. But when I run out of fennel or can't find parsley root, I still make a tasty chicken stock. My mother, for example, uses only five ingredients: chicken, onion, bay leaf, dill "hay", and parsley root. And her stock is the most flavorful I have ever had (I am being subjective here, I know). :) 
The secret to any good stock is to cook it long and cook it slow.  

Hot water soup, my way! :)

Add a dash of Love to it, and you would have a cup  full of healing power and health benefits. 

See you,
Marina

Mushroom Stock (Broth)

Cold winter days are perfect to stock up on some broths.  Every other weekend I make a fresh broth to use in cooking during a week and to freeze for later (for hot summer months when just thinking of turning on the oven makes me hot!). I prefer to make my stock during weekends, uninterrupted by pick ups, drop offs, and other school activities that sometimes come on a moment notice. 
For the stock I use portobello mushrooms as they have a little more flavor. 

Mushroom Stock (Broth)

Ingredients:

2-3 portobelo mushrooms, sliced
2 carrots, washed and pilled
1 leak, thoroughly washed white part, cut lenthwise in half
1 onion, sliced in half
1 celery root (you can use 2 celery stalks, just don't bake it, and add it with the seasoning), washed, pilled, and quartered
5 l (a little over a gallon ) water

Seasoning:
1 teaspoon dill seeds
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorn
1 bay leaf


Preheat the oven to 350F (175 C).

Prepare all ingredients (clean and cut), and place on oiled baking sheet. Roast until golden brown (about 25-30 minutes depending on your oven).

Transfer all roasted vegetables to a big pot, add water and bring it to a simmer (never let your broth reach a rapid boil point!). If there is any foam, skim it with a slotted spoon. 

Simmer for about 3 hours.

Add dill seeds and peppercorns and simmer for another 1-2 hours. Add bay leaf and simmer another 10 minutes. Cool, discard bay leaf, and refrigerate over night: let all the flavor develop and blend.

Next day strain the broth, bring it to a simmer for about 15 minutes. Now it's ready to be used in your favorite risotto, soup, sauce. Shelf life in the refrigerator 3 days. 
I also freeze it in a freezer safe  and labeled container (I personally like wide mouth jars) for up to 6 months. 

There's no salt in this broth as I prefer to control salt when I make a dish with it. However, from time to time I do add salt at the end and label it accordingly.  

Can you smell it?! :)

See you,
Marina

Spicy Aubergine (Eggplant) Fries

Technically it's not a fries as it's baked in the oven with just a little oil to prevent eggplants from absorbing too much oil in it. 

Ingredients:

2 eggplants
2 tablespoons salt
2-3 rosemary sprigs, finely chopped
pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tbsp olive oil 
1 tsp granulated garlic

Cut eggplants lengthwise  into 1/2 inch  strips, mix with salt and set aside for 30 minutes. 
Preheat the oven to 450 F/230C.
Rinse  the eggplants under a running water to remove excess of salt, pat dry with the towel (or paper towel). 
In a large bowl combine olive oil, chopped rosemary, garlic and cayenne pepper and coat eggplants in the mixture by tossing it a few times. 
Transfer to a baking sheet and place on a middle rack in the oven. 
Bake 25-30 minutes, turning the baking sheet 180 degrees half way through the baking. 

Warning: highly addictive! :)

See you,
Marina

Stuffed Dates

Last night after our dinner I prepared a plate for today's post. It was quite dark to take photos, so I decided to leave the plate in the refrigerator and take another, better photo after sun comes up in the morning. After dropping the teenager at school, I drove back home, thinking of what place in my home  is better to take photos this time of the day? Would it be kitchen? Or Living room?  Upon my return, I started to prepare the set: props, position of the table (I am gaining muscles moving furniture around for better photos as I don't use any additional lights. More on that in a later posts). When everything was ready I went to the kitchen for the plate... Before I checked refrigerator, with the corner of my eyes I caught the familiar plate in the kitchen sink.  "It must be left by someone after the breakfast" - was my innocent thought. Then I opened the refrigerator... My head was turning from refrigerator to the sink in disbelief.  I looked at the happy husband, who was sipping his morning coffee and reading the news. 
"Thanks for the breakfast", - he said. "I love those roasted vegetables. The plate was pretty too. Can you make some more?" 
"Yes, dear"- was my respond with a deep sigh...  
I approached my husband, giving him a hug and kissing him in a well groomed cheek, and murmured in his ear: "I wanted to take a picture of that plate, dear..." 
"Do you know, there is a guy, who ate too much pop corn..." - spoke he softly, taking the conversation into the different direction... 

We continued our  morning conversation about all things life with some tea (me) and coffee (husband) and walnuts stuffed dates, that I made a day before, and had already taken some photos. :)


See you,
Marina

Bite Size Foot Balls

This recipe was adapted from Averie Cooks, although because I changed many ingredients I call it foot balls (or soccer in US). 


Ingredients:
1 cup cashews (raw)
1 cup almond flour
2/3 cup shredded coconut or coconut flakes
2 tbsp agave nectar
1 tbsp coconut oil (for binding)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 lemon (zest and juice)
1/4 chocolate chips


In a food processor grind cashews, add coconut and almond flour and pulse. 
Add all the remaining ingredients, pulse to mix. 
Transfer the mixture into a mixing bowl, add chocolate chips, mix and form a small balls. Decorate each ball with more chocolate chips to resemble a foot ball (soccer in US). 
Refrigerate for 1-2 hours and enjoy.

If  you have patience, leave it overnight in the refrigerator to develop the flavor: lemon and coconut will blend into fantastic not too sweet taste tickle. 


See you,
Marina

Buckwheat

Buckwheat with roasted vegetables

Today I did a kitchen inventory and rotated my pantry, task I perform every 3-4 months. And each time I find some dry ingredient that I forget to use for some time. To my delight I bumped into a jar of buckwheat. 
I need to tell you, that I don't actually have a real pantry, a room with shelves from top to bottom, where dry goods stored on one side, preserved food on the other, and all my "technical support" in the middle. That's a dream pantry. 
In reality I have a couple tight places where I keep my dry goods in mason jars in two rows, hence sometimes I forget what is in the second row that I don't see. My preserved food and "technical support" Kitchen Aid stand mixer, juicer and food processor occupy a bookshelf in the kitchen/dining area.

Back to buckwheat. I simply cooked one cup of buckwheat groats in two cups of water, and served it with roasted vegetables, bound together with sauteed shallots and tomato sauce. 


A few interesting facts:
1. First cultivation of buckwheat was around 6000 BC.
2. Too much fertilizer, nitrogen especially, reduces yield of buckwheat. 
3. Buckwheat has no gluten. 
4. Buckwheat is not related to wheat grain; it comes from the same family as sorrel and rhubarb.

What is you favorite food made with buckwheat? 

See you,
Marina

Risotto and baked eggplants (aubergine)

Eggplants and potato "risotto"

The idea for this dish came to me while I was watching the final episode of  Gordon Ramsay's Best Restaurant (on Netflix), where one of the finalists, Casamia, had on their winning menu "risotto" made with potatoes. I loved the idea as much as I love potatoes and I decided to make it for dinner tonight. 
I baked  this eggplants, then topped it with my version of potato "risotto", Pecorino cheese, and broiled it for 5 minutes. 
We loved every bit of it, no leftovers tonight.

What was your treat to yourself tonight?

See you,
Marina