Are you afraid of poaching eggs? I’ve latched on to other people’s perfect-poached-egg methods in the past, only to never ever reproduce them. They just weren’t quite perfect (or simple) enough.

That all changed this morning. I discovered a super easy way to egg-poach (that’s a verb now!), thanks to Alice Waters’ “In the Green Kitchen” and its egg poaching tips, written by Angelo Garro (“a San Francisco Blacksmith”).

Before this, I was totally doing it wrong.

First of all: use a wide, shallow heavy-bottomed pan, with ample room for poaching two eggs at a time, instead of a taller narrow saucepan that annoyingly only has room for one. Also, forget about creating a vortex. The only thing a vortex ever did for me was send all of my egg whites spiraling out into an expanding galaxy of whispy white, and left me with a perfectly poached egg YOLK. Egg-poach fail.

Alice Waters reports that Angelo’s trick is to submerge the whole egg in simmering water for 10 seconds to “set the white just a bit” before cracking the egg into a bowl. And it works! First time my homemade poached eggs have included both egg yolk and egg white. Success! And with the awesome power of the egg poaching ability comes the awesome power to make homemade Eggs Benedict.

Now let’s just say you have mastered the poached egg, but are now intimidated by the Hollandaise sauce. I’ve made mayonnaise before, and it can’t be that different. But I want to share an even easier, healthier imitation Hollandaise sauce with you, that I’ve been improvising for a while now, and which uses Greek yogurt or Labne, instead of more eggs… Poaching perfect eggs inspired me to finally write down the ingredients and amounts for the sauce. Enjoy!

Side note: Eggs Benedict are also good with a plain old dollop of Greek yogurt on top (that was my gateway to the imitation Hollandaise sauce).

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RECIPE:

Eggs Benedict with Greek Yogurt Hollandaise Sauce

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:
~ 2 English muffins, halved and toasted
~ 4 eggs, preferably at room temperature
~ squeeze of lemon juice, or dash of white vinegar (optional)

OPTIONAL (Eggs Benedict Toppings):
~ 4 slices smoked salmon (for Eggs Norwegian / Eggs Atlantic)
~ 2 handfuls of fresh spinach, wilted (for Eggs Florentine)
~ 4 slices of ham (for traditional Eggs Benedict), or bacon
~ 1 avocado, sliced (for California Eggs Benedict)
~ chives, finely chopped, to garnish

Ingredients for the Sauce:
~ 4 heaping Tbsp. Greek yogurt or Labne
~ 1 Tbsp. butter, melted
~ 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice (optional)
~ salt and white pepper, to taste
~ cayenne pepper, to taste

How to make it:

1. Make the Greek yogurt Hollandaise sauce by vigorously whisking melted butter into the yogurt. Add lemon juice as desired, to thin and smooth the sauce. Add salt, white pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste. (Or save the cayenne to sprinkle over the eggs once the dish is finished, for a more colorful presentation.)

2. Poach the eggs: Heat 2-3 inches of water in a shallow heavy-bottomed pan, until the water is barely simmering. (Many miniature bubbles should be visible, but none should be breaking the surface; Do not allow the water to boil.) Use a slotted spoon to lower each whole egg, one at a time, into the barely-simmering water for 10-15 seconds, then remove. Add lemon juice or white vinegar to the water (or not!).

Mini bubbles!

Next, crack one egg into a small heat-resistant bowl. Holding the bowl by the rim, lower the bottom half of the bowl into the water, and hold there for several seconds. Then slowly and gently pour the egg into the water. The whites might spread out a bit, but should mostly coalesce around the yolk and begin to cook. Repeat with a second egg, if two will fit in your pan at once.

Allow eggs to poach, undisturbed for 4 minutes, or to taste; just make sure the whites are completely cooked. Then carefully remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel (especially if you are still planning to poach more eggs, or still assembling the rest of the breakfast).

3. While eggs are poaching, you can assemble your optional Eggs Benedict toppings on the toasted English muffins. (I used smoked salmon, with sides of fresh sliced tomato and avocado.)

4. Gently transfer the poached eggs on top of the English muffins, then generously spoon over the Greek yogurt Hollandaise sauce. Garnish with chives, and serve warm.

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Related Recipe Posts:
> Huevos Rancheros
> Homemade Mayonnaise and Garlic Alioli

After making my first risotto last month, I was inspired to also make my first orzo. I like pasta, but it was unappealing to me to boil the dense grain-like orzo granules in water and drain them, pasta-style. Instead I chose a super tasty-sounding variation from a Cook’s Illustrated cookbook* that I had sitting around: Toasted Orzo!

First you toast the orzo in butter until it’s just started to brown… Sounding tasty yet? Then you pour in chicken or vegetable broth (and white wine), and cook it, risotto-style. Only it’s so much easier than risotto! No constant stirring! Just a little stirring here and there.

All of that free time (10-12 minutes) while I wasn’t stirring the orzo, allowed me to clean up a little while cooking (my favorite OCD habit), and slice the radishes.

Yes, radishes. Do radishes mixed in with kale and lemon sound strange? The idea occurred to me because 1) I had radishes in the fridge to use up, and 2) This recipe starts out with quite a bit of butter, and butter helps to mellow the spicy pungency of radishes. In fact, butter makes radishes taste mild yet still crispy and refreshing.

The lemon gave it a brightness of flavor, and the radishes added a nice crunch and color to the dish. The kale added… kale (need I say more?). And I rounded it all out with a little crumbled feta cheese on top, making it seem a little more Greek, and a little less like the spontaneous random combination it was.

This crazy last-minute kitchen experiment turned out to have “favorite in the weekday menu rotation” written all over it!

* In the spirit of full confession, I acquired my Cook’s Illustrated “The Best Skillet Recipes” cookbook for free, while dumpster diving. And perhaps more to the point, the “Toasted Orzo” variations in this cookbook, which I deviated from completely, include: with peas and parmesan; with fennel, olives and cilantro; and with bacon, scallions, and peas.

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RECIPE:

Toasted Orzo with Kale, Feta, and Radishes
Based on a recipe for Toasted Orzo in: The Best Skillet Recipes (by Cook’s Illustrated/America’s Test Kitchen).

(Serves 5-6)

Ingredients:
~ 1¼ cups dry orzo
~ ½ bunch kale (around 5 oz.), stems removed and roughly chopped
~ 1 lemon (zest and juice)
~ 6-7 radishes, thinly sliced in half-moons
~ 2 cups chicken broth, or vegetable stock
~ 2 Tbsp. butter
~ 2 cloves garlic, minced
~ 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
~ 6-7 Tbsp. feta cheese, crumbled
OPTIONAL:
~ ⅓ cup dry white wine
~ substitute spinach for kale (no need for olive oil; steams in less time)
~ salt and pepper to taste (but I didn’t use any!)

How to make it:

1. Make the kale: Heat the olive oil in a medium pot. Rinse the chopped kale, but don’t bother patting it dry; transfer the kale to the pot, still coated in a little bit of water (to steam the kale leaves), or if using pre-washed kale, add about ¼ cup of water. Stir to coat the kale with olive oil, then lower the heat and place the lid on the pot. Steam for 10 minutes, covered, stirring once or twice total, then remove from the heat and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large non-stick skillet, or cast iron pan, heat the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the minced garlic and sauté, stirring, for 30 seconds, before adding the orzo.

3. Stir to coat the orzo in butter, and continue toasting the orzo over medium heat, stirring continuously, for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, or once some of the orzo has started to brown, pour in the chicken broth (and optionally, white wine). (Be careful of steam it will create.) Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat back to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10-12 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed.

4. Stir in the cooked kale, then remove from the heat. Add the lemon juice and zest, and mix well. Then, gently stir in the radishes.

5. Serve warm in individual bowls with crumbled feta cheese sprinkled on top.

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I have grown accustomed to seeing (and eating) a wide variety of unexpectedly-pickled things while living in Japan and Korea, but it was tasting homemade pickled rhubarb (and other pickled things, like watermelon rind) at Resurrection Ale House in Philadelphia last summer that made me want to try it for myself. As if I could ever reproduce that rhubarb…

So last summer I took a canning and pickling class, and this post is Part 2.* You can read all about my strawberry jam-making adventures and what I learned about canning (just the basics) in my first Canning 101 installment here:

(Part 1) Canning 101: Strawberry Jam

The most exciting part of the class for me was the lesson in DIY pickles. Our group pickling project was pickled green beans. Crunchy, vinegary, and a little bit spicy, these pickled green beans make the perfect snack, or appetizer accompaniment (or gift!). They’re an awesome way to preserve green beans, too, if you find yourself with an excess of string beans and you want to make them last for months. I don’t have a garden or a green thumb, though, so I’m not in it for the preservation part, but for the tangy pickled homemade snacks.

Next up, I need to get myself some hot water gloves for canning, and my own set of canning jars and screw rings**, and I hope to be pickling away later this summer. Tomolive-style mini green tomatoes are at the top of my list, followed by pickled rhubarb, Korean-style pickled cucumbers (oi kimchi), and then maybe pickled daikon and carrots for Banh Mi.

A final note: did you know that it’s also possible to make “refrigerator pickles” simply by pouring a brine over some vegetables, like fresh cut cucumbers, and leaving them in the fridge for 24 hours? Of course they won’t be preserved for as long this way– they are best eaten within a week or two– but it’s a nice pickling shortcut to know about, especially if you don’t have the time or the vegetable quantities for a hot water canning bath pickle-fest. Our Canning 101 teacher explained that you can even make Refrigerator Pickles simply by tossing some fresh cucumber wedges into the brine of a store-bought pickle jar, once all of its pickles have been eaten. (But better yet, here’s a lovely recipe for Refrigerator Pickles with a homemade brine.)

Jars of pickled things at The Goodland Kitchen, in Goleta, CA.

* It’s nearly summer again and I am finally writing about the pickling part now. Too many recipe posts, too little time!

** Although you can re-use your canning jars and screw rings that fit around the tops, you need to use NEW lids each time you can.

(Print this Pickled Green Beans recipe.)

RECIPE:

Pickled Green Beans
(Slightly adapted from the Canning 101 class at The Goodland Kitchen, Goleta, CA)

(Makes 3 pints)

Ingredients:
~ 2 lbs. green beans, washed and trimmed

For the Brine:
~ 2 cups vinegar (distilled white or apple cider vinegar)
~ 1⅔ cups water
~ ¼ cup salt
~ ½ Tbsp. sugar (optional)

For the Spice Mixture:
~ 3-4 tsp. dill seeds
~ 3 tsp. mustard seeds
~ 20 black peppercorns
~ 1 small clove of garlic, per jar
~ 1 dried red chili pepper, per jar
OPTIONAL:
~ pinch of cayenne pepper
~ pinch of sugar
~ 1 sprig of fresh dill leaves or flowering tops, per jar, to make “dilly beans”

How to make it:

1. Wash jars in hot, soapy water, and rinse well. Put metal jar lids into a pan of water and bring to a boil, then turn off the burner and let the lids stand in the hot water.

2. Bring a separate large, very deep pot of water to a boil. This will be your boiling water bath to seal the jars. The pot should be deep enough that the jars can be fully submerged in the water without the water boiling up and over the sides.

3. Then prepare the green beans: Wash and trim beans until they are a little shorter than the height of your jars. (You’ll want to allow between ¼ – ½ inch of jar headspace.)

4. Prepare spice mix (without the cayenne or sugar) and set aside. Then make the brine and bring to a boil.

5. Add a heaping tablespoon of spice mix to each jar, making sure that each jar has one clove of garlic, one dried red chili pepper, and optionally, one sprig of fresh dill leaves or flowers. Pack in the beans, standing as tightly together as possible. Optionally sprinkle a tiny bit of cayenne pepper or sugar over the top.

6. Once the water bath is boiling (step #2) and the lids from step #1 have been simmering/soaking in hot water for at least 10 minutes, then you can pour the HOT brine over the jars of green beans, leaving at least ¼ inch of “headspace,” or unfilled area at the top of the jar, right under the lid. Then carefully pick up the hot lids (using a slotted spoon or magnetic canning “wand”), place them on the jars, and screw on the rings over that, but not too tightly.***

7. Immediately, while jars are still hot, transfer to boiling water bath (using canning tongs or hot water gloves; see footnote ***). Make sure each jar is submerged in the hot water, and be careful to keep each jar upright, without tilting it too much. Keep in boiling water for 10 minutes, then remove, keeping jars upright, and let cool.

8. Give the pickles at least 2 weeks or a month to fully develop their flavor before eating them, or store for up to a year!

*** Once you place the heated lids onto the jars, you need to be careful not to screw the rings on too tightly, or else air bubbles won’t be able to escape while the jars are under water: a good trick is to set the jar down, and use only one hand to spin the screw ring around and around until the moment the ring starts to turn the jar below with it. That’s when you know it’s tight enough, and you can immediately transfer the jar into the boiling water bath–- using either jar-lifting tongs or hot water gloves-– while the jar is still hot.

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I am delighted to be nominated for the One Lovely Blog Award, thanks to Stephanie from It’s not just about the recipe…. It’s so nice to feel that all the time I put into Spontaneous Tomato is appreciated, particularly by other food bloggers. And while we’re on the subject of appreciation, please check out It’s not just about the recipe, for many appealing and varied recipe ideas, especially for breads and baked treats!

As for the One Lovely Blog Award, the rules of the award are: 1) Display the blog award; 2) Create a link to the site that nominated you; 3) Write 7 random facts about yourself; and 4) Create some links to blogs you love!

So here goes nothing…

7 Random Facts:

1. I’m a PhD student in Linguistics. (I don’t write much about it on here, but that’s how I spend my time when I’m not working on the blog. Although come to think about it, it should be the other way around…)
2. This semester is my first time working as a teaching assistant for a beginning Japanese class! And it is SO MUCH FUN. I’ve taught English in Japan before, but teaching Japanese is even more challenging and enjoyable.
3. My girlfriend’s name is Paula, and she was the brains behind Rainbow Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting. She used to make bread in her breadmaker, but now she bakes bread from scratch every weekend. So far she’s perfected baguettes, focaccia, and challah. I hope they will appear on this blog at some point…
4. I’m afraid of riding in canoes, kayaks, or rowboats. I can handle bigger boats, though.
5. I don’t like cooked fish. That doesn’t mean I don’t like fish; I love (cooked) shellfish, like shrimp, mussels, clams, and lobster, and I also love all kinds of raw fish in sushi, but I can’t get over the fishy taste of seared, grilled, or baked fish fillet… Perhaps you have a recipe that will convert me? But until then, it’s just not my favorite.
6. I’m good at editing for others (anyone need to hire a freelance editor?) but bad at editing my own work; with every single blog post I struggle (and usually fail) to limit my total word count and number of photos.
7. I don’t have a green thumb at all, so one corner of my balcony is now a sad, sad plant cemetery, with the dead remains of cilantro, Italian basil, Thai basil, tomatoes, rosemary, thyme, and chives.

7 Blogs I Love: (or am just getting to know, but already love!)

1. v:gourmet. Ruth from v:gourmet presents simple and delicious-looking vegan recipes and mouth-watering food photos.
2. emmycooks. Emmy of Emmycooks is an inspiration to me! I don’t know how she can post a recipe EVERY DAY when I can barely produce two per week. And her recipes are all extremely approachable yet creative and healthy.
3. Girl Cooks World. Check out this blog, by Cate, for its gorgeous photographs and truly global gluten-free recipe collection. Including many Nepali recipes, which I hope to try out!
4. My Fancy Pantry. Shari’s love of Indian food is evident with every beautiful photograph and recipe post, and she branches out creatively from traditional Indian curries with recipes like Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza.
5. Simply Scratch. Laurie’s blog has helpful step-by-step photographs, and delicious-looking recipes for how to make your own edibles from scratch.
6. Everybody Likes Sandwiches. A lovely blog, by Jeannette, with an extensive and tasty-looking recipe index. I want to make ALL of these recipes!
7. Beyond Kimchee. This cooking blog, by Holly, has beautiful photos and easy explanations for how to make a variety of Korean dishes.
8. Pinch My Salt. Nicole’s beautiful blog, Pinch My Salt, has countless scrumptious-looking recipes, especially for appetizers, breads, and desserts. The perfect place to plan a dinner party menu.

Ok, I know that was eight, not seven, but I couldn’t narrow it down…

And because I didn’t want to leave you without a recipe, here is a simple salad idea, inspired by a winning combination that my older sister likes: strawberries and spinach. Yes, it’s strawberry season already in Santa Barbara! And this is one of my favorite salads in strawberry season, so I hope you will forgive me for posting yet another salad that involves goat cheese… Don’t worry, I won’t get carried away and post only goat cheese salads from now on; this particular combination is just so good. Promise me you’ll try it.

RECIPE:

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Ingredients (per person):
~ 1-2 large handfuls of fresh spinach leaves
~ 5-6 ripe strawberries, thinly sliced
~ 1 Tbsp. of goat cheese
OPTIONAL:
~ dressing of your choice
~ pinch of pine nuts or chopped pecans

How to make it:
Scatter the sliced strawberries over the spinach leaves, and crumble the goat cheese over the salad. Add nuts if desired, and dress with a simple salad dressing, like a balsamic vinaigrette.

Do you like spicy food? Crave comfort food? Think those are two separate categories of edibles? This kimchi fried rice says otherwise.

If you’re not yet sure about kimchi (Korean spicy fermented cabbage) this dish could be just the right gateway drug for you. Once sautéed, kimchi loses some of its pungent harshness, but answers back with an addictive tangy spicy warmth that deepens with a little time spent sizzling.

Kimchi is so flavorful, it makes the perfect fried rice base. No need to mix in egg or smother it with soy sauce. You could probably dispense with every other ingredient; all you really need is kimchi, rice, and heat. It would still taste so good.

Garlic chives (buchu)

This recipe has a little more than that going for it, though. I found it in a Japanese cookbook of all places, and just modified it a bit to be more like dishes I’ve enjoyed in restaurants in Korea: I added sesame oil and a fried egg on top!* This time I opted for shrimp, but I’ve also made it with chicken before (and the original recipe called for pork). Or leave the protein out entirely. Like I said, all you really need is kimchi, rice, and heat to make this spicy, tangy comfort food.

* In my opinion, many, many savory dishes can be improved with a fried egg on top. Think about it…

RECIPE

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Kimchi Fried Rice (Bokkeumbap)
(Adapted from a Japanese-language cookbook called “One Dish Cooking“– in Japanese: ひと皿完結まんぷくごはん.)

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:
~ 3-4 cups cooked rice
~ 1 cup of kimchi, chopped
~ 1/2 lb. pork or chicken (cut into bite-size), or shrimp
~ 4-5 whites-of-scallions, finely sliced (or small piece of an onion, diced)
~ 1-2 Tbsp. canola or vegetable oil
~ 1 tsp. sesame oil
~ 2 tsp. soy sauce
OPTIONAL:
~ 1-2 Tbsp. kochujang (Korean chili paste)
~ pinch of salt, to taste
~ 1/2 bunch of buchu (garlic chives) with ends discarded, chopped in inch-long pieces
~ greens of scallions, to garnish
~ fried egg, to serve on top
~ shredded seaweed, to garnish

Note: Many people assert that fried rice tastes better with day-old refrigerated rice, and I do like to use that in Chinese-style fried rice, where I mix in more soy sauce and some egg, but for this recipe I’ve found that warm just-cooked short-grained rice also works great!

How to make it:

1. If using chicken, pork, or raw shrimp, heat canola or vegetable oil in a large/deep frying pan over high heat. Then add meat and cook, stirring frequently, for several minutes until the meat changes color and begins to look nearly cooked. Add more oil if necessary.
If making vegetarian, or using pre-cooked shrimp, simply heat the oil over high heat, then proceed to step #2.

2. Add the scallion whites or the onion, and cook while stirring for 1-2 minutes. Next add kimchi and, optionally, kochujang, and cook while stirring for 3-5 minutes until the kimchi starts to get soft. (Then add pre-cooked shrimp, and stir to coat with kimchi flavors.)

3. Add the rice, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Then mix well until the rice is coated with the kimchi. (You can always add a little bit of the brine-y liquid from the kimchi jar if it seems like there’s not enough color or spice for all of your rice!)

4. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, for just a few more minutes until the rice is warmed through. Add the garlic chives in the last minute of cooking, and stir well until they start to wilt. Season with salt, to taste.

5. Serve topped with a fried egg and sprinkled with scallions or shredded seaweed.

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What could possibly be better than a salad with goat cheese? A salad with warm goat cheese melted on bread. (Of course.)

After years of being inspired mainly by Asia in the kitchen, last summer I was inspired– much more than I’d expected to be– by the food in France. I will choose a hole-in-the-wall lunch counter serving spicy Korean soup or Vietnamese noodles over a fancy French restaurant any day, but that said, I love cheese and bread. (And cheese on bread.)

When I visited Paris, I ordered (more crêpes than I could count and) several warm goat cheese salads. Perhaps this was because chèvre and pain are among the few French words that I could recognize on the menus… Or maybe I just kept coming back to salads because it was summer and quite hot out, and the salads kept arriving topped with crispy toast and soft warm cheese, whether I liked it or not. (I liked it.)

In any case, since that lovely little vacation, I have been making the occasional warm goat cheese salad at home. My favorite version is with sliced up fresh pears on the greens, which I then sometimes sprinkle with sliced almonds. Pictured, though, is a salad with chopped walnuts and some cherry tomatoes from a local farm stand here in town.

It’s nice to keep it simple when you’re also finishing off the salad with some toasted bread and rich herbed goat cheese. Salad greens, tomatoes or pears, and a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Simple. Unlike this slightly over the top warm goat cheese salad that I ate in France, that came covered in sautéed potatoes and a creamy dressing:

It still tasted good, though.

A final note about the bread in my photos: I wasn’t the only person inspired by all there was to eat in France. Ever since our trip, my girlfriend has been baking baguettes from scratch every weekend! (I am the luckiest.*) This week she branched out and tried making some rosemary focaccia. Baguettes had been tricky to master, but the focaccia was so good on her first try, it made her want to drop out of work/school and go run away to work in a bakery. It made me want to spend an entire week eating warm goat cheese salads.

*Also, I bought her a baguette baking pan for Christmas.

RECIPE:

Warm Goat Cheese Salad

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:
~ several handfuls of salad greens (I use both spinach and arugula)
~ small handful of cherry tomatoes or a sliced tomato or pear
~ 1-2 pieces of bread per person
~ goat cheese, plain or herbed, about 1 oz. per person
OPTIONAL:
~ chopped walnuts or almonds
~ balsamic vinaigrette (ratio of 1:3 balsamic vinegar to olive oil, whisked together with a dab of Dijon mustard), or other salad dressing

How to make it:

1. Preheat the oven (or a toaster oven!) to 350 degrees. Spread goat cheese thickly onto the slices of bread, and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the bread starts to brown around the edges, and the goat cheese is warmed through. (If you’re feeling extra patient, you can give it another minute on the normal toaster or broiler setting to brown the top of the cheese a bit.)

2. Meanwhile, assemble your salad on a plate. Add sliced tomatoes or pear and optionally nuts.

3. When the bread is done toasting, lightly dress the salad with vinaigrette. Then place the toasted bread and cheese on top of the salad, and serve immediately, with a knife and fork.

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Yum.

I have a sweet tooth and I love Thai iced tea. In fact, I think it’s tragic when I find myself at a Thai restaurant around eight or nine o’clock in the evening, and I know that I won’t be able to sleep if I consume all of that caffeine and sugar (the sugar probably being the worse of the two). So instead I have to settle for having just one little sip of everyone else’s Thai iced teas at the table. Tragic.

If you share my 6pm-caffeine-cut-off woes, then maybe the best solution of all is to brew your own Thai iced tea at home, and drink it any time of day. The nice part is that you can make it a little healthier, by using just a bit of milk and maybe no sugar at all instead of the sweetened condensed milk. You can also simmer up your own boba (tapioca bubbles/pearls) at home. And the absolute best part of this plan? You can make Thai iced tea POPSICLES.

I discovered homemade plastic popsicle makers a long time ago, but the most creative thing I’d ever done with them before was probably mix two kinds of juice together. Mango and orange juice are nice together for example, and strawberry lemonade is another beverage with excellent popsicle potential. But none could compare to Thai iced tea popsicles. Creamy and sweet, with a subtle tea flavor, these popsicles take Thai iced tea to an icier natural conclusion.

They are the perfect treat for a summer afternoon. And afternoons are probably when you should be indulging in all of that caffeine and sugar anyway. Come to think of it, the smallish popsicle molds could help me with a little sugar- and caffeine-portion control. Assuming I eat only one.

Seriously. These popsicles are the greatest things since… Thai iced tea.

p.s. In case you’re curious, yes, I made one experimental popsicle with boba! The verdict? It looked better than it tasted.

RECIPES:

Thai Iced Tea with Boba

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:
~ 4 Tbsp. Thai tea, loose leaf, available at most Asian markets
~ 4-8 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk
~ 1 cup boba (tapioca “bubbles” or “pearls”), available at most Asian markets
OPTIONAL:
~ instead of sweetened condensed milk, add regular milk and maybe sugar

How to make it:

1. If you’re making boba, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, pour in a cup of dried boba pearls, then cover with a lid and lower the heat to medium. Simmer, covered, for 5 minutes, then scoop out or strain the boba through a colander and let cool just a bit.

2. Brew the tea: Use about 1 Tbsp. of tea leaves for each cup of tea you will brew. Pour hot water over the tea leaves, and let steep for 6-8 minutes before removing them. You can also brew Thai iced tea in a coffee maker using a filter, as you would with coffee. (And you can enjoy Thai tea either hot or cold!)

3. Ideally, you should let the tea cool down and/or stick it in the fridge. Then drizzle 1-2 Tbsp. of condensed milk into the bottom of each glass, and pour the tea over it. If you’re too impatient to let the tea cool down first, then you can add ice cubes after the condensed milk and pour the tea directly over the ice. (If using ice cubes, try to brew the tea on the strong side so that it doesn’t get too watered down.)

4. Stir well to mix the condensed milk into the tea. Add the boba last, several spoonfuls per glass of tea, and serve chilled with a straw. (There are thick straws designed specifically for slurping up tapioca pearls, but with a little suction, you can still use regular straws to spear each tapioca bubble.)

Print this recipe! (Thai Tea with Boba)

Thai tea leaves: a little orangey-reddish even before brewing.

Thai Iced Tea Popsicles

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:
~ 4 Tbsp. Thai tea, loose leaf, available at most Asian markets
~ 1½-2 cups water (or 4-popsicle volume-of-liquid equivalent)
~ 8 Tbsp. sweetened condensed milk

Special equipment:
~ Plastic popsicle mold

How to make it:

1. Brew the tea: Pour hot water over the tea leaves, and let steep for 6-8 minutes before removing them. You can also brew Thai iced tea in a coffee maker using a filter, as you would with coffee.

2. Drizzle condensed milk into a small pitcher or glass measuring cup with a good pouring spout. I use a higher condensed milk-to-tea ratio for the popsicles than for the drink, to make them sweeter and creamier.

3. Pour the tea over the condensed milk and stir to mix well. Then carefully pour the mixture into the popsicle molds.

4. Freeze overnight or until frozen solid. To remove popsicles, warm the outside of the mold with your hands or some running water. Enjoy on a sunny afternoon.

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Kale is magical. Exhibit A: this recipe for hearty lentil soup with turkey. The perfect cold and flu remedy, especially if you douse it with lemon juice and/or hot sauce. Just add kale and suddenly the soup also gets a boost of leafy green nutrition and freshness.*

The magic of kale is in its adaptability. There are so many savory dishes out there that could be improved by just adding (or substituting) kale. I’ve added kale to chickpeas and pumpkin in a tagine (blog post coming… someday). I used kale instead of spinach in this Saag Paneer recipe. I used kale instead of broccoli rabe in this awesome and garlicky pasta recipe from Smitten Kitchen. I make kale salads, kale chips, and kale with toasted coconut.**

Kale is so versatile, it can be tossed onto a tray in the oven or dunked in a soup at the last minute, and it will taste delectable either way. On the other hand, as I discovered with this recipe, if you happen to stir it into your soup a little on the early side, the kale will simmer away nicely for ages and will not disintegrate or wilt, spinach-style. The sturdy kale leaves hold up quite nicely and give the soup an extra dose of richness. (Is richness the right word? Yes, I think so. Or maybe I just associate kale a little too strongly with olive oil…)

Nevertheless, if I haven’t already scared away all of the vegetable-skeptics, let me also state in no uncertain terms that this satisfying soup is still ideal for chilly evenings, kale or no kale. It is best eaten curled up under a blanket on the couch, with a few slices of fresh-baked bread for sopping it all up.

Oh, and like many things I’ve blogged about here already, this turkey lentil soup was originally my girlfriend’s recipe. I just added kale.

* I can’t use the word “freshness” without being reminded of the chain restaurant Freshness Burger in Japan.

** And another kale recipe that has been on my to-cook list: Kale pesto.

RECIPE:

Turkey Lentil Soup with Kale

(Serves 4-8)

Ingredients:
~ 1 lb. ground turkey (extra lean)
~ 1 cup lentils
~ 1 bunch kale, roughly chopped, with wide stems removed
~ 5 cups chicken broth (or other stock)
~ 2 carrots, finely chopped
~ 3-4 stalks celery, finely chopped
~ ½ an onion, finely diced
~ 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
~ several tablespoons olive oil
~ 3 Tbsp. tomato paste
~ ½ tsp. each of cumin, paprika, chili powder
~ salt, black pepper, and chipotle to taste
~ lemon (or lime) juice to taste
OPTIONAL:
~ hot sauce to taste
~ fresh chopped cilantro to garnish

How to make it:

1. In a shallow pan, heat some olive oil, then add the turkey and season with salt, pepper, and chipotle or chili powder. Cook over medium heat with minimal stirring until the turkey meat is fully cooked (about 10 minutes).

2. While the turkey is cooking, start the soup: In a large stockpot, heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat, then add the onion and stir. Cook the onion, stirring, for 3-4 minutes, then add the garlic and stir for an additional minute. Next, add the carrots and celery to the stockpot, stir, and cook for another 5-10 minutes, just until they’ve started to sweat and become tender.

3. Add the tomato paste and the spices (cumin, paprika, and chili powder, as well as salt, pepper, and chipotle to taste). Then transfer the cooked turkey to the large stockpot, and pour in the chicken broth. Raise the heat a bit to bring it to a low boil.

4. Once the soup has reached a boil, add the lentils, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 25-40 minutes. Wait to add the kale when it seems nearly done (in the last 10 minutes). It might seem like the kale won’t fit into the pot, but it will shrink down the moment it hits the simmering water and starts cooking.

5. The soup can be done as soon as the lentils are (20-25 min.), or you can simmer for even longer (up to an hour total) to develop more flavor (once the carrots, onions, and celery start to dissolve). Garnish with a squeeze or two of lemon juice, some freshly chopped cilantro, and a dash of hot sauce. Serve warm with toast or fresh bread.

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I’ve decided to make more of an effort to cook things from my cookbooks instead of from the internet.

Of course this takes advance planning– not my specialty in the kitchen. And even if I can make it to the grocery store with a specific menu plan intact, it often all falls apart, as I sway between bouts of indecision. Should I try that new recipe after all? But what about that ____ in the fridge? I don’t want it to go bad; maybe I should spontaneously change my plans to cook something that includes that ingredient! Or even more often: ____ are on sale/in season!? Maybe I should buy those instead of what’s on my list and come up with a recipe around that…

That’s when the internet comes in handy: tailored recipes including every possible combination of your farmer’s market finds along with whatever ingredients you might have cluttering up your cabinets or poised to fall out of your freezer.

But there’s something nice about a plan and a cookbook. You can purchase fresh ingredients, your cookbook will undoubtedly tolerate some chaotic mid-cooking sauce spillage better than your laptop would, and just think of the anticipation! (I’ve written before about how I think anticipation is sometimes half the seasoning.)

So yesterday I picked out a Chicken Chorba soup recipe from a new-ish Food & Wine cookbook, and I went shopping for all of the ingredients. Unfortunately, I hadn’t anticipated the Santa Barbara weather– usually cool verging on chilly in the evenings– taking a sudden summery twist. It was WAY TOO HOT for soup yesterday. There went my carefully-laid plans.

And this is why you should always have at least two (if not seven) possible recipes on a waiting list in your head.

I knew just where to turn: I turned to Linda. Linda is the name of a cookbook, specifically “Linda McCartney’s World of Vegetarian Cooking.” It was probably the first real cookbook I ever owned, and at least one of my friends in college also owned a copy and treated it with biblical reverence. She kept it on top of her refrigerator and called it Linda. (“Linda recommends making your own curry paste from scratch,” “Linda says to use a heavy-bottomed sauce pan.”)

Goat cheese!

I had attempted many recipes according to Linda, but probably none in the past five years. And I had never made the “Asparagus and Lemon Risotto” until last night. The spring-like flavors were appealing for a warm balmy evening (the standing over the hot stove to stir the rice for 20 minutes was not). I basically stuck to Linda’s recipe other than de-vegetarianizing it by adding shrimp, and livening it up with a little white wine, but I suspect it still would have been pretty awesome without. And the goat cheese! The goat cheese mixed in at the end makes the whole dish extra creamy and decadent.

Thank you, Linda.

RECIPE

Asparagus Risotto with Shrimp, Lemon, and Goat Cheese
(Adapted from the cookbook: Linda McCartney’s World of Vegetarian Cooking.)

(Serves 4-6)

Ingredients:
~ 3 Tbsp. olive oil
~ 2 shallots or ¼ onion, finely chopped
~ 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
~ 1¼ cups risotto or arborio rice
~ 3½ – 4 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock, warmed
~ 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed and chopped into 2-inch pieces
~ 2-3 sprigs of rosemary, finely chopped
~ grated zest and juice of one lemon
~ ¼ cup (about 3 oz.) goat cheese
~ sea salt and black pepper to taste
OPTIONAL:
~ ¼ cup dry white wine
~ ½ pound of medium shrimp
~ 6 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
~ flat leaf parsley to garnish
~ grated Parmesan or white cheddar to garnish

How to make it:

1. Start warming the vegetable or chicken stock in a small saucepan. (Linda says, “You can add the tough ends of your asparagus spears to your vegetable stock. This will give the risotto more flavor.”)

2. In a large saucepan, heat the oil and cook the shallots/onions over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook for another minute.

3. Add the rice and stir well to coat it with oil. Optionally add the white wine and stir until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid. Then add two ladles of the warmed stock and once again stir until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid. Continue adding the stock gradually for 10 more minutes, over medium/low heat, stirring constantly.

4. For the second 10 minutes of rice-cooking time: Add the asparagus, rosemary, sage, and lemon zest. If the shrimp is uncooked, add the shrimp at this point, too. (If the shrimp is already cooked, wait and add it in the last 5 minutes.) Do not allow the rice to become too dry– add more stock if necessary.

5. When the rice is cooked (taste-test to check), remove from the heat or transfer to a serving bowl, then mix in the goat cheese and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Serve warm, optionally sprinkled with parsley or grated cheese. Goes nicely with white wine.

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]]> http://spontaneoustomato.com/2012/04/30/asparagus-risotto-with-shrimp/feed/ 8 asilver8a IMG_3543-5 IMG_3490-5 IMG_3521-5 IMG_3494-5 IMG_3528-5 IMG_3533-5 IMG_3503-5 IMG_3500-5 IMG_3517-5 IMG_3520-5 IMG_3496-5 IMG_3542-5 http://spontaneoustomato.com/2012/04/26/steamed-artichoke-with-spicy-mayonnaise-dipping-sauce/ http://spontaneoustomato.com/2012/04/26/steamed-artichoke-with-spicy-mayonnaise-dipping-sauce/#comments Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:08:28 +0000 Allison http://spontaneoustomato.com/?p=1772 ]]>

I love the Santa Barbara Farmer’s Market (second only in my heart to the best farmer’s market ever in Madison, WI), but sometimes I have trouble waking up on Saturday mornings. (Or when I do wake up early on the weekends, I want to stay in and make a fancy breakfast.)

That’s why it was a little bit life-changing to have a local farmer’s market store open in my neighborhood. Now I’ve found a new place for organic kale (although because it’s organic, my girlfriend feels the need to be extra vigilant about checking the leaves for tiny insects), and for the occasional impulse-buy of an artichoke.

The last time I went, they were selling “frost-kissed” artichokes. No doubt a marketing gimmick for what would otherwise be practically unsellable frost-damaged produce if it appeared in a big chain grocery store. But big chain grocery store produce is all too obsessed with looks over flavor, anyway. That’s what’s so lovely and refreshing about farmer’s market shopping sometimes. (One apple stand at the local Saturday market here often displays a box labeled “visually-distressed apples,” and I’m guessing they still taste fine.)

The “frost-kissed” artichoke did indeed look a little visually distressed, but it was purported to only be damaged (browned, like sunburn) on the tips of the leaves, and to have a subtle nutty flavor, which, I think, it did.

The heart is the best part!

At any rate, given how often I’ve been steaming up artichokes recently, I thought I’d write a quick post about how I do it, and tack on a tip for one of the yummiest artichoke dipping sauces ever, other than straight up melted butter.

Just as delicious with frost-free artichokes that have only been kissed by the sun.

RECIPE

Steamed Artichoke with Spicy Mayonnaise Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
For the artichoke:
~ 1 Artichoke
OPTIONAL:
~ 1 sliced lemon round
~ 1 clove of garlic, peeled
~ pinch of salt

For the dipping sauce:
~ 1 egg yolk, preferably at room temperature
~ 1-1½ Tbsp. lemon juice (or vinegar)
~ pinch of salt
~ ⅔ cup canola oil (or slightly more for a thicker sauce)
OPTIONAL:
~ pinch of white pepper (to taste)
~ 1 tsp. (or more) hot sauce of your choice, like Tapatio or Sriracha
~ pinch of cayenne, chipotle, or chili powder, to taste
~ 1 clove garlic, minced

How to make it:

1. Slice off just enough of the top of the artichoke to allow steam to get in, and optionally trim the stem so that it can balance upright. (I don’t think it’s necessary to pull off any of the leaves before cooking.)

2. In a large stockpot, add 1-2 inches of water, and optionally add to the water one peeled garlic clove and a pinch of salt. Then drop in a steamer basket, optionally place a lemon slice in the center of the steamer, and set the artichoke in upside-down on top of the lemon.

3. Cover with a lid and bring the water to a boil (it will only take 2-3 minutes), then lower the heat and allow it to simmer for 30-45 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, make the spicy mayonnaise dipping sauce: Add lemon juice or vinegar to the egg yolk, then blend with an electric hand mixer. Next, begin pouring in the oil very gradually, while whisking with the electric mixer the whole time to keep the emulsion. (You can also do this with a blender or– if you want a work-out– by hand with a whisk.)

5. When the mayonnaise has reached your desired thickness, add a pinch of salt, and optional seasonings like white pepper and hot sauce, cayenne, chipotle, chili, or garlic to taste. Mix once more to distribute the flavors. (This sauce will keep in the fridge for up to a week, and makes a great sandwich spread.)

6. Test the artichoke periodically after 30 minutes by gently tugging on one of the leaves; when the leaves loosen and pop out easily, it’s done! Serve warm with the dipping sauce and/or a small dish of melted butter.

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]]> http://spontaneoustomato.com/2012/04/26/steamed-artichoke-with-spicy-mayonnaise-dipping-sauce/feed/ 13 asilver8a IMG_3180-5 IMG_3170-5 IMG_3222-5 IMG_3183-5 IMG_3234-6 IMG_3182-5 IMG_3217-5 IMG_3220-5 IMG_3187-5 IMG_3238-5 IMG_3252-5 IMG_3179-5 IMG_3231-5 http://spontaneoustomato.com/2012/04/22/onigiri-rice-balls-with-pickled-plum/ http://spontaneoustomato.com/2012/04/22/onigiri-rice-balls-with-pickled-plum/#comments Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:35:12 +0000 Allison http://spontaneoustomato.com/?p=1818 ]]>

Ever make too much rice and wonder what to do with the leftovers? I often have this problem, and not just with rice. Sometimes (= Thanksgiving) leftovers are awesome, but plain old rice as a leftover is particularly sad.* Refrigerated rice tends to dry out and harden, its nutty flavor growing blander as it’s chilled.

The way I see it, when your main course is the limiting reagent that runs out first, leaving you with half a pot of rice, your only good options are:

1) Stick it in the fridge, and use it to make fried rice the next night.
2) Stick it in the fridge, and later top it with furikake flavorings (or make Ochazuke).
3) If it’s short-grained (sticky) Japanese rice, you can make onigiri!

Onigiri, also called omusubi, are Japanese triangle-shaped rice balls.** They are Japan’s version of sandwiches to-go (and I say that knowing full well that Japan also has a gigantic industry of selling on-the-go sandwiches, usually sold with crusts removed and already sliced on the diagonal).*** Convenience stores offer plastic-wrapped sandwiches and onigiri side by side, the rice balls cleverly double-wrapped so that the seaweed stays crispy in the plastic folds, and doesn’t come into contact with the sticky rice until just before you eat it.

The rice can either be mixed through with powdered furikake flavors (like seaweed, egg, salmon, shrimp, wasabi, or sesame), or it can be plain with a little dab of filling hidden in the center of the rice ball. Popular onigiri fillings are tuna mayo, pickled plum, salmon, raw fatty tuna with scallions, mentaiko (fish roe), shrimp mayo, and kimchi pork.

At home, I like to make them with pickled plum (umeboshi– technically a type of tiny apricot). If you’ve never had umeboshi before, you might be surprised at the strength of the sourness. Some people probably find it overwhelming; I find it addictive. (In small quantities.) To me, it is one of the more perfect rice ball fillings, since I’ve eaten onigiri that could use a tad more tuna and mayo, but a little bit of pickled plum goes a long way.

And let me emphasize the best part: they’re portable! I don’t restrict my onigiri-making to a way of using up leftovers; I also sometimes cook up a batch of rice intended purely for making rice balls to take to lunch the next day. All you need is plastic wrap, and later– optionally– seaweed, and you don’t even need to refrigerate them. In fact they’re better if you don’t.

Onigiri are basically a super smart way of making rice extremely compact and convenient. A well-made rice ball will stick together, even if you are holding it in one hand as you drive or walk or bike.

So maybe you made too much sticky rice for dinner, or maybe you rarely make rice at home, but still have that bag of Japanese rice sitting around from the time you decided to take up homemade sushi-rolling as a hobby, and only made it once… Either way, try making your own onigiri and you can waste less food and end up with a speedy, satisfying snack.

* Unless you also have some leftover curry or another sauce-y dish to heat up over it, but even then, fresh rice is better.

** These are popular in Korea too, where they are called Samgak Kimbap (literally, “triangle sushi”).

*** Contrary to (what I’ve found seems to be) popular belief, people do eat bread in Japan, and many people eat it often!

RECIPE

Onigiri (Rice Balls) with Pickled Plum

(Makes about 4 rice balls)

Ingredients:
~ 2½ cups cooked Japanese short-grained sticky rice (the yield from a little over 1 cup of uncooked rice)
~ pinch of salt (for each rice ball)
~ 1 pickled plum (for each rice ball), halved with the pit removed, or other filling of your choice
OPTIONAL:
~ instead of a filling, use several teaspoons of furikake powder to mix into the rice
~ to wrap around each onigiri: ½ sheet of nori seaweed

How to make it:

1. Prepare the sticky rice. (I use about a 115% water to rice ratio.) Place rice, water, a bit of oil or butter, and (optionally) salt, into a small saucepan with a tightly-fitting lid. Briefly stir the oil/butter and salt into the rice, then cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Keep a close watch– it should only take 2-3 minutes to boil because of the small amount of water. As soon as it comes to a boil, give it one more stir, then replace the lid, and bring the heat down to the lowest it will go. Simmer covered for 15 minutes, until it looks like all the water has evaporated, but before the rice starts looking dry. Then remove the pot from the burner, but keep the lid on, letting the rice steam for another 5 minutes until fluffy.

2. Let the rice cool enough to hold it in your hands. Then, either mix furikake into your rice, or prepare your onigiri fillings (e.g., halve and remove the pits from the umeboshi pickled plums).

3. Shape the onigiri: Wet your hands with water, and spread a pinch of salt across one of your palms. Then use your hands to pick up about a ⅔-cup-size handful of rice, and begin to squeeze it tightly to form it into a ball. (This squeezing or grasping action is what the “nigiri” part of the name o-nigiri means.) Then start flattening the ball and shape it into a rounded triangle.

4. Add the fillings: If using tuna or pickled plum– instead of mixed-in furikake– press a small amount of the filling into the center of the triangle, then carefully squeeze the whole triangle so that it regains its shape and doesn’t crumble apart. Or easier yet, stick the filling into the center of your handful of rice (in step #3), before shaping it into a triangle!

5. Take for lunch the next day: Wrap individual rice balls tightly in plastic wrap, and store them OUTSIDE of the fridge. Enjoy within 24 hours, either on their own or by wrapping a crispy sheet of seaweed around each rice ball just before eating. Or eat them right away, while they’re still warm, if you can’t wait that long!

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I have been craving this kind of salad recently.

Maybe it’s the transitioning of the seasons, as hearty winter meals are supplanted by fresh spring salads. Maybe it’s the tang of vinegar and the crunch of al dente green beans. Or maybe it’s just the eternal tastiness of lentils and the convenience of getting your protein and your salad all mixed into one.

My craving was answered in the form of an appetizer. I ordered a lentil salad, served with flatbread crackers (and the genius addition of avocado!), at a restaurant on Friday night, and then spent Saturday afternoon re-creating it.* Maybe I got a little carried away and made about eight servings-worth of lentils. Maybe the leftovers are marinating in my fridge right now, awaiting their sequel…

Let me just say this much: this recipe made me realize that it’s about time I created a “vegan” category on the blog. I may never be able to go vegetarian, let alone vegan, but this lentil salad/appetizer is lovely. I have no doubt that it will work its way into my regular recipe rotation.

* And I spiced it up a bit with lemon zest, fresh basil, and a pinch of cumin.

RECIPE:

Lentil Green Bean Salad with Vinaigrette

(Serves 6-8 as an appetizer or side dish)

Ingredients:
~ 2 cups dry lentils
~ 1 lb. green beans
~ 1 medium tomato (or a handful of cherry tomatoes; optional)
~ 1 avocado (optional)
~ 2-3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
~ 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon or lime juice
~ 3-4 Tbsp. olive oil
~ salt and black or white ground pepper, to taste
OPTIONAL:
~ zest of one lemon
~ 1 clove garlic, minced (I substituted 1 Tbsp. of garlic-infused olive oil above)
~ pinch of ground cumin
~ ¼ cup fresh basil or cilantro, finely chopped
~ ¼ cup red onion, diced

How to Make it:

1. Rinse the lentils, then place them in a large saucepan, cover them in several inches of water, and add a pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 18-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Wash and trim the green beans, then cut into 2-3 inch-long pieces. In a separate pot, bring water to a boil, then drop in the green beans to blanch them for 3 minutes (or longer, but I like mine bright green and still crunchy). Then strain the green beans through a colander, and rinse them under cold running water to stop them from cooking.

3. Once the lentils are just soft enough to eat, strain them through a colander as well, and rinse with cold water.

4. Roughly chop the tomato and the avocado, then combine the lentils, green beans, tomato, and avocado in a large bowl. (I waited to add the avocado until after I’d stirred in the dressing so that it wouldn’t get as mushy.) Optionally mix in some fresh chopped basil or cilantro and red onion.

5. Make the vinaigrette dressing: whisk together the red wine vinegar, lemon or lime juice, olive oil, salt, pepper, and optionally the lemon zest, garlic, and cumin. Then drizzle over the salad and gently stir to coat the vegetables. Adjust the seasoning if necessary or perhaps just add a bit more salt/pepper to taste.

6. Serve chilled either as a salad or side to a main course, or spoon a bit on top of crackers or toasted baguette slices as an appetizer.

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