Tuna bowls

I find these little bowls surprisingly filling, with fleeting hints of coconut and ginger, and crunch and texture from quick-pickled cucumbers. Great for a hot day 

For the rice:

1 c black rice 

1 can coconut milk

1/2c water 

Bring rice and liquid to a boil then cover and simmer for about 40-60 minutes until rice is tender (you can add more water if the rice dries before it is finished)

For the tuna:

1 pound sushi grade ahi tuna cut into bite sized chunks

3 scallions chopped

1/4 c chopped cilantro 

Sesame seeds

Mix tuna with cilantro, scallions, and sesame seeds

For the sauce:

* I like to do it by taste and add a little more or less of things as I go, here are the measurements I work off of

1/2 rice wine vinegar 

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsbp coconut liquid amino acids (if you can’t find that you can use ponzu sauce)

1/4 c olive oil

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 clove finely chopped garlic1 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 clove finely chopped garlic

Red pepper flakes

1 tbsp sriracha

Mix the vinegar, amino acids, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, sriracha and soy sauce together then whisk in the olive oil in a stream, pour over the tuna mixture and toss

For the cucumbers:

2-3 thinly sliced Persian/Japanese cucumbers 

1 c rice wine vinegar

1 c water

1/4 c granulated sugar 

1 tbsp kosher sat

Mix together all the ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Once boiling remove from the heat and add the cucumbers, allow to sit for up to 10 minutes (I like to quickly blanch them just for about 3 minutes, that way some are still crunchy) strain the cucumbers and cool

To assemble:

Place the cooled rice into a bowl, spoon the tuna over the rice and top with the cooled cucumbers, sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions

Serves about 4 
Enjoy! 

Sweet and Sour

I was always weary of candied lemons, oranges, limes, basically anything with a rind however, today I decided to put my rind prejudice aside and try out these little surprisingly sweet treats:

1 lemon slices very thin (with a knife or mandeline) 

1 cup of water plus more for first boil

1 cup of granulated sugar

Prepare an ice bath. Bring a pot of water to a boil and once boiling, remove from the heat and add your lemon slices. Allow the slices to sit for about one minute then strain and place in the ice bath. Put 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar back into the pot over medium heat, stir until the sugar is dissolved. Bring the heat down to low and add the lemon slices. Make sure to place them gently and try not to over lap the slices. Allow the slices to sit for about 1 hour and do not bring the sugar water to a boil, make sure that there are very few bubbles breaking the surface as the lemons cook as they are very delicate. After 1 hour remove the lemons from the syrup, place on a cooling rack and serve as you please! I like to pair these as a summery garnish along with chamomile-infused whiskey and lemonade. Enjoy! 

Comfort Food: The Process of Being Comfortable With Food

Below is a short story I submitted for a course I am currently taking involving the importance of food and its significance to memory: 

*The recipe for the tiropita mentioned will be available on the blog at a later time

“Oh no, I’m not gonna eat that crap,” my dad would say. “What! This is no crap! This is good for you, there is no butter, no nothing!” And she was right, there was no butter, but there was something. Layered between each sheet of filo (φύλλο)dough was olive oil margarine, eggs and cheese, and more margarine. But there was no butter, and that equals healthy. Growing up in a family that loved nutrition as much as most people love Thanksgiving dinner, I quickly developed an eating disorder. Suffice it to say, this eating disorder did not center around my weight as much as it did my health and the control over my health. When I was young, I dreamt of being a chef, I would help Grace—our nightly dinner cook—to make dinner and dessert,and that way, I learned many techniques very early on. Cooking was something that I got good enough at that I new how to control even the worst of situations—it was my version of a sick dream. As I got older and began to exercise my passion for food more seriously, I began to realize the paradoxical phenomenon that I was harboring: I love food, I love to make and serve food yet, this desire only lives to serve others. I would suppose this is because I love food so much, I tend to lose control when I eat something good, but with other people, it is not my problem to monitor how much of something they eat.

Ice Cream For Breakfast?

My dad taught me this little trick…and while it’s not necessarily ice cream, by definition, I like to think I’ve come across a healthy alternative. It is very simple, and measurements are dependent on how much, or how little of something you want. First, you will need Greek yogurt (I use Fage 2%). Take a serving size and place it in a bowl with your favorite granola (I go for the one sold in those big self-serve tubs at Whole Foods). Mix the two together, adding more granola if you please (it should be about equal parts yogurt and granola). As you mix, add about 2 tablespoons of water. Continue to stir until the water is fully incorporated and your yogurt mixture has become slightly looser. I like to add some ground flax seeds for a bit of fiber (1 teaspoon). Refrigerate your yogurt for a few hours or let it rest in there overnight and in the morning choose your fruit of choice, and whatever toppings you may please. I top mine with unsweetened coconut flakes and strawberries. Additionally, you can add raisins–either before or after the resting process. If you choose to add the raisins before the resting process, they will soak up moisture and become plump and soft, however, if this is not the texture you want you can always add them once the resting process is over. Due to the addition of the water, the granola softens over time and the sugar seeps into the yogurt, giving it a pleasant sweet note all the way through. Adding strawberries gives a tanginess that compliments the natural flavor of the Greek yogurt. The resting process allows the once liquidy yogurt to solidify and adopt a texture that is smooth yet dense (kind of like ice cream!). Give this one a try, it’s simple and easy and when you’re in a rush, you can pop some in a to-go container and have a healthy, hearty breakfast on the go.

Don’t Fear Your Food-Rut

The other night, after going through my usual “what to make for dinner” list I realized, I was in a food-rut. I eat bolognese, grilled chicken and rice, or roasted chicken on repeat..and not only for dinner, but leftovers for lunch too! But, while this thought did scare me at first, I turned my fright into creativity and forced my way out of my seemingly tightly-bound food box.

Nothing Quite Like A Parisienne Grandmother

 

Molten Lava Cakes

These were absolutely delicious, don’t be shy to carve a minute off the baking time, this will make them ooey gooey in the center. Check out more of Paula Deen’s recipes on http://www.foodnetwork.com

My Chopped Imagination

I was scavenging in my fridge, trying to decide what to make for lunch. Uninspired, I decided to play a little game. I took out multiple ingredients (nothing out of the ordinary: some eggs, turkey, arugula etc…) and thought: “if I were on Chopped…What would I make with these ingredients?” So, adhering to my imagination, I started running around, grabbing pans, plates, knives (as though I had a time-limit).

Biscotti

Sorry for the delay! Here is the recipe for the biscotti.

Cheesecake Prep

I recently made this cheesecake I found on Food Network put together by the Food Network Kitchens. It was fantastic!