Miso Hungry!

Terrible joke- delicious soup!  After a special trip to the specialty Asian grocery, I made some Miso soup tonight.  It is a very simple process and you can add whatever you like!

Basic Miso Soup

2 servings of Japanese Buckwheat Soba Noodles

4 cups Water

3 Tablespoons of Miso paste (to taste)

1/4 cup small cubed firm tofu

a bit of fresh grated ginger

8-9 Basil Leaves

2 Green onions

Cook the buckwheat noodles in salted water and set aside.  Heat the water to boiling, then reduce heat to keep the water warm- remove a small amount of water to a bowl and whisk in the miso until smooth (this will reduce the clumps) then return to the pot.  Add the ginger and cubed tofu.  Prepare two bowls and add the buckwheat noodles and chopped basil and green onion.  Cover noodles with the hot broth and serve immediately.  

While I was preparing my soup I sipped on something equally delicious.  Genmai-cha is a Japanese green tea with brown rice.  Sometimes called "Popcorn Tea," Genmai-cha is the kind of tea you would find in most Sushi restaurants.  

Head into any specialty market, and you'll be inspired by the unique ingredients.  Or do a little online research before going- pick one thing you want to try and make it yours.  enjoy.  

Delivery Dilemma?

Ever find yourself coming home after a long day and find the thought of tackling a homemade dinner totally exhausting?  Then again, the cost of take out (to both your wallet and your waistline) isn't really worth it, is it?  If you can muster the strength to spend 8 minutes in the kitchen, and wait about the same amount of time as you would for delivery- I can give you an even more delicious (and way more nutritious) pizza for a fraction of the cost.  

When you come home to throw dinner together, the very first thing to do is turn on the oven.  Get the oven working for you from the start and crank it to 400 degrees.  I try to keep pizza dough on hand from time to time for a tasty dinner- it's a great way to use up leftovers from other meals, and it's easy to put together quickly.   I love the whole wheat Trader Joe's brand! but a regular white kind from any grocery will be fine.  

Roll out the dough using flour or corn meal.  Alternatively, you can simply "stretch" the dough between your hands.  It sure doesn't need to be a perfect round- mine never are- plus they look rustic that way.  You will want to build the pizza on a flat, but mobile surface.  I have a great pizza pan, which looks like a round pizza platter with holes on it, but you can also use a plain cookie sheet for this- just be sure that the dough isn't sticking to the tray.  

Now, it's time to consider toppings.  Like red sauce?  Great.  Keep some individual Boboli brand pizza sauces on hand.  Or open a can of crushed tomatoes for something a little simpler.  How about white pizza?  Try some store bought alfredo sauce, or even plain or flavored cream cheese with some salt and pepper layered on top.  I like to top the sauce layer with fresh spinach, which will cook down in the oven and provide some really good nutrients.  Consider cooked veggies you might have leftover? Onions?  Peppers?  Broccoli?  And maybe some chunks of chicken?  Pepperoni?  Anything you have lying around- get creative.  The best cheeses for pizzas are those which melt well.  Mozzarella, cheddar, gouda, etc.  Parmesan is great in addition, but not always enough on it's own.  While I cannot imagine a tasty pizza without cheese, it too is entirely optional.  

Place the pizza in a preheated 400 degree oven.  If you have a pizza stone, place the pizza directly onto it in the oven.  Pizza stones are great because they help to crisp the crust by instantly cooking from the bottom and the top in an oven.  Using a cookie sheet will slow things down a bit, and you'll end up with a slightly softer crust, but it will certainly work.  I have a large piece of foil covering the grates on the top rack of my oven, and sometimes I will place pizza directly on it.  Just be careful that nothing "falls or drips" down to the bottom and burns- that can really kill a good pizza buzz.  Pizza will take anywhere from 25-35 minutes depending on thickness and toppings.  Bake to desired doneness and allow to sit for about 5 minutes before slicing.  

Crack open a quality beer and erase the hard parts of your day.  Homemade (and healthy!) pizza is just moments away.  

Cocoa vs. Hot Chocolate: The Distinct Difference

You easterners will understand that if you walk into a Starbucks and ask for "Cocoa," you might get a funny look.  (Similar to the one Westerners get when they ask for "Drip").  Allow me to set the record straight.  Hot chocolate, in my opinion, is scalded milk poured over chopped or shaved good bar chocolate and mixed until blended into a creamy concoction.  Hot chocolate is often un-fooled around with, as the flavor of good chocolate would be miffed.  Chocolate like Valrohna, Godiva, Ghiradelli.   Cocoa is a combination of cocoa powder and sugar, mixed with a bit of hot water, made into a slurry-like solution and topped with warm milk.  Cocoa seems to be a much better vehicle for spices or other flavors, as hot chocolate 

Basic Cocoa- waiting to be kicked up!

2 Tablespoons Cocoa

1 Tablespoon of Sugar- or to taste

1 Tablespoon of boiling water

3/4 cup of milk

Mix the cocoa and sugar in the bottom of a mug.  top with water, and mix with a fork or small whisk until blended into a syrup-like texture.  Add milk (either hot or cold).  If cold, heat the entire cup in the microwave for about a minute, or until hot enough for your taste.  

Consider adding cinnamon or hot red pepper with the cocoa and sugar.  Or try replacing some of the sugar with flavored syrup such as Caramel, Irish Cream, Raspberry, etc.  You can also add extracts such vanilla.  Or even Schnapps like peppermint!  

So I think they are distinctly different.  Wikipedia disagrees. 

The Ultimate Comfort Food: Chicken and Dumplings

Nothing says comfort food to me quite like Chicken and dumplings- just like mom used to make.  If you get cooking late afternoon, you can let the stew simmer on the stove for a while and make the whole house smell wonderful.  Your family will appreciate coming home to the smell of comfort!  

*I use a mix of thighs and breasts to allow for peoples preferences.  Keep in mind that the darker meat, containing more oils, will stay tender 

Chicken and Dumplings

1 1/2 pounds of chicken meat*

1/2 finely chopped onion

1/2 cup carrots

1/4 cup flour

3 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup frozen pearl onions

1/2 cup frozen peas

2-3 tablespoons cream

Biscuits of your choice  

Clean chicken pieces and dry thoroughly.  Salt and pepper them liberally.  Heat a large, deep skillet with a bit of olive oil and brown the chicken.  Don't worry about cooking it through, you are just looking for color.  Remove chicken, add 2 tablespoons more olive oil, add onions and saute until translucent.  Add carrots.  Sprinkle flour over the veggies and mix, cooking the flour until a light brown color- about 30 seconds.  Add 3 cups chicken stock.  Allow the mixture to come to a boil.  Add chicken back in, careful to submerge as much as possible.  Add onions.  allow the stew to simmer for 20 minutes.  In this time, the chicken should cook through.  Add the cream and peas at the end, mixing to incorporate evenly.  

Now, contemplate biscuits.  In a bind, I use a can of ready made biscuit dough, but you can use any recipe you have.  While homemade would be delicious, Bisquick is a fine choice.  Turn your oven to 375 and drop the biscuit rounds directly on top of the stew, I do at least 6, sometimes 8 biscuits.  Mix an egg together with 1 teaspoon of water and brush the egg wash on the dough.  This will help the dumplings to get golden brown and look delicious.  Top with salt and pepper- or even a little parmesan cheese.  Place the whole saucepan in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until biscuits are cooked through.  

Serve straight out of the oven.  This is a great one dish meal on a cold winter evening.  Be sure to include a fire! 

Tea Tonight?

I intend to post a number of thoughts on tea in the future, but for tonight, a few short thoughts: there are nearly as many types, flavors and blends of tea as their are moods in the corners of our minds.  In other words, anytime is a good time for tea!

There are four types of tea: Black, Green, Oolong and White and every tea can be classified into one of these four types.  Each of these teas have different brewing specifications to extract the ideal flavors and aromas from the leaves.  For example, black teas are brewed with water that is boiling, just off of 212 degrees, while white tea can be brewed with water much cooler; a recommended 160 degrees sometimes.  With flowers, fruits and spices added to all kinds of blends, there is so much to sample!  

If you take the time to pay more attention to tea, you might find that you notice a lot of complexity that you never saw before.  Appreciating tea is one of those things that I have learned to love, and I'll never go back again.  

New Year Morning Muffins

 After a late night like New Year's Eve, I always find it's nice to have a simple breakfast of tea and freshly baked muffins.  I have two recipes to share with you- merely ideas or base recipes for you to work with and create your favorite blend of ingredients.  professionals always advise that with baking you MUST follow a recipe exactly.  While I understand their reasoning, I think there is room to disagree.  Once you create a base recipe you can alter it so long as you don't upset a chemical balance.  

Notice that I use whole wheat flour and all purpose flour- the combination keeps these muffins light and makes them healthier than your average breakfast muffin.  Adding the whole wheat flour, oatmeal and cranberries adds whole grains and fruit to this breakfast treat.  

You can play with the add ins.  Try raisins, chopped banana, frozen berries or nuts.  Find the best combination the works for you.  Enjoy! 

Whole Wheat Cranberry Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins:

1 1/4 Cups All Purpose Flour

3/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour

3 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoons salt 

3/4 cups Light Brown Sugar

1 whole Egg

1 cups Milk

1/4 cup Light Canola Oil

1/2 cup Oatmeal

1/4 cup Dried Cranberries

1/4 cup Chocolate Chips (optional)

In a medium bowl, mix the flours, baking soda and salt and set aside.  In a large bowl or electric mixer, blend the sugar with the egg, milk and oil mix well.  Add the flour mixture in two batches.  Mix only until the white of the flour is gone.  Add the oatmeal, cranberries, and chocolate chips.  Drop into papered muffin cups about 3/4 full of batter.  Bake at 375 degrees for 18-24 minutes or until lightly browned.  Serve with butter and a nice pot of tea.