Best Bok Choy recipe

Anyone who has lived in or visited Singapore would understand my love and constant craving for Chicken Rice with Chinese Greens (Bok Choy). The flavor of Hainanese Chicken Rice is difficult to put into words but its truly addictive. It's like the American hamburger and fries; Chicken Rice and Bok Choy are enjoyed by all South East Asians. Ok that might not have been the best comparison, but trust me, Hainanese Chicken Rice is delicious!

The chicken is prepared in traditional Hainanese methods which involve the boiling of the entire chicken in a pork and chicken bone stock, reusing the broth over and over and only topping it up with water when needed. This stock is not used for rice preparation, which instead involves chicken stock created specifically for that purpose, producing an oily, flavourful rice sometimes known as "oily rice" with Southeast Asian pandan leaves. Wikipedia

Since I lived in the Woodlands, near SAS (Singapore American School), I had two options for Chicken Rice within walking distance of my house and school:

1) Loy Kee's Best Chicken Rice
2) the nearest Hawker Center

I probably ate Chicken Rice with Chinese Greens an average of 3 times a week while living in Singapore. What a luxury to have 78 stalls of incredible South East Asian treats at my neighborhood Hawker Center! If only I had appreciated it more when I lived there four years ago.Photo Credit
Here's my take on Chinese Greens (Baby Bok Choy) done restaurant style:
Recipe adapted from RasaMayalasia.com
Ingredients:
Your favorite Chinese greens (I used baby bok choy for my dish)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 dashes of white pepper powder (I used black pepper)
1 teaspoon sesame seeds (optional)
added soy sauce (optional)

Garlic Oil:
2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 teaspoon oil

Prepare the garlic oil first by heating up your wok and stir fry the minced garlic until they turn light brown. Dish out and set aside.Heat up a pot of water and bring it to boil. Add two small drops of cooking oil into the water. Drop your vegetables into the boiling water and quickly blanch them for about 20-30 seconds (depends on the quantity).
As soon as they turn slightly wilted, transfer them out and drain the excess water off the vegetables. Arrange the vegetables on a plate.
In a wok, heat up the cooking oil, and then add the oyster sauce, water, sugar, pepper, and sesame seeds. As soon as the sauce heats up and blends well, transfer and drench it over the blanced vegetables. Top the vegetables with the garlic oil and serve immediately.

Tasteful Pictures - A Getty Museum Exhibition

Untitled from British Food, Martin Parr, 1995. © Martin Parr/Magnum Photos

It's days like today, when I read about two new restaurant openings and the current Getty exhibit, that I miss living in Los Angeles. From April until August, the Getty Center is exposing the works of some of the first food photographers from the 1880s. A description of the exhibit Tasteful Pictures from the Getty website:

Food, from basic sustenance to savory repasts, awakens the senses. Drawn from the J. Paul Getty Museum's collection, this exhibition provides an overview of photographers' responses to this rich subject. Spanning the period from the mid-19th century until today, the images highlight important technological and aesthetic innovations as well as matters of taste.

NPR reveals some of Nickolas Murray's food photography dating back to circa 1930s. Some of his work can be found on the NPR website.

Polenta Butternut Squash Lasagna

Polenta Lasagna with butternut squash and arugula:
(Recipe adapted from Eat Well cookbook by Williams-Sonoma)

- butternut squash, 6 cups peeled and diced (about 2 lb)
- olive oil, 2 tbsp
- dried thyme, 1/2 tsp (or fresh thyme 3 sprigs)
- fresh basil
- shallot, 1 diced
- garlic, 2 cloves minced
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 12 oz fresh arugula (or spinach*)
- zucchini and yellow squash, shaved into ribbons and cut in half
- part-skim ricotta cheese, 2 cups
- ground nutmeg + cinnamon, 1/4 tsp
- mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, 2 cups shredded
- Firm polenta*, cut in half inch slices (found in pasta isle in tubes)
- jarred marinara sauce or tomato sauce
* lasagna noodles can be interchanged for the polenta slices

Preheat the oven to 400 F. In a large baking pan, toss the squash with oil, shallots, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Bake until tender, about 35 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and mash coarsely with a fork.

Reduce oven temp to 350 F. Coarsley chop spinach or arugula and combine with the ricotta, nutmeg, mozzarella and parmesan and mix well.

Layer the prepared ingredients in a casserole dish starting with the polenta,
Then, add the butternut squash mixture followed by the three cheese mixture,
Next, add the marinara sauce and repeat these four layers if desired.
Lastly, top the lasagna with a little extra cheese. Bake for 30 minutes and broil for a minute or two the end to add a golden, melted cheese finish. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies

There are two things my family cannot live without: coffee and chocolate.
To feed my family's addictions, I made chocolate chip cookies with a touch of espresso.

Classic Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe:
(adapted from King Arthur's Flour recipe)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) unsalted butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup all-purpose flour*
1 cup whole wheat flour, or white whole wheat
2 2/3 cups (16 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (I used Hershey's Dark Chocolate Chips)

*Or substitute barley flour.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets. In a large bowl, beat together the butter, oil, sugars, vanilla, espresso powder, and salt till smooth. Beat in the vinegar, egg, baking soda, and baking powder. Stir in the AP flour and whole wheat flour, then the chocolate chips. The dough will appear oily, and because of the quantity of chocolate chips, it won't be completely cohesive; that's OK.

Drop the dough, by tablespoonfuls, onto the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until the cookies are an even golden brown. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Yield: 33 cookies.

Red Pesto Barley with Roasted Vegetables

June was the big "move-in" month! After a couple of weeks of living in limbo, my family arrived in Charleston with a U-Haul full of furniture and four pairs of helping hands. My "new" apartment, true to downtown Charleston, is a historic home that has been renovated to preserve its rustic charm. My parents are truly the dynamic duo when it comes to moving houses (fun fact: together they have moved in and out of 16 different homes). My mom has an eye for all things decorative. She acts as the interior designer, while my dad plays Mr. Handy-man. He can take on pretty much any task you ask of him. Together, and with little direction from me, they set my apartment up beautifully!


As a small thank you, I tried to prepare homemade lunches and provide treats for the family as they worked hard in my apartment.

Red Pesto with Barley and Roasted Summer Vegetables Recipe:
(Adapted from Anja's Food 4 Thought blog)

1 cup dry barley (or farro, wheat berries, spelt)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup zucchini
1 red bell pepper
1/2 cup yellow squash (or butternut squash)
salt to taste
4 tablespoons mixed seeds, toasted (optional)

Red Pesto
3 tablespoons of sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 tablespoon capers, drained*
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil

*If you do not have capers or wish to omit them completely, you can substitute 1/4 cup artichoke hearts + a dash of balsamic vinegar (milder taste)
Serves 4
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Cook the barley in slightly salted water until tender and chewy, about 45 minutes to one hour. Drain and rinse with warm water. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 F.
Chop squash, pepper and zucchini into bite size chunks. Transfer to baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over the veggies and stir until they are coated. Season with salt. Oven-roast for 15-20 minutes.
For the red pesto, combine all ingredients in a food processor. Mix until smooth.
Stir the red pesto into the wheat berries. Make sure you don't use too much, as the flavor is very strong and can be overpowering. Stir in the roasted veggies and sprinkle the seeds on top. Serve warm or at room temperature.*
*Served cold over a bed of mixed baby lettuces, drizzled with balsamic vinegar, with a touch of cajun seasoning for spice.

Lucky for me, I live right across the street from Sugar Bake Shop!
Charlotte, the true sugar addict in the family, could hardly wait to run across the street and explore the shop. We left with a variety of baked goods: a Ginger Molasses Cookie, Double Chocolate Espresso Brownie (ammmazing and only sold on Tuesdays!), Raspberry Almond Tart, and a Mint Chocolate Cupcake.

Fresh Start - Farmers Market Breakfast

Every Saturday I wake up eager to walk down to the Marion Square Farmers Market. We are blessed to have enough local farms here in South Carolina to provide our community with the freshest, ripest produce. So this Saturday I perused the stalls, tasted a variety of jams, cheeses, and cold soups, and returned home with some gorgeous arugula, tomatoes, SC peaches, as well as some local goat cheese with sea salt.

It was only fitting that I make a delicious farmers market brunch Sunday morning with all my fresh ingredients. The menu consisted of Herb-Roasted Tomatoes with Polenta, an Arugula, Feta Scramble and a Homemade Granola and Fruit Parfait.

Herb-Roasted Tomatoes and Polenta RecipeIngredients:
- Store bought "Original Polenta" cut into 1/2 inch slices
- 1 ripe tomato cut into 1/2 inch rounds
- Italian-herb seasoning or fresh herbs
- Extra-virgin olive oil (2 tsp)
- Balsamic vinegar (1-2 tsp)
- Fresh cracked black pepper

Preheat oven to 350. Assemble the polenta slices on a slightly greased pan, then place the tomato slices on top, followed by fresh herbs, drizzled olive oil, balsamic, and fresh black pepper. Bake for 15 minutes.
Arugula and Feta Scramble RecipeIngredients:
- 1 T butter
- 1 T extra-virgin olive oil
- 1-2 eggs
- 1/4 onion finely chopped
- 1 clove garlic minced (optional)
- 1-2 handfuls arugula (rocket)
- Feta cheese crumbles (desired amount)
- Salt and pepper

Heat skillet with equal portions butter and olive oil (better flavor). Quick saute the onions until fragrant, add garlic and arugula and saute for another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add eggs and scramble. Once cooked through, add desired amount of feta cheese, salt and pepper and transfer to plate.

Homemade Granola and Fruit Parfait RecipeIngredients:
- Homemade granola (see recipe on previous post)
- 1 banana halved and sliced
- 1 peach diced
- 1 carton yogurt
- any additional add-ins: cereal, fruit, toasted wheat germ, nuts, etc.

Layer granola, fruit, yogurt or simply combine in a bowl and enjoy!

Fresh Cucumber and Avocado Salad

Charleston is hot! With few remedies to cure the heat wave that graces this city every summer, sometimes the most appealing answer lies inside your (air-conditioned) kitchen. There is nothing better than a refreshing chopped salad to accompany your dishes in the summertime. I was immediately excited about this recipe after seeing the post on Kalyn's Kitchen blog. The ingredients are simple and tantalizing: cucumber, avocado, lime, mint, and feta cheese.

Cucumber and Avocado Salad Recipe with Lime, Mint, and Feta
(Makes 2-4 servings, recipe created by Kalyn)

2 cups chopped cucumbers (3-4 medium cucumbers or 2 larger cucumbers)
salt, for drawing water out of cucumber
1-2 ripe avocados, peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1-2 tsp. fresh lime juice (to toss with avocado)
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh mint (measure after chopping)
1/2 cup crumbled feta (more or less to taste)

Dressing:
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 T fresh lime juice
Peel cucumbers, and scrape out seeds if they are large. Cut cucumber into 1/2 inch pieces and put in colander. Sprinkle with generous amount of salt and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, use paper towels to blot the cucumbers to remove the water and salt.While cucumber is draining, peel avocado and chop into 1/2 inch pieces. Put avocado into large salad bowl and toss with the 1 or 2 tsp. lime juice. Wash mint and chop with chef's knife or mini-processor. Whisk together olive oil and lime juice to make dressing and measure 1/2 cup crumbled feta.Add drained cucumbers, mint, and dressing to avocado and combine. Then gently stir the crumbled feta into salad ingredients. Serve immediately.

Green and Lean 5K/ Post-run feast

On May 22, 2010 Charleston hosted the fifth annual Green & Lean 5k Run.

The Green and Lean brings together two organizations, City of Charleston's Keep Charleston Beautiful and Lowcountry Earth Force, who are working to improve the quality of life in the Lowcountry. The proceeds from this event benefit local school-based environmental education programs.

It was a fun run around Brittlebank Park and the Citadel in downtown Charleston. To my pleasant surprise, I was awarded the winner in my category for fastest female ages 20-24 with a time of 23.09. Now, I'm motivated to train harder and crack 20 minutes, as the first place female completed the race in 19 minutes! Wishful thinking... but at least I have a time to work towards :)

After a hard run, nothing beats a victory feast! So, my good friend from work, Alli, took me to her favorite restaurant, Cru Cafe. Here we received special attention at the "Chef's table/Bar" (since Alli is a regular here) and indulged in a delicious meal.
In-house smoked salmon with baba ganoush, crostinis, and lightly dressed arugula.
Followed by the BEST BURGER I have ever had! Seriously.
Angus Burger Au Poivre with caramelized onions and a side of Asian Slaw.
And because Alli is loved here at Cru, the chef gave us a sample of the
White Wine Truffled Mussels and Peppers. Melt in your mouth delicious!

Hands down, the best meal in Charleston to date.

New Macaroon Boutique

Charleston has been gifted with a new Parisian bakery - Macaroon Boutique. Located in the heart of downtown, its difficult to pass by this boutique without being lured inside by the wafting smell of fresh pastries as you approach 45 John St.
Charleston INSIDE OUT explains,

The little luxuries, light and crisp egg white and almond on the outside and soft and smooth in the center, have long been the amour of the French. But, recently the coquettes have been stealing hearts on this side of the Atlantic and soon arrive in Charleston. Paris native, Fabrice Rezzo has been perfecting his macaroons for 27 years, since he was 14 years old.

Dark Chocolate Fleur de Sel cookie and a Pistachio Macaroon
Lucky for me, Fabrice and his wife are regulars at FIG restaurant where I work here in Charleston. Having recognized me from the restaurant and after my attempt to speak french with him and his wife, Fabrice handed me a free bag of Dark Chocolate Fleur de Sel [salt] cookies with my purchase of a bag of macaroons! Mmm, my experience was nothing less than sublime - each bite into these delectable treats was heavenly.

Mexican Smörgåsbord... if there ever was one.

Who doesn't love saying the word "smorgasbord?" In the traditional sense a "Mexican Smorgasbord" is a contradictory statement. Latin-infused dishes displayed and served in a Scandinavian style buffet (multiple dishes of various foods served both hot and cold)?
Although, in hindsight, most Mexican meals are also served family-style with multiple dishes served along a buffet - I guess I just love using the word smorgasbord.


Almost once a week I get an intense craving for Mexican food, it never fails. Therefore, I always keep a stock of ingredients to satisfy my craving: limes, black beans, avocado, tomatoes, salsa, tortilla chips, cilantro, corn or flour tortillas, and of course Cholula hot sauce.

Milena instigated the fiesta this week by inviting me over to make mango salsa with plantain chips. So I packed my own bag of ingredients and headed her way to start our summer off with a delicious smorgasbord of Mexican snacks.

Black Bean and Spinach Quesadillas with Goat Cheese

Tasty Thai

After a hard week, consisting of four final exams and three long (late) nights at work, Sunday couldn't come fast enough. I was definitely in need of some quality girl time and therapeutic cooking.
So I grabbed my can of coconut milk, some fresh ginger and spices, and the last half of my Dove chocolate Easter bunny and headed to Milena's house to make a delicious meal.

This Coconut Curry recipe is simple, fresh, and light. It was delicious served over the broiled tilapia! Milena had tons of romaine heart lettuce that she wanted to use so, instead of rice, we served the fish curry on a salad. In order to make the coconut curry serve as a dressing, we added brown rice flour to thicken the sauce. When serving over rice, omit the flour so that the curry is like more fluid.

Broiled Tilapia with Thai Coconut-Curry Sauce Recipe: From Cooking Light Magazine
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients

* 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil, divided
* 2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
* 1 cup chopped green onions
* 1 teaspoon curry powder
* 2 teaspoons red curry paste
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* 4 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
* 1 (14-ounce) can light coconut milk + 2 Tbsp brown rice flour (to thicken)
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (or parsley)
* 4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
* Cooking spray
* 3 cups hot cooked basmati rice (we used Romaine hearts to make it a salad)
* 4 lime wedges

Preparation

Preheat broiler.

Heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; cook 1 minute. Add pepper and onions; cook 1 minute. Stir in curry powder, curry paste, and cumin; cook 1 minute. Add soy sauce, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and coconut milk; bring to a simmer (do not boil). Remove from heat; stir in cilantro.

Brush fish with 1/2 teaspoon oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place fish on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil 7 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve fish with sauce, salad (rice), and lime wedges.

Baked Chocolate Coconut Milk Custards

I have been waiting a month for the perfect recipe to unveil itself to me so that I could use my dark chocolate bunny from Easter. My mom admitted to "specializing" my Easter basket this year, AKA all dark chocolate! Dark chocolate eggs, exotic dark chocolate bars, and of course a solid Dove dark chocolate bunny. So truth is I ate half of the bunny before this recipe, but it ended up being the perfect amount for our custards. Also, in light of being economical, we were able to divide the single can of coconut milk and use part for our curry and a cup for the custards.

Baked Chocolate Coconut Milk Custard Recipe: From Lisa's blog DandySugar.com

Preheat oven to 350

1 1/4 cups coconut milk
3/4 -1 cup of semi sweet chocolate chopped
2 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp kosher salt

Directions:

Heat the chocolate with the coconut milk in the top portion of a double boiler just until melted and smooth. Whisk mixture, careful not to let it burn. Remove from heat and cool. Once cool, add chocolate to a food processor along with the eggs, salt, and vanilla extract. (If you are using the vanilla pod, add it to the chocolate milk mixture instead). Pulse until blended and frothy.

Divide mixture between 6 small ramekins or 4 larger ones. Place ramekins in a large rectangular baking dish, transfer to middle oven rack, and fill just about halfway with water.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until the center is just set.

*End Note: This recipe would be even more delicious if topped with Cinnamon Whip Cream! We attempted to make homemade whip cream with a single whisk but failed miserably due to the absence of a real mixer.

Secret love: Cinnamon Spice

I couldn't help but smile when I read the Apartment Therapy: The Kitchen post about cinnamon this morning. Just another reason to confirm my love for this blog. I find a way to incorporate cinnamon in or on or around just about everything that I eat and drink. Daily, I put it in the two cups of coffee I drink in the morning and on top of my daily graham crackers + peanut butter fix. Weekly, cinnamon will find its way in a rice dish, curry, chili, or chicken marinade, and its ALWAYS used when I bake.

The Kitchen post this morning titled, "From the Spice Cupboard: Cinnamon," read:

If we were trapped on a desert island, cinnamon is definitely one of the spices we'd want in our magical picnic basket. Cinnamon, or one of its cousins, is used in almost every world cuisine, plus it can do double duty in both desserts and savory dishes. There are literally hundreds of ways it can be used.

True cinnamon comes from the inner bark of a tropical tree related to the bay laurel (of all things!) and is distinguished as Ceylon or Sri Lankan cinnamon. As the bark dries, it curls on itself into those distinctive slender sticks, or "quills." Cinnamon is light reddish-brown in color and highly aromatic. It has a mild and sweet flavor without the robust spiciness of cassia.

Previous posts including cinnamon:
Granola recipe
Carrots and Mango recipe
Morning Berry Muffins recipe