Scallion Cakes

A friend asked me for the recipe for Scallion Cakes recently. Since I typed it in for him, I thought I would cut and paste here also.

From "How to Cook and Eat in Chinese" by Buwei Yang Chao (my Grandmother).

20.8 Fried Scallion Cake
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4 cups flour
2 cups water
1 bunch scallions chopped fine
vegetable oil
salt to taste

Knead the flour and water into a soft dough and divide into 6 portions. Roll each portion into a disc about 1 foot in diameter. Spread on each disc, 2 tablespoons scallions, 1 tablespoon oil, sprinkle salt.

Roll up each cake as you would a carpet. Then twist into a spiral (think nautilus). Flatten with rolling pin until about 6 inch disc.

Heat oil in frying pan. Put in a cake, cover, and fry for about 2 minutes. on each side over medium fire. Turn to low and fry for about 3 more minutes on each side. Remove when light brown on outside and soft on the inside. Pat off excess oil with paper towel. Cut into 6 pieces. Serve hot. Goes well with congee according to Gramma.

Stuffed Zucchini

I am adding some recipes that I developed in the late Summer early Fall. This one came out of the "giant zucchini" problem that plagues gardeners in the summer.

This recipe has cheese on top of the baked squash, but could probably substitute with vegan cheese.

2 cups short grain rice
1 cup red lentils
shallot
mushrooms
1 cup roasted cashews chopped
fresh sage chopped
grated cheese (I used aged gouda because it was handy - probably any melting cheese is fine)
salt to taste

Cook rice as directed
Cook lentils as directed
Sautee shallot and mushrooms

In big bowl mix together rice, lentils, shallot/mushrooms, cashews, sage, salt.

I stuffed zukes, put the grated cheese on top and baked for 40 minutes in 350 oven or until squash is done.

I plated the squash with homemade tomato sauce underneath.

Garlic Soup

I am posting several recipes that I created in the Summer, after harvesting things from the garden. I cooked this soup after harvesting our lone ear of Elephant Garlic. Though it is a simple recipe, the deep rich flavor of garlic was delicious!

1 head of elephant garlic
olive oil
4 leeks sliced
1 yellow onion diced
2 russet potatoes diced
1 cup white wine
4 cups water
salt to taste
chopped basil garnish (optional)

roast garlic in olive oil for 1 hour in 350 oven . Should be soft.

Sautee chopped leeks and onion.

Add in soft garlic, potatoes, wine salt and simmer until wine 1/2 gone.
Add water and cook until potatoes and vegetables cook
Puree in blender.

Serve hot or cold with chopped basil. On hot day the cold soup is yummy! Also brings out flavors more.

BBQ Style Beans

This is a good recipe to share at a potluck, or a main dish with some cornbread or greens as sides.

Cooked Red Kidney Beans (2 cups uncooked)
1 onion diced
2-3 cloves garlic minced
cooking oil
tomato paste
roasted red pepper sliced
mustard powder
brown sugar
soy sauce
ume vinegar (or just use salt)

To cook:
Heat a saute pan big enough to hold your beans. Add oil, add diced onion and cook until soft and translucent.

While onion is cooking measure into a glass: 1 part liquid salt (ume
vinegar and soy sauce enough to salt your beans), 1 part tomato paste, 1 part water. Stir together. Add in 1 teaspoon mustard powder (if very potent - less), 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar. Dissolve in the glass of liquid.

Add beans to onion. Add garlic. Add red peppers. Add liquid. Let simmer for up to 10
minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning and liquid as it cooks, to taste.

Asian Thanksgiving Stuffed Squash

This is based on a recipe that my Aunt used to stuff turkeys on Thanksgiving. We call it Brattle Circle Stuffing, and the original includes chinese sausage! Here is a vegetarian alternative (modified 11/16/2010)

1 medium sized squash for stuffing - not too juicy (e.g. Pumpkin or Kabocha, etc)
2 cups uncooked sweet rice (mochi gome)
1 bunch scallions chopped
1/4 cup sherry
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
4 oz dried shiitake mushrooms re-hydrated and sliced
1 cup peeled chestnuts chopped (can use dried chestnuts - much easier)
1 cup roasted cashews chopped
1 tablespoon grated ginger
5 cloves garlic minced

Prepare squash for stuffing, by removing seeds, keeping the lid intact.
Cook rice.
Pre-heat oven to 350.
Mix all remaining ingredients in with rice. Adjust soy sauce to taste. Fill the squash with rice stuffing. You can pack it down a bit. Put lid on squash put it in the oven on a baking sheet. Bake for about 2 hours or until squash is done.

Serve with mushroom gravy.

Apple Pie

Ok - I know that everybody has a recipe for Apple Pie. But, I have been using more cardamom in my baking, and I have been greatly enjoyed the results. This recipe also has lots of lemony flavor from the zests.

Filling:
4 large granny smith applies - peeled, cored, thinly sliced
3/4 cup sugar
zest from 2 lemons
juice from 1 lemon
1-2 tablespoon kudzu dissolved in lemon juice (depending on juiciness of apples)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
pinch salt

Crust:
2 cups flours
1/2 cup chilled canola oil
1/3 cup chilled water
pinch salt

Mix together all filling ingredients. Pre-heat oven to 450. Make crust by adding wet to dry ingredients and forming into a ball of dough. Roll bottom crust. Fill with apple mixture. Cover and pierce top crust. Brush with soy milk or water. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for additional 35 minutes or until golden brown on top. Juice should be oozing a little.

Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies

This recipe is as pretty "healthy", but still fun to eat! Can't go wrong with chocolate and hazelnuts.

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
8 oz chopped dark chocolate
1 cup chopped roasted hazelnuts
pinch salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup oil (hazelnut and canola mixed)
3/4 cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

whisk together all dry ingredients. in another bowl whisk together all wet ingredients. Mix the wet intro dry. Add a little water to make cookie dough texture. Form cookies on prepared cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 minute, or until cooked (brown on the edges).

Almost Vegan Cooking

After reading the China Study, I decided to try to eat lower on the food chain. As a vegetarian, that really meant, eliminating more dairy and eggs from my diet.

I also love cooking and eating tasty food! I went through "The Main Course" cooking series at Seattle's PCC, and learned to cook through smells, available ingredients, and other experiments. Rarely, do I cook from recipes. But occasionally, I make something I might want to make again. So, this blog is a collection of recipes I consider successful.