More Mashups

Cod and hash browns

Pre-Dip
1/2 C. flour
salt, pepper, lemon pepper

Batter
1 C. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 C. milk
1/2 Tbs. olive oil
Pinch of salt
6 Tbs. beer or water (I used Conways Irish Ale)

Heat up the oil in your pan until it reaches 180C/350F. Dip fish in the flour mixture. Dip fish in batter. Then gently place it in the hot oil, and cook for 7 - 8 minutes until it becomes crispy and golden brown. If the batter starts going brown too quickly, turn the temperature down a little.
Place on the kitchen paper then keep warm in the oven, while you cook the other pieces of fish the same way and add to the oven.

Home Made Yogurt

1 quart (1 l) whole milk
1/4 cup (60 g) plain whole milk yogurt

1. Clean a 1 quart  jar by pouring boiling water in it and letting it stand 5 minutes. Drain the water (carefully, as the water and the jar will be hot), and let the jar dry.

2. Heat the milk in a saucepan fitted with a thermometer, or use an instant read thermometer, until the milk reaches 180ºF (82ºC). Remove from heat.

3. When the temperature drops to 115ºF (45ºC), stir in the 1/4 cup of yogurt, then pour the mixture into the jar and cover it.

4. Put the yogurt in a slightly warm place, and leave it undisturbed for 10 to 12 hours. The longer fermentation will yield a more tart yogurt.

5. Chill the yogurt thoroughly, at least three hours. The yogurt will thicken up once cool.

Ravioli and meatballs

Super quick and easy. Frozen ravioli, frozen meatballs, frozen spinach, all gently heated and topped with jar sauce. 15 minutes max.

Maxillariella Tenuifolia

Known as the coconut orchid because of the way the blooms smell. It is a lovely orchid with grass-like leaves.

Orchid Expo 2015

Dendrobium Recovery

Phal Recovery

Spicy Honey Chicken Thighs

1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/3 C. soy sauce
5 Tb. honey
1/4 C. sesame oil
3 Tb. chili garlic paste
3 Tb. garlic
1 Tb. green onion slices
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs

Whisk the vinegar, honey, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, garlic, and salt in a bowl until smooth. Pour half the marinade into a large plastic zipper bag; retain the other half of the sauce. Place the chicken thighs into the bag containing marinade, squeeze all the air out of the bag, and seal. Shake a few times to coat chicken; refrigerate for 1 hour, turning bag once or twice. Pour the other half of the marinade into a saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, to thicken sauce. Remove the chicken from the bag; discard used marinade. Place chicken thighs into a 9x13-inch baking dish, and brush with 1/3 of the thickened marinade from the saucepan. Bake at 425* 30 minutes, basting one more time after 10 minutes; an instant-read thermometer inserted into a chicken thigh should read 165 degrees F (75 degrees C). Let stand for 5 or 10 minutes; meanwhile, bring remaining marinade back to a boil for 1 or 2 minutes, and serve chicken with marinade. Sprinkle with green onions.

Inari

Inari 稲荷. The deity of rice and a major Shinto kami. Closely associated with various Shinto deities of food, Inari can be depicted in either male or female form. Inari not only protects the rice harvest -- s/he is also the patron of prosperity for farmers and merchants, especially those involved in rice production, foodstuffs and fisheries.

In traditional artwork, a pair of foxes typically flank Inari’s image. But in modern times, images of Inari have all but disappeared, replaced instead by images of Oinari’s messenger, the magical shape-shifting fox (kitsune 狐). Here the symbolism is two-fold. First, rice is sacred in Japan, closely associated with fertility (the pregnant earth) and with sustaining life. Inari and Inari’s foxes must therefore be placated -- otherwise it would be disastrous to the livelihood of the nation’s farmers and people.

Second, the fox is associated with the concept of Kimon, literally “demon gate,” a Japanese term stemming from Chinese geomancy (feng shui). In Chinese thought, the northeast quarter is considered particularly inauspicious. It is the place where "demons gather and enter." This belief was imported by the Japanese and is referred to as Kimon. Kimon generally means ominous direction, or taboo direction. In Japan, the fox is considered a powerful ally in warding off evil Kimon influences. Fox statues are often placed in northeast locations to stand guard over demonic influence, and two foxes typically guard the entrance to Inari Shrines, one to the left and one to the right of the gate.

NOTE: In some Buddhist-Taoist sects in Japan, the role of warding off evil kimon is played by the monkey, as the Japanese term for monkey (猿, pronounced saru) is a homonym for the Japanese word "expel" (去る, also pronounced saru).  Now consider the symbolism in the movie Monkey Shines.

Fried tofu is believed to be a favorite food of Japanese foxes, and an Inari-zushi roll has pointed corners that resemble fox ears, thus reinforcing the association.

Sweet Tofu Pockets

I wanted to make tofu pockets, but to do that I need bean pockets to stuff.  You can buy them or try to make them from scratch.  I am going to try to make them from scratch.

Abura-age (tofu pocket)
1 block extra firm tofu

Cut into thin even slices (I cut mine the width of a chop stick). Arrange slices on a double thick square of paper towel.  Place another double thick topping of paper towel on the tofu slices. Set a cutting board or a cookie sheet on your  tofu sandwich and add a few cans of beans or something to weigh down the cookie sheet.  Press out the water for 2 hours.  Change paper towels as they become saturated with soy bean water. Remove weighs and allow to air dry for 1 hour. You want really dry tofu.
To test, fry one slice for 5 minutes in low temperature (about 110℃). If the tofu has been drained well, it should ideally spread about 1.5 times its original size. If it doesn't, then the draining wasn't enough. If this is the case, use the tofu for some other dish. Mine shrunk, but I pressed forward anyhow.
Drain any excess oil, and fry again in medium temperature (about 160℃). The fried abura-age are quite firm immediately after they've been fried a second time. Wrap them up in plastic wrap, and microwave until the inside of the microwave turns white with steam (600 watts for 45 seconds). Cut pockets open.
When abura-age is cooked in dashi stock seasoned with sugar and soy sauce they are nick-named inari-age or sushi-age because they are used for inari sushi.

Inarizushi (tofu pouch filled with rice)
Marinade for 6 - 10 pieces:
1 C. dashi or just water
1 Tb. sugar
2 tsp. mirin
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 shot of sake if you have

In principle, the marinade is similar to the teriyaki sauce. Whether you use water, dashi, or saki, aim for a sweet , spicy marinade. The amount of marinade should be so much that it covers the abura-age bags at least half (similar to teriyaki). Somebody else's how-to.

Coconut Macaroon

6 egg whites
¼ teaspoon fancy sea salt
½ cup agave nectar or brown rice syrup
1 Tb vanilla extract
3 C. unsweetened shredded coconut (the bag I get is 2 2/3 C.)

In a mixing bowl whisk egg whites and salt until stiff. Fold in agave, vanilla and coconut. Drop batter onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet, using #100 disher. Bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned. Dip in melted chocolate if desired.

Makes 48 macaroons

Salad Dressing

3 medium-size carrots, peeled and cut into about 1-inch chunks
1 piece (2-inches) fresh ginger, peeled and cut into disks
1 shallot, minced, or ¼ cup minced onion
3 Tb unseasoned rice vinegar, or 1½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
¼ cup canola, peanut, or vegetable oil
1 Tb. sesame oil
1 tsp. granulated sugar
4 tsp. miso paste (optional, but recommended)
2 tsp. mirin (optional)
Puree all ingredients in your blender. Makes 2 cups of dressing; enough for a few salads.

Asian Meatballs

Frozen Meatballs
hoisen sauce
green onions

Sesame Noodles
1/2 box whole wheat noodles
1/2 tsp. garlic, minced
2 Tb. peanut oil
2 Tb. rice vinegar
2 Tb. soy sauce
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. chili sauce
2 green onions, sliced
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds, toasted

Omurice

Fried Rice (enough for 3-4 omelets)
2 diced green onions
1 chicken thigh, rinsed and patted dry
1 Tbs. oil
½ C. frozen mixed vegetables
Freshly ground black pepper
1½ C. cooked sushi rice
1 Tbs. ketchup and more for decoration
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 omelet
1 large egg
1 Tbs. milk
1 Tbs. oil for the skillet
3 Tbs. sharp cheddar cheese (or any kind)

Cut up onions and chicken. Heat the oil in a non-stick pan and sauté the onion until softened. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink. Add the mixed vegetables and season with pepper. Add the rice, and chop it all up together. Add ketchup and soy sauce and combine everything evenly with a spatula. Transfer the fried rice to a plate and wash the pan.

Whisk the eggs and milk together in a small bowl. Heat the oil in the pan over medium high heat (make sure the surface of the pan is nicely coated with oil). When the pan is hot, pour the egg mixture into the pan and tilt to cover the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat when the bottom of the egg has set (but still soft on top). Put the cheese and the fried rice on top of the omelet. Use the spatula to fold both sides of omelet toward the middle to cover the fried rice. Slowly move the omurice to the edge of the pan. Hold a plate in one hand and the pan in the other hand, flip the pan and move the omurice to the plate. While it’s still hot, cover the omurice with a paper towel and shape it into football shape. Drizzle the ketchup on top for decoration.