This is an easy recipe that I created for refrigerator pickles. These kind of pickles are generally done within a week, and are intended to be eaten within a month. I tend to prefer this kind of pickling over the more labor intensive long term pickling mainly because I am lazy and like the flexibility to experiment with various spice combinations. One of the nice things about this recipe is that it does not contain dill, a spice with cross reaction for those with a latex food allergy.
Skip this recipe if you have an allergy to onions or garlic, both asparagus and these ingredients are in the Liliaceae family.
Easy Pickled Asparagus
1/2lb asparagus
3 strips of lemon zest*
3 cloves chopped garlic*
1 tablespoon black pepper corns*
1 tablespoon mustard seeds*
Basic Brine**
1. To prepare the asparagus, hold the asparagus next to the glass jar you will be use for canning. Chop off the last few inches from the fiberous base of the stem until each piece is a length that will fit within the jar with a little bit of room to spare.
2. Either leave the asparagus raw (to be cook via the chemical reaction of being in brine) or steam them slightly if you have any concerns about reactions to raw vs. cooked veges.
3. Place asparagus, garlic, and spices in glass jar. Pour brine in until all parts of the asparagus are submerged.
4. Let sit in the refrigerator for a week, then enjoy!
*These ingredients should be avoided if you have a spice allergy also, or add substitute ingredients depending on flavor preferences.
**Refer to earlier recipe.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Floral infused cane sugar
This is one of my favorite techniques to add a little variation to the flavors of simple syrup or sugar-based glazes.
Infused Cane Sugar
Ingredients
2 cups raw cane sugar (ideally it will be comprised of golden color granules)
Sachet for small herbs or flowers (use clean fabric from nylons or cheese cloth tied in a bundle)
1. Create a mix of fragrances to your liking (see options below)
2. Allow to age (infuse the sugar with flavor) for a few months before use
3. Use as a regular sugar replaceable in recipes
List of possible fragrance combos:
Best
- Vanilla bean (Orchidaceae)
Good, but use caution if you have other allergies
- Lavender (Lamiaceae)*
- Bergamont (Lamiaceae) or an Earl Gray teabag*
- Jasmine (Oleaceae) or a Jasmine teabag**
*Avoid if you have allergy to mint or oregano
**Avoid if you have allergy to lilac bush pollen
Infused Cane Sugar
Ingredients
2 cups raw cane sugar (ideally it will be comprised of golden color granules)
Sachet for small herbs or flowers (use clean fabric from nylons or cheese cloth tied in a bundle)
1. Create a mix of fragrances to your liking (see options below)
2. Allow to age (infuse the sugar with flavor) for a few months before use
3. Use as a regular sugar replaceable in recipes
List of possible fragrance combos:
Best
- Vanilla bean (Orchidaceae)
Good, but use caution if you have other allergies
- Lavender (Lamiaceae)*
- Bergamont (Lamiaceae) or an Earl Gray teabag*
- Jasmine (Oleaceae) or a Jasmine teabag**
*Avoid if you have allergy to mint or oregano
**Avoid if you have allergy to lilac bush pollen
Brine for Refigerator Pickles
This is a general purpose brine that I use when making refrigerator pickles. Add spice combinations based on flavor preferences. Double or triple this recipe depending on how much is needed.
Basic Brine
Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup rice vinegar
5 tablespoons fine sea-salt
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) fine white sugar
1. Combine all ingredients in a stainless steel or cast iron enameled pot (avoid aluminum or copper coated pots) and put on low heat.
2. Stir continuously until all signs of sugar crystals are fully dissolved (disappear from sight).
3. Depending on what you are pickling, allow to cool before adding to glass jars with vegetables (if you want your pickles extra crisp) or pour directly onto veges that you want slightly cooked. Remember that the brine solution will also "chemically cook" your veges with time.
4. Store any extra brine in a glass jar, add to your pickling jars as needed (like after eating some pickles or after some of the brine has been absorbed) to keep the containers full of liquid.
Basic Brine
Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup rice vinegar
5 tablespoons fine sea-salt
4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) fine white sugar
1. Combine all ingredients in a stainless steel or cast iron enameled pot (avoid aluminum or copper coated pots) and put on low heat.
2. Stir continuously until all signs of sugar crystals are fully dissolved (disappear from sight).
3. Depending on what you are pickling, allow to cool before adding to glass jars with vegetables (if you want your pickles extra crisp) or pour directly onto veges that you want slightly cooked. Remember that the brine solution will also "chemically cook" your veges with time.
4. Store any extra brine in a glass jar, add to your pickling jars as needed (like after eating some pickles or after some of the brine has been absorbed) to keep the containers full of liquid.
Simple Syrup
This is a basic recipe for simple syrup, an ingredient commonly used when making your own soda beverage or alcoholic cocktail mixer.
Simple Syrup
ingredients
1 cup cold water
1 cup cane sugar
1. Add cold water and cane sugar to a cooking pot and place mixture on low heat.
2. Stir continuously until all signs of sugar crystals are fully dissolved (disappear from sight).
3. Let cool to room temperature and transfer to a glass container.
4. Refrigerate and use when needed.
Simple Syrup
ingredients
1 cup cold water
1 cup cane sugar
1. Add cold water and cane sugar to a cooking pot and place mixture on low heat.
2. Stir continuously until all signs of sugar crystals are fully dissolved (disappear from sight).
3. Let cool to room temperature and transfer to a glass container.
4. Refrigerate and use when needed.
Slow-cooked Salmon with Broccoli
This is a dish that I consider to be a basic staple in life. The ingredients are fairly simple, meaning that the quality of each item used will really make a difference for making or breaking the overall experience. This recipe uses a slow-cooking salmon technique to maximize the flavor and to retain the vibrant red tone of the fish.
Salmon
ingredients
Salmon fillet (I opt for wild caught)
1 cup sake
1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari*
1/4 oil**
3 cloves crushed garlic***
1 inch chunk of ginger, chopped***
3 tablespoons lemon juice****
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1. Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a cooking dish that is only slightly larger than the fish fillet.
2. Place the salmon in the mix, ideally the liquid should be close to fully submerging the fish. If not, mix more sauce using a similar ratio.
3. Let the salmon come up to room temperature (usually about ten minutes).
4. Cover the salmon and cook it at 250 degrees for fifteen minutes, remove covering and cook for another twenty minutes.
5. Sprinkle with brown sugar and broil for five minutes.
Rice
ingredients
2 cups Japanese pearl rice (also known as sushi rice)
3 cups Water
1. Rinse the rice multiple time (I usually do this three times). Press your hand or a spatula against the rice and carefully draining away the majority of the milky starch water that comes off.
2. Heat the rice and water uncovered until it is at a slight boil. Once it has reached this temperature reduce the heat to lowest setting and cover with a lit that is slightly ajar to allow small amounts of steam to escape.
3. Cook for roughly twenty minutes, I can usually tell when the rice is done by the faint rice aroma that perfumes the air when it is close to being finished.
Broccoli
A large head of broccoli, or (depending on the season) young broccoli florets
1. Cut the broccoli into equal sizes. You can also use the stem by cutting off the base and slicing off the sides so that only the crisp pale white core remains.
2. Steam the vegetables until they are a vibrant green and still slightly crisp. It is generally better to undercook them because they will continue to cook for a little while after the heat is removed (and nothing is worse than overcooked broccoli). Cooking time can vary, but usually it takes just a few minutes. Similar to the rice, my nose tends to inform me when the time is right to check on the progress.
*If you are allergic to soy, substitute soy sauce for a tablespoon of smoked salt.
**Use a cooking oil of your choice, sesame seed oil is always nice with this dish but folks with a latex and/or nut allergy or might also develop an allergy to this ingredient.
***Remove garlic and ginger from ingredients if you have a spice allergy or allergy to birch pollen or mugwort
****Remove if you have citrus related allergies
Salmon
ingredients
Salmon fillet (I opt for wild caught)
1 cup sake
1/2 cup soy sauce or tamari*
1/4 oil**
3 cloves crushed garlic***
1 inch chunk of ginger, chopped***
3 tablespoons lemon juice****
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1. Mix all of the marinade ingredients together in a cooking dish that is only slightly larger than the fish fillet.
2. Place the salmon in the mix, ideally the liquid should be close to fully submerging the fish. If not, mix more sauce using a similar ratio.
3. Let the salmon come up to room temperature (usually about ten minutes).
4. Cover the salmon and cook it at 250 degrees for fifteen minutes, remove covering and cook for another twenty minutes.
5. Sprinkle with brown sugar and broil for five minutes.
Rice
ingredients
2 cups Japanese pearl rice (also known as sushi rice)
3 cups Water
1. Rinse the rice multiple time (I usually do this three times). Press your hand or a spatula against the rice and carefully draining away the majority of the milky starch water that comes off.
2. Heat the rice and water uncovered until it is at a slight boil. Once it has reached this temperature reduce the heat to lowest setting and cover with a lit that is slightly ajar to allow small amounts of steam to escape.
3. Cook for roughly twenty minutes, I can usually tell when the rice is done by the faint rice aroma that perfumes the air when it is close to being finished.
Broccoli
A large head of broccoli, or (depending on the season) young broccoli florets
1. Cut the broccoli into equal sizes. You can also use the stem by cutting off the base and slicing off the sides so that only the crisp pale white core remains.
2. Steam the vegetables until they are a vibrant green and still slightly crisp. It is generally better to undercook them because they will continue to cook for a little while after the heat is removed (and nothing is worse than overcooked broccoli). Cooking time can vary, but usually it takes just a few minutes. Similar to the rice, my nose tends to inform me when the time is right to check on the progress.
*If you are allergic to soy, substitute soy sauce for a tablespoon of smoked salt.
**Use a cooking oil of your choice, sesame seed oil is always nice with this dish but folks with a latex and/or nut allergy or might also develop an allergy to this ingredient.
***Remove garlic and ginger from ingredients if you have a spice allergy or allergy to birch pollen or mugwort
****Remove if you have citrus related allergies
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Sparkling Blueberry Soda
One of the greatest frustrations of having a latex-fruit based allergy is the lack of fresh fruit. One of your options is to enjoy blueberries or cranberries (botanical family Ericaceae) rather than common allergy causing fruits such as apples or raspberries (Rosaceae) This is a simple beverage that can be nicely paired with other summer-time meals.
Sparkling Blue Berry Soda
Ingredients
- One cup pure blueberry juice
- One cup soda water
- Simple cane syrup (1 Tablespoon)*
- Dash of lemon juice**
1. Pour the soda water and juice together. Mix in simple syrup and lemon juice.
2. Adjust ratios of ingredients to taste.
3. Serve with ice
*To make simple syrup, refer to the recipe organized under "cooking basics"
**My father can have lemon juice, but not other citrus such as grapefruit or oranges. When in doubt, remove it from the recipe.
Sparkling Blue Berry Soda
Ingredients
- One cup pure blueberry juice
- One cup soda water
- Simple cane syrup (1 Tablespoon)*
- Dash of lemon juice**
1. Pour the soda water and juice together. Mix in simple syrup and lemon juice.
2. Adjust ratios of ingredients to taste.
3. Serve with ice
*To make simple syrup, refer to the recipe organized under "cooking basics"
**My father can have lemon juice, but not other citrus such as grapefruit or oranges. When in doubt, remove it from the recipe.
Lamb burger with sweet potato fries
Here is my first recipe.
It's summer time, the weather is sunny, and nothing sounds better than a nice burger. To makes things interesting we used lamb rather than straight beef, and substituted sweet potatoes for regular potatoes (a potential allergen). Fire up the BBQ, or cook it on the stove with a pinch of smoked salt for flavor.
Lamb Burger with Sweet Potato Fries
Serves 6
Lamb Burger
Ingredients:
- Two parts lamb (around 1 1/3 lb)
- One part beef (2/3 lb)
- Crushed garlic (3 cloves)*
- Dash of Olive oil
- Crumbled Feta (couple of Tablespoons to taste)
- Chopped savory* or thyme**
- Salt and pepper(I prefer to grind everything fresh)
1. Heat olive oil at a low temperature and add crushed garlic. Cook slowly, remove from heat at first signs of browning.
2. Mix the ground lamb and beef together thoroughly with your hands. Add lightly cooked garlic, chopped herbs, and crumbled feta.
3. Form the loose meat into patties by pressing the ingredients with the palms of your hands.
4. Set burgers aside for a little while, cook them to your preference once the fries are halfway done.
5. Serve with choice of condiments on a sourdough bun (or wheat-free bun depending on level of sensitivity)
Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients:
- Sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (2lbs)
- Brown sugar (1-2 Tablespoons)
- Olive oil (Couple of Tablespoons)
- Salt and pepper
1. Peel sweet potatoes and dice in to long pieces the size of your finger. Soak in water briefly to remove excess starch or dirt. Drain.
2. Place the sweet potatoes in a plastic bag (like clear the kind used for vegetables in the grocery store) and add olive oil, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Blow into the bag, temporarily inflating it, and twist it to capture the air. Shake the bag vigorously.
3. Arrange the sweet potatoes evenly on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, stir and flip the pieces and then cook for another fifteen minutes. Pay careful attention to their cooking progress, especially once you smell their tasty aroma. There is a fine line between slightly caramelized and burned to a crisp!
4. Serve with aioli
* Odd point of note, my father has a horrible reaction to fresh onions, but not to fresh garlic. When in doubt, cook this ingredient or remove from recipe.
**use caution, some individuals with latex allergy also develop a spice allergy to common cooking herbs
It's summer time, the weather is sunny, and nothing sounds better than a nice burger. To makes things interesting we used lamb rather than straight beef, and substituted sweet potatoes for regular potatoes (a potential allergen). Fire up the BBQ, or cook it on the stove with a pinch of smoked salt for flavor.
Lamb Burger with Sweet Potato Fries
Serves 6
Lamb Burger
Ingredients:
- Two parts lamb (around 1 1/3 lb)
- One part beef (2/3 lb)
- Crushed garlic (3 cloves)*
- Dash of Olive oil
- Crumbled Feta (couple of Tablespoons to taste)
- Chopped savory* or thyme**
- Salt and pepper(I prefer to grind everything fresh)
1. Heat olive oil at a low temperature and add crushed garlic. Cook slowly, remove from heat at first signs of browning.
2. Mix the ground lamb and beef together thoroughly with your hands. Add lightly cooked garlic, chopped herbs, and crumbled feta.
3. Form the loose meat into patties by pressing the ingredients with the palms of your hands.
4. Set burgers aside for a little while, cook them to your preference once the fries are halfway done.
5. Serve with choice of condiments on a sourdough bun (or wheat-free bun depending on level of sensitivity)
Sweet Potato Fries
Ingredients:
- Sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (2lbs)
- Brown sugar (1-2 Tablespoons)
- Olive oil (Couple of Tablespoons)
- Salt and pepper
1. Peel sweet potatoes and dice in to long pieces the size of your finger. Soak in water briefly to remove excess starch or dirt. Drain.
2. Place the sweet potatoes in a plastic bag (like clear the kind used for vegetables in the grocery store) and add olive oil, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Blow into the bag, temporarily inflating it, and twist it to capture the air. Shake the bag vigorously.
3. Arrange the sweet potatoes evenly on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 20 minutes, stir and flip the pieces and then cook for another fifteen minutes. Pay careful attention to their cooking progress, especially once you smell their tasty aroma. There is a fine line between slightly caramelized and burned to a crisp!
4. Serve with aioli
* Odd point of note, my father has a horrible reaction to fresh onions, but not to fresh garlic. When in doubt, cook this ingredient or remove from recipe.
**use caution, some individuals with latex allergy also develop a spice allergy to common cooking herbs
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