Friday, June 7, 2013

mini buckwheat galette with sweet & savory rhubarb chutney


rhubarb season is right here!
last month, i made green tea pancakes with strawberry rhubarb sauce and it was a big hit.
this time, i wanted to try something on more savory side...

mini buckwheat galette with sweet & savory rhubarb chutney.

it's easy and quick, so perfect on lazy morning when you want to start a day with something special and different.

ingredients: MAKES 4 mini galette

the buckwheat chia seed batter;

(wet)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 1/4 cups soy milk (i used Eden brand original, which is sweetened slightly with brown rice syrup)
1/2 teaspoon safflower oil

(dry)
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
fresh thyme leaves from 4 thyme springs
dash of sea salt
safflower oil for cooking galette

the rhubarb chutney;
4~6 stalks of rhubarb, chopped (about 2 cups)
10 dried apricots, chopped
8 green olives, pitted, drained, chopped
12 large basil leaves, chopped
safflower oil for sauteing
2 tablespoons barley miso
2 tablespoons vegan mayo
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons maple sugar 

1. to make the galette batter, soak the chia seeds in the soy milk in a bowl. in another bowl, mix the buckwheat flour, fresh thyme leaves, and sea salt to combine. whisk the soy milk and chia seeds occasionally, so that the chia seeds don't clump. leave for 20-30 minutes or until the chia seeds form gel.

2. meanwhile, make the filling; the rhubarb chutney...  chop the rhubarb, dried apricots, green olives, and fresh basil leaves.

seasonings; in a small bowl, combine the barley miso, vegan mayo, ketchup, onion powder, and maple sugar.

3. in a small sauce pan, saute the rhubarb with safflower oil over medium high heat about 5 minutes, until rhubarb sweats and outside becomes loosen.  add apricots and olives. 

saute until the rhubarb is soft and fully cooked.  add the seasoning and mix to combine.
add the basil. mix gently to combine and turn off the heat.

4. now, back to the galette batter. add the safflower oil to the wet mixture and whisk once again. mix the wet mixture to the dry mixture and combine.
heat the safflower oil in an old crepe pan. make sure the pan is hot then reduce the heat to low. wipe off any excess oil on the pan. gently pour  the 1/4 of the batter onto the pan. immediately, tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly.



cook the batter for about 1 minute, until the outer edge is crisp and the surface is dry. scoop 1/4 of the rhubarb chutney on the middle. cook until the bottom is light brown.

5. loosening with a spatula, gently lift up the edge to wrap the filling. leaving the center uncovered, make a square shape. press the corners very gently, so it won't open. repeat 3 more times to make 3 more. Serve hot.

Bon appetit! ;)



Saturday, June 1, 2013

summer truffle rice with rainbow radishes & mushrooms




got truffle for free, so decided make something nice ;)  bought truffle oil, and the next day shopped at the greenmarket...
rainbow radishes, mushrooms, and chives! the chives were not flowering yet, so i put them in water.


dry roasting brown rice and wild rice. i didn't have enough time to soak grains over night, so just soaked them for 30 minutes and roasted in a frying pan. this makes rice fluffy, light, and soft after cooked.

making broth. water, kombu, soy sauce, mirin, sea salt.

rice, broth, truffle oil, sea salt.

while the rice is cooking, making truffle chive butter using little pieces of truffle from slicing, chopped chives, vegan butter, etc.






and prepping radishes, radish tops and mushrooms...

cooked rice for 45 minutes, turned off heat and added more truffle and truffle chive butter. let sit for 10 minutes.
meanwhile, quickly sauteed the radishes, mushrooms and radish tops and seasoned with balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, etc.

 now the butter has melted and green chives are there...



it was perfectly cooked and smelled truffle all over. the wild rice is nutty and good combo with truffle :)



now on the plate.
bon appetit :D

 

Sunday, April 14, 2013

flowering tuscan kale



Hello again spring!
Lots of flowers and herbs are back here in Union Square Greenmarket :D
Something caught my attention was...
Tuscan Kale.
Although this is one of my favorite in Kale family,  I had never seen one flowering, so asked the farmer,
"Is is like broccoli rabe?"
He said, Noooo. It's different. More bitter and very good in sauteing."
My mind was set. It must be good with something salty, sour and garlicky ;)

Went to another farmer. They had beautiful Tatsoi flowers! Wow, taste good. They can be garnish for my dish.

Back home... time to make the paste;
Umeboshi plums♥


Roasted sesame seeds and shiso leaves...
This shiso is also from the Greenmarket.  I got a bunch and they came with roots, so put them in my planter. They keep fresh and growing ;)

They made beautiful and super yummy paste.
Here is how to make...


Flowering Tuscan Kale with Ume Shiso Sesame Paste

:: MAKES 4 servings ::

1 large bunch flowering Tuscan Kale (If not available, broccolini or 1 small bunch broccoli rabe can be used), hard stems trimmed

the paste:

1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
2 large umeboshi plums, pitted and chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
3 large shiso leaves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 1/2 to 1 clove of fresh garlic, minced
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon ume vinegar

roasted sesame seeds for garnish

1. In a suribachi, grind the sesame seeds using a surikogi until they are ground half way.

2. Add the umeboshi plums,  shiso leaves and garlic and grind until the shiso leaves become small pieces.

3. Add the rest of the ingredients and grind until well combined. Set aside.

4. In a large pot or wok, bring water to a boil. (A drop of oil can be added to the water so that the green color of the kale stays vibrant after cooked. ) Add the kale and cook for 10-15 seconds or until the kale turns shiny and beautiful green color. Drain.

5. Cover the kale with a cloth or paper towel and pad dry. Using hands, gently spread the paste evenly on the kale. Cut the kale in 1 1/2 to 2 inch size.

6. Arrange it on your plates, sprinkle with roasted sesame seeds and serve.

魔法をかけたらこうなりました。。。





Totally taste of spring♥