sunchokes – also known as jerusalem artichokes – are the root vegetable of a plant similar to a sunflower. they look like and are often confused for fresh ginger root, but are more like a potato. they are probably associated with artichokes because of their earthy, subtle artichoke-like flavor and creamy, buttery texture.
i love to roast them in the oven slowly over moderate heat until they are melt in your mouth delicious. almost like juicy little baked potato bites with sweet and savory undertones. especially when they are tossed with the aromas of lightly flowery lavender and pungent garlic.
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my latest vice is oriental snack mixes. i could eat a whole bag in one sitting, what with the crispy rice crackers, wasabi peas and – my favorite – the toasty tasting sesame sticks. i love the stuff so much i decided to try my hand at making them myself.
and it’s easier then i thought. a simple combination of flour, spices, sesame seeds, oil and water, toasted for a few minutes in the oven and enjoyed in copious amounts. great as a quick snack on the go, added to a trail mix, or crumbled over a salad.
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like the daikon radish or momotaro tomatoes, shishito peppers are special japanese treats that – lucky for us – are easily grown in california. and lucky for me, the local japanese family farm i work for carries them.
most of these miniature peppers are very mild, almost like a bell pepper with just the tiniest bite of spice that is not at all hot. one in every 20 or so might be spicier, but cooking helps reduce the heat of the pepper.
and there are so many ways you can enjoy shishitos! eaten raw with hummus, chopped up for a very mild salsa, tempera or over the grill are all great, but i love the simplicity of this recipe. the whole peppers are lightly blistered in some sesame oil, then sprinkled with salt and sesame seeds. the perfect appetizer or snack, best enjoyed with a cold beer.
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my dad bought a dehydrator many years back, probably after being convinced by an infomercial that making his own jerky would change his life. but several years later it ended up sitting in the cabinet unused, along side the super slicer and turbo cooker. being that i was in the market for a good dehydrator the past few years, for preserving fruit and making my own raw food treats, i happily accepted it as my mom did some spring cleaning.
and being the granola snob that i am – very particular about the level of sweetness, texture, quality of fruits and combination of tastes – i’m happy that now i can just make it myself. i usually make it just like this, with some oats and some type of seed or nut, sweetened with maple syrup and dried to the perfect crunchy texture.
this is a simple 5-ingredient recipe to make a raw granola, but if you don’t have a dehydrator you can toast it in your oven over the lowest heat. feel free to experiment with your own flavors and let me know how it goes!
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i appreciate a good onion ring when i taste one, but it’s hard to find a place that doesn’t fry them up in the same oil they cook the chicken fingers in. similarly, the heavy all-flour batter typically used is way too thick, requiring a longer cooking, which results in an over-cooked onion inside.
i took a stab at making my own with some delicious results – using corn meal instead of flour makes for a much lighter, fresher, crispier onion ring while adding herbs give a savory punch of flavor the average ring lacks. don’t forget to serve them with the delicious curry tomato dipping sauce from yesterday.
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i’ve been getting a lot of requests lately for gluten-free recipes. most of the veggie dishes i post are in fact gluten-free, but greens and soups aren’t in high demand from the gluten-free crowd. someone who is gluten sensitive really wants to enjoy all of the things flour addicts enjoy everyday – breads, cookies, baked goods, and in this case, crackers.
i first got turned onto making my own crackers by smitten kitchen’s spelt everything cracker recipe and have been experimenting with my own flours ever since. i find oat flour works well, and it’s easy to make from the old fashioned oats you probably already have in your kitchen. just some water, salt, and a rolling pin and you have your own homemade gluten-free crackers without any nasty preservatives.
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lately, whenever i go home, my sister will give me a ridiculous amount of bread from her work. my favorites are the rosemary or kalamata olive loaves, but there was so much this last time that i couldn’t eat it all before it went stale.
thankfully, that is the perfect time to make croutons – after the bread is too hard to eat but before it starts growing fur. it just requires a little oil, some of your favorite spices and a little oven time and you have got yourself a pan full of salad’s best friend. but as we found, when the salad runs out they are still the perfect little snack all on their own.
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Also posted in salad | Tagged croutons, pepper |
when i go to the movies i drool over the smell of fresh popped popcorn, but i can’t eat it all slathered in butter. i prefer to pop some myself, season it or add earth balance to my liking, and sneak it in the theater. it also comes in handy when i’m at home enjoying a dvd and want a good movie snack to munch on.
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Posted in snack | Tagged corn, lavander, popcorn |
fries are one of my biggest weaknesses. i could heat up a pot of oil and fry some myself, but baking them is a lot easier and way less greasy and messy.
plus i find it way easier to season them before popping them in the oven rather than after they are covered in scalding hot oil. i chose curry–which is a combination of turmeric, coriander, and cumin–because of its pleasant and mildly spicy flavor.
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this sunday i walked past a stand at the farmers market with all different kinds of eggplant. i got excited and inspired to make something delicious and beautiful with them, as well as the many tomatoes i already had in my bag.
it doesn’t hurts if your food is incredibly adorable either.
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