Zucchini Bread

I love zucchini in general and zucchini bread is like the icing on a cake. I got this zucchini bread recipe from my co-worker. The first time I had her zucchini bread was at one of our office potlucks several years ago. I think it was the best zucchini bread I ever ate. I was so happy she shared the recipe with me. Now I don't have to wait for the next potluck to take a bite of this scrumptious treat!

Recipe Courtesy of Karri Smith

Makes 2 loaves

Ingredients

Mix 1
3 C. flour
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
2-3 T. cinnamon

Mix 2
2 ¼ C. sugar
3 eggs
3 t. vanilla
1 C. vegetable oil (I’ve used 2/3 cup oil and the bread is still moist!)

Cooking instruction:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. Once Mix 2 is combined, stir in 2 to 3 cups of grated zucchini.

3. Add and combine half of Mix 1 at a time to Mix 2. Pour batter into 2 loaf pans (I used 1 bundt pan).

4. Bake for 60 minutes.

Spicy Braised Kale (Padang Style)

There is a traditional Indonesian side dish from the city of Padang called Sayur Daun Singkong (Braised Cassava Leaves). Since cassava leaves are hard to find where I live, I found that Kale is a great substitute for this dish. Collard greens is another option to use although so far I've only made this dish using Kale.

My family can't get enough of this so I usually make a large batch at one time. But food containing coconut milk won't keep for too long in the refrigerator so what I do is take enough for us to eat for about 1-2 days then divide the rest into several containers to keep in the freezer for later on in the week...or even the following week.

Makes 8-10 Servings

Ingredients

4 bunches Kale
5 shallots
3 cloves garlic
3 red chili
5 Thai chili (or more)
5 candlenuts (kemiri)
1 medium tomato
1 t. minced ginger
1/2 inch galangal root
1 T. salt
1 T. turmeric
1/2 T. ground coriander
2 T. oil
2 cans coconut milk
4 C. water
4 bay leaves

Cooking instruction:

1. Remove stems from Kale. Cut leaves into 1" pieces. Set aside.

2. In a food processor, puree the next 11 ingredients.

3. Heat oil in a large and deep pan. Pour in the spice puree and stir for about 2 minutes.

4. Add coconut milk, water, bay leaves, then bring to a boil.

5. Slowly add in Kale and simmer for about 10 minutes. Serve with hot jasmine rice and/or meat accompaniment (like Pan Fried Fish Fillet or Beef Rendang).

Biji Salak

I'm so glad whatever attacked me earlier this week is finally out of my system. So I was ready for another cooking adventure. This time, I made "biji salak", an Indonesian dessert.

"Biji salak" consist of sweet potato balls swimming in an infusion of sweet palm sugar syrup and rich coconut milk. The name "biji salak" literally means the "seed" of the salak fruit. It is because the shape of the sweet potato balls resembles it.

This was my first time making biji salak. The tricky part was rolling the sweet potatoes because it was a bit sticky but after rolling 10 or so I got the hang of it. Overall I think they turned out pretty good.

Ingredients

3-4 medium size sweet potatoes
1/2 C. tapioca starch, plus more for dusting
1/2 C. palm sugar
4 C. water
2 C. coconut milk
1 t. salt

Cooking instruction:

1. Peel sweet potatoes and steam until soft.

2. In a large bowl, mash the sweet potatoes while they're still hot and let cool. Then mix in tapioca starch.

3. In a large pot, bring water to a boil.

4. Dust your hands with some tapioca starch then roll the sweet potato dough into small balls then shape like "biji salak." Drop them into the boiling water. When they float to the top, take them out and set aside.

5. Melt palm sugar with 4 cups of water. Add in the "biji salak."

6. In a separate pot, heat coconut milk and 1 t. salt.

7. Serve warm "biji salak" with a few tablespoons of coconut milk.

Singkong Goreng (Fried Cassava)

Wouldn't you know it!! Just a few days before this Memorial weekend, I was hit pretty bad by some kind of virus. Starting Wednesday afternoon, I had chills, body ache, fever, headache, and nausea. There's nothing worse than spending the long weekend being sick. And although my ultimate goal is to rest this weekend, my heart just couldn't bear it if a whole long weekend went by without cooking. I felt better on Sunday so I happily made my way into the kitchen...yeay! :)

I went to the store earlier this week and saw cassava roots and had a sudden craving for deep fried cassava. Cassava is plentiful in Indonesia and versatile in its uses. It is common to find cassava used in a variety of Indonesian snacks and desserts.

Ingredients

2 cassava roots
1.5 T. salt, or to taste
3 cloves garlic (minced) or 2 T. garlic powder
1 T. ground coriander
water
oil for frying

Cooking instruction:

1. Peel the cassava skin and divide the length of the cassava root into 4 (approx 2-2.5"). If the root is thick, cut the round in half.

2. Place the pieces into a stock pot and add salt, garlic, and coriander. Cover with water.

3. Boil the cassava until tender. Drain and let the cassava cool down a bit and dry out (so you can avoid splatters when frying).

4. Heat 2" oil in a frying pan. Deep fry cassava until golden brown. Serve while still hot and crispy. Yummmm!!

*Note: You can let the cassava soak in the seasoned water for a couple of hours or even overnight before boiling, depending on how much time you have.

Bibimbap

From bottom left to right: beef, enoki mushrooms, spinach, shiitake mushrooms, carrots, bean sprouts. Middle: egg, sunny side up.

Lately, I've been in desperate need to eat more veggies at home but quite bored with just sauteing vegetables. A thought just came over me and suddenly I was in the mood for Bibimbap, a Korean dish consisting of rice, mixed vegetables, and often served with beef and egg (raw, over easy, or sunny side up). Korean food is definitely not in my cooking comfort zone so I browsed online to find a Bibimbap recipe from an expert.

I was delighted to find a video tutorial made by a Korean girl on how to make Bibimbap. You can find the full recipe and how-to video on her blog, Maangchi, that's dedicated to cooking Korean food and learning about Korean culture. She's totally adorable and I really enjoyed watching the step-by-step instruction. And I was surprised how simple it is to make Bibimbap. It does take some time to prep and cook the different veggies and beef but really, all you need are these basic seasonings: sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, salt. It's all a matter of using different combinations and proportions depending on which side dish you're making.

Since I decided to make Bibimbap on a whim, I didn't have all the ingredients on hand. What I love about cooking is the freedom to improvise and be creative! :) I was missing zucchini, gosari (fern bracken), and ground beef. I had some enoki mushrooms so I decided to use them to substitute for the gosari. I've never had gosari so it is definitely going on my "to-try" list next time I go to a Korean market. I also had a couple of thin slices of beef round steak so I diced them to mimic the ground beef.

Hubby and my mother-in-law were quite impressed with the colorful presentation and of course gave two thumb's up for taste. I absolutely loved how everything turned out and so happy to find another yummy way to eat veggies at home.

Bacon Leek Asparagus Quiche (crust-less)

For over a month now I've been having the urge to make quiche. I even went out to buy a couple of tart pans. It could've been an inspiration after watching the movie "Julie and Julia" -- which I totally loved and highly recommend it. Though you'll probably have to wait for the DVD now.

Finally last weekend I had a chance to make it. But I had a little dilemma -- hubby doesn't like crust! So, I had to divert to making a crust-less quiche which technically wouldn't make this a quiche anymore since quiche is an egg mixture baked in a pastry crust. But, I was determined to satisfy my quiche urge so I'm calling this a quiche anyways. One day I'll make the real thing with the crust...this time, hubby wins. So there, I feel much better now.

Makes (2) 9" tart pans

4 leeks
2 bunches asparagus
1 lb. bacon
10 eggs
1 C. half-and-half
8 oz. Gruyere cheese (shredded)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cooking instruction:

1. Cut the leaf branches from the leeks so you end up with the stalk. Cut the stalk in half lengthwise, then slice.

2. Cut 2" from the bottom of the asparagus and discard them. Then cut about 3 inches from the top portion and set them aside. Slice the remaining stalks about 1/4" thick.

3. Cut bacon into about 1/2" pieces. I find it easier to cut bacon when they're semi-frozen.

4. In a large skillet, cook bacon on high heat until crispy. Drain and set aside. Leave about 1 T. of the bacon fat inside the skillet.

5. Add leeks and asparagus into the skillet and cook for about 2-3 minutes until soft but not brown. Turn off heat.

6. Preheat oven to 375 F. Grease tart pans with vegetable oil spray.

7. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and half-and-half. Add salt and pepper to taste but remember, you'll have some added saltiness from the bacon and cheese.

8. Divide the leek/asparagus mixture, bacon, and Gruyere cheese between the tart pans.

9. Pour the egg mixture over the fillings until about 3/4 full. Place the asparagus tops around the top of the tarts.

10. Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes until top is slightly brown. Serve hot. Bon appetit!

Note: Since I didn't have a crust, I placed a sheet pan under the tart pans to catch any egg mixtures that may seep through the bottom (unless you're using a baking dish without the removable bottom). It'll save you from lots of mess to clean up later!

Pickled Beets

My mother-in-law bought some fresh, organic beets from the market. Beet is rich in nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, and iron. I just love their vibrant ruby color although I'd advise you not to wear anything white while working with them. I decided to make pickled beets. They're sweet, tangy, and crunchy. A perfect refreshing snack for Summer!

Pickled beets are so simple to make. Peel the beets and slice them about 1/2 inch thick. Immerse the slices in boiling water for about 5 minutes to soften them up a bit. You don't want to leave them in for too long and end up cooking them through. Transfer them into a jar and add about 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1/4 cup of sugar. Fill up the jar with the water you boiled the beets in and stir well. Let it cool then refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. For me, the longer you let them marinate in the vinegar/sugar concoction...the better they taste!

Mixed Veggies Fritter (Bala-Bala)

Bala-Bala is another street food found mainly in Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta. It consists of shredded cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts, and onions mixed together in a batter and then deep fried. What you end up with is a savory and delicious snack!

I'm not quite sure exactly where the name bala-bala comes from. I always imagined it could be because of its shape -- after it's been deep fried it somewhat resembles spider legs and a spider is called "laba-laba" in Indonesian...perhaps the name was tweaked into Bala-Bala? I don't know...this is completely my own theory! :) Some people also call it "bakwan," although if you're from Surabaya (East Java), bakwan is a completely different type of food...which reminds me of a funny story. I am originally from Jakarta and my husband was born and raised in Surabaya. The first time we talked about our love for bakwan, we were confused about what the other was talking about because our description of "bakwan" were completely different! Then we started arguing about which 'bakwan' was the original version. :)

Makes about 20

4-5 C. shredded cabbage (about 1/2 small cabbage)
8 oz. bag of bean sprouts
1/4 C. shredded carrots
3 green onion stalks (cut into thin strips)
1 t. minced garlic
1 egg
1-1/2 C. flour
3 T. tapioca starch
1 t. baking powder
2 T. chicken bouillons
3 T. sugar
black pepper to taste
2-3 T. water
vegetable/olive oil for frying

Cooking instruction:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. At the beginning, the batter will seem dry and needs more water. Don't worry, as you mix, the vegetables will release its water. But if you feel it's still too dry you can add another tablespoon of water.2. Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan. Place 4 generous spoonfuls of the veggie batter around the pan. Turn over after 3-4 minutes or when it starts turning light brown. Continue until all batter is used up.
3. Serve hot with Thai chili.