Shame on me for not writing a post in such a long time. Poor Form. But I am back and have brought you something very nifty and full of glee. Tuna. Now, I know that there are some of you out there that do not like to eat Tuna because of the over-fishing etc. And I think you are generally right. If I can, I tried to avoid eating Tuna as much as possible, as it really is a wild animal and there is no evidence of farming as of yet. However, sometimes you just have to let your morals slip away and treat your tastebuds to something as exquisite as this feisty fish.
This recipe yields enough for about 2 people. But you can stretch it to 3 if need be. You will need:
1 Tuna Steak, about 400 grams. (If your budget allows it, try to go for ahi Tuna or some other sushi grade tuna. It really makes a difference)
6 tbl spoons of soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbl spoons Miso paste
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1 garlic clove
2 cm of ginger
Half of an orange.
Salt
Pepper
chop the garlic and ginger quite finely and place onto Tuna (Tuna should be in a dish). Whisk together the soy sauce, sesame oil, Miso paste, vinegar and squeeze some juice from the lemon into it as well. Once all of the liquids have combined, pour onto Tuna and season with salt and pepper. Let sit for about an hour. Don't let it sit too long or else the acids will start the cooking process and you will have ceviche. Next heat a heavy pan with about 1 tblsp of olive oil. When the pan is REALLY hot, slide in the Tuna and cook for about 90 seconds on each side, so that the outside is nice and brown and the inside is dark dark pink. Take out of pan and cut into slices. Drizzle this with the leftover marinade, or make a wasabi sauce out of some wasabi paste, Joghurt and mayo. Whisk those together and use as dipping sauce.
A nice salad and other veggies go will with this meal, along with rice or potatoes.
A couple of days ago, a friend of the family arrived with a whole basket full of lovely apples from her garden. That evening we had relatively unannounced guests for dinner, so while my mom was whipping up the pork loin and brussel sprouts, I was making a quick and easy Apple Brown Betty. For those of you people who don't know what I am talking about, apple brown Betty, is nothing more than apples baked in a casserole dish with some delicious oats on top. Its similar to a cobbler or crisp, but I find it much more delicious and its easier to make.
Here's how it goes.
For about 6 servings, you will need:
6-7 Apples (Really, the quality of the apples make the dish. Use some that are crisp and tart to the taste)
1 cup of cracked oats
3 Tbl spoons of brown sugar
1/4 Cup Flour
1 Tbl spoon Cinnamon
1/2 Stick of Butter (unsalted)
Peel, core and cut 3 of the apples. Only core and cut the other three apples and put them all into a relatively deep casserole dish. I do this, because the peel of the apples add a nice tartness to the whole shabang. In a bowl, mix together the oats, sugar, flour and cinnamon and then sprinkle on the apples. Melt the butter and pour on the Apples. Bake the whole thing at 350 degrees Farenheit or 180 degrees Celsius for about 45 minutes.
Serve warm with either vanilla ice cream or whipped cream or just pure.
I just re-discovered something beautiful. Chinese Cabbage. It's very different form Bok Choi or other cabbages. I think of it as simple, elegant and just pure goodness. Much like that perfect little black dress that we all crave to own, but spend a lifetime looking for. Then you mix in some shrimp with this cabbage, and it is as if you have created your own little piece of paradise.
Alright, enough of the poetics. This recipe is a very simple one for a so-called stir fry dish. I personally don't like the word stir fry as it always implies tons of sauce and some type of General Teryaki marinade dipped in plum sauce and tons of mystery meat swashed in fat.
Instead I want to show you that you can make a healthy stiry fry with little sauce, little fat and lots of flavor.
Shrimp and Cabbage Stir Fry!
You will need
2tbl Vegetable Oil
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 inch of FRESH ginger root.
2 Scallions
1 Bell Pepper (whatever color you fancy. The red, yellow and orange are much sweeter than the green)
2 Carrots
1 Zucchini
1/2 lb Shrimp
2 cups of chopped Chinese Cabbage
Soy Sauce
Salt
Pepper
Sesame Oil
Sesame Seeds (Optional)
1tbl Molasses
First of all you need to invest in good knives. Knives are key for this dish. Take all the vegetables and chop them up finely. Chop the Garlic and the Ginger. Put the oil in a Wok (That pan that looks like a pot but is not) and heat the oil. Add the Garlic and Ginger. Then add the scallions and sauteé until translucent. Add all the other vegetables and Sautée until tender (It might look like a lot of food before, but this shrinks down enourmously. So really plan chop a lot) Add the Shrimp and Sauteé until pink. Then add soy sauce and the molasses. Finally season with Salt, Pepper, Sesame Oil and maybe some chili, or lemon grass let it sit for about 10 minutes on low heat and stir a couple of times.
Serve with rice. Or alone. Or on lettuce. This is really nice on lettuce.
Cheers.
Ah bon! Crépe or super thin pancakes are such a big deal in the states. Whenever you hear someone talk about Crépe, its always with the utmost appraisal. It's almost as big a deal as a person eating a huge Kobe Beef Steak. When in reality Crépe, like many other foods, are a poor-mans food for the French. The trick in making a good Crépe is the pan. There are certain types of crépe pans that are designed to help the batter spread evenly and make it look good. If you are using a conventional pan which is not a non-stick pan, you might consider washing it out with salt. The salt smoothes out any scratches and makes the Crépe much more even.
Here's what you need:
1 Cup of Milk
1 Cup of Flour
2 Eggs
1tsp butter melted.
Combine all of the ingredients and whisk them together in order to create the batter. Put the pan on the stove and melt just a little butter in the pan at medium heat. Pour in about 3 tbl spoons of the batter and spread it around by moving the pan. when the batter has solidified on the top, take a spatula and turn the whole thing over. Wait another 30 seconds and serve.
There are TONS of variations for this. I like to sprinkle some sugar onto a Crépe and then pour some lemon juice ontop. Or if you like it more savory, sprinkle in some Cheddar cheese after you flipped it. Wait until the cheese has melted and flap over the sides. I once had a crépe with Bree and Apple in it which was delicious. Think of Crépe as bread. It's only a base with which anything goes.
Risotto is probably my go-
to dish when I am VERY certain that there is nothing in the house to eat. It's pretty quick and it turns out every time. The key to this lovely starchy meal is to do it over slow heat and stir it ALL the time. It also always helps if you have at least two glasses of wine while you do it.
For this Risotto, you will need:
1 Onion
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 cup Arborio Rice (it has smaller grains and contains more starch, you can get it at any supermarket)
3 Cups Broth (Make sure its salty enough)
1 Zuchini
1 tblsp Rosemary
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
Cut the onion and garlic cloves into small pieces. Sautée them with some Olive oil in a large pot. Once the Onion and Garlic are soft, add the Rice and stir. immediately add some of the broth. Just so much that the rice is covered. Stir until the rice has absorbed the broth. Continue doing this until the Rice is starting to get soft. Then cut the zucchini and add to the rice. continue stirring. Add the Rosemary. Don't forget to stir. Fianlly when the broth has made the rice soft, add the paremsan cheese and give it all one last stir. Serve with Parmesan and Olive Oil.
Yesterday for lunch, it was again one of those days where you stare into the fridge and don't know what to make. The stomach is growling, the dog is howling and all you want to do is eat something delicious. Luckily my sister bought a pumpkin a couple of days earlier, so we decided to make it into a soup. I always thought that pumpkin soup takes forever and is really difficult to make, but with the Hokkaido Pumpkin you don't even have to peel the damn thing and its done within 15 minutes.
Here's how it goes:
1 Hokkaido Pumpkin
2 cups of water
1 Bullion cube
1 onion
Salt
Pepper
Curry Powder
Cinnamon
Sugar
Orange Juice (If you want)
Wash the pumpkin and cut off the stem. Cut it once in the middle and take out all the seeds and mushy stuff. Cut the pumpkin into large chunks and put them into a pot. Peel and cut the onion and put it into the pot. Cover them with the water and plop in the buillon cube. Bring the pot to a boil and cook for about 10-15 minutes until they pumpkin is really soft. Take a pureé stick machine (I would really encourage everyone to invest in one of these) and mush it all together. Add some Salt, Pepper, Currypowder and Cinnamon to taste. Finally add a pinch of sugar, and some Orange Juice to bring out the pumpkin flavor. Stir and serve with some créme Fraiche or Sour cream.
It is said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Personally I have never been a huge fan of your typical cereal, toast and Orange Juice fan fair. Recently however I discovered something delicious, that even warmed my stone cold breakfast hating heart. Bircher Müsli. Or cold Porridge. It's basically oats, dried fruit, apple and milk. Once they are all combined, it makes this delectable mushy glob that is breathtaking.
For one portion you will need:
1/4 cup cracked oats.
1/2 of an Apple. (I like to use brayburn, but any type of apple will do)
2 tblsp craisins (Dried Cranberries)
1 tsp Line seeds. (It's good for your digestions)
Milk
Cinnamon for taste
A pinch of sugar...if you want it sweet.
Put the oats, Craisins, Lint Seed, Sugar and Cinnamon into a bowl. With a cheese grater, grate the apple (I suppose you could use some apple sauce, but where's the fun in that?). Add to the oats. Pour Milk over it, so that its not soaking wet but just mushy and dense.
Stir and eat.
I just had lunch with my sister. After staring into the fridge for about fifteen minutes, not knowing what to make, she...not me...had the brilliant idea of tomato soup. This is a recipe that originally came from my mom. I don't know how often she made this soup but its always good and its a great way to use up leftovers (like rice, potatoes, anything really). Unlike most Tomato soups (at least in the states) it is not as creamy and also not as sweet. The best part about this recipe is, that it goes fast and its CHEAP and low fat...very good for a starving artistes budget and the body.
You will need:
1 large can of tomatoes with juice.
Salt
Pepper
Water
Oregano
Thyme
leftovers (if you have any)
1/2 tsp instant chicken broth.
Open the can of tomatoes and pour the entire content into a pot. Add salt, pepper, about 1/4 cup of water, a pinch of Oregano and thyme. Heat it all up on medium heat. Once it is hot, you can either with a wooden spoon or a pureé stick thing make the whole thing smooth. Add the intant chicken broth and the left overs. Heat again and serve.
P.s. Whats really delicious is if you add 1 tsp of sour cream to each bowl...it adds calories though.
Yesterday, I went out with my friends to a bar/nightclub. Now, lots of you will probably know that before you dive into a night of sin and debauchery, it is essential that you eat something with substance before hand. Nothing is worse than drinking on an empty stomach...I have many stories to tell about that, but thats for another time. Before you open up a "Cup of Noodles" or some other type of crazy ramen, think about maybe varying it a bit and making it slightly more healthy. The Ramen noodles are usually deep fried and then dried which lets them stay crisp in the package. But gives you about 30000 calories and tons of fat. If you are trying to watch what you eat, think about this little gem for a change.
QUICK MISO RAMEN SOUP
For about 2-3 servings:
1-1 1/2 cups of water
3-4 tablespoons of miso paste (You can get this at any Asian specialty shop or in stores like Whole Foods)
2 scallions
2 tablespoons of dried algae...the little flakes (it looks like a little but they expand a lot. You can get this at the Asian store as well)
1 pkg of Soba noddles (preferably Buckwheat...with one package I mean one bunch of noodles. They usually come with a piece of paper wrapped around each bunch.)
1 Egg.
On high heat bring the water to a boil. While the water is heating up, cut the scallions into little slices. Once the water is boiling, add the miso paste, scallions and algae to the water. stir around with a spoon to dissolve the miso. Bring the whole thing back to a boil. Add the Soba noodles. They should be fully cooked after about 3 - 4 minutes. Finally add the egg and stir around so that the egg cooks and becomes all flaky in the soup.
SERVE!
P.S. This is also fantastic hangover food!
Today, after I shamelessly posted my blog link on Facebook, my good and dear friend Nina gave me a terribly fantastic idea. BANOFFEE PIE! Banoffee Pie is essentially the most disgusting and delicious thing you have ever tasted. If you're on a diet, do not make it. If you are a diabetic, do not eat it. This is only something for the real die hard sugar lovers out there. And it goes something like this:
For one pie, you will need:
2 cans of sweetened condensed milk (about 21 ounces)
1 package of graham crackers (for those who don't have access to those delicious things, digestives or Kemsche Kuchen work.)
100 grams of butter (about 4 ounces)
4-5 large Bananas
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 bar of chocolate
put the 2 CLOSED cans of condensed milk into a small pot with water. Bring the water to a simmer (almost boiling) and let the cans sit there for about three hours (I forgot to mention that this recipe is a little lengthy). During that time you can do whatever you want, as long as you don't burn down the kitchen...it happens. Once the three hours are over, take the cans out of the water (careful they will be HOT) and open them. They should now have a brownish cream-like toffee inside them (snooty cooking people call this Dulce de Leche). Put them aside for now. Take the graham crackers and smash them up so that they are pretty crumby. Pour the crumbs into a pie shell. Melt the butter over low heat and add to the crackers. Mix it all together and pat it down on the bottom so that you have a nice little crust. Let it cool for a while (about half an hour. Clearly this can be done while the cans are cooking) in the frigde. Take the shell out of the fridge and pour the toffee into the pie shell. Spread around evenly with a spatula. Peel the Bananas and cut them into slices. Put on top of the toffee. Whip the cream with an electric mixer (If you are doing this in hot weather, it might be good to put the bowl into the freezer or fridge so that the cream stays stiff) and spread it on top of the Bananas. Finally use a cheese grater and make a few shavings of the chocolate (you don't need the whole thing) and sprinkle them on top. Put it all into the fridge until you are ready to serve it.
It might look awful, but it tastes delicious...and trust me it is worth the time!!!
I decided to write a journal. Or a blog. I suppose that's what people call these things nowadays.
Why did I use cooking playwright as my name? Well, I basically just want to write down a ton of easy-to-do recipes for people who hate cooking or just don't have the time. Along with all of these recipes I might also write about my process of playwriting. With the risk of being completely vane and self-indulgent, I do find it helpful to write down what obsticles I have to over come and find out why I might have some type of writers block. Right now I am working on a big play called "Heart Failure". I started writing it about two years ago while I was still in College. It was once performed at a playfestival, but it was or still is a work in progress. We will see where it will go.
Anywho, let me get back to the fun part. Cooking. It would be wonderful to get some ideas from people about what they would really love to be able to cook. I could try to conjure it up for you and then post the recipe and process on the blog.
Of course I will also put some other recipes on here as well. The first one is.....
PASTA PRIMAVERA WITH SHRIMP AND GOATSCHEESE
It is yummie, it is easy, it is heartwarming, it is a complete crowd pleaser.
You will need for about 4-6 people
1lbd Spaghetti (Whole Wheat or normal Spaghetti works fine)
Salt
Olive Oil
1 small Zucchini
2 Shallots
2 Cloves or garlic, peeled
1 red pepper
2-3 Tomatoes
1/2 lbd of frozen peeled shrimp
1/4 cup soft goatscheese
Salt
Pepper
Rosmary
Chili
Fill a large pot up with water (obviously not all the way, about 3/4 full, maybe even a little less) and put in about 2-3tblsp of Salt. Put the pot on the stove and let it SLOWLY get to a boil...so low to medium heat is fine add some Olive oil the the water as well.
While the water is warming up, chop up all the vegetables into small cubes. In a pan pour about 1tblsp of olive oil. Turn stove to about medium heat. When the oil is warmish put in the Shallots and garlic. Sauté until they are slightly glassy, i.e transluscent. Add the Zucchini and Red pepper. Take the shrimp and put them in a bowl. Let really hot water from the tap run over them so that they are slightly thawed. Put aside. Your water should be boiling now. Throw in the spaghetti and push them down and stir them around so that they don't stick. Go back to the pan. Throw in the tomatoes and Shrimp. Once the shrimp are cooked (they should turn from grey to a nice pinkish color. Almost like a Flamingo) Test the Spaghetti. If you think they are done, pour them into a colander and throw them into a nice large bowl. Add the goatcheese to the Shrimp and Vegetables and let them all melt into each other. Season with Salt, Pepper, Rosemary and Chili to taste (only if you like it spicy). Toss the shrimp and vegetables onto the spaghetti, garnish with some Basil leaves if you want and SERVE!!!!
YUM YUM YUM!
