Pad Thai

We like take-out.  We're always in search of good (to our standards) pad thai.  We tried making it at home from a magazine recipe.  Disaster.  We threw it away.  Inedible. 

It took months before I dared attempt this dish in my kitchen again.  We resorted to our old tactics: take out menus and local Seattle thai restaurants.  And a few startlingly cheerful/neurotic waiters. 

Finally after one long and tedious day of work I decided it was time.  I sat at my desk and made a grocery list.  Fish sauce and oyster sauce.  Two things I'd never purchased before.  Essential to this dish.  Don't let the names scare you.  

I borrowed the recipe from a fantastic blog that I know and trust.  The inspiration for these cookies.  They know what they're doing. 

We've now made pad thai twice this week.

Pad Thai

Adapted from Big Girls Small Kitchen

This recipe serves 2 (3 if you're willing to share)

1/2 lb rice noodles

3 tbls olive oil 

1 tbls granulated sugar

1 tbls fish sauce

2 tbls oyster sauce 

1 egg 

2 cloves garlic 

3 scallions

2 shallots 

Garnish with:

ground peanuts 

cilantro

lime (juice)

bean sprouts 

siracha 

1. In a medium pot bring water to a boil, remove from heat and soak rice noodles for 15-20 minutes (or as directed on package)

2. In a small bowl combine sugar, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and chopped scallion greens - set aside

3. In a wok or large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat, add in shallots and the white of the scallions.  Saute for 3 minutes, or until golden.

4. Add in minced garlic, stir for about 1 minute

5. Pour in egg and scramble quickly 

6. Combine noodles and sauce mixture in wok/skillet with onions and egg, stir/fold to combine. 

Garnish to your heart's content.

Lavender lemon tea cake.

In honor of the Olympics and the stunning display of athleticism I am spending many hours sitting on my couch eating cake. A tea cake, in honor of the cherished British tradition of tea.

Am I inspired to run, exercise, and otherwise get my lazy bones off of the couch? Of course.  Is it easier to sit here and watch other people do it instead? Yes. Join me.

Lavender Lemon Tea Cake 

Adapted from Eating for England (if you haven't explored this sweet blog, you must) 

5 tbls butter (softened)

1 egg

1 egg white 

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup granulated sugar 

zest and juice of 1 lemon 

1 3/4 cup flour 

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda 

6 oz plain greek yogurt 

2 tbls dried lavender 

Glaze: 

1 tsp water

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla 

Preheat oven: 350

1. Mix softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest and juice until well combined.

2. Mix in egg and egg white, one at a time 

3. In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder).  Mix well.

4. Slowly add dry ingredients and greek yogurt to butter/sugar mixture, alternating, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. 

5. Stir in dried lavender.  

6. Pour batter into a greased 9x5 loaf pan, and bake for about one hour, rotating half-way through. 

7. Prepare glaze by mixing together the water powdered sugar and vanilla, allow the cake to properly cool on a wire rack before adding the glaze. 

Happy Olympics! 

Insights from our little kitchen

Nothing is quite so eye opening as cutting gluten out of your diet.  The startling truth is it's in nearly everything.  Or at least that's how things appear at first. 


Nearly all processed boxed foods, canned soups, sauces, dressings - even shredded cheese - contain gluten. 


Know what you're eating.


I started seeking out the treats still available for me to eat.  Here is a short list that I have compiled and endorse.  Even if you're not in the "gluten-free" category, these are still tasty snacks, and not at all a compromise. 


1. Crispy Crunchy Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies via Trader Joes 
2. Chobani Champion Greek Yogurt (not just for kids) 
3.  Snickers (thank goodness) 
4. Popcorn (like real legit on the stove popcorn) + basil
5. Quinoa with black beans, avocado and peppers with cumin-lime dressing
6. English toffee 
7. Rice cakes + peanut butter + marmalade 
8. Buckwheat pancakes + toppings bar via Portage Bay
9. French Macaroons via Belle Epicurean 
10. Peanut butter cookies (below)


Life is still sweet. 


Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
adapted from Joy the Baker


Ingredients: 
1 cup peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1 cup sugar (1/2 granulated sugar, 1/2 brown sugar) 
1 egg
1 tsp. baking soda 


(that's it!) 


Preheat: 350


1. In a medium bowl cream together peanut butter and sugars

2. Add in egg and baking soda, mix for two minutes 

3. Form dough into walnut sized balls (may roll in sugar if desired) and place on greased baking sheet (the cookies like to get a little cozy, if you know what I mean, so be sure to space them adequately apart... unlike me)
4. Using a fork create the criss-cross pattern on top of the cookies

5. Bake for 8-10 minutes (mine were getting a little overcooked at 8.5 minutes - but my oven has it's own issues)

Friday Pancakes.

Happy Friday ladies and gentlemen. 


I woke up with one goal today: make some pancakes. 


Our cupboards are lonely.  Our refrigerator is most likely feeling abandoned. 


Diet coke and tonic water.  Minus the condiments, that's the only thing keeping our refrigerator company.  And now left-over pancakes.  It was a miracle I had the one egg to make pancakes in the first place.  Boy I'm glad I did. 
Friday Pancakes (... perfectly acceptable any other day of the week). 
Adapted from All Recipes.


Ingredients: 
3/4 cup milk 
2 TBLS white vinegar


1 cup all-purpose flour
2 TBLS white sugar 
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda 
1/2 tsp. salt 
2 TBLS melted butter 
1 egg


Dash of cinnamon. 


1.  Combine milk and vinegar, let sit for 5 minutes (creating your very own buttermilk) 
2. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Mix in melted butter, eggs, and milk/vinegar.  Stir until all is combined.


4. Spray non-stick skillet with cooking spray (such as Pam), wait until skillet is hot enough (my mom taught me to  wet your fingertips and sprinkle a little water over the pan to see if it sizzles...) - then turn down heat... we don't want burnt pancakes after all.


5. Spoon desired amount of batter onto skillet, flip when small bubbles start to appear.

Simple.

K.I.S.S. - Keep It Simple Stupid (or Silly, as my mother taught me was a more appropriate) 

I like simplicity.

Such as pre-ground coffee.  It's simple and easy for a reason.  

If you buy pre-ground coffee your entire kitchen won't start to look like a flower bed.  And you won't get fine coffee grounds in the dried cracks in your hands (thank you espresso machine at work).  

Flossing? yes, simple. 

Putting away your clothes? ... uh, sure.

Making your own pizza from scratch?  Why, as a matter of fact, yes. (See pizza dough recipe below)

Learning to run should be simple right?  One foot in front of the other.  That's what I'm hoping.  

Pizza Dough

Recipe adapted from AllRecipes.

1 packet of dry yeast

1 cup of warm water 

1 tsp salt

1 TBLS sugar 

2 TBLS olive oil 

3 cups of all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1. Combine yeast and warm water, stirring with a fork until yeast is broken down.

2. Add sugar and salt stirring to dissolve, then add olive oil.

3. Gradually stir in flour, eventually using hands to mix. 

4. Spread flat over baking sheet (flouring hands helps a lot... dough won't stick to your palms or fingers)

Bake for 5 minutes. Then top with pizza ingredients. Be creative (also a good way to rid your refrigerator of vegetables, cheese, etc.) 

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Lemon Cream Pie.

I hate waiting.  No, I shouldn't say that.  That makes me sound like I'm incredibly impatient, like I can't hold my horses.  I don't consider myself to be an impatient person, in fact just the opposite (friends and family may think otherwise...).  To be more specific, I am not a fan of waiting for a response after I've turned in a job application. I check my phone, I refresh my email.  


Refresh. Refresh.  


I wait, not trusting that the "refresh" function has truly done it's job.  The straggler emails download. One more from J.Crew Factory.  Another Groupon deal.  Still no response.  I've started a habit of draining my iPhone battery in the course of the afternoon playing this little game. 


New life plan: Living in the moment. 


Enjoying my present state of limited responsibilities.  My mornings of staying in my pajamas until 11 a.m. watching Hoda and Kathy Lee. Actually getting 8+ hours of sleep at night, something my body has not experienced in over four years.  Playing tennis with my husband in the middle of the afternoon. And most of all?  Enjoying the expanse of possibilities, dreaming of what's to come. 

That said, I told you I made pies... and I won't make you wait any longer. Here is one of the aforementioned desserts.  Gingersnaps, sweetened condensed milk, and homemade whipped-cream.

Lemon Cream Pie 

From Real Simple (March 2012)

Gingersnaps (about 35 - I used Franz)

14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk

6 TBLS butter (melted)

2 TBLS sugar 

1 Tsp. salt

1/2 cup lemon juice (I was able to get the juice from 3 large lemons)

1 TBLS lemon zest

2 eggs

For whipped-cream:

1 cup heavy cream

2 TBLS confectioners sugar

1. Crush gingersnaps (using either a food processor or placing the cookies in a zip-loc bag and pounding them with a rolling pin... it's therapeutic).  Place gingersnaps, melted butter, sugar, and 1/2 tsp of salt in food processor, pulse until blended and moist.  Spread mixture in a 9 in. pie dish, using your hands to press and distribute the crust along the bottom and creating steep sides. Bake for 16-18 minutes, bottom will still appear soft, but will become crispier as it cools. 

2. In a medium bowl combine eggs, lemon juice, zest, remaining 1/2 tsp of salt, and sweetened condensed milk.  Whisk until completely blended forming a custard-like substance.  Pour lemon cream mixture into the cooled pie crust.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until middle is set.  Let pie cool for at least 2 hours before serving (or even overnight).

3. Whipped cream: combine heavy whipping cream and confectioners sugar in a medium-large bowl.  Beat with a hand mixer until the cream forms stiff peaks. It should look delicious. 

Top pie with whipped cream and fresh lemon zest. 

Sunday satisfaction and baked potato soup.

Happy day-after St. Patrick's day my dear friends.  


The past few days I have been very aware of those small things which bring us real & simple satisfaction. I find lists themselves satisfying, so that is how I choose to share my thoughts with you today. The list that follows is by no means exhaustive, but is representative of my life as of late. 

1. Indulging, slowly savoring a new issue of Vogue.
2. Reading the Shape Issue of Vogue while eating BBQ potato chips. 
3. Slicing the tops from strawberries. 
4. Enjoying the cool breeze that slips through the bathroom window, in an otherwise stuffy apartment. 
5. Recognizing holidays in some appropriate fashion. We got our Irish on yesterday with some Guinness served in chilled mason jars and baked potato soup (the recipe for which you'll find below).
6. Mashing potatoes for aforementioned soup.
7. Washing the day away with these bad boys. 
8. Boasting first place in my in-law's annual march madness bracket competition. (Considering I know nothing about college basketball).
9. Discovering Joy the Baker tweeted about my shoes.
10. Knowing I have dear friends who share in my daydreams. 

Baked Potato Soup (a healthier version of a historically heavy soup)A recipe from my mother... origin unknown to me.Serves 8.Ingredients:4 baking potatoes (or three large potatoes)6 cups milk (preferably low-fat)2/3 cup flourGreen onions3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese2/3 cup reduced-fat sour creamsalt & pepper
Bake potatoes at 400 degrees for about an hour, or in the microwave (4 minutes per potato).  Scoop out the insides of the potatoes into a large bowl and coarsely mash. Place flour in a large stockpot, gradually add milk, stirring (or whisking) until mixed. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until flour-milk mixture is thick. Stir in mashed potatoes, and add cheddar cheese and salt & pepper, stirring until cheese is melted. Reduce heat and add in sour-cream and green onions. Serve while warm. May add more sour cream, green onions, and cheddar cheese.  I highly recommend doing this. Also, bacon is a good and acceptable topping.      

Chicken noodle soup.

What in the sane world does an ice-cream flavored pedicure entail? The thought of having toes that taste like rainbow sherbet and pralines and cream doesn't exactly strike a chord with me. I would fear going anywhere near a hungry dog with my feet impersonating the insides of an ice cream shop. Poor puppy would be sorely disappointed.


I'm not just ranting the insane, there actually is such a salon that boasts ice-cream flavored pedicures. And it evokes this curiosity every time I drive past it.


Life's mysteries, who would have thought this would be one of them?


An ice-cream cone while I get a pedicure? Now that's something I could get on board with.


In honor of the not-so-mysterious, the dependable, and the timeless... we made chicken noodle soup tonight. And it didn't come from a can... not one part of it. Bam.  


Now if only I could make homemade tootsie rolls... I have an childish craving at the moment for retro waxy candy. Timeless... yet still a bit mysterious. 

Elisa's Chicken Noodle Soup 

[I wish this was more impressive, but it's really quite simple - though not as simple as my 1950 edition of Betty Crocker's Picture Cook Book, which innocently called for chicken broth and noodles...]

Egg noodles

Shredded rotisserie chicken (about 2 cups for soup) 

32 oz vegetable or chicken broth 

<1 tbsp butter 

1 sweet onion chopped 

1 cup baby carrots (or 3 large carrots) chopped 

3 stalks of celery chopped 

sprinkling of oregano 

sprinkling of thyme

2 cloves of garlic 

salt & pepper (and more salt, especially if you use a low-sodium broth)

1. Cook chopped vegetables (celery, carrots, and onion) in medium to large stalk pot with just under a tbsp of butter until onions are soft. Add two cloves of minced garlic.

2. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add desired amount of egg noodles and spices.  Bring temperature down to medium heat. 

3. Once noodles are soft add the chicken. Salt & pepper to taste. 

Enjoy!  

[The spice rack I received for Valentine's day]

Skillet Carbonara

I think I now understand the carb in CARBonara. It's atrocious. In the best sense of the word. 

This was our first attempt at a recipe from Cooking for Two by America's Test Kitchen.  More like "cooking for 4". Or "two with left-overs for tomorrow's lunch".  We agreed that next time we make this we will either add more pasta to temper the sauce a bit, or add less cheese.  This is more for the well being of our bodies than anything, following the recipe as-is produces a superb, and indulgent meal.

Now, I can't take much credit for the actual construction of this meal.  I acted more as sous chef/wine drinker in the corner.  In my defense I found the recipe, and cooked the black-pepper crusted bacon (compliments of Whole Foods).  But my talented husband performed most of the actual preparation, cooking, and clean-up. 

I'm really not that lazy, I promise.  I'm just a threat to myself and those around me when I'm handling razor sharp knives and kitchen tools. Such as a cheese grater. Which grated the top of my right ring finger just as I was nearing the end of grating an entire block of romano cheese. So close. Victory was upon me, and then, the cheese block began to disappear, and my finger got a little to fresh with the grater.  Like I said, so close. 

The good news is I survived, and so did the carbonara. In fact I think the carbonara thrived. Don't just take my word for it, try it yourself. Just keep those fingers close. 

Skillet Carbonara Casserole
(serves "2")


Adapted from Cooking for Two, by America's Test Kitchen


4 slices of bacon
1 slice of sandwich bread
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper 

1/2 cup evaporated milk 
1 large egg 
6 oz (1 3/4 cup) penne pasta 
1 1/4 cup romano cheese 
1/2 cup white wine
2 1/4 cup of water 
1/2 cup vegetable broth 
2 garlic gloves 


1. Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet, until crispy and fully cooked (about 8 minutes). Save the fat. 


2. Pulse 1 tablespoon cooked bacon, 2 teaspoons reserved bacon fat, 2 tablespoons of grated romano, slice of bread, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a food processor until coarsely ground (about six pulses).  In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining cheese, milk, egg, and vegetable broth, set aside. 


3. Add teaspoon of fat to the skillet and heat until shimmering.  Add minced garlic and cook about 30 seconds, careful not to burn the garlic. Add wine and cook until the wine is reduced to about 2 tablespoons (about 3 minutes). Add water and pasta, salt, and pepper. Bring to a rapid simmer, cover and and let simmer, stirring often, until most of the water is absorbed (about 10-15 minutes, more like 15) - even though it seems like a lot of water it will absorb.


4. Remove from heat, and add egg mixture and the rest of the bacon. When combined and cheese is melted, move from skillet to an 8 x 8 pan (pyrex). Broil for about 2-3 minutes until the bread crumb topping is golden and crispy. 


Let cool. Then enjoy. And possibly watch Marley and Me and cry an embarrassing amount (that may or may not be what we did...).