Fermented Radish Pickles

Another of my secret loves is naturally fermented pickles. I love dill pickles, pickled beets, kimchee, tsukemono, and most other pickled foods save for pickled meats. There are many health benefits from eating vegetables pickled through lacto-fermentation, too, (think probiotics and healthy bellies) and these pickles fit the bill. I was also told that once you've mastered this concept, you can use almost any vegetable. Now, local people generally make these during the cooler months because it is a slower, easier to control process, but they work just fine anytime that you have sun. Different people will tell you different things to add, too, but these are just right for my taste and that of my children.

Fermented Radish Pickles
1 kg (or 2.2 lbs) daikon radish, peeled
1 cup mustard oil (probably won't use all of it)
4 Tablespoons mustard seed
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon red chili (or cayenne) powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

Once you have peeled the radish, cut the radish into small rectangular sticks about 2" long and 1/2" wide. Lay them on a tray and place in the sun with a light cloth on top to keep dust and bugs away. They need to dehydrate until they feel somewhat bendy, not dehydrated. You can also do this in your oven in a couple hours at low temp with the door open. The key is to get some of the water out, but not all. Once your radishes are sufficiently "bendy," place them in a large bowl. Pulse the mustard seeds, 1/4 cup of the oil, salt, chili powder, and turmeric in a blender until you have a nice paste. I used a mortar and pestle this time to crush the seeds then mixed the rest in the bowl. Place all the ingredients in the bowl with the radish and rub so that the radishes get evenly coated. Add another 1/4 cup of oil and mix together. In a sterile jar or plastic container, pack the radish down into the jar(s), trying to avoid big air pockets at the bottom. Using a wooden spoon handle, you can really pack the mixture in well. Pour a little more oil on top of the jar so that all the radish is under oil. This prevents mold growth on top. Close the lid, and keep in a sunny, warm spot for 5-7 days before opening to check if they've reached the desired level of pickling. If not, let them stay in the sun a few more days before checking again.

I like mine on the tart side so I lean more toward the 7+ day mark. In colder winter months, you'll need to let them sit up to a month, but at least 2 weeks. They will continue fermenting after you take them from the sun so when they reach your desired level of sourness, start storing them in the fridge to slow further fermentation. These are sooo good with rice and lentils!

Tingmo

These are one of my favorite little Tibetan treats. I seriously could eat a ton of them. They are like the meeting of Asia with cafeteria rolls. You need a steamer basket of some kind to make these. I have a tall momo stack, but you could also use one of those foldable flat steamer inserts. My kids like them with sauteed greens or peanut butter and jelly so the sky is the limit there. There are just about an equally large number of possibilities when it comes to the design of your little rolls, and I have no clue how to do any of them except a simple round bun or a cinnamon roll-type swirl.

Tingmo
1 Tablespoon yeast
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 Tablespoon oil

Combine yeast and sugar in a bowl. Add the warm water and allow yeast to bloom until bubbly for about 5-10 minutes. To the foamy yeast mixture, add the flour, baking powder, and oil. Knead on a lightly floured surface until you have a dough that is smooth and elastic. Place in an oil bowl, cover, and allow to rise until almost tripled in a warm place. Punch down the dough and roll it out into a rectangle shape. Roll it up like a jelly roll then cut into equal sized portions (10-15 pieces). Twist the bun into the shape you want then place each bun on a greased steamer basket. Allow to rest 15 minutes, and then place the basket over boiling water, cooking the buns covered for 15-20 minutes. 

These are best enjoyed hot as a sort of fork to soak up whatever you're eating, but they will stay soft after they have cooled if you keep them in an airtight container. You do have to eat them quickly as their steamed "moistness" causes them to mold faster than other breads.

Cheeseburger Casserole

Don't hate me for indulging a little in my childish side. I was just thinking about different ways to use ground beef and thought, "How about a cheeseburger in a pan?" Neither of my kids is crazy about cheese, and they both ate a lot of this if that is any indication. What would win you the "Best Parent Ever" award is if you could figure out how to put crispy french fries on top! I'm pretty sure your kids would do whatever you asked (for at least an hour) after that. This recipe has lots of inspiration, from Paula Deen to her son Bobby, who tried to cut some of the fat, to Gina at Skinny Taste who made further adjustments. Then, I added some more. The pickles are a bit of a splurge, but they take it from "tomatoey pasta" to "Oh yeah. I'm getting the cheeseburger taste."

Cheeseburger Casserole
2 cups uncooked pasta (rotini or farfalle)
2 teaspoons oil
2 medium-sized onions, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
500g ground beef or buff
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh black pepper
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 can whole tomatoes, crushed by hand
3 Tablespoons mustard
2 cups grated cheese
1/4 cup chopped dill pickles

Cook pasta to al dente, according to package directions. While you're straining the pasta, use the same pot to heat the oil. Cook the onions on medium heat for about 5 minutes until they are soft. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant, stirring often. Add the ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Saute until the meat is browned and liquid has evaporated. Drain off any fat (usually not necessary here) and add the tomato paste, tomatoes, and mustard. Cook for about 2 minutes just until the sauce thickens a bit. Turn off the heat. Add the noodles to the meat mixture and stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a greased 9x13 casserole or deep dish pie plate. Top with grated cheese. To make it extra "cheeseburgery," add a few cheese slices to the top, too. Bake at 170C/350F until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Allow to rest a few minutes before sprinkling the pickles on top and serving.

Note: If you hate having to save leftover tomato paste, look for the little tiny cans available here. They are about 2 Tablespoons' worth and perfect for this.

What's On Our Plates?

I haven't done one of these posts in a long time, but sometimes it's helpful for people to see what other people are eating for some inspiration. Saturdays and Sundays are usually pretty laid back as far as meals go, often the day dedicated to cleaning out fridge leftovers.

Day 1:
Lunch - Leftovers
Dinner - Spanish Beans and Rice with Salsa and Roti

Day 2:
Lunch - Sandwiches, Chips and Salsa
Dinner - Panzanella Salad + Fridge Cleanout

Day 3:
Lunch - Rice, Sambhar, and Coconut Green Bean Fry
Dinner - Mexican Chicken Casserole

Day 4:
Lunch - Egg Fried Rice
Dinner - Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes, Texas Caviar, and Oven Fries

Day 5:
Lunch - Roti with Soy Bean Soup
Dinner - Vegetarian Pad Thai

Day 6:
Lunch - Indian Fried Rice (recipe to come) with Chickpea Curry
Dinner - Steak, Sauteed Green Beans, Roasted Potatoes

Day 7:
Lunch - Tingmo with Sauteed Greens (recipe to come)
Dinner - Lentil Tacos

So there you have it. A week's worth of meals. Hopefully something in there will inspire you, too!

Panzanella

I love this salad. It is seriously one of my favorite salads in the world! I learned about it a few years ago from Barefoot Contessa when I was trying to find a way to use up some stale bread leftovers I had. You can pretty much use any salad vegetables you want, which is perfect for those seasons when the lettuce doesn't look great. Any kind of crusty bread will work for this, but sandwich bread would be too soggy for this salad. This dressing is also the base for most of the vinaigrettes I make, too.

Panzanella
1 loaf day old crusty bread (boule, baguettes, foccacia)
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3/4 teaspoon salt
2-3 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 large cucumber, roughly chopped
1 green pepper, cut into small cubes
Handful salad greens or other salad vegetables
3 Tablespoons capers (optional)
1 red onion, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon mustard, Dijon preferred
3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar (AKA "grape" vinegar)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon mixed herbs (oregano, basil, thyme, etc.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground

Cut bread into chunky crouton-size cubes. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and when warm, add the bread and 3/4 teaspoons salt. Toss to coat the bread evenly with the olive oil. Saute, shaking the pan often, until the bread is toasty and golden. Remove from heat and cool. In a salad bowl, toss together all the salad vegetables, pulling apart the red onion so slivers mix throughout. In a small jar, combine all the ingredients from the garlic cloves through the pepper. With the lid on, shake to combine the dressing. Toss the bread cubes and about 1/2 the dressing into the bowl with the salad. Allow the flavors to meld about 30 minutes before serving, adding more dressing according to individual tastes.

Hummus

The perfect pick me up snack for an afternoon slump. My favorite hummus recipe is Emeril Lagasse's, but I've tweaked it some more to make it even cheaper to make locally. You can occasionally find good quality, shelf-stable tahini here, but more often you can find small pots here with a shelf life of less than 2 weeks in supermarket freezers. For that reason, I have figured out how to make it work with toasted and ground sesame seeds. Play with this one, adding roasted garlic, roasted peppers or eggplant, etc. to see what flavor you like best. I'm a purist so I just go for plain old hummus.

Hummus
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 teaspoon cumin powder
3 garlic cloves
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons ground toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup olive oil
Drinking water
Salt, to taste

Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Start with 3/4 teaspoon salt. Blend until smooth, add additional water until you have something slightly softer than what you want the dip to look like. It will firm up some upon chilling. Add additional salt as needed, noting that home cooked chickpeas are far less salty than those from a can. Place in an airtight container and drizzle with a little extra olive oil.

No Bake "Cheesecake"

This is not an actual cheesecake as it requires none of the expensive imported cream cheese, but it is such an easy, beautiful, and refreshing dessert. I used to make this a lot when my kids were babies and had gotten out of the habit of making it. Last week I made it again for the first time in years and remembered why I like it so much. This can be 100% no bake, but I personally like the baked version of the crust better than the unbaked version because it holds together better when you cut the pie. Top with whatever seasonal fruit you have. Pureed mangoes look gorgeous on top!

No Bake "Cheesecake"
1/2 to 3/4 box McVities digestive biscuits, crushed
6 Tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1 to 1 1/2 liters yogurt
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk (see notes)
Fresh fruit

Overnight, drain the yogurt in a cheesecloth or dishtowel in the fridge, making sure the drained liquid does not touch the yogurt. In a bowl combine the digestive biscuit crumbs with the melted butter and sugar. It should look like damp sand. If it looks too wet, add some more biscuit crumbs. Using the bottom of a glass, press into a pie or tart pan. For the no bake version, chill the crust for 45 minutes before filling. For the baked version, place in a 190C/375F preheated oven for 6 to 9 minutes or until just golden. Cool. Place the drained yogurt in a mixing bowl with the lime juice and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy. If using unsweetened yogurt, whip in the sweetened condensed milk, too. Pour the yogurt filling into the pie crust. At this point, you can either chill for about 1 hour in the fridge or pop in the freezer until about 30 minutes before serving. Top with fruit, cut and serve.

Notes: Only use the condensed milk IF you start with unsweetened yogurt, otherwise the pie will be too sweet. The more watery the starting yogurt, the more you'll need to use to have enough after draining. I have made this with many different kinds of yogurt, but it is definitely worth spending a little extra to buy a liter of "special yogurt" called juju dhau. It has a greater cream ratio so it's not as watery. The final product has a really creamy texture and is not overly tangy.