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homemade soup

curried lentil veggie soup – will I make it again NO, was it good, yes.. it was OK..

I had forgotten how much goes into making up a batch of homemade soup, In the crock pot what you see is the remains of two freshly cut up chicken carcasses. still raw.. they were cleaned and then put in the soup bag to cook to make the chicken stock. (salt/pepper garlic to taste) The garlic was fresh from MC’s garden.

Veggies I used, were fresh from the Asian grocery store yesterday morning. The prep time was done in stages, since I was making the chicken stock from scratch. Should ever I get foolish enough to do this again, I would use a stronger curry, I had taken the mild to be on the safe side. (green lentils and some dried soup stuff from a package, rice, beans etc.)

You can see some of the ingredients. mushroom, cauliflower, gourd, carrots garlic in several forms.. No onion and I still had a reaction when I tasted it last night. I suspect it was the coconut, since I used the whole can.. I could have made up a pretty bowl of it to show you how it serves up.. but hey! its soup. Making soup from scratch is another item I’ll put on my – Nope, done that, been there … list. Too much work, especially I live alone.. like duh…

Oh dear.. someone needs to get out and drive out to the woodlands …

LOL you ask, how often do I eat soup during the month… 0 yes that’s a zero. I will admit, it smells divine when cooking, and it does taste good.. but for me, is it worth the time and effort.. no.. But one never knows unless one gives it a try .. right! right!

Lose your attachments to money and things. Money and things don’t have value unless you actually use them. Don’t be stingy nor overly attached to your resources and utilize them to their fullest potential
Perfect Liberty 2015.7

If I have learned anything is that this confirms to me, I am not domestic.. nor do such activities turn my crank. Did I tell you I had cleaners come in last week to clean… Yup.. and guess what I liked it.. think I’ll have them back =^_^=

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cranberried chicken wings

chicken wings how many wings will determine the amount of cranberries you use

fresh cranberries I used half a cup for about a pound of wings

half cup of honey garlic sauce I prefer the strong garlic, but medium and mild is sold

pink Himalayan salt to taste

simmer in a pot with about an inch of water, wine if you prefer

keep heat low, let it simmer covered till meat is falling off the bones

Serve on rice or noodles.

If you are not a person who enjoys the delight of sucking tender meat off the bones, this is not a dish for you.

next time I think I will add a black Japanese pepper to add to the sweet and tart of the dish.

Side dish is always mounds of a fresh veggies, steamed and served still on the crisp side.

Enjoy

Bom dia, greetings … hope you are heading off to have a super fab week-end.

Church Sunday 21st will be the Thanksgiving Ceremony, morning 10 and evening at 7

Oyashikiri

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Spicy Tofu and spaghettini

spaghettini chillie tofu

1 serving of cooked spaghettini (if you are making it for 2, double accordingly.)

If you are lucky enough to live within a decent distance from a Chinese/Asian market, you can purchase a take out order of stir fried tofu in a rich spicy tomato sauce. If not, you can stir fry a package of medium -firm tofu, then toss it in a cup or more of spiced tomato sauce , canned is fine, unless you want to make up a batch of salsa on your own.

The green you see is fresh garlic leek sprouts that I either cook with the pasta, or dice it cold. Then toss with great gusto.. and delve in

Simple, easy and satisfying. You can eat it cold, or as a hot dish. In the summer I go for cold, with a nice green salad on the side.

Seasoning in the dish, ginger, garlic, and Japanese red pepper/chilli.. (fish sauce optional)

Oyashikiri

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back in time

P1000619 Three pounds of hamburger for $1.00

4 loaves of bread for $0.50 cents.

3 packages of hamburger buns for $1.00

Onions, celery, peas and carrots were the vegetables of the day, along with the potatoes of course, or in our case, the bag of rice. Your shopping cart could be full for just over $10. Kraft Dinner was 4 for $1.00 and sometimes 6 for a dollar. Baked beans, came in all two flavours .. baked with pork, or molasses. Maybe there was one with a tomato sauce.

Mother whipped up dishes with chicken hearts, giblets, and often Sunday would be a roast of Beef, or Port heart. I recall her chicken livers and green peppers. Chinese dishes of course, all flavoured with garlic, ginger, and one of the soy sauces. I still like these meats today, but I do see that they seem to be less the flavour of the day.

When she made up the giblets in a garlic and bit of honey sauce stir fried with the cabbage, the sauce was oh so good over the steamed rice.

The icing on the cake, was when she would brown the rice that was stuck to the bottom of the pot… then carefully pour in some boiling water just as it got all crispy. That was dessert. We seldom had sweets for dessert till much later .. This served me well, I don’t crave sweets, however, do admit to drooling for creamy butter filled buns from the Chinese grocers.

When I first started to cook for my own family, I recall gathering up cook books that showed us how to cook minced beef in hundreds of ways. I’m thinking of this because today, I decided to do up a meat loaf for hubby. While whipping it up, my thoughts drifted to when it wasn’t an unusual happening in the kitchen but rather a weekly dish that was served up in a zillion different ways, with either roast potatoes or rice.. and of course the obligatory side dish of a veggie.

Do I eat this way now. Nope, no, and no. I can’t remember when I last had peas or carrots. a la frozen mixed vegetables sometimes with corn. Now I overdose on brussels sprouts, okra, and tender green shoots from the Chinese grocers.

Oh how time changes… =^_^= thanks for sharing the trip down memory lane with me.

My husband will have the meat loaf to himself (which he likes) .. I am steaming pork ribs with Okra and red peppers for moi in a black bean and garlic sauce. Can you hear the anticipation !!!

PL Principle #10 I will live in true harmony with my spouse.

Oyashikiri

P1000663

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ask no questions

I will tell you no lies…

instead of being weed free

this year, this garden patch was left to be

what a surprise to walk by and find

that the fall colour

and nature’s design

presented such a pretty sight

for my eyes

truth be told

I got bold

and asked that I be given a sign

on what to have for supper

what I was given

was a package of frozen clams

sigh, not really what I had in mind

but I did ask

so here it is

clam, fresh okra on a bed

of fresh Japanese noodles

enough said

I’m off to partake

of the bounty on my plate

see what happens

when left on my own

no questions asked

you get

the mix and match

that rolls around

in my cluttered head

have a delightful day ahead

till then

smiles will bring my day to an end.

Oyashikiri

frozen clams small package

spaghetti squash cubed 1 cup

fresh okra 8 med, size

thin slices of yellow potato (small)

tablespoon water

noodle sauce to taste

salt, pepper, red peppers mixed

Japanese fresh noodles

steam ingredients together (wok) the okra creates a nice sauce texture

Enjoy

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Chop Suey day

“Chop Suey” is a catch-all, means a little of everything. today was a chop suey day. I started this post with a couple of videos that had me watching them with great attention, although I can’t even tell you why. They appeared on my screen and, hey… I watched. since I never follow a recipe, I’m not sure, why I was so mesmerized.. however, you gotta know..I’ll be eating shrimp in the near future.

Wow a tree with branches. this was another of my “oh ” moments… the clear sky through the branches had me aiming up into the sky, there was a bird singing, and I was captivated by the song. You will note there is no bird in the tree.

Here is another of my “OH” moments, I saw the shadows and had to capture them, I parked and walked towards them, like I was being called by a voice I couldn’t ignore. They really caught my attention, the sun was over head in such a way, that the shadows reached out towards me.

So absorbed was I, that I had no idea that I had my friends waiting for me in the church wondering where I had gone, and what was I doing. So much so, that sweet Yumi (new to Canada from Japan, by way of Argentina) had come out in what had to be COLD for her, in only a sweater thrown over her shoulders. Her main language being Japanese, she smiled politely when I explained that I was enthralled by the shadows. she is so precious, I just love her. In a short time, she and her family have become such dear friends. Temperature was just around freezing today.

What is it that captivates, and captures our thoughts and imaginations, why is it that what is ordinary to some is so magical to someone else. Today I was for sure, in a zone … tha was mine alone. Yes I interacted and enjoyed conversations with friends and acquaintances I met along the way. But part of me was wanting to gather tools for my visual expressions. At the second to last place I stopped at, before heading for the grocery store and the supper ingredients, I walked around a corner and came to face with this picture.

Oyyyy hello…. I didn’t want to bring it home, but I did want to include it in my day. This one was unframed, Next to it, in a beautiful hardwood frame with a gallery light on it, was this picture, side by side they were. Perfect.

So different, yet part of the one. I had a good day, it was what I call a chop suey day. How was yours? I hope you had a productive and happy day. I am off to stir fry some shrimps… =^_^= did you guess already…

Namaste – Oyashikiri

I will stir fry them in garlic and black bean sauce..

shell them and eat them like popcorn at my leisure.

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Taste, delight & savour

Sauted black fungus and mixed vegetables…The veggies are done just right, with a crispness to them, and the sauce is light not drowning in starch and sugars. Looks good, and it is.

There is a whole array of salads too, some very nice ones, but I skip those, in the background you see, just beyond the customer is a whole delight of cooked dishes. There is a plate of scallops that my friends delight in, they are plump lightly breaded with not a hint of “fried” Next to that dish, you will find the different noodle dishes and I believe that is where the fried rice is for the North American taste buds. BUT to the right of that customer, is also two dishes that I find hard to resist, One is green beans stir fried and tossed with a few sesame seeds, I pile as much of that as I can over my other goodies. In front of that dish is a mixed veggie dish that I supplement my other choices with.

From this side of my plate, you can see the green beans, and the crisp broccoli, on the top to the left is salt and pepper fish, the dumpling on the right there is a pot sticker, and under the broccoli is a small piece salt and pepper pork .. the stick you see, holds a wonderfully roasted piece of chicken, moist and succulent.

This side of my plate shows you the larger helping of black fungus and veggies. Buried under all of that is freshly steamed Basa fish, a nice big slab of it. Note, no rice, no noodles. You can’t see it, but I likely have a couple of sushi there too. They have a good sushi cook and serve some traditional sushi, not North American …

All this side of that round server going around to the right there, where the customers are, is DESSERT. The counter on the right is where the steamed or baked fish dishes are. You can not see that portion because of the back of the bench. Sorry.. behind the bench is another serving area, of ice creams. Off to the left or other dishes, and the server behind the benches on the left, holds the soups, and more steamed dumplings and Chinese steamed spare ribs in a garlic and black bean sauce.

You are witness …. I did have dessert. that cake or whatever it is on the left is to die for.. it melts in your mouth, it is like a whipped cream, only the colour of pistachio.. the square on the right is mouth drooling tasty, it looks innocent, but oh wow it is good, and so is that silly looking cup of what you think is a little bit of pudding, I’m not usually a dessert person, so I cannot tell you what they are, just that I will go back for more. The little macaroon didn’t stand a chance next to the other goodies, it was good, but… hands down on the green whatever it was.( looked like a cake)

All this to say….. seize the moment………live each day making choices that you will enjoy….. choose wisely, but get out there, try new challenges..

In Pl, we have a Principle, PL Principle #13 – Concerning food, I will not have complaints, likes and dislikes, nor preferences; nor will I overeat, over drink,nor eat irregularly

Not easy peasy all the time to follow… in this case… I did my best to choose wisely, I didn’t waste, I ate what I picked, taking only a bit of this and that, meant that should something not please my palate, I could still eat it.. and I do try different dishes. Some I do not have because I won’t like them, but because I know they will affect my sugar levels. Eating moderately means that I can enjoy these buffets, and not suffer later.

Delight in what you eat.

Namaste – Oyashikiri

Eclipse,Ottawa,Canada

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Fresh Vegetables

It winter, the days can be dreary and gray, that is no reason to sit down to a boring plate of vegetables. I had left over butternut squash from the other day, and some of the orange cauliflower. To round off the plate, I added steamed corn on the cob, and a steamed mixed veggie dish.

I use fresh green beans, carrots, red potato, red pepper, sliced like potato fries. toss the veggies with some butter, seasoning, garlic and spiracha hot chili sauce. Then I nuke it for about 5 minutes. Letting it sit in the steam for another 2 minutes before service.

The Sriracha hot chili sauce at one time was only available at Asian grocers, but now most of the major grocery stores have it.

Note, the only butter used, is the butter I used in the mixed vegetables. The corn is eaten the way you see it. I discovered that cooking the corn in its husks, in the microwave steams it beautifully. The niblets are plump, tender and sweet, unless you get a bad or old batch of corn. I do my best to buy fresh produce in shops that are well populated. The product does not stay around long.

There are a lot of Japanese rice seasonings that compliment the veggies, they are flavourful, and low in calories.

Being diabetic, I have to really watch what I eat, and there are days when I have to eat often. So smaller meals with lots of vegetables suits me. At lunch today, we had roast pork with baked potato and roasted carrots. I indulged my protein craving at lunch. This evening I might have toast and kippers for an evening snack. =^_^=

One of the lessons I have to learn in life is to be accepting of the fact that I am a diabetic. One of the day to day happenings besides the medications one has to take, is to be creative about meals. Being visual, when my plate of food is appealing, I have a better appreciation of the meal.

PL Precept # 20 Live maintaining equilibrium between mind and matter.

Written

on December 9, 2013

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Salmon cheeks

They are delicious,if you have never had this taste delight, don’t delay. I served these babies up with steamed veggies, and stuffed vine leaves. To cook the salmon cheeks I left them frozen till ready to cook.
Prepare your pan with coconut oil, garlic cloves to flavour the oil, then put in your cheeks. Cover and let the oil and steam do its job.
Once they are no longer in a clump, use a fork to toss them about so they cook evenly.
Season with the condiments you think you would like, in my case, it was some sea salt and pepper.
I used some paper towel on a plate to drain any of the fat that lingers when you take them out of the pan.
and voila! a taste to rival the juiciest scallops or boring shrimp.

Salmon cheeks were new to me, I found them in my Asian grocery store in the frozen fish section. (T&T grocers)

The stuffed vine leaves, you can get at an ethnic grocers, I know Costco has a rather tasty offering,, I serve them up cold.

Happy discovery!

Written

on December 8, 2013

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Ginger,onion soup stock

This is a soup you can count on to warm you on a cold day/night. It is easy, and worth the time you spend pulling it together. I’ll list the base items first.. the final items you can change up and fix to suit your taste buds.

1 package of beef neck bones, I look for a package with good chunks of meat still on the bone.

1 good size fresh ginger that you peel, crush and dice. I like ginger so I use a good size (big thumb) to begin with.

4, 5 pieces of garlic, how much you use will depend on how fresh your garlic is and how much of a bite you want.

1 onion, again I use a medium size onion because I’ve been known to add a packet of dried onion mix if I want to enhance the stock with a more “Canadian” onion flavour.

the liquids added, Soba Tsuyu (a dipping sauce for soba noodles) Anchovy sauce (one that isn’t too watered down)
Soy sauce ( one with less sodium)
a pinch of sale
a good shake of black pepper

I dump all of the above into a pot full of cold water, and let it come to a boil, once it starts to bubble, I turn it down to medium heat and let it cook along for about 15 minutes, then I add

Carrots, sliced/shredded banana leaf, and any other veggies that I’d like to have in the soup.

Then after about 5 min. I turn it down to a simmer and let it enjoy itself for awhile.

20 minutes down the line I add either rice, potato, or a pasta. Today I’ve added elbow pasta.

Before serving, I will ad 2 scrambled eggs, 1 teaspoon of butter, and fresh baby spinach. I allow that to sit for about 10 minutes before dishing it up.