Category: recipes

insomniac’s bacon fried cauliflower rice

i suppose it’s only appropriate after inviting insomnia to a raging morning cooking session.

i had a little bacon left over from the mochi sessions, and it’s a good thing bacon is amazing in literally anything.

i kind of feel like i never know what i’m doing when i cook (actually, when i do almost anything), but here’s my rendition. in my sleepy state, i added everything too quickly and in retrospect i was probably supposed to cook the protein for longer by itself first.

still, as luck would have it, it turned out to be pretty delicious. good to remember that life often does, even when you don’t follow instructions.

insomniac’s bacon fried cauliflower rice

ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 5-7 slices bacon, chopped (optional: other proteins such as chicken/beef/tofu)
  • 1 head cauliflower, “riced” in blender or food processor
  • 1-3 cups mixed veggies – i used peas and carrots (can be frozen)
  • 2-3 medium eggs
  • possible seasonings: soy sauce, chili oil, sriracha, fish sauce, white pepper, garlic powder

cooking instructions

1. In a wok or large pan over medium heat, heat oil and then add bacon.
2. Cook bacon until almost crispy. You can add other protein at this point. Cook the protein to about halfway done.
3. Add the riced cauliflower and stir fry on high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add mixed vegetables, stir well.
4. Add seasonings. I used soy sauce, hot chili oil, fish sauce, garlic powder, and black pepper to taste.
5. Make little pockets for the eggs. Stir in the eggs.
6. Cook until all protein is done.

notes from the non-cook: 

  • based on other recipes, you can probably cover it and have it cook faster. i just gauged done-ness by checking the status of the chicken and bacon
  • tastes delicious with sriracha on top
  • also, you can put an egg on it. this is my usual go-to for everything
  • this can be made totally paleo and gluten-free (careful what soy sauce you use- i used gluten-free tamari as a sub)

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happy almost-may, hooray!

P.S. – coral is still the color of summer, apparently!

 

bacon-wrapped mochi

I mentioned a while ago that a friend and I tried a bacon-wrapped mochi appetizer dish for the first time at Soba Totto. Of course, it was exceedingly delicious so we ordered another plate at the end as our dessert. Yes, bacon totally counts as dessert.

I bought uncooked blocks of mochi weeks ago, and finally got around to getting some bacon. As someone who isn’t very well-versed in cooking meat, I procrastinated a while before settling on some dry-rubbed uncured bacon.

This morning I woke in a daze and went outside to chase the sunlight. I walked around the city until it got chilly, then went home to try my hand at making this bacon dish. A few modifications, as I was unable to procure some yakitori skewers. Also, I used a cast iron skillet rather than grill, but you can do it either way. Otherwise, pretty delicious and easy.

Happy sun daze.

(you can see that I was kind of hungry already and snacking on some almonds on the side…)

  

Ingredients

    • 16 mochi blocks (rice cakes) – (got mine at the amazing Sunrise Mart in SoHo)
    • 8 bacon slices, cut into halves – (got mine at Trader Joe’s)
    • Soy sauce and mirin mixed together, about 2 tablespoons each

Cooking Instruction

1. In a small pot, bring water to a tumbling boil on high heat. Carefully drop in all of the mochi blocks and cook for a few minutes until the mochi is floating on top. It will be very sticky! I confess that I kind of had to resist playing with the mochi like play-doh. I used tongs to scoop them out of the boiling water and place them on a place. Make sure that there is space between each mochi so they don’t stick together. Don’t worry if they are slightly touching, it’s kind of fun to unstick them.

2. Wrap each cooked mochi block in a bacon slice to create a little bacon burrito. If you have skewers, you can slide a few onto a stick. I just put them directly onto my skillet. Mix together soy sauce and mirin in a bowl.

3. Heat a non-stick (I used cast iron) skillet over medium high heat. Place the bacon-wrapped mochi on the skillet (either with or without skewers) and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until the bacon is crispy. I used a pastry brush to drizzle some soy sauce/mirin combo on each one. Place skewers on a serving plate. Drizzle each bacon-wrapped mochi with more soy sauce/mirin mixture if you prefer.

Don’t worry, it’s not really that pretty of a concoction in the end unless you’re really really careful about the bacon wrapping – taste is what matters. The sticky, chubby mochi is unbearably cute though.

butternut squash and green chile enchiladas recipe (gluten-free and vegan)

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some random experimentation that night. i brought the food, and watched him try to be mr. bartender. the real test was having someone extremely carnivorous try a vegan dish.

i’ve been trying to make more things and cook more things, and all i’m missing is a really good chef’s knife.

it’s messy, but it’s about damn time. homemade food and homemade cocktails, it’s really too cold not to.

butternut squash and green chile enchiladas (gluten-free and vegan)

filling

  • 1 large butternut squash
  • 2 tsp coconut oil
  • 1 tsp chili powder (i was liberal with this)
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • water or broth as needed to thin
  • 1 ½ cups/ 15 oz. can cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
  • ½ cup/ 4oz. can mild, fire roasted green chiles
  • ½ cup jalapeño peppers diced, fresh or pickled
  • 8 corn tortillas
  • 12 oz. salsa verde
  • cilantro and lime, for topping

cilantro cream topping (optional)

  • ½ cup raw cashews, soaked overnight (4 hours minimum)
  • 1 Tbsp freshly-squeezed lime juice
  • 1 cup cilantro (leaves only, loosely packed)
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 Tbsp raw honey (or agave)
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • pinch cayenne, if desired
  • ½ small clove garlic, if desired

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel, seed and cube the squash. Line a baking tray with parchment. On the baking tray, toss the squash with the oil, chili powder, smoked paprika and salt to coat. Spread in a single layer and roast on the middle rack for 30-40 minutes or until nice and soft. Turn the oven down to 350′.

Put squash in mixing bowl. Make sure it’s a large bowl! I added a bit of veggie stock and water to make it slightly thinner, but I kind of liked it chunky.

Mix the black beans, jalapeños, and green chiles together. Char the tortillas over the stove (good time to use chopsticks or tongs to turn them over, don’t burn yourself). Gather an assembly line with the tortillas, beans, and squash mash. In a baking dish (I used a Pyrex one), spread 1/3 cup of the salsa verde sauce to cover the bottom. Into the tortillas, spread about a heaping 1/4 cup of the squash mash and a few spoonfuls of the beans on top. Roll the tortilla and put it in your dish, seam side down. Continue with remaining tortillas for as many will fit in your dish. Spread remaining sauce on top.

Lightly cover with foil and bake at 350′ for 20 minutes to warm through. Take off the foil and broil another 5 minutes to char the tops.

While they bake, make your topping! Put all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until completely smooth. Season to taste.

When the enchiladas are done, pour more salsa verde on the top if desired and drizzle with the cilantro cream. I topped mine with fresh sprigs of cilantro and squeezed some lime on it.

(recipe adapted from the amazing sprouted kitchen)