Quinoa-Miso

All of the sudden, this 'pseudocereal' Quinoa (keen-wa) is everywhere, featured in magazines, in restaurant menus and people are talking about it. Plentiful in nutritional benefits, quinoa is also very versatile in cooking. With a couscous like texture and a slight nutty flavor, it is enjoyable cold or hot once cooked. This is my usual go-to dish when making quinoa - original recipe from Whole Foods, with variations depending on what left-over vegetables I have on hand. This case peas were replaced by 毛豆soybeans, and its the miso ingredient that really gives the dish body + flavor.

Bean there, done that.

Three-bean salad has been done countless times in countless ways, but I never realized they were so easy to make. Once put together, they are able to last in the fridge for up to a week, but it usually doesn't make past the fifth day in the company of some tortilla/pita chips. This can also be packed as lunch with some quinoa or rice. 

Ingredients top down: red onion, celery, fresh corn off the cob, kidney beans, edamame, pinto beans, and most importantly cucumbers. Drowned in apple cider vinegar, olive oil / sesame oil, salt + pepper. The cider vinegar and cucumber makes it real refreshing on a warm day and the beans are what makes this salad filling on its own. The dish gets better overnight in the fridge.

Definitely making an appearance at the next Forth of July BBQ!

A.S.S - Avocado Sandwich Series!

It is rare that I put together a sandwich for myself, mainly because the bread is such a crucial structure, not being able to finish a whole loaf before it goes bad is often not worth the purchase. But on a special occasion that I come across fantastic fresh bread, and the weather has to be just right for a room temperature meal, I desire a well put together sandwich. Usually I get carried away with piling ingredients, that the top slice of bread gets nipped- resulting in these open face sandwiches. Although not a vegetarian, I've cut meat significantly from my diet, thus more difficult to create a full-bodied combination. Ingredients for these Avocado Sandwich Series didn't vary  much since it was all within the same week. These were all constructed at the office, I pack the components in a container the night before and wrap the bread separately. This method saves time in the morning and bread is never soggy when I'm ready to eat. To keep cut avocado from turning brown for next day use, squirt some lemon juice over and air seal with plastic wrap.

Fresh seven-grain bread (Old Poland Bakery- 190 Nassau Ave + Humboldt) toasted with butter, avocado, lemon drizzle, left-over steamed salmon, alfalfa sprouts, topped off with sautéed onion & mushroom in balsamic vinegar.

Bread toasted with butter, avocado, pesto, tomato slices and alfalfa sprout.



On garlic hummus is sautéed onion + mushroom in balsamic vinegar, topped off with grape tomatoes. Other half is just avocado on buttered bread with lime juice.

Breakfast inspired: Scramble eggs with fresh picked basil, topped with avocado over naan bread from Trader Joe's, then drizzle on soy sauce to bring out the sweetness of avocados. Very yum and filling. Feel free to share any of your favorite sandwich combos with me!

Reupholstered

This was on my list of projects-to-do for a while, materials/tool gathering and timing all came together this weekend, so I set out to tackle it. The turnout was more rewarding than I had expected!

It started out with used outdoor furniture given to me by my mother's friend, the bottom of the chair legs were slightly rusted, original chair cushions were grey velvet corduroy, and murky from five years of wear in my apt plus unknown amount of outdoor time before then.

Voilà! They even match my paintings in the kitchen.

Sail me to the shorts!

Summer has finally arrived in NY. After this past winter, at times it felt like years of winter, I dusted off my summer clothes, and found these shorts for welcoming spring days and dreams of sailing to distant shores. But these boardshorts from two summers ago never fit right and looked even more frayed with the fading colors. The "saggy in the behind" look is never flattering on anyone. But by rolling up the shorts, the fabric actually gathers together and create a more voluptuous look from the back.
So, lets show off those legs!

Knot me up

Sleeves off, because it's summer time! Those sleeves became part of the knot.

Inari Zushi

Over the Memorial weekend, I had the pleasure to attend one of my dear friend's birthday picnic party. Knowing the amount the giggle juice this bunch would be consuming after an afternoon of lounging in the sun, I wanted to bring something that would be substantial food, but also suitable to partake on a blanket over course of a few hours.

Inari-zushi were one of my favorite dish at Japanese restaurants growing up, they were the alternative to getting the raw stuff that creeped me out when I was younger. It mainly consist of vinegar bean curd pocket filled with rice. I've incorporated more ingredients to make it filling as a mini-meal.

Cook 2 cups of Brown Rice. Boil some spinach and mushroom in a bit of salt and sesame oil, run them through chilled water when done to prevent further cooking, then cutting spinach down to about 2" in length. Stuff soybean pockets with ingredients and top if off with cucumber strips.