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appy Easter! M. and I are laying low today and just catching up on cleaning and work, but I did take a moment this morning to do a little baking so I could use up some of my exploding stash of carrots. Because Easter is all about...bunnies, and bunnies obviously like carrots (?). I admit I don't entirely understand the association with rabbits and resurrection, but at least I can enjoy eating the results.

Here's the recipe I used, with the following modifications: fuji apple instead of granny smith, vegetable oil instead of corn, swapped about half the oil for applesauce, no nuts (didn't have any), and my coconut happened to be unsweetened.

Posted by Satya at 1:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

got this recipe from the now-defunct Jane magazine, which I always used to get when travelling to Suluk - it provided a pulpy levity against the intensity of travelling to the Abode for esoteric training. Their take on entertaining was just my speed: the accompanying recipe for these rolls was "green curry for idiots" (which is also an excellent recipe, but that's for another day).

To make the rolls, the hardest part is finding the rice paper wrappers. They're dry and unrefrigerated, if that helps. I know Andronico's carries them if you're in the Bay Area, or perhaps you can find them at an Asian grocery near you.

It takes a little practice to work with them, but it's fun to experiment. Fill a large bowl (larger than the circumference of the wrapper) with warm water, and slip the wrapper in. Remove it just when one side becomes soft, about 15-25 seconds - that side can be the bottom of your roll, and the rest will continue softening as it absorbs the water. Remove it and place it on a cutting board so the soft edge hangs off, then put your fillings at the bottom edge of the board. Flip the soft edge up over the filling, fold the two sides over the filling, and roll up.

The filling they gave in the recipe was: cooked and cooled vermicelli noodles (also called rice sticks); slices of cucumber, mango, avocado, apple, and carrot; and mint and cilantro leaves. I change this up freely depending on what I have around though - the rolls pictured contain noodles, mint, spring salad mix, avocado, tangerine, and carrot. If you're omnivorous they'd be great with shrimp or ground meat.

Accompanying sauce recipe after the jump.

For the dipping sauce:
Combine:
1/3 c. warm water
2.5 T sugar; stir until sugar dissolves.

Add:
2.5 T fish sauce or stir-fry sauce
1 T lime juice
1/2 tsp. sambal chili sauce
1/2 tsp. grated ginger

Let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Posted by Satya at 10:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

or this bento I used a frozen rice ball from the last time I made sushi to make the yaki onigiri, and it worked great - this will work well for bento supplies I can keep on hand in the freezer. I microwaved the rice ball for a minute and then proceeded to grill it on each side as is, then again brushed with soy sauce. I let it cool before putting it in the bento box. According to Lunch in a Box, they can be frozen after the grilling part as well.

Contents: Celery with cream cheese, homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (from frozen dough balls), orange wedges, hardboiled egg with s+p packet, and yaki onigiri.

Posted by Satya at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

oday was the first day of my CSA pickup from Full Belly Farm at the Farmer's Market. I picked up my produce first so I could see what was in there and then supplement from the rest of the stalls. I think it'll take a little trial and error before I get my Farmer's Market routine fully down, but I was very pleased with my haul today:

Contents: ranunculus, spring mix, leeks, broccoli, assorted tangerines and oranges, beets, garlic, carrots, celery, grapefruits, handmade butter (handmade butter!), organic cheddar, humane/organic eggs, purple cabbage, humane/organic beef, and brussels sprouts. All produce is organic and purchased from the people who grew it. Total cost? $50.

We have bread and rice still and I got Strauss milk on the way home, so I'm hoping not to go to the supermarket at all this week and really to avoid it as much as possible - we'll see how it goes!

Posted by Satya at 11:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

stumbled on this idea in an internet forum I frequent, and it's brilliant and super-easy. I mixed eggs, cheese, s+p, diced zucchini, and finely chopped red onion (i.e. whatever I had around) in a bowl, poured into muffin cups, and baked for about twenty minutes until set. They make great leftovers.

Posted by Satya at 11:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

ontents of bento: mango chunks, baguette with little sunburst-shaped wedges of cheese and mustard on top (in a lettuce divider), cashews, and homemade apple frangipane galette. M. ate everything but the galette, go figure - I would have gone for that first.

Posted by Satya at 11:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)