Cooking at Home

I love shopping at Super H Mart in Fairfax, especially when they have different samples to taste at stations around the store.  Today we tried a lovely soft tofu and a fresh fish fillet called "Basa" that we liked enough to buy.  With a careful eye on what looks fresh and well-priced, it's easy to restock Japanese pantry staples and pick up groceries for the week at reasonable prices.

 I like to use this bento box set for more leisurely-paced dinners.

Miso soup with carrots, soft tofu, scallions and wakame.  Broccoli and mushrooms; homemade umeboshi from relatives in Japan; snowpeas; tamagoyaki and pan-seared basa fillet; rice with lumpfish roe and shiso furikake.

Dukem Ethiopian on U Street

Around once a month I organize volunteer events for one of my alumni organizations.  This month we went to St. Stephen's Episcopal Church in Columbia Heights to help with the Loaves and Fishes program.  Eight churches in the region share responsibility for cooking and serving lunch on Saturdays and Sundays every month.  Third Saturdays belong to St. Columba from Tenleytown, which has volunteered with Loaves and Fishes for the past 30 years.  We helped plate and serve meatloaf with mashed potatoes, vegetable, bread, brownies, fruit and peanut butter sandwiches.  It's a great program and I look forward to heading back in the summertime.  Afterwards, a few of us went to share lunch at Dukem, an Ethiopian restaurant near 12th and U Street.

 Lentil sambusa ($2.50).
Crunchy phyllo-esque wrapper with a spicy lentil mixture wrapped inside.

14 Vegetable Combination Platter with tibs.  I particularly liked the cabbage, collard greens, yellow lentils, fresh tomato and jalapeno salad, and spicy green beans.

We had a fried croaker as well.  Delicious.

With a group of 4, our meal was incredibly filling and relatively healthy (ok minus the beers), for only $22 per person.

Cava Barracks Row

We're settling in to our new apartment.  What a difference a few hundred feet makes!  One of the nicest perks is access to the renovated fitness center with a climate-controlled cardio machine room. The dangererous thing about our new gym is the tv attached to each machine.  While I was trotting along to an episode of HGTV's House Hunters, my boyfriend was watching Food Network's special on Greek food.  With the memory of whole roasted fish in his head, he was on a mission to find a place to try it.  After thinking about possible places, we had an impromptu dinner at Cava.  Without a reservation we had a short wait for a table, so we started off with some taramosalata ($5.95) and pinot grigio at the bar.  The pita is not made in house, so it's just ok, but the whipped roe dip was fluffy and delicious.

 We decided to try some new dishes, and went with the waiter's recommendation of grilled lamb chops $14.95.  They're served on a bed of french fries with lemon and fresh parsley.  The lamb was juicy and tender.

 Whole roasted fish.  Mkt. price $32.95.  This was a 1.5 lb. bronzino with parsley, lemon juice and olive oil.  Very simple preparation, and really enjoyable. 

Grilled Asparagus with lemon vinaigrette and feta cheese ($7.95).

Vegetarian and So Delicious

We have a busy week ahead of us, so I planned to use the kabocha squash and green beans we purchased at Lotte in an Epicurious recipe I found online that we can eat throughout the week.  It's a super healthy and low calorie kabocha, green beans and black beans stew.  Since kabocha can be quite sweet when cooked, the cumin and spices offset the flavor in a delightful way. 

Tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic, onion, squash, green beans and black bean stew with cumin, chili spices and oregano.

Post-Workout Ramen and Lunch Bento

 

After a post-work trot on the treadmill, I came back to a nice surprise.  My boyfriend brought back some spinach and dumplings from his work dinner for me.  With some miso ramen, a boiled egg and  leftover beansprouts, it was lovely. 

Afterwards I made jap-chae for his lunch bento.  Bok choy, carrot, mushroom, onion, leek, garlic, zucchini and a bit of sliced beef with the dangmyun noodles.  The sauce is soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and water.  This could easily be made with tofu or only vegetables.  With a side of green grapes and celery sticks for a snack, he was all set for the day.

Korean Cooking at Home (Viewer Discretion Advised)

(If you are vegetarian or squeamish, don't look further down at the photos.) 

We went to Lotte supermarket for the first time last night to pick up our weekly groceries.  I'm a fan of Super H Mart, but my boyfriend's coworker said Lotte had yukkejang packages and a better food court so we checked it out.  We needed more rice and kimchee, and I planned a few other meals that used Asian ingredients.  One of his special requests was pork belly with kimchee. 

 He loves roasted garlic, so I roasted a clove in the oven at 400F for 50 minutes until it was nice and soft. 

 Korean-style bean sprouts with soy, chili and sesame oil

 Baby bok choy and green beans with ginger, soy, mirin and sesame oil.

 Salmon fish heads.  Delicacy for Asians, trash for most Americans, therefore inexpensive.  It's actually one of the most tender and delicious parts of the fish, especially near the jaw bone.  The best way to prepare this is to salt the skin side and broil. 

 Homemade spicy pork belly with kimchee.  I made the marinade from gochujang, sesame oil, soy sauce, onion, garlic, sugar and chili pepper powder.

 Shioyaki shake-kama. 

(ok pretend the eye is not there, but this is something that makes my boyfriend remember nice dinners with his family and I'm happy to recreate it even if it means I call him into the kitchen every 10 minultes to check out how it looks.)

 Table-top teppanyaki grill.  Kimchee, jalapeno and spicy pork belly at 350F. 

The best way to eat the pork belly is wrapped in a lettuce leaf with grilled kimchee and the marinated bean sprouts. 

Semi-South Beach

I've been researching different diets this week.  I like to experiment with foods that make me feel more energetic and reduce those that put me into a salt-coma or carb-overload.  I'm shaking up our diet right now, finding a better balance of foods to fuel our bodies with portion size playing a role.  After looking at a variety of diets, I think the South Beach-style fits us the best.  We're experimenting with a two-week curb on refined white carbohydrates, deep-fried things, high-fat proteins and high glycemic foods to jumpstart his return to exercising.  Instead of focusing on what we're eliminating, I'm trying to emphasize how wonderful vibrant vegetables and lean proteins can make you feel.

 Kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, yellow bell pepper and arugula in champagne vinaigrette.

Roasted cod topped with the vegetable mixture with roasted brussel sprouts. 

***

Serving a lean protein with vegetables on 3/4ths of the plate is my goal.  I've reduced our plate size to the salad plate too.  Instead of family-style bowls on the table, I now plate the food in the kitchen.  After the initial two weeks I'll begin incorporating rice, pasta, whole grain bread and fruits too. This is a challenge for my boyfriend since he attends many lectures where free platters of croissants, bagels, danish and muffins are de rigueur.  It's not the end of the world if he succumbs to their allure, but I hope that after this experiment he sees how the initial sugary deliciousness is followed by a post-sugar crash.  Ultimately this is about eating better, feeling better and making healthier decisions.

Miso Soup for Breakfast

We're trying to curb the toasted bagel at the office breakfast.  One toasted bagel with cream cheese can ring in at 436 calories, and buttered bagels are around 495.  Eeek! Trying to fit in breakfast at home is going to be a necessary challenge.  It's tough to get up early when it's still dark and cold outside, so I made the soup last night.  This helped make reheating our breakfast miso soup much easier this morning.

Onions, carrots, tofu, mushrooms and miso paste.  Around 40 calories, the soup is much lower in fat and calories but the sodium content is pretty high. I think I can do better, but I'll have to see how my boyfriend felt.

Vegetable Tortellini Soup

Since we bought a lot of fresh vegetables this week, I wanted to incorporate some in a light but warming soup.  This soup was also super fast to put together after hitting the gym after work.  I chose a small soup bowl for myself, and an even smaller soup bowl for my boyfriend.

Chicken broth with oregano, green beans, carrots, onion, cabbage, arugula, tomato, mushroom and fresh pesto tortellini. 

In an attempt at moderation, I divide the tortellini into 2 soup bowls and 3 small storage containers.  The packaging said it contained 2-3 servings.  Maybe I'm a glutton, but I have definitely eaten a whole package with sauce by myself.

Nicoise Salad

My week of healthier meal planning continues.  Last night's dinner was a riff on the nicoise salad.  My boyfriend was working late, so I had plenty of time to put everything together. Perhaps too much time as I ended up making massive salads with enough for our lunches as well. 

 Arugula, Persian cucumbers, yellow bell pepper, Kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, boiled eggs and cooked grean beans.

 Added some roasted yukon potatoes to the plate with a dijon vinaigrette.

Pan-seared tuna steaks. 

I chose a salad plate to help create the illusion of a full plate.  However, I overloaded the plate with the vegetables so the tuna was on another plate, defeating the purpose.  I need to do a better job with portion sizes for us.  Even though the majority of the meal was vegetables, I piled on too many ingredients.  We would have been better off sharing one of the salads I made instead of having one each.  Learning some new lessons as we try out new things.

Japanese at Home

My boyfriend and I are trying to be more economical with our food expenditures, cook more meals at home and eat less processed foods.  This means I need to think about what we're eating for dinner and lunch bentos for the week before we head to the store.  I planned to make meals that take less prep time during the week, and the more time-intensive ideas on the weekend.  Tonight's dinner was a return to Japanese meals and included leftover soon dubu and hamul pajeon from last night's Lighthouse dinner.

 I have fancy lacquerware bento boxes I picked up at Ching Ching Cha in Georgetown.  The boxes help set the mood and presentation.  I also have lacquerware covered soup bowls I received as a gift from my Board of Education Office colleagues in Japan.

 Leftover soon dubu (spicy tofu soup) from Lighthouse Tofu in Annandale.

Hamul pajeon (seafood pancake), tonkatsu (fried pork) on cabbage and bell pepper, brussel sprouts with bell pepper, umeboshi with kyuri, and Japanese potato salad.

Yasai Tappuri Miso Ramen

I love ramen.  Another freezer staple I like to keep on hand is a package of fresh ramen.  I'm a big fan of tonkotsu and miso since I lived in western Japan, and my boyfriend prefers shoyu because he's from Kanto.  Next time we head to Super H I'll have to pick up a bag of shoyu-flavored ramen. 

There have been so many changes lately in the ramen world, with tsukemen becoming popular, Tokyo ramen shops gaining cult status and novel fusion bowls like green curry and tom yum ramen.  Next trip to Japan I really want to visit the Ramen Museum in Yokohama to try some different styles.

Yasai-tappuri miso ramen.  Pretty much an "everything but the kitchen sink" bowl.  I included sauteed onion, mushroom, carrot, celery, green beans and arugula to a boiled egg and the noodles.  The arugula was unexpectedly good.  It's nice to find a way to use up all the odds and ends of our vegetables for the week.

Sunday Roast Chicken Dinner

I love cooking for my boyfriend.  He is willing to try anything and thinks everything tastes great.  It's wonderful to cook for someone who's so appreciative and open-minded.  Usually he lets me decide what I feel like cooking, so when he makes a special request I pay attention.  He enjoyed our Thanksgiving dinner this year and was interested in a repeat.  Since it's easier to find chickens, I substitute roasting a chicken instead of turkey.  It's really the perfect meal for Sunday, when you have extra time to spend in the kitchen.  Plus we'll have some great leftovers for lunches this week.

 Arugula salad with fresh orange champagne vinaigrette.

 Roast chicken.  Lightly salted and roasted at 350F on top of onion and carrots.

 Mashed potatoes.

 Green Bean Casserole.  Fresh beans are quickly boiled and blanched in cold water.  Nice bright flavor.

Homemade stuffing.  Japanese-style bread is toasted in the oven, then mixed with celery, mushrooms, onions, herbs and chicken stock.  I also made some chicken gravy with the pan drippings and roasted onions and carrots in the roasting pan. 

Cooking at home

We've been busy apartment hunting, and our big weekly grocery shopping has fallen by the wayside.  Fortunately if you have a decently stocked freezer and cupboards, you can still make something healthy that only requires picking up a fresh vegetable at the store.  My boyfriend picked up the vegetable while he was out running errands, and I defrosted a frozen salmon.

 Coat the salmon with a blackening spice mixture. Bake fish on parchment paper in a 400F oven for about 4-8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet.

With a brown rice medley, zucchini and a mango salsa, we had a light dinner.  

Cooking Korean at Home

I'm an adopted Korean.  Cooking a mushroom lasagne with bechamel? No problem.  Cooking Korean foods? erm...  Luckily Annandale is close by with a lot of tasty, affordable and authentic Korean restaurants.  After trying out a good variety of dishes, I've become more familiar with the flavors and decided to tackle cooking a Korean meal.  I made bibimbap and gochujeon.

 Bibimbap Assembly.  You can use any vegetables you have on hand, the key is hot rice and kochujang (spicy red chili paste).

 Look how pretty.  Bean sprouts, marinated ground beef, mushrooms, bok choy and carrots.

 Top the bowl with a fried egg.  When you're ready to eat, mix everything up together.

GoChujeon - stuffed green peppers.

I picked up a bag of green peppers at Super H.  They looked like the spicy ones my boyfriend likes.  These were sweet though.  One day I'll read labels.  I found a recipe online for Korean stuffed peppers.  I slit the peppers, cleaned out the seeds, then put cooked spicy ground beef inside.  Dusted in flour, the peppers were cooked on a layer of egg, and steamed a bit like pan-fried dumplings.  The dipping sauce was soy with some rayu (chili sesame oil). 

My boyfriend loved it, and there was enough leftover to make 2 lunch bentos.  Since the Florida cookies and restaurant bonanza, we've been trying to eat lighter and more economically.  This was both. 

Great Wall Sichuan Take-Out

I finally tried the ma la dishes at Great Wall on 14th St NW.  Their menu is 3/4ths American-Chinese dishes, but the last page has the Sichuan dishes that make this bare bones take-out place worth trying.  We did carryout and waited only 15 minutes for our bag of spicy treats.

 Mapo Tofu $8.95 Soft tofu with ground beef, chili and Sichuan peppercorns.

 Dan Dan Noodle $7.95.  Fiery mixture of chili, Sichuan peppercorns, scallions and ground beef.

 Baby pak choy with garlic $8.95.  Not bad, but I liked the baby bok choy with garlic at Mark's Duck House better.

Ma La Wontons $5.50.

***

Everything was good, although the last bowl of Dan Dan Mein I had at Sichuan Pavillion on K Street was definitely hotter.  We ordered enough to share and still have leftovers.  The next day I boiled some dumplings and mixed them in the leftover mapo tofu.  Delicious.  If you like Sichuan dishes and don't feel like trekking to Rockville, Great Wall is a solid alternative.

Bombay Bistro in Oakton, VA

http://www.bombaybistro.com/ We headed out to Vienna to visit with some friends.  Afterwards, we tried this Indian restaurant out.  It's a pretty decent hike from where we live, but I liked it and the price point was reasonable.   

 Vegetable Samosa with spicy chana and two sauces. ($1.95)

 Chicken Tandoori with salad and rice. ($10.95)  Very flavorful and juicy.

 Saag Ghost. ($12.95) Lamb cooked in mildly spiced spinach.

 Lamb Vindaloo. ($11.95) Lamb cooked in a spicy sauce with potatoes.

Special Vegetarian Thali ($15.95).  Lentils, raita, a puri (puffed bread), mattar paneer (peas and cheese in a tomato curry), palak paneer (spinach and cheese), baingan bharta (roasted eggplant with tomato, onion and spices), and mango with papaya chunks. 

***

The thali was very good, exceptionally filling, and satisfied my urge to try a bit of everything.  Reasonable prices, fairly prompt service, and worth a look if you're out that way on Chain Bridge Road.