Tomato salad from the garden

This year I decided to grow tomatoes (to save money, organic tomatoes are like luxury items), but I didn’t get around to it till late June. After some research on the web, I got an early variety; ‘First Lady’ that only takes 66 days to yield fruit. I bought 4 plants, and place 2 in the ‘Tomato Success Kit’ and the other 2 in a window box type planter. The ones in the Tomato Success Kit grew huge. I didn’t expect much from the other planter but it grew pretty large (but less than half the size of the other ones) with many tomatoes.

Some finally ripened early last week when the temps came down from the 90s. My first batch was about a pound and a half. I sliced them up with some basil from the garden, olive oil, black pepper and fleur de sel. It’s my favorite thing to do with these tomatoes. I made salsa a few days later with new tomatoes, which was very tasty but it can’t beat the basil-olive oil-pepper-fleur de sel experience.

Next year I’m going to grow red bell peppers. At $6.99/lb for organic at Whole Foods, I haven’t had any red bell peppers in over a year.

-Lina

Soba salad for hot days

  Soba salad with smoked mackerel.

The first day of the heat wave, I was mostly hiding out in my room with the air conditioner. I wasn’t willing to cook a big meal or even stand in front of the stove for long. Soba noodles are noodles made with buckwheat flour; it has slightly nutty flavor, and is all around healthy. The cooking time is only three minutes in boiling water. In colder weather I love soba in hot broth. In summer, they can be eaten chilled with cold dipping sauce. I like it hot or cold with tororo (grated yam). And of course as a salad one dish light meal.

Soba Salad (for 2)

• 6oz dried soba (2/3 of most small packages)
• 4 cups (roughly) baby salad greens
• 1/2 small onion (thinly sliced)
• 1 scallion (thinly sliced)
• 3 tbsp dried wakame 
• smoked fish or leftover meats (optional)
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• ponzu + olive oil or salad dressing or…

soy citrus dressing:

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 minced garlic clove
• juice of 1 lemon or lime
• few drops of fish sauce (optional)
• few drops of sesame oil
• 2 tsp olive (or canola) oil
• 3-4 tbsp water to dilute

Cook noodles in boiling water for 3mins, drain and rinse under cold water till completely cooled. Set aside and let water continue to drain away. Rehydrate wakame in some hot water, let it sit for 2mins or so, then drain. Toss cold noodles, vegetables, fish, and wakame together with dressing, top with sesame seeds.

To make it completely vegan, leave out any fish/meat or fish sauce. You can add firm tofu or just leave it plain. I didn’t have any at the time, but thinly slice cucumbers would also be great. Wakame adds a really nice ‘sea’ flavor but if you can’t get any, you can also add other seaweeds like finely shredded nori at the end.

-Lina

Steak a la Veggies

My doc told me the other day to cut out the carbs and sugars in my daily life. She said I could eat all the meat and veggies I wanted, but no to the other stuff. I decided it would be a good idea to listen to the doc. I made a steak salad, and it was supposed to be a thai steak salad, but yeah, I don’t like that spicyness.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. rib-eye steak (about 1 to 1.5 in. thick)
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. lime juice
• 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
• 2 tbs. of your favorite vinaigrette (I chose a roasted garlic vinaigrette)
• and your own measurements of the following veggies: baby spinach, mushrooms (sauteed or raw), carrots, & tomatoes, or whatever else you like in your salads

Note: I say your own measurements, because you might like some veggies more than others. Who am I to tell you not to add more mushrooms or what not. ^___^

Procedure:

• In a mixing bowl, combine the soy sauce, olive oil, lime juice & sugar. Use a whisk or fork and stir well. This will be the marinade for your steak. Place steak in bowl and allow to soak for 30 min., flipping the steak over after 15 min.
• After marinade time is over, cook steak in any pan, but it’s real pretty with grill marks. Start with heat on high, searing the steak on each side for about 5 minutes, if you prefer your steak a bit more pink/red.
• If you’re the medium well to well done kind of person, like myself, remove steak from pan, cut in 1/4 in. slices and return pieces back to pan and cook till the pink is almost gone.
• In your salad bowl, add your veggies and toss in your dressing.
• Once steak is cooked to your liking, slice (if not already) and place nicely on salad.

It’s a real simple and healthy dish. Go for a leaner meat if you’re not a fan of the rib-eye. That just happens to be my favorite kind of steak. ^_^ It was definitely what I needed for lunch, as it’s been a hectic busy season already.  Wish this accountant luck. It’s only January.

–Chelle