Hands On Gourmet: Thai Edition

I can hardly type I'm so full. Dinner was prepared by about 18 sets of amateur hands with a lot of guidance. Our team hosted a cooking class event for our client at Hands On Gourmet in Potrero Hill. For how distracted we were by cheese, chatting and wine, the food turned out damn good. Like, shockingly good.

Our workstations:

One of my jobs was massaging cilantro lemongrass marinade into some chicken thighs. *We got to keep the sweet aprons*

Then we grilled them to perfection.

But the freshly rolled and fried spring rolls might have been my favorite. 

My table was in charge of preparing the main courses: vegetable green curry and the grilled cilantro lemongrass chicken. The green curry was made from absolute scratch and the flavor almost knocked us over. 

The large table was set up family style in this huge room of an old warehouse overlooking the bay. All of us were scheming about future events we could host at this venue. It was a home run. 

Coconut sponge cake with banana brûlée and whipped cream to finish. 

If you're trying to think of a fun team building / client outing / alternative party, I highly recommend a private cooking class. Everyone got into it and the meal tastes so much better when you know you had something to do with it. 

Needless to say, the cleanse has been fun but it was time for creamy cheese, fried dough and coconut cake.

Day 11: Quick Miso Soup

It may not be snowing outside, but it's definitely winter. I woke up in the dark to spend 3 hours in an unheated building getting cold to the bone. The only option was soup. I had to hold back from climbing into the bowl. Luckily it only took about 7 minutes from keys in the door to sitting at the table.  A quick dinner saves plenty of time for a hot bath and long nights sleep.

This might not be textbook miso soup but it's everything you want it to be. 

Quick Miso Soup

(single serving)

1 cup chicken broth

1 cup water

1 teaspoon white miso paste

1 ounce silken tofu, cubed

1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, diced

1 small head bok choy, quartered 

shredded carrots

1 green onion, sliced

dash soy sauce

red pepper flakes

drizzle toasted sesame oil

sprinkle sesame seeds

In a medium size pot, heat water and broth over medium heat. Stir in miso paste and add tofu and vegetables. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes until broth is just under boiling and vegetables are tender. Stir in soy sauce and red pepper flakes. Serve and drizzle sesame oil and sesame seeds. 

Day 10: Tropical Green Smoothie

It's been a busy and it's not over yet. But at least it started right. A glass of the green stuff and almonds (duh). It was all cheerful and tropical until I walked out of the door and got dumped on by El Niño. Sometimes you gotta make your own sunshine.

Tropical Green Smoothie

1 ripe banana, peeled

1 handful spinach

1 cup frozen pineapple

1 cup almond milk

1/4 teaspoon vanilla 

1 teaspoon chia seeds

shredded coconut

Put all ingredients except the chia seeds and coconut into the blender. Blend until smooth and stir in chia seeds and coconut. 

Day 9: The Real Detox Drink

I really wasn't going to blog tonight. It was not a cute food day, and dinner was a re-run. I mean, srsly:

But now I'm kinda hooked on over-sharing. 

Pro-tip #3: Avoid bland chicken by a semi-homemade quick fix. Find a sauce or dip that would be amazing on a cracker and dump it in a pan with some chicken and a little stock. Sauce should be oil based. My fav right now is artichoke lemon pesto. 

- Breakfast: Overnight oats with 2 dried apricots, mixed berries and cinnamon

- Lunch: Mixt Greens steak salad and chicken and apple salad sandwich 

- Snacks: Orange slices mixed into 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, BBQ Kettal chips (trapped in a 3 hour meeting, sue me)

- Dinner: Leftover chicken in artichoke lemon pesto, sweet potatoes and avocado over spinach salad 

- Dessert: Spicy orange hazelnut bark, frozen berries

As you can tell from the above, today wasn't *exactly* on-cleanse, so I made a cup of my go-to detox drink to make up the difference. It sounds more like a salad dressing than a warm bedtime drink, but it does a body good. 

Turmeric Lemon "Tea"

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 lemon juice

dash cayenne

1 cup hot water

(optional) honey 

Put first three ingredients in the cup and pour in hot water. Stir in honey, if needed. 

Day 8: Scrambled Eggs with Caramelized Onions & Chèvre

If there is a right time to make caramelized onions, it's Sunday morning. I woke up at my own pace, sipped coffee while doing work on my laptop, standing at the stove for ...mmm... 45 minutes stirring onions into their sweetest state. It's the labor of love, and I could (probably should) have put 10 more minutes into it to get the full blown caramel color. But a girl's gotta eat.
I chose this recipe to share because a couple added ingredients really dress these onions up. The leftover onions are going to be good on just about everything. Recipe at the end of the post.

- Breakfast: Scrambled eggs with caramelized onions and chèvre

- Lunch: Banana, spinach and mixed berry smoothie with almond milk. I added a tablespoon of almond butter and dashes of cinnamon to the blender. Topped it with dried coconut.

- Snack: Decaf almond milk cappuccino, almonds (I'm literally turning into an almond), a pickle and a pear with cinnamon. 

My mom came over to the city to join me for dinner (yay!) so I not only made us dinner, but a Bon Appétit cleanse approved dessert treat. 

- Dinner: Lemon and rosemary baked chicken with broccolini and balsamic roasted sweet potatoes. Balanced, hearty, healthy. We lost a baking dish in the process - cracked mid-bake - but we recovered.

- Dessert: Spicy orange dark chocolate bark with roasted hazelnuts and sea salt. 

This bark is quick and easy. In a nutshell: melt 8 ounces dark chocolate over double boiler (or metal bowl over pot of boiling water). Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon orange zest, most of 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (reserve some for the top), and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Spread out on parchment or tin foil and sprinkle remaining hazelnuts and flaked sea salt over top. Chill in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes before breaking into pieces.

Scrambled Eggs with Caramelized Onions and Chèvre 

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 eggs

2 tablespoons caramelized onions (recipe below)

1 tablespoon goat cheese, crumbled

smoked paprika

salt and pepper

red pepper flakes

Caramelized onions:

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 yellow onions, thinly sliced

salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

1/2 cup white wine

In a heavy bottomed dish heat olive oil. Add onions, salt and pepper, stirring occasionally until onions begin to soften, 5-7 minutes. Stir in garlic and thyme and continue to cook for 20 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup white wine and continue to cook until wine evaporates. Once evaporated, add the remaining 1/4 cup white wine until liquid evaporates and onions start to turn brown color. Season with salt and pepper

Whisk eggs together with a splash of water until frothy. Stir in half of the goat cheese. Over medium-low heat, heat olive oil and add egg mixture. Stir occasionally until curds form, about 2 minutes. Serve with dusting of smoked paprika, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes if desired. Top with onions and remaining goat cheese. 

Day 7: Drawing within the Lines at Park Tavern

I think today gets an A for effort. I made two meals at home, went to yoga and at dinner all of the bartenders knew I was on a cleanse. Park Tavern feels like the bar in Cheers "...where everybody knows your name." It's our go-to. Alanna is friends with all of the bar tenders and general manager, we get special treatment, the food and drinks are solid. Even when we try to branch out, we often end up here.
Long story aside, we ended up there tonight.

- Breakfast: oatmeal with mixed berries and almond butter with dash of cinnamon

- Lunch: Spinach salad with roasted sweet potato strips and brussels sprouts, goat cheese, cucumber, avocado and pistachios topped with a balsamic, olive oil and sriracha

- Snack: Banana, pickle, and at least one serving size of Safeway's Ginger Zinger trail mix

- Dinner: Jalapeño and bacon deviled egg, 1/2 serving of pumpkin soup with creme fraiche, pepitas and spouts, 1/2 serving of the beat salad (not pictured), and 1/2 serving of the short rib with potatoes mousseline, roasted carrots and sherry glazed cipollini onion (to die for). Rye manhattan.

My self-inflicted limitations were bread, sugar and dairy (disregard baby amount of creme fraiche). Looking back on it, I easily would have polished off the complimentary Acme bread with butter, and some sort of dessert. I didn't need it and I'm glad I didn't have it, but it took restraint to draw the line. Note to self for the next time...

Day 6: Salmon with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce, Carrot Salad & Garlicky Bok Choy

Thank G it's Friday. This week made me work for it: getting yelled at by a client in a large meeting, late night stress dreams, limited glasses of wine, rain. But I made it to Friday night and I'm going to savor each moment of this weekend. I kicked off Freedomday with a new hip hop yoga class with my friend Alanna. The instructor wasn't our favorite (since when have mountain climbers been a yoga pose?) but she played some great 5th grade rap that would cheer anyone up. The intention she set for the class (which is also a Drake quote) was "Everybody dies, but not everybody lives" Can you do more of what makes you feel alive this year? Personally, there are few things that connect me as much with the present moment as preparing a great meal. I'd say I'm off to a good start.
- Breakfast: Chia pudding made of 2 tablespoons chia seeds, 1 cup almond milk, 1 teaspoon maple syrup, frozen pineapple, 2 chopped up dried apricots and a sprinkle of flaked coconut. (Stir everything except for the coconut together in a jar and leave in the refrigerator overnight)

- Lunch: Confetti lentils with spinach, drizzle balsamic vinegar, sunflower seeds and raisins all reheated together. (I really liked these additions!)

- Snack: pear, almonds, Pop Chips with hummus

- Dinner: Salmon with cucumber-yogurt sauce, carrot salad and garlicky bok choy... and 1 glass of Honig Sauvignon Blanc
- Dessert: dark chocolate chips and a dried fig (I'm loving these figs)

Salmon with Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce, Carrot Salad

Cucumber-Yogurt Sauce

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 English cucumber, thinly sliced

sea salt and black pepper

Carrot Salad

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground tumeric

1 cup carrot sticks, thinly cut lengthwise

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon lemon juice

sea salt and black pepper

2 salmon filets, wild caught, skin on

fine sea salt, ground pepper

1 tablespoon neutral oil (I used olive)

Combine cucumber sauce ingredients in one bowl and toss carrot salad ingredients together in another. Chill while salmon is cooking. Pat salmon dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil and place filets skin side down. Leave undisturbed for 3-4 minutes until skin is browned and crisp. Turn salmon over and cook until salmon is just opaque in center, 1-2 more minutes. Divide filets on plates and serve with sauces and additional sea salt. 

Garlicky Bok Choy

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves

1 shallot, chopped

1 pound baby bok choy, rinsed, cut into quarters with core intact

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shallot and cook until fragrant - about 30 seconds. Add bok choy, soy sauce and 2 tablespoons water and cover immediately. Cook 1 minute. Uncover and toss. Cook until boy choy is tender, about 3 more minutes. 

Day 5: Confetti Lentils with a Fried Egg & Braised Leeks

I haven't exactly been "by the book" on this cleanse, and tonight was no exception. The protein paired with the confetti lentils was lamb shank, which would have been delicious, but I've decided to forfeit red meat during this process. Bonus - I love fried eggs in strange places. Somehow a leek ended up in my grocery basket last weekend, so I googled "braised leeks" and found a simple recipe from Epicurious.

I learned two things today. One, my new blender is awesome - powerful, quiet, easy to clean. Two, lentils take a lot longer to cook than I thought they did. The recipe said 20-30, but it took at least 40 minutes. Have a snack on hand.
- Breakfast: Banana almond smoothie made from 1 frozen banana, 1 cup almond milk, 1 tablespoon almond butter, 2 dashes cinnamon

- Lunch: Spinach salad topped with canned tuna, blood orange slices, cucumber slices, pistachios and pepitas with drizzle of olive oil and whole grain mustard

- Snacks: Pickle, carrot sticks, almonds, apple

- Dinner: Confetti lentils with a fried egg and braised leek (just the one leek)
- Dessert: 7 dark chocolate chips, a few frozen berries and a dried fig

Confetti Lentils

1 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup baby carrots, diced

1/2 medium celery root (I left this off)

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 onion, diced

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup French green lentils

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add vegetables to the pan and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in lentils and add 3 cups of boiling water to the pot. Return to a boil then cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Lentils should be tender but keep their shape. Add salt and pepper if desired. *Do not strain liquid. Store leftover lentils in cooking liquid to keep them tender. Serve using slotted spoon. Top with fried egg to make a meal!

Braised Leeks with Lemon 
4 leeks, tough exterior removed and trimmed to be 7" long, cut into quarters lengthwise
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Soak or rinse leek thoroughly to remove grit. In heavy pan, heat olive oil and add leeks. Cook leeks for 5 minutes, then add chicken broth. Continue to cook until leeks are very tender, around 5-7 minutes. Top with lemon zest and serve immediately.

Day 4: Book Club

Contrary to the forecast, it was clear skies this morning so I walked the 4ish miles to my first meeting of the day. The smell of rich coffee and cooking bacon wafting out of restaurants, and walking by people munching on chocolate croissants really piqued my appetite for my jar of overnight oats and green tea! Well, not really but that being said, I was a fan of this morning's concoction.

- Breakfast: Overnight oats consisting of 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, 1 cup almond milk, dash cinnamon and salt, 1 tablespoon raisins, 1/4 cup frozen mixed berries with cherries. Sprinkle chia.
- Snacks: Hard boiled egg, carrot sticks and cucumber slices, Bosc pear
- Lunch: Leftover brussels sprouts and tofu stir-fry with black coconut rice, and a side of hummus. *This is when keychain sriracha would be clutch.
- Dinner: Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl Green beans in vinaigrette, almonds, veggie chips with beet hummus and bell pepper slices
Everyone else's plate at book club:

My plate (except x7 the bell peppers and veggie chips you see here):

I will not win any photography or recipe awards for this post, but I felt like consistency and honesty are an important part of this. It was a real lesson in self restraint. It was not easy. No wonder so many diets fail...This cleanse (or just a healthy diet) is easier and more enjoyable when you have the control of the food in front of you. But when surrounded by "bad" food, with few alternatives around, will power runs the risk of getting bypassed by hanger in a hurry. My pro-tip: keep almonds in your purse!

As far as the actual book club went, we discussed the book "Tales of the City" - oldie but goodie set in San Francisco. (Sourdough bread bowls, get it?) I learned there's actually a TV series based on this book! Important information as I'm rounding the corner of the 5th and final season of Friday Night Lights...for the third time.

Next month's book is The Nightingale! I actually just finished this book and it was wonderful :)

Day 3: Dinner at Spruce

Cleanses, or any kind of diet, makes being social difficult. In some cases you can warn the people you're with to avoid being rude (i.e. I have book club tomorrow and already emailed the host to let her know I will not be able to have a bowl of her clam chowder in sourdough bread bowl- tragic!). In other cases, when you're at one of the more reputable restaurants in the city, dining on your company's dime, and entertaining clients...you take the cookie. And by cookie, I mean the Italian red wine, fresh cranberry bread with salted butter, and a couple of piping hot out of the oven brioche beignets. Sadly, photos of food at the table is a tiny faux pas, but Yelp had one I could borrow. Pillows of steamy heaven.

Most of the day I was able to keep it within the lines:
- Breakfast: Overnight oats: 1/2 cup old fashioned oats, 1 cup almond milk, sprinkle chia seeds, 3 chopped dried apricots, 4 large chunks frozen mango

- Lunch: Leftover brussels sprouts and tofu stir-fry over coconut rice. *I solved the second sriracha near-crisis of the 24 hours. My teammate assumed her bottle had run out, so she threw it away. I fished it out of the recycling bin and shook out a few last drops over my lunch. There's empty, and there's empty.
I'm not proud of this.

- Snack: Apple with almond butter (on the go! in an uber). Later, a hard boiled egg and carrots.

- Dinner: A slice of cranberry bread with salted butter

Smip Ranch beets over goat cheese labneh, roti and cocoa nibs

Roasted red snapper with caramelized sunchokes, satsuma mandarin oranges, oil-cured olives

2 Brioche beignets with bittersweet chocolate sauce and creme anglaise 

Bites of the pear and walnut tart, parsnip pudding, cassis, and long pepper ice cream

...and with the bill, a square of peanut butter and chocolate fudge with flaked sea salt

It was a good day.

Day 2: Brussels Sprouts and Tofu Stir-Fry with Black Rice with Coconut

Status update: I haven't felt that hungry yet (I only heard my stomach growl awkwardly loudly in a quiet meeting once) and the food has been delicious. Tonight's dinner I will definitely make again. Some people are anti-tofu, and those people should not make this meal. Luckily I am a tofu person, and as far as "cleanses" go, this one is a damn treat. A pro-tip: having fresh cut flowers on your table makes your meal taste better. It might even help your water taste a little bit like wine. Once you make it a habit, you'll miss them when they're gone. 

We had a close call tonight. I avoided near disaster by managing to squeeze the last few drops out of the sriracha before the. end. 

In a nutshell, here was day 2:

- Breakfast: Old fashioned oats, dried figs, cinnamon, roasted hazelnuts + some fresh strawberries from my morning meeting

- Lunch: Leftover mahi-mahi with white bean puree and spinach

- Snack: Orange, carrot sticks

- Dinner: Brussels sprouts and tofu stir-fry with black rice with coconut

- Dessert: Grapefruit with honey and toasted pine nuts + some pineapple (not pictured)

Brussels Sprouts and Tofu Stir-Fry 

2 14-oz. blocks extra-firm tofu, drained, sliced lengthwise ¾” thick
2 tablespoons coconut oil or canola oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste) *I used 2 tablespoons miso paste + 1 teaspoon sriracha
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1½ pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed, sliced ¼” thick
1 8-oz. can water chestnuts, drained, sliced ¼” thick
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil1 teaspoon sea salt

Lay a double layer of paper towels on a large plate. Place tofu on it and cover with another layer of towels. Cover with another plate and place something heavy on top as a weight. Let sit for at least 15 minutes, then cut into ¾” cubes.Heat 1 Tbsp. coconut oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Place half of tofu in skillet and season with salt. Cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over, 8–10 minutes. Remove to a plate and cook remaining tofu. In a small bowl, whisk together the gochujang, soy sauce, and ¼ cup water. Heat remaining 1 Tbsp. coconut oil in the same skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add Brussels sprouts and gochujang mixture and toss to combine. Cover skillet and cook until Brussels sprouts are bright green, about 2 minutes. Add water chestnuts, tofu, and 2 Tbsp. water and cook, stirring frequently, until Brussels sprouts are tender and sauce coats the vegetables, about 4 minutes. Add sesame oil and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with sea salt. *Serve with black coconut rice.

*To make black coconut rice, cook black rice per instructions with a 2" piece peeled ginger in the pot. Toast 1/4 cup coconut and stir into cooked rice before serving.

BA Food Lover's Cleanse Day 1

While I was in Mexico for NYE, my grandma emailed me a link to the Bon Appetit "2016 Food Lover's Cleanse." Between bites of tacos and sips of margaritas I read through the recipes and was intrigued with the idea of kicking off the new year post-Mexico with not only healthy recipes, but a cooking challenge. This "cleanse" appealed to me in part because it's only 2 weeks, it allows for 4 drinks a week, and it includes snack and dessert recipes for each day. I'm trying to be realistic. I will be posting the recipes of the meals I make, but for a link to the full menu, calendar and grocery shopping list, click here.

My intention is to stick to their recipe schedule as much as possible, while tweaking the recipes to fit my tastes and accounting for having a small social life (ex. I already know I have a work dinner at Spruce on Tuesday). 

The cleanse also features a few guidelines aside from the recipes. Among these are:

Alcohol: (like I mention above) only 4 drinks a week

Water: drink 2 liters a day

Coffee: only drink one cup in the morning, then swap for tea afterwards

Dairy: drop it, aside from yogurt 

Among others...

Day 1

~ Breakfast: Old fashioned oats, dried black mission figs, roasted pecan pieces and cinnamon with almond milk. Dash of salt. 

~ Lunch: (Technically the first day of the cleanse started with dinner) My lunch was a kale and chicken caesar salad wrap from the Bay Club. 

~ Snacks: Navel orange, 5 dark chocolate chips.

~ Dinner: Mahi-Mahi with smashed white beans and sage, side of spinach with sautéed shiitake mushrooms.

~ Dessert: Thawed frozen pineapple, toasted coconut and freshly cracked pepper (or it was going to be but I was too full to eat it!)

Mahi-Mahi with Smashed White Beans and Sage

½ teaspoon finely chopped rosemary
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1 pounds skinless mahi-mahi fillets,
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 teaspoons finely chopped sage leaves
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 15-oz. cans cannellini beans, rinsed
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

• Mix together rosemary, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. black pepper, and orange zest. Sprinkle onto mahi-mahi and let stand at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes before cooking.
• In a large skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. oil over medium heat. Add garlic, sage, and chile and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add beans and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring and smashing some of the beans with a spoon or spatula as they cook until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Add stock and continue to mash to a thick purée (beans should retain some shape and texture). Turn off heat and stir in lemon juice and zest, season with salt and pepper. Transfer beans to a bowl and cover to keep warm.
• Wipe out skillet and heat remaining 1 Tbsp. oil over medium-high heat. Blot fish dry with paper towels and add to skillet. Cook until fish is browned on both sides and just opaque at the center, 5–8 minutes.