Tag: Mint

Soba Noodles with Summer Squash and Mango

July 1, 2014February 10, 2017

Soba noodles have become a staple in my kitchen. I have always liked them, but as the weather has been slowly getting warmer, and there’s lovely produce all around, they have been appearing more often in my kitchen. I love them with a light sauce made of rice vinegar and lime juice. But the true beauty of soba noodles, to me, is that they are delicious cold. The day after you make them, and they’ve been sitting in whatever sauce you’ve tossed them with, they become ultra flavorful and refreshing. I am a big fan. And I think you should be too.

Jonah came home this week, on Monday actually, and I had a feeling that cooking might not be exactly what he wanted to do the moment he stepped of the plane. So on Sunday night I made a big batch of soba noodles tossed with roasted zucchini, fresh mango, and a light citrus-y sauce. I ate a small bowl, and threw the rest in the fridge, knowing that it would be delicious the next day for dinner with some roasted green beens (also in the fridge).

I love how colorful this dish is, how summery it is, and how packed with flavor. I think it’d make a great cold side dish for a summer party (4th of July, anyone?), and it makes great leftovers to take to the office for lunch. You can add some seared tofu, or maybe even some grilled chicken.

Soba Noodles with Summer Squash and Mango

Ingredients

2 zucchini, julienned
2 summer squash, julienned
olive oil
salt
1 9-oz package buckwheat soba noodles
3/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 jalapeño, finely chopped (and seeded, if you’re not feeling the heat)
juice and zest of 1 lime
1 Tbl sesame oil
1 ripe mango, peeled and julienned
~1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
~1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
optional but recommended: chopped peanuts to top (I used about 1/4 cup), lime wedges

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Toss the julienned zucchini and squash with olive oil and salt. Spread on a parchment lined baking sheet. Roast for 20-30 minutes, until lightly browned, tossing halfway through. Set aside to cool.

Cook the soba noodles as instructed on the package. Usually, this means boil them for about 4 minutes, drain them, rinse them with cold water, drain them, and spread them out on a dish towel to try.

While boiling the water for the noodles, combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small pot over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and add garlic and jalapeño. Allow to cool, then add the lime juice and zest as well as the sesame oil. Whisk to combine. Put the soba noodles in a bowl, and toss with the dressing. Add the squash, mango, herbs, and nuts to the noodles, tossing to combine. Garnish with a sprinkle more of chopped peanuts and a lime wedge. Enjoy with a light beer on a hot day.

Weekend Finds 5:11:14: Rhubarb Edition

May 11, 2014February 10, 2017

I was thinking about giving this weekend finds post a Mother’s Day theme, but let’s face it: If you haven’t already figured out what you’re giving your mom for mom’s day, you are way late. Maybe you could make her one of these recipes instead? Yeah, I bet she’d like that.

1. Spicy Rosemary Rhubarb Margarita

Spicy Rosemary Rhubarb Margarita on Weekend Finds // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler — Not only do these margaritas sound delicious, but if I can get mine to look anything close to this beautiful, I’ll be happy.

In case last week’s margaritas weren’t quite intense enough for you, give these ones from Adventures in Cooking a try. Spruced up with a little heat and some rosemary, they seem nice and earthy, while still being fruity and light.

2. Strawberry Rhubarb Salad with Hazelnuts and Mint

Strawberry Rhubarb Salad on Weekend Finds // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler — Salad with Hazelnuts and Mint.

I love this refreshing take on the classic combo from Bon Appetit. No baking, No roasting. Just a little marinating in some sugar and adding some freshness with the mint and some crunch with the hazelnuts.

3. Rhubarb Curd

Rhubarb Curd on Weekend Finds // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler — I only wish this curd had more of the beautiful blush color.

I am in love with the toast plate with lemon curd they serve at The Sugar Cube, and I think I might have to recreate it at home with this rhubarb curd. Yum.

4. Rhubarb Scones

Rhubarb Scones on Weekend Finds // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler — One of my favorite breakfast baked goods studded with rhubarb.

I think scones are my favorite breakfast baked good. I love the crumbly sweetness of them. And I imagine I’d love them studded with beautiful gems of rhubarb. Picture it slathered in the above curd. Muahaha. Yes.

5. Rhubarb Vinegar

Rhubarb Vinegar on Weekend Finds // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler — Use this vinegar to jazz up your spring and summer salads.

If you’re looking for something to bring a little life to your springtime salads, this rhubarb infused vinegar from Thrifty Jinxy is probably it. I think it’d be perfect tossed with some oil on a spinach salad with strawberries and hazelnuts and goat cheese.

6. Literally 100 more rhubarb recipes

MORE RHUBARB on Weekend Finds // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler — This is just a pretty picture of rhubarb. In case you forgot.

In case none of those are tickling your fancy (that’s a saying, right…?) here’s a list of so many more things you can do with this beautiful ingredient. It’s not all pie, friends!

Mint Matcha Ice Cream

March 14, 2014February 9, 2017

When I made the anise ice cream that I posted about last week, it made me realize how truly simple it is to make your own ice cream. I mean, if you’ve got the ice cream attachment for the Kitchen Aid like my roommate does, or some other kind of ice cream churner. I found myself asking why I hadn’t been making my own crazily flavored ice cream for years. And you know what? I didn’t have a good answer.

So I thought I might as well start now. I’ve had some matcha sitting in my drawer since I made these madeleines, and I’d been wanting to try some matcha ice cream. But I didn’t want to make JUST matcha ice cream. After thinking about what flavor combinations might work with matcha – chocolate? lemon? – I decided to go with mint. I liked the idea of the herbaceous, refreshing mint with the earthy, almost savory matcha. So, mint matcha ice cream it is!

I also decided to make this ice cream this week because I thought it might be nice to start doing some holiday-oriented recipes. And while the flavors in this recipe have nothing to do with St. Patrick’s Day, it is green. Definitely green. Especially if you make it the day before you’re planning on eating it.

After a little research, this recipe is adapted from and inspired by David Lebovitz, Kinfolk, and many other ice cream recipes all over the internet.

Mint Matcha Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream, divided
3/4 cup granulated sugar
a pinch of salt
1 cup fresh mint leaves, rinsed
4 tsp matcha green tea
5 egg yolks

Instructions

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine milk, 1 cup of cream, sugar, salt, and mint leaves. Stir until sugar is dissolved, and once the mixture is hot and steaming, remove the pan from heat, cover, and let it steep for one hour.

Fifteen minutes before your mint is done steeping, get out two mixing bowls. In one, combine the other 1 cup of cream and the matcha. Whisk together until thoroughly combined and no clumps remain. In the other mixing bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.

Once the mint is done steeping in the milk mixture, strain out the mint leaves, pressing them to extract all of the flavor. Re-warm the milk over low heat – you want it to be warm, not too hot – and slowly pour it into the egg yolks and whisk until combined. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a heat-proof spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spatula. Strain the custard into the bowl with the matcha cream, and whisk again to combine. Stir the mixture over an ice bath to cool. Once cooled thoroughly, churn in your ice cream maker according to your machine’s instructions.

Friday Finds 7:12:13

July 12, 2013February 5, 2017

Please forgive the lack of posts I’ve been having lately! We were in Chicago last week, and I’m moving this weekend – so between the travel, the packing, the unpacking, the more packing, the even more unpacking, the settling into somewhere new, and saying goodbye to somewhere old, there hasn’t been much time. I still managed to get to the Friday Finds!

1. The Publican, Chicago, IL

The Publican, Chicago, IL // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler — The dining room at the Publican, Chicago, IL

Jonah and I ate at The Publican with my dad and Darla the night we got into Chicago. The space was very cool and the food was phenomenal. I recommend the pork belly.

2. Summer Cocktail

Summer cocktail from A Beautiful Mess // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler — Summer cocktail from A Beautiful Mess

This cocktail over on A Beautiful Mess looks absolutely perfect for a hot summer evening. It also looks super easy: just pineapple juice, mint, cucumber juice, and rum!

3. Restaurant Passport

Restaurant Passport // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler — Restaurant Passport

I spotted this idea on Pinterest, and while the original site seems to not be working, the idea is still brilliant. Jonah and I often have the “where should we go for dinner?” debate. This is a great idea to remind you of the places you’ve been wanting to go, and I think the idea of marking them off once you’ve been is really sweet.

4. Ways to use Hummus

Hummus Deviled Eggs // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler — Hummus Deviled Eggs

This slideshow from Bon Appetit with 10 ways to use hummus is brilliant. Hummus in salad dressing? Hummus in deviled eggs? There are certainly a few ideas I’d never have thought of.

5. Grilled Portobello Tacos

Grilled Portobello Tacos from A House in the Hills // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler — Grilled Portobello Tacos from A House in the Hills

Mushroom tacos sound delicious to me. Grilled portobello tacos? Even better. I’m not going to make my own tortillas the way Sarah from A House in the Hills did, but still. These look delicious.

6. Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

Sun-dried Tomato Pesto // Serious Crust by Annie Fassler — Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

When I studied in London, I found this sun-dried tomato pesto at the grocery store near my flat that I ate all the time. I mean all the time. As in probably multiple times a week. This recipe for sun-dried tomato pesto looks like it’d be worth a shot, and may get me that much closer to recreating my favorite.