Salmon Sashimi Rice Bowl

This is a bit of a throwback recipe. I posted it for the first time over at Tokyo Terrace when we lived in Japan. At the time, this bowl-of-beautiful made an appearance at least once a week. With a glass of crisp white wine this was an ideal way to end a long, busy day when I just didn't want to cook anything at all. And really, how could you not enjoy salmon sashimi, a perfectly poached egg and creamy avocado over rice?

Exactly.

We enjoyed this dish last week when my mom was visiting from Minnesota. For 10 days she helped me out by playing with Riley while I got some work done. She read endlessly, tossed a basketball countless times, braved the world of toddler crafts, and sang sweet lullabies. It was wonderful. When she stayed with us in Japan we made this rice bowl for her and she immediately fell in love. Since then, every time we are in the same kitchen, my mom requests this meal.

Sadly, salmon sashimi is not as easy to come by (or as affordable) as it was in Tokyo. Still, when we see a beautiful piece of fish this is usually how we enjoy it. Sometimes I'll make this exact recipe with broiled or pan seared salmon, which is delicious as well. Sprinkle the finished bowl with some nutty, salty furikake (want to make your own furikake? click here) and a drizzle of light soy sauce mixed with wasabi and there it is: perfection in a bowl.

I should ask: do you have a rice cooker yet? If you don't, you need one. Trust me. They are indispensable in my opinion. I'm not one to want frivolous appliances so I was wary of adding a rice cooker to our collection. In Japan, I realized very quickly that they get daily use in most homes. We may not use ours every day, but on average we break it out once a week. With the push of a button you can have perfectly cooked rice (white or brown) without having to do much of anything. And rice makes the perfect base for using leftovers. Got roasted veggies to use up? Toss them on top of some rice! Grilled chicken? Yep. Perfect. Not enough leftover chili for a full bowl? RICE.

Just trust me on this one. It's worth it.

More recipes you might enjoy:

• Perfect Soft Boiled Eggs at High Altitude

• Spicy Sesame Napa Cabbage with a Soft Boiled Egg

• Brown Sugar Miso Ice Cream

• 15 Minute Salmon Rice Bowls

Salmon Sashimi Rice Bowl

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked Japanese white rice

• 6 oz salmon sashimi, cut against the grain into 6 slices

• 1 avocado, sliced

• 2 eggs, room temperature

• white vinegar

• 2 teaspoons furikake

• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon wasabi paste

Instructions

Begin by poaching the eggs:

1. Bring a small pot of water to a gentle, not rolling, boil.

2. Add a splash of white vinegar (about 2 teaspoons) to the water.

3. Gently crack one of the eggs into a small bowl.

4. Using a stirring motions with a wooden spoon, create a gentle whirlpool in the water.

5. Carefully drop the cracked egg into the center of the whirlpool.

6. After 30-45 seconds, cover the pot and remove from the heat. Set aside until the egg white is cooked through by the yolk is still soft.

7. Using a slotted spoon, remove the egg from the water and place it in a bowl and set aside.

8. Repeat with the second egg.

Ingredients

• 2 cups cooked Japanese white rice

• 6 oz salmon sashimi, cut against the grain into 6 slices

• 1 avocado, sliced

• 2 eggs, room temperature

• white vinegar

• 2 teaspoons furikake

• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon wasabi paste

Instructions

1. Bring a small pot of water to a gentle, not rolling, boil.

2. Add a splash of white vinegar (about 2 teaspoons) to the water.

3. Gently crack one of the eggs into a small bowl.

4. Using a stirring motions with a wooden spoon, create a gentle whirlpool in the water.

5. Carefully drop the cracked egg into the center of the whirlpool.

6. After 30-45 seconds, cover the pot and remove from the heat. Set aside until the egg white is cooked through by the yolk is still soft.

7. Using a slotted spoon, remove the egg from the water and place it in a bowl and set aside.

8. Repeat with the second egg.

9. Combine the soy sauce and wasabi in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

10. Scoop the rice into two serving bowls.

11. Top with the sliced avocado, sashimi, and poached egg.

12. Sprinkle with the furikake and drizzle with the soy-wasabi mixture.

13. Serve immediately.

14. Combine the soy sauce and wasabi in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

15. Scoop the rice into two serving bowls.

16. Top with the sliced avocado, sashimi, and poached egg.

17. Sprinkle with the furikake and drizzle with the soy-wasabi mixture.

18. Serve immediately.

Slow-Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos

When I was in college many of my friends went to 'Taco Tuesday' night at a local establishment. The building was clearly run down and the inside, if memory serves correctly from my one and only time walking through the doors, was dark with that strange misty look in the dim lights from stale cigarette smoke. Taco Tuesdays meant cheap food, cheap pitchers, and probably a lot of fun that my goodie-two-shoes missed out on.

In order to add some variety to our weeknight meals, I've decided to reinstate Taco Tuesdays. Obviously without the stale cigarette smoke, dimly lit bar and pitchers of beer. What we will have- must have- are delicious tacos. The first round will feature these slow-cooker shredded chicken tacos topped with fresh, green cilantro, creamy guacamole, and crumbled queso fresco. The chicken simmers with some IPA and...wait for it...ENCHILADA SAUCE...in the crock-pot until tender and infused with flavor. And who knows where we will go from there. The possibilities for Taco Tuesdays are endless!

Why enchilada sauce, you ask? Because I almost always have a stash of the stuff in my pantry. Because it is delicious. Because it saves me on busy nights when I just can't fathom finding the energy to put any more effort into dinner.

I have to say that this was one of the more delicious meals we've had in a while. The past couple weeks have been so jam-packed with craziness that we've been living on left-overs, eggs, and rice. It's not all bad. Not at all. But sometimes you need a real meal. Right? Right.

I recommend Frontera enchilada sauce for this recipe. It has a readable list of ingredients and the depth of flavor is really nice. For the beer, any light brew will do. I used IPA but you can use whatever you have on hand as long as it isn't dark like a stout.

Slow-Cooker Shredded Chicken Tacos

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1 cup red enchilada sauce
• 6 oz IPA beer
• 6-8 small corn or flour tortillas
• fresh cilantro
• queso fresco
• guacamole
• lime wedges

Instructions

1. Put the chicken thighs in a slow cooker and top with the enchilada sauce and the beer.
2. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
3. Half an hour before the chicken is done cooking, use two forks to shred the meat. Cover and finish cooking in the slow cooker.
4. Wrap the tortillas well in foil and place in a 350 degree oven. Heat until warmed through, about 10 minutes.
5. Serve with the garnishes in bowls on the table.
6. To assemble, place some chicken in a tortilla, top with guacamole, queso fresco, and cilantro. Drizzle with lime juice.

Chipotle Shrimp over Creamy Polenta

There is chocolate all over the inter-webs. All. Over. Chocolate, heart-shaped stuffs are here there and everywhere and I've decided to detour. I love chocolate just as much as the next gal but I wanted to contribute something a little different and off the beaten path. Chipotle shrimp with creamy polenta is simple to make (gentlemen, I'm talking to you!) and it has spice (a known aphrodisiac) and luxurious polenta that has been combined with tangy sour cream.

As I made this dish the other day, I was reminded of the first Valentine's Day Brad and I spent together. I wanted to impress him with something delicious, exotic, and like nothing he'd ever eaten before. I settled on red curry coconut soup with shrimp. It was beautiful. I somehow found huge, lovely shrimp in the middle of the Iowa corn fields (I don't care to think about how that was made possible) and the little kitchen in his on-campus house smelled divine. We sat down with a couple glasses of wine, dim lights, and bowls full of what I was sure would be a triumphant success of a meal.

Bless his heart, Brad took two bites before he said what we both were thinking. It was blazing hot and our mouths were almost certainly on fire. We ditched the wine and opted instead for splitting a gallon of milk to rid our tongues of the miserable sting of too much red curry.

On the one hand, I was heart-broken that I had ruined our first Valentine's Day meal. On the other hand, I was comforted that Brad cared enough so early in our relationship to endure a few bites of something completely inedible just to spare my feelings.

That humiliating experience has not gone far from my thoughts each and every time this holiday rolls around. This year, I think I've done it right. This dish is a perfect combination of slight heat balanced by the creamy sour cream spiked polenta.

And go ahead...follow it up with one of the many chocolate desserts. I know I will!

Chipotle Shrimp over Creamy Polenta

Serves 2

Ingredients

For the polenta:

For the shrimp:

• 1 cup stone ground (not instant) polenta
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh baby spinach or other greens for garnish
• 8-10 large shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 2 teaspoons chipotle powder
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
  

Instructions

1. Move an oven rack to the top position.
2. Preheat the broiler.
3. Bring 4 cups of water to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan.
4. Whisk the polenta into the water. Continue whisking until the polenta has thickened slightly and there are no lumps.
5. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes or until the polenta is tender.
6. Turn off the heat. Stir in the sour cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm while you make the shrimp.
7. Toss the shrimp in a bowl with the olive oil, chipotle powder, salt and pepper and transfer it to a large, rimmed sheet pan. Make sure the shrimp are in a single layer with a little space between them.
8. Place the shrimp under the broil and cook until they are pink and just firm, about 3 minutes.
9. Ladle some of the polenta into 2 serving bowls. Top with handful of baby spinach and divide the shrimp evenly and arrange on top the spinach.
10. Serve immediately.
    

Blood Orange & Fennel Salad with Almonds

When Brad and I moved to Tokyo in 2008, all I could do to keep from curling up in a ball of homesickness was to look for things about Japan that reminded me of my Midwestern home. Let me just say that finding similarities between Minnesota and Japan is not an easy task. Sometimes I would find ways of preparing food that reminded me of home. Occasionally I would see a sign for Minnetonka Moccasins that would make me feel like I still had a connection to my home state in the midst of the strange new surroundings in which I now found myself.

I had an inkling moving to Japan might be difficult in the beginning. It was half way across the globe, after all. What I didn't expect was having similar feelings after moving to Denver, Colorado. Reverse culture shock didn't hit right away. We were so busy moving and taking care of our then 6 month old son. But when it did hit, the shock was strong. And it is still lingering. I find myself searching for anything that comes even remotely close to our life in Tokyo. Typically this means trying to find the perfect bowl of ramen, the best sushi, and perfectly a Japanese curry recips. This is easier said than done because, in the case of food, Japan always does it best.

What does all of this have to do with a fennel and blood orange salad? Nothing at all. Except that when I made this salad all I was doing was thinking of life in Japan. That previous life consumed my thoughts for an entire day. That's the way it goes, I guess.

It is also possible that I am using this salad as a reset button. Both to reset my weekly eating habits and to start with something clean and fresh in my mind. Whatever the motivation, I was pleased to have something fresh and bright on my plate. If you haven't tried shaved fennel with citrus, I encourage you to get on that right now. This is the perfect time of year for blood oranges, grapefruit, Meyer lemons... And I think with all the snow and negative degrees happening out there, some vitamin C might be just what we all need.

So here's to salad. And citrus. And reverse culture shock. And reset buttons.

Blood Orange & Fennel Salad

Ingredients

• 1 medium fennel bulb
• 3 blood oranges
• 1/4 cup whole roasted almonds, roughly chopped
• Juice of 1 blood orange (you should have about 1/3-1/2 cup but if you are short, supplement with regular orange juice)
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. Using a sharp knife or mandolin, save the fennel bulb. Place in a large bowl.
2. Peel the blood oranges and use a pairing knife to cut segments. Simply take the knife and cut on either side of each membrane (the part of the orange that shows you where each segment is). Arrange the segments on top of the shaved fennel.
3. Sprinkle the salad with the chopped almonds.
4. Next, make the vinaigrette by combining the orange juice, vinegar, olive oil and salt in a small bowl. Whisk until emulsified and drizzle over the salad just before serving.

BLT Quinoa Patties

Last night I did something that would have seemed trivial just 3 years ago. I went to a coffee shop after dinner to get some work done. Alone. It seems completely silly, but spending an hour in a place that wasn't my living room or home office where I'm constantly reminded of the other little tasks I have to do was refreshing. My mind wasn't telling me to dust the corners of the room or reorganize the shelves; instead, I could focus on myself and my work. I listened to some of my favorite music, sipped on some hot tea, and accomplished more in those 60 minutes than I expected.

You'd think I would be running out the door at lightning speed to get some time alone. The truth is, I struggled to get myself to leave the house. I kept thinking about Riley's little arms giving me a "hug-o" and his sweet little good-night-smooch that I would miss if I left. Even one night without that makes me a little sad. Plus, being a stay-at-home mom has made it difficult for me to relinquish control of what happens in my house at any given time of day for fear that things won't be done correctly. No offense to my husband by any means, but I have my routines. That's normal, right?

Even if it was only one hour, that little jaunt to the coffee shop changed my entire outlook. It was a deep breath; a chance to look at the world beyond the daily this-and-that. Yes, I missed the usual bedtime routine, but when I got home, the house was quiet, the dishes were done, and all was well with the world.

In the spirit of looking at things in a new, fresh way, I'm sharing these BLT quinoa patties with you. It's the perfect light lunch whether you are home or at work. The quinoa patties, adapted from Heidi Swanson's cookbook Super Natural Everyday, are the perfect base for a fresh, lemony mayonnaise, a thick slice of roasted tomato, and crisp applewood smoked bacon. In place of the lettuce (and because I wanted to be a little fancy) I used sprouts.

Let's pretend I can still call this a BLT.

This time of year does not always produce the nicest tomatoes, but if you can find fresh ones that don't need help by roasting you can just slice them and be done with it. I chose to roast mine on the same pan with the bacon to help concentrate their flavor and take them from hard and sour to soft and sweet. Worked like a charm thanks to my tin foil barrier. One pan and done!

Take a little time for yourself and enjoy something delicious, a little fancy, and mostly healthy. You can thank me later.

BLT Quinoa Patties

Ingredients

For the patties:

For the toppings:

• 2 1/2 cups cooked quinoa at room temperature
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup chervil, chopped (substitute any fresh herb)
• 1 yellow onions, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese (or whatever you have on hand)
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (plus more if needed)
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• zest and juice of 1 lemon
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 4 slices cooked bacon (I bake mine in the oven at 425F for about 15-20 depending on thickness)
• Radish sprouts, arugula, or baby spinach leaves

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, eggs, salt, chervil, onions, garlic and cheese. Stir to combine.
2. Add the panko and stir. Let the mixture sit for about 3 minutes.
3. Using slightly wet hands, shape the mixture into patties that are about 2 1/2 to 3 inches in diameter and about 3/4 inch thick.
4. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pan over medium low heat.
5. Place 3 or 4 patties in the pan, cover, and cook until brown and crisp, about 7 minutes.
6. Gently flip the patties and cook them on the second side until brown, another 5-7 minutes.
7. Transfer the patties to a cooling rack. Continue the process until all the patties have been cooked.
8. Combine the mayo, lemon zest and lemon juice in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Top a quinoa patty with about 1 tablespoon of the mayo, a slice of tomato, and a slice of bacon (break the bacon so it fits on the patty). Finish with a pile of sprouts and serve.

Notes

Recipe for the quinoa patties adapted from Heidi Swanson's book Supernatural Everyday.

Go Sugar Free in 2014

I'm not up for making a long list of resolutions this year. It may be helpful for some, but for me it almost promises absolute failure. Instead, I am simply hoping that each day brings the opportunity to make my life a healthier one. That said, I am not above seeking a little help in achieving a healthier mind, body and spirit. Therefore, starting January 1, 2014, I will be participating in the winter Go Sugar Free course with Jacqueline Smith.

Working as a recipe developer and food blogger, I find it exceedingly difficult at times to keep tabs on my diet. Sure, we eat healthy meals, but constantly tasting food throughout the day can sometimes derail my best efforts. Participating in a class, something structured and educational, is exactly what I need to get me going on the right foot in 2014.

Kale & Asiago Frittata | Set the Table

And I have some exciting news! If you are feeling like you need to change your eating habits to sleep better, think more clearly, lose a few inches from the middle area of your body, and generally feel more whole, this class is open for enrollment through January 5! Click here if you are interested in reading more about Go Sugar Free and wish to sign up. It is a 10 week course that I'd love to go through with you! I'll be sharing recipes on Set the Table that will be delicious and sugar free. Jacqueline also has a collection of delicious meals, like thisPasta Bake, to help make the transition to sugar free even easier.

Pasta Bake

I know Jacqueline personally and can say with complete confidence that you will be immediately struck by her genuine desire to work with you and give you the motivation you need. She is an inspiring woman who is a great example of the "glow" a sugar free life can give you inside and out.

I hope you'll consider registering for her winter course! If you have any questions about the course, please leave them in the comment section below and either Jacqueline or myself will be sure to answer them.

And don't worry- I won't leave you recipeless (totally a word) at the close of 2013. Here is a perfect breakfast recipe for the morning after; the first morning of 2014 can start off fresh and healthy while also curing what ails you after holiday celebrations. Healthy kale, protein-rich eggs, and salty Asiago make for a deliciously easy breakfast, brunch, or even and easy dinner.

Kale & Asiago Frittata Recipe | Set the Table

So, here's to a healthier, happier year!

Click here to register for the 10 week course or to learn more about Go Sugar Free.

*The links provided in this post are affiliate links.

Kale & Asiago Frittata

Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 6-8 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 large eggs
• 1 bunch dinosaur kale, roughly chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup shredded Asiago cheese
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the olive oil in a 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat. (Make sure your pan is oven-safe.)
2. Add the onions and kale to the skillet and season lightly with salt and pepper.
3. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent and the kale has wilted slightly, about 3 minutes.
4. While the vegetables are cooking, whisk the eggs in a large bowl.
5. Pour the eggs into the skillet, right over the cooked kale and onion.
6. Allow the eggs to cook until they are just set on the bottom. As the eggs cook, use a rubber (heat-proof) spatula to separate the eggs from the edge of the skillet every once in a while.
7. Once the eggs are set on the bottom, start using the spatula to make a gap between the eggs and the skillet. Tilt the skillet so the runny eggs on top run to the bottom of the pan. Continue doing this until there is no longer a substantial amount of runny eggs on the top. The top will still appear wet.
8. Sprinkle the top of the frittata with the Asiago cheese and place under the broiler. Cook until the cheese has melted and starts to turn golden brown in spots.
9. Slice the fritata and serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Feel free to get creative with the kinds of cheese and veggies you put in your frittata. This is a great way to use leftover meat as well!