Category Archives: Recipes

Teriyaki Salmon

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  • 1 lb. salmon filet
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. water
  • 1/2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
  • 1 inch fresh ginger
  • 1/2 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp. rice wine
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 Tbsp. sriracha
  • Make the teriyaki marinade by whisking together the soy sauce, water, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, brown sugar, rice wine, and corn starch (use a vegetable peeler to remove the ginger skin and then grate with a fine toothed cheese grater).
  • Cut the salmon filet into four equal sized portions and place in a large zip top bag. Pour the marinade over top, remove as much air as possible and close up the bag. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, mixing the bag occasionally to redistribute the marinade.
  • Heat a large, well oiled skillet over medium/high heat. It’s a good idea to use a non-stick surface here too just to be safe (teflon or well seasoned cast iron). The teriyaki sauce gets thick and sticky when cooked. Once the skillet is hot, add the fish, face down. Cook on all four sides for 2-3 minutes each side or until the fish has reached your desired doneness.

Pineapple Kimchi and hot sauce

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  • 5 lbs. pineapple (gross weight; this is around one large or two small pineapples); then remove top, peel, core, and cube into 3/4″ or 1″ pieces
  • 1 TBSP additive free salt (or 2.5% of net weight of cubed pineapple)
  • 3 large garlic cloves, peeled & halved
  • 1 small nub ginger (~7-8g), cut into a few slices
  • 3 green onions, cut into 1/2″ slices
  • 1 TBSP fish sauce (or aminos)
  • Gochugaru powder (around 1/3 cup)
  • Optional: Added hot peppers or red chili flake as desired (gochugaru powder alone won’t make a very hot sauce)
  • If making hot sauce sauce: 1/3 cup white vinegar & 1/4 cup pineapple juice (can substitute juice with more vinegar if needed)

1.) Prepare the pineapple as described, then place in the mixing bowl and evenly coat with the salt. Allow to sit out for 1.5 – 2 hours. (Covering the bowl with plastic wrap is recommended.)

2.) After sufficient time has passed, much of the pineapple’s juice will have accumulated in the bowl. Strain out the brine (probably around 1/3 cup of salty pineapple juice will form) and measure it by volume. Use an equal amount of gochugaru powder. Place both the “brine” and gochugaru, in the blender. Add the garlic, ginger, fish sauce (or alternatives), and any optional hot peppers. Blend until a smooth paste has formed.

3.) Add the paste to the pineapple cubes. Cut up and add the green onions as well. Wearing gloves, mix the paste thoroughly and evenly with the pineapple.

4.) Using the canning funnel, transfer the pineapple cubes to the jar, add airlock lid and seal. Ferment for 4-6 days (recommended). If you like, you can try a sample after several days and see if you’ve achieved the amount of fermentation desired.

After the allotted time, transfer to fridge or start eating!

Pineapple kimchi hot sauce:

1.) Place the fermented pineapple kimchi and all the sauce into the blender. Blend on high for a minute, along with the added vinegar and pineapple juice.

2.) Transfer sauce to saucepan and completely rinse out the blender. (You will use the blender again and don’t want living bacteria to remain in it, which can restart the ferment if it makes contact with the cooked sauce.)

3.) Heat the sauce on high and stir until boiling. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20-30 minutes.

4.) After the allotted time, bring sauce back to the clean blender and blend on high for 4-5 minutes, pulsing periodically.

5.) Using the sauce funnel as needed, transfer the sauce to a container or sauce bottles. (At minimum these should be very clean from hot water or dishwasher, if not a full sanitizing.)

Black Garlic

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Place the rice cooker in an area with good ventilation (near a window).  Peel the outer skin of garlic so that you can see the separation of garlic cloves.  Put whole garlic bulbs in one layer in a rice cooker.  Close the lid on the rice cooker and press the button ‘Keep Warm.’  Leave it as is for 9 days.  

After 9 days, turn off the rice cooker, take out the garlic bulbs and rest to let them come to room temperature.  Peel – it’s an easy process since the cloves are mostly separated from the skin at this point – and place the cloves on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Cover with another parchment and air-dry in a cool area for a week.  As a side note, I ended with about 80% of what I started with because I kept eating the garlic in the drying process.

Keep them refrigerated in a container.

Pho Flavoured Cherry Tomatoes

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  • 1 rounded TBSP pho spice blend per quart jar (excludes cinnamon stick) — pho spice typically consists of star anise, fennel, clove, coriander and/or cardamom. (You will have to make your own blend if you can’t find it pre-made.)
  • 1 cinnamon stick & black cardamom pod (it should come in a pre-made pho spice pack)
  • 4-5 cloves garlic, quartered
  • 4-5 sprigs Thai basil (preferred but other basil can be substituted if needed)
  • Several stalks of cilantro, ~10g
  • Nub of ginger, thinly sliced (~15g)
  • Very firm cherry tomatoes (any variety) to fill your container (not fully ripened is best)
  • 1 TBSP + 1 tsp additive-free salt (or use a 4 – 4.5% brine) dissolved in 2 filtered cups water
  • For a spicy version: 1-2+ sliced jalapenos, red or green
  • 1-2 tsp peppercorns
  • 1 TBSP lime juice and zest of lime
  • 1-2 TBSP fish sauce
  • Wash all the produce including the basil
  • Coarsely crush all the spices in mortar & pestle and place them in the cooking pot along with the cinnamon stick, salt, peppercorns (if used), and water (2 cups per quart jar), bring to a boil, then turn off heat  and allow to cool to room temperature (or colder). (Alternately, just make a cold saltwater brine, shaking the salt and spices in a sealed jar until the salt has fully dissolved. This method is faster but will not make as strong of a flavor.)
  • Slice any peppers used (spicy or otherwise)
  • In the jar, put in the tomatoes, lime juice, fish sauce, ginger, garlic, hot pepper slices, and any other produce used, ending with the basil and cilantro on top
  • Fill the jar with the spiced salt water brine until it reaches about 1.5″ from the top. Keep all spices and the cinnamon stick in the jar.
  • Top everything with fermentation weight
  • Conclude with placement of the lid and an airlock or any preferred device, otherwise use the standard lid and burp it every 1-2 days
  • The tomatoes will normally be flavorful and effervescent within 3-5 days. The flavor will continue to develop in the refrigerator, but tomatoes will go soft within a couple weeks.

Beet Kvass

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  • 4 medium beets, cleaned and cubed (or mix and match with other root veggies like turnip and daikon)
  • 2 carrots, sliced
  • 1 large piece of ginger, sliced
  • 1.5 TBSP non-iodized salt dissolved in 4.5 cups filtered, distilled, or otherwise clean water. (This will make ~2% brine salinity, ideal for beets and a quick ferment)

Rinse and clean the produce

Cube the beets to about 1/2″ pieces; slice the carrot and ginger

Place the produce in the jar.

To make the saltwater brine, place the salt in a jar with the water and shake vigorously for a minute or two. Alternately, you can heat the water until the salt dissolves in it, but then wait for it to return to room temperature.

Pour the saltwater into the jar until it reaches the shoulder. Then add any weights and determine if any more (or less) brine is needed. About 4 cups in all will be used. (Excess brine can be placed in a ziploc and placed on top of the veggies.)

Keep the ferment on a shelf out of direct sunlight for fermenting. You can store in the fridge at any time but be aware it will greatly slow the rate of fermentation.

Ferment length: Although some people will start drinking it within a couple days, waiting longer will yield more probiotic bacteria. You may enjoy the flavor even more too. Consider a length of several days to a week, and perhaps make a second batch to see what it tastes like after a few weeks. I personally like very fermented beets for eating (around 3+ months), so you could also keep the beets going at room temperature once you’ve had the drink. You could do this by replacing the brine. Which brings us to the next point…

Bread and Butter Pickles

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  • 2 lbs. small/pickling cucumbers
  • 2 TBSP salt
  • 1 cup (75 g) thinly sliced sweet onion (or substitute with other onion)
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1.5 cups white vinegar
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp celery seeds
  • 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

OPTIONAL: 1/4 tsp whole coriander seeds5 allspice berries5 cloves1 bay leaf; For spicy bread & butters: 1-2 jalapenos (or more), slice

Wash and then slice cucumbers into 1/4” slices

In a large bowl, gently mix the salt and the cucumber slices evenly. Allow to sit for about 1.5 hours. (Covering with plastic wrap recommended)

After the allotted time, strain and then thoroughly rinse the cucumbers. Place them back in the mixing bowl and add the sliced onions.

Combine all the spices into a mortar and pestle and lightly crush. (Or you can place in a plastic bag and lightly crush with a rolling pin.) The bay leaf can be kept whole or crushed by hand.

In the saucepan, add the white and apple cider vinegar and the white and brown sugar. Heat on medium heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Add all the spices to the saucepan, reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Just before pouring the brine over the cucumbers, bring the brine to a low boil.

Place the cucumber/onion mix in a half gallon jar (or divide between two quart jars if needed). Slowly pour the heated brine mixture over the cucumbers and allow to stand for one hour.

Transfer to the refrigerator and allow at least 1-2 days before opening. (Full flavor penetration will be after several days to a week but they’re tasty even after a day if you don’t have the time or patience.)

Panko Cauliflower Bits

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  • 1 head cauliflower cut into bite sizes
  • 1 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp pepper
  • 2 large eggs beaten

Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a sheet tray with parchment paper or aluminum foil.Wash cauliflower and pat dry. Cut into pieces.Add panko to a small bowl.Add flour, salt, and pepper to another small bowl and stir together.Add 2 eggs to another small bowl and beat.You now have 3 bowls with the flour, the egg mixture, and the panko.Use the stem of cauliflower to hold, dip the floret first in the flour, then into the egg and finally into the panko.Place on a sheet tray so that they’re not touching.Repeat process with all the cauliflower.Bake at 450 degrees 30 minutes.

Stuffing

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  • 1 (16-ounce) loaf sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 (16-ounce) package breakfast sausage
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 sweet onion, diced
  • 2 celery ribs, diced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken stock

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil a 9 x 13 baking dish or coat with nonstick spray. Spread bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place into oven and bake until crisp and golden, about 10-13 minutes; set aside. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook until browned, about 5-8 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks. Drain excess fat; transfer sausage to a paper towel-lined plate. Melt butter in the skillet. Add garlic, onion and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in parsley, sage, thyme and rosemary until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in bread and sausage; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in chicken stock until absorbed and well combined. let stand 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed.* Spread bread mixture into the prepared baking dish. Place into oven and bake until top is browned, about 30-35 minutes.

Roasted Beet Relish

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  • 3 cups cubed, peeled beets (~2 large or 3 small beets)
  • 2 tsp. avocado oil
  • 1/4 tsp. sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1-2 tsp. maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp. lime zest
  • 1-2 tbsp. lime juice

Heat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add peeled, cubed beets to a medium mixing bowl along with avocado oil, salt, and cumin.

Roast beets for 35-40 minutes, or until fork tender and slightly golden brown / caramelized, tossing once at the 20-minute mark to ensure even baking. The longer they bake, the more tender and caramelized they become, but be careful not to overcook / burn, or they can become crispy and tough.

Once roasted, add back to the mixing bowl from earlier and season with maple syrup, lime zest, and lime juice, and mix. Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more lime juice for acidity, lime zest for citrus flavor, cumin for smokiness, salt to taste, or maple syrup for sweetness.