Eye-Caring and Vitamins Booster Juice

I guess that age has finally come. Some friends started to ask me if I have been experiencing symptoms of presbyopia. Perhaps yes, but I'm not quite sure the focusing issue and tiredness are because of that, or I just over-worked my eyes. 

For sure I need to cut back on phone time, stop checking Instagram and Facebook that often. Need to try to get some quality sleeping hours. Also start taking eye-care tablets. What else can I do, perhaps putting up an eye-caring combo while making juice at home?

Eye-caring and vitamins booster juice -

Ingredients (about 2 to 3 servings)?

• 1 1/2 loosely packed cups papaya
• 1 loosely packed cup carrot
• 1 loosely paced cup spinach
• 1 orange
• 1 green kiwi
• 3 cups cold water
• Some honey (optional)
• 2 walnuts (optional)

How?  

Only using the meaty part for the papaya, that means not the skin and not the seeds. Cut into chunks. Peel and slice the carrot to smaller pieces, destem and section the spinach, peel and separate the orange segments, scoop out the kiwi flesh and not using the skin. 

Add all the prepped ingredients to the blender. 

Along pour in 3 cups of cold water. For a sweeter taste, pour in some honey too. I actually added one tablespoon of honey here. Toss in couple walnuts if available.

Blend, pour, and serve. Use more water for a thinner consistency. However, I'd like to see heavy pulps when having homemade juice, feel much healthier that way.

By the way, for the orange, if you can't find seedless version, use other citrus instead. Just try to get the seedless variety to save up some works in the kitchen. 

Extended reading:

• Mixed fruit and vegetable juice using kale, carrot, blueberry, pear, and apple
• Cucumber and pineapple juice with a touch of mint leaves

Tuna Tataki Coated with Double Roasted White Sesame Seeds

Tuna tataki is like a bit fancy way to enjoy sashimi-grade fish. You take a whole log of sashi-grade tuna, give it a light seasoning then roll in toasted sesame seeds. To further bring out the flavors, a quick sear all around to get a cooked aroma on the outside paired with rare meat in the center.

After slicing and plating, some like to serve it with Japanese seasonings with sliced aromatics on top. To save some troubles, simply use store-bough ponzu sauce to complete the dish. Tuna tataki also goes hand in hand with Japanese sake (don't drink and drive), perhaps one can think of it as Japanese style tapas.

Tuna tataki coated with double roasted white sesame seeds - 

Ingredients?

• 1 log/about 180 grams sushi-grade tuna
• Some olive oil
• Some salt
• 2 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds
• Some chives (optional)

Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons mirin
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

How?

Pour some toasted white sesame seeds to a plate. I used double roasted white sesame seeds, which has a hand-ground texture like using mortar and pestle. The aroma is quite robust, so I chose to use the white sesame seeds only. If using regular toasted sesame seeds, you can mix in some black sesame seeds too if preferred. 

Rub the sashimi-grade tuna with olive oil then roll onto the sesame seeds to get an even coating on all sides, except for both ends. 

Use a non-stick pan and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Switch to medium heat and wait till the oil gets hot. Not warm, we need it hot. 

It's easier to maneuver the fish with your hands, just be careful not to get burned. Transfer the fish to the pan and give it a nice sear all around, except for the ends. It happens really quickly, probably 10 seconds depending on how thick the log you're using.

What I do is by rolling and changing sides for the fish log using my hands, but again, be careful not to get burned. The tuna is ready when the outside turns cooked white color and the center still remains raw or semi-raw. 

Transfer the fish to a plate and into the freezer while we work on the sauce. It'll help firming up the meat and will be easier to slice without breaking the edges later on.

Take a chunk of the ginger and scrape the skin. Grate the ginger to get 1/2 teaspoon of it. Add that along with all other ingredients listed under the "sauce" section to a bowl. Whisk till the sugar has been fully dissolved. Taste and adjust to your liking if needed.

Take the tuna out. Use a sharp knife and slice to single-bite size pieces, like what you get for sashimi. Plate and wait a few more minutes, till the tuna has come back to room temperature, on a slightly colder side is fine.

Pour over the sauce. If using chives, give it a fine chop and garnish on top.

As good as the tuna tataki works with Japanese sake, I actually finished the dish as it is, no drinks involved. Turned out the whole plate became me and Mister's weekend morning snack. A little energy boost before we head out and grab a full late lunch couple hours after.

Wait, I suddenly realized that was one hella expensive "snack" and was gone in like 10 minutes.

Extended reading:

• Salmon crudo in Asian seasonings
• Yellowtail and scallop crudo with ponzu and sriracha

Simplified Mizutaki Using Kombu Dashi 水炊き

Mizutaki 水炊き is a type of Japanese hot pot with chicken as its main ingredients. The stock base varies, I would say using chicken stock results in a thick and umami-burst outcome. But there's also a lighter version using kombu, a type of dried kelp for the soup base. 

As far as this recipe goes, let's try the simple-tasting route but glorified with aromatic Japanese ponzu for the dipping sauce.

Simplified mizutaki using kombu dashi 水炊き -  

Ingredients?

• 1 big piece boneless chicken leg
• 10 oyster mushrooms
• 6 shiitake mushrooms
• 250 grams Chinese cabbage
• 150 grams mizuna (Japanese mustard greens)
• 1 big piece/box fried tofu (soft kind)
• 1/2 daikon radish
• 1/2 carrot
• Some steamed rice (optional)

Stock:

• 1 medium piece kombu
• Some room temperature water

Sauce:

• Some ponzu sauce
• Some grated daikon
• Some chives or scallion

How?

Precook the rice if decide to serve this hot pot meal with it. Otherwise you can simply enjoy the hot pot as it is, or even cook some noodles or udon in the end. 

Fill a medium pot with room temperature water and add in kombu. I used a scissor to cut the kombu to square pieces, so it'll fit inside the pot.

Switch to medium heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Not boiling, but close to that temperature point. Once ready, turn-off the heat and set aside for later use.

Slice the boneless chicken leg into medium bite size pieces. I also use skin-on chicken, need some of that oil to further "smoothen" the consistency of the stock.

Destem the shiitake mushrooms, perhaps slice-off some parts on the cap to make a pattern, but not necessary though. This is more like a bit appealing to the eye. Separate the oyster mushrooms, tear them into thinner threads for larger ones.

Peel and slice the carrot to smaller chunks, do the same for daikon. I would cut these two either thinner or smaller so they can turn chopstick-tender sooner during the cooking process.

Destem the leafy greens and slice to shorter sections. Quickly drench the tofu in hot water to draw out excess oil. Drain out excess liquid and set aside.

Pour the store-bought ponzu sauce to serving bowls. Grate some daikon and add to the sauce. Also finely chop some chives or scallion and add to the sauce. You can even chop up some fresh red chilies for a spicy taste.

Back to the hot pot, arrange the ingredients throughout the pot, then transfer the chicken to the center. Pour in kombu stock till just about reaching the top of the ingredients.

Put on the lid and switch to medium heat. Bring the pot to a light bubbling stage, continue to cook for couple more minutes.

Remove the lid and let it cook for one to two more minutes, or till the chicken has been fully cooked-through then the mizutaki will be ready to serve.

If your pot works with an induction cooker, you can even serve the mizutaki right on the spot. The induction cooker can keep the stock hot at all times, and you can only cook the tender leafy greens when needed, just like enjoying a regular shabu shabu.

The ponzu sauce works really well with lighter stock version mizutaki. The fruity and citrusy aroma definitely brighten the natural sweetness from all the ingredients.

In the case of mizutaki with heavier chicken stock base, I'm not so sure if ponzu will match the flavors that well. I might just keep it simple and enjoy the hot pot itself without extra dipping sauce on the side.  

Filipino Adobo Pork - Adding Vinegar Makes Quite a Difference

Cebu might not be the most "Filipino" place in Philippines, but during my visit there, I find myself falling for some of their national dishes, taking adobo pork as one example. The braised pork is actually pretty similar to some of the braised pork versions from Taiwan, but with a big difference in the seasonings used.

Filipino adobo pork requires vinegar, and by all means not just like one tablespoon or few drops of it. For my 425 grams of pork belly used, I actually poured in 1/4 cup of vinegar. Sounds a lot, and I'm not surprised if someone would imagine this dish to be very sourish. However, after cooking down the meat for 30 minutes or so, all that vinegary taste was gone, leaving tender pork as a result, and it was so delicious.

Filipino adobo pork - 

Ingredients?

• 425 grams pork belly
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cane vinegar or rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup water

How?

Slice the pork belly to medium chunks. Peel and smash the garlic cloves.

Bring out a pot, add in pork belly and turn to medium heat. There's no need to drizzle any oil here, the pork belly will start rendering some fat to the pot.

Continue to sear till both sides turn slightly browned and some fats start to render.

Add in smashed garlics, 2 bay leaves, and 2 teaspoons of black peppercorns. Note that we want the whole peppercorns, not the ground kind. Mix and sear for one minute.

Add in brown sugar, stir and cook for couple minutes.

Pour in soy sauce, cane or rice vinegar, and water. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to keep the mixture at a light bubbling stage. Put the lid on and continue to cook for about 30 minutes.

Remove the lid and stir the mixture. Switch to higher heat if needed. The goal is to reduce and condense the sauce in order to get a slightly sticky and thickened consistency in the end. Mine took about 2 minutes only.

The pork should be ready by now. I chose to serve the adobo pork with quinoa basmati rice and some steamed veggies on the side. 

I think the vinegar really helps in breaking in the meat here, so even after searing and braising, the pork turned out pretty tender in the end while having a concentrated seasoned crust on the outside. It has both the sweet and savory qualities with a bit lingering peppery and herbal note 

There's one other Filipino dish I really enjoyed while visiting Cebu. Sinigang, that's the name. After Googling it, I learnt that the soup was actually more like a stew with a distinct sourness from tamarind. No wonder I like it so much, I'm the person who always ask for tamarind juice whenever the restaurant sells it. 

Give me more time to dig into sinigang recipes, and hopefully I can put up another Filipino recipe that's at least 90% similar to the taste from my travel memories. 

A Warm and Soothing Touch - Soy Milk Zosui

Enjoying soy milk as it is shouldn't be too hard to relate. Some also used it in oatmeal or blending into other drinks. In Taiwan, we also enjoy "savory" soy milk for breakfast, in which the consistency is curdled by vinegar and usually served with various toppings such as preserved mustard greens, dried shrimp, meat floss, and chili oil.

I'm not sure about the western part, but using soy milk in savory dishes doesn't sound like an alien idea to Asians. And this time I'm going to use soy milk as the base for zosui, like porridge or Japanese rice soup. Unlike the usual zosui, the end result will give you a fuller consistency, some sort of warm and soothing touch.

Soy milk zosui - 

Ingredients (about 6 portions)?

• 2 rice measuring cups white rice
• 1 pack/sheet yuba (dried tofu skin)
• 3 cups unsweetened soy milk
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 3 cups drinkable hot water
• 390 grams chicken tenders
• 2 tablespoons Japanese tsuyu
• 1 teaspoon corn starch
• 250 grams tong ho, mizuna, or other aromatic tender leafy greens
• 250 grams spinach
• 150 grams mushroom of your liking
• Few nori sheets
• Some salt

How?

I like to precook the rice and use it the day after, but it's up to you. Once the grains are done, fluff and set aside or store in the fridge till cooking day. 

Slice the yuba or other type of dried tofu skin into thin strips. Trim the mushroom of your choice and slice or tear into suitable size. Trim the ends for the leafy greens and cut into 2 to 3 inch sections.

Remove the tendons from chicken tenders then slice the meat to bite size pieces. Transfer to a bowl along with 2 tablespoons of Japanese tsuyu and 1 teaspoon of corn starch. Give the meat a quick massage and let it marinate while we keep working on the rest steps. 

It doesn't really matter if you're using double condensed or triple condensed tsuyu, since we are going to adjust the final saltiness mainly with salt in the end.

Use a big pot, add in 3 cups of unsweetened soy milk, 3 cups of chicken stock, and 3 cups of drinkable hot water. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to keep it at a light bubbling stage. Taste and season with some salt first, I added 2 teaspoons here.

Note that we are going to use salt for the saltiness in order to keep the zosui lighter color. If using Chinese soy sauce, the whole pot might turn slightly browned in the end. 

Add in cooked rice. Mix and let it cook a bit longer or till the rice appears denser and fuller, about 5 minutes.

Add in chicken and mushrooms. Separate them by swirling the ingredients. Cook for 3 minutes.

Add in all the leafy greens and top with tofu skin strips. Like the picture below, all the greens and tofu skin might seem overflowing the pot at first, but don't worry, these ingredients will start to wilt and shrink dramatically in just about 3 to 4 minutes.

Do a final check on the consistency and saltiness. Add more liquid if needed. I actually added 1 more teaspoon of salt here. Once checked, scoop to serving bowls, tear up some nori sheets and add on top of the zosui.

The nori sheet will further enhance the flavor, a slight addition of umami taste. I prefer big torn pieces, but the nice looking thin strips are good too. 

Extended reading:

• Tomato bamboo shoot and pork zosui 番茄竹筍豬肉雜炊
• Minced beef and vegetable congee 蔬菜牛肉粥
• Salmon and shiso zosui 
• Sweet potato congee 地瓜粥
• Savory Taiwanese congee 台式鹹粥

Food I Love and Miss Back From High School Years - Sloppy Joes

I bet I'm the few Taiwanese who actually had a food memory about sloppy joes, a type of sandwich with ground beef filling seasoned with some sort of tomato sauce, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce.

The connection between sloppy joes and I traced back during high school year. During my stay in Minnesota, the local church used to serve sloppy joes after Sunday service. I believe I also had it at school lunches once a while. 

Sloppy Joes are not so common outside the central part of America I think, not mentioning Taiwan. So if I have a craving for it, I need to make it myself. Good thing that it's not like mad science and so hard to figure out, the version I came up with pretty much matches the flavor profile from my memory.

Sloppy Joes - 

Ingredients (about 6 servings)?

• 540 grams ground beef
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 medium yellow onion
• 2 garlic cloves
• 6 sets hamburger buns
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 2 dashes Tabasco sauce (optional)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Some chips (optional)

How?

Peel and dice the onion to smaller than usual size, but not like tiny cubes. Peel and chop the garlic cloves. Destem and remove the pits for the bell pepper, then chop the bell pepper to smaller cubes.

Bring out a big pan or use a Dutch oven, add 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter together with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Turn to medium heat and wait till the butter starts to melt. 

Add in ground beef, cook and separate the meat. Continue to sear till the color changes and the meat fully separated. Scoop out the beef, including the juice and set aside for later use.

Drizzle 1 more tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and still use medium heat. Add in the onion along with 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Add the bell pepper and garlic. Stir-fry till aromatic but not burn the garlic bits. 

Transfer the beef back along with its juice, give it a quick mix.

Add 1/2 cup of ketchup, 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of yellow mustard, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon of red chili flakes, 1 teaspoon of brown sugar, and couple dashes of Tabasco sauce. Mix and cook till combined.

Continue to cook for about 10 minutes, so all the ingredients will bind together nicely and the consistency starts to thicken. You can cook 1 to 2 minutes longer depending on how the mixture looks, and how dense you'd prefer.

Toast some hamburger buns. I simply heat up the center sides by putting the buns on a clean nonstick pan. Switch to medium heat and once hot enough, the buns will start to brown. Be careful though, once reaching that heat point, the buns can get toasted fairly quickly, so don't leave them on the pan for too long.

Add one or two spoonful of the ground beef mixture to the buns and serve with chips or some pickles.

I believe that I have not yet seeing any single sloppy joes in Taiwan. Perhaps they'll have it at local American school, but outside that circle, not that I know of. 

Besides sloppy joes, there are so many other comforting food memories from Minnesota, such as my host family's homemade bread, roasted chicken, all sort of casseroles, and wild rice soup. Glad that even though some of these food might be hard to find in Taiwan, at least I have the skill to make them myself. 

So what I'm planning to do in the near future will be something wild rice based. I have a pack of it right in the cabinet, just need to figure out which flavor profile I should tackle with next.

Extended reading:

• One pot chicken broccoli rice casserole  
• Tater tot casserole 

Zucchini and Squash Pasta with Parsley and Mint Sauce

If you're not too familiar with using mint in savory dishes, this idea can feel bizarre at first. You might imagine the dish will have a strong minty taste and not too appetizing. That can be the case if using a whole bunch of mint leaves. However, we are talking about just a small handful for 2 to 3 servings. So all you get is a bit of herbal refreshing touch, and definitely not "minty" at all. Try it and you'll know better.

Zucchini and squash pasta with parsley and mint sauce - 

Ingredients (for 2 to 3 servings)?

• 250 grams spaghetti
• 300 grams shrimps (I used big red shrimps)
• 1/2 medium zucchini
• 1/2 medium squash
• 1/2 lemon
• Some olive oil
• Some salt
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 loosely packed cup parsley
• 1 loosely packed cup mint leaves
• Some aged Parmigiano Reggiano (optional)

How?

Peel and devein the shrimp. The big red shrimp I used was already prepped, so there's no shell for me to utilize. If you do, add in the shells and the heads to a pot together with some olive oil. Sear till aromatic then drain to keep the oil only.

Finely chop the parsley and mint leaves. Flat leaf parsley preferable but the curly kind is fine too. Peel and chop the garlic cloves. Trim-off the tips for the zucchini and squash, then cut to thin strips, about 3-inch in length. 

Bring a big pot of water to a boil and season some salt. Cook the pasta till nearly al dente. Save about 1 cup of pasta water then drain the rest.

Have a big pot or big pan ready, drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil or use the aromatic oil after searing the shrimp shells and shrimp heads. Add in garlic along with 1 tablespoon of capers and 1 teaspoon of salt. Switch to medium heat and cook till aromatic but not burn the garlic bits.

Transfer zucchini and squash strips over and stir-fry till softened. Taste and season with more salt. 

Add the shrimps and cook till almost cooked-through. Pour in some pasta water and let the oil and water cook till they appear to be infused with each other more. I added 1/3 cup of pasta water here. 

Transfer drained pasta and mix till evenly blended.

Add 1 loosely packed cup of chopped parsley and 1 loosely packed cup of chopped mint. Toss till combined. Add half of the lemon zest then squeeze some lemon juice for a brighter note. 

Plate and drizzle some olive oil over, the pasta will be ready to serve. I like to enjoy this dish dairy-free. However, if you'd like, you can grate some aged Parmigiano Reggiano over for a savory boost. 

Besides using mint, I also love the idea of cutting zucchini and squash to thin strips instead of the much more usual shapes such as slices and chunks. In a way the strips can blend in with the spaghetti nicely since they hold similar shapes. And swirling up pasta with these veggies mixed within was fun.

Zucchini and squash must stay, so do the parsley and mint. But if you don't feel like shrimps, chicken or scallops are two other great options suitable with this flavor combo. 

Other recipes using mint:

• Cucumber and pineapple juice with a touch of mint leaves
• Toasted baguette served with burrata, serrano ham, and parsley mint pesto