salad – At Home With Theresa

Japanese Potato Salad

November 24, 2020November 23, 2020Theresa PizarroLeave a comment

Do you like potato salad? I know I LOVE starchy potato salad in all it’s variations!

This is a very tasty, Japanese style potato salad recipe. The potatoes are steamed to a point that it is soft enough that you can mash them, but you don’t, so you have some smooth mashed potatoes (from mixing) and chunks at the same time. Add in some ham, chopped boiled eggs, sliced cucumbers, and sliced carrots and this is nothing like your average potato salad! 😋

Serve it as a side to your main meals like any other potato salad. I sometimes grab a bowl of this straight from the fridge and eat it while watching TV, or reading. Or try it as a sandwich filling between two super soft and milky Japanese style pullman bread – yum!

Ingredients:

3-4 potatoes, peeled, cubed, and steamed until soft

1 cucumber, thinly sliced

1/2 cup carrot, thinly sliced

¼ cup sliced onions

1 – 2 cups chopped ham

2 hard boiled eggs, roughly chopped

1/2 – 1 cup Kewpie Japanese mayonnaise

1 tsp white vinegar

1 tsp hot mustard

1/2 – 1 teaspoon salt

Paprika, to serve

Procedure:

1. Steam the cubed potatoes until fork tender. Set aside to cool.

2. Thinly slice the cucumbers, onions, and carrots. I use a mandolin or a food processor to do this. I used Persian Cucumbers in this recipe as they are thin skinned and small enough that I just wash and slice them. Makes life easy!

3. Place sliced vegetables in a bowl and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Toss gently and set aside for a few minutes until it weeps. Then grab a handful of veggies, squeeze tightly and place in another bowl. Repeat with the remaining salted vegetables.

4. Chop ham into bite sized pieces. They look nice when the sizes are identical, but if not, that’s okay too! It’ll still be delicious!

5. Now grab a big bowl, and mix everything together. Mix well, taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

6. Refrigerate until cold. Sprinkle with paprika just before serving. Serve and enjoy!

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Electric Lunchbox #47: Quinoa Salad/Tabouli

September 1, 2020March 25, 2021Theresa PizarroLeave a comment

Let’s start September right with a vegetarian side dish!

Quinoa!

It’s getting cooler in the evenings here in Southern California, but still really hot in the daytime. And for lunch, I usually want some protein and a salad. I am not a fan of leaf salads, though. I like pasta, potato, or grain salad. Like this one here.

You can easily make this a good meal by grilling some chicken or steak to go with it. Or add some fried tofu to keep it vegetarian. Yum either way!

Remember to wash your quinoa really well, otherwise it will taste soapy/bitter. I do this by placing it in a fine meshed strainer and rinsing under running water, or swirling it in a bowl of water, changing it a few times. Drain well and then it’s ready to be cooked.

*NOTE that this recipe uses regular sized measuring cups, NOT the tiny ELB cup, unless specified.*

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1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed very well

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon olive oil

1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 stalk green onion

1/4 red bell pepper

1 garlic clove, minced or 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

A handful of cilantro/parsley, chopped

Salt to taste

Additional olive oil, if desired

1. Place quinoa, water, and olive oil in the big bowl of the ELB .

2. Place the bowl in the ELB and add 2 ELB cups of water to the base. Cover and let steam until it shuts off, about 35 minutes.

*Bell peppers from my garden can’t decide if they want to be green or red!*

3. Meanwhile, chop green onions and bell peppers. Mix with garlic, cilantro/parsley, and a generous pinch of salt. Set aside.

4. Check quinoa for doneness. If needed, add 1/2 to 1 ELB cup of water and steam until done.

5. Mix cooked quinoa with the chopped vegetables and squeeze in the lemon juice. Taste, adjust seasoning, and add additional olive oil if needed.

6. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

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Cauliflower Ceviche

August 7, 2020September 26, 2020Theresa PizarroLeave a comment

A recipe perfect for summer meals, this dish can be used as a side for grilled or fried meats, as a dip for tortilla chips, or just as a simple salad. It’s light and refreshing, plus you get the vegetable your body needs in a delicious meal.

It is so easy easy to make and it doesn’t require you to turn on the stove. A winner in super hot days! If you want to make this even easier to make, feel free to use the ready made bags of “riced cauliflower” available in most grocery stores instead of chopping the cauliflower yourself.

I usually buy a head of cauliflower, remove the stem and leaves, roughly chop it in pieces and process it in the Thermomix – takes about 5 seconds. A food processor would work the same, but if you have a small one, process in batches so that you won’t end up with cauliflower puree. In a pinch, a good knife and a chopping board with some elbow grease will do too!