Winter Panzanella Salad with Fennel, Grapefruit and Avocado

I never said it before this season, but I hate Winter. It's been slowly wringing the life out of me. It's too cold to breathe outside let alone work out or enjoy the hypothetical sunshine. One day it's a snowstorm with high winds, the next day it thaws out and the whole state is covered in black ice. The next day come the pot holes bigger than flat screens at Best Buy and then it's thunderstorms.

Weather aside, the worst part about Winter is focus on fitness. Salads and healthy snacks turn into giant heaping piles of potatoes and stewed meats. Afternoons that I would spend taking a walk with the dog or jogging to the gym end up being wasted away on the couch in fear of stepping outside for a minute longer than required. I know this is the worst Winter is many decades, but I'm convinced to live in a state where "Winter" means 40 degrees or higher.

So in an effort to steer clear from comfort food and to get back to healthy, I made this salad. Granted it's not the most satisfying meal, but it's fresh and flavorful.

Winter Panzanella Salad

1 cup of bread, cubed and toasted with olive oil, salt and pepper
1/2 fennel bulb
1/2 cup of red onion, thinly sliced
2 large grapefruit
1 large or two small avocado, diced
1 tbsp fennel fronds from bulb
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp honey
1 bag prewashed mixed greens
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Take bread, day old is fine, and cut into 1 inch cubes. Lay out on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over cubes and dust with salt and pepper. Bake in oven for 5-10 minutes until bread is crusty, like a crouton. If you have a heartier bread, it make take longer.

Take fennel bulb and slice very thinly on a mandolin or with a knife. Raw fennel is quite potent, so if you slice it thinner, it won't be as strong. Do the same with red onion.

Cut the top and bottom of grapefruit so it can stand without rolling over. Use knife to peel the zest and pith (the white part) off of the grapefruit, exposing the citrus segments. Take a smaller knife (paring knife is good) and segment the grapefruit. That means cut in the inner part of each segment on both sides, to have a wedge without the skin or lining of the fruit.

In a small bowl, squeeze out the remaining juice from one grapefruit after you have taken out all the segments. Take out any seeds and add olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey and chopped fennel fronds. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Combine mixed greens, sliced fennel, red onion, grapefruit segments, avocado and bread into a bowl. Lightly toss. Reserve dressing til service. If you add the dressing too early, the bread will soak up the dressing and could become soggy. Serve and enjoy!

-Akemi-chan

Mango Avocado Salad

The smell of mangoes immediately sends me back to my childhood. My Grandma's old house (the house my mother grew up in) had a huge mango tree. Though I didn't eat much mango as a child, the smell of the fruit hanging from branches filled my nose whenever I played in her backyard. I get a rush of imaginary Hawaiian breezes and green grass whenever I'm near a ripe mango.

Luckily for me mangoes are on sale at all the markets. 10 for $10 is what they're going for now, or at least at some of the stores. Not as good as corn (5 for a buck) but I'll take it. Although mangoes are kind of a pain to peel and cut, the flavor is juicy and sweet and worth the mess. Must make more things with mango! Let's start with something easy and decadent.

Mango Avocado Salad (inspired by Sunny Anderson's recipe)

1 mango, peeled and cubed

1 avocado, cubed

1 lime, juiced

1 tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup onion, diced

salt and pepper to taste

cilantro (optional)

Place mango, avocado and onion in a bowl. Combine lime juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and pour over salad. Top with cilantro and mix together. Enjoy!

Cubing the mango

Excuse my chipped bowl

This is basically a free form, chunky guacamole without the spice. Although, some red pepper flake might be nice in here for next time. Anyway, this is great as a dip with chips, or a topping for a leafier salad, or just on the side of a grilled sausage on a bun. It's perfect for Summer and a nice way to cool down.

More mangoes to come...

-Akemi-chan

Avocado Salmon Crostini and Soju Lime Spritzer

It's no secret that I love avocado. I could eat avocado every day if my waistline and bank account would let me. Even though I love guacamole, sometimes you gotta shake it up and make something a little more inspired. Combine the rich, fatty and creaminess of avocado with the rich, flakiness of salmon and you got yourself a deal. Warning: you may over load yourself with "good" fats and deliciousness with this fun finger food.

To start us off, I made a Soju Lime Spritzer, the perfect Summer cocktail. It's smooth, light and refreshing and light on calories.

Soju Lime Spritzer

2 shots Soju, you can substitute with vodka
2 limes, juiced
club soda
elderflower liqueur
sliced of lime, optional

Ina shaker, or glass, shake/ stir Soju, lime juice and ice until cold. Pour mixture intl a rocks glass with a slice of lime. Top off with club soda and splash of elderflower liqueur. 

Now for the main event. Introducing the Avocado Salmon Crostini.

Avocado Salmon Crostini

1/2 loaf of French bread
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large clove of garlic
1 cup salmon, flaked (I baked a filet in the oven and saved the rest for salads)
1 avocado
1 ear of corn
1 lime, zested and juiced
diced onion, optional
cilantro
red pepper flake, optional
salt and pepper

I baked a plank of salmon in the oven until it was just a little pink in the middle. Took it out of the oven to cool and assembled my crostini.

To make the base of the crostini set oven to 300 degrees. While the oven heats up, slice the loaf of French bread diagonally, not into rounds. This will make the bread's surface area large for more toppings while still giving the bread a good crunch. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil to create a golden crust. I put my oil in a small bowl and brushed it on with a silicone brush. Bake in oven for 5-10 minutes or until bread gets crusty. Once bread is out of oven, take a clove of garlic and rub it against the surface of your toast, it will give it a garlicy flavor.

To make "guacamole" cube avocado and place into a medium bowl. Mash with a fork until you reach your desired consistency. You can grill your corn, or bake it in the oven, but I just steamed mine in the microwave. Cut the kernels off the cob and add to avocado. Add the lime juice and red onion and salt and pepper to taste and mix.

To assemble crostini dollop a tablespoon (or more) of avocado mixture onto toast. Top with a teaspoon of salmon and sprinkle with red pepper flake. If you don't like it spicy, omit the red pepper flake. Top with a single cilantro leaf on each crostini.

What a great excuse the eat dinner outdoors. A refreshing cocktail, a crunchy, creamy finger food and the sun still shining at 7:30pm. Cheers to Summer! Enjoy!

-Akemi-chan

Ham, Egg, Spinach and Avocado Sandwich

I love breakfast for lunch or dinner. Pancakes at noon or chicken and waffles for dinner and granola for dessert is my favorite. As far as I'm concerned, this sandwich can be eaten any time of day, all day. Thought I suppose it can qualify as a breakfast sandwich.

Ham, Egg, Spinach and Avocado Sandwich

1/8 ham steak
1 egg
4-6 leaves spinach
1/4 avocado, sliced
1 sandwich thin
cilantro (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

In a small saute pan over medium heat, spray non stick cooking spray and add ham steak. Cook until ham has warmed through, about 1 minute each side. Spray more cooking spray and crack one egg onto pan. Season with salt and pepper. After about 30 seconds, add a splash of water then cover pan to steam egg to desired runniness.

Meanwhile, assemble sandwich. 1 half of the sandwich thin on the bottom. Then add spinach, ham steak and avocado. After egg is done to your liking, add to top of sandwich and top off with cilantro. I like my eggs a little runny, so the yolk can soak into the bread.

If you don't have the sandwich thins, you can substitute for slices of regular bread, a bagel, a pita or even a tortilla.

-Akemi-chan

A Hawaiian Week in April Part 2

Before we get into the pictures, I wanted to share a meal my Mom and I whipped together one afternoon. I want to cook for my family, but between the fresh, local and affordable ingredients in Illinois and the expensive, shipped stuff in the Hawaii grocery, it gives me anxiety. I never cooked much in Hawaii, just here and there at the dorm and sometimes at home. But the flavors are so different that I feel intimidated by my family's tastes. 

I sadly have not mastered any "Asian" recipes and therefore have a slight aversion to them. Either way, this was a good compromise. Fresh with kale from my parent's garden, fish they already had at home and some convenient canned beans. Tacos anyone?

Trout tacos with kale, avocado, Greek yogurt and corn, black bean salsa

Tryin' to tan those white legs

One of Boyfriend and my favorite spot on the island is Ala Moana beach park. It brings back lot of memories from college, after class sun bathing and some romantic after dark strolls on the beach.

Sitting at our bench

Ala Moana beach park

There's one thing that I cannot deny. My family can throw a party. It's not going to be wild or full of dancing or loud music, but there will be lots of good conversation and fantastic food. 

STEAK

Portuguese bean soup

Shoyu chicken

Grilled pineapple

Lau lau

Somen salad

Tofu salad

Edamame rice

Steak... sliced

Cupcakes from The Girls Who Bake Next Door

Cream puffs

Butter mochi

Pies and cakes galore!

It was great seeing everyone at the party and I'm so happy my parents could pull it off so last minute. I have so many fond memories of family house parties like these that it truly makes me feel at home. But wait, there's more!... in Part 3.

-Akemi-chan

Homemade Pulled Pork Nachos and "Salsa" Soup

In less than a week, Boyfriend and I will journey to my motherland, Japan. Boyfriend's work is taking him to Tokyo for an international meeting and I convinced him to take me along. Let's face it, I wasn't going to turn down the opportunity to fly half way across the world, especially to Japan.

Since we're leaving the country in a few days, I figured we could save some money by having soup at home instead of going out to eat for a whole week.

We had some left over pulled pork from a few days ago, and I was going to make soup with kale and sweet potatoes and the pork. However, Boyfriend was dreaming of previously made nachos. No chips, no problem.

As far as the soup is concerned, it's not getting any warmer in Illinois, and soup seemed like the most reasonable option. Since I was making nachos anyway, it only made sense to make a salsa inspired soup.

Pulled Pork Nachos with Baked Tortilla Chips

8 taco-sized corn tortillas
non-stick spray
salt and pepper
1 cup of pulled pork, I used Kalua Pork recipe
1/2 avocado, cubed
2 cups cheese, shredded, I used pepperjack

For chips, spray each corn tortilla with non stick spray on both sides. Season with salt and pepper on both sides, you can add other seasonings if desired. Stack tortillas, like pancakes, and cut in half and then into quarters. Evenly space onto 2 baking sheets sprayed with non stick spray and bake in a 400 degree oven for 6-8 minutes, until chips are crispy.

While chips are baking, take a small saute pan and heat pulled pork. You may need some oil in the pan, depending on how fatty your pork is. Saute with salt and pepper until pork begins to turn golden brown. After chips are crisp, consolidate chips onto an oven-proof plate and cover with pulled pork and cheese.


Place nachos back into oven until cheese melts. Top with cubed avocado and another sprinkle of salt and pepper. Serve hot.

"Salsa" Soup

1 tbsp olive oil
3 small onions, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
garlic powder
pizza seasoning
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
1 can black beans. rinsed and drained
1 can of sweet corn, drained
salt and pepper
Shredded cheese, optional, I used pepperjack

In a large pot over medium heat, place olive oil, onions, pepper, garlic, salt and pepper and seasonings. Saute for 5-7 minutes or until veggies have softened. Add diced tomatoes, including liquid, and chicken broth. Add black beans and corn  and bring soup to boil, then reduce to a simmer for 20-30 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with cheese.

This soup is awesome as a salsa itself. Scoop the soup with the homemade chips and it's a nice, warm option for Winter.

Soon I will be slurping real ramen and playing Pachinko. Until then, it's pantry cooking.

-Akemi-chan

ABC: Avocado, Brie and Caramelized Onion Sandwich

A few years ago, boyfriend's friend introduced me to what he referred to as an "ABC sandwich." This concoction consisted of avocado, bacon and cheese on a loaf of french bread. It was life changing-ly delicious. However, I'm not the biggest bacon fan.

I know, I know. I get a lot of criticism for being underwhelmed by America's favorite pig product, but I don't ever being under bacon's spell. In my opinion it's not worth the calories or the high price at the market. Although I do not hate bacon, I tend to pick it off my burgers, sandwiches and salads and place it in boyfriend's plate instead, which he is more than happy the oblige.

So in honor of the ABC sandwich that inspired me, we're going to kick thing up a bit and replace the "B" of bacon for brie cheese and replace the "C" of cheese with some caramelized onions.

ABC: Avocado, Brie and Caramelized Onion

1 tbsp butter
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 avocado
2 oz brie cheese, sliced (or any cheese of your choosing)
2 sliced of bread of your choosing
salt and pepper to taste


In a saute pan over medium-low heat, melt butter. Place sliced onions into pan and slowly let them caramelize, around 45 minutes. Stir rarely to help caramelize, salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, toast bread in toaster oven. After bread is barely toasted, add brie and toast again until cheese begins to melt. Add caramelized onions on top of cheese.

Slice avocado while still in skin and scoop out with a spoon. Place avocado slices onto onions and add salt and pepper to taste. Top with remaining piece of toast.

This is an open-faced sandwich, but you can make it a traditional sandwich by putting another piece of toast on avocado. You can also substitute the brie for pepperjack if you want a little spice, though it wouldn't be an ABC sandiwich anymore. Oh, the things we do for flavor.

-Akemi-chan