Mmmmm Ceviche

Opposites attract, so they say... But what about opposite vacation styles? Seth loves to plan out the days by tourist site, restaurant, and bus stop in a very methodical manner. I prefer the "Underwood Style Vacation" which usually consists of running ourselves (and feet) ragged trying to visit every bakery, WW II plaque, and neat little shop. There is no plan with the Underwoods, we just go! We eat when we're hungry and find wonderfully out of the way restaurants. Last weekend Seth had his first taste of an "Underwood Vacation" (although it doesn't truly count because my dad wasn't there) with my sister in San Francisco and no clashing of vacation styles!

Seth side note: While it is true that we Harbin's are far more likely to tour in a more "methodical" manner, it is due to a simple, ingrained philosophy of what a "vacation" should be: relaxation to the max! Underwoods need a vacation after they get back from their vacation. I say quality and not quantity is the way to go! Not that the other technique doesn't yield much quality. Far from it! In fact, many of the most interesting places I have been with Katy (and I'm sure many traveler's would agree) were found when we were either completely lost or simply enjoying being outside. Needless to say, our travel styles have blended perfectly while we both retain our preferences for travel styles: Katy and marathon adventures laced with innumerable discoveries and myself with a book, cool drink, and comfy lounge chair.

Now back to my blog...

I wish I could talk about all of our foodie finds, but I'll just start with this wonderful little restaurant named Fresca that specialized in "nouveau Peruvian cuisine." Although our entree was delicious, we couldn't stop raving about their ceviche. Now I've had some good ceviche (or seviche) before, but this stuff was absolutely incredible! The dish was very simple, just lump halibut and slivered purple onions in a cilantro (and I mean a LOT of cilantro) lime and rocoto aji chili sauce. Plantain chips were served on the sides as well as corn nuts, whole garlic cloves, and a sweet potato. This was not a bland fishy ceviche, but a perfect balance of sweet, tang, and herb. We gobbled that appetizer up and I scribbled the ingredients down in hopes of recreating my own version.

Ceviche is a Latin American dish composed of raw white fish that has been "cooked" in a citrus juice to become firm and opaque in color. Seth and I found some great halibut cheeks in Seattle, although fillets will work great too. Its very important to get super fresh fish for this dish. We couldn't find the rocoto aji chile, so I substituted Sriracha chili sauce instead. Serve with a watercress salad and you have an appetizer fit for a sunny spring day!

Halibut Cilantro Ceviche:

1/2 lb fresh white skinless fish fillets (halibut, red snapper, sole)

Juice and zest of 2 limes

1/4 tsp Kosher salt

1 garlic clove, minced

3-5 squirts of Sriracha or other chili sauce, to taste

1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro (more if you dare)

1/4 purple onion, very thinly sliced

1. Slice fish into 2 inch by 1/4 inch strips. Mix rest of the ingredients and let fish marinate in fridge for at least an hour or until fish turns opaque white.

2. Serve over lettuce leaves or watercress salad. Or pair with some plantain chips or crackers. Serves 2 as light dinner or 4 as a small appetizer.

Add ins: 

You can also serve with sliced roasted sweet potatoes, or mix with fresh corn, mango, avocado, chopped peppers, grapefruit, etc. The possibilities are deliciously endless!

The picture at the top of the post was Fresca's ceviche. The shot above is my recreation.

Nutritious Yogurt

Remember the quirky things that your parents did that would slightly embarrass you? Well my dad would cook extra vegetables at pizza parties (because tomato sauce doesn't count as a veggie), and make homemade yogurt. Hmmm I wonder where I got the inspiration to be a dietitian? This home made yogurt wasn't the sweet store-bought goodness with fruit on the bottom. It was plain yogurt- tart and boring. Trying to make the yogurt more appetizing, my dad would add jam, honey, or fruit.... but to this little girl, plain yogurt was still weird. When I went off to college I saw an abundance of overly sweet yogurts including pina colada flavors and yogurt with sprinkles?!? I became unsatisfied and craved the creamy texture and soft tart flavor of my father's concoctions. Either my taste buds changed or the prejudice against my father's yogurt was finally wearing off. The simplicity of plain yogurt also appealed to my husband who later received a yogurt maker (from who else... my dad) Since then we have been making yogurt every week and I have a small reminder of my father's wonderful quirks that turned out to be delicious! Now I need to work on making homemade fruit-on-the-bottom yogurt :)

Now for the nutrition side: Yogurt is an excellent source of calcium and Vitamin D which help build stronger bones and teeth. This yummy dairy product also contains probiotics or 'good' bacteria: L. acidophilus, S. thermophilus, and L. bulgaricus. These probiotics can help promote intestinal health, aid in digestion and boost the immune system by fighting 'bad' bacteria in the gut. The bacteria in yogurt produces the lactase enzyme that helps digest lactose, making yogurt a great dairy product for lactose-intolerants. Oral antibiotics can kill all the bacteria (good and bad) in your GI tract and can cause some unpleasant symptoms. If you are wanting to re-populate your intestines with good bacteria try some yogurt, but make sure that it does contain probiotics or the bacterial species listed above.

Making your own yogurt may seem complicated but if you've got a yogurt maker, it's very simple! All you need is milk and yogurt culture, which can be purchased online or at most nutrition stores/Whole Foods. (We use the Yogourmet brand.) Depending on the type of milk you use, plain yogurt can contain 100-130ish calories per serving, 5 grams of fat, and 6 grams of protein.

Homemade Yogurt:

1 quart whole or 2% milk

5 gram packet of yogurt culture

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat until milk starts to boil or reaches 180 degrees. Remove from heat.

2.When temperature drops to 115 degrees, stir in culture and pour into glass jars. Place jars into yogurt maker and incubate for 6- 10 hours (8 hours for my taste). If you prefer firm yogurt then I would increase the boil and machine time for your yogurt.

3. Remove jars from machine and chill in refrigerator before serving. Yogurt lasts around 2 weeks (although it never lasts more than a few days at my house).

Since a yogurt maker is essentially an incubator, you can make yogurt without the machine. Use recipe above, but after stirring in the culture, pour mixture into a large bowl and cover with a towel. Keep in a warm place for 6 to 8 hours (Examples: oven on warm setting, heating pad, or a double boiler over warm water). The yogurt needs to maintain a temperature of 110-115 degrees for proper development. This is the more difficult method, so if you intend on making yogurt often, the machine is worth the investment.

Spring in a Jar

From the view outside my kitchen window, it's clear to see that spring hasn't sprung on Whidbey Island. In an attempt to satisfy my spring fruit cravings, I found some half-decent looking strawberries at the commissary. Fruit at the commissary seems to come in large containers and spoils quickly. What do I do with excess fruit? Make jam and can it! This brief sense of enlightenment was interrupted by practicality. I lack the proper canning equipment and knowledge to successfully produce a decent jelly. But that shouldn't stop me...

After a little research, I found that making freezer jam is quick and easy. Not that I'm always a fan of quick and easy, but the thought of sterilizing jars gives me nightmares of botulism contamination and sick friends, not good! One day I'll learn to can properly, but I need my spring fruit fix now, so I'll stick with quick and easy. At our local Ace Hardware store, I found an entire section dedicated to canned goods and I picked up a packet of No Cook Freezer Jam Fruit Pectin (what a mouthful). Side note: Pectin is a soluble fiber used as a gelling agent in preserves. Many fruits naturally contain pectin, but by adding more, the jam stabilizes without heating to condense the fruit. By not cooking the fruit, you get a fresher tasting result!

I tweaked the recipe on the back of the packet and it turned out delicious! Not being a fan of super sweet preserves, I only added half the sugar the recipe called for. If you're looking for a diabetic version, you can replace the sugar with Splenda. I also squeezed some fresh lime juice because I love an acid combination with sweet berries. Slather this jam on toasted country bread and you've got a yummy snack! My fruit-loving taste buds were sated (for a little while).

Strawberry Lime Freezer Jam

4 cups fresh ripe strawberries

1/2 to 1 cup sugar

zest and juice from 1 lime

1 (1.59oz) packet Freezer Fruit Pectin

-Slice strawberries and pulse in a food processor (or use a potato masher) until desired consistency (I like mine chunky). Add lime juice, zest, and sugar to taste and zest. Stir in pectin packet, and mix for around 3 minutes.

-Ladle into glass or plastic jam jars. Chill 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, to let pectin set and thicken. Makes about 5 (8oz) jars. Refrigerate for up to 3 weeks or freeze for up to a year. Enjoy!