Never too late for Thanksgiving

I've been gone for a while --nearly 9 months since my last post.  My blog friends have been asking why, specially with my unfinished post in April.  That fateful day in April 2011, as I was writing my post, my son had to bring me to the hospital ---severe headaches, dizziness, loss of balance, lack of coordination, weakness and intense abdominal pains.  

My primary care physician was out of town, my appointment with her was for the next week, but I had to see a doctor right away--so lucky Dr. Hill was at the walk-in clinic.  He was my family doctor before he decided to do the walk-in clinic. I trust him. He is very sharp, has the best bedside manners, a real professional. I was in good hands!  He ordered an MRI.  That afternoon, Dr. Hill had difficulty breaking the bad news.  He was heartbroken, his eyes were misty as he told my family that I had mutliple tumors in my brain--the largest being 4 cm!  My family was stunned!  The scientist in me was very calm, I thought to myself, that the tumors explained why I was having those severe headaches and lack of coordination  Dr. Hill made arrangements with a neurosurgeon at OU, my husband rushed me to the ER and called our pastor and church friends to pray for me. 

Word spread around and they immediately prayed for me.  By the time we reached the hospital and was at the ER, my symptoms had disappeared. Some of our friends came by--Kim and David went to the ER later to cheer us up.  My church brethren were storming heaven for me!!  Later a CT scan showed the tumors were in my lung, pancreas, bone, everywhere!  The doctors did not know if it was brain, lung or pancreatic cancer--the doctors could not decide if surgery was EVEN an alternative if it were pancreatic and lung cancer since the tumors were just too widespread.  

Biopsies were done---a diagnosis of metastatic adenocarcinoma--non-small cell lung cancer--it was a surprise-- I never smoked in my life!!  Craniotomy was scheduled to remove the 4 cm tumor in the brain stem as it was very close to the brain centers that controlled heartbeat, breathing, swallowing.  

I had the best neurosurgeon, Dr. Gumerlock--very sharp, very thorough yet gentle and very positive.  She explained to us exactly what she was going to do.  While waiting for the scheduled surgery the nurses at the hospital were so caring---Nurse Patie, Carol, etc.  But specially Nurse Patie!  When she learned I was about to be brought down to surgery, she prayed for me--a fervent prayer of faith--she prayed for the success of the surgery and that I awake from it whole--never have I seen or heard such powerful prayer--that everything would be right and all will be well with God.  Surgery was at 6 p.m., I was out of the OR at 11 p.m., brought to the Intensive Care at 12:30 a.m.  Slept well through the night, woke up next day--refreshed ---I was able to stand and walk around the Intensive Care unit --5 times!  God heard Nurse Patie's prayer, and that of our pastor, all our church brethren and everyone else's.  God is merciful and kind.  He crowns us with His loving kindness and tender mercies (Psalm 103).  Praise the Lord, O my soul!

Fast forward, after talking to some cancer survivors I decided not undergo the usual chemotherapy route. It was my personal choice. I would not have survived it.  Instead, I decided on building up my immune system.  I learned that the usual chemo drugs kill cancer cells as well as other fast-dividing non-cancer cells in the body, resulting in side effects.

My family's friends and relatives (including a first cousin) who have undergone conventional chemotherapy during the nine months since I was first diagnosed have all passed on--- all seven of them..  Several of my church brethren with brain and/or breast cancer who had surgery and then changed their diet or sought alternative treatments are still around. I am very grateful to them for sharing what has worked for them.  I've been on a strict diet, all natural, alternative treatments, polyMVA and targeted therapy. My last PET scan and Brain MRI showed that on average, all my tumors have shrunk by half in size and the metabolic activity of the cancer cells have dramatically decreased. The tumors are still there but my neurosurgeon has reclassified my diagnosis from metastatic adenocarcinoma to stable systemic disease!  

My pastor and church family from congregations around the world have been saying lots fervent prayers for me, even those I don't know personally, as far away as Australia and Germany.  I am very grateful for them, my doctors, nurses, my son and specially my husband's love, patience and dedication  but most of all I am grateful to our Lord and master...I stand before you, a cancer survivor by the mercy of God.   

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 I am sharing with you here the simple Thanksgiving dinner I prepared for my family, our first Thanksgiving in our new house.  I did not partake of this spread but it was still a wonderful Thanksgiving. In this blog, I plan to share with you later all the diet and lifestyle changes that has worked for me.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Asian-flavored roasted duck

Turkey spring rolls, Asian-flavored roast duck, roasted asparagus, roasted garlic potatoes and lo mein

Sesame Crackers and Winner of The Just Bento Cookbook

Here's a recipe for Sesame Crackers that's a family favorite.  It's based on an unleavened bread recipe but I added sugar and sesame seeds to it and replaced the flour with rice flour to make it gluten-free.  Really crunchy and yummy this time of the year.

 

Sesame Crackers

   1 c rice flour

   3 tbsp softened butter 

   1 tsp kosher salt

   1/2 c white sesame seeds

   1/2 c sugar

   1/3 c water

Preheat oven to 350 C.  Mix all dry ingredients together then add the water slowly.  The mixture will be a little watery but pour this on Silpat covered cookie sheet. Bake till edges are light brown and middle part is slightly solidified.  Score into squares with a pizza cutter. Turn off heat till crackers are golden-brown.

And the winner of The Just Bento Cookbook is Ivy.  Congratulations Ivy ...have fun...you can now make your own bento! Please email your home address to momgateway@gmail.com. I truly thank everyone who commented on the two posts regarding Hanami Bento and Shiso sushi so I am doing another giveaway this time for a copy of Best Bites recipes from OSU Seretean Wellness Center Kitchen.  It will be featured in my next post.

Palate Cleanser: Shiso Sushi and Giveaway Reminder

Japanese  use the word shiso to refer to perilla. The green variety with ruffled edges (aojiso) is used in sashimi and salads and the purple kind (akashiso) is used to dye pickle plum (umeboshi). It belongs to the mint family and tastes of mint and fennel combined.  
I found some perilla/ beefsteak plant leaves with a purple underside and a deep green topside in the Asian store.   I love wrapping sushi rice in it ---so pretty but it is also fantastic over steamed rice when finely shredded and mixed with salt.  
My son loves shiso tempura ---it doesn't look stunning but the flavor is incomparable.  They dry out quicky so I grow it in my container garden. It is a great palate cleanser.  

Palate Cleanser: Shiso Sushi

fresh Japanese/ Korean shiso leaves

seasoned rice vinegar or sushi vinegar*

steamed rice
Season rice with sushi vinegar. You only need about 1 T sushi vinegar for  1-1/2 cup of steamed rice. Wrap in shiso leaves. Cover with plastic wrap since the leaves easily dry out.



*You can buy sushi vinegar but it's easy to make your own.  In the Just Bento Cookbook, Makiko recommends mixing 4 c rice vinegar with 7 oz sugar and 6 T sea salt to make 6 cups of sushi vinegar. This is will last a long time and can be used in salads, dips etc.  

Giveaway reminder:

Most of the recipes I used for the Hanami bento are from The Just Bento Cookbook so I am also doing a giveaway of this must have Japanese cookbook by Makiko Itoh. The sushi vinegar is from the same book. Please comment to enter the giveaway.  To have get 4 additional entries, please blog about the giveaway and let me know in the comments.  Random.org will be used to choose a winner and this will be announced on April 22, 2011. 

Foodbuzz 24x24: Hanami Bento and Giveaway

Foodbuzz 24x24: Hanami Bento

I’m thrilled that my Foodbuzz 24x24 proposal was chosen for this month.  I am featuring the Hanami Bento. Hanami is a traditional flower-viewing festival in Japan also known as cherryblossom festival. It is said that the Japanese elite celebrated the first Hanami in the 700s but Hanami is so popular now that almost everyone in Japan celebrates it. The tradition has changed little over time. Friends, families and colleagues gather to enjoy food and drink under plum (ume) blossoms or cherry blossoms. Since Japan's fiscal year and school year starts in April coinciding with the end of winter, Hanami symbolizes new beginnings so many welcome parties start with Hanami, a chance to get bond with each other and to renew their spirits.

When news filtered in about the 9.0 (on the Richter scale) earthquake and tsunami that hit the northeastern coast of Japan I was shocked and stunned by the utter havoc caused by the tsunami.  Live videos showed ships, houses, cars and people being swept away by the tsunami. On top of this there was the problem of partial meltdown at Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.

A friend’s daughter lives in Sendai and she had to run down six flights of steps carrying her two daughters when the earthquake struck. Her immediate family was spared but all around them nearly everyone lost someone.  I emailed my former professor inquiring about their safety and he replied that due to power outages half of the trains in Tokyo were not in service and he had to ride his bike to get work.  He lives at least 5 train stations away from the campus.  He said bottled water was being rationed and everything was in short supply. How could I feature a happy event such as Hanami when so many Japanese were grieving for lost loved ones and the uncertainty of the future in the face a nuclear crisis? 

For days I contemplated about pulling out of the event.  But then I came to the conclusion that it was alright to have a Hanami picnic.  Just as Hanami is a time for new beginnings and renewal it is also a time to mediate on our own mortality and the fragility of life.  If we dwell upon this during Hanami then it is worth doing it. 

The day chosen for Foodbuzz 24x24 was unfortunately very cold and grey in Oklahoma.  Temperatures have been erratic in the previous weeks and today it dipped to 30 C.  I planned to share the Japanese picnic meal at the Boomer Lake with a few friends to introduce them to this Japanese tradition and Hanami food. Unfortunately, James and Curtis could not make it because they were sick and Preet had to go to Dallas so it was just me, my sister, Mark and Jshinobi  (Hubby was on call this weekend) who shared the Hanami bento and reflected on the symbolism of Hanami.  We enjoyed our brief but meaningful Hanami picnic under the blossom-laden branches.

This is what I made for our Hanami bento: Inarizushi (seasoned rice in seasoned soybean curd), karaage (japanese fried chicken), simmered spinach with sesame seeds, kabocha simmered in soy sauce, Harumaki (spring rolls), and for dessert we had dango (pink, white and green dumplings skewered on bamboo sticks) and mochi (rice dumplings filled with bean paste).  The recipes are at the bottom of this post. 


I bought pink and white fish cakes (kamaboko), quail eggs, and seasoned tuna cakes and some mochi (rice dumplings with red bean filling and matcha/ green tea mochi).  Since JShinobi was under 18 we had Ramune (Japanese lemonade), Calipco and soy milk for our drinks.

Clockwise: Blanched spinach with sesame sauce, Simmered kabocha squash, Hardboiled quail eggs, Kamaboko, Cucumbers, Chicken karaage, Inarizushi

Top to bottom: Harumaki (spring rolls), Dango, Tuna cakes

The delicate sakura blossom is the symbol of the samurai.  It embodies the spirit of “bushido” or the way of the samurai that combines bravery, valor and stoicism. Hanami is a reminder of the fleeting nature of life and this brings out a peculiar Japanese strength, stoicism and willingness to rebuild and rise above tragedy.  

Giveaway

Most of the recipes I used are from The Just Bento Cookbook so I am also doing a giveaway of this must have cookbook by Makiko Itoh.

Please comment to enter the giveaway.  Random.org will be used to choose a winner and this will be announced on April 22, 2011.

For those who wish to donate to the Japan Disaster Relief efforts please visit Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami link of the American Red Cross https://american.redcross.org/site/SPageServer?pagename=ntld_main

RECIPES:

Inarizushi (from can of Shirakiku can of Inarizushi no moto)

1 10 oz. can inarisushi no moto (fried soybean curd seasoned with soy sauce)

2 1/2 cups rice

1/4 cup su (rice vinegar)

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

Cook rice in usual manner. Add sugar and salt to rice vinegar and stir till all crystals dissolve. Seaon cooked rice with seasoned vinegar. Stir rice well so that it will be evenly seasoned. Cool rice with a paper fan while you stir. Pack seasoned rice in Iarishushi no moto. Do not pack too solidly. Fold end of abura-age to cover rice. If you prefer vegetables in the rice use Gomoku no moto.

Chicken kara-gae (from The Just BentoCookbook)

420 g boneless chicken thigh, without skin, cut into 3-4 pieces

2 tsp soy sauce (if you are not making green onion sauce, increase to 4 tsp

2 Tbsp sake or rice wine

2 tsp peeled an grated fresh ginger

cornstarch

Marinade chicken at least 10 min or overnight. If overnight, omit soy sauce and add 10 min before coking so the salt will not draw too much moisture from the chichen and make it dry. Coat pieces in cornstarch and fry chicken till deep golden brown.

Green onion sauce for karaage

1 T rice vinegar

1 T soy sauce

1 T chopped green onions

pinch sugar

a few drops of sesame oil

1 tsp peeled and grated fresh ginger

Combine all ingredients in a frying pan till sugar dissolves.

Simmered kabocha squash (from The Just BentoCookbook)

3 c kabocha squash, cut up

1 c dashi stock

2 T sake

2 T mirin

1 ½ T sugar

1 ½ T soy sauce

Mix dashi stock, sake, mirin, sugar and soy sauce. Place in a saucepan with peeled kabocha squash and simmer till tender.  Leave kabocha to cool down in the liquid to absorb flavor.  Drain well before packing.

Blanched spinach with sesame sauce (from The Just BentoCookbook)

1/2 tsp white sesame seeds, toasted

1 tsp sugar

1/s T soy sauce

t tsp white sesame seeds for sprinkling

Boil spinach for 1 min Drain, and balnch spinach in cold water. Form into a log and cut into even pieces.

Put sesame seeds and sugar into a motar. Grind seeds well until seeds are crushed and smells nutty. Add soy sauce and mix well. Add cooked spinach and mix well. Sprinkle sesame seeds.

Hanami Dango (from http://www.saucemagazine.com/recipe/9)

½ cup nonglutinous rice flour

½ cup mochiko*

½ cup cornstarch

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

½ Tbsp. yomogi or matcha*

Dash red food coloring

1 tsp. vanilla extract (optional)

In a bowl, whisk rice flour, mochiko, cornstarch and sugar together with a fork. Add 1 cup of water and blend until smooth. Divide batter into 3 ¾-cup portions.

In a medium saucepan, heat 1 portion of batter on low, stirring constantly until the batter pulls away from the sides of the pan to form a solid mass. Set aside. This will be used for the white dango.

To make the green dango, add the matcha to the next batter portion. Heat it on low, stirring constantly until the batter pulls away to form a solid mass. Set aside.

To make the pink dango, add the food coloring and vanilla extract (if using) to the remaining batter portion, blending well. Repeat the steps to cook.

After the dough cools, knead each portion separately in clean hands. Roll each portion into 10 1-inch balls. Thread the balls onto skewers in order of green, white and pink. Bring water to a boil in a steamer basket. Place the skewers on a lightly greased plate, ½ inch apart. Steam on high for 10 to 12 minutes. Cool.

*Mochiko, yomogi and matcha are available at Asian markets. Yomogi, also known as mugwort, is a bitter herb associated with spring in Japan. Matcha, or powdered green tea, may be substituted instead.

Harumaki spring rolls (link is here)

Candied Winter Melon and Orange Peel over Greek Yogurt

Baida had given us our second winter melon, organically grown in his Denton, Texas garden.  The first one I gave to my sister to use in her cooking.  Winter melon is delightful in soups but a melon is just so big you have to find creative ways of using them so I wanted to make candied winter melon. While growing up we ate them as snacks or in baked buns. Have you ever tried them?  Candied winter melon is white as snow, hard outside but soft inside, very sweet and addictive.  

We always bought them from the store and I had no experience making them. I looked for recipes but most required soaking the winter melon in alum.  It took me a while to find the alum ( found it in the Asian store) so the winter melon lay untouched for a long time.  Alum is supposed to make the texture less mushy when cooked and keep them white in color. 

On Monday I had a chance to finally try out a recipe that called for soaking the sliced fruit in 5 c water and 1 t alum for 2-5 hours.  I  did this late in the evening but it was a long day at work and I had fallen asleep. The next morning, in my rush  to get to work and I completely forgot about the winter melon slices.  They were soaking for more than 24 hours by the time I remembered.  After repeatedly washing the slices in cool water they were a still a little bitter.  I went ahead and cooked them in syrup. The winter melon slices were odorless so I added orange peel to impart a pleasant, citrusy aroma.  The syrup had turned amber in color and with the orange peel in it the winter melon slices turned yellowish and had a citrus flavor.  I dried them overnight in my food dehydrator but they did not turn hard as I expected.  They were absolutely delicious but they remained tacky even after 7 hours in the dehydrator.    Not the candied winter melon I expected but even better.  They were very sweet, had a pleasant texture and flavor so I decided to put them as topping over Greek yogurt. Perfection.

Smooth Creamy Broccoli Cheese Soup

At Quizon's Hubby goes for the Prime Rib Mushroom Swiss Sub with Garlic Aoli on Rosemary Parmesan Bread each time while son loves to experiment with Mesquite/Baja/Honey Bourbon Chicken Subs or the Chipotle Prime Rib. As for me, I can't get enough of the Broccoli Cheese Soup! Sometimes though it's too thick and lumpy.  I often wish the soup were smoother and creamier.  I found this recipe in  the "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch.  To make the soup velvety smooth my secret is to use Wondra flour instead of all purpose flour in making the roux. Try it next time you make any creamy soup.

Smooth and Creamy Broccoil and Cheese Soup

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons cold unsalted butterd
1 cup yellow onions or sliced leeks (white parts only)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper 
Pinch of nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (I used Wondra flour)
3 cups chicken broth
1 (16-ounce) package frozen broccoli, thawed and separated
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cups shredded medium cheddar

Melt the 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions, salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme cook, stirring, until fragrant, for 20 seconds. Add the flour and cook, stirring until the mixture is well blended and smells fragrant, 2 minutes. Slowly add the chicken stock, whisking constantly, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring, until tender, for 10 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and puree with a hand-held  immersion blender.

Add the cream and simmer to heat through. Add the cheese and cook over low heat, stirring, until melted. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter, stirring to blend.

Remove from the heat and ladle the soup into bowls and serve immediately.

Firecracker Chicken with Picante Sauce

Snow days make me think of spicy Singaporean food.  Years back my dad and I ate at an outdoor market featuring international food.  We were mesmerized by the Singaporean chef who prepared the most amazing stir-fried noodles we ever tasted.  His other specialty was Firecracker Chicken.  Later on the chef decided to open Rasa Singapura, a hole-in-the-wall, family owned restaurant, where the food was truly exceptional.  As newly weds, hubby and I,  frequented the place and ordered their crispy chicken in spicy black bean sauce.  When the chef retired for health reasons and a son took over, the food and service suffered.   The son did not have the passion and talent of his father so the place folded up. I  truly miss their amazing food so for the Super Bowl here is my take on Rasa Singapura's Firecracker Chicken.

 

Firecracker Chicken with Picante Sauce
2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 T hot sauce (I used Siracha Rooster brand)
1 T picante sauce (I used Pace Mild Picante Sauce)
5 T canola oil
2 t lime juice
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 small bottle of Pace Picante Sauce

Cut chicken breast into 1 inch wide thin planks.   Combine siracha, canola oil, minced garlic, lime juice and 1 tablespoon picante sauce in a ziplock bag.  Marinade chicken in the fridge for 15-30 minutes.  Thread chicken through bamboo sticks (if the sticks are soaked overnight in water they will not burn during grilling). Grill chicken till they are cooked through and serve with more picante sauce  on the side.

Disclaimer: In this recipe I used Pace Picante Sauce I received from FoodBuzz Tastemakers

 

Super Bowl Recipe: Baked Cheese Flavored Chicken Nuggets

I'm so excited with my first food video.  Here's my Baked Cheese Flavored Chicken Nuggets just in time for Super Bowl Sunday.  Serve with wing, sweet chili or hot sauce.  

Give it a try ....it's super easy!

Super Bowl Recipe:Baked Cheese Flavored Chicken Nuggets

PAM Original No-Stick Cooking Spray

2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into cubes
1/4 cup milk
1 cup crushed cheese flavored cheese crackers
1 tsp green onions , finely minced

Disclaimer: I received products from Conagra Foods and FoodBuzz Tastemakers.

Firey Habanero Baked Tofu

 Credits: Chili framed art from CSN. Their wall art and decor is a good starting place to get cool decor like this chili framed art for "fire-eater" friends and family.

My sister is a fire eater...well almost... she eats habaneros every day!   No meal is complete without a chili or two. She grows habaneros and bird's eye chili in her bedroom, even in the dead of winter!  The chilis are so pretty.  Bright red and orange fruits look like fairy lights amid the lush green leaves.  Charming but deadly hot!  A thin slice of habanero is all I can handle. But not her...see the slivers of orange habaneros in this tofu?  It looks like art to me but this is one of her firey creations.... tofu studded with habaneros! 

Firey Habanero Baked Tofu 

      1 block medium soft tofu

      2 habaneros

      salt and pepper

      sweet chili sauce

Slice the tofu. Make incisions and insert slivers of habanero.  Sprinkle kosher salt and pepper.  Spray Pam cooking spray over the tofu.  Broil at 350 F till tofu is crispy at the margins.  Serve with sweet chili sauce.  WARNING: This is really hot!  I tried a small piece of the tofu as far away from the habanero slices and my mouth was on fire for an hour!

Andy's Mexican Cornbread

Andy L. brought Mexican cornbread to potluck three weeks ago.  It was not a plain old Mexican cornbread with jalapenos and corn.  Stuffed it was!  Every bite had lots of jalapenos, kernel corn, cooked burger meat and GREEN BEANS!! Very healthy, so easy to make for dinner on a busy weekday and a meal on it's own!!

Kim N. and I found the handwritten recipe by Susan (Andy's wife) so cute so I'm posting it here. Just follow the instructions on the box of cornbread mix, add the rest of the ingredients and bake at 350 F!