Showing posts with label lazy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lazy. Show all posts

Monday, April 27, 2015

5 Recipes for Hot Summer Days

Long time no blog! Thankfully this unforeseen four-day weekend has allotted me time to study for my APs, blog, *and* make tasty food.

BRUNCH: Omelette on Crumpet

 Little known fact: I love cooking. I woke up around 10:30 and decided to procrastinate studying for APUSH by making myself a bomb ass brunch. I layered a toasted crumpet with an omelette that contained sautéed onions, spinach and tomatoes. To top it off I added cubed avocado, sour cream, chives, basil, parsley, parmesan cheese and some pepper. WOW. I would never make this on a school day.




Here is a cross section of my crazy omelette-crumpet concoction. 

Makes enough for one—15-20 minutes
1/3 tomato diced
Handful of baby spinach 
1/8 cup of diced sweet onion
1/2 tbsp butter or olive oil
1 egg + a splash of milk
1/4 avocado diced
dollop of sour cream 
various herbs to top 
pinch of salt 
Crumpet

1. In a small to medium size non-stick pan on medium high heat melt the butter
2. Turn the heat down to medium, add the onions and when they begin to brown add the tomatoes and then the spinach you could add some garlic here too if you'd like
3. Sautée for 2-3 minutes then set it aside
4. In the same pan add a bit more butter and let it melt  
5. As the butter melts, in a small bowl whisk the egg and milk together.
6. Pour the mixture in the pan and wait 2-4 minutes or until it seems to be cooking through to the top. If you want the omelette to be thinner, add more milk and use a bigger pan. If you want it to be thicker add less milk and use a smaller pan. 
7. Add in the sautéed vegetables to one half of the pan and fold the other half of the omelette over it. When you feel confident enough about the firmness of the omelette and in your ability to flip it, flip it.
8. If you totally botched it, just mash it together and call it fancy scrambled eggs instead, but if you were successful place it on top of a toasted crumpet. 
9. Top with herbs, avocado, sour cream, pepper, and shredded parmesan cheese to your liking. 



To keep myself hydrated as I study, I made myself some flavored water. I have a horrible habit of not drinking enough water if I'm not exercising or seriously thirsty, so adding fresh flavors to it encourages me to drink more of it. 
Makes enough for one—1 min 
1 glass of water 
A couple icecubes 
2-3 blackberries
1 slice of lemon 
2 leaves of basil (rip them up to dispel more flavor)

Between then and dinner I had a couple spoonfuls of Safeway caramel ice cream, but it's not too pretty so I won't show it here. Besides cooking, studying, and watching anime I didn't do much and rarely left the house save my one short walk to the park. If you're looking for a good anime to watch I *highly* recommend Psycho Pass. 

DINNER: Soba Noodles with Warm Brussels Sprout Salad 

Brussels sprouts are horribly underrated in my opinion. They resemble teeny weeny cabbages. That's so cute! How do people not like them?? I followed this recipe: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jD5qBnsVew). 

Soba is a Japanese noodle made from buckwheat and has a darker brown color. You can find it and its dipping sauce at most asian markets. 

Makes enough for one—6 mins 
1 handful of soba noodles
A bowl of cold water
2-4 tablespoon of soba noodle sauce
Shredded dried seaweed to garnish
1 tsp chopped green onion to garnish 

1. Place a pot of water on the stove and get it boiling. 
2. Cook the soba noodles for 3-5 minutes. 
3. Traditionally soba is usually served cold so you can submerge it in cold water but if you don't care and you want to save water because you live in California, you can skip this step. 
4. Plate your soba and add your garnishes and then add your sauce.

If you can't find the sauce you can use soy sauce, mirin, and dried bonito until you achieve your desired taste. 


I was really surprised by these, the flavor had an unprecedented depth and richness even though the ingredients are relatively light. The salad is quite filling while providing incredible nutrition. 

Makes enough for two—10 mins 
1 lb. brussels sprouts
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey 
2 tbsp butter
Handful of crushed walnuts
Handful of dried cranberries
Salt and pepper

1. Wash and cut the stems of the brussels sprouts then slice them in half lengthwise
2. In a pan on medium-high, heat the butter until melted
3. Add the brussels sprouts then salt and pepper and mix to make sure the sprouts are coated 
4. Put a lid over the pan and cook for 6-8 minutes or until fork-tender. 
5. White the sprouts are cooking, in a separate bowl mix the vinegar and honey together. This gives the brussels sprouts an alluringly sweet flavor. 
6. Take the sprouts out and into a mixing bowl and add the dressing, then walnuts and cranberries.

DESSERT: Blackberry Smoothie Popsicles





My mom had made a smoothie earlier but there was too much so I poured some into these popsicle molds instead. Four hours later, they prove to be perfect for dessert! The molds from Daiso make four small popsicles and have little spouts for you to drink up any melted popsicle you may have left. How thoughtful! 

I have no idea what my mom put in this smoothie. It just tastes like a ton of fruit, which, by the way, are just ripened plant ovaries. (Have fun studying for AP and SAT Bio everyone). If I did make the smoothie I would want something like this: 

Makes enough for smoothie for two and some popsicles—5-10 mins plus 3-4 hrs freezing time
1/2 cup blackberries 
1/2 cup raspberries 
1/3 cup coconut flavored almond milk OR 1/4 cup of actual coconut milk sounds yummy too 
1 banana 
A couple of ice cubes 

1. Blend the ice first 
2. Then add in the fruit and then liquid last 
3. Pour into popsicle mold, and freeze for 3-4 hours 
4. To take them out pour hot water over the mold to easily remove them. 

Let us know if you try any of these out! 

- K



Thursday, February 12, 2015

Foodie Adventures: Umami Burger


u·ma·mi /o͞oˈmämē/ noun - a pleasant, savory taste

For the namesake of our blog, we inevitably had to go on some adventure. And what could possibly be more adventurous than downtown Palo Alto? While we didn't go far, we were able to explore some interesting flavors. Time to put that 10 credits of CTE to good use in this food review.


K: The Umami Burger restaurant can be described as a library meets cabin-in-the-woods meets art school. Bookshelves offer some form of privacy between tables which was nice. 


S: I ordered the actual Umami burger ($11.50), also known as the Original Burger. Gotta try what a restaurant calls its original dish, right? The burger has a one juicy beef patty cooked to your preference of doneness (mine was medium rare), a sweet and succulent roasted tomato, shiitake mushroom, caramelized onions, crunchy parmesan frico, and Umami Burger’s unique house ketchup. It’s always such a great feeling when each ingredient in a dish work with each other to create the perfect harmony, and that is exactly what happened in this dish. The juiciness of the tomato, patty, and onion combined with the crunchiness of the bun and frico and the chewiness of the shiitake mushrooms create such a pleasant texture in the mouth — not to mention the extraordinary taste of the burger as well. After biting into the burger, I detected some sweet notes from the tomato and onion, then some fattier notes from the frico and patty itself. The patty was definitely made from high quality meat, cooked to the perfection, rounding off the perfect bite of the burger. 



K: Until I tried the Truffle Burger ($12), I had never tasted a burger that felt so luxurious in my mouth. My burger consisted of a succulent medium-rare beef patty, creamy truffle aioli, house truffle cheese, and a truffle glaze. I couldn’t distinguish which truffle ingredients were what because all together they just looked like cheese. However, the flavors worked in the most harmonious way imaginable. The juices from the burger paired with the depth of the truffle and creaminess of the cheese is a treat to the palate. I was expecting the truffle flavor in the burger too be too rich for me to scarf down the whole thing quickly but boy was I wrong… The main concentration of the truffle flavor resides in the cheese but overall is not overwhelming and is very pleasurable. The crisp bun in conjunction with the juicy patty and savory sauces offered the most satisfactory combination of texture and flavor in each bite.

S: The table placement at Umami is so beautiful - it is the little things that make the restaurant's cozy yet classy atmosphere so pleasing. The menu itself has so much to offer as well, anything off of the menu is sure to be an experience the taste buds will remember.

K: The burger paired perfectly with the crunchy sweet potato fries which were seasoned with brown sugar and spices that gave it a great kick. I found that the Umami ketchup sauce also had hints of truffle oil in it, so that every dip definitely gives that signature savory flavor that is known as umami.


K: After enjoying such a trendy gourmet burger restaurant, I feel the need to be just as artsy. After all, you are what you eat.


S: So, it was still a bit rainy the day we chose to go to Umami Burger — but of course we were prepared. K is rockin a dress and flannel combo, dresses aren’t just for warmer days! Along with that, she’s paired a leather messenger bag, cute wedges and a clear umbrella. For myself, I’ve still got my black rainboots and top paired with relatively lighter components of the rest of my outfit. I love the contrast of the boots and top with my peach and cream cardigan, gray infinity scarf, and white jeans.  


K: If I had to match a TV trope to S’s outfit I would say she embodies the adorable girl next door in that cozy yet feminine cardigan. I love that the femme color palette utilizing the soft peach and white is juxtaposed by the edgier black elements in her boots, shirt, and umbrella keep the outfit balanced literally from head to toe. It’s a very classy combination. I didn’t feel like it was that cold that day so I opted for a t-shirt dress with a daintier floral print to mix with the larger plaid checks on my flannel. I got the flannel while thrifting in SF and have found it to be a surprisingly versatile item in my closet. It’s also a larger (I think mens’ size) fit so its comfortable as well. The combination of the two prints gave off a rustic vibe so I paired it with leather and suede accents like my bag and shoes.
S: Cozy and comfortable - yet chic. That's always something to go for, looking good while feeling comfortable. Everything in this outfit feels good to wear, and is super versatile. Everything is either warm, or flexible when pairing with other elements of an outfit.


K's Outfit:
Flannel- Thrifted
Dress- Urban Outfitters
Necklace- DIY
Messenger Bag- F21
Boot Wedges- Nine West 
Umbrella: Amazon


S's Outfit:
Cardigan: Forever 21
Scarf: Nordstrom BP
Top: Forever 21
Jeans: Ralph Lauren
Boots: Amazon
Umbrella: Target












Monday, February 2, 2015

Super Bowl Sunday



 "I love this because it's something very comfy and casual that I'd love to throw on" - AZ

shirt-Gap
jeans-Hollister
jacket-Patagonia
boots-Steve Madden
backpack-F21


Pro-tip: Don't fall for the $150 jean jacket hoodie (I'm looking at you Free People) Just layer a hoodie under a jean jacket or vest. Save yourself some extra $ for more snacks to watch the Superbowl with.

Lip Stain- Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Blackberry Sorbet
Floral Shirt- friend's 
Hoodie- Hollister
Jean Jacket-Tommy Hilfiger
 Yoga pants- Lululemon
High-tops- F21
Peace and Love,
AZ and KC