Summer Eats

Here's a hearty healthy salad involving kale!  Kale, the thing my mom used to juice and force the kids to drink.  If you would have told me back then that I would have days when I crave kale, I would have laughed in yo face.  Ha!


Kale Salad with Pecorino Dressing (adapted from nytimes)


1 bag of Trader Joe's kale
Half a red onion
One red bell pepper 
(and any other vegetable you want to toss into the bowl - some quinoa would be really good too)
bread crumbs


Dressing:
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons grated pecorino cheese
juice of one lemon
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste

1.  Combine lemon juice and salt, whisk;
2.  Add garlic, whisk;
3.  Add cheese and pepper;  whisk whisk
3.  Add olive oil; and whisk as you add into dressing mixture
4.  Taste.  If you need more salt, add it after your have dressed the salad.


Salt does not easily dissolve in oil.  This is why the oil goes in last.  


Add the dressing into the kale mixture and let it sit.  Add breadcrumbs before serving.

Mom is in town.  Yay!  She is one of the best cooks I know!

We have been enjoying the outdoor weather!

Healthy Living 101

These days, I am trying to limit my white food (refined flour, white rice, sugar) intake - okay, so I say this after having a huge bowl of jjajangmyun for dinner.  But I do try.  


One easy peasy way to eat healthy is to make a meal of brown rice and grilled vegetables.  I call it freestyle brown fried rice.


You don't have one of those fancy pressure rice cookers, you say.  Well...

What would I do without you, Trader Joe?


Freestyle Brown Fried Rice - a rough guide 
1.  Pop one packet of TJ's frozen organic brown rice in your microwave for 3 minutes.
2.  Heat up a tablespoon of canola oil in a nonstick pan.  Chop up some garlic.  Throw it in the pan and let it sizzle.  
3.  Add vegetables in the pan.  You can add steamed kale, roasted mushrooms, broccoli, whatever.  Remember, this is freestyle.  Saute.
4.  Add cooked brown rice.  Add a few splashes of soy sauce.  Drop some sesame seed oil in the mix.  I also sprinkle some sea salt and sesame seeds.  You can top it off with some sriracha!   


Tada!  

Portobello Mushrooms & Scallions

Steamed Kale

In a Pickle

With Summer half way gone, I really want to enjoy every moment I have left.  I received my first Sunset magazine the other day and was inspired to pickle!  Such a summer-ish activity.  I have fond memories to my mom pickling cucumbers korean style - oieejee.  I will have to bug her for the recipe!

1 pound of persian cucumber

half a red onion

3/4 cup vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. salt

1.  Slice up the cucumbers and onion.  Use a mandolin.  If you don't want to spend a fortune, go to a Korean or Japanese market.  They usually carry mandolins for around $12. 

2.  Mix vinegar, sugar and salt

3.  Put the cucumber onions in a jar and pour the vinegar mixture into the jar.

4.  Chill in the refrigerator for an hour or so.  Enjoy.

Girlfriends

Sometimes, you need a day out with the girlfriends.  It's good therapy.  

Hope you are having a great weekend!

Countdown to 13.1

On a whim, I signed up for my second half marathon.  This time, in San Francisco.  I also took the liberty to sign John up.  I'm still waiting for him to express his appreciation.

Doesn't it look fantastic?


Epilogue:  Due a turn of events, we will not be running the SF Half this year.  :(  Still going to finish up training.  Ran 9 miles this morning.  Felt good.

39!

I am now sprinting towards 40.  And if you are mathematically inclined, this next year is really my 40th year.  But my math is not so good so I won't think about it too hard.


Turning 39 wasn't too bad.  I know turning 40 will be something left of monumental.  I would like to spend this 39th year deliberately and with gratitude.  


I have a lot to be thankful for.  Husband and kids who want to take me out to lunch...

R&D Cafe.  They ground their hamburger in-house.  The fries are just the way I like them.

Tuna tartar is one of those dishes that I think I really like then when I get it, it's alright.

The pulled pork sandwich was excellent!  Really good flavors and good crunch factor from the coleslaw and pickled something or other.  The roll was a perfect vehicle to soak up the juices.  

My sister baked me a cake!  Am I lucky or what?

Girls fawning over the cake and me snatching the 3 in 39.


Our closest friends took us out to a fancy restaurant!  I opened the menu and found a special greeting.

Kungpao calamari.  

John had the filet mignon.

Short ribs was a popular choice (Kelly opted for this).

Butterfish in misoyaki sauce.  This was mine.  Everyone cleaned their plates!

Customized desserts for the kids!  

Tonight, I saw an old friend.  We get to see each other once a year.  She in New York, I in California, living on opposite coasts.  But when we meet, it's like time stood still (except when I look at how much her three boys have grown).  And there we are, lounging and laughing, just like our college days back in Berkeley.  Saying goodbye always makes me sad and grateful at the same time.  Sad that I won't get to see her for another year but grateful that I can have such old friends.


I had a Simon and Garfunkel phase.  I just love the imagery of old friends sitting on a park bench like bookends.  

Old friends, old friends
Sat on the park bench like bookends
A newspaper blown threw the grass
Falls on the round toes 
Of the high shoes of the old friends


Old friends, winter companions, the old men
Lost in their overcoats, waiting for the sunset
The sounds of the city shifting through trees
Settle like dust on the shoulders of the old friends


Can you imagine us years from today
Sharing a park bench quietly?
How terribly strange to be seventy
Old friends, memories brushes the same years
Silently sharing the same fears

Big Sur Summer Fun

It's been an eventful summer so far.  Our camping trip to Big Sur was wonderful!  I am hoping that this is the first of a summer tradition.

We were lucky enough to reserve a campsite big enough for three tents.  

The kids were so happy and it was nice to see them spend some days without tv/computer/phones/gaming devices etc.


There were lots of activities...

Hiking...

Swimming in the river...

Napping... this is the Suh's Kingdom 8 Tent (big enough for 8).  


There was plenty of food (did you have any doubt?).

And if that wasn't enough, we visited The Big Sur Bakery (only 2 miles away)...everyday.

Until next summer...


I highly recommend this campsite.  Check it out.
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park