Restaurant Review: Grasshopper

Grasshopper
Allston, MA

So funny, I think
VeggieBean and I
were shadowing one
another at various
Boston area restaurants
this past spring. We
visited Grasshopper on
Mother's Day, and
clearly Sarah had just been there too since a review of the restaurant popped up on her blog just the week before. And of course we both gave a nod to the ubiquitous veggie "chicken" fingers that most everyone loves--the pinnacle of battered deep-fried junk, but oh you just must find a way to rationalize them once or twice a year. So scrumptious.

If you haven't guessed,
Grasshopper is a vegan
asian restaurant. There
are a few around Boston,
but my kids have really
taken a liking to
Grasshopper. The menu
has all the Chinese
restaurant standard
fixtures: spring rolls,
wonton soup, lo mein. Plus
they have many unique
items, even desserts--can you say vegan strawberry cheesecake?!

The menu is ginormous,
and then they always
have delicious specials
every day on top of the
usual selection. It's
hard to choose! Luckily
we have a big family so
we can order a lot to
share. This time I tried
a kale, mushroom, seitan
& veggie stir-fry that
was excellent.

So is there anything NOT
good about Grasshopper??
Well, yes, actually there is:
They don't deliver! You can
eat in, or take out, but they
don't deliver AT ALL. But
it's worth the trip to eat in,
and they have great hours:

11am-10pm daily, except
noon-10pm on sundays.

So if you haven't already,
get yourself over to the
Boston borough of Allston
and have a good meal.

Grasshopper is located
at 1 N. Beacon Street.

617-254-8883

And check out their website,
because you can order online!

bento & recipes

It's the last day of the Loving Local blogathon. While I could whinge on for weeks about local food, I will soon be shifting my focus to school lunches starting this tuesday! But here are a few fab lunch ideas for both adults and kids...

I enjoy
the
variety
at the
farmer's
market
and our
CSA.
While
our CSA
provides
us with
asian
greens
in the
spring
and
fall, I
rely on
Hmong
Farms
at the
Framingham Farmer's Market for unique asian vegetables through the hotter summer months, grown a few towns north.

This bento lunch included: rice (kept separate until serving to prevent sogginess), spicy asian eggplant, spicy baked tofu, and my bok choy joy.













Spicy Asian Eggplant

3-6 long asian eggplant
2 T. peanut oil or canola oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp. hot sauce
1/2 tsp. grated ginger
1 T. shoyu (soy sauce)
1 tsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. cooking sherry
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Cut ends off eggplant.
Slice lengthwise, then
in 1/2 inch segments.
Heat oil in a saucepan
with garlic, ginger & hot
sauce. Cook 20 seconds
over medium heat, add
eggplant, stir. Add the
rest of the ingredients.
Cover and reduce heat to low, cooking about 10 minutes or until eggplant is very tender.

Some asian eggplant will be thin and smaller, others larger. This recipe assumes you'll be cooking no more than 2-3 cups chopped eggplant.

I often wish there was a local producer of tofu, tempeh & miso in the area. What a wonderful addition to an asian stall at the farmer's market that would be! But many stores carry asian produce & grocery items. I often visit our local asian market Asinayo when the farmer's market is not in season.










The farmer's market in our
town has been adding about
one new vendor each year it
seems, a good sign! There is much to choose from, and it's nice to hang out on the village green after shopping to enjoy some fresh kettle corn or bread still warm from baking.

I picked up some corn from the Hanson's Farm stall, bok choy from Hmong Farms, and bread from Great Harvest Bread Co. The corn was super delicious. We tried the silver variety for a change, which was supposedly not the "sweet" kind, but it still tasted sweet to us!

With plenty of tomatoes still pouring in from Stearns Farm CSA, I made a tomato-laden lunch which included a leftover tomato dish from the night before. When we take home some of the "seconds" tomatoes from the farm, it's handy to have a dish to accommodate some of the squishier fruits.

This lunch included: raspberries (Stearns Farm CSA), salad of lettuce, tomato & chives (Stearns Farm CSA) w/dressing in a side container, breaded baked heirloom tomatoes (tomatoes & herbs from Stearns Farm CSA), corn on the cob rounds (Hanson's Farm), orange cherry tomatoes (Stearns Farm CSA).

Breaded Baked Tomatoes

3-4 large tomatoes, sliced
1 tsp. kosher salt
spray olive oil (or something to grease the baking pan)
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 tsp. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/4 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
2 T. buttery stick (cold!), cut into bits
1/2 tsp. sugar
3 cloves garlic, chopped













First slice the tomatoes and
place them in a colander over
a bowl to drain. Sprinkle on
the salt and toss, then leave to
sit for 10-15 minutes (in the
refrigerator if necessary to
keep the fruit flies away!).

Spray a glass baking dish
with olive oil, then layer the
tomatoes.

In a medium bowl, mix the
remaining ingredients and
pour or spoon over the
tomatoes. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 5-10 minutes until the
breadcrumb topping
is lightly browned.
Allow to cool a bit
before serving.

beloved kimchee

I love kimchee. I love to eat
it with rice. But I also like to
think of ways to eat it almost
on its own, just so no one
thinks I'm too crazy. Gyoza, or
dumplings, are a perfect
kimchee delivery device.

As I'm all about convenience and
simplicity (and what parent isn't), I head to the Korean market and pick up some jumbo gyoza skins. They're about 3 inches in diameter, with simple ingredients: wheat flour, tapioca starch, salt. If you're vegan too, you may have to check a few packages to find some without eggs, because probably three-quarters of the gyoza skins I've seen contain egg white...Or you could make your own pretty easily. As for the kimchee, I buy mine at Whole Foods or a regular supermarket...saves me from combing through non-vegan bonito-laden kimchee at the asian markets that look delicious but alas contain one or more vegetarian un-friendly ingredients.

I usually thaw a package of frozen gyoza wrappers for an hour on the counter, then refrigerate overnight until I'm ready to use them. I often use half the package, then pop the rest back in the freezer. The re-freezing hasn't affected their quality in my opinion provided I use them with the month.

When making vegetable gyoza/dumplings, I prefer the health benefits of steaming or microwaving. But when dealing with my kimchee obsession, I recommend frying in peanut oil all the way!

Kimchee Dumplings

1/2 package jumbo gyoza skins
water for sealing
1/4 cup kimchee
peanut oil
soy sauce (optional)

First, lay out your thawed
gyoza circles on your work
surface. Next, place a small amount of drained kimchee in the lower half of each circle. Dip a finger in a small bowl of water and dab around half the edge (sort of like painting a smiley face wth watercolors). Fold down the top half of the gyoza skin. Then pick it up a crimp a few times--I usually start with one crimp in the middle, then do two more on each side.

Next, pour enough peanut
oil in to cover the bottom of
a non-stick skillet or wok.
Heat the oil over med-high.
Gently add your dumplings,
arranging them so they do
not touch (it usually takes me
two batches). Cook about 45
seconds, then turn over with
a pair of tongs (I use tempura tongs). Cook for another minute or so. Drain on a paper towel or tempura paper.

Serve with soy sauce for dipping (optional). The crunchy, spicy, vinegary taste of the kimchee combined with the crispy, savory fried gyoza skins is soooo tasty...and a quick dip in salty soy sauce is delish.
I love these with some cold soba noodles and sliced green onion...for breakfast. LOL.
And my pickiest son AJ will gladly eat them with me! Imagine!!

Of course he'd prefer to
follow that with his favourite
lunch of tofu-spinach stuffed
pasta shells!

Restaurant Review: Lotus Blossom

The Lotus Blossom is one in a
group of four Zagat rated asian
restaurants in the MetroWest
area. The furnishings are more
elegant than a typical chinese
joint, the staff are very attentive,
and of course the prices a bit
higher. But the food is better
so that's okay. And you can
order take-out as well if your not
in the mood for upscale dining.

A beautiful asian rock
garden seems out of
place along busy route
20, but we've enjoyed
it many times while
waiting for the place to
open at noon for lunch.


I brought Ryan here on
St. Patrick's Day for our
monthly Mama Date.
Since it was just the two
of us we ordered the
sauteed seasonal greens
(asparagus), szechuan bean
curd, and some rice. We
tried to make some tiny
sculptures with the clay Ryan brought while we waited for our food, but the service was so fast we barely got started!
We enjoyed our food, but skipped the complimentary dessert sadly because it was ice cream and a banana & milk chocolate fried spring roll with whipped cream & fruit sauce, beautiful, but alas not vegan. Ryan was content eating both our fortune cookies.

We had come here just recently as a family and enjoyed the spinach fried rice (without the egg), and a Chinese New Year special dish with rice cakes & bean sprouts that was fantastic.

The kids receive water cups
with crazy bendy straws,
always a hit.

My husband and I are forever
a bit sentimental about this
restaurant because it is where
we officially became engaged.
We ate here while we waited
for my ring to be resized
smaller at the Jewelry Exchange
just down the road; we decided
to have lunch while we waited, and ended up here. The room we ate in has since been remodeled and the sushi bar added. There is also a buffet at certain times.

Lotus Blossom is located at 394 Boston Post Road (route 20) in Sudbury, MA, 978-443-0200. There is always plenty of parking in the lot surrounding the building.

Review: Asinayo Market

Asinayo Market, Framingham, MA

I love the variety found
in little local asian
markets. Asinayo Market
is a Korean grocer in
downtown Framingham,
MA, across the street
from the Town Hall.

In addition to the typical rice, noodles, tea and sea vegetables, there are some kitchen gadgets, Korean videos, and an extensive refrigerated and frozen foods section. And dare I mention the candy counter where I picked up a few treats including some Hello Kitty candies.

The staff are friendly and
generous. They've offered
to carry my grocery bags
to the car (I decline, but I
guess having a few kids
along makes it look like I
need some help).

Here are my purchases from
my recent visit: a HUGE bag
of dried shiitake mushrooms,
soy sauce, sweet potato
crackers, mini gel cups, coconut milk, Hello Kitty candy, black sesame furikake, dried gourd strips, red bean paste cookies, and vegetable potstickers.

I was really surprised to find that the mini gel cups were vegan; I'm glad I decided to check the ingredients! Sure, they're just sugar, agar agar, and food coloring, but I think they will look cool added to a new kindergarteners lunchbox.

Asinayo
Market
can be
found at
185
Concord
Street.

There
is on-
street
parking
and some
spots
in the
municipal
lot by
the town
offices.

508-875-3634

Fresh Farm Meals

No snacks this week since it's the first week of summer vacation!
On the weekend I made everyone's favourite dinner "The Yummiest of Yummy Tofu Dinners" as Ryan calls it, or ma po tofu with veggies:
I think I could make this every
night for a week and nobody
would complain. And it's a great
way to use green vegetables,
especially asian greens and beans.
This week I used our baby bok
choy from the farm.


Yummiest of Yummy Tofu Dinners

1 T. peanut, canola, or safflower oil
3 chopped scallions
2 chopped garlic cloves
1-2 tsp. minced ginger
1 tsp. hot sauce, red pepper flakes, or a small diced hot pepper
1 large head bok choy or 2-3 heads baby bok choy, chopped with stems & leaves separated
1 lb. firm tofu, cut into bite-size triangles
1 small can sliced bamboo shoots
2 cups frozen haricots verts or green beans
3 T. soy sauce
3 T. rice vinegar
3 T. cooking sherry
1 T. sugar
1 cup vegetable broth
2 T. cornstarch + 4 T. water
2-3 packages ramen noodles or rice noodles, cooked & drained (optional)

Heat oil in large pot or wok (I use a large cast iron pot) with scallion, garlic, ginger & hot sauce.
Add bok choy stems and stir fry about 2 minutes.
Add tofu and bamboo shoots and stir fry for another 1-2 minutes.
Add bok choy greens.
Mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, cooking sherry & sugar. Add to pot.
Add vegetable broth and green beans. Stir and cook at a low boil for about 5-7 minutes, or until greens beans are just wilted and soft.
Turn off heat. Stir in cornstarch mixture. Serve in big bowls over noodles or as is.

Father's Day:

The day began with a bunny
stick puppet show and pancakes.
I wasn't up to doing anything
extra special...being very
pregnant and having 3 boys
is enough!



For lunch I made this absolutely
fabulous "Pea Shoot Salad with
Avocados and Bacon" from the
Gourmet's Fresh cookbook. The
dressing was fantastic. And I used
Lightlife fake bacon that cooks
up crispy.


We ate out at a Mexican
restaurant for dinner, then
came home to enjoy an
apple-rhubarb pie with
Soy Delicious Neopolitan
ice cream. Dada is a big
pie fan.


Monday:
Husband's lunch: bell
pepper strips; steamed
asparagus; grape tomatoes;
purple grapes; more pea
shoot salad....there was
plenty of leftover dressing
for a few more servings.



Another recipe from Gourmet's
Fresh: "Farfalle with Roasted
Garlic and Pea Puree". A yummy
way to use peas. I decided to add
the pea greens to the pasta
cooking water at the very end
instead of adding them raw.
Very tasty.

Tuesday:
Another one of Ryan's creations:
a sandwich filled with Tofutti
cream cheese, carrot, grapes
& avocado. He loves to tell me
about when he grows up how I
can come visit him and all the
delicious meals he'll cook for me.
I can't wait! LOL.




Wednesday:

I must admit I am not a fan
of raw radishes. But they are
easy to grow and we always
get plenty from the farm, so
I am determined to find new
ways to prepare them so I
can enjoy them. I tried this
simple Pickled Radish recipe
online. It is so easy to slice
radishes, throw them into a
glass jar or container, shake
a few times, and in 24 hours
watch them transform into
something new and delicious.
I ate the whole batch myself!



Lunch: chinese-style asparagus
and super spicy eggplant over
rice.
Our last item from the previous
farm season is garlic, still hanging
in the basement stairwell, plant
tops and all. I just snip off a head
whenever needed.

CSA share:
- 1 bunch summer savory
- 1 head red leaf lettuce
- 1 head romaine lettuce
- 1 bunch rainbow swiss chard
- 1/2 lb. spinach
- 1/2 lb. mixed baby greens
- various herbs: sage, oregano,
thyme, sorrel
- 1 bunch pea greens
- 1 bunch scallions
- 2 quarts strawberries
- 1 quart sugar snap peas

Dinner: child & adult portions of:
strawberries; snap peas; sauteed
swiss chard with garlic & raisins;
tofu herb ravioli with sauce.

Wednesday:
Dinner: pasta primavera with
leftover pea sauce. Lots of
veggies including peas,
broccoli, carrot & bell peppers.





Thursday:
local pickins from the Farmer's Market: red & yellow new potatoes; flat-leaf parsley; a loaf of white bread (what a treat!); yellow squash & zucchini; 5 hothouse tomatoes.

I was so exhausted after a
visit with my midwives and
food shopping that I wanted
a simple comfort food dinner.
I whipped up a sun-dried
tomato & parsley hummus
spread on some onion focaccia
bread & topped with capers.
Oh, my, gosh...soo good. That
and a salad & some snap peas to munch was all that we needed.

Next week Ryan starts CSA farm camp...so I'll have at least a couple of kid lunches to post!