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Iki Marinade 2.0

Iki Marinade 2.0

1/8 C. olive oil

1/8 C. canola oil

1/4 C. light thin Thai soy sauce

2  1/2 T. light brown sugar

2 T. apple cider vinegar

2 1/2 T. ketchup

1/2 T. granulated garlic powder

1/2 T. onion powder

Dash red pepper flakes

The Story Behind Iki 2.0

For the story behind Iki 1.0 the original click here.

Ever wonder how two cooks can make the same recipe and they come out different?  One cook makes the dish and it tastes good.  The original cook makes the same dish and for some reason no one wants to explain, it doesn’t just taste good it tastes great.  Wonder no more!  The secret is simple.  The original cook uses certain brands of ingredients and also changes the recipe.  A digital cookbook is the perfect place to document such changes.  As always I leave the original alone and highlight what changes I’ve made.

What Changed

I moved away from all olive oil to a mixture of olive and canola oils.  The soy sauce I use comes from Thailand and is the Happy Boy Thin variety.  While I prefer this brand you may not be able to find it in your local Asian grocery.  Also be aware that MSG is listed as an ingredient so avoid if you have any sensitivity to this substance.  Both of these changes lighten the marinade.  Kikkoman which is found almost everywhere is an example of a dark soy sauce.  The amounts of brown sugar and ketchup are a little higher than in the original.  Thus, this version is a slight bit sweeter.  Finally, garlic powder subs for fresh garlic and I’ve added onion powder to the marinade.

Why Change?

Why not?

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The Original Nicky Dip

When friends get together for food and drink, the conversation sometimes gets a bit quirky.  It was a small get together of six and somehow the conversation turned to dip.

“What’s in that cheese dip you guys made once.  It was awesome.”

“We didn’t have any dip tonight.  What are you talking about?”

“I had it one of the other times we were together.  It had cheese in it.”

Now that was helpful.

“What else was in it?  What kind of cheese?  What did it taste like?  What kind of chips were served?  Can you remember anything else about the dip?”

Imagine six people trying to figure out which cheese dip recipe it was based upon a single clue: cheese.  Then the quirky one who started the whole quirky conversation said,

“It also had chilies in it.”

“Oh, you must be referring to Nicky’s Cheese Dip.”

To The Box.  I found an email dated January 10, 2010 from one to all of us in the group.  There it was and here it is.

  • 2 eight ounce packages of Philadelphia cream cheese
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 four-ounce can of chopped green chilies, drained
  • 2 ounces diced jalapeño peppers
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  1. Blend the cream cheese and mayonnaise using a hand mixer.
  2. Stir in the Parmesan, peppers and chilies.
  3. Place mixture into an ovenproof serving or baking dish.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until bubbly and slightly browned.
  5. Serve warm with chips.

 

Random thoughts – For the chips use tortilla chips or Frito’s (if you’re into that sort of thing).  For some strange reason I always thought this dip had a few dashes of hot sauce in it.  Add a few drops of your favorite hot sauce (trust me on this).   He Who Asked the Question will probably play with this recipe by removing some fat and calories while preserving the original flavor profile.

Do it.  And if you come up with a tasty low cal version, please share.  Let the cream cheese soften a bit at room temperature.  Start the mixer at a slow speed unless you want cream cheese and mayo splattered on the wall.

 

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Strawberry Mousse

  • One package unflavored gelatin
  • 1/2 cup cold water
  • 1 cup strawberries, crushed
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 cup heavy cream whipped
  • 1 drop red food coloring
  1. In a sauce pan soften the gelatin in water.
  2. Stir over low heat until the gelatin dissolves.
  3. Crush strawberries, stir into the gelatin mixture.
  4. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
  5. Beat egg whites until stiff.  Gradually add sugar.  Fold in strawberry mixture.
  6. Whip cream.  Fold into the strawberry mixture.  Add one drop of red food coloring.
  7. Pour into individual molds or bowls.
  8. Garnish with fresh strawberries and chill for four hours.
  9. Serves 6-8.

“I’m going to make something light for dessert.”

“Like what?”

“Strawberry Mousse and Forgotten Cookies.”

“You forgot what?”

“No, I’m also making cookies to go with the mousse.”

“Why?”

“You’ll see.”

Tips

I crushed the strawberries with a potato masher.  You don’t want puree.  Leave some chunks.  Serve with Forgotten Cookies.  You’ll see.

Another recipe saved from its original pen and paper format.  One down and several thousand more to go.

 

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Forgotten Cookies

“Why do I always make the dessert?”

“Because you make wonderful desserts and our dinner parties would not be the same without one of your desserts.”

This cookie recipe is a recipe Grandma Beverly used to make.  I don’t remember The Boss ever making this cookie.  When the offspring were young there were always homemade cookies in the house.  Still I’m pretty sure I never had this cookie.  Until yesterday.  I was forced to sample one before dinner.  All I said was

“These things are dangerous!”

  • 2 egg whites
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • vanilla extract
  • dash of salt
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Add dash of salt to the egg whites.
  3. Beat egg whites until fluffy.
  4. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff.  Add a few drops of vanilla.
  5. Fold in pecans and chocolate chips.
  6. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  7. Drop by the spoonful onto the cookie sheet.
  8. Turn oven off and leave the cookies in the oven for a minimum of three hours or overnight.
  9. Makes about 30 cookies.

I learned the “forgotten” part of the cookie description is when you put the cookie sheet into the oven then turn the oven off.  Set it and forget it.

 

 

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Lutein, found in leafy greens, may counter cognitive aging — ScienceDaily

Spinach and kale are favorites of those looking to stay physically fit, but they also could keep consumers cognitively fit, according to a new study. The study, which included 60 adults aged 25 to 45, found that middle-aged participants with higher levels of lutein — a nutrient found in green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale, as well as avocados and eggs — had neural responses that were more on par with younger individuals than with their peers.

Source: Lutein, found in leafy greens, may counter cognitive aging — ScienceDaily

Today I made a warehouse club run.  I needed mineral water, coffee, and…spinach.  Seriously, I just bought a huge tub of organic spinach.  I have no clue what I’m going to use the spinach for but at least I’ll be improving my neural responses.

Kale?  No thanks.

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