It’s pumpkin spice time!

September 18, 2021 / edebock / 2 Comments

I’m always sad to see summer come to an end and this year is no exception. With our long, cold winter just around the corner, fall is bittersweet. Thankfully, it’s also pumpkin spice time! There’s something about a pumpkin spice latte that warms the tummy and the heart. I’ve always said it tastes like hot pumpkin pie in a cup!

pumpkin spice latte

Sadly. when I learned that I was prediabetic and had to start seriously limiting my sugar intake, I had to stop indulging in these fabulous autumn treats. “Don’t drink your sugar,” is the advice given to those of us on the diabetes spectrum.

There are sugar-free pumpkin spice recipes online that use artificial sweeteners, but I haven’t tried one of those yet. What I have been experimenting with and perfecting lately is a simple pumpkin spice smoothie recipe that I’ll share with you today. It’s not sugar-free, but it’s low-sugar, healthy, and delicious.

Pumpkin Spice Smoothie (for one)

1/2 cup cold canned pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
1/2 banana
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt
1 tbsp artificially sweetened maple syrup substitute
2 tbsp unflavoured protein powder
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Put all seven ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. Enjoy!

If sugar and/or fat content are not a concern, you can use whole milk, regular yogurt, and/or maple syrup instead of the low-sugar, low-fat substitutes that I use.

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I’m still using hubby’s laptop to blog while the WordPress Happiness Engineers do their best to figure out a way to help me. My fingers are gradually getting more accustomed to his keyboard and I’ve figured out a way to transfer photos from my computer to his, but the whole blogging process is slower and less satisfying than usual. I’m not giving up, however. I will persevere until the problem is resolved or I have to buy a new laptop!

It needs a name

July 29, 2011 / edebock / 4 Comments

Lu Min is the Filipino housekeeper who comes every Tuesday. Her husband works on a vegetable farm, hence the bags of eggplant and cucumbers that she’s been bringing me. Cucumbers, I know what to do with but having done most of my grocery shopping at the Sedgewick Coop for the past 36 years, I’m not all that well acquainted with eggplants. What should I do with them, I wondered. And so yesterday my Facebook status read Elaine DeBock has been given more eggplants than I know what to do with! Any yummy suggestions?

As expected, my friends and family came through with lots of great ideas. ” I’ve made lasagna with it before. I use it instead of the noodles. Just slice it about 1/4″ thick and use it as a couple of layers.” said my friend, Janis. Ratatouille, babaganoush, moussaka suggested others. Such marvelous names!

I began searching recipes online and reading long lists of ingredients wondering which ones I’d be able to find in Saipan’s grocery stores. Then came today’s long dreary rain. Definitely not a day when I felt like driving across the island and searching unfamiliar grocery aisles for things that might not even be there. Instead, I wanted to hole up at home with a good book.

As I thought about the various recipes and ingredients, however, and mulled over what I already had in the house, an idea began to take form. A simple idea. And so a recipe was born.

I browned approximately one pound of ground beef with half an onion, chopped. To that I added half a jar of store bought spaghetti sauce. I used Chunky RAGU Garden Combination with 2 servings of veggies in every 1/2 cup because that’s what I happened to have on hand and I thought it would go well.

While the beef was browning, I peeled the eggplants and sliced them lengthwise, about 1 cm thick. I put a layer of eggplant in the bottom of a greased 9×13 inch pan, followed by half the meat mixture and then sprinkled it liberally with parmesan cheese. Next I added another layer of eggplant and the remaining meat mixture.

That went into a 350F oven for 45 minutes. Next I added a layer of mashed potatoes and returned it to the oven for another 15 minutes.

Voila!

Easy, delicious and there’s even enough left for another meal! The only problem is, it needs a name.

What would you call it?

Okonomiyaki

September 18, 2008November 15, 2011 / edebock / 5 Comments

Hours after landing arriving in Japan the first time, back in 2005, we were introduced to okonomiyaki, a delicious Japanese pancake-like meal. Kansai is the geographic region surrounding the cities of Kyoto and Osaka and okonomiyaki is a Kansai area specialty. We were visiting Matt and Robin at the time and ate it in a tiny restaurant in their Osaka neighbourhood. We live in the Kanto region, however, where good okonomiyaki is not easily found. Hence, the need to learn to make it.

Recently, the students in one of Richard’s adult classes had a homework assignment that required them to translate favourite recipes into English and bring them to class. Two ladies brought recipes for okonomiyaki! I also had a cookbook recipe. Using these three recipes, I created one of my own and tried it out yesterday.

The first challenge was shopping for the ingredients. Okonomiyaki calls for flour. Since I don’t have an oven here, I can’t bake and hadn’t looked for flour before. I hoped I wouldn’t have to buy a big bag as the recipe only calls for half a cup. Silly me! I should know by now that nothing, except rice, comes in big packages in Japan! Milk is sold in 1 litre cartons, carrots 3 to a bag, potatoes 4 or 5 to a bag, and the biggest package of cereal on the Seiyu shelves is 435 g. After searching and finally locating the flour, I was delighted to find that it only comes in 1 kg bags!

I was very excited to learn that, while most okonomiyaki recipes call for Chinese yam, a potato makes a good substitute. I could probably get Chinese yam here if I was able to identify it from amongst the many unknown items in the produce department but I definitely want to be able to make okonomiyaki back home in Canada and I can easily get potatoes in the Sedgewick Coop! Whether using yam or potato, the secret is to use a grater that turns it to mush.

I am very happy to report that my first attempt at making okonomiyaki in Japan was a great success! It was simple and delicious. And so, without further ado, here’s my recipe:

Ingredients (serves 2)

1 small potato, peeled and grated
2 eggs
100 g (1/2 Japanese cup or 2/5 American cup) flour
1/4 cabbage, chopped
100 g pork, thinly sliced
red pickled ginger to taste, chopped fine

Directions

Place the potato, eggs and flour in a large bowl and mix well to form a thick batter. Cut some of the pork into small pieces keeping 4 slices aside. Add the cabbage, cut pork and ginger to the batter. Mix until ingredients are well coated. Form 2 large pancakes. Top each with two slices of pork and cook in a hot pan or on a griddle. Turn over after 3 minutes and cook for 5 minutes. Turn again and cook for 5 more minutes. Turn once more, cooking for 3 minutes. Spread with okonomiyaki sauce (thick Japanese style Worcester sauce) and mayonnaise and sprinkle with dried bonito (fish) flakes.

Variations

Additional fillings such as shrimp or cheese may be added.