Bright Peppers, Wont You Take A Leap

Frying zucchini, and learning a whole new recipe as well as getting more engrossed into Middle Eastern cooking, joy! I always find it to be fun and make time go by fast, isn't that a pair? This time I made a beef dish with tomatoes and more fun slices added to the mix as well as Zucchini fries!


Unlike the last dish, this one had quite a number of steps, waiting and preparing as well as ingredients. I made two recipes from the same cookbook because I could but had to start much earlier to have enough time but got a delicious meal and an early dinner in return.:)

Here you see beef with all other kinds of ingredients mixed in such as tomatoes, tomato past and tomato sauce (whew lots of tomatoes), peppers (all colors:)), basmatic rice (uncooked), salt, onions, garlic, pine nuts and rosemary.

Oh and I forgot to mention that this recipe I changed a bit because I had to. It's supposed to be stuffed peppers with the above mixture cooked inside of it, however , as you can see I already cut up bits and pieces of peppers in the mixture. I found it to be very delicious just the same, less time consuming as well as easier to make.

Now for the side dish- Zucchini fries! They are super simple to make and eat, not much to them, just more flavor when you spice things up a bit and make them more appealing to the eye.

Having them soak in milk for some time. The recipe advises an hour, but I didn't make time to wait that long but I think they were ready to get out of 'their bath' when they did.

Frying away! With some heated oil, they cook quickly and start to have a nice golden color on them. Can't you just feel the heat and hear the sizzling/:)

I had to take some pictures of the some of the very colorful, exotic and cultural pictures from this bright cookbook...

And this last one, it almost appears to be symbolic. It speaks, where are you going and points to creativity, adventure, the unknown...Something so simple as walking down the stairs at the school campus library can make you think beyond the reality.

I hope you lied this post and wont be afraid to try this amazing dish. I hope to make it again soon for my dear brother-in-law and sister. Happy rainy weather on this first Monday in March!:)

Something Fishy

I've been really into looking at cookbooks and especially of lately, Middle Eastern cooking. I recently checked out 3 that looked fun and interesting! I've been looking through the pages and have instantly become inspired but what I see from the pictures and recipes alone. An extra dose of excitement is linked to the possibilities and what I will decide to cook!

So this past Wednesday, I made a fish dish. Since it is the Lenten season, and it was Ash Wednesday, fish was a likely option. I actually don't mind cooking with fish, I find it to be interesting and almost like a whole new realm that I haven't fully discovered yet. The Persian recipe called for sea bass, but I instead used Talipia, it's still good and soaks in the the flavors well.

I would rate this recipe as super simple. If you like fish or seafood and want something that is fairly quick and not a lot of steps, then this one is a go to! I didn't have a lemon but used a lime instead. Luckily I had some saffron strands and some pinches of sumac- what a great smell and flavor it has!:) I look forward to more seafood dishes in the future, as well as more delicious recipes from these inspiring cookbooks!

Her Goodwill, My Goodwill:)

After being in a cozy coffee shop on a not so cozy day, I made a leap to one of my favorite stores to shop and browse in- Goodwill! I love thrift shopping, primarily because it's a lot cheaper, more fun with more character and you simply never know what you will stumble upon and find! I think that all makes out to be a great adventure.

The story goes, that I was really enjoying my time there looking around and even finding great things! I called my sister to invite her to join me, since she was already thinking of shopping there during this holiday weekend. She said yes, and hopped on over. I wanted her company but also wanted her to come with me to get some cash out for purchases since their credit machine was broken and had no cash on me, I think one of the workers knew that I invited some along for the ride to shop with since he was smiling and looking at my sister when she walked in, and looked at me as I was smiling at her, excited to show her what I had already found- a crate full! Whoops, I think I got really excited and liked so many things, and so I kept them.

We are such opposites, since she found and purchased 3 items- two purses and a pair of boots. I don't think I could do that too easily in a store like this! Ha But she was so gracious to pay for me and just get cash out and have me pay her back of course, since although mine was a lot cheaper than any other store, it was still worth something. It was out of her 'goodwill' to do that, and to join me as I like to say, my goodwill store.

I like to shop alone, but it's also always fun to shop with someone else, especially if that someone is a sister. I'm usually okay when it comes to needing a second opinion, but at the end of our little, semi- large, and spontaneous and free shopping spree, she liked all that I got, especially my funky rain boots which I know will be quite useful since there is still a lot of rain to come!

Taken right after phone conversation telling my sister to come right on over. I loved the colors, with the blue door, bright yellow wall, and vibrant blazer! I'm also wearing the quirky boots:)

The jewelry is one of my favorites at a thrifty store like this one! I would say about half of my jewelry comes from goodwill. I got two pieces, a necklace and earrings. The lady who got the earrings out for me was a little surprised that I would like earrings like that. To me, they looked different and rather 'earthy' and even a little funky/hippy...hey I'll take it since I'm sure they would still be sitting there for a while! The lady just laughed when I said that I was helping them get rid of things, which in a way is kind of true!:) And she was surprised that I was still there shopping, since it had already been about 2 hours eek, it does take a while to look through almost everything.

I really haven't done any fashion or style posts here on Plum Tree. Of course, it is a part of inspiration and creativity for me, yet I'm not sure if I'm the best advocate or writer for it. I just wanted to share this fun and spontaneous activity. I mean, I think it's always good and nice to have some ounce of spontaneity in your life, or do something out of routine or different- kind of like what I mentioned in my last post. What do you feel about this? And what has been something that was 'out of the box' for you? Or maybe there's no box haha. Happy Goodwill/Thrift store shopping!!:)

Fuchsia's Recipe and Making Things Interesting

I've been meaning to share a semi- recent dish that I made last weekend. I decided to make a Chinese dish since it's been a while and also since we're still celebrating the New Year of the Rooster. This cookbook that I checked out caught my eye because the author is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and has a cooking memoir about her experience with Chinese food, specifically the Sichuan province. Her cookbook has a lot to offer, with many interesting and exotic dishes that I had never heard of. Here is her book, if you're interested. I've been meaning to still read/finish it.

I made a dish that is pretty typical yet not so common, since the ingredients and steps have a turn of their own, yet make for a great and delicious meal at the end of it all!

For this recipe, there's ingredients for the main dish, the sauce and the marinade, however, it's all pretty easy and doesn't take too long. I think in all, it took me a little over an hour before we could eat. That day, my Mom and I went to lunch at Clementine's, and then explored Anthropolgie. It had been almost a year since visiting this cool and inspiring store, I needed all the inspiration I could get! Lol See this post about Anthro http://plummtree.blogspot.com/2016/11/anthropologie-and-anthropology.html, and this one for
Clementine's:) http://plummtree.blogspot.com/2016/09/clementines-inspiration-through-time.html

Last night, I made glazed meatloaf. It had a lot of flavor and spices in it, but I didn't take a picture of it since, I guess you already know what it looks like lol

On another note, I've been trying to create a schedule that makes my time more interesting, exciting and maybe even a little more random. Yesterday, I decided to wake up earlier than ever, even though I did sleep in a little, but regardless, I went on a quick and early run, eager and ready to start the day! Yesterday, I also went to a new coffee shop in the area, which I had heard about but never gave it a try. My experience there was pretty good, though, there were times when it was loud, and I didn't like my drink all that much, but it's okay- it was for the (new) experience and that's all that really mattered. This reminds me of a CD I listened to a year in a half ago that talked about how to become an interesting person...unfortunately it skipped so I couldn't listen to it anymore. A few years back, what I though that made for an interesting person was speaking lots of different languages and I wanted to be able t do the same. Of course, this is interesting but not the only way and surely not the only thing that will make for an interesting person.

On Valentine's Day, I was thinking about giving blood since there was a blood drive at school, but then I remembered that I've been out of the country and still need to wait a few more months if I want to donate. In a way, I was semi- relieved since I do not like the idea of a pricking my finger or a needle in my vein, but sometimes the thought is worse than actually doing it. I guess that's like a lot of things in life.

What are some things that you've been cooking lately, and or something you did that was new or out of your comfort zone?:)

This picture was taken about a month ago, at a favorite Chinese restaurant that my Mom and I share. Sweet and sour soup, I believe, and next time I will order my Mom's choice, and maybe even say a few words in Chinese! Till next time!

Arabic Food and Sumac:)

Middle Eastern food is something that is always fun, interesting and even a little difficult to put together. Tonight I decided to make Kefta (or Kafta), but it's a different version than what I made before. This recipe is more like a roll, with some filling inside that is already pre-cooked and the meat of the Kefta (both lamb and beef) cook altogether on very high in the oven.

This dish in all took about an hour in a half to cook. Like most Middle Eastern dished I've tried to concoct in the past, I notice a recurring pattern- there are a lot of steps, and or, each step is a process in a itself as well. I wouldn't say I'm always on the mood to cook a 'fancy' dish like this one tonight, however, when I am and when I do attempt to recreate the recipe, I always feel rewarded and good that I got a bit or even a lot out of my comfort zone and tried something different, and even fun. I usually am surprised at the strong flavors and smells from the exotic spices. Sumac, being one of these spices that is particularly strong. I've come across a few times now in dishes, yet never had it and didn't know what it was. My Mom recently purchased sumac at a cooking store, that was actually surprisingly cheaper and bigger than a grocery store. So now, I'm happy to say that I have sumac in my back pocket whenever I need it!

The end result looked something like a hamburger patty, but it tasted a little spicy with the help of the sumac, and a mix of lamb and beef. I happen to like the mix of lamb and beef, as well as just lamb by itself, but my sister begs to differ. I somehow always seem to be cooking recipes with lamb ?;)
I feel that this too will go in my recipe archive. Now the next thing I need to get a hold of is Tahini paste- which many recipes have also called for that I've seemed to notice and haven't included, yet.

Hope you'll give this one a try!: Till next time...

Rekindling Language

It so happened that when I was low on inspiration and fuel, I had time to write. But once my energy and inspiration soared, I found that the time to write on Plum Tree was hard to make. So here I am, and now with a new month in store. February has a nice feeling to it. There are naturally many holidays in it, and chocolate and red seem to be the theme.

3 years ago today, I recorded my first ever video of myself (with my sister's help) of me speaking Chinese. I was only 3 weeks into studying the language, but the challenge and the somewhat horror of speaking to a camera in a foreign language that was still foreign to me was a bit scary and fun at the same time. Last night, I recorded a video about the Arabic language. I am taking an elementary Arabic class to help me with my progress and to keep me motivated, it's also something different than my usual routine of college classes. But I wouldn't say it's an easy A or even a recreational class, there is actually a lot of work and learning being done. I guess you could say that I am putting more work into my schedule, but that doesn't mean it's not more fun. For me, learning is fun and enjoyable, especially when it comes to languages. :)

As for Chinese, it still excites me and realizing that there is still so much I don't know, yet also realizing that there is still a good amount I do know. I still want to have goals for this language, and to keep up my learning and practice. My Chinese teacher informed me about a oral proficiency test that is coming up. I will need to brush up on my speaking skills and dust off my language materials. I don't have a lot of time for this test, but I think I have enough for me to relearn and remember!

Happy Chinese New Year, and Happy February- and happy language learning:)

6 o'clock Lamb

I haven't been cooking too regularly but I didn't post an amazing recipe which I cooked when my sister and brother-in-law were here two weekends ago. I think I was just taking in the moment and too busy prepping things and making sure nothing burns, although I did burn myself a little. That recipe I will just have to put on here anyway, since I feel that it was a keeper. It was a salmon dish, although the original was with trout, but I guess now you know that I like to switch some ingredients around. Ha

This latest recipe was from my Jerusalem cookbook. It usually doesn't take me too long in order to find a recipe that I would like to concoct. So this time I made lamb, with eggs, and other spices and such that made the dish worth what it is. I didn't however, and perhaps even unfortunately use tahini or harissa paste, or sumac. When you're not living in an Arab country, somethings may be a little harder to find. But I still found this recipe to be really good and interesting, with all the flavors in unison. My family who tried it said the same:)

With this one, there were a good number of steps that I had to pay attention to. But luckily nothing was too crazy or should I say even very difficult. I seriously started making this dish at 6 pm and had it ready a little after 7:30 pm. Sundays, (which was the day I cooked it) can always be a bit hard. I love Sundays, and I love going to the library on Sundays up until the late afternoon. My Mom and I kept telling ourselves that we would leave the library to go to store at a descent time, yet we kept pushing it back at least 3 times. We were thoroughly engrossed in our reading and work, and the quiet, glowing ambiance of the library was another factor. After finding all that I would need at the store, except for those three ingredients I mentioned earlier, I was ready to start cooking, and cooking fast, for my Dad highly dislikes eating 'late' on a Sunday evening, but fortunately everything seemed to unravel nicely and there were no big hiccups in the process.

Eggs, lamb, and all other ingredients cooking swiftly

Add the cooked tomatoes, and the eggs are supposed to be a bit runny

Here's the cover of the cookbook again, as well as the same recipe:)

My sister isn't too fond of lamb, but I guess I surprised her with this one because she liked it better than before. I personally like the smell of ground lamb cooking, and with the ingredients in this recipe, it worked well with the lamb, and the eggs, tomatoes and everything else. I look forward to the other recipes I will try in this gem!

Book Worm

With a new year well underway, it's always tempting to peek behind the curtain of the past year- in what happened and what was learned. Regarding books, what happened was that I finished more than I thought I could, and what I learned was that it's always good to read a book, or take it with you during your day since you'll never know when you will need it to be your companion and friend for those 20 minutes waiting or wanting some needed inspiration. So finally I will share the finished books I read in 2016, and will specifically highlight the ones I read this Fall.

I have my favorites that I read this year, and that really put a spark in me. These included The Blessed Eucharist, The Pioneer Woman, When Breath Becomes Air, Start Something That Matters, Led By Faith, The Diana I Knew, On The Noodle Road, The Introvert's Way, Our Lady Of Kibeho, Traveling To Infinity, White Jacket Required, and Spiritual Lessons along the Camino. Whew. Great titles and books that stirred up inspiring juices that uplifted, encouraged and gave me a new perspective and world to look into. It's always a treat when books can do that for you. :)

Now for the ones that I read this Fall. My goal was to read 8, but I finished 7.
Looking back at the ones I read this Fall, I realized that most of them are spiritual books, which I also found to be helpful and inspiring:)

The Virgin Mary of Guadalupe

This little book was amazing. I learned a lot about the life of Juan Diego and more about the occurrence of The Virgin Mary visiting him. It was also an easy and quick read. Happens to be one of my favorite apparitions of Mary:)






India Calling: An Intimate Portrait of a Nation's Remaking
Right from the start, this book hooked me into a deeper and hidden perspective of the history of India. I found it to be very interesting, as the author was raised with two different cultures, and going back to India as an adult was an interesting and riveting experience for him. I would like to read more books like this.

Our Lady of Kibeho

A very, very engaging and uplifting book about Mary coming into the city of Kibeho, on the Eastern side of Africa. There was so much power and hope in this book, it was difficult to put down. This was also a fast read, and to be honest was a little sad when it was over. Now I can say that I've read all of her books (Immaculee Ilibagiza's). Such a strong, beautiful and inspiring woman.

The Name of God is Mercy 

Another spiritual read! This one was also quite short, and easy to flip through and read. I liked that I read it at the end of the year of Mercy, and overall an insightful and uplifting book.

Travelling to Infinity

I was so glad to finish this long, detailed and heart hooking book! I had been meaning to read and finish this book for sometime, and even bought it for my Mom for Christmas two years ago. I've seen the movie and really liked it. When my sister read it, I was more inspired to read it as well. Jane Hawking is such an amazing writer and storyteller, this too was a page turner. I recall reading 100 pages in a day practically fluidly. Highly recommended.

Make it Messy 

Aww, Marcus Sameulsson. I always enjoy looking at his cookbooks- I got one of them for Christmas this past year! I've also read his other memoir, Yes, Chef. This book was similar to Yes, Chef, a condensed version. It was also nice because I kind of forgot parts of the story, and what an interesting story he has. He's an interesting, creative and inspiring person and chef. 

White Jacket Required

I found this interesting book first at B&N and remembered and wrote the title down. I was inspired by the author's tenacity, passion and determination in the culinary and then later the pastry field. I could relate with some of those moments and situations of quarter life crises and uphill and downhill battles. She has an inspiring journey.

And lastly, right before Fall ended and Winter started, I finished reading Spiritual Lessons along the Camino.

This spiritual read, hence the title, was one I read in preparation for the Christmas season. She decides to go to Spain, to go on a personal and intimate retreat with herself and learns new things about herself, her faith and others along the way. It was a nice and enriching read when the gloominess of December stopped by for a visit.

So, those were all the books that I read this Fall, and this year. I'm excited for all the reading I will do in 2017, and want to read more this year, finding more time for it and covering more subject areas.

Till next time...

Holy Mackerel

I was so excited to cook something out of my new and inspiring cookbook. Flipping through the pages and learning about new dishes is always fun. This time, I decided to cook a recipe with fish in it. I'm not a huge seafood lover, then again I haven't tried most seafood, so maybe it's too early to tell. However, I do want to try more seafood that I haven't already checked off my list of scary looking, funny smelling and popular treats, some call that can easily be popped in your mouth. Hmm, sounds enticing.

This recipe in particular was something different and required mackerel. I do not know a whole lot about fish, or mackerel but something new is always exciting to try, right?:) I went on board to go to the grocery store with my Mom...(this is a goal of mine, to become more familiar with the grocery store) And if you're going to cook or bake, you kinda need to know where things are.

When I saw this tree a few weeks ago, I was like holy mackerel! Love this color. Now it's all bare:/

We had to ask the 'fish guy' who works in the seafood section if they carry mackerel. The first thing he said was holy mackerel, and the next thing he said was that no, they didn't carry it. He asked what I was making, and I told him a Jerusalem dish, and I could tell that his mouth began to water, yet I couldn't tell him the name of the dish- but now I can tell you! Pan fried mackerel with golden beet and orange salsa. Instead of getting mackerel and probably searching for a while at an Asian or specialty market, we went for sardines. They also didn't carry golden beets, only the red kind, we went for the red.

Making the salsa

I was unfamiliar with beets until now. They do tend to stain your hands and anything else they touch a little, but I thin it would be cool to use them for dying a t-shirt or something. In the end, the sardines worked out well, and were pretty oily, similar to the consistency of mackerel. I really, really liked making this dish and enjoyed even more eating it. There was so much flavor, and the salty, tender sardines with the sweet and sour tang of the fruit in the salsa was a delight.

Maybe now after cooking this dish, I will become more eager and perhaps more ambitious to cook up more fish /seafood recipes. Note, my big brother got me this cookbook for Christmas, and he's vegetarian so I think it's a win win and now I finally have a vegetarian dish under my belt:)

Sardines!

Brand New Year, What A Good Idea

Hello 2017! It's always so nice to welcome a new year, and to have a fresh start! New Years resolutions and predictions are always things I like to do on New Years Eve. As for resolutions, I aim to finish the books I start. And speaking of finished books, I still need to post all the books that I read in 2016! These will include my favorites- the ones that I would read again and also the ones I read for my Fall challenge.

I'm unsure of what this year of 2017 will bring, but I know that I'm excited for new beginnings and challenges that await me. And with 2016 under my belt, I feel more prepared for what will come this year.

I think one of my main challenges is becoming more grateful for all that I do have! Gratitude is an attitude for all seasons, not just Thanksgiving and the more you embrace it, the more you live and experience it:)

My cooking will continue, as I am excited to jump into a new cookbook from Christmas that speaks to my eclectic taste, and another one all about Jerusalem. My challenge for baking didn't happen, or should I say my interest and love for baking is still blooming, and I would like to bake something soon!

I have many ideas for this something of a friend- personal type blog that relates to creativity and becoming innovative with what I have, yet also going into the kitchen and getting into the groove of creation, personality, flavor and culture! However, I cannot leave out my language passion and goals- and this year there is more responsibility for my brain to know, remember and understand the languages that I have decided to study as well as keep on studying.

 Right now, it almost feels as if my mind is going a bit crazy, with all of the ideas and adventures I store up in my mind for times to come. But in all honesty, that's what I need and Plum Tree helps me do that. :) So, here's to all other inspirational bloggers out there, let's unite! Wishing and hoping for a wonderful 2017 ahead, and all that will happen. Cheers!