Category Archives: Recipes

A few recipes for a specific food or food item

Mason Jar Quick Pickled Carrots and Daikon

Quick pickles are cold and tangy adding crunch to prepared meats, sandwiches, noodles, rice dishes, and salads. Good with pretty much everything according to Sue Pressey a Korean food blogger sharing recipes and cultural traditions for a non-korean international audience.

The recipe below is adapted from her technique to be sized to a single mason jar and to use common kitchen tools instead of a mandolin. The sugar in the recipe is reduced also. For her exact recipe and to read about uses of quick pickles check out her blog.

She also wrote a free downloadable ecookbook on Korean BBQ and has a downloadable cookbook for purchase featuring Korean side dishes.

Mason Jar Quick Pickled Daikon and Carrots

adapted from Sue Pressey’s recipe blog My Korean Kitchen


  • 1 Daikon Radish
  • 1 Carrot
  • 1/2 cup +2 TBS Vinegar
  • 1/2 cup +2 TBS Water
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 large pinch kosher salt (about 1/3 Tsp)


Prepare the Brine (Juice for pickling):

  1. In a pan on the stove, combine the vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Heat till it boils then let cool.

Prepare the Vegetables.

  1. Wash the carrot and daikon. Cut off ends. Peel if you’d like or just trip off roots or rough pieces or spots.
  2. Slice into thin match sticks with a knife. It is safest to cut veggies with a flat stable side of the vegetable against your cutting board. Cut the carrot and daikon in half the long way then put the flat surface on the cutting board and cut thin slices. Set the slices flat on the cutting board and cut them into thin sticks.
  3. Put about 1 loosely piled cut of carrots and daikon sticks into a clean dry mason jar. For a quick pickle you don’t need to sanitize the jar but it may make your pickles last longer in the fridge.
  4. Pour the brine over the vegetables to fill and put on the lid.
  5. Let sit out for a few hours then refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
  6. Pickles are best the first day or two. They will be fine to eat longer but check for off flavor and throw away if you feel unsure.

Cornbread with green chilies and cheese


Cornbread mix (we used Marie Calender’s Original 16oz but other brands could work too with adjustments)

1 4oz can hot green chilies

Water about 1 1/4 cup

Shredded cheese blend (we used WinCo Mexican Blend)

Cooking spray, oil, or butter to prep pan


  1. Preheat oven to 375F
  2. Spray with cooking spray or smear butter inside a 2″ deep and 8 inch by 8 inch square baking pan pan or another pan about 2″ deep that can be baked in the oven (mine was round.)
  3. Measure liquid ingredients. Add can of chilies to measuring cup. In this recipe, the canned chilies count as part of the the liquid in the recipe. Add water to reach the amount of liquid needed by the recipe. For this mix, that is 1.5 cups total liquid including the chilies.
  4. In a mixing bowl, combine the cornbread mix and liquid ingredients. Mix till the lumps of mix are gone. Usually in muffins/quick breads you need to be very careful not to over mix, cornbread is a little easier to work with and this is less of a concern in this recipe.
  5. Spread the batter in the pan evenly.
  6. Slice the jalapeño into thin rings. Place on top of the batter.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes, then sprinkle cheese on top and bake for about 10 more minutes.


The middle needs to be set.

You can just touch the middle lightly on top (don’t get burned) and see if it feels done and springs back when tapped in the middle.

You can also test it by poking the middle with a wooden toothpick or skewer and see if it comes out clean.

Fresh and Easy Pear Salad


1 Pear (D’anjou or bartlett pears are a great choice!)

2 cups of mixed greens (approximately ⅓ bag)

1 oz or 2 TBS of Gorgonzola

1 oz or 2 TBS of Chopped Walnuts

1 pkt of Balsamic Vinaigrette

Prep Time: under 10 minutes Servings per recipe: 1

  1. Rinse pear in cold water. With a knife and cutting board, slice 1 pear about ¼ inch thick
  2. Optional: You can crush walnuts with a flat surface, such as a bottom of a cup, before adding to salad mix.
  3. In a large bowl with tongs or two utensils mix greens, gorgonzola and chopped walnuts.
  4. Serve on a plate and top with pear slices and add dressing packet. (Hint: use about ½-1 packet per preferences)
  5. Enjoy!

Click here to find more information about pears: Pears | Food Hero

Click here for more information on the cheese included in this week’s Beaver Bag: Gorgonzola – Wikipedia

Bihon Pancit

Help the HSRC and APCC celebrate May as Asian American, Pacific Islander, and Desi American Heritage Month with this delicious collaboration recipe.


Pancit bihon (guisado) is a sautéed rice noodle dish that has been adapted from Chinese immigrants in the Philippines. The noodles are mixed with soy sauce, meat (pork and chicken) and vegetables, served with sliced lemons on the side. This dish is served during celebrations, namely birthdays because the noodles represent longevity and good health. To me, this dish epitomizes family, because on the rare occasions when I would have extended family come together, it would be on my birthday, and although, my Filipino grandmother (may she rest in peace) would often cook traditional food for me, she only made pancit on my birthday. This dish is very light to eat, and whenever I think of it, I remember how carefree I feel with my entire family. – Sara Kathleen Tajanlangit

In this recipe from Caroline Phelps at the pickledplum blog (linked below), she demonstrates how quick and easy delicious noodle-based recipes can be once you learn how to make them.

To use tofu in place of chicken or pork, here are instructions for preparing the tofu:

  1. Open the tofu package and drain the liquid.
  2. Remove excess liquid from the tofu. You can do this different ways. Method 1: Wrap tofu in paper towel and leave for about 10 minutes. Method 2: press tofu under a plate with a weight like a can on top for about 10 minutes, drain extra liquid. Method 3: cut tofu into cubes, spread in a colander, pour boiling water over the cubes, shake off excess liquid and let drip for a few minutes.
  3. Cut tofu into bite sized cubes
  4. Tofu can be added to the recipe with the vegetables or it can be pan fried in a little oil then added. Tofu should be handled gently because the curd will break down.

Preview the instructions for the pickled plum recipe below:

  1. Whisk all the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and set aside.
  2. Place a medium-size pan on a burner over medium heat. Add a little oil and pan-fry the chicken (or tofu) until the pieces are cooked through. Transfer them to a plate and set aside.
  3. Use the same pan to add the garlic and onion, and cook for 3-4 minutes until fragrant and the onions have become translucent.
  4. Return the chicken pieces (or tofu) to the pan and season with a little salt and pepper.
  5. Add the vegetables and stir fry until the vegetables are soft but still yielding a little crunch.
  6. Whisk the sauce, add it to the pan, and bring it to a boil.
  7.  Add the dry pancit noodles to the pan and let the heat from the sauce cook them. Gently toss the noodles to make sure they are evenly coated. The noodles will get infused with tons of flavor this way as opposed to just being coated with sauce. They should be cooked in 3-4 minutes. If the noodles are still crunchy once the sauce has been absorbed, add a little stock (1/4 cup) to help them cook through.
  8. Turn the heat off and transfer the dish to a serving bowl or plate. Season with salt and pepper and serve with soy sauce and lemon wedges.

Kale Chicken Caesar Salad

Kale Chicken Caesar Salad

  1. Remove all contents from the bag
  2. Take the kale from the bag and rinse it off with water
  3. Once the kale is rinsed grab a cutting board and knife and remove the kale from the stems
  4. Cut the pieces of kale that are too big for one bite
  5. Place all kale into a bowl
  6. Open the can of chicken and drain the water (Can also do this with garbanzo beans)
  7. Add chicken to the same bowl that the kale is in
  8. Grab the packets of parmesan cheese and add those into the same bowl as well
  9. Open the bag of croutons and add as much as desired
  10. Lastly, take the packets of caesar dressing and add those into the bowl
  11. Mix all ingredients together and enjoy!

Check out a couple other fun approaches to Kale Caesar Salads!

Handling Kale – here is info on how-to use kale

Salad with Butter Lettuce & Spicy Mustard Greens

Fresh local greens return for spring in Healthy Beaver Bags

See basic technique for assembling a lettuce salad.


Butter Lettuce – a mild sweet and smooth textured leafy green with rounder petal like leaves, Mustard Greens – a spicy leafy green, Cucumber, Red Onion, Carrot, Ranch dressing (or another dressing), Bread Croutons

Optional: Add a food with extra protein: Sliced hardboiled egg, black beans, seeds or nuts, cooked chicken


Quick version: Wash and chop the veggies into bite sized pieces. The largest volume, about 2/3 should be lettuce and smaller amounts of the other vegetables. Toss together and put in a bowl topping with a sliced hardboiled egg, croutons, and dressing.

Detailed version:

Wash and prep vegetables:

Butter Lettuce: Pull leaves of the butter lettuce from the bunch breaking off just above the root end. In a bowl or pan submerge in cold water to clean moving around the lettuce to let dirt or debris fall off to the bottom. Replace the water a couple of times to have a triple wash of your leaves. Shake or place on a clean towel or paper towel to dry a bit before use.

Storage tip: Use just how much you’d like to eat right away. Lettuce keeps better if it isn’t washed and if its root end is still attached, in the fridge in a bag. Washed lettuce can be stored in a bag or container with a damp clean paper towel in the fridge.

Mustard Greens: Wash by plunging in cold water to remove dirt. Let water drip away before using.

Cucumber: wash with water to remove dirt. Cut off ends. Cucumber can be sliced into rounds or any bite sized shape.  It can be eaten with the peel or without.

Storage tip: Store cut end wrapped in the refrigerator. Slices or chopped cucumber can be stored sealed in the fridge. They will break down in a few days and should be used before then.

Red Onion: Brush off any dirt from the outside. Trim off the ends. Pull off the outer papery layer of onion. Slice from poles one end to the other to make very thin slices that can be separated and sprinkled over the salad.

Storage: An onion can be stored partially cut and tightly wrapped in the fridge. I would plan to use the rest in the next day or soon, the quality will decrease.

Carrot: Wash the exterior of the carrot scrubbing out any dirt. Cut off ends. Carrots can be peeled with a knife or veggie peeler, but it is not necessary. Chop into bite sized pieces, shred or slice.

Storage: carrot can be stored in a container refrigerated.

Assemble salad

Think about the flavors and textures of the different vegetables and your taste for them. If an ingredient is unfamiliar taste it first.

[Storage tip: A salad that is all combined will not store well. If you washed and prepped more than you want to eat right now. Store the components separately in the fridge and combine just before use]

In a bowl place mostly lettuce, top with mustard greens, sliced cucumber, finely sliced onion, and carrot.

Add on top dressing and toss to mix.

Add croutons to the top.

If you are adding a hardboiled egg, seeds, nuts, meat or chicken, add at the end.

Check out:

Minced Chicken Lettuce Wraps – another fun way to use butter lettuce! Recipe from SeriousEats

How to wash and store lettuce to keep it fresh and crunchy From Food Network

Butter Lettuce Facts

Mustard Greens Facts

Baked French Toast & Berry Compote

Oven French Toast (from


12 slices whole grain bread

4 eggs or 8 egg whites

1 cup nonfat or 1% milk

¼ cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla


  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Lightly spray a cookie sheet with sides or two 9×13 inch pans with cooking spray.
  3. Lay the slices of bread flat on the pan with the sides touching.
  4. Beat egg, milk, brown sugar, and vanilla until very well blended.
  5. Pour mixture over bread. Turn each slice over to ensure both sides are wet.
  6. Cover and refrigerate overnight or bake immediately for 30 minutes.
  7. Serve hot. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar (optional). Top with applesauce, fresh fruit or yogurt.

Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.

Simple Berry Compote


16 oz frozen berries

¼ cup juice

2 tsp sugar

Optional: vanilla and/or cinnamon to taste


  1. Add berries, juice and sugar to a small saucepan and bring to medium heat.
  2. Once bubbling, reduce heat slightly and use a spoon to mash the berries.

Continue cooking over medium-low heat for 10-12 minutes, occasionally stirring and mashing fruit to combine. Turn off heat and add optional add-ins at this point (cinnamon, vanilla, or other flavoring of your choice)