Side Effect

Steamed Lotus root and greens

‘It’s not easy being green’. Kermit the Frog is right. I know I will never be a vegetarian. However, my inner thoughts are telling me I should be more sparing on meats and stay away from sweets or was that my waist line talking? When I feel heavy (literally) I must go for a green (er) dish.

This dish’s crunchy lotus roots were satisfying and require only one skillet plus it is low-fat. The only thing I would do differently next time is omit the vinegar and use lemon juice instead. Vinegar gives this dish some tanginess but discolors the greens. Over all this is a simple dish yet the variations could be endless. Although we had it as a main dish, it would be a great side dish.

Ingredients for 2 servings

Equipment: non-stick skillet with lid

• Lotus root 2 tubes (see picture) Scrub skin well under running water. Slice into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces.
  
• Leafy greens – Swiss chard, collard greens or bok choy roughly chopped.
• Olive oil 3 Tablespoons
• Vinegar or lemon juice 2 Tablespoons
• Whole grain mustard 1 Tablespoon
• Water 1-2 Tablespoons

1. Soak sliced lotus roots in a bowl full of water for 2-3 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, prepare sauce by combining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, vinegar(or lemon juice) and mustard in a bowl. Set aside.
3. Pat dry lotus roots with paper towel. Heat remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick skillet at medium high heat. Lay lotus roots in the skillet and slightly brown both sides.
   
4. Pour water in the skillet then immediately cover with lid. Steam for 2-3 minutes.
5. Coat greens with prepared sauce then place over the lotus roots, cover with lid again and steam for additional 1-2 minutes.
6. Serve as is or with a little bit of soy sauce or ponzu sauce.

My husband had a business conference to attend and give a presentation at Emerald City. 4 days of movie madness on Netflix at home or 4 days of exploring the city (and some shopping), it was a hard choice but I chose the latter and went with him. This patch of land is near our hotel.It rained practically every day in the Seattle area. I was forced to be inside of the mall…not really. The weather was dry enough one afternoon, I strolled through Bellevue City Park next to Bellevue Square Mall. Still quite chilly, blossom of double cherry could still be seen here.Tiny Japanese cake shop Fumie’s Gold was at the edge of the park. I bought a Mount Blanc cake.

I ate at a section of the park called Belvedere.One single red rose I spotted stood out against the green back ground.

We had pretty good ramen at Kukai (空海) restaurant in Bellevue.

2nd visit to Lynn's Bistro in downtown Kirkland was again a pleasure. We tried three course dinner for $30 per person (They also offer three course for $40). Marvelous dinner rolls were welcomingly warm.

Before heading home, we stopped at KiKi’s delivery service. Just kidding. It’s a Taiwanese bakery. Most breads are $1.75. $5 if you buy three.The vanilla pudding we ate in the car. I don’t want to brag but mine are a notch silkier.The side effect of good eating is already happening. More green diet have to be enforced.

These calla lilies are gift from neighbor. She kindly pointed out that I spelled calla lily wrong in the last post. I like her and her mom!Too much light maybe? Taking good photos is difficult but correcting photos using computer program is even harder.