So who else is super excited about Detective Pikachu coming out next month? I think what excites me the most is that the trailers hint at so many Pokémon in-jokes that my millennial brethren grew up with. So to get hyped up, I wanted to make an elevated series of “Starter Starters” that reference starter pokémon, from first gen to third gen, in celebration of our grown-up appreciation for these adorably dangerous creatures.
Click here to skip to the recipe for Bulbasaur Bites.
Click here to skip to the recipe for Charmander Chomps.
Click here to skip to the recipe for Squirtle Slices.
First Gen Crostini
As the title of this post implies, my first recipes are crostini inspired by the first gen starter pokémon: Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle. Crostini is an Italian appetizer involving toasted bread and toppings. If that sounds stupidly simple in concept, you wouldn’t be wrong. However, that is the beauty of these dishes. Like starter pokémon, crostini have the potential to evolve into something powerful.
So read on to find out what starters you can make inspired by the first gen starter pokémon!
Sing for Your Supper
If you plan to cook the recipes off the site, keep scrolling. However, while access to recipes on the blog will always be free, I now have printable PDF recipe cards and thematic cook-along Spotify playlists as rewards for those who choose to support the blog.
The printable recipe cards and playlist for First Gen Crostini will be available as a $2 donor reward on my Ko-Fi page until Tuesday, April 30th, 2019, at 8 pm EST.
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You can join my Patreon community at the “Sing for Your Supper” level ($1/month) for access to the playlists or the “It’s All in the Cards” level ($5/month) or higher for access to ALL of my blog recipe cards and playlists. Patrons of all reward tiers will even receive a welcome gift of my Lord of the Rings recipe cards and playlists from January to get you started.
Bulbasaur Bites
For Bulbasaur, I wanted to include a plethora of fragrant, plant-based ingredients that would be appropriate to the Kanto region. The Kanto region in Pokémon resembles the Kanto region of Japan where you’re likely to find sesame oil, soy sauce, and mirin.
So with that in mind, I sauteed spinach in mirin and topped it with some fragrant Thai basil. Since a Bulbasaur themed dish would not make sense without some flavorful bulb, I stir-fried pearl onions in sesame oil and soy sauce. This mixture absorbs into the onions as they cook, and then erupts in a pop of umami when bitten.
bulbasaur
Bulbasaur Bites
Equipment: Oven, baking sheet, skillet, stovetop, cutting board, chef knife, bread knife.
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. baguette
- 4 cups fresh spinach leaves
- 1 cup fresh Thai basil, sliced into ribbons
- 1/2 cup frozen pearl onions
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/4 cup mirin
Instructions:
- Slice the bread into 12, half-inch rounds and place on the baking sheet. Toast the bread on a low broil for 2 minutes on each side. Set aside.
- Heat the skillet over medium heat on the stovetop and add the pearl onions. Add the sesame oil when most of the moisture has cooked off and stir fry until the onions brown on all sides. Stir in the soy sauce to coat and transfer the onions to a separate dish.
- Add the spinach to the pan of drippings and pour in the mirin to deglaze. Stir until thoroughly wilted and the moisture mostly absorbed.
- Distribute the wilted spinach among the bread rounds and top with shredded basil. Place two to three onions on each bed of greens then serve.
Charmander Chomps
I desired to create a dish for Charmander with more depth beyond just being spicy. Being a starter pokémon, Charmander is still only a baby. Spice is nice, but this dish needs to show a developing heat instead of a blazing inferno. That’s why I chose to top this toast with harissa powder-blended cream cheese.
Since Charmander emits a moderate, drying heat from the tip of his tail, I then added dried apricots, candied ginger, and red pepper flakes. The result is visually dynamic, complex in flavor, and stupidly easy to make.
charmander
Charmander Chomps
Equipment: Oven, mixing bowl, cutting board, bread knife.
Ingredients:
- 8 oz. baguette
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened.
- 1 1/2 teaspoon harissa powder
- 12-16 dried apricots
- 12, 1-inch slices of candied ginger
- 1/2 tablespoon red pepper flakes
Instructions:
- Slice the bread into 12, half-inch rounds and place on the baking sheet. Toast the bread on a low broil for 2 minutes on each side. Set aside.
- Blend the harissa powder and cream cheese in a dish with a spoon until thoroughly mixed. Spread the spicy cream cheese on the toasts.
- Arrange one to two apricots on each toast and perch a piece of candied ginger behind it.
- Garnish the toasts with a pinch of red pepper flakes before serving.
Squirtle Slices
Finally our last first-gen crostini is not technically a crostini. I know, I cheated. Turtles are often associated with the Kappa from Japanese folklore. You would protect yourself from the kappa with an offering of cucumber. It made sense to use cucumbers instead of bread.
Then I mixed fresh mint with cream cheese for more fire protection and dotted it with blueberries to signify Squirtle’s bubbles. Simple, but delicious, and super effective against Charmander Chomps if you need a palate cleanser.
squirtle
Squirtle Slices
Equipment: Cutting board, chef knife, mixing bowl.
Ingredients:
- One large cucumber
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped mint
- 4 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
- pinch kosher salt
Instructions:
- Slice the cucumber on a bias into 1/2″ slices. Set aside
- Blend the cream cheese, half of the mint, and a pinch of kosher salt together. Spread the cream cheese onto the cucumber slices.
- Dot the top of the cream cheese with three blueberries on each slice and garnish with chopped mint. Serve.
