Serves 4 as part of a multi-course meal
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable or peanut oil
1 1/2 pounds pork spare ribs, cut to 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium-sized leek, thinly sliced
White sesame seeds for garnish, optional
Thinly sliced scallions or leeks for garnish, optional
Sauce:
3 tablespoons spicy black bean sauce (or 2 tablespoons black bean sauce with 1/2 tablespoon chili oil)
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 cup water
Method:
Mix together ingredients for the sauce. Set aside.
In a wok or frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add spare ribs and stir-fry until brown on all sides, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, and leeks and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute. Pour in sauce mixture. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 10 minutes. Sauce should be reduced enough to coat the spare ribs. Transfer to serving plate, garnish with optional sesame seeds and scallions, and serve with rice.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Strawberries & Cream Cake
Ingredients
3/4 cup sugar
4 Tbls. butter (that’s 1/2 a stick), softened
1 egg
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups strawberries, sliced
Prep your cake pan & preheat your oven
Generously butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch round cake pan.
Cut a round of parchment paper and fit it inside your buttered pan. Don’t make yourself nuts trying to make a perfect circle. If it creeps up the edges a little, that’s just fine.
Set the pan aside. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Make the cake batter
Put the sugar in the bowl of your mixer.
Slice up the butter and add it to the bowl.
Crack in the egg.
Beat the sugar, butter, and egg together to combine well.
When the mixture is fairly uniform, pour in the cream. Beat to combine.
Add the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Beat on high to combine.
Beat until the batter just comes together, like this. If you overdo it, the cake won’t be as tender. The batter will be really thick, almost like a soft cookie dough.
When your batter is mixed, toss in the strawberries.
Fold them in by hand with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Fold gently, so you don’t completely smoosh the strawberries.
You want the berries to be fairly evenly distributed throughout the batter.
Bake the cake
When the batter is fairly uniform, scrape it out into your prepared cake pan.
With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, smooth the batter down so it’s even. Pop it into your preheated, 375 degree oven.
Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the top is firm and golden brown, and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake.
Set the cake pan on a rack and cool it right in the pan.
When it’s completely cool, run a knife around the edge to loosen it up, then invert it onto a plate. Because you lined the pan with butter and parchment, it should slip right out.
Or you can do what I did, and serve it right out of the pan.
To serve, slice into wedges or squares.
Serve as is, or top with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or fresh, sliced strawberries.
Farro Salad with Asparagus, Tomatoes, and Feta
(Adapted from Bon Appetit, June 2005)
Makes 2 servings
1/2 cup farro (I think I'll substitute orzo instead)
1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed, sliced
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1-2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled
Cook farro in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Transfer to large bowl.
Meanwhile, cook asparagus in another saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 1-3 minutes. Drain. Add to farro with tomatoes, onion, and dill. Whisk oil and vinegar in small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Add dressing and feta to salad; toss to coat and serve.
Makes 2 servings
1/2 cup farro (I think I'll substitute orzo instead)
1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed, sliced
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1-2 tablespoons chopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons feta cheese, crumbled
Cook farro in large saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. Transfer to large bowl.
Meanwhile, cook asparagus in another saucepan of boiling salted water until crisp-tender, about 1-3 minutes. Drain. Add to farro with tomatoes, onion, and dill. Whisk oil and vinegar in small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Add dressing and feta to salad; toss to coat and serve.
Homemade Chocolate Pudding
from The Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker & Ethan Becker 1997 Edition
1 3-cup bowl or 5 ramekins (four to five ounces)
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup plus 1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup warm water
2 cups half-and-half, divided (OK to substitute whole milk)
3 TBSP cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Whipped Cream for serving
In a heavy saucepan, mix together the sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Gradually stir in the warm water to form a smooth, runny paste.
While stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat.
Stir in 1 3/4 cups half-and-half.In a small measuring cup, mix the cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup half-and-half. Thoroughly incorporate the cornstarch slurry into the chocolate mixture.
Cook, while constantly stirring, over medium heat until the mixture begins to thicken. Reduce the heat to low; stirring briskly, bring to a simmer and cook for an additional minute.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla
Pour the pudding into the bowl or ramekins and press plastic wrap directly onto the pudding surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
Serve with whipped cream.
1 3-cup bowl or 5 ramekins (four to five ounces)
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup plus 1 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup warm water
2 cups half-and-half, divided (OK to substitute whole milk)
3 TBSP cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Whipped Cream for serving
In a heavy saucepan, mix together the sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Gradually stir in the warm water to form a smooth, runny paste.
While stirring constantly, bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat. Remove from the heat.
Stir in 1 3/4 cups half-and-half.In a small measuring cup, mix the cornstarch and remaining 1/4 cup half-and-half. Thoroughly incorporate the cornstarch slurry into the chocolate mixture.
Cook, while constantly stirring, over medium heat until the mixture begins to thicken. Reduce the heat to low; stirring briskly, bring to a simmer and cook for an additional minute.
Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla
Pour the pudding into the bowl or ramekins and press plastic wrap directly onto the pudding surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
Serve with whipped cream.
Asparagus with Lime and Mint Recipe
Ingredients
1 lb. of asparagus, trimmed
1 1/2 tablespoons of olive, sunflower, or grapeseed oil
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
1-2 fresh limes (yielding a total of 1 1/2 Tablespoons of juice)
1 teaspoon of fresh mint, chopped or cut in a chiffonade*
*To chiffonade mint, stack a few leaves, roll leaves up like a cigar, starting at one end, make your way down the roll, making thin slices.
Method
1 Heat the oil in a wide sauté or frying pan on medium-high. When the oil is hot, add the asparagus and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, cooking for about 5 minutes until fragrant.
2 Put on a plate and squeeze lime juice over the asparagus and sprinkle on the mint.
Serves 4.
1 lb. of asparagus, trimmed
1 1/2 tablespoons of olive, sunflower, or grapeseed oil
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
1-2 fresh limes (yielding a total of 1 1/2 Tablespoons of juice)
1 teaspoon of fresh mint, chopped or cut in a chiffonade*
*To chiffonade mint, stack a few leaves, roll leaves up like a cigar, starting at one end, make your way down the roll, making thin slices.
Method
1 Heat the oil in a wide sauté or frying pan on medium-high. When the oil is hot, add the asparagus and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, cooking for about 5 minutes until fragrant.
2 Put on a plate and squeeze lime juice over the asparagus and sprinkle on the mint.
Serves 4.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sautéed Sole in Herb Butter Sauce
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds fresh sole fillets (I used frozen ones and they were still yummy!)
Salt, to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp minced shallots
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp, cut into 4 pieces, cold, unsalted butter
Fresh thyme leaves (or any fresh herb for flavor)
Minced fresh chives
Lemon wedges (use Meyer lemons if available)
Method
1 Pat the sole fillets dry with paper towels. There is a lot of moisture in petrale sole, so you might have to pat them dry twice. Lightly salt the fillets on both sides.
2 Heat oil in a large, stick-free skillet on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully add the fillets to the pan. Brown the fillets gently on both sides. Fish is cooked when it flakes easily and is no longer translucent. Sole fillets will cook up very quickly, no more than a few minutes on each side, so don't walk away from the pan while cooking. Once done, remove the fillets from pan and place on a warm plate.
3 Add shallots to the pan and sauté until soft. Deglaze the pan with white wine and scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Add butter and gently swirl to make a sauce. Add herbs, and squeeze a little lemon juice into the sauce. Spoon over the sole.
Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
1 1/2 pounds fresh sole fillets (I used frozen ones and they were still yummy!)
Salt, to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp minced shallots
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp, cut into 4 pieces, cold, unsalted butter
Fresh thyme leaves (or any fresh herb for flavor)
Minced fresh chives
Lemon wedges (use Meyer lemons if available)
Method
1 Pat the sole fillets dry with paper towels. There is a lot of moisture in petrale sole, so you might have to pat them dry twice. Lightly salt the fillets on both sides.
2 Heat oil in a large, stick-free skillet on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully add the fillets to the pan. Brown the fillets gently on both sides. Fish is cooked when it flakes easily and is no longer translucent. Sole fillets will cook up very quickly, no more than a few minutes on each side, so don't walk away from the pan while cooking. Once done, remove the fillets from pan and place on a warm plate.
3 Add shallots to the pan and sauté until soft. Deglaze the pan with white wine and scrape up the browned bits at the bottom of the pan. Add butter and gently swirl to make a sauce. Add herbs, and squeeze a little lemon juice into the sauce. Spoon over the sole.
Serve immediately.
Serves 4.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tiramisu
From A Series of Kitchen Experiments
2 blocks of Philadephia cheese, soften
3 eggs, separate the yolks and whites
2/3 cup granulated sugar
200ml strong coffee (3 teaspoon instant coffee + 3 teaspoon sugar)
26 lady finger biscuits
2 tablespoon cocoa powder for dusting
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:
1. Cream the cheese and sugar until light and fluffy with a hand whisk in a large bowl. Add the eggs yolks in one at a time and mix well each time.
2. Now you can start beating the egg whites until they reach stiff peaks in another bowl. Make sure your whisk is clean and do not have a drop of oil all or your whites won't rise.
3. Next you want to fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture but first do a little tempering by mixing 1/4 of the egg whites into the cheese mixture first. This will aid the folding process. Once that is done, add the remaining egg whites into the cheese mixture and gently fold them together. Do not over mix.
4. In an 8x8 inch bakeware, dip each of the lady fingers into the coffee mixture and line the base of the bakeware. And then layer the ladies finger with the cheese mixture. Continue with another layer of coffee dipped lady fingers and layer it again with the cheese mixture. You should end with a layer of cheese mixture on the top.
5. Dust with cocoa powder and let it set in the fridge for at least 6 hours before serving.
2 blocks of Philadephia cheese, soften
3 eggs, separate the yolks and whites
2/3 cup granulated sugar
200ml strong coffee (3 teaspoon instant coffee + 3 teaspoon sugar)
26 lady finger biscuits
2 tablespoon cocoa powder for dusting
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method:
1. Cream the cheese and sugar until light and fluffy with a hand whisk in a large bowl. Add the eggs yolks in one at a time and mix well each time.
2. Now you can start beating the egg whites until they reach stiff peaks in another bowl. Make sure your whisk is clean and do not have a drop of oil all or your whites won't rise.
3. Next you want to fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture but first do a little tempering by mixing 1/4 of the egg whites into the cheese mixture first. This will aid the folding process. Once that is done, add the remaining egg whites into the cheese mixture and gently fold them together. Do not over mix.
4. In an 8x8 inch bakeware, dip each of the lady fingers into the coffee mixture and line the base of the bakeware. And then layer the ladies finger with the cheese mixture. Continue with another layer of coffee dipped lady fingers and layer it again with the cheese mixture. You should end with a layer of cheese mixture on the top.
5. Dust with cocoa powder and let it set in the fridge for at least 6 hours before serving.
Chocolate Tofu Pie
Oh man. I just had the most delicious chocolate tofu cake at the Wooden Monkey here in Halifax and I knew I had to find the recipe to make it myself! I can't believe it's tofu because it's sooooo good!! Here are two different recipes that sound like they might be similar to what I had:
From Kitchen Chick
1 crust (original recipe uses graham cracker, but I think an oreo cookie crust is far superior in this recipe)
21 oz of silken tofu (two 10.5 oz boxes, though two 12 oz boxes also works. The extra tofu does not appreciably dilute the chocolate taste at all.)
3 Tbs honey
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate
Enough fruit to cover pie, if using a fruit topping (see below)
Or whipped cream to serve on the side
1) Prepare fruit, if using. Wash fruit, shake water off and let drain really well, and chop if necessary. Let fruit become almost dry then toss with a bit of sugar. Wet fruit can make the pie soggy. Slighty damp, okay. (That lets the sugar cling to the fruit.)
2) Roughly chop tofu. Put in blender with honey and blend until smooth.
3) Melt chocolate in double boiler, stiring frequently. Add melted chocolate to blended tofu and re-blend. It may take some effort and time to get the chocolate to blend completely.
4) Pour into pie crust. Chill until set, usually a few hours. If you use a fruit topping, I've found that chilling first for, say, 15-30 minutes then add the fruit topping and finish chilling gives me a better result than putting the fruit on first. Serve small slices as this pie is very rich and sweet.
5) If using, whip the heavy cream just before serving.
From 101Cookbooks
2 cups well-crushed graham crackers
1/3 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons honey
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 ounces organic silken tofu
1 large egg
6 ounces carob or chocolate chips, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
Greek yogurt (sweetened a bit, optional for serving), in place of whipped cream
To make the crust make combine the cracker crumbs, butter, and honey. Press into a 9-inch pie pan. I gave this mixture a whirl in the food processor to bring it all together and work out and chunks of cracker.
In a food processor, or with the mixer at medium speed, blend together the cream cheese, tofu, egg, chocolate, and vanilla. Scrape down the sides once or twice. Blend until filling is very smooth, with no visible lumps.
Spoon the filling into the pie pan and bake at 350F degrees for about 30 minutes (when I went to 35 minutes I started seeing fissures in the filling). CHILL COMPLETELY BEFORE SERVING.
Serve with a dollop of sweetened yogurt or whipped cream (if desired).
Makes one pie. About 12 servings.
From Kitchen Chick
1 crust (original recipe uses graham cracker, but I think an oreo cookie crust is far superior in this recipe)
21 oz of silken tofu (two 10.5 oz boxes, though two 12 oz boxes also works. The extra tofu does not appreciably dilute the chocolate taste at all.)
3 Tbs honey
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate
Enough fruit to cover pie, if using a fruit topping (see below)
Or whipped cream to serve on the side
1) Prepare fruit, if using. Wash fruit, shake water off and let drain really well, and chop if necessary. Let fruit become almost dry then toss with a bit of sugar. Wet fruit can make the pie soggy. Slighty damp, okay. (That lets the sugar cling to the fruit.)
2) Roughly chop tofu. Put in blender with honey and blend until smooth.
3) Melt chocolate in double boiler, stiring frequently. Add melted chocolate to blended tofu and re-blend. It may take some effort and time to get the chocolate to blend completely.
4) Pour into pie crust. Chill until set, usually a few hours. If you use a fruit topping, I've found that chilling first for, say, 15-30 minutes then add the fruit topping and finish chilling gives me a better result than putting the fruit on first. Serve small slices as this pie is very rich and sweet.
5) If using, whip the heavy cream just before serving.
From 101Cookbooks
2 cups well-crushed graham crackers
1/3 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons honey
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 ounces organic silken tofu
1 large egg
6 ounces carob or chocolate chips, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
Greek yogurt (sweetened a bit, optional for serving), in place of whipped cream
To make the crust make combine the cracker crumbs, butter, and honey. Press into a 9-inch pie pan. I gave this mixture a whirl in the food processor to bring it all together and work out and chunks of cracker.
In a food processor, or with the mixer at medium speed, blend together the cream cheese, tofu, egg, chocolate, and vanilla. Scrape down the sides once or twice. Blend until filling is very smooth, with no visible lumps.
Spoon the filling into the pie pan and bake at 350F degrees for about 30 minutes (when I went to 35 minutes I started seeing fissures in the filling). CHILL COMPLETELY BEFORE SERVING.
Serve with a dollop of sweetened yogurt or whipped cream (if desired).
Makes one pie. About 12 servings.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Yaki Udon with Beef
Ingredients (serves 2):
250g beef, thinly sliced
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp mirin 1 tsp sake
1/2 tsp corn flour
Two portions of udon noodles
2 stalks of spring onions, sliced on the diagonal
2 bunches of bak choy or other greens, cut into sections
Oil for cooking
4 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp sake
1 tsp thick dark soy sauce (or Japanese Worchestershire sauce)
2 tsp sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
Method:
1. Marinate the beef in light soy sauce, mirin, sake and corn flour for an hour or overnight.
2. Cook the udon noodles according to pack instructions. Drain and set aside.
3. While the noodles are cooking, heat a wok or large pan until hot and toast the sesame seeds in the dry pan. Stir to make sure they don't burn. Remove and set aside when lightly toasted.
3. Heat the wok again till it almost starts to smoke. Add some oil and when the oil is hot, add the beef. Stir fry briskly until the beef is half cooked, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
4. Heat more oil in the wok and add spring onions and boy choy. When the vegetables have just wilted, add the udon and the rest of the seasoning and mix well. Put the beef back into the wok to heat through and finish cooking. Dish out and sprinkle with sesame seeds to garnish.
250g beef, thinly sliced
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp mirin 1 tsp sake
1/2 tsp corn flour
Two portions of udon noodles
2 stalks of spring onions, sliced on the diagonal
2 bunches of bak choy or other greens, cut into sections
Oil for cooking
4 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp sake
1 tsp thick dark soy sauce (or Japanese Worchestershire sauce)
2 tsp sugar
Pinch of salt
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted
Method:
1. Marinate the beef in light soy sauce, mirin, sake and corn flour for an hour or overnight.
2. Cook the udon noodles according to pack instructions. Drain and set aside.
3. While the noodles are cooking, heat a wok or large pan until hot and toast the sesame seeds in the dry pan. Stir to make sure they don't burn. Remove and set aside when lightly toasted.
3. Heat the wok again till it almost starts to smoke. Add some oil and when the oil is hot, add the beef. Stir fry briskly until the beef is half cooked, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
4. Heat more oil in the wok and add spring onions and boy choy. When the vegetables have just wilted, add the udon and the rest of the seasoning and mix well. Put the beef back into the wok to heat through and finish cooking. Dish out and sprinkle with sesame seeds to garnish.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Roasted Chickpeas with Cumin
1 15-oz. can of chickpeas
2 T. olive oil, divided
1 T. cumin
5-6 generous grinds of sea salt
A few dashes of cayenne pepper, to taste
1 T. of chopped fresh parsley
Half a lemon, or one small lime
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Drain the chickpeas, and toss them with 1 T. olive oil, the cumin, sea salt, and cayenne pepper. Spill out onto a baking sheet and shake into a single layer. Roast for approximately 35-45 minutes, until the outsides of the chickpeas are crunchy and golden. About every 15 minutes, stir the chickpeas around a little.
Remove the baking pan from the oven, and slide the chickpeas into a serving bowl. Add the remaining 1 T. olive oil, juice from half a lemon or one small lime, and taste. Add a bit more salt, cumin, cayenne pepper, and/or citrus if your tongue deems it necessary. Stir in the parsley. Serve immediately.
Serves 2.
2 T. olive oil, divided
1 T. cumin
5-6 generous grinds of sea salt
A few dashes of cayenne pepper, to taste
1 T. of chopped fresh parsley
Half a lemon, or one small lime
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Drain the chickpeas, and toss them with 1 T. olive oil, the cumin, sea salt, and cayenne pepper. Spill out onto a baking sheet and shake into a single layer. Roast for approximately 35-45 minutes, until the outsides of the chickpeas are crunchy and golden. About every 15 minutes, stir the chickpeas around a little.
Remove the baking pan from the oven, and slide the chickpeas into a serving bowl. Add the remaining 1 T. olive oil, juice from half a lemon or one small lime, and taste. Add a bit more salt, cumin, cayenne pepper, and/or citrus if your tongue deems it necessary. Stir in the parsley. Serve immediately.
Serves 2.
Otsu
From 101 Cookbooks and Super Natural Cooking
Ginger-Sesame Dressing
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Fresh ginger, cut into a 1-inch cube, peeled, and grated
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup unseasoned brown-rice vinegar
1/3 cup shoyu sauce (wheat-free soy sauce)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
12 ounces dried soba noodles
12 ounces extra-firm nigari tofu
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cucumber, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 small handful of cilantro sprigs, for garnish
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Make the dressing by combining the zest, ginger, honey, cayenne, and salt in a food processor (or use a hand blender) and process until smooth. Add the lemon juice, rice vinegar, and shoyu, and pulse to combine. With the machine running, drizzle in the oils.
Cook the soba in plenty of rapidly boiling salted water just until tender, then drain and rinse under cold running water.
While the pasta is cooking, drain the tofu, pat it dry, and cut it into rectangles roughly the size of your thumb (½ inch thick and 1 inch long). Cook the tofu in a dry nonstick (or well-seasoned) skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes, until the pieces are browned on one side. Toss gently once or twice, then continue cooking for another minute or so, until the tofu is firm, golden, and bouncy.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the soba, the ¼ cup cilantro, the green onions, cucumber, and about ⅔ cup of the dressing. Toss until well combined. Add the tofu and toss again gently. Serve on a platter, garnished with the cilantro sprigs and the toasted sesame seeds.
Serves 4-6.
Ginger-Sesame Dressing
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Fresh ginger, cut into a 1-inch cube, peeled, and grated
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup unseasoned brown-rice vinegar
1/3 cup shoyu sauce (wheat-free soy sauce)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
12 ounces dried soba noodles
12 ounces extra-firm nigari tofu
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cucumber, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, seeded, and thinly sliced
1 small handful of cilantro sprigs, for garnish
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Make the dressing by combining the zest, ginger, honey, cayenne, and salt in a food processor (or use a hand blender) and process until smooth. Add the lemon juice, rice vinegar, and shoyu, and pulse to combine. With the machine running, drizzle in the oils.
Cook the soba in plenty of rapidly boiling salted water just until tender, then drain and rinse under cold running water.
While the pasta is cooking, drain the tofu, pat it dry, and cut it into rectangles roughly the size of your thumb (½ inch thick and 1 inch long). Cook the tofu in a dry nonstick (or well-seasoned) skillet over medium-high heat for a few minutes, until the pieces are browned on one side. Toss gently once or twice, then continue cooking for another minute or so, until the tofu is firm, golden, and bouncy.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the soba, the ¼ cup cilantro, the green onions, cucumber, and about ⅔ cup of the dressing. Toss until well combined. Add the tofu and toss again gently. Serve on a platter, garnished with the cilantro sprigs and the toasted sesame seeds.
Serves 4-6.
French Dip Sandwiches
1 2.5-3 lb. beef roast (you can use a frozen roast if you want)
2 Tbsp. olive oilsalt and pepper
2 1-ounce packages dry onion soup mix
2 c. water
2 cans beef broth
6-8 large buns (or more...6 would be VERY generous servings!)
Swiss, provolone, or mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and rub roast with salt and pepper. When very hot, carefully place roast in pan and sear on all sides. You're not cooking the meat, you're just browning it quickly on all sides to add flavor and seal in the juices. Oh, and it smells so good--just like Grandma's house on a Sunday afternoon. Place in crockpot and sprinkle with onions soup mix. Pour water and beef broth over roast.
Cook 8-10 hours on low or cook 4-5 hours on high and another 3-4 hours on low. It's hard to screw this part up; basically, the longer it cooks, the more tender it will be. But you know it's done when you pop a fork in it and the meat just falls apart.
When meat is ready, shred with a fork and place meat in crusty rolls. Top with cheese and broil open-faced in the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes, until bread is golden and cheese is melty. And don't even think about walking away--things can go from lightly-toasted to on fire within a matter of seconds when you're using your broiler. Ladle juices into small cups for dipping and enjoy
FREEZER DIRECTIONS:
Prepare roast through the searing step; after meat has cooled, place in a plastic freezer-safe container (think Gladware), cover with onion soup mix and boullion, and freeze. When ready to cook, pop it straight into the crockpot (frozen), add 2 cups of water, and set to high until warm or, even better, simmering. Turn to low; cook for a total of 8-10 hours.
2 Tbsp. olive oilsalt and pepper
2 1-ounce packages dry onion soup mix
2 c. water
2 cans beef broth
6-8 large buns (or more...6 would be VERY generous servings!)
Swiss, provolone, or mozzarella cheese, shredded or sliced.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and rub roast with salt and pepper. When very hot, carefully place roast in pan and sear on all sides. You're not cooking the meat, you're just browning it quickly on all sides to add flavor and seal in the juices. Oh, and it smells so good--just like Grandma's house on a Sunday afternoon. Place in crockpot and sprinkle with onions soup mix. Pour water and beef broth over roast.
Cook 8-10 hours on low or cook 4-5 hours on high and another 3-4 hours on low. It's hard to screw this part up; basically, the longer it cooks, the more tender it will be. But you know it's done when you pop a fork in it and the meat just falls apart.
When meat is ready, shred with a fork and place meat in crusty rolls. Top with cheese and broil open-faced in the oven or toaster oven for a few minutes, until bread is golden and cheese is melty. And don't even think about walking away--things can go from lightly-toasted to on fire within a matter of seconds when you're using your broiler. Ladle juices into small cups for dipping and enjoy
FREEZER DIRECTIONS:
Prepare roast through the searing step; after meat has cooled, place in a plastic freezer-safe container (think Gladware), cover with onion soup mix and boullion, and freeze. When ready to cook, pop it straight into the crockpot (frozen), add 2 cups of water, and set to high until warm or, even better, simmering. Turn to low; cook for a total of 8-10 hours.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Pineapple Fried Rice
Ingredients :
1 cup pineapple chunks – fresh is better but canned will work too
3 cups of cooked overnight rice
1 piece of chicken breasts - cut in thin strips
10 fresh shrimps – clean and roughly chopped
1 pepper – cut into cubes
1 small onion – cut into small cubes
2 cloves of garlic – chopped
2 spring onions – cut small
1 tbsp of curry powder
2 tbsp of fish sauce
2 tbsp of soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1. In a wok or a large pan, heat up about 3 tbsp of oil over high heat.
2. Add in onions and garlic and stir-fry until lightly brown and fragrant.
3. Add in chicken, stir-fry until it changes color, add in pepper and shrimps. Stir fry for another minute and add curry powder, fish sauce and soy sauce.
4. Add in rice and pineapple chunks. Stir-fry until everything is well combined and hot. Check seasoning and add salt if necessary. Add in spring onions.
5. Serve rice in pineapple shell and garnish with some spring onions.
1 cup pineapple chunks – fresh is better but canned will work too
3 cups of cooked overnight rice
1 piece of chicken breasts - cut in thin strips
10 fresh shrimps – clean and roughly chopped
1 pepper – cut into cubes
1 small onion – cut into small cubes
2 cloves of garlic – chopped
2 spring onions – cut small
1 tbsp of curry powder
2 tbsp of fish sauce
2 tbsp of soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1. In a wok or a large pan, heat up about 3 tbsp of oil over high heat.
2. Add in onions and garlic and stir-fry until lightly brown and fragrant.
3. Add in chicken, stir-fry until it changes color, add in pepper and shrimps. Stir fry for another minute and add curry powder, fish sauce and soy sauce.
4. Add in rice and pineapple chunks. Stir-fry until everything is well combined and hot. Check seasoning and add salt if necessary. Add in spring onions.
5. Serve rice in pineapple shell and garnish with some spring onions.
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Beef with Flat Rice Noodle
From Wai Sek Hong >> Some of the instructions are a bit interesting and I didn't make any changes so remember these are not my words! :)
Ingredients:
For noodles:
1 1/2 lbs hor fun(frying type) or a pkt of fresh hor fun/flat rice noodle
4 tbsp oil
2 tsp soya sauce
2 tsp dark soya sauce
1/2 lb Beef fillet/sirlion - slice thinly across the grain
1/2 cup drained canned straw mushroom - cut into slices
1/4 cup sliced carrot
1/2 lb Choy sum - wash and cut into 2 inch lengths - put on a plate and microwave for 2 mins.
1/4 cup of sliced young gingers
Oil for frying beef and noodle
Marinate
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp light soya sauce
1 tsp dark soya sauce
1/2 egg white
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp shaoxing wine
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp tapioca starch
2 tbsp water
2 tsp cooking oil
Gravy
3 tbsp oyster sauce
1 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp cornstarch
Method:
Knead the marinate except the oil, thoroughly into the sliced beef and when well mixed, add in the oil and knead again. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Loosen the fresh hor fun. (i would have to steam the hor fun before i could loosen it as it is quite stiff refrigerated.) (For the dried ones, steep in cold water)Heat wok until very hot, add in enough oil to grease the wok, over hot fire, fry a handful of the the hor fun . Add light and dark soya sauces and stir fry briskly. Allow noodles to burn a little at the edges to obtain a smaky taste. Put aside on a platter. Repeat with the rest of the hor fun.
Heat 1 cup oil and when it is hot, fry the beef by batches. Fry beef until 3/4 cooked.
Remove all the oil and leave 2 tbsp. Fry the ginger slices, then add in the beef and choy sum. Stir fry, then add in the gravy ingredients. Cook gravy thickens and pour over the noodles.
Serve hot.
Ingredients:
For noodles:
1 1/2 lbs hor fun(frying type) or a pkt of fresh hor fun/flat rice noodle
4 tbsp oil
2 tsp soya sauce
2 tsp dark soya sauce
1/2 lb Beef fillet/sirlion - slice thinly across the grain
1/2 cup drained canned straw mushroom - cut into slices
1/4 cup sliced carrot
1/2 lb Choy sum - wash and cut into 2 inch lengths - put on a plate and microwave for 2 mins.
1/4 cup of sliced young gingers
Oil for frying beef and noodle
Marinate
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp light soya sauce
1 tsp dark soya sauce
1/2 egg white
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp shaoxing wine
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp tapioca starch
2 tbsp water
2 tsp cooking oil
Gravy
3 tbsp oyster sauce
1 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp cornstarch
Method:
Knead the marinate except the oil, thoroughly into the sliced beef and when well mixed, add in the oil and knead again. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Loosen the fresh hor fun. (i would have to steam the hor fun before i could loosen it as it is quite stiff refrigerated.) (For the dried ones, steep in cold water)Heat wok until very hot, add in enough oil to grease the wok, over hot fire, fry a handful of the the hor fun . Add light and dark soya sauces and stir fry briskly. Allow noodles to burn a little at the edges to obtain a smaky taste. Put aside on a platter. Repeat with the rest of the hor fun.
Heat 1 cup oil and when it is hot, fry the beef by batches. Fry beef until 3/4 cooked.
Remove all the oil and leave 2 tbsp. Fry the ginger slices, then add in the beef and choy sum. Stir fry, then add in the gravy ingredients. Cook gravy thickens and pour over the noodles.
Serve hot.
Rigatoni With Butternut Squash & Prawns
(adapted from Giada's recipe on the Food Network)
Serves 6
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
1 butternut squash, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/2 teaspoon
1 cup vegetable stock
1 pound rigatoni
1 pound prawns, peeled and deveined (I used the frozen ones, thawed)
3/4 to 1 cup whole milk (low fat worked fine for me)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 cup grated Parmesan
Method:
1. Warm 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the butternut squash, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Saute until the squash is golden and tender, 10 minutes or so.
3. Add the vegetable stock, bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the squash is very soft, another 10-15 minutes.
4. Transfer the squash mixture to a blender or food processor and puree.
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.
6. Meanwhile, warm the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the prawns with the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Add the prawns to the pan and cook until just pink, about 3 minutes.
7. In a large pot over low heat combine the cooked pasta, pureed squash mixture, half of the basil and 3/4 cup milk. Stir to combine. Add the remaining 1/4 cup milk if the sauce needs to be moistened (I needed more, because it was still pretty thick). Add the cooked prawns, remaining basil, and cheese. Stir until warm and serve.
Serves 6
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
1 butternut squash, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt, plus 1 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus 1/2 teaspoon
1 cup vegetable stock
1 pound rigatoni
1 pound prawns, peeled and deveined (I used the frozen ones, thawed)
3/4 to 1 cup whole milk (low fat worked fine for me)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 cup grated Parmesan
Method:
1. Warm 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the butternut squash, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Saute until the squash is golden and tender, 10 minutes or so.
3. Add the vegetable stock, bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the squash is very soft, another 10-15 minutes.
4. Transfer the squash mixture to a blender or food processor and puree.
5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta.
6. Meanwhile, warm the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the prawns with the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and remaining 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Add the prawns to the pan and cook until just pink, about 3 minutes.
7. In a large pot over low heat combine the cooked pasta, pureed squash mixture, half of the basil and 3/4 cup milk. Stir to combine. Add the remaining 1/4 cup milk if the sauce needs to be moistened (I needed more, because it was still pretty thick). Add the cooked prawns, remaining basil, and cheese. Stir until warm and serve.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Rocky Road Crunch Bars
From Nigella
Ingredients
125g/4½oz soft unsalted butter
300g/10½oz best-quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces
3 tbsp golden syrup
200g/7¼oz rich tea biscuits
100g/3½oz mini marshmallows
2 tsp icing sugar, to dust
Method
1. Heat the butter, chocolate and golden syrup in a heavy-based saucepan over a gentle heat. Remove from the heat, scoop out about 125ml/4½fl oz of the melted mixture and set aside in a bowl.
2. Place the biscuits into a plastic freezer bag and crush them with a rolling pin until some have turned to crumbs but there are still pieces of biscuit remaining.
3. Fold the biscuit pieces and crumbs into the melted chocolate mixture in the saucepan, then add the marshmallows.
4. Tip the mixture into a 24cm/9in square baking tin and smooth the top with a wet spatula.
5. Pour over the reserved 125ml/4½fl oz of the melted chocolate mixture and smooth the top with a wet spatula.
6. Refrigerate for about two hours or overnight.
7. To serve, cut into 24 fingers and dust with icing sugar.
Tip: If you line the baking tin with baking parchment leaving an overhang, you can lift the whole slab out making it so much easier to cut
Ingredients
125g/4½oz soft unsalted butter
300g/10½oz best-quality dark chocolate, broken into pieces
3 tbsp golden syrup
200g/7¼oz rich tea biscuits
100g/3½oz mini marshmallows
2 tsp icing sugar, to dust
Method
1. Heat the butter, chocolate and golden syrup in a heavy-based saucepan over a gentle heat. Remove from the heat, scoop out about 125ml/4½fl oz of the melted mixture and set aside in a bowl.
2. Place the biscuits into a plastic freezer bag and crush them with a rolling pin until some have turned to crumbs but there are still pieces of biscuit remaining.
3. Fold the biscuit pieces and crumbs into the melted chocolate mixture in the saucepan, then add the marshmallows.
4. Tip the mixture into a 24cm/9in square baking tin and smooth the top with a wet spatula.
5. Pour over the reserved 125ml/4½fl oz of the melted chocolate mixture and smooth the top with a wet spatula.
6. Refrigerate for about two hours or overnight.
7. To serve, cut into 24 fingers and dust with icing sugar.
Tip: If you line the baking tin with baking parchment leaving an overhang, you can lift the whole slab out making it so much easier to cut
Yeung Chow Fried Rice
1/2 cup diced BBQ pork
1/2 cup of cooked shrimp
1/2 cup of green peas
1 egg
2 cups cold rice
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
Freshly ground pepper
Canola oil
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
In a non stick pan over high heat, stir fry BBQ pork for a minute.
Add in shrimp and stir fry quickly.
Add in green peas and freshly ground pepper, stir fry for a minute. Put all ingredients into a bowl
Put 1 tbsp of oil in the pan. Add the garlic and half of the green onions and cook until fragrant, stirring continuously. Add the rice into the pan and toss to combine. Turn the heat to medium and fry the rice until each grain is separated. Turn the heat to high and crack an egg in the middle of the rice. Very quickly, scramble the egg and mix it into the rice. Stir fry the rice until the egg has been cooked, about 1 minute. Put the soy sauce and oyster sauce in the middle of the rice and mix until combined.
Add the shrimp, BBQ pork and peas into the rice. Stir fry until the ingredients and rice are mixed well together. Turn off the heat when done and mix in the rest of the green onion.
1/2 cup of cooked shrimp
1/2 cup of green peas
1 egg
2 cups cold rice
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
Freshly ground pepper
Canola oil
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
In a non stick pan over high heat, stir fry BBQ pork for a minute.
Add in shrimp and stir fry quickly.
Add in green peas and freshly ground pepper, stir fry for a minute. Put all ingredients into a bowl
Put 1 tbsp of oil in the pan. Add the garlic and half of the green onions and cook until fragrant, stirring continuously. Add the rice into the pan and toss to combine. Turn the heat to medium and fry the rice until each grain is separated. Turn the heat to high and crack an egg in the middle of the rice. Very quickly, scramble the egg and mix it into the rice. Stir fry the rice until the egg has been cooked, about 1 minute. Put the soy sauce and oyster sauce in the middle of the rice and mix until combined.
Add the shrimp, BBQ pork and peas into the rice. Stir fry until the ingredients and rice are mixed well together. Turn off the heat when done and mix in the rest of the green onion.
Banana Bread
Cook's Illustrated, The New Best Recipe
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan
1 1/4 cups walnuts, chopped coarse
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 very ripe, soft, darkly speckled large bananas, mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan; dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
2. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and walnuts together in a large bowl; set aside.
4. Mix the mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla with a wooden spoon in a medium bowl. Lightly fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until just combined and the batter looks thick and chunky. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
5. Bake until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. (The bread can be wrapped with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan
1 1/4 cups walnuts, chopped coarse
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 very ripe, soft, darkly speckled large bananas, mashed well (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, beaten
3/4 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) degrees. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan; dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
2. Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant, 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and walnuts together in a large bowl; set aside.
4. Mix the mashed bananas, yogurt, eggs, butter, and vanilla with a wooden spoon in a medium bowl. Lightly fold the banana mixture into the dry ingredients with a rubber spatula until just combined and the batter looks thick and chunky. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
5. Bake until the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. (The bread can be wrapped with plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe
From Steamy Kitchen
Tips to make fried rice
Use previously chilled leftover rice
Here’s rule #1. You have to use yesterday’s (or earlier) cooked rice as it’s had a chance to dry out a bit in the refrigerator. The heat of the pan and the soy sauce will re-steam and hydrate the leftover rice. If you try to use freshly cooked, hot rice (like I did years ago,) you’ll end up with too much moisture in the rice and will make a heavy mess in the pan.
High heat is essential in cooking fried rice
But high heat doesn’t mean that you need super high BTU’s or a gas stove. All it takes is a bit of patience to let your pan or wok heat up. The high heat ensures that whatever ingredients that you put into the pan gets fried quickly and that each grain of rice gets hot to the core.
Fry ingredients separately
Fried rice has many different ingredients, and in my home it’s usually just a mixture of whatever vegetables, meats or seafood I can scrounge up from the refrigerator or freezer. But whatever the ingredients, you want to make sure that you can taste each individual one. To do this, you’ve got to fry your meat or seafood first, remove from the wok or pan when 80% cooked through and then toss it back in towards the end of the stir fry to finish cooking. Because if you try to fry all of the ingredients at the same time in the same pan, they’ll all compete for “wok time” and everything will end up tasting exactly the same!
No no touching!
A common mistake of stir frying is to constantly poke, prod, turn and flip every second. In a restaurant kitchen where flames are so powerful they can singe your brows, chefs have to keep things moving. But in home kitchens, our stovetops need a little more time to do their work to heat up and cook our food. If you keep poking at the rice, the grains will break, release more starch and turn the entire thing goopy. It will never have a chance to fry correctly…not enough “wok time” as my Mom likes to say. The best thing is to do is to spread out the rice, use the entire cooking surface of the pan and just leave it alone. Put your spatula down and back away from the stove for a minute. Give the rice a chance to heat up. Then flip, toss and redistribute the rice, again spreading it out and leaving it alone to cook another side.
Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe
Serves 4
8 ounces small uncooked shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon salt (or 1/2 tsp kosher salt)
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cooking oil (divided)
3 eggs, beaten in a small bowl
2 stalks scallion or green onion, minced
4 cups previously cooked leftover rice, grains separated well
3/4 cup frozen carrots and peas, defrosted
1 tablespoon soy sauce (use gluten-free soy sauce if you are making a gluten-free version)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
In a bowl, toss the shrimp with the salt, pepper and cornstarch. Let the shrimp marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature. Heat a wok or large sauté pan on high heat. When the pan is hot enough for a bead of water to instantly sizzle and evaporate, add only 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil and swirl to coat pan.
Now add the shrimp, quickly spreading out around the pan so that they are not overlapping. Let the shrimp fry, untouched for 30 seconds. Flip over and let the other side fry for 30 seconds, or until about 80% cooked through. Remove the shrimp from the pan onto a plate, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.
Turn the heat to medium and let the pan heat up again. Pour in the eggs, stirring in a quick motion to break up and scramble the eggs. When the eggs are almost cooked through (they should still be slightly runny in the middle), dish out of the frying pan onto the same plate as the cooked shrimp.
Use a paper towel to wipe the same wok or sauté pan clean (no need to wash) and return to high heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, swirling to coat. When the oil is very hot, add the green onions and stir fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add in the rice and stir well to mix in the green onions throughout. Spread the rice all around the wok surface area and let the rice heat up, untouched until you hear the bottoms of the grains sizzle, about 1-2 minutes. Use the spatula to toss the rice, again spreading the rice out over the surface of wok or pan
Drizzle the soy sauce all around the rice and toss. Add the peas and carrots, the cooked eggs, shrimp and sesame oil, tossing to mix the rice evenly with all of the ingredients. Let everything heat back up again, until the rice grains are so hot they practically dance! Taste and add an additional 1 teaspoon of soy sauce if needed.
Tips to make fried rice
Use previously chilled leftover rice
Here’s rule #1. You have to use yesterday’s (or earlier) cooked rice as it’s had a chance to dry out a bit in the refrigerator. The heat of the pan and the soy sauce will re-steam and hydrate the leftover rice. If you try to use freshly cooked, hot rice (like I did years ago,) you’ll end up with too much moisture in the rice and will make a heavy mess in the pan.
High heat is essential in cooking fried rice
But high heat doesn’t mean that you need super high BTU’s or a gas stove. All it takes is a bit of patience to let your pan or wok heat up. The high heat ensures that whatever ingredients that you put into the pan gets fried quickly and that each grain of rice gets hot to the core.
Fry ingredients separately
Fried rice has many different ingredients, and in my home it’s usually just a mixture of whatever vegetables, meats or seafood I can scrounge up from the refrigerator or freezer. But whatever the ingredients, you want to make sure that you can taste each individual one. To do this, you’ve got to fry your meat or seafood first, remove from the wok or pan when 80% cooked through and then toss it back in towards the end of the stir fry to finish cooking. Because if you try to fry all of the ingredients at the same time in the same pan, they’ll all compete for “wok time” and everything will end up tasting exactly the same!
No no touching!
A common mistake of stir frying is to constantly poke, prod, turn and flip every second. In a restaurant kitchen where flames are so powerful they can singe your brows, chefs have to keep things moving. But in home kitchens, our stovetops need a little more time to do their work to heat up and cook our food. If you keep poking at the rice, the grains will break, release more starch and turn the entire thing goopy. It will never have a chance to fry correctly…not enough “wok time” as my Mom likes to say. The best thing is to do is to spread out the rice, use the entire cooking surface of the pan and just leave it alone. Put your spatula down and back away from the stove for a minute. Give the rice a chance to heat up. Then flip, toss and redistribute the rice, again spreading it out and leaving it alone to cook another side.
Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe
Serves 4
8 ounces small uncooked shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/4 teaspoon salt (or 1/2 tsp kosher salt)
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cooking oil (divided)
3 eggs, beaten in a small bowl
2 stalks scallion or green onion, minced
4 cups previously cooked leftover rice, grains separated well
3/4 cup frozen carrots and peas, defrosted
1 tablespoon soy sauce (use gluten-free soy sauce if you are making a gluten-free version)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
In a bowl, toss the shrimp with the salt, pepper and cornstarch. Let the shrimp marinate for 10 minutes at room temperature. Heat a wok or large sauté pan on high heat. When the pan is hot enough for a bead of water to instantly sizzle and evaporate, add only 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil and swirl to coat pan.
Now add the shrimp, quickly spreading out around the pan so that they are not overlapping. Let the shrimp fry, untouched for 30 seconds. Flip over and let the other side fry for 30 seconds, or until about 80% cooked through. Remove the shrimp from the pan onto a plate, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.
Turn the heat to medium and let the pan heat up again. Pour in the eggs, stirring in a quick motion to break up and scramble the eggs. When the eggs are almost cooked through (they should still be slightly runny in the middle), dish out of the frying pan onto the same plate as the cooked shrimp.
Use a paper towel to wipe the same wok or sauté pan clean (no need to wash) and return to high heat with the remaining 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, swirling to coat. When the oil is very hot, add the green onions and stir fry until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add in the rice and stir well to mix in the green onions throughout. Spread the rice all around the wok surface area and let the rice heat up, untouched until you hear the bottoms of the grains sizzle, about 1-2 minutes. Use the spatula to toss the rice, again spreading the rice out over the surface of wok or pan
Drizzle the soy sauce all around the rice and toss. Add the peas and carrots, the cooked eggs, shrimp and sesame oil, tossing to mix the rice evenly with all of the ingredients. Let everything heat back up again, until the rice grains are so hot they practically dance! Taste and add an additional 1 teaspoon of soy sauce if needed.
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Tilapia with Pimiento Sauce Recipe
From Simply Recipes
Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, cut into thin wedges
1 clove garlic, minced
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup sliced cremini or button mushrooms
3/4 cup pimiento-stuffed olives, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 6-8 ounce tilapia fillets
Method
1 In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute more. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring sauce to boiling.
2 Gently place the fish fillets in the pan and scoop some of the sauce over the fillets. Return to boiling. Reduce the heat and cover. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. With a wide spatula, lift fish from skillet to a serving dish. Spoon sauce over fish. Serve with rice, and/or crusty bread.
Serves 4.
Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, cut into thin wedges
1 clove garlic, minced
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup sliced cremini or button mushrooms
3/4 cup pimiento-stuffed olives, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 6-8 ounce tilapia fillets
Method
1 In a large skillet heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until tender, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute more. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, oregano, salt, and pepper. Bring sauce to boiling.
2 Gently place the fish fillets in the pan and scoop some of the sauce over the fillets. Return to boiling. Reduce the heat and cover. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. With a wide spatula, lift fish from skillet to a serving dish. Spoon sauce over fish. Serve with rice, and/or crusty bread.
Serves 4.
Fudgy roasted banana cake with walnuts and chocolate chips
created by stephchows
4 roasted bananas (see below for how to)
1/4 cup splenda blend for baking (or 1/2 cup white sugar)
1 tsp vanilla extract1 egg
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa
2 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
dash salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chocolate chips (i used semi-sweet chips)
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)
ROAST whole bananas (yellow with a few black spots, they don't have to be totally overripe) by placing on a cookie sheet, roast in 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes (until they are black), cool until you are able to handle them without burning yourself.
WHISK flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
PEEL bananas and place into a large bowl along with any liquid that pours out with them, stir in sugar, beat in egg.
ADD dry ingredients a little at a time to wet.POUR into greased ceramic pie plate and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
4 roasted bananas (see below for how to)
1/4 cup splenda blend for baking (or 1/2 cup white sugar)
1 tsp vanilla extract1 egg
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup Hershey's Cocoa
2 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
dash salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chocolate chips (i used semi-sweet chips)
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)
ROAST whole bananas (yellow with a few black spots, they don't have to be totally overripe) by placing on a cookie sheet, roast in 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes (until they are black), cool until you are able to handle them without burning yourself.
WHISK flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl.
PEEL bananas and place into a large bowl along with any liquid that pours out with them, stir in sugar, beat in egg.
ADD dry ingredients a little at a time to wet.POUR into greased ceramic pie plate and bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Creamy Shrimp Pasta with Mushrooms And Peas
Serves: 2 mains or 4 sides
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups penne pasta
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk, hot
1 1/2 cup white cheddar, shredded
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
25 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese to garnish
Directions:
1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, add penne and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta and reserve.
2. Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add flour to the melted butter and cook for about 2 minutes. While whisking, add hot milk to the sauce pan and stir until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. In another large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and shrimp and cook until the shrimp is pink. Remove the shrimp to a plate and keep warm. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook until browned. Add the shrimp, sauce and peas to the mushrooms. Stir to combine.
4. Add cooked pasta and stir to combine. Garnish with parmesan cheese.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups penne pasta
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups milk, hot
1 1/2 cup white cheddar, shredded
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
25 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
Salt and pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese to garnish
Directions:
1. In a large pot of salted boiling water, add penne and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Drain pasta and reserve.
2. Melt butter in a sauce pan. Add flour to the melted butter and cook for about 2 minutes. While whisking, add hot milk to the sauce pan and stir until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. In another large skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and shrimp and cook until the shrimp is pink. Remove the shrimp to a plate and keep warm. Add the mushrooms to the skillet and cook until browned. Add the shrimp, sauce and peas to the mushrooms. Stir to combine.
4. Add cooked pasta and stir to combine. Garnish with parmesan cheese.
Roasted Pears with Blue Cheese and Walnuts
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 35 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
4 Bosc pears, halved and cored, but not peeled
Extra-virgin olive oil
A few pinches of dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup crumbled good-quality blue cheese / gorgonzola
1/4 cup walnut pieces
2 tbsp honey
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Arrange the pears, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, honey and sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper.
3. Put the baking sheet in the oven and bake 15-20 minutes.
4. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and spoon a generous teaspoon of crumbled cheese in the center of each pear half, return the pears to the oven and roast until they are tender and the cheese is soft, about 5-10 more minutes.
5. Meanwhile, put the walnuts on another baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Chop.
6. When the pears are cooked, transfer them to a serving plate and sprinkle the toasted walnuts over the top. Serve warm.
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 35 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 6 servings
Ingredients
4 Bosc pears, halved and cored, but not peeled
Extra-virgin olive oil
A few pinches of dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup crumbled good-quality blue cheese / gorgonzola
1/4 cup walnut pieces
2 tbsp honey
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Arrange the pears, cut sides up, on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, honey and sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper.
3. Put the baking sheet in the oven and bake 15-20 minutes.
4. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and spoon a generous teaspoon of crumbled cheese in the center of each pear half, return the pears to the oven and roast until they are tender and the cheese is soft, about 5-10 more minutes.
5. Meanwhile, put the walnuts on another baking sheet and toast in the oven until golden brown and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Chop.
6. When the pears are cooked, transfer them to a serving plate and sprinkle the toasted walnuts over the top. Serve warm.
Mapo Doufu / Mapo Tofu
From Appetite for China
Serves 4 to 5 as part of a multi-course meal, or 2 to 3 as the main entree
1 block soft tofu (about 1 pound), drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons peanut oil
6 ounces ground pork
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 leeks, thinly sliced at an angle (or a handful of scallions can be substituted)
2 1/2 tablespoons chili bean paste
1 tablespoon fermented black beans
2 teaspoons ground Sichuan pepper
1 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
Salt to taste
4 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 6 tablespoons cold water
Optional garnish: 1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallions, or 1/2 teaspoon crushed roasted Sichuan peppercorn
Heat peanut oil in a wok over high heat. Add pork and stir-fry until crispy and starting to brown but not yet dry. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and leeks and stir-fry until fragrant. Add chili bean paste, black beans, and ground Sichuan pepper, and stir-fry for about 1 minute, until the oil is a rich red color.
Pour in the stock and stir well. Mix in the drained tofu gently by pushing the back of your ladle or wok scoop gently from the edges to the center of the wok or pan; don't stir or the tofu may break up. Season with the sugar, soy sauce, and salt to taste. Simmer for about 5 minutes, allowing the tofu has absorb the flavors of the sauce. Then add the cornstarch mixture in 2 or 3 stages, mixing well, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. (Don't add more than you need). Serve while still hot in a deep plate or wide bowl. Garnish with optional scallions or crushed Sichuan peppercorn.
Serves 4 to 5 as part of a multi-course meal, or 2 to 3 as the main entree
1 block soft tofu (about 1 pound), drained and cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons peanut oil
6 ounces ground pork
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 leeks, thinly sliced at an angle (or a handful of scallions can be substituted)
2 1/2 tablespoons chili bean paste
1 tablespoon fermented black beans
2 teaspoons ground Sichuan pepper
1 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
Salt to taste
4 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 6 tablespoons cold water
Optional garnish: 1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallions, or 1/2 teaspoon crushed roasted Sichuan peppercorn
Heat peanut oil in a wok over high heat. Add pork and stir-fry until crispy and starting to brown but not yet dry. Reduce heat to medium, add garlic and leeks and stir-fry until fragrant. Add chili bean paste, black beans, and ground Sichuan pepper, and stir-fry for about 1 minute, until the oil is a rich red color.
Pour in the stock and stir well. Mix in the drained tofu gently by pushing the back of your ladle or wok scoop gently from the edges to the center of the wok or pan; don't stir or the tofu may break up. Season with the sugar, soy sauce, and salt to taste. Simmer for about 5 minutes, allowing the tofu has absorb the flavors of the sauce. Then add the cornstarch mixture in 2 or 3 stages, mixing well, until the sauce has thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. (Don't add more than you need). Serve while still hot in a deep plate or wide bowl. Garnish with optional scallions or crushed Sichuan peppercorn.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Zucchini Oven Fries
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs (can combine plain bread crumbs with garlic powder, onion powder, and Italian seasoning, all to taste.)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese(Honestly, the green can does work well for this, even though I prefer fresh grated.)
4-5 small zucchini
1 beaten egg
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Trim zucchini and cut in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/4 inch wide sticks resembling french fries.
Combine bread crumbs and grated cheese in a shallow bowl.
Beat egg in a 2nd shallow bowl and dip zucchini fries into egg, then into crumb mixture.
Place on baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray.
Bake at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
(Serves 4)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese(Honestly, the green can does work well for this, even though I prefer fresh grated.)
4-5 small zucchini
1 beaten egg
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Trim zucchini and cut in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/4 inch wide sticks resembling french fries.
Combine bread crumbs and grated cheese in a shallow bowl.
Beat egg in a 2nd shallow bowl and dip zucchini fries into egg, then into crumb mixture.
Place on baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray.
Bake at 450 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and tender.
(Serves 4)
Sweet and Sour Pork
Serves 2 as a main entree
1 pound pork loin, cut to 1-inch-long, 1/2-inch-thick pieces
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, or 1 tablespoon light soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons rice wine
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 of a large red onion, chopped to large pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped to large pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon pineapple juice
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 teaspoons water
Salt to taste
Peanut oil for frying
1 cup cornstarch for dredging
Cilantro spring for garnish (optional)
Chop the pork loin to 1-inch-wide, 1/2-inch-thick pices. Mix together the soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Add pork to the marinade and let sit for 30 minutes.
In a sauce pot, heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil. Stir-fry onions and peppers for a few minutes until slightly softened and edges of onion begin to brown. Add orange juice, pineapple juice, vinegar, and sugar; simmer liquid on low heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in cornstarch mixture to thicken the sauce, then salt to taste. Turn off heat and keep the mixture warm.
Heat a wok about 1/3 of the way with peanut oil until the temperature registers 375 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Shake excess marinde off pork pieces, then dredge them one at a time in cornstarch until well-coated. Shake off excess cornstarch. Working in batches, fry pork until cooked through and golden brown on all sides, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer pork with a slotted spoon to paper towels.
Reheat sauce in the sauce pot. Add pork and carefully stir to coat. Transfer to communal plate and serve with rice.
1 pound pork loin, cut to 1-inch-long, 1/2-inch-thick pieces
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, or 1 tablespoon light soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons rice wine
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1/2 of a large red onion, chopped to large pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped to large pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon pineapple juice
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 2 teaspoons water
Salt to taste
Peanut oil for frying
1 cup cornstarch for dredging
Cilantro spring for garnish (optional)
Chop the pork loin to 1-inch-wide, 1/2-inch-thick pices. Mix together the soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Add pork to the marinade and let sit for 30 minutes.
In a sauce pot, heat 1 tablespoon peanut oil. Stir-fry onions and peppers for a few minutes until slightly softened and edges of onion begin to brown. Add orange juice, pineapple juice, vinegar, and sugar; simmer liquid on low heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in cornstarch mixture to thicken the sauce, then salt to taste. Turn off heat and keep the mixture warm.
Heat a wok about 1/3 of the way with peanut oil until the temperature registers 375 degrees on a deep-fry thermometer. Shake excess marinde off pork pieces, then dredge them one at a time in cornstarch until well-coated. Shake off excess cornstarch. Working in batches, fry pork until cooked through and golden brown on all sides, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer pork with a slotted spoon to paper towels.
Reheat sauce in the sauce pot. Add pork and carefully stir to coat. Transfer to communal plate and serve with rice.
Orzo Stuffed Peppers
Adapted from Giada's Kitchen
1 (28-oz.) can chopped tomatoes
2 medium zucchini, grated
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 provolone cheese, grated
1/2 pecorino or parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black
cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
6 bell peppers
basil leaves for garnish
Pre-heat ovet to 400F
Sautée the minced garlic in olive oil, add the grated zucchini and cook few minutes until soft, add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Cook the orzo pasta in the broth for 4 minutes, undercooking it a little. Drain and reserve the broth, and stir the drained orzo into the tomato mixture. Add the salt, pepper, provolone cheese and parsley. Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and the ribs. Spoon the orzo mixture into the peppers and place them in a baking dish. Pour some of the reserved broth halfway into the dish, cover with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, add the pecorino or parmesan cheese and cook 15 more minutes. Transfer onto a serving dish, sprinkle with basil and serve immediately.
1 (28-oz.) can chopped tomatoes
2 medium zucchini, grated
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 provolone cheese, grated
1/2 pecorino or parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black
cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
6 bell peppers
basil leaves for garnish
Pre-heat ovet to 400F
Sautée the minced garlic in olive oil, add the grated zucchini and cook few minutes until soft, add the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Cook the orzo pasta in the broth for 4 minutes, undercooking it a little. Drain and reserve the broth, and stir the drained orzo into the tomato mixture. Add the salt, pepper, provolone cheese and parsley. Cut peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and the ribs. Spoon the orzo mixture into the peppers and place them in a baking dish. Pour some of the reserved broth halfway into the dish, cover with foil and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, add the pecorino or parmesan cheese and cook 15 more minutes. Transfer onto a serving dish, sprinkle with basil and serve immediately.
Pumpkin and Chickpea Stew
Makes 2-4 servings.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons filtered or mineral water
½ large onion, halved and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 medium-sized pumpkin (butternut, buttercup or autumn cup), peeled and cut into chunks
1 handful fresh thyme (to garnish)
2 cups vegetable stock
400 g cooked chickpeas
1 pinch whole sea salt
1 pinch chili powder
Directions:
In a large pot, heat the olive oil, then add the onion, the garlic and the water and cook over low to medium heat until the onion and garlic are soft and golden. Add the pumpkin, chili pepper, salt and vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the pumpkin is very tender and the stock has been absorbed. Use more stock if needed. Add the chickpeas, stir and cook for 5 more minutes, making sure the pumpkin and the chickpeas are blended together. Remove from the heat, drizzle with some olive oil, top with the thyme and serve warm.
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons filtered or mineral water
½ large onion, halved and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 medium-sized pumpkin (butternut, buttercup or autumn cup), peeled and cut into chunks
1 handful fresh thyme (to garnish)
2 cups vegetable stock
400 g cooked chickpeas
1 pinch whole sea salt
1 pinch chili powder
Directions:
In a large pot, heat the olive oil, then add the onion, the garlic and the water and cook over low to medium heat until the onion and garlic are soft and golden. Add the pumpkin, chili pepper, salt and vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the pumpkin is very tender and the stock has been absorbed. Use more stock if needed. Add the chickpeas, stir and cook for 5 more minutes, making sure the pumpkin and the chickpeas are blended together. Remove from the heat, drizzle with some olive oil, top with the thyme and serve warm.
Chicken Tagine with Apricots and Almonds
Raissa and I made this at my house last weekend for a few friends and it was a huge hit! The chicken was delicious and so tender... yum!
From Gourmet May 2006
1teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons plus
1/4 cup olive oil
1 (3-lb) chicken, cut into 6 pieces, wings and backbone discarded
1 tablespoon unsalted butter1 medium red onion, halved, then sliced
1/4 inch thick
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 fresh cilantro
5 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons mild honey
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1/2 cup dried Turkish apricots, separated into halves
1/3 cup whole blanched almonds
Special equipment: a 10- to 12-inch tagine or heavy skillet; kitchen string
Stir together ground cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat well.
Heat butter and 1 tablespoon oil in base of tagine (or in skillet), uncovered, over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then brown half of chicken, skin sides down, turning over once, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Brown remaining chicken in same manner, adding any spice mixture left in bowl.
Add onion and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to tagine and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Tie cilantro and parsley into a bundle with kitchen string and add to tagine along with 1/2 cup water, chicken, and any juices accumulated on plate. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes.
While chicken cooks, bring honey, remaining cup water, cinnamon stick, and apricots to a boil in a 1- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until apricots are very tender (add more water if necessary). Once apricots are tender, simmer until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 10 to 15 minutes.
While apricots cook, heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in a small skillet over moderate heat and cook almonds, stirring occasionally, until just golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
Ten minutes before chicken is done, add apricot mixture to tagine. Discard herbs and cinnamon stick, then serve chicken sprinkled with almonds on top.
From Gourmet May 2006
1teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons plus
1/4 cup olive oil
1 (3-lb) chicken, cut into 6 pieces, wings and backbone discarded
1 tablespoon unsalted butter1 medium red onion, halved, then sliced
1/4 inch thick
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
5 fresh cilantro
5 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons mild honey
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1/2 cup dried Turkish apricots, separated into halves
1/3 cup whole blanched almonds
Special equipment: a 10- to 12-inch tagine or heavy skillet; kitchen string
Stir together ground cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons oil in a large bowl. Add chicken and turn to coat well.
Heat butter and 1 tablespoon oil in base of tagine (or in skillet), uncovered, over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then brown half of chicken, skin sides down, turning over once, 8 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Brown remaining chicken in same manner, adding any spice mixture left in bowl.
Add onion and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt to tagine and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 3 minutes. Tie cilantro and parsley into a bundle with kitchen string and add to tagine along with 1/2 cup water, chicken, and any juices accumulated on plate. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30 minutes.
While chicken cooks, bring honey, remaining cup water, cinnamon stick, and apricots to a boil in a 1- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until apricots are very tender (add more water if necessary). Once apricots are tender, simmer until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 10 to 15 minutes.
While apricots cook, heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in a small skillet over moderate heat and cook almonds, stirring occasionally, until just golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
Ten minutes before chicken is done, add apricot mixture to tagine. Discard herbs and cinnamon stick, then serve chicken sprinkled with almonds on top.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Lemony Chickpea Stir-fry Recipe
From 101 Cookbooks
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
fine grain sea salt
1 small onion or a couple shallots, sliced
1 cup cooked chickpeas (canned is fine, if you don't want to cook up a pot of dried chickpeas)
8 ounces extra-firm tofu
1 cup of chopped kale
2 small zucchini, chopped
zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
Heat 1 tablespoon of the ghee/olive oil
In a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in a big pinch of salt, the onion, and chickpeas. Saute until the chickpeas are deeply golden and crusty. Stir in the tofu and cook just until the tofu is heated through, just a minute or so. Stir in the kale and cook for one minute more. Remove everything from the skillet onto a large plate and set aside. In the same skillet heat the remaining tablespoon of ghee/olive oil, add the zucchini and saute until it starts to take on a bit of color, two or three minutes. Add the chickpea mixture back to the skillet, and remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice and zest, taste, and season with a bit more salt if needed. Turn out onto a platter and serve family style.
Serves 2 - 4.
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
fine grain sea salt
1 small onion or a couple shallots, sliced
1 cup cooked chickpeas (canned is fine, if you don't want to cook up a pot of dried chickpeas)
8 ounces extra-firm tofu
1 cup of chopped kale
2 small zucchini, chopped
zest and juice of 1/2 a lemon
Heat 1 tablespoon of the ghee/olive oil
In a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in a big pinch of salt, the onion, and chickpeas. Saute until the chickpeas are deeply golden and crusty. Stir in the tofu and cook just until the tofu is heated through, just a minute or so. Stir in the kale and cook for one minute more. Remove everything from the skillet onto a large plate and set aside. In the same skillet heat the remaining tablespoon of ghee/olive oil, add the zucchini and saute until it starts to take on a bit of color, two or three minutes. Add the chickpea mixture back to the skillet, and remove from heat. Stir in the lemon juice and zest, taste, and season with a bit more salt if needed. Turn out onto a platter and serve family style.
Serves 2 - 4.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Middle Eastern Bean Salad with Parsley and Lemon (Balela)
Ingredients
1 can (15 oz.) black beans, rinsed well and drained
1 can (15 oz.) garbanzo beans, rinsed well and drained
1 cup chopped green onion (or less)
1 1/2 cup chopped fresh tomato (about 6 small tomatoes)
1 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
Dressing:
3 T fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1/2 tsp. garlic puree (or use finely minced fresh garlic)
4 T extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
fresh ground black pepper to taste
One at a time, empty canned beans into a colander placed in the sink, rinse well with cold water until no more foam appears, then let beans drain well. (I sometimes blot them dry with a paper towel if they still seem wet.) Put well-drained beans into a plastic bowl.
While beans drain, chop green onions, tomatoes, and parsley and add to bowl. Whisk together dressing ingredients. Gently mix dressing into bean mixture, stirring just enough to combine and coat the ingredients with dressing. Let salad sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before servings, then season with more salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste. (If I had lots of time I would drain beans, mix dressing, and then stir in about half the dressing into beans and let them marinate for a few hours before I added the other ingredients.)
Despite the fact that tomatoes shouldn't be refrigerated, this was actually very tasty even after being in the fridge for a few days. If you know you won't eat it all right away, you could mix together everything but tomatoes and add them each time you eat some.
Fish fillets with tofu
Ingredients:
500g fish fillet, cut 3 inches wide, 3 inches long
200g tofu, cubed
2 tbsps cooking oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled/minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsps all-purpose flour
2 tbsps corn flour, diluted in ½ cup water
1 small capsicum, sliced
2 tablespoons black beans/tausi
1 tbsp soy sauce
Directions:
1. Roll fillets in all-purpose flour, fry until medium brown, set aside; Do the same to your tofu, set aside.
2. Wash black beans/tausi to lessen saltiness. Heat sauce pan with cooking oil, add garlic, onion, tausi and capsicum.
3. Add the diluted cornflour, mix well with soy sauce.
4. Pour the boiling sauce over the fried fish fillets and tofu in a serving platter. Serve hot with rice.
500g fish fillet, cut 3 inches wide, 3 inches long
200g tofu, cubed
2 tbsps cooking oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled/minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsps all-purpose flour
2 tbsps corn flour, diluted in ½ cup water
1 small capsicum, sliced
2 tablespoons black beans/tausi
1 tbsp soy sauce
Directions:
1. Roll fillets in all-purpose flour, fry until medium brown, set aside; Do the same to your tofu, set aside.
2. Wash black beans/tausi to lessen saltiness. Heat sauce pan with cooking oil, add garlic, onion, tausi and capsicum.
3. Add the diluted cornflour, mix well with soy sauce.
4. Pour the boiling sauce over the fried fish fillets and tofu in a serving platter. Serve hot with rice.
Orange Chicken
What you need!
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. butter
For Sauce:
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 Tbsp. vinegar
2 cup orange juice
2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. dried basil
1 small can mandarin oranges (optional)
Make it!
1. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a plastic baggie. Shake chicken pieces well to coat. Lightly brown on both sides in butter in skillet over medium heat. 2. Combine sauce ingredients and add to skillet. Cover and simmer 25 minutes or until tender. Remove cover and allow to simmer for an additional 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken. 3. Stir in mandarin oranges, if using. Serve with rice.
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. butter
For Sauce:
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 Tbsp. vinegar
2 cup orange juice
2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. dried basil
1 small can mandarin oranges (optional)
Make it!
1. Combine flour, salt and pepper in a plastic baggie. Shake chicken pieces well to coat. Lightly brown on both sides in butter in skillet over medium heat. 2. Combine sauce ingredients and add to skillet. Cover and simmer 25 minutes or until tender. Remove cover and allow to simmer for an additional 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken. 3. Stir in mandarin oranges, if using. Serve with rice.
Lazy Day Peanut Noodle Salad
From 101 Cookbooks
I used asparagus in this version, but you can use any of your favorite in-season vegetables. This time of year peas, asparagus, and carrots all make great additions to the noodles and peanut sauce.
1 8 ounce package soba noodles
1 bunch asparagus spears, ends trimmed then cut into 1/2-inch segements
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup (brown) rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
drizzle of toasted sesame oil
big pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1/4-1/2 cup hot water
1 small bunch of spring onions or scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup peanuts
12 ounces extra-firm (organic) tofu, cut into small cubes (feel free to heat the tofu in a skillet if you like, but cold is good too)
Big a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the soba noodles per package instructions.In the last minute or so of cooking toss in the asparagus. Drain noodles and asparagus, run under cold water for about a minute to stop cooking, and set aside.
Make the peanut dressing by combining the peanut butter, rice vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and a big pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Thin with hot water - the amount you'll need depends on the original consistency of your peanut butter. I like it the consistency of a thin (non-Greek) yogurt. Taste and season with a bit more salt if needed.
Gently toss the noodles, asparagus, spring onions, peanuts, and tofu with a big splash of the dressing. I reserve a bit of each ingredient to sprinkle on top of the serving platter to make it look nice. Add more dressing a bit at a time, until the salad is dressed to your liking, reserving any extra for another use. Taste, sprinkle with more salt if needed, and enjoy!
Serves 6 - 8.
I used asparagus in this version, but you can use any of your favorite in-season vegetables. This time of year peas, asparagus, and carrots all make great additions to the noodles and peanut sauce.
1 8 ounce package soba noodles
1 bunch asparagus spears, ends trimmed then cut into 1/2-inch segements
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup (brown) rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
drizzle of toasted sesame oil
big pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
1/4-1/2 cup hot water
1 small bunch of spring onions or scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup peanuts
12 ounces extra-firm (organic) tofu, cut into small cubes (feel free to heat the tofu in a skillet if you like, but cold is good too)
Big a large pot of water to a boil. Boil the soba noodles per package instructions.In the last minute or so of cooking toss in the asparagus. Drain noodles and asparagus, run under cold water for about a minute to stop cooking, and set aside.
Make the peanut dressing by combining the peanut butter, rice vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, red pepper flakes, and a big pinch of salt in a medium bowl. Thin with hot water - the amount you'll need depends on the original consistency of your peanut butter. I like it the consistency of a thin (non-Greek) yogurt. Taste and season with a bit more salt if needed.
Gently toss the noodles, asparagus, spring onions, peanuts, and tofu with a big splash of the dressing. I reserve a bit of each ingredient to sprinkle on top of the serving platter to make it look nice. Add more dressing a bit at a time, until the salad is dressed to your liking, reserving any extra for another use. Taste, sprinkle with more salt if needed, and enjoy!
Serves 6 - 8.
Crab Fried Rice
From Serious Eats
- serves 2 -
Ingredients
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg
1 cup cooked jasmine rice
Salt and pepper
Pinch sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 scallions, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
3 ounces cooked crab meat
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
Procedure
1. Pour the oil into a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Crack the egg into the skillet and let it cook for about a minute or so. Then scramble up the bits that haven't cooked.
2. Dump in the rice, and stir until all the rice is coated in the oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add the sugar, soy sauce, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for another minute.
3. Add the chopped scallions and half of the crab meat. Cook for another minute, stirring occasionally.
4. Serve the rice on a large plate. Sprinkle with the remaining crab and chopped cilantro. Season with salt, pepper, and soy sauce to taste.
- serves 2 -
Ingredients
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 egg
1 cup cooked jasmine rice
Salt and pepper
Pinch sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 scallions, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
3 ounces cooked crab meat
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
Procedure
1. Pour the oil into a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Crack the egg into the skillet and let it cook for about a minute or so. Then scramble up the bits that haven't cooked.
2. Dump in the rice, and stir until all the rice is coated in the oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes. Then add the sugar, soy sauce, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for another minute.
3. Add the chopped scallions and half of the crab meat. Cook for another minute, stirring occasionally.
4. Serve the rice on a large plate. Sprinkle with the remaining crab and chopped cilantro. Season with salt, pepper, and soy sauce to taste.
Roasted Spiced Sweet Potatoes
Gourmet 2002
Active time: 10 min
Start to finish: 45 min
Servings: Makes 4 to 6 servings.
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes (the latter will make them quite spicy, so using according to your preferences)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 pounds medium sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Coarsely grind coriander, fennel, oregano, and red pepper flakes in an electric coffee/spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Stir together spices and salt.
Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1-inch wedges.
Toss wedges with oil and spices in a large roasting pan and roast in middle of oven 20 minutes. Turn wedges over with a spatula and roast until tender and slightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes more.
Active time: 10 min
Start to finish: 45 min
Servings: Makes 4 to 6 servings.
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes (the latter will make them quite spicy, so using according to your preferences)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 pounds medium sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Coarsely grind coriander, fennel, oregano, and red pepper flakes in an electric coffee/spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle. Stir together spices and salt.
Cut potatoes lengthwise into 1-inch wedges.
Toss wedges with oil and spices in a large roasting pan and roast in middle of oven 20 minutes. Turn wedges over with a spatula and roast until tender and slightly golden, 15 to 20 minutes more.
Chocolate Cloud Cake
From Nigella
INGREDIENTS
250g dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids
125g unsalted butter, softened
6 eggs: 2 whole, 4 separated
175g caster sugar
2 tablespoons Cointreau (optional)
grated zest of 1 orange (optional)
23cm springform cake tin
for the cream topping:
500ml double cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Cointreau (optional)
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder for sprinkling for the cream topping:
500ml double cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Cointreau (optional)
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder for sprinkling
Serving Size : Serves 8–12.
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
2. Line the bottom of the cake tin with baking parchment.
3. Melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or a microwave, and then let the butter melt in the warm chocolate.
4. Beat the 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with 75g of the caster sugar, then gently add the chocolate mixture, the Cointreau and orange zest.
5. In another bowl, whisk the 4 egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the 100g of sugar and whisk until the whites are holding their shape but not too stiff.
6. Lighten the chocolate mixture with a dollop of egg whites, and then fold in the rest of the whites. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 35–40 minutes or until the cake is risen and cracked and the centre is no longer wobbly. Cool the cake in its tin on a wire rack; the middle will sink as it cools.
7. When you are ready to eat, place the still tin-bound cake on a cake stand or plate for serving and carefully remove the cake from its tin. Don’t worry about cracks or rough edges: it’s the crater look we’re going for here. Whip the cream until it’s soft and then add the vanilla and Cointreau and continue whisking until the cream is firm but not stiff.
8. Fill the crater of the cake with the whipped cream, easing it out gently towards the edges of the cake, and dust the top lightly with cocoa powder pushed through a tea-strainer.
ADDITIONAL INFO
You can make this into an Easter Nest Cake by folding 200g melted chocolate into the cream topping and dotting with the sugar-coated eggs instead of the cocoa. Leave the Cointreau out of both the cake and cream.
INGREDIENTS
250g dark chocolate, minimum 70% cocoa solids
125g unsalted butter, softened
6 eggs: 2 whole, 4 separated
175g caster sugar
2 tablespoons Cointreau (optional)
grated zest of 1 orange (optional)
23cm springform cake tin
for the cream topping:
500ml double cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Cointreau (optional)
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder for sprinkling for the cream topping:
500ml double cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Cointreau (optional)
1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder for sprinkling
Serving Size : Serves 8–12.
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
2. Line the bottom of the cake tin with baking parchment.
3. Melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or a microwave, and then let the butter melt in the warm chocolate.
4. Beat the 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with 75g of the caster sugar, then gently add the chocolate mixture, the Cointreau and orange zest.
5. In another bowl, whisk the 4 egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the 100g of sugar and whisk until the whites are holding their shape but not too stiff.
6. Lighten the chocolate mixture with a dollop of egg whites, and then fold in the rest of the whites. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 35–40 minutes or until the cake is risen and cracked and the centre is no longer wobbly. Cool the cake in its tin on a wire rack; the middle will sink as it cools.
7. When you are ready to eat, place the still tin-bound cake on a cake stand or plate for serving and carefully remove the cake from its tin. Don’t worry about cracks or rough edges: it’s the crater look we’re going for here. Whip the cream until it’s soft and then add the vanilla and Cointreau and continue whisking until the cream is firm but not stiff.
8. Fill the crater of the cake with the whipped cream, easing it out gently towards the edges of the cake, and dust the top lightly with cocoa powder pushed through a tea-strainer.
ADDITIONAL INFO
You can make this into an Easter Nest Cake by folding 200g melted chocolate into the cream topping and dotting with the sugar-coated eggs instead of the cocoa. Leave the Cointreau out of both the cake and cream.
Chicken Bouillabaisse
Barefoot Contessa
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 50 min
Level: Difficult
Serves: 3 servings
Ingredients
1 (4 to 5-pound) chicken, cut into 10 pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
Good olive oil
1 large head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1 (15 ounce) can tomato puree
1 1/2 cups good chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons Pernod
1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved
Rouille, for serving, recipe follows
Crusty French bread, for serving
Directions
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season it generously with salt, pepper, and the rosemary. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven and brown the chicken pieces in batches until nicely browned all over, about 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned chicken pieces to a plate and set aside.
Lower the heat to medium-low and add the garlic, saffron, fennel seeds, tomato puree, chicken stock, white wine, Pernod, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper to the pot. Stir and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the garlic is very tender, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Carefully pour the sauce into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Puree until smooth. Return the sauce to the Dutch oven and add the sliced potatoes and browned chicken pieces with their juices. Stir carefully.
Cover the pot and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is done. Check the seasonings and serve hot in shallow bowls with big dollops of Rouille and slices of crusty bread.
Rouille: We did not make this and the chicken tasted great on its own!
4 large garlic cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
*1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup good olive oil
Place the garlic and salt on a cutting board and mince together. Transfer the mixture to a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the egg yolk, lemon juice, saffron, and red pepper flakes. Process until smooth.
With the machine running, pour the olive oil in a thin, steady stream through the feed tube to make a thick mayonnaise emulsion. Transfer the rouille to a serving bowl and store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Yield: 1 cup
Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 1 hr 50 min
Level: Difficult
Serves: 3 servings
Ingredients
1 (4 to 5-pound) chicken, cut into 10 pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
Good olive oil
1 large head garlic, separated into cloves and peeled
1 teaspoon saffron threads
1 teaspoon whole fennel seeds
1 (15 ounce) can tomato puree
1 1/2 cups good chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons Pernod
1 pound baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved
Rouille, for serving, recipe follows
Crusty French bread, for serving
Directions
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season it generously with salt, pepper, and the rosemary. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large Dutch oven and brown the chicken pieces in batches until nicely browned all over, about 5 to 7 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned chicken pieces to a plate and set aside.
Lower the heat to medium-low and add the garlic, saffron, fennel seeds, tomato puree, chicken stock, white wine, Pernod, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper to the pot. Stir and scrape up any browned bits on the bottom, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, until the garlic is very tender, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Carefully pour the sauce into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Puree until smooth. Return the sauce to the Dutch oven and add the sliced potatoes and browned chicken pieces with their juices. Stir carefully.
Cover the pot and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is done. Check the seasonings and serve hot in shallow bowls with big dollops of Rouille and slices of crusty bread.
Rouille: We did not make this and the chicken tasted great on its own!
4 large garlic cloves
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
*1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup good olive oil
Place the garlic and salt on a cutting board and mince together. Transfer the mixture to a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the egg yolk, lemon juice, saffron, and red pepper flakes. Process until smooth.
With the machine running, pour the olive oil in a thin, steady stream through the feed tube to make a thick mayonnaise emulsion. Transfer the rouille to a serving bowl and store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Yield: 1 cup
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)