Brussels Sprouts with Bacon, Red Onion and Avocado

Ingredients

• -4 strips thick cut bacon
• -½ red onion, thinly sliced
• -2 teaspoons olive oil
• -1 pound Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and halved
• -½ cup chicken stock
• -1 medium avocado, cut into chunks
• -2 tablespoons olive oil
• -2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• -kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. 1. In a large nonstick saucepan, cook the bacon over medium heat, turning until crispy and the fat has rendered, about 5-7 minutes. Set the bacon aside to drain and keep the pan on the heat.
2. 2. Add the red onion to the bacon fat and sprinkle with kosher salt. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, keeping the pan on the heat.
3. 3. Add 2 teaspoons olive oil and the Brussels sprouts. Cook the sprouts on high heat for about 2 minutes until starting to brown and the pan is drying up. Add the chicken stock.
4. 4. Cook the Brussels Sprouts about 5 minutes until just tender and the broth has cooked off. Add the onions back in and toss together. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper.
5. 5. Transfer to a serving dish. Crumble the bacon over the sprouts. Add the chunks of avocado.
6. 6. Mix together the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar and drizzle over the top of the dish. Serve warm.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time: 20 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 8

Vietnamese Noodle Salad Bowl

Ingredients

• Dressing:
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
• 1 jalapeno, minced
• 1 red chili, minced
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
• 2 Tablespoons fish sauce (or soy sauce)
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 8 ounces rice noodles
• 4 cups shredded nappa cabbage
• 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced cut into matchstick sized pieces
• 1 cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced cut into matchstick sized pieces
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced white and green parts
• 1 cup fresh cilantro
• ½ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped
• Garnish with: Lime wedges, fresh cilantro and 1/3 cup roasted peanuts, chopped

Instructions

1. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing and set aside.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to manufacturers directions. When the noodles are cooked, drain and rinse the noodles well with cold water.
3. While the noodles are cooking, prepare the vegetables.
4. Mix the noodles, and fresh veggies and herbs with the dressing. Season to taste with kosher salt.
5. Serve with fresh cilantro, roasted peanuts and fresh lime wedges.

Preparation time: 15 minute(s)
Cooking time: 5 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4

Spicy Thai Curry Noodle Soup

Ingredients

• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 3 cups coconut milk
• 6.75 ounces of rice sticks (really thin rice noodles)
• Fresh cilantro, thai basil, red chili’s and green onions to garnish

Instructions

1. Combine the garlic, ginger and curry paste in a small cuisinart (or mince and mash together in a small bowl). Add the coconut oil and combine everything well.
2. In a large pot, heat the curry-coconut paste over medium heat, frying the paste gently for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the chicken broth and deglaze the pot. Add the coconut broth and bring the broth to a boil. Season to taste with kosher salt.
4. Either place the noodles in the boiling broth, or pour the boiling broth into a bowl of dry noodles and let the soup sit while the noodles cook and soak up the hot broth.
5. Garnish with fresh cilantro, thai basil, red chili’s and green onions.

Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time: 15 minute(s)

Number of servings (yield): 4

From: http://heatherchristo.com/cooks/2014/01/27/spicy-thai-curry-noodle-soup/

Stir fry cabbage

Ingredients
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 small onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 head napa cabbage, cleaned and sliced
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

Directions
In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add the canola oil and heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and saute, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the cabbage and cook until just starting to wilt, about 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and rice vinegar and stir well and cook just until cabbage is wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and drizzle with the sesame oil.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/stir-fry-cabbage-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Crab Cakes with Ginger and Lime

From Simply Recipes

Asian inspired crab cakes with fresh crab meat, lime, ginger, and sriracha.

• Prep time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
• Cook time: 20 minutes
• Yield: Makes 16 appetizer sized crab cakes.

INGREDIENTS

• 8 ounces fresh lump crab meat, well picked through to remove any bits of shell
• 3 scallions, including green parts, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
• 1 teaspoon lime juice, plus a little more for sprinkling on at service
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce, depending on how spicy you would like the crab cakes to be
• 2 Tbsp mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp of panko bread crumbs for crab mixture plus 3/4 cup of panko bread crumbs for breading
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp butter
• Lime slices for garnish

METHOD

1  In a medium bowl, combine the scallions, cilantro, ginger, lime zest, lime juice, and mayonnaise. Stir in the lump crab meat and the panko to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 to 2 hours.

2 Using your clean hands, form the crab mixture into 1-inch diameter round balls.

3 Set out 3 bowls, one for flour, one for the beaten egg, and one for panko bread crumbs. Roll each crab ball in first the flour, then the beaten egg, and finally the panko. Set aside on a plate.

4 Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed sauté pan on medium high heat. Swirl in the butter. After the butter has foamed up and melted, place the panko coated crab balls into the pan and press down gently with a metal spatula. Do not crowd the pan, you may need to work in batches. Cook a minute or two, until golden brown on one side, then gently turn the crab cakes over and cook until golden brown on the other side.

5 Remove to a paper towel lined plate or to a sheet pan in a low oven to keep warm. Sprinkle with lime juice to serve, and serve with a slice of lime.

Apple Walnut Gorgonzola Turnovers

From Simply Recipes

• Yield: Makes 24 turnovers.

If using prepared frozen puff pastry sheets, they need to be defrosted in the refrigerator at least 3 hours before using.

INGREDIENTS1 1/2 cups peeled, cored, chopped apples (use a good cooking apple such as Jonagold, Pippin, Granny Smith, Jonathan, Golden Delicious, Gravenstein, Mcintosh)1/2 cup chopped walnuts

• 1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled)
• 2 Tbsp honey
• 2 7-ounce prepared puff pastry sheets (total 14 ounces)
• 1 egg, beaten

METHOD

1 Place chopped apples in a bowl, microwave on high heat for 5 minutes until apples are cooked through. Remove from heat and let cool. Drain excess moisture. Once cooled, chop further so that the pieces are between 1/4-inch and 1/2-inch square. (Note you can skip this step if you want; the main purpose is to get the apples to release some of their moisture before cooking into the pastry.)

2 Combine apples, walnuts, gorgonzola, thyme and honey in a small bowl.

3 Preheat oven to 400°F. Working with one puff pastry sheet at a time (leave the second one in the refrigerator until using it) roll out the pastry to a size of 9-inches by 12-inches. Cut into 12 3x3-inch squares (a pizza slicer works great for this). Paint 1/2-inch of border around each square with beaten egg (this will help the pastry seal). Place a heaping teaspoon of the apple walnut mixture in the center of the squares. Fold over the squares into a triangle shape, stretching the dough if necessary to cover the filling. Use the tines of a fork to crimp the edges. Place triangles on a silpat or parchment paper lined baking sheet, with space between the triangles. Chill for 5 minutes in the refrigerator before baking, or chill while you prepare the second puff pastry sheet.

4 Whisk in a half teaspoon of water into the remaining beaten egg. Use a pastry brush to paint on the tops of the pastry triangles for a nice glaze. Place in oven and cook for 15-20 minutes until nicely puffed up and lightly browned. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Serve either warm or at room temperature. Can be made several hours in advance.

Homemade Caesar Salad

Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing

 

Chop together 6 anchovy fillets packed in oil, 1 small garlic clove, and a pinch of kosher salt. Use the side of a knife blade to mash into a paste, then scrape into a medium bowl. Whisk in 2 large egg yolks*, 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and 3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard. Adding drop by drop to start, gradually whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil, then 1/2 cup vegetable oil; whisk until dressing is thick and glossy. Whisk in 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. Can be made 1 day ahead.

OR

 

Servings: Makes 1-1/3 cups

Ingredients

• 2 small garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (found near the tuna fish in the supermarket)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from one lemon
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (I like the brand Maille)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann's Real
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, anchovy paste, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and Worcestershire sauce. Add the mayonnaise, Parmigiano-Reggiano, salt and pepper and whisk until well combined. Taste and adjust to your liking.

The Croutons

• Make your own. Tearing, not cutting, the bread ensures nooks and crannies that catch the dressing and add texture. Toss 3 cups torn 1-inch pieces country bread with 3 tablespoons olive oil on a baking sheet; season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Bake at 375°, tossing occasionally, until golden, 10-15 minutes.