love & eat: 2010

Monday, December 27, 2010

Crispy Herb Potatoes

ingredients:
- cilantro
- garlic - lots of it
- salt and pepper to taste
- yellow or white onions
- green peppers
- hot sauce
- safflower oil (or other high heat oil)
- potatoes (some kind of white potato)

directions:
- slice the potatoes thinly into rounds
- put safflower oil into cast iron pan or other large pan.
- add potatoes, ideally your pan is large enough so there are only two layers of potatoes.
- cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until they start to soften
- chop up the green pepper and onion and then add them
- cook more until these are brown and the potatoes are soft and somewhat crispy
- then add the garlic (finely chopped) for about 5 minutes and
- add the cilantro (chopped)
- add salt and pepper to taste
- serve hot with hot sauce on the side.

a trick to this recipe is to boil the potatoes beforehand, this will significantly decrease the cook time in the cast iron pan and can be done the night before.

Gouda Basil Scrambled Eggs

Ingredients:
- chopped basil
- shredded gouda cheese (or any cheese)
- salt
- fresh pepper
- eggs
- extra virgin olive oil
- optional: milk or cream to make the eggs fluffier

how to make scrambled eggs:
- crack eggs into a bowl and whip it vigorously with a whisk or a fork, making sure that you whip it in large circles which allows air to "enter"
- coat skillet or non-stick pan with oil
- coat pan with eggs, top with cheese
- allow the egg mixture to sit in pan until you see bubbling (don't overcook and let it solidify)
- then fold the egg mixture, one good way to do this is to push the mixture towards the middle (this creates big fluffy pieces of eggs)
- add salt and pepper to taste
- top with basil

Honey Ginger Soy Chicken Wings

Ingredients:
- chicken wings
- honey
- soy sauce
- thinly sliced (julienne) ginger pieces
- 1 or 2 star anise
- 1 cup water

Directions:
- in a small pot, combine water, soy sauce, honey, ginger and the star anise. add more water and honey based on taste.
- keep the temperature low and simmer for 5-10 minutes, stirring all the ingredients together.
- marinate the chicken wings for as long as you can (several hours is good)
- BBQ the chicken wings and watch them fly off the tray!

Turkey Pesto Spinach Croissant Sandwich

Pesto
Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh packed basil leaves (packed means, stuff them into a measure cup and press them down with your hand; it's not a precise measurement)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional - we did not put this in)
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced (or 1 tablespoon of prepared minced garlic)
- salt
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
- pick leaves off basil and wash thoroughly
- chop the pine nuts, olive oil and garlic in food processor
- add the basil leaves in small batches
- add salt to taste

For the sandwich:
- slice the croissant in half
- spread the top and bottom of croissant w/ pesto
- line with turkey
- top with spinach tossed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and craisins

Simple Carrot Ginger Soup

To Die for Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 cup fresh blueberries

for crumb topping:
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup butter, cubed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:
- preheat oven to 400 F
- grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners
- combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder in bowl. place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. mix this with flour mixture. add blueberries.
- fill muffin cups right to the top and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture
- to make the crumb topping: mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup finely cubed butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. mix with fork thoroughly and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
- bake for 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven

Jap Chae-esque noodles

Ingredients:
- clear yam or potato noodles (can be found in asian supermarkets)
- carrots
- spinach
- cucumbers
- red peppers
- shitake mushrooms (this was not included but is a great addition)
- soy sauce
- sriracha sauce
- oyster sauce
- chicken broth
- fish sauce
- extra virgin olive oil (any cooking oil will be fine)
- fresh ground black pepper
- salt (sea salt is better than table salt)

Directions:
- cut all vegetables into thin strips (my best friend, the food processor, was VERY HELPFUL!)
- boil the noodles until it has the consistency you like (chewy, not mushy) and drain water - don't allow the noodles to sit around for too long after draining as they will stick together)
- coat a pan with oil and cook/combine all the vegetables (make sure you cook the vegetables in order, for example, carrots should be tossed in pan first b/c it takes longer to cook than red peppers, which take longer than spinach)
- set the cooked vegetables aside
- put the cooked and drained noodles in pan and simmer for a minute with chicken broth
- combine noodles with the cooked vegetables
- then put in the other sauces and spices, constantly tasting as you go
- don't overcook by keeping the heat low, remember that all the ingredients are already cooked, you're just mixing

Kimchee Quesadillas

Ingredients:
- white corn tortillas (corn or flour tortillas will work, though i think corn tastes better)
- shredded cheese - cheddar & monterey jack
- kimchee
- butter

Directions:
- coat grill with butter
- sprinkle shredded cheese in an even layer onto tortilla and top with kimchee, top with additional tortilla.
- cook on each side for about 3-4 minutes until golden and crispy.
- place on cutting board and allow to cool for 1 minute.
- cut into halves or quarters

Saturday, December 25, 2010

2010 Q-Wave retreat menu

Select recipes from the 2010 Q-Wave retreat menu
note from the retreat chefs: whenever you can use organic and/or local ingredients, please do. the results will be so much tastier and healthier for you. SALUD from alison and karen.

Friday night dinner
Kimchee Quesadillas

i LOVE this recipe! it's easy, delicious and is a great use of extra ripe bananas. i'll post the original recipe but i'll put my alterations in parentheses. after making this, you'll never buy banana bread ever again! :)

Ingredients:
1.5 cups of all purpose flour
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3 very ripe medium-sized bananas = 1 cup mashed
3/4 cup sugar (i usually put less, like 1/2 cup or less)
1/4 cup cooking oil (more oil will make it very cake-y & moist)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1) grease the bottom and sides of a 8x4x2 inch loaf pan - set aside.
2) in a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt. make a well in the center of this dry mixture - set aside.
3) in another bowl, combine the egg, mashed bananas, sugar, cooking oil and walnuts. add this wet mixture all at once to the dry mixture. stir until moistened (batter should be lumpy).
4) spoon batter into prepared pan. cover the top of the batter with a thin layer of sugar! bake at 350F for 50-55 minutes or until toothpick or knife comes out clean from the center. let cool for 10 minutes. remove loaf from pan and let cool.

To Die for Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons peeled and finely chopped ginger root (a microplane really helps here) - can use more ginger if you like it spicy
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
- 1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 chucks
- salt & fresh pepper

Directions:
- heat olive oil in large stock pot over medium heat
- add onion, ginger and garlic - saute for 5-10 minutes
- add the stock and carrots
- heat to boiling and reduce heat and simmer uncovered over medium heat until the carrots are very tender, around 30 minutes
- puree the soup in a blender (in batches) or use an immersion blender
- season with salt and pepper to desired taste

Turkey Pesto Spinach Croissant Sandwich

Pesto
Ingredients:
- 2 cups fresh packed basil leaves (packed means, stuff them into a measure cup and press them down with your hand; it's not a precise measurement)
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional - we did not put this in)
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced (or 1 tablespoon of prepared minced garlic)
- salt
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:
- pick leaves off basil and wash thoroughly
- chop the pine nuts, olive oil and garlic in food processor
- add the basil leaves in small batches
- add salt to taste

For the sandwich:
- slice the croissant in half
- spread the top and bottom of croissant w/ pesto
- line with turkey
- top with spinach tossed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and craisins

Saturday dinner BBQ
apologies: i do apologize to the people who didn't get a chance to get these items, they disappeared as soon as they were ready. these are definitely Q-Wave crowd-pleasers!

Stuffed mushrooms to die for! (i believe it was Elena who was eating these mushrooms and said "I'm in lesbian heaven!")

* 1 lb. fresh mushrooms with caps
* 1/2 to 1 stick (4 to 8 Tbs.) of melted butter
* 1 cup bread crumbs
* fresh chopped parsley
* 1 Tbs. oil
* 1 crushed garlic clove
* 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
* 1/2 cup white wine
* 1 minced medium onion

Remove mushroom stems and chop. Place caps on buttered baking sheet and set aside. Sauté chopped stems, onions, and garlic in oil. Mix other dry ingredients. Add them to melted butter and wine in a sauce pan and stir together. Mold a small amount on the cap.

Bake 20 minutes at 350 F. Make sure you check it as it gets close to 20 minutes, you don't want to overcook it, actually you want to undercook it a bit b/c it will continue to cook after you take it out of the oven.

Serve warm.

Honey Ginger Soy Chicken Wings

Friday, December 24, 2010

Balsamic Roasted Fingerling Potato Wedges

Ingredients

1 ¼ pounds of fingerling potatoes, washed and halved
2 ½ tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sea salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped fine (optional)
2 to3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

How to make it

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Place your oven rack in the lower third of your oven.
Prepare your potato wedges. Attempt to cut each wedge into similar sizes for even roasting.
Toss the wedges in a bowl with the olive oil, sea salt, pepper and rosemary (optional).
Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until fork tender.
Sprinkle with the balsamic vinegar, shaking the pan to coat the potatoes. Roast until vinegar evaporates, about 4 minutes.
Season with more sea salt and pepper and serve.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

happy holidays from the mussel lobby!

hahaaha,
here's a whole bunch of easy recipes from the mussel industry. ENjoy!

Monday, December 13, 2010

snapper fillets with leeks and tomatoes

serves 2

ingredients:

2 (5-6 ounce) snapper fillets (i used frozen ones and worked really well)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 pound plum tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried (optional)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
salt and black pepper

steps:

thaw fish pieces at room temperature if using frozen fillets.
sprinkle salt and black pepper on both sides of each fillet. set aside for use later.
heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. saute garlic and leeks in skillet until tender, about 6 minutes. then add tomatoes and tarragon, stir mixture until tender, about another 2 minutes. add vinegar, stir, and add salt, black pepper to taste. remove sauce from skillet and set aside for use later.
heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat. slide fillets into skillet and cook for about 2 minutes on one side. flip fillets and cook for another minute on the other side. then spoon the tomatoes leek sauce over the fillets and let cook for another 1 to 2 minutes over medium heat.
serve fillets over steamed rice or over a bed of salad greens.

Thursday, December 9, 2010

cold noodles with garlic peanut sauce

serves 1 to 2

i like this on a hot summer day as a quick lunch. some serve this along with julienned cucumbers.

ingredients:

2 bundles, or about 1/2 pound fresh shanghai thin noodles (see above pic)
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon light soya sauce
salt to taste (i usually do 1 to 2 pinches)
hot water
cilantro (chopped)

steps:

cook noodles in boiling water for a few minutes, or until tender. drain. rinse noodles under cold tap water until noodles become cold to touch. set aside for use later.
in a mixing bowl, stir together peanut butter, minced garlic, soya sauce and sesame oil. add hot water little by little to thin the paste and keep stirring until paste is smooth and sauce-like.
salt to taste. (i usually do 1 to 2 pinches.) and stir again.
finally, toss the noodles, sauce and cilantro together.
serve on plate and enjoy with chopsticks.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Boiled Kale with a Fried Egg and Toast

Adapted from The Zuni Café Cookbook

I like to use cavolo nero - also sold as Tuscan kale, lacinato kale, or dinosaur kale - for this, but you could also use curly kale. And while you could use just water for this, I prefer to make it with chicken stock, preferably homemade.

Here’s a good, quick chicken stock: take 2 pounds of chicken parts (I like legs, or a mix of legs and wings) and dump them into a large saucepan with the following: 3 sprigs of fresh thyme; 1 small carrot, cut into a few pieces; 1 celery stalk, cut into a few pieces; and half of a yellow onion. Add 2 quarts of water. Bring to a simmer, and cook gently for 45 minutes, skimming away any foam that rises to the surface. Salt to taste. Strain through a colander to remove large solids; then strain again through cheesecloth. It’s ready to go.

About 8 ounces kale
5 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
A pinch of dried red pepper flakes
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 to 4 cups mild chicken stock, or water, or a combination of the two

To serve:
Thick slices of country bread
Eggs
Olive oil
Prosciutto, torn into bite-sized bits (optional)
Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano

First, prepare the kale: trim away any discolored spots, and then remove and discard the ribs and stems, if they are thick or woody. Stack a few leaves at a time; then slice them into ¼-inch-thick ribbons. Dump the sliced kale into a salad spinner, and add plenty of cold water. Swish the kale around to free any trapped dirt. Let stand for a minute or two – this lets the dirt fall to the bottom – and then lift the basket from the spinner. Pour out the dirty water. Replace the basket, add fresh water, and repeat. Spin dry.

In a large (4-quart) saucepan, warm the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they are translucent but still firm. Add the red pepper flakes and garlic and the kale, and stir until the kale is fully wilted. Add stock to cover by about ½ inch. Bring to a simmer. Cover, and continue to simmer until the kale is tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Taste, and salt as needed. This dish needs quite a bit of salt, so don’t be shy.

To serve, toast one slice of bread per person. While still hot, lightly rub both sides of the toast with raw garlic. Place the toast in the bottom of a wide soup bowl. Now, fry some eggs – one per person, probably – in olive oil. Pile some kale onto the toast in each bowl, drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, and top with a fried egg. Strew with prosciutto, if you want. Grate some cheese over the whole thing, and serve.

Yield: about 4 servings

Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Soup

This silky fall/winter puree tastes rich, though there is no cream or butter in it.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 pound butternut squash, peeled and diced

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

1 medium-size Yukon gold or russet potato, peeled and diced

6 cups water, chicken stock, or vegetable stock

Salt to taste

1. Heat the oil in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and stir together until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the squash, sweet potatoes, regular potato, and water or stock, and bring to a simmer. Add salt to taste, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 45 minutes, or until all of the ingredients are thoroughly tender.

2. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup (or you can put it through the fine blade of a food mill or use a regular blender, working in batches and placing a kitchen towel over the top to avoid splashing). Return to the pot and stir with a whisk to even out the texture. Heat through, adjust salt and add pepper to taste.

Yield: Serves 6

Advance preparation: You can make this a day ahead and refrigerate. Reheat gently. The soup freezes well. Once thawed, whisk well to smooth out the texture, and reheat.

Butternut Squash Carrot Ginger Soup

Ingredients

1/2 medium butternut squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 pound carrots - peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, crushed or to taste
1 (2 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Scoop seeds out of the butternut squash half, and place cut side down onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until softened. Allow to cool, then scoop the squash flesh out of the skin using a large spoon and set aside. Discard skin.
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat. Add chopped onion and garlic, and cook, stirring until onion is translucent. Pour in the water, and add squash, carrots and ginger. Bring to a boil, and cook for at least 20 minutes, or until carrots and ginger are tender.
Puree the mixture in the blender, or using an immersion blender. Add boiling water if necessary to thin, but bear in mind this is meant to be a thick creamy soup. Return soup to the pan, and heat through. Season with salt, pepper and cinnamon.
Ladle into serving bowls, and pour a thin swirl of cream over the top as a garnish if desired.

Nutritional Information Amount Per Serving Calories: 246 | Total Fat: 12.8g | Cholesterol: 20mg

Honey Baked Chicken Drumsticks

A lemon and honey mixture glazes these delicious baked chicken legs. This is a quick meal to fix, and it's easy on the budget. Serve this chicken with rice, noodles, or potatoes.

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken drumsticks
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil or Canola oil
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning or a seasoned salt blend
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons soy sauce

Preparation:

Wash chicken and pat dry. Toss in a food storage bag with the flour and Creole seasoning.

Melt butter with olive oil; pour into an 11x7-inch baking dish. Heat oven to 350°.

Arrange chicken in the baking dish, turning to coat with the butter mixture. Bake for 30 minutes.

In a saucepan, heat honey with brown sugar, lemon juice, and soy sauce, stirring to blend.

Pour the honey mixture over the chicken pieces and return to the oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes longer, turning the chicken pieces every 10 to 15 minutes.

Serves 4.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

MA PO TOFU (麻婆豆腐)

So so, I had never had any success in cooking ma po tofu well.. I was told that they were fine.. but you know, people are nice. I always did it on my own imagination, I didn't know that I had to use two different sauces in two stages of cooking.. so here it is, as I learned from the great internet (this is a Malaysian style):

INGREDIENTS:

1 block silken tofu (19 oz box)
1/4 lb ground pork
3 tablespoons Sichuan spicy bean paste (辣豆瓣酱)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons cooking oil
3 tablespoons chili oil
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns (roasted and ground to powder)
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon fermented black beans (rinsed and pounded)
2 stalks of leeks or scallions (chopped into 1 or 2-inch length)
2 gloves garlic (chopped)
1/2 cup water
Salt to taste

METHOD:

Cut the tofu into small pieces, drain the water from the tofu and set aside. Heat up a wok and pour in the cooking oil and chili oil. Add the chopped garlic, ground pork, spicy bean paste and stir-fry until the pork is half-done. Then add in chili powder, soy sauce, fermented black beans and stir-fry until aromatic. Add in the tofu and water; stir gently to blend the tofu (don’t break them) well with the sauce. Lower the heat and simmer for about 3-5 mins or until the sauce thickens. Add in the roasted Sichuan peppercorn powder and chopped scallions. Gently stir and blend well. Dish out and serve hot.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Cá Kho Tộ – Vietnamese Claypot Fish

INGREDIENTS: (4 servings, as part of a larger meal)

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 small-med. shallots, thinly sliced
1 lb. catfish, cut into 3/4 inch slices/steaks [with skin and bone attached] —boneless, skinless fillets will not work in this dish
4 Tbl. fish sauce
3 Tbl. raw sugar
2 tsp. vegetable oil
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
3-4 scallions, cut into 2- inch segments [+ 1 Tbl. oil, for garnish]
small piece (approx. 5 oz) of pork fat (fatback), cut into thin slices or bâtons
3 Tbl. Caramel Sauce (Nước Màu) – recipe below

STEPS:

In a bowl, gently toss the fish with black pepper, shallots, fish sauce and sugar. Allow to marinate for 15 min. – up to 30 minutes.
In a separate skillet set to med. heat, add the oil and cook the pork fat until it has rendered most of it’s fat.
Next, add the garlic and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Be sure not to brown or burn the garlic. Set aside.
Set your claypot on the stove and gently begin heating it on med.-low.
Add the pork fat, garlic and any pan drippings into the claypot.
Add the marinated fish. Pour and gently mix the caramel sauce with the fish. Turn the heat to medium.
As soon as the pot begins to bubble, turn down the heat to low, cover and gently simmer for about 30 minute. (Check the pot at the halfway point – if it looks dry, add one or two Tbl. of water and cover again).
At this point, the fish should be tender but still hold its shape.
Taste the sauce and add fish sauce or sugar, if needed.
Before serving, quickly sauté the scallions with oil and add them to the claypot.

NƯỚC MÀU – VIETNAMESE CARAMEL SAUCE

makes approx. 1 cup

If you’re familiar with making caramel sauce for flan – this will be a cinch.

In a dry saucepan set on med. high heat, add 1 cup of plain, granulated sugar and 1/2 cup + 2 Tbl. of water. As the mixture begins to turn amber, stir with a wooden spoon until it turns to a dark mahogany. At this point, remove the pan from the heat and add another 1/2 cup of water to the pan. (The caramel will seize but will eventually liquefy). Heat the pan on high and cook for about 7-10 minutes until it is thick and smooth. Carefully add a couple teaspoons of lemon or lime juice and remove from heat. Give it a good stir and transfer it to a mason jar or other glass container. The sauce will resemble dark molasses and will keep indefinitely in your cupboard.