IMBB VI: Grillers' Delight

For my first participation in Is My Blog Burning?, I grilled up some pork tenderloin for the Grillers' Delight and made Grilled Pork Tacos.

I covered the pork with blackening spice rub and cooked it on my hot stovetop grill, about seven minutes a side.



Let the pork rest, then slice it up and assemble the tacos. I melted some pepperjack on a tortilla on the hot grill, added some black bean dip, pork and mango slaw (recipe below). Yum!



Mango slaw dressing

1 T. honey
Juice of 1 lime
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. ginger, minced
2 T. red wine vinegar
2 T. cider vinegar
3 shakes of habenero sauce

Mix in a small bowl. In a large bowl mix:

1 mango, peeled, sliced from the pit and julienned
1 package shredded cabbage

Stir in dressing. Salt and pepper to taste.

Verdict: A
Leftovers? The pork keeps, but the slaw gets pretty soggy.

Fizzy Raspberry Lemonade

Looking for a summer cooler, I tried vodka-lemonade after reviewing recipes at Epicurious.

1 pkg frozen raspberries
1 can frozen lemonade
3/4 C. Vodka (for a lightly alcoholic drink, 1 1/2 C. for a stronger drink)
mineral water

In a blender, puree the raspberries with the lemonade and add the vodka. If it is too sour, add up to a 1/4 C. sugar. Strain to get the seeds out.

To make the drink, pour an inch or so of the syrup and add mineral water to fill the glass.

The first batch I made I was adding the vodka and the mineral water, but it is easier to just put the vodka in the syrup.



Verdict: B+
Credits: Epicurious Fizzy Sour Cherry Lemonade
Leftovers? Yes. Keep the syrup in the freezer.

Korean Supper

Inspired by a Korean picnic menu, I tried two beef dishes for dinner last weekend: a barbecued steak (bulgogi) and a cold noodle soup dish.

First, the shopping list:
1 1/2 lb of sirloin steak
1 lb other steak
ginger
garlic
scallions
cucumber
soba

Simple, eh? I had everything else on hand. I actually bought a 2 lb roast and sliced it into the two steaks.

Bulgogi

First get the steak marinating:

1 1/2 lb. sirloin steak
6 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 T. finely chopped peeled ginger
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. rice vinegar
2 tsp. ground toasted sesame seeds
1 1/2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 1/2 t. sugar
ground black pepper

For the ground toasted sesame seeds, toast 1/4 C. seeds in a dry non-stick skillet. Grind in mortar with salt (1 t. or so).



Score steak deeply (nearly through to the other side) in a 1-inch crisscross diamond pattern. Turn over and score the other side. Cover with plastic wrap and pound lightly with a heavy pan to tenderize.

In a shallow dish large enough to hold the steak, combine remaining ingredients. Add the stak and turn to coat with marinade. Cover and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or up to 8, turning from time to time.



Now get the broth started for the noodles.

Naengmyon

1 lb. beef for boiling (pot roast or round steak)
2 C. vegetable broth
3 T. soy sauce
1 T. sesame oil
1 T. ground toasted sesame seeds (see above)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
6 T. rice or cider vinegar
2 T. pepper vinegar (recipe calls for kimchi juice)
1 T. sugar
salt to taste
1 lb. buckwheat noodles (soba)
2 hard cooked eggs, peeled and sliced

Cover the beef in broth, plus a quart of water and bring to a boil. Skim the surface, then reduce heat, cover and simmer beef until tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Then, allow the meat to cool in the broth.



Once the broth is going, you have THREE HOURS before you eat. Make some Lettuce Wraps for an appetizer.

Now, make the other things that go on the noodles.

Hard cook the eggs: cover with cold water; bring to a boil for 5 minutes; turn off heat, cover pan and let sit for 20 minutes; rinse with cold water and let sit in cold water for 5 minutes before peeling.

Vinegar Mustard sauce:

3 T. soy sauce
4 1/2 t. rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp. dry mustard

Mix together in a small bowl. I used dijon instead of dry mustard, because I didn't have any. I am sure it changed the texture, but it was good.

Marinated cucumbers:

1 T. salt
1 cucumber, cut lengthwise and sliced
1 T. rice vinegar
1 T. pepper vinegar
1 1/2 t. sugar
1/4 t. crushed red pepper

In a bowl, sprinkle the salt on the cucumber slices, then cover with water. Let sit for 20 minutes, then drain and rinse and squeeze out excess moisture. In a small bowl or tupperware combine the cucumbers, vinegars, sugar and red pepper. Refrigerate until serving.

When the broth is cooled, remove the beef, trim off any fat and thinly slice. In a small bowl, combine the sliced beef with soy sauce, sesame seeds, garlic and a generous grinding of black pepper.

Mix the broth with the vinegars, sugar and salt. Cool in refrigerator.

Prepare the noodles, drain and rinse in cold water.

To serve, put noodles in a bowl and add broth mixture to cover noodle halfway. Top with sliced egg, beef, cukes and mustard sauce. Set the beef, cukes and mustard out to be added individually. In this picture, the sliced bulgogi is on the left and the steak for the noodles is on the right.



Heat the skinny grill. Cook the steak 4-5 minutes on each side, to medium rare. Slice and serve.





Verdict: B+ for steak, B for noodles. Serve it hot to make it an A.
Credits: Marinated Grilled Beef (Bulgogi) and Cold Buckwheat Noodles (Naengmyon) from Eating Well May/June 1993
Leftovers? Keep the noodle elements separately. The beef is great the next day.

Notes: The noodles are actually better with warm broth. Serve the broth while still warm, or use the broth to cook the noodles. As a warm meal, it still works with cold toppings and gets an A. Beef soup to go with grilled beef is overkill. Save the bulgogi for another meal.

Lettuce Wraps

In a meal of two beef dishes, I could not make this appetizer with ground beef so I tried it with tempeh and extra vegetables. I don't know if it is as good as P.F. Chang's, but it turned out pretty tasty.

1/2 head of Boston lettuce, leaves separated and washed
4 oz. (half package) tempeh, diced small
1 T. sesame oil
1 T. peanut oil
2 carrots, peeled and diced small.
2 stalks celery, diced small
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1 T fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. Garlic chili pepper sauce (I use 'A Taste of THAI') or the recipe calls for kochujang
1/4 c. rice wine (mirin)
1 T. pepper vinegar (optional)

Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet and add the tempeh. Cook for a few minutes until it starts to brown. Add the carrot, celery, and half the scallions. Cook 5-10 more minutes, the vegetables should start to soften. Add the ginger and garlic and cook another couple minutes. Add the garlic-chili sauce and the rice wine and vinegar. Cook another 3 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.

Here's the tempeh and vegetables:


Garnish with the remaining scallions and serve with the lettuce leaves.

And here's the assembled Lettuce Wrap ready for a bite. Yum!

Verdict: A-
Credits: Lettuce Bundles with Hot-&-Sweet Meat Filling Eating Well May/June 1993
Leftovers? Yes, but not as good cold.

Notes: I also tried this doubled and it worked out well. It feels like greasy bar appetizers, but it is a vegetarian delight. Don't eat the whole doubled recipe unless you are used to that much fiber. Yowsa.

Memorial Day Grilling

Here it is Memorial Day weekend, the opening of the grilling season. I left my Weber grill in the garage, but I do have my new Le Crueset skinny grill. I got some extra shrimp when shopping for the paella and then went out and found two recipes for citrus-y baked chicken and modified them as grilled chicken with sauce and marinated shrimp.

Shopping list:

1 or 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 to 1/2 lb. medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
3 or 4 juicing oranges
1 lemon
4 scallions
1 shallot
1 piece ginger
Ricard or other anise liqueur
fresh rosemary
fresh mint
white wine
lime juice
Tabasco sauce

Prepare the chicken breast:

Chicken breast
1 T. lemon zest
1 T. orange zest
rosemary sprigs
salt and pepper

Slice the chicken breast horizontally, most of the way through. Sprinkle with lemon and orange zest. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the rosemary on the half of chicken breast. Close breast, cover with plastic wrap and pound with a frying pan to flatten. Refrigerate.



Marinate the shrimp:

Juice the oranges, set aside 2/3 C. for the chicken sauce.

3 T. orange juice
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 T. lime juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. dried cilantro
1 t. dried oregano
1 t. cumin
1 t. chili powder
1 T. olive oil
4 dashes Tabasco sauce
1/4 t. salt

Combine everything and cover the shrimp. Refrigerate.



Chicken sauce:

4 scallions, sliced
2 T. minced shallots
1 T. minced fresh mint
olive oil
2/3 C. orange juice
juice of 1/2 lemon
piece of ginger
1 T. Ricard
1/4 C. dry sherry
2 t. sugar
1/2 C. white wine

In a saucepan, cook scallions, shallots and mint in olive oil until soft. Add orange juice, lemon juice, Ricard, dry sherry and sugar. Grate ginger into a sieve and press juice out. Add ginger juice to saucepan. Bring to a boil. Simmer until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Spoon a little onto the chicken breast.

Add the wine and simmer while grilling, reducing by half (again).

Skewer the shrimp on bamboo skewers, or poke through with the skewer then put the shrimp on rosemary stems. This takes a lot longer, so I only did half on rosemary.

And here I am ready to grill.



The chicken takes about 8 minutes a side. Baste with the sauce occasionally.

The shrimp is much faster, about a minute and a half per side.

Here's the Yucatan Grilled Shrimp Skewers


And the Grilled Chicken in Islands Aromas


I should have made a vegetable side, but I didn't. Served with a side of pasta and a French wine.


Verdict: B
Credits: Chicken Breasts in Islands Aromas in Eating Well May/June 1993 and Chicken Yucatan in Eating Well July/August 1993
Leftovers? Yes, good cold or on a salad

Notes:

Paella rapida

I haven't been cooking much lately, but I wanted to get into the spirit of the summer season and eating for celebration. First stop, paella. This was modified to make it lowfat by taking out the sausage. Of course I added some sausage back in.

2 C. chicken stock + 3 cubes
1 T. olive oil
1/2 lb. medium shrimp
1/2 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breast sliced into 1/2" pieces
1/2 lb. hot Italian sausage, sliced
salt and pepper
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
1/8 t. red pepper flakes
1 1/2 C. arborio rice
1 jar of artichoke hearts
1 C. frozen peas
1/3 C. bottled roasted red peppers, sliced thin

Warm the chicken stock in a saucepan, set aside.

In a skillet, cook the shrimp in 1 t. of oil for 3 minutes. Set aside in a bowl. Brown the chicken and sausage in the skillet, for about five minutes. Remove from the pan and set a side in a bowl.

In another 1 t. of oil, cook the onion and garlic until soft. Stir in tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Cook for a couple minutes. Stir in the rice.



Add the chicken stock. Stir, bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.



Stir in artichokes, red peppers, and peas. Add the chicken, sausage, and shrimp. Cover and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.



Serve with an inexpense but old (1999) Spanish wine.

Verdict: A
Credits: Paella Rapida in Eating Well May/June 1993
Leftovers? Yes, delicious.

Notes: The original recipe had a a 14 oz can of tomatoes. I had a larger can, so I used 1 1/2 C. of rice (instead of 1 C.) and then added a couple of extra cubes of broth. (I froze a bunch of chicken stock in ice cube trays.) It worked out great.

Chicken Salad with Bow Ties and Mustard-Sesame Dressing

Another potluck dish. This chicken and pasta salad is fresh and easy.

I don't know what consists fair use, but I think this one recipe over ten years old from a defunct magazine is okay. I repeat it here since I followed it pretty closely.

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 T. sesame seeds
1 4-inch piece of ginger
3 T. dijon mustard
2 T. rice-wine vinegar
1 T. sesame oil
1 1/2 t. sugar
1/2 t. soy sauce
1/2 lb. snow peas
1 lb. bow tie pasta (farfalle)
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 red bell pepper, roasted and sliced into thin strips
2 scallions, green part, thinly sliced

Poach the chicken breast: in a skillet, cover the chicken breast with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, turn off the heat, turn over the chicken, cover and let sit for 20 minutes. Slice the chicken breast thinly and set aside in the refrigerator.

In a small skillet, toast sesame seeds over medium heat. Set aside in a small dish.

Finely grate ginger into a sieve over a small bowl. Firmly press liquid out with the back of a spoon (should be 1 1/2 T. of liquid). Add mustard, vinegar, sesame oil, sugar and soy sauce to the ginger juice and whisk until creamy.

In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Blanch snow peas in boiling water for 1 minutes. Remove with a spoon or tongs to a colander and rinse under cold water. Return water to a boil and cook pasta. Drain and rinse with cold water.

In a large bowl, combine celery, red peppers, scallions and the chicken, snow peas and pasta. Add dressing and toss to coat. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with the toasted sessame seeds.



Verdict: B
Credits: Chicken Salad with Bow Ties and Mustard-Sesame Dressing in Eating Well March/April 1994
Leftovers? Good, but not this time. The crowd ate it up.

Notes: I ended up making a little more dressing because I was afraid the pasta would soak it up before the salad was served at the potluck. I stirred a spoonful of mustard into a couple tablespoons of vinegar and a splash of soy sauce and added it to the salad. It worked out great.

Vegetable Breakfast

I have been making a vegetable egg scramble for breakfast this week.

1 whole egg + 2 whites basil and parsely, sliced in fine ribbons 1 poblano pepper, thinly sliced 1 green chilli, thinly sliced 1 clove garlic, crushed and minced 1/3 vidalia onion, sliced 3/4 C. broccoli, chopped 1 tortilla parmesan cheese Olive oil, Salt and pepper

I boil several days worth of broccoli to pre-cook, since it takes the longest. Heat the oil in a skillet and brown the garlic, then saute the peppers and onions until the onion is translucent. Beat the egg and whites with a couple teaspoons of water and the herbs and a little salt and pepper. Add the cooked broccoli to the skillet, allow a few minutes to reheat if it was cold. Stir in the eggs and the cheese. Cook a minute or two until eggs are set and the cheese is melting. Serve with salsa on a warm tortilla.

And the finished product:



Verdict: B, but dependent on the quality of the salsa and cheese
Leftovers? No.

Notes: Of course this changes with the contents of my refrigerator. Pepper jack is the best cheese for this meal.

Asparagus and penne

Yesterday I made asparagus and penne. It's an easy, tasty dish. Start the water and snap and chop the asparagus and it all comes together in the time it takes to cook the pasta.

Here's a picture of the aspargus, sauted with garlic and hot sauce in a little olive oil. The penne is in the orange pot.


Verdict: B, I love aspargus, but maybe I didn't use enough butter, it seemed a little dry.
Credits: Mom, but the recipe is essentially this one.
Leftovers? Would be great, but I ate it all.

Rainbow Trout and Red Cabbage

I made this trout recipe last year and it was tasty (I love trout) but with regular cabbage and it was a little colorless. So with the red cabbage in the box, I tried it again.

Here's the primary ingredients. Yeah, they sold me the heads and tails at Gourmet Garage. I wasn't expecting that.



Cooking up in the pan. These were large trout.



Plated with the cabbage and a glass of wine. Yes, I drink red with fish. Basically, I drink red with everything.



Verdict: B
Credits: Trout with Peppercorn Crust, Bacon and Red Cabbage at Epicurious
Leftovers? Yes, plenty. I took the fish off the skin and refrigerated two portions. Splash a little rice vinegar and eat cold the next day.

Notes: The fish were large and I used the whole cabbage, which was more than 2 cups and a small bunch of onions rather than just two.

Artichokes again, illustrated

This week I had more artichokes and used the pressure cooker again. This time I simplified a little and it was even better.

2 artichokes, lower leaves trimmed and stem cut to 1" and peeled

1 T. olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 t. dried thyme
1/2 - 3/4 C. of white wine

Brown the garlic and thyme in the oil, one minute or less. Add the wine and arrange the artichokes on a rack.

Here's a shot of the artichokes ready to cook.



Pressure cook for 10-12 minutes (I went ten, but I think I like a little more done). Let sit to depressurize.

Make a sauce from 2 T. melted butter and 2 T. of the cooking liquid. Simmer for 3-5 minutes to reduce a little.

Pour a little of the sauce on the artichokes. Serve with the remaining butter on the side and a bread and cheese plate--and lots of napkins.

Verdict: A
Credits: Continued tinkering with the basic instructions at Gourmet Sleuth
Leftovers? No

Vegetable volume

So what comes in my box of vegetables?



This week:

6 pears
3 apples
2 grapefruits
1 eggplant
1 cauliflower
4 potatoes
2 artichokes
1 leaf lettuce
2 bunches of red chard
1 bunch arugula
4 banans
1 mango
1 celery
1 red cabbage

Broccoli Penne

I made Broccoli and Penne last night to use up the broccoli before another box arrives tomorrow. My fresh basil had turned to slime, so I substitued dry oregano and thyme. For tomatoes, I used a can of diced and an 8 oz. can of sauce. Here's a shot of the finished product, plated and steaming hot.

Noshwalk story on NYC Notes

I did a foodie walking tour today.

Artichokes

I got artichokes this week in the box and wanted to eat them up early. A few months ago I tried a stuffed artichoke recipe that was disappointing, so Wednesday I prepared them plain. Pretty tasty.

2 artichokes

2 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
1 t. thyme
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 c. white wine
1/4 c. water

Trim the lower leaves from the artichokes. Trim the stem to 1 1/2 inches and peel. In a pressure cooker, brown the garlic and thyme in the oil. Set the artichokes on a little rack in the pot and add the liquid.

Pressure cook for 10 minutes and let sit until depressurized.

Make a dipping butter from

1 clove garlic, crushed and minced
juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 stick of butter
2 T. white wine

Bring ingredients to a boil while artichokes are cooking. I added 2-3 T. of parmesan, but I think that was a mistake. Just garlic butter would be enough.

Verdict: B, good but a lot of work to eat
Credits: Gourmet Sleuth
Leftovers? No

Notes: The garlic butter didn't amount to much, since the artichokes were tasty.

Spicy Peanut Noodles with Cabbage

I had half a cabbage and some collard greens so I tried using them for a little crunch in the noodle dish.

1/2 small cabbage, shredded
4 collard green leaves

8 oz whole wheat spaghetti or linguini (or rice noodles or soba)

1/3 C. peanut butter
1/4 C. rice vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
1/2 t. cayenne
1 clove garlic, minced
5 shakes of hot pepper sauce
1/2 C. scallions, finely chopped

Cut the spines from the collard greens. Roll the leaves together and cut into fine ribbons.
Add the cabbage and greens to a pot of boiling water. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water until completely cooled. Lightly salt and pepper.

Make the noodles.

In a bowl, stir together the peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, hot sauce and cayenne. Adjust to taste and preferred thickness. Stir in the scallions.

Drain the noodles and move to a serving bowl. Stir in the sauce. Add the vegetables and mix in. Alternatively, serve the vegetables seperately and stir together on the plate.

Verdict: B
Credits: Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce Eating Well July/August 1996
Leftovers? Yes, very good cold. Use a little water or vinegar or soy sauce to refresh the sauce.

Notes: The Trader Joe's organic whole wheat spaghetti that I used tonight absorbed all the sauce. I added at least a 1/4 C. of water with a little vinegar and hot sauce to the noodles and sauce to thin it out and make it saucy. Otherwise it would have been a big sticky clump. With other noodles, the sauce takes a long time to absorb.

Spicy Peanut Pork Stew (again)

I made the pork stew and slaw again and it was delish. I didn't use the cayenne pepper, but included a serrano chili in the pork and pepper pressure cooking mix. It didn't seem that spicy, but it may be after sitting overnight. I didn't add any greens (closer to original recipe) because I am saving my collards for the beans tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Updated: Cooking up the dry black beans just seems like a much bigger obstacle than it is. Instead I sliced up the collard greens in fine ribbons and cooked them with some left over shredded pork with garlic sauce. Very good. But I really should use the black beans sometime....

Sauteed Ocean Perch with Lemon-Peppercorn Pan Sauce

3 filets (1 pound) of ocean perch
1 T. butter
1 T. olive oil
flour
salt and pepper

3/4 C. chicken stock
juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 C.)
1 T. green peppercorns
1 t. butter

Melt 1 T. butter with oil in a skillet. While the skillet is heating, salt and pepper both sides of the fish and dredge in flour in a shallow dish. (I use a 8x11 casserole).

Add the filets to the hot pan, skin side up. Cook for at least 3-4 minutes without checking. Turn and cook until fish is opaque and flaky, another 3-5 minutes. Make a salad while the fish is cooking.

Combine the stock, lemon juice and peppercorns.

Remove the fish to a plate. Add the stock to the pan, scraping up any brown bits. Bring to a boil and cook until the sauce is reduced by at least half. Serve the sauce over the filet. Add a salad and a little bread and cheese for a light and tasty Lenten dinner.

Verdict: B, very lemony sauce. Lemon garnish is unnecessary.
Credits: Sauteed Tilapia with Lemon-Peppercorn Pan Sauce Cooking Light, March 2004
Leftovers? Yes, for a half day or a day

Notes: The original recipe was for tilapia, but the point of the article is that pan-frying and making a sauce was a technique more than a recipe. Any light fish would work in this recipe.

Whatcha got vegetable curry

A vegetable curry can be made with just about any veggies (or even chickpeas or lentils). This week I had a yam, potato and eggplant and some frozen peas.

1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. cumin seeds
1 - 2 chillies (I use serrano peppers, I am not sure what Indians actually use)
olive oil

1 can diced tomatoes (with jalapeno is good)
1 T. garam masala
1 T. madras curry powder

1 eggplant, chopped
1 yam, peeled and chopped
1 potato, peeled and chopped
1 C. frozen peas

Heat the olive oil in a skillet or wok. Add the cumin seeds and garlic and chillies. Cook until the garlic starts to brown. Add the onions and cook until translucent and soft.

Add the tomatoes and spices and cook for at least 3 minutes. The longer this simmers, the more the flavors develop.

Add the vegetables. Stir to coat with the tomato mixture. Add 1/2 C. water and let cook, stirring occasionally. Consider the cooking times of the vegetables and add them appropriately. I let the potato and yam cook for a few minutes covered before adding the eggplant and then waited a few more minutes before adding the peas. Total cooking time should be about 20 minutes. When stirring, check vegetables for doneness and add water if dry or threatening to burn.

Verdict: B+ I love curry, eggplants are a little weird
Leftovers? Yes, delicious cold or hot.

Notes:

Spicy Chicken Soup

The only fresh vegetables in this recipe are the peppers and the green onions. All the canned food makes it fast to prepare.

1 chicken breast, diced
olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 poblano peppers, quartered and sliced
1 bunch green onions, sliced white and green parts
1 t. cumin

1 can corn
1 can black beans
1 can chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes
1 7oz can chiptole peppers in adobo sauce

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan, add the chicken and brown. Add the garlic, peppers, white parts of the green onions and cumin and saute until the peppers are soft.

Drain and rinse the corn and black beans. Take 2 chipotle peppers from the can and dice. Add the corn, beans, chipotle peppers, chicken stock and tomatoes to the pot. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream. Or in a bread bowl. Top with a little cheese and the green part of the green onions.

Verdict: B, a reliable and spicy dish
Credits: Cooking Light Spicy Chicken Soup (subscription required)
Leftovers? Yes.

Notes: Fast and spicy with ingredients I am likely to have on hand. Except the chipotle in adobo sauce -- I need to find a use for the leftovers.

This is a thick soup, the original recipe uses 2 cans of stock. Also, I used more peppers. A diced fresh avocado would be good, too.

Baked Sesame Chicken Noodles

I got the new Cooking Light this week and found a recipe that would use up the red bell peppers that I got in the box. I modified it to suit what I had on hand, but essentials are the same.

8 oz whole wheat spaghetti, broken in half
1 T. dark sesame oil
4 stalks of celery sliced thin
2 red bell peppers
3 oz shitake mushroom caps, sliced
3 boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 t. minced ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 C. soy sauce
1 C. chicken broth
1 T. cornstartch
2 T. sherry
1 T. rice vinegar
1/2 t. crushed red pepper
1 bunch young swiss chard, sliced (about 2 cups)
1 T. sesame seeds
2/3 C. bread crumbs
2 T. olive oil

Cook the spaghettil, drain.

Roast the red peppers: halve and seed the peppers, then either set the skin side on a gas flame until it is completely black (with my burners I have to move it around to get everything) or put skin side up on a sheet under the broiler until blistered and black. Let the peppers cool a little, then rub the burnt skin off under running cool water. Slice into strips.

In my Le Creuset 3 1/2 Quart Saucepan with Cover, Flame heat the oil and then saute the celery, peppers and mushrooms for 2 minutes (or so). Add the chicken, ginger, garlic and saute for 3 more minutes (or until most of the chicken is browned). Stir in the soy sauce and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Whisk the cornstarch into the broth and add to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook until it starts to thicken (a little thick, not a lot). Remove from heat, stir in sherry, vinegar and crushed red pepper. Add spaghetti, chard and 2 t. sesame seeds. Stir well.

Stir oil and 1 t. sesame seeds into bread crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs over pasta mixture. Put the excellent pan right in the oven and bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

Verdict: B, a solid effort.
Credits: Baked Sesame Chicken Noodles Cooking Light March 2004
Leftovers? Yes, I expect the ginger and sesame flavors to develop .

Notes: The original recipe had plain red peppers, not roasted but I don't really care for bell peppers unless they are roasted. Also, I thought I took chicken breast out of the freezer, but it was chicken thighs so that's what I used. I substituted a bunch of young (small, like spinach-sized) chard for bok choy and added the celery. I think I might kick up the red pepper flakes a little and maybe the ginger. I t was good, but not super spicy.

Aloo Gobi

On the DVD for Bend it Like Beckham there is a special feature for making aloo gobi. The director makes it in a restaurant kitchen with her mother and aunt looking on. I love aloo gobi and making any curry, so I was inspired to try Gurinder Chadha's version. Of course, I didn't write it down so it is only my memory of her version -- with substitutions.

1/2 head cauliflower, cut into pieces
3 yukon gold potates, chopped

1 small bunch cilantro (coriander), stems and leaves chopped separately
1 can diced tomatoes with jalepeno
2 green chilies, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
1/4 C. olive oil
1 T. cumin seed
2 t. tumeric
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. hot curry powder, Calcutta Heat, Spice Islands
1 t. grated ginger
1 t. salt

In a wok, heat oil and add cumin seeds and cook for a minute or less. Add chopped onion and cook until onions are translucent. Add garlic and ginger, tomatoes,chilies and cilantro stems. Stir together. Stir in tumeric and simmer while you chop cauliflower and potatoes.

Add cauliflower and potatoes and salt, cover and simmer for ten minutes. Check and add water if sticking. Simmer another 15-20 minutes. Stir in half the chopped cilantro and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Serve, topped with remaining cilantro.

Verdict: B+
Credits: Bend it Like Beckham DVD special feature
Leftovers? Yes, and even tastier. In the DVD, Ms. Chandha praises toasted aloo gobi sandwiches. But cold curry on white toast? That's whack. I won't be trying that.

Notes: For the movie, the tagline is : "Who wants to cook aloo gobi when you can bend a ball like Beckham?" Now, I thought the movie was great, but seriously -- soccer? I have spent far more effort learning Indian cooking.

I didn't have garam masala in the house and they were out when I went to the store, so I used hot curry powder instead. Still good.

Related product: Maya Kaimal Cocount Curry Simmer Sauce

Tonight I tried the Coconut Curry flavor of the Indian sauces I bought this week. I diced a chicken breast and browned it with half an onion and a couple cloves of garlic, then added a cubed yam and 3 carrots, frozen peas and half the container of sauce and 1/4 c. water. I let it simmer for about 20 minutes before chowing down.

Verdict: A
Credits: Maya Kaimal This is pretty much the recommended preparation on the container.
Leftovers? Yes

Notes: This is sweeter and not as spicy hot as the vindaloo. In both, the coconut milk adds a sweet creaminess. After using $5 worth of chanterelles in a risotto, I don't think I'll be troubled by the price on these. A repeat buy. I mean, at some point, I'll have to get a job or just eat soup but for now, these are good.

Winter risotto (chanterelle, squash, chard)

I had chard and butternut squash in the box this week, so made risotto again but with some improvements.

1 butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 bunch swiss chard, chopped

2 C. chicken broth
2 C. white wine
2 C. water
1 package dried chanterelle mushrooms (porcini are also good)

1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 C. arborio rice
olive oil
butter

1/2 C. parmesan (or up to 1 C. according to taste)

Smash the dried mushrooms to small pieces and soak in 2 C. water for at least an hour before starting. (It's not a disaster if you wait)

In a pot, cover the squash in water and bring to a boil. Boil for just a couple minutes, then drain and rinse in cold water.

In a saucepan, add the wine and stock to the mushroom water and bring to a low boil.

In a large skillet, brown the garlic in olive oil and add the onion and cook until soft. Stir in the rice and cook another couple of minutes. Add the stock, half a cup at a time. Stir the stock in until it is completely absorbed before adding more. Stir, stir, stir. When all the stock is added, the rice should be cooked through. Stir in the cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Reheat the squash in 1 T. butter and 1 T. water. Salt and pepper. Stir the squash into the rice. Chop the chard into ribbons and wilt in a little olive oil. Stir into the rice.

Serve topped with more parmesan, black pepper or hot sauce.

Verdict: A
Credits: An improvement on my last effort still inspired by Frances Mayes
Leftovers? Yes, so yummy when fried with a little olive oil and bread crumbs

Notes: This can be done with just a saucepan and a skillet, by cooking the squash first then letting it sit in the collander. Reuse the saucepan for the hot liquid, then reheat the squash in the same pan with butter. Finally wilt the chard (unless you have a ton, which is okay) in the same pan.

New Product: Maya Kaimal Vindaloo Simmer Sauce

The sample at Fairway got me to try these new sauces from Maya Kaimal (of cookbook fame -- I haven't read it). I bought the Vindaloo (spicy) and the Coconut Curry (medium).

1 yam, peeled, quartered and cut in 1/2" slices
1 potato, peeled quartered and cut in 1/2" slices
1/2 c. frozen peas
1/2 c. frozen green beans
1/2 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tomato, diced
1/4 t. cayenne
1/4 t. cumin
olive oil
1/2 container Maya Kaimal Vindaloo Simmer Sauce

In a pot, cover the sweet potato and potato in water and bring to a boil. Boil for couple minutes. Drain.

In a wok or skillet, heat some olive oil and brown the garlic. Add the onions, cayenne and cumin. Cook until the onions soften. Add the tomatoes and cook for another 3 minutes.

Add the vegetables to the onions and mix. Stir in the vindaloo sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes. Longer if you can wait, the flavor will develop.

Verdict: A
Credits: Maya Kaimal Sauces at Fairway
Leftovers? I used half of the container instead of making a big batch and saving half. I am sure either way is fine.

Notes: At $4.99 for a 4 person serving, these are pretty expensive. I don't know if I will use them often. On the other hand, making authentic curry sauces is not easy or cheap (coconut milk!), so maybe.

Pineapple Sweet Potato Salad

In the box this week was a pineapple, which would have been a deletion had I gotten around to checking the list before delivery (Urban Organic is good about that). I don't care for pineapple, but I had a potluck this week, so I just needed a recipe to serve it to my friends.

I went back to Food TV and found a recipe that used sweetpotatoes and pineapple, both of which I had and I only needed bell pepper and some fresh cilantro.

My only modification to the recipe was use some potatoes with the sweet potatoes because I couldn't stand to use up all my yams (yams, sweetpotatoes, whatever) for a dish I didn't like. I had plenty of pineapple juice from the cut pineapple, but I also put some lime juice in the dressing.

The salad was well received at the potluck. I had some leftover, but there aren't big eaters in that crowd. The initial taste of the dressing was very sesame, but as it sat the pineapple taste increased.

I was disappointed in the consistency of the dressing. I think my blender (or my technique) made the original mayonnaise too thin, so the dressing was even thinner. I haven't successfully made mayonnaise to diagnose this, but I'll have to try.

Verdict: B
Credits: Emeril's Molokai Sweet Potato Salad on the Food Network site
Leftovers? Yes, but not for me.

Winter vegetables

Visiting new friends in Oneota on Sunday, we had Roasted Winter Vegetables with our chicken and rice. It was delicious! Angie said it was easy, just spread on a baking sheet with some oil. I may have to give this a try -- sweet potatoes in the box today.

Vegetable skillet breakfast

I have been eating my vegetables for breakfast this week (which I love). I diced and cooked potatoes and sweet potatoes and sliced and cooked some broccoli and kept it all in in the refrigerator several days for easy meals.

Chopped onion (1/2 onion)
1 Minced garlic clove
1 finely chopped jalepeno pepper
1 Diced sweet potato or potato
1/2 C. steamed broccoli
2 eggs
2 T. gruyere (or other cheese), grated or sliced
2 T. chopped fresh parsley (or cilantro)
salt and pepper
salsa
olive oil or butter

Quarter and slice (1/4" - 1/2") the potatoes and, in a saucepan, cover with salted water and bring to a boil. Once boiling, they only need a couple of minutes to be cooked through. This can be done in advance and used cold from the fridge. I boil the broccoli the same way, but I slice it thin so it is done when the water boils.

In some oil or butter, brown the garlic, pepper and onions until the onions are soft. Add the potatoes and broccoli. Cover and cook on medium for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, letting some pieces get crispy and well-browned.

In a bowl, beat the eggs with 1 t. water. Add the chopped herbs and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour the eggs into the skillet and add the cheese. Stir and cook until the eggs are dry and the cheese is melting.

Serve with salsa.

Verdict: A
Credits: No one in particular
Leftovers? Yes, they are good.

Miso-Chile Sauce

Pork week was interrupted by illness, but I had a pork chop tonight with thyme and rosemary and redskin potatoes. I made this sauce to go with it. It was very rich, I think it might overwhelm tuna.

2 t. butter
2 t. minced shallots
1 t. minced fresh peeled ginger
1/4 t. chile paste with garlic
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 C. + 2 T. dry rose wine (Tavel)
2 T. red wine vinegar
3 T. rice wine (mirin)
2 T. yellow miso

In a small saucepan, cook the shallots, ginger, chile paste, garlic in the butter for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and mirin and reduce to half a cup or less. Take off the heat and stir in the miso.

Verdict: B
Credits: Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2004 Tuna with Miso-Chile Sauce
Leftovers? No, the quantity is more than one serving but not worth keeping.

Notes: I doubled the original recipe and used mostly rose with about 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar because I didn't have any red wine (that I wanted to cook with). I also substituted yellow miso for red miso (again, it's what I had).

Vegetable topping

Tonight I had the same menu as last night, but I topped the carrots with my favorite all-purpose bread crumb topping. I found it in a recipe for stuffed artichokes and it is an awful thing to do to an artichoke, but on zucchini with a slice of provolone over it -- YUM! On a salad or some boring canned soup -- delish!

I can't find the free recipe booklet that it came in and the recipe on the Fagor site is missing half the ingredients.

1 C. Bread crumbs (I used canned)
1/2 C. grated parmesan
1/3 - 1/2 C. Italian parsley, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C. finely diced sopressata (sweet dry sausage, like salami)
1/4 C. olive oil
1 t. lemon zest
Salt and pepper

Mix everything in a bowl. I chop the parsley and garlic and sopressata together before adding it to the bread crumbs. Add the oil a bit at a time and just use enough to get things sticking and mealy. Cover and store.

Use on top of any vegetable, especially if you can then top with a thin slice of provolone (this is from the original artichoke recipe). I didn't use cheese tonight, but I put some on the carrots and popped my new Le Creuset French oven under the broiler, because I could. I don't think the broiling made any difference. I don't know much about this oven yet.

Verdict: A for the topping (so versatile). A- for the menu.
Credits: The free recipe book (not the instruction manual) which came with my Fagor pressure cooker
Leftovers? Yes, keeps for a week or more.

Notes: I haven't tried any variations yet, but a number of herbs could be used instead of parsley.

Thyme and Rosemary Pork Chop with Mango Ginger Sauce and Dirty Carrots

Pork Week continues, using the mango (I get nearly as many fruits as vegetables in the box) and some carrots.

1 mango, diced
2 1/2 T. sugar
1 1/2 T. red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 T. sherry
1 T minced ginger
salt and pepper

1 boneless center cut pork chop
thyme
rosemary
1 garlic clove, minced
olive oil

3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4" or smaller
1 T. butter

Put the mango chunks, sugar, sherry, ginger, and vinegar into a small saucepan. Cook over low until mango softens up. Whisk and simmer until all chunks are breaking up. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

Coat the pork chop with oil and sprinkle with thyme and rosemary, salt and pepper. Brown both sides in a skillet, then cover and cook on medium for 5-10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let rest.

Add the carrots to the skillet and deglaze with a little water or broth (maybe a 1/4 cup). Salt. Cover and steam the carrots for 3 minutes. Uncover and add butter. Reduce (boil off) any remaining liquid.

Plate carrots, pork chop and spoon half of the sauce on the pork.

Verdict: A-
Credits: The Eating Well Rush Hour Cookbook (1994, Eating Well Books): Pork Tenderloin with Keys Mango Sauce
Leftovers? Yes. The flavor of the sauce develops overnight.

Notes: Mangoes are nearly impossible to work with. My best way to chop up a mango is to slice off large pieces until I get to the pit. Then I score the pieces and slice the chunks from the peel. It's not perfect.

Pork Chop with Citrus Salsa and Wilted Spinach

Despite my good efforts, the vegetables were delivered on Tuesday (four days before I got back). I had in mind to detox for a few days, semi-fasting even, but even though some of the food (lettuce) was already bad and some (yams) will keep, I feel like I should consume the good-but-going-bad stuff this week. So my detoxing will take the form of Pork Week. Six center cut boneless porkchops, miscellaneous sauces and whatever vegetables need to be used.

1 pork chop (6 oz or so)
olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced

2 C. spinach, washed
1/4 C. apple cider vinegar
2 T. sugar

1 grapefruit, peeled, sectioned and chopped
3 oranges, peeled, sectioned and chopped
1/2 lemon, peeled, sectioned and chopped
2 T cilantro, chopped
1 habanero pepper, seeded and minced
salt

For the salsa (Xec), mix in a bowl the grapefruit, orange, lemon, pepper, cilantro and season with salt. Let sit.

In my new Le Creuset cast iron French oven or other skillet, heat the oil and cook the garlic until golden, then brown the pork chop on both sides and cover for 5-10 minutes. When the pork is done, remove from the pan and let rest on a cutting board. Take the pork off the heat while it is still pink in the middle, it will continue to cook while resting.

Decide there is not enough pork fat for the spinach and chop 1 slice of bacon and fry in the skillet. When it is well browned, add the sugar and vinegar. Stir to disolve the sugar and reduce the vinegar to a syrupy consistency. Add the spinach and toss with tongs to coat with the vinegar reduction. Cook until wilted. Season with black pepper.

Plate the spinach, the pork chop and generously spoon the citrus salsa over the pork.

Verdict: C+, the spinach and the fruit were old
Credits: Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2004 Pork Tenderloin with Xec
Leftovers? I'll try the leftover salsa.

Notes: The idea for the spinach was that there would be sufficient pork fat from the pork chop, but it didn't seem like it so I chopped and added a slice of turkey bacon before the spinach. You cannot over-reduce the vinegar, because liquid from the spinach will make it thin again.

I would expect that two oranges would be sufficient for this recipe (the grapefruit and orange quantities are 1:1 in the original recipe), but these are old, dry oranges so I added a third. It was not as spicy as I expected. Maybe tomorrow.

Update: I had another try of the Xec after it kept overnight. The fruit was just too old and dried out, I think. It was spicier, but still not that good with the pork. Maybe this would be better with fish, or with some complementing side or spices.

Mexican Frittata

Trying to add a little variety to the eggs during my stay in Cabo San Lucas

4 russet potatoes, peeled, quartered and cut in 1/4" slices
2 jalepeno peppers, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 avocado, diced
1/2 cup of chorizo, cooked and drained
1/2 cup of pepper cheese, grated or finely chopped
1/2 cup of Monterrey Jack cheese, grated or finely chopped
10 eggs, beaten
oil or butter

Boil the potatoes for a few minutes, they don't need to be completely cooked. In a skillet, saute the onion and peppers until soft.

Mix together in a baking casserole or pot (I used a 5 quart pot) the potatoes, onions and peppers, avocado, cheese and chorizo. Beat the eggs and pour over the top.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until eggs are firm and browning on the edges. The middle can be a little soft. The cooking time will depend on the shape of your baking pan. Top with a little more grated cheese during the last couple minutes of baking.

Serve with salsa and tortillas.

Verdict: B+
Leftovers? Yes, keeps for a couple of days.

Notes: This would have been even better with more fresh peppers, especially poblanos. Also, tomatoes would have been good.

Spaghetti alla chorizo

This doesn't have many vegetables (especially since I didn't put the tomatoes on my serving), which is pretty much the pattern for my eating in Mexico.

1/2 lb. chorizo (loose, not a link in a case)
1 package spaghetti
4 eggs, beaten
1/2 C. grated parmesan
1 tomato, diced
salt and pepper

Cook the spaghetti. In a fry pan, cook the chorizo. Add the spaghetti to the pan and stir. Transfer to a bowl and add the eggs and most of the cheese (reserve a little for topping). Stir, the hot pasta cooks the eggs. Season with salt and pepper.

Plate and garnish with tomatoes.

Verdict: C
Credits: Spaghetti carbonara
Leftovers? This was pretty good the next day.

Notes: I am not sure about the quantity of chorizo and cheese that I used, but it's pretty close. The flavor of the chorizo was just not quite right with the parmesan and egg, but it was edible and a break from greasy nachos.