Spicy Asian Flavors

The new semester is in full swing and amid all the ruckus of studying, reading, and working – I find myself with basically one evening a week free to cook, and that is Sunday. Well, it seemed like a great excuse for a little sophistication last weekend so I chose a supper menu that was Asian-inspired and had plenty of spice, salt, greens, and all that other good stuff. Also since I am feeling just a little sick, (I know, it’s just unfair..) I thought it would be best to cook something with strong flavors that would clear the sinuses and settle heavily in my ever-expanding belly 😉 The wilted greens though, turned out to be the best idea and had lots of vitamin C to increase those white cells and boost what’s left of my immune system, with plenty of Calcium for baby who will take it from my bones if he doesn’t get enough – ahhh!

The recipes I reference here originally came from two different sources, with the meat recipe (which originally called for pork) from the September edition of Bon Appetit and the cooked greens recipe from last December’s Food & Wine. Of course I had to implement some changes here and there in both recipes since the bazaar I shop at doesn’t stock pork (anywhere I guess, bummer..) and the veggies took quite the search just to find an acceptable substitute for collard greens. While the task of shopping, chopping, and preparing it all seemed a bit daunting at first, I’m glad I made the effort because in the end — while consuming it at a rapid rate — I had to admit how tastefully worth it the meal turned out to be 😀

The star ingredient in this spicy Asian menu is garlic. Typical, right? …And I’m sure I’ve used this ingredient somewhere before 😉 The fact of the matter is I used garlic in various forms throughout the preparation of this meal, with minced garlic in the greens, garlic sriracha sauce in the marinade, and some of the same savory spiciness reserved for serving with the seared meat (now that’s alliteration:-) Garlic has its own host of immune-benefiting properties by boosting antibody production, but I’ve elaborated on this topic before so I’ll stop there.. Either way, it is an incredibly flavorful ingredient/medicine/vegetable which ranks it among the best of (cheap) kitchen staples. I find myself with plenty of fresh garlic these days and was happy to use some of it (okay, a lot of it) in our evening meal.

Spicy Marinated Beef Shoulder with Curried White Rice

Ingredients

1 lb (or 1/2 kg) beef shoulder

olive oil, for cooking

(for the marinade/sauce)

1/2 cup sake or white wine

1/4 cup fish sauce

1/4 cup rice vinegar

1/4 cup lemon juice

3 Tbs. olive oil

6 Tbs. garlic sriracha sauce (or regular sriracha, plus 5 cloves of minced garlic)

(for the rice)

2 packets (or 2 cups) white rice

1 Tbs. curry powder

1 Tbs. ground Coriander

1 Tbs. rice vinegar

salt & pepper

(1) Combine all ingredients for the marinade (white wine/sake through sriracha) in a medium bowl and whisk until blended. Reserve 1/2 cup of this sauce for serving. (2) Wash the beef shoulder and pat dry, trim excess fat, and cut the shoulder into 1/2 inch (or 1/3 cm) thick slices. Put all the beef pieces in the marinade, turn to coat, and let marinate at room temperature 35-45 minutes. (3) Meanwhile, heat salted water in a saucepan over medium-high heat (according to package instructions) and add rice when boiling; lower the heat and simmer until soft and most of the liquid is absorbed, 15-20 minutes typically. When cooked, drain the rice and rinse with warm water. Stir in curry, coriander, and vinegar, mixing well. Cover the rice and set aside until ready to serve. (4) After the meat has marinated, heat 1 Tbs. of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the beef pieces, shaking off excess marinade. Sear each side, turning once, until meat is cooked to medium, and browned on the outside, 4-5 minutes. If the beef gives off too much liquid while searing, stir excess into the rice. (5) Let the meat sit covered for 5 minutes before serving over rice with a side of the reserved sauce.

Serves 4

Cumin-Braised Kale with Onions & Garlic

Ingredients

6 Tbs. olive oil

1 large yellow onion, halved & thinly sliced

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbs. ground cumin

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

1 bunch kale (or collard greens substitute)

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 Tbs. butter

salt & pepper

(1) Wash the greens thoroughly and remove stems, cutting off any browned or wilted pieces. Slice into thin ribbons. (2) In a large wok or skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, cumin, and red pepper and fry until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. (3) Next, add all of the chopped greens and cook, stirring constantly, until wilted, another 3-4 minutes. (4) Stir in the chicken broth, cover and let everything cook until greens are tender and the liquid is gone, 5-6 minutes more. Remove from heat, salt generously, and stir in a Tablespoon of butter. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

So more of my meddling in Asian cooking has proven (yet again) worthwhile, producing minimum leftovers which I try to take as a good sign. Valentine’s day came and went and instead of planning another huge meal, I opted for a series of snacks–papaya, feta cheese, cherries, garlic sausage, and dark chocolate–ahh, I’m all about ease during the week. We’ll have to see what cooking madness may develop this weekend when I finally find myself with a little more freetime }:-)

My question: What is your favorite green to eat cooked (that is, slightly wilted)…and why?

Is it because it’s salty, or healthy–or both? I used to hate the stuff, not so much anymore!

2.16.12

Homemade Barbecued Pork Ribs

The last meal I made with my family over the holidays was barbecued pork ribs 😀 Personally, I may have missed the spicy-sugary taste of barbecue sauce but I was definitely missing the whole eat-off-the-bone experience. With ribs it seems, the more time you put into them, the more taste you get out of them (I made that up myself..) and can prove to be an all-intensive process. I reduced marinade, let the ribs soak in it overnight, grilled and basted them over slow heat, and made my own barbecue sauce. I’m thinking I may have gone a bit overboard on the whole DIY concept but hey, you don’t get to make ribs from scratch every day! (At least I couldn’t;-)

The rib recipe I refer to here is from December’s Food & Wine and originally involved Root Beer. After perusing through a couple of cooking magazines with my brother, we quickly established that any meat you serve marinated in and covered with sauces made from Coca-Cola will be tasty, at the very least 🙂 The spiciness in this barbecue comes from ground black peppercorns, a simple combination since there’s so many different and more colorful chilies and spices to choose from out there but black pepper pairs wonderfully with vanilla bean (and just when you thought vanilla couldn’t get any better!) My advice to spice enthusiasts, add 1/2-1 Tablespoon extra ground black pepper to your barbecue sauce if you want it really spicy.

Perhaps needless to say at this point, the star ingredient in the ribs recipe is Coca-Cola. And why not?! I initially thought that the taste might be overshadowed by some of the other flavorful ingredients but that wasn’t the case. Apparently boiling something down over time only contributes to the flavor :] This is making me think that you could probably boil any soda down to its sauce form, like Dr. Pepper steak sauce or chicken cutlets with Fanta reduction. I should start considering soda an ingredient (is it that bad? Doesn’t cooking making it any better? I hope so…)

Slightly inspired by the whole farewell ‘grilling theme’, I made another recipe, this one from last June’s Food & Wine, which is a salad with grilled oyster mushrooms and green grapes, chilled celery and butter lettuce. Salad and barbecue just sound like the perfect combination.. I have included both recipes in this post, let’s call it le grill menu. The two go awfully well together and the ribs were so delicious I was eating them with my fingers a quarter of the way through, probably covered with a little barbecue sauce too. I was not the only one though 🙂

Grilled Pork Ribs with Coca-Cola Lime Barbecue Sauce

Ingredients

(for the marinade)

2 cans of Coca-Cola

3 shallots, sliced

1/2 cup fish sauce

1 head of garlic, peeled & crushed

1/4 cup whole black peppercorns

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup cold water

2 racks of pork ribs (about 5 lbs. or 2.3 kilos)

(for barbecue sauce)

3 cans of Coca-Cola

1/4 cup lime juice

1 Tbs. ground black pepper

1 Tbs. garlic powder

1 Tbs. chili powder

1 ts. salt

2 vanilla beans, split & scraped for seeds (or 2 Tbs. vanilla extract)

cooking/grilling spray

(1) To make the marinade, boil Coca-Cola, fish sauce, garlic, black peppercorns, shallots, and vinegar for 1 minute over high heat. Cover, remove from heat, and let steep for 30 minutes; uncover and let cool. Add the olive oil and cold water, stir, and transfer to a ziploc bag or large dish before adding the pork ribs. Cover/seal and marinate meat overnight in the fridge. (2) While cleaning and preheating the grill (on medium), let ribs come to room temperature, uncovered 20-45 minutes. (3) In a medium saucepan, mix the vanilla bean, black pepper, and 3 cans of coke. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and reduce to about 1/2 cup, stirring occasionally, 25-35 minutes. Add the lime juice and salt, simmering over low heat for 2 minutes. Strain and discard the vanilla bean and remove pan from heat. (4) When cooled, stir in the garlic and chili powder, seasoning barbecue sauce to taste with salt and pepper. (5) Once grill has preheated, drain the marinade from ribs, reserving about 1 cup for basting. Spray ribs with cooking spray and grill over medium-high heat, turning once, to sear each side, about 10 minutes total. (6) Put heat to low and continue grilling the ribs, turning often, and basting every 5-7 minutes until cooked (edges of the meat will begin to pull away from the bone), about 35-45 minutes. Remove ribs from the grill, slather in barbecue sauce, and cover with foil, letting rest for 10 minutes. (7) Before eating, cut between each rib with a sharp knife. Serve pork ribs with lime wedges and a side of barbecue sauce.

Serves 4

Grilled Grape & Mushroom Butter Leaf Salad with Mustard-Celery Seed Vinaigrette

Ingredients

(for the vinaigrette)

3 Tbs. walnut oil

1 Tbs. Dijon mustard

1/4 cup champagne vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1 Tbs. celery seeds

1 lemon, juiced

2 Tbs. fresh Parsley, minced

3 green onions, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbs. white wine

salt & cracked pepper

(for the salad)

1 head of butter lettuce, stemmed & torn

1 cup fresh sprouts

1 cup green grapes

1/2 cup fresh celery, thinly sliced

1/4 cup celery leaves

1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves

2 cups fresh oyster mushrooms

1/4 cup roasted & salted whole almonds

(1) To make vinaigrette, whisk together all the ingredients, walnut oil through white wine above, in a medium bowl and season to taste with salt & pepper (adding more champagne vinegar, if needed:-) Cover and chill until ready to serve. (2) Wash and dry salad greens, combining the celery leaves, parsley leaves, butter lettuce, and sprouts in a salad bowl. Refrigerate. (3) Preheat the grill to medium-high heat and clean racks with lemon halves. When hot, grill the oyster mushrooms, turning once, until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Also grill the green grapes on a strip of foil until slightly browned, 2-3 minutes. Remove both from grill and let cool about 2 minutes. (4) Next, add sliced celery and roasted almonds to the salad greens. When ready to serve, toss salad with grilled mushrooms and grapes and 5 Tbs. of the salad vinaigrette. Serve immediately 🙂

Serves 4

So, at last my desire for grilled food has been satisfied }:-) for now…I will see what new inspirations come with visiting wonderfully flavorful Espania! I already miss cooking with my family, but at least I’ll be coming up with some more meaty meals since my little brother will be here and cooking with me by the end of the week, in my uber tiny European kitchen too 😀

My question: What is your favorite style of barbecue sauce?

It seems like every city has one. There’s Memphis (sweet and salty), Kansas City (tomato-based), and St. Lious (tangy) barbecue and the list goes on and on..

1.13.12

Tiny, Tasty Tapas

For my Baby Shower, I wanted to make Spanish Tapas, just a couple of simple, incredibly tasty dishes with offshore attitude. Since I’m off to Spain next month with my brother I feel inspired and a desire to cook up some Spanish food of my own. I chose major protein groups of course — meat, beans, and eggs (see, I’m getting good at this;) but it’s not as boring as it initially sounds.

I have included a mini menu of the tapas I served at the shower, which does not begin to subsume the effusion of appetizers that were brought to the party. These recipes are from A Passion for Tapas, a wonderful book filled with these Spanish-style eats. The most difficult (no, let’s say time-consuming) recipe was by far the deviled eggs — so many steps, so little time — so while I still recommend making this, anytime for any reason, I would also advise at least boiling the eggs and making the filling the night before an event, if anything it just intensifies the flavor while chilling 🙂

The star ingredient in all these dishes was lemons. Granted, I have been craving lemons and limes like none other since my arrival back in snowy Colorado so my bias in inherent from the start. Although all three of these recipes contain similar simple ingredients — garlic, fresh Parsley, and olive oil (god bless olive oil:-) and all of them contain this sour ingredient in some form or the other, be the zest pulp, or juice of lemons. I think this citrus fruit adds the right amount of acidity to each dish that compliments all other fresh flavors involved. The festivities were great and it’s so nice be home and cooking for friends and (with) family again, a part of why the holidays are especially nice.

Lemony Lamb Skewers with Pickled Onions

Ingredients

(for the marinade)

5 garlic cloves, minced

3 lemons

1 onion, coarsely chopped

1 bunch fresh thyme

2 Tbs. ground coriander

1 Tbs. ground cumin

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup cold water

(for lamb)

10 wooden kebab sticks

2 lbs. leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch cubes

1 jar pickled pearl onions, drained

ground coriander, for garnish

sea salt & cracked pepper

(1) Combine ingredients for the marinade, garlic, olive oil, onion, spices, vinegar, thyme, and cold water in a large seal-able bag; zest all of the lemons and juice them, combining both in marinade. Add cubed lamb pieces to the marinade, seal bag and refrigerate 3-4 hours (or overnight). (2) Next, soak the wooden skewers in water for 15 minutes. Remove lamb pieces and reserve 1 cup of the marinade for basting. Put 3 pieces of lamb on each skewer, separated by pickled onions; season skewers generously with ground coriander. (3) Preheat the grill over high heat and cook skewers, turning once, and basting with leftover marinade for about 10 minutes. Remove from grill and cover with foil, letting stand another 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6

Chickpeas and Chorizo with Pimentos, Parsley, & Sherry

Ingredients

1 lb. Chorizo sausage, sliced

2 cans chickpeas, drained

1 can butter beans, drained

1/2 bunch fresh parsley, minced

1 jar sliced pimentos, drained

1 lemon

1 bunch green onions, sliced

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup cooking sherry

olive oil

1 baguette, sliced

sea salt & cracked pepper

(1) Brush the bread pieces lightly with olive oil and toast in the broiler over medium-high heat until both sides are browned; put all baguette pieces in a cloth-lined basket and cover until ready to serve. (2) Heat 2 Tbs. of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add chorizo pieces, stirring occasionally until the slices are browned, 5-7 minutes. (3) Add garlic, green onions, and a little more olive oil, cooking until tender another 3-4 minutes. Lower the heat to medium-low and add sherry, all beans, pimentos, and minced parsley, stirring occasionally until most of the liquid is absorbed and the dish is heated throughout, 5 minutes. (4) Remove from heat, juice all of the lemon over the mixture and season with salt and pepper. Serve with a large spoon and toasted baguette pieces, garnishing with sprigs of fresh Parsley.

Serves 6

Deviled Eggs with Fresh Chives, Cayenne, and Green Olives

Ingredients

1 dozen eggs

4 Tbs. olive oil mayo

2 Tbs. paprika

1 Tbs. ground cayenne pepper

1 bunch fresh chives, minced

2 Tbs. Dijon mustard

1/4 cup dill pickles, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. Tabasco

2 Tbs. lemon juice

1/4 cup green olives, halved

thinly sliced pimentos, for garnish

sea salt & cracked pepper

(1) Put eggs in a pot and cover with cold water, bringing to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain the cooked eggs and fill the pot back up with very cold water; let eggs chill 20 minutes. (2) Gently tap eggs with a knife to crack the shells, carefully removing shell from all eggs before rinsing with water. Next, halve the eggs and with a spoon, carefully remove cooked yolks, putting them all into a medium bowl. (3) Mash yolks with a fork, adding the mayo, mustard, hot sauce, chopped pickles, chives, garlic, and cayenne pepper. Season the mixture to taste with salt & pepper then cover and chill in the fridge for about an hour (or overnight). (4) Arrange the hollowed egg whites on a platter and fill (generously) until all of the yolk filling has been used. Garnish each deviled egg with a sliced pimento and half of a green olive, sprinkling paprika over everything. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serves 6

So while this may not be a very ‘Christmasy’ post, I do think it is celebratory and the recipes all got the good stuff: flavor, spice, and filling. I enjoyed making the tapas and can’t wait to try some of these authentic Spanish dishes on the upcoming trip. In the meantime, I will be enjoying the holidays and am already thinking about the recipe to make for New Years. I’m thinking two main things: pork ribs and coca-cola }:-)

My question: What is the best ingredient in deviled eggs? (And don’t say the eggs, because that’s just too obvious..)

Merry Christmas (and to All a Good Night — and Day)!

12.25.11

Leg of Lamb }:)

I realize I’ve dwelled on the wonderfulness of lamb before, but last weekend I was given the opportunity to serve a meal for some guests and my family, an experience that in which I had to pleasure of grilling an entire leg of lamb for dinner at my family’s house. Got to love the flaming monster they call their grill, it sears just beautifully 😉 Imagine this: Me in a fur coat outside in the darkness, standing over a grill while a blizzard of snow comes down. I may have been cold, but nothing beats the smell of lamb roasting 🙂

My inspiration for this recipe came from one of my favorite cooking books of all time, Tyler’s Ultimate by Tyler Florence (it is definitely worth a read). He served his lamb with a chickpea puree and we served ours with a cold sauce that included chopped cucumber, fresh Oregano, and coriander, but I used a similar citrus marinade as he did for the lamb. When the meal was all assembled, it reflected the Greek-inspired style we’d adopted for the evening 😉

Within this carnivorous display, we paired the meat with a big salad of mixed greens with feta, tomatoes, and pine nuts which I served with a warm vegetable vinaigrette I found in last months Food & Wine. Since it was all so deliciously good, I decided to include both these recipes in case anyone is curious. The combination of the flavors proved to be amazingly tasty, the perfect dinner for a cold winter night…

Grilled Leg of Lamb with Oregano Coriander Sauce

Ingredients

1 3-4 lb. leg of lamb, trimmed

1 gallon size ziploc

cooking spray

(for marinade)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup white wine

4 Tbs. dried Oregano

5 garlic cloves, minced

(for sauce)

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt

1 bunch oregano, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 Tbs. lemon juice

2 Tbs. butter, melted

1 Tbs. ground coriander

1 Ts. ground Cumin

3 Tbs. cucumber, chopped

sea salt & cracked pepper

(1) Whisk together all the ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl. Wash the leg of lamb and trim most of the excess fat before putting into the Ziploc bag; pour the marinade over the lamb into the Ziploc bag and seal. Refrigerate 2-3 hours, turning occasionally. (2) Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a small serving bowl and refrigerate. When you’re ready to cook, preheat the grill over medium-high heat. (3) Remove the lamb from the Ziploc bag and spray with cooking spray before placing on the grill; use a basting brush to give the leg one thick coat before discarding the leftover marinade. (4) Allow the lamb to cook until it reaches medium-rare (or medium), turning once for about 15-20 minutes. (5) Remove the lamb from the grill and let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Serve in 3-inch thick slices with coriander sauce.

Mixed Greens with a Warm Vegetable Vinaigrette

Ingredients

(for salad)

1 bag mixed greens (like baby spinach, arugula, or redleaf)

1/4 cup crumbled feta

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1/4 cup red onion, chopped

1/4 cup fresh Oregano, chopped

(for vinaigrette)

2 carrots, shredded

1 small red onion, chopped

1 parsnip, peeled & shredded

6 oz. pancetta (or bacon)

2 Tbs. fresh or dried Thyme leaves

1/4 Ts. crushed red pepper

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 Tbs. lemon juice

1/4 cup olive oil

sea salt & cracked pepper

(1) Combine all the ingredients for the salad in a large mixing bowl and toss well, refrigerate until ready to serve. (2) Cook the pancetta/bacon in the microwave (or oven) until crispy; let cool before cutting into crumbles. Cover and set aside until ready. (3) Heat 2 Tbs. oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; when hot, add the carrot, parsnip, and red onion, cooking until browned and slightly crunchy, 10-15 minutes. (4) Scrape the vegetables into a small mixing bowl and add the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, thyme, and crushed red pepper; season to taste with salt & pepper. (5) Sprinkle the salad with the pancetta crumbs before serving with the warm vinaigrette.

Everything serves about 6…

So, while this meal required a little bit of preparation, the results made all the work worth it 🙂 And what’s good cooking without a little work, anyway? I just love preparing a menu for serving a large group like this, it allows me to attempt to show off 😉

My question: if you were looking cook a group dinner, what meat would you choose to serve?

2.9.11

The Mother of all Marinades

Lately, I’ve been craving a good cut of red meat (yes, beef) but my recent trip to the grocery store confused me enough that I went with a cheap cut and found myself a bit skeptical to just throw it on the grill. Luckily for me, my grandfather gave me a colorful book on South African cooking with an entire section on–marinades! After looking through several of the versions, I decided to come up with a marinade of my own (a sensible combination of all the recipes I looked at 😉

I know what you’re thinking, what do marinades matter? I think they do matter, at least if your dinner meat selection is lacking. I mean, just think about what marinades do–make meat more tender, juicy, and full of flavor and who doesn’t want more of that? Luckily for us, you can’t overdo it with marinating (at least I haven’t had an experience) so it’s a pretty great way to experiment with different ingredients.

I have included my own the recipe for the marinade I used to juicify the steak 🙂 and yeah, jucify is a word, I just made it up!  This recipe is pretty simple and easy and it yields amazingly tasty results (I have tested this myself, many, many times).  Remember, the meat only needs to marinade an hour or so before it’s ready (or overnight if you’re fearless like me 😉

Enjoy meat-lovers! And please share your favorite marinades with me, as I’d love some fresh ideas…

Spicy & Savory Steak Marinade

Ingredients

2 Tbs. soy sauce

2 Tbs. lemon or lime juice

2 Tbs. grated fresh ginger (or 1 Tbs. ground ginger)

2 Tbs. Curry Powder (any kind)

1 Ts. ground cloves and/or 1 Ts. ground cardamom

3-4 Tbs. minced fresh Parsley (or 2 Tbs. dried)

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 Tbs. Turmeric or 1 Tbs. ground Cumin (or both 🙂

3 Tbs. sugar

1 cup beer or white wine (add more if needed…)

1-2 Tbs. grated orange rind

1 Tbs. mustard

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 1/2 cups cold water

2 beef Steaks (any cut worth marinating 😉

(1) Combine ALL the ingredients (minus the steak) in a gallon size Ziploc bag and stir with fork until everything is combined (2) Rinse and pat dry the steak, trim any excess fat and place both steaks in the Ziploc bag with the marinade, sealing tightly. Let the meat marinade for 1 hour (at room temperature) or 2+ hours (in the fridge), turning every so often. (3) When ready, discard the marinade and cook the steaks as desired on the grill.

So, after all is said and done, hooray for marinades (and more so, tender meat)! I just love steak, but did I say that already?

Hey! Does anyone have a secret ingredient they use in their marinades? If so, do tell-your secret is safe with me!

I think I’m hungry again, and I want more steak…

01.09.11