Ingredients:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup water
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup sake or mirin
1/3 cup brown sugar
1-inch piece of ginger, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried ginger
1 T lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
freshly ground black pepper
Preparing the teriyaki sauce:
Bring to a boil and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Strain. If desired, thicken the sauce with a slurry of cornstarch.
Posted by Esme at 1:18 PM 0 comments
Labels: Chinese food, condiments, sauces
Ingredients for the shrimp filling:
1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/2 pound ground pork
1 green onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, grated
2 egg whites
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 T low sodium soy sauce, plus some for dipping
1 T sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 (10-ounce) package round wonton wrappers
canola oil, for brushing the steamer
savoy cabbage, for lining the steamer, optional
arugula, for garnish
Preparing the shrimp filling:
Pulse all the ingredients in a food processor until partly smooth but not completely pureed. It should have a little texture. Season with salt and pepper.
* * * * * * * *
Assembling the dumplings:
Hold a wonton wrapper in your hand. Dip a spoon in cold water and then drop 1 tablespoon of the filling onto the center of a wrapper (dipping the spoon in cold water first will make the filling come off easier). Gather the edges of the wrapper up around the filling and squeeze the sides slightly with your fingers. The sides will naturally pleat, leaving the filling slightly exposed. Tap the dumpling on the table so the bottom is flat and it stands upright. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. (You can freeze the leftover filling for 2 or 3 weeks.)
Lightly oil the bottom of a 10-inch bamboo steamer and line it with the whole cabbage leaves. Stand the dumplings in the steamer in a single layer and don't let them touch. You should be able to get 12 shu mai in the steamer at a time. Bring 1 to 2 inches of water to a boil in a pot. Set the bamboo steamer over the pot, then cover it with the bamboo lid. Steam for 10 to 12 minutes or until the filling feels firm and is cooked through. Serve with arugula, soy sauce and/or duk sauce (or if you don't want to spend the time and can't find a good quality commercial duk sauce, I mix together some orange marmalade, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, a pinch of salt and a few drops of toasted sesame oil (play with the ratio to suit your taste).
Makes 36 dumplings
Posted by Esme at 12:55 PM 0 comments
Labels: Chinese food, dim sum, pork, seafood
Ingredients for duk sauce:
5 cups peeled and coarsely chopped mixed fruit (apples, plums, and pears)
1 cup water
3/4 cup apple juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 T apricot preserves
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
Preparing the duk sauce:
Over medium heat in a large pot, place fruits, water, apple juice, soy sauce, apricot preserves, brown sugar, garlic, and dry mustard. Stir frequently while it simmers. With reduced heat allow the mixture to simmer for 40 minutes and then remove the sauce from the heat and allow it to cool. Once sufficiently cooled, blend the mixture in a food processor or blender until it is completely smooth. Cover or can the sauce and refrigerate.
Posted by Esme at 12:49 PM 0 comments
Labels: Chinese food, condiments, sauces
Ingredients:
6 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1 small yellow onion, peeled
3 pounds chicken pieces
salt
4 T extra virgin olive oil
1 pound chorizo, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/3 pound cured ham, diced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 whole canned pimento or roasted peppers, diced
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled, deveined
2 1/2 cups short grain Paella rice from Valencia, Spain
5 T chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
2 bay leaves, crumbled
1/2 cup dry white wine, Sauvignon blanc
1 T lemon juice
1/2 pound shelled fresh or frozen peas
24 Manila clams, washed
24 mussels, washed
Garnish with lemon wedges and chopped parsley
Preparing the paella:
Heat the stock with the saffron and the whole onion. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Remove the onion and measure approximately 5 1/2 cups stock.
Cut the chicken into small serving pieces, the breast into 4 parts, the thigh into 2 parts, the wings discarded, the end removed from the drumstick. Dry the chicken pieces and salt lightly. In a paella pan with about a 15-inch base, heat the oil. Add the chicken pieces and cook, turning occasionally until golden on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
Add the chorizo and ham to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes. Add the onions, garlic and pimentos and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft, 7 minutes. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook about 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp and add to the chicken. Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat it well with the oil. Add the parsley and bay leaves.
Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F. Bring the chicken stock to a boil and add to the pan along with the wine, lemon juice, peas and salt to taste. Simmer 10 minutes. Bury the shrimp, chicken, clams and mussels in the rice. Bake uncovered until the clams and mussels are open, 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover and let stand for 10 minutes.
Before serving, sprinkle chopped parsley over the top and serve with lemon wedges.
Serves 8 to 10
Posted by Esme at 12:32 PM 0 comments
Labels: casseroles, chicken, entrees, pork, poultry, rice, seafood
Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
5 ounces pancetta, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces fresh goat cheese
1/4 cup snipped fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
12 ounces linguine pasta
1 1/4 cups grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
4 cups arugula, stems removed and very coarsely chopped
Preparing the pasta:
Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the pancetta and cook until light golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the mixture from the pan, place in a bowl, and let cool. Add the garlic, heavy cream, goat cheese, chives, and red pepper flakes and mash together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 2 tablespoons of pasta water. Toss the hot pasta, pasta water, and half the Parmigiano with the goat cheese mixture. Coat the pasta well with the sauce. Add the arugula and toss together. Garnish with the remaining half of the parmigiano.
Serves 6
Posted by Esme at 12:25 PM 0 comments
Labels: Italian food, pasta and noodles, pork
Ingredients:
2 pounds medium-size beets (red or gold), washed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 T water
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 T red wine vinegar
mixed salad greens
1 small head radicchio, torn into 2-inch pieces
3 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup walnut halves, toasted
1 1/2 cups loosely packed watercress, stems trimmed, for garnish
Preparing the beets:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the beets in a shallow baking pan and drizzle with the oil and water. Roll the beets to coat with the oil. Season with salt and pepper, cover with aluminum foil, and bake until the beets are tender and can be easily pierced with a fork, 60 to 80 minutes, depending on the size of the beets. When the beets are tender, remove from the oven and let cool. Pour the oil from the bottom of the pan into a small bowl and reserve. When the beets are cool enough to handle, peel the beets and cut them into wedges.
* * * * * * *
Preparing the dressing:
Whisk together the red wine vinegar and the reserved oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
* * * * * * *
Preparing the salad:
Combine the beets and radicchio and toss with all but 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette. Place the mixed greens on a serving platter. Place dressed beets and radicchio on top of mixed greens. Scatter the Gorgonzola and walnuts over the top. Toss the remaining 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette with the watercress. Season with salt and pepper. Top the beets with the watercress.
Serves 6
Posted by Esme at 12:20 PM 0 comments
Labels: cheese, salads and dressings, vegetables
Simple and addicting, I first had this dish at a little hole-in-the-wall Lebanese restaurant in Berkeley, California about 30 years ago. I returned almost nightly for weeks, it was that good. It's best over a grill, but when grilling isn't possible, roasting will do.
Ingredients:
3 to 3 1/2 pound chicken, split in half
marinade
Garlic Mayonnaise
* * * * * * * *
Ingredients for marinade:
3/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 bay leaves, crumbled
4 1/2 teaspoons thyme leaves or 1/4 teaspoon dried
3 cloves garlic, mashed to a paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, preferably freshly ground in a mortar or spice mill
salt and freshly ground pepper
Preparing the marinade:
Mix together the marinade ingredients in a shallow bowl.
* * * * * * *
Preparing the grilled chicken:
Gently pound the chicken to flatten it. Add the chicken to the marinade and turn to coat well. Marinate, skin side down, 2 hours, basting occasionally.
Remove the chicken from the marinade and place skin side down on a broiler tray. Broil about 7 minutes to each side to brown the chicken, basting occasionally with the marinade. Transfer to a 400 degree F oven and continue cooking and basting skin side up about 15 minutes more.
Serve with the Garlic Mayonnaise on the side.
Posted by Esme at 12:12 PM 0 comments
Labels: cheese, entrees, food on the grill, poultry
Serve as a condiment to roasted chicken or fish.
Ingredients:
8 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks or 1/4 cup egg substitute made with egg white
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup olive oil
Preparing the mayonnaise:
Place the garlic and salt in a mortar and mash to a paste (or put the garlic through a garlic press, then mix in the salt). Transfer to a processor, add the egg yolks and lemon juice, and beat a few seconds. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil until a mayonnaise is formed.
Posted by Esme at 11:51 AM 0 comments
Labels: condiments
The chicken pieces are turned in hot butter, sprinkled with flour and seasonings, then simmered in wine and white stock. The sauce is a reduction of the cooking liquid, enriched with cream and egg yolks. Braised onions and mushrooms accompany the chicken. Serve with steamed rice or risotto or buttered noodles, and other vegetables might include buttered peas or asparagus.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 to 3 pounds of cut-up frying chicken
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
4 T butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
3 T flour
3 cups boiling white chicken stock, white stock, or canned chicken bouillon
1 cup dry white wine or 2/3 cup dry white vermouth
A small herb bouquet: 2 parsley sprigs, 1/3 bay leaf and 1/8 teaspoon thyme tied in washed cheesecloth
* * * * * * *
Ingredients for onion and mushroom garniture:
16 to 20 white braised onions
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms stewed in butter, lemon juice, and water
* * * * * * *
Ingredients for the sauce:
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup whipping cream
salt and white pepper, to taste
drops of lemon juice
pinch of nutmeg
1 to 2 T softened butter
sprigs of fresh parsley
Preparing the chicken:
Dry the chicken thoroughly in a towel.
Cook the vegetables slowly in the butter for about 5 minutes, or until they are almost tender but not browned (260 degrees F for an electric skillet). Push them to one side. Raise heat slightly (290 degrees F), and add the chicken. Turn it every minute for 3 or 4 minutes until the meat has stiffened slightly, without coloring to more than a light golden yellow.
Lower heat (260 degrees F for an electric skillet), cover, and cook very slowly for 10 minutes, turning the chicken once. It should swell slightly, stiffen more, but not deepen in color.
Adding the flour
Sprinkle salt, pepper, and flour on all sides of the chicken, turning and rolling each piece to coat the flour with the cooking butter. Cover and continue cooking slowly for 4 minutes, turning it once.
Remove from heat and pour in the boiling liquid, shaking casserole to blend the liquid and flour. Add the wine, the herb bouquet, and more stock, or water, so the liquid just covers the chicken. Bring to the simmer. Taste for seasoning, and salt lightly if necessary.
Cover and maintain at a slow simmer for 25 to 30 minutes (180 to 190 degrees F for an electric skillet). The chicken is done when the drumsticks are tender if pinched and the chicken juices run clear yellow when the meat is pricked with a fork. When done, remove the chicken to a side dish.
* * * * * * * *
Preparing the sauce:
While the chicken is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Add their cooking juices to the chicken cooking sauce in the next step.
Simmer the cooking liquid in the casserole for 2 to 3 minutes, skimming off fat. Then raise heat and boil rapidly, stirring frequently, until the sauce reduces and thickens enough to coat a spoon nicely. Correct seasoning. You should have 2 to 2 1/2 cups.
Blend the egg yolks and cream in the mixing bowl with a wire whip. Continue beating, and add the hot sauce by small tablespoonfuls until about a cupful has gone in. Beat in the rest of the sauce in a thin stream.
Pour the sauce back into the casserole, or into an enameled or stainless steel saucepan (do not use aluminum). Set over moderately high heat and, stirring constantly, reach all over the bottom and sides of the casserole, until the sauce comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring.
Correct seasoning, adding drops of lemon juice to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve.
* * * * * * * *
Assembling the chicken fricassee:
Arrange the chicken, and the onion and mushroom garniture, in the casserole. Pour the sauce over it.
Except for reheating, and the final buttering of the sauce, the dish is now ready and can wait indefinitely. To prevent a skin from forming over the sauce, spoon over it a film of cream, stock, or milk. Set it aside uncovered.
When ready to heat to serve, set casserole over moderate heat and bring to the simmer. Cover and simmer very slowly for 5 minutes, or until the chicken is hot through, basting it frequently with the sauce.
Off heat and just before serving, tilt casserole, add enrichment butter, and baste the chicken with the sauce until the butter has absorbed into it.
Serve the chicken from the casserole; or arrange it with the onions and mushrooms on a hot platter, surrounded with rice or noodles, and covered with the sauce. Sprinkle chopped parsley over top.
Variations: To make it an Indian chicken fricasee, add 1 to 2 T curry powder [After the chicken has had its preliminary turning of 5 minutes in butter, blend in the curry powder. Cover, and proceed with the to-minute cooking period. Then continue with the recipe.]
To make a fricassee with paprika sauce, add 1 1/2 to 2 T paprika [After the chicken has had its preliminary turning of 5 minutes in butter, blend in the paprika. Cover, and proceed with the to-minute cooking period. Then continue with the recipe. After completing the sauce, stir in more paprika if the sauce needs color. It should be a creamy pink.]
To make a fricassee with tarragon sauce, add 4 or 5 sprigs fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoon dried tarragon AND 2 T fresh minced tarragon or parsley [Add the tarragon to the wine and stock for the simmering of the chicken. Stir fresh tarragon or parsley into the finished sauce.]
Serves 4 to 6
Posted by Esme at 11:06 AM 0 comments
Ingredients:
1 pound dried red beans, picked over to remove small rocks and other types of beans
4 or 5 large celery stalks, cut in fine dice
1 large or 2 medium green bell peppers, cut in fine dice
1 large or 2 medium white or yellow onions, peeled and diced
2 or 3 dried bay leaves
1 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme (not ground)
1 teaspoon dried oregano (not ground)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground or crushed white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce, plus more to serve
kosher salt
2 cups uncooked long-grain white rice
Variation: Add 1 or 2 smoked ham hocks along with the celery and other ingredients. When the beans are almost tender, remove the ham hocks, cool until easy to handles, pull the meat from the bones and return to the pot.
Preparing the red beans and rice:
Put the beans in a large container, add water to two inches above the beans and soak for 8 hours or overnight. Drain, rinse and set aside.
Put the celery, bell peppers, onion, garlic and onion powder, thyme, oregano, peppers and the 2 teaspoons of Tabasco sauce in a large saucepan or kettle, add 2 quarts (8 cups) of water, set over high heat, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about half an hour. Skim off the foam and impurities that rise to the surface.
Add the beans and 2 teaspoons of kosher salt and continue cooking until the the beans begin to fall apart, about one to one-and-one-half hours, skimming off foam as needed. Stir frequently and add water as necessary to keep the mixture from becoming too thick; do not let the beans burn. When the beans are almost tender, cook the rice according to the package directions.
When the beans are done, remove from the heat. Taste and correct for salt.
To serve, place a generous scoop of rice in the center of individual serving plates and ladle the beans over the rice. Serve with Tabasco sauce on the side.
Serves 6 to 8
Posted by Esme at 6:16 PM 0 comments
Labels: entrees, legumes, rice, vegetables
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