Wasabi Salmon with Bok Choy, Cabbage, & Shiitakes

I grew up watching Indiana University college basketball with my mom. If you want proof of our street cred, we had two (not simultaneous) cats named Bobby Knight. Since they moved to Nashville, my parents have had season tickets to Vanderbilt men’s basketball games, and as one of my alma mater’s and the place of our employment, Joe and I have also become Commodores fans. Since the athletics at my undergraduate university were seriously lacking and not supported by the student body, it’s been exciting to watch some real student-athletes populate a good, talented team. Unlike other universities, a lot of our players stay to get their degree, so the fans get to watch them develop as players and people. They’re actually STUDENT-athletes, and I enjoy cheering for a team that I can be proud of on and off the court. After our big SEC tournament win, we were headed to the NCAA tournament for March Madness. Unfortunately, Saturday night’s game against Wisconsin didn’t go as we had hoped, and I was devastated for this group of seniors that the season ended with frustration and anger.

 

So thanks to Festus, Steve, Lance, Jeff, and Brad for being great men and great athletes. We’ll miss you, but we know that there are great things to come for you all. Thanks for making this season one to remember. I’m holding out hope for the women’s basketball team to make a big run in the NCAA tournament!

Unlike these guys, I’m not naturally athletic. I played basketball in 7th grade and scored a grand total of 2 points. I was cut from the cross-country team my sophomore year (which is a long and painful story). But I can always get behind lean protein and veggies. One of my major dietary weaknesses is carbs, but I didn’t even miss them in this meal. I made two salmon fillets and 1/2 the mayonnaise mixture but the full amount of vegetables. For a one-pan, 30-minute meal, this one is awfully elegant and sophisticated. Perfect with a bottle of white wine on a warm spring day.

Wasabi Salmon with Bok Choy, Cabbage, & Shiitakes
source: Bon Appetit

Ingredients

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon wasabi paste (Japanese horseradish paste)

1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled, finely grated

2 large garlic cloves, finely grated

4 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets (preferably wild)

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

1 pound baby bok choy, halved (or regular, chopped)

2 cups (packed) finely shredded green cabbage (about 5 ounces)

4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, sliced if large (or 4 oz package mixed gourmet mushrooms)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°. Heat a large rimmed baking sheet for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix mayonnaise and wasabi in a small bowl. Stir in half of ginger and half of garlic; set aside. Season fish all over with salt and pepper. Place bok choy, cabbage, and mushrooms in a large bowl. Drizzle with oil and add remaining ginger and garlic. Toss to coat; season with salt and pepper.

Scatter vegetables across one side of baking sheet. Arrange salmon on other side. Roast, stirring vegetables occasionally, until salmon is cooked through, 12–15 minutes. Divide vegetables among plates; top with salmon. Serve wasabi mayonnaise alongside.

Sesame Ginger Maple Tofu

I would like to welcome back pictures taken with natural light and eating out on our porch. Even though we had another cold snap this past weekend, I know that spring really is here.

Unfortunately, here in middle Tennessee, we’ve been warned that we can expect millions of cicadas to emerge from the ground in May. Last May, we were flooded. This May, we get a swarm of cicadas that are threatening to ruin events like picnics and weddings. Or, you know. GRADUATIONS. That’s okay. Cicadas are God’s creatures too. We’ll just enjoy sitting out on our porch in April before we start getting hit in the head by flying bugs.

This was such a nice, light spring meal, perfect for enjoying on the patio while you watch the sun go down. Depending on how much of each vegetable you use, you might need to increase the sauce proportionally. And you’ll want a lot of the sauce.

Sesame Ginger Maple Tofu
source: Bakin' and Eggs
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients

1 block extra-firm tofu, rinsed, pressed dry, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 medium onion, sliced
2 teaspoons canola oil
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely minced
3 cups sugar snap peas, trimmed
2-3 carrots, cut into one inch slices
2 cups brussels sprouts, cut into quarters
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
Sriracha, to taste
Soba noodles, rice noodles or brown rice, for serving

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining with foil (for easy cleanup) and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

Place tofu and vegetables on a baking sheet and toss with oils, salt and pepper. Roast for about 20 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time. Whisk together tahini, soy sauce, maple syrup, vinegar, and ginger until smooth. Drizzle the sauce over the tofu and vegetables and continue roasting for another five minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve over soba noodles, rice noodles or brown rice with Sriracha to taste.

Peanut Noodles with Vegetables

Every week, I make a menu plan for dinners for the following week. I usually try to do this on Thursday or Friday so that I can do the grocery shopping over the weekend and be prepared for the upcoming week. Sometimes, if I’m feeling uninspired, I ask Joe if he has any requests, and he frequently replies, “Peanut noodles.”

One of the first recipes I blogged was this Ground Pork with Spicy Peanut Noodles. Ever since then, it has been one of Joe’s most-requested meals. It was also the first meal I made where I realized that I could make food that was just like my favorite restaurants but far healthier and cheaper. Peanut noodles can, however, be a bit of a calorie-bomb, so I entrusted this go-round to Eating Well.

This was not my favorite variety of peanut noodles taste-wise. It was slightly on the bland side, which was partially my fault for diluting the sauce too much with cooking water. But this meal came together extremely quickly. Joe hardly had time to defrost some grilled chicken to add to his before it was done. Plus, I also usually have everything on hand to make this. So while the taste won’t knock you out of the water, the speed and ease of this dish makes it a valuable addition to the repertoire.

Peanut Noodles with Vegetables
source: Eating Well
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup smooth natural peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chile-garlic sauce, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
• 1 12-16 oz bag frozen vegetable stir-fry medley, such as carrots, broccoli, snow peas

Preparation

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil for cooking pasta.
2. Whisk peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, chile-garlic sauce and ginger in a large bowl.
3. Cook pasta in the boiling water until not quite tender, about 1 minute less than specified in the package directions. Add vegetables and cook until the pasta and vegetables are just tender, 1 minute more. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Rinse the pasta and vegetables with cool water to refresh. Stir the reserved cooking liquid into the peanut sauce; add the pasta, vegetables and chicken; toss well to coat. Serve warm or chilled.

Candidacy and Curry

Look what came in the mail Friday:

I am now officially a Candidate for Holy Orders in the Diocese of Texas! This is equal parts exciting and terrifying. In January, I’ll take a few days worth of exams, and in April, I’ll have a few more interviews. Unless I fail something, I’ll graduate with my Masters of Divinity in May. Then, in all likelihood, I’ll be ordained to the transitional diaconate in June.

This has all just now started to hit home. When I first started my discernment process, it felt like the end-goal was to get them to let me go to seminary, preferably in the same location where Joe matched for residency. Now that I’m closing in on graduating, it’s like an actual reminder that the end-goal was ordination all along. I even bought my first clericals, which are surprisingly flattering given what I had heard about how hard it is for women to look fashionable in clericals.

And then there’s this curry (how’s THAT for a transition):

I’m on a bit of a vegetarian (except for the fish sauce) curry kick right now. Honestly, I think it has to do with the weather. It’s still warm, but I’m in a fall mood, so spicy curries are just the thing to scratch that itch without being too heavy. I wish I had looked at the original recipe, which called for cinnamon, because while I was eating this, I kept thinking, “This would’ve been really good with some cinnamon.” I thought maybe I was being delusional and was a little too heavily influenced by this Curried Red Lentil Soup, but then I looked up the original recipe which called for cinnamon and cloves. So I’m going to post that version, since it’s the one I wish I had made.

Also, can we agree that peeling and chopping up butternut squash is NOT fun? I was glad that I did that in the morning before I left for school, because if I had to face that task after coming home, I don’t think this curry would’ve been made. Ugh, if I didn’t like squash so much, it wouldn’t be worth it at all. Evelyn suggested baking it for a few minutes, and I also read that microwaving it for a little bit helps with that. I’ve got a lot of CSA squash taking up my kitchen island, so I’ll let you know if that works out next time.

What kitchen prep task do you absolutely hate?

Southeast Asian Squash Curry

source: Gourmet via Bakin’ and Eggs

Ingredients

1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided

1 1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk (do not stir), divided (I used light coconut milk.)

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons Thai Kitchen red curry paste

1/3 cup water

1 (2- to 3-inch) cinnamon stick

3 whole cloves

5 ounces baby spinach (5 cups packed) (I used kale.)

1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce, or to taste

1/4 cup salted roasted cashews or peanuts, chopped
Accompaniment:

lime wedges

jasmine brown rice

Preparation

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sauté squash with cumin and 1/4 teaspoon salt until beginning to brown, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to skillet and cook onion over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup coconut milk from top of can and cook, stirring, until fat starts to separate and look glossy, about 2 minutes. Add curry paste and cook, stirring, 2 minutes.

Add squash, water, cinnamon, cloves, and remaining coconut milk and simmer, covered, until squash is tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook, covered, until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in fish sauce. Sprinkle with cashews or peanuts. Serve over brown rice.

Seared Tuna with Wasabi Aioli

A few months ago, Joe and I ate dinner at 360 Bistro where I had a tuna steak that changed my entire perception of tuna. It was a deep ruby red on the inside and tasted rich and creamy on my tongue. It also came with this very complex sauce with honey, cilantro, and wasabi in it. Since then, I have longed to make something similar in my own kitchen. While this aioli doesn't have the depth of the 360 Bistro sauce, it contributes some heat and creaminess to the tuna.

Another "ah-ha" moment came when Joe and I realized that we could put the cast iron pan on the grill and cook things that way. It gets hotter than my flat-top electric stove and doesn't heat up the kitchen. Since we wanted the pan super-hot for the tuna, we also tossed some baby bok choy brushed with olive oil onto the grates and toasted a few whole wheat baguette slices on the top rack. Active cooking time for the whole meal? Approximately 5-6 minutes. And the tuna was just the way I remember it. This would make an impressive special occasion dinner or just a healthy, quick weeknight dinner, particularly when tuna steaks are on sale!

Seared Tuna with Wasabi Aioli

source: Bakin' and Eggs

Yields 2 servings

Ingredients

2 tuna steaks
Soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil (or sesame or canola oil)
1 tbsp wasabi powder (found in the Asian/international section of grocery store)
1 tbsp water
1/4 cup mayonnaise

Preparation

Place tuna steaks in a dish and pour a couple tablespoons of soy sauce over them. Let marinate for about 30 minutes at room temperature, turning once.

Mix together wasabi powder and water and then whisk in mayonnaise. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Pat tuna dry. Heat a medium skillet to medium-high. Heat oil. Sear tuna steaks for about 45 seconds per side for rare.

Serve with wasabi aoli.

Eggplant and Tofu in Spicy Garlic Sauce

Eggplant and tofu are not that amenable to picky palates, so I understand if this doesn't exactly wet your whistle. Many people think that eggplant is slimy and best experienced slathered in breadcrumbs, pan-fried, and doused with cheese and tomato sauce. But after making this dish, my favorite eggplant preparation is cooking it down so much that it falls apart, creating a thick sauce that is amenable, in this case, to Asian flavors. In fact, the flavor of this was so complex -- spicy, sweet, salty, garlicky, etc. -- that it tasted very much like something from a little ethnic restaurant, particularly served over brown basmati rice.

As you might notice, this recipe calls for a lot of ingredients,  though many of them are pantry staples for me now. Acquiring many of them took me a while, but now that I have them, they get a lot of use in stir-fries and other dishes. It makes it really easy when I see a recipe like this to know that I already have hoisin sauce and sesame oil in the house. So if you're wary of making the plunge to buy some of these things, go ahead and do it!

Eggplant and Tofu in Spicy Garlic Sauce
adapted from: Fat Free Vegan Kitchen
Yields 4 servings

Ingredients
1 pound extra-firm tofu (not silken)
1 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp. water
1/2 tsp dark sesame oil
1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup water
6-8 garlic cloves, minced–about 2 tbsp.
1-inch peeled fresh ginger, grated
3/4 cup vegetable broth or water
1 tbsp vegetarian hoisin sauce
3 tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tbsp dark sesame oil
1/2 tbsp sugar
3 tsp hot chili sauce (like Sriracha) (original recipe calls for 1/2-1 tsp if you prefer it more mild)
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tomato, coarsely chopped
sprinkling of sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Preparation
Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch slices and press them lightly between towels to get some of the moisture out. Combine the 3 tbsp. soy sauce with the 2 tbsp. water and 1/2 tsp. sesame oil. Dip each slice of tofu into the mixture and set on a plate.

Heat an oiled, non-stick skillet until hot. Place the tofu slices in the skillet and cook until browned. Turn over and brown the other sides. When the tofu is completely browned on both sides, remove it from the skillet and place it on a cutting board. Cut each slice into 8-10 cubes. Set aside.

Heat an oiled, non-stick wok and add the eggplant and 1/3 cup water. Cover and cook, stirring often, until eggplant begins to brown. Uncover and add the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 more minutes.

Add all remaining ingredients except the tomato, sesame seeds, and tofu. Simmer uncovered until all the eggplant slices are completely cooked–they will be very soft and start to fall apart. Add the tofu cubes and tomato and cook until heated through. Serve over rice, sprinkled with sesame seeds.

5 Answers for 5 Questions


Cara over at Cara's Cravings (definitely one of my favorite blogs) tagged me to answer a few questions.

1) What was on your To-Do list today:
- do laundry
- blog (check!)
- read chapter 11 of Christian England by David Edwards
- exercise
- grocery shopping

2) 5 Snacks you enjoy:
- cucumbers or carrots with hummus
- apple and cocoa roasted almonds
- Chobani Greek yogurt with fruit
- Fiber One bars
- cheese and crackers

3) 5 Places you have lived:
- Dallas, TX (where I grew up)
- Interlochen, MI (where I spent two years in high school)
- Houston, TX (where I went to college)
- Sacramento, CA (where I spent a summer)
- Nashville, TN (home for now!)

4) What were you doing 5 years ago:
- turned 21
- was in college getting my degree in voice
- was in between relationships
- did a ministry internship at the church where I grew up
- decided that God was calling me to be ordained

5) 5 things you would do if you were a Billionaire:
- travel back to Puerto Rico and to Chile and Argentina, Paris, London, Thailand
- still work for the church but without having to worry about a paycheck
- buy a condo/house in San Juan
- adopt more cats
- donate money to Episcopal Relief and Development, my high school, and my alma mater

Chinese Sesame Kale

Part of my lack of blogging lately is that I haven't really been doing anything adventurous in the kitchen because I don't have to. Fresh, local, seasonal produce just doesn't require a lot. For example, for Sunday's dinner, I ate roasted kale and a microwaved sweet potato, and it was amazing. With the produce from our CSA and a stockpile of lean proteins (tofu, beans, chicken sausages, etc.), our meals have been pretty simple.

Another summer change to our lifestyle is that we've been having mini-dinner parties on weekdays. We'll have a friend or two over, partially to visit and partially to have someone else help us eat our CSA produce. With the longer, slower days, chatting and lingering on our patio over wine as the fireflies come out doesn't seem quite as indulgent as it does during the rest of the year. It just feels like part of the summer pace. So last night we had a friend, newly moved to Nashville, over for Spicy Asian Marinated Flank Steak, Asian slaw salad, and some of this kale. The recipe for this came from our CSA newsletter from Delvin Farms, and it was a flavorful accompaniment to the rest of the meal.

Chinese Sesame Kale
source: Delvin Farms CSA Newsletter

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch kale (I used Red Russian kale.)
2 teaspoons sesame seed oil
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds (I misread and used 2 tablespoons.)
Salt and pepper, if desired

Preparation
Mince the garlic cloves. Wash kale. Remove and discard the stems from the kale and tear it into bite-size pieces. Save the stems for another use, such as vegetable stock.
Heat the sesame seed oil in the skillet over medium-low heat. Add the minced garlic to the hot oil and sauté for about 20 seconds. Add the kale and water to the garlic and oil, and cover the skillet.
After 1 minute, stir the kale, then re-cover. After 1-2 more minutes, when the kale is wilted, stir in the soy sauce and sesame seeds. If desired, add salt and/or pepper to taste.

Aromatic Noodles with Peanut-Lime Sauce

My file of saved vegetarian recipes is overrun with pasta dishes, which is problematic since I try to only eat pasta one day a week to save myself from carb-overload. But when Joe asked for some type of peanut noodle dish, it gave me an excuse to dig through the file and pick one out that I had saved a long time ago, preferably one with lots of vegetables. I simplified the recipe a bit, blanching the vegetables in the pasta water rather than steaming them in a separate pot. This mixed everything together. Also, just a note of warning, check your nuts. I had these peanuts in the cupboard for WAY too long, and the fats had become rancid. Not tasty.

Aromatic Noodles with Peanut-Lime Sauce
source: Ellie Krieger via Apple a Day

Ingredients
3/4 pound spinach linguine or whole-wheat spaghetti
2 cups (about 9 ounces) broccoli florets
2 cups (about 6 ounces) snow peas, trimmed
2 cups (about 6 ounces) sugar snap peas, trimmed
1/2 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 scallion, cut into pieces
3/4 inch fresh ginger, finely grated
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup shelled unsalted peanuts

Preparation

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of water according to the directions on the package. Drain and rinse with cold water.

2. While the pasta is cooking put the broccoli in a steamer basket over a large pot of boiling water and steam it for 3 minutes. Add the snow peas and sugar snap peas and steam for 2 minutes more.

3. Toast the peanuts in a dry pan over a medium heat until they become fragrant, about 3 minutes. Set them aside to cool.

4. Make the sauce by pureeing the peanut butter, soy sauce, water, vinegar, lime juice, scallion, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a food processor or blender until smooth.

5. Right before serving, toss the pasta with 3/4 cup of the peanut sauce. Divide into serving bowls and top each serving with the vegetables. Drizzle the remaining sauce over the vegetables. Coarsely chop the peanuts, sprinkle them on top and serve.

Mongolian Tofu

Some kind of tofu stir-fry is a standby during these meatless Lent months, and I'm always looking for different sauces to approximate that greasy Chinese food that we hardly ever eat. Actually, a good (good being relative) Chinese take-out place is the one thing around us that we don't have. We've got Turkish and Neapolitan pizza and sushi and Mexican and Vietnamese not too far up the road but no Chinese (save for the sketchy buffet right across the street. I'm not counting it.)

Anyway, this sauce had that great sweet and salty combination going on here. It made a ton of sauce, so I threw in a package of frozen Asian-style vegetables. I also needed another tablespoon of cornstarch to get it to thicken as much as I wanted it to. Joe commented on the nice caramel flavor from the brown sugar. You could certainly use this with a beef stir-fry as well.

Mongolian Tofu
source: Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 block firm or extra firm tofu, with the water pressed out and cubed
  
• Cornstarch, approximately 2-3 tbsp
• 1/2 tsp minced ginger
  
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c low sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 c water or broth
  
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 1 green onion, chopped

Preparation

• Toss tofu with cornstarch to coat
• Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat
• Add the tofu and cook until browned on all sides, about 6-8 minutes
• In the meantime, mix the soy sauce, water (or broth) and brown sugar in a bowl
• Once the tofu has browned, add the garlic and ginger; saute 1 minute
• Add the soy sauce mixture and stir; bring to a steady simmer and then reduce to low. Let simmer for several minutes to thicken the sauce.
• Add half of the green onions
• Serve over rice and garnish with green onions

Malaysian Lime-Coconut Swordfish

This weekend, Joe and I accomplished a seemingly impossible and challenging task for us. We ate every single meal at home. Granted, we painted the town red on Wednesday night for his birthday, thus somewhat necessitating some nutritional and fiscal recoup. But I don't know if we've ever gone a whole weekend without going out for a meal. I also branched outside of my norm, preparing not one but two new foods in this meal: swordfish and bok choy. I've eaten both of them before but never prepared them myself. I simply stir-fried the chopped bok choy with some garlic and sesame oil. The other side consisted of curry-roasted potatoes.

But the fish was the star of the show. The meaty swordfish steaks, grilled perfectly by Joe, were complemented by a phenomenal sauce. The sauce had multiple notes: citrus, sour, sweet, and spicy. The coconut milk gave the sauce body without being too heavy. I found myself dipping the bok choy and potatoes in some of the extra sauce. This sauce would go with any firm-fleshed fish or even chicken. The recipe originally calls to broil the fish, but we chose to grill.

Malaysian Lime-Coconut Swordfish
source: Cooking Light July 2000

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup light coconut milk
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Thai chili paste (I doubled)
  
• 2 shallots, peeled
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 (1 1/2-pound) swordfish steak (about 1 inch thick) (I had 2 steaks totaling about 1 lb.)
  
• Cooking spray
• Cilantro sprigs (optional)
• Lemon wedges (optional)

Preparation

Preheat grill.

Combine coconut milk, cilantro, lemon zest, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, chili paste, shallots, and garlic in a food processor; pulse 3 times or until coarsely chopped. Spread 1/2 cup shallot mixture evenly over fish. Grill, flipping once, until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve the fish with the remaining shallot mixture, and garnish with cilantro sprigs and lemon wedges, if desired.

Mongolian Beef

Making Chinese food dishes at home is surprisingly easy and tasty without all of the grease once you get some of the ingredients. I know I put off buying hoisin sauce for quite a while, but now it's so easy to throw something like this together knowing that I already have most of the ingredients on hand. Besides, the two things I miss most when I'm eating healthfully are pizza and Chinese food. I doubled the amount of chili-garlic paste, which made it quite spicy. If you use the original amount, it will still have some heat. I served this on top of lo mein noodles, but next time, I think I will add some broccoli and serve it over brown rice.

Mongolian Beef
source: Cooking Light December 2009
Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons dry sherry (I subbed dry vermouth)
  
• 2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chile paste with garlic (I doubled.)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 pound sirloin steak, thinly sliced across the grain
• 16 medium green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces

Preparation

1. Combine first 8 ingredients, stirring until smooth.

2. Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced ginger, minced garlic, and beef; sauté for 2 minutes or until beef is browned. Add green onion pieces; sauté 30 seconds. Add soy sauce mixture; cook 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly.

Crockpot Red Curry Chicken with Butternut Squash

Somebody recently stated that they don't "get" crockpots. What's not to get? With often minimal preparation, the crockpot makes dinner for you, yielding blended flavors and moist, tender meat. This crockpot meal is relatively prep-heavy, even if you skip browning the chicken like I did, so it's better for a weekend meal, or you could prep it the night before and keep it in the refrigerator. Either way, coming home to a delicious, healthy curry makes any day better.

Next time, I would follow Cara's steps instead of trying to make it faster. I definitely missed some flavor, though the texture was deliciously creamy due to the squash. As an alternative to the fat-laden curries that I like from Thai restaurants, this does the trick. I served it on top of jasmine rice that I cooked using the rest of the coconut milk.

Crockpot Red Curry Chicken with Butternut Squash
source: Cara's Cravings

Ingredients
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1lb butternut squash, peeled and chopped (or substitute another winter squash)
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 6oz each
1/2-1 tsp each cinnamon, ginger, and cumin
salt & pepper
2 tsp red curry paste
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp fish sauce
juice from 1/2 lime
1 cup coconut milk
1 cup chicken broth
1 tbsp cornstarch
fresh basil or cilantro, for garnish

Preparation

Place the onions, peppers, and squash in the bottom of the crockpot.

Cut the chicken into small pieces and toss with the cinnamon, ginger, cumin, salt and pepper. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat, and saute the chicken for a few minutes on each side, until browned.

Place the chicken in the crockpot. Combine the curry paste, garlic, fish sauce, lime juice, coconut milk, extract, and broth in a blender and process until smooth. Pour over the chicken and vegetables.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Stir cornstarch into 2 tbsp of water until no lumps remain and gently stir into the liquid in the crockpot. Increase heat to high and cook for another 20 minutes to thicken. Garnish with basil or cilantro.

Portobello-Broccoli Stir-Fry

This stir-fry is chock full of nutrients, which makes up for the white rice. Mushrooms offer a lot of selenium, and red bell peppers have a ton of vitamin C, as does broccoli. I felt healthier after eating this! The sauce is a fairly standard brown stir-fry sauce, and I felt that it could've used some more hoisin sauce. I also added Sriracha for a bit of a kick.

Portobello-Broccoli Stir-Fry
source: Eat Better America

Ingredients

1 1/3	cups uncooked regular long-grain white rice
2 2/3	cups water
1/4	cup water
2	tablespoons soy sauce
1	tablespoon hoisin sauce
2	teaspoons cornstarch
1	teaspoon honey
1	(6-oz.) pkg. portobello mushroom caps
1	medium onion, cut into thin wedges
1	small red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1	garlic clove, minced
3	cups fresh broccoli florets (about 6 oz.)
1/4	cup water

Preparation

1.	Cook rice in 2 2/3 cups water as directed on package. Cover to keep warm.
2.	Meanwhile, in small nonmetal bowl, combine all sauce ingredients; blend well. Set aside.
3.	With small metal spoon, scrape underside of mushroom caps to remove dark gills and stems. Cut mushroom caps into 3/4-inch pieces.
4.	Spray large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add mushrooms, onion, bell pepper and garlic; cook and stir 3 minutes.
5.	Add broccoli and 1/4 cup water; cover and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring occasionally. Add sauce; cook and stir 2 to 3 minutes or until bubbly and thickened. Serve over rice.

Asian-Marinated Flank Steak

Maybe my iron is low or maybe it's the fact that I live behind an O'Charley's and can smell their hamburgers every time I leave the house, but I've been craving red meat. And besides the 24-hour marinating time, this meal came together in about 20 minutes. The nutmeg infuses the meat with a lot of warmth, and I was pleased that I could actually taste it. I also figured out the key to perfectly done meat on the grill - use the meat thermometer!

The recipe said to reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade as a sauce for the meat, but since my flank steak was larger, I went ahead and used it all as a marinade and didn't miss it during the meal. I served this with the rest of the fiery slaw and steamed sugar snap peas.

Asian-Marinated Flank Steak
source: Cooking Light March 2009

Ingredients
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger
1 tsp dark sesame oil
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (1 lb) flank steak, trimmed (Mine was the smallest I found at 1.75 lbs)

Preparation
1. Combine hoisin sauce through garlic cloves in small bowl. Put mixture into a large freezer bag, along with steak, and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours, turning the bag occasionally. After 24 hours, remove steak from bag, and discard marinade.

2. Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

3. Coat grill rack with cooking spray, and place steak on it. Grill approximately 4 minutes on each side or until meat thermometer registers 145-degrees for medium-rare (or desired degree of doneness). Let steak stand, covered with aluminum foil, for 5 minutes. Cut steak at a 45-degree angle across the grain into thin slices and serve.

Crispy Skin Salmon with Fiery Asian Slaw

I'm back! My absence was due to something very exciting: purchasing and moving into our first house. I'll take pictures of the kitchen once it's a little more set up, but it's got a lot more counter and cabinet space than the house we were renting. The downside is that I'm back to using an electric range instead of gas. We also were without internet for about a week, so I actually had to draw on my cooking magazines and cookbooks for meal planning, which ended up being an unexpected boon and something I hope to do more often.

Cooking Light recently re-designed their magazine, and it looks amazing. I love the changes, and this month's issue has a bunch of recipes that I look forward to trying. This one was very fast and full of flavor. The slaw was quite spicy, and if you are sensitive to spicy foods, decrease the amount of Sriracha. I made the full amount of slaw and served it with the next night's dinner. It makes a lot though.

Crispy Skin Salmon with Fiery Asian Slaw
source: Cooking Light, September 2009
Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Sriracha (hot chile sauce)
• 1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 (16-ounce) package cabbage-and-carrot coleslaw
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Sprinkle 1/4 tsp salt and pepper over salmon fillets. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add salmon, skin-side down, to pan and cook 4 minutes. Turn salmon and cook an additional 3 minutes. Add orange juice to the pan, cooking until it almost evaporates and fish flakes easily with a fork.
2. Meanwhile, combine rice vinegar and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl, and stir with a whisk. Add remaining salt, cilantro, and coleslaw, tossing well to coat. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
3. Serve salmon with slaw.

Asian Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps

Everyone who loves P.F. Chang's or Pei Wei sings praises about their lettuce wraps. When I ended up with a lot of ground beef in the freezer, I knew, for my own sake, I was going to need to find something besides chili, spaghetti sauce, and tacos in which to use it. Lo and behold, this recipe arrived from The Cynical Chef just as I was racking my brain for ideas.

Of course, the recipe underwent some changes. Joe had used up the rest of the soy sauce without telling me, and I tend to eyeball ginger and put in much more than the recipe calls for. It still turned out great. Much better and healthier than P.F. Chang's and a lot cheaper too! This would also make a tasty appetizer and could be easily doubled for a larger crowd.

Asian Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps
source: AllRecipes via The Cynical Chef

Ingredients

• 16 Boston Bibb or butter lettuce leaves
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons minced pickled ginger (I used fresh minced ginger.)
  
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• Asian chile pepper sauce to taste (like Sriracha)
  
• 1 (8 ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and finely chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 2 teaspoons Asian (dark) sesame oil

Preparation

1. Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not tear them. Set aside.
2. In a medium skillet over high heat, brown the ground beef, stirring often and reducing the heat to medium, if necessary. Drain, and set aside to cool. Cook the onion in the same pan, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chile pepper sauce to the onions, and stir. Stir in chopped water chestnuts, green onions, and sesame oil, and continue cooking until the onions just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes.
3. Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter, and pile meat mixture in the center. To serve, allow each person to spoon a portion of the meat into a lettuce leaf. Wrap the lettuce around the meat like a burrito, and enjoy!

Shrimp and Spring Vegetable Fried Rice

My freezer is currently stuffed to the gills: shrimp, frozen fruit, spaghetti sauce, vegetables, and meat. I can hardly open it without something tumbling out, which means I need to start cooking from the freezer. These peeled, deveined, tail-less cooked shrimp made for an easy protein addition to an old clean-out-the-fridge standby. You can adjust amounts to your liking.

Shrimp and Spring Vegetable Fried Rice

Ingredients
2 tsp peanut oil
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups brown rice, cooked and chilled
16 oz shrimp, cooked and peeled and deveined
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup asparagus, cut into 1" segments
1 egg scrambled
a few shakes of soy sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp Sriracha

Preparation

Heat oil on high heat in a large skillet or wok.
Add garlic and ginger and stir until browned.Turn the heat down to medium-high and add rice and vegetables, stirring until vegetables are cooked, about 5 minutes.
Make a well in the center of the rice mixture and pour the egg into the well. Let it sit for one minute and then mix into the rice until cooked.
Add shrimp, stirring to combine.
Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, and Thai chili garlic sauce and stir until mixed thoroughly.
Serve immediately.

Asian Short Ribs

It's been pretty cold around here lately (though today it's almost 60 degrees!), and there's nothing better for me than coming home late from school, not having to cook, and still enjoying a warm, hearty meal. This winter I have a new appreciation for my slow-cooker since it's my first real winter since I lived in Michigan. I also love how moist it keeps meat. The ribs were falling apart at the touch of a fork, but the carrots weren't mealy or floppy at all.

I didn't use a head of cabbage, but I had some leftover bagged coleslaw, which I used in its place. I ate this meal plain, but you could serve it over a bed of brown rice if you wanted more complex carbohydrates. This is a great slow-cooker meal for those who eschew processed foods but still want the convenience of coming home to a fully-cooked meal.

Asian Short Ribs
source: Real Simple

Ingredients
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
8 beef short ribs (about 4 pounds)
4 medium carrots, peeled and halved crosswise
1 small green cabbage (about 1 pound), quartered
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon sesame oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced (optional)

Preparation

In a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine the soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper. Add the short ribs and carrots and arrange in a single layer. Lay the cabbage on top.

Cook, covered, on high for 5 to 6 hours (or on low for 7 to 8 hours), until the meat is tender and easily pulls away from the bone.

Transfer the cabbage, short ribs, and carrots to plates. With a large spoon or ladle, skim the fat from the cooking liquid and discard.

If the slow cooker is on the low setting, turn it to high. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water until smooth. Whisk into the cooking liquid and cook until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the sesame oil. Spoon the sauce over the short ribs and vegetables and sprinkle with the scallions (if using).

Soba Salad with Feta and Peas

As a 21st-century woman living in the South, my life is often a study of contrasts. I lift weights while listening to gospel bluegrass, and last night I realized I was eating soba salad with feta and peas while listening to Merle Haggard and writing a paper on the impact of the Black Plague on personal piety. I had also been in quite a funk, and this dish may have actually lifted me out of it since it seems to have restored my appetite and mood.

I kept returning to this recipe on Bridget's blog, and I finally put it on my meal plan for this week. It is so good and takes practically no time to make. I could and will be eating this for days. The taste of the soba noodles and the feta and the lemon and the soy sauce is so interesting and complex that I completely forgot to add the green onions. I don't think I'm going to tell Joe how good it is because I want all the leftovers for myself! I just cannot say enough good things about this. Go make it for yourself!

Soba Salad with Feta and Peas
source: The Way the Cookie Crumbles
Yields 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
1 (10- to 12-ounce) package soba noodles
1 (10-ounce) package frozen baby peas
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon black pepper
6 oz feta, crumbled (¾ cup)
4 scallions, finely chopped

Preparation

1. Cook noodles and peas together in a 6- to 8-quart pot of lightly salted boiling water until noodles are tender, 4 to 6 minutes.

2. While noodles cook, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, soy sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.

3. Drain noodles and peas well in a colander, then rinse under cold running water to stop cooking. Drain well again, then add to dressing along with feta and scallions. Grind more black pepper to taste over salad.

Ma Po Tofu

I've been wanting to make Ma Po Tofu for quite some time now, and when I realized I had both ground pork and tofu in the refrigerator waiting to be used, I knew it was the perfect time. Because Joe had started the tofu draining while I was on my way home and because I used leftover rice from another dish, I had dinner on the table within 30 minutes, just in time for our favorite (and only) TV show, Scrubs.

And it was SO good. I love how the texture of the meat off-set the creamy texture of the tofu. I added in some broccoli for some color and as a vegetable. I will definitely be making this again.

I'm also submitting this dish to Joelen's Wine & Dine: Chinese New Year Adventure.

Ma Po Tofu
adapted from: Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 1 (1-pound) package reduced-fat firm tofu, cut into 6 slices
• 1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (You can moderate the heat to your own taste.)
  
• 4 ounces lean ground pork
• 1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups hot cooked long-grain brown rice
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 2 small heads of broccoli
  

Preparation

1. Drain slices of tofu between paper towels, pushing down occasionally or weighting down with a dinner plate for 30 minutes. Discard paper towels and slice tofu into 1/2 inch cubes.
2. Combine broth, cornstarch, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and chili garlic sauce and whisk together.
3. After heating a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the ground pork and cook until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Add ginger and garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add tofu and broccoli, cooking until tofu is golden-brown and broccoli is bright green, stirring frequently. Add broth mixture to pan. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and let simmer for a few minutes until thickened. Remove from heat.
4. Serve over rice and sprinkled with onions.

Yield: 4 servings