Bok Choy and Fried Tofu

I was just banging out dinner one night this week and it turned out to be absolutely delicious.  Unfortunately my expectations were so low I never snapped a picture.  Trust me when I say it looked lovely...

• 2 packages extra firm tofu, drained and pressed, and cut into small cubes
• 1 large head bok choy, chopped
• 4 bunches scallions chopped in ~ 1 in. pieces
• 3 Tbsp minced ginger
• 3 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1/4 cup mirin
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 Tbsp garlic chili sauce
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• Pinch of shredded kaffir lime
• 3 Tbsp sesame oil plus 1/3 cup vegetable oil for frying

Fry the tofu in the oil mixture until all pieces are slightly shrunken and golden brown all over (about 10 min).  Pour the hot oil through a sieve into a pot or pyrex and let the tofu drain thoroughly.  Pour a few tablespoons of the oil back into the wok and add the garlic, ginger and bok choy.  Saute until the bok choy leaves shrink.  Add the tofu, liquid ingredients plus the sugar and kaffir lime.  After thorough mixing sprinkle the scallions over the top and let them steam while the dish simmers for about 8-10 min.  Serve over brown rice.

Spicy Beef Broth Soup with Edamame and Rice Noodles

Just improvised this for my afternoon lunch, and it turned out to be so delicious I just had to share!  This recipe came about because I was trying to think of a use for the 1/4 cup of braising liquid plus beef tallow I had left over from a recent pot roast.  The simplicity of the dish belies the rich flavor it held.  I suspect that its depth of flavor derives from the use of the tallow and braising liquid.  However, since there were no particularly discernible flavors from the original roast, I suspect that any sort of leftover fat and/or enriched liquid will work.

• 2 1/2 oz. rice noodles
• 1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame
• Half a medium onion, finely diced
• 1 Tbsp tallow
• 1/4 cup beef braising liquid
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 2 tsp beef bouillon paste
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp chili sauce
• 1 tsp brown rice vinegar
• 1 tsp rice wine

Sauté the onion in the tallow.  When the onion is translucent, add the braising liquid and water and bring to a boil.  Dissolve the bouillon paste in the boiling liquid.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the oyster sauce, chili sauce, rice vinegar and rice wine.  Taste the mixture to make sure it is properly balanced.  It's ok if it's on the salty side, because the edamame and rice noodles will cut the saltiness.  Add the frozen edamame and let the liquid return to a simmer.  Add the rice noodles and continue simmering until they just cooked through.

Novel Chicken

We came up with a novel, simple way to prepare some delicious chicken legs tonight.  The key to making this spontaneous recipe work seems to have been using the lemon slices to cover the chicken while it baked, then removing the slices and broiling the chicken to crisp the skin.  We served the chicken with beets in broth and perfect seasoned rice for a delicious dinner.

Ingredients

• 2 whole chicken legs
• 1 lemon
• 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 Tbsp minced parsley
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 3 Tbsp salt (for brine)
• 1 tsp salt (for paste)
• 1/4 tsp pepper

30 to 60 minutes prior to baking, dissolve 3 Tbsp salt in about 6 cups of cold water.  Submerge the chicken legs in the brine and refrigerate while prepping the other ingredients.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Mix together the thyme, parsley, salt, pepper, and olive oil to form a thick paste.  After at least 30 minutes, remove the legs from the brine and pat dry with paper towels.  Trim any excess skin and/or fat.  Coat the legs thoroughly with the seasoning paste and place in a baking dish.  Cut the lemon into slices no more than 1/4 inch thick.  You need enough lemon slices to more or less cover the chicken legs.  After placing the slices on the legs, bake the chicken for about 50 minutes or until an instant read thermometer reads 165 degrees.  Remove slices from the chicken and place the uncovered chicken in the broiler for about five minutes or until the skin is crisped.

Beets in Broth

For some delicious beets, here is a surefire and mindlessly simple recipe.  Peel and cut the beets into smallish pieces.  Peel and crush a few cloves of garlic.  Bring enough chicken or vegetable broth to cover the beets to a boil.  Add the beets and garlic and reduce to a simmer.  Continue cooking until the beets are tender.  Slice a ripe avocado and serve over the warm beets.

Perfect Seasoned Rice

N made this rice tonight, and it was absolutely perfect.  It didn't clump at all and complemented the protein and vegetables excellently, yet was delicious enough to eat on its own.

Ingredients

• 1 cup basmati rice
• 1 small onion
• 1 3/4 cups water
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 - 2 Tbsp minced parsley
• Salt and pepper

Measure the rice into a bowl and cover in two inches of water.  Mix and squeeze the rice by hand to remove the starch.  When the water appears cloudy drain it away.  Repeat until the water drains clear (4 - 5 times) and then drain completely through a sieve and spread out to dry.  In the meantime finely chop the onion.  In one pot, boil the water with salt and pepper.  In another, sauté the onions in the butter until soft.  Then add the rice and continue the sauté until the edges of the rice become translucent (2 - 3 min).  Pour in the boiling water, then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer covered for about ten minutes or until the rice is soft.  Season w/ fresh parsley and let sit covered (up to 10 min) until served.

Burrito Filling

I have no idea whether or not this technically qualifies as a "burrito," but we made this tonight, wrapped it in a tortilla with some (reheated) canned re-fried beans, covered the wraps with shredded cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and hot sauce, and ate it.  It was delicious.

• 1/2 lb. fresh chorizo removed from skin
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

Saute the garlic, onions, and pepper in 2 Tbsp olive oil until tender.  Remove from pan and brown sausage.  When the sausage is thoroughly browned, add the tomatoes and de-glaze over high heat.  Return garlic, onions, and pepper to the pan and add the chili powder.  Continue cooking over high heat until most of the water from the tomatoes has evaporated and the mixture is fairly thick.  Add salt to taste (though if your chorizo is fairly salty and the canned tomatoes are not low sodium, salt is probably unnecessary).

Meatballs and Bell Pepper Sauce over Farro

We have been working on this dish for a few weeks and it is finally time to post it!  It was originally inspired by a Marcus Samuelsson recipe from his cookbook, The Soul of a New Cuisine.  We found the original, "Kofta Meatballs with Okra Tomato Sauce," a bit bland.  It was probably our fault for using frozen okra.  Anyway, discouraged by that experience we re-imagined the dish as lamb and beef meatballs with a Middle Eastern influenced pepper and tomato sauce over farro.

We rip off the tomato/pepper sauce from Oprah.  We use basically the same ingredients, but we saute the garlic and then add the pureed ingredients and heat it on low heat while we brown the meatballs.  When the meatballs were done browning we drain them and then add them to the sauce to finish cooking.

Roasting Peppers
For those of us who are urban dwellers, it's incredibly easy to roast peppers in the oven broiler.  Hopefully you have a broiler even if it's miniature like ours.  Just core the peppers, cut them in quarters, and then cut the tips off the quarters.  Press the quarters flat in a pan and put them in the broiler for about ten minutes.  It's a good idea to check them and turn them about halfway through for even roasting.  When the skins are blackened and blistered all over remove the peppers and let them cool a bit.  While they are still hot to the touch seal them in a plastic bag and let them sit for until they reach room temperature.  At this point they should be easy to peel.

Tomato Pepper Sauce

1 slice white sandwich bread, toasted and torn into pieces
1/2 cup walnuts
3 Tbsp. olive oil (for puree)
1 Tbsp. olive oil (for sauteeing garlic)
3 Tbsp. pomegranate juice
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
3 cloves garlic
2 roasted red bell peppers
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 - 1 1/2 cup chicken stock

Use a food processor to chop the walnuts as finely as possible.  Then add the peeled roasted peppers, bread, tomatoes, olive oil, pomegranate juise, lemon juice, and seasoning. Puree the ingredients until they form a smooth, thick sauce.  Sautee the garlic in olive oil until it just starts to brown.  Add the puree and chicken stock and reduce heat to low.  Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

Meatballs
1/2 lb. ground lamb
1/4 lb. ground beef
1 slice white bread, soaked in milk
4 Tbsp. minced parsley
1/4 cup minced onion
2 tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together the ingredients thoroughly.  Form meatballs approximately 1 1/2 in. in diameter (will make about a dozen meatballs).  Brown the meatballs in olive oil over medium heat.  Drain on paper towels and then add to the sauce to finish cooking.

Farro
1 1/2 cup farro
3 cups water
2 tsp salt

Cook farro as you would brown rice.  Total cooking time is approximately 45 min.  Be sure to check the farro toward the end-the more you try it the more you will develop your own preference for doneness.

Serving
Serve the meatballs and sauce over the farro.  Garnish with parsley if desired.