Sunday, February 6, 2011

Guacamole



Your favorite part
Commercials?  Guacamole!
Superbowl Sunday

Guacamole

2 ripe avocados
1/3 c red onion, minced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, stems and seeds removed, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 ripe tomato, seeds and pulp removed, chopped
Juice of one small lime
Salt to taste

Mix and enjoy.  All measurements are approximate…must taste this one!  


 

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Poached Salmon with Spinach



Salmon from the wild
Atop a bed of spinach
Yay omega 3-s!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Red Pepper Vinaigrette


Starchy tuber roots
Not your grandma’s recipe
Spicy, sweet, and tart

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Red Pepper Vinaigrette
Adapted from Mark Bittman How to Cook Everything Vegetarian.

Makes: 4 servings
Time: About 45 minutes

4 large sweet potatoes
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/2 cup sliced scallion
1/2 cup minced fresh mint
Pinch of red pepper
1/4 cup raisins

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Put them on a baking sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil, and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast, turning occasionally, until crisp and brown outside and just tender inside, about 30 minutes. Remove and keep on the pan until ready to dress.
2. Make the dressing while the potatoes cook. Put the remaining 6 tablespoons oil in a blender, along with the vinegar, bell pepper, cumin, and zest if you’re using it. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. Purée until smooth.
3. Toss the warm potatoes with the scallion, mint, chiles, and raisins if you’re using them. Add 1/2 cup of the dressing and toss to coat, adding more if necessary. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Pan Seared Sole with Tomato Caper Sauce

 
What’s for lunch today?
Capers flanked by tomatoes
Atop pan seared sole
 
Not sure where this recipe came from, but I dig it.  Capers are little bundles of joy indeed.

Pan Seared Sole with Tomato Caper Sauce
4 5-7oz fillets sole (or other mild white fish like Tilapia)
2 Tbs Olive Oil
2 medium tomatoes
2 Tbs capers
2 ½ Tbs butter
1 ½ Tbs Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbs Lemon Juice

Seed and dice the tomatoes.  In a hot frying pan, heat ½ Tbs of the butter.  Add the diced tomatoes, capers, and pepper.  Cook on low heat quickly for a about 2 min.  Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 2 Tbs of butter and set a aside (do not reheat.) Salt and pepper the fillets.  Heat a frying pan then add the oil.  When oil is hot, add the fillets and brown on both sides, turning only once with a spatula.  This will take 4 to 5 min.  Remove to a plate and spoon the tomato sauce over the fillets.



Sunday, January 24, 2010

Spicy Sichuan Noodles



Porky porky pork
So goddamn pig delicious
The other white meat


Food-ku is excited to announce its inaugural haiku from a guest poet!  Thanks to M. O. Fiocco for his inspired words in homage to the ever popular Sus domesticus.  This delicious recipe is from Cook's Illustrated, one of my favorite magazines:

Ingredients

8
ounces ground pork
3
tablespoons soy sauce
2
tablespoons Chinese rice cooking wine or dry sherry

ground white pepper
2
tablespoons oyster sauce
4
tablespoons Asian sesame paste or peanut butter
1
tablespoon rice vinegar
1 - 1 1/4
cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth (see note)
1
tablespoon peanut oil
1
inch piece fresh ginger , minced (about 1 tablespoon)
6
medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
3/4
teaspoon red pepper flakes
1
tablespoon toasted sesame oil
12
ounces dried Asian noodles or 1 pound fresh Asian noodles (width between linguine and fettuccine) or 12 ounces linguine
3
medium scallions , sliced thin (about 1/3 cup)
2
cups bean sprouts (about 6 ounces) (optional)
1
tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns toasted in small dry skillet until fragrant, then ground (optional)

Instructions

  1. Combine pork, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, sherry, and pinch white pepper in small bowl; stir well with fork and set aside while preparing other ingredients. Whisk together oyster-flavored sauce, remaining soy sauce, peanut butter or sesame paste, vinegar, and pinch white pepper in medium bowl. Whisk in chicken stock and set aside.
  2. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large stockpot over high heat.
  3. Meanwhile, heat 12-inch skillet over high heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add peanut oil and swirl to coat pan bottom. Add pork and cook, scraping along pan bottom and breaking up pork into small pieces with wide metal or wooden spatula, until pork is in small well-browned bits, about 5 minutes. Stir in ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add peanut butter/chicken stock mixture; bring to boil, whisking to combine, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer to blend flavors, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Stir in sesame oil.
  4. While sauce simmers, add noodles to boiling water and cook until tender (refer to package directions, but use them only as a guideline and be sure to taste for doneness). Drain noodles; divide noodles among individual bowls, ladle a portion of sauce over noodles, sprinkle with scallions, bean sprouts, and ground Sichuan peppercorns, if using; serve immediately.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Japchae



A brand new cookbook
A trip to Koreatown
A happy belly


Having recently acquired a new cookbook (and having complained incessantly about my disappointing results cooking ethnic food), I thought I’d give it another go.  Quick and Easy Korean Cooking sounded like it had potential (good reviews and a Gourmet Book Club selection), so off I went to Koreatown in search of my ingredients.
Armed with my iPhone, I navigated the unfamiliar isles and managed to acquire all of the necessary components, despite the nomenclature difficulties (turns out Korean Style Starch Noodles ARE sweet potato noodles.  Who knew?) 
Upon my return home, I began my first foray into Korean cooking. As the cookbook promised, the recipe was indeed quick and easy (and quite tasty too):  Sweet Potato Noodles Recipe  

Thursday, December 10, 2009

World Peace Cookies



Holiday parties!
The glorious time of year

With cookies galore

Check out the recipes:
World Peace Cookies
Pistachio Cranberry Icebox Cookies