I am Back Again… (and this time with Grilled Shishito Peppers!)

Tags

gluten free, grilled, peppers, produce, shishito, summer, vegetable

I know I said a few months ago I was back to blogging and then I disappeared again. Getting the hang of this new life is harder than I thought. There is a lot of growing and changing and shifting after a major life event. This is not something that one can anticipate, even someone who is a planner to the extreme (who!? Not me!). As much as I have struggled these past few months, I have also grown tremendously and learned I have more strength and resilience than I previously believed. I have more confidence and faith in myself. I am more reflective of my self, my thoughts, my actions. I have made some wonderful new friendships and strengthened older relationships. I am happier now than I have been in a long time.

I have loved hosting dinner at my humble little apartment home. My last little dinner included spicy pork burgers with spicy cheddar and grilled shishito peppers. These little Japanese peppers are full of flavor without overwhelming spiciness. Trader Joe’s sells these now when in season. You can also find them at your local Asian market. Give these little babies a try….

Grilled Shishito Peppers

• 8 oz fresh shishito peppers
• Olive oil
• Salt and fresh ground pepper

Prepare your grill to medium heat. In a bowl, toss the peppers in enough olive oil to evenly coat. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until the peppers change color evenly (I look for the army green color to just appear). Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serves 2 to 3.

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Spicy Lotus Root Pickles

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appetizer, Asian, chili, lotus root, sesame, snack, spicy

A group of my friends and I have started a monthly get together where we try new cuisines. Last month was Dim Sum. We had tasty dumplings of conch, lamb, mushroom curry, and pearl balls. I made these spicy pickles to go along side. They were crispy, delicious, and packed a flavor punch. They were good with the dumplings but would be good alone, on a pickle tray, or with a refreshing light beer.

Spicy Lotus Root Pickles (From yireservation.com)

• 1lb lotus root
• 2 clove garlic, sliced
• 1 tbsp chili flakes
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp Chinese black vinegar
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• ½ tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp chili oil
• Salt to taste
• Toasted sesame seeds and scallions for garnishing

On the stove, bring a pot of water to a boil. Peel the lotus root and slice thinly. I used a mandolin to get evenly thin slices. Add the lotus root to the boiling water and boil for 2 minutes. This helps remove the starchy, earthy taste. Drain in a colander.

In a skillet, combine 1 tbsp of neutral oil with the garlic and chili flakes and saute very gently for 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, and chili oil and warm through. Add the lotus root and toss to coat. Serve warm as an appetizer or chilled as a snack.

Spicy Pork and Mustard Green Soup

Tags

Asian, food, green, mustard, pork, rice noodles, soup, spicy

After my hubby and I went to our local Japanese restaurant, I craved the Asian flavors for the next two weeks. I ordered Thai one day at work. I ate supermarket sushi. I made this soup. It is delicious. The tenderness of the pork is perfectly complimented by the texture of the greens. The noodles and mushrooms make it more filling. I served it along side spring rolls. The leftovers were pretty dang tasty too!

Spicy Pork and Mustard Green Soup (inspired by this recipe)

• ½ lb ground pork
• 2 cloves garlic, microplaned
• 2 tsp peeled ginger, microplaned
• 1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
• ¾ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• ½ tsp ground cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt to taste
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 bunch mustard greens, stems removed and torn into bite size pieces (about 4 cups)
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 8 oz sliced mushrooms
• 4 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 8 oz. wide rice noodles

In a large bowl, mix the pork, garlic, ginger, pepper, red pepper flakes, and cumin until all is well incorporated. Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the pork and fry until browned and cooked through. In a separate pot, cook the rice noodles according to package directions. Add the broth and bring to a broil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the greens, scallions, mushrooms, soy and fish sauces. Stir and allow to continue cooking until the greens are tender. When they are done, add the rice noodles. Ladle the soup into bowls. Serves 6.

Pickled Garlic

Tags

Edward Lee, garlic, molasses, pickled, pickles, snacks, soy

For Christmas, my dearest hubby gave me Smoke and Pickles – the cookbook by Edward Lee, a Louisville chef, whose recipes have a lovely twist of Southern and Asian flavors. This pickled garlic is lovely.

I finely mince it and then add it back into the molasses soy sauce to use as a dipping sauce for potstickers. It would also be a great garnish for Bloody Marys or as a nibble to go with other pickled items and your cocktail.

Pickled Garlic

• 2 heads of garlic, each clove peeled and rinsed with water
• Distilled white vinegar
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• 2/3 cups rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste

Place the garlic cloves in a jar and cover with the white vinegar. Cover and refrigerate for 5 days. Drain the garlic and rinse with cold water. Place the garlic back in the jar. In a saucepan, combine the soy sauce, water, rice vinegar, sugar, molasses, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, then turn off and allow the flavors to mingle for 15 minutes. Pour the liquid over the garlic cloves, cover, and refrigerate for a week. Enjoy for weeks!

Indonesian Slaw with Spicy Peanut Dressing

Tags

Asian, cabbage, Indonesian, peanuts, salad, slaw, spicy, vegetarian

This winter weather is getting on my nerves. I am tired of the wind, the snow, the cold, the lack of flowers. I am tired of it all. I want to get away to a sunny land with sand and bright colors. Alas, there are no travels in my future. Until then, I will comfort myself with this delicious and happy salad. The crunch of the veggies really makes you feel like you are eating something of substance. And the flavors!!! Oh My! They just pair so perfectly. I think this is my new favorite salad…. You absolutely MUST try this! You can thank me later.

• Servings: 4
• Time: 20 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
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Salad:

• 1/2 large cabbage, thinly shredded
• 1/2 pineapple, sliced into thin strips
• 2 carrots, peeled and shredded
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 3 green onions, diced (I used red onion)
• 1 cup cilantro, chopped
• Handful peanuts, roasted, salted and chopped

Dressing:

• 1/3 cup all natural peanut butter, smooth
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp tamari sauce (or soy sauce)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar, packed
• 1 tbsp Sriracha sauce, more or less to taste
• 1 large garlic clove, minced

Toss all salad ingredients except the peanuts into a large bowl. Set aside in the fridge. In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients. Blend or whisk to combine. Top individual salads with desired amount of dressing. Top with chopped peanuts. This amazing recipe is from Just a Smidgen. 

 

Sugar Snap Salad with Miso Dressing

Tags

Asian, dressing, food, ginger, light, miso, salad, sugar snap peas, vegetarian

I was first introduced to miso on my trip to Japan. I love it’s salty complexity, especially when paired with gingery sweetness. The dressing on these vegetables is phenomenal. If you don’t think the veggies sound good (you are a weirdo), skip them and just try the dressing. It’s my new favorite! One small note- if you make this recipe, be sure to eat it all in one day. It doesn’t keep well. If you can’t eat it all, just halve the recipe.

Sugar Snap Salad with Miso Dressing (from The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook)

The Salad:

• 1/2 lb sugar snap peas
• 1/2 pound Napa cabbage, cut into thin ribbons (about 3 cups)
• 4 large radishes, quartered and thinly sliced
• 3 large scallions, thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

The Dressing:

• 1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 large clove of garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp yellow or white miso
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tbsp toasted sesame seed oil
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare a small ice-water bath. Boil the peas for about two minutes, until barely cooked and still crisp. Scoop them out with a large slotted spoon and drop them in the ice water bath. One they are cooled, drain and pat dry. Trim ends and slice on bias into thin strips. Toss into a bowl with cabbage, radishes, scallions and 1 tbsp sesame seeds.

In a blender, combine all the dressing ingredients. Blitz until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Don’t add extra honey as the peas will add sweetness.

Toss the salad with the dressing and sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds. Serves 4 to 6.

Thai Crab Soup

Tags

Asian, coconut milk, crab, food, garlic, ginger, lunch, quick, soup, Thai

When I first saw this soup in my blog feed, I knew I wanted to try it. Who wouldn’t love the Thai flavors of ginger and coconut milk paired with vegetables and a tasty protein? Plus it is super easy to throw together making it a great dish for lunch. I have made this soup a couple of times since finding it and have really enjoyed it each time. You should try it.

Thai Crab Soup (a variation of this recipe)

• One can coconut milk (not the light version)
• 1 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 garlic cloves, microplaned
• Pinch of chilli flakes
• Zest of one lemon
• 1  1/2 cup baby spinach
• 2 servings worth of cooked vermicelli
• 1 pkg imitation crab meat

In a small saucepot, combine the coconut milk and chicken stock. Add the ginger, onion, garlic, and chili flakes. Bring to a simmer. In the meantime, saute the sliced mushrooms in bit of oil to help remove some of the liquid. When done, drain off the extra liquid and add to the coconut milk mixture. Add the vermicelli and crab meat. When heated through, add the baby spinach. When barely wilted, remove from the heat and serve. Serves 3 to 4.

Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chops

Tags

food, grilled, lemongrass, meat, pork chops, summer, Vietnamese

Prior to this recipe, I had never used lemongrass. It smelled like Pledge to me. But this recipe drew my attention. It was so simple and tasty. I made sure to leave a bit of the marinade pulp on the chops. It browned and caramelized very nicely and added an extra pop of flavor. MMMM!!! You will love this recipe!

Vietnamese Grilled Lemongrass Pork Chops (adapted from Viet World Kitchen)

• 4 pork chops, bone-in, about 1 inch thick
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp garlic
• 3 tbsp shallot
• 1 1/2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Using a mini food processor, pulse the sugar, garlic, shallot, and lemongrass to a mince-like texture. Add the pepper, soy sauce, fish sauce, and oil, and process to combine well.

Place the pork chops in a large zip-lock bag, and pour the marinade to coat. Squish the marinade around to coat the pork chops evenly. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, up to 24 hours. Allow the pork chops to rest at room temperature, about 30-45 minutes, before grilling. Grill over medium heat for 4 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Makes 4 servings.

Grilled Japanese Style Avocado

Tags

appetizer, Asian, avocado, grilled, Japanese, ponzu sauce, side dish, style

I have always wanted to try grilled avocados but have never gotten around to it. When Cin Cin Let’s Eat posted this recipes, I knew I had to try it. Especially since I had all the ingredients readily on hand. The grill made the avocado especially creamy and added a nice subtle smoky flavor. I didn’t care for the wasabi paste. It made the dish taste too much like sushi. I can’t wait to make guacamole with these smoky avocados!

Grilled Japanese Style Avocado (from Cin Cin, Let’s Eat)

• 1 avocado
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Nori sheets, thinly sliced into flakes
• Ponzu sauce
• Wasabi paste (optional)

Slice the avocado in half and remove the pit. Slice the avocado on the horizontal and vertical without piercing the skin. Rub the flesh with a small amount of olive oil. Grill for about 3 minutes or until warmed through and with char marks. Remove from the grill and top each half with salt, nori flakes, and ponzu sauce. Serve with wasabi paste on the side, if desired. Serves 2 as a side dish or appetizer.

Kung Pao Chicken

Tags

Asian, bell peppers, chicken, food, kung pao chicken, main dish, stir-fry

Stir fry is one of the healthiest, quickest meals. Very little prep time required. Dinner on the table in 30 minutes flat. Thanks Stefan for the great recipe!

Kung Pao Chicken (from Stefan’s Gourmet Blog)

• 1/2 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed
• 2 yellow bell peppers, diced
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1/4 cup roasted, unsalted peanuts
• dried chile peppers (1 = mild, 2 = medium, 3 = hot, 4 or more = very hot)
• 1 tsp sichuan peppercorns
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 tbsp oil for stir-frying

For the marinade:

• 1 tsp corn starch
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp shaohsing rice wine

For the sauce:

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp shaohsing rice wine
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp rice vinegar (optional)

Combine the chicken in a bowl with 1 tsp corn starch, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp soy sauce, and 1 tsp shaohsing rice wine. Stir until well mixed and the chicken is coated with the marinade on all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate for about 25 minutes at room temperature. Meanwhile, prep the veggies. Clean the bell peppers and cut into pieces about the size of the chicken. Chop the green onions and separate the green part. Mince the garlic. Roughly chop the dried chile peppers and remove the seeds. Mix the ingredients for the sauce (2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp shaohsing rice wine, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp rice vinegar) in a small bowl. Whole sichuan peppercorns are not nice to have in the final dish because of the texture. To extract their flavor, heat the oil in a wok, add the sichuan pepper corns, lower the heat, and allow the sichuan peppercorns to flavor the oil. Remove the sichuan peppercorns with a slotted spoon before you continue. Now heat the oil over very high heat. Add the chicken when the oil is very hot. Stir-fry just until golden. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon. It should be only 80% cooked at this time. Chicken should be cooked through, but do not overcook it or it will become dry and tasteless.  Add the bell pepper, chile peppers, garlic, and white part of the green onions to the wok. Add the peanuts as well if using raw peanuts. If you like your peanuts well-roasted, you could even start by roasting them first. Stir-fry for a few minutes. Lower the heat and add the sauce. Stir and cook for a minute until the sauce has reduced somewhat. Add the chicken and green part of the green onions. This is where you add roasted peanuts if using. Stir and cook for another minute until the chicken is coated with the sauce and warmed through.