Category: Pasta, Rice & Grains

pasta, grains, rice recipes
Maple & Olive Oil Granola

Maple & Olive Oil Granola

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My favorite granola recipe, Jule’s Granola was given to me by a friend also coworker, years ago.  She brought a bag to work one day, and being a granola hater, I passed on trying it. She offered again and added, “This ain’t your Quaker Oats guy in the funny hat-boxed granola”.  To appease her, I grabbed a handful, tossed it in my mouth, and BAM!  So good, crunchy, flavorful, filled with nuts and dried fruit, and sweetened with maple syrup. Nutty, buttery, sweet, chewy, crunchy-in a nutshell, damn delicious.  Instantly, I became a GRANOLA CONVERT.

I just wanted to include this photo of my Granola Queen. It’s a blast from the past: her beautiful wedding in Hawaii.

Go-To Granola

I immediately asked her for the recipe and since then I have cranked out batches of granola for family and friends.  Every Christmas we buy cute canning jars to fill with granola which we then gift.  Each person dutifully returns their jar for more granola next year.

Who Knew?

Very happy with Jule’s Granola recipe I never thought of trying another recipe until now.  The powers of social media strike again.  A notification on my phone titled “Genius Granola has a Cult Following” popped up.  This caught my eye.  I quickly scanned the recipe.  It called for olive oil, various seeds, pecans, coconut chips, maple syrup, and brown sugar.  I compared it to my gold-standard granola.  Hmm,  no dried fruit, definitely more seeds, less oats, more maple syrup and sugar.  The olive oil in place of veggie oil caught my eye.

Recipe Breakdown

Oatmeal- Use Old Fashioned not quick or instant.   I added an extra cup of oatmeal (comments on the original as being too sweet), plus the amount of sweeteners compared to my fav recipe was significantly more.

Olive Oil– I happened to have a bottle of vanilla olive oil, so I used it. Mild, floral, citrusy olive oils

Adds- Add whatever mix-ins you like.  I didn’t have sunflower seeds so I used almonds and sesame seeds so what the heck that’s what I added.  Coconut chips from TJ are preferred but you could use large coconut flakes.

Dried Fruit- I love sweet & tart dried fruits in my granola.  I added a blend of raisins, cranberries, and blueberries.  Leave it out, add some in…your choice. Pistachios and either apricots or dried cherries would be smashing.

Sweeteners- The recipe calls for a combination of maple syrup and light brown sugar.  There were quite a few comments about the granola being too sweet.  So do I decrease the sweeteners (which many did by omitting the brown sugar) or add more oatmeal?

Spices- Change the flavor profile by adding cinnamon or even cardamon. (start with 1 tsp of cinnamon) or a Chai tea spice.

Baking: The original recipe is on Food52  by Nekisia Davis of Early Bird. Directions say to spread the mixture evenly on a baking sheet. My advice is to divide the mixture in half and use two cookie sheets. The layer of granola in one pan is too thick and will not dry and crisp very well. You should still mix it every 10-15 minutes.

This granola is loose, not clumpy, and is perfect for ice cream or yogurt topping. Use it in Natasha Picowicz’s Nubby Granola Shortbread. If you like chunks of granola, make Jule’s Granola, which is still our family favorite (yes, we voted). This is a close second, though.

Now go and make a batch of my 2nd  favorite granola,

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5 from 2 votes

Olive Oil & Maple Granola

Homemade Granola with maple syrup and olive oil
Course Breakfast, Munchie, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword granola, maple syrup, oats, olive oil, pecans
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats Original recipe calls for 3 cups
  • 1 1/4 cups raw pecans coarsely chopped, although I was lazy and left them as halves
  • 1 cup coconut chips or flakes (large)
  • 1/2 cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds
  • 1/2 cup hulled raw sunflower seeds sub slivered almonds

Sweeteners

  • 3/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste

Optional

  • 1-2 cups dried fruit such as raisins, cranberries, diced apricots, or dried cherries

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 300°F. In a large bowl, mix the oats, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, coconut, syrup, oil, brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt until well combined. Add optional spices if using.
  • Spread the mixture in an even layer split between 2 rimmed baking sheets. Bake, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes, for about 45 minutes total, until the granola is toasted. Halfway through baking, rotate sheets from top to bottom and turn each back to front.
  • Remove the granola from the oven; season with salt to taste. Let cool completely before serving.
  • Add dried fruit, after granola cools. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

Do Ahead: The granola can be made 1 month ahead. Transfer to an airtight container and store at room temperature.
Fresh Tomato & Sausage Pasta-When Comfort Food is Required

Fresh Tomato & Sausage Pasta-When Comfort Food is Required

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Our final road trip with Moosie (for context, my daughter’s Bernedoodle whom we have been sitting for the last 4 months) took us first to Lake Tahoe for a couple of days.  A pit stop before our final destination, Salt Lake City, where we were to hand off the pooch to Sam.  Moose was bound for New York, back to Jamie and Sam. 😢

It has been a while since we last spent time in Tahoe.  We took time to wander around and check out some the new eateries.  Our favorites include  Coffeebar (☕️☕️☕️☕️/5), Great Gold (🍝🍝🍝🍝+/5),and Truckee Food Stop (🥙🥙🥙🥙/5).   We also perused the shelves at a very cute bookstore Word After Word (📕📕📕📕+/5).  I LOVE bookstores.

Perfect way to start the morning, coffee and a buttery, delicious pastry.

Great Gold, its roots are from Flour + Water in San Francisco, a beautiful restaurant, with great pizza and pasta, don’t pass on the Brussels sprouts!

 

Truckee Food Shop features pre-made meals to take home.  They also have a nice curated selection of wines, pastas, spices, and cookbooks.  Don’t walk out without an order of their ceviche.

Comfort Food

We spent our last evening in the cabin cooking, sipping wine (thanks to whoever left that nice bottle of Chardonnay in the fridge), and playing with Moose.  I had brought this week’s farmers market bounty, dry-farmed tomatoes, onions, and basil from my garden (apparently the only thing I can grow) with us.  We picked up Italian Sausages and pasta and made a quick and easy dish, Fresh Tomatoes, Sausage, and Pecorino Pasta.

Used spaghettini the first night, I prefer a tube pasta like rigatoni mezze

Tomorrow we start the drive to Salt Lake City, maybe we should turn around and head home?  Guess that would be considered dog-napping though, lol.

Just what I needed a nice, big, bowl of pasta to ward off the pending “I ain’t got me a dog no more blues”.  This sauce comes together in the time it takes for you to cook the pasta.  Chop your tomatoes, thinly slice an onion, smoosh some garlic, crumble the sausage, combine, and saute for a couple of minutes.  That’s pretty much it.  Right before serving, hit it with some fresh herbs, and grated cheese. The OG version calls for Pecorino Romano, which packs a bigger punch than Parmesan so I cut it back a little.  You could also use Parmesan.

So, while you can still get wonderful fresh tomatoes (we are so spoiled in California) this is an easy, lovely meal.  Bowl food is soul food has always been my mantra.  Round it out with a glass of wine, a fresh salad, and some crusty bread.  Boom, done.

I tried this with canned tomatoes and my advice is, don’t. I doctored it with some sugar and butter but still not the same.  Unless it is the dead of winter and fresh, summer tomatoes are a distant memory…no, still don’t.  This dish is meant for fresh, sweet, tomatoes.  I’m thinking of making a batch and freezing it.  That might work.

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Fresh Tomato, Sausage, and Pecorino Pasta

Ripe, summer tomatoes are juicy and delicious in this pasta dish, with no seeding or peeling necessary.
Course dinner, lunch
Cuisine Italian-American
Keyword comfort food, fresh tomatoes, italian sausage, one dish meal, quick and easy, rigatoni
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces uncooked penne or meze rigatoni, or tubular pasta of choice
  • 8 ounces sweet Italian sausage or spicy works too
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil Go crazy, use a tablespoon of oil, lol
  • 1 cup vertically sliced yellow onion
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes optional
  • 1 ¼ pounds tomatoes, chopped dry farmed or Romas work well, or any ripe sweet tomato, some may have more moisture
  • 6 tablespoons grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese divided. sub Parmesan if you want
  • ¼ teaspoon salt to taste
  • ⅛ teaspoon black pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup torn fresh basil leaves
  • 2 tbsp Italian parsley, chopped optional

Instructions

  • Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside. In the Cooking Light edition this is adapted from, the recipe omits the salt and oil when cooking. I add salt to the pasta water.
  • A carryover from when the kids were little. I drain the pasta and hit it with butter and parmesan cheese. It seems to give the dish that extra oompf. I then add sauce to the pasta. I do this with my ragus, bolognese recipes also. TOTALLY OPTIONAL
  • If using sausage links, remove casings from sausage.
  • Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add sausage and onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, crumble sausage. by smooshing with your spatula.
  • Add garlic; cook 2 minutes.
  • Stir in tomatoes; cook 2-5 minutes depending on how you like your sauce.
  • Lower heat; stir in pasta, julienned basil, 2 tablespoons cheese, salt, and pepper. If I have Italian parsley I throw that in too.

Final Touches

  • Pour into a big serving platter or individual bowls. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese or let folks sprinkle their own. Garnish with remaining basil leaves. Enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition Facts
Per Serving: 389 calories; fat 10.7g; saturated fat 4g; mono fat 4.5g; poly fat 0.7g; protein 21.6g; carbohydrates 53.5g; fiber 4.5g; cholesterol 27mg; iron 3.3mg; sodium 595mg; calcium 159mg.
Scallion Mac and Cheese from Little Fat Boy

Scallion Mac and Cheese from Little Fat Boy

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I have been focused on cookbooks from the Asian Diaspora.  With the way the world is turning, on a definite lopsided tilt, I want to support my community.  Representation matters, and we need to see POCs, LGBTQ, you know, EVERYONE represented in all walks of life.  The gold standard should be human + compassion, empathy, and vision for a better, kinder, world.  A world you are proud to leave your kids.

Recently I dashed into the city for another book signing at Omnivore Books on Food.  Frankie Gaw, author of the long-awaited, First Generation:  Recipes from My Taiwanese-American Home was in town and I couldn’t pass on his book signing.

A graphic designer by trade, his evenings were spent creating the blog, Little Fat Boy.  Stories, beautiful photographs, and recipes, woven together in this mash-up of his Taiwanese roots, midwest upbringing, and Southern ties to Memphis. His recipes are fun, a fusion of his upbringing and later West Coast migration.  His recipes make me happy.  Yep, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Mochi or topped with Pepples cereal, tell me you’re not smiling right now.

It’s VEGAN, yeah baby…More, Please

I LOVE mac and cheese. Frankie’s Vegan version is a riff on this much-loved dish.  Is it Mac and Cheese? Nope.  Is it delicious? YEP.  In place of butter, milk, and cheese you’ll find scallion oil, cashews, garlic, and my own little tweak, nutritional yeast.  Pureeing cashews into a creamy, lovely sauce, is really so good, this may become my go-to mac and cheese when I am feeling a little lactose intolerant, lol.

Not gonna lie, cashews are not diet food, just like a lot of nuts.  The upside is they do supply protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals.  Plus, no animal products were used in the making of this..so there is that.  To offset some of the calories in this dish I reduce the pasta and substitute roasted or steamed cauliflower florets.  Yummos.

I like my mac and cheese super saucy so I decrease the amount of pasta, add more cauliflower florets and throw in some mushroom broth to extend the sauce.  The kid in me likes the macaroni cooked beyond al dente, really who eats mac and cheese that’s not soft and squishy?  This is two very generous servings, actually, I think it serves 3-4 people…see the calories won’t be that bad!

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Scallion Mac and Cheese

A delicious vegan version of mac and cheese with loads of umami from scallions, nutritional yeast and garlic adapted from Little Fat Boy
Course dinner, one bowl meal, Side Dish
Cuisine Asian-American
Keyword Crazy good mac and cheese, scallions
Prep Time 17 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 425kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 4 scallions finely chopped white and green parts divided
  • 1/8 cup olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 11/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1/8 tsp paprika
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 lemon, juice of
  • 1/2-1 cup water, or pasta water or mushroom boullion
  • 1 tsp hot sauce to taste optional

Toppings

  • 1/4 cup panko
  • 1 scallion, Thinly sliced

Noods

  • 4 ounces macaroni
  • 1 cup cauliflower florets or broccoli approx 4 oz

Instructions

Cashews

  • Before making dish, place cashews in a medium bowl and cover with water by 1 inch. Let the nuts soak for 2-3 hours.

Carbs & Veggies

  • Cook your pasta as directed on package. With about 3-4 minutes to go, add the cauliflower to the pot. Return to boil and cook until al dente (from original recipe-lol. In my book mac cheese needs pasta cooked beyond al dente). Drain and place back in pot. Set aside.

Sauce

  • In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add scallions and garlic. The oil should not be smoking but hot enough that the aromatics sizzle when added. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes. The scallions should be soft and your kitchen should smell delicious from the scallions and garlic. Transfer all of it to a blender. Set skillet aside, do not wash! You will be using this to brown the Panko Crumbs!
  • Drain the cashews and add to the blender along with the lemon juice, paprika, salt, sugar, nutritional yeast, and water or pasta water.
  • BLEND til smooth. Add additional water or pasta water to desired consistency.
  • Add sauce to macaroni, and stir to combine. Pour into a casserole dish and spread evenly. Sprinkle Panko Crumbs and diced green onions on top, and serve immediately.

The Crumbs

  • The skillet used to fry the scallion and garlic will have residual oil to brown the Panko crumbs. On medium-high heat toss the panko in the skillet until toasty brown.

Notes

This recipe can be doubled for those times you are feeding a big crowd.  In fact,  the original recipe is double this, I cut it in half cause it's a lot of pasta.
Pesto, Pesto, Which One is Besto? (The OG One or the Guilt Free One)

Pesto, Pesto, Which One is Besto? (The OG One or the Guilt Free One)

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A favorite pasta dish in our house is Pesto with Linguine.  Years ago (I mean YEARS AGO), I clipped the LA Times winning Pesto recipe from their Basil Festival. The recipe was from the restaurant, Casa Monica, and has been my go-to Pesto ever since.  It starts with fresh basil leaves, garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan Cheeses, and olive oil, very traditional, but finishes with Pecorino Romano, fresh tomatoes, and a healthy (lol) dollop of butter.  Boom, Besto-Pesto.

Alas, as much as we love Pesto, it is tough on the waistline so when we have an itch for Pesto, we turn to the Minimalist Baker and their version of Pesto. Water stands in for much of the oil and nutritional yeast replaces the cheese.  It’s tasty enough to satisfy your Pesto craving and it’s guilt-free.

Let’s Start at the Very Beginning- OG Pesto

Traditionally, Pesto is made with mortar and pestle.  Take the path of least resistance and use a food processor or blender.  It makes quick work of Pesto making.

Pesto is not only great on pasta, but drizzled on fresh tomatoes and mozzarella, as a sauce on chicken or fish,  or blended with mayo for a sandwich spread.

Calorie Worthy…occasionally.  After a long hike, bike ride or walk-go for it!

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CASA MONICA PESTO

LA Times Basil Festival
Course dinner, pasta
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Angel hair pasta, italian, linguine, Pesto, recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

Pesto Sauce

  • 2 cups packed basil
  • 2 cloves garlic crushed
  • 2 tablespoons lightly toasted pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese Grate cheese in food processor
  • 2 tablespoons freshly grated romano cheese Grate cheese in food processor
  • 3 tablespoons softened butter

Pasta & Finishing Touches

  • 3-4 medium tomatoes peeled and seeded
  • 1 pound linguine
  • 1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

Making the Pesto

  • Toast pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium heat. Set aside to cool.
  • Place garlic, pine nuts and salt in food processor bowl, pulse a couple of times. With processor running add olive oil. Once the garlic and nuts are minced, add basil. Process until the basil leaves are finely minced but do not overprocess as the leaves will darken.
  • Beat in cheeses by hand, then butter.
  • Mince tomatoes very fine with a sharp knife. Tomatoes should not be pureed or mashed.

Making the Pasta

  • Cook linguine in boiling salted water until tender but firm as directed.
  • Drain noodles, reserving some of the pasta water. Add a small amount of butter to pasta. For each serving, add some tomatoes to the linguine, then add pesto, mix quickly and serve at once.
  • Makes about 1 1/2 cups sauce. Approximately 6-8 servings.

Notes

To store:  Place pesto in a small container and cover with a thin layer of olive oil to prevent oxidation.
To make Pesto Pasta Salad- add pesto to pasta to taste. Add toasted pinenuts, cherry tomatoes and poached chicken and /or corn kernels.

The Lean and Mean Pesto

A guilt-free stand-in for Pesto.  Fits the bill when you are counting calories!

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Vegan Pesto

A delightful vegan pesto adapted from Minimalist Baker. Use it just like traditional pesto!
Course Sauce
Cuisine Italian, vegan
Keyword basil, easy recipe, Pesto, pine nuts, sauce, vegan, Vegan pesto
Prep Time 10 minutes

Equipment

  • 1 food processor You could use a mortar and pestle

Ingredients

  • 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
  • 3 Tbsp toasted pine nuts Can substitute walnuts
  • 3 large cloves garlic peeled
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 3-4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt plus more to taste
  • 2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil*
  • 3-6 Tbsp water plus more as needed

Instructions

  • To a food processor or small blender, add the nuts, garlic, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and sea salt and pulse to mince nuts and garlic. Add basil leaves to bowl. With the machine running, stream half of the olive oil. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl. Stream the remaining olive oil. You should have a nice paste. Try to use the pulse button to avoid over-processing.
  • Then add 1 Tbsp (15 ml) water at a time until the desired consistency is reached - a thick but pourable sauce. Use the pulse function on your processor to avoid over-processing the basil.
  • Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding more nutritional yeast for cheesy flavor, or salt if it needs it.

Notes

Adjust the amount of nuts or garlic to taste.  Like a garlicky pesto, use more garlic.
Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. After that, pour remainder into ice cube molds, freeze, and store for up to 1 month or more.
Use this sauce as you would a traditional pesto with pasta, add to mayo for a Sammie spread, or thin it and drizzle on veggies.
Tomato Egg Fried Rice & the Fishy Bits

Tomato Egg Fried Rice & the Fishy Bits

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A couple of weeks ago I was reading a post from the Woks of Life, a lovely blog on Asian cooking. Their post was on a classic Chinese dish, Salted Fish Fried Rice.  Salted Fish is a Cantonese ingredient made from white fish like croaker, salted and air-dried.  This process concentrates the flavor of the fish, it’s salty, fish-forward, and well, kinda funky in a good way.  Their twist was to substitute anchovies for the salted fish (hom yu, 鹹魚).  My first thought was “Yum, I gotta try this, I think I have anchovies in my pantry”.

They also have a cookbook out and it’s gorgeous.  If you need (who doesn’t)  a cookbook that covers Chinese cuisine for the novice to seasoned cook, Woks of Life fits the bill. You can order it from Books, Inc. or in the Bay Area, from Omnivore Books which has signed copies.

Dad and Gung Gung 1940s

Tales of My Grandfather

As I read their post, memories of my grandfather bubbled to the surface.  He lived in an SRO (single room only) in the heart of Chinatown above Sun Tai Sam Yuen Restaurant.  It was convenient and comfortable for him.  A line cook at Original Joe’s and at the Fairmont’s Tonga Room he walked to work from Chinatown.  His neighbors, Cantonese men of similar age, had migrated to Gum San (San Francisco) looking for work.

…

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Gochujang Buttered Noodles (Ketchup Noodles 2.0)

Gochujang Buttered Noodles (Ketchup Noodles 2.0)

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My Dad made dinner most of the time.  Every evening he would leave the office, shop for dinner ingredients, go back to the office, pick up my mom, then go home.  Once home, he donned his apron and cranked out a typical Chinese meal in about 30-45 minutes.  A typical meal consisted of a quick soup, stir-fried beef with vegetables, and steamed fish.  It takes me 30 minutes just to decide what to make let alone have it on the table. Yep, my Pop was Dinner Dad Extraordinaire.

But when I stop and think about it, my mom was the one who got us up, made us breakfast, packed our lunches, and made most of the non-Asian holiday meals.  I have been giving short shrift to my mom all these years.  She accounted for 2/3 of our daily meals and my favorite lasagne.  Aiyah, I can’t believe I “marginalized” my own mom.

The Real Deal

My mom was instrumental in trying new things in our house.  An early adopter of the microwave, yogurt (before it was fashionable and filled with fruit and sugar), and frozen food.  Fridays meant Date Night for the parents and Swanson’s TV Dinners for us, and thanks to Swanson’s genius ad campaign, we got to eat in front of the TV.

There are a couple of dishes that my mom made that trumped (sorry) everything else.  First, Avocado Sandwiches.  My mom was ahead of her time-avocados, mashed with a little bit of mayo, S & P, and a squirt of lemon juice, slathered on white bread.  The OG of Avocado Toast. She’d make a killing.

Second, Ketchup Noodles. Butter, noods, ketchup,  a little salt and pepper.  There you have it, perfection.

Which Brings Me to…

Gochujang Buttered Noodles.  A trademark Eric Kim recipe, easy, fast, and absolutely delicious.  I can’t give him 100 percent credit, this dish reminds me of my Mom’s Ketchup Noodles, think of his version as Ketchup Noodles 2.0.  Gochujang, the Korean, sweet and spicy chili paste replaces ketchup, and honey and vinegar bring a balanced sweet-tart flavor.  Fresh garlic adds punch. It’s delicious.  Another Eric recipe goes viral.

The Sauce

Gochujang or Korean Chili Paste comes in mild, medium or hot and can be found at most Asian grocery stores.  Trader Joe’s also carries a gochujang paste.  Do not confuse this with Gochujang Sauce which is thinner in consistency and probably contains sweeteners.   Use mild honey or agave syrup for the sweetener and rice vinegar or sherry vinegar for the acid, together they bring balance to the dish.

Reduce the sauce until you you run your spatula through it and it stays separate for a couple of seconds.  It will be syrupy and have a nice sheen.  Add your pasta and reserved pasta water (a little at a time to desired consistency).

The Noods

Asian pasta, like ramen or Taiwanese dry noodles, is my favorite for its texture, but spaghettini or linguine works in this dish.  The bottom line, use your favorite pasta.

Finish the dish by garnishing it with chopped scallions, sesame seeds, and crushed seaweed.  I also like to drizzle some sesame oil on top.

Enjoy!

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Gochujang Buttered Noodles

Ingredients

  • 1 pound spaghetti or other long pasta
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 12 garlic cloves finely chopped (about ⅓ cup)
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • ¼ cup gochujang paste
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup sherry vinegar or rice vinegar
  • Finely chopped cilantro or thinly sliced scallions optional

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water. Drain the spaghetti and return to its pot.
  • While the pasta cooks, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium-low. Add the garlic and season generously with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the garlic starts to soften but not brown, 1 to 3 minutes.
  • Stir in the gochujang, honey and vinegar, and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reduces significantly, 3 to 4 minutes; when you drag a spatula across the bottom of the pan, it should leave behind a trail that stays put for about 3 seconds. Remove from the heat.
  • Transfer the sauce to the pot with the spaghetti and add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Vigorously stir until the butter melts. Add splashes of the pasta cooking water, as needed, to thin out the sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Top with the cilantro or scallions (if using) and serve immediately.
Cold Noodles with Tomatoes (Tomato Triple Play)

Cold Noodles with Tomatoes (Tomato Triple Play)

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I have taken over tomato duties from the hubby who has given up on becoming an urban farmer.  We just haven’t had any luck with turning our garden into a summer veggie paradise.  My bounty from 5 tomato plants so far has been a grand total of 4 tiny red orbs 🤦🏻‍♀️

FORTUNATELY, we have a wonderful farmer’s market in town.

My haul from last week’s farmer’s market included a variety of cherry tomatoes including Bronze Torch Cherry Tomatoes (pictured on the right above) from Live Earth Farm in Watsonville. We have been buying Live Earth produce since my kids were toddlers and they’re in their twenties now!  The Bronze Torch Cherry Tomatoes are simply AH-MAZING.  Sweet, tomatoey, delicious.

Tomato Trifecta

I am a big fan of Eric Kim.  He writes regularly for New York Times Cooking and just published a wonderful cookbook, Korean American.  It is hands down one of my favorite books. His recipes are easy and delicious and his writing is even better.  You can also find him on YouTube making many of his recipes, he’s funny, personable, and charming.  I went to his book signing at Omnivore Books in SF, fun, I’m such a food groupie.

I love his Grape Tomato Quick Kimchi which I make all the time.  Serve as Banchan (side dish-pictured on the right above) one day and as a sauce over noods the next day.  It is downright delicious.  As soon as I saw his Cold Noodle with Tomatoes recipe I jotted it down on my MAKE ASAP list.  It is so easy and incredibly delicious.  It should go on your list too.

Start with cherry tomatoes, slice them in half, and sprinkle with salt.  Let the tomatoes sit in the bowl while you put together the rest of the dish.  No need to use a strainer as the juices from the salted tomatoes become part of the broth.  Mince garlic, get out the rice vinegar, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, and sesame oil, and toss it all in a bowl along with the tomatoes.  Next, add cold-filtered or bottled water to the bowl (use water that tastes good).  Add diced scallions, and slices of radishes (the little red ones) or cucumbers to the broth. Set the broth aside.

Here’s the Hard Part

How to cook your somen.  DO NOT COOK YOUR SOMEN while you are getting the other components together. Make the broth and set it aside.  Focus on the noods so you don’t overcook them.  For somen (thin Japanese wheat noodles), start with plenty of unsalted water.  Somen has salt in it. If you use too little water, the noods will absorb too much water because of the salinity. Watch them like a hawk, and stir them with chopsticks or tongs while cooking to separate the noodles, this takes 3-4 minutes TOPS.  Remove from heat, rinse thoroughly under cold water and drain well.

Before serving, twirl noodles into a bundle and place them in a bowl.  Add crushed ice to the tomatoes and pour it over your noodles.  Garnish with additional scallions and sesame seeds.  It’s so refreshing, the perfect summer meal.  Carnivores, feel free to add shrimp or chicken or half of a hard-boiled egg.   Serve asap on a hot summer day.  Sooooooo good.

BONUS,  Ottolenghi’s Charred Tomatoes and Cold Yogurt.  Yes, my trifecta of tomato recipes.  Tomatoes, roasted with thyme, cumin seeds, lemon, and garlic,  served over yogurt or Labneh. It’s my go-to party appetizer, especially in the summer.  It’s “lick the bowl clean” good.  A showstopping, easy dish.  Make it, you’ll thank me.

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Cold Noodles with Tomatoes

Refreshing, delicious, and easy to prepare, Eric Kim's Cold Noodles with Tomatoes
Course noodles, one bowl meal, pasta, Soup
Cuisine Asian, Asian-American, Korean
Keyword cherry tomatoes, Cold noodles, Cold Noodles with Tomatoes, soup
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

The Star

  • 2 pints ripe cherry tomatoes halved
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)

The Noods

  • 12 to 14 ounces somyeon somen, capellini or other thin wheat noodle

Soup and Seasonings

  • ¼ cup rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce Kikkoman, Sempio 501 or 701 or LKK Premium Soy
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 large garlic clove finely grated
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 cups cold filtered water or bottled water of your choice.
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

The Garnishes

  • 2 radishes thinly sliced, or cucumbers work in a pinch
  • 2 scallions thinly sliced at an angle
  • 2 cups crushed or cubed ice

Omnivore Options

  • cooked shrimp or shredded chicken
  • hard boiled eggs, but not too hard-boiled lol

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, toss together the tomatoes and salt. Let sit until juicy, about 10 minutes.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package instructions, drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside. See post for how to cook somen noodles.
  • Add the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, mustard and sesame oil to the tomatoes, and toss with a spoon until well combined. Stir water into the tomatoes and sprinkle the surface of the broth with the sesame seeds, radishes and scallions.
  • Right before serving, add the ice to the broth. Divide the noodles among bowls, and ladle in the broth and any unmelted ice, making sure each serving gets a nice sprinkling of tomatoes, radishes, scallions and sesame seeds.
Golden Fried Rice-Sinfully Delicious (黄金炒饭)

Golden Fried Rice-Sinfully Delicious (黄金炒饭)

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I LOVE fried rice. Posted on 3Jamigos are my favorites,  my Dad’s Fried Rice and Kimchi Fried Rice.  Until now, I was very content with these two recipes until…..I came across a video from Lucas Sin, chef/owner of Junzi’s Kitchen in New York/New Haven for Golden Fried Rice.  Golden Fried Rice? Say what?

The key to this dish and why it is called Golden Fried Rice is uncooked egg yolks are mixed into the rice BEFORE cooking.  The egg yolk surrounds each grain of rice, like a protective rain slicker. When the rice is cooked the grains stay separate, and take on this wonderful satiny loose texture and light golden hue.  It’s nuanced but mind-blowing, and that’s coming from a fried rice freak.

Young Guns Breaking the Mold

I follow more than a couple of Asian-American chefs, cookbook authors, and bloggers on the scene now. I’m so impressed with not just their cooking but their ability to utilize social media and non-traditional avenues to highlight Asian cuisine.  They have found ways to navigate and adapt to the pandemic.  I’ve posted about many of these kids and their work.

The new guard includes Lucas Sin, Deuki Hong, Eric Kim, Brandon Jiu, Cynthia Chen McTiernan, Joy Cho… The old guard, who paved the way, include Roy Choi, David Chang, Eddie Huang, and Joanne Chang.  They are not just making great food but highlighting social and environmental issues that impact all of us. 

It has been a difficult time compounded by the anti-Asian sentiment in this country, it’s good to see Asian Americans use their platforms to support the community and bring to light many of the issues that folks of color, not just Asian American faces.  I’m proud to be Asian-American. #veryasian

Going for the Gold-en

I don’t even need to do a rundown of the recipe if you watch this video! But I will.

Mise En Place is the name of the game.

Get all your ingredients prepped before you get near your stove.  This holds true for any stir-fried dish.  Make sure you have all your ingredients cut, and prepped, and your seasonings on hand.  Stir-frying is that point of time where Scotty takes us into warp speed.  So you better be ready to go.

Rules of the Game

After Mise En Place.  Use a large, flat-bottomed pan to stir-fry.  Face it, most of us don’t have stoves that generate enough BTUs to do real wok cooking,  a flat-bottom maximizes the surface area in contact with your flame.

The very basic dish is rice, egg, and the flavor trinity of ginger, onions, and garlic. Oh, and of course, salt and peppa.

Add-itionally

Most people aren’t purists, at least not all of the time. Let’s talk adds.  Anything goes with fried rice, any veggie, any protein, any condiment..it’s all good, which tells you just how perfect fried rice is.  I am no exception, my favorite additions to fried rice are Lop Cheung (Chinese sausage), bbq pork, and shiitake mushrooms.  All adds should be at least partially cooked before adding to the rice.  Because you will add your options right before you plate the dish. Your fried rice is just about done and boom, hit it with diced veggies and protein, give it a minute or so of frying to heat everything through, and you’re done.  That is unless you are adding sauce (catsup (my fav), hot sauce, XO Sauce, Buffalo Wing Sauce per Lucas) which you would add NOW.

Fried Rice is Soul Food, make a bowl, and enjoy.

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5 from 1 vote

Golden Fried Rice

Fried rice taken to a new level with the addition of egg yolks to the rice before it is cooked.
Course One dish meals, Rice
Cuisine Asian, Asian-American
Keyword eggs, Golden Fried Rice, Lucas Sin
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 cups chilled cooked short-grain white rice can use long grain, preferably day-old rice
  • 4 large eggs yolks and whites separated
  • 4 Tbsp. vegetable oil divided, plus more for drizzling

Asian Trinity Plus

  • ½ small yellow or white onion finely chopped
  • 1 inch piece ginger peeled, finely chopped almost minced
  • 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 4 scallions white and pale green parts separated, finely chopped, dark green parts thinly sliced,

Flavor Adds

  • 1 tsp Kosher salt to taste
  • 1 tsp sugar to taste
  • 1/8 tsp tumeric if you want to enhance the golden color of the rice, this is the trick
  • white pepper to taste

The Options: Sky's the Limit

  • 1 cup Bbq pork, shiitake mushrooms, Chinese sausage, shrimp, peas, any diced vegetables-squash. Last night's roast chicken, diced. Any of these should be diced and at least partially cooked. This is your chance to clean out the fridge! Add right before the rice is done and stir fry any adds for a minute to heat and combine distribute evenly in the rice. To preserve the texture of the rice, your additions should not be too wet, which is also why you should use pre-partially cooked items..

Instructions

  • Separate egg yolks from whites, placing yolks in a medium bowl and whites in a small bowl. Add rice to bowl with yolks and mix to break up any clumps and coat each grain with yolks (take your time with this as any clumps will cook together); set aside.
  • Stir 2 Tbsp oil into egg whites and season lightly with salt. Heat a dry large nonstick skillet over high. Add egg white mixture and cook, pushing around constantly with chopsticks or a heatproof rubber spatula, until gently set, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate. Wipe out skillet if needed.
  • Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in skillet over medium-high. Add ginger, stirring, until very fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add yellow onion, season with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until onion is translucent, about 1 minute (remove from heat if onion starts to go past golden brown). Add reserved rice mixture, sprinkle with sugar, and season with salt. Toss to combine, then cook, undisturbed, until rice is beginning to warm and crisp underneath, about 1 minute.
  • Push some of the rice to the side to clear a few inches in skillet. Drizzle a bit of oil into the clearing. Add scallion white and pale green parts and garlic and cook, stirring, until just softened and fragrant, about 45 seconds. Toss into rice mixture and cook, tossing occasionally, until warmed through and rice is crisp and chewy, about 3 minutes. Return cooked egg whites to pan and cook, tossing and breaking up with spatula until distributed.
  • Now is when you would add extras...veggies, protein, and then condiments. Stir fry additional minute to combine and heat through.
  • Special Shout Out to my favorite: catsup or ketchup, add it now. Start with at least 2-3 tablespoons and then add to taste. Fry to heat and incorporate catsup throughout the rice.
  • Divide among plates and top with scallion greens.

Notes

Note in the video, Lucas mentions a 2:1 ratio of salt to sugar.  I started with even amounts or a smidge more salt, taste, and season to your preference.
This fried rice does not use soy sauce at all.  Most likely due to the color impact of adding soy sauce.  I grew up with fried rice that was coffee with a bit of milk color. My Dad used soy sauce in his rice, a trick he probably picked up from Chinatown chefs.  A simple variation of fried rice starts with butter or rendered chicken fat with dark and light soy to color and flavor the rice...so, so yummy.
Creamy Cashew Udon with Crispy Mushrooms

Creamy Cashew Udon with Crispy Mushrooms

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I’m not a vegetarian but we are making a concerted effort to eat less meat and more veggies.  Good for us and good for the planet.  It’s much easier now with so many cookbook authors, bloggers, and chefs being much more veggie-forward.

The first new year recipe I tried was Cauliflower Steaks with a Smoky Tomato Rub from Cook the Vineyard.  Delicious, off to a good start!  I also received Hetty McKinnon’s To Asia with Love during the holidays.  A nod to her Chinese roots, she has penned a beautiful cookbook that relies on vegetables.  But before I even cracked open the book I found this recipe from her, Creamy Cashew Udon with Crispy Mushrooms, in Bon Appetit.  It’s so good.

The recipe can be broken down into 3 parts.  The creamy cashew sauce, the umami-filled chili crisp, soy, vinegar sauce, and the noodles.

Cashew Sauce

Who knew? Blending cashews with water, garlic makes an amazing, creamy, rich sauce that is the perfect stand-in for heavy cream.

It is super versatile, add herbs and spices for a sauce over roasted vegetables like carrots and broccoli. Or add some tahini for a sesame flavored sauce. Yummy.  I know, cashews can be pretty darn expensive.  I buy mine at Costco or local Indian markets which helps save some buckaroos,

The base sauce is cashews, water, garlic, salt, and a bit of oil.  It’s genius.  The cashews are hydrated first, in hot water, before tossing them in a blender or food processor with other ingredients and whirred into a sauce that provides flavor and a wonderfully creamy, decadent sauce.  Shazam.

Chili Oil

The chili sauce comes together quickly and provides that burst of flavor that brings it all together.  Use your favorite Chili Crisp Oil.  I use either the OG of Chili Crisp Oils, Lao Gan Ma, or Momofuku Chili Crisp.  Hetty McKinnon has a homemade chili crisp oil in her book.  It’s on my bucket list of things to try.

The Noods

Udon noodles are Japanese wheat noodles that are thick and springy.  Often overshadowed by its flashy cousin ramen. It is served in soup, hot or cold, and stir-fried.  My fav is in soup with shreds of beef, Niku Udon, with Aburaage, fried tofu, or simply with an egg.  Here is my Udon primer.  It works really well in this dish, the creamy sauce coats the thick, sticky udon nicely. The noodles have a nice bite that compliments the mushrooms.  BUT, you could use different noodles, keep in mind you’ll want a thicker noodle, one that can stand up to the sauce (so not thin vermicelli noodles).  For a gluten-free option, a wide rice noodle would work well.

Not gonna lie, always going to love meat, but folks like Hetty McKinnon are making it much easier to make our meals much more veggie-centric.  This pasta dish is going in the regular rotation!

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Creamy Cashew Udon with Crispy Mushrooms

From Hetty McKinnon an absolutely delicious pasta dish that uses cashews to create a creamy, decadent sauce, it’s vegetarian, it’s vegan, it’s yummy!
Course Main Course, one bowl meal, pasta
Cuisine Asian-American, vegan, vegetarian
Keyword Angel hair pasta, cashew, Creamy cashew sauce, mushrooms, Udon
Prep Time 1 hour 42 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

CASHEW CREAM

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1 garlic clove coarsely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt

Chili Oil

  • 2 Tbsp. Chinkiang or Chinese Black Vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. chili crisp or chili oil
  • 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
  • 1 scallion thinly sliced

The Shrooms

  • 2-3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 lb. oyster shiitake, crimini, or button mushrooms, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 clove garlic finely chopped
  • ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt plus more serving
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Noodles and Garnish

  • 28 oz. fresh or frozen udon noodles Substitute wide rice noodles for gluten-free option.
  • 2 scallions thinly sliced

Instructions

Cashew Cream

  • Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, then remove from heat. Add cashews and let sit until tender, 30–60 minutes.
  • Drain cashews and transfer to a blender (preferably high-speed) or food processor. Add garlic, oil, salt, and ½ cup water and purée until smooth.

Umami Sauce

  • Stir vinegar, chili crisp, soy sauce, sesame oil, and scallion in a small bowl to combine; set soy-vinegar sauce aside.
  • Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook mushrooms, tossing every minute or so but leaving mostly undisturbed, until mostly golden and crisp, 5–8 minutes, oyster and shiitakes will cook quicker, while crimini and button mushrooms will take a bit longer. Add garlic and kosher salt, cook, stirring often, add additional tablespoon of olive oil if the mushrooms look dry.

Noodles

  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook noodles according to package directions. You can use udon or any wide, thick noodle. For gluten-free option use rice noodles. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.
  • Remove half of the mushrooms from the pan. Add noodles and cashew cream to pan with remianing mushrooms cook, stirring and adding reserved cooking liquid a little at a time, until cream is loose and coats noodles. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Divide noodles among bowls, garnish with reserved mushrooms generously drizzle each with reserved soy-vinegar sauce. Top with remaining scallions. Serve.

Notes

You could make this gluten free too!  Use a wheat free soy sauce, like a Tamari Sauce and a rice noodle for the udon. 
Blend the cashew sauce well, preferably use a blender or food processor.  Don’t be timid, you want a nice smooth sauce.