Category: Sides
Mayak Eggs to Momofuku Eggs-Eggtraordinary

Mayak Eggs to Momofuku Eggs-Eggtraordinary

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Originally this post was going to just be about the latest Korean craze, Mayak Eggs (마약계란).  Tik Toks, Reels, IG Stories, folks “egging” everyone on to try Mayak Eggs.  The eggs are cooked Ramen Style (we’ll get into that later) and soaked in a bath of soy sauce, sweetener, chilis, garlic, and green onions.  Yep, pretty darn tasty, a flavor explosion of sweet, salty, spicy, and garlicky.

Egg-a-Licious

Ramen Style eggs are cooked in a pretty specific way.  Bring water to a boil and carefully drop your eggs in the boiling water. Let them boil for 6 minutes before immediately plunging them into an ice bath to stop the cooking.  The end result is a soft-boiled egg, where the egg white is cooked through but still tender and the yolk is just beginning to set around the edges. The center of the yolk is oozy, unctuous, and scrumptious, perfect in a bowl of ramen.

I have a confession to make…

I didn’t cook my Mayak Eggs this way.  A couple of years ago, (you all know I LOVE kitchen gadgets right? Donut pan, meat grinder, Instant Pot….) I bought an egg cooker.  Yep, a good for only one thing gadget, cooking eggs.  So I used it for my Mayak Eggs.

Well, I am not going to tell you to go buy an egg-cooker (don’t do it) so I needed to make Six Minute Ramen Eggs for myself.  I still had Mayak Eggs in the fridge so I decided to make Dave Chang’s Momofuku Ramen Eggs.  His recipe was part of Food52’s 10 all-time favs, so this was an easy call.

6 Things You Need to Know

  • Both these recipes are incredibly EASY.
  • Both are riffs on a soy sauce-based brine to flavor the eggs
  • Plan to make them in advance as the eggs need to sit in the brines for awhile
  • Mayak means drug in Korean.  Yes, they are addicting-that good
  • The longer the eggs are left in the brine the more color and flavor they will absorb

I saved the best for the last…

  • The hardest, most frustrating THING will be peeling those damn eggs!

Key points before the deep dive into the unappealing task of peeling.

Do You Mayak?

The sauce for the Mayak Eggs is delicious on rice or noodles. The soy sauce and sweetener (you can use corn syrup, rice syrup, or honey) balance each other so it is okay to leave the eggs in the brine/sauce to store.  The aromatics, garlic, chilis, scallions pump up the flavors in the sauce and take the eggs to a whole new level.  Absolutely delish.  Mayak Eggs can be served as a banchan (side dish) or as a topping on a bowl of rice (my fav) or noodles.  I tossed one in my bowl of Congee, along with a splash of the sauce this morning.  Delicious.

For less spicy eggs, de-seed and/or de-vein the chilis or reduce the number of chilis.  You can definitely play with this sauce and make it your own.  Add a little fish sauce for a briny flavor or a Ponzu instead for citrus notes.  Go crazy, it’s all good.

Dave is a Good Egg

Momofuku Eggs are closer to a traditional ramen egg. Not only great with ramen or Udon, but also delicious as part of a rice bowl like Taiwanese Pork Belly Rice Bowl or Buta no Kakuni (Japanese Pork Belly) or Simple Minced Pork Bowl.  The brine is salty.  Marinade your eggs for no more than 4 hours and use a low-sodium soy sauce.  Once made, the eggs can be stored sans sauce in an airtight container.  For a sweeter egg, add another tablespoon of sugar.

It’s the Big Egg…Here’s the Hard Part…Peeling

The goal is to end up with a smooth, pristine, beautiful egg…after peeling it.  The eggs are a little softer than a hard-boiled egg adding another layer of difficulty. Peeling without leaving little divots in the eggs, not an easy task.

  • Boil enough water such that the water level is one inch over the eggs.
  • Add 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt to the water. ( I see just as many recipes that don’t include this-optional)
  • When the water comes to a boil, carefully lower the eggs into it.
  • For the first minute of boiling, stir the eggs around the pot, this helps center the yolk.
  • Boil (not crazy boil, gentle rolling boil) for 6 minutes for a runny yolk, an additional minute for a jammy egg.
  • Have an ice bath ready to transfer the eggs into.
  • Allow eggs to cool for 5 minutes in the ice bath.
  • Crack the eggshell by tapping on it with a spoon.  Carefully peel the eggshell off along with the membrane between the shell and egg.  It helps to peel the egg in water or under running water.
  • Invert your teaspoon so the bottom is facing you, and slide it under the eggshell and membrane, lift the spoon to separate the shell from the egg.
  • Rinse any shell fragments off eggs and place them in brine.  Done!
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Mayak Eggs

Delicious and easy, Mayak Eggs are the perfect rice or noodle bowl accompaniment
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Asian-American
Keyword appetizer, egg, Mayak eggs, momofuku egg, ramen egg
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Servings 6 servings10

Ingredients

Cookin' Da Eggs

  • 4-6 eggs room temperature
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar

Da Marinade

  • 1/2 cup soy sauce I use Sempio 701 Soy Sauce for this dish
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1/2 cup rice syrup corn syrup or honey
  • 3 garlic cloves chopped
  • 3 to 4 green onions chopped
  • 1 green chili chopped (optional)
  • 1 red chili chopped (optional)
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions

Cookin Da Eggs

  • Heat enough water to cover 6 eggs by 1 inch in a pot. Add salt and vinegar and bring it to a rolling boil. Using a slotted spoon add eggs to water. Cook the eggs for 6 minutes for runny yolk or up to 10 minutes (Nooo, don't do it!) for hard-boiled eggs. While eggs are cooking, make a water bath of ice and water in a medium-size bowl. When the eggs are done, Immediately transfer them to the ice water bath. Cool for 5-7 minutes before peeling.

Da Sauce (marinade)

  • Combine soy, water, and sweetener and stir to blend. Add garlic, green onions, chilies and sesame seeds, stir.
  • Peel the eggs carefully without damaging them (easier said than done) and place in an air-tight container. Pour the sauce mixture over the eggs, cover and store in a refrigerator for at least 6 hours to overnight before serving.
  • It will last 5 to 7 days in fridge!
  • Drizzle with sesame oil! Serve with hot steamed rice.
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Momofuku Marinated Ramen Egg

Momofuku 6-minute eggs perfect topping on ramen or by itself as a snack
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Asian
Keyword egg, ramen egg
Prep Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons warm water
  • 1 tablespoon sugar addtional tablespoon for a sweeter egg
  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • 3/4 cup soy sauce low-sodium or Tamari
  • 4-6 large eggs

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the water and sugar to dissolve the sugar, then stir in the sherry vinegar and soy sauce.
  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully put the eggs into the boiling water and cook for exactly 6 minutes and 50 seconds, stirring slowly for the first 1 minute. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. When the eggs are done, transfer them to the ice bath.
  • Once the eggs are cool, (5-7 minutes) peel them in the water. See notes above.
  • Transfer the eggs to the soy sauce mixture and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours, making sure they are completely submerged or occasionally rotate eggs.
  • Remove the eggs from the sweet and salty marinade. You can save the soy sauce mix for another round of eggs, if you wish. Refrigerate eggs in a tightly sealed container.
Quick Fix: Cabbage with Butter and Soy Sauce

Quick Fix: Cabbage with Butter and Soy Sauce

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I love cabbage.  This has been a recent revelation.  I’m not quite sure why cabbage has grabbed my attention but I find myself throwing it into a variety of dishes-salads, curries, soups, and stir-fries.

With a head of cabbage in the fridge and little time,  I needed a quick side dish for dinner.  A recipe form Eric Kim on Food52 popped into my head, asparagus with soy sauce and butter.  Why not trade the cabbage for the asparagus?

Quick and Easy

Shred cabbage, not too finely so it retains some crunch, and set it aside. Heat a pan large enough to hold the cabbage.  Melt the butter, add the cabbage and cook until it wilts.  Add soy sauce, and stir fry until the butter and soy sauce bubble.  Season with pepper and salt if needed.  Bada Bing Bada Boom, done.

Substitute ponzu soy for a touch of citrus or dashi soy for seafood twist or an equal amount of oyster sauce adds flavor also.  Garnish with sliced green onions.

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Cabbage with Butter and Soy Sauce

Course Side Dish
Cuisine Asian-American
Keyword brown butter, cabbage, soy sauce
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Servings 3 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 head of green cabbage shredded into 1/2 to 3/4 inch strips
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce or substitute Ponzu or Soy Dashi or use 1 T oyster sauce and 1 T soy sauce
  • Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper garnish

Instructions

  • Heat a skillet over high heat and melt the butter. Add the cabbage, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly wilted. Add the soy sauce and cook for another minute or until the butter and soy sauce bubble up into a sticky glaze. Garnish with sliced green onions. Serve immediately.

Notes

Okay, for you carnivores...saute' diced bacon (2 slices), omit salt and use half the butter with the bacon fat.  
Chicken, Woman, Man, Soccer, Beer-Extra Points For Fried (KFC)

Chicken, Woman, Man, Soccer, Beer-Extra Points For Fried (KFC)

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The Hubster is still on his quest for the perfect fried chicken.  He is getting pretty darn close if you ask me.  This time a recipe for Fried Chicken Wings caught his eye, which was okie-dokie with me.  I love any kind of fried chicken.

KFC

When we were in Seoul last year (seems like forever ago), one of the first things we did was hit the streets looking for KFC, no,  not Kentucky Fried Chicken, but Korean Fried Chicken.  We found a place, there are zillions to choose from (there are more fried chicken stores in South Korea than McDonalds in the world, its not even close) that serves Chicken and Beer or Chimaek as it is called.  Apparently, back in the early 2000s, when South Korea made a serious run at the World Cup, Koreans ate a ton of fried chicken and drank a lot of beer while watching the matches.  Their love for KFC persisted after the soccer tourney and whenever a soccer match is broadcasted, chicken sales go crazy in S. Korea.

Yes, in Myeongdong Market, one of many restaurants, for chicken and beer.  My kinda town.

I don’t drink beer normally (I’m a wine gal) but it did go REALLY well with the sweet and spicy fried chicken.  Serve wings with savory crackers and radishes for a complete meal-protein, veggies, and starch.  See?

The Secret to Captain K-runch

KFC is super crunchy and crispy and the secret to the extra crunch, drum roll please, is twice-fried chicken.  The first fry is to cook and seal the chicken and the second fry is to give it that extra crunch.  The other secret is to use potato starch as part of the batter for the chicken to kick up the crispiness even more.

The chicken is marinated so its pretty tasty as is after frying, BUT what fun would that be?  I found a delicious sweet and spicy sauce for fried chicken from one of my favorite sites, Korean Bapsang.  We transferred the fried chicken into the sauce and rolled the chicken in the sauce to coat.  So good, it immediately transported me back to our visit to Seoul and having DakGangjeong in the street markets.  맛있는! Delicious!

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Korean Sweet and Crispy Fried Chicken (DakGangjeong)

How to make Sweet Crispy Crunchy Korean Fried Chicken Wings
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine Korean
Keyword Crispy, Fried Chicken, Sweet and Spicy
Prep Time 1 day
Cook Time 30 minutes

Equipment

  • Deep Fryer

Ingredients

Chicken and marinade

  • 2 to 2.5 lbs chicken wings
  • 1/2 tsp 2 3/4 g salt
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger minced
  • 1/2 tsp Gochugaru Korean chili powder
  • 1 tsp fresh garlic minced
  • 1 Tbsp yellow onion minced or grated
  • 1/4 cup rice wine or sherry
  • cooking oil to deep fry

Fry Mix

  • 1 cup 125 g potato starch can sub cornstarch for potato starch
  • 1 cup 125 g all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder optional
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp Gochugaru powder fine grind not coarse
  • 2 tsp granulated garlic powder
  • 2 tsp granulated onion powder

The Sauce

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons rice wine or mirin
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon gochujang Korean red chili pepper paste
  • 3 tablespoons honey or corn or rice syrup
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • pinch pepper

Instructions

The Chicken

  • Combine marinade ingredients and add to chicken wings, get in there and mix the marinade into the chicken. Marinade in fridge at least a couple of hours to overnight

Fry Mix

  • Combine flour and starch and seasonings in a bowl. Mix well.
  • Remove 1/2 cup of dry mix to a separate bowl. This is for the batter. Add approximately 1/2 cup cold water to the 1/2 cup fry mix shoot for pancake bstter like consistency.
  • Heat vegetable oil in a pot big enough to hold a quart and half of oil. Or if you are lucky enough to have a deep fryer-ues as directed. (I don't have one so you are on your own)
  • As the oil heats to 350 degrees. Prep your chicken.
  • Set up your station like this: chicken, wet batter, dry mix, rack. Place chicken pieces in wet batter and coat thoroughly. Take each piece and roll it in the dry mix to coat well, pat down the dry mix on each piece. Place on rack and repeat with remaining pieces.
  • When the oil reaches 350 degrees add chicken a few pieces at a time to fryer. Fry approximately 7-8 minutes until a nice crust forms on the chicken. It will still be pale in color. Remove chicken to rack and continue to all the pieces are fried. Heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry chicken a second time until golden brown about 2 minutes.
  • You can serve chicken as is or coat pieces with the sweet and spicy sauce, my favorite.

Sweet and Spicy Sauce

  • In a pan large enough to hold the chicken, combine sauce ingredients, and stir well. Bring it to a boil. When it starts to bubble, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer until it thickens slightly, about 3 to 4 minutes.
  • Add chicken to sauce mixture. Stir to coat and pour onto a platter. Garnish with sesame seeds and diced green onions.
CORNfirmation, Summer is Here! (Elote-Grilled Mexican Street Corn)

CORNfirmation, Summer is Here! (Elote-Grilled Mexican Street Corn)

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I consider my weekly trip to our local Farmer’s Market as my sanity break from COVID-19.  As the weather warms not only are more folks coming out but the variety of fruits and vegetables at the market has also blossomed.  As the apples and pears bid us goodbye-cherries, stone fruits, and berries have slid into those same spots without missing a beat.

My usual routine on Sundays is to head over to our local farmers market.  I line up around 8:30, before the market opens at 9:00, to grab my half flat of strawberries.  All my “ducks” are in a row so I then hop over to the next kiosk for microgreens and mushrooms, veggies at Live Earth Farm, and then cherries on the corner along with my Asian veggie fix.  I wrap up my shopping at the fresh blueberries stand and then sit on a bench with my buds to catch up.

This past Sunday, I added a stop.

Fresh Corn is Back Baby!

There I was, waiting in the strawberry line when I noticed a new stall next to the strawberries, FRESH CORN.  This signals the beginning of summer.  Everybody have corn tonight, uh-huh, uh-huh.

The Paint

Most of the time we boil or steam the corn and happily munch on them unadorned, a sprinkle of salt perhaps.  My new favorite way to serve fresh corn is as Grilled Mexican Street Corn called Elote.  Shuck the corn and throw them on a hot grill until they are nicely charred.  Remove and slather corn with mayonnaise or a 50:50 blend of mayonnaise and sour cream or Mexican Crema.   If you have an aversion to mayo, you could use just sour cream or melted butter.  I use a brush to “fine-tune” how much mayo I spread on each cob to appease my guilt about the calories.

The Sprinkles

The essential ingredient for corn sprinkles (cute, eh) is chili powder.  A purist will get specific chili powders like ancho or guajillo, which can be purchased online or at any Hispanic market.  These are specifically dried chilis ground into powder.  Chili Powder found in most supermarkets is actually a blend of chilis and other spices like cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and cayenne.  ANY of these work for Elote.

AND THEN…You can try commercial products made to mimic the flavors of Elote and enhance your “street food” dish.  I like Tajin, a blend of chilis, lime, and salt.  Think of it as the granddaddy of the Mexican spice blend.  Lately, TJ’s has jumped on the bandwagon and has a Chili Lime seasoning blend and in their Everything But The…line, an Elote blend that contains Parmesan, Chipotle, cumin, and cilantro, which sounds pretty darn delicious.

The Fixins’

The finishing trifecta for your Elote.  Sprinkle fresh chopped cilantro and crumbled Cotija Cheese or in a pinch, Parmesan cheese, and finally a squeeze of lime all over the corn.

Done, so good.

For those of you who just can’t stand corn between your teeth, after grilling, scrape the corn off the cob. Put the corn in a bowl and add the sprinkles and fixins’ on top, voila, a delicious, colorful Corn Salad, and no flossing.  Check out Serious Eats’s Esquites-Mexican Street Corn Salad.

Enjoy

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Elote (Mexican Street Corn)

Fresh corn on the cob marks the summer season. Elote or Mexican Street Corn, a delicious way to highlight fresh corn, grill and top with mayo, chili, cheese and lime.
Course Side Dish, Vegetable
Cuisine Hispanic, Mexican
Keyword Corn on the cob, Elote, Fresh corn
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 6 ears corn shucked and cleaned
  • 1/3-1/2 cup mayonnaise or use a blend of Mayo and sour cream or Crema
  • Chili powder See post for variations
  • 1/3 c. crumbled cotija cheese or Parmesan in a pinch
  • Freshly chopped cilantro
  • Lime wedges for serving

Instructions

  • Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high. Grill corn, turning often, until slightly charred all over, about 10 minutes.
  • Brush corn with a layer of mayonnaise and sprinkle with chili powder, cotija, and cilantro. Serve warm with lime wedges.
Cinco De Mayo Dinner in the Time of COVID

Cinco De Mayo Dinner in the Time of COVID

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A brief moment of escape from the reality of our world right now to enjoy a Margarita and celebrate Cinco de Mayo.  I got the last bottle of Margarita Mix at TJs and unintentionally created a Cinco de Mayo dinner that looked like an ad campaign for kitchen appliances. Tortilla press for homemade tortillas (so fun), food processor for salsa (so easy), an Instant Pot for Carnitas (so fast), and finally my rice cooker for Mexican Rice (so true, a rice cooker, lol).

I pulled out my tortilla press for a low tech appliance start to stamp those flour tortillas.  I prefer corn tortillas but the fam outvoted me, I didn’t have any Masa Harina anyways. LOL. The King Arthur Flour website was my first stop for a recipe for tortillas.  I found their recipe for Simple Tortillas and I was in business.

The Tortillas

The dough comes together quickly. I used shortening.

The tortilla is simple and contains flour, salt, shortening or oil, and water.  It comes together quickly and is kind of fun to make, especially if you have a tortilla press.  This is a no-brainer fun cooking project with your kids or when without kid but you are abiding by SIP orders for a pandemic.  Find the recipe for Simple Tortillas on King Arthur Flour here.

 

 

 

The dough is divided into 8 pieces. Keep them covered or oiled while you press each flat. This is the tricky part, I tried both a cut-up Ziploc bag and parchment in the press and they still stuck a little.  I ended up dusting each ball of dough with flour to help keep it from sticking.
When the tortilla starts to bubble, flip it over.
Ta-Da! Homemade tortillas are thicker and fluffier than commercial products. These were warm, chewy, and tasty-yum!

Carnitas

Carnitas are probably my favorite taco, burrito, anything filling.  Love em’ and since I had a pound of pork in the fridge and it was Cinco de Mayo. Yep,  no-brainer, Carnitas Tacos for dinner.  Found a tasty recipe on Simply Happy Foodie for small-batch carnitas in a 3 quart Instant Pot. I threw it all in my 6-quart pot which worked fine.  Next time I am doubling or tripling the recipe, that good.

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Instant Pot Carnitas

Delicious Carnitas made in half the time in an Instant Pot!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Carnitas in an Instant Pot
Prep Time 15 minutes

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker or Instant Pot

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsps Olive or vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1/4 tsp Pepper
  • 1 Tbsp Cumin
  • 2 tsp Chili Powder
  • 1 tsp Smoked Paprika or reg
  • 1 tsp Oregano
  • 1 tsp Coriander Powder
  • 1/8 tsp Cayenne Powder use 1/4 tsp or more for spicier
  • 1 to 1-1/2 lbs Pork Shoulder / Pork Butt * cut in 3" chunks
  • 1/2 small Onion chopped
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 1/2 Cinnamon Stick about 2-3 inches long
  • 4 cloves Garlic finely chopped or minced
  • 1/2 cup Orange Juice or Pineapple Juice

Instructions

  • Combine oil, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano, coriander powder, and cayenne pepper in a medium size bowl. Mix well.
  • Add the pork to the spice mixture and toss to cover all of the meat with the mixture.
  • Press Saute button on Instant Pot. If you can adjust the heat, use high or more on your pot. When display reads “Hot” add the meat. Cook until browned on all sides, but not done. Remove from pot and set aside.
  • Add onion, bay leaf, and cinnamon stick and cook until onions are tender, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze (get those brown bits off the bottom) Add a small amount of water to help the deglazing.
  • Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds, stirring constantly.
  • Add the pineapple juice or orange juice and stir.
  • Add the meat back in to the pot and just nestle it down into the juice (it won't be covered).
  • Place the lid on the pot and set the Steam Release Knob to Sealing.
  • Cancel the Sauté function by pressing Cancel
  • Press the Pressure Cook button and set the time to 30 minutes.
  • When the cooking cycle has ended, let it sit for 15 minutes. It will start naturally releasing the pressure.
  • Turn the steam release knob to Venting and release any remaining steam/pressure. There may not be any left, and that's okay. When the pin in the lid drops down it is safe to open the lid.
  • BEFORE you stir, take a spoon or a small measuring cup and skim off the extra fat that is on top and discard. It's a lot easier doing it this way than pouring it into a fat separator!
  • Stir the meat and transfer just the meat to a sheet pan with sides or ovenproof dish. Reserve sauce. Using two forks, shred the meat and spread on baking sheet.
  • Broil the carnitas to get those nice crispy bits. Slide them under the broiler until they reach the desired crispness. Watch carefully it will go fast!
  • Garnish with sour cream, salsa, cilantro, diced white onions or green onions, avocado, and serve with those warm delicious homemade tortillas.

The Salsa

A quick and super easy salsa that starts with Fire-Roasted Tomatoes in a can!  I posted this for Cinco de Mayo a couple of years ago.  It is my go-to salsa.  Find it here!

 

 

 

 

Mexican Rice

I adapted this recipe from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless.  It is right up my alley since it is made in a rice cooker, the only way I know how to make rice.  It’s easy and delicious.  I use half of the quick salsa to make Mexican Rice, and the rest to serve.

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Mexican Red Rice

Classic Mexican Red Rice made in a rice cooker, so easy, so delicious
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Meican Red Rice, Rice Cooker
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes

Equipment

  • Rice Cooker

Ingredients

  • 1½ tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil
  • 1½ cups white rice
  • 1 cup homemade quick salsa commercial salsa will work also
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • salt to taste start with 1/2 tsp
  • 1½ cups frozen peas optional
  • 1 /2 can roasted chilis 4oz you know the mild kind in the little cans, optional
  • 1-2 cloves garlic finely chopped
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin

Instructions

  • Heat a medium (3 quart) ovenproof saucepan over medium heat.
  • Add the oil. When it is hot add garlic and fry for 1 minute to soften. Add rice and stir frequently until the grains of rice turn from translucent to milky-white – don’t worry if some of them brown.
  • Pour sauteed rice mixture into rice cooker pot.
  • Add the salsa, chicken broth, chilis, ½ tsp salt and cumin. Set to cook.
  • Fluff the rice and mix in the peas. Adjust the salt to taste, then serve
Spring into Asparagus Season

Spring into Asparagus Season

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For some silly reason, it never seems to dawn on me that spring has finally arrived until I see bunches of asparagus in the market.  This year is especially strange with the COVID-19 crisis, time just seems to be standing still.  On a dreary rainy day last week, I finally escaped to the market and the first display I saw was the asparagus.  I cracked a little smile, grateful that spring had arrived even in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic.

While at the market, I bought a bunch of asparagus home knowing exactly what I was going to do with it.  I had just read a wonderful essay by Eric Kim entitled “The Man Who Hated Eating Alone”. Eric is a senior editor for Food52 and author of the column Table for One.  His latest essay on eating alone, (which many of us are experiencing with self-quarantine) intertwined with James Beard’s bio and his recipe for asparagus-delicious, so simple, and perfect for one person.

The recipe calls for asparagus, butter and soy sauce. That’s it.  Thinly sliced asparagus, melt a pat of butter in a pan, add a splash of soy sauce, and saute’ for a couple of minutes so it stays crispy. Sprinkle some coarse salt to finish-boom, done.  So delicious and so easy.  It’s criminal.

But if I think about it, I love most of my vegetables prepared simply.  I make my favorite Chinese dish of pea sprouts or spinach ALOT.  Just stir-fry greens with lots of garlic, a bit of soy sauce, oyster sauce and ginger and that’s it, ready to scarf it down.  Blanch lettuce, Iceberg or Romaine, quickly in water or stock and finish with oyster sauce and oil-done and delicious.  Can’t beat that.

So I shouldn’t be surprised that such a simple recipe would be wonderful. I prepped my asparagus two ways, cut on the diagonal and shaved into long thin strips with a peeler.  Use Ponzu Soy Sauce or Soy Dashi instead of soy sauce which adds a hit of citrus and a dash of sesame oil for pop.  this would also work beautifully with sugar snap peas or snow peas.

Enjoy, Stay home, stay well.

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Paper-Thin Asparagus with Butter and Soy Sauce

A simple delicious recipe from Eric Kim of Food 52
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Asian-American
Keyword asparagus
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 2 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 8 ounces asparagus cut in paper-thin diagonal slices or shave with peeler
  • Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper garnish
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce substitute Ponzu or Soy Dashi

Instructions

  • Heat a skillet over high heat and melt the butter. Add the asparagus, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce and cook for another minute or so, until the butter and soy sauce bubble up into a sticky glaze. Serve immediately.

Notes

Though written as a serving for one, as a side dish this would feed 2-3 people.

 

 

 
Cool Hand Cuke (Cucumber Salad from A Common Table)

Cool Hand Cuke (Cucumber Salad from A Common Table)

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This summer I have been the lucky recipient of what seems like a bushel of cucumbers from the gardens of friends and neighbors.  Luckily, I LOVE cucumbers.  I saute’ julienned strips of cucumbers for Bi Bim Bap, put crispy slices in sandwiches in place of lettuce, and thrown every salad I toss together.  What’s a cheeseboard with an array of dips without cucumbers to serve as a “dip-stick” (lol) for them?  So much better than celery if you ask me.

But what is my favorite way to serve cucumbers?  As a refreshing cold dish.  I posted a simple Korean Cucumber Banchan (side dish) recently that is flavored with soy sauce, chilis, and sesame oil and sprinkled with green onions and Korean chili powder.  It’s incredibly easy and TASTEE!

I also love the Smashed Cucumber Salad from A Common Table cookbook (love, love, love).  A classic Chinese dish that is perfect on a hot summer day.  Cukes, crisp and refreshing are dressed in a blend of soy sauce, vinegar, and chilis. The secret is to lightly smash the cut pieces of cucumber and salt them.  The added surface area allows the salt to extract more moisture and the cucumbers to then absorb the dressing.   It’s so simple, comes together in minutes, and makes a lovely side dish.  I use English or Persian cucumbers, fewer seeds and the skin is much thinner, no peeling necessary!  American cucumbers, on the other hand, have a thick waxy skin, which means peeling.  They also have more seeds and higher water content. Stick to the English or Persian cucumbers, trust me.

As summer comes to an end and you fire up the barbecue for the last time, this would be a perfect, refreshing side dish.

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Chinese Cucumber Salad

A cool and refreshing cucumber salad which has its roots in Chinese cuisine.
Course Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine Chinese
Keyword cucumber salad
Prep Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb Persian or Kirby cucumbers unpeeled (2 to 3 small cucumbers if using Persian)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons rice vinegar I use 1 teaspoon
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon or more to taste, substitute Ponzu, Soy Dashi or Yuzu Soy Sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to taste or use Korean chili powder, Gochugaru

Instructions

  • Slice the cucumbers in half lengthwise, then into 1-inch pieces or cut at a diagonal and rotate cucumber 1/4 turn, cutting angled 1-inch pieces.
  • Place the pieces cut-side down on a cutting board. Working with a few pieces at a time, lay the broad side of a wide chef's knife or cleaver on top of the cucumbers, and carefully use the palm of your free hand to smash down lightly on the blade.
  • Place the smashed cucumbers in a colander and sprinkle them evenly with the salt. Set aside until cucumbers release water, 20 to 30 minutes.
  • Stir 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, and red pepper flakes together and add to drained cucumbers. Taste and adjust seasonings, if desired. Let sit at room temperature or in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes to 1 hour (*note: the salad will taste better with more time, so if time allows, refrigerate and marinate for 6 hours or longer to let the flavors develop.

Notes

The key for crispy cucumbers is to smash and salt the cukes!
cucumber banchan
Cool as a Cucumber Banchan (Simple Asian Cucumber Salad)

Cool as a Cucumber Banchan (Simple Asian Cucumber Salad)

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Are you like me? I hate making salads. I love salads, but prepping veggies, not so much. I only have enough bandwidth to prep maybe 1-2 fixings for a salad. Which means my salads are pretty darn boring. Helloooo, Banchan.  Banchan are little appetizers plates that come with every Korean meal.  Banchan can include seafood like fishcake but are generally comprised of vegetables such as soybeans, radishes, potatoes or CUCUMBERS (my favorite). It’s my veggie salvation.  Instead of a salad, I pull out my jar of kimchi or pickled radishes, slice some cucumbers and splash a soy sauce, sesame oil, and green onion dressing on the cucumbers.  So refreshing and delicious.  Yep, rockin’ the banchan.

One of my favorite kitchen gadgets is the Japanese Behringer mandoline.  I purchased mine when I was in school in  Los Angeles a long time ago, and I mean a LONG time ago.  Thirty years later it’s still going strong, it’s a great option if you don’t have a mandoline.  It is sturdy, inexpensive and apparently very durable (I can vouch for that), find it here.

I love this little salad.  It is stupid easy to make and delicious. I use soy dashi, (a combination of soy sauce and dashi, a fish-based stock) when I want a smokey, slightly briny taste to the cucumbers.  Would be a lovely side dish with the Gochujang-Lime Salmon or the Braised Pork Belly rice bowl.

cucumber banchan
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Cucumber Banchan

Course Side Dish
Cuisine Asian
Keyword cucumber salad
Prep Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cucumber Japanese, English, Persian about 1 1/2 cup sliced for 1 cucumber

Dressing

  • 1 Tbs soy sauce or Soy Dashi
  • 2 Tbs rice vinegar
  • 1 Tbs sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Korean red chili powder
  • 1 tsp sesame oil

Garnish

  • 1/4 tsp sesame seeds
  • 2 green onions chopped

Instructions

  • Slice cucumbers into thin slices. Around 1/8 inch (3 mm).
  • Mix soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and sugar in a bowl. Pour soy vinegar into the bowl with cucumbers.
  • Then, add 1/2 tsp chili powder and sesame seeds. Mix and taste. Add more chili powder if you want. Doing it in this order allows you to taste and control the amount of chili powder based on how spicy you want it.
  • Add chopped green onions and mix again.
  • YOU ARE DONE!! Serve immediately for the freshest and crunchiest cucumbers. You can also let it sit for 10-15 minutes for the cucumbers to absorb the dressing before serving.
(Grilled Peppers and Torn Mozzarella Panzanella) Smittened Again

(Grilled Peppers and Torn Mozzarella Panzanella) Smittened Again

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This past weekend we had dinner with our “Gourmet Club”. A group of us, 5 couples, started the club when our kids were in preschool. It was a way of committing to a grown-up event, enjoying a nice meal and great conversation, sans kids, balloons, and crayons.
Initially, our goal was once a month, and we would each take a turn at hosting. The host picked the menu and made the main dish. The other couples provided the rest.

Well, with baseball, hockey, soccer practices, piano lessons, homework, not to mention work…monthly became every couple of months.  As the kids went in different directions, so did we, and our dinners became much more sporadic. The old adage, time flies rings true. It has been at least 8 years since our last get-together 🤦🏻‍♀️. Our kids are now all in their twenties…I gotta chew on that for a minute, so it was time to have another dinner. We were long overdue.

Good Food, Great Friends

We talked, laughed, bragged, and complained about our kids, parent’s prerogative. We drank way too many Mai Tais and ate way too much food. Besides Glen’s traditional toast, the best part of the evening was just being together again and enjoying each other’s company.

The days of “gourmet” meals are long gone, perhaps a reflection of where we are in our lives now, the food is unfussy, delicious, and comforting.  We were such blowhards back in the day, now, if we want a fancy-schmancy meal, we’re going out.  Casual is probably not quite accurate as our buffet included a platter of warm Roasted Cauliflower with a Raisin Caper Sauce from Serious Eats, a classic Greek Salad of garden tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, and onions, and a delicious stuffed pork roast.

I know, y’all are thinking, ok Deb…What did you bring to the table?

Grilled peppers and onions

As I was looking for inspiration, a mouthwatering Grilled Peppers and Torn Mozzarella Panzanella popped up on my feed from Smitten Kitchen.  Deb Perelman rocks.  Maybe it’s a Deb connection, but this isn’t the first time a Smitten Kitchen recipe has popped up when I needed something delicious.

This dish couldn’t be easier. Why?  Peppers, red onions, and a nice crusty bread are tossed in garlic, oil and GRILLED and…yay for me, hubby does ALL the GRILLING in our house. Yep. I prepped the veggies and bread and handed them off to Wes. Just like magic, while I was eating Bon Bons (jk), they came back perfectly grilled.  Call it the grillin’ and chillin’ method.  He grills while I chill-perfect!  All I had to do was make a simple vinaigrette, let the peppers soften, tear up the bread and mozzarella, and toss it all in a bowl with the dressing, fini, and Panzanella ready to go.  So good, so easy.  Folks, you need to file this under “so gonna make this”.

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Grilled Peppers and Torn Mozzarella Panzanella

Course Salad
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Panzanella
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6 people

Ingredients

Hubby's Part:

  • 4 1- inch slices bread country-style
  • 3 large red bell peppers halved, seeds removed
  • 1 medium red onion peeled and cut into 1/2-inch wedges
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

My Part:

  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoons capers drained (rinsed if salted)
  • 4 ounces mozzarella torn into bite-sized pieces, or 4 ounces bocconcini
  • Fresh herbs — snipped chives basil, or parsley or a mix thereof — to finish (optional)

Instructions

  • First Part is Mine: Place bread, pepper halves, and onion wedges in a large bowl and drizzle with 3 tablespoons olive oil, then sprinkle 1 teaspoon kosher salt and many grinds (or about 1/4 teaspoon) black pepper. Use your hands to toss everything together until oil coats everything.
  • Part I Get to Ignore: Heat your grill to medium-high. Spread peppers and onions across grill grates and grill, lid down, flipping as needed until onions are charred in spots (they’ll be done first) and peppers are blistered and blackened in many spots and beginning to soften. Transfer onions to a plate as they’re done; transfer peppers to a bowl. Use bread in bowl to swipe up any excess salt, pepper, and/or oil in it and place slices on grill. Grill until toasted on both sides. Transfer to plate with onions.
  • Back to Me: Place foil or a lid over peppers in bowl to trap heat. Once they’re cool enough to handle, remove as much of the skin as you can. Cut peppers into 1/2- to 1-inch wide strips.
  • In the bottom of a large bowl, whisk together sherry vinegar, remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, sugar, about 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (and more to taste), and garlic. Add capers. Add peppers to the bowl and let them marinate for as little as 5 minutes or up to a day, even. The longer they souse, the more pickled they’ll taste. After 5 minutes, however, they still have plenty of flavor.
  • To assemble and serve: Right before you’re ready to serve the salad, add onions to the bowl with the peppers. Tear bread into chunks and add to bowl, along with mozzarella. Mix gently, making sure the dressing coats the bread. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Finish with basil and chives.