(from closetcooking.com)
This.Was.So.Good. Oshi oshi! Am having the leftovers tonight, by grilling some colossal prawns (which I'll marinate in some of the teriyaki), and 'rest' them on top of the salad for a glam Friday night treat! (haha, 'resting' ... a reference from the UK series "The Trip")
I could eat this every day. No, I'm serious.
1 cup quinoa (I used half red, half regular)
2 cups water
1/2 tbsp oil
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms (I think I used more), remove stems, and thinly slice
2 tbsp homemade teriyaki sauce * (OMG so delish – double the recipe, as you’ll need more)
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 pound asparagus (bite sized pieces, steamed) (I used a bunch)
1/4 cup edamame (blanched)(or more, to taste)
1/2 tsp sesame oil
a bunch of chopped green onions
a couple tbsp sesame seeds (toasted)
*3 tbsp soy, 3 tbsp mirin (I used madeira), 3 tbsp sake, 1 tbsp sugar (I used agave, so didn’t heat)
Directions: Heat in the soy, mirin, sake & sugar in a small saucepan until the sugar is dissolved. (you can substitute agave or honey)
Simmer the quinoa in the water until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
Heat the oil in a pan.
Add the shiitake mushrooms and saute for a few minutes.
Add the teriyaki sauce until it is absorbed, about 1-3 minutes.
Add the sesame oil and remove from heat and let cool a bit.
Mix everything and serve.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Butternut Squash Mac ‘n Cheese
(based on Martha Stewart's recipe)
After being derailed due to yucky and expensive cauliflower, I had to come up with a Plan B for the butternut squash - bingo! This far exceeded our expectations - it was rich, creamy, and absolutely delicious. I lightened it up with almond milk, and reduced fat ricotta - not that you'd have noticed it was lower in fat. Wonderful dish - I'll absolutely make this again. Not that we ever need convincing when it comes to pasta.
Bake squash, on a sheet of parchment at 400 degrees for about one hour, until soft. Scoop out squash flesh and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large pot place stock, milk, squash and spices on a medium simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes. Then, with an immersion blender (or use your cuisinart), blend until pretty smooth.
Place all cheeses, except a little Parmesan (save in a bowl for topping) in a large mixing bowl, stir to combine. (I actually added this to the heated squash mixture - then tossed all the pasta in)
When pasta is al dente, add to the heated pasta, and combine everything - the pasta will continue to cook a bit.
In the meantime, I toasted the breadcrumbs in a pan, with a little olive oil, then added some parm.
Spoon up your pasta, and top it with some of the the crumb mixture.
Oh, the leftovers were just as amazing :)
After being derailed due to yucky and expensive cauliflower, I had to come up with a Plan B for the butternut squash - bingo! This far exceeded our expectations - it was rich, creamy, and absolutely delicious. I lightened it up with almond milk, and reduced fat ricotta - not that you'd have noticed it was lower in fat. Wonderful dish - I'll absolutely make this again. Not that we ever need convincing when it comes to pasta.
Bake squash, on a sheet of parchment at 400 degrees for about one hour, until soft. Scoop out squash flesh and set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large pot place stock, milk, squash and spices on a medium simmer. Cook for about 5 minutes. Then, with an immersion blender (or use your cuisinart), blend until pretty smooth.
Place all cheeses, except a little Parmesan (save in a bowl for topping) in a large mixing bowl, stir to combine. (I actually added this to the heated squash mixture - then tossed all the pasta in)
When pasta is al dente, add to the heated pasta, and combine everything - the pasta will continue to cook a bit.
In the meantime, I toasted the breadcrumbs in a pan, with a little olive oil, then added some parm.
Spoon up your pasta, and top it with some of the the crumb mixture.
Oh, the leftovers were just as amazing :)
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Mulligatawny Stew
(from makinglifedelicious.com)
I always think of Elaine and the Soup Nazi when I hear 'mulligatawny' - so obviously I had to make this! Admittedly, I wasn't wowed after it was done - so I upped the spice quotient to include some cumin, ground ginger and a liberal sprinkling of cayenne for some heat, oh, and a heavy handed spoonful of madras curry paste - I think it is a forgiving recipe that way. Needless to say, the leftovers once again eclipsed the night of, and we still have some to tuck into - much to my delight. Really great dish - easy too.
2 tbsp olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped (about 3-4 cups)
2 tsp minced garlic, (3–4 cloves)
1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped (I always use more ginger)
1 tbsp curry powder
2 tsp garam masala
¾ cup green or black lentils, rinsed (I used just more than a cup of black beluga lentils)
15 ounce diced tomatoes, with their liquid
32 ounce chicken or vegetable broth
½ cup light unsweetened coconut milk
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving (opt) (was a must)
a bunch of chopped cilantro, for serving (opt) (oh yes)
salt to taste
Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, curry powder and garam masala and sauté it, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the lentils to coat them.
Add the tomatoes and broth. Bring the soup to a boil and then turn down the heat and simmer, stirring it occasionally, until the lentils are tender.
How long this takes varies depending on the lentils you use - I think I cooked it for 30 minutes or more?. The soup thickened considerably during this time.
Stir in the coconut milk until it is heated through. Add salt to taste. (the original recipe had the soup pureed, I did not - it was a wonderful texture as is).
Serve over J's wicked rice blend, squeezing fresh lemon juice over it, and garnishing with fresh cilantro (and green onions - my obsession!)
I always think of Elaine and the Soup Nazi when I hear 'mulligatawny' - so obviously I had to make this! Admittedly, I wasn't wowed after it was done - so I upped the spice quotient to include some cumin, ground ginger and a liberal sprinkling of cayenne for some heat, oh, and a heavy handed spoonful of madras curry paste - I think it is a forgiving recipe that way. Needless to say, the leftovers once again eclipsed the night of, and we still have some to tuck into - much to my delight. Really great dish - easy too.
2 tbsp olive oil
2 yellow onions, chopped (about 3-4 cups)
2 tsp minced garlic, (3–4 cloves)
1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped (I always use more ginger)
1 tbsp curry powder
2 tsp garam masala
¾ cup green or black lentils, rinsed (I used just more than a cup of black beluga lentils)
15 ounce diced tomatoes, with their liquid
32 ounce chicken or vegetable broth
½ cup light unsweetened coconut milk
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving (opt) (was a must)
a bunch of chopped cilantro, for serving (opt) (oh yes)
salt to taste
Heat the oil in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, ginger, curry powder and garam masala and sauté it, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in the lentils to coat them.
Add the tomatoes and broth. Bring the soup to a boil and then turn down the heat and simmer, stirring it occasionally, until the lentils are tender.
How long this takes varies depending on the lentils you use - I think I cooked it for 30 minutes or more?. The soup thickened considerably during this time.
Stir in the coconut milk until it is heated through. Add salt to taste. (the original recipe had the soup pureed, I did not - it was a wonderful texture as is).
Serve over J's wicked rice blend, squeezing fresh lemon juice over it, and garnishing with fresh cilantro (and green onions - my obsession!)
Smoky Spanish Zarzuela with Chorizo and Wheat Berries
(from thelunacafe.com)
In Spain, the term zarzuela (pronounced thahr-thway-lah or sometimes zahr-zway-lah) refers to a type of light opera consisting of song, dance, and theatre. This culinary namesake, which is a seafood soup, has a full measure of drama, typically featuring halibut, mussels, shrimp, and squid—an all-star cast in an intriguing and finely tuned broth. This version is enlivened with smoked paprika, ancho chile paste, and chorizo (didn’t have the fresh mussels or clams either so used a can of clams, nor the halibut – but whatevs!) - the end result was magnifico nonetheless! The recipe called for farro, which I understand is the more expensive and smug cousin (the tall willowy blond) of wheat berries (the stumpy redheaded stepchild) – which I always have on hand.
2-3 cups cooked Farro (or wheatberries)
2 dried ancho chiles
Seafood Stock:
2 cups clam or seafood nectar ( I had frozen seafood stock on hand)
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup ancho chile water, from below
shells from 1 lb prawns, from below (didn’t use, as had the stock)
several sprigs parsley (see above)
Chorizo:
2 tbsp cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil
2 large Spanish dried chorizo sausages, diced (I had 5 small, uncooked ones – which I parboiled, removed that icky casing, then fried with the onions and garlic!)
Soup Base:
2 cups chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced (I doubled)
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 cups reduced seafood stock, from above
14½ ounce can chopped tomatoes w/ juice
14½ ounce can crushed tomatoes (I used passata)
1 bell peppers, chopped
s & p, to taste
Seafood:
1 lb large prawns in the shell
1 lb small manila clams, shells tightly closed, scrubbed, ½ lb small Washington blue mussels, shells tightly closed, scrubbed and debearded (or 1 can of clams and use more sausage?!)
Garnish:
A bunch of chopped flat leaf parsley and thinly sliced green onion
To prepare the farro, in a large saucepan, bring 6 cups of chicken or vegetable stock (or water) to a boil and add 1½ cups of farro. Boil for 5 minutes, cover, and simmer for about 50 minutes, until the grain is tender and nicely chewy (wheat berries take about . Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again thoroughly and store in a covered container in the refrigerator until needed. (You will have about 3 cups of cooked farro.) Just before adding to the soup, heat for a minute or two in the microwave.
To prepare the ancho chile paste, put the ancho chiles into a 2-cup measuring cup and cover with boiling water. Weight the chiles down with something heavy so that they are submerged in the water. Let hydrate for 15-30 minutes. Pour the water through a sieve into a clean measuring cup and taste it. If it is not bitter, reserve 1 cup and discard the remainder. Pull the stems from the chiles, tear them open and scrape away the seeds. Mince or puree the chiles to a paste. You should have 3-4 tablespoons of ancho chile paste. Reserve.
To prepare the seafood stock, in a 2-quart saucepan, bring the reserved ancho chile water, clam nectar, and wine to a simmer. Peel and devein the prawns, leaving the tails on the prawns. Add the peels to the water, along with several sprigs of parsley. Simmer until the stock is reduced to 2 cups, and then strain into a clean container. Reserve.
To make the soup base, in a 3½-quart or larger skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the chorizo and cook for one minute or so, until starting to crisp and releasing fat. If you now have more than ¼ cup fat in the pan, drain off a tablespoon or so.
Add the onions, garlic, and ancho paste to the pan and cook slowly until the onions are translucent and softened, about 10 minutes. Add the smoked paprika and cook for 2 additional minutes.
Add the reduced seafood stock from above, chopped tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, partially covered, until flavors are melded but soup has not reduced significantly. Season the soup base to taste with salt and pepper. The soup can be made ahead to this point, cooled, refrigerated, and reheated just before serving. In this case, you might want to add another ¼ cup each of chopped red and green bell pepper to brighten the color.
Just before serving, heat the prepared farro. (I simply crumbled a bunch of the cooked wheatberries into the soup, and cooked the prawns near the end, then stirred in the canned clams!)
Bring the soup to a simmer, add the clams and mussels, and cover. Cook for 3 minutes and uncover to see if all or most of the shells have opened. If not, cover again and simmer for another 2 minutes. When most of the shells are opened, discard any that remain closed.
Divide the shellfish between 4-6 large bowls and keep warm for a minute. Add the prawns to the simmering soup base, cover, and cook until bright pink on both sides, about 1-2 minutes. You may have to turn the prawns in the soup to cook them evenly. Divide the prawns between the bowls.
Ladle the soup base over the shellfish in each bowl. Add a ½ cup scoop of farro to the center of each serving, and sprinkle with parsley and green onion. Serves 4-6 – and it really did – the leftovers are more amazing than the first night.
In Spain, the term zarzuela (pronounced thahr-thway-lah or sometimes zahr-zway-lah) refers to a type of light opera consisting of song, dance, and theatre. This culinary namesake, which is a seafood soup, has a full measure of drama, typically featuring halibut, mussels, shrimp, and squid—an all-star cast in an intriguing and finely tuned broth. This version is enlivened with smoked paprika, ancho chile paste, and chorizo (didn’t have the fresh mussels or clams either so used a can of clams, nor the halibut – but whatevs!) - the end result was magnifico nonetheless! The recipe called for farro, which I understand is the more expensive and smug cousin (the tall willowy blond) of wheat berries (the stumpy redheaded stepchild) – which I always have on hand.
2-3 cups cooked Farro (or wheatberries)
2 dried ancho chiles
Seafood Stock:
2 cups clam or seafood nectar ( I had frozen seafood stock on hand)
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup ancho chile water, from below
shells from 1 lb prawns, from below (didn’t use, as had the stock)
several sprigs parsley (see above)
Chorizo:
2 tbsp cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil
2 large Spanish dried chorizo sausages, diced (I had 5 small, uncooked ones – which I parboiled, removed that icky casing, then fried with the onions and garlic!)
Soup Base:
2 cups chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced (I doubled)
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 cups reduced seafood stock, from above
14½ ounce can chopped tomatoes w/ juice
14½ ounce can crushed tomatoes (I used passata)
1 bell peppers, chopped
s & p, to taste
Seafood:
1 lb large prawns in the shell
1 lb small manila clams, shells tightly closed, scrubbed, ½ lb small Washington blue mussels, shells tightly closed, scrubbed and debearded (or 1 can of clams and use more sausage?!)
Garnish:
A bunch of chopped flat leaf parsley and thinly sliced green onion
To prepare the farro, in a large saucepan, bring 6 cups of chicken or vegetable stock (or water) to a boil and add 1½ cups of farro. Boil for 5 minutes, cover, and simmer for about 50 minutes, until the grain is tender and nicely chewy (wheat berries take about . Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain again thoroughly and store in a covered container in the refrigerator until needed. (You will have about 3 cups of cooked farro.) Just before adding to the soup, heat for a minute or two in the microwave.
To prepare the ancho chile paste, put the ancho chiles into a 2-cup measuring cup and cover with boiling water. Weight the chiles down with something heavy so that they are submerged in the water. Let hydrate for 15-30 minutes. Pour the water through a sieve into a clean measuring cup and taste it. If it is not bitter, reserve 1 cup and discard the remainder. Pull the stems from the chiles, tear them open and scrape away the seeds. Mince or puree the chiles to a paste. You should have 3-4 tablespoons of ancho chile paste. Reserve.
To prepare the seafood stock, in a 2-quart saucepan, bring the reserved ancho chile water, clam nectar, and wine to a simmer. Peel and devein the prawns, leaving the tails on the prawns. Add the peels to the water, along with several sprigs of parsley. Simmer until the stock is reduced to 2 cups, and then strain into a clean container. Reserve.
To make the soup base, in a 3½-quart or larger skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the chorizo and cook for one minute or so, until starting to crisp and releasing fat. If you now have more than ¼ cup fat in the pan, drain off a tablespoon or so.
Add the onions, garlic, and ancho paste to the pan and cook slowly until the onions are translucent and softened, about 10 minutes. Add the smoked paprika and cook for 2 additional minutes.
Add the reduced seafood stock from above, chopped tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, partially covered, until flavors are melded but soup has not reduced significantly. Season the soup base to taste with salt and pepper. The soup can be made ahead to this point, cooled, refrigerated, and reheated just before serving. In this case, you might want to add another ¼ cup each of chopped red and green bell pepper to brighten the color.
Just before serving, heat the prepared farro. (I simply crumbled a bunch of the cooked wheatberries into the soup, and cooked the prawns near the end, then stirred in the canned clams!)
Bring the soup to a simmer, add the clams and mussels, and cover. Cook for 3 minutes and uncover to see if all or most of the shells have opened. If not, cover again and simmer for another 2 minutes. When most of the shells are opened, discard any that remain closed.
Divide the shellfish between 4-6 large bowls and keep warm for a minute. Add the prawns to the simmering soup base, cover, and cook until bright pink on both sides, about 1-2 minutes. You may have to turn the prawns in the soup to cook them evenly. Divide the prawns between the bowls.
Ladle the soup base over the shellfish in each bowl. Add a ½ cup scoop of farro to the center of each serving, and sprinkle with parsley and green onion. Serves 4-6 – and it really did – the leftovers are more amazing than the first night.
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