Ginger Sesame Turkey Heart Skewers

Here's something strangely delicious to try out.

Go out and buy a bunch of chicken or turkey hearts, marinate them in some leftover Nuoc Mam Cham dipping sauce (or specially make a batch), add some sesame oil, and sesame seeds,

skewer them with cherry tomatoes, onions, and bell peppers,

and grill them alongside some corn on the cob on your BBQ.

It takes about 15 minutes on the grill, depending on the size of the hearts to get that grilled goodness on the hearts.

Have them with some hoisin dipping sauce and call it your own invention!

That's what I did anyway...

If the idea of eating hearts makes you somewhat squeamish, the real star in this is the marinade.

Nuoc Mam Cham Marinade

3 Tbsp nuoc nam (fish sauce)
4 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp shao xing
2 cloves garlic, grated
juice from 1 lemon
1 thai chili, chopped
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 tsp chopped fresh lemongrass

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

Think outside of the sausages and burgers...

Golden Egg and Nem Ran Bun

The best things in life come in layers.

Each layer adds depth to the previous, with texture, freshness, crunchiness, color, or tanginess.

That is the beauty of the Bun salads.

That is the beauty of Life.

This salad is a Bun Bo salad without the Bo (beef), with an added topping of Golden Egg.

A meal with so many layers, I felt I was eating a story...

Onion, Cabbage and Coconut Tart with Cilantro Chutney

During my bouts of kitchen schizophrenia (yes I talk to my vegetables and yes they talk back to me), I couldn't bring myself to make any sensible clean cut decision.  I was to have some of my favorite French people over for an Appetizer Soirée and needed several ideas.  Usually, when I do this, I stick to a basic theme.  This time, I wanted it all.
All of it.
It was going to be my united cultures party.
And of course, since the only thing that was missing was the French flag, I put India in a quiche.
Just Brilliant.
I may not have invented the idea, but this recipe is 100% my own.

Serves 6 - 8 as an appetizer
Ingredients
Shortcrust:
100g (3.5 oz) butter
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp chile powder
1 tsp amchur (mango powder)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp salt
100g (3.5 oz) buckwheat flour
120g (4.2 oz) whole wheat flour
1 egg yolk
5 cL water
use the method, then pre-cook for 10 minutes at 190°C 375 °F

Filling:
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp mustard seeds
3 dried red chiles
(if I had curry leaves, I would have added them)
1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida)
1/4 tsp turmeric
4 onions, sliced thinly
1/4 head cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup shredded coconut
few pinches salt
3 small eggs or 2 large
10 cL (3.5 oz) coconut cream
1/2 inch grated ginger

 Directions
1.  Heat the oil in a wok or heavy based pan
2.  Add the mustard seeds and wait for them to crackle before adding the chiles and curry leaves.
3.  Add the hing and turmeric.  They should fizz.  I love that part.
3.  Add the onions and cook on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes, stirring.  You want them to slightly color.
4.  Add the shredded cabbage and a few pinches salt.  Cook, stirring, until onions are nice and golden.
5.  Add the shredded coconut and cook, stirring, for another 2-3 minutes.  The dried coconut gets toasty quick, so be careful not to burn it!  Taste, adjust the seasoning, remove the whole chiles so you can add them to your own slice later on, and remove from heat.
6.  While this is happening, whisk together the eggs, coconut cream, and grated ginger.
7.  In your pre-heated shortcrust, lay the onion-cabbage-coconut mixture down and pour the egg mixture evenly over it.
8.  Cook at 180°C 350°F for 35 minutes.. then let it cool down for at least 30 minutes.

Best served warm with some chutney.... the crumbly crust will melt in your mouth and subtly caress your senses.
Who knew this could actually work?
The next day, I had a slice in my thali with some Daal, Urad Pakoras, Papadums, and Cilantro Chutney.
Are you drooling yet?
I am...

Marinated Grilled Quail Eggs with Sesame Salt

Here is something that might seem crazy.
Soft boil some quail eggs, marinate them in dark soy sauce, and then GRILL them before sprinkling with sesame seeds.
Yes!  Completely out of my mind craziness!
What happens is that the marinade really seeps into the whites without being too soy-ish or salty, the inside is perfectly creamy, and the outside is fun of sesame crunch.
It is an explosion of texture and flavor and it's naturally bite-sized, so perfect for a happy hour party!

From the brilliant mind of Yotam Ottolenghi.  I mostly respected the original recipe, which almost never happens around here.
Ingredients
20-24 fresh quail eggs
marinade:
2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
topping:
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
2 tsp black sesame seeds
2 tsp white sesame seeds
Directions
1.  Soft boil the quail eggs.  To do this, I placed them in my steamer basked and steamed on high heat for 3 minutes, then dunked them in ice water before peeling.  They were perfect.. not too liquid, but velvet cream style.
2.  Make the marinade by mixing the soy sauce and olive oil.  Place the peeled eggs in the marinade.  He says to do this for 30 minutes.  I left mine for 2 hours.
3.  Make the topping by dry roasting the sesame seeds on the stove top, then blitzing them with the salt in a blender or food processor.  You don't want to make a powder, you just want to lightly break some of those seeds.
4.  Get ready to grill.  I  used my stovetop griddle pan.  Drain the eggs from the marinade and place on the very hot griddle pan for about 1 minute, making sure to turn them at least once so they get the char marks on 2 sides.

Serve dipped in the sesame salt.

I absolutely LOVED this.  It is one of the most interesting things I've served for happy hour.  Not only is it healthy, but it's just so easy to pop into your mouth with a toothpick!

I'm starting to think this Yotam dude is sort of a genius...

Tandoori Roasted Eggplant with Pear

Sometimes I have different cravings at the same time.  Those days I just zone out and put my inner cook on autopilot.  Sometimes the result is ok, but not breathtaking.
This time it was a masterpiece.
The balance, between textures, spiciness, sweetness, and Indianness makes it so perfect I wouldn't be surprised if I was served this as an appetizer at a classy restaurant.
I wanted eggplant but had some leftover chutney that needed to be used up.  I only needed to cook for myself so I set myself free and let it happen.  I took my desired eggplant, sliced it, rubbed with tandoori spice and then found a pear that had been hanging out in the fridge for a while and decided to do the same with it.  The worst that could happen would be if cooked pear and tandoori didn't go together.
What happened?
Ultimate witchcraft.  A mesmerizing state of mind during the enjoyment process.  Something I had to absolutely document so I can make it again and serve it to actual humans...

Serves 2-3 as an appetizer

Ingredients

1 large eggplant, cut into 4-5 lengthwise slices

1 pear, peeled, cored, and cut into wedges

1 green chile, split

1 1/2 tsp tandoori spice

1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions

1.  In a baking dish, rub the tandoori spice all over each slice of eggplant, pear, and green chile, then toss with the olive oil.

2.  Spread out in one layer and roast for 30 minutes at 200°C 400°F.

Serve with Spicy Cilantro Chutney

or do it again with Persimmons, and Zucchini instead of pear

and serve as a "real" meal with basmati rice and dal.

I had the entire thing for dinner because I could not stop myself from savoring each and every little piece.  Each bite is an adventure in itself.. and with the chutney you skyrocket off your seat.
I cannot wait to make this for company.
It is a high class appetizer.. plus, I won't be offended if you eat it with a knife and fork..

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Tandoori Bok Choy

Cilantro chutney is my favorite type of leftover sauce with which to improvise.  I always make a big enough batch so I can either eat it with a spoon or find a creative new way to pair it.  It surprisingly goes with anything.. samosas, pappadums, steamed dhokla, chicken, fish, grilled or roasted vegetables, tortilla chips, bread.. my finger.  I even tried it with steak!  Sacriledge.. but who really cares.  That's not the point.  What I love is that the pairing sometimes completely blows me away.  When I make it for samosas, I know exactly what the outcome will be.. and that's good because it's exactly what I'm expecting.  Today I paired it with some roasted sweet potato slices.

Wow.

I don't think I can ever eat sweet potatoes without them.  They are like soulmates.. completely in contrast but beautifully symbiotic.  The sweetness of the sweet potato contrasts the harshness of the raw green.  With a little bit of coconut, it comes out as an incredible vegan main dish.

Since I was going for improvisational pairing, I decided to go completely vegan and pair this with a green veggie instead of meat.

After coming home from the Indian Wonderland Market downtown, my tandoori packet wanted to fuse with my blood cells.  It is made with all natural ingredients and no food coloring, but has a deep red color from the ground chiles.  If I didn't use it tonight, I would have snorted lines of it.  Tandoori seasoning smells so familiar it's aroma is like a sensual whisper.  It also goes well with grilled veggies.  I've done broccoli and cauliflower with very happy endings.. so grilled bok choy seemed like an interesting successful combination.

This meal was so simple to put together but so perfect in its uniqueness that I couldn't let it go without properly documenting it.

Cilantro Chutney - yield 1 1/2 cups
3 green onions
1 green chile
1/2 bunch cilantro
4 cloves garlic
juice from 1 lime
4 whole black peppercorns
1 tsp oregano
pinch fleur de sel
Blend it all together

Roasted Sweet Potatoes - serves 1
1 sweet potato, cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 Tbsp olive oil
pinch fleur de sel
1 tsp amchur (dried mango powder)
1 Tbsp dried coconut for garnish
Toss with olive oil, fleur de sel, and amchur.  Bake at 200°C 400°F for 30 minutes, then serve garnished with some cilantro chutney and coconut.

Tandoori Bok Choy - serves 1
1 medium bok choy, sliced in half lengthwise
pinch fleur de sel
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, grated
healthy sprinkling tandoori spices (about 2 tsp)
Rub the bok choy halves with the grated garlic, making sure to get the garlic into the crevices.  Sprinkle with fleur de sel and tandoori spices, then drizzle olive oil onto the open halves, rubbing it all over the bok choy.
Heat a griddle pan or cast iron pan on high, then grill the bok choy face down for about 3-4 minutes.  It should have nice char marks.  Flip them over and grill another 3 minutes.

This seems like a light meal, but it was very filling and satisfied all my longing senses without having to cut lines of tandoori powder and inhale them...

Cabbage and Apple Salad in a Miso Vinaigrette

Did somebody say apples were boring?
Oh hail no!
There are very few items that are exciting all on their own.  I can list a few (mango, chile..) but most need some type of prep or paring to be extraordinary.
Example?  Apples in a main dish.
Of course apples as a fruit all on their own are good.  They're not mind tingling and drool enhancing, but they are enjoyable nonetheless.  Pair them with cinnamon and achieve a "mmmmm!" level.  Add ginger and the brain cells will start to tingle.
In a main dish, this is exactly why I like apples.  They act as the enhancer with their zesty freshness and crunch and work well with vinegar and umami flavors such as miso.
I sometimes do not plan to use them and they jump out at me as I'm analyzing my options as the best idea in the world.  This is one of those days...

Serves 1

Ingredients

Salad:

2 steamed or hardboiled eggs, shelled

1/2 apple, grated

2 handfuls grated cabbage

chopped cilantro

chopped green onion

Sauce:

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp black vinegar

3 cloves garlic, grated

1 tsp doubanjiang (fermented broadbean and chile paste)

1/2 inch ginger, grated

1 tsp black sesame seeds

1 tsp white sesame seeds

1 Tbsp miso paste
Directions
1.  Make the sauce by stirring all the ingredients together.
2.  Assemble, then spoon the sauce over.
3.  I can't believe dinner was that easy.

I have to admit, my black vinegar miso vinaigrette makes anything taste delicious.  It's the go-to vegetarian option for an Asian style sauce that usually uses oyster or fish sauce.
An apple a day...

Hake in a Spicy Black Vinegar Sauce

When I have run out of ideas and the grocery store doesn't inspire me, I feel helpless.  This helpless feeling is followed by annoyed grunts an rummaging around my kitchen.  What unblocks this feeling is when I realize I can make a single serving of something, just for me.  This means I can eat anything I want as spicy as I want and nobody will be there to complain.  This usually means I'll be eating fish, and since my new neighborhood's grocery store does not have a very nice fish selection (nor a very nice fish monger) I've temporarily reverted to frozen filets.  As much as I love fresh fish and seafood.. I can't just hold out for it.  I don't know when I will start to find my fish monger pleasant or the section mouthwatering as I did in my previous neighborhood, but in the meantime, I can make something crazily amazing with good old frozen filets.  Those may sound boring, but they always get a good makeover in my kitchen..
It's very hot these days so I wanted something light but tangy.
And then.. as I opened my last cupboard, I spotted the holy black vinegar.  This condiment plays a major role in my Chinese recipes.  It's not as sour as normal clear white vinegar and has a rounder fuller taste.  It's the main character in potsticker dipping sauce and makes a great dressing.. especially when mixed with sesame.
I was planning on steaming the fish.. because if I was Chinese, I would probably always steam my fish.  Just as my water was boiling under the steamer basket, the power went out and did so each time I used the boost option on my induction stove.
I should probably look into that.
I ended up baking and it turned out just as I was hoping.. but I still would have steamed if I had the option.

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 very large zucchini, spiralized

1 hake filet
1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp chopped cilantro

2 chopped scallions
some sesame seeds for sprinkling
red pepper flakes for garnish

Sauce:

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp black vinegar

3 cloves garlic, grated

1 tsp doubanjiang (fermented broadbean and chile paste)

1/2 inch ginger, grated

1 tsp black sesame seeds

1 tsp white sesame seeds

1 Tbsp light soy sauce
Directions
1.  Make the sauce by stirring all the ingredients together in a bowl.
2.  Brush your filet of hake with the sauce, then sprinkle with half of the chopped scallions, half the cilantro, and some sesame seeds.  Steam or bake for 7-10 minutes.  If you bake, do this at 200°C 400°F.

3.  While that is happening, heat the sesame oil in a wok and add the spiralized zucchini.  Cook, tossing for only 2-3 minutes.  Do not let it get mushy.
4.  To serve, lay the zucchini noodles in a plate, lay the cooked hake over it, spoon as much of the sauce as you like over it all.  I used a little more than half and then did it again the next day for lunch.  Garnish with the rest of the chopped cilantro and scallions... and don't forget the red pepper flakes!

Scream for joy
Now
No really.. do it.
This is the most wonderful and simple creation I've imagined in a long time.  It literally takes 15 minutes to put together and has a crazy tangy perfect Chinese taste.
I spiralized zucchini but this would work well with rice noodles and other garnishes such as hard boiled egg (which I tried the next day).
The secret is all in the sauce...

Bun Nem Nuong - Vietnamese Meatballs

Ah meatballs.. let me reflect on my love for thee..

You make me feel creative and sneaky.. for only I know what you are composed of.

I love that I can go down any path with you and you'll happily follow.  Add fennel seeds and garlic, you are Italian.. add worcestershire sauce and tabasco, you are American, add garam masala and turmeric, you are Indian, add soy sauce and doubanjiang, you are Chinese, add lemongrass and fish sauce, you are Vietnamese..

And that last idea is the one that stuck.  This all happened because the ground veal was on sale 2 for 1.. and I can never resist a good deal.  The real dealmaker was when I went to the store for some cilantro and came back with some thai basil.

Thai basil!

I've never seen it before and I'm sure I won't see it again for quite some time, so I jumped on the occasion.  It is very different than "normal" basil.  It is more tart and lemony and actually doesn't really taste like basil, but it has it's own world happening.  

I love when life gives me a subtle wink..

Yield 44 meatballs

Ingredients

500g (1lb) ground meat of your choice (I used 350g ground veal, 150g ground turkey)

2 carrots, finely grated

3 cloves garlic, finely grated

1 inch piece ginger, finely grated

1 egg

1 tsp baking powder (I used alsa)

2 leaves napa cabbage, finely diced

2 green onions, finely diced

1 large handful thai basil, chopped

1 stalk lemongrass, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 Tbsp)

1/2 tsp white pepper

1 tsp five spice

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

2 Tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

4 Tbsp water or more as needed

for pan frying:

2 Tbsp oil (I used olive)

Directions

1.  Make the meatballs by mixing all the ingredients together.  I did it with my hands, but traditionally you would use chopsticks and stir in one direction.  Let sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour refrigerated.

2.  Add in more water if needed.  The mixture should not be dry.  You should be able to form balls with your hands but it should be very gooey.  Make bite sized balls out of the mixture.  Mine were a little bigger than a lychee.

3.  To help the meatballs keep their shape, steam them on high for 5 minutes.

I did this in 3 batches in my steamer basket.  They can be done at this point if you want them to.. but I like the extra step.

4.  To get a nice color on them, when ready to eat, do a last minute pan fry of the meatballs.  Heat the oil in a wok and add as many meatballs as you are going to eat.  I froze the ones I hadn't pan-fried yet for future use.

They are now ready to be either dipped in a sauce and eaten as an appetizer like potstickers..

or used as a topping to a Bun noodle salad.. as I did.

I'm very pleased with these meatballs.  They had a nice texture with a good mouthful of flavors.  I'm glad I used veal instead of pork, which to me smells funny in Asian style meatballs.  They were very juicy, as I was hoping and were a perfect addition to my Bun salad collection.  These would be great dipped in hoisin sauce or rolled in some sesame seeds for a future dim sum party!

These would work well in a romaine lettuce wrap or as a sandwich.. or even with some fried rice too.

The unmade bed picture is always my favorite...

Singapore Mei Fun with Duck

As I walked into my favorite Asian Wonderland, Paris Store, a dizzying sense of calm and euphoria came upon me.  I felt so sure of myself, having perused the aisles plenty of times, having helped newcomers a few times with unfamiliar products, and having searched long and hard for specific items with the reward of actually finding them.

This time I had my list of regular items and a few extras I was hoping to discover.

I went there for egg roll papers for my share of the New Year's Eve annual potluck.  That was my regular item.  The item I was hoping to discover was gochugaru, a Korean chile powder or paste (I should have done my homework on that one before going on that journey) for a kimchi project that's been on my mind for a while, but which I unfortunately didn't find, or which I may have found, but didn't know that I was holding the researched product in my hands.

It's true.  Every time I've gone to that place, it's either for extra familiar items such as lentils or Indian products.. for which I need absolutely no help, or for real Chinese items, which are becoming more familiar and I can more or less work out the product by reading the English translated labels.. not the French.  I don't know who's in charge of translating Chinese food labels into French, but they seem to think that pickled mustard greens or turnip greens are "Chou."  I may be strange, but even if they don't use mustard or turnip greens in this country, they can at least imagine a literal translation such as "Verts de Moutarde" or "Verts de Navet" but not Cabbage!

Ok, that aside, you have to obviously have done your homework and if possible looked at photos of the item you are looking for, because you can't really count on getting any valuable information from the people who work there.  I'm not saying they're bad at their job, but you have probably about a 20% chance of targeting the right ethnicity of the person vs product you are searching.  Their French is ok, but since they don't really think of their products with their crappy French label translations, you'd better know how to pronounce it in Mandarin/Cantonese/Vietnamese/Korean/Thai.  And even then, you're not sure that particular person speaks the language you have phonetically memorized the product name in.. or that you are pronouncing it correctly.  No, no.. you're always on your own if you need product help.. or if you find someone like me shopping there and I happen to have already sourced the product.  Sometimes I giggle to myself when I spot first timers and hand around to see if I can be of any use to them.

I do love that place very much.  It's not a place I go to often, but it feels like it's so much a part of me that I have part of my brain stuck there sometimes.  I even have some delicious memories there..

So after proudly finding my kimchi and pickled mustard greens and unfortunately not finding my gochugaru, I went to the freezer section to find my egg roll papers.. quite sure of myself since I knew exactly which freezer they are kept in and which brand I wanted.

As my euphoria wore off, I opened the targeted freezer... my jaw dropped and my heart sank.  Completely empty.  With everything I mentioned above, there was no way I could ask one of the workers if they had any egg roll wrappers which they hadn't stocked yet because I can work out the "Cha Gio" part but the rest would have been sort of a hit or miss and I would have ended up with some Nuac Nam or Sriracha instead of the wrappers.  I frantically toured all the freezers just to make sure they hadn't changed spots.. and nothing.  There were a few freezers with sealed cardboard boxes inside and a big written sign saying "Do not open the boxes," but that's it.

There went my NYE offering.  I had finally found something that everyone liked, and now I had to change my plans.  It rarely happens that I make something everyone likes.  The picky eaters in my crowd are very hard to please.. and this time, they actually unanimously requested my egg rolls.

A part of me was secretly happy because it meant I'd probably come back again this week, and it's always a pleasure to peruse those aisles as if I own the place, but even then, I wasn't certain to find my egg roll wrappers.

A quick look left, then right (besides, I couldn't tell the people that worked there apart from the customers), and I tore open the first cardboard box in the freezer specifically labeled "Do not open."  At that moment, I may not have felt so sure of myself at first, but a big rush of adrenaline quickly put me in my rebel state.. and when I'm in my rebel state, nothing can stop me.  NOTHING!

People started looking at me and crowding to see what was in the secret boxes, but I no longer cared, I would state my cause, proudly, especially because the very first box I opened contained the prized egg roll papers I came so far to retrieve.

GLORY!

People all started digging into that box.. because apparently, they were also wandering around aimlessly hoping those egg roll papers would just appear (or someone working there would get around to stocking the empty freezers).

Obviously, EVERYONE is making egg rolls for the holidays.  

It's the only logical thing to do.. isn't it?

This post is supposed to be about my Singapore Mei Fun with Duck.  Yes, I know, I'm getting to that.

I knew I was having company over and I still had a bit of roasted duck leftover from Christmas Eve.  I was going to make a, Hachis Parmentier with duck instead of ground beef and a purée of carrots and sweet potatoes instead of regular mashed potatoes.  That idea was clear as day in my head since the morning.. but after my Paris Store fiasco, I was swept up with Asian Persuasion.  My guest of honor is a fan of rice vermicelli noodles and anything Asian I seem to make, so some Mei Fun with Duck was the only way to go, and to make the best use of the last of my duck meat.  I can do that French thing another time... or I'll probably end up eating it somewhere that exists already.

This.. is purely a "me" recipe.. meaning it corresponds to my mood and the elements surrounding my day more than any baked casserole could.

Plus, I wanted to try out my ShaoXing wine since I finally figured out what the bottle looked like!

This is "Singapore" style because of the turmeric.  The Chinese version of this is the same but without the turmeric.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

200g dried rice vermicelli, soaked in warm water 1 hour and drained

200g roasted duck meat, cut into bite sized pieces

2 Tbsp oil

2 handfuls sliced shitake mushrooms, soaked and drained

1 onion, sliced into moons

3 carrots, peeled and grated into matchsticks

1 cup shredded red cabbage

1 green moroccan chile (or jalapeño), seeded and sliced

2 scallions, white parts sliced lengthwise, green parts chopped finely

2 eggs, beaten

2 garlic cloves, grated

1 inch ginger, grated

1 tsp turmeric (or heavily turmeric'd curry powder such as madras)

Stir-Fry Sauce:

1 Tbsp ShaoXing wine

1/2 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 Tbsp dark soy sauce

1 Tbsp black vinegar

1 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp oyster sauce

1 Tbsp sesame seeds

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

Garnish:

Thai chile

green parts of scallion

Sriracha sauce (optional)

Directions

1.  Prep all your ingredients so that they are ready for when you need to throw it in the hot hot wok.  For the duck meat, heat 1 Tbsp of the oil in a wok and add the cooked duck meat.  Cook until browned, then set aside.  In the same wok, add the beaten eggs, cook, scramble, then set aside.

2.  Start the stir-fry.  Place the remaining oil in the wok.  Add the carrots, chile, and onion.  Cook until the onion is translucent, then push everything to the side without overcrowding and add in the cabbage and mushrooms.  If you think your wok is too small, do this in batches.

3.  Add in the garlic, ginger, and turmeric.  Stir fry for 30 seconds.

4.  Add in the browned duck meat, white parts of the scallions, and drained vermicelli.  Again, make sure not to overcrowd the work or everything will steam instead of stir-fry.  Cook for another minute.

5.  Add in the stir-fry sauce and cook for 2-3 minutes, making sure the heat is high and the sauce gets evenly distributed.

Serve garnished with the green parts of the scallion, a thai chile, and some Sriracha sauce in case you need some more heat.

The perfect ending to my adventure-day..

Green Eggs and Mushroom Thai Stir-Fry

Tonight when inspiration became me, it created Fight Food.

I wanted spice, color, depth, and the result ended up giving me a visual surprise... I completely forgot that indigo and yellow made green...

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 eggs

3 handfuls sliced mushrooms

1 carrot, peeled and julienned

1 red or green bell pepper, sliced

4 kaffir lime leaves, sliced

1 Tbsp Thai yellow curry paste

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp fish sauce

1 Tbsp Sriracha sauce

chopped cilantro for garnish

thai red chile (for garnish and only if you can handle the heat)

basmati or jasmine rice to serve

Directions

1.  Heat 1 Tbsp of the the oil in a wok and crack in the eggs.  Cook 1-2 minutes, then scramble.  Finish cooking and reserve.

3.  Add the sliced mushrooms and cook until they start to release some of their juices.

4.  Add in the cabbage, carrots, bells, and lime leaves as well as the oyster sauce, sriracha, and fish sauce.  Cook stirring for about 5 minutes, adding water if too "dry."

2 handfuls shredded red cabbage

1 Tbsp oyster sauce (omit if GF)

1/4 cup water

2.  Add the  rest of the olive oil and fry the yellow curry paste until fragrant.

5.  Stir in the cooked eggs and turn off the heat.

Serve with some basmati rice and garnish with chopped cilantro and a Thai chile.. if the heat isn't enough to satisfy your spicy craving....

The eggs turning green after was an unexpected bonus.  The red cabbage releases a purple-ish juice, which, when stirred with the eggs during the last step, turns them a super-natural green color..
All Natural!

Squash and Mushroom Dan Dan with Dangmyeon Noodles

A few days ago, I made some incredible Dan Dan Mian respecting the authenticity of the dish and adjusting the chili oil heat by plate.  I had a small bit of that dan dan sauce leftover that I just couldn't throw away, so I saved it in a jar in the fridge.  Since that day, it's been calling out at me.. but I've been doing so many other types of dishes that I wasn't quite ready to to a remake.  Now that I understand the concept of the dish, I allowed myself some room for freestyle.  Why not add a bit of squash?  It is Halloween, after all.  Since I'm not out disguised and partying like any normal American should be doing, I'll at least have my pumpkin in costume...
I had a piece of sucrine squash I needed to finish and taste-wise, it would worked out just perfect.  Why not transform it into fight food?  I decided to go half noodle and half strip mushroom, which are the same shape as noodles and are not very pungent, so would sub in just perfectly.  Since I didn't have time to grind, I just cubed some chicken filets and just let it flow out of memory.
The real star of the dish is the sauce, though.. so make sure you have the sauce.. otherwise you cannot call this dan dan anything.

Serves 3

Ingredients

700g (1.5lb) sucrine du berry or butternut squash, peeled and cubed

3 chicken cutlets, cubed

1 handful preserved radish greens

1 handful chopped leek greens

150g (5 oz) dangmyeon (sweet potato starch) noodles

100g (3.5 oz) dried strip mushrooms

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1 clove garlic, grated

1 tsp five spice

1 tsp light soy sauce or tamari

Dressing:

1/2 cup heated Dan Dan sauce
2 Tbsp red chili oil
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
crushed peanuts for garnish
Directions
1.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles and mushroom strips for about 5 minutes or to dangmyeon package instructions.  You can do the rest while this is happening.  Drain and set aside.
2.Heat the coconut oil in a wok and add the cubed squash.  Stir-fry for a minute or two, then add the preserved radish greens.
3.  When the squash starts becoming tender (about 2-3 minutes) add the chicken, garlic, leeks, and five spice.
4.  Stir fry until chicken is cooked through (about 5 minutes) then deglaze with the soy sauce.
5.  Give yourself enough time to make the dan dan sauce and red chili oil if you didn't already have it on hand.
6.  Assemble.  Place the strip mushrooms and noodles in a bowl with a few tablespoons of the hot dan  dan sauce.  Add some red chili oil, sesame seeds, and crushed peanuts.

Ah... now THAT is fight food!

The dangmyeon noodles work very well here.  I was looking for they chewy slick texture and this did not disappoint!
I'll be moving on to Mexican now that I've had my weekly Chinese fix..

Paneer Mapo Tofu

Despite what the mainstream has been telling us for years, tofu is not the healthiest substance.  I say substanc, because it is originally a bean.. A bean that should not be eaten raw, but rather fermented.  I call it a substance because it has been transformed into items ranging from fake beef to ice cream.  Its oil is used as an emulsifier and its protein count is used as an excuse to indulge in soy products without counting.  I'm not a nutritionist, but I've done my homework on the subject and the bottom line is this:
to get anything good out of soy, it must be fermented and preferably organic, otherwise it works as a nutrient absorption inhibitor, much like raw chickpeas.. but nobody would eat chickpeas raw!  I mentioned organic because, aside from wine grapes, soy producers use the most transgenics and pesticides than any other producer.  I always look for organic or non gmo fermented soy products.
To make things clear, edamame and mung bean and their sprouts are not the same species as soy, and have no issues.  Soy sauce, doubanjiang, and duo chi are fermented, while soy milk and tofu are not.  For this reason (and the hormone reason I haven't mentioned) I've decided to replace anything involving tofu with (homemade) paneer.
You can do your own homework about that issue.. I just wanted to explain why I "sabotaged" a perfectly authentic Sichuan recipe by replacing tofu with paneer.
I may have also made a slight other change.  The original recipe calls for ground pork.
I just like mini pigs too much to knowingly buy ground pork.. so I use ground turkey, which is a great pork replacer in recipes such as this one or egg rolls.. or pretty much anything.  Not to mention, pork isn't very nutritious, so let Babe live and eat the gobbler!
The Ma La in this dish is out of this world.  I never thought something so pungent would be so quick to put together (if you have all the ingredients, that is).
Inspired by ChinaSichuanFood

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

250g (9oz) paneer, soaked and drained

200g (7oz) ground turkey, cooked plain

1 Tbsp coconut oil

1 1/2 Tbsp Doubanjiang (Pi Xian broadbean paste)

1 tsp Dou hi (fermented black soy beans)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 Tbsp light soy sauce

3/4 cup water

1 Tbsp corn starch mixed with 4 Tbsp water

3 green onions, chopped

1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, dry roasted and ground

Directions

1.  Heat the oil in a wok and stir fry the dou chi, doubanjiang, and garlic until a fragrant aroma starts wafting.

2.  Add the paneer.  Stir to coat and heat until bubbly.

3.  Add the water and corn starch mixture.  Simmer for about 2 minutes.  The sauce should thicken.

4.  Add the cooked ground turkey, most of the green onion, and half the ground Sichuan peppercorns.  Stir to heat through.

Serve with rice and garnish with chopped green onions and a pinch of ground peppercorns.

Rant and food choices aside, this Mapo Tofu has been on my mind since my quest to find a special ingredient you can only get in Asian Wonderland, dou chi.  The original reason I wanted to buy that was to make Mapo Tofu.. it's just that I hadn't gotten around to buying turkey and grinding it in my meat grinder since.. well.. the middle of summer!
The result is a silky spicy tangy mix of textures and flavors that pairs just magically with the rice.
It might almost help you forget the present...

Thai Turkey Stir Fry

Hello you..
It's already October.  I didn't see much of September as it flew by and now it is fall, a season offering plenty of opportunities to create masterpieces.. which I do intend to do!
I seem to be finding myself again after long stretches of "not cooking" with brilliant Thai ideas such as this one.
This recipe just happened out of nowhere and was just amazing in every way.  I started chopping vegetables that I thought would go well with some turkey.  I was going to just grill the meat and have it with a red cabbage and carrot salad, but then the little voice over my right shoulder started whispering Thai color patterns and deep flavors with spice and happiness.

Purple and orange and green.. ooooohhhh!!

Serves 3-4
Ingredients
2-3 turkey cutlets, sliced into strips
2 handfuls shredded red cabbage
1 carrot, julienned
1 onion, sliced
3 green chilis (I used fresh piment d'espelette), sliced
2 kaffir lime leaves, sliced
1 Tbsp Thai yellow curry paste
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 Tbsp oyster sauce (omit if GF)
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp Sriracha sauce
chopped cilantro for garnish
thai red chili (for garnish and only if you can handle the heat)
rice vermicelli to serve
Directions
1.  Heat the oil in a wok and fry the yellow curry paste until fragrant.
2.  Add the onions and cook until translucent.
3.  Add the turkey pieces and cook, stirring, until almost cooked.
4.  Add in the cabbage, carrot, chilis, and lime leaves as well as the oyster sauce, sriracha, and fish sauce.  Cook stirring for about 5 minutes.

Serve garnished with cilantro and red chili over some rice stick.

When I cook meals such as this one, I really feel like I'm at the top of my game.  My stress is relieved, I feel creative, happy, satisfied on several different levels, and proud.
Ah yes, very proud.
I created that.  It came out of my heart....

Sweet Potato Bun Trung Chien (Omelette Noodle)

I may be going through something inexplicable, but I want to do "Unmade Bed" salads all the time.  I know I've been doing 3 days straight of this, but I can't get enough.. and most importantly, I keep changing up the ingredients so it's really never the same salad.  The thing is, I'm crazy about the order/disorder parallel.  I can't get enough.  It's a blatant brain tease.  You are usually in one of the two categories.. orderly, or chaotic.  But here, you are both, and it's wonderful, and you can just hope it lasts because your basil "tree" is now anorexic so you don't have much more time.. maybe this is the last one before a long period of abstinence...  

Are you following me here?

I can do it Vietnamese style, I can do it Lebanese style, I can do it Chinese style, but today I'm doing it my style.  I suppose this is Vietnamese, but I put some Doubanjiang in my Trung Chien.  For those not fluent in Cantonese or Vietnamese, that means I put some spicy Sichuan broad bean paste in my omelette.  I cooked it while imagining Korean Gyeran Mari, except I didn't roll it while cooking, but rolled it afterwards.  Ooo I'll be serving that for happy hour one of these days.

Then I added avocado to my toppings.  

What?  

Yes I needed more protein in there and I am from SoCal after all.  And avocado goes with everything.

Here I go again.. in quadruple fusion.

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

200g sweet potato noodles, cooked, drained, and cooled

Trung Chien(Omelette):

3 large or 4 small eggs, beaten

1 small zucchini, julienned

1 small green onion, chopped

1 1/2 tsp doubanjiang (Pixian spicy broadbean paste)

1/2 Tbsp sesame oil

Fresh Toppings:

1 carrot, julienned

1/2 cucumber, julienned

handful mung bean sprouts

1 large avocado, cubed

Herb Toppings:

handful chopped basil

handful chopped cilantro

handful chopped scallions

Crunchy Toppings:

handful crushed peanuts

handful fried shallots

Nuac Mam Cham sauce:

1 Tbsp nuac nam (fish sauce)

1 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp mirin

1 cloves garlic, grated

juice from 1/2 lemon

1 thai chili, chopped

1 Tbsp water

1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger

Directions

1.  Make the Trung Chien Omelette.  Heat the sesame oil in a pan and add the zucchini.  Cook, stirring until lightly colored.  Beat the chopped green onion and doubanjiang with the eggs.  Pour into the pan and turn the heat down to medium low.  Cook until the top is barely jiggly, then transfer to a plate.

If you want to do it Gyeran Mari style, roll it while you cook and then slice it into sushi.  I didn't do it quite like that (but I will soon).  Slice up the omelette and divide it into the number of plates you are planning to make.

2.  Make the Nuac Mam Cham sauce by stirring all the ingredients together.  Set aside.

3.  Assemble.  This is my ultimate favorite part.

Place a portion of those freakishly sexy sweet potato noodles at the bottom of the serving plate and arrange the sliced omelette, cucumber, carrot, and bean sprouts in a semi circle. 

 Keep adding things in the circle.. the scallions, cilantro, basil, avocado

 Don't forget the crunchy goodness!  Peanuts and fried shallots!

And then the sour goodness.. a few tablespoons of the Nuac Mam Cham sauce.

Then comes the Chaos.. take a deep breath, admire the ephemeral beauty of each item in its place.. then mix it all together like a crazy person with your chopsticks.

Feel relieved that the orderly plate was just temporary.

Live in the moment or forever hold your peace...

Marinade for Cuttlefish à la Plancha

Last time I grilled squid/baby cuttlefish on the plancha, I went for a more mediterranean marinade.

This time, I'm going ginger style.

For 500g baby cuttlefish

Juice from 1/2 lime (mine was very juicy)

1 Tbsp grated ginger

1 Tbsp grated garlic

1 tsp soy sauce (or GF alternative)

1 tsp sesame oil

1/4 tsp chili powder (I'm having non spicy guests over)

A few shakes white pepper

1 chopped scallion

1 Tbsp chopped celery leaves

I'm also doing gambas, but with the Med style..to mix and match flavors.

I'm going to add a few drops of chili oil onto my own plate and serve with Shallot Cabbage refresher and some grilled bells.

Oooh nice!

The after dark idea was probably the best idea in the world... except that I don't have an outdoor light and couldn't see what I was doing on the plancha.. but hey, ray charles played the piano!

Burmese Sardine Wraps

I decided this was Burmese because of the 2 Burmese dishes I had as leftovers and the fried dried shallots I sprinkled on top of my mixture before wrapping it all up.

Looks like I slaved pretty hard on this one, doesn't it?  Well, since I used some leftovers, the longest part was cooking the bean thread noodles... about 5 minutes.

Here's what goes into my Romaine Lettuce leaves:

Grilled sardines rubbed with Sriracha and cilantro

Glass noodles (mung bean thread noodles)

Mint

Scallions

Cilantro

Fried dried scallops

some Hot Hot Chili

a little Eggplant Curry on one

a little Paneer in tomato sauce on another one

Fold it up like a taco, and eat with your hands, being sure to get it all over the place, but loving every second of it.

I let all the ingredients cool to room temperature and I think it's probably the best way to eat it.  Those glass noodles have a lovely texture and you can feel them properly when they're not piping hot.  My only regret is that I don't have any more noodles left to make this again tonight!

Sweet Corn Soup

I don't know why I decided to make soup with the heat we are having.  It might be in my genes.  In India, it is always hot and there is always some kind of soup served at mealtimes.  This month, I'll be recreating the thali concept with my meals.  It's not going to be 1 main course anymore, but several different dishes with different flavors I'll be able to pick at throughout the meal and enjoy.  This soup happens to be part of that concept.  It is meant to sip on during a meal, not to be the main event.

This one is from ShowMetheCurry.

Ingredients:

Oil – 1 Tbsp
Garlic – 1 tsp (finely minced)
Ginger – 1 tsp (grated)
Onion – 1 small (finely chopped)
Frozen Peas – 1/2 cup

Carrots - 1 chopped
Fresh Green Beans – 1/4 cup (cut)
Cauliflower – 1/2 cp (chopped finely)
Celery – 1/4 cup (chopped finely)
Cream Style Corn – 1 can

1 slit thai chili
Salt – to taste
Black Pepper – to taste
Water – 1/2 cup
Vegetable Broth – 2 cups or more as needed
Corn flour – 2 tsp (mixed with a little water)
Sugar – 1 tsp (optional)
Green Onions – 2 (chopped, for garnishing)

Directions:

 1.  Make soup.  Do I need to go into details?  Heat the oil, color the onions, throw in all the other veggies.  When you're ready, add the broth bring to a boil and let simmer until everything is cooked (while you make the other parts of the meal).

2.  To thicken, mix some corn flour with some water and stir in.

Garnish with green onions

Easy and delicious.

Vegetable Manchurian

 

Oh whaat in the hail is goung on?  Those crazy Indian girls have made their way into my kitchen again.  Did I mention that I banned the deep fryer so why am I deep frying now?

Well because I do whatever I want when I want! Ha!  And this seems semi heathly since it's vegetarian, although I don't recommend it if you are on a diet.

These nuggets are so delicious my experimental dinner victim did not even ask "where's the meat?"

Serves 4

Ingredients

Balls:

3 cups shredded cabbage

2 cups grated carrots

1 cup grated zucchini

1 finely chopped red onion

4 minced garlic cloves

1 large green chili, finely chopped

6 Tbsp flour

3 Tbsp corn flour

Salt + Pepper

1 beaten egg

(oil for deep frying)

Sauce:

1 Tbsp oil

2 Tbsp grated ginger

6 grated garlic cloves

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (or chopped green chili, but I had none left)

1/8 cup soy sauce

1/8 cup rice vinegar

1 Tbsp sugar

3 cups whey or vegetable broth

3 Tbsp corn flour (or half of corn starch which I didn't have)

Directions

1.  In a mixing bowl, place all the ingredients for the balls and mix with your hands.  Heat some oil on medium to high heat in a skillet or deep fryer.  Make balls by squeezing some of the mixture in the palm of your hands.  I decided to add an egg that was not in the original recipe because they did not come together well.  You don't want the balls to fall apart in the oil.

 

2.  When they are nice and golden remove from oil and reserve ove some paper towels.  It can take up to 5 minutes.

3.  Make the sauce by heating 1 tbsp oil in a pan.  Add the ginger, garlic, and green chili and cook until the raw smell disappears.
4.  Add the rest of the ingredients except the corn flour and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer for about 5-10 minutes.
5.  To thicken the sauce, separately dilute the corn flour in some of the liquid, then mix it back in.  Keep simmering and it should thicken to your liking.

Serve the hot balls with sauce poured on top.  I served over rice noodles and garnished with some scallions, but you can do it over rice or even just do it finger food style.

I used the leftover sauce as cold dip for some peeled shrimp oh my... it reminded me of the ginger sauce they have at Kobe's in Rancho Mirage.  I suppose only my fellow desert rats can imagine the comparison.