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Showing posts from January, 2017

Sauteed Mustard Greens with Garlic and Peanuts

From Vegetable Literacy by Deborah Madison, this was the recipe that taught me I like mustard greens! As Madison writes, you can use a mix of red and green mustards, or go with just one kind if you prefer. 8 heaping cups stemmed mustard greens (about 8 oz) 2 teaspoons roasted peanut oil 1 plump garlic clove, slivered Sea salt Few drops of soy sauce A handful of roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped Chop the mustard greens into large pieces and give them a rinse. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and then add the garlic. As soon as the garlic starts to sizzle, add the mustard greens and season with a few pinches of salt. Saute, turning the greens frequently, until the water from the leaves is largely gone and the leaves are tender. This should take about 5 minutes, depending on the plant. Add the soy sauce, cook for another minute, then toss with the peanuts and serve. With soba : Toss the mustard greens with soba noodles and garnish with the peanuts With smoke

Stir-Fried Yellow Chives and Eggs

All Under Heaven by Carolyn Phillips is an amazing compilation of authentic recipes gathered from all areas of China. This recipe is very easy in execution, but it was hard for me to find yellow chives, which are chives grown under a tarp or pot so they don't develop their normal green color. It also decreases their oniony flavors. I had to go to a Korean grocery store (after searching a Thai grocery, a Vietnamese grocery, and a Chinese grocery), and the last time I was at the same store I couldn't find them. So I don't know how available these will be in most areas, but on the chance you can find some, I'm giving this recipe because I loved it. Warning: If you do manage to find yellow chives, try to use them the same day or as quickly as possible. Even in a container and a freezer bag, the chives made my entire fridge smell funky as long as they were there. Worth it! 1 pound yellow chives 6 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil (or use half unsalted butter and half

Artichokes and Cannellini

Artichokes and cannellini have become a quick, weeknight staple at my house. It's from Nigel Slater's Eat , which I love because the recipes in it are all pretty easy with only a few ingredients. 3 tablespoons butter 1 lemon 2 green onions 10-oz jar water-packed artichokes 15.5-oz can of cannellini beans Parsley (optional) Melt butter in a shallow pan. As it melts, squeeze in the juice of half the lemon. Chop green onions and let them soften in the butter over moderate heat. Drain artichoke hearts, rinse well, then slice each one in half and add to the butter. Add cannellini beans to the pan and leave to quietly bubble over medium heat until a sort of impromptu creamy juice has developed. Season with salt, black pepper, and perhaps a little more lemon and some parsley. Serves 2 Notes from Slater on this recipe: This is not a recipe where anything should be allowed to brown in the pan. Keep the colors pale. Tarragon is good here, as it always is with beans, an

Corn and Pancetta Risotto

This is one of my favorite recipes. I love all risotto, but this one especially. This is from Salt to Taste by Marco Canora with Catherine Young. The corn can also be pre-cooked for this recipe (grilled or sweated in butter) then added with the last ladle of broth. 1/4 pound thinly sliced pancetta 4 ears of corn, husked 6 to 8 cups Brodo  or chicken broth Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 4 tablespoons unsalted butter About 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 large onion, peeled and diced 2 cups Arborio or other short-grained rice 3/4 cup dry white wine 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Preheat oven to 400. Divide the pancetta between 2 rimmed baking sheets, laying it out in a single layer. Bake the pancetta until the fat renders and the meat is beginning to crisp, 7 to 10 minutes. Pour off the rendered fat and reserve it. Chop the pancetta; add the chopped pancetta to the fat and set the mixture aside. (I only baked the pancetta the first time I

Brodo

This is the Brodo mentioned in the corn and pancetta risotto , both recipes from Salt to Taste by Marco Canora with Catherine Young. I've never made this, but I'm not the boss of your kitchen, and it's technically part of the risotto recipe. All that follows is the Brodo recipe as written by the authors. Author's Note: Brodo is not stock, but broth. Stock is made from simmering bones and broth is made from simmering meat. The practical difference is that stock contains more gelatin and is therefore an easier starting place for sauces. Because broths are made with whole pieces of meat and poultry rather than bones, they usually have deeper, more complex flavor. Broths also tend to be less cloudy - the protein in the meats in the pot acts as a filter that clarifies the broth as it simmers, leaving you with a beautifully clear liquid. Brodo is easy to make with ingredients from the supermarket. Start with a chicken . Put it whole in the pot, then add 2 pounds of be

Chard Soup with Cumin, Cilantro, and Lime

This is from Deborah Madison's Vegetable Literacy . Smaller, tender chard leaves are best (says Madison), but I used giant ones and it was still delicious. Don't worry about chopping too precisely during prep, because this is all going into a blender when it's done. 8 cups packed trimmed chard leaves (about 1 pound or 20 leaves) 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, sliced 1 small potato (about 4 ounces), scrubbed and sliced 1 carrot, scrubbed and sliced 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander Finely cut cilantro stems and leaves to make 1 cup Sea salt 1/2 cup sour cream or yogurt Freshly ground pepper Grated zest and juice of 1 lime Rinse the chard, chop it coarsely, and set aside in a colander to drain. Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion, potato, and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes to soften. Stir in the tomato paste, smashing it into the vegetables, and then ad

Corn Griddle Cakes

This is a recipe from Cucina Viansa , which is a collection of recipes from the Viansa Winery in California. The cakes are mostly polenta with corn kernels. They weren't what I expected, but they were so good that I had to move the plate with the finished cakes away from the stove so I would stop eating them while I was cooking. Note: They are not kidding about the nonstick pan. I started with a metal pan and had to switch because I couldn't get the cakes off without destroying them. 3 cups milk 1 cup polenta or corn meal 3 cups fresh yellow corn kernels (about 4 medium ears) 1 cup flour 2 teaspoons fresh baking powder 1/4 cup minced fresh basil 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions 2 teaspoons salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 6 egg whites Olive oil Warm the milk in a large saucepan over medium-low heat and slowly drizzle in the polenta, stirring to incorporate. Cook over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring constantly, just until the milk is absorb

Mama Chang's Hot and Sour Soup

This is Joanne Chang's recipe from Flour, Too , and it makes me want to see the rest of her recipes. It's easy, fast, and delicious. I've never had hot and sour soup that I liked before this, although I tried to like it several times. This recipe is a keeper, though. Chang writes that she wrote the recipe with button mushrooms because they are easy to find, but suggests using wood ear mushrooms if you can get them. I will further suggest that if you use wood ear mushrooms, buy them dried and re hydrate them instead of using fresh ones. I have only used button mushrooms in this recipe, but I did once use fresh wood ears in a different soup recipe and they were very slimy the next day. I ended up removing them before eating the rest of the soup. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 garlic clove 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger 4 scallions, white and green parts, minced, plus 2 tablespoons chopped for garnish 8 ounces ground pork 4 cups chicken stock One 1-pound

Sauage and White Bean Gratin

This gratin is very nearly one-dish, very good, and very easy. This is from Kathy Brennan's and Caroline Campion's Keepers . 2/3 cup panko or regular dried breadcrumbs 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted Salt 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 pound sweet Italian sausages, casings removed 1 small yellow onion, chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste 1 scant tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 scant teaspoon dried 1/2 cup dry white wine 1.5 cups low-sodium chicken broth Two 15.5-oz cans white beans, such as cannellini or Great Northern, drained and rinsed Pepper 4 large handfuls of baby spinach (optional) Preheat oven to 425, with a rack in the middle position. In a small bowl, combine panko and butter, season with salt and set aside. In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat until it shimmers. Add the sausages and cook, stirring often and breaking up the meat, until browned, about 4 minutes. Leaving as much of the oil in the pan as pos