Sweet Spicy Shrimp

This recipe ratio is a definite keeper. It was delicious. I'm not even sure if shrimp has a harvesting season, like crab or other larger seafood. But, I definitely have seen a wide range of prices for raw shrimp; from $5.99/lb (Fubonn, before asian food holidays) up to $13.99/lb (Costco, Trader Joe's). Certainly before the Gulf of Mexico oil disaster, shrimp prices were cheaper by a couple of dollars per pound. And, rather than turn this post into a ecowatch rant, here are the directions.

I didn't have any shallots nor cilantro on hand so I omitted both. The cilantro is just for color.

The Foodening Blog: sweet chili shrimp, ready to eat

Ingredients

1 lb raw shrimp, shelled and de-veined
1 tbsp olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
(optional) 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
(optional) 1 small shallot, finely chopped

Marinade for Shrimp

2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp sea salt

Sauce for Frying

1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp raw honey
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2-3 tsp red chili paste

Directions

1. Clean and rinse shrimp. In a large bowl, mix shrimp, cornstarch and salt together. Let stand for 5-10 minutes, or refrigerate until ready to fry.

2. Prepare sauce: combine soy sauce, honey, vinegar and chili paste. Set aside.

3. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add oil and swirl the skillet to spread the oil around. Add garlic and ginger. Stir fry until the oil is fragrant and the garlic hasn't browned. Add shrimp and fry until the shrimp changes color from light gray to salmon pink, about 2-3 minutes. Pour in the sauce and stir until well combined.

4. Transfer to a serving dish and top with (optional) cilantro. Serve hot.

Fish Fragrant Eggplant

I'm pretty sure that fish doesn't smell like this. Heck, this dish doesn't even have any sort of fish essences in it. But, as the origin goes, these are the same Szechuan (Sichuan) flavorings used for preparing fish so that it is sweet, sour, and spicy. I added a step to this by baking the eggplant before frying to shorten the fry time of cooking the eggplant since I didn't want to deep fry the eggplant in a lot of oil. Maybe when I do this recipe again, I should cook it with fish instead of eggplant and see how it tastes.

Fish Fragrant Eggplant

Sauce Ingredients

1 tbsp chili bean sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp organic granulated sugar
1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 c water

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb Japanese eggplants, cut into 2" pieces and quartered
1 tbsp chili black bean sauce
2 stalks green onions, sliced into 1" pieces
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil

Directions

In a 9" x 13" baking dish, add sliced eggplant and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F; or bake for 25 minutes if you don't want to wait for the oven to preheat.

1. In a large frying pan or wok, heat oil and add garlic and ginger. Lightly brown the garlic before adding the eggplant. Fry for 5 minutes.

2. Next, add the sauce, cornstarch and water. Fry until all the eggplant is coated. Add the green onions last.

3. Remove from heat and serve with steamed rice.

Clams with Black Bean Sauce (and Fresh Basil)

I've seen this dish served up both ways, with fresh basil and without. It tastes pretty good either way when clams are in season. In this region, Manilla clams are both farm grown and local to the Puget Sound. These clams come from the Hama Hama river delta. Wash the clams in cold water and scrub the shells with a stiff brush before using. This helps to release any dirt in and on the clams.

Clams with Black Bean Sauce and Fresh Basil

Ingredients

2-3 tbsp olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large whole scallion, chopped
1 tbsp fermented black beans, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp dry sherry (or Shaoxing rice cooking wine)
1/4 c fresh basil, sliced into 1/4" thin strips
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 c water
1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in water.

Directions

1. In a small prep bowl, combine garlic, ginger and scallions. In a separate prep bowl, have lightly chopped fermented black beans. In a third prep bowl, combine soy sauce, sherry, and sugar. In the fourth prep bowl, combine cornstarch with enough water to dissolve the powder. Set aside until ready to cook.

2. Heat a wok or large heavy skillet (with a lid) over high heat until hot; add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Toss in the garlic, ginger, scallions and black beans; stir rapidly so the garlic does not burn. Add the clams and stir for about a minute. Sprinkle in soy sauce sherry, and sugar mixture; then pour in the water. Cover and let the clams cook for five minutes, until all the clams have opened.

3. Uncover the wok and pour in the cornstarch water. Stir the sauce around and the sauce will thicken. Last, add in the fresh basil and give it a stir. Scoop the clams and the sauce into a serving dish.

Szechuan Stirfry Chicken

I thought I would post this one too. It came out tasting average. Decent enough for home cooking, not good enough to serve at a potluck or hosted dinner party. Good thing I only used a pair of chicken breasts for it. 

Also known as Sichuan pepper, Szechwan pepper, Szechuan pepper, or huajiao these are the dried berries of the prickly ash plant. It is not related to either the chili pepper plant or the black/red/pink/white pepper trees. The spice was banned from US imports from 1968-2005 due to a plant-based disease the raw, dried peppercorns carried that could potentially spread to citrus crops. In 2005, the USDA and FDA lifted the ban (source: NY Times) if the peppercorns were heated prior to import. This is one of the five spices that make up Chinese five spice powder, by the way.

I have not noticed the "numbing" sensation that this spices gives to the spicy-hot dishes it is often served with. Maybe my problem was that there weren't any spicy chilies in the dish.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, skin removed and cut into 1/2" pieces
1 c broccoli florets, cooked or blanched
1/2 c dried shitake mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced
2 green onions (scallions), diagonally sliced

2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp dry sherry or Chinese rice wine
2 tbsp olive oil, for frying
1-2 tsp Szechuan peppercorns, whole (will grind later)
kosher salt, to taste
hot chili paste (optional)
1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp cold water (optional, for sauce thickening)

Directions

1. Remove the skin from the chicken breasts, slice into small pieces and set aside. Cut the chicken into 1/2" pieces and set aside. 

2a. Heat skillet, wok, or frying pan until hot. Add Szechuan peppercorns and toast, gently shaking the pan so that the spice does not burn. If the spice burns, toss it out and try again. Remove peppercorns to a mortar and pestle and grind until it is a powder.

2b. In a small bowl, mix the ground peppercorns with chili paste (optional), soy sauce, and wine. Set aside.

3. In the skillet, add olive oil and heat until it is hot. Add garlic, ginger, green onions, and stir fry for about a minute. Add chicken pieces and chicken skin (if using) and fry until the chicken  has turned white and no longer shows pink, about five minutes. Next, add the shitake mushrooms and broccoli.

4. Add the peppercorn sauce (in step 2b) and stir into the chicken, broccoli, and mushrooms. Remove from heat. Serve hot with steamed rice.

New Orleans Style Beignets

When I researched recipes to make this deep fried doughnut/fritter, I came across two distinct recipe ratios. One looked far more unhealthy than the other and included ingredients such as evaporated milk and vegetable shortening. Sure, evaporated milk isn't that unhealthy but it is a far cry from being fresh. And shortening? Ugh. Perhaps the locals to New Orleans see it differently during Mardi Gras. I'm speculating that the shortening (versus butter) would make the dough a little bit more airy in texture. My only comparative taste sample were the ones I had at Toulouse Petit in Seattle. 

The recipe ratio comes from a Los Angeles Times recipe by chef Bryan Gilmore of the Creole Creamery in New Orleans.

Making Fat Tuesday fatter with fresh beignets

Ingredients


1 teaspoon plus 1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 envelope active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 cups flour, divided
1 cup whole milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large egg, at room temperature
powdered sugar, for dusting

Peanut oil and/or vegetable oil for frying, heated to 370 degrees F.


Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 c warm water (110 degrees F) and 1 tsp sugar. Sprinkle yeast on top and let sit for 5 minutes. If the yeast is alive, it should be foamy and/or poofy looking.

2. In a stand mixer, whisk together remaining sugar, 3 cups of flour, and salt.

3. In a small saucepan, combine milk and butter. Gently heat until butter is melted. Pour warmed mixture into the flour and mix using a dough hook in the mixer. Add the egg, yeast mixture, and remaining cup of flour. Mix until a soft dough forms. Cover with another bowl or plate or plastic wrap and let the dough rise for 1-2 hours until doubled in size.

4. Divide dough into thirds and roll out until it is 1/4" thick. Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 2" wide strips, and cut the strips into squares. 

5. Heat the oil in a deep fryer or Dutch oven until the temperature reaches about 370 degrees F. Gently drop in 2-3 pieces of dough at a time. Use a metal slotted spoon to turn beignets over when browned on one side. Should take no more than 1 minute per side.

6. Remove fried beignets to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar. Serve hot.

Brussels Sprouts in Garlic Butter

I think I should write down this recipe ratio before I forget. The oven was busy, so this batch got sauteed in a pan with olive oil and butter. I'm guessing on the portion sizing since not everyone who attends a party will eat these.

Feeds: 8-10 adults

Ingredients

2 lb fresh brussels sprouts, stems trimmed and halved
2-3 tbsp olive oil
3-4 tbsp unsalted butter
3 garlic cloves, peeled and mashed flat with a knife blade
salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional, about 1/4 c)

Directions

1. In a nonstick skillet, melt butter and olive oil together over medium heat. Stir in garlic cloves until the oil is fragrant. Remove garlic from the pan and add sprouts, cut side down.

2. Let the sprouts cook until lightly browned. For two pounds, you'll have to work in batches to get everything evenly cooked until sprouts are fork-tender; about 8 minutes.

3. Before removing from the skillet, add salt, black pepper, and half the grated Parmesan cheese. Give the vegetables a quick stir before removing them to a plate. Sprinkle more cheese on top, if desired.

Pork Fried Noodles

The best part about tasty leftovers is being able to create a tasty dish that can be enjoyed. We had leftover pork roast and leftover whole wheat spaghetti noodles from two separate meals. You can easily substitute the pork for chicken breast, beef, or shrimp.

Ingredients

cooked spaghetti noodles
1 c. pork roast, sliced or diced
1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 c. garlic chives, cut into 1" slices
1 garlic clove, minced

Directions

1. In a large cast iron pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and add noodles. Fry over low heat until the noodles have browned. Flip the heap of noodles over so that the other side can brown too.

2. Add garlic, chives, soy sauce, sesame oil, and slices of pork roast. Stir into the noodles until everything is evenly distributed. Don't let the chives brown. When the chives turn a vibrant green color, they are cooked.

3. Serve in bowls or on plates. Enjoy.

Squid with Bacon

I was trying to think of fancier names for this dish, like ones you'd find on a pretentious restaurant menu. Here's what I came up with:

Fried calamari with roasted garlic and bacon
Herb roasted calamari with apple-smoked bacon

And then I got to thinking that a lot of recipes have delicious-sounding descriptors, but may not actually be true to how the dish is prepared. Fresh herbs, for example, are almost always added after the dish has finished cooking...otherwise they'd lose their fresh green look and be all wilted. Calamari is the Italian plural word for squid (it's "calamaro" when referring to one squid). When people imagine what squid looks like, they are usually imagining a slimy, angry, beady-eyed multi-tentacled creature wrapping its giant arms around a ship at sea. No? Ok, well, maybe that's just me.

Frying is the fastest way that I know to cook it up. But, it can also be steamed, boiled, stir fried, salted, roasted, etc. Preparation of the squid itself is the hardest part of the dish because there are so many steps to cleaning it before the body gets sliced up. And, if you don't wear gloves, your hands end up all very squid-smelling.

The original recipe ratio comes from Bobby Flay. I have never watched that particular episode, so I had to surmise what he meant by lardon bacon. I'm assuming it's diced, fried bacon, until someone informs me otherwise. Flay's recipe calls for an additional two tablespoons of olive oil after the bacon has fried, but the bacon already yields roughly two tablespoons of lard, so if I do add the olive oil, it would only be to make the finished squid look shiny. Also, since I don't live near the coast, I have never seen fresh squid at the grocery store or specialty asian market; so this recipe uses frozen squid that has been thawed to room temperature.

Squid with Bacon and Thyme

Ingredients

1 lb squid, cleaned and sliced into rings
2 slices of bacon, diced
2 tbsp parsley leaves (optional, for garnish)
1 tbsp thyme leaves
3 garlic cloves, minced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Prepare the squid.

2. Fry bacon in a medium pan until it is lightly golden brown and most of the fat has rendered out.

2. Add garlic and squid, seasoning lightly with salt and pepper. Cook squid for 2-3 minutes or until just cooked through. The squid rings curl backwards and the flesh turns to an opaque white color.

3. Remove from heat and stir in parsley (optional) and thyme before serving.

Fried Apple Pies

What makes a good fried fruit pie is its tender, flaky crust filled with a sweet filling that reminds you of when you had a much faster metabolism. When I go out on road trips, a short stop at a McD's for their fried apple pies is not unusual for me. It is a treat that I enjoyed in my teens and 20s, and still enjoy today. This recipe only uses natural ingredients. If you were mass producing these, I can see how you could sacrifice quality of taste with cheaper substitutes, like vegetable shortening instead of butter. I also didn't deep fry these in an unholy oil like canola or corn oil. Rather, I pan fried them in a cast iron skillet with olive oil. Sure, lots of people will tell you that olive oil is better used raw and not on high heat. But aside from butter, I don't have other oils in my pantry to use for frying other than EVOO.

I used gala apples for this since I only stock the fridge with eating apples (vs canning, pie, cider types of apples). If you use a more tart apple like a Cortland or Granny Smith, you may want to up the sugar content in the filling.

Dough Ingredients (for 8 pies)

1 1/2 c. all-purpose unbleached flour
1/2 c. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Up to 1/2 c. cold water

Filling Ingredients

2 apples, any variety, peeled/cored/chopped into small pieces
1/4 c. unbleached granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 c. water

1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water (mixed in a small, separate bowl)

Directions

For the dough: Combine flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Use a pastry blender and cut the butter into the flour until coarse crumbs form. Gradually add the cold water while mixing to form a more cohesive dough. Mix by hand until the dough comes together into a ball easily. Let it the dough rest in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Cut the dough ball into four equal pieces. Each quarter piece will be divided into two equal pieces. The remaining piece should be rolled out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8" thickness, forming either a square, a rectangle, a circle, or oval. Look, I don't care what shape your pies are in. Mine took on an almost Hostess fruit pie look (half moon arc). Cookie cutters could be used, but I don't have any that are large enough for this purpose.

Put about 1-2 tablespoons of the filling in the center of the rolled-out dough. Fold in half and seal the edges by lightly damping the interior edges with water. Use the tines of a fork to "seal" the edges. The last thing you want is the filling to ooze out of the pie while it is frying.

For the filling: In a 1-quart saucepan, combine water, sugar, salt, and apples. Cook until softened, about 10-15 minutes on medium heat. You'll notice that as the apples release liquid, there is more water than you had expected and it is very runny. Continue to cook over low-medium heat until the water has reduced by half.

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with one tablespoon of cold water and mix well. While the apple filling is cooking on the stove (after the water has been reduced), add the cornstarch liquid and stir the filling. It should thicken up nicely and be ready for pie assembly.

Let filling cool completely (say, put it in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes) before adding to the dough.

Frying: It depends on how much more unhealthy you want to make this recipe. I started with 2 tbsp of EVOO in the frying pan for every two pies fried. Fry each pie for a few minutes on each side until the dough is of a dark golden brown color. When done, place pies on a paper towel-lined plate and serve.

For deep frying, you need a lot more vegetable oil (in a medium pot, this would be about 3-4 inches of oil), a deep pot capable of accommodating your pies or a deep fryer, and a thermometer used for measuring oil temp (oil temp needs to be at 350 degrees F). Fry for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

One last note about oil used for deep frying. The oil takes on the scent and flavor of whatever was last fried in it. So, don't be using that oil used for deep frying breaded shrimp because your apple pies, while they'll taste like apple pies, will also have a distinct shrimpy flavor as well.

Making Xian Bing ("meat pies")

This is bing as in a bread-styled appetizer found in Chinese cuisine, such as shao bing ("small bread" kind of like a pita), jian bing (crepes), cong you bing (pancakes), etc. This recipe comes from the book of unintelligible Chinese recipes. Basically, it comes from a recipe book written entirely in Chinese from my mom's cookbook collection, none of which I can actually read.

Ingredients

5 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. water

1 3/4 lb ground pork
2 tbsp soy sauce
8 tbsp water
dash of sea salt
2-3 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
10 small shitake mushrooms, minced
3 stalks green onions, minced

Directions

1. Except for the flour, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.

2. In a separate bowl, combine flour with 1 cup of water. (Note: if you're using whole wheat flour, you'll need more water). Stir to combine and knead until it comes together as a dough.

3. Form a log and slice into equal chunks. Roll out a dough chunk into a 5" diameter circle.

4. Fill with 2 tbsp of pork mixture and roll the dough up like a pouch. It's better to have the dough in one hand and crimp the edges with the other.

5. Fry on low heat until golden brown on both sides.

View pics.

Diced pear with brocolli, fried

There's a reason why you don't find certain dishes at restaurants, like this one. It didn't come out tasting too bad. I mean, it's edible.

Among apples and squash, it is also pear season out here in the Pacific Northwest. You name it, bosc, red anjou, green anjou, etc. The fruit is plentiful and inexpensive to procure a few pounds of each. The pear, while delicate in flavor, tastes fairly strong when not fully ripened. The flesh is firm and it stands up to harsher cooking methods like frying versus poaching.

I have really only seen sweet preparations of pears: pear tartlets, pear and almond tarts, pear jam, preserved pears, pear bread, poached pears with honey and rosewater, pear paired with much stronger flavored cheeses like bleu and Gorgonzola, pear salad. It is the sweetness that the pear brings that allows some dishes to flourish across continents and cuisines.

I tried a dish on a whim tonight using an almost though not quite ripe bosc pear. It has an interesting taste that might just stay as bachelorette cooking and not something to be served up to guests. Broccoli isn't my favorite vegetable, but it is readily available during winter and aside from frying, blanching, steaming, baking, roasting, or boiling it into a soup, it's a pretty boring vegetable to eat. Nonetheless, it's what was starting to wilt in my fridge.

I wanted to do something different. Be experimental. I made this one up as I was cooking it:

1 small broccoli head with stem
1 bosc pear, cored and diced
2 tbsp EVOO (for frying)
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
dash of salt

Heat the oil until hot but not smoking. Add the pear and broccoli stem slices and sauté.

Add the broccoli florets, vinegar, and soy sauce. Stir fry until the florets turn a dark green color.

Remove from heat and serve.

The flavor combinations of this ratio is a bit "off" and lacks the basics of cooking fundamentals, but who the hell cares? I was cooking for one and not for guests. I enjoy every ingredient by itself on this ingredient list and I know what pairs really well with pears.

In retrospect, any type of fruity vinegar--balsamic, apple cider, or rice wine vinegar--is likely too sweet for this dish. It really brought out the sugary taste of the bosc. That was unexpected. Just so you know. I don't have any leftover broccoli. What is leftover in the dish is the diced pear.

And about the broccoli stem. That hard and thick, almost waxy skin that wraps around the broccoli stem that most Americans and restaurants throw away? It can be peeled and the inner stem is quite tender.

Pan-Fried Fish Fillets

Drowning a fish in any sauce is just to cover up the not-so-fresh feeling the fish has. The whole wheat flour gives texture and some crunch. How to tell when the fish is done? Well, if it can be easily stabbed through with the edge of a spatula, it should be done.

The idea here is to prepare the toppings in a sauté pan and set aside. Topping #1 strangely tastes like pizza sauce and when I made it the first time it was eaten faster than the fish.

Note to self: make more topping next time. Because salt is one of those spices that to just want to hint at in a fish dish, I add it after the fish is done cooking, sprinkling it on the top of the finished product.

3 tilapia fillets or 2 catfish fillets
2 tbsp. whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. grape seed oil or butter

Topping #1:
6-8 large black olives, finely chopped
1 stalk green onion, sliced thinly
1 tbsp. organic red vinegar
1 tbsp. light soy sauce

Topping #2:
2-3 sundried tomatos, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
thin slices of ginger

Butter gives great flavor to fish. Grape seed oil will not burn at higher temperatures. It's a good oil to work with for an amateur cook, but it does not taste good raw (for salads and marinades stick with olive oil).

Do not use frozen fillets for this recipe. Thaw first!

1. Rinse fillets and pat dry. Coat fillets with flour on both sides.

2. Heat oil on skillet on medium heat. Add fillets, if they both fit. If they do not, then cook one at a time and adjust for oil.

3. Average cooking time is about 5-7 minutes per side on a medium fire. The thicker the fillet, the longer the cooking time. Do not exceed 10 minutes per side, you'll get a rubbery tasting fish regardless of fillet thickness.

4. Arrange neatly on a clean plate. Put topping on top of fish. Enjoy.

Topping preparation:

1. Heat a small skillet. Add oil. Add green onions (topping #1) or garlic and ginger (topping #2).

The idea here is to flavor the oil. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir fry. Remove from heat and set aside until fish is done.

Balsamic Eggplant and Peppers

Most eggplant recipes you see are for baked, roasted, deep-fried, or steamed eggplant. Why is this? Because it generally takes a long time to cook, even if you're patient. This method involves frying, but with a covered lid. As long as the eggplant doesn't dry out, it should cook thoroughly.

3-5 Japanese eggplants, sliced in 3/4" diagonal cut pieces
1 red bell pepper, 1/4" lengthwise slices
1 green bell pepper, 1/4" lengthwise slices
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 c. chicken/vegetable/beef broth or water
slivers of green onion for garnish (optional)
dash of salt, to taste

Sauce:
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. sugar

1. Stir-fry red and green bell peppers with the oil and the garlic about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Stir-fry eggplant until lightly browned. Turn heat down to medium and simmer with 1/4 c. broth covered until eggplant is soft. About 30 minutes.

3. Mix sauce ingredients in a small bowl until the sugar has dissolved.

4. Once the eggplant is just about done, add the sauce and stir until the eggplant is coated. Add the peppers back in and fry for 1-2 more minutes.

5. Remove from heat. Garnish with slivers of green onion.