Mint Walnut Pesto, served with Gnocchi

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Ingredients:

• 1 cup packed fresh mint leaves
• 1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup roasted slivered almond
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup (or more) extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 - 1 tbsp kosher salt

Directions:

• In a food processor, blend the first 6 ingredients to coarse puree.
• With food processor running, slowly and gradually pour in the olive oil. Continue blending until it forms smooth puree.
• Transfer to a bowl, season with salt.
• Serve mixed with gnocchis, or your preferred pasta.

Beef Larb (Thai Beef Salad with Herbs)

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The signs of fall have not been seen a lot in my part of the world. Here in sunny northern CA the afternoons are still warm, summer dresses are still making appearance everywhere, and our local farmers market are still keeping with their Saturday schedule. 

Instead of being outside enjoying the last of the summer, I am currently sick with this terrible cough (my chest hurts!). It is very annoying as I can't even finish one sentence without hacking like a mad old woman speaking in tongue. 

Sickness aside, the offspring still need to be fed. Beef larb is one of the dishes that I can whip up quickly, without sacrificing the quality or the flavors of the meal.

It has good balance of heat from the chili, tartness from the lime juice, pungent and saltiness from the fish oil, and nuttiness from the toasted rice powder. And the best part, no trip to the Asian store required.

Side note: 

1. Skirt steak can also be substituted with ground beef. Cook and brown ground beef in a skillet, cool down and mix with the rest of the ingredients.

2. Substitute beef with any meat, like chicken, pork, or turkey.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoon uncooked sticky rice (regular rice is ok if you can't find sticky rice)
• 1 lb skirt steak
• 1/2 red onion, slice thinly
• 1 cup packed cilantro
• 1 cup packed mint leaves
• 1/2 to 1 tablespoon red chili flakes
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• Juice from 1 large lime (3-4 tbsp)
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

• To make the toasted rice powder: Heat a small skillet over medium-low heat, toss the rice into the skillet (no oil), stir constantly until the rice turns golden brown and smell fragrant (about 15 minutes). Cool down a little bit and grind using mortar and pestle until rice turns into coarse powder. Food processor works fine, too. Set aside.
• Spinkle salt and pepper on both side of the steak. Grill steak to your liking, let sit for 15 minutes and slice thinly. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
• Add onion, cilantro, mint leaves, fish sauce, lime juice, chili flakes, sugar, rice powder, salt and pepper into the bowl. Toss together to combine, making sure that the beef is well coated with spices and dressing. Dish it out onto a plate, serve with cooked sticky rice and enjoy!

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Orecchiette with Tomatoes, Sausage, and Arugula

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I am not even going to talk about how long has it been since my last post, it's just downright embarrassing. All I can say is I can't believe how fast time flies, or how much my life has changed in the past year or two. 

Little C is a freshman in high school (holy smoke!). He's loving it so far! 

Big C graduated high school last May, and after a short summer break, has started his life at US Naval Academy. It's been quite an adjustment for him, and also for us. Being away from home at (not) college has proven to be a bit challenging for him. Not having him at home makes everything just weird. 

But I believe eventually all of us will get used to the idea that he's a grown up now, and will have to do grown-up things. 

Me, on the other hand, find myself with more time in hand than I know what to do with. So back to my true nature, I cook. And I bake. And realized that maybe I need to start posting stuff on my blog again, and get myself busy, before I get bored and decided to move to Annapolis to get closer to big C (J is really against this idea! With good reasons).

Ingredients:

• 1 lb dry orecchiette, cook according to package direction, rinse and drain, set aside
• 1/2 cup reserved pasta water
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 smoked sausage links, sliced 1/2"
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved (unless they're small, then leave whole)
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan, plus more for sprinkling
• 3 cups arugula
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

• Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add sliced sausage into the skillet and cook until brown, stir occasionally. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
• In a different large skillet, warm the remaining 2 tbsp oil, add garlic and chili flakes. Cook until fragrant and almost brown. Add cherry tomatoes into the skillet, toss until well coated with garlic oil. Cook for about 3 minutes until the tomatoes start to wilt. Add pasta, sausage, and pasta water into the skillet, mix until combined. Next, add grated parmesan into the pasta, stir to mix. Season with salt and pepper.
• Remove the skillet from he heat, gently fold in half of the arugula. Transfer pasta into individual plates, top with more arugula and sprinkle with more parmesan. Serve and enjoy.

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Southwest Style Pasta Salad

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Because if memory serves me right, everybody loves pasta salad. Especially now that the weather is warming up nicely in this good Northern CA. Did I hear someone say picnic?

And to be able to bring fresh, zesty, and healthy dish to the table that can be prepared in 30 minutes or less, now that's just the icing on the cake!

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces dry mini farfalle pasta, cooked al dente per package instructions
• 1 can sweet corn kernels, rinsed and drained
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can capellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large red pepper, diced
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup packed cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

• Place the first 8 ingredients in a large salad bowl.
• Whisk together oil, lime juice, brown sugar, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper until well incorporated. 
• Pour dressing over pasta and vegetables (you might not want to use all of the dressing), toss to combine, serve and enjoy!

Crispy Fried Tofu

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No, thank you. I don't like tofu you said?

Maybe it's because you never had tofu that's cooked right. 

Cooking tofu is not difficult, and if you follow the steps necessary, you might see them more often on your dining table. After all, it's delicious and it's a great protein that can be enjoyed by everybody.

1. Use the right kind of tofu for the recipe.  Depends greatly on what I'm cooking, most of the time I'm using firm to extra-firm tofu because they're easier to handle, hold their shape better, and don't crumble in your hand. You can also diced, sliced, and transform into whatever shape you want. Soft tofu is great for scrambles and stir-fries, while silken tofu is great for baking (try tofu pancakes!), creamy sauce, and whenever the recipe calls for it (a lot of Chinese and Japanese food use silken tofu).

2. Always, I mean always, press the moisture out of your tofu before cooking. When you buy a package of tofu, it is normally soaked in water. Not pressing the moisture out of them will add extra water to your food, that might result in soggy and watery food. You don't want that!

Line a plate with several layers of paper towel, place a block of tofu on top of the paper towels and put a few layers of ore paper towels on top of tofu. Place a plate on top of it, weigh it down with a can or other heavy object. Leave the tofu for a couple of hours, drain the excess water every 30 minutes.

3. Always season your tofu, as tofu sold here is naturally bland. The seasoning part can be done either before or after you paper towel drain the tofu, depending on what your cooking. In this recipe below, the tofu is marinated so it absorbs the flavor, then pressed to dry. Or you can also use seasoning rub, or dip into seasoned batter before frying. But nevertheless, add flavors to your tofu, because nobody likes bland food.

Good luck trying and let me know how yours turn out :)

Ingredients:

• 1 block of firm tofu
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 cups warm water
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (optional)
• Salt and pepper
• Oil for frying

Directions:

• Pour warm water in a large glass bowl, add salt and minced garlic into the water, mix until the salt is completely diluted. Add tofu into the brine, making sure that the block is completely submerged. Cover with plastic wrap, store in the refrigerator for 8 hours to overnight. 
• Take the tofu out of the salt water, rinse with cold water. Place tofu on a plate lined with paper towels, and put a few layers of paper towels on top of it. Place another plate on top, weigh it down with a can or a heavy bowl. Let the tofu sit for an hour or more, drain the excess water every half an hour. Pat dry and cut into about 16 squares, 1/2-inch in thickness. 
• Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches 350 F. Meanwhile whisk the eggs in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, sesame seeds, chili powder, coriander, salt and pepper until well combined.
• Dip tofu squares in egg, dust with seasoned flour, fry until golden brown and crispy. Transfer fried tofu to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess grease. Serve hot with sweet and sour dipping sauce, if preferred.

Banana Blossom and Chicken Stir-Fry

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Banana blossom aka banana heart aka banana flower, is not an ingredient you would normally find in your local grocery store. But if you live near an Asian grocery store, you might see some fresh ones in the produce section. A widely popular ingredient in Southeast Asian and Indian cuisine, banana blossom's mild flavor works wonderfully in salad, stir-fry, or curry.

The knowledge to prepare banana blossom for the dish is somehow crucial. Make sure you follow every step, so you don't end up with discolored blossom that leaves unpleasant bitter taste in your mouth.
If you do it right, this is the delicious dish that might make more than one appearance at your dining table.

Ingredients:

• 1 banana blossom
• 4 cups cold water
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon fermented shrimp paste (if not available, substitute with 1 tablespoon fish sauce)
• 2 red Jalapeños, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, bruised
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

• In a large bowl, mix cold water and white vinegar, and set aside. Peel the tough purple outer layers of banana blossom until you reach the pinkish-creamy color part of the blossom. Split the blossom in half lengthwise, then slice crosswise as thinly as possible. Transfer banana blossom slices immediately to the bowl with vinegar water. Soak the blossom for 1 hour, up to 2 hours. This process will prevent the blossom from turning brown, and also will get rid of the bitterness. Drain  and rinse with cold water before cooking.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, shrimp paste, Jalapeños, and lemongrass into the skillet and cook for a few minutes. Add ground chicken to the skillet, breaking up the chunks with the wooden spatula while stirring. Continue cooking until the chicken is crumbly and no longer pink.
• Add banana blossom and chicken stock into the chicken mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking for about 5 to 10 minutes, until the blossom is tender and the stock is absorbed. 
• Serve warm with steamed rice, if desired.

Rosemary Lime Roasted Chicken Thighs

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Really??

My last blog entry was in March. How lazy am I?

But summer is almost here. My rowdy teenagers have two more weeks of school, then the school break is here. I'm telling you, I'm psyched about it.

Finally I would have time to sit down and relax a little bit, get inspired to try some new recipes I've been meaning to do in the past few months, read books, and maybe some beach time here and there. Doesn't that sound wonderful?

The first half of 2015 passed by so quickly. Everybody has been busy doing something (except Stuey the crazy Dale, he spends half of his day napping and the other half begging for food), dinnertime is the only time our family can sit down and be together, then they're off to do homework or whatever else. Most days, I have one hour to cook dinner, if I'm lucky.
So needless to say, dish like this roasted chicken thighs is a lifesaver. It's quick, it's super easy, and it's definitely tasty.

Ingredients:

• 8 chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
• 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice, from about 2 limes
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 green onion, sliced, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

• In a bowl whisk together olive oil, mustard, garlic, lime juice, rosemary, salt and pepper until well combined. Transfer marinade to a large sealable freezer bag. Add chicken thighs to the bag, seal and shake to coat. Place freezer bag in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
• Preheat the broiler. Take out the chicken and lay them on broiler pan, skin side up. Insert a thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken, then broil the chicken until the skin turns golden brown, about 5-10 minutes. 
• Reduce the oven temperature to 375 F. Continue roasting until the thermometer temperature reaches 165 F. Transfer chicken to a serving platter, garnish with sliced green onion.

Dublin Coddle

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Being sick stinks. 

But that's what I have been experiencing this past week, together with my oldest offspring. In fact, big C got it worse than me. His flu was so bad he had to stay at home and missed his rowing practices the entire week. 

The house was beyond messy, but I didn't care. Our meals consisted of whatever quick and easy I could manage to whip up. Mostly stir-fry stuff. 

But finally today, we said we want something different. No more stir-fry, let's have something soupy and comforting, but still easy to make.

Then Dublin coddle came to mind.

This slow-cooked Irish stew filled with bacon, sausages and potatoes is not only easy to make, but also tastes great. This is the kind of dish that makes you warm and fuzzy inside. 

Because the dish only calls for a few ingredients, make sure you only use the good quality sausages and bacon you can find. The better the ingredients, the better your stew will be. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 5 thick-cut/slab bacon (or rashers), cut into strips
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 5 links pork sausages
• 10 unpeeled gold potatoes, washed and halved
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 small cabbage , cut into 8 sections (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions:

• In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Brown the sausages on both sides, transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Add bacon and onion into the saucepan. Cook until the onion has softened, about 5-10 minutes. Return sausages into the pot, add potatoes and pour the stock into the pot. Add cabbage into the pot as well, if you're using. Season with salt and pepper.
• Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to low,. Cover the saucepan and simmer for about 1 hour, until the potatoes are tender.
• Ladle soup into individual bowl and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve hot with good crusty bread.

Mapo Tofu

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Mapo tofu, to me, is comfort food.

This spicy dish with fermented bean base, combined with mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns, can be found in most Chinese restaurants across the country. But seriously, what not to like?

There are 3 important ingredients for cooking authentic Mapo tofu: doubanjiang which is chili bean paste (one of the most important ingredients in Sichuan cooking), and dou-chi, also known as fermented black beans, and lastly Sichuan peppercorns. Omit any of these ingredients, and your tofu will not be the same, I'll tell ya!

Poaching the tofu prior to cooking will help to make your tofu more tender. Simply soak tofu in hot salted water for about 3 minutes, drain and slice/cube.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound (1 block) soft tofu, poached and cut into 1" cubes
• 1/2 pound ground pork or beef
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 2 tablespoons doubanjiang
• 1 tablespoon dou-chi
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/2 cup green peas (optional)
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorn (fry whole peppercorns in a pan, cool down and ground using food processor)
• 1 tablespoon corn starch
• 4 tablespoons water
• Salt (if needed)
• 3 stalks green onion, chopped

Directions:

• In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil over medium-high heat. Cook ground meat until done, transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Add sesame oil into the skillet. Fry garlic, ginger, doubanjian, dou-chi in the skillet until fragrant. Place tofu cubes, green peas and ground meat into the skillet, mix gently so the tofu don't turn mushy. 
• Pour chicken broth into the skillet. Add soy sauce and ground peppercorn, and let the liquid to boil. Mix water and cornstarch in a small bowl, stir into the tofu mixture. Simmer and let the liquid thickens, about 2-3 minutes. At this point, taste the dish to see if additional salt is needed.
• Transfer dish to a serving plate. Garnish with chopped green onion and serve hot with steamed rice.