on the menu : deconstructed fish “taco” salad

DECONSTRUCTED FISH “TACO” SALAD

Note to self:  When making fish tacos, do not forget the tortillas .  This is how my deconstructed fish “taco” salad came about.  I came home excited to chow down on one of my all-time favorite meals and realized halfway through cooking that I had forgotten to buy the tortillas.  So much for tacos!  But no worries, I quickly decided to turn my dish into a salad.

Actually, this all worked in my favor.  I was cooking with Turbot (only fresh wild caught white fish available that day) which is not ideal for fish tacos anyway (flakes way too easily, and too buttery in texture).  The crunchy cabbage and peppery arugula were exactly what the Turbot needed as it would have disappeared in a tortilla.

The purple cabbage is dressed in a zesty avocado vinaigrette to make the spiced up Turbot really scream ‘n’ shout bold flavors.  I think the saying goes, “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.”  Likewise when you forget a seemingly important ingredient on your shopping list, just go with the flow, and you won’t be disappointed.

on the menu : marinated red bell peppers w/ simple stuffing

MARINATED RED BELL PEPPERS W/ SIMPLE STUFFING

When I first started seriously cooking, I would make lots of stuffed peppers because they were in almost every cookbook, easy to make, and looked cool (ha).  After a while though, I stopped because I got bored with the concept and taste.

The other day I realized I had not made a stuffed pepper dish in, well, forever!  And so I did.  I used to just make the stuffing, stuff the peppers, and bake them.  This time I decided to marinate the peppers in advance to take care of my biggest complaint – the peppers always being kinda ‘eh, boring.’

That did the trick.  Dancing flavors, no more bland peppers, and no need to get all fancy with the stuffing.  As you know, you can pretty much stuff peppers with anything (be it rice, just vegetables, maybe you like chicken or meat in there), so that’s totally your personal preference but I highly recommend marinating the peppers first for the most flavor.

INGREDIENTS:

• Red Bell Pepper
• Marinade
  • Hungarian Paprika
  • Fennel Pollen
  • Herbes de Provence
  • Organic Ketchup
  • Lemon
  • Olive Oil
  • Balsamic Vinegar
  • Dijon Mustard
  • Salt + Pepper
• Stuffing/Filling
  • Quinoa
  • Tuna
  • Red Onion
  • Peas

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients of the marinade in a bowl and whisk together.
2. Cut off the tops of your bell peppers, remove the seeds and inner linings.  Brush the marinade on your peppers (inside + out, tops too) so every inch is covered.  Place in the fridge to marinate over night for the most flavor (but less is fine too!).  Reserve the leftover marinade.
3. Once the peppers have marinated, make the stuffing/filling.  Cook quinoa according to package.
4. Finely chop up the red onion.  Drizzle some oil into a sauté pan and add the red onions.  Raise the heat to medium and cook the onions.  Season with salt + pepper.
5. Add the tuna (canned is fine – make sure you drain + rinse) to the onions.  Pour in the reserved marinade and continue to sauté.  Also add the green peas.  Season with salt + pepper as necessary.
6. Once the quinoa has cooked, give it a nice fluff, season with salt + pepper, and add the sautéed ingredients.  Mix well.
7. Pre-heat the oven to 375 F.  Roast the peppers to your liking (some like it more raw, some prefer them more charred).  Once they’ve roasted, fill them up, and serve!

on the menu : mock no dairy shrimp alfredo

MOCK NO DAIRY SHRIMP ALFREDO

Hands up – are you a sucker for cream-based pasta dishes??  In the US, American-Italian establishments are known for adding heavy cream to some of their most popular pasta sauces.  I think they do this partly because cream is cheaper than, say, mounds of cheese (likely more popular in Italy).

Hands up – are you a sucker for cream-based pasta dishes and looking for a way to make them leaner and better for you??  Look no further, friends!  The secret is quite simple.  If you think about non-dairy “milks,” they’re primarily nut-based, right?  Soy, almond, cashew, etc. etc.  Take that same concept and apply it to your sauce!  By puréeing nuts (pine nuts, in this case), with wet ingredients (see below), you’re able to create the base for a mock cream sauce with a whole lot more depth and flavor than cream itself AND – of course – the health factor.  Win win win.

For this dish, I’ve added a few veggies (onions + celery), herbs (parsley), spices (saffron + dried red chile), AND flax seeds.  When you blend flax seeds into the nut-based sauce, it almost acts as a bind.  Pretty cool and you won’t even know they’re in there.

INGREDIENTS:

• Celery (3 stalks)
• Parsley (Bunch)
• Pine Nuts (1/2 cup)
• Flax Seeds (1 tbsp)
• Balsamic Vinegar (2 tsp)
• Dried Red Chile (1 tbsp)
• Garlic Clove (2-3)
• Yellow Onion (1)
• Saffron (Pinch)
• Mirin (1/4 cup)
• Shrimp (Optional)
• Brown Rice Spiral Pasta (16 oz)
• Sun Dried Tomato (Optional – for topping)
• Olive Oil
• Salt + Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Drizzle some oil into a large sauté pan.  Cook the shrimp over medium heat (should only take a few minutes).  Spoon out the shrimp and set aside.
2. Finely chop up the yellow onion.  Add the chopped onions, turn the heat on medium low and sauté the onions with some salt + pepper.
3. As the onions start to turn glassy, add the saffron threads.  Pour in the mirin, raise the hat to medium to cook out some of the alcohol, then reduce the heat back to low.
4. Chop up the garlic cloves and add to the sauté pan.  Also add back in the shrimp and stir everything together.
5. Place in a food processor the celery, parsley, pine nuts, flax seeds, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt + pepper.  Blend until relatively smooth but not completely blended.
6. Spoon in the blended mixture to the sauté pan as you meld it into a sauce.  Use a slotted spoon to do so.  Season with salt + pepper as necessary.
7. Bring a pot of water up to a boil and salt it generously once boiled.  Cook the pasta to just under al denté.  Spoon some of the pasta cooking water into your sauté pan and mix into the sauce.  Drain the pasta and transfer directly to the sauté pan.
8. Raise the heat on the sauté pan to medium to give it once last blast, do a final seasoning (if needed), and serve immediately.

on the menu : weekly recipe round-up part… who knows?

WEEKLY RECIPE ROUND-UP PART… WHO KNOWS?

Welcome to another batch of home cooked meals, bundled up into one big post (aka I openly admit to procrastination in posting these when I made them).  Alas, enjoy .

WASABI SHOYU RAMEN

Inspired by a semi-recent trip to Ippudo in NYC, I made a healthier version of their only vegetarian ramen – wasabi shoyu ramen.  The broth is not overbearing in wasabi heat, but has just the right amount of kick to keep you going in for more.  I used brown rice noodles instead of traditional ramen noodles, added lots of vegetables, scallions, ginger, and sesame seeds for a no-guilt “ramen” dish.

KALE SALAD W/ BAKED MUNG-A-LAFELS, APPLES, + RAISINS

My go-to detox beans – mung beans make great imitation falafels.  I sautéed some onions and mixed them into the mung bean “batter” to add another layer of flavor, but these guys taste great with just their mung bean selves.  This time around I’ve added mung-a-lafels to some nutrition-packed kale (found aplenty this time of the year), crispy apples, and raisins.  The vinaigrette with a lemon juice base plays double duty by brightening up the dish and keeping the apples from browning.  Fun, colorful, playful, forkfuls of vitamins/nutrients/minerals/etc. = add this to your dinner menu now.

LEEK MUSHROOM + SPINACH QUICHE

A gluten free, vegan, and vegetarian quiche held together by silken tofu.  You don’t taste any tofu thanks to the fragrant leeks, earthy mushrooms, and leafy spinach.  Quiche is often associated with breakfast or brunch, but I find it makes a perfectly fitting dinner as well.  Minimal prep time, leave it alone while it cooks in the oven, all sorts of deliciousness and goodness packed in each bite.

THAI BASIL COCONUT RED LENTIL CURRY

I obsess over Thai basil – it’s crazy how the aromatics in this herb almost get amplified with heat.  This curry came together with a few simple ingredients – onion, scallions, garlic, ginger, red bell pepper, bean sprouts, red lentils (which turn orange/yellow when cooked) – all dancing in a smooth coconut milk base.  This is a nice, light curry that can easily be enjoyed on its own or with a side of brown rice.

DRESSED UP DOSAS

A lover of Indian food, I took the concept of dosas but gave it my own twist.  The sauce is a purée of beets, chickpeas, and lots of spices.  To combat the heat, I made a simple cucumber and tomato salad dressed with a little lemon juice and scallions.  I used a mixture of chickpea flour and water to create the dosas and dinner turned into ‘dosa night.’  You know, kinda like taco night, but with dosas.  We live on the edge .

CITRUS + AVOCADO ZEN SALAD

What makes a salad ‘zen?’  Nothing… really.  It’s just a marketing ploy, but hey, got me!  The zen mixture has some Asian salad greens mixed with traditional herb greens.  Sitting atop the zen greens are some pretty winter grapefruit, oranges, avocado, and lightly toasted pine nuts.  The vinaigrette is an emulsion of the citrus juices, balsamic, a little honey, a little mustard, salt + pepper.  This is a great way to take advantage of those bulk citrus sales at your local store.  Citrus pairs beautifully with avocado and will keep them bright green.  #namaste

PASTA CON LE SARDE ALLA PALERMITANA

My guess is that many of you are not huge fans of sardines or anchovies.  I’ll admit, growing up, I associated anchovies with anchovy pizza and that’s not the most attractive means of enjoying those omega 3 and calcium-packed guys.  I highly encourage you to ease into cooking with anchovies or sardines because they’re divine.  They don’t taste as fishy as they smell, they add a natural infusion of salt, and impart a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

This pasta is an inspiration from Palermo, Italy.  Primary ingredients aside from the anchovies and sardines are fennel tops, golden raisins, onion, saffron, dried red chile, pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, salt + pepper.  Super simple, right?  And so delicious.  A true Palermian party in your mouth.

on the menu : 3-course hawaii themed valentine’s dinner

3-COURSE HAWAII THEMED VALENTINE’S DINNER

This year, my husband and I stayed in for Valentine’s.  If you know me, I take advantage of any ‘special’ occasion to spend extra time in the kitchen and this night was no exception.

I had a lot of fun with this one!  All of this snow, icy rain, wind, and cold temps has me yearning for some SUN; namely that of Hawaii.  Given how much my husband and I are drawn to Hawaii, visiting each year on our anniversary, I thought it would be fitting to build a Valentine’s dinner around it.  Hence the theme.  The 3-course represents the # of years we’ve been married (I just made that up… not the years we’ve been married… the # of courses is a total coincidence).  Hope you all had a great night as well!

SEAFOOD CEVICHE W/ AVOCADO + MANGO

Appetizers are always best kept fresh, simple, clean, and refreshing.  Just enough ‘kick’ to get the taste buds going and plenty of room left for more.  So naturally, I went with a ceviche.  Aside from the seafood, I added some chopped scallions, mango, and avocado.  For this starter, I drew inspiration from the abundance of beautiful seafood, avocado & mango trees in Hawaii.

SOFT BOILED EGG OVER CRISPY BROWN RICE COCONUT CAKE ATOP POI

For our second course, I paid homage to Hawaii’s roots by creating a dish around Poi.  Poi is a traditional Hawaiian staple made by laboriously pounding down taro and mixing with water until you reach a velvety smooth texture.  I cheated and used a food processor .  Taro is a root vegetable with all kinds of health benefits – easily digestable, low Glycemic Index, excellent source of Potassium, and filled with other minerals and nutrients (calcium, vitamins C/E/B, magnesium, manganese, copper).

Atop the Poi I have a crispy brown rice cake.  The brown rice is mixed with some coconut milk, shredded coconut, black sesame seeds, and a little soy sauce.  And finally, the entire dish comes together with a soft-boiled egg and finished with a dash of sprinkled Hawaiian salt.

MACADAMIA + COCONUT CRUSTED SALMON OVER WASABI PEA PUREE

To round out our dinner, I brought in an abundance of bright, popping island flavors.  The macadamia and coconut crust crisped up nicely while the fish remained moist.  I went with a wild-caught salmon but you could go even more Hawaii-authentic and opt for Mahi Mahi.  I garnished with edible flowers which you can find scattered around Hawaii (what don’t they have??).

The real star though is the sauce.  I puréed some sweet peas with wasabi, mint, honey, and brown rice vinegar.  The heat from the wasabi balances out the sweetness in the sauce and coconut on the fish.  Bursting tones and textures all around and plates licked clean = delightful delectable delicious success.

recipe round-up: kick start your new year with plenty of whole foods!

Welcome to a brand new year, friends!

I have been busy concocting lots of healthy, fortune-infused (read: black eyed peas), vibrant, dishes packed with whole foods.  As I enter the new year, I am reminded by the joy that my devotion to this lifestyle brings me (mentally, physically, spiritually).  Here’s to an ever-exciting 2013 filled with new opportunities and plenty of time to cook healthy and eat deliciously.

Kimchi Fried [Brown] Rice

Japanese Yam Latkes w/ Harissa Sauce

Roasted Butternut Squash + Carrot Ginger Soup

Black Eyed Pea Salad w/ Roasted Poblano + Jalepeño Vinaigrette

Japanese Yam Spinach Curry

Braised Red Cabbage Topped w/ Black Eyed Pea Salad + Apples

Wild Mushroom + Roasted Chestnut Soup

Roasted Pear + Beet Kale Salad

Kitchen Sink Red Curry

Sicilian Inspired Wild-Caught Salmon Pasta

Spinach Quinoa w/ Macerated Fennel + Cucumber and a Side of Citrus

Kimchi Soft Tofu Stew

on the menu : shrimp green curry

SHRIMP GREEN CURRY

Warm your soul this winter with a soothing curry.  This version is a fusion green curry marrying Thai and Vietnamese flavors.  Super light but full of vibrant flavors, I’ve paired the curry with mung beans (vs. rice) to kick up the health factor.  Make a big batch because this is one of those dishes that gets better the longer it sits.

INGREDIENTS:

• Shrimp
• Lemongrass
• Green Beans
• Scallions
• Ginger
• Shiitake Mushrooms
• Garlic
• Kaffir Leaves
• Coconut Milk
• Thai Green Curry
• Soy Sauce
• Lime
• Oil
• Salt + White Pepper

on the menu : thanksgiving 2012

Ahh, the most glorious time of year is upon us.  For most Americans, Thanksgiving has turned into a food festivus.  To that I say – why not have a holiday that has turned into a day filled with food?

This year, I pulled together a pescetarian Thanksgiving; all organic ingredients, butter/cream free, and mostly gluten-free as well.  I put a big emphasis on variety to make up for not preparing a big turkey and tried to incorporate and reconstruct traditional Thanksgiving flavors into my creations.

Thanksgiving 2012 menu:

Hors d’oeuvres

• Pumpkin Mung-alafels w/ Arugula Basil Salsa Verde
• Mini Jumbo Crab Crakes
• “Stuffing” Filled Crispy Wontons w/ Sage Balsamic Reduction
• Acorn Squash + Ricotta Flat Bread

Side Dishes

• Raw Brussels Sprout Salad Bar
• Caprese Salad
• Mashed Cauliflower + Yucca Root w/ Chives
• Earthy Chanterelle Mushrooms + Kale Sauté
• Tagine Saffron Sweet Potatoes w/ Roasted Sesame Seeds

Entrées

• Tuscan White Bean Purée Soup
• Jalepeño Cornbread Stuffing
• Asparagus + Goat Cheese Quiche
• Ratatouille
• Oven Roasted Lemon + Rosemary Wild Caught Salmon

Caveat – As with the last Thanksgiving I hosted, pictures are scarce (sorry).  I managed to snag a few before the guests arrived but once we got to dinner, I had no time/energy to even think about documenting, so some of my dishes are picture-less.

PUMPKIN MUNG-ALAGELS W/ ARUGULA BASIL SALSA VERDE

If you’re a falafel lover like me, you’ll enjoy this dish that comes packed with a holiday (and healthy) twist.  Baked, not fried, but still crisp on the outside and moist inside.  The pumpkin is not overbearing and the mung beans help retain the shape.

MINI JUMBO CRAB CAKES

My oxymoron of a crab cake; mini crab cakes out of jumbo crab meat.  I gave the guests two options for dipping – an avocado-based tartar sauce and a simple slow-cooked tomato sauce.

“STUFFING” FILLED CRISPY WONTONS W/ SAGE BALSAMIC REDUCTION

These were super fun to make!  My vision here was one, single bite of stuffing.  I created the stuffing by sautéing roasted chestnuts, apples, celery, shallots, and fused with the ever-so aromatic Thanksgiving herbs.  The shells are baked in muffin tins (so easy!).  Drizzled atop is a sweet sage and balsamic reduction.

ACORN SQUASH + RICOTTA FLAT BREAD

This dish is a recreation of a similar appetizer I enjoyed @ ABC Kitchen (NYC).  The ABC Kitchen rendition is made with kabocha which I really wanted to do as well.  Unfortunately, Whole Foods was completely out of kabocha squash the week leading up to Thanksgiving so I went with acorn squash instead.  The concept was still a success!  The combination of the sweet and caramel-y squash against the “sour” ricotta and tangy vinegar are a match made in heaven.

RAW BRUSSELS SPROUT SALAD BAR

My new obsession this year has got to be raw brussels sprout.  I go the manual route and shred each… little… sprout… BUT the pay-off is SO worth the labor.  I promise.  If you’re not a fan of brussels sprouts because all you’ve ever experienced are those soggy and over-cooked, try them raw.  World of a difference.  Most delicate salad.  Ever.  I did a play on the traditional salad bar by shredding up lots and lots of these little guys and offered side toppings for either a savory, sweet, or sweet + savory salad.

MASHED CAULIFLOWER + YUCCA ROOT W/  CHIVES

My mashed potato dish contains to potatoes at all.  Instead, I mashed together cauliflower and yucca root.  The result is a fluffy concoction retaining a mashed potato-like texture.  And lets not forget the health factor .

TAGINE SAFFRON SWEET POTATOES W/ ROASTED SESAME SEEDS

My take on the traditional sweet potatoes dish was not so traditional; rather, a fusion of sophisticated flavors.  I was looking for a sweet potato dish that didn’t require taking up more room in the oven, hence the tagine.  I kept the sweet factor by cooking the potatoes with a little maple syrup.  Added layers of flavors were a result of pretty saffron threads, a little mirin, and a dash of soy sauce.  Oh, and the chives.  The dish is finished off with a sprinkling of some sea salt and roasted black sesame seeds.

JALAPENO + CORNBREAD STUFFING

The one dish that would normally not see the light of day in my kitchen but so delish!  Black beans, leeks, jalepeños, tomatillos, cornbread… it was an explosion of flavors and textures.  Again, keeping to my theme of reconstructed traditional flavors, I kept the cornbread (more traditional) but went to the other end of the spectrum by adding bold Mexican flavors.

ASPARAGUS + GOAT CHEESE TOFU QUICHE

You read right.  Tofu!  I love making quiches with puréed tofu and just one egg vs. six eggs and cream.  The quiche is fluffier, lighter, and overall more intriguing to the taste buds.  Of course the trick is perhaps not to tell your guests until after they’ve dug into it as people may initially be turned off by the idea of a tofu quiche.  With so much food going on though, I promise they will appreciate this surprisingly light entrée.

A big, heaping thank you/arigato to all of our guests!  I had a blast cooking for you and welcome the opportunity to do it again for any occasion!

(my last task of the night – slicing up the lemon + rosemary salmon)

on the menu : sweet chile fried rice

SWEET CHILE FRIED RICE

INGREDIENTS:

• Garlic Clove
• Ginger
• Organic Ketchup
• Dried Red Chile
• Soy Sauce
• Nori Seaweed
• Peanuts
• Honey
• Whole Grain Rice
• Dried Shrimp (Optional)
• Oil
• Salt + Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook the rice according to package either on the stove top or in a rice cooker.
2. A few minutes prior to the rice being done, drizzle oil into a wok.
3. Finely chop up the garlic.  Peel and grate the ginger.  Add both to the oil.
4. If you’re adding the dried shrimp, add it to the oil with the garlic and ginger.  Allow these ingredients to simmer in the oil.
5. Place in a blender the seaweed, peanuts, honey, and water.  Purée until a smooth paste forms.
6. Raise the heat on your wok to medium and add the cooked rice.  Sauté with the garlic, ginger, and shrimp.
7. Add the ketchup and soy sauce as you continue to toss the rice in the wok.
8. Add the nori paste you blended to the rice and mix in well until combined.

on the menu : mushroom mapo tofu

MUSHROOM MAPO TOFU

When you order mapo tofu at Sichuan restaurants, you’ll get a dish largely composed of ground meat or chicken basking in an oyster sauce-based broth.  A mighty tasty and comforting dish but not friendly for non-meat eaters and those who are trying to avoid un-natural ingredients (read: the ingredients on a bottle of oyster sauce).

The other night, my husband requested an “Asian dish.”  I could have gone a number of directions but my mind raced to something comforting and not super complex.  I somehow landed on mapo tofu .

The biggest challenge is recreating the broth.  The other ingredients – tofu (easy) + mushrooms (easy and takes the place of meat/chicken) – are a breeze.  It’s that sauce…  I basically thought about what the sauce means to me, and I came up with tangy, spicy, mostly savory with hints of sweet lingering in the background.  Oh, and the oyster extract.  Hm.

Then it hit me.  Bonito flakes!  By adding just a little bit of bonito flakes, I can essentially recreate that subtle “oyster-y” sensation.  Success.

The result is a much lighter, healthier, silkier mapo tofu but still true to the original concept and über comforting.

INGREDIENTS:

• Organic Soft Tofu (12 oz)
• Japanese Mushrooms (Large Handful)
• Ginger (1-inch knob)
• Scallions (3)
• Garlic Clove (1)
• Sweet Green Peas (1/2 cup)
• Soy Sauce (2 tbsp)
• Sake (1/4 cup)
• Organic Ketchup (2 tbsp)
• Miso Paste (2 tbsp)
• Bonito Flakes (2 tbsp)
• Togarashi (1 tsp)
• Sesame Oil
• White Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Drizzle the sesame oil into a wok.
2. Peel and grate the ginger.  Add to the sesame oil.  Turn the heat on a low simmer.
3. Chop up the scallions, thinly slice up the garlic and add to the oil as well.
4. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sake, ketchup, miso paste, bonito flakes, and togarashi until well combined.
5. Rinse the Japanese mushrooms and set aside.
6. Cube up the tofu and set aside.
7. Raise the heat on your wok to medium-high.  Add half of the whisked sauce.
8. Add the mushrooms and toss with the wok ingredients.
9. Add the tofu to the wok and continue toss.  Use a slotted spoon to gently break up the tofu.
10. Add the sweet green peas, pour in the rest of the sauce and continue stirring.  Season with white pepper.  Serve alone or with a side of brown rice.