Basil Pasta Salad

First made for 4th of July Party 2015

I found that this lighter version of pasta salad to be very flavorful, especially by adding the basil in a tube.  It packs a strong punch of flavor and was very fresh tasting.  A lot easier and economical than making your own basil puree. Using a mixture of olive oil and mayo helped lighten the dish. I think a lot of people would like adding some grated parmesan or feta, but I liked this non-dairy version.  Add whatever fresh veggies you have on hand!

• 12 oz pasta (penne of spiral), cooled in salted water
• 1/2 red bell pepper (fresh or roasted), diced
• big handful cherry tomatoes, halved
• small can sliced black olives
• 1/2 tube chopped basil (found in the refrigerated produce section)
• 1/4 c mayo – the final dish should not look like it’s covered in mayo
• olive oil, added till desired consistency
• 3 TBSP vinegar or lemon juice
• chopped parsley
• chopped basil (optional)
• baby spinach, chiffonade
• raw cucumbers or roasted zucchini, diced
• diced carrot
• salt/pepper to taste

Add the vinegar to the pasta while still warm.  Allow the pasta to cool a bit before adding the rest of the ingredients

Family BBQ-Carrot Cake, Quinoa Tabbouleh and Apple-Broccoli Slaw

Last weekend, we set out to my brother-in-law’s house with dinner in hand. We were going to do a simple sparerib BBQ already dry-rubbed by Costco and basted with our jarred BBQ sauce.

For sides, I prepared a few cold salads and made carrot cake for dessert. The real hit was the carrot cake, which turrned out moist, sweet with just a hint of coconut. We couldn’t even wait for the cake to cool properly before frosting and eating it, but in the end it as a delicious ooey gooey treat!

Tropical Carrot Cake *adapted from Cook’s Country Best Coutry Recipes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 8oz cans crushed pineapple
• A Few tablespoons of cornstarch
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 TBS baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 pound peeled carrots
• 1 c sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 1/4 c sugar
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 c vegetable oil
• 1/2-3/4 c shopped walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS

Place pineapple in a saucepan with a few tablespoons and corn starch. Bring to a boil and allow to thicken to the consistency of thin pudding. Ensure that cornstarch is cooked. Take off heat and allow to cool in fridge. In the meanwhile, prepare the cake.

Preheat oven at 350 degrees, set rack in the middle

Whisk dry ingredients (not nuts) together in a large bowl, set side.

Process carrots until finely grated, set aside in a medium bowl big enough to hold the wet ingredients.

Process white sugar and coconut until the coconut is finely chopped Add the brown sugar and eggs and process until smooth. While the machine is on, add oil slowly. (This step can be done by hand)

Transfer the sugar mixture to the carrot bowl. Add about 3/4 cups of the pineapple and stir till combined.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Add nuts and fold until well combined and no streaks of flour remains.

Pour batter into a prepared 9X13 glass pan and bake for about 40-50 minutes.

Let cool completely, frost with cream cheese frosting (Recipe below) and top with toasted coconut.

Cream Cheese Frosting and Coconut Topping

• 8 oz softened low-fat cream cheese
• 4 TBSP softened butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• Remaining pineapple from cake recipe
• pinch of salt
• 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

INSTRUCTIONS

Beat cream cheese, butter, pineapple and salt till well inccorporated. Add sugar in 2-3 batches. Add sugar to taste

Toast coconut in a dry non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown and fragrant, about 5-7 minutes. Keep a close eye, it can burn very quickly! Turn off heat and allow to cool before sprinkling of frosted cake

Quinoa Tabbouleh

INGREDIENTS

• 1 c uncooked quinoa
• 1 1/4 c water
• 1 English cucumber, diced into 1/4 inch cubes
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 c olive oil
• 1 TBSP lemon juice
• 2/3 c chopped parsley
• 1/2 c chopped mint
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Bring water to a boil, add quinoa and a pinch of salt and stir. Cover and allow to cook until quinoa has absorbed the water, about 10 minutes). Alow to stand, fluff.

Whisk lemon juiec olive oil and herbs to make the vinaigrette. Season to tasted.

Add 1/3 of the vinaigrette to slightly warm quinoa and mix thoroughly. Allow to cool.

When ready to serve, add tomato, cucumber and remaining vinaigrette. Season to taste.

Apple-Broccoli Slaw

INGREDIENTS

• 1 granny smith apple cut into matchsticks to match the broccoli slaw
• 12 ox broccoli saw mix
• 1 carrots cut into matchsticks to math the broccoli slaw
• Handfull of dried cranberried
• Small handfull of slivered almonds
• 1/2 c low-fat mayo
• 2 TBSP sour cream
• 2 TBSP lemon juice
• 1 TBSP white sugar

 

korean bbq trial

i can’t remember what inspired me, but the weather was supposed to be in the 80s this weekend so we could bbq, and since i was working this weekend as well, korean bbq, which could be prepared ahead of time, sounded like a good idea.

i had a recipe saved in my email sent to me from one of my good korean friends.  but as she doesn’t cook, she had never made the recipe sent to her from another friend.  i planned to try out he recipe, until i started reading the ingredient list.  3 cups of sugar for half a cup of soy sauce???  how could that be right?!

so i started my search for a better recipe that would call for a sugar paste as a marinade.  most recipes had the same basic components:  soy sauce, garlic, Asian pear and sesame oil.  the component adding sweetness varied.  i took my old korean roommate’s advice who said that her mom’s secret was a can of 7-up to tenderize the meat and add sweetness.

i got short ribs from the korean market and prepared the marinade the night before to optimize flavor.  we brought the meat over to my brother-in-law’s house to prepare dinner for the busy new parents.

i was pretty happy with the results.  slightly sweet and savory.  the meat was tender and aromatic.  i made a homemade soy-based dipping sauce and two veggie side dishes to go along with the hot white rice.

KALBI

Short Ribs:  3-4 pounds

Marinade:

1 large Asian pear

8 cloves garlic

1 thumb-sized pice of garlic

1/2 onion

3/4 cup soy sauce

3/4 cup 7-Up

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp honey

a generous drizzling sesame oil

3 green onions, sliced

In the food processor, place the Asian pear garlic, onion and ginger and process until a puree is produced

Pour the contents into a 9X13 baking dish.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir gently to combine

Add the short ribs, cover and refrigerate for at least a few hours, ideally overnight

Remove the ribs from the fridge and grill for just a few minutes, and enjoy!

SOY DIPPING SAUCE

3 tbsp soybean paste

1-2 tbsp chili paste

1 clove garlic, finely minced

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp sesame oil

Combine ingredients and stir until smooth, tasting along the way to get the perfect balance of salty, spicy and slightly sweet

MARINATED CUCUMBERS

Combine:

5-6 small Persian cucumbers, cut into chunks

1 green onion, thinly sliced on the bias

3/4 tsp salt

2 tsp Korean chili powder

1 tsp vinegar

1 tsp honey

SIMPLE BEAN SPROUTS

bean sprouts, blanched and cooled in an ice bath

salt

sesame oil

chinese braised chicken thighs

I bought a whole value pack of boneless skinless chicken thighs to make 3 cup chicken a few days ago when my friend A came over after a workout at the gym.

I had about 8 thighs left and wanted a set it and forget it dinner tonight.  I looked in my pantry and fridge to see what I had that would work with the chicken-ginger, garlic, scallions, five spice, left over veggies….this could work.

INGREDIENTS

B/S chicken thighs (about 2.5 pounds)

6 cloves of garlic, smashed

7 thin slices of ginger

a few dried chilies to taste

1 1/2 tsp five spice powder

1 TBSP dark soy sauce

2 TBSP light soy sauce

1 TBSP brown sugar

1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth

3 hard boiled eggs

3 green onions cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

chopped napa cabbage and baby spinach (or any vegetable you have in the house)

white pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

1. If you have time, marinate chicken in some soy sauce and the five spice powder to 30-60 minutes
2. In a wide shallow pan with a lid, heat up some oil and cook ginger, chilies and garlic until fragrant and somewhat soft (3-5 minutes)
3. Add chicken in a single layer and brown both sides (3-4 minutes per side)
4. Add soy sauces, sugar and allow to  dark meat
5. Add chicken broth, eggs and pepper and allow to come to boil.  Need to make to to compensate for the vegetables to be added at the end of the cooking process.  Also, if you plan to  make noodle soup, would make the broth more salty and add hot water to the individual bowls of noodles-a tip my mom taught me.
6. Season at this point, adding more soy sauce, pepper or sugar to taste
7. Cover and allow to simmer until the chicken is cooked (about 15 min).  Rotate eggs during cooking for even color and to impart flavor
8. Add vegetables over the chicken to steam until done
9. Serve over rice or rice noodles

asian stuffed tomatoes

We had some beefsteak tomatoes left over from our barbecue a few weeks ago, and because it has been a bit on the cooler side, they have remained nice and firm for some time. I decided to try making stuffed tomatoes, a dish B’s dad would make. It’s one of my brother-in-law’s favorite dishes: sweet tomatoes stuffed with savory ingredients, topped with a soy tomato sauce. Depending on the meat you chose, this could be a very quick and healthy dish that requires very little prep. All you need are 2 bowls, a cutting board and a pan with a lid!

Several recipes I reviewed used wood ear fungus, which B also prefers, but we don’t always have that on hand. Bean thread noodles is another ingredient that is common. Next time, I’ll add that in.

INGREDIENTS

• 3 firm large tomatoes
• 1/2 lb ground meat (pork, turkey or beef)
• hand full dried shitake mushrooms, reconstituted in warm water and chopped. Reserved the water for the sauce
• small knob of ginger, grated
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 onion, minced
• 1 egg white
• 2T oil
• chicken broth
• soy sauce
• 1-3 tsp sugar
• pepper to taste
• cornstarch to thicken sauce

1. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise. Remove the pulp, but leave the firm flesh intact. Strain the pulp to remove the seeds and set aside.
2. To prepare the filling, combine the ground meat, 2tsp ginger, 1tsp garlic, onion, egg white in a bowl. Season with soy sauce and pepper.
3. Fill each tomato with about 1.5-2 T of filling
4. Heat a large saute pan with oil over medium-high heat and brown the tomatoes, filling side down for a few minutes
5. Remove the tomatoes and make the sauce. Add little more oil if needed and cook 1tsp each of ginger and garlic until soft and fragrant but not browned.
6. Add the reserved mushroom water and tomato pulp to the pan. Season with soy sauce, sugar and pepper. May add some chicken broth if you wan extra sauce.
7. Return the tomatoes to the pan, filling side up. Cover and lower heat to maintain a simmer
8. Cook for about 10 minutes until the tomatoes are still a bit firm
9. Remove tomatoes with a slotted spoon and add enough corn starch mixed in a bit of water to the sauce to the get the desired consistency. Adjust the seasoning
10. Pour the sauce over the tomatoes
11. Serve with hot steamed rice

BBQ in January!

B and I were stuck working New Year’s weekend, but we still wanted to break in the new year with our friends and neighbors.  So…we opened our house to about 45 of our closest friends for a backyard BBQ!

We grilled 14 brats, 18 pounds of chicken, about 2 dozen burgers and 5 veggie burgers by the end of the day.  Friends were chatty enjoying the sun on the deck and freezing in the backyard.  The most watched wild card play-off game was playing on TV (Denver won in OT on the 1st play) was enjoyed by all the football fans.  We all had a great time unntil the sun went down!

The menu incuded Thai grilled chicken, teriyaki chicken, potato salad, and antipasta platter, brie drizzled with maple syrup garnished with blackberries and walnuts. Something new I tried was an Asian inspired slaw. I was looking for something lighter than the traditional mayo-laden version.

Asian-inspired coleslaw
1 bunch (6 large) scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced

2 lbs shredded veggies (I used red and regular cabbage-would try napacabbage, red cabbage and carrot mix next time)

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (from about a 1-inch piece)

2 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

2 teaspoons sesame seeds, optional

1 teaspoon salt

20 grinds black pepper

homemade pasta sauce and skillet lasagna

Since I often cook for just the two of us, I tried a skillet lasagna recipe so that we wouldn’t be eating leftovers for day on end.  I came across a veggie version which allowed me to use more of the GIGANTIC zucchini we got from’s B’s boss.  The sauce took a bit of time to simmer, but I think that it was worth the slow cooking

SAUCE
3 cloves garlic
1 onion
ground meat or sausage
1 large can of crushed tomatoes
1 spoonful of tomato paste
1 bay leaf
oregano, basil and parsley
white wine

Brown the onions and garlic until soft
Add tomato paste and cook through
Add wine and cook till alcohol evaporates
Add tomatoes and herbs
Simmer, stirring often for a few hours until the sauce turns a darker red color
Salt, pepper and sugar to taste

LASAGNA
1 c ricotta + 1 egg + basil + parmesan cheese
mozarella
zucchini ribbons
carrot ribbons
lasagna noodles

ASSEMBLY
From the sauce skillet, remove all but 1 cup of sauce
Top with 2 noodles
Spread 1st layer of cheese mixture
Add mozarella
Layer on vegetables
Repeat one more time
Top with sauce and cheese

Cover skillet with lid and cook over medium heat until noodles are cooked, sauce is bubbly and cheese is melted.

broccoli salad

My sister-in-law made a version of this one Thanksgiving before I was married.  I tried a different version the following 4th of July as well as for Jen’s shower

INGREDIENTS
about 6 cups of raw broccoli
1 c mayonnaise
1/4c sugar
2T vinegar
4-6 slices bacon, crumbled
1/2 c red onion, choppped
1/2 c raisins
grape tomato, halved
8 oz cheddar cheese, small dice
salt and pepper to taste

optional:  add some of the bacon grease

Combine ingredients and chill

thai cucumber salad

Ingredients:
4 Persian cucumbers, sliced
1 garlic clove
chilis, sliced
2T fish suce
2T water
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c rice vinegar

Combine water, fish sauce and sugar in small pot and heat till syrup forms. Allow syrup to cool
Add to cucumbers. Add vinegar.

Serve chilled

Fried tofu with shitake mushroms and spinach

I’m really excited about adding this dish to my dinner rotation, very light and simple. And I just learned that mushrooms are high in protein! Next time, I’ll add a little more saltiness as soy sauce or salt and perhaps boil off the mushroom soaking liquid to add more intense mushroom flavor. A little ginger and garlic would also add a lot to the dish

1 package of firm tofu
minced garlic
grated ginger
a handful of dried shitake mushroom, soaked in warm water
spinach
oyster sauce, soy sauce and salt to taste
pich of sugar
white pepper

Cube tofu into chunky pieces (about 18 pieces). Pat dry with paper towels.
In a small pot, reduce mushroom soaking liquid to about half
Add a good amount of oil to the pan, set on high
Fry tofu on all sides till slightly brown. Remove from pan.
Sautee spinach with garlic and put on sering dish.
Remove excess oil from pan and add garlic and ginger till softened slightly, then add mushrooms.
Add mushroom stock, oyster sauce, sugar, white pepper and soy sauce to taste. Thicken sauce with cornstarch.
Add tofu back to pan and stir to combine.
Pour on top of spinach