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Appetizers, Dinner, Japanese, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Renkon no Kinpira – Sautéed Lotus Root

January 13, 2014

Lotus root, or hasu as we call it in Hawaii, is a unique delicacy. Once you peel and slice this rather homely root (or rhizome) you’ll see how beautiful it is. Only available in Hawaii for a few months each year, I buy it as often as I can. With its snowflake like appearance when sliced and its crunchy and delicate flavor, it is wonderful sautéed and served with brown or white rice. This is my favorite way to prepare it.

Peeled and sliced lotus root. It’s crunchy with a mild flavor some say reminds them of jicama.

A simple combination of a few ingredients will add just the right depth of flavor to sautéed lotus root. Besides sautéing, lotus root can be used in soups, fried (crispy tempura), pickled or steamed. Its crispy texture holds up very well regardless of how it is prepared.

Renkon no Kinpira – Sautéed Lotus Root

Adapted from mmm-yoso!!!blog

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound lotus root, peeled and thinly sliced

1/4 cup white vinegar

3 cups water

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons canola oil

2 tablespoons sake

6 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons mirin

Ichimi Togarashi or cayenne pepper

Toasted sesame seeds

Preparation

Pour vinegar and water in to a large glass bowl. Peel the lotus root, rinse and slice thinly. Place in vinegar water.

Combine sake, soy sauce, sugar and mirin in a small bowl. Set aside.

Drain lotus root, place on paper towels and pat dry.

Heat sesame and canola oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté lotus root for about 5 minutes, Do not over cook. Add soy sauce mixture and simmer until most of the liquid evaporates about 2 minutes.

Remove lotus root to a shallow bowl. Sprinkle with Ichimi Togarashi (or cayenne pepper) and toasted sesame seeds. Serve at room temperature.

Dinner, Potato Salad, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes

Eggy Potato Salad with Pickles

January 6, 2014

“Will Drive For Food. ” That’s one of my mottos! And that’s also the title of the article where I found this tasty potato salad recipe. The May 2012 issue of Bon Appétit caught my attention because I for one, will definitely travel for food. Anytime. In this particular article, the authors, Jenny Rosenstrach and Andy Ward, write of stopping at Sally Bell’s Kitchen in Richmond, Virginia, picking up their famous lunch boxes for their drive from New York to South Carolina. Jenny and Andy describe the lunch boxes as consisting of a Smithfield-ham and iceberg sandwich, a deviled egg, a frosted cupcake, and best of all, eggy potato salad topped with a sweet pickle chip. Doesn’t that sound like the perfect afternoon road trip meal?

The recipe calls for using only the egg yolks however I couldn’t waste those lovely egg whites so I included half of them in the salad. The others we ate on the spot, sprinkled with salt and pepper. Yum!

Yukon Gold or red potatoes work well in this salad. I found some nice Yukon Golds so that’s what I used.

The potatoes are coarsely smashed instead of cubed. This makes for a very creamy sort of potato salad.

The pickle juice adds a sweet and tart flavor to the dressing.

Eggy Potato Salad with Pickles

Adapted from Bon Appétit May 2012

Serves 6 as a side dish

Ingredients

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled

1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons sweet pickle juice plus 8 – 10 sweet-pickle chips

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3/4 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 large hard-boiled eggs, separated, egg yolks smashed finely plus two egg whites finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped red or Maui onion

1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley

Paprika

Preparation

Place potatoes in a large pot. Add water to cover by 2 inches, add 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes or so. Drain. Place potatoes in a large bowl and let cool slightly.

Whisk mayonnaise, pickle juice, Dijon, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Using a large wooden spoon, coarsely smash potatoes, leaving some larger pieces mixed with some well mashed pieces.

Add dressing, egg yolks, egg whites to potatoes and a toss to coat. Add onion and parsley, gently mix to incorporate. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and chill before serving.

Divide potato salad among small plates or bowls, dust with paprika and top with a sliced dill pickle chip or two.

Dinner, Recipes, Rice Dishes, Side Dishes

Beautiful Tah Dig ~ Persian Rice

December 1, 2013

I love rice. Brown, white, short, medium and long grain, basmati, jasmine, arborio, wild rice (not technically rice). Some of my favorite recipes are Sopa de Arroz, Japanese sushi rice, Korean bibimbap and now Tah Dig. I found a recipe on the internet for Persian Jeweled Rice. It was mesmerizing. This colorful, gorgeous rice dish was added to my list of must try recipes. This also led me to a rice recipe I had never heard of before, Tah Dig. Shanna over at Curls & Carrots inquired about the stone bowls used in my bibimbap recipe. She mentioned she had a Persian rice cooker that produces a crispy crust of rice just as the stone bowls do. Persian rice cooker? I had never heard of it before.

Many thanks to Shanna for posting her Easy Shabbat Tah Dig recipe. I could barely wait to try it.

The golden color of the rice comes from a pinch of turmeric and beautiful saffron.

I purchased my Pars Persian rice cooker on-line from Kalamala. Their shipping fees are reasonable and they have excellent customer service. Now to find space for another appliance….

I had some herb tofu in my refrigerator and quickly assembled the tofu on skewers with cherry tomatoes then briefly browned them in my grill pan. Tofu kebabs!

Tah Dig ~ Persian Rice

Adapted from Shanna’s recipe at Curls & Carrot s (Mahalo Shanna!)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups white basmati rice

1 14.5 ounce can chicken broth

1 tablespoon Earth Balance butter, melted (or real butter for those who are not lactose intolerant)

1/2 teaspoon salt

a pinch of turmeric

a few pinches of saffron, crumbled

Preparation

Soak rice in a bowl of water for 1 hour. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, drain well.

Place the rice, chicken broth, butter, salt, turmeric and saffron in a Persian, non-stick rice cooker. Give the ingredients a stir.

Place the cover on the rice cooker and cover it with a kitchen towel. Cook the rice for 45 minutes.

Turn off the rice cooker and let rice sit, undisturbed for at 15 minutes. Invert rice on a platter and serve.

Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegetarian, Veggies

Arugula Herb Salad with Feta & Olives

October 10, 2013

This is one of my favorite salads. It’s full of fresh herbs, peppery arugula, tangy feta, and briny capers and olives. Thanks to the San Francisco Chronicle for posting their recipe “Cypriot Village Salad.”

I’ve made this three times in the last month and haven’t tired of it yet. After chopping up the herbs and tomatoes, it’s really just a matter of tossing everything together then enjoying it with a slice of crusty sourdough, whole grain bread or a hearty sandwich.

Arugula Herb Salad with Feta & Olives

Adapted from the San Francisco Chronicle

2 generous servings

Ingredients

2 mini or 1/2 medium cucumber, cut in half lengthwise then cut into 1/3 inch thick slices

1 small garlic clove, finely chopped

2 small tomatoes, cut into bite-size pieces

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped dill

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped mint

1 tablespoon capers

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

juice of 1/2 small lemon

3 ounces feta cheese, cut into small chunks

1/4 cup assorted pitted olives

1 bunch arugula, about 2 ounces

salt and pepper

Preparation

Toss together the cucumber, garlic, tomatoes, green onions, dill, cilantro, mint and capers in a large bowl. Dress with the olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice. Just before serving, add the feta, olives and arugula. Toss and season with salt and pepper.

Dinner, Pickles, Potato Salad, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegetarian, Veggies

Dilly Potato Salad with Cucumber Pickles and Radishes

October 4, 2013

It is thought that radishes originated from China thousands of years ago. They belong to the mustard and cabbage family and are related to wasabi (horseradish). Many people love to snack on raw radishes which is a good thing since they are nutritious, and 1 cup of radishes has just 20 calories. In this recipe the radishes are thinly sliced and tossed into the potato salad along with homemade cucumber pickles. Their color and zingy flavor are lovely in this salad.

Thinly sliced Maui onion. Use a sweet onion if Maui onions are not available.

I can’t live without my “little Bennie” mandoline. It makes perfectly thin slices of cucumbers, radishes and onions in no time at all.

Dilly Potato Salad with Cucumber Pickles & Radishes

Serves 6

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/3 inch slices

3/4 pound Japanese or English cucumber, very thinly sliced

4 – 6 radishes, very thinly sliced

1/2 cup Maui or sweet onion, very thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

5 tablespoons white vinegar

2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 cup mayonnaise, more or less (I use light mayonnaise)

Preparation

Combine vinegar and salt in a small bowl until salt dissolves. Place cucumber slices and 1 1/2 tablespoons dill in Ziploc bag. Add vinegar mixture, seal bag. Turn several times to coat. Refrigerate overnight, turning bag occasionally.

Pour cucumber mixture into a sieve set over a bowl. Drain at least 1 hour. Discard brine.

Cook the potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 6 – 7 minutes. Drain and cool potatoes completely. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and sprinkle generously with kosher salt and pepper. Add the drained cucumbers, onion, sliced radishes and remaining 1/2 tablespoon dill. Toss to blend. Stir in mayonnaise, then cover and refrigerate. The salad is best served the day it is made however it can be made one day in advance. Taste and adjust seasoning before serving. Garnish with sprigs of dill and whole radishes before serving (optional).

Dinner, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegetarian

Potato & Leek Gratin

September 16, 2013

Deborah Madison is a renowned vegetarian chef, teacher and author of 9 cookbooks. I bought Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone back in 1997 when it was first published and until this day it remains one of my favorite cookbooks. Her recipes are accessible and most of the ingredients can be easily found at your local grocery store.

Thinly sliced potatoes are simmered in milk, along with herbs, garlic and leeks until they are barely tender. A portion of the milk will be used in the gratin and the leftover milk, well flavored by the herbs, garlic and leeks and thickened with potato starch can be used as a soup base (I use the leftover milk in corn chowder).

Potatoes are layered and sprinkled with leeks, garlic, cheese, white pepper and nutmeg. A cup or so of the milk used to simmer the potatoes is added back into the gratin.

Potato & Leek Gratin

Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

Serves 6

Updated 1/16/16 – Increased cheese from 1 1/2 – 2 cups

Ingredients

1 garlic clove and butter for the dish

2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced (I use my Benriner and make 1/8 inch thick slices)

4 cups milk (I use half whole and half 2% milk and save any leftovers to make corn chowder)

1 bay leaf

3 fresh thyme sprigs or 2 pinches dried

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

2 leeks, white parts only, thinly sliced

salt and freshly milled white pepper

nutmeg

2 cups grated cheese (The recipe calls for Gruyere and suggests variations such as Fontina or Cheddar)

2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Rub an 8 x 11 inch gratin dish with the garlic, then with butter, coating well.

Put the potatoes in a pot with the milk, bay leaf, thyme, sliced garlic, leeks and 2 teaspoons salt. Slowly bring to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes are barely tender but not to the point of falling apart (about 6 – 7 minutes). Discard the bay leaf and thyme. Drain the milk into a separate bowl.

Make a single layer of potatoes, scatter some of the leeks and garlic over the potatoes and season lightly with freshly ground white pepper, a little nutmeg, and cover lightly with cheese. Repeat until all the potatoes and cheese are used up, ending with a layer of cheese. Add enough milk to come up to the last layer of potatoes, about 1 – 1 1/2 cups. Dot with the butter then bake until a golden crust has formed on top, about 50 minutes.

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Side Dishes

Renkon no Kinpira – Sautéed Lotus Root

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Eggy Potato Salad with Pickles

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Beautiful Tah Dig ~ Persian Rice

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Arugula Herb Salad with Feta & Olives

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Dilly Potato Salad with Cucumber Pickles and Radishes

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Potato & Leek Gratin

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