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Appetizers, Kimchi, Korean, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Quick Cucumber Kimchi

September 4, 2013

There’s not many combinations better than spicy, garlicky, kimchi and a bowl of steaming hot rice. When accompanied with either grilled chicken or tofu marinated in Granny’s Teriyaki sauce, or Korean Style Hamburger Patties, it’s a mouth-watering experience.

I do enjoy the more traditional Napa cabbage kimchi but there’s something special about crunchy cucumber kimchi. Whole Spice Korean chili flakes add a beautiful color and mild sweetness without too much heat to the kimchi.

Quick Cucumber Kimchi

Serves 2 as a side dish

Ingredients

1 pound Japanese cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise into 1/3 inch thick slices.

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 cup thinly sliced Maui or sweet onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon minced ginger

1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion

2 teaspoons sesame oil

dash of fish sauce (optional)

3 teaspoons Korean chili flakes

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation

Place sliced cucumbers in a large bowl and sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt. Toss well. Let stand for 20 minutes then rinse and drain well. Rinse the bowl.

Place cucumbers back into the bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Mix everything together and transfer to a smaller serving bowl. Refrigerate until chilled. Sprinkle additional green onions on the top before serving if desired. The kimchi is best eaten the same day. Any leftovers are a welcome addition to your bento lunch the following day.

Appetizers, Pressure Cooker, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Pressure Cooker Artichokes

August 30, 2013

Artichokes are curious little veggies. With thorny leaves and not much to eat, one wonders why so much time is spent fussing over them let alone the 45 minutes it typically takes to cook them. But there’s something quite special about dipping those little leaves into a bowl of garlic infused melted butter or homemade mayonnaise. And once picked bare, you’re rewarded with a delicious meaty artichoke heart.

I may have mentioned that I’m in love with the pressure cooker we recently purchased. I find it absolutely delightful how quick you can cook food in it. Perfectly cooked artichokes in 10 minutes? Yes!

Pressure Cooker Artichokes

Serves 2 – 4 as an appetizer

Ingredients

2 large artichokes, washed and trimmed

1 tablespoons olive oil (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Wash the artichokes thoroughly under cold running water, rinsing between the leaves. Cut off the stem end of the artichokes close to the base. With a sharp knife, slice off the top 1 1/2 – 2 inches of each artichoke. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, cut off the sharp points of the leaves. Place artichokes in pressure cooker and fill with water just below the maximum liquid limit. Add olive oil if using and salt. Secure lid on cooker and bring to full pressure over medium-high heat. Once the pressure cooker comes up to pressure, lower the heat to a low burner setting so that it maintains pressure without exceeding it. Continue to cook for 10 minutes. Quick release the pressure by pressing the button on the handle or by running cold water over the lid in the sink. Remove artichokes and drain upside down on a paper towel lined plate. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce. The artichokes can be made in advance, covered and refrigerated and heated before serving.

Pickles, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Vietnamese Carrot & Daikon Pickles ~ Do Chua

August 22, 2013

I love do chua! I’ve bought these tangy pickled carrots and daikon on occasion at the salad bar at Whole Foods yet it never occurred to me that I should be making them myself. They are so simple to prepare and not only are they delicious piled high in a banh mi sandwich, they are a refreshing side that goes well with a summer lunch of cool tofu and brown rice salad or stuffed into silky spring rolls.

I liked the idea I read in a few recipes of tossing the carrots and daikon with a bit of salt and sugar and mixing them for a few of minutes until they begin to soften. This also helps to expel some of the water that is then drained before adding the brine. These pickles are crunchy and have the perfect balance of sweet and tangy.

Vietnamese Carrot & Daikon Pickles ~ Do Chua

2 Pint Jars

Ingredients

1/2 pound julienned carrot

1/2 pound julienned daikon

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 cup rice vinegar (not seasoned)

1/2 cup white vinegar

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

Preparation

Place carrots and daikon in a large bowl and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 2 teaspoons sugar. With clean hands gently mix the vegetables for about 2 minutes. The daikon will soften a bit (flexible and will not break when bent) and water will have pooled at the bottom of the bowl. Pour vegetables in a colander and rinse under cool water. Drain well and divide evenly into 2 pint jars.

Combine rice vinegar, white vinegar, water, sugar and salt in a large measuring cup, mixing to dissolve the sugar and salt.

Pour brine over carrots and daikon making sure they are submerged in the liquid. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. I’ve read they will last up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator. That may be true if you make a very large batch of pickles however we gobbled these up in just a couple of days.

Eggs, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Veggies

Super Spinach Salad with Bacon & Eggs

July 19, 2013

Smokey, crispy, salty. Those three words describe one of my favorite foods: bacon. Served for breakfast alongside poached or fried eggs, stacked on your favorite bread with a big slice of tomato or crumbled over your favorite mac & cheese recipe, it is divine. A few pieces of crumbled bacon will turn any salad into a scrumptious salad. I adapted this recipe found on Epicurious by making a few adjustments to the dressing as well as the salad ingredients. The 1/4 cup brown sugar made the dressing too sweet and the 1/2 onion was overpowering. Cutting back these two ingredients as well as adding less oil made a perfectly balanced dressing with a hint of sweetness and tartness from the red wine vinegar. The dressing is also very good served on iceberg lettuce wedges, with crumbled bacon, of course.

I found a very good applewood smoked bacon at Costco. It comes in a double packet each weighing 2 pounds. Four pounds is a lot of bacon, especially if you are only cooking for two, however, it’s just too good a deal to pass up. I wrap up portions and freeze them to use later.

Super Spinach Salad with Bacon & Eggs ~ Serves 6

Adapted from Epicurious

Dressing

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 teaspoon Dijon

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard (Coleman’s)

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil

Puree all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth and emulsified. I use my immersion blender. It works well for small recipes and clean up is quick. Refrigerate dressing until you are ready to serve the salad.

Salad

8 ounces baby spinach, washed and dried

5 ounces white mushrooms, sliced very thin

thinly sliced Maui or sweet onion – as much as you like

4 thick slices bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled

2 large eggs, hardboiled and chopped

2 tablespoons dry roasted sunflower seeds (optional)

2 tablespoons slivered roasted almonds

Layer salad beginning with spinach followed by mushrooms, onions, bacon, eggs, sunflower seeds if using and almonds. Drizzle a generous amount of dressing over the salad and toss to coat well. Serve immediately.

Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Green & Yellow Bean Salad with Fresh Corn, Tomatoes & Herb Dressing

June 23, 2013

I spotted some beautiful beans at Mana Foods a few days ago and immediately thought of a refreshing summer bean salad. Into the basket went the beans. I was curious about the purplish string beans that aren’t commonly seen here and thought they would add such a lovely color to the salad.

Little did I know those purplish string beans wouldn’t retain their color. As soon as I dropped them into the boiling water the beans turned green. Oops!

This simple and delicious recipe for green bean salad with fresh corn and tomatoes comes from the Washington Post. The dressing calls for lots of herbs and lucky for me they were growing in my garden.

This salad was a perfect match for the pappardelle, Swiss chard and Italian sausage pasta we prepared for dinner.

Green & Yellow Bean Salad with Fresh Corn, Tomatoes & Herb Dressing

Adapted from the Washington Post

Serves 2 – 3 as a side dish

Ingredients

8 ounces fresh beans – green and yellow

1 large ear fresh corn (about 1/2 cup)

4 ounces cherry or grape tomatoes cut in halves

1/4 cup thinly sliced Maui or red onion

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon

1 teaspoon minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

2 teaspoons each, finely chopped:

thyme ~ tarragon ~ basil ~ chives ~ Italian parsley

Preparation

Trim beans and either leave whole or cut in halves. Prepare a bowl of ice water for the beans. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil, add salt and cook beans until just al dente, about 1 – 2 minutes. Drain and immediately submerge the beans in the ice water to stop the cooking. Drain cooled beans and place on a kitchen towel.

Rinse corn and with the water still clinging to the corn place on a microwave safe plate (I use a paper plate) and cover loosely with a piece of waxed paper. Cook on high for 45 seconds, flip corn over and cook for another 30 seconds or so. Remove corn kernels and set aside. Alternately, bring a saucepan of water to a boil and cook corn for 30 – 60 seconds.

In a small bowl whisk the lemon juice with Dijon, garlic, salt and pepper. Continue to whisk while adding the olive oil in a slow, steady stream until well combined. Whisk in the herbs.

Place the beans, corn, tomatoes and onions on a platter and toss with the herb dressing. It’s also delicious with a bit of crumbled feta cheese.

Dinner, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Veggies

Iceberg Lettuce Wedges with Thousand Island Dressing

June 5, 2013

This recipe comes from my favorite magazine, Saveur. I saved it in my recipe folder where it remained for quite some time. One day I was sifting through my magazine rack and I came across this folder, stuffed with recipes I had every intention of trying but somehow had been forgotten about, until today.

The ingredients were intriguing. Thousand Island dressing with finely chopped beets? According to Saveur this particular recipe is based on one used at the now defunct Filene’s Restaurant in Boston. Does anyone remember Filene’s Basement? My sister used to live in Boston and the one time I visited her more than 40 years ago, she took me to Filene’s Basement. What a revelation! Filene’s sold designer clothing at discounted prices. There was no time to think about whether or not you wanted an item. If you didn’t grab it you were out of luck. There was no time to wait in line for a dressing room, you just tried on the item on the spot! I found the most gorgeous pink sandals and brought them home with me.

Oddly enough, I had all the ingredients except for the chili sauce which was easily found at my local grocery store. I rarely buy pimiento but had a small jar that I was planning to use for pimento cheese spread (more on this later). I added Sriracha sauce which gave the dressing a subtle zing to it. I found this on-line:

In the early 1920s Filene’s department store in Boston issued a 38-page booklet called “A Few Favorite Dishes from The Filene Restaurant.” This salad dressing was included, as were chop suey, chicken a la king, and maple layer pie. Be prepared to mince.

Iceberg Lettuce with Thousand Island Dressing

Adapted from Saveur Magazine

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise (I used 1/2 cup regular and 1/2 cup light)

2 tablespoons chili sauce

1 tablespoon each, finely chopped:

white onion

dill pickle

cooked beets

pimiento

chives

flat leaf parsley

1/2 finely chopped hard-cooked egg

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (optional)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

wedges of iceberg lettuce

Preparation

Fold mayonnaise, chili sauce, onion, dill pickle, beets, pimiento, chives, parsley, egg, Worcestershire sauce and Sriracha sauce if using in a bowl with a rubber spatula. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve over wedges of chilled iceberg lettuce.

***If you plan to have leftover dressing be aware the beets will change the color if not used right away. You can leave them out or love the pink tint they give the dressing.

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Veggies

Quick Cucumber Kimchi

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Pressure Cooker Artichokes

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Vietnamese Carrot & Daikon Pickles ~ Do Chua

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Super Spinach Salad with Bacon & Eggs

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Green & Yellow Bean Salad with Fresh Corn, Tomatoes & Herb Dressing

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Iceberg Lettuce Wedges with Thousand Island Dressing

In the early 1920s Filene’s department store in Boston issued a 38-page booklet called “A Few Favorite Dishes from The Filene Restaurant.” This salad dressing was included, as were chop suey, chicken a la king, and maple layer pie. Be prepared to mince.

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