My Lilikoi Kitchen

Appetizers, Dinner, Korean, Pork, Recipes

Pork-Kimchi Dumpling Pancakes

May 22, 2014

I can hardly wait to return to the Bay Area this summer. I get excited just thinking of all my favorite dishes at all my favorite restaurants such as Redd’s duck confit served on a bed of lentils with a poached egg or the best beef filet I’ve ever tasted at Alexander’s Steak House (where they give each table cotton candy on a stick after dinner). Speaking of my favorite vacation city, Corey Lee, owner of Benu restaurant in San Francisco was featured in the January issue of Food & Wine magazine. This particular issue contains a slew of recipes I want to try, however, it was Corey Lee’s Pork-Kimchi Dumpling Pancakes that really caught my eye.

These savory dumplings are very easy to put together once your mise en place is done.

A dollop of filling on the wonton wrapper, fold and press the edges together.

Ten dumplings are arranged around the edge of an 8″ skillet, overlapping slightly. After quickly frying the dumplings for 4 minutes, a slurry of cornstarch and water is added to the pan. This creates crispy, lacy, edges and adheres the 10 dumplings together making one impressive pancake that you invert on a platter and serve with dipping sauce.

Pork-Kimchi Dumpling Pancakes

Adapted from Corey Lee’s recipe ~ Food & Wine Magazine

6 – 8 servings

Ingredients

Dipping Sauce:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1/2 tablespoon Korean chili flakes or 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon sugar

Dumplings:

14 ounces ground pork

2 tablespoons minced scallions

1/2 cup finely chopped and drained kimchi

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon minced peeled ginger

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup firm tofu, finely chopped

30 round wonton wrappers

1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1 cup + 2 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons canola oil

Preparation:

Mix all of the sauce ingredients until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix all of the dumpling ingredients except the wrappers, cornstarch and oil. Arrange 4 wrappers on a work surface (keep the rest covered with a damp paper towel). Brush the edges of the wrappers with water and drop 1 tablespoon of the filling in the centers of each wrapper. Fold over one side of the wrapper to form a half-moon, pressing the edges together. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap; assemble the remaining dumplings.

In a bowl, stir the cornstarch with 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of water to make a slurry.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in an 8-inch non-stick skillet over moderate heat. Arrange 10 dumplings around the edge of the skillet overlapping slightly (there should be almost no empty space). Cook over moderate heat until golden on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Drizzle one-third of the slurry over and around the dumplings, cover the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Uncover and cook until the dumplings are cooked through and the slurry forms a thin crust, about 4 minutes. Carefully invert the dumpling pancake onto a plate. Repeat to make 2 more pancakes. Serve with dipping sauce.

Lactose Free, Recipes, Salad, Side Dishes, Vegetarian, Veggies

Kale Salad with Quinoa, Hemp Seeds & Lemon-Honey Dressing

May 17, 2014

Tucked away at the top of the hill in Wailea you’ll find Matteo’s Osteria, a fine choice for lunch or dinner. Each time I visit Matteo’s I order their “Superfood Salad,” hearty and filling. I enjoy it so much I decided to experiment with a lemon-honey dressing in hopes of coming up with a tasty rendition that I could make at home any time. I am happy to say this lemon-honey dressing is quite sublime. I’m a big fan of zesty dressings and the bright flavor of fresh squeezed lemon juice is delicious and refreshing.

How convenient! I found this mix of kale, red cabbage, and carrots at our local market. John is not a fan of kale to say the least. Yet he devoured the salad and confessed that it was very good indeed.

I’m in love with hemp seeds. I found them in the bulk section at Mana Foods. They are tiny little seeds that taste somewhat like sunflower seeds and are delicious sprinkled on salads. They are very nutritious as well.

The dressing has just the right tartness with a hint of honey.

Adding a few tablespoons of quinoa to each individual bowl adds a nice texture to the salad and a hit of protein as well. Many recipes use quite a bit of water and the quinoa can turn out soggy. I find that using just 2/3 cup of water works well for 1/2 cup of uncooked quinoa.

Kale Salad with Quinoa, Hemp Seeds & Lemon-Honey Dressing

Inspired by the Superfood Salad at Matteo’s Osteria

Serves 4

Dressing

1 1/2 tablespoons diced onion

5 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice

3 teaspoons Dijon mustard

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in the cup of an immersion blender and process until completely incorporated. If you do not have an immersion blender a regular blender will work fine.

Salad

8 ounces kale salad mix (kale, red cabbage and carrot)

1/2 cup cherry or grape tomatoes sliced in half

12 tablespoons cooked quinoa, white or tri-color (see cooking directions below)

4 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds (I toast the seeds on a piece of foil in my toaster oven, 300 degrees about 5 minutes. Watch closely so they don’t burn).

4 tablespoons hemp seeds

Prepare quinoa: Place quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse thoroughly. Drain well. In a small saucepan heat 2/3 cups water with a dash of salt. Once the water comes to a boil, add quinoa, turn the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook for 15 minutes without lifting the cover. Remove from the heat and leave the pan undisturbed for 15 minutes. Fluff quinoa with a fork.

Wash kale salad mix, pat dry. Place in a large bowl and toss with enough dressing to coat the salad generously. Divide salad into 4 individual bowls.

Scatter tomatoes, quinoa, pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds over each bowl. Drizzle extra lemon-honey vinaigrette over the salad and serve right away.

Dessert, Fruit, Lactose Free, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Blueberry Tart

May 11, 2014

I’ve been enjoying fresh blueberries for months, adding them to my yogurt at breakfast, in weekend griddle cakes, and sometimes eating handfuls for a quick snack. My friend Shanna recently sent me a recipe link for this blueberry tart. The following week while at Costco I found some gorgeous blueberries so I bought a couple of containers with this Alice Medrich recipe in mind. Posted by ABC News, as sometimes happens with recipes, there were two important pieces of information left out; tart pan size and oven temperature for the crust. I only have one tart pan (9-inch) which meant the first problem was solved. The oven temperature was easy to find after a quick search on the internet. Voila! Time to make a blueberry tart.

The dough was quite soft as the recipe mentioned it might be, but that actually made it easy to press into the tart pan.

Baked to a beautiful golden color the crust did shrink quite a bit from the top edge of the tart pan. I thought it might be too shallow but it worked out perfectly.

Blueberries, sugar, water, flour, lemon zest and a dash of salt are combined and heated briefly on the stove.

Half of the fresh blueberries are set aside and sprinkled over the baked crust before adding the cooked berries.

This recipe is so easy to prepare. It is the perfect dessert for a small party. The tart is chilled thoroughly before serving and that means you can make it in advance. The recipe mentioned the tart is best eaten the first day however I found it is just as good the following day.

Delicious, crisp, crust.

Alice Medrich’s Easy Blueberry Tart

Adapted from ABC News

Makes one 9-inch tart

Ingredients

For the crust:

10 tablespoons (5 ounces) unsalted butter, melted (I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)

1/4 cup (1.75 ounces) sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups + 1 tablespoon (5.75 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

For the filling:

4 cups fresh blueberries (1 1/2 pounds)

3/4 cups (5.25 ounces) sugar

1/3 cup water

2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

grated zest of 1 small lemon

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the crust: Combine butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt, in a medium bowl. Mix the flour and baking powder together thoroughly, add to the butter mixture, and mix just until well blended. If the dough seems too soft, let it stand for a few minutes to firm up.

Press the dough over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch tart pan to make a thin, even layer making sure to press the dough uniformly around the edges of the pan to avoid extra-thick edges. (The crust can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Wrap well and refrigerate until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before baking). Place tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for 22 – 25 minutes, until the crust is fully golden brown all over. If the crust puffs up during baking, gently press it down with the back of a fork and prick it a few times. Set the baked crust aside while you prepare the filling.

Combine 2 cups of blueberries with the sugar, water, flour, salt, and lemon zest in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Then simmer, stirring, until the filling is thickened and translucent, about 3 more minutes.

Spread the remaining 2 cups of uncooked blueberries in the tart crust. Spoon the hot blueberry mixture into the crust, covering the raw blueberries evenly. Spoon enough liquid into the tart so that it just comes up to the edge of the crust. Discard excess liquid. Let cool, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until the filling is set.

Serve the tart cold. Remove the sides of the pan and transfer the tart to a serving platter. The tart keeps well, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

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

Homemade Takuan

May 4, 2014

My friend Tomoe always has a treat to give me when I stop by now and then to deliver tomatoes or avocados from our garden. I never leave her home without a gift of her delicious mango bread, lilikoi jelly or in this case takuan. I have never thought of making takuan since I only eat it occasionally and it’s readily available in the markets here. After taking a jar of Tomoe’s homemade takuan home and tasting it, I decided it was about time to make my own. Her little yellow pickles were so tasty, crunchy, sweet and salty with just a hint of tartness (much superior to the commercial brands) and, oh so delicious with a bowl of steaming hot rice.

Daikon are not the most attractive vegetable. In fact, with their pale color and gangly shape, they are quite homely. However once you add a bit of seasoning to daikon, they transform into some of the best pickles you can imagine. A case in point is Vietnamese pickles (Do Chua). I adore these pickles piled high in a banh mi. Takuan pickles are delicious served as a side dish with rice and grilled fish, chicken or even tofu. In fact I enjoy just a bowl of hot rice and takuan.

After mixing the daikon with sugar, let it sit for an hour or two. You’ll end up with quite a bit of liquid in the bowl.

Though these pale radishes don’t need to be tinted a bright yellow, their color is actually part of their identity and what we grew up with. Tomoe goes to Japan every year and buys powdered coloring. I have no idea what the box says but it worked.

It takes about a week for the daikon to absorb the pretty yellow color and flavor of the brine. After 2 weeks the pickles are ready to eat.

Onigiri goes hand in hand with takuan pickles!

Homemade Takuan

Adapted from Tomoe’s recipe

Makes 2 quart jars

Ingredients

3 1/2 pounds long daikon

2 cups + 1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup Hawaiian sea salt (kosher or other coarse salt if Hawaiian sea salt is not available)

1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons rice vinegar

yellow food coloring

Preparation

Peel daikon and cut into 2 inch length pieces about 1/3 inch thick. Place in a large bowl and toss with sugar. Let stand for 1 – 2 hours, tossing occasionally. Do not discard liquid.

Add Hawaiian salt and rice vinegar to the bowl of daikon. Toss to coat well. Add yellow food coloring being very careful not to add too much. You can always add more if the color is not what you expected. Cover bowl well, and refrigerate for 2 weeks, tossing pickles every few days. The amount of liquid from the daikon will vary. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Transfer pickles to quart jars and cover tightly. Takuan pickles will last for months stored in the refrigerator.

Dinner, Pasta, Recipes, Side Dishes, Veggies

Mac & Cheese with Butternut Squash & Bacon

April 27, 2014

Everyone I know loves mac & cheese. That’s a fact! I prefer to have a selection of recipes to choose from rather than always turning to one old standby. On occasion I will make Martha’s decadent, rich, mac & cheese or broccoli mac & cheese if I’m craving nutritional veggies in the mix. This rendition of mac & cheese is tops on my list. The sweet, roasted, butternut squash along with the smoky bacon makes this dish special. For the life of me I can’t remember where I found this recipe. If you search the internet there are many recipes for mac & cheese with butternut squash. Some puree the squash and combine it into the sauce, others mix the butternut squash with the pasta. I love this version where the roasted squash is scattered on top of the mac & cheese along with panko bread crumbs that produce a crispy topping.

Cut the butternut squash into 1 inch cubes. That may seem quite large but keep in mind they will shrink once roasted.

Turn the butternut squash with a spatula once during roasting so that you’ll have nicely browned pieces.

Bacon. Crispy, smoky, delicious.

Panko flakes are a handy item to have. It keeps well in the refrigerator and can be used as a topping for mac & cheese or other casseroles and even tempura. They are a wonderful substitute for bread crumbs.

Dinner is ready.

Mac & Cheese with Butternut Squash & Bacon

Serves 8

Ingredients

8 pieces cooked, crumbled bacon

3 cups cubed butternut squash (1 inch cubes)

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary

1 pound penne or elbow macaroni

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

2 small garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons butter, divided

5 tablespoons flour

5 cups milk

5 cups coarsely grated extra sharp cheddar (I used Cabot Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar)

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

3/4 cup panko

Preparation

Lightly butter a 9 x 12 inch baking dish and set aside.

Cook bacon, crumble into fairly large pieces and set aside (always make an extra piece to snack on).

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Toss butternut squash with a bit of olive oil, rosemary, and kosher salt and pepper. Roast on a baking sheet for about 20 minutes, turning pieces once, until just tender and nicely browned. Set aside. Reduce oven heat to 375 degrees.

While the squash is roasting cook the pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente. I like to under cook my pasta by a minute or two since it will further cook as it bakes in the oven for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter and set aside. In a large sauté pan (I use a 12-inch straight sided pan) over medium heat, sauté onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil for about 5 minutes until softened but not browned. Add cayenne and garlic and sauté for another minute. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Once melted, whisk in the flour and stir for a minute to combine with butter. Gradually add the milk and simmer for about 8 minutes, stirring constantly until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat, fold in the cheddar cheese. Stir in salt and a few grinds of pepper then stir in the crumbled bacon. Add cooked pasta and toss to combine ingredients. Transfer to your buttered baking dish and top with butternut squash. Sprinkle panko evenly over the top and drizzle with the 2 tablespoons melted butter. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until golden brown on top. Let mac & cheese rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Canning, Lactose Free, Pickles, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian, Veggies

Homemade Dill Pickles

April 21, 2014

Pickles, pickles, pickles. I can’t live without them. Crunchy, tangy, salty, dilly, best chilled and served alongside a sandwich.

John’s grandmother, Ida, made terrific dill pickles. Unfortunately, her recipe was lost. With the memory of those pickles in mind, he has been determined to make his own dills ever since. He used to grow cucumbers specifically for pickle making. Unfortunately the garden pests were fond of them too. Most destructive are the pickle worms that burrow into the poor little cukes. It’s very frustrating to have spent so much time nurturing your plants only to have them destroyed. Now that our local Costco sells these Keiki Cukes, we’re in business again. These crunchy cucumbers are perfect for pickles.

Beautiful mini cucumbers with tender skin and few seeds.

It is best to have your mise en place ready. Divide up the cucumbers for each jar so that you can work quickly to get the jars into the water bath canner.

The pickling spice is optional but it does add a nice flavor to the brine. If you don’t have a tea ball you may use cheese cloth.

Homemade Dill Pickles

Makes 4 Quart Jars

Ingredients for pre-brine (optional)

3 quarts distilled or filtered water

5 tablespoons pickling salt

Ingredients for the brine

4 cups white vinegar

4 cups distilled or filtered water

2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons pickling salt

2 teaspoons calcium chloride, AKA “Pickle Crisp” (optional)

3 tablespoons mixed pickling spice (in a tea ball or cheese cloth)

Ingredients for the jars

4 1/2 pounds Keiki Cukes or other pickling cucumbers (about 18 ounces per jar)

4 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds

4 teaspoons black peppercorns

4 teaspoons dill seeds

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

4 garlic cloves, crushed

4 large sprigs of fresh dill

Preparation

Wash cucumbers. Trim ends for uniformity and slice in half lengthwise. At this point, one option is to pre-brine the sliced cucumbers overnight in 3 quarts distilled or filtered water mixed with 5 tablespoons pickling salt. This is recommended but not required. It does make for a crisper pickle. To portion the cucumbers for each jar, use an empty quart mason jar and snuggly pack with the cucumber slices. Remove slices and place in individual bowls and set aside.

Wash jars and place them in boiling-water canner. Fill the jars and canner with water to the top of the jars. Cover and bring water to a simmer over medium heat, do not boil. Prepare the two-piece closures. Wash lids and place in a small saucepan and cover with water. Heat to just a simmer but do not boil. Do not heat screw bands.

Place brine ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Lift the canner jar rack and fix into place on the rim of the canner. Remove one jar at a time from canner and empty hot water back into the canner. Place jar on a cutting board. Place 1 teaspoon each of yellow mustard seeds, black peppercorn, dill seeds, 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes as well as 1 crushed garlic clove and 1 large sprig of fresh dill. Pack cucumbers into jar to within a generous 1/2 inch of top of jar. Place a canning funnel in the jar. Ladle hot brine into jar leaving 1/2-inch head space. Remove air bubbles (with a chopstick or similar utensil) and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding more brine. Wipe jar rim. Using a magnetic utensil, lift hot lid from water, center it on the jar and place screw band on jar. Tighten screw band evenly and firmly just until resistance is met. Then increase to fingertip tight. Do not over tighten. Return jar to canner rack. Continue filling jars individually until all jars are filled, lower rack into canner and ensure that all jars are covered by 1 inch of water. Cover canner and bring water to a full boil over high heat. Process for 15 minutes, starting timer only when water reaches a full boil.

Remove jars from water, and let stand, undisturbed, at room temperature 24 hours. To check seals, remove the bands, and press down on the center of each lid. If the lid doesn’t move, the jar is sealed. If the lid depresses and pops up again, the jar is not sealed. In the event that a jar does not seal, simply refrigerate it. Store properly sealed jars in a cool, dark place up to 1 year (date your jars on the bottom with a Sharpie pen) Refrigerate after opening.

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Pork-Kimchi Dumpling Pancakes

Kale Salad with Quinoa, Hemp Seeds & Lemon-Honey Dressing

Blueberry Tart

Homemade Takuan

Mac & Cheese with Butternut Squash & Bacon

Homemade Dill Pickles

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