QUICK PAD THAI

I love Pad Thai.  I have been kind of intimidated by it.  No more.  To be fair though probably the Pad Thai you find in the restaurants takes way more care.  But on the side of Quick, Flavorful and Easy, this is the BOMB!

One commenter at this site said, " I left out the cilantro and peanuts since they're only a garnish."  Um, no, cilantro packs a major flavorful punch and it really plays off the fish sauce quite a bit- as does the lime.  Personally, I would never leave it out unless I had guests over and they hated cilantro. Even then, honestly, I would reconsider making the dish.  I think cilantro in this is just that important.

Quick and Simple Pad Thai
Go here for the original recipe at Fine Cooking.  I used Ramen Noodles in the interest of cooking it up quick.


2 tablespoons peanuts
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
a couple leaves of mint, chopped
1 package Ramen noodles
1 sweet onion chopped
1/2 cup bean sprouts
2 tablespoons roasted Anaheim chiles
1 cup small shrimp


the sauce:
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Hoison sauce
1 teaspoon chili-garlic paste
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
juice of 1/2 a lime

Mix the sauce, set aside.

Boil the Ramen noodles.  In a sauté pan, lightly sauté onion and then add peppers.  Add the noodles once they are done, then bean sprouts, peanuts, shrimp, mint and two or three tablespoons of the sauce. Cook one minute more just to heat things up, sprinkle on cilantro and POW- a meal!

Asian Flavored Crab Cakes

These will delight you. Not just because they taste great but because everything can be done in advance. The only thing you have to do when you are ready to eat them is to pop them in the oven. That is my kind of entertaining.

Happy New Years everyone!

Asian Flavored Crab Cakes
adapted from this recipe.

16 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoons wasabi powder
zest of one lime
1/2 cup plain breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons panko crumbs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large eggs

Flake crabmeat with a fork in a medium bowl; stir in mayonnaise, scallions, soy sauce, wasabi, and zest. Stir in 2 tablespoons panko crumbs. Cover with plastic wrap; chill 1 hour.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and pepper; set aside.
In a small bowl, beat eggs with 1 tablespoon water; set aside.
In a shallow bowl, stir together sesame seeds and breadcrumbs. Form one tablespoon crab mixture into a ball; dip in seasoned flour. Flatten into a cake. Build up sides a little and rounding it out. Repeat with remaining crab mixture. Dip cakes in egg mixture, then roll in breadcrumb mixture.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add half the crab cakes; cook, turning once, until golden and crisp on both sides, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spatula, transfer to paper towel-lined plates to drain. Repeat with remaining cakes, adding more oil if needed. Let cool completely.

Transfer crab cakes to a baking sheet. Freeze (uncovered) until firm, about 1 hour. Transfer to an airtight container; freeze until ready to use, up to 6 weeks. To serve, preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place the crab cakes on an ungreased baking sheet, and bake until heated through, 10 to 14 minutes.

On New Years Eve, I will garnish these with pickled ginger as the recipe suggests.

Daring Cooks: Sushi

In 1995 I went to San Francisco and experienced my first taste of sushi. I was hooked. I have been eating it ever since. It was harder to find then it is now. Now we see California Roll in the supermarkets regularly. I love the globilization of food.

I had a friend when I was growing up who use to go to Nova Scotia and bring back dolce. She always talked about eating them with Coca Cola. I liked them and have had them a few times since. It is not the same as the roasted seaweed used to make the rolls but it is just as good.

The November 2009 Daring Cooks challenge was brought to you by Audax of Audax Artifex and Rose of The Bite Me Kitchen. They chose sushi as the challenge.

Thank you so much for a great challenge that I thoroughly enjoyed. I learned more about sushi and expanded my sushi repertoire.

PART 1 : SUSHI RICE (makes about 7 cups of cooked sushi rice)

INGREDIENTS:

* 2½ cups uncooked short grain rice
* 2½ cups water
* For superior results use equal volumes of rice and water

Sushi vinegar dressing

* 5 Tablespoons (75 mls) rice vinegar
* 5 Teaspoons (25 mls or 21 grams) sugar
* 1¼ Teaspoons (6.25 mls or 4.5 grams) salt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Swirl rice gently in a bowl of water, drain, repeat 3-4 times until water is nearly clear. Don't crush the rice in your hands or against the side of the bowl since dry rice is very brittle.
2. Gently place rice into a strainer and drain well for 30 minutes.

Soaking the rice

1. Gently place the rice into a heavy medium pot with a tight fitting lid (if you have a loose fitting lid use a piece of aluminium foil to make the seal tight).
2. Add 2½ cups of water and the dashi konbu.
3. Set the rice aside to soak for 30 minutes, during this time prepare the sushi rice dressing.

Preparing the Rice Vinegar Dressing

1. Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl.
2. Heat on low setting.
3. Stir until the mixture goes clear and the sugar and salt have dissolved.
4. Set aside at room temperature until the rice is cooked.

Cooking the rice

1. After 30 minutes of soaking add sake (if using) to the rice.
2. Bring rinsed and soaked rice to the boil.
3. Reduce heat to the lowest setting and simmer, covered, until all the water is absorbed, 12-15 minutes. Do not remove the lid during this process. Turn off heat.
4. Let stand with the lid on, 10-15 minutes. Do not peek inside the pot or remove the lid. During this time the rice is steaming which completes the cooking process.

Finishing the rice

* Turning out the rice

1. Moisten lightly a flat thin wooden spatula or spoon and a large shallow flat-bottomed non-metallic (plastic, glass or wood) bowl. Do not use metallic objects since the vinegar will react with it and produce sour and bitter sushi rice.
2. Remove the dashi konbu (kelp) from the cooked rice.
3. Use the spatula to loosen gently the rice and invert the rice pot over the bowl, gently causing the cooked rice to fall into the bowl in one central heap. Do this gently so as not to cause the rice grains to become damaged.

* Dressing the rice with vinegar

1. Slowly pour the cooled sushi vinegar over the spatula onto the hot rice.
2. Using the spatula gently spread the rice into a thin, even layer using a 45° cutting action to break up any lumps and to separate the rice. Don't stir or mash rice.
3. After the rice is spread out, start turning it over gently, in small portions, using a cutting action, allowing steam to escape, for about a minute.

* Fanning & Tossing the rice

1. Continue turning over the rice, but now start fanning (using a piece of stiff cardboard) the rice vigorously as you do so. Don't flip the rice into the air but continue to gently slice, lift and turn the rice occasionally, for 10 minutes. Cooling the rice using a fan gives good flavour, texture and a high-gloss sheen to the rice. The vinegar dressing will be absorbed by the hot rice. Using a small electric fan on the lowest speed setting is highly recommended.
2. Stop fanning when there's no more visible steam, and all the vinegar dressing has been adsorbed and the rice is shiny. Your sushi rice is ready to be used.

* Keeping the rice moist

1. Cover with a damp, lint free cloth to prevent the rice from drying out while preparing your sushi meal. Do not store sushi rice in the refrigerator leave on the counter covered at room temperature. Sushi rice is best used when it is at room temperature.

* Tip: To make sushi rice: for each cup of rice use 1 cup of water, 2 Tbs rice vinegar, 2 tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt and 1 tsp sake. For superior results use equal volumes of rice and water when cooking the sushi rice since the weight of rice can vary. Weight of 2½ cups of uncooked rice is about 525 grams or 18½ ounces.


PART 2 : Dragon Rolls (also called Caterpillar Rolls)

Yield: 2 inside-out (uramaki) sushi rolls

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 sheet 7”x8” (17.5cmx20cm) of toasted nori (dried seaweed sheets), cut into halves
* 1/2 Japanese cucumber
* 2 cups of prepared sushi rice
* Glazed Barbecued Eel (ungai) (about 3½ ounces or 100 grams)
* 1 Avocado
* Vinegared Water – ½ cup of water combined with a dash of rice vinegar
* Various small amounts of sauces to use as the flames of the dragon (or legs of a caterpillar)

Optional

* 2 tablespoons (25 grams or 1 oz) Fish Roe (Fish eggs)

DIRECTIONS:
1.Cut cucumber into strips ¼ inch (6mm) x 7” (175mm) long, then salt, rinse & dry the strips.
2.Grill (broil) the eel for about 2-5 minutes until bubbling. Cut into two lengthwise strips.
3.Halve, pit and peel the avocado. Cut the avocado halves into thin even 1/8 inch (3 mm) slices. Fan out the cut avocado into a 7 inch (175 mm) overlapping pattern.
4.Cover bamboo mat with plastic wrap. Place a sheet of nori shiny side down, lengthwise, on the edge the mat.


5.Moisten lightly your hands in the bowl of vinegared water.
6.Place one cup of rice on the nori and gently rake your fingertips across grains to spread rice evenly. Do not mash or squash the rice onto the nori, the rice should appear loosely packed and be evenly distributed over the entire sheet, you should be able to see the nori sheet in a few places.
7.Flip the rice-covered nori over (so the bare nori is now on top) and place on the edge of the mat closest to you.
8.Arrange one of the eel strips across the length of the nori, not quite centred on it but a little closer to you. Place half the cucumber sticks next to the eel.
9.Lift the edge of the mat closest to you with both hands, keeping your fingertips over the fillings, and roll the mat and its contents until the edge of the mat touches straight down on the nori, enclosing the fillings completely. Lift up the edge of the mat you're holding, and continue rolling the inside-out roll away from you until it's sealed. Tug at the mat to tighten the seal. If the rice doesn't quite close the roll add more rice in the gap and re-roll using the mat to completely cover the inside-out roll. Place the roll on a damp, clean smooth surface.
10.Spread about 1 tablespoon of the optional fish roe along the entire top of the rice-covered roll. Using the plastic covered mat gently press the fish roe so it adheres to the rice.
11.Slide a knife under one fan of avocado and transfer it onto the top of an inside-out roll. Gently spread out the avocado layer to cover the entire roll. Lay the plastic wrapped mat over the avocado-covered roll. Squeeze very gently to shape the roll.
12. Lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the roll. Slice the roll into 6-8 equal, bite-sized pieces, wiping your knife with a damp towel before each slice. Discard the plastic wrap. Repeat the above to make one more roll.
13.Arrange the cut pieces on a serving plate with the sauces so the finished dish appears as a dragon breathing fire and flames (or a caterpillar with many legs).

* Tip: The most common mistake is having too much filling the golden rule is less is more when it comes to making sushi it is easier to roll an under-filled roll than an over-filled roll.

* Tip: Dampen your knife with a moist lint-free towel before every cut – this prevents the sushi rice from sticking to your knife. I used a serrated knife which works very well.


PART 3 : Spiral Sushi Roll
This is easiest 'decorative' sushi roll.
Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus 1¾ hours to make the sushi rice
Yield: One Roll, cut into 8 pieces

INGREDIENTS:

* 2½ cups prepared sushi rice
* 2 sheets of toasted nori, each sized 7”x8” (17.5cmx20cm)
* Six assorted fillings, each filling should be the size of a pencil (see note below)

DIRECTIONS:
1.Join 2 sheets of nori by moistening the adjacent edges and overlapping them about ½ inch (12mm).
2.Place this double sheet shiny side down on a rolling mat, part of the nori will extend beyond the mat.
3.Using moist fingers place 2½ cups of rice on the nori and gently rake your fingertips across grains to spread rice evenly, leaving ¼ inch (6mm) nori showing on the both ends of the sheet. Do not mash or squash the rice onto the nori, the rice should appear loosely packed and be evenly distributed over the entire sheet, you should be able to see the nori sheet in a few places.
4.Using your fingers form six grooves (in the same direction that you will be rolling the mat) at even intervals across the bed of rice. Make the first groove about 2 inches (50 mm) from the edge of the nori sheet. Form the grooves by pushing the rice away, do not mash or squash the rice, leave a loose one grain layer of rice in the bottom of the grooves. Level the areas between the grooves where you have pushed the rice.
5.Place your fillings in the grooves. Fill the grooves a little higher than the surrounding rice bed.
6.Then roll the sushi up from the edge closest to you, this will form a spiral pattern of nori, rice and fillings inside the roll.
7.Slice into 8 pieces with a very sharp wet knife, wiping the blade with a damp cloth after each cut.
8.Place the pieces on a platter and garnish.


PART 4 : Nigiri Sushi
Nigiri sushi is the type of sushi most often made in sushi bars. In Japanese, nigiri means “squeeze”.
Preparation time: 30 minutes, plus 1¾ hours to make the sushi rice
Yield: 14-16 pieces of sushi

INGREDIENTS:

* 2 cups prepared sushi rice
* 8 pairs of assorted toppings, 200 gms/7 ozs total of fish, meat or vegetables (see note below)
* 1 tablespoon Wasabi (paste, reconstituted powder) or any other paste to adhere topping to rice

Optional

* Garnishes such as Ginger (pickled), chilli strips, vegetables flowers etc
* Thin strips of nori or vegetables (for tying topping on)



DIRECTIONS:
1.When handling sushi rice, make certain your hands are very clean. To keep the rice from sticking to our hands moisten your hands with vinegared water.
2.Form nigiri sushi by scooping up a small amount (about 2 tablespoons) of rice with your forefinger and second finger of your right hand and placing it in your cupped left palm.
3.Use the fingers and thumb of your right hand to form it into a long, narrow mound (about 2 inches x 1 inch wide or 50mm x 25mm) in your cupped palm.
4.Press enough to make the rice hold firmly together. Place the nigiri on a damp cutting board flat side down. Don't let sushi touch or they'll stick to each other. At this point, you can cover the sushi with plastic wrap, and they'll keep at room temperature (not the refrigerator) for several hours.
5.Smear a thin line of wasabi on top of the rice and place the topping piece on it. You may need to press the topping down lightly with your fingers and adjust the shape of the rice accordingly to form an attractive piece of nigiri sushi. If your topping is very loose like fish roe you can place a strip of nori (higher than the rice) around the nigiri and form 'battleship' sushi. The cavity that the nori forms holds the topping so it does not fall off.
6.Garnish as desired and use strips of nori (or vegetable) to tie the topping to the nigiri if needed.
7.It is customary to make nigiri sushi in pairs, so make two of each variety.
*MOST IMPORTANT ADVICE YOU MUST READ THIS* – If you are using raw fish or raw meat it must be 'sushi' grade (sashimi grade) ask your fishmonger or butcher for advice and if in doubt don't use. Find your local Japanese market and ask them where the best sushi (sashimi) fish is. Maybe you can buy sushi grade fish at your local sushi bar. Purchase flash-frozen sashimi grade fish which is guaranteed to be free of all parasites. Only salt-water fish and shellfish should be consumed raw. Crab and prawn (shrimp) should always be cooked. Sashimi grade fish should have a clean cool smell if it smells fishy it is a sign that the fish is old and cannot be used. If you are pregnant or have a weakened immune system only use cooked ingredients. There is no need to use raw fish or raw meat in sushi.

Tamarind Restaurant in Ithaca

I have never been a big fan of Thai food. Yeah I like Phat Thai- it's good but that is about it. I dont know if my tastes changed but I have reconsidered my earlier decisions. While in Ithaca my husband and I visited a restaurant called Tamarind. Thai? What the heck made me choose Thai? Well, I saw a menu and there was fish balls on there. I use to eat this amazing soup with fish balls in Arizona- a Vietnamese place. So I went there for the balls (eh hem). Never ordered them. I was distracted. Way distracted. There was a ton of duck dishes on the menu. I am not a big fan of duck because any duck I have ever had was swimming in a pool of grease. Poor me- boy, have I been missing out. My husband was debating between two duck dishes ( he is the more couragous eater). One was Chochee Duck and the other Honey Roasted Duck. We asked our very sweet waitress which one he should order. She said the Chochee Duck was THE most popular dish. I had a suspicion there duck was going to be good. Why would they have a ton of it on the menu? Oh yeah. He let me eat a piece. Yup 'A' piece. It was the most succulent, light and tastey piece of meat, yes meat, I have ever had. Of course I had to ask what kind of duck this was. The lovely waitress said, "Our chefs our trained to make this secret recipe for preparing duck, found only in one area of Thailand." (I don't think I will find a recipe for it).

I can not wait to get back to Ithaca to have some of my own Chochee Duck!

But okay on to the recipe at hand. Our first course was soup. This soup and really minus the kaffir lime leaves, it is basically the same exact soup. I am happy to find this recipe because Ithaca is a long way away!

Oh and what did I have? A yellow curry rice dish with pineapple, raisins, shrimp, chicken and Chinese sausage. Yummy. For dessert we shared sticky mango rice. Delicious.

Thai Coconut and Shrimp Soup (Tom Kha)
adapted from Allrecipes

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 stalk lemon grass, minced
2 teaspoons red curry paste
2 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 (13.5 ounce) can lite coconut milk
1 can regular coconut milk
1/2 pound fresh button mushrooms, sliced
1 pound medium shrimp - peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
salt to taste
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir the ginger, lemongrass, and curry paste in the heated oil for 1 minute. Slowly pour the chicken broth over the mixture, stirring continually. Stir in the fish sauce and brown sugar; simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and mushrooms; cook and stir until the mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp; cook until no longer translucent about 5 minutes. Stir in the lime juice; season with salt; garnish with cilantro.

Dippity Do Dah

Dips to me are one of those fun foods like meat on a stick or potstickers. Throw some homemade crackers next to it and wow but if you are in a hurry certainly store bought crackers work very well too. Really they are just a vehicle to get that dip into your mouth.
This is almost the same recipe as the one I received as part of the jam exchange. Here is the recipe:

Tomato Jam with a kick!

5 pound of ripened tomatoes, roma is the best but others will do
1 teaspoon chili pepper
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
3 cups of sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt*

Combine all of the ingredients in a large sauce pan or a soup pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Let it cook down. When most of the liquid has evaporated start to stir almost constantly as it is prone to sticking at this point. You want the mixture to drop of the spoon in chunks rather than drips. It will also become glossy near the end.

*If you are canning, it is important to use kosher salt or salt that does NOT contain iodine.

While this one is not so pretty, it is tastey. Mine comes out different every time. The key to great flavor is in the roasting.

Roasted Eggplant Dip (Baba Ganoush)

1 large eggplant
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste

Split eggplant in half. Place skin isde up on a baking sheet. Roast in a 375 F oven until it is soft. When you touch it with a wooden spoon it should depress. Remove from oven and let cool so that you are bale to handle it comfortably.

In a processor, mince the garlic. Add eggplant, yogurt, tahini, salt and olive oil. Regrigerate. Mixture will set up quite a bit after it has been refrigerated.


Lemon Clam Dip

2 cans minced clams, drained, reserving juice
1 - 2 tablespoon of reserved juice from the clams
1 - 8 oz. package cream cheese, room temp
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chives, chopped
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sour cream

Beat cream cheese and mix in sour cream, tabasco, salt and pepper, lemon juice and clam juice. For a thicker dip skip the juice or reduce them. Fold in chives, garlic and minced clams. Refrigerate to set at least an hour or so before using. For best results let dip sit overnight to develop the flavors.

Maple Glazed Salmon

Last night I was laying in bed thinking. Between sick children and the rain I was up a lot. I can never go right back to sleep so I usually am up for another hour or so. I remembered something that happened during my childhood and wanted to share it.

When I was about seven or eight I was walking home from my friends house that lived two houses around the corner from us. The road that seperated our houses was a well traveled road. It was about 4:30pm or so and I was on my way home. Pulled to the side of the road was this powder blue colored car with the passenger side open to where I was walking. There was an older woman (or at least I think so) sitting in the driver seat. She asked me to come over to the car. I did. She asked me where such and such a road was. I told her I didn't know but I thought it might have been down that way. (Okay is your suspicion aroused? Why would an adult ask a young child where a street was.) Anyway she asked me if I would like to get in the car and help her find the road she was looking for. Me, being the foodie I am said I had to get home because it was almost dinner time. I knew my Mom would be upset if I didn't get my tush right home.

Imagine how my life would have changed if I got in that car. In an instant things can happen. Sometimes we can control things. So my kids do not play in the front yard without me. Isn't that sad?

My friend "K" from our little group made it some time ago. I have made it several times since and I played with the recipe a little. I just reduced the amount of sodium. This is total "whip together" meal.

Maple Glazed Salmon

6 ounces maple syrup
4 ounces lite soy sauce
juice of one lime

Marinate the salmon for at least an hour prior to cooking. Bake at 350 F oven or broil until flaky.

Now, you can do what I do and reduce the leftover marinade to pour over the salmon. Just take the remaining liquid in a heavy bottomed sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer the mixture until it reduces to half its original volume.

Vietnamese Pancake, Take One

When my friends were over the other day we were talking about the politics of food. It's all very confusing. One day you hear you should eat this and then the next day you hear your not suppose to because of this reason or that reason. Like fish for example. We use to eat fish quite often. At least once a week or so. Now you hear the oceans are over fished and you shouldn't eat certain kinds, you have to check often. Then on American Frontiers you hear that the scientists underestimated the amout of yellow fin tuna in our ocean. It seems the scientists didn't realize there was many more of them at greater depths. Then last night I am watching on PBS that the tuna, eaten by bigger fish (blue marlins, sail fish) is depleting and that the large fish are dying off because there is not enough to eat. Same channel, different message. Oh, I am not sure who put what documentary out first. But that's just the thing who has time to delve into every nuance of a particular food they are buying. When your hungry and your shopping you just don't care. No offense. Maybe sometimes you do, but really isn't it all a bit confusing? Maybe there could be little labels. "You know, if you buy this fish you are killing off the marlins." Or "If you dont buy this fish, how will all those fishermen in third world countries support their families." Good golly Miss Molly! And you know, you never really know, all the meaning behind everything.

The latest trend, I guess, is eating less meat. We have been kind of on that kind of diet for a while now. We eat more beans and more cheese and sometimes it's just vegetables. I am tempted more often that not lately to go vegetarian but folks quite frankly I can not do it. I love meat too much. But I will be eating less of it as I have been for quite some time...

Anyway, if you follow my blog, you know I went to Toronto a little while back and had some amazing food there. Of course, I can not remember a time when I did not have amazing food there. I wanted to give this recipe a whirl to see if I could recreate the dish. When I had it there I was sure there was eggs in it so when I made the recipe I added eggs- nope. It didn't turn out quite right. So, next time I will be leaving out the eggs. It still was good and even better toasted the next day.

Banh Xeo aka Vietnamese Amazing Pancake

1 3/4 cups of rice flour
1/4 tsp tumeric
1 scallion thinly sliced
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs of veg. oil
1 pound of lean beef, cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
1 pound of medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 small onion thinly sliced
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 cups of mung bean sprouts
In a medium bowl, whisk the rice flour together with 2 cups of water. Add tumeric and scallion and mix well. Set batter aside. (Can be kept in frig. for up to three days.)

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 1/2 tsp of oil over high heat. Add 3 slices of pork, shrimp, few slices of onion, and 1 slice of mushroom. Seasoned with salt and pepper. Cook until onion starts to brown slightly, about 1 min. Stir the rice flour batter and ladle 1/3 cup of it into the pan. Tilt the pan to distribute the batter evenly. Keep the heat high, cover, and cook until the sides of the pancake turns deep brown and curled up, about 3-4 minutes. Scatter 1/4 cup of sprouts onto the pancake. Fold it in half and slide it onto a warm plate. Serve the pancakes with dipping sauce on the side. You can eat it wrapped in lettuce and herbs or plain. Suggested herbs are mint and basil. I also used marinated daikon and radish with it as well.

Nuoc Cham

1 to 2 small red chiles, minced or 1 to 2 tsp dried chili flakes, or to taste
1 tablespoon white vinegar, (heated)
1/2 cup bottled fish sauce (nuoc mam)
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 carrot, finely shredded, rinsed and squeezed dry
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 cup of sugar
If using dried chile flakes soaked them in the vinegar in a medium bowl for about 2 minutes.

In the bowl with the chile, add fish sauce, lime juice, carrot, garlic, and sugar. Stir in 1 1/2 cup of warm water until sugar is dissolved. Serve at room temp or store in frig. for up to 3 days.

Avocado and Crab Enchiladas

Every time I buy crab, I make crab cakes. I love crab cakes. This time I wanted to be a bit different and have some crab enchiladas. They were very good but I missed my crab cakes. I think the avocado would be great with, say, black beans.

AVOCADO and CRAB ENCHILADAS

1 medium onion, chopped
15 black olives, chopped
1/2 pound crab meat, fresh or frozen
1 avocado, mashed
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 dashes Tabasco sauce
6 corn tortillas (you can use flour, I prefer the taste of corn)
4 ounces shredded Monterey or Pepper Jack cheese -- grated

2 teaspoons butter

1 clove garlic, minced

Saute onion and garlic in butter until onion is softened. Remove from heat and cool.

Remove two tablepoons of the cooled onions and garlic and add 1/2 cup of the sour cream. Spoon half of that into the bottom of a small casserole dish (you will have aprox. 6 enchiladas). The other half is added for the top of the enchiladas.

Mash avocado in a bowl and add the remainder of sour cream, Tabasco, lemon juice, s and p, chopped black olives, crab, shredded cheese (reserving two tablespoons of cheese for the topping) and the remaining cooled onions and garlic. Stir to combine and spoon into enchiladas. Lightly roll and place seam side down in the casserole dish. Smooth the remainder of the reserved sour cream mixture on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with the reserved cheese.

Cover and place in a 375F oven for about 40 minutes.

Coconut Shrimp Soup

I have worked out every day since Sunday, about an hour and a half. Actually, I feel some changes already. I find with my food plan that I am very successful if I plan out what I eat. It gives me a guideline for the day and I pretty much stay within the guideline. It's kind of like a check book. If I know my dinner is going to be 550 calories then I can eat accordingly all day. It's a pain in the neck but others have all said that it really helps you to be more successful.

This was an amazing soup. It had so much flavor! The coconut really jazzed things up. I found that with the carrots and the coconut it was a little too sweet. I added some lemon in to balance that out.

Yesterday when I was eating the last of this soup I threw in some roasted butternut squash. The shrimp and the butternut squash really complimented each other. It was a surprise for me. Next time its going in as part of the soup. (Yes, I still have squash from the fall).

Coconut Shrimp Soup
Lori's Lipsmacking Original
105 calories per cup (There is 1050 calories for the whole pot of soup)

8 cups shrimp broth (I made mine from boiling the shrimp peels in water)
1 pound salad shrimp
juice of half of a lemon
1 cup peas
1/2 cup red pepper, chopped
4 cloves of garlic
2 carrots, chopped
2 teaspoons canola oil
4 green onions, chopped
1 can lite coconut milk

Saute carrots and red pepper in canola oil until carrots are crisp/tender. Add garlic, cook one minute more. Add broth and cook for about fifteen minutes. Add peas, coconut milk and shrimps and cook until heated through. Sprinkle chopped green onions over soup when serving.

Stay tuned for my Blog Birthday giveaway...

Garlic Leek Soup with saffron

I was intrigued by a recipe that I saw on this site. I saw a show on Create with this Chef Hubert Keller making a spinach cream soup with crab. I thought it looked really good so I went on the internet in search of the recipe. While perusing the site I saw a recipe for Garlic and Saffron Soup.

Have you watched PBS's Create TV? Ever since we got our converter box for regular television, we receive a signal for this really nice channel. We are avid PBS fans so we were thrilled to find out we now had Create and World! We do not have cable, really there isn't any time to watch it anyhow.

GARLIC and LEEK SOUP with saffron
based on this recipe

1 cup leeks
3 heads of garlic, blanched and peeled
2 cups oyster broth
2 cups water
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small potato, skinned and diced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup half and half
pinch of saffron
1 tomato, chopped
2 green onions, minced

Saute leeks in olive oil until soft. Add garlic, saffron, broth and water. Add potato and s and p. Cook until potato is tender. Puree and return to pot. Pour in half and half and heat until just about to boil. Remove from heat. Ladle into bowls and garnish with tomato and green onions.

RECIPES TO RIVAL: Appetizers

HAPPY NEW YEAR! May this year be filled with prosperity, good health and peace!

Appetizers- Just in time for New Years!

Oysters were a first for me. I bought six as they are pretty expensive. I steamed them all for easier access. I didnt have a clam knife to try and pry them open. Part of me wanted to try it raw but the other half was worried about its freshness. I steamed them for about nine minutes until they opened. I was thinking before I tried that it would be an awful lot like a clam but it wasn't. It definitely was more "ocean tasting", earthy... Kind of hard to describe. I can see why they would go good with beer.
I wasn't into deep frying so I just wrapped some turkey bacon around them and fried them a little more. They were pretty good that way. I used the broth to make a soup.... more on that tomorrow.

Galatoire’s Oysters en Brochette
Copyright New Orleans Times-Picayune December 21, 2000
Serves 4 as an appetizer or two as main course

12 strips bacon, cut in half
2 dozen oysters, raw
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Flour
Oil for deep frying
Toast point and lemon wedges for serving

Fry bacon until not quite crisp. Alternate six oysters and six half strips of bacon folded on each of four 8-inch skewers. Make a batter with egg and
milk and season well with salt and pepper. Dip each skewer in batter.
Roll in flour and deep-fry in hot oil until golden. Serve on toast points
with lemon wedges.

Now for the Blue Cheese Pear Crostini...

Easy and simple and so delicious. It packs a major flavor punch. Absolutely yummy. Great for entertaining and I can see why it is a favorite for everybody.
Blue Cheese, Pear and Walnut Crostini:
Hunt County Wines

a baguette, thinly sliced about ½ inch each
olive oil
mascarpone, for spreading (optional)
any type of bleu cheese (gorgonzola, Roquefort, stilton), thinly sliced, or crumbled
freshly hulled walnuts
a few pears, peeled and sliced into small cubes

1. Brush your bread slices with olive oil, line on a baking sheet, then toast in a hot oven for a few minutes until browned and crispy. You can broil them as well, if you prefer.

2. Remove from heat and spread each toast with some mascarpone.

3. Lay blue cheese slices, or spread some crumbles, on each toast and add walnut pieces on top. Return to a 375-400°F oven for a few minutes, just until the cheese is melted.

4. When the cheese is nicely melted, take the crostinis out of the oven and top with a few cubes of pear. Serve soon after.

And finally the Gougères

These were absolutely delicious. I saved the best for last. My kids, husband and I went crazy for these. They were delicious! A Pop-In-Your-Mouth-Cant-Stop, kind of delicious. The marinara added a nice contrast to the cheese.

Gruyère Cheese Gougères
Copyright 'The French Laundry Cookbook' By Thomas Keller, November, 1999
Makes about 4 dozen gougères

Gougères are a classical preparation often served at wine tastings in France. The puffs are made from a savory pâte á choux, or cream puff dough-flavored here with Gruyère. They are best served hot out of the oven, offering that creamy-dough gratification. Don't add the cheese, and the puff is a base for a dessert.

1 cup water
7 tablespoons (3-1/2 ounces) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon kosher salt, or more to taste
Pinch of sugar
1-1/4 cups (5 ounces) all-purpose flour
4 to 5 large eggs
1-1/4 cups grated Gruyère (5 ounces)
Freshly ground white pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, butter, salt, and sugar and bring to a boil. Add all the flour at once, reduce the heat to medium, and stir with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes, or until the mixture forms a ball and the excess moisture has evaporated (if the ball forms more quickly, continue to cook and stir for a full 2 minutes).

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle and beat for about 30 seconds at medium speed to cool slightly. Add 4 eggs and continue to mix until completely combined and the batter has a smooth, silky texture. Stop the machine and lift up the beater to check the consistency of the batter. The batter in the mixing bowl should form a peak with a tip that falls over. If it is too stiff, beat in the white of the remaining egg. Check again and, if necessary, add the yolk. Finally, mix in 3/4 cup of the Gruyère and adjust the seasoning with salt and white pepper.

Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 3/8-inch plain pastry tip with the gougère batter. Pipe the batter into 1-tablespoon mounds on the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between the gougères as the mixture will spread during baking. Sprinkle the top of each gougère with about 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining grated cheese and bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until they puff and hold their shape. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. And bake for an additional 20 to 25 minutes. When the gougères are done, they should be a light golden brown color. When you break one open, it should be hollow; the inside should be cooked but still slightly moist. Remove the pans from the oven and serve the gougères while hot.

To join us for Recipes to Rival, go to Recipes to Rival blogroll for complete instructions. For a detailed account of these recipes and more ideas, go here.
Thank you Temperance of High on the Hog and Jen of Delightful Delicacies. This was a really fun challenge!

Ginger Shrimp Napa Wraps

Years ago I went to DC with my friends to visit our friend Bill. He took us sightseeing around DC. We went to the Smithsonian Museum and many other places. It's funny the thing that I remember most is the food. He took us to PF Changs, a place I had never heard of (this is going back to ahhhh I think 1997 or so). We had their chicken lettuce wraps and they were absolutely amazing. Well this dish is akin to that dish. I think it packs just as much flavor but with shrimp instead.

GINGER SHRIMP NAPA WRAPS
Lori's Lipsmacking Goodness
inspired by this recipe at Cooking Light

Sauce:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced

Wraps:

12 napa (Chinese) cabbage leaves
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
3/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 1/2 cups cooked cellophane noodles
2 lbs. cooked small shrimp (I used a bag of cooked shrimp)

To prepare sauce, combine the first 6 ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook until the sugar dissolves and sauce slightly thickens (about 5 minutes), stirring frequently. Remove from heat; cover and chill.

To prepare wraps, steam cabbage, covered, 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain and pat dry; set aside.

Heat canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrot and next 4 ingredients (through 2 garlic cloves) to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add cilantro, basil, and juice; toss gently to combine. Add shrimp to heat. Do not overcook shrimp aas it wil get dry. Place about 3 tablespoons vegetable mixture and 2 tablespoons bean threads on each cabbage leaf. Serve with sauce.

MARTHA and ME

I love Martha. Previously , not so much, now, I do. Ever since her jail term, I like her. She became real to me I guess. I think she took the jail experience well and I admire the fact that she has spunk to bounce back from such an event. Does it matter whether she was guilty or not? Naw. Thats between her and her maker. I am willing to bet that if she was guilty she was just the fall person because I am quite sure insider trading happens all the time. Anyway, that's old news. And this dish, well this is some good news on a plate. Lots of nutrition, low in fat and high in fiber.

For Martha's Version, you can check it out here at What Did You Eat blog!

Here is what I did. I am allergic to scallops so I switched to shrimp.

SHRIMP with EDAMAME SALAD and PUREE

Puree:
2 1/2 cups edamame
juice of 1 1/2 limes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 garlic cloves 1 T garlic, minced
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup mint
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Salad:
1/2 cup edamame
juice of half of a lime
1/2 of a red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds

Shrimp:

1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined

Make the puree. Place garlic in food processor first, pulse until it is minced up. Add the remainder of ingredients and process until a nice puree is formed. Set aside.

Make the salad:

Combine chopped red pepper, soy beans, black sesame seeds, salt and lime juice. Set aside.

Make the shrimp:

Prepare shrimp. You can grill it or fry it in butter. You can even boil it. Use whatever method you prefer.

To plate:

Place puree in a circle. Lay shrimp on top. Finally place soy salad on top.

Bon Appetito

DAIKON CAKE AND COURAGE

I don't know if this ever happened to any of you but it sure happened to me. I saw this wonderful recipe at Nook and Pantry and being the lover of Asian food that I am I decided to try it. My pantry is full of Asian stock (Thai, Japanese and Chinese stuff). Some of which I have wanted to try but did not have the courage. I am embarassed to say that some of the stuff has been there about two years. So of course when I see a recipe that uses one of these "I don't have the courage" to make, then I have to try it. Besides I have this rice flour that I have been wanting to use up so this was an ideal recipe for me to try. Thank you Nook and Pantry.

So here I am making it and after I added the dried shrimp I thought I would gag. I love shrimp but it was just the idea of trying this new way of eating it. (How lame is that?). I am happy to say that I forged on. I was richly rewarded with the yummiest dish. My husband and I had them two nights in a row until they were all gone! We did fight over the last couple of pieces. I ended up giving them to him because honestly I stole a couple while I was making them.
(I dont want you to think I lack all the food courage in the world as I have eaten Rocky Mountain Oysters and some other things, he he and I loved the Rocky Mountain Oysters).

I served them with soy sauce mixed with a little water, sesame oil, a teaspoon or so of brown sugar, ginger and garlic. I did modify the recipe a little.

Next time I make these I am going to make them like shrimp toast as the texture really reminded me of that.

Chinese Daikon Cake (Luo Buo Gao) from Nook and Pantry
3 C coarsely shredded daikon (around 1 1/2 to 2 lbs)
6 dried shiitake mushrooms, finely diced
3 Tbsp small dried shrimp, finely diced
4 green onion stalks, thinly sliced
2 C rice flour (do not use glutinous rice flour)
1 3/4 C water
1 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and white pepperoil for frying ( you do not need very much)
sesame seeds for sprinkling on them when they are finished

Soak dried mushrooms and dried shrimp in hot water. You can do this in the same bowl or seperate bowls. Peel and shred daikon. Lightly pack into measuring cups for the most accurate measurement. Mix rice flour with remaining cup of water.

In a skillet with a teaspoon of oil saute rehydrated shitakes, shrimp, and green onion for 2 to 3 minutes. Add daikon, 3/4 C water, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp white pepper. Bring to a boil then remove from heat. Meanwhile, grease a square cake pan or loaf pan and start the steamer. ( I used a 9 inch cake pan. In a very large saute pan I put a round cookie rack and placed the water inn the pan. I carefully dropped the 9 inch cake pan round into the saute pan and placed the cover on it.)

Stir in the rice flour water mixture then spread into the greased pan. Steam for 50 minutes.

Cool or chill overnight. After cooling, cut the cake into 1/4 in slices and pan fry until both sides are golden brown.

SALMON ASPARAGUS SUSHI

I had to make crepes for my husband for his long anticipated manicotti fest. I had a pile of crepes because I doubled the recipe. What was I thinking? I usually find some life for all those crepes. What would it be this time? Lets see I have asparagus that needs to be cooked... Oh yes and some smoked slamon... and "yogurt cream cheese". The yogurt cream cheese I had bought some time ago and was begging for a new life. BLING. There goes the light bulb. A sort of a sushi with those ingredients. My friend who was coming over the next day was presently surprised by my creation. We dipped them in wasabi mayonaise and or soy sauce with wasabi (I didnt have time to grate the ginger... or maybe I just forgot). Anyway here is the recipe. I am quite sure you could come up with many things to put in this. Would love to hear what ideas you have.

SALMON and ASPARAGUS SUSHI

4 oz smoked salmon
1 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
8 oz. yogurt cheese or cream cheese
1 lb of asparagus, chopped small and cooked
2 scallions
1 recipe crepes

In food processor combine cream cheese, lemon pepper, salt, garlic powder and salmon. Process until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture on crepe and sprinkle asparagus across crepe in a line towards one end. Roll so the asparagus is in the center. Sprinkle with scallions.

Crepes (Julia Child recipe)

1 cup flour
1 cup milk
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
pinch of salt
2 eggs

Combine all ingredients except butter and whisk until smooth. Melt butter and drizzle into mixture while you whisk. Pour into hot griddle by 1/4 cup fulls.

Cozy Up With Some Stew

Some stew is good for the soul, especially when the soul is encountering freezing rain and sleet. Temperatures were dropping yesterday and it was just plain yucky here last night. Its a good thing I planned out my stew the night before. I have to plan as I have a toddler. All kitchen prep work is done while my little lioness sleeps. I just find it too difficult to do prep work while holding onto a curious tot.

Anyway here is the recipe for last night. My inspiration had come from La Cucine Italiana, December 2006 or so. But I tweaked it so many times that dare I say I could call it my own.

PASTA e CECI con VONGOLE
Pasta and Chickpea Soup with Clams

1 cup dried chick peas or two cans drained chickpeas
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups cooked pasta, preferrably ditalini
1 ( 1 quart plus) large can clams and broth
1 rosemary sprig
6 cloves of garlic (yes you can use less if you want)
juice of half a lemon
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
s and p to taste

Soak beans overnight. Drain and cover with water, 4 cloves of garlic, rosemary sprig, 1 tablespoon of olive oil and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer until beans are tender. I pureed nearly all of the beans but that is up to you. I prefer them pureed, almost like a hummus soup. Return to pan and add remaining cloves of garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper, clams and clam broth. Remove rosemary sprig. Before serving drizzle with olive oil. We sprinkled some pecorino romano on it as well.

It was gone this morning when I opened the fridge. This is how I can really tell the success of a recipe here at my house.