Minestrone Soup

Ingredients

1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 medium carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chicken, beef or vegetable stock
15 oz canned fire roasted diced tomatoes
15 oz canned kidney beans, drained
15 oz canned chickpeas, drained
28 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
6 oz tomato paste
2 tablespoons minced basil
2 tablespoons minced oregano
2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
2 (fresh) bay leaves
1 1/2 cups shredded cabbage
1 cup frozen or fresh green beans, diced
2 small to medium zucchini, diced
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

8 ounces small, cooked pasta

Directions:

For the slow cooker:

Add the garlic, tomato, celery, stock, tomatoes, beans, tomato paste, and spices to a 4 quart slow cooker. Cook on low heat for 6-8 hours. Add shredded cabbage, green beans and zucchini and turn to high for the last hour. Stir in the pasta before serving.

Stovetop: Saute the onions, garlic, carrots and celery until soft. Add the remaining ingredients and heat though.

My thoughts:

Around this time of year I always get a lot of requests for healthy meals. Soup is always a great choice because it is easy to add lots of vegetables. There are a lot of different ways to make minestrone (I even posted a different one here about six years ago) but this one is I think my favorite. I like the combination of chickpeas and kidney beans and the green beans and cabbage (especially when added towards the end in the slow cooker version) really make it taste fresh. While this is a vegan soup, I like to serve with a tiny hunk of sharp, aged cheddar in the bottom of a bowl. It melts and adds a tasty ribbon of cheese to each bite.

Smokin' Hot Pork Tacos

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lb boneless pork rib roast
3 cloves garlic
1 shallot
1 jalapeno, seeded
7 oz chipotle chiles in adobo (1 small can)
juice of 1/2 lime
1 tablespoon avocado oil
1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
1/2 teaspoon Mexican hot chili powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

assembly:
shredded cheddar
shredded red cabbage
halved grape tomatoes
cubed avocado
sour cream
salsa
corn or flour tortillas


Directions:
Place the spices, chiles, garlic, lime juice, oil and shallot into a food processor or blender (I used my Vita-Mix)and pulse until very smooth. Add the mixture to a marinating container or resealable bag. Add the pork and make sure it is fully submerged/coated in the mixture. Refrigerate overnight (about 14-16 hours is good). Add the pork and marinade into to a 4 quart slow cooker. Cook for about 8 hours. Shred the meat with a fork and toss to coat in the sauce.

My thoughts:

I hadn't made tacos in ages so when I finally did, I wanted them to be special. I was planning on grilling the meat but a forecast of six straight days of rain made me think of alternative cooking methods. I know some people swear by the dutch oven or I could have cubed it and cooked it in a pan but for me, the slow cooker is so easy! We were having a guest for dinnr and slow cooking meant that there was minimal hands-on cooking time when she was here. I prepped all of the toppings (except the avocado) before she arrived so we were ready to go when the the pork was ready. When you first put it in the slow cooker it looks sort of like there won't be enough sauce but there totally is, the pork gives off some liquid as it cooks and you end up with the perfect amount of sauce, enough to coat but not so much it drips out of the taco and onto your hands.

It is a spicy, smoky pork (it would have to be with all those chipotles!) but at the same time, very flavorful, not just hot. Matt really loved it and reports that the leftovers were very good with rice and a bit of cabbage the next day.

Pork & Shrimp Eggrolls

Ingredients:
4 cups shredded napa cabbage
2/3 cup diced char siu
1/2 cup diced, peeled & cooked shrimp (or 1/2 cup cooked tiny "salad" shrimp)
6 (fresh) shiitake mushrooms, minced
1 carrot, julienned
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger or ginger juice

for the sauce:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon black vinegar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1/2 tablespoon water



1 lb package refrigerated or defrosted frozen egg roll wrappers*
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water

Directions:
Whisk together the sauce ingredients. Heat in a small pan, whisking until the cornstarch has dissolved. Set aside. Quickly saute the vegetables, ginger, garlic, shrimp and pork until the cabbage is just starting to wilt. Remove from heat. Add sauces and toss to evenly distribute. Allow to cool slightly. Heat canola oil to 350. Place a small amount of filling (about 1/4 cup) in the center of the egg roll in sort of a log shape on each wrapper. Place the wrapper so it like a diamond in front of you then fold each side towards the middle and roll towards the top. Seal each seam with the egg wash. Paint the seams again with egg wash. If you find that your egg rolls leak, try using less filling, the size of egg roll wrappers vary slightly by brand. Fry until golden, flipping occasionally, drain on paper towel lined plates.

Yield: about 10 egg rolls

*Not spring roll wrappers, not lumpia wrappers or rice paper wrappers. Look for them in the refrigerated section (normally near tofu or fresh noodles) or in the freezer section of a well stocked supermarket or Asian market. Try to find an Asian brand for best results.

My thoughts:

One of my favorite food related books is about Chinese food and more specifically, American Chinese food. It is a great look into the difference between traditional Chinese food and the evolution of Chinese food in the country. It doesn't have any recipes but every time I pick it up, I am once again inspired to make some homemade versions of takeout. I mean, I love takeout Chinese food but we just don't have a consistently good place to get it. One place will have good won ton soup but the dumplings are bad. Another place has great appetizers and soups but their entrees are uniformly greasy. It has become easier just to make my favorites at home.

A good egg roll is a thing of beauty. A bad egg roll is a soggy, oily, bland mess. Luckily it isn't terribly difficult to make egg rolls at home. Even the frying adverse can handle it, they float and do not need to be deep fried. Plus you get to put whatever you want in it! I like shrimp and pork and lots of cabbage in mine and of course, I prefer the slightly chewy skin of an egg roll verses the splintery crisper wrapper of the spring rolls some restaurants try to pass off as egg rolls. They really aren't difficult to make at all, it just involves a lot of chopping. I actually like make them the same day I make lo mein because they use a lot of the same ingredients which makes the prep for both go easier. These egg rolls have a lot of flavor from the various flavors and well, people are always impressed when you make something as ubiquitous in the takeout world as egg rolls at home. The fact that they are more flavorful and fresher tasting than their carry out compatriots is almost icing on the cake.

Now, I hear egg rolls freeze well and I froze one to give to friend to test this theory out but even living in a two person household we can easily blow through the whole batch in a couple of days. If you do want to freeze them, place them (fully cooked)in a air tight container in the freezer. Then when ready to eat place them (frozen) in the oven on a paper towel lined pan at 325 until heated through.

Pork Lo Mein

Ingredients:
1 lb char siu, cut into 1/4 inch thick, 2 inch long slices*
2 carrots, julienned
2 stalks celery greens included, diagonally sliced to 1/4 inch pieces
2 cups shredded napa cabbage
4 oz sliced bamboo shoots
10 (fresh) shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 small shallot, sliced
1 bunch green onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch knob ginger, minced
2 tablespoons canola oil

for the omelet:
2 eggs
1 bunch green onion, sliced
drizzle sesame oil

for the sauce:
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon shaoxing

to serve:
1 lb (fresh if possible) lo mein noodles
1 small bunch green onion, chopped (for garnish)

Directions:
Cook noodles according to package directions. In a small bowl, mix together all of the sauce ingredients, set aside. In another small bowl, mix together all of the omelet ingredients. Pour into a small hot nonstick skillet or crepe pan. Allow to cook through in a single layer to form a sort of egg pancake. Remove to a plate and slice. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet or wok. Add the pork, ginger and garlic and stir-fry until the pork is just about heated through then push meat to the side and add all of the vegetables and the omelet. Stir-fry until the pork and vegetables are warmed through. Add the sauce and cook 1 minute. Toss with the noodles, garnish with green onion. Serve hot.

*We followed this recipe with the addition of a bit of red fermented bean curd mashed into the marinade. To make dinner a little quicker, we marinated the pork overnight on a Thursday, roasted it on Friday then refrigerated it overnight and used it to make lo mein on Saturday. This made the meal come together very quickly, there was no "downtime" on Saturday while the pork was roasting. The pork does not have to be hot when you add it to the wok.

My thoughts:

I don't think I have ever been in a American Chinese takeout joint where at least one customer wasn't eating or ordering lo mein. And why wouldn't they? You can't get more comforting or familiar than a heaping mound of noodles, vegetables and meat. Unfortunately, the lo mein found in most restaurants is a either a. very salty, b. very greasy, c. lacking many vegetables or d. all of the above. Luckily, lo mein is one of the easiest things to make at home. The most difficult thing to part is finding the fresh lo mein noodles but just about any Asian (we have the most luck at the Chinese and Korean stores) grocery or even a very well stocked "regular" supermarket will have them in the refrigerated section. Dried lo mein noodles are an acceptable substitution but the texture won't be quite the same and frankly, I don't find them any easier to find than the fresh variety. Anyway, making lo mein at home is a revelation if you've only had the takeout variety, it is fresh tasting and while the sauce tastes pretty much the same, it is grease-free.

Moo Shu Duck

Ingredients:

for the duck:
1 6 lb duck
zest of one lemon
2 tablespoons five spice powder
1 1/2 tablespoons ginger powder
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

for the filling:
1/3 cup dried tiger lily buds
6 dried cloud ear mushrooms
5 dried black or shiitake mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 bunch green onions, cut into 1 inch chunks
4 cups shredded napa cabbage
1/2 cup chicken or duck stock
2 tablespoons shaoxing wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with an equal amount of water
1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

for the omelet:
2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup diced green onion

for the pancakes:
2 cups flour
3/4 cup boiling water
sesame oil


Directions:
Preheat oven to 325. In a small bowl, whisk together the zest, ginger, sugar, salt, pepper and five spice powder. Rub the dry rub into the skin of the duck. Place the duck on a roasting rack on a roasting pan and roast for 2 hours or until cooked though*. Allow to cool slightly then shred the meat and set aside.

Add the flour and boiling water to a boil. Whisk together. Flour a clean, flat surface. Knead the dough until smooth, 3-5 minutes. Cover in plastic wrap and let sit for 30-40 minutes. Roll the dough into a tube about 1 1/2 inches thick. Cut into 16 equal pieces. Use the palm of your hand to flatten each one slightly. Brush the top of half the rounds with sesame oil. Top with a second pancake. Roll them together until they are 5-6 inches wide. Stack, covered with a damped cloth until ready to heat. Heat a nonstick pan and cook each pair for about 2 minutes on each side. Separate them into individual pancakes. Wrap the stack in foil until ready to serve. If needed, steam in a bamboo steamer or microwave them for a few seconds to reheat.


Meanwhile, rehydrate the mushrooms and lily buds in hot water. Cut off any hard bits on the lily buds and tie them in a knot. Thinly slice the mushrooms. Set aside. Whisk the omelet ingredients together. Cook the eggs in a flat layer in a nonstick skillet or work. Slice into strips. Set aside. Heat the oil in a wok. Add the vegetables, lily buds, mushrooms and broth. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil and shaoxing. Stir fry for 1 minute then add the cornstarch mixture. Cook until the mixture boils. Add the egg and duck. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Serve in pancakes with hoisin sauce.



*If you would like to reserve the duck fat for another recipe, drain it off the bottom of pan every 1/2 hour to 45 minutes and pour into a heat safe container. Duck fat is amazingly tasty to cook with.

My thoughts:

This is a bit of a time consuming recipe, I admit, but it is worth it. The pancakes are super simple to make (who knew?) and the duck is so flavorful that when you sit down to eat, you won't remember that it took the better part of an evening. If you are a planner, make the duck ahead of time and just toss it in with everything else when you actually want to eat. Normally moo shu is made with pork (or occasionally chicken) but we found a duck for a good price and thought it would make an excellent variation. We were right, the meat is succulent and adds a richness to the mixture that is similar to what you would get from pork but slightly more complex. Not to slight pork, you know how deep my love for pork runs, but it is a wonderful, delicious change. Some of the ingredients are a bit exotic but any Chinese (or even Korean in our experience) store will have them and since they are dried they keep for ages, possibly even years. I really would try to find them all, they add the perfect textures and flavors to the dish and are sorely missed if absent.

Leftovers hold up surprisingly well. Just refrigerate the pancakes and filling (separately)in air tight containers and reheat them over low heat the next day. What a treat it is to have homemade moo shu pancakes for lunch!

Baltimore Coleslaw

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
16 oz coleslaw mix (shredded red and green cabbage, carrot)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons Old Bay
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon ground jalapeno

Directions:
In a large bowl, toss together the coleslaw mix, celery and onion. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, Old Bay, celery seed and mayo. Pour over the vegetables. Stir to evenly distribute. Allow to sit 20 minutes before serving.

My thoughts:

Honestly, Baltimore Coleslaw is a bit of a misnomer. As far as I know there is no quintessential Baltimore slaw. But I haven't met a native yet that doesn't love Old Bay (I think they send us home from the hospital with a tin tucked into our blanket) so it seemed fitting. For the second time I used a preshredded coleslaw mix. It worked well the last time and was on sale for only $1 a bag so I couldn't resist. You could easily substitute an equal amount of hand shredded cabbages and carrot. The Old Bay, celery seed and celery sort of meld into really fresh tasting new kind of coleslaw, one that is peppery and summery. The fairly equal mix of mayo and lemon juice keep it from being too thick or worse yet, gloppy.

Quick tip: I used my mandolin to slice the celery and onion very, very thinly.

Coleslaw for Pulled Pork Sandwiches (or for anything, really)

Ingredients:
16 oz coleslaw mix (shredded green and red cabbage and carrot)
1 small onion, sliced thinly

for the dressing:
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon sesame seed
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
juice of 1/2 lemon


Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients until smooth. Toss with the onion and coleslaw mix.

My thoughts:

I had never "cheated" and used coleslaw mix before but on this day I made pulled pork sandwiches made with Georgia-style homemade barbecue sauce, homemade baked beans, homemade rolls and a crumb cake, I felt justified in using some preshredded cabbage. Really the mix wasn't bad, it was very crisp which was a great foil for the tangy dressing I made. This is a super not-too-sweet-or-wet coleslaw that makes a great sandwich topper or side dish.

Pineapple Fried Rice

Ingredients:
4 cups cooked short grain rice (preferably day-old)
2 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups cubed fresh pineapple
3/4 cup snow peas
5 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Thai bird chiles
2 Chinese sausages (lap cheong)
2 inch knob ginger, grated
1 small onion, chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
1 egg

Directions:
Steam or boil the sausages until hot. Allow to cool slightly then slice into coins. Heat the oil in a wok or skillet. Saute the onions, garlic, chiles, sausage, mushrooms, ginger and the pineapple until fragrant and warmed through. Add the snow peas and cabbage. Stir fry until crisp-tender. Add the rice and saute until all clumps are gone. Create a well in the middle of the rice and break the egg into it, scramble it until cooked and stir it into the rice. Add the sauces. Toss until the sauces are evenly distributed. Serve immediately.


Serves 4-6

My thoughts:

Matt whipped this up for lunch the other day and it was so tasty, I had to share. The flavors are fresh and the whole dish is surprisingly not greasy or overly sweet. It hits that perfect note of sweet-salty-spicy that many dishes aim for but miss. It is also a great dish to use up any leftovers you might have, we used cabbage and snow peas because we had that on hand but broccoli or carrots or even bok choy would be quite tasty.

Deli-Style Coleslaw

Ingredients:
4 cups shredded cabbage
1 carrot, shredded
1 small onion, shredded


for the dressing:
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon celery seed
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt
white pepper

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. In a large bowl, toss together cabbage, onion and carrot. Pour the dressing over the vegetables, toss to evenly distribute.

My thoughts:

When I was young, my family would go and get a take out order of coleslaw and fried oysters from Hasslinger's all the way across town. They've long since gone catering only so I am forced to make my own fried oysters. While I am normally not a huge fan of creamy salads, I make an exception for the occasional oyster and coleslaw pairing. To keep the coleslaw creamy but not too mayonnaise-y, I added some sour cream which also added a slight tang. I blame Hasslinger's for my lifelong love of celery seed, their coleslaw was studied with the seeds so there are lots of celery seeds in my slaw as well. Their flavor is just so distinctive and really pulls the other flavors together.

Tomato & Kielbasa Alphabet Soup

Ingredients:
1 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
4 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup shredded cabbage
28 oz crushed tomatoes
16 oz kielbasa, sliced
10 oz alphabet or other small pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
black pepper

Direction:
Prepare pasta according to package directions. Set aside. In a skillet, saute the sausage slices. Set aside. Meanwhile, saute the onion, carrots and celery until the onion and celery are soft and the carrots are softening. Add the broth, tomatoes, pepper and cabbage. Add the kielbasa and simmer 10 to 15 minutes. Ladle into bowls and add the pasta to each bowl. Refrigerate leftover soup and pasta separately.

My thoughts:

Winter is the perfect season for soup. I made this soup when my mom came for lunch and it was perfect, well spiced but not too spicy and the sausage made it hearty enough to serve as a meal.


Note: I like to cook the pasta separately from the soup because the longer the pasta sits in the soup the more liquid it absorbs and it can become soggy. This is especially and issue if there are any leftovers. This way the pasta remains the perfect texture and you can control the amount of pasta in each bowl.

Savory Savoy-Shiitake Dumplings

Ingredients:

6 oz savoy cabbage, finely diced
1 oz bean thread noodles, soaked and cut into 1/2-inch strands
3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
7 re-hydrated shiitake mushrooms, chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 bunch scallions, minced
1 inch knob ginger, grated

round dumpling wrappers

Directions:
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. In a wok or skillet, quickly stirfry the filling until the cabbage is just softened. Allow to cool. Place a teaspoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper Fold the wrapper in half to form a half moon shape, pinching the wrapper tightly together. Make sure no filling is peaking out or they will break while cooking. Steam or boil the dumplings (I like steamed best). Serve hot. Leftovers can be refrigerated and re-steamed the next day if need be.


Excellent with my favorite dipping sauce.

Makes 35-45 dumplings.

My thoughts:

These are some tasty dumplings. The ginger, garlic and green onion add a lot of flavor that is nicely absorbed by the shiitake mushrooms. These are vegetarian (vegan, actually) dumplings but between the noodles, cabbages and the mushrooms they are pretty hardy and can almost sub as a meal.

The half moon shape is the easiest dumpling shape to master but it is still quite attractive. You can get fanicier with the crimpling but when steamed, these dumplings are stars even simply prepared. Half moon or crescent shaped dumplings are traditonal fare at Chinese New Year celebrations. While this filling isn't stictly traditional, it makes a good addition to the New Year's table.

Other recipes suitable for Chinese New Year that have been featured on Coconut & Lime include Lion's Head, Longevity Noodles and garlic chive dumplings.

Pork & Cellophane Noodle Salad

Ingredients:
8 to 10 oz cellophane noodles*
2 thick cut pork chops or about 8 oz of pork tenderloin
1 thin skinned, low seed cucumber, cut into strips
2 carrots, cut into strips
1 bunch scallion, diced
1 bunch baby bok choy or Shanghai cabbage, chopped

for the marinade:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice (I actually used key limes)
1 clove garlic, sliced

for the dressing:
1 Thai chile, minced
2 tablespoons lime juice (again, I actually used key limes)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1/4 teaspoon agave nectar



Directions:
Marinade the pork for about 30 minutes. Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the pork and cook thoroughly, flipping once, about 10 minutes. If the chops are very thick, cover the pan for a few minutes of the cooking time. Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package instructions. Add the bok choy in to the water/noodles during the last minute of soaking. Drain. I actually put it all my beloved salad spinner and spun it dry. Whisk together the dressing ingredients in small bowl and set aside. Slice the pork into thin strips. Toss with noodles, bok choy, carrots, cucumber and dressing. Serve cool.

*also known as vermicelli, bean threads, bean thread noodles, or glass noodles, they always make Mister Cellophane get stuck in my head.



Note: You might have noticed that I actually used my crinkle cutter instead of slicing the vegetables. It is just as easy as using a knife and since the salad is so simple, it added some extra visual interest. Totally unnecessary though.

Yield: 2-4 servings

My thoughts:

I always find making dinner in September a daunting task. Some days it is as hot as July and on others it is downright chilly. Salad can be a perfect choice but tomato season is waning so I can't muster up too much enthusam for a leafy salad. Instead, I opt for salads like this, hardy but not heavy and boasts juicy meat and crisp vegetables. It is perfect for a hot day or one with a bit of a nip in the air.

This is another recipe that is truly more than the sum of its parts. It is a complete meal that goes from raw ingredients to finished product in under 15 minutes-perfect for a busy weeknight. The dressing is divine-be careful to really mince that pepper though, you don't want an unsuspecting diner to get a big chunk of one of them, they are pretty fiery-and just coats the noodles with flavor. Using pork chops is a great short cut, they cook quickly and stay juicy even when thoroughly cooked. This salad holds up well overnight so you might want to make a bit extra to have for lunch the next day.


If you like this you might also enjoy:

Cold Black Rice Noodle Salad with Mixed Vegetables

Superlative Sesame Noodles

Swiss Chard, Beef, Tofu & Shrimp Summer Rolls

Sunshine Salad

Ingredients:
2 cups boiled or grilled corn kernals (cooled)
1 1/2 cups chopped red cabbage
1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes*
1 cup chopped red onion
1 bunch scallions, diced (green and white parts)


dressing:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Scotch Bonnet hot sauce**
juice of 2 limes

*I used a combination of heirloom Yellow Pear and (red) Juliet tomatoes from my own garden.

**I used Miss Hatties Yellow Hot Sauce.

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Set aside. In a large bowl, toss together all of the salad ingredients. Drizzle with dressing then toss to coat. Refrigerate for 15 minutes before serving.

My thoughts:

Forgive the slightly cheesy name but this is sunshine in salad form: crisp, light and hot. While I periodically enjoy a traditional leafy salad, I find salads like these to be a bit more fun to make and eat. The trick is to balance all of the flavors and textures: sweet tomatoes, crisp red onion and cabbage, spicy dressing. Picking vegetables of different colors results in a salad that is as visually arresting as it is tasty.

Baltimore-Style Sour Beef and Dumplings (Sauerbraten)

Ingredients:

for the sauce/marinade:
1 3/4 cups red wine vinegar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 onions, sliced
2 carrots, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon whole allspice
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
3 whole cloves
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt


for the dumplings:
4 cups plain well-mashed potatoes made from peeled red potatoes
flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
salt


other:
3 1/2 lb beef round, cut into 1 1/2 in thick slices or left whole (see notes)
1 tablespoon canola oil
8 gingersnaps, broken into pieces

Directions:
WARNING: This part has to be done the day before you want to serve. Stir together all of the marinade ingredients in a nonreactive bowl. Place the roast in a nonreactive container (or large ziplock bag) and marinate overnight. The day before is also a good time to make the gingersnaps if, like me, you are using homemade.

The next day: Remove the meat and pour the marinade in the slow cooker. In a large skillet, quickly brown all sides of the meat in the canola oil. Add the meat into the slow cooker and turn on low for 6 hours.

During the last hour or so of cooking time: Start to make the dumplings. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. In a large bowl, combine the cooled mashed potatoes and salt and the egg. Stir in the baking powder and add the flour in 1/2 cup increments until the it resembles a dough and the mixture holds its shape when molded (roughly 3 cups). Form into 2 to 4 inch balls. They should be able to hold their shape but not be too floury. Drop them into the water. They should sink, then rise to the surface when cooked through. Set aside.

During the last 1/2 hour of cooking time: Skim off any visible fat that may have risen to the top then add the gingersnaps and turn the heat to high.

After the time is up, shred the meat a bit with a fork or break it into pieces. Serve hot, with dumplings on the side.

My thoughts:

My grandpop loves sour beef and in turn so do I. Baltimore has strong German roots and some of the old food traditions continue today.

As a child my mother and I would sweet talk the ticket takers at the yearly German festival at Carroll Park to let us in (for free) just long enough to pick up a large order from our favorite stand to take home. Now you can buy bottles of Mrs. Minnicks' sauce at the grocery store but freshly made is always best. Until I made this, I had never made sour beef before but after a year of watching beef prices* I finally found a good deal on some meat suitable for cooking for a long time and decided to take the plunge.

Here in Baltimore, it is traditional to make the sour beef with gingersnaps. I know some people sneer at the use of cookies, and I admit it is a little retro sounding but they really add some flavor and thicken up the gravy without having to add cornstarch or flour. Plus I found an old German recipe (as opposed to just German-American) that calls for lebkuchen, a spicy cookie somewhat similar to American gingersnaps so I feel some what vindicated in my decision. It is also very "Baltimore" to serve sauerbraten with very large, fluffy potato dumplings. Many restaurants that serve the dish offer extra dumplings as a side along with sweet and sour cabbage.

Some notes:
I bought the traditional beef roast but cut it into large (roughly 2 inch wide) chunks/thick slices so the marinade would penetrate better and more quickly. In deference to the extremely hot weather we are having, I used the slow cooker but you could also follow the same instructions but use a dutch oven and roast it for about 4 hours at 350 or until thoroughly cooked and fork tender. While I only marinated the meat overnight (or more accurately, about 20 hours) you can marinate it up to 3 days if you would rather use the whole roast. Also, some people add juniper berries to their sour beef but I sort of think I am allergic to them so I left them out. I also don't think they are entirely necessary, flavor-wise, at least not for the kind of sour beef we eat here in Charm City.


*I just can't bring myself to pay $13 (or more!) per pound for meat that is going to cook for hours. When did cheap cuts of meat get so expensive? Doesn't anyone make stew anymore?

Bacon Rice

Ingredients:
5 slices thick cut bacon

for the omelet:
1 green onion, chopped (green parts only)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon sesame oil
4 dried shiitake mushrooms
canola oil

For the rice:
1 cup sushi rice*
a couple drops sesame oil
sesame seeds

For the Chinese broccoli:
4-5 stalks Chinese broccoli (gai lan), chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon light soy sauce or kecap manis
1-2 tablespoons oyster sauce


To serve:
light soy sauce or kecap manis
extra chopped green onion

Directions:
For the rice:
Make the rice according to package instructions but adding a couple drops of sesame oil and some sesame seeds to the water. This time I used the liquid leftover from rehydrating the mushrooms for the omelet for a little extra flavor instead of water.

For the omelet:
Cover dried mushrooms with hot water for 20 minutes, then squeeze the liquid out and cut into thin strips. In a small bowl, beat eggs with the sesame oil and the green onions. Cook like an omelet in a large hot skillet, tilting to spread the egg mixture across the surface of the pan, about 2 minutes. When the top of the omelet is almost set, flip the omelet and cook for 1 minute on the other side. Remove to a plate and roll the omelet into a tight coil then slice it into thin, even strips. It should then uncoil, leaving you with long strips of egg.


For the Chinese broccoli:
Heat the oil in a wok. Stir fry the garlic then add the Chinese broccoli. Stir fry until the greens are starting to wilt, then stir in the soy sauce and oyster sauce.


Meanwhile: Fry the bacon in a large skillet. Drain onto paper towel-lined plates then cut into small pieces. Set aside.

To serve: toss the cooked rice, bacon, Chinese broccoli and omelet together. Drizzle with soy sauce. Sprinkle with green onion. EAT!


*I like Koshi rice which is really tasty Japanese variety called Koshihikari grown here in the US, but any good quality sushi rice will do.


Yield: 2-4 servings

My thoughts:

This recipe grew out of Matt's memory of an high school friend mentioning that she would eat bacon rice for breakfast. At the time he thought it was odd but once he told me about it, we realized that it actually sounded kind of good. We weren't entirely sure what was in it so we came up with this, a sort of pan-Asian un-fried rice. The very few mentions of bacon rice I could found after we made if for the first time were mostly for Japanese American homestyle bacon fried rice or of visits to "bacsilog" -bacon, egg & garlic fried rice- stalls in the Philippines. Frankly, I am not sure if fried rice is quite what I want to start my day off with. My version is slightly more dressed up and I bet, a bit fresher tasting. Despite the bacon, this recipe yields a decidedly non greasy meal, especially if you use thick, center cut bacon which generally is high in flavor but lower in fat and then thoroughly drain the slices.

Another pro in the un-fried column is that despite our 3x+ a week consumption of sushi rice, I almost never have leftover rice. Making the rice the day I actually want to eat it, rather than having to think ahead and make it the day before so I can make fried rice, is much easier and by the time the rice is done, all of the other components should be ready.

While we eat this more often than I'd care to admit, I never thought I'd post the recipe. Bacon rice what we make when I am too tired to come up with something new and/or am tired of photographing everything that comes out of the kitchen. It's made up entirely of ingredients we pretty much always have on hand and is really quick to put together. Despite its undisputed deliciousness, I wasn't sure if anyone would be interested in an actual recipe. I changed my mind after mentioning making it a couple times on Twitter and I was overwhelmed with recipe requests. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, bacon is always a hit!

So here it is. Written out it looks a little complicated but it really just a bunch of little steps that can pretty much be completed at the same time for a meal that takes approximately 30 minutes to make. We like to have it as a weeknight dinner or for a weekend breakfast/brunch before heading out to a busy day. Consider yourself forwarded, once you make it for the first time you will want to make it again and again.


A few notes:
I like to make it with some vegetables because it makes the dish into more of a complete meal but if you are in a hurry or want to serve this for breakfast (and are vegetable adverse in the AM) you can leave them out.

You can also vary the vegetables. I love Chinese broccoli so I used that but it is also tasty made with other leafy greens like baby bok choy, Shanghai cabbage. tatsoi or even spinach, prepared in the same way.

Other variations: Add some chopped shrimp to the omelet. Add some cubed tofu or fresh mushrooms to the vegetable mix. Using the kecap manis (a palm sugar-sweetened soy sauce) will give you a sort of sweet-smoky-salty bacon rice that is an interesting variation on what we typically make.

Shrimp & Scallop Noodle Bowl

Ingredients:
for the sauce:
1 1/4 cup shrimp stock
2 inch knob ginger, sliced
2 inch knob galangal, sliced
1 stalk lemongrass, sliced
1 teaspoon palm sugar dissolved in 1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch

for the stir fry:
3/4 lb shrimp
3/4 lb scallop
6 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms
2 carrots, in matchsticks
2 head Shanghai cabbage, sliced in 1/4 inch wide pieces horizontally
1b fresh egg noodles, boiled 1 minute then drained
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons canola oil



Directions:
Bring the shrimp stock, ginger, galangal, and lemongrass to a boil. Boil until it is reduced to 1 cup. Strain out the solids. Stir in soy sauce and palm sugar then whisk in the cornstarch. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok. Quickly stir fry the garlic then add the carrot, mushrooms and cabbage. Stir fry until the cabbage is just starting to wilt. Push the vegetables to one side of the wok, then add the seafood into the empty space. Stir fry until the shrimp and scallops are almost completely cooked through. Add the noodles and sauce. Stir fry until the noodles are soft and the sauce is mostly absorbed. Serve hot.

Yield: 2-4 servings.

My thoughts:

This was one of the tastiest noodle dishes I've made in a while. The noodles absorb all of the delicious broth and accent rather than obscure the natural brininess of the shrimp and scallops. It is also an exceptionally quick yet impressive looking dish to make, especially if you have a basic shrimp stock* on hand. I like to make stock whenever we have shrimp and then freeze it. You don't even have to defrost it ahead of time, it defrosts very quickly over medium heat in a saucepan. I then flavor it to accent the rest of the ingredients of whatever I am making. In this case, I was using Asian ingredients so I used Thai-influenced add-ins. It really elevates the dish into something special.


*Basically just water, raw shrimp shells, shrimp heads if possible, lemon peel, onions, parsley etc boiled until it reduces and then skimmed of solids.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Potatoes with Balsamic-Dijon Dressing

Ingredients:
10 oz small brussels sprouts, halved
1 lb Russet potatoes, cut into 2 inch chunks
1/2 lb onion, cut into wedges

for the dressing:
1/18 cup balsamic vinegar
1/8 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
leaves from one sprig of thyme
salt
pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients. Set aside. Arrange the potatoes, brussels sprouts and onions in a single layer in a 11x 7 inch baking dish. Pour the dressing evenly over everything, then give the pan a good shake to help coat. Bake about 30-40 minutes or until the food has begun to caramelize. Leave it in if you like it a little extra crispy. Serve hot.

Yield: about 4 servings

Quick tip:
The trick to roasting a few different vegetables together is to cut them all the same size so they take roughly the same amount of time to bake.

My thoughts:

My husband always says that he didn't think he like brussels sprouts until he ate some that I made. I'd like to think that is because of some cooking magic on my part, but really, done well, brussels sprouts are delicious. I took advantage of their sudden availability and the still chilly weather to roast some with potatoes, onion and a slightly Spring-y dressing.

When roasted, brussels sprouts become nutty-sweet and not at all cabbage-stinky like their ill-deserved reputation might suggest. Roasting is possibly the forgiving way to cook brussels sprouts. The longer they bake, the more caramelized and sweet they become.

Corned Beef and Cabbage Quesadillas

Ingredients:
1/2 lb leftover corned beef, cut into batons
1/2 cup leftover cabbage, sliced into 1/4 inch wide strips
1/2 cup leftover potatoes, sliced thinly
deli style mustard
shredded Irish cheddar
2 flour tortillas


Directions:
Heat a pan large enough for a large tortilla to lay flat. Place one tortilla in the pan and heat until warmed through and slightly browned, flipping once. Repeat. Remove from heat. Sprinkle the cheese on one half of the tortilla. Top with a sprinkle of cheddar, the corned beef, then the potatoes, a few dollops of mustard, top with a sprinkle of cheese. Fold the plain half over to form a half moon. Cook until the cheese has melted, flipping it once, and the both sides are slightly browned, about 1-2 minutes. Remove to a plate and cut in half. Repeat for the second torillas. Serve immediately.



Note: If the leftover meat, potato and cabbage are very cold from the refrigerator, microwave them for one minute before assembling the quesadilla. This will help ensure that the food is heated through during the brief cooking time.

My thoughts:

I know what you are thinking. Corned beef and cabbage (and potato!) quesadillas? Really? I made this so I would finally have an answer to the deluge of "what to do with leftover corned beef and cabbage" questions I get each year on the day after St. Patrick's Day. I figured if you get a "German taco" (think: sausage wrapped in a tortilla) at festivals in Texas, I can totally make something Irish-American meets Tex-Mex. And you know what? They are actually really good. The mustard gives it a good kick, and the rest of the ingredients melded well together. Sort of like a toasty grilled cheese with a lot of extras.

Pork & Shrimp Potstickers

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 bunch scallion, chopped finely
3 dried shiitake mushroom rehydrated in hot water and minced
2 heads Shanghai cabbage*, chopped finely
1 cup pork broth
1/2 pound ground pork
1/2 pound shrimp, chopped finely
3 tablespoons black sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons grated ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/2 tablespoons grated garlic
1 teaspoon white pepper

dumpling wrappers


Directions:

In a large bowl thoroughly mix all of the filling ingredients to form a uniform mixture. Place a small teaspoon of filling in the middle of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half to form a half moon shape, pinching the wrapper tightly together. Press the "fold" side gently down on the plate so it can stand alone, seam side up. Make sure no filling is peaking out or they will break while cooking. Heat oil in a large saucepan, place pot stickers flat side down and cook until the bottom is browned. Add 1 cup of broth, cover immediately. Allow dumplings to steam. Once the dumplings are fully cooked the stock will evaporate and the bottoms will be crisp. Excellent with my favorite dipping sauce.


*or substitute 2 heads baby bok choy

Yield: about 50 potstickers




Quick tip: Before filling the wrappers, fry up a bit of the filling mixture to taste for seasoning. The filling should stay together in a solid mass, if not, you might want to add a tiny bit more cornstarch.

My thoughts:

These are so good! I love when you can just mix together a bunch of ingredients you just happen to have on hand and it turns out to be one of the best things you've had in ages. We had sort of a dumpling orgy and just had loads of dumplings for lunch and nothing else but they also make great appetizers.

Sweet & Pickle-y Red Cabbage

Ingredients:
1 medium to large sized red cabbage, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoon light brown sugar
3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon salt

Directions.
Melt the butter in a large pot . Add cabbage and sprinkle with salt. Saute until it is just beginning to wilt, about 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sugar and vinegar, stir to coat evenly. Reduce heat and cover Cook an additional 30 minutes or until the cabbage has cooked down considerably and is very tender.

My thoughts:

Normally I would shred the cabbage, but as my thumb now sports a large scar from a tragic sauerkraut making mishap, thinly slicing seemed safer. Either method would work though. My favorite dish to serve with with is sauerbrauten (recipe currently in creation) but I made a roasted chicken tonight and served it with that instead. Yum. I love pickly foods.