When I offered to host vegan friends for our weekly TV night this seemed like an exciting challenge! I combined the recipe for Mark Bittman’s Faux Pho with a couple recipes I found online to create the amazing broth. I made a double-batch for our dinner party, and served it up with all the fixins, many picked up at my local H-Mart Asian Grocer:

• Mung bean sprouts
• Thai Basil
• Cilantro
• Sliced Jalapeño
• Five-Spice Tofu, cubed
• Napa Cabbage
• Pea Pods
• Fresh Lime Wedges
• Hoisin Sauce
• Sriracha Sauce
• Thinly sliced steak for the carnivores

The recipe for the wonderfully rich vegan broth follows behind the cut. This made 8 dinner servings for my dinner party but could easily be cut in half. It was an enormous hit and I’ll definitely be making it for another dinner party in the future!

Vegan Pho Broth

• 2 tbsp peanut oil
• 8 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp ginger (I minced some fresh and the rest I used from a jar)
• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  
• 3 star anise pods
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 4 bay leaves
• 12 cups water

In the bottom of a stock pot heat up your peanut oil. Sauté the garlic and ginger until just softened. Add the soy sauce, coriander and nutmeg and stir to combine. Let cook for 1–2 minutes and add the water, star anise, cinnamon sticks and bay leaves.

Bring to a rolling boil and let cook for 10 minutes. Remove the star anise and cinnamon sticks or the flavor runs the risk of becoming too strong. I let my broth sit for 3–4 hours (made it at lunchtime, served it at dinner time) so the flavor of the broth could really develop.

Serve the broth over Vietnamese rice noodles (prepare to package directions) and garnish with fresh veggies and condiments as listed above.

]]> http://www.shortcutchef.com/archives/529/feed 0 http://www.shortcutchef.com/archives/515 http://www.shortcutchef.com/archives/515#comments Sat, 19 Feb 2011 16:06:55 +0000 Tiara Lynn http://www.shortcutchef.com/?p=515 Last night I came dangerously close to choosing a jarred sauce to pair with the lobster ravioli we splurged on at The Pasta Shoppe in Oak Park. I had the jar of alfredo all ready to go, and while I’m sure I’d have loved it (Bertolli Alfredo may not be authentic, but it’s divine), I was in the mood for something fresher, and I wanted a great way to use the large bunch of spinach from our produce delivery. That’s when the idea for vodka sauce came to mind.

I’ve never made a vodka sauce before, but this was easily the best homemade sauce I have ever made. I found a bunch of recipes online. Some asked for one cup of vodka, others called for only 2 tbsp (!?!). Very few used spinach, but that was a key ingredient of mine.  So, without a clear recipe I ended up combining elements of  to create this amazing sauce. I served it with lobster ravioli, but it would also be an amazing vegetarian dish if you substitute vegetable stock for the chicken stock. Here’s what I did (the recipe is behind the cut):

Spinach Vodka Sauce

• 1 shallot, diced fine
• 1/2 small onion, diced fine
• 4 cloves garlic, diced fine
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 4–6 cubes Dorot frozen basil (get it at Trader Joes in the freezer section)
• 1 cup chicken stock (I’ve been singing the praises of Kirkland Organic Chicken Stock from Costco lately)
• 1 can (28 oz) chopped or crushed tomatoes
• 1 large bunch spinach leaves (or a bag of baby spinach). Leave baby spinach leaves as they are, but cut large leaves down.
• Splash of half & half (what I had on hand) or heavy cream
• 2–4 tbsp fresh grated asiago, parmesan or romano cheese
• Salt, pepper, crushed red pepper to taste
• 1 cup plus 1 splash vodka (we used whatever we used to refill our Crystal Head Vodka bottle; a Russian vodka in a less awesome bottle, I thnk… but I digress)

Heat your oil and butter in a large skillet or saucepan. Add the garlic, onions, shallots and basil and sauté for about 5 minutes or so. Add 1 cup of vodka (keep the bottle around for a splash later) and reduce by about half. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes (with juice). When it starts bubbling, reduce the heat. Taste often and season with salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste.

After the mixture reduces and starts to become thick and saucy, add the cheese, fine-tune the flavors and add the splash of vodka. Reduce a bit more, then add the spinach until wilted. Before you serve it, add a splash of cream to taste. I like a little, but you can use up to 1/2 cup or more if you want it creamier. The little bit of creaminess will help it stick to your pasta. Taste again and adjust seasonings as necessary before serving.

Serve over pasta and garnish with some freshly grated cheese.

I’ve loved the original How to Cook Everything for years, so when my husband and I decided to become Less-Meatarians and make vegetables and fresh produce a more prominent part of our diet I immediately picked up the vegetarian version of the book and I’m so glad I did!!

For the tilapia served in this meal I just seasoned it with some Spice House Chesapeake Bay seasoning, but the star of this meal was certainly the Chard with Orange and Shallots.

Luckily, Mark Bittman has posted the recipe online to share with all, but I’m going to share it here with the changes that I made to the recipe.

Rainbow Chard with Caramelized Onions, Shallots and Clementines

• 1 pound chard, washed and trimmed
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• *1/2 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• *1 clementine, coarsely chopped with the skin on
• *2 tablespoons O Pomegranate Champagne Vinegar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

You can get the prep instructions here.

The flavor was incredible. The sweetness of the orange and caramelized onions, the sourness of the vinegar, the bitterness of the chard greens and the clementine peel that softened deliciously and really completed the dish in a surprising way. I would actually consider making this as a main course because it was so delicious.

I had a lot of smoked salmon that I wanted to try to use, and when I saw smoked salmon risotto as an option for using it I jumped at the chance! QUICK TIP: Make sure you use a high quality broth or stock to make your risotto! I know now that the last time I tried to make risotto, the reason it failed was because I used a vegetable broth that had a horrible flavor when it concentrated, so this time I used regular water for the rice to absorb.  Additionally, I loaded this up with diced mirepoix (carrots, onion and celery). I waited until the risotto was done before adding the smoked salmon.

I love smoked salmon, so this was absolutely delicious but the flavor ends up being really strong. It’s not a date night meal for sure, but it’s super delicious.

CONFESSION: I used to be very narrowminded about vegetarian cuisine. When we first started Meatless Mondays back in November, we kept things really simple and traditional. Stir fries with tofu, and this, a simple falafel pita. I make my own falafel, mostly because I’m extremely picky about the texture. I like my falafel when it’s not at all mushy. I picked up my falafel mix at the local Mediterranean grocer (god how I love living in the melting pot that is Chicagoland!), but to be honest I think when this package is done I’ll be going back to the Casbah brand falafel that had a better flavor and texture for me.

I made the Israseli couscous with red pepper and some spices, then mixed in some mandarin oranges when it was done. A close second to my favorite couscous salad at Roti, but I was really happy with it.

With our new house comes a new grocery store, and lucky for me, that’s Trader Joes. It’s playing a huge role in my meals now, and with this meal it was a star. Their Mediterranean yogurt sauce was delicious on the falafel and the kalamata olives were super yummy, but the stars of this meal were the Feta and Caramelized Onion Pastry Bites.

If they hadn’t been sampling these at the store, I’d never have known. These were so delicious they were like dessert. Since then, they’ve become a favorite side dish. I can’t recommend these enough!

When I first discovered Doña María’s Ready-to-Serve molé sauce I was really, really skeptical. Molé, a spicy chocolate sauce, is one of those things that I’ve tasted done really, really well and really poorly. And, quite frankly, my expectations were so low that I actually reserved some of the sauce and only made half my enchiladas just in case they turned out bad. But when all was said and done, this was absolutely incredible.

I added a chipotle pepper with adobo to the sauce, which added a really necessary spice and complexity to the sauce that really brought it together. But even as I was spooning it over my enchiladas, stuffed with chicken sautéed with chipotle and lime, sweet onions and red pepper and chihuahua cheese, I still wasn’t entirely convinced this would work.

After baking this at 350º for 15 minutes it was bubbly and smelled incredible. And, when all was said and done, it was just delicious!

I served it up with some Mexican rice (leftover rice cooked up with leftover salsa and a little butter) topped with fresh avocado, and a fresh vine-ripe tomato. It was easily one of the best meals I’ve made in a long time, and you can bet I used the leftovers and the rest of the sauce for an impressive lunch tomorrow. Next time, I’m going to stuff these with nothing but vegetables and cheese for an awesome vegetarian meal.

When it comes to Doña María Ready-to-Serve Mole, I’m a believer.

Lee Kum Kee’s prepared sauces are about the same price (often less expensive, depending where you go) as the super-salty-low-on-flavor LaChoy selections, but here’s the difference: great big in-your-face flavor. The Spicy Garlic Eggplant sauce is one of my absolute favorites for restaurant-quality food at home AND, unlike many LaChoy products, is MSG-free.

Plus, it’s so easy to make! I like to peel my eggplant first (not a fan of the skin), but leaving the skin on adds a cool purple color to the dish. I also add onions, whatever pepper I have in the house, and this time the rest of some broccoli rabe that I bought for stir-frying a couple weeks ago.

I’ve made this with pork and, as I did last night, with chicken and tofu, and it never disappoints. Stick with the American brands if you’re cooking for kids or those without a sophisticated palette, I suppose. But if you’re cooking Chinese, buy the brands the Chinese use.

A recent trip to Mitsuwa, our awesome Asian market, proved too tempting. The fish had just been sliced, placed in the cooler while I stood there. I pressed on the fish like Ming taught me to do to see how fresh it was… solid as a rock. It was beautiful, and it cost about the same as the rolls of sushi I had in my cart. I decided to take the leap, and I’m so glad I did. I paired this with some of my famous TiaraMaki rolls, and this is how I made the tuna:

I only had a 1/4lb slab of fish — plenty for the two of us, especially when paired with some salmon for the sushi. I cut it into two sections, in case I screwed one up.

For the marinade I used 1.5 tbsp of Tamari soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground ginger (The Ginger People make my favorite) and a splash of lime juice. I marinated the fish in a zipper baggie for about 45 minutes before cooking.

In my sauté pan on medium I heated up about a tablespoon of dark sesame oil. When it was hot, I put the fish face down, keeping my tongs handy while I watched the searing progress. I found recipes online that called for up to a minute per side, but I quickly found that letting it cook for that long would quickly cook the fish all the way through. So I just watched, and for about 20-40 seconds on each side I seared the tuna. When it was done I placed it on a layer of paper towel and quickly put the plate in the freezer to keep the fish from cooking longer.

That was it.

Seriously.

My husband declared it amazing and quickly ate it up. I’m actually not a huge fan of this dish, but even I could admit that the freshness of the fish paired with the bite of the ginger made this phenomenal. And it was so easy! I know it won’t be long before he asks me to make this again.

I served this on a bed of chinese broccoli greens that were stir-fried with carrots, mushrooms and onions in just a little soy sauce. Very plain, but beautifully simple.

The Bayou Bourbon Glaze was appealing immediately, even though I didn’t have a plan for using it. This recipe came together because of a handful of ingredients that needed to get used. A bunch of carrots and half a green pepper needed some love, so I peered into my pantry to look for some options.

This recipe came out sweet, delicious, and really unique! I know it’s not what the sauce was intended for, but that’s what makes it fun! Here’s what I did…

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Bottle of Tastefully Simple Bayou Bourbon Glaze (you’ll use about half)
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1/2 green pepper
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1/2 can of pineapple chunks
• 1/2 lb of gemelli or other pasta, cooked

Sauté the chicken and onion with a little bit of olive oil until browned. Add the green pepper, the carrots and the bourbon glaze. Cook on medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through and the ca. If the sauce seems very thick, add a bit of pineapple juice. When everything’s cooked through, add the pineapple and heat it through.

Toss the chicken, vegetables and sauce with pasta!

Part of fine cooking on a budget means minimizing waste and utilizing leftovers, and one of my favorite ways to do that is by making my own breadcrumbs. For the first time, though, I tried something different.

A recent dinner party left us with a couple baguettes, which we used to make homemade garlic bread, full of butter and real garlic. Then we did something dumb; we left the garlic bread out overnight. It was fine, but too hard to eat. Instead of tossing it, I decided to try something new: garlic breadcrumbs!

They’ve been in my fridge for awhile waiting for a purpose, but I found it when I made some delicious breaded tilapia. I mixed the garlic breadcrumbs with The Spice House’s Chesapeake Bay seasoning (The Spice House’s version of classic Old Bay).

I took the tilapia fillets and pressed them into the garlic breadcrumbs and panfried the fish in a little bit of olive oil. The flavor was light and crispy, and absolutely wonderful. I served it with butter-and-garlic orzo and broccolini (sometimes called baby broccoli).

Another great discovery made entirely by accident! Be creative in the kitchen and good things will happen!