Ma-Po Tofu

main courses, winter

Recipe: Ma Po Tofu (麻婆豆腐)

Ingredients:

  • 1 block silken tofu (19 oz box)
  • 1/4 lb ground pork
  • 3 tablespoons Sichuan spicy bean paste (辣豆瓣酱)
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons cooking oil
  • 3 tablespoons chili oil
  • 1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns (roasted and ground to powder)
  • 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon fermented black beans (rinsed and pounded)
  • 2 stalks of leeks or scallions (chopped into 1 or 2-inch length)
  • 2 gloves garlic (chopped)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • Salt to taste

Method:

Cut the tofu into small pieces, drain the water from the tofu and set aside. Heat up a wok and pour in the cooking oil and chili oil. Add the chopped garlic, ground pork, spicy bean paste and stir-fry until the pork is half-done. Then add in chili powder, soy sauce, fermented black beans and stir-fry until aromatic. Add in the tofu and water; stir gently to blend the tofu (don’t break them) well with the sauce. Lower the heat and simmer for about 3-5 mins or until the sauce thickens. Add in the roasted Sichuan peppercorn powder and chopped scallions. Gently stir and blend well. Dish out and serve hot.

Cook’s notes:

  1. To tone down the numbing spiciness of this dish, use less roasted sichuan peppercorn powder, chili powder, and chili oil. Adjust them to fit your palate.

From: http://www.rasamalaysia.com/2007/09/recipe-ma-po-tofu.html

Poohanpiglet Pancakes

breakfast, tastes scrumptious

(Yield: about 16 small pancakes, using 2 T of batter)

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 t baking soda
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1 T sugar
  • 1 cup sour cream or milk or
    • 1/2 cup sour cream and
    • 1/2 cup sweet milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 T shortening, margarine, or butter
  • 1/2 cup fresh or canned wild blueberries, drained (optional)

Rub your pancake griddle or frying pan with the cut half of a turnip, or grease it with a little shortening or margarine. If you use butter, use half butter and half shortening or margarine.

Sift together in to a bowl the four, baking soda, slat, and sugar.

Melt the shortening and set aside to cool.

Stir in the sour cream or mile, or the mixture of sour cream and milk, beaten with the eggs.

Add the shortening.

Beat the mixture until smooth, by hand or in an electric mixer.

If you like small thin pancakes, add a very little more milk or water.

Pour 1 T of the batter onto the hot griddle as a test pancake to see if the driddle is the right heat. Bubbles wshould appear in less than a minute. When the pancake bubbles all over, flip it and brown the u nderside. Peek under it by lifing one edge of the pancake with a spatula to see if it is brown. Adjust the heat under the griddle, so that the panacakes come out golden.

Serve with any of the honey sauces, honey butter, plain honey, or syrup.

Try the pancakes with different kinds of honey.

From the Pooh Cookbook by Virginia H. Ellison, 1969

Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette

sauces, tastes scrumptious

A light, lemony vinaigrette that is perfect or spring greens.

  • 2 T lemon juice
  • 1/2 t grated lemon peel
  • 2 T extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 t white wine vinegar
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon mint, chopped
  • 1 T fresh parsley, finely chopped

Combine all the ingredients and serve immediately. Makes a lively spring salad with mixed bitter greens.

Serving Idea

To liven things ups, tey adding 1/3 cupe chilled cooked peas, 8-10 marnated artichoke hearts, and 2-3 red, spicy radishes, sliced.

– from Vegetarian Goddess by Kari Allrich, 2000 p.39

Fettuccine with Asparagus and Lemon

side dishes, tastes scrumptious

This lovely spring pasta features tender young asparagus spears (thought to be an aphrodisiac!) and a light lemony sauce on a bed of fettuccine.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound Italian fettuccine
  • 3 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 cups tender asparagus spears, tough ends removed
  • 2 T capers, rinsed
  • 2 T lemon juice
  • 2 T dry white wine
  • 1 t grated lemon peel
  • 1/2 cup soy or dairy cream
  • 1/4 cup grated Asiago or Pecorino cheese
  • White pepper, freshly ground
  • 2 T chopped fresh parsley

Continue reading Fettuccine with Asparagus and Lemon →

Gingerbread Cookies with Juniper Berry Glaze

dessert, tastes scrumptious

yield: Makes about 64 cookies

Juniper berries add a wintery, almost piney flavor. They’re available in the spice section of many supermarkets and online from deandeluca.com

Ingredients

Cookies

  • 2 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses

Glaze and decoration

  • 3/4 cup half and half
  • 1/3 cup (1 ounce) juniper berries, lightly crushed
  • 1 pound powdered sugar
  • Assorted decorations (colored sugars, nonpareils, and dragées)

Preparation
For cookies:
Whisk first 6 ingredients in medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in molasses. Beat in dry ingredients. Gather dough; divide into 4 pieces. Shape into disks. Wrap; chill at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Roll out 1 dough disk to 1/8-inch thickness. Using 3 1/2-inch cutter, cut out cookies. Transfer to sheet. Gather scraps; chill.

Bake cookies until almost firm in center, 12 minutes. Cool on sheets 2 minutes, then cool on racks. Repeat, using all dough. Store airtight at room temperature up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.

For glaze and decoration:
Bring first 2 ingredients to simmer. Cover; chill 5 hours. Strain. Place powdered sugar in bowl. Whisk in half and half by spoonfuls until glaze is spreadable. Frost cookies; decorate. Let stand until glaze sets. Store between sheets of waxed paper in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

Chicken and Mixed Vegetable Stew

soup, vegetables, winter

yield: a whole lotta hungry inauguration-watching fools for two days.

Inspired by a recipe from epicurious and highly adapted by Chris.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetables oil
  • 3 pds boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • oil for sauteing
  • 1 pd parsnips, peeled and chopped
  • 4 large carrots, peeled and chopped
  • 2 big onions, peeled & chopped
  • 2 pounds russet potatoes
  • 3 cups canned chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoons dried
  • 1 bay leaf
  • parsley, salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Heat vegetable oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium heat. Saute chicken in oil, salt and pepper.  Cover with water and bring to boil.  Skim scum.  Add veggies and enough chicken broth to cover. Cook covered, simmering for a couple hours with bay leaf and seasonings.

Caldillo – Chile Verde Con Carne

main courses, soup, winter

yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 5 medium potatoes, peeled and diced 1/2-inch pieces
  • 3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 3 stalks celery cut into 1/4-inch pieces
  • 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons meat seasoning (1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon ground celery seed, 1/2 teaspoon salt)
  • 1/2 cup prepared basic green chile
  • 1 pound beef stew meat or 1 pound pork butt
  • Water to cover
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Add stew meat to a large casserole and cover with water. Bring to a boil and remove any film or residue from the surface. Turn down to a simmer and cook for ten minutes.

Add onion, tomato, celery, meat seasoning, and basic green chile and continue cooking over low heat, just above a simmer. When meat begins to become fork tender (about 1 hour) add carrots and continue cooking for 15 minutes.

Just before serving, add potatoes, adjust seasoning, and serve when potatoes are cooked through.

Green Chile

sauces

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds roasted and peeled green chilies (anaheim, poblano, etc.)
  • salt to taste
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 quart water or enough to barely cover chopped peppers

Preparation

Roast peppers in a 450°F oven for 20-25 minutes until the skin blisters. Immediately place all of the peppers in a bowl (or plastic bag) and cover for about 20-30 minutes. Remove the skins and seeds from the peppers and discard. Chop the flesh of the peppers into bite size pieces and place in a pot with garlic and enough water to just barely cover the peppers. Bring to a boil and season with salt. Turn down to a simmer and allow to cook for several hours. The peppers should break down so that you are left with a chunky puree that is not too watery. You may puree the peppers for a smoother consistency if you like. Allow to cool. This will freeze well for several months.

Winter Squash and Chicken Stew with Indian Spices

main courses, soup, vegetables

yield: Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 6 chicken thighs, skin removed
  • 1 1/3 cups chopped onion
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled butternut or acorn squash
  • 2 cups 1-inch pieces peeled russet potatoes
  • 1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
  • 1 14 1/2- to 16-ounce can diced tomatoes with liquid
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add to Dutch oven; sauté until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer to plate.

Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in same pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add curry powder, cumin, and cinnamon; stir 1 minute. Return chicken to pot. Add squash, potatoes, broth and tomatoes. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Uncover and simmer until chicken and potatoes are cooked through and liquid is slightly reduced, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Gazpacho

soup, summer, vegetables

From Victor Vargas-Vincent at GDS

Serves 5 people

Ingredients

  • 1 large tomato
  • 1 cucumber
  • 1/4 red onion
  • 1/2 green pepper
  • 1/4 red pepper
  • 1 clove of fresh garlic
  • vinegar
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • salt
  • cumin
  • oregano
  • 1 cup of water
  • ice

Preparation

Chop the vegetables and put them in a blender. Add the remaining ingredients, except the water and ice and blend together for a few seconds. Add the water and ice and blend for a few seconds. Serve.