Category Archives: recipes

Spicy Vegan Dragon Noodle Salad Recipe, Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Posted on by

dragonnoodlesalad
Servings:4

8 ounces pad thai rice noodles
1 cup cucumbers, thinly sliced
1 cup radishes, thinly sliced
8 cups crisp salad greens
For the Peanut Dragon Dressing
1/2 cup smooth natural peanut butter
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 tablespoon Sriracha
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, or as needed
To garnish
fresh cilantro
4 tablespoons toasted or black sesame seeds

For the Peanut Dragon Dressing:  Place all of the ingredients in a small blender or food processor and blend until very smooth.

Keep tightly sealed and refrigerated until ready to use. It will keep for up to 5 days
For the noodle salad:

Prepare the noodles according to package directions. It’s very important not to overcook them! Often the package says to boil water, then turn it off and let the noodles steep for about 8 minutes. Set a timer to be safe.

Once soft, immediately drain and run cold water over them until cool.
In a very large mixing bowl, toss noodles, radishes and cucumber with most of the dressing, setting aside a little bit for drizzling.

Place a bed of greens on each plate and top with noodles. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, top with a little cilantro, and serve.

Pumpkin Strudel, Carla Hall

Posted on by

290x290
1 15-ounce can of Pumpkin Puree
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground Ginger
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon Allspice
1/4 teaspoon Cloves
1 teaspoon Salt
12 sheets Frozen Phyllo (thawed)
Melted Butter (for brushing)
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons Cinnamon
1 cup toasted Pecans (chopped)
1 8-ounce package Cream Cheese (divided into 12 pieces)
Whipped Cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. In a small bowl, combine pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cloves and 1/2 teaspoon salt. In another small bowl combine the granulated sugar and the cinnamon.

Brush one sheet of phyllo with melted butter and lay another sheet of dough on top. Brush generously with melted butter. (Keep remaining phyllo dough covered with a damp dish towel to prevent it from drying out). Sprinkle a generous 2 tablespoons of cinnamon-sugar mixture over the brushed phyllo. Sprinkle with about 2 tablespoons of pecans.

Cut the phyllo lengthwise to create two long strips. Place a slice of cream cheese about 2 inches from the end of each dough strip. Spoon 1 to 2 well rounded tablespoon of pumpkin mixture on top of the cream cheese (do not overfill or the phyllo will burst when rolled).

To shape, fold the edge closest to the cheese/pumpkin mixture up and over the filling. Fold in sides and roll up to encase filling. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet, seam side down. Brush with some of the melted butter and top more sugar and nuts. Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving with whipped cream. Note: You can use 2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice in place of the other spices.

Helpful Tips:
1. Only use a little bit of the clove because the flavor is very strong and can easily overpower the dish.
2. Take care not to roll the strudel too tightly or it will rip while baking.
3. Prepare the strudel ahead of time and freeze until you’re ready to bake.

Mario Batali’s Vietnamese Shrimp Cups

Posted on by

290x290
For the Shrimp:
2 pounds large Shrimp (peeled; deveined; tails off)
2 Limes (zest and juice)
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
Kosher Salt

For the Shrimp Dressing:
1-inch piece Ginger (peeled; grated)
2 tablespoons Sambal
1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
2 tablespoons Sweet Soy Sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Fish Sauce
2 Limes (juiced)
1/4 cup Thai Basil leaves (loosely packed; chopped)
1/4 cup Cilantro leaves(loosely packed; chopped)

For the Noodles:
1 package Vermicelli Noodles (cooked to package instructions)
2 Carrots (shredded or julienned) 5 Scallions (thinly sliced)
1 tablespoon Honey
1 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

For the Peanut Relish:
1/4 cup roasted salted Peanuts
2 Serrano Peppers (sliced)
1/4 cup Mint leaves (loosely packed)
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

For the Shrimp: Preheat a grill or grillpan over medium-high heat. In a large bowl, whisk together the lime zest, lime juice, vegetable oil, sesame oil, and a generous pinch of salt. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Grill the shrimp for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side, or until opaque.

For the Shrimp Dressing: In a large bowl, combine the ginger, sambal, sesame oil, sweet soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, thai basil, cilantro, and whisk together. Toss the cooked shrimp in the dressing.

For the Noodles: Whisk together the honey, soy sauce, and extra virgin olive oil. Toss the carrots, scallions, and noodles in the dressing. Season with salt.

For the Peanut Relish: Combine the peanuts, serrano peppers, mint, and salt in a mortar and pestle and crush into a coarse relish. Or combine in a food processor and pulse.

For Serving: Serve the dressed shrimp and dressed noodles with a platter of the butter lettuce leaves, mint, basil, and cilantro. Assemble as desired and garnish to taste.

Helpful Tips:
1. Be careful with the fermented fish sauce, too much ruins a dish!
2. Customize your lettuce cup with the garnishes of your choice.

Pasta with shitake with mushroom sauce sage sauce

Posted on by

IMG_2090

IMG_2088
pasta used green pasta from international store in winchester, cooks in 3 min.
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup chopped shallots
12 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps thickly sliced
2 oz dry white wine
3/4 cup whipping cream or 2% milk
chopped fresh sage
pecorino or parmesan grated
save a bit of pasta water for the sauce

Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water according to package directions; drain.
Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Add shallots; sauté 2 minute. Add mushrooms; sauté until brown, about 7 minutes. Add wine and cream. Boil until sauce thickens and coats spoon, about 5 minutes. Stir in sage. Season with salt and pepper. Add pasta; toss until heated through and serve.

Pati Jinich’s Tortilla Soup

Posted on by

290x290
For the Tortilla Soup:
3 Guajillo Chiles (stemmed; seeded and toasted)
1 pound ripe Tomatoes
1 Garlic clove
1/2 cup Onion (roughly chopped)
1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
6 cups Chicken Broth use veggie broth
1 sprig fresh Parsley
1/2 cup Mexican Crema (creme fraiche or sour cream)
8 ounces Queso Fresco (diced)
1 ripe Avocado (diced)

For the Tortilla Crisps:
Vegetable Oil (for frying) try baking
6 5-6 inch Corn Tortillas (cut into wedges)
1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt
Guajillo chiles (stemmed; seeded and broken into pieces)

For the Tortilla Soup: In a medium sauce pan, place the toasted Guajillo chiles, tomatoes, and garlic. Add enough water just to cover ingredients. Place over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 12 to 15 minutes, until tomatoes are fully cooked and mushy and the Guajillos have re-hydrated and plumped up.

Place the Guajillos, tomatoes, garlic and onion in a blender along with 1 cup of the simmering liquid and salt. Puree until completely smooth.

In a large soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Once hot but not smoking, pour in the tomato puree. It will sizzle and make noise and smoke. Let the puree cook and thicken, changing from a bright red to a darker red and thicker consistency, for about 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken broth and the parsley sprig and return to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer and season, cooking another 10 minutes. Remove parsley sprig before serving.

Serve into soup bowls, adding a handful of tortilla crisps, a few chile crisps, and crema, cheese and avocado to taste. Alternatively you can place all the garnishes on the soup plates, and pour the hot soup into the bowls at the table. You may add other more hefty garnishes, such as cooked shredded chicken on top.

For the Tortilla Crisps: To fry: in a deep 12-inch skillet, heat 1⁄2 inch of oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking—a tortilla piece dipped in the oil should bubble around the edges. Add the tortilla pieces in small batches and fry, turning once, until they are a rich golden brown and nicely crisped. For crisps and chips, cook for 20 to 30 seconds per side; cook tostadas one at a time for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle immediately with salt so it will stick to the surface.

To prepare Chile Crisps, flash fry the chile pieces in the vegetable oil for 2 seconds, then quickly remove to a paper-towel lined plate.

To bake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Place the tortilla pieces (or whole tortillas) on the baking sheet. Gently brush the tops with oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring and flipping them occasionally, until golden brown and crispy. Let cool.

Helpful Tips:
1. Guajillo chilis aren’t as spicy as other peppers, so it’s a crowd pleasing base. You could also use ancho or Serrano chilis. It’s important to rehydrate the ancho chili so it creates a paste.

2. To cut fat out of your diet, you can bake the tortillas into chips instead of frying them.

3. Save tortillas crisps in a plastic bag and use them at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. For breakfast: If you scramble eggs with cooked onions, jalapeno and tomato, just when the eggs are starting to fluff and firm up, you add the tortilla crisps and makes them like “migas” (a traditional Spanish dish with eggs using leftover bread). For lunch: use them as a garnish for a salad. For dinner: top any soup, stew, chili with crumbled tortilla. You can also add them to any cooked beans for a delicious side!

4. How to store soft tortillas: If homemade, store wrapped in a cloth and inside of a sealed plastic bag. If store bought, keep in the refrigerator

Batman’s Best Caesar Dressing – allrecipes.com

Posted on by

1 1/2 cups olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons anchovy paste
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a food processor or blender, combine the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, anchovy paste, mustard, garlic, sour cream and Parmesan cheese. Process until smooth. Pour into a glass container, seal, and refrigerate until ready to use.

dmv notes: very tasty, I cut the recipe in half using 2/3 c. olive oil and less parm.

Basil Green Goddess Dressing — Ina

Posted on by

ig0810_greengoddess_lg

1 cup good mayonnaise
1 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (6 to 7 scallions)
1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (2 cloves)
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sour cream

Place the mayonnaise, scallions, basil, lemon juice, garlic, anchovy paste, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the sour cream and process just until blended. (If not using immediately, refrigerate the dressing until ready to serve.)

Grilled Portobellos mushrooms with tomato and fresh mozzarella salad Giada

Posted on by

3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for greasing grill pan
4 large portobello mushrooms (about 5 inches in diameter), stemmed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 small to medium sized vine ripened tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 ounces fresh water-packed mozzarella, drained, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Prepare the grill (medium-high heat).

Drizzle 3 tablespoons of olive oil over both sides of the mushrooms. Sprinkle the mushrooms with salt and pepper. Drizzle olive oil on grill pan to prevent mushrooms from sticking. Grill until the mushrooms are heated through and tender, about 5 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, whisk the extra-virgin olive oil and garlic in a medium bowl to blend. Add the tomatoes, cheese, and basil and toss to coat. Season the tomato salad, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Place 1 hot grilled mushroom gill side up on each of 4 plates. Sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Spoon the tomato salad atop the mushrooms, drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil to finish, about 1 tablespoon and serve.

Black Bean, Quinoa and Spinach Stew — The Washington Post

Posted on by

For those who want to love quinoa more than they do, incorporating quinoa into a soup or stew is one way to avoid its stick-in-your-teeth seediness. Here, it bulks up a simple black bean soup, providing the starch (and extra protein) to make a hearty meal.

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion or large shallot, chopped
1 medium clove garlic, chopped (1 teaspoon)
1 carrot, chopped
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (pimenton, sweet or hot)
3 small tomato, hulled and chopped
1/2cup dried quinoa, rinsed and drained
3 cups homemade or no-salt-added vegetable broth (1 tsp veggie conc.)
1 can  black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cup lightly packed baby spinach leaves, chopped

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion or shallot, the garlic and carrot; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the paprika, tomato, quinoa, broth and black beans. Season with the salt and pepper.

Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low so the mixture is barely bubbling around the edges. Cover, and cook until the quinoa has swelled and is tender, 20 minutes. Stir in the spinach leaves and cook just until they are wilted, a few minutes.

Transfer to a bowl and eat.

Pizza Dough — Bon Appetit

Posted on by

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3/4 cup warm water (105°F to 115°F)
1 envelope active dry yeast
2 cups (or more) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Pour 3/4 cup warm water into small bowl; stir in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes.
Brush large bowl lightly with olive oil. Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, and salt in processor. Add yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil; process until dough forms a sticky ball. Transfer to lightly floured surface. KNEAD dough until smooth, adding more flour by tablespoonfuls if dough is very sticky, about 1 minute. Transfer to prepared bowl; turn dough in bowl to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. PUNCH down dough. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. Roll out dough according to recipe instructions. (Start in center of dough, working outward toward edges but not rolling over them.)

This dough is easy to handle and will give you a crispy crust that’s also tender.