Lemongrass Tofu Noodle Soup

Ingredients


For tofu:

• 12 oz. tofu, cut in 1/2" cubes
• 1 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. lemongrass powder
• 1 tsp. five-spice powder
• 2 tsp. sesame oil

For soup:

• 8 oz. dried Thai rice noodes, linguini-width
• 2 stalks lemongrass OR 2 tbsp. lemongrass powder
• 6 c. veggie stock
• 1 thumb-size piece ginger, thinly sliced
• 1 stalk green garlic, bulb minced and stalk sliced
• 1 spring onion, bulb minced and stalk sliced
• 1 head broccoli, chopped into florets including stems
• 1 1/2 c. cabbage of some sort, chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 3 tbsp. fish sauce 

Procedure

1. Combine soy sauce, 1 tsp. sesame oil, 1 tsp. lemongrass powder and five-spice powder in spouted cup; pour over tofu in mixing bowl and mix with plastic spoon, covering tofu completely. Chill in fridge for at least half an hour.
2. Dunk noodles in a pot of boiling water, cover the pot and turn off the heat; allow the noodles to soften in the hot water for 10 min.; drain and set aside.
3. Put 1 tsp. sesame oil in wide skillet and heat to medium-low; sauteé tofu until slightly browned on all sides and firm, and set aside.
4. Put 1 tsp. sesame oil in a medium-large soup pot and heat to medium-low; 
5. Add ginger, garlic and spring onion bulbs, carrots and lemongrass (include left-over stalk pieces if using fresh), and sauteé until fragrant.
6. Add stock,  bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer 5 min.
7. Add broccoli and cabbage; stir and allow to simmer 2 min.
8. Reduce heat to minimum and add the tofu, garlic and spring onion stalk, and fish sauce; cook for several minutes.
9. Ladle noodles into bowls and serve soup on top.
10. Enjoy!

Verdict

Fantastic - fresh and very flavorful.

Marinated Black-Eyed Peas

Tasty-looking local black-eyed peas at the Weave and a lovely-looking recipe from my Southern Living 1982 cookbook (modified a bit):

Ingredients

• 12-16 oz. black-eyed peas (fresh, rehydrated-and-boiled, canned)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
  
• 1/4 c. olive oil
• 1/8 c. vinegar (your choice – I mixed red wine, white wine and some balsamic)
• 1/4 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• several dashes hot sauce

Procedure

1. In large container with cover, add peas, then onion and garlic, mixing well
2. In separate measuring cup, combine and mix liquid ingredients and salt
3. Pour liquid over peas &c. and mix well
4. Cover and refrigerate three days
5. Enjoy!
   

Collard Greens and Spring Onions in Soy Sauce

The collards and spring onions at the farmer's market here are and have been absolutely beautiful for months now, and I usually pick up some of both each week. This leads to the good-problem-to-have situation of needing to innovate within the delicious-green genre. Potluck the other week was a tofu stir-fry with Sriracha and soy, so I decided to make something that would complement that well, and this was a big, big success.

Ingredients:

• One bunch collard greens
• 4 large spring onions (with big bulbs), or about twice/three times that many skinny spring onions
• medium-heat oil of choice
• a bit of sesame oil
• 1 tbs. chili garlic sauce
• sherry/marsala/similar sweet cooking wine
• rice vinegar
• soy sauce

Procedure:

1. Set large pot of water to boiling, and boil collards for five minutes
2. Remove collards from water and slice off stems; chop collard leaves and set aside
3. Return stems to water and cook down into delicious broth – use for other dishes, freeze for later, etc.
4. Separate spring onions into bulb section and stem section; slice stems cross-wise and set aside, mince bulbs finely
5. Heat oil, mixed, in large pan or wok over medium; add minced onion bulbs
6. When onions begin to soften, add soy sauce and mix thoroughly; cook for 1-2 minutes
7. Add chili garlic sauce and rice vinegar and mix thoroughly; cook for 1-2 minutes, mixture should be a bit sludgy at this point
8. Add cooking wine to taste, cover and cook down until about half of liquid is gone
9. Add collards, mix thoroughly, adding more cooking wine if necessary; cover again and cook for 3-5 minutes
10. Uncover and add sliced spring onion stems, mixing and cooking for only about a minute
11. Serve and enjoy!

Verdict:

Universally a hit. Just super-tasty, a bit of heat but not too much (this can obviously be modulated in either direction to taste), and a good compliment to a wide range of dishes. Very healthy and vegan to boot!

Thanksgiving: The Cookening

Like with any successful feast-y meal, any successful very large blog post requires serious prep work. And so it's 9:30 Thanksgiving morning and here I begin the chronicling of this year's meal, the first one that I've really cooked for. Posting draft early and will update throughout the day.

Menu

Booze:

• Mead: LG is bringing this, and it's like liquid joy when mulled. Mead!
  
• Wine:
  

1. René Barbier Catalunya Mediterranean Red: dry, a little spicy with some nice acidity, and without some of the rawness that I find Spanish reds have sometimes. Another excellent deal from Mariakakis' at $5.99.
2. La Terre California Merlot: another Mariakakis' special - $4.39 a bottle for all of the La Terre varietals! - AC says, "It's good, I like it." LG says - "It doesn't really have an aftertaste - it swallows well."
   

• Horseradish schnapps: my first foray into liquor-infusion gets its debut tonight. I took a nip last night just to test it and it's quite pungent and refreshing. Directions below, and more recipes for infusing here. Plus, when chilled it makes an amazing digestif - dangerous, actually. Goes down reeeeaaaallllly smooth.
  

Horseradish Schnapps

1. Wash, peel and slice a small piece of horseradish root.
2. Put the slices in a clean glass jar with tight-fitting lid.
3. Cover the root slices with clear, unflavoured vodka - 40% alcohol content (80 proof).
4. Let steep for 1-2 days in a dark place at room temperature,
   18-20°C (64-68°F).
5. Shake lightly and taste from time to time. Must not get bitter.
6. Strain and filter your infusion into a clean glass bottle or jar with tight-fitting lid.

Meat:

• Rack of pork: I went to the Carrboro Farmer's Market special Tuesday edition determined to get myself a pork shoulder for long, slow roasting - the good folks at Cane Creek thought they had one but after 15 minutes of searching couldn't find it. However they did recommend a half-rack of pork which looked, well, delicous [that's it below, marinating], so I was sold.
  

Bacon-crusted rack of pork

Rack of pork, marinating in bacon, mustard and caraway seeds

Ingredients

• 4 ounces sliced bacon, chopped
• 3 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons caraway seeds
• 1/2 small jar bacon drippings
  
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• One half-rack pork
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a food processor, combine the bacon, mustard seeds, caraway seeds and bacon drippings
   
2. Set the pork rack on a large rimmed baking sheet. Spread the bacon paste over all but especiallythe meaty side of the rack and refrigerate overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°.
   
4. Bring the roast to room temperature and season all over with salt and pepper.
   
5. Set the pork in a roasting pan, fat side up. Roast in the upper third of the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes
   
6. Transfer the roast to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes. Carve the roasts and serve.

Rack of pork, just after roasting

Rack of pork, just after roasting

Veggies:

• Salad with walnuts and cranberries: AC's specialty
  
• Roasted potatoes, sweet and otherwise, and onions: pretty standard; gonna quarter them, salt, pepper, roast
• Collard greens: with garlic and some red pepper flakes in... butter.
  
• Brussels sprouts with walnuts: a very solid favorite - one of the two preparations I often use

Brussels Sprouts with Walnuts

Ingredients

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, base and outer leaves trimmed, and halved
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 1 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

Directions

1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and add the Brussels sprouts.
2. Cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes; drain.
3. In a large saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat.
4. Add the shallots and garlic, and cook for 1 minute.
5. Add the sprouts in 1 layer and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
6. Remove from the pan.
7. Add the remaining 1 tablespoons of butter and when melted, add the walnuts and cook, stirring, until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
8. Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and sprouts, and stir well to coat and warm through.
9. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Starch:

• Mac'n'cheese: TG is making - AC got really excited the other week when a bunch of friends mentioned that they ate mac'n'cheese for Thanksgiving and decided we must
  
• Spanikopita: LG is bringing - apparently a psuedo-tradition for her, and no complaints here
• Biscuits: AC brings the dough

Dessert:

• Pumpkin pie: verrrry excited for this, which TG is making
• Chocolate and clementines! LG brought these as a bonus - superb!

Result:
WIN.
More later, but - a great dinner.

Lentil Soup

Sick, and without canned soup, I looked through the cupboard and found enough for a lentil soup recipe, modified slightly for lack of other vegetables:

INGREDIENTS

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 cups dry lentils
• 8 cups water
• 1/2 cup spinach, rinsed and thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons vinegar
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

• In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat.
• Add onions; cook and stir until tender.
• Stir in garlic, bay leaf, oregano, and basil; cook for 2 minutes.
• Stir in lentils, and add water and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for at least 1 hour.
• When ready to serve stir in spinach, and cook until it wilts. Stir in vinegar, and season to taste with salt and pepper, and more vinegar if desired.

VERDICT

• Success!
  

Brussels Sprouts and Macadamia Nuts

Ingredients:

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, base and outer leaves trimmed, and halved
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts
  
• 1 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano
  

Procedure:

• Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil and add the Brussels sprouts. Cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain.
• In a large saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat.
• Add the onion and garlic, and cook for 1 minute.
• Add the sprouts in 1 layer and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan.
• Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and when melted, add the macadamia nuts and cook, stirring, until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
• Add the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and sprouts, and stir well to coat and warm through.
• Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the Pecorino Romano. Serve immediately.

Potatoes, Spinach, Peas

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. potatoes
• bag o'spinach
• can o'peas
• lotsa garlic
• ginger
• cumin
• butter
• milk
• yogurt

Directions:

• Heat water to boiling in pot; boil potatoes for ~10 min., and set aside
  
• Chop garlic and ginger
• Heat skillet to medium-high with butter; add garlic and ginger and sauté for a minute or two
• Add spinach, turning and covering in butter, ginger, garlic; cook until spinach is sauteéd down, and set aside
• Chop boiled potatoes into 1/2" sections
• Add more butter to same pan, then potatoes
• Cook potatoes for several minutes over medium-high heat, adding cumin and some milk
• Add peas, adding milk, yogurt, cumin to desired consistency
• When potatoes are softening, add spinach back, lower heat to medium-low and again add milk and yogurt to desired consistency.
• Enjoy!

Verdict: While loosely based on a fairly traditional Indian potatoes'n'peas dish, this was a total ad-lib of a recipe, taking only a small amount of inspiration (essentially, boiling the potatoes and the prep of garlic and ginger) from my other favorite potato dish. As it happens, it worked out really, really well, so I think this is both a keeper and a distinct recipe from the other potato dish, which is much spicier.

Sweet Potato Psuedo-Curry

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. sweet potato, chop into 1/2" cubes
• 1 large onion, sliced lengthwise thinly
• 3-4 medium tomatoes / large can of tomatoes (diced, crushed or whole), diced
• garam masala
• cumin
• salt
• butter
• milk
• yogurt

Directions:

• Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees F
• Place sweet potatoes in baking pan; cover in garam masala and cumin
• When oven is ready, place pan in oven; bake until charred and slightly softened, and set aside
• Heat butter in large skillet; add onions and cumin to taste, cook until softening
• Add tomatoes and milk; cook down to sauce, adding cumin and garam masala to taste
  
• Add sweet potatoes and yogurt to thicken sauce; cook until sweet potatoes are softened further, adding yogurt and milk to desired creaminess of sauce, and salt to taste
• Serve with rice

Verdict: The first of my invented psuedo-curries (dating to my "making it all up as I went along" days in New Cross Gate), this is a long-time stand-by. I always receive comments along the lines of, "I don't think I've ever had sweet potato curry before," which is almost always correct as it's not a common ingredient in Indian cooking, at least as expressed in American restaurants serving Indian food. No, just a post-national bastardization of two of my favorite foods - tomato-based curries and the sweet, sweet, sweet potato.