I’m going to be perfectly honest with you; this has been a killer winter for me! I swear that there was not a day in January that I didn’t shovel either at work or home and I have been very diligent in keeping to my New Years resolution of working out five days a week. Consequently I have been very lax in my blogging due to the fact that I am tired at the end of the day. But that doesn’t mean that I have not been cooking; actually I have become a huge fan of homemade soup!
In an earlier post I gave you my recipe for homemade tomato soup; which until this year I had never eaten. I know, I know how could I have made it thirty-some-odd years without eating tomato soup; well it can be blamed on my Aunt who forced me to eat tomatoes when she babysat the three year old me while my parents were in Hawaii. It has taken me a long time to get over that childhood scar, but I am glad to report that I will eat tomatoes anytime they are fed to me.
This time I want to talk about my favorite kitchen appliance, my fabulous immersion blender! Two years ago my sister gave me this miracle gadget for Christmas and I am constantly looking for an excuse to blend something. FYI do not use it to whip cream cheese because the stuff will end up all over your kitchen! This gadget eliminates transferring your soups into a standing blender and creating a rather big mess, just put the thing in the pot and vrrrrr away!
My second favorite soup to make this year has been a Butternut Squash Soup. Begin by sautéing four diced up thick cut strips of bacon in the bottom of your soup pot, once cooked remove and reserve the drippings to cook the rest of the soup in. Now get out your big knife and chop up one onion, pear, leak and potato; dump all of this in a large soup pot with salt and pepper. If you are feeling ambitious you can peal and chop up a butternut squash but I am perfectly content to use the frozen diced stuff that they sell in the grocery store. Add this to the pot and cook everything until soft, about ten to fifteen minutes. (I don’t usually defrost the squash so it takes a little longer.) Once everything is soft add about three cups of chicken broth and one cup of skim milk and bring the soup to a gentle boil. When I made this last week I brought the soup up to a boil too fast and it ended up breaking; this is not a huge problem because you will be blending it so know one will know. Now comes the fun part, put your immersion blender in the pot and blend away until everything has been pulverized. Once smooth add about one cup of shredded cheddar cheese and stir until melted, add the bacon bits that you made into the soup and enjoy.
You can easily make this a vegetarian soup by omitting the bacon and using vegetable stock, but personally I enjoy the bacon in it. Of course I enjoy bacon in everything, but we will talk about that in a later post. Oh yeah and if the Pope asks you, the bacon in this soup was used purely for season; I did not eat meat on Ash Wednesday.
Butternut Squash Soup
4 slices thick cut bacon, diced
1 med onion, diced
1 pear, diced, skin on
1 lg potato, pealed & diced
1 leak, white and light green parts only
1 ½ cups butternut squash, frozen & diced
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup skim milk
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Sauté the bacon until crisp; remove from pot reserving the drippings. Add all the vegetables, season with salt and pepper and sauté until soft. Add the liquids and bring up to a gentle boil slowly. Blend the soup either with an immersion blender or in a standing one until smooth. Add the cheese, stir till melted, add the bacon back in and serve.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
There's No Cat In Here
Mmm, Chinese food. This is the only take-out fast food that I will eat, but I don’t do it more than three or four times a year. Why you ask, well even though I love this cuisine I refuse to ingest all that fat and sodium on a regular basis. So in order to satisfy my cravings I make my own Chinese dishes at home; and honestly you can get pretty close in your own kitchen. Of course it will taste a bit different unless you are using MSG and cat meat and chances of that are pretty damn slim.
Of course what we Americans think of as Chinese food is so far from the authentic dishes that it’s not funny. Authentic Chinese cuisine emphasizes the use of vegetables as the main ingredient, this is because Buddhists do not eat meat and there are a ton of Buddhists in China. Over here we are served a plate full of deep fried, heavily sauced meat and about three ears of baby corn, oh so healthy! But have no fear American Chinese restaurants can not legally serve dog or cat meat due to animal rights laws, or so they protest. (China has no such laws).
So how did this change occur? Well back in the nineteenth century Chinese restaurants opened up in America to cater to the immigrant railroad workers, but soon white people discovered these restaurants and began to take a walk on the wild side and patronize the establishments. (There were no animal rights laws back then so it actually was risky chance to take). In order to keep the American customers coming back Chinese cooks adapted their traditional dishes to accommodate local tastes and ingredients. These cooks invented new Americanized dishes such as Chop Suey (leftovers), Beef and Broccoli (a vegetable not available in China), and General Tso’s Chicken (no such man in Chinese history). They also upped the cook time by frying meat to accommodate the faster paced American lifestyle. And by the way, fortune cookies were invented in San Francisco.
In true American tradition let’s start with the meat in our meal, Barbecued Pork. I use a broiling pan when I make this dish that I line with tinfoil to facilitate an easier cleanup. Originally this recipe called for a boneless pork butt, but I usually use country style ribs, because, well that’s what I have at the store. Begin by getting your aggressions out by stabbing four pounds of ribs with a fork on all sides then place them in a large resealable bag or plastic marinating container. Then combine half a cup each of sugar, soy sauce, a quarter cup dry sherry, quarter teaspoon of white pepper, one teaspoon Chinese Five Spice powder, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, two medium minced garlic cloves, about five tablespoons of grated ginger, and six tablespoons of Hoisin sauce. (This is Chinese barbecue sauce. It is a thick mixture of soybeans, sugar, vinegar, garlic and chilies). Save about half a cup of the mixture (for dipping the finished pork in) and pour the remaining marinade into the bag with the pork. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes but no longer than four hours. Pour about a quarter cup of water in the bottom of the broiling pan and place the pork on the top slotted part, cover tightly with more tinfoil and cook at 300° for twenty minutes. Then remove the foil and cook twenty more minutes. While the ribs are cooking combine a quarter cup ketchup and a third cup of honey in a pan and cook over medium heat until it reduces and becomes syrupy, about four to six minutes. After the second twenty minutes turn on the broiler and baste the ribs with the glaze broiling about two to three minutes each side, basting all sides as you go along. This may take a long time to cook, but it is worth it. The pork has a great sticky sweet taste. The only downside to this recipe is that the clean up is a toal bitch!
For those of you who want an easier main dish try Orange Beef, a modified Rachael Ray recipe (actually the rest of the recipes are modified versions of RR recipes). Begin by making a marinade out of the grated peel of one orange, juice of two oranges, two and a half tablespoons of sesame oil, and one tablespoon each of soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Slice one pound of rib eye steak into thin bite-size pieces and mix into the marinade; let this sit in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes. Actually I tend to put together this together in the morning to marinade and when I get home it is ready to go; I’m not very patient. Remove the meat from the marinade, reserving the liquid, and cook over high heat, do this in small batches if the pan looks crowded because if there is too much in the pan the meat will boil not sear. Once done remove and replace with the reserved marinade, bring to a boil and then let it reduce by half before adding one tablespoon of brown sugar to make a glaze. Stir the meat back into the glaze and serve with plain brown rice.
The next two recipes can be used as side dishes or complete meals, and you can choose which vegetables to use because you may not like the same ones as me. All you need to remember is to cut all meat and vegetables into small bite-size pieces to ensure quick cooking. (Also small pieces are easier to pick up with chopsticks if that is your desired utensil).
Let’s start with fried rice. Cook as much rice as you want or need in chicken stock not water, this will add more flavor. When done fluff it with a fork and spread onto a baking sheet to cool. If you decided to make this dish with meat cook it now over high heat, otherwise cook your chosen vegetables. While these cook scramble up two eggs and add to the finished vegetables. While still over high heat stir in the rice and let it cook for a few minutes so that it can crisp up a bit, and then stir in about a half cup of soy sauce.
Moving on to Lo Mein, this is a recipe that I make quite often and I switch up the vegetables and meat according to what I either have on hand or feel like eating that day. The actual recipe calls for spaghetti but if you want to use authentic Asian noodles go ahead. So, cook the pasta till al dente, drain and set aside. Once again if you want to add meat to the dish season it with salt, pepper and sear it over high heat before adding the vegetables. In a separate pan scramble two eggs, when all the individual ingredients are cooked mix them all together. Finally pour in a sauce made from three tablespoons each of Hoisin sauce and soy sauce and a teaspoon of hot sauce. Be aware you will dirty quite a few dishes making this meal; I tend to have this when I need to run my dishwasher.
So there you have it, homemade Chinese food that not only tastes good but also is fairly healthy. Well that is if you actually use vegetables as the main ingredient. One of the plusses for me in making my own take out is that I know exactly what is on my plate; I know that we have those laws pertaining to animal rights, but I have noticed that there are a lack of animals in the general vicinity of Chinese restaurants. Hmm makes you kind of wonder.
Chinese Barbeque Pork
4 Lbs. Boneless pork ribs
½ cup Sugar
½ cup Soy sauce
¼ cup Dry sherry
¼ tsp. White pepper
1 tsp. Chinese Five-Spice Powder
1 Tlbsp Sesame oil
2 cloves Garlic, minced
5 Tlbsp. Ginger, grated
6 Tlbsp. Hoisin sauce
¼ cup Ketchup
1/3 cup Honey
Tenderize the ribs with a fork and place in a resealable bag. Combine the next nine ingredients in a bowl, reserve about half a cup of this mixture and pour the remaining into the bag, marinate the pork for at least 30 minutes but no more than 4 hours. Pour about a ¼ cup of water in the bottom of a broiling pan, place the marinated pork on the slotted top, cover with tin foil and bake at 300° for 20 minutes. Remove foil and cook 20 more minutes. On the stovetop combine ketchup and honey and cook over medium heat until syrupy, 4-6 minutes. Remove ribs from the oven and turn on the broiler. Baste the ribs with the syrup and broil, repeat this for each side. Serve with the reserved sauce.
Orange Beef
2 Oranges, 1 zested & 2 juiced
2 ½ Tlbsp Sesame oil
1 Tlbsp Soy sauce
1 Tlbsp Rice wine vinegar
1 lb. Rib eye steak, sliced bite-sized
1 Tlbsp Brown sugar
Make a marinade from the first four ingredients and pour over the sliced steak, marinate for a few hours. Remove the meat from the marinade and reserve the liquid. Sauté the meat over high heat until browned, remove from pan and replace with the marinade. Bring it to a boil and add the brown sugar to make a glaze. Stir the meat into this glaze and serve over white rice.
Make-It-Your-Own Fried Rice
1 cup Brown rice
1 ½ cups Chicken stock
Assorted vegetables
2 Eggs
½ cup Soy sauce
Bring the chicken stock to a boil and add the rice, cook about 40 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Spread it out on a cookie sheet to cool. Sauté your chosen vegetables over high heat, in separate pan scramble the eggs. Combine everything and sauté a little to crisp up the rice. Add the soy sauce and serve.
Anything Lo Mein
1 Lb. Pasta, traditional or rice
Assorted vegetables
2 Eggs
3 Tlbsp Hoisin sauce
3 Tlbsp Soy sauce
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
Cook pasta according to box directions till al dente, drain and set aside. Sauté your chosen vegetables over high heat, in a separate pan scramble the eggs. Combine everything and mix in a sauce made from the remaining ingredients.
Of course what we Americans think of as Chinese food is so far from the authentic dishes that it’s not funny. Authentic Chinese cuisine emphasizes the use of vegetables as the main ingredient, this is because Buddhists do not eat meat and there are a ton of Buddhists in China. Over here we are served a plate full of deep fried, heavily sauced meat and about three ears of baby corn, oh so healthy! But have no fear American Chinese restaurants can not legally serve dog or cat meat due to animal rights laws, or so they protest. (China has no such laws).
So how did this change occur? Well back in the nineteenth century Chinese restaurants opened up in America to cater to the immigrant railroad workers, but soon white people discovered these restaurants and began to take a walk on the wild side and patronize the establishments. (There were no animal rights laws back then so it actually was risky chance to take). In order to keep the American customers coming back Chinese cooks adapted their traditional dishes to accommodate local tastes and ingredients. These cooks invented new Americanized dishes such as Chop Suey (leftovers), Beef and Broccoli (a vegetable not available in China), and General Tso’s Chicken (no such man in Chinese history). They also upped the cook time by frying meat to accommodate the faster paced American lifestyle. And by the way, fortune cookies were invented in San Francisco.
In true American tradition let’s start with the meat in our meal, Barbecued Pork. I use a broiling pan when I make this dish that I line with tinfoil to facilitate an easier cleanup. Originally this recipe called for a boneless pork butt, but I usually use country style ribs, because, well that’s what I have at the store. Begin by getting your aggressions out by stabbing four pounds of ribs with a fork on all sides then place them in a large resealable bag or plastic marinating container. Then combine half a cup each of sugar, soy sauce, a quarter cup dry sherry, quarter teaspoon of white pepper, one teaspoon Chinese Five Spice powder, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, two medium minced garlic cloves, about five tablespoons of grated ginger, and six tablespoons of Hoisin sauce. (This is Chinese barbecue sauce. It is a thick mixture of soybeans, sugar, vinegar, garlic and chilies). Save about half a cup of the mixture (for dipping the finished pork in) and pour the remaining marinade into the bag with the pork. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes but no longer than four hours. Pour about a quarter cup of water in the bottom of the broiling pan and place the pork on the top slotted part, cover tightly with more tinfoil and cook at 300° for twenty minutes. Then remove the foil and cook twenty more minutes. While the ribs are cooking combine a quarter cup ketchup and a third cup of honey in a pan and cook over medium heat until it reduces and becomes syrupy, about four to six minutes. After the second twenty minutes turn on the broiler and baste the ribs with the glaze broiling about two to three minutes each side, basting all sides as you go along. This may take a long time to cook, but it is worth it. The pork has a great sticky sweet taste. The only downside to this recipe is that the clean up is a toal bitch!
For those of you who want an easier main dish try Orange Beef, a modified Rachael Ray recipe (actually the rest of the recipes are modified versions of RR recipes). Begin by making a marinade out of the grated peel of one orange, juice of two oranges, two and a half tablespoons of sesame oil, and one tablespoon each of soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Slice one pound of rib eye steak into thin bite-size pieces and mix into the marinade; let this sit in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes. Actually I tend to put together this together in the morning to marinade and when I get home it is ready to go; I’m not very patient. Remove the meat from the marinade, reserving the liquid, and cook over high heat, do this in small batches if the pan looks crowded because if there is too much in the pan the meat will boil not sear. Once done remove and replace with the reserved marinade, bring to a boil and then let it reduce by half before adding one tablespoon of brown sugar to make a glaze. Stir the meat back into the glaze and serve with plain brown rice.
The next two recipes can be used as side dishes or complete meals, and you can choose which vegetables to use because you may not like the same ones as me. All you need to remember is to cut all meat and vegetables into small bite-size pieces to ensure quick cooking. (Also small pieces are easier to pick up with chopsticks if that is your desired utensil).
Let’s start with fried rice. Cook as much rice as you want or need in chicken stock not water, this will add more flavor. When done fluff it with a fork and spread onto a baking sheet to cool. If you decided to make this dish with meat cook it now over high heat, otherwise cook your chosen vegetables. While these cook scramble up two eggs and add to the finished vegetables. While still over high heat stir in the rice and let it cook for a few minutes so that it can crisp up a bit, and then stir in about a half cup of soy sauce.
Moving on to Lo Mein, this is a recipe that I make quite often and I switch up the vegetables and meat according to what I either have on hand or feel like eating that day. The actual recipe calls for spaghetti but if you want to use authentic Asian noodles go ahead. So, cook the pasta till al dente, drain and set aside. Once again if you want to add meat to the dish season it with salt, pepper and sear it over high heat before adding the vegetables. In a separate pan scramble two eggs, when all the individual ingredients are cooked mix them all together. Finally pour in a sauce made from three tablespoons each of Hoisin sauce and soy sauce and a teaspoon of hot sauce. Be aware you will dirty quite a few dishes making this meal; I tend to have this when I need to run my dishwasher.
So there you have it, homemade Chinese food that not only tastes good but also is fairly healthy. Well that is if you actually use vegetables as the main ingredient. One of the plusses for me in making my own take out is that I know exactly what is on my plate; I know that we have those laws pertaining to animal rights, but I have noticed that there are a lack of animals in the general vicinity of Chinese restaurants. Hmm makes you kind of wonder.
Chinese Barbeque Pork
4 Lbs. Boneless pork ribs
½ cup Sugar
½ cup Soy sauce
¼ cup Dry sherry
¼ tsp. White pepper
1 tsp. Chinese Five-Spice Powder
1 Tlbsp Sesame oil
2 cloves Garlic, minced
5 Tlbsp. Ginger, grated
6 Tlbsp. Hoisin sauce
¼ cup Ketchup
1/3 cup Honey
Tenderize the ribs with a fork and place in a resealable bag. Combine the next nine ingredients in a bowl, reserve about half a cup of this mixture and pour the remaining into the bag, marinate the pork for at least 30 minutes but no more than 4 hours. Pour about a ¼ cup of water in the bottom of a broiling pan, place the marinated pork on the slotted top, cover with tin foil and bake at 300° for 20 minutes. Remove foil and cook 20 more minutes. On the stovetop combine ketchup and honey and cook over medium heat until syrupy, 4-6 minutes. Remove ribs from the oven and turn on the broiler. Baste the ribs with the syrup and broil, repeat this for each side. Serve with the reserved sauce.
Orange Beef
2 Oranges, 1 zested & 2 juiced
2 ½ Tlbsp Sesame oil
1 Tlbsp Soy sauce
1 Tlbsp Rice wine vinegar
1 lb. Rib eye steak, sliced bite-sized
1 Tlbsp Brown sugar
Make a marinade from the first four ingredients and pour over the sliced steak, marinate for a few hours. Remove the meat from the marinade and reserve the liquid. Sauté the meat over high heat until browned, remove from pan and replace with the marinade. Bring it to a boil and add the brown sugar to make a glaze. Stir the meat into this glaze and serve over white rice.
Make-It-Your-Own Fried Rice
1 cup Brown rice
1 ½ cups Chicken stock
Assorted vegetables
2 Eggs
½ cup Soy sauce
Bring the chicken stock to a boil and add the rice, cook about 40 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Spread it out on a cookie sheet to cool. Sauté your chosen vegetables over high heat, in separate pan scramble the eggs. Combine everything and sauté a little to crisp up the rice. Add the soy sauce and serve.
Anything Lo Mein
1 Lb. Pasta, traditional or rice
Assorted vegetables
2 Eggs
3 Tlbsp Hoisin sauce
3 Tlbsp Soy sauce
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
Cook pasta according to box directions till al dente, drain and set aside. Sauté your chosen vegetables over high heat, in a separate pan scramble the eggs. Combine everything and mix in a sauce made from the remaining ingredients.
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