Tag: dinner

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Braised Shiitake Mushroom and Greens

150 gram dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated, soaking water reserved
Broccoli, cut into florets
20 gram ginger slices

2 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp white pepper
2-3 cups mushroom soaking water, strained of dirt

Cornstarch slurry to thicken

  1. Prepare mushrooms by cutting stems, cut in half if large.
  2. Sautee ginger in oil until fragrant and golden. Add mushrooms and sautee.
  3. Add mushroom liquid and sauce ingredients, except cornstarch slurry. Instantpot high pressure 20 minutes, then release.
  4. Simmer and add cornstarch slurry until thickened. Arrange greens in a circle and pour mushroom braise into the middle and serve.
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Tofu broccoli stir fry

Sauce
1/4 cup vegetable stock
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch

Stir-fry ingredients
1 large head of broccoli, cauliflower or similar hearty vegetable
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 block of tofu, baked or fried, cut in 1/2 inch pieces

Cook broccoli in skillet until just tender. Add garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add tofu and stir until hot. Add sauce, boil until sauce thickens.

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Chinese braised beef stew – Instantpot

3 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1½- to 2-inch pieces
7 slices ginger
5 cloves
3 pieces star anise
3 bay leaves
1 cup Shaoxing wine
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1-1.5 cups water
1 tablespoon sugar
2-3 pounds daikon radish, carrots, potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½- to 2-inch pieces

Parboil beef in water for 1 minute. Remove scum.

Sautee aromatics until fragrant. Sautee beef unto browned. Add liquid ingredients and sugar.

High pressure cook 20-25 minutes if using well marbled chuck roast, 30-35 minutes if using rougher less marbled beef. Remove beef when tender, set aside.

Add vegetables and high pressure cook 5 minutes, or simmer until tender.

Optionally, add corn starch slurry to thicken sauce.

Recipes

Tomato & Egg

1-1.5 lb tomato, cut into 8 pieces each
4 egg
5 thin slices ginger, chopped into thin matchsticks
2 tbsp oil
3 tbsp water

Sauce
0.50 tsp salt
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp ketchup

1 tbsp cornstarch (for slurry)
4 tbsp water (for slurry)

Heat the pan on high heat. When it’s hot, but not smoking, add oil and give the pan a swirl to coat. Pour in the beaten eggs, and push the eggs gently around with a spatula to scramble. When the eggs are about 80% cooked through, which will take about 35 seconds, transfer them to a plate or bowl. The bowl where you beat them originally will work great!

The pan should still be hot, so add a bit more oil, and then add the matchstick ginger. Once the ginger is in, add the tomato wedges. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds, then add water (3 tbsp).

Season with salt (0.50 tsp) and brown sugar (2 tbsp). Keep the tomatoes cooking at a boil for about 2.5 minutes. Add ketchup (2 Tbsp) and stir.

Slowly pour in cornstarch slurry into the pan, mixing as you go. When sauce thickens, add the eggs back into the pan. Stir it in and let cook quickly, then turn off the heat.

Recipes

Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Fresh Mozzarella

1 pound bowtie or other short stubby pasta
2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
6 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into small dice
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium clove garlic, minced
¼ cup shredded fresh basil leaves shredded
Ground black pepper

The tomatoes can be diced a couple hours in advance, but to prevent the garlic from becoming too pungent and the salt from drawing out the tomatoes’ juices, wait until the pasta is cooking to add the seasonings to the tomatoes. Short, stubby pasta shapes such as orecchiette, fusilli, and farfalle (bow ties) are the best choice to catch juicy bits of sauce.

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large soup kettle. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta. Cook until pasta is al dente (refer to package directions; cooking times will vary with different shapes). Drain well.

While pasta is cooking, toss together tomatoes, cheese, olive oil, garlic, basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in large bowl. Add drained pasta to tomatoes and toss well. Serve immediately, or, if desired, cool to room temperature before serving, about 30 minutes. (Can be covered with plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for up to 4 hours.)

Recipes

Carmelized zucchini pasta

For 2 people

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds zucchini, coarsely grated (about 3 large zucchini)
8 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
½ cup basil leaves, plus more for serving
Kosher salt and black pepper
½ pound ridged or curly pasta (like medium shells or casarecce)
½ cup finely grated Parmesan or pecorino (about ½ ounce), plus more for serving
1 tablespoon lemon juice

  1. In a large (at least 12-inch) cast iron skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and oil. When it’s foaming, add the zucchini, garlic, and half the basil leaves. Season with 1¼ teaspoons salt and a few grinds of pepper. Cover and cook until pooling with liquid, 5 to 7 minutes. Uncover and cook until the liquid evaporates and the zucchini starts to sizzle, 7 to 10 minutes.
  2. Continue to cook until the zucchini is very soft, dark green, and reduced to about 1 cup, another 20 to 25 minutes. If you see burning, deglaze with water and lower the heat. (Caramelized zucchini can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to a week; it also freezes well.)
  3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the zucchini is about done, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 2 cups of pasta water, then drain the pasta. If the zucchini is ready before the pasta, keep cooking it; the zucchini will only get better the longer it cooks.
  4. When the pasta’s drained, remove the herb stems from the zucchini. Reduce the heat on the zucchini to medium, then add the pasta, 1 cup pasta water, and the Parmesan. Stir until the pasta is glossed with sauce. Add more pasta water as needed to thin the sauce. Stir in the lemon juice and remaining basil, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with more basil, Parmesan and black pepper.
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Faux pho broth

1/2 onion diced
2 in ginger, sliced
Half a cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons coriander seed
2 star anise
5 cloves
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
5 cups broth

Instantpot 10 minutes.

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Lamb stew (instantpot)

2 tablespoons olive oil, butter or ghee
1 ½ –1 ¾ pounds lamb stew meat ( shoulder, leg or shank) cut onto 1 ½  inch cubes
1 onion, diced
4–6 garlic cloves, rough chopped
1 teaspoon of each: salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cinnamon, and cumin seeds ( seeds are optional, add another teaspoon ground cumin if no seeds)
½ teaspoon chili flakes 
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar
1  1/4 cups chicken stock or broth
1 x 15 ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained — or use dried beans and pressure cook them yourself (use bean broth for stock, if so)
¼ cup raisins or  dried apricots (chopped)
Serve with cooked quinoa, couscous or basmati rice

Turn the Instant Pot on and set it to the Sauté function. Add some oil, sear lamb cubes on 2 sides until lightly browned. Remove.

Add some oil, saute the onions for 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Add garlic, salt and all the spices and saute for 2-4 more minutes until fragrant. Add the vinegar, tomato paste, honey, stock, and raisins and stir until combined. Add lamb.

Cover and set the Instant Pot (or pressure cooker)  to  pressure cook setting for 30 minutes on normal/high. Naturally release. Check on lamb meat – if it is tender, continue to next step. If not tender enough, pressure cook for 5-20 more minutes (depends how tender you want it).

Add beans while stew is still hot, stir in. Note that it will thicken a bit as it sits.

Make it in the morning, let the flavors meld all day for better flavor. Reheat before eating.

Recipes

Miso mushroom pasta

  • 7 ounces dried spaghetti or other noodle pasta
  • 12-16 oz mushrooms
  • 1 leek or onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar, or white wine vinegar
  • 4 tsp miso paste
  • 2 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup pasta cooking water
  1. Cook pasta 1 minute short of al dente and reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water while doing the rest:
  2. Whip miso and butter together in a small bowl until airy and combined
  3. Sauté leek/onion until lightly browned
  4. Add mushroom and sauté until browned, toss with vinegar when done
  5. Add some oil and sauté garlic, mix with mushrooms
  6. Add miso butter and heavy cream — make sure pasta is ready before you do this
  7. When combined, add pasta and stir over low heat for 2-4 more minutes. Add some pasta water if needed to combine
  8. Serve with furikake