A Painful Lesson...Chicken Meatballs With Ginger And Lemongrass

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This was possibly the most painful meal I have ever cooked.  I can't remember the last time I burned myself to the point of almost fainting from the pain.  Unlike most people whose blood pressure rises when they have pain, mine drops.  Like the mob, I go to the mattresses...in this case the kitchen floor.

I know better than to use my fingers when I am frying instead of easing the food into the frying pan with a spatula.  In this case, it didn't register that these meatballs where also small and flatish, so when I dropped them in, the top of my finger went right into the hot oil.  Ouch is not even close.  My blood pressure dropped and down I went. No I did not faint, but it was close.

Four hours and three vodkas later I was still marinading my finger in iced water.  Every time I took it out it was unbearable.  Of course Madame Mere, after expressing some concern and finishing her wraps quite unperturbed,  pronounced them so so,  not fit for a dinner meal and better for lunch or cocktails .  I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She is not a big fan of Asian food and the idea of dinner in a lettuce leaf is too much for her to digest.  Like the debit card, Asian and Middle Eastern food are still a work in progress with her.

She is right though, if you make them slightly smaller they would make great cocktail bites. However,  if you are looking for a light dinner, which we sometimes do, this fits the bill.

The original recipe is not accompanied by hoisin sauce;  but I felt that, like the minced chicken in lettuce wraps we adore,  it could benefit from it.  So I drizzled some over the meatballs before wrapping them.

I enjoyed this recipe but I didn't love it.  The burn probably had a lot to do with that. Would I make it again? I might in another lifetime.  Right now it's too painful to even think about it.

Should you ever get a burn, use cool water...not ice.  I used iced water and it was wrong (but very soothing!) Keep the area submerged at least for 20 minutes.  I did it for four hours.  Vodka on the rocks is optional. At some point you will have to take that finger out and go through some pain. Pour yourself another drink, disinfect the surface and put some Neosporin for the swelling.  Do not use butter, unless you want to fry it.  Four days later it looks better and on its way to healing.

 Here are some professional tips from WebMD.  A better site courtesy of my friend Home Before Dark http://www.wikihow.com/Treat-a-Burn.

Chicken Meatballs with Ginger and Lemongrass
Serves 3 to 4


Ingredients

1⁄4 cup
 (2 fl. oz./60 ml) grapeseed oil, plus more  for oiling the baking sheet

1 lb. (500 g) ground chicken

2 Tbs. panko bread crumbs

1 Tbs. soy sauce

1 Tbs. Asian fish sauce

1 Tbs. minced lemongrass, white part only (I used dried)

1 Tbs. cornstarch

1 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro

1 1⁄2 tsp. minced fresh ginger

1 garlic clove, minced

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

14 small lettuce leaves

4 green onions, thinly sliced

2 limes, cut into wedges
Hoisin sauce (optional)

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly oil a baking sheet.

In a bowl, combine the chicken, panko, soy sauce, fish sauce, lemongrass, cornstarch, cilantro, ginger, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Roll into 1-inch (2.5-cm) balls.

Warm a large sauté pan or frying pan over medium heat. Add the 1⁄4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) oil and heat until it appears to shimmer. Add the meatballs and sauté, turning the meatballs to brown evenly on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Drain on paper towels. Transfer the meatballs to the prepared baking sheet and bake until cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes.

Arrange the lettuce, green onions, and limes on a platter. Serve the meatballs in a bowl on the side. Instruct guests to place a meatball in a lettuce leaf, top with green onions, squeeze with lime juice, fold and eat.  You can also drizzle with Hoisin sauce.

Recipes adapted from Williams Sonoma
Photos: The Sous Chef

Grilled Shrimp Tikka With Fresh Mango Chutney

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Shrimp get a wake-up call from a bold spice paste that really packs a punch. A brief 30-minute swim in the marinade imbues the shrimp with intense flavor—jalapeño, ginger, and garlic lend heat, while garam masala contributes depth. Sparkle comes from a splash of lime juice. Think of the mango chutney as a fresh Indian salsa; it’s crunchy, colorful, tart, and very refreshing.

Here's what appeared over this recipe on Gourmet magazine's website in 2008.  I loved the ingredients, although I changed things a bit to my liking.  To begin with, why bother to put the marinade ingredients in the blender?  I skipped that and added some olive oil to the mix.  The shrimp were marinaded over an hour.

As to the chutney, I omitted the cucumbers as they were not in my fridge at the time, and cooked it for three minutes.  It is the consistency I like in chutney but this is optional.  Had I had the cucumbers I probably would have followed the original method so as to leave some crunch in the chutney. Next time...  

I am publishing the recipe as is and leaving it up to you to play around with it if you wish.  It is easy and utterly delish. Shrimp and mango are a combo made in heaven!  Add coriander and Indian spices and you will float in the clouds...

Do serve it with the yellow rice I suggested.  Adding a small lime wedge to the rice is one of my "inventions".  Try it sometime.  It adds a slight touch of citrus to the rice and complements fish and shellfish very nicely.  Enjoy!

the sauce was cooked for three minutes.

Last week we had temperatures in the seventies at night.  We took the opportunity to have dinner outside on the deck.

The Sous Chef is pondering what to make next with the herbs on the porch.  Stay tuned...

Grilled Shrimp Tikka With Fresh Mango Chutney

INGREDIENTS:

FOR SHRIMP

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 (1-inch) piece fresh jalapeño, chopped (about 2 tsp)
• 1 (1-inch) piece peeled ginger, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, smashed
• 2 teaspoons ground garam masala (Indian spice blend)*
• 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 2 lb large shrimp in shell, peeled, leaving tail fan attached

FOR CHUTNEY

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 (3/4-lb) unripe mango, chopped
• 1/3 seedless cucumber, peeled and chopped (3/4 cup) optional
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 to 2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeño with seeds
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced mint
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

• EQUIPMENT:

•  
  10 (12-inch) wooden skewers, soaked in water 30 minutes
• 
  

• ACCOMPANIMENT:

   
  white rice with saffron, lime wedges
• 
  

DIRECTIONS:

MARINATE SHRIMP:

Purée all ingredients for marinating shrimp, except shrimp, with 1/2 tsp salt in a blender until smooth. Pour into a sealable bag, then add shrimp and marinate at cool room temperature, turning bag occasionally, 30 minutes.

MAKE CHUTNEY WHILE SHRIMP MARINATE:

Toast cumin in a dry small skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute.Stir together remaining chutney ingredients with 1/4 tsp salt add to the skillet, stir and cook for 1 minute.  Remove to a bowl and sprinkle with toasted cumin.  Serve at room temperature.

MAKE KEBABS:

Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over hot charcoal (medium-high heat for gas)

Thread 4 shrimp onto each skewer, leaving small spaces between them. Put on a tray.

Oil grill rack, then grill skewers, covered only if using a gas grill, turning once, until just cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes total. Serve with chutney.

COOKS’ NOTES:

• Shrimp can be cooked in a hot well-oiled large (2-burner) ridged grill pan, turning once, about 8 minutes total.
• Marinade can be made 1 day ahead and chilled.
• Chutney can be made 6 hours ahead and chilled
• .
• * Ground garam masala is available at specialty food shops, some supermarkets.
• 
  

Shrimp With Red Curry Paste, Red Peppers And Cilantro

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I had no idea what to call this dish.  On one hand it had all the components of a Thai curry, then again it had some spices prevalent in Indian cooking.  Plus it had butter and onions, two things not typical of that part of the world so I couldn't even claim a Spice Route connection.  But it worked.  Boy did it work....

This is what happens with age and experience.  After years of cooking and reading about different foods and their origins, you know instinctively what will work in spite of the fact that you may be coloring outside the lines.  With time, your taste buds develop  and you begin to feel more comfortable experimenting and coming up with new ideas.   That's what's fun about cooking.  Doing your own thing and watching it succeed.   Let's face it,  you are not cooking for the Food Channel and no one is going to report you to the Thai police,  so go with your gut.

Shrimp cooked like this is perfect for a quick midweek meal.  In less than 20 minutes you can have dinner on the table.  That is why Thai food is such a favorite of mine, especially during the week.  It is interesting, a bit out of the ordinary, yet easy and quick.  It can even impress if served for a casual dinner party of six.  Cook some white rice, preferably Jasmine, and a salad and you have got yourself a winner.  If you want to be a maverick, serve some bread to mop up the sauce.  Something lemony for dessert would be divine.  I like citrusy desserts after Thai or Indian food.  They cleanse the palate after a spicy meal and they are light in character.  Just the perfect ending.

This is the time of the year when we should be eating something exotic and different.   Anything to break the starch marathons our holidays are famous for.  There are only a few weeks between the heaviest two meals of the year, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  My stomach is bursting just thinking about it. Take it easy, relax and prepare.  Starting next week, it's all about Christmas.  In the meantime, think Thai and think light. 
 

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails left on
3 TB butter
4 garlic cloves, mashed
1/2 tsp. mustard seeds
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red pepper chopped
1/2 tsp coriander powder or more if using seeds
1.2 tsp cardamon
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 TBS chopped cilantro
1 TB red curry paste
1 can coconut milk
1 TB fish sauce


1.  In a skillet melt 2 TB.  butter and add 3 garlic cloves, mashed,  and 1/2 tsp. mustard seed.  Cook at medium high for a couple of minutes.   Add the shrimp.  Sautee until the shrimp is pink.  Remove to a plate.

2.  Add a little more butter to pan and sautee onions,  red pepper, garlic, coriander,  cardamon, cinnamon, cilantro and 1 TB red curry paste. If you want it hotter, add some more.

3.  Add one can of coconut milk and cook on medium for 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Add shrimp back, 1 or 2 TB fish sauce and cook for another 5 minutes for shrimp to absorb sauce. Add fresh chopped cilantro.  And you are done!


All photos Lindaraxa

Beef and Asparagus Stir Fry

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This post should really be titled "cleaning the refrigerator",  for that is exactly what I did.  With food prices the way they are today, you can't afford to throw anything out so take a look and plan your meals around what needs to be used up, particularly after a holiday  The flip side of this coin is you will surprise yourself at the results.

A stir fry takes no time to prepare and is perfect for a midweek repast.  There are all kinds of substitutions you can make for the asparagus, like broccoli or snap peas.  Just use what you have or what's in season. If you want it hotter, just add more red pepper flakes.     


Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lb. skirt steak, cut into thin strips
• 3 Tb cornstarch. 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 2 Tbs. dry sherry
• 1 tsp. chili oil
• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3/4 lb. slender asparagus, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• Steamed rice for serving

Directions:

Cook the beef and vegetables

In a bowl mix the beef strips with the cornstarch.  Add salt and pepper.  Let it rest for 10 minutes.

In another small bowl, stir together the hoisin sauce, sherry, and chili oil. Set aside.

In a wok or large fry pan over high heat, warm the peanut oil. Working in batches, if needed to avoid crowding, add the beef and cook, turning once or twice, until lightly seared, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.

Add the onion and asparagus to the pan and cook until tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and stir-fry for 15 seconds.

Finish the dish

Return the meat and any juices from the plate to the pan, add the hoisin mixture and stir well. Simmer briefly until heated through.

Divide the rice among shallow bowls, top with beef and asparagus, and serve immediately.

Thai Lemon Shrimp In A Sweet Chili Sauce

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This Thai Lemon Shrimp recipe (Goong Maa Now) features the flavors of lemon and sweet chili, one of my favorite combinations.  It is the perfect mid week recipe, easy and quick. The worst part is peeling the shrimp.  Grab a drink and turn on the news.  Before you know it, they are peeled!

Once the shrimp are shelled,  this baby is ready in 20 minutes and that includes marinading time.

If this is your first time cooking Thai, don't be afraid to go out and get some new ingredients.  Believe me, after you see how easy Asian recipes are to prepare, you will be making them more often.  I keep all my Asian sauces together in a basket in the garage where they are cool and out of the way but accessible when I need them.

Enjoy! 

SERVES 2-4 as an Entree


Ingredients


•15-18 raw large or jumbo shrimp/prawns (about 3/4 to 1 lb.)

•1/4 cup Thai sweet chili sauce (available at Asian food stores and some regular grocery stores)

•2 Tbsp. lemon juice

•3 kaffir lime leaves (available at Asian food stores), or substitute 1 tsp. grated lime zest

•1/4 to 1/2 tsp. or more cayenne pepper (according to how spicy you want it)

•1 Tbsp. fish sauce (available at grocery store)

•3 cloves garlic, minced

•1-2 tsp. palm or brown sugar (to taste)

•1/4 cup fresh coriander, chopped, plus a little more to garnish (cilantro)

•1/4 to 1/3 cup coconut milk

•a little oil for frying


Preparation:


1.Remove shells from the prawns but leave the tails on, if possible (this makes them easier to eat and also more attractive to serve).

2.Place prawns in a mixing bowl. Add the sweet chili sauce, lemon juice, kaffir lime leaves, cayenne pepper, fish sauce, garlic, and 1 tsp. sugar. Stir well to combine.

3.Allow to marinate for 5-10 minutes.

4.Place 1 Tbsp. oil in a frying pan or wok and set over medium to medium-high heat. Swirl the oil around the surface of the pan, then add the prawns and saute for a minute.  Add the marinade. Also add the coconut milk (up to 1/3 cup depending on how much sauce you want) and chopped cilantro. Stir well.

5.Keep stirring slowly as the dish comes to a simmer. Once the sauce begins to lightly bubble, the prawns will cook fast - in 2-3 minutes. Try not to "boil" this dish - simmer is the key word (medium heat works best).

7.When the sauce is of a consistently reddish color and all the prawns are plump and opaque, the dish is ready. Try not to overcook, or the prawns will turn tough.

8.Remove from heat and do a taste-test for salt, sugar, and spice. This dish should be spicy, tangy, and a little sweet. Add more fish sauce if not salty enough, or 1 more tsp. sugar if you prefer it sweeter. Also add more cayenne if you prefer it spicier. If it's too sweet or too salty for your taste, add another Tbsp. of lemon juice.

9.To serve, simply slide the shrimp and sauce into a serving bowl and top with fresh coriander. If desired, garnish with whole red chilies and lemon slices. This dish goes well with plain jasmine rice or coconut rice!

Healthy Eating...Skirt Steak And Bok Choy Stir Fry

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This weekend we had a spell of warm weather all the way into the high 60's on Saturday.  With warmer temperatures come thoughts of Spring and eventually Summer.   Shorts and bathing suits are just around the corner, so the sedentary life and all that marvelous and hearty food I've been cooking has to come to an end.   Starting this week, I'm getting the old wok out and more Asian food and stir frys will begin to make an appearance on my table.  Just in case we get another freak storm I have plenty of leftover half cooked cassoulet in the freezer ready to go in the oven for its final baking! You gotta think ahead.....

This recipe is a quick fix for a weeknight dinner.  With the skirt steak's generous marbling, you don't need much extra oil for a stir-fry. Bok choy can be found at most supermarkets in the produce section.

This recipe serves  4 people with ample leftovers.  Four people is a bit of a stretch unless you are serving something else before or with the meal.

I am having trouble downloading my photos from Blogger and Picasa so Martha's photo is up.  Anyone else having this problem?

Ingredients

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon peanut butter

1 tablespoon honey

2 garlic cloves, minced

coarse salt and ground pepper

1 pound skirt steak, thinly sliced crosswise

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

1 large head bok choy, cut 1 inch thick crosswise

4 medium carrots, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced on bias

cooked rice, for serving

1/4 cup peanuts, chopped


Directions


1.In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, vinegar, peanut butter, honey, and garlic; season with pepper. (I doubled the recipe 4/8/2011 and liked it even more)

2.In a bowl, toss steak with cornstarch; season with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet with a lid, heat oil over medium-high. Add 1/2 of steak; cook, tossing, until browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate; repeat with remaining steak. (Sometimes I saute sliced ginger in the oil before I brown the steak).

3.To skillet, add soy mixture, bok choy, and carrots. Cover and cook, tossing occasionally until tender, about 5 minutes. Return steak to skillet; cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Check for salt. Serve over rice; sprinkle with peanuts.

Adapted from Martha Stewart 

Seared Mahi Mahi With A Citrus Soy Glaze & Coconut Rice

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I have been eating and fishing for yellow tail (mahi mahi) ever since I was twelve and I have found no better way to prepare it than straight into the frying pan.  You can bake or broil it, but there is something about searing it first to preserve the moisture and then topping it with a light and simple sauce or glaze..  If it is really fresh, don't fool around with it, fry it in butter and oil combination, garlic, maybe onions, lots of lemon or lime and salt and pepper.

For many years, I lived in Key Biscayne, Florida and all I had to do was go down to the docks (a 10 minute ride) and get some still kicking around in a bucket.  Now I live inland on a lake and guess what, there isn't a yellow tail in sight for at least 600 miles.  Luckily, there is a Trader Joe's about 20 miles away and their fish is pretty good. Comes flash frozen from Peru and that is as close to fresh as you can get. I have already posted a recipe for mahi mahi but this time I thought I would give it an Asian flair.


Yield 4 servings

Ingredients

For marinade:

1 lb. mahi mahi fillets
juice from 1 orange
juice from 1 lime
2 TB soy Sauce
2 TB olive oil
1 TB cilantro
Salt & Pepper

3 TB sesame oil
4 cloves garlic mashed
1/2 tsp minced ginger
Flour for dredging
1 bunch scallions, sliced green & white part



Directions

In a shallow glass dish, stir together the orange and lime juices, soy sauce,  and olive oil. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper and cilantro, and place them into the dish. If the fillets have skin on them, place them skin side down. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to marinate.

Heat sesame oil oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove fish from the dish, and reserve marinade. Pat dry and dredge in flour.  Shake off excess flour. Add garlic and ginger to pan, saute for about 30 secs. add fish and fry  for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, turning only once, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove fillets to a serving platter and keep warm.

Add a little more sesame oil to pan. Add chopped scallions and cook for about 2 mins.  Remove and add to platter with fish. Pour reserved marinade into the skillet, and heat over medium heat until the mixture reduces to a glaze consistency. Spoon glaze over fish, and serve immediately.

Coconut Rice

Don't gild the lily this time.  The mahi has a lot of ingredients so you want to keep this coconut rice fairly simple.  This is just background music with a little diversion for the star of the meal.

1 cup jasmine rice
1 TB butter
1 Cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
rind of lime
salt

Bring coconut milk, salt,  butter, lemon rind and water to a boil.  Add rice, lower the temperature to low and cook covered until done.  Do not stir!.  Once it has absorbed all the water and is done, stir with a fork and replace the lid with a folded paper towel placed between the closed lid and the rice.  Just before serving, remove paper towel and stir.

Asian Style Salmon Jan Marie

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My daughter in law, Jan Marie, loves salmon. By this I don't mean she likes salmon, rather she LOVES salmon. Any time, anyway, anywhere. Baked, broiled, steamed, sauteed, with chipotle, on a sandwich, with eggs, you name it, she loves it. A real salmon fan. If she lived in Alaska, she would swim upstream to spawn. So with that in mind, this is "dedicated to the one I love", as I am fairly sure she hasn't had it this way..but with her, you never know.


Cook Time: 9 min
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 side fresh salmon, boned but skin on (about 3 pounds)

For the marinade:

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons good soy sauce
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
3 TB honey
1TB Dill weed

Light charcoal briquettes in a grill and brush the grilling rack with oil to keep the salmon from sticking.

While the grill is heating, lay the salmon skin side down on a cutting board and cut it crosswise into 4 equal pieces. Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, mayonnaise, and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and sprinkle the dill weed. Allow it to sit for at least 10 minutes.

Place the salmon skin side down on the hot grill; discard the marinade the fish was sitting in. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish. Turn carefully with a wide spatula and grill for another 4 to 5 minutes. Turn again skin side down, coat the side without the skin with the rest of the marinade, and flip back and grill for another 5 minutes. If you have a rack to grill fish on the grill, it works wonders.

Transfer the fish to a flat plate, skin side down. Allow the fish to rest for 10 minutes. Remove the skin and serve warm, at room temperature, or chilled.

Serve with jasmine or coconut rice

Coconut Rice with Scallions

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I love asian style rices with fish. The mix of sweet and sour works wonders with any rice. This is one of many combinations that I make. It goes well with the Asian style salmon. Triple the recipe for 6.

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 Tb butter
2 chopped scallions (green and white part)
1 TB fresh ginger minced
1/4 tsp. curry powder
1/2 C coconut milk
1 C chicken broth
1 C jasmine rice
1/2 C slivered almonds
Salt

Sautee scallions and ginger in butter. Add curry powder. Add Rice saute for 1 min. Add the coconut milk, broth and salt. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook until all broth is absorbed. Place a folded paper towel between the pot and the lid to absorb steam. Replace lid and turn off. Add almonds, correct salt and stir with a fork.

Cooks Note
Leave rice alone after you add water. Cook in low heat. If you need to stir use a fork