Monthly Archives: June 2011
Warm Soba Noodle Salad with Grilled Shrimp
| June 27, 2011 | Posted by Lauren Keating under Asian, Fish and Seafood, One Pan, Quick Weeknight Meals, Summer |
Because I plan my meals for the week ahead of time and buy groceries as I need them, the available ingredients in my kitchen can vary greatly from week to week. Of course, there are certain items that I always have on hand — either because they’re staples that come together into a quick meal when I haven’t planned ahead or because they’re things that I use all the time. Pasta, lemons, goat cheese. Canned tomatoes. Black beans. Gin.
Lately, an increasing number of Asian ingredients have secured a dedicated spot in my cabinet. Especially seasoned rice wine vinegar and sesame oil. Both of these are easy to find in most grocery stores and add a ton of flavor to all sorts of foods. They make it super easy to prepare quick Asian-inspired dishes like Edamame Salad and these Soba Noodles with Grilled Shrimp.
These noodles are my idea of the perfect summertime meal. They’re fast and easy to make and require minimal effort. They also make great leftovers and don’t even need to be heated up – I think I actually liked them even more the next day, after the flavors had a chance to meld. Unlike other similar dishes that have a tendency to be flat, the combination of rice wine vinegar and lime juice gives these noodles have a nice acidity and a bright flavor that plays really well off the earthy buckwheat noodles and nutty sesame oil. Watery vegetables keep the whole dish light and fresh. Topped with a few grilled shrimp (another ingredient that I’m always sure to keep in my freezer), this salad makes a great light meal for a hot summer night.
Warm Soba Noodle Salad with Grilled Shrimp
Prep time: 10 minutes, Cook time: 20 minutes
Yield: Approx. 6 Servings
- 1 pkg. Soba Noodles
- 1/2 lb. Bok Choy
- 1 Cucumber, peeled
- 4 Carrots, peeled
- 1/4 cup loosely packed Cilantro
- 1/4 cup Seasoned Rice Vinegar
- 1/4 cup Sesame Oil
- 2 Tbs. Soy Sauce
- 1 pinch Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 Tbs. grated fresh Ginger
- 2 Tbs. Sake
- 1/2 lb. Shrimp
Cook the noodles according to the directions on the package. Drain and set aside.
Allow the noodles to cool slightly while you prepare the vegetables. Chop the bok choy. Cut the cucumber in half length-wise, then use a spoon to scrape out the seeds. Slice the flesh of the cucumber into half moons. Shred the carrots into thin ribbons with a vegetable peeler. Combine the vegetables and cilantro with the noodles.
In a small dish, mix together the vinegar, oil, soy sauce, and ginger. Season with crushed red pepper flakes. Pour the dressing over the noodles.
Sprinkle the sake over the shrimp. Grill over high heat for 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve the shrimp over the noodles.
Mussels with Saffron Tomato Sauce
| June 21, 2011 | Posted by Lauren Keating under Fish and Seafood, Italian, Quick Weeknight Meals |
I like to use San Marzano tomatoes, which are naturally lower in acidity and have a sweeter flavor than other canned tomatoes, in this sauce. Some brands can be expensive, but there are a few brands that aren’t bad at all. I like Bella Terra Organic San Marzano Tomatoes, which are about $3 per can. Since the rest of the ingredients in this sauce are cheap (I stock up on cheap saffron at Trader Joe’s whenever I’m visiting a place where there is one), I still make out better than buying a jar of “good” sauce. If you can’t find San Marzanos or want a cheaper option any can of whole peeled plum tomatoes will do.
Milk and butter add a layer of richness and help give the sauce its amazing texture. Full fat or skim milk will work, but you can also use almond milk or even coconut milk if that’s what you have around. I actually used Silk Simply Coconut in the sauce shown here and was very happy with the way it turned out (I had a coupon for a free half gallon of the milk, which is delicious!)
Mussels with Saffron Tomato Sauce
Prep time: 10 minutes, Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
- 1 large (28 oz) can Whole, Peeled Tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
- 1/2 bulb Fennel, chopped (1/2 cup)
- 1 small Onion, chopped (1/4 cup)
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp Saffron, lightly crushed
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla
- 1/4 cup Milk
- 1/2 cup Water, reserved from cooking pasta
- 1 tsp Butter
- 2 pounds Mussels scrubbed
- 8 ounces dry Pasta
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
While waiting for the water to boil: Add the tomatoes, along with the puree or juice they’re packaged with, into the bowl of a food processor or blender. Process several seconds, until smooth.
Heat the oil in a medium (3 Quart) saucepan. Add the garlic, fennel, and onions and cook 5 minutes or until softened. Add the pureed tomatoes, saffron, and vanilla. Reduce the heat to low and let simmer at least 15 minutes.
Once the water comes to a rolling boil, add the pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. Steam the mussels in a separate pot. When the pasta has finished, stir 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid and 1/4 cup of milk into your sauce. Drain the pasta.
Add the butter and stir until it melts into the sauce. Serve sauce over pasta and mussels.
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I’m submitting this post to Presto Pasta Nights, hosted this week by Simona of Briciole and to Wanderfood Wednesday.
Kimchee Hot Dogs with Edamame and Corn Salad
| June 12, 2011 | Posted by Lauren Keating under Light, One Pan, Quick Weeknight Meals, Salads, Sides, Summer |
Earlier this spring, I saw hot dogs topped with kimchee on the Marx Foods blog. I immediately emailed the link to Shawn to let him know that we’d be making them… soon! They made it onto our table a few days later, and have since become one of my favorite ways to enjoy hot dogs.
The question always persists though: What should we have with them? Fries or chips are an obvious answer, but neither are exactly healthy. And it can be tricky to get vegetables to seem “right” with picnic foods like burgers or hot dogs. An edamame salad seemed like it might work well with these Asian-style hot dogs, so I set out to make one (without much of a plan). I was thrilled with how it came out!
The salad took all of 5 minutes to make and was brimming with flavor – I actually opted to have more salad instead of a second hot dog because I couldn’t get enough of it! The salad has a ginger and sesame vinaigrette, but the flavor isn’t overpoweringly Asian… I can see it going well with all sorts of summertime foods. My favorite things about this edamame and corn salad though is that since I almost always have edamame and corn in the freezer, I can have it pretty much whenever I want. Just thaw the vegetables quickly under some running water — it only takes a few minutes.
If you aren’t familiar with kimchee, it’s a spicy Korean condiment made from fermented cabbage and chili paste. It’s delicious in seafood stews, with rice, and on top of hot dogs. IKimchee comes refrigerated, but it can be a little tricky to find in regular grocery stores. If you have an Asian market near you though, it should be easy to find — and cheap! The 16 ounce jar pictured above costs us around $3. You can also check out David Lebovitz’s recipe and try making your own. (If the thought of fermented cabbage weirds you out, just think of it as a cousin to the more familiar sauerkraut.)
Edamame and Corn Salad
Prep time: 5 minutes, Total time: 5 minutes
Yield: 4 half-cup servings
- 1-1/2 cups shelled Edamame
- 1/2 cup Corn
- 2 Tbs minced Red Onion
- 1 Tbs ground Ginger
- 2 Tbs Seasoned Rice Vinegar
- 1 Lime, juiced
- 2 Tbs Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp Sesame Seeds
Add the edamame and corn to a skillet set over high heat. Toast the vegetables briefly — one to two minutes — just until the edamame begins to lightly brown. Transfer to a serving dish and combine with the onion.
Combine the ginger, vinegar, lime juice, and sesame oil in a small jar with a tight fitting lid. Close the lid and shake vigorously to combine. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and stir to combine.
Season to taste with salt. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Shaved Asparagus Salad with Bacon & Havarti
| June 6, 2011 | Posted by Lauren Keating under Breads, Cooking For One, Lent, Light, Quick Weeknight Meals, Salads, Vegetarian or Vegan |
Shaved Asparagus Salad with Bacon & Havarti
Prep time: 10 minutes, Total time: 25 minutes
Yield: 2 Servings
- 4 slices Bacon, thick-sliced Applewood is recommended
- 1 Lb. Asparagus
- 2 ounces Havarti (regular or light), shredded
- 2 Tbs Olive Oil
- 3 Tbs Tarragon or White Wine Vinegar, divided
- 1 Tbs Dijon Mustard
- 2-4 Eggs
- Salt and Pepper
Add the bacon to a large pan set over low-medium heat and cook until crispy. Bring a large, deep skillet full of water to a boil.
While the bacon is coking, use a vegetable peeler to shave the asparagus into paper-thin ribbons (I get about 6-8 ribbons per stalk). Submerge the asparagus ribbons into the boiling water for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Reduce heat under the water to bring it down to 190 degrees — the water will steam and may move around a little in the pan, but it won’t quite be to a boil. Add 1 Tablespoon of vinegar to the water. Gently crack in the eggs, working in batches if needed to prevent to eggs from crowding the pan. Let the eggs poach for 4 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon.
In a small dish, whisk together the olive oil, remaining vinegar, and mustard. Crumble the bacon. Combine the asparagus, bacon, and cheese in a large bowl and coat with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide the asparagus salad between two plates and top with the poached eggs.
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I’m submitting this recipe to Super Sunday at Kahakai Kitchen!
Cucumber-Basil Spritzers
| June 1, 2011 | Posted by Lauren Keating under Beverages, Light, Summer |
If you’re here from Pillsbury.com, welcome! Pull up a hair, pour yourself a drink, and let’s cook some delicious recipes together. While you’re here, you can also leave a comment on this post to help me win a new set a pots and snag yourself a sample of lentils.
When I was in DC for Eat, Write, Retreat last month, one of my first stops was happy hour at Cuba Libre to catch up with some of my old friends. As instructed by the placard on the bar in front of us, Mary asked the bartender about their “new seasonal drinks.” We were rewarded with a cucumber-basil mojito, which was one of the most deliciously refreshing drinks that I’ve ever had. It didn’t take me long to order another.
I knew I wanted to recreate this drink at home, and thought that it would be perfect for our Memorial Day cookout. However, when Memorial Day rolled around it was so swelteringly hot that the mere thought of alcohol made me nauseous. I didn’t want to abandon the idea of a cucumber-basil drink though, so I reinvented the mojitos as a nonalcoholic spritzer. Despite the lack of rum, these spritzers taste surprisingly close to the drink that they were inspired by. The combination of cucumber, basil, lime, and bubbles instantly relaxes you, and is the perfect way to cool down on a hot day. I guarantee that we’ll be enjoying this drink all summer long.
I didn’t want to post a real “recap” post , but Eat, Write, Retreat was so amazing that I can’t help but sharing a little. If you heard about any of the drama that happened at the other “conference that shall not be named” that was held the same weekend, there was none of that at EWR. At all. It was a great group of about 60 attendees, who were all there to learn, grow, and share. The conference had such a community atmosphere to it, and I came home with new friends, new skills, and tons of inspiration. I’ve been to a few other food blogging conferences (Foodbuzz and BlogHer) and, in my opinion, EWR was hands-down the best one. I can’t wait for next year!
Here are a few of the many lessons/inspirational tidbits that I took home with me. Many of which apply not only to blogging, but to life in general:
- Don’t take shortcuts. Always try to make everything better.
- Communicate. Share. Give.
- When traveling, get off the beaten path and explore.
- Don’t strive to be “the next so-and-so.” That’s already been done. Be original.
- Do what you love, do what you love, do what you love. And always be authentic.
- And perhaps most importantly: if your suitcase contains a 3-gallon ziplock bag of dry thyme, you WILL get a note from the TSA informing you that your bag was searched. Even if said bag also contains a griddle pan, a mandolin, and a ridiculous amount of other fantastic swag. (I’m also pretty sure they helped themselves to a few Goo Goo Clusters while they were searching. I can’t say that I blame them.)
Cucumber-Basil Spritzers
Prep time: 5 minutes, Total time: 5 minutes
Yield: 4
- 1 Cucumber
- 2 Limes
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1/3 cup Stevia in the Raw or Sugar
- 8 Basil Leaves
- 1 liter (32 ounces) Club Soda
Peel and seed the cucumber. Add the cucumber and 1/4 cup water to the bowl of a food processor. Process until the cucumber is liquified.
Make lime simple syrup by combining stevia/sugar, lime zest, and remaining water in a small saucepan. Heat until sugar has melted. Chill until ready to serve. (The cucumber puree and simple syrup will keep for several days in the refrigerator)
To make the drink: place 2 basil leaves, juice from 1/2 a lime, and 1 Tbs of your simple syrup in the bottom of a glass. Use the back of a spoon to muddle the basil. Add 2 Tbs cucumber puree and top with 8 oz club soda. Stir gently to mix.
Sit back, Relax, and Enjoy!
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I made these drinks with Stevia in the Raw, which measures cup for cup like sugar. I didn’t have any real reason for using the stevia, other than I had been sent a sample of it and I figured I could save myself a few calories. I’m not generally a fan of alternative sweeteners because sometimes they taste funny, but I was impressed by the way it works in this recipe. The small granules dissolved quickly, and there was no funny aftertaste. While you can certainly make these with regular sugar, stevia is a nice alternative if you don’t like to drink your calories. I’m looking forward to trying it out in a few other recipes to see if I like it as much. A note though – I found the name “Stevia in the Raw” to be a little misleading. I was expecting big crystals like Sugar in the Raw. The stevia is actually very fine, similar in texture to super-fine sugar. (I will admit that while I’m not a big soda drinker, I do drink diet soda on occasion. If you don’t, I can’t guarantee that you won’t notice an aftertaste with the stevia.)
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I’m submitting this post to Wanderfood Wednesday
Cucumber-Basil Spritzers
Prep time: 5 minutes, Total time: 5 minutes
Yield: 4
- 1 Cucumber
- 2 Limes
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1/3 cup Stevia in the Raw or Sugar
- 8 Basil Leaves
- 1 liter (32 ounces) Club Soda
Peel and seed the cucumber. Add the cucumber and 1/4 cup water to the bowl of a food processor. Process until the cucumber is liquified.
Make lime simple syrup by combining stevia/sugar, lime zest, and remaining water in a small saucepan. Heat until sugar has melted. Chill until ready to serve. (The cucumber puree and simple syrup will keep for several days in the refrigerator)
To make the drink: place 2 basil leaves, juice from 1/2 a lime, and 1 Tbs of your simple syrup in the bottom of a glass. Use the back of a spoon to muddle the basil. Add 2 Tbs cucumber puree and top with 8 oz club soda. Stir gently to mix.
Sit back, Relax, and Enjoy!
****
I made these drinks with Stevia in the Raw, which measures cup for cup like sugar. I didn’t have any real reason for using the stevia, other than I had been sent a sample of it and I figured I could save myself a few calories. I’m not generally a fan of alternative sweeteners because sometimes they taste funny, but I was impressed by the way it works in this recipe. The small granules dissolved quickly, and there was no funny aftertaste. While you can certainly make these with regular sugar, stevia is a nice alternative if you don’t like to drink your calories. I’m looking forward to trying it out in a few other recipes to see if I like it as much. A note though – I found the name “Stevia in the Raw” to be a little misleading. I was expecting big crystals like Sugar in the Raw. The stevia is actually very fine, similar in texture to super-fine sugar. (I will admit that while I’m not a big soda drinker, I do drink diet soda on occasion. If you don’t, I can’t guarantee that you won’t notice an aftertaste with the stevia.)
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I’m submitting this post to Wanderfood Wednesday
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