This is a really wonderful soup if you are feeling under the weather. It clears out the sinuses and warms the belly nicely.
2 tblsp olive oil
2-3 cups sliced mushrooms (shitakes would be great, but regular buttons are fine)
½ medium sized onion – cut in half again and then slice thinly
1 cup if thinly sliced carrots
3 ribs of celery sliced thinly
½ cup if fresh ginger peeled and julienned
1 jalapeno pepper finely diced (I removed ½ the seeds to keep some heat but tone it down)
2 tblsp grated zest of lime
2 tblsp dried lemon grass
¼ cup of fish sauce
¾ cup of rice wine vinegar
4 cups of water
2 cups of vegetable stock
salt ant pepper to taste
2 tsps of mirin
1 lbs of scallops
4 scallions finely sliced
1 healthy handful of cilantro chopped
Heat the olive oil and when very hot add the mushrooms. Resist stirring the mushrooms until they begin to brown. Add the onion, carrots, celery, ginger, and jalapeno and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the lime zest and the lemon grass and sauté for 1-2 minutes more. Add the fish sauce, the rice wine vinegar, the water, and the vegetable stock. Simmer for 10 minutes then add salt and pepper to taste. Add the mirin and the scallops and simmer gently until the scallops are just done. Right before serving add the scallion and the cilantro. Serve piping hot.
Notes:
I had some cooked rice leftover in the refrigerator so I threw it in to make the soup more hearty. You could also hydrate some rice noodles in some boiling water for 5 minutes and toss those in at the end too.
Other things that could be added are tofu, pea-pods, bean sprouts, fresh basil, etc. I would add all of these things at then end. They only need to simmer just briefly in the soup and adding them earlier would make them mushy and unappetizing. You could of course leave the scallops out or replace it with shrimp.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Langostinos!
I grew up in Massachusetts, which has a fair number of Portuguese Americans in residence. Growing up I remember enjoying Portuguese foods such as linquica which is a type of pork sausage, Portuguese sweet bread which is a yummy and yeasty bread, and langostinos.
If you have never had langostinos, the best I can do when describing them is to tell you that they are kind of like shrimp, but have more of a sweet lobster taste and they are certainly more delicate and lighter in texture than shrimp. The tail meat has the look of crawfish tails but is a little more tender and a little more sweet; in a pinch they can substitute for crawfish or shrimp (to my mind nothing can or should be substituted for lobster).
Imagine my surprise when I went to Trader Joe’s and began seeing langostinos in the frozen fish bin. I haven’t seen them around in over 25 years. The weird part is that I remember the excitement my sister and I felt when we knew we were going to be eating them, but I don’t actually remember how they were prepared and served to us.
Trader Joe’s sells them fully cooked and frozen. I tend to like to buy shrimp uncooked because I think the flavor is better. Initially I was disappointed to see the langostinos being sold pre-cooked. A little investigation however made me understand that typically they are cooked and frozen out at sea to preserve their freshness. Like crawfish and lobster they should not be eaten if they were dead when they were cooked.
I do indeed have trouble finding crawfish tails, fresh or frozen, out here in Oregon. I used to sometimes see them being sold frozen in Massachusetts. I actually liked getting them frozen better. They would be sold as “tail meat and fat” and the fat really added flavor when I would make etouffée. Plus, all the work was done for me – no boiling, separating the tail meat, etc. Langostinos were a welcome surprise at the store and we buy them often and keep them on hand in the freezer. Thawing fish is always best when done slowly. Take them out of the freezer the night before and let them thaw slowly in the refrigerator. That way the texture of the meat will remain true and not get mushy or watery.
Enjoy the two recipes below that utilize langostinos; you can also use shrimp instead.
Sara
Langostinos Ceviche Style
1 lb of langostino tails fully thawed, rinsed under cold water briefly, and then dried
olive oil
fresh lime juice
fresh cilantro (or perhaps oregano if you dislike cilantro)
1 small shallot very finely diced
2 small and very ripe avocados diced into bite-sized chunks
2-3 plum tomatoes diced
1 jalapeno pepper, ribs and seeds removed (unless you like more heat), very finely diced
salt and pepper to taste
This recipe should be made to taste all the way around, but I've provided some amounts as a general guide. I like a 1-3 ratio of acid to oil for a dressing, but sometimes with limes and lemons (vs. vinegars) you can go 2-3 depending on their sweetness. I also love cilantro so I tend to put a lot in, but cilantro seems to be one of those love it or hate it herbs so go light if it isn’t something you love. I can’t imagine leaving it out, but if you do then you could add oregano instead. If you use fresh oregano then you can just toss it in. If you use dried oregano you can hydrate it and pull the flavor out by first adding it to the olive oil. This dish would of course also work with shrimp. You can serve it cocktail style or with some corn chips on the side. You basically throw everything into a bowl, toss it around, and serve it. Simple and delicious.
For parties you can put servings in individual cups and toss in a corn chip or three as edible garnish. A more elegant way of serving them, as an appetizer at a sit down dinner for example, would be to serve them in martini or margarita glasses.
Creole Langostinos
1lb of langostino tails fully thawed, rinsed under cold water briefly, and then dried*
3 tblsp of olive oil
1 small sweet onion diced
½ a small shallot finely diced
1 yellow bell pepper diced (you could also use red or green for a difference in taste and sweetness)
3 ribs of celery diced
1 jalapeno seeded and very finely diced
1 pinch of cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 ½ tsps of dried thyme
1 tsps of dried oregano
1 tblsp paprika
1 tblsp of potato starch
2-3 cups of vegetable stock
1 cup of diced tomatoes with their juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 dried bay leaf
3 scallions chopped
1 healthy handful of fresh cilantro roughly chopped
Heat oil in a large soup or stock pot (medium to medium/high heat). Sauté onion, shallot, bell pepper, celery, and jalapeno until softened. Add cayenne, thyme, oregano, and paprika and stir to incorporate. Sprinkle the mixture with the potato starch and continue cooking, stirring constantly for a minute or two. The mixture will be very dry and will begin to bind a bit. This is similar to making a roux with flour; constantly stir and don’t burn it! Add the vegetable stock. The potato starch has an intense thickening quality so add enough stock that the mixture is a little bit loose, (like a bisque for example). Add the tomatoes with their juice and then add the bay leaf. Add salt and pepper to taste and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, for another 15 minutes so the flavors have time to meld and the bay leaf has time to release its flavor. Add the langostinos and continue cooking until they are heated through. Just before serving add the scallions and cilantro. Serve over rice.**
*You can also use shrimp. A more “seafoody” variation would be to buy shrimp with the shells on. Remove the shells and devein the shrimp. Put the shells in a pot and add 2-3 cups of water. Simmer the shells for about 10 minutes and then strain the liquid (i.e. discard the shells). Use this liquid in place of the vegetable stock. In the recipe you will add the uncooked shrimp where you would have added the cooked langostinos and cook until the shrimp are just done. Be careful to not overcook the shrimp because no one likes rubber shrimp!
**Mike is a fan of brown rice. I know it has more nutritional value (or at least it is a more complex carbohydrate than white rice), but I have a big weakness for white rice. The good news is that this recipe really works well with the brown rice. The heartiness of the brown rice makes this dish even more satisfying.
If you have never had langostinos, the best I can do when describing them is to tell you that they are kind of like shrimp, but have more of a sweet lobster taste and they are certainly more delicate and lighter in texture than shrimp. The tail meat has the look of crawfish tails but is a little more tender and a little more sweet; in a pinch they can substitute for crawfish or shrimp (to my mind nothing can or should be substituted for lobster).
Imagine my surprise when I went to Trader Joe’s and began seeing langostinos in the frozen fish bin. I haven’t seen them around in over 25 years. The weird part is that I remember the excitement my sister and I felt when we knew we were going to be eating them, but I don’t actually remember how they were prepared and served to us.
Trader Joe’s sells them fully cooked and frozen. I tend to like to buy shrimp uncooked because I think the flavor is better. Initially I was disappointed to see the langostinos being sold pre-cooked. A little investigation however made me understand that typically they are cooked and frozen out at sea to preserve their freshness. Like crawfish and lobster they should not be eaten if they were dead when they were cooked.
I do indeed have trouble finding crawfish tails, fresh or frozen, out here in Oregon. I used to sometimes see them being sold frozen in Massachusetts. I actually liked getting them frozen better. They would be sold as “tail meat and fat” and the fat really added flavor when I would make etouffée. Plus, all the work was done for me – no boiling, separating the tail meat, etc. Langostinos were a welcome surprise at the store and we buy them often and keep them on hand in the freezer. Thawing fish is always best when done slowly. Take them out of the freezer the night before and let them thaw slowly in the refrigerator. That way the texture of the meat will remain true and not get mushy or watery.
Enjoy the two recipes below that utilize langostinos; you can also use shrimp instead.
Sara
Langostinos Ceviche Style
1 lb of langostino tails fully thawed, rinsed under cold water briefly, and then dried
olive oil
fresh lime juice
fresh cilantro (or perhaps oregano if you dislike cilantro)
1 small shallot very finely diced
2 small and very ripe avocados diced into bite-sized chunks
2-3 plum tomatoes diced
1 jalapeno pepper, ribs and seeds removed (unless you like more heat), very finely diced
salt and pepper to taste
This recipe should be made to taste all the way around, but I've provided some amounts as a general guide. I like a 1-3 ratio of acid to oil for a dressing, but sometimes with limes and lemons (vs. vinegars) you can go 2-3 depending on their sweetness. I also love cilantro so I tend to put a lot in, but cilantro seems to be one of those love it or hate it herbs so go light if it isn’t something you love. I can’t imagine leaving it out, but if you do then you could add oregano instead. If you use fresh oregano then you can just toss it in. If you use dried oregano you can hydrate it and pull the flavor out by first adding it to the olive oil. This dish would of course also work with shrimp. You can serve it cocktail style or with some corn chips on the side. You basically throw everything into a bowl, toss it around, and serve it. Simple and delicious.
For parties you can put servings in individual cups and toss in a corn chip or three as edible garnish. A more elegant way of serving them, as an appetizer at a sit down dinner for example, would be to serve them in martini or margarita glasses.
Creole Langostinos
1lb of langostino tails fully thawed, rinsed under cold water briefly, and then dried*
3 tblsp of olive oil
1 small sweet onion diced
½ a small shallot finely diced
1 yellow bell pepper diced (you could also use red or green for a difference in taste and sweetness)
3 ribs of celery diced
1 jalapeno seeded and very finely diced
1 pinch of cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1 ½ tsps of dried thyme
1 tsps of dried oregano
1 tblsp paprika
1 tblsp of potato starch
2-3 cups of vegetable stock
1 cup of diced tomatoes with their juice
salt and pepper to taste
1 dried bay leaf
3 scallions chopped
1 healthy handful of fresh cilantro roughly chopped
Heat oil in a large soup or stock pot (medium to medium/high heat). Sauté onion, shallot, bell pepper, celery, and jalapeno until softened. Add cayenne, thyme, oregano, and paprika and stir to incorporate. Sprinkle the mixture with the potato starch and continue cooking, stirring constantly for a minute or two. The mixture will be very dry and will begin to bind a bit. This is similar to making a roux with flour; constantly stir and don’t burn it! Add the vegetable stock. The potato starch has an intense thickening quality so add enough stock that the mixture is a little bit loose, (like a bisque for example). Add the tomatoes with their juice and then add the bay leaf. Add salt and pepper to taste and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, for another 15 minutes so the flavors have time to meld and the bay leaf has time to release its flavor. Add the langostinos and continue cooking until they are heated through. Just before serving add the scallions and cilantro. Serve over rice.**
*You can also use shrimp. A more “seafoody” variation would be to buy shrimp with the shells on. Remove the shells and devein the shrimp. Put the shells in a pot and add 2-3 cups of water. Simmer the shells for about 10 minutes and then strain the liquid (i.e. discard the shells). Use this liquid in place of the vegetable stock. In the recipe you will add the uncooked shrimp where you would have added the cooked langostinos and cook until the shrimp are just done. Be careful to not overcook the shrimp because no one likes rubber shrimp!
**Mike is a fan of brown rice. I know it has more nutritional value (or at least it is a more complex carbohydrate than white rice), but I have a big weakness for white rice. The good news is that this recipe really works well with the brown rice. The heartiness of the brown rice makes this dish even more satisfying.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Caribbean Stew
Years ago two very good friends of mine went Vegan. Veganism is now not only a way of life for them it is also their life’s work. One year one of them hand made recipe books for a small group of friends that contained all Vegan recipes. This particular recipe was apparently a modification of a recipe in The Moosewood Cookbook. Looking through that cookbook I think it is a modification of the “Gypsy Soup” recipe.
I’ve modified the modified recipe to the point where it is a rather different thing from the original Moosewood recipe and a bit different from my friend’s modification as well, but I feel it’s necessary to mention these things if only to point out how modifying existing recipes can inspire creativity and new dishes.
One quick note about the stew: do not skip adding the lime juice. The stew is merely mediocre without it. If you don’t think it matters, taste the stew before adding the lime juice and then taste it again after adding it. You’ll notice a huge difference. The stew becomes sweet and the flavors become very round. This is an addictive dish. I also think it is a fantastic way to get some kale into your diet.
2 tblsps olive oil
1 medium to large sweet onion diced
1 tblsp Allspice
1 large, or two small sweet potatoes – peeled and cut into soup-spoon sized chunks
1 jalapeno pepper finely diced (I remove the seeds and ribs so the stew is mild, but for more heat you could leave them in)
4 cups of curly kale chopped up*
4 cups of water
1 box of Pomi brand chopped tomatoes (or a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes, or approximately 1 ½ cups of fresh tomatoes peeled and diced with their juice)
1 large or 2 small, zucchini squash cut into soup-spoon sized chunks
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 lime – juiced (about 2 tablespoons, but you can add to taste)
¼ cup of fresh cilantro roughly chopped
In a large soup or stock pot sauté the sweet onion in the olive oil over medium heat until they are soft. Add in the finely diced jalapeno and sauté one minute more. Add in the allspice and stir to incorporate. Add in the sweet potatoes and the kale. Pour the water in and also add the tomatoes with their juice. Continue cooking the mixture on medium heat (at a low boil) for ten minutes or so (until the kale is becoming tender). Add in the zucchini and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, or until the zucchini is at the desired tenderness. Add the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Before serving add the cilantro and stir through.
*I try to use the curly kale because it cooks quicker and isn’t so tough. If all you can find is the more fibrous waxy type of kale you’ll need to adjust the cooking time to accommodate it. If you’d like to learn a little more about kale here is a handy Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kale
I’ve modified the modified recipe to the point where it is a rather different thing from the original Moosewood recipe and a bit different from my friend’s modification as well, but I feel it’s necessary to mention these things if only to point out how modifying existing recipes can inspire creativity and new dishes.
One quick note about the stew: do not skip adding the lime juice. The stew is merely mediocre without it. If you don’t think it matters, taste the stew before adding the lime juice and then taste it again after adding it. You’ll notice a huge difference. The stew becomes sweet and the flavors become very round. This is an addictive dish. I also think it is a fantastic way to get some kale into your diet.
2 tblsps olive oil
1 medium to large sweet onion diced
1 tblsp Allspice
1 large, or two small sweet potatoes – peeled and cut into soup-spoon sized chunks
1 jalapeno pepper finely diced (I remove the seeds and ribs so the stew is mild, but for more heat you could leave them in)
4 cups of curly kale chopped up*
4 cups of water
1 box of Pomi brand chopped tomatoes (or a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes, or approximately 1 ½ cups of fresh tomatoes peeled and diced with their juice)
1 large or 2 small, zucchini squash cut into soup-spoon sized chunks
salt and pepper (to taste)
1 lime – juiced (about 2 tablespoons, but you can add to taste)
¼ cup of fresh cilantro roughly chopped
In a large soup or stock pot sauté the sweet onion in the olive oil over medium heat until they are soft. Add in the finely diced jalapeno and sauté one minute more. Add in the allspice and stir to incorporate. Add in the sweet potatoes and the kale. Pour the water in and also add the tomatoes with their juice. Continue cooking the mixture on medium heat (at a low boil) for ten minutes or so (until the kale is becoming tender). Add in the zucchini and continue cooking for another 10 minutes, or until the zucchini is at the desired tenderness. Add the lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Before serving add the cilantro and stir through.
*I try to use the curly kale because it cooks quicker and isn’t so tough. If all you can find is the more fibrous waxy type of kale you’ll need to adjust the cooking time to accommodate it. If you’d like to learn a little more about kale here is a handy Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kale
Monday, January 11, 2010
Basic Madras Curry
This is a basic Madras curry that can then be used with vegetables, fried firm tofu, or fish. This is a simplified curry sauce that removes the sometimes complex, many-dirty-pans, and labor-intensive aspects of typical curry recipes.
4 tblsp soy butter
1 medium onion diced
1 small shallot finely diced*
2 tblsp Madras curry powder
1 ½ cups of vegetable stock**
½ cup of light coconut milk
3 tblsp golden raisins or currants
2 tsp sugar
In a non-stick pan sauté the onion and shallots in 2 tblsp of soy butter until translucent and soft. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
In the same pan melt the remaining 2 tblsp of soy butter and add the curry powder. Cook the curry powder very briefly (maybe 1-2 minutes) in the soy butter until the rawness is cooked out, being very careful not to burn it. Immediately add the vegetable stock and simmer for a few minutes until the mixture has combined well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the golden raisins, or currants, and simmer another minute or two until they have plumped up. Add the sugar and the coconut milk and sauté a few minutes more until combined.
Vegan suggestion: I suggest sautéing vegetables in a pan, perhaps even lightly browned for added depth of flavor (particularly delicious is browned zucchini squash), and once cooked add the curry sauce and serve over rice. Tofu can of course be used as well.
Pescatarian suggestion: fry up the fish in some soy butter, or brush with olive oil and broil for a few minutes, and then finish cooking in the curry sauce. Another quick weekday option is to just cook the fish right in the sauce and simmer until the fish is cooked through. By skipping the sautéing you save yourself having to clean another pan and the meal is done just that much quicker. This suggestion would work with shrimp as well. Serve over rice.
*Shallots are used instead of garlic. Garlic is always in curries, but if your system can’t handle garlic then shallots may be more tolerable (as they are for Mike). You can omit them completely if you want.
**Store bought vegetable broth typically has garlic in it. Store bought vegetable stock, however often times does not. Check your labels!
4 tblsp soy butter
1 medium onion diced
1 small shallot finely diced*
2 tblsp Madras curry powder
1 ½ cups of vegetable stock**
½ cup of light coconut milk
3 tblsp golden raisins or currants
2 tsp sugar
In a non-stick pan sauté the onion and shallots in 2 tblsp of soy butter until translucent and soft. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
In the same pan melt the remaining 2 tblsp of soy butter and add the curry powder. Cook the curry powder very briefly (maybe 1-2 minutes) in the soy butter until the rawness is cooked out, being very careful not to burn it. Immediately add the vegetable stock and simmer for a few minutes until the mixture has combined well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the golden raisins, or currants, and simmer another minute or two until they have plumped up. Add the sugar and the coconut milk and sauté a few minutes more until combined.
Vegan suggestion: I suggest sautéing vegetables in a pan, perhaps even lightly browned for added depth of flavor (particularly delicious is browned zucchini squash), and once cooked add the curry sauce and serve over rice. Tofu can of course be used as well.
Pescatarian suggestion: fry up the fish in some soy butter, or brush with olive oil and broil for a few minutes, and then finish cooking in the curry sauce. Another quick weekday option is to just cook the fish right in the sauce and simmer until the fish is cooked through. By skipping the sautéing you save yourself having to clean another pan and the meal is done just that much quicker. This suggestion would work with shrimp as well. Serve over rice.
*Shallots are used instead of garlic. Garlic is always in curries, but if your system can’t handle garlic then shallots may be more tolerable (as they are for Mike). You can omit them completely if you want.
**Store bought vegetable broth typically has garlic in it. Store bought vegetable stock, however often times does not. Check your labels!
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