Posts Tagged ‘soy sauce’

Unrecipe of the Week: Asian Cucumber Noodles

July 11, 2016
via the garlic diaries

via the garlic diaries

We love our vegetable noodles around here. In fact, if it weren’t for zucchini noodles, I would be lost. But sometimes, even the novelty of zoodles wears off.

Tonight, I spiralized some fresh cucumber to act as the layer beneath my sauteed shrimp with garlic, sesame oil, soy sauce and ginger.  The cool cucumber “noodles” (cuddles?) were a refreshing change on a very hot summer night. Tossed with a bit of sesame oil, salt, rice wine vinegar and a dash of soy sauce, they brought another flavor profile to my sometimes meager repetoire of foods.

Cold Cucumber “Noodles” With Sesame Oil:

Spiralize a cucumber into long thin ribbons. Salt liberally, and place in a strainer to drain for 20-30 minutes. This allows the cucumber to give off the excess water that might otherwise dilute the subtle sauce.

When ready to serve, toss with a little sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, a pinch of sugar and a dash of soy sauce. Adjust the seasonings, using a little srirachia or hot red pepper flakes to add a little heat if desired. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, and enjoy!

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Unrecipe of the Week: Slow Cooker Pulled Pork

January 25, 2016

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New York is experiencing a blizzard today, and everyone is longing for something warm, and hearty. Slow days like this call for slow cooking. This dish has all the right elements for a snow day. It comes together in no time, and fills the house with a delicious aroma of things to come. It is also made from things I have on hand since venturing out to the grocery store is not really an option.

This is one of the easiest ways to use the slow cooker, as this pulled pork requires no marinating, no pre-searing of the meat and almost no mess. Simply place the pork tenderloin in  the slow cooker, add the one bowl sauce, and let it cook. Later, the tender, juicy meat can be shredded and served on fluffy brioche buns for a comfort food sandwich that everyone will enjoy.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork: ( adapted from Le Creme de la Crumb)

Place a pork tenderloin into the slow cooker bowl.

In a separate bowl mix together 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar, 1 cup of water, 1/4 cup of honey, 3 tablespoons of brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Add a couple of diced garlic cloves and about 1/2 of a small onion finely diced. Sprinkle the pork with a black pepper and pour the sauce over it.
Cover, and cook at high for about 4 1/2 -5 hours.

Drain the sauce into a sauce pan and bring to a slow boil. Mix together a tablespoon of cornstarch and a some water until it forms a smooth paste. Whisk a little at a time into the sauce, and let it simmer for a few minutes until thickened.

In the meantime, use forks to shred the pork. Alternatively, you can toss it into the electric mixer with the paddle attachment, and mix on a low speed until it shreds. (It is easier, but you have to wash another bowl, and frankly, who wants to do that? But to each his own!)

Serve on toasted brioche buns and enjoy!

Photo: Spencer Jones Glasshouse Assignment

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Unrecipe of the Week: Summer Salad Rolls

May 19, 2014

These vegetable rolls are riff on the traditional Vietnamese Summer roll. A study in simplicity, these rice paper rolls are filled with fresh julienned vegetables. The secret lies in the sauce: we dipped ours in a carrot, sesame oil and soy based dressing that brought the flavors to life. The best part? We’re torn between how healthy and low calorie they are, and the fact that nothing needed to be cooked.  Twice the reason to try this unrecipe!

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For the rolls:

Julienne a variety of vegetables, including cucumbers, carrots, diakon, red bell pepper, radishes and beets. Mix it up to suit your tastes. I used a mandolin, but depending on how many you are making, you can just cut them by hand. Be sure to peel the carrots, diakon and beets first!

To assemble:

Dip a large rice paper wrapper* in warm water to soften. There is no need to soak them, just get them hydrated enough to be pliable.

Place the rice paper on a work surface. Lay a small piece of lettuce and a fresh mint leaf or two at the bottom of disc. Layer on the julienned vegetables. Begin rolling the rice paper, tucking it tightly, but gently as you go. Roll it twice, fold the sides in, and continue rolling to the top. It should look like a fat, transparent egg roll.

Lay the finished roll on plastic wrap. The rolls will stick together, so be sure to keep them from touching. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to eat.

For the sauce:

Peel about 3-4 medium carrots, and cut them into chunks. Place them in the food processor, along with a small shallot, peeled and quartered, a good sized chunk of peeled fresh ginger, about 1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar, a couple of tablespoons of soy sauce, about a 1/2 or 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Puree until everything is finely diced and combined. With the machine running, add about 1/4 cup or so of vegetable oil ( We used grape seed oil, which has a neutral flavor. Do not use olive oil, as the flavor is too strong!) Add about 1/4 cup of water, and continue mixing until it forms a a chunky dressing. Check flavors, and add more vinegar, or soy sauce as needed. If the dressing is too thick, add a little bit more water. Refrigerate until ready to use.

We served the rolls cut in half lengthwise, on a pool of drizzled dressing, and then put the rest on a platter with a bowl of sauce on the side. Sounds like the perfect dish to toss in my lunch bag tomorrow!

*rice paper wrappers are sold packaged in the international foods section of grocery stores, or at Asian markets.

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Unrecipe of the Week: Miso Butter

April 28, 2014

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Just as there are finishing salts, there are also finishing butters. These items are meant to provide a flavor blast at the end of the preparation, after the food is nearly cooked. This delicious miso butter, is not for sautéing. Try brushing it on seafood, vegetables or even chicken at the end of the cooking process, and watch how it ramps up the simplest of dishes.

I used this on shrimp and scallops, but I also sautéed them with some shallots, garlic and ginger in a little neutral oil before adding the miso butter. Since this is an unrecipe, feel free to toss some of these into the mix to suit your taste.

Miso Butter:

Take 1 stick of unsalted sweet butter and a couple of generous tablespoons of miso paste, and mix it together in the food processor. Add a bit of  soy sauce, and a splash of sake if you have it on hand, and blend until smooth. If you like, toss in a clove of garlic, and a little peeled ginger and blend until minced. Brush the miso butter on fish, seafood, vegetables or chicken during the last minutes of broiling, sautéing, or roasting and enjoy!

This keeps well when placed in a sealed container in the refrigerator for at least a week.

photo: Glasshouse Images

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Unrecipe of the Week: Asian Vinaigrette

December 27, 2013

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On Saturday night, I set out to make Ming Tsai’s Asian shallot vinaigrette to marinate fresh tuna, scallops and shrimp. I waited until I was all huddled in for the night, and was surprised to discover that I lacked most of the ingredients, first and foremost the shallots. Not one afraid to improvise, I used what I had and somehow it worked out just fine. It’s a little bit Asian by way of the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar, and very French, as it is a riff on the classic vinaigrette. The leftover portion is sitting in a jar in the refrigerator, waiting to flavor chicken, meat, sauteed vegetables, or top a green salad. Got an extra 2 or 3 minutes? Whip some up for dinner tonight!

Pouring a spoonful of olive oil

Asian Vinaigrette 

Place the ingredients in the blender (or if you are really lazy, in glass jar with a tight fitting lid)

1/2 cup of grainy Dijon mustard

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar

a pinch of sugar

a tiny pinch of salt

black pepper to taste

With the motor running, drizzle in oil ( I used sunflower oil, but safflower, canola or any bland oil will work ) until it starts to emulsify. It will probably take 1/2 cup or so. If you are using a jar, shake it until it is fully mixed. It won’t thicken as much.

Feel free to add finely diced shallots, garlic or a dash of sriracha to give it an edge.

Use as a dressing or marinade and enjoy!

photos: Glasshouse Images

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Unrecipe of the Week:

September 16, 2012

This week’s challenge was to use everything in my CSA box. The lemongrass posed a bit of a challenge, but I persevered and found an easy way to use it.

It’s Saturday night, which often means shrimp for some crazy reason. Tonight, I marinated them in a soy, honey and sesame oil combination, which also used garlic, ginger and the lemongrass. I served them in radicchio cups with a chopped salad of arugula and radicchio, and a squirt of lime juice.

It was fast, simple and flavorful. The presentation was pretty enough for guests. Sorry to say it got gobbled up faster than Instagram could document it!

Marinated Shrimp in Radicchio Cups:

In a mixing bowl, blend 2 diced garlic cloves, a chunk of peeled and diced ginger, and a couple of tablespoons of chopped lemongrass stems. Add about 1/3 cup of soy sauce, a couple of tablespoons of sesame oil and a tablespoon or so of honey. Whisk the mixture together and add the peeled and deveined shrimp. Allow to marinate about 20-30 minutes in the refrigerator.

In the meantime, prepare the outer leaves of radicchio to form little bowls to hold the shrimp.

Chop up some arugula and radicchio and fill the lettuce cups.

Heat a little vegetable oil in a wok or frying pan. Add the shrimp (without the liquid) and sauté for about 3 minutes until cooked. Add one red pepper, diced, and cook another minute or so.

Spoon the shrimp mixture into the radicchio cups, and squeeze a little lime juice over it.

Enjoy!

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Unrecipe of the Week

February 25, 2012

Lately, it seems that every time I ask what to get at the fish market, the answer comes back “shrimp!”

It’s certainly a quick and easy ingredient that adapts to many different types of seasonings and preparations.  It’s extremely low in calories, and cooks up in a matter of minutes.

I went searching for inspiration for a new way to prepare them and found a recipe for Stir Fried Shrimp with Spicy Orange Sauce.

With a few little tweaks and substitutions to the original, here is our version of tonight’s dinner:

Sauteed Shrimp with Spicy Orange Sauce

In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons orange juice, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ¾ tablespoon of honey, 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar and 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce* and set aside.

Toss 1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined, in a little bit of cornstarch.

Sauté 2 cloves of fresh minced garlic, and some fresh minced ginger in a little canola or peanut oil until soft. (This will take less than a minute)

Add the shrimp, and sauté another 3 minutes or so, until they are cooked.

Add the sauce to the pan, and cook until it starts to thicken, about 2 more minutes.

Serve over brown rice and enjoy!

photo: Glasshouse Images                                           * sriracha is a hot Asian chili sauce,and is available at many supermarkets, and Asian food markets.

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Unrecipe of the Week

March 22, 2011

Here is an easy dish that is full of flavor, and has a slightly different twist for those of you who love the Asian Salmon recipe that I posted last year.

Salmon With Soba Noodles

Finely chop 2 garlic cloves, a small chunk of fresh peeled ginger, and a large handful of cilantro. Add the juice of one lime, about ½ cup of low sodium soy sauce, about 2 tablespoons of sesame oil and a little olive oil. Mix it all together in a bowl.

Cook soba noodles according to directions, usually about 3-4 minutes and drain well. Add this to the soy mixture and toss gently.

In the meantime, season salmon filets with salt and pepper and broil until cooked through and slightly crisp on top. (About 8 minutes, depending on broiler heat and size of filets.)

To serve:

Place soba noodles with sauce in a bowl, and put the salmon filet on top.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.

Enjoy!!!

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Unrecipe of the Week

October 13, 2009

Chinese BBQ Sauce

1211500380-1.JPGThis is a delicous sauce that can be used on chicken, meat or even tofu.  It’s got an Asian flair, and lot of flavor. I love to use it on chicken wings, and it’s also great on spareribs. No matter what you put it on, it’s finger licking good!!

Mince a couple of garlic cloves and a nice sized chunk of peeled  fresh ginger ( a similiar amount of each).

Add about a 1/2 cup of soy sauce, and a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil.

Mix in a small jar of prepared hoisin sauce, and a couple of tablespoons of honey.

Whisk all the ingrediants together by hand, or in a blender.

Pour over the protien and let it marinate in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook it. The sauce is flavorful enough, that you can cook the meat/ chicken /tofu right away if you are short on time.

Enjoy!

Photo: Glasshouse Images

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