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Sunday, October 25, 2009

Tsukemono: Nasu Age-bitashi




Simply put, Tsukemono is Japanese Pickled Vegetables. When I got my very own copy of Quick & Easy Tsukemono as an early birthday present, I couldn't wait to try out a few right away.

Author's note in the Preface struck a chord with me, when he says, ...Japanese enjoy plain, hot rice with tsukemono. Coming from India, where pickles are of a different sort, yet enjoyed very much with plain rice and hot ghee, I could relate very well to the experience the author shared about the Japanese way of eating.

While Indian pickles typically involve using spices and oil, Japanese pickles are simple delicacies with mild rice vinegar, sake, miso, soy sauce and maybe some ginger root, karashi (hot mustard, japanese), Yuzu citron, ginger root and chilli peppers for extra flavoring.

Of the many recipes, I was attracted to this Nasu Age-bitashi (marinated eggplant) tsukemono as it was quick, (ready in 30 mins), delicate and light, and used one of my favorite vegetables - i.e., eggplant :)

Now, I have this chronic inability to follow recipe to the letter and like to substitute ingredients if I can't find the exotic ones listed. In that sense, this Nasu Age-bitashi is not exactly as given in the book... I tweaked it a bit as my recipes lean towards being fusion cuisine, not quite authentic, yet tailored to my tastes.

Also, many times, I wonder if authors would be charitable if their recipes are taken verbatim and pasted across the web for free - so, I refrain from posting them. I like to use recipes in books for ideas, for directions in which I can flex my culinary muscles, and try to take away the principles and methods and apply it for my tastes... in this case, I was glad to take away the fact that miso and rice vinegar make such an interesting clean-tasting pickle within a short time.

Ingredients
6 Japanese style eggplants
2 bell peppers -or- 3 jalapeños cored/seeded
1 medium tomato -or- 5 small grape or cherry tomatoes
1 small white onion
1 clove garlic
vegetable oil for frying
dressing/flavoring:
1 tsp red miso
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp freshly cracked peppercorns

Preparation
  1. Get the dressing ingredients together, stir well and keep handy
  2. Cut the eggplant into wedges, bell peppers into rings, deep fry, drain and add to the marinade
  3. Slice onions and separate into rings, chop tomatoes and toss into the marinade with the eggplant and bell peppers
  4. Let it stand for 30 minutes and serve with hot plain rice

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Saturday, October 17, 2009

Zucchini and Eggplant in Spicy Sesame Sauce

Zucchini and Eggplant in Spicy Sesame Sauce
There's something about the combination of sesame seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, whole black pepper and dry red chilies ground together with coconut that makes a wonderful base for curries.

This spicy sesame sauce with eggplant and zucchini is quite simple. Just make the spice paste, cook the veggies and stir the paste in and let them simmer together a bit longer and it's done.

Ingredients
a chunk of large zucchini, peeled, cored and cut into largish pieces
1 globe eggplant, cut into largish pieces, as much as needed
salt to taste
1 Tbsp brown sugar
4-6 cups of water
1 tsp tamarind paste (if not available, use 4 Tbsp lemon juice instead)

spice paste:
2 Tbsp black sesame seeds
4 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
2 Tbsp whole black pepper
4-5 dry red chilies
¼ cup dry grated coconut (unsweetened)

Preparation
  1. Dry toast the spice paste ingredients, all except coconut, allow to cool a bit, then grind to fine paste with the coconut, keep handy
  2. Cook the veggies with just enough water, some salt and tamarind paste till par cooked
  3. Add the spice paste and allow to simmer a little longer till flavors meld
  4. Serve wrm with basmati rice

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Spicy Sautéed Brussel Sprouts


Among the few ways in which we like to have Brussel Sprouts, this spicy pan fried or sautéed is a simple favorite. Another being slit and stuffed like eggplant.

We had a big stalk/bunch of Brussel Sprouts from the farm, so this turned out a simple side for a weekend dinner, featuring plain Basmati rice and Keerai masiyal.

The spice powder varies depending on my mood. But, I had enough Ras Al Hanout from a batch I had made, and this seemed a perfect way to use it up.

Ingredients
4-5 cups fresh brussel sprouts halved or quartered into wedges, depending on size
2-3 Tablespoon Ras Al Hanout
1-2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt to taste
2 Tbsp canola oil
water as needed

Preparation
  1. Heat oil in a pan, add the brussel sprouts, salt, sauté till coated, add a little water, cover and allow to steam a bit if the brussel sprouts are large
  2. Add the Ras Al Hanout, turn up the heat a bit and pan fry for about 3-5 minutes to desired doneness

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Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Kabocha Squash, Zucchini, Eggplant hash

kabocha squash zucchini eggplant hash with salsa fresca


I had just a small bit of Kabocha squash left over after the pan-roasted Kabocha and Orzo in Creamy Kabocha Squash Sauce. And, I had super large zucchini from the farm, plus some eggplant to use up.

The combination of the three seemed to suggest some sort of vegetable pot-pie, ratatouille, vegetable curry or vegetable hash. The latter sounded interesting so I decided to make it for a Sunday morning brunch.

The idea is much like the regular potato hash - simply grate the veggies, par-cook them, then make a mixture with some binding agents so that it can be shaped into patties and pan-fry. Serve warm with Salsa Fresca or Cuban Mojo or Hot Cilantro Mojo. I went with simple salsa fresca.

Ingredients
1 cup grated Kabocha Squash
2 cups grated Zucchini (skin peeled before grating)
1 cup grated Eggplant (skin peeled before grating)
1 medium leek, washed, cleaned of outer leaves and grit, chopped finely
¼ cup canned kidney beans, mashed
½ cup instant mashed potatoes powder (dry potato powder), more or less, as needed
½ cup grated cheddar cheese (optional)
1-2 Tbsp corn starch, more or less
1 tsp nutmeg powder(less, if nutmeg is not a favorite)
1 egg, beaten
salt to taste
4-6 Tbsp oil for browning the hash on the pan

Preparation
  1. Squeeze the grated zucchini to remove as much moisture as possible, same with eggplant
  2. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan, add the grated veggies, mashed kidney beans, leeks, salt and spices; sauté till veggies are cooked but not mushy and all the water is gone
  3. Allow the mixture to cool a bit; mix in the cheddar; then add dry potato powder a little at a time to form a sort of loose dough; add cornstarch and the beaten egg for binding; cover and chill in the fridge for about 30-40 minutes
  4. Heat a little oil at a time in the pan, form the dough into patties and pan fry the patties on both sides till desired done-ness
  5. Serve warm with Salsa Fresca - tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapeño, onion, cucumber, lime juice, cilantro, salt, a touch of olive oil

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Monday, October 05, 2009

Wild Rice Soup

easy recipe wild rice soup

Wild rice, which is not really a commercial rice variety, is a grain native to North America that grows wild and hence is harder to harvest. But, with the outer husk left on, it has such a rich nutty flavor and texture that I find it incredibly delicious - in stew, or pilaf, and sometimes in soup.

As a short-cut, I prefer to cook the wild rice in rice cooker before adding to the soup. Per measure of wild rice, I use 3 cups of stock or water. I like to start the rice cooker on my way out to work in the morning, so that, when I get back in the evening, I just have to chop up the veggies, get the soup base ready and throw them all together in a pot, allow to simmer till ready, and serve hot.

The soup base is almost like the vegetarian Tom Yum Goong I like to make. But, I add a bunch of seasonal vegetable to the wild rice soup to make it feel like a whole meal, especially for a cold weeknight.


Ingredients:
2 cups cooked wild rice
veggies used here: Brussel sprouts, zucchini, tomatoes, Kabocha squash, leeks, green beans, corn, bell peppers - these are the usual autumn harvest vegetables fresh from the farm.
3 cups stock or water (more or less)
½ can coconut milk - about 1 cup (more, if preferred)
salt to taste
1 Tbsp soybean oil or hazelnut oil or canola oil (Oregon is famous for its hazelnuts)

for the soup base:
1 Tbsp lemongrass powder OR 2 Tbsp finely chopped inner stalks of fresh lemon grass
2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
¼ medium onion, diced (or equivalent shallots, if handy)
2-4 serrano chilies (or any kind whose heat you prefer and can enjoy)
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp Nam Prik Pow paste or Sambal Oelek (optional)
1 Tbsp soybean oil or canola oil

Preparation
  1. Combine the soup base ingredients and grind to a fine paste
  2. Heat oil in a pan, add the soup base and sauté a bit till aromatic and rawness fades
  3. Add the vegetables, sauté a bit more; then add the wild rice, stock or water, cover and allow to simmer together till vegetables are cooked through but not mushy
  4. Stir in the coconut milk, turn down the heat, garnish with spring onions or cilantro if preferred, serve warm



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Thursday, October 01, 2009

Pan-roasted Kabocha Squash

pan roasted kabocha squash

After the cow-train ride, and seeing Lucy llama, Victor goat and Lenny & Squiggy ducks, and climbing the hay pyramid, and checking out the pumpkins, the only thing left to do was get the farm fresh produce and head home.

And we did.

pan roasted kabocha squashThe Kabocha squash we got was a good size, and I couldn't use it all up for the Orzo in Creamy Kabocha Squash Sauce.

This Pan-roasted Kabocha Squash is very simple, really. But, just wanted to record the recipe anyway as it is quite tasty as a snack or appetizer, by itself.

Simply peel and cut into wedges, toss with oil and spices, and pan-roast (in a grill pan if available) over medium high heat till done. I left mine unattended for a bit as the wee one needed some TLC right away and so some of them got a bit more crispy-dark skin (read: charred) than I intended :)

Now, the spices listed here are usually handy in my spice rack, but, feel free to use whatever is handy - flavor is easily adjustable. Even though it seems like a long list of spices, with some of them having a tendency to overpower, the end result was quite interesting for me. (And yes, I didn't plan on adding all the spices, I just added a little of this and a little of that till it felt right).

If preferred, roast in a 400°F oven, in a single layer till desired doneness.

As a short-cut to cooking time, I microwaved the kabocha squash wedges till part-done and then pan-rosted.

Ingredients
20-24 wedges of peeled, cored Kabocha squash (more if preferred)
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp smoked paprika powder
½ tsp cinnamon powder
¼ tsp nutmeg powder
1 tsp dry sage
1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 Tbsp dry basil
1 Tbsp dry marjoram
salt to taste

Preparation
  1. Par-cook the kabocha squash wedges in microwave
  2. Drain and pat-dry and combine all the rest of the ingredients, toss well, arrange in single layer and roast in a grill pan, or just any pan; flip and roast both sides
  3. Alternately, roast in a 400°F oven till fully done
  4. Serve warm as a side, or even an appetizer. (I used the leftovers as a side for my favorite pepper rasam and rice meal for lunch the next day)

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