Home-garden Zucchini Crispy Pan-fried

Summer was rather unseasonably hot here. Al fresco dining was a frequent option, to just hang out in the backyard and catch the evening breeze as the sun sets and the air cools a bit.

Fresh veggies and fruits, with minimal cooking was my goal. And this particular meal seemed to fit the bill perfectly, served buffet-style, a few weeks ago.

Some tender zucchini from the garden got made into these incredibly addictive crispy pan-fried slices. Coat the zucchini slices with some olive oil. Grate some Parmesan, combine it with some seasoning. Press the oiled zucchini slices into the seasoned Parmesan and pan-fry till both sides are crispy

Carrots and cucumber from the farmers market became Indian-style salads: Cucumber got tossed with some salt, cayenne pepper, lime juice and cilantro. Grated carrots got tossed with some grated ginger, salt, toasted cumin seeds, and lemon juice.

We had picked fresh blueberries at the farm, diligently working under scorching sun, thinking about seasonal migrant workers who usually take on this tedious job for minimal wages, and wondering all the costs that go into keeping the berries fresh when they arrive at the local supermarkets... Kids were truly appreciative of the labor and the incidental costs, which hopefully will make them more responsible and discerning consumers when they grow up...

Skillet Chicken Parmesan

Eggplant Parmesan is a top favorite for the adults in the household, not the kids. Not yet. And, while Chicken Parmesan is enjoyed much by all but me, I do not make it often, mainly due to the labor involved.

This time, these easy Skillet Chicken Parmesan pleased the kids and the other adult taste-wise and suited me fine labor-wise.

Thinly sliced chicken breasts are breaded and pan cooked and then finished off in the same hot skillet, with oozing mozzarella for the stringy goodness.

Ingredients
2 chicken breasts, sliced thin, and cut in half if preferred, and marinated in red wine vinegar
Flour for dusting, egg white and Panko/breadcrumbs for coating
Tomato sauce
Parmesan, grated,
Mozzarella, thinly sliced
Olive oil as needed

Preparation

1. Drain and pat dry the marinated chicken, dust with flour, dip in egg whites and press into a plate of Panko breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan for coating
2. Heat oil in a skillet, cook the chicken till crisp on both sides, remove and keep handy
3. In the same hot skillet, add the tomato sauce, layer with some grated Parmesan, add the chicken, place more mozzarella slices on top, cover and simmer till mozzarella melts
4. Finish off under the broiler if preferred to get the cheese browned and crispy

Kale and Southwest Veggies Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Israeli Cous Cous

Simple saute of kale with southwest blend veggies like onions, peppers, corn, black beans, and maybe some mushrooms, is versatile as a base for many other dishes.

A good helping of this sauteed veggie blend wrapped in home-made rotis makes a fantastic lunch. And the leftovers come in handy for this chicken dish.

Ingredients
chicken breast, boneless skinless, thinly sliced
some red wine vinegar and Bragg Liquid Aminos for marinating

Veggies blend: Kale, corn, black beans, onions, red peppers, ancho chilies, mushroom, sun-dried tomatoes

Spices: either store-bought cajun seasoning or home-blend of favorite spices

A few tablespoon oil for pan-cooking

Ptitim, aka Israeli Cous Cous

Some toothpicks

Preparation

1. Thinly slice a medium chicken breast into three slices, pound to uniform thickness as needed 
2. Marinate in some red wine vinegar and Bragg liquid aminos for a few hours to overnight 
3. Saute the veggies with spices and keep handy
4. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium low heat
5. Assembly: Place a scoop of the sauteed veggies on a marinated thin slice of chicken breast; roll it up, pulling in the sides, and secure with toothpicks so it doesn't unravel while cooking
6. Gently arrange the stuffed chicken breasts on the hot skillet, cover and allow to cook over medium heat till the bottom is seared and the inside is cooked
7. Flip gently and cook the other side as well until the thickest part registers 165 ° F
8. Cover and allow to rest before serving with cooked cous cous

Pan-Seared Yellow Eye Rockfish Infused with Hibiscus Tea and Tamarind

Another small portion of the Alaskan Yellow Eye rockfish was in the freezer, caught by the other adult last summer.

For over half a dozen years now, I have been savoring hibiscus tea made with dried hibiscus flowers as my beverage of choice for a relaxing evening. I've used the thick steeped hibiscus tea for home-dyeing of small fabric projects with the kids.

While making the thick gravy-ish sauce/topping for the pan-seared yellow eye, I decided to incorporate some of the lovely flavor (and color!) of the hibiscus tea that I had steeping handily in the tea pot.

Some fresh baby kale leaves and arugula leaves from the home-garden was rubbed with a hint of olive oil and sprinkled with a dash of lime juice to make a quick side salad.

Ingredients
½ onion, diced
6-8 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 large tomato, chopped

½ cup thick rich hibiscus tea
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper powder
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon tamarind paste
salt to taste

2 Tablespoons olive oil

fairly thin fish fillets, thawed and ready to cook

Preparation

1. Grind the onions, garlic, and tomato to a coarse paste
2. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil, add the paste, some salt, and saute
3. Add some hibiscus tea and saute some more till the gravy is rich and aromatic
4. Rub the fish fillets with salt, cayenne pepper, and tamarind paste
5. In another pan, heat another tablespoon of oil and add the fish fillets
6. Flip when bottom side is golden brown, and a dash of balsamic vinegar and hibiscus tea
7. Cook till fish is done

Breaded Halibut with Poblano Peppers and Colorful Sweet Peppers

Another hunk of halibut fillet was thawed and ready in the fridge, part of a 10-pounder that the other half caught in Alaska last summer.

Breading and pan-frying is the easiest, but it can get boring if just using plain old bread crumbs or Panko all the time. So, in an effort to use up the soon-to-go-stale Triscuit™ crackers, I went with a fun breading made out of roasted almonds, parsley, and the said Triscuit. Simply crumble them in a blender.

Poblano peppers when sauteed give out this delicious flavor and aroma, which when combined with red onions and sweet peppers can be heavenly. This formed the veggie accompaniment to the breaded halibut, which was pan-cooked. Rather than dip in egg whites before the crumb coating, I dipped in buttermilk and pressed into the breading mix, on both sides.

Heat some oil in a cast-iron skillet that is moderately hot, place the breaded halibut fillet and press down, leave it undisturbed in medium heat till browned and firmed on one side. Carefully flip and cook the other side as well. If the flipping is not done with caution, the breading will peel off. Cook till fish is done, about 150° F in the thickest part.

Herb and Almond Encrusted Pan Seared Halibut Fingers

I said, "Holy Bagumba!" emulating Flora, from Flora & Ulysses by Kate Dicamillo, when I came to know about the humongous halibut that the nicer half caught in Alaska. Yes, even accounting for the fact that fishermen tend to exaggerate, the proof was in front of my eyes, I couldn't discount it.

Not being a big fish and seafood fan, the catch-o'-the-day stories don't excite me much personally. But, knowing the health benefits of pristine fish, and knowing how much the rest of the family loves to eat the recent Alaskan catch, and, especially knowing how expensive halibut can be, I am grateful that I get to cook it up for them in as many interesting ways as possible.

These pan-cooked halibut fingers are encrusted with my favorite herb+almond coating. Served in a bed of crisp Romaine hearts, they are perfect as snack; or can be served as a major part of a balanced dinner along with veggies and buckwheat bhaturas.

Some home-garden mint, fennel, oregano plus raw almonds and one Serrano chili got pulsed coarsely, with a dash of salt, to make the crusty coating.

This time, I dredged the halibut in seasoned Pride of the West™ batter mix, then, dipped in lightly beaten eggs, then, pressed onto the herb-almond crumbs to make a firm coating. Then, pan fried in a cast-iron skillet till done.

A simple dish that comes together quickly and is immensely satisfying for the folks at home.

Stems, Stems, Stems: Broccoli, Kohlrabi, Kale Stem Kinpira

After the Burdock Kinpira not too long ago, I've been itching for more of that special Japanese sauté and simmer style plate of wholesome goodies.

Since I don't usually throw away edible stems and stalks of greens and veggies knowing I can find a nice way to incorporate them in my cooking, I had this huge pile of kohlrabi stems, kale stems, broccoli stems, chard stems, even bok choy stems. To a casual observer, it is just a pile of compost, but to me, it was heaven beckoning.

Simply chop into uniform size to facilitate even cooking. In a cast iron skillet, heat some sesame oil and sauté the stems; add in the chosen flavoring condiments, some braising liquid, cook till all the liquid is absorbed and the stems are cooked to satisfaction.

For flavoring, I went with Ponzu, apple cider vinegar, mirin, a touch of sambal oelek, and a generous sprinkling of smoked paprika for that bright color and cozy warmth. Just a splash of water as needed, enough to get the veggies softened and juices flowing. That's it.

Another batch got a slightly different flavoring: Worcestershire sauce, white vinegar, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, adjusted to taste. Since I make this kinpira-style dish often enough -- whenever there is a pile of stems to use up -- it's nice to change up the flavors to see if there is a new favorite in the horizon.

A bunch of mustard greens are growing in the garden. Tender baby mustard greens are a fantastic addition to salads. I love to pop a leaf in my mouth and wait for the sharp wasabi-like burst when munching it down. It starts off surprisingly sweet and then just explodes. Delicious!

Topped with some caramelized sweet onions and green chilies, garnished with some fresh baby mustard greens, this plate of stems got a boost from some carrot sticks I threw in for contrast while sautéing. Not a super-fancy dish or anything, but, quite satisfying to use up edible stems and stalks.

To make a feast of it, I serve some veggie pot stickers and a cleansing cucumber salad along with the kinpira.

Cassava Fries

These pan-fried cassava sticks are easy to make. With some dipping sauces, they are a fun alternative to potato fries. Since cassava is quite a bit more expensive than potatoes and hard to find sometimes, I don't make this often. Every once in a while (more like once a year or so), I pick up one large piece from the market and make it a special occasion to incorporate it into dinners. It is not yet a favorite with any of us at home, but why should that stop me from cooking it, right? Be open to trying new things is the mantra at home.

Simply, peel and cut into sticks. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet, add these cut cassava in a single layer, allow to crisp on one side. Then flip and crisp on other sides as preferred. Splash water as needed and cover and allow to steam-cook till tender enough to your liking. Season with salt and chili powder.

Pan-roasted Radish and Brussels Sprouts

I

A big bunch of rainbow radish hop-skip-and-jumped into my shopping basket at the farmers market.

Rather than adding it raw to salads or cooking Indian-style Dal or Sambar, I went with a searing and pan-roasting them with Brussels sprouts.  Flavoring with Balsamic vinegar, mirin, and Braggs Liquid Aminos, and sautéing the radish greens along with the radishes and Brussels sprouts, seemed to make the dish all the more appealing.

Brussles Sprouts by themselves are relished in many ways at home, a few of which are shared in the Brussels Sprouts Fete post about four years ago. And, am sure this combo of radishes and Brussles sprouts can be cooked in any of those delicious methods.

With some Tabbouleh and pan-roasted sweet potato medallions, the roasted radish and Brussels sprouts rounded out a simple but filling weeknight meal.

The sweet potato medallions were roasted on a cast iron skillet with a touch of brown sugar for caramelization. 

Tabbouleh, a quick and simple salad,  tastes even better the next day. Just some chopped celery, carrots, purple cabbage, sweet onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, feta, walnuts, apples, cranberries, parsley tossed with softened bulgur. Of course, bulgur is high in carbs, complex carbs - but also high in fiber and low in fat, plus has a nice amount of protein. Being a low GI food, I like that it is easy to make and is good all round.

The dressing is just lime/lemon juice and olive oil, some salt to taste, plus a splash of orange zest for this tabbouleh.

I had a small lump of Jalapeño goat cheese and served small discs of it as garnish to add a bite to the roasted radish and Brussels sprouts.

Pan-fried Sunchokes aka Jerusalem Artichokes

Much like taro root, sunchokes might cause severe gas and bloating in some with its inulin content, especially when served raw. Of course, each person's tolerance varies but I enjoy these sunchokes (and taro) only occasionally and only in small doses, even though I love the flavor and texture when they are pan-fried or roasted.

With a texture like potatoes and taste like artichokes, this unique tuber lends itself to mashing, pureeing, baking, frying, roasting...

Par-cooking them and then roasting them in the oven cut into shoestring "fries" much like potatoes is a quick and easy way to serve this. But, my preferred way to cook is pan-frying with a touch of balsamic vinegar and spices to crisply caramelize the outsides and have a soft-cooked inside.

Simply peel and chop them into slices, and par-cook them in the microwave or steamer till slightly-tender but not mushy.

Heat olive oil in a cast-iron skillet and arrange the cooked slices in a single layer. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar, smoked paprika, salt, and herbs if preferred (rosemary and oregano from the garden comes in handy sometimes).

Allow the bottom side to crisp and brown a bit and then flip them to cook the other side, adding a splash of balsamic vinegar and a sprinkle of brown sugar, if preferred.

Garnish and serve warm with brown rice.

Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Kale

This simple and quick-to-cook dish is a favorite side. Just a touch of salt, black pepper and balsamic vinegar, sautéed till done and served hot with lightly toasted artisan bread is a perfect meal on a nippy fall evening.


Ingredients
Kale, chopped
Brussels sprouts, halved if large, and par-cooked
a few cherry tomatoes (optional)
red onions, sliced thinly
black pepper, salt, balsamic vinegar as needed
1 Tbsp olive oil

To speed up the process on a weeknights, I cook the Brussels sprouts in the microwave; meanwhile, I chop the kale and onions and start sautéing them first in a hot pan with hot oil; then, when Brussels sprouts are done, simply drain and add them, cut side down, to the kale and onions, adjust balsamic vinegar and salt as desired and allow to brown.

Sweet Potato and Red Cabbage Croquettes

Some dishes just come into existence out of the need to use up small bits of remaining vegetables. Half a sweet potato and a small wedge of red cabbage came together for these surprisingly interesting croquettes. Some were deep-fried unbreaded, and some were breaded and pan-fried.

The croquettes, along with pan-fried polenta cakes and lightly steamed broccoli, made quite a filling dinner.

Ingredients
½ large sweet potato
½ to ¾ cup finely chopped red cabbage
2 to 3 high fiber whole wheat bread slices
1 tsp Cajun seasoning salt (more to taste)
½ tsp cumin powder (optional)
½ tsp coriander powder (optional)

Canola or vegetable oil for frying

Preparation

1. Microwave/Steam the sweet potato till soft, drain and pat dry; mash it along with the rest of the ingredients, adding enough bread to be able to shape the dough; shape into small logs
2. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a grill-pan over medium-high heat, place the shaped logs, allow to brown, turn around and brown all sides; if breadcrumbs are handy, bread the logs before shallow pan-frying
   
3. Alternately, deep fry

Cous-cous Loaf, Sliced and Pan-fried

Reconstituting leftovers was one of my mom's specialties. In those days, she believed in cooking a huge meal often because we'd usually have family and friends drop in, and depending on the meal time my mom always insisted on feeding everyone, forcibly if needed. Hospitality culture that I grew up in is simply wonderful. And, as a guest, it is an affront to refuse refreshments/meals offered by the host.

Anyway, so, there were days when a pot full of upma, or a dozen idlees sat around, uneaten. Spoilt brats that we were, we refused to eat leftovers in the same form. So, my mom used to get creative about rehashing the leftovers and making something "new" for us. I am glad I picked up a few pointers from her even if inadvertently.

Cous-cous, plain white rice, noodles, upma - they all lend themselves well to reconstitute for the next day. Rice, of course, is rather easy - they can become coconut rice or lemon rice or mango rice or vangi baath or mint and spinach rice or peas-and-cumin rice... endless possibilities.

Noodle pancake is a great way to use up the extra noodles, not to mention the various noodle salads, casseroles, and noodle soups that they can become.

While not the traditional way, sometimes I make leftover upma into upma kozhakattai.




While Cous-cous patties and vada are a popular choice at home, these pan-fried slices of cous-cous loaf are enjoyed as well.

Not very different in concept from cous-cous patties, the cous-cous loaf is rather easy to make. Simply sauté any veggies we'd like to add to the plain cooked leftover cous-cous, toss them all together, allow to cool a bit; then, line a bread loaf pan with cling wrap, pack the cous-cous down in there tight, cover with the cling wrap, and leave in the fridge to set for an hour or two up to overnight. Then, slice up the loaf and pan fry them till crisp on the outside. Serve with favorite tomato sauce.

Ingredients
4 to 6 cups of leftover cooked cous cous
vegetables: onions, ginger, garlic, peas, carrots, bell peppers
spices: cumin powder, coriander powder, paprika
canola oil
cling wrap, small loaf pan or any container that could make a roughly rectangular shaped loaf

Preparation

1. Sauté the vegetables in a tablespoon of canola oil, add the cous-cous and a ¼ cup of water if needed, cover, and allow to cook on low heat for a few minutes till they come together in harmony
2. Allow to cool a bit and pack it down in a cling wrap lined loaf pan, and let it set in the fridge for a few hours
3. Unwrap carefully, cut into about 1-inch slices and pan-fry till the outsides are crisp and brown
4. Serve warm with tomato sauce, with a side of carrot salad

Carrot Salad
grated carrots
finely chopped spring onions
dried cranberries, raisins, walnuts or almond slivers

Combine the salad ingredients and toss with Blue Agave Nectar & Aka Miso Dressing.

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.

The 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)

Simple pan-fried gyoza packets

I was sifting through my photos and remembered this crisp and hot snack we had a few months back, before my summer trip to India.

Nothing extraordinary about it except the memory associated with it - it was an overcast weekend and I wanted something quick and fried, but fairly "healthy", so this was just pan-fried, not deep-fried.

I wasn't in the mood for pot-stickers, although that was the intention when I bought these wrappers. Spring rolls or samosa was on my mind that day but spring roll wrappers weren't handy...

Anyway, at some point, I wanted to teach myself how to make gyoza wrappers at home, but, store-bought wrappers are what make this snack appealing to me - easy to make and they have a slightly different texture compared to deep-fried spring roll wrappers.

Ingredients
Gyoza wrappers
some veggies for filling
some oil for pan frying

Preparation

1. Shred cabbage, carrots, onions; grate some ginger, crush some cloves of garlic
2. Sauté them with a touch of salt, keep this filling handy
3. Prepare the gyoza: add just enough filling to the wrappers (I tend to overfill and create a mess), fold as preferred - I just make a packet, nothing fancy, just like a gift-wrap, then, seal with some water
4. Heat about 1 Tbsp of oil in a pan, place the packets carefully, allow to brown on both sides evenly
5. Serve warm with dipping sauces, as appetizers or an afternoon snack

Mock Kibbeh with Ras al Hanout

This recipe is again inspired by Kibbeh recipe in Moorish by Lucy and Greg Malouf. Kibbeh is traditionally made with lamb, but since we don't eat lamb, I decided to make it with chickpeas. In that sense this is more of a glorified falafel than a kibbeh :)

Essentially, this is an ordinary pan-fried patty. However, I had made a batch of Ras al Hanout, a Moroccan spice mix from the same book, and liked it a lot, so, was looking for ways to incorporate it in my cooking.

Ras al Hanout is sort of like Indian Garam masala blend of spices, sometimes having up to 30 ingredients some of which are exotic and hard to find. But, this recipe in the book presented a humbler version and I had all the ingredients needed for it. I did adjust the flavors a bit after the first batch which turned out a bit overpowering for my taste, so this is not an authentic spice blend.

Ingredients for Ras al Hanout:
4 Tbsp cumin seeds
4 Tbsp coriander seeds
2 Tbsp whole black pepper
6 cardamom pods
1 Tbsp fennel seeds
2 Tbsp sweet paprika powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder
2 Tbsp cayenne pepper powder
1 Tbsp brown sugar
½ tsp allspice powder

Preparation

1. Toast the first five ingredients lightly till aromatic, allow to cool a bit
2. Combine all the ingredients and grind to a fine powder, allow to cool completely and store in an air tight container

For mock kibbeh, the texture of the mixture makes it retain its structural integrity, else it falls apart easily or gets dense. I've varied the ingredients a bit each time I've made it and it has all turned out okay so far. Adjust the ingredients below to suit your tastes.

Ingredients
½ cup cooked chick peas, drained and crushed to paste
3-4 Tbsp fine cornmeal, or tabbouleh mix if handy
1-2 shallots minced finely
1 Tbsp Ras al Hanout
salt to taste
2 Tbsp olive oil
water as needed
some buckwheat flour or all-purpose flour, as needed, to bind

4-8 Tbsp canola oil for pan-cooking the patty

Preparation

1. Combine the ingredients for the patty, knead it well so it can hold its shape; if not, refrigerate for about 30-45 minutes before pan-frying
2. Heat some oil in a pan, cook the patties on both sides till well done on the inside; I usually "sacrifice" one patty - cut it open to see if it is done
3. Allow to cool a bit before serving
4. Drawing inspiration from Lucy & Greg's recipe, I serve it here with some salad made with mesclun greens from our garden

Marinated Pan-fried Tofu

This is a versatile ingredient in many of my favorite dishes that I decided to dedicate one post to it entirely.

I like Extra Firm tofu for this; the size of the chunks and the marinade depends on my mood and the dish I want to use them in; I usually make a few batches of marinade and reserve some for later use or to be used as sauce as in ginger-soy-eggplant-tofu dish

Here are a couple of options:

ginger-soy-sesame marinade:
2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
4 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp tamarind concentrate
2 tsp cayenne pepper (less if you prefer)
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp sesame seeds (toasted, if preferred)
1 finely chopped green chili
1 Tbsp black bean paste (optional)


red-chili-soy-sesame-oil:
3 Tbsp red chili paste (or sambal oelek)
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp mirin

Preparation

1. cut the tofu into chunks and marinate for 10-15 minutes, if desired
2. alternately, add the marinade and refrigerate it overnight or for about 8 hrs - shake it once or twice to spread the marinade around
3. heat about 2 Tbsp oil in a pan, place the tofu cubes without crowding the pan too much, leave heat in medium and pan fry till sides turn brown - turning the tofu chunks as needed so they are evenly fried on all sides
4. pan-fried tofu refrigerates well - lasts about 4-5 days, but freezes fine too - lasts about a month or so (i've not stored it longer than that, so am not sure if it will last longer...)
5. toss it with noodles or in ginger-soy-eggplant-tofu dish