A Blast From The Past; Potstickers & Sesame Noodles...

Years ago, when I worked at MPAA, I used to hate cooking these things. The reason why had nothing to do with my lack of affection for them. Quite to the contrary it was the fact that they were so good that I would eat myself sick and piss off my boss by eating more than the guests we were serving. That and the fact that the ginger and garlic are normally so prevalent in this dish that it's hard not to offend those in close proximity with your spicy breath... I have a fix for that too.

Pork Potstickers

On the menu today: Pork Potstickers

The filling for pot stickers can be as versatile as you can dream up. Use shrimp, pork chicken, beef as a protein any of them will work and are equally good to me. The surprise in this is the crunch cabbage and the taste of ginger, garlic, mushrooms and sesame oil. The key however is to get one side of the dumpling brown (to stick to the pan) and crispy.

Dipping Sauce

• Soy sauce 
• Lime juice (1 Tbs)
• Toasted sesame seeds

Directions 

Combine and place in a dipping bowl.

Prep Ingredients

Dipping Sauce

 
Ingredients

• Ground pork (1 #) 
• Diced savoy cabbage (1 cup)
• Diced shitake mushrooms  (4-5 oz)
• Garlic (2 Tbs)
• Diced green onions (3 each) 
• Diced carrots (optional) 
• Fresh diced Ginger (1 Tbs)
• Lime zest (1 tsp) 
• Olive oil (2 Tbs) 
• Hoisin sauce (1 Tbs)
• Toasted sesame Oil (2 Tbs)
• Sriracha (1 Tbs)
• Salt & pepper (1-2 pinch)
• Vegetable oil (2-3 Tbs)
• Wonton wrappers (32 each)

Directions

Start off by combining ingredients 2-10 and combing in a mixing bowl. *(1) I added the step to saute the veggies first in olive oil and then (2) adding the raw ground pork. (2) Make the pot-stickers by placing the wrappers on a flat surface and placing a tablespoon of the mixture of pork into the center of the wonton wrapper. (4) Seal by rubbing the edges of the wrapper with water on your fingers,  *See this earlier post). folding to create a "half moon" shape and pinching the edges to close with a fork as seen below. (5) Store by placing a damp rag on top of the dumplings until ready to cook. (6) Place potsticker upright on the board and press down to make it flat (able to sit, point up on the board) as seen in pix 6.

(1) Sauteed veggies

(2) Veggie & raw pork filling

(3) Filling centered

(3) Filling

(4) Pressing edges

(5) Storing with a damp rag

(6) Ready to go

(7) Heat a skillet and add the pot-stickers with a touch of oil and allow to brown on the flat side. Should take about 3-5 minutes. To assure done-ness place 1/4 cup of water in the pan, cover and cook for an additional minute. Serve with soy dipping sauce and toasted sesame seeds. 

(7) Browned Potsticker 

Finished Product

* I found that cooking the veggies first adds a different element to the potstickers. Cooking the garlic and ginger along with these items allows for those items to be muted just enough so that you don't an over powering taste of them.


On the Menu Today: Sesame Noodles

Sesame Noodles

Ingredients 

• Pasta (8 oz) 
• Chicken breast (3 each) 
• Canola Oil (2 Tbs)
• Shredded carrots (1/2 cup) 
• Green onions (1/2 cup)
• Straw mushrooms (1 can) 
• Garlic (1 Tbs)
• Ginger (1 Tbs) 
• Soy sauce (2 Tbs)
• Hoisin (2 Tbs) 
• Sesame oil (1 Tbs) 
• Pasta water (1 cup)
• Peanut butter (3 Tbs)
• Miso paste (2 Tbs) 
• Sesame seeds (1 tsp) 

Directions

Cook the pasta until al dente, place in a serving bowl while reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. In a sauce pot add the miso paste, peanut butter, soy, and hoisin then heat to allow to thicken (about 3 minutes). Set aside for later use. In a heated saute pan or wok add the canola oil, carrots, and straw mushrooms to slightly brown before adding the garlic, ginger and green onions to cook for another 3 minutes. Add the chicken and the sauce before adding to the pasta and stirring. * Can be served hot, cold or at room temperature. Garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.

 

Let's Be Neighborly... Frango A' Passarinho & Feijoada...

There are certain dishes that promote a sense of neighborliness. Food that you cook in abundance often times requires or suggests that you invite folks over and "chop it up" (talk) for a while. There's a place in DC that I go to whenever I feel that way. The Grill From Ipanema, a Brazilian restaurant, is a place that begs for you to sit out on the patio, eat great food, have flavorful drinks and meet everyone on the patio. With so many dishes to choose from, there's something for everyone, but what I normally do is have a Caipirinha, order Frango A Passarhino and then finish it all off with Feijoada.

On the Menu Today: Frango A' Passarinho & Feijoada... 

Frango A' Passarinho

Feijoada

Frango A' Passarinho is fried chicken with this distinction; it is first cut into small pieces, kept on the bone for flavor and marinated in tons of garlic, olive oil and lemon juice before dusting with flour and deep frying until crispy then served with a spicy sauce for dipping. Feijoada is a bean and meat stew that is slow cooked for hours and well worth the wait and effort.

Frango
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cooking Time: 5-7 Minutes
Sauce Prep: 5 Minutes

Ingredients For Chicken

• Whole Chicken (1 each)
• Garlic Chunks ( 1/2 cup)
• Lemon Juice (1/2 cup)
• Olive Oil (2 Tbs)
• Flour (1/2 cup)
• Lemon-Salt (2 Tbs) 

Start off by cutting the chicken into small bite sized portions (bone in), or you can get the butcher at your local grocery store to do it for you as you purchase it. Make the marinade by adding the garlic, olive oil and lemon juice together and pouring over the chicken, allowing it to marinate for 30 minutes to 1.5 hours. Meanwhile add the lemon-salt to the flour and taste for flavor. Once the chicken is marinated to your liking, take the chicken out of the marinade and lightly dust with the flour mixture. Deep fry in a fryer that has been preheated to 350 degrees until crispy. Once all of the chicken is done add the garlic chunks, from the marinade to the fryer to caramelize (This won't take more than 45 seconds). Add the chicken and garlic to a bowl, add salt and toss to mix. Serve on a plate with a bowl of dipping sauce.

Sauce In Food Processor

Dipping Sauce Ingredients

• Lemon Juice (1/4 cup)
• Lime Juice (3 Tbs)
• Sugar (3 Tbs)
• Garlic (3 Tbs)
• Green Onions (2 each)
• Dijon Mustard ( 2 Tbs)
• Red Wine Vinegar (2 Tbs)
• Fresh Basil (1 bunch)
• Oregano (1 Tbs)
• Blood Orange (1-2 sections) 
• Caper Berries (8-9 each)
• Olive Oil (1/3 cup)
• Salt & Pepper (TT)

Add all ingredient to a food processor except for the olive oil and blend until mixed. Slowly pour in the olive oil until the sauce is thickened. More Mustard and oil can be added as an emulsifier.

Dipping Sauce

Frango

Feijoada
Prep Time: Overnight Soak
Cooking Time: 5-8 hours in Crock Pot


Ingredients

• Black beans (32 oz)
• Garlic (4 Tbs)
• Onions (2-3 each)
• Bay Leaf (5-7 each)
• Salt & Pepper (TT) 
• Ham Hocks (3-5 each)
• Chicken Stock (64 oz)
• Pork Belly Pieces (1 #)
• Linguica (5-6 each)
• Oregano (3 Tbs)

Start off by soaking the beans overnight. Drain in the morning and start off by adding the beans, ham hocks, bay leaves, water and 32 oz of chicken stock along with enough water to cover the beans. Cook on high for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat, cover and cook on simmer until done. *This will take at least 3 hours so leave them alone until at least 3.5 hours.

Meanwhile in a cast iron skillet, cook the roughly chopped or cut meat until crusty. Turn down the heat and add the onions, garlic, oregano and a bit of salt and pepper. Set aside, to be placed into the soup for the last 45 minutes of cooking.

*Once the beans are ready for consumption, take out a cup full cooked beans to add to a blender and add the 16-32 oz of chicken stock to the blender. Mix and place back into the crock pot, fold in the cooked meat and allow to cook for that last 45 minutes to an hour. Salt once done and eat with white rice. Serve as a soup or stew with a sliced orange on top. I chose to use a Blood Orange in the picture below. 

Serving Size

Bean Condiments: green onions, oranges, cilantro & spiced cornmeal

Sauteed Collard Greens Ingredients

• Collard Green (1 bag pre-washed)
• Garlic (2 Tbs)
• Olive Oil (2 Tbs)
• Red Chili Flake (TT) 
• Salt & Pepper (TT)
• Chicken Stock (1/2 cup)

Start by cutting the greens into small strips. Next add the oil to a wok or saute pan with the heat on high. Add the greens to wilt and reduce heat to add the garlic to brown slightly. Next add the chicken stock and cover for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add salt, pepper and chili flake to finish.

Collard Greens

Blood Orange Sections

While The Weather Outside Is Still Frightful... Chicken Pho

Winter has a tradition of hanging on a week or so longer than it needs to in D.C. In fact, last year March was the month in which we recorded the most snow. Last Thursday we got 8 inches of snow, so who knows what the rest of the month will hold. In times like this stew is normally the way to go, but with most of us being OVER winter and heavy foods I'm thinking of a hybrid; something that cures me of my winter blues while also pushing me forward to spring. It's also a soup that can help you clear out the refrigerator of all of the extra veggies or herbs that you may have before they go bad.

On The Menu Today: Chicken Pho...

Chicken Pho

I won't bother waxing poetic on the benefits, taste and sexiness of this soup, I'll let the pictures do the talking for me. This is the perfect bridge to spring 2015 so cook it, eat it and enjoy it...

Pulled Chicken

Prep Time:  3 Minutes

Cooking Time: 30- 45 Minutes 

Oven Temp: 425 degrees

Ingredients 

• Chicken Breast (1 per person) 
• Lemongrass (1/4 stalk) 
• Lemon (1 each)
• Garlic (1 Tbs)
• Bay Leaf (2 each)
• Chicken Stock (1 cup) 
• Water (1/2 cup)

Braising Chicken Breast

Pulled Chicken

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Next start off by drying off the chicken breast and searing it in a pan on high heat until a golden crust develops on each side of the chicken. This should take about 4 minutes (2 on each side). Place it in a deep baking dish for braising. Add the other ingredients in a pot to bring to a boil then pour the liquid over the chicken, cover and place this in the oven to cook for 30-45 minutes. Once cooked, take out of the dish an set aside to cool for pulling apart. Reserve the braising liquid as it will be added to the soup base later in the recipe.

Pho Soup Base & Noodles
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cooking Time: 1 Hour
Stove Temp: Boil Then Simmer

Ingredients

• Chicken Stock (64 Oz) 
• Sweet Onion (1 each) 
• Cinnamon Stick (1 each) 
• Star Anise (1 each) 
• Ginger (1 inch stalk)
• Lemongrass (1 stalk)
• Garlic (1 Tbs) 
• Olive Oil (1 Tbs)
• Lime zest  (1 tsp) 
• Salt & Pepper (TT) 

Start out by slicing the onion thinly, cutting some of the ginger into slices and others into chunks and adding the other dry ingredients to the pan along with the olive oil for a quick saute (this brings out oils in the spices) and finally adding the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Add the strained braising liquid to the soup base and then salt to taste.

For the noodles, simply boil water and add the boiled water to a bowl with the noodles and cover to allow to steep for 10 minutes.

Quick Saute

Soup Base

Glass Noodles

Condiments & Additions

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cooking Time: N/A

Stove Temp: N/A

Ingredients

• Shredded Carrots
• Basil 
• Sweet Onions (thinly sliced) 
• Red & Green Jalapenos
• Green Onions 
• Lime Wedges 
• Cilantro 
• Mung Bean Sprouts 
• Sriracha
• Fish Sauce 
• Hoisin Sauce 

Fresh Throw Ins

Sriracha, Fish Sauce & Hoisin Sauce

Extra Thrown Ins

• Savoy Cabbage (whatever you have) 
• Straw Mushrooms (1 can) 

Savoy Cabbage: diced and sauteed

Straw Mushrooms: sauteed

Start off by dicing the cabbage and adding a Tbs of oil to a pan or wok and sauteing for 3- 5 minutes or until the cabbage starts to caramelize . Add salt and set aside as an extra condiment. Do the exact same thing for the mushrooms.

To build the soup start by getting an over-sized bowl and placing a handful of noodles and shredded chicken, mushrooms and cabbage into the bowl. Next bring the soup base to a boil then add it to the over-sized bowl. Next add the condiments (herbs & veggies) before finally adding the sauces. Eat with chopsticks and drink the broth by tilting the bowl. This is a recipe that is sure to chase away any cold, along with the blues that come with an ongoing, never ending winter.  Bon Appétit...