Crunchy Vegetable Salad with Warm Peanut Dressing and 7-Minute Egg

Jack's been on a peanut butter and toast breakfast kick lately so peanut butter's back on my radar. It's some pretty messy stuff when you mix it with a 1.5 year old. No matter how well I wash his face and hands after breakfast, I swear I still smell peanut butter on him at the end of the day. Where is he saving it??  In his hair and behind his ears. Anyway, the weather's warming up and my dutch oven is going into summer hibernation. It's time for salads and the grill! This is from Bon Appetit. There are a lot of peanut sauce recipes out there but this is the best one I've had in a long time. The salad is delicious and can keep for days - it's also really filling and makes a great dinner. You could easily add chicken or shrimp to this.

Sauce

2 green Thai chilis or jalapenos, seeded, cored, minced
1 clove of garlic
1 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp fish sauce

Salad

4 eggs (or as many people you're serving)
1/4 head of Napa cabbage, thinly sliced
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 seedless cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1/3 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/3 cup peanuts, chopped
4 cups cooked brown rice

1. Add all sauce ingredients to a small sauce pan with 1/4 cup of water. Heat over medium-low, whisking often until hot, about 5 minutes. If it gets to thick, add a little more water.

2. Add eggs to a pot of boiling water and cook for 7 minutes. Transfer eggs to bowl of ice water until cooled. Gently peel and set aside.

3. Toss the cabbage, scallions celery, cucumber, cilantro, mint in a large bowl. Serve over warm or chilled brown rice with peanut sauce on top and halved eggs on the side.

Spicy Turkey Burgers

I don't know about you, but when I think of turkey burgers I think of hockey pucks. Or sawdust? Let's just say I usually go for the juicy, grease-dripping beef version. Until now. This turkey burger recipe is out of this world (actually out of Joanne Chang's Flour Too cookbook). I can't get enough of her...or these burgers. This makes 4 - double it and put half in the freezer and have the others during the week over a salad. You won't be disappointed. The tomato-onion jam by the way, is optional but highly recommended. You'll use all of it, but even if you didn't, there's a million things you could do with it. Also - do not substitute the fresh breadcrumbs for that store bought stuff...remember how I mentioned saw dust...?

Tomato Onion Jam
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, in 1/2-inch slices
1 lb plum tomatoes, halved, pulp and seeds removed, chopped
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
Generous amount of salt and pepper

Turkey Burgers
3 slices of white break (I used a bun and a half from the buns I bought for this)
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 medium onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb ground turkey
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 minced chipotle chile (I keep these in a jar in my fridge - you open the can, use one and then what? Add them to soups, use to marinate chicken, in chili...etc)
1 egg
3 tbsp chopped basil
2 tbsp chopped parsley
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350.
1. To make the jam, heat oil in a saucepan, add the onion and tomatoes and cook for 30-40 mins, stirring occasionally until it's thickened. Add salt, pepper, pepper flakes and stir until mixed. Let cool.

2. In a food processor (or with your hands), process the bread until it turns to crumbs.

3. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium. Add onion and cook until softened, add the garlic and cook for another 2 mins.

4. In a large bowl, add the turkey, cooked onions and garlic, the mustard through the salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix until well incorporated. Form the burgers - make them as thin as possible without breaking them (and so that you can get them into the pan).

5. Heat your skillet and add some olive oil. Cook the burgers about 3 minutes per side - only turning once, when they're browned a bit. Transfer to a baking sheet and pop in the oven for about 20 minutes (depending on thickness) - internal temp should be at least 165.

Serve on a roll with the tomato jam.

Spicy Pork with Asparagus

Have I mentioned that we have a Thai restaurant around the corner from our house? It's like a ski lodge in the way that it pumps out delicious smells from its fan in the back - luring in people off the street who weren't even hungry in the first place. It blows directly at our house. On summer nights while we sit on the balcony having a beer, our mouths water and inevitably conversation turns to spring rolls and pad thai. In the winter, if the wind's blowing the right direction, I catch a whiff just before I turn the key in the door. But we don't order in too often, and usually because making it at home is more delicious, much cheaper...and we know what's in it (healthier and less scary). This is not a Thai recipe but the next time you get a hankering for Chinese take-out or something of the sort, make this instead. Your taste buds (and bowels) will thank you.

3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine
2 tsp cornstarch
~12 oz ground pork (you can use varied amounts, this week I happened to have 1/2 lb in the freezer which worked just fine)
3 tsp sesame oil
1 handful of asparagus (whatever is rubberbanded together at the store), trimmed and cut on diagonal into 1/2 pieces
1 jalapeno, minced with seeds (if you're afraid of spicy, go easy on the seeds)
1 tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp honey
2 green onions, thinly sliced
salt
Soft boiled or poached eggs (optional)

1. Whisk 1 tbsp soy, rice wine, and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Add pork, toss to blend.

2. Heat 2 tsp oil in a wok or large/deep skillet over high heat (yes - HIGH. Don't be shy, this is why they call it stir fry. If you go for less, you'll end up with smushy veggies and pork without the brown caramel bits). Add asparagus, jalapeno and ginger. Toss until crisp-tender (about 3 mins). Boil water and add your eggs. Cook for 6-7 mins.

3. Remove the asparagus and place in a bowl, leaving the oil/ginger in the pan. Add the remaining oil and add the pork. Stir fry until browned and cooked through, breaking up the chunks.

4. Return the asparagus to the pan, add the remaining soy, oyster sauce, honey and green onions and stir until well combined.

Serve over white jasmine rice. I happened to have some leftover white rice in the fridge which I just threw in at the end and mixed with everything else.

Rajmah - Sara's Indian Chili

So I guess I'm on a bit of a bean kick here. We were over at our friends Sara and Kiran's house not too long ago celebrating Sara's (a different Sara) birthday. Kiran's family is Indian so we were pretty sure that we'd be treated to some Indian deliciousness. Ironically, the Saras made this, not Kiran. Paddy and I were blown away at the flavor...I was even more surprised when Sara sent me the recipe and I realized how EASY it is!!

1/4 cup chopped fresh ginger
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 large green chili, chopped (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (double if you don't use green chili)
8 oz can of tomato sauce

1 cup chicken broth
3 cups boiled red kidney beans or 30 oz can of red kidney beans, undrained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a deep saucepan. Add ginger, garlic, onion, green chili and let sizzle for one minute. 

2. Add the tomato sauce, salt and remaining spices and cook for an additional five minutes, stirring frequently. 

3. Add the kidney beans with water or canned red kidney beans (undrained) plus 1 cup of water, and tomatoes. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and let cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Garnish with cilantro.

4. Serve over rice or with naan. A dollop of plain yogurt on top is heavenly.

Chicken Biryani

Let me start by saying that when I started searching for a good biryani recipe, I quickly realized how serious this stuff is. You take so much for granted when you eat out - especially Indian food. I love it but I don't make it that often. You gotta have a stocked spice collection for this and if you don't, it's a good excuse to go out and buy some spices that you should  have. This takes a while but sometimes a good long cook is what the soul needs. Just make sure to open your windows...

PS - don't be alarmed by the number of ingredients - this serves about 4-5 people and is great for leftovers.

7-8 onions (very thinly sliced and deep fried until light brown - DON'T skip this step)
10 cashews, fried in a little clarified butter (recipe for clarified butter below)
4 - 6 skinless chicken thighs, quartered
1 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp garlic paste
2 cups basmati rice (washed and soaked in salted water for at least 30 mins)
4 tbsp oil and oil for frying the onions
2 cinnamon sticks
4 cloves
4 cardamom pods
3 bay leaves
1/4 tsp caraway seeds
4 large tomatoes (finely chopped)
1/4 tsp mace powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp tumeric
2-3 chopped green chilis (or you can use sambal for heat)
1 tbsp ginger, chopped
1 tbsp garlic, chopped
1/2 cup milk
pinch of saffron
4 tbsp clarified butter
2 cups cilantro, chopped

1. Marinate the chicken in the yogurt, garlic paste and a pinch of salt for about 8 hours.

2. Heat oil in a dutch oven and fry the onions, separating with your fingers as you put them in. Keep stirring the onions as they fry so that they get evenly browned. Be careful not to have oil too hot - you don't want to burn them on the outside. Remove onions and set aside on a paper towel. They will crisp up once they cool. Drain most of the oil from the pot.

3. Boil the rice in a large pot - it's a lot of rice so use a big one! Put lots of water in the pot - you'll cook the rice like pasta. Also put in 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 2 cardamom pods, 1/4 tsp caraway seeds and salt. Boil for about 5-7 minutes or until rice is al dente. Be careful not to over cook - it'll cook more later. Drain rice and spread it on a cookie sheet to let cool.

4. In the dutch oven, add the bay leaves, and remaining cloves, cinnamon and cardamom. When they crackle, add the ginger, garlic and chiles. Saute for a minute and add the chicken and marinade. Cook until the liquids dry up.

5. Add the tomatoes, 1/3 of the fried onions, all of the powdered spices, salt and cook until the juices from the tomatoes evaporates. The chicken should be just cooked and most/all of the juices gone. Turn off the heat and set aside.

6. Warm the milk and add the saffron so it turns yellow.

7. In a deep, heavy-bottom pot (important to avoid burning) with a lid, spread some clarified butter. Then put a layer of rice, and a layer of chicken. Sprinkle a generous handful of cilantro and fried onions.  Repeat the layers and have rice be the top layer. Sprinkle remaining onions and all of the cashews over the top.

8. Pour the saffron milk on top using a spoon, evenly covering the whole area.

9. Cover the pot with foil and put the lid over it. Cook on very low heat for 45 minutes.

Clarified Butter
Heat 1 stick of butter over medium low. When melted, take off the heat and let sit until the butter settles and a translucent layer forms on top. Carefully spoon out the translucent layer and discard the rest.

Sichuan Pork Stir Fry

The hotter the better right? Well, this one's five-alarm. Modify this recipe according to your heat threshold and be careful when making this for guests...I have come to realize that not everyone finds sweat the sign of a good meal. Personally, once the beads form under my eyes and on my forehead, I know I've reached optimal spice. Just make sure you have a bottle of Zantac close-by for later. This one's from Cooks Illustrated and what surprised me was how tender the pork was! Is it the baking soda soak? Who knew?? I highly recommend this one - Paddy gave this a higher rating than Wang's. All you Somerville folks know that that's a blue ribbon!

Sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 TB sugar
2 TB soy sauce
4 tsp Chinese black vinegar (you can sub with a little less balsamic or worcestershire sauce)
1 TB toasted sesame oil
1 TB rice wine or dry sherry
2 tsp ketchup
2 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp cornstarch

Pork
12 oz boneless country style pork ribs, trimmed
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup cold water
2 tsp rice wine or sherry
2 tsp cornstarch

Stir Fry
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 green onion, whites minced, greens sliced thin
2 TB chili paste
I added 1 tsp fermented black beans and chili for extra kick!!
6 oz shitakes, sliced thin
2 celery ribs or bok choy
Broccoli, matchstick carrots also good!

1. Whisk all sauce ingredients together and set aside.

2. Cut pork into 2 in. lengths and then each length into 1/4 in. matchsticks. Combine with baking soda and water and let sit at room temp for 15 mins or while you chop your veggies.

3. Rinse pork in cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Whisk rice wine and cornstarch and add pork. Toss to coat.

4. Heat 1 TB oil in pan to medium high. Add mushrooms and stir frequently until tender. Add celery and any other veggies and cook until still crisp but tender - 2-4 mins. Transfer veggies to bowl and set aside.

5. Add remaining oil to the pan and reduce to medium low heat. Add garlic, green onion, and chilli and stir for about 30 seconds. Add pork, stir frequently until cooked. Add sauce mixture and increase heat to high. Stir constantly until sauce thickens. Add in the veggies and you're done!

Serve with jasmine rice.

Beef Curry

I don't usually like beef in my curry but we tried this last week from Food & Wine and it was delicious. It was very quick to make although it could be a while before the smell of the house is curry free. Occupational hazard I suppose...

1.5 lbs lean ground sirloin
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely diced
handful of cauliflower florets if you have some
2 TB minced ginger
2 garlic cloves minced
1.5 TB curry powder
2 TB flour
1 large yukon gold potato, cut in 1/2 inch dice
1.5 cups chicken broth
14 oz can of coconut milk
14 oz can of diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup frozen peas

1. In a large dutch oven, heat a bit of canola oil and then add the sirloin. Break it up as it cooks so that you don't have any lumps.

2. Add the onion and ginger, potatoes, carrots and cauliflower if you have them. Cook until soft. Add plenty of salt and pepper.

3. Add the curry powder and cook for a minute or two. Then add the flour and stir until all veggies are coated.

4. Increase the heat to high and add the chicken broth and tomatoes and stir well. Stir up any bits from the bottom of the pot.

5. Bring to a boil and then and then lower the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add some broth. If it's too runny, leave the lid off for a bit and let it boil away.

Serve with basmati rice and/or toasted naan with butter.

Paddy & Katie's Surprise Chili

We're getting ready for the big Pats v. Jets game tomorrow and making chili. We were inspired after several hours of back-breaking shoveling the other day. 1 1/2 feet of snow in Boston = buried cars. Only the antennas were showing. Anyway, after our hard work, we headed up to Magoun's for a few pints and had a delightful bowl of chili that included...andouille sausage. Aha! Not sure how this wasn't thought of before but it gives a thick chili a hint of gumbo, which is my other favorite meaty stew. What could be better than a combination of the two?? The following recipe was very impromptu - there are a few other unexpected ingredients (a mix of both Guinness AND wine) and it happened to turn out to be the best chili to date! I promise this will not disappoint.

1 1/2 medium onions, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 poblano chili, diced
1/2 container baby bella mushrooms, large dice
1 large jalapeno, diced
1 1/2 large (28 oz) cans tomato (1 can diced, 1/2 can crushed)
1/2 small can tomato paste
1/2 lb sirloin tips, cut into 1/4 in. cubes
1/2 lb 85% lean ground beef
2 (hot dog length) links of andouille sausage
2 italian sausage links - removed from casing
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1/2 can Guinness
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 bottle Ipswich ale (for good measure - because one was open)
2 TB chili powder (or to taste)
1 TB chili flakes
1 1/2 tsp cumin
lots of salt and pepper
1 cup of corn

1. Heat a bit of olive oil in a large pot/dutch oven. Add the italian sausage and break up into small pieces as it cooks.

2. Add the sirloin and brown.

3. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Give it a good dose of salt and pepper.

4. Add the andouille and let it cook for about 5 min.

5. Remove the meat from the pot and set aside. Add all of the vegetables and garlic, except the corn. Let it saute in the juices of the meat until soft.

6. Add tomato paste and incorporate well with vegetables.

7. Add the meat back to the pot and mix well.

8. Add the Guinness and wine (and Ipswich if you happen to have it :)

9. Turn heat up to high and bring to a boil. reduce to medium-high and simmer until the liquid is reduced to half, stirring every minute or so.

10. Add canned tomato, beans, corn, and spices.

11. Let it bubble for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently.

12. Cover and reduce to low. Let it simmer for another 2 hrs or so, stirring once and a while.

*serve with LOTS of melted cheddar cheese on top!

Thai Hot & Sour Shrimp Soup

When I went to Thailand with Kimberly a few years ago, I discovered Tom Yum Goong (Hot and Sour Shimp Soup), and in a very bad way. It was our first day and we were out for lunch with Kimberly's friend's parents who don't speak English and therefore couldn't warn me about the hotness. The soup came and my first bite was a whole spoonful of what I thought were green beans. That's when I discovered the Thai chili. Everyone got a good laugh but I thought I was going to die. As traumatic as the experience was, I ate the soup at lunch and dinner almost every day for the entire two weeks we were there. I burned my mouth and the inner lining of my stomach everytime but I LOVED it. This recipe is a twist - for one, the chilis are optional. I also use coconut milk to ease the bite of the sour and because I love it. You can also make this with chicken.

1/2 lb shimp, peeled and deveined (tails on or off)
1 32oz box chicken broth
1 tbsp minced ginger
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
3 cloves minced garlic
2 stalks fresh lemongrass
1 cup coconut milk
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp chili garlic sauce (or use Thai chilis if you can find them - use sparingly!!!!)
1 cup quartered mushrooms
1/4 cup chopped basil
2 tbsp lime juice

1. In a large saucepan, sautee the shrimp with a little bit of vegetable oil until about 1/2 cooked. Remove them from the pan, place in a bowl, and set aside. Leave the juices in the pan.

2. In the same pan, add broth, ginger, 1/2 cup of the cilantro, garlic, and lemongrass and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Strain the mixture over a bowl and discard the solids.

4. Return broth to the saucepan and add coconut milk, fish sauce, chili garlic sauce/Thai chilis, and mushrooms. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Add shrimp, basil, lime juice, and 1/4 cup of cilantro and cook for another 3-5 minutes.

Italian Spicy Sausage Soup

I love soup. And I love it more now that I know how incredibly easy it is to make. I also love the Food Network, which is where I get a lot of ideas for the stuff I make. During a snow storm last year, Paddy and I were procrastinating - not wanting to shovel out the cars. We watched the Food Network for several hours with this soup as the grand finale. Giada DeLaurentis made this - I couldn't believe the amount of spices she used, but go for it. Me and Paddy added our own touch with a few extra veggies...it's one of our favorites!

3 hot italian sausages
1 medium onion - diced
1 carrot - diced
1 celery stalk - diced
3 cloves garlic - minced
handful of cremini mushrooms - roughly chopped
1 zucchini - diced (if you have one)
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp - 1 tbsp chili pepper (depending on how hot you like it - I use 1 tbsp!)
1 tsp basil
1/2 can tomato paste
1 14oz can of crushed tomatoes (use fire roasted if you can)
1 14oz can of chick peas or white beans
1 32oz box of chicken broth
1 to 1 1/2 cups dried pasta - cook al dente (shells work best, rotini also good)

1. Saute the onions, carrot, celery, zucchini in a large pot with a few tbsp of olive oil. Cook on medium high heat until tender.

2. Add all of the spices and stir well.

3. Add tomato paste and stir well.

4. Add crushed tomato, chick peas, and chicken broth.

5. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 20 minutes. Add pasta about 5 minutes before serving.

*Make enough pasta for what you'll eat. If you freeze it or fridge it, leave the pasta out and add to soup the next time you have it.