The Chef
Anita Lo of Annisa and Rickshaw Dumpling Bar
Servings
Serves 4
Ingredients
Almond float
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons gelatin, bloomed with 3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon almond extract
Fruit salad
1 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 mandarin orange, sectioned
1/2 cup cubed pineapple
1/2 cup peeled and pitted litchi nuts
1 peach, peeled and cut into wedges
1/2 cup cubed mango
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup peeled fresh water chestnuts, diced (jicama can be substituted)
Cooking Instructions
Almond float
In a saucepan, heat the milk and sugar with 2 cups water until scalding. Add the bloomed gelatin and stir until dissolved. Stir in the almond extract. Pour into an 8-inch-square dish, and set aside to cool before chilling in the refrigerator. When firm, cut into diamond shapes.
Fruit salad
In a saucepan, bring the sugar, salt, and 11/2 cups water to a boil. Add the fruit and lemon juice and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside to cool, and refrigerate. When cold, add the water chestnuts. Serve the fruit salad topped with two or three almond floats.
Best With
Chilled Sesame Noodles with Julienned Vegetables
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Almond Float with Fruit Salad
Chicken Satay
Chicken Satay
The Chef
Jean-Georges Vongerichten, Spice Market
Servings
Serves 6
Ingredients
Peanut Sauce
1⁄2 teaspoon peanut oil
1 teaspoon red curry paste
1 teaspoon sugar
1⁄2 cup coconut milk
1⁄2 cup coarsely chopped, roasted peanuts
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Spice Paste
4 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
3 tablespoons ground roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1⁄2 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon condensed milk
1 tablespoon palm sugar (or light brown sugar)
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
1 tablespoon whiskey
Pinch salt
Skewers
1 1⁄2 pounds boneless chicken breast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Cooking Instructions
Peanut Sauce
Heat the oil in a saucepan, and sweat the curry and sugar until the sugar melts and starts to caramelize. Add the coconut milk, and bring to a boil. Stir in the peanuts, and season with soy sauce.
Spice Paste
In a blender, purée the shallots, peanuts, coriander, and cumin into a paste, then add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
Skewers
Cut the chicken into strips 1 inch wide, 3 to 4 inches long, and at least 1⁄4 inch thick, and thread onto skewers. Coat the chicken with spice paste, and season with salt and pepper. Heat the grill to medium-high, and cook until lightly charred on one side, then turn to cook other side. Do not overcook, or the chicken will become rubbery. Serve with peanut sauce.
Photograph by Christopher Baker.
Jim Lahey’s No-Knead Pizza Margherita
Jim Lahey’s No-Knead Pizza Margherita
FOR DOUGH
(yields 3 10-inch crusts):
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
1/4 tsp. instant yeast
11/2 tsp. salt
11/4 cups water
FOR SAUCE:
1 vine-ripened or heirloom tomato (about 5 oz.)
1 pinch salt
1/4 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
FOR EACH PIZZA:
5 tbs. tomato purée
2 oz. buffalo mozzarella (about 1/4 ball)
basil leaves
1 tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
To make dough: In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast, and salt. Add water and stir until blended (the dough will be very sticky). Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 12 to 24 hours in a warm spot, about 70 degrees.
Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle the top with flour. Fold the dough over on itself once or twice, cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let rest for 15 minutes.
Shape the dough into 3 or 4 balls, depending on how thick you want the crust. Generously sprinkle a clean cotton towel with flour and cover the dough with it. Let the dough rise for 2 hours.
To make sauce: Blanch tomato for 5 seconds in boiling water and quickly remove. Allow to cool to the touch. Peel the skin with your hands and quarter the tomato. Remove the jelly and seeds, and reserve in a strainer or fine sieve. Strain the jelly to remove seeds, and combine resulting liquid in a bowl with the flesh of the tomatoes. Proceed to crush the tomatoes with your hands. Add salt and olive oil and stir.
To make pizza: Place pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat on high broil. Stretch or toss the dough into a disk approximately 10 inches in diameter. Pull rack out of oven and place the dough on top of the preheated pizza stone. Drizzle 5 generous tablespoons of sauce over the dough, and spread evenly. Try to keep the sauce about ½ inch away from the perimeter of the dough. Break apart or slice the buffalo mozzarella and arrange over the dough. Return rack and pizza stone to the middle of the oven and broil for approximately 6 minutes. Remove and top with basil, olive oil, and salt.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce
This basil coconut chicken curry recipe is a favorite of my friend Heidi H. It's fairly easy to pull together, and tasty (no leftovers!). Use chicken thigh meat instead of breast meat for a richer chicken flavor.
asil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce Recipe
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Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs (you can use breasts, but the thighs are more flavorful)
1 large red onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
2 Tbsp olive oil or grapeseed oil
1 14-oz can coconut milk
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp fresh basil leaves, chopped
1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
Hot cooked rice
Method
1 In a small bowl, mix together the salt, ground coriander, cumin, ground cloves, cinnamon, ground cardamom, black pepper, chili powder, and turmeric. Set aside.
2 Rinse chicken, pat dry. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Put into a bowl and sprinkle the spice mix over all the pieces. Coat well and let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.
3 In a large skillet heat 1 Tbsp oil on medium high heat. Add the onions and jalapeños and cook for 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Remove the onions, peppers and garlic from the pan and put into a medium sized bowl. Set aside. Use the same pan for the next step.
4 Add 1 Tbsp oil to the skillet and heat on medium high heat. Add one half of the chicken pieces, spreading them out on the pan so they are not crowded. Brown for a few minutes on each side. When the chicken pieces are cooked through, and no pink remains, remove from pan, add to the bowl with the onions. Cook the second batch of chicken pieces the same way. Remove from pan, add to bowl with onions.
5 Add the coconut milk, minus a couple tablespoons, to the skillet. In a small bowl, mix the remaining coconut with the corn starch to dissolve the corn starch. Add the corn startch mixture back to the skillet with the coconut milk. Cook on medium heat and stir till thick and bubbly. Mix in the worcestershire sauce. Add chicken mixture, basil, and ginger. Cook 2 minutes more to cook through.
Serve over rice. Serves 4.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Steak with Ginger Plum Barbecue Sauce
Steak with Ginger Plum Barbecue Sauce
Marinade time: 6 hours or overnight
Total recipe time: 35 minutes
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
1. 1 beef top round steak, cut 3/4 inch thick (about 1 pound)
2. 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3. 2 cups thinly sliced carrots
4. 3 cups fresh pea pods, strings removed
5. 1 clove garlic, minced
6. Salt and black pepper
7. 3 cups hot cooked jasmine rice, prepared without butter or salt
8. Chopped fresh cilantro
Marinade:
1. 1/2 cup prepared plum sauce
2. 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
3. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4. 2 tablespoons soy sauce
5. 2 tablespoons ketchup
6. 1 tablespoon minced garlic
7. 1 tablespoon brown sugar
8. 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
Instructions
1. Combine marinade ingredients in small bowl. Place beef steak and 1/2 cup marinade in food-safe plastic bag; turn steak to coat. Close bag securely and marinate in refrigerator 6 hours or as long as overnight, turning occasionally. Cover and reserve remaining marinade in refrigerator.
2. Remove steak from marinade; discard marinade. Place steak on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, uncovered, 8 to 9 minutes for medium rare doneness, turning occasionally and basting with some of the reserved marinade during last 2 to 3 minutes of grilling. Remove; keep warm.
3. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add carrots; stir-fry 5 minutes. Add pea pods and garlic; stir-fry 2 minutes.
4. Carve steak into thin slices. Season with salt and black pepper, as desired. Place remaining marinade in small saucepan; heat until warm. Serve with steak, vegetables and rice. Garnish with cilantro, if desired.
Recipe and photo as seen in The Healthy Beef Cookbook, published by John Wiley & Sons
Nutritional Information Per Serving
Steak with Ginger Plum Barbecue Sauce
Nutrition information per serving: 496 calories; 9 g fat (2 g saturated fat; 4 g monounsaturated fat); 61 mg cholesterol; 531 mg sodium; 66 g carbohydrate; 6.2 g fiber; 36 g protein; 8.4 mg niacin; 0.8 mg vitamin B6; 1.5 mcg vitamin B12; 6.9 mg iron; 43.0 mcg selenium; 6.1 mg zinc.
This recipe is an excellent source of fiber, protein, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, iron, selenium and zinc.
Mojo Beef Kabobs
Total recipe time: 40 minutes
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
1. 1 pound boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 1 inch thick
2. 1 teaspoon coarse grind black pepper
3. 1 large lime, cut into 8 wedges
4. 1 small red onion, cut into 8 thin wedges
5. 1 container grape or cherry tomatoes (about 10 ounces)
Mojo Sauce:
1. 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
2. 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
3. 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh oregano
4. 3 tablespoons olive oil
5. 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
6. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
7. 1 teaspoon minced garlic
8. 3/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
1. Whisk Mojo Sauce ingredients in small bowl. Set aside.
2. Cut beef steak into 1-1/4 inch pieces; season with pepper.
3. Alternately thread beef with lime and onion wedges evenly onto four 12-inch metal skewers. Thread tomatoes evenly onto four 12-inch metal skewers.
4. Place kabobs on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill tomato kabobs, uncovered, about 2 to 4 minutes or until slightly softened, turning occasionally. Grill beef kabobs, uncovered, about 8 to 10 minutes for medium-rare to medium doneness, turning occasionally.
5. Serve kabobs drizzled with sauce.
Recipe and photo as seen in The Healthy Beef Cookbook, published by John Wiley & Sons
Nutritional Information Per Serving
Mojo Beef Kabobs
Nutrition information per serving: 285 calories; 15 g fat (3 g saturated fat; 10 g monounsaturated fat); 50 mg cholesterol; 500 mg sodium; 10 g carbohydrate; 1.8 g fiber; 27 g protein; 8.2 mg niacin; 0.6 mg vitamin B6; 1.4 mcg vitamin B12; 2.6 mg iron; 31.9 mcg selenium; 5.1 mg zinc.
This recipe is an excellent source of protein, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, selenium and zinc, and a good source of iron.
Beef Kabobs With Parmesan Orzo
Total recipe time: 30 minutes
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients
1. 1 pound boneless beef top sirloin steak, cut 1 inch thick
2. 2 red or yellow bell peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces
3. 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
4. 1 tablespoon prepared Italian dressing
5. 2 large cloves garlic, minced
Parmesan Orzo:
1. 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta, cooked
2. 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or parsley
3. 2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
4. 2 teaspoons olive oil
Instructions
1. Soak eight 8-inch bamboo skewers in water 10 minutes.
2. Cut beef steak into 1-1/4-inch pieces. Toss beef and bell peppers with 1 tablespoon basil, dressing and garlic in large bowl. Alternately thread beef and peppers onto skewers.
3. Toss orzo ingredients in medium bowl; keep warm.
4. Place kabobs on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, uncovered, about 8 to 10 minutes for medium rare to medium doneness, turning occasionally. Serve with orzo.
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