Korean cucumber salad (oi namul)

Slice two cups of cucumber lengthwise, then into ¼ inch diagonal slices. Mix with 1 ½ tsp salt and let sit for 30 minutes, then rinse and drain well. Combine the drained cucumber with 1 Tbsp each sugar and rice wine vinegar, ½ tsp each toasted sesame seeds and red pepper powder (kochu garu), 1/8… Continue reading Korean cucumber salad (oi namul)

Chinese pickled broccoli stems and carrots

I had pickled broccoli stems at a Chinese restaurant many years ago, and they were delicious - tangy and crunchy. I recently purchased a sprouting broccoli with lots of side shoots as well as the main stem, so I decided to try this recipe for Chinese sweet and sour pickles. I peeled the broccoli shoots… Continue reading Chinese pickled broccoli stems and carrots

Taiwanese okra with garlic, chilies, and fermented black beans (dou chi chao qui kui)

Rinse 1 Tbsp Chinese fermented black beans a few times, drain, and set aside. Heat 2 Tbsp neutral oil in a high walled skillet, then add 2 minced garlic cloves and 2 red chilies (sliced on a diagonal) until fragrant. Add ½ lb okra (cleaned and trimmed, but left whole) with a dash of salt… Continue reading Taiwanese okra with garlic, chilies, and fermented black beans (dou chi chao qui kui)

Artichoke steamed in flavored broth

This was my first time making artichokes at home, and we tried this recipe by Tyler Florence:   http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/steamed-whole-artichokes-recipe.html.  This recipe calls for chicken broth, but you can make it vegetarian by using water or vegetable broth instead.  We made a dipping sauce from a separate recipe, which I write about here:  http://piglettedc.tumblr.com/post/119235761636/artichoke-dipping-sauce-we-made-this-sauce-to-go

Oven-baked plantains

I got inspiration for this lighter alternative to fried plaintains from http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/healthily-cook-plantains-3827.html, except I coated the baking pan with some canola oil spray.  Preheat oven to 450, then lightly spray a cookie sheet with canola oil.  Place two plantains, cut on a ½ inch diagonal, on the cookie sheet, then lightly spray with canola oil. … Continue reading Oven-baked plantains

Steamed broccoli tossed in lime vinaigrette 

I made this for Daniel, who loves broccoli.  Using a Chinese steamer, place bite-sized pieces of broccoli florets and stems (the latter trimmed of their outer layer) in a wide pan and place in one layer of the steamer.  Cover with lid and bring to a boil, then let cook until broccoli is tender (approx.… Continue reading Steamed broccoli tossed in lime vinaigrette