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)
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Baked salmon in puff pastry
We used store-bought frozen puff pastry that we defrosted in the fridge for 2-3 hours. Recipe and useful video here: http://livewellnetwork.com/My-Family-Recipe-Rocks/recipes/Salmon-Stuffed-Puff-Pastry/9263020. We used about 1 lb salmon and baked it for 45 mins. We also served mixed green salad with a honey dijon mustard vinaigrette. The vinaigrette recipe is here: http://www.onceuponachef.com/2011/03/roasted-beet-salad-with-goat-cheese-walnuts-honey-dijon-vinaigrette.html. We added an extra… Continue reading Baked salmon in puff pastry
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
Smitten Kitchen/Madhur Jaffrey chick pea curry (channa masala)
An excellent Madhur Jaffrey recipe adapted by Smitten Kitchen. http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2010/02/chana-masala/ I agree with Deb Perelman’s recommendation to add only ¼ tsp cayenne. We also doubled the lemon juice in lieu of amchoor (mango) powder. We used fresh tomatoes (two medium vine-ripened), as she had suggested, and one jalapeño pepper as the hot chili pepper. This… Continue reading Smitten Kitchen/Madhur Jaffrey chick pea curry (channa masala)
Cast iron roast chicken with small potatoes
This is a recipe from the new Smitten Kitchen cookbook. Although I own the cookbook, I found the recipe online here: http://www.pink-parsley.com/2013/10/flat-roasted-chicken-with-tiny-potatoes.html?m=1. We removed the spine from this chicken and tried to cook it flattened, but our 12" cast iron skillet was a bit small for a 3 ½ lb chicken. (Oct. 2015)
Oven-roasted Brussel sprouts
Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a cookie sheet with olive oil, then place about 25 Brussel sprouts, halved and cut side down, on the sheet. Lightly spray sprouts with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Roast for 10 mins, then turn over (increase temp to 425 if first side is not… Continue reading Oven-roasted Brussel sprouts
Oven-roasted broccoli
Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a cookie sheet with olive oil, then place broccoli (cut into 2"x 1" pieces) in a single layer. Spray the broccoli with olive oil, then sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Roast for 10 mins, then turn over pieces and roast for another 10-15 mins (if the first side… Continue reading Oven-roasted broccoli
Uncle Tun’s grilled soy-marinated salmon
I learned this recipe from Waimar and her father. Marinate four salmon fillets (about 24 oz) in approximately ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce, 1/3 cup mirin, 2 tsp honey, and 1 tsp black pepper for about 30 mins. (Oct. 2015) Note: I did not measure the marinade ingredients, so these measurements are approximate. Grill… Continue reading Uncle Tun’s grilled soy-marinated salmon
Turkish stuffed bell peppers and tomatoes (dolma)
We followed this recipe here: http://ozlemsturkishtable.com/2013/06/stuffed-peppers-and-tomatoes-with-ground-meat-delicious-gluten-free/. We used: fresh spearmint instead of dried mint and 1 ½ tsp of salt for the stuffing; 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth instead of water for the sauce; and added 1 additional tomato (to make a fifth stuffed tomato). Due to the large size of our bell peppers, our… Continue reading Turkish stuffed bell peppers and tomatoes (dolma)
Winter fruit salad
Pear and apple slices in a star anise, vanilla, and lemon-infused syrup. We omitted the pomegranate arils. Recipe from Smitten Kitchen here: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/11/winter-fruit-salad/. We couldn’t find dried apricots, so we used prunes instead. (Oct. 2015)
Cooking Adventures 