Ginger Scallion Shrimp with Crispy Coconut Rice

We love the Crispy Rice at Majordomo. We attempted to make it and it was close but not quite as good as the original at the restaurant. We used frozen Shrimp from Cookbook, they were still in the shell and messy to clean but they were excellent. Have to decide if it is worth the hassle to put un-peeled Shrimp. This is a good recipe!
We started with a Caesar Salad.
Ginger Scallion Shrimp with Crispy Coconut Rice
Momofuku
 
INGREDIENTS
 
¼      cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil
1       onion, thinly sliced
1       teaspoon Momofuku Savory Seasoned Salt
5       cloves garlic, sliced
1       lemon, zested and juiced
1       tablespoon Momofuku Chili Crunch
2       cups short grain rice, rinsed
1       14 oz can coconut milk
1½    cups chicken broth
¼      cup + 2 tablespoons Momofuku Soy Sauce
1       bunch scallions, sliced
1       tablespoon ginger, chopped (from about 1 inch ginger root)
Momofuku Rice Vinegar
1       pound shrimp, peeled
 
 
This dish is impressive enough for a crowd, but easy enough if you’re attempting it on a weeknight. It’s an homage to a lot of different rice dishes, but it’s also inspired by the fan–favorite crispy rice on the menu at our restaurant in Los Angeles.
Serves 4 
           
1. Heat oven to 400°F. Position one rack in the center of the oven and another in the second spot from the top, about 4 inches away from the broiler. 
 
2. Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a large braiser or oven-safe pot over medium high heat. Add onions and cook for 2 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon of Momofuku Savory Seasoned Salt, then lower heat to medium low and cook an additional 8 minutes until they are very soft but not charred. (If onions are charring, lower heat.) 
 
3. Zest lemon and add zest along with garlic and 1 tablespoon Momofuku Chili Crunch to the pot. Cook for 2 minutes, until the garlic softens. Add rice and cook for 1 minute. Add juice from the lemon, coconut milk, chicken broth, and ¼ cup of Momofuku Soy Sauce. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce to low. Cook covered for 10 minutes. 
 
4. Meanwhile, toss sliced scallions with 1 tablespoon ginger, 2 tablespoons of Momofuku Soy Sauce, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and 3 shakes of Momofuku Rice Vinegar (about 1 teaspoon). Add shrimp and set aside for later. 
 
5. After 10 minutes, uncover rice, stir gently to re-distribute the liquids, then place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. 
 
6. Quickly remove the pan from the oven and turn the broiler on high. Arrange the marinated shrimp on top. Spoon over the remaining ginger scallion sauce and broil for 5–8 minutes, watching closely, until the shrimp is cooked through and rice has begun to crisp.
 
 

 

Christmas Eve Dinner

It was Christmas Eve and we invited some of our friends over for dinner. We started with a HUGE 3 bone Prime Rib. Unfortunately Huge in this case didn't mean Wonderful. We found it had way too much fat and gristle for our taste. Oh well, that's the butchers fault not ours! We started with a Persimmon Salad dressed with Lebni and Maple Syrup.

Dessert was an annual tradition for us. We make Mary Ann’s Fruitcake every year. You can get the recipe on our blog of January 1, 2011. Click the date to get the recipe. It is always a hit. The holiday season wouldn't be the same without it. Not only is a good for dessert but it makes for a wonderful breakfast. We will definitely make it again next year. It is so good I wonder why we only make it for Xmas but it does make for a special treat that way. We purchased a Yule Log as second dessert. It was nice to spend the night with our friends.

Skillet Chicken with Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions

Skillet Chicken with Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions is a great way to cook Chicken especially on a cold rainy winter day. It has the feel of Beef Stroganoff when it is served over Egg Noodles. You can find the recipe for the Skillet Chicken on our blog of: September 14, 2022. Click the date to get the recipe. Don't ask me what happened but the previous time we made this dish we didn't like it. This time it was good.

Persimmons are in season and we started with a Persimmon and Prosciutto Salad fresh Walnuts. 

Tomato Risotto with Scallops

We really like Tomato Risotto with Scallops. It is an excellent recipe. You can find the recipe for the Risotto on our blog of August 28, 2019.  Click the date to get the recipe. It requires nice plump Scallops that can be sautéed to a golden brown. We are lucky that our local grocery store Gelson's has such good fish and shellfish.

We started with a Persimmon Salad that we topped with a dressing made from Lebni and Maple Syrup. We have many middle eastern grocery stores near us so it was easy to get excellent Lebni. The Maple Syrup evens out the sourness of the Lebni. It is an interesting and good dressing for this salad.

Charred Cabbage and Lentil Soup and Pork Loin

We absolutely loved Charred Cabbage and Lentil Soup. It is extremely hearty! If it was snowing outside it would be perfect. Highly recommend this Soup. We will be making it several times this winter, I am sure.

Mixed opinion on Twice-Cooked Pork Tenderloin. It is reminiscent of Beef Stroganoff. Cathy doesn't particularly like Cream in meat dishes. I do. It is a rich tasty dish. If the idea of Pork Stroganoff appeals to you by all means make it. We added sautéed Mushrooms and Shallots to the recipe!

Charred Cabbage and Lentil Soup

New York Times

 

To make a soup that is different and perhaps more interesting than the last, play with how your usual soup ingredients are put to work. Instead of layering ingredients in the pot, build the foundational flavor in the oven. Here, cabbage is roasted until mostly charred and chip-like, while lentils, cubed carrots and onions simmer on the stove. When the smoky cabbage, sweet vegetables and earthy lentils meet in the bowl, they offer a range of textures you’d never achieve if everything boiled away together. (And once you roast cabbage, it’ll be hard to think of it as drab again.) As with most soups, this one’s adaptable: Roast sausage with the cabbage, use cauliflower instead of cabbage, or finish with lemon and so on.

 

INGREDIENTS

Yield:4 servings

 

1 to 1½  pounds green cabbage, sliced 1-inch thick (from 1 medium cabbage)

2            tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving

Salt and pepper

6            cups water, or vegetable or chicken stock

1            cup green or brown lentils

1            medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1            medium carrot, coarsely chopped

3            garlic cloves, finely chopped

2            tablespoons soy sauce

½           teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving

2            thyme sprigs (or 1 small bay leaf or rosemary sprig, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)

1            Parmesan rind, plus grated Parmesan for serving

 

 

PREPARATION

 

1.     Heat the oven to 450 degrees. On a sheet pan, toss the cabbage with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread in a single layer and roast, stirring halfway through, until various shades of browned, from golden in parts to nearly burnt in others, 25 to 30 minutes.

2.    Meanwhile, in a large pot, combine the water, lentils, onion, carrot, garlic, soy sauce, red-pepper flakes, thyme and Parmesan rind. Partially cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the lentils and vegetables are tender, 15 to 20 minutes; season to taste with salt.

3.    Divide the cabbage among bowls, then pour over the lentils and broth. Top with grated Parmesan, more red-pepper flakes and a drizzle of olive oil. (Leftovers will keep for a few days, but the cabbage will lose its crispness.)

Twice-Cooked Pork Tenderloin

New York Times

 

Here's a surprising and flavorful way to prepare tenderloin, one of the leanest and most economical cuts of pork. Brown the whole tenderloin. Let it rest for a few minutes, so the meat firms up a bit. Then slice the tenderloin into medallions, about an inch thick. Brown the slices on both sides and top with a quick French-style sauce made of heavy cream and Dijon mustard, lemon juice or Calvados.

 

INGREDIENTS

Yield:4 servings

 

1       boneless pork tenderloin, about 1 pound

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4       tablespoons butter, extra virgin olive oil, or a combination

¼      cup cream

1       tablespoon Dijon mustard, lemon juice or Calvados, optional

Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish, optional

 

PREPARATION

 

1.    Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Put a large skillet over medium-high heat; a minute later add 2 tablespoons butter and/or oil. When butter foam subsides or oil dimples, add meat (curve it into skillet if necessary). Brown it well on all sides, for a total of 4 to 6 minutes. Turn off heat, remove meat from pan, and let it sit on a board. When skillet has cooled a bit, proceed.

2.    Cut meat into inch-thick slices. Once again turn heat to medium-high, add remaining butter and/or oil and, when it's hot, add pork slices to pan. Brown on each side, about 2 or 3 minutes each. Turn heat to low and remove meat to a warm platter.

3.    Add ½ cup water to pan, turn heat to high, and cook, stirring and scraping, for a minute. Lower heat slightly, add cream and cook until slightly thickened. Stir in mustard, lemon juice or Calvados, if you're using them, then taste and adjust seasoning. Serve meat with sauce spooned on top, garnished, if you like, with parsley.

 

 

 

Chuck Roast with Root Vegetables and Oyster Sauce Gravy

Chuck Roast with Root Vegetables and Oyster Sauce Gravy is our new goto Pot Roast recipe. This is a great recipe, you should make it on a cold winter day! Who thought you could use Oyster Sauce in a Pot Roast recipe. Inspired! The recipe is from a new cook book we bought called The Global Pantry Cookbook. Its idea is to use ingredients you already have from one culture in a different cultures cooking. We did leave out the Turnips and used additional Potatoes.

We started with a Caesar Salad.

Chuck Roast with Root Vegetables and Oyster Sauce Gravy

The Global Pantry Cookbook

 

TOTAL TIME: 4 hours 15 minutes

SERVES 6

 

From the moment the meat starts to brown on the stove, the kitchen fills with beefy aromas. The oyster sauce in the braising liquid kicks the effect up tenfold as the dish develops in the oven. The meat collapses into tenderness, the sauce melds into the stewy richness. This is perfect, simple, cool- and cold-weather comfort.

 

INGREDIENTS

2       teaspoons kosher salt

1½    teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1       boneless chuck roast (3 pounds)

2       tablespoons olive oil or canola oil

1½    cups unsalted beef stock

¼      cup oyster sauce

4       thyme sprigs

2       bay leaves

2       large onions, halved vertically and cut vertically into thick slices

6       cloves garlic, minced

1½    pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled and cut into 2-inch chunks or wedges

1½    pounds turnips, cut into 2-inch chunks or wedges

1½    pounds carrots, cut into 2-inch-long pieces (any really thick pieces halved lengthwise)

 

PROCEDURE

1.            Preheat the oven to 325°F with the rack placed in the center.

2.            Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle ¾ teaspoon of salt ½ teaspoon of pepper over the top of the roast; sprinkle the bottom with ¾ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Add the oil to the pan and swirl to coal. Add the roast to the pan; cook until well browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn the roast over and cook until well browned, about 5 minutes.

3.            Stir together the stock and oyster sauce in a 2-cup measuring cup. Pour the mixture over the browned roast in the Dutch oven, and tuck the thyme sprigs and bay leaves into the liquid. Scatter the onions and garlic over the roast. Continue to cook over medium-high heat until the liquid boils, 15 seconds to 1 minute, then cover the pot and place in the oven. Braise for 2 hours 45 minutes.

4.            Remove the pot from the oven, uncover, and top the roast with the potatoes, turnips, and carrots. Cover the pot, return to the oven, and cook until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife, 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.

5.            Using long tongs, remove the roast to a large platter. This is a little tricky, and the roast will likely fall apart, but you'll need it in pieces to serve it anyway. Gently stir the vegetables into the cooking liquid; discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Sprinkle the remaining vegetables with the remaining½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper; toss again gently to combine Arrange the vegetables on the platter with the roast, or return the roast to the pot with the vegetables and serve.

 

AVOID THIS MISTAKE

No More Mushy Vegetables. If you're resigned to soggy stews, the result here is a revelation. Meat of the chuck variety takes much longer than vegetables to tenderize, 30 we give it a head start. The vegetables are added only in the last hour or so.

Roasted White Bean and Tomato Pasta

Isn't this beautiful?

Roasted White Bean and Tomato Pasta has become a new favorite of ours. It is a wonderful vegetarian dish. It is very rich and tasty. I highly recommend it. You can get the recipe on our blog of September 11, 2023. Click the date to get the recipe. We started with a Persimmon and Speck Salad. We love the Persimmons this year. This is a great fall dinner.

Roasted Chicken With Caramelized Cabbage

Roasted Cabbage

Hungry Cat Salad

 

Chicken is such a staple in our house. Roasted Chicken With Caramelized Cabbage is our type of recipe. We like the caramelized Cabbage as a side dish with the Chicken. Caramelizing it brings out its natural sweetness. This is an excellent recipe. You can find it on our blog of January 17, 2022. Click the date to get the recipe. With the Chicken we also made Salt and Vinegar Roasted Potatoes. Ever had Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips? Get the idea?

We started with Hungry Cat Salad. Even though Hungry Cat, the restaurant, has closed - we continue to make their Salad. I like the avocado, egg and lemon juice. It is a great salad. You can read about why it is called The Hungry Cat Salad on our blog post of: November 21, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe.

Salt and Vinegar Roasted Potatoes
New York Times
 
This recipe turns the classic potato-chip flavor into a dinner party-worthy side dish. The potatoes get a double hit of vinegar: First, they are roasted in a simple vinaigrette, then are tossed with another smack of acidity just before serving. Use white-wine vinegar for a stronger vinegar flavor, or apple cider vinegar if you want a subtler flavor.
 
INGREDIENTS
Yield:4 to 6 servings
 
2       tablespoons olive oil
2       tablespoons apple cider or white wine vinegar, plus more to taste
½      teaspoon kosher salt
½      teaspoon black pepper
2       pounds Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch chunks
Flaky sea salt, for serving
Minced fresh chives, for serving
 
PREPARATION
 
1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, 1 tablespoon vinegar, kosher salt and pepper. Place the potatoes on a sheet pan, pour the oil and vinegar mixture over them, and toss well. Arrange the potatoes cut-side down.

2. Roast until tender when pierced with a fork, 35 to 40 minutes, tossing potatoes two or three times during roasting process.

3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar to the cooked potatoes and toss. Season to taste, and add more vinegar if desired. Sprinkle generously with flaky sea salt and chives, and transfer to a serving bowl. Serve immediately.