Vietnamese Ginger Chicken (Pork Loin substitution)

Vietnamese Ginger Chicken is recipe that is based upon a marinade. You can substitute Pork Loin for the Chicken if you prefer. This recipe is GREAT! I absolutely loved the flavor of the Marinade and it infused the Pork to its core! This is one we will make again soon. As a plus I get lots of left over Pork for subsequent sandwiches! Persimmons are in season and we had a perfect fall Salad with Persimmons, Almonds and Prosciutto. This was a wonderful dinner!

Vietnamese Ginger Chicken
Dinner Changing the Game
 
Heady and gingery, with a salty-caramel flavor from the soy sauce and slightly sweet note from a touch of brown sugar, this is midweek cooking at its best. If you tend to keep fresh ginger and lime on hand, you'll be able to whip this up with pantry staples, except maybe for the chicken. I call for boneless chicken thighs here because they have a rich enough flavor to stand up to the complexity of the marinade. But if it's white meat or bust at your house, go ahead and substitute thin chicken cutlets, reducing the broiling time to two to three minutes per side. This versatile marinade also works on full-flavored fish such as salmon or tuna, and it is terrific on pack tenderloin Make it once and you'll want to find lots of ways to keep using it. It's that tasty and that convenient.
 
1½    pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
½      teaspoon kosher salt
1       tablespoon Asian fish sauce
1       tablespoon soy sauce
1       tablespoon light brown sugar
2       teaspoons peanut oil
Grated zest and juice of 1 lime, plus ½ lime, for serving
11-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2       garlic cloves, finely chopped
Pinch of red chili flakes
Cooked rice or rice noodles, for serving
Fresh cilantro, for serving
at least 30 minutes marinating
 
1. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels, and season them with the salt.

2. In a large bowl, stir together the fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, peanut oil, lime zest and juice, ginger, garlic, and red chile flakes. Add the chicken and mix well to coat. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap and let it stand for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for as long as overnight.

3. Arrange a rack in the position closest to the heat source and heat the broiler.

4. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and spread the chicken out on it in a single layer. Broil the chicken, turning the pieces over halfway through cooking, until well colored and charred in spots, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Serve over rice or rice noodles, topped with a squeeze of lime and some cilantro leaves.
 

Red Lentil Dhal with Spiced Brown Butter and Yogurt

Red Lentil Dhal with Spiced Brown Butter and Yogurt is delicious vegetarian dish. We really liked it! It could stand as it own or be eaten as a side dish. We had leftovers from eating at Baar Baar in DTLA and it was a perfect accompaniment.

We started with a Caesar Salad.

Red Lentil Dhal with Spiced Brown Butter And Yogurt

Dinner Changing the Game

Red lentils are one of the quickest cooking legumes, collapsing into softness in a half an hour or less. This makes them convenient to have on hand for throwing together weeknight dinners in a flash. Here, I simmer them with ginger and chili, then gild them with a spice-infused brown butter studded with shallots.
This recipe is both hotter (in the chili-and-ginger sense) and richer than the other dhals, and is the fastest of the three to make. I like it over brown basmati rice, but any rice will do.
 
2       cups red lentils
1½    teaspoons kosher salt
1       easpoon ground turmeric
12-inch piece plus 1 1½-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
4       green cardamom pods, lightly bruised with the flat side of a knife or mortar and pestle
1       dried red chile, or ¼ teaspoon red chile flakes
4       tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter
2¼    teaspoons cumin seeds
3       large shallots, thinly sliced
2       jalapeños, seeded and coarsely chopped
3       garlic cloves, finely chopped
¼      teaspoon garam masala
Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional)
Plain Greek yogurt, preferably whole-milk, for serving
Flaky sea salt to taste
 
1. In a medium pot, combine the lentils, salt, turmeric, 2-inch piece of ginger, cardamom, chile, and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are soft and the mixture has thickened, about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, finely chop the remaining 1½-inch piece of ginger. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook until the foam subsides, and the butter turns a deep nut brown, about 5 minutes. You'll know the butter is nearly browned when the furious bubbling in the pan grows quiet; this is a sign that the moisture is being evaporated, after which the fat turns from golden to brown quite quickly. So use your ears as well as your eyes ears as well as your eyes here (and your nose; you'll be able to smell the nuttiness.

3. Add the cumin seeds to the brown butter and cook for 30 seconds. Add the shallots and jalapeños, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are caramelized and well browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped ginger, garlic, and garam masala; cook for 30 seconds.

4.  Thin down the dhal with a little water if it seems too thick (do this to taste). Spoon the dhal into bowls, discarding the chunk of ginger, the cardamom pods, and the whole dried chile. Top with the brown butter mixture, cilantro leaves if using, and a dollop of yogurt. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
 
 

Red Coconut Curry Shrimp

I'm not sure what Red Coconut Curry Shrimp should have tasted like, but it had the sweetness of Pad Thai. I was expecting a more spicy presentation. I am sure the dish was cooked as it should be, but I was surprised. I liked it enough, but I guess I like spicer rather than sweet (maybe that's why my A1C is good).

 Red Coconut Curry Shrimp

Dinner Changing the Game – Melissa Clark
 
You can slather a sauce made with coconut milk and red curry paste over pretty much anything and it will be delicious. But pairing it with tender shrimp is about as good as dinner gets, combining spicy-sweet-and-creamy in every bite, plus a subtle juicy crunch from red bell pepper and daikon. It's a speedy dish, too, and will make your kitchen smell heady and fragrant, as if you've been cooking all day long. That's the beauty of a jar of red curry paste- one small spoonful in the pan goes a long way toward happiness on the plate.
 
2       tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1       13.5-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk
¼      cup chopped fresh basil leaves, plus more whole leaves for serving
½      cup coarsely grated or julienned daikon radish
1       tablespoon Asian fish sauce
2       tablespoons coconut sugar, or dark or light brown sugar
2       tablespoons grapeseed or peanut oil
2       garlic cloves, minced
1       small onion, halved lengthwise through the root and thinly sliced into half moons
1       red bell pepper, thinly sliced
¾      cup sliced fresh shiitake or other mushrooms (1.75 ounces)
1       pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
Cooked white or brown rice, for 
 
Lime wedges, for serving
TOTAL TIME: 20 MINUTES
 
1. In a medium pot over medium heat, whisk together the curry paste and coconut milk. Bring to a simmer and cook, whisking until the mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes. Add the basil, daikon, fish sauce, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of water; stir until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer until thickened to taste, 5 to 10 minutes.

2. While the curry sauce is simmering, heat a 12-inch skillet or wok over medium-high heat.Once it is hot, add the oil and heat until it is shimmering. Add the garlic, onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms, and cook until the vegetables are Starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Then add the shrimp and sauté until they are pink and cooked through, about 2 minutes. Pour the curry sauce into the skillet and heat i through. Serve the curry over nice, garnished with a few whole basil leaves and a squeeze of lime.

Roasted Chicken with Figs and Rosemary

This is a great Chicken and Fig recipe to make when Figs are in season. We really like it! You can find the recipe on our blog of: September 19, 2024. Click the date to get the recipe. We had some left over Sweet Potato Gratin from Camelia (a Japanese-French restaurant in the Arts District) and served it with the Chicken and Fig. It went perfectly.

Peppered Sea Scallops with Spinach

Put Peppered Sea Scallops with Spinach down as a new favorite. I really like the combination of the Pepper Flavoring with the Spinach. Of course I always like Scallops. This recipe is a keeper! It also is very fast to make, always a plus. 

Peppered Sea Scallops with Spinach

New York Times

An easy but elegant full-flavored main course, this dish is best made in fall or winter, when sea scallops are in season. The generously peppered scallops lay on a bed of puréed spinach. The spinach leans on Indian flavors, run through with heady garam masala, turmeric and ginger. Substitute pan-seared fish or shrimp if scallops aren’t your thing. If desired, serve with steamed rice.

 

INGREDIENTS
Yield:4 servings, as a main course
 
FOR THE SPINACH
2       tablespoons butter or mild oil
½      teaspoon cumin seeds
1       small onion, finely diced
2       garlic cloves, grated
1       jalapeño, halved, seeds removed and thinly sliced
2       teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1teaspoon garam masala
½      teaspoon ground turmeric
6       ounces roughly chopped spinach leaves
Salt
Speck of ground cayenne
2       tablespoons dry white wine, plus 1 cup water for blending

 
FOR THE SCALLOPS
 
12     large sea scallops (about 1 pound), trimmed and patted dry
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper
2       tablespoons mild oil
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
 
PREPARATION
 

Make the spinach: Put the butter in a wide skillet or wok over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and cook until fragrant and beginning to pop, about 1 minute. Add onion and cook until softened and barely browned, 3 minutes, then add garlic, jalapeño, ginger, garam masala and turmeric. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes more.

Add spinach, stir to coat well and turn up heat to medium high. Season with salt and cayenne. Add wine. Cook, stirring just until spinach is barely wilted. Remove pan from heat and set aside to cool.

Transfer spinach to a blender or food processor. Blend, adding enough water to make a medium-thick purée (add a little more for a thinner broth). Taste and adjust seasoning, then pour into small saucepan and set aside.

Cook the scallops: Season scallops on both sides with salt and generous amounts of coarse pepper. Set a wide, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and swirl pan to coat. When oil is wavy, set scallops in pan without crowding. When they begin to sizzle, turn heat to medium. Don’t move scallops — they will need to cook undisturbed for at least 5 minutes.

Check the scallops: Using a metal spatula, turn one scallop over. It should be nicely browned. (If not, return it to the pan for another minute or so.) Turn over each scallop carefully and cook for about 2 minutes more, until sides look opaque. Turn off heat.

Reheat spinach purée over low heat, and spoon into 4 warmed shallow soup plates. Arrange a few scallops browned side up atop spinach on each plate. Sprinkle with lemon zest, shower with juice and serve.

Coconut-Poached Fish With Bok Choy New York Times

Coconut-Poached Fish With Bok Choy has potential. We liked it, however this recipe was a little too bland for us. If we make it again we will pump it up to be more assertive. When we poured the Coconut infused sauce over the Rice it made for a delicious treat. This is a dish that has potential, but isn't quite there yet.

This has been the summer of great Melons. We will chalk it up to a positive benefit of global warming. This was another great Melon. It was delicious topped with Prosciutto.

Coconut-Poached Fish With Bok Choy

New York Times

 

YIELD       4 servings

TIME         25 minutes

 

This one pot, Thai-influenced dish couldn’t be easier to assemble, and its beautiful presentation makes it look like you spent a lot longer on dinner than you actually did. The poaching liquid does double duty by gently cooking the fish and wilting the bok choy. If bok choy is unavailable, another sturdy green, like kale or Napa cabbage, can be substituted. Serve with steamed jasmine rice to soak up some of the fragrant coconut milk broth.

 

Ingredients

 

4        (6-ounce) cod fillets or other flaky white fish

Kosher salt

2        tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

1        large shallot, thinly sliced

2        garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1        (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks

1        fresh Thai or Serrano chile, thinly sliced

2        (13 1/2-ounce) cans coconut milk

1-½   teaspoons fish sauce

1        teaspoon light brown sugar

About 7 ounces baby bok choy, ends trimmed and stalks separated

¼       cup roughly chopped cilantro, both leaves and tender stems

2        tablespoons thinly sliced scallion greens

Lime wedges (from 1 lime), for serving

Flaky salt (optional)

 

Preparation

 

1.   Season fish well with salt. In a large sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add shallot, garlic, ginger and chile, and cook, stirring often until they become translucent, about 2 minutes. Season with salt.

2.   Add coconut milk, fish sauce and brown sugar, and whisk together until combined and sugar dissolves. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer. Add cod fillets and turn the heat down to low. Cover and cook until cod is just cooked through and opaque, about 6 to 8 minutes. Carefully remove the fish and plate in bowls.

3.   Add bok choy to the coconut milk broth and turn heat to medium-low. Cook bok choy until leaves are wilted and stems are tender, about 1 to 2 minutes.

4.   Divide bok choy evenly alongside the fish and ladle the coconut milk broth over each portion. Top with cilantro, scallions and a good squeeze of lime, and serve with remaining wedges on the side. Garnish with flaky salt, if desired.

 

 

Porchetta Pork Chops

Porchetta Pork Chops is a great recipe. We first had a similar dish at ChiSpacca. This recipe is great. You can find it on our blog of: March 7, 2016. Click the date to get the recipe. The Fennel taste goes perfectly with the Chops and the outside of Pork Chop gets crisp. It's a good recipe!

We served it with Japanese Sweet Potatoes topped with Sour Cream and sautéed Fennel.  A great combo. My kind of meal!