Suzi's Blog

Chile Fried Rice

by Brian on August 31st, 2010 in Recipes No Comments

I love Asian cuisines. The colors, the aromas, and the flavors are so bright, so intensely different, that I crave finding a new great Chinese, or Thai, or Japanese restaurant. And no matter what kind of restaurant I’m in, I want that rice. Ideally fried, filled with flavor, and steaming hot.

I also love being self-sufficient. I’d rather do things myself. I admit doing an Asian dish can often be a tad challenging. All those ingredients! It can seem overwhelming, but I suggest you take the gamble here. Remember those giant jigsaw puzzles with 500 pieces? Well, this recipe has less than 500 ingredients, actually only 26, but you can have just as much fun assembling this dish.

If you don’t have chopsticks, you ought to consider getting some. Actually, you’ll be in the store for a while anyway getting all this stuff. It’s worth the effort. And now you can start that Asian shelf in your pantry.

Chili Fried Rice with Thai Basil (Khoa Pad Bai Kraprow)

Yield: Serves 4 to 8 depending on your addiction to fried rice

Ingredients:

For the Fried Rice:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 serrano chiles, seeded and chopped
• 4 cups cold cooked long-grain rice, gently breakup any clumps
• 1-2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• 2 scallions, including white and green parts, chopped
• ½ cup Thai Basil leaves
• ¼ cup cilantro, coarsely chopped
• blanched vegetables of your choice

For the Vegetables:

• 1 medium-size carrot, sliced
• 1 red pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
• 5-6 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 small head broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup snow peas
• 1 cup long beans, cut into bite-size pieces
• 3 tablespoons white wine or sherry

For the Stir-Fry Sauce:

• ⅓ cup vegetable or chicken stock
• 2 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 5-7 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch, dissolved in 4 tablespoons water
• 1 red chili, minced, or 1 teaspoon chili sauce or ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

 
Preparation of the Stir Fry Sauce:

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until blended. Rewhisk if necessary while using.

Preparation of the Vegetables:

Place all ingredients, except garlic and cornstarch in a sauce pan over medium-high heat. When sauce begins to bubble, reduce heat to medium-low. Now add the minced garlic and cornstarch (dissolved in water). Stir until the sauce thicken slightly, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Taste to adjust flavor to suit your taste.

Place a little oil in a wok/frying pan over medium to high heat. Add the mushrooms. When the wok/pan becomes dry, add a little of the wine or sherry, 1 tablespoon at a time, to keep ingredients frying nicely. Stir-fry in this way, adding more wine or sherry as needed, for 2 to 3 minutes, or until mushrooms are cooked. Add the rest of the vegetables in batches plus ¼ of the stir-fry sauce at a time. Stir-fry 2 minutes, or until the vegetables softened but still crispy.

Preparation of the Rice:

Heat a wok or large wide skillet over medium-high heat. When hot add 1 tablespoon of the oil and tilt pan to coat the entire surface. Add the garlic, chilies and salt. Stir-fry until the garlic is golden, about 30 seconds.

Add the rice and stir-fry until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the soy sauce, fish sauce and sugar and stir-fry to combine thoroughly. Add the green onions and basil leaves and stir-fry until the leaves begin to wilt, 25 to 30 seconds. Add in cilantro and serve immediately. Top with the prepared vegetables.

Source: Savoring Southeast Asia by Joyce Jue

Mini Mac and ‘Shrooms

by Brian on August 30th, 2010 in Recipes No Comments

If you grew up in the ‘50s or ‘60s, then you know what the “Green Box” was. Something from Kraft, like macaroni and cheese. The only variation my mother could come up with was to occasionally burn the top so that it was thick, crusty, and black.

There are better ways. The past couple of years has seen “mac and cheese” come back as a culinary force. Restaurants around the country let their chefs play with variations on this theme. Personally, I’m not so sure of the truffle oil versions. Mac and cheese is definitely home style comfort food. If you are going to boost your mac and cheese, you need something down home. Earthy.

Oh, mushrooms!

This recipe is easy to describe. Delicious. A tad sophisticated, perhaps, but it does not strive for truffle oil heights. No, here you can control the richness level by adjusting the kinds of cheese and mushrooms you choose.

You’ll enjoy this recipe whether it’s on the day you make it or warmed over the next day. And, sure, you can even try to cook it a little longer and get that hard crust that your mother, too, might have served. This is a food that evokes the best of memories.

Mini Mac and ‘Shrooms

Servings: 8 small servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pound mezzi rigatoni (or any small pasta shape)
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 4 cups whole milk
• ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound wild mushrooms, such as shiitake or oyster, stemmed and sliced
• 4 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered
• 8 ounces taleggio or brie cheese, rind removed, cubed (about 1½ cups)
• ½ cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

 
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil; add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes (make note of directions on the box itself). Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/4 cup cooking water.

Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon to make a paste. Cook, stirring, until the paste puffs slightly, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking . Reduce the heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, until the sauce is creamy, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the nutmeg and season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons butter and the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the mushrooms and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Season with salt. Push to the side of the pan and repeat with the remaining mushrooms.

Reduce the heat under the sauce to low and whisk in both cheeses until smooth. Stir in the mushrooms and pasta and toss; adding the reserved cooking water as needed.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the breadcrumbs and toast until golden; stir in the parsley. Divide the pasta among 8 small bowls. Garnish with the breadcrumb mixture.

Source: Food Network Magazine