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Japanese mushroom risotto, or kinoko gohan

by Heguiberto on April 16, 2012

With this unusually cold and wet spring in San Francisco, I feel like I want to eat hearty, earthy food. Something flavorful that fills you up and makes you happy and satisfied. Something like mushroom risotto.
Initially I was going for the Italian approach. The thing with the Italian approach is all that cheese and butter.

Japanese mushroom risotto, or kinoko gohan

Japanese mushroom risotto, or kinoko gohan

I wasn’t feeling dairy-ish. Inspiration struck when we went to a Korean market in Daly City.

The market has a huge assortment of fresh mushrooms for sale. I settled for the shimeji, button and shiitake types. I also bought some aanori seaweed salad, a couple of servings of cucumber and cubed daikon kimchi to serve as side dishes to jazz up our meal a bit more. I served the Japanese mushroom risotto with pan fried mahi-mahi steaks and kabocha pumpkin wedges cooked in dashi-shoyu broth, so we had fun.

Mushroom risotto is still English-Italian. This is originally called kinoko gohan in Japanese. Kinoko stands for mushroom, and gohan, for rice. The dish is rich and flavorful yet does not use a single drop of fat.

Japanese mushroom risotto, or kinoko gohan

1 tray (100g) fresh white shimeji mushrooms, aka beech mushroom, rinsed and very bottom discarded
1 tray (100g) fresh brown shimeji mushrooms, rinsed and very bottom discarded
8 large fresh shiitake mushrooms, rinsed, cut into ½ moons, stems chopped and reserved
1 lb fresh white button mushrooms, rinsed and quartered
3½ cups dashi broth (see below to make fresh)
2 cups Japanese sushi rice
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp mirin
2 tbsp sake
4 tbsp soy sauce
Kosher salt to taste
scallions
toasted sesame oil
Ponzu-soy sauce
1 4×4 inch piece dried kelp (kombu)

Wipe white layer of salt off the kombu leaf using a wet paper towel. Put it in a sauce pan with 4 cups of water and shiitake mushroom stems. Let soak for 30 minutes. Place saucepan on stove top, and bring to a boil. Immediately turn it off, remove from heat and let kelp and mushroom stems continue soak for another 15 minutes. This is your dashi broth. Discard mushroom stems. Kelp can be stored in the fridge and reused another time soon, otherwise simply discard it.

Bring three cups of prepared dashi to a boil. Add ginger, mirin, sake and soy sauce, a sprinkle of kosher salt and all the mushrooms. Cook mushrooms for a couple of minutes. Scoop them out of the broth and set aside. Top up broth with hot water (if needed) to make up for 3 and ½ cups then add rice. Bring temperature to a boil. Turn it down to medium low. Stir rice to prevent sticking. Cover and cook for about 14 minutes, lid on, until liquid absorbed. Stir occasionally. Top with mushrooms and their liquid. Cover and cook on low for another couple of minutes to warm through. Remove from heat and keep pan covered for another 5 minutes.

Transfer rice to a serving platter. Scatter with chopped scallion. Serve with toasted sesame oil and ponzu-soy sauce on the side.

{ 3 comments }

Indian inspired black-eyed pea curry

by Heguiberto on April 13, 2012

Indian inspired black-eyed pea curry

Indian inspired black-eyed pea curry

We’re constantly trying to add new legume-inspired recipes to our repertoire. After all, how can one be almost vegetarian without eating beans? I think, perhaps, that we don’t feature black-eyed peas as we should. Recently Steven made a delicious black-eyed peas and polenta dish. Every now and then I make a brown rice and black-eyed pea risotto that’s quite enjoyable. Black-eyed peas are delightful in croquettes, certainly. But all told, that’s only a few measly (albeit wonderful) ways of preparing something that’s so versatile, flavorful and nutritious.

So today’s inspiration comes from Indian cuisine. I’ve been following Manjula’s Kitchen for a while now and am blown away by the many creative ways she employs beans and pulses. This recipe is based on one from her blog. I made a few adaptations. We loved it.

the sunset on the night we enjoyed Indian inspired black-eyed pea curry

the sunset on the night we enjoyed Indian inspired black-eyed pea curry

Indian inspired black-eyed pea curry

2 cups dry black-eyed peas, rinsed and soaked in water for ½ hour then drained
1/8 tsp asafedida
2 tbsp canola oil
1 pint cherry tomatoes
¾ tsp mango powder
¼ tsp garam masala
½ cup fresh chopped cilantro
Sea salt to taste

for the curry paste:

2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
½ tsp chili powder
2 jalapeño peppers, seeds partially removed
2 tbsp coriander powder
¼ tsp turmeric powder

Add all ingredients for the curry paste to a food processor with a couple of tablespoons of water and whiz into a paste.

Add canola oil to pressure cooker. Bring temperature to high. Add cumin seeds and cook until aromatic, about a minute or so. Add asafetida followed by the curry paste. Cook on medium temperature until raw flavors are gone and oil floats on the surface of the curry paste. Toss in black eyed-peas with 3 cups of water. Cover pressure cooker, and when it starts whistling, turn temperature down and continue cooking for another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and let pan cool down. Check for doneness. The beans should be soft. If not return pan to burner and cook a little longer.

Add tomatoes, salt, garam masala, mango powder and continue cooking, uncovered, just long enough to warm tomatoes through. Add cilantro, adjust salt and serve. We had this stew with a side of Japanese rice cooked Brazilian style.

{ 2 comments }

springtime garden tempeh with snow and garden peas, Kabocha with quinoa and almond butter sauce

by Heguiberto on April 6, 2012

This recipe was adapted from the latest issue of Vegetarian Times. I didn’t have most of the veggie ingredients so I made do with what was available at home. It turned out as granola as it can be, of course not in any pejorative way, but simply healthy and delicious. The sauce reminded me of something similar that I made to dress a Thai inspired salad.

springtime garden tempeh with snow and garden peas, Kabocha with quinoa and almond butter sauce

springtime garden tempeh with snow and garden peas, Kabocha with quinoa and almond butter sauce

springtime garden tempeh with snow and garden peas, Kabocha with quinoa and almond butter sauce

1 block of garden tempeh, cut into bite size cubes
2 wedges Kabocha pumpkin, skin on; steamed and then cut into bite size cubes
1 cup snow peas
1 cup fresh garden peas
1 cube vegetarian bouillon
1½ cups dried quinoa
1 tsp black sesame seeds
2 scallions cut into thin rounds

for the sauce:

1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp red miso paste
2 tbsp almond butter
1 tsp cider vinegar
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
2 tbsp canola oil

Rinse and soak quinoa for 20 minutes. Drain, add to a sauce pan with vegetarian bouillon, 2 cups of water, bring to a boil reduce the heat to medium/low and cook until water has absorbed and grains are soft, approximately 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Keep covered for few minutes.

Prepare the sauce by combining together ginger, miso, almond butter, cider vinegar, lemon juice, soy sauce, garlic and a third to a half cup of water. You want the sauce to be relatively thick but with a runny consistency. Set aside.

Add canola oil to a skillet. Bring temperature to high. Toss in tempeh cubes, sprinkle with salt and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, turning cubes occasionally to brown them evenly. Add one tablespoon of water, cover the pan and let tempeh absorb the water. Transfer tempeh cubes to a plate and keep them warm. Add remaining oil to the skillet, followed by snow peas, garden peas and cook for a couple of minutes until they turn bright green. Add kabocha pumpkin and tempeh cubes.

To serve, fluff quinoa with a fork, mix in scallions and transfer to a large serving platter. Pile sautéed tempeh and veggies combo next to the quinoa. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve sauce on the side.

{ 4 comments }

spicy urad dal soup

by Heguiberto on February 9, 2012

spicy urad dal soup

spicy urad dal soup

Every now and then I try recipes from the journal, Gastronomica, published by UC Berkeley. I’m a big fan of this academic culinary periodical. Primarily the articles are stuff related to food history and culture. Their subjects are always off the beaten path. I savor each of issue.

Here’s what it says on Gastronomica’s about page:

Since 2001 we’ve been renewing the connection between sensual and intellectual nourishment by offering readers a taste of passionate inquiry through scholarship, humor, fiction, poetry, and exciting visual imagery. With its diverse voices and eclectic mix of articles, Gastronomica uses food as an important source of knowledge about different cultures and societies, provoking discussion and encouraging thoughtful reflection on the history, literature, representation, and cultural impact of food. The fact is, the more we know about food, the greater our pleasure in it. Welcome to our table!

And it is true! And no, I’m not receiving a cash payment for promoting this quarterly. Though if a check arrives in the mail I won’t be too sad about it.

Alas, what does all this flattery have to do with today’s post? Before we started this blog (that seems like a while ago!) I made a dosa recipe from a lovely article I read in the magazine etitled The Masala Dosas in My Life.

That one called for a small amount of split urad dal, but overenthusiastic, I bought a large bag. After having stored it in the pantry “for a while,” it was time to get inspired again. This urad dal soup has some of the features of my other red dal soup but with a creamier texture. This was excellent and I really don’t know why it took me so long to prepare this gourmet pulse.

I found a great pic of several kinds of urad dal on this excellent site, Manjula’s Kitchen, which I’m re-posting here.

several kinds of urad dal

several kinds of urad dal

spicy urad dal soup

2 cups split and hulled urad dal, picked over and rinsed
½ tsp turmeric powder
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 small russet potatoes, skin on, quartered
3 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp black mustard seeds
1 white onion, chopped
2 Serrano chili peppers, minced (seeds and ribs removed partially)
1 tbsp fresh garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 branch curry leaves
1 bay leaf
½ tsp chili powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 28oz can unseasoned chopped tomatoes and juices
Kosher salt
1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Put dal, turmeric powder and 6 cups of water in a saucepan. Place it on stove, temperature on high and boil for 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove any foam that may form at the top. Add carrots, celery and potatoes and continue cooking until everything becomes soft. Add more water if needed. Keep it warm.

Meanwhile put oil, mustard and cumin seeds in a large skillet on high. Cook until aromatic and mustard seeds start to pop. Add onions, Serrano chili and cook until onion becomes translucent. Add garlic, ginger, bay and curry leaves. Continue cooking until raw aromas of the garlic and ginger are gone. Next add coriander and chili powders and salt. Give it a good stir. Fold in tomatoes, add a cup of water, stir and cook for about 12 minutes on medium temperature. Mix it in the dal, taste and adjust salt. Simmer for another 10 minutes.

Just before serving, transfer half of the soup to a bowl. Using a stick blender, blend everything together then return it back to the pot to thicken the soup a bit. Add chopped cilantro and serve! We had it with Brazilian style rice though it would also be excellent with roti.

{ 6 comments }

sesame and onion seed crusted swordfish with buckwheat soba and chard sauté

by Heguiberto on December 29, 2011

sesame and onion seed crusted sword fish with buckwheat soba and chard sauté

sesame and onion seed crusted sword fish with buckwheat soba and chard sauté

I know eating swordfish is supposed to be naughty. But per our fish monger, this one was line caught off the coast of California. So that’s good. It looked super fresh with that beautiful seafood aroma and so after listening to his explanation he convinced me. I lost my guilt and purchased 3 steaks for our dinner party. The whole dinner had a Japanese, South East Asian flair to it. It is pretty easy to make and delicious.

sesame and onion seed crusted sword fish with buckwheat soba and chard sauté

for the fish:

3 swordfish steaks or other similar fish steaks of your preference
1 tbsp sesame seeds (or more)
¾ tbsp black onion seeds (or more)
Lime juice
Nori strips (edible seaweed strips)
Olive oil

the noodles:

buckwheat soba noodles for 4 people cooked per package instructions, rinsed and kept warm

for the veggies:

1 bunch Swiss chard, leaves roughly torn
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp olive oil

for the sauce:

1 clove garlic grated into paste
1 tsp fresh ginger grated into paste
1 tsp chile garlic paste
3 tbsp soy sauce (or more)
¾ tbsp rice vinegar
¼ tsp sugar
¾ tbsp toasted sesame oil
3 whole scallions, sliced

Prepare the sauce mixing all the ingredients together, except for the scallions. Taste it and adjust flavors. It should be bold a bit salty, tangy, smoky, sweet and spicy. Drop in scallions then set aside.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Put chard in and cook for about three minutes. Drain and squeeze as much water as possible from it. Add olive oil to a skillet, then garlic and cook until garlic is aromatic. Add chard and cook for a couple of minutes. Sprinkle with some salt and black pepper. Transfer to a bowl, keeping it warm.

Rinse and pat dry fish steaks with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Mix seeds together and sprinkle on both sides of steaks. Using the same skillet, add a tad of olive oil, bring temperature to medium high, add sword fish steaks and cook for 3 minutes on each side (if your pan is too small do it in batches). Remove from pan and let rest for a couple of minutes, keeping it warm. Cut into bit size strips. Squeeze a few drops of lime juice over the fish.

Place soba noodles on a serving platter. Toss with sauce. Top with sautéed chard, then the fish, nori and serve.

{ 4 comments }

Martha’s pan-seared tuna burgers

by Heguiberto on August 11, 2011

Ah Martha… Her recipes are almost always infallible! I’ve made this tuna burger many times. The recipe’s from Martha Stewart Living a few years ago. It is really good. The original version calls for yellowfin tuna, but my fish market only had ahi this time. Also, Martha served hers with a Napa cabbage coleslaw. I tried the slaw before but didn’t care for it. Instead I served it with heirloom tomatoes, grilled onion and eggplant, with mayo on the side. I stuck with the brioche bun, naturally, though these were store-bought, and I’m not yet pleased. Perhaps next time I’ll make my own rolls?

Martha’s pan-seared tuna burgers

Martha’s pan-seared tuna burgers

Martha’s pan-seared tuna burgers

1¾ lbs fresh ahi tuna steaks
1½ tsps grated fresh garlic
2 tsps grated fresh ginger
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsps Dijon mustard
1½ tbsps canola oil
6 brioche rolls
Olive oil

key ingredients for Martha’s pan-seared tuna burgers

key ingredients for Martha’s pan-seared tuna burgers

Rinse ahi tuna steaks and pat dry with a paper towel. Cut steaks into 2 inch thick chunks. Place them in food processor and blitz it for about ½ minute to grind the tuna. Transfer to a bowl, add garlic, ginger, salt, lemon zest, 1 tbsp canola oil, mustard, black pepper and toss to combine with the help of a spatula. Line a baking tray with foil and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Divide tuna mix into six equal parts and shape them into patties, place them on oiled tray, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Using a non stick skillet, coat the surface with about a half tablespoon of olive oil and another half of canola. Turn to high. Add 3 patties at a time. Cook for 3 minutes on one side, flip them and cook another 3 on the other side (or less if you prefer it a little rare). Repeat process with other 3 patties. Serve on toasted brioche rolls with sides.

{ 4 comments }

grilled Chinese eggplant in teriyaki sauce

by Heguiberto on August 5, 2011

I can’t think of a vegetable that is as versatile for so many different cuisines as eggplant. We’ve made it in so many delicious ways: Kashmiri, Szechuan, North African, Macedonian, Italian, Lebanese; and that’s just scratching the surface.

grilled Chinese eggplant in teriyaki sauce

grilled Chinese eggplant in teriyaki sauce

This dish is inspired by Japan. I made the teriyaki sauce myself since I wanted better control over the amount of sugar. The result is sweet, salty, tart, toasty, spicy and yummy.

grilled Chinese eggplant in teriyaki sauce

 

4 Chinese eggplants, woody ends removed, cut into ¼ inch thick, long slices
Kosher salt

For teriyaki sauce:

½ cup sauvignon blanc
½ cup shoyu (soy sauce)
2 garlic cloves minced
1½ tsps fresh grated ginger
3 tbsps canola oil
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsps rice wine vinegar
3 tbsps sugar

Place sliced eggplant in a colander, sprinkle with some salt and let it sweat for 15 minutes. Rinse and pat dry using a paper towel.

Pre heat grill to high temperature.

Mix all teriyaki ingredients together. Brush eggplant pieces with teriyaki sauce. Grill them for about 4-5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a bowl. Add more of the teriyaki sauce, cover with plastic and let it finish cooking in the steam. Serve warm or at room temp.

{ 4 comments }

grilled tofu cutlets with warm carrot dressing

by Heguiberto on July 29, 2011

grilled tofu cutlets with warm carrot dressing

grilled tofu cutlets with warm carrot dressing

This is an awesome dish to serve to your non-meat eater friends and their admirers. It requires some planning ahead as you need to marinate the tofu cutlets overnight or at least for few hours so they soak up all the flavors. Other than that it’s a breeze to make and looks and tastes gorgeous.

some key ingredients for grilled tofu cutlets with warm carrot dressing

some key ingredients for grilled tofu cutlets with warm carrot dressing

grilled tofu cutlets with warm carrot dressing

¾ lb high protein tofu, cut into ¼ inch thick slabs

For the marinade:

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
½ tsp chili garlic paste or ¼ tsp siracha sauce
1 tbsp date molasses or brown sugar
1 tsp black bean paste
4 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp cilantro leaves chopped
2tbsp dark soy sauce
1tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves grated

For the carrot dressing:

1lb carrots, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 tbsp vegetable bouillon
1tsp soy sauce

Prepare the marinade by whisking all the ingredients together. Place tofu cutlets in baking tray sitting slightly slanted. Pour marinate over them. Refrigerate overnight. Flip cutlets a few times so they absorb the marinade more evenly.

To make the carrot dressing, add carrots, orange juice, ginger, vegetable bouillon, and soy sauce to a pan. Cook until carrot is soft. Remove from heat. Using a stick blender, purée carrots till smooth. Set aside and keep warm.

Remove tofu from fridge and bring to room temperature. Drain marinade into a sauce pan and cook for about 5-10 minutes to reduce it a bit in volume. Set aside.

Bring grill temperature to 600F (or higher). For diagonal grill marks place cutlets sideways over the grill and grill for 3 minutes, flip and cook for another 2-3 on the other side.

Remove tofu from grill and arrange them on a serving dish, spoon carrot dressing over it. Serve with sides of extra carrot dressing, reserved marinade and more chili sauce.

{ 10 comments }

sambal okra over coconut rice

July 22, 2011

And here’s another dish from the-Y-O, that’s Yotam Ottolenghi to you and me. This adaptation from “Plenty” was a huge success. The dish is South East Asian inspired, since it uses sambal sauce. Sambal is a fiery sauce made with chili peppers, shallots, tamarind and other spices. The-Y-O claims that a dish like this is [...]

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Szechuan string beans with tofu in black bean sauce

July 5, 2011

This recipe is a take on Szechuan style long beans, which I adore. The dish has all those amazing Asian flavors going on: ginger, garlic, pepper sauce, soy sauce and the magical, fermented black bean sauce. Fermented black bean sauce is a Chinese culinary wonder made with soybeans that have been fermented, and, in the [...]

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