Asian Pork Salad
Asian Pork Salad
Serves 4 to 6
2 pork tenderloins (about 2 pounds), trimmed
Spicy Hoisin Marinade (recipe follows)
Vegetable oil, for oiling grill
2 cups fresh cilantro leaves
2 cups fresh mint leaves
1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced on the diagonal
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1 cup julienned carrots
2 red bell peppers, seeds and ribs removed, julienned
Ginger Dressing (recipe follows)
1/4 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
Arrange pork loins in a non-reactive dish with spicy hoisin marinade. Cover and marinate, turning occasionally, refrigerated, for at least 8 hours or overnight. Preheat grill to high. Allow pork to return to room temperature before cooking, about 30 minutes. Remove pork from marinade, reserving 1/2 cup. Oil grill. Grill pork, turning and occasionally brushing with marinade, until pork reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees; to 145 degrees;, about 20 minutes. Remove from grill, and allow meat to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
In a large bowl combine cilantro, mint, scallions, sprouts, carrots, and peppers. Add ginger dressing, and toss to combine. Slice pork crosswise 1/4-inch-thick. Arrange pork and salad on a platter. Garnish with roasted peanuts.
Spicy Hoisin Marinade
Makes 3/4 cup, enough for 2 1/2 pounds meat
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
2 tablespoons sherry
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
2 garlic, minced
2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon crumbled dried chile, or crushed red pepper flakes
Zest of 1 orange
Whisk together ingredients in a nonreactive dish.
Ginger Dressing
Makes 1/3 cup
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, ginger, sugar, and chile pepper. Store, refrigerated, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days.
Grilled Beef Rolls with Scallion Soy Dipping Sauce
Grilled Beef Rolls with Scallion Soy Dipping Sauce
Makes 2 1/2 dozen
1 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 pounds beef tenderloin, trimmed
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
4 scallions, green tops, cut into 3-inch lengths and sliced lengthwise; whites sliced into 1/8-inch rings
3 (one each of green, red, and yellow) bell peppers, trimmed, seeded, and cut into long, thin matchsticks
1 teaspoon olive oil
In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce and brown sugar until dissolved; set aside. Cut tenderloin crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Trim off any fat or connective tissue.
Place 1 slice between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, evenly pound out the slice, keeping it roughly in a rectangular shape, until it is 1/8 inch thick. Do not overpound slices or they will begin to disintegrate. Remove plastic wrap, and transfer to a large plate. Repeat process with remaining meat.
Dip 1 slice beef in the soy sauce mixture, and place it on a clean surface. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place 2 pieces of scallion green and 1 piece of each pepper across the shorter length of the beef, so that the vegetables extend over both edges by about 3/4-inch. Roll up lengthwise, and skewer near the edges with 2 toothpicks. Set aside. Repeat with remaining beef and vegetables.
Lightly brush a grill pan with olive oil, and heat until hot, or heat the oven broiler. Grill or broil beef rolls, brushing with sauce and turning, until medium rare, 2 to 4 minutes. Cut each roll in half, or cut any longer rolls into 3 pieces. In a small saucepan bring remaining sauce to a boil for 3 to 5 minutes. Pour into a small bowl, and add scallion rings. Transfer beef rolls to a serving platter, and serve with sauce on the side.
Beef and Asparagus Negimaki
Beef and Asparagus Negimaki
Makes 24
Salt, for water
24 thin stalks asparagus, or 12 thick stalks sliced in half lengthwise
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 scallions, greens only
1 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preheat a grill or grill pan until hot, or prepare oven broiler. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Cut off asparagus ends to within 3 1/2 inches from tips; reserve bottoms for another use. Place tips in boiling water; cook until bright green but still crunchy, about 1 minute. Prepare an ice-water bath. Drain asparagus; transfer to an ice-water bath to stop cooking. Drain asparagus again in a colander, and set aside.
Whisk together soy sauce and sugar until dissolved; set aside. Cut scallions into 3 1/2-inch lengths, julienned lengthwise; set aside. Slice tenderloin into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. Place one slice between two pieces of plastic; pound lightly to an even thickness. Remove plastic; trim into 2-by-5-inch rectangle. Repeat with remaining beef.
Dip a piece of beef in soy-sauce mixture, and place on a clean surface. Season with pepper. Place 1 piece of scallion and 2 asparagus tips across 1 end of beef, so vegetables extend over edges; roll. Set aside. Repeat with remaining beef and vegetables. Grill or broil negamaki, brushing with sauce and turning, until slightly charred and medium rare, about 2 minutes. Serve.
Lemon-Parsley Gougeres
Lemon-Parsley Gougeres
MAKES 60; SERVES 8 to 10
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
5 large eggs
Zest of 1 lemon
3 scallions, finely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh curly-leaf parsley
Bring 1 cup water, the butter, salt, and cayenne to a boil in a heavy 4-quart saucepan; boil until butter has melted. Remove from heat; stir in flour. Return to burner; cook, stirring, until mixture comes together and pulls away from the pan, about 2 minutes more.
Remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon, beat in 4 eggs, 1 at a time, until they are incorporated and smooth. Stir in zest, scallions, and parsley. Transfer mixture to a piping bag, and cut a 1/2-inch opening. Pipe 1-inch rounds onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Alternatively, drop rounded teaspoons of batter onto baking sheets lined with parchment. If not using immediately, freeze up to 1 month in airtight containers or resealable plastic bags.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees;. Whisk together remaining egg and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl; lightly brush on top of each puff. Bake until lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
Shrimp and Cod Burgers
Shrimp and Cod Burgers
Makes 4
12 ounces medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cut into chunks
8 ounces cod, cut into chunks
3/4 cup fine fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup drained capers, rinsed
2 medium scallions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, (1 to 2 lemons)
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Vegetable oil, for brushing
4 hamburger buns
Red-leaf lettuce, for serving
Tarragon Tartar Sauce, for serving (optional) (recipe follows)
Lemon wedges, for serving
Process half of the shrimp in a food processor until a paste forms. Add cod, remaining shrimp, the breadcrumbs, capers, scallions, parsley, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Pulse until just combined. Using dampened hands, shape into 4 patties. Refrigerate, covered, until cold and firm, about 1 1/2 hours (or overnight).
Preheat grill to medium-high (if using a charcoal grill, coals are ready when you can hold your hand above grill for just 3 to 4 seconds). Brush grill and burgers with oil. Grill, flipping once, until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Toast buns on grill during the last minute of cooking, if desired. Serve burgers on buns; top with lettuce. Serve with tartar sauce, if desired, and the lemon wedges.
Tarragon Tartar Sauce
Makes 1 1/4 cups
1 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sweet relish
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons drained capers, rinsed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Stir together mayonnaise, relish, lemon juice, capers, tarragon, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container, up to 1 week.
Basic Potato Salad
Basic Potato Salad
Serves 8
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 pounds waxy potatoes (such as Yukon gold or new), scrubbed and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1/3 cup white-wine vinegar
4 scallions, white part minced, green part thinly sliced
3/4 cup light mayonnaise
Set a steamer basket in a Dutch oven (or large pot with a lid), and add enough salted water to come just below basket; bring to a boil. Place potatoes in basket, cover pot, and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Steam potatoes, gently tossing occasionally, until tender, 15 to 25 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine vinegar, scallion whites, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and teaspoon pepper. Add hot potatoes to vinegar mixture; toss to combine. Cool to room temperature, tossing occasionally, about 1 hour. Add mayonnaise and scallion greens to cooled potatoes; mix gently to combine. Serve, or cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.
Sloppy Taco Chili
Sloppy Taco Chili
Yields 4 servings
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds ground beef sirloin
Salt and black pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 tablespoon cumin
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup hot sauce, any kind you like
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 quarts beef stock
4 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup green olives with pimento, chopped
3 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 cup corn tortilla chips, crushed
Heat a medium soup pot over medium-high heat with olive oil. When oil is hot, add beef and season with salt, black pepper, chili powder and cumin. Brown the meat for 5 minutes, breaking it up into small pieces with the back of a wooden spoon. Add the garlic, onion, peppers and the bay leaf, and cook for 7-8 minutes until tender. Add the hot sauce and tomato paste, and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Stir in stock, bring to a bubble, reduce heat and cook for 10-15 minutes. In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the scallions, cilantro, olives and tomatoes. Serve this mixture on top of the sloppy chili along with a handful of crushed tortilla chips.
Turkey Patty Melt with Honey Apple Radish Slaw
Turkey Patty Melt with Honey Apple Radish Slaw
Yields 4 servings
1 package (about 1 1/3 pounds) all-white-meat, ground turkey breast
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
2-3 scallions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon sweet pickle relish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons butter, softened but not melted
8 slices multi-grain sandwich bread
8 slices havarti cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons honey
Juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup spicy brown mustard, divided (1/4 cup for slaw, 1/2 cup for dipping on the side)
1 handful flat-leaf parsley
1 sack store-bought shredded cabbage
10 radishes, sliced
1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored and sliced
In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine the ground turkey, dill, scallions, sweet pickle relish, salt and pepper. Score the meat into 4 equal parts and then form 4 patties, about 1 1/2-inch thick. Drizzle them with olive oil and set aside.
Place a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Place patties into the pan and cook 6-7 minutes per side, or until cooked through.
In the bottom of a medium size bowl, stir the sour cream, honey, lemon juice, mustard and the parsley to make a dressing. Add the cabbage, radishes and apple to make a slaw.
While the patties are cooking, spread a thin layer of butter on each slice of bread, turn them over and place a slice of cheese on each of the non-buttered sides of the bread. Put a cooked patty on top of the cheese, and top with another cheese-sided slice of bread. Place the sammies buttered side down in the skillet over medium heat and cook until golden and the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes per side. Serve the patty melts with some spicy brown mustard for dipping and the slaw alongside.
Whole Roasted Sea Bass
Whole Roasted Sea Bass
Recipe courtesy Sam Hayward of Fore Street
Serves 2
Two 1 1/4 pound whole sea bass, gutted, gilled, scaled, and fins removed
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for baking dish
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 fresh bay leaves
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
Juice of 1 lemon
Season the cavity and exterior of fish with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush a baking dish just large enough to hold fish without crowding lightly with oil. Divide thyme, rosemary, and parsley evenly between each fish, and place inside cavity. Place 2 bay leaves in cavity of each fish, and place remaining 2 bay leaves in baking dish. Sprinkle scallions over and around fish; drizzle with olive oil.
Transfer to oven and roast 15 minutes. Continue to roast, checking every few minutes, until the thickest part of the fish is just firm, about 5 minutes more.
Drizzle fish with lemon juice and transfer to a cutting board; set baking dish aside. Working from the head to the tail, cut along backbone to separate the flesh from the bone. Carefully lift top fillet and transfer to a plate. Lift and discard bones. Gently lift second fillet to same plate. Repeat process with remaining fish. Drizzle with any pan juices before serving.
Cold Chicken Satay Noodles
Cold Chicken Satay Noodles
Yields 4 servings
Salt
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
1/4-1/3 cup smooth or chunky peanut butter, softened
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup warm water
1/4 cup tamari (aged soy sauce)
1 clove garlic, grated with microplane or box grater
Juice of 2 limes, zest of 1
1 teaspoon hot sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable, peanut or sunflower oil
2 cups store-bought rotisserie chicken meat, skin removed and thinly sliced
A handful of shredded carrots
4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
1 cup spinach greens, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped peanuts, available in small pouches in the baking aisle
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, whichever you prefer
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, salt water liberally, then drop pasta in and cook to al dente. Run cooked pasta under cold water to cool. Drain well and reserve. While the water is coming to a boil and the pasta is cooking, whisk together softened peanut butter, honey and warm water in a large bowl. Once they're combined, whisk in the tamari, garlic, lime juice and zest, and hot sauce.
While whisking continuously, pour the oil in a steady stream to complete the dressing. Add noodles, veggies and peanuts to the bowl and toss until everything is mixed well. Place noodles in shallow bowls and top with chicken and cilantro or parsley.
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