entree Archive

Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad.

I absolutely love this recipe.

If left to my own devices, I would probably eat this particular salad multiple times a week. I crave it often (and therefore, I make it often).

There’s not much I can say about the recipe, only that you need to try it for yourself. So I encourage you to do just that! Give this salad a try — I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Happy Friday, everyone. Here’s to the weekend (and delicious peanutty noodle salads!)!

Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad

1 package rice noodles
1 red bell pepper, julienned
2 small carrots, julienned
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly

For the peanut sauce:
3/4 cup all-natural creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons honey (*could substitute brown sugar, but I prefer honey)
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 cloves garlic, smashed
The juice of 1 lime
A generous helping of Sriracha hot sauce (to taste & according to your love of spice! Start with a little and add more as needed!)

Garnishes:
Bean Sprouts
Lime Wedges
Chopped Peanuts
Sriracha sauce

Method
Cook rice noodles according to package directions. Once cooked, rinse with cold water and allow to cool. Toss with a bit of sesame oil to ensure that the noodles don’t stick together.

In a small pan, cook red onions with a bit of sesame oil over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes (until soft). Set aside. (*Note: I cook the onions to reduce their potency and given them a slight caramelized flavor. You could include them in the salad raw, I simply prefer to cook them a bit first).

Blend all peanut sauce ingredients together in a food processor. Taste, and adjust to your liking. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a bit of water to thin.

Toss the noodles, peanut sauce, red peppers, carrots, and red cooked onions together until evenly coated. Garnish with fresh lime wedges, bean sprouts, and chopped peanuts.

*Note: While this salad is good leftover, it is best if eaten immediately!

Recipe Swap: Pork & Apple Pot Pie with Rosemary Gruyere Biscuits

It’s recipe swap time again!

For those of you who are unfamiliar, I am part of a group of bloggers that reinterprets recipes from an old cookbook called “All Day Singin’ and Dinner on the Ground”. CM at Burwell General Store started the recipe swap this past December, and for the very first swap it was just Christianna and I, making our best persimmon creations. And here we are, just a few swaps later (this is our 4th recipe swap), the group has grown to 13 members! If you’d like to see a full story of how the swap began, a full list of recipe swap participants, as well each participant’s recipe swap creation please visit CM’s dedicated Recipe Swap Page (It’ll be worth it, I promise. SO MANY AMAZING BLOGS!).

For this particular recipe swap, Christianna asked us to recreated “Grandma’s Chicken Pie with Drop Biscuits“. I was really excited when I heard that she had picked this recipe, as the last couple of recipes we’ve reinterpreted were originally sweet dishes. I was ready to take on a savory challenge. I’m a sucker for a good pot pie, and with all the wretched weather we’ve had lately, this dish sounded like the answer to all of my winter woes.

I’ve made a few different pot pies over the years, and they never fail me. Pot pie is always delicious. Always! So with my reinterpretation of “Grandma’s pot pie”, I wanted to stay true to the spirit of the original recipe. I wanted the flavors to be simple and classic. I wanted the dish to be warm, hearty, and comforting. After gazing at various recipes online and searching my own brain for inspiration I finally settled on this: Pork and Apple Mini Pot Pies with Rosemary Gruyere Biscuits.

Here’s the thing with this dish: it sounds fancy and complicated, but it really isn’t. The ingredient list is simple and made up of mostly pantry staples. The flavors are classic and familiar (Nich actually said that it “tasted like Thanksgiving”). Quite frankly, the only thing you need for this recipe is a bit of time and planning. This is the perfect lazy Sunday dish, as you can pop it in the oven and let the pork slowly braise while you accomplish other things (or laze on the couch and watch a No Reservations marathon. It happens.)

As always, I had a great time participating in the recipe swap. Yet again, I was forced to be creative and think outside of the box…and I loved the results! I loved the biscuit topping so much, that I’ve already made the biscuits again on their own (they can be slightly modified with more flour to be rolled out and cut into traditional biscuits). I’m quite sure this pot pie will find a place in our winter meal rotation.

Please do scroll down to see my recipe and tips on making this delicious dish. And check out the gorgeous dishes my fellow swappers created!

The recipe swap currently includes: CM @ Burwell General Store, Boulder Locavore, The Tomato Tart, Chef Dennis @ More than a Mountful, Spicy Living, The Unexpected Harvest, The Adventuresome Kitchen, The Cake Dutchess, Good Food Week, Fat and Happy, The Herbed Kitchen, and Cindy @ Tyro Tidbits

Mini Pork & Apple Pot Pies with Rosemary Gruyere Biscuit Topping
(Pork filling adapted from Bitchin Camero)

For the pork & apple filling
1 tbsp. olive oil
3 lbs of pork shoulder, divided into 6 equal pieces
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. freshly ground pepper
2 yellow onions, diced
2 cups chicken stock
2 granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp. fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
Dash of cayenne pepper

For biscuit topping
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 stick (8 tablespoons) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup finely grated gruyere cheese
2 teaspoons of finely chopped rosemary
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk

Method:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

First, trim any excess fat from the pork shoulder pieces. Sprinkle all sides of the pork with salt and pepper.

Using a dutch oven (or other oven-proof pot), heat olive oil over medium heat (on the stovetop). Once the oil is hot, add in the pork (if the pan is too crowded you may have to cook in batches). Brown the pork shoulder pieces until nicely browned on each side (a few minutes per side). Remove the pork to a plate.

Add the diced onions to the pot and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add in rosemary and thyme, stir, and cook for one minute more. Place the pork shoulder pieces back in the pot and add the stock, bay leaf, and a dash of cayenne pepper. Once the stock comes to a rapid simmer, transfer pot to preheated oven. Cook for 1 – 2 hours, turning pieces occasionally, or until the pork is fork-tender. (My pork took 2+ hours to reach desired tenderness)

Once the pork is fork-tender, remove from pot and transfer to a plate. Using 2 forks, pull the meat apart into large chunks. Once the pork is “pulled” to your liking, add the apples and a bit more fresh thyme to the pot and cook on the stovetop over medium high heat. (Meanwhile: turn your oven heat up to 350) Allow this mixture to simmer until most of the cooking liquid has reduced (about 10 minutes). Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. *Note: be careful not to overcook the apples, as you will bake these mini pot pies in the oven and the apples will continue to soften. For now, just cook until the apples are starting to become tender.

Scoop the contents of pot into individual ramekins (I had enough for 4 sizeable ramekins with a little meat leftover for snacking).

Now, to make the biscuit topping.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper. Blend in the chilled butter cubes with a pastry cutter, 2 knives, or your fingertips until the mixture resembles a coarse meal (I always find that using my fingers works best). Add in cheese and rosemary, mix to combine. Then, add in the buttermilk and stir until just combined.

Drop a large dollop of the biscuit mixture on top of each ramekin, and spread to make sure the pork mixture is covered by the biscuit dough. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes, or until biscuits are golden brown. When the biscuits are done, remove from oven and allow pot pies to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Warning: they will be VERY hot!

Black Truffle and Chanterelle Risotto (and the Great Valentine’s Dining Dilemma)

To dine out or to dine in? This is the dilemma I am faced with every year for Valentine’s day.

The case for Dining Out is simple: Going out to eat for Valentine’s Day means I get to eat a fancy, exquisite, delicious meal that is prepared for me. Read: I don’t have to do any work. There is a certain romance and ambiance that comes with eating out. There are new places to try (and cross of our list!). There are no dishes to wash at the end of the evening.

On the other hand, however, the Dining In option also presents a worthy argument: Dining at home is quiet, romantic, and intimate. It is much cheaper than going out. You don’t have to deal with the hassle of reservations or crowds. There isn’t a crappy pre fixe Valentine’s menu. You are in control of your destiny! A night in can be as simple or fancy as you want it to be, in the comfort of your own home.

All that to say: I’m conflicted! Last year, Nich and I stayed at the Ace Hotel downtown and had dinner at Clyde Common. It was fabulous! We got all dressed up and had a night on the town and it was all so magical. This year, however, we are scaling it back a bit. Nich just started a new job and doesn’t have any vacation time yet, so we can’t get away for the evening. We’ve been debating about whether or not we are going to make reservations anywhere for dinner, but truth be told: I just don’t feel like it. I think I’d rather stay in.

The only issue I’m having with staying in for V-day this year is that Nich and I already had the perfect “date night in”. It was last Friday and we didn’t have any plans for the evening and Nich had a grand idea. Fresh Oregon Black Truffles were on sale at Pastaworks, and he (wisely) suggested we needed to take advantage of these beauties while they lasted. We picked up one sizeable truffle and at $160.00/lb it only came out to $6.50 (That is a steal for black truffles!). Since the truffle was surprisingly affordable, we decide to splurge and get some local chanterelle mushrooms as well. Inspired by CM’s truffled risotto (and squash blossoms!), I knew exactly what we were going to do with our beautiful truffle and chanterelles. We were going to make risotto!

A couple of hours later, and Nich and I were in culinary heaven. We feasted on Black Truffle and Chanterelle Risotto, Blood Orange and Hazelnut Salad, and paired it with a bottle of 2007 Erath Estate Pinot Noir. It was utter decadence (and it was all local!). I think we really, truly outdid ourselves this time. Which, then, leaves me to wonder: What the heck am I going to do for Valentine’s Day? How can we top this? But, maybe – just maybe – that is precisely the point. Maybe we can’t top that meal, and maybe we don’t need to. Call me old-fashioned, but I’m of the opinion that romance doesn’t need to be confined to one particular Hallmark holiday. Sometimes, the best dates just happen on a random weeknight. Its not that I have anything against Valentine’s Day – I want an excuse to drink champagne and eat chocolates as much as the next – but I’m a firm believer that Valentines should be one date night among many.

That being said, I really have no idea what we’re doing for Valentine’s day this year. All I know is that we are staying in! I can figure out the menu later, right? As for you, dear reader, you’re set. I just figured out your Valentines plans for you: Make this risotto, open a bottle of wine, and spend the evening with the one(s) you love. Or don’t make it on Valentine’s day (to heck with romance!)! Just promise me you’ll make it at some point. This is simply too delicious, you must try it for yourself sometime.

P.S. If fresh truffles aren’t available in your neck of the woods, don’t sweat it. You can subsitute with a couple dashes of truffle oil (which is available in most specialty markets, Whole Foods, New Seasons, etc). Or you can skip the truffle altogether and just use chanterelles or other mushrooms!

BLACK TRUFFLE AND CHANTERELLE RISOTTO
(Adapted from Burwell General Store and this recipe on Open Source Food)

3/4 cup arborio rice
6 cups (or so) of Organic chicken, vegetable, or mushroom stock (We used chicken)
3 Tablespoons butter
1 cup (or more) of chanterelle mushrooms, washed and cut into quarters
1/2 black truffle, minced
1 large shallot (or 2 small shallots), minced
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp fresh sage, minced
salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat stock in a small pan, preferably next to the burner you’ll be cooking your risotto on. Keep stock heated over low heat while you make the risotto.

2. Heat butter in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add in the minced shallots and cook for 3-4 minutes. Next, add in the chanterelle mushrooms and cook for 4-5 minutes. Once the mushrooms just barely begin to brown, add in the arborio rice. Stir well, to ensure that the rice is evenly coated in butter (add more butter if need be.) Add in a dash of the minced truffle, and stir to coat. After the rice is coated and sizzling (about 5 minutes), deglaze the pan with white wine (i.e. pour in the wine!).

3. Stir the rice constantly, and allow the wine to absorb. Once the wine has absorbed, start adding the stock in 1/2 cup at a time. With each 1/2 cup of stock, keep stirring and allow the stock to absorb completely before adding the next half cup of stock.

4. After about 30-40 minutes, the risotto should be thick and creamy. Test the rice, and when it is just barely al dente (tender with a tiny bit of crunch) stir in the parmesan, sage, salt, pepper, and the rest of the minced black truffle. Allow to cook for just a minute or two more, then remove from heat.

5. Garnish with fresh shaved parmesan, sage leaves, and shaved black truffle. Serve immediately! (Note: if using truffle oil instead of fresh truffles, stir in the oil with the parmesan and sage).

Eggs in a Nest.

So, call me a little bit crazy but I’ve added one more commitment to my slightly over-committed life: I joined a book club.

I’ve joined book clubs in the past and it seems that they always disband before anyone ever finishes the first book. We always have the best of intentions, but life gets in the way. But this particular book club is shaping up to be the real deal. This club consists of 3 ladies (myself included), and we meet twice a month(ish), depending on schedules. We drink wine, eat food, and we actually discuss the contents of the ‘assigned’ book! We’ve only been a club for a few months now, and we are just finishing our second book: Barbara Kingsolver’s ‘Animal Vegetable Miracle’.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book. I’ve read a lot of food books in my day, so the ideas presented in the book weren’t necessarily new to me. I’ve already committed to eating seasonally and locally – to the best of my ability and with the resources that I have available. With that being said, my one critique of the book would be that most of us aren’t in a position to do what Barbara Kingsolver and her family did. We aren’t famous writers who inherit a large family farm; nor do we have the freedom to drop our lives, move to a farm, and live off the land for a year.

So while I applaud Kingsolver for her locavore ways (and the awareness she brings to national food issues), my committment to the local food movement will look quite a bit different. I may not have a farm, but I have a little duplex with a side yard…and I will grow as much food as I can in that little yard! I will shop at my local farmer’s market. I won’t buy fresh tomatoes in December (partially for environmental reasons…mostly because they taste awful!).

Really, at the end of the day, I think responsible eating is about doing the best that you can with the resources you’ve been given. I know that I’ve been blessed with a lot of resources, and I am grateful for that. I am so fortunate to live in Portland – the mecca of all things local, sustainable, organic, etc. I know that not everyone has these resources at their fingertips and so I would encourage you to just do the best you can. Start small and just see where it goes.

Two years ago, my husband and I made the decision to stop eating fast food. I can honestly say that one decision changed everything. We didn’t eat much fast food to begin with, but this one decision forced us to be much more thoughtful about our meals. We had revelations about why a taco at Por Que No? (a local taqueria, known for their sustainable practices) costs so much more than a taco at Taco Bell. It was suddenly so evident: This is how much real food costs. Since that time, our eating and shopping habits have changed a lot. It all started with that one decision. And I know we still have a long way to go, but this is a process. You just do the best you can.

So, while most of us may not have the resources of Barbara Kingsolver, many of her suggestions are still applicable to the average American. I absolutely love that she includes recipes in the book (written by her 19 year old daughter!) and I’ve made quite a few of them. My favorite recipe from the book is one called Eggs in a Nest. The name of the recipe is quite literal: the eggs are poached in a ‘nest’ of wilted greens and are served over a bed of brown rice. This is a wonderful way to showcase hearty winter greens, and it makes for a quick, satisfying, and cheap (!) midweek meal.

**Oh, and before I forget, I’ve been meaning to post a link to this lovely seasonal produce calendar from Cottage Industrialist. I printed one off and hung it on my fridge, and it serves as a wonderful reminder as to what is in season!

EGGS IN A NEST
Adapted from Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

1 large bunch of greens, roughly chopped (Chard, kale, mustard greens, etc.)
4-6 large eggs (1 per person)
1 small can fire roasted tomatoes (*Note: in the winter, when fresh tomatoes are terrible, I live by Muir Glen Organic canned tomatoes. They are amazing. For this recipe, I used their Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Green Chilies.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, diced
Salt & pepper, to taste
Dash of red chili flakes
1.5 cups brown or wild rice

Method:
Cook rice according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large pot or skillet over medium heat, sautee the onions until translucent. Add in garlic, cook for a couple minutes more. Add in canned tomatoes and juices, mix to combine and bring to a simmer. Add in salt, pepper, and chili flakes (to taste).

Add in all of the greens and cover the pot with a lid. Keep heat at medium or medium-low and stir occasionally, to make sure all the greens are cooking down & wilting.

Once the greens are tender (5-10 minutes), turn the heat down to low/med-low. Using a spoon or spatula, create small round indents (aka “nests”) in the greens. Gently crack an egg into each “nest”, being careful not to break the yolk (I usually crack an egg into a small bowl or cup and then gently lower the egg onto its ‘nest’). Cover the pot/skillet and let the eggs poach in the greens & juices until the whites have turned clear (about 5-6 minutes).

Gently scoop out a healthy serving of greens & one egg per person. Serve over rice.

Shakshuka

So, a few days ago I posted a random compilation of thoughts and goals for 2011. I didn’t think long and hard about it, but just threw out some ideas that I’d been thinking about, recipes I’d wanted to try, and things along these lines.

So, here I am, just a few days later: and I can already cross one of these things off my list. I made Shakshuka!

OK, so many of you are probably wondering what in the world shakshuka is. I only recently learned of this dish, when my friend Cait announced that she was going to make it for our weekly girl’s night dinner. When I heard she was making shakshuka, I had a “What the…?” moment. I had never heard of such a thing. But after a quick wiki-ing, I learned that it is a mediterreanean tomato and pepper stew with poached eggs. (Cait said that growing up, her family called it “Eggs in Hell”, which I think is a rather fitting description.)

So, I had my very first taste of skakshuka at Cait’s house and it was wonderful. And then, literally the next day I started seeing shakshuka everywhere. All of the sudden, shakshuka was all the rage in Portland. You see, all the Portland papers started announcing their 2010 Best Restaurant lists and a new place called Tasty N Sons was at the top every list. And what did they all say was the dish to get at Tasty N Sons? That’s right: shakshuka.

So, Nich and I decided to see what all the fuss was about. We waited an hour for a table (at 11:00am on a Thursday!) and eagerly awaited our shakshuka. It did not disappoint. I can’t say I was as thrilled with all the other Tasty N Sons dishes (sorry, it was good, but not BEST restaurant in Portland good.), but the shakshuka was astonishingly delicious. We were impressed with the depth of flavors that a mere tomato and pepper stew could bring to the table. The dish was hearty, filling, and comforting. It was so delicious, in fact, that Nich and I vowed to make our own.

Flash forward to a few nights later, and Nich and I were at home without much in the way of plans for the evening. I had just baked a fresh loaf of bread, there was a Blazers game on, and we needed to figure out something to make for dinner. After flipping through The New Book of Middle Eastern Food – a wedding present and one of my favorite cookbooks – we saw a recipe for authentic shakshuka and decided to go for it. The recipe doesn’t take a lot of speciality ingredients, it isn’t complicated, and it’s relatively quick to make. Plus, I had just bought really wonderful local eggs (from the Urban Farm Store) and we were thrilled to poach them in such a worthy sauce.

Even though it was our first attempt, I would venture to say that our shakshuka rivals the only other two I’ve tried (Cait’s and Tasty N Sons). It was thick, rich, and flavorful – and we looooooooooved it. I can already tell that this will be a staple in our household.

SHAKSHUKA
(Adapted from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food – which is a wonderful cookbook and I highly recommend it!)
Serves 4-6
(*Note: many add sausage to their shakshuka. The Tasty N Sons version had lamb merguez sausage and it was wonderful. We didn’t have any sausage, so we made ours vegetarian).

2 large (28oz) cans whole tomatoes
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 white or yellow onion, sliced thin
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1.5 tsps Harissa paste
1 pinch saffron (*optional)
2 tsps ground cumin
Dash of red chili flakes
1.5 tsps smoked paprika
Salt & pepper, to taste
4-6 farm fresh eggs

Garnishes:
Crusty bread and/or warm pita
Crumbled feta
Fresh parsley

Method:

1. First, you must roast the bell peppers (you can use store bought roasted peppers, but roasting your own is really the best). There are a couple different ways you can go about this. If you have a gas stovetop, you can turn on a burner and roast the peppers (use metal tongs!) over the open flame. Rotate the pepper often, until the skin is blackened on all sides. If you do not have a gas stove, you can roast your peppers by broiling them in your oven, making sure to turn often so the skin blackens on all sides. Once the skin has blackened, place peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for at least 10 minutes. Once they have cooled enough to handle, remove the skin (it should come off easily at this point) and then thinly slice the roasted peppers.

Put a generous amount (2 Tbl) olive oil in a heavy pan, dutch oven, or cast iron skillet and heat over med-high heat. Add in sliced onions and cook until nearly translucent. Lower the heat slightly and add in minced garlic and roasted peppers, stir and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add in the tomatoes (and juices), harissa, and spices. (If using whole canned tomatoes, crush with your hands, a potato masher, etc.) Heat on Med until the mixture comes to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and allow to simmer for at least a half hour.

Once the mixture has thickened and some of the liquid has reduced, taste and season to your preference (I like it a little spicy!). When the tomato sauce is ready, crack 4 (or 6, depending on how many people you are feeding) eggs on top of the tomato sauce. For ease, I recommend cracking the eggs into small individual bowls and lowering the bowls into the tomato mixture, and letting the egg slide out of the bowl gently onto the sauce. Cover the pan and let the eggs cook in the liquid until the whites are opaque (about 6 minutes).

Gently ladle into shallow bowls (1 egg per person) and serve with crusty bread or pita. Garnish with fresh parsley and crumbled feta.

Laksa: Curried Moules Frites

I am quite excited, as I am a new member of a group called The Velveteers. The group consists of several members, all from various corners of the globe, who are all passionate about cooking and challenge themselves to cook diverse and interesting dishes. (More on the Velveteers at the bottom of this post…)

Each month, the Velveteers take on a new cooking challenge. For example, last month, the Velveteers each made their own interpretation of the Sicilian classic, Caponata. This is my first month as a member of the group, and I must say that I was a little scared when I saw our assignment. We were asked to cook the a traditional dish from Singapore called Laksa. Laksa is a coconut curry soup, that is usually served with rice noodles and various other ingredients (cockles, fish cakes, shrimp, etc).

Upon reading the assignment, panic immeadiately sunk in: I had never heard of Laksa! I did a little research, and found that laksa can take many different forms and be made in a variety of different ways. Laksa looked so exciting and delicious, and so different from the cuisine I normally cook. And even though I was slightly hesitant to try my hand at laksa (mostly due to my recent and disastrous attempt at curry paste), I knew that this dish was special. And I knew I could redeem myself and make a beautiful curry.

My first thought when approaching this dish, was that I wanted to incorporate mussels into the laksa. I love mussels in any form, but I especially love mussels with a good curry broth. My next thought was to make a curried Moules Frites – (aka Mussels and Fries). My husband and I are slightly obsessed with moules frites, and order them whenever we get the chance. And while moules frites is one of my favorite meals, I have never made them at home. I’ve been meaning to do so, and this challenge provided a unique opportunity to make one of my favorite dishes with a twist. So, I set out to use a laksa broth as the base for my mussels and fries. And, I must say, it turned out beautifully! I understand that the dish is a far cry from a traditional laksa soup, but I did my best to make an authentic laksa curry paste and based the entire dish upon that. The flavor was unbelievably good, and the sweetness of the mussels worked so nicely with the spicy broth.

Here is my method for making my version of laksa (with mussels and fries):

LAKSA: CURRIED MUSSELS AND FRIES

For the Laksa Paste
(Adapted from Fat of the Land)
3 stalks of lemongrass (the “hearts” – soft inner white parts)
1/2 red bell pepper
3 – 5 hot chilis, stemmed and seeded to taste
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp
1 – 2 thumbs of ginger, peeled & chopped into thin slices (I used extra ginger as the original recipe calls for Galangal, but I could not get my hands on any)
1 – 2 Tbsps of Fish Sauce (The recipe also called for shrimp paste, and I did not have any – so I used a little extra fish sauce)
4-5 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
2 shallots, peeled and chopped
1 tsp paprika
1 Tbsps brown sugar
4 Tbsps peanut oil

To make the Laksa paste: Simply combine all ingredients and blend together in a food processor until smooth. You may need to use extra fish sauce or peanut oil if the mixture is too thick. However, keep in mind – this is a paste! It is supposed to be quite thick.

For the fries:
4 russet potatoes, throughly washed and cut into thin wedges.
1 – 2 cups of peanut oil
Salt
*You will need some sort of thermometer or temperature gauge for this!

For the fries, I used the Geoffrey Steingarten method. Its super easy, and they turn out great every time!.

Wash and cut the potatoes into thin wedges and try to cut them as evenly as possible (so they will cook evenly). Rinse the cut potatoes in cold water and then pat dry with a towel. Place the potatoes in a pot or pan that has at least a 10″ diameter and is at least 4″ tall (I used my dutch oven). Pour the peanut oil over the potatoes, just enough to cover them. Turn the stove to high heat. Watch the temperature rise, and be careful not to let the oil heat over 370 degrees. Once the temp has reached 350 and the fries are looking golden brown, remove from the oil and let drain on a paper towel. Salt to taste.

For the mussels:
2 pounds fresh mussels, cleaned thoroughly (*Please see this site for instructions on properly storing and cleaning mussels. It is very important to do so!)
1 can coconut milk
4 cups chicken/veggie stock (or water)
1 carrot, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1 cup laksa paste
1 Tbsp peanut oil

In a large stock pot, heat the peanut oil over med-high heat. Add in the diced carrot, onion and bell pepper. Cook for a few minutes, until tender (3-5 minutes). Add in the laksa paste, and stir to coat. Cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add in the stock (or water) and stir. Bring to a boil, and then turn the heat down and let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and continue to let simmer for another 5 minutes. Add in the mussels and cook for a few minutes, until each mussel opens. If there are any mussels that do not open, throw them away as they are no good!

Serve the mussels in a shallow bowl. Ladle a good amout of the laksa broth over the mussels. Top with fries, fresh cilantro and sriacha aioli (which is a fancy way of saying I mixed sriacha with mayo!). Feel free to sop up the delicious broth with some crusty bread.

So, there you have it! My first Velveteers challenge. I had a fantastic time making (and eating!) this dish.

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” The 4 Velveteers* was started by Pamela (The Cooking Ninja), Aparna (My Diverse Kitchen), Asha (Fork Spoon & Knife), and Alessio (The Recipe Taster), who are passionate about different cuisines and food in general. Each month, we will attempt a new dish and share our experiences and the recipes we used. If you’re interested in joining the Velveteers, please feel free to drop by our Google group. ”

Do, check out what the other Velveteers have created:

Aparna from My Diverse Kitchen made Vegetarian Curry Laksa

Asha from Fork, Spoon, Knife made Laksa Lemak with Shrimp and Catfish

Alessio from The Recipe Taster made Fragrant Almond Laksa with Noodles

Sarah from Simply Cooked made Light Chicken Laksa

potato gnocchi & rustic tomato sauce

Photos by Randall P. Jenkins, Department Three

I must start off by saying that I am rather proud of myself. Why, you ask? I am proud of myself because I made potato gnocchi from scratch (!). I have never attempted to make any sort of pasta from scratch – it always seemed so terrifying and impossible! But, a few weeks ago the fine folks at The Kitchn posted a recipe for gnocchi that didn’t look quite so daunting. In fact, the recipe looked quite do-able.

Later that same week, my friend (and old co-worker from The Militia Group days) Randall was in town from LA, and he graciously took Nich and I out to an incredible dinner at Beaker & Flask. I offered to repay his generosity with a fabulous home-cooked meal. I then found out that one of his favorite foods on the planet is gnocchi and immediately I knew what I had to do. I offered to make him gnocchi from scratch, of course!

My friend (an extremely talented poet and also an old co-worker from TMG) Paul Maziar offered to be sous chef for the night. I was grateful for the help, as I assumed that making gnocchi wouldn’t be a cake walk. So while Randall and Nich nerded out over football and played ‘Stump Nikipedia’, Paul and I cracked open a bottle of wine, got some tomato sauce simmering on the stove, and then set about making gnocci from scratch. It was an involved process, and my kitchen was absolutely covered in flour afterwards – but the great gnocci experiment was a success! So, if you would like to try your hand at gnocchi (or pasta sauce from scratch), see the recipe below!

POTATO GNOCCHI WITH RUSTIC TOMATO SAUCE
(Gnocchi adapted from The Kitchn, Tomato Sauce adapted from Jam it, Pickle it, Cure It)

For the tomato sauce:
(Serves 4)
1 large (28 oz) can of Italian tomatoes, with juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, sliced thinly
1 cup dry red table wine
3 anchovy fillets (optional – but so good!)
3-4 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped
1 tsp red chili flakes
2 tsp salt
Fresh ground black pepper

For the gnocchi:
Ingredients
3 pounds all-purpose potatoes
1 egg
2 teaspoons salt
1 to 2 cups flour

To make the sauce:

Heat a saute pan or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the olive oil and sliced onion and cook until onion is soft & translucent. 6- 8 minutes. Add garlic, anchovies, and red chili flakes. Stir occasionally, and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Pour in the wine. While the wine is simmering, add in the tomatoes one at a time. Use your hands to crush and break up each tomato over the pan, dropping the tomato pieces in as you crush it. (Warning: wear an apron, this is messy!). I found that my hands didn’t quite crush them to my liking, so I used a potato masher. Add any remaining juice from the can.

Once all the tomatoes and juice have been added, let simmer for at least 15 minutes (or until thickened). The longer you let it simmer, the better the flavor will be! Season with salt and pepper, and stir in fresh basil right before serving.

To Make the Gnocchi:

1. Fill a medium/large pot with water, and stir in 1 tablespoon salt. Add the potatoes (leave them whole, don’t bother to cut!). Boil the potatoes, in their skins, until they are nearly falling apart (30 minutes to an hour).

2. Drain the potatoes and let them cool just until they can be handled (5 to10 minutes).

3. Use a towel, a paper towel, or a spoon to rub or scrape the skin off the potatoes.

4. Mash the potatoes as finely as you can into a large bowl. I did not have a ricer or a food mill, and so I simply mashed the potatoes with a masher and a fork. (It’s OK if your potatoes aren’t perfectly mashed; you’ll end up with a more rustic, lumpy dough, but they’ll still be delicious.)

5. Stir the salt and egg into the mashed potatoes.

6. Spread the flour out on a kneading surface and turn the potato mixture out on top. Knead it together with your hands, adding more flour as you go, if necessary.

7. Depending on how much moisture was in your potatoes, you may need to add up to a cup of flour.

8. There is a lot of variability in potatoes, so simply add until the dough feels mostly smooth, and just slightly sticky.

9. Cut the dough into quarters, and then divide each quarter into four pieces. Roll each piece into a long, 1-inch-wide rope.

10. Cut the rope into walnut-sized pillows. You can leave the pieces as is, or you can roll them over the back of a fork to create ridges. (*Note: the original recipe called for these “walnut sized pillows” which I think is confusing and led to me to make overly large gnocchi. Just cut them to whatever size you think looks right for standard gnocci.)

11. Note about step 11: I tried making ridges on my gnocci and I thought they looked weird. I took a fork to one side of each gnocci to give a slight ridge on one edge. But if you want to make ridges, here is what The Kitchn recommends: To form the ridges on the gnocchi, take a bite-sized pillow of dough, and roll it down and off the tines of a fork. Don’t worry if they look lumpy or rustic! These are not meant to look perfectly shaped; they are usually a little uneven (at least, ours always are). Place the finished gnocchi on a baking pan dusted with flour, and sprinkle a little flour over top.

12. To cook the gnocchi, heat a saucepan of salted water to boiling. Add the gnocchi and cook. They will float to the top of the pan as they cook. Cook for about 2 minutes after they float to the top. (About 4 minutes cooking time total, depending on their size.) Using a slotted spoon, remove the gnocci and let cool (on a towel, in a bowl, on wax paper, etc) for a few minutes before serving.

Further comments and notes: The trick with gnocci is getting the right consistency. Every potato is different, so every batch of gnocchi will be different. Some of my gnocci fell apart in the boiling water, and some turned out beautifully. For my first few attempts, the gnocchi seemed too sticky and were falling apart, so I added more flour to the dough, as I found that it helped keep the gnocci together. Also, The Kitchn’s original recipe did not say anything about what to do with the gnocci once they’ve boiled, so I made my best guess. I scooped them out of the water, and let them cool/drain on a towel. The gnocchi tend to be mushy when they first come out of the water, but they reached the right consistency after a few minutes of cooling.

Overall, I was happy with the end result. The gnocchi tasted fantastic. They looked a little funny, and were quite a bit of work – but I was so glad that I made them. Next time around, I’d love to make them with someone who actually knows what they are doing! I felt that the original recipe left out a few tips/tricks, and so I was left to guess on a few things. But, even with all the guesswork – they turned out well! I was so pleased. My first attempt at pasta from scratch wasn’t a total failure (!).