Apr5

Wilted spinach and fried tofu salad

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This salad was inspired by Rachael Ray’s chicken piccata salad, which we make quite frequently.  I wanted to incorporate some salty, fried tofu, and the result was delicious!

Wilted Spinach and Fried Tofu Salad
(serves 2)

1 block of tofu, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 pound of baby spinach, washed
1 T vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 red onion, finely sliced
2 T capers
juice of 1 lemon
1 T butter
kosher salt
black pepper

To fry to the tofu, lay the slices out on top of three paper towels. Place three more paper towels on top of the tofu, and press to remove the excess water.

In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium high heat. Fry the tofu for a few minutes, until the first side is golden brown. Flip and brown the second side. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. Season with salt while hot, and slice into bite-sized cubes.

In the same skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Saute the garlic and onions in the pan until golden, then turn off the heat and add the lemon juice and capers. Season with black pepper. Add the spinach and toss for 30 seconds to a minute, until some of the spinach has wilted but a lot of it is still raw.

Serve the tofu over a bed of semi-wilted spinach.  The different textures of the spinach really make the salad.

Apr4

Chicken rice

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This is a favorite of Paco and my brother, but I don’t make it that often because of all of the steps. It has a very clean, nourishing quality to it, but the chili sauce takes it to the next level in flavor.  In a pinch, you can skip making the chili sauce and use garlic chili sriracha instead.  You can also serve it with additional sauces, such as a ginger and sesame oil blend.

I always use the recipe from Steamy Kitchen, so I won’t pretend that I have any improvements to make!  I just wanted to share that you should definitely try making it at home.

You can eat the leftovers as is, or you can transform them into a delicious chicken and rice soup. I usually add more ginger and garlic to the broth, then add the chicken, rice, and some celery to the pot.  Enjoy!

Mar30

Taco salad

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Paco made this, isn’t it pretty and colorful?  It’s a nice change from regular tacos.

Taco Salad

romaine lettuce
tomatoes, diced
black beans, heated
cheddar cheese, shredded
tortilla chips for crumbling on top
salsa
avocado or guacamole
ground beef
cumin
garlic, minced
kosher salt
pepper

To make the beef, heat some vegetable oil in a skillet, then brown the beef and garlic, seasoning with salt, pepper, and cumin.

Layer the vegetables, beef, beans, cheese, guacamole, and salsa in a bowl, garnishing with crumbled chips.

Mar29

Macaroni and cheese

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I made this as a side to Paco’s barbequed chicken, because I wanted to make something different from my usual barbeque sides (potato salad, cole slaw). It was a nice hot accompaniment, but this could definitely act as a main dish with a side of vegetables or salad.

What I love about macaroni and cheese is there are a million different variations. You can use whatever cheese you’d like (I used what I had on hand). You can add eggs to make a more casserole-like dish. You can add vegetables or meat (broccoli, bacon). You can top it with breadcrumbs, potato chips, cracker crumbs, fried onions, or anything crispy.

Macaroni and Cheese
(Serves 8 as a side)

3 strips of bacon, diced
1 onion, finely sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb macaroni
4 T butter
1/4 c flour
1 1/2 c milk
1/2 c cream or half-and-half
4 c of the cheese(s) of your choice (I used cheddar, mozzarella cheese, pecorino romano, and goat cheese)
kosher salt
pepper
pinch cayenne pepper
2-3 tsp Tabasco
a handful (about 1/3 c) of panko breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9 x 13-inch pan with cooking spray.

Prepare the macaroni using the directions on the package, boiling until it’s a little bit short of al dente (one minute less than al dente).  Remove from the heat and drain.

In a large skillet, brown the bacon until it is not quite crispy and most of the fat has rendered out. Remove the bacon from the pan.  Add the onions and garlic to the bacon fat and toss in the fat.  Season with pepper, and allow to caramelize. When the onions are golden but not falling apart, remove them from the pan as well.

To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a large skillet.  Add the flour, and stir with a whisk to break up the lumps.  Allow to cook for a minute or two, then add the milk and cream.  Bring to a gentle simmer, and stir continuously, allowing the mixture to cook for 5 minutes.  Once it has thickened, add the cheese a little bit at the time, stirring continuously. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, and Tabasco.

Add the caramelized onions, bacon, and pasta to the cheese sauce, mixing so that the macaroni is thoroughly coated.  Sprinkle the panko over the top.  Spread the macaroni into the baking pan, and bake for 20 minutes.

Mar25

Pozole

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There are flood warnings all over Los Angeles today, so after a soaking trip to the farmer’s market and a mid-day trip to the South Bay for dim sum with my parents, we decided to hole up inside with the dogs.

March Madness for Paco, and pozole-making for me!

I usually use Tori Ritchie’s recipe for New Mexican-style turkey pozole, but after watching someone make pozole with a puree of onions, garlic, and herbs on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, I had to incorporate that technique into my recipe. (I was unable to find the exact recipe online, unfortunately.)  I loved the idea of a fresher, more onion-y flavor. After some internet research, I have found that this technique is most commonly used in pozole verde, which also incorporates tomatillos and jalapenos, but I decided to use it in my pozole rojo anyway.  The result was delicious, and perfect for a stormy afternoon.

Pozole

2-3 turkey drumsticks (2 1/2 lbs)
kosher salt
pepper
1 T vegetable oil
4 c water
2 c chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried oregano
1 T New Mexico chili powder
1 onion, diced
1 T fresh oregano
4 cloves garlic
1 32 oz can hominy, rinsed and drained

Garnish:
shredded green cabbage
red onion, finely chopped
radishes, sliced
cilantro
fried corn tortillas or chips
avocado
lime

Rinse the turkey and pat dry with paper towels. Season thoroughly with kosher salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and brown, making sure that the turkey releases from the bottom of the pan before you try to flip it. Brown the turkey on all sides.

Add the water to the pot, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the bay leaf, New Mexico chili, dried oregano, and some additional salt, and allow to simmer for an hour and a half, until the turkey meat is falling off the bone.

Meanwhile, place the onion, garlic, fresh oregano, and one cup of the turkey’s cooking liquid into a blender. Blend until the mixture is a chunky liquid.

When the turkey is cooked, remove it from the pot and leave it on a plate to cool.

Pour the onion puree into the soup pot and continue to simmer for 30 more minutes. When the turkey is cool enough to handle, shred the meat and discard the skin and bones. Add the turkey meat and the rinsed hominy to the pot, and bring everything back to a simmer.

Serve with all of the garnishes on the side so that people can create their own perfect bowl pozole. Personally, I like LOTS of lime, onion, and cilantro, a few chips, and a few pieces of avocado.  Buen provecho!