Healthy Fried Rice

I really like Chinese food, but I often feel dehydrated and unhealthy after eating it.  One of my favorite dishes is fried rice.  This recipe is my attempt to keep everything I like about fried rice, while making it a healthier meal.  The finished product ends up having a ton of flavor, whole grain goodness, more veggies than usual, and only 2 Tb of oil total.  I hope you like this as much as we do!  (I made the recipe as large as my pan could hold so that we could have a lot of leftovers - leftover homemade Chinese food is just as awesome to have in the fridge as those little take-out boxes!)

 

Healthy Fried Rice (serves 6)

 

Ingredients:

• 2 Tb sesame oil (or vegetable oil)
• 2 eggs
• 3 Tb plus 1/4 tsp low sodium soy sauce
• 3 Tb apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
• 1 tsp Thai fish sauce (optional)
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 1/2 tsp ground ginger (or 1 Tb fresh ginger, minced)
• 3-4 shakes cayenne pepper (to taste)
• 1 bunch scallions
• 3 carrots
• 3/4 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 lb ground turkey
• 24 medium (51-60) raw shrimp
• ~3 cups brown quick cooking rice (defer to box for serving for 6 people)

Steps:

• Cook 6 servings of brown rice according to directions on box (substituting 1 Tb of low sodium soy and 1Tb of cider vinegar for some of the water).

 

• Prep the veggies - peel and dice the carrots; slice the scallions on an angle and separate the green and white portions.
• Premeasure the spices (ginger and cayenne) into a small bowl.  Premeasure the remaining liquids 2 Tb soy, 2 Tb vinegar, 1 tsp fish sauce, 1 tsp lime juice) into another small bowl.  Set aside.
• Heat 1 Tb sesame oil over high in a large skillet (at least 12").
• Lightly beat 2 eggs with 1/4 tsp low sodium soy sauce.

 

• Pour eggs into skillet and swirl to coat the bottom.  Cook (no stirring) for about 1 minute, until egg is set.

 

• Use a spatula to fold the egg into thirds, then transfer to a large plate or cutting board.  Don't wash the skillet, you'll use it again shortly.

 

• Cut the egg into thin strips (about 1/4").

 

• Peel and devein the shrimp and remove the tails.  (I buy frozen raw shrimp that are deveined and have a split shell.  I thaw them by putting them in a bowl and letting cold water run over them.  Once their thawed, they're very easy to peel.)

 

•  Heat the remaining 1 Tb of oil in the large skillet over high heat.
• Add the scallion whites, and carrots and cook for about 1 minute.  Crush the garlic into the pan.  Cook for another 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
• Add ground turkey and premeasured spices.  Cook, crumbling meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes.
• Add shrimp.  Cook for about 1 minute.  (Shrimp will finish cooking with the rice.)
• Add peas, rice, and egg.  Stir to combine.
• Add premeasured liquids and cook, stirring constantly until rice is coated.

 

• Let cook, undisturbed, until warm and shrimp is fully cooked, about 1 more minute.

 

• Top with scallion greens and serve.
• Enjoy!

BTW - made this Saturday and we've been LOVING the leftovers!  Will be making it again very soon!

For the Love of Brussels Sprouts 2

Part 2 of my series on Brussels Sprouts:  Grilled.  Simple, fast, and five ingredients or less.

The idea of grilling Brussels sprouts was not my own.  My sister, Carla, discovered this while we were living together in Williamsburg.  This is probably my favorite way to cook Brussels sprouts.  The smokey flavor is incredible and very unique.

 

Grilled Brussels Sprouts with Butter and Lemon (feeds 2 as a side dish)

 

Ingredients:

• 10-12 Brussels Sprouts
• 2 Tb unsalted butter
• 1 lemon
• 4 skewers
• fresh ground pepper

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to medium-hi heat.

 

• Rinse the Brussels sprouts.  Trim off the bottoms and remove any ragged outer leaves.  Cut them in half (if there are any super-small ones, leave them whole).

 

• Skewer the Brussels sprouts so that they're all cut side up.

 

• Zest the lemon.  Put zest to the side.
• Melt the butter (microwave is quick and easy).  Halve the lemon and squeeze the juice into the butter.

 

• Whisk together butter and lemon.  Drizzle over the sprouts.  Sprinkle a few pinches of zest on top and season with fresh pepper.  (The leftover zest can be thrown into vinaigrette dressing to freshen it up.)

 

• Grill for about 10 minutes, covered, until browned on the bottom and the middle is tender-crisp

 

• Serve and enjoy!  With Brussels sprouts like these, you'll be fighting for the last one :-)

For the Love of Brussels Sprouts

A lot of people don't like Brussels sprouts.  I grew up thinking I didn't like them, but that has definitely changed.  I've also become a Brussels sprouts converter - feeding them to people who "don't like them" and then they later ask for the recipes!  I have three basic ways that I cook Brussels sprouts:  sautéed, roasted, and grilled.

Part 1:  Sautéed.  Simple, fast, and five ingredients or less*

This recipe can easily be altered with different steaming liquids, spices, garnishes, etc. (examples at the end)

Sautéed Brussels Sprouts with Roasted Red Peppers and Lime (feeds 2 as a side dish)

 

Ingredients:

• 10 Brussels sprouts
• EVOO
• 1 lime
• roasted red pepper strips
• crushed red pepper
• salt

Steps:

• Add ~2Tb of EVOO to a medium pan and preheat over Medium-Hi heat.  (The oil should get hot but should not be smoking.  On my electric stove, I've learned that "M-H" is below the 'Medium' marker.  Unfortunately all stoves are different...)

 

• Rinse the Brussels sprouts.  Trim off the bottoms and remove any ragged outer leaves.  Cut them in half.

 

• Add the Brussels Sprouts, about 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, and a smidge of salt.  Sautée, tossing periodically, until golden brown in spots (about 5 minutes).

 

• Meanwhile, zest half of the lime.  Squeeze the lime juice into a separate bowl.

 

• Add ~12 roasted red pepper strips, the lime juice, and ~1 Tb of water or other additonal liquid (I used the brining liquid that the pepper strips were in - mine weren't in oil).
• Cover and allow to cook/steam for about 4 minutes, or until tender.  I prefer mine to be on the al dente/tender crisp side.

 

• Remove to serving bowl.  Add lime zest.  Toss, and serve!

*5 ingredients or less does not include salt/pepper/EVOO/water




Easy flavor combinations (sub for cooking fat, liquid, garnish, spice respectively):

     Sesame oil, 1.5 T soy sauce and 1.5 T water, green onions, powdered ginger and powdered garlic

     Butter, juice of 1 lemon and 1 T water, lemon zest, black pepper

     EVOO, 3 T white wine, capers, black pepper

     Non-stick pan w/ no oil, 1 T red wine vinegar and 2 T water, sun dried tomatoes, smoked paprika

Gnocchi!

Recently, Joe and I went out in Denver and ate at Jax Fish House.  We were planning on getting an appetizer each, but then couldn't resist sharing their Potato Gnocchi instead- served with braised pork ragu, rock shrimp, squash, turnips, and arugula.  One of the best things I've eaten recently - and the best gnocchi I've ever had - light and pillowy and airy and tender.

I've made gnocchi once before, and eating this dish at Jax makes me excited about cooking them again.  Maybe with practice, I'll be able to replicate the texture of the gnocchi at Jax.

GNOCCHI with BROWN BUTTER SAGE SAUCE- serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS:

Gnocchi:

• 3 large russet potatoes, scrubbed
• 1 egg yolk
• about 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• white pepper

 Sauce:

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• About 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

STEPS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Prick the potatoes several times with a fork and bake them until they are soft, about 1.5 hours.
3. While they're still hot, cut all the potatoes in half lengthwise, creating as much surface area as possible so the steam billows out. (Steam is water; the less water the potatoes contain, the less flour you will need. The less flour, the lighter the gnocchi.)
4. Scoop the potatoes out of the skins and into a food mill or fine-holed ricer (I found an antique food mill at Goodwill!).
5. Pass them through the food mill or ricer onto a large clean work surface - use your countertop or kitchen table.
6. Spread the potatoes into an even rectangle about 24" x 12".
7. Season the potatoes generously with white pepper (if available).
8. When they are no longer hot to the touch, almost room temperature, beat the egg yolk. Drizzle the egg yolk over the potatoes.
9. Measure 1 1/4 cups flour and sprinkle this over the potatoes.
10. Using a pastry scraper (or the edge of a spatula), cut the flour and egg into the potatoes, chopping and then turning the mixture in on itself and folding it together, until everything is well mixed and the dough resembles coarse crumbs. Bring the mixture together into a ball.
11. Sprinkle a scant 1/4 cup flour on the work surface. Place the dough on the flour and press down, flattening it into a disk with both hands. Dust the dough with another scant 3/4 cup flour. Using your hands, fold and press the dough until the flour is incorporated. Add two dustings of flour to the work surface and dough and repeat. If the dough still feels sticky, repeat once more, this time covering both the table and the dough with no more than 2 tablespoons flour.
12. Roll the dough into a compact log. Dust the outside with flour, then allow the dough to rest for about 5 minutes.
13. Dust the work surface lightly with flour.
14. Divide the log into 8 pieces. Roll each section into a "snake" about 1/2" thick (Joe helped with this - it was fun to make them!).
15. Using a floured knife or pastry cutter, cut the dough into gnocchi about 1" long.              
16. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Working in two or three batches, drop the gnocchi into the water and cook, stirring occasionally, until they float, 2 to 3 minutes. Retrieve the gnocchi with a slotted spoon and put them on a baking sheet or plate.
17. While the gnocchi cook, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sage and season with salt and pepper. Allow the butter to brown slightly, about 4 minutes. Add the gnocchi to the browned butter and remove the pan from the heat. Mix gently and serve topped with Parmigiano.

 

I served this with broiled lobster tails (they were on sale for a great price!!) and creamed corn.

Baked Manicotti (and a simple sauce recipe)

 

There are certain foods that have always intimidated me.  Manicotti is one of them.  The thought of trying to pipe cheese filling into cooked tubes of pasta sounded difficult and frustrating.  And then came a revelation.  On America's Test Kitchen one Saturday morning, the topic was manicotti.  On ATK, their goal is to take something that's difficult and make it accessible.  This episode fulfilled that promise and introduced me to a novel idea:  manicotti made with lasagna noodles.  I've made them twice so far, and the reviews have been very positive - this recipe is a keeper.  Also, the sauce is very simple and tastes good on its own if you need a quick recipe.

BAKED MANICOTTI - makes 16 manicotti - serves up to 8 people.

INGREDIENTS:

Sauce:

• 2   28-ounce cans whole plum tomatoes (in juice)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (or less, to taste)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Filling:

• about 3 cups ricotta cheese - if you're fortunate enough to get to choose between several brands, choose one without stabilizers (*note* from what I've found, the big containers have ~2.5 cups - I've used these and then filled the manicotti a little bit less)
• 4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 cups)
• 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese (about 2 cups)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons dried parsley leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Other:

• 16 no-boil lasagna noodles (*note* I've used Barilla and Ronzoni - Barilla has 16 noodles/box, Ronzoni only has 12 so you'll have to buy 2 boxes and have leftovers)

STEPS:

The sauce, filling, and noodle prep can be done simultaneously.

Sauce:

• Pulse one can of tomatoes in a food processor or blender until coarsely chopped.
• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Once hot, add garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for 1-2 minutes (the garlic will be fragrant, but not brown).
• Add first can of tomatoes to the pot.  Stir.
• Pulse second can of tomatoes.  Add to pot.  Stir.  (You could do both cans at the beginning and reserve in a bowl, but I prefer to conserve dishes.)
• Cook for about 15 minutes, until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from heat and add chopped basil. 

Filling:

• In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, 1 cup Parmesan, mozzarella, eggs, pepper (to taste), and herbs in medium bowl.
• Mix well.  Set aside.

Noodle Prep:

• Bring about 4 cups of water to a boil. 
• (Very carefully) pour the boiling water into a 9"x13" glass pan.  Add noodles one at a time.  Allow to soak for about 5 minutes, or until pliable and similar to the texture of fresh pasta.  While soaking, move the noodles around with the tip of a sharp knife to avoid sticking.
• Remove the noodles and lay them out in a single layer on clean kitchen towels.  Dump out water and dry dish.

Assembly:

• Preheat the oven to 375 F.
• Scoop a scant quarter cup of filling onto each noodle.

 

• Spread the filling over 3/4 of the noodle, leaving 1/4 on an end exposed.

 

• Evenly cover the bottom of the 9"x13" glass baking dish with 1.5 cups of sauce.
• Starting at the end with filling, roll each noodle into a tube shape.  (The non-filled portion of noodle should help the end of the tube stick).
• Place seam-side down in the baking dish.  (In the occasion in this picture, I used 2 8"x8" baking dishes because my 9"x13" was in use.)

 

•  Roll up the remaining manicotti and add to the dish.  I slide them into place so that there is sauce between each tube - otherwise the noodles may stick together.
• Top with the remaining sauce, making sure to cover all of the manicotti.  (If there's enough, keep about a cup to the side to serve with them at the end.)
• Cover the pan with foil.  Bake for 40 minutes.
• Remove the foil.  Top with remaining cup of Parmesan.  Bake for an additional 4-6 minutes, until the cheese starts to get brown spots.

  

• Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.
• Serve with a green salad and Italian bread.  Enjoy!

The Evolution of a Recipe

I am so lucky to have grown up in a family where my mother cooked dinner regularly, and we ALWAYS sat down as a family to eat (whether it was a new recipe, an old favorite, "must-go" night - AKA leftovers, or at a restaurant).  Dinner time with my family is something that I'll never take for granted.  People have asked where my love of cooking has come from, and I can say without a doubt its from growing up with parents who appreciated food, pushed us to help cook dinner, and encouraged us to try new foods.  Because of my parents, I've been helping in the kitchen for as long as I remember.

I've been asked how I "make up" recipes, how I know what to add to make something taste better, how I know what will taste good together, etc.  Experience over time and practice are the only keys.  There is no magic list that tells you what to add, but knowing the basics of flavors that go well together and seeing what other people combine in recipes helps you perpetually add to your mental cooking encyclopedia.

Sometimes I start from scratch when I'm making something up, but often I start with a recipe I know that I love.

For example, recently, I started out with my Chicken Marsala.  (A recipe that I cook 3-4 times/year, which is a lot for any recipe for me.)  Keep in mind that this recipe (like any recipe) is just a basis for me - if I don't have shallots, I'll sub onions.  Sometimes I use prosciutto, if I don't have it I add some extra smoked paprika.  Etc.

Chicken Marsala

Mix about 1/2 cup of flour with the following spices (to taste):  smoked paprika (~1 Tb), garlic powder (~1 tsp), black pepper (~1 Tb), cayenne pepper (pinch), dried oregano (~4 shakes), dried thyme (~2 shakes).  Pound 1-1.5 lbs of chicken tenders to 1/4" (between sheets of plastic wrap).  Heat enough EVOO to coat the bottom of a large skillet over medium-high heat (on my electric stove, that's about 1 tick below medium - I hate electric stoves...).  Dredge the chicken in flour mixture.  Slip into pan and fry on each side until golden brown (~3 min/side).  Do not crowd the chicken - cook in batches.  Remove chicken to a platter in a single layer.  Lower heat to medium heat (for me, approx halfway below low and medium on the dial).  Add 3Tb unsalted butter, 1 diced medium shallot, and 2 oz of thinly sliced/ribbon-ed prosciutto and saute for 2 minutes.  Add 3 cups of sliced crimini mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are slightly brown on the edges and have given off their liquid.  Add 1 cup of sweet Marsala, bring to a boil, and scrape brown bits off the bottom.  Reduce the Marsala by half.  Add 1 cup of chicken stock and cook 3 minutes.  Lower to medium, return chicken to pan, and cook about 5 more minutes until chicken is cooked through and hot.  Serve over pasta (bowtie is my favorite).


THE EVOLUTION

While grocery shopping, I saw a package of frozen portobello mushroom ravioli.  Immediately I thought about making a Ravioli Marsala.

First try:

 

I followed my Chicken Marsala recipe almost to a T (with 4 servings of ravioli).  Obviously, there was no chicken to dredge in flour, so I dusted my onions in about a Tb of flour and small amounts of the spices.  I also had no prosciutto.  The result?  It was ok.  Not terrible but not something I'd want to identically duplicate.  There wasn't enough sauce, and the sauce that was there was very thin.

It wasn't great - but I wasn't giving up.  This happens a lot - good idea but mediocre result.  I generally don't stop trying though until I've tried a few more times.

Luckily, this was an "easy" one - the second try was YUMMY!

Mushroom Ravioli Marsala

This time, I didn't take out my recipe and instead cooked by what looked/felt right and what was in my fridge at the time.  It helped that I've cooked my Marsala on many occasions, so I knew the basic steps.

Finely chop 2 medium red onions.  In a bowl, toss with ~6 Tb of flour, 1 tsp of smoked paprika, 2 hefty shake of garlic powder,  1/2 tsp black pepper, 1-2 shakes of cayenne pepper, 1 pinch of ground cloves, 2 shakes of dried oregano, 2 shake of dried thyme.  Heat enough EVOO to cover the bottom of a large skillet over 'high' heat (on my electric stove, that's medium).  Add the onions.  Cook for ~2 minutes.  Add ~4 ounces of diced prosciutto.  Add ~4 cups of sliced crimini mushrooms and 2 Tbs of butter.  Reduce heat to med-hi and stir occasionally until mushrooms are golden brown around the edges.  <Meanwhile, bring your ravioli water to a boil.>  Add a can of beef broth (to the sauce, not the water).  Simmer for 4 minutes.  Add enough Marsala to make a generous amount of sauce (~1 cups).  By now your water should be boiling.  Add 4 servings of ravioli (32ish) to the water and cook according to package (mine take 3 minutes).  Remove the ravioli to the pan of sauce.  Ladel one spoon of sauce into the bottom of the bowl.  Add ravioli.  Top with more sauce.  Enjoy!


I know that next time I make this, my recipe will vary slightly - but thats ok with me!  At least I know I have a place to start from.