Dumpling For You, Dumpling For Me October 8, 2008
Posted by sicatmeow in Recipes.Tags: basil, beef, cabbage, carrot, cilantro, dumplings, ginger, pork, rice paper, scallion, sesame oil, shitake, sirachi, tamari, wanton wrappers, wasabi
1 comment so far
What do you get when you combine homemade dumplings and spring rolls, wine flowage, and tequila shots to boot? Our house on Saturday night. Oh. Yeah. And I’m not going to lie to you people, the food was banging. Even C said the food seemed easy enough to make at home and her culinary skills peak at choosing a stinky cheese and a dope wine – not that thats anything to laugh about. I can’t taste the difference between merlot and shiraz but give me a blind pork test and I’ll school you. Anyway, make these things at your house to impress your friends.
Steamed Pork and Scallion Dumplings
1/2 lb of ground pork
2 scallions, sliced
1/4 cup of tamari
3 tbs of sesame oil
dash of vinegar
fresh pepper
wanton wrappers
Makes about 12.
Mix the first 6 ingredients together. Drop a spoonful of mixture on to the center of the wrapper. Wet the exposed edges with water. Grab all the corners, bring to the middle and scrunch together. Steam for 20 minutes. Dipping sauces below.
Steamed Ginger and Beef Dumplings
1/2 lb of ground beef
1/4 cup of finely chopped ginger
1/4 cup of tamari
salt and fresh pepper
wanton wrappers
Makes about 12.
Mix all ingredients together. Drop a spoonful of mixture on to the center of the wrapper. Wet the exposed edges with water. Grab all the corners, bring to the middle and scrunch together. Steam for 20 minutes. Dipping sauces below.
Fried Cabbage, Shitake and Carrot Dumplings
1 carrot, diced
1/4 cup of white cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup of shitake mushrooms, diced
wanton wrappers
veg oil for frying
1/2 cup of water
Makes about 12.
Dice your carrot, cabbage and shrooms and combine in a bowl. Drop a tablespoon or so (you’ll begin to feel it out) onto the wrapper. Guess what you do here. That’s right. Wet the edges, grab the corners, bring together, scrunchy scrunchy. Here is what is different. Heat a frying pan and add a bit of veg oil for frying. When very hot, place your dumpling to fry for 5 minutes. When they have a nice crispy brown bottom, pour in a 1/2 cup of water and cover immediately to finish cooking through with a nice steam bath. Let it do its thing for 5 minutes. Should be ready at this time. Dipping sauces below.
Fresh Spring Rolls
1/2 carrot, julienned (that means cut into thin strips at about 3 inches)
2 scallions, cut down the middle middle and cut at about 3 inches
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1/2 bunch of chinese or (uh, american? or italian?.. dunno) basil
rice paper rolls
Cut your veggies and clean and dry your herbals. Add the rice paper to a bowl of very warm water and let it soften for about 30 seconds. Make sure you get all the edges under the water so it doesn’t roll up and crack. When the paper is soft, very gently pull it out and lay flat on a cutting board. Throw a bit of each of your ingredients into the center towards the bottom of the wrapper. Begin to roll the fatty towards the center. Halfway up, grab the right and the left and fold over the rolled half. Then continue to roll up. As soon as the paper dries, it will stick to itself. To serve, use a very sharp knife to cut 2 or 4 slices and stand up if possible.
Dippin Sauces
sirachi
wasabi paste with tamari
chopped ginger in tamari
sesame oil with red pepper flakes (or without)
Let me mention that I particularly like the wasabi with the beef and the sesame oil with the spring rolls. Let me also mention that these are damn easy to do, cheap as all get out and fun to eat. I am not afraid to cater your next dumpling affair. Gimme a date and a time and I’ll be there. You provide the tequila.
Another Shrimp on the Bobby September 9, 2008
Posted by sicatmeow in Health, Recipes.Tags: cilantro, corn, lemon, shallt, shrimp, tomato, tortilla
2 comments
This meal is gonna seem mo simple, and it is, but it is gotdamn flavorful. Its fresh, seasonal, healthy, cheap and the flavor crystals will knock you on your arse. Basically, this is the bomb summer meal. I suggest a delicate, aged, oakey, floral Corona and lime to accompany.
Beer Boiled Cayenne Shrimp over a Corn and Tomato Salad
almost 2 lbs of shrimp, I use small shrimp because it is cheaper and easier to create bites with other goodnesses from the plate.
tabasco (normally not a fan, but this works here)
cayenne powder
1 12 oz brown beer
2 vine tomatoes, chopped, seeds removed
juice of half a lemon
4 ears of corn, shucked
1 large shallot, chopped
salt and pepper
fresh cilantro, chopped
corn chips, for garnish
olive oil
This serves two.
Clean your shrimp, douse with tobasco, sprinkle with cayenne, cover and refrigerate. It depends on how spicy you like your shrimp, but I used about 3 tbls of tabasco and maybe 1.5 tbs of cayenne, maybe more. But I like fire mouth.
Heat your olive oil and start to cook your chopped shallot. Add your shucked corn. Cook till the shallots can’t take it no mo. Add salt.
While the corn is cooking, chop your tomatoes and remove the seeds. Don’t be a freak about it – its fine if some make it through. Add to a bowl along with the lemon juice and add fresh pepper.
Boil your beer in a small sauce pan. When it starts to boil, add your shrimp and the marinade. Cook for 4 minutes.
Assemble your plate: with a slatted spoon, place a big o pile of corn on the plate, add the tomatoes, add the shrimp. Garnish with chopped cilantro and several corn chips. The corn chips are meant to be slightly crushed and et with a fork with the rest of the meal.
mm mm good.
Treating My Heart: Vietnamese Salad August 29, 2008
Posted by sicatmeow in Health, Recipes.Tags: basil, cilantro, iceberg, lime, noodles, sesame oil, udon
add a comment
Have you ever finished a weekend full of sausage and felt like your heart just might burst if you don’t give it some green? Yeah. That’s why Sundays there are always green meals happening. Recently, I had my fill of meat so I had to do a fat-free, hi-ruffage salad. Because I care.
Vietnamese Salad
2 servings of udon noodles
2 scallions, sliced
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 cup bean sprouts
3 cups iceberg lettuce, shredded
Dressing:
2 parts fresh lime juice, 2 parts tamari, 1 part sesame oil
You’ll probably want to start with two juicy limes and work your way from there.
And, instead of tamari, you can use low-sodium, high-quality soy sauce. (Or fug it, some leftover Chinese Packets)
Boil your noodles, toss with half the dressing. Pour into a large bowl. Throw the lettuce on top. Then the rest of the herbs, scallions and sprouts. Top with the rest of the dressing. This makes two large servings. Your tiny beating heart will thank you. (Although, this really goes well with thinly sliced beef, rolled around a slice of onion, grilled.)
