Thai Broccoli Salad with Toasted Sesame

From Vegan Everything  (2019)  100 Easy Recipes for Any Craving from Bagels to Burgers, Tacos to Ramen  By Nadine Horn and Jörg Mayer

Note that the veggies take up the taste of the dressing better by the next day, but the broccoli doesn't look company-worthy.

Ingredients:

Salt
1 head broccoli (9 oz) cut into small florets
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded
2 scallions (I used a shallot)
2 garlic cloves
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
1 tsp dark (toasted) sesame oil
3 Tbsp peanut oil
3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp Sriracha 9I used 1/2 teaspoon)
1 tsp agave

DIRECTIONS:

1) Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.  Fill a large bowl with cold water and ice to make an ice bath.

2) Cut the broccoli into florets and peel and thinly slice the stems

3) Blanche the broccoli for about 3 minutes, until bright green then plunge in the ice bath to stop it from cooking.  Drain when cool.

4) Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium high heat (unless purchased already toasted) for ~ 4 minutes, stirring constantly until golden brown.

5)Cut the bell pepper and scallions into thin strips.  Mince the garlic.  Grate the ginger.

6) Whisk together the sesame and peanut oils, the vinegar, soy, sriracha, agave and 1/2 tsp salt, the garlic and ginger in a large bowl.  Add the broccoli, bell pepper and scallions and toss with the dressing.

7) Top with the sesame seeds and serve

photo 12/28/19

Baby cauliflower with crispy shallots and sesame seeds

Adapted from Veganomicon 10th anniversary edition

This recipe was meant to be used with baby bok choy, but TJs and Whole Foods didn't have any - they did have these cute little baby cauliflowers, though.

Tried again with baby bok choy - and mushrooms - very good.

.  I haven't met a vegetable I'm not willing to try cooking - at least once!  Turned out great.  How bad could agave and tamari sauce be, with a sprinkling of shallots, ginger and toasted sesame seeds?!  

The baby cauliflower was tender and had a light taste.  The sauce did not adhere well to the veggies - which just means fewer calories.  But the taste was great, especially with dipping into the sauce a bit.

Ingredients:
1 pound baby cauliflower
2 small shallots, sliced into very thin rings
1" fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 Tbsp agave nectar or mirin
1 Tbsp tamari
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Directions:
1) Heat the oil over medium heat.  Add the sliced shallots and remove with a slotted spatula when lightly browned, otherwise they burn quickly.
2) Drizzle extra oil if needed, then add the ginger for 15 seconds, add the cauliflower and stir fry until they soften a little.  Add the mirin or agave and tamari, cover and steam on a very low flame.
3) Transfer to a serving plate, top with the shallots and sesame seeds.

The same recipe can be used for bok choy or baby bok choy.  They would need to be soaked in cold water and swished around several times to remove any sand.  Then cut thicker stems into chunks and saute the chunks first for a few minutes before adding the green leafy parts.

Golden Grilled Chicken with Tomato-Peanut Chutney

From the Washington Post  4/17/19   Ellie Krieger

Outstanding chutney!  Especially after another day or two.
Of course, I had to use double the ginger, because I always do.
And I didn't have an onion in the house, so I used 3 or 4 sizable scallions instead.
AND, I used a can of Fire-Roasted tomatoes from Trader Joes instead of plain ones -
The chutney was on the hot side initially, but after a day or two in the fridge, it mellowed a bit.
Either way, it was delicious!  The texture was interesting with the bits of peanuts.

Tested size: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons peanut oil, or another neutral oil
1 cup diced onion (or 3 large scallions)
1 tablespoon minced ginger root (or two for ginger-lovers)
1/2 teaspoon whole brown mustard seeds
One 14.5 ounce can no-salt-added diced tomatoes (Fire-roasted tomatoes do well)
6 - 9 dried apricots, finely chopped
1/4 cup dry-roasted, unsalted peanuts, finely chopped
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 pieces thin-cut skinless boneless chicken breast (about 5 ounces each)
Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
DIRECTIONS

Heat 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes, until translucent. Add the ginger and mustard seed; cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.

Add the tomatoes, apricots, peanuts, vinegar, honey, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Bring just to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low so the mixture barely bubble at the edges; cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and the tomatoes have mostly broken down. Transfer the mixture to the small bowl of a food processor and pulse until the chutney is mostly smooth, but still has some texture.

Combine the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil with the cumin, coriander, turmeric and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in a small bowl. Rub the mixture onto the chicken.

Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, reduce the heat to medium and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until the meat is cooked through and grill marks have formed.

Garnish the chutney with cilantro and serve alongside the chicken.

photos 5/9/19

Ginger Fizz cocktail

From epicurious.com  https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/ginger-fizz-51193820

Ginger Fizz - the syrup is great for cocktails.  We tried it in limoncello also and that was a great combo.  DO NOT discard the ginger if you're a ginger lover!  It is sweetened from the syrup and softened, and if you've sliced it thinly enough, you can eat it straight up or put it on ANYTHING you're eating.

INGREDIENTS:

Ginger Syrup:
3" piece ginger peeled, thinly sliced
1/2 cup raw or granulated sugar
1/2 cup water

Cocktails:
2 750-milliliter bottles chilled Prosecco
8 thin clementine or orange slices


PREPARATION:

1)  For ginger syrup: Bring one 3" piece ginger, peeled, thinly sliced, 1/2 cup raw or granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan; reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Let cool. Strain syrup through a fine-mesh sieve into a small jar or bowl.  Instructions said to discard ginger - NO WAY! In my house, we eat this softened, sweetened ginger.

DO AHEAD: Syrup can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.

2) For cocktails:  Pour 1/4 ounces ginger syrup in each coupe glass. Dividing evenly, top off with two 750-milliliter bottles chilled Prosecco (about 5 ounces per glass) and garnish each with a thin clementine or orange slice.

lemon and ginger gremolata

From Seasons Oil and Vinegar store

Serves 4
Ingredients 
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small knob ginger, peeled and minced
1/4 cup packed fresh mint leaves, minced
1/2 cup packed fresh Italian parsley leaves, minced
Zest from one lemon
Juice from one lemon
5/8 cup Gran Cru Lemon Whole Fruit Balsamic Vinegar
1 cup Seasons Manzanilla Gran Cru Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tsp Seasons Fleur De Sel Premium Salt
1 tsp Seasons Pepe e Aglio

Directions
Mix all ingredients in a bowl, let it rest for 10 minutes to allow flavors to combine. This is an amazing Italian condiment that can be used over grilled meat, grilled vegetables, bean salads or over your favorite pasta.

Braised Chicken in Lemongrass and Ginger Caramel Sauce

Adapted from "Lemongrass, Ginger and Mint   Vietnamese Cookbook; Classic Vietnamese Restaurant Favorites at Home" by Linh Nguyen; 2017

This sauce is amazingly delicious!  There are similar recipes for salmon and tofu dishes - see pages 169-172.

Traditionally, bone-in and skin-on chicken pieces whacked into small pieces with a cleaver are used, but any boneless sliced chicken is fine.  I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but didn't notice that they were to be cut into 1/2" pieces, so I only cut them into thirds.  Smaller pieces would cook more easily and be served more easily on pasta or rice.

The second time I made it, I did use small pieces.  They cooked easily but were a little dry.  Served with plain couscous and it was great at soaking up the sauce.  Also mixed peppers and red onion stir fry with some cilantro.

Lemongrass is tough and should be bruised (pounded with a meat hammer, e.g.) to release the oils.  It has a great aroma and is often used in Vietnamese spas or as a digestion aid.

Ingredients:
2 pounds chicken parts cut into 1/2" pieces
5 lemongrass stalks (about 3" of the roots only), finely chopped, divided
2" piece of ginger, peeled and minced, divided
1 tsp minced hot chile (optional - I forgot to add this)
3 Tbsp vegetarian fish sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp room-temperature water
1/4 cup boiling water
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Steamed rice or pasta for serving

Directions:
1) Toss the chicken with half of the lemongrass and half of the ginger; hot chile if using, fish sauce and season with pepper.  Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes

2) In a saucepan combine the sugar and room-temperature water without stirring.  Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar starts to turn honey-colored.  (This never happened).  Swirl the pan to distribute the heat and the sugar evenly.  When the sugar is consistently honey colored, reduce the heat to low.

3) Very carefully, ladle the boiling water over the caramelized sugar.  Stir constantly until the crystallized caramelized sugar is fully dissolved in the water, then turn off the heat.  Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

4) Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the remaining lemongrass and ginger and sauté until fragrant, about one minute.  Add the chicken and sauté for 1 minute.  Reduce the heat to medium-low.  Ad the caramel sauce and stir to mix, then cover and cook for 15 minutes.

5) Serve with steamed rice (or summer squash pasta).

According to the book, if you don't have lemongrass available, just double the ginger.

Blueberry Ginger Smoothie

from Joe Yonan:  Eat Your Vegetables

Ingredients:

1 banana
1/2 cup blueberries, stemmed
1/2 cup plain whole mild Greek-style yogurt (may substitute)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger
4 fresh mint leaves
4 ice cubes
1 tsp honey (optional or more)

Directions:

Puree all the ingredients except the honey in a blender until frothy and smooth.  Taste, add honey if you'd like it sweeter and blend again to combine.