Sep 24 2010

Stir-Fried Sichuan Green Beans

Fall is the perfect time to go back to school for more cooking classes. This was the last in the series of 5 that I signed up for. I have a new course catalog and some other options in the works. I’m going to take a couple of classes through the Learning Exchange as well. Those classes take place at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts and some local restaurant and commercial kitchens.  Last night’s class was “Quick and Simple Stir-Fries” with Chef Cris.

I grew up watching cooking shows with my parents – Martin Yan on “Yan Can Cook,” Jeff Smith on “The Frugal Gourmet.” Justin Wilson on “Louisiana Cookin’,” and  of course, Julie Child on several shows – “Julia Child & Company, Dinner at Julia’s and Julia Child & Jacques Pépin Cooking at Home.” It was a weekend thing – a big metal roasting pan of freshly popped popcorn (popped with an oil popper) and family time in front of the TV. This Old House and the Yankee Workshop also found their way into our living room. Great memories for sure.

One weekend when I was 15 or 16, I decided I was going to make a full on “Yan Can Cook” inspired dinner. From homemade egg rolls and won tons, to beef and broccoli with a side of chow mein. I got out my Mom’s Yan Can Cook cookbook, fired up the ultra 80’s red electric wok, the deep fryer and 3 hours later, dinner was served. I guess I’ve always had a fascination for trying new recipes in the kitchen.

Back to class… I decided on taking the Quick and Simple Stir-Fries class because it was with an instructor I hadn’t taken any classes from, and I wanted to learn more about stir fry sauces, oils and cooking techniques.

First up – Stir Fried Sichuan Green Beans

The Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce – can sub with low sodium or wheat free – Tamari Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Water
1 Tablespoon Dry Sherry*
1 Teaspoon Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Cornstarch
1/4 Teaspoon Ground White Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
1/4 Teaspoon Dry Mustard
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 Pound Green Beans – stem ends snapped off and cut into 2 inch-pieces – can also use Chinese long beans
1/4 Pound Ground Pork – unseasoned
3 Garlic Cloves – minced
1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger – minced
3 Green Onions – sliced thin
1 Teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil

*A student in class asked if they should use “Cooking Sherry” or “Drinking Sherry” – Chef Cris mentioned that she never buys anything labeled “Cooking” because it always contains added salt. She told us a story… Back in the day, French Chefs decided to add salt to their wine/sherry so their young kitchen help wouldn’t drink it to get drunk while they cooked. The added salt made it less desirable.

Directions:

In a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, water, sherry, sugar, cornstarch, white pepper, pepper flakes, and mustard until the sugar dissolves, set aside. Note: The sauce can be prepared up to 1 day ahead of time and stored at room temperature. Stir thoroughly to recombine before adding to the beans.

Heat the oil in a 12 inch pan (Chef Cris used a metal flat bottom wok pan – she prefers to not use non-stick pans when stir frying) over high heat until just smoking. (We actually used organic canola oil) – she recommended canola or peanut oil due to their high smoke point.  Canola is less expensive compared to peanut and Chef Cris tries to stay away from peanut when cooking for a crowd – in case of allergies. Once the oil starts to smoke, add the beans and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender and the skins appear shriveled and blackened with blistered spots – usually takes 5-8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium high if beans darken too quickly. Transfer the beans to a large plate and let sit.

Reduce heat to medium-high and add the pork to the empty skillet. There is enough fat in the pork, you won’t need to add more oil. Cook, breaking the pork into small pieces, until no pink remains – about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir the sauce and return the beans to the pan with the sauce. Toss and cook until the sauce is thickened, 5-10 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the scallions and sesame oil.

I could easily have eaten an entire plate of these beans. The ground pork added so much to the dish. I don’t think I’ve ever cooked with ground pork in anything but meatloaf. It was a nice surprise and teamed with steamed rice or brown rice, would be a great meal.

If you make the sauces ahead of time, it really is a quick and easy way to get dinner on the table in a matter of minutes. I’ve got 4 more recipes to share from the class over the next week.

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Sep 22 2010

Zucchini Pasta w/Curried Cashew Pesto

This is my 4th and final recipe out of the September Rachael Ray Every Day Magazine. You all know how obsessed I am with my veggie slicer. I felt like I had been neglecting it – it had been weeks since I had taken it out of the box. I had zucchini in the fridge and all of the other ingredients listed in the Zucchini Pasta w/Curried Cashew Pesto recipe. I’ve been fascinated by the raw food movement and wanted to try a different take on my normal “go to” faux pasta dishes.

The Ingredients:

1 Clove Garlic – I used two Dorot crushed garlic cubes
1/4 Cup Cilantro – tightly packed
3/4 Cup Raw Cashews
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Teaspoon Curry Powder
Salt and Pepper to Taste
5 Medium Zucchini – I used two and had a small container of pesto left for future meals
Shredded Beets – I used Trader Joe’s cooked beets – I sliced 2 of them up as a topper

In your food processor, pulse garlic, and tightly packed cilantro leaves. Add raw cashews, extra virgin olive oil and curry powder; process until almost smooth and season with salt and pepper. I added everything at once… because I’m a rebel like that and also because I failed to read the directions all the way through. 😉

It was the most vibrant color of green. You definitely have to be a lover of all things curry and cilantro.

I got my zucchini loaded into the torture device…

My zucchini pasta fell to the plate and was ready to be tossed with the pesto.

poolside…

I really liked changing up the zucchini pasta. Eating it raw was a nice alternative to having a salad as a meal. I also think it would hold up well for a potluck style event. Finding people that love cilantro and curry might be the biggest obstacle. What other ideas can you think of for a raw pasta sauce/topping?

Permanent link to this article: http://foodiddy.com/?p=1565

Sep 20 2010

Turkey and Brie Turnovers

I was watching a past episode of Diners, Drive-ins and Dives last week on the DVR and Guy was visiting “The General Store” in Silver Springs, Maryland. Chef Gillian Clark was showing how she made several southern style menu items – Chicken and Waffles and a few others – including Turkey and Brie Turnovers.

I have always loved Monte Cristo sandwiches – especially the ones at the “Blue Bayou” at Disneyland. These turnovers had the same sweet and savory vibe and I knew I wanted to recreate them. The one thing about Triple D – they don’t always give the measurements or there are sometimes “secret ingredients” – I was up for the challenge. I googled everything possible and couldn’t find the recipe. There was indeed some guess work on amounts and some substitutions – seeing as I wasn’t down for cooking an entire turkey, gobble… gobble.

Dan and I both went to my parent’s place yesterday. Dan helped my Dad with a house project and my Mom and I spent time in the kitchen. A perfect Sunday indeed.

The Ingredients: (8 turnovers)

1/2 Stick of Butter
3 Shallots
Handful of Fresh Thyme
1/4 Cup White Wine
1/4 Cup Chicken Stock
1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Pound of Roasted Turkey – I got a Columbus Turkey Breast from Trader Joe’s
Salt and Pepper
8 Slices of Brie Cheese
1 Package of Puff Pastry – 2 sheets
1 Egg – for the pastry egg wash
1 Large Orange  – zested and juiced
Powdered Sugar – just keep adding until the consistency was thick enough

My Mom (and Dad) preheated the ovens to 350 degrees F. while I got the shallots and thyme prepared for the pan. Dual ovens… oh what I’d give to have those.

I sauteed my shallots and thyme in the butter until everything softened up.

Mom worked on the green bean side dish while I continued with the turkey filling.

The turkey was already cooked – so I just cubed it up and heated it in the pan with the butter, shallots and thyme. I think this recipe would be PERFECT with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving. Shredded turkey would probably work better with the puff pastry, but this was a fabulous substitute and way less work.

I added a 1/4 Cup of white wine (Thanks Dad) and a 1/4 cup of chicken broth and gave it a good stir.

I then added a 1/3 cup of heavy cream. I let the turkey simmer in the sauce for a good 10 minutes until it thickened.

It bubbled away at medium/high heat.

It was time to break out the puff pastry sheets. I had them in the fridge defrosting for several days. I even transported them in a cooler bag with ice. It’s really important to not just set them out on the counter for defrosting – the sheets will become too soft and they will stick together. I got the surface and rolling pin coated with flour and I began rolling. My original thought was to just get the creases out. Then I realized that I needed each sheet to equal 4 squares. I had to make the rectangle into a bigger square. I definitely think they used bigger squares on Triple D – but this is what I had and it turned out great.

I used a heaping spoonful of turkey filling on each square and topped that with a slice of brie. I took the rind off 4 of the slices and left it on the other 4. The chef left it on at The General Store. I honestly couldn’t tell a difference.  I used an eggwash to coat the outer edges of my turnovers before sealing.

Seal the edges with a fork and make a few slices in the top to vent.

Coat the turnover with more egg wash before placing onto a non stick baking sheet. I thought there was enough butter in the puff pastry – one sheet was fine, the other needed a spatula to lift – but they didn’t stick too bad. Parchment paper would probably be good – the brie will leak out a little bit.

Definitely not as pretty as the ones on the show – but it was my first time and I think they turned out great. There were some thin pastry areas and a few small tears – but all in all, pretty successful.

We got them into the 350 degree oven for 25 minutes and I started on the sauce.

Zest 1 orange and then juice the orange into the same bowl.

Nice neon orange photo – what can I say? I used my iPhone for all of the photos in today’s post and I wasn’t used to the lighting in my parent’s kitchen. No biggie, it was still fun messing up somebody elses kitchen, hah!

Once you get the juice from the orange into the bowl, add powdered sugar. It took a good 4-5 shakes of the box – totally forgot to measure for the blog recipe. Whoops!

It took a while to whisk the sugar beads out of the sauce. The idea behind the sauce is to top the turnovers with some sweetness and I have to say, it was brilliant. The absolute key to the turnover success. The orange flavor was incredible.

I drizzled the sauce over the turnovers, placed some of my Mom’s green beans on the plates and wow, what an incredible dinner. I made 8 turnovers, but one was plenty for each person.  I took a photo after I cut into one of them, but it turned out too blurry to post. I normally take a million photos of each dish, but I wanted to make sure we ate them while they were hot. I did take a close up photo (in my own kitchen) of one of the turnovers I brought home for lunches this week.

This was a turnover without the sauce – looks kind of like a fish fillet 😉

I will definitely be making these again – especially with leftover Thanksgiving turkey. You could also easily substitute chicken and many different cheeses and fillings. Too rich to be in the weekly rotation, but for sure will be used again and again.

Permanent link to this article: http://foodiddy.com/?p=1535