Indian-Spiced Green Beans 印度香料长豆

When these green beans are cooked down to tender, almost soft, with the spices, they are just so delicious. The ingredients in this recipe are almost similar to Indian Spicy Chickpeas.


Indian-Style Green Beans 印度香料长豆
Ingredients: green bean sliced, 4-5 shallots sliced, 2-3 garlic minced, 1-2tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp turmeric, butter, salt, 1tbsp oil, freshly ground black pepper, sprinkle of red chili pepper flakes

Directions: Add butter and 1tbsp oil to a frying pan, add in minced garlic, shallots saute till fragrant. Add in green beans and saute till green beans and onions are slightly tender/onions caramelized. Add the spices. Salt to taste. Cook for about 10 mins in low-heat pan (note: if too dry, add some water). Add in some freshly ground black pepper and red chili pepper flakes, mix well.





Really good with steamed rice!

Tag: indian spices, green beans

Garlic Herb Butter Crostini 蒜泥香草牛油烤面包

A hearty bowl of minestrone or pumpkin soup would pair so well with these garlic crostini (means "little toasts" in Italian).


You do not need a full-range oven for this. A small little toaster oven will do the job. And even a better deal - you can use "old" baguette (bread) and inject new life into that dry loaf of mass.


Garlic-Herb Butter Crostini - 蒜泥香草牛油烤面包
Ingredients: Baguette, thinly sliced; unsalted butter; garlic, finely minced; dried herbs (basil, oregano), salt

Directions: Preheat toaster oven at "Bake". When the butter is slightly soft (at room temperature), add in the minced garlic and herbs, then mix them thoroughly into the butter. Spread the garlic-herb butter on one side of the bread slice, then place the bread slices (slathered side up) onto a tray laid with Al foil. Set oven to "Toast" and toast for about 12-15minutes till the bread becomes toasted, golden brown.





Enjoy.

Tag: soup, garlic crostini

Chayote (Chokos) Tomato Stew 番茄焖煮佛手瓜

Okra with Tomatoes. Bitter Melon with Tomatoes. Brisling Sardines with Tomatoes. Cabbage with Tomatoes. And now...Chokos (Chayote) with Tomatoes.


When the word "Umami" became a hype these few years, tomatoes became a topic of the town as they are tied to ketchup which many claimed to taste "Umami" - kinda addictive with savory deliciousness. I do not like ketchup (or probably, should I say, not my kitchen or dining habit to have it?) but extremely so love tomatoes. That is why many Indian curries and dishes taste so good. They've got tomatoes.

Stir-Fry Chayote with Fresh Lily Bulbs 清炒佛手瓜鲜百合

As I am quite familiar with using chayote in cooking, I also explored another relatively new ingredient to pair with chayote recently. Fresh Lily Bulbs mark a close resemblance to...errr.... "finger nails"?

Can you find the finger nails I am talking about?

Fresh lily bulbs have a natural hint of sweetness and according to Chinese medicinal perspective, have slightly "cold properties". When the weather is dry, lily bulbs can be used to relieve coughs, dry throats and to clear away "heat" in the body. They are also known to promote restful sleep, to treat insomnia and reduce heart palpitations.

Broccoli with Fresh Shitake Mushrooms 清炒西兰花

It is rare. Strangely rare. This is one of the few times I have done a broccoli stir-fry. It is so easy to enjoy steamed broccoli that I do not bother to cook them other ways. Do you stir-fry your broccoli or prefer to enjoy them...steamed?

But this day, I wanted to add more vegetables and cook just ONE side (vegetable) dish to pair with steamed rice. So I did so (the stir-fry)...with garlic, ginger, celery, carrots, broccoli and fresh shitake mushrooms.


This pan of fresh veggies stir-fry 

Enjoy!

Tag: stir fry, broccoli, stir fry broccoli

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Asparagus with Toasted Sesame Seeds 芝麻芦笋

The fatter (male) asparagus were better off steamed or to be cooked in a fish soup while the thinner (female) asparagus are worthy of stir-fries or in omelette. That's personal preference, really.


The sweet caramelized onions and carrots in this Asparagus Stir-Fry with Toasted Sesame Seeds complement with the flavors of fresh asparagus and fragrant toasted sesame seeds. Yum!

Spaghetti Squash Frittata Fritters

I wanted to try spaghetti squash after seeing "noodle" dishes out of them! This recipe came to me at the instant when I had that plate of squash strands (after roasting in the oven 375degF for ~ 45 minutes) sitting right in front of me. No squash noodles, I decided, since I am cooking rice congee for that same meal. I wanted a side-dish more than a one-disher noodle. Here comes my Spaghetti Squash Frittata Fritter!

I am a huge fan of Indian spices so I fall back to my comfort zone when seasoning the squash strands - cumin, turmeric, ground coriander, curry powder, red chili powder, salt, pepper - that should work!

Roasted Spicy Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potato is nutritious with Vitamin A, C, B6 and minerals such as manganese and potassium.


Basically, these are the spices I have in my pantry. I wanted it spicy, added a lil' red chili powder (Note: Paprika or Cayenne Pepper should work too). Too bad I have no ground cinnamon at home if not it would have been perfect!

Black Pepper Buttered King Trumpet/Oyster Mushrooms

This recipe is super duper easy using the "pan-grill" method. You need butter, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. That's it.


Butter and Black Pepper King Trumpet/Oyster Mushrooms
Ingredients: 1 pack of king trumpet mushroom, remove the bottom white portion (about 1/4 length from the bottom of the mushrooms but retain the "stems"), thinly slice the mushrooms caps and stems as whole; 1 tbsp unsalted butter; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions: Add butter in a heated flat wide-area pan and when butter melts, lay the mushrooms across the pan, do not overcrowd (Note: cook in batches). Lightly salt each batch and add freshly ground black pepper. When mushrooms turn tender, dish out and set aside.

Note1: This method (pan-grill, almost like grilling a steak) works really well for meaty mushrooms like the King Trumpet/Oyster.

Cooking Tip: for a 2nd dish!... ....

Okra and Eggplant Stew

Bittermelon with tomatoes is delicious, eggplants with tomatoes should not go wrong too.


To create more substance and add more vegetables in this dish, I use another old recipe of mine - okra with tomatoes and include some eggplant mash into an already stew-like dish. Okra is very good in stews since the "slimy" factor perfects the stew consistency. Remember the last time you had Gumbo? Traditionally, one of the key ingredients is okra.

Can't even see the eggplant....it is that obvious.

Okra and Eggplant Mash Stew , first posted in An Escape to Food
(partially inspired by Real Simple - Eggplant Caviar, then adapted from the same recipe)

Ingredients: Similar to Recipe: Okra with Tomatoes; one eggplant

Directions: Roast the eggplant in the oven and scrap the flesh when eggplant is cooked (Refer to pictures below). Similar to Recipe: Okra with Tomatoes. When okra is almost cooked, add in the flesh of the eggplant

Steamed Brussel Sprouts

Fall is also brussel sprouts season and I am going to eat them wholeheartedly.


They are usually expensive (due to being typically imported from nearby countries such as Australia) in Singapore. But now, I have the luxury to buy them reasonably, seasonably and relatively cheap in the US. Brussel sprouts are high in Vitamin K, C, A; folate, maganese, potassium, iron....mmmmm...you should look at the long nutrients list.


Contrary to the popular and common method of pan-frying with bacon or butter, I did the "Chinese" thing and steam them. Cooking Tip: To get them uniformly cooked yet not overcooked remains the same regardless of cuisine if you want to cook them whole. Cut a cross at the base/bottom of each brussel sprout so that "heat" can get in there easily.



Steamed Brussel Sprouts
Ingredients and Directions: 10-12 brussel sprouts, rinsed then cut a cross at the base of the vegetable, set aside on a plate. Sprinkle some salt, ground white pepper and freshly ground black pepper on the vegetables. Set the steamer for steaming. When the water in the steamer is boiling, add the whole plate of brussel sprouts into the steamer and steam for about 8 minutes. More freshly ground pepper on the cooked vegetables, if you prefer, before serving.


Enjoy.

Tag: brussel sprouts

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Sesame Oil White Pepper Steamed Potatoes

"Amazing colors!"...my first thoughts on getting the samples from Tasteful Selections some time ago.

Growing up in Asia, potato is really not my kind of staple or ingredient (Rice is!). But I was excited to try these potatoes especially when they are petite, cute, fast to prep and easy to cook. 


Have you tried Steamed Potatoes? Yes, you heard me right. S-T-E-A-M-E-D Potatoes!

Parchment Steamed Broccoli and Bell Peppers

Stir-fry vegetables is enjoyable but there is always a pan/wok to wash - no matter how "clean" the cooking can be.

And not all vegetables can be possibly blanched? Well, broccoli or cauliflower...yes, ok, blanching. But what about zucchini and red bell peppers?


Parchment-steamed veggies to the rescue! Parchment so that moisture can be retained as much as possible; and parchment so that there are less dishes wash.


Parchment Steamed Broccoli and Bell Peppers
Julienned organic red bell peppers, thinly sliced organic zucchini, broccoli florets and thinly sliced broccoli stems, whole garlic crushed, dash of pepper, pinch of oregano, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Wrap in parchment and steam for about 8-10minutes. Before serving, pinch of sea salt, toss to combine well.


Tag: parchment-steamed vegetables, vegetarian

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Steamed Fava Beans and Mushrooms 蒸扁豆

Rejuvenated freshness in the pocket!


There are certainly many simple ways to cook fresh fava beans and I have found my own simple way of enjoying them.

This has been my favorite method to cook recently. Parchment-steaming! Yay! Fuss-free, simple, delicious creations always till I find something that do NOT work on parchment-steaming, and sure I will let you know.


Other parchment cooking recipes:
Steamed Arugula
Steamed Fava Beans
Steamed Veggies


Tag: fava beans, broad beans, beans

Asian Salad Bok Choy and Tomatoes in Ginger Dressing 白菜拌蕃茄

Have you seen these vegetable names such as Bok Choy, Baby Bok Choy, Bok Choy Sum, Zen Choy, Tagu Choy, etc., This brings me to the different varieties of Bok Choy seen in my nearby Asian supermarket in California. Today, these three different varieties placed side by side for the benefit of you. Look (stare) - what differences or similarities do you see? Well, one has a greener leaf than the other; the other has a shorter stem than the next other - physically.

Personally, I prefer the Baby Bok Choy Sum (Bok Choy Sum seen here), how about you ? I find them "sweeter" than Bok Choy and the green leaves are more "attractive" to me. Nutrition wise, I believe they should be quite similar to one another.

With the abundance of heirloom tomatoes right now, make an Asian-style salad of Bok Choy Sum and Tomatoes in Scallion/Ginger Dressing. Easy.

Ingredients you need and what to do with them:
1. Baby Bok Choy Sum - quick-blanched in water, then drained away excess water; when most water is drained, chopped the bok choy sum into smaller than bite-sizes
2.Tomatoes - cut into smaller cubes
3. Dressing: Spring onion and minced ginger in extra virgin olive oil . Basically, this is just mincing, and blending.
4. Mix items 1. to 3. and happy tossing!

TADA....this easy refreshing salad for you, if you wish to have a change from using romaine or green-leaves lettuce in your salad.

Tag: vegetables, bok choy sum, chinese salad, salad

Portobello Mushrooms Open Omelette

Going vegetarian, mushrooms is definitely one good ingredient to include in your diet.


This can be a good protein all vegetarian side dish with noodles, rice or even sandwich.

Garlic Spinach Stir Fry 蒜炒菠菜

A little squeeze of Vitamin-C lemon into a dish of spinach, help us absorb the iron in spinach better. That is because spinach also contains oxalate/oxalic acid that bind with iron and inhibit iron absorption in our body. So by sneaking iron absorption enhancers such as lemon and orange into spinach at the same time, we extract iron from spinach more effectively.

Steamed Eggplant Miso Dressing 味增茄子

I usually make a light easy dressing of soy sauce, white pepper and sesame oil for these steamed babies. Add some fried shallots - that will be almost heaven!


Today's version is done with red miso (in replacement of soy sauce). Miso (fermented soy) gives an added complexity to the otherwise "flatter" savory soy sauce.

Note: A simple technique to making a non-grainy bowl of miso soup is to slowly strain the miso over warm water. Hot boiling water might "kill" the good bacteria in miso. Adding miso-paste directly to boiling water will also be disastrously "grainy", sometimes "lumpy".

Potato Stir-Fry 清炒土豆丝

Other than roast or bake, tossed in salad, added to soup or mashed - potatoes can be stir-fried too! 


For this dish, low-temperature cooking was used so that the steam from the heat partially cook the vegetable mixture in the covered pan. Thee vegetables turned out tender-crisp. Not soggy. The flavors are fresh and refreshing esp. with that added touch of not-so-ripe mango.

Soy Milk Savory Steamed Tofu 咸豆浆蒸豆腐

It is never difficult to whip up vegetarian dishes that taste good. Shed the image that vegetarian food is bland boring and half the battle is won.

It has gotta do with practice. The more vegetarian cooking I do, the more comfortable I am when it comes to creating flavorful fresh dishes.



Steamed Savory Tofu in Soy Milk

Ingredients: Soft silken tofu, unsweetened soy milk, bunashimeiji mushrooms, tomatoes, toasted nori seaweed, sesame oil, coriander leaves, pinch of salt and ground white pepper to taste

Directions: Scoop tofu from package and lay them in the bowl. Add soy milk till tofu is partially submerged. Lay the mushrooms, tomatoes and seaweed on top. With the steamer ready, place the tofu mixture to steam for 5-8 minutes. Drizzle sesame oil, garnish with coriander leaves, salt and pepper to taste



Related post: Savory Tofu Pudding