Agedashi Tofu

Agedashi Tofu is Japanese fried tofu with a dashi-stock based sauce.

Dredge tofu piece lightly with corn starch. Then pan-fry in about 1/4" oil until golden brown. I don't deep-fry tofu cube as most recipes suggest, but it is cooked nicely brown and crispy on both sides.

Served in a hot broth made of soy sauce, mirin, and dashi broth (I use boiled water + dashi powder). Topped with finely chopped green onions and grated fresh ginger. You can also sprinkle on top with some bonito (dried fish) flakes.

Good Eats: Vegetarian & Locally Sourced

My friends, Lynne and Gary invited me to join them for a Sunday dinner. Lynne always goes to local Farmer's Markets on the weekend when she can, for fresh and beautiful produce. This time she got quite a few of great looking vegetables, and it was a nice relaxing day -- so they decided to spend quality time cooking together. Lucky me, I got to enjoy that lovely dinner with them!

Mediterranean Panzanella (bread) Salad

Lynne made this Martha Stewart's recipe using Zingerman's bread -- together with fennel, local green beans, fresh mozzarella, calamata olives, red onion, dressed with olive oil and red wine vinegar. This dish is a wonderful summer salad. Absolutely enjoyed it. It was fantastico!!

Three Beet Caviar with Endive and Goat Cheese

This is such a beautifully-presented dish. Lynne made the dish using Chioggia beets, red beets, and golden beets -- served with local goat cheese. The tri-color caviar of beets got mixed together with creamy goat cheese right before we ate them. Adapted from Deborah Madison cookbook, Lynne & Gary's vegetarian guru.

Risotto with Kale and Gremolata

This was made of kale, arborio rice, and Gremolata -- which is a mixture of lemon peel, garlic and parsley. Gary cooked them for only 5 min. in the pressure cooker, and it turned out just perfect! The best risotto I've had so far...

It was a really nice dinner with my besties.

Loving this cheese grater :)

We finished our meal with a Thai dessert I brought over. I quicky made this --Sticky Rice Pudding with longan & young coconut, and topted with coconut milk -- from what I had in my pantry. With a nice cup of coffee, it was a great ending.

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Good time! We should do this more often :)

King Oyster Mushroom Stir-fry

King Oyster Mushrooms, also known as King Trumpet Mushrooms, have light tan caps with thick white stems. These delicately flavored mushrooms have a woodsy and sweet taste. They are great grilled or stir-fried! In this dish, I use the king oyster together with the Enoki mushrooms -- which have long, slender white stems with tiny, firm caps. They have a mild, delicate flavor that is complimented by a little crunch. Both are ones of the most popular Japanese mushrooms, as well as my favorites..

King Oyster Mushrooms (or King Trumpet Mushrooms),
and Enoki Mushroom

You will need:

• 1-2 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 4-5 stems King Oyster Mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 packs Enoki Mushrooms, root trimmed
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• Chopped parsley leaves
• Ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

• Add cooking oil and butter to medium-heated pan. Then, add garlics - be careful not to burn them.
• Add King Oyster mushroom slices, cook until soft and slightly brown on the edges. Then, add Enoki mushrooms - which don't take long to cook at all.
• Add soy sauce and pepper. Stir to mix all ingredient well.
• Finally, toss in parsley leaves, then turn off the heat.
  

Enjoy!

Peanut Sesame Noodles

This is a simple and delicious cold noodle dish that I really enjoy. It's good for making ahead and serving later. Great for a potluck or a picnic. The dressing has lots of flavors; the sweetness from brown sugar and rice vinegar, a tanginess from lime juice, a little heat from chili paste, and a kick from garlic and ginger! I follow Tyler Florence's recipe for the dressing. (He is one of my all-time favorite Food Network chefs!) However, I use buckwheat soba noodle and add extra vegetables, that are not in the original recipe. There is still room to play with by adding different vegetables, and/or protein, like shredded cooked chicken or tofu.

Peanut Sesame Noodles
Recipe adapted from Tyler Florence's Cold Sesame Noodles
http://www.foodnetwork.com/

You will need:

• 1 lb. Buckwheat soba noodles
• 3 Tbsp. Sesame oil (also called roasted sesame oil, or dark sesame oil)
• 2 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp. Minced fresh ginger
• 3 Cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp. Red chili paste (I prefer Sambal Oelek)
• 1 Lime, juiced
• 2 Tbsp. Brown sugar
• 1/2 cup Creamy peanut butter
• 3 Tbsp. Rice vinegar
• 3 Tbsp. Soy sauce
• 6 Tbsp. Hot water
• 1 Tbsp. White sesame seeds, toasted
• 1/2 Cup Shredded carrots
• 1/2 Cup Julienned cucumber
• 1/2 Cup Julienned red bell pepper
• 2 Green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Cooking Buckwheat Soba Noodles:

I've learned from my Japanese friend that Soba noodles, made from buckwheat flour, are to be cooked differently from pasta and other Western-style noodles. Most Japanese noodles need to be rinsed vigorously under cold running water after done boiling- to cool them down, as well as to get rid of excess starch which affects the flavor of the dish.

Cook soba noodles in big pot of boiling water. No need to add salt! Follow direction on package, usually about 5-7 minutes, depends on the thinness of strand. Noodles should be cooked through, neither mushy, nor al dente like pasta.

Then, drain the noodles and rinse under cold running water. Once they cool down, gently swish them in the water - to get rid of the starch and the gumminess. Then, drain very well.

Directions:

1. Cook soba noodles following direction. Once well drained, toss with sesame oil, so they don't stick together. Chill.
2. In a blender, combine oil, ginger, garlic, chili paste, lime juice, brown sugar, peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, and hot water. Blend until smooth.
3. Then, toss soba noodles with the peanut sauce, carrots, cucumber, red bell pepper, green onions, and sesame seeds - until well coated.
4. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions. Serve at room temperature or chilled. If I am to serve the dish later, I will save some of the dressing and toss the prepared noodles with it right before serving. That will freshen up the salad and give a flavor boost to the dish.

Green Curry: Tofu & Enoki Mushroom

Green curry is a very popular Thai curry dish you can find at almost every Thai restaurant. This one is a vegetarian version, with fried tofu and Enoki mushroom as main ingredients. The rest is pretty much the basic ingredients for Thai Green Curry. You can find my quick post of its different version - Pork Green Curry with Thai Eggplant - here.

This dish is usually served with rice. Some other varieties are to serve with rice vermicelli (Bun), or with Indian flat bread (Roti). Regular (soft or firm) tofu, or fried tofu can be used in this curry, or any curry, actually. It's all about your preference!

Enoki mushrooms -- also called Enokitake, Winter Mushroom, Snow Puff Mushroom, Velvet Stem Mushroom, or Golden Needle Mushroom -- have a mild but delightful flavor and a pleasantly crunchy texture. To use, you need to cut off and discard the bottom of the cluster of mushrooms (up to the point where individual mushroom stems can be separated). Traditionally, Enoki is lightly cooked, and served in soups or in stir-fries with vegetables and meat. Too much cooking can make the stems tough and stringy.


You will need:

• 1 can (4 oz.) Green Curry paste (I prefer Mae Sri brand)
• 1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk (Chao Kao or Aroy-D brand)
• 16 oz. fried tofu, cut in triangles or cubes
• 1 TBSP palm sugar
• 2 TBSP Thai fish sauce (Nam Pla)
• 1-2 cups water, or vegetable stock
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut in strips
• 1 package Enoki mushroom, trim & discard the bottom cluster. Rinsed clean.
• 1 cup loosely packed Thai basil leaves

Directions:

1. Fry Green curry paste in 1/2 cup coconut milk in a pot until fragrant, using medium-high heat. Keep stirring so it doesn't burn - until it is fragrant and becomes oily, about 3-5 minutes.
2. Add tofu chunks and fry until mixed well with curry sauce.
3. Add the rest of coconut milk. Then, add 1 cup (or more) of water (or stock) then bring it to a boil. The sauce shouldn't be runny, nor too thick.
4. Then, lower the heat to medium and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
5. Add palm sugar and fish sauce. Stir well. Adjust the flavor to your taste.
6. Add bell pepper and Enoki mushroom. Stir to mix all ingredients in curry sauce. The mushroom shouldn't be cooked long at all.
7. Finally, add Thai basil leaves, and turn the heat off right away. That way the leaves still maintain their bright green color. Serve with rice, noodle, or flat bread - your choice..