Bun Chay

After drinking an entire box of wine and eating nothing but cheese, hummus and pita at a wedding this past weekend, I decided to do my body a little favor and eat some green stuff.

It isn't that often that I overindulge on cheese and wine, but when I do I always feel the need to eat some clean detoxifying foods to help balance everything out.

I've been craving Asian inspired cold noodle dishes lately.. so much crunch.. so much flavor.. and so damn easy!

Soba or udon noodles have always been a favorite of mine, but I thought I would give rice noodles a go this time around to switch it up a bit. They are gluten free (rice, duh) and you can buy them, for like, a buck a package at any Asian market.

For months, I've had my eye on a recipe for bun chay from one of my favorite, "all things food" site, the kitchn. With all of the ingredients on hand, accompanied by a fierce hangover, I decided to throw this together for a quick healthy dinner instead of eating a three pound omelette.

Not only did this tasty meal come together quickly but it was mad yummy. The rice noodles were topped with lots of fresh, crunchy herbs and vegetables, like mint, thai basil, cilantro, cucumber and cabbage. Then, some tofu and peanuts were thrown into the mix for protein and a nice textural contrast. Traditionally, a nuac chom sauce (consisting of fish sauce, rice vinegar, lime, sugar, garlic and chilis) is poured over top, but fish sauce sets off my gag reflex so I concocted my own dipping sauce, swapping out the tamari for rice vinegar. Not authentic, but whatever.. throwing up over the smell of fish sauce wasn't on the agenda.

The tofu really makes the dish as does the herbs (don't skimp) and the sauce is essential, but you can get creative and add whatever fresh, crunchy vegetables you have on hand. I imagine some carrot or daikon raidish would be good, as would some chopped lettuce, baby bok choy or mung bean sprouts.

Bun Chay
Adapted from The Kitchn 
Serves 2

Noodles:
6 oz. rice noodles

Tofu:
I halved the recipe for my salt and pepper tofu, but you can also panfry 1/2 lb. tofu, cut into small cubes in a little peanut oil.

Greens:
1 1/2 c. shredded cabbage
1/2 cucumber, julliened
Large handful of mixed herbs (thai basil, mint, cilantro)

Sauce:

1/4 c. tamari

3 T. brown rice vinegar

5 T. water

4 T. organic dark brown sugar

2 t. fresh lime juice

1/2 t. grated garlic

2 t. grated ginger

1/2 T. toasted sesame oil

pinch red pepperflakes

Garnish:

1/3 c. chopped roasted peanuts

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the noodles. Cook, stirring occasionally until noodles are tender, about 5-7 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water, fluffing the noodles to seperate into strands. Drain again and set aside.

Panfry cubed tofu in a splash of peanut oil over medium heat. Or, whip up a batch of salt and pepper tofu. Set tofu aside to cool.

Prepare the greens and set aside.

To make the sauce, combine the brown sugar and water in a small saucepan. Heat gently until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in remaining ingredients and place in the fridge to cool a bit.

To assemble, divide the noodles between two large bowls. Arrange greens and tofu on top and garnish with peanuts. Just before serving, drizzle with sauce to taste and toss.

Fish Tacos

Why fish tacos should become one of your summer time dinner staples:

They go great with beer.... or margaritas.. or shots of tequila.

They come together quick when you need something to eat after having several of the above mentioned beverages and eating a bag of tortilla sounds like an appealing dinner.

They are mad healthy. Protein, Vegetable, Starch, GO!

They are super delicious.. light, yet filling, unless you eat three in one sitting, then you might feel like a beached whale.

Been there, done that.

Eat one.. have a beverage, then go back for more...

You will, I know you will.

Fish Tacos (makes six tacos)

6 c. shredded green cabbage
2 jalapenos
1/2 c. cilantro

1 c. radishes, julliened

1 1/2 lbs. haddock, skinned

2 T. chili powder
1 T. cumin
1/2 T. granulated garlic
1 T. oregano
1/4 t. chipotle powder
1/2 t. sea salt
3 T. extra virgin olive oil

Guacamole.  Make a double batch... trust me.

6 flour tortillas

Fresh lime wedges, for serving

Combine cabbage, jalapenos and cilantro in a large bowl.
Julliene radishes.
Prepare a double batch of guacamole.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a small bowl combine the chili powder, cumin, granulated garlc, oregano, chipotle powder, salt and olive oil.
Rinse haddock and pat dry. Place in a glass baking dish and generously coat each side with the spice/olive oil mixture.
Bake for 5-7 minutes until the fish is cooked through. Using a fork, break into small, 1-2 inch pieces.
Heat a medium sized griddle or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Heat a tortilla for 20 seconds on each side.
Spread a couple tablespoons of guacamole on the tortilla. Top with a small amount of the cabbage mixture, followed by five or six pieces of fish, another small handful of cabbage, then top with a sprinkling of radishes.
Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Serve with lime wedges and your favorite hot sauce on the side.

Pan Fried Gyoza

Gyoza.

A.K.A. little pockets of awesomeness.

Gyoza used to be one of my favorite things to order when dining at a Japanese restaurant. Typically they would come six to an order and would set me back at least five bucks and they were soooo TINY. As tasty as they were I felt like I was being ripped off, especially when they were stuffed with the cheapest of all vegetables, cabbage.

They may look intimidating to make, but really they are quite simple and way cheaper than ordering them in a restaurant.


Lets get this party started.
First order of business: The wrapper.  I bought some wonton wrappers at the asian market. I think I payed maybe a buck fifty for a hundred wrappers. Cheap.  I'm not sure if wonton wrappers are traditonally used, but they worked for me, so whatevs.

Second order of business: The filling.  The base of my filling contained tempeh, cabbage, carrots and shiitake mushrooms, with lots of garlic, ginger and scallion. You could easily make an all veggie version, but I like the way that the tempeh adds a bit of texture, making the dumpling a bit more substantial.

Third order of business: The dipping sauce. Tamari, rice vinegar, sugar and some chili sesame oil. That's it. Spicy and sweet!

Gyoza Filling (makes enough for 2-2 1/2 dozen)

1 1/2 T. sunflower oil (or any neutral oil)
6 oz. tempeh, finely crumbled (I put mine in a food processor and pulsed a couple times to break it up)
2 c. shredded cabbage
1/2 c. grated carrot
1/2 c. shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
3 scallions, sliced
1 1/2 T. ginger, minced
1 1/2 T. garlic, minced
1 1/2 T. tamari
1 1/2 T. brown rice vinegar
1 t. chili-sesame oil
sea salt, to taste

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for one minute. Add the tempeh, mushrooms, tamari and rice vinegar and stir to combine.  Cook for two to three minutes, or until the tempeh starts to take on a little color. If the mixture starts to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a splash of water, and give it a stir.  Add the cabbage, cook for one minute, then add the carrots and cook for an additional 30 seconds.  Stir in the scallion and the chili sesame oil and season with sea salt to taste. Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature before assembling the gyoza.

The mixture should look a little something like this:

While the mixture is cooling you can make your dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce

3 T. organic sugar
4 T. brown rice vinegar
3T. tamari
1/2 t. chili-sesame oil
1/2 t. grated ginger

Place brown rice vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat, whisking until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat and whisk in tamari, chili-sesame oil and ginger. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

When the mixture is cool enough to handle you can start to assemble your gyoza.

In a small bowl mix together 1/2 T. cornstarch and 1/4 c. water. This will act as the glue to hold the gyoza together.

Grab a clean cutting board and lay out six wonton wrappers at a time. Place 3/4 T. filling in the center of each wrapper. Dip a pastry brush (or your finger) into the cornstarch/ water mixture and brush all four sides of the wonton wrapper, just enough to lightly moisten.  Grab one end of the wrapper and fold over like you were sealing an envelope, making sure there is a tight seal. Working along the edge crimp together until you have a little purse.  They don't have to be perfect. You could probably just fold them over and leave them as is and they will still be delicious. Transfer your gyozas to a sheetpan and cover with a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying out. Repeat with the remaining filling.

Now.....

Heat 1 1/2 T. neutral oil (sunflower, peanut, canola etc..) in a large non stick pan over medium heat.  When the oil is hot (but not smoking), carefully lay your gyoza in the pan in a single layer (I think I was able to fit a dozen in my 12" skillet). Fry for about three minutes until the bottoms of the gyoza are a golden brown.  Pour in 1/3 c. water into the pan (try not to pour directly on the gyoza), cover and cook until all the water is evaporated, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and repeat with the remainder of the gyoza.


Serve hot with dipping sauce.  Eat and Repeat.