A Beautiful Mosaic

What do you do when you see red peppers on sale for $.99/lb. at the grocery store?  You buy as many as you can stuff into your eco-friendly reusable grocery tote and hurry home to make a vat of roasted red peppers, naturally.  It seems there are two approaches to roasting peppers:  oven or open flame.  Roasting in the oven is easier, cleaner and the only option for those with an electric range.  I’ve done it in the past when I was pressed for time, and yes, it works, although it’s not my preferred method. 

Roasting over an open flame (stove-top or grill) is time-consuming and dirty, but the results, in my opinion, are tastier.  The flame magnifies the sweetness of the pepper that you just don’t taste in oven-roasted peppers.  I’ve been been using this method ever since I read The World According to Garp (one of my all-time favorite books) back in grad school where the protagonist roasts his peppers atop his gas range.  When I married my husband, I was happy to discover his Italian family made theirs the same way.

Marinated Roasted Red Peppers

6 red peppers (or more)

1 head of garlic, peeled and crushed

1-2 C. extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Place rinsed peppers over open flame (on grill or gas cooktop).  Completely char all sides including tops and bottoms, using tongs to turn the peppers.  (You might want to temporarily disable your smoke detector or open the windows.  Oh, and be prepared to find little black flecks all over your kitchen for the next three days). 

 You know they’re done when they are completely blackened.

 Place charred red peppers in brown paper bag. 

When completely cooled, rub off as much as the blackened skin as possible.  I try not to rinse the pepper under water since it loses some of its flavor, although many simply rinse off the burnt parts.  It does get very messy, so you will have to rinse your hands off frequently. 

Cut off the tops and remove the seeds.  Slice into 1 inch wide strips.  Place in medium bowl with crushed garlic cloves and cover with good quality extra-virgin olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Cover and marinate in the refrigerator overnight (or longer).  This keeps for at least a week (although I’ve never had peppers hang around that long).

Serve in sandwiches, salads, pasta, chicken recipes or my favorite, with crusty bread dipped in the sweet infused olive oil. 

 My personal favorite:  Korean mung bean pancakes (bindae duk)

As with many other Korean special occasion foods that are made in large quantities or not at all, mung bean pancakes (bindae duk) are not something one decides to make on a whim.  Two ingredients require overnight soaking and the resulting quantities are usually sufficient to feed the entire Duggar brood(although something tells me Korean food isn’t a fav in the Duggar house).  For me, however, it is one of those foods evocative of large festive gatherings, the smell delicious foods wafting through the house overheated by cooking and bodies, ending inevitably with the need to unbutton one’s waistband. 

One can buy freshly made bindaeduk at Korean mega-marts like Assi and H-Mart, but they never look like this version.  Fernbrake, as known as bracken, is relatively expensive and often eschewed for cheaper ingredients like cabbage and carrots.  My mother always puts fernbrake (kosari ) in her bindae duk and this recipe is a variation of the kind I grew up with. 

In order to make this dish, you need to buy the smallest bags of dried mung beans and fernbrake you can can find at your Korean or Asian grocery store.  This recipe calls for 8 C. of soaked mung beans which was an entire bag (sorry, I didn’t note the weight of the bag).  One bag of dried bracken makes a shockingly large amount.  You can soak the entire bag and use the remaining fernbrake for bibim bap, or just soak what you need.

This bag wasn’t even labeled as “bracken” or “fernbrake.”  “Wild Greens” and “Well-being Food” are the only words in English on the package.  Gotta love cryptic labeling.

That 100g bag of unpromising dark bracken expands to this soft, uniquely fragrant “meaty” vegetable.

Mung bean pancakes are a great source of protein, gluten-free, and if omitting the pork, can be vegan.  The beans give the pancake a heavier texture and you’ll feel full after just a couple (although you will keep eating since they’re so tasty!).

 Korean Mung Bean Pancakes (Bindae duk)

Yields 35-40 3-4″ pancakes

8 C.  mung beans, soaked overnight with any green casing picked over and discarded

1½ C. hydrated fernbrake, cut 1-2″ long

1 bunch sliced scallions, cut 1-2″ long

1½ C. chopped kimchi

8 oz. thinly sliced pork

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ C. sesame seed oil

salt and pepper to taste

oil to fry

(you can add up to 4 lightly beaten eggs to this recipe if you wish to make your pancakes less dense.)

Working in batches, liquefy mung beans 2 cups at a time in a blender, adding about 1/4 of water used to soak the beans each batch. 

Combine pureed mung bean, fernbrake, scallions, kimchi, pork, garlic, sesame seed oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. 

Heat oil on griddle or large frying pan on medium to medium high.  Ladle about 1/4 or 1/3 C. on griddle, making sure not to make the pancakes too thick.  I like to keep them between 3 to 4 inches in diameter.  Turn over when golden brown (about 4-5 minutes) and add more oil as needed.  Serve hot with Korean dipping sauce.

Mung bean pancakes freeze very well, so go ahead and make that large batch.  Just defrost and refry when you have a hankering for these delicious pancakes.

Colorful and delicious bulgar salad

It’s that time of year - barbecues, cookouts, and block parties -  and you need to bring some sort of side dish.  Here’s a wonderful salad that keeps very well and is just delicious with anything cooked on the grill.  The sweet currants offer a nice balance to the scallions and the crunch of the walnuts complements the soft texture of the bulgar.

Bulgar Salad

2 ¼ C. water

1 C. bulgar

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 medium red pepper, chopped

1 medium yellow pepper, chopped

½ C. sliced scallions

½ C. dried currants

1 C. cherry tomatoes, cut in half

¼ C. chopped fresh parsley

¼ C. chopped walnuts, toasted

¼ C. extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbs. white balsamic vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. salt

freshly ground pepper

Bring water to boil in medium saucepan.  Add bulgar and simmer uncovered until tender and water is absorbed, about 10 minutes.  Allow to cool.  In a large bowl, combine sweet peppers, scallions, currants, cherry tomatoes, parsley and walnuts.

 Stir in cooked bulgar.  In a small mixing bowl, whisk olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and salt.  I use white balsamic vinegar in practically anything that calls for balsamic vinegar - it’s not as astringent and keeps it light (in color).  Regular balsamic vinegar works well in this salad too.

 Pour over bulgar mixture and toss to combine.  Cover and chill for at least 4 hours.  Season with freshly ground pepper.

Grilled yellowfin tuna and spicy corn salad

The last in my three part series of barbecue recipes, I end with the most delicious.  Yellowfin tuna is fairly expensive - I spent about $20 for three steaks (that was the sale price), but oh-so-worth every penny.  I got this recipe for Nantucket-style grilled fish off Epicurious and I am hooked (bad pun entirely intended).  The recipe couldn’t be more simple while simultaneously off-putting. 

Take your gorgeous fresh fish steaks (can be any kind - tuna, swordfish, halibut or sea bass)…

and slather both sides with mayonnaise. Salt and pepper to taste.

Sound repulsive?  The ruination of perfectly good fish?  Don’t worry - the mayonnaise cooks off and you can’t taste it.  It helps keep the fish juicy and creates nice carmelization. 

Pre-heat grill.  Cover and cook  on each side for 3 - 4 minutes, depending on the thickness of your steak.  You definitely do not want to over cook!  Let stand for few minutes before serving.  This is delicious served with just a little lemon.  I paired it with fresh corn salad and we all (including the kids) couldn’t get over how good this meal was.

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Spicy Corn Salad

Now I make a lot of different salads, and this is one of my favorites.  I guarantee you will be the hero at your next BBQ if you bring a big bowl of this fresh corn salad.  Just make sure to save some for yourself.

Spicy Corn Salad

1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 red onion, diced (about 1 C.)

1 minced jalepeño chile, seeds and veins removed

1 red pepper, diced

4 cooked ears of corn, kernels sliced from the cob

2 Tbs. champagne vinegar

1 tsp. maple syrup

zest and juice of 1/2 a lime

1/4 C. minced chives

2 Tbs. minced cilantro

I like to cook my corn on the grill.  Simply place in grill with husks on and cook covered for about 20 minutes or so, turning to prevent one side from becoming completely charred.  You can also steam the shucked corn if you don’t want to or can’t grill.

Heat olive oil in a skillet or wok over medium heat.  Add red onion, jalepeño, and red pepper and saute until just softened (about 3 minutes).  Add corn kernels and cook for another 3 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Add vinegar, maple syrup, lime zest and juice.  Mix and add more lime juice if needed.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Top with chives and cilantro.

London broil:  the ugly step-sister of steaks

London broil is one of those foods with which most people have a love-hate relationship.  Love the price tag (often on sale for $5 for a 2.5 lb steak), but hate the toughness.  Firstly, it’s not really a steak - it’s a roast (top round roast cut into “steaks,” to be specific).  London broil refers to the cooking method, not the cut.  And secondly, it’s a very lean cut of meat.  One can easily get a sore jaw from over-mastication of what can be leather-like meat.

Nonetheless, London broil can still be a tasty meal when prepared and cooked properly.  I’m not going to lie to you - it’s no rib-eye steak.  But between its low cost and low(er) fat content, London broil is a good choice for many.  The key to a good London broil is marinating for many hours (overnight is best) and not overcooking (medium rare is the most you would want to cook it). 

London Broil Marinade

4 large garlic cloves, minced

4 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

4 Tbs.  fresh lemon juice

3 Tbs. Dijon mustard

1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbs. soy sauce

1 1/2 Tbs. sugar

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried hot red pepper flakes

2/3 C. olive oil

1 (2 to 2 1/2 pound) London broil (top round steak)

Whisk marinade ingredients until combined well in a medium bowl. Put London broil in a large ziplock plastic bag and pour marinade over it. Refrigerate overnight (this marinade is thick it should cover all sides of the meat and won’t need to be turned over).

Preheat a grill and cook meat covered on medium high about 8-9 minutes on each side, or until it reaches 125 to 130 degrees on a meat thermometer for medium-rare meat. You do not want to cook it more than medium rare or you will feel like you’re eating beef jerky.  Let it stand 5 minutes or so. Cut meat diagonally across the grain into thin slices.

Lean enough to get my husband’s stamp of approval.

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Tangy three bean salad

Traditional three bean salad has been an old stand-by in our home during the hot summer months, but why not try this Southwest version?   Quick, easy and inexpensive, this three bean salad would be great for barbecues, Mexican nights, or just because.

 Tangy Three Bean Salad

1/4 C. fresh lemon juice

1/3 C. extra virgin olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 Tbs. crushed red pepper flakes

1-2 Tbs. sugar

1/2 C. cilantro leaves

salt and pepper to taste

1 can kidney beans rinsed and drained (15 oz.)

1 can chick peas rinsed and drained (15 oz.)

1 can black beans rinsed and drained (15 oz.)

Place lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, sugar, red pepper flakes, and cilantro in a blender.  Puree until smooth.   Salt and pepper to taste, then toss with beans.  Cover and refrigerate for a few hours (or overnight). 

Spicy Korean-style pork spare ribs and cool watermelon salad

My version of spare ribs are spicy and sweet, using Korean red pepper paste (gochu jang).  I measured out this recipe for the first time since I’ve always made this to taste, depending on how many ribs I was cooking.  This recipe should feed 4 very hungry people (or 6 people who had a snack before dinner).

Gochu jang is available at Korean and Asian grocery stores (and online, apparently).

 This red pepper paste is not for the weak-hearted.

Spicy Korean pork spare ribs

1/3 C. Korean red pepper paste (gochu jang)

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 C. sugar (or less, depending on how sweet you like it)

3 Tbs. sesame seed oil

1/4 C. water

4-5 scallions cut into 3 inch long pieces

1 medium onion, sliced

2 Tbs. crushed toasted sesame seeds

4-5 lbs. pork spare ribs

toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Combine red pepper paste, garlic, sugar, sesame seed oil and water in a large bowl until smooth and runny. 

Add scallions, onions and crushed sesame seeds to mixture.  Add spare ribs and coat well. 

 Refigerate for at least a half hour (I like to put them in for an hour).  Heat up grill and cook on medium high, covered for about 6-8 minutes on each side, depending on your grill and the thickness of the ribs.  You can cook the onions and scallions on the grill (they will fall through unless you use a grill pan), or discard.  Sprinkle cooked ribs with sesame seeds, if desired.

 Serve with lots of moist towelettes.

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Something this spicy must be served with something to cool the tongue, and this watermelon salad fits the bill.

Watermelon Salad

3 C. cubed watermelon

1 1/2 C. cherry tomatoes, halved

1/3 C. thinly sliced red onion

1 C. diced seedless cucumber, peeled

3 Tbs. lime juice

2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

fresh ground pepper to taste

Combine watermelon, cherry tomatoes, red onions, cucumber, lime juice and olive oil in a large bowl.  Season with salt and pepper and toss lightly.  Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour.  Serve chilled.

A colorful spring dinner

This mercurial spring weather is very trying, to say the least.  After what seems like interminable dreary rainy days, the weather clears to a glorious sun-drenched day.   In honor of the lovely weather, I thought I’d make something light and springy for dinner. 

Freshly picked salad from our garden

Our mesclun mix is ready for picking, so we had a dinner of spring mix salad, Spanish mackerel with herbs from our garden and Nigella Nawson’s recipe for new potatoes.  Mackerel is one of those “throw back” fish and often ignored at the fish market.  Full of omega-3 fatty acids, mackerel is prolific reproducer and earns a “best” rating from Seafood Watch.  If you don’t normally care for oily fish, try this recipe.  I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Broiled Spanish Mackerel with Tomato and Herbs

(adapted from Gourmet)

2 lb. Spanish mackerel fillets with skin on
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 C. mayonnaise
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs. chopped fresh dill
2 Tbs. chopped fresh chives
3 medium tomatoes (3/4 lb total), cut into 3/8 inch thick slices

Preheat broiler. Line rack of a broiler pan with foil.  Put fish skin sides down on foil and sprinkle with pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, dill, and chives in a small bowl. Spread evenly over fish, then cover with tomato slices, overlapping slightly, and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Broil fish 3 to 4 inches from heat until just cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes.

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This is my all-time favorite potato recipe, but try to use new potatoes which are in season right now.  New potatoes have a sweetness to them not found in russet, red or even Yukon gold potatoes.  If you’ve never tried this recipe, you are depriving you and your loved ones of the most delicious potato dish ever.

Nigella Lawson’s Sticky Garlic Potatoes

2 lbs small new potatoes (you can substitute Yukon Gold potatoes, but new potatoes taste vastly superior)

8-10 whole garlic cloves (don’t be shy)

1/2 cup olive oil

Bring a pan of salted water to a boil, and cook the potatoes with skin on for 30 minutes. Drain and put back into the dry pan.  Peel and crush the garlic cloves and put them in the dry pan with the potatoes.  Mashes the potatoes loosely (I love to leave big clumps of unmashed potatoes).

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and place a roasting pan in to heat up at the same time.  When the oven is hot, pour the oil into the pan and leave it to heat up for 10 minutes.

Carefully place the potatoes and garlic into the hot oil and cook for 15 minutes. Then turn the potatoes over and cook another 15 minutes until browned and crispy. Serve immediately.

Pan fried mandoo with Korean dipping sauce

Some of my fondest memories of childhood involve a kitchenful of women, all sitting around the table making mandoo, gossiping and laughing.  My mother, grandmother, aunts and female cousins would gather together in the kitchen, making short work of a big bowl of dumpling filling.   Mandoo, Korean dumplings (also called pot stickers and gyoza) is rather labor-intensive and is best when made with a lot of hands (and a lot of love).  Today at age seven, my daughter is now eager to help in the kitchen and join the tradition. 

I’ve modified this recipe to a manageable amount - I usually make about 150 at a time and either freeze or give away the extras.  (The photos do show a larger amount than the recipe calls for.)  This is a very basic, traditional recipe, although I have modified it many ways over the years.  Take out the meat, double the tofu and bean sprouts and add some shredded carrots to make it vegetarian.  Or, use ground turkey instead of beef and pork for a more heart-healthy version.  My favorite variation is adding chopped kim-chi - yum!

Mandoo - Korean dumplings

8 oz. bean sprouts, coarsely chopped

6 oz. ground beef

6 oz. ground pork

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1-2 tsp. minced ginger

1 block of tofu

4 scallions, chopped

1 egg

1 Tbs. sesame seed oil

1 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

50 gyoza or Chinese dumpling skins (available in the frozen section of Asian grocery stores and some über-hip suburban grocery stores)

1 beaten egg for wash

 Boil chopped bean sprouts for about 3 minutes - do not over cook.  Place cooked bean sprouts, meat, minced garlic, ginger and onions, tofu and scallions in a cheesecloth. 

 Squeeze the dickens out of it.  (For those with weak upper body strength - you can place a heavy pot filled with water on top of the cheesecloth-wrap and let the moisture ooze out for a half hour or so). 

 Add sesame seed oil, egg, salt, and pepper.  Combine well, making sure to break down the tofu into little bits.

 This size package contains approximately 50 skins.  Make sure to defrost fully.

Lightly beat one egg in small bowl, adding a tiny bit of water.  Dip you finger in the egg wash and moisten the entire outer edge of the dumpling skin.  Then take a heaping teaspoon of the filling and place it in the center of the dumpling.

Make sure to NOT over-stuff!

 Fold dumpling in half.

 And pinch close tightly.

 Repeat 50 times.  My daughter made the bottom right ones - ignore the filling coming out the edges.

Ok, from here you have several options.  You can 1.) steam them right now and eat them (healthiest option), 2.) steam them right now, then pan fry them (the tastiest option),  3.)  put them in beef broth and make mandoo soup, 4.) steam them now, then freeze them to fry at a later time, 5.) simultaneously fry/steam them, or 6.)  drop these babies in the deep fryer (easiest but least healthy option).

If you opt for the time-saver #5 option, you need to coat a heavy frying pan with oil and place on medium high.  Add raw dumplings and fry for a few minutes, then turn and fry for a couple minutes more.  Turn up heat to high and carefully add enough water to cover the bottom of the pan about 1/4″.  Cover tightly and steam for about 4-5 minutes, lowering to medium-low once the water boils, making sure not to burn.

I like to steam them separately then pan fry them, mainly because I have the mother of all steamers.  Check out my double-decker steamer (the bottom layer is covered):

 Always place a wet paper towel on a metal steamer (not necessary on bamboo).  Otherwise, the dumplings will stick and rip when you try to take them out.  You do not want to over steam - the edges will get very dried out.  It should only take about 4-5 minutes to cook.  Look for the dumplings to puff up and after you take off the lid, it will sink back down and cling to the bumpy meat mixture. 

Pan fry the dumplings in oil and serve with Korean-style dipping sauce.  You can place the fried dumplings in an over-safe dish, cover in foil and warm in oven until ready to serve.  If you bring this to a party, expect them to disappear within five minutes (maybe less). 

Korean Dipping Sauce

1/3 C. soy sauce

1 minced garlic clove

2 scallions, finely chopped

1-2 tsp. sesame seed oil

dash of Korean red pepper powder (kochu garu) or cayenne pepper

dash of crushed toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Mix all ingredients well and serve with mandoo, scallion pancakes, or anything that tastes good dipped in soy sauce!