Friday, March 27, 2009

Peanut Avocado Rolls

Peanut Avocado Sushi Rolls

2 sheets nori (roasted seaweed)
2 c. cooked sushi rice
1 avocado
1/2 c. roasted, salted peanuts
2 Tb. wasabi (horseradish paste)
1 Tb. soy sauce
2 Tb. sushi vinegar (see recipe below)

for rolling sushi: bamboo mat or waxed paper/plastic wrap
Serves 2

Cook sushi rice according to instructions on package. Add soy sauce to peanuts and marinate. On a cutting board or countertop, spread bamboo mat or waxed paper. Lay one sheet nori on top of mat with the longest side of the nori closest to you. Spread 1 c. cooked rice all over the nori, leaving 1/2" around the edges free of rice. Spread thin layer of wasabi (if you like a kick!) over one third of rice closest to you. Place the sliced avocado filling across the longest length of the nori, leaving about 3" of rice closest to you free of filling. Spread the peanuts next to the avocado lengthwise across nori. With assistance of bamboo mat, roll sushi tightly starting at the edge closest to you, covering the "filling" on your first roll. With a very sharp knife, cut the ends off of the sushi roll (about 1/2" on each end) and cut the roll into 1" slices. Repeat process with second sheet of nori I usually manage 6 slices per roll. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.

open peanut avocado sushi roll before rolling

Sushi Vinegar Recipe:

In a saucepan, combine 1/3c. vinegar with 2 Tb. sugar and 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil, and remove from heat. Mix 1 Tb. sushi vinegar per 1c.cooked sushi rice.

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Simple Bi Bim Bap

Simple Bi Bim Bap Korean
2c. cooked sushi rice
1 carrot, shredded
1 zucchini, shredded
10 shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1c. bean sprouts
1/2 c. cooked spinach (optional)
2 Tb. chopped chives or green onions
2 eggs, fried or soft boiled (optional)
2 Tb. soy sauce
Hot Chili Sauce (optional)
2 Tb. sesame oil
pinch salt

Serves 2

Heat 1 Tb. sesame oil over medium heat, sautee zucchini and shiitake mushrooms (separately) for 3-5 mins until well cooked, adding a pinch of salt to each during cooking. While sauteeing, bring 1c. water to boil and add in bean sprouts with a pinch of salt. Boil for 2-3 mins and drain. Cook the eggs either over-easy or fried, depending on your preference.

Spoon 1 c. warm sushi rice into a serving bowl, arrange carrot, zucchini, mushroom, bean sprouts, and spinach over the top of the rice. Place fried egg over the top of everything, sprinkle with chives to garnish. Serve warm. Using chopsticks, mix all ingredients and add soy sauce and chili sauce to taste.

This Korean dish is an easy, healthy dinner for two. It is traditionally served in a hot stone pot which crisps and browns the rice a bit. Delicious! I don't have a hot stone pot, so I used a soup bowl and it turned out great anyway. The first time I made Bi Bim Bap, we loved it so much that we ate it three nights in a row!

Cold Oven Popovers

Link to Recipe

I was missing popovers from my favorite breakfast place in NYC, so I decided to try making them at home. I used muffin tins and followed the recipe exactly. Unfortunately, by the time the tops were golden brown, the bottom of the popovers were black. My husband and I cut off the tops and ate them with cinnamon-honey butter. At least the butter was a hit! Next time I will try a traditional popover recipe which involves reducing the oven temperature halfway through baking.

Rating: 1 star
Makes 1 doz small popovers

Hummus

Hummus


1 can chickpeas, drained
2 Tb fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/4c. Tahini (sesame seed paste)
2 Tb. olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
salt to taste

Combine all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth (a little lumpy is fine), adding salt to taste.
You may need to add 1/4c. water if the hummus is very thick during blending.
Garnish with olive oil and paprika. Serve with pita chips or use in hummus sandwich pictured below.

Hummus makes a great snack or a healthy part of a light meal. I usually serve it on a platter with cucumber, tomato, falafel, and pita bread.

Monday, March 2, 2009

Moroccan Stew

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (4 inch) cinnamon stick
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch cubes
2 large carrots, sliced
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can canned diced/crushed/stewed tomatoes with their juice
1 cup pitted green olives
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 (10 ounce) box uncooked couscous
6 tablespoons plain yogurt
6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Sautee onion and garlic in olive oil with cumin and cinnamon stick. When onion is well cooked and clear, add squash, carrots, vegetable broth, water, beans, tomatoes. Simmer for 30-40 mins until squash is tender. Cook couscous according to directions on the box. When stew is ready, remove from heat and stir in lemon zest and olives. Garnish with salt, pepper, and cilantro. Serve over couscous.

I adapted this from an Allrecipes post and it turned out to be delicious. I think adding raisins would be a nice authentic Moroccan touch, but my husband doesn't like sweet and savory mixed, so I left them out this time.

Rating: 5 stars