Successful week!

All in all, this week was quite a success! I'm making a real effort to step outside the proverbial box with my dinner menus. I tried new recipes as well as returned to old favorites. I had hoped to write something most every day, but I quickly realized that the blogging process is quite time consuming. Documenting my creations is a work in progress. It's one thing to prepare a meal, but taking those pictures is a totally different matter. And, it has to look like something, someone would actually want to eat!

Early in the week, I found some absolutely beautiful, itty-bitty, baby bok choy at the market. I tried to stick to Thai flavors, but the bok choy called for a simple Chinese-style stir-fry with sesame oil. I ended up with a pan-Asian menu, but I think the flavors worked together nicely.

Thai Lettuce Wraps with Tofu and Mixed Vegetables
Hoisin Dipping Sauce
Stir-fried Baby Bok Choy
Coconut Curry Rice Pilaf

Tofu Lettuce Wraps

Serves two as part of a larger meal.

Six large lettuce leaves (butter or bibb)
½ package extra firm tofu (drained)
½ lb shitake mushrooms (sliced)
1/3 cup coarsely chopped cashew nuts
2 green onions, white plus 2 inches green, chopped
A handful (approx 3 oz) snow pea pods, matchstick julienned
2 large crushed garlic cloves (fresh)
4 coin-sized ginger slices (fresh)
soy sauce
1 Tablespoon butter
Canola oil
salt
pepper

Marinade for Tofu:

1 Tablespoon Hoisin Sauce
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
2 tsp Dry Sherry
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of red pepper flakes


Directions:
Wash and dry the lettuce leaves.

Cut the tofu into ¼ inch size squares. Marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour. Spread tofu squares on a non-stick cookie sheet (otherwise use non-stick cooking spray). Bake for 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat wok or frying pan, add 1 tablespoon canola oil and 1 tablespoon butter, and sauté mushrooms over high heat. As the mushrooms begin to cook, they will express liquid; continue to cook until the liquid is gone and the mushrooms are tender and golden. Set aside.

Heat wok again and add 1 T canola oil. Add garlic and ginger. Press briefly in the oil to add flavor. Add green onions, snow pea pods. Stir fry for about a minute. Add cooked shitake mushrooms, cashew nuts, and tofu. Add a couple of splashes of soy sauce (about 4 or 5 shakes). Alternatively, you could add a little of the tofu marinade or perhaps a “Stir-fry sauce” (such as Kikkoman). Just a tablespoon or two will be plenty. Add salt and pepper to taste. Be careful, as soy sauce and other asian stir fry sauces have a lot of salt. Stir-fry for another minute or two to finish the cooking. Serve immediately with hoisin dipping sauce.

Spoon the mixture into the lettuce leaves and roll them up—messy, but very yummy!!

Hoisin dipping sauce for lettuce rolls: From The Best of Vietnamese and Thai Cooking by Mai Pham
Makes 2 cups (halve recipe for lettuce wraps above)

1 cup Hoisin Sauce
½ Cup Water
¼ Cup Rice Wine Vinegar
1/3 Cup Pureed or Finely Minced Yellow Onion (I used just a couple of Tablespoons of finely chopped)
1 Tablespoon of Ground Chili Paste (easily available at the local market in the Ethnic Foods section)
1 Tablespoon Chopped Roasted Peanuts for Garnish (I omitted these as I used Cashews in the main recipe)

Put first four ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 5-7 minutes. Add a little water if too thick. Set aside to cool. Transfer mixture to a sauce dish and garnish with chili paste and chopped peanuts.

Coconut Curry Rice Pilaf
Serves 4
Preheat Oven to 350 Degrees

This is a variation on a recipe that I’ve made hundreds of times over the years. It can be changed to a simple French rice pilaf with herbs, a Spanish rice pilaf, one with Indian flavors, etc. The rice and cooking liquid proportions stay the same, vary the ingredients according to the type of food you are cooking. Originally based on Julia Child’s risotto from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol I, I greatly reduced the steps to produce a very simple recipe, ready under 30 minutes. This recipe works every time.

Ingredients:

2 Cups Basmati Rice (in this recipe you could use Jasmine Rice)
2-3 Tablespoons finely-chopped yellow onion
2 Tablespoons Butter
1 Tablespoon curry powder (use the best brand you can find or make your own)
1 Cup Lite Coconut Milk
1 Cup Vegetable Broth (homemade preferably, otherwise use water)
Salt to taste (1 tsp or a couple of grinds of sea salt)
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Rinse rice briefly under running water. Drain. Heat the coconut milk and vegetable broth until simmering in a saucepan. In a 2 quart casserole***, sauté onions in the butter until soft, but not browned, approximately 4-5 minutes. Add Rice and sauté. Rice will be come milky white, then turn clear. When clear in color, add the curry powder, salt and pepper, and the simmering coconut milk and broth. Give a couple of stirs with a spoon to incorporate ingredients. If the rice mixture doesn’t immediately come to a boil, bring to a low boil. Remove from heat. Cover and place casserole in a preheated 350 degree oven. Cook for 20 minutes. Remove from oven. If you are not using immediately, do not uncover and the pilaf will stay warm for half an hour or so.


*** I use Le Creuset enameled cast iron. This pot has to be able to withstand cooking on a stovetop, as well as in the oven.

Stir-Fried Baby Bok Choy
Serves 4

1 lb Baby Bok Choy
2 Teaspoons Sesame Oil
Salt
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

Rinse and Drain Baby Bok Choy. Heat a large pot of water to boiling. Shower in baking soda (this will brighten the greens). Add Bok Choy and cook for one minute. Drain. Spray with cold water to stop the cooking process.

Heat a wok, then add sesame oil. Heat just for a couple of minutes until hot, but not smoking. Toss in Bok Choy. Stir-fry for a minute or two. Add salt to taste.

*** Note: These were very tiny baby bok choy. If you had more mature greens, you would need to increase the cooking time in the wok.