Steamy Kitchen Recipes » Vegetables/Fruit

Miso Ginger Asparagus

SteamyKitchen — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:23:21 +0000

A reader asked me what miso paste tastes like, while she has enjoyed miso soup at Japanese restaurants, she couldn’t quite imagine what cooking with miso paste would be like.

So what flavor dimension does miso paste add to a dish? If I had to just choose one single word, I’d say “umami” which is just a fancy foodie term that writers and chefs use. This is a tough one…..but okay, if I couldn’t use that word, I’d say, “tasty.” Even just a teaspoon of miso paste added to a dish (whether it’s a sauce for the asparagus, salad dressing, mashed potatoes or casserole) makes the dish tastier.

Miso has a very deep, complex flavor – salty yet slightly sweet, a little nutty. Lately, instead of adding salt to a dish, I’ll stir in a small spoonful of miso paste.

I need a little help from you all – can you help me describe the taste of miso vs. salt? Maybe it’s easier to use an analogy:

Salt is to Miso…….as _____ is to _____.

And hey, the one who comes up with the best analogy gets a prize. How about a $25 gift certificate to the Steamy Kitchen Store?

***

*Why all these miso recipes? I’m developing recipes for Marukome, the makers of Miso & Easy and some of the very best miso paste.

Miso Ginger Asparagus Recipe

This recipe couldn’t be simpler….

Basically, throw the asparagus on a baking sheet and roast. In the meantime, whisk together the remaining ingredients – pour on top when the asparagus is done!

Miso Ginger Asparagus Recipe

Servings: 4 Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes

Try this with steamed or roasted broccoli, cauliflower or grilled eggplant slices.

Ingredients:

1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed
1 teaspoon cooking oil (olive, canola or vegetable)
2 teaspoons Miso & Easy (or 1 teaspoon miso paste + 1 teaspoon hot water)
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon roasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Place asparagus on baking sheet and drizzle with cooking oil. Toss to coat. Roast asparagus for 8-10 minutes or until pierces easily with fork. Timing depends on how thick the asparagus spears are.

2. While the asparagus is roasting, prepare the ginger miso sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients until smooth.

3. Pour over asparagus and serve.

©Steamy Kitchen Recipes, 2012. | Permalink | 50 comments

Grilled Tofu Salad with Miso Dressing

SteamyKitchen — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:51:38 +0000

It’s nearly mid-January and I’ve been working hard testing recipes, writing, photographing my next Steamy Kitchen book. Writing a cookbook is possibly one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done – even skydiving holds no candle to obsessing over creating perfect recipes and enticing photos for 12 months.

I’ve enlisted one of my best friends, Kelly, to help me once a week in the kitchen. Kelly was the very first friend I made when we moved to Florida and I don’t think I would have made it without her love and support – Scott and I had sold a house, bought a house, moved cross-country, started a business, got married, went on a honeymoon and got pregnant in 2 months flat. (Whew!)

Nathan, Andrew and Kelly’s son are best friends as well, all of them around the same age. The 3 Muskateers are often spotted dashing across the lawn with Nerf guns, hiding in a corner playing their Nintendo or out in the back pond luring a fish.

Kelly is a grad from Le Cordon Bleu, works as a personal chef and at the Viking Cooking School — so she knows her way around the kitchen. I couldn’t have found a better match!

Here’s a recipe we’ve developed together a couple of weeks ago using Japanese miso. We’re working with Marukome, the makers of the brand new Miso & Easy (miso in a squeezable bottle) with substitutions using regular miso paste. It’s healthy — transforming bland tofu into crunchy-crisp and savory-sweet tofu when brushed with miso and grilled.

How to make Grilled Tofu Salad with Miso Dressing

The ingredients:

Continue reading Grilled Tofu Salad with Miso Dressing...

©Steamy Kitchen Recipes, 2012. | Permalink | 12 comments

Collard Greens with Ham and Smoked Hock

SteamyKitchen — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:37:16 +0000

I don’t know what I like better: the collard greens, the rich pot liquor or digging out the bits of smoky meat from the ham hock!

The Collard Greens recipe is from my good friend and fellow food blogger, Lisa Fain, who writes the blog, Homesick Texan. She’s a 7th generation Texan who moved to New York City for a job and one day found herself scouring the city in search of Ro-Tel tomatoes, the only brand of tomatoes fit for true Tex-Mex Chile Con Queso.

Of course, she couldn’t find any, and thus the Homesick Texan blog was born. Lisa has just come out with her very first cookbook, The Homesick Texan Cookbook.

It’s one of my favorite cookbooks this year – after no less than 4 trips to the Lone Star state this year alone – I’ve been craving Tex-Mex foods like crazy.

Even though Lisa lives 1,200 miles from me, I see her more often than friends down the street. Every trip to NYC is incomplete without sharing a meal with Lisa – we’ve done sushi, Jamaican, sushi and more sushi.

And those red cowboy boots she’s wearing? Only Lisa could be responsible for this.

Lisa’s Collard Greens are simple. Throw in a couple handfuls of hearty smoked meats, add the collard greens, pour in water and apple cider vinegar and let it simmer for an hour and half or until the greens are as soft as you like them. Collard Greens are just as much about the simmering sauce as it is about the greens.

The savory, smoky, vitamin-rich pot-liquor is so full of rich flavor that you’ll savor every last drop. In fact, spoon your collard greens onto your plate, right next to the roasted garlic mashed potatoes on your plate. Forget the gravy – the pot liquor will find its way over and bleed into the soft mashed potatoes. I guarantee my kids will be forming a mashed potato moat, just so the pot liquor doesn’t escape.

Vegetarian version of Collard Greens? You bet. Lisa’s got a secret ingredient, one that actually made me say outloud, “No. Way. Really????”

Continue reading Collard Greens with Ham and Smoked Hock...

©Steamy Kitchen Recipes, 2011. | Permalink | 21 comments

Microwave Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes & Basil

SteamyKitchen — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:22:07 +0000

If you ask Nathan what his most favorite recipe to cook is, he’ll tell you, “p’skeddi squash and steak!” He’s taken quite a liking to p’skeddi squash, and we’ve never tried to correct his pronunciation of spaghetti squash, it’s just too darn cute! Though I can imagine one day, when he’s older and cooking a romantic meal for a special gal, calling it p’skeddi may ruin his chances of a second date.

Due to a little goof while gardening with 35 seed packets and 2 over-zealous kids, we planted 12 spaghetti squash plants in the garden, enough to supply our entire zip code with spaghetti squash for life.

Thankfully, the chickens have a taste for the leaves and the happy-yellow flowers – and we haven’t stopped them from consuming most of the spaghetti squash plants, so now we’re left with 3 plants, one of which is barely hanging on.

The hens are my heroes!

Microwaving the Spaghetti Squash

The fastest way to cook the spaghetti squash is to microwave it! If microwaving a solid, heavy squash intimidates you a bit, you can also bake the spaghetti squash in the oven, which takes an hour to do, but is just as easy.

You’ll take a sharp paring knife and carefully, very carefully, pierce the squash in several places all over. It’s a hard squash, so it takes a bit of effort to do this. I guess a better instruction would be to say STAB the squash. But do this carefully, k?! The squash is a round, rolly, hard object.

Microwave on high for 10-12 minutes, rotating the squash halfway during cooking.

After cooking, just let the squash sit there for a few minutes to cool down a bit. Put on some oven gloves and remove the hot squash.

I highly suggest a thick towel or oven gloves – remember you stabbed the squash? Well inside the squash is steaming hot squash and some liquid which may leak through the stab marks.

I use these Pit Mitts – okay, so I look like a dork, but they are amazing – soft gloves that actually fit my hand with rubber grippy grip lines all over. I highly recommend them as I’m not a fan of those traditional oven mitts that make you feel like you’re cooking with Barney the annoying purple dinosaur hands.

Continue reading Microwave Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes & Basil...

©Steamy Kitchen Recipes, 2011. | Permalink | 20 comments

Warm Bacon Potato Salad

SteamyKitchen — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:10:12 +0000

A couple of years ago, my husband, Scott, asked me to make a potato salad. He’s not a man who asks very often for something so specific, 95% of his requests center around the one-syllable, “meat” so I took his request pretty seriously.

I’ve always considered potato salad one of those “filler sides” that come with your lunch order at a deli – it’s cheap, easy to make and generally all taste the same. The gloppy, mayo-heavy version that comes in a plastic tub is nothing to brag about, nothing to complain about, it’s just there next to your sandwich.

So I set out to make a version of potato salad that would be show-stopping memorable and that I actually could brag about. The first step was to do away with boiled potatoes, which have very little taste (except when mashed with loads of butter and drenched in gravy — but that’s an entirely different recipe), and instead roast them, which gave them a deeper, nuttier taste and a crisp-brown crust on the sides.

I definitely wanted to pair them with loads of warm chopped bacon, this was going to be a potato salad served warm with salty bacon that had just come from the skillet.

Instead of mayonnaise, I went lighter and made a tangy vinaigrette out of red wine vinegar, mustard and the bacon drippings. Toss it all together at the last minute, right before serving.

Bingo! It was all sorts of perfect, my husband had thirds of the warm potato salad and nearly forgot about the “meat” on his plate. So much for the salad being merely a side, it’s been one of my most requested dishes by my family and friends. You know you’ve got a winner when people rotate their dinner plates so that the warm potato salad stands closest, right in front.

Warm Bacon Potato Salad Ingredients

Here’s what you will need for the salad:

Continue reading Warm Bacon Potato Salad...

©Steamy Kitchen Recipes, 2011. | Permalink | 39 comments

Zucchini with Lentils and Roasted Garlic

administrator — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 15:32:29 +0000

This handsome man is Hari Nayak, the man responsible for getting me comfortable cooking Indian food. I think what intimidated me all these years was the long list of spices listed in most traditional Indian recipes. I remember watching a television special on Indian cuisine, and I thought to myself that an Indian chef is like an artist, the spices on the tray the paint. A two-finger pinch of this, a spoonful of that, a 3-finger pinch of the other.

Hari and I got to know each other through his first book, Modern Indian Cooking (check out the Sparkling Ginger Lime Cooler, Sweet Yogurt Sundae with Saffron and Pomegranate and Scallop Salad with Sweet Vanilla Chili Dressing) that really made Indian recipes within reach for me with simple ingredients found in any grocery store and just a few spices that I already had on hand.
I introduced him to the publisher of Steamy Kitchen Cookbook and look! Now he’s the proud author of My Indian Kitchen with Tuttle Publishing.

The recipe we chose to share is this Zucchini with Lentils and Roasted Garlic, simple and healthy!

Other recipes that caught my eye in the My Indian Kitchen book:

- Spiced Meatballs that are pan fried in oil infused with cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods.
– Spicy Coconut Green Beans
– Street Style Corn on the Cob
– Tandoori Skewered Shrimp
– Indian-Style Fried Rice

Zucchini with Lentils and Roasted Garlic

Servings: Serves 6 Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes

Recipe by Hari Nayak, My Indian Kitchen

The combination of lentils, vegetables, garlic and cumin gives this satisfying side dish a unique flavor that goes perfectly with Plain Basmati Rice or Whole-Wheat Griddle Bread . To make it a meal i suggest adding a stir fried shrimp or chicken curry along side this dish. If zucchini is not available, use any other common squashes such as summer squash or calabash, aka bottle gourd. The addition of lentils in this dish makes it a nutritious main dish for vegetarians with rice or bread and a raita or plain yogurt.

Ingredients:

1 cup (175 g) yellow mung lentils, rinsed and drained
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoon salt
4 cups (1 liter) water
2 tablespoons oil
6 large garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 small onion (about ¼ lb/125 g), thinly sliced
4 small zucchini (about 1 lb/500 g), cut into ¼-in (6-mm)-thick half-moons
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves (cilantro)

Directions:

1. Place the lentils, turmeric, salt and water in a large saucepan. Bring it to boil, skimming off any surface scum that collects on the top. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the lentils are cooked, about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl. Cover the bowl and keep warm.
2. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté until golden brown. Add the cumin seeds—they should sizzle upon contact with the hot oil. Quickly add the onion and zucchini and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Add the ground coriander and cumin and continue to cook until the zucchini is cooked, about 10 minutes.
4. Remove the pan form the heat, add the paprika, and immediately pour over the hot lentils. Swirl lightly to mix and sprinkle on the fresh coriander leaves. Serve with your choice of Indian breads or rice.

©Steamy Kitchen Recipes, 2011. | Permalink | 17 comments

Roasted Carrots with Sesame Ponzu Vinaigrette

SteamyKitchen — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 12:16:55 +0000

On Monday, I celebrated the completion of our brand new raised bed garden that my rockstar husband built for me (and as a bonus, he also made a organized compost heap thingy too. oh yes, this man is definitely a keeper) by planting 48 onion seeds and 48 carrot seeds.

It seemed like a good idea at the time, we’re experimenting with Square Foot Gardening after having bought this book which instructed me to spant 16 seeds per square foot (this only works with carrots and onions, and of course I’ll go into more detail with loads of photos in an upcoming garden post).

But it didn’t occur to me until a few hours later that all 48 carrots and 48 onions would be ripe for plucking at the same time. I’m thinking that many other novice gardeners, in their bright-eyed eagerness, also make this same mistake.

What will I do with 48 carrots? One can only drink so much carrot juice before their skin starts turning a hue of an autumn sunset. But these roasted carrots with a sesame ponzu vinaigrette is definitely on my list.

Six ingredients and a two-liner recipe. Simple yet so different from your normal repertoire of carrot offerings. I promise you that you’ll love the Sesame Ponzu Vinaigrette so much, you’ll be searching for reasons to use it. Fortunately, it goes with everything, including stirring it just plain boiled noodles.

How to make Roasted Carrots with Sesame Ponzu Vinaigrette

Slice your carrots just like this, I like going on the diagonal. Toss ‘em with just a bit of olive oil or cooking oil. Then roast in the oven.

Continue reading Roasted Carrots with Sesame Ponzu Vinaigrette...

Quiz: Do you know your lettuce varieties?

SteamyKitchen — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 14:44:52 +0000

Okay, all you salad lovers out there! So you know your Butter from your Romaine, but can you correctly identify 21 different varieties of lettuce and cabbage!? I thought you’d have fun with this quiz – big thanks to husband Scott for all the programming, Dole Salads for all of the text descriptions of the lettuce and cabbage varieties and my kids who dutifully ate salad at every single meal for 4 days after the photoshoot.

Take the lettuce quiz!

Click on each thumbnail for larger image. At end of quiz, there’s a button to check your answers!

Asian Slaw with Ponzu Dressing

SteamyKitchen — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 15:00:00 +0000

When I think of a summer slaw to go with the barbeque, I want something light, tangy, cold and crunchy. Traditional coleslaw just doesn’t do it – its heavy mayonnaise dressing really weighs down the vegetables. Instead of a mayo-based dressing, my Asian slaw is made with a bright, citrusy ponzu sauce – one of the most versatile Asian sauces that I own.

Ponzu is a Japanese “sauce” however I refer to it as both a dressing and sauce. It’s much lighter than soy sauce, with a distinctive tangy lemon/orange flavor combined with a savory note. It’s a perfect balance of salty, sweet and sour! You can use it as a dipping sauce for potstickers, a light sauce for steamed vegetables and combined with some crushed garlic, make the best marinade ever.

I’m working with Mitsukan (pronounced mit-soo-kon) to develop several recipes using popular Japanese sauces and vinegars. This Asian slaw that I’ve made is incredibly simple: thinly sliced cabbage, carrots, snow peas and fennel with a 4-ingredient dressing: ponzu, sesame oil, sesame seeds and salt. 10-minutes to make and you’re done!
Continue reading Asian Slaw with Ponzu Dressing...

Tomato and Watermelon Salad

administrator — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 00:09:39 +0000

Jaden is knee deep in paint, tiles and packing boxes today, so she asked us to step in and tell you guys about this amazing tomato and watermelon salad. Today, we are introducing Zov Karamardian from the internationally acclaimed restaurant Zov’s. Jaden had the chance to meet Zov at IACP a couple of weeks ago and we could not be happier to share her recipe for this incredible salad. {Isn’t it just beautiful and the perfect side for your next BBQ?} The recipe comes straight from her newest cookbook, Simply Zov, Rustic Classics with a Mediterranean Twist.

Founded in 1987 by Chef Zov Karamardian, Zov’s Bistro & Bakery in Tustin, CA has become a culinary institution. Her cuisine blends contemporary with Eastern Mediterranean, a blend that is clear when flipping through her new cookbook, Simply Zov. Her approach is fresh and comes across easy, in a way that makes us feel we create her dishes just as she would in her restaurants. A few Adam and I have earmarked are her Parmesan Bruschetta, Tomato-Basil Risotto Fritters and of course that cover shot, a Greek Burger with Baby Arugula and Feta.

- Adam and Joanne

Photo and recipe from the Simply Zov: Rustic Classics with a Mediterranean Twist Cookbook

Tomato and Watermelon Salad with Feta Cheese

Servings: serves 6 as a side Prep Time: 15 Cook Time:

You will be surprised at how well watermelon and feta work together. Salty, sweet and refreshing, every bite bursts with flavor. This salad is truly a keeper, and an inventive way to make the most of summer produce. I love using heirloom tomatoes when I can find them. Serve with grilled fish or grilled steak.

Recipe from Simply Zov, Rustic Classics with a Mediterranean Twist by Zov Karamardian

Ingredients:

Red Wine Vinaigrette
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oilSalad
1 small cucumber, peeled
1/2 small red onion
3 heirloom tomatoes (about 12 ounces total), cut into bite-size chunks
3 1/2 cups peeled seeded bite-size watermelon chunks
1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-size chunks
7 ounces French feta cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (see note)
1 cup fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced

Directions:

MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE: Whisk the vinegar, salt and pepper in a medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in the oil to blend well. Set aside.

MAKE THE SALAD: Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, then, using a spoon, scrape out the seeds. Cut the cucumber halves crosswise into thin half-moon slices. Using a mandoline, cut the onion into 1-inch-long paper-thin slices. Toss the sliced cucumber, onion, tomatoes, watermelon, bell pepper, cheese and mint in a large bowl with enough vinaigrette to coat. Serve immediately.

Do-Ahead Tip: The vinaigrette can be made up to 1 week ahead. Store it in a tightly-sealed jar and refrigerate. Let the vinaigrette stand at room temperature until the olive oil liquefies, about 20 minutes, before shaking to blend.

Cooks Note: Feta is traditionally a Greek sheep’s milk cheese, but I prefer the French variety for its mid and creamy taste. Always store tomatoes at room temperature; place them in a decorative basket in your kitchen. Refrigeration can make them pulpy and dull their flavor. Do not cut or slice the tomatoes too far ahead of time or they will oxidize and turn acidic.

More Refreshing Salad Recipes

Summer Tomato Salad by David Lebovitz

Watermelon Salad with Feta or Cotija by Simply Recipes

Young Coconut Salad Recipe by Herbivoracious

Watermelon Salad with Feta, Mint and Lime by Whipped