Catching up on recipes

I noticed that in my last couple of posts I neglected to include the recipes I was talking about. Let me take care of that now.

From Dinner Construction

Sautéed cabbage

Note: I have three variations of this. In the post, I described the Asian style but I also use Indian and a European versions. I’m providing all three here.

Ingredients

1/2 head of cabbage, sliced thinly

1 tbl vegetable oil

Asian version: 1 tbl fish sauce, 1 tbl seasoned rice vinegar, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, 1/2 tsp hot oil

Indian version: 2 tbl cumin seeds, 1 tbl minced ginger, 1/2 tsp turmeric

European version: 1 tbl caraway seeds, 1 tbl fennel seeds, 2 tbl apple cider vinegar

Directions

Heat the oil in a skillet to medium and add the cabbage. Stir vigorously for a minute, turn the heat down to medium-low and cover.  Let sit for 5-6 minutes until the cabbage is just beginning to soften. Uncover, stir thoroughly, and let any water from the cabbage evaporate. Add the flavorings and stir. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and serve when ready.

Sautéed cucumbers

Ingredients

1 cucumber, sliced in half lengthwise, seeded, and sliced into 1/4″ half moons

1 tbl sesame oil

1 tbl soy sauce

1 tbl Chinese black vinegar

1/2 tsp hot oil

Directions

Heat the oil to medium and sauté the cucumbers for 3-4 minutes until just starting to soften. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, and hot oil. Mix thoroughly and serve.

Miso-sesame marinade

Ingredients

2 tbl soy sauce

1 tbl mirin

1 tbl sesame oil

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

2 tbl white miso

Directions

Whisk all ingredients together in a baking dish or casserole just large enough to fit the fish to be marinated. Add the fish.  Turn every five minutes or so and marinade for at least 20 minutes before grilling or broiling.

From Ways to Mash Things Together

Chili Sauce

Ingredients

4 dried ancho chiles, torn into pieces, and de-seeded (seeds = heat, so de-seed to desired level)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 onion, roughly chopped

2 tbl vegetable oil

1 tbl brown sugar

2 tsp red wine vinegar

1/2 cup chicken broth (or water)

Directions

Add a cup of boiling water to the chiles and let sit for at least ten minutes.

Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil until soft. Add the water and reconstituted chiles to the pan, add the brown sugar, and then blend. I recommend using the medium blades on a food mill but a mini food processor or immersion blender can also work.

Pour the results into a saucepan and add the chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook for several minutes until thickened – it will take at least ten minutes, more if you want  it thicker. Remove from heat, add the vinegar, and serve.