Recipe: Kitsune Udon

This is my variant of dish I've had many times in Japan, mostly in Osaka where it is popular. The broth is what makes this wonderful, hands down.

Ingredients:

5 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 cups water
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup of mirin (Japanese cooking sake)
1 cup of bonito flakes (Japanese dried fish skin/scales)
2 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. minced ginger
1 tsp. black pepper
3 star anise bulbs
4 tbsp. nuoc cham or other fish sauce
2 tbsp. yellow miso paste
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tsp. chili oil
1 small onion, diced

16 oz. package of udon noodles
Water for noodles
16 oz. package of firm tofu
2 tbsp. canola or other neutral oil
Salt
1 cup of scallions, chopped

Directions:

Combine all ingredients except for tofu, oil, noodles, salt, and scallions into a large pot. Bring the pot up to a boil then reduce to a low simmer. Simmer the broth on low heat for about 90 minutes.

Drain all water from the tofu and cut it into one inch cubes. Sprinkle salt over all the tofu cubes. In a wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Place the tofu cubes into the hot oil, turning them frequently, searing until brown on all sides - about 5 - 6 minutes. Place tofu cubes on a paper towel lined plate and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Put a little salt into the water. Place the udon noodles into the boiling water and cook for approximately 7 - 8 minutes (package directions sometimes recommend longer cooking times... ignore those directions for this recipe :)). Drain the noodles and then run ice cold water over them to shock them and stop the cooking.

Put 1 cup of cooked noodles into a large soup bowl. Place several cubes of tofu in the bowl. Ladle in 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the cooked broth. Top with some chopped scallions. Serve immediately.

(note: shredded poached chicken or thinly sliced halibut filet pieces can be substituted for tofu. If you use halibut, do not pre-cook it - place it into the prepared soup bowls raw as it will poach through in the hot broth).

Makes 8 servings.

Cocktail: Atlanta Iced Tea

Ingredients:

1 part Maker's Mark bourbon
2 parts Lemonade
2 parts Iced Tea (Unsweetened)
Maraschino cherries for garnish

Directions:

Fill a highball glass with ice. Pour in the bourbon, lemonade, and iced tea. Stir with a cocktail stirrer. Top with a couple of cherries. Drink on your front porch while rockin' in the swing... with a gnat swatter by your side ;).

Recipe(s): Simple Comforts

Last night I had a visitor, and we were really craving simple comfort food. Given the simplicity of these dishes, I don't really need to give them their own blog posts. I'm putting them here together: Herb and Garlic Roasted Chicken Breasts, Gorgonzola Smashed Potatoes, and Sauteed Swiss Chard. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Herb and Garlic Roasted Chicken
2 lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (approximately 4 half-breasts)
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tsp. herbs de Provence
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Gorgonzola Smashed Potatoes
8 medium red potatoes
1 bunch chives, finely chopped
1 cup fat-free half-and-half
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. sea salt
2 tbsp. minced garlic
4 oz. crumbled gorgonzola cheese (approx. 3/4 cup)

Sauteed Swiss Chard
2 bunches of swiss chard, cut or torn into large strips
4 pieces of lean bacon
1 tsp. cracked red pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Place racks on lowest rungs in the oven. Melt 4 tbsp. of butter in a small saucepan on the stove. Add herbs de provence and garlic once butter is melted. Place chicken breasts skin up on a roasting rack inside a deep roasting pan. Coat the breasts with the salt and pepper. Using a pastry or BBQ brush, baste the outside of the chicken with the butter mixture. Cover the roasting pan with foil and place in the oven. Roast for 1 hr. 45 minutes, remove foil. Using the pastry/BBQ brush, baste the breasts with the juices and spices that have fallen to the bottom of the roasting pan. Place back in the oven for about 45 minutes until the skin is brown and slightly crisp.

Dice potatoes into 1 inch cubes (I always leave the skin on mine, but do what you like). Place the potatoes into a large pot with the minced garlic and salt. Pour in enough cold water to cover the potatoes plus 1/2 inch. Place on high heat. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium high and continue simmering for 25 - 30 minutes. Drain potatoes and put back into pot. Add half-and-half. Using a potato masher, smash the potatoes until they become creamy. Add the butter, chives, pepper, and gorgonzola. Mix with a wooden spoon until fully mixed and creamy.

Dice the bacon. Place into a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until bacon pieces are crisp. Take out all but 1 tbsp. of the bacon fat. Add the swiss chard and cracked red pepper. Saute, turning all the ingredients frequently, for about 7 - 9 minutes.

Chicken - Makes 4 servings.
Potatoes - Makes 6 servings.
Swiss Chard - Makes 4 servings.

Recipe: West Coast Pot Roast

Ingredients:

4 lb. lean beef chuck or rump roast
2 tbsp. canola or other neutral oil
2 tbsp. salt
2 tbsp. pepper
3 tbsp. minced garlic
2 tbsp. minced ginger
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups diced carrots
2 cups diced red potatoes
2 tbsp. Sriracha
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 cups of Zinfandel
1 cup beef broth
1 sweet red onion

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Finely chop the red onion by hand or in the food processor.

Generously coat all sides of the roast with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Put in the seasoned roast and brown on all sides, about 3 - 4 minutes per side. Remove the dutch oven from the heat and take the roast out and set aside. Pour in the Zinfandel to deglaze the dutch oven, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any bit stuck to the bottom of the dutch oven. Add the remaining ingredients to the dutch oven. Put the roast back in the dutch oven and put the dutch oven into the oven.

Roast for about 3 1/2 to 4 hours until the roast is fork tender and just falls apart.

Makes 8 servings.

Wine Tasting: LongSword Accolade Sparkling Chardonnay

OK... this sparkling wine was just so divine I ended up drinking the whole bottle... sorry :). Wonderful notes of pear and apple with a slight bit of residual sugar. It has a bit of a dry finish, which is quite nice given the sugar content. This pairs extremely well with spicier foods... totally takes the heat out. It is from LongSword Vineyards in Applegate Valley in Southern Oregon, so the only way to get it is directly from the winery. The winemakers are just this lovely couple who really care about making wine that is designed for everyday drinking - wine that is not designed for perfection of the varietal, but for fun, friendly, accessible drinking. Highly recommended!

Recipe: Petrale Sole with Ginger-Soy-Garlic-Scallion Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup(s) panko
1 1/4 pound(s) petrale sole fillet(s)
1 egg
1/2 cup(s) soy sauce
1 cup(s) scallion(s), finely chopped
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp ginger root, minced
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp miso paste
Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450. Line the bottom of a baking sheet with tin foil. Coat the tin foil lightly with cooking spray.

In a small saucepan, heat the soy sauce, scallions, garlic, ginger, and miso paste together over low heat, stirring occasionally.

Coat the fish with the salt and pepper. Whisk the egg thoroughly in one bowl to make an egg wash. In another bowl, put in the panko. Coat thoroughly first in the egg wash then coat with the panko. Fish does not need to be fully covered with the panko - just a light crusting. Place the coated fish onto the baking sheet. Spray the top of the filets with a bit of the cooking spray. Bake in the oven about 6 minutes until the fish is cooked through.

Plate the fish and top with the sauce.

Makes 4 servings.