Category Archives: Asian food

30-minute meals, Appetizers, Asian food, Poultry

Chicken Cakes with Teriyaki Sauce

I vowed to post more recipes in 2013 and, like so many other New Year’s resolutions, find myself failing miserably by the end of January. Despite my blog negligence, I have been cooking up a storm. I now realize that the prospect of free time on the weekends thrills me because I know I will have time to spend a few hours on my feet in front of the stove, my desire to stand around and stir pots all afternoon the result of working a desk job, I guess!

Though these delicious chicken cakes aren’t the best thing I’ve made this month, they were cooked during our sunniest (most photo friendly) weather. I love the rich umami taste of these succulent little meat cakes and the fact that the homemade teriyaki glaze cooks in the pan along with the chicken, requiring no separate sticky pot to wash later. Though we all enjoyed them, Anabelle scarfed hers down fastest with a nod of approval and an it-tastes-like-sausage compliment. If you know my kids, no bigger praise can they bestow on food.

Chicken Cakes with Teriyaki Sauce
adapted from The Cookbook Junkie’s adaption from Around The World in 450 Recipes by Sarah Ainley (editor)

I paired this Japanese inspired dish with a cucumber salad and string beans. A side of rice would also be nice, but don’t expect to have extra sauce to flavor it. The teriyaki “sauce” is really a glaze. These would make awesome appetizers.

makes 1 dozen

For the chicken cakes:
1 lb (450 g) ground chicken
1 large egg [optional, I forgot to add the egg and my cakes turned out just fine]
1/2 small onion, grated
1 ½ teaspoons sugar
1 ½ teaspoons soy sauce
Cornstarch or tapioca starch, for coating
2–3 scallions, cut in half, white/light green ends shredded and green parts chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable, canola, or sunflower oil

For the teriyaki sauce:
2 tablespoons sake or dry white wine
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons soy sauce

Mix the ground chicken with the egg, grated onion, sugar and soy sauce until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and well bound, about 2 minutes. The mixture will be quite sticky, which makes for good texture. Shape the mixture into 12 small, flat, round cakes and dust them lightly all over with cornstarch. Since the mixture is very sticky, I found it easiest to coat my fingers in cornstarch then drop the semi-formed cake into the cornstarch. Once it was covered in cornstarch I was able to properly form it.

Soak the white/light green part of the scallions in ice water for 5 minutes and drain well.  The ends should curl slightly.

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Place the chicken cakes in a single layer, and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Turn the cakes over and cook for 3 minutes longer, until cooked through.

Mix the ingredients for the sauce and pour it into the pan. Turn the chicken cakes occasionally until they are evenly glazed. Move or gently shake the pan  to prevent the sauce from burning.

Arrange the chicken cakes on a plate and top with the scallions. Serve immediately.

 

30-minute meals, Asian food, One-pot wonders, Pork

Crunchy Pork Kimchi Burgers

Last year I succumbed to a telemarketer begging me to buy a magazine subscription in support of a well-known charity. I’d like to tell you it was because I care deeply for the organization or felt pity for the poor saleswoman, but honestly, I just missed receiving a magazine with my name on it every month. After years of being a loyal subscriber to Gourmet (my idealistic college days), then Cooking Light (I put on weight working an office job in my early twenties) and, most recently, Cook’s Illustrated (the serious cooking began), I let the subscriptions expire four years ago when my first-born arrived. But no longer. My magazine days are here again. Unfortunately, I regretted last year’s selection of Food & Wine magazine. Besides this fantastic pork burger recipe and one other interesting salmon preparation, I didn’t find much inspiration in the magazine. Maybe I don’t drink enough wine to appreciate it. So, dear readers, tell me what periodical to order next. What cooking magazines do you love?

Crunchy Pork Kimchi Burgers
adapted from Food & Wine, May 2012

I used the last few precious tablespoons of my sister-in-law’s homemade kimchi for this recipe. Because the kimchi has a bit of kick to it, I made some of the burgers without the kimchi for the kids. Both versions tasted good but the kimchi really made the burger memorable.

Serves 4

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 large garlic clove, minced or grated
2 scallions, minced
1 lb (450 g) ground pork
3/4 cup (170 g) finely chopped kimchi
Kosher salt
All-purpose flour, for dusting
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cup (100 g) panko (Japanese bread crumbs), lightly crushed
Vegetable oil, for frying
12 oz (340 g) baby spinach
1/4 cup (60 ml) mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Steamed rice

In a bowl, combine the ginger, garlic, scallions, pork and kimchi with 1 teaspoon of salt. Form the mixture into eight patties, about 1/2 inch thick. Dust the patties with flour and refrigerate for 10 minutes while you prep the other ingredients.

Put the eggs and panko in 2 shallow bowls. Dip the patties in the egg and then in the panko, pressing to help the crumbs adhere.

In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of vegetable oil. Depending on the size of your skillet, you will probably need to cook the patties in 2 batches. Add as many patties to the hot skillet as will fit and fry over moderate heat, turning, until golden and cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the oil in the skillet. Add the spinach in batches, season with salt and cook over high heat until wilted, about 1 minute.

In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, sesame oil and soy sauce. Mound the spinach on plates and top with the burgers. Top with the sauce and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with steamed rice

30-minute meals, Asian food

Thai Red Curry

I have an embarrassing confession to make. Despite living an hour’s drive away from Belfast for the past 12 years, the first time I visited the city was only this past March (I don’t count a couple trips to the Ikea off the motorway). But I tried to make up for lost time this summer with the Belfast Bred food tour, a Sunday trip to the Ulster Museum with the kids and an evening at the brand new Belfast Cookery School.

I love the fresh, bright flavors of Thai food, so I jumped at the chance to take a class with Kate Allen from the Thai-Tanic noodle bar using authentic ingredients. We made a tom yam soup and a Thai red curry, and even though we made our own curry paste from scratch, Kate admitted that they don’t even do that in her restaurant — they use a ready-made paste. I feel no shame, then, in doing the same at home for a quick weeknight supper.

The Belfast Cookery School is still running their Thai cooking classes, as well as classes on Italian food, dinner parties, fish and bread, if you live in Ireland and want to check it out. And if you’re looking for authentic Asian ingredients in Ireland, try Asia Market in Dublin or Asia Supermarket in Belfast.

Lazy Thai Red Curry

Serves 4

This recipe lends itself to a lot of variation. Try yellow or green curry paste if you don’t like red, use prawns instead of or in addition to the chicken, or leave out meat altogether to make a vegetarian version. The key to this recipe is having everything prepped and ready to go before you start cooking since it comes together quickly.

2 tablespoons ready-made Thai red curry paste (or more, to taste)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 x 14 oz (400 g) can of coconut milk
2 chicken breasts, sliced thinly into strips or into bite-sized pieces so they cook quickly
7 oz (200 g) green beans, cut into thirds
1 zucchini, cut into large dice
1 eggplant, cut into large dice
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped, plus a few slices to garnish (optional)
juice and zest of 1 lime (or more, to taste)
2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (or more, to taste)
1 teaspoon sugar
4 scallions, sliced thinly on the diagonal
chopped fresh cilantro and/or basil, to garnish
cooked jasmine or basmati rice, to serve

Heat a large pot over a medium heat. Add in the curry paste and allow it to cook for 1 or 2 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Shake the can of coconut milk before you open it to distribute any solids, then pour it into the pot. Stir well to combine the coconut milk and the curry paste, then taste it and add more curry paste if you want it hotter.

Add in the chicken strips and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a fast simmer and cook for 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Add in the green beans, zucchini, eggplant, chilli (if using), lime zest and juice, Thai fish sauce and sugar. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked through. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more fish sauce if you think it needs more saltiness or more lime juice if it needs more zing. Ladle the curry into 4 bowls and sprinkle over the scallions, fresh cilantro and/or basil and the sliced chilli (if using). Serve with jasmine or basmati rice.

Asian food, Rice, Salads, Seafood

Salmon with Asian Slaw

After a long, hot, relaxing day at the beach, the last thing I wanted to do was turn on the oven, stand over a simmering pot, or even think much about dinner. I also needed to use up at least one of my numerous bulbs of kohlrabi. This simple yet elegant dish was the perfect solution. If you are not familiar with kohlrabi, the slaw is a nice way to try it. I prefer it in salads like this one, raw and thinly sliced. Its crunchiness holds up nicely in the vinaigrette so it can marinate for as long as you need it to without losing texture or taste. If you can’t find kohlrabi or are afraid of its UFO like appearance, celery, jicama, or even green apple could be substituted.

Salmon with Asian Slaw
serves 4

Slaw:
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
juice and zest of 1 lime
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 kohlrabi, peeled and julienned
1 small head napa cabbage, thinly sliced crosswise to “shred”
3–5 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
1 serrano or jalapeno, thinly sliced
2 carrots, shredded
2–3 radishes, diced
1 Kirby (or 1/2 regular) cucumber, diced

Salmon:
1 tablespoon canola or grapeseed oil
4 salmon fillets (about 6 oz each)
salt and pepper, to taste
3–4 cups cooked jasmine rice

Combine the slaw ingredients in a large bowl. Feel free to add more vinegar, sesame oil, tamari, lime, salt, pepper and serrano, to taste. Sometimes I add a half cup of mayonnaise for extra creaminess. Toss the slaw gently and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, preferably an hour.

About 15 minutes before serving, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Add the salmon to the hot oil and cook about 8 minutes until nicely browned. Turn the salmon over and continue cooking until cooked through, 3–5 minutes longer depending on the thickness of the fillets.

For each serving, mound rice in the center of a dinner plate. Place a salmon fillet in the center of the rice, then top with the chilled slaw.

Asian food, Poultry, Salads

Vietnamese Chicken and Mint Salad

When you’re a freelancer who works to deadlines, taking time off can be a mixed blessing. The time away is great, but I work overtime before I go to clear my desk and then more overtime when I come back to catch up. Kelly put it perfectly when she said it’s like trying to fit 25 hours of living (or working, in this case) into a 24-hour day, which is why we’ve been eating a lot of salads in my house for the past few weeks while I worked to clear my desk in advance of my solo trip back to the States. Salads are the summertime equivalent of wintertime one-pot wonders, but with the added benefit of coming together in no time at all (which also makes them perfect for lazy summer cooks). The flavors in this one are cool and crisp, but it’s still substantial enough for a main course, especially on hot days when you don’t feel like eating much of anything at all. Like the white bean, salami and spinach salad, this is another favorite salad that I make at least once every summer.

Vietnamese Chicken and Mint Salad
from Nigella Bites by Nigella Lawson

Serves 4 as a main course

A food processor or mandoline slicer makes short work of the chopping and shredding in this recipe. If you don’t want to turn on your oven to roast the chicken, you could poach it instead, or just buy a rotisserie chicken from the store and avoid heating up your kitchen altogether.

4 chicken breasts
olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 red chili, deseeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/4 cup (60 ml) freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup (60 ml) nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
freshly ground black pepper
2 onions, finely sliced
1/2 head of white cabbage, shredded
4 to 6 medium carrots, shredded or grated
1 large bunch of mint, roughly chopped, with some set aside to garnish

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a baking tray with olive oil.

Place the chicken breasts on the baking tray. Drizzle the chicken with a little olive oil, then sprinkle both sides liberally with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside to cool, then roughly chop into bite-sized chunks.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the chili, garlic, lime juice, fish sauce, oil, vinegar, sugar, and black pepper to taste. Add the sliced onions to the mixture and set aside for 30 minutes.

In a big plate or bowl, mix the cabbage, carrot, mint and cooked chicken. Pour over the dressing and toss well, making sure everything is combined and covered thinly with dressing. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Serve on a flat plate with a little mint scattered on top.

Asian food, Poultry, Salads

Chicken Burgers with Lemongrass and Lime and Spicy Slaw

When I moved to Ireland 11 years ago, any ingredient that was the least bit exotic was almost impossible to find, or at least it was outside of upmarket Dublin delis or ethnic markets. I remember how excited I was after a couple of years here to find a local store that sold sweet potatoes and butternut squash, though an Irish friend asked me what the squash was after seeing it sitting on my kitchen counter. To this day, when I buy an eggplant (aubergine) or avocado, the checker will sometimes ask me what it is, leaving me to wonder if I’m really the only person who’s ever come through their line to buy these things. Just last week, when I saw that my store was stocking fresh lemongrass, I snatched up a bundle with this recipe in mind after recently watching Bill Granger make it on his Bill’s Holiday TV show, but laughed when I looked at the receipt and saw that the checker had charged them as scallions.

I’m just happy to have found it at all, since these burgers and this fresh, zingy slaw were the perfect dinner for the equally unexpected hot, sunny weather we had this past weekend. But if you can’t find lemongrass (I certainly didn’t expect to!), you could either substitute the zest of half a lemon or just leave it out altogether and the burgers will still have plenty of flavor. With or without the lemongrass — and with or without the accompanying summer weather, for that matter, seeing as how you can’t count on that either in Ireland anymore — I’ll definitely be making both of these dishes these again.

Chicken Burgers with Lemongrass and Lime
adapted from Holiday by Bill Granger

Serves 4 to 6

1 lb (450 g) minced chicken
1 small onion, grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 stalk lemongrass, white part only finely chopped (or the zest of 1/2 lemon or omit altogether)
3/4 cup (75 g) fresh white breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
zest of 1 lime
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
vegetable oil, for brushing
soft rolls, to serve
lettuce, to serve
chili sauce, to serve
mayonnaise, to serve

Mix the chicken, onion, garlic, lemongrass, breadcrumbs, cilantro, lime zest, fish sauce and sugar in a large bowl and gently mix everything together well with your hands (try not to overwork the burgers). Shape into 6 patties, then cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow them to firm up a bit.

Heat a barbecue or grill pan and brush the burgers with a little oil. Cook for 4 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Serve the burgers on soft rolls with lettuce, chili sauce and mayonnaise.

***

Spicy Slaw
adapted from Holiday by Bill Granger

Serves 8

I left out the thinly sliced red onion called for in the original because I don’t personally care for raw onion, but by all means add it back in if you want to. The original recipe doesn’t call for basil either, but I had half a bunch in my fridge and wanted to use it up. You could use any combination of these herbs that you like or have to hand.

for the salad:
4 celery stalks, thinly sliced
2 large carrots, grated
2 large handfuls grated white cabbage
2 large handfuls grated red cabbage
1 large handful mint leaves, roughly chopped
1 large handful basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 large handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped

for the sweet chili dressing:
1 or 2 red chilies, deseeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar

Toss all the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix all the dressing ingredients together, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the dressing to the salad and toss together. Serve immediately.

30-minute meals, Asian food, Salads, Seafood

Caramel Salmon with Cucumber and Snow Pea Salad

Is there anyone more stereotypically Australian than Bill Granger? He’s blond, buff, lives by the beach in Sydney and knows his way around a barbecue. He also isn’t afraid of loud shirts and white pants and throws in an occasional wink to the camera. He’s my new favorite TV chef and this is my new favorite salmon. It’s the kind of recipe that’s so good I won’t want to make salmon any other way from now on. Try it and you’ll see why. (And head’s up for all you cookbook addicts — Bill Granger’s most recent book, Every Day, is on sale online at the Book Depository for €10.32 (about $13.50), with free worldwide shipping. Just don’t tell my husband, who bought it for me as a surprise last week and paid twice as much.)

Caramel Salmon
adapted from Every Day by Bill Granger

Serves 4

This is Bill Granger’s take on a traditional Vietnamese caramel dish.

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 lb (900 g) salmon, deboned and cut into large cubes
1 red onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, sliced
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar
3 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon lime juice
steamed rice, to serve
a handful of fresh cilantro, chopped, to serve
3 or 4 scallions, chopped, to serve
1 red chili, deseeded and finely chopped, to serve
lime wedges, to serve

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the salmon in 2 batches and cook each batch for a couple of minutes until lightly browned. Turn over and cook the other side for 1 minute, then remove from the pan.

Reduce the heat to medium and add a little extra oil to the pan, if needed. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the soy sauce, sugar and fish sauce. Return the salmon to the pan and cook for 1 minute, or until the sauce is rich, dark and syrupy. Sprinkle liberally with black pepper and stir through the lime juice. Serve on top of steamed rice with a little sauce drizzled over. Sprinkle over some chopped cilantro, scallions and red chili and place lime wedges on the side.

***

Cucumber and Snow Pea Salad
adapted from Every Day by Bill Granger

Serves 4

If you like this salad, you might also like to try Bill Granger’s sugar snap and bok choy salad, which is very similar to this one.

1 cucumber, thickly sliced
5 oz (140 g) snow peas (mangetout), trimmed, blanched and halved diagonally
2 teaspoons lime juice
pinch of sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil

Put the cucumber and snow peas in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, sugar and oil until the sugar dissolves (or shake to combine in a screw-top jar). Pour over the cucumber and snow peas and toss well. Serve immediately.

30-minute meals, Asian food, Vegetarian main dishes

Warm Tofu with Spicy Garlic Sauce, Rice, and Steamed Spinach, Japanese Style

Like many teenage girls, I tried out vegetarianism in high school for about three months. I lost weight, my skin turned an odd(er) shade of white, and all I could think about was turkey croissants and sausage. Although my vegetarian experiment didn’t last long, I still try to eat vegetarian at least once a week. It’s healthy, of course, but also cheap. Tonight’s dinner, made with all organic ingredients, served two adults and one toddler and cost about $6, about the price of a fast-food value meal.

Warm Tofu with Spicy Garlic Sauce
adapted from Gourmet, March 2009

Serves 2 to 3

1 x 15-oz (425‑g) package soft tofu (not silken)
1 small clove garlic, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted and crushed with the side of a heavy knife
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon coarse Korean hot red pepper flakes or other ground hot pepper

Carefully rinse the tofu, then cover with cold water in a medium saucepan. Bring the water to a simmer over medium-high heat, then keep warm, covered, over very low heat.

Meanwhile, mince and mash the garlic to a paste with a pinch of salt. Stir together the garlic paste with all remaining ingredients except the tofu and hot pepper flakes.

Just before serving, carefully lift the tofu from the saucepan with a large spatula and drain it on paper towels. Gently pat dry, then cut the tofu into 4 to 5 slices. Spoon some sauce over each tofu piece, sprinkle with pepper flakes to taste, and serve warm. Serve the remaining sauce on the side with rice.

***

Steamed Spinach, Japanese Style

Serves 3

9 oz (250 g) baby spinach
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Wash the spinach and drain, but do not dry thoroughly. Place the spinach in a large saucepan and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook the spinach over a medium heat until wilted, about 5 minutes. There should be enough water on the spinach to steam it. Toss the cooked spinach with soy sauce and garnish with sesame seeds.