Fried Rice with Kimchi, Bacon & Cabbage

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I am planning on serving shepherd’s pie tonight, but, for those of you serving corned beef and cabbage, this quick dish will put any leftover cabbage to good use. 🙂

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Melissa Clark. We ate it drizzled with sriracha and additional soy sauce. I also served the leftovers with scrambled eggs instead of fried.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 5 tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or sunflower, plus more as needed (I used canola oil)
• 3 slices thick-cut bacon, in 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 small bunch scallions, whites and greens separated, sliced
• 4 cups shredded cabbage (from about 1/2 small head)
• coarse salt
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups cooked rice, white or brown, preferably day-old
• 2 ½ tablespoons fish sauce, plus more as needed
• ½ tablespoon soy sauce, plus more as needed for serving
• ½ cup kimchi, drained and chopped, plus more for serving
• ½ cup green peas (thawed, if frozen)
• fried eggs or scrambled eggs, for serving, optional
• toasted sesame oil, for drizzling, optional
• sriracha or other hot sauce, for serving, optional

1. One day ahead, cook 2 cups of rice in 4 cups of water or stock. Once cool, store in the refrigerator overnight. (I used brown Basmati rice.)
2. In a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons oil until almost smoking. (I used a large 14-inch stainless steel skillet but a nonstick would have been preferable.)
3. Stir in bacon, and cook, stirring constantly, until bacon is golden, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a heatproof bowl, leaving as much oil in the skillet as you can.
4. Add scallion whites to the pan. Cook until soft, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes. If the pan looks dry, drizzle in a little more oil, then stir in cabbage and a pinch of salt. Cook, continuing to stir frequently, until cabbage is soft, 2 to 4 minutes.
5. Stir in garlic, and cook until fragrant, another 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the bacon.
6. Add remaining 3 tablespoons oil to skillet and raise heat to high.
7. Add rice, and a large pinch of salt, then toss thoroughly to coat with oil. Spread out rice in an even layer along the bottom (and sides if in a wok), and drizzle fish sauce and soy sauce over. Let rice sit until sizzling stops and it starts to crackle and crisp, 1 to 4 minutes. Toss, taste, and add more fish sauce or soy sauce if necessary.
8. Fold in bacon mixture, kimchi and peas, then transfer to plates.
9. Top with scallion greens, more kimchi to taste, and fried eggs, if using. (I served it with one fried egg per person.)
10. Drizzle everything with toasted sesame oil and soy sauce, as desired, and serve immediately with hot sauce on the side.

Shrimp in Yellow Curry

I have difficulty getting together the energy to cook after a long day at the beach. Life is rough! 😉 I’m always looking for new fast and fabulous meals to try.

This is a bright, flavor-packed, quick, and delicious weeknight dish. Perfect after a long day outside. It could be prepared any time of year as well.

The recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Mark Bittman. I modified the proportions, used Maharajah curry, and incorporated spinach and a red bell pepper into the dish. We ate it over brown Basmati rice. Wonderful!

Yield: Serves 4 to 6

• 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
• 1 yellow onion, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (I used 7 cloves)
• 1 tablespoon minced galangal or ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon minced hot chili, or crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon curry powder, or to taste (I used Penzeys Maharajah curry)
• 13.5 oz fresh or canned coconut milk
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into slices
• 6 oz baby spinach
• 1 ½ to 2 pounds medium-to-large shrimp, peeled with tails intact
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fish sauce, or to taste
• ¼ cup minced cilantro or mint leaves
• brown Basmati rice, for serving (I used 1 1/2 cups rice to 3 cups stock)
• naan, for serving, optional

1. Place the oil in a large, deep skillet and turn the heat to medium. (I used enameled cast iron.)
2. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, and chilies and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender and the mixture pasty.
3. Add red pepper slices and sauté until starting to soften.
4. Add the curry and cook, stirring, another minute.
5. Add the coconut milk and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is nearly dry.
6. Add the shrimp and spinach, a few pinches of salt and a little black pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp release their liquid (the mixture will become quite moist again) and turn pink, and the spinach is wilted.
7. Add 1 tablespoon of fish sauce, stir, then taste and add the rest if necessary.
8. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.

One Year Ago:

• Weeknight Red Curry

Two Years Ago:

• Curry Noodles with Shrimp & Coconut

Three Years Ago:

• Grilled Cilantro-Lime Shrimp Tacos with Cabbage & Corn Slaw

Four Years Ago:

• Makhani Dal (Butter Dal), Mogul-Style
• Lebanese One-Pot Mujadara with Spring Greens

Squash & Pork Stir-Fry

I’m sure you’ve rushed around the grocery store thinking you’ve purchased the necessary ingredients to throw together a “quick” weeknight meal. Right? I thought that was the case for me… When  I started to prepare this dish, I realized that I had ground pork instead of pork sausage and butternut instead of kabocha squash. I’m blaming holiday stress and distraction. (Well, truth be told, the squash was a conscious substitution- no fabulous kabocha to be found.)

This recipe was adapted from Bon Appetit, contributed by Chris Morocco. I doubled the recipe, used ground pork instead of pork sausage (oops!), seasoned accordingly, butternut instead of kabocha squash, and cashews instead of peanuts. I also omitted the sugar. I roasted the squash instead of steaming and sautéing it. We let the dish stand alone, but it would also be wonderful accompanied by rice. Delicious!

Yield: 4 Servings

• 1 medium butternut or kabocha squash, cut into 1-inch pieces, approximately 4 cups
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 pound (80 percent lean) ground pork
• 1 tsp coarse salt, plus more for squash
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for squash
• dash or two of red pepper flakes, to taste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 6 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 2 serrano chiles, seeded and sliced
• 1 T finely grated peeled ginger root
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 1 large lime)
• 4 tsp fish sauce
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• salted, roasted peanuts or cashews and chopped cilantro, for serving, as desired

1. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees, preferably on convection roast.
2. Toss squash with 1 T olive oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Place squash on a parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet and roast in the oven until tender, about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly.
3. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Add pork, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme, and paprika; cook, breaking into large pieces and stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
4. Add garlic, shallot, chiles, and ginger and cook, stirring often, just until softened, about 2 minutes.
5. Add roasted squash, lime juice, fish sauce, and scallions; toss to combine.
6. Serve stir-fry topped with nuts and cilantro, as desired.

One Year Ago:

• Turkey & Spinach Curry

Two Years Ago:

• Panko-Crusted Mustard Salmon
• Velvet Chicken with Mustard Sauce

Three Years Ago:

• Pea Risotto
• Caramel Chicken

Four Years Ago:

• Butternut Squash & Bacon Quiche
• Pork Chops with Mustard Cream Sauce

If you like this you may also like:

• Thai One-Pot

Thai-Style Stir-Fried Rice Noodles with Chicken & Bok Choy

I receive a LOT of baby bok choy in my CSA share. Every time my husband spots it, he requests his favorite Thai dish, Pad See Ew. I do have a favorite version that I typically prepare, but, by chance I received a new recipe (email 😉 ) for his special dish when I received my recent bounty of bok choy.

The goal of this recipe was to recreate a high-heat wok cooked dish on a stove top by altering the stir fry technique. By cooking the ingredients in batches and combining all of the ingredients just prior to serving, the high-heat char typical of this dish was achieved. This version was indeed the closest I’ve come to reproducing my husband’s favorite take out dish.

This recipe was adapted from Cook’s Illustrated. I used baby bok choy instead of broccolini, chicken thighs instead of breasts, Thai chiles instead of serrano, and fresh rice noodles. I reduced the oil and doubled the recipe as well. Great!

Yield: Serves 8

For the Chile-Vinegar:

• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 2 Thai chiles or 1 serrano chile, stemmed and sliced into thin rings

For the Stir-Fry:

• 5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut against grain into ¼-inch thick slices
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 24 oz fresh wide rice noodles (can substitute 16 oz 1/4-inch wide dried rice noodles)
• 5-6 T vegetable oil (I used sunflower seed oil)
• 1/2 cup oyster sauce
• 3 T soy sauce
• 4 T packed dark brown sugar
• 2 T white vinegar
• 2 tsp molasses
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 8 garlic cloves, sliced thin
• 6 large eggs
• 2 pounds baby bok choy (about 10), sliced into 1/2-inch pieces, separated into leaves and stems (broccolini or broccoli are good substitutes)
• additional greens, if desired (I added 1/2 head of my CSA Sugarloaf Chicory as well)

For the Chile Vinegar:

1. Combine vinegar and serrano in bowl. Let stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes.

For the Stir Fry:

1. Combine chicken with 4 tablespoons water and baking soda in bowl. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. Rinse chicken in cold water and drain well.
2. If using fresh rice noodles: Place noodles in very hot tap water until they can be separated into large pieces. (If using dried rice noodles: Bring 6 cups water to boil. Place noodles in large bowl. Pour boiling water over noodles. Stir, then soak until noodles are almost tender, about 8 minutes, stirring once halfway through soak. Drain and rinse with cold water. Drain well and toss with 2 teaspoons oil.)
3. Whisk oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, molasses, and fish sauce together in bowl.
4. Heat 1 T oil and garlic in 12-inch (nonstick) skillet over high heat, stirring occasionally, until garlic is deep golden brown, about minute.
5. Add chicken and 4 tablespoons sauce mixture, toss to coat, and spread chicken into even layer. Cook, without stirring, until chicken begins to brown, 1 to 1½ minutes.
6. Using tongs, flip chicken and cook, without stirring, until second side begins to brown, 1 to 1½ minutes.
7. Push chicken to 1 side of skillet. Add 1 T oil to cleared side of skillet.
8. Add eggs to clearing. Using rubber spatula, stir eggs gently and cook until set but still wet. Stir eggs into chicken and continue to cook, breaking up large pieces of egg, until eggs are fully cooked, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer chicken mixture to bowl.
9. Heat 1 T oil in now-empty skillet until smoking. Add bok choy stems and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add the remaining bok choy leaves and 4 tablespoons sauce and toss to coat.
10. Cover skillet and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking.
11. Remove lid and continue to cook until broccolini is crisp and very brown in spots, 2 to 3 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking. Transfer broccolini to bowl with chicken mixture.
12. Sauce any additional greens in the remaining cooking liquid, if desired.
13. Heat 1 T oil in now-empty skillet until smoking. Add half of noodles and 4 tablespoons sauce and toss to coat. Cook until noodles are starting to brown in spots, about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking. Transfer noodles to bowl with chicken mixture.
14. Repeat with remaining 1 T oil, noodles, and sauce. When second batch of noodles is cooked, add contents of bowl back to skillet and toss to combine. Cook, without stirring, until everything is warmed through, 1 to 1½ minutes.
15. Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately, passing chile vinegar separately.

One Year Ago:

• Red Lentil & Butternut Squash Soup (Shorabit Jarjir)

Two Years Ago:

• Pasta Alla Norma with Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Three Years Ago:

• Napa Cabbage Curry
• Pear of Desire

I’m sharing my special stir fry at Angie’s Fiesta Friday #146, co-hosted by Antonia @Zoale and Petra @Food Eat Love. Enjoy! 🙂

Vaguely Vietnamese Slow Cooker Pork Tacos

This really isn’t a taco blog! (or a Mexican food blog) 😉 I’ll stop after this one… or pretty soon anyway. In fact, calling these “tacos” is a little bit of a misrepresentation. They really taste something like deconstructed dumplings. Maybe? A warm, flavorful filling topped with a bright and crunchy slaw. All I really need to say is that these “tacos” were yummy.

This recipe was adapted from The New York Times, contributed by Sam Sifton. I used trimmed boneless pork shoulder country-style ribs instead of a bone-in pork shoulder and an unpeeled European seedless cucumber. I served the filling in warm 6-inch corn and wheat tortillas instead of flour tortillas. Perfect.

This is the second dish I’m bringing to Fiesta Friday #105 this week! 😉 Hosted by Lily @ Little Sweet Baker and Julianna @ Foodie on Board. Enjoy!

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

For the Pork:

• 1 T sesame oil
• 1 medium-size yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
• ½ cup hoisin sauce
• ¼ cup fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon sriracha sauce
• 4 to 5-pounds boneless pork shoulder country-style ribs, fat trimmed or a 5-pound bone-in pork shoulder, skin and fat removed
• 12 to 16 corn and wheat tortillas, warmed

For the Slaw:

• ⅓ cup rice vinegar
• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 T sesame oil
• 2 T neutral oil, like peanut or grapeseed
• 1 tsp sriracha sauce, or to taste
• 10 oz shredded green cabbage or 1 small green cabbage, cored and sliced thinly
• 1 European seedless cucumber, unpeeled, sliced into julienne or 2 medium-size cucumbers, peeled and sliced into julienne
• 2 medium-size carrots, peeled and sliced into julienne
• 1 Asian pear, peeled, cored and sliced into julienne
• ½ bunch fresh cilantro, rinsed, dried and roughly chopped

1. Prepare the pork: Place a sauté pan over medium-high heat. After a minute or so, swirl in the sesame oil and then the onions, stirring to combine. Sauté for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic and continue to cook until the onions are soft and becoming translucent. Turn off the heat, stir in the ginger and set aside.
2. Add the hoisin sauce and the fish sauce to the pan, and stir to combine, loosening the mixture with a little less than half a cup of water. Add sriracha sauce to taste.
3. Put a few spoonfuls of the sauce in the bottom of a slow cooker, then nestle the pork on top of it. Pour the remaining sauce over the top of the pork.
4. Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 5 to 7 hours, or until the pork shreds easily with a fork. Remove the pork from the slow cooker and allow to rest for a few minutes.
5. Meanwhile, make the slaw: Put the vinegar, ginger, sesame oil, neutral oil and sriracha sauce in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Add the cabbage, cucumbers, carrots and Asian pear and toss to combine.
6. Shred the pork with a pair of forks. Discard bones, if applicable.
7. Return the pulled pork to the slow cooker and stir to combine with the juices. Serve with the slaw and warmed tortillas, with the cilantro on the side.

One Year Ago:

• Velvet Chicken with Mustard Sauce

Two Years Ago:

• Jose Garces’ One-Pot Arroz con Pollo

Three Years Ago:

• Slow Cooker Barbecue Pulled Pork

Slow-Cooker Thai Red Curry with Chicken

Red curry is my go-to Thai dish. I order it almost every time we eat at a Thai restaurant. It is spicy with a little bit of sweetness. It’s wonderful!! This version has lovely color from the carrots and red bell pepper as well as a textural contrast from the potatoes. This recipe was adapted from Frontier Natural and The Wanderlust Kitchen. I added more vegetables to the dish, used light coconut milk, and used chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts- just my personal preference. We ate it over an organic quinoa and rice blend with warm naan and green salad. Potatoes, rice, AND naan… my starch-loving husband was thrilled! A slow-cooker meal ready after two after-school piano lessons… I was thrilled! 🙂 GREAT!

I have been looking forward to bringing this dish to Fiesta Friday #9 over at The Novice Gardener– she knows how to throw a wonderful party! 🙂

For the red curry sauce:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or ghee
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger
• 2 large shallots or ½ a red onion
• 1 tablespoon curry powder blend (I used Penzey’s Maharajah Curry Powder)
• 2-3 dried red chilies (I used 2 dried Guajillo chilies), stemmed, crumbled with seeds intact
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• 2 cups light coconut milk

To complete the dish:

• 1 tablespoon grape seed oil
• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
• coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Basic red curry sauce (recipe above)
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 4 medium Yukon gold potatoes, diced
• 1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving, optional
• 1/4 cup Fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1/8 cup Scallions, chopped
• rice, for serving
• naan, for serving, if desired

Make the basic red curry sauce:

1. Heat oil or ghee in a 2-quart sauce pan.
2. Finely chop garlic, ginger, shallots and bell pepper in a mini-food processor.
3. Sauté garlic, ginger, diced shallots or onion, and red bell pepper in oil or ghee until tender.
4. Sprinkle in curry powder, crumbled dried red chilies, lime juice and zest. Stir in coconut milk and puree with an immersion blender or in a food processor until smooth.
5. Remove from heat and pour into your slow cooker.

Finish the dish:

1. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Heat the grape seed oil in a skillet over very high heat. Once hot, brown half of the chicken pieces for about 30 seconds per side. Transfer browned chicken pieces to the slow cooker, with the curry sauce. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
2. Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the stock and pan drippings to the slow cooker.
3. Stir in the turmeric, coriander, fish sauce, and sugar.
4. Cook on high for 2 hours, or low for 5 hours.
5. Add the bell pepper, carrots and potatoes. Cook another 30 minutes on high, or for an hour on low. (I cooked it on low for 3 1/2 hours, added the vegetables, and then cooked it on high for 1 hour.) Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
6. Serve over rice with lime wedges for squeezing, if desired. Garnish with cilantro and scallions.

One Year Ago:

• Pastitsio