Soups, Salads & Wraps
I think we were really spoiled as kids because we had soup every night for dinner. Mom always made sure of it! These days, with both Scott and I working full time, it’s hard to tend to a simmering pot on the stove. Instead, I make stock (pages 31–32) in a slow cooker or pressure cooker and freeze batches of it so I have access to the good homemade stuff in a pinch. Otherwise, I’ll buy packaged stock or broth at the store. I like the ones that are in the paper carton as opposed to the canned version (don’t like the taste of tin). These soups are quick to prepare—with stock in the freezer or in a carton, the soups come together in minutes.
Salads are only fun if they have fab ingredients. I know, call me a salad geek, but something so healthy HAS to be fun to eat! That’s why I love salad wraps. And the only reason that both my boys totally adore salads is because I make the salads fun to assemble and eat (and . . . okay, confession . . . sometimes I let them top their salads off with crushed potato chips).
Lemongrass Chicken and Coconut Soup
This soup is a wonderful combo of two of my favorite Thai soups—Tom Yum and Tom Kha. It’s a little hot, a little sour and the added coconut milk helps tame the spice.
Tom yum paste comes just like Thai curry pastes—either in a can, plastic tub or a pouch. It’s incredibly easy to use and lasts for months if stored in the refrigerator.
I use fresh kaffir lime leaves, ginger and lemongrass in the recipe for extra freshness, but these ingredients are totally optional as the tom yum paste is pretty intense. Remember, you don’t eat these herbs (they are used for flavoring the broth). Traditionally, these herbs are just left in the soup (you’ll use your spoon to push them out of the way when you drink). And I prefer serving the soup this way, as the aromatics will continue to work their magic up while I enjoy the soup. But I’ll let you choose whether or not you’d like to keep them in or discard them.
The number of chillies you use depends on the size and kind that you buy—generally the smaller and thinner the chilli pepper is, the hotter it will be. For my recipe, I’ve used jalapeno, as that gives the perfect amount of heat that I’m looking for and it’s readily found in most markets in the U.S.
SERVES 4 AS PART OF MULTICOURSE MEAL
3 cups (750 ml) store-bought or homemade Mom’s Chicken Stock (page 31)
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, sliced into thin coins (see Jaden’s Ginger Tips, page 33)
2 stalks lemongrass (use the bottom 6-in/15-cm of the stalk, smash with side of cleaver or cut in half lengthwise)
4 fresh kaffir lime leaves, torn in half
1 fresh chilli pepper of your choice, sliced
1 cup (250 ml) good quality coconut milk
3 tablespoons tom yum paste (or to taste), divided
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
6 oz (170 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
1 cup (70 g) straw mushrooms, rinsed, drained and sliced in half lengthwise
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
One small handful of fresh cilantro (coriander) leaves (about 1/4 cup/12 g), for garnish
1 In a pot, add the stock, ginger, lemon-grass, kaffir lime leaves and chilli pepper and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, half of the tom yum paste, the fish sauce and sugar, and let that return to a boil, still on low heat. Taste the soup and add the remaining tom yum paste as per your taste. If you’d like, use a skimmer to fish out the ginger, chilli, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves and discard.
2 Turn the heat to high and add the chicken and mushrooms. When the soup returns to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Stir in the lime juice. Garnish with the fresh cilantro leaves and additional slices of chilli pepper, if you like.
Chicken and Corn Soup
In this light soup, instead of cream, the natural milk of the corn serves to create this luscious soup. To extract the corn milk, you will grate one ear of corn on a box grater and squeeze out the milk hidden inside the kernels.
SERVES 4 AS PART OF MULTI-COURSE MEAL
3 egg whites (separate 1 into one bowl and the other 2 into another bowl)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 lb (115 g) ground chicken
2 ears fresh, sweet white or yellow corn
4 cups (1 liter) store-bought or homemade Mom’s Chicken Stock (page 31)
1/4 cup (35 g) 1 /4-in (6-mm)-diced Virginia ham, or any other salted, cured ham
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon chilli oil
2 tablespoons chopped green onions (scallions) or fresh cilantro (coriander), for garnish
1 In a large bowl, whisk 1 of the egg whites with the cornstarch. Add the ground chicken and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or chopsticks until well combined.
2 On a cutting board, lay one of the ears of corn on its side and, with a serrated knife, cut off the kernels. Reserve BOTH the kernels and the cob.
3 In a large bowl, use the large holes of a box grater to grate the remaining ear of corn. Stand the empty cob upright in the bowl and use the back of a chef’s knife to run up and down the spent corn cob, pressing to extract all of the corn pulp. Repeat on the other reserved cob. Over a fine meshed sieve, use your hands to squeeze all of the grated corn and pulp to extract the corn milk. Discard the spent corn and pulp, reserving the corn milk.
4 In a stockpot, bring the chicken stock to a boil over high heat. Add the corn milk and simmer 5 minutes. Add the ground chicken, corn kernels and ham and cook another 2 minutes, stirring to break up the chicken. Season with the salt. Remove from the heat and drizzle in the remaining 2 egg whites, stirring with a spoon to create long, thin trails of egg white. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle with the chilli oil and garnish with green onions or fresh cilantro.
Quick and Hearty Rice Soup
This is a quick from-scratch soup that you can make in 30 minutes. No canned broth, no artificial anything. Actually, it’s more like a cross between Chinese jook (porridge) and a soup. And please, don’t call it “joop”. You can use any vegetables that you have. The firmer the vegetables, the thinner you have to slice them so they cook in 30 minutes. For this soup, you don’t wash the rice, as we want all of that starch to thicken the soup. The more you stir the pot, the thicker the soup gets. You can also add 1/2 cup (110 g) of rice if you like the thicker jook style.
SERVES 4 FOR LUNCH OR AS PART OF MULTICOURSE MEAL
1/2 lb (250 g) ground beef
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
Freshly ground black pepper to season the beef
Pinch of sugar
1 teaspoon high-heat cooking oil
4 cups (1 liter) water
1/4 cup (55 g) uncooked rice
1 tomato, cut into 8 wedges
1 carrot, shredded
1/4 cup (40 g) frozen peas
Salt or soy sauce to taste
1 In a bowl, mix together the beef with the soy sauce, wine, black pepper and sugar.
2 Set a medium pot over high heat. When the pot is hot, add the cooking oil and swirl to coat. Add the ground beef mixture and fry for 2 minutes, breaking up the beef as you go.
3 Pour in the water, rice, tomato and carrot and bring to a boil. When it reaches a boil, turn the heat to low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. The rice should be fully cooked and soft. Add the frozen peas and cook for another minute. Taste and, if needed, add just 1/2 teaspoon of salt or soy sauce. You can always add more.
In my young, crazy, single days, after a night of clubbing in Hollywood, my friends and I would head over to a rinky-dink Vietnamese noodle shop to fill up on pho. Asian girly posters littered the walls and the same bad karaoke DVD played over and over. Thank goodness the steaming, hot, intoxicating bowl of pho drowned out the awful Chinglish rendition of “Baby Got Back”. That soup was un-pho-king believable.
Here’s my cheater version of this popular Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup, or pho ga. It takes 30 minutes from start to finish instead of the usual 3 hours. You can buy a package of pho ga spices for usually less than $2 at Asian markets. The single-use package has all the spices you’ll need and a little mesh bag so that the spices stay in one place. Toasting these spices brings out the flavors.
SERVES 4
1 lb (500 g) dried rice noodles (about 1/4-in/6-mm wide)
CHICKEN PHO BROTH
2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
4 whole cloves
2 whole star anise
2 quarts (2 liters) store-bought or homemade Mom’s Chicken Stock (page 31)
1 whole chicken breast (bone-in or boneless)
1/2 onion
One 3-in (7.5-cm) chunk of ginger, sliced and smashed with side of knife
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons fish sauce
ACCOMPANIMENTS
2 cups (200 g) bean sprouts, washed and tails pinched off
Fresh cilantro (coriander) tops (leaves and tender stems)
1/2 cup (170 g) shaved red onions
1/2 lime, cut into 4 wedges
Sriracha chilli sauce
Hoisin sauce
Sliced fresh chilli peppers of your choice
1 To make the Chicken Pho Broth, heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the coriander seeds, cloves and star anise and toast until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Immediately spoon out the spices to avoid burning.
2 In a large pot, add all the ingredients (including the toasted spices) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes, skimming the surface frequently. Use tongs to remove the chicken breasts and shred the meat with your fingers, discarding the bone if you have used a bone-in breast.
3 Taste the broth and add more fish sauce or sugar, if needed. Strain the broth and discard the solids.
4 Prepare the noodles as per directions on the package.
5 Ladle the broth into bowls. Then divide the shredded chicken breast and the soft noodles evenly into each bowl.
6 Have the Accompaniments spread out at the table. Each person can customize their own bowl with these ingredients.
Ochazuke Rice with Crisp Salmon Skin and Nori
Ochazuke is a Japanese dish where hot green tea is poured over cooked rice. It’s commonly topped with seaweed, pickled plums, salmon and even wasabi. You can get ready-made packets of Ochazuke seasonings at Japanese markets, but it’s just as easy to brew some tea (I used a green tea teabag) and mix in instant dashi granules (see page 20 for information about dashi granules). If you don’t have dashi granules, you can brew your tea in a light broth instead of plain water.
When I’m buying salmon, I kindly ask my fishmonger to pretty please skin the salmon fillet for me and wrap the skin separately. I’m paying for the whole thing anyway, skin and all, so why not use the tasty skin for Ochazuke? The salmon skin crisps up wonderfully under the broiler and it’s the perfect topping for this popular Japanese dish. I’m more of a savory breakfast kinda gal, and this is what I have many mornings. Well, truth be told, it’s also what I have for a midnight snack too! Anytime I have leftover rice in the fridge, you can be sure I’m enjoying warm, soothing ochazuke the next day. You can also spice it up with a dab of wasabi paste if you want.
SERVES 2 AS BREAKFAST, MIDNIGHT SNACK OR HANGOVER CURE
One 4 x 6-in (10 x 15-cm) piece salmon skin (uncooked and make sure it’s scaled!)
Pinch of salt
4 cups (1 liter) freshly brewed hot green tea
1/2 teaspoon instant dashi granules
1 1/2 cups (240 g) cooked, leftover short-grain rice
2 tablespoons shredded seaweed nori
1 Season the salmon skin with salt and place on a sheet pan. Place the salmon skin 6 inches (15 cm) from top heating element and broil on high heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Keep a close watch to make sure you don’t burn the salmon skin. Cut the crispy skin into strips.
2 Mix the brewed green tea with the instant dashi granules, and stir well. Divide the cooked rice in two medium serving bowls. Pour the green tea mixture over the rice. Top with the salmon skin and the shredded nori.
Crab and Pork Wonton Noodle Soup
Can I just tell you how adorable kids are when they cook, especially when it involves folding dumplings? I taught the boys how to make wontons when they were 4 and 5 years old and put them to work in the kitchen while I’m chillin’ on the couch with a glass of wine. So yes, making wonton dumplings is so easy that little kidlets can do it.
While the recipe has two steps (making the wonton dumplings and then cooking the noodle soup) the wontons can be made ahead of time. Or bribe your kids to fold a big batch of wontons, freeze them and then you can have them anytime. Just add them frozen to your boiling broth.
You can also skip the whole idea of noodle soup and just boil the wontons in water, drain and eat them with your favorite soy dipping sauce or hot chilli sauce. (Any of these in the Basics chapter will pair well: Sweet Chilli Sambal, Ginger Scallion sauce, Chilli Garlic Sauce, Chinese Dipping Sauce, Sweet Soy Sauce for the kids or just even a squirt of Sriracha chilli sauce).
To freeze wontons (or any handmade dumpling): Okay, this is important. As you fold the wontons, lay them in a single layer on a plate or baking sheet. Freeze them just like this. Once the wontons are frozen, you can gather them up and put them in a freezer bag. If you try to dump the freshly folded wontons in a freezer bag and then freeze—they will all stick together and freeze into one big solid clump-o-dough. Not good.
To boil wontons in water to enjoy with a dipping sauce: If you just want to boil the wontons and eat them without the noodle soup, follow the same instructions as boiling with broth. You’ll bring a pot of water to boil, add the wontons, and bring to boil again. Add 1 cup (250 ml) of cool water, return to a boil and repeat once more. Once it returns to a boil the last time, they are happy dumplings and are ready to eat! Drain and serve. By the way, are you curious as to why I didn’t give you boiling instructions like, “boil 7 minutes”? Well, this method of boiling, adding water, boiling again, repeating is so reliable. Whether you are boiling 15 or 30 wontons, the instructions are the same. The more dumplings you have in the water or broth . . . the longer it takes to come to a boil, right? I love the Chinese method of self-timing.
SERVES 6
(MAKES ABOUT 50 TO 60 WONTONS)
8 cups (2 liters) store-bought or homemade Mom’s Chicken Stock, Seafood, Pork or Vegetable Stock (pages 31–32)
Crab and Pork Wonton Dumplings (see recipe on this page)
8 oz (250 g) dried wonton noodles or 12 oz (350 g) fresh/frozen wonton noodles
1 lb (500 g) bok choy, leaves separated and washed well
1/3 cup (50 g) chopped green onions (scallions), for garnish
1/4 cup (65 ml) Chilli Garlic Sauce (page 29) to use as dipping (optional)
CRAB AND PORK WONTON DUMPLINGS
1/2 lb (250 g) ground pork
2 green onions (scallions), finely minced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 cup (100 g) chopped crabmeat, drained
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 lb (500 g) wonton wrappers, covered with a barely damp towel
Cornstarch slurry: 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup (65 ml) cool water
1 To make the dumpling filling, combine the pork, green onions, soy sauce, rice vinegar, cornstarch and sugar in a large bowl. Mix well and set aside.
2 In a small bowl, squeeze the grated ginger pulp, extracting the juice into the bowl. Discard the spent ginger. Add the crabmeat, salt, pepper and sesame oil and stir gently to mix with the ginger juice.
3 When ready to wrap, add the crab mixture to the bowl with the ground pork mixture. Toss gently to mix. To wrap the wontons, see the illustrated instructions.
4 To make the soup, pour all but 2 cups (500 ml) of the stock into a large stock-pot and bring to a boil. (The reserved stock should be room temperature or just slightly chilled.) Turn the heat to medium-high and add the wonton dumplings. Bring pot back to a gentle boil. When it reaches a boil, add 1 cup (250 ml) of the reserved stock. Bring back to a boil again and add the remaining 1 cup (250 ml) of reserved stock. Adding the broth a little at a time lets the wontons cook, but at a gentle heat. A rapid, rolling boil will tear the delicate wonton skins.
5 With the heat still on the pot (you still need to cook the noodles and bok choy), use a spider or sieve to scoop up the wontons and distribute among the serving bowls. Add the noodles and the bok choy to the pot and let simmer for 1 1/2 minutes, until cooked through. Ladle the broth, noodles and bok choy into bowls. Garnish with the green onions and serve with the Chilli Garlic Sauce, if desired.
HOW TO WRAP WONTONS
1 Put a teaspoon of filling in the middle of a wrapper. With your finger or a pastry brush, apply some of the cornstarch slurry along all the edges.
2 Fold over to form a triangle, press to secure the edges, encasing the filling. Dab some of the cornstarch slurry on one tip of the triangle.
3 Bring two corners together and secure. Place on baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap to prevent drying. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling. The wonton dumplings are ready for use in the soup or to be frozen for later use (see facing page on how to freeze the wontons). If you’re using them later in the day, cover the baking sheet tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to cook.
Crisp Fuji Apple and Crab Salad
I’ve always loved pairing seafood with fruit, and the combination of sea-salty crab with crisp apple was inspired by friend and food writer, Jennifer Jeffrey, and her co-author Andrea Froncillo of the famed The Stinking Rose restaurant in San Francisco. A Vietnamese-style dressing gives the salad a shot of spice and tang. When I buy pre-cooked crab meat, I like to toss it with a bit of ginger juice first, to freshen and wake up the flavors. Use a microplane grater to grate the fresh ginger then scoop up the mound of ginger with your fingers and squeeze directly into a bowl to release its juices. Discard the remaining spent pulp and toss the crab meat with the ginger juices.
SERVES 4 AS PART OF MULTICOURSE MEAL OR FOR LUNCH
1/2 lb (250 g) cooked fresh or canned crabmeat, drained
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (see Jaden’s Ginger Tips, page 33)
1 crisp textured apple (Fuji or Granny Smith)
4 cups (350 g) mixed baby greens
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons very thinly sliced fresh mint
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
DRESSING
3 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
6 tablespoons neutral-flavored oil (such as vegetable, canola, grapeseed)
1/4 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger (see Jaden’s Ginger Tips, page 33)
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/4 to 1 /2 teaspoon finely minced fresh chilli pepper (leave the seeds in if you like it hot)
1 In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the Dressing.
2 In a large bowl, add the crabmeat. Use your fingers to squeeze the freshly grated ginger to release the ginger juices into the bowl with the crabmeat. Discard the spent ginger pulp. Gently mix the crabmeat with a fork.
3 Core the apple and cut into matchstick strips. Immediately add the apples to the crabmeat and toss lightly with the salt, pepper, mint and lime juice. Assemble plates by layering baby greens and top-ping with crab/apple mixture.
4 Use a teaspoon to drizzle some of the Dressing onto the salad until lightly coated. You should have some leftover Dressing. The Dressing will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
HOW TO CUT ACROSS THE GRAIN
Many cuts of beef are tough and fibrous because they contain muscles used often by the cow. Even though they are tough, cut from the muscular parts of the cow, like flank and skirt steak, have insane beefy flavor and are some of my favorite cuts. But if you know how to slice them across the grain, you’ll end up with ribbons of tender beef. Take a look at your steak. Do you see the fibers running in one direction? Well, you want to slice your steak thinly, PERPENDICULAR to those fibers, so that you are cutting ACROSS the fibers or the grain.
1 Lay your steak so that the fibers run left to right, like in the photo.
2 Slice across the grain, as shown.
These lettuce wraps are so pretty on a platter! The steak is grilled to medium-rare and then thinly sliced and served warm on top of a cool, crisp lettuce wrap. You can also chop or tear the lettuce with your hands and serve it as a regular salad instead of a wrap. If you have chopped peanuts, you can add those too.
The pineapple juice sweetens and tenderizes the steak. Make sure you don’t let the steak sit in the pineapple juice for more than 1 hour—otherwise it will break down the meat too much. You can also substitute with fresh orange juice. After grilling, when you are slicing the meat, slice ACROSS the grain to ensure you get tender cuts, especially if you are using flank or skirt steak.
SERVES 4 TO 6
1 lb (500 g) flank steak (you can also use top sirloin or skirt steak)
1/2 cup (125 ml) pineapple juice
Salt
1 tablespoon high-heat cooking oil
1 head leafy lettuce
1 large cucumber, thinly sliced
1 large tomato, sliced in half, watery seeds scooped out and sliced into thin wedges
1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced Handful of fresh mint
DRESSING
1/2 to 1 teaspoon finely minced chilli pepper of your choice
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro (coriander) stems
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons fish sauce
5 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice (about 2 to 3 limes)
1 Marinate the flank steak in the pine-apple juice for 30 minutes to 1 hour (no longer than 1 hour).
2 In the meantime, whisk together the ingredients for the Dressing. Start with 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and taste and add the rest as needed. To lessen the intensity of the Dressing, add 1 teaspoon of water.
3 Pat the steak very dry and season with salt. Set a large frying pan on high heat. When the pan is hot, pour in the oil and swirl to coat. Add the steak and grill to medium-rare, about 3 to 5 minutes each side, depending on thickness of your steak. Let rest on cutting board for 10 minutes and slice ACROSS the grain into thin, 1/4-inch (6-mm) strips. (See illustrated instructions on page 62).
4 Assemble the salad wraps by filling each lettuce leaf with cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, a few slices of beef and top with fresh mint.
Baked Tofu Salad with Mustard Miso Dressing
While I looove deep fried tofu, it’s not the most healthy thing to be putting in a salad. Thank goodness that baking tofu squares is easier and better for you! The texture is golden-crisp-crunchy on the outside, slightly chewy on the inside. I adapted the baked tofu recipe from Mark Bittman’s How to Cook Everything Vegetarian and paired them with a tangy Miso Mustard Dressing. Make sure you buy firm or extra firm tofu that you find in the refrigerated section of the market.
To toast sesame seeds, add them to a frying pan (no oil) and turn the heat to medium. Stir continuously until toasted. It should only take a couple of minutes and will make a world of difference in taste.
SERVES 4 AS PART OF MULTICOURSE MEAL
One 14-oz (400-g) block firm or extra-firm tofu
2 teaspoons high-heat cooking oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 handfuls lettuce leaves
4 radishes, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
(MAKES 1 CUP/250 ML)
MUSTARD MISO DRESSING
2 tablespoons miso (yellow, red or white)
1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
1/3 cup (80 ml) rice vinegar
2 tablespoons finely minced shallot or onion
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup (125 ml) neutral-flavored oil (such as vegetable, canola, grapeseed)
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
2 Cut the tofu into 3 /4-inch (2-cm) cubes, and pat very dry with paper towels on all sides. Toss the tofu cubes gently with the oil and season with the salt. On a sheet pan, spread the tofu cubes out in a single layer. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. The tofu should be golden brown and crisp on the outside, yet still soft in the middle. Remove to a baking rack and let cool.
3 In a bowl, use a whisk to combine the ingredients for the Mustard Miso Dressing. Set aside. You will have more than you need for this salad, but the dressing will keep for 1-2 weeks in the refrigerator.
4 In a large bowl, assemble the torn lettuce leaves, sliced radishes and tofu. Toss with 3 tablespoons of the Mustard Miso Dressing and sprinkle the sesame seeds on top. Serve immediately.
More Options
The tofu also makes a great snack on its own. Serve them with the Apricot Sweet Chilli Sauce (page 64).
Pomelo and Edamame Salad with Honey Ginger Vinaigrette
Pomelos are an Asian grapefruit, and they’re sooo good! They come in sizes as small as a regular grapefruit and I’ve seen some as large as basketballs! The flavor is milder and less tart/bitter than grapefruit with a slight honeylike taste. The skin is spongy and thick and the membrane is very thick. You’ll have to use a knife to cut through it. The easiest way to peel a pomelo is to cut through just the thick skin and section it like you would an orange. Peel apart the pomelo sections, and now peel away the membrane as well. Use your hands to tear away the juicy pomelo pulp and eat! The pomelo fruit is juicy and lush. Can I tell you a secret? I think that it’s one of the sexiest fruits in the world.
Edamame are Japanese soybeans . . . you know, the green soybeans that you get sometimes at a Japanese restaurant. The outer shell is inedible (well, you can try, but it doesn’t taste that great)—but once you squeeze open the shell, bright green shiny pods pop out! They are good for you and . . . um . . . they go great with beer! You can buy edamame already shelled and cooked in the refrigerated section at your regular grocery store and you can use them as it is. They are also found in the freezer section (for these, you’ll just follow the instructions on the package to boil and then shell).
1 In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette.
2 Toss the edamame pods, pomelo sections, baby greens and mint on a large platter and drizzle on about 1/4 cup (65 ml) of the Honey Ginger Vinaigrette. Store the remaining vinaigrette in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
TIP: Edamame tip: I often buy a bag of frozen shell-on edamame and store them in the freezer. Instead of boiling them in plain water, I like to boil them in a big spoonful of instant dashi granules (page 20) dissolved in boiling water.
It seasons the edamame and no need for any additional salt.
SERVES 4 AS PART OF MULTICOURSE MEAL
1 cup (150 g) shelled edamame pods
1/2 pomelo, peeled and separated into small bite-size sections
4 handfuls of mixed baby greens
Leaves from 1 sprig of fresh mint (and finely sliced, if you wish)
HONEY GINGER VINAIGRETTE
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 cup (65 ml) fresh orange juice or grapefruit juice
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
6 tablespoons grapeseed oil, mild olive oil, vegetable or canola oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Miso Ramen with all the Trimmings
Outside of Japan, ramen didn’t achieve cult status until the movie Tampopo came out in 1985. For a while, all I wanted to do was open a ramen noodle shop and it even spurred a two-week visit to Japan in search of the perfect bowl. (I didn’t find it, but then again, I got distracted by a cute guy I met at the sushi bar.)
Even in college, at late night cramming sessions, I’d slurp down the 15-cent instant stuff. And yeah, I still eat that instant stuff—I still love it.
SERVES 4
4 eggs
10 oz (285 g) dried ramen noodles
1/2 cup (200 g) fresh or canned bamboo shoots, sliced
1/2 cup (170 g) fresh or canned corn kernels, drained
1/3 cup (80 g) defrosted frozen or fresh spinach
8 cups (2 liters) store-bought or homemade Meat or Vegetable Stock (pages 31 & 32)
2 teaspoons instant dashi granules (page 20)
1 tablespoon soy sauce, or to taste
4 tablespoons fresh miso paste
1 cup (100 g) fresh bean sprouts
2 green onions (scallions), finely chopped
4 teaspoons chilli oil (optional)
More Topping Options
Top with store bought barbeque cha-siu pork
Enoki mushrooms
Sliced Japanese fish cakes
Snow peas
Spinach leaves
Firm tofu, diced
1 Place the whole, un-cracked eggs in a medium pot and fill with water to cover eggs by 1 inch (2.5 cm). Turn the heat to high and when boiling, turn the heat to medium and let the eggs cook for 10 minutes. Promptly use a slotted spoon to remove the eggs and peel the egg under cold running water. Slice each egg in half.
2 Return the same pot of water to a boil. Add the ramen noodles and cook for 3 minutes, until the noodles are cooked through. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
3 Divide the noodles, hardboiled eggs, bamboo shoots, corn and spinach among 4 large serving bowls.
4 In a large pot, add the stock, instant dashi and soy sauce. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the miso. Taste the soup and add an additional 1 to 2 tablespoons of miso if you’d like. Ladle soup into each bowl. Top each bowl with fresh bean sprouts, green onions and a drizzle of chilli oil, if desired.
Healthy Chinese Chicken Wraps
I’m a savory salad gal, and my husband is crazy in love with the Chinese chicken salad at a big chain restaurant in town, which is doused with a fattening, sticky sweet honey mustard sauce. So, I had to create a recipe that lightened up the salad both in taste and calories. The verdict? He ate it all. This is a fantastic way to use up cooked leftover chicken and makes a light lunch. The dressing is made with yogurt instead of the usual mayonnaise, but still tastes luscious and creamy. You’ll love the crunchy almond slivers, fresh celery, bursty grapes in this salad wrap. If you want, you can go my husband’s route and use leftover cold fried chicken torn into pieces too!
SERVES 4 AS PART OF MULTICOURSE MEAL OR FOR LUNCH
4 wraps, thin flatbreads or tortillas
HONEY MUSTARD YOGURT VINAIGRETTE
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons plain non-fat yogurt
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or substitute with white vinegar)
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil Generous pinch of salt
CHINESE CHICKEN SALAD
3/4 lb (350 g) cooked chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
10 to 15 seedless grapes, halved
1 celery stalk, diced
3 tablespoons almond slivers or slices
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon five spice powder
One large handful of watercress or arugula
1 In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the Honey Mustard Yogurt Vinaigrette, and set aside.
2 In a large bowl, toss together the ingredients for the Chinese Chicken Salad with just enough vinaigrette to lightly coat.
3 Assemble the wraps, spooning additional vinaigrette into each wrap if desired.
FAR LEFT TOP TO BOTTOM: Yes, I caught that! A big wahoo in the Bahamas; Who’s the fairest of them all?; Andrew eating breakfast in his Buzz Lightyear costume.