Pork Congee (Jook or Rice Porridge)

While chicken soup is the American sick kid meal of choice, mine happens to be congee, a Chinese rice porridge. I actually used to hate congee, known as jook in my house. It can be bland, watery, and fickle when reheating. But as my mom continued to perfect her recipe and we added a multitude of ingredients, jook has become one of my favorite comfort foods. Its filling and hearty, without being heavy. Its hot and replenishes you with fluids in an easy to digest dish. And best of all, its very easy to customize to your tastes.

My house always begins with making stock. I favor pork stock because its easier to make and there are less hazards from small bones. Making chicken stock requires straining and its easier to have stringy meat, although the flavor is cleaner. Feel free to use canned broth and skip steps 1-5.

1.5 pounds pork bones (my super market carries neck, mom gets the spine - anything goes)
1 onion, small diced
1 rib celery, small diced
3 thick coins ginger
3 cloves garlic, slightly smashed
1.5 cups dry rice
6-8 mushrooms, sliced

Topping (per serving):
1/2 scallions, sliced thinly
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

1. Take a large pot and heat on high for a minute.
2. Sear the pork bones until browned on all sides.
3. Turn the heat to medium. Add in the chopped onion, celery,  ginger, and garlic. Scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. (If it seems too difficult, add in a tablespoon or two of rice wine or water.
4. When the onions are translucent and cooked through, add water to cover the contents of the pot. Turn heat to low and let it simmer for an hour.
5. 30 min before dinner, uncover the pot and check the water level. Add more to cover the contents of the stock.
6. Optional step: Remove the pork bones. And separate the meat. From the bones. Put the meat into a bowl and shred. Discard bones.
7. Add the uncooked rice and stir. Let the pot simmer, covered for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. At the end, as the rice is cooked and the rice begins to break into smaller grains, you will need to stir more often
8. because the bottom will stick. I like my congee thick, about oatmeal consistency. If you like it thinner, you can always cook shorter or add more water.
9. Serve topped with scallions and sesame seeds.

Barbecued Steak

Ever get a craving for man food? I mean, I usually tend to stick to girly foods like yogurt, chicken, and salads, but every once in a while, I get a craving for a good steak - a real 'meat and potatoes' kind of meal. (That craving, funnily enough, usually coincides with a strong desire to use the awesome cast iron grill pan my mom gave me.) And so, tonight, I went to the grocery store for inspiration.

As I perused the produce, this beautiful, plump sweet potato leaped out of the bin and into my arms, simply begging me to take it home. Who am I to turn down such a tantalizing tuber? I added it to my basket and continued strolling down the aisle until I stumbled upon some baby spinach. Hmm, I thought to myself, I haven't had sauteed spinach in quite a while. I do love spinach. The next thing I knew, I had all the ingredients for a delectable meal.

I came home, cranked up the oven to about 400 degrees, washed the sweet potato, wrapped it in foil, and put it into the oven. Then, I made a scaled-down version of my quick and easy barbecue sauce to use as a marinade for the steak. I let the steak marinate for about forty-five minutes as I regretted buying such a large sweet potato. After the potato finished cooking, I took it out of the oven and switched on the broiler. Then I heated up my grill pan, seared my steak, and popped it into the oven to finish cooking while I sauteed the spinach. By the time the spinach was cooked, the steak was ready to come out of the oven. I unwrapped my potato, topped it with a little butter and brown sugar, and - voila! - dinner was served. I love it when a good meal just flows so naturally!


Orange and Garlic Sauteed Spinach

• 1 tbs. butter
• 1.5 tbs. minced garlic
• Baby spinach, about 3-4 handfuls
• Half of an orange
• A pinch of kosher salt

1. Melt butter in a large pan over low heat.
2. Add garlic and cook for a minute or two until very fragrant.
3. Add spinach, stirring a little bit until it's almost wilted.
4. Squeeze the orange over the spinach.
   
5. Add salt to taste. (You won't need very much.)

Cheatin' Barbecue Sauce

• 1.5 tbs. ketchup
• 1/4 tsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 tbs. Coke (use more or less, depending upon your desired consistency)
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1/8 tsp. Cayenne pepper
• 1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1/8 tsp. paprika
• Cracked black pepper (a few grinds)

1. Combine ketchup, soy sauce, and Coke. (If you want a thick barbecue sauce, use less Coke; if you prefer a more watery sauce - which I do - use more.)
2. Add the rest of the seasonings, adjusting for your own personal tastes. (Be forewarned that while this sauce is sweet, it does have a bit of residual heat. If you're not okay with that, you should probably take it easy on the Cayenne and red pepper flakes.)
3. The more you let this sauce sit, the better. It'll keep for several weeks if you put it into an airtight container in the fridge.

Barbecued Steak

• Barbecue sauce (see recipe above)
• Steak (Flank or skirt work well. I used one that was a little smaller than an index card and about 3/4" thick.)

1. Brush barbecue sauce onto meat and seal into an airtight container to marinate for at least an hour, but up to overnight.
2. Turn on the broiler.
3. Preheat oven-safe grill pan until it's super hot.
4. Sear steak on both sides. *NOTE: Here's how to get those awesome cross-hatch grill marks: Place your steak on the hot grill. Do not jiggle it. And for goodness' sake, do NOT press on it! (You'll squeeze all the juices out of it, resulting in a tough, dry steak.) After a minute or two (depending on the thickness of your steak), use tongs (NOT A FORK - again, the juices!) to turn your steak 45 degrees. Let it cook for another minute or two before flipping the steak and repeating the process.*
5. If your steak is thick, you may want to finish cooking it by sticking the steak - grill pan and all - under the broiler. If it's thin, you may be able to simply cook it to your desired doneness in the pan. **ANOTHER NOTE: Do not use a thermometer - or worse, cut into your steak - to check how done it is. Yet again: you will cause all of the juices to leak out. Instead, use your palm and your fingertips as your guide to doneness. "What are you talking about?" you say. I'm so very glad you asked: Turn your hand so your palm faces upward. Now touch your index finger to your thumb. Seriously, do it. Now poke at that fatty part of your palm, right beneath your thumb. Do you feel that? That's what a rare steak feels like. Now try it with your middle finger and thumb - that's medium rare. Use your ring finger for medium and your pinky for well-done. (Although, if you like your steak well-done, I'd suggest you make chicken instead.) You're welcome.**
6. Once your steak is finished cooking, move it to a plate and let it rest for a few minutes. (Yes, you actually have to do this. It allows the juices to redistribute. If you skip this step and just cut into your hot steak, its juices will end up on the plate instead of your mouth and all of your work will have been for naught.)

Marinated Minute Steaks

While I am a stickler for quality meats, when serving a large dinner, it's impractical to get everyone 20 oz porterhouses. Let's be realistic. You want portions that are healthy, easy to wrap up if they aren't finished, and taste good.

This is why I'm a fan of minute steaks (or cube steak, which is apparently part of the beef round). As far as I can tell, a minute steak is a 6-8 oz piece of lightly marbled, boneless steak, usually only about 1/3 inch thick. And it lives up to the name - I can pan sear this sucker to medium rare in about 5 minutes.

 

Marinated Minute Steaks
for 8 steaks, 15 minutes

8 minute steaks
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon American mustard
1 tablespoon minced garlic
a dash of pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a zip freezer bag or shallow tupper ware. Whisk to combine.
2. Dip the steak in and cover both sides. Move to the side and continue coating each steak on both sides at least once.
3. Cover (or zip) and refrigerate until ready to cook. (I let mine sit overnight. I think at least 2 hours is optimum.)
4. Heat a skillet until very very hot.
5. Place the steaks in the skillet and sear for about 3-4 minutes. When browned, flip over and rotate so the steaks get even heat. Cook another 3-4 minutes.
6. Plate and allow to rest for 3-5 minutes before serving.

Steak & Potatoes Dinner Party

I invited the guys over for a manly evening of cookie baking. To counter the estrogen laden activity, I created a machismo meal with the old standbys - Steak and Potatoes.

The menu: (recipes to come)
Marinated Minute Steaks
Sauteed Collard Greens with Garlic
Herb Roasted Potatoes
Roasted Masala Carrots
Tofu Seaweed Soup (not manly, but was on hand)
Pineapple Tart Cookies (Nastar)

Saag Paneer (Spicy Indian Pureed Spinach with Cheese)

Saag Paneer is my go to Indian dish. Its vegetarian, rich in flavors and aroma, and has a luxurios consistency that makes it a very satisfying dish. Its incredibly healthy, relying on spinach, tomato, garlic, and onion, as well as paneer, which is a type of lacto-vegetarian cheese. Paneer is available in Indian groceries. In my case last night, I was too lazy to get actual paneer (and risk having some leftover) so I substituted for mozzarella. Not really pari passu, but I really just wanted the spinach!

My recipe for Saag Paneer is from my friend Neha, who has a gorgeous blog about homemade Indian food. Her recipe involves making a spicy tomato onion paste, which is incredibly pungent, but is absolutely necessary to make this dish's complex flavor and balance. I would advise against cheating if you want it to be authentic! The tomato paste can be frozen for future use and is the most complicated part of this dish.

Serve with rice or bread (naan is best!)

Masala Honey Trail Mix

Kelly's recipe for Sweet Roasted Pecans inspired this trail mix, which became one of my Suli Snack Packs with the Rosemary Olive Oil Almonds I posted a few days back. The Snack Packs are 200-250 calorie snacks to tide my buddies to dinner or substitute a quick breakfast for those days you can't help but rush. Hopefully they will encourage better eating habits!


The Masala Mix got rave reviews because it had a subtle kick. The masala is fragrant, but not overpowering, and the candied ginger and mango are spicy and sweet!

Masala Honey Trail Mix


For the nuts:
6 tbs butter
7 tbs honey
3 tbs vanilla extract
2 pounds almonds
1 pound walnut halves
1.5 tbs garam masala
Kosher salt, to taste


For the trail mix:
1 pound dried mangoes, cut into 1.5 inch cubes

0.75 pounds candied ginger, cut into 1.5 inch cubes

1 pound dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large pot, melt butter over low heat.
3. Mix the honey and vanilla into the melted butter. (Hint: Use a silicone spatula, as this will get a bit sticky.)
4. Add the nuts to the pot and toss to coat thoroughly.
5. Sprinkle the spices over the nuts, then toss again to coat.
6. Spread the nuts in a single layer on a foil-lined sheet pan and place in oven for 7 - 10 minutes. **Don't walk away from them; check them often. You'll be able to smell when they're done.**
7. Remove the tray to a cooling rack and use the spatula to move the pecans around so they don't stick to the foil.
8. If the nuts are a little oily, place nuts in a clean paper bag and toss to draw away oil. You can use a little confectioner's sugar too.
9. When the nuts are cool, mix in the fruit. Scoop 1/4 cup into smaller bags. Enjoy!

Orange Anise Braised Chicken

I decided to have a last minute casual dinner party but had no protein in the refrigerator. I didn't want to do stir fry again. I wanted something that looked awesome, but wasn't terribly difficult. Using foodgawker (a picture browsing-recipe friendly website) I found a new recipe for an orange anise soy sauce chicken, which was a super quick braise. It scored high with the men folk and yielded leftovers which are even better than the original. However, it wasn't super fast - I'd say 45-60 minutes depending on how fast of a prep person you are.

I really enjoyed browsing the Oui, Chef blog, which is about a dad teaching his kids to cook. Great concept and something I can totally get behind!

 

Orange Anise Braised Chicken

60 minutes, serves 6

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 3 scallions
• 3 garlic cloves,sliced
• 1 tablespoon julienned fresh ginger
• 1 large pinch chili flakes
• 3 strips orange zest removed with vegetable peeler
• 1 whole star anise
• 3 teaspoons cornstarch

1. Heat the oven to 325 ℉ with rack on the bottom 1/3rd of oven. Make sure your pot can fit in there comfortably.
2. In small bowl, stir together soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar and 1/4 cup water. Stir to dissolve sugar and set aside.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in large heavy-lidded braising oven-safe pot over medium-high heat until oil shimmers. Add half of chicken pieces, skin side down, and sear, without disturbing, until skin is crisp and browned, about 5 minutes. Turn pieces carefully to avoid tearing skin. Brown other side, about 6 minutes more. Transfer chicken to large plate to catch juices. Cook remaining chicken the same way.
4. While chicken is browning, coarsely chop scallions, separating white and green parts. Set greens aside.
5. Discard all but a spoonful of fat from pan and return pan to medium heat. Add white part of scallions, garlic, ginger and chile flakes. Cook about 30 seconds then pour in reserved soy mixture and stir to combine. Add orange zest and star anise.
6. Place chicken thighs in pan and add any juices that have accumulated on plate. Cover with a secure lid and place pan in lower third of oven. After 15 minutes, turn chicken pieces with tongs and check to be sure there's at least 1/4 inch of liquid in pan. If not, add a few tablespoons of water. Replace lid and return pan to oven until chicken is fork-tender and pulling away from bone, about 15 minutes more.
7. With slotted spoon, transfer chicken to serving platter without crowding pieces and cover loosely to keep warm. Remove star anise and orange peel from pan. Set pan over medium-high heat and bring to simmer. Skim off any surface fat. Add scallion greens.
8. Put cornstarch in small bowl with a tablespoon water. Whisk briefly to combine and smooth out any lumps. Pour mixture into simmering liquid, stirring to incorporate it evenly. Liquid will immediately thicken to a glossy sauce the consistency of maple syrup. Pour any juices chicken has released into sauce and simmer for another minute.
9. Spoon sauce over chicken. Enjoy!