Tag Archives: recipe

November 21, 2011 · 12:31 am

Steak and Rice (Sushi Style)

In my opinion sushi is one of the most attractive picturesque foods ever so I decided to play off that and make a basic steak and rice dish look as stunning as a piece of nigiri sushi. All the components of this dish is made to be eaten like normal steak and rice so if you have nobody to impress and just want a damn good meal follow the same directions but throw it all together in a bowl with a fried egg on top and call it a day.

First I started off with this dried mushroom pack from Trader Joe’s.

To rehydrate the shrooms just rinse and add 2 cups of hot water for 10 minutes.

Strain

All I use is the liquid to flavor the rice. You can save the actual shrooms for an omelet tomorrow morning or saute them in butter and eat with the steak.

Now wash 2 cups of short grain rice then let air dry

Add the 2 cups of mushroom stock with 3/4 cup of water and a couple pinches of salt to the rice in a small pot.

And heat on high until boiling

Then change the heat to low, mix and cover for 6 minutes.

Put the rice in a different container, fluff with a wooden spoon and let it cool down.

Now time for the steak. This is a 0.62 lbs New York that has been out of the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Always let your steak rest in room temp before cooking, never cook it right out of the frig!

Salt and a generous amount of fresh cracked pepper to form a good crust while cooking.

If you don’t have a cast iron skillet you should get one. It’s the best. The cast iron takes a while to get to the right temp so I let it heat up on low for 10 minutes. Right before I drop the steak I’ll turn the heat to high for 2 minutes and add oil and butter.

Drop the steak in the skillet on high and leave for 3 1/2 minutes. Don’t touch it!

Then flip it over and cook for another 3 1/2 minutes. Again, don’t touch it, poke it, try and flatten it or shake the skillet. Leave it alone.

After 3 1/2 minutes put the steak on a plate and let it rest for 8 minutes. The steak is still cooking even though it’s not on the skillet so don’t cut it til after it’s done resting or else you’ll let out the juices and the steak will be dry.

While the steak is resting heat up a pan with butter and oil to medium heat and add 1/2 cup of diced onions and 1/4 cup of minced garlic.

Let it cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes.

In a bowl add one teaspoon of horseradish to two teaspoons of mayo, mix.

And another bowl add one tablespoon of ponzu sauce to 1/2 cup of green onion, mix.

Slice the steak

Form the rice

Add a little horseradish mayo and a pinch of the garlic and onions to the rice.

Add the steak

Then add the seasoned green onions, some sesame seeds and shichimi togarashi (if you have some).

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October 1, 2011 · 7:30 pm

How To Cook Perfect Fries

Some of the best meals I’ve ever eaten has had fries in it, from the steak frites at Bouchon to animal-style fries and a Double Double burger at In-N-Out, it’s one of the worlds favorite foods. Here’s another great recipe from Michael Symon’s book on how to cook the perfect fries.

Recipe

2 pounds russet potatoes

Canola oil, for deep-frying

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Peel potatoes and cut into long fries about 1/4 inch thick. As you cut them put them in a bowl of cold water.

Heat the oil to 275 F.

Drain the fries and pat dry. Work in batches if necessary, cook them in the oil for about 5 minutes; they should be soft and pale.

Remove them from oil

And rinse under cold water to remove excess oil and starch for a crispier fry later.

Cover a baking sheet with paper towels and lay the fries on top. Chill completely in the fridge.

Heat the oil to 350 F and add fries , in batches, if necessary and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. I ended up cooking them for about 6 minutes and 4 minutes in I added some fresh rosemary (Symon’s recipe says to add the fresh rosemary at the end when seasoning with salt).

Remove them from the oil to a large paper towel lined bowl and season with the rest of the fresh rosemary and salt.

Today, chicken basil sausages with red pepper relish and pickled jalapenos accompanied the crispy rosemary fries.

Homemade condiments makes any meal taste better…

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September 27, 2011 · 6:37 pm

Red Pepper Relish

This recipe is straight out of Michael Symon’s book “Live To Cook” and it’s one of my favorite condiments to have in the fridge. The only difference is I used one of my home-grown habanero peppers instead of two jalapenos and rice wine vinegar instead of white wine vinegar.

RECIPE

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 small red onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

Kosher salt

2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and finely diced

2 jalapenos, seeded and diced (or one habanero)

1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup white wine vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)

1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add oil to glaze the bottom of the pan. Add the onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt to sweat and soften onions, about 2 minutes. Add the bell peppers and jalapenos and sweat for 2 more minutes. Add coriander seeds and cook for another 30 seconds.

Add the sugar and vinegar and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Add the orange juice and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid completely reduces, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the relish to cool to room temp. Season with salt to taste and fold in the cilantro. Refrigerate for up to one month.

Then add to eggs, sandwiches, hot dogs, grilled fish, bbq and of course burgers…

*Note the english muffin used instead of a normal bun. Make sure you try that!

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July 21, 2011 · 9:59 am

Spicy Tomato and Blue Cheese Soup

I pulled this recipe off Michael Symon’s book Live To Cook and followed it exactly as printed but added a pinch of habanero powder for more heat, more garlic to lower my blood pressure and clear my allergies and basil to garnish.

First sweat one whole medium red onion (chopped) and a pinch of salt in a pot with 2 tablespoons of olive oil for 2 minutes. After add 5 cloves of garlic (sliced) and continue to sweat for another 2 minutes.

Add 28 ounces (2 cans) of tomatoes with their juice and one and a half cups of chicken stock, bring to a simmer.

Then add 3/4 cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons of Sriracha sauce, one tablespoon of oregano and simmer for 45 minutes.

After 45 minutes the soup will reduce to about half.

Put 1/2 a cup of blue cheese in a blender

Add the soup to the blender, work in batches if needed.

Blend until smooth

Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean pot

Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

I’m accompanying the soup with seared albacore and a salad with spinach, cucumber, bacon, fresh raspberries and raspberry vinaigrette.

Reheat the soup and garnish with basil before serving.

Silky smooth…

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April 4, 2011 · 11:11 am

Pan Fried Duck Breast with Asparagus

On the last No Reservations Anthony Bourdain pan fries some duck breast for duck hunters in the Ozarks that don’t like to eat the birds they hunt. It looked simple and amazing so I tried to make it myself. Since it was on a Friday night and we were drinking I decided to blanch some asparagus to go along with it. If you didn’t know asparagus helps alleviate hangovers and protects liver cells so some fatty, crispy duck breast and asparagus definitely makes a great drinking buddy.

To blanch asparagus trim the bottoms and if you want, peel some of the stock off.

Boil for 2-3 minutes.

Then shock in ice water.

Add sea salt and pepper.

For the duck, salt and pepper both sides and let rest covered in room temperature for 30 minutes.

Place the breast skin side down on a heated pan with a little olive oil on medium heat. The pan shouldn’t be too hot because you want the fat to render, skin to get crispy and not burn. Make sure you constantly spoon out the fat from the pan so the skin gets nice and crispy. Cook for about 10 minutes.

Flip and cook for another 5 minutes.

Let rest for 5 minutes.

Slice thin at an angle.

Add asparagus.

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February 28, 2011 · 11:18 am

Ramen Broth

The most important part of any good soup is a good broth. It should be a meal on its own filled with flavor, depth and complexity. Anything else you put into the broth should be there as a compliment, not to overpower it. Here’s a simple recipe I made with a couple of key ingredients (chicken, miso and shiitake mushrooms).

Fill a pot with 6 cups of water and 2 cups of dried shiitake mushrooms. Simmer on high heat for 45 minutes

Season whole chicken with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast till fully cooked.

In a separate small pot add 3 cups of water, 2 teaspoons of miso paste, 1 teaspoon of hon-dashi and the neck of the chicken (only if your whole chicken came with it). Simmer on high heat.

After the pot of mushrooms have simmered for 45 minutes they should be plump and re-hydrated and have lent the broth their color and aroma. Turn off heat, rinse konbu in cold water and add to the mushroom broth. Steep for 20 minutes and strain both pots.

You can save the mushrooms to pickle and use as a topping for the ramen.

By this time the chicken should have been done, taken out of the oven and rested.

Carve, save the thighs, legs and breast for another meal and add the rest to a pot filled with 6 cups of water and 3 tablespoons of salt.

Simmer on high heat for 2 hours reducing the liquid to about half.

After 2 hours add a bulb of garlic, green onions and a cup of sliced ginger. Also add 4 cups of mushroom stock and 2 cups of miso stock. Let everything simmer on low heat for another 45 minutes.

Strain and add toppings. I added seaweed, sesame seeds, green onion, chili oil, boiled noodles, pickled shiitake mushrooms, soft-boiled egg and braised pork belly…

This definitely isn’t that $0.50 packet of instant noodles I grew up on…

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February 3, 2011 · 9:31 am

Vegan Chili & Organic Cheese Stuffed Portobello Mushroom Sliders

For me nothing will ever replace a cheeseburger but mushrooms are a great substitute for meat when you’re trying to eat healthy. I picked up some fresh portobellos from the Torrance Farmers Market and decided to make a twist on one of my favorite bar foods.

Clean, de-stem and score

Brush with balsamic vinegar

Grill the bottom side for 5 minutes

Flip

Add the chili and cheese

Grill for another 8 minutes

Toast bread

Add condiments and fresh arugula

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January 10, 2011 · 10:06 am

Video: Stove-Top Sous Vide Duck

Duck is by far the best bird in the poultry family but there’s always been a question on how to prepare it at home.  Well here’s an easy and delicious recipe that I can’t wait to try myself. Thanks Foodbeast!

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December 20, 2010 · 9:54 am

Baba Ganoush Recipe

Baba ganoush is a side dish similar to hummus but made with eggplant (which makes it have a lighter texture). Super easy to make, very healthy and I actually prefer this over hummus.

  • 1 large eggplant
  • 1/4 cup tahini, plus more as needed
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more as needed
  • 1 pinch ground cumin
  • salt, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • pinch of paprika

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.

2. Prick each eggplant a few times fork, then char the outside of the eggplants by placing them directly on the flame of a gas burner and as the skin chars, turn them until the eggplants are charred on the outside. (If you don’t have a gas stove, you can char them under the broiler. If not, skip to the next step but still prick with a fork.)

3. Place the eggplants on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until they’re completely soft.

4. Remove from oven and let cool.

5. Split the eggplant and scrape out the pulp. Puree the pulp in a blender or food processor with the other ingredients until smooth.

6. Taste, and season with additional salt and lemon juice, if necessary. Chill for a few hours before serving. Serve with crackers, sliced baguette, or toasted pita chips.

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November 24, 2010 · 11:11 am

Fish Sauce Vinaigrette

Fish sauce vinaigrette is like the ketchup and mustard of a lot of Asian households. It goes with almost everything like hot sauce but brings any bland dish to life. If you’re broke all you need is a bowl of rice, some cheap meat, fish sauce vinaigrette and you’ll have yourself a gourmet Yoshinoya dinner.

1/2 cup fish sauce

1/4 cup water

2 table spoons rice wine vinegar

Juice of 1 lime

1/4 cup sugar (or less)

1 garlic clove (minced)

2 red bird’s-eye chilies, thinly sliced

Combine all ingredients in a jar, this vinaigrette will keep up for a month in your refrigerator.

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