Ginger Noodles with Kale and Shitakes

from Love and Lemons

2 (7 oz) packages miracle shirataki noodles, (or kelp, soba, or noodle of your choice)
(I got mine in the refrigerated section at my Whole Foods, near the tofu)

splash of olive oil
1/2 -1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms, (cleaned gently with a towel, don’t rinse them)
1 cup thinly chopped kale (about 1/2 a bunch)
1-2 teaspoons minced ginger
1 clove minced garlic
2-3 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
2-3 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup edamame, shelled and thawed
1 – 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
handful of chopped basil
handful of chopped mint
a squeeze of lime juice
drizzle of toasted sesame oil
crushed red pepper flakes or a splash of sriracha, (optional)
sesame seeds for garnish
salmon (optional)

Prepare your noodles – if you’re using the shiratake noodles, they don’t need to be cooked, but first, drain and rinse them. They have sort of a funky smell, so I recommend shocking them in boiling water for 30 seconds. Then drain and rinse (again) in cold water. Set aside until you’re ready to use them.

In a large skillet (I used a stainless one where the sides of it are 4 or so inches high), splash a bit of olive oil. When it’s hot, add the mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until they have wilted down. 5 or so minutes. Toss in kale, ginger, garlic and scallions. Stir fry for a few minutes until the kale starts to wilt down, but garlic is not burning. (turn the heat down if garlic and ginger are starting to burn).

Add broth, edamame, and noodles and simmer for a few minutes. If your veggies are soaking up all your broth, add more.

Turn off heat, stir in soy sauce, basil, mint, lime juice, and red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Ladle in to bowls and finish with a drizzle of toasted sesame oil and a sprinkle of sesame seeds. Top with cooked salmon, if using.

to cook the salmon:
season with salt pepper, olive oil, and press some sesame seeds on top. In a hot skillet, place salmon, sesame seed side down, and sear so a light crust forms – 2 or so minutes. (some sesame seeds will fall off, that’s ok. Flip salmon and continue cooking until it’s more (but not completely) opaque in the middle. About 4-6 more minutes. Serve on top of bowls of ginger noodles. Sprinkle with more sesame seeds if some have fallen off.

Carrot Soup With Miso & Sesame

From Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 regular or 6 small garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped or grated ginger, or more to taste (it could easily be doubled)
• 4 cups vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup white miso paste, or more to taste

To finish

• Drizzle of toasted sesame oil
• 2 scallions, very thinly sliced

Directions

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add carrots, onion and garlic sauté until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add broth and ginger. Cover and simmer until carrots are tender when pierced, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Puree soup in batches in blender, or all at once with an immersion blender. In a small bowl, whisk together the miso an a half-cup of the soup. Stir the mixture back into the pot of soup. Taste the soup and season with salt, pepper or additional miso to taste.

Ladle into bowls and garnish each with a drizzle of sesame oil and small mound of scallions.

Pickled scallions? I didn’t do this in the end, but was tempted to lightly pickled the scallions by letting them hang out in a mixture of 6 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon of Kosher salt (I use Diamond brand, use less if you’re using Morton or another, which are more dense) and 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar for a while before using them as garnish.

Rancho Grande Coleslaw

From Amanda Westoby

Ingredients

• 5 cups shredded green and red cabbage

• 3 cups shredded carrots (preferably of two or more colors)

• 3 or 4 scallions, chopped

• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

• 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced

• 14 ounces corn kernels (canned, or cooked and cooled if corn is frozen or fresh)

• 6 ounces black olives, drained and thinly sliced

• 3/4 cup ranch dressing

• 2 tablespoons lime juice

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon chili powder

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

• 3/4 cup crumbled nacho-flavored tortilla chips

Instructions

In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, carrots, scallions, cilantro, celery, corn and olives.

In a separate bowl, combine ranch dressing, lime juice, cayenne, chili powder and cumin.

Pour dressing over the vegetables and mix well. Add crumbled chips, toss again and serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings

Peanut Sesame Noodles

Adapted from Gourmet June 2002. Recipe hosted by Epicurious

Chris and I like to add Asian greens such as bok choi (crunchy, mild flavor) in stir-fries and Asian style noodle dishes. Another reader from on the Smitten Kitchen website feels like the same- See the reader comment below for additions of carrot, bok choi: 

I love this kind of thing, only the tofu has to be cooked with the garlic and a pinch of chili pepper. Then I add all sorts of Chinese veggies like bok choi and choy sum, Chinese cabbage, etc, carrots, red peppers, then with the soy sauce and CRUNCHY peanut butter, and I’ve had to start using fettuccine instead of the yummy green Chinese noodles (can’t find them anymore). They work, just not as nicely.

Ingredients

For peanut dressing

• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup warm water
• 1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1 medium garlic clove, chopped
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Asian toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes or a splash of the hot sauce or chili paste of your choice

For noodles

• 3/4 lb dried soba noodles (dried linguine fini or spaghetti will work in a pinch)
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/8-inch-thick strips
• Half a seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 cup firm or extra-firm tofu, cubed
• 3 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Directions

Put dressing ingredients in a blender until smooth, about 2 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl.

Cook pasta in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until tender. Drain in a colander, then rinse well under cold water.

[To use bok choi and/or carrots: Grate carrots or dice very thin- if small enough they can be cooked at the same time as the bok choi. If you want larger carrot chucks sautee first before bok choi. Cook in canola or peanut oil, adding a touch of sesame if desired. Sautee until just tender, add a bit of rice wine vinegar about mid way through. Set aside and combine with below ingredients with noodles.]

Add pasta, scallions, bell peppers, cucumber and tofu to dressing, tossing to combine. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Servings: Makes 6 side-dish or 4 vegetarian main-course servings.

Summer Borscht

From Barefoot Contessa. Hosted by Ina Garten

Ingredients 

• 5 medium fresh beets (about 2 pounds without tops)
• Kosher salt
• 2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 16 ounces sour cream, plus extra for serving
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Champagne vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups medium-diced English cucumber, seeds removed
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus extra for serving

Directions 
Place the beets in a large pot of boiling salted water and cook uncovered until the beets are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the beets to a bowl with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and also set aside to cool. 

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the beet cooking liquid, the chicken stock, sour cream, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, vinegar, 1 tablespoon salt, and the pepper. Peel the cooled beets with a small paring knife or rub the skins off with your hands. Cut the beets in small to medium dice. Add the beets, cucumber, scallions, and dill to the soup. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Season, to taste, and serve cold with a dollop of sour cream and an extra sprig of fresh dill.

Skirt Steak Salad with Arugula and Blue Cheese

from Smitten Kitchen

I attempted an interesting-sounding retro salad dressing from this recipe and found it… inedible. I then made it a second time with no lime juice, a little bit of lime zest, half the balsamic vinegar and half the sugar and we found it… passable. (Well, I found it passable, my husband liked it.) If you’d like to make Catalina-ish dressing, that’s how I’d suggest going about it. However, to my taste, next time I will make this with a sharp mustard vinaigrette with a dash of Worcestershire sauce, a little steakhouse touch I love in salads like this, recipe below.

Serves 4

• 1 pound skirt steak, trimmed of excess fat if necessary, halved crosswise, at room temperature
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pint (2 cups) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup (about 4 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
• 1/2 pound baby arugula
• Vinaigrette (below)
• 3 tablespoons minced chives, 2 thinly sliced scallions or 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion, for garnish

Pat steak dry and season on both sides 1/2 teaspoon salt and many grinds of black pepper.

In a cast-iron skillet: Heat skillet on medium-high to high and add olive oil. When oil begins to shimmer, place steak in skillet and do not move it for 5 minutes. Turn it once, and cook for another 3 minutes for medium-rare. You may need to cook your steak halves separately, depending on the size of your pan.

On a grill: Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over hot charcoal or high heat for gas. Oil grill rack, then grill steak, covered only if using a gas grill, turning once, 4 to 6 minutes total for medium-rare.

Transfer steak to a cutting board and let rest, loosely covered with foil, for five minutes. Arrange arugula on a large platter. Thinly slice steak on the diagonal, across the grain. Arrange over arugula, then toss halved cherry tomatoes and blue cheese over platter. Add vinaigrette to taste, then sprinkle with chives, scallions or red onion. Serve with additional vinaigrette on the side.

Steakhouse Mustard Vinaigrette

• 1 tablespoon coarse Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons wine vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Whisk ingredients. Season with salt and pepper and adjust ingredients to taste (usually more Dijon and vinegar for me).