Curried Spinach and Cilantro Soup

The spinach recipes continue!  

This is a perfect meal for a scorching summer day.  The creamy texture of coconut milk and pureed potato and the mellow sweetness of spinach pair nicely with the cooling, almost stringent taste of cilantro and tangy lime to make a decidedly light and refreshing soup .  Use your favorite Thai-style curry powder or curry paste and make sure to adjust the salt level at the end of the cooking process so as not to over-season.  I like to garnish with a healthy handful of cilantro leaves to really give the soup a bright, vibrant flavor.

Curried Spinach and Cilantro Soup
serves 4-6

2 1/2 T butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 garlic scapes, chopped
2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 can light coconut milk
2 cups water or vegetable stock
1 1/2 T Thai curry powder
5 cups tightly-packed spinach leaves, tough stems removed
1 cup cilantro stems (about 1/2 a bunch)
Juice of 2 limes
salt and pepper, to taste
cilantro leaves

Heat butter in a large pot over medium-high until melted.  Lower heat, slightly, and add onions.  Saute until tender and lightly browned, about 8 minutes.  Add garlic scapes and potatoes and cook until scapes are fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add coconut milk, water, and curry powder and bring mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

When potatoes are fork-tender, add spinach leaves and cilantro stems and stir until leaves are wilted and soft, about 5 minutes.  Using an immersion blender (or a food processor, in two batches) puree soup until smooth and creamy.  Season with salt and pepper, stir well, and remove from heat.  Add lime juice and stir to combine.  Serve soup hot with a handful of cilantro leaves in each bowl, to garnish.

"Sesame Three Ways" Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup

This recipe is one of those happy accidents that results from a combination of two things:  a half-empty fridge and a total lack of desire to go grocery shopping.  I had a whole bunch of carrots and sweet potatoes (don't ask me why) and almost nothing else to work with - and it turns out that's really all you need! 

If you keep a well-stocked Asian pantry, this soup is totally dirt-cheap and easy to put together.  If not, I would highly recommend investing in all the Asian ingredients that are called for (including the garnishes) because they are great staples, are found in lots of different Asian dishes, and make this soup incredibly flavorful and unique.   The tahini not only adds good nutrition (sesame seeds are packed with good fats and protein!) but also gives the soup a thicker, creamier consistency.   The soy sauce adds that wonderful, mysterious umami flavor and a complex saltiness.  The drizzle of toasted sesame oil really brings out the pure flavor of sesame and adds a toasty nuttiness to the dish.  I used black sesame seeds as a finishing touch because they added one more layer of sesame flavor and they look really beautiful sprinkled on the soup, but blanched sesame seeds or toasted white sesame seeds would work just fine.  Lastly, Sriracha is a spicy, garlicky and totally multi-purpose condiment that adds a nice heat and extra depth of flavor to the soup.  I used about a tablespoon per serving for a medium-strength heat.  Use more Sriracha if you like your soup really spicy.

"Sesame Three Ways" Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup
serves 8

2 T olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 1/2 lbs Sweet Potatoes, peeled and diced
1 lb carrots, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup ginger, minced
1/4 cup mirin or white wine
8 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup tahini
2 T soy sauce

Garnishes:
black sesame seeds
Sriracha sauce
toasted sesame oil

In a large pot over medium heat, saute the onions in olive oil until translucent, about 8 minutes.  Add potatoes, carrots and ginger and cook until ginger is fragrant, about two minutes.  Deglaze the pan with mirin, then add stock.  Raise the heat to high and bring liquid to a boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover pot and allow to simmer, stirring occasionally until potatoes and carrots are very tender, about 40 minutes.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, add a little of the hot liquid to the tahini and stir to dissolve.  Add mixture to soup and puree with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy.  Serve with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and a drizzle of oil and sriracha sauce to garnish

Mostly Raw Asian Salad

Yesterday was the 4th of July and in traditional American fashion we celebrated with some grilled meat and brownie sundaes (OK I don't know how traditional brownie sundaes are for the 4th, but we basically just felt like indulging!).  Needless to say, we needed a bit of a "detox" from that incredibly heavy meal, so I made this light, cleansing, and mostly raw salad! 

The dish is made with a light, tangy peanut dressing which provides lots of flavor to cling to the raw veggies.  I added the cut vegetables to the dressing and let them sit for an hour to tenderize a little bit, but this step isn't really necessary.  If you are planning on having leftovers, keep the dressed veggies separate from the lettuce until ready to serve - that way the lettuce won't wilt!

Mostly Raw Asian Salad
serves 4

Dressing:
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp honey
1 T rice vinegar
1 T soy sauce
1 tsp toasted seasame oil
3 T peanut butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 T fresh mint, chopped
2 T fresh chives, chopped

Salad
2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
1 large red pepper, cut into matchsticks
2 cups of broccoli, cut into bite-sized florets
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
8 cups mixed greens

In a large bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients until smooth.  Add the carrots, pepper and broccoli and toss well to combine.  Just before serving, add 1/4 of the dressed veggies to 2 cups of mixed greens and toss well.  Sprinkle seasame seeds on top and serve.

Asian Cole Slaw with Ginger-Peanut Dressing

I'll just say it right now:  I love this recipe!  The dressing is super-flavorful, tangy, garlicky and rich tasting and the vegetables are fresh and crunchy.  It is the perfect balance of healthful, wholesome food with enough good fat to make you feel satisfied.  

Asian Cole Slaw with Ginger-Peanut Dressing
serves 4

1 lb firm tofu
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup peanut oil
6 cups shredded cabbage (mixture of green and red varieties)
2 carrots, shredded
1 yellow pepper, sliced very thin
1 red pepper, sliced very thin
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 bunch scallions, sliced thin

Dressing:
Juice of 2 limes (about 1/8 of a cup)
4 garlic cloves
2 T rice vinegar
3 T soy sauce
2 T fresh ginger, minced
1 T agave syrup (or honey)
1 T sriracha chili sauce
1 T toasted seasame oil
1/4 cup peanut butter

Slice tofu into four 1/2 inch thick rectangles and drain between two cutting boards lined with dish towels (or paper towels).  Allow tofu to press for at least 30 minutes for best results.

Meanwhile, make the dressing.  Add all the dressing ingredients in a small blender and puree until it reaches a creamy, thick consistency.  Thin with a little water, if desired.

Place the flour in a small plate and lightly dredge each piece of tofu.  In a large, flat-bottomed pan, heat peanut oil over medium-high and fry the tofu pieces until browned and crispy, about 5 minutes per side.  Remove tofu from oil and drain on a paper towel.  Season with just a little pinch of salt.

In a large bowl, combine vegetables and all but 1/8 cup of dressing (enough to spread over the tofu pieces) and toss well to combine.  Spread the remaining dressing over the tofu pieces and cut into triangles.  Serve cole slaw with tofu triangles arranged on top.

Happy Peanut Noodles with Crispy Tofu

I discovered the wonderful world of Asian-style peanut sauces during my first job as a line cook.  Since then, I have made it with lots of variations and enjoyed them all - you almost can't go wrong!  Peanut butter adds a wholesome richness to the sauce, while soy sauce gives it that signature salty, umami taste. 

For all of you out there who insist that tofu sucks, don't be scared away!  Tofu, in fact, does suck when you don't prepare it right.  Some people are perfectly happy with some plain-tasting, soggy bits of un-prepared tofu thrown into any old stir fry but, well, that's just not the way we do things here!  Pressing the tofu allows it to acheive a more chewy, toothsome texture so for best results, do this step well-ahead of time.  The better you press it, the tastier the tofu will be!


Happy Peanut Noodles with Crispy Tofu
makes 2 large or 3 regular-sized servings

1/2 a package dried Udon noodles (about 5 ounces)
peanut oil, for frying
1/2 lb. extra firm tofu
1/4 cup flour
1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 large red pepper, cut into matchsticks
3 cups baby bok choy, sliced
1 bunch scallions, sliced thin
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter (unsweetened)
2 T rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
1-3 T sriracha chili sauce (to taste)

Slice the tofu into 4 thin squares and very gently squeeze to remove excess water.  Place a towel (or a couple of paper towels) on a cutting board, then top with tofu squares.  Add another towel and another cutting board on top of the tofu.  Place a large pot, or any other heavy item, on top of the cutting board and allow tofu to squeeze dry.  If using paper towels, you may have to change them out once or twice until most of the water is absorbed (at least an hour or more if you have time).

Once tofu is ready, fill a large, shallow, flat-bottomed pan with about 1/4 inch of peanut oil and place on medium heat.  Once oil is heated, gently place the tofu squares in the pan.  Fry each side until nice and golden, about 4-6 minutes per side.  Remove tofu from pan and drain on a paper towel.  Dump all but a couple of teaspoons of the oil from the pan and set aside. 

Meanwhile, cook udon noodles according to package directions and drain in a colander.  Set aside.

Make peanut sauce.  In a blender, add garlic, soy sauce, peanut butter, vinegar, and chili sauce and puree until smooth.  Add a little water to thin the sauce to desired consistency.  Set aside.

Return the tofu pan to medium heat and add the pepper and carrot.  Stir fry until just a little tender, about 3 minutes.  Add bok choy and remove from heat.  In a large bowl, combine noodles, vegetables, scallions and half the peanut sauce and toss well to combine.  Cut tofu squares in half diagonally.  Place them on top of the noodles and drizzle some or all of the remaining sauce directly on the tofu.