All posts tagged carrot

By Jessica | November 17, 2010 | Main Courses | No comments

Now that I got married to a Brit, I’m learning all sorts of culinary oddities. “Pie,” for example, could possibly mean something filled with meat and doesn’t necessarily use dough. A “pasty” isn’t something exclusively for slutty nipples but more of a savory turnover or hot pocket that was originally created for hungry, cold, miners on the go. “Pudding” refers to ALL desert, not just the creamy plop varietal, and “Curry” refers to all Indian food. OH! And my fat ass’s favorite new English mouth treat is a little something called “bread sauce.”

Raise your hand if you like gravy.

Bread Sauce is sorta like gravy – it’s made with the drippings from the roast, a ton of milk or cream and some stale bread crumbs, seasoned with salt, pepper, onion, maybe a little clove or bay leaf (aint gonna front, last two came from wiki). Anyway, pour this warm, think sauce all over your plate of roast beef, roast lamb, roast turkey, roast chicken, roast veg, what-have-you, for an amazing cherry on top of that mother fucker.

After your face is done with all that meat and bread, you inevitably have some roasted veg left over. Save them for tomorrows Bubble and Squeak!

So simple. Finley dice your left over veg, whatever it is. We recently did ours with fingerling potatoes, carrots, turnips, squash, and pearl onions. Since you probably roasted with a butt load of oil, the veg is nice and moist, and now slightly mashed from your chopping. Add some flour and form into flat patties. Put some oil in a pan, fry till crusted, and serve. We ate ours with ketchup, and my bad ass used hot sauce, but I’m sure the Queen wouldn’t be too happy about that.

Frying Bubble and Squeak

By Jessica | January 3, 2010 | In The News, Main Courses, Other People's Recipes, Projects, Recipes | 1 Comment

Saw Food, Inc. Kill me now.

My New Years resolution (besides working this fat ass out) is to shop at more farmers markets and eat smaller portions with the goal of being a bit more conscious of my consumption. Ima also do my best to plan out meals so I can double up on the ingredients I buy. How many times does your recipe call for scallions, you buy the bunch, use half, and throw the rest out a week later? So yeah, that shit cannot be happening.

Here is mine and B’s meal plan this week, all different meals that use many of the same ingredes:

Bright and Spicy Citrus Salad Over Rice

That Soba Noodle / Shiitake / Spinach jam on the NYTimes most emailed list for the past couple days.

B and I used to wok up some rice on the daily, haven’t in a while, looking to get back to our roots with some Pork Fried Rice. (wok, peanut oil, chopped pork chop, cooked rice (brown?), cabbage, carrot, siracha, sesame oil, cilantro, basil, bam.)

Although I get my Ashe on, on the reg, I also got a need for the chipotle to hit that tongue as well. I’ll be doing this poached shredded chicken breast with chipotle dressing this week as well.

Oh, and something with a sweet potato. All yall healthy people been squawkin about this shit for a while, I really wasn’t down, but I’m going to try it for lunch. I’ll let ya know how it goes.

By Jessica | December 11, 2009 | Main Courses, Other People's Recipes, Recipes, Snackin, Salads and Apps | No comments

It’s fucking big. See? That’s \/ a lemon and that’s \/ a pomelo. Awesome, right?
Lemon Vs Pomelo

A pomelo is the best cause it’s huge but really light in weight. And then when you open it, it’s beautifully pink (although, I found out that not all of them are, but what the hell do I know). The one I got for this salad wasn’t very citrusey or very sweet. But still very bright, and a perfect addition to the spicy dressing.

I adapted this recipe from a cook book about salads. The book is only aaaight, but here is my version of the salad.

Bright and Spicey Pomelo Salad

Bright and Spicy Pomelo Salad

dressing:
2 tbl rice wine
juice of 1 juicy lime
1 pinch of brown sugar
1 tsp siracha
1 small red onion, finely diced
2 finely diced jalapenos, finely diced and go ahead, leave them seeds
3 tablespoons of canola oil

Mix everything but the oil together. Taste and make sure it’s salty or spicy enough for ya. When you’re ready to toss your salad (hehe), whisk the oil in and dress your veg.

the rest:
1 pomelo, sectioned (if you are really ambition, do it right, see here, otherwise, you know, peel and section it.)
1 small nappa cabbage or iceberg, if ya feel it
1 carrot, shredded
chopped fresh mint, basil and/or cilantro (or maybe 2 out of the 3)
chopped mixed roasted salted nuts

Put your salad in your eatin bowls, with the pomelo beautifully on top. Add the oil to your dressing as noted above and generously dress it. Eat. Mmm mmm good as a mo.

(PS. this original recipe called for fish sauce, shallots and not red onion, and less siracha in the dressing. Do what you will.)

By Jessica | March 18, 2009 | Main Courses, Recipes | 3 Comments

Since I had bacon for breakfast, and two dinners: buffalo wings and beer, then ramen with pork later that night, my heart was banging and begging for some heart healthy love. So I set about creating a fat-free, sugar-free, guilt-free, and everything else bad for you-free meal for me and B. Since we recently became obsessed with the spicy green papaya salad from thai restaurants, I built a larger meal around that idea. And hot damn that shit is good. I mean, not as good as how much we need to help the US citizens of South Africa get more maps, but probably almost as good, you know, for our kids, such as, I believe. Maps.

Spicy Mango and Shrimp Salad

1/2 head of bibb lettuce, tore apart
1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup of fresh basil, chopped
1 jalapeno, finely diced
1/2 inch ginger, peeled and finely diced
1/2 almost ripe mango, cut in thin, 1 inch strips
1 scallion, cut in thin, 1 inch strips
1 carrot, peeled and cut in thin, 1 inch strips
1/2 cucumber, peeled and cut in 1 inch strips
1/4 cup of salted peanuts

Shrimp:
20 medium shrimps, peeled
1 tbs of paprika
1/2 tbs of cayenne
drizzle of olive oil

Dressing:
2 parts soy sauce
2 parts rice or white vinegar
1 parts sirachi
1 part sesame oil

Serves 2 hungry heffers.

After your shreemps are peeled and washed, sprinkle with the spices and mix in the olive oil. Let sit for 20 minutes while you chop your veg and get your dressing on point.

Mix your greens, cilantro and basil together, and divide in two eatin bowls. Sprinkle the jalapeno and ginger over the greens. In pretty little piles, place mounds of the mango, scallion, carrot and cucumbers around the outer edge of the bowl over the lettuce. Don’t mix – it will look awesomer this way.

Combine the first 3 ingredients of your dressing. Slowly whisk in the oil. Feel free to play with the amounts to achieve success for your taste buds. Now pour over your prepared salad.

Heat your stove top grill pan, or skillet and place the shrimp. After a minute and a half, flip. Cook for another minute and a half. Grab and place in a delicious little pile in the center of your salad.

Sprinkle with the peanuts. Write me a note and tell me you sweat this salad.

By Jessica | October 10, 2008 | Main Courses, Recipes | No comments

I am foreal sweatin this wok. You should def get one. And now that I’m getting the hang of it, I am woking up something major. Here is my weekly wok tip of the day (huh?): Cook fast and cook hot. Make sure your ingredients are ready to throw in cause when the wok calls, you answer gotdamnit.

Chinese Shrimp Stirfry with Ginger and Brown Rice

1/4 cup of fresh ginger (thin strips)
4 small hot, red peppers, sliced (add more or less depending on your fire mouth)
2 scallions, sliced, keep the bottom half separate from the top half, but you will be using both
1 carrot julienned
1 bunch of baby bok choy (can’t find baby bok choy? 1/2 of a mama), chop the stems, slice the greens and keep each pile separate
1/2 lb of medium-sized shrimp, peeled and de-shitted
1/8 cup of tamari (have I mentioned that tamari is the same as soy?)
2 cups of cooked brown rice
veg or peanut oil for frying
sesame oil for garnish

marinade for the shrimp:
1 tsp of chinese 5 spice
1 tbs of tamari
1 tbs of tomato paste

This serves 2 with 20 minutes of prep (if you’re peeling your own shrimp), and 10 minutes of cooking. (That’s 30 minutes total. der.)

First, prepare your shreemps. Peel and do what you gotta do. Mix the chinese spice, 1 tbs of tamari and tomato paste. Coat the shrimp and let it site while you chop the veg. When you’re all prepped, you’re ready to heat the wok.

Heat your wok, add the veg or peanut oil and heat till it smokes. Add the ginger and stir furiously. 30 seconds later, add the hot peppers (this may make you cough). 30 seconds later, add the whites of the bok choy. Your wok’s heat may have reduced a bit, so make sure it is as hot as it was when you started. When it is, add the carrots. 1 minute later, add the whites of the scallions. Now, add your cooked rice. Make sure your wok is hot, the rice should be crisping in some areas, but because you are stirring like mad, it won’t stick. Add the green of the bok choy and when wilted, create a whole in the middle of the grub and add the shrimp.

Stir the shrimp in the middle while it cooks. As soon as the shrimp is done (about 3 minutes), stir everything together, add the remaining tamari and dish up. Garnish with greens of the scallions and sesame oil. Eat with cold cold beer.

By Jessica | October 8, 2008 | Main Courses, Recipes, Snackin, Salads and Apps | 1 Comment

What do you get when you combine homemade dumplings and spring rolls, wine flowage, and tequila shots to boot? Our house on Saturday night. Oh. Yeah. And I’m not going to lie to you people, the food was banging. Even C said the food seemed easy enough to make at home and her culinary skills peak at choosing a stinky cheese and a dope wine – not that thats anything to laugh about. I can’t taste the difference between merlot and shiraz but give me a blind pork test and I’ll school you. Anyway, make these things at your house to impress your friends.

Steamed Pork and Scallion Dumplings

1/2 lb of ground pork
2 scallions, sliced
1/4 cup of tamari
3 tbs of sesame oil
dash of vinegar
fresh pepper
wanton wrappers
Makes about 12.

Mix the first 6 ingredients together. Drop a spoonful of mixture on to the center of the wrapper. Wet the exposed edges with water. Grab all the corners, bring to the middle and scrunch together. Steam for 20 minutes. Dipping sauces below.

Steamed Ginger and Beef Dumplings

1/2 lb of ground beef
1/4 cup of finely chopped ginger
1/4 cup of tamari
salt and fresh pepper
wanton wrappers
Makes about 12.

Mix all ingredients together. Drop a spoonful of mixture on to the center of the wrapper. Wet the exposed edges with water. Grab all the corners, bring to the middle and scrunch together. Steam for 20 minutes. Dipping sauces below.

Fried Cabbage, Shitake and Carrot Dumplings

1 carrot, diced
1/4 cup of white cabbage, shredded
1/4 cup of shitake mushrooms, diced
wanton wrappers
veg oil for frying
1/2 cup of water
Makes about 12.

Dice your carrot, cabbage and shrooms and combine in a bowl. Drop a tablespoon or so (you’ll begin to feel it out) onto the wrapper. Guess what you do here. That’s right. Wet the edges, grab the corners, bring together, scrunchy scrunchy. Here is what is different. Heat a frying pan and add a bit of veg oil for frying. When very hot, place your dumpling to fry for 5 minutes. When they have a nice crispy brown bottom, pour in a 1/2 cup of water and cover immediately to finish cooking through with a nice steam bath. Let it do its thing for 5 minutes. Should be ready at this time. Dipping sauces below.

Fresh Spring Rolls

1/2 carrot, julienned (that means cut into thin strips at about 3 inches)
2 scallions, cut down the middle middle and cut at about 3 inches
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1/2 bunch of chinese or (uh, american? or italian?.. dunno) basil
rice paper rolls

Cut your veggies and clean and dry your herbals. Add the rice paper to a bowl of very warm water and let it soften for about 30 seconds. Make sure you get all the edges under the water so it doesn’t roll up and crack. When the paper is soft, very gently pull it out and lay flat on a cutting board. Throw a bit of each of your ingredients into the center towards the bottom of the wrapper. Begin to roll the fatty towards the center. Halfway up, grab the right and the left and fold over the rolled half. Then continue to roll up. As soon as the paper dries, it will stick to itself. To serve, use a very sharp knife to cut 2 or 4 slices and stand up if possible.

Dippin Sauces

sirachi
wasabi paste with tamari
chopped ginger in tamari
sesame oil with red pepper flakes (or without)

Let me mention that I particularly like the wasabi with the beef and the sesame oil with the spring rolls. Let me also mention that these are damn easy to do, cheap as all get out and fun to eat. I am not afraid to cater your next dumpling affair. Gimme a date and a time and I’ll be there. You provide the tequila.