From  Five Meals Every Man Should Master

Pork & Beans

Part I: The Pork

Even the best home chef can't be pan-frying fillet of sole for 12: too much last-minute hassle, no way to nail the timing. That's where the one-pot meal comes in, the richly satisfying braise that actually gets better if you cook it three days in advance, so the flavors have time to develop. A braise takes minimal last-minute effort and can easily be scaled for a huge group or to leave a week's worth of the best leftovers you've ever had.

"And the thing I especially love about pork and beans," Keller tells me, "is all the ways you can repurpose it into other meals." He shows me exactly what he means, whipping up the single best plate of huevos rancheros I've ever eaten (and eat them I do, hunched over his kitchen's counter) and a killer bean soup that takes all of about 10 minutes to make (see  below - mensjournal.com/leftovers for those recipes). But the pièce de résistance is the pork-and-beans proper, a classic Keller dish in which the simplest comfort food becomes a minor culinary miracle.

The Complete Recipe: Braised Pork Shoulder With Slow-Cooker Beans

Braising the Pork:

Ingredients• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4- to 5-lb bone-in pork shoulder
• 4 tbsp canola oil
• 2 chopped carrots
• 1 chopped Spanish onion
• 1 chopped leek, white part only
• 8 cups veal or chicken stock
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 diced garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp black peppercorns

Step 1
Sprinkle salt and ground pepper on the pork very generously on all sides (don't be shy; you can't really overdo it here).

Step 2
Place a large cast-iron pot on the stove on high heat, and add the canola oil.

Step 3
When the oil is shimmering, lower the pork shoulder into the pot gently. Sear on all sides until golden brown, rotating the pork by hand, setting it up on its edge when necessary – then remove the meat and set aside.

Step 4
Pour out excess oil, then add chopped carrots, onion, and leek. Stir to coat with remaining oil in the bottom of the pot.

Step 5
Lay the shoulder on top of the vegetables (fatty side up). Add the veal or chicken stock so that it comes only halfway up the side of the pork, then add rosemary sprig, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, garlic, and peppercorns to the liquid. Bring to a simmer.

Step 6
Cover the pot, leaving lid slightly ajar, and place in a 250 oven. Braise the pork for 3.5 hours, or until the meat is tender enough to pull apart with two forks.

Step 7
Remove the pork from the pot and let cool to room temperature. Strain braising liquid through a fine-mesh strainer, return the pork and liquid to the pot, and refrigerate overnight.

Step 8
Once ready to finish the dish, debone the pork and then cut the meat into 2-inch-square chunks.

Part II: The Beans

The dilemma: Dried beans take forever to get tender, and you invariably overcook some, turning them mushy before others lose their hardness. Keller's solution: Rancho Gordo-brand beans, which are guaranteed fresh from ranchogordo.com, and a Crock-Pot or other slow cooker to help achieve even cooking.

Ingredients
• 1 pound Rancho Gordo-brand borlotti or cannellini beans
• 6 cups veal (or chicken) stock
• 6 cups water
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 leek
• 1/2 carrot
• 1/2 white onion
• 1 oz bacon

Step 1
Wash and rinse beans – do not soak – then heat the stock and water in a pot and add to slow cooker.

Step 2
Tie together thyme and bay leaf and put in liquid with 1 tsp salt, leek, carrot, onion, beans, and bacon. Slow-cook on high until tender, about 4 hours. Cool and store in their liquid.

Part III: The Finish

Ingredients
• 3/4 cup large-diced leeks, white parts only
• 1 cup large-diced carrots
• Canola oil, as needed
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp red-wine vinegar

Step 1
Scrape fat off surface of pork-braising liquid. Discard.

Step 2
Warm the meat and stock over low heat. Remove the pork. Pour the braising liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into another pot.

Step 3
Return pork shoulder to its liquid. Simmer until needed.

Step 4
In a large skillet, sauté leeks and carrots in oil until tender.

Step 5
Strain the beans and put half in the skillet. Add one cup of the pork-braising liquid, the butter, and the red-wine vinegar to bind the sauce. Simmer 20 minutes, until the liquid thickens.

Step 6
Set pieces of warmed pork in the beans and serve.

Serves 2

Ingredients for the salsa:
(This will make more salsa than you need but you can keep it to eat with tortilla chips)
8 vine-ripened tomatoes
1 Jalapeno pepper, seeds removed then fine diced
1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
½ of 1 lime zest
Juice of ½ a lime
¼ cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

For the beans:
8 oz cooked beans
¼ cup water
1 cup braising liquid from pork shoulder
1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
4 corn tortillas

For the pork:
12 oz of cooled pork shoulder, shredded
1 Tablespoon butter
Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
4 whole eggs, poached
White wine vinegar, as needed

Step 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Core the tomatoes and blanch in the water for several seconds. Plunge the tomatoes in an ice bath. When cool, peel and seed, then small dice. (See mensjournal.com/lambsides for more on big-pot blanching).

Step 2
In a bowl, add the tomatoes, Jalapeno and red onion together. Add the lemon zest and squeeze half a lime onto the mixture. Toss in the cilantro leaves, add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Step 3
In a small pot, add the cooked beans, water and braising liquid. Let simmer until almost ready to put the dish together. Add the vinegars and butter to finish. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside

Step 4
In a sauté pan, add the pork shoulder and butter. Gently sauté, stirring the mixture until ready to plate. Find a warm spot on your stove and reheat the corn tortillas until softened. Set aside.

Step 5
In a medium sized pot, add water until at least 4-inches deep and bring to a light simmer. Add enough vinegar until you can detect a light vinegar taste. Carefully break each egg into separate small bowls. With a wooden spoon, stir water in circular motion twice or until a vortex forms in the middle. Slip eggs, one-by-one, into the vortex, careful not to break the yolks. After 1 1/2 minutes, or until whites are opaque, remove the eggs and set aside.

Step 6
To plate, add the beans on one side of the plate; add the shredded pork on the other, layer with salsa and top with poached eggs. Lightly sprinkle with chopped cilantro. Add shredded cheese to taste carefully roll tortillas and place alongside. Serve.
-

Leftover #2: Bean Soup

-
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked beans, heated
Chicken stock, as needed to get the right soup consistency (or replace with vegetable stock or water to make a vegetarian soup), heated
½ cup Extra virgin olive oil
Champagne vinegar
Kosher Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Step 1
Take leftover pain de campagne, crust removed and roughly torn into 1 inch cubes and toasted in the oven for 10 minutes.

Step 2
Place the beans and 1 cup chicken stock in a blender and puree until smooth. Add more stock or water to reach desired consistency. With the blender still running, add the extra virgin olive oil in a steady stream.

Step 3
To finish, add 1 teaspoon champagne vinegar, 1 teaspoon of salt and a few grindings of pepper; taste, and continue adding vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste.

Ladle the bean soup into bowls. Serve the toasted croutons on the side.

Asian Glass Noodle Chicken Soup

Here's a recipe from Goddess of Scrumptiousness that I would like to try:

This particular Asian Glass Noodle Chicken Soup is actually a staple in my home even in monsoon season. It is very simple to make and with few ingredients, it is definitely one of those soups that you would want to cook repetitively even on sunny and lazy days.

Just saute finely chopped onions, garlic and ginger in canola oil until this trifecta of aromatics are fragrant. Then saute the chunks of chicken breast fillets. Add hot chicken broth infused with a pinch of saffron threads (pinch of powdered saffron) and let simmer for about 30 minutes so that the soup develops a homemade and savoury flavour, season with salt and pepper. Add the (cold water) soaked glass noodles (rice vermicelli noodles) and cook for 3 minutes.Turn off heat, flake the chicken, serve the noodles in a bowl and top with chicken, crispy fried garlic shingles and thinly sliced spring onions.

Slow Cooker Korean Short Ribs

I bought a pack of grass-fed short ribs yesterday from the farmer's market. I want to use the slow cooker, so I will try this recipe as soon as the meat's thawed.

• 6 pounds of bone-in English-style grass-fed short ribs
• Kosher Salt
• Freshly Ground Pepper
• 1 medium pear or Asian pear, peeled, cored, and chopped coarsely
• 1/2 cup soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
• 3 scallions, roughly chopped
• 1 hunk of ginger, about the size of your thumb, cut into two pieces
• 2 teaspoons of Red Boat fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or coconut vinegar
• 1 cup organic chicken broth
• Small handful of roughly chopped fresh cilantro

• Preheat your broiler with the rack 6 inches from the heating element. Season the ribs liberally with salt and pepper and lay the ribs, bone-side up on a foil-lined baking sheet. 
• Broil the ribs for 5 minutes and then flip them over and broil for another 5 minutes. Stack the ribs in a single layer in the slow cooker. I lay them on their side to cram them all in the pot. 
• Toss the pear, coconut aminos, garlic, scallions, ginger, fish sauce, and vinegar in a blender and puree until smooth. 
• Pour the sauce evenly over the ribs and add the chicken broth to the pot. Cover with the lid, set the slow cooker on low, and let the ribs stew for 9-11 hours. 
• When it’s time to serve the ribs, remove the meat from the slow cooker and place them on a serving platter.  Let the braising liquid settle for 5 minutes and then ladle off the fat if you wish. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, and pour a cup of sauce over the ribs. Sprinkle on the chopped cilantro and serve the remaining sauce on the side.

Here's another option (except that I don't have a microwave) and another. For a spicy version, try this.

French Yogurt Cake

Think of this as a healthier pound cake with a bit more going on (thanks to yogurt and lemon zest).

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
• 3/4 cup whole-milk Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• special equipment

  8 1/2 x 4 1/4-inch loaf pan

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°. Coat pan with vegetable oil spray. Dust with flour; tap out excess.
• Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and kosher salt in a medium bowl.
• Using your fingers, rub sugar with lemon zest in a large bowl until sugar is moist. Add yogurt, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract; whisk to blend. Fold in dry ingredients just to blend.
• Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into center comes out clean, 50–55 minutes.
• Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert onto rack; let cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2012/05/french-yogurt-cake#ixzz1xy6RzOWj

Toasted Adobo with Kaffir Lime and Quail Egg

½ k pork, cut in squares (pork ribs or pork butt)

1 head garlic, chopped

1 tsp ginger

½ white onion, diced

½ c soy sauce

1 c vinegar

2 c water

5 pc quail eggs

1 tsp paprika

2 pc lime leaves (kaffir lime)

4 tbsp cooking oil or olive oil

5 tbsp fresh mashed potato

Salt and pepper to taste

3 tbsp water

In a big sauce pan or wok, heat 2 tbsp of oil then sauté the chopped garlic and onions. Add the pork to the pan. Add 2 c of water, ¼ c of soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, paprika and the lime leaves. Bring to a boil.

Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until meat is tender.

Thicken the sauce by adding mashed potato. Add salt and pepper, if desired. Bring to a boil then simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the pork from the sauce pan.

On another pan, heat cooking oil and brown the pork and quail eggs for a few minutes. Arrange in the plate and serve hot with pickled vegetables and garlic rice.

Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken

This is good and easy to make.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons peanut or light olive oil
1.5kg chicken, cut into bite sized pieces (including the bone)
3 stalks lemongrass (white part only) finely chopped
2 red chillies, finely chopped
3 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons palm or brown sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
½ cup chicken stock

Alternate version using thigh or breast fillet:
2 tablespoons light olive oil
500g chicken breast fillets, sliced
2 stalks lemongrass, finely chopped
1 red chilli, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped ginger
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon palm or brown sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce

METHOD

Heat oil in a large wok or frying pan. Cook chicken in batches. Remove and set aside. Pour all but 1 tablespoon of the oil from the pan.

Add lemongrass, chillies, ginger and garlic to the wok. Fry for 1-2 minutes (be careful not to burn) Add the palm sugar and cook until it caramelises.

Return the chicken to the pan and toss in the caramel. Add the fish sauce and chicken stock to the pan and toss. Cook covered for about 7 minutes. Remove lid and cook another 10-15 minutes or until cook through and sauce has reduced. Serve immediately with rice.

For alternate version using thight or breast fillet:
Heat oil in a wok or frying pan. Add chicken, in batches, and cook until browned. Remove and set aside.

Add lemongrass, chilli, ginger and garlic to the pan. Cook for 1 minute. Add sugar and allow to melt. Return chicken to the pan and toss to coat with the sugar. Add fish sauce and simmer for a minute until reduced.

Serve immediately with rice.

Cold Rice Noodles with Grilled Chicken and Peanut Sauce

From New York Times

As Summer Nears, Cold Noodles to Chill With

By DAVID TANIS

MAYBE cold pasta makes you think of some mediocre quasi-Italian grab-and-go deli choice in a plastic clamshell. Or perhaps that classic American picnic oddity, the macaroni salad.

Don’t go there.

To me, it conjures up images of delicious Southeast Asian street food and warm ocean breezes. There, cool rice noodles are topped with crisp vegetables, sweet herbs, pungent sauces and usually a little savory element, like sizzled fragrant beef or nuggets of fried spring rolls. A bowl of these saladlike noodles is always appealing, and they’re excellent for hot weather wherever you may find yourself, even if you don’t happen to be on a tropical holiday.

During these early East Coast hints of summer, I have been developing my own version for an easy and satisfying lunch or supper. It veers mostly in the Vietnamese direction, but with a slight nod to Indonesia, so I serve it with two sauces.

One is a traditional dipping sauce made with fish sauce, lime juice and hot chiles. The other is a creamy peanut dressing spiked with ginger and sesame oil. Both are a snap to put together and can be made well ahead. Even the rice noodles can be cooked, cooled and left at room temperature. And if you also prepare the cucumber, carrot and herb garnishes ahead of time, grilling the chicken is the only last-minute task .

For the chicken, I prefer skinless, boneless thighs left in large pieces, then bathed in an assertive sweet and garlicky lemon-grass marinade (though you can skewer smaller cubes if you wish); 15 to 20 minutes will infuse it with flavor. Thigh meat stays juicy and succulent, is nearly impossible to overcook and browns beautifully whether grilled over coals, on the stove top or under the broiler.

While the chicken is cooking, put the rice noodles in individual bowls and add the vegetable toppings, basil, mint and cilantro. Roughly chop the chicken and add it, giving each salad a dab of both sauces and a sprinkling of crushed peanuts. Pass small bowls of the sauces at the table, too.

For a dish that’s not especially labor intensive, it ranks high on the flavor scale and tastes fresh, clean and bright: the kind of home-cooked fast food we can all appreciate.

TOTAL TIME

About 45 minutes.

FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE

• 3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons lime juice
• 1 garlic clove, finely grated
• 6 to 8 small Thai chiles, thinly sliced, or 1 or 2 serrano chiles

FOR THE PEANUT DRESSING

• 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 6 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 one-inch chunk ginger, peeled and sliced
• 4 tablespoons natural unsalted peanut butter
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• Pinch of cayenne

FOR THE CHICKEN AND RICE NOODLES

• 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs, about 11/4 pounds
• 4 large garlic cloves, halved
• 1 one-inch chunk ginger, peeled and sliced
• 1 four-inch length lemon grass, tender center only, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 8 ounces dried rice vermicelli or other rice noodles
• 2 small cucumbers, cut in 1/4-inch half moons
• 1 medium carrot, cut in thin julienne
• 3/4 cup fresh mung bean sprouts or other sprouts
• Small handful basil sprigs
• Small handful mint sprigs
• Small handful cilantro sprigs
• 4 tablespoons slivered scallions
• 1/4 cup crushed or chopped roasted peanuts
• Lime wedges

PREPARATION

1.

Make the dipping sauce: Combine ingredients in a small serving bowl, making sure to dissolve the sugar. Leave to ripen for 15 minutes. Refrigerate any extra and use within a few days.

2.

Make the peanut dressing: In a blender or small food processor, purée all ingredients to a smooth sauce, about the thickness of heavy cream. Pour into a serving bowl.

3.

Put the chicken thighs in a low-sided bowl. To make the marinade, purée the garlic, ginger, lemon grass, fish sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, brown sugar and cayenne in a blender or small food processor. Pour the marinade over the chicken and toss to coat. Let marinate at least 15 minutes.

4.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil, then turn off the heat. Add the rice vermicelli and soak for 7 to 8 minutes. (Package directions may vary; check for doneness by tasting.) Drain when noodles are al dente, and cool under running water. Fluff and leave in strainer to drain well.

5.

Grill the chicken over coals on a stove-top grill pan, or under the broiler until nicely browned, about 3 to 4 minutes a side. Let cool slightly, then chop roughly into 3/4-inch pieces.

6.

In a small bowl, dress the cucumbers, carrots and mung bean sprouts with 1 tablespoon dipping sauce. Divide the cooked noodles among 4 bowls. Top each bowl equally with the cucumber mixture and chopped chicken. Spoon 2 teaspoons dipping sauce and 2 tablespoons peanut dressing over each portion. Add the basil, mint and cilantro sprigs, torn or roughly chopped (leave whole if leaves are small). Sprinkle with the scallions and crushed peanuts. Serve with lime wedges, and pass small bowls of the two sauces.

YIELD

4 servings.

Pimento-cheese sandwich

 .

Makes 2 sandwiches

Ingredients:
4 oz. extra-sharp Vermont white or yellow cheddar, finely grated (112 cups)
half a jar of pimento (3 oz.), drained, finely chopped (14 cup)
 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
12 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
 salt to taste
4 slices of good whole-wheat bread, crusts discarded (optional)
 4 thin slices Vidalia or other sweet onion
1 cup watercress sprigs, tough stems discarded.

To prepare: Mash cheese, pimento, mayonnaise, and hot pepper sauce in a small bowl with a fork until well combined. Season with salt to taste. Cover and chill 1 hour for flavors to blend. Spread pimento cheese evenly on bread. Top with onions and watercress sprigs. Cut each sandwich into triangles and serve.

Nutritional info: 556 cals (per sandwich); total fat 35 grams; saturated fat 12 grams; cholesterol 65 mg.; sodium 307 mg.; protein 22 grams.

Here's another version.

1 pound sharp cheddar cheese

1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese

2 medium kosher dill pickles (the original version of the recipe called for Claussen's pickles, but I've found that most brands suffice)

2 or 3 cloves of garlic (three cloves yields a powerful garlic punch; adjust the amount to suit your taste)

1 4-ounce jar of pimentos (or pimientos, as they are also called), drained

Cut all ingredients except the pimentos into large chunks. (The pimentos are already chopped.) Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse just long enough to roughly chop. You don't want to puree the ingredients, just make them pliable for the next step.

Put in large bowl and mix with about 3 good tablespoons of mayonnaise. (I use Duke's, a Southern brand based in Richmond, Va., that many pimento-cheese aficionados prefer.)

Refrigerate, but set out for 20 to 30 minutes before use.

Crusted Pumpkin Wedges with Sour Cream

Another Ottolenghi recipe to try.

Ingredients

1 1/2  pounds pumpkin or squash

1/2  cup grated Parmesan

3  tablespoons dried white breadcrumbs

6  tablespoons finely chopped parsley

2 1/2  teaspoons finely chopped thyme

  Grated zest of 2 large lemons

2  cloves garlic

  Salt and white pepper

1/4  cup olive oil

1/2  cup sour cream

1  tablespoon chopped dill

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cut the pumpkin into 3/8-inch-thick slices and lay them flat, cut-side down, on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper.
2. Mix together in a small bowl the Parmesan, breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, half the lemon zest, the garlic, a tiny amount of salt (remember, the Parmesan is salty) and some pepper.
3. Brush the pumpkin generously with olive oil and sprinkle with the crust mix, making sure the slices are covered with a nice, thick coating. Gently pat the mix down a little.
4. Place the pan in the oven and roast for about 30 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tender: stick a little knife in one wedge to make sure it has softened and is cooked through. If the topping starts to darken too much during cooking, cover loosely with foil.
5. Mix the sour cream with the dill and some salt and pepper. Serve the wedges warm, sprinkled with the remaining lemon zest, with the sour cream on the side.

Leek Fritters

Recipe to try for dinner.

Leek Fritters

serves 2-3

Ingredients

2 medium leeks, trimmed and washed

4 green onions, finely chopped

100ml olive oil

1 long red chilli, deseeded and sliced

1/4 cup parsley leaves, finely chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg, separated

1 whole egg

100g plain flour

1 tblsp baking powder

100ml milk

30g unsalted butter, melted

Method

1.  Cut leeks into 2cm (1in) thick slices.  Saute the green onions and leeks in a pan with half the oil on medium heat for 10 minutes, or until soft. Transfer to a large bowl and add the chilli, parsley, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, sugar and salt.  Allow to cool.

2.  Whisk the egg white to soft peaks and fold it into the vegetables. 

3.  In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, remaining egg yolk, whole egg, milk and butter to for a batter. Gently mix it into the egg white and vegetable mixture.

4.  Put 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil into a large frying pan and place over a medium heat.  Spoon about half of the vegetable mixture into the pan to make 4 large fritters. Fry them for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden and crisp.  Remove to a plate lined with paper towel and keep warm. Add more oil to the pan, if needed, and repeat with the remaining batter. This amount should make about 8 fritters.

5.  Serve warm with a squeeze of lemon or a sauce made by mixing Greek yoghurt, parsley and garlic.

recipe adapted from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi

Read more: http://ooh-look.blogspot.com/2011/05/leek-fritters-by-amazing-ottolenghi.html#ixzz1wyKosLOX

Zucchini Patty Pancakes

1-1/2 Cups Grated Zucchini (Dry on paper towel)
2-3 Tablespoons Minced Onion
1/4 Cup Parmesan or Asiago, or Romano, or all of them!
1/4 Cup Flour
2 Eggs, beaten
2 Tablespoons Mayo
Salt & Pepper

Mix together and drop into hot skillet with olive oil. Cook until set and brown.

Oat Risotto with Peas, Ramps & Pecorino

Here's a savoury twist for this breakfast staple.

Total Time: 30 Serves: 4

Ingredients

4-5 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 leek (white and tender green parts only) halved, sliced thin and washed
1 large garlic clove, peeled and sliced thin
1 cup white wine
1½ cups stone or steel-cut oats
1 cup English peas, fresh or frozen
4-5 ramps or spring onions,
cleaned and sliced thin
1 cup grated Pecorino Romano
Kosher salt, to taste
Good olive oil or black truffle oil, for garnish

What To Do

1. Put stock in a small pot and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. When butter starts bubbling, add leeks and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic and cook until aromatic, 1-2 minutes more. Add wine and stir to combine. Cook until most of the wine has evaporated, about 7 minutes. Stir in oats and toast 1 minute.
3. Stir in 1 cup simmering stock and cook while stirring frequently. When nearly all the stock has been absorbed, add another cup of stock. Continue adding 1 cup of stock at a time and cooking until the liquid is nearly absorbed between additions. The risotto is done when the oats are chewy-tender, about 25 minutes total.
4. Stir in peas, ramps, ¾ cup Pecorino and remaining butter. Cook until peas and ramps are heated through, about 1 minute. Season with salt, to taste.
5. To finish the dish, sprinkle risotto with remaining cheese. Drizzle olive or truffle oil overtop and serve immediately.

Grainola

Grain-ola
Adapted from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Cooking

4 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup unsalted raw sunflower seeds
1 cup walnuts, chopped into quarters
1 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups assorted dried fruits (we used cranberries and apricots), chopped
Grated zest of 2 oranges
3/4 cup honey
1/4 cup coconut oil

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Combine oats, sunflower seeds, walnuts, coconut, and zest in a large bowl. Add honey and coconut oil to a small saucepan and whisk together over low heat until combined well. Pour over dry ingredients and stir  to coat.

Spread evenly onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent edges from burning. Dump back into large bowl, add dried fruit, and mix together. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Lemongrass Chicken.

Here's my current favourite dish.

• 380 gm boneless chicken thigh fillet
• 1/2 onion
• 1/4 green capsicum
• 1/4 red capsicum
• 3 Tbsp chicken broth
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 1 red chili, sliced

Marinade:

• 2 stems lemon grass (white part only)
• 1 Tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 2 Tbsp water
• 1 strip lemon zest (yellow skin only), about 1x5cm
• 1/2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger sauce

Sauce:

• 1/2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp chopped lemon grass (white part)
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 cup water

Thickening (optional):

• 2 tsp cornflour
• 2 Tbsp water

Method:

1. Remove the green leaves of lemon grass. Finely chopped and pound the white parts of lemon grass with lemon zest, then mix with other ingredients of marinade. Or to make the marinade easier, chop all the ingredients, except the cornflour, into a paste using a small food processor for 10 seconds or so. Scoop the paste out and add cornflour, mix well.
2. Rinse chicken thigh fillets and drain well. Trim excess fat. Coat the chicken in the marinade in a container, cover and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour, or overnight if you want the chicken absorbs more flavours.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a frypan over medium heat. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator, discard the marinade. Place the skin first (note: I used the skinless chicken fillets) on pan, and cook until both sides are lightly brown and cooked through, about 7 minutes on each side. Let the chicken rest in a warm plate for 5 minutes. Then slice them into smaller pieces.
4. Add some more oil to pan, stir fry onion until translucent. Add shallot and cook until fragrant. Toss in green and red capsicum to pan. Pour in chicken broth and cook until sauce dries up. Set aside.
   
5. Use a little sauce pan to heat a bit of oil over medium-low heat and saute garlic until aromatic. Be cautious and not to let garlic get burnt, the sauce would taste bitter otherwise. Pour in sauce and bring it to a boil. Add thickening and cook to preferred consistency. Remove from heat. Drain through a fine sieve into a little serving bowl.
6. To serve, place veggies on a platter, top with sliced chicken fillets. Put sauce side by side or drizzle onto the chicken fillets. Serve with lemon wedges, or with any salad if desired.

Notes:

1. If you like the sauce clear and thin, you don’t need to add any thickening to cook the sauce then.
2. If you don’t like to waste the lemon grass in marinade. Spoon them out and cook in sauce. For the sake of health safety, The sauce must simmer to boil for a while for the lemon grass has certain contact with raw chicken.