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Appetizers

Pork & Shrimp Potstickers

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Pork & Shrimp Potstickers

Makes about 30

These might be a little work, but they're certainly worth it.  Delicate little dumplings that will have you wishing you made more - or that you didn't share them.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound ground pork
  • 1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled & deveined
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled
  • 4 green onions, white & light green parts only with root cut off
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 30 round won ton wrappers
  • vegetable oil for frying

DIPPING SAUCE:

  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot chili oil

Directions

  1. In a processor, combine first 7 ingredients (or chop all finely by hand and mix well)
  2. Put some of the pork mix in the middle of each wrapper, dip you finger in water and lightly moisten the wrapper edge
  3. Fold in half and seal shut
  4. Heat oil in a pan and cook gyoza until lightly browned on bottom, 3-5 minutes
  5. Add water carefully (it'll steam & splutter) and cover with a lid
  6. Steam until cooked through, approx 5-8 minutes
  7. Remove, plate and mix sauce ingredients for dipping

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Tuna Cakes with Lemon Salsa

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Tuna Cakes with Lemon Salsa

Makes about twelve 2" cakes

Think crab cake - but with canned tuna. And before you dismiss them as crappy cuz it's canned tuna, maybe you should try them. Just a thought.

Ingredients

CAKES:

  • 12 ounces canned tuna, drained
  • 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup green onion, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper
  • Juice of half a lemon

LEMON SALSA:

  • 3 lemons peeled, seeded and diced small
  • 1/4 cup red onion, diced
  • 1/4 cup cucumber, peeled and diced small
  • 1 red jalapeno, diced tiny
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper
  • Non-fat plain yogurt for serving

Directions

  1. In a large bowl combine all ingredients for the tuna cakes
  2. Shape into 12 cakes and cook in a medium hot pan wit olive oil until brown and crispy on both sides
  3. While they cook, mix ingredients for salsa
  4. Serve topped with a little yogurt and the salsa
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Crab Cakes

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Crab Cakes

Makes 16 small cakes

I heart crab cakes - and especially when they're little guys...

Ingredients

  • 1 pound crab meat
  • 1/4 cup green onion, diced small
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/3 cup panko crumbs, Japanese bread crumbs available at most supermarkets
  • 2 tablespoons Asian chili sauce

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 400
  2. Mix crab, onion, soy, panko and chili sauce well in a bowl and shape into 16 tight little patties and place on greased baking sheet
  3. Bake cakes until crispy brown then carefully flip, should be about 10-15 minutes each side

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Spinach & Ricotta Won Tons

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Spinach & Ricotta Won Tons

Makes about 2 dozen won tons

Won ton wrappers are essentially a blank canvas for whatever you put in them. And in this case it's ricotta, cream cheese and spinach - simple and delicious. To make life easier, you can mix the filling up to the day before then just fill & bake them before eating.

Ingredients

  • Preheat oven to 400
  • 12oz bag frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
  • 4oz cream cheese,softened
  • 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Round Won Ton Papers
  • Small bowl of water

Directions

  1. Put spinach in the center of kitchen towel, fold up sides and squeeze like a crazy person until all liquid is squeezed out of spinach
  2. Put spinach in a bowl and add cream cheese, ricotta, salt, pepper and red pepper - mix well
  3. Put about 2 teaspoons of the mix in the center of each wrapper
  4. Dip your finger into a little water, then lightly moisten the edges of each wrapper, fold in half
  5. Seal tightly trying to remove as much air as possible and place won tons on baking sheet
  6. Bake until they start to brown, about 20 minutes and and remove from oven
  7. Serve

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Seattle Salmon Skewers

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Seattle Salmon Skewers

Serves 4 people

Huge flavor but so damn simple. Skewers of seared salmon with an oh-so-delicious sauce of sweet chili, soy & lime juice.

Ingredients

  • 2 lb fillet fatty Salmon, skin removed, cut into 1 inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil
  • Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup sweet chili Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/2 fresh lime, juiced
  • 3 green onions, finely chopped fine
  • Sesame seeds

Directions

  1. Skewer 2 salmon cubes on each skewer, drizzle with oil and season with salt & pepper
  2. Mix chili sauce, soy & lime juice - set aside
  3. Heat grill pan to medium high and sear salmon about 2 minutes or until good grill marks – flip
  4. Brush top with mixed well sauce and cook another minute or so
  5. Serve on platter and drizzle over sauce and garnish with sprinkle of sesame seeds and green onions, and pour rest of sauce on side dish for dipping
  6. Eat.

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Brisket Empanadas

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Brisket Empanadas

Makes ten 3" empanadas

These little empanada miracles came from Sunday night fridge leftovers. It could be leftover chicken, leftover cheese and chilies... anything leftover in the fridge can make work, well, nearly everything.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • About 3/4 cooked pound brisket
  • 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire
  • 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
  • Kosher salt & pepper
  • 1 package ready made pie crusts (2)
  • 1 egg yolk

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Cook onion in olive oil until soft and add garlic - cook another 2 minutes
  3. Put onion/garlic, brisket, Worcestershire and horseradish into processor
  4. Season with salt & pepper and pulse until mixed well
  5. Cut 3" circles out of pie dough, and add about a tablespoon of brisket
  6. Fold pastry in half and seal the edge with a fork
  7. Lay evenly on a greased baking sheet
  8. Whisk the egg yolk with a splash of water, brush tops of empanadas and pierce the top of each one with 2 little holes to let steam escape
  9. Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown
  10. Serve with gravy for dipping

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Pepper Jack & Green Chili Fondue

Warm, melty cheese - good start right? And it's a little spicy, even better. So what are you waiting for? Just make it already...

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
  • 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded pepper jack cheese
  • 3 ounce can diced green chilies
  • For dipping:
  • Large cubes of just slightly toasty bread (like croutons but not as hard)
  • Roasted new potatoes, cut in half
  • Roasted Brussel sprouts, cut in half
  • Smoked sausage, cut into bites
  • Anything else you’d like

Directions

  1. Put wine in a medium pot and bring to a simmer – sprinkle in cornstarch and stir well until dissolved
  2. Slowly add in both cheeses - stir until smooth & melted
  3. Stir in chilies and mix until well combined – pour into fondue pot to keep warm
  4. Dip, eat, dip, eat – you get it

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Grilled Halloumi Cheese Salad

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Grilled Halloumi Cheese Salad

Serves 2-4

Halloumi is a hearty Greek cheese you can pan fry, grill or broil. And it’s great in a salad, just watch.

Ingredients

  • 2 hearts of Romaine lettuce, ends removed and roughly chopped

  • 1 medium English cucumber, peeled and diced

  • 2 tomatoes, diced

  • 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, halved

  • 1/2 cup red onion, diced

  • Salt & fresh ground pepper to taste

  • 1/2 cup olive oil, plus a little extra for the halloumi

  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

  • 2 teaspoons oregano

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • 1 block Halloumi Cheese, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

Directions

  1. Combine romaine, cucmber, tomatoes, olives and red onion in a bowl - toss to mix

  2. Mix dressing ingredients and add to salad

  3. Heat a skillet or cast iron pan on medium/high heat, lightly drizzle halloumi with a little olive oil and grill halloumi slices for 30-45 seconds on each side or just until brown

  4. Lay the cheese on top of the salad and serve.

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Kale Chips

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Kale Chips

Serves 2

Super healthy for you, not to mention super easy and quick to make.

Ingredients

  • 15 kale leaves, stalks removed
  • 1/4 teaspoon Chipotle Chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • big pinch Kosher Salt

Directions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 350
  2. Wash the kale and remove any moisture with paper towels
  3. Tear into roughly 4'' inch pieces (it doesn't matter up to you)
  4. Throw everything in a bowl and toss leaves thoroughly coat everything
  5. Spread them out over two greased baking sheets, arrange so no leaves are overlapping (otherwise they will not get crunchy)
  6. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until edges are slightly brown
  7. Serve and enjoy

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Cool Asian Tots

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Cool Asian Tots

Serves 4

Not sure what it is about tots, but they're one of the best things ever – and at times maybe THE best thing ever. And these ones are ridiculous.

Ingredients

  • 1 bag tater tots
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 4 tablespoons sweet chili sauce (I use Mae Ploy)
  • 2 green onions, diced fine

Directions

  1. Cook tots according to package directions
  2. Top with sour cream and drizzle with sweet chili sauce
  3. Garnish with green onions

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Spicy Ahi Poke

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Spicy Ahi Poke

If it's me - it's serves one (kidding)

I am a huge fan of poke and we make this often. You should too.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound sushi grade ahi tuna, cut into a 1/2 inch dice

  • 1 tablespoon soy

  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

  • 2 tablespoons Kewpie, Japanese mayo

  • 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons Sriracha

  • 4 green onions, white and light green parts diced fine

  • Something crunchy to serve

Directions

  1. Put all ingredients (but only half the onions) in a large bowl and mix gently

  2. Plate & top with remaining green onion

  3. Serve with something crunchy - and btw good potato chips are 100% ok...

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Dill Pickles

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Dill Pickles

Makes 12 pint jars

Whether in a Cuban sandwich, in tuna salad, a bloody mary or just out of the jar standing in front of the fridge late at night - dill pickles are one of my favorite things.

Ingredients

  • 12 pint canning jars with lids, sterilized according to package directions

  • 20 cups water

  • 1/4 cup white vinegar

  • 1 cup pickling salt

  • Pickling Cukes, cut in half lengthwise

  • 3/4 cup pickling spice

  • Approximately 1.5 cups fresh dill - still on the stalk

  • 12 dried red chilies

  • 24 cloves garlic

Directions

  1. Make the brine by bringing water & vinegar to a boil - once it does add salt

  2. When the salt is fully dissolved - turn off the heat and let cool till it's manageable

  3. In the bottom of each jar put1 tablespoon pickling spice, about 1 tablespoon dill, 1 red chili and 2 garlic cloves

  4. Fill jars with pickles florets - pack it tightly

  5. Add another tablespoon of dill on top of the the pickles, then fill jar to the very top with brine

  6. Put on lid and seal tight

  7. Store in a dark, cool place about 2 weeks – I like to give them a shake every day to mix up the spices etc, and also tun them upside down for a couple days in the middle. The longer they stay out of the fridge, the more dill flavor they will take on. So after about a week and a half, try one – if it’s how you like it you’re good and can refrigerate them all to slow the process. If not, give it a few more days

  8. Refrigerate any jars once opened.

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White Bean Crostini

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White Bean Crostini

Serves 8

Perfect super fast appetizer to feed everyone at a moments notice.

Ingredients

  • 1 french stick, sliced
  • 1 can white beans, strained and rinsed
  • 3 spring onions
  • 1/2 red pepper
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • generous pinch salt
  • pinch of chili flakes
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

Directions

  1. Pre-heat your broiler to high, grill the baguette slices, on both sides
  2. Throw everything else in the processor, and blend until smooth
  3. Generously spread on the bread and drizzle with olive oil and garnish with green onions.

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Chicken Quesadilla

Makes one 8 inch quesadilla

This is unbelievably easy and gets even easier when you use an already roasted chicken from the market. Shred the chicken while still warm. It's simpler.

Ingredients

  • 2 flour tortillas, about the 8 inch size
  • 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
  • 1/3 cup shredded mixed jack and cheddar cheese
  • 2 green onions, the bottom 2 inches thinly sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • Sour cream, salsa and chopped cilantro for garnish

Directions

  1. Mix chicken, cheese, green onion and cumin well
  2. Place one tortilla in a non-stick pan and cover with chicken mixture
  3. Top with 2nd tortilla and squish down with a spatula
  4. Once the bottom starts to get a little bit golden, flip and cook the other side
  5. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream and salsa and sprinkle with a little cilantro

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Chunky Guacamole

Serves 4

There's guacamole, and then there's 'guacamole' if you know what I mean - and chunky is the way to go. There's no magic to this, it's just really good. And it totally beats the f outta that store bought crap, I mean stuff - no...I mean crap.

  • 2 ripe avocados

  • 1/2 medium tomato, seeded and diced

  • 1/4 medium white onion, diced

  • Juice from 1 lime

  • 1 canned Chipotle, minced (just one, not one can)

  • 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

  • Kosher salt to taste

  • Halve avocados lengthwise and remove pit

  • Scoop out flesh (what else do you call it?) with a large spoon into a bowl and mash up a bit. I said "a bit" - not into paste

  • Add diced tomato, onion, lime juice, minced chipotle and cilantro - blend all into a beautifully chunky mixture

  • Season to taste with salt

  • Start eating

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SHRIMP AND BOK CHOY

Take a break from your usual weeknight food with this simple, but so delicious Shrimp & Bok Choy recipe. Oh, and it’s healthy too!

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Asian chili garlic paste
  • 1 tablespoon neutral oil (canola, vegetable etc)
  • 1 pound shrimp, peel & deveined
  • 1 pound baby bok choy, ends removed & leaves separated
  • Rice for serving
  • 2 green onions, white & light green parts only - diced
  • 1/4 cup Hoisin sauce

DIRECTIONS

  1. Mix together Hoisin, soy, and chili sauce and set aside.

  2. Heat wok until almost smoking and add oil. Put in shrimp and cook about a minute, then add bok choy. Stir everything until shrimp are just done and bok choy is wilted – 2 to 3 more minutes. Add sauce, mix through well and serve on rice.

  3. Garnish with green onion.

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