Hey all you hungry people! As many- or most- of you know by now, I moved to the relatively remote location of mid-coast Maine two years ago May 1st. I also live on an island, so I’m not even near a major highway or typical coastal city. We’re barely even tourist-friendly, LOL. The result of this is that although there are a few places to eat here on the island (one or two of them very, very good), I am at the very least 25-30 minutes from other dining options and about an hour away from edible ethnic choices. And of course, those options have been completely take-away this past year. I’d only eaten at one Chinese restaurant before the world shut down and restaurants changed course. It was horrible. I was sad.
In a quick phrase: I REALLY miss good Chinese buffets! They’ve always been among my favorite options for casual dining out, allowing me to eat alone, people-watch or read a newspaper or book, and eat as much or as little of many, many choices. Ahhh, those were the days! Charlottesville had a couple great buffets, and I would find myself seated at one of their turquoise booths anticipating the deliciousness awaiting me over at the steaming hot-tables and icy-cold salad bars.
If I were lliving with others- like a family, friends or a partner, I’d feel more inclined to cook more than one or two items for a meal, but as it’s just me, I get lazy. That is, I get lazy until I just can’t stand it anymore. Over the past week, I’ve treated myself to a number of Asian-inspired yummies.
What’s for Dinner? is a Saturday evening get-together where friends share recipes, talk about good food and help others answer culinary questions.
We welcome you to our virtual table every Saturday evening 4:30 PT/7:30 ET. If you would like to write a post for an upcoming date just send a message to ninkasi23
It all started back when it was still warm… before the recent snowy and cold, blustry weather we’ve been having recently (today is thankfully warm, sunny and lovely).
Simple Asian-influenced Salad
Romaine, sliced or chopped
mushrooms, sliced thin
cucumbers, quartered and sliced
tomato, diced
"crab stick'
ginger, fresh, peeled and minced
toasted sesame oil
ponzu
soy sauce
Toss everything together and enjoy. If you’re not familiar with ‘crab stick’ it’s one of many imitation shellfish options available in the freezer section of your grocers- even my grocers (tiny, with limited stock)! It’s made of fish and is low in fat and a healthy option if you’re craving a seafood flavor at a fraction of the cost. The salad is great with or without it, but if salad is all I’m having, I’ll chop up a couple sticks. This is also an key ingredient in classic California sushi rolls.
Then came some
Pot-Stickers with Simple Dipping Sauce
These were really good store-bought dumplings, I confess. In a non-stick pan or well-seasoned steel or iron pan, add 1-3 tablespoons of water and 2-3 tablespoons of cooking oil. Turn the heat on high and add the frozen dumplings and cover. They’ll cook pretty fast, first steaming, then frying for that pot-sticker effect. I remove the lid and lower the heat once the water is evaporated and turn them a couple times because I like a little browning on more than just one side.
The dipping sauce is very simple. Minced garlic (fresh or from a convenient tube), rice vinegar, cider vinegar and soy sauce. Maybe a tiny dab of hot oil if I’m so inclined. The sauce should be vinegar-y which is why I use both vinegars. Rice vinegar is pretty low in acidity.
These are great with a salad- like the one described above.
Next came
Dry Pan Asperagus, Sauteed Spinach and Mushrooms with Sesame Seeds and Fried Garlic and Iceburg and Fresh Brocolli Salad with Creamy Ginger-Ketchup Dressing (and 2 lonely pot-stickers I hadn’t cooked)
The asperagus is just as it sounds. Trimmed and tossed into a Very Hot Pan or wok, tossed occationally to prevent burning. Finished with a sprinkle of Thai dry chili powder, a drop or so of toasted sesame oil and crunchy flaked salt. It doesn’t take long at all, and they should be removed just before you think they’re done enough. They continue to cook heaped on the plate.
Spinach is self-explanatory. The dressing for the salad is a surprizingly tasty Asian twist on 1000 island dressing, adding a goodly amound of fresh ginger and a dash of ponzu.
Then on to
Crab Rangoons!
These rich and tasty treats are easy to make, and although I do have a good wrapper recipe- a really easy one—
Dumpling Wrapper Dough: 2 ½ C AP flour, ¾ t Kosher salt, 1 C hot water. Mix mix mix. kneed kneed kneed. roll out thin as you dare either in little cicles about 4in across or cut into squares.
I opted to use the store-bought wrappers I had in the freezer. They’re easy to use. Just thaw, fill, brush edges with eggwash and seal being sure to cover the open package w/ a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out as you work.
These were wonderful with a simple soy and ponzu dip. I had leftover asparagus and spinach which were just as delicious cold as they were hot— maybe even better!
Finally
Marinated Pork Tenderloin, Pan-Seared Mid-Rare, Chinese wheat noodle (stick) w/ Peanut Dresssing, Cucumbers and Seared Mushrooms.
Yesterday morning while I waited for my coffee to brew, I pulled out a package of 2 pork tenderloins. They were on sale, and you know me and sales 😉 I wanted to see if I could fake the red roast pork (char siu) often used in Chinese cookery. I Did Not Succeed.
(side note: I marinated the other tenderloin in olive oil, salt, pepper, prepared and dry mustard, oregano and thyme. Tossed the baggie into the freezer for a later time)
BUT
I did accomplish a very tasty result! I don’t even remember why I have- or when I got these little Goya seasoning packets… and no, I don’t throw things out even if I vow not to buy them again. These are labeled Sazon w/ cilantro and achiote. They are a good salt substitute and the achiote causes whatever they’re used in to become quite red. That’s the point of achiote- and one reason why I hoped these would work and turn my pork red as it marinated. I also really just want to use them up. Don’t buy them.
So, for one tenderloin, in a zip-seal baggie, I combined 2 packets of Sazon, a dash or granulated garlic, a little sesame oil, black pepper, a little soy sauce and lots of sesame seeds. I squished this all together before placing the tenderloin in the baggie. Squished it around some more, sealed it and placed it on a plate in the fridge. One can never trust a zip baggie.
(note: trim the silver-skin by sliding a thin, sharp knife blade underneath, and, angling the blade up slightly, slide the blade along to remove this inedible bit.)
Today, I finally used the skinny little package of Chinese noodle stick I’d picked up somewhere along the way- perfect for one or two portions. Started salted water on to boil and began heating a heavy non-stick pan for the pork.
The pork pan was ready first. A few tablespoons of cooking oil in the pan. I pulled the pork from the bag- while pinching the bag around the pork like a squeegee— to get rid of excess marinade and seeds. In it went. The noodle water was ready in a minute, so I broke the noodles in half and in they went. The noodles were done before the pork, so they got a good cold-water rinse and a dowsing of peanut dressing I’d made a couple months ago.
I make peanut sauce and peanut dressing.
Peanut Sauce
1/3 c. lime juice
1 1/2 T fresh ginger
3T water
3T soy sauce
3 T peanut butter
1 1/2 T honey
2 t chili paste
3 clv garlic
Blend completely in a blender
The dressing is just like the sauce but with more acid like rice vinegar or lime and a dash of ponzu. I’m fond of ponzu ; )
I have made this sauce using powdered peanut (a protein powder used in shakes body-building folks consume. I’d found a couple jars for almost nothing, and figured I could use them in cooking). I’ve also used whole, chunked-up limes. The whole-lime version needs a bit more sweet, and I use brown sugar or date sugar (or pitted dates) if I have it/them and need to use it/them up. The bitter rind adds a wonderful flavor dimension which I really enjoy. Must have a strong blender or Vitamix for this.
Thick-sliced mushrooms went into the pan as the pork approached done-ness. I like my pork tenderloin mid-rare to medium. It needs to be turned every 2-3 minutes for even cooking/browning. The mushrooms got a good sear and picked up some flavor from the pan. They went into the noodles.
(note about mushrooms. White button mushrooms are cave-raised mushrooms. The brown ‘crimini’ mushrooms are mushrooms that have grown at least partially in the sun. I defy anyone to taste the difference. In my personal opinion, they’re not worth the extra cost. Portobellos are just over-grown criminis, and the flavor comes from the gills mostly. Popular because you can fill and grill them. I don’t buy them unless I’m doing that. The mushrooms that are worth their price are shiitakes, morels, chanterelles, trumpets, hen-o-the-woods, along with just about any wild-fraged mushroom you can find. But I never waste my money on criminis. Enoke mushrooms are tiny mushroom sprouts and lovely on special salads, and dried mushrooms are a wonderful product regardless of the variety. Re-hydrated, both the mushroom and the broth have nearly endless uses. *I do not recommend foraging for your own wild mushrooms unless you are accompanied by an expert.)
As the pork rested (about 10 minutes cook time all told, 4-5 minutes resting), I peeled, quartered and sliced ½ a cucumber and popped that into the noodle bowl. Toss toss toss.
Finally I sliced the pork on the bias, as thin as I could and lay the slices onto the noodles, cukes and shrooms.
This was a delicious hot/cold bowl, and I’ll make it again. I wish I’d had fresh cilantro on hand as a final garnish. The flavors were well balanced, the textures pleasing, and all in one bowl! I have lots of leftover pork which will stand re-heating as it’s a solid mid-rare. I think pork fried rice with brocolli and almonds will work well.
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As you can see, if I get a fresh ingredient, I try to use it up asap in various recipes, and with the meats, I tend to marinate in different ways and freeze ½ or more for later.
It’s been a great week of tasty food, and I’m looking forward to making a umami-packed soup tomorrow using a shrimp dashi I have simmering on the stove.
Dashi is usually a steeping of seaweed and dried, flaked bonito (fish). A very clean and versitile broth. I had the bonito, the seaweed is less than a mile away from my front door (usually toasted, dried seaweed is used), but I also had Chinese dried shrimp and dried long-stemmed mushrooms. Those went into the broth along with a big spoon of miso. It smells divine! It’ll barely simmer overnight, be strained and cooled. I can drink this like tea in the morning, as a great way to ‘dine’ during a day-long fast, but also the various noodle soups are endless. I should end up with about a gallon and a half. Some will be frozen and some will stay in the fridge ‘till it’s gone.
Hope your dinner is tasty and makes you smile. Enjoy this lovely weather (I hope you’re having lovely weather) and…
Cheers from Maine!