Hainanese Chicken & Rice

I haven't cooked anything new in ages--been subsisting on standbys (3-hour bolognese, beef & peanut noodles, etc.). This week I had a hankering for Hainanese chicken--though to be honest I think what I most wanted was the gingery concoction typically served with it!

I found a whole bunch of recipes for this dish online and some of them were wildly different. I settled on this one since I had most of the ingredients.

The trickiest part was making the rice--I didn't rinse it in a strainer. Then I only sauted it for 2 minutes before adding the broth! It came out a bit too sticky but still tasty.

I made two sauces--one with just garlic & ginger (used bottled, mashed ginger to make life easier) and some stock, and the other was the chili-ginger-garlic combination from the recipe. (I only used one teaspoon of chili sauce and even that was a bit too hot!)

The cucumbers were also not cooperating. I originally bought what I thought were cucumbers in WF, only to find when I cut them up that they were zucchini! I made a trip to TJ's from the pool to get another cucumber.

I completely forgot to take pictures. I was too hungry to remember the camera after spending the latter half of the afternoon wading after Teo, who insists on wading in full sunlight!

CCH Soup

for Cold Cucumber & Honeydew Soup

This was featured in July's O! magazine. (Which I am loving, especially bec. of the feature on Sarah Jessica Parker's line for Steve & Barry. I can't wait to get to my ideal dress size so I can splurge at this store! All of SJP's clothes cost $25 or less and run all the way to size 22!)

For this soup, you puree a ripe honeydew, a medium cucumber and 3/4 c of light coconut milk. Top with toasted coconut and tada! (I haven't found toasted coconut yet, though.)

Unfortunately Teo wasn't keen on it, and Benjie found it strange, but refreshing. Only my friend Amanda (a vegetarian) really enjoyed it.

It IS a perfect foil to the hot, hot DC summer, and it makes a beautiful picture. Except I forgot yet again to take one!

Otsu

Adam made this during the hot memorial day weekend, and I planned it for today since it's been pretty hot in DC too. Unfortunately the timing was off--it was actually quite cool today!

But this dish is so tasty and lovely that it worked, although I can see how perfect it is for a hot day. It requires a minimum of heat, a bonus in my airless kitchen.

Adam got Heidi Swanson's permission to publish the recipe--as opposed to just summarizing--so you definitely should try it out!

The next time I make it, I'll cut the cayenne down to .5 tsp so that it isn't too hot for Teo.

Also, there's something to be said for using a genuine non-stick pan. I had a heck of a time browning the tofu, and the brown parts mostly stuck to the pan! (I know my pan was non-stick when I bought it 5 years ago. I think I've been washing it wrong and that's what damaged the surface.)

(Benjie loved this...rare for a dish with no animal protein in it! And then he asked me what I was cooking next...nueve?)

Dulce De Leche Brownies

This was a weekend of trying out Adam (Amateur Gourmet)'s recent recommendations.

He links to David Lebovitz's recipe for Dulce De Leche Brownies.

This was my second attempt to make this recipe, as I mistakenly bought caramel instead of DDL last weekend. (BTW, caramel works, just not as wicked as these!)

DDL is I think among my top 3 favorite ice cream flavors, so I was really looking forward to these! Plus I love how you basically just get 2 containers dirty--the saucepan, where you melt the butter & chips, and the brownie pan.

I followed the recipe to a T except I think I didn't use enough DDL. (I used a store brand. Making my own is a pain to the wallet, since a small container of condensed milk in WF costs more than half what one bottle of DDL does--and I can get 2-3 brownie pans out of the bottle!)

These came out beautifully moist, and not too sweet. I'm tempted to try it next time with Splenda instead of sugar.

Postscript to Pasta with Leeks & Peas

Umm, remember I skipped the lemon zest and mint leaves the first time I made this?

DON'T skip them. They make a big difference!

What I Cooked Last Week

I happen to have cooked up a storm last week!! I don't know what possessed me. Except, again, no photos.

A. This meatloaf recipe from Dave Lieberman.

I love how this meatloaf turns out--so moist! I have to fess up, though, that I only had one onion, which went into the meat, and I chickened out about using a pepper for the sauce since it came out a bit too spicy for Teo the last time I made it.

I love too how cheap ground turkey is at Trader Joe's!

B. Mark Bittman's Bolognese

This is a real labor of love, people--it takes about 4 hours in all! (I think Mark Bittman has the timing wrong in his recipe. Or it's because I usually make job lots of this--I usually cook at least 3 lbs worth of meat, to justify the 2 hours of simmering!)

You saute chopped pancetta in olive oil, then add minced carrots, celery and onions; when the veggies are soft, brown the ground meat. (MB says this can be done in 5 mins, but it usually takes me at least 20.) When brown, add the juice from a big can of tomatoes or white wine. Let the liquid evaporate (again, this usually takes at least another 20 minutes), then add the tomatoes. Simmer over low heat for an hour before salting and peppering, and cook for at least one more hour, until the sauce is thickened. (Benjie actually likes the sauce thin, so I don't cook it beyond 2.5 hours.) To make it a real bolognese, add cream or half-and-half at the end. I don't do this though because I feel it shortens the shelf life of the sauce!

I think this is Benjie's all-time favorite dish (plus the family dish) and he is happy each time I make it. Since making this sauce this way, I have a hard time with any meat sauce where the meat isn't downright melting on my tongue!

C. Another Food Network Recipe.

I love this recipe. It's wonderful with the shaved beef steak from Trader Joe's, too.

I think in the future I would not use sweet & sour sauce with the meat, although it came out fine.

D. Pork Braised in Vinegar & Bay Leaves

Another Mark Bittman--lovely, especially because you can leave it "largely unattended" for the 90 minutes or so of cooking time!

Brown a 2-3 lb cut of boneless pork in olive oil over high heat, seasoning with salt & pepper when you turn it. Pour off most of the fat and saute garlic and onions (though I didn't use onions) in the oil over medium-low heat. Add 6 bay leaves, .5 cup of red wine vinegar, .5 cup of red wine or water, bring to a boil and cook for a minute before lowering the heat and returning the pork. Cover and cook over low heat for about 75 minutes. Remove meat and fat and reduce the sauce over high heat/

It was useful to have been possessed, since I was able to feed Raffy, Malou and Maribel a whole range of choices (including the leek-pea pasta which has become a standby) last Friday and I didn't have to cook this week while Benjie was away!

"Red" pork belly

This recipe is from Saveur magazine.

I prepared this today in honor of Teo's Ninang Malou and her sister Maribel.

Malou is visiting from Manila and was killing time at our place until Maribel could pick her up.

I opted to prepare this dish, since I really like it, but the belly (in my case I used pork backs) is just soo good--but so bad, too. At least, with company, we could spread the cholesterol around.

(Instead of using all back, I added cubes of meat from a roast cut.)

You boil 2 lbs' worth of cubes of pork in water (to remove the porky smell?) for 2 minutes. As you drain it, saute scallions and ginger in peanut oil, then add the pork. Saute for two minutes, then add .25 cup of Chinese rice wine vinegar. When the pork has browned a bit, add 5 T of mushroom soy sauce and 2 cups of water. Let it boil, then simmer (covered) for an hour. When the meat is tender, add 3 T of sugar and simmer for 15 more minutes, until the sauce has thickened.

Try to serve with a healthful veggie side!!