Tag: East Asian

Smashed Cucumbers with Tahini-Soy Dressing

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Cucumber season is upon us! And since I’m Iranian, cucumber snacking is baked into my DNA. This spicy and creamy cucumber salad is perfect with any kind of crisp cucumber, particularly Persian, Armenian, or Japanese. Eat it as a side dish or on its own (it’s that good).

Ingredients:
  • 6 Persian cucumbers
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • 1/4 cup tahini
  • 3 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon white miso
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • Chili crisp or chili oil, for serving
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced on a diagonal
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
  1. Cut cucumbers in half lengthwise, then slice 1/4-inch thick on a diagonal into 2 1/2-inch-long pieces. Place cucumbers in a large bowl, add salt, and toss to combine. Cover and chill at least 1 hour and up to 8 hours. Drain cucumbers.
  2. Whisk garlic, tahini, lime juice, soy sauce, vinegar, miso, ginger, sugar, and sesame oil in a small bowl to combine. Pour dressing over cucumbers and toss to coat.
  3. Transfer cucumber salad to a platter. Drizzle with chili oil and top with green onions and sesame seeds.

Silken Tofu with Avocado and Furikake

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I stan soft tofu. Soft tofu with mushrooms, chilled soft tofu with a spicy soy sauce, soft tofu in dessert, it doesn’t matter. My current favorite is this: a super-simple block of soft tofu with creamy avocado and crunchy bits of furikake. I’m not sure what’s faster : the amount of time to make this dish or the amount of time it takes for me to devour it.

Ingredients:

  • 1 14-ounce block silken tofu
  • 1 avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons furikake
  1. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch-thick slices and arrange them on a plate. Shingle the avocado slices across the top of the tofu. Drizzle with the soy sauce, lime juice, and oil, then sprinkle with furikake. Serve immediately.

Turkey Bacon and Asparagus Fried Rice

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I know what you’re thinking, but listen, I’m not here for any turkey bacon slander. It’s salty, crispy, and savory: what’s not to love? Stir-fried with asparagus, they make an unlikely but deeply delicious pairing in this quick and easy fried rice. Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 pound chopped turkey bacon
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 1 1/2 cups asparagus, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 4 cups cold leftover steamed rice
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  1. In a wok or large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil and cook the turkey bacon over medium-high heat, flipping the turkey bacon every few minutes to evenly brown. After a few minutes, once the turkey bacon is cooked through and crispy, remove from the skillet but do not wipe the skillet clean.
  2. Sweat the ginger, garlic, and onion in the skillet until they become translucent and aromatic, about 1 minute.
  3. Crack the eggs into a medium bowl, and stir them to break the yolks. Pour the eggs into the skilled and quickly stir to cook. While the eggs are still a little runny, push them to the side of the skillet. Add the remaining avocado oil to the center of the skillet and add the asparagus, stir-frying it in the oil for about 1 minute, then push it next to the eggs.
  4. Turn the heat to high and add the rice to the skillet, breaking up clumps with a wooden spoon. Once the rice becomes loose, mix and fold the eggs and asparagus into the rice. Drizzle the soy sauce into the skillet, and continue to stir-fry. Add the reserved turkey bacon and green onions and season with black pepper and serve.

Chicken and Mushroom Wontons in Chili Oil

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Steamed, boiled, or fried, I’m a sucker for any and all dumplings. I keep a few different kinds in my homemade rotation, and these boiled wontons are my new favorites, thanks to a generous drizzle of chili crisp, soy sauce, and vinegar at the end.

These make enough for large crowd, but don’t be surprised if you end up wanting to eat them all yourself.

Ingredients:
  • 1 package wonton wrappers
  • 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken or turkey
  • 2 cups garlic chives, chopped
  • 10 shiitake mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 1/2-inch piece ginger, minced
  • 1 tablespoon dried shiitake mushroom powder, made from 1 or 2 dried shiitake mushrooms ground in a spice grinder
  • 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • Chili crisp, soy sauce, Chinese black vinegar, chopped green onions, chopped cilantro, and sesame seeds, for serving
  1. In a large bowl, mix together chicken, garlic chives, shiitake mushrooms, ginger, dried mushroom powder, shaoxing wine, sesame oil, sugar, and pepper. Set aside.
  2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
  3. Place a small spoonful of filling (about 1 teaspoon) in the center of one of the wonton wrappers. Fold the bottom part up so that the dumpling forms a half circle and press all the way around to seal. Flip the dumpling over, grasp the two corners, and connect them by pinching one on top of the other. Repeat with remaining wontons and filling.
  4. Working in batches to prevent overcrowding, drop the wontons in the boiling water and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the dumpling floats to the top and is cooked through. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle boil.
  5. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the wontons straight from the cooking water to into a serving platter.
  6. Serve immediately with a few generous spoonfuls of chili crisp, soy sauce, black vinegar, green onions, cilantro, and sesame seeds to taste.

Stir-Fried Asparagus

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This asparagus isn’t beautiful, but it’s simple, straightforward, and delicious. The whole thing comes together and the best part is you can swap out almost any green vegetable for the asparagus with similar results. Got Chinese broccoli or green beans in the fridge instead? Same prep, same method. Serve with rice and you’re good to go.

Ingredients:
  • Salt
  • 1 bunch asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 2 teaspoons avocado oil
  • 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
  • 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1/4 cup oyster sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Pepper
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Blanch the asparagus for a minute. Drain the asparagus well in a colander.
  2. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 10 seconds.
  3. Add the drained asparagus to the wok and stir-fry over high heat for 1 minute. Add the chili garlic sauce and fish sauce and continue to stir-fry for a few seconds. Add the oyster sauce, sugar, and a dash of pepper. Stir-fry for a few more seconds, then add the chicken stock and cook until the sauce is thickened to a light glaze, for about a couple minutes. Serve warm.