Tag: Entree

Tofu Crumbles with Coconut Rice

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The first time I made this dish I accidentally fooled everyone into thinking they were eating ground meat. I didn’t mean to — I love tofu, for what it’s worth. It’s just that’s how inconspicuous the tofu is here. It absorbs all the umami-laden flavor of the seasonings, including the chili crisp, which does a lot of heavy lifting. (No such thing as too much chili crisp, amirite?) Fragrant, slightly sweet coconut rice and crunchy cucumbers round out this heavy hitter of a one-dish meal.

Tofu crumbles with coconut rice
Ingredients:
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed
  • 3 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced
  • 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 pound firm tofu, rinsed and drained well
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup chili crisp (I recommend Big Spoon Chili Crisp)
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
  • Torn basil leaves, for serving
  1. Whisk coconut milk, salt, and 1 cup water in a cold medium saucepan to combine. Add rice and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover pan and reduce heat to low; cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat; let sit covered 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork.
  2. Toss cucumbers, vinegar, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl to combine and let sit until ready to serve.
  3. Crumble tofu into small pieces (about the size of a pea). Heat avocado oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add tofu, shallots, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and tofu is crisped, 11–13 minutes. Add chili crisp, soy sauce, and sesame oil and cook, stirring often, until well coated, about 1 minute. Stir in peanuts.
  4. Divide coconut rice and tofu among plates and top with marinated cucumbers and basil.

Spicy Tuna Rolls

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I don’t make sushi often, but whenever I do, I regret not making it at home more often. Sure, my rolls aren’t beautiful or symmetric, but they’re absolutely delicious. This take on spicy tuna rolls is one of my favorites.

Spicy tuna rolls
Ingredients:
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 1 teapoon sesame oil
  • 2/3 cup chopped raw sashimi-grade tuna
  • 3 tablespoons finely shredded lettuce
  • 4 teaspoons minced green onion
  • 4 sheets nori
  • 2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted
  • 4 cups cooked and seasoned sushi rice
  • 4 thin strips carrot (each 7 inches long), blanched
  • 4 thin strips cucumber (each 7 inches long)
  • Soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger, for serving
  1. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, and tuna. In another small bowl, combine lettuce and green onion.
  2. Place a piece of nori, shiny side down, on a bamboo mat wrapped in plastic wrap. Spread nori evenly with 1 cup rice, leaving a 1/2-inch border at the top. Sprinkle 1/2 cup sesame seeds over rice. Spread 1/4 of tuna mixture lengthwise down center of nori. Sprinkle 1/4 of lettuce mixture over tuna. Place 1 strip of carrot along one side of tuna mixture and 1 strip of cucumber along the other side.
  3. Using mat to help you, roll sushi into a cylinder. Press mat around rolled sushi to seal the edges. Repeat to make three more rolls.
  4. Place sushi on a cutting board and slice each roll into 6 pieces. Serve with wasabi, soy sauce, and ginger.

Miso Keema Curry

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I absolutely love this curry because it combines three of my favorite things: okra, keema, and donabe-style cooking. Adapted from my Donabe cookbook, this makes a perfect weeknight entree because of how easy it is. Make this in the summer when okra are in season and serve with rice. Perfection.

Miso keema curry
Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
  • 1 onion, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, grated
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons peeled, grated ginger
  • 1 1/4 pound ground beef
  • 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder (I use a mix of Madras and Sri Lankan)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons red miso
  • 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons chicken bone broth
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Pepper
  • 1/2 pound okra, trimmed and sliced crosswise
  1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a donabe and saute the cumin seeds over medium or medium-low for 1 minute, until aromatic. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and continue sauteeing for 20 minutes, or until the onion is light golden and soft, being careful to not let the onion burn. Cover with a lid when not stirring. Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 1 minute, or until aromatic. Turn up the heat to medium-high and add the beef. Saute until the beef is almost cooked through. Add the carrot and stir. Add the curry powder and paprika and stir for 1 minute.
  2. Whisk the miso with a half ladleful of the stock in a small bowl. Set aside. Add the remaining stock, ketchup, and bay leaves to the donabe. As soon as the broth starts to boil, turn down the heat to simmer. Line the surface with a piece of aluminum foil. Cover with the lid and simmer for 10 minutes.
  3. Stir in the miso mixture, vinegar, salt, and a pinch of black pepper. Add the okra and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it rest, covered, 5 minutes. Serve with rice.

Herbed Shrimp Skewers

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These lightly breaded herby shrimp are so versatile. Want an easy appetizer? Check. A main dish for a vaguely Mediterranean dinner? You got it. These broil fast, so pay attention.

Herbed shrimp skewers
Ingredients:
  • 2 pounds shrimp, peeled
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 cup fine dry bread crumbs
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  1. Put the olive and avocado oils in a large bowl and add the shrimp, mixing them to coat. Add the bread crumbs, garlic, and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Toss the shrimp to give them an even coating of bread crumbs. Cover and let marinate for at least one hour.
  2. Thread the shrimp onto skewers, curling them as you do so that the tail is skewered in the middle. Arrange the skewered shrimp on a baking sheet fitted with a grill.
  3. Preheat the broiler. Place the baking sheet with the shrimp about six inches from the broiler and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, until shrimp are cooked through.

Panko-Crusted Salmon Patties

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It’s salmon season! Kind of. Okay, so there’s no salmon season in California this year (thanks, climate change), but you can use any wild salmon in this easy and comforting dish. Chopped water chestnuts add crunch to the filling, making these patties oh-so-easy to eat.

Panko salmon patties
Ingredients:
  • 1/2 pound skinless salmon fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces

For the marinade:

  • 1 egg white, lightly beaten
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped water chestnuts
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • Cornstarch for dry-coating
  • 3/4 cup panko
  • 3 tablespoons avocado oil
  1. Place salmon in a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add marinade ingredients. Process until mixture is smooth. Remove the salmon mixture to a bowl. Add water chestnuts and mix well. Let stand for 10 minutes.
  2. To make each patty, take 1/4 cup salmon mixture and shape into a patty. Dip patty in egg, drain briefly, then coat with panko.
  3. Place a wide frying pan over medium heat until hot. Add oil, swirling to coat sides. Add patties and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side.