Tag: Fall

Okra and Turkey Bacon Pilaf

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Okra has been my favorite vegetable for as long as I can remember, so I’m always looking for new excuses to cook it. This deeply savory okra and turkey bacon rice pilaf is one of those simple, comforting dishes that feels bigger than the ingredient list. It’s made for going back for seconds.

Ingredients:
  • 5 slices turkey bacon, chopped
  • 1/2 cup chopped white onion
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen sliced okra 
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 4 cloves) 
  • 1 quart chicken stock
  • 2 cups basmati rice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  1. Heat turkey bacon in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in onion, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add okra, and cook, stirring often until dry and tender, 8 to 10 minutes for fresh okra or 3 to 5 minutes for frozen. Stir in garlic, and cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Transfer okra mixture to a bowl and set aside.
  3. Add stock to pot, and bring to a boil over high, scraping bottom of pot to release any browned bits. Stir in rice, salt, and pepper, and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until rice is tender and stock is absorbed, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover; fold in reserved okra mixture, and cook until heated through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; fluff with a fork, and serve.

Lasagna Soup

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Lasagna soup feels like the kind of thing that shouldn’t work, but absolutely does. It has all the comfort of a baked lasagna: the rich tomato broth, melted cheese, noodles soaking up flavor, but without the ceremony of layering and baking. Just one pot, a big spoon, and the kind of dinner that makes a spring California evening feel a little cozier.

Ingredients:
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 pound Italian sausage
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 jar marinara sauce
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 8 ounces lasagna noodles, broken into pieces
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded
  • 1/4 cup basil, chopped
  1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and saute for one minute. Add beef, sausage, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Break up meat and cook until cooked through, about 7 minutes.
  2. Stir in marinara sauce. Add chicken broth and heavy cream and bring to a boil. Once the soup is boiling, add the lasagna noodles and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, until melted. Garnish with basil and serve.

Sri Lankan Beef Patties

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These Sri Lankan beef patties are only nominally authentic, but they’re an ode to the beloved “short eats” or snacks that are ubiquitous throughout the island. Think fish cutlets, spicy rolls, and crispy vadai. These beef patties traditionally employ a more labor-intensive, handmade dough and are deep-fried, but I use buttery puff pastry and bake the patties here for results that are just as indulgent and aromatic. Serve these as an appetizer with chili sauce or even cooling yogurt and chutney.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • 10 curry leaves
  • 3-inch piece of pandan leaf
  • 1/2 pound ground beef
  • 2 tablespoons Sri Lankan Roasted Curry Powder or Madras curry powder
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk
  • 1/2 lime
  • 1 package puff pastry dough
  1. Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Fry the onion until starting to brown, then add the curry leaves and pandan leaf and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden brown. Add the ground beef, curry powder, and enough water to just cover the ingredients. Reduce the heat to a simmer and with the lid ajar, cook for about 20 minutes.
  2. Add the coconut milk and cook for 4 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Turn off the heat and mix through a squeeze of lime juice. Set aside.
  3. Roll out the puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Cut out 4-inch squares with a pizza cutter. You should have about 12 to 16 squares. Spoon a tablespoon of the filling onto the center of each square and fold in half diagonally. Secure the border by pressing the tines of a fork alongside the edges.
  4. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Place the patties on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 30 minutes until golden, rotating the tray halfway.

Italian-ish Ramen

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This is the most comforting soup you’re going to have this winter. If tortellini soup and ramen had a baby, this would be it.

Ingredients:
  • 2 large chicken thighs, preferably skinless and boneless
  • 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil
  • 4 cups lower-sodium chicken stock
  • 3/4 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (about 3 tablespoons), divided
  • 8 ounces uncooked thin spaghetti 
  • 10 basil leaves, sliced, divided
  • 4 soft-cooked large eggs, peeled and halved lengthwise
  • Calabrian chile paste, for serving
  1. Pat chicken dry using paper towels; sprinkle with pepper and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Place chicken and cook, undisturbed, until crispy and golden brown, about 7 minutes. Flip chicken, and cook until browned on other side, about 4 minutes. Carefully remove and discard all but 2 tablespoons of rendered chicken fat from Dutch oven, leaving chicken in Dutch oven.
  2. Add chicken stock and 1 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan to Dutch oven; bring to a simmer over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook about 15 minutes.
  3. While chicken cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Add pasta, and cook 1 minute less than package directions for al dente.
  4. Remove chicken from Dutch oven, and let cool slightly, about 10 minutes. Shred chicken (discard skin and bones if using), and set aside. Reduce heat under Dutch oven to low; sprinkle stock mixture with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste. Add shredded chicken and half of sliced basil (about 1 tablespoon) to stock in Dutch oven. Bring to a simmer over medium-high. Drain pasta, and add to simmering stock mixture in Dutch oven. Cook until pasta is al dente, about 1 minute.
  5. Divide pasta, chicken, and broth among 4 bowls. Top evenly with eggs, remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan; remaining basil, and a small spoonful of Calabrian chile paste, to taste.

Kimchi Sundubu Jjigae

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This Korean tofu and kimchi stew is the ultimate cold weather comfort food. Of all the jjigaes (Korean stews), this one is my favorite. Briny, spicy, and deeply savory, there’s a reason why it’s one of the most popular dishes at Korean restaurants. This was my go-to order at Pyeong Chang Tofu House in Oakland for ages. These days, I’ve learned to make it at home.

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup sour, aged kimchi with juice
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 6 green onions, cut into 1-inch segments, green and white sections separated
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons gochujang
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 3 teaspoons gochugaru
  • 1 quart dashi
  • 1 1/2 pounds soft tofu
  • 1 egg per serving (4, depending on serving size)
  • Cooked rice, for serving
  1. Drain the kimchi in a strainer set over a small bowl, squeezing to remove liquid. Roughly chop the kimchi and reserve the kimchi and juice seperately.
  2. Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan (or similar) over medium-high heat. Add the whites of the green onions, garlic, and chopped kimchi. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
  3. Add the kimchi juice, gochujang, and soy sauce. Cook until the vegetables are coated in an even layer of sauce. Add the gochugaru and dashi, bring to a simmer and cook about 10 to 15 minutes. (Optional step: add a handful of cubed daikon radish, enoki mushrooms, or beech mushrooms before simmering at this stage. You could also add a handful of shellfish in the last few minutes of cooking.)
  4. Add the tofu and green tops of the green onions, stir gently, and heat until boiling. Break the eggs directly into the simmering broth. Stir the egg in to make a richer soup, or let them loosely poach int the broth. Serve with rice.