Vegetarian Sichuan Greens Beans with Mushrooms (MBR)

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine (such as Shaoxing) or dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound green beans, ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, minced
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger
• 3 scallions, sliced thin
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Mise en place for my 200th blog entry.  I went with the mushroom rather than pork version of the recipe because I thought it would be easier to get in the ballpark of 1/4 pound of mushrooms than 1/4 pound of pork.  Still an awful lot of mushrooms.

Heat most of the oil except for 1 teaspoon over high heat.  Cook beans until crisp-tender and blackened in spots.

Cook mushrooms with remaining oil until softened (huh?).  Add garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant.

Toss and cook with sauce (basically everything from the soy sauce to the dry mustard I'll eventually have to toss nearly a full container of).  Stir in scallions and the sesame sauce I somehow forgot.

All in all a pretty good version of a dish I'll often order in its takeout manifestations.  Doesn't mean I'll stop doing so.

Lo mein however is something that often gives me displeasure in its locally available forms.  Not so much this.

Indian-Style Curry with Sweet Potatoes, Eggplant, and Green Beans (MBR)

• 2 tablespoons sweet or mild curry powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions, minced (about 2 cups)
• 12 ounces sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger
• 1-1 1/2 serrano chiles, ribs, seeds, and flesh minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 1/2 cups green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, pulsed in a food processor until nearly smooth with 1/4-inch pieces visible
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• Salt
• 8 ounces frozen peas (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/4 cup heavy cream or coconut milk

Mise en place.

Toasting the spices over medium-high heat until they theoretically darken slightly and become frafrant.

Heat three tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat.  Cooks onions until caramelized and the potatoes are golden brown on the edges.

Tomatoes pulsed until they are nearly smooth with 1/4-inch pieces visible.

Clear center of pan and cook 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, ginger, chile and tomato paste until fragrant.

Add spices and cook, stirring constantly for one minute longer.

Add green beans and eggplant and cook until spices coat the vegetables.
Add tomatoes, water, chickpeas, and 1 teaspoon salt.  Increase heat to medium-high, bring mixture to boil, and deglaze bottom.  Cover, reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Stir in peas and cream and cook until heated through.
Wound up being a perfectly serviceable curry although even as it topped brown rice, it inevitably left me hungry after 90 minutes.

Skillet Chicken Pot Pie (MBR)

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4 medium), trimmed
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise 1/2 inch thick
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 1 celery rib, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 recipe Skillet Pot Pie Crust, frozen at least 30 minutes

Mise en place.

Lightly brown chicken breasts in half the butter over medium heat.

Then cook carrots, celery, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt until vegetables are softened.

Stir flour and cook, stirring constantly, until incorporated, about 1 minute,  Incorporated isn't the word I'd use for what the point of cooking flour for 1 minute before adding other ingredients would be.  The point is to cook off the raw flour taste.

Add vermouth and cook until evaporated.  Slowly stir in broth, cream, and thyme and bring to a simmer.  Nestle chicken in, cover, and cook until thickest part of breasts registers 160 to 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.  For some reason this took me considerably longer than the suggested ten minutes.

Shred chicken into bite-sized pieces.  Return to skillet with the peas and season to taste.  Bake in 425 degree oven until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

See my verdict on the Skillet Beef Pot Pie for my thoughts on this.

Skillet Beef Pot Pie (MBR)

• 1 1/2 pound blade steaks, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise 1/2 inch thick
• 8 ounces white mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/3 cup dry red wine
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 recipe Skillet Pot Pie Crust, frozen for at least 30 minutes

Since I was lazy and didn't know where my rolling pin that I've been carrying for years was,  I went with a pre-made crust.  Alas, I would have to roll the 9-inch crust out to 12 inches anyway.

Had to wait for my french rolling pin to come in the mail since I didn't even have a wine bottle to roll the crust out with.

Fold 1/2 inch border all around and crimp the edges.  Cut out 1/2 inch by 3 inch oval vents from the center and freeze for 30 minutes to ease with putting it on the skillet later.

Remaining mise en place.

Browning the beef.  I was certainly worried about having to eat shoe leather later.

Cook onions, carrot and 1/2 teaspoon of salt over medium heat until vegetables are softened.

Stir in mushrooms and cook until softened.  I mean that's not really the right adjective that I would applying to a stage at which mushrooms should be cook, but I guess I'll go with it.

Add garlic and stir until fragrant.

Stir in flour and tomato paste until incorporated, about 1 minute.  Stir in wine and cook until evaporated.

Slowly stir in broth and thyme and bring to a simmer.

 

Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Then stir in beef with accumulated juices and the peas.

Place crust on top of filling and bake at 425 degrees until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbling, 45 to 50 minutes.

 

Even though this pot pie and the chicken version that I'll later blog about are both better than the one and only Mark Bittman pot pie I made when I first started cooking, I really don't think that either makes me want to give up either pre-made pot pies or especially the chicken and dumpling recipe I usually lean back on a couple times a year.

Bittman's recipe was a watery mess which this recipe goes to correct as just being overly dry.  Not a complete failure or really even terrible but still.

Stir-Fried Thai-Style Beef with Chiles and Shallots (MBR)

BEEF AND MARINADE

• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 2 pounds blade steaks, trimmed

STIR-FRY

• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon Asian chili-garlic paste
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minces or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3 serrano or jalapeno chiles, halved, seeds and ribs removed, chiles cut crosswise 1/8 inch thick
• 3 medium shallots, quartered lengthwise, and layers separated
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, large leave torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves [Bought parsley by mistake and used some Thai basil instead.]
• 1/3 cup roughly chopped roasted unsalted peanuts
• Line wedges, for serving

Mise en place.  Steak is marinating.  Sauce ingredients stir together until sugar dissolves.

Browning the beef in batches over high heat.  I got away for a pretty long time without setting the fire alarm, but alas, eventually I lost the war.

Used home-grown and fairly mild Hungarian wax pepper here.  Sauteed with shallots until beginning to soften.

Push everything aside and stir garlic mixed with 1 teaspoon oil in center until fragrant.

Cook everything together until sauce is thickened.

The recipe suggests that half the herbs be stirred in and half used as garnish, but as I was only going to eat this one bowl at a time, I just stirred it all in.
Pretty decent stir-fry.

Baked Ziti (MBR)

• 1 pound whole-milk or 1 percent cottage cheese
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)
• Salt
• 1 pound ziti or other short tubular pasta
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 5 teaspoons)
• 1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)

Whisk cottage cheese, eggs, and 1 cup Parmesan together.

Mise en place.

Heat oil and garlic over medium heat until fragrant but not brown.

Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and oregano ans simmer until thickened.  Off heat, stir in 1/2 cup of basil and sugar.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

I got over-eager and added the basil from the top.  Oh well.

Stir cornstarch into heavy cream and simmer until thickened over medium heat.

Add cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup of the tomato sauce, and 3/4 cup of mozzarella to cornstarch mixture.  Then combine with ziti.  Transfer to 13 by 9 baking dish.  

Spread remaining tomato sauce evenly over pasta.  Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

Bake, covered with foil, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Then bake uncovered for 30 minutes longer.  Let cool for 20 minutes then sprinkle with remaining basil.

Like anyone growing up among school organized potlucks and the such, I have memories of lackluster baked zitis.  I imagine people boil pasta, toss with jarred sauce and ricotta, and throw shredded mozzarella on top...  Not exactly a recipe for success and it was never something that wowed me.
However this dish with relatively unusual ingredients such as eggs and cottage cheese was remarkably consistent and satisfying.  It even held up time after time to microwaving.  This might turn into a semi-regular dish for me. (Meaning, I may cook it once or twice a year rather than never)

Polenta Casserole with Sauteed Mushrooms, Blue Cheese, and Walnuts (MBR)

POLENTA

• 3 cups water
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• Salt
• 1 1/2 cups instant polenta
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
• Ground black pepper

TOPPING

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 8 portobello mushroom caps, wiped clean and slice 1/4 inch thick
• 1 large red onion, halved and sliced thin
• Salt
• 6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms, rinsed and rehydrated, with soaking liquid reserved
• Ground black pepper
• 5 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (1 1/4 cups)
• 3/4 cups walnuts, chopped coarse
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Mise en place.

Bring water, milk, and 2 teaspoons of salt to a simmer in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium high heat.  Very slowly pour polenta into liquid, stirring constantly.  Reduce heat to lowest possible setting, cover, and stirring occasionally until soft and smooth.

Cook piles of portobello and white mushrooms, onion, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the oil over high heat until most of the mushrooms have exuded their liquid and browned.

Add garlic, thyme and porcini with reserved liquid.  Cook until most of liquid has evaporated and season to taste.

Layer polenta, mushrooms, blue cheese, and walnuts.  Bake in 400 degree over for 20 minutes.  Then let cool for ten minutes.

I remain un-wowed by the dish although I like these things separately, they just didn't seem to meld properly.