Vermont Acupuncture

Tag: Asian

  • Coconut Curry with Chicken Tofu and Vegetables

    Through the years many people have asked me for this recipe. I like to spruce up the basic curry with lots of veggies to make it super delicious, but keeping it simple works well. Curry is very flexible, so see what’s in your fridge and use any protein and veggies that you have available. If you have a can of coconut milk, curry paste, chicken or tofu and a few vegetables you’ve got enough to make a curry.

    Foundational Ingredients:

    • 1 can full fat unsweetened coconut milk
    • 2-3 Tablespoon curry paste (red or panang)
    • 1 onion, chopped
    • Chicken and/or tofu – about a pound – chopped into 1 inch cubes
    • 1 teaspoon salt

    Optional ingredients:

    • 1 red pepper, chopped
    • 1 carrot, sliced thinly on the diagonal
    • 1-2 cups mushrooms – white, shiitake or any variety, sliced or quartered
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1-2 Tablespoon lemongrass, minced
    • 1 kaffir lime leaf, julienned
    • 1 Tablespoon curry powder
    • 1 Tablespoon coconut or palm sugar
    • 1-2 cups green beans or broccoli, pre-steamed
    • 1-2 cups kale, cabbage or spinach, chopped
    • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
    • 1-2 cups of broth

    Optional Garnishes:

    • Lime
    • Thai basil
    • Cilantro
    • Toasted peanuts or other nuts, chopped
    1. Start steaming any veggies that need it and get some rice going.
    2. Heat 2 Tablespoon of the thick cream from the top of the canned coconut milk and/or 2 Tablespoon coconut oil and curry paste.
    3. Sauté onions in coconut cream until translucent, then add pepper, carrots, mushrooms, garlic, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf. Mix and let cook a few minutes then add half a can of coconut milk.
    4. Spread chicken and/or tofu evenly over the top of the veg mix, sprinkle with curry powder if desired, sugar, and salt right on the chicken. Let cook for 5 or more minutes, then turn over.
    5. Add the rest the of coconut milk, the rest of the vegetables, fish sauce if using and/or salt to taste. Add water or broth if you want to make it soupier. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink and vegetables are cooked.
    6. Serve over rice or have as a soup. Garnish with lime, fresh herbs or nuts.

  • Okra and Onions sauteed with Spices and Tomato

    Masala Bhindi

    I cannot think of anything I would rather do with okra than make this. If I get eggplant from my CSA, look out! Kelly is making Indian food all weekend. I posted this receipt over 10 years ago and it’s still true.

    Get the spices measured out and ready, then

    Heat:

    2 T ghee or coconut oil

    Saute:

    1 large onion, finely chopped

    1 pound okra, trimmed & sliced length-wise on a slight diagonal

    After 5-8 minutes, add:

    2 T garlic, minced (more…)

  • Japanese Beef and White Sweet Potato Stew

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    Simple and delicious. The base is bone broth, tamari, ginger with sweet Japanese cooking wine – slow cooked stew beef with Japanese white sweet potatoes. Yum. A hit with the kids.

    Ingredients

    2 pounds local stew beef (boneless chuck 1 – 1 ½ in chunks)

    3 cups bone stock or broth (chicken, turkey, beef)

    ¼ cup tamari or soy sauce

    10 slices of ginger, peeled

    Black pepper

    Sea salt

    1 lemon (Zest goes in with the potatoes. Juice at the end)E95E380D-ABC0-4796-BCD6-DBC75E5FBD30_1_105_c

    2 pounds Japanese white sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-1 ½ in chunks. Alternatively use regular sweet potatoes or butternut squash.

    Scallions (optional)

     

    Salt and pepper the meat. Turn oven on to 350 F.

    In large Dutch oven heat 1 T bacon fat, ghee, butter, coconut oil or olive oil.

    Sear half of the meat, turning once about 5 minutes per side. Put aside. Sear the other half and put aside.

    (more…)

  • Fish Sauce Dipping Sauce – Nuoc Mam

    Here’s how to make fish sauce dipping sauce, Nuoc Mam:

    1-2 t honey or palm sugar

    1 T hot or warm water – mix the honey or sugar until mostly dissolved

    Add 2 T good quality fish sauce

    1 clove of garlic, smashed or minced

    and the juice of 1-2 limes.

    Add crushed or sliced serrano or Thai chili to the sauce or serve on the side.

    (or replace the chilies and garlic with Sriracha chili garlic sauce if you want a short cut)

    You can water it down with another 1-2 T of water if you prefer, or want to stretch it out.

    Let the dressing sit while you finish other things – it is better if it has some time.

    Give each person a tiny dipping bowl and distribute.

    Great for dipping Summer Rolls or Spring rolls. Also great as a sauce for eggs or grilled pork, as is popular in Vietnam. This is also the base dressing for Vietnamese Chicken and Cabbage Salad.

  • 2013 is the Year of the Water Snake

    the 10th of February is Chinese New Year

    The Snake is considered a good omen and a symbol of wisdom.

    Snakes are known to be powerful, introspective, refined and focused.

    2013 is a favorable business year for motivated people. In the year of the Snake, reducing stress with calm and quiet will add to the positive momentum, as will patient attention to detail and organization.

    Love and romance may prove exceptional this year.

  • Pork & Cabbage Dumplings

    This is the classic Chinese dumpling, loosely based on the recipe of Ben Wang – Burlington’s own master dumpling maker. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture. I guess I will have to make them again soon so I can. Oh, too bad!

    Makes 50 or so

    2 cups Napa cabbage, sliced finely and chopped coarsely

    1 t salt

    ½ t baking soda

    bring 2 quarts of water to a boil

    boil cabbage, rinse with cold water, drain and gently press

    1 lb ground pork

    3 shallots, minced

    1 egg

    1 t salt

    1 T sugar

    1 T ginger, minced

    1 T rice wine

    1 T soy sauce

    1 T sesame oil

    combine all and stir

    The filling can be prepared the day before and kept in the refrigerator.

    Take 1 package round wonton wrappers out of the freezer at least one hour before you are ready to start making the dumplings.

    To make the dumplings:

    Shortly before you are ready to steam them, make the dumplings. Hold the dumpling wrapper in the palm of your hand and place one rounded teaspoon of filling in the center. Wet the edges of the wrapper with water and fold in half, pressing the two sides together – making a half circle. There are many fancier ways to wrap these, but difficult to explain without pictures. Google “how to wrap pork dumplings” and look at images.

    You can put wax paper between layers if you want to stack them.

    Fill the pan under the steamer with enough water to almost reach the bottom of the steamer basket and begin heating. Lightly oil your steamer basket and place dumplings in basket ½ inch apart. When the water is getting close to boiling lower steamer into pan, cover and steam until the dumplings are cooked through, about 10 minutes.

    Serve with Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce.

  • Vegetarian Lemongrass Dumplings

    Vietnam meet Thailand in these mouth pleasures.

    Makes 30.

    For this recipe, you will need a steamer basket of some kind. A simple collapsible steamer basket will do. Alternatively, you can get a bamboo or stainless steamer at an Asian market.

    Mix in medium bowl:

    1 block tofu, broken or cut into small pieces

    ¼ cup lemongrass, minced (I get this frozen at the Asian Market)

    2 shallots, minced

    1 t sea salt

    1 t chiu chow chili oil (or any chili oil or ¼ t cayenne powder)

    1 t sesame oil

    2 kefir lime leaves, julienned and minced super fine

    2 t kudzu powder mixed with 3 t cold water – stir and dissolve

    combine all and stir

    The filling can be prepared the day before and kept in the refrigerator.

    Take 1 package round wonton wrappers out of the freezer at least one hour before you are ready to start making the dumplings.

    NOTE: You can make these gluten free by using rice papers. Just cut them into small round circles, wet, and wrap.

    To make the dumplings:

    Shortly before you are ready to steam them, make the dumplings. Hold the wonton wrapper in the palm of your hand and place a half of a teaspoon of filling in the center. Cup your hand around the wonton wrapper, gathering folds up around the filling. Press the gathered folds up over the filling and together to make a ball that is pinched closed on the top. You can wet the edges of the dumpling wrapper first if you need more adhesion.

    You can put wax paper between layers if you want to stack them.

    Fill the pan under the steamer with enough water to almost reach the bottom of the steamer basket and begin heating. Lightly oil your steamer basket and place dumplings in basket ½ inch apart. When the water is getting close to boiling lower steamer into pan, cover and steam until the dumplings are cooked through, about 8 – 10 minutes.

    Serve with Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce.

  • Shrimp Shu Mai with Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce

    Makes 30.

    For this recipe, you will need a steamer basket of some kind. A simple collapsible steamer basket will do. Alternatively, you can get a bamboo or stainless steamer at an Asian market.

    Mix in medium bowl

    16 ounces shrimp, raw, peeled and chopped finely

    1 can water chestnuts, minced

    1 T finely grated ginger

    4 T minced scallions

    1 T dry sherry or vermouth

    2 t sesame oil

    2 t tamari

    1 egg

    ½ t salt

    Pinch ground pepper (or to taste)

    The filling can be prepared the day before and kept in the refrigerator. To make the filling you can either chuck everything in the food processor and blend to yield a smooth filling – or you can mince everything by hand for a chunkier filling. If you are using the food processor method, I recommend putting the whole water chestnuts in the food processor first. Then coarsely chop the shrimp and toss it in. Chop the ginger and scallions pretty well. Add the rest of the ingredients and push go. Not too long if you want a chunky filling.

    Take 1 package shu mai, wonton or dumpling wrappers, round out of the freezer at least one hour before you are ready to start making the dumplings.

    To make the dumplings:

    Shortly before you are ready to steam them, make the dumplings. Hold the dumpling wrapper in the palm of your hand and place one rounded teaspoon of filling in the center. Cup your hand around the wonton wrapper, gathering folds up around the filling. Press the gathered folds lightly around the filling to adhere, forming a cup-shaped dumpling.

    NOTE: The picture shows the dumplings pinched together at the top. I forgot to that a photo when I made them for Chinese New Year’s when I put double the filling in and left it open on the top like a cup.

    You can put wax paper between layers if you want to stack them.

    Fill the pan under the steamer with enough water to almost reach the bottom of the steamer basket and begin heating. Lightly oil your steamer basket and place dumplings in basket ½ inch apart. When the water is getting close to boiling lower steamer into pan, cover and steam until the dumplings are cooked through, about 8 minutes.

    Serve with Ginger-Soy Dipping Sauce.

     

    Shopping list for Shu Mai

    steamer basket

    1 pound raw shrimp

    water chestnuts

    ginger

    dry sherry or vermouth

    sesame oil

    egg

    tamari

    salt

    ground pepper

    scallions

    1 package shu mai, wonton or dumpling wrappers, round

    wax paper

  • Okra and Onions Braised with Spices and Tomato

    Masala Bhindi

    I cannot think of anything I would rather do with okra than make this. If I get eggplant from my CSA, look out! Kelly is making Indian food tonight.

    Get the spices measured out and ready, then

    Heat:

    2 T ghee or coconut oil

    Saute:

    1 large onion, finely chopped

    1 pound okra, trimmed & sliced length-wise on a slight diagonal

    After 5-8 minutes, add:

    2 T garlic, minced (more…)

  • Indian Spiced Braised Eggplant

    Khatti Bhaji

    Whenever I get eggplant I think about making this dish. If I also have okra, my friends and family are in for an Indian delight. Nothing makes Indian food better than fresh vegetables and good quality oil.

    1 medium eggplant, chopped into 1/2 inch cubes and then soaked for 15 minutes or more in water with salt. Strain in colander.

    Heat large cast iron pan on medium-high and add:

    2 T sesame oil or other good quality vegetable oil

    When oil is quite warm add:

    2 medium onions, thinly sliced

    Sauté until translucent (or nearly so).

    Add eggplant and continue to sauté, stirring every 3-4 minutes. Do not stir too frequently – give time for each side of the eggplant cubes to cook. (more…)