Tibetan-style Dumplings with Tofu and Mushrooms

Ingredients

2-inch knob fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (14-g) pkg dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in 1 cup boiling water until soft
2 cups loosely packed spinach
2 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup packed cilantro
1/2 (454-g) pkg firm tofu, patted dry
1/4 cup coarsely grated carrots
2 tbsp soy sauce
30 store-bought dumpling wrappers

Method

1. Add ginger and garlic to a food processor and whirl until pureed.
2. Drain mushrooms and squeeze dry. Add to ginger mixture and pulse 2 to 3 times.
3. Add spinach, onions and cilantro. Whirl until finely chopped. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl and crumble in tofu. Stir in carrots and drizzle with soy. Use your hands to mix until combined. Set aside.
4. Fill a large pot with a rim slightly smaller than that of a 10-inch steamer basket with about 5 cups of water (water should not touch bottom of steamer basket). Bring to a boil over medium-high.
5. Line base of steamer basket with parchment. Spray parchment with vegetable oil.
6. Lay a wrapper in the palm of your hand. Scoop a heaping tbsp of tofu mixture onto the centre. Use thumb and index finger of other hand to bring edges of wrapper up around filling, pleating the wrapper at intervals while gathering edges together at the top and pinching them closed. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.
7. Transfer half of the dumplings to the prepared steamer basket, keeping dumplings 1/2 inch apart. (They will expand during steaming.)
8. Place the basket over the boiling water. Steam, covered with a tight-fitting lid (or foil), until dumplings are cooked through, 10 to 12 mines.
9. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remaining dumplings.

Makes 30 dumplings.

Source: Chatelaine magazine

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Broiled Marinated Black Cod

Ingredients

1-1/2 to 2 pounds black cod fillet, cut into 4 pieces
Cooked rice, thinly-sliced radishes, and micro-greens for serving

Marinade

1/2 cup sake kasu (酒粕)
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons white miso
1 tablespoon soy sauce

Method

1. Mix marinade in a bowl.
2. Put fish into a large ziploc bag. Add marinade. Carefully squeeze the air out, and seal it. Shake the bag until the fillets are coated with the marinade. Put on a tray or large plate and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 2 days.
3. Put the rack of your oven as close to the top as it will go and preheat the broiler for 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, drain the marinade, remove the fillets from the bag, and wipe dry with a paper towel.
5. Put the fillets skin side down on a sturdy rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Broil until the surface is nicely browned and the fish begins to flake when prodded with a fork, about 5 to 6 minutes for 1-inch-thick fillets.
6. Remove from the oven. The broiling causes any pin bones to protrude from the fillets. Remove them (pliers or fish tweezers are good for this) and serve with rice, radish and micro-green.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: The Joy of Cooking

Thai-style Grilled Chicken

Ingredients

1 whole free-range chicken (about 1.8 kg) or 2 kg chicken wings
1 tbsp black peppercorns
leaves, roots and stems from 2 coriander roots, roughly chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, roughly chopped
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup coconut milk
sweet chilli sauce (store-bought), to serve

Method

1. Halve the chickens with a cleaver through the backbone and breast cartilage.
2. In a mortar pound the peppercorns, coriander and lemongrass together to a rough paste. Mix the paste with the brown sugar, fish sauce and coconut milk then rub this loose paste all over the chicken and marinate for at least 30 minutes, but preferably overnight.
3. Barbecue method: Grill the chicken on a low barbecue, turning frequently for 30 minutes or until cooked through. Rest in a warm, draught-free place for 15 minutes before serving.
4. Oven method: Heat the oven to 200°C (convection). Place the chicken halves on a baking tray with the skin facing up and bake for 40 minutes, or until cooked through and caramelised. Rest in a warm, draught-free place for 15 minutes before serving. Grill under the overhead grill for a further 10 minutes if the chicken needs a little more colour.
5. Serve the chicken with sweet chilli sauce.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Adam’s Big Pot

Filipino-style Roasted Pork Belly

Ingredients

1 (4–5-pound) skin-on, boneless pork belly
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 (12-ounce) bottle unseasoned rice vinegar
12 garlic cloves, chopped
6–12 green Thai chilies, lightly crushed but left whole
2 serrano chilies, torn into small pieces
4 (12-ounce) bottles hard apple cider
2 tablespoons honey

Method

1. Season pork generously with salt. Set, skin side up, on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Chill at least 12 hours and up to 2 days.
2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Pour 4 cups water into baking sheet with pork. Rub pork skin with oil; season with more salt. Roast, adding more water to pan as needed, until skin is golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of pork registers 195–200°F, 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours.
3. Meanwhile, pour out 1/2 cup vinegar from bottle (save for another use). Remove pouring spout from bottle and add garlic, chiles, and a large pinch of salt. Cover and shake to distribute; let sit until ready to serve. (Or, combine in a glass jar or bowl).
4. Bring hard cider and honey to a boil in a large saucepan; cook until thickened and very syrupy, 30–45 minutes.
5. Increase oven temperature to 450°F. Continue to roast pork until skin is browned and puffed, 15–20 minutes (add a few more splashes of water to baking sheet if juices are scorching). Transfer rack with pork to a cutting board; let rest 20 minutes.
6. Pour off fat from baking sheet and add 1/2 cup water, scraping up browned bits. Return baking sheet to oven for a few minutes if needed to help loosen browned bits. Stir into reduced cider mixture.
7. Remove skin from pork, using the tip of a knife to get it started (it should come off in 1 large piece with a little help). Slice pork lengthwise into 2″-wide strips, then crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Transfer to a platter and drizzle with reduced cider mixture. Break skin into large pieces and arrange on top; place a few chilies from vinegar around. Serve with chili vinegar.

Makes 8 to 12 servings.

Source: Bon Appetit

Thai-style Stir-fried Seafood

Ingredients

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp roasted chili paste
1 medium-sized prawn, shelled and deveined with tail left on
1 large prawn, shelled and deveined with head left on 4 mussels 4 scallops
4 crab claws
1 oz squid, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 stick celery, sliced
1 oz mixed red, yellow and green bell peppers, sliced
1 piece medium-sized carrot, about 1-1/2-inch long, cut into matchsticks
1-1/2 tbsp Maggi seasoning
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
5 Thai basil leaves

Garnish

green salad leaves
fresh coriander leaves

Method

1. Heat the oil in a wok until very hot. Add the chili paste and stir-fry briefly. Add all the seafood and stir-fry for about 2 minutes until they are almost cooked.
2. Add all the vegetables, the sauces, sugar and 3 tbsp water, then stir-fry for one more minute.
3. Mix in the basil leaves, then remove to a serving dish lined with salad leaves. Garnish with the coriander leaves before serving.

Makes 1 serving.

Source: The Blue Elephant Cookbook