Asian Lettuce Wraps - April Foodie Penpals

Check out the great items our April Foodie Penpal Molly K. sent us -- all the (non-perishable) makings for Asian Lettuce Wraps, with tips and instructions on how to make them. It was so very thoughtful, and it made for an easy and delicious weeknight dinner for the two of us during a very hectic work week.

We decided to make the wraps using ground pork along with the water chestnuts provided in our penpal package. Molly had asked ahead of time what we liked/disliked, and when Amy admitted to hating mushrooms (it's a texture thing more than a flavor thing), she sent the water chestnuts instead. It was the perfect substitution!

On his way home from work, Chris picked up a quart of pork fried rice so that we could make the wraps into a full meal. Then we started cooking. First we browned the pork then added the water chestnuts that we had chopped finely. (In other words, we followed the directions on the bottle of sauce!) 

The sauce, from Williams-Sonoma, had plenty of garlic and soy flavor, and glazed the pork wonderfully with a nice tanginess. 

We laid the lettuce out on a platter so each of us could make our own wraps, with the chopped peanuts and sweet chili sauce that Molly had sent us for garnishing. She also sent us some rice stick noodles, but we didn't feel the lettuce wraps needed them, so we are saving them for another Asian-themed dinner.

Thanks, Molly!

To find out more about Foodie Penpals, go here!

Mmm(bibim)bap!!!!

It may be that you don't remember Hanson, of MMMBop fame. Without trying to insult anyone who loved that boy band from the late 90s, we would probably count them in the category of One Hit Wonders. Yet we just couldn't help ourselves in naming this post after their hit song. Corniness has its place in the world, doesn't it?

Okay, all corniness aside, in case you're wondering what exactly this post is about (if not Hanson), it's about the Korean smorgasbord-in-a-dish that is known as bibimbap. The name alone is so fun to say, we think you should say it out loud right now. Come on, have a little fun. Bibimbap!

The basics of bibimbap involve a bowl with some rice and vegetables, and perhaps some meat or fish, all topped with a fried egg. It's everything in a bowl. It's healthy and delicious. It's fun. It's amazing. Say it again - Bibimbap!

Asian Pear (above), grated (below)

Making bibimbap at home is somewhat of a chore, as you can probably tell, because each component must be made separately and then assembled into the bowl. Frankly, it's a pain in the arse. But if you have the time, a bunch of frying pans, and the inclination, you should try it at least once.

We used, as our guide, this recipe from this month's Bon Appetit via Epicurious. Since we took the time to pickle a pound of daikon radish we got from the farmers' market Sunday, we allowed ourselves to cheat a little by buying a pint of sushi rice from our favorite sushi joint. Cooking is about flexibility, after all!

Mix-in One: As we just mentioned, we started the night before by making pickled daikon for one of our bibimbap "mix-ins" using Tyler Florence's recipe exactly. They came out looking like this (great color, eh?):

Pickled Daikon Radish

On the night of bibimbap, Amy stopped at the store for the final ingredients - scallions and an Asian pear. She forgot the scallions, so we used dried chives. Although the checkout person didn't know what the Asian pear was, the store did have it, and it did make a huge difference in the flavor of the meat, so definitely look for it if, like us, you live in the frozen tundra known as New England where such things are so alien.

Marinating the beef

Amy got home and marinated the meat (thinly sliced ribeye also from the farmers' market) right away before setting about making the other mix-ins, again using the Epicurious recipe as a guide.

For the marinade:

1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup finely grated Asian pear with juices

2 scallions, thinly sliced (we used 1 tablespoon dried chives)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon raw or brown sugar

2 teaspoons grated peeled ginger

1 pound thinly sliced (1/8") boneless beef rib-eye steak or short ribs

Whisk first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add beef; toss to coat. Cover; chill for 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.

One unifying component

Mix-in Two: Sesame Carrots:

2 carrots

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

kosher salt and black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon black sesame seeds

Peel and cut thecarrots into long matchstick-size pieces. Heat the oil in a large skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat. Add carrots, salt, pepper and sesame seeds, and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, 3-4 minutes.

Sesame Carrots

Mix-in Three: Garlicky Spinach:

1 pound fresh spinach

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

2 chopped garlic cloves

2 tablespoons Ponzu sauce

1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

Cook spinach  in a large pot of boiling salted water just until wilted, 1-2 minutes. Drain, then transfer to a bowl of ice water; let cool. Drain and squeeze out excess water. Heat sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chopped garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute. Add spinach, ponzu, and  vinegar. Stir to combine; season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Garlicky Spinach

What's next? Our meat was marinated, and the mix-ins were set up in small bowls, and Amy was waiting for Chris to arrive home with the sushi rice. When he did, Chris crisped the rice and made two fried eggs while Amy sauteed the beef. It's nice having four hands in the kitchen. Finally, it was time to assemble our bowls.

Crisping the rice:

Heat one tablespoon toasted sesame oil in a large cast-iron or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add rice; pat out in an even layer. Cook, rotating skillet for even browning (do not stir), until rice is golden and crisp on bottom, 5-7 minutes.

Crisping the rice

Sauteing the beef:

Heat one tablespoon toasted sesame oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add beef and cook, turning once, until cooked through and lightly browned, about 3 minutes.

Sauteing the beef

Don't forget to make a fried egg to top each bowl (and try not to break the yolk like Amy did...)!

Assembling the Bibimbap Bowl:

Divide crisped rice among bowls. Top with sauteed beef, your favorite mix-ins, and a fried egg. Yell "MMM...Bibimbap" and dig in with gusto, tasting exactly how worth it all that work was!

Tea-Smoked Chicken and Leftover Tea-Smoked Chicken Pho

We found a two-ounce package of this distinctive tea in our cupboard. It smelled so good - smoky, caramel-y, rich. Neither of us could remember where it came from, but we had just bought a brick of pu'er tea on a recent visit to Boston's Chinatown, so we decided to use this package to make Tea-Smoked Chicken.

Before we go on, we should share a hard-earned tip. When you are tea-smoking a chicken, open the windows in your kitchen, turn on a fan or two. This method of ours makes a LOT of smoke. It reminded us that we need to replace our smoke detector batteries...

 

Anyway, we digress. First we dry-brined the chicken in kosher salt for about three hours in the refrigerator. Then we smoked the chicken on our stovetop with a smoking mixture of the pu'er tea, raw rice and sugar; this took about 25 minutes. Finally, we baked the chicken with a basting glaze made from garlic, ginger, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and Szechuan peppercorns. The meat was very juicy, really tender, and extremely flavorful. The skin was salty and smoky and sooo very yummy. Tea-smoked success!

We really enjoyed this chicken, and so we ate quite a bit of it that night, but when two people sit down to eat a whole chicken, there's bound to be leftovers. So the next night, we used our easy pho recipe and made Leftover Tea-smoked Chicken Pho. And we had leftovers from that, too! So from one $5 chicken (on sale!), a few pantry ingredients, some tea (which, it turns out, is pretty expensive, but you can use any tea you want!) and a little bit of fresh produce, we ended up with six individual meals. That works for us!

Tea-Smoked Chicken

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken

1/4 cup kosher salt

2 ounces loose tea

1/2 cup uncooked rice

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns, crushed

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon minced ginger

pinch granulated sugar

Rub the chicken inside and out with the kosher salt. Place in refrigerator and allow to dry-brine for 2-3 hours. When ready to cook, heat oven to 375. Line a large roasting pan with two layers of aluminum foil. Combine the tea, rice and sugar in a bowl and pour into the roasting pan over the foil. Place a roasting rack over the tea mixture and set the chicken on the rack. Create a tent of aluminum foil over the whole pan and set over high heat on the stove top. Allow the chicken to smoke on high heat for 15 minutes, then turn heat off and let it sit in the smoke for another 10 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the basting glaze. Whisk together the peppercorns, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic, ginger and sugar and brush about half of it over the chicken. Place uncovered in the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes (or until temperature reaches 165) , basting occasionally with the remaining glaze. Allow to rest for five to ten minutes before serving. Use leftovers to make pho using this recipe.

Delectible Dim Sum from Winsor Dim Sum Cafe, Boston

Both of us spent at least part of our college years in Boston, but in very different parts of the city. While Amy studied classical languages on the tree-lined campus of Boston College in Chestnut Hill, a swanky suburb, Chris spent his days walking the city streets at urban-set Northeastern. Amy secretly longed to venture into Chinatown to taste dim sum on a Saturday afternoon but never dared; it was on the border of what was still referred to as the "Combat Zone" and "too dangerous" for a college co-ed. That area of the city was where Chris felt most at home. So maybe opposites attract after all.

Steamed Pork and Peanuts Dumpling -

Soft, elastic dough wrapped around minced pork,

boiled peanuts and vegetables.

A nice variety of textures and flavors.

The Combat Zone is no more. Like New York's famed 42nd Street, this area of Boston has been scrubbed and dusted. It's not uncommon to see vacationing families walking down Kneeland for inexpensive souvenirs or a taste of the exotic. We saw plenty walk past as we stopped at a place more popular with the locals than the tourists - Winsor Dim Sum Cafe on Tyler Street.

Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf Packets -

Sticky white rice with bits of roast pork

steamed inside lotus leaf for smoky flavor.

This narrow second-floor eatery was packed with diners (a good sign!) but the wait was minimal, about 10 minutes. Rather than the typical dim sum set-up (food carts being wheeled past tables), Winsor does dim sum and other Chinese specialties to order.

Easy ordering via check-list.

As we sat, we were given a laminated menu with about 40 pictures, a two-page listing of each of those items as well as a few additional offerings, and a red pen. Soon after, we were served a pot of steaming jasmine tea, and we settled in to make our choices.

Chicken Feet with Black Bean Sauce -

Most likely braised, then fried, these had a gummy

but tender consistency and

sweet flavor.

If you read the first paragraph above, you probably won't be surprised to find that Chris's choices were, shall we say, more adventurous than Amy's. We'll let you guess who chose what. 

Deep Fried Shrimp Rolls -

A crisp wrapper surrounding a delicately poached shrimp

with fresh, crunchy celery in the middle.

This is fresh, hot, authentic dim sum served in a cozy setting by a friendly and welcoming staff. Bonus? Each order is a mere $3.15, and most orders include 3 to 5 pieces, making for an awesome yet cheap lunch in the city.

Baked Roast Pork Buns (served only on weekends) -

A particular favorite, with smoky-sweet

Chinese barbecued pork stuffed inside

steamed sweet bread.

Kara-Age Chicken with Seared Garlic Green Beans

When we think of Kikkoman, we think of this cartoon, with that uber-catchy song refrain that sticks in our heads for days after we hear it. Show me, show you, Kikkoman! Kikkoman! But now, after receiving a box of Kikkoman Kara-Age Coating Mix through the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, we will imagine tasty golden nuggets of chicken fried in a light and tasty coating with hints of soy and ginger as we sing along.




The first things we noticed when we opened one of the two packets included in the box was the wonderful ginger scent and the fine powdery-ness of the coating. The box informs us that Kara-Age is "Japan's popular fried chicken dish" (Show me, show you!) and gives clear and easy instructions that have you eating your Kara-Age in about five minutes. Just cut, toss, shake and fry! While it suggests chicken in the main instructions, it says that it's great for fish as well, and gives a quick recipe for Asian-Style Popcorn Shrimp. An easy dipping sauce, says the box, is Kikkoman (Kikkoman!) Ponzu. We used boneless chicken breasts that we cut into bite-sized pieces, and served our Kara-Age with seared garlic green beans (All right!) for a quick, easy, deliciously savory meal. 

Cut!

Toss and shake!

Fry!

Kikkoman!

Kara-Age Chicken with Seared Garlic Green Beans

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound green beans, trimmed

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 packet Kikkoman Kara-Age Coating Mix

water

1 pound boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces

vegetable oil for frying

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until very hot but not smoking. Add the green beans and cook for 10-12 minutes, tossing often, until tender and browned in spots. Reduce heat to medium-low and add garlic. Stir for a minute until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper, remove from skillet and set aside on a large serving platter. Meanwhile, pour Kikkoman Kara-Age Coating Mix into a large plastic bag. Moisten chicken pieces with water, allowing excess to drip off. Add chicken pieces to bag and close. Shake well to coat all pieces evenly. Pour vegetable oil into a large heavy skillet, filling it about 1/4-inch high. Heat the oil. Working in batches, fry the chicken in hot oil, turning pieces frequently, until golden brown, about 2 minutes each side. Remove and set on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Place atop green beans to serve.

Honey-Soy Chicken with Asian Spices

When we went to Chinatown in Boston over spring break, we picked up a few spices that are (unbelievably, and unfortunately) not easily found in our local supermarkets. Whole star anise and dehydrated galangal were among them, and we've been trying to incorporate these, and other, Asian flavors into our dishes lately. For instance, we used the galagal in last week's Spicy Chickpea and Carrot Tagine, and the star anise will be replacing the pinch of anise seed next time we make our version of Pho. As Chris put it, "I really like this spice set." Indeed. We love the musky, cedar taste of the galangal; the star anise is both sweet and aromatic, imparting an intriguing hint of licorice.

With the hopes of (literally) spicing up some Sunday chicken, we decided to marinate our chicken pieces in honey, soy sauce, and sesame oil with spices including the star anise and galangal. Garlic seemed to be necessary, and then, instead of onion, we chopped fresh chives from our garden, and used the lavender-colored chive flowers for our garnish. After marinating for 40 minutes or so, we roasted the chicken, basting every fifteen minutes or so. The flavors were excellent - sweetness from the honey, saltiness from the soy, bitterness from the garlic and chives, earthiness from the galangal, and that interesting aromatic flavor from the star anise - it was all there. The skin just didn't crisp up the way we would have liked. We think this was because we had the oven on 400 for the first half of the cooking time. Next time we'll marinate longer to really infuse the flavors into the meat, and we'll put the oven temperature a bit higher. Our recipe below reflects those changes.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup cooking sherry

1/2 cup chopped fresh chives

1 large piece dehydrated galangal

4 whole star anise

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons sesame oil

1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder

8 pieces chicken (we mixed drumsticks and thighs)

1 1/4 teaspoons coarse kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons sesame seeds

In a small saucepan, combine the water, soy sauce, honey, sherry, chives, galangal, star anise and garlic. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes. Whisk in the sesame oil and set aside. Place the chicken pieces in a baking dish and pat them dry. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Pour 1/2 of the marinade over the chicken and allow to marinate 45 minutes to an hour. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place pan in oven and roast chicken, turning and basting with the additional marinade occasionally, until cooked, about 45 minutes. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.