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Trekking North to Napa

April 4, 2013

The Ranting Chef Chinese, Kosher, Low Carb, Lunch, Recipes, Salad, Side Dish, Vegan, Vegetable, Vegetarian , , , , , , , , , , , , , , 7 Comments

I consider myself a native Californian. I was born there and lived there until the summer before the first grade and I moved back before seventh grade and stayed throughout high school. While I left the state to go to college (The Ohio State University), I always returned during breaks and immediately after graduation. All of that time was spent in southern California (aka The Better Half) and in all that time, I don’t recall ever visiting the northern half of the state.

In a previous job, I was lucky enough to travel several times a year to San Francisco. I learned to have a great appreciation for the city with its wonderful culture and amazing cuisine. Unfortunately I was never able to extend any of those trips to spend time seeing the redwoods or Napa valley. I think it is time to trek across the country to go to the wine region and see more of the northern half. I am still a Southern Californian at heart, but can now understand the allure of the north.

It was very good. A good addition next time would be to add a few chopped peanuts into it.

Yes. There are three different types of cabbage in this (red, green and napa). By the way, napa cabbage is not named for, or in relation to Napa valley. Who knew?

I actually tripled the peanut sauce and used about half of the total with some ramen noodles. Even without the noodles, I would likely double the recipe for the dressing as it is soooo good.

I expected my wife and I to both like it, but my youngest went for seconds on the slaw too.

Asian Coleslaw

Prep Time: 30 Min | Makes: 6 2/3 servings (Scaled)

Ingredients:

  • 4 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 1/3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 1/3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
  • 1 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 3 1/3 cups thinly sliced green cabbage
  • 1 1/3 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
  • 1 1/3 cups shredded napa cabbage
  • 1 1/3 red bell peppers, thinly sliced
  • 1 1/3 carrots, julienned
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together the rice vinegar, oil, peanut butter, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic.

In a large bowl, mix the green cabbage, red cabbage, napa cabbage, red bell peppers, carrots, green onions, and cilantro. Toss with the peanut butter mixture just before serving.

Nutritional Info:

Amount Per Serving Calories: 184 | Total Fat: 12.6g | Cholesterol: 0mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database

Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/asian-coleslaw/detail.aspx

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My First Asian Side Dish

March 12, 2013

The Ranting Chef Chicken, Chinese, Kosher, Low Carb, Recipes, Side Dish, Vegan, Vegetable, Vegetarian , , , , , , , , , , , , 10 Comments

*** The Ranting Chef would much rather cook than clean. This was reinforced this past weekend when I was cleaning a kitchen knife, my hand slipped and I was able to see how sharp my knife really was. Only four stitches later (the pros who follow the blog will start laughing at just four stitches) I’m back in the kitchen. As a result AND with the first round of the Diced! competition to post next week, you’ll see a high number of guest posts over the next few weeks. ***

Many times when I decide to make an Asian based dish, the vegetables are either built into the recipe or missing from the plate. I cannot say I have been overly successful in having an Asian side dish of vegetables (short of some steamed edamame or some cut up raw peppers).

I was glad to come across this one as it is both easy, and great tasting.

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Tasty!

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Such a basic recipe.

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Broccoli and garlic.

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And the sauce.

Photo Dec 11, 5 57 00 PM

Broccoli in Hoisin Sauce Recipe

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 5 min | Makes: 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 package (16 ounces) frozen broccoli florets, thawed
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh gingerroot
  • 1 teaspoon canola oil
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 4-1/2 teaspoons hoisin sauce
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry the broccoli, garlic and ginger in oil for 2-3 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender. Add the water, hoisin sauce and salt. Cook and stir until sauce is thickened. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutritional Info:

Nutritional Facts 3/4 cup equals 61 calories, 1 g fat (trace saturated fat), trace cholesterol, 272 mg sodium, 9 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 3 g protein. Diabetic Exchange: 1 vegetable.

Source: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Broccoli-in-Hoisin-Sauce

 

March 12th is National Baked Scallops Day

In honor of today’s food holiday, please revisit the following recipes that use or feature this ingredient:

Scallops and Shrimp Casserole

 

I’m a One Trick Diner

March 3, 2013

The Ranting Chef Chicken, Chinese, Kosher, Low Carb, Recipes , , , , , , , , , , , 13 Comments

I am a very predictable diner. While I love to go to new restaurants, when I find something I like at a restaurant, it is difficult for me not to order it every time I go there. I know that if I like one thing on the menu, I am apt to like others (maybe some even better), but I just cannot help associate a specific dish to the restaurant. I will often walk into the restaurant thinking I’ll try something new, but once the menu is in front of me, my mind wanders back to the favorite and I order it once again. I’m a one trick pony.

This pattern is never so true as at the Cheesecake Factory. Now I am a long time diner at the Cheesecake Factory. One of the first ones opened was very close to where I lived in Redondo Beach, California and I first went there over twenty years ago. I cannot recall what I ordered there the first time I went but the second time….Spicy Cashew Chicken.

Over the next twenty-plus years, I must have eaten at various Cheesecake Factory restaurants across the country dozens of times and while I have ordered different appetizers (Buffalo Blasts are awesome) and almost every type of cheesecake, I have never ordered an entrée that wasn’t the Spicy Cashew Chicken. If forced to choose, give me that dish and keep the cheesecake. Luckily I have not had to make that choice.

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This recipe rocks! Good flavors and textures.

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The ingredient list is rather long, but it really falls into four groups: spiced flour, batter, sauce and everything else.

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Making the sauce.

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The tenders having been “floured”.

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And battered.

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And fried up golden.

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This makes a lot of the sauce. Good thing!

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It really tasted like the real thing and this will fall into regular rotation for me.

Cheesecake Factory Spicy Cashew Chicken

Prep Time: 30 m | Cook Time: 50 m | Makes: 2-4

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb Chicken Tenders
  • Rice Flour (recipe Follows)
  • Rice Flour Batter
  • ¼ cup Peanut Oil
  • Cashew Sauce
  • ½ cup Cashews
  • ½ cup Green Onions
  • White Rice
  • 1 tsp Black & White Sesame Seeds
  • 1 Sprig Italian Parsley
  • *Rice Flour Batter*
  • 1 cup Rice Flour
  • ¼ cup All-purpose Flour
  • ½ tsp Kosher Salt
  • ½ t. tsp Pepper
  • 1 cup Ice Cold Water
  • *Seasoned Rice Flour*
  • ½ cup Rice Flour
  • ½ tsp Kosher Salt
  • ¼ tsp Pepper
  • ¼ tsp Paprika
  • ¼ tsp Baking Powder
  • *Spicy-soy-sherry Sauce*
  • Yield Approx 4 Cups
  • 2 cups Hoisin Sauce
  • ½ cup Soy Sauce
  • ½ cup Sherry Wine
  • ¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
  • 3 tsp Chili Garlic Paste
  • ½ cup Sugar
  • 5 cloves Garlic
  • ½ tsp Crushed Red Chili Flakes

Directions:

Place the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sherry wine, red wine vinegar, and chili garlic paste into small mixing bowl and stir to blend. Add sugar, garlic, crushed red chili flakes and stir until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.

Place all ingredients for rice flour batter into a clean bowl and mix. Add cold water and stir til combined.

Place all ingredients for seasoned rice flour into clean bowl and mix together.

Using a wok or saute pan over medium heat, add peanut oil and allow to heat. Meantime, place chicken pieces into a small clean mixing bowl and sprinkle rice flour over the chicken. Gently toss together until each piece of chicken is evenly coated with flour. Pour the rice flour batter into the bowl with the chicken and using a small rubber spatula gently fold the ingredients together until each piece of chicken in evenly covered with batter. Add the battered chicken a piece at a time to the wok. Spread out so they are not too close together. Allow to cook until they are golden brown, crispy, and cooked all the way through. Separate the pieces of chicken if necessary while cooking.

Add the spicy hoisin sauce, cashews, into the wok. Stir and toss ingredients until each piece of chicken is evenly coated with sauce. Add the chopped green onions and stir and toss all together until evenly combined and sauce has thickened slightly. Garnish with sprinkle of sesame seeds and chopped parsley. Serve with rice.

*You may need to make a trip to the Asian Market to get ingredients…esp the rice flour. It is much lighter and more authentic with that flour.

Source: http://restaurant.betterrecipes.com/cheesecake-factory-spicy-cashew-chicken.html

 

March is National Peanut Month

In honor of today’s food holiday, please revisit the following recipes that use or feature this ingredient: (as March 1st was Peanut Butter Day these recipes are those that call for peanuts and may or may not also call for peanut butter)

Chicken Honey Nut Stir Fry, Gingery Peanut Noodles with Chicken, Peanut Butter Chocolate Brownies, Peanut Noodles With Edamame, Pork Pad Thai, Thai Shrimp, Thai-Style Veggie Kabobs With Spicy Peanut Sauce, Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Channeling My Inner Homer Simpson

February 26, 2013

The Ranting Chef Baking, Chicken, Chinese, Kosher, Low Carb, Recipes , , , , , , , , , , 15 Comments

“Mmmmmmmm……doughnuts.” – Homer Simpson

A man of few (intelligent) words, but a sage, never less. I either channel Homer too often (my wife’s view) or not enough (my view).

Cleveland is a doughnut battleground. While there have been a few local chains, many of the doughnut shops are small and have only one or a few locations. In the 17 years we have lived in our house, we’ve seen many of the shops come and go. A few survive (Spudnuts, Jack Frost) but many don’t. One of the main reasons for this turn-over is that we have our share of Dunkin Doughnuts invading from the northeast. As more of those have popped up, I see fewer and fewer of the local shops surviving. One other import came to the Cleveland area a number of years ago and is located within a mile of my house: Krispy Kreme. Their expansion seemed to stop with the one store, but I am really glad they are around.

Most of their doughnuts are pretty good, but there is just nothing like driving by and seeing the big red light on in the store window indicating that hot, fresh glazed doughnuts are being made and ready to go. Walking in, the largest feature of the store is the conveyor belt of glazed doughnuts just starting to cool. You order a couple (come on, we all know you can’t have just one) and they pick them right off of the belt.

The doughnut is so light and airy and melts in your mouth that I swear it is hollow inside. Just glazed air.

When I see “glazed” in a description, I cannot but help think of the Krispy Kreme doughnut.

This recipe is really easy and pretty good.

I really thought I had scallions, but must have them used them up, so I threw in some shallots. Both are in the onion family and start with S, so should be OK, right?

The glaze is in the dish.

And the chicken. Make sure you baste it as indicated in the recipe. By doing so, you build up this nice glaze (mmmmmm doughnuts) on the chicken and it really enhances the flavor.

The cabbage salad has a nice tang to it.

Lime and Soy-Glazed Chicken With Cabbage Slaw

Prep Time: 15m | Cook Time: 35m | Makes: 4

Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 1/2 to 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
  • 1/4 head red cabbage, thinly sliced (4 cups)
  • 2 large carrots, coarsely grated
  • 4 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • kosher salt and black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400° F. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, stir together the sugar, soy sauce, and 3 tablespoons of the lime juice; add the chicken and turn to coat. Roast, skin-side down, until the sauce is simmering, about 10 minutes. Turn the chicken skin-side up and roast, basting occasionally, until cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes more.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss the cabbage, carrots, scallions, and mint with the ginger, canola oil, sesame oil, the remaining 3 tablespoons of lime juice, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with the chicken.

Nutritional Info:

Calories 474 Fat 23g Sat Fat 5g Cholesterol 138mg Sodium 867mg Protein 45g Carbohydrate 21g Sugar 14g Fiber 3g Iron 3mg Calcium 93mg

Source: http://www.realsimple.com/m/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/lime-soy-glazed-chicken-00100000066559/index.html?xid=dailyrecnews-09-19-2012

*** REMINDER ***

If you have an interest in participating in DICED! A Ranting Chef competition, the deadline is midnight on February 28, 2013. For full details about the competition, see the original post by clicking here.

 

Feb 26th is National Chili Day

In honor of today’s food holiday, please revisit the following recipes that use or feature this ingredient:

Boilermaker Tailgate Chili, Just Cry for Joy Chili, Texas Style Chili, Churkey Chili, White-Bean Chili

Guest Post: Asian-Inspired Spaghetti and Meatballs

January 31, 2013

The Ranting Chef Beef, Chinese, Italian, Pasta, Recipes , , , , , , , , , , , 7 Comments

We too often relegate certain ingredients to one cuisine. I know that when categorizing the posts here, if the dish has pasta, my first inclination is to put it under Italian. Leilani from Tales of a Clyde Woman proves that spaghetti can be used in a great combination of cuisines. Check out this great guest blog post and also take a look at Tales of a Clyde Woman…

It’s dinnertime, and it looks like it’s gonna be Something-With-Ground-Beef again.

Sigh!  Food ruts are the worst.

For me, the quickest way out of a food rut is to add some Asian infusion to whatever I have in my larders.  This week, I had some ground beef, spaghetti, and lots of fresh veggies that were begging to become something other than the usual Italian stand-by.

And so, this Asian-inspired alternative was born.

asianmeatballs

 Asian-Inspired Spaghetti and Meatballs

Serves 4-6

Meatballs:

*2 medium carrots, peeled and finely grated

*3 scallions, thinly sliced

*1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

*2 cloves garlic, finely grated

*1” ginger root, peeled and finely grated

*1 tablespoon canola oil

*1 tablespoon chili-garlic sauce (like sambal oelek)

*2 tablespoons soy sauce

*1 teaspoon salt

*Pinch of sugar

*2 large eggs

*1 lb. lean ground beef (I use 93/7)

mixmeatballs

In a large bowl, combine everything but the eggs and beef.  Mix well, then beat in eggs until just combined.  Using your hands, work the meat into the veggie/egg mixture until just combined.  Roll into 1” balls and place on a lined baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until no longer pink in middle.

bakemeatball

While the meatballs bake, prepare the noodles.

Noodles:

*1/4 cup soy sauce, plus more to taste

*1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar

*1 Tablespoon hoisin sauce

*1 Tablespoon chili-garlic sauce

*2 Tablespoons canola oil

*1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

*2 garlic cloves, finely grated

*2 cups finely sliced cabbage or bok choy

*1/2 lb. spaghetti, cooked al dente and drained

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, hoisin and chili sauce.  Set aside.

sauteveg

In a large skillet or wok over high heat, heat oil.  Add onions and garlic and cook for one minute, stirring.  Add cabbage along with the soy sauce mixture and cook for another few minutes until the cabbage wilts (3-5 minutes).  Stir occasionally.  Stir in drained and cooked spaghetti.  Add cooked meatballs and toss until well combined.

Serve with an extra splash of soy sauce or chili sauce if desired.

Leilani

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