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Garlic

Beef, Chicken, Dinner, Japanese, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Granny’s Teriyaki Sauce

November 20, 2012

 

A recipe named after “Granny” might not sound all that exciting but if you love homemade teriyaki sauce this is really delicious. My mom gave me her recipe card for this sauce a long time ago and she made a note on it “the best.”  She was right. It’s the best teriyaki sauce I have ever had.

The secret ingredient that makes this sauce so tasty is sherry.  So go ahead and buy a bottle of sherry.  Not the cooking sherry they sell in the condiment aisle, decent sherry like Hartley & Gibson’s Amontillado sherry which you can find at a full service grocery store or liquor store.  Stash the bottle in your cupboard until your next craving for really good teriyaki sauce, it will last indefinitely.

You can use this marinade for chicken, tofu, fish and beef.  I use part of the sauce to marinate whatever I’m cooking and simmer the rest of the sauce until it becomes thick and syrupy.  I drizzle this on grilled chicken, tofu or fish and finish with a few sliced green onions before serving.  Really good.

Granny’s Teriyaki Sauce

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman recommended)

4 tablespoons sherry (Hartley & Gibson’s or similar quality)

1 tablespoon canola oil

2 large garlic cloves chopped

green onions, sliced (use a good amount since they tend to shrink quite a bit once mixed into the sauce)

Preparation

Combine sugar with soy sauce and sherry until the sugar has dissolved.  Add oil, garlic and chopped green onions.

Use to marinate boneless chicken breasts chicken thighs, or your favorite cut of steak for about 3 hours.  For tofu and fish such as salmon or ahi marinate for just one hour or so.  Turn pieces occasionally.

Note: Prior to marinating your chicken, fish, beef or tofu reserve part of the sauce and simmer until syrupy, about 10 minutes on medium low heat.  Watch so the sauce does not boil and burn.  You can do this in advance, the sauce will thicken as it cools.  Drizzle over grilled chicken, fish, beef or tofu.  Sprinkle on green onions and roasted sesame seeds before serving. For a larger quantity of meat double the recipe.

Chicken, Dinner, Japanese, Recipes

Mochiko Chicken

November 3, 2012

With the tsunami warning taking place the other night, many of us stayed up way past our bedtime listening to updates from the Pacific Tsunami Center.  Luckily there was no damage caused by the tsunami here in Hawaii.  The following day was like any other Sunday, people picnicking at the beach, shopping, doing errands and going about their merry way.  Since I was one of those people who didn’t get much sleep the night before, I wasn’t too keen on making anything fancy for dinner.

Mochiko Chicken Marinade

I found this recipe in our local newspaper years ago.  This version of mochiko chicken is delicious.  It makes a great picnic lunch along with some onigiri and Kabocha No Toroni. All of these dishes can be eaten without heating up.

Mochiko Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 tablespoons sugar

5 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup sesame oil

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

2 eggs, beaten

5 tablespoons cornstarch

3 tablespoons flour

6 tablespoons mochiko flour

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1/2 cup chopped green onions

few dashes of salt

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into pieces about two inches in length

canola oil for frying

Preparation

Combine the sugar and soy sauce until the sugar has dissolved.  Add the rest of the ingredients except the chicken.  Mix marinade well and pour into a large bowl or Ziplock bag.  Add the chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours.

Pour enough oil into a large fry pan to a depth of 1/4 inch and heat over medium high heat.  Fry the chicken in batches for about 3 – 4 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through.  The cooking time will depend on how thick your pieces of chicken are.  I prefer to pound the chicken breasts so they cook evenly and quickly.  This also tenderizes the chicken.  Alternately you can use chicken tenders or if you prefer, chicken thighs.

Remove the chicken and drain on a paper towel lined plate.  Serve right away or pack it up and take it to the beach.

 

Dinner, Italian, Pasta, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

30 Minute Fresh Tomato Sauce

October 29, 2012

When your garden crop comes in droves it can make you feel overwhelmed.  The stories you hear about people who grow zucchini come to mind. Suddenly they have baskets full of them and they start dropping them off at their friend’s homes, and sometimes homes of people they never even considered to be their friends.  There’s the hilarious story I heard on NPR of zucchini growers leaving them in unattended cars just to get rid of them.  Anyhow, this is a story of tomatoes and I’m happy to say people don’t make fun of them like they do zucchini.  With that being said, we have lots of tomatoes in the garden and I’ve been making salsa, tomato sandwiches, roasted tomatoes, and today, a quick tomato sauce that is as good as those simmering for hours.  I was searching for a recipe and stumbled upon this one from Chez Pim.  The idea of removing the tomato pulp from the juice then adding it back once the juice thickens up caught my attention.  It works quite well and it’s quick.

The easiest way to peel tomatoes is to dunk them in boiling water for about 10 seconds and transfer them to an ice bath.  The skins will come off effortlessly and you won’t waste a bit of the tomato.  It works like a charm.  Just make a cross at the bottom of the tomato before plunging them into boiling water.

Reduce the sauce until it clears the pan with your spatula. 

The tomato pulp has been added back to the sauce and simmers briefly, becoming luxuriously thick and flavorful.

30 Minute Fresh Tomato Sauce

4 generous servings

Adapted from Chez Pim’s recipe

Ingredients

5 pounds ripe tomatoes peeled, seeds removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup minced onion

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 heaping tablespoon fresh chopped basil

Preparation

Prepare the tomatoes by removing the skin, cut them in half and remove the seeds.  Place halved tomatoes in a large bowl and crush with your hands to break up the tomatoes into very small chunks.

Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium low heat.  Add onions and sauté for about 5 minutes until softened but not browned.  Add minced garlic and sauté for another minute.

Turn the heat up to medium high. Add the crushed tomatoes to your pan, give everything  a stir and cook for about 10 minutes.

Transfer the tomato pulp to a bowl with a slotted spoon.  Continue to cook the tomato sauce for another 10 minutes until it has reduced and is fairly thick.  Test by scraping the pan with your spatula.  If the sauce clears the pan it’s time to add the tomato pulp back to the pan.

Turn the heat down to medium and add the salt and dried oregano to the tomato sauce.  Simmer for another 10 minutes.  Add the fresh basil, give the sauce a stir and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Serve with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese.  The sauce freezes well and provides a quick and delicious meal on a busy work night.

 

 

Beans, Mexican, Recipes, Side Dishes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Cuban Style Black Beans

September 1, 2012

I adapted this recipe from one that I saw in the beautiful Saveur magazine many years ago.  You make a big pot of beans, have some for dinner, leftovers the next day, and freeze the rest in containers for another time.  As the article mentions, the secret of these tasty beans is the sofrito of green onions, garlic and green pepper.  A sofrito consists of aromatic ingredients which have been cut into very small pieces and slowly sautéed in oil. It is used to flavor many types of dishes and the ingredients vary depending upon what country you visit.

Green onions, Anaheim pepper, garlic, olive oil and a sprig of fresh oregano.  The original recipe calls for a small green pepper but I substituted an Anaheim which I prefer due to its milder flavor.

Chopped Anaheim pepper, garlic and green onions.

Cooking the sofrito.

Sofrito after 10 minutes of cooking.

Cuban Style Black Beans

Updated 5/13/16

Adapted from Saveur Magazine

Ingredients

4 cups dried black beans

1 sprig fresh oregano

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon ground cumin

12 green onions, trimmed and finely chopped

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1 medium Anaheim pepper, seeded and finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Sort through the beans and remove any small stones or broken beans.  Rinse under cold water.  Place the beans, oregano and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot.  Cover the beans with cold water by 3 inches.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium so that the beans are just simmering (uncovered).  Stoves may vary in temperature settings, adjust the heat as needed.  Set the timer for 1 hour. Check the water level and add more hot water as needed to keep the beans covered.  Set the timer for another 1/2 hour.

Check the beans to see if they are done.  If they need more time, check them again in 15 minutes.  It typically takes about 2 hours for the beans to be the right texture.  Stir in the sofrito (directions below) and adjust seasoning.  Beans need to be seasoned well or they will be bland so now is the time to add additional salt,  about 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt.  Taste the beans and adjust seasoning as needed.  The beans should not be dry, they should “soupy.” As the beans cool they will absorb more of the liquid. Continue to simmer the beans with the sofrito for a few minutes to blend the flavors.

Make the sofrito

While the beans are cooking, make the sofrito.  Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add the cumin, green onions, garlic and pepper and sauté for approximately 10 minutes, stirring often.  If your heat is too high, turn it down to medium-low to avoid burning the garlic.  Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a few grinds of pepper.

For the Pressure Cooker:

Place 4 cups rinsed beans in your pressure cooker.  Add 8 1/2 cups water, a sprig of oregano and a tablespoon of olive oil.  Cook for 35 minutes.  Check the beans by using the cold water release method.  If the beans need more time, return to the stove and cook for another 5 minutes.  Once beans are fully cooked, place the uncovered pot on the stovetop over medium heat and add the sofrito.  Cook for a few minutes (or longer if you want to reduce the liquid a bit) to blend flavors.

*The beans freeze nicely and come in handy on a busy workday and they make a delicious filling for a vegetarian burrito.

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