tom ka gai with cellophane noodles (coconut chicken soup)

asparagus salad with a poached egg, goat cheese, and tomatoes with a citrus vinaigrette

5-7 asparagus stalks (per person)
tomatoes (sliced into wedges)
goat cheese (crumbled)
a poached egg (recipe below)
sun dried tomatoes
citrus vinaigrette (recipe below)

citrus vinaigrette:
juice of 2 lemons
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. dijon mustard
pinch kosher salt
pinch freshly cracked black pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

whisk the orange juice, lime juice, white balsamic, mustard, salt and pepper together. while still whisking slowly pour in the olive oil until everything is mixed together.

makes about 1 cup dressing.

poached egg:
4 cups water
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
eggs

in a medium size pot bring the water and vinegar mixture to a boil. crack the egg into a small bowl. reduce the heat to a slight simmer, and slowly add in the egg. with a spoon move the egg around to slowly form a ball, and cook for about 5 mins. when the egg looks in form remove and set aside. repeat process until every needed egg is poached.

assembling the salad:
bring a saute pan with salted water, and blanch the asparagus for 2-3 mins. remove and transfer to an ice bath. drain excess water. plate the asparagus, tomato wedges, goat cheese crumbles, sliced sun dried tomatoes, and poached egg. drizzle with the citrus vinaigrette.

enjoy :)

justin

ham and cheese quesadilla with a reduced balsamic glaze

1 pound thick cut sliced hat
1 pound gruyere cheese (shredded)
10" whole wheat flour tortillas
balsamic glaze (recipe below)

balsamic glaze:
1 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

pour the balsamic vinegar into a pot. bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. cover and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, or until reduced to about 1/4 cup. set aside.

making the quesadilla:
heat the whole wheat flour tortilla on the stove on both sides. place a pan on the stove on medium high heat. sprinkle some of the cheese on half of the quesadilla. then place a couple slices of cut ham, and add a little more cheese. fold the quesadilla in half, and cook on both sides until the cheese starts to melt, and the tortilla starts to brown.

remove the quesadilla from the pan, cut into slices, and drizzle the balsamic glaze over.

enjoy :)

justin

apple crumble pie

1 pie crust

pie filling:
3 granny smith apples (peeled, cored, sliced 1/4 inch thick)
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp. all purpose flour
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

crumble:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
6 tbsp. chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

for the filling, mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl.

for the crumble, blend first 5 ingredients in processor. add chilled butter cubes; using on/off turns, cut in until mixture resembles wet sand.

preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

layer the mixed coated apples into the pie crust. pack the crumble on the top of the pie. and put in the 400 degree oven for 40 mins. drop the temperature to 350 degrees, cover the pie with foil and bake for an additional 45 mins.

remove from oven and serve.

enjoy :)

justin

PICTURE COMING SOON :)

spring time bow tie pasta salad

3 cups bow tie pasta
1 boneless skinless chicken breast
4 oz. wild fiddlehead ferns
3 corn on the cobs
1/4 red onion finely sliced
4 sun dried tomatoes (sliced)
creamy parmesan dressing (recipe below)
salt and pepper to taste

grilling the chicken:
in a medium size non stick pan heat 1 tbsp. of olive oil on medium high heat. salt and pepper both sides of the chicken. when the oil is hot place the breast in the pan. cook for 5-6 mins. on each side until golden brown. remove from the pan and cut on the bias into 1/4" strips and set aside.

cooking the corn:
fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. add in 1 tsp. of sugar and 2 tbsp. of salt to the pot. when the water begins to boil place the husked corn into the water, and boil for 10 mins. melt 2 tbsp. of butter into a bowl. when the corn is done cooking remove from the water and brush with the melted butter. cut the corn off of the cob and set aside.

blanching the fiddlehead ferns:
using the same pot of boiling water, place the washed fiddlehead ferns into the pot. boil for 2 mins. the remove and place into an ice bath to stop the cooking process.

creamy parmesan dressing:
mix together the following...
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. grated garlic
3/4 cup grated parmesan

cook the pasta according the the package. when the pasta is finished drain and mix with the chicken breast, blanched fiddlehead ferns, corn, red onion slices, sun dried tomatoes, and the creamy parmesan dressing. chill in the fridge, and serve cold.

enjoy :)

justin

hakusai (pickled napa cabbage)

1 large napa cabbage (2 pounds)
2 tbsp. kosher salt
1 5" piece of kombu (cut into thin slices)

first you want to start the pickling process of the cabbage. cut the cabbage lengthwise in have, and remove the core. slice the cabbage into about 2" slices. rinse of the cabbage, and place on a paper towel to dry completely. place dry cabbage and kombu slices into a large bowl, and mix with the 2 tbsp. of salt. you'll need to apply pressure to the cabbage to start the pickling. i used a large tupperware container and placed the cabbage in. on top of the cabbage i then place a plate with another medium size tupperware filled with water to apply pressure. let set for 24 hours.

after 24 hours. place the cabbage into the fridge and serve chilled.

enjoy :)

justin

kyuri shoyu zuke (japanese style pickled cucumbers)

2 hothouse cucumbers
2 tbsp. kosher salt (for pickling)
1 tbsp. sesame oil
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
2 tbsp. mirin
4 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. garlic chili sauce
1 - 2' piece of ginger (grated)

using a peeler peel the cucumber leaving about 1/4" part green, and 1/4" part peeled to create a stripe like effect. then slice the cucumber on the diagonal into about 1/3" slices. place the cucumber slices into a ziplock bag along with the salt. push all of the air out of the ziplock and let stand at room temp. for 1 hour.

in a medium bowl mix in the sesame oil, rice vinegar, mirin, soy sauce, garlic chili sauce, and ginger to create the pickling dressing.

after an hour, remove the excess liquid from the ziplock bag, and pour in the pickling dressing mixture. push the air out of the bag again, and let stand at room temp. for another hour.

transfer to a container and place into the fridge over night to serve cold.

enjoy :)

justin