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

simple moroccan beet salad

6 beets
1/4 red onion (thinly sliced)
juice of 1 lemon
juice of 1/4 lime
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tsp. cumin
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

fill a large pot with cold water and add in the beets. bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. simmer the beets in the water for about 1 hour, or until they are fork tender.

in a medium size bowl whisk in the lemon juice, lime juice, garlic, cumin, and olive oil and set aside.

when beets are tender. cool a bit, and then peal. cut into bit size pieces and mix with the dressing and the red inion . place into the fridge for about 3 hours to serve cold. if chilled over night the olive oil may solidify a bit. if so, then just pop it into the microwave for about 30 seconds, and mix around.

enjoy :)

justin