Cooking as Therapy

We all know the times we are in are intense; with the upcoming election, the state of the economy and the unsteady future bombarding us daily.
So one of the most calming activities I can think of is to get in the kitchen and cook. I try to find the time to go to the Farmer's Market which gets me in the mood to have a wonderful meal. I go home and experiment with what is in season or go for something simple with delicious results. Either way it makes me feel satisfied and relaxed to take time to chop, mince and dice. A transformation occurs when one is around food and can put together even a home cooked meal.
Another benefit to cooking at home is the savings. Eating out is one of the first things to cut back on in times such as these so why not invite a couple friends for dinner and enjoy!
Try the following recipe from my cookbook and let go of your worries.

Grilled Skirt Steak with the Best Marinade
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds skirt, flank or hanger steak, scored
3 shallots, minced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 Tb. Dijon mustard
1 Tb. rosemary, chopped
Fresh black pepper
1 cup dry red wine
2 scallions, julienne, garnish

Procedure
1.Place the steak in a shallow baking dish.
2.Combine marinade ingredients, except wine and scallions in a medium bowl. Pour over steak and marinate about 2 hours or overnight, refrigerated.
3.Half hour before grilling remove steak from the refrigerator.
4.Heat grill pan for about 5 minutes. Grill steak, reserving marinade 7 to 8 minutes on each side for medium-rare meat. Remove to a cutting board.
5.Bring marinade to a boil with the red wine in a small saucepan, boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Set aside. Slice meat thinly against the grain. Place on a serving platter and pour the marinade over. Garnish with the scallions and serve.

Main Dish Soups

One of my favorite meals is a hearty soup and with the chilly nights rolling in it is a satisfying meal at the end of the day. You can create a main dish soup with a few simple ingredients and add on any protein that you might have on hand. I often use up all the leftover vegetables in my refrigerator sauteed in a large saucepan, add chicken or vegetable broth and simmer away. Often I puree the base with an immersion blender and add chicken or fish right before serving.
Try this easy chicken soup for a quick and tasty entree.

Vegetable Chicken Noodle Soup
Serves 8

Ingredients
9 cups chicken stock or vegetable
2 cups shredded Chinese cabbage
1 red pepper, julienne
1/4 pound shitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
4 sliced scallions
2 inch piece fresh ginger, julienne
1 boneless, skinless, chicken breast, cut into thin strips
6 oz. soba noodles, cooked, drained
1 bunch watercress, tough stems removed ( Swiss chard, spinach or bok choy can be used instead of the watercress)
2 Tb. rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 Tb. cilantro leaves

Procedure
1. Bring the stock to a simmer in a soup pot. Add the cabbage, pepper, mushrooms, scallions and ginger and simmer 5 minutes.
2. Add the chicken and cook another 5 minutes. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and serve warm.
Posted by amandacooks at 11:46 AM
Labels: fall soup
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Fall is in the Air

My new cookbook Simple Real Food is available
I hope you will enjoy the recipes as I have developed them over the fifteen years I have been teaching cooking to students from all over the country.
The recipes are easy to follow and have make ahead tips as well as alternative ingredients listed for each.
Here is a sample recipe from the book which I hope you will enjoy!

Coconut Shrimp with Pineapple Dipping Sauce
Serves 12

Ingredients
1 cup flour
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cayenne
3 to 4 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 1/4 cups unsweetened coconut
1 1/3 pounds large shrimp, peeled, de-veined, butter-flied
2 cups canola oil, for frying
Dipping sauce:
1 cup canned pineapple
3 scallions, white part only, thinly sliced
1/4 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
2 Tb. lime juice
1/2 jalapeno, chopped
Salt

Procedure
1. Combine the flour, salt and cayenne on a flat baking sheet. Place the egg whites and coconut on two separate baking sheets. Dredge the shrimp in the flour mixture, then the whites, then in the coconut. Press the coconut onto the shrimp. Chill for at least an hour.
2. Heat the oven to 200. In a medium saucepan heat the oil until moderately hot but not smoking. Working in batches, fry the shrimp until golden about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in the oven.
3. In a processor combine the pineapple, scallions, apricot preserves, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno and salt to taste. Process until blended and taste, adjust seasoning.
4. Serve the shrimp on a platter with the sauce in the middle in a serving dish.
Posted by amandacooks at 11:59 AM 0 comments

Summer is in the Air

It has been quite warm the past few weekends here in Los Angeles and we are in for a hot summer - global warming?
So I think of cooking and don't have the desire to turn on the oven or pull out the skillet. Salad as a main course is a great way to enjoy the local produce and to serve up a cool meal that is satisfying and visually appealing. Arranged salads are the most appealing as the platter is your canvas and the variety of colors can be arranged in any way that strikes your fancy.

Grilled Seafood Salad with Lemon Dressing
Serves 6

Ingredients
Dressing:
4 Tb. lemon juice
1 Tb. Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 basil leaves, chopped
Salad:
1 pound squid, cleaned cut into rounds
12 jumbo shrimp, peeled, de-veined, halved lengthwise
12 sea scallops, halved lengthwise
1 pound haricot verts, trimmed, cut into 2 inch lengths
Red leaf lettuce leaves
1 pint mixed yellow and red cherry tomatoes, quartered
1 cup pitted Kalamata olives

Procedure
1. Combine the lemon, mustard and garlic in a small bowl and whisk. Add the oil, whisking slowly. Add the salt, pepper and basil. Set aside.
2. Combine the squid, shrimp and scallops in a large bowl and add 5 Tb. of the dressing. Marinate at least 15 minutes.
3. Blanch the haricot verts, drain, refresh. Transfer to a small bowl and add 3 Tb. of the dressing.
4. Line a serving platter with the lettuce leaves.
5. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Grill the seafood for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Arrange the seafood on the lettuce with the haricot verts, tomatoes and olives. Drizzle with the remaining dressing.

Spring is Here- Great for Asparagus, Artichokes etc.

We are all excited to see the spring vegetables that have arrived in the Farmer's Market.
Try one of these recipes at home for a wonderful way to use some of the seasonal produce.

Asparagus with Dill Vinaigrette
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds thin asparagus, trimmed
Salt, pepper, to taste
1 shallot, minced
1/4 cup minced dill
3 Tb. white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1. If the asparagus are thick, peel the stems about halfway up.
2. Fill a large high-sided skillet with cold water, add pinch of salt and asparagus. Bring to simmer over med-hi heat. Simmer for 2 minutes if they are thin, 4 minutes if thick.
3. Meanwhile in a small bowl whisk together the shallot, dill and vinegar. Add oil slowly, whisking until emulsified. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Transfer asparagus to serving plates and drizzle with vinaigrette.

What could be better than food made quickly that tastes fabulous!

I have been teaching cooking for over ten years and would like to share one of my fast and fabulous recipes with you here:

1 1/2 pounds wild salmon, cut into 4 equal pieces
1 lemon, halved
1/3 cup mirin
1/3 cup soy sauce

1. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the salmon skin side down and sear for about 4 minutes. Lower heat to med-high and squeeze the lemon over the top along with the mirin and soy.
2. Cover the pan and continue to cook another 3 minutes.
3. Uncover and allow the fish to rest about 3 to 4 minutes before serving.
4. Carefully remove the salmon with a spatula from the skillet and serve with steamed brown rice and a green salad.

Serves 4

What a delicious and easy dish, enjoy!!

Chicken Dishes

Chicken is a versatile protein that can be made in a variety of ways. Adding certain spices or herbs, changing the cooking method and choosing between white and dark meat can make a completely new recipe.
Try my Asian Chicken Salad as a sample of one of the recipes that will be in Simple Real Food, coming out soon.



Asian Chicken with Soy Sesame Glaze
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 2 1/2 pound chicken cut into eight pieces
3 scallions cut in 1/4-inch diagonal slices
5 cloves garlic, peeled, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dry sherry
2 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted, garnish
2 scallions, julienne, garnish

Procedure
1. Place the chicken in a large bowl and add the scallion, garlic, sherry, vinegar, sugar, soy, chicken broth and sesame oil. Marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature or two hours refrigerated.

2. Heat a large skillet for 1 minute over medium high heat. Add the canola oil and sauté the chicken, reserving the marinade, until browned on all sides about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the marinade, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is browned and cooked through about 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Uncover and remove the chicken to a serving dish. Increase the heat to high and reduce the sauce to a syrupy glaze, about 5 minutes.

4. Pour the glaze over the chicken and serve garnished with the sesame seeds and julienne scallions.

Winter Soup's

I know it has been quite chilly for most of us around the country but especially in Southern California - we have had a true winter, with the heat on, fire in the fireplace, and sweaters...
That said I have been cooking more soups, stews and hearty dishes.
Here is a wonderful main dish soup for you to share with your friends and it is perfect for freezing as well.

Thai Beef Noodle Soup
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients
5 ounces rice noodles, cut in half
4 scallions, finely chopped
7 cups beef or chicken stock
6 thin slices fresh ginger, julienne
1 red pepper, finely julienne
¼ cup fish sauce or soy sauce
6 ounces beef tenderloin, sliced thinly across the grain
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 Tb. canola oil
12 basil leaves, chiffonade
2 cups bean sprouts
12 sprigs fresh mint, stems removed
1/2 cup cilantro leaves

Procedure
1.Soak the rice noodles in a medium bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
2.Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine the scallions, broth, ginger, red pepper and fish sauce and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer for 5 minutes.
3.Drain the noodles and add to the saucepan with the beef continue to cook another 5 minutes.
4.Saute the sliced onion in the canola oil in a small skillet until lightly browned. Add to the soup and simmer for 5 minutes.
5.Serve in large bowls garnished with the basil, sprouts, mint and cilantro.