Appetizers From Around the World, with Sake!

I am so excited for this post not only because I LOVE this recipe, but because I am extremely excited for the Sake and Appetizers From Around the World class I have coming up on August 6th. This is going to be a really fun class in which I will teach my favorite ethnic apps like Greek cheese triangles, Italian Crostini's, and Asian Tartare while we sample a wide range of Sakes.

To get you excited, I'm giving you one of my favorite appetizer recipes that won't be taught in the class. I have made this tuna app on many occasions and it is always the first thing to go. It's actually a lot easier than you may think, but the most important point for me to stress is to get FRESH FRESH Ahi tuna. Even if you follow the recipe down to the last grain of salt and prepare the dish with the utmost care, if you do not have a good fresh piece of tuna this app will never work. The taste of the seared ahi is really the secret behind this dish so make sure to buy it from a good store that gets a constant supply of fresh fish coming in.

Enjoy enjoy enjoy!

If you are interested in signing up for my Sake and Appetizers from Around the World class on August 6th, just visit Amandacooks.com to register.

Sesame Tuna on Wonton Crisps with Wasabi Crème Fraiche
This recipe makes 30 pieces

Ingredients
1 piece ahi grade tuna, 3/4 pound, cut into log shapes about 4 inches long by 1 ½ inches wide
1/4 cup dark sesame oil
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 cup sesame seeds, black and white, toasted in a dry skillet until golden
1/4 package square wonton skins
Vegetable, canola or peanut oil for frying
1/2 ripe papaya, peeled, seeded, cut into thin 1/4 inch long pieces
Chives, snipped, garnish

Procedure
1. Place the tuna in a bowl and coat with the sesame oil and soy sauce. Marinate about 20 minutes.
Place the seeds on a baking sheet and dip the tuna in them, turn to coat.
2. Heat a sauté pan over high heat. Lightly brush with vegetable oil. Sauté the tuna for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove to a cutting board and slice against the grain, then cut into cubes.
3. Cut the wontons into triangles. Heat enough oil to come up the side of the pan by 2 inches. When it is hot but not smoking fry the wontons a few at a time for about 30 seconds. Drain on paper towels.
4. Top the wonton triangles with a cube of tuna and spoon a dollop of the wasabi crème on each piece of tuna. Garnish with the papaya and chives.

Wasabi Crème Fraiche

1/2 cup crème fraiche, sour cream or mayonnaise
2 teaspoons wasabi powder
Salt, to taste

1. Combine the above in a small bowl, taste and adjust seasoning.

Grilling Isn't Just For Men Anymore

One of my favorite things about Summer is grilling. There's almost nothing in the world that makes me happier than throwing some ribs, corn, or shrimp kabobs on the grill and having a beautiful dinner outside. For me, it's the essence of Summer.

What frustrates me about this picture is that so often on television and throughout history, we have been told that grilling is a "MAN's" job. I would like to take this moment and say this is complete bullsh*t. The way I look at it, if a man can do it, a woman can most certainly do better. Women seem to be afraid of grilling because they have this idea in their head that grilling is complicated or messy or un-ladylike. But these are all false. Grilling is actually extremely simple and is often less messy and takes half the clean up as sauteing, frying or even baking might do.

I want this post to really encourage women to go out and try grilling for the first time. It can be so much fun and so rewarding, especially in the summer when the last thing you want to do is be cooped up behind a hot stove in the kitchen. So here is one of my favorite grilling recipes to inspire you to take up those tongs, raise your beer and show that grill (and your man) who is boss.

If you are interested in learning the ins and outs of grilling, sign up for my Grilling and Chillin' class on July 23rd. Just visit Amandacooks.com to register.


Grilled Skirt Steak with the Best Marinade
Serves 4

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds skirt, flank or hanger steak, scored*

Marinade:

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

1/2 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.



*To use this recipe for salmon- marinate no more than an hour and grill for 5 minutes- turn and then another 4 minutes. Or bake in a 400 oven for 10 minutes.

Entree Style Salads for Summer

Crispy, crunchy and delightfully refreshing. Salads have a way of making Summer especially satisfying. So satisfying in fact, that during the Summer, I often eat a salad as my main entree. During the hot days when I come home sweaty and exhausted from sitting in traffic, walking in 90 degree weather or simply soaking up the sun, nothing is more refreshing that a cool fresh meal. And with 100's of salad recipes out there, the possibilities are endless. No longer are we confined to the Cobb. When I make a salad I love mixing new ingredients each time. Candied nuts, raisins, cranberries, pears, dill, apples, beets, radishes, chicken, seafood, cilantro, feta or goat cheese, mustard, lemon, soy sauce are just a few ingredients I like to play around with when creating a new and unique salad.

Here is a recipe for one of my favorite entree style salads. I love shrimp tossed in a pungent Asian dressing with a hint of spice and this recipe has just that. The shrimp makes it a hearty meal and the cool cabbage keeps it light. I hope this encourages you to go out and explore all the neat and delicious salad recipes that are out there. Or have fun creating your own!


If you like this recipe you will love my Entree Style Salads class on July 15th. Just visit Amandacooks.com to register.

Thai Shrimp Salad with Asian Dressing
Serves 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Marinating time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

Salad:
1 pound large shrimp, peeled, de-veined
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 stalk lemongrass, tough outer leaves removed, minced
2 small carrots, peeled, julienne into 3 inch strips, blanched
1/2 large European cucumber, seeded, julienne in 3 inch strips
2 cups thinly sliced red cabbage
Dressing:
3 Tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
1 Tb. roughly chopped ginger
¼ to ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
5 Tablespoons canola oil
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
5 Tb. cilantro, chopped
3 Tb. mint, chopped
1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Procedure

1. Combine the shrimp with the soy sauce, sesame oil and the lemongrass. Marinate for 30 minutes.
2. In a large bowl toss together the carrots, cucumber and cabbage.
3. Combine the vinegar, sugar, ginger, red pepper flakes and soy sauce in the processor. Add the canola and sesame oil slowly thru the feed tube. Stir in the cilantro and mint. Taste and adjust seasoning and set aside.
4. Heat a grilling pan until hot. Grill the shrimp two to three minutes on each side.
5. Toss the dressing with the vegetables and arrange on a serving platter. Place the shrimp around the outside of the platter and garnish with the nuts.

Make ahead tip: You can make the entire salad up to one day before and
serve at room temperature. The dressing can be made up to a week ahead.

Alternatives: Use scallops or firm tofu instead of shrimp and omit the peanut
if you wish. An alternative to lemongrass is 1 tablespoon of lime zest

Waterloo and City

A new restaurant in Mar Vista! YEA!

So glad to FINALLY see this place open in our wasteland of a neighborhood- we are dying for food places- open more!
I loved this place except for the decor and HUGE stop sign in the parking lot( that I had to look at during dinner as it was facing me)very strange.
The decor is old-fashioned with grandma wallpaper and bad lighting.
BUT aside from these minor issues the place was excellent.
The bad reviews must have been on opening night or their first week when most places don't have the kinks ironed out yet. The service was great, friendly and professional- the food was very very good from the homemade bread to the expertly prepared entrees - everything we had was done beautifully, nothing over-cooked and very healthy portions but not grossly overdone. I say it is one of the better meals I have had, especially for this neighborhood. Most of the places around are either waaaay dated or over-priced precious trendy food.
This place has honest good food with a few trendy twists but they work. I will be back for more.
Oh- they also have a nice bar, YEAH! Finally a bar in the hood that is for adults not just twenty somethings.
Thank you!