zucchini quesadillas

Adapted from https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2017/02/corn-zucchini-quesadilla-recipe.html

3 zucchinis, ends trimmed and then grated using the biggest holes on the box grater
1 bunch cilantro, bottom inch or two of stems trimmed and removed and then finely chopped
1 japaleno, seeds removed & finely diced
1 large shallot, finely diced
5ish cloves garlic
salt, pepper to taste
cheddar cheese, grated or sliced thinly
tortillas (I like the Vista Hermosa flour ones, although the maria & ricardo ones that are sold everywhere are also fine)
avocado/guacamole, salsa, etc.

In a pot (we use a dutch oven) Saute japaleno, shallot, garlic in a little bit of oil for a minute or two, until the garlic starts to smell delicious (but before it starts to burn, obvs.) Add in zucchinis, stir to mix, and keep cooking until it's all cooked down, about 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in cilantro and stir to mix. Turn off heat.

In a lightly greased pan over medium-ish heat (wait until pan is hot), add tortilla, add light layer of cheese over half of the tortilla(I add much more than my family members do) and some zucchini mush on top of that, pressing down so mush evenly covers the half tortilla. Fold over. Cook on that side until bottom is lightly browned (2-3 minutes), then flip over until other half is cooked. Serve with salsa/guacamole/avocado/etc.

Eggplant, Zucchini, Halloumi Bake

From Smitten Kitchen Every Day


3 tbsp olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried oregano, crumbled,
1 lemon (juice & zest)
many grinds of black pepper
2 tsp kosher salt
1 medium zucchini or summer squash (about 14 oz)
1 medium eggplant (about 11 oz)
2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes (about 10 oz)
1 8 oz block of halloumi
Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Coat two large
baking sheets lightly with olive oil.
In a large bowl, combine 3 tbsp olive oil, the garlic, oregano, zest (not the juice), salt, and pepper.
Cut the zucchini in half lengthwise, then into about 1/2-inch half moons. Cut eggplant in quarters, and then into similar 1/2 inch quarter moons.
Halve the cherry tomatoes.
Cut the halloumi into 1 inch cubes.
Add everything to the marinade, and stir to coat evenly.

 Spread it out on the roasting trays, and roast for 20 minutes on the first side, then flip and roast for 15ish minutes more on the second, until the vegetables are browned in spots and tender.
Drizzle the trays with lemon juice to taste, and scoop onto plates. The lemon juice is crucial - it tastes surprisingly bad without it, and delicious with it.

I like to drizzle some tahini on top, if you have any

miso polenta

Adapted from https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015/02/vegan-polenta-kale-soup-miso-recipe.html

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 leek, finely chopped
5 medium cloves garlic, minced
Pinch red pepper flakes
2 quarts stock (we use Better Than Bouillon, which also has a vegetarian kind)
1 cup polenta (coarse corn meal)
1 quart packed roughly chopped kale leaves (stems removed)
2 tablespoons miso paste
2 teaspoons soy sauce
bunch of scallions, thinly sliced
bunch of cilantro, finely chopped
Toasted sesame oil, for serving

Heat olive oil, leeks, and a pinch of salt in a large saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until very soft but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and chili flakes and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add stock.

Whisking constantly, slowly pour in the polenta. Stirring frequently, bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until polenta is tender and the soup is thickened, about 20 minutes.

Stir in kale, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until kale is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in miso, soy sauce, an half of scallions until miso is fully incorporated. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve, drizzling with sesame oil and sprinkling with remaining scallions. Extra soup can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to 5 days.

Pressure Cooker Risotto

Adapted from https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pressure-cooker-saffron-risotto

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 large shallots, finely chopped 

2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 1/2 cups arborio rice (10 ounces) 

3 1/2cups Chicken Stock (we use Better Than Bouillon)

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (2 ounces) 

small bunch basil, leaves finely chopped Freshly ground pepper

Saute shallots and garlic with the oil in pressure cooker for about a minute.  Add in rice and stir until warmed, another minute or two.

Add in stock, close lid (on "seal"), cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. Depressurize using the vent knob, stir in cheese (and salt+pepper) to taste.

Miso Claypot Chicken

slightly adapted from the Miso Claypot Chicken from Lucky Peach Presents 101 Easy Asian Recipes

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoon hoisin sauce

2 tablespoon sake

2 tablespoon miso (I used red)

1/2 teaspoon honey (a dash of anything you want that's sweet)

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon gochujang

a lot of garlic (8ish cloves), thinly sliced

a knob or two of ginger, thinly sliced

a bunch of scallions, thinly sliced

1 cup white rice, rinsed

1 cup water

1-1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs

sautee the garlic, ginger, and scallions (using the sautee function on the instant pot. I used coconut oil because Julia likes the smell, but you can use whatever you want). Just for a minute or two.

Mix with the other (non-rice non-water) ingredients in a separate bowl. It doesn't matter if the instant pot is clean.

Add rice and water to instant pot

pour chicken mixture over rice, causally making an even layer.

Close instant pot, make sure vent is to "seal"

press the "rice" button.

It scales super well - just make sure you use equal parts rice & water. I'm sure that there is a known ratio for brown rice & other grains.

miso salmon

Miso Salmon with miso pesto

Adapted from
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2012/06/miso-glazed-salmon-in-the-toaster-oven-recipe.html
and
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/miso-pesto-with-ramen-noodles

Salmon, marinated overnight, cooks in 10ish minutes under the broiler.
Served with vegetable-heavy pesto over ramen noodles.


Salmon:

1/4 cup red or white miso

1/3 cup sake

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon maple syrup (or honey, or agave, or whatever you want)

1 tablespoon gochujang

1 teaspoon of toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon some other kind of oil

scallion or two, cut into small pieces

1 salmon filet, around 3/4 lb. Cut in half the long way, so each piece is relatively thin.

Mix marinade in ziplock bag, then add salmon. Let sit overnight in fridge.

When ready to eat, turn broiler on oven to high, with rack at the top (this assumes a top broiler).

After the oven has time to get warm, but the salmon directly under the heat until cooked, roughly 6-10 minutes depending on the broiler. The top of the salmon should be completely covered in sauce (so it can caramelize), but there should be some leftover. Put the leftover sauce in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until it bubbles, then turn it off.

You can always flake apart the salmon to check after 5ish minutes, and then put it back if it's not ready.  At least in our oven the broiler is in the middle, so the salmon pieces are almost touching so they are right under the heat. Hopefully, the top of the fish will be black, but it won't taste burnt

When done, toss the scallions on top, as well as any extra sauce to taste

Noodles:

1 bunch fresh arugula (not baby - the real kind), bottom inch or two of the stems cut off

1 bunch cilantro, bottom inch or two of the stems cut off. 

1 Tbsp miso

1 garlic clove

half a lemon, squeezed

1 10oz package fresh ramen noodles (the kind that doesn't come with a flavor packet, they sell Sun Noodle Kaedama Ramen at whole foods)

olive oil to taste, probably around 1/4 cup.

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

a small handfull of nuts, like pistachio or pine.

Throw nuts in blender or cuisnart, pulse until there are no big pieces left. Add in garlic, cilantro, arugula, miso, lemon, sesame oil, olive oil in, and blend until pesto-textured. Add oil and salt to taste.

To cook ramen noodles, follow directions - it's basically like regular noodles. Mix with pesto, and serve with salmon.

Ha noi House, NYC

High End Vietnamese place on St. Marks

Morning Glory with brown butter fish sauce will haunt me to the end of my days.

Everything else was good, don't get me wrong, but I wanted to order another one after my first bite.