More Asian Inspiration

I am not a "poacher". It is rare that I will poach or blanch anything, just not my thing.

I have however, prepared this chili soy fish poaching sauce, once again courtesy of Weight Watchers. I have many similar recipes but this one in particular is the simplest, lowest-calorie one I have found. In this case, it was a perfect menu choice since all the ingredients I needed were in my fridge.

1/4 cup dry sherry
3 Tbsp sugar
4 medium garlic clove(s), minced
3 medium scallion(s), cut into 2-inch pieces
3 pieces ginger root, cut 1/2-inch thick, crushed
2 sun-dried hot chili pepper(s)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 pound sea bass fillet(s), or red snapper fillets

Place all ingredients except fish into a saucepan. Add 1 1/2 cups of water, or enough to barely cover fish. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Add fish, turn down heat and simmer 5 to 7 minutes, or until fish is cooked through.

Remove fish. Reduce poaching liquid by half; strain and serve with fish.

For this particular instance, I used some roughy I had purchased at Trader Joe's and crushed red pepper in lieu of chili peppers; it's all working with what you have on hand and using a recipe as a springboard.

I sauteed some bok choy with garlic, ginger and some teriyaki sauce as a side dish and couldn't help but be blissfully pleased with my minimal effort and the fantastic result.

Lentils & Escarole - Can there really be enough escarole recipes?

With RRR working close to home for awhile, I've been doing more home cooking than I have in recent weeks. Another one of my cold weather staples is a dish of red lentils with tomatoes and escarole. Yes I know this is my second escarole recipe... I am a creature of habit.

This healthy and hearty recipe is courtesy of RRR. I believe she saw the recipe somewhere and made some adjustments. Again, this is another dish that is super easy and the most work you will do is chopping the celery, onion and garlic to get the dish started.

Note: I use a large restaurant-style saute pan but a large stock pot would certainly do; just make sure you have enough room for an entire head of escarole.

Start by sauteing some garlic cloves, diced celery (about 3 - 4 stalks) and half an onion. I prefer white onions to add a bit of sweetness, but a yellow onion would do just fine. Once the vegetables have softened, add the red lentils (I use a 14 oz container from Manhattan Fruit & Vegetable Exchange) and mix until well blended.

Next add one (28 oz) can of crushed tomatoes and enough chicken stock to cover the lentils. At this stage, I also add a few generous squirts of tomato paste to thicken the bright lentil mixture. I also season at each stage with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Once the tomatoes are added, I grate a bit of nutmeg as well.

Once the lentils have begun to expand and soak up the broth (approximately 45 minutes or so), add one head of well-rinsed escarole and cover until the greens begin to wilt. Once wilted, stir to incorporate the greens into the mixture and finish (if desired) with a sprinkling of crushed red pepper.

Serve in large bowl with a generous helping of grated cheese.

Better Late Than Never! Saigon Grill review

Alex in NYC responded to my scathing Max Brenner review by asking if I had visited another neighborhood eatery, Saigon Grill. I have since ordered takeout on two occasions from this University Place location of the chain and was pleasantly satisfied with the results.

Friday evening, Chef LaLaLa, Marathon Man and I decided to unwind after a long week with dinner and some drinks and were looking for somewhere inexpensive, casual but tasty. Chef LaLaLa suggested Saigon Grill and hey, I'll never refuse an opportunity to eat anything Asian.

I was the first to arrive and was surprised at the bustling dining room and the large crowd waiting to be seated. This is not your typical Asian take out joint and the large dining room (this used to be a Healthy Pleasures supermarket) was upstaged only by the impressive large bar and seating area at the front of the restaurant.

Despite the crowds, we were seated fairly quickly and by the time my dining companions arrived, I was enthralled by my impressive Grey Goose martini with three olives.

We started with an order of Goi Cuon Tom (shrimp summer rolls) a soft salad roll with large pieces of fresh shrimp, bean sprouts and lettuce along with an order of assorted steamed dumplings. While I did enjoy the dumplings, I have had better less doughy ones (for lack of a better word) but these certainly did the trick soaking up my generous serving of Grey Goose. Marathon Man made quick work of an order of Bo Nuong Sate (beef sate) and left us gals to devour the rolls and dumplings.

I think we barely set down our chopsticks when our main courses arrived. Marathon Man chose the spicy & tasty twin delicacies (sauteed prawns & scallops with bell peppers & onion) and a similar dish sans scallops for the Chef. I went with a spicy Saigon beef dish special with asparagus and red peppers for my main course and three orders of brown rice for all!

The service seemed a bit rushed at times but definitely more "attentive" than you find in most establishments. And in spite of the quick table turn over, the food came out well-prepared, seasoned and fresh. A nice option to have in a hectic neighborhood!

Alex in NYC - nicely done! Anywhere else you'd like me to give a try?

Don't Knock It Until You Try It

My culinary repertoire contains one standby that often gets looks of confusion and horror when I tell people what it is: cabbage & pepperoni.

Perhaps it is the Italian in me not to have cabbage in a standard Irish fashion but this dish is spicy, light, tasty, filling and savory. The best part is how easy it is to make.

My Mom & cousin Solvita are the inventors of this dish and my addition of white beans is a small adjustment to the original. My friend Rutherford likes to call this cabbage stew, but I feel like it is more of a soup than a stew and it couldn't be easier to make.

First, sautee two sticks of thinly sliced pepperoni in a large stock pot with a few minced cloves of garlic. (Note: I find Boar's Head pepperoni to be spicer and higher quality than most other supermarket brands). The pepperoni is done when it starts to release oil and change color; the oil will be the base for the soup.

Add one can of rinsed small white beans to the pot and let warm.

Finally, add one head cabbage cut into quarters and just enough chicken stock to come about 1/4 of the way up the pot. Cover and wait until the cabbage starts to soften.

Once the cabbage begins to wilt, stir occasionally and season, adding stock as necessary until you get the desired consistency.