Thursday, November 21, 2013

Marinade for Vietnamese Grilled Pork

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup oyster sauce
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 1/2 tablespoon sugar
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 shallot
  • pepper
Instructions:
  • Mince garlic and shallot and then mix in with the rest of the ingredients.  Marinate pork in mixture for at least an hour before grilling.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Kale and Potato Gratin


Ingredients:
  • 1 1/2 pounds thin-skinned boiling potatoes such as red potatoes
  • 1 bunch kale
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons coarse salt
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • Between 1/3 and 2/3 cup bread crumbs
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional) OR 3 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon minced fresh herbs, such as thyme or sage
Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
  2. Get a pot of water boiling large enough to accommodate the potatoes. Also prepare an ice bath.
  3. Meanwhile, slice the potatoes 1/4-inch-thick. Set aside. Remove and discard the spines from the kale then chop the remaining leaves in 1/2-inch-thick ribbons by stacking the leaves and slicing in the direction of the veins. This doesn't need to be exact, as long as you end up with a pile of roughly 1/2-inch-thick shreds of kale.
  4. When the water is boiling, add a dash of salt and gently drop in the potatoes, cooking for about 2 to 3 minutes, until tender, but not cooked through. Drain and plunge into the ice bath. Drain again and dump onto a dish towel and blot.
  5. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the kale and rub the olive oil mixture aggressively into the leaves. Layer the kale and potatoes alternately with a sprinkling of bread crumbs and Parmesan in a 9"x12" rectangular casserole or glass or ceramic baking dish.
  6. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes, until top is crispy.

Monday, November 4, 2013

Chipotle sweet potato soup!

Ingredients:

  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • Vegetable broth
  • Chipotle peppers to taste
  • Cilantro for garnish
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Olive oil
Instructions
  1. Lightly sauté onions and garlic in a large pot.
  2. Throw cubed and peeled sweet potatoes into pot with 1 chipotle pepper and some adobo sauce from the can.
  3. Pour in broth so it is just covering the potatoes.
  4. Boil until the potatoes fall apart when poked with a fork.
  5. Add salt and more adobo sauce to taste.
  6. Serve with cheesy toast and with cilantro on the side.