Serves 4-6 as a condiment This side dish from north china is crispy, spicy and tart. A great condiment for heavy meat dishes. Ingredients: 1 Asian or English cucumber, sliced on a bias 2 tablespoons sesame oil 1 1/2 tsp ginger, minced 1 1/2 tsp garlic, minced 1 chili pepper, crushed 3 mushrooms, sliced 2 Tbsp rice vinegar 2 Tbsp water 2 tsp brown sugar Method: Heat sesame oil over medium heat. The smell is wonderful and nutty. Add garlic… And ginger.. As soon as it starts to smell like heaven … Add mushrooms and chili pepper Cook until mushrooms are soft. Then add vinegar and sugar. Don’t forget a splash of water, especially if the pan looks to be drying out. Finally, add the cucumbers and cover. Cook until tender. Here’s the final dish! Chill it completely before eating. Except for that little piece you sneak while cooking. You know, to decide if it has enough flavor. Speaking of which, feel free to play around by adding more or less vinegar and sugar. Hot …
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Makes 6 pickled limes Pickled limes add a sharp citrus kick to recipes. As the rind softens, it releases a bitter note than permeates throughout the lime. The insides break down as they set in the salted water, so the texture becomes rather mushy. Use a sharp knife when slicing to preserve the beautiful lime shape. Cambodian pickled limes are easy to make but take a little time – you’ll probably need start two weeks ahead. Hot and sunny temperatures are necessary to dry out the limes quickly. When we made them, temperatures were floating around 104 (with a heat index of 111F). I may have set a world record for time to dry out six limes. Two days! NOTE: You could also use small key limes for this recipe. Special thanks to Karen Coates of Rambling Spoon whose post Ode to a Grandmother inspired this recipe. Ingredients: 6 limes water, as needed salt Method: Dry a bunch of clean, fresh limes in the sun. Rotate as needed to get all sides dry. I put …
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Makes about 1/2 cup This is my own version of the jarred Kan Kan Kan spice blend popular in Burkina Faso. The raw peanut powder offers a slight grassy flavor, dominated by heat from the chili powder and saltiness from the bouillon. Try with our Grilled Lamb Brochettes. While the jarred stuff alleges to be an aphrodisiac, I happened upon the description of this spice blend on an expat blog which – unfortunately -I can no longer track down. I mixed it together to taste. If you want the aphrodisiac, you’ll want to add a lot more ingredients, like ginger, mustard seed, and cinnamon. NOTE: Peanut powder and Maggi cubes can be found at African markets. I went to Tulsa’s local Tropical market. Ingredients: 1/2 cup peanut powder 1 tsp chili powder 1/4 tsp allspice 2 Maggi bouillon cubes or 2 tsp powdered bouillon Method: Take all ingredients and mix together in a small bowl. If you use maggi cubes, crush them with the back of the spoon. If, like me, you accidentally buy SHRIMP flavored …
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Makes enough for about 2 curries (more if you like them mild) Rempah, a common curry blend in Brunei, will infuse your meal with the most haunting flavors of garlic, ginger, lemongrass… spicy chili pwder and golden turmeric. The entire kitchen smells like paradise when you cook with Rempah. PS. You can use this in our recipe for Sayur Lodeh. Ingredients: 1/8 cup cashews 1 onion, chopped 3 cloves garlic 1 tsp chili powder 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp ground coriander 1 Tbsp belachan or anchovy paste 1 Tbsp chopped, fresh lemongrass 1″ fresh ginger, chopped 1 Tbsp vegetable oil Method: 1. Add all ingredients to a small food processor. The fresh lemongrass is actually from my garden! It looks like a giant piece of overgrown grass, but with the most incredible, lemony-spring scent. Clip the lemongrass as close to the ground as you can. Here’s what not to do: The bottom ends have all sorts of tasty goodness that gets infused into the curry, when it cooks. Don’t forget the bechalon/anchovy paste. It …
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What is Red Recado? Red Recado is a seasoning paste used throughout Central America, particularly the Yucatan peninsula. The paste tastes strongly of annato and ancho chili powder, an earthy blend a little bit like paprika or saffron. However, because there are several other ingredients included in Red Recado, the flavor profile is much more complex and so totally different. Some say that chicken cannot be served in Belize without Red Recado. This week we’re making “Stew Chicken” with our recipe for Recado. If you order Recado online you’ll find the seasoning comes in a pasty ball that gets dissolved into your cooking liquid. My recipe is more like a wet mud mask. Hmm. That’s not too appealing. Let’s say it’s more like super tasty red mud. 🙂 Warnings: Annato is used as a dye in food, cheese, and clothing. Use caution when handling or you’ll end up with stained fingers or permanently splattered clothing. Recipe: The three hard to obtain ingredients in Red Recado are annato seed, Mexican oregano, and ancho chili powder. I …
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Harissa (also Harisa) is chili paste used to flavor many north african dishes, specifically in Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, and western Sicily. The condiment can be made mild, medium, or hot. For those who don’t feel like making Harissa from scratch, middle eastern markets sell the paste in cans. Whole Foods sells Harissa in the spice aisle (you just add water and olive oil to make the dry mix into a paste). The main components of Harissa: 2 ounces dried Guajillo chili peppers, soaked for 30 minutes, seeded and stemmed 2 ounces dried Anaheim chili peppers, mild, soaked for 30 minutes, seeded and stemmed 5 Garlic cloves, peeled 2 Tbsp water 2 Tbsp Olive Oil, plus extra 1/2 tsp ground caraway 1/2 tsp ground coriander 1 1/2 tsp salt 1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until mixture creates a paste. 2. Cover with extra olive oil and store in the refrigerator. Adapted from A Mediterranean Feast, Clifford Wright Harissa Chili Paste Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Harissa (also Harisa) is a chili paste used …
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