Hurricane Food

As I’m sitting on my couch in the living room watching E! news and typing on my laptop, I am vaguely aware that Hurricane Sandy is slowly (or quickly?) making its way to NYC. The MTA has decided to shut down transportation in the late afternoon, and truly, I couldn’t care less because I have zero plans to leave my comfortable spot on this couch with the sky looking as threatening as it does. I’m perfectly happy wasting away my brain learning about how much Justin Timberlake spent on his wedding ($6 million, so true/ so false?) and whether Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are engaged (are they/ aren’t they?)

But alas, I need to eat! Especially with warnings of power outages and restaurants shutting down early, I should probably cook what’s left in my fridge and make a nutritious, stick to your ribs meal for my family! I basically spent the entire day in front of the stove – and happily so, since I had good music and wine

In my repetoire are two Asian dishes and a western one I enjoy making because they are nutritious, delicious, and soooo easy to make. Plus, most of the ingredients may already be in your pantry – a few extra dollars and one quick trip to the grocery store and you’re set!

One thing I wanted to mention is that I picked up a few good things from TJ Maxx this weekend, including a wonderful stir-fry oil! It’s made with stir-fried onions, ginger, safflower seed, etc. and adds a great flavor to all pan fried dishes!

Chicken Broccoli

Ingredients
5 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs rice wine/ mirin
1 tsp potato starch/ corn starch
2 heads of broccoli, cut into small florets
1 pound boneless chicken thighs, sliced into 2 inch chunks
10 thinly sliced button mushrooms
1 thinly sliced onion
2 tsp grated ginger
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Vegetable oil for cooking

1. Mix starch, rice wine, and soy sauce in a small bowl and set aside
2. Set a medium sized wok over medium heat and add a healthy pour of vegetable oil
3. Fry grated ginger and minced garlic for about 1 minute, till fragrant
4. Add onion and stir frequently till softened and translucent, about 5 minutes
5. Add chicken and mushrooms and stir fry until chicken is no longer pink and mushrooms release their liquid, about 5 minutes
6. Add starch mixture and stir fry till sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 more minutes
7. Pour into a big serving bowl and serve with rice. Enjoy!

Chicken Curry

Ingredients
1 lb. boneless chicken thigh, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic
2 tbs grated ginger
1 carrot, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 russet potato, cut into bite-sized chunks and bathed in water for 10 minutes and rinsed (to remove excess starch)
1 package of Java Curry roux blocks (I know, I know: cheating… but, but… so EASY!!! And it’s my fav brand For the real thing, go here)
4-5 cups water
Vegetable oil

1. Mix chicken with ginger and garlic until well combined and set aside
2. Heat a dutch oven or medium heat and add a healthy pour of vegetable oil; when properly hot, add chicken mixture and stiry fry until chicken is no longer pink and ginger and garlic are fragrant
3. Remove chicken mixture with a slotted spoon and leave remaining oil; add onions and stir fry until translucent and soft
4. Add carrots and potatoes to dutch oven and salt and pepper to season; stir fry another 5 minutes
5. Add chicken mixture back to dutch oven and continue to stir until everything is well combined, another 2 minutes
6. Depending on how thick you like your curry, add between 4-5 cups of water (you can always start with a lesser amount and add more water as later); bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer for about 20 minutes
7. Add 1 box of roux blocks and stir until blocks are melted and well combined; lower heat to lowest setting and let sit for another 15-20 minutes
8. Serve with fresh, hot rice and beer. YUM!!!

Turkey Chili

Ingredients
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 green bell pepper, finely diced
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
1 28 oz. can whole, peeled plum tomatoes (I used Muir Glen)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chili powder
2 tbs cumin
2 tps oregano
2 tps paprika
2 15 oz. cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup red wine
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

1. Heat a dutch oven over medium and add a healthy pour of olive oil
2. Add ground turkey and stir fry until browned, about 5 minutes
3. While turkey is frying, combine all the powdered spices and mix well in a small bowl and set aside
4. Add onion, bell pepper and carrots and stir fry until translucent nd softened, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper
5. Add garlic and stir fry until fragrant, about 1 minute
6. Add red wine and simmer, stirring constantly, until all the alcohol has evaporated and liquid has virtually disappeared
7. Pour liquid from plum tomatoes to mixture and stir until well combined
8. Tear tomatoes by hand into bite-sized pieces and add to mixture
9. Add turkey and their collected juices and kidney beans to mixture
10. Bring mixture to a boil, then lower to a simmer for approximately 2 hours. Serve with sour cream, scallions, beer, and a GOOD movie! (such as Mean Girls!)

Last but not least…. I went to Brother Jimmy’s at Union Square yesterday for a Michigan football game and we ended up ordering so many ribs that we brought them home to make a broth. It turned out to be a DELICIOUS broth that made our apartment smell like the south and I am so happy we made it! I decided to roast some vegetables in the oven first as this is my favorite way to enjoy vegetables. Roasting adds a nice, smoky, caramelized flavor to vegetables and creates a wonderful sauce. I wanted to experiment and thought it would be interesting to add roasted vegetables to a broth. It turned out wonderfully! Here is an untraditional twist on the everyday, essential broth!

Delicious Broth a’la Brother Jimmy’s

Ingredients
Leftover bones from spare ribs
1 onion, quartered
5 celery stalks, cut into chunks
2 carrots, cut into chunks
1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 lb. button mushrooms, quartered
1/2 Napa Cabbage, cut into large pieces
5 cups water
3 tbs. thyme
3 tbs. rosemary
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. To a large mixing bowl, add cauliflower, mushrooms, thyme, rosemary, salt, pepper and a very healthy pour of olive oil (pour and count to 5, that’s how I do it!), and use hands to combine; pour mixture onto a baking tray and roast in oven for 15-20 minutes, until top of cauliflower are golden brown
3. In the meantime, add a healthy pour of olive oil to a large pot add onions, celery, and carrots; stir fry until mixture is caramelized and browned, about 10 minutes
4. The vegetables should be done roasting at this point. Take out of the oven and pour directly pot; add water and bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 1 hour. About 30 minutes into the simmer, skim off any scum that floats to the top. Add napa cabbage and mix well to combine.
5. After an hour of simmering, remove from heat and strain broth through a sieve. Toss vegetables and enjoy broth with noodles, rice, etc. So many possibilities!!

A happy customer

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