Beet Hummus

I had this beet hummus at a wedding recently, and thought it was interesting enough to merit attempting at home.  It was served alongside two other hummus recipes - a pea hummus, and traditional hummus.  Very impressive presentation.  This is just for the one, but it's so good that it can stand on its own.  Pea hummus to follow some time soon.

Beet Hummus

• 1 pound beets (about 2 medium sized beets), scrubbed
• 3 tbsp tahini sesame seed paste
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 small cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp lemon zest (zest from approx. 2 lemons)
• Generous pinch of sea salt or kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper to taste

To cook the beets, cut off any tops, scrub the roots clean, wrap in aluminum foil, and roast in a 375 °F oven put until easily penetrated with a knife or fork, about 45 minutes to an hour. Alternatively, cover with water in a saucepan and simmer until tender, about 30-45 minutes depending on size.  If in a hurry like me, immediately plunge into an ice bath and peel while in the water.  Otherwise, peel once they have cooled.

Place all ingredients in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings and ingredients as desired.  Chill and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.

Eat with pita chips, sliced vegetables like cucumber, or on crostini.

Mushroom and Raisin Chutney

Poking through an excellent book by Jacques Pepin - Fast Food My Way, which is based on his public television series that brings a touch of European class to the quick and easy cooking style of Rachael Ray - I found a very bizarre sounding recipe for a mushroom chutney with raisins, tomato paste, and white wine.  It was almost like a quick pickling process, where you heat everything for a couple of minutes and then throw it into a mason jar to store in the fridge.  We served this with our Thanksgiving dinner, having made it the day before.  It was delicious, but I couldn't quite pin down the country that I thought this was from.  It almost had a Moroccan feel to it, but was made distinctly European from the addition of the barely simmered wine.  I highly recommend trying this out and serving either on its own or with some simple, roasted meat dishes.

Mushroom and Raisin Chutney
From Fast Food My Way, by Jacques Pepin

• 1 lb white buttom mushrooms, quartered
• 1/3 c dark raisins
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/3 c dry white wine
• 2 tsp chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1/2 c coarsely chopped onion
• 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt

A fairly simple list of ingredients with minimal prep

Not a lot to do, either - just throw everything in a pot for a few minutes

Put all ingredients in a nonreactive saucepan.  Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat to low, and boil gently for 5 minutes.  Cool.

Serve cold from the refrigerator or at room temperature.

Kimchi Jeon (Kimchi Pancakes)

As I explore more ingredients from Asia, I've become curious about the different ways people use kimchi.  Pickled cabbage seems to be the lynchpin in a slew of different Korean recipes, used in everything from their Korean BBQ to fried rice recipes.  A Korean friend of mine mentioned that they make kimchi into pancakes, much like potato pancakes.  I had to try this.  And other than the fact that these came out a bit thicker than I was envisioning, they were unbelievably delicious, crisp, tart, and made for a great meal that probably could have been an appetizer for many folks had I not been so keen on destroying them in a small group setting.

How could these possibly be bad?!

Kimchi Jeon
Saveur, November 2009
Serves 4-6

These savory pancakes are flavored with ground pork and chopped kimchi.  This recipe makes about 25 small pancakes; you can also cook large ones that fit the bottom of the skillet and slice them into wedges.

• ¼ lb ground pork (I used chicken in a pinch once, but pork is preferred)
• 2 cups chopped cabbage kimchi
• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup rice flour
• 6 scallions, finely chopped
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 10.5 tbsp canola oil
• Kosher salt to taste

Combine ground pork, kimchi, flour, rice flour, scallions, egg, and 1 cup ice cold water in a bowl; whisk to combine.  Set aside to let rest for 10 minutes.

Chop up your kimchi.  I got mine at the Asian grocery store - you might be able to find it in the refrigerated produce section of a normal store.

Measure out the pork and green onions.

Mix all ingredients together to get a consistency that looks like chicken salad.  It's important to use ice water.

Working in 7 batches, heat 1.5 tbsp oil in a 12” nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Scoop 4 2 tbsp portions batter into skillet.  Flatten each portion with the back of a spoon.  Cook until edges crisp, about 2 minutes.  Flip pancakes, cook until set, about 2 minutes.  Transfer pancakes to paper towels and wipe out skillet after each batch.  

I spread my pancakes out wide in the pan, making just a few large ones.  But you could do smaller, more human-sized pancakes

Serve sprinkled with salt, and garnish with a sweet and / or spicy dipping sauce.  I recommend a sweet chili-garlic sauce, but you could even do a spicy ranch if you were really desperate.

Thai Green Papaya Salad (Som Tam)

If you've never tried it, papaya salad is a refreshing (but spicy) first course served in Thailand.  It's got something for everyone's food allergy, too - peanuts, shrimp, and cilantro.  So be careful who you serve this to.  And don't worry if you can't find shrimp paste, since I didn't feel that it added much to the dish, plus it smells... strange.

The recipe provides a fun exercise in taste testing, wherein you get to adjust at the end for sweetness, saltiness, and tartness using three different ingredients.  So even if you abandoned your dreams of culinary school, you can still practice working out each group of your taste buds and feel like a chef for a fleeting moment.

And if you need even MORE reasons to make this, well, let me tell you about papaya.  Did you know that it is a digestive aid?  That it's high in vitamins B and C, dietary fiber, and other minerals?  That it's being studied as a suppressor of liver cancer, and as a contraceptive?  That it has antifungal properties, and its leaves are used to treat malaria?  Or my favorite bizarre 'fact':

"Harrison Ford was treated for a ruptured disc incurred during filming of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom by papain (made from papaya) injections."  -Wikipedia, citing the book Harrison Ford: The Films

This recipe was taken practically verbatim from About.com's Thai food page, which is a really good source of information if you're looking to branch out.

Papaya salad - a good way to wake up your taste buds

Thai Green Papaya Salad (Som Tam)
by Darlene Schmidt

• 1/2 tsp. shrimp paste (if vegetarian, substitute 1/2 Tbsp. Thai golden mountain sauce OR 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce)
• 2 Tbsp. good-tasting oil, such as olive
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce OR 2+1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce for vegetarians
• 3 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1/2 to 1 Tbsp. liquid honey, to taste
• 1 small green papaya, OR 1/2 large (your papaya should be very firm, the flesh white to light orange in color)
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, or cashews
• 1-2 cups bean sprouts
• 1 to 2 tomatoes, cut into long thin strips, or 1/2 pound cherry tomatoes
• 1 red chili, minced (seeds removed if you prefer a milder salad)
• 3 spring onions, sliced into long matchstick-like pieces
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped if leaves are large
• handful of fresh cilantro

This is what papaya looks like.  I believe the seeds are black when it's ripe

Most of the remaining ingredients.  The shrimp paste is particularly scary

I used a couple of cherry tomato varieties rather than large tomatoes

Prepare the dressing by mixing together the first five ingredients together in a cup. Make sure shrimp paste (if using) and honey dissolve fully.  Set aside.

Peel the green papaya, then slice it in half and remove all the seeds.  Using the largest grater you have, grate the papaya.  If you have a mandoline, things will be a lot more consistent and will go a lot faster, plus you get the opportunity to get stitches.  Place in a large bowl.

Papaya, after a run through the mandoline.  Note the absence of fingertips from the mandoline blade

Shred the green onions to the same shape as the papaya

Add the sliced tomato, spring onion, chili, bean sprouts, and most of the basil.  Add the dressing, tossing to combine.  Add only as much dressing as you think will be necessary - this makes a bit more than I thought should have been in there, and as a result it became too watery by the end.

Add the peanuts / cashews (I prefer to chop, but you can leave them whole).  Toss again, and taste.  If not sweet enough, add a little more honey.  If not salty enough, add a little more fish sauce.  If too sweet or salty, add more lime juice.  If you prefer it spicier, add more fresh-cut chili or dried crushed chili.

To serve, scoop the salad into individual bowls or onto a serving platter.  Sprinkle with remaining basil leaves plus fresh coriander, and serve immediately.

P. F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I'm pretty sure that the lettuce wraps at P.F. Chang's put them on the map.  Not only are they awesome, but they're an interesting way to convince people that iceberg lettuce has any value in this world (yeah, I went there).  So naturally, rather than having to put on pants to enjoy lettuce wraps, I've been attempting to live the dream at home over multiple attempts at a copycat recipe.  Well folks, I think I've got it.  Close your eyes, imagine you're sitting at an exotic Chinese restaurant near a giant brass horse and staffed by surly white teenagers, and you won't know that you're not at Chang's.

Lettuce wraps, the way they were meant to be experienced

P. F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps (copycat recipe)

from Food.com, modified slightly by me

• 1.5 tablespoons oil (canola and a little sesame)
• 1 boneless skinless chicken breast, diced or ground
• 1/2 cup water chestnuts
• 1/3 cup mushrooms (I used button mushrooms)
• 1/4 yellow onion, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 4-5 leaves iceberg lettuce (I used Boston bibb lettuce)

'Special' Sauce

• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1.5 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon sriracha
• 1/2 tablespoon hot mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon hot water

Stir Fry Sauce

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in water in a small bowl.  Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.  Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you're ready to serve.  Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well.  Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.

Dice the onions, water chestnuts, and mushrooms.  Or, if you have one, pulse the onions and garlic until the onions are at a medium chop, then add the mushrooms and water chestnuts and pulse a few more times to get everything to the right size.  Dice the chicken, or use ground chicken if you can find it.  I spun mine through the food processor, but only because I just got it and have been desperately trying to use it for anything that will fit in there, such as overripe fruit, old Christmas ornaments, or expired credit cards.

Take that chicken for a spin in the food processor to save time

Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.  Stir-fry the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes or until cooked through.  Remove chicken from the pan and allow oil to heat again.  Keep oil hot in the pan, adding another drop if necessary.  Once the pan is hot again, add the chicken back in along with the garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms.  Add the stir fry sauce and sauté the mixture for a couple minutes.

You don't even need a wok for this recipe - just sauté the chicken, then add in the vegetables and sauce.  It's pretty easy.

Just make sure to reheat the pan between the two steps, so you're not boiling the vegetables.

Immediately transfer to a serving plate along with the lettuce "cups".  If you want to get really fancy, you can fry some maifun rice stick noodles in hot oil as the bed for the noodles, but I tried this once and didn't have much luck.  Top with the "Special Sauce", and enjoy!

These were long gone before the steam was done coming off that plate