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What to do with squash

November 2, 2009 in Chinese Nutritional Therapy, Recipes, Season of Fall | No comments

squash

 

In Chinese Nutritional Medicine, squash is warm and sweet and enters the Spleen and Stomach meridians. This, and the fact that they are in season, makes squash a perfect fall food. As the weather turns cold we turn to warm foods to help our bodies cope. Sweet foods tonify the Spleen, and in late summer the Spleen is the dominant organ. Nourishing the Spleen at this time will help our bodies make more qi and blood. There are so many varieties of squash, and thousands of ways to prepare them. I recently came across a nice page on one of my favorite food websites, Culinate, that describes and depicts some of the more common squash varieties with links to recipes for each one. I encourage you to experiement with squash this season. There are many options, from as simple as cutting them in half and roasting them in the oven, to complicated homemade stuffed pastas.

http://www.culinate.com/articles/culinate8/winter_squash_glossary

Below is a recipe for butternut squash which is remarkably simple and anything but boring. I make it on a regular basis in the fall to eat as is, or to use as a stuffing for ravioli. It comes from Jamie Oliver’s book The Naked Chef.

Spicy Roasted Squash

serves 6

1 butternut squash (2-3lbs)

2 teaspoons coriander seeds

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds

2 small dried red chilies (or to taste)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 clove of garlic

1 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash the squash, then cut it in half with a large sharp knife. With a large spoon, remove the seeds from the squash (try roasting these with a little touch of oil and some sea salt and have them with drinks, life peanuts). Cut the squash lengthways into quarters and then cut the quarters in half – you should have approximately 1 inch thick, boat-shaped wedges of squash. Put them into a bowl.

Put all the dried herbs and spices into a mortar and pestle and pound them up with the salt and pepper to make a fine powder. Once you’ve done this, add the garlic clvoe and pound it into the spices. Scrape out the contents into the bowl and add 1 Tb of olive oil. Toss the squash thoroughly in this herb and spice mixture, making sure that all the pieces are well coated.

Place the squash pieces in a line, skin side down, on a baking tray. Roast them for about 30 minutes, or until tender. The spicy flavor will cook into the squash, and the squash will crisp slightly, the skin becoming caramelized and chewy.

 

 

http://www.culinate.com/articles/culinate8/winter_squash_glossary

Burdock Root

July 16, 2009 in Chinese Nutritional Therapy, Recipes, Season of Spring | No comments

burdock

In Chinese Herbal Medicine, the small fruit of the Burdock plant is used. The root, however, is used in both Chinese Nutritional Therapy and Western Herbalism and this part of the plant can be used in cooking. Western Herbalists use Burdock root to treat skin conditions that are dry, such as dry eczema, psoriasis and dandruff. This root can be found in many asian grocery stores. It needs to be peeled, and soaked in a solution of vinegar or lemon juice to prevent discoloration (1 tea white vinegar or lemon juice to 1 cup water). Use this root chopped in stir frys, soups, or roasted with other root vegetables.

 

Stir-Fried Burdock and Carrot

from the book The Japanese Kitchen by Hiroko Shimbo

makes 4-6 servings as a side dish

2-3 Tb veggie oil

5 1/2 oz burdock, peeled, julienned in 2 1/2-in lengths (about 2 cups) and soaked in 1 c water and 1 tea vinegar

2 oz carrots, julienned in 2 1/2-in lengths (about 2/3 cups)

2 Tb sake (rice wine)

1 Tb mirin (sweet cooking wine)

1 Tb sugar

1 Tb shoyu (soy sauce)

1 tea tamari

2 Tb white sesame seeds, toasted

1/3 tea shichimi togarashi (seven spice powder) or red chili flakes

In a wok or skillet, heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Drain the burdock, and cook it, stirring, until it is well coated with oil. Add the carrot and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add 3 Tb water, the sake, mirin, and sugar. Cook the mixture until almost all the liquid is absorbed, stirring all the time. Add the shoyu, and cook for 30 seconds. Season the mixture to taste with tamari. Add 1 Tb of the sesame seeds, add the seven-spice powder or red chili flakes, and give several large stirs. Transfer the vegetables to a platter, and let them cool to room temperature. The dish tastes better after a few hours, and can be kept in the refrigerator, covered, for a day. Serve at room temperature or chilled, with the remaining 1 Tb white sesame seeds.

Claypot Miso Chicken

July 16, 2009 in Chinese Nutritional Therapy, Recipes, Season of Spring | No comments

claychicken

I recently found this recipe on www.epicurious.com and thought it would be a nice one to share. Not only does it utilize the Donabe pot which we have discussed, but it also includes many of the springtime foods from our food list. The only ingredients that may be more difficult to find are the burdock root, wood ear mushrooms and mirin, all of which can be found at Uwajimaya or other Asian markets in the Seattle area. 

 Makes 4 generous (main course) servings

2 1/2 lbs chicken thighs, with skin and bone

½ c wood ear  mushrooms

5cups water, divided

About 2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

1stalk burdock root (sometimes called gobo)

1/2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar or fresh lemon juice

1 and one 1/2 tablespoons canola oil

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 lb fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded, large caps quartered

1 and one ½ tablespoons finely chopped peeled ginger

1 and one ½ tablespoons finely chopped garlic

1/2 cup mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)

1/2 cup white miso (also called shiro miso)

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 lb mustard greens, tough stems and ribs discarded and leaves coarsely chopped (8 cups)
Accompaniment: steamed rice

Garnish: chopped scallions

Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in middle. Pat chicken dry, then roast, skin side up, in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan until skin is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. While chicken roasts, soak wood ear mushrooms in 2 cups water until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain in a sieve, then rinse well and discard any hard pieces. Drain well, squeezing out excess water.

Transfer roasted chicken to a bowl and pour pan juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a glass measure. Let stand until fat rises to top, 1 to 2 minutes, then skim off and discard fat. Add enough stock to bring total to 2 cups liquid. Reduce oven to 300°F and move rack to lower third. Peel burdock root, and, if more than 1-inch-thick, halve lengthwise. Cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Transfer burdock root to a bowl, then add vinegar and 1 cup water.

Heat oil in a 7- to 8-quart heavy pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté onions until softened and beginning to brown. Add shiitakes, ginger, and garlic and sauté until garlic is golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add mirin and boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, 1 minute. Stir in miso and soy sauce, then stir in chicken, wood ear mushrooms, burdock (drained), stock mixture, and remaining 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, skimming off any froth. Cover pot and braise in oven until chicken is tender, about 1 hour.

Stir in mustard greens and continue to braise, covered, 5 minutes. Serve in shallow bowls over rice.

Springtime Hot Pot

July 16, 2009 in Chinese Nutritional Therapy, Recipes, Season of Spring | No comments

hotpot

There are many versions of Hot Pot all over the world. In Switzerland it is called fondu, in Japan it is called Shabu-Shabu, or Sukiyaki. Within China, there are many different versions of this warm family dish. In all cases a pot of broth or oil is set in the center of the table on an open flame while the desired meat and vegetables are added and cooked quickly by the individual diners. A very simple, very healthy version comes from Japan and a lovely Springtime recipe follows.

 The Donabe pot is traditionally used for this dish in Japan, as it can be put over an open flame. It can also be put on an electric burner and in the oven which makes it a wonderful tool for many types of Asian cooking. For those of us in Seattle, beautiful Donabe pots, as well as all of the ingredients for the following recipe can be found at Uwajimaya in the International District. Now is the perfect time to try this dish, as they have created a “hot pot” display near the entrance.  http://www.uwajimaya.com/

 

Springtime Hot Pot

Ingredients: (Include as few or as many as you desire)

konbu (dried kelp)
negi (Japanese leek)
shungiku (chrysanthemum leaves)
hakusai (Napa cabbage)
fresh shiitake mushrooms
fresh shimeji mushrooms
fresh enoki mushrooms                                                                                                                                                       kuzukiri (arrowroot starch noodles) or thin rice noodles
medium tofu                                                                                                                                                                          daikon radish (for grating)
ponzu (citrus, soy sauce and vinegar based condiment)                                                                                                  beef or pork sliced paper thin (Uwajimaya sells it already sliced and labeled “for sukiyaki” or “for hotpot”)                                                                                                                                                                                   garlic chili sauce, if desired

Preparation:

About two hours before dinner, soak two 2-inch pieces of konbu in a stockpot-full of cold water. About an hour before dinner, soak the kuzukiri noodles in a bowl of cold water. Now grate the daikon radish and cut all the other ingredients into bite-size pieces and artfully arrange on serving plates. Just before dinner, bring the stockpot with the konbu to a simmer — but don’t boil.

To serve:

Place the donabe on a portable burner on the dining table, surrounded by plates of ingredients. Gather your guests around. Arrange the first round of ingredients in the donabe, fill with the konbu broth, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, serve in bowls, topped with grated daikon and a hit of ponzu and garlic chili sauce. Eat. Repeat.

(This is a fairly traditional Japanese recipe, but I found it on www.japanesefoodreport.com)

My Favorite New Seasonal Cookbook

July 16, 2009 in Recipes | No comments

cookbook

Grilled Copper River Salmon with Rhubarb and Ginger Chutney

July 15, 2009 in Recipes | No comments

fish7
Very often, West Coast chefs forgo the usual dictums of tradition. Instead of relying on the arsenal of sauces developed over hundreds of years in France and codified a century ago by August Escoffier, we make up our own sauces as the seasons and our own caprice dictate. This can be silly and unfortunate at times, but it can also be revelatory. In one of my fits of regional loyalty, I decided to forgo lemons on my menu because lemons did not grow within a hundred miles of where I lived. To get a tangy counterpoint to rich salmon, I reached instead for the rhubarb growing in my own backyard.  Rhubarb, which is in season at the same time as the coveted Copper River kings has a refreshing astringent quality that compliments this rich seafood beautifully. It has become something of a tradition, at least n kitchens upon which I have had some influence to serve rhubarb with Copper River Salmon.

(Serves 4)
For the Rhubarb and Ginger Chutney:
2 stalks rhubarb, chopped, (about 2 cups)
1/2 cup crystallized ginger, chopped
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
For the Salmon:
4 filets of Copper River Salmon, or other king salmon, skin removed
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons light olive oil or corn oil

1.) To make the chutney, stir the rhubarb, crystallized ginger, raspberry vinegar and salt in a non-reactive (stainless steel or enameled) saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring until sugar is dissolved and mixture is beginning to boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until rhubarb is very tender and beginning to disintegrate. Chutney may be served at once or kept, covered and refrigerated, for several days.
2.) To grill the salmon, wipe the grill with a cloth dipped in olive oil, or spray it with an oil mister. Position the grill 4 inches above a bed of the glowing coals and wipe it with an oily cloth.  Sprinkle the filets with salt and pepper and rub with oil.  
3.) Place the filets, skinned-side up onto the rack and allow them to broil for 5 minutes.  If the oil ignites, cool the flames with a little water splashed from a cup or streamed from a squirt gun.  With a long spatula, turn the filets once and allow them to broil for 5 minutes more. Transfer to a warm platter or serving plates.

Congee, Chinese Medicinal Porridge

July 15, 2009 in Chinese Herbal Medicine, Chinese Nutritional Therapy, Recipes, Season of Fall, Season of Winter, Topics in Colds Flus Allergies | 2 comments

Congees are a simple, easy way to prevent and treat illness. A congee is essentially well-cooked rice, often with the addition of simple herbs or foods to prevent and treat specific ailments. Congees are easy to digest, so they are easy on the Pi, or Spleen energy.

The following is a simple congee for cold and flu season. It contains ingredients found in most American households and can be taken at the first sign of infection, or when you are exposed to those who are sick.

Scallion & Glutinous Rice Congee

Herbs: 5 whole Cong Bai (Scallions), 15 grams raw Sheng Jiang (Ginger), 100 grams Nuo Mi (Glutinous Rice*)

Directions: Place rice in a pot on the stove and add twice as much water as rice. Bring to a boil then cover and reduce to a simmer for a couple of hours until the porridge is reduced to a thin gruel. Mash the scallions and ginger into a pulp or process in a food processor. Add this to the porridge and simmer until combined and warm. Eat the congee and then retire under a blanket until you break into a sweat. Sweating releases the pathogens causing illness.

*Glutinous rice is sometimes called “sticky rice” or “sweet rice.” It is more starchy then ordinary medium grain rice and these days can be found in most major grocery stores. When these fail, take the opportunity to try an Asian grocery in the International District such as the infamous Uwajimaya.