Author: mmm-yoso

Well it sure has cooled down a bit here in San Diego…….so nice we decided to do some grilling. Well make that the Missus decided I needed to do some grilling. And wanted, "something different, and good for a change….."

This is what I came up with:

I went for sort of a South American theme, Quinoa Pilaf, with grilled (cheapo) Lamb Loin Chops with  Chimichurri and Salza Criolla, and grilled tomato. It came out much better than I thought it would, the Salsa Criolla, tasted exactly like the versions I’ve had in restaurants, and the Missus loved the Chimichurri as well.

Chimichurri

From what I understand, this popular South American sauce and marinade originated in Argentina, and in its most basic form consists of only 4 ingredients, parsley, garlic, olive oil, and salt, though you’ll find that no two recipes are alike. The version here is the base version with some adjustments adding ingredients we enjoy; garlic, onion, cilantro, and other stuff. As with most everything I cook, it is quite easy to make. Don’t be afraid of the amount of garlic…..really!

Chimichurri

1 Bunch Flat Leaf(Italian Parsley)
1 Bunch Cilantro
1 Bulb Garlic(yes, a whole bulb)
1-3 Jalapeno Peppers
1 Small Sweet Onion
1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Cup White Wine Vinegar
2 Tsp Dried Oregano
1 Tb Brown Sugar
Salt and Pepper to Taste.

Combine parsley, cilantro, garlic, onion, and jalapeno in a food  processor, pulsing to chop fine.

Add oregano, brown sugar, and vinegar, and with processor going, add olive oil.

Taste and add salt and pepper.

Refrigerate for about an hour to allow flavors to meld. You can use as a sauce or marinade.

Peruvian Sarza(Salsa) Criolla

This is a wonderfully salty and tart onion salad, that the Missus loves. I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to make it, and it turned out to be very easy. As a base, I used the recipe from Copeland Marks  cookbook, The Exotic Kitchens of Peru, and added an additional step(salt and rinse), and changed some of the amounts. One of the items that really makes this recipe tick, is the Aji Amarillo. Aji Amarillo, which means, "yellow chile pepper", is actually orange in color when ripe. It is the most used pepper in Peruvian cooking. The version that I obtained was previously par-boiled, and frozen, but still had a nice amount of heat….I guess if I was a better writer I’d call it "piquant"…….

Salsa Criolla

1 Red Onion, thinly sliced
2 Tsp Aji Amarillo, seeded, and deveined, chopped
1/4 Cup fresh squeezed lime juice(or to taste)
2 Tb Chopped Cilantro leaves
Salt to taste

Add 1/2 tsp Salt to red onion slices and let rest for 5-10 minutes.

Rinse onion and drain well.

Mix all ingredients. We enjoy our Salza Criolla nice and cold, so we refrigerate for a few minutes before serving.

So easy, huh?

Jamillah Garden closes

Last weekend we were driving up Convoy, and noticed that newspapers were taped over the windows at Jamillah Garden.

I drove into the parking lot and walked into the restaurant where tables were being disassembled. I asked the Young Man if Jamillah Garden was being renovated, or were they closing. His answer? "We are permanently closed." Too bad…..the food was somewhat inconsistent, but Jamillah Garden was the only Muslim Chinese Restaurant in San Diego.

Previous posts on Jamillah Garden here and here.

We decided to just hang around the house this weekend, I’m a bit tired, and it is just too hot…… We didn’t even feel like going to the market, so we decided to just eat what we had in the frig and lying around a la Charsiubao. Problem was, we didn’t have much………just some leftovers, and 1 lonely potato. So what to do with a potato?

I decided to make Sichuan Stir Fried Potato Strings. If you’re not familiar with this dish, it may seem a bit odd……potatoes and Chinese cuisine would seem to be a bit of  a leap. I thought so myself when I first saw this on a menu several years back. It was on the menu in a Shenyang restaurant in the San Gabriel Valley. I ordered it, and the Missus thought I was nuts. She told me, "you know this is just poor people home style food, right?" Being the carb lover, I enjoyed the texture of crunchy stir fried potatoes and the flavor of the sour vinegar and spicy chilies. After that I started noticing the dish on the menu off most Sichuan restaurants in the area. In Sichuan restaurants, the potatoes are served and eaten as a stir fried vegetable….in other words, it is consumed with rice! You gotta love that!

So here’s the version I made tonight. I used Chinkiang Vinegar because I enjoy the flavor, but if you want the potatoes to be a bit more attractive you can use white vinegar. The taste will be a bit different. Also, many Sichuan restaurants will not use vinegar, but the Missus, being from Sandong, loves vinegar.

I love the numbing heat provided by the Sichuan Peppercorn, most restaurants will use whole peppercorn, but I enjoy using peppercorns that I’ve roasted and ground….it provides a nice numbing effect. Think of the dish as being a ma-la(numbing hot) version of Salt and Vinegar Shoestring Potatoes. As always, it is a pretty easy dish……I really don’t make anything too difficult.

Sichuan Stir Fried Potato Strings (qiang tu dou si)
1 Potato
3-6 Dried Red Chilies
1 tsp Sichuan Pepper (whole or roasted and ground)
1/2- 1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Black Vinegar (Use white vinegar if you want a whiter color)
1 tsp Sesame Oil (optional)
Salt to taste
Oil for cooking

Peel potatoes and slice into "matchsticks", soak in lightly salted cold water(this will prevent the  potato from turning brown as well as remove excess starch)

Heat wok over medium heat, drain potatoes well.

Add 2-3 Tb Oil to wok, and swirl around, add red chilies and if using whole Sichuan peppercorns add it as well.

Once you can smell the fragrance of the Sichuan peppercorns and chilies, add the potatoes.

Stir fry the potatoes for 3-4 minutes then add the sugar and vinegar.

When the potatoes are cooked and al dente in texture, taste and add salt if necessary, remove from heat and add sesame oil if desired.

A quick pickle:

I also had 3 large cucumbers, so I decided to do a really quick pickle.

3-4 Cucumbers
1 Tb Salt
1 Tb Sugar
3/4 Cup White vinegar
3/4 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
4-6 Dried Red Chilies
1-2 Cloves Garlic Crushed
Sichuan Pepper salt

Peel cucumbers, and slice in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds using a spoon, and slice in thin "half-moons".

Place cucumber slices in a bowl, add salt and sugar, mix, and let stand for about 1 hour.

Combine vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, a dried red chilies is a small pot, and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Set aside and let cool.

Once liquid is cooled, drain slices of cucumber well, and add to liquid. Chill for at least 2 hours.

Serve with Sichuan Pepper-Salt. This pickle is best eaten the same day.

Sichuan Pepper-Salt:

In a dry pan, combine 1 Tb of Sichuan Peppercorns with 3 Tb Sea/Kosher Salt.(Think a 3 to one ratio)
Roast salt-peppercorn mixture over low flame until fragrant. I always know that my Sichuan Peppercorn are ready when they start to "pop".
Remove immediately from heat, and grind.

I hope everyone had a great Labor Day weekend. We’ll be back with more restaurant posts tomorrow!

Whew….has it been hot enough for you in SoCal??? Talk about stewing in your own juices. It’s almost too hot to eat…almost……

Here’s a recipe for Thai Style Larb, that I’ve been making for about 8 or 9 years. I first saw it in a Food Magazine, I don’t remember which publication it was. I do remember that the recipe was provided by Bo Kline who Co-Owns, along with her husband, the Typhoon chain of Thai Restaurants in the Pacific Northwest. I also recall being quite excited when we found out that Typhoon had opened in Seattle. We couldn’t wait to try out the Chicken Larb. Unfortunately, we found the larb at Typhoon in Seattle to be under-flavored, dry, and severely lacking herbs, which is what makes this recipe tick. What a disappointment…..

We have found that using dark meat chicken(i.e. boneless-skinless thighs) makes for a more moist Larb. The Missus often eats this with rice, along with some Papaya Salad on the side.

Thai Style Chicken Larb

1/2 Cup Fresh Lime Juice
1/3-1/2 Cup Fish Sauce
1 Tb Palm Sugar

1/3 Cup Chicken Stock
1 1/2 Pounds Ground/Minced Dark Meat Chicken(We grind/mine our own)
1 Cup Thinly Sliced Green Onions
1/2 Cup Thinly Sliced Shallots
2-3 Tb Finely Minced Lemongrass
2-4 Thinly Sliced Thai Bird Chilies
1/2 Cup Chopped Cilantro Leaves
1/4 Cup Chopped Mint Leaves
Chili Paste
Salt if necessary.

Green Leaf, Boston, or Romain Lettuce leaves.

Whisk Lime Juice, Fish Sauce, and Lime Juice in a bowl until sugar is dissolved.

In a heavy skillet or wok, bring chicken stock to a simmer over medium heat.
Add lemongrass and simmer for about 1 minute.
Add chicken, breaking up the meat with a spoon and simmer until chicken is cooked, and most of the liquid has evaporated, about 8-10 minutes.
Add green onions, shallots, and chilies, and mix together until tender, about 2-3 minutes.
Add sauce and mix, until all items are incorporated.
Remove from heat and add Cilantro and Mint, and stir.
Taste and add Chili paste and salt if necessary.