Ingredients

Tomatillo Puree and Enchilada Sauce

• 10 medium tomatillos
• 1/2 jalapeno, smoked and seeded
• 1/2 Serrano, smoked and seeded
• 8 green chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 sweet onion, diced
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 tsp thyme

Sweet Potato Filling and Enchiladas

• 5 medium sweet potatoes
• 1/2 tsp cumin powder
• 1 tsp Chili powder
• 8 oz cream cheese
• 1 tsp curry powder
• Salt and pepper
• 4 green onions
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 16 oz Monterey Jack cheese
• 12 corn tortillas

Preparation

For tomatillo puree: Preheat oven to 375. Place tomatillos on parchment paper or foil-lined cookie sheet. Cook 30 minutes or until soft in the middle. The last 10 minutes, place jalapeno, Serrano, and Hatch pepper on a cookie sheet and put in the oven, so the skins can blacken.

Once skin is blackened, place the peppers in a paper bag to cool. Slice tomatillos open at bottom and squeeze juice into food processor. When peppers are cooled lightly, rub paper bag until skin is peeled. Then slice Serrano and jalapeno in half. Place only half of each pepper in processor. Peel, seed, and chop Hatch pepper and set aside for enchilada sauce. Add a little water. Puree until mixed thoroughly and add to the sauce.

For enchilada sauce: In a skillet, sauté the cornstarch and olive oil over medium heat for 1 minute. Add herbs and spices and cook 11 additional minutes. Add garlic and vegetables and sauté another minute. Add broth, tomatillo puree, and lime juice. Raise heat and bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Stir constantly until thickened. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Cool. Add back to the food processor and blend until smooth.

For sweet potato filling: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wrap sweet potatoes in foil and bake the sweet potatoes until tender, about 1 hour. Cool and peel the sweet potatoes. Place the sweet potatoes in a bowl and mix in the cream cheese, chili powder, curry, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper until well blended. Stir in green onions.

Putting it all together: Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 13x9 baking dish. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat and fry the tortillas, one at a time, for about 10-20 seconds per side. Remove the tortillas with tongs and drain on paper towels. Place a regular spoonful of sweet potato filling down the center of each tortilla, add 1 tablespoon cheese, roll it up, and place filled tortillas seam side down in dish. Pour enchilada sauce over the tortillas and sprinkle with Monterey Jack cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the enchilada sauce is bubbling and the cheese is beginning to brown. Cool for 5 minutes and serve.

Central Market

Ingredients

• 3 whole star anise
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup rice vinegar
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine (or sherry)
• ½ teaspoon vegetable oil
• 4 chicken legs, skin on
• 3 medium garlic cloves, smashed
• 6 slices fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns, lightly toasted and ground
• ½ cup chicken stock

Preparation

Whisk together star anise, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and rice wine in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.

Place a large wok over high heat. When it starts to smoke, pour in oil. Swirl oil around, and then add chicken legs skin side down. Adjust heat to medium-high and cook undisturbed until they are browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the chicken legs, and add garlic and ginger. Continue cooking until the other side is browned, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add Sichuan peppercorns, soy sauce mixture, and chicken stock. Toss chicken pieces with sauce. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Then cover the work, reduce heat to low, and cook until juices run clear in the legs, about 10 minutes. Remove legs and set aside on a plate.

Turn heat to medium-high, and reduce sauce until it lightly coats the back of a spoon, stirring often. Serve chicken legs with sauce. Pair with white rice or broccoli.

Nick Kindlesperger, Serious Eats

Ingredients

• 8 oz fresh thin Chinese egg noodles (also called Hong Kong noodles; not wonton noodles)
• 1 (1/2 lb.) piece flank steak
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine (preferably Shaoxing) or medium-dry Sherry
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
• 3 scallions, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces (1 cup)
• 5 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems discarded and caps quartered (2 1/2 cups)
• 6 oz choy sum, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces (2 1/2 cups) or 1-inch-wide broccoli florets

Preparation

Bring 8 cups unsalted water to a boil in a 6- to 8-quart pot, then add noodles, stirring to separate, and cook 15 seconds. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water until noodles are cool, then shake colander briskly to drain excess water.

Cut steak with the grain into 1 1/2- to 2-inch-wide strips. Cut each strip across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices and put in a medium bowl. Using your hands, toss beef with sugar, sesame oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Let beef marinate at room temperature while preparing remaining ingredients.

Stir together remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice wine, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 1/4 teaspoon white pepper in a small bowl until smooth, then stir in chicken broth.

Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within 1 to 2 seconds of contact, then add 1/2 cup peanut oil and heat until just smoking. Carefully add noodles all at once, flattening top to form a 9-inch cake. Cook until underside is golden, 4 to 5 minutes, rotating noodle cake with a metal spatula to brown evenly and lifting edges occasionally to check color. Carefully flip noodle cake over with spatula and tongs, then cook, rotating cake, until other side is golden, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer noodle cake to a large paper-towel-lined plate to drain excess oil. Discard any oil remaining in wok and wipe out wok with paper towels.

Transfer drained noodle cake to a platter and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.

Heat wok over high heat until a drop of water evaporates within 1 to 2 seconds of contact. Pour 1 tablespoon peanut oil down side of wok, then swirl oil, tilting wok to coat sides. Add beef, spreading pieces in 1 layer on bottom and sides as quickly as possible. Cook, undisturbed, letting beef begin to brown, 1 minute, then stir-fry until meat is just browned on all sides but still pink in center, about 1 minute. Transfer meat and any juices to a plate.

Add 1 tablespoon oil to wok over high heat. When oil just begins to smoke, add ginger and garlic and stir-fry 5 seconds, then add scallions and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and stir-fry until softened, about 3 minutes. Add choy sum and stir-fry until leaves are bright green and just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes (if using broccoli, cook until almost crisp-tender). Stir broth mixture, then pour into wok and stir-fry until sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Add beef and stir to coat. Return mixture just to a boil, then pour over noodle cake.

Serves 4

Gourmet, September 2005

Ingredients

For the flavor base:

• 15 dried japones chiles or 10 dried chiles de árbol or 3 Tbs. sambal oelek
• 1-1/2 cups sliced shallots (from 4 large shallots)
• 2 Tbs. sliced garlic
• 1 Tbs. sliced peeled fresh ginger
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh or frozen and thawed galangal (optional)

For the whole spice blend:

• 4 whole cloves
• 4 whole green cardamom pods
• 2 whole star anise
• 1 3-inch-long cinnamon stick, snapped in half

For the ground spice blend:

• 2 tsp. ground coriander
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 2 tsp. ground fennel seeds
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

For the rendang:

• 3/4 cup canola or vegetable oil; more as needed
• 2 lb. boneless top blade beef chuck (or bottom or top round, flank, or sirloin steak), cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices, then cut into 1-1/2- to 2-inch pieces
• 1 13.5-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk
• 1/4 cup tamarind concentrate
• 3 wild lime leaves, thinly sliced
• 2 medium lemongrass stalks, bruised with back of knife and tied in a knot
• 4 tsp. palm sugar or dark brown sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp. table salt
• 1/2 cup tightly packed grated fresh coconut or unsweetened frozen coconut, thawed
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
• Lime wedges, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Make the flavor base:

If using dried chiles, steep them in hot water until pliable, 5 to 8 minutes; then slit and seed them (use gloves). Put the chiles, shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal (if using), and 1/4 cup water in a food processor and process to a coarse purée, about 3 minutes (if using whole dried chiles, you’ll still see little pieces of the skins).

Make the spice blends:

In a small bowl, combine the cloves, cardamom pods, star anise, and cinnamon pieces. In a second small bowl, combine the coriander, cumin, fennel, turmeric, and pepper.

Make the rendang:

Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a 12-inch skillet or wok over medium-low heat until shimmering hot. Add the whole spice blend and cook, stirring constantly, until the cinnamon sticks unfold (the cardamom may also crack open), 1 to 2 minutes; don’t let the spices burn. Add another 2 Tbs. of the oil and the ground spice blend and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture sizzles and becomes fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds more (if the spices stick to the pan, add a little more oil to prevent burning).

Add the remaining 1/2 cup oil and the flavor base and cook, stirring, until the purée is an intense reddish-brown, about 10 minutes. Raise the heat to medium, add the beef and cook, stirring, to coat it with the spices, about 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk, tamarind concentrate, lime leaves, and lemongrass and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil, about 5 minutes.

Reduce the heat to low, add the sugar and salt, and simmer, stirring occasionally for the first hour and then more frequently as the stew thickens, until the liquid is very thick and oil appears on its surface, about 1-3/4 hours. The meat will not be fork-tender at this point.

Meanwhile, squeeze any excess liquid from the coconut with your hands. In a 10-inch skillet, toast the coconut over low heat, stirring constantly, until golden-brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.

Stir the toasted coconut into the stew and then continue stirring until it’s incorporated and much of the liquid is gone, about 15 minutes. Add 1 cup water if you prefer a saucy consistency. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is fork-tender, 20 to 30 minutes more (the oil will start frothing after 15 to 20 minutes).

Remove the lemongrass, cinnamon pieces, star anise, and as many cardamom pods and cloves as you can find. Transfer the meat to a serving platter and garnish with the cilantro and lime wedges (if using).

Serves 6 to 8

Susheela Raghavan, Fine Cooking

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 cup olive oil
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 1 cup arborio rice
• Pinch of saffron
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup vegetable broth or water
• Kosher salt
• 3 large eggplants (about 3 pounds), cut crosswise into 1/4-inch rounds
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups store-bought tomato sauce (such as marinara), divided
• 1 pound fresh mozzarella, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 2 cups), divided
• 1 cup coarsely grated Parmesan (4 ounces), divided

Preparation

Arrange racks in top and bottom thirds of oven; preheat to 425°. Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add rice; cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes. Stir in saffron, then wine. Cook until wine reduces slightly, about 1 minute. Add broth; season with salt. Cover and cook over medium heat until rice is very al dente and still crunchy, about 6 minutes; remove pan from heat.

Meanwhile, divide eggplant between two rimmed baking sheets, overlapping slightly to fit. Drizzle 1 cup oil over; season with salt and pepper. Bake, turning eggplant and rotating sheets halfway through, until tender and golden brown, 20–25 minutes.

Cover the bottom of a 13x9x2-inch baking dish with 1 cup tomato sauce. Sprinkle 1/3 of mozzarella over, then 1/3 of Parmesan.

Cover with a layer of eggplant rounds, overlapping so no sauce is visible beneath them. Add saffron rice, spreading out in an even layer. Sprinkle over another 1/3 each of mozzarella and Parmesan, then 1/2 of the remaining tomato sauce and another layer of eggplant. Top with remaining tomato sauce and remaining mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover dish with foil; transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet.

Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted, about 15 minutes. Uncover dish and bake until golden on top, about 20 minutes longer. Let stand for at least 10 minutes to set before serving.

Serves 8.

Bon Appetit, September 2012

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound (1 1/8 cups) black beans, washed, picked over and soaked for 4 to 6 hours or overnight in 1 quart water
• 1 onion, cut in half
• 2 plump garlic cloves, minced
• 1 to 2 sprigs epazote or 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus additional for garnish (optional)
• 1 to 2 teaspoons ground cumin, to taste
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground mild chili powder (more to taste)
• Salt to taste
• 12 corn tortillas
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preparation

1. In a large soup pot or Dutch oven combine the black beans with their soaking water (they should be submerged by at least 1 1/2 inches of water; add if necessary), one half of the onion, and half the garlic and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour. Add the remaining garlic, epazote or cilantro if using, cumin, chili powder, and salt to taste and simmer for another hour, until the beans are very soft and the broth thick, soupy and aromatic. Remove from the heat. Remove and discard the onion.

2. Using an immersion blender or a food processor fitted with the steel blade coarsely puree the beans. The mixture should retain some texture and the consistency should be thick and creamy. Heat through, stirring the bottom of the pot so the beans don’t stick. Taste and adjust salt. Keep warm.

3. Slice the remaining onion half crosswise into thin half-moons and cover with cold water while you assemble the enfrijoladas. Heat the corn tortillas: either wrap them in a damp dish towel and heat them, 4 at a time, in the microwave for about 30 seconds at 100 percent power, or wrap in a dish towel and steam for 1 minute, then let rest for 5 minutes.

4. Assemble the enfrijoladas just before serving them. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the hot, thick beans over the bottom of a large lightly oiled baking dish or serving platter. Using tongs, dip a softened tortilla into the beans and flip over to coat both sides with black beans. Remove from the beans and place on the baking dish or platter (this is messy; have the serving dish right next to the pot.) Fold into quarters. Use the tongs to do this, and if you find that the tortilla tears too much, then just coat one side with the black beans, transfer to the baking dish and spoon some of the black beans over the other side, then fold into quarters. Continue with the remaining tortillas, arranging the quartered bean-coated tortillas in overlapping rows. When all of the tortillas are in the dish, spoon the remaining black bean sauce over the top. Drain and rinse the onions, dry briefly on paper towels and sprinkle over the bean sauce. Garnish with cilantro and chopped walnuts if desired and serve at once.

Serves 4

Martha Rose Shulman, New York Times

Ingredients

For the quinoa:

• 3/4 cup regular blond quinoa
• 1/4 cup red quinoa
• 1 1/4 cups water
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt, to taste

For the dal:

• 1 cup brown or split yellow lentils (toor dal), rinsed
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1/2 medium onion (intact), peeled
• Salt to taste
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice or 1/4 cup tamarind water (made from soaking 1 tablespoon tamarind paste in warm water for 10 minutes; optional)
• 2 tablespoons grape seed oil, canola oil, safflower oil or sunflower oil
• 1/2 cup finely minced red bell pepper
• 1 plump garlic clove, minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• Cayenne pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Preparation

1. Rinse the quinoa thoroughly and combine with the water and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until the white quinoa displays a little white spiral. Turn off the heat, remove the lid and place a dish towel over the top of the pot. Return the lid and let sit for 15 minutes. The quinoa will now be fluffy. Keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, combine the lentils, ginger, turmeric and onion half (don’t chop it) with 1 quart water and salt to taste (about 1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons) and bring to a gentle boil. Stir only once to make sure there are no lentils sticking to the bottom of the pot. Reduce the heat to medium – the lentils should simmer briskly – and cook uncovered until the lentils are tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Stir in the lime juice or tamarind concentrate and add another 1/2 cup water. Stir together and simmer for another minute. Turn off the heat and using an immersion blender, an Indian mathani (a wooden tool used for mashing dal) or a wooden Mexican hot chocolate mixer, partially pureé the dal. It should be thick but not like a pureed soup.

3. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a small saucepan or small frying pan (such as an 8-inch omelet pan). Add the cumin seeds and allow to sizzle, stirring, for 10 seconds. Add the garlic and cook until lightly colored, about 15 seconds. Add the red pepper and cook until slightly softened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and pour over the lentils. Add the cayenne pepper and 1 tablespoon of the cilantro and stir gently. Taste and adjust seasoning.

4. Serve the quinoa with the dal spooned on top. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.

Serves 4 to 6

Martha Rose Shulman, New York Times

Ingredients

• 1 large onion (about 1/2 pound), peeled and quartered
• 1 3-inch piece of fresh ginger
• 3 quarts water
• 1 pound leeks (1 1/2 large), tough ends cut away, halved lengthwise, cleaned and cut in thick slices (including the dark green parts, just discarding the very ends)
• 2 medium turnips (about 10 ounces), peeled and cut in wedges
• 1 pound carrots (3 large), peeled and sliced thick
• 2 ounces mushroom stems (from about 8 ounces mushrooms), or 4 dried shiitakes
• 1 head of garlic, cut in half
• 2 stalks lemon grass, trimmed, smashed with the side of a knife, and sliced
• Salt to taste
• 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar (to taste), preferably raw brown sugar
• 6 star anise pods
• 5 whole cloves
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• A 2- to 3-inch cinnamon stick
• 1 to 2 tablespoons fish sauce (nuoc mam), to taste (optional)

Preparation

1. Scorch the onion and ginger by holding the pieces above a flame with tongs, or in a dry frying pan if using an electric stove. Turn the pieces until they are scorched black in places on all sides. Slice the ginger lengthwise.

2. Combine the scorched onion and ginger with the water, leeks, turnips, carrots, mushroom stems or dried shiitakes, garlic, lemon grass, salt to taste and 1 tablespoon sugar in a large soup pot and bring to a boil. Tie the spices in a cheesecloth bag and add to the soup. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour. Add the fish sauce if using, and simmer for another hour (2 hours total, with or without the fish sauce). Strain through a cheesecloth-lined strainer. Taste and adjust salt and sugar.

Serves 6

Martha Rose Shulman, New York Times

Ingredients

• 1 recipe pho broth (about 2 1/2 quarts)
• 3/4 pound rice noodles, preferably wide ones
• 2 medium or 1 large carrot (about 5 ounces) peeled and cut in 1 1/2-inch julienne
• 2 cups edamame (can use frozen, thawed)
• 6 ounces tofu, cut in matchsticks
• 1/2 cup Asian or purple basil leaves, or Italian basil, slivered
• 4 scallions, chopped, or 1/4 cup chopped chives
• 1 cup chopped cilantro (optional)
• Several sprigs fresh mint
• 2 cups bean sprouts (mung are traditional) or slivered romaine leaves (chiffonade)
• 2 to 4 bird or serrano chiles, finely chopped (to taste) or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (more or less to taste)
• 2 to 3 limes, cut in wedges

Preparation

1. Have the broth at a simmer in a soup pot. Season to taste with cayenne if you are not using fresh chiles.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the noodles. Cook until just al dente, firm to the bite, following the timing instructions on the package (my wide noodles take about 5 minutes). Drain and divide among 6 large soup bowls.

3. Add the carrots and edamame to the simmering broth and simmer until just tender, about 3 to 4 minutes. Ladle a generous amount of hot broth with the carrots and edamame into the bowls. Divide the tofu among the bowls. Sprinkle on half the cilantro, half the basil leaves and the scallions or chives. Pass the bean sprouts or lettuce, chopped chiles if using, the remaining basil and cilantro (if using), mint sprigs, and the lime wedges. Serve with chopsticks for the noodles and soupspoons for the broth.

Serves 6

Martha Rose Shulman, New York Times

Ingredients

• 1 lg. butternut squash (or 4 medium sweet potatoes)
• 1 tbsp. flaked almonds
• 2 tbsp. oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 3 slices ginger, or 1/2-1 tsp. dried ginger
• 1 red chili, deseeded and sliced, or 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
• 1 tsp. ground coriander
• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp. turmeric
• 3/4 c. coconut milk (about half of a standard 14.5 oz can)
• 1-1.5 c. baby spinach, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp. cilantro, chopped

Preparation

Peel the squash or sweet potatoes. Discard the seeds and cut the flesh into 1-inch pieces. Toast the almonds in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat for 5-7 minutes and set aside. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and cook the onions until lightly browned, stirring regularly, 12-15 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, chili, coriander, cumin, mustard seeds, and turmeric. Reduce heat to low and cook until fragrant, 3-5 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the squash or sweet potatoes and coconut milk. Stir and cover, simmer for 20 minutes until just tender. Add the spinach and cilantro, and stir until the spinach is just wilted. Serve with rice, topped with almonds.

Penzey’s Spices