Spicy Peanut Noodle Vegetable Salad

Recent familial circumstances have initiated an interest in the notion of a "heart healthy" lifestyle in the Trash Salad kitchen.  I realize I'm very late to the party when it comes to focusing on low-sodium/sat fat foods, but I do so love my salty cheeses and cured pork products.  So it's something I didn't really want to think about until, you know, I had to.  Which by proxy, I do now.

Did you know that February is American Heart Month? I really admire the PR person who came up with this cleverly timed public-awareness opportunity.  The AHA website has lots of interesting and accessible articles about nutrition, exercise, and warning sign recognition as well as a great risk calculator for the scientists among us who need to slap a number on a situation in order for it to become a reality.

Nutritionally, this is going to be an ongoing research product on my part, and something rather new for me since I've only ever paid attention to calorie and fiber counts on nutrition labels (what? I'm still under 30 and more concerned with short term impacts).  From what I can gather so far, salt and animal fats are no bueno, though I'm sure there is more nuanced information to be gleaned here.

The Spicy Peanut Noodle Salad recipe from Serious Eats jumped out at me as a good entry point into vegan heart-healthy cooking since it has a LOT of flavor, little of which is added from salt.  The original recipe as written had such a kick, I needed a box of tissues nearby to plug the nasal faucet.  And this was for someone who finds eggs benedict unsatisfactory without a healthy dose of Sriracha.  So take it easy with the chili sauce at first, and maybe cut back on the hot peppers if you're especially sensitive.

Otherwise I made it a little more ingredient-flexible and you can certainly mix up the vegetables for whatever you have on-hand.  For a full meal, this would be great topped with grilled tofu or chicken. Pretty great actually for my first consciously-vegan effort, and I can't believe I'm actually looking forward to more in the future.

Spicy Peanut Noodle Vegetable Salad
Adapted from Serious Eats

Serves 4-6 as a main (much larger than pictured here), 8-10 as a side
Total time: 30-45 minutes (all active)

• 8 oz (225g) dried noodles (I used rice noodles here, but you could substitute any including linguini/spaghetti, whole wheat or otherwise) 
• The dressing:
• 1/2 cup (135g) chunky natural peanut butter (natural meaning one ingredient, no salt/sugar/fillers added, substitutions include tahini, sunflower seed butter, or any nut butter [just check the ingredients])
• 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
• 1-3 tablespoons chili garlic paste (or Sriracha or other chili sauce with one clove of minced garlic, just check the sodium levels), more or less to taste
• juice from 2 limes (about 2-3 tablespoons) or rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seed oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, honey, or maple syrup
• a few tablespoons warm water (optional)
• The vegetables:
• 2 large red, orange, or yellow bell peppers, sliced into thin strips
• 1 large cucumber, sliced into thin half moons
• 1-2 large handfuls mung bean sprouts
• 1-2 large handfuls of fresh basil, mint, or cilantro leaves
• 5-10 scallions, finely chopped
• 2 jalapeño peppers, seeds and ribs removed, minced
• 1/2 cup (50-80g) roughly chopped nuts for garnish (optional)

While you are chopping the vegetables, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside while you make the dressing.

In small bowl, combine peanut butter, soy sauce, chili sauce, lime juice, sesame seed oil, and sugar.  Whisk until homogeneous and add a splash of warm water if the mixture seems too thick.  Taste the sauce and adjust accordingly (depending on how juicy your limes are, you may need to add more sugar here).

Add noodles to a large bowl and pour over the small bowl of sauce.  Add bell peppers, cucumber, bean sprouts, basil leaves, scallions, and jalapeños. Toss to combine. Serve topped with chopped nuts, if using.

Turkey Day 2011: Reflections and Recipe Rundown

Part one of the spread from Thanksgiving 2009

Thanksgiving is less than a week away, and I'm giddy with excitement the way that children look forward to Christmas morning.  I believe with steadfast resolve that Thanksgiving is the best American holiday of the year.  Worldwide, I think it might be either tied or a close second to Guy Fawkes Day, but if we're talking strictly non-pyrotechnic food-centric holidays, Thanksgiving is tops.

Why?  Because despite it's dubious beginnings, Thanksgiving these days is about celebrating time spent with your loved ones and preparing a fantastic meal together, and there is really nothing that can top that.   Unlike other feast days, there aren't any religious overtones, pressure for perfect gift-purchasing, and every family can make up it's own traditions.  No family that you can visit? Thanksgiving spent with friends is an equally special experience.

My parents live in Boston, and since Thanksgiving Eve is notoriously the worst travel day of the year, I usually like to go up early Thursday morning and have my own personal cook-off at home for my dishes the night before.  This year, my sister has goaded me into participating in a gratuitous athletic display on Thanksgiving morning.  Since I also have a zero vacation balance, I will braving the masses on Wednesday evening, sweating/panting Thursday morning, and going to be completely deprived of cooking time. 

But I'm not going to leave you gentle Trash Salad readers high and dry.  I've prepared a rundown of my favorite dishes that I've made over the years.  As a parting pro-tip: do not waste your cooking time or valuable stomach space on soups and breads.  You've got all of winter ahead of you for that.

Thanksgiving 2009's stuffing-heavy spread.  Courtesy of my sister for these photos, but Trash Salad worthy nonetheless.

Tried and true traditional flavors:
AllRecipes Yummy Sweet Potato Casserole
Serious Eats Classic Sage and Sausage Stuffing (I'm actually supremely fussy about my stuffing, but this is the recipe that comes closest to what I usually do, though eggs are completely unnecessary. Stuffing post forthcoming.)
Simply Recipes Perfect Mashed Potatoes
Gourmet Cranberry Sauce 
Cambell's Green Bean Casserole (My Mom's version has lots of cheese, completely canned ingredients, and is absolutely amazing.)
Martha's Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Tyler Florence Oven Roasted Turkey with Sage Butter
Libby's Famous Pumpkin Pie
Jell-o Chocolate Pudding Pie (Another family favorite!)


A little something different:*
My Coconut and Ginger Sweet Potato Casserole
Bon Appetit Lemon Roast Potatoes
My Kale Salad
Williams-Sonoma Spiced Cranberry Chutney
Dave Lieberman Tangy Almond Green Beans
101 Cookbooks Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Apples
Giada de Laurentis Turkey with Herbes de Provence and Citrus
Oprah's Pumpkin Gingersnap Pie with Sugared Cranberries (I know. But it's really good!)
Alison Kave's Blue Ribbon Ginger Bourbon Pecan Pie

*Having tried many stuffing variations including cornbread and wild rice, this is the only place where I will say do NOT mess with the classic.

Pickled Shiitakes and the Return of the Graphs

This tangy mushroom side dish has been on my mind for about nine months now since I first had something similar at Angelica Kitchen, and in my bookmarks list for at least two since getting a bang-up deal on dried shiitakes at the local Asian market.  If you like mushrooms and Asian flavors, these are absolutely amazing for an incredibly low amount of effort.

According to the internet, the most popular inspiration for pickled shiitakes is a recipe from David Chang's Momofuku cookbook.  Once David Chang served me a parfait of goat cheese, tapioca, beet root, and walnuts, and it was fantastic.  But I've never been to any of the Momofuku restaurants, even though I'm sure I would love the food, because I'm of the opinion that, when in a city as large and exciting as New York, you should never ever wait more than 20 minutes when you want to eat.  I refuse to believe that any pork bun, fried chicken, or bowl of ramen, regardless of the quality, is worth three hours of my time that could be much better spent elsewhere in the area on loftier pursuits.  I feel so strongly about this, that I've brought back the cost-benefit analysis graph to illustrate my point.

Take the case of the simple falafel sandwich. One of my all-time favorite foods, I'm lucky to have access to no fewer than 8 different falafel establishments within walking distance of my apartment. A solid and tasty meal that I enjoy for dinner at least once a week in Hoboken, I would never ever consider going to the mirror establishment on MacDougal Street for the exact sandwich, even when I'm in the area, since there is a perpetual line of 5+ customers deep.  Consider at least 3 minutes per customer, and my favorite food is suddenly not worth it. Whereas, the sort of bland, not super exciting noodle soup that I can get across the street from my office is absolutely worth it compared to the several hours of wait time at trendy ramen places.

The point I'm dancing around is this: I don't know how these marinated mushrooms are supposed to be served at Momofuku since I will never go there.  What I do know is that they are really really delicious, even when you half-ass the ingredients as you see in parentheses below.  I don't think they would go well with a normal noodle soup since they're quite salty, but could gussy up the bland one from across the street quite handsomely.  Really, you can use these mushrooms like kimchi: kind of a side, and also a punchy flavor addition to whatever the hell you want.  A trash salad, for instance.

Pickled Shiitakes
Adapted from Saveur (coopted from Momofuku)

Makes 2 cups (480mL)
Total time: 45-60 minutes (Active time <10 min)

• 1.5 oz (43g) dried shiitake mushrooms (about half of a normal package)
• 1/2 cup (120mL) soy sauce
• 1/2 cup (120mL) sherry vinegar (or a half/half mixture of rice wine vinegar and Chinese cooking wine if you don't keep things like sherry vinegar on-hand)
• 1/3 cup (70g) sugar (I used brown, and don't think it matters)
• 3" (7.5cm) piece of ginger, peeled (or 3 tsp of dried ginger, in a pinch)
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced (optional)

Put mushrooms in a large bowl and cover with 2.5 cups (600mL) of boiling water (they will try to float, so push them down until covered).  Soak for at least 15 minutes.  Drain, reserving 2 cups (480mL) of liquid.  Chop the mushrooms into slivers if you like them that way.

Combine the drained mushrooms, reserved mushroom liquid, and remaining ingredients in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove pan from heat, let cool, and transfer to a jar or other container.  Will keep in the fridge for at least a month.

Sweet and Spicy Fresh Corn Fritters

Many members of my family hail from upstate New York, where cheap fresh corn is readily available for most of the year.  There is actually a rather competitive bragging streak about being able to find the lowest price at so-and-so's farm stand, which I usually just sit and listen to and seethe with envy.  So when I do finally see bargain-priced end of season corn in my local, I jump on it without any hesitation or cooking plan in mind. 

Yes, plain boiled ears are delicious and totally underrated as a vegetable, but I've been eating them to the point of overdose lately and there's something about that sweet, uncooked corn flavor that I love even more than the chargrilled version topped with cheese and mayo.  These fritters are a great side to serve with other late summer treats like fresh tomatoes and grilled zucchini, the availability of which I fear is quickly coming to an end.

I've streamlined the original recipes quite significantly (whipping egg whites? no thank you sir!), reduced the salt, and increased the spice here, so I think this is the easiest and tastiest version.  They're also best eaten right away to maintain the crisp texture (otherwise they get a bit spongy), so store some of the batter for a day or two in the fridge if it looks like you'll have leftovers. 

One day I'll turn the oven on again, but until then, I'm more than happy to survive on tomato sandwiches, caprese and kale salads, and these. And I'm always seeking more summer veg recipe ideas, so do send them my way!

Fresh Corn Fritters
Adapted from Alexandra Cooks (originally from WSJ)

Serves 4 (about 16 fritters)
Total time: 30 minutes (all active)

• 1/2 cup fine-ground cornmeal or quick-cooking polenta (I subbed medium-ground cornmeal which worked fine)
• 2 fresh ears of corn, kernels removed and separated
• 1/4 of a large onion, minced
• 1 small jalapeño, minced (leave out the seeds if you don't like it spicy)
• 1/2 rounded teaspoon of cumin seeds, smashed with the back of a knife (or mortar and pestle for the fancy)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
• 3/4 cup plain yogurt (greek, lowfat, or regular)
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil, plus extra for frying
• 2 eggs
• Optional for serving:  cilantro, sliced tomato, extra plain yogurt

Mix cornmeal/polenta, corn kernels, onion, jalapeño, cumin, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.  Add yogurt, olive oil, and eggs and stir until blended.

Set a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat and coat the bottom with about 1 teaspoon of olive oil.  Once hot, add 1-2 heaping spoonfuls of batter to the pan for each fritter and spread into small circles (I did about 4 batches of 4 at a time).  Cook for 2-3 minutes on one side, then flip when the top looks somewhat dry and cook for another 1-2 minutes until both sides are golden.*  Remove fritters to a plate lined with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.  Repeat until all batter is used up (adjusting the seasoning if necessary), or refrigerate remaining batter for up to a few days.

Serve with cilantro, sliced tomato, and additional plain yogurt.

*A cautionary note: try to get all the rogue corn kernels out of the pan in between fritter batches as they have a tendency to spit and pop with each splash of oil you add!

The Kale Thing, and My Most Requested Recipe

One of the alternate blog names that I tossed around was Kale, Et cetera.  It was under serious consideration until the last minute when I decided that I would be too confused by the double "e" in the web address.

But Kale, Et cetera would have been more than appropriate since it is the one single produce item that I always buy and have on hand.  Love love kale.  It's incredibly tasty, high in fiber and vitamins, and I try to work it into every meal I can.  And unlike spinach and chard which have higher water contents, it stands up well to cooking AND works great raw in a salad.

Behold my go-to potluck dish.  Somehow, despite its lack of chocolate and bacon, I get more requests for this recipe than anything else.  Now, I prefer a potluck meal to a catered one any day of the week since I love seeing what people come up with as a reflection of their personality and background.  However, a disorganized free-for-all potluck lunch will, if unchecked, lead to 90% slow cooked meat dishes and extreme cakes.  Because of this, kale salad has become my go-to dish of choice to add a healthier alternative to the mix.  And in such situations it usually becomes a base for a fantastic trash salad featuring 5 of more different types of meat, if I'm lucky.

Augmented with ricotta, a chicken leg, and leftover moussaka.

You can use any type of kale you can find for this salad.  Tuscan/lacinato/dinosaur kale (the flat-leaf kind) has the nicest texture right off the bat, but it's often tough to find; the curly kind tastes just as good and softens right up if you let it sit dressed for 30 minutes so before serving.  The croutons are a personal touch since I'm always looking for ways to use up stale bread, and when is buttery crunchiness ever a bad thing?  Rounded out with dried fruit, this is delicious, easy, and hits all the bases.


Kale Salad
Adapted from Melissa Clark

Makes one big salad (which is anywhere from 2-8 servings depending how hungry I am)
Total time: 5-10 minutes (+15-20 for the croutons)

• 1 bunch of kale
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• zest and juice of one lemon (or two limes)
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 clove of garlic, grated or finely minced
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup (1oz/30g) freshly grated hard cheese (parmesean, pecorino, or whatever is on sale)
• big handful of dried cranberries, currants, or raisins (optional)
• big handful of homemade croutons (optional, recipe below)

Rinse and dry kale well.  Remove tough center ribs, slice leaves into very thin ribbons, and place in a large bowl.

Combine olive oil, lemon juice and zest, mustard, garlic, and salt and pepper in a small jar and shake well.  Toss salad with dressing and cheese (it will keep for a few days in the fridge like this).

Top with cranberries and croutons when ready to serve.

Homemade Croutons

Makes 5-6 cups (okay this is a lot, enough for 10-15 salads, but they keep well in an airtight container)
Total time: 15-20 minutes (Active time 5 minutes)

• 8oz (225g) stale bread (whatever kind you have, about 1/2 a baguette or 8ish slices)
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1-2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup (1oz/30g) freshly grated hard cheese (parmesean, pecorino, or whatever is on sale) 

Preheat oven to 400F/200C.

Rip or slice bread into small cubes whatever size you like and place in a large bowl.  Mix butter, olive oil, mustard, garlic, and thyme in a small bowl and drizzle on the bread until evenly coated. 

Spread the mixture out in a single layer on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and sprinkle on salt, pepper, and grated cheese to taste, adding a drizzle of olive oil if it looks dry.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until brown and crispy.  Store in an airtight container when cool.

Coconut and Ginger Sweet Potato Casserole

Super Bowl Sunday for me this year doubled as a Thanksgiving Redux dinner.  I realized later that I haven't watched more than 10 minutes of a Super Bowl game since 2004, and haven't attended a Super Bowl-related party since 2002.  I'm attributing this more to my short attention span than to my disdain for football, since I also haven't sat through a non-Bruce Willis movie in about a year.  But it turns out that I wasn't missing much since NFL football is still terrifically long and slow with no real display of athleticism or sportsmanship.  Even the ads were dreadful.  Debate amongst yourselves.

Anyway, thankfully there were literally 50 different things to eat which kept me occupied until at least halftime.  My contributions were this fantastic sweet potato casserole, which I've made for a few November Thanksgivings now, and also a cauliflower sort-of souffle based on a Fine Cooking recipe which was also delicious but kind of eggy and requires more tinkering.

I first made this a few years ago using 101 Cookbooks as a guide in an effort to add some healthfulness and flavor to a family recipe, and I vastly prefer this version over the kind with butter and brown sugar.  This time around I made it a little more crowd-friendly in a 9" x 13" pan with more topping.  The basic ginger-coconut-sweet potato flavor profile is kept the same, though with some significant changes to the ingredient ratios.  For a real time-saver, roast your sweet potatoes off the night before.

The key here is tasting the potato mixture as you go and making sure everything balances out to your liking before you top it and chuck it in the oven.  Pretend you're just eating whipped sweet potatoes as a side, and then just imagine it tasting way better with a crunchy nut topping.

Coconut and Ginger Sweet Potato Casserole
Adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Makes one 9" x 13" dish (roughly 10-12 servings)
Total time: 1 1/2 - 2 hours (Active time 15 minutes)

• 4-5 large sweet potatoes (about 4 pounds)
• 1 cup lite coconut milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup or brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup raw, unsweetened, grated coconut
• 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter, melted (optional, adds richness but not necessary)
• 2/3 cup chopped nuts (I like pecans)

Preheat oven to 350F.  Place sweet potatoes in a roasting pan and cover with foil.  Roast 60-90 minutes, or until a knife can easily slide through the thickest potato (it's helpful to roll them over in the pan halfway through cooking).

If finishing immediately, remove the pan from the oven and take off the foil.  Split the top peel of each potato to speed cooling.  If not using right away, the sweet potatoes will be fine left out overnight to cool.

Once sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half and scrape out the flesh with a fork into a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer).  Mash with coconut milk, or use the flat beater attachment of a stand mixer for a few minutes on low speed until thoroughly combined.  Add ginger, maple syrup or brown sugar, and salt and stir to combine.  Taste the mixture after it's been sitting for a few minutes and reseason if necessary.

Transfer the sweet potato mixture into an oiled 9" x 13" pan using a spatula or spoon.  Sprinkle chopped nuts and coconut on top and drizzle on olive oil or melted butter, if using.  Bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes until the dish is heated through and the coconut and nuts are very lightly browned (watch carefully to make sure the topping doesn't burn).