Rice Noodles & Coconut-Matcha Broth with Delicata Squash, Baby Bok Choy & Cilantro

Image
 

Adapted from Blue Apron November  2020

 
Now, here is a dish that brings sunshine to your soul. This recipe is harnessing its complex flavor and gorgeous color of matcha powder to bring an extra-special touch to the rice noodles and vegetables. Matcha, a powder made from finely milled whole green tea leaves, has been used in Japanese tea ceremonies for nearly a millennium. In the broth, sweet coconut milk and palm sugar perfectly balance the matcha’s earthiness. Layered with herbaceous cilantro and other savory aromatics, like Thai Red Bird Chilies, this dish is a modern take on some of my favorite East Asian flavors.
 
Serves 2
 
Ingredients:
  • ½ pound wide rice noodles
  • 1¾ cups coconut milk
  • 3  cloves garlic
  • 2 scallions
  • 1 delicata squash
  • 1 Lime
  • ½ pound baby bok choy
  • 1 bunch Thai basil
  • One  1-Inch piece ginger
  • 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar or light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Matcha Powder
  • Thai Red Bird Chilies, for garnish

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 475°F.

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a medium pot of salted water to boiling on high.

Using a sturdy knife, cut off and discard both ends of the squash. Slice the squash crosswise into ½-inch-thick rounds; cut out and discard the pulp and seeds.

Using a peeler, remove the rind of the lime, avoiding the white pith; mince the rind to get 2 teaspoons of zest (or use a zester). Quarter the lime. Peel and mince the garlic and ginger. Cut off and discard the root ends of the scallions; thinly slice, separating the white bottoms and green tops. Trim off and discard the root ends of the bok choy; roughly chop the leaves and stems. Pick the basil leaves off the stems; discard the stems.

In a small bowl, combine the matcha powder and 2 tablespoons of warm water.

Place the squash on a sheet pan. Drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to thoroughly coat. Arrange in a single, even layer and roast 20 to 22 minutes, or until golden brown and tender when pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven and top with the juice of 2 lime wedges.

Once the squash has roasted for about 10 minutes, add the noodles to the pot of boiling water. Cook 4 to 6 minutes, or until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Drain thoroughly and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process. Rinse and wipe out the pot.

While the squash continues to roast, in the pot used to cook the noodles, heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the garlic, ginger, bok choy and white bottoms of the scallions; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened and the bok choy leaves have wilted.

To make the broth, add to the pot of vegetables, the coconut milk (shaking the can just before opening), matcha-water mixture, lime zest, palm sugar and the juice of the remaining lime wedges; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until well combined and heated through. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, rinse the cooked noodles under warm water to loosen them; drain thoroughly. Divide between 2 bowls. Top with the broth and roasted squash. Garnish with the green tops of the scallions, basil and chilies. Enjoy!  

Wine Pairing Notes:

Rancho la Viña Vineyard Pinot Noir 2014

Tea notes in this Pinot reinforce the noodles’ matcha tea broth. The squash’s earthy sweetness balances the medium body and acidity.

San Simeon Pinot Noir 2014
Matcha’s green herbal note and the noodles’ nuttiness marry well with the the strawberry and cinnamon aromas of this Pinot Noir.

Hello Friends!

All photographs and content, excepted where noted, are copyright protected. Please do not use these photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this photograph and all other contents, then we kindly ask that you link back to this site. We are eternally grateful and we appreciate your support of this blog.

Thank you!

 

 

Chilean Sea Bass with Shiitake Mushroom Broth

Image

 

 

This dish is the kind that, with a little experience, many good home cooks could assemble from scratch, without consulting a recipe. The aromatic triumvirate of garlic, ginger and scallions is matched with soy sauce, rice vinegar and fish sauce. Shiitake mushrooms give substance and flavor, cornstarch thickens and sesame oil adds a taste of toasty richness.

You can spoon the sauce over the poached fish, but it will also work just as well with grilled, pan-seared or broiled fish, or on stir-fried strips of chicken breast, slivers of pork or beef, shrimp or scallops. Steamed rice could help soak up the sauce as well.

 

 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 ⅓ pounds sea bass or gray sole fillets
  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger
  • ½ cup chopped scallions
  • 7 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Vietnamese fish sauce
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro, or snipped chives (Optional)

 

 

 

Directions:

Heat oven to 175 o F. Place chicken stock in a wok or skillet, and bring to a simmer. Cut fish into pieces about 3 inches square, place in stock, and simmer until just cooked, about 5 minutes. Use spatula to transfer to heatproof platter, cover loosely with foil, and place in oven. Drain and strain stock, and reserve. Wipe out pan with a clean paper towel.

 

Heat peanut oil in pan. Add garlic, ginger and scallions. Sauté briefly, and add mushrooms. Sauté until wilted. Add soy sauce, vinegar and fish sauce. Cook 30 seconds, then add reserved stock. Bring to a simmer. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 tablespoons cold water, and add, stirring. Simmer until sauce has thickened. Add sesame oil.

 

To serve, transfer fish to a shallow bowl and spoon mushroom sauce over the fish. Gransih with a scattering of with cilantro or chives. Serve hot.

 

 

 

 

Hello Friends!

All photographs and content, excepted where noted, are copyright protected. Please do not use these photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this photograph and all other contents, then we kindly ask that you link back to this site. We are eternally grateful and we appreciate your support of this blog.

Thank you!

 

Grilled PattyPan Squash (Pâtisson Grillés)

Image

Pattypan squash is one of the ancient, oft-forgotten vegetables that fortunately is making a comeback in market stalls and garden plots.

You’ve probably seen them popping up this summer in the farmer’s market or maybe in you local supermarket. And you more than likely passed on them because your have no idea what to do with them.


The pattypan is a variety of summer squash (Cucurbita pepo) notable for its small size, round, slightly flat shallow shape, and scalloped edges They kind of remind you of a small toy spinning top. They are also known as a button squash or scallop squash in the United States. Meanwhile in France, the are known as pâtisson, where the word is derived from a Provençal word for a cake made in a scalloped mould.  However, contrary to appearances, it does not belong to the same variety as winter squash but to that of zucchini . They can be white, yellow, orange, or green, or even variegated in being both white and green or green and yellow. Pattypans have a texture similar to zucchini. And like zucchini they are best when they are picked very young and no longer than 3 to 4 inches in diameter. They are very firm in texture and have a crisp peppery flavor.

Pattypan is a good source of magnesium, niacin, and vitamins A and C. One cup contains approximately 20 to 30 calories and no fat. It is often sliced, baked, or coated and fried until golden brown, or simply boiled.

Here, I adapted a classic French recipe where you can roast and grill them and serve them with a beautiful lemony garlic sauce.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the Sauce:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste

For the Squash:
2 pounds medium/large pittypan squash
2 pounds large pattypan squash
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1/4 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
To make the sauce, heat a cast-iron skillet over low heat. Add the olive oil. Add the garlic and fry until lightly golden brown. Stir in the lemon zest and the salt. Remove from heat. Pour the sauce into a pyrex measuring cup and set aside. Using paper towels, wipe the skill clean.

For the Squash:
Using the same cast-iron skillet, heat over high heat. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment.

Alternately, prepare a hot outdoor grill.

Slice the squash 3/4 inch thick and toss in a large bowl with the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Sear in the hot pan for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until the surface is lightly browned, and transfer to a sheet pan. Place in the oven and roast for 5 minutes. Using tongs, turn the pieces over and roast for another 5 minutes, until they are sizzling and tender all the way through. Remove from the heat.

If grilling, grill the pieces for about 5 minutes on each side, until they are tender all the way through and beginning to drip and grill marks are visible.

To serve, transfer the squash slices to a platter. Drizzle with the lemon garlic sauce and granish with fresh chopped parsley if desired. Serve hot or warm.

 

 

Notes on Choosing and Storing Pattypan Squash:
Choose your pattypan squash well:

Pattypan squash should be smooth and very firm, and the skin should not have spots.
Smaller pattypan squashes are better than bigger ones, as their flesh is tenderer.
Larger pattypan squashes are great for making stuffed squash.

Properly store your pattypan squash:

In the refrigerator: Store for two to three days in the vegetable drawer, as it will last less long than squashes that are in season in winter (winter squash, red kuri squash, butternut squash, etc.).

In the freezer: Blanch pattypan squash before freezing.

 

Zero Waste Tips:
Don’t throw away the patty pan squash seeds. Roast them in a pan or in the oven with salt or spices. They are delicious as a snack or in a salad.

Leftover squash is also great in salads or chopped up and thrown into frittatas or grain salads, so cook more than you need and enjoy using up the extras.

 

Source:

Pattypan Squash. (2020). Louis Bonduelle Foundation. Date Accessed: August 14, 2021. https://www.fondation-louisbonduelle.org/en/vegetable/pattypan-squash/.

Hello Friends!

All photographs and content, excepted where noted, are copyright protected. Please do not use these photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish this photograph and all other contents, then we kindly ask that you link back to this site. We are eternally grateful and we appreciate your support of this blog.

Thank you!