Tatsoi with Garam Masala
June 23, 2009 by Andrea
Filed under Asian, Grow Your Own, Vegetables
When we planted tatsoi last October, I didn’t realize that it wouldn’t sprout until spring. I had heard it would even grow in the snow, so I impatiently drummed my fingers while checking the garden daily, waiting for signs of life. I had planted the seeds under a cold frame and thought for sure we would have greens in December. When the seeds finally sprouted in March, they grew slowly at first, then as spring went on the leaves suddenly jumped from just four or five centimeters long to as much as 15 centimeters. We will continue to plant tatsoi as a cool weather green because we like the flavor and it grew very well in our garden, much better than the spinach which never grew any taller than a few centimeters. Read more
Chicken Bok Choy
April 20, 2009 by Andrea
Filed under Asian, Poultry, Vegetables
Bok choy is one of my favorite types of cabbage because it’s both leafy and crispy, lending a nice mix of textures in a dish, and I like it stir-fried simply with chicken, garlic, and ginger. This time I tried Jaden’s technique for starting with a cold wok, which was totally contrary to any wokking I had done before, but I like it. The garlic and ginger infused the oil and imparted lots of flavor to the chicken and bok choy. I hardly ever measure ingredients when stir-frying, so the measurements below are an approximation.
Cilantro Slaw
We like to use herbs in our green salads for the extra splash of flavor, but we prefer to make the herbs a main part of the salad rather than just a garnish. Cilantro, parsley, and basils work very well as salad flavor boosters and they also provide antioxidants and essential vitamins. Fortunately our garden has plenty of our three favorite herbs for our summer salads!
Slaws are very simple and a perfect accompaniment for summer cookouts and picnics, especially when they are dairy free, which means you don’t have to be as concerned about keeping them chilled. This one uses two colors of cabbage and adds the flavor of fresh cilantro, my favorite herb, with a twist of fresh lime juice.
This is my contribution to this week’s edition of Weekend Herb Blogging, a weekly event founded by the wonderful Kalyn of Kalyn’s Kitchen. Kalyn herself is hosting this week, so be sure to check out her blog for the round-up!
Other Salad Recipes You Might Enjoy
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Asian Cabbage Salad
September 13, 2007 by Andrea
Filed under Grow Your Own, Salads
I have to confess that I am sometimes impatient. (Michael will probably laugh his head off when he reads that statement.) Ok, maybe more often than that. When I make up my mind about something, it’s got to get done yesterday or no later than now.
Right now I’m impatient with our container garden, which seems to be taking its own sweet time ripening our fruits and vegetables. We’re just dying to grab a bunch of colorful peppers and use them, but they are just hanging around and staying green. I planted red and yellow peppers, and so far we’ve only gotten two yellow peppers and zero red peppers. We’ve become impatient and have started picking them green so that we can eat them and encourage the plants to produce more.
When we finally got a yellow pepper—one yellow pepper—I sliced it thinly and tossed it in this cabbage salad. The vinaigrette gives it a nice Asian twist that pairs well with the Thai grilled chicken I posted this week. The sesame oil has a strong flavor, so you may want to add just one teaspoon and taste test before adding more. Read more
Simi Salad (aka Ramen Noodle Salad)
When I first had this cabbage salad in Saipan, I thought it was an island favorite and I asked around for the recipe. Imagine my surprise when I came back to the U.S. years later and learned that the salad was almost ubiquitous. It’s still a favorite around our house, and it makes a great salad for summer cookouts since there is no dairy in the dressing. Read more
Coleslaw with Yogurt, Apple, and Peppers
Memorial Day has arrived, the official start of the summer grilling season. I grew up in the Midwest (Missouri and Illinois) where summer cookouts always included burgers, hot dogs, ribs, baked beans, and the standard summer salads—macaroni, potato, and coleslaw. Of the three, I am particularly devoted to coleslaw and we keep cabbage on hand throughout the summer so that we can make it on short notice. Sometimes I cut my own cabbage, but more and more often I buy the precut coleslaw mixes from the grocery store when it’s on sale, or if I need a lot I’ll buy a big bag from the warehouse club.
I like a variety of slaws with both creamy and vinaigrette dressings. This one has a yogurt and mayonnaise dressing and adds flavor with some fresh dill weed, and the pepper and apples add lots of color. Read more
