A Great Chicken Dish

This dish is equally good for family or guests. I serve it with steamed rice, but my father loves it over mashed potatoes. A simple salad or vegetable on the side is nice, but not essential.

Six Servings

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts *

4 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped coarsely

6 shallots, peeled and chopped coarsely

1 ½ pounds cherry or grape tomatoes, or 2 pints, rinsed and drained

1 ½ tablespoons dried oregano

¾ cup dry white wine

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat a 12-inch skillet, a Dutch oven, or a casserole with a lid, pour in the oil, and heat until quite hot, about 400 degrees. Line the pan with a batch of chicken breasts and fry over high heat until golden brown on one side, about 2 ½ to 3 minutes. Turn over and brown on the other side. Remove with tongs and continue browning the remaining pieces.
2. Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic and shallots and sauté until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the cherry tomatoes, oregano, white wine, salt and pepper to the pan and sauté, uncovered about 4 to 4 ½ minutes, shaking the pan, from time to time. Arrange the chicken in the pan, cover, and cook about 10 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
3. Scoop the chicken out onto a platter and serve with rice or over mashed potatoes.

*You can substitute boned chicken thighs for the boned breasts. Cook as directed in steps 1 and 2, then add the seared thighs and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked. Serve as directed.

© Copyright Nina Simonds 2008

STEP ONE
If you are feeling lazy or you’re looking for an easy fix, buy frozen dumplings.

Nina likes Frozen Pork Dumplings from Trader Joe’s or she will buy some at her Chinese market.

Add Virgin Olive Oil to a nonstick pan and preheat it.

Once the pan is hot, on low heat, arrange the frozen dumplings in the pan, flat side down so they fill the pan

Turn up the heat. (Don’t be afraid of high heat) Pan-fry the dumplings until they are golden brown.

Adjust the heat by moving the pan on and off the burner.

Once the dumplings are golden brown, add 3/4 cup water and cover.

(THE SECRET: If you add a 1 teaspoon of flour to the water and don’t put the dumplings so close together, you will get this lovely effect (see picture) once the water has evaporated.

Cook for 4-5 minutes until the skin is translucent.

After the water evaporates, remove lid and continue frying to crisp the bottom.

Make sure they don’t stick by lifting them with a spatula.

Finally, take a plate, put on top of dumplings and invert them. Voila!

© Copyright Nina Simonds 2008.

Delicious Beijing Dumplings

Makes about 40 dumplings

1 small head Chinese (Napa) cabbage, weighing about 1 ½ pounds

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 pound lean ground pork, such as pork butt

1/3 pound Chinese garlic chives, ends trimmed *

For the seasonings, mixed together :

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 tablespoon rice wine or sake

1 1/2 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon cornstarch

To cook and serve:

35-40 round dumpling or gyoza skins*

3 quarts water

Dipping Sauce, mixed together:

½ cup soy sauce

¼ cup water

1. Cut off the stem of the cabbage and separate the leaves. Rinse and drain. Stack the leaves one on top of the other in piles and cut into thin slices, turn and chop finely. In a large mixing bowl, mix the cabbage and salt and let sit for 30 minutes. (This will draw water out of the cabbage.) With your hands, squeeze out as much water as possible.
2.  Cut off the stem ends of the garlic chives and chop finely. In a large mixing bowl, mix the cabbage with the ground pork, minced chives, and Seasonings. Mix thoroughly with your hands or a wooden spoon. The mixture should be stiff and rather sticky. If it seems loose, add another teaspoon of cornstarch.
3. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of each dumpling skin and fold the skin over to make a half-moon shape. Spread a little water along the edge of the skin. Use the thumb and index finger of one hand to form small pleats along the outside edge of the skin. The inside edge of the dumpling should curve in a semicircular fashion to conform to the shape of the pleated edge. (You may also use a small press.) Place the sealed dumplings on a baking sheet that has been lightly dusted with cornstarch.
4. In a large pot, bring the water to a boil. Add half the dumplings, stirring to prevent them from sticking together and once the water boils again, cook for 5 minutes. Remove with a handled strainer, drain, and cook the remaining dumplings. Serve the boiled dumplings with the dipping sauces.

*Garlic chives may be purchased at any Asian market. If unavailable, substitute 1 cup minced scallions plus 1 tablespoon minced garlic. Dumpling or gyoza skins also may be purchased at any Asian market and at some supermarkets.

© Copyright Nina Simonds 2008

Nibbles for six

Cantonese cooks have devised this master marinade for “quick-pickling” vegetables such as carrots, cucumbers, or turnips. You can re-use the marinade by adding more vegetables.

8 slices fresh ginger, about the size of a quarter, smashed with the flat edge of a knife or cleaver

1 cup clear rice vinegar

1 cup sugar

1 ½ pounds package baby carrots

¾ pound parsnips

1. Mix together the ginger, rice vinegar, and sugar in a large bowl, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

2. Peel the parsnips and roll-cut into ½-inch sections, cutting the vegetables, on the diagonal, rolling half a turn, and cutting again. Cut the thicker section of the parsnip in half. Add the pieces to the bowls with the carrots and toss lightly to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours, tossing occasionally or overnight for more flavor. Serve chilled. (These will keep for at least 1 week in the refrigerator.)

© Nina Simonds 2008.

Grilled Sea Scallops With Spicy Green Sauce

The green herb sauce in this dish is our spin on Moroccan charmoula, which is typically served with seafood. We love it not just because it’s delicious, but also because it’s a perfect example of how strong, aggressive flavors can match up very well with seafood, promoting the subtle flavor of the fish rather than overpowering it. To expand the concept, we enliven the large sea scallops we use here with a cumin-coriander crust.

Serves 4

2 lbs (900g) large sea scallops (about 24 scallops)
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons cumin seeds
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon paprika
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

For the sauce:
¾ cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 garlic loves, peeled
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Build a fire in your grill. When the coals are ignited, the fire has died down, and the temperature is hot, you’re ready to cook.

Combine all of the sauce ingrediencts in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl and set aside.

Combine the scallops, olive oil, cumin, coriander, paprika, and salt and pepper in a large bowl; toss gently until the scallops are evenly coated with the other ingredients. Put the scallops on the grill over the coals and cook until just opaque through (3-4 minutes per side). To check for doneness, cut into one of the scallops to be sure it is opaque all the way through.

To serve, divide the scallops among 4 plates and drizzle with the sauce. Pass the remaining sauce on the side.

© 2008 Grill It!: Recipes, Techniques, Tools by Chris Schlesinger & John Willoughby

My friend, Mary Risley, who owns the celebrated Tante Marie Cooking School in San Francisco accompanied me on my trip to Shanghai and loved this dish.

Here is the recipe that she tested to duplicate this Shanghai classic.

Six Servings

2 eggs
½ cup flour
1 cup milk
Virgin olive or canola oil for the pan
6 eggs
6 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
3 tsp.. hot chili paste
1 cup minced scallions
1 cup minced fresh cilantro
5 oz. plain soft foccacio, cut into strips 8 inches long and ½ inch wide and tall

To make the crepe batter, whisk or mix together in a blender the 4 eggs with the flour and milk.

To make a crepe, coat a 10-inch non-stick pan with a teaspoon of oil and place over a medium high heat. When the pan is hot, pour in enough crepe batter to make a thin circle on the bottom of the pan, swirling it all around. Let this cook a minute or two until set. Break one egg into the center of the crepe or mix the egg lightly and pour it on the surface of the pancake, spreading it evenly. Let it cook for a few minutes. Turn the crepe over so the egg is on the bottom. Mix together the hoisin sauce and the chili paste.

Spread a heaping tablespoon of the hoisin and chili paste over the surface of the crepe or pancake. Reduce the heat to very low and sprinkle the surface with the chopped scallions and cilantro. Turn off the heat. and put a piece of foccacio along one end of the crepe and roll up into a thin roll. Trim and discard any uneven ends and cut the rolled pancake into ½-inch slices. Serve warm.

Mary wants to thank Auntie Mary for teaching us this recipe.

© 2008 Mary Risley, Tante Marie Cooking School

This is a master recipe for stir-frying all leafy vegetables with a stalk. I am particularly fond of broccolini which was developed in Japan and is a cross between broccoli and “kai lan” or Chinese broccoli.

1 ½ pounds broccolini, broccoli, flowering rape, cauliflower, string beans, etc.

2 teaspoons virgin olive oil

2 ½ tablespoons rice wine, sake, or very good quality dry sherry

1 ½ tablespoons minced garlic

1 teaspoon sea salt

1. Trim away the root end of the broccolini stalks and cut into ½-inch sections, separating the florets and stemas. Rinse the vegetable thoroughly and drain.

2. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add the stalky, tougher part of the vegetable. Cook about 1 ½ minutes and add the leafy sections or flowerets and cook for another minute. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold, running water. Drain. (You can do this in advance.)

3. Heat a wok or a deep skillet until very hot, then pour in the oil, and heat until near smoking. (Don’t be afraid to get the pan too really. This will give the dish its special flavor.) Add the pre-cooked vegetable, rice wine, garlic, salt, and toss lightly over high heat for about a minute. Scoop out the vegetable, arranging it on a serving platter, and spoon the liquid on top. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

© Nina Simonds 2008.

Fresh String Beans

1 1/2 pounds fresh string beans

1 tablespoon water

1/4 cup toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon salt or soy sauce (to taste)

toasted sesame seeds

1. Either using a knife or your fingers, remove the ends of the string beans. Rinse lightly. Drain. There should be a little bit of water left in the bowl (about 1 tablespoon).

2. Pour toasted sesame oil over the beans, add soy sauce or salt to taste, and toss the beans in the mixture.

3. Put the beans in a heat-proof dish, and cover with plastic wrap. Steam in the microwave for 3-4 minutes.

4. Remove carefully from the microwave and take off the plastic wrap. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over the top of the beans, and serve hot or at room temperature.

© Nina Simonds 2008

Salmon With A Lovely Glaze

Six Servings

The combination of honey and orange juice gives the salmon a lovely glaze. To prevent the salmon from sticking, brush or spray oil generously on the grill and use a firm hand with your spatula. I like to make any leftovers into a main-dish salad the next day for lunch or dinner.

Ginger-Honey Marinade

1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer 5 minutes. Use as directed in the recipe.

6 salmon steaks
3 tablespoons virgin olive oil (for oiling the grill)

1. Pour half of the ginger honey marinade into a bowl and cool slightly. Keep the other half warm.

2. Put the salmon in one layer in a shallow pan, pour half the marinade on top, and turn the fish so that all sides are coated. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 30 minutes.

3. Prepare a medium-hot fire for grilling or preheat a gas grill, and arrange a rack 3 to 4 inches from the heat. Brush the grill with the olive oil and arrange the salmon steaks on top. Cook, brushing with the marinade, until the flesh is just opaque, about 6 to 7 minutes per side. Carefully slide the fish off the grill and serve with the remaining marinade spooned on top of each steak. Serve with a stir-fried green vegetable and steamed rice or rice pilaf.

© Nina Simonds 2008

Six Servings

Roasting asparagus spears in a very hot oven or grilling them gives them a unique and delicious flavor and texture. Try this easy recipe and serve them warm or cold.

1 ½ pounds fresh asparagus
3 tablespoons virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
2. Snap off the tough woody ends of the asparagus and rinse the spears. Drain on paper towels. Spread the asparagus out on a cookie sheet. Mix the olive oil with the lemon zest and pour the mixture over the asparagus and make sure they are covered on both sides with the flavored oil.
3. Roast the asparagus 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. Alternatively, you may grill or steam the asparagus for 4 to 5 minutes until tender. Arrange the asparagus on a serving plate and serve hot or cold.

© Nina Simonds 2008.