Asian Salmon Burgers with Sesame Slaw

Makes 4 burgers. Recipe from Emeril.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 pounds salmon fillet, skinned, pin bones removed
1/2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs) or other dried bread crumbs
1/2 cup minced scallions
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon sambal oelek chili paste (not sure what this is… we used garlic chili sauce).
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3 cups shaved purple cabbage
3 cups shaved green cabbage
1/2 cup shaved red onion
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Kosher salt
6 sesame rolls or other soft hamburger buns, for serving

DIRECTIONS
Using a sharp knife, cut the salmon into 1-inch pieces and transfer to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the fish is finely chopped. (Take care not to overprocess or salmon will become a paste.) Transfer to a mixing bowl and add the panko, 1/4 cup of the scallions, 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, minced ginger, egg, sambal oelek, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the soy sauce. Using a rubber spatula, mix gently but thoroughly to combine. Divide the mixture into 6 even portions and shape into patties about 4 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate while you prepare the mayonnaise and slaw.

In a very small saucepan combine the remaining soy sauce and the sugar and cook until reduced to a syrup, 2 to 3 minutes. The soy-sugar mixture should coat the back of a spoon. Set aside to cool completely. When cooled, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the soy glaze to the mayonnaise and refrigerate until ready to serve the burgers. (The remaining soy glaze may be kept indefinitely at room temperature and used to drizzle on grilled salmon or grilled tuna.)

Combine the purple and green cabbages, remaining 1/4 cup of scallions, the red onion, 1/4 cup of the vegetable oil, rice wine vinegar, remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro, sesame oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and crushed red pepper, and toss thoroughly to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds. Refrigerate while you prepare the burgers.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. When the oil is hot, season both sides of the salmon burgers lightly with the kosher salt and add the burgers to the skillet and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and the salmon is just cooked through, about 3 1/2 minutes per side. Serve the salmon on warm buns, garnished with the soy mayonnaise and the sesame slaw.

Sushi - japan chines asia asian foods fish

Yes, we made sushi. It is surprisingly easy and cheap too (you wouldn’t think that, seeing as they cost around $6 a roll in restaurants!) We made 5 rolls, and even Taylor was stuffed. We made a few regular rolls (seaweed on the outside) and a few inside-out rolls (seaweed on the inside).

Sushi

Makes 4-5 rolls.

INGREDIENTS
1 cup sushi rice
1 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
stuff to put inside (we used avocado, cucumber, green onion, smoked salmon, and shrimp in various combinations.)
nori (seaweed sheets)

DIRECTIONS
Before cooking, rinse rice several times in running water until the water runs clear (this may take several rinsings). Cook according to package directions.

Mix together rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small pan. Stir until granules dissolve. Spread the cooked hot rice into a large plate by spatula. Sprinkle the vinegar mixture over the rice and fold into the rice by spatula quickly. Do not smash the rice. Let cool. Use immediately.

As far as making the sushi, you better go somewhere else for directions. I should have taken a video or something, but sushi is something I just can’t describe. Search for how to make sushi, you’ll find plenty of sites like this that can do a much better job of explaining than I can!

A few tips: Be sure to use a super-sharp, serrated knife to cut the rolls, our you’ll end up with a squished mess. Don’t stuff your rolls too full, or the seaweed won’t quite make it all the way around. Plus you’ll end up with a really thick roll too big for one bite. I also use half a sheet of seaweed instead of a full one, but you really can’t put very much filling in if you do this.

Asian Lettuce Cups with Ground Turkey and Apple

I have a new favorite food blog, Jaden’s Steamy Kitchen. Discovered when Jaden kindly commented on my Sushi photo from a few weeks back. Her posts are eye-candy and mouthwatering and informative to boot. I don’t dare compare my photos to hers (there is no comparison), but I would like to share the first of many (I’m sure) delicious recipes we’ve tried from her blog.

Asian Lettuce Cups with Ground Turkey and Apple

See the original recipe here.

What a delicious and refreshing take on lettuce wraps. You might think that apple is a strange addition, but it’s beyond perfect. And as you might know, I’m a huge fan of ground turkey.

And if you’ve never fried mung bean noodles, go out and buy some and fry them NOW. it is a life changing experience. Seriously. Just make way less than you think you’ll need, as you can see from the photo below, a little noodle becomes a lot of noodle after it’s been fried.

Seriously the most fun we’ve had in the kitchen for a long time (and believe me, we have fun).

Coconut Shrimp & Asian Orange and Avocado Spinach Salad

This was a good one. Crispy coconut shrimp with a creamy peanut dipping sauce, perched next to a fresh and flavorful salad with baby spinach, avocado, and orange.

Yup. We’ll be making this meal again.

Except… we’d use Taylor’s peanut sauce recipe. Alton’s had far too much peanut butter and almost tasted more like my pie filling than a spicy dipping sauce. But even that didn’t stop these shrimp from shining. Delicious, and for such a “pseudo-gourmet” meal, was actually quite easy.

Coconut Shrimp

Makes 4-6 servings. Recipe from Alton Brown.

INGREDIENTS
24 large (15 to 20 count) shrimp, peeled, deviened, and butterflied
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 egg whites
2 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, or 2 1/2 cups shredded fresh coconut
Canola or peanut oil, for frying
Taylor’s Kick Butt Peanut Sauce

DIRECTIONS
Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel. In a small bowl combine cornstarch, salt, pepper, and cayenne. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy. In another bowl, place the coconut. Coat the shrimp with the cornstarch and shake off any excess. Dip into the egg white and then press into the coconut to get full coverage. Try to keep 1 hand dry, this will keep things a little cleaner.

In a large pan, heat the oil to 350 degrees F and gently submerge the shrimp, 6 at a time. Fry for about 3 minutes or until golden brown. Remove them to a rack to drain. Serve with Peanut Sauce.

Asian Spinach Salad with Orange and Avocado

Makes 4 servings. Recipe from Bon Appetit.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon (generous) Asian sesame oil
1 navel orange
1 6-ounce bag baby spinach leaves
1 Pinkerton or Fuerte avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch wedges

DIRECTIONS
Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set dressing aside.

Cut off peel and white pith from orange. Cut orange into 1/3-inch rounds; cut rounds crosswise in half. Add spinach to dressing; toss to coat. Add avocado and orange; toss gently.

Asian Pork and Mushroom Burger Wraps

Yes, I realize posts have been rather sparse lately, and chances are they will remain so through the bulk of July. Why you ask? Well, something big and exciting, the likes of which I’ll post about shortly. But it has been keeping us more than occupied, and while we have still been cooking, I just haven’t had the time nor energy to write about it.

But I do have a few recipes backlogged, which tends to happen when things get busy. This one in particular, which came from the newest issue of Bon Appetit, was quite stunning. Asian Pork Burger Wraps – wrapped in butter lettuce rather than a bun, which made it a fun combination between a burger and a lettuce wrap (go figure).

I was drawn to this issue’s feature on summer burger recipes because of the photographs. You can see an example of the aforementioned asian pork burgers. The ‘deconstructed’ burger photos were all too familiar (and Jeremy – you will know exactly what I am talking about here!), because of an assignment I had in a drawing class in college. The project was ‘exploding food’, where we drew a food item in the process of exploding into it’s various parts and ingredients. An informational diagram of sorts, much like a blueprint tells you how to build a house, the drawings tell you how to build the food. While I chose to do an ice cream sundae, the example for the project was of a burger.

Maybe I could have skipped the long winded description and just shown more pictures?

From Bon Appetit:

Drawing from CDES333:

(I can’t believe I still had this drawing saved on my computer!)

Anyways, I think Chris Ficken (the awesome professor of aforementioned drawing class) would approve of this recipe, or at least it’s presentation!

Asian Pork and Mushroom Burger Wraps

Makes 6 servings. Recipe from Bon Appetit.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons canola oil or peanut oil
2 tablespoons minced lemongrass (from bottom 3 inches of about 4 stalks)
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps chopped
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt, divided
1 3/4 pounds ground pork shoulder (Boston butt)
2 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
3 teaspoons Asian sesame oil, divided
3/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 cup hoisin sauce*
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon hot chili sauce (such as sriracha)*
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 heads of Bibb lettuce, cored, leaves separated
1 cup matchstick-size strips red bell pepper
1 cup matchstick-size strips peeled carrot
1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add lemongrass and garlic; sauté 2 minutes. Add mushrooms. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt; sauté until mushrooms are tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat; cool in skillet.

Place pork in large bowl. Mix in 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, cracked pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, then fold in mushroom mixture. Using 2 generous tablespoonfuls for each, shape into 18 patties, each about 2 1/4 inches in diameter; arrange on plastic-lined baking sheet.

Whisk hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, chili sauce, and remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 2 teaspoons sesame oil in small bowl for sauce. DO AHEAD: Burgers and sauce can be made 6 hours ahead. Cover separately; chill.

Spray grill rack with nonstick spray. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat ). Grill burgers until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Or heat a few tablespoons oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook burgers until browned and cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side.

Arrange burgers on platter; set out sauce. Place lettuce, bell pepper, carrot, and cilantro in separate bowls. Serve, allowing guests to wrap burgers in lettuce and add sauce and vegetables as desired.

This was almost like our go-to red curry recipe, but without the red curry. And honestly, it was a few days ago that we made it, and I really don’t remember it much. It wasn’t bad, but obviously wasn’t out of this world. Searing the tofu gives it a nice color and near-crispy outside, and the sauce is, well, coconut-y. What else did you expect?

Obviously, some dishes on this blog garner more dialogue. This one, not so much. Doesn’t mean it’s not worth a try. On to the recipe!

Seared Tofu with with Green Beans and Asian Coconut Sauce

Makes 4 servings. Recipe from Epicurious.

INGREDIENTS
1 (14- to 16-oz) package firm tofu
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 lb green beans, trimmed and cut into 2-inch-long pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips (2 inches long)
1 teaspoon salt
1 (14- to 15-oz) can unsweetened coconut milk (not low-fat)
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/3 cup chopped salted roasted cashews

DIRECTIONS
Halve tofu lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices and pat dry well. Put 1 tablespoon soy sauce in a wide shallow dish, then add tofu, turning to coat, and let stand 10 minutes. Pat tofu dry.

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then add tofu in 1 layer and cook, turning over once, until tofu is browned, about 6 minutes total. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large plate, reserving oil in skillet.

Add garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes to skillet and sauté, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beans, bell pepper, and salt and sauté, stirring, 1 minute.

Stir in coconut milk and remaining tablespoon soy sauce and bring to a boil, then boil, uncovered, until beans are tender, about 6 minutes. Transfer vegetables using a slotted spoon to plate with tofu.

Simmer sauce until thickened slightly and reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 2 minutes. Stir in lime juice and pour sauce over vegetables and tofu. Sprinkle with cashews.