(Early) Christmas Eve Menu

Stanislaw Christmas Eve has been moved to the 22nd this year! My sister-in-law and her family weren't going to be with us on the 24th so we're celebrating a few days early all together. 

Given the non-traditional timing of the celebration, we decided this year to go with a non-traditional (for us) menu. A Mexican inspired feast featuring recipes from Mod Mex: Cooking Vibrant Fiesta Flavors at Home by chef Scott Linquist, a couple Rick Bayless recipes, and a few home-brewed ideas. 

We started prepping Thursday and had a major cooking session last night. We're heading out with bags and food in tow in a couple of hours to finish, assemble, and enjoy. Recipes to follow after the holiday!

Wild Mushroom Sopes

Chorizo, Potato, and Goat Cheese Sopes

Rice with Roasted Poblano, Spinach, and Fresh Cheese

Romaine and Radish Salad with Tomatillo-Lime Dressing

Cascabel Chile-Marinated Carne Asada Tacos

Pumpkin Black Bean Tacos

Chipotle Marinated Chicken Tacos

How to Cook Brown Rice

Cooking rice can be difficult. I've had the most success with this method. With rice, once the lid is on no peeking!!

1 cup brown rice
1 1/2 cups water

Add water and rice to a pan and bring to a boil.

Lower to a simmer, cover, and let cook for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes remove from heat and let sit covered 10 - 20 minutes.

Basmati Rice Salad with Asparagus and Leek

We wanted a side dish for our delicious burgers and I decided to raid the fridge and come up with something. Left over basmati rice from our Charlie Trotter cooking extravaganza the night before (more on that later), 6 spears of steamed asparagus and a leek and dinner was ready!

BASMATI RICE SALAD WITH ASPARGUS AND LEEK

2-3 cups cooked basmati rice
6 spears steamed asparagus, cut on the bias into 1 inch pieces
1 leek, white and light green parts, split, cleaned well and cut into half moons
olive oil
salt and pepper

- In a sauce pan heat the oil on low and saute the leek until soft

- In a large bowl combine the rice, asparagus and leeks

- Toss with dressing and serve room temperature

LEMON WHITE WINE VINEGAR DRESSING DRESSING

Juice of 1 lemon
White wine vinegar
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

- In a jar add the juice of a lemon and a Tablespoon or so of white wine vinegar

- Add olive oil to taste, whisking as you go

- Add salt and pepper to taste
- In

Seafood Paella

One of the best Christmas presents Jason received (and I'm not just saying that because I gave it to him) was a paella pan!  We also gave our good friend with whom we cook quite a bit a paella pan and rice of her own.  So it was fitting that last week we had our inaugural paella making party.  Ironically, the evening we purchased the paella pan, we caught an episode of Avec Eric on Hulu where Eric Ripert prepared a simple seafood paella in his home.  We used his recipe as the primary inspiration for our own, with the omission of the fish filets and slightly less saffron (I think professional chefs have easier access to this exotic spice than us mere mortals!).

On a side note, I have become a great fan of Eric Ripert.  His show, Avec Eric, is a delight to watch as he visits chefs and friends in locations all over the world, gives us a glimpse into the inner workings of the kitchen at Le Bernardin, and then prepares a simple (for Eric Ripert) and always beautiful dish for us in his own kitchen.  Most of all, he seems like a lovely, thoughtful and creative person.  The show is on PBS, but we watch episodes on Hulu. 

The quantities listed in this recipe are perfect for a 12 inch paella pan.

SEAFOOD PAELLA

1 chorizo link, sliced into 1/4 inches
2/3 onion, diced
4 garlic cloves chopped
1 pinch saffron
2/3 tsp turmeric
2 cups short grain rice
5 cups chicken stock (approximately)
1 cup frozen green peas
12 large peeled and deveined shrimp
12 mussles
12 cockles
1 roasted red pepper sliced
1/4 cup parsley
lemon wedges

--Place the 12 inch paella pan on the stove on medium heat

--Add a little olive oil and cook the chorizo

--Add the onion, garlic, saffron and turmeric and cook until onions are just softened

--Add the rice and stir to coat the rice for about 3 minutes

--Add a cup or so of chicken stock to the rice and stir.  Continue cooking for about 15 minutes, adding stock as needed to get the rice cooked

--When the rice seems to be getting close stir in the peas then nestle the shrimp tail up in the rice and cook for about 5 minutes

--Place the mussels and cockels hinge side down in the rice so they can easily open and lay the pepper slices around the pan like spokes

--Cook for another 4 minutes or so until the mussels and cockles open

--Sprinkle with the parsley and serve with lemon wedges

Steamed Vegetables, Brown Rice and Miso Dressing

A dish I've now made twice in the course of the last couple of weeks.  One cup brown rice, 1 1/2 cups water, bring to a boil then lower to a simmer for 20 minutes.  In the meantime chop up vegetables of your choice (I used carrots, red bell peppers, some adorable little baby bok choy they had at the co-op last week) and steam them, adding the toughest vegetables first, the carrots, then the bell peppers and bok choy stems, then finally the bok choy leaves.  I also had half of a red onion which I sauteed and added to the mix.

So really, a simple rice and veggies dish.  But, the best part is a new miso dressing I made.  Delicious and perfect for a nice simple meal like this one.

MISO DRESSING:

1 Tbsp miso paste
3 Tbsp lite soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp red chili paste

whisk together and serve over you rice and veggies.  Leftover dressing will keep in the fridge for a few days.

Wild Rice Pilaf

A lovely accompaniment to our turkey quinoa muffins!

WILD RICE PILAF

2 carrots peeled and diced
1/2 small red onion diced
1 large celery rib diced
1-2 small cloves garlic
olive oil
1 cup wild rice
3 cups water
handful cilantro chopped
salt and pepper

In a sauce pan combine the wild rice and 3 cups of water.  Bring to a boil and simmer covered for about 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a sauce pan heat 1-2 Tbsp olive oil.  Add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and sautee until the vegetables are softened.

When the rice is done cooking combine the rice with the vegetables and stir in the cilantro.

Stir Fried Red Rice with Sliced Sirloin Steak and Peas

1 cup red rice

2 1/2 cup water

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, minced
9 ounces sirloin steak, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
4 cups thinly sliced swiss chard
1 1/2 cups thawed frozen peas
3 Tbsp soy sauce
white pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
lime wedges

>Rinse and drain the rice.  In a small saucepan, cover the rice with water and bring to a boil. 
>Cover the saucepan and turn heat to low, cooking about 25 minutes, until the rice is tender and water is absorbed. 
>Spread the rice out on a baking sheet and let cool while preparing the rest.

>In a large skillet or pan heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium high heat. 
>Add the garlic and cook for just a minute. 
>Add the sirloin, season with salt and cook until browned on both sides, about a minute.
>Transfer the meat to a plate

>Heat the remaining 2 Tbsp of oil in the skillet.
>Add onion and ginger and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally until onion is softened
>Add greens and stir over high heat until they wilt, about a minute or 2
>Stir in rice and peas, then soy sauce and steak and stir well

>Season with salt and white pepper and transfer to a serving bowl.  Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.

Brown Rice and Steamed Veggies with Asian Dressing

In an attempt to kick of 2010 right and get the weight loss plan underway I'm working hard to monitor my eating. 

I decided that a good lunch for the week would be brown rice with steamed veggies.  I was going to use quinoa but didn't have any at home.  I used up some bell peppers I had that needed to be used and most of a head of bok choy which I love and which gives it a little asian flair.  It's nice and clean food, simple as can be.

BROWN RICE AND STEAMED VEGGIES WITH ASIAN DRESSING

1 cup brown rice
3 small yellow bell peppers chopped
1 large red bell pepper chopped
2 green onions sliced
1 head bok choy chopped, stems and leaves
**Note:  use whatever vegetables you like or have on hand!  Snap peas, broccoli, spinach all would be great additions as well

Cook the brown rice according to the package.  I get the best results when I put 1 cup of rice in just over 1 1/2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover and cook about 35 - 40 minutes.  No peeking!

Chop up all the veggies and prepare a steamer (the Dream Steamer is one of my favorite items off of my registry).

Add the vegetables to the steamer in order of how long they will take to cook.  There are no hard fast rules, just use common sense.  Leaves take no time at all, the harder and crunchier the vegetable, the longer the cooking time.  I added the bell peppers first, then the bok choy stems, then the green onions and lastly the bok choy leaves.

I packed up a few tupperwares with rice and a healthy topping of veggies to bring to work for lunch.

FOR THE DRESSING
1 Tbsp miso
3 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sesame oil
Freshly grated ginger to taste (about a 1in. piece)
red chili paste (to taste)
dash of fresh squeezed lemon - about 1-2 tsp
dash of fish sauce (optional)

Put all the ingredients (except the fish sauce) in a bowl and whisk to combine.  Keep tasting and add bits of this or that until you get the right flavor.  At the very end I added a tiny dash of fish sauce, just to give it a little kick.

I stored the dressing in a separate little jar and used on top of my rice and veggies. 

The dressing was particularly delicious.  I was the envy of everyone in my office with the fabulous smells coming from my lunch.