Quick 'n Dirty Hot and Sour Soup

Looks kind of strange, tastes awesome

This recipe is based on a traditional San Francisco Chinatown recipe for Hot and Sour Soup. The full recipe is a bit laborious, but I adapted this one for cold days when you don't have time to do a lot of fiddling around. I have yet to find something that does more wonders for a cold than this soup!


- 4 c low sodium chicken broth
- 5 oz sliced water chestnuts
- 5 oz sliced mushrooms
- 1/4 head of green cabbage, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 Tbsp minced or grated ginger
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp chili oil or 1 small hot pepper, minced (optional)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 pack firm tofu, cut into small cubes
- 3 green onions, chopped

1. In a large pot, bring the stock to a boil.
2. Add the water chestnuts and return to a boil.
3. Add the mushrooms, cabbage, garlic and ginger. Return to a boil.
4. In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in 1/4 c of the soup. Return to the pot. Stir to incorporate.
5. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, oil, soy sauce, white pepper and chili oil. Combine well and add to the soup. Stir and cook for another 3 minutes.
6. Trickle the egg into the soup. Add the tofu and green onions. Stir to incorporate.
7. Serve hot, over rice noodles if desired. Pairs well with green tea. Enjoy!

Baked Egg Rolls

This is one of my favorite recipes: these baked egg rolls taste restaurant-quality (without the bad deep frying!). It's also a great recipe to make if your veggies are about to go bad!

- 1/4c soy sauce

- 1/2 Tbsp corn starch

- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil (I prefer grapeseed)

- 1/2 tsp minced garlic

- 1'' fresh ginger, peeled and grated

- 3 medium green onions, sliced
- 4 oz mushrooms, sliced

- 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated

- 1/2 white or red onion, sliced

- 1 small head green cabbage, sliced (cut into quarter and remove the core before slicing)

- 1 tsp sesame oil

- 20 egg roll wrappers
- sweet and sour sauce, for dipping

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
2. Dissolve the cornstarch in the soy sauce. Set aside.
3. Put a large skillet or wok over medium heat and sauté the garlic, ginger, and green onions until slightly softened (1-2 minutes). Add the mushrooms and continue to sauté until softened (~5 minutes). Add the carrot, onion and cabbage. Combine and cook until the cabbage has reduced in volume by a half, stirring often.
4. Add cornstarch mix to the skillet and stir to coat the vegetables. Drizzle the sesame oil in. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

The filling

5. To fill the egg rolls: Lay a wrapper out flat. Place 1/4 -1/3 cup of the veggies just off the center. Roll the corner up and over the filling, fold each side in, and then roll the rest of the way up. Keep a small bowl of water nearby and use it as glue to hold the corners of the egg roll wrapper in place.

Folding the egg rolls

6. Cover a baking sheet with foil. Place the egg rolls on the baking sheet and brush lightly with oil. Roll them over and coat the other side. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown, flipping the egg rolls over halfway through cooking.
7. Serve with hot and sour sauce. Pairs well with light beers, particularly lagers.

Vegetable Karhi

This is a recipe inspired by the one in Kurma Dasa's Vegetarian World Food. And what is Karhi? It's a yogurt sauce similar to curry and best served over rice.

- 1 1/2 c carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 1/2 c green beans, chopped
- 1 1/2 c small cauliflower florets
- 1 1/2 c green peas
- 1 1/2 c potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 2 c cooked rice

Karhi Sauce
- 2 c plain yogurt
- 1/2 c chickpea flour
- 1 pint water
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 t turmeric powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 1 tsp brown mustard seeds
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin powder
- small pinch asafoetida
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp fresh chopped cilantro

1. Steam all the vegetables until just tender. Drain and set aside.

2. Whisk the yogurt and chickpea flour together in a small bowl. Whisk in the water, chili powder, turmeric, and coriander. Set aside.

3. Heat up the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once it is melted, add the mustard seeds and fry them until they crackle. Add the cumin until it darkens a shade, then add the asafoetida. Add the yogurt mixture and bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Fold the vegetables, salt, and cilantro into the yogurt mixture and turn off the heat.

5. Serve over rice. Pairs well with lemonade, lagers, and pilsners. Enjoy!

Thai Chicken Rolls and Thai Chicken Pasta

This recipe is a 2-for-1 since it can be used in its original roll form or adapted to a pasta. To make the rolls, do as the following instructions tell you. To turn it into a pasta. just put the chicken, veggies, and peanut sauce into some hot pasta and serve. (The pictures are for the pasta!)

Teriyaki Chicken
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp teriyaki sauce
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar or sherry
- 1/3'' fresh ginger, chopped
- 1 clove fresh garlic, chopped
- 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast

Peanut Sauce
- 1/2 c peanut butter
- 1/2 c hoisin sauce
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, chopped
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp - 2 Tbsp dried chili flakes or Sriracha sauce

Coconut Sauce
- 1/2 c coconut milk
- 1/2 c peanut sauce (see directly above)
- 1/2 tsp - 1 Tbsp chili paste (I prefer Thai Kitchen's Red Curry Paste)

Tortilla Rolls
- 6 - 8'' tortillas
- 2 T butter, at room temperature
- 3 T Peanut Sauce (see above)
- 3/4 c shredded mozzarella
- 1/2 c carrots, shredded
- 6 - 8 scallions, chopped
- 1/2 water chestnuts, chopped
- 3 T peanuts
- 2 T finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 T parmesan
- 1 T chopped parsley (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to broil. Cover two baking sheets with foil.

2. Combine all ingredients for the teriyaki chicken in a bowl. Let the chicken marinate 5-6 minutes per side.

3. Broil the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side on a baking sheet covered in foil. Once the chicken has cooled a bit, cut it into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

4. Preheat the oven to 500.

5. In a sauce pan (I always prefer cast iron), combine all the ingredients for the peanut sauce. I have the most success when I combine the peanut butter and hoisin together before adding the others. Bring the sauce to a boil, and let it simmer for 1 minute to thicken up. If you use cast iron, it will not stick to the pan at all!

6. Combine the ingredients for the coconut sauce. Set aside.

7. One at a time, brush butter over one side of the tortilla, and place it butter side down on the baking sheet. (Because of the size of the tortillas, sometimes the last couple need to be placed on after they've been rolled up.)

8. Fill the middle of each tortilla with 1/2 T of the peanut sauce,  some of the teriyaki chicken, mozzarella, carrots, scallions, water chestnuts, peanuts, and cilantro. Try to divide each of these as evenly among the rolls as possible. When all the ingredients have been placed in the tortilla, roll is up like a burrito. Top with parmesan.

9. Bake the rolls for 5-6 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Top with parsley.

10. Serve hot with the coconut sauce as dip. Pairs well with most beers, especially browns and ambers. Enjoy!

So many good things in there!!

Sweet Chili Lime Tofu

This recipe is based on the one from Grumpy's Honeybunch Blog, and it is INCREDIBLE. You try various recipes, you like some better than others, and then every now and then you just go nuts for one: I am crazy for this tofu!! It's super easy, and completely delicious (I have even had success with this among supposed tofu-haters!).

Quinoa
- 3/4 c quinoa (or couscous or rice)
- zest from 1 lime
- 2 bruised cardamom pods (I'll explain "bruised" below)
- pinch of salt
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 1/3 c water

Sweet Chili Lime Sauce
- 3 Tbsp sugar
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- juice from 1 lime
- zest from 1/2 lime
- pinch or cayenne pepper
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp salt

- 16 oz extra firm tofu
- 3 heads chopped bok choy (or kale)
- 2-3 Tbsp water
- lime slices for garnish

Don't you feel healthy already?!

1. To bruise the cardamom pods, place them on a cutting board and press down with the large flat surface of a knife. Let the pods crack along the sides, but don't press so hard as to open them completely. This is so that the strong cardamom flavor can come out, but doesn't overtake the quinoa's other flavors!

2. Mix the quinoa, lime zest, cardamom pods, salt, cinnamon stick, and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 20 mintes then remove from heat. Let steam for 10 minutes. (It's like cooking rice!)

Delicious quinoa mix

3. Cut the tofu into bite-sized pieces. (I cut mine into 36 pieces.) Place the cut pieces uniformly across a cutting board on top of 3 paper towels. Cover them with 3 paper towels and a heavy pan (I use my cast iron saucepan) and let them drain for 5 minutes.

Draining the tofu

4. In a small bowl, mix all the Sweet Chili Lime Sauce ingredients until combined. Set aside.

5. Place the drained tofu onto a hot skillet over medium high heat. I generally place a small bit of oil in the pan to be sure it doesn't stick, but that's not necessary if you're good about checking it. Cook for 6 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Then apply the sauce. Keep the heat on for 30 seconds, then turn it off and let the sauce turn into a reduced glaze.

6. Steam the bok choy with the water in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Steam for 2-3 minutes, until the water evaporates.

7. Place the quinoa under the bok choy under the tofu in a bowl. Garnish with limes. Pairs well with dry white wine, limeade, or a beer (Pilsners and Lagers especially). Enjoy!

Bangkok BBQ Chicken Rolls

These rolls are based on those served at the California Pizza Kitchen. They're unlike anything I'd ever tried, and they're good! I might have to bring these back out for football season...

Bangkok Chicken
- 1T olive oil
- 3/4 T soy sauce
- 1/2 T fresh lime juice
- 1/2 T chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 t Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 t honey
- small pinch ground cumin
- small pinch dried red pepper flakes
- 1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast

Caramelized Onions
- 1 T unsalted butter
- 3/4 small red onion, cut into 1/8'' thick rings
- 1/4 t red wine vinegar
- 3/4 t soy sauce

Horseradish Cream Sauce
- 1/2 c sour cream or yogurt
- 1/4 c bottled creamy-style horseradish
- pinch of salt
- pinch of cayenne

Tortilla Rolls
- 6 - 8'' tortillas
- 2 T butter, at room temperature
- 3 T Horseradish Cream Sauce (see above)
- carmelized onions (see above)
- Bangkok Chicken (see above)
- 1/2 c shredded mozzarella
- 1/4 c smoked gouda
- 6 T good quality sweet and spicy BBQ sauce
- 2 T finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 T parmesan
- 1 T chopped parsley (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to broil. Cover two baking sheets with foil.

2. Combine all Bangkok chicken ingredients. Marinate the chicken 5-6 minutes per side.

3. Broil chicken 5-6 minutes/side one of the baking sheets. Set aside.

Mmmm Bangkok chicken

4. Preheat the oven to 500.

5. In a small nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook 3-4 minutes, until the onions just begin to brown. Add the vinegar. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, for 8 minutes. Add the soy sauce and cook 5-8 minutes more, stirring frequently, until onions are brown and tender. Remove from the heat and set aside.

6. Mix all horseradish cream ingredients together. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

7. One at a time, brush butter over one side of the tortilla, and place it butter side down on the baking sheet. (Because of the size of the tortillas, sometimes the last couple need to be placed on after they've been rolled up.)

8. Fill the middle of the tortillas with 1/2 T each of the horseradish sauce (you should have some left over),  some of the Bangkok chicken, mozzarella, carmelized onions, gouda, BBQ sauce, and cilantro. Try to divide each of these as evenly among the rolls as possible. When all the ingredients have been placed in the tortilla, roll is up like a burrito. Top with parmesan.

9. Bake the rolls for 5-6 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Top with parsley.

10. Serve hot with the remaining horseradish as dip. Pairs well with a good cocktail (I chose a Bourbon Sweet Tea). Enjoy!

Good Morning Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Muffins

I have been making these for 7 years, and eating them for 25. These muffins are some of the best around. They're delicious, and they're not terrible for you! It's a win-win. The real challenge with these muffins is getting one before the rest of house eats them all.

Ingredients
- 1 c oatmeal
- 1 c buttermilk
- 1/3 c brown sugar
- 3-4 Tbsp oil
- 1 egg
- 3/4 c flour
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/3 - 1/2 c chocolate chips (I always use 1/2 cup!)
- Optional: 1 smashed banana

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease and line 12 muffin cups.

2. Combine the oatmeal, buttermilk, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Let sit for 30 minutes so the oatmeal can absorb some of the liquid.

3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.



4. Add the dry ingredients and chocolate chips (and banana) to the oatmeal mixture. Stir until the flour is just blended- try not to overstir.

5. Bake for 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Pairs well with a glass of milk. Enjoy!