Spicy Mussels in a Ginger Coconut broth

Have you even cooked a meal where you wanted to ensure that all remnants of your dish needed to make it out of the house by garbage day to avoid having it sit in your compost bin for a week? Have you managed to pull something off in less than half an hour that you concocted for the first time and that tasted delicious? Have you recreated something you ate at a restaurant and liked your version better? Yes, dear friends, it was all of the above that leads me to this post.I bought a bag of mussels on Friday, got busy over the weekend and realized that I had no real plans for our lunch on Monday. Today, Tuesday being garbage day, meant that if the mussels were made mid week, I'd have the shells sitting around for a few days.So looking at the ingredients on hand, I thought I'd try to recreate mussels we'd eaten at a restaurant some years ago. That was in a thick coconut milk broth that was perfect for soaking up the warm bread that came with the dish. Now, I wanted something lighter with an Asian influence, so I  put a few ingredients together and came up with this recipe. I use the entire gamut of coconut ingredients from oil, to milk, cream and desiccated. What I have in addition is a Nestlé brand Maggi Coconut Milk powder because it allows me to create the consistency of the coconut milk I require. Also, I like this is because unlike a can that you have to use all at once, this can be used as needed thereby ensuring you always have some on hand when needed.
There were three star players in this recipe, they are (not in any order of importance)



These are staples in my kitchen and the Tom Yom Paste is really versatile, I've used it as a marinade for chicken but that's a recipe for another time. On our facebook page I said 5 - 7 ingredients, here are three the others of course are the mussels, chili powder, fresh ginger and coriander leaves. Here is the recipe.

Skill Level: Easy

Serves: 2 - 4

INGREDIENTS:

• one bag of mussels (wt. 700 g)
• 2 Tbsp coconut milk powder added to 2 cups of water
• 2 Tbsp chicken broth added to 2 cups of water
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 inch piece of ginger thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp Tom Yom paste added to 1 cup of water
• 4 Tbsp chopped coriander leaves

METHOD:

1. Scrub, wash and debeard the mussels and set aside. Discard any mussels that are cracked or bruised

2. In a large stock pot add the coconut milk, chicken broth and ginger

3. Allow it to come to a boil and add Tom Yom paste and cayenne. Stir well and cook for an additional 2 minutes

4. Add the mussels to the pot, cover and allow it to cook for 7 - 8 minutes

5. Take it off the heat, spoon the broth into bowls, garnish with cilantro and add the mussels. Discard the ginger if you like, I enjoyed chewing it for extra flavour

6. There is no salt in this recipe as both the chicken broth and the Tom yom paste have added salt

7. Left overs today was good too (mussels are sitting in the bottom of the bowl) 

Curry Crab

Crabs -  the beautiful pair of Crustaceans above are of the Dungeness variety which inhabits the waters of the west coast of North America. It's flesh is tender and sweet. I have to admit, that despite really enjoying crab, I have a bit of a hard time buying live crab and then having to be the assassin. I get the Chinese supermarket to cut and clean it for me. When I buy smaller crabs, I throw them into the freezer and when they are "incapacitated" I cut them. It makes me seem like such a hypocrite - eating the meat but wanting to ignore the gory details. In my defense though, we have grown so used to pretty neat packaged meat and seafood where you can barely recognize the meat from its source. 
The crab shown above came home intact so I could take pictures; after which mum and I cut them up, thankful that their pinchers were bound with heavy elastic. It is no easy task to separate and cut the crab, so I recommend getting the fish monger to do it for you. Mum and I pried open the top shell and then cleaned out the finger like mass and then proceeded to cut into half. We then used a cleaver on the claws. The process of cleaning the crab is long but the end result is worth the effort.


Skill Level: Complicated due to the prep involved

Serves: 6-8

INGREDIENTS FOR THE GRAVY:

• 1 large onion (chopped)
• 1 inch piece ginger
• 2 dried red chilies
• 1/2 cup coriander seeds
• 1/4 tsp fenugreek (methi) seeds
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeers)
• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
• 1/2 cup dessicated coconut
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil

INGREDIENTS FOR THE CRAB

• 2 large onions sliced
• 2 tomatoes chopped
• 1 inch piece of ginger
• 1 green chilies 
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 3 Tbsps vegetable oil
• 3/4 Tbsp salt
• 1 tsp tamarind paste (can be found in Indian/Chinese stores)
• a pinch of sugar (to balance tartness)

• 1/2 cup of water
•  2 Dungeness crabs

INGREDIENTS FOR THE GARNISH

• 2 shallots( sliced )

• 10 curry leaves
• 1 Tbsp vegetable oil 

METHOD: 

1. First the masala (spice mixture) for the gravy
2. Add oil to the wok, set the heat on medium and put in onion, ginger,fenugreek and chili. Stir for 1-2 minutes and then add all other ingredients except the coconut. Stir continuously to prevent burning
3. When the coriander seeds get crisp (approx. 3 minutes), add the desiccated coconut, stir and just when the coconut starts to brown, turn off the heat and move the wok from the burner and continue stirring.
4. Allow to cool, then put into a coffee grinder and grind into a fine powder 
5. Put into an airtight jar. This keeps for 6 months in a cool dark place
6. Now for the crab part 
7. Cut, clean and wash the crab and squeeze out excess water
8. Heat oil in a wok, fry onions, ginger and chili for a few minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes.
9. Add the crab, water, salt, turmeric and 4 Tbsp of the spice powder (recipe above) 
10. Stir for a few minutes, add tamarind and sugar, cover and allow to cook on medium heat stirring occasionally 
11. Once the colourof the crab turns orange (approximately 8-10 minutes) the crab is done
12. Check seasoning and adjust as needed
13. Now the garnish
14. Heat oil, add the curry leaves, saute the shallots and pour over the crab curry 
15. Serve with sweet buns 

Hoisin Glazed Salmon

Salmons are rich in Omega-3 fatty acids which is a healthy fat for heart health. It is also a fatty acid that is important for brain and eye development. We are fortunate to live in a country where this fish is abundant and pretty affordable. Salmons, like any other kind of seafood, do not require hours of cooking in the kitchen. In this hoisin glazed salmon recipe, you need no less than 20 minutes cooking time and 4 ingredients. If you are a type of person who likes less than 5 ingredients type of cooking, I am confident this is the one for you. 

Hoisin is a Chinese sauce made with fermented soybeans. It is sweet, umami and quite addictive. It is used commonly in Chinese cooking but also used as a dipping sauce for Vietnamese fresh rice rolls. You can purchase Hoisin sauce in any grocery stores. See below for the recipe and may you enjoy this Omega-3 laden fish in your diet!

Skill Level: Easy

Serves: 2

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 salmon steaks
• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce and another tablespoon for brushing
• Pinch of salt
• Black pepper
• Toasted sesame seeds (optional)
 

METHOD: 

1. Marinate the salmon steaks with 2 tbsp hoisin sauce, salt and pepper. Leave for 10 minutes
2. Heat up oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit and bake the salmon steaks for 10 to 12 minutes. For every 5 minutes, brush the steaks with 1 tbsp hoisin sauce 
3. Once cooked, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds

Note: Cooking time for salmon can be vary, depending on the thickness of the steaks. Adjust accordingly. Once cooked, fish should flake easily with a fork

Salmon with Ginger Infused Teriyaki Glaze

When it comes to making an order at Japanese restaurants, I am always torn between 2 things. Should I order a combo of sushi and sashimi or a teriyaki dish? I love them both yet I won't be able to finish these 2 set of orders. In the end, I always ended up with a bento box as I can get a combination of few pieces of sushi and sashimi and a teriyaki chicken, beef or salmon. 

What makes teriyaki so special? It has a perfect balance of sweet and salty with a hint of ginger. Most of the time, I get disappointment with store-bought teriyaki sauces or glazes. They lack in flavour, overly sweet and thick. Not to mention, they can be expensive as well. You get a bottle from a price range of $2.99 to 5.99 but trust me, if you make your own, you can make plenty of teriyaki sauce with less than 6 dollars. It all takes soy sauce, mirin (Japanese sweet seasoning sauce), ginger, sugar and sake (optional). If you want to make a glaze, you can thicken it with corn starch. Mirin can be easily found in Asian groceries or Asian aisle in local grocery stores such as Loblaws and Canadian Superstore.

Ever since the birth of my son, time has become so valuable that I need to look for simple recipes that do not require hours of cooking in the kitchen. One note though, simple cooking does not mean letting go of flavours. I cannot look further than making a salmon teriyaki. It is simple, fast and easy to make for dinner. This is my version of salmon with teriyaki glaze packed with ginger flavour. I serve it with a bed of stir-fried celery, carrots, zucchinis and onions. You can substitute with your favourite vegetables.

Skill Level: Easy

Serves: 2 but the teriyaki glaze is enough for 4 servings

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pieces of salmon fillet or your favourite fish
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• Green onion and sesame seeds for garnishing

To make teriyaki glaze:

• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp sake (optional)
• 1 tbsp sugar or brown sugar
• thumb size ginger, sliced
• 1 tbsp corn starch and enough water to make a slurry

For vegetables:

• 1 stalk of celery, sliced diagonally
• 1 zucchini, sliced diagonally
• 1 onion, sliced diagonally
• 1 carrot, sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp cooking oil

 METHOD: 

1. In a non-stick pan, heat up 1 tbsp cooking oil. Season salmon fillet with salt and pepper. Please note, teriyaki glaze has enough sodium so do not oversalt your salmon
2. Pan fry salmon for 6 minutes each side. Set aside
3. To make teriyaki glaze: In a small saucepan, combine all teriyaki glaze ingredients with the exception of corn starch. Bring to boil and change to low heat and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add in the corn starch slurry to thicken the sauce. Stir and set aside
4. For vegetables: In a pan, heat up 1 tbsp cooking oil. Add in onion slices and cook until brown. Stir in all vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Again, do not oversalt your vegetables. Saute for 5 minutes. Set aside
5.  On a plate, place the vegetables at the bottom followed with salmon fillet. serve warm and drizzle with teriyaki glaze. You can garnish with sesame seeds and green onion

Sambal Sotong (Spicy Squid)

Ahh....squids...how I hated them when I was young. The minute my mom mentioned we would be having squids for dinner, we knew we were in trouble ... meaning we all had to clean the squids. No work, no dinner! It was not a so-great memory but now, I am thanking my mom for teaching us the skills. Luckily, I no longer have to suffer as I can easily find already-cleaned frozen squids in grocery stores. Yahoo!

One of great ways to enjoy squids is cooking it in a savoury hot sauce. Sambal sotong or spicy squids can be found in every street restaurant in Indonesia and Malaysia. It is spicy yet sweet with a kick of sourness from tamarind. To those of you who love spicy food, this is definitely a must try! 

Skill Level: Easy 

Serves: 4-5

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1 lb already-cleaned frozen squids
• 6 shallots, sliced
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste 
• 3 tbsp brown sugar 
• 4 tbsp all-purpose chili paste (click for recipe)
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• Salt to taste 

 METHOD: 

1. In a deep frying pan, cook squids for 7 to 8 minutes. At this time, they will release all the moisture and start curling up 
2. Remove from pan and drain all the liquid. Set aside
3. In the same pan, add in cooking oil and sauté shallots until fragrant and golden brown
4. Stir in all-purpose chili paste and cook with slow heat for 10 minutes. Cover with a glass lid to prevent splatter
5. Add in tamarind paste, and brown sugar. Cook until the sauce turns deep red
6. Lastly, add in squids and cook for another 5 minutes. Season with salt to your taste 

Assam Udang (Tamarind Prawns)

Assam Udang is an all-time favourite of my friends and family. It does not require a special skill to whip up this elegant dish. A combination of tamarind and kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce) gives a good balance of sweet and sour. Serve this with a side of cucumbers, steamed rice and hot sauce.

Skill Level: Easy

Serves: 3-4

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1 lb jumbo shrimps (8-12 count)
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste
• 3 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy sauce)
• 4 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Toasted sesame seeds (optional) 
• 1/2 cup of boiling water

METHOD: 

1.  Put in tamarind paste into a boil and add in boiling water. Leave for 10-15 minutes until the paste is softened
2. Cut off the pointy part of shrimps with a pair of scissors
3. Place all shrimps in a container. Add in the softened tamarind paste, brown sugar, salt and pepper to taste
4. Let sit for 30 minutes
5. In a non-stick frying pan, heat up oil until smoking 
6. Add in the shrimps, stir until half cooked
7. Add in kecap manis and stir until shrimps are all cooked
8. Serve hot, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds (optional)