Months ago Martin Yan came to our town and the cafeteria at -s’s work turned into a Martin Yan Feast for lunch. We went to taste all the yummies, and I fell in love with the lettuce cups. After talking to Martin Yan, he told us the lettuce cup recipe is in his Quick and Easy cookbook. Of course I just had to have that cookbook! These lettuce cups are delicious!
Note: -s loved the lettuce cups too, and after finishing his lunch at the cafeteria, I told him that there were mushrooms in the dish. He didn’t believe me, so when I got the cookbook I showed him the recipe, and sure enough there were mushrooms! Because he liked the dish with the mushrooms in it, he said if I put mushrooms in it, he would eat it! YEAH!!!
Ingredients:
- 4 dried black mushrooms (I used shitake)
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 3 tsp. cornstarch
- 4 tsp. Chinese rice wine
- 2 TBSP vegetable oil
- 2 tsp. minced ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 c. red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 1 c. water chestnuts, finely chopped
- 4 tsp. cilantro, chopped
- Iceberg Lettuce cups
Sauce:
- 1/2 c. hoisin sauce
- 4 tsp. soy sauce
- 3 tsp. chili garlic sauce
- 2 tsp. sesame oil
Directions:
- In a small combine the mushrooms in warm water, cover and soak for about 15 minutes. Drain and discard stems; then coarsely chop.
- In a bowl, combine the turkey, cornstarch, and rice wine and mix well. Let stand for 10 minutes.
- Make sauce by combining all sauce ingredients, mix well and set aside
- Heat skillet over medium high heat, until hot. Add the oil; then add the ginger and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the turkey mixture and stir-fry until crumbly and no longer pink. Add the bell pepper, water chestnuts, and mushrooms, and stir-fry until the pepper is soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cilantro.
- Assemble: In a lettuce cup and the turkey mixture then top with sauce or put sauce on the lettuce and top with turkey mixture.
Martin Yan’s Lettuce Cups:
This recipe comes from Great Food Fast. The only thing I did differently than the recipe is that I marinated the meat for 3 hours as opposed to 30 minutes. I have found the longer you marinate flank steak the better it tastes. I’m sure the steak would still be delicious if you marinate it for the 30 minutes, but if you have the time, marinate for longer.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 c. fresh lime juice
- 2 TBSP soy sauce
- 2 green onion, thinly sliced
- 2 TBSP fresh ginger, minced
- 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper
- 1 1/2 lb flank steak
Directions:
- In a zip loc bag, combine the lime juice, soy sauce, green onions, ginger, and red pepper. Add the steak and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator, turning occasionally, for at least 30 minutes (longer if you can).
- Heat grill. Remove steak from the bag and discard marinade. Cook, turning once, until desired tenderness–6 to 8 minutes for medium rare.
Flank Steak with Lime Marinade:
I’ve never tried making a pasta dish in the crock pot. Today I got creative and made a lasagna. I used the no boil lasagna sheets and made a spinach and ricotta filling (trying to get veggies in wherever I can). Everyone really liked it. I thought the pasta was a bit over cooked, so next time I’ll start checking at the 2 hour mark. You would never guess this came from a crock pot!
Ingredients:
- 9 oz. fresh spinach leaves
- 15 oz. ricotta cheese
- 1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3/4 c. grated pecorino romano cheese, divided
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- 1 lb. fresh mozzarella, sliced
- 1 26 oz. jar of pasta sauce
- 1 package of no boil lasagna noodles (12 sheets)
Directions:
- In a food processor, pulse the spinach in two batches until finely chopped.
- In a medium bowl, combine spinach, ricotta, Italian seasoning, salt, 1/2 c. percorino, and eggs.
- Spray your crock with cooking spray. Add about 1/4 sauce to the crock; layer with the lasagna noodles (break the noodles if necessary to fit your crock; add a layer of the spinach ricotta mixture; then layer with mozzarella; then layer with about 1/4 c. sauce. Repeat until you get to the top layer, ending with sauce (my top layer was pasta, sauce, and pecorino). Sprinkle top layer with remaining 1/4 c. pecorino romano cheese.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours (start checking at the 2 hour mark for desired doneness).
Crock Pot Lasagna Florentine:
I had some red peppers that needed to get used up, and it was a Thursday, so I needed a crock pot dinner. The recipe below is my version of a recipe I came across. It was pretty good, and one that I will make again when we are in need of a tasty crock pot dinner, especially since the kiddos liked the chicken (albeit dipped in ketchup).
Ingredients:
- cooking spray
- 2 bell peppers, sliced thick (I used 2 reds, but use what you like)
- 1/2 medium onion, sliced thick
- 1 lb. chicken breast, cut into strips
- 1/4 c. brown sugar
- 1/4 c. corn starch
- 1 c. pineapple juice (juice from one large can)
- 1/4 rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 c. water
- 1 TBSP soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- Pineapple chunks from large can
- hot rice
Directions:
- Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Place onions, peppers, and chicken in crock pot. In a small bowl combine brown sugar through salt, and mix well. Pour over chicken, onions, and peppers.
- Cook on HIGH for 2 hours, take lid off and stir in pineapple and cook until pineapple is warmed, a few minutes.
Crock Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken:
With a bumper tomato crop this year, we’ve had to figure out more ways to use up the pounds and pounds of fresh tomatoes. This sauce is absolutely delicious. I didn’t strain the sauce, because the seeds don’t both us, but if you don’t want the seeds in your sauce, strain the sauce through a mesh strainer.
Ingredients:
- 8 c. garden fresh tomatoes, halved (I used mostly grape and roma tomatoes)
- olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 tsp. thyme
- 2 tsp. Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- sugar to taste (I didn’t need any, but it all depends on how ripe and sweet your tomatoes are)
- hot pasta
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400. Place tomatoes on a baking sheet and liberally toss with olive oil and salt. Roast in the oven until skins start turning black, about 30 to 45 minutes. You can remove the skins from larger tomatoes, but don’t waste your time with the smaller grape tomatoes.
- Put tomatoes and all the juices in the food processor until everything is well combined.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add tomatoes from the food processor, and season with thyme, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and sugar (if needed). Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least 15 minutes.
- Serve over hot pasta.
Fresh Tomato Sauce:
My version of Fusilli Caprese is based on Giada’s recipe. I added more tomatoes, basil, and cheese to my version, and Giada’s recipe recipe doesn’t have the crushed red pepper in it. I think it needs that little bit of heat, otherwise the dish is lacking something. I made the dish without the crushed red pepper, and -s and I both added the crushed red pepper to our servings and liked it much better that way. Our pickiest eater loved this, which was shocking, since he generally will not eat tomatoes, unless it’s ketchup or pasta sauce from a jar.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. fusilli pasta
- 3 TBSP olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 c. cherry tomatoes, quartered (about 1 1/2 pints)
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. crushed red pepper (or to taste)
- 1 c. packed fresh basil leaves, torn
- 10-12 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
- In a medium skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. As the tomatoes cook and soften, smash them with a fork. Continue to cook until the tomatoes make a chunky style sauce, about 4 minutes. Transfer the tomato sauce to the bowl with the pasta. Toss to combine. Add the basil leaves and mozzarella. Stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the pasta is moist (I didn’t need to do this, but it probably depends on how juicy your tomatoes are.
Fusilli alla Caprese:
This recipe comes from the August 2007 issue of Cooking Light. It was delicious. The chicken tasted great, and the marinade would be great for a fajita marinade. The Watermelon-Jalapeno salsa was also delicious and the kiddos even ate it! Excellent summer dish!
Ingredients:
- 1 TBSP chopped fresh oregano
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1 tsp. chili powder
- 3/4 tsp. ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
- Cooking spray
- 2 c. (1/2-inch) cubed seeded watermelon
- 1 c. (1/2-inch) cubed peeled ripe mango
- 1/4 c. finely chopped red onion
- 1/2 c. finely chopped red bell pepper
- 2 TBSP chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 jalapeno, finely chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- 1/4 tsp. salt
Directions:
- Combine first 6 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Marinate in refrigerator up to 4 hours, turning bag occasionally.Prepare grill.
- Place chicken on a grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 5 minutes on each side or until done. Combine watermelon and remaining ingredients. Serve watermelon mixture with chicken.
Marinated Chicken Breasts with Watermelon-Jalapeno Salsa:
I found this recipe at A Year of CrockPotting. The Crockpot Lady got it from Rachael Ray. I thought this dish tasted really good, and it was really good the next day for lunch. It had really great flavor, and since I think so many crockpot recipes are light in flavor, I was really pleased with this dish. I’m always looking for good crockpot recipes for those busy weeknights that are filled with my kiddos’ activities. I’ll definitely put this dish in the crockpot rotation. You can skip the chicken and make this vegetarian or you can add tofu at the end.
Ingredients:
- 1 13.5 oz can coconut milk (if you use light, add some cream to finish the sauce at the end)
- 1TBSP brown sugar
- 1 TBSP soy sauce
- 1 1/2 TBSP Thai red or green chili paste, or more or less to taste
- 1 tsp. fish sauce
- 2-3 inch knob of ginger, minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb. chicken breast, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 sweet potato, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 yellow onion, rough chop into large pieces
- 1 small eggplant, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 red pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 green pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
- Lime, quartered
- Hot white rice
- Garnish with cilantro, green onions, basil, and/or peanuts
Directions:
- Combine coconut milk, brown sugar, soy sauce, chili paste, fish sauce, ginger, and garlic in the crockpot. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Then add the sweet potato, onion, eggplant and peppers.
- Cook on HIGH for 2 hours. If you used light coconut milk, stir in some cream to thicken the sauce and give the sauce some richness.
Crockpot Thai Red Curry:
This is one of our summertime go to dishes. The salsa is delicious over grilled chicken, and you can make it as spicy or mild as you like depending on how much hot peppers you add. It’s super easy to make and always a crowd pleaser.
Ingredients:
- 2 mangoes, diced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 c. cilantro, minced
- 1 small serrano pepper, minced (seeded and deveined)
- Juice of 1 or 2 limes
- Salt to taste
Directions:
- Combine everything and serve over grilled chicken.
Mango Salsa:
Published by Rachel June 29th, 2008
in Daring Bakers.
***
Ingredients
For the dough (Detrempe)
- 1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/3 cup sugar
- Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
- 2 large eggs, chilled
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the butter block (Beurrage)
- 1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
DOUGH
- Combine yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Mix well. Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Without a standing mixer: Combine yeast and milk in a bowl with a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk. Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice and mix well. Sift flour and salt on your working surface and make a fountain. Make sure that the “walls” of your fountain are thick and even. Pour the liquid in the middle of the fountain. With your fingertips, mix the liquid and the flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards the edges. When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth and easy to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes. You might need to add more flour if the dough is sticky.
BUTTER BLOCK
- Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature.
- After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
- Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.
APPLE FILLING
Ingredients
- 4 Fuji or other apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions:
- Toss all ingredients except butter in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat until slightly nutty in color, about 6 - 8 minutes. Then add the apple mixture and sauté until apples are softened and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes. If you’ve chosen Fujis, the apples will be caramelized, but have still retained their shape. Pour the cooked apples onto a baking sheet to cool completely before forming the braid. (If making ahead, cool to room temperature, seal, and refrigerate.) They will cool faster when spread in a thin layer over the surface of the sheet. After they have cooled, the filling can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Left over filling can be used as an ice cream topping, for muffins, cheesecake, or other pastries.
DANISH BRAID
Makes enough for 2 large braids
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Danish Dough (see below)
- 2 cups apple filling, jam, or preserves (see below)
- For the egg wash: 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
- Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet.
- Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.
- Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.
Egg Wash
- Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.
Proofing and Baking
- Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid. Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.
- Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.
