Cold Soba Noodle Salad with Peanut and Chicken

Ingredients:

2 batches of soba noodle
3 TBS sesame oil

(for the sauce)
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 chili pepper, chopped
1 TBS garlic, minced
1 TBS ginger, minced
2 TBS lime juice
1 TBS Chinese cooking wine or sherry
1 TBS sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 TBS fish sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 TBS honey
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

(for final dish)
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 cucumber, seeds removed and sliced
1/4-1/2 chicken, without bones and cut into strips/slices
1/4 cup scallions, chopped

(for garnish)
1/2 cup salted redskin peanuts

Instructions:
1) Cook the soba noodles in boiling water for 6 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold running water until thoroughly cooled.
2) Cover the sides of a large bowl with sesame oil; transfer the noodles to the bowl, and toss (with hands!) until coated. Cover and set aside.
3) Combine the ingredients for the sauce. Use a mixer or blender to blend until smooth.
4) Add the sauce and the remaining ingredients to the noodles; toss until mixed.
5) Serve in bowls, topping each with peanuts!

Steamed Tofu with Eggplant

I now present you with another recipe sent to me by Ben Shum, though I believe the credit lies elsewhere; I cite this verbatim because the wording is perfect as it stands.

"slice tofu (medium or soft) in cellphone size pieces
slice eggplant on top or between tofu pieces
put in a bowl and steam till soft (maybe 10-15 minutes)
i think you can just cover the bowl and medium heat (probably need clay bowl)

fry scallions, sliced ginger pieces in oil
pour over tofu & eggplant
splash with soy sauce (or soy sauce for steamed fish)"

Fresh Tofu with Daikon and Ginger

Here's the third recipe I am collecting for fresh, soft tofu, served cold.  Courtesy of Ben Shum.

Ingredients:

Real soft tofu
Bonito flakes
Grated ginger and maybe grated daikon
Scallions
Soy sauce

Directions:

1. Drain tofu and set on a serving dish.
2. Cover with a layer of bonito flakes.
3. Next, add a layer of grated ginger and daikon.
4. Top with chopped scallions.
5. Finally, drizzle some soy sauce over the dish and serve!

Brussels Sprouts with Pistachios

Two of my favorite things in the world in a single dish!  Adapted from a recipe on allrecipes.com. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 pounds Brussels sprouts
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter + 1 TBS butter
  
• 2 small red onions (or 1 large onion), cut into strips
• 3 shallots, chopped.
• 1/8 cup red or rice wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup coarsely chopped pistachios
• 1 garlic bulb

DIRECTIONS

1. Place Brussels sprouts in a medium sized pot with a bit of water and 1 TBS of butter. Cover saucepan and steam 8-10 minutes or until Brussels sprouts are tender yet crisp.
2. Place a bulb of garlic in a small roasting pan, cover with a thin layer of olive oil, and roast at 400 Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes. Separate and set aside.
3. Melt the butter in a deep skillet, add the onions, shallots and 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar; cook until onions brown.
4. Add the Brussels sprouts, sugar and remaining vinegar. Saute over medium heat until the Brussels sprouts are lightly caramelized. Add roasted garlic.
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with pistachios.

Scallops with Lentil, Butternut Squash, Walnuts and Lime Curry

This is a recipe I adapted from www.epicurious.com so as to make it into a main course and enhance it as a seafood dish.

Ingredients:

1 butternut squash
4 large shallots
1 whole garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 teaspoons curry powder
6 teaspoons cumin powder
2 cups small frozen scallops
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup walnuts
2 cups lentils
4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro sprigs
fresh lime juice to taste

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°F.

1. Halve, peel, and seed squash and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Finely chop shallot and in a shallow baking pan toss with squash, oil, curry powder, cumin powder and salt and pepper to taste until combined well. Bake squash mixture in middle of oven until almost tender, about 25 minutes.

2. In another small baking pan, place the whole garlic, drizzle enough olive oil to entirely cover its surface, and roast for the same amount of time as the butternut squash.

3. Sauteed scallops in butter and a bit of curry/cumin until slightly brown. Chop walnuts and mix with scallops; sauteed until walnuts are toasty.

4. In a saucepan of boiling water cook lentils until just tender but not falling apart, about 20 minutes. Drain lentils in a sieve and transfer to a bowl.

5. To lentils add squash mixture, scallops and walnuts, cloves of roasted garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste and toss until combined well.

Tarragorama!

Ingredients:

1 cup or so white rice (depending on how hungry you are)
1 egg
1 avocado
fresh tarragon
generous portions of sesame seeds
freshly cracked pepper
sesame oil

Instructions:

1. While the rice is cooking chop the tarragon, dice the avocado, and toast the sesame seeds.

2. When the rice is done, stir in the sesame oil, sesame seeds, tarragon, and pepper and put it in a bowl.

3. Fry the egg so that the yolk is still a little runny, and drop it on the rice concoction.

4. Top it off with the diced avocado. yum!

Deviled Eggs with Masago

I found the recipe on Epicurious.com and substituted the salmon roe for masago. Find the instructions here: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/107463

Masago

Masago is, I believe, flying fish roe that's used to garnish sushi, salad, and in my case, this awesome salmon dish and these decadent deviled eggs. Buy at the frozen section of most Asian supermarkets.