Adobong Tadyang (Filipino Short Ribs)

A friend on facebook has made this dish twice and his wife raved about the unique flavors. I figured I had to give it a shot! And wow, it really is great! I couldn't find sherry vinegar. (I was able to find sherry cooking wine, but not sherry vinegar, so I substituted with red wine vinegar. I think the sherry vinegar would have had a bit more fullness and less acidity, so to compensate, I added a few tablespoons of brown sugar.) The end result was really tasty, and my friend's wife was right - it's a flavor I haven't had before and can't wait to have again!

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tbsp. canola oil
• 4 beef short ribs
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 1½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup coconut milk
• ¾ cup sherry vinegar
• ¾ cup soy sauce
• 24 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 small red Thai chiles
• Cooked white rice, for serving (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Heat oil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high. Season ribs with salt and ½ tsp. pepper; working in batches, cook, turning as needed, until browned, about 15 minutes. Using a spoon, discard excess oil from pan. Stir in remaining pepper, the stock, coconut milk, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and chiles; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered and stirring occasionally, until meat is falling off the bone, 2½–3 hours. Transfer ribs to a serving platter; keep warm. Simmer sauce over medium-high until thickened, 18–20 minutes; pour over ribs. Serve with rice, if you like.

Basted Flank Steak on Freekeh and Beet Salad

This was my second Blue Apron meal, and it was quite tasty! I've never cooked freekeh or beats before, but it was really easy and delicious! I'd make this again in a heartbeat. The blue cheese really evened out the acid of the salad, and complimented the steak.

http://www.blueapron.com/recipes/flat-iron-steaks-with-freekeh-beet-salad-gorgonzola

Perfectly Pan Roasted Chicken Thighs with Sautéed Swiss Chard

This method of cooking chicken was a God send when I started the paleo-esque diet. I missed fried chicken SO much - the crispy skin, the juicy chicken...but this recipe gives you just that...every time, and without the breading!

Chicken thighs are hands down my favorite part of the chicken (aside from the Pope's Nose!) Because it's dark meat, it very rarely gets dry when cooked. The meat-to-bone ratio is perfect for a sit down dinner. And because one side is flat, it's very easy to arrange in a pan and maximize crispy skin.

I found this recipe on epicurious.com a while back. But do you notice the extra topping on the Swiss chard? What is that deliciousness, you ask? It's crispy chicken skin! Yes! Think of bacon bits, but made of chicken instead! Trust me on that one...it's worth it.

INGREDIENTS:

- 2 lbs BONE-IN chicken thighs, SKIN ON (this is usually 4 thighs)

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- salt and pepper to taste

- swiss chard, chopped

- 1 tsp sesame oil

- 1 tbsp mirin (sweet sake)

- 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

1) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

2) Pat dry the chicken thighs, and trim off the excess skin that wraps around the back/bone-side of the thigh.

3) Flatten the excess skin and pay dry.

4) Season the chicken thighs and skin with salt and pepper. (If you're adventurous, throw some other seasoning on as well. This time, I sprinkled on some curry powder.)

5) Heat an iron skillet (or heavy bottom stainless steel pan that can also go into an oven) on high.

6) When the skillet is hot but before it starts smoking, gently place the thighs in the pan, skin side down. Cook for 2 minutes, then reduce to medium high. In the spare areas in the skillet, tuck in the chicken skin, trying to keep them as flat as possible.

7) Once you've reduced the heat, let the chicken cook for another 13 minutes, trying not to move the thighs at all. (You want to allow the skin to crisp up, and this only happens if you leave them alone for a bit.)

8) After those 13 minutes, flip the excess chicken skin (NOT the chicken thighs!) and move the pan to the oven and cook an additional 12 minutes.

9) NOW it's time to flip the chicken thighs! (I get so excited at this point and always use my spatula to tap the skin toake sure it's crispy - it always is!)

10) Cook the thighs a final 5 minutes after you've flipped it.

11) Remove from the oven and place on a plate to allow them to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

12) You'll notice some fat in the iron skillet leftover from the chicken. Use it! Just place the pan back on the stove and toss in the chopped Swiss chard and sauté it with the sesame oil, garlic, mirin and soy sauce. 

13) Break apart the excess chicken skin (which should have the consistency of super crispy bacon at this point) and use that to too the sautéed Swiss chard. 

14) ENJOY!

Paleo Shake 'N Bake and Roasted Asparagus

Apologies for the mid-meal photo. I didn't plan on posting this recipe, but Jonathan liked it so much that he insisted I take a pic while we were eating to share it.

Who remembers Shake 'N Bake?! I sure do...it was the first thing I learned how to cook. But unlike most folks who used it for regular pieces of chicken, in my family we used it with frozen chicken wings. I loved it then, and thanks to Natalie Rogers, was reminded in my adult life of how awesome Shake 'N Bake remains.

But in our ever attempt at eating as close to paleo as possible, regular Shake 'N Bake isn't an option. So I found a copycat recipe, and used almond meal instead of flour. Best place to get almond meal? Trader Joes! (By the way, I think the only difference between almond "meal" and "flour" is how fine it is, and the color. I think meal has remnants of the almond skin (so it'll be a bit darker) and isn't quite as fine. Almond flour seems to be a bit more expensive, so I stick to almond meal.) This recipe makes a ton - I quartered the recipe and it was enough for two thick cut pork chops.

Paleo Shake 'N Bake

- 4 cups almond meal

- 1/3 cup paleo-friendly oil (I used EVOO)

- 1 tbsp salt

- 1 tbsp paprika

- 1 tbsp celery salt

- 1 tsp ground black pepper

- 1/2 tsp garlic powder

- 1/4 tsp onion powder

- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning 

Whisk all ingredients together making sure to break up the clumps that the oil makes. Use what you need, store the rest in a mason jar.

For the pork chops, I baked them at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Roasted Asparagus with Feta

Toss a bunch of asparagus in olive oil, salt and pepper.

Move the rack to the bottom third of the oven. Bake at 500 degrees for 7 minutes for thin asparagus, 10-11 for thick. Make sure to toss the asparagus half way through. Top with crumbled feta before serving.

Vietnamese Stuffed Tomatoes - Ca Chua Nhoi Thit

I couldn't get a good after pic worthy of displaying as the first pic for this recipe. Seriously though, I can't believe I haven't made these before. And for those reading, I have a special treat for you: the filling for these tomatoes is...wait for it...the same as the filling for my Vietnamese egg rolls! Ta-da!!

Really though, this is another one of those very traditional Vietnamese dishes that you'll very rarely find in a restaurant. And, ugh, I always feel lame typing this, but if you skip the bean thread noodles like I did, this is a paleo-friendly dish.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 lb ground pork

- 1/2 lb the cheapest (smallest) raw shrimp sold at the seafood counter

- 1 tsp fish sauce (and add'l to taste)

- 1 tsp honey

- 1 tsp ground pepper

- 2 tbsp diced shallots

- 1/4 cup woodear mushrooms, dried (sometimes labeled in Asian grocery stores as "black fungus")

- 1 bunch of bean thread noodles

- 4 large beefsteak tomatoes

- 1 tbsp minced garlic

DIRECTIONS

1) Fill two separate bowls with warm water. In one bowl, place the dried mushrooms. In the other, place the dried bean thread noodles. Here's a pic of what the dried mushrooms look like before and after they've been re-hydrated.

2) Coursely chop the shrimp and place in a bowl.

3) Add pork and all other ingredients except the tomatoes and garlic into the bowl with the shrimp. (If you wanna splurge, feel free to substitute with crab meat here!) 

4) Mix with your hands until ingredients are blended. (Get messy!!) Set aside.

5) Cut the tomatoes in half horizontally, and core out the insides, placing the pulp in a medium sized bowl.

6) Using a potato masher, mash the tomato pulp so that there are no longer any large chunks. Set aside.

7) Scoop the pork meat into the tomatoes so that they heap over the tomato just a bit (less than a centimeter. See very first picture.)

8) In a pan, toss in the oil and garlic and sauté two minutes.

9) Place the tomatoes in, meat facing down so that it browns first. Pour in the tomato pulp around the edges of the tomatoes. (I had some extra meat that wouldn't fit into a tomato so I just cooked it like a meatball.)

10) Cook on medium high for about 15 minutes, covered.

11) Flip the tomatoes ONCE (carefully) and continue to cook for another five minutes, uncovered.

12) When the meat is done, remove the tomatoes and continue to reduce the sauce until a decent layer covers the back of a spoon.

13) when the sauce is done, spoon some on top of the tomatoes and serve!

Green Papaya Salad with Grilled Steak

This is Bobby Flay's take on a Vietnamese staple. I made a few changed to his recipe, using my own version of Nuoc Cham as the salad dressing. The recipe is a bit labor intensive (julienning the papaya taking the most time), but you get a refreshing result. A great salad for a summer night.

Steak Marinade

 

- 4 cloves garlic, chopped

- 1 Thai chile pepper, chopped

- 2 tbsp soy sauce

- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

- 2 tbsp honey

- 1/4 cup oil

- 1.5 lb beef (tenderloin is a good choice)

1) Place all ingredients in a bag and marinate for 30-60 min.

Nuoc Cham (aka Viet Dipping Sauce)

- 3 tbsp fresh like juice

- 2 tbsp honey

- 1/2 cup water

- 2.5 tbsp fish sauce

- 1 small garlic clove, crushed

1) Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Let sot for at least 30 min. Makes 3/4 cup.

Papaya Salad Ingredients

- 1 whole green papaya, julienned

- a bunch of watercress, chopped

- half a cucumber, chopped

- fresh cilantro for garnishing

- 1 whole avocado, sliced

RECIPE DIRECTIONS

Ever seen a green papaya?

1) Peel the papaya, then chop it in half. Here's what you'll see...

2) Scoop out the seeds, and with your julienne tool, julienne the papaya so that you get a big pile of spaghetti looking strings.

3) Pour 2/3 of the dressing over the papaya. This will sweat the papaya a bit (water will release from the papaya itself.

4) Cook the steak on your favorite iron skillet to a beautiful rare. (Or, if you're a chicken, medium rare. Anything more done than that you probably shouldn't even be reading this blog.)

5) When the steak is done, set aside to 5 minutes on a plate. (It's still cooking.)

6) Add watercress, cucumber and cilantro to the papaya. Mix it all together. (Don't be afraid to use your hands.)

7) Plate the papaya salad, making sure to let any excess dressing drop off before placing it on your plate or in your bowl.

8) Ice the avocado and steak and arrange on top of the salad.

9) Drizzle the remaining dressing on the salad, and enjoy!

Thai Coconut Soup

This soup is AWESOME...maybe one of my favorite soups to date. (And, bore, it's also paleo-friendly, assuming of course, that you have paleo-friendly fish sauce. Red Boat Brand Fish Sauce, found at many Asian grocery stores, is just that!)

INGREDIENTS

- 1 lb. shrimp, shell on

- 1 bone-in chicken thigh (skinless)

- 3 bok choy plants, chopped

- 1/2 lb. shiitake mushrooms, sliced

- 4 cups chicken broth 

- 3 tbsp fish sauce

- 3 (13.5 oz) cans coconut milk

- 1 lemongrass stalk

- 2 tbsp ginger, grated

- 1 tbsp red curry paste

- 1 tbsp. honey

- 2 tbsp lime juice (juice from one whole lime)

- fresh cilantro, chopped

- avocado, sliced

A note about shrimp shells before I start. You will never know me to buy shrimp without shells. I'm an avid believer of using as much of an animal as you can, not just because it makes me feel better (and because I'm frugal), but rather there's usually always a good use for each part of the animal. The shells of shrimp, much like the bones of chicken or beef or pork, have a TON of flavor. And if you want to make a flavor-filled stock and soup, make sure to use shrimp shells! More on how below...

DIRECTIONS

1) Peel the shrimp and set aside the shells. Devein the shrimp and set aside in a small bowl.

2) In a large dutch oven, pour in a little oil and heat to medium high. Place the chicken thigh in the middle of the pot, along with the shrimp shells. 

3) Brown the chicken, while tossing the shrimp shells, which should start to turn pink. Do this for about 4-5 minutes.

4) Chop the top part of the lemongrass stalk off, using the bottom 4-5 inches. Slice the stalk in half, lengthwise.

4) Add the grated ginger, curry paste, and lemongrass stalk and stir so that it covers all the shells and chicken thigh. Sauté until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.

5) Slowly pour in the chicken broth and stir, making sure to get any bits from the bottom of the pan. Heat until boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer this broth for about 20 minutes.

6) Strain the stock so that all the shells are removed. Pour the stock back into the Dutch oven, along with the chicken thigh.

7) Add the coconut milk, fish sauce, honey, sliced mushrooms and simmer for another 15 minutes. Taste the broth and adjust accordingly, remembering that it'll be a bit tart once the lime juice is added.

8) Add the shrimp, bok choy and lime juice.

9) Remove the chicken thigh and cut off the meat, throwing the pieces back into the pot.

9) Serve with freshly chopped cilantro and sliced avocado. (Winner gets the chicken thigh bone!)