Cauliflower with Scallions and Ham

I guess I am on a vegetable kick. I've been craving them and cooking them a lot since I've  gotten home from LA. I realized tonight that I've made this dish many times and never posted it so I am rectifying that oversight. Cauliflower is a favorite vegetable of mine. I like how it can change so easily based on how you cook it. I've mashed it like potatoes and chopped it up to make a salad. I roast it and stir fry it. Cauliflower is another brassica that contains anti cancer properties and in Chinese Medicine, it is said to strengthen the spleen and lubricate the intestines. So like most vegetables, it is really healthy and I want to give you more ways to make it even more delicious.

This dish is an Asian and an American Southern fusion. In China, they eat a lot of ham that tastes a lot like Virginia Ham.  And that's the ham of choice for Chinese cooks in America.  It's a very dry and salty ham and I like it and use it, especially in soups. But a number of years ago, I discovered Country Ham from Tennessee and it is has since become my favorite. It has a softer texture and is also very salty and just has a taste that I can't resist. To be honest, I like it better than bacon. So, I substitute Country Ham in this classic Chinese dish and in almost every other Chinese dish that requires a bit of ham. If you can't find Country Ham, you can replace it with any really salty ham, but I would recommend either using the more traditional Virginia Ham or any unsmoked bacon - even salt pork or pancetta can be used. This dish starts as a simple stir fry that requires some chicken broth to braise steam the cauliflower.  It takes only minutes to make and I've been known to eat only this for lunch because I love it so much.  

Cauliflower with Scallions and Ham

1 large head of cauliflower, florets cut off the stalk and cut into bite sized pieces

5 green onions/scallions, root end cut off and cut into small pieces

1/2 cup of diced Country Ham

1/2 cup diluted chicken broth (3/4 cup chicken broth, 1/4 cup water)

1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil

Heat oil in a wok and add in green onions and Country Ham. Cook until the green onions just start to brown and the Country Ham changes to a more opaque color.  Add in the Cauliflower and stir to coat with oil. Pour in chicken broth and keep tossing cauliflower. Cook until the chicken broth is nearly evaporated and the cauliflower is tender but still crunchy.  If you like softer cauliflower, add a bit more chicken broth and cook longer.

Five Element Analysis

Cauliflower is a white vegetable so it belongs to the Metal Element. The green onions/scallions add even more metal so this is a primarily Metal dish. The Country ham brings in the Water Element and the Chicken Broth contributes the Wood Element.  So, serve this dish in a meal that needs more Metal and with other foods that cover the missing Earth and Fire Elements.  

Gailan Dim Sum Restaurant Style

Gailan is a wonderful green vegetable that is often called Chinese Broccoli. It is part of the same Brassica family, but has more leaves, some little flower buds and a stronger, slightly bitter taste. You eat almost all of it so very little goes to waste and it has a very crunchy stalk. I most often ate Gailan at Dim Sum restaurants when I was young, where it was blanched at table side and served with a drizzle of oyster sauce.  So, I decided many years ago to make it just a bit better.  I also blanch the Gailan in boiling water for only three minutes and then I make a sauce of garlic, oyster sauce and chicken broth that I pour on top. My kids loved it and it is served often at my house.  Like all of the vegetables in the Brassica family, it is a nutritional superstar.  It is full of potassium, magnesium and calcium along with many other vitamins. If you like Dim Sum like I do, you've probably tried Gailan. But if you have never made it at home - I encourage you to try making it.  Gailan is wonderful, delicious vegetable!

Gailan Dim Sum Restaurant Style

1 pound of Gailan, washed and bottom 1 - 2 inches trimmed off

1/4 cup Oyster Sauce

1/4 cup Chicken Broth

1 teaspoon Tamari

1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper

3 large cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced thin

1/2 Tablespoon vegetable oil

In a large pot, heat about 4 inches of water until it comes to a boil. Drop in the Gailan and reduce heat and cook for 3 minutes.  Remove from water with tongs and place on a large serving platter.  Then heat a small frying pan with the vegetable oil.  Put in garlic and cook until it just begins to brown.  Stir in Oyster Sauce and Chicken Broth and Black Pepper. Cook until it just begins to boil and then take off heat and pour the sauce over the Gailan. Serve immediately.

Five Element Analysis

Gailan is clearly a Wood Element food as it is leafy and green and the chicken broth adds even more of the Wood Element.  The Oyster Sauce and Tamari bring in the Water Element and the only trace of Fire is the bit of black pepper.  And it is missing the Earth Element. So, serve this dish with foods that contain both Fire and Earth to create a balanced meal. 

Cajun Spiced Fried Okra

My father was from Virginia, which is considered a partially Southern state. But he was born in Alabama, so that makes him a legitimate Southerner. So, when I wasn't having Chinese food, or going out for Mexican, he would encourage me to make him some of his favorite Southern dishes.  One of the things he really enjoyed was Fried Okra. For those of you who dislike Okra's mucilaginous interior, frying them makes them crisp and delectable with no slime!  They taste something like Fried Zucchini, only better. He liked things a bit spicy, so I learned to add some spices to the traditional cornmeal and salt coating and ended up discovering how to make a basic Cajun Seasoning Mix. It's a simple combination of Garlic and Onion Powder, some Paprika, Cayenne and a little Oregano and Thyme.  It creates quite a magical little seasoning mix that I find useful for lots of other dishes too, but if you are feeling lazy, you can always use about teaspoon or more of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning Mix instead. 

The okra doesn't take very long to cook so if you are afraid of deep fried food, you should know that if your oil is hot enough, the coating browns quickly and doesn't soak in, so you are really not eating much oil. But, for me, this is simply such a delicious dish that I don't care about it being fried. I just have to indulge in it once in a while. And, as I have mentioned in a previous post about Okra, it has some wonderful properties for your digestion so it makes up for the way it is cooked. I serve it with Ketchup and also Ranch Dressing for my kids, but I like it plain.  It's so good!

Cajun Spiced Fried Okra

1 pound of Okra, rinsed with top stem and bottom tip cut off, then cut into rings (about 1/3")

1 egg white

1 cup Cornmeal (medium grind)

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1/8 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 teaspoon Paprika

1/8 teaspoon Onion Powder

A pinch of dried Oregano

A pinch of dried Thyme

Sprinkle of Black Pepper

Oil for frying

Heat a deep frying pan over medium high heat (I use a wok) filled with oil up to about 2 inches.  In a large bowl, mix the Okra with the egg white and coat thoroughly.  In another bowl, blend together the Cornmeal, the Salt, Cayenne Pepper and the Garlic and Onion Powders.  Crumble in the Oregano and Thyme and add in the Black Pepper.  Pour over the Okra and mix, tossing with your hands.  Put in about 1/4 to 1/3 of the Okra into the frying pan and cook until the Okra is golden brown.  Remove with a wire basket and add in the next batch.  Keep cooking until all the Okra is cooked. Serve immediately with Ketchup and Ranch Dressing.

Five Element Analysis

Okra is both a Wood and Earth food and the Cornmeal adds even more Earth. The egg white and salt contribute the Water Element, whereas the Cayenne Pepper, Paprika and Black Pepper bring in the Fire Element.  The Garlic and Onion Powder along with the Oregano and Thyme make sure the Metal Element is also present. So, guess what?  This is a balanced little snack and my father enjoyed it most with a cold beer - more of the Fire Element!

  

Tamari Eggplant

My it has been a busy time with family. My oldest son has moved to Denmark to start graduate school and my mother has moved to a wonderful new Assisted Living apartment in Palos Verdes and I have been helping everybody get packed and moved!  Needless to say, it didn't leave much time for cooking and I have been going out to eat a lot.  Now that I am finally back home in Seattle, I plan on cooking every day for weeks!  I don't even want to think about going to a restaurant.  So, I went shopping at the 99 Ranch Market yesterday and bought lots of great fresh vegetable and tonight I made one of my favorite eggplant dishes, Tamari Eggplant. It is an incredibly simple preparation that only requires that you buy Chinese Eggplant for the best results, which are long and slender and purple. You can also use the Japanese version that are long and slender and lighter purple. But the large Globe Eggplants just don't turn out as well. These Asian kinds of eggplant don't require any salting - just cut them up, saute them and sprinkle with Tamari - that's it!  The only secret is to use butter for the saute, which blends beautifully with the Tamari to make a delectable Umami flavor.  If you like eggplant, this is a new recipe for you!

Tamari Eggplant

2 - 3 Chinese Eggplant, ends removed and cut into large dice

4 Tablespoons Butter

2 - 3 teaspoons Tamari

Heat a large frying pan and melt the butter.  Put in the Eggplant pieces and saute until lightly browned and soft.  Sprinkle on Tamari and turn off the heat when tossing. Serve immediately.

Five Element Analysis

This is a Water dish all the way - the eggplant is a Water food and so is the Tamari and the butter.  Your kidneys, adrenals and reproductive organs will thank you for this food! Only the Umami flavor that is created adds a hint of the Metal Element.  So, add this dish to any meal that is missing the Water Element to make a balanced meal.

Tomatillo Salsa Crudo

I am still obsessed with Mexican food since I came back, but my excuse is that it has always been one of my favorite cuisines. After all, growing up in LA is a lot like living in a suburb of Mexico City. Last week, I ate a lot of Salsa Verde and I was missing it so I ran to the store to buy tomatillos to make some. They were on sale so I bought a lot!  Tomatillos look a lot like green tomatoes, and they are related, but they are really more closely related part to Gooseberries and they have a charming little husk covering them up. These papery husks must be removed and the slightly sticky residue needs to be washed off before you cut them up. Now, I like my salsas chunky, so I hand chop everything, but if you like your salsa to be smoother, you can puree this salsa in a food processor or blender to create the consistency that you prefer. These fruits are also good for you. In Chinese Medicine, Tomatillos are considered an antibacterial food and are especially good for inflammation, respiratory conditions, abscesses, coughs, fevers and sore throats. Most important though, is that that they have a lovely tart flavor. While they are in season, this salsa is definitely worth making!

Tomatillo Salsa Cruda

1 pound fresh Tomatillos, husked, rinsed and chopped into small pieces

1 fresh Serrano Chili, seeded and minced

1/2 large Onion, minced

2 Garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup water

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil

Handful of cilantro – stems removed and leaves chopped

Juice of one lime

1 teaspoon of agave syrup (or 1/2 teaspoon of sugar)

Salt to taste

Heat oil in a frying pan and add onions and garlic. Cook until just wilted and translucent.  Add in the Tomatillos, water and Serrano Chili.  Cook for 15 minutes.  Stir in the lime juice, the cilantro and lime and salt to taste.  Serve with Tortilla chips.

Five Element Analysis

Tomatillos are green and sour so they belong to the Wood Element and the lime juice adds even more Wood. The Serrano Chili contributes the Fire Element and the cilantro, garlic and onions bring in the Metal Element. The agave syrup adds just a hint of Earth so serving this salsa with Tortilla Chips made with corn makes sure that the Earth Element is completely present. Only the Water Element is missing, so this is also a good sauce to serve with eggs, fish or pork or as a prelude to a soup course.  

Mexican Jicama Salad

I had a wonderful time in Mexico City last week and one of the recipes I came back with was a super simple little salad made with Jicama, limon (lime juice), chili powder and salt. The chili powder turned the salad a nice light pink color too. Jicama is often served as an appetizer sliced on a plate with lime and salt for dipping and this is a jumbled version of that. I found it to be a very refreshing salad and it was a wonderful side dish that contrasted nicely with all of the soft cooked meat, beans and rice that we were consuming.  

Jicama can be found in most large supermarkets these days and if you haven't tried it - you should.  It is a wonderful root vegetable with a brown skin. It is composed mostly of soluble fiber and is low in calories. It is high in potassium and has a low glycemic index and is a prebiotic and contains inulin that helps you absorb calcium from other foods. It doesn't really have much flavor, but it does have a wonderful juicy crunch that is quite a bit like fresh water chestnuts.  I am very fond of JIcama as I love crunchy foods and this is a version that I will definitely serve again!

Mexican Jicama Salad

1 large Jicama, peeled and cut into julienned pieces

Juice of 2 limes

1 teaspoon Honey

1/2 teaspoon Chili Powder

1/8 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

Drizzle of olive oil

Mix lime juice, honey, chili powder, Cayenne Pepper and salt together.  Taste and adjust salt and sugar accordingly.  Toss with the Jicama pieces and serve.

Five Element Analysis

Jicama, as a root vegetable is clearly from the Earth Element and the honey brings in just a bit more so this is mostly an Earthy  dish. The limes and olive oil add the Wood Element and the Chili Powder and Cayenne Pepper contribute a bit of the Fire Element and the salt adds a hint of the Water Element.  The Metal Element is missing.  So,this dish clearly needs to be served along other foods to create balance. Consider serving this salad with Carnitas (pork) tacos along with pinto beans - both Water foods; lots of hot salsa, which contributes more of the Fire Element; and rice, which adds the Metal Element.