Malaysian Cauliflower Rice

Last week I shared a simple cauliflower rice recipe with you all in my weekend round-up, and I've really been enjoying it as a light meal or with a fried egg for a hearty breakfast.  You can make a pretty large batch, depending on the size of your cauliflower head, and it will keep in the refrigerator for a week. I'm not going to try to tweak the recipe that Michelle Tam included on her blog (linked below), because it doesn't need any tweaking.  So, this recipe just shares some seasoning I like, which is a North American play on Nasi Ulam, the traditional Malaysian rice dish. (For a more authentic attempt at the flavors of Nasi Ulam, read about it here.)

Malaysian Cauliflower Rice

Serves 6

One batch of cauliflower rice, brilliantly described here

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/8 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
¼ cup cashews
salt to taste
Sambal olek and lime wedges for serving

In a dry pan over medium-high heat, toast the coconut and cashews, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Wipe out the pan and make the cauliflower rice according to directions above.  When it is cooked, stir in all the chopped herbs and scallions and continue to cook until fragrant, about one minute.  Season with salt, stir in the coconut and cashews, and remove from heat. Serve hot or room temperature with Sambal olek and lime wedges on the side.

Shaved Asparagus Pasta

I had a slightly similar dish to this at Brush Creek Ranch during my artist residency in May, but that one was drowned in greasy tomato sauce and so chocked full of spicy Italian sausage, which all but obliterated the flavor of the asparagus.  This lighter version highlights the end of asparagus season much better, with all respect to "Spoons" in the BC kitchen!

Shaved Asparagus Pasta

Serves 6

1 pound fettuccine
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed and cleaned
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon lime juice
Handful mixed chopped herbs (I like parsley, cilantro, and mint)
2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and finely chopped

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil and cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, prepare the asparagus: after washing and trimming off the woody parts, shave lengthwise into thin sheets with a vegetable peeler or mandolin. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the asparagus, stirring often, until crisp-tender and bright green, about 5 minutes.  Lower to medium-low heat and add the garlic, salt and red pepper flakes, and herbs.  Cook, stirring often, until the garlic is fragrant, about 3 minutes.  Stir in the lime juice and toss with the drained pasta in a large serving bowl.  Sprinkle the chopped eggs on top and serve.

It's the WEEKEND WEEKend WEekend weekend

I so totally want to make this backsplash for my kitchen.  We can collect the supplies in no time!






I'm not always a fan, but this collection of recipes on Food 52 has me hankerin' for an iced coffee.





I may be ruining the secret here, but I want these guys to stay in business, so if you're driving through Greeley, CO, don't cry about it--stop in to our new Speakeasy for a classy cocktail! I have tested them thoroughly for you, dear readers, and I can tell you that they make consistently strong drinks.

I didn't get what the big deal was with cauliflower rice, but now I do.  Try this easy, intelligently designed recipe this weekend! I like mine with fresh herbs and a fried egg on top.






Getting pretty excited to drink beer next week in Fort Collins.

Sweet Potato and Kimchi Quesadillas

This recipe is inspired both by Roy Choi's idea to insert kimchi into, well, everything, and an old sweet potato quesadilla recipe from the original Moosewood Cookbook I used to enjoy in my crunchy undergraduate days back in the early 90s.  You can vary this as much as you want--I'm ambivalent about the need for cheese when kimchi is involved, but it does help hold the thing together, for instance. Use a different grated root vegetable, different herbs or beans, etc.  Whatever your creation becomes, it's a great hand-held for the patio with a crisp glass of beer.

Sweet Potato and Kimchi Quesadillas

Serves 4

Teaspoon olive oil
1 small sweet potato, peeled and grated
½ yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cooked black beans
Handful chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
½ cup kimchi
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 giant flour tortillas

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  When it shimmers, add the onion and cook, stirring constantly, until it starts to get soft.  Add the sweet potato, cumin, and salt and pepper, and continue to cook in the same fashion until the sweet potato is tender, about 8 minutes.  Stir in the black beans, cilantro, and kimchi and heat through.  Remove from heat.

Fill the three tortillas equally with the sweet potato filling, sprinkle equal amounts of cheese in each, and fold over in half.  At this point, you can either wipe out the skillet and fry each quesadilla in a little oil until brown and crisp on both sides, or you can pop them in a 425°F oven on a lined baking sheet and cook until golden (about 5 minutes on each side).  I prefer the oven because I’m not adding more oil to the dish.