Oyster Mushroom Tacos with Sweet Mango Salsa

Tacos

1 medium onion, chopped
1 Red, Green, and/or Yellow Bell Peppers, medium dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
5 ounces Oyster Mushrooms, shredded
8 (6 inch) flour or corn tortillas, warmed
salt
pepper


Salsa

1 mango, small dice
1/4 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
1/2 red onion, small dice
1 tablespoon brown sugar or agave

Directions:

To make the Mushroom Filling: In medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms until soft and lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano and let cook a few more minutes until fragrant. If spices stick to the skillet, add water as needed. Add black beans and let cook until heated through. Adjust seasoning to taste.

To make the Sweet Mango Salsa: Toss all the ingredients together in a small bowl.

To assemble the tacos: Fill tortillas with the Mushroom Filling and top with a spoonful of Sweet Mango Salsa.

Lettuce Wraps (Lettuce-wrapped Chicken)

Ingredients:
1 lb. boneless and skinless chicken breast (ground)
3 dried shitake mushrooms (soaked in warm water until soft, remove stems and chopped finely)
3 cloves garlic (chopped finely)
2 fresh water chestnuts (chopped finely)
2 tablespoons cooking oil

Marinate:
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon kecap manis (sweet soy sauce) or dark soy sauce (for coloring)
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 stalk scallion (finely chopped)
3 dashes white pepper powder
1 fresh and cold iceberg lettuce head

Hoisin-Ponzu Dipping Sauce:
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon Japanese ponzu sauce
1/2 teaspoon Sriracha chili sauce
1 tablespoon warm water (to dilute the dipping sauce)

Sweet Chili Sauce:
4 tablespoons Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce
Some cilantro leaves (chopped)
1/2 tablespoon lime juice

Method:
Mix the ground chicken meat, chopped mushrooms and water chestnuts with all the marinate ingredients. Set aside for 15 minutes.

Mix the dipping sauces and set aside. Heat up a wok and add the cooking oil. Saute the garlic until light brown and then add the chicken. Stir-fry the ground chicken and break up the lumps so they form nice small pieces. Continue to stir-fry until the chicken is cooked. Dish out and set aside.

Carefully peel off the lettuce leaves from the iceberg lettuce head. Be careful not to break the leaves. Scoop up a big spoonsful of chicken and place it in the middle of a lettuce leaf. Wrap it up and dip into the hoisin-ponzu sauce or sweet chili sauce before eating. Alternatively, you can add the sauce on top of the chicken before eating.


Recipe from http://rasamalaysia.com/

Lobster Club with Avocado, Watercress, and Lemon Mayo

Makes 4 sandwiches


½ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon finely grated zest and 1 tablespoon juice from 1 lemon
Salt and pepper
12 slices (about 12 ounces) bacon
12 slices hearty sandwich bread
1 ripe Hass avocado, sliced
12 ounces cooked lobster meat, sliced (if tails) or roughly chopped
1 1/3 cups lightly packed watercress
2 medium tomatoes, sliced


In a small bowl, mix the mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, a pinch of salt, and pepper to taste, and set aside.


Working in batches, if necessary, in a heavy skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon, then drain on paper towels. Meanwhile, toast the bread.


Place about a quarter of the avocado slices on each of 4 pieces of toast, then mash and spread gently to cover the slice. Add 3 ounces of lobster and about 1/3 cup watercress. Spread 4 more slices of toast with about 1 tablespoon mayonnaise each and stack, mayo side up, on top of the watercress. Fan 2 or 3 slices of tomato on each and top with 3 slices of bacon and pepper to taste. Spread the last 4 pieces of toast with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise each and place on top.


Press lightly on the sandwiches to compact, cut in half, and serve at once.




By Adam Ried
Boston Globe Magazine
June 19, 2011

Frozen lobster
If you’re not up to cooking a lobster, you have options. Some seafood stores sell cooked, shelled lobster meat. Another possibility that I discovered while developing the recipe is cooked, shelled lobster meat available frozen at some supermarkets. I was happy with the brand I tried, Seamazz ($15.99 for 12 ounces at Market Basket, 400 Somerville Avenue, Somerville, 617-666-2420). Both the ingredients – just lobster, water, and salt – and the flavor were clean.

COUSCOUS SALAD

10 oz (285 g) couscous

2 ¼ cups (530 ml) chicken broth (or vegetable broth or water)

¼ cup (60 ml) balsamic vinegar

¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil

15 oz (425g) can diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed (or chopped fresh tomatoes if they are in season)

15 oz (425g) can black beans, drained and rinsed

diced peeled carrots

minced scallions

chopped dill

corn (either boiled, then taken off the cob – or taken off the cob then caramelized in a skillet – or use frozen/cooked kernels)

broccoli, cut into small florets and blanched

salt and pepper to taste

Bring broth to boil in a medium pan.  Add couscous and stir well.  Cover and remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl and fluff with a fork to break up any clumps.  Let cool.

Add the vinegar and olive oil and mix well.  Add the tomatoes, black beans, carrots and any or all of the other ingredients.  Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Guacamole

Ingredients


1/2 white onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeno (seeded for less heat, if desired), finely chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
2 ripe avocados, diced
2 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice

Directions

1.  In a large bowl, combine the onion, jalapeño, cilantro, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Using the back of a fork, mash the vegetables until they begin to release their juices.

2.  Add the avocados and lime juice and stir to combine.

This recipe makes 2 cups.

Fried tofu Cubes and Scallion Dipping Sauce

Serves 4


1 (14-ounce) block firm or extra firm tofu, cut into  cubes
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup vegetable oil

1. Place tofu on paper towel-lined plate and let drain 15 minutes.
2. Spread cornstarch in shallow plate. Pat tofu dry with additional paper towels and dredge in cornstarch, shaking off excess. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook tofu, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer tofu to plate lined with fresh paper towels.


Scallion Dipping Sauce
Makes 3/4 cup

The sauce can be refrigerated overnight.

Ingredients

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon chili oil (optional)
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 medium scallion, white and green parts, minced



Combine all ingredients in bowl and serve.

New York Style Pizza Sauce

Serious Eats: Recipes

Posted by J. Kenji López-Alt, October 7, 2010

This creates a slightly sweet, intense tomato sauce typical of New York-style slices. It's also good served with pasta. 

Ingredients

(makes enough for 2-4 12-inch pies, depending on how much sauce you like)

active time 15 minutes, total time 2 hours

• 1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 medium cloves garlic, grated on microplane grater (about 2 teaspoons)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• pinch red pepper flakes
• Kosher salt
• 2 six-inch sprigs fresh basil with leaves attached
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and split in half
• 1 teaspoon sugar

Procedures

1. Process tomatoes and their juice through food mill, pulse in food processor until pureed, or puree with hand blender. Puree should not be completely smooth, but should have no chunks larger than 1/16 of an inch. Set tomatoes aside.
2. Combine butter and oil in medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until butter is melted. Add garlic, oregano, pepper flakes, and large pinch salt and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, basil sprigs, onion halves, and sugar. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to lowest setting (bubbles should barely be breaking the surface), and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by 1/2, about 1 hour. Season to taste with salt. Allow to cool and store in covered container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.