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Inspired eating from celebrity chef Ming Tsai
Ming Tsai is the owner and chef of Blue Ginger in Wellesley, Mass., and author of three cookbooks. He hosts Public Television's cooking show, "Simply Ming," and was the long-time host of the Food Network's hit "East Meets West with Ming Tsai."
"This is a variation on one of my favorite recipes from my childhood," says Tsai. "My mom used to make a version with hoisin, which is delicious, but I've further simplified her recipe to use kitchen staples that every home has all the time. A departure from the standard spaghetti and meatballs, but familiar enough to entice even the pickiest eater, I guarantee this will become a family favorite."
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 large onions, diced into quarter-inches
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 pound ground beef, naturally fed
1 pound ground pork, naturally fed
4 pounds whole Roma tomatoes (canned is fine)
1/4 cup naturally brewed soy sauce
1/2 bunch Thai basil, leaves only
1 pound spaghetti, blanched in salty water
Extra virgin olive oil for cooking
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Coat a stock pot over medium-high heat lightly with olive oil and sautÈ onions and garlic until translucent, about two minutes. Add the meat, season and sautÈ until browned, about five minutes. Add the tomatoes with liquid, naturally brewed soy sauce and basil and bring to a simmer. Taste for flavor and simmer until reduced by 20 percent, about an hour. Combine blanched spaghetti with sauce in pasta pot and eat.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 whole 4 lb. free range, kosher or organic chicken
4 tablespoons Chinese (Coleman) mustard, rehydrated with water to form a paste
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for cooking
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 large yellow onions, cut into 1-inch dice
1 pound medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes, washed and halved
3 large fennel bulbs, cored, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 bunch celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Whole roasted chicken could not be easier to make, and the addition of the mustard rub punches up the flavor and gives it a little kick. To further simplify, I recommend keeping a jar of whole, peeled garlic cloves in your fridge—they are significantly better than the jars of chopped garlic, and are much more hassle-free than whole heads of garlic. The beauty of this dish is it's a whole meal in one pan, basically. Toss together a green salad, and this dinner is done.
Serves 4
"This is a super-quick, healthful, allergy-friendly recipe I make all the time for my kids, one of whom has peanut and treenut allergies. I like using rice noodles because they're not only tasty and easy to prepare, they're also gluten-free, so wheat-allergic people can enjoy this, too."
Ingredients
1/2 pound rice noodles
1/2 onion, finely chopped
4 slices naturally raised, thin-sliced deli ham (low-sodium would work), torn into bite-size pieces
1 package spinach, stems removed, leaves torn (can use frozen, just defrost and squeeze out liquid)
Juice of 1 lemon
1-2 tablespoons canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
First, rehydrate the rice noodles by pouring hot water over them and letting them soak until fully softened. Drain noodles in a mesh strainer. Heat a wok or large saute pan over high heat, add canola oil and swirl to coat pan. When oil shimmers, add onions and season lightly with kosher salt (the ham will add salt to the dish, too). Saute onions until softened and translucent, about three minutes. Add ham and stir-fry until heated through, about one minute. Add spinach and stir-fry until wilted and heated through. Add strained rice noodles and toss thoroughly to heat through. Pour lemon juice over noodles and toss to coat. Check flavor and add salt and pepper if necessary.
Serves 4
Believe it or not, this recipe for fried rice is good for you. The key is getting your pan super-hot so that you use as little oil as possible. Plus, canola oil is actually a healthy fat, so you can feel good about serving this to your kids. I like using turkey and cranberry, two very "fall" ingredients, because they're unexpected, yet familiar enough for kids to happily chow down on.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons canola oil
3 eggs, beaten lightly
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1 pound ground turkey
1 bunch scallions, white and green parts sliced thinly, separated
5 cups leftover cooked rice*
1/3 cup chopped dried cranberries
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
Kosher salt, if needed
Heat a wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the oil and swirl to coat the pan. When the oil shimmers, add the eggs, which will puff up. Allow to set, about 5 seconds, and using a wok spatula or similar tool, push the sides of the egg mass toward the center to allow uncooked egg to reach the pan and solidify. Flip the mass, allow it to set, about 5 seconds, and slide onto a paper towel-lined plate; do not overcook. With the edge of the spatula, break the eggs into small pieces. Set aside. Dump out any remaining oil. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil to the wok and swirl to coat the pan. When the oil shimmers, add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the turkey and the white parts of the scallions and cook through, breaking up any large chunks, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and cranberries and toss thoroughly until heated through. Add the soy sauce, white pepper and reserved eggs and toss. Correct the seasonings, add salt if necessary, transfer to a platter and garnish with the scallion greens. Serve immediately.
Copyright 2007 Ming Tsai
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