It’s a pretty easy recipe- I do the noodles and the broccoli in the same pot, and the sauce is just a food processor thing, so you can make this from start to finish in under 20 minutes. Of course, any vegetables of your liking will work. It’s a good dish to make for vegetarian company. Actually, I totally just realized this is VEGAN. I can’t believe I like something vegan! I think I just saw a pig fly. A delicious, delectable little pig. Mmmmm. Bacon.

Nutty Thai Noodle Salad
serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 3 inch piece of ginger, peeled
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup almond butter (or just use more peanut butter)
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 Tblsp sesame oil
• 2 Tblsp white wine vinegar
• 2 Tblsp honey
• 2 tsp dijon mustard (smooth, not grainy)
• 1 bunch broccoli or baby broccoli, trimmed and chopped
• 1 large or 2 small red bell peppers, seeded and sliced into thin strips
• 1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts finely chopped
• 12 oz. buckwheat soba noodles
• red pepper flakes or sriracha to taste
• sesame seeds to taste

Method:

• Put garlic and ginger in a food processor and pulse to chop. Add nut butters, hot water, soy sauce, oil, vinegar, honey and mustard and chop in the food processor until well mixed. Add red pepper flakes or sriracha to taste if desired and pulse again. Set aside.
• Heat a large pot of salted water on the stove. Add the broccoli and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, rinse with cool water, drain, and set aside.
• In the same pot of water, add the soba noodles and cook according to package. Drain and rinse with cool water.
• In a bowl, combine noodles, broccoli, scallions, bell peppers, and dressing. Toss everything together to coat evenly. Sprinkle with a small handful of sesame seeds if desired and toss again. Serve immediately.
• This keeps for about a day if you want to eat the leftovers, but after that the noodles start to get a bit broken down.

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If you caught up with my favorite Maui eats last week, you’ll have an inkling that I loves me some spicy raw fish. I wanted to re-create some of the excellent ahi poke I had there, which turned out to be super easy and maika’i nui loa.* It’s important that you have really good quality fish for this (duh.) So you should ask for sushi-grade tuna at the counter of your local supermarket. PSYCH! The whole “sushi-grade” thing is total BS, and is not a meaningful or regulated term, you know, like when they call meat “Prime” or say things are “All-Natural,” or that time they spent 10 million bucks trying to re-brand prunes as dried plums so you wouldn’t realize they were prunes. (OK, it’s not really like that last one, but I remember thinking that was incredibly stupid.)

So here is what you actually need to do if you’re going to buy raw fish and eat it: buy it from a reputable person/place, preferably someone who specializes in selling fish and has been doing so for a long time. The closer you are to the guy/gal who caught the fish, the better. Perform a little inspection on the fish (here are good things to look for.) Then, look the person in the eye and tell them you’re planning to eat it raw. Ask them if that’s a good idea. If they say yes, Then go home and eat it right away. For a slightly different take on how to source fish to eat raw, you can see what this guy has to say, but I must warn you that one of his suggestions is to catch it your freakin’ self. Seriously. I have to say that I don’t see myself catching a giant tuna anytime in the near future… but I like his spirited commitment to excellence.

A note: I am not scared of eating raw fish (probably because I’m in denial about a lot of stuff that I don’t want to know about) but if you’re wondering about the risks, feel free to read this and freak yourself out. I’m also not scared of mercury because I don’t eat fish very often.

I am, however, scared of overfishing and ruining our oceans, so I try to choose sustainable seafood. Monterey Bay Aquarium has helpful guides with a green/yellow/red coding system that you can download for your region to help you choose fish wisely. I carry one in my purse so I can use it in the grocery store or when I’m at a restaurant. In this case, troll or pole caught ahi (also known as yellowfin) is something the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch calls a “good alternative” and marks it in the yellow category. I try to stick to the green when possible and since I feel incredibly guilty eating off the red list, I don’t really do it anymore.

Oh! One more thing. Sharpen your knife before you cut the fish, or it might turn out all raggedy and nasty. If your knives suck (or if YOU suck- just kidding, if you sucked you wouldn’t be reading this awesome blog!), ask them to cut it into 3/4 inch cubes for you at the place you buy the fish.

Ginger Sesame Ahi Poke

serves 3-4. If you have more or less tuna you can adjust the amounts in the recipe to accommodate how much tuna you’re making.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs. raw ahi, cut in 3/4 inch cubes
• 6 green onions, white and light green part finely chopped
• 1 large or 2 small shallots, finely chopped
• 2 Tblsp toasted sesame seeds
• 2 inch piece ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 1 Tblsp sesame oil
• 5 Tblsp soy sauce
• Sriracha or other Asian hot sauce to taste

Method:

• Mix everything in a bowl and toss with the tuna. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours before eating.
• Pour on a plate and drizzle with Sriracha or other hot sauce to taste. Serve with extra hot sauce on the side for those who like it spicy.

*According to Google, that’s how you say “great” in Hawaiian. Hawaiians, feel free to chime in on my poor language skills.

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Basically, you cook salmon at a really low temperature for about 30 minutes, which cooks it thoroughly while allowing it to retain it’s tenderness and doesn’t let it get dry and chalky. The recipe gives several suggestions for different flavor combos, but today I brushed the salmon with a honey-mustard mixture and cooked it on a bed of oranges and parsley.

You can find Jaden’s technique for low and slow salmon right here, at Steamy Kitchen.  Mmmm. Thanks Jaden!

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Now I have never been into dieting or counting calories, but from time to time, often around the start of swimsuit season, I begin to eye my middle section and think that it’s starting to look like Costco up in here with all these muffin tops. This extra unwanted pudge is most likely a result of my personal interpretation of the food pyramid, which, if I’m being honest, looks about like this:

From this pyramid you may deduce a few things. Such as: I am a food hedonist and I really don’t like to deny myself anything. I like to eat animals and gorge on starches. I loves me some wine and meat… and butter, heavy cream, and cheese are all vying for the role of “Karen’s BFF.” So, my goal is to change up my pyramid a bit while still maintaining my lust for life and all of its edible/drinkable wonders. This will mean reinforcing some good habits and rewiring some bad ones. I am aiming for a pyramid that’s more like this:

I’m also in love with this iPhone app called LoseIt! which lets you set calorie goals and then log all of your exercise and  food. It’s great at helping me figure out what some of my good and bad habits are! Tonight my goal was to eat something really tasty, filling, and low calorie, since I had totally crammed a huuuuge bagel with ginormous snowy peaks of cream cheese for breakfast, and I had a fair bit of wine last night (I’m going to let you interpret the phrase “a fair bit” however you wish…) I decided it would be fun to challenge myself tonight.

I wouldn’t have believed it was possible until I did it. But I am here to tell you: I am virtuous. I ate my veggies. I got my balance. My pyramid is turning a corner. I am still full, hours later. And I did it all for 190 calories. But don’t be afraid! I have sacrificed NO deliciousness for this meal. It’s the real deal: and I didn’t even have any wine or butter or bacon to go with it.

Asian Chopped Salad with Tuna and Mint

serves one.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 carrot, peeled and grated
• 1/2 cup alfalfa sprouts
• 5-7 mint leaves, chopped finely
• 1 1/2 cups spinach leaves, roughly chopped
• 2 scallions, chopped finely
• 1 three oz. can solid white albacore tuna in water, drained
• 1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1-2 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• salt and pepper

Method:

• Combine veggies, mint, and tuna in a bowl and toss.
• Mix together lemon juice, ginger, oils, vinegar, soy sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Toss dressing with salad.
• Bask in the imagined glory of how thin your thighs would look if you ate like this every night!

The calorie breakdown, with the amounts in the recipe, in case you’re interested…

• 1/2 carrot: 13 calories
• 1/2 cup sprouts: 4 calories
• 5 mint leaves: 3 calories
• 1 1/2 cup spinach: 15 calories
• 2 scallions: 6 calories
• 3 oz. tuna: 80 calories
• 1 tsp. lemon juice: 4 calories
• 1 tsp ginger: 2 calories
• 1/2 tsp rice vinegar: 3 calories
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil: 20 calories
• 1 tsp vegetable oil: 40 calories
• 1/2 tsp soy sauce: 1 calorie
• GRAND TOTAL >>> 190 CALORIES!
  

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What’s surprising about this combination is that once everything is cooked together it doesn’t taste how you would expect it to taste. To wit: the pepper is spicier than you expect, the garlic is mellower, the soy sauce isn’t as salty, and the vinegar isn’t as pungent. It all marries together in a sauce that is greater, and more complex, than the sum of its parts.

There are probably thousands of Adobo recipes out there, and as you may have guessed I’m totally not Filipino so I make no claims to authenticity. I will, however, make claims to deliciousness! I like to serve it over rice to neutralize the spice of the sauce.

Pork Adobo
serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 2 lb. boneless pork roast
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 2 cups white wine vinegar
• 2-3 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tblsp vegetable oil
• 12-15 cloves garlic, sliced as thinly as possible

Method:

• Trim the major fat off the pork roast and cut into 1/2 inch chunks.
• Put pork, soy sauce, vinegar, and pepper in a saucepan and bring to a boil, ensuring all pork is submerged in liquid. Lower heat to medium and boil 30-45 minutes.
• Heat oil in saute pan over medium high heat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer pork pieces to oil. Saute 10 minutes, stirring or flipping often, to brown on all sides.
• Add garlic to pan and cook 30 seconds, stirring. Add adobo sauce and cook about 10 more minutes, until sauce thickens.
• Serve over rice.

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If you prefer to walk on the mild side… cut the sambal down. And if you don’t own any fish sauce, don’t stress, just leave it out.

Sweet Spicy String Beans

Ingredients:

• 1 Tblsp + 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 Tblsp honey
• 1 tsp sambal
• 1/4 tsp fish sauce
• 12-16 oz. string beans or green beans, trimmed and washed
• 1 small clove garlic, sliced as thinly as possible

Method:

• Combine soy sauce, honey, sambal, and fish sauce in a bowl and mix together.
• Put green beans in large saute pan with 1/4 cup water. Turn heat on high. When water starts to bubble, cover tightly and cook 5 minutes.
• Remove lid and add sauce. Toss to coat and continue cooking on high, tossing every few minutes. Continue cooking about 5-10 minutes, until sauce has thickened and coats the beans.
• Add garlic slices and cook, tossing, about 1 more minute.
• Remove from pan and serve immediately.

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Spicy Thai Noodle Bowl for One

Ingredients:

• 4 oz fresh whole wheat fettucine
• ½ tsp vegetable oil
• ¼ cup chopped white, yellow, or red onion
• 1 Tblsp torn cilantro leaves
• ~10 cracked coriander seeds
• 1 pack liquid chicken broth concentrate or 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• juice from 1 small lime
• 1 scallion, finely chopped
• sambal oelek or sriracha to taste

Method:

• Cook fettucine in salted boiling water until tender. Drain and reserve about 2 Tblsp pasta water.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a small sauté pan. Add onion, cilantro, and coriander seeds and sauté until soft and fragrant, and onion just starts to brown.
• Add broth and coconut milk, plus a large pinch of salt and about 3-4 grinds of pepper, and reduce over medium high heat until thick and creamy.
• Add fettucine and reserved pasta water to pan and cook over medium high heat until sauce coats the noodles, about 3-5 minutes.
• Turn off heat and stir in lime juice and scallions.
• Pour into bowl and top with sambal oelek or sriracha to taste. If you put the amount shown here you will be in for some serious heat!
• This recipe can easily be made vegetarian by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

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Note: I’m calling it “Vietnamesque” instead of “Vietnamese” because I don’t want to front or anything. You know, because I just made it up and I’m not Vietnamese.

Vietnamesque Seared Ahi Salad
serves 2.

Ingredients:

• 2 Tblsp packed mint leaves
• 2 Tblsp packed cilantro leaves
• 1 shallot
• 1 small jalapeño, seeded and chopped (optional)
• 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 3 Tblsp slivered almonds
• 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1 Tblsp sesame oil
• 1 Tblsp vegetable oil
• salt and pepper
• 2 small ahi tuna steaks
• about 2-3 oz microgreens (or greens of your choosing- I found the microgreens at Trader Joe’s)

Method:

• In a food processor or blender, combine mint, cilantro, shallot, jalapeño (if using), ginger, and 2 Tblsp almonds. Pulse until chopped.
• Add vinegar, lime juice, sugar, 2 tsp sesame oil, vegetable oil, salt and pepper and pulse until well-blended and saucy but not perfectly smooth.
• Heat 2 tsp sesame oil in a flat pan. Meanwhile rinse ahi steaks and dry very well. When oil is hot, use tongs to sear all sides of the tuna. (If tuna is less than 1/2 inch thick, you can just sear on each side. If it’s thicker than that, you should sear the edges as well as the large flat sides, by holding the fish on edge in the pan with the tongs for ~30 seconds each side.)
• When done, smear about 1/4 of the sauce on one side of each tuna steak and flip over to cook for about 10 seconds. Mixture will brown almost immediately. Remove fish to cutting board, sauce side up.
• Toss microgreens with remaining sauce. (Start with one Tblsp and add more as desired.) Arrange on plates.
• Slice tuna in large pieces and lay over greens. Crush remaining Tblsp of almonds in your hand and sprinkle on top. Serve immediately.

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