Lemony Rice Salad

Recently, I took quite possibly the most spontaneous trip I've ever taken.  The Monkey Scientist was down in Florida with his family for Mother's Day and the roommate and I were feeling bored on Friday night.  A lot of our friends were working or out of town, so we didn't have much to do over the weekend.  So around 8 pm on Friday night, we booked a hotel in St. Louis.  We got up at 5 am and drove down there for a couple days.  Just like that.  It was so out of character for me!



We had a blast on our mini vacation.  We've been friends for so long that it doesn't take much until we're both cracking up at each other.  Anyone who knows me well knows I tear up quite a bit when I laugh, and it was only about an hour into the drive that I had to stop and buy a box of tissues.  Once we made it down there, we scalped tickets to a Cardinals-Rockies game and enjoyed the beautiful weather.  While it was cold and miserable in Chicago, the weather was sunny and perfect in St. Louis!



The highlight of our trip was far and away the City Museum.  Have you ever been there?  I don't think I've stopped talking about it since.  It's a giant playground...for adults.  There are caves you can crawl in, tunnels in the ceiling that make you slide along on your belly, and a 10-story slide inside what looks like an old alley between two buildings.  And that's just the inside!  It was absolutely spectacular.  We had no idea what to expect, and we were blown away.  I think we spent almost 4 hours there.  If you're ever in St. Louis it's a must-see!  But I highly recommend you wear work-out clothes, which was the little tip we'd wished we were given!



This rice has nothing to do with St. Louis.  But it is really great.  The roommate had made it a few weeks ago on his night to make dinner, and I liked it so much I insisted he make it again.  It's lemony and fresh - just what I was looking for as we're hitting the peak of Spring.  It would be a great dish to bring to a barbecue this summer since it's just perfect at room temperature.  I know we'll be making this all the way through to fall!



Lemony Rice Salad
from Serious Eats

Ingredients
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup sliced green onions
1/3 cup golden raisins

Instructions
1. In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the pine nuts, stirring frequently, until just starting to brown. Don't let them burn!
2. Meanwhile, cook the rice on the stove or in your rice cooker, following the package instructions.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, orange juice, white balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
4. When the rice is done cooking, stir together the hot rice, pine nuts, dressing, sliced green onions, and golden raisins. Allow to settle to room temperature and serve.

Avogolemeno

I should start this by saying, I fully stand behind the idea that people from the East Coast live in a bubble.  Growing up in New England, everything between Pennsylvania and California is a big jumbled mess in my head.  Even after years of now living in the Midwest.  The Monkey Scientist constantly makes fun of me when I mix up Iowa and Idaho (you think living one state away that I'd get it, but it's still a frequent flip flop in my head) or when I try to think about how far West certain states are.  Once you get to the South, I have no idea what falls on which side of Texas.  Including Louisiana, and I've driven there.  It's pretty embarrassing.



Before I went to Michigan for undergrad, I thought it was about a bajillion miles from Boston.  Once I'm in Michigan, I'll be able to take road trips to California, right?  And I for sure thought it was about two times zones over when it turns out it's totally in the same time zone.  And I know I'm not the only one from the East Coast who thinks that.  The first time my mom and I went out there to look at U of M, we thought it was a good idea to "go check out Detroit" and so we went to a Coney Island in Greektown (which is amazing by the way) and I first tried this amazing soup.  Avgolemono.  Even the name is fancy.  And I fell in love.

And then we subsequently drove three hours in the wrong direction into Canada.  Who knew that actual Canada was ever that far South? We thought it was just a city named Canada! (i.grew.up.in.a.bubble)



Anyways....

I have been trying to replicate this recipe for a long time but without much success.  I recently bought a new cookbook called "This is a Cookbook" after reading about it in the NY Times.  I'm not a big cookbook buyer (the ever growing blog roll in my Google Reader gives me more recipes than I could ever make) but this book spoke to me.  It's exactly how I love to cook. SIMPLE. Short ingredient lists. Lots of low and slow cooking to develop flavor. A little bit of Asian food.  Plus there was a recipe for Avgolemono. AND it's based on the Avgolemono from Coney Islands in Detroit.  I knew I had a winner.



And it's everything I hoped it would be.  The ingredient list is so simple.  Nothing fancy here at all.  Chicken broth, a whole chicken, white rice, lemon juice, egg yolks, salt and pepper.  It's exactly what needs to be there and nothing more.  It's sour and lemony but hearty and warming at the same time.  There's nothing quite like it.  If you're missing Detroit, or you just love a REALLY good soup, you should make this.  Unless you're feeding my dad or brother or some other crazy person who hates lemon.  Then you're on your own.



Avgolemono Soup
slightly adjusted from This is a Cookbook

Ingredients
six cans (87 oz) high quality, low sodium chicken broth (or make your own)
1 4-lb whole chicken (neck and things removed and saved for stock)
1 3/4 c white rice
4 egg yolks
juice from 4 lemons
salt and pepper

Instructions
1. Add the broth and chicken to a large pot.  Cover partially and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and simmer 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes, skim the fat from the top of the broth and flip the chicken over.  Cover partially again and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.
3. Remove the pot from the heat.  Remove the chicken and set aside to cool on a large plate.  Add the rice to the pot and bring it back up to a simmer.  Cover and allow to cook for 20 minutes.
4. Once the chicken is cool enough to touch, remove and discard the skin.  Remove all the meat from the bones and shred.  (Save the bones for stock!)  After the rice is cooked, add the chicken back into the pot. Remove from heat.
5. Whisk the egg yolks in a heat proof bowl.  While whisking continuously, slowly add 1/2 c ladles of soup to the yolks to temper (prevent curdling) until they are close in temperature to the soup.
6. Add the egg/broth mixture back into the pot, along with the lemon juice. (Do not turn on the heat!)  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

Butternut Squash Risotto

When I first met the Monkey Scientist, he was taking his MCAT and getting ready to apply for med school.  I knew when I met him that he probably wouldn't be staying in DC, but I think it only took about 3 months of dating before I agreed I'd probably move wherever he went.  The main reason being that I knew he was from Chicago and therefore that's where he'd probably end up.  After college, a whole bunch of my friends moved to Chicago (and my baby brother is here for college), so I'd actually been contemplating a move here long before I met him - he was just giving me the push I really needed to make it happen.

Lucky for me, this is exactly what happened.  By the time we moved here, some of my Chicago friends had moved on to other places, but some were just moving here and others were contemplating moving back.  It's been so wonderful being close to family and friends, even though it's meant leaving some DC friends behind. This week was a great example - we had my college roommate and her boyfriend over.  She's one of my favorite friends and we went through a lot together in college, so it feels like old times when we eat with her.



For this particular meal, I decided to make one of my favorite comfort foods - risotto.  My college roommate and I learned to make risotto when we shared a tiny bedroom in our first apartment. It was so small, we could lie in bed and hold hands - despite our twin beds being up against opposite walls.  We would often lay in bed late at night or on a lazy Sunday and watch Food Network.  That year was a huge learning experience for me cooking.  It was my first time living on my own in a place with a kitchen and we spent loads of time experimenting with all different recipes.

The risotto we made in college always started with shallots and was pretty simple, but the basic technique for this was the same.  This version is just perfect for fall, though.  It fit well with ingredients I had leftover from making this pizza a few days prior (but with bacon instead of proscuitto, duh).  The butternut squash adds the perfect bit of sweetness to risotto.  The smell of grated butternut squash mixed with the chopped sage smelled perfectly like October.  And now that it's getting cold outside, risotto is just the perfect stick-to-your-ribs food.  We all really loved this recipe and I'm sure your family will, too!



Butternut Squash Risotto
very slightly adapted from Recipe Girl

Ingredients
4-6 c low-sodium chicken broth (use vegetable for vegetarian)
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
1 small butternut squash- peeled, seeded, and grated (about 4 cups)
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 c Arborio rice
1 c dry white wine
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
juice of 1 lemon

Instructions
1. Warm the broth in a small saucepan over low heat. (Seriously, keep it on low.  Do not turn it higher.)
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, salt and pepper and cook for 4 minutes or until the onions become translucent. Add the chopped sage and cook for 1 minute. Add the grated squash and garlic and cook until the squash begins to soften, about 3 minutes.
3. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes, or until the rice becomes somewhat translucent. Add the wine and cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is absorbed, about 3 minutes.
4. Keeping the stove on medium to medium low, add the broth, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring as you add more and then occasionally while it's absorbing. Waiting until it is absorbed before adding another 1/2 cup.  To tell when it's time to add more, I like to push the rice to the side so I have a little well in the middle where I can see the bottom of the pan.  If that well has liquid in it, stir and wait a minute.  If it's really dry, time for more liquid. It should take about 30 minutes for all of the broth to be absorbed.  Start with 4 cups and taste it.  If the rice is still really hard, keep adding until it has a bite but doesn't taste uncooked.  When it's almost done, squeeze the lemon juice in and stir to absorb.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the Parmesan. Spoon into individual bowls. For presentation, you can garnish with chopped sage (or in my case, chopped chives).

Paella Shrimp

It has been a long time since I last made paella! Honestly, living in Chicago, I never thought we'd make it again.  This isn't exactly the seafood capitol of the world, and I am lacking a paella pan (we used my friend's last time).  So when the roommate suggested it, I was... well, I was asleep. Solidly napping. I didn't even click the link in his text, I just send back the letter K and possibly a "stop texting me I'm napping."  Hey, we had a busy morning eating endlessly and playing Bocce to celebrate the Monkey Scientist's parents' anniversary!  The Monkey Scientist and I deserved a nap!



Anyways when I finally re-entered the world and looked at my phone, I figured out we were having paella and I was actually really excited. Nervous about how to make it without a paella pan, but excited.  As it turns out, you can TOTALLY make paella in the cast iron skillet. So even though I'd totally gorged myself on the all you can eat buffet that morning, I was ready for a big paella dinner.



I should start by saying, this recipe is totally different than my other paella recipe.  If you live by the water and have access to great seafood, I'd probably tell you to stick with that one. It's just so loaded with goodies. But for paella in the Midwest, aside from just making a meat-based paella with chorizo, this one is pretty awesome.  The flavors are great. The rice cooks perfectly.  And the shrimp are briny and perfect. Plus artichokes? You can never go wrong with artichokes.  I just might fall asleep and let someone pick my dinner more often!



Paella Shrimp
from What's Cooking America?

Ingredients
1 to 1 1/2 pounds raw extra-large shrimp, peeled and deveined (save the shells!)
Ground sea salt
2 1/4 cups bottled clam juice or fish stock
3/4 cup white wine
1/2 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup uncooked Spanish or Arborio Rice
2 tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons Spanish paprika
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (for garnish)
Lemon wedges

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Sprinkle the shrimp with ground sea salt.
3. In a large saucepan over medium-heat heat, heat the clam juice or fish broth, wine, and saffron; reduce heat to low and keep broth hot (not boiling. (I love making my own fish broth, but we didn't have the time so we used bottled clam juice. However, since we didn't have enough, we also boiled the shrimp shells in some water to make extra broth. Like I did here. Easy a pie.)
4. In a large Paella Pan or heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, heat olive oil. Add onion and red bell pepper. Stir to mix and cook 3 minutes or until slightly softened.
5. Remove pan from heat. Stir in garlic and rice and continue stirring until garlic is fragrant and the rice is evenly coated with oil, about 1 minute.
6. Stir in tomatoes, paprika, and salt. Toss 30 seconds or so.
7. Stir in hot clam/saffron broth mixture. Return to heat, reduce heat to low, and simmer (stirring and rotating the pan occasionally) 10 to 15 minutes or until rice is no longer soupy but sufficient liquid remains to continue cooking the rice in the oven.
8. Stir in shrimp and artichokes hearts.
9. Transfer paella pan/cast-iron skillet to the oven and cook, uncovered, about 15 to 20 minutes until the rice is almost al dente and until almost all liquid is absorbed. (NOTE: Never cook paella until the rice is completely done. If you do, it will be mushy by the time it reaches the table. Remove from the oven when the rice grains are no longer hard but still have more bite than you want and a crust forms around the edge of the pan.)
10. Remove from oven, cover with aluminum foil, and let sit 5 to 10 minutes or until the rice is cooked to taste. Paella must rest after being removed from the oven, during which time the final cooking takes place.
11. To serve, sprinkle with chopped parsley and arrange lemon wedges around the top of the paella. Serve immediately. To eat, squeeze lemon juice over paella.

Makes 4 servings.

Dak Bokkeum with Spinach (Korean Stewed Chicken with Spinach)

About a year ago, my coworker took me on a trip up to Maryland for what we called "Coworker's Without Cars Day".  It was my first trip ever to H-Mart and I was so excited to find all of the Asian ingredients I couldn't get at my local grocery store.  One of those ingredients was gochujang, a fermented Korean chile sauce.  Of course, being the klutz that I am, I dumped an entire container of gochujang on my foot while we were in the store and made quite the scene.  I was cleaning it out of my flip flop for months.



Despite the scene, I never got around using the gochujang until now! I know - a total shame and I had promised a recipe last April that I never got around to making.  My gochujang actually technically expired since then, but I looked online and there seems to be some consensus that this stuff never really expires and the date on the back is more a "best by" date (had to look online, all of the description around the date was in Korean).  The top layer did turn a little bit brown rather than bright red, but it tasted fine and we didn't get sick so it seemed good to me.



When you go to buy this, there is a huge aisle of H-Mart with different heat intensities of gochujang. It comes in a rectangular red tupperware and on the back right upper corner it will say gochujang in English in itsy bitsy font and it should say in English just how spicy it is. I think mine is the regular spice level and it was very spicy!  For those of you without an H-Mart or other Asian market, I hear a rumor that Annie Chung has a version of gochujang that's sold in regular grocery stores, though I've yet to see it.  Or, if you live in DC, they actually sell it at Tenley Mini Market, oddly enough.  Not exactly what you expect to see in a liquor store but they have it!



With all of this talk about gochujang, you probably want to know if it's worth it, right?  Man, oh man is it worth it.  This is one of my favorite recipes I've made in a long time and the whole time I was eating it I kept remarking to the Monkey Scientist how much I enjoyed it.  If you cook Asian food frequently, you might even have everything you need at home already so you can make this tonight.  You make the whole dish in basically one pot (and your rice cooker) which makes for fairly easy clean up.  The dish doesn't even need to be babysat while it cooks - you just throw it in and walk away.  That's my favorite kind of meal to make!  And the taste is out of this world! It's got a hefty spice level (the Monkey Scientist barely added any sriracha on top) and is packed with flavor.  It's super filling and healthy (just make sure you trim the fat off of the chicken thighs) as well!  It's a total win-win-win dinner - the two of us couldn't praise it enough.



Dak Bokkeum with Spinach
Korean Stewed Chicken with Spinach
from Cooking Light

Ingredients
1/3 cup gochujang (Korean chile sauce)
1/4 cup (1/2-inch) slices green onion bottoms
2 1/2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 1/2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice (sushi rice)
1 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup water
3/4 cup (1 1/2-inch) slices green onion tops
1 (5-ounce) bag fresh baby spinach
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Instructions
1. In a large bowl, combine gochujang, green onion bottoms, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, brown sugar, and crushed red pepper. Add in strips of chicken thighs, cover, and put in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Place the rice in a mesh strainer. Fill a large bowl with cold water and place the mesh strainer in the water so that the water covers the rice. Stir the rice gently and then remove from water. The water will be milky. Drain water and then repeat 2-3 times until the water comes out nearly clear.
3. Cook the rice with 1 1/2 cups water in a rice cooker. If you don't have a rice cooker, place water and rice in a pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover and allow to cook for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 20 minutes. (I actually added a pinch of sea salt to my rice cooker as well.)
4. While the rice is cooking, add 1/3 cup water to a dutch oven and bring to a boil. Add the chicken mixture and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover, and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
5. Uncover and allow to simmer for an additional 10 minutes or until the mixture reduces, stirring occasionally.
6. Remove from heat. Stir in green onion tops and spinach and allow the spinach to wilt. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over the rice.

Arroz con Pollo

Last week was a big week!  Not only was it Valentine's Day, but it was also the Monkey Scientist's birthday.  We celebrated with lots of delicious food!  This was the start of the week - a romantic and easy-to-pull-together dinner.  Nothing says romance like serious comfort food.



Of course, this dish was just a little bit selfish.  The very short list of things that the Monkey Scientist won't eat includes olives.  I get it - they're super salty and definitely an acquired taste.  Dad despises them too.  But, since the olives are still big, he was able to pick around him and he didn't mind at all.  I liked the flavor they added to the dish, but it wasn't so strong that it ruined it for him.



I did let him add his own touches, though.  Any time you see "salt and pepper" below, you can assume we added a good tablespoon of red pepper flakes as well.  It wouldn't be a good dinner without a little bit of heat around here! I enjoyed this addition, and if you're a spice lover I recommend you make this addition as well.



As for difficulty, this really couldn't be easier to make.  I was worried because the rice wasn't cooking after 30 minutes (it was still quite hard) but I just kept adding 1/2 - 1 cup of broth at a time, putting another 10  minutes on the clock, and eventually it cooked to perfection.  When it was "done" there still appeared to be a little broth that wasn't absorbed, but once I stirred the rice up it soaked right in.  Even though I was adding time on, the chicken was super moist - not a bit overcooked.



When it was finally done, it was super delicious.  The rice was cooked perfectly - warm, tender, and loaded with flavor.  The chicken was perfection.  We don't usually eat thighs but for Valentine's Day this was a special treat and absolutely worth it.  The Monkey Scientist said he thought it was delicious as well (especially because I managed to avoid getting any olives on his plate!).  After we finished, we ate the bits of rice that had become crispy on the bottom of the pan.  It was absolutely the best part!  Valentine's Day might be over this year, but you can make this for your honey any day of the year!

Sushi Making Class

Last week, my camp friend, her younger sister and I went to an i wish... lessons' sushi making class at the Hill Center in Eastern Market.  We had bought the class on Living Social months ago, so I had been looking forward to this for a long time!  The class taught basic sushi making technique including how to make 3 rolls - cucumber, California, and spicy tuna.  We made a regular Maki roll as well as an "inside out" Maki roll.



Here is what I learned:

When you spread the sushi on the rice, make it a THIN layer, without crushing the grains.  Then you won't overfill your sushi.
Stack your filling only at the bottom of the roll, then roll up around it.
Hold the back of the mat with your thumbs while holding the filling with your fingers until you've gotten over the first roll.  Then pull back the mat while you roll, so it doesn't get wrapped in your maki.

Sushi making takes practice! It's hard to figure out what the right amount of rice and filling is so that you don't over or underfill your roll.

Sushi grade tuna isn't regulated by the FDA like meat.  It means that it was frozen at -31°F to prevent parasites from growing.  It can be purchased at Whole Foods or other high-end markets, and buying it frozen is probably better than "fresh".



We were all quite proud of the skills we developed.  Some of our rolls came out better than others (my California and little sister's Spicy Tuna rolls were a bit of a flop) but I think with practice we could get pretty good at this!  No matter how floppy they looked, they were all super delicious.  Now that I have the basic idea, I want to go to H Mart for the mat and rice and then make some more "American" sushi.  I'm thinking about BBQ pork, mango and kiwi, maybe even chorizo sushi!  So many possibilities!!

If you want to learn how to make sushi, you should check out an i wish... lessons class.  They have classes in DC, Chicago, Boston, and Detroit (which covers about 90% of my friends and likely readers).  It's a bit expensive, but watch for a Living Social or Groupon and it could be as affordable as going out to eat!

Sushi Rice
from i wish... lessons


Ingredients
3 c sushi rice, uncooked (you can buy this at an Asian market or most grocery stores)
1/2 c rice vinegar
3 tbsp sugar (or more to taste)
1/2 tsp salt
note: instead of the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt, you can alternatively buy sushi vinegar at an Asian market

Instructions
1. Wash rice - rinse in cold water repeatedly until the water is nearly clear (it will be very cloudy the first few times).
2. Cook rice according to package instructions (preferably in a rice cooker)
3. Make rice vinegar mixture by mixing salt and sugar into the rice vinegar until fully dissolved.  Add more sugar until you've reached your preferred balance of sweet and tart.
4. Place rice in a large bowl or bin for mixing and slowly pour rice vinegar as evenly as possible over rice surface.
5. Mix rice by tossing and slicing with rice paddle (or spatula).
6. Allow to cool for 20 minutes under moist rags before use.



Cucumber Roll
from i wish... lessons

Ingredients
3 cups prepared sushi rice (see above)
3 sheets nori (dried seaweed)
1 cucumber (sliced into strips lengthwise with a julienne cut)

Instructions
1. Prep nori by cutting sheets in half.
2. Place nori half-sheet at the very bottom of the rolling mat and spread a thin layer of sushi rice on top without pressing too hard on the grains.  Only cover 3/4 of the nori, leaving a clean strip along top (side furthest from you).
3. Line a couple of slices of cucumber alone the bottom edge of the nori (only go up about 1/2 inch).
4. Start rolling from the edge closest to you, using the bamboo mat to press the roll together as you go.  Once you have rolled it all the way, wrap the mat around it and give it a squeeze to give it a nice round shape.
5. Move to a cutting board and cut into 6-8 evenly sized pieces (don't cut on the mat!).



California Roll
from i wish... lessons

Ingredients
3 cups prepared sushi rice (see above)
3 sheets nori (dried seaweed)
1 tbsp white sesame seeds
3 crabsticks
1/4 cucumber (sliced into strips lengthwise with a julienne cut)
1/4 avocado (sliced into strip lengthwise with a julienne cut)

Instructions
1. Prep nori by cutting sheets in half.
2. Spread the sushi rice in a thin layer directly on the mat in a square slightly larger than the nori, then place the nori on top.
3. Place cucumber and avocado stacked along the bottom end of the nori (only go up about 1/2 inch). Split the crabstick in half and add on top of the cucumber and avocado. (It will peel apart like string cheese)
4. Start rolling from the edge closest to you using the bamboo mat to press the roll together as you go.  Once you have rolled it all the way, wrap the mat around it and give it a squeeze to give it a nice round shape.
5. Release it from the mat, sprinkle some sesame seeds on your cutting board, and roll the whole roll through the seeds to coat evenly.
6. Move to a cutting board and cut into 6-8 evenly sized pieces (don't cut on the mat!).




Spicy Tuna Roll
from i wish... lessons


Ingredients
3 cups prepared sushi rice (see above)
3 sheets nori (dried seaweed)
1/2 lb raw sushi-grade tuna
1 tbsp mayo
1 tsp sriracha or other hot sauce
1/4 cucumber (sliced into strips lengthwise with a julienne cut), optional
1/4 avocado (sliced into strip lengthwise with a julienne cut), optional

Instructions
1. Mix mayo and sriracha in a bowl.  Add more sriracha until reaching your preferred spiciness level.  Chop tuna and mix with spicy mayo.
2. Prep nori by cutting sheets in half.
3. Place nori half-sheet at the very bottom of the rolling mat and spread a thin layer of sushi rice on top without pressing too hard on the grains.  Only cover 3/4 of the nori, leaving a clean strip along top (side furthest from you).
4. Place spicy tuna mixture, cucumber, and avocado (if using) along the bottom edge of the nori, stacked (only go up about 1/2 inch).
5. Start rolling from the edge closest to you, using the bamboo mat to press the roll together as you go.  Once you have rolled it all the way, wrap the mat around it and give it a squeeze to give it a nice round shape.
6. Move to a cutting board and cut into 6-8 evenly sized pieces (don't cut on the mat!).

Note: this is not a paid post.  i wish... lessons doesn't know who I am or that I'm posting.  I just had a great time!

Seafood Paella

This weekend, my friend and I were supposed to go apple picking, but the weather simply did not cooperate!  It was cold (in the 40s!) and rainy, just awful.  Apple season is early and short down in DC which means we might never get to go now, big bummer.



Instead of letting the weather get us down, we decided to get the best ingredients we could find and make paella.  Her mom gave her a nice big paella pan - although after it was all made it ended up being smaller than we expected - and she had a cookbook and a recipe in mind.  We set to work scoping out the best place for all of our ingredients.



For the vegetables (onions, bell peppers) we went to the Mount Pleasant farmer's market.  For the seafood, we drove all the way down to Southeast DC to visit our favorite place, the Maine Avenue Fish Market.  Now I can't say for sure that the quality there is better than the supermarket (it's not like they're pulling fish out of the Potomac, or at least I hope not, but the selection is the best in the District and the fish never smells like it isn't fresh.

The prices are reasonable as well for most things, although shrimp were fairly expensive (even though they had endless varieties!).  I was able to get my fish carcass there for $1 - a nice salmon head, fins, tail and bones.  My friend thought I was kidding when I suggested we get it, but I most certainly was not!  Making the homemade fish stock was the most exciting part of the day (for better or for worse)!



Sorry, I had to re-post that one.  I'm sticking by my Halloween excuse.  I love it.

After the fish market, we hiked back up to Giant to get the rest of the groceries, and ended up stopping at World Market as well for saffron ($4.99 vs $19.99 at Giant - probably because it was from India not Spain).  I have to admit the question I've gotten most when I tell people I made paella is "where'd you get the saffron?"  I know it's always expensive, but are there quality differences as well? I thought the less expensive World Market saffron worked just fine!



When assembling I realized there was no way I was going to fit the rice and stock in the paella dish without major overflow.  I halved the rice (and the stock, of course) and made these changes in the recipe below.  I like my paella with lots of seafood and a little rice, so feel free to double it again if your pan is big enough.  Just make sure you double both the stock AND the rice (should be a 2:1 ratio).



Overall, an awesome recipe and a very fun day.  My friend and I are New England girls, so of course we love almost any seafood dish, but the Monkey Scientist loved it as well.  It's loaded with filling seafood and the rice soaks up the flavor of everything. It was definitely missing a flavor element though, so next time I'd probably add a hot pepper or two (anything from jalapeno to habanero, depending on your tolerance for heat) when I add the onions.  Maybe even some Old Bay, this is DC after all!



Seafood Paella
adapted slightly from Paella Paella

Ingredients
8 oz mussels
8 oz clams
5 tbsp olive oil
8 oz fish (use any white fish that is sturdy)
8 oz squid, sliced into rounds
2 small (or one large) onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 small red bell peppers, diced
1 28oz can whole peeled tomatoes, drained then chopped
1 cup rice (any short grain)
2 cups fish stock
1/2 tsp saffron
salt and pepper, to taste
8 oz uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined (save the shells!)

Instructions
1. Scrub the mussels and clams thoroughly, removing all beards and barnacles.  Soak in water to let any sand fall to the bottom of the bowl.  Discard any that fail to close when tapped sharply.  Set aside.
2. Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a paella pan over medium heat.  Add the fish and squid and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until they start to brown.  Transfer to a plate.
3. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the paella pan and cook the onions, garlic, and peppers until tender and starting to brown.  Mix in the tomatoes and continue to cook for another 8 to 10 minutes.
4. Add the fish, squid, and rice to the paella pan.  Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.  Stir in the fish stock, saffron, salt, and pepper, and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
5.  Add the shrimp, mussels, and clams and continue to cook over low heat until all the liquid has been absorbed, 20 to 30 minutes depending on the type of rice.  Discard any mussels or clams that have failed to open.  Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Duck and Chorizo Risotto

I have always had a love affair with duck.  I'm pretty sure it runs in our family.  My dad's brother has 4 kids, and had very similar bar/bat mitzvah parties for each of them...same caterer and location etc.  I distinctly remember my brother, who was young at the time, talking about the duck that they'd serve at the reception on the whole drive to Connecticut, and practically running to the duck serving station after the ceremony.  I'm almost sure he's counting down the days until the youngest is bat mitzvahed.



For me, there are just some dishes made very special by duck.  I'll never eat at California Pizza Kitchen again, since they took their amazing duck pizza off the menu.  And I cannot wait to go to New York with my coworker to try the duck she raves about at one of her favorite Chinese restaurants.  Proteins can become so monotonous  but, especially because we eat it less frequently, I find that duck has such a unique flavor. It's fatty and sweet and simply delicious.

Unfortunately, the Monkey Scientist won't eat duck.  Ducklings are one of those cute little animals with a family unit, and he's not into it.  I keep telling him I only buy "childless, old maid" ducks, but he's not buying it.  Oh well, more for me!



When PW posted this recipe, and said it was originally from David Leite's cookbook, I knew it had to be made.  If a recipe sounds good, and it's a collaboration of chefs from 2 of your favorite blogs, I think that's a sign. Go home and make it.  I obeyed. It's important to obey signs.



Surprisingly, I can almost always find duck at my local grocery store.  It's usually sold near the organic or not-so-normal proteins (like where the lamb and bison is sold).  Each piece (a leg or breast) is sold individually and cryo-vaced, shipped in from our neighbors to the north (yes, Canadian duck...old maid, childless Canadian duck, now will you eat it?).  It's actually relatively cheap (a leg was a little over $2) especially because you can buy exactly the amount you want.



For whatever reason, I totally misread the ingredients before I went to the store and didn't get enough chicken stock.  I don't know what I was thinking.  I almost never buy stock in a can either, but I was feeling cheap I guess. It was no matter, I supplemented with water and added a little ancho chile powder for extra flavor.  Since it was mixed with the can of stock, and the duck cooked it in, I thought it was plenty flavorful.  In retrospect, I would have used all stock.... next time. You live and you learn.



Now normally, I love making risotto.  I think there's just something special about a meal that you tend to the whole time it's cooking - you can really taste the love.  However, the AC in my apartment does NOT reach my kitchen and man-oh-man did I get hot making this one.  I have a magnet thermometer on my fridge that was off the scale (it only goes to 85).  I was melting.  But it was worth it.



This meal was absolutely delicious.  The sweetness of the duck and the orange, the spiciness and smokiness of the chorizo, the creaminess of the risotto - it all blended in perfect harmony.  This was one of those meals that my parents and brother would devour. I thought the extra kick from the red pepper flakes at the end was totally necessary.  It may have been the best risotto I've ever made - and it didn't even have cheese in it! Maybe it was better that I didn't have to share!



Duck and Chorizo Risotto
adapted from David Leite on Pioneer Woman

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
2 whole duck legs
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp ancho chile powder
1 chorizo sausage, removed from casing
1 whole small yellow onion, minced
1 c Arborio rice
1/4 c dry white wine
Juice of 1 orange
Zest of one orange
Crushed red pepper to taste

Instructions
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the duck legs well with salt and pepper. When the skillet is hot, add the duck pieces, skin side down and sear until lightly browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the legs to a medium pot and cover with chicken stock. Simmer, covered, over low heat, until the meat is tender, 1-1/2 hrs.
2. Drain most of the duck fat from the skillet but do not throw out. Add sausage to skillet and sauté over medium heat until brown. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels and drain fat into jar with the duck fat. Wipe skillet clean.
3. Transfer the duck legs to a plate and shred into bite sized pieces. Set aside. Spoon the fat from the top of the stock and bring to a simmer over low to medium low heat.
4. Add 1 tbsp of duck/chorizo fat back to skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice to coat, and cool until translucent around the edges, about 2 minutes. Splash in wine and cook until absorbed. Add a ladleful of hot stock and cook, stirring continuously, until the liquid has almost burbled away. Keep up this rhythm of adding stock, stirring, and cooking until the rice is tender but offers just the slightest bite of resistance in the middle and almost all the stock has been absorbed.
5. Stir in sausage and duck, then add orange juice and stir until absorbed. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to taste. Add in orange zest and serve.