Japanese Curry

From Dish Erin:

A few months ago I took a Curries of Asia class at the Brooklyn kitchen, which was fascinating because it completely changed everything I know about curry. In the West curry usually means the yellow powder, which is actually a blend of many spices that includes the curry plant, and it’s often an acquired taste. But in the East, the term “curry” refers to any dish that includes the actual curry plant in it, and is used similarly to how we use the terms “soup” and “stew” in the West. It’s completely subjective to the region, the ingredients available, and the cook that’s preparing it. There are literally billions of types of curries. One of the most interesting ones to me was Japanese curry because it’s still spicy but it has a bit of sweetness from an unexpected and secret ingredient.

You’ll need to make a roux for this dish, which is a fancy word for a mixture of flour and butter that is used as a thickening agent. This roux naturally has an Asian influence with tonkatsu sauce, which is halfway between a Japanese ketchup and oyster sauce. You can find it at most Asian grocery stores, but if you can’t find it, use oyster sauce instead. Garam masala is similar to curry powder, and available at most Asian and Indian grocery stores. If you can’t find it, you can use curry powder instead.

For the roux:

3 tbs butter
1/4 cup flour
2 tbs garam masala or curry powder
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tbs ketchup
1 tbs tonkatsu or oyster
Make the roux first:

Melt butter on low heat, stir in flour and curry powder until a thick paste, add cayenne, black pepper, ketchup and tonkatsu, cook until crumbly (will look like a dry paste), remove from heat. Set aside. (This roux can be used immediately, kept in the fridge for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.)

For the curry:
2 tbs oil vegetable or peanut oil
2 large onions sliced thin
1 package extra firm tofu cubed
3 carrots cubed
enough water to cover veggies
2 large Yukon gold potatoes, cubed
1 Fuji apple micro planed
1 pack white beech mushrooms
1 Japanese eggplant, diced
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp garam masala
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup frozen peas

Sauté onions in oil until caramelized. Add carrots and stir to coat, then water and bring to a boil.

Lower heat and add potatoes, apple, mushroom, eggplant, salt, tofu and garam masala. Stir to incorporate.

Whisk 1 cup chicken stock into roux to reconstitute it and pour into the curry pot. Stir until mixed in thoroughly and cover.

Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 30 min. About 5 minutes before removing from heat, add peas, stir and cook for another 5 minutes.

Serve over jasmine rice.

Note: the longer this cooks, the more fragrant it becomes, so you can absolutely cook it really low for 1-2 hours in a slow cooker.

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Shrimp Scampi

From Dish Erin:

To me there’s nothing better than an easy, healthy, delicious weeknight meal. And minus the pot you need to cook the pasta, this is pretty close to a one-pot dish. I tend to have almost every ingredient I need for this dish on hand at all times, so I’ll usually just stop on my way home from work and grab the shrimp and it’s basically done in 30 min. This classic dish lends itself to personal interpretation. Shallots and tomato paste are not standard, but I really like them in this dish. Some people like scallions, too. I also think peas would be delicious. But then again, I put peas in everything, so maybe that’s just me.

(Hopefully you won’t need to scold your puppy halfway through the cooking process for trying to steal the butter.)

1/4 cup olive oil
1 lb peeled and deveined large shrimp
4 large garlic cloves, minced roughly
1 shallot, sliced very thinly
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine
Salt & pepper to taste
3-4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
5-10 cherry tomatoes, diced
3/4 lb capellini or linguine
1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Bring a 6- to 8-quart pot of salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sauté shrimp, turning over once, until just cooked through, (about 2-3 min depending on size). Then transfer with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.

Add garlic and shallot to oil remaining in skillet along with red pepper flakes, wine, salt, and pepper and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, 1 minute. Add butter to skillet, stirring until melted, then add tomato paste, cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, and wine and simmer until alcohol burns off and everything is incorporated, about 5 min. Add shrimp back to pan. Remove skillet from heat.

Cook pasta in boiling water until just tender, about 8 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta-cooking water, then drain pasta in a colander. Toss pasta well with shrimp mixture and parsley in the sauté pan, adding a few tablespoons of the pasta water.

Top with extra parsley and parmesan cheese.

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Kale & Chicken Pasta with Fresh Tomato “Sauce”

From Dish Erin:

Full disclosure: I completely forgot to do my SLD this past month. So what you’re getting here is a sneak, last minute peek into what my kitchen looks like between the months of July-Sept, when I pretty much tailor all my meals around my beloved Jersey tomato. It’s peak season for tomatoes right now–they’re so juicy and fresh that just a few dices in some olive oil are delicious enough to become a ‘sauce’ for pasta, no hours of simmering or cans needed. Summer pastas and pretty much my go-to and this is a perfect example of what I will whip up on a weeknight.

Note: The night before I had roasted a chicken, and had quite a bit leftover. You can used leftover cooked chicken, or just saute a chicken breast in a pan until cooked through. I promise I’ll get it together next month, dear readers.

2 cups whole wheat penne
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced thin
2-3 cloves garlic, minced roughly
A few shakes of red pepper flakes
1 whole Jersey tomato, diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup white wine
1 teaspoon oregano
About one cooked chicken breast, diced into cubes
4-5 kale leaves, chopped roughly
salt & pepper
A few basil leaves, chopped julienne
Parmesan cheese

Saute onions in a medium sauce pan with olive oil until translucent. Add garlic, red pepper, and tomatoes and simmer for about 5 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, start to cook the penne according to package directions.

Make a well in the tomatoes and add the tomato paste, oregano, and stir to incorporate into sauce. Add white wine, and stir again. Add chicken & kale, season with salt & pepper and cover to simmer for about 4-5 minutes. Remove lid, mix in basil, taste and add more salt & pepper if need be.

Serve in bowls over penne and a generous amount of Parmesan cheese.

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