Weekend Herb Blogging Roundup

A whole bunch of people submitted entries for this past weekend's Weekend Herb Blogging event. Sorry to all for the delay in getting these all posted! Now here's the roundup:

Katerina from Daily Unadventures in Cooking used lemongrass in a thai soup called Tom Yum Gung (Shrimp in Hot Lime Broth).

Shawnda from Confections of a Foodie Bride used cilantro in her pico de gallo recipe.

Kalyn from Kalyn's Kitchen highlighted radishes in her Roasted Radishes Recipe with Soy Sauce and Toasted Sesame Seeds.

Sara from I Like to Cook used zucchini to make Grilled Zucchini and Proscuitto Pizza with Sage.

Burcu from Almost Turkish Recipes used okra in her Baked Okra (Fırında Bamya).

Katie of Thyme for Cooking, the Blog used ingredients other than cilantro in her Tomato Olive Salsa.

Peter of Kalofagas - In Pursuit of Delicious Foods used lemon verbena in a Mojito Cocktail.

Alysha from The Savory Notebook users her fresh grown basil in a recipe for Lemon Basil Vinaigrette.

Sarina from The TriniGourmet highlights coconut in her entry.

Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook used haricot verts in her own recipe for The Ultimate Almondine.

Zorra from 1x umruehren bitte aka kochtopf used rosemary in her marinated feta.

Ulrike of Küchenlatein used mint in her strawberry jam with mint which she made in the microwave.

Haalo from Cook (almost) Anything used Buddha's Hand in her Candied Buddha Fingers.

Genie from The Inadvertent Gardener used dried lavender in a recipe for Lavender Coolers.

Sher from What Did You Eat? featured mint in an Asian-Style Cole Slaw.

Anna from Morsels & Musings used oregano in her pita pizza.

Angie from My Kitchen: My Laboratory uses adzuki beans in an original dessert soup.

Anh from Food Lover's Journey used chive in the recipe for Individual Tomato Tarts with Chive Ricotta.

Pille of Nami-nami used stinging nettle in a recipe for Nettle Soup with Eggs & Herbs.

Sra from When My Soup Came Alive used Malabar Spinach in an interesting stir-fry.

Emily of Superspark used some gorgeous yellow stuffed blossoms in her recipe for stuffed squash blossoms.

Eve from In Mol Araan used thyme in her recipe for White Beans and Thyme.

Kate from Veggie Friendly used nori in her recipe for Vegetarian Sushi.

Nicole from Pinch My Salt used fresh mint in her recipe in a Tzatziki Sauce.

Astrid from Paulchen's Food Blog made a Flowery Herb Mix.

Favorites from the Pacific Northwest

The month of May has come and gone in a quick blur. I injured my back and was out of commission for the first half of the month. I had to get better so that I could go on vacation for the second half. I just got back from an Alaskan cruise with additional days in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia. It was a really great time.

I was really excited to each Alaskan King Crab Legs right there in Alaska. Our breakfast waiter recommended Twisted Fish Company in Juneau. We went there after our tour and had to wait over an hour. By the time they got seated they told us they were out of crab legs! The only ones they had left were the legs with the claws. We said that was fine with us! They were good but nothing special. In fact, we later found out that all crab legs get frozen immediately so the we ate the same freshness of crab there in Alaska that I do in Chicago or Tampa. But at least we got to say we at crab in Alaska.

Some of my top foodie highlights from my trip:

The June tasting menu at Raincity Grill in Vancouver, which is known for their seasonal local food.

Poached Pot for breakfast to Mosaic Bar & Grille in the Vancouver Hyatt. This consisted of ham, asparagus, spinach, stewed tomatoes and poached eggs.

Noshing at the Granville Island Public Market in Vancouver. My mom got the freshest cherries we had even eaten! I got an amazing beer shrimp salad and a few other things. I really wished I lived there so I could shop and use all the fresh food in my own kitchen.

Fresh oyster's at Twisted Fish in Juneau. They were from local waters and the best I have ever eaten.

Tea time on the cruise ship. I'm very easy to please when you give me cucumber sandwiches and scones.

Fish and chips made with fresh cod at Steamer's in Ketchikan.

Eating spicy Indian food on the balcony at Moxie's in Vancouver.

Ice cream in Butchart Gardens in Victoria. Not that the ice cream was anything special, but it was a beautiful place and pretty hot, so an ice cream cone was perfect.

Wine and Thai peanut legs at Milestone's in Victoria overlooking the harbor.

Buying tea and wandering through the market in Vancouver's Chinatown.

Indulging in the Tasting Menu at CinCin in Vancouver where we spent as much per person and we should have for the entire meal.

I also can back with a The New Alaska Cookbook: Recipes from the Last Frontier's Best Chefs. I can't wait to get back in the kitchen and get cooking!

Pizza and Chocolate Cake

Can you believe I have not cooked one thing in over 10 days. I'm freaking out about it. My bank statement has charges from places like Sonic, Quizno's, the Chinese food place and the cafeteria at my office. Life has been so busy. Last week I bought a new car which was a lot of fun but included a few nights of test driving and all of that. I also had a friend's wedding and we had plenty of weekend wedding activities. Last night I finally whipped out my cookbooks and put together a grocery list for some things I want to make. I was going to stop at the grocery store on the way home from work, but I got a disturbing call in the middle of the day. I have some plumbing problems. Long story short, no cooking until this gets resolved. So tonight, it's pizza and chocolate cake. Oh, and buffalo wings too.

Chocolate Banana Bread

I love banana bread so was excited to see a recipe for Chocolate Banana Bread in Tyler's Ultimate cookbook. And I thought it would be a perfect entry for this month's Waiter, There's Something in My . . . Bread hosted by Andrew at Spitoon Extra. I just had to sit around for a week waiting for the bananas to ripen enough to use for the recipe.

Chocolate Banana Bread Ingredients: 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan 2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup cocoa powder 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted 2 large eggs 3 very ripe bananas 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan. Mix together th flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt ina large bowl. IN another bowl, cream the butter until lightened, then beat in the chocolate, eggs, bananas, and vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients just until combined; do not overbeat.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake until a toothpick stuck into the center of the bread comes out almost clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for at least 15 minutes before unmolding.

Mongolian Beef

I've never had Mongolian Beef with ground beef before, but that is exactly what Kylie Kwong suggests in her recipe for it in her Simply Chinese Cooking cookbook. I would prefer to learn a recipe using flank steak or something similar to what I get when I order Chinese takeout, but I agree with Kylie, the ground beef gives this dish a light texture and it hold the flavor really well. I don't think it tasted the same as it does when I order takeout, but I liked it anyways.

This is a dish I think everyone will love. It's kind of like tacos. Just good flavor with ground beef. In fact, I used the leftovers for some breakfast tacos. So I crossed cuisines from asian stir-fry over to tex-mex. It seems like you can put anything in breakfast tacos, so I thought "why not"? I scrambled a few eggs and then mixed in the leftovers while reheating and then wrapped them up in a flour tortilla. It was really good. Look for a roundup of this month's Leftover Tuesdays at ceres & bacchus next week.

Mongolian Beef (serves 4) 1 lb. 4 oz. quality ground beef 5 cups finely shredded Chinese cabbage 2 teaspoons sea salt 1/4 cup vegetable oil 2 tablespoons shao hsing wine or dry sherry 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce 1 tablespoon oyster sauce 1 teaspoon malt vinegar 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil 1 small carrot, peeled and finely sliced 1/2 medium-sized red pepper, finely sliced 3/4 cup finely sliced scallions Marinade: 2 tablespoons shao hsing wine or dry sherry 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon finely diced ginger 3 garlic cloves, finely diced 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

Combine ground beef with marinade ingredients in a large bowl, cover, and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, place cabbage and salt in a large bowl, mixing together well with your hands to combine. Stand for 15 minutes then rinse under cold water and drain. Use your hands to squeeze out any excess liquid.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a hot wok until surface seems to shimmer slightly. Add half the marinated beef and stir-fry for 30 seconds, breaking up any lumps with a wok spoon. Remove from the wok with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add remaining oil to hot wok, stir in remaining beef and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Return reserved beef mixture to the wok with wine or sherry, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, vinegar and sesame oil and stir-fry for 30 seconds.

Toss in reserved cabbage, carrot and pepper and stir-fry for a further minute. Stir through scallions, reserving just a little to garnish, and remove from heat.

Spoon beef into a serving bowl, sprinkle with remaining scallions and serve.

Fat Noodles with Crab, Buttered Artichokes, and Mint

I found a recipe that is not "the ultimate" in Tyler's Ultimate. The Fat Noodles with Crab, Buttered Artichokes, and Mint. The name is promising but I found it to be a little be bland. It was good, but not great and not ultimate. I usually like really strong flavors with my pasta. I could see this being a nice pasta to be served as part of a buffet because I can see alot of people liking it and it also tastes okay at room temperature. But when I spend the money to cook with crab I really want to taste it and I didn't get that with this recipe.

The one problem I had was I could not find pappardelle at my grocery store. So I went with fettuccine which were the widest noodles that I could find.

Fat Noodles with Crab, Buttered Artichokes, and Mint (serves 4) Ingredients: Kosher salt 1 pound pappardelle 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter) 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 can (about 16 ounces) artichokes, drained, rinsed and halved Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 pint (8 ounces) lump crabmeat Freshly ground black pepper Handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus extra for serving

Instructions:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pappardelle, stir to separate, and cook for 8 to 9 minutes, until al dente. Drain and dump the pasta into a serving bowl. (You'll need to use 1 cup of the pasta cooking water for the sauce.)

While the pasta is cooking, combine the butter and olive oil in a medium skillet and put it over medium heat. Scoop out 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, add it to the skillet, and reduce the whole thing for 5 minutes to thicken. Then add the artichoke halves, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, crabmeat, and salt and pepper and toss to warm everything through. Add that to the bowl with the cooked drained pasta. Add the mint and Parmigiano and season with salt and lots of black pepper. Toss and serve with extra Parmigiano.

Ming's Mom's 3-2-1 Shrimp

I've been really into Simply Ming lately. I started recording it everyday and then having a Simply Ming marathon on weekends. I love the format of the show. He prepares on "master recipe", which is usually some type of sauce, and then he prepares three recipes using that sauce. In addition, he asks one guest chef to prepare one of their own meals using that sauce. Everyone from Rick Bayless to Sara Moulton to the Two Hot Tamales have appeared on his show.

I decided to make Ming's 3-2-1 Saute Sauce and his Mom's 3-2-1 Shrimp. On the same episode he also used the sauce to make Seared Monkfish with Sweet Onions and Peppers and Crispy Chicken Livers and Scallions. Emeril Lagasse was the guest chef and he made Sauteed Shrimp and Udon Noodles.

The sauce is so yummy! It took a while to prepare because you have to reduce it. But it is super easy to prepare and would be good with any stir-fry. I hope I have to time to try out one of the other recipes or do something else with the leftover sauce.

Duck Steaks with Roasted Peaches and Cold Sesame Noodles

Okay, I'll fess up. I've never really watched Tyler's Ultimate on Food Network. I've had it on in the background, but I never really watched him. All I know about Tyler Florence is that he is super-cute. And I HATE the How to Boil Water show that he does but that might be because of his dingy co-host. But I realized that I have never given him a chance when I watched his Chefography a few weeks ago. So I decided to order his latest book Tyler's Ultimate: Brilliant Simple Food to Make Any Time.

Now, I find it a bit presumptuous to call something "THE ULTIMATE". It's okay to be a specialist is something. For example, I'd be okay if he had "Tyler's Ultimate Fried Chicken" or something like that. But a whole book for of ULTIMATE recipes? I was very hesitant. But flipping through the recipes I quickly realized that he has quite a few really, really good meals. The first one I decided to try was his Duck Steaks with Roasted Peaches and Cold Sesame Noodles. This is partly because I have made really good sesame noodles before (soba noodles with a spicy peanut sauce) and I knew I could compare his to the one I already knew I liked. The second is because I am trying to cook with things I have not worked with before and duck was on that list. And how can anyone not want to try roasted peaches?

It took me a little over an hour to prepare this entire meal and I don't think that is bad at all considering how elegant it is. I couldn't find any peaches at the grocery store so I bought a jar of natural peach slices which I think have been boiled or something. I just laid them on the baking sheet and roasted them anyways. Peaches roasted in olive oil with salt sprinkled on . . . yum! The peanut sauce for the soba noodles is really amazing. I love the complex flavors. It is nice and creamy with a bit of heat from the peppers but it is still smooth and has a great consistency to go over the noodles. And as for the duck, I got really lucky. It ended up just perfect!

Duck Steaks with Roasted Peaches (serves 4) Ingredients: 2 ripe peaches, halved and pitted Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Extra-virgin olive oil 2 duck breasts (about 1 1/4 pound total) Toasted sesame oil Cold Sesame Noodles (recipe follows) Watercress, for garnish Lime wedges, for garnish

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle the peaches all over with salt and pepper. Put them cut sides up on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Throw them in the oven and roast until the peaches are very tender when you stick a knife in them, 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the duck breasts on a cutting board skin side up and score all over in a tiny crosshatch pattern so that as much of the fat as possible will render and the skin will crisp. Season all over with salt and pepper and drizzle with sesame oil. Film the bottom of a large saute pan with olive oil and put the pan over medium heat. Add the breasts, skin side down, and cook slowly for about 10 minutes, until the fat is rendered and the skin is browned and crispy. Occasionally dump the fat out into a bowl. Turn the breasts and cook on the other side for 1 or 2 more minutes for medium-rare. Take the breasts out of the pan and put them on a platter to rest.

Cold Sesame Noodles (serves 4) Ingredients: Kosher salt 1/2 pound dried buckwheat (soba) noodles 9 tablespoons toasted sesame oil 1-inch piece of fresh ginger 2 garlic cloves 1 fresh red Thai chile or 1 jalapeno chile, minced, seeds and all 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 1/4 cup rice vinegar 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce 6 tablespoons hot water 1 tablespoon chile sauce or 1 teaspoon sambal 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted 2 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced on the diagonal

Instructions:
Cook the soba noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water. Cook until barely tender and still firm, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold running water to cool. Drain the noodles really well, transfer to a wide serving bowl, and toss immediately with 3 tablespoons of the sesame oil.

Peel the ginger and garlic cloves and smack with the back of a knife. In a saucepan, heat 4 tablespoons of the sesame oil over medium-low heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and chile. Cook, stirring for a minute until the vegetables are soft and fragrant. Dump that into a blender along with the brown sugar, peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, hot water, chile sauce, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sesame oil; puree and refrigerate until cold.

Toss the noodles with the peanut sauce. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and scallions.

Roasted Beet Soup with Coriander

I was watching a cooking show that used beets the other day. I realized that there are a lot of root vegetables I have never worked with before. I found this recipe for Roasted Beet Soup with Coriander in Kathy Casey's Northwest Table (which is nominated for a James Beard Award). Kathy writes "this brilliant pink soup - made with beets slow-roasted to brin out their sweetness - will turn the most resistant beet-eater into a beet-lover". I don't know about that because most of the beet haters I know will put up quite a fight, but it was really a fun soup to make. It matches my pink kitchen!

Roasted Beet Soup with Coriander (makes 6 to 8 appetizer or 4 entree servings) 1 1/2 pounds beets (without leaves), top trimmed to 2 inches 3 tablespoons butter 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic 2 teaspoons coriander seed, lightly toasted and ground or crushed 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth or homemade chicken stock 1/2 cup sour cream 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro Salt Garnishes Sour cream thinned with a little water Chopped fresh cilantro Lime wedges

Wash the beets, leaving the roots untrimmed. Put the beets in a baking pan, cover with foil, and poke 6 holes in the foil. Roast the beets in a 375 degree oven until very tender, allowing about 2 hours or more.

When the beets are thoroughly tender, remove from the oven, and as soon as they are cool enough to handle, slip the skins off and cut beets into large chunks. (You can do this part the day before, if necessary.)

In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, heat the butter over medium-high heat and saute the onion for about 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add the garlic, coriander seed, and pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Add the broth and beets and cook until beets are heated through.

Working in small batches, puree the soup with the sour cream in a food processor or blender until smooth. Return the pureed soup to the pan and heat until hot, but do not boil. Right before serving, whisk in the lime juice and cilantro and season with salt to taste.

For a fun garnish, swizzle the top of the soup with a little thinned-out sour cream and a sprinkling of cilantro. Pass the lime wedges for squeezing into the soup.

African Inspired Egg Sandwich

Another great recipe from Marcus Samuelsson's The Soul of a New Cuisine cookbook. I spent yesterday getting caught up on episodes of his show, Inner Chef, which I had recorded on Tivo. Marcus Samuelsson is a genius with seasonings.

An egg sandwich probably isn't the most glamorous recipe to make, but I really wanted to try this one just because it is Marcus Samuelsson's version. And also because I liked his story about egg sandwiches being breakfast street food in Africa. I made them for lunch, not breakfast.

I rarely make sandwiches. I firmly believe that I can get a much better sandwich at Quizno's than I can make. However this egg sandwich with all the fixing's, including the chili mayo that I made from scratch, was pretty impressive!

Egg Sandwiches (4 servings) Ingredients: 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced 1/4 head iceberg lettuce, shredded 1 small red onion, sliced 1 small red onion, cut into 1/4-inch diced 6 large eggs 3/4 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons canola oil 2 tablespoons Chili Mayonnaise 1 baguette, split lengthwise and cut into quarters

Instructions:
Combine the tomatoes, lettuce, and sliced onion in a bowl. Set aside.

Whisk the eggs, diced onion, milk, chili powder, and salt together in a separate bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add half the egg mixture and stir until the eggs are set, then flip and cook on the other side until golden brown. Transfer to a warmed plate and repeat with the remaining eggs.

Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on the cut sides of the baguette. Divide the eggs in half, and put on the bottom halves of the bread. Top with the tomato, lettuce and onion and serve