Some food in China is mostly about texture. This cake, referred to as Nian Gao, is made during the Lunar New Year celebrations and it is a textural marvel. I searched the web to find something to make for our New Year’s celebration and ended up combining a few techniques and ingredients from recipes I found on Chow.
I really enjoyed the texture: chewy, gummy, silky and soft, all at once. There are many variations and traditionally it is steamed. This baked version is very easy to make. Here is a picture of Nian Gao steamed in banana leaves
Nian Gao is made with glutinous or "sticky"rice flour. What separates this type of rice is that it was specifically developed by Asian farmers over the centuries for its higher content of amylose and amylopectin, two components of starch.
There is no dietary gluten in glutinous rice and it is used throughout Asia in numerous ways. It is more widely available here for gluten free diets. It is the primary ingredient in this dessert so do not substitute white rice flour. It will not work.
4 eggs at room temperature
2 cans light coconut milk
3 cups sweet rice flour
2 1/2 cups sugar (you can use a combination of brown and unrefined sugar)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. toasted, shredded coconut (to use as garnish at the end)
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9x13-inch pan with butter or non-stick spray coating and line with parchment paper.
Beat the eggs. Add the sugar and beat well for a few minutes. Now alternate adding wet and dry ingredients into the egg/sugar mixture (do not add the shredded coconut). This batter is very runny. Pour into the prepared pan and bake in the center of the oven for 25 minutes. Sprinkle the coconut over the top and rotate the pan. Continue baking for another 25 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes. Using the parchment paper as handles, lift the nian gao out of the pan and place on a cutting board. Cut into your desired shapes. You can chill it to serve or serve at room temperature.
For more info on Chinese New Year Celebrations, check out the video below:
We are joining the Meatless Monday Movement. Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health is behind the effort. Eating vegetarian is good for your body and good for the planet. Both of our families eat a fair amount of vegetarian meals so it seems like a perfect fit. If you are not ready to jump on board, simply give it some consideration.
Served over simple brown rice or even roasted potatoes, this is a great "meatless" dish. When planning to prepare tofu, it is essential to press the water out. This allow for maximum absorption of the marinade. Try and marinate the tofu for at least 8 hours. It can sit in the marinade for 2 days. The onions are really good grilled and served alongside.
Tofu/Marinade/Sauce
1 lb. fresh firm tofu, pressed for several hours or overnight, sliced in half then into triangles, about 1/2-inch thick
1/2 cup grapeseed oil or olive oil
8 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. dried oregano and basil
1 small onion, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
1/3 lime juice (about 2 limes)
1/2 tsp. lime zest
1/3 cup clementine or tangerine juice (about 3 clementines)
1 tsp. clementine zest
1/3 cup water
1 1/2 tsp. salt
black pepper
Place your tofu onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Fold some of the parchment over the top of the tofu and then place a heavy skillet or pot on top. If you have some canned beans then place them on top of the pot. This will allow a lot of the water to release from the tofu which allows for the maximum amount of marinade to penetrate.
On the same night make your marinade. Heat the oil over a medium flame. Once slightly hot, add the garlic slices and cook until you can just begin to smell the aroma. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Whisk the zest and all the liquid together into the cooled oil and garlic. Add the herbs, salt and pepper and whisk to combine. Let sit overnight, refrigerated. The next morning, remove the weights from the tofu. Slice it in half on the diagonal and then into triangles. Slice the onion and layer the onion and tofu into a glass or non-reactive dish. Pour the marinade over making sure that all the pieces are covered. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 2 days.
Remove the tofu and onion slices from the marinade. Place the marinade into a shallow saute pan and allow to reduce over medium low heat until the sauce is thick. Puree the sauce with an immersion blender stick or in a regular blender.
Grill the tofu for about 6 to 8 minutes per side. Serve with several spoonfuls of sauce on top.
Tamarind is a tropical fruit with origins in sub-tropical Africa. It is very popular in South and Central America, India and Southeast Asia. It is revered for its unique flavor profile of being tart and sour.
Interestingly enough, especially for fruit, tamarind is actually high in calcium and B vitamins. In some cultures, it is recommended for gastric ailments and in others it is enjoyed as a beverage during hot steamy weather. It is one of the secret ingredients in Worcestershire sauce. It is wonderful in Zingy, Tangy and Fruity Chicken.
This tangy and tart dish delivers incredible pomegranate and tamarind flavor.
1/4 cup mild oil like safflower or canola for high heat cooking
6 to 8 skinless chicken thighs
1 large red onion, diced into small pieces
1 cup fresh cilantro
5 cloves of garlic
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp. spicy paprika
3 Tbsp. Tamarind paste or 2 tsp. tamarind concentrate
(Neera’s is great, otherwise it’s available at Latina and Asian markets)
1/4 Cup Pomegranate molasses diluted in 1/2 cup water or 3/4 cup Pomegrante juice
1 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, finely chopped
1/2 cup grapes
1 tsp each salt and freshly cracked pepper
Juice from 3 tangerines
In a large dutch oven or large stainless steel pan, heat the oil and place the thighs in and brown on each side for about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from pan. Saute onions until soft.
In a food processor process the garlic with the cilantro. Add to the pan with the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Return chicken to pan and make sure to coat and submerge into the sauce. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, turning a few times during that time. Garnish with extra chopped cilantro and fresh pomegranate seeds if you like.
I love Marcona almonds. They are only grown in Spain and have a different flavor from other almonds.
Sometimes they are too oily but I came upon a large can at Costco and loved having them on hand as they were dry and perfect for adding to recipes. The brand shown above is also good. Click here to order if you can’t find ones that aren’t too oily. Sometimes I chopped up the green beans on the diagonal so that they are similar in size to the almonds. It makes it a little easier to eat.
Green Beans Marcona Almondine
3 Tbsp. butter
1/3 cup Marcona Almonds
2 tsp. lemon juice, and 1 Tbsp. lemon zest
2 lbs. green beans, ends snapped
1/2 cup water
sea salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Freshly cracked pepper
Trim the green beans and slice into 3rds on the diagonal. Heat the butter in a light colored skillet (not cast iron). Allow the butter to get foamy and slightly brown over medium to low heat. Add the almonds and toss to coat.
Pour off into a bowl and add the zest. In the same pan bring the water to a boil. Add the green beans and a nice big pinch of salt. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and allow the water to evaporate over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and add the almonds, parsley and lemon juice and toss together well. Season with pepper and serve.
Starting to think about Thanksgiving and ready to cross something off of the list? Make some homemade cranberry sauce!
There is simply no reason to use canned cranberry sauce. Fresh cranberries abound this time of year and homemade cranberry sauce is so silly easy and my goodness, it tastes so much better than the canned variety.
Classic Cranberry Sauce Yields about 2 cups
1 (12-oz) bag fresh cranberries, rinsed and picked over for stems
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
pinch of salt
Add all of the ingredients to a large saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for about 10 minutes until the berries start to pop.
Transfer sauce to jars and allow to cool to room temperature. The sauce thickens up as it cools. Refrigerate for up to two weeks. Cranberries sauce can also be frozen for up to 6 months.
Add In’s: I am a purist about my cranberry sauce but you can certainly jazz it up if you like. Orange, lemon or lime peel give the sauce a lovely citrus note. Some grated nutmeg, cinnamon or a pinch of ground white pepper turn it into a spiced cranberry sauce. Heck, you can even throw in some toasted pecans or walnuts and then you’ve got yourself a conserve.
Here is a recipe for Barr’s Fresh Cranberry Relish, not a make-ahead condiment, but certainly a fab idea for the Thaksgiving table.
Part of what makes having a food blog so much fun is not only sharing our recipes but also featuring people, businesses and products we love. The Organic Dish is one of my Boulder faves.
When I first heard about Beckie’s business I was really intrigued. Making partially prepared meals that are easy, creative and healthy is not what you might think. Oh, did I mention her business is zero waste? She also features locally grown meat, vegetables and gluten-free pasta from Pasta Bozza. I have been so impressed by Beckie’s creativity as well as her commitment to our community and the environment. We have all enjoyed some outstanding meals from the Organic Dish.
Beckie’s green pea "hummus" is the perfect schmootz for spring and summer but now I make it whenever I entertain as it’s easy to adapt to other flavors and it is so beautiful.
Place all ingredients in the food processor and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Stacy’s Pita Crips, Triscuit Thin Crisps, Mary Gone Crackers or sliced red bell peppers and cucumbers and celery.
