Summer – A Story Book for Tori

Versatile Vegetable Stew

(My version of gulai sayur. Origin: Indonesia)

Here is my version of gulai, which refers to the flavorful yellow broth made of turmeric, chili peppers, garlic, shallot, and coconut milk. It makes such a wonderful vegetable stew. In fact, I have written a couple of versions of this recipe before, titled Chayote Squash in Spicy Broth and Spicy Kale. Today, I’d like to adjust it a bit to show how easy and versatile it could be.

When summer comes to an end, it usually yield tons of produce. Like many of you, I love going to farmers market to get those goodies. Maybe like some of you, I tend to get too many things. Just like the other day, I got a variety of peppers and tons of shallots and garlic—the three key ingredients in Indonesian cooking and in this vegetable stew recipe. I also had a couple of Chayote squash and two handful of shiitake mushroom in the fridge. So, here’s what I did with them:

Prepared the vegetables:

Peeled, cored, and sliced the Chayote squash into long and thin cuts. Then I soaked the cuts in a bowl of water mixed with salt for about 30 minutes to get rid of the sap. Could be substituted with summer squash/zucchini/ bell pepper (see more vegetable options on the bottom of the page)
Remove the shiitake stems and roughly chopped the mushroom

Prepared the gulai broth:

List of ingredients:

4 shallots
4 garlic
3 hot peppers (red/orange color)
3 sweet peppers (red/orange color)
1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder
Salt to taste
2-3 cups of water
1/2 can of light coconut milk
1/2 inch of sliced galangal root (or 1 lemongrass) to add lemony aroma to the stew. Could be substituted with lemon zest (from one lemon).

Steps:

Chopped shallots, garlic, hot peppers, and sweet peppers in a food processor (or blender)
Added turmeric powder and a little bit of salt to the mixture
Sweat it in a heated pot with a tablespoon of vegetable oil, to release the moisture
Added water and galangal root, let it simmer
Added coconut milk, stirred
Once the broth simmered for the second time, I added the squash and mushroom
Let them stew for about five minutes or until the broth simmered for the third time
Removed galangal root before serving

At dinner time, my guy had a good point. He said that the stew’s contents could vary. We could have different types of vegetables with (or without) mushroom or even with tofu/tempeh/some seafood in it. Aha! That comment gave me an idea. I listed several produce that would taste great in this vegetable stew recipe:

Choose one vegetable or do a pairing of a vegetable with either mushroom/one of the seafood selections/tofu/tempeh from the following list: (I’d combine up to two things to avoid stew overcrowd)

Vegetable:

Summer squash
Zucchini
Chayote
Eggplant
Bell peppers
String beans

For these greens, I prefer to have it just by itself in the stew, not in a combination.

Kale
Swiss Chard
Collard Green

Mushroom:

(I like using) Shiitake mushroom

Seafood:

Smoked salmon (I’d cut it into small square and add into the stew closer to the end of cooking, since it is already cooked)
Shrimp (cook together with the vegetable of choice in the simmering broth until shrimp is fully cooked, about 5 minutes)

Soy-based protein goodies:

Tofu (extra firm and cut into small square. Cook together with the vegetable of choice in the simmering broth for about 5 minutes)
Tempeh (cut into small square and cook together with the vegetable of choice in the simmering broth for about 5-10 minutes)

What do you think? Anything else we could try? I’ll add to the list if I could think of more.

Thanks for stopping by!

August 30, 2013

Harini RianaLeave a comment

Summer Party on a Plate: Grilled Sea Scallops, Guacamole, Mango Salsa, and Beets Orange Salad

There are days when I get highly motivated. When they come, something like this materializes:

Moved by a warm summer day with the perfect breeze, I went a little overboard with Wednesday’s dinner menu. I wanted something light and colorful. Grilled scallops, mango salsa, and guacamole immediately came to mind. But as I walked around the farmers market, I also got some beets (and a lot of other things!). I had never cooked beets before but I was curious about it.

When I got home, I realized that I forgot to get cilantro for my mango salsa and guacamole. So, I substituted with green onions, which worked out quite well for both dishes—though I still prefer using cilantro. For this version of my mango salsa, I chopped 10 cherry tomatoes, two garlic, four cayenne peppers, and three green onions in a food processor. I added a little bit of lime juice and salt to the salsa before I mixed it with the mango slices. I also cut more cherry tomatoes, each into four pieces, and added them to the mango salsa.

For the guacamole, I followed the recipe I wrote last year. The combination of creamy avocado with cumin, lime juice, salt, garlic, and onion made such a wonderful treat (cilantro would add a fantastic taste and aroma to it too). And it wasn’t hard to make at all! I like to have guacamole and mango salsa as side dishes for grilled fish as well.

For the sea scallops, I marinated them with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice from one lemon, salt, and pepper. After 15 minutes, I threaded the scallops onto the skewers (which I have soaked in water for about 15 minutes prior to using). It’s much easier to grill scallops this way. Then, I grilled them for about three minutes on each side.

I saw a recipe called Perfect Roasted Beets with Orange Slices in a magazine and was intrigued by it. I basically followed the recipe but did not have sherry vinegar so I went without. The result? The orange slices and juice gave sweet taste to the dish. But the beets’ earthy flavor was definitely something for me to get used to. Let’s see, maybe I could find a different beet recipe to try. Do you have one to recommend?

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

August 23, 2013

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Chicken Satay with Walnut Sauce

Grilling on skewers seems like a universal way to cook meat, don’t you think? Most citizens of the world probably have their own versions and names for it. Still, it’s the same delicious idea :). Indonesians (and some of our South East Asian neighbors) call this method as sate or satay. As a popular street food in the country, satay comes in different variation depending on the region. In my hometown, chicken satay with peanut sauce seems to be consistently in demand. One common scene close to dinner hours would be seeing a satay vendor push his cart on residential streets while calling out, “Teee…Sate.” Someone would usually shout back from their porch, “Satay man, come.” The vendor would stop in front of that house and start grilling. With a traditional bamboo fan on one hand, he’d fan the charcoal grill on his cart and turn and adjust the satay, to make sure they’re cooked properly, with the other hand. A wonderful aroma would fill the air. Once the satay is done, he’d start mixing the peanut sauce, shallots, sweet soy sauce, and chili paste and place the satay on top of it. I loved watching this “performance” when I was little.

I think what makes chicken satay so special would be the sauce. That nutty, sweet, savory, and tangy flavors…all in perfect harmony. Inspired by a recent cookout at a friend’s house, I decided to make my version of chicken satay this week. I’ve made peanut sauce before but this time I used the raw walnuts that I had at home. So here it goes:

For the chicken satay, we’ll need:

5-10 skewers (soaked in water for 15 minutes)
2-3 boneless and skinless chicken breasts (get the smaller size). You could also use boneless and skinless chicken thighs. Cut into strips (same size) to make them skewer-friendly.
2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Coriander powder
Ginger powder
Lime juice from ½ lime

Walnut sauce:

1 cup of raw walnuts
3 shallots
4 garlic
3 cayenne peppers
Lime zest from 1 lime
Lime juice from ½ lime
Salt
2 tablespoon of sweet soy sauce (substitute with: a mix of 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of honey)

Steps:

Marinade the chicken strips with olive oil, lime juice, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a dash of coriander and ginger powder. Set them aside for 10-15 minutes.
In a food processor, mix: walnuts, shallots, garlic, peppers, salt, lime zest, and lime juice.
Heat up a non-stick pan and cook the walnut mixture for two or three minutes until it starts to brown.
In a bowl, mix the cooked walnut blend with the sweet soy sauce. Taste and adjust accordingly. I like to add thinly sliced shallots to the sauce at the end.
Thread the chicken meat onto the skewers.
Fire up the grill and cook them thoroughly (mine went for about 5 minutes on each side).
On a serving plate, set the chicken satay and drizzle with the walnut sauce.

Great to serve with rice or grilled corn or just by itself. I served mine with mango sambal and rice. A nice dinner-for-two out on our little patio 🙂

Have a great day and thanks for coming!

August 22, 2013

Harini Riana2 Comments

Car Camping: A Social Function

Need a summer fun idea that doesn’t break the bank?

Car Camping!

Car camping means you camp in a tent next to your car on a campground. No need to haul everything in a backpack like we did in Grand Teton! Google the nearest state park or national park with campground around your area and decide what’s best for your comfort level.

Most parks we have visited have showers (with hot water) and bathrooms at campsite. Some even have power outlet, which we rarely use. We see our car camping activity as a social occasion, a chance to catch up with friends in a different setting…in nature, open space…with fresh air!

We have gone car camping at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore and Van Buren State Park, located on Lake Michigan (west Michigan). The two parks offer pristine beaches. Another park we went to for car camping was Devil’s Lake in Wisconsin where we enjoyed its amazing hiking trail.

Here are my few tips:

1) Go with loved ones

2) Bring delicious food

As a cooking enthusiast, I also make use of this get together as a chance to grill. Jeff would bring his portable grill to the campground and make food preparation and enjoyment to be part of the activity. Both of us are meat eaters. We love lamb and chicken satay seasoned with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and red pepper powder. We would freeze the meat inside of ziplock bags the night before, pack them inside of a cooler filled with ice packs, and store inside the car until meal time. I have also done turkey burger mixed with onions and jalapeno with a pinch of salt. Or my favorite: grilled chicken wings, boiled the night before with lemongrass, shallots, garlic, ginger, salt, red pepper powder, and galangal. Grill corn, red and green bell peppers, and asparagus to accompany the meat. Having real and delicious food at your own campsite is possible.

Note: Hotdogs and burgers will also work. And there are always the nearest restaurants too 🙂

3) (Invest in) and bring good recreational equipments

Planning and having the right gears are crucial for activities such as camping. Being outdoors requires a little comfort level adjustment. (We will talk about total comfort abandon, well…almost,… in another article about backpacking and backcountry camping). So in order to stay dry, comfortable, and content, PLEASE plan ahead.

4) Have fun!

Photos property of The Traveling Chili Pepper

June 18, 2011August 1, 2013

Harini Riana2 Comments

Summer is Like My 16th Minute

My good friend swam with sea turtles in the Atlantic this spring. She said that when actively swimming in the ocean, these animals would come up for air every 15 minutes. Summer is like my 16^th minute, a time to catch my breath.

I enjoy the constant and striking change of seasons in this part of the world. It is quite refreshing to observe and follow the changes in nature that allow people to have variations in what to wear, food to enjoy, and activities to do. The tropical island I come from always feel rich of sunlight and warm and wet air. It seems like the climate supports all sorts of trees, plants, and beautiful flowers to grow all year-long without too much effort. But here, in the middle of the US, approximately 9742 miles away from Java, I think the earth and the air feel different every four months. The varying temperatures seem to color the plants and the sky in many shades and moods.

After living for several years in this region of the US, with its long and sleepy winter months, I began to develop a love affair with summer days. During these long and warm days I find myself wanting to just stay outside. This summer I want to do more things like rustic camping and hiking. There is a good feeling that comes out of letting nature’s beauty take my mind off daily concerns and surroundings for a bit. It is also quite peaceful and rewarding to be okay in nature’s standard of comfort level. To let things be.

My next entries will be about my hiking adventures with Jeff and our friends. This is another affordable and healthy fun for anyone who loves to be outdoors. So, let’s find good trails, gear up, and hike!

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July 10, 2010July 30, 2013

Harini Riana2 Comments