Biko Recipe (Filipino Sweet Sticky Rice)

Makes one 9×13 pan

You need to use sweet rice or sticky rice (sometimes called glutinous rice) for this recipe. Coconut cream is found in most Asian and ethnic stores but if you can’t find it, just use the the thick cream from the top layer of a good quality can of coconut milk. Don’t worry if you end up with less coconut milk to use with the rice—simply add enough water to reach the desired amount of cooking liquid.

This recipe can easily be halved. If you like crunchy rice edges, cook the biko in muffin pans or brownie bar pans. Be careful when you pull it out of the oven; the caramelized brown sugar is very hot and can burn you if you try to taste it immediately.

Ingredients:

3 cans (14 oz. can) coconut milk
4 cups sweet rice
2 cups brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup coconut cream

Pour coconut milk and about a cup of water into a pot and let it come to a simmer over medium heat. When simmering, add in the rice and stir constantly to prevent burning. Lower the heat if necessary. Preheat oven to 350F.

When rice is sticky and almost dry (it will look like risotto), about 10-15 minutes, add 1 cup brown sugar. Stir well and take off heat. Pour into a lightly buttered 9×13 pan and smooth the top. Mix the remaining 1 cup brown sugar and coconut cream until smooth and pour it over the rice.

Bake for about 1 hour or until topping is dark brown and has thickened. Cool slightly before serving.

Nagaimo Quick Bread

Makes 1 loaf

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup shredded nagaimo, shredded on large holes of box grater
1 large egg
½ cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest

1. Grease one 9” x 5” loaf pan.  Dust with granulated sugar.  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Whisk the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda together in a large bowl.

3. Beat the nagaimo, egg, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, sugar, and lemon zest together in a large bowl.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the nagaimo mixture and beat well until combined.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.  Bake for about 60 minutes, or until a bamboo skewer inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.  Remove from the oven and cool in the loaf pan on a cooling rack for 20 minutes.  Remove the braed from the pan, and completely cool.

Udon Noodle Soup with Vegetables and Tofu Recipe

Reprinted with permission from Kansha: Celebrating Japan’s Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions by Elizabeth Andoh, copyright © 2010. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.

Kansha: Celebrating Japan’s Vegan and Vegetarian Tradition

by Elizabeth Andoh

For Gluten Free version, substitute GF noodles and wheat free tamari.

serves 4

3 or 4 large dried shiitaké mushrooms
3 cups water
11/2 ounces daikon tops, kale, or other leafy greens, loosely tied in a bundle with kitchen twine
3 sheets thin fried tōfu (page 282)
4 ounces fresh mushrooms, preferably maitaké (page 272), trimmed and hand shredded into 1/2-inch lengths
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon saké
1 slender carrot, about 2 ounces, scraped and cut into matchsticks
2 ounces daikon, scraped and cut into matchsticks
1 tablespoon mirin
1 tablespoon light-colored soy sauce
2 sheets hoshi yuba, softened (page 261) and coarsely shredded, or 1/4 cup finely broken hoshi yuba (1/4-inch bits)
11/2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
Cooked udon noodles, for serving hot (page 55)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

Extract a stock from the dried shiitaké mushrooms: Break off the stems and set them aside for making stock on another occasion. Here you are using only the dried shii¬také caps to make a stock (and to cook later with the other vegetables). Soak the caps in the water in a bowl for at least 30 minutes and preferably for 1 hour or more. Remove the caps from the water and rinse them to remove any gritty material, then squeeze gently. Pour the soaking water through a fine-mesh strainer (or disposable coffee filter) into a clean bowl to remove unwanted bits that may have settled at the bottom of the bowl. Set the stock aside. Slice the dried shiitake caps into very narrow strips.

Bring a small saucepan filled with water to a boil. Blanch the bundle of leafy greens for 30 seconds, or until they wilt and turn a vivid green. With long chopsticks or tongs pull them from the pot and set aside. Blanch the tōfu slices in the same pot for 1 minute, or until oil swirls on the water’s surface. Drain, cut each slice lengthwise in half, and then cut each half crosswise into short, narrow strips. Blot away excess oil from the strips. When the greens are cool enough to handle, squeeze out excess moisture, chop coarsely, and set aside.

Heat a wok or a large, heavy skillet over high heat. Toss in the tōfu and allow the pieces to sear for a moment until lightly browned at the edges. Add the fresh mushrooms, then the slivers of softened dried shiitaké and stir-fry for about 1 minute, or until any excess liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are aromatic. Sprinkle with the sugar and continue to stir-fry for 30 seconds longer. Add the saké and stir-fry until the pan is dry.

Add the stock (it will sizzle and sputter a bit, so be careful) and lower the heat to maintain a steady but not-too-vigorous simmer. Skim away the first large cloud of froth that appears with a fine-mesh skimmer. More froth will appear (this is normal when using shiitaké mushroom stock) as you continue to simmer. Cook for 5 or 6 minutes, then skim away the froth again.

Add the carrot and daikon, season the soup with the mirin and light-colored soy sauce, and continue to sim¬mer for 2 or 3 minutes, or until the vegetables are firm but tender and the flavors are melded.

Add the yuba and stir to distribute, and then add the soy sauce. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and cold water. Add the mixture to the pan, raise the heat to high, and stir until thickened and glossy. The final soup will have the consistency of a thin sauce.

Divide the noodles among 4 warmed bowls, then divide the soup evenly among the bowls. Top each serving with some of the chopped greens and a small mound of ginger. Serve immediately.

Asian Mushroom Puff Pastries Recipe

By Jaden Hair, Steamy Kitchen

(Serves 6 as an appetizer)

1 box (10 ounces) Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry Shells (6 shells)
8 ounces Gruyere cheese, shredded
2 packages Hokto Maitake mushrooms
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup Gorgonzola Cream Sauce (see below)
1/2 tablespoon parsley, finely minced

1. Prepare the shells according to package instructions.

2. While the pastry shells are baking, heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, onions and saute for 2 minutes, then add in the mushrooms and continue to saute for another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Prepare the Gorgonzola Cream Sauce (recipe below)

4. When the pastry shells are cool enough to handle (but still warm), remove the top of the pastry shell (it should be easy to remove with your fingers) and fill each shell with equal amounts of the shredded Gruyere cheese, then the mushroom mixture and top each off with a spoonful of the Gorgonzola Cream Sauce. Sprinkle with parsley to finish. Serve immediately.

Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
Serves 4

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley or chives
4 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola
2 ounces grated Parmesan
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a small sauce pan over medium heat, stir in heavy cream, parsley or chives, Gorgonzola and Parmesan cheese. Season with nutmeg. Whisk and let simmer for 30 seconds or until the much of the cheese has melted.

Brown Beech Mushroom Stir Fry

By Jaden Hair, Steamy Kitchen

serves 4

1 chicken breast (6 oz)
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
pinch sugar
1 package Hokto Brown Beech Mushrooms, ends trimmed and mushrooms separated (or other fresh mushrooms)
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 garlic clove, very finely minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
thinly sliced green onions and chili pepper, if desired

1. Slice the chicken in very thin strips. In a bowl, marinate chicken with the soy sauce, sesame oil, black pepper, cornstarch and sugar for 15 minutes on counter or up to overnight in the refrigerator.

2. Heat a wok or saute pan over high heat. When hot, swirl in the cooking oil. Add the chicken slices and stir fry for 2-3 minutes, until the chicken is just about cooked through (timing depends on how thick you slice chicken). Turn the heat to medium and then add the garlic and the ginger to the pan. Stir fry until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

3. Add in the mushrooms and the oyster sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 30 seconds. Dish out and garnish with fresh green onions and chili pepper.

Good Fortune Pickles Recipe

Fukujin-Zuke

Reprinted with permission from Kansha: Celebrating Japan’s Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions by Elizabeth Andoh, copyright © 2010. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.

Kansha: Celebrating Japan’s Vegan and Vegetarian Tradition

by Elizabeth Andoh

makes about 3 cups
brine
3 cups water
2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 chunk daikon, about 3 ounces, peeled or unpeeled, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 carrot, about 11/2 ounces, peeled or unpeeled, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 small Kirby or other pickling cucumbers, each about 2 ounces, unpeeled, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 ounces burdock root, scraped, cut into 1/4-inch dice, blanched for 1 minute, and drained (do not refresh in cold water)
1 small knob tender new ginger, about 1/2 ounce, scraped and finely minced
1 Japanese eggplant, about 3 ounces, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1 package enoki mushrooms, about 31/2 ounces, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch lengths

pickling medium
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
3-inch piece kombu, preferably high-glutamate variety such as ma kombu
1/4 cup sake
1 cup rice vinegar
1 tōgarashi, broken in half and most seeds removed, or 3 or 4 black, green, or pink peppercorns

Make the brine: Combine the water and salt in a small saucepan and heat through, stirring, just until the salt dissolves. Remove from the heat and transfer to a widemouthed glass bowl or other nonreactive container. Let cool.

Place the daikon, carrot, cucumber, burdock root, ginger, and eggplant in the cooled brine and let soak for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours at cool room temperature. Because the vegetables tend to bob to the surface, use an otoshi-buta (page 243) or a flat plate to keep the vegetables submerged in the brine.

Drain the vegetables, squeezing them gently to rid them of excess moisture. Add the enoki mushrooms to the mixture in the bowl and toss to distribute.

Make the pickling medium: Combine the sugar, soy sauce, and kombu in a wide, shallow pot over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Lower the heat to maintain a steady, gentle simmer. Add the vegetables, stir once, and wait until bubbles form around the rim of the pot. Stir again and remove the pot from the heat. Allow the vegetables to cool in the liquid until there is no longer any steam rising.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a widemouthed 1-quart Mason-type jar, arranging the kombu on top of the vegetables.

Add the sake, vinegar, and tōgarashi to the liquid remaining in the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to maintain a steady, vigorous simmer and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until reduced by half. Skim away any clouds of froth with a fine-mesh skimmer. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

Pour the cooled liquid over the vegetables. When the jar no longer feels warm to the touch, secure the lid, label and date the jar, and refrigerate it. The pickles will develop flavor slowly during the first week. After 4 or 5 days, open the jar and, with clean chopsticks or a fork, pull out a sample and taste. If the flavor is too intense, add 2 or 3 tablespoons cold water to the pickling liquid, re-cover, and refrigerate for about 2 more days.

The pickle will taste best 1 to 2 weeks after assembling, but it can be enjoyed for 4 to 5 weeks if kept refrigerated throughout. Flavors will continue to intensify, however, and you may wish to dilute the pickling liquid after a couple of weeks.

When ready to serve, select an assortment of chunks, draining only the amount you wish to use at that time. Briefly rinse the pieces under cold running water and squeeze out excess moisture. Mince the pickled vegetables, then gently squeeze the pile to form a low-rising mound.

Do not reuse either the brine or the pickling medium; assemble with fresh ingredients each time you wish to make a batch of Good Fortune Pickles.