Asian-Inspired Catfish Soup

I hate to use the term "Asian" since Asia is such a large continent encompassing many countries, but this soup was inspired by the culinary goodness of Thailand, Vietnam, and Japan, so I couldn't really play favorites there.  I think that it has more Thai flavors than anything and is really reminiscent of Tom Yum soup, which is my absolute favorite.  BUT, then we added udon noodles (Japanese) and Vietnamese cilantro, which may be my new favorite thing!  

We caught the catfish we used for the soup in Lake Sinclair the very same day, and I can't think of a better way to enjoy catfish (well, other than deep fried). 

Asian Catfish Soup

1 pound of catfish fillets

1-2 thumbs ginger

6-8 garlic cloves

1 large jalapeno chile

1 onion

1 package mushrooms (we already had some buttons, but oyster mushrooms would be great)

3 cups veggie or chicken broth

3 cups water

Soy sauce to taste

3-4 large tomatoes

1 lemon, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

Half a bunch cilantro

Vietnamese cilantro (from a friend's herb garden!)

Half a pound Udon noodles

Cook the chopped garlic, ginger, onion, and jalapeno in the pot until the onions start to become transparent.  Add the tomatoes and mushrooms and cook for a few more minutes.  Add the stock, water, and soy sauce a little at a time until desired saltiness (most store-bought stocks are already very salty, so don't add the soy without trying it first).  Now add the fish, the red pepper, lemon, and about half of the cilantro.  Bring to a boil.  Add the noodles and boil until soft.  Garnish with more cilantro.

Summer Veggie Plate

We've been so excited (well, mostly Tore) about our garden this year. So excited that we couldn't even let the tomatoes get ripe before planning a meal around them. This was my first go at fried green tomatoes, so we were definitely entering uncharted territory. How hard could it be, right?

We served them with french lentils, roasted okra and shallots (we have both green and "white" okra growing in our garden), jalapeño cornbread, and a caper aioli sauce.

Since this is so simple, I don't think a recipe is necessary. I just seasoned some flour and then threw in some shredded parmesan for the breading. Sliced 'em, dredged 'em in some egg and then coated them in the flour mixture before frying in a shallow frying pan--we used peanut oil.

The okra was cut in half long ways and then tossed with the sliced shallots, olive oil, and salt & pepper and roasted in the oven.

For the Caper Aioli:

Half a cup of mayo (we used safflower mayo)

4 garlic gloves

1 tablespoon capers, drained

Pinch of cumin

Half a teaspoon honey

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Spoon over fried tomatoes.

Baked Chiles Rellenos & Peruvian-Style Ceviche

These were both firsts for Local Okra. We have been meaning to make ceviche for a long, long time and we finally did it. It literally could not be easier to make. If you've got time to squeeze some limes, then you can make ceviche. It only needs about 3 hours to marinate before it's ready to eat.



The stuffed poblanos are a little more labor intensive, but still fairly easy to make. The hardest part is getting the skin off the peppers after roasting them. These were really good though and since we baked them, not nearly as bad for you as the deep fried version.



Peruvian-Style Ceviche

1.5 lbs tilapia filets, cubed (next time we will use red snapper for a firmer texture)
juice of 10-12 limes
4-5 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 serrano peppers, finely chopped
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Combine all ingredients and then cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving. Serve with sliced avocado and tortilla chips.



Chiles Rellenos

3-4 large poblano peppers
1 large can of refried beans
garlic powder
cumin
chili powder
1 cup of fontina cheese, grated
1/2 cup of Mexican crumbling cheese
bread crumbs
1 egg



First cut a slit down the side of each pepper, but do not remove the seeds. Next, roast the peppers in a dry frying pan until mostly browned, turning often. You don't want to cook them so much that they lose their shape. Once all sides are browned, remove them from the pan and place them into a plastic bag and seal tightly.



Meanwhile, mix the cheese and beans, along with garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder to taste, in a large bowl. After 15 minutes, if the peppers are cool, peel off the skins of the peppers. After the skins are removed, pull out the seeds, leaving the stem intact. Stuff each pepper with the bean/cheese mixture. Brush each pepper with the egg and then cover with bread crumbs. Bake in a casserole dish at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. Serve with warm tomato sauce or fresh salsa.

Koldolmar--Swedish Cabbage Rolls with Venison

We got the recipe for these cabbage rolls out of a Swedish cook book that came from Ikea. Hilarious, right? According to our resident Swede, the recipes in it are all very authentic. These looked so delicious that we made them the first time we had some venison and they were a huge success. Since we didn't document them that time (and because they are SO tasty, of course), we decided to make them again. Our good friend LA was lucky enough to have enjoyed them twice!!!

The filling for the rolls is essentially the same as our venison loaf minus the mushrooms and basil. We also used two small shallots instead of an onion and added about 1/3 cup of heavy cream and 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley.






To prepare your cabbage for rolling, cut out the core completely so that the leaves can be easily peeled away without breaking. Put these in some lightly salted, boiling water for about three minutes and then put them into an ice-water bath.


Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Once the cabbage leaves are cool, drain and dry them. Spoon some of the venison mixture into the thicker end of a cabbage leaf and roll, tucking in any excess at the sides.









The next step is to heat a skillet to medium-high heat and then add olive oil and about 1/4 cup of molasses. When this is good and hot, add the rolls one at a time, seam side down. All you want to do is brown the bottoms so that they caramelize. This will probably take two rounds.






Transfer the rolls to a casserole dish and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until cooked through.



Meanwhile, add some stock (any kind you have) to the skillet and scrape up all the little bits left over from the rolls. Add a little heavy cream and you've got a sauce. Half way through the cook time, take the rolls out and cover them with the sauce so that they stay moist.






You might want to cut into one of the rolls after 20 minutes to see if the venison is still pink in the middle. If so, cook for a few more minutes.






Serve with boiled potatoes with fresh dill (grows easily in your garden!). We also had some of Michelle's amazing pickled eggs, which went perfectly with this Swedish feast.

Venison Loaf with Braised Local Kale & Herb-Roasted Potatoes

Here's the old A + 2B.  Meat and two sides.  This isn't something we do a lot, but it reminds me of the meals my Mom prepared when I was growing up.  Of course, there is quite a bit of ketchup in my mother's meat loaf, but that's just not my style.  This venison loaf has white rice, lots of mushrooms, and a whole bunch of garlic--probably way too much for my Mom's taste.  

The next day we both ate meat loaf sandwiches for lunch.  Believe me--much better than it sounds.  

Venison Loaf

1 lb. of ground venison

2 small eggs

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 onion, finely diced

4-6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon dried basil

1/2 lb. mushrooms, chopped

1 cup cooked white rice (from 3/4 cup, uncooked)

1/4 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

Mix all ingredients together (cook rice before hand) and form into a loaf.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes.  

Braised Kale

1 bunch kale, cut or torn into pieces

1 large shallot, sliced

olive oil

1/2 cup of stock (chicken, veggie, etc.)

Heat the oil in a large frying pan and then add the shallots and saute over medium heat for about 2 minutes.  Add the kale and saute for another minute.  Pour in the stock, cover, and simmer at low heat for 5-10 minutes.

Herb-Roasted Potatoes

2-3 lbs. small potatoes (yukon gold or red)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon paprika

salt

fresh ground black pepper

Toss the potatoes with the olive oil and herbs and spices and then bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour.  

F#%@ Yeah!!!!!

The drool-worthy and hilarious F__k Yeah Cilantro has featured Local Okra!!

Check it out!

Udon Noodles with Broccoli & Pan-Seared Venison Loin

Our local co-op has started stocking udon noodles in the bulk section, which makes me very happy.  They are so delicious in soups or just tossed with a little sesame oil, spices, soy sauce, and whatever veggies you happen to have in the fridge.  We typically use tofu or seitan in something like this, but not this time!  Right now, we're still reveling in a freezer full of venison.

This particular dinner was inspired by Chinese 'beef with broccoli', as seen on many a Chinese take-out menu.  A little of this (bell pepper, onion) and a little of that (dried red pepper, cilantro) and what you end up with is something so much better--and definitely better for you--than you could get at said Chinese take-out place.

Recipe

3/4 lb. udon noodles

1 small venison loin

1 large head of broccoli

1 bell pepper

1 onion

2 dried red peppers

1 handful of chopped cilantro

1 thumb of ginger

4-5 cloves of garlic

soy sauce

sesame oil (1/4 teaspoon)

olive oil

Marinate the venison in soy sauce and the chopped garlic and ginger for a few hours, if possible.  Cook the noodles.  Meanwhile, saute the broccoli, bell pepper, onion, and crushed red pepper together in a wok with the olive oil, some soy sauce, and the sesame oil.  Make sure the broccoli keeps its crisp texture--don't overcook.  

Get a frying pan very hot and then cook the venison for just a few minutes, browning on all sides, but leave it a little pink in the middle.  Pour the venison and it's juices over the cooked and drained noodles and then mix in the chopped cilantro and vegetables.  Garnish with more cilantro.