Nairagi Tartar with Mango and Zucchini

I know, I know....you are probably getting sick of seeing this variation of my favorite dish, but what can I say - I love it! So simple, so satisfying, so not bad for you, such a better bargain than restaurant tartar, so amazing and addictive! Sorry, groan all you want but I eat a variation of Tuna/Salmon/Nairagi tartar EVERY week. Here is this weeks!

Tartar

• 1/3 pound of fresh Nairagi, cut with a Sushi Knife into small dice
• 1/2 Large Avocado – diced
• 1 cup Green onions – large dice
• Sesame seeds – black or white – to taste (I use about two tablespoons)
• Sriracha – to taste – I use about a tablespoon and a half
• Soy sauce – to taste about a 1/2 tablespoon
• One Lime, Juiced
• Eel sauce, 1 tbsp
• Ginger Lime marinade/sauce, 1.5 tbsp
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Mango, diced
• 1Small Zucchini, cut into small dice

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well, adjusting flavors as desired.

Coconut Rice

• One cup Coconut Milk
• Two Tablespoons Ginger People Minced Ginger
• One tsp salt
• Half cup of Basmati Rice

Bring milk, ginger and salt to a boil in a small saucepan. Add rice, cover, reduce to simmer. Cook for ten minutes and fluff.

To Assemble:

Pack Rice into a small, round ramekin. Turn upside down in the middle of the plate, then remove ramekin leaving a small mound of rice. Top with the tartar, drizzle with additional eel sauce - or place a small dot in various spots on the plate. Feel free to top with fried shallots if desired. Alternately, you can Julienne the zucchini and arrange the zucchini below, above, or around rice, then top with tartar and shallots if desired. I went for the all-in-one combo to make life simple.

Chicken and Rice

I am willing to bet that "Chicken and Rice" will be the most simple dish you see in this blog. For as long as I can remember, whenever I was sick, my momma would make this for me. In fact, there is not really any chicken (any real chicken) in the dish. I made it last night to ease my upset stomach and just thought I would share in case anyone has the flu, some rice, and cream of chicken soup.

• One can Campbell's Cream of Chicken Soup
• One can milk or water (I use water most of the time)
• One can white rice (as in I put the rice into the can and that is how I measure it)
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste

Bring the soup and the water to a boil and add rice and a pinch of salt, stir, reduce heat to a simmer and cover. Allow to cook for 15-20 minutes (or however long your particular rice takes to cook). Salt and pepper to desired taste. Get back in bed and eat it curled up in a ball.

*I have to have this "sick food" in my "sick bowl" - a blue and white bowl I have had since before I could walk. It just is not the same without it.

Salmon with veggies and Ginger-Lime brown Rice

This is a version of a take out favorite of mine from a Japanese place. One day I just figured...hey I can make that myself! I am willing to bet mine is healthier, plus I get more for the money and the satisfaction of cooking it. You could add veggies to this if you would like - I have used edamame before with success. Crispy shallots (as a garnish) are a great addition for texture. Remember when making this that brown rice can take a while to cook - between 45 minutes and an hour. Just an FYI so you can plan accordingly.

• Serves 2 plus leftovers
• One cup Brown Rice
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 5 large mushrooms (white, cremini or baby bellas - or a mixtures) sliced
• One small white onion or two large shallots, sliced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger or 1 tablespoon of minced ginger by The Ginger People
• Half bunch of green onion, cut into one inch pieces
• One to two broccoli stems
• about a half pound salmon (this is 4 oz per person) 
• Sriracha to taste
• Ginger Lime Sauce - The Ginger People - to taste
• Sesame or Peanut Oil
• Sesame Seeds - Optional
• Crispy Shallots

Cook brown rice in chicken broth. Steam Broccoli.

Heat oil in a skillet on medium heat. Add garlic, ginger, and onion and saute (properly season). Add mushrooms after about 3 minutes and continue cooking until mushrooms are brown but not overcooked. Add green onions and saute about 2 minutes. Add Salmon (that has been properly seasoned - I like to use salt, pepper, and turmeric) and sear until desired doneness. Add several tablespoons of ginger lime marinade mixed with Sriracha and stir in broccoli and rice. Mix well and top with crispy shallots and sesame seeds and serve.

Piccata

I mean it is Piccata. If you don't like Piccata, please expect to be de-friended on facebook.

My favorite version is with salmon or shrimp - I never make chicken or veal unless I am cooking for someone who does not care for fish. I know, don't even get me started...This is also an easy dish for those couples who have a fish eater and a chicken lover as it is fairly easy to make both at once.

Chicken, Veal, Salmon or Shrimp Piccata

• Shallots (at least 2 big ones) - I use 5
• Garlic (to taste) - I use 5 cloves
• White Wine - I would probably use 1.5 cups and reduce
• Chicken Broth - half cup
• Butter - one to two tablespoons - to the Paula Deen's out there feel free to use more, always makes it better!
• Flour- a few fingerfuls (more means a thicker sauce, less means a thinner sauce)
• Fresh Lemon Juice - one lemon
• Capers - I will use a whole jar if you let me so do it to taste...
• Fresh Thyme
• White or Brown Rice (or pasta of choice if you prefer)
• Mushrooms (optional) - I use if I have but do not go out and buy them if I don't
• Spinach (optional) - I like to sneak veggies into everything so I like adding Spinach to it though it is not traditional
• Red Pepper Flakes (optional) - two teaspoons
• Parsely (optional) for garnish - I rarely use this

Coat chicken in flour, salt, pepper, cayenne (rice flour for gluten free diets) and then Brown the chicken on each side- remove. Another way to cook the chicken is to coat it with salt, pepper, thyme, and cayenne and brown well on each side - once it is sufficiently brown add to piccata pan. If using salmon, coat with salt, pepper, and thyme and then sear in a separate pan. I like to sear it and then pour the sauce over it as I like my salmon extremely rare. Shrimp can be sauteed in the sauce after a quick sear.

Pour oil into skillet (if you have garlic oil use it), let it heat then add shallots, flour, thyme, red pepper flakes, and garlic and saute until glassy - if using mushrooms saute halfway through this process, deglaze with white wine and reduce a bit, then add a little chicken broth and reduce more. Add the butter and lemon juice and return the chicken to the pan. Salt and pepper to taste and cook chicken until done (you can use whatever herbs on the chicken you like - I like to use thyme with this).Add spinach in in the last couple minutes and allow to wilt.

Once done pour the sauce over the rice, top with chicken and parsley if using and serve.

For the rice - I cook it in chicken broth - then add a dab of butter, salt, and capers and mix.

**Variation: Instead of Rice, cook linguine or fettucuine and toss with sauce, meat, capers, and add fresh torn arugala and parmesan cheese.

Variation: Stuff chicken with spinach, shallots and garlic. Or stuff with Proscuitto and a little bit of cheese. Proceed cooking as normal.

Ahi Poke with Coconut Ginger Rice and Crispy Shallots

This came about on a night that I really wanted Tuna Tartare but did not want to pay and arm and a leg for it. Central Market (where I buy my fish almost exclusively because I like it better than Whole Paycheck) had some gorgeous tuna so I got a little bit and smiled at the price tag. A big, whole hunk of tuna all for me and all for under the normal $13 price tag. I mixed it pretty much with stuff I had at home with the addition of avocado and green onion for the poke. I love coconut-ginger rice (like I will eat it with eel sauce and call it breakfast), so I usually make extra - it is great if you have a stomach ache as well (ginger ale/ginger ...get it?)

Add everything to taste and enjoy! Oh also, when I say eel sauce, Sometimes I mean actual eel sauce and sometimes I mean something with a Japanese name that I buy at Asahi (I purchase both at my Japanese store). I am not sure of the name but it is like a thick soy/eel sauce. Also great to marinate beef in if you can find it!

Ahi Poke with Coconut Ginger Rice (for one)

• Quarter pound of fresh blue/yellow/big eye tuna from Central Market (alternate fish Naigari)
• Avocado – diced
• Green onions – large dice
• Sesame seeds – black or white – to taste (I use about two tablespoons)
• Sesame seed oil (can sub hot chile oil or olive oil if preferred)
• Sriracha – to taste – I use about a tablespoon and a half
• Soy sauce – to taste about a tablespoon
• Fresh Lime juice – to taste – I normally use half a lime
• Eel sauce – optional but if not using you may need more soy
• Ginger Lime marinade/sauce – to taste



Thick Eel/Soy Sauce

• Salt and pepper

RICE

• 1 half cup basmati rice
• Coconut Milk – Lite or Regular
• Ginger People Minced Ginger or sliced fresh ginger
• Pinch of Salt

Cook the rice in half water/half coconut milk – once nearly done add in minced ginger (I use about three tablespoon but do it to taste). Using a very sharp knife cut the tuna into dice. Dice avocado and green onion. Combine all ingredients in a bowl with sesame seeds. Begin adding additional ingredients to taste, testing and adding as desired. On a small plate or bowl place rice down on bottom and top with poke. Top with crispy shallots (store bought or homemade) or Just Onions (dried onion brand from Central Market/whole foods). 

Variations –

Some people like mango with their tuna – go for it if you like. You can also top with cucumber for crunch. You can leave the rice out if you like or add wasabi into the rice or sear the tuna with a wasabi crust, place over the rice and then top with a similar sauce as would have gone into the poke. You could also make rice mixed with wasabi butter (wasabi paste, butter, lime juice and shallot sautéed until mellow) or pour wasabi butter over the top.

The beauty of this is plentiful...It is a way to get tuna for much cheaper than in a restaurant, you can customize it to exactly how you want it by adding ingredients or taking them away, it takes about ten minutes, it is relatively low calorie, easy clean up, and YUMMY!