edamame soba salad with grilled salmon

i first had this amazing medley at clementines in century city (one of my fave places in la).  this salad includes 3 main ingredients: soba (super good-for-you, antioxidant-rich, gluten-free japanese buckwheat noodles), edamame (young soybeans that are super rich in antioxidants and fiber) and salmon (also very good for you!).  the dressing is super delicious with a yummy tartness, perfect for the summer.  this recipe is a MUST TRY!!!!!

ingredients:

- 1/2 cup rice vinegar

- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil

- 2 tablespoon sesame oil

- 1 tablespoon honey

-  lemon wedges (1 for dressing and a couple for the salmon)

- 1 teaspoon coarse salt

- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

- 1/2 cup shredded carrots

- 1 tablespoon finely minced shallots

- 3 green onion, finely diced

- 1/2 cup cilantro

- 1/2 teaspoon sriracha

- 3 tablespoon soy sauce

- 6 oz soba noodles

- 1/2 pound salmon fillets

- 1 12oz bag of frozen shelled edamame

directions:

- boil a pot of water and cook the soba noodles until al dente; rinse over cold water, drain and set aside

- boil another pot of water and cook the edamame for 4 minutes; rinse over cold water, drain and set aside

- grill the salmon until cooked through; squeeze a lemon wedge over salmon fillets

- remove the skin off the salmon fillets; set aside

- in a super large bowl, mix the rice vinegar, vegetable oil, sesame oil, honey, juice of 1 lemon wedge, salt, pepper, carrots, shallots, green onion, cilantro, sriracha and soy sauce

- add soba noodles and edamame to the bowl

- fork apart the salmon into pieces; add to bowl

- mix the salad carefully then refrigerate for at least an hour...then enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

vietnamese fresh spring rolls with 2 dipping sauces

the best thing about a vietnamese pho restaurant, in my opinion, is the fresh spring rolls they serve with the yummy dipping sauces...my FAVE!  since i no longer live close to any decent vietnamese restaurants, i started making them at home.  here is a super authentic recipe that delivers spring rolls that taste as good as golden deli (at least that's what i tell myself!).  enjoy!

ingredients:

- 2 ounces rice vermicelli

- 8 rice wrappers (8.5 inch diameter)

- 1/2 pound pork tenderloin

- 8 large cooked shrimp - peeled, deveined and cut in half

- handful of fresh thai basil, mint leaves and cilantro, thinly shredded 

- 1 small carrot, thinly shredded

- 2 lettuce leaves, thinly shredded

dipping sauce #1 (nuoc cham)

- 4 teaspoons fish sauce

- 1/4 cup warm water

- juice of half a lime

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 1 tablespoon brown sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon garlic chili sauce

dipping sauce #2 (peanut hoisin sauce)

- 1/2 cup water

- 4 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

- 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce

- 2 tablespoons sugar

- 1/4 teaspoon garlic chili sauce

directions:

- marinate pork with salt and pepper; cook in frying pan then set aside

- once pork is cool, slice into thin pieces and set aside

- prepare rice vermicelli noodles according to directions on the package; run the noodles under cool water, drain then set aside

- create a mini assembly line with the following: a large bowl of lukewarm water, a couple clean kitchen towels, a plate of cooked shrimp halves, a bowl of vermicelli, a bowl of chopped fresh herbs, a bowl of shredded lettuce and carrots mixed, a plate of pork slices, and an empty plate with a damp paper towel on top

- to assemble the rolls, soak a rice wrapper in the lukewarm water for a second, transfer to a kitchen towel, add a couple halves of shrimp to the center of the wrapper in a horizontal line, followed by some vermicelli noodles, herbs, lettuce, and a couple thin slices of pork all in the center of the wrapper in a horizontal line

- at the bottom of the horizontal line of ingredients, quickly fold the wrapper up, then fold in either side.  lastly, carefully fold the top of the wrapper in to complete the spring roll

- quickly place the spring roll on the empty plate and cover with damp paper towel; make the rest of the spring rolls following each step above

- i highly recommend serving the spring rolls ASAP with the dipping sauces (directions below)

- to make dipping sauce #1, dissolve sugar in warm water, then mix the rest of the ingredients in and set aside

- to make dipping sauce #2, puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth; refrigerate

- enjoy!

xoxo,

kara

amazing spicy tuna (for crispy rice, rolls and bowls!)

i'm a fan of good spicy tuna...sushi gen's spicy tuna, crispy rice at katsuya and definitely the spicy tuna bowl at teriyaki me in glendale (i miss teriyaki me!).  i feel like a lot of places make their spicy tuna too spicy so you can't taste the tuna or it's just really bland.  after experimenting and trying all sorts of variations of spicy tuna at home, here is a tried and true recipe for the best spicy tuna you'll ever have!

ingredients:

- 1 pound sashimi grade tuna

- 2 teaspoon mayo

- 2-3 teaspoon asian chili paste/sauce (ie: sriracha. i recommend the chili garlic sauce with the green cap and rooster)

- 1/2 teaspoon chili oil (ie: japanese rayu)

- dash of soy sauce

- 4 stalks of green onion, finely sliced

- 1 tablespoon smelt roe *optional

- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil *optional

-  lemon *optional

- rice and nori (for rolls or handrolls; see below)

- 4 tablespoons of butter and rice (for crispy rice; see below)

directions:

- mix the mayo, 2 teaspoon chili paste, chili oil, soy sauce, sliced green onion and sesame oil in a bowl.  taste the sauce.  if you want it spicier, add another teaspoon of chili paste

- dice the tuna into small pieces; add the tuna to the bowl with the sauce

- mix carefully. add a spritz of lemon if you want to add some acidity to the taste.  refrigerate immediately

- use the spicy tuna mixture in a handroll (rice and tuna rolled up in nori), in a roll (you know...a sushi roll!), over a bowl of rice or over some crispy rice!

crispy rice directions:

- create rectangular blocks of rice (approximately 4"x1"x1")

- over a hot skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of butter and a couple dashes of soy sauce

- when the butter starts to bubble, add the rice blocks and cook on each side until the rice gets crispy; remove

- let it cool a tad then spoon some of the spicy tuna mixture on top (garnish with a slice of jalapeno if you'd like!)

xoxo,

kara

seafood and chicken paella

i fell in love with paella when i was 14 years old at a friend's backyard paella party.  as soon as i had my first bite of the toasted rice with chorizo, chicken and shrimp, i was head over heels...and i was determined to one day create an amazing paella recipe of my own.  after trying various recipes and making a number of batches over the years, here is my super delicious, easy-to-make paella recipe that will wow any crowd, trust me :) 

ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 6 chicken thighs, cut into chunks
- 2 chorizo links, cut into chunks
- 1 medium onion, chopped/cubed
- 1 green pepper, chopped/cubed
- 1 red pepper, chopped/cubed
- 2 celery stalks, chopped/cubed
- bunch of flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
- 12 cloves of garlic (or 3 tablespoons), minced
- 3 tablespoons saffron
- s&p
- 3 cups chicken broth (add more if needed)
- 3 cups paella rice
- 3/4 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3/4 pound tilapia
- 3/4 cup frozen peas
- 2 lemons, cut into wedges

directions:
- heat olive oil in a paella pan or a le creuset wide pan over high heat until the oil is very hot
- saute and caramelize chicken thigh for 7 minutes or so; remove from pan and reserve
- saute chorizo chunks for 5 minutes or so; remove from pan and reserve
- lower the heat to medium and saute onion, carrot, green & red pepper, celery, parsley and garlic in the pan for 3 minutes
- fold in the rice and stir to coat each grain
- add chicken stock and simmer for 10 minutes, gently stirring so the rice absorbs the stock evenly
- add saffron, some s&p, chicken and chorizo into the pan and mix
- cover the pan, give it a good shake, lower the heat, let everything simmer for about 15 minutes until the rice has a bite to them (aka al dente...do not overcook!)
- tuck in the shrimp, tilapia and peas into the rice.  add more chicken broth if needed
- cover and cook for an additional 5 more minutes until the shrimp is pink, rice is fluffy and the peas are cooked through
- serve with lemon wedges.  enjoy!

xoxo,
kara

cioppino seafood stew

i love seafood, especially when it's served raw (sushi, ceviche, poke) or in velvety stews (cioppino, bouillabaisse, chilpachole).  since it's still super cold everywhere else in the country, i thought i would share another cold-weather recipe this week (and one of my personal faves), my amazingly delicious cioppino.  although purchasing all the ingredients might be a bit pricey, trust me, this recipe is well worth it!

ingredients:

- 1/2 cup butter

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 large onion, chopped

- 2 shallots, chopped

- 4 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

- 1 bunch fresh flat parsley, chopped

- 1 small bunch basil, chopped

- 1 32oz can diced or crushed tomatoes in juice

- 4 cups of organic chicken broth (a box)

- 2 cups dry white wine

- 2 bay leaves

- 1 pound clams, scrubbed

- 1 pound mussels, cleaned and debearded

- 1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined

- 1 1/2 pounds scallops

- 2 pounds cod, sea bass or halibut fillets, cut into 1-inch cubes

- 1 sourdough baguette, cut into thick slices and toasted

- s&p

directions:

- melt butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium-low heat

- add onion and shallots. saute slowly, stirring until both are soft and translucent, about 10 minutes

- add garlic and red pepper flakes, stir gently for 3 minutes

- add parsley, basil, can of tomatoes with juice, chicken stock, white wine and bay leaves; stir well

- cover pot and simmer for 30 minutes

- add clams and mussels, and cook for 5 minutes until they slightly open

- then gently stir in shrimp, scallops and fish; cook for an additional 5-8 minutes until shrimp and fish are just cooked through (shrimp should be pale pink; fish should be slightly firm)

- remove bay leaves and any clams or mussels that have not opened yet (just in case!)

- season with some s&p, ladle into soup bowls, and enjoy with some toasted sourdough bread

xoxo, 

kara