Dandelion Greens with Pine Nuts and Dried Cherries

Well, I’ve completely lost it.  I’ve now started pulling weeds out of my back yard and cooking tasty gourmet treats out of them.  What the heck?  Have I lost it?  Or have I stumbled upon a free, readily accessible, wild gourmet edible chalked full of vitamins A, C, and K, full of calcium, and a bit of protein?  That’s right folks, the noxious weed we all dump poison on every year to have an unadulterated lawn is actually tasty and good for us.

I’ve actually been wanting to try this for several years, but finally built up the courage to do it.  I’ve eaten dandelion greens for years in gourmet lettuce blends, but never pulled my own at home.  What a shame that I didn’t before now.  They are actually pretty good, and I recommend trying them.

I’ve read numerous cookbooks, food magazines, and online recipe blogs talking about dandelions.  There are several recipes for them out there, and I pulled the best of those I found to create this delicious and unique side dish, which would be perfect along side wild game.  My freezer is currently out of elk and venison though, so I settled for chicken, which worked as well.

Can I Eat Dandelions Out of My Yard?

Yes!  Just make sure that you choose some that haven’t been treated with any chemicals.  And make sure to only eat the fresh young plants in early Spring.  Young are good, old are bad.

As the dandelion plant matures and starts to form flower buds, a white milky “blood” permeates the stems and stalks.  This milky liquid is extremely bitter; to the point of not being able to eat it.  But before the flowers start to grow, the leaves don’t have this crap in them and taste clean and almost grass-like…..similar to spinach.  They still have a hint of bitter to them, but aren’t any more bitter than other bitter greens (such as radicchio, endive, collards, etc.).  But I’ve recently read a few interesting culinary uses for the flowers as well, so I plan to try them out and do a post about them as well.  Stay tuned.

How to Prepare Dandelion Greens for Cooking

If there’s anything difficult about cooking dandelion greens, it has to be washing the filthy little buggers.  The stems seem to be magnets for lawn dirt, and the base of the leaves are often riddled with bugs.  No worries though.  Just fill your sink up with water and dump them in.  Separate the base into smaller pieces (you will see there are separate main stalks that come off the root base).  Then with some scissors/shears, simply cut the leaves off about an inch or so up from the base.  Toss the base, and wash the leaves thoroughly.  I recommend washing them a couple times to make sure you get everything off of them, including pesky pieces of dead grass.  Dry in a colander, and you’re ready to go.

Wash Dandelion Greens in Colander

Once washed, simply place the dandelion leaves on a cutting board, roll into a bundle with your hands, and cut into 2-inch pieces with a sharp knife.

Cut Dandelion Greens into 2 Inch Pieces

Cut Dandelion Greens

Cut Dandelion Greens on Wood Cutting Board

You can now uses the washed and prepared greens in fresh salads, mixed in with pasta, or saute them like in this recipe.  They actually are worth eating, so enjoy!

Recipe for Sauteed Dandelion Greens

• 1 pound washed dandelion greens, chopped into 2-inch pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• Cracked black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons bacon fat
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced and chopped
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/4 cup dried cherries, cut in half
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon water

How to Cook Delicious Sauteed Dandelion Greens

First, start by toasting your pine nuts.  To do this, place a heavy bottomed saute pan over medium-heat until hot.  Add the pine nuts to the pan, and dry saute for several minutes until toasted and golden in color.  Remember to swirl the pan and flip the pine nuts over often so that they don’t burn and so that they color evenly.  Then remove the pine nuts from the pan and set aside.

Toasting Pine Nuts in Cast Iron Skillet

Return the pan to the heat and melt the bacon fat.  Add the dandelion greens and season with salt and pepper.  Allow the greens to begin to wilt, cooking uncovered, for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally so that they wilt evenly.

Saute Dandelion Greens in Cast Iron Skillet

Add the garlic and cook for another 5 minutes, again stirring once in a while so that the garlic cooks evenly.  Add cherries, water, and lemon juice, and cook for a few more minutes until the cherries are soft and the water is absorbed.  Toss with the pine nuts and serve hot.

Serves 3

Dandelion Greens with Pine Nuts and Dried Cherries Close Up

Recipe by Jothan Yeager, April 7, 2013

The Bald Gourmet goes foraging in his back yard to cook up some tasty wild dandelion greens with pine nuts and dried cherries.

Sauteed Cauliflower with Pecans Recipe

I planted a few varieties of cauliflower in my garden this year; perhaps a few too many.  I have cauliflower coming out of my ears now!  I’ve been eating it raw, with pasta, mashed up, and whatever else I can think of.  From the “whatever else” category comes this delightful side dish creation that you simply must try.

Sauteed cauliflower is awesome, and is especially nice with nuts.  My favorite are walnuts, but I was out of those and found that the richer flavor of pecans worked very nicely with this dish.  I had cooked some bacon earlier in the day, so I used the bacon fat to saute with.  I recommend this for the additional flavor component, but you could use olive oil instead if you wanted a healthier version.  I also added some nutmeg, and found that it magically elevated every component in the dish to a new height of taste bud happiness.

Serve this dish with some grilled fish or chicken, on top of some spring mix for a nice warm salad, or serve it over buttered pasta for a delicious vegetarian meal.  However you choose to serve it, Sauteed Cauliflower with Pecans is a delicious and healthy way to use your summer garden cauliflower crop.

Ingredients for Sauteed Cauliflower with Pecans

• 1/2 large head cauliflower, cut/torn into individual bite-sized florets and stem pieces
• 1/2 cup pecan halves
• 1/2 large onion, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons rendered bacon fat (or olive oil)
• freshly grated nutmeg to taste, roughly 1/8 teaspoon
• salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Sauteed Cauliflower with Pecans

1. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat until hot.
2. Add the bacon fat and swirl to coat pan.
3. Add the cauliflower and saute until it begins to brown, stirring and turning as needed to brown evenly.
4. After about 5 minutes, reduce heat to medium, add the onions and pecans, and cover with lid.  Covering will trap steam and help to cook the cauliflower.
5. Stir every few minutes until the onions are translucent and the cauliflower is softened, about 10 minutes.  The cauliflower should be soft but still have a slight crunch to it.
6. Season to taste with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

Sauteing Cauliflower and Pecans

Serves 3-4

Recipe by Jothan Yeager, July 2012

The Bald Gourmet grows cauliflower in his garden and creates delicious and healthy recipes with it, like Sauteed Cauliflower with Pecans.

Grilled Artichokes

My goodness, this recipe is freaking delicious!  It’s ridiculously simple, and most surely worth cooking several days in a row.  It’s time to use your barbeque grill for more than burgers.  Say hello to some tasty healthy grilled artichokes!

The artichokes are steamed first, so that they are nice and tender, then put on the grill to get a touch of smoke flavor and some charred grill lines.  The cavities are filled with butter and lemon, which permeates throughout the artichoke petals so that each bite is perfectly “dipped” in lemon butter.  Awesome.

Ingredients for Making Grilled Artichokes

• 2 medium large globe artichokes
• 1/2 large lemon
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• salt and pepper to taste

How to Steam Artichokes Prior to Grilling

Before doing anything, make sure that you clean and prepare your artichokes, as covered in my post, “How to Clean and Prepare Artichokes to Cook.”  Once prepped, cut the artichokes in half and place in a steamer to cook.  Steam for 20-minutes, then remove from the heat.

Cleaned and Halved Artichokes

Artichokes in Steamer

You can take the steamed artichokes straight out to the grill, or you can allow them to cool to room temperature and then place them in the refrigerator to cook later.

Steamed Artichokes

How to Barbeque Grill Artichokes

Get your grill nice and hot, as in 500-600°, and make sure your grates are clean.  Place the artichokes, cut side down, on the grill and cook without moving them for about 5 minutes.

Artichokes on the Grill

After 5-minutes, flip one artichoke over.  If it has some good grill lines on it, turn the rest over as well.

Add Butter and Lemon to Grilled Artichokes

Place a thin pad of butter, about 1/2 tablespoon worth, into each artichoke cavity.  Squeeze fresh lemon juice over each artichoke, covering all areas but with the highest concentration in the cavity.  Season with salt and pepper, then close the lid to the grill and cook for a minimum of 5-minutes, preferably closer to 10-minutes.

Apply Butter and Lemon Juice to Grilling Artichokes

Season Artichokes with Salt and Pepper on the Grill

The Best Way to Eat Artichokes

Once grilled, remove the artichokes from the grill, being careful not to spill the melted butter.  Being that the butter permeates the artichoke petals so well, dipping butter or mayonnaise is not needed.  Simply plate and serve the artichokes “as is” to your guests.  A little grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese over the top is a nice touch, but is completely unnecessary for flavor.

Grilled Artichokes on Plate

 Recipe by Jothan Yeager, June 2012

The Bald Gourmet’s simple summer-time grill recipes are delicious and healthy, like grilled artichokes with lemon and butter.

Garlic Lemon Peas

I love peas.  I love buttered peas even more.  To add garlic and fresh lemon zest is something bordering on pure genius.  Oh what yummy peas these are.  A perfect side dish for any meal, but especially nice with fish.

Ingredients for Making Peas with Garlic and Lemon

4 cups peas, fresh or frozen

1/2 stick butter

1/4 cup chopped garlic

Zest of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt)

How to Cook Peas with Garlic and Lemon in Butter

It only takes about 5 minutes to cook these peas, so plan your meal accordingly.

1. Melt butter in pot
2. Add chopped garlic and cook until the butter is just starting to turn brown
   

   Brown Butter with Garlic

3. Add the peas and lemon zest, season with salt and pepper, stir, and cover with lid
4. Cook covered for about 2 minutes, or until peas are soft but still bright green.
5. Stir again and taste to make sure they have enough salt and pepper, adding more if needed.

Serve hot.

Recipe by Jothan Yeager, April 2012

The Bald Gourmet turns basic buttered peas into something magical by adding garlic and lemon.

Grilled Polenta, Madeira Mushrooms, Spicy Roasted Tomato Sauce

I went grocery shopping today, and as I meandered around the store, my cooking wheels got to rolling as I spotted polenta and kale.  I’ll admit, my creation tonight was a joint inspiration of the grilled polenta dish at The Geiser Grand Hotel and the Roasted Tomato Sauce at Rupert’s Hotel McCall.  But my genius of combining the two concepts and flavors was all my own.  Some days it’s good to be me.

This dish is rustic Italian, and as such, I think it should be kept true to the fashion and just cooked from the heart each time it is made rather than following an exact recipe.  So that’s how I’m going to present it to you.  I’ll tell you basically what I did, but I’m going to leave it up to you to put it all together, tasting as you go, to create something delicious, healthy, and unique to you.

How to Make Spicy Roasted Tomato Sauce

To make this sauce, you need to roast some tomatoes over/under very high heat.  This heat source could be an open fire, a broiler in your oven, or on your BBQ grill.  I did mine on the grill.

1. Pre-heat your grill (or fire, or oven broiler) to high, as in 650°.
2. Place 5 medium-sized tomatoes in a pan (I used cast iron), drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Place 1 garlic clove per tomato in the pan as well.
4. Place pan on the grill (or broiler, etc.) and close the lid.  Roast in this manner for around 15 minutes, or until tomatoes get soft and start to show signs of charring.
5. Mash the tomatoes with a spatula/spoon, spreading the juices all around the pan.  Close lid again and cook for another 5 minutes, or until juice has reduced thoroughly.
6. Remove from grill and scrape tomatoes and garlic into a blender.
7. Blend, adding water, to form a smooth, loose sauce.
8. Season sauce to taste with salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika.

Yum.  This will make a bit more sauce than you need, but the extra is awesome on pasta, eggs, or bread.

How to Make Balsamic Sauteed Kale with Garlic

If you’ve never cooked kale before, you really need to give it a try.  It’s sweet, very lightly bitter, and maintains a great firm texture, unlike so many other greens.  It’s terrific, and pairs with this polenta dish extremely well.

1. Chop a bundle of kale into bite-sized pieces, discarding bottom stems.  One store bought bundle will form about 4 cups or so of pieces.
2. Place into a saute pan with a bit of water (maybe a 1/4 cup or so), drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, cover and saute over medium high heat.
3. The kale will turn a beautiful bright green after a few minutes.  Season with salt, black pepper, and a pinch of red pepper (optional).  You could serve it now with that bright color, but cooking longer will soften the stems and leaves more.
4. Drizzle lightly with balsamic vinegar.  This will lesson the bitterness of the kale even more, and add a nice sweet and sour zing.
5. Add garlic slices, about 5 cloves thinly sliced.
6. Cook covered for another 10 minutes, or until the kale is dark green in color and the leaves and stems are soft (kale will keep it’s firm texture regardless, but you want to cook it until it is no longer crunchy)
7. Taste and re-season with salt and pepper if necessary.

How to Make Madeira Mushrooms

You will need: 2 portabella mushrooms; 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped; roughly 2 ounces of Madeira wine; fresh or dried thyme to taste; about a 1/4 cup of chicken, beef, or vegetable stock; olive oil, and 1 tablespoon of butter.

• Slice the portabella mushrooms a little less than 1/4 thick, then cut in 1.5 inch pieces
• Heat olive oil in saute pan until hot.
• Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook for a couple of minutes until they begin to soften (they will absorb all of the oil).
• Add the Madeira wine, garlic, and thyme.
• Saute until all of the liquid has been absorbed.
• Add the butter and cook until mushrooms start to brown, stirring/tossing to brown evenly.
• Add the stock and cook until the mushrooms are dark and soft.  You may need to add more stock or water to keep them a touch saucy.

How to Grill Polenta

Store bought cooked polenta is cheap, low calorie, and super easy to prepare.  You could make your own I suppose, but the pre-made polenta in 18 ounce tubes is just too simple to resist.  For this dish, remove the polenta from the tube, cut off the rounded ends, and slice lengthwise into 4 even thickness long rectangles (they’ll have round edges of course).

1. Drizzle both sides of the polenta with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
2. If you accidentally break the polenta at all, secure it back together with toothpicks.
3. Place the polenta on a very hot grill (after you removed your tomatoes for example) or inside on a very hot grill pan.
4. Polenta likes to stick, so be careful when removing it with a spatula to flip it.  Turn the polenta after about 5 minutes on the grill.
5. Cook on the other side for about 3 minutes.

How to Plate Grilled Polenta, Madeira Mushrooms, and Spicy Roasted Tomato Sauce

Place the sauteed Kale on side of plate.  Pour Spicy Roasted Tomato Sauce over rest of plate (re-heat the sauce first if not warm).  Take the polenta straight off the grill and stack 2 slices on top of the tomato sauce.  Top the polenta with half of the Madeira Mushrooms.  Optionally, garnish with chopped parsley, fresh thyme, or chopped chives.  Makes 2 plates.

It’s beautiful, healthy, so very delicious, and only about 580 calories per plate.

Grilled Polenta, Madeira Mushrooms, Spicy Roasted Tomato Sauce, Sauteed Balsamic Kale with Garlic

The Bald Gourmet creates delicious restaurant inspired meals from everyday grocery store items, like today’s Grilled Polenta, Madeira Mushrooms, and Sauteed Balsamic Kale with Garlic.

Fall Rice Pilaf

This Rice Pilaf is the perfect Fall seasonal side dish. It is exceptional served with chicken, game birds, and fish, especially Grilled Salmon with Fennel Citrus Beurre Blanc. Easy to prepare, delicious to eat, and full of healthy fiber and minerals, this is one of my favorite Fall menu items.

Recipe for Fall Pilaf (Rice Pilaf with Apples and Pumpkin Seeds)

1 cup Brown and Wild Rice Blend (I like Organic Harvest Medley from Costco)

2 cups Chicken Stock

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 shallot, chopped

1/2 cup diced carrots

1/2 cup diced apple (half an apple cored but skin on)

1/8 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme

Salt and pepper to taste (roughly 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper)

Directions for Preparing Fall Pilaf (Rice Pilaf with Apples and Pumpkin Seeds)

Heat olive oil in sauce pot until hot. Add shallot and carrot and cook until soft, roughly 3-5 minutes.

Soften Carrots and Shallots in Olive Oil

Add apple, stock, pumpkin seeds, and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 45 minutes or until rice is cooked and broth is absorbed, stirring occasionally throughout the cooking process.

Add Apples, Broth, and Pumpkin Seeds

Bring to a Boil then Reduce to Simmer

Fall Rice Pilaf with Apples and Pumpkin Seeds

The Bald Gourmet creates delicious seasonal side dish recipes like Rice Pilaf with Apples and Pumpkin Seeds.

Tomato Chutney

I found this recipe published in The Idaho Statesman newspaper on August 3, 2011, which was adapted from “The Classic Vegetable Cookbook” by Ruth Spear (Harper and Row, 1985).  Knowing that I was soon to have an overload of fresh tomatoes out of my garden, I decided to keep it and give it a try.  But as I was making it, I found it was lacking a few ingredients and flavors, so I’ve modified it accordingly.

I must say, this is one of the oddest things that I’ve created in my kitchen.  It smells good and tastes alright when making it, but then after you seal it up in your canning jars, you’re supposed to wait 3 weeks before opening to allow the flavors to marry.  When I cracked one open for the first time tonight, it smelled wonderful.  I took a taste and thought, “hmm…that’s not bad.”  But then I thought, “this is kind of gross.”  But then I immediately thought, “no, this stuff is wonderful!”

I normally don’t bounce back and forth like that, and it was kind of fun.  It’s sweet, tangy, a touch hot from the peppers and ginger, and savory from the tomatoes all at once.  A bit Indian, a bit Italian, a bit like Heinz 57 sauce in flavor, this chutney takes you on a world cuisine tour in a matter of seconds.  It is exceptional on pork, as showcased in my Main Course recipe: Pork Loin Chop with Tomato Chutney, but it would also be great on grilled chicken, a mild fish like halibut, or even stuffed inside a cheese panini.

Now is the time to harvest your last tomato crops for the year.  Instead of turning them all into salsa, try this delicious chutney and give your pantry a little something funky and new this year.  Tasty!

What to do with your Garden Tomatoes:  Make Tomato Chutney

(Ingredients can be cut in half for a smaller batch of 3 pints if you’d prefer)

• 10 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and sliced (peel can stay on for this recipe)
• 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
• 4 large onions, sliced
• 2.25 cups brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup raisins
• 2 cups white wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
• 4 jalapenos, chopped
• 6 tablespoons mustard seed
• 4 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced

Combine all ingredients in a large non-reactive kettle.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Uncover and reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook for about 2 hours, stirring often, until mixture has thickened.  The natural pectin from the apples in this recipe helps firm up the chutney as it sits, but you’ll want to reduce it enough on the heat that it seems thick like a chutney, not runny like a sauce.  Taste and season as needed with salt and/or brown sugar.

Ladle into sterilized pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch head space; wipe rims with damp cloth, and place two piece caps onto jars.  Hand tighten, and process in a hot water bath for 15 minutes.  Cool and check seals.  Store in a cool dark place for at least 3 weeks before using to allow flavors to marry and mellow a bit.

Tomato Chutney Presentation

Recipe by Jothan Yeager, August 2011

The Bald Gourmet’s Tomato Chutney recipe is fun to make, can at home, and even more fun to eat.

Gourmet Camping – Fried Rice and Sweet and Sour Brisket

So this may not really be “gourmet”, but when covered in dirt and surrounded with nothing but trees and squirrels in Grandjean Idaho, this is definitely a gourmet meal.

I can’t take credit for the brisket in this post.  It was discovered by another scout leader in our group from some website he could not remember.  I wish I knew what it was so I could give them credit and browse their other delicious offerings, but at least I can share it with you with some recommended changes.

Sweet and Sour Brisket Camping Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 (3-pound) beef brisket (original recipe said to remove excess fat, but I left it on to get a more moist and flavorful brisket.  Definitely leave the fat on)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola/vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, cut in half, then thinly sliced into 1/2 moons
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
• One 15 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth (water will do if you must)
• 3 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup raisins (original recipe calls for 1/3 cup, but the sweet pops of raisin were very nice and needed to be more frequent)
• 5 black peppercorns
• 3 allspice berries (the original recipe called for 1, but it didn’t do much, so triple it and be happy)

Directions:

Preheat Dutch Oven to 300 degrees F.

Pat the brisket dry and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.  Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat in the Dutch oven and sear until it is browned, roughly 4-5 minutes per side.  Transfer the brisket to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot and cook the onion, stirring a few times, until softened, about 3-5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.  Add the tomato sauce, broth, brown sugar, vinegar, raisins, peppercorns, and allspice and stir to combine well.  Bring mixture to a boil, return brisket and any accumulated juices to the pot, spoon some of the tomato-vinegar mixture over the brisket and cover tightly with the lid.  Place 3/4 of your coals on top of the lid, and the remaining 1/4 of coals under the Dutch oven.

Cook until the brisket is fork tender, 2.5 to 3 hours.  I highly recommend checking the brisket about 20 minutes in to see if you have the temperature right in the dutch oven, then checking again after an hour to make sure your sauce hasn’t reduced so much that it will burn.  If it does reduce too much, just add a little water to it to make it right again.  You want a thick but runny sauce, kind of like a loose gravy.

Remove the brisket from the Dutch oven, transfer the meat to a cutting board, and let rest for 10 minutes.  When you are ready to serve, cut the meat against the grain into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Pour the sauce over the brisket and serve warm.

Yield:  10 servings, serving size of 4-ounces plus 3 tablespoons of sauce.

Fried Rice Camping Recipe

Now if you really want to impress your fellow campers, make them some delicious fried rice!  Fun to make, easy to do, and full of unique (in the woods at least) Asian flavors, fried rice will become a staple camping diet for all your outdoor adventures (assuming you’re car camping).

I made this for 20 hungry boys and men, and I don’t have exact measurements to give you, but here is the list of ingredients I used and most typically use when making at home.  I’ll try to guess an appropriate amount of each ingredient to serve 4.  Make to your liking and judgement as to ratios of seasonings though.

Ingredients:

• Jasmine Rice (2 cups raw)
• Vegetable/peanut oil (roughly 2 tablespoons)
• Lemongrass, chopped (roughly 1 tablespoon)
• Ginger, finely chopped (roughly 1 tablespoon)
• Scallions, sliced (roughly 3-4)
• Garlic, sliced (3-4 large cloves)
• Sugar Snap Peas or Green Beans or both (1 large handful or so)
• Red bell pepper, diced (1/4 to 1/2 of pepper)
• Sesame seeds (roughly 1 teaspoon)
• Sesame oil (roughly 1 teaspoon)
• Soy Sauce (roughly 1 tablespoon)
• Chinese Black Vinegar (roughly 1 teaspoon)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook rice according to packaging instructions and set aside.  It is best if the rice has set for a couple hours, preferably overnight, but fresh cooked will work as well.  The older rice just separates into individual grains better.

Cooking Rice While Camping

Heat oil in wok/Dutch oven/griddle over high heat or hot coals.  Once the oil reaches its smoking point, add ginger, lemongrass, and white part of scallions.  Cook until scallions have softened, roughly 2 minutes.  Add peas/beans and bell pepper.  Cook until vegetables turn bright in color and slightly char, roughly 3-4 minutes.  Add the garlic and green part of the scallions, and stir to mix.  Then add the rice, tossing to combine and to get the oil all over the rice.  Break up any chunks of rice so as to get individual grains.  Add the sesame seeds, sesame oil, soy sauce, and black vinegar and cook, stirring/tossing constantly.  Some of the rice may get little char spots on it, which is just fantastic.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, as well as any additional soy sauce, vinegar, or sesame oil to your liking.

It is perfect with the Sweet and Sour Brisket and sauce.  YUM!!!

Frying Rice on the Camp Stove

Keep Stirring Rice While Frying on Camp Stove

Recipe by Jothan Yeager, August 2011

The Bald Gourmet’s camping adventures are mighty tasty for all to enjoy.

Roasted Red Pepper Marmalade Side Dish

This slightly sweet and smoky side dish is the perfect accompaniment for rotisserie grilled lamb, or even served with roasted chicken on a pita. It gets its sweet flavor from golden raisins and a touch of brown sugar. The smokiness of the roasted red peppers is subtle and not overbearing. Simply delicious.

How to make Roasted Red Pepper Marmalade

• 6 roasted red bell peppers, peeled, seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon capers, finely chopped
• 1/2 ounce minced chives
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
• 7 ounces golden raisins
• Juice of half an orange
• Olive oil to combine, 1 ounce or so
• Brown sugar to taste, roughly 1 tablespoon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a serving bowl, seasoning to taste with brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve room temperature.

Recipe by Jothan Yeager, August 2010

The Bald Gourmet creates beautiful, healthy, and delicious side dish recipes like Roasted Red Pepper Marmalade.

Wok Fried Spinach with Garlic

I discovered this simple and delicious dish at Din Tai Fung Restaurant in the Pavilion KL Mall, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  My version has larger pieces of garlic and a touch of black pepper.  Perfect served as a side dish with Chinese BBQ pork, or as a meal all on its own over rice, it is absolutely delicious, especially with spinach grown in your own home garden!

Wok Fried Spinach with Garlic Ingredients

• 8 cups fresh spinach
• 1 head, or 12 cloves, garlic
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Kosher salt to taste, roughly ¼ teaspoon
• Black pepper to taste

If planning to serve with rice, now is the perfect time to start your rice.

Unless you’re blessed enough to have one of those fabulous Asian fire cannon burners, you will need to preheat your wok to get it hot enough to quick-cook this dish.  You want a very hot wok, so turn it on over high flame while you prep the ingredients.

Thoroughly wash the spinach and shake dry.  If leaves are very large, chop into halves or thirds to have more bite size pieces.  Slice the garlic.  You want nice large slices of garlic, so do not chop it.

Preppred Spinach and Garlic

Add the oil to the hot wok.  If you’ve gotten your wok hot enough, the oil should start smoking immediately.  If not, let the oil get hotter until it starts to smoke.  Add the garlic, then immediately add the spinach.

Garlic in Hot Oil

Stir fry together and season with salt and pepper.

Stir Fry Spinach

Let the spinach wilt thoroughly, stirring/turning every 30 seconds or so.  Once completely wilted, cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Wilted Spinach

Serve immediately.  I love it over rice.  If serving over rice, make sure to pour any left over juicy oil in the wok over the rice with the spinach.  It’s absolutely delicious!

Wok Fried Spinach with Garlic Served over Rice