Cuisine Eric

This is the penultimate prep for beef short ribs.  Based on the superb documentary by Samin Nosrat, Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, this is the most umami rib dish you will ever have.  Its the combination of red miso and soy sauce that marinates and flavors the beef - give it a long time to work right - that means overnight in the fridge; it's worth the planning ahead. 6 beef short ribs on the bone, about 3-4 lb 1 large sweet yellow onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 1 jalapeño pepper, minced 4 cloves garlic, halved Marinade: 1/4 cup red miso 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup pale dry sherry or Mirin rice wine 1 Tbsp sesame oil 1 Tbsp honey 2 cloves garlic, minced Salt the ribs generously with coarse salt and let rest overnight in the refrigerator in a resealable plastic bag. Whisk together the marinade.   Pour into the plastic bag and allow to marinate on the counter for about 2-3 hours, or again overnight in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 375F. 

A very simple, fast and delicious way to kick up your basic fresh piece of humble cod. 3/4 lb cod fillet 2 ripe plum tomatoes, diced 2 green onions, sliced 1 clove garlic, finely minced 1/2 jalapeño pepper, finely minced palmful fresh parsley leaves, minced 1 Tbsp Murray’s Bagels Everything sprinkle mix 2 Tbsp favorite vinaigrette Preheat oven to 375F.  Place cod in an oiled baking dish.  Mix together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl.   Top fish with tomato mixture. Bake for about 15-20 minutes, until fish is just cooked through. Serve with lemon wedges. Serves 2.

Make a batch of these waffles and freeze them.  Pop them in a toaster when you need a healthy snack. Bob’s Spicy Black Beans: 1 can black beans, undrained 1 jalapeno pepper, minced 1 cup finely diced onion 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp cumin 1 Tbsp cocoa powder Dry waffle ingredients: 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 cup all purpose white flour 1/2 cup almond flour 1/4 cup coarse cornmeal 1 Tbsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 Tbsp brown sugar 1/2 tsp turmeric 1/2 tsp salt 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast Wet waffle ingredients: 2 eggs 1/2 cup whole fat Greek Yogurt 1/2 cup half and half 1 cup milk palmful cilantro, finely minced palmful parsley, finely minced palmful (about 12 leaves) fresh mint, finely minced 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, finely minced 1 cup cooked, cooled quinoa 1 stick (8 Tbsp) butter, melted Garnish: fresh ricotta, yogurt or sour cream 1/4 avocado, sliced, per serving Get the black beans simmerin

Noodle bowls and rice bowls are all the rage.  Here is a quick Raman bowl with nicely flavored tofu and veggies for a healthful, protein-rich vegetarian meal. 1 tub extra-firm tofu, cut into 1/2-inch pieces Marinade: 2 Tbsp good soy sauce 1 Tbsp sesame oil 1 Tbsp coconut aminos (I used Trader Joe’s) 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce (I used Red Boat) 2 Tbsp almond butter (I used Trader Joe’s Crunchy) 2 cloves garlic, minced 1-inch fresh ginger, minced 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste 1 tsp black toasted sesame seeds 2 packages favorite Ramen noodles, slightly cracked (flavor packet reserved for another use) 1/2 red pepper, diced 1/2 orange pepper, diced 1/2 jalapeno pepper, diced 1-1/2 cups small broccoli flowerets 2 green onions, sliced 1 tsp sesame oil fresh mint for garnish Whisk marinade together in a bowl and fold in tofu.   Allow to marinate at least an hour, or overnight, covered in the refrigerator. When read

Browning the chicken and the veggies before baking adds a great depth to their flavor.  Plain white rice is a welcome clear canvas backdrop to this flavorful saucy baked chicken. 4 chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat 1 onion, sliced (I used half red, half yellow) 2 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 stalks celery, sliced 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced Hoisin Sesame Sauce: 2 Tbsp hoisin sauce 1 Tbsp soy sauce 1 Tbsp sesame oil 1 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar dash crushed red pepper flakes, or chili paste with garlic, to taste 1/4 cup pale dry sherry toasted sesame seeds for garnish Preheat oven to 375F.  Brown the chicken on both sides in a dash of oil, in a large oven-going skillet. Set chicken aside.  Add veggies to skillet and cook about 5-8 minutes, until beginning to color and caramelize. Add the garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Whisk the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Nestle the chicken thighs in the veggie bed and pour

You are supposed to eat as many colors of the rainbow as you can to get as many micronutrients and antioxidants you can. Eat this rainbow! Dressing: juice of 1 lime 1 tsp soy sauce 1 tsp seasoned rice vinegar 1 tsp sesame oil 1 Tbsp olive oil freshly ground black pepper to taste 12 oz small broccoli flowerets, nite-sized 1/2 cup carrot matchsticks 1/2 cup shredded beets 1/2 cup shredded purple cabbage 1 green onion, sliced palmful of cilantro or parsley leaves, minced toasted sesame seeds for garnish Whisk together the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.  Toss together the salad veggies in a salad bowl.  Season with dressing to taste.  Garnish with sesame seeds.   Serves 4 as a side dish.

The heck with steak and potatoes - I like my steak on greens; more crunch and less carbs.  Kick up your salad with sliced pear and garnish your steak with a spicy red onion relish. 1/2 2-inch red onion, sliced thinly into quarter moons Onion marinade: 1/2 cup favorite light vinegar (white, rice or cider for example) 1/2 cup water palmful fresh Parsley leaves, sliced Dry steak rub - 1 tsp of each: garlic powder onion powder dried, crushed thyme leaves ground coriander crushed red pepper flakes Trader Joe’s 21 Salute Spice mix Porterhouse steak: I used 1 large, thick (1-inch) ~1-1/2 lb steak, but this could be done with most any steak serving 4. Pear salad: 1 just under-ripe pear, thinly sliced 5 oz mixed salad greens (I used butter lettuce and arugula) juice of 1 lemon 1 Tbsp olive oil salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 Tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce 1 Tbsp sundried tomatoes, packed in oil, minced Mix the rub ingre