Daring Cooks November Challenge: Cooking with Tea

I know I've been gone far too long and I know life can seem particularly challenging without exciting recipes and images of delicious foods to get you by, but I'm back and I have a whole slew of new posts lined up to get your little hearts racing! You didn't think I would forget to tell you (and more importantly, to *show* you) all the delicious culinary treats I encountered in Turkey, did you? Of course not, gentle reader. Of course not.

But before we can get to that, we have to take care of business. Daring Cooks business. I took a little hiatus from the group while I was in Chicago because life was simply too hectic to keep up with it. Things  have slowed down enough that I'm back at it now, so you can look forward to checking out all the exciting things the Daring Cooks are whipping up here each month.

Our November challenge was cooking with tea, and we had three possible recipes to choose from tofu noodle soup (made with green tea), beef braised in rooibos tea, or Chinese tea eggs. Since checking out Toki Underground, a delicious Ramen restaurant in DC, I have been really into light, broth-y soups. The tofu noodle soup, made with green tea, was right up my ally. I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor that the Japanese sencha I used added to my soup. The flavor of the tea is really nicely balanced by the other fresh, bright flavors of the soup--ginger, miso, sesame, scallion. If you would like to try cooking with tea, this recipe is a great introduction. Be sure to check out the blog of the Daring Cooks' host this month, Sarah of Simply Cooked. 

Green Tea, Tofu, and Noodle Soup
from Simply Cooked
serves 4

4 green tea teabags, or 1½ tablespoons (22½ ml) (3 gm) green tea leaves
1¼ inches (3 cm) fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
5 oz (140 gm) thick or thin egg noodles
10 oz (280 gm) firm tofu, drained and cubed
5 oz (140 gm) bok choy or spring greens, shredded
1-2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) light soy sauce
2 tablespoons (30 ml) (1 oz) (30 gm) red or white miso paste
½ teaspoon (2½ ml) sesame oil
6 scallions (also called spring onion or green onion), trimmed and sliced
a handful of shiso (Japanese basil or perilla) or mustard cress, or other micro greens, to garnish

Place 6 cup (1½ litre) water in a pan with the green tea bags or leaves and the ginger slices. Heat until the water is just below boiling and bubbles start to form.
Remove the pan from the heat and let it steep for four minutes.
Remove the tea bags or strain the liquid to remove the tea leaves. Return the ginger slices to the liquid and reserve.

Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to package instructions in a separate pan.
Return the tea liquid to the heat and add the tofu, bok choy or greens, and the soy sauce. Heat gently for five minutes, until hot all through.
Scoop out some liquid to a small bowl and mix in the miso paste. Then return the liquid to the pan.
Add the sesame oil and scallions. Spoon into bowls and garnish with the shiso, cress, or greens.

Daring Cooks November Challenge: Sushi

This month the Daring Cooks made sushi. Not going to lie, I was a little worried about this challenge. Unless eating enough sushi to feed a small village counts, I have very little to no experience with (making) sushi. My sister, however, is a homemade sushi enthusiast and with her help, we tackled this challenge! I was really surprised at how easy the whole process was, especially once all your ingredients are nicely chopped. You can find the instructions for these three types of sushi (dragon rolls, spiral rolls, and nigri) at The Bite Me Kitchen.

Dragon Roll: filled with cucumber and General Tso's tofu, topped with avocado slices

Spiral Roll: filled with avocado, carrot, cilantro, daikon, cucumber, and imitation crab

Salmon Nigri

Daring Cooks October Challenge: Quick Chicken Pho and Chocolate Wontons

I absolutely loved this month's challenge: Pho. It's something delicious I never would have thought to make myself, but once I did, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was! I especially loved having the big assortment of toppings, allowing everyone to make their pho as wild or tame as they like.

To accompany the pho, I made a simply crunchy salad with red & green cabbage, shredded carrots, and shredded broccoli stalks, topped with toasted almonds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds.

For our dessert, we were encouraged to venture outside the box and get crazy with our fillings. Jaden's original recipe calls for nuggets of chocolate. I considered filling them with chocolate that was spiced with cinnamon and chilies, but all the chocolate bars I found were too expensive to be worth it. I decided on a filling I've used many times for dessert wontons: NUTELLA! These bad boys were (of course) delicious. I probably polished off at least 5 myself and was sorely disappointed when they were finished.

Chicken Pho
From Jaden's Steamy Kitchen Cookbook

Makes 4 servings

For the Chicken Pho Broth:
2 tbsp. whole coriander seeds
4 whole cloves
2 whole star anise
2 quarts (2 liters/8 cups/64 fluid ounces) store-bought or homemade chicken stock
1 whole chicken breast (bone in or boneless)
½ onion
1 3-inch (7.5 cm) chunk of ginger, sliced and smashed with side of knife
1 to 2 tbsps. sugar
1 to 2 tbsps. fish sauce
1 lb. (500 grams/16 ounces) dried rice noodles (about ¼ inch/6 mm wide)

As Accompaniments:
2 cups (200 grams/7 ounces) bean sprouts, washed and tails pinched off
Fresh cilantro (coriander) tops (leaves and tender stems)
½ cup (50 grams/approx. 2 ounces) shaved red onions
½ lime, cut into 4 wedges
Sriracha chili sauce
Hoisin sauce
Sliced fresh chili peppers of your choice

To make the Chicken Pho Broth: heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the coriander seeds, cloves and star anise and toast until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Immediately spoon out the spices to avoid burning.

In a large pot, add all the ingredients (including the toasted spices) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes, skimming the surface frequently. Use tongs to remove the chicken breasts and shred the meat with your fingers, discarding the bone if you have used bone-in breasts. Taste the broth and add more fish sauce or sugar, if needed. Strain the broth and discard the solids.

Prepare the noodles as per directions on the package. Ladle the broth into bowls. Then divide the shredded chicken breast and the soft noodles evenly into each bowl. Have the accompaniments spread out on the table. Each person can customize their own bowl with these ingredients.

Chocolate Wontons
Jaden's Steamy Kitchen Cookbook
Makes 12 wontons

1 large egg
1 tbsp. water
12 wonton wrappers, defrosted (keep wrappers covered with damp towel)
Nutella
High-heat oil for frying (i.e., vegetable oil, corn oil)

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water to make an egg wash.

On a clean, dry surface lay 1 wonton wrapper down with a point toward you, like a diamond. Place about a teaspoon of Nutella near the top end of the wrapper. Brush a very thin layer of the egg wash on the edges of the wrapper. Fold the bottom corner of the wrapper up to create a triangle and gently press to remove all air from the middle. Press the edges to adhere the sides. Make sure the wrapper is sealed completely.

Repeat with the remaining wrappers and chocolate pieces. Keep the folded chocolate wontons covered under plastic wrap or a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying.

In a wok or medium pot, pour in 2 inches (5 cm.) of high-heat oil. Heat the oil to 350º F (180º C) and gently slide a few of the chocolate wontons into the hot oil. Make sure you don’t crowd the chocolate wontons. Fry the wontons for 1 ½ minutes, then flip over and fry another minute until both sides are golden brown and crisp.

Daring Cooks September Challenge: Dosas

If you remember, I used to be a member of the Daring Bakers. I started out full of enthusiasm and excitement, but over time I became exhausted with how challenging (and daring!) the recipes were. Yes, I enjoyed Julia Child's baguettes fresh out of the oven, but I spent an entire (I mean from 10am to 10pm) Saturday making them! For someone with such a vague interest in baking, it wasn't worth the time commitment. After a few challenges, I quietly bowed out. Since then, the lovely ladies from the Daring Bakers created the Daring Cooks. I have been buzzing with excitement about this group and I finally joined in August. This month is my first challenge!

For this month's challenge, the lovely Debyi from Healthy Vegan Kitchen chose vegan, gluten-free Indian dosas. I haven't had the opportunity to try (cooking myself) many Indian dishes but am always pleased every time I try a new recipe. This one did NOT disappoint. I've never intentionally cooked gluten-free before, and I'll admit I was a little skeptical. Aside from the fact that I couldn't get my dosas as thin as I would like (and that was probably due to a number of reasons), I didn't notice any huge difference. The filling was incredibly thick, because of the amount of mashed chick peas that went into it, but I thought that gave it a nice, meaty feel. The best part though, was the coconut curry sauce. I would have added a little more curry powder, but after I photographed mine, I doused it in more sauce. What can I say? I'm a sucker for all things coconut. Anyways, I had a great time with this challenge and can't wait to see what's up next! Enjoy!

Dosa Pancakes

makes about 4 medium-sized dosas


1 cup (120gm/8oz) spelt flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp curry powder

1/2 cup (125ml/4oz) almond milk
3/4 cup (175ml/6oz) water
oil or 
cooking spray, as needed

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, slowly adding the almond milk and water, whisking until smooth.

Heat a lightly-oiled nonstick 10″ skillet over medium-high heat. Ladle about 1/4 cup of batter into the pan and swirl to create a round, thin crepe. When bubbles appear on the surface and it no longer looks wet, flip it over and cook for a few seconds. Remove from heat and repeat with remaining batter. Makes between 6 to 8 pancakes.

Curried Chickpea Filling
Serves 4

5 cloves garlic, minced

1 onion, peeled and finely diced


1 largish carrot, peeled and finely diced

2 medium hot banana chilies, minced

2 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp kosher salt

1 tbsp turmeric

4 cups (850gm/30oz/2 cans) cooked or canned chickpeas
6 oz (1 can) tomato paste

Heat a large, deep saute- or saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and carrot until lightly browned, add garlic and pepper, continue to saute until veggies are browned. Add spices, stirring to combine thoroughly and saute for 1 – 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove to a large bowl.

Mash the chickpeas very well by hand or in a food processor (but stop short of hummus). Add to the pan and again saute until browned. Stir in veggie mixture and heat through well.

Coconut Curry Sauce

Makes about 4 – 5 cups

1 onion, peeled and chopped

3 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp cumin
3/4 tsp kosher salt

3 tbsp curry powder

3 tbsp spelt flour

3 cups (750ml/24oz) vegetable broth

2 cups (500ml/24oz) coconut milk

3 large tomatoes, diced
olive oil

In a lightly-oiled 3qt saucepan, saute onion and garlic until browned. Stir in spices and flour and continue to cook for another minute. Add vegetable broth, coconut milk and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer and reduce for 30 minutes until thick.