Jaden Hair

I like this book... it is a paperback format with very attractive photographs. Most of the 100 recipes have less than six (6) ingredients which makes for fast & easy preparation.

Contents include: Foreword; Introduction; 9 chapters of recipes; Ingredients; Acknowledgements; about the author; Measurement conversions; and Index

Soups: Mom's chicken stock; seafood stock; miso soup; dashi; Thai tom yum; Healing ginger chicken soup; & Tofu mushroom miso soup

Pickles & Sauces: Shrimp & cucumber sunomono; Gari; Vietnamese carrot & daikon pickle; Quick kim chee; Andrew's secret sauce; Scallion dipping sauce; Dumpling dipping sauce; Sweet plum dipping sauce; and My sriracha sauce

Salads & Dressings: Simple citrus dressing; Orange sesame dressing; Lemon soy dressing; Peanut dressing & dipping sauce; Asian slaw w/ wasabi soy dressing; Edamame noodle salad; Big salmon salad; Quinoa salad w/ avocado & pears; and Seared scallop salad w/ sesame ginger vinaigrette

Little Bites: Korean beef bites; Crispy rice patties; Seared ahi tuna; Thai chicken larb; Vietnamese style shrimp cocktail; & Shrimp & spinach dumplings

Share: Vietnamese summer rolls (2 kinds); Chinese hot pot party; Sushi temaki party; vegetarian Korean bbq; and Japanese hot pot

Vegetables, Tofu & Eggs (I liked this chapter): Steamed asparagus w/ miso ginger butter; Roasted kabocha squash; Baby bok choy w/ garlic & ginger; Cauliflower steaks w/ ginger soy sauce; Eggs w/ oyster sauce; Ten minute Thai vegetable curry; Roasted carrots w/ ginger honey mustard; and Spicy garlicky tofu & broccoli

Meat & Seafood: Stuffed miso eggplant; Thai squid w/ basil sweet/sour sauce; Cantonese style poached fish; Kung pao chicken; Lemon chicken; sake steamed mussels; Salmon honey teriyaki; and Sweet & sour pork

Noodles & Rice: Pineapple crab fried rice; Seafood fried rice; Vietnamese vermicelli bowl; Singapore rice noodles; Seafood curry noodle soup; & Japanese soba noodles

Sweets & Libations: Coconut green tea; Sweet goji tea; Mom's preserved kumquat & honey; Lemongrass, ginger, & Kaffir lime herbal infusion; Kiwi sorbet; Passionfruit mimosa; Stevia simple syrup; mango brulee; Cucumber mint water; orange mango smoothie; and Sparkling Vietnamese limeade

What a lovely book!… (mehr)

In Steamy Kitchen’s Healthy Asian Favorites (100 Recipes that are fast, fresh, and simple enough for tonight’s supper) I found a cookbook that suits me. Here are some points that I love:
ASIAN (I have a Japanese husband who craves Asian food at least…once a day.)
HEALTHY (I want to eat healthy, but am completely turned off by food books written by doctors or dietitians who consider nutrition, but couldn’t care less about taste.)
QUICK & UNCOMPLICATED (I work full time, but don't want to substitute fast for fresh.)
ATTRACTIVE & APPEALING (The artist in me never wants to serve food that doesn’t look at least as good as it’s supposed to taste.)
EASY (Who doesn’t like food that looks like it was hard to make, but was actually simple?)
Jaden Hair has 4 premises for the recipes she included in the book: 1. Focus on fresh & fragrant herbs instead of high calorie sauces, 2. Use techniques that cut the use of oils, fats, and sugars, 3. Use meat sparingly, and 4. Focus on recipes that are naturally gluten-free. In other words, she uses authentic Asian cuisine, but presents us with the healthy choices and less time consuming dishes. The book is full of mouthwatering photographs that beautifully display the end products. It’s organized into chapters on appetizers, soups, salads & dressings, veggies, tofu & eggs, meat & seafood, noodles & rice, and sweets. There is even a full chapter on party-style dishes where guests make their own foods at the table (such as do-it yourself sushi or hot pots.) Included in the book are foods from China, Japan, Thailand, Korea, and Vietnam. I’ve tried a few of the recipes and here are some of my favorites: Steamed asparagus with miso-ginger butter (tasty, elegant looking, and takes about 5 minutes, start to finish!), Cauliflower Steaks with ginger-soy sauce (the head is sliced whole and baked, making a lovely and unusual presentation), and stuffed miso eggplant (using a deceptively small amount of ground beef for a hearty dish). I was a little disappointed in the Healing Chicken Ginger Soup. It didn’t seem to have enough flavor, but who knows? It may turn out to be the perfect broth when I’m feeling sick.
Many of the recipes in the book have suggestions for substitutions in case you are vegetarian or allergic to (or dislike) some ingredients. This is a nice little cookbook to increase your repertoire for dinner parties or simple meals at home.… (mehr)