If you've ever cooked with a wok, you know it can add some seriously delicious flavor to your food.
Many are unfamiliar and maybe even a little intimidated by cooking with a wok. That's why cookbook author J. Kenji Lopez-Alt joined New Day NW to share his favorite recipes from his new cookbook "The Wok."
"MY MOM'S JAPANESE-STYLE MAPO TOFU"
Serves 4
Active Time: 15 minutes / Total Time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cold water
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) peanut, rice bran, or other neutral oil
- 4 ounces (120 g) ground beef
- 2 teaspoons (5 g) minced garlic (about 2 medium cloves)
- 2 teaspoons (5 g) minced fresh ginger (about ½-inch segment)
- 2 scallions, chopped into ¼-inch pieces, dark greens reserved for garnish
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) sake
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) mirin
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) shoyu or light soy sauce
- ¼ cup (60 ml) low-sodium chicken stock, dashi, or water
- 1½ pounds medium to firm silken tofu, cut into ½-inch cubes
- Steamed rice and chile oil, for serving
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl and mix with a fork until homogenous. Set aside.
2 Heat the oil in a wok over high heat until smoking. Add the beef and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add the garlic, ginger, and scallion whites and pale greens and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the sake, mirin, soy sauce, and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Pour in the cornstarch mixture and cook for 30 seconds, until thickened. Add the tofu and carefully fold it in, being careful not to break it up too much. Transfer immediately to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the scallion greens. Serve immediately with rice and chile oil.
"CUCUMBER AND DILL SALAD WITH YOGURT AND CHILE OIL"
Serves 4
Active Time: 5 minutes / Total Time: 5 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large English or 4 small Persian or Japanese cucumbers (about 1 pound/450 g total), chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 2½ ounces (75 g) red onion, thinly sliced
- Big handful of fried or roasted peanuts (optional)
- Big handful of minced fresh dill fronds
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) white wine or rice vinegar
- Kosher salt
- ½ cup (120 ml) Greek yogurt or labneh (any percentage fat)
- A few tablespoons Sichuan Málà Chile Oil or any other chile oil
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine the cucumbers, onion, peanuts, dill, olive oil, vinegar, and a big pinch of salt in a large bowl and toss.
2. Spread yogurt over the bottom of a serving platter. Pile the cucumber salad on top of the yogurt, then drizzle with chile oil. Serve.
Segment Producer Joseph Suttner. Watch New Day Northwest 11 AM weekdays on KING 5 and streaming live on KING5.com. Contact New Day.