Double Duty Orange Molasses concoction: Tuna and Glazed Sweet Potato & Beets

Here one concoction made out of two things I needed to get out of my fridge (orange juice, which we don't really drink, and molasses from this week's CSF grab bag) makes two great recipies.

To make the Orangey Molasses Concoction, whisk together:
1/2 cup orange juice
1/3 cup molasses
Phew! Pause for a beer and regroup. This will make enough for both of the recipes below. Use half of the concoction for each.

Orange Molasses Tuna

Here's what you're gonna need:

Half of the above orangey molasses concoction

1 1/2 tbs sesame seeds (optional, but tasty and fancy. A smart person would use sesame seeds.)

2 4oz thick cut tuna steaks
vegetable oil


And here's what you're gonna do:

Bring the orangey molasses concoction to a simmer in a small pot over medium heat. Turn heat down so the concoction is just simmering and reduce by half. It should take about 15 mins.

Meanwhile, toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium low heat, stirring or shaking the pan often so you don't singe any of them, which would be neither tasty nor fancy. Even those with kitchen ADD need to stay put here. Transfer to a small bowl when they're done.

Heat a non stick pan over medium high until the water you flick at it sizzles and evaporates quickly. Add a little bit of vegetable oil to the pan and cook just long enough on each side to create a nice sear--about 30-40 seconds per side (it could be less depending on the thickness of the steaks). Do not overdo your tuna folks! Again, that would be neither smart nor fancy.

Brush the tops of the tuna steaks with some of your glaze, then press toasted sesame seeds on top. Transfer the remaining orangey molasses concoction to small bowls and serve along side the fish as a dipping sauce. Tasty, smart, and fancy.


Orange Glazed Sweet Potatoes and Beets

Here's what you're gonna need:

Half of the above orangey molasses concoction
1/4 - 1/3 tsp nutmeg (adjust to taste)

2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2 in chunks
4 medium beets, cut into slightly smaller chunks

And here's what you're gonna do:
Preheat oven to 400.

Toss the beets in enough olive oil to lightly coat. Spread the beets out on 1/2 of a cookie sheet lined with release foil. (We're going to keep the beets on one half and the sweet potatoes on the other because they cook differently and we want to be able to remove the sweet potatoes easily if they're done first.) Put beets in the oven, giving them a 15 min head start on the sweet potatoes.

While the beets are cooking, mix the nutmeg in with the orangey molasses concoction. Phew! Breath. Drink beer. Carry on.

When the 15 mins is up and your beer is gone, toss the sweet potatoes in, you guessed it, enough olive oil to lightly coat and add them to your beet sheet. Back in the oven for another 15 mins. After 15 mins, stir the beets and sweet potatoes and glaze them with some of that orangey molasses concoction you've been sweating over. Return to the oven until both the beets and the sweet potatoes are easy to stab with a fork, knife, or your favorite kitchen stabber-about another 10-15 mins. Put the beets and sweet potatoes in a bowl, pour any remaining orangey molasses concoction over them, and lightly toss.

This dish is not only healthy, but has the added bonus of being pretty, just like you. Enjoy!

Turnips: Better than Hitler's Head in a Bag

The turnips at the bottom of this week's CSA grab bag were met by boos and hisses by my jackass husband and visiting brother. You would have thought Hitler's head was in that bag instead of some ideology-less root vegetables. So adamant were they that they were not going to eat those turnips, that it became my new goal that they would. And that they would not only like them but also shower me with gifts and golden egg laying hens in a pathetic attempt to make up for their foolish pigheadedness. Although I have yet to receive my hen, the turnips were inhaled with smiles on their faces and hearts full of vitamin B6, potassium and copper.

Here's what you're gonna need

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 shallots (the whole shallot, not 2 bulbs), peeled and thinly sliced

1 1/2 lbs turnips (+ 1 Idaho or Russet potato, optional*)

Kosher salt

1/2 cup 2% milk
3 tablespoons salted butter

salt and pepper

*The turnips are great on their own, but adding a potato thickens up the dish a little.

And here's what you're gonna do

Heat the oil and butter in a pan over medium-low heat until the butter melts. Reduce heat to low, add the shallots and saute over low heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown (about 25-30mins ). Remove the shallots from the pan with a slotted spoon, let any excess oil drain off, and spread out on paper towels to dry and crisp up.

Peel the turnips (and potato, if desired) and cut into chunks. Place the turnips (and potato) in a saucepan, cover with water, and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, about 35 minutes or until easily pierced by a knife, for, or your favorite kitchen poking device.

While the turnips are simmering, heat the milk and salted butter in a small sauce pan over low heat until the butter has melted.

When the turnips are piercable, drain them in a colander. Puree the turnips in three batches in a food processor. Be sure to scrape the sides between batches to make sure the turnips are smooth. With the motor running, add the melted butter and milk in a steady stream.

Put the turnips back in the saucepan, season with salt and the pepper, and reheat over medium heat, stirring occasionally. You can also put the turnips in a microwave safe bowl instead of the saucepan to rewarm. Top with crispy shallots and serve up a tasty dish of something most people at your table never thought they'd like, yet here they are taking seconds. Suckers.

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post script: This recipe would be a good and healthier substitute for mashed potatoes. My meat and potatoes husband agrees.

A Bok Choy and a Soba walked into a bar... and I was all, who the hell are you???

Okay, I kind of recognized the Soba from an earlier rendezvous involving some mushrooms and spinach in a soup, but when I reached into my weekly CSA grab bag and pulled out the bok choy, I was stumped. The Grand Master of the Crops told me it was bok choy and to treat it like any other green. So I told it off. Then I turned it into something delicious. That'll show it.

Bok Choy and Soba Noodles with Spicy Peanut Sauce

Here's what you're going to need:
(split into as needed groups for those of us with kitchen ADD)

1/4 cup orange juice
1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp lime juice (fresh squeezed, if you got it)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 garlic clove, smashed
1 tsp dried red pepper seeds
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1/4 cup canola oil

4 oz soba noodles (You can usually find these in the Asian cooking aisle of the grocery store. Buckwheat noodles will work fine if that's all you see.)
Asian sesame oil

1-2 cups of mixed baby greens
1 head of bok choy, baby or regular, thinly sliced

1/2 fancy pants (I believe people in the know call them "English") cucumber, cut into think strips
1 palmful (gun to my head=1/4ish cup?) chopped cilantro
1 tsp dried red pepper seeds

salted peanuts (optional)


And here's what you're gonna do:

Put the first group of ingredients (o.j., peanut butter, rice vinegar, lime juice, soy sauce, garlic, red pepper seeds) in the blender and turn it on. Now you can either take off the lid here and watch the fun unfold as you dump the canola oil in, or you can take the boring route and drizzle the oil in through the little hole thingy the blender people put in the top of the lid for just such an occasion. As always, it's up to you. Blend until it's... well, blended, I suppose.
If you're into planning ahead and smartness and whatnot, you can do this the day before and put the sauce in the fridge. Warm it up a little before you use it. Never in my life have I been prepared enough to do such a thing.

Break the soba noodles into thirds and cook them in a large pot of salted water according to the directions. You want them to be al dente. Drain, and hit them with some cold water when they're done. Drain again and then toss them with a little sesame oil.

Put the bok choy, greens, cucumber, and chopped cilantro in large bowl. Add the spicy peanut sauce from your blender (or from the ceiling, depending upon which method you chose), the noodles, and another sprinkling of red pepper. Toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper and top with a fistful of peanuts if you're so inclined.

Now aren't you worldly?