Can't Stand the Heat? It's All Cool in the Kitchen
They tell me it has been unseasonably hot here in So Cal the last week. I wish I could confirm or deny that rumor, but sunstroke has left me a little delirious and thus my opinion can hardly be trusted. Do not fear, though, a steady diet of mojitos and coconut sorbet seems to have me on the road to recovery. I am sure I will be back to lounging beachside on my well-oiled back-side in no time.
In the meantime, hot chocolate, Hot Tamales, and hot kitchens must all be avoided as any one of those might cause sun spotting in my vision and imminent relapse to my former condition. But woman cannot live on mojitos alone (although there was this time in Mexico when--well, never mind). But cooking and keeping cool, can it be done?
Luckily, I like the kitchen. I just don’t like to spend too much time in it. And with this heat sucking the energy out of me, I can’t say I really desire to be slaving over a stove. Nor do I want to suck down a piping hot bowl, plate, or teaspoon of anything! I'd rather conserve the energy my body needs to return itself to a normal temperature.
No, this summer it must all be about staying cool, in the kitchen and at the table. Think quick recipes with cool salads, cold soups, and pleasantly room-temp entrees and appetizers. There are enough recipes to see this heat wave through.
When the heat gets turned up, I see a lot of the cool kids go raw. Not a bad option, because if it is fresh and it's fish, it's going to taste good in its simplest form. Although an elegant achievement, readily available and affordable restaurant grade pieces and rolls make it possible to prepare a repast to rival Martha Stewart for do-it-yourself culinary sophistication. Gotta love ceviches, sashimi, and oysters; all are light, easy and make a simple, cool, heat-free summer meal. But when the grumbling in my stomach starts an hour after such a dinner, that tells me a supper of this kind leaves something to be had.
There are other more substantial ways to reduce your time standing over the flame in order to fill your belly. Pastas only take 8 to 10 minutes to cook in boiling water, but Japanese somen and soba noodles only take 3 to 4. Not to mention, both are excellent when rinsed to cool, drained, and dressed to be served at room temperature. A variety of vegetables on hand can be dressed separately or simply sauteed while the noodles are cooking for little piles of interesting condiments to be served alongside.
For protein, the options are many. The best is if you have leftover anything: chopped steak, shredded chicken from a cooked breast, slivered pork--all will round out your cool noodle plate for a hot summer day. If you have to make a quick turn on the stove, choose a meat that takes little or no time. Slice pork paper thin, season it, and sear on a hot grill pan for about 2 minutes a side. If I don’t have chicken ready to shred, I’ll poach it in some water with butter and spices while I prepare the rest of the dish. Arranged on the plate, with shredded sesame carrots in one pile, green onions with garlic, mushrooms in soy, cucumber in chili, a bit of seasoned meat, and cool noodles in a dressing that reflects the flavor of each veggie, what you have is a palette of flavors and colors that will make it hard to believe how little actual heat it took to make this HOT meal.
Now fully recovered from heat exhaustion, I'm heading back into the sun with mojito in hand. And before I find myself in this predicament again, it’ll be back to the kitchen for another cool recovery and a hot meal, minus the heat.
Made with vegetable oil, shiitake mushrooms, soy sauce, green onions, garlic, carrots, sesame seeds, soba noodles, eggs, oil
Serves/Makes: 4
- 6 cups water
- 4 chai tea bags (or other black tea)
- 3 chicken breasts
- salt and pepper
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 cucumber
- 1/4 cup Asian garlic chili sauce
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
- 12 fresh shiitake mushrooms
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 bunches green onions
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 large carrots
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 12 ounces soba noodles
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon oil
***Dressing***
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Asian garlic chili sauce
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
Bring water to a boil in a medium pot. Turn off heat and steep tea bags in water for 4 minutes.
Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Remove tea bags, add chicken and butter, return to a boil. Reduce to medium low and simmer for about 20 minutes until cooked through. Remove from braising liquid to cutting board and shred.
Meanwhile, slice cucumber into paper thin slices. Put in bowl and toss with chili sauce. Let sit stirring occasionally until ready to serve.
Heat a saute pan over medium high with 2 T. of oil. Slice mushrooms into 1/4 inch slices. Saute for a few minutes and add soy sauce. Saute for another two minutes until liquid is absorbed, remove to plate.
Trim tops and ends off green onions. Slice into three or four pieces about two inches long each. Mince garlic. Heat oil in saute pan over medium high. Add garlic to soften, about a minute, then add green onion. Saute for about three minutes, set aside on plate.
Bring pot of water to a boil, add soba noodles. Drain in colander. Rinse with cold water until noodles are cool. Drain again. Set aside.
Peel carrots and grate. Toss with sesame seeds. Set aside.
Scramble eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper. Heat a couple tablespoons of oil in a large saute (note: you can keep using the same saute pan, just wipe with a towel between vegetables and egg to remove residue). Make a flat omelet. Remove to cutting board and chop into slices. Set aside.
For dressing, mix all dressing ingredients until smooth. Taste and adjust if necessary. Toss noodles in large bowl with dressing.
To assemble, on each plate mound noodles in the middle. Arrange around noodles, chicken, mushrooms, carrot, egg, green onions, and top with cucumber. Serve immediately.
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