Leftover Remake: Risotto cake recipe & bento lunches

Because I’m not my son’s personal short-order cook, I love to use dinner leftovers in our bento lunches to minimize prep time. But eating the exact same thing for multiple meals can get boring pretty quickly, so finding new ways to quickly transform leftovers into different dishes is always welcome. Today I’ve got a simple Leftover Remake recipe for pan-fried risotto cakes.

With these lunches, I took cold zucchini risotto left over from dinner the night before, and made it into little pan-fried risotto cakes that my five-year-old ate as finger food. They’re reminiscent of Sicilian arancini (deep-fried rice balls stuffed with cheese, meat, or vegetables), but I improvised as I didn’t have a good melting cheese on hand.

Contents of kindergartener bento lunch: Pan-fried zucchini (courgette) risotto cakes (recipe below), teriyaki & pineapple chicken meatballs (my favorite, Aidells brand), red grapes, and steamed broccoli with onion-based salad dressing. For dinner, I’d made the zucchini risotto from a recipe in Marcella Hazan’s classic cookbook Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.

Morning prep time: 22 minutes for the two bentos, including cooling time for the risotto cakes, meatballs and broccoli. In the morning I formed and pan-fried the risotto cakes from leftover risotto, microwaved the frozen meatballs, and steamed the broccoli in my microwave mini-steamer. (Click for full lunch details, an adult variation on this lunch with additional fruit & veggies, and a basic recipe for the risotto cakes.)

Packing: You know that I’m not one for spending a lot of time making elaborate food art, opting instead for food picks and little lunch accessories to give a bento a quick shot of cute. A while back I stumbled on a package of new colorful hugging food picks shaped like Usahana at a local thrift store for US$1, so I used them with the meatballs to make easy eating for little hands. I used all silicone lunch accessories in this bento, with a baran separator and food cup for the broccoli — keeping foods from touching (more of an issue for Bug than it would be for me).

Thorough cooling of the lunch contents before packing up the box is important to prevent condensation that would: 1) make the risotto cakes soften up, 2) create a vacuum inside of the box that would make it hard to open, and 3) increase the odds of food spoilage as bacteria thrive on moisture, protein and warmth. The lunch is packed in a 450ml Disney Cars bento box with movable subdivider, the right size box for a 5-year-old according to the bento box size guidelines.

Verdict: Mostly thumbs up with everything gone except the grapes. Bug said he only ate half of a grape because he was trying to get the seeds out and peel the skin off with his fingers as he didn’t like the taste of the skin. He protested when I went to throw the remaining grapes out, though, saying he still wanted to eat them, it just took him too much time at school. So these big red grapes are off the bento list because they’re too time-consuming, but still in the kitchen at home for when we’re not in a hurry.

I added tangerine slices and smoked mushroom salad to our homestay Japanese teacher’s bento to round it out and make it different from the child’s version above.

Contents of adult bento lunch: Pan-fried zucchini risotto cakes, tangerines, smoked mushrooms dressed with homemade balsamic vinaigrette, red grapes, steamed broccoli with onion-based salad dressing, and teriyaki & pineapple chicken meatballs. I adapted a recipe for smoked mushroom salad in the terrific barbecue cookbook Smoke & Spice: Cooking with Smoke, the Real Way to Barbecue , and my husband smoked them in a vegetable grill basket on his Big Green Egg ceramic cooker. (You know, men love their grills!)

Morning prep time: 22 minutes for the two bento variations, including cooling time for the risotto cakes. The mushroom salad was leftover from a previous dinner, and I quickly sliced up half of a tangerine.

Packing: I didn’t worry about separating the different foods as much for A-sensei, so I put only the drained mushrooms into a silicone food cup to keep the vinaigrette away from the grapes. The lunch is packed in a 600ml two-tier Hakoya bento box that I picked up at Soko Hardware in San Francisco’s Japantown last year.

Verdict: A-sensei ate everything, with a thumbs up on the risotto cakes. When I probed more deeply about what they were like at room temperature (as I ate mine at home when they were still warm), she finally said that she thought Bug might like them better with ketchup or some other dipping sauce. Bug disagreed and said they were good as is, but it’s an interesting suggestion.

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Recipe for Pan-fried Risotto Cakes

leftover cold risotto (How much have you got? Try a basic risotto recipe is you’re starting from scratch.)1/4 cup flour (or breadcrumbs)dash of salt & pepper1 Tb vegetable oil (or vegetable oil spray) for pan-fryingkosher salt to tasteIn a shallow bowl or pie plate, mix together the flour, salt and pepper for breading the risotto cakes.Use a small disher or tablespoons to scoop up 2-3 tablespoons of cold risotto. Use your hands to shape the risotto into small rounds about 1/2 inch thick. (This is for small risotto cakes to fit in a bento box; feel free to make larger cakes if you like.)Place the risotto round into the flour mixture and lightly dust. Tap off excess flour and set aside.Heat the vegetable oil in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Place the floured risotto cakes in the hot pan without crowding, and fry until golden brown on the bottom (a couple minutes per side). Don’t mess with the cakes too much when you first put them in — you want them to develop a nice crust that’ll hold everything together when flipping.Flip the cakes and fry until brown on both sides. Remove from the pan with a small spatula, and cool on a cooling rack lined underneath with paper towels.  Blot off any excess oil off with paper towels.Sprinkle with kosher salt to taste while still warm.If not packing in a lunch, serve right away while warm. If packing in a bento, let these cool as completely as you have time for before closing up in a bento box. This’ll help prevent condensation inside the box that would soften the nice crust you’ve developed on the risotto cakes.

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Indonesian Chicken Curry Recipe (Gulai Ayam)

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May 01, 2014Indonesian Chicken Curry Recipe (Gulai Ayam)

I have a tendency of preparing a chicken supper on Sundays. Sometimes it’s a roast chicken but last weekend, I hankered for a curry that we ate in Penang, Malaysia earlier this year. It was a Sunday when we wandered into a locals only spot for a lunch of chicken curry and roti (flatbread). The male Muslim cooks were hospitable and kind; they took pride in their craft. Their curry was well spiced but light on the palate, which meant it was perfect for the slightly greasy flatbread to soak up. The meal lingered in our minds long after we left Penang.

We got satisfaction a few weeks later with this chicken curry recipe published in a Saveur article by my friend Christopher Tan. He obtained the recipe from a West Sumatran Padang-style rice plate restaurant in Jakarta. I looked at his recipe and figured it was very similar to what we had in Penang. Culinary ideas flow easily through that part of the world, as Chris pointed out in “Spice World”, there are nasi padang restaurants in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore (where he lives).

I made the recipe soon after I saw it. It was richer and more sophisticated than the version we had in Penang, which was fine because we had it with rice instead of rich roti. The spices weren’t finely ground and lent nice texture to the sauce. I imagine that the Penang cooks used a pre-ground mixture of spices. My husband and I enjoyed the curry for days as one batch makes enough for several meals. 

Kaffir (makrut) lime leaf, knotted lemongrass, and candlenutsAim for a vibrant orange oatmeal-like paste.

Last week, Saveur editor-in-chief James Oseland called to catch up. He’s expert on the foods of that region, having written Cradle of Flavor. Among the things we chatted about was how good this curry is. No wonder leading up to Sunday, I had gulai ayam on my mind.

I gathered up the ingredients from my pantry and garden for another delectable batch. The list of ingredients is long but the paste comes together in minutes in a food processor. I’ve made this in an hour from top to bottom, including the rest at the end. Go for it! Maybe work it into your Sunday night rotation?

Notes: I’ve modified the recipe by using chicken legs and skinning them. The skin is better saved for rendering schmaltz or discarded. Stewed chicken skin is unappealing. I opted for football-shaped coriander seed but you can use the regular round ones. One can of coconut milk worked well for my palate.

If you don’t have the lime leaves, omit them. A comment on the original recipe at Saveur said it was fine. I’d double up on the lemongrass, or add galangal if a Kaffir lime tree wasn’t right outside my door or I didn’t have a stash in the freezer. Use all Thai chiles or combine Fresno with Thai for less heat.

Candlenuts (sold at Chinese markets in the Indonesian section) thicken the sauce so make sure you use them or the macadamia nut sub. As for knotting up the lemongrass, see James’s tip in this video. You can opt for cutting it into short lengths and whacking it.

Leftovers keep exceptionally well for days. Along with rice, we’ve had this Indonesian chicken curry with tortillas (whole wheat ones are nice) as well as Middle Eastern flatbread. French bread would be terrific too.

RECIPE

Indonesian Chicken Curry Recipe

Gulai Ayam

Yields: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

8 chicken drumsticks or thighs, or a mix of both (a good 3 lb / 1.5 kg total)2 teaspoon coriander seeds1 teaspoon cumin seeds1 teaspoon fennel seeds1 teaspoon grated nutmeg1 teaspoon ground turmeric½ teaspoon whole cloves¼ teaspoon cardamom seeds10 red Thai chiles, or 3 Fresno chiles plus 2 or 3 red Thai chiles, stemmed and roughly chopped5 large candlenuts or macadamia nuts4 cloves garlic, peeled1 medium shallot, peeled and quarteredChubby 2-inch (5 cm) piece ginger, peeled and sliced3 tablespoons canola or peanut oil (I used semi-refined Lion and Globe)5 or 6 kaffir (makrut) lime leaves2 sticks cinnamon1 fat stalk lemongrass, trimmed and knotted1 (13.5 oz / 400 ml) can coconut milk3/4 teaspoon salt

Method

Remove the skin from the chicken pieces. With the drumsticks, either cut the skin close to the knee joint to easily pull off the skin; or use a cleaver to whack off the knee joint, then remove the skin. Set aside.Put the coriander, cumin, fennel, nutmeg, turmeric, cloves, cardamom into a food processor. Whirl to grind up a bit. Add the chiles, candlenuts, garlic, shallots, ginger, and 2 tablespoons of water. Process into an oatmeal-like paste. It won’t be perfectly smooth.Heat the oil in a large saute pan or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the paste, lime leaves, cinnamon, and lemongrass until fragrant and no longer raw smelling, 5 to 7 minutes.Add the chicken, turning to sear the pieces a little on the outside, 4 to 5 minutes. You don’t have to brown it. Add half of the coconut milk and enough water to cover the chicken three-quarter of the way up. Let cook, turning occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through; pierce with a knife tip to check.Stir in the remaining coconut milk and salt. Cook until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Remove from the heat and let cool, uncovered, for about 15 minutes for the flavors to meld and mellow. Taste to see if extra salt is needed. Enjoy with rice or whatever starch you’d like.  The lemongrass, cinnamon, and lime leaf are not edible.

Recipe adapted from Saveur.

Related posts: 

Thai Yellow Curry with Beef and PotatoesVietnamese Goat Curry with Coriander and LemongrassHow to Cook Perfect RicePosted in Recipes: All, Recipes: Chicken, Duck, Poultry, Eggs, Recipes: Gluten-Free | Permalink

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Recent Posts10 Recipes to Praise Pork and Saturated FatIndonesian Chicken Curry Recipe (Gulai Ayam)Water Saving Cooking StrategiesVietnamese Pomelo Salad RecipeSichuan Cold Sesame (or Peanut) Noodles RecipeSourcing Allergen-Free Wheat Starch and Rice PaperVegetarian Dan Dan Noodles RecipeFuture Vietnamese Foods: Artisanal Pho Pizza and Big Mac Banh Mi?How to Freeze Pho?Rice Coated Crispy Tofu RecipePre-order "The Banh Mi Handbook" @ Amazon, B&N, IndieBound, J Biscuit & local bookstores

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Vietnamese Pomelo Salad Recipe

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April 24, 2014Vietnamese Pomelo Salad Recipe

Friends, the site was down late last week and into this week. My service provider, Typepad, suffered several security attacks. That was a first in my seven years of using their blogging platform. It's hard to fathom why someone would want to screw up blogs all over the world like that but it happens. Sorry that you didn't have regular access to VWK. Things came back online late Tuesday night, so here's the latest dispatch from my kitchen.

About a month ago, I bought a giant pomelo at our local farmer’s market. It’s always challenging for me because who knows how much actual flesh is inside. I’d tasted his samples and decided to buy one. “Pick a heavy one,” he advised. I must have spent 5 minutes picking through his bins before settling on one the size of a volleyball. I paid about five dollars.

Once home, I weighed the pomelo. It was about 3 pounds (1.5 kg)! Quite proud of my newly acquired pomelo selection skills, I planned to gift it to my mom when we visited during my husband’s spring break. I carefully packed the pomelo in the car, and drove close to 400 miles to my parent’s house. When I presented it to my mom, saying that it’s wonderfully sweet, farm grown, perfect for Vietnamese goi buoi pomelo salad. She demurred and said, “I can’t eat grapefruit because of the Lipitor I take.” Geeze, I didn’t consider the drug interactions when I bought “Big Boy.”

I turned to my sister, Tasha. You want it? “What am I going to do with it?” she asked. Tasha isn’t a super adventurous cook and despite my suggestion that she follow my recipe on VWK, she shook her head. Her son and husband were not into it. Plus, it looked like a lot of work to remove the grapefruit segments. That's the point of Viet goi special event salads, I responed but she didn't give in. Fine, I took the pomelo and set it near my purse so that I’d remember to take it home.

No one wanted this gorgeous pomelo as a gift!Kind of looks like a pomelo book as you remove the flesh.

Back in Santa Cruz, the pomelo sat for a good week in our dining room before I cut into it to make pomelo salad. Unbeknownst to me, the three-pound pomelo yielded a heck of a lot of flesh. I made pomelo salad twice, the first time as a rendition of Thai pomelo salad recipe that Betsy Andrews of Saveur recently wrote about from New York chef Dale Talde. I got through half of the pomelo and kept the remainder covered with plastic wrap in the fridge, where it sat for over a week.

We ate the rest for Easter Sunday lunch in the form of a Vietnamese pomelo salad (goi buoi tom thit). There was leftover poached chicken from the Sichuan cold sesame noodle salad so my workload was cut down. These types of Viet salads have a fair amount of protein because they're considered luxe dishes for entertaining, parties, or holidays. We had it as main course with a little soup. 

The hardest part of making an Asian pomelo salad is removing the segments. However, Big Boy gave me little trouble. The flesh peeled off the skin with ease and it even separated into discreet tear-drop pieces and chunks without much hassle from my fingertips. When it comes to selecting fruit, it pays to listen to the farmer.

There's a Thai version of pomelo salad too, but I'm not familiar with it. Are you?

RECIPE

Vietnamese Pomelo Salad

Goi Buoi Tom Thit

Yields: 2 as a main dish, 4 to 6 as a side dish

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon salt8 ounces (240 g) large shrimp, peeled and deveined4 ounces (120 g) boneless skinless chicken breast or boneless pork chop1 medium pomelo, or 1/2 large pomelo1 carrot, peeled and cut into fine shreds1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, leafy tops only1/4 cup chopped unsalted, roasted peanuts2 tablespoons Crispy Caramelized Shallot (hanh phi, optional)Dressing

2 tablespoons fish sauce1 1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice1 tablespoon water1 1/2 tablespoons sugar1 small clove garlic, finely chopped and mashed, or put through a press1 red Thai chile or 1/2 Fresno chile, chopped

Method:

1. Put the salt in a small saucepan and fill 2/3 with water. Bring to a boil and then add the shrimp. As soon as they've curled up, remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool.

2. Return the water to a boil and add the chicken or pork chop. When bubbles form at the rim, turn off the heat, cover and let sit for 20 minutes to cook the flesh. Remove and set aside to cool. (If you're using the Vietnamese sausage, skip this step because it's already cooked.)

3. Cut the shrimp in the diagonal into large pieces that will blend well with the pomelo and other ingredients. Hand shred the chicken or cut the pork into julienne. Set aside.

4. If the pomelo is big, halve it lengthwise and save one half for another day. Cut off the ends of the pomelo, then cut off the skin and pith to reveal the pinkish flesh underneath. Pry the pomelo open and split into two parts. Use your fingers and as needed, a knife and scissors, to peel away the flesh from the skin. Work segment by segment, and separate the flesh into bite-size pieces. Deposit the flesh in a bowl as you work.

5. For the dressing, combine fish sauce, lime juice, water, sugar, garlic and chile in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar.

6. Right before serving, add the shrimp, chicken (or pork), carrot, mint, cilantro, peanuts and fried shallot to the pomelo. Toss with your fingers or tongs to combine well. Add the dressing and toss. Taste and adjust the flavors, as needed. Transfer to a plate or shallow bowl, leaving any liquid behind and serve. 

Related posts:

2008 Vietnamese Pomelo Salad Recipe (Goi Buoi Tom Thit)How to cut ingredients into Asian fine shredsCrispy Caramelized Shallot (hanh phi)Thai Pomelo Salad  (Dtam Som Ooo) from SAVEURPosted in Recipes: All, Recipes: Chicken, Duck, Poultry, Eggs, Recipes: Gluten-Free , Recipes: Main Course, Recipes: Salad, Recipes: Vietnamese | Permalink

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Hands-on Classes @LoveAppleFarms, Santa Cruz, CA
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Institute of Domestic Technology, Altadena (LA)
Sat, May 31, 10am-4pm, Extreme DIY Tofu (sold out)
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Recent Posts10 Recipes to Praise Pork and Saturated FatIndonesian Chicken Curry Recipe (Gulai Ayam)Water Saving Cooking StrategiesVietnamese Pomelo Salad RecipeSichuan Cold Sesame (or Peanut) Noodles RecipeSourcing Allergen-Free Wheat Starch and Rice PaperVegetarian Dan Dan Noodles RecipeFuture Vietnamese Foods: Artisanal Pho Pizza and Big Mac Banh Mi?How to Freeze Pho?Rice Coated Crispy Tofu RecipePre-order "The Banh Mi Handbook" @ Amazon, B&N, IndieBound, J Biscuit & local bookstores

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