INGREDIENTS:

1 to 2 pounds boneless pork from a loin or chops, chopped

1 TBSP canola oil

1 chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and minced

1 to 3 garlic cloves, minced

1 TBSP soy sauce

1 TBSP rice vinegar

1 tsp sesame oil

Canned straw mushrooms or fresh shiitakes, chopped

3 to 4 cups of julienned vegetables: cabbage, carrots, etc.

Moo Shu wrappers, hoisin sauce, chopped peanuts, chopped cilantro and chopped green onions for serving

PREPARATION:

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and ginger and cook until golden brown. Add pork and continue to cook until well browned. Add soy sauce, vinegar and sesame oil and stir to coat. Dump in veggies and cook until just crisp-tender. Serve with wrappers, hoisin sauce, peanuts and fresh herbs. Roll and eat.

Livornese Sauce: This sauce would be delicious on any delicate, fresh fish. Try it on ahi tuna, swordfish or halibut. Simply grill, pan sear or bake fish and add the sauce at the end.
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil. (Use your good stuff for this recipe as it shines)
Handful of pitted kalamata olives — feel free to chop them if you wish
2 to 3 cloves of garlic, sliced paper-thin
Handful of drained capers
Several chopped fresh tomatoes or good quality canned tomatoes in the winter months
Several tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley or other herbs
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Quickly saute the garlic, capers, olives and parsley until garlic turns golden brown and crisp. Add tomatoes and a few squeezes of lemon juice and boil until reduced just a bit — 2 to 3 minutes should be plenty. Season with salt and pepper and spoon over fish. Drizzle additional olive oil over fish if needed.

Viola, that is all! Light, healthy and satisfying. All you really need is fresh fish and high quality olive oil to turn this into a fabulous dinner. Enjoy!

I like to serve this with brown rice and any number of Indian pickles or relishes — preferably homemade.

INGREDIENTS

3 medium red onions, quartered

3 garlic cloves, peeled

3 inch piece of ginger, peeled and sliced

1/3 cup canola oil

1 inch piece cinnamon stick

12 green cardamom pods, pounded in a mortar and pestle just to break open the shells

16 whole cloves

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

¼ teaspoon coriander seeds

5 bay leaves

¼ tsp. white or black peppercorns

3 whole dried red chile peppers

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground coriander

1 cup plain yogurt

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast cut in small pieces

¾ cup hot water

½ teaspoon garam masala

½ cup heavy cream (optional)

PREPARATION

Combine onions, garlic and ginger in a food processor and process until finely minced.

Combine the oil, cinnamon stick, cardamom, cloves, cumin, coriander seeds, bay leaves, peppercorns and dried red peppers  in a large, heavy-bottomed casserole over medium-high heat.  Cook, stirring, until the cinnamon stick unfurls and the spices brown lightly, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add onion mixture and salt.  Cook until onion turns light brown.  Add water, 1 tsp. at a time if onion starts sticking.  Add ground coriander and cook 1 minute.  Add 3 TBSP yogurt and cook until yogurt is entirely blended and the moisture has evaporated.  Continue adding yogurt slowly until incorporated.  Add chicken and cook 5 minutes.  Add hot water and stir.  Boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 5 minutes.  Stir in garam masala and cook 2 minutes.  Stir in cream, if using, and remove from heat.  If you can, allow the dish to rest for 1 hour so the flavors can marry.  Season with additional salt and a drizzle of cream, if desired.

From Indian Home Cooking by Suvir Saran and Stephanie Lyness.