Recipes of the Week - September 19th

Daikon Radish Preparation Tipsfrom www.whatscookingamerica.net

This is an extremely versatile vegetable that can be eaten raw in salads or cut into strips or chips for relish trays. It also can be stir-fried, grilled, baked, boiled or broiled. Use the daikon as you would a radish. It may be served raw in salads or grated for use as a condiment (if you don't have a Japanese-style grater, use a cheese grater and grate just before serving), pickled, or simmered in a soup. They are also preserved by salting as in making sauerkraut. Daikon also is used in soups and simmered dishes. To prepare, peel skin as you would a carrot and cut for whatever style your recipe idea calls for. Not only is the root eaten, but the leaves also are rich in vitamin C, beta carotene, calcium, and iron, so they are worth using instead of discarding.

A Japanese secret to cooking daikon is to use water in which rice has been washed or a bit of rice bran added (this keeps the daikon white and eliminates bitterness and sharpness}.

Raw Radish Salsafrom recipelink.com

1 cup radishes, finely chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp. lemon juice, fresh
1/2 tsp. dill weed, dried
3/4 tsp. salt
dash pepper, freshly ground
parsley sprigs and radish slices, for garnish
assorted crudites, for serving

Combine the chopped radishes, sour cream, garlic, and lemon juice and dill weed; mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place into a serving dish, cover and chill 4 hours for the flavors to blend.

Garnish with parsley and radish slices and serve with assorted crudites.

Seared Ahi Tuna w/Wasabi, Beer & Soy Sauce & Julienne Vegetable Salad

WASABI SAUCE:
6 oz. soy sauce
6 oz. beer
2 tsp. Wasabi powder

TUNA:
4 oz. tuna fillet
3 tbsp. Cajun Spice
Sour Pickled Ginger (for topping, optional)

JULIENNE VEGETABLE SALAD:
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 purple pepper
1 carrot
1 daikon radish

WASABI SAUCE:
Mix soy sauce, beer and Wasabi powder well and let rest for 1 hour before serving.

JULIENNE VEGETABLE SALAD:
Slice all vegetables thinly, into matchstick pieces. Place in ice water for 2 hours, to curl. Drain before serving.

TUNA:
Cut tuna into 1 inch by 1 inch pieces. Coat tuna in Cajun spice. Place tuna in hot skillet for 30 seconds on each side for rare. (Cook longer for medium rare). Slice tuna.

Put some Wasabi Sauce on a plate, with Julienne Vegetable Salad next to it. Arrange sliced tuna on top of sauce, Serve with more sauce on the side. Top with sour pickled ginger, if desired.

Baked Acorn Squash

1 acorn squash, halved
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons honey, maple syrup,

Syrup

2 tablespoons firmly-packed brown sugar
Salt and coarsely ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove fibers and seeds.

Add 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 teaspoon of honey or maple syrup, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, salt and pepper to the hollow scoop of each squash half. Place upright on a greased cookie sheet and roast for 20 to 30 minutes or until tender when flesh is poked with a fork.