I really like Mexican/Tex-Mex food, but I haven’t found a really good place for it in the Boston area. Thus, I make it at home.

I make this recipe (using either flank steak or chicken breast) often. It’s super easy and delicious. I make pickled red onion to go along with this dish. I make a big batch and leave it in my fridge to serve with fajitas or put on a salad.

I don’t measure the spices exactly but I put approximately the amounts I use in the recipe. You can adjust the amounts to accommodate your taste.

I’m also a BIG fan of Goya Yellow Rice and I serve this dish with the rice on the side. I’ve tried the low-salt version and I don’t recommend it.

Steak Fajitas (click here to print recipe without pictures)

- Flank steak (for chicken breasts, see below)
– 2 tbsp chili powder
– 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
– 2 tsp ground cumin
– 2 tsp ground coriander
– 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
– 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
– 2 tsp paprika
-1 tsp kosher salt
– 2 tsp vegetable oil
– to serve (all optional): fajitas (warmed in oven for 20 sec), sour cream (mixed with a little lime juice & salt), fresh cilantro, chopped red onion, pickled red onion (see below for quick recipe), diced avocado, diced tomato, shredded red cabbage

1. In a small bowl, mix all spices and salt. Set aside. Place steak in a large shallow dish, rub with spice mixture and drizzle with oil, evenly on both sides. Cover and let sit at room temp for 30 min or longer in the refrigerator.

2. Preheat broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and place in oven to heat up for 10-15 min. Place steak on preheated pan and broil 4 min/side for medium-rare, or longer to desired doneness.

3. Remove from oven, cover with foil and let sit for 5 min to let the meat rest. Slice thinly against the grain and serve with accompaniments. Enjoy!

 

Chicken Fajitas (click here to print recipe without pictures)

- 2-3 chicken breasts, sliced to 1/2-in long strips
– 2 tbsp chili powder
– 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
– 2 tsp ground cumin
– 2 tsp ground coriander
– 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
– 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
– 2 tsp paprika
-1 tsp kosher salt
– 2 tsp vegetable oil
– 2 green peppers, sliced into 1/2-in slices
– 1 yellow onion, sliced into 1/2-in slices
– 2 tsp vegetable oil
– to serve (all optional): fajitas (warmed in oven for 20 sec), sour cream (mixed with a little lime juice & salt), fresh cilantro, chopped red onion, pickled red onion (see below for quick recipe), diced avocado, diced tomato, shredded red cabbage

1. In a large ziplock bag, combine spices and salt. Close bag and shake to mix thoroughly. Add sliced chicken and oil. Close bag and shake to combine. Let sit 30 min or longer in the refrigerator to marinate.

2. In a large pan, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add peppers and onions. Saute until charred, but still slightly crunchy, about 5 min. Remove from pan and set aside.

3. Return pan to medium-high heat and add chicken. Saute until cooked through, flipping to cook all sides, about 7 min. Move chicken to 1/2 of pan and return onion and pepper mixture to pan to reheat.

4. Serve with rice and desired accompaniments. Enjoy!

 

Pickled Red Onion (click here to print recipe without pictures)

- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
– 1/2 tsp kosher salt
– 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Bring vinegar, salt, and 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat. Stir in onion. Pour whole mixture into jar and refrigerate. Can be served once cooled.

Can stay in fridge for up to 1 month.

We visited East by Northeast 5 years ago when we first moved to Cambridge. At that time we were not super impressed. But over the past year, there has been much talk about this tiny quaint restaurant in Inman Square, so we decided to give it another shot.

The hostess was very friendly and the atmosphere is quiet and inviting. We were seated promptly near the front windows and perused the menu.

The wine and beer selection was nice, as were the interesting cocktails.

We were greeted with an amuse bouche: Cauliflower purée on a homemade cracker with honey

It was just ok. The combination of cauliflower and honey was a bit strange to me.

The menu consists of small plates made to share. They have prix-fixe options or you can order a la carte, which is what we decided to do so we can try multiple dishes. The waitress recommended 3-4 dishes/person.

We ordered a bunch and each came out as it was prepared at a perfect pace. We also ordered a side of their hot sauce – which I HIGHLY recommend as it pairs beautifully with every dish.

CRISPY PORK BELLY BUN with apple, pickled red onion, sweet bean sauce, mantou bread

This was the highlight of the meal. Soft, squishy bread, crispy, fatty pork belly and jsut the right amount of acid from the red onion. They also served it with pickled turmeric cauliflower which was delicious.

 

SCALLION PANCAKE, smoked pork confit, grilled scallions, plum ginger sauce

I have to say I didn’t like this dish at all. It had a strange formaldehyde smell, it was greasy, not great. It did have the pickled cauliflower and some pickled squash which was good too.

 

STUFFED PEPPER with curried lamb & rice filling, poblano pepper, toasted coconut sauce, and togarashi

It definitely doesn’t photograph well, but this dish was delightful. The pepper was nicely charred, the lamb was perfectly seasoned and the coconut sauce was great!

 

MANDARIAN PANCAKE with napa cabbage and egg stuffing with butternut squash mostarda

This was much less greasy than the scallion pancake and had better flavor. The mostarda was a bit sweet but the mustard seeds gave it a nice kick.

 

BAMBOO LEAF FISH: hake fillet grilled in bamboo leaf, house cured lardo, matsutake mushroom, jasmine tea salt, gremolata

The fish was nicely cooked and the jasmine tea salt was a very tasty and interesting accompaniment. It was very soft and paired well with the fish.

 

POTSTICKERS: pan fried pork and napa cabbage, smoked tomato jam, black vinegar

I felt the jam was too sweet, but Kevin loved it. The potstickers were fine, but I’ve had much better ones.

 

ROASTED MUSHROOM STIR FRY: maitake and lobster mushrooms, apple, edamame, black bean sauce, garlicky mustard greens

These were really good. What they don’t mention is the flat noodles, similar to gnocchi, that it is served with. I wish there were more mushrooms, but the apples and edamame were amazing! The crunch and tartness of the apples were a very pleasant surprise. Also, the bright freshness from the scallions lightened the dish and brought it perfect balance.

Our meal ended with complimentary Chocolate Sesame Cookies bites which were fine.

All in all, I would recommend East by Northeast but I don’t know if I would return.

I like to travel the world, both literally and figuratively with my cooking. One of the best cookbooks I have is ‘5 Spices, 50 Dishes‘ – an easy introduction to Indian cooking.

I have tried many recipes from it, my favorite is the Lamb Chops with Spicy Rub.

It’s super simple and delicious. I use whole seeds and grind them up in a mortar and pestle or coffee/spice grinder, but you can use store-bought ground spices.

I also use a microplane which makes grating ginger and garlic very easy. I use my microplane for a variety of things, including freshly grated Parmesan cheese or nutmeg.

I had a rack of lamb in my freezer and just cut it into individual chops for this recipe

Lamb Chops with Spicy Rub (click here to print recipe without pictures)

- 1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger (about 2-in piece)
– 1 tsp finely grated or pressed garlic (about 2 large cloves)
– 3/4 tsp salt
– 1/2 tsp cayenne
– 1/2 tsp ground cumin
– 1/2 tsp ground coriander
– 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
– 8 lamb chops
– 3 tbsp canola oil

1. In a large bowl, mix together ginger, garlic, salt, cayenne, cumin, coriander and turmeric to form a thick, slightly dry paste. 

2. Rub chops well with this mixture and set aside to marinate for 2-8 hours in the fridge.

3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the oil. Sear the lamb chops to the desired doneness, 4-5 min/side for rare.

4. Let rest briefly before serving. Serve with Indian fragrant rice (see below for recipe)

 

Indian Fragrant Rice (click here to print recipe without pictures)

- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
– 2 tbsp vegetable oil
– 1 1/2 cups water
– 1 cup basmati or jasmine rice, rinsed
– 2-3 bay leaves

1. In a small saucepan, heat olive oil until hot. Add cumin seeds and toast for 30 seconds until fragrant. CAREFULLY add rice, water and bay leaves. The water will splatter when added, so be careful.

2. Bring to a boil. Wrap lid with kitchen towel. Cover, lower heat to low and cook for 18 min. Fluff with fork prior to serving.

I make a ton of Asian food. The flavor profiles always hits everything I’m looking for: sweet, salty, spicy and umami.

I came across this recipe when looking for sides for an Asian entree. This can be done with any veggie – eggplant, squash, zucchini, mushrooms – basically whatever you have in your veggie drawer

A few weeks ago I received a bunch of Asian eggplants in my CSA (Boston Organics) and decided to make this dish.

I was always interested in getting a CSA share but I never wanted to shell out $600 up front and end up with 10 lbs of beets or turnips. And then I found Boston Organics.

They deliver to your house (and are insured, so you can give them a key and they can drop the box inside). The deliveries are weekly or every other week and you can cancel anytime!! They also have a ‘no’ list, so they know what I don’t want in my share (for me it’s dill). Each box starts at $29 and we get 1/2 veggie-1/2 fruit every other week. It’s perfect for the 2 of us and I rarely go produce shopping!

Every once in a while, Boston Organics will throw in an ingredient I haven’t worked with and it gives me a chance to experiment. In the box below, I received garlic scapes – which were delicious grilled with a little bit of of olive oil, salt and pepper.

Ok, enough gushing about Boston Organics, here’s the eggplant recipe

Spicy Glazed Eggplant (click here to print recipe without pictures)

– 1 1/4 pounds Asian eggplants (about 4), trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch pieces
– 2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
– 2 tablespoons soy sauce
– 1/2 teaspoon finely grated peeled ginger (use a Microplane)
– 1/8 teaspoon Japanese seven-spice powder (sometimes labeled “shichimi togarashi”) or Chinese 5-spice powder
– 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
– 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

 

1. Toss eggplant with 1 teaspoon salt and drain in a colander, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes. Rinse eggplant under cold water and dry well, pressing out any excess moisture.

2. In a small bowl, stir together mirin, soy sauce, ginger, and seven-spice powder. Set aside

3. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté eggplant until browned, about 8 minutes. Gently stir in mirin mixture and cook, turning frequently, until sauce becomes a glaze and eggplant is browned and tender, about 1 minute.

4. Serve hot or at room temperature, sprinkled with chives.

 

(adapted from Gourmet)