Cooking with Leeks

katsmeow1213, You may want to try this simple Chinese recipe with your leeks: [b]Steamed Toufu With Leeks and Mushrooms Ingredients: [/b] * 1 pack of silken tofu * Shitake Mushroom, sliced * Enokitake Mushroom, ends removed * Kinoko Mushroom, ends removed * 2 leeks thinly sliced * 1 teaspoon minced garlic * 100 ml water Seasoning: * 1 tablespoon oyster sauce * 1 teaspoon light soy sauce * ½ teaspoon sugar * 1½ teaspoon sesame seed oil How to do it: 1. Remove tofu, drain the water away and steam for 7 minutes or heat through. 2. In a wok, add 1 teaspoon of oil and saute garlic and leeks till fragrant. 3. Add in the mushrooms and stir well. 4. Add in the water and seasoning and cook for 3 minutes. 5. Pour the sauce over the tofu and serve. Note: * If you choose to eat the tofu cold, you don’t have to steam it. Just remove & drain. * You can change the mushroom used to other mushroom like button mushroom, dry Chinese mushroom, etc. * Also, if you are a meat lover, then you may add 250g of lean minced pork saute with the leeks and garlic. It’s very simple and doesn’t require a lot of preparation work. Hope you will like it. Bon Appetit.

I have never cooked with leeks. Aren't those the ones that look like a giant scallion? I am sure if I a recipe that sounded good I would at least try them.

My cousin uses leeks in the bouquet garni (bundle of herbs) for soup stock. She always uses the same bundle for every soup. Parsley root, leeks, carrots and parsley. I make my soup stock with whatever is on hand, leftover veggies, onions or shallots, carrots and parsley or coriander. If your husband is not fond of onions I would start with the leek and potato soup. Then I would try different onions in food. You know, Videlia onions, only availale at certain times of the year are sweet and wonderful. Yellow onions are a little bit different from red onions or white skinned onions. Shallots are quite tasty and mild as are Spanish onions. Pearl onions are a pain to peel but really good in certain stews. My cousin also uses pearl onions from jars in her green bean salad. To get back to leeks. My mom used to make braised leeks as a vegetable dish. She would only use the white parts of the leek, wash it very throroughly because the dirt seems to get in between the layers. She would saute the white parts of the leeks in butter, add a little salt and black pepper, add some stock and thicken it a bit with cornstarch. I only use leeks on occasion for the leek and potato soup which I make for special lunches. Leeks are very expensive where I live.

We grow leeks in our garden. We use them mostly for potato leek soup. It is so yummy. If your family like potato soup, they would like this, just puree the leeks, then they don't know they are there. They just give a great flavor!

I have never cooked with Leeks before, but I have had potato leek soup before and it was really good. I just don't ever think to buy them. I don't really know what they taste like by themselves, but since they are in the same family with onion and garlic( both of which I LOVE) I am sure I would like it.

Wow, I'm wondering how you have managed to cook for your husband all this time without using onions? I use them in EVERYTHING lol We love leeks in my family and I used them whenever they're in season. I enjoy making soups with them, and will often save the thicker pieces which are not so tender to make a soup with when I'm serving the rest of the leek in another dish. Potato and leek is the obvious choice for a soup, which I know you're going to try. They're also nice fried in olive oil with some onion and garlic and added to a tomato soup along with some rice to spice it up and give it some extra body. If your family like 'toad in the hole' (do you eat that in America? Sausages submerged in batter pudding, served with gravy?) then you could try doing something similar with leeks. Delicious if you serve it with a tomato sauce. my Mum used to make this when I was a girl and it was marvelous comfort food in winter. Baby leeks are delicious just braised in the oven really simply, but my favourite dish is leeks served with cream. My husband makes this beautifully and swears that the trick is to add a spot of vinegar during cooking. He's very proud of his creamy leeks, so I just let him get on with it!

I do cook with leeks. I put leeks on my beef soup and also do put half cook leeks on my friend rice. I also do put leeks in my beef stew. I love the taste of leek. I love it actually better than onion.

hello katsmeow i do not think that i have ever tasted a leek before either. and i do not cook with them. i think thou, when preparing the leek, as cleaning them goes, they are full of sand?, and you have to wash them really good? lol i have seen different episodes of FoodNetwork myself where whoever would cook something using the leeks and i think that i would probably like them myself because i like onions. and my hubby doesn't care for onions either. lol take care and have a beautiful afternoon.

Hi katsmeow. I only use leeks in cooking 'Potato & Leek Soup'. It's my family's favorite and every person who had tasted this recipe just loved it. I simply saute leeks in vegetable oil until soft then put the chicken stock and the chopped potatoes. When the potatoes are cooked, season it with ground pepper and salt as needed, then put it in a blender. Put a teaspoon of cream before serving and top it with parsley. I always make sure I set aside some of the cooked leeks and potatoes before putting the rest in the blender; I use them as toppings too and to give the soup some texture. Hope you try this, it's delicious.

Definitely in soups. My mom adds them to her thick vegetable soup and they are so delicious!