Brit sent me this recipe a few weeks back and I immediately agreed that it looked delicious. The original recipe calls for prawns, instead of shrimp, but we had conveniently just purchased a bag of pre-cooked frozen shrimp the night before. Buying frozen (and especially fresh) shrimp from anywhere besides the wholesaler we had gone to would be too far out of our price range, but with the shellfish purchased, we were both excited to give this dish a try.
Garlic Noodles with Shrimp
Serves 3
8 oz linguini (we ended up cooking all of it, but only using 3/4 of the package)
1/2 lb shellfish (we used 40 of the fairly small frozen shrimp we purchased)
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar (original recipe called for 1/2 tsp)
2 tsp pepper (original recipe called for 1 tsp)
4-5 tbsp garlic, minced (original recipe called for 3 tbsp)
3 tbsp butter, divided (original recipe called for French buerre demi sel..... yeah right i'm going to buy that....)
3 green onions, chopped (original reciped called for 1 green onion)
Grated parmesan cheese
Cook the pasta, as the package instructs, until al dente. Drain and set aside. In the meantime, marinade the shrimp with the oyster sauce, salt, sugar, pepper, and 1/3 of the minced garlic for 15 minutes.
In a wok over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp butter with 1/3 of the minced garlic. Add the marinated shrimp and stir fry for 3-4 minutes. We were using pre-cooked shrimp, so this step is purely to cook the flavors together. The original recipe indicates that this step should be used to cook the shellfish until they are half-way done. After a few minutes, remove the shrimp to a bowl and set aside.
Melt the remaining butter with the garlic and add in the pasta. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes, tossing the pasta until it's well coated with the garlic sauce. Add back in the shrimp and cook an additional 3-4 minutes (if using raw shellfish, make sure it is fully cooked at this point). Mix in the chopped green onions and serve. Garnish with the parmesan cheese.
We also garnished our dish with steamed broccoli we bought from our farmer's market that had been quickly tossed with salt, pepper, and white wine vinegar.
Oh wow. You have got to try this dish. No real surprise though; it's shrimp cooked with butter and garlic! We both ate our full plate and went back for another full serving. That was a mistake as we felt stuffed after and we should have just eaten another half serving at the most. Adding the additional amount of pasta, that we didn't incorporate, could help this dish stretch a little further and provide for guests or leftovers, but we'd need to add more shrimp at the beginning. Additionally, I need to peel the shrimp tails off before cooking so that the shrimp can be eaten without having to use your fingers.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Veggie and Bean Tostadas
Brit and I had leftover tortillas that needed to be eaten and expected to have leftover black beans from earlier in the week. We love all "Mexican" dishes and decided to make tostadas (my first time!).
Veggie and Bean Tostadas
Serves 4
Refried beans
Salsa (we have Costco salsa in the house right now)
Cuban Black Beans
Brown rice
Limes
Guacamole (Brit made from avacados, minced onion, minced garlic, diced tomato, lime juice, salt, and pepper)
Tomato, diced
Diced onion
Pepper, julienned
Chicken stock
Mexican blend cheese
Tortillas
Sour cream
I heated the refried beans over low heat after mixing with a few large scoops of salsa.
The leftover black beans and brown rice were re-heated from our meal earlier in the week.
The onion and pepper were sauteed and I added some chicken stock because I was worried the onions were going to burn before the peppers were done cooking. Season with salt and pepper.
Tortillas were briefly heated (2-3 min per side) in a frying pan sprayed with non-stick olive oil until they were browned and crispy
I layered the tortillas with refried beans, cheese, black beans and rice, guacamole, sour cream, onions, peppers, and tomatoes. I then squirted some lime juice on top and dug in! It's really hard to cut into the tostadas and eat without making a mess, but that's something that Brit and I love about "Mexican" food;. It doesn't matter how you eat it (by hand or with utencils); it's always delicious. Brit's friend Kirsten has been visiting and both Brit and Kirsten got seconds. All of the flavors work so well together and we will definitely be making a dish like this again
Veggie and Bean Tostadas
Serves 4
Refried beans
Salsa (we have Costco salsa in the house right now)
Cuban Black Beans
Brown rice
Limes
Guacamole (Brit made from avacados, minced onion, minced garlic, diced tomato, lime juice, salt, and pepper)
Tomato, diced
Diced onion
Pepper, julienned
Chicken stock
Mexican blend cheese
Tortillas
Sour cream
I heated the refried beans over low heat after mixing with a few large scoops of salsa.
The leftover black beans and brown rice were re-heated from our meal earlier in the week.
The onion and pepper were sauteed and I added some chicken stock because I was worried the onions were going to burn before the peppers were done cooking. Season with salt and pepper.
Tortillas were briefly heated (2-3 min per side) in a frying pan sprayed with non-stick olive oil until they were browned and crispy
I layered the tortillas with refried beans, cheese, black beans and rice, guacamole, sour cream, onions, peppers, and tomatoes. I then squirted some lime juice on top and dug in! It's really hard to cut into the tostadas and eat without making a mess, but that's something that Brit and I love about "Mexican" food;. It doesn't matter how you eat it (by hand or with utencils); it's always delicious. Brit's friend Kirsten has been visiting and both Brit and Kirsten got seconds. All of the flavors work so well together and we will definitely be making a dish like this again
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Creme Brulee
I love Creme Brulee. It is my second favorite dessert (after cheesecake, of course) and Brit surprised me with a kitchen torch for my birthday so that I could make it myself. We had been trying to plan this dessert for a few days and ultimately planned it so that we could eat it and celebrate the night after the research symposium I was coordinating was over. We also have been watching the British television series Skins with some friends and were able to share this dessert with all of them as well (conveniently kept us from gorging ourselves on it all ourselves).
Creme Brulee
(From Allrecipes.com)
Serves 6
6 egg yolks
6 tbsp white sugar, divided
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp brown sugar
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Beat egg yolks, 4 tablespoons sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl until thick and creamy. This might have been my second time in my life separating egg yolks from the egg whites. It was kinda fun, but I did accidentally break one of the yolks and had a difficult time collecting all of it. Using a hand mixer to mix the ingredients took approximately 1-2 minutes on a low setting.
Pour cream into a saucepan and stir over low heat until it almost comes to boil. Remove the cream from heat immediately. Stir cream into the egg yolk mixture; beat until combined, approximately 3-4 minutes on a low setting.
Pour cream mixture into the top of a double boiler. I made a double boiler but putting a glass bowl over a medium sized pot. Stir over simmering water until mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon; approximately 3 minutes. I don't know if my cream ever "lightly coated" the back of a spoon, so I kept it cooking for up to 5 minutes.
Remove mixture from heat immediately and pour into a shallow heat-proof dish. I used 6-3oz ramikins, which I had placed into a baking pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. I forgot to add water to the dish to help evenly cook the custard, but will definitely remember for the next time. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight.
In a small bowl combine remaining 2 tablespoons white sugar and brown sugar. Sift this mixture evenly over custard. Place just a thin layer of sugar over each custard and caramelize with a kitchen torch. Keep the torch flame at a distance and move back and forth to keep the sugar from burning. Serve immediately.
Amazing! I loved it and so did our friends. I can't believe I made creme brulee and am very excited to make this dessert again. Making the dish did require a few hours commitment, but it was well worth it.
Creme Brulee
(From Allrecipes.com)
Serves 6
6 egg yolks
6 tbsp white sugar, divided
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tbsp brown sugar
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Beat egg yolks, 4 tablespoons sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl until thick and creamy. This might have been my second time in my life separating egg yolks from the egg whites. It was kinda fun, but I did accidentally break one of the yolks and had a difficult time collecting all of it. Using a hand mixer to mix the ingredients took approximately 1-2 minutes on a low setting.
Pour cream into a saucepan and stir over low heat until it almost comes to boil. Remove the cream from heat immediately. Stir cream into the egg yolk mixture; beat until combined, approximately 3-4 minutes on a low setting.
Pour cream mixture into the top of a double boiler. I made a double boiler but putting a glass bowl over a medium sized pot. Stir over simmering water until mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon; approximately 3 minutes. I don't know if my cream ever "lightly coated" the back of a spoon, so I kept it cooking for up to 5 minutes.
Remove mixture from heat immediately and pour into a shallow heat-proof dish. I used 6-3oz ramikins, which I had placed into a baking pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. I forgot to add water to the dish to help evenly cook the custard, but will definitely remember for the next time. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight.
In a small bowl combine remaining 2 tablespoons white sugar and brown sugar. Sift this mixture evenly over custard. Place just a thin layer of sugar over each custard and caramelize with a kitchen torch. Keep the torch flame at a distance and move back and forth to keep the sugar from burning. Serve immediately.
Amazing! I loved it and so did our friends. I can't believe I made creme brulee and am very excited to make this dessert again. Making the dish did require a few hours commitment, but it was well worth it.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Baked Mahi Mahi
Thankfully Brit and I have nearly identical food preferences/likes and we love to cook seafood for its flavor and healthiness. Trader Joes sells some great frozen fish and we often end up buying the Mahi Mahi for itds taste and cheap price. We almost always pair our fish with a grain such as brown rice, quinoa, or cous cous, and then will steam some broccoli or cook some carrots and peas to put on the side. Brit was making peanut butter cookies for her work colleagues, so I put myself in charge of preparing tonight's meal. I decided to do a simple seasoning for the fish, make some quinoa, and sautee a bunch of veggies sitting in the fridge
Baked Mahi Mahi
Frozen package of TJ's Mahi Mahi
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Smoked paprika
Preheat oven to 450 F
Thaw the Mahi Mahi, place in a oven safe baking dish, lightly coat with olive oil, and then rub on some salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a knife can be inserted without encountering any resistance from the flesh.
Quinoa
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
Cumin
Curry powder
Salt and pepper
Mix seasonings in a small bowl together. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium sized pot over medium-high heat. Add seasoning to heated oil and stir 1 minute. Add dry quinoa and stir 1-2 minutes until the quinoa is well coated. Add 2 cups water, bring back to a boil and give the pot a good stir. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 20 minutes.
Sauteed Veggies
Olive oil
Onion, diced
Pepper, diced
Carrots, chopped
Asparagus, chopped
Chicken stock
Balsamic vinegar
The veggies were sauteed in a little olive oil until soft and some chicken stock was added and cooked until evaporated. A small amount of balsamic vinegar was added and mixed once the veggies were done cooking.
Everything turned out really well and Brit and I were really pleased. The simple seasoning on the Mahi Mahi helped the flavor of the fish come through and we're both always impressed how well TJ's frozen products end up tasting. The quinoa and veggies needed some extra salt and pepper seasoning, but were both really delicious. I always feel good about going through the fridge and cooking up all the leftover items before they go bad and tonight's meal was a great example of well it can turn out.
Baked Mahi Mahi
Frozen package of TJ's Mahi Mahi
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Smoked paprika
Preheat oven to 450 F
Thaw the Mahi Mahi, place in a oven safe baking dish, lightly coat with olive oil, and then rub on some salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a knife can be inserted without encountering any resistance from the flesh.
Quinoa
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
Cumin
Curry powder
Salt and pepper
Mix seasonings in a small bowl together. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a medium sized pot over medium-high heat. Add seasoning to heated oil and stir 1 minute. Add dry quinoa and stir 1-2 minutes until the quinoa is well coated. Add 2 cups water, bring back to a boil and give the pot a good stir. Cover, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 20 minutes.
Sauteed Veggies
Olive oil
Onion, diced
Pepper, diced
Carrots, chopped
Asparagus, chopped
Chicken stock
Balsamic vinegar
The veggies were sauteed in a little olive oil until soft and some chicken stock was added and cooked until evaporated. A small amount of balsamic vinegar was added and mixed once the veggies were done cooking.
Everything turned out really well and Brit and I were really pleased. The simple seasoning on the Mahi Mahi helped the flavor of the fish come through and we're both always impressed how well TJ's frozen products end up tasting. The quinoa and veggies needed some extra salt and pepper seasoning, but were both really delicious. I always feel good about going through the fridge and cooking up all the leftover items before they go bad and tonight's meal was a great example of well it can turn out.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Cuban Black Beans
This dish is one that Brit and I have made before and it was delicious. It's very simple to make, though takes several hours, and is full of flavor.
Cuban Black Beans
Serves 6
1 lb bag black beans, soaked and rinsed
Olive oil
2 onions, diced
8 cloves garlic, minced and divided in half (as usual, we doubled the amount of garlic)
1 bunch cilantro, minced
Salt
The beans can soak overnight or start first thing in the morning. Be sure to soak the beans in a lot of water. Drain and set aside.
In a large pot, saute the onions until soft and then add half of the minced garlic. Add the beans and enough water to cover everything by an inch. Bring the pot to a boil, cover (though leaving a small crack), reduce the heat, and simmer for an hour.
Stir the beans and add the remaining garlic and cilantro. Keep the lid removed, return to a simmer and cook another hour (or longer if necessary) while occasionally stirring until the beans are fully tender and the mixture is thick.
I didn't think that the beans had fully cooked after simmering for the final hour, though all of the water had been absorbed/evaporated. For this meal, the beans had been cooked the night before, so while the rest of the meal was being prepared, I added several small amounts of chicken stock and allowed the beans to keep cooking for another 30 minutes until they were tender.
Once the beans are tender, season with salt to taste.
We paired this dish with some brown rice, topped it with some avacado slices and some chipotle cream that Brit made. The chipotle cream (made from milk, ricotta cheese, chipotle in adobo sauce, and minced garlic) had a weird consistency and texture which we didn't like, but when mixed with the black beans added a really nice spicy flavor.
Cuban Black Beans
Serves 6
1 lb bag black beans, soaked and rinsed
Olive oil
2 onions, diced
8 cloves garlic, minced and divided in half (as usual, we doubled the amount of garlic)
1 bunch cilantro, minced
Salt
The beans can soak overnight or start first thing in the morning. Be sure to soak the beans in a lot of water. Drain and set aside.
In a large pot, saute the onions until soft and then add half of the minced garlic. Add the beans and enough water to cover everything by an inch. Bring the pot to a boil, cover (though leaving a small crack), reduce the heat, and simmer for an hour.
Stir the beans and add the remaining garlic and cilantro. Keep the lid removed, return to a simmer and cook another hour (or longer if necessary) while occasionally stirring until the beans are fully tender and the mixture is thick.
I didn't think that the beans had fully cooked after simmering for the final hour, though all of the water had been absorbed/evaporated. For this meal, the beans had been cooked the night before, so while the rest of the meal was being prepared, I added several small amounts of chicken stock and allowed the beans to keep cooking for another 30 minutes until they were tender.
Once the beans are tender, season with salt to taste.
We paired this dish with some brown rice, topped it with some avacado slices and some chipotle cream that Brit made. The chipotle cream (made from milk, ricotta cheese, chipotle in adobo sauce, and minced garlic) had a weird consistency and texture which we didn't like, but when mixed with the black beans added a really nice spicy flavor.
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Turkey Burgers, Veggie Salad, and Homefries
The June issue of Food Network Magazine is apparently "The Grilling Issue" and included 136 summer recipes! Woo! Well, it wasn't really that tacky and actually had some great ideas in it. Brit spotted the "Perfect Turkey Burger" and decided it must be made. In addition to the main dish from Food Network Magazine, Brit had also spotted a recipe from the June issue of Bon Appetit. Brit wasn't so impressed with Gwyneth Paltrow on the cover, but got excited for a recipe for a cucumber, tomato, and feta salad. To round out the meal, I decided I would make some sweet potato homefries.
Perfect Turkey Burger
(adapted from Food Network Magazine's recipe from their June 2011 issue)
Makes 8(ish) patties
1 large portabello mushroom cap
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbsp lightly packed parsley
1 to 1.5 lbs ground turkey
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup crumbled feta (I had this left over from the veggie salad)
Bread crumbs to coat
English muffins
Butterhead lettuce
thinly sliced onion, for topping
sliced avocado, for topping
Pour about 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs onto a plate for coating the burger patties.
Use a spoon to scrape out the gills from the underside of the mushroom cap. Dice the cap into small pieces. Pulse the mushroom, onion, garlic and parsley in a food processor until chopped.
Move the mushroom mix into a large bowl and add the turkey, feta, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with a few tsp of salt and pepper. Form balls from the turkey mix and press down into 1-inch-thick patties. Coat both sides of the patties in breadcrumbs, then place them in the freezer (the original recipe just recommends placing in the fridge for 30 min) to help them solidify.
Cook's Note: Since I live in an apartment with no outdoor space, I use a cast iron grill pan to grill the turkey burgers, which works surprisingly well (although it gets a bit smoky in the kitchen when we use it).
Spray the grill pan with olive oil or cooking spray and grill the burgers over medium heat. Turkey burgers need between 5-7 minutes on each side before they're cooked thoroughly.
When Mike and I make burgers, we usually make an aioli to complement the flavors we use in the burger mix - I feel like every good burger deserves an equally good condiment to enhance the experience. This time was no exception.
We then stacked the burger, a few slices of avacado, the butterhead lettuce, and spicy brown mustard on the top english muffin.
Cucumber, Tomato, and Feta Salad
Serves a lot
3 small cucumbers, chopped coarsely
2 large tomatoes, chopped coarsely
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 cup Kalamata olives, chopped coarsely
1/2 lbs goat milk feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup mint, chopped coarsely
4-5 tbsp olive oil (was supposed to be 6)
1/4 cup lemon juice (I squeezed 1.5 lemons)
Salt and pepper
Balsamic vinegar (not in the original recipe)
Combine the first six ingredients. When it gets close to serving, mix the olive oil and lemon juice and use to dress the salad. Season with salt and pepper to taste and then add a few drizzles of balsamic vinegar.
Sweet Potato Homefries
Serves 2
2 sweet potatoes, cut into wedges
Few tsp curry powder
Few tsp cumin
Few tsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Mix everything in a bowl together and season to smell and taste . I never measure out the ingredients that I use, so you'll just have to use some logic on how much to use. Bake on a non-stick sprayed baking sheet at 450 F for 15-20 min.
The burgers turned out so well; very moist and delicious. Brit and I almost always make an aioli with our turkey burgers but this condiment wasn't part of the original Food Network Magazine recipe. The aioli is always a critical part of the burgers we make and I'm definitely glad Brit made it this time.
The salad was also delicious. The original recipe had not called for any balsamic vinegar, but Brit felt it was lacking an acid. It definitely made a difference and was well worth adding. We might add some more lemon juice next time we make this dish, and I'm sure we will make it.
My homefries are almost always made with a different combination of spices, but almost always include the smoked paprika. They usually don't end up all that crispy, which we could probably fix by putting them under a broiler for a few min, but we're often too hungry to care and they taste great anyways.
Perfect Turkey Burger
(adapted from Food Network Magazine's recipe from their June 2011 issue)
Makes 8(ish) patties
1 large portabello mushroom cap
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbsp lightly packed parsley
1 to 1.5 lbs ground turkey
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup crumbled feta (I had this left over from the veggie salad)
Bread crumbs to coat
English muffins
Butterhead lettuce
thinly sliced onion, for topping
sliced avocado, for topping
Pour about 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs onto a plate for coating the burger patties.
Use a spoon to scrape out the gills from the underside of the mushroom cap. Dice the cap into small pieces. Pulse the mushroom, onion, garlic and parsley in a food processor until chopped.
Move the mushroom mix into a large bowl and add the turkey, feta, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with a few tsp of salt and pepper. Form balls from the turkey mix and press down into 1-inch-thick patties. Coat both sides of the patties in breadcrumbs, then place them in the freezer (the original recipe just recommends placing in the fridge for 30 min) to help them solidify.
Cook's Note: Since I live in an apartment with no outdoor space, I use a cast iron grill pan to grill the turkey burgers, which works surprisingly well (although it gets a bit smoky in the kitchen when we use it).
Spray the grill pan with olive oil or cooking spray and grill the burgers over medium heat. Turkey burgers need between 5-7 minutes on each side before they're cooked thoroughly.
When Mike and I make burgers, we usually make an aioli to complement the flavors we use in the burger mix - I feel like every good burger deserves an equally good condiment to enhance the experience. This time was no exception.
We then stacked the burger, a few slices of avacado, the butterhead lettuce, and spicy brown mustard on the top english muffin.
Cucumber, Tomato, and Feta Salad
Serves a lot
3 small cucumbers, chopped coarsely
2 large tomatoes, chopped coarsely
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1 cup Kalamata olives, chopped coarsely
1/2 lbs goat milk feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 cup mint, chopped coarsely
4-5 tbsp olive oil (was supposed to be 6)
1/4 cup lemon juice (I squeezed 1.5 lemons)
Salt and pepper
Balsamic vinegar (not in the original recipe)
Combine the first six ingredients. When it gets close to serving, mix the olive oil and lemon juice and use to dress the salad. Season with salt and pepper to taste and then add a few drizzles of balsamic vinegar.
Sweet Potato Homefries
Serves 2
2 sweet potatoes, cut into wedges
Few tsp curry powder
Few tsp cumin
Few tsp smoked paprika
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Mix everything in a bowl together and season to smell and taste . I never measure out the ingredients that I use, so you'll just have to use some logic on how much to use. Bake on a non-stick sprayed baking sheet at 450 F for 15-20 min.
The burgers turned out so well; very moist and delicious. Brit and I almost always make an aioli with our turkey burgers but this condiment wasn't part of the original Food Network Magazine recipe. The aioli is always a critical part of the burgers we make and I'm definitely glad Brit made it this time.
The salad was also delicious. The original recipe had not called for any balsamic vinegar, but Brit felt it was lacking an acid. It definitely made a difference and was well worth adding. We might add some more lemon juice next time we make this dish, and I'm sure we will make it.
My homefries are almost always made with a different combination of spices, but almost always include the smoked paprika. They usually don't end up all that crispy, which we could probably fix by putting them under a broiler for a few min, but we're often too hungry to care and they taste great anyways.
Peanut Butter Cookies, Strawberry Conserve, and Bourbon Lemonade
Weekends are my favorite time for trying out new dishes - there is no better way to put off cleaning than to make fun things to eat. This weekend, I decided to try my hand at a few of the recipes I discovered over the past few days. The June 2011 issue of Bon Appetit arrived on Monday (how fortuitous!), and Smitten Kitchen's Vermontucky Lemonade entry made me want to get tipsy and make sweets all Saturday afternoon. I love any excuse to bake that doesn't involve me eating half of whatever it is I'm making, so I decided to make peanut butter cookies for Saturday night's Game Night. Then, I got excited when I saw strawberries at the farmer's market, so I decided I'd test out the strawberry conserve recipe in Bon Appetit. And what better way to offset the hours spent in a hot kitchen than to make a little (alcoholic) lemonade to cool you down? The lemonade was so good I had to make more for our friends that evening. I'm pretty sure people liked it - over 2/3 of the 750ml Wild Turkey 101 was gone by 11PM...
Peanut Butter Cookies
(adapted, only slightly, from Smitten Kitchen's recipe)
1 cup peanut butter (I used Trader Joe's creamy unsalted PB)
1 stick butter, softened
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk (I used skim)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 milk chocolate bars, chopped into squares (about 3.5 oz)
3/4 cup peanut butter chips
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, reserved on a plate for rolling the tops of the cookies
Preheat oven to 350F. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt. Set aside.
In large bowl, blend butter and peanut butter at medium speed until light and creamy, about 4 minutes. Add the sugar and blend until mixture is almost smooth, about 2 minutes (I could never quite get the sugar to completely dissolve, but the cookies still turned out perfectly - so don't fret if you still see some granules). Add the egg and blend until combined. Add the milk and vanilla and blend to incorporate completely. Add the flour and mix until just combined - the batter will be crumbly, so watch out for the occasional flying object!
Stir in the chocolate and the peanut butter chips, mashing the batter together as you incorporate them (I found that a wooden spoon worked best for this). Using rounded teaspoonfuls, roll the batter into balls about an inch in diameter. Roll the tops of each ball in the reserved sugar and drop onto a cookie sheet. Smitten Kitchen says not to grease the sheet, but I'm always uncomfortable with ungreased cookie sheets, so I compromised and lined the sheet with wax paper. Using a fork, and your fingers to maintain the rounded form, mash the cookie slightly to flatten - but not too much, because it will spread a bit while it bakes. Be sure to keep 2-3 inches between each cookie to allow room for spreading.
Place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 10 - 12 minutes. I found that the first batch needed about 11 minutes, but the subsequent batches took exactly 10. It may look like the cookies are underdone, but I promise that they are not! Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the sheet for 1-2 minutes. Transfer them to a cooling rack (and by "cooling rack" I mean "plate(s)") to cool completely.
Here's a terrible BlackBerry closeup of the finished product(s). The picture does not do them justice - they are so delicious!
Strawberry Conserve
(Respectfully borrowed from Bon Appetit's The Seasonal Cooks section, June 2011)
4 cups fresh strawberries (about 1 lb.), hulled & halved
3/4 cup superfine sugar (I actually used about 2/3 cup regular sugar)
Peel (with white pithe) of 1/2 lemon
Combine all ingredients in a heavy, wide pot. Cover; let sit at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for two hours. (The berries will ooze and the sugar will dissolve.)
Bring strawberry mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring gently, until strawberries are just tender, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer strawberries to 1 pint jar. Continue simmering liquid until it thickens into a syrupy consistency, 1-2 minutes. Discard lemon peel and pour syrup over strawberries; seal and let cool to room temperature. Chill for up to one month.
Cook's Note: I personally had a significant amount of additional liquid that did not fit into the pint jar, so I saved it in a separate container to use as strawberry syrup over pancakes or ice cream later.
Vermontucky Lemonade
(borrowed from Smitten Kitchen's recipe, May 14, 2011)
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (I juiced about 7 ripe lemons with my hands and had about 1 1/4 cups)
2 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup maple syrup
bourbon (I used one shot of Wild Turkey 101 per glass)
lots of ice (I used 5 cubes per 16 oz. glass)
Whisk lemon juice and maple syrup together before adding the water, stirring constantly. Voila la citronnade!
Add ice cubes to the glass (4-5 will do). Pour bourbon over ice, and then add the lemonade. Stir once and serve.
This lemonade is so yummy I'm going to make it all summer long...alcoholic or not!
I wish I had some pictures to do the drink and the conserve justice. Maybe I'll update this post with additional pictures next time I make the recipes.
Peanut Butter Cookies
(adapted, only slightly, from Smitten Kitchen's recipe)
1 cup peanut butter (I used Trader Joe's creamy unsalted PB)
1 stick butter, softened
1 1/4 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
1 tablespoon milk (I used skim)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 milk chocolate bars, chopped into squares (about 3.5 oz)
3/4 cup peanut butter chips
1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, reserved on a plate for rolling the tops of the cookies
Preheat oven to 350F. In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder & salt. Set aside.
In large bowl, blend butter and peanut butter at medium speed until light and creamy, about 4 minutes. Add the sugar and blend until mixture is almost smooth, about 2 minutes (I could never quite get the sugar to completely dissolve, but the cookies still turned out perfectly - so don't fret if you still see some granules). Add the egg and blend until combined. Add the milk and vanilla and blend to incorporate completely. Add the flour and mix until just combined - the batter will be crumbly, so watch out for the occasional flying object!
Stir in the chocolate and the peanut butter chips, mashing the batter together as you incorporate them (I found that a wooden spoon worked best for this). Using rounded teaspoonfuls, roll the batter into balls about an inch in diameter. Roll the tops of each ball in the reserved sugar and drop onto a cookie sheet. Smitten Kitchen says not to grease the sheet, but I'm always uncomfortable with ungreased cookie sheets, so I compromised and lined the sheet with wax paper. Using a fork, and your fingers to maintain the rounded form, mash the cookie slightly to flatten - but not too much, because it will spread a bit while it bakes. Be sure to keep 2-3 inches between each cookie to allow room for spreading.
Place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 10 - 12 minutes. I found that the first batch needed about 11 minutes, but the subsequent batches took exactly 10. It may look like the cookies are underdone, but I promise that they are not! Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the sheet for 1-2 minutes. Transfer them to a cooling rack (and by "cooling rack" I mean "plate(s)") to cool completely.
Here's a terrible BlackBerry closeup of the finished product(s). The picture does not do them justice - they are so delicious!
Strawberry Conserve
(Respectfully borrowed from Bon Appetit's The Seasonal Cooks section, June 2011)
4 cups fresh strawberries (about 1 lb.), hulled & halved
3/4 cup superfine sugar (I actually used about 2/3 cup regular sugar)
Peel (with white pithe) of 1/2 lemon
Combine all ingredients in a heavy, wide pot. Cover; let sit at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for two hours. (The berries will ooze and the sugar will dissolve.)
Bring strawberry mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, stirring gently, until strawberries are just tender, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer strawberries to 1 pint jar. Continue simmering liquid until it thickens into a syrupy consistency, 1-2 minutes. Discard lemon peel and pour syrup over strawberries; seal and let cool to room temperature. Chill for up to one month.
Cook's Note: I personally had a significant amount of additional liquid that did not fit into the pint jar, so I saved it in a separate container to use as strawberry syrup over pancakes or ice cream later.
Vermontucky Lemonade
(borrowed from Smitten Kitchen's recipe, May 14, 2011)
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice (I juiced about 7 ripe lemons with my hands and had about 1 1/4 cups)
2 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup maple syrup
bourbon (I used one shot of Wild Turkey 101 per glass)
lots of ice (I used 5 cubes per 16 oz. glass)
Whisk lemon juice and maple syrup together before adding the water, stirring constantly. Voila la citronnade!
Add ice cubes to the glass (4-5 will do). Pour bourbon over ice, and then add the lemonade. Stir once and serve.
This lemonade is so yummy I'm going to make it all summer long...alcoholic or not!
I wish I had some pictures to do the drink and the conserve justice. Maybe I'll update this post with additional pictures next time I make the recipes.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Asparagus Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce
This dish is one that showed up in my google reader feed from The Bitten Word blog. I emailed it off to Brit and she enthusiastically responded a little hour later that we should make it. The amazing thing about the blog entry is that it described a manner of making home-made ravioli without having to actually make the pasta. Instead, the author of the blog had read the original recipe in the April/May 2011 of Fine Cooking and decided to try and make the ravioli with wonton wrappers. Brit and I also thought the idea of using wonton wrappers would be great, but unfortunately couldn't find any at our usual supermarkets (like with the yakisoba noodles). We could only find egg roll wrappers at Whole Foods and decided to take the risk. Corey joined us for dinner and showed up just in time to help make some of the ravioli. A team of people to physically make the ravioli made it go a lot faster.
Asparagus Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce(adapted from The Bitten Word's blog entry)
Serves 3-4
1 large bunch of asparagus, cut into 1-in pieces with spears and tips separated
6 tbsp mascarpone
1/3 cup whole milk ricotta
1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano + additional cheese as a garnish
1 tsp anchovy paste (we also couldn't find anchovy paste at the store so we minced an anchovy)
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
Pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
~ 13 egg roll wrappers, cut in half
4 oz butter
1/2 cup blanched almonds, chopped well (I blanched the almonds myself)
Grated lemon zest
The almonds were blanched by boiling 2 minutes in well-salted water and then placing into ice-water. Once cool, the skin of the almond was easily peeled off and discarded.
The asparagus tips and spears were cooked separately in the same manner as the almonds. Boil for 2-3 minutes in well-salted water and then transfer to ice-water until cool. Set the tips aside, but dry the spears and finely chop 1-1/2 cups worth. If there are any remaining spears, add them to the tips.
Mix the chopped asparagus with the marscarpone, ricotta, parmigiano, anchovy paste, garlic, and cayenne. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Put about 1 tbsp of the filling in the middle of each halved wrapper. Use as many wrappers as needed to use up all of the filling. Wet a finger in a bowl of water and trace along the outside of one entire half of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper on itself, push out as much air as possible and pinch the ends together to seal the wrapper. I've made wontons and dumplings with my chinese labmates and I'm always blown away by how easy they make them and how nice they look. My wontons, dumplings, and ravioli all look quite boring, but they do the trick. By the way, if not all of the wontons are to be cooked that day, they can be placed in the fridge under a damp cloth.
Boil the ravioli in well-salted water for about 1-2 minutes or until the ravioli float. Transfer to a bowl. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan (supposed to be in a skillet) and add the almonds. Shake the pan and stir until the butter turns light brown (5-10 minutes). Immediately transfer to a small bowl.
Serve the ravioli with the brown butter sauce and garnish with lemon zest, pepper, more asparagus spears, and some parmigiano-reggiano cheese.
I still can't believe we made home-made ravioli! Wasn't the easiest thing in the world, but there are some modifications I would make to the recipe that would make it go a lot faster and easier. First of all, the ravioli were delicious, but the butter sauce was underwhelming. We'd stick to a simple red sauce next time. As for the asparagus, I'm still not sure why the tips and spears were cooked separately and why the tips were not included in the filling. I would just cook them all and chop it all up together. A food processor would have also made the chopping go a lot faster. This is my first time personally cooking with egg roll wrappers so I'm unsure if it's a property of those wrappers, or would be similar with the wontons, but the ravioli stuck together when cooled in the bowl and were nearly impossible to separate. So, directly transfer to the bowl you'll be eating from. Overall though, a fantastic dish and I still can't believe we made home-made ravioli!
Asparagus Ravioli with Brown Butter Sauce(adapted from The Bitten Word's blog entry)
Serves 3-4
1 large bunch of asparagus, cut into 1-in pieces with spears and tips separated
6 tbsp mascarpone
1/3 cup whole milk ricotta
1/4 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano + additional cheese as a garnish
1 tsp anchovy paste (we also couldn't find anchovy paste at the store so we minced an anchovy)
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
Pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
~ 13 egg roll wrappers, cut in half
4 oz butter
1/2 cup blanched almonds, chopped well (I blanched the almonds myself)
Grated lemon zest
The almonds were blanched by boiling 2 minutes in well-salted water and then placing into ice-water. Once cool, the skin of the almond was easily peeled off and discarded.
The asparagus tips and spears were cooked separately in the same manner as the almonds. Boil for 2-3 minutes in well-salted water and then transfer to ice-water until cool. Set the tips aside, but dry the spears and finely chop 1-1/2 cups worth. If there are any remaining spears, add them to the tips.
Mix the chopped asparagus with the marscarpone, ricotta, parmigiano, anchovy paste, garlic, and cayenne. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Put about 1 tbsp of the filling in the middle of each halved wrapper. Use as many wrappers as needed to use up all of the filling. Wet a finger in a bowl of water and trace along the outside of one entire half of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper on itself, push out as much air as possible and pinch the ends together to seal the wrapper. I've made wontons and dumplings with my chinese labmates and I'm always blown away by how easy they make them and how nice they look. My wontons, dumplings, and ravioli all look quite boring, but they do the trick. By the way, if not all of the wontons are to be cooked that day, they can be placed in the fridge under a damp cloth.
Boil the ravioli in well-salted water for about 1-2 minutes or until the ravioli float. Transfer to a bowl. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan (supposed to be in a skillet) and add the almonds. Shake the pan and stir until the butter turns light brown (5-10 minutes). Immediately transfer to a small bowl.
Serve the ravioli with the brown butter sauce and garnish with lemon zest, pepper, more asparagus spears, and some parmigiano-reggiano cheese.
I still can't believe we made home-made ravioli! Wasn't the easiest thing in the world, but there are some modifications I would make to the recipe that would make it go a lot faster and easier. First of all, the ravioli were delicious, but the butter sauce was underwhelming. We'd stick to a simple red sauce next time. As for the asparagus, I'm still not sure why the tips and spears were cooked separately and why the tips were not included in the filling. I would just cook them all and chop it all up together. A food processor would have also made the chopping go a lot faster. This is my first time personally cooking with egg roll wrappers so I'm unsure if it's a property of those wrappers, or would be similar with the wontons, but the ravioli stuck together when cooled in the bowl and were nearly impossible to separate. So, directly transfer to the bowl you'll be eating from. Overall though, a fantastic dish and I still can't believe we made home-made ravioli!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Spanish Noodles
Tonight Brit and I made Spanish Noodles, a dish that I had grown up eating and was feeling nostalgic for (seems to be a trend lately). Brit had taken a look at the recipe and was curious as to what gave the dish the title; there didn't seem to be any specific flavor profile amongst the ingredients that led to the title making any sense. Coincidentally, my mom called me while I was cooking dinner and I asked her where the name came from. Here's the story:
Turns out my mom was in the girl scouts many, many, many decades ago. Back when my mom was a brownie, attending the girl scouts meant going to home ec. The brownies were given lessons in etiquette and cooking and whatever else is involved in "women's lessons." One of the dishes my mom was taught was Spanish Noodles. Back in the 1960's, international/ethnic food was not as popular. By the fact that the recipe involves cooking the pasta/meat in tomato sauce made this a Spanish dish. And that story is probably far less interesting than you were expecting!
Spanish Noodles
Serves 4
olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium bell chopper, chopped
1/2 cup (2 stalks) celery, chopped
1 lb ground turkey
2 cans (16 oz) tomato sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp wine vinegar
3 cups cooked pasta
Cook the pasta until al dente.
Heat oil in a large pan and saute the vegetables until brown. Remove the veggies to a side bowl and cook the turkey, breaking up until done. Add back the vegetables, pasta and all the remaining ingredients. We had to put everything into large pasta pot for it all to fit.
Simmer on the stove another 20 minutes (or in our case, just 10 because we were too hungry to wait). I seasoned the dish a little with salt and pepper (and because Brit looooves pepper and would have added a great deal herself later) and then put some grated taco cheese blend on top.
Yum! We both really liked the dish and enjoyed eating outside in the beautiful weather. We're going to have so few days left before it gets too humid to be outside in the Phila summer. Next time we make this dish we plan on doubling all the veggies. The dish was also similar, but not as good, as my spaghetti and meat sauce dish. We'll make this dish again, but will probably just stick to my meat sauce for the most part.
Turns out my mom was in the girl scouts many, many, many decades ago. Back when my mom was a brownie, attending the girl scouts meant going to home ec. The brownies were given lessons in etiquette and cooking and whatever else is involved in "women's lessons." One of the dishes my mom was taught was Spanish Noodles. Back in the 1960's, international/ethnic food was not as popular. By the fact that the recipe involves cooking the pasta/meat in tomato sauce made this a Spanish dish. And that story is probably far less interesting than you were expecting!
Spanish Noodles
Serves 4
olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium bell chopper, chopped
1/2 cup (2 stalks) celery, chopped
1 lb ground turkey
2 cans (16 oz) tomato sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp wine vinegar
3 cups cooked pasta
Cook the pasta until al dente.
Heat oil in a large pan and saute the vegetables until brown. Remove the veggies to a side bowl and cook the turkey, breaking up until done. Add back the vegetables, pasta and all the remaining ingredients. We had to put everything into large pasta pot for it all to fit.
Simmer on the stove another 20 minutes (or in our case, just 10 because we were too hungry to wait). I seasoned the dish a little with salt and pepper (and because Brit looooves pepper and would have added a great deal herself later) and then put some grated taco cheese blend on top.
Yum! We both really liked the dish and enjoyed eating outside in the beautiful weather. We're going to have so few days left before it gets too humid to be outside in the Phila summer. Next time we make this dish we plan on doubling all the veggies. The dish was also similar, but not as good, as my spaghetti and meat sauce dish. We'll make this dish again, but will probably just stick to my meat sauce for the most part.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Seafood Mix with Garbanzo Beans
This dish comes from the April 2011 issue of Food Network Magazine. It is so simple and delicious. At one point we were making this dish every week and I had to ask that we make it at least every other so we didn't risk getting tired of it.
Garlic Shrimp and Chickpeas
(adapted from Food Network Magazine's Garlic Shrimp and Chickpeas)
Serves 4
2 x 15 oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Olive oil
Kosher salt
1 1/4 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined (we actually buy a mixed bag of frozen seafood from TJs that contains shrimp, scallops, and squid)
6 cloves minced garlic (This is already an increase from the 3 that the recipe recommends)
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp red pepper flakes (This is a doubling from the original recipe. I love the kick that red pepper flakes provide)
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Lemon wedges
Preheat oven to 450 F. Toss chickpeas with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Spread out into a singe layer on a baking dish and bake until golden, approximately 20 minutes.
Toss seafood (whether you use just shrimp or a seafood mix) with 4 tbsp olive oil, minced garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and 1 tsp salt and let marinate 10 minutes.
Spread the marinated seafood over the cooked chickpeas and return to the oven until the seafood is done. We go based on whether the shrimp is cooked and pink. Drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over the cooked dish and serve with parsley and lemon wedges.
This is one of our favorite dishes lately. The freshly squeezed lemon juice goes so well with the flavors of the seafood marinade and the chickpeas. I personally love the flavor and texture of chickpeas and need to find new ways to add them to my dinner recipes.
Garlic Shrimp and Chickpeas
(adapted from Food Network Magazine's Garlic Shrimp and Chickpeas)
Serves 4
2 x 15 oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Olive oil
Kosher salt
1 1/4 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined (we actually buy a mixed bag of frozen seafood from TJs that contains shrimp, scallops, and squid)
6 cloves minced garlic (This is already an increase from the 3 that the recipe recommends)
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp red pepper flakes (This is a doubling from the original recipe. I love the kick that red pepper flakes provide)
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Lemon wedges
Preheat oven to 450 F. Toss chickpeas with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Spread out into a singe layer on a baking dish and bake until golden, approximately 20 minutes.
Toss seafood (whether you use just shrimp or a seafood mix) with 4 tbsp olive oil, minced garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, and 1 tsp salt and let marinate 10 minutes.
Spread the marinated seafood over the cooked chickpeas and return to the oven until the seafood is done. We go based on whether the shrimp is cooked and pink. Drizzle the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over the cooked dish and serve with parsley and lemon wedges.
This is one of our favorite dishes lately. The freshly squeezed lemon juice goes so well with the flavors of the seafood marinade and the chickpeas. I personally love the flavor and texture of chickpeas and need to find new ways to add them to my dinner recipes.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Mushroom Chicken in Honey Mustard Wine Sauce
Hilary came over for dinner tonight since she, Brit, and I took a trip to a wholesaler after, which Hilary has a membership for. We had originally been planning to eat seafood, but one of Hilary's faults is that she does not like fish. Instead we cooked a chicken dish that we had been planning for later in the week. This dish is another one from my childhood that I had been feeling nostalgic for after recently flipping through my cookbook.
Mushroom Chicken in Wine Sauce
Serves 4
2 lbs chicken breasts
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Olive oil
4 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup honey mustard (The recipe calls for either grey poupon dijon or honey mustard. I decided to make a honey mustard using dijon mustard and adding a few spoonfuls of honey).
1 cup dry white wine (I bought a Pinot Grigio)
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Clean up the chicken breasts and slice into thirds. Pat dry, coat with flour, and brown the outside of the chicken over medium-high heat in hot oil. Remove the chicken and set aside.
In the same skillet, cook the mushrooms for a few minutes, stir in the honey mustard and wine, and then return the chicken to the pain. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer from 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked (the recipe called for 20-25, but we were too impatient and the chicken was fully cooked).
We served this dish with a side of cous cous and steamed broccoli. The chicken turned out really tender and the mustard flavor in the mushrooms was fantastic; we will definitely make this dish again. I really liked the mustard flavor and am thinking of adding a little bit more next time. Hopefully it won't become overpowering.
Mushroom Chicken in Wine Sauce
Serves 4
2 lbs chicken breasts
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Olive oil
4 cups sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup honey mustard (The recipe calls for either grey poupon dijon or honey mustard. I decided to make a honey mustard using dijon mustard and adding a few spoonfuls of honey).
1 cup dry white wine (I bought a Pinot Grigio)
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Clean up the chicken breasts and slice into thirds. Pat dry, coat with flour, and brown the outside of the chicken over medium-high heat in hot oil. Remove the chicken and set aside.
In the same skillet, cook the mushrooms for a few minutes, stir in the honey mustard and wine, and then return the chicken to the pain. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer from 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked (the recipe called for 20-25, but we were too impatient and the chicken was fully cooked).
We served this dish with a side of cous cous and steamed broccoli. The chicken turned out really tender and the mustard flavor in the mushrooms was fantastic; we will definitely make this dish again. I really liked the mustard flavor and am thinking of adding a little bit more next time. Hopefully it won't become overpowering.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Yakisoba with Marinated Chicken
Tonight I made Yakisoba, or something similar to that. Yakisoba is a wheat-based noodle that is popular in Japan and apparently similar to ramen noodles. The problem with yakisoba noodles is that no one carries them in Philadelphia (at least not outside of chinatown, but I haven't looked there yet). Brit and I weren't too surprised when Trader Joe's was lacking, but just kept getting frustrated when we couldn't find them at Maxx's produce (a great local produce store at 255 S 20th St.), South Square Market, and even Whole Foods! We eventually went with an udon noodle from Whole Foods since it was probably the closest we could find.
This dish is a hallmark of my childhood and was very popular in my house while growing up. The recipe is actually from a restaurant located not too far from where my parents live and had been published in a cooking magazine at the request of some subscribers who wanted to replicate the dish themselves at home. I can recall my mother always having the hardest time making this dish until one day she found a shortcut. Turns out the yakisoba noodles come pre-cooked and are therefore kept cold until used. My mom learned that if she let the noodles come to room temp and ran them under hot water to soften them, they'd be a lot easier to stir-fry later.
Chicken Yakisoba
Serves 4
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
4 x 7 oz packages fresh yakisoba noodles, uncooked (We couldn't find yakisoba noodles and eventually bought 3 x 9 oz packages udon noodles)
1 large carrot, peeled and finely julienned
1 large yellow onion, finely julienned
Sesame seeds
Sliced green onions
24 hours prior to cooking:
Mix soy sauce, water, sugar, 2 tbsp sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Use only 6 oz of this sauce to marinate the chicken for 24 hours. Reserve the remaining marinade in the fridge until the next day.
24 hours later:
In our case, since we bought udon noodles, they were cooked according to the packaging and set aside.
Saute the carrots and onion in the sesame oil over high heat until almost brown. Lower the heat and add the noodles. Stir fry 3-4 minutes or until the noodles begin to stick to the pan. Add the remaining marinade and stir fry another 1-2 minutes. At this point we transferred everything back into the larger pot in which the noodles had cooked.
Meanwhile, saute the chicken breasts in the remaining sesame oil until cooked through. Cut the chicken into julienne strips and, when the pasta stir fry is ready, add the chicken to the pasta and mix. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion.
This dish was delicious! Brit really liked it and I was happy to have replicated something from my childhood. The marinade used for both the chicken and the stir-fried veggies/noodles is incredible. Brit and I kept sneaking tastes from the marinade the night I had prepped it and used some on the chicken. Brit suggested we cut down on the amount of noodles in this dish since it seemed to overwhelm the veggies and chicken. I think I'll just try to convince her that we can add more carrots and onions and maybe even throw in a few peppers or mushrooms.
This dish is a hallmark of my childhood and was very popular in my house while growing up. The recipe is actually from a restaurant located not too far from where my parents live and had been published in a cooking magazine at the request of some subscribers who wanted to replicate the dish themselves at home. I can recall my mother always having the hardest time making this dish until one day she found a shortcut. Turns out the yakisoba noodles come pre-cooked and are therefore kept cold until used. My mom learned that if she let the noodles come to room temp and ran them under hot water to soften them, they'd be a lot easier to stir-fry later.
Chicken Yakisoba
Serves 4
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
6 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
4 x 7 oz packages fresh yakisoba noodles, uncooked (We couldn't find yakisoba noodles and eventually bought 3 x 9 oz packages udon noodles)
1 large carrot, peeled and finely julienned
1 large yellow onion, finely julienned
Sesame seeds
Sliced green onions
24 hours prior to cooking:
Mix soy sauce, water, sugar, 2 tbsp sesame oil, garlic, and ginger. Use only 6 oz of this sauce to marinate the chicken for 24 hours. Reserve the remaining marinade in the fridge until the next day.
24 hours later:
In our case, since we bought udon noodles, they were cooked according to the packaging and set aside.
Saute the carrots and onion in the sesame oil over high heat until almost brown. Lower the heat and add the noodles. Stir fry 3-4 minutes or until the noodles begin to stick to the pan. Add the remaining marinade and stir fry another 1-2 minutes. At this point we transferred everything back into the larger pot in which the noodles had cooked.
Meanwhile, saute the chicken breasts in the remaining sesame oil until cooked through. Cut the chicken into julienne strips and, when the pasta stir fry is ready, add the chicken to the pasta and mix. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion.
This dish was delicious! Brit really liked it and I was happy to have replicated something from my childhood. The marinade used for both the chicken and the stir-fried veggies/noodles is incredible. Brit and I kept sneaking tastes from the marinade the night I had prepped it and used some on the chicken. Brit suggested we cut down on the amount of noodles in this dish since it seemed to overwhelm the veggies and chicken. I think I'll just try to convince her that we can add more carrots and onions and maybe even throw in a few peppers or mushrooms.
Cooking with cats
Tonight will be the inaugural night of the Cooking with Cats blog. Brit and Mike have been discussing the idea of a food/dinner journal for a while. They want to keep track of what recipes they make, how they turn out, how they'd tweak them, and in general provide a record for what they do together. Food has become an integral part of their relationship and they'd like to record and remember as much as they can about it.
Posted by Team Brady and Linux
Posted by Team Brady and Linux
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