Asian Noodle Bowl with Chicken

The web seems to be full of healthy recipes, resolutions, and new starts these days. Though I personally haven't resolved to cook healthier in 2010, I have been quite obsessed with Ellie Krieger's new healthy cookbook. I believe this may be the third recipe of hers this week! Alas, all good things must come to an end as I also received a yet-to-be-used Fry Daddy for Christmas and must get this unhealthy new gadget to work.
Before I start frying everything in the kitchen, I'll leave you with this nice and healthy soba noodle bowl full of colorful veggies and lean chicken. Sadly I forgot my favorite quasi-veggie, the baby corn. I first decided to love baby corn as a child, mainly because it had the word 'baby' in the name. After all these years, the mini-me version of corn still makes me smile.


Moral of the story: don't forget your baby corn! Despite the missing ingredient, we greatly enjoyed this recipe. I added a little garlic rice wine vinegar, salt and pepper for good measure and think this was a good call. I also happened to use Polynesian marinated chicken breasts since they were on sale in the butcher case at Henry's. I'd say this is a pretty flexible recipe -- feel free to substitute meats and veggies as you please!

Healthy Asian Noodle Bowl
adapted from So Easy: Luscious, Healthy Recipes for Every Meal of the Week
8 ounces soba noodles (my package was closer to 9.5 ounces)
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 bunch scallions
1 tablespoon minced or grated fresh ginger
1 pound boneless skinlesss chicken breast, sliced thinly (lightly season with salt and pepper)
1 15 oz can baby corn, drained
1/2 pound broccoli florets
1/2 pound shiitake musrooms
1 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon roasted garlic rice wine vinegar (i used Nakano brand)
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the noodles and cook according to package directions.
2. Heat oil in a large wok over medium high heat. Add scallions and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken and cook until just cooked through, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the veggies, broth, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Cook until broccoli and peppers are crisp tender, about 5-6 minutes. Add the noodles and sesame oil and toss to combine. Garnish with scallions if desired.

Sesame Peanut (long life) Soba Noodles

Though my mother has been doing it for years, I've just now jumped on the bandwagon of using peanut butter in sauces and especially Asian dishes. In my younger, more health conscious days I scoffed at her peanut sauces fearing the fat and calories. Um, these days I just can't get enough! To hell with the diet! :)


Paired with a heartier buckwheat noodle, peanut butter shines but does not overpower this dish. Mixed with a little red pepper, rice vinegar, sweet chili sauce and soy sauce, these noodles epitomize my love of sweet & savory dishes. And while it may be Fall for many of you around the country, good ol' SD continues to surprise me with record high temperatures and an absurdly hot, un-air conditioned kitchen. Luckily you can serve these noodles cool, warm or hot depending on the temps in your area.


If you need to reheat, a touch of water and soy sauce helps to bring these noodles back to life. Speaking of life, its hubby's birthday & following my mother's tradition, noodles bring long life to the birthday boy or girl consuming them. Just don't cut the noodles lest you lead a broken or shortened life. Ahh, mama always knows best!

Sesame Peanut Soba Noodles
adapted from Crabby Cook

4 Tablespoons Peanut Butter
3 Tablespoons Honey
4 Tablespoons Water
1 Tablespoon sweet chili sauce
2 Tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste

9 oz. cooked soba noodles
3/4 cup julienned carrots
Sesame Seeds for garnish

Cook the soba noodles according to package directions. Run soba noodles under cold water and then allow to drain fully.

While soba are cooking, combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat. Gently stir until peanut butter fully combines into sauce. Pour sauce into large bowl.

Heat saucepan over medium heat and saute carrots until crisp-tender. Remove from heat.

Toss soba and vegetables with sauce and carrots, mix well, ensuring the noodles are evenly covered in sauce.

Cover and allow to rest for about 20-30 minutes before serving.

Sweet Chili Chicken Lettuce Wraps

I tend to be quite a busy body so I continually struggle with sitting around doing nothing. On the plus side, I tend to be fairly productive, spending my weekend days running around from one errand to the next, but it's certainly a negative when I can't just relax and the weekend leaves me exhausted! Well, lucky for me, college football season is in gear so that means lots of Saturday lazy days couch time is in store.


While I truly love college football, it's quite possible I love the snacks & munchies we make for football couch time even more. On Saturday, I decided to make something refreshing and an old-standby for Amer-asian food fans everywhere - Chinese Chicken Lettuce Wraps. Google Chicken lettuce wrap recipes, and you'll find quite a plethora of PF Chang's Copy Cat recipes. I decided to mix a few ingredients from several recipes, add a few touches of my own and see how things turned out.

These were delicious, but its hard to mimic the absolutely perfectly round lettuce cups served at restaurants. Do they hire someone just to pick out perfect heads of lettuce?! If you know the secret, please share.

Have a great week and stay tuned for a**shopping** giveaway this week!

Sweet Chili Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Adapted from various internet sources

1 pound ground chicken or turkey
Montreal Grill Seasoning (by McCormick) & salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 teaspoons lite soy sauce
1 -2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
dash of black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 large red bell pepper, diced
2 cups Cole Slaw (cabbage & carrot) mix
3 scallions, chopped on an angle
1 can sliced water chestnuts, diced into small pieces
1 head of romaine or iceberg lettuce

In a medium bowl, sprinkle chicken with grill seasoning, salt and peper. Stir to combine.

In a separate smaller bowl, combine sesame oil,hoisin, vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, sweet chili sauce, pepper, and garlic in a small bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

Heat a large skillet to hot. Add olive oil, then chicken. Cook chicken 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the red peppers, cabbage and carrot mix, scallions and water chestnuts and stir-fry another 2 minutes. Add sauce mixture and saute until all is warm, about another 2 minutes.

Spoon about 1/3 cup chicken salad in the center of each lettuce leaf

Jap Chae (Korean Glass Noodles)

As I've now already made this dish twice, I figured I should share with all of you. Do you ever find a food item that you just need? ...even if you've already made it the week before? For us that little something, that perfectly delicious discovery is dang myun, Korean glass noodles.

Not to be confused with the more common Chinese vermicelli or cellophane noodles, dang myun noodles are impossibly long and have a entirely different color (greyish) and feel. For those that are into textures, these are glassy, thick, chewy (but only in a good way), translucent and thus, the color that you want them to be. Plus, they soak up sauces and seasoning quite nicely. Google Korean markets in your neighborhood and you should be able to find them. If not, try ordering them online here.

For my vegan friends out there, these noodles are made solely out of sweet potato starch & water so they're both vegan friendly and gluten-free! This dish is versatile and allows you to use your favorite veggies, meats or tofu in the stirfry. The first time around, I used tri-colored bell peppers, cabbage and carrots for a vegetarian meal.

The second time around, I added broccoli, sauteed mushrooms, shrimp and tofu for something a little heartier. Either way, it's a delicious meal.


I used the recipe from the Culinary Institute of America's One Dish Meals as a rough guide. As all good Asian stirfries, measurements aren't exact and sometimes, the noodle dish doesn't turn out exactly the same the second or third time around. They do look different, huh? I blame the different brands of noodles I used. I suppose that's the beauty of cooking!

I'm submitting this to Presto Pasta Nights, hosted by The Cooking Diva this week!

Jap Chae (Korean Stir Fry Glass Noodles) - vegetarian version
Adapted from One Dish Meals

1/2 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
18 oz package of Dang Myun noodles (Korean clear glass noodles which are different from Chinese glass noodles)
3 scallions, sliced thin
1/2 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons sugar
canola oil
1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup bell pepper sliced (red, yellow or green)
2 cups shredded green cabbage
1 cup carrrot, julienned
salt, fresh ground pepper
4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1. Rehydrate the shiitake mushrooms in a bowl of warm water. Allow to soften for about 20 minutes. Remove from liquid and cut off stems.

2. Cook noodles according to package directions. If said directions are in Korean, try this: boil a large pot of water and allow noodles to boil for approximately 5 minutes or until soft. You may need to cut them if they're too long. Drain and rinse with cool water.

3. Fry egg in a small omlette pan and cut into thin strips and set aside.

4. Combine scallions, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil,and sugar in a small bowl.

5. Heat canola oil in a large wok and fry the onions and garlic for about 2 minutes. Add the bell pepper and carrot and stir fry about 3 minutes. Add cabbage and continue to stir fry for another 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add soy mixture and continue to toss vegetables.

6. Add noodles and stir fry until very hot. If noodles look pale or need more sauce, add soy sauce or fish sauce until taste is good. Add sliced eggs and toss. Serve hot.

Asian Cucumber Quinoa Salad, attempt #2

Though I tend to be quite organized in most facets of my life, I am a little bit of a trainwreck when it comes to cooking. Like Leslie from Hungry Housewife, I lose recipes, omit ingredients (not on purpose) and leave the kitchen looking like a disaster zone once I've completed a meal.

I whipped up this salad one day after I decided I needed to eat healthier. One too many late night Papa John calls will do that to you. I blame the booze, not my good judgment.

Once I had thrown together a mish-mosh of veggies, grains and seasonings, gobbled down a spoonful and patted myself on the back for a job well done, I just as soon cursed myself, realizing that I hadn't written down a single thing that went into the bowl. Bad blogger!

After another somewhat unhealthy streak of meals, I recreated my quinoa salad and diligently noted each tablespoon, teaspoon and cup that went into this hearty and tasty salad. I love the taste of sesame oil, but if you're not a fan I'd suggest using a little bit less as sesame oil tends to dominate the flavors. Otherwise, dig in like you've been eating too many sweets, pizza, and bread (ahem, ahem...speaking to myself). Quinoa salad is good for you!

As I'm working on getting more organized, I decided I also need to start petitioning Santa Claus for a Lowel Ego light. I took these photos on an overcast day and I hope they don't look too gloomy!

Have a good side dish? Check out October's Monthly Mingle, Sensational Sides, hosted by Ruth and Meeta.

Asian Cucumber Quinoa Salad

Dressing:
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons golden brown sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoons toasted sesame oil (if you're not a huge fan of sesame oil, I'd suggest using 2 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon hot chili paste with garlic
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger

Salad:
1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
salt
1 tsp of olive oil
1.5 cups peeled, chopped cucumbers (seeds removed)
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds

1. Combine all ingredients for dressing in a medium sized bowl. Whisk well and allow to stand
2. Place rinsed quinoa and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Add a dash of salt and olive oil. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. Allow quinoa to cool.
3. Combine vegetables in a large bowl. Drizzle with approximately 1/2 of the dressing.
4. Add quinoa and gently stir.
5. Drizzle salad with additional dressing to taste.
6. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

A Salad for One of Those Days

Though we're finally settled back in, it feels as if I can't actually settle in. I've been playing a nasty game of catch-up in all aspects of my life including blogging. Getting around to all my favorite foodie blogs has also been a bullet point on the to-do list , so I apologize if I haven't been around lately.

This salad is a perfect solution to my currently crazy life. Though it boasts a long list of ingredients, everything comes together quickly and the taste is unparalleled. In an attempt to boost our veggie intake, I've added lightly sauteed red peppers, romaine (for some nutritional value), and shelled edamame. To make the salad a little heartier, I threw in some soba noodles I found in the pantry. The noodles definitely make the salad, so I'd recommend throwing some in as well. Oh, and to give hubby a job and to take advantage of the beautiful weather, we decided to grill the chicken. The picture above is from our leftovers, so the ratio of ingredients has been cherry-picked a bit. Somebody in our house loves noodles very much so those are mostly gone :)

By the way, Martha is having a blog contest. Be sure to check it out!

Chinese Chicken Soba Salad
adapted from Ellie Krieger
4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, divided
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts or tenders
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon water
1/2 head napa cabbage, thinly shredded (about 6 cups)
1 cup of romaine lettuce, thinly choppped
1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts
1 (11-ounce) can Mandarin oranges, 1/4 cup juice reserved
1/2 cup cooked soba noodles
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Dressing
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup juice from Mandarin oranges
1 1/2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce or chili sauce
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Preheat grill.

Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, ginger and garlic and brush onto chicken breasts. Grill chicken until fully cooked through and no longer pink. Allow to cool. Shred chicken and set aside.

In a medium skillet over high heat, heat 1 tsp olive oil. Saute carrots, red pepper and edamame. Stir continuously and add oyster sauce. Add water and continue to cook for approximately 2 minutes or until vegetables have softened. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, combine Napa cabbage, chopped romaine, sauteed vegetables, water chestnuts, Mandarin oranges, soba noodles,cilantro and shredded chicken. In a separate bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, oil, 1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil, brown sugar 1/4 cup Mandarin orange juice and chili sauce. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds on top.

Back from Vacation with Coconut Curry Soup

Do you remember me? The girl who likes to cook and eat a lot of desserts?

Hubby & I just returned from our glorious road trip around the nation's Southwest. I haven't posted in a week, but it seems like ages now! I have been catching up on all of my emails and comments, so thanks for stopping by while I was gone. There were a few requests for the Coconut Curry dish I made last week, so I posted the recipe & photos following the cheesy vacation pics.

We started off our trek with a long drive out to the Grand Canyon for some hiking & camping. The views are simply breathtaking and it's quite peaceful if you can drown out all the tourists.

The picture below is the view from the top. See the green area to the left of me? The one with the line going right through it? Oh, little did I know I'd be standing there the next day after hours of hiking. My smile wasn't so big, then :)

After checking out the sights, we settled into our campground for the night to fuel up and rest for our big hike the next day. Saigon Noodles with Sweet Chili Sauce: the meal of champions. No recipe here, folks. This is camping's finest freeze dried food.

The view from below isn't too shabby either, though the outdoor thermometer read 111 degrees. Not sure how we made it out of there alive.

The next day we headed to Zion National Park in Utah. I have seen a lot of amazing things in life, but few places are as beautiful and breathaking as Zion. We hiked both the Angel's Landing and Observation Point trails, providing stunning views of the sandstone cliffs and a little bit of an adrenaline rush.

After all this healthy living, we headed to Vegas to reward ourselves with hotel rooms and showers. Oh, and some Vegas fun, of course. The vacation pictures end here! :) Throughout the duration of the trip, we had minimal cell phone service and no access to emails or a Blackberry. I think it's the longest I've gone "unplugged" and I highly recommend it for a stress-free getaway.

Now, on to the good stuff. If you're still with me, this Coconut Curry Shrimp & Chicken Soup is simply divine. Hubby proclaimed it one of the best things I've made and I had to agree. Best of all, it's pretty simple to make and you can vary it by adding a starch to soak up the broth such as glass vermicelli noodles. Next time, we're going to try coconut rice! I couldn't get a decent photo because we were too hungry to wait and of course, no leftovers. I found this in O, The Oprah Magazine Cookbook.

Thai Coconut Curry Chicken & Shrimp Soup

(adapted from Oprah's Cookbook)

4 cups chicken stock
5 garlic cloves, peeled and cut into chunks
½ tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp. Thai green curry paste
2 tsp whole coriander seeds (I used ½ tsp ground coriander)
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp whole black peppercorns
¾ c loosely packed cilantro leaves and stems, plus additional ½ cup for garnish, chopped
2 rounds vermicelli glass noodles, cooked according to package directions
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
½ cup chopped green onion
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 large chicken breast, cut into ¼ inch strips
½ lb. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 Tbsp. fish sauce (nam pla)
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 tsp brown sugar
¼ tsp chili and garlic sauce

1. In a large pot over high heat, combine chicken stock, garlic, ginger, curry paste, coriander, cumin, peppercorns, and cilantro. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
2. Strain broth through a fine sieve over a bowl and discard solids. Return broth to pot and add coconut milk, ¼ cup of green onions, mushrooms, and chicken.
3. Return to boil, then reduce heat and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Add shrimp and allow to simmer until no longer pink.
4. In a small bowl, combine fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar and chili sauce. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add to soup. Garnish with remaining cilantro & green onion. Serve with glass noodles & allow guests to add noodles to soup as desired.

Curry Orzo Shrimp, a leftover remake

Blink...Blink...Blink...

I've been trying to compose a post for days now, and finally realized that I have developed quite the friendship with the blinking cursor. Despite the multitude of daily inspirations, my Blogger screen has remained blank, and for once in my life I'm at a loss for words! I'm hoping it's just a funk and I'll soon snap back into reality.

In the meantime, I've done a fair amount of cooking recently, though we've been eating out a lot with visitors and friends. As a result, our refrigerator is fully stocked with leftovers from DC's finest eating establishments. If anyone's interested in a city-wide restaurant taste test, just come a knockin at our door.

Last week, we enjoyed dinner at Satay Club, an Asian fusion restaurant highlighting Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Malaysian cuisine. I may be missing some, but those are the main countries I noticed on the expansive menu. The food bordered on excellent, with our favorite being the Curry Laksa, a mixture of rice and egg noodles in a coconut curry broth. We loved that tasty broth so much that even after we devoured the rest of the meal, we brought home just the broth for a little leftover re-do. Every gal deserves a cheatin' speedy dinner, don't ya think?

Using the rich coconut curry as a start, I sauteed red bell peppers, mushroom and garlic until softened, then added them to the simmering curry broth. I threw a little spinach in there for vitamins and good measure...A few peeled and deveined shrimp make everything tasty, also feeding my ever lasting shrimp addiction. Simmer until they are barely pink.

...and throw in cooked orzo (1 cup uncooked). Continue to simmer for about 5 minutes and voila! you've got yourself a hearty meal! I'm not sure if its common to combine orzo with curry, but we loved how the little pasta soaked up the sauce and turned these leftovers into a main dish. I'll certainly be using this combo in the future.

If you're an adventurer, try these recipes for laksa, found through the wonderful Food Blog Search.

• Laksa from Let's Get Wokking!
• Curry Laksa from Appetite for China
• Shrimp Curry Laksa from Chilefire
  

Asian Satay Club
4654 Wisconsin Ave NW
Washington, DC 20016 (202) 363-8888

www.asiansatayclub.com

It's a Sushi Party!

I'm always a little bit confused by those who claim they don't like a certain food because "they never grew up eating it." Well, I'm proof positive that you can break through these barriers! My parents would rather starve than dine on succulent raw fish, so they are obviously major haters of sushi. My mom also orders steak at a five star restaurant well done so I suppose her need for cooked fish is no surprise.

Tekka Maki:

On the flip side, hubby and I harbor a tad bit of an addiction to sushi of all kinds. Whether it's served in a hole in the wall restaurant or a "traditional" Japanese joint, we welcome it all. Strangely enough, we've never made it ourselves.

After having a bit too many tastings of wine, I purchased a sushi mat at Robert Sinskey Vineyards in Napa Valley. I suppose that after shelling out our life savings on wine bottles, it was a welcome sight to see something cost less than $5 & the bargain shopper in me couldn't resist. Oh, and isn't drunk shopping the best kind? :) In any case, the sushi mat has been sitting in my cupboard for months until hubby and I finally decided to take the plunge & have ourselves a little sushi party.

Rolling the sushi was much easier than I expected though I still have plenty of room for improvement. Follow one of the many tutorials online and you'll be a pro in no time! Be sure not to overstuff and you'll be fine. Finding the right balance between fish, veggies & rice was the biggest challenge for me. Some rolls, like the first picture had too much rice while others didn't have enough. For those in the area, El Pescador is an excellent source for yummy fish.

Sake (Salmon) Sweet Chili Maki:

Here's the sushi rice recipe we followed, based on the 4-5 websites and cookbooks I had open at the same time. Feel free to scale down the recipe; the ratio of rice to water is about 1 1/4 cups of water to 1 cup of rice.

Sushi Rice
2 cups sushi rice
2 1/4 cups water, plus extra for rinsing
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tsp salt
electric fan

Place the rice in a fine sieve and rinse with cool water. Continue to rinse and toss rice until water runs clear.

Place the 2 cups of rice into a medium sized saucepan and cover with 2 1/4 cups of water. Bring the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat and cover. Cook for 15 minutes and then remove the rice from the heat, covered for 10 minutes.

In a small saucepan, combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Heat until the sugar dissolves.

Once the rice has set, pour into a shallow bowl. It's important to cool the rice down quickly so either have someone else help you to fan the rice or bring over an electric fan. With fan blowing on rice, mix in the rice vinegar mixture and use cutting strokes to mix in the seasoning. Take care to cover all of the rice with the seasoning.

Cover with a damp kitchen towel & allow rice to come to room temperature before using.

Sushi Rolling tutorial

Sweet Chili Salmon Maki

Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté salmon for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Allow to cool and gently flake salmon. When rolling sushi, line salmon down the rice and pour sweet chili sauce alongside. Include cucumbers or avocado if desired & follow sushi rolling technique above.

Happy 4th of July!!

Roasted Red Pepper and Edamame Postickers

Since the demise of Tastespotting, many sites have popped up in its place. While I do miss Tastespotting, this game of chasing around new websites has been pleasurable indeed. I must say, I’m in awe of all the talent out there. Besides good photography skills, are these bloggers blessed with both patience and patient food gobblers?

Most of my cooking adventures involve a little spilling of liquids, a splash of flour in my hair (if I’m baking), a little chaos in the kitchen and a lot of heat. Martha Stewart, I am not. Once all the disorder dies down, I’m usually hungry and hubby is ready to get at whatever’s been causing all of the kitchen madness. I like my food HOT and I like it now. Hence, no time for photos unless we have leftovers!

Take for example, today’s vegetarian treat: Roasted Red Pepper and Edamame postickers. Here are the only photos I managed to take-

Edamame Filling: Ready to pop into the steamer/skillet:I decided to do a little taste test comparison and pan fry some as postickers and steam others to make dumplings. Both versions were good, but we (mostly he) gobbled these up so fast, I didn’t have time to snap any 'after' photos. Good thing Tastespotting is gone…the pressure is off! :)

These dumplings were simple & delicious. If you're hankering for some photos of the finished product, Recipe Girl made some similar edamame dumplings you can enjoy.

Roasted Red Pepper & Edamame Dumplings
Adapted from Cooking Light and spotted on Recipe Girl

1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
3/4 cup frozen shelled edamame (green soybeans)
¼ cup chopped roasted red pepper
¼ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
15-20 round posticker wrappers (depending on how much filling you use)
cooking spray
½ cup water, divided

Cook edamame according to package directions; drain. Rinse edamame with cold water; drain well. In a food processor, chop garlic until minced. Add edamame, roasted red pepper, cilantro, lemon juice, sesame oil, soy sauce pepper, red pepper flakes and salt in a food processor; process until smooth.

To make postickers, spoon about 1 heaping tsp. edamame mixture in center of each wrapper. Moisten edges of dough with water; bring opposite ends together and pleat edges to seal.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Arrange half of dumplings in a single layer in pan; allow bottoms of postickers to brown; Add ¼ cup water to pan; cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook 30 seconds; uncover. Cook 1 minute or until liquid evaporates. Repeat procedure with remaining dumplings and water.

To make steamed dumplings, place mixture in center of wrapper and bring sides of wrappers up around filling.

Heat water in a large steamer and spray steamer basket with nonstick cooking spray. If using bamboo steamer, line with lettuce leaves. Place dumplings on steamer rack and steam for approximately 8-10 minutes.

**Both versions are delicious served with a soy dipping sauce. I usually combine soy sauce with a dash of rice vinegar and a dash of sesame oil. Tasty!

Tom Yum Fried Rice: A Fusion of Expectations

Have you ever bitten into something thinking its one thing and it ends up being another? It always takes you a little off guard, and even if its a good taste, you're still taken aback. Take, for example the famous "Chicken" Pot Pie that's has the standard flaky pie crust, but uses vanilla pudding for the sauce and candy and fruit look-alikes to pass for the veggies. I've also once taken a swig of water, only to find it to be straight up vodka. Now that was a shocker.

Well, today's recipe isn't quite a shocker, but is still a nice surprise nonetheless. I came across Tigerfish's Tom Yum Fried Rice idea via his Teczcape blog. Loving this spicy and sour Thai seafood soup, I was intrigued that a rice dish could capture the same tangy, hot and sour flavor.

The ingredients are simple - tom yum paste, leftover rice, meats & veggies of your choice, an egg - though I did have some trouble locating lemongrass and ended up paying $4 for 2 stalks. Lemongrass is a key ingredient in many Thai dishes, but I feel that it would still be flavorful without for those of you who can't locate it. I had never cooked with lemongrass, so I also needed to do a little research on what exactly to do with my very expensive stalks (I could have bought a gallon of gas for the same price!) Following this tutorial, I peeled away the outer layers, and 'bruised' the lemongrass bulb with the blunt side of a wide knife. They suggest using a mortal and pestle if you're lucky enough to have one.

Like I've mentioned previously, fried rice is like a "choose your own adventure" adventure. use whatever veggies and meats you have on hand, and be liberal with the spices and seasonings. With such a big pot to work with, its hard to go wrong. For my version of Tom Yum Rice, I also added in some soy sauce and Kecap Manis for color and added taste, garlic, onions and shallots for flavor and an assortment of veggies I had in the fridge. Oh, and some imitation crab I found in the freezer. Feel free to come up with your own version and let me know how it goes!

Tom Yum Fried Rice (serves 4 or 2 very hungry people)
adapted from Teczcape
1 cup of uncooked rice (I like Jasmine rice)
2 eggs, beaten
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/2 - 3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks
(optional meats: beef, pork, shrimp, imitation crab)
1/4 cup frozen corn
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips
(optional veggies: sliced carrots, broccoli, mushrooms)
1 stalk lemongrass, use inner white bulb area only. Bruise the lemongrass with the side of a knife or rolling pin.
2 tbsp Tom Yum Paste, dissolved in 1/4 cup of water
1 tablespoon kecap manis (Indonesian Sweet Soy Sauce) (optional, use regular soy sauce if you don't have any)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
sprigs of cilantro for garnish

1. Cook 1 cup of rice per package instructions. Refrigerate rice for at least 4 hours or overnight. Even better, use leftover rice.

2. In a small pan, cook the egg omelet style. Cut into thin strips and set aside.

3. Generously coat a large wok with cooking spray and heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add shallots, garlic, and onions and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add in the chopped chicken and sear until browned and almost cooked through.

3. Add in the veggies,lemongrass,and Tom Yum Paste mixture. Saute for 5-8 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

4. Add in the rice, soy sauce and kecap manis and flip several times to incorporate into the mixture. Add additional tom yum paste mixture as desired. Add in egg and garnish with cilantro if desired.

Braised E-Fu Noodles with Mushrooms

I've been honored to help Pat Tanumihardja of Asian Grandmother's Cookbook with her latest project. Pat has signed on to author a new cookbook that will be published by Sasquatch books in the spring of 2009. Her cookbook will be a "compilation of family and homecooking recipes from across the Asian smorgasbord, the idea being that grandmothers are the closest link we have to our cultures and traditions."I love the idea! As a recipe tester, I followed her recipe for Braised E-Fu Mee (noodles) as closely as possible and squelched my usual desire to make substitutions or modifications.

I was pleased with this challenge, specifically because it forced me to seek out and use ingredients totally foreign to me. Before heading out to Ranch 99, a huge local Asian grocery store, I should have done some prior research. I naively thought I could head to the noodle aisle and find "E-Fu" noodles, a Chinese egg based noodle. Unfortunately, the noodle aisle at Ranch 99 is larger than most grocery stores' cereal aisle, and is chalked full of any and every type of noodle one could imagine - white, egg, curly, fresh, Vietnamese, Filipino, Cantonese. I tried to solicit the help of two sweet looking employees, but both shied away when I showed them the noodles I was looking for on my printed recipe. Alas, I finally found fresh, flat noodles which Pat described in her recipe as made from eggs and wheat flour, typically called e-fu, or "yi meen" in Cantonese. It didn't help that nearly all of the noodle packages were in Chinese; anything written in English was esoteric --- "Chinese Noodle." Love it.

I next headed to the produce & mushroom sections to look for dried shiitake mushrooms and enoki mushrooms. I never would have guessed what enoki mushrooms look like! For those not as adventurous, the enoki mushrooms are very mild in taste and cook down so that you barely notice them. To use them, just cut off the bottom stalk of the mushroom where the cluster of stalks are connected. According to Pat, these can also be eaten raw.

The dried shiitake mushrooms were soaked in a cup of water for about 20-30 minutes to soften them up. The resulting broth was later used for cooking & added a wonderful flavor to the dish. Lastly, I used cremini mushrooms which are my personal favorite and what I had on hand.

Here's the complete cast of characters including: shiitake, cremini, and enoki mushrooms, garlic, shallots and green onions. If you notice how poorly the shallots are chopped, my eyes were watering so much I thought I might cut a finger off!

The garlic, shallots, onions, mushrooms (& chicken, for me) were sauteed and then braised in the mushroom broth. The noodles were added & stir-fried, making for an easy dish to prepare.

Verdict: This recipe is a keeper. The dish is so unlike any stir-fry I would normally prepare, but both hubby and I were pleasantly surprised. The mushrooms added a mild and earthy, woodsy taste that was subtle but very delicious. My stir fry dishes are usually heavy on garlic and soy sauce, so this was much more mild (in a good way). However, I wouldn't recommend this dish if you are not a mushroom lover. Though the original recipe did not call for any meat, we added chicken and wouldn't have liked it as much without some protein in there. I look forward to the release of this great cookbook. Thanks, Pat!

Braised E-Fu Noodles with Mushrooms, courtesy of Pat from Asian Grandmother's Cookbook

8 medium shiitake mushrooms, reconstituted and sliced into 1/4-inch slices (about 3/4 cup; soak mushrooms for approximately 20-30 minutes. Reserve the water used to soak the mushrooms)
2 (9oz) packets fresh or dried e-fu noodles (I used a 16 oz package of the fresh noodles)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Pinch salt
3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 medium shallot, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
4 oz button mushrooms, trimmed and sliced (about 1 cup)
2 oz enoki mushrooms, trimmed and separated (1 cup)
1 cup Chinese chives or skinny green onions cut into 2-inch lengths (about 4 to 5 stalks)
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare noodles according to package instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water in a colander. Place drained noodles in a medium bowl and sprinkle 1 tablespoon oil, pinch salt and soy sauce. Mix well and set aside.

Preheat a 14-inch wok or 12-inch skillet. Swirl in 2 tablespoons oil and heat over medium heat until hot. Sauté garlic and onions until fragrant, about 30 to 45 seconds. Add shiitake and button mushrooms and stir about 2 minutes, until mushrooms almost cooked. Add enoki mushrooms followed by reserved mushroom water.

Sprinkle oyster sauce and 1 teaspoon salt. Throw in chives followed by noodles and toss to mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste and toss with a couple more flourishes.

Choose Your Own Adventure Fried Rice

I always loved those books. :)

A great thing about fried rice is that not only can you use all your leftovers (cold rice is best for this dish so as not to have mushy fried rice), but there are no exact measurements needed. I watched my Mom make this dish growing up and was equally intrigued and confused as she threw in spices, sauces and seasonings at what seemed at random. Somehow, the fried rice always came out just right. When I asked her in college to send me the recipe so that I could impress my friends with my Asian culinary skills, she went a little silent then told me I was a fool for asking...there is no recipe - you have to "spice by sight." OK.

After some trial & error, I think I have it down. The vegetable add-ins and meat are usually decided at the spur of the moment. Because I am going out of town I tried to use up all the vegetables in the house. For the following recipe, I'll let you choose your own veggies, and here's a picture of what I used as a guideline.

For the meats, I only had a little stir fry pork leftovers, so I threw that in as well. I usually like to add chicken and shrimp. Though again, I urge you to choose your own adventure here! Lastly, there's a special ingredient in here that many of you may not have on hand. Kecap Manis is a sweet soy sauce from Indonesia. It has a much thicker consistency and sweeter taste than the typical soy sauce and is available in most Asian grocery stores. A popular brand is ABC.

Choose Your Own Adventure Fried Rice

2 cups cold cooked rice (white or brown)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/4 cup onion, finely chopped

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

1 egg, beaten

assorted vegetables finely chopped (i.e. -cabbage, carrots, broccoli, bean sprouts)

assorted meats (again, choose your own - chicken, shrimp, pork)

2 tablespoons kecap manis (Indonesian Sweet Soy Sauce)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon ketchup

cilantro sprigs (optional)

Generously coat a large wok with cooking spray and heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add shallots, garlic, and onions and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the remainder of vegetables and cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes. If you are incorporating meat, add it here and saute until done.

Add the kecap manis, soy sauce, ketchup and rice and stir until combined and heated through, about 4 minutes. Make a well in the center of the rice and add the beaten egg to the middle. Allow the egg to set for about 1-2 minutes and then incorporate the egg into the rice until cooked through. Continue flipping the rice with a spatula, until hot. Ensure that you scrape the bottom of the wok to loosen any rice that has crisped on the bottom. Serve with Cilantro sprigs, if desired. Enjoy!

Shrimp Pad Thai

As a child, I was more accustomed to eating Southeast Asian cuisine than McDonald's. At the time, I was a little embarrassed about this fact and always wondered why my Mom didn't have meatloaf & mashed potatoes on the dinner table like the rest of my friends. She always tried, but cooking 'western-style' dishes was a labor of love, and she never felt entirely comfortable doing it.

These days, I call my Mom regularly for these same Southeast Asian recipes and wonder why I didn't pay closer attention to her cooking. Though I sometimes find the exotic ingredients and spices intimidating, I always love a good trip to the local Asian grocery that is no fail, always packed with more customers than it can handle. I had purchased tamarind for another recipe of my Mom's, and was left wondering what to do with the remainder. I happened upon this recipe for Vegetarian Pad Thai from Gourmet magazine. I re purposed the recipe to include the veggies that I had in the refrigerator and my all time favorite, shrimp. I forgot to think ahead and soak the noodles, so I ended up just boiling until al dente, making sure not to overcook as they would be sauteed shortly afterwards.

Though the dish is probably not 100% authentic, we still enjoyed it & hope you do too!

Shrimp Pad Thai

12 ounces dried flat rice noodles (1/4 inch wide; sometimes called pad Thai or banh pho)

3 tablespoons tamarind (from a pliable block)

1 cup boiling-hot water

1/2 cup light soy sauce and 1 tbsp soy sauce, divided.

1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons Sriracha (Southeast Asian Chili sauce)

1/4 cup peanut or vegetable oil

2 large eggs, beaten

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup carrots, sliced matchstick style

1/2 cup broccoli florets, chopped into bite sized pieces

10 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped (optional)

cilantro sprigs

Preparation
Soak noodles in a large bowl of warm water until softened, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain well in a colander and cover with a dampened paper towel.

Meanwhile, make sauce by soaking tamarind pulp in boiling-hot water in a small bowl, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Force mixture through a sieve into a bowl, discarding seeds and fibers. Add 1/2 cup soy sauce, brown sugar, and Sriracha, stirring until sugar has dissolved.

Heat oil in wok over medium heat until hot, then saute onions over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden-brown, about 6 minutes. Add 1 tbsp. of soy sauce to the onions. Add garlic, broccoli and carrots and saute for an additional 4 minutes. Add eggs and swirl to coat side of wok, then heat until cooked through. Break into chunks with spatula. Finally, add shrimp and continue to saute until shrimp is almost cooked through, approximately 3 minutes.

Add noodles and continue to stir-fry over medium heat (use 2 spatulas if necessary) 3 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups sauce and simmer, turning noodles over to absorb sauce evenly, until noodles are tender, about 2 minutes.
Stir in additional sauce if desired, then transfer to a large shallow serving dish. Sprinkle pad Thai with peanuts and cilantro sprigs.

Trip to Marukai Market

As many in the San Diego area know, a new Marukai Market recently opened that carries a variety of Japanese & Hawaiian foods. I finally got a chance to sneak away and visit myself. Though the market is small, they have a nice variety of seafood, produce, noodles and sauces. Of course, one of my personal favorites was the colorful and tempting Japanese candy and treat aisle, though I tried my best not to linger too long. I did stay long enough to scope out the copious amounts of Pocky flavors. I think they had just about every flavor my little head could dream of. (For those not familiar, Pocky are little breadstick-ish treats covered in chocolate or strawberry to name two common flavors). The seafood aisle was well equipped with nicely sized portions of fish and at very reasonable prices. I bought myself some fresh tuna for about 3.50 that I plan on searing for dinner tonight with soy & garlic.

Here's a photo of some of my loot: Saimin noodles from Hawaii, Satsuma oranges and of course, the tuna I"m cooking tonight!

Marukai Market

8151 Balboa Ave

San Diego, CA 92111

Check out the mmm-yoso blog for a lot of great pictures of Marukai.