Stir-Fried Beans with Pork and Chiles

Stir-Fried Beans with Pork and Chiles is a favorite for us. You can find the recipe on our blog of: November 9, 2018. Click the date to get the recipe.

Char Siu Pork Lo Mein

We made Jar-B-Que so we can use the leftovers to make this Char Siu Pork Lo Mein. I really liked the dish. Pork and Noodles, what could be bad.

Char Siu Pork Lo Mein

Maggie Zhu

This recipe uses plenty of fresh herbs and a rich sauce to bring you the best pork lo mein in 20 minutes. It’s even faster than takeout!

Ingredients

½          pound angel hair spaghetti

2           tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)

1           thumb ginger, sliced into thin strips (*see footnote 1)

4           cups chopped napa cabbage (or other veggies of your choice) ('see footnote 2)

½          pound char siu pork , shredded

2           tablespoons homemade chicken stock (or boxed chicken stock)

Sauce

1-1/2    tablespoons oyster sauce

1           tablespoon dark soy sauce (*see footnote 3)

½          tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or Japanese sake, or water)

¼          teaspoon sugar

¼          teaspoon white pepper powder

½          teaspoon salt

Instructions

1.   Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook spaghetti according to instructions. Drain and rinse with tap water. Set aside.

2.   Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl. Mix well.

3.   Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add ginger. Stir a few times until fragrant.

4.   Add napa cabbage. Cook and stir until it starts to turn tender, 1 to 2 minutes.

5.   Add char siu pork and pour in the sauce. Mix a few times.

6.   Add noodles and green onion to the skillet.

7.   Toss with a pair of tongs, until the sauce is fully absorbed.

8.   Serve immediately

Notes

1.   The recipe calls for a lot of ginger to boost the flavor of the noodles. The ginger will be cooked
thoroughly, so you won’t really taste it while eating. If you do not like the idea of sliced ginger, use can
use 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger instead.

2.   Napa cabbage works very well in stir fried noodle dishes because it turns tender and sweet and absorb;
flavor very well once cooked through. Alternatively, you can use Chinese bok choy, mustard greens, bel
peppers, and carrots. Please note, the cooking time will vary depending on the veggies you are using.
You want the veggies half-cooked-through in this step.

3.   The dark soy sauce adds brown color to the noodles and the way it caramelizes makes the dish look
very appetizing. If you do not have dark soy sauce, use normal soy sauce instead.

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Jar-B-Que, Unami Garlic Noodles

We wanted to make a dish that required Char Sit Pork. So we made Jar-B-Que because we like it and we knew we would have leftover Char Sui Pork. You can get the recipe for Jar-B-Que and the reason we call the dish Jar-B-Que on our blog of: July 30, 2012. Click the date to get the recipe.

Umami Garlic Noodles with Shiitake Mushroom

Vietnamese Food any Day

Andrea Nguyen

Serves 4

Takes About 40 Minutes

4        large garlic doves, minced or put through a press

10      ounces dried Chinese wheat noodles or Japanese ramen

Fine sea salt

1        tablespoon oyster sauce

2        teaspoons fish sauce

1        teaspoon cornstarch

½       teaspoon MSG, scant ½ teaspoon chicken stock base, or 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes

½       teaspoon sugar

4        tablespoons salted, 3 European-style butter

8        fresh shiitake mushroom or cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick, stems included

Recently ground black pepper

1                tablespoon minced shallot

A cult favorite among Viet Americans, buttery garlic noodles are addictively good, but their garlicky flavor can linger the morning after. You don't have to worry about that with this recipe. To prevent the garlic from ruining a date night (and from burning during cooking), let it hang out for a few minutes in a little water and then gently cook it.

Using salted European-style butter, such as Kerrygold, is my nod to the Viet penchant for Bretel, a canned cultured butter from Normandy, which the French introduced to Vietnam. Liquid seasonings such as oyster sauce and fish sauce support and build on the butter's umami goodness; see the Notes for vegetarian substitutes. To send the flavors over the top, add a glutamate-rich flavor enhancer. If you are someone who isn't skittish about MSG, use it here to great effect. Top the noodles with seared large shrimp to fancy them up. Add a simple vegetable dish or green salad to complete the meal.

Fill a large pot with 4 quarts water and bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, put the garlic in a small cup or dish and add about 1 tablespoon water to just barely cover. Set aside and expect the garlic to absorb most of the water; there is no need to drain it before adding later.

After the pot comes to a boil, add the noodles and 2 teaspoons salt. Boil the noodles until just chewy-firm; they'll soften more later. Ladle out 3/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Drain the noodles in a colander, rinse with cool water, and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the oyster sauce, fish sauce, cornstarch, MSG, sugar, and reserved cooking water. Set aside.

If the pot that you cooked the noodles in is wide enough to comfortably sauté the mushrooms, set it over medium-high heat and melt 2 tablespoons of the butter; if not, use a large skillet. Add the mushrooms, season with 2 or 3 pinches of salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mushrooms start to brown, turn off the heat and transfer the mushrooms to a plate or bowl.

Return the pot to the hot burner. To prevent scorching, keep the eat off as you add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, the shallot, and garlic. As the butter melts and sizzles, turn the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes, until the garlic is fragrant and some pieces are golden. Add the seasoned cooking water and mushrooms, stir, and increase the heat slightly.

When the sauce starts bubbling, add the noodles. Using tongs and a spoon, combine and coat the noodles in sauce. If the dish looks too thick or tastes too salty, add a tiny splash of water. Turn off the heat and let rest for a minute.

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Serve the noodles in individual pasta bowls.

Red Curry Lentils with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach

We really enjoyed this dish. I was very dubious about it. It was surprisingly good!

Red Curry Lentils with Sweet Potatoes and Spinach

New York Times

In this vegetarian main inspired by Indian dal, lentils are cooked with an aromatic blend of Thai spices — fresh ginger, turmeric, red curry paste and chile — then simmered in coconut milk until fall-apart tender. Browning the sweet potatoes before cooking them with the lentils brings out their sweetness, balancing the heat from the chile and curry paste, while baby spinach tossed in just before serving adds fresh flavor. Serve over steamed white or brown rice, or with toasted flatbread on the side.

Ingredients

3       tablespoons olive oil

1       pound sweet potatoes (about 2 medium sweet potatoes), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

1       medium yellow onion, chopped

3       tablespoons Thai red curry paste

3       garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

1       (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and grated (about 1 tablespoon)

1       red chile, such as Fresno or serrano, halved, seeds and ribs removed, then minced

1       teaspoon ground turmeric

1       cup red lentils, rinsed

4       cups low-sodium vegetable stock

2       teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

1       (13-ounce) can full-fat coconut milk

1       (4- to 5-ounce) bag baby spinach

½      lime, juiced

Fresh cilantro leaves, for serving

Toasted unsweetened coconut flakes, for serving (optional)

Preparation

1.   In a Dutch oven or pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high. Add the sweet potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the browned sweet potatoes to a plate and set aside.

2.   Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pot and set the heat to medium-low. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the curry paste, garlic, ginger, chile and turmeric, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3.   Add the lentils, stock, salt and browned sweet potatoes to the pot and bring to a boil over high. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are just tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

4.   Add the coconut milk and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced and the lentils are creamy and falling apart, 15 to 20 minutes.

5.   Add the spinach and stir until just wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Off the heat, stir in the lime juice and season with salt to taste.

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Crispy Parmesan Roast Chicken with Lemon

When we saw the recipe for Crispy Parmesan Roast Chicken with Lemon we both were excited. I love crispy skin. I love Parmesan Cheese. It had to be a winner. We didn't like it. The only thing I can think of is that we overdid it on the Parmesan. At any rate, here is the recipe try it and if you like it let us know!

Crispy Parmesan Roast Chicken with Lemon

New York Times

Sprinkling grated Parmesan over a whole chicken as it roasts yields extra-crisp, extra-savory skin in this recipe, while chopped fresh rosemary and lemon zest perfume the meat through and through. Be sure to serve this with the lemony pan drippings, which make a bright, rich sauce for the tender meat. Heat lovers should feel free to add plenty of red-pepper flakes to the drippings — or serve red pepper on the side for individual spicing.

Ingredients

1       small lemon

2       teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

1       teaspoon black pepper

1       teaspoon chopped rosemary, plus 4 sprigs

 Large pinch of red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving (optional)

1       (3 1/2- to 4-pound) whole chicken, patted dry

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

⅓      cup finely grated Parmesan

Preparation

1.   Finely grate 1 teaspoon zest from the lemon and place it in a small bowl. (Save the zested lemon for the drippings.) Stir in 2 teaspoons salt, pepper, chopped rosemary and red-pepper flakes, if using. Season the chicken inside and out with salt mixture. Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes or refrigerate uncovered for up to overnight.

2.   Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place chicken, breast-side up, in a large skillet, sheet pan or roasting pan. Stuff cavity of chicken with rosemary sprigs. Drizzle breast with a little olive oil.

3.   Roast chicken for 30 minutes. Sprinkle chicken all over with Parmesan, then continue roasting until bird’s juices run clear when skin is pierced with a knife and the skin is golden, 25 to 30 minutes longer.

4.   Let chicken rest for 10 minutes. Squeeze juice from the zested lemon, to taste, into the pan drippings and season with more salt and red-pepper flakes if you like. Carve and serve with drippings spooned over the meat.

Chicken Vesuvio and Roasted Apples

Roasted Apples

Chicken Vesuvio is a classic Chicago recipe. You can get the recipe on our blog of October 21, 2019. Click the date to get the recipe. Since there were great apples we make Roasted Apples for desert. You can get the recipe on our blog of: January 10, 2007. Click the date to get the recipe.

Goan Shrimp Curry

This is a regular at our house. Goan Shrimp Curry is delicious! You can find the recipe for the Goan Shrimp on our blog of: August 9, 2008. Click the date to get the recipe. We started with another regular: Hungry Cat Salad. You can read about why it is called The Hungry Cat Salad on our blog post of: November 21, 2009. Click the date to get the recipe. Both are excellent!