Indonesian-style Egg Noodles

A group of us at work have started an unofficial food club. The idea is to take turns “teaching” the others about any food-related topics in which we have experience. The topics can range from stir-frying, making cheese, canning, baking, using a pressure cooker—basically anything to do with food. It’s really fun because we get hands-on “demonstrations”, but it’s still very informal and social.



I volunteered to host the first meeting and the topic was stir-frying, of course! My goal was to cover technique as well as introduce some common Asian ingredients. I provided noodles, rice, tofu and all the sauces we were going to use. The attendees brought the other ingredients and their woks, if they had one. Bringing the woks worked out perfectly because we discussed the different materials and their advantages or disadvantages. I laid out a sample of all the sauces and special ingredients and allowed everyone to taste them. The only thing that scared the group a little was the fermented shrimp paste. Most of them passed on the taste test; the smell was quite enough!

Thai fermented shrimp paste. Some call it stinky. I prefer "odoriferous". It will keep indefinitely in the fridge. You may want to store it in a Ziploc bag for extra protection.LOL It's also used in Thai curry pastes. It's also a good substitute for Indonesian fermented shrimp paste.

The meeting turned out to be a success. Everyone enjoyed tasting the different sauces and how the flavors changed or complimented other ingredients in the final result. One person said she never tasted tofu before the meeting. She’d heard so many people say they didn’t like it, but she loved it. Yay! A convert! I love when that happens.

One of the dishes we prepared was Indonesian-style egg noodles. I chose this recipe because I wanted to demonstrate how to cook noodles in a wok and introduce some common ingredients in Indonesian food, namely kecap manis and fermented shrimp paste. After the taste testing though, I was afraid to use the shrimp paste. The original recipe called for 1 tbs of the stinky stuff, but I brought it down to just ¼ tsp dissolved in water to give a total of 1 tbs. Turns out I shouldn’t have toned it down. Everyone liked the dish very much but agreed it could have used more of the shrimp paste flavor. We ended up sprinkling on fish sauce to make up for the lost umami.

I made the recipe again, this time using more shrimp paste, although not the entire 1 tbs, and it was really delicious. Kecap manis gave it sweetness as well a bit of saltiness. The shrimp paste shined! It came through to give a nice complexity and it was not fishy at all (although it was quite odoriferous when it hit the hot wok ☺). I recommend using it if you can get your hands on it. It’s available from any Asian market that sells SE Asian ingredients. If you can’t or don’t want to find it, fish sauce will compensate for some of the lost complexity, although it’s not quite the same.

Notes: The recipe calls for 1 pound fresh, thick egg noodles. They may be labeled yakisoba-style noodles. I couldn’t find any, so I used 8 oz Filipino dried egg noodles. They simply needed to be boiled for like 2 minutes, drained, rinsed in cold water and tossed with a little bit of oil to keep from sticking.

Hey manggy or Marvin, are the noodles actually called pancit canton? Or are they just trying to show these are the noodles to use for pancit canton? I'm kinda confused.

The original recipe called for topping with a fried egg, but I didn’t have any left after breakfast. How disappointing because the creamy yolk goes so well with the flavors and adds another texture. Otherwise there’s not any real protein in the dish. If you wanted, you could add tofu (which is what we did for the food club version) or chicken or shrimp.

Don’t forget the condiments, especially the fried onions! They add a wonderful textural component. I prefer to use an Asian brand, but Trader Joe’s fried onions are also fine. I don’t like the texture of French’s fried onions. They bread them or something. I also always serve noodles with lime wedges, sambal oelek and of course fish sauce (I can't help it, I'm Thai!) so that people can adjust the taste to their liking.

Indonesian-style Stir-fried Egg Noodles
From The Food and Cooking of Indonesia and the Philippines
Serves 3 or 4

• 1 pound fresh thick egg noodle (or 80z dried noodles; see note above)
  
• 2 shallots, minced
  
• 3 spring onions, minced
  
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 to 2 tsp fermented shrimp paste (called belacan or kappi shrimp paste), dissolved in 1 tbs water
• 1 tbs tomato paste
• 2 tbs kecap manis
• 4 eggs, fried over easy or over medium for serving (optional, but highly recommended)
  
• fried onions for topping
• 1 or 2 scallions, finely sliced for garnish (optional)
  

If using dried noodles, prepare them first because they can be set aside. See note above about preparation.

Combine the mined herbs together in a small bowl. They will go into the wok together.

Dissolve the shrimp paste in water, making sure to break up the clumps. Don't fret about the smell. It will taste good!

Mix the tomato paste and kecap manis together until thoroughly combined. Set aside until needed.

In a wok over medium-high heat, add about 2 tbs oil (grapeseed, peanut or a vegetable oil are best). When hot, but not smoking, add the minced herbs and stir-fry until fragrant and softened, about 20-30 seconds or so. Don't let them burn! Add the shrimp paste and stir to coat the herbs. Fry for about 30 seconds. Add the noodles then the kecap manis sauce. Turn the noodles in the sauce. Make sure they are well-coated. I found that using tongs to turn the noodles works well. Just be careful not to smush the noodles. Adjust flavor with salt or fish sauce, if needed. When the noodles are heated through, they are done! Remove to a plate and keep warm while you fry the eggs (unless you are good enough to fry the eggs while stir-frying the noodles; I am not!).

Serve on individual plates, each portion topped with a fried egg and garnished with fried onions and/or thinly sliced scallions.

Pork Shank Noodle Soup

If you need some comic relief, go see a T-ball game. We signed Sonny up for our local little league and had no idea what to expect. Let’s just say, I’ll be happy if Sonny isn’t scared of the ball by the end of the season. None of the kids can catch. Only one kid can actually throw hard enough to reach base to base. Since everyone is still learning the game at this point, the entire team is out on the field at the same time. Imagine ten 5-year-olds running for every single ball that comes out. Talk about pile-ups; it looked more like rugby than baseball. Then once they’ve wrestled the ball from their teammates, they’re usually confused about what to do with it. Once during the first game, Sonny was supposed to be running from first to second base but decided instead to chase the ball hit by his own teammate. That wasn’t as bad as the kid who hit the ball (pretty hard too) then proceeded to run to 3rd base. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard in my life.

Sonny taking a practice lap. Isn't he cute with the little fists? Doesn't the weather look lovely?

Sonny running for home plate.

The downside to playing sports in the spring in Portland is having to deal with unpredictable weather. Last weekend was so warm and beautiful. People were wearing shorts and flip-flops to the game. This weekend it hailed and didn’t even break 50 F. People were dressed like they were going skiing. I made the mistake of wearing my Chuck Taylors and by the time I got home, my feet were so wet and cold, I couldn’t feel my toes.

While other people in warmer climes are pulling out their grills, I fired up my oven to braise pork shank for noodle soup. It’s a variation of a pork shank stew I ate growing up. Usually it's served with hard-boiled eggs over rice. This time I decided to nix the eggs and do it with noodles. The broth is savory-sweet with hints of anise, fennel, cinnamon and ginger. The pork shank is so tender because it’s braised with the skin on. This keeps the meat moist and when the collagen breaks down, it adds richness to the broth, much like what happens when you braise lamb shank.

Braised Pork Shank Noodle Soup
Serves 4 to 5 adults

• 2 to 3 pork shanks, with skin (about 3 pounds)
• 2 star anise
• 1 3-inch stick cinnamon
• ½ tbs toasted fennel seeds
• ½ tbs toasted coriander seeds
• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, sliced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tbs sugar
• 2 tbs fish sauce
• 2 tbs thick soy sauce (see note)
• 6 cups water
• 1 pack chow mein noodles, usually sold in 16 oz packs (see note)
• 4 or 5 green onions, thinly sliced for garnish
• ½ bunch cilantro, chopped for garnish
• ¼ pound Chinese BBQ pork, thinly sliced (optional)
• ¼ pound fish cake, thinly sliced (optional)
• bean sprouts or sliced bok choy, blanched (optional)
• Condiments: chili garlic sauce or sambal, lime wedges, fish sauce

Note: The flavor base for the broth is thick soy sauce. As its name implies, it is thick with the consistency of molasses. It is also sweetened with molasses. Regular old Kikkoman cannot be substituted. I believe thick soy sauce also goes by the name ketchap manis.

For this dish, I recommend using the chow mein noodles. They have a better texture than ramen noodles or even rice noodles. However, if you can’t find them substitute any noodle you like. Or you could even use rice.

I've only recently discovered these noodles. I like them because they have a nice al dente texture, whereas ramen or rice noodles can get soggy. They are also great for stir-frying.

In a stockpot or large Dutch oven, warm a little oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the pork shanks and brown them well on all sides. Add the spices, ginger, and garlic and fry until fragrant. Add the water, sugar, thick soy sauce and fish sauce. Allow to come to a boil. When it comes to a boil, cover and braise either on the stovetop over low heat or in a 300 degree oven (my preferred method). Either way, it will take about 2 to 3 hours. It’s done when the meat on the shanks is fork tender and the collagen has broken down.

Normally I make this stew a day or two in advance and allow it to sit in my fridge to let the flavors meld. And it makes it so much easier to remove the fat, which will rise to the top and solidify. However, this isn’t necessary. If you plan to eat them the same day, just remove the shanks and allow them to cool slightly before removing the skin and bones and collecting the meat. If you allow the broth to sit for 15 to 30 minutes, the fat will rise to the top and you can skim some of it off. I recommend straining the broth to remove the spices.

Cook the noodles according to package instructions. For the chow mein noodles, I just boil them for 2 minutes and drain. Easy.

To plate, I put a bundle of noodles in the bowl, pile it with the garnishes then ladle the broth on top. I like just a couple of ladles of broth, while Sonny and Hubby like a lot of broth. The condiments go out on the table so everyone can season their soup the way they like.

Drunken Noodles

Drunken noodles (aka pad kee mao) seemed like all the rage a few years back. Funny thing is the first time I can remember having this dish is at a Thai restaurant. Mom never made it at home. People never believe me when I tell them this. They think that just because I grew up in a Thai household, I’ve eaten every Thai dish ever invented. So not true. But just because I didn’t grow up eating pad kee mao doesn’t mean I don’t love it. It also happens to be Hubby’s favorite rice noodle preparation so I’ve learned to make it.


Normally, I encourage people to make substitutions or change a dish according to their taste, but for this dish, I feel there are a couple essentials that just should not be left out. The first is the Thai basil. Traditionally holy basil is used, but Thai sweet basil will work fine. Both have distinctive flavors that are sometimes interchanged but cannot be replicated with the basil you’d use to make pesto. The second is to use the proper type of soy sauce. Ya’ll know that all soy sauces are not created equal! I found the best combination is black soy sauce (preferably Thai, but Chinese will work okay) and mushroom soy sauce. Other than that, you can play around with the vegetables and meat. I’ve seen bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, baby corn and even tomatoes. For the meat, just about anything will do, but my favorites are chicken and pork.

I recommend using Thai black soy sauce but this Chinese version is similar enough. Both use molasses to give a slight sweetness.

Drunken Noodles
Feeds 4 to 6

• 2 tbs black soy sauce
• 4 tbs mushroom soy sauce or light soy sauce
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• fresh Thai chilies, to taste, cut lengthwise
• 1 cup packed Thai basil leaves (holy basil is best, but Thai sweet will work)
• 2 to 3 chicken breasts, roughly minced (pork, turkey or cubed tofu also okay to use)
• ½ large onion, sliced into wedges
• 1 to 2 cups Chinese long beans, sliced into 2” sticks
• fish sauce, to taste
• 1 package fresh rice noodles (sold in 2- pound packages), strands separated

Start by making the sauce. I always recommend making more than you’ll need. Try doing 1.5x to a double portion just in case you want more flavor. Mix the soy sauces and brown sugar in a bowl until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Set aside until needed.

Before you start stir-frying, make sure you’ve got everything prepared. The noodles may take the longest because separating the strands can be tedious and difficult to separate. It’s a little easier if they are not straight out of the fridge. Keep in mind that every single strand doesn’t have to be separated, but try to the have no more than two strands stuck together.

In a very hot wok over high heat, add about 2 tbs peanut oil or vegetable oil. Add the chilies, garlic and stir-fry for about 20 seconds. Add the onion wedges and long beans and continue to stir-fry for about 1 minute. Add the meat and cook until just done. Add a couple squirts of fish sauce and remove everything quickly to a bowl. Set aside until needed.

To the hot wok, add about 1 or 2 tbs more oil, and when it’s hot add most of the basil then the separated noodles on top. Stir-fry until the noodles begin to soften, maybe 3 or 4 minutes. Give the noodles a few seconds between turns to allow them to take on some color. Let’s hope your wok is well seasoned, otherwise you’ll have a big mess of rice noodle stuck and burnt at the bottom. Add back in the meat and veggies and give it a few good stirs to mix. Add in about half to 2/3 of the sauce and stir-fry to mix it well. Taste the noodles and add more sauce as needed. Throw in the remainder of the basil and give it a quick turn, then you’re done. Serve immediately with fish sauce on the side to allow diners to adjust the taste to their liking.

Easy Rice Noodle Stir-fry: Pad Se-ew

I added some tips (in bold) to make this recipe easier to follow. Let me know if it helps.
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Happy New Year!

I know. I know. I’m late. I had every intention of posting sooner with my food-related favs of 2007 and resolutions for 2008, but that boat came and went and it seems a little untimely to do it now.

Instead I’ll tell you about one of my fav noodle dishes when I was a kid. It’s called pad se ew. This is the noodle dish mom made most often, probably because it’s so easy. Unlike pad Thai, the list of ingredients is relatively short. It’s also one of those dishes that gives you some flexibility with the ingredients. Mom always used Chinese broccoli, which doesn’t look or really taste like regular broccoli. It looks more like collard greens but tastes more like kale. If you can't get Chinese broccoli, kale, broccoli, broccolini or even asparagus will do. For the protein, you could use chicken, pork or tofu. I prefer to use fresh rice noodles (also called chow fun noodles), but you could always soak the dry rice noodles (like for pad Thai).



The main flavoring ingredient in this stir-fry is a mushroom flavored soy sauce. It has a smoother taste than regular soy sauce and I think that why it’s also referred to as light soy sauce (not to be confused with Chinese light soy sauce, which doesn't contain mushroom). It's actually thin soy sauce co-fermented with mushrooms. Mom always called it Healthy Boy, which is actually the brand she used. In fact, I don't know if there is another brand?? Unfortunately, I don’t think many grocery stores stock it, so you’ll need to visit your local Asian grocer. Or you could pay a little more and buy it online. BTW, this mushroom soy sauce is a great substitution for regular soy sauce in many stir-fries. Try it in fried rice and you’ll see.

Mushroom soy sauce is not as harsh as regular soy sauce in the same way that kosher salt is not as harsh as regular iodized salt.

Pad Se-ew with Broccoli and Tofu
Serves 4

• 2 tsp regular soy sauce
• 3 tbs mushroom flavored soy sauce (also referred to as light soy sauce)
• 2 tsp sugar (I prefer brown, but white is fine)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ block tofu, cubed (or the protein of your choice)
• 1 to 2 eggs, lightly beaten (depending on how much you like eggs)
• 1 to 2 cups broccoli florets (or one bunch washed and well-dried kale or Chinese broccoli)
• 1 to 1 1/2 pound fresh, wide rice noodles (also called chow fun), strands separated (or about 8 oz dried wide rice sticks, soaked in boiling water until semi-soft, drained well and lightly oiled to prevent sticking*)
  

Make the sauce by mixing the soy sauce, mushroom soy sauce and sugar together. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Set aside, but remember to stir it before using. [BTW, I always recommend making a double portion of the sauce mix. Everyone has a different preference for salt. You may feel like you want to use more sauce and it's annoying to rush around throwing more sauce together when you're stir-frying. You can spike the leftover sauce with some chili garlic sauce or sambal and use as a condiment.]

In a hot wok over high heat, add about 1 or 2 tbs oil (don’t use olive oil; it sucks for stir-frying). When it’s smoking, add the broccoli and stir-fry for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want it to be tender-crisp (more crisp than tender because you’ll cook it further later). Remove it from the wok and set it aside.

Add 2 more tablespoons oil to the wok. When hot, add the tofu (or meat). Stir-fry, stirring only occasionally, until the tofu begins to brown, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and continue for 30 seconds. Slowly drizzle the egg down the sides of the wok and cook until they are just set. Add the noodles and pre-cooked broccoli and stir-fry for a minute or two, until the noodles begin to soften. Add half to 2/3 of the sauce mix and stir-fry to coat the noodles. Taste the noodles and add more sauce mix if necessary. It's done when the noodles are cooked through. Serve immediately.

Don’t forget to serve with accompaniments, such as roughly ground chili pepper and wedge of lime. My favorite is a vinegar chili sauce, which you've probably seen at noodle houses. A quick version of the sauce can be made by combining 1 tbs fish sauce, 1 tbs rice vinegar, 2 tsp sugar and fresh or jarred jalapeno peppers to taste. If you have extra sauce, try spiking it with chili garlic sauce or sambal and serving as a condiment.

*You may want to read the post I did, which compared the fresh rice noodles to the rice sticks. Here is the link.

Food Fit for a Power Ranger

This evening at dinner Sonny said, “This is so yummy, I bet even Power Rangers would eat it!” If you knew how obsessed my son is with Power Rangers, you’d understand what a huge compliment that was. But don’t get the wrong idea, he wasn’t talking about mac n’ cheese or pizza (which we’ll have tomorrow night). He was talking about yakisoba stir-fry.

This is such a versatile dish because you can basically use just about any meat or vegetable you like. The sauce is slightly sweet due to the hoisin, but that’s balanced by the black soy sauce (which is very salty) and chili bean paste. (don’t worry, this is not at all spicy). To further balance the hoisin, I recommend a strong veggie like mustard greens, bok choy, asparagus or even broccoli. For the meat, I used chicken, but you could just as well substitute pork, beef or tofu.

This recipe easily serves 6 (8 if it’s part of a multi-course meal).

Yakisoba Stir-fry with Chicken and Mustard Greens

• 3 tbs hoisin sauce
• 2 tbs black soy sauce (regular soy sauce is fine too)
• 1 tbs Chinese chili bean paste (or chili garlic sauce will do fine)
• ½ tbs brown sugar
• 1 tbs sesame oil
• 1 tbs minced garlic
• 1 tbs minced or grated ginger
• 1 bunch mustard greens, roughly chopped
• 1 ½ to 2 chicken breast, sliced for stir-fry
• 2 bunches green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 1 (32 0z) package of yakisoba noodles

Start by separating the noodles. They come compressed together and it can be hard to separate them when they are cold. You could dunk them into boiling water for about 10 or 20 seconds, but that’s too much work for me. I’m also afraid they will get too soft and become soggy when I stir-fry them. What I normally end up doing is putting them into my stockpot and filling that with lukewarm water and carefully trying to separate the noodles with my hands. Every strand doesn’t have to be separated, but they should be loose. Drain them and keep them in a colander until ready to use. They come lightly coated with oil so they shouldn’t clump together and stick.

Make the sauce mix by combining the hoisin, soy sauce, chili bean paste, brown sugar and sesame oil. Mix well to dissolve the sugar and set aside until it’s needed.

Heat a wok over high heat. When it’s very, very hot add a splash of oil (about 2 tbs). Add the garlic and ginger and fry for about 10 seconds. Add the chicken and then the mustard greens. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes, until the chicken is almost done. Add the drained noodles and stir-fry until everything is well mixed, about 1 minute. Add the sauce mix and continue to stir-fry until the noodles are coated with the sauce, about a minute or two more. Turn off the heat and throw in the green onions. Toss a couple more times and you’re done! Serve immediately. Even though this is well seasoned, I always serve noodles with fish sauce, lime wedges and sambal oelek on the side just in case anyone wants to a little extra seasoning.






We scored this costume at the local Goodwill. Nevermind the costume is for the black ranger and the mask belongs to the green ranger. What can you ask for for $6.99?? He'll probably wear the Darth Vader mask we picked up at the same time anyways. Don't you just love the poses?

Can't Live Another Day Without Noodle Soup

I recently watched Anthony Bourdain tour Shanghai on his show No Reservations. Since then, I’ve had an intense craving for noodle soup. Unfortunately there aren’t any great noodle soup restaurants here in Portland (none that I’ve found yet), and I haven’t been able to find the time to make up a batch of soup from 10 pounds of beef bones. So I cheated and used this. Of course I would prefer to use homemade chicken or beef stock when I cook, but it’s not always happening. I’ve learned to have some ready-to-use base around. I actually prefer it to canned broth because I can easily adjust the intensity of the broth. If you haven’t already, I would really encourage you to try it.

The fun thing about making noodles soups is that just about anything goes. Depending on my mood, I may decide on a spicy broth or a sweet broth or a sweet and sour both. This time I decided on something slightly sweet and aromatic. I made a quick stir fry with Chinese sausage and ground turkey to put on top. Very simple and satisfying…just ask my mother-in-law.

Rice Noodle Soup with Stir-fried Chinese Sausage and Ground Turkey
(feeds 3-4 adults)

For the Broth

• ½ large onion
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 3 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 8 cups chicken broth
• 1 tbs thick soy sauce
• 1 tbs hoisin sauce
• 1 tbs rice vinegar (optional)

For the Stir-fry

• 1 Chinese sausage, diced
• 1 pound ground chicken, turkey or pork
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ tbs minced or grated ginger
• 1 generous tablespoon chili bean paste
• 1 generous tsp hoisin sauce
• 1 tbs soy sauce
• splash of sesame oil

For the soup

• 1 package dried rice noodles (or use the vacuum-packed fresh noodles)
• thinly sliced scallions
• chopped cilantro
• chopped chilies or sambal oelek
• thinly sliced Napa cabbage
• blanched bean sprouts
• fish sauce
• lime wedges
  

Start by soaking the dry noodles in water for at least 15 minutes. If you are using fresh noodles, you don’t need to soak them. Set a pot of water to boil while you prepare the other stuff.

For the broth:
In a large stock pot over medium heat, add the dry spices and toast them until they are aromatic, about 30 to 45 seconds. Add the onion. Let it sear for about 30 seconds. Don’t worry if it seems to be burning. Add the broth, thick soy sauce and hoisin sauce. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Then turn down the heat and let it simmer uncovered while you start the stir fry. At some point before serving, you’ll want to taste the broth. Adjust the flavorings as necessary. Sometimes I add a splash (about 1 tbs) of rice vinegar to round out the taste.

For the stir-fry:
In a small bowl, mix together the chili bean paste, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Set aside.

Add the garlic and ginger to the ground turkey. Mix well and set aside.

In a hot wok over high heat, add about 1 tbs oil. When hot, add the diced Chinese sausage. Stir-fry for about 30 to 45 seconds, stirring constantly to keep it from burning. Add the sauce mix and give it a quick stir, then add the ground turkey. Stir-fry until browned and cooked through. Set aside.

To assemble the soup:
Boil the noodles until done. Fresh noodles literally take 1 minute. The dried noodles can take longer depending on how old they are. Today they took almost 5 minutes, probably because they were well past their expiration date, which was no where to be found. That’s the hazard of buying stuff from small ethnic markets. Still, they turned out fine.

Divide the noodles among the bowls. Top with the Napa cabbage, bean sprouts and stir-fry. Ladle as much broth over the noodles as you like. Top with the cilantro and green onions and any other condiment that strikes your fancy.

From Trash to Treasure

Asians have their own version of trashy foods. This includes things like fried rice with hot dogs or even better, Top Ramen with hot dogs. I haven't done the hot dog thing very often since my college days, but ramen noodles are definitely something I keep handy for those days when I need fast comfort food. I buy the packets, but normally use my own broth.

You’d be surprised at how easy it is to turn something like ramen into a delicious meal that’s anything but trashy (but still che-eep). Just by poaching an egg with the noodles and throwing in some chopped scallions you’ve increased the appeal of the meal without increasing the fuss. Depending on what I have on hand, additions may include bean sprouts, thinly sliced cabbage, kim chee, tofu, pickled ginger, snow peas, mushrooms, sliced or minced chicken, beef or pork. Today I combined ramen with a quick, no hassle stir-fry that turned out delicious.

Ramen soup with stir-fried Napa cabbage and chicken (Serves 2-3)

• 2 packets of ramen noodles
• 1.5 quarts of water + your favorite bouillon (if not using seasoning packets)
• 3 skinless and boneless chicken thighs, minced
• 3 cups sliced Napa cabbage
• 1 tbs oyster sauce
• 1 tbs hoisin sauce
• 2-3 eggs (optional)

If you want to use the ramen seasoning packet, cook the ramen according to package directions. If you want to use your own broth, bring the water to a boil and season it with your bouillon (make more broth if you like your ramen soupy; I tend to like mine on the less soupy side). When the broth comes to a boil, add the ramen and cook until tender. Remove the noodles from the broth and divide among bowls. Turn down the heat to a simmer and carefully add the eggs. Allow them to poach until they’re done to your satisfaction.

While you prepare the broth and noodles, make the stir-fry. In a wok over, high heat, stir-fry the chicken in about 1-2 tbs oil. When the chicken is almost done, add the oyster and hoisin sauce. Mix well and add the Napa cabbage. When the cabbage is just wilted, it’s done. Divide the stir-fry among the bowls. Top the noodles and stir-fry with a poached egg, and spoon over as much hot broth as you like. Serve immediately.

Yes, I'm a Martin Yan Groupie

I never considered making my own Chinese BBQ pork because I could just run to the Chinese restaurant down the street and order them for $3.95. Truthfully though, I’ve always worried the result would be dry and chewy. I love the flavor of country style pork ribs (or shoulder, or butt), but am very skeptical of recipes that don’t call for braising…for hours.

Of course when I saw Martin Yan’s recipe, I decided to give it a try. The recipe is very easy and tasty. To ensure success, I decided to marinate the pork in soda for a few hours (8 to be exact), but this is completely optional. I also cooked them on the grill instead of in the oven, and the results were very good.

Chinese BBQ Pork

• 1/3 cup sugar
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup hoisin sauce
• 2 tbs honey
• 2 tbs Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 tbs sesame paste (or tahini)
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp minced ginger
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 2 to 2 ½ lbs country style pork ribs
• 12oz can regular or diet lemon-lime soda

Optional: Marinate the pork in the soda for 4-8 hours in the fridge. Drain well before adding the next marinade.

In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, rice wine, sesame paste, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, salt, black pepper, five-spice powder. Pour the marinade over the pork in a large Ziploc bag and refrigerate at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight. A half hour to an hour before grilling, take the meat out of the fridge to take the chill off. Remove the meat from the marinade (discard the marinade) and grill it over direct heat (watch carefully to stop flare-ups because the sugar in the marinade will burn very quickly). Delicious served with Dan Dan noodles (see recipe below).

Alternatively, cook the pork in a 350 degree oven, on a rack over a drip pan. Use the marinade to baste the meat. After 30 minutes turn the meat and continue to cook until cooked through and tender (45 minutes or more). Braise occasionally with the marinade. If you decide to use this method, let me know how it turns out.

I’ve made these noodles a couple of times. The first time, I followed the recipe to the T and loved the way it turned out. However, hubby is not wild about peanut butter, and likes things a little saltier. So I reduced the amount of peanut butter, added more soy sauce, and more honey to round out the taste a little. I added the spinach simply because I had them on hand. The result still tasted great. Serve these noodles with grilled meat or steamed/fresh veggies.

Dan Dan noodles

• ¼ cup + 2 tbs water
• 1 tbs creamy peanut butter
• 2 tbs Chinese sesame paste (or tahini)
• 1 tbs Chinese black vinegar (or balsamic vinegar)
• 2-3 tbs soy sauce
• 1 tbs minced garlic
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbs honey or sugar
• 1 tsp dried chili flakes
• 1 lb fresh Chinese egg noodles (or dried linguine or fettuccine)
• 1 bunch spinach, cleaned well and roughly chopped
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal for garnish
• 1 tbs chopped roasted peanuts for garnish

In a medium saucepan, combine the water, peanut butter, sesame paste, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, honey and chili flakes. Heat until the sauce is hot and uniform. Set aside until ready to use.

Bring a large pot of water to boil. If you are using fresh noodles, they won’t take more than 2 or 3 minutes to cook. If you’re using dried pasta, cook according to the package directions. Just before draining the noodles, add the chopped spinach to wilt them. Return the noodles with spinach to the pot. Add the sauce and stir well to combine. Serve on a large platter, garnished with the green onions and peanuts.

Liquid Gold

No, I’m not talking about breast milk. I’m talking about the broth used in Thai noodle soup.

Just about everyone knows what Pho is, even if they haven’t actually eaten it before. Well, let me tell you about the Thai version (or at least the one I grew up on). Mom would fill her stockpot with beef bones, coriander roots, garlic, onion, star anise, cinnamon and a splash of soy and fish sauces. She’d skim off the foam every now and then, adjust the seasonings here and there. A few hours later (like about 8), we’d have noodle soup.

When the soup broth is the star ingredient, I think it is worth the effort to make the stock rather than buy it. It can be a time consuming process (mostly just passive waiting), but I try to make enough to freeze some for later use. I’ve added a few more ingredients to get a richer broth.

Asian Beef Stock

• 2 carrots, cut in half and lengthwise
• 10 coriander roots or 4 stalks celery cut into thirds
• 1 onion, quartered
• 1 knob ginger (about 2x2 inch), sliced
• 5-6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 star anise
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 tbs thick soy sauce
• 2 tbs regular soy sauce
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• 5 lbs beef bones

In a stock pot on medium-high heat, add 1 tbs oil. When hot, add the carrot, coriander/celery, onion, ginger and garlic. Saute until the vegetables start to take color. The more color the veggies take, the more flavor they add to the stock. Add the anise and cinnamon and continue to sauté for about 1-2 (or more) minutes. Just don’t let them burn. Add the sauces and brown sugar and sauté for another minute. Add the beef bones and enough water to cover (if you want to brown the beef bones first, you can do this in a preheated 400º oven until they take on nice color). Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat to low and simmer until about 1/3 of the liquid has evaporated. This could take 4 hours or more, depending on the size of your stockpot. Skim off the foam occasionally.

After the liquid has reduced, turn off the heat and let the stock cool enough to handle. You could cover it and let it sit on the stove for about an hour. Remove the bones and strain the stock (if the bones were meaty, you could save a few and set aside to use in the soup). The finer the sieve, the better. At this point I put the stock in the fridge to cool completely. The fat will rise to the top and the next day I just skim it right off. What’s left is a gelatinous, concentrated stock, probably equaling about 4-6 cups.

For the soup

• Bean sprouts, as much as you like
• ½ bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
• 2-3 green onions, finely sliced
• steak, thinly sliced (I use NY strip or Ribeye)
  
• beef meatballs from my Thai-Viet store
• tripe (optional! But a must for my mother)
• 1 lb vacuum-packed rice noodles or 1 pack dry rice noodles

Start with 2-3 cups stock and add 3-4 cups of water, bring to a boil, cover and then turn down the heat to simmer. Season with salt to taste (you could certainly use fish sauce, but I like to serve that on the side with the soup). If the broth tastes thin, add more stock by the cupful. Freeze any leftover stock for later use (even if you only have 1 cup left). I might add another star anise or cinnamon stick or up to 1 tbs hoisin sauce depending on my mood. The broth should be sufficiently salted and have a hint of sweetness from the caramelized vegetables and spices. If you saved the meaty bones, add that back to the broth. I also like to add beef meatballs, which I buy at my Thai-Viet market.

Like the Vietnamese, we use rice noodles. They can be thin or wide, fresh or dried (don’t confuse them with chow fun noodles though). I like to use the fresh, vacuum-packed noodles because they are more convenient. No pre-soaking required. If you use the dry noodles, soak them until they are just workable, not until they are soft. Boil the noodles for about 15-30 seconds for fresh or up to 1 minute for dry noodles. I do each serving separately. Fish them out using a spider and put them into separate bowls immediately, as they tend to clump up quickly. But don’t worry, they separate nicely when the broth is added. If you’re using bean sprouts, make sure they are washed and boil them for about 30 seconds. Fish them out and put them in the bowls. Put the sliced steak into the bowls on top of the bean sprouts. Ladle hot broth over the steak and add enough to cover the noodles. Don’t forget to give each bowl a couple meatballs and a little braised meat (from the bones). Garnish with the scallions and cilantro.

Noodle soup is always served with condiments so that each person can adjust the flavor to their liking. These should include (brown) sugar, fish sauce, sambal oelek or chopped Thai chillies in vinegar (2-3 chopped chillies, 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1 tsp fish sauce), fried garlic in oil (1 head chopped garlic fried in about 1-2 inches of oil in a small saucepan), roughly chopped cilantro, finely chopped scallions, lime wedges, and extra bean sprouts.

Remember my post about Pae-lo and at the end of the post, I said to save any leftover broth. Well, now is the perfect time to use it. Pae-lo broth has all the same ingredients found in this beef stock, but it’s made from pork. No matter, it still gives the noodle soup a richer taste than just store-bought stock alone. For each cup of Pae-lo broth, use about 2-3 cups beef stock.

Mountain o' Noodles

During our reckless youth, hubby and I lived in San Francisco. I normally don’t miss it, but I occasionally (okay often) miss the food delivery culture. You could get just about anything delivered (the only thing we can get delivered here in Portland is Dominoes Pizza, which we don’t even care for). We’d order from this whole-in-the-wall Chinese place, and no matter how big or small the order, we always ordered chow fun in black bean sauce. If I’d known how easy it is to make, I would have done it myself instead of ordering it…maybe.

This type of dish reminds me a lot of fried rice in that you can basically use what you have on hand. I didn’t have bell pepper so I used asparagus, which has been on sale at my local market for the past 3 weeks. We’ve eaten so much asparagus lately, I’m surprised we’re not all peeing green.

This recipe was adapted from a stir-fry recipe in my current favorite Thai cookbook. This recipe makes a mountain of noodles, great for taking to a potluck or having leftovers for 3 nights.

Beef chow fun in black bean sauce:

• 2 tbs black bean paste (with or without garlic is fine)
• 6 tbs water
• 1 tbs fish sauce
• 1 tbs light soy sauce
• 2 tbs oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• ¾ lbs beef/steak, thinly sliced
• 1 bell pepper, diced large
• 1 medium onion, diced large
• 1 package chow fun noodles (usually comes in 32oz)

Mix the bean paste, water, sauces and sugar together in a bowl. You will use about ¾ of this mixture, but it’s always good to have more to adjust the taste.

If you’re not familiar with chow fun noodles, they usually come in a square slab (for lack of a better word). The noodles are layered on top of each other and are slightly oiled to keep them from sticking. If the noodles aren’t pre-cut, cut them into strips about ½ inches wide then separate them. This can sometimes be a pain, because the noodles sometimes rip instead of staying in long strips.

In a super hot wok on high heat, quickly stir fry the meat with the garlic, about 1 minute. Remove and set aside. Add the onions and bell pepper to the wok and stir fry for about 3-4 minutes. Avoid moving the food around continuously. Give it about 5-10 seconds or so between stirs. Add the noodles and continue to fry until they start to soften a bit, maybe 2-3 minutes. Add ¾ of the sauce mix and beef. Stir fry until the noodles are done, maybe another 2-3 minutes. Before turning off the heat, adjust the taste with more sauce mix, if needed.

Other veggies that are good in this dish: Chinese kale, snake or green beans, snow or snap peas, bean sprouts, scallions, asparagus, carrots, even broccoli.

I like beef with black bean sauce, but chicken or even tofu are just as good options.

Hey Grandparents (and friends), click here, here and here to see pictures of sonny enjoying chow fun.

Who Doesn't Love Pad Thai?

Actually, I know one person who doesn’t love it, and he’s married to my mom. He’s never tasted it, but he’s sure he doesn’t like it. In fact, he doesn’t like ANY Asian food. What a waste.

Everyone else I know who’s tried Pad Thai loves it. It’s not hard to make, despite the seemingly long list of ingredients. The version I make is simplified. I omit the dried shrimp, bean sprouts and preserved turnip. I also use vacuum packed fresh noodles, which gives me one less thing to get ready. They just need to be quickly separated when they come out of the plastic.

Simplifed Pad Thai:

• 1 lbs vacuum packed thin rice noodles
• ¼ lbs raw shrimp, deveined
• ½ block firm tofu
• 4 tbs tamarind puree (explained below)
• 2 ½ tbs fish sauce
• 2 tbs packed brown sugar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 eggs
• 5 scallions, sliced thinly on diagonal
• 1 cup bean sprouts (optional)
• 1-2 tbs dried shrimp, pounded (optional)
• 2 tbs preserved turnips, thinly sliced (optional)
• ¼ tsp chilli powder
• 3 tbs chopped dry roasted, unsalted peanuts
• 1 handful cilantro leaves, roughly chopped for garnish
• lime wedges for garnish

For the tamarind puree, use about 2-3oz from a block of tamarind, which can be purchased at your local Thai-Viet store. To soften it, put it into 1/3 to ½ cup of boiling water. Using a fork, work it until you get a slurry, then put it through a strainer to remove the pits and skins. It should be relatively thick. Store the big block in the fridge; it will keep for months in a Ziplock bag.

Combine the strained tamarind with the fish sauce and packed brown sugar (I always make more in case I have to adjust the seasonings). In a hot wok with about 2 tbs oil, fry the tofu for about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and chilli powder and sautee for another 1 minute. Remove both (the shrimp won’t be done). If you need to, add another 1 tbs oil to the wok and fry the garlic and eggs, scrambling them until barely set. Add the noodles, scallions, tamarind mixture. Stir fry for about 2 minutes, then return the shrimp and tofu back to the wok. If using, add bean sprouts, dried shrimp and preserved turnips at this point. Stir fry until the noodles are tender. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve garnished with the chopped peanuts, cilantro and lime wedges.