Coconut Curry Tofu Noodle Bowl

It's THAT time of year again. The time where you're being pulled in 1,000 different directions - buying gifts, working holiday hours, decorating the house, posing awkwardly for Christmas cards - you know what I mean. This year is going to be the first year that Lewis and I will be away from family. Normally around this time, I would be helping my mom make enough Christmas cookies to sustain a small country so as you can imagine it's going to be quite the adjustment for me to scale down and only cook/bake for two this year.

While I do have plans to keep the tradition going and make some cookies this year, unfortunately making more practical things like dinner takes priority (although now I just envisioned having cookies for dinner and now I'm slightly disappointed). Curries or a stir fry are always my go-to emergency dinner. They pretty much use the same spices and flavorings and are always on the healthy side.

This is one of those "clean out the fridge" meals that with all the leftover and forgotten items combined, it somehow turns into the most delicious meal of the week. You could easily sub rice for noodles, broccoli and asparagus for peppers and zucchini, or chicken for tofu - whatever you prefer!


For the Coconut Curry Sauce:
1 TBS oil
1 medium sized onion, sliced thin
2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
2 TBS yellow curry paste
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 14-ounce can regular coconut milk
½ cup reduced sodium chicken or veggie broth (more or less depending on how thick you want your sauce)
3 TBS sugar
1 TBS hot chili paste (more or less depending on heat preference)
2 tsp fish sauce (if you don't have fish sauce you can just add an additional Tablespoon of soy sauce)
2 tsp sesame oil
2 TBS soy sauce
2 TBS chopped fresh basil
1 TBS of dried lemon grass

For the Bowls:
4 ounces Pad Thai noodles
1 tablespoon oil
half an onion, chopped
1 medium sized red pepper, sliced thin
1 cup sliced zucchini
1 block of tofu, cubed
squeeze of fresh lime
a handful of fresh basil for serving

Method

Tofu: I always cut and press my tofu before cooking. Place on a greased cooking sheet and bake in the oven at 350 degrees F until slightly brown and firm to the touch (about 20-30 min).

Noodles: Place a pan of water on medium heat, bring to a boil. Add noodles and cook 4-5 min. Place cooked noodles in ice water until ready to use (this will prevent them from sticking together).

Sauce: Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the onions, peppers, and zucchini. Cook for 10 min. then add spices (curry, ginger, cinnamon) as well as sesame oil and soy sauce - stir fry for 3-5 minutes. Add the coconut milk, sugar, chicken broth (start with 1/4 cup), chili paste and fish sauce. Simmer for 15 minutes or so while you prep the rest of the ingredients - it should thicken slightly.

Assembly: When the curry has thickened add the noodles and tofu. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lime and fresh basil garnish.

Kung Pao Chicken with Pepper & Onions

This week is a little crazy, we're going from southern Germany to Taiwan and making some tasty Kung Pao Chicken!

One thing I love about Asian dishes is that they are so simplistic yet packed full of flavor (and are usually on the healthy side). One of our missions as soon as we move to a new place is to find the best Chinese food place in town - so far in Houston we've tried a couple of places around our neighborhood but no winners as of yet, luckily I have a few go-to recipes up my sleeve to last us in the meantime. This is one of Lewis's favorite dishes - it's tangy and spicy and the texture of the peanuts add a nice crunch. There's a lot of ways to switch this up, you could add green onions, water chestnuts, snow peas, or broccoli depending on what ya feel like. I noticed that some people use brown sugar in place of honey, but I found that honey adds a better texture and you don't have to worry about undissolved sugar crystals.

Kung Pao Chicken with Pepper & Onions

serves 1-2

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into chunks (could use chicken thighs as well)
1/3 cup flour
salt and pepper
1 large red pepper, deseeded and sliced
1 onion, sliced thin
2 TBS vegetable oil - divided
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 TBS(more or less depending on your spice preference) hot chili paste
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 TBS honey
2-3 dried red chilies
1/3 cup crushed dry roasted peanuts
1-2 cups cooked brown or white rice

Directions

1.Add flour to a bowl, add salt and pepper, then carefully toss chicken pieces to coat thinly in flour.

2.To make the sauce, add soy sauce, sesame oil, chili paste, dried chilies, vinegar, and honey - whisk until combined.

3.In a large sauce pan (or wok) heat oil on medium heat, then add onions, peppers, garlic, and ginger. Saute for 10-15 min. Reduce heat to medium low then add about half of the sauce and cook until slightly thickened - empty unto a plate and set aside. In the same pan add oil then saute floured chicken until cooked through and slightly browned, add remaining sauce and cook until chicken is coated. Add veggies back into the pan along with the peanuts, mix together then serve over rice. Discard dried chilies before serving.

Note: If you have leftovers, I would recommend reheating them in a skillet (rice included) and possibly making more sauce if it seems dry. Also, I have done this starting off with both raw and leftover cooked chicken - they both turned out good but the precooked chicken was a tad dry so I would recommend starting with raw.

Crispy Tofu Rice Noodle Bowl

Noodle bowl - never have two words sounded so tantalizing. I am practically drooling.

As you know, I have never been discrete of my love of all things influenced by Asian and Thai flavors. Whenever I am exploring a new town and I'm looking for something to eat, I am always immediately attracted to anything with Noodle in the name...Noodle House, House of Noodles, The Happy Noddle - doesn't matter, there's a 99.9% I will probably eat there.

There's just something about that beautiful medley of textures and flavors coming together, not to mention the heavenly smells. Rice noodles, when seasoned properly are slightly chewy and a perfect vessel for pretty much any protein or veggie. I stir fried mine in a sweet and savory sauce with a touch of spice with some chili sauce. Forget everything you'be ever heard about bland, tasteless tofu!

Crispy Tofu Rice Noodle Bowl

serves 3 really hungry people

1 package of extra firm tofu, diced, marinated, and cooked
2 cup steamed edamame
1 cup diced or shredded carrots
1 small onion, sliced thin (is it necessary to have both green onions and regular onions? Nope, I just really like onions...)
3 green onions stalks, diced
1-3 eggs
olive oil
1 cup peanuts, chopped (for garnish)
rice noodles (14oz. package)

For the sauce...
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons low-salt soy sauce
1-2 tsp spicy chili paste
1-2 TBS Hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 TBS honey
1 tsp fresh lime juice

To find out how I make my tofu taste awesome, check out some tips HERE

1.Prepare rice noodles by soaking in cold water for about 8 min. Drain and set aside.

2.In a mixing bowl, add the sauce ingredients and whisk to make a dressing. In a wok (or sauce pan) heat oil then add sliced onions, cook until translucent then add the garlic and carrots. Once carrots are tender, add cooked edamame and cook for 3 min. Add noodles and mix, then add sauce mixture and stir fry (you might have to add more water to prevent noodles from sticking together).

3.Meanwhile, fry the eggs in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat with a lug of olive oil until cooked to your liking (I like mine with a runny yolk). Divide the noodles between bowls, pop an egg on top of each one, and serve drizzled with chilli sauce for that all-important added kick. Sprinkle with green onions and chopped peanuts.

Variations: You could also use buckwheat noodles in place of rice, they take longer to cook but provide more flavor. Feel free to add any other fresh seasonal veg, or leftovers you have in the fridge.

Asian Lettuce Wraps with Traditional Fried Rice

I recently discovered the deliciousness of lettuce wraps when we ate at Hawker's some time ago. I always was familiar with their existence and I might have tried one or two in passing but for some reason these particular ones struck a chord with me and I challenged myself to recreate them...or at least attempt to do so.

When you think about it, the invention of the lettuce wrap is pure genius, it's lighter than a sandwich but more satisfying than a salad and the cool crisp texture of the butter lettuce acts as a perfect vessel from which to carry delicious stir fried goodies. I really wanted to add bean sprouts to this mix but I couldn't find any at my local store so I subbed out shredded carrots instead. you could always add mushrooms or some water chestnuts for added texture if ya please. I also opted to use ground turkey (because it was on sale) but ground beef or chicken would also work very nicely and vegan/vegetarians are welcome to use tofu or seitan.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

serves 4-5

1 TBS butter
1 pound ground turkey (or chicken, or beef)
2 cloves garlic, minced ( I used garlic infused olive oil)
1 onion, sliced thin
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 TBS soy sauce
1 TBS rice wine vinegar
1 TBS freshly grated ginger (or 1 tsp ginger powder)
1 tsp Sriracha (optional)
2 green onions, thinly sliced for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 head butter lettuce

for fried rice...

3 cups day old cooked white rice
1 TBS vegetable oil
1 cup cooked and chopped broccoli florets
1 egg
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil

recipe adapted from Damn Delicious

Directions:

1.In a mixing bowl, Stir garlic, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ginger and Sriracha, mix well then set aside.

2.Melt butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add sliced onions and cook until caramelized, about 10 min. Add carrots and cook for an additional 3-4 min. Add ground meat and cook until no red is showing, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the meat as it cooks, if you need to, drain the excess fat from the meat and discard. Add sauce and coat meat mixture.

To serve, spoon several tablespoons of the meat mixture into the center of a lettuce leaf, taco-style, top with sliced green onions.

For the rice, heat oil in a saute pan on medium heat, add rice and veggies of choice and stir fry for about 3 min. Add soy sauce and sesame oil, mix well. When rice is almost done, make an opening in the middle, crack the egg and mix quickly, when the egg is almost done cooking, mix it in with the rest of the rice.

Thai Peanut Tofu Stir Fry (how to properly cook tofu)

When it comes to tofu, most people either don't know what exactly it is, or they do and are off put my it's lack of taste and texture. Tofu is a wonderful ingredient in my opinion, it's acts as a chameleon that takes on any flavor you pair it with (I've known people to put silken tofu in smoothies and even cheesecakes). Here are some things I've picked up over the years on how to do it right...

The key to cooking awesome tofu:
1.You must get the tofu as dry as possible. Cut the block into 1/2 inch strips then place a towel on top weighted down by a heavy object.

2.Once the tofu is as dry as possible, toss it in a marinade and let sit for 10-15 min. It's important for the tofu to be dry before you marinate it because it acts like a sponge, soaking up all that flavor - the dryer it is the more flavor gets in.

3.Cook the tofu for as long as possible. I usually sear it first in a saute pan on the stove top, then throw it in an oven set at 400 degrees F for about 20 min. It's pretty much impossible to overcook tofu.
For this recipe I tossed the raw tofu in Tabasco sweet and spicy chili sauce before baking.

For this recipe I decided to mix quinoa and jasmine rice. I LOVE the taste of jasmine rice and it's the perfect rice to use for a stir fry, however, it possesses no nutrients. By adding the quinoa you gain protein and vitamins plus some additional texture!

Thai Peanut Vegetable Tofu Stir Fry

serves 4-5

For sauce...
1 heaping TBS of peanut butter, creamy or crunchy (maybe a little more)
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1 TBS Tabsco sweet and spicy chili sauce (plus more for tofu)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder

Stir together until combined. Set aside.

1/2 cooked jasmine rice
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup cooked broccoli
1 cup cooked Asian medley vegetables such as these
1 egg
1 block of extra firm tofu, cubed and cooked (or you could use chicken or shrimp)
1 TBS vegetable oil
1/4 cup chopped peanuts for garnish

Directions:

1.Heat oil in medium saute pan. Add veggies and rice quinoa mix and saute for a couple of minuets. Add sauce and cook for a couple more minuets.

2.Make a hole in the center of mix. Crack egg into the hole and scramble it around quickly with a spatula. Once the egg is cooked, break it up into the mix.

3.Toss the baked tofu in last, sprinkle with roasted peanuts before serving.

Directions:

Baked Shrimp Egg Rolls

I have been writing this blog for quite some time now so I feel like I can be honest with you, no, baked egg rolls are not as good as their deliciously sinful fried counterparts and I am sad to say they probably never will be...
BUT these are pretty darn close!
These babies are packed full of flavor and if you're not a shrimp person, you could easily sub out chicken or pork if you so desire. Baking these bad boys at a high temperature and coating the roll in the egg wash mix gives it that oh so crave-able crunch you are looking for followed up with a mouth full of ginger/sesame steamed cabbage and lime garlic shrimp, forget appetizer, I'm having these for a meal!




Baked Shrimp Egg Rolls

makes around 12 rolls

1/2 of a large cabbage head, finely shredded
3/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 TBS soy sauce
1 TBS olive oil
1 TBS lime infused oil
1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, cut into 1/2inch pieces
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp ground ginger
1 TBS sesame oil
1 package of egg roll wrappers such as these
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with tin foil.

2.Heat 1 TBS olive oil in pan and saute shredded cabbage, carrots, salt and pepper for about 5 min. until slightly wilted.

3.Add soy sauce, ginger, and sesame oil and stir to combine. Cover and let steam on med-low heat for about 10 min. stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, take a separate saute pan and heat 1 tsp lime infused oil with 1 tsp garlic and saute the shrimp just until lightly pink in color (about 4 min). Remove cabbage mixture from heat and cool slightly before rolling.

4.Prepare egg wash by whipping up the egg in a bowl with about a TBS of water. Following the guide below, take each egg roll wrapper and egg wash the outer border, taking a bit of the cooled cabbage mix and three shrimp pieces (you can just mix in the shrimp with the cabbage mix if you want, I just like to make sure that every roll has at least three shrimp) tightly roll up the wrapper, making sure each of the corners are tucked in.

5.Place each roll on lined baking sheet and brush entire roll with egg wash. Bake for about 12 min or until brown and crispy. Serve with spicy chili sauce or duck sauce.

http://picasion.com/i/1TPiV/

Black Bean Pad Thai (Revamped)