Build your own noodle bowl

When I go grocery shopping, I try to have a plan. But sometimes I come up short, and come home with a seemingly random mix of food items, and it's hard to put together a meal. After searching for the perfect recipe for chicken, bean sprouts, Thai basil, and cucumbers, I decided to go rogue and do a twist on a chicken vermicelli bowl, or Bun Ga Nuong.  Usually, you use shallots, lemongrass, peanuts, mint, and iceberg lettuce.  But I swapped those items for red onion, Thai basil, and fancy lettuce mix. And we just went without the peanuts and lemongrass, but it was still very tasty. My favorite part of this meal is putting assembling the bowl!

Platter of goodies

 "Make your own noodle bowl"

Chicken:

• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari)
• 2 tbsp neutral oil, plus 1 extra for pan (I used sunflower)
• Juice of 2 limes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 fresh red Thai chili pepper, minced (not seeded)
• 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders
• 1/2 onion, chopped 

Dressing:

• 4 ounces water
• Handful of shredded carrot
• 1 ounce lime juice 
• 2 ounces fish sauce 
• 1 ounce sugar 
• 1 teaspoon crushed garlic 
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil (don't use olive oil or the taste will overpower the dressing)

Other ingredients:

• Cooked vermicelli (rice stick) noodles (8 oz or so)
• 1 cucumber chopped and seeded
• 1 cup bean sprouts
• 1 bunch Thai basil or mint
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1 carrot, julienned
• Thai chili pepper, chopped (if you like spicy food)
• Crushed peanuts
• Lime wedges
• 2 cups of leaf lettuce

Directions:

1. Mix first six chicken ingredients together, and pour over chicken in a non-reactive bowl. Marinade preferably for at least an hour.
2. Mix ingredients for dressing together, and set aside.
3. Prepare the vermicelli noodles, if desired.

4. Heat a grill pan or large frying pan over medium-high heat, and add 1 tablespoon of oil.
5. Saute the onions until soft, then add the chicken and discard the marinade.
6. Grill/fry until the chicken is cooked through.
7. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
7.  Assemble the bowls: add lettuce, vermicelli, chicken, and other ingredients together. Then add the dressing.

Notes: I recommend marinating the chicken as long as possible. I made the dish without any marinade time, but I guarantee it will be even better if you do.

Mostly guilt-free chips/crisps!

Kale chips

Today I was craving something salty and crunchy, and since I already had my fill of deliciously starchy yucca and moist and spicy Peruvian rotisserie chicken last night from Chicken Latino, I decided to make use of the head of kale staring me in the face in the fridge.

Making kale chips is really very simple.  First preheat the oven to 275 degrees. There's only one thing you have to do to ensure that you have kale crisps, and not soggy leaves: After you wash a head of kale, remove the ribs, and chop it into small pieces, make sure the pieces are completely dry. If you don't dry the kale, you don't get crisps. Then drizzle olive oil all over the kale, spread on a baking sheet, then sprinkle salt and maybe some garlic powder on it. Pop the baking sheets in the oven, and bake for 20 minutes, or until the kale is crispy.  That's it!  I may or may not have followed my rules of drying all of the leaves completely, but the majority of the kale was crispy perfection! And I ate it all!

Rachael Ray Oven Lovin Nonstick Crispy Cookie Sheet (Google Affiliate Ad)

Mango smoothie bubble tea and Thai Chicken with Basil

Dustin and I revisited Pho Van again on Saturday, and had a disappointing experience.  The broth was weak, with minimal flavor.  So we weren't going to risk trying the ba mau, which we have been wanting to sample.  We had a tasty dessert at Ben and Jerry's instead, which was fine, but I still had a craving for tapioca balls. So yesterday when I went shopping in the Strip, I went to Lotus Food Company and picked up some green tea flavored tapioca pearls for bubble tea. 

For dinner last night, I made Thai basil chicken, and for dessert, a mango smoothie with tapioca pearls.  I omitted the tea yesterday because I didn't have any caffeine-free options, but today I finished off the remainder of the cooked tapioca for a banana-mango green tea smoothie.

The chicken dish recipe, courtesy Food and Wine, is not very difficult to make, but very tasty.  I served it with rice stick noodles, but jasmine rice would work just fine.  The recipe is supposed to serve four people, but if you like to have seconds, and you don't have any side dishes, it's probably only enough for 2-3 people.

Thai Basil Chicken
Ingredients:

1 1/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 4), cut into 1-by-2-inch pieces 

2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam) 

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce 

1 tablespoon water 

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 

2 tablespoons cooking oil (I used sunflower)

1 red bell pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces (optional) 
1 large onion, cut into thin slices 

3 or 4 fresh red chiles, seeds and ribs removed, cut into thin slices (reduce amount if you don't like spicy food) 

3 cloves garlic, minced 

1 1/2 cups lightly packed thai basil leaves (don't use Italian basil, the taste is not the same)

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with the fish sauce, soy sauce, water, and sugar. In a large nonstick frying pan or a wok, heat the oil over moderately high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. Stir in the chiles and garlic; cook, stirring, 30 seconds longer.
2. Remove the chicken from the marinade with a slotted spoon and add it to the hot pan. Add red pepper, if desired. Cook until almost done, stirring, about 3 minutes. 
3. Add the marinade and cook 30-1 minute seconds longer. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup of the basil. Serve topped with the remaining 1/2 cup basil. 

 

Thai chicken with basil

 Mango banana green tea smoothie with tapioca pearls

Cooked tapioca pearls

Ingredients:
1 cup chopped mango (preferably frozen)
1 banana, chopped
1/2 cup green tea
Prepared tapioca pearls
Honey, to taste

Before heading to the blender

Directions:
1. Prepare tapioca pearls according to directions on package
2. Boil water and make a cup of green tea, then let cool
3. Add mango, banana, green tea, and honey to a blender
4. Process well, add tapioca pearls, then serve!

Note: If you don't have a bubble tea straw, you will probably need to use a spoon to eat the tapioca pearls. Also, if you cooked the pearls ahead of time, they will probably dry out, so to refresh them, soak them in hot water for a couple of minutes.

The smoothie!

Zingiber Ginger Coconut Loose-Leaf Rooibos Tea, 8oz (Google Affiliate Ad)

Fried tofu with Sichuan string beans

Dustin and I are Asian food fanatics. We could probably eat an Asian-inspired meal every day of the week! On Sunday night, we went to Rose Tea Cafe in Squirrel Hill on Sunday night for our Taiwanese fix of bubble tea, beef noodle soup, and salt and pepper flounder, but were still craving more Asian food after watching an episode of The Layover with Anthony Bourdain in Taipei. A brief scan of the fridge revealed that tofu was the only available protein for dinner, thus fried tofu with Sichuan string beans was made.

The tofu recipe we used comes from Food and Wine.

Fried tofu with Sichuan string beans

Ingredients:
Tofu:  
2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce 

1 tablespoon sugar 

1 tablespoon  red pepper flakes  

1 large garlic clove, very finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
One 14-ounce container firm tofu
Vegetable oil, for frying (I used Sunflower)
1 scallion, thinly sliced 

String beans: 

1 tablespoon vegetable oil 

2 cups string beans

1 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns

3 dried red chili peppers, chopped

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 inch piece of ginger, minced

Steamed rice made with chicken broth, for serving

Tofu frying in sunflower oil

Directions for tofu:
1. In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce with the sugar, red pepper, garlic, sesame oil, ginger and sesame seeds. 
2. Slice the tofu crosswise into 8 thin slabs. Dry the tofu with paper towels, pressing until no moisture remains.
3. In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of oil until shimmering. Add the tofu and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until browned and crisp, about 8 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Spoon the sauce over the fried tofu and sprinkle with the scallion. Serve with steamed rice and string beans.

Directions for string beans:
1. Use a mortar and pestle to grind the peppercorns.
2. Add 1 tablespoon oil to a heated wok.
3. Fry the ginger and garlic until browned.
4. Add peppercorns,chili peppers, and mix until fragrant.
5.  Add in the vinegar, soy sauce, and string beans, and cook until the beans are tender.

The finished product

 Notes: This is a spicy dish. Eliminate the peppercorns and/or the chili peppers if you are not a fan of spicy food. Ensure you eliminate the water from the tofu, changing the paper towels as many times as needed.  Otherwise, the tofu won't get crispy.

TofuXpress Tofu Press (Google Affiliate Ad)

Yummy smoothie

I love fruity alcoholic drinks, especially margaritas and pina coladas.  But day drinking without a good reason is usually frowned upon, even though drinking alcohol before a run could improve performance. So I decided to make a delicious non-alcoholic frozen beverage that's relatively healthy, sweet with the help of coconut and banana, and full of potassium.  After discovering Trader Joe's Vanilla Almond Milk, which is also delicious when heated with an added sprinkle of cinnamon, I developed a tasty recipe:

Tropical Smoothie
1/2 cup Trader Joe's Vanilla Almond Milk
1 banana
2 tablespoons sweetened coconut flakes
1 tablespoon coconut milk 
dash cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ice cubes

Directions:
Add all ingredients to a blender, process, and enjoy with a straw!

Note: Makes one smoothie, approximately 8 ounces. Coconut water has a lot of potassium, and is lower in calories and fat than coconut milk.  Feel free to sub it in for the almond milk. If you plan ahead, you can cut the banana into pieces and freeze it, to avoid the need to add ice cubes to the smoothies.

I also broke out my immersion blender for an quick broccoli cheddar soup. It doesn't involve many fancy ingredients: broccoli, cheddar cheese, broth, garlic, onion, and believe it or not, garbanzo beans. The beans make the soup creamy and thick without milk.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound broccoli, cut into small florets
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion (either white or yellow), chopped
1 cup cheddar cheese (I used reduced fat 3 cheese blend from Trader Joe's)
2 cups low-sodium broth (I used vegetable, but chicken would also work)
1 cup water
1 cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (cannellini beans are also a good choice)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Saute onion with olive oil in a pot until soft, about 5 minutes, then add garlic and cook about 2 minutes.
2. Add water and broth and bring to boil.
3. Add broccoli, and cover, for about 8 minutes, or until tender.
4. Add beans, and cook until they are warmed through, about 2 minutes.
5. Remove the pot from heat, pour in cheese, and mix in.
6. Let the mixture cool for about 5 minutes, then use an immersion blender to puree soup.  Be careful while doing this, as the soup is hot and may splatter!
7. Add salt and pepper to taste. White pepper is better, if you have it.
8. Garnish with more cheese, if you'd like. Enjoy the soup!

Breville Control Grip Immersion Blender (Google Affiliate Ad)

Juicing

It's a good idea to use a plastic bag 

to make clean-up easier

Feeling like I needed a little pick-me-up with plenty of vitamins, I decided to whip up some fresh juice yesterday. The health benefits of a juice fast appeal to me, but not the side effects, so I consumed it as a snack and still ate some soup for lunch. However, if you make a large enough glass, it can be quite filling.

Kale, lemon, carrot and ginger juice

I made two different juices, which amounted to a whole glass of juice. The first juice was comprised of kale, lemon, carrots, and ginger. As you can see, the green color is very vibrant, and the taste was also quite strong. I would recommend using sweeter vegetables or fruits to balance out the flavor of the kale.

I used:
1/2 cup kale
1 lemon
2 carrots
1 inch piece ginger

Spinach, apple, ginger and carrot juice

For the second juice, I combined spinach, apples, ginger, and carrots, which resulted in a sweet, drinkable juice.  I would make this again, and just double the amount of ingredients.
I used:
2 bunches spinach
2 McIntosh Apples
1 inch piece ginger
handful baby carrots

I bought some flax seeds and coconut flakes at Trader Joe's today, and I'm looking forward to whipping up some post-run smoothies with those new ingredients.  Smoothies are more satisfying and chock full of protein, and more importantly faster to make (I use my Magic Bullet) because I don't have to clean a million pieces like I do with the juicer. But I will continue to juice. Just not like Mr. Armstrong did.

This is the Breville juicer I have:

And this is the Magic Bullet:

Leftovers magician

One of my favorite cooking challenges is to take a look in the refrigerator and whip up something using leftovers.  I feel resourceful and not wasteful, and I get to try something new. Usually I check the Epicurious app to search by ingredient, but I had been looking through one of my old cookbooks called Quick Food, which had a recipe for a chicken and risoni soup, which I decided to modify in order to use up the large amount of orzo in my fridge. This is a healthy and hearty soup, great for consuming on a cold winter day! I recommend serving the soup with a nice green salad.

Chicken orzo soup, adapted from Quick Food

A generous portion of orzo in the soup

Ingredients:

48 oz. low-sodium chicken broth (or 1 box chicken broth and 1/2 box low-sodium vegetable broth)
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed

8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast tenderloins, cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium white onion, chopped
1/2 box orzo
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon dill, preferably fresh
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add the chopped onion, celery, and carrot and cook until almost tender.
3. Add the garlic and cumin, cook about 2 minutes.
4. Pour in the stock, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce the heat to low, add the chicken, and simmer, with the pot covered for 8 minutes.
6. Remove the chicken from the pot and transfer to a bowl.
7. Add orzo to the broth and simmer 7-12 minutes, until the pasta is al dente.
8. Return the chicken to the broth, and add dill and salt and pepper to taste.

Some notes: 

I already had the orzo cooked, so I skipped steps 6 and 7, and added the orzo to the finished broth. Since I only had 36 ounces of chicken broth on hand, I added 16 ounces of vegetable broth.  The flavors are more complex than what a simple chicken stock provides, feel free to give the mixture a try.

Healthy mediterranean chicken

Mediterranean chicken with roasted potatoes

Yesterday was Dustin's first day of work, so I decided to make him a meal to celebrate. After a month of eating heavy and decadent meals, I opted to try a recipe from Cooking Light, which would incorporate strong flavors, but not weigh us down with oil. 

If you do not like olives, this is not the dish for you. I found the flavor of the kalamatas overpowered the dish. I would also recommend making sure the cherry tomatoes burst, to further enhance the broth. We enjoyed the texture of the roasted potatoes, which elevate the dish past that of an ordinary chicken and potatoes meal. I served it with Trader Joe's organic spaghetti, our favorite!

Here is the recipe, adapted from Cooking Light:

Mediterranean chicken with roasted potatoes

Ingredients:

• 4 teaspoons minced garlic, divided
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided
• 12 small red potatoes, halved (I used larger red potatoes and cut them into chunks)
• Cooking spray
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces 
• 1 cup vertically sliced red onion (I used white, but red is probably better)
• 3/4 cup dry white wine (I used pinot grigio)
• 3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth (I used vegetable broth, which may have affected flavors)
• 1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved, or use plum tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
• 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered (I used marinated artichoke hearts)
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine 2 teaspoons garlic, oil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and potatoes on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until tender.
3. Heat a large Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add half of chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until browned. Remove chicken from pan. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken; remove from pan.
4. Add onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in wine, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Bring wine to a boil; cook until reduced to 1/3 cup (about 2 minutes). Add potatoes, chicken, broth, and olives; cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in 2 teaspoons garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, tomato, basil, and artichokes; cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Sprinkle with cheese. Serve with pasta if desired.

   

   The finished product

Notes:
You may not need to divide the cooking of the chicken in half, depending how large your pan is. I used vegetarian broth, as that was the only kind I had on hand, however I found the sauce was lacking the flavor that chicken broth would impart.

Bo Kho

After returning from a successful trip to Strip District Meats, my husband Dustin and I decided to put our stew beef to good use in a hearty beef stew, using this recipe from Gourmet. But after getting side tracked by making a vegetarian meal and going out to dinner at Nicky's Thai Kitchen (which I will review later), we decided we to attempt an Asian-influenced version of beef stew.  So we made Bo Kho, or Vietnamese beef stew.
I usually don't treat stew recipes as gospel, so I wouldn't worry if the proportions of ingredients are a bit fudged. But I did worry when I noticed we didn't have any lemongrass in the apartment as we set out to prepare the stew. Some Googling revealed that there isn't really a suitable replacement for the strong flavor--it wasn't to be omitted!  But luckily Dustin remembered that lemongrass was included in a freezer package of Trader Joe's Tom Yum soup.  So all was good in the land of stew-making.

Here is the recipe, adapted from Food.com:

Bo Kho

Bo Kho

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs boneless beef chuck, cut into 1.5 inch cubes

1 stalk lemongrass, cut into 2 inch pieces and bruised
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Chinese five spice powder
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 small yellow onions, chopped 

1 14 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks
2 star anise
3 cups water 

1 package rice stick noodles (optional accompaniment, prepare as directed on package)

French bread (optional for accompaniment)

Spring onions or cilantro (optional for garnish)

Directions:

1. Mix lemongrass, fish sauce, 5-spice powder, ginger, brown sugar and bay leaf, marinate the beef for at least 30 minutes.
2. Over high heat, heat oil in a dutch over or large heavy-bottomed pot, sear the beef quickly then remove, reserve lemongrass and bay leaf for later use. 
3. Reduce heat to medium, cook onions till translucent, then add tomatoes and cook with lid on for another 12-15 minutes. If sauce is too thick, add a bit of water. 
4. Add the seared beef, lemongrass, bay leaf and star anise, and cook uncovered for 5 minutes then add water. 
5. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes. 
6. Add carrots and simmer for another hour or so, until beef and carrots are tender. 
7. Remove bay leaf, lemongrass and star anise before serving with french bread and/or rice stick noodles

Some notes:

This stew is not thick like traditional American stews. It's more like a soup. Also, be patient, it's worth the wait! We made this when we were hungry. Not a good idea. The longer you cook the stew, the better. And the more fatty the meat, the more flavorful and easier it will be to chew. This stew was even better the next day!

Magic Bullet Hi-Speed Blender / Mixer System (Google Affiliate Ad)

Pho

I have been craving Pho, a Vietnamese soup, ever since I moved to Pittsburgh. Pho is readily available in the DC area, and lucky for me, there are several restaurants that serve the dish in Pittsburgh too.

Pho is one of my favorite foods. A steaming bowl of pho is comforting and medicinal, especially on a cold day. Pho Van, a Vietnamese restaurant in the Strip District of Pittsburgh, produces exemplary bowls of the hot stuff. Their Vietnamese coffee is not up to par with the likes of Vietnam's Pho, which is remarkably strong and tasty, but Pho Van's broth has been consistent over recent visits. The complexity of the broth, with strong flavors of star anise and cinnamon, produce a cravable bowl, complete with ample helpings of noodles and beef.

Both Pho parlors provide the requisite plate of fresh mung bean sprouts, lime wedge, jalapeno, and basil. However, you must specifically request small plates for your Sriracha and Hoisin sauces. Another highlight of these restaurants are the quality of the meat; although the price of a bowl of pho in Pittsburgh seems to exceed that of places in the DC area and Philadelphia, the ample amounts of beef and flavor of the brisket and flank steak allow me to overlook the cost. Also, both pho joints accept credit cards!

Pho restaurant information:
Pho Van
2120 Penn Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15222
412-281-7999

Vietnam's Pho
1627 Penn Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15222
412-281-8881