Soba Noodles with Shrimp and Cilantro

Do you have a flavor combination that you always gravitate towards? In our house it always seems to be one of three combinations: chocolate & peanut butter, lime & cilantro, or garlic & rosemary. Anytime I run across a recipe with those combinations as main ingredients it is almost always sure to be a hit. True to form, the combination of shrimp, lime, and cilantro in this recipe did not disappoint. 

Because this is a cold pasta dish, I think it would be especially tasty in the hot Summer months, but I decided to make it now because it fits in with our healthy eating regime for January... Biggest Loser is on again in the Tremble household (I hope to retain my title from last year!) and healthy dishes are dominating the menu. 

This was the first time I have cooked with Soba noodles and I am hooked! They are sooo good and I am happily searching for more ways to incorporate them in our meal rotation. 

Soba Noodles with Shrimp and Cilantro

Serves 2 

Ingredients:
6 oz. Soba noodles
1 1/2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp tamari
2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
1/2 tsp. Sriracha sauce
1/2 tsp. agave syrup
zest of 1 lime
2 tbsp. lime juice (about 1 lime)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
pinch of salt
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1 green onion, thinly sliced

Directions:
Cook the Soba noodles according to package directions. Drain and rinse under cold water.

In a large serving bowl, mix together the soy sauce, tamari, 1 tbsp. of the oil, Sriracha, and agave. Add the cooled Soba noodles and turn to coat in the sauce.

In a small bowl, mix together the lime zest, juice, garlic, shrimp, a pinch of salt, and the remaining 1 tbsp of oil. Heat a skillet over medium high heat and add the shrimp and lime juice mixture. Cook until the shrimp are barely cooked through, and then pour the shrimp and lime juice over the Soba noodles. Top with the cilantro and green onion and serve cold*. 

*This tastes even better if you make it ahead of time and store in the refrigerator until it's time to eat!




Slightly adapted from Food & Wine

Mongolian Beef

I love P.F. Changs. There, I said it. There's something about that place that keeps drawing me back in, and I'm not afraid to admit it. However, in my quest to avoid take-out or processed foods as much as possible, I decided it would be a good challenge to try to make some of my restaurant favorites at home. I have already conquered chicken lettuce wraps, so next I decided to try Mongolian Beef which is one of Andy's go-to meals at P.F. Changs. Beef strips are stir-fried until slightly crispy, and then they are coated in a sweet, salty, and sticky sauce and the whole combination is served over fluffy rice. This is a very delicious meal, and while it's not the healthiest thing I've ever made, it saved us a few bucks to make at home. Mongolian Beef will be added to list of recipes to make again and again (though maybe not for another 12 months!). Yum!

Mongolian Beef

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

4 tsp. vegetable oil

2 tsp. ginger, minced or grated

2 tbsp. garlic, minced or grated

1 cup low sodium soy sauce

1 cup brown sugar, packed 

1 cup water

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 cup vegetable oil

2 lb. flank steak

1/2 cup cornstarch

3 green onions, chopped

Cooked rice, for serving

Directions:

Make the sauce: In a small saucepan, heat the 4 tsp. of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and sautee for 1 minute until fragrant (be careful not to burn). Add the soy sauce and brown sugar and bring the sauce to a simmer.  In a measuring cup, whisk together the water and 1 tbsp. cornstarch. Once the sauce has simmered for about 5-8 minutes, whisk in the water/cornstarch and return to a simmer to thicken slightly. Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside. 

Make the beef: Tilt your knife on a 45 degree angle and cut slices about 1/4 inch thick (against the grain). Coat the steak slices in cornstarch and shake to remove all excess. Lay the slices out on a cutting board and allow to sit for about 10 minutes to allow the cornstarch to set to the meat.

Heat the vegetable oil in a medium skillet until it just begins to shimmer. Working in batches, fry the beef (carefully) until it gets brown around the edges, about 2 minutes per side. Remove the beef to a paper towel lined plate and continue working in batches until all the beef is cooked. Dump all of the oil out of the skillet and return all of the beef to the pan. Add the sauce and sliced green onions and cook over medium low heat until the sauce has coated and everything is heated through. Serve over cooked rice. Yum!

Fish in Parchment

Growing up, we frequently had fish in foil or parchment paper that was cooked in the oven or on the grill. In the little packets were the fish of the day, zucchini, onions, lemon, and anything else we had on hand. Recently I decided to play around with the flavors more to suit our cravings and this version was a huge success (says Andy!). This particular combination is Asian-inspired, but you can put almost anything in the packets with the fish and follow the same technique. The two major perks to this dish are 1) just throw away the paper for easy clean up and 2) it is a complete dish with protein, sides, and sauce all in one convenient packet! Have fun with it and experiment... enjoy :o)

Fish in Parchment

Makes 2 entree servings

Ingredients

1/2 - 3/4 lb. white, mild fish such as cod, hake, haddock, flounder, etc

1 cup green beans, ends trimmed and beans cut in half

1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms, stems removed

1 small red potato, sliced thin

1 small shallot, peeled and sliced into thin rings

1 clove garlic, sliced paper thin

Sauce

1 tbsp. tamari or soy sauce

1 tbsp. hoisin

1 tbsp. oyster sauce

1 tbsp. agave or honey

1 tsp. rice vinegar

1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil

5 drops sriracha sauce

Materials: 2 pieces of parchment paper or aluminum foil, about 18 inches long.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Stir all sauce ingredients together and set aside. 

Assemble the packets: lay out both pieces of foil or parchment side by side on a flat surface. Layer half of the potatoes, shallot, garlic, beans, mushrooms and fish in the center of each paper. 

 Spoon half of the sauce over each packet.

Fold the packets by pulling up the long sides to each other and rolling down to the top of the fish, then tightly roll/pinch each side towards the fish as well to make a sealed packet. Make sure the packet is sealed well so the fish steams (staple shut if necessary).

 Put the packets on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 10-20 minutes (10 minutes for thin fish like flounder, 20 minutes for 1+ inch thick fish like cod or hake - adjust the cook time depending on the thickness of the fish you are using). You can also cook them on the grill, but I would recommend using only foil, and I think cooking time would vary by the grill, but it should work just fine.

Allow the packets to cool enough to handle, then rip them open and pour the whole packet out into a shallow or bowl - you will have more liquid than you started with so make sure your plate/bowl is deep enough. Yum! :o)

Pork and Ginger Potstickers

Potstickers.... yum! I love any food that is small, tasty, and easy to eat, and potstickers certainly fall into this category. I labeled these as appetizers or as an entree because it can be either type of meal, depending on how many you choose to eat!

I have experimented a bit with these potstickers. They are originally based off of a Ming Tsai recipe, and they are super tasty! It takes a little practice to fold the dumplings, but the more you do, the easier it gets. It's even easier if you have some helpers! :o) When I have the time, I make a big batch, and then freeze a whole bunch on a sheet tray and store them in an airtight bag. You don't even have to defrost them when you want to cook them... they just steam up right from their frozen state (dangerous for a snacker like me).

Potstickers can have a variety of fillings, but these pork ones are my favorite combo that I've tried. Enjoy!

Pork Potstickers with Ginger and Cabbage

yield: several dozen, depending on size and patience

Ingredients

Filling:

2 cups chopped Napa cabbage

1/2 tablespoon salt

1/2 lb pork, not too lean

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger, or 1 tsp dried ginger powder

1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

1 egg

1 cup chicken stock

Hot Water Dough:

4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups boiling water

In a bowl, sprinkle the cabbage with the salt and let sit for 30 minutes. In the meantime, make the dough.

Make the dough. In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt. Slowly stir in the hot water until a dough forms. Once cool enough to handle, form the dough into a smooth ball, cover with a damp cloth, and allow to rest for 1 hour. In the meantime, make the filling.

To make the filling: in a large bowl, mix together the pork, ginger, garlic, soy, sesame oil, and egg. Squeeze the liquid out of the cabbage until it is very very dry. Add the dry cabbage to the pork mixture.

To assemble the potstickers: roll the rested dough into a long log, approximately 1 inch in diameter. Cut the log into 1/2 inch pieces. Lay a piece cut side up and use your palm to flatten into a disk. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to a circle approximately 3 inches in diameter. Fill each wrapper with a small amount of filling, approximately a teaspoon full. To make the dumplings easier to fold, be careful not to overfill, and also make sure the filling does not touch the edge of the circle. Fold the circle in half around the filling and pinch the edges shut using 7-8 folds. Potstickers can either be cooked or frozen at this point.

To cook the potstickers, cover the bottom of a large sautee pan with vegetable oil and heat until quite hot, but not smoking. Add the potstickers flat side down and cook for a minute or two until the bottom is lightly browned. Carefully and quickly pour the stock into the pan (be careful, it will splatter... have the lid ready!). Quickly cover and allow the dumplings to steam until cooked through and until the liquid has evaporated, approximately 3 more minutes. Once the liquid is evaporated, the filling will be firm and cooked through, and the bottoms will be crispy again. Remove to a plate and serve!

Spicy Soy Dipping sauce:
Mix together the following ingredients and serve alongside the potstickers for dipping. Yum!

1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1 scallion, sliced
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon sambal oelek or sriracha

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

It's a new year, and just like every other January I have decided to try to live a little healthier. This usually doesn't last very long, but it's worth a shot! Keeping the new, healthy mentality in mind, the first recipe of 2011 is chicken lettuce wraps. I figure that any dish that comes wrapped in lettuce has to be healthy, right? These delicious bites are actually inspired by a P. F. Chang's appetizer of the same name, but with some extra additions to suit our own taste. I have been experimenting quite a bit with this recipe, and it is finally share-worthy. I have found that Boston Bibb lettuce in the fancy plastic container works the best because it has flexible leaves and usually doesn't have holes, but iceburg could also work.

Serves 4-6 as appetizer portions, or 2-4 as a meal

Ingredients

Cooking Sauce:
¼ c. Hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp dry sherry
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
1/4 c. water
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch

 

Marinade:
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp dry sherry
1 tbsp water

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 pounds ground chicken (or 1 lb chicken breast cut into small cubes)

½ oz. dried mushrooms such as shiitake or porcini (or 4 oz. fresh)
5 Tbsp oil
1 tsp fresh minced ginger, or ¼ tsp dried ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 green onions, minced

½ tsp. red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)

8 oz can water chestnuts, minced
Packaged Chow Mein noodles (or something crunchy)
lettuce "cup" leaves, bibb or iceburg

Directions:

If using dried mushrooms, cover with boiling water, let stand 30 minutes then drain. Cut and discard woody stems. Mince mushrooms. Set aside. 

Mix all ingredients for cooking sauce in bowl, and set aside. In medium bowl, combine all ingredients for marinade, and chicken. Stir to coat chicken thoroughly and let sit 15 minutes to marinate. 

Heat wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add 3 Tbsp oil, then add chicken and stir fry for about 3-4 minutes. Set aside. Add 2 Tbsp oil to pan. Add ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, and onion; stir fry about a minute or so. Add mushrooms and water chestnuts; stir fry an additional 2 minutes. Return chicken to pan.

Add mixed cooking sauce to pan. Simmer for 15-20 minutes on low heat until sauce is thickened and most of the liquid has evaporated. Spoon into lettuce leaf, top with crunchy noodles and roll. Yum!

Bang Bang!

I have recently discovered the delights of Bang Bang Shrimp, and boy oh boy am I happy that I did! It all started on our honeymoon in Aruba. We visited a wonderful little restaurant named Madame Janette's, and loved it so much we actually went back there later in the week (for those of you who know Andy and me, that says A LOT about how much we liked this place!). On our first visit, our server eagerly told us about their new chef from Miami who is totally upgrading the menu. He said that one of the specialties of the chef is Bang Bang Shrimp. Andy and I looked at each other. Bang Bang... what?? After reading the description, and I quote "sweet and spicy crispy shrimp" we quickly ordered! We took one bite and were hooked! These little bites of Heaven were so amazing, I couldn't stop thinking about them (sweet, spicy, crispy... um yes!). About a month ago the Bang Bang Shrimp popped into my mind, and I figured they were worth a shot at making at home. After several attempts and a variety of resources, I believe I have found a winning recipe of Bang Bang Shrimp. Enjoy!

Bang Bang Shrimp

 
1 lb medium sized shrimp, peeled and deveined (cubed chicken works as a variation)
3/4 c. all purpose flour
1/2 c. cornstarch
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
oil for frying
1/3 c. mayonnaise
1/4 c. Thai style sweet chili sauce
10-20 drops sriracha, to taste (I suggest starting with less then working your way up)
1 tsp. Sambal Oelek (Asian HOT chili paste)
Bibb lettuce leaves, for serving

Heat a pot of oil to approximately 350 degrees. Make the sauce: mix the mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, sriracha, and Sambal Oelek in a large bowl. Adjust heat to taste by adding more sriracha, if desired. 

Mix the flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Dredge the shrimp in the flour mixture, then into the egg, then coat again in the flour mixture forming a thick crust. Fry the shrimp in the oil in small batches for approximately 2-3 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with all shrimp.

Coat the fried shrimp in the sauce, and scoop into a serving bowl lined with lettuce. Eat in lettuce leaves, or on their own. Bet you can't eat just one! Enjoy :o)