Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Chap Chae


Glass noodles are so pretty!  I have no idea if I'm making this dish authentically, but it really doesn't matter because the way I make it is sooooooooo good!  And I looks like the traditional dish.  Some korean lady might slap my hand for adding in too much spice or garlic, but other than that, I think it is pretty close to the real deal.
You'll need to go to an asian store to find the particular kind of noodle. It says it is made from "sweet potato starch" and is slightly gray in color, when dried. It will cook up clear and glistening!
1 package of glass noodles *available at any asian market
1 lb. thinly sliced beef
Red and Orange Bell Peppers, sliced thinly
Green onion, chopped
Sesame Seeds
Bean Sprouts
Mushrooms, sliced *optional

Sauce:
1 cup soy sauce
2 T brown sugar
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp minced ginger
1 T siracha
1 T rice vingegar
3 T sesame oil

Gently sautee garlic in the sesame oil on low heat.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer.  Stir and let cook for 10 minutes.
Soak the glass noodles in hot water for 10-12 mins.  Do not oversoak.
In a wok, add in a touch of canola oil and throw in the beef.
Add in the mushrooms and peppers and keep stirring/cooking.
Once the meat is mostly cooked and the veggies are tender, add the noodles to the wok and then add the sauce.

Toss well.

Garnish with sesame seeds, green onion and bean sprouts.

Yummm!

Friday, September 20, 2013

Shy's Pad Thai


1/2 package of rice noodles
2 chicken breasts
1 lime
1 package of bean sprouts
1 bunch of green onions
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
3 eggs

Pad Thai Sauce

3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 T crushed red pepper
2 T soy sauce
1 T fish sauce
3 heaping spoonfuls of tamarind paste
1 cup of simple syrup (I made mine with 1 cup water and 1/2 cup brown sugar)
2 dashes of Dave's Insanity Sauce

Begin by making the sauce.  Mix all of the sauce ingredients together and bring to a light boil. Reduce heat to low and let cook for a few mins.  Then, just set aside.  Taste and adjust heat, salt, sweet, tang.

Boil/soak the rice noodles until tender.

I usually poach the chicken by wrapping it in tin foil and baking it in a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes.  Let cool and then shred.

In a large skillet/wok, toss the noodles with the chicken, sauce, eggs, chopped green onions and half of the peanuts.  Cook until the eggs have completely cooked and the dish is heated through.

Garnish with more peanuts, bean sprouts, and lime wedges.

Enjoy!

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Korean BBQ Beef with rice




Beef and Marinade:
1 lb of top round / London Broil steak sliced very thin
OR 1lb. of beef tenderloin cut into chunks
1 cup soy sauce
3 T brown sugar
1 T ginger paste or 1/2 T fresh mashed ginger
3 cloves chopped garlic
3 T your favorite BBQ sauce (I like to use the darker, molasses ones for this)
1/ T crushed red pepper flakes or 1 T thai chili garlic sauce
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 scallions, chopped
Sesame seeds for garnish

***Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade for after the beef is cooked. Set aside.

Optional Garnish:
Chopped scallions, diced cucumber, shredded carrots, cilantro

Freeze top round for 1-2 hours until almost firm.
Slice thinly across the grain.

Combine marinade ingredients and whisk together.
Add beef to the marinade and make sure all of the beef is fully covered.
Marinate for 2 hours to 24 hours.

On a very hot grill or grill pan, sear or BBQ the beef for 2-3 mins per side.
Or, sometimes I broil the meat in the oven broiler.

Serve with rice and steamed broccoli. Pour remaining marinade over beef before serving.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Kung Pao Chicken


 I just recently learned how to make Kung Pao Chicken and bought a Wok from ikea.  :)

1 lb. chicken breast cut into cubes
Broccoli florets
3-4 green onions, chopped
2 spoonfuls of crushed red pepper flakes or  garlic chili sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
Dash rice vinegar
2 large cloves of garlic chopped
1/2 sweet onion diced finely
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
Canola oil
Salt/pepper
1/2 cup peanuts
1 tsp. corn starch mixed with 1/8 cup cold water (make into a slurry)

In a sauce pan, sweat the onions and garlic with a little salt/pepper and the cayenne pepper in about 1 T oil.  Allow to cook on medium heat, stirring often until soft.  Add in the soy sauce, sugar, crushed red pepper or garlic chili sauce, and vinegar and stir well.  Let simmer for 5-7 minutes and then turn off the heat. Taste and re-season.

Separately, in a wok (or large skillet) saute the chunks of chicken until they are almost cooked through, in a touch of oil.

Blanch the broccoli in boiling water for about 3-4 minutes then chill in cold water to retain the green color.  Drain.

Add the broccoli to the chicken and stir over high heat.  Add in the peanuts and half of the green onions and continue to stir, sauteeing for another 2-3 minutes.

To the kung pao sauce, stir in the corn starch slurry and heat to a boil, stirring often.  Add the sauce to your wok of chicken and broccoli and let heat through.

Serve with rice.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Shylah's Cioppino


1 lb. live mussels, cleaned
1 lb. calamari, cleaned and sliced into rings
1/2 lb. shrimp, cleaned with shells removed (save shells)
1/2 lb. cod, chunked
1 can of clams, save the liquid

1 jar of spicy marinara sauce
2 T butter
1 cup of dry white wine
1 medium white onion, diced
3 large cloves of garlic, chopped
1 T crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 T sugar
Salt/pepper
2 T oil
Chopped flat leaf parsley

Crusty bread, toasted for dipping

Begin by sweating the diced onion in a bit of oil in a large pot over low/medium heat.  Add in the crushed red pepper and garlic and continue to cook until soft.  About 4-5 minutes.  Do not brown the onions/garlic.  Season with salt and pepper.  Increase heat to high and add in the wine and sugar.  Stir well and let simmer for about 4-5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low/medium and add in the sliced calmari at this point.

Add 1 cup water and the clam juice liquid to a small sauce pan and add in the shrimp shells.  Simmer on medium heat for about 8 mins.

Strain all of the clam/shrimp shell liquid into your garlic/onions/wine mixture.
Add in the jar of tomato sauce to the large pot and stir.

Heat until bubbling.

Add in the chunks of cod, shrimp, clams, and mussels and butter.  Cover and increase heat to high.

Let cook 7-10 mins, stirring once every couple of minutes.

Garnish with chopped flat leaf parsley and serve with crusty bread.