Pasta, Rice & Grains Archives - Page 4 of 7

A Photastic Chicken Noodle Salad (Pho Ga Tron)

By threejamigos | April 15, 2019 | Comments 0 Comment

I found a recipe in the Los Angeles Times for a quick delicious Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup, Pho Ga. The author, Andrea Ngyuen also tacked on a second recipe, Pho Ga Tron, or Chicken Pho Noodle Salad. The broth from the Pho Ga is a building block for the sweet and spicy dressing for the salad. The salad contains rice noodles, herbs, and greens, and is topped with crispy fried onions and roasted peanuts. It’s lip-smacking good! Andrea actually makes the quick broth just for this dish and serves bowls of the broth alongside the salad. Make the soup for Pho Ga one day, and reserve the extra broth to make the dressing for the salad another day. I julienned romaine lettuce for added crunch. I bet napa cabbage or iceberg would also work.

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Chicken Pho Noodle Salad

Course Salad

Cuisine Asian

Keyword Pho Ga Tron, Vietnamese Chicken Pho Salad

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 25

Total Time 45

Servings 4

Ingredients

Quick Chicken Pho broth, divided. See Quick Pho Ga recipe

1/2 cup chicken pho broth
1⁄2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 1⁄2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon sriracha sauce plus more for serving
2 tablespoons unseasoned Japanese rice vinegar
3 tablespoons regular soy sauce
1 1⁄2 tablespoons canola or other neutral oil
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
1 1⁄2 teaspoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 teaspoons water
10 ounces dried medium flat rice noodles
About 8 ounces cooked chicken from Quick Chicken Pho
2 cups butter lettuce or soft leaf lettuce cut into narrow ribbons, with spines intact
1⁄4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leafy tops only
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint or Thai basil leaves
1/3 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup fried shallots or onion homemade or purchased
Thinly sliced green onions for garnish

Instructions

Combine 1⁄2 cup of the broth with the salt, sugar, chile sauce, vinegar and soy sauce. Set this sauce mixture near the stove.
Put the oil and the garlic in a small saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until the garlic sizzles and is light blond, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from heat for about 15 seconds to cool slightly, then add the sauce mixture. Place the pan over high heat and bring to a boil. Stir the cornstarch slurry, then swirl into the bubbly sauce. Once thickened, about 15 seconds, remove from heat and set aside for at least 10 minutes before using. This makes about 1/2 cup sauce.
Meanwhile, boil the noodles in a pot of water until tender chewy following the package instructions, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain, cool quickly under running water, then set aside to fully drain and cool.
Reheat the remaining broth in a saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, cut or shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and, if needed, warm in a microwave oven to remove the chill and refresh; ideally the chicken has some succulence. Set aside.
To assemble, have 4 rice bowls for broth and 4 noodle-soup-size bowls for the salad. Put a little green onion into each rice bowl (use the rest for the noodle salad). Set near the broth.
Divide the lettuce among the noodle soup bowls. Add a portion of noodles and chicken, then drizzle over the sauce to taste. Top with the remaining green onion, cilantro, mint (or basil), peanut, and fried shallots (or onion).
Ladle the hot broth into the rice bowls. Serve immediately with the noodle salad bowls. Invite guests to wield spoons and chopsticks to toss their salads and enjoy the broth as soothing interludes. If the noodles seem too heavy with sauce, mix in a spoonful of broth.

Each serving:

Calories 613; Protein 33 grams; Carbohydrates 82 grams; Fiber 3 grams; Fat 18 grams; Saturated fat 3 grams; Cholesterol 72 mg; Sugar 10 grams; Sodium 1,795 mg

Jajangmyeon: K-C & The Sunshine Noodle Bowls

By threejamigos | March 7, 2019 | Comments 0 Comment

Another cold and rainy day in normally sunny California. To combat the soggy blues I pulled out my favorite therapy tools. A pot, a bowl, and a package of NOODLES. When you think comfort food, don’t tell me a fork, a knife, and a plate pop up in your mind. Me? A bowl, a big spoon, and a pair of chopsticks, that’s what I reach for.
The plan was to make a bowl of yummylicious noodles, curl up on the sofa and watch the new episode of Romance is a Bonus Book on Netflix. Yes, my current favorite Korean series.
I had a hankering for Zha Jiang Mian for my “TV dinner” which got me thinking why not a mash-up of the Korean & Chinese versions of Zha Jiang Mian? I started with my recipe for Zha Jiang Mian, I didn’t want to re-invent the wheel, I just wanted to tweak it. The sauce for my original recipe contains pork, aromatics, and the bean pastes. Veggies are julienned and added to the finished dish. I love the play on textures, the crunch of the cucumbers and carrots with the soft noodles and flavor-packed sauce filled with chunks of ground pork, it’s delicious.

Contrast this with the Korean version 짜장면 where a variety of veggies are cooked in the sauce. The play on textures is much more subtle but just as yummy. A variety of veggies went into my K-bowl version. I used diced zucchini, carrots, and potatoes. The carrots added some bite, the zucchini added moisture and that characteristic melt-y center and crispness from the skin. But my favorite addition is the diced potatoes (Yukon, don’t use Russets, too starchy). Potatoes have a characteristic dense, yet creamy feel, so good-like the center of perfectly cooked potato wedges. I used ground pork in my K-version, but often the pork is diced like the vegetables. Your choice.

Try both versions and tell me which one you like best although I think you’ll find both are equally delicious!

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Zha Jiang Mian 2 Ways

Zha Jiang Mian Korean style and Chinese Style, both delicious!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Keyword Zha Jiang Mian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Ingredients

6 oz. ground pork
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon oil plus 1 tablespoon
⅛ teaspoon white pepper
3 slices ginger minced finely
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons sweet bean sauce I used 2 T Hoisin/1 T Sweet Ben Sauce
3 tablespoons ground bean paste Reduce to 2 T
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 cup water
8 oz. fresh noodles flour-based noodle. Fresh or dry. I've used udon and a combination of spinach and plain

Additional Chinese Ingredients

4-6 fresh shiitake mushrooms* finely chopped
1 cup julienned carrots
1 cup julienned cucumbers
½ cup julienned scallions garnish

Additional Korean Ingredients

3 fresh shiitake mushrooms diced
1 medium Yukon Gold Potato* 1/2 inch dice for Korean version
1 small zucchini 1/2 inch dice for Korean version
1/2 cup carrots 1/2 inch dice for Korean version
1/2 small yellow onion diced
1/4 head cabbage shredded, optional
1/2 cup green onions chopped
1/2 cup cucumbers diced

Instructions

Marinade the pork with the following for 15 minutes: ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon oil, ⅛ teaspoon white pepper.
Heat a tablespoon oil in your wok over medium heat, add the marinated ground pork to the wok. Cook for a minute to brown it, and then add the ginger, garlic, and mushrooms* Stir fry everything together for another 2-3 minutes.
**Add the Hoisin, sweet bean sauce, bean paste, dark soy sauce, and water, stirring everything together well. Lower the heat and cover the wok. Simmer the sauce for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the package directions.
Top noodles with the sauce and garnish with the julienned carrots, cucumbers, and scallions.

Korean Style*

Stir fry pork, ginger, and garlic for 30 seconds add diced vegetables. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Continue with recipe**
If you like, add shredded cabbage in the last couple of minutes of cooking.
Place a mound of noodles in your bowl, top with sauce and garnish with cucumber and green onions. Plop yourself down in front of the telly and enjoy!

Instant Pot Easy Kheema Pulao (Spicy Indian Rice Dish)

By threejamigos | November 13, 2018 | Comments 2 comments

Sometimes other events dominate your life for a bit…but I’m back!

After weeks of knocking on doors to get out the vote, I was ready for some downtime. I drove home from Bakersfield (four hours each way, ugh) and wanted to chill and enjoy some home cooked food. As yummy as it is, (Wo)”Man”(me) cannot live on taqueria fare alone. I arrived home right around the dinner hour so I needed something quick and easy to make, but still comforting and delicious. I pulled out my Instant Pot, clicked on Ministry of Curry “Kheema Pulao” (think Indian version of a mixed rice dish) in my saved links, and voila’ 40 minutes later I was curled up on the couch, watching my favorite K-drama (Goblin), spooning hot, spicy pulao into my mouth. Ahhh, my reward for doing my part to save Democracy…and that’s all I will say about that (thanks, Forrest).

I love Biryani, a spicy Indian Rice dish that is both complex in flavor and in preparation. That means going to a restaurant and letting them make it for me. My job is to enjoy every bite. On the other hand, pulao is a simple version of a biryani, easily made at home and delicious. Vegetables, ground meat, aromatics, and spices are sauteed, then rice is added along with water or stock. A touch of sweetness from the cinnamon and onions, spicy from the ginger, garlic, and chili, then finished with cilantro and lime. Welcome to Flavortown. So good.

Kheema means minced or ground, in this recipe, ground chicken is used but you could use turkey or beef. The flavors are infused into the meat and the ground chicken cooks quickly, win-win. The rate-limiting step would be the time it takes for the rice to cook which, ta-da, is shortened by using your Instant Pot, PLUS the entire dish is done in one pot…no muss, no fuss, I’m doing the happy dance now.

Saute’ ingredients in the pot.

Add liquid and rice, cover, seal, set for 5 minutes, wait 5 minutes then quick release and done. How easy is that?

Garnish with cilantro and lime to make it pretty.

Add this to your things to make in my Instant Pot. Really.

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Kheema Pulao

A one pot meal made with long grain basmati rice cooked with ground chicken and a host of aromatics ginger, garlic, onions, bay leaves, black pepper, cumin seeds and cinnamon. A flavor explosion. Adapted from Ministry of Curry

Course Main Course

Cuisine Indian

Keyword Kheema Pulao

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Servings 4 people

Calories 422kcal

Ingredients

2 tablespoons ghee
1 teaspoon shah jeera or cumin seeds
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
2 inch cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
1 medium onion thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ginger grated
1 teaspoon garlic grated
1 pound ground chicken can use , beef or turkey
1 tomato, diced
1 teaspoon red chili powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric
Handful of mint leaves chopped
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup long grain Basmati rice
1 ½ cups water

Garnish

1 lime
½ cup cilantro chopped
1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground

Instructions

Set the Instant Pot to sauté(more) mode and heat ghee. Add cumin seeds, black peppercorn, cinnamon and bay leaves. Saute for 30 seconds.
Add onions and sauté for 5-8 minutes or until the onions start to brown. Add ginger, garlic and chicken. Sauté, breaking the chicken and browning it for a minute. Add tomatoes, red chili powder, turmeric, mint leaves, and salt. Mix well.
Add rice and water. Gently mix making sure all the rice is under the liquids. Close the Instant Pot lid with pressure valve to sealing. Cook on Manual /Pressure cook (Hi) 5 mins with 5 min NPR.
Open the Instant Pot and gently fluff the top rice (Note, if the rice looks uncooked on the top, just mix it with the rice under and close the Instant Pot for 5 minutes)
If rice seems a little wet, let it sit for a couple of minutes, top open.
Add lime juice, cilantro and black pepper. Turn the Instant Pot off and take the insert out so the rice does not overcook or get mushy. Enjoy hot.

Angel Hair Pasta with Tomatoes, Garlic and Basil

Will Cook for Tomatoes (Pasta with Tomatoes, Garlic and Basil)

By threejamigos | August 10, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

This is going to be a short post. I wanted to make sure I posted while all of you are harvesting your bushels of homegrown tomatoes (I am so jealous). Yes, I see your photos on FB and Instagram of all those love apples ripening on the vine in your backyard. I see the basket on your kitchen counter overflowing with heirloom tomatoes, Sweet 100’s and Early Girls and those gorgeous salads you are making with them. I hate you. Ok, I’m kidding, I don’t really hate you, but I do have tomato envy-so, so jealous. We just haven’t had much luck with tomatoes lately. After looking at our sad vines, I caved and bought some dry farm tomatoes at the Farmer’s Market, I couldn’t resist.

I made a beeline home and used those tomatoes, and the few I was able to pull off our vines (so few, so sad), to make my favorite pasta dish, Angel Hair Pasta with Tomato, Garlic, and Basil. This dish captures the essence of summer, where the star are those vine-ripened, luscious tomatoes. You know, the ones you grew and I had to buy (auugh, so fixated). I pulled out my dog-eared copy of Kuleto’s Contemporary Italian Cookbook and flipped to the page for Angel Hair Pasta with Tomato, Garlic and Basil and in barely 30 minutes we were sitting down to the best damn bowl of pasta. So delicious, so easy and so simple.

All you need for this dish, besides tomatoes, is noodles, olive oil, garlic, and basil. That’s pretty much it. How simple is that?! In full transparency, I didn’t have angel hair pasta so I used linguine fini. Normally I would say NBD, but in this case, use angel hair pasta, it is the perfect match for this sauce.

So, yes, despite my tomato envy I’m passing this delicious recipe along to all of you who have that “difficult task” of figuring out what to do with all those homegrown tomatoes. ALTHOUGH…another option, you could call me, I’ll gladly take some off your hands!

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Angel Hair Pasta with Tomatoes, Garlic, and Basil

Fresh summer tomatoes, garlic and basil the building blocks for a classic, delicious pasta dish

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Angel hair pasta, basil, garlic, tomatoes

Cook Time 15

Servings 4

Ingredients

1/4 cup garlic thinly sliced
7 tbsp olive oil extra virgin
2 cups fresh tomatoes seeded and diced, ~ 1pound
2/3 cup basil leaves roughly chopped or julienned
3/4 tsp kosher salt or to taste
1/2 TSP black pepper freshly ground
6 ounces Angel Hair Pasta Capellini

Instructions

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in sauce pan over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook slowly until garlic is lightly and evenly browned. Reduce heat to low add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Cook just until tomatoes are heated through. Remove 1/3 sauce from skillet and reserve.
Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions in boiling, salted water. Drain and add pasta and remaining olive oil to skillet. Toss to coat with oil. Remove to serving bowl or leave in skillet and top with remaining sauce. Serve with freshly grated parmesan if desired.

Asian Bolognese “Zha Jiang Mian”

By threejamigos | July 12, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

When I lived in Los Angeles my favorite place to eat was a tiny dumpling shop in Chinatown. Before entering I would stop and watch the woman in the window folding dumplings, it was mesmerizing. She would roll the dough into a long rope, deftly cut it into pieces and then with a small rolling pin, flatten each piece into a thin round disc. A spoonful of filling plopped in the center of the wrapper, a couple of turns, and a perfectly pleated potsticker was born.

Hoisin-sweet sauce, Sweet Bean flour is a bit more pronounced in flavor, Bean Sauce is salty with a fermented flavor-umami central. If you don’t have an Asian market near you, I have posted product links in the 3Jamigos Shop for **Hoisin** **Sauce** and **Bean Sauce**-but it would be WAY cheaper at an Asian market!

As delicious as the dumplings were, I actually went for the noodles. Their Zha Jiang Mian was “drop the mic” delicious. The literal translation is fried bean sauce noodles. Stir fry ground pork or chicken with shiitake mushrooms, garlic, ginger, sweet bean paste, and ground bean sauce-throw in some water and simmer. Toss with the warm noodles and top with slivers of green onions, crisp carrots, and refreshing cucumbers, it is really yummy.

If a celestial chef decided to create the perfect bowl of noodles-this would be in the running.

My quest to make my own perfect bowl of noodles started with the recipe on the blog “The Woks of Life” (mom, dad & 2 sisters blogging from different parts of the world, check it out). The recipe calls for ground bean sauce and either sweet flour sauce or Hoisin. I like Zha Jiang Mian with a touch of sweetness so I used Sweet Bean Paste and Hoisin with the Bean Sauce. Stir fry the pork, seasonings, and mushrooms and add water to create the sauce. Reduce the sauce until it has thickened and has a nice sheen. Pour over noodles, add your veggies, dunzo. A little bowl of goodness ready to eat. Sadly, the little shop is gone and it’s a long drive to LA just for noodles anyways. It’s a good thing I can make my own Zha Jiang Mian.

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Zha Jiang Mian 2 Ways

Zha Jiang Mian Korean style and Chinese Style, both delicious!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Keyword Zha Jiang Mian

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Ingredients

6 oz. ground pork
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon oil plus 1 tablespoon
⅛ teaspoon white pepper
3 slices ginger minced finely
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoons sweet bean sauce I used 2 T Hoisin/1 T Sweet Ben Sauce
3 tablespoons ground bean paste Reduce to 2 T
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 cup water
8 oz. fresh noodles flour-based noodle. Fresh or dry. I've used udon and a combination of spinach and plain

Additional Chinese Ingredients

4-6 fresh shiitake mushrooms* finely chopped
1 cup julienned carrots
1 cup julienned cucumbers
½ cup julienned scallions garnish

Additional Korean Ingredients

3 fresh shiitake mushrooms diced
1 medium Yukon Gold Potato* 1/2 inch dice for Korean version
1 small zucchini 1/2 inch dice for Korean version
1/2 cup carrots 1/2 inch dice for Korean version
1/2 small yellow onion diced
1/4 head cabbage shredded, optional
1/2 cup green onions chopped
1/2 cup cucumbers diced

Instructions

Marinade the pork with the following for 15 minutes: ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon oil, ⅛ teaspoon white pepper.
Heat a tablespoon oil in your wok over medium heat, add the marinated ground pork to the wok. Cook for a minute to brown it, and then add the ginger, garlic, and mushrooms* Stir fry everything together for another 2-3 minutes.
**Add the Hoisin, sweet bean sauce, bean paste, dark soy sauce, and water, stirring everything together well. Lower the heat and cover the wok. Simmer the sauce for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Meanwhile, cook the noodles according to the package directions.
Top noodles with the sauce and garnish with the julienned carrots, cucumbers, and scallions.

Korean Style*

Stir fry pork, ginger, and garlic for 30 seconds add diced vegetables. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes. Continue with recipe**
If you like, add shredded cabbage in the last couple of minutes of cooking.
Place a mound of noodles in your bowl, top with sauce and garnish with cucumber and green onions. Plop yourself down in front of the telly and enjoy!

Gettin’ Jjigae with Anthony Bourdain (Korean Army Stew)

By threejamigos | June 22, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

Ok. Are you looking at the pic above and thinking WHAAAT? Hot dogs? Spam? Kimchi? VanCamps BAKED Beans? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? It’s like Mom pulling things out of the fridge and the pantry to make dinner… in the 1960s. But stay with me, these are actually the building blocks for Anthony Bourdain’s version of Budae Jjigae or Army Stew. A crazy concoction created during the Korean War when food was scarce and the US Army PX was ground zero for processed foods like SPAM and hot dogs-cheap, available protein. Combined with familiar Korean ingredients, a not so healthy but totally delicious, comforting stew was born.

Anthony Bourdain’s mischevious side was in overdrive when he decided to make this dish for Anderson Cooper. He thoroughly enjoyed watching Anderson squirm as he popped open the can of SPAM, container of kimchi, hot dogs, rice cakes, plopped them in a pan and added a generous dollop of Gochujang or Korean pepper paste on top. Anchovy stock is poured over this bed of deliciousness and set to simmer for 30 minutes. A pack of INSTANT RAMEN is added at the very end. Ten minutes later Bourdain was doing a happy dance while slurping his noodles. So was an amazed Anderson. Catch the episode here, watch it, smile and remember his wicked sense of humor, his intellect and his ability to never take himself too seriously. Then go make your family a pot of Budae Jjigae to fill your tummy, warm your soul and comfort your heart.

This dish is like that bad boy you were always crazy about in high school, knew you should stay away from but just couldn’t. My favorite line in the clip is when he says to Anderson, “it seems so wrong but taste so right, like true love”. Budae Jjigae is right up my alley, processed meats, fermented vegetables, ground meats and instant ramen noodles, yum. I grew up on baloney sandwiches on white bread, Fizzies as the fruit in my lunch, Spaghetti out of a can, thanks to Chef Boyardee, and Friday night Swanson’s TV dinners. In college, I survived on instant ramen and Banquet frozen fried chicken. Those were the days.

Just before serving, place a slice of American cheese right on top so it melts and oozes all over your ramen. That literally takes it over the top. Thank you, David Chang, for that addition.

Tips for your Budae Jjigae

Use Korean instant ramen, my favorite brand, Shin Ramen. If you don’t make Budae Jjigae, at least try the instant noodles. Use the seasoning packet and up your ramen game with an egg cracked into your bowl of noodles (the soup will cook it) and topped with a Kraft single (uh-huh you all know what I am talking about, real cheese food). You end up with a pretty fine bowl of totally unhealthy but ridiculously yummy noodles. To appease your conscious add some veggies, corn, peas, kimchi or shredded lettuce.

If you can find it, use Vienna Sausages (those old enough know EXACTLY what I am talking about, mini hot dogs in a flip top can) in place of hot dogs.

Rice cakes (tokbokki) come either tubular or disc shape, either will work. You can find them at Korean markets, along with kimchi, Gochujang and pepper flakes.

In place of anchovy stock you can use Japanese dashi or broth.

Have plenty of beer on hand to wash it all down and to toast the life of Mr. Bourdain.

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Gettin’ JJigae with Anthony Bourdain (Korean Army Stew)

Ingredients

1 dried shiitake mushroom
4 large dried anchovies heads and guts removed, wrapped in cheesecloth
One 3 × 5-inch sheet dried edible kelp or konmbu Use Japanese dashi in place of anchovy stock
½ teaspoon sea salt
12 ounces SPAM cut into ½-inch- thick slices
1½ cups Napa cabbage kimchi tongbaechu drain
8 ounces sliced Korean rice cakes
1 white onion peeled and thinly sliced
2 scallions white and light green parts, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves peeled and crushed
3 hot dogs thinly sliced
6-8 ounces ground pork
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons gochujang Korean fermented chili paste
3 tablespoons medium/fine gochugaru ground Korean red pepper he uses a dash only I used about a teaspoon, he did not come close to 3 T in the video...trust me start small
3 tablespoons cheongju Korean rice wineor Chinese rice wine of Sake
3 tablespoons canned baked beans
1 package ramen noodles preferably the Korean brand Shin, seasoning packet discarded

Instructions

To make the anchovy broth, combine the mushroom, anchovies, kelp, 4 cups water, and the salt in a medium, heavy-bottom pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, strain and discard the solids, and set the broth aside.
Place the SPAM, kimchi, rice cakes, onion, scallions, garlic, hot dogs, and pork in small separate piles in a large shallow pot.
Add the soy sauce, gochujang, gochugaru, and cheongju to the pot, then slowly pour in the reserved anchovy kelp broth. Add the baked beans and 1½ cups water. Bring the contents to a steady simmer over high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Cook for about 10 minutes, then add the ramen noodles. Ladle the broth over the noodles to help them break apart. Continue to cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until the noodles are cooked through but still chewy.

“The Triple P” Pulled Pork Pasta (Rigatoni with Pork Ragu)

By threejamigos | May 16, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

If you are like me, an empty nester still transitioning from cooking for a family of 5 to cooking for 2, you probably still have some (ok, alot) of that luscious roast pork left. As much as I love tacos, I can eat only so many. Back to Sam Kass’s book, Eat A Little Better, to try one of the many recipes that makes use of that delicious roasted pork.

BINGO. Found another winner. Rigatoni with Pork Ragu.

The ragu’ comes together in minutes. Chopped onion, garlic, are sautéed before adding the tomatoes and roasted pork. Simmer until it is reduced to a lovely thick, rich sauce. Voila’, a comforting, warm and homey lunch or dinner on the table. I added a pinch of chili pepper flakes, as suggested, for a little kick. Make a big batch, this sauce is better a day or two later after the flavors really come together.

Better yet, it freezes beautifully. Luckily, I threw the remaining sauce in the freezer on the way out of town. We arrived home a week later, travel weary and hungry but happy with one of two new college graduates in tow. I pulled out the sauce, boiled some pasta and minutes later we were all standing around the kitchen island enjoying our bowls of pasta. Yummy eats and no more tuition. Life is good. Hmmm, Jordan comes home tomorrow, hope I have enough sauce left until then.

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“The Triple P” Pulled Pork Pasta (Rigatoni with Pork Ragu)

Ingredients

3 tablespoons EVOO
1 medium yellow onion finely chopped
3 garlic cloves smashed
Kosher salt
1/4-1/2 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
3 pounds ripe tomatoes cored and chopped or one 28 ounce can tomatoes in juice
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2-3 cups coarsely shredded cooked pork shoulder I used 2 cups, its a lot of meat
1 pound rigatoni or pasta of your choice should be a thick pasta thats holds up well to the sauce
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Italian parsley for garnish

Instructions

Heat oil in large heavy pot over medium high heat until it shimmers. Add onion, garlic, chili pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook stirring occasionally until the onion turns a nice golden brown ~6-8 minutes.
Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste and pork. Let the mixture come to a simmer, while stirring, break up tomatoes. Continue to simmer over low heat until sauce has thickened. This will take approximately 25 minutes with fresh tomatoes and 15 minutes with canned tomatoes.
Season to taste with salt.
Cook the pasta according to directions. Drain well, toss with sauce and sprinkle with parmesan.
Garnish with parsley. Serve immediately. Have additional parmesan on table.

Eat a Little Better with Sam Kass

By threejamigos | May 9, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

I received Sam Kass’s book, Eat a Little Better: Great Flavor, Good Health, Better World to review QUITE a while ago. I wasn’t too busy and it wasn’t because I didn’t feel like looking at it. On the contrary, I really liked the book and kept finding recipes I wanted to try before posting. For those of you not familiar with Sam, he was the personal chef to President Obama’s family and worked with FLOTUS on her healthy eating initiative. Yes, I am biased and really wanted to like this book (plus he is easy on the eyes-I didn’t just write that, did I?). Luckily I can, in good conscience say, its a winner.

Eat A little better My fridge — Work in progress. Yep, all those fruits and vegetables were hidden in the bins below.

I love the stories about the White House, the first family and Sam’s tips on healthy eating and cooking. The first change I implemented was rearranging my fridge. I moved my fruits and vegetables to bowls and see-through containers. Now, when I open the door my weekend farmer’s market bounty is staring me in the face instead of hidden in the “the crisper”. No longer out of sight, out of mind. Be honest, who hasn’t pulled out an unidentifiable fuzzy green object that might have once been an apple or orange, or worse a forgotten cucumber that morphed into a slimy swamp creature…ewwwww.

Those ignored apples stashed in the crisper? Placed front and center, a visible “I’m here” reminder, turned into a couple of delicious apple crisps.

The recipes are straightforward, uncomplicated, some healthy, some homey, some both. Right up my alley. I LOVE sweet potatoes so a recipe for a trio of dips/toppings for baked sweet potatoes caught my eye. It reminded me of an absolutely scrumptious charred sweet potato with a bone marrow Salsa Negra appetizer I had at Cala in San Francisco. The potatoes were tender, smoky and sweet. Borrowing from Smitten Kitchen, I slow roasted the potatoes in the oven and finished them under the broiler for that nice char. The toppings, an herbalicious sour cream, and a brown butter orange juice were a snap to prepare. I nixed the bacon dip and made the topping for Kaddo, an Afghani dish of braised pumpkin topped with two sauces, a tomato meat sauce, and a garlic-mint yogurt sauce. The sweet potato stood in for the pumpkin, pretty yummy. It deserves its own post which is coming soon.

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Sweet Potato In-skin Mash-ups

Ingredients

4-6 Whole Roasted Sweet Potatoes I used Smitten Kitchen recipe see link

Brown Butter-Orange Juice

6 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into chunks
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
Kosher salt

Herbed Sour Cream

3/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh chives or green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Kosher salt

Instructions

While sweet potatoes are roasting you will have plenty of time to throw these sauces together.

Brown butter-orange juice

Place butter chunks in saucepan, preferably a light color one so you can see the butter turn color. Place over medium heat and let the butter melt and bubble, swirl the pot occasionally. The butter will foam and then start to color. Watch carefully, the milk particles will turn a nice toasty brown, remove from the heat and pour butter into a heatproof bowl.
Stir in orange juice and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Make a slit lengthwise in each potato, season with more salt. Smoosh it with a fork and drizzle the sauce on the sweet potato.
Serve immediately.

Herbed Sour Cream

In a small bowl, combine sour cream, chives, thyme and lemon juice. Mix until well blended. Season with a 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Split potato, season with salt and place a generous dollop of the sour cream in the potato.
Serve immediately.

Next, Butternut Squash and Kale Fried Rice. The sweetness of the squash meshed well with the saltiness of the bacon and the slight bite of the kale. Surprisingly good and easy to make. Feel free to use any kind of rice, use a mix of green onions and yellow onions and season to taste with soy sauce. DON’T SKIP THE EGG.

Leftover roast chicken? Sam’s tasty recipe for Chicken Salad was the perfect answer. Red onion, crispy green beans, fresh thyme, and mayo to bind. A breeze to put together. For a touch of sweetness, grapes or diced apples would be a nice addition.

How could I not try the dish featured on his cover? Braised Chicken with Olives and Oranges. Bold, bright flavors, sweet from the oranges and tangy from the olives, like tennis a love match. Even better the second day when the flavors mellowed and melded together.

You can see why it took me so long to review!

His Slow Roasted Pork served as the base for a couple of quick and delicious meals. I still had plenty left despite continually pulling shreds of pork off the bone and popping it into my mouth.

Eat A Little Better Slow Roasted Pork — Slow Roasted Pork out of the oven

First meal-CARNITAS. Topped with a cabbage slaw, homemade salsa, cilantro, and onions on warm corn tortillas, darn fine tacos.

Eat A Little Better Carnitas Tacos — Carnitas Tacos

Second meal-Rigatoni with Pork Ragu. Onions, tomatoes, slow roasted pork and a handful of grated Parmesan, so simple and satisfying.

So, verdict? Wonderful, simple, straightforward cookbook with some sage advice. I plan to use this book a lot. Hope you will too.

Fast, Flavorful, Pho-tastic(Instant Pot Pho Ga, Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup )

By threejamigos | April 7, 2018 | Comments 0 Comment

I can’t think of anything more comforting than a steaming bowl of noodle soup. If marooned on an island, what would you eat and what 3 books would you want to have with you. My response would be immediate, a no-brainer, noodle soup. The caveat being noodle soup would include Pho, Ramen, Udon, Won Ton Noodle Soup, Guksu, Laksa…. and one of my 3 books would be Andrea Nguyen’s The Pho Cookbook.

I have always wanted to try my hand at making Pho. But the stock for this popular Vietnamese Noodle Soup is a labor of love. Hours of simmering on the stove coaxing the flavors out of chicken, beef, and aromatics like ginger, onions, and cilantro. Intimidating to say the least. Andrea’s recipe for Pho Ga (Chicken Pho) made in a pressure cooker was the “kick in the pants” I needed. Pho in less than an hour? I immediately headed to the store for ingredients. Slurp City here I come. Thanks to Andrea Nguyen and Instant Pot, I was about to make Pho in a fraction of the time. Ms. Nguyen has written quite a few cookbooks on the cuisine of Vietnam and I snapped up her ode to soup noodles after an interview on KQED.

This makes homemade Pho eminently doable. One pot cooking, woohoo. Increase the cooking time if you have an Instant Pot. It works at a slightly lower pressure (11.5psi) than a conventional pressure cooker. Remove the cilantro and ginger after the cooking process as both herbs continue to flavor the stock and may overpower the flavor of the broth. Modify the natural pressure release by letting your Instant Pot sit for 5 minutes before venting and opening. Once you remove the chicken, place it in a cold water bath. This keeps the chicken tender and moist. If you like your chicken a bit more done, leave it in the pot for about 15 minutes before removing. The chicken can be shredded or sliced whatever your preference.

With your broth done, your noodles softened. It is now Topping Time! Toppings, toppings, toppings galore. You can be traditional and top your pho with basil, mint, and bean sprouts or you can keep going and add ABSOLUTELY ANYTHING YOU WANT. I didn’t have bean sprouts so I used shredded carrots and cabbage. Thinly sliced red onions add a nice bite. Delicious. Mushrooms, let those fungus fly..into your bowl. Condiments include Siracha for spice, Hoisin for a bit of sweetness and a squeeze of lime. S cubed-sweet, salty, spicy and so good!

Now you and I can make our own bowls of deliciousness.

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Fast, Flavorful, Pho-tastic (Instant Pot Pho Ga)

Ingredients

BROTH

1 whole chicken 4 lbs.
1 rounded tbsp. coriander seeds
3 whole cloves
1 medium yellow onion peeled, halved, and sliced 1/2 in. thick
1 3- in. piece ginger peeled and thickly sliced
1 small Fuji apple peeled, cored, and cut into thumbnail-size chunks
1/2-3/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro sprigs
About 2 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt
About 1 1/2 tbsp. fish sauce
About 1 tsp. organic sugar* or 2 tsp. maple syrup if needed to round out flavor

BOWLS

10 ounce dried narrow flat rice noodles*
About half of cooked chicken from the broth
1/2 small red onion halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced and soaked in water 10 minutes
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion green parts only
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Pepper
Vietnamese Herb Garnish Plate
Vietnamese Ginger Dipping Sauce

Instructions

Step 1
Make broth: Rinse chicken and set aside to drain. Put coriander seeds and cloves in a dry 6- to 8-qt. pressure cooker. Over medium heat, toast until fragrant, shaking, several minutes. Add onion and ginger and cook, stirring, until browned on edges, 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 2
Add 4 cups water, then the chicken, breast side up. Add apple, cilantro, salt, and another 4 cups water. Lock the lid in place.
Step 3
Following your cooker's instructions, bring to low pressure (8 psi) over high heat. Lower heat to maintain pressure. Cook 15 minutes, or a few minutes longer if your cooker's low setting is less than 8 psi. If your cooker has only a high-pressure (15 psi) setting, cook 12 minutes. The Instant Pot setting is approximately 12 psi so I increased the time to 14 minutes. If you like your chicken falling off the bone leave the chicken in the Instant Pot for 20 minutes before pressure release. I waited 5 minutes and then did a quick release. The chicken was tender much like white cut chicken.
Step 4
Transfer the chicken to a bowl; if parts fall off in transit, don’t worry. Add cold water to cover the chicken and soak for 10 minutes to cool and prevent drying. Pour off the water, partially cover, and set the chicken aside to cool.
Step 5
Skim some fat from the broth before straining it through a muslin-lined mesh strainer positioned over a medium pot. Discard the solids. You should have about 8 cups. Taste and season the broth with the fish sauce, extra salt, and perhaps a bit of sugar.
Step 6
Use a knife to remove the breast halves and legs from the chicken. Set aside half of the chicken for another use. Reserve the remaining chicken for pho bowl assembly.

Prep and assemble the bowls

About 30 minutes before serving, ready the ingredients for the bowls. Soak the noodles in hot tap water until pliable and opaque. Drain, rinse, and drain well.
Step 7
Cut or tear the chicken breast and leg into pieces about 1⁄4 inch thick. Place the onion, green onion, and cilantro in separate bowls and line them up with the noodles, chicken, and pepper for a pho assembly line.
Bring the broth to a simmer over medium heat as you are assembling the bowls. At the same time, fill a pot with water and bring to a rolling boil for the noodles.
For each bowl, use a noodle strainer or mesh sieve to dunk a portion of the noodles in the boiling water. When the noodles are soft, 5 to 60 seconds, pull the strainer from the water, shaking it to drain excess water back into the pot. Empty the noodles into a bowl.
Top with chicken, then garnish with onion, green onion, cilantro, and pepper and any toppings you want.
Check the broth flavor once more, raise the heat, and bring it to a boil. Ladle about 2 cups broth into each bowl. Enjoy immediately.