Tag: noodles
Creamy Cashew Udon with Crispy Mushrooms

Creamy Cashew Udon with Crispy Mushrooms

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I’m not a vegetarian but we are making a concerted effort to eat less meat and more veggies.  Good for us and good for the planet.  It’s much easier now with so many cookbook authors, bloggers, and chefs being much more veggie-forward.

The first new year recipe I tried was Cauliflower Steaks with a Smoky Tomato Rub from Cook the Vineyard.  Delicious, off to a good start!  I also received Hetty McKinnon’s To Asia with Love during the holidays.  A nod to her Chinese roots, she has penned a beautiful cookbook that relies on vegetables.  But before I even cracked open the book I found this recipe from her, Creamy Cashew Udon with Crispy Mushrooms, in Bon Appetit.  It’s so good.

The recipe can be broken down into 3 parts.  The creamy cashew sauce, the umami-filled chili crisp, soy, vinegar sauce, and the noodles.

Cashew Sauce

Who knew? Blending cashews with water, garlic makes an amazing, creamy, rich sauce that is the perfect stand-in for heavy cream.

It is super versatile, add herbs and spices for a sauce over roasted vegetables like carrots and broccoli. Or add some tahini for a sesame flavored sauce. Yummy.  I know, cashews can be pretty darn expensive.  I buy mine at Costco or local Indian markets which helps save some buckaroos,

The base sauce is cashews, water, garlic, salt, and a bit of oil.  It’s genius.  The cashews are hydrated first, in hot water, before tossing them in a blender or food processor with other ingredients and whirred into a sauce that provides flavor and a wonderfully creamy, decadent sauce.  Shazam.

Chili Oil

The chili sauce comes together quickly and provides that burst of flavor that brings it all together.  Use your favorite Chili Crisp Oil.  I use either the OG of Chili Crisp Oils, Lao Gan Ma, or Momofuku Chili Crisp.  Hetty McKinnon has a homemade chili crisp oil in her book.  It’s on my bucket list of things to try.

The Noods

Udon noodles are Japanese wheat noodles that are thick and springy.  Often overshadowed by its flashy cousin ramen. It is served in soup, hot or cold, and stir-fried.  My fav is in soup with shreds of beef, Niku Udon, with Aburaage, fried tofu, or simply with an egg.  Here is my Udon primer.  It works really well in this dish, the creamy sauce coats the thick, sticky udon nicely. The noodles have a nice bite that compliments the mushrooms.  BUT, you could use different noodles, keep in mind you’ll want a thicker noodle, one that can stand up to the sauce (so not thin vermicelli noodles).  For a gluten-free option, a wide rice noodle would work well.

Not gonna lie, always going to love meat, but folks like Hetty McKinnon are making it much easier to make our meals much more veggie-centric.  This pasta dish is going in the regular rotation!

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Creamy Cashew Udon with Crispy Mushrooms

From Hetty McKinnon an absolutely delicious pasta dish that uses cashews to create a creamy, decadent sauce, it’s vegetarian, it’s vegan, it’s yummy!
Course Main Course, one bowl meal, pasta
Cuisine Asian-American, vegan, vegetarian
Keyword Angel hair pasta, cashew, Creamy cashew sauce, mushrooms, Udon
Prep Time 1 hour 42 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

CASHEW CREAM

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1 garlic clove coarsely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt

Chili Oil

  • 2 Tbsp. Chinkiang or Chinese Black Vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. chili crisp or chili oil
  • 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
  • 1 scallion thinly sliced

The Shrooms

  • 2-3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 lb. oyster shiitake, crimini, or button mushrooms, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 clove garlic finely chopped
  • ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt plus more serving
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Noodles and Garnish

  • 28 oz. fresh or frozen udon noodles Substitute wide rice noodles for gluten-free option.
  • 2 scallions thinly sliced

Instructions

Cashew Cream

  • Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, then remove from heat. Add cashews and let sit until tender, 30–60 minutes.
  • Drain cashews and transfer to a blender (preferably high-speed) or food processor. Add garlic, oil, salt, and ½ cup water and purée until smooth.

Umami Sauce

  • Stir vinegar, chili crisp, soy sauce, sesame oil, and scallion in a small bowl to combine; set soy-vinegar sauce aside.
  • Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook mushrooms, tossing every minute or so but leaving mostly undisturbed, until mostly golden and crisp, 5–8 minutes, oyster and shiitakes will cook quicker, while crimini and button mushrooms will take a bit longer. Add garlic and kosher salt, cook, stirring often, add additional tablespoon of olive oil if the mushrooms look dry.

Noodles

  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook noodles according to package directions. You can use udon or any wide, thick noodle. For gluten-free option use rice noodles. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.
  • Remove half of the mushrooms from the pan. Add noodles and cashew cream to pan with remianing mushrooms cook, stirring and adding reserved cooking liquid a little at a time, until cream is loose and coats noodles. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Divide noodles among bowls, garnish with reserved mushrooms generously drizzle each with reserved soy-vinegar sauce. Top with remaining scallions. Serve.

Notes

You could make this gluten free too!  Use a wheat free soy sauce, like a Tamari Sauce and a rice noodle for the udon. 
Blend the cashew sauce well, preferably use a blender or food processor.  Don’t be timid, you want a nice smooth sauce.

 
Asian Bolognese “Zha Jiang Mian”

Asian Bolognese “Zha Jiang Mian”

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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.

Bean Sauce
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.

Beijing Meat Sauce Noodles

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.

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 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

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!
Ketchup Noodles

Ketchup Noodles

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One of my favorite shows on Netflix is the Japanese production Samurai Gourmet. I LOVE this show. I’m crossing my fingers that they will produce more episodes.  It follows newly retired exec Kasumi as he rediscovers the simple pleasures of life (most of which involve food of course).  Timid by nature, he has an alter ego, a confident, bravado-filled Samurai, who appears when Kasumi is faced with an awkward situation.  Its funny, sweet, poignant and filled with FOOD PORN.

Each episode features a meal that Kasumi savors over.  My favorite episode finds him searching for a favorite dish from his youth. The first bite immediately transports him back to his childhood.  To really make you drool, there are close-ups of each dish being prepared or eaten followed by Kasumi exclaiming “oishi!” (delicious!). If you have Netflix, this is must-see TV.  If you don’t, call me.  We’ll do a marathon session and go out for ramen afterward.

So I arrived home after a particularly long commute and needed to unwind.  Not wanting to watch the news I popped on Netflix and found my favorite episode of Samurai Gourmet.  Big mistake, before the end credits ran I was ravenous. Watching Kasumi slurp up a plate of pasta had me salivating for a bowl of noodles.  I hopped up, headed to the fridge, and luckily found a tiny portion of linguine left from last night’s dinner.  I grabbed it, the butter, and the bottle of ketchup.

Yep, you read that right.  Butter and ketchup.  Did you laugh when you read that? When I was a kid my Mom would make us Ketchup noodles for an after-school snack.  It was quick and easy and held us over until dinner.  I continued the tradition with my kids and would have a plate waiting for them as they came running in from school.  Jamie, our noodle girl loved them.

You can add anything you want to this dish.  Saute some onions and minced garlic before adding the noodles to the pan.  Spice it up with a dash of chili flakes…use your imagination!  Here is a refined version from Just One Cookbook, a Japanese blog post.  See, I’m not alone, ketchup and noodles are a Japanese thing too.

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Mom's Ketchup Noodles!

Yes, you read that right, ketchup noodles, delicious
Course One dish meals
Cuisine Asian-American
Keyword butter, ketchup, noodles
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings 2

Ingredients

  • 8 oz spaghettini or angel hair or linguine fini or 12 ounces Chinese Egg Noodles
  • 2-3 tbsp butter salted, unsalted whatever floats your boat
  • 2-3 tbsp ketchup or to taste
  • Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated OR To be true to my mom, you should use the pre-grated parmesan cheese in the green can by Kraft!
  • salt and pepper garlic salt is nice too, not a mom ingredient but it works

Instructions

  • Cook noodles according to directions on package, drain and reserve
  • Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. When it starts to bubble, add noodles, increase heat to medium high.
  • Toss to coat noodles with butter. Add ketchup and continue to toss to mix thoroughly while frying. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Pass the cheese in the little green can. Does that still exist?
  • ENJOY!!!!

Notes

If you want to go crazy, you could saute' some minced garlic in the butter before adding the noodles.  You can use garlic salt also.
A riff on ketchup noodle:  Replace the ketchup with Oyster Sauce which is just as delicious..salty, briny, buttery....hmmm yum

Hi Mui, Claire, Jorge, Jeffy
Ginger & Scallion Noodles Parts Unknown & Sauces Unknown

Ginger & Scallion Noodles Parts Unknown & Sauces Unknown

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I am hooked on Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown.

I just started watching it on Netflix.  It’s not just about food, everything is fair game; history, lifestyle (check out the Tokyo episode), politics, culture. If you have a chance watch the episode on Shanghai.  Shanghai has become the city of the future, a financial hub, and global powerhouse, it is the juggernaut that defines China today.  While in college, I was lucky enough to visit Shanghai.  We spent a couple of days in this fabled port city. Though ravaged by years of occupation and then isolation, even then it felt like Shanghai was ready to embrace the outside world and the future. I watched Mr. Bourdain’s episode and realized it had all come to pass.

Shanghai Then

We strolled down to the Yangtze River and by the time we arrived at the riverfront we had attracted a crowd of people easily 10 deep.  The crowd was eager to practice speaking English with us.  Others gawked at the strange way we were dressed. Bicycles not cars flooded the streets and everyone wore brown or blue pants and white shirts (vestiges of life under Mao).  Stores and restaurants were run by the government, only tourist were allowed.  If I invited anyone for dinner they still turned in their ration coupons even though I had paid for the meal.

Not a MickeyD’s, Starbucks, or Pizza Hut in Sight

Back then, it was hard to imagine that China would become the political & economic heavyweight it is today.  The Shanghai featured in Parts Unknown was unrecognizable.  Where once stood old provincial buildings built by countries that had occupied China, there are now modern high-rises.  Cars have replaced bicycles and proletariat clothes have given way to the latest fashion trends. Gone are the state-run stores, replaced by Prada, Fendi, and Starbucks.

Fine wines and haute cuisine are part of the China of today but thankfully street markets and sidewalk stalls selling down-home food like dumplings and noodles still exist.  Stir-fried Noodles with Ginger and Scallions are a mainstay of not only Chinese street food but a dish made at home.

I learned how to make this from my father.  Julienned ginger,  scallions, and minced garlic are sizzled in hot oil to impart their flavors.  Make the sauce next – combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, wine, sesame oil, and reserve.  Stir-fry the noodles in the infused oil and add the sauce.  Give it a couple of stirs and just like that, a tasty meal in minutes.  Most of the ingredients are pantry staples.  Find fresh noodles in the refrigerator section of most Asian stores and larger supermarkets.  I usually buy a couple of packs of fresh noodles and throw them into the freezer.

The Asian PantryRight next to the catsup, mustard, and mayo…their Asian counterparts!

From left to right:  Sake (Japanese rice wine), Mirin (sweet Japanese cooking wine), Bean Sauce by Koon Chun (salty bean paste), Chili Garlic Sauce (like Siracha, similar in heat with garlic added), Sesame oil by Kadoya (used in Korean, Japanese and Chinese dishes), Chinese Rice wine (Michu), Vietnamese Fish Sauce by Three Crabs (pink label in back), Hoisin Sauce by Koon Chun (Chinese all-purpose bbq sauce), Premium Soy Sauce by Lee Kum Kee (all-purpose soy sauce), Oyster Sauce also by Lee Kum Kee (our go-to brand look for the label with the boy and woman in a boat).  Some of the bottles are almost empty which means I will be going to my favorite Asian market soon, call me if you want to come along for an Asian Sauce Primer!

3/17/21 Update:  I make this so often for a quick meal, like today!  I sauteed shredded cabbage and a trio of mushrooms from Mycopia, and added a nice dollop of chili crisp oil, good to go.  Use a vegetarian oyster sauce and voila’ veggie-friendly meal!

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Ginger and Scallion Noodles

A quick and easy dish. Stir fry noodles in oil infused with ginger, scallions and garlic-delicious!
Course One dish meals
Cuisine Asian
Keyword garlic, ginger, noodles, scallions
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb fresh Asian egg noodles thin and flat like fettuccine
  • Fresh ginger 6 thin slices, crushed to release its flavor
  • 3 scallions or green onions cut into 1 inch sections and crushed to release flavor
  • 2 cloves of garlic smashed but intact
  • 3 T vegetable or peanut oil
  • Sauce:
  • 3 T premium soy sauce
  • 3 T oyster sauce
  • 1.5 T rice wine
  • 1.5 t sesame oil
  • 1 t sugar
  • 2-3 T chicken stock or water
  • salt and white pepper

Options

  • 1/2 cup corn
  • 4 dried shiitake mushrooms that have been soaked in warm water until soft sliced, if you don't have fresh
  • 1/4 cup black fungus soaked in warm water, cut into small pieces
  • 1/4 head shredded green cabbage sauteed before adding noodles to ginger scsllion oil
  • 8 oz fresh mushrooms ie. enoki, maitake, nameko, or shiitake really, any mushroom you like

Instructions

  • Heat a large pot of water and cook noodles as directed. Do not overcook as you will be stir frying them to finish the dish! Fresh noodles will only take a couple of minutes at best. Remove from pot and drain thoroughly.
  • Combine ingredients for sauce in a bowl and set aside. You can add a little cornstarch to thicken the sauce, 1-2 tsp dissolved in stock or water then added to sauce ingredients.
  • Heat vegetable oil in a deep sided pan or wok until very hot, you should see wisps of smoke from the oil. Add ginger and garlic to pan and stir fry for approximately 1-2 minutes until garlic begins to brown. Add scallions or green onions, mushrooms or black fungus, stir fry for another minute.
  • Add noodles to pan, stir fry over medium high heat. Mix thoroughly to make sure the noodles are coated with the flavored oil, 1-2 minutes. Add any optional ingredients at this point.
  • Add sauce to noodles and stir fry 2-3 minutes to combine ingredients and reduce the sauce.
  • Garnish with green onions and cilantro if desired.
  • I left the ginger and green onions in big pieces as my kids didn't like them, made it easy to pick it out.
  • You could add leftover chicken or beef to make this a more substantial dish or even shrimp.
  • Once again, kids and corn...the corn added a bit of sweetness to the dish and crunch, always a good thing!
Simple Minced Pork,So Easy Your Kids Could Make This. Mine Can!

Simple Minced Pork,So Easy Your Kids Could Make This. Mine Can!

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When I went off to college and moved into an apartment, I would call my Dad (he was the chef in our family) for advice on cooking.  “Dad, what kind of meat do I use for stir fries?  I learned the hard way that beef chuck was not the right choice.  How do I make corn soup, steamed pork patty? Invariably, I wanted to learn how to make dishes I had grown up eating, food that reminded me of home and family.

DSC02049

Everything comes full circle, now my kids are calling me for recipes and tips on how to make the dishes they love.  Fortunately, many of the dishes are simple and quick, perfect for a student’s lifestyle not to mention for families always on the go.   This is one such dish, its easy, versatile and inexpensive, ok, cheap.  Adapted from Chubby Hubby, “Simple Minced Pork”  is the Asian version of Sloppy Joes.  You can serve it over rice or noodles, you can make it with ground turkey or chicken instead of pork or use any kind of mushroom, like creminis instead of shiitake…it’s really up to you.  If your going low carb, use it as filling for a wrap made with lettuce or serve it over zucchini noodles (Check out White on Rice blog for noodles) the sky is the limit!

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Simple Minced Pork

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 400 g ground pork or chicken or turkey
  • 8 fresh shiitake mushrooms stalks removed, finely chopped or use creminis
  • 4 green onions finely chopped
  • 1/2 of a small yellow onion minced
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons sake
  • 2 tablespoons mirin
  • 4 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1-2 T chicken stock or broth

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add yellow onion to pan, fry until onion softens and looks translucent. Add mushrooms, ginger and ground pork. Lower heat to medium. Add sake, mirin, soy sauce and chicken broth. As mixture cooks, break up the pork as much as possible. Stir-fry to reduce sauce and brown meat. Add green onions and cook for additional minute. Stir well and serve over rice (brown or white) or noodles.
  • For a more substantial meal, serve with a poached egg or a Japanese style hard boiled egg.
  • Goes well with Asian noodles with similar thickness to linguine or fettucine.