Cold Sesame Noodles

I love noodles!! It's a carb thing. I remember my first time having cold sesame noodles, I was taken aback. There was a large group of us and one of my friends was familiar with the restaurant so she ordered for all of us. I had no idea the dish ordered would be cold. Once I got over the shock, I realized I was in love. Not only is this dish tasty, it works particularly well when you need a quick meal (like a school lunch). The noodles only take 5 minutes to cook and it does not need to be re-heated. I actually always have a bag of flat buckwheat noodles laying around. It's perfect for that morning you decided to ignore the alarm and time got away from you.

But back to the noodles. I remember reading an article in the New York Eater about these noodles originating almost 40 years ago in New York at a restaurant called Hwa Yuan. The article stated that it was the favorite dish of all the stars. Well, we are all stars today. Hooray!!

Note: Adapted from the recipe in the New York Times. The recipe below suggests chinese sesame paste but I use tahini paste because that's what I have on hand in my house.

Cold Sesame Noodles
Makes 6 Servings

Ingredients:
1 pound Chinese buckwheat noodles (spaghetti noodles)
2  1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
3 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar
2 tablespoons Chinese sesame paste (or tahini paste)
1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons chili -garlic paste - optional

Garnish: Carrots, cucumbers or radishes cut into match sticks
sesame seeds
finely chopped green onion

Note: 2 packets of soy sauce equals a little more than 1 tablespoon. Yeah, I've done it. So what.

Directions: 

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and allow noodles to cook about 5 minutes or until tender.

Drain pot and rinse noodles with cold water.

Sprinkle noodles with 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil. Place noodles in the fridge.

In a bowl whisk together sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame paste, sugar, ginger, garlic and chili -garlic paste (if using)

Pour sauce over noodles and toss.

Add garnishes.

This is really a versatile dish that can become a full meal if you add a protein like tofu or chicken.

So, how will you eat your sesame noodles?

Peruvian Quinoa Soup

These days some magazine is always talking about super food this and superfood that. But let's be honest, we want food that tastes good and makes us feel good. I was first introduced to quinoa by an Argentinian colleague of mine. We were having a conversation about her family being Jewish and Argentinian and how there are all these misconceptions about her. My point is she mentioned her family did not eat rice, but quinoa. At the time, I was only really familiar with food from places like Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic because of where I grew up. I thought everyone ate rice. Boy was I wrong. Of course, she was a sweet heart and didn't embarrass me just educated me. And she did it the best way possible, with food. One of the dishes I had was sopa de quinoa - quinoa soup. It was warm and delicious and perfect for a chilly Fall day.

Sopa de quinoa can be made as a vegetarian dish or with meat. When I first had this dish in the Fall many years ago it was served with beef. And though the person who introduced it to me was from Argentina, I later learned that quinoa was the staple of several other Latin American nations like Peru. Each nation makes its version of soap de quinoa based on the food stuff of that country. This will be a vegetarian version (for all my non meat eating friends), since I'm constantly trying to prove I can make great comfort food without meat. Since this is a vegetarian version feel free to amp it up with all of the Fall vegetables you like. Me... I'm adding corn, potatoes, maybe even some squash. It's really a great healthy dish. Defying the misconception that all comfort food is bad for you. It's got tons of vegetables and the quinoa provides a healthy protein.

Peruvian Quinoa Soup
makes 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients
1 cup quinoa
2 cups of water
3 cups of vegetable stock
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 onion sliced
2 medium carrots (chopped)
2 stalks of celery (chopped)
1 cup of potatoes (boiled & cubed)
1 cup corn
1 cup of winter squash (cubed)
fresh parsley or cilantro
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon sazon
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
Start by rinsing the quinoa. Place quinoa is a coffee filter and then place in a strainer.

Gently allow water to flow over quinoa and out the bottom of the strainer.

Place aside and allow quinoa to dry.

In a medium pot heat olive oil over medium heat.

Add garlic and onions to pot and cook until soft (about 2 minutes).

Add corn, squash pre cooked potatoes and any additional vegetables and cook for 10 minutes.

Once vegetables begin to become slightly soft, add cumin, paprika, oregano, sazon, parsley and salt.

Add quinoa and mix so all elements are covered with spices about 10 minutes.

 Add water and vegetable stock. Stir well and bring to a boil.

Once boiling turn heat to medium low and cook for 20 minutes.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Top with onions and avocados or with sour cream and diced chili peppers. Any way you top it, it's delicious.

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Corn and Poblano Empanada

September 15 is the beginning of Hispanic Heritage month. In celebration of hispanic heritage month I wanted to share some of my favorite dishes. The first is a corn and poblano pepper empanada. Typically I eat empandas filled with meat but while prepping for a dinner with some of my friends I realized I needed something without meat. Little did I know I, this carnivore would fall in love with a vegetarian empanada. The mixture of cream cheese, peppers, corn and potatoes creates the perfect gooey bite with a bite of crunch. It's extremely easy to make and requires very little cooking (especially if you use a frozen bag of corn). It's actually the prefect dish if you are in a rush  but want something filling and flavorful.

So congrats to those Latin American nations that gained independence throughout the month of September. It literally changed the course of the Americas. Of course, since I teach history, I think it's important to honor the contributions of all Americans. Of course, because of my upbringing I have an affinity for mi gente from this region. It's in their kitchens that I learned how to cook hispanic food from as young as 6 years old. My friends and their families welcomed me into their homes and their lives. Making a place for me in the kitchen and at the table allowing me to experience and enjoy hispanic food and culture years before I ever traveled anywhere. It is those bonds an ties that ignited my love of hispanic culture and cuisine. And to them I must say, thank you.

Corn & Poblano Empanada
Makes 12 Empanadas

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 poblano peppers (roasted and diced)
1 1/2 cups of corn
1/2 pound of petite potatoes (3) (diced)
1 green onion chopped
1/2 cup cilantro chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
2 ounces Mexican queso/Monterey jack cheese (shredded)
4 ounces cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 large empanada wrappers
1 egg, slightly beaten

Tools: baking sheet, spatula, parchment paper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

Roast poblano pepper over an open flame until slightly blistered. Once cooled dice.

Boil potatoes with sea salt over medium high heat for 20 minutes. Potatoes should be firm. Once cooled, dice.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced garlic and stir until soft.

Add corn to garlic along with salt and cumin. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Corn should turn slightly brown. Remove corn and garlic from heat.

In a bowl, add cream cheese, monterey jack cheese, potatoes, poblano pepper, corn with garlic, green onion and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.

Scoop two (2) spoonfuls of corn mixture into wrapper (use the back of the spoon to push mixture to the center.

Gently fold wrapper over lining the edges. Once edges a lined up gently press dough together with a fork.

Place parchment paper on baking sheet and spray with non-stick spray.

Gently brush empanadas with beaten egg.

Place baking sheet on the top shelf of the oven and bake until golden brown (about 20 minutes).

Note: This dish is great with some spice. When I'm not concerned with making it too spicy for my mini me I add some jalapeño peppers to the mix. I typically make a little spicy dipping sauce with garlic, hot peppers, onion and lime juice. Don't forget the salt and pepper.

How do you like your empanada? Mild or Spicy?

Thai Basil and Beef Stir Fry

Ever have an idea that grows into a huge project? Our garden started as just a little box of herbs on our balcony. Eventually, it grew into the staple of our summer times dishes. This year we've had to be especially diligent about picking basil and mint from our garden. The basil in particular has a mind of its own and has spread to other plants. So, we're also trying to find different recipes we can use it in. This week we had a stroke of luck and we received some free steaks. Woo hoo!! I love free. Of course, that cemented what I would make. Thai Basil and Beef Stir Fry.  I had a little dried Thai Basil left over from another dish I had made, so I mixed it with fresh basil from the garden.

I love Thai food and this dish, has all my favorite elements, layers of flavor, a bit of spice, tasty vegetables and it can be served with rice. It's filling and warming. And not just because of the heat from the Thai chili peppers. I'm pretty conservative with the amount of pepper I add but if you like spice add another chili pepper and make sure to add the seeds.

Now that I think of it, this is actually a great dish for several other reasons. It utilizes the excess basil in the garden, it includes vegetables but more importantly, it's quick and easy. It only takes about 20 minutes to make. That's so important on a week night. Of course, some of these items you may not have in your cabinet if you don't make Asian inspired dishes. But if you know you want to make several different Asian dishes it will be important to keep items like soy sauce, fish sauce and ginger on hand. I keep those items stocked in my pantry to add variety to our lunches and dinners. Having those things on hand makes life easier. In the end, you can't hate great food, done fast. Now that's comforting on so many levels.

Thai Basil Beef Stir Fry
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients
1 pound of beef
2 teaspoons of cornstarch
2 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1/2 tablespoon of fish sauce
2 red bell peppers sliced
1 onion thinly sliced
1 can of baby corn
2 carrots sliced
4 ounces of mushrooms sliced
4 cloves of garlic (chopped)
2 teaspoons fresh ginger grated
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup of soy sauce (Low sodium)
1 hot red pepper/ thai chili pepper (chopped)
1 cup of fresh/dried thai basil (Italian basil will do though the flavor will be slightly different)
1 cup of chopped thai basil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Juice of 1 lime

Directions:
Whisk together fish sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and ginger.

Slice beef thinly (against the grain-look for lines) then sprinkle with ginger powder, garlic powder and salt.

Mix beef with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and cornstarch.

Heat wok or large pan over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil.

Place beef in pan and cook until browned. About 2 minutes per side.

Remove beef from pan and set aside.

Add the rest of the oil and chopped garlic and Thai chili pepper to wok/pan. Cook for 30 seconds

Next add onions and red peppers to pan. Cook until onions caramelize.

Next add stir fry vegetables and allow to cook for an additional 5 to 8 minutes.

Toss beef back in with soy sauce mixture and dried basil (if you are using dried basil)
and stir into vegetables.

Add fresh basil and stir.

Serve over rice with a spirts of lime and enjoy.

Fried Tofu with Ginger-Sesame Sauce

September is back to school time and many of us hope to send happy little faces to school to become better versions of themselves. So, we try to send them to school with everything they need and a little piece of home. Something that makes them smile when they open their backpack or lunchbag. But how do you fit that type of comfort in such a small bag with all of the restrictions the school has. The no gluten, no nut etc etc has been the bane of my school lunch existence. What to do? What to do?

Of course, in our house we don't change what we eat because you're a mini me, so this is another  obstacle with school lunch. But this fried tofu lunch doubles just fine for an adult and a child. The original recipe comes from Food and Wine magazine and has a bit more spice. I had to cut down on the red pepper flakes in the ginger-sesame sauce for my little but that spice can be added back in later. This sauce is actually so good, I think about pouring it over other proteins. Like maybe fried chicken wings?? I might have to give the Korean fried chicken place a run for its money. Of course, you should enjoy the sauce whatever way you choose.


Fried Tofu with Ginger-Sesame Sauce
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
Ginger-Sesame Sauce
1/2 sesame oil
2 teaspoons grated ginger
2 cloves grated garlic
1 scallion
1 1/2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Fried Tofu
14 ounces firm tofu
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Directions:

Slice tofu into 8 thin slabs. Allow tofu to dry on a paper towel.

Lightly sprinkle tofu with salt and press out excess moisture.

While tofu is drying out, in a small bowl whisk together sesame oil, ginger, garlic, soy sauce, water and red pepper flakes.

Set ginger sesame mixture aside.

In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of oil (tofu should be added to an already hot pan).

Cook the tofu in two batches using 1 tablespoon of oil for each batch.

Add tofu slabs and cook over medium heat. Cook for approximately 3 to 5


minutes on each side or until tofu is lightly browned on each side.

Spoon ginger-sesame sauce over fried tofu and sprinkle scallions over.

Serve over rice or steamed vegetables.

When packing this as a lunch, I put the sauce in a separate container to be poured over the tofu and vegetables later.

Quick, easy and versatile. If you do not like tofu, you can swap it out for any other protein and it will work.

Ground Beef Gyro

So the theme this month has been street food from around the world. And I have to tell you I didn't think I would have been so difficult to narrow down the dishes that made me all warm and fuzzy inside but it was. What I also realized was that a lot of our street food favs are international dishes. Tacos, potato tornados, or  dishes like the doner kebab which  are famous in Turkey as well as Germany. A street food fav of the whole family, that is similar is the gyro. Whether chicken, lamb or beef we love gyros. I've been dying to get this recipe right and I think I finally have. It's one thing to introduce a dish that no one has ever tried before. It's a completely different thing to try to make a dish that everybody (even the kids) loves.

When feening for Mediterranean food we typically head to our favorite place downtown. We are particular fans of Adnan food. Adnan is Syrian and  the owner of our favorite falafel place. From the shawarma to the kofta kabob, Adnan has the perfect mixture of spices when it comes to his dishes. Now I know I probably wouldn't be able to make it exactly like his but I've been experimenting with various mixtures of spices off and on for several years. This mixture is the best of them all. So I'm sharing it with you.

Ground Beef Gyro
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground beef
1 small onion
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon lemon

Sauce
8 ounces yogurt
1/3 cup peeled and finely chopped cucumber
1 clove garlic minced
1 teaspoon sugar

4 Pita bread
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 large tomato chopped
1 red onion sliced

Directions:

Finely chopped cucumber and place in a strainer.

Sprinkle cucumber with salt and allow it to sit out for 20 minutes (salt removes some of the water from the cucumber for a better sauce).

Combine all ingredients for the sauce in a blender/ food processor.

Place sauce in fridge.

For the meat filling place onion, garlic and lemon juice in a blender and combine well.

Add onion mixture to meat with the above seasonings.

Mix well and shape into patties.

Cook patties in a pan/ grill over medium high heat for 10 to 12 minutes.

Cut patties into thin slices.

Add beef slices to pita bread with lettuce, tomatoes and onions.

Top with yogurt sauce. And you're done!!

Feel free to use this combination of spices to make a chicken gyro and let me know what you think.

Chocolate Covered Apples

I needed something sweet this weekend but I thought the rain would keep us from my favorite place, the boardwalk. Of course, I didn't want the family to miss out on the experience. So I decided to create a little bit of the boardwalk at home. Let's be honest one of reasons for going to the boardwalk is the food. There are corn dogs and nachos and potato tornados. But  as I said I needed something sweet. And no wonder, a lot of the dishes I've made lately have been savory. So I figured the post this week should be some type of sweet street food. What to do, what to do? Candied apples also know as toffee apples. It's one of the first treats I wanted whenever I went to the boardwalk as a child. I remember the shop that sold it was all the way at the end of the boardwalk. I would run down that way tasting the salt in the air and craving the sweetness of a caramel or chocolate covered apple.

For most people in New Jersey and New York the summer ritual is to go to the shore/boardwalk. Whether it's Coney Island or Seaside, the end of summer hails as the last hurrah. The weather turned out better than expected, and we celebrated with a street food that's screams New Jersey. If no other dish does, this candy covered apple does since it originates with a candy maker from Newark, New Jersey. Of course, many other countries have a variation of this treat. From Australia to Brazil this sweet treat is the fav of carnivals and street celebrations. So, it's a great way to celebrate the end of summer. Enjoy

Chocolate Covered Apples

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

6 Gala or Fuji apples
1 tablespoon of shortening
2 cups of semi sweet chocolate chips
6 popsicles sticks or lollipop sticks
4 ounces of almond slivers/ crushed oreos etc

Directions:

Twist of stems from the apples and push the lollipop/popsicle sticks down to the core.

Put apples in fridge while preparing the chocolate.

Slowly melt chocolate and shortening in a double boiler (glass bowl over pot of water) over hot water or microwave on high for 2 minutes. If microwaving stir halfway through.

Remove chocolate from heat and stir until completely melted and warm.

Dunk each apple into the chocolate. Let excess chocolate drip back into bowl.

Roll apples around in chocolate while turning it with the stick. Use a spoon if needed to cover the entire apple.

Roll apple in coating (of your choice). Make sure apple is covered completely.

Set on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper until chocolate has set.

Yippie... boardwalk food even though we are not at the boardwalk.

What would you cover your apples with?