Curried Singapore-Style Noodles

Every time I post a blog entry, I feel like I need to have a story to go along with it. This one is short and simple. I asked Jordan to cook something for dinner while I was at gym boot camp one night and this is what he came up with. Its really tasty and delicious. He made it with chicken, but I think it would taste great with shrimp too.

Adapted from Hannaford Fresh (March-April 2009)

Ingredients

• 3/4 lb angel hair pasta
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 C low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/4 C low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tbsp light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 C carrots, julienned
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 medium zucchini, julienned
• 2 medium leeks, white parts only, sliced into thin rings
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp ginger, minced
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 2 tsp asian-style hot chili sauce

Optional Ingredients

• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 8-oz. packages of super-firm tofu, drained, patted dry, and cubed
• 1 lb large shrimp (41-50 count), peeled, deveined, tails removed
• 1 lb chicken, cubed

Recipe

1. Cook pasta in salted water until al dente (~4-5 minutes). Drain. Return to pot and toss with sesame oil.
2. In a small bowl, mix vegetable broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar. This will be the sauce to add later.
   
3. Prepare optional ingredients over med-high heat with 2 tsp oil (chicken (~10 mins), tofu (~5 mins), shrimp (~2-3 mins)). Set aside when done and tent with aluminum foil.
4. In same or different pan from chicken, add the leeks, carrots, bell pepper, and zucchini. Cook and continuously stir for 4 minutes.
5. Add remaining ingredients (scallions, garlic, ginger, curry powder, hot chili sauce). Stir in and cook for 1 minute.
6. Add optional ingredients.
7. Pour vegetables over noodles and mix until evenly distributed.
8. Pour sauce over noodles, stirring once again until evenly distributed. Re-heat mixture over med-high heat and serve.

Servings Original recipe says 4, I say 5-6.

Fresh Corn and Chicken Quesadillas with Avacado Creama

This recipe was phenomenal. The nearby grocery store carries an amazing (local) brand of tortillas (Micaela's). One woman apparently makes these tortillas and drives around to the grocery stores delivering them. They're thick and amazing (and often sold out!). So, being able to make this recipe with those tortillas was definitely the icing on the cake.

Adapted from Hannaford Fresh magazine (July-August 2009)

Ingredients
Quesadillas

• 1 c corn kernals (fresh/frozen)
• 1/2 c (2 oz) cream cheese (reduced fat, softened)
• 2 tsp fresh lime juice
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/4 c. finely chopped scallions
• 1 tbsp cilantro (minced)
• 1 med onion
  
• 1/2 lb chicken (original recipe called for crab meat)
• 4 8-inch tortillas
• 1/2 c (2 oz) shredded monterey jack cheese
• 1 tsp olive oil

Avocado Creama

• 2 tbsp plain Greek-style (thickned) yogurt (nonfat)
• 1 tbsp cilantro (minced)
• 2 tsp fresh lime juice
• 1/8 tsp salt (to taste)
  
• 1 ripe avocado, diced

Recipe

1. Heat a med sized skillet over medium heat.
2. If using fresh corn, blanch for 1 min in 3 c of boiling water.
3. To make the quesadilla filling, combine cream cheese, lime juice, salt, cumin, and pepper in a medium bowl. Mix.
4. Add scallions, cilantro, corn, onion, and chicken.
5. Spray skillet with non-stick spray (if needed). Place a tortilla in the skillet. Put a spoonfull of filling on the tortilla and spread over half of the surface.
6. Sprinkle some cheese over top of the filling and fold over the other half of the tortilla.
7. Cook until golden brown on pan side. Flip and repeat for opposite side.
8. To make the creama, mix together all the ingredients except the avocado. Fold in the avocado last.
9. Top each quesadilla with a tbsp full (or more) of the creama.

Servings 4 (with some left over filling)

Five-Spice Chicken and Cashew Stir-Fry

Periodically, my mother will send me the "Hannaford Fresh" magazine she gets from the grocery store. It has a whole bunch of recipes in it and usually has a food themes for a couple sections in each book. The best part about these books is that they have pictures for every single recipe - which I love. This recipe is from the March-April 2009 issue.

I am also taking pride in this recipe because its the first meaty posting of the blog! :)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp canola oil
• 1 1/2 lbs chicken (cut into stir fry strips either before or after cooking)
• 1/4 tsp salt, to taste
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1 med onion, diced
  
• 4 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp minced ginger*
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 c snow pea pods
• 6 tbsp soy sauce (low-sodium)
• 3/4+ c chicken broth (low-sodium)
  
• 3 tbsp sherry
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp Chinese five-spice powder (I found in asian section)
  
• 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1/2 c cashews (roasted)
• Rice (white/brown)**
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced (optional garnish)

* I had mincing fresh ginger, so I've taken to buying the jars of minced ginger. Just make sure there aren't any wacky, unnecessary ingredients (e.g. high fructose corn syrup) that have been added.
**Make as much rice as you deem appropriate for the dinner. Left over rice doesn't taste as good as fresh, in my opinion.

Recipe

1. Start the rice using directions indicated on package. This recipe takes +/- 30 mins to make. So, plan accordingly.
2. Drizzle oil in a skillet (or wok), over med-high heat. Season chicken (salt & pepper) and cook until done. Remove from pan with done and cover to keep warm.
3. Cook onion, garlic, and ginger in same pan until softened (~2-3 mins)
4. Add the bell pepper and snow peas and cook an additional 2-3 mins. You want these veggies to still be slightly crisp (e.g. don't cook them to death)

To make the sauce add soy sauce, broth, sherry, cornstarch, sugar, five-spice powder, and crushed red pepper. Whisk together. Add to veggies and stir until thickened. You can add more than the indicated 3/4 cup of broth, but your sauce likely won't get as thick as with less liquid.
Add chicken back to pan. Mix in cashews.
Serve stir-fry over bed of rice. Add scallions as garnish.

Servings: 6 (The book says 4, but I think it lies. This recipe makes a LOT of food)