Thai Basil Udon

4 Servings
Carb: Udon Noodles
Protein: Chicken Breast
Veg: Bell Pepper and Mushrooms

I had some Thai Basil and some Udon noodles I wanted to use so I just threw this together. I hadn't intended for it to become a noodle soup but I didn't realize the soup base would be so salty. I hadn't thrown out the water I used to boil the noodles and I used that to dilute the soup base. This turned out great becuase the gluten in the water helped to thicken the soup a bit.




Ingredients:
3 Udon noodle packets (7 oz each), boiled and drained
Water (about 3-4 cups), reserved from boiling udon noodles
1 lb Chicken breast, diced
1 Bell Pepper, sliced
4 oz white Beech Mushrooms, stem trimmed
4 oz brown Beech Mushrooms, stem trimmed
4 Scallions, sliced on diagonal
2 Tbsp Canola Oil
1 tsp Ginger, thinly sliced
2 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup Thai Basil leaves
1 tsp Chili Garlic Sauce
1 Tbsp Thai Fish Sauce
2 Tbsp Japanese Soup Base
1/8 tsp Ground Coriander
1/8 tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder
Salt to taste

Recipe:
1. In nonstick wok, heat oil on medium-high heat.
2. Sprinkle ground coriander, Chinese five spice powder and salt on chicken(I just put the diced chicken on a plate and sprinkle enough to lightly coat 1 side of all the chicken pieces). Mix chicken around to coat.
3. Add chicken pieces to oil. Don't move chicken for about 20-30 seconds - just leave it where it lands. Lightly stir for 3 minutes.
4. Add Bell Pepper and a pinch of salt. Lightly stir for 1 minute.
5. Add Ginger and Garlic. Lightly stir for 1 minute.
6. Add Fish Sauce, Chili Garlic Sauce and Japanese Soup Base. Stir and add Scallions.
7. Mix in mushrooms and cover for about 1-2 min.
8. Add 2 cups reserved Water and then Udon Noodles. Mix to combine and turn off heat.
9. Taste and add more water 1 cup at a time if the soup is too salty.

Plating:
1. Using tongs or chopsticks lift noodles, chicken and vegetables into a bowl.
2. Ladle Soup over noodles.

Shallot topped Tilapia and Parsley Rice with Broccoli and Carrots.

4 Servings
Carb: Parsley Rice
Protein: Tilapia
Veg: Shallots, Broccoli and Carrots

This was just a midweek dish that I wanted to be quick, filling and nutricious. I got the inspiration for it when I was flipping through the channels on Saturday afternoon and came across a show where they were cooking tilapia and topping it with carmelized shallots.

It turned out quite nice! I wasn't expecting it to be quite so tasty so that was a nice surprise. The seasoning I used for the fish turned out to be a bit like a mild (very mild) version of Blackened Spice. Also, the rice was sooooo tasty! Probably because the flavor of the oil was built from the shallots and the tilapia - ooo it was sooo good!



Ingredients:
2 cups Cooked Uncle Ben's Rice
4 Tilapia fillets, rinsed and patted dry
2-3 Shallots, thinnly sliced
3 Broccoli crowns, cut into bite-size pieces
1.5 cup Baby Carrots
1/4 cup fresh Parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
3 cups Water
3 Tbsp Canola Oil (for shallots and tilapia)
2 tsp Canola Oil (for broccoli and carrots)
1.5 Tbsp Butter, unsalted
2-3 cloves of Garlic,
1/8 tsp of each - Cumin, Paprika, Coriander Seed
Salt & Pepper to taste

Recipe: Carmelized Shallots, Tilapia and Parsley Rice
1. Season both sides of tilapia with Cumin, Paprika, Coriander Seed, Salt & Pepper. Set aside.
2. In a non-stick skillet, on medium heat 1 Tbsp of Canola oil and 1/2 Tbsp of Butter.
3. Add shallots to oil. Season with a pinch of salt and lightly stir until sofened. Transfer to a plate.
4. Return pan to stove-top. On medium-high, heat remaining 2 Tbsp of Canola Oil and 1 Tbsp Butter.
5. Add tilapia fillets 2 at a time to the pan. Let cook for 3 min or until the edges of are done. Flip fillets and cook another 2 min. Transfer fillets to a plate.
6. Return pan to stove-top. Turn pan down to medium low and add cooked rice. Stir in parsley and turn off heat.

Recipe: Broccoli and Carrots
1. Boil water and add Baby Carrots.
2. In a non-stick wok, on medium heat 2 tsp Canola oil.
3. Add Garlic, Broccoli and a pinch of salt. Stir to coat Broccoli with oil.
4. Add 1/4 cup of Chicken Broth. Stir to coat Broccoli with broth and cover pan. Let steam for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add remaing 1/4 cup of Chicken Broth and another pinch of salt. Stir and cover again for 2-3 minutes.
6. Remove Baby Carrots from water and add to Broccoli.
7. Add another pinch of salt and stir for about 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat.

Plating:
1. Plate rice and top with 1 Tilapia fillet.
2. Top Tilapia with Carmelized Shallots.
3. Plate Broccoli and Carrots next to Rice.

Maamoul Date Filled Cookies

My good friend from Saudi wanted me to taste these cookies. I'm always eager to eat international sweets since they're usually not cloyingly sweet like the ones here in the U.S.


These cookies were great! The texture of the crust is soft and crumbly and the filling is similar to a preserve. There's not chunks of dates but you there's a light crunch from the seeds.



Ingredients


Nutrition Info

London Fish 'n Chips

We were on our way to the London bridge and it was sooooooo cold! When we spotted this place selling fish 'n chips off to the side of the street, we dashed to get in line!

Here it is! Hot fish 'n chips with a spot of tea!

Madeleines and Chocolate Madeleines

We stopped by La Madeleine yesterday night and they had madeleines packaged for sale. I was inspired to make my own madeleines and try out my new madeleine pan. I made a batch of traditional madeleines and a batch of chocolate madeleines. I'm not 100% happy with the results. I think the traditional ones are a little too dark and I didn't like how the chocolate ones are "hole-ly". Despite that they were still tasty and I think acceptable for my first attempt at madeleines.

Traditional Madeleines (Makes 12)

2 eggs - room temp

1/2c Sugar

zest of 1 Lemon - I used a Meyer lemon

2 tsp Vanilla

2/3c all-purpose Flour

3/4 tsp Baking Powder

pinch of Salt

3/4 stick of Butter - melted & cooled

*Sift together flour, baking powder and salt - set aside. Mix sugar and lemon zest until fragrant. Then beat together with eggs using electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients. Add butter. Cover with plastic wrap for 3 hours.

*Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush molds with melted butter. Fill molds and bake for 12 min.

Chocolate Madeleines (Makes 12)

2 eggs - room temp

1/2c Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla

2/3c all-purpose Flour

1/4c Cocoa Powder

1/4 tsp Baking Powder

pinch of Salt

3/4 stick of Butter - melted & cooled

*Sift together flour, baking powder, cocoa powder and salt - set aside. Beat sugar with eggs using electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Fold in dry ingredients. Add butter. Cover with plastic wrap for 3 hours.
*Heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush molds with melted butter. Fill molds and place in oven. Lower heat to 350 degrees and bake for 12 min.

Piquant Burger and Onion Rings

A coupon for Jakes Burgers arrived in the mail today. They're voted Best Burgers in Dallas - I disagree. The patties are thin and that's a big fat NO in my book. The best burger I've ever had was from JC's Burgers located 5 min from my high school. My friends and I would always drive there for lunch and I've never had a burger since that tops theirs. The burgers aren't fancy, just simple and the patties are thick and beefy. Anyways this burger was inspired by JCs - You guys rock!!!

These aren't JC's Burgers, but they're pretty stick-to-your-ribs tasty too!


Beef Pattys
1 lb Ground Beef
1/2 Onion - minced
1 Garlic Clove - minced
Salt & Pepper
1-2 tsp Worchestershire Sauce
1-2 tsp Canola Oil
1/2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
*Mix all ingredients in a bowl and set aside for about 10 min. Heat grill. Portion and shape beef mixture into 8 patties. Flatten the patties and make an indentation in the center (the patties will plump once they're on the grill). Grill about 2-3 min on each side

Beer Batter Onion Rings (Serves 6)
1 cup all-purpose Flour
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup beer
1 large egg
Canola oil
2 large white onions, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, separated into rings
Salt
1 lemon, cut into wedges, for serving


*Combine flour, salt, and cayenne. Add buttermilk, beer and egg and let sit 20 minutes.
*Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Place a baking sheet on middle rack of oven. Heat oil to 380 degrees in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Dip a few slices of onion in batter, turning to coat. Gently drop slices into oil. Cook, turning once with a wire-mesh skimmer, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer rings to paper towels, season with salt immediately, then transfer onions to the baking sheet to keep warm. Repeat with remaining onions. (Adjust heat as necessary to keep oil at a steady temperature.) Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.

Lotsa Bento!

Don't know why but this turned out to be a LOT of food.
I think I was pressured to eat/use up the leftover kimchi and seaweed and I wanted to have a fruit cup.

Rectangular Bento
Red Grapes

Round Bento
Left: Sweet Seaweed
Right: Mat Kimchi

Square Bento
Top Left: Yogurt Drink
Top Middle: Lemon Grass Beef with Bell Peppers and Shitake Mushrooms
Right: White Basmati
Bottom Left: Garlic Water Sprouts

Random Comment: This little bell pepper was so cute and it was the most perfect ideal bell pepper shape that I had to take a picture of it!