Drunken Noodles

Ingredients:

10 oz dried wide flat rice noodles
10 oz gai lan
10 oz shrimp
6 cloves garlic, minced
3-5 Thai bird peppers, minced
3/4 cup torn holy or Thai basil leaves

for the sauce:
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons black soy sauce
3 tablespoons golden mountain sauce or dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon palm sugar


Directions:
Prep the dry noodles according to package instructions. Set aside. Whisk together sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside. Heat a small amount of oil in a wok. Stir fry the garlic and chiles until fragrant. Add the shrimp, gai lan and sauce and stir fry, until it is nearly fully cooked. Add the noodles. Stir fry until the shrimp is fully cooked then stir in the basil. Serve immediately.

My thoughts:

Drunken noodles are a Thai restuarant staple. The origins of the name is somewhat cloaked in mystery but the most popular seems to be that these noodles are so spicy that you'll want to drink a lot. I've also heard that they are a good dish after you've had too much to drink. Frankly, I don't think you need an excuse to eat these noodles. My favorite version, which I reproduced here, has gai lan (Chinese broccoli) in it to make it more of a full meal; some versions are basically just sauce, protein and noodles. The trick to drunken noodles is using the correct sauce and if you can find it, holy basil or at least Thai basil. You can swap out the shrimp with an equal amount of chicken, pork or tofu. Ground meats work well too.

Pad See Ew

Ingredients:
3/4 lb thin cut boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bit sized pieces
8-10 oz dried or fresh wide flat rice noodles
1 bunch gai lan (Chinese broccoli), sliced diagonally
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons black soy sauce
1 tablespoon mushroom flavored soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 egg, beaten

marinade
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons black soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 Thai bird pepper, minced
1/2 teaspoon palm sugar
salt
white pepper

Directions:
Place the chicken and marinade in a resealable bag. Marinate 30 minutes. Prep the dry noodles according to package instructions. Set aside. Whisk together the sauces. Set aside. Cook the egg in a single layer in a nonstick skillet. Break into strips. Set aside. Heat a small amount of oil in a wok. Stir fry the gai lan until fragrant until bright green. Remove to a bowl. Add the garlic and stir fry until fragrant. Add the chicken (discard the marinade)and stir fry until almost cooked through and slightly charred on both sides. Add the fresh or prepped dried noodles and half of the sauce. Stir fry 1 minute, the noodles should char slightly around the edges. Add the egg and gai lan. Stir fry and toss with remaining sauce. Serve immediately.

My thoughts:

Pad see ew is a staple at many Thai restaurants. It has a balance of sweet-savory that is really appealing even if you are, like me, a spicy food lover. I had a lot of fun developing a recipe that mirrors what I've had at my favorite restuarant. Cooking each bit individually is key to this recipe's success. Marinating the chicken infuses it with flavor and helps the chicken stay juicy. Take care not to let too much of the actual marinade into the wok or the final dish will be too saucy. The bit of sugar in the marinade helps achieve the "wok char" on the noodles and chicken that adds a smoky flavor and complexity to the dish. It tasted fresher and better than what I've had out and I made it in less time than it takes to get to the restuarant and park.


Note: The really wide fresh (or dried) rice noodles needed for this dish can be difficult to find. Substitute the widest noodles available.

Thai Noodle Salad with Turkey and Shrimp

Ingredients:

for the dressing
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 Thai green chiles, thinly sliced
juice 1 lime
2 tablespoons fish sauce (nam pla)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon palm sugar
1 tablespoon tamarind juice (optional)


salad ingredients:
1/2 seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
3 oz bean sprouts
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut up

for the meat:
2 cups shredded, cooked turkey
1/2 lb steamed, peeled shrimp
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 Thai chiles, diced
1 clove garlic, minced

Plus:
10 oz rice stick OR bean thread noodles

to serve:
3 tablespoons chopped toasted peanuts
1 lime, cut into wedges
diced green onion

Directions:
In a small bowl, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients, set aside.


Prepare noodles according to package instructions. Set aside. In a skillet, heat the oil then saute the chiles, and garlic with shrimp and turkey for 1 minute. Toss with dressing, salad ingredients and noodles. Sprinkle with peanuts and diced onions. Serve with lime wedges.

My thoughts:

Every year I get a lot of "what to do with leftover turkey" requests. Frankly leftover turkey was never much of an issue in my family (we just ate the meal, had a sandwich and maybe made soup and that was it) but since I've had this blog, I've been making Thanksgiving-like meals way in advance so I can post new holiday recipes leading up the event and come up with creative leftover ideas.

While checking out the competition, I've found most turkey leftover recipes are either a. some sort of creamy casserole, b. Mexican food or c. chili. All of which are well and good (and I still might make a chili this year) but I was thinking of something a little lighter. The last thing I want after a day of heavy food is more stick to the ribs fare. So I came up with this Pad Thai-inspired salad. It is substantial enough to serve as a meal but much lighter and healthier tasting than what you probably had on Thanksgiving.


Note: I used bean thread noodles but I think that rice stick (normally what is used in Pad Thai) would be great as well. I actually only used the bean thread because I had a package of them and not the rice stick like I thought. Despite being rather different noodles I think both would work because they are neutral tasting and delicious even when served in cold dishes.

House Special Chow Fun

Ingredients:
for the stir-fry:
14 oz fresh rice noodles, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips*
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/4 lb snow peas
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 1/2 cup char sui thinly sliced
1 1/2 cup mung bean sprouts
6 dried shiitaki mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced thinly
1/2 cup water
1 cup dried cloudear mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced thinly
1/2 cup dried tiger lily buds**, rehydrated, hard ends removed

for the sauce:
3 cloves garlic, grated
2 inch knob fresh ginger, grated
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons palm sugar
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil


Directions:

First, tie all of the tiger lily buds into knots, like you were knotting a piece of string, with the knot in the center. Set aside. Heat the oil in the wok. Stir-fry noodle until soft and translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add snow peas and green onions, mushrooms, tiger lily buds, and water then stir-fry until snow peas are bright green and crisp-tender, about 1 minute. Add the sauce mixture, and pork and cook, stirring occasionally. Cook until the sauce thickens and all ingredients are well distributed and coated in sauce.


*Or boiled dried rice noddles. If you use the dried noodles add them at the end, with the sauce.

**Also known as golden needles.

My thoughts:

I love ordering chow fun for take-out but sometimes it is on the greasy side and a little short on the vegetables. To me that made it a perfect candidate for another "homemade take-out" make over. It seems like every Chinese restaurant has their own "house special" versions of dishes that have slightly different ingredients than the usual. I took a cue from that and made my own house special chow fun; my ideal version of the dish. I think it came out pretty good, not greasy at all and full of my favorite vegetables, mushrooms and some exceptionally tasty pork*.

*We actually marinated the pork one night, roasted it the next, then sliced and used it the third day. Yum!


Recent homemade take-out posts include wonton soup, chicken lo mein and sesame noodles. Entered in this blog event.

Cold Black Rice Noodle Salad with Mixed Vegetables

Ingredients:
13 oz black rice noodles
1/2 lb snow peas
1/2 lb broccoli florets
3-6 bunches tat soi, cut into 1 inch wide strips
6 dried shiitaki mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced thinly
1 bunch green onions, sliced

for the dressing:
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 inch knob ginger, grated
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds


Directions:
Cook the noodles according to package instructions, keeping care to stir frequently so they do not clump together. Meanwhile, steam the snow peas, broccoli and tat soi. In a small bowl, whisk together the dressing ingredients. Set aside. Rinse the noodles in cold water then drain. Place in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Add the vegetables and mushrooms and stir to evenly distribute. Sprinkle with green onions and serve.

Yield: about 4-6 servings

My thoughts:

When I found these black rice noodles I immediately started thinking of what high contrast foods I could pair with it. I finally decided to make a cold noodle salad. The noodles have a almost nutty flavor and really absorbed the flavor of the sauce without losing its own character. I made them as a side dish for dinner last night with the idea that we would eat what was left for lunch today. You know what? While we enjoyed them immensely last night, I think they are even better today; the flavors really came together and the vegetables stayed nice and crunchy.

Note: If you cannot find black rice noodles, regular, thin rice noodles or even somen could be substituted but the texture and flavor of the noodles will be different. Additionally, 3 bunches of baby bok choy could be substituted for the smaller tat soi.

Chinese Chives with Shrimp, Pork & Rice Noodles

Ingredients:
1/2 lb medium sized flat rice noodles, broken in half lengthwise (if long)

1 lb Chinese chives, cut into 2 1/2 inch pieces*
3/4 lb medium to large raw shrimp, peeled and cut in half
1/2 lb ground pork
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons canola oil
pinch salt
pinch palm sugar
juice of 1 lime


for sauce:
1/2 teaspoon palm sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons water

Directions:
In a large bowl, soak the noodles in warm tap water for about 15 minutes or until just pliable. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan or wok with high sides. Add the garlic and cook until just fragrant. Add the shrimp and pork and stir, breaking up any chunks of pork with your spoon, and sprinkle on the salt and sugar. Cook until they are about cooked through, only about 3 minutes or so. Add the chives. Toss the ingredients together and stir. Cook for about 3-5 minutes or until the chives have wilted. Add the noodles. Stir, than cover for about 1 minute. Stir in the sauce and cook about 3-5 additional minutes or until the flavors have combined and the noodles are soft. Serve immediately.

Yield: about 2 servings if a main course, about 4 if a side dish.

*Sometimes the bottom inch or two of the chive is rather tough. If this is the case, just chop it off.

My thoughts:

This is a perfect dish for summer, quick, light and fresh. The trick is treating the chives like a vegetable and not just a garnish or accent. Chinese chives (also known as garlic chives) look like your basic chive but have a little white bulb or even white flowers blossoming at one end. They have more a garlic flavor than oniony and when you cook them as this recipe states, the flavor goes out of them and into the pork and shrimp and the chives themselves take on this lovely fresh green flavor. Most Asian markets sell Chinese chives in 1/2 lb or 1 lb bundles, look for ones that bright green and crisp looking.

Singapore Noodles

Singapore Noodles
Ingredients:

1/2 pound thin rice noodles, prepared according to package directions
1/2 pound baby shrimps, without shells, deveined, rinsed and drained
1 skinless chicken breast, 1/4-inch strips
1/4 cup chinese cooking wine
2 tablespoons thin soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 pound bean sprouts
1 onion, chopped
2 eggs, lightly scrambled
2 tablespoons Madras curry powder


Directions:

In a plastic bag, marinate shrimp and chicken in soy sauce, wine, cornstarch and white pepper for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a small amount of oil in wok. Stir fry ginger, green onions and garlic. Add marinated shrimp and chicken to oil and stir fry until cooked through, about one minute. Remove shrimp and chicken and set aside. Add, bean sprouts, peas and onion to the wok and stir fry one munute. Salt and pepper, then set aside. Wipe out the wok (carefully) and heat fresh oil. Add the eggs and tilt and left the pan to spread them thinly around the pan. While the egg is still liquid, add drained noodles. Stir and break up and distribute the egg. Keep stiring. Add curry powder. When the noodles are coated and hot, return shrimp, chicken and vegetables to the wok and continue to stir until well combined. Serveimmediatly.