Faux Pho

A few months back I posted a recipe for pho broth. I wouldn't say it's authentic. It is however delicious and resembles an authentic pho. Thus the name "faux pho". Great alternative if you don't want to leave the house for a bowl of Vietnamese soup. I took it a bit farther tonight and made my own noodles. (Mainly because I was too lazy to leave the house to buy noodles)

 

Faux Pho

makes 2 LARGE servings

 

For the broth:

1 quart beef broth or 1 quart or water and 2 heaping tablespoons of beef base.
1 medium onion, quartered
2-inch piece of fresh ginger, halved lengthwise
1 cinnamon sticks or 1 tsp five spice powder
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, or 1 tsp of ground
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
3 star anise or 1 teaspoon of the seeds
A few whole cloves
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
A few dashes of fish sauce(optional)

 

In a large pot add all ingredients and simmer for 30-45 minutes on medium low. Strain all ingredients and add broth back to pot and let it simmer away on low while you prep the other ingredients. 

 

For the noodles:

1c white flour-plus about 1/4 cup for dusting

2 eggs

 

Mix ingredients in a bowl until mixture forms a ball.  Dust surface with a little bit of flour and knead until the dough springs back when you push your finger in to it, about 5 minutes. Let rest in the fridge for about 10 minutes or so. I have the Norpro Hand Crank Pasta Machine that I bought on amazon. It cost about 30 dollars and we use it on a weekly basis. Probably one of the most used gadgets in our kitchen. It's easy to use and really sturdy. I flatten the pasta, keeping it dusted with flour, making my way to the number 6. Then run through the spaghetti press.  Keep noodles coated in flour ensuring they will not stick together. Dump noodles into the broth and let sit for 1 minute. Remove the noodles. BE SURE NOT TO DUMP THE BROTH DOWN THE SINK. I usually put a strainer in a large bowl, dump my noodles in the strainer and then pour the broth back in the pot to simmer. If you don't have a pasta press, you could probably roll the noodles out with a rolling pin as flat as you would like and then hand cut. I like the uniformity of the pasta press but hand cut noodles are just as delicious.

 

Other fixings:

2 cups of spinach

Thinly sliced raw steak. I used a meat slicer to slice 2 small sirloin steaks. Cut them when they are frozen! You will get a cleaner cut.*

 

* Feel free to add bean sprouts, jalapenos, cilantro, wontons, shrimp or whatever your heart desires. I like keeping it simple though. If you add too many things, it takes away from the flavor of the broth.

 

For assembly:

Add spinach to a serving bowl, top with HOT noodles and then add raw beef. The heat off of the noodles will help wilt the spinach.  Pour boiling broth over the beef. It will instantly cook the beef since it is thin and the broth is really hot.

 

Chicken and vegetable bake

I love easy recipes. Especially a recipe that you can make a day or two in advance and then finish in the oven. This recipe is simple and quick. Just add storebought bicuits in a can (gosh, I loves those) and bake. The result is bubbly home comfort goodness.

Chicken and veggie bake

1/4c olive oil
1.5 c  cooked chopped or shredded chicken
1c peas
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/8c flour
1.5c water
1/2t turmeric(optional, I think it adds a little bit of warmth to the dish)
1t salt
1t pepper
1-2 cans of storebought biscuits. The ones in the fun poppable can.

In a large pot over medium heat,add olive oil and sautee carrots, celery, and onion until soft. Add flour and mix. Make sure the flour is not visible. Add water, chicken and peas and mix. Reduce to medium low.  It should start to thicken up. Add tumeric, salt and pepper. If it starts to thicken too much, add more water. Add mixture to an 11x13 dish and top with the canned biscuits. And like the true fat kid I am at heart, I usually use two cans. Enough to cover the top. You can either cut them in half or leave them whole.  Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown.

You can do virtually all the chopping prep and put it in a bag and even freeze it if need be and cook when you're ready. Just don't add the biscuits until right before you bake. You can even make it up until the baking point. Even after you add the water and what not. Just put it in the 11x13 dish and freeze. Then add biscuits before baking. If you do plan to freeze it, bake uncovered for 30 minutes then add the biscuits and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

Vegetable Masala

I love Indian food. And like many people, I think it's really difficult to make. It's hard to duplicate flavors that take generations to perfect and likely someone of that heritage to teach you.  If you like curry and you like coconut, try this recipe. Just enough heat to warm you on a cold day.

Vegetable Masala
Makes 6 servings- serve with rice

1T coconut oil or any other sort of oil. Except EVOO
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped (try to make the veggies the same size)
2 small potatoes, chopped
2 garlic cloves,  small dice
1 1/4t paprika
1 1/4t coriander
1/2t  ground cardamom
1 1/2t curry powder
1 1/2t garam masala (I can usually only find this spice at a specialty shop. Like Penzy's in downtown Seattle or the Pearl in Portland)
1 c green peas
1 can diced tomatoes
1c water
1 can coconut milk
1 heaping Tablespoon (or less if you don't like spicy) of red chili paste or 1 jalapeno, no seeds.

Add the coconut oil to a large pot and heat over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the pot and sauté for about 15 minutes. Add all spices, water, potatoes, the can of tomatoes and green peas. Simmer for another 15 minutes or so with the lid on. Check it  and stir occasionally to make sure you did not lose all the liquid.  When the vegetable become tender, usually after 15-20 minutes, turn heat to low and add the coconut milk and chili paste. Simmer with the lid on for about 10 minutes.  Serve over rice. If it's not spicy enough, add more red chili paste.

Potato cauliflower soup

I like a big bowl of potato soup as much as the next guy but I ALWAYS regret eating it. I end up eating the equivalent of 3 large potatoes and then spend the rest of the night feeling full and fat. This feeling motivated me to make a soup that packed the punch and heartiness of potato soup but did not come with the bloated full feeling that potato soup always brings. This soup still has potatoes but only about 1/3 the amount of a normal potato soup. I beefed it up even further by adding ham and green onions.

Potato and cauliflower soup
serves 4 generous servings

2-3 potatoes
1 bag of frozen cauliflower or one whole head
1/2c ham, chopped or diced
3 green onions
2 leeks, sliced
1 T chicken base or 1 bouillon cube
1/2 c sour cream or 1/2 Mexican crema
4c of water(maybe more, maybe less. Honestly I didn't measure...)
salt and pepper to taste


Boil the cauliflower and the potatoes. Once the potatoes are cooked, drain out the water and blend the potatoes and cauliflower until smooth. If the mixture is too chunky, add a bit of water.  Add the mixture back to the pot and add water until you reach the desired consistency. I like to keep the soup pretty thick and add bits of water as I stir. Add the chicken base and let simmer for about 15 minutes. In a skillet over medium heat, sauté the leeks and ham until the leeks soften up a bit. Add mixture to the pot along with the green onions.  Add the sour cream or crema and simmer for about 5 more minutes to warm through.  Top with additional green onions or  cheese. Salt and pepper to taste. You won't need much salt because the ham and the chicken base have that profile pretty covered.

Pesto baked cod

I was raised on the Oregon coast. I have many fond memories of fishing with my family. Most people hate the smell of fish in the air and the smell of the ocean, but to me it smells like home and my childhood.  This recipe packs a punch and it's easy and quick to make midweek or fancy enough to cook on the weekend. 

Pesto baked cod
serves 3-4

3, 4-5 inch cod fillets
1/4c pesto
1/2c chopped pine nuts (yeah, yeah, I broke down and bought a bag...)
2 heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400
Let fish rest to just below room temperature on a plate with a paper towel on it. This will help absorb excess liquid. Basically, leave it out on the counter while you are gathering other ingredients. Spray an oven safe dish, I used a pie dish, with cooking spray. Mix together the pesto, pine nuts and mayonnaise. Salt and pepper the fish and then lay in the pan. Top the fish with the pesto mixture. I like to really pile it on there. Bake until fish is firm. About 15 minutes.  After the fish is firm, turn the broiler on high and broil on the middle rack for about 5 minutes. This will make the topping even browner. If the topping is brown after cooking time, don't worry about broiling the fish. Serve with rice, a green salad or vegetables. I served it with a corn and red pepper salad.

*I'm sure this topping would be delicious on any type of white fish. Possibly halibut or even tilapia.

Chicken and Pesto Gnocchi

One of my favorite things to make is fresh pasta. It puts store bought pasta to shame. I don't always make our own pasta but when I am craving fettuccine, I tend to make our own. I'm not one of those crazy people that makes their own lasagna noodles or their own rigatoni. I buy those. Because the hours I would spend making them is a lot more valuable than the 1.50$ I would spend on the boxed stuff.*end rant.
You can ask Blake, I have made gnocchi twice in my life. The first time, it was a GIANT failure. Likely the worst cooking failure of my life.  It turned out chalky and hard and I thought it was pretty inedible. The second time was last week and it was delicious and fluffy and did I mention delicious?  There are a few things to discuss before you make this recipe.

1. The less time you spend handling the gnocchi, the fluffier it will be. So, basically, don't fondle your gnocchi.
2. How you cook your potatoes will change the amount of flour you add. If you choose to microwave or use and oven to bake your potatoes, you will add LESS flour. If you boil them whole, you will need to add more flour and if you slice them and then boil them, you need to add even more flour. The reasoning being more water is absorbed if you boil your potatoes versus baking them in the microwave or in the oven. I prefer to boil them because I find that the recipe works a little better. (The first time I made gnocchi I baked the potatoes. Never again)
3. Don't add all the flour at once. Start with 1 cup of flour and then add a little more. The gnocchi dough will be soft but should not be tacky. you should be able to roll it out into ropes without having to add a ton of flour to the surface you are working on. It's easier to add more flour than to take it away.
4. Cook your gnocchi in salted water until they float. DO NOT OVERCOOK! This is when they become tough and gross. Take them out right when they float and put in in your favorite sauce. If you have a sauce simmering, just coat the gnocchi and serve. You don't need to keep them in there for long.

Now, if you're ready, go and make some gnocchi!

Chicken and pesto gnocchi
serves 4, or 2 really hungry people

3 small potatoes or 2 large potatoes
1-2c of flour
1 egg
1/8c olive oil
1 cup of chicken ( I used leftover rotisserie chicken)
1 clove of garlic, minced

Cook potatoes. Mash with a fork or potato masher. DO NOT BLEND as if you are making mashed potatoes. The gnocchi will NOT turn out. I  made this mistake when I made gnocchi the first time. In a large bowl add the egg and 1 cup of flour. Add,what should be 1 cup of cooked potatoes (measure it out if you're more comfortable doing that) to the flour and egg mixture. Mix together incorporating the flour into the potato. add more flour if the mixture is too sticky. Once the dough is smooth, remove from the bowl and cut into 4 or 5 pieces. Roll into about 8 inch ropes and cut the gnocchi into 1/4 inch thick slices. Boil in salted water until they float. About 3 minutes.  In a pan over medium heat, add the chicken, olive oil and pesto. Heat through and add gnocchi. Toss to coat and serve.

Caprese egg muffins

After making caprese salad on a stick for an appetizer one night, the following morning I was still craving the taste of the basil, tomatoes and fresh mozzarella. There are few things as delicious as a caprese salad but these egg sandwiches come pretty close.


Caprese egg muffins
Makes 1 (Honestly, make yourself 2. Or more.)

1 English muffin, toasted
1 tsp pesto (try the  recipe I posted earlier)
1 slice of tomato
1 tsp-ish fresh mozzarella or  1 thin slice of mozzarella
1egg
1/2tsp of water
small drizzle of balsamic vinegar

I like the eggs to be uniform size so I cook them in individual ramekins to make them the same size as the English muffin. Mix the egg and the water in a small bowl. Spray the sides and bottom of the ramekin with cooking spray. Add the egg and water mixture. Add the sliced tomato to the egg mixture. Just lay it on top so it bakes into the egg. Microwave on 50% power for 80-90 seconds. Smear the pesto on one side of the English muffin and drizzle balsamic vinegar on the other side. SMALL drizzle. Don't soak it with BV. Place egg on the English muffin, top with cheese and enjoy!
No picture posted because I ate my breakfast way too fast.