Ingredient Spotlight-Oriental Pasta

I really like Oriental food and try to prepare something Oriental at least once a month.  Although he will eat my fried rice, hubby is not a lover of rice so I was very happy to come across today’s recipe. I found it on a package of Italian Chef Fancy Egg Noodles which is a bit of a strange place to find an Oriental recipe.  I have made this a few times now as an alternative to fried rice, and hubby really likes it.

Of course, I  had to play around with the basic recipe.  I sometimes replace part of the water with a couple of tablespoons of sherry and am thinking about using at least part chicken broth if I am serving this with a chicken dish.  I have made this with noodles, spaghetti, and angel hair pasta.  The pasta in the Oriental food aisle at the grocery story would be good also.  I use sesame oil for part of the vegetable oil and sub frozen green peas for the snow peas most of the time since I always have the green peas on hand.  I am thinking about adding very thin matchstick cut carrots and maybe some chopped red pepper the next time I make this.

Oriental Pasta
adapted from an Italian Chef Noodle package
12 oz. pasta (noodles, spaghetti, angel hair, etc)
1/2 c. water (part sherry if you like)
1/4 c. low-sodium soy sauce
2 t. vinegar (I use rice vinegar)
2 t. sugar
2 t. cornstarch
1  1/2 T. vegetable oil (part sesame oil if you have it)
1/4 c. scallions or green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t. dried ginger
1 c. frozen green peas or 1/2 lb. snow peas, trimmed

Cook pasta according to package directions only until al dente.  While noodles are cooking, combine water, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch in a small bowl.  Stir until sugar and cornstarch are dissolved.  Set aside.  When pasta is done, drain well.  Heat oil in small skillet.  Add scallions or green onions, garlic and ginger; cook and stir over medium heat about 30 seconds.  Add the peas or snow peas.  Cook, stirring until peas are warmed or snow peas are just beginning to change color.  Place pasta back in the pan it was cooked in.  Add  pea mixture to pasta and mix until pasta is well coated.  Return pan to burner.  Add water/soy sauce mixture and mix well.  Heat and stir over medium heat until sauce is thickened.  Transfer to a serving dish and serve immediately.  Garnish with sliced green onions and slivered almonds if desired.  Makes 8 servings.

Linking to:  Ingredient Spotlight

Cast Party Wednesday

Wow Me Wednesday at Ginger Snap Crafts

We Did It Wednesday

What Works for Me

Crazy Cooking Challenge-Chicken Noodle Soup

This month's Crazy Cooking Challenge is for Chicken Noodle Soup.  I found the recipe I based my chicken noodle soup on over at Jill’s Recipes.  The recipe interested me because it was more of a creamy soup than most chicken noodle soups.  It also used frozen noodles which I had never used.    The noodles were on sale at Safeway so I thought I would give them a try.

I will have to admit that I did change the recipe quite a bit.  First instead of the cream of chicken soup it called for, I used the ingredients in my homemade cream soup mix.  I also added celery. red pepper, regular onions, and chopped the carrots instead of grating them.

The original recipe called for 3 quarts of water.  I started the day before I planned to make the soup and cooked 4 chicken thighs that I had purchased on sale for .99 lb.  I put the thighs in 2 qts. of water with onion, carrot, celery, red pepper, bay leaf, garlic, and salt and pepper.  I brought this to a boil and cooked them about 30 minutes.  I removed the chicken thighs, poured the liquid through a strainer, and discarded the vegetables.  The chicken and liquid were then refrigerated overnight.  The next day, I removed the skin and cut the thigh meat from the bones, chopped it up and set it aside.  There was about 2 1/2 c. chicken from the four thighs.   I removed the fat from the liquid and put the broth in a big pot.  I added the remaining quart of water, the  homemade soup mix, the veggies, and seasonings.  This was brought to a boil stirring very often.  I lowered the heat and simmered the mixture for 20 minutes.  I brought the mixture back to a boil and added the noodles per the package directions and cooked 10 minutes, added the chicken and cooked another 10 minutes until the noodles were tender.
 
The results were a wonderful, creamy large amount of soup which hubby and I ate for lunch for several days.

If you want to use canned cream-of-chicken soup like the original recipe did, use one large can or three regular-sized cans and omit the dry milk, cornstarch and 3 34 c. water.  Next time I make this I will add a cup or so of frozen peas when I add the chicken.

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup
Inspired by Jill’s Recipes

2 qts. chicken broth from cooking chicken (purchased broth could be used)
1 qt. water
1/4 c. chicken soup base (I use Better than Bouillon Organic)
3/4 c. nonfat dry milk
4 1/2 T. cornstarch
1/2 t. dried basil
1/2 t. dried thyme
3 3/4 c. water
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped carrot
1 c. chopped celery
1 c. chopped red pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
generous grinding of freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 to 3 cup chopped cooked chicken
1 (12 oz.) pkg. Reames Frozen Noodles

In a large pot combine chicken broth, water, and chicken soup base.   Mix well.  In a large bowl combine dry milk, cornstarch, basil and thyme.  Mix well.  Stir in 3 3/4 c. water mixing well.  Add to water and broth in pot, stirring until well combined.  Add onion, carrot, celery, red pepper and garlic.  Heat mixture to boiling, stirring often to prevent sticking.  Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Bring soup back to a boil and stir in noodles.  Reduce heat and let noodles boil gently 10 minutes.  Add chicken and generous grinding of black pepper.  Continue to boil 10 more minutes or until noodles are tender.   Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more soup base or bouillon if necessary.   Makes at least 8 generous servings.

February's challenge is Chocolate Cake.  If you would like to join in the fun, you can get more details by heading over to Mom's Crazy Cooking and checking it out.   Tina is a great hostess.  

Cooking with the Journal-Tamale Casserole

This casserole was a favorite of my children when they were growing up so I made it often.  It makes a lot so leaves leftovers for my husband to eat on the nights that I work. It is a perfect dish to take to a potluck or other get-together dinner.  The use of the tamales makes it different than many ground beef casseroles.  I use Nalley's Tamales, a brand available here in the northwest.  The casserole is quick, easy, and can be made with pantry shelf ingredients.  If you have already browned up ground beef in your freezer, this is a snap to make.  You may, in fact, make this without the ground beef and use two cans of tamales.  It works just fine.  I have also omitted the noodles from time to time.

Tamale Casserole

Family Favorites from Country Kitchens

Farm Journal Books, 1973

1 lb. ground beef

1/2 c. chopped onion

1/2 c. chopped red or green pepper (omit if you don't like this)

1 (15 oz.) can tamales, cut into 1-inch chunks

1 (1 lb.) can red kidney beans, drained or 1 (1 1b.) can chili beans, undrained

1 (1 lb.) can cream-style corn

2 (8 oz.) or 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce

4 oz. wide noodles, cooked and drained

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 T. chili powder

 1/2-1 t. cumin (not in original recipe, but I use it)

1/2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef in skillet until meat begins to turn color.  Add onion and pepper.  Saute' until meat is well browned.  Set aside.  Open the can of tamales, rinse the sauce from the tamales, and remove the papers that they are wrapped in.  Cut tamales into 1-inch pieces.  Combine the tamales, beans, corn, tomato sauce, noodles, Worcestershire sauce, and chili powder and cumin in a large bowl.  Add ground beef and mix well.   Turn into greased 3-qt. casserole or 9x13-inch baking dish.  Top with cheese.  Bake in 375 degree oven 35 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Makes 6-8 servings.

I am sharing this recipe at Potluck Sunday at Mommy's Kitchen.

Tomorrow:  Ingredient Spotlight-half n' half/cream