Laura’s Red Beans and Rice

02/16/2025 by Laura Leave a Comment

A house favorite in the fall and winter months. There’s hundreds of recipes out there, and this is mine. I think my recipe is a little heavier on the veggies then most.

You will need a large heavy Dutch oven, like lodge or Le Cresuet.

32 ounces dried red beans, soaked overnight

2 green bell peppers, diced

5 stalks crisp, green celery, diced

1 large or 2 small yellow onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 meaty, smoked ham hock

18 ounce dark beer, like Guiness

32 ounce chicken or veggie broth

4-6 Smoked Andouille Sausage – we like Uli’s

1/4 cup olive oil

4-6 Tablespoons Cajun/Creole Season. I’m really liking the Spice House blends right now.

Heat the oil in the Dutch oven, over medium high heat. Add the Celery, peppers, and onion, and cook about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a little longer. Add the seasoning and let it “bloom” for a few minutes. Scoot the veggies to one side of the pan and add the ham hock. Sear on all sides for a few minutes. Add in the drained and rinsed beans, the dark beer and the chicken or veggie stock. If needed, add water to ensure beans are covered. Simmer on low heat 4-6 hours, until beans are creamy. Cooking time will vary based on the freshness of your beans.

While beans are cooking sear the Andouille in a skillet or on the grill. When cool, slice into 1/2” coins. Add to the beans about an hour before they’re done cooking. Taste for seasoning. Serve with rice and garnish with sliced green onions.
Laissez les bons temps rouler.

Our Favorite Coq Au Vin

02/19/2018 by Laura Leave a Comment

Our crazy Seattle weekend weather demanded warm comfort food. So between the repeating rounds of snow, wind, sunshine, and hail, I made one of my favorite dishes, Coq au Vin. I first fell in love with Coq au Vin when Mom and I made the recipe from the Time Life Foods of the World: Cooking of Provincial France. I loved making something so “exotic”! During my high school years, we frequented a little French café, and it was always my entre of choice. The entre was so popular, you actually had to reserve it when making your dinner reservation. I’ve had many versions of Coq au Vin from random French restaurants, during my travels. One of my favorites is from Anthony Bourdain’s restaurant in NYC, Les Halles. My recipe is from his cookbook of the same name. Bon appétit

Ingredients

1 liter, plus one cup of dry red wine

1 onion, cut into 1 inch dice

1 carrot, cut into 1/4 inch slice

1 celery rib, cut into 1/2 slices

4 whole cloves

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 bouquet garni (instructions below)

1 3.5-4 pound organic whole chicken

2 tablespoons olive oil

6 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 pound slab bacon cut into small lardons, about 1/4″ by 1″

1/2 pound small, white button mushrooms, stems removed (I could not find tiny mushrooms, so I quartered the ones I bought)

12 pearl onions, peeled (I hate peeling these – I used peeled, frozen pearl onions)

pinch of sugar

Boquet Garni

1 sprig flat leaf parsley

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 small square cheesecloth

1 small piece of twine

Lay the herbs on the square of cheese cloth. Gather up the corners and tie with the string.

Equipment

3 large, deep bowls

plastic wrap

fine strainer

large Dutch oven or heavy bottom pot

tongs

wooden spoon

small sauté pan

small sauce pan

1 sheet parchment paper

whisk

deep serving platter

DAY ONE

Combine the bottle of red wine, diced onion, sliced carrot, celery, cloves, peppercorns and bouquet garni in large, deep bowl. Add the chicken and submerge it in the liquid so it is completely covered. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

DAY 2

Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry. Put it aside.

Strain the marinade reserving the liquids and the solids separately. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in the large Dutch oven. Sear the chicken on all sides turning with tongs, to evenly brown on all sides. Once brown, remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the reserved onions, carrot and celery to the pot and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to coat evenly. Stir in the reserved marinade liquid and the bouquet garni. Bring to a simmer and add the chicken back into the pot. Simmer very low, slightly covered for about 90 minutes, or until thigh temperature reaches 165′ on a thermometer.

While the chicken cooks, sauté the bacon lardons in a small pan over medium heat until lightly brown. Remove to paper towel to drain. Reserve about 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings and sauté the mushrooms in the same pan until golden. Set them aside.

In the small saucepan, combine the pearl onions, a pinch of sugar, a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons of butter. Add just enough water to cover the onions, then cover the pan with a circle of parchment paper the same size as the pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until all the water has evaporated. Remove the paper and cook until the onions are golden brown. Be careful as this happens fast!

Remove the onions from the pan, set aside. Add the remaining cup of red wine. Reduce by about half or until thick and syrupy. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

When the chicken is cooked through, carefully remove it from the liquid to a deep serving dish.

Add in the bacon, mushrooms and onions to the stockpot. Bring to a gentle simmer. Adjust the sauce for seasoning and swirl in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Pour the sauce over the chicken. If the sauce is not a thick as you like, tighten up with a beurrre manie.

We typically serve this dish with fluffy mashed potatoes. Enjoy with a Washington Syrah and an arugula salad!

I hope you’ll give this recipe a try. You will be happy you did.

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful evening.

Laura

Quick and Easy Chicken Tortilla Soup

02/02/2018 by Laura Leave a Comment

Can you believe it is February 2nd today? According to Punxsutawney Phil, there’s 6 more weeks of soup weather ahead of us!

January was a total blur for me. I got that ridiculous virus (flu). I really hope you have escaped it, and if you catch it, do take it seriously. I started hacking on Boxing Day; coughing so hard and uncontrollably I could not catch my breath at times. (Before you ask, YES I GOT A FLU SHOT!) I saw the Dr. on the 27th of December and was given steroids, antivirals, and inhalers. If you know me at all, you know I will do anything to avoid taking Prednisone. This time, I did not even consider putting up a fight! I would have done anything to STOP the coughing! When there were clear signs of infection a week later, I was put on antibiotics. I ran fevers of about 100′ off and on for three weeks. It was just last week that I honestly believed I would make it to Valentines Day! I’m surprised our food delivery folks haven’t called to see why the Hot and Sour soup orders have stopped! Anyway, with my absence explained, and all the crap I ordered on-line while sick; returned, I’m here to share this recipe with you!

We love chicken tortilla soup! So flavorful and satisfying. I always have a whole chicken in the freezer, and roasted tomatoes in the pantry. Onions, avocados, tortillas, and cilantro are usually restocked weekly. I discovered a frozen southwest veggie mix a couple summers ago. It is the perfect add-in to this soup. This frozen veggie combo also makes a great cold salad with a lime, cumin, cilantro vinaigrette. This veggie mix has become a staple in the freezer as well. This post is not sponsored…I’m sharing this “short cut” with you ’cause that’s what I’m all about.

For the soup

Place one whole chicken* (extra fat, skin and giblets removed), in a large stock pot.

cover the chicken with 3 quarts of fresh, cold water
season with salt and pepper

Simmer about two hours, over low heat, until chicken is done – no pink in the thighs.

Remove chicken from pot. Strain the broth into a large bowl and set aside.

Pull the chicken off the bones, removing the skin, breaking the meat into bite size pieces. Set aside.

*You could use rotisserie chicken and three quarts of chicken stock, if your prefer to not cook a whole chicken. Just start with the steps below.

1 large or 2 small jalapeno peppers, minced

1 large, sweet onion, diced

4 T. olive oil

Sauté the onion and pepper in the olive oil over medium heat in your stock pot, about 5 minutes, until tender.

Add:

1 large can diced, fire roasted tomatoes
2 T ground cumin
1 T chili powder
Salt, pepper
2 bags of southwestern style frozen vegetables

Pour the reserved stock back into the stock pot. Taste for Seasoning. Simmer about 30 minutes.

15 minutes before serving, add the reserved chicken meat to the pot. Simmer gently to warm the meat through. Taste and adjust the seasonings.

While the soup is heating, prepare the garnishes:

Cut 4-5 corn tortillas into strips. Add 4 T of oil to a sauté pan and cook them until lightly brown and crisp. Cool on a paper towel to remove any excess oil.

1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

1 bunch of green onions, sliced

2-3 avocado’s diced

lime wedges – 1 per serving

grated cheese, for serving

sour cream for serving

When ready to serve, ladle soup into a serving bowl bowl. Top with tortilla strips, shredded cheese, avocado, cilantro, onion and sour cream. Add a lime wedge on the side.. This soup is fantastic leftover and also freezes well.

Make it soon, you won’t regret it!

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful evening.

Laura

Garbage Day Soup!

09/27/2017 by Laura 2 Comments

It’s human nature to have many routines, whether they’re conscious or unconscious! Often, we’re not even sure how long we’ve had them or how they got started. One of mine is cleaning the fridge the night before the compost, recycling, yard waste, (garbage, if you’re not from Seattle) are collected. I’m pretty sure my mom does the same thing. However, now that I have “more time than money” I am very conscientious about the wasting of anything. It’s not that I was not conscious before, but when your unpredictable work schedule takes you away from home 3-5 days a week, you don’t always manage the larder as efficiently as possible; leftovers get tossed, planned meals don’t get cooked, and the freezer quickly fills with foil packets I call UFO’s….unidentifiable frozen objects, that are rarely interesting a month or two later!

Even with the best intentions, sometimes what’s left at week’s end, is pretty drab and has very few opportunities to be repurposed! I’d love to hear ideas for leftover lettuce based salads, as that is one item that fills my compost bucket routinely! Chicken or salmon – easily become next days sandwich with a little help of mayo, celery, bell pepper. Potatoes, vegetable and gravy – perfect set up for Shepard’s pie, or “dinner for breakfast” potato pancakes.

I got lucky this week, when I opened the produce drawer to “clean it out”. I had a few ears of corn, a half-dozen poblano peppers, a couple jalopeno peppers, cilantro and some leftover chicken. I knew immediately I would be making a corn, pepper, chicken chowder. We had onions, garlic, baby potatoes and chicken stock in the pantry, so I jumped right in. This could all be thrown together in a crock pot, but I actually made the base one day, and reheated it with cream the second day. This soup is delicious and will stay in our rotation throughout the winter, even though we will have to sub frozen corn for the fresh.

For the corn, poblano and chicken chowder

1 large sweet onion, chopped

4-6 cloves of garlic, minced

2 jalopenos , stems and seeds removed and finely chopped

5 poblano peppers, stems and seeds removed and chopped

4 ears of corn, cut away from the cob

12 tiny potatoes, quartered

1 quart chicken stock

2 cups water

2 cups cooked chicken meat in bite size pieces (from leftover chicken)

1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped – retain a few leaves for garnish

1 pint heavy cream

oil for sautéing

salt and pepper

grated cheese for serving – Mexican style

Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil in the bottom of a heavy soup pot over medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic, peppers until soft, about 7 minutes

Add the corn cobs, chopped cilantro, potatoes and chicken stock, and allow to simmer at least an hour.

At this point, I added the chicken, simmered it about an hour more and then moved the pot to the fridge. You could easily complete the soup, but I think the extra day with the corn husks in the pot really pumped up the corn flavor! Add salt and pepper as needed.

About an hour before serving, I brought the soup to a slow simmer. I reduced the heat as much as possible and added the pint of cream.

We served this with grated cheese and fresh-baked corn bread. I really hope you’ll give it a try, whether you have the ingredients on hand or not!

Thanks for stopping by and have a great evening.

Laura

First of Fall – Pork Chili Verde

09/21/2017 by Laura Leave a Comment

Wow! Somebody flipped the “summer heat” switch to the “off” position! I am grateful for cooler, more moderate temperatures, but it seems the change was a bit extreme! There’s been at least a 20′ difference in temperatures from last week to this. We knew rain was coming, so we scrambled to get the last of the garden clean-up / harvesting / fall planting done. I ended up with a fair amount of peppers and tomatillos, which, along with the cool, rainy weekend, inspired me to make this dish. We added a few more tomatillos, poblano peppers, garlic and onion from the farmers market, and we were set.

For the Pork Chili Verde (this makes a lot, we froze half)

for the tomatillo pepper slurry

8 poblano peppers

12-15 fresh tomatillos, husked and rinsed, stem removed

2 large white onions, peeled and quartered

8 cloves of garlic, peeled

8-10 assorted peppers – jalapeno, Fresno, Serrano, based on your taste and desired heat level!

Heat your oven to 500′. Place all the peppers, tomatillos, quartered onions, and garlic on a sheet pan. Roast the vegetables until they begin to brown and are softened. This will take about 25 minutes.

Remove the stems and seeds from the roasted peppers. Place all of the roasted veggies and any juice from the roasting pan, in the large bowl of your food processor and pulse until smooth.

for the meat

4 pounds lean pork cut into 1″ cubes (I used boneless, thick cut pork loin chops)

flour, salt and pepper for dredging

neutral, high heat oil for browning

1 large, sweet onion, diced

1 can/bottle beer – an ale of your choice

2 cups fresh or frozen chopped Hatch green chili (I bought a ton directly from Hatch in August. Canned chili ok, but not as flavorful.)

2-4 cups of chicken stock

1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons of cumin

Avocado slices, chopped cilantro, sliced green onion, cooked rice, charred tortillas, sour cream and shredded cheese for serving.

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add 2-3 tablespoons of oil. Place 1 cup of flour, one tablespoon of salt and one tablespoon of pepper in a zip lock bag. Dredge the cubed pork, in small batches and add to the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Turn the pork to ensure all sides are browned evenly. Repeat this process until all the meat is browned, adding additional oil as needed.

In the same pan, sauté the chopped onion until golden, scraping up all the bits from the bottom of the pan. Deglaze the pan with the beer. Let simmer 5 minutes. Add the meat back to the pan, then the pureed veggies, and the chopped green chili, cilantro and cumin. If too thick, add a cup or two of the chicken stock. Stir well, cover and simmer over low heat, about 6 hours. Stir frequently and adjust the salt as needed, also adding additional stock if needed.

I also made a batch of black beans to serve along side, and a delicious, but non instagram worthy, apple pie for dessert. Ahh fall! I wish you could have all smelled the kitchen.

To plate, place a scoop of rice on a plate or bowl. Add a serving of stew. Garnish with a dollop of sour cream, cilantro and green onions. I served black beans and charred tortillas along side.

I really hope you’ll give this recipe a try. It’s one of our favorites. Great left over and freezes well too.

Have a wonderful evening, and thanks for stopping by.

Laura

Mediterranean inspired Chicken, Potato and Green Bean Sheet-pan Supper

03/08/2017 by Laura 2 Comments

I always thought that when I retired, (Yes, RETIRED! More about that in an upcoming post.) I’d spend my days making elaborate meals! Meals that took lots of planning, shopping for exotic ingredients and hours in the kitchen. I’ve kind of surprised myself with my recent desire for simplicity. Simplicity of ingredients, quick cooking and easy, often one pan, clean up! Additionally, anything I cook usually makes two appearances. The roast chicken below became chicken salad for lunches, two days in a row. I am sure I will continue to explore elaborate and exotic adventures in food, but they will not be as frequent as I’d thought they would be.

Sheet-pan suppers are gaining in popularity for good reason. They are quick, nutritious, delicious one pan alternatives to the crock pot. Don’t get me wrong, I love my crock pot for many things. But, you will never get crispy skin on a chicken or roast potatoes, in a crock pot! Also unlikethe crock pot, you can prep, cook and serve in 45 – 60 minutes, which fits in better with my current state of spontaneity!

For this recipe, I suggest you spatchcock your chicken. It will cook quickly and evenly and provide a safe, steamy haven for the green beans. If you do not know how to spatchcock a chicken….Google it and watch a video or two. Alternatively, you could ask your butcher to remove the back bone for you. Just make sure you retain it, for your scrap bag of chicken parts, for stock.

For the Mediterranean inspired chicken, potato and green bean supper

Organic ingredients whenever possible

1 half-sheet, sheet pan

1 fresh young chicken 3-4 pounds, preferably organic, spatchcoked and patted dry

7-8 cloves of garlic, minced

leaves from 4-5 sprigs of fresh oregano, minced

zest of one lemon, finely grated on a microplane

juice of zested lemon

Mix the garlic, oregano, lemon zest and lemon juice together in a small bowl with about 2 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 large lemon, sliced thinly

3/4 – 1 pound of fresh green beans, ends removed, uniformly sized

1 pound tiny red and gold potatoes, quartered

Salt and Pepper

additional olive oil

Drizzle a little olive oil on the sheet pan. Pile the green beans in a tight pile, in the center of the pan.

Place the flattened chicken over the green beans, ensuring the beans are all tucked underneath it.

Drizzle olive oil over the chicken and massage it in! Place a couple teaspoonful’s of the garlic, oregano and lemon mixture, under the skin. Place a few lemon slices under the skin as well.

Place the potatoes around the chicken, in a single layer. Drizzle the potatoes with the remaining herb mixture. Toss well to ensure they are coated.

Season well with salt and pepper and Greek style seasoning. (Greek blend offered by numerous spice companies.)

Pop it in a 400′ oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the temperature in the thigh registers 165′.

Let the chicken rest 10-15 minutes before serving.

I hope you will give this meal a try!

Thanks for stopping by.

Have a great evening,

Laura

Orange – Oregano Roast Chicken with Olive Gremolata

02/11/2017 by Laura Leave a Comment

Do you eat as much chicken as we do? The versatility, the convenience and the price all contribute to the reason it shows up on our plate so often. Diana Henry has by far, the most versatile, interesting and flavorful chicken recipes. While she has an entire book devoted to the proud bird, titled A Bird in the Hand, this recipe is from her newest book Simple. Simple focuses on recipes that include things you typically have in a well stocked pantry. My large bag of Cara Cara oranges led me to choose this recipe for last nights dinner. It’s quick and flavorful, and I had all the ingredients on hand. It’s simple enough for a weeknight meal but fancy enough for a dinner party.

Adapted slightly from Diana Henry’s newest book, Simple

For the chicken – this is best if allowed to marinate overnight

6 whole chicken legs, trimmed of extra skin and fat

1/3 cup chopped oregano leaves

8 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped

juice of 2 oranges, and thinly sliced rind of 1 orange

2 oranges, thinly sliced

1/3 cup of olive oil

salt and pepper

Finely chop the oregano, garlic and orange rind. Place it in a large bowl that you will marinate the chicken in. Add the juice from the orange and the olive oil. Mix well. Add the chicken. Massage the marinade into the chicken, with your hands. Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight, or a minimum of 2 hours.

Meanwhile, make the gremolata

1 cup mixed green and black olives, pitted and finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

2 red Fresno chiles, seeded and finely chopped

zest of 1 orange

2 Tablespoons chopped oregano leaves

1/3 cup of olive oil

1 Tablespoon of orange juice

1 Tablespoon of white balsamic vinegar

a squeeze of lemon juice

Chop the olives, garlic, chiles and orange zest together on a cutting board. Place in a small bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Set aside to let the flavors infuse.

To prepare the chicken

Heat the oven to 375′. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shaking off the excess. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in an oven proof sauté pan, that will allow the chicken to lay flat in a single layer. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown on both sides. Finish with the chicken skin side up. Place in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven. Place the orange slices under and around the chicken. Return to the oven and roast another 20 minutes, or until chicken reaches 165′ on a thermometer. Scatter the gremolata on top. Serve from the sauté pan with couscous or roasted potatoes.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Thanks for stopping by.

Have a great evening,

Laura

The Best EVER Spaghetti and Meatballs

12/17/2016 by Laura 3 Comments

I have never been a big of a fan of spaghetti and meatballs, UNTIL NOW! I’ve made many meatballs in my time… all coming close to what I imagined, but never really “nailing it”. That all changed with this recipe. Inspired by a recent meal at our neighborhood Italian restaurant, we decided we must learn to make fabulous spaghetti and meatballs at home. Don’t get me wrong, the meatballs at the restaurant in the ‘hood were great… but, a plate of spaghetti and 2 meatballs for $16 is not sustainable! I set about researching recipes, and there it was on my own bookshelf! I found Frank Pellogrino’s, of the Rao’s family, recipe in my Fine Cooking – Italian cookbook! Since getting a table at Rao’s is virtually impossible…it’s great to have this recipe at hand.

For the meatballs:

We tripled the recipe…plenty for the freezer!

1/2 lb. ground beef

1/2 lb. ground pork

1/2 lb. ground veal

1 Tbs. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup finely grated imported Locatelli Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano (or half and half); more for serving

1-1/2 cups plain dry breadcrumbs, (I used fresh breadcrumbs made from a baguette)

1 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 cup olive oil or vegetable oil; more as needed

1 lb. dried spaghetti

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Break up the ground meat into a large bowl. Sprinkle on the salt, pepper, minced garlic, eggs, grated cheese, breadcrumbs, 1-1/2 cups water, and parsley. Mix with your hands until everything is evenly distributed, but don’t over mix. Shape into meatballs by gently scooping up a handful of meat and rolling it into a nice even ball; each meatball should weigh about 4 oz. and be about 2-1/2 inches in diameter.

In a heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Gently set six of the meatballs in the oil and fry until they’re lightly browned on the bottom half, 5 to 6 min. Carefully turn them over using a slotted spatula and brown the other side. You are not cooking them all the way through. They will finish cooking in the sauce. This was a big lesson for me….I had always overcooked them, resulting in a dry, tough meatball!

Drain the meatballs on a few paper towels to soak up excess oil. Fry the remaining meatballs the same way.

For the marinara:

I changed this a bit, as we always have #10 cans of Italian tomatoes on hand…yes, seriously

1 #10 can, or 4 28 ounce cans, authentic San Marzano Italian tomatoes (I use Strianese Brand)

1/2 cup good quality, Italian olive oil (I use Partanna Brand)

10 cloves garlic, lightly smashed

2 Tbs. kosher salt; more as needed

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano

optional – 1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes – if you like a little heat

In a very large stockpot or heavy dutch oven, sauté the garlic in the olive oil, over low heat. Break up the tomatoes with your hands, while in the can. Add them to the stock pot. Season with salt and pepper. Let simmer 2-3 hours while you make the meatballs. Add the chopped fresh herbs during the last hour of cooking. Add the crushed red pepper flakes if using. Add the meatballs during the last 30 minutes of cooking. Simmer very gently.

for the pasta:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When the meatballs and sauce have been simmering for about 20 min., add the spaghetti to the boiling water and boil until it’s just about al dente, undercooked a bit.

The next step is called the segreto method, and is key to the success of the entire dish. I had never done this before and it made a huge difference!

When the spaghetti is done, drain it and return it to the pot it was cooked in. (DO NOT RINSE THE PASTA) Add a couple of ladlefuls of the marinara sauce to the spaghetti. Put the pot over high heat and, with a wooden spoon or tongs, constantly toss the pasta until each piece is coated with sauce, about 1 min. Transfer to serving bowls and ladle more sauce over the spaghetti, along with two to three meatballs. Serve with grated cheese.

I hope you enjoy this recipe! Dave did…5 meals in a row!

Buona serata,

Laura

Spicy Sesame Pork and Noodle Soup

03/07/2016 by Laura Leave a Comment

This recipe exemplifies “WHY” I love to cook! Calling for unfamiliar ingredients and new techniques, all leading me to new discoveries at the Asian market. I know these are the same things that will prevent many from making this recipe!

Starting as a kid, with the Time Life Foods of the World cookbooks, food has always allowed me to explore unknown places and cultures, without leaving my kitchen. The pictures, the recipes and finally; the meals, opened me up to new taste experiences. Luckily, the shrinking world (and Food TV) has made it easier to find “exotic” spices, seasonings, herbs, fruits and vegetables, that were a struggle to locate 30 years ago.

I am a big fan of warm, comforting bowls of broth, meat and noodles. They taste especially good after a week on the road, eating the nightly “specials” at some non-descript hotel! When this recipe showed up in my in box from Food 52, I knew I had to make it. It was originally posted by a food blogger from Hawaii, Gingerroot. The three day prep time, an extra trip to the Asian market and using every stock pot I own, were all worth it. This is absolutely delicious. I am excited that I have extras in the freezer, waiting for me to return from the next road trip!

Unlike most of my posts, I am not going to include detailed, step by step instructions. Food 52 did an amazing job, so refer to the link if you need help.

Spicy Sesame Pork with Noodles

adapted from this recipe

For Stock

3 pounds meaty pork neck bones – I used Pork Shanks
1 medium onion, rough chopped
2 medium carrots, preferably organic, scrubbed and rough chopped
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 smoked ham hock
5 whole cilantro plants, including roots, well washed – I used one bunch of Cilantro
5 whole scallions, including roots, well washed

Preheat oven to 400° F.

Brown pork bones in a little oil, on both sides, over medium heat, in a large stock pot, that will fit in the oven. Cook about 15 minutes. Add carrots and onions to pan, piling vegetables on top of the bones. Roast for 30-45 minutes, until vegetables begin to char around edges and bones begin to caramelize. Add 14 cups water. Water should be covering bones by about an inch. Be sure and scrape up all browned bits from the bottom of pan.

In a small bowl, whisk tamarind paste, tomato paste, and 2 tablespoons water from the stockpot. Whisk this mixture into the stockpot. Heat stock over medium-high heat until nearly boiling, and then reduce to a slow simmer. Continue simmering (uncovered) for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, using a sieve, strain out vegetables, pressing down on solids so liquids go back into stockpot. One at a time, carefully take out bones and put them on a plate near your stockpot. Using small tongs and a fork (or two forks) remove the meat. Transfer meat (should have between 3-4 cups depending on how meaty your bones were) to a container with a tight fitting lid and refrigerate. Return bones, including cartilage and fat, and any liquid that may have accumulated on the plate, to stockpot. Continue simmering for 1 hour. At this point, you can allow mixture to cool slightly before refrigerating overnight. The next day, remove congealed fat layer from surface of stock before simmering for a final hour, adding the smoked ham hock, whole cilantro plants and scallions. Strain out hock and aromatics with a sieve, pressing down on solids to allow liquids back into stock. Repeat cooling and refrigerating step.

Alternatively, you can make the stock in one day by adding the smoked hock and aromatics after three hours of simmering (skipping the extra overnight in the fridge), and continue cooking for the final hour. Cool stock enough to refrigerate overnight (see above in step 8).

Seasonings For the Soup

14-16 ounces rice vermicelli (from an Asian market or section of the grocery store – Do not substitute gluten free rice noodles) *Feel free to substitute your favorite Asian noodle instead, such as ramen
1/2 cup chopped green onion
1/2 chopped cilantro
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 cups shredded Savoy or Napa cabbage
3 cups reserved pork meat, chopped
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoons Aka (Red) Miso paste found in the Japanese section of an Asian market or some grocery stores
1-2 tablespoons Gochujang** (fermented Korean chili paste) found in the Korean section of an Asian market or some grocery stores
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 cup Katsuo Furikake (Roasted Sesame Seed and Dried Bonito mix) *found in the Japanese section of an Asian market or some grocery stores

Take stock out of refrigerator and remove congealed fat layer from the surface of soup (stock should be more like jelly than liquid).

Heat stock over medium-high heat until nearly boiling, and then reduce to a slow simmer.

If you have them, use a suribachi (ceramic Japanese mortar with rough grooves on the inside of the bowl) and surikogi (wooden pestle) to grind katsuo furikake into a paste. If you do not, a regular mortar and pestle will also work. Add ½ t sesame oil midway through grinding to help mixture come together.

When almost all of the sesame seeds are mashed, add in 1 T of gojuchang. If you know you love heat, add 2 T. As you turn the pestle around the mortar, the gojuchang will ball up around the sesame seed mixture. Whisk this into the stock and allow soup to simmer for 20 minutes. If there is still a lot of sesame-gojuchang paste stuck in the mortar, add a little bit of stock to the bowl, stir, and pour mixture into the pot.

Turn off heat.

Place miso paste in a small bowl and whisk in enough hot stock (2-3 T) to liquefy the miso. Pour this into stock and stir to incorporate. Allow mixture to cool and refrigerate overnight.

Finishing the Soup

Remove your soup from the refrigerator and slowly heat it up.

In another pot, cook rice vermicelli according to directions on the package, and then drain in a colander, rinsing with some cold water to stop the noodles from cooking.

In a skillet large enough to hold pork and cabbage, heat sesame oil over medium heat.

Add chopped pork and stir to heat through. Add cabbage and stir to take off raw edge. Turn off heat, stir in balsamic and a pinch of salt.

Portion rice noodles into soup bowls.

Top each bowl with pork and cabbage.

Ladle steaming broth over each bowl.

Generously add chopped green onions and cilantro to each bowl and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Thanks for visiting. Have a wonderful evening!

Laura

**Gochujang – Awesome Korean Spicy condiment. A little sweeter than Siricha.

50’s Flashback – Chicken (or Tuna) Noodle Casserole

01/15/2016 by Laura Leave a Comment

We all have comfort food favorites and Chicken (or Tuna) Noodle Casserole is definitely near the top of my list. I’ve been reluctant to post this recipe knowing it’s not that interesting or adventurous, and would also require my admitting to use of “that canned soup”. With encouragement from friends who’ve received this casserole after surgeries, babies, illnesses or other trying times, I decided to share the recipe. It’s something I always have the ingredients on hand for and comes together quickly whether in crisis mode or not! It’s as good with tuna as it is with chicken. It freezes well and is great the next day for lunch, or a second dinner. If you hate mushrooms don’t use them, and use Cream of Celery soup instead. I’ve stepped it up from the 4 ingredient tuna casserole version of my childhood, by adding cheese, sour cream, and vegetables. I hope you’ll like it as much as we do!

For the Chicken (or Tuna) Noodle Casserole

2 cups cooked chicken, chopped into bite size pieces OR 3 7oz. cans of rinsed, drained tuna

2 cans Cream of Chicken, or Cream of Celery or Cream of Mushroom soup

1 1/2 cups of milk

1 cup of sour cream

1 cup shredded white cheddar, or mozzarella, or Monterey jack or any combination of cheese you like

3/4 cup diced celery

3/4 cup diced red bell pepper

1 cup sliced mushrooms (ok to skip mushrooms if you aren’t a fan)

1 teaspoon minced, dry onion

1 cup frozen, petite peas

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs (potato chip upgrade, but you can use them if you must!)

olive oil spray

EVOO for sautéing the vegetables

Salt and Pepper, to taste

1 package (12 ounces) Wide Egg Noodles

Heat the oven to 375′. Spray a casserole dish with oil to prevent sticking. Cook the noodles according to package directions in a large pot of salted boiling water. Drain in a colander and set aside.

In the same pot that you cooked the noodles, sauté the celery, peppers, mushrooms and dry onion in 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until soft and tender. (By sautéing the veggies and mixing the ingredients in the same pan you boiled the noodles in – you have only one pan to wash!)

Remove from the heat. Stir in the soup, milk, sour cream. Add the noodles and mix well. Add the chicken (OR tuna), the shredded cheese and the peas. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

When all ingredients are combined, pour into the casserole dish. Sprinkle the Panko bread crumbs evenly over the top. Spray the crumbs with a little oil to aid in even browning.

Bake for about 40 minutes until casserole is bubbly and the top is slightly browned, about 180′ on a thermometer.

Serve with fresh fruit or a tossed green salad.

Have a wonderful evening,

Laura

I love sharing my bird photos. Here are the jays that enjoy the peanuts we put out for them!