Noodle Soup – Ramen Style October 1, 2009

Until a couple of months ago, I was oblivious to the fact that there are eateries that serve ramen noodles.  Ramen, as most of us know, are the quick-cooking packaged noodles that come in various flavors.  I googled “ramen” and learned about “ramenya” a place that serves Ramen noodles, the different types of ramen and the common ramen soups! Growing up in India, Maggi was the only ramen brand with their unique Indian flavorings – masala, chicken, and now, they’ve extended that to sambar, tomato, chop suey etc.  Yes, its still something that I pick up from the desi store.  On some nights when you have no enthu to cook, Maggi is a convenient, comforting fallback option.

Anyway, back to my ramen ramblings.  My co-workers had been raving about this ramen place and I finally went there a few weeks ago. Its called Santa Ramen, and as they’d told me the line was long although they’d been open for only 15 minutes! They serve three types of ramen soup – soy, miso and beef.  They do warn on their menu that their noodles are not vegetarian, so G will never be able to try the real deal, being a pure vegetarian and all.  I tried the miso ramen and opted to add some napa cabbage and mushrooms to my basic meal that comes with seaweed, bamboo shoots and pork.  The soup arrived about 25 minutes later – a large, piping hot bowl of broth with lots of noodles, cabbage and mushrooms.  It was really delicious – warm, comforting and a lot of food! Of course, I had to create a vegetarian, home-version of this dish as Santa Ramen is open only for lunch – what if I want this stuff for dinner ?

What You Need

• 1 Pkt Ramen Noodles
• 1 Pkt Trader Joes Instant Miso Soup
• 3 Tblsps of Konbu (seaweed)
• 1/4 Cup of mixed frozen vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
• ¼  Cup of Edamame
• ¼ Cup of Soy nuggets (optional)
• 1 tsp of Sriracha
• 1 tsp of grated ginger
• 4 Cups of water
• Salt to taste

How Its Done

1. Boil the water in a medium saucepan
2. Add the miso soup mix, seaweed (chopped into bits), veggies, edamame, sriracha and soy nuggets and cook for a couple of minutes
3. Break up the ramen into half and add to the boiling mix. Add the grated ginger and let the whole thing come to a boil till the noodles are cooked (about a couple of minutes).
4. Enjoy!

This meal is perfect for a quick weeknight meal and a nice change to the usual maggi or quick noodles one tends to make. The broth comes out with a creamy texture and the sriracha and ginger give it the kick that really brightens up the noodles! Give it a try the next time you reach for your quick-cooking noodles!

Mango Salad September 9, 2009

I had been meaning to try Mingalaba Restaurant in Burlingame since it opened a year ago. Mingalaba serves Burmese and Mandarin cuisine and I’ve never had Burmese before.  I did takeout once amd while waiting chatted witsoothed patrons who turned out to be regulars. One highly recommended the Mango Salad.

So, when we finally went there for dinner a couple of months ago, that’s exactly what I ordered. And, the samosa soup. Yes! Samosa soup – made with that flaky pasty stuffed with potatoes, which is a very popular Indian snack. In reading the menu, I learned that Burmese cuisine is a conglomeration of Indian and Chinese cuisines. There are numerous authentic Burmese items on Mingalaba’s menu. Anyway, back to the Mango Salad. It was crunchy and sweet and sour all at the same time. I am not big on salads but this one left me wanting more! Of course, I had to make it myself. So, I researched the Internet for ‘Burmese Mango Salad’ and found a few. I used this recipe and made it vegetarian, and added another layer of texture and flavor.

What You Need

• 1 green (unripe) mango
• 1 small onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 tsp cooking oil
• 1 tsp tamarind concentrate
• 1 Tblsp soy sauce
• 1/2 a tsp sugar
• 1 tsp or more of red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste

Optional

• 1/4 cup of peanuts, roasted
• 1/4 cup of fried onions (the crispy canned kind)

How Its Done

1. Peel the mango and chop it into matchstick like pieces. If you have a mandolin, this is easily done.

2. Chop the onion into thin slices and the garlic into thin disks

3. Heat the oil and add the garlic and fry till golden brown.Set aside the garlic and use the oil in the dressing next.

4. If you’re using raw peanuts, roast them in the microwave for a couple of minutes, checking and moving the around intermittently.

5. Mix the rest of the ingredients ( including the fried garlic) with the garlic oil and add to the mango and onion. Mix well.

6. Serve onto salad plates and garnish with the peanuts and fried onions.

The salad was crunchy, tangy, sweet and sour, just like the one at Mingalaba. The peanuts and fried onions add a layer of nuttiness and crunchy texture. Perfect for a warm summer day!

Tofu Fried Rice September 5, 2009

This is a quick weeknight meal recipe using leftover rice, ready in less than 20 minutes. Unfortunately, I didn’t take a picture to show you all how lovely this dish turns out.

Of course, a variety of vegetables are an integral part of this recipe. And, the tofu can be easily substituted with chicken or any other protein of your choice. This dish has a flair of Indian-Chinese cuisine (yes, there is such a thing).

What You Need
- 2 Cups of cooked rice (I used brown rice)
- 1 Cup of mixed vegetables
- 1/2 Cup of forzen shelled edamame
- 2 eggs
- 1 pky savory baked tofu
- 1/4 Cup of low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp of chilli flakes
- 1 1/2 tablespoons of sesame oil
- 3 Scallions
- 2 Cloves of garlic
- Salt to taste and lots of pepper

How it’s done
- Cut the tofu in 1/2 inch cubes and the scallions fine
- Whisk the eggs with a pinch of salt
- Heat a tablespoon of oil in a nonstick wok.
- Add the white portion of the scallions and crushed garlic (using your handy garlic press). Sauté for a couple of minutes till the scallions are transluscent
- Add the vegetables and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Season the vegetables with some salt.
- Push these to a side to create space in the wok so you can cook the eggs.
- Add the rest of the oil in the space and agg the eggs and scramble till cooked completely. Mix with the vegetables.
- Add the tofu and edamame and mix. Now add the rice, chilli flakes and soy sauce and mix well. Season with salt and lots of pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes more and turn off the heat. Garnish with scallions while serving.

A warm bowl of spicy, tofu fried rice is comfort food, and with the brown rice, vegetables and tofu is also a balanced nutritious meal!

Avocado Fritatta with Spicy Mango Relish June 24, 2009

I’ve usually eaten avocado in a salad, as guacamole with chips, and as Avocado fries, a recipe we saw in the Sunset magazine a couple of months ago. The idea of searing the avocados was G’s. And I thought it would make an interesting layer to the fritatta I was making for dinner. I had made the mango relish a couple of days ago and thought it would be add a twist of flavor. The result was delicious- the seared avocado enhanced the buttery texture of the fritatta whole the mango relish gave it the spicy tangy flavor…mmm!! Try it.

What you need

For the Fritatta
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup of assorted chopped vegetables ( I had zucchini, bell peppers and eggplant)
- 1 Tblsp milk
- 2 avocados
- 2 tblsps of oil
- Salt and Pepper to taste

For the Mango Relish
( this recipe makes 3 cups of the relish and lasts a week or so refrigerated)
- 2 Raw mangoes
- 1 Tblsp of oil
- 1 1/2 Tsp of mustard seeds
- 1/2 Tsp of turmeric
- 2-3 Tsp of cayenne powder
- 1/2 Tsp of fenugreek powder
- Salt to taste

How it’s done

Mango Relish
- Peel and chop the mangoes into 1/2 cm pieces ( or grate). I prefer the chopped mango because it gives the relish some bite and crunch.
- Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds.
- Once the seeds start spluttering ( this flavors the oil), add the turmeric and cayenne.
- Quickly add the mangoes, fenugreek powder and salt and mix for a couple of minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let it cool.
Store on an airtight container, refrigerated.

Fritatta
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
- Peel, pit and slice the avocadoes.
- Heat a nonstick pan and spray some oil. Lay the first batch of avocado slices on the pan. Let them sear for a couple of minutes till the slices brown. Turn the slices over and let them sear. Repeat with second batch. Set aside.
- Whisk the eggs with the milk and some salt and pepper. Mix in half the cheese
- Spray some more oil to the nonstick pan and add the vegetables and sauté a couple of minutes. Add some salt and pepper to season the vegetables.
- When the vegetables are half done (they soften but are still crunchy), add half the eggs and move it around an over the vegetables.
- Add a layer of the seared avocadoes and add the rest of the eggs.
- Let the eggs set a bit. Top off with another layer of the avocadoes and the rest of the cheese and put it in the oven.
- The fritatta will fluff up in the oven and when the cheese melts and has golend brown tops, it’s time to take it out of the oven (about 10-15 minutes).
- Let cool 2-3 minutes. When serving, cut it into wedges, and lay it on a warm wheat tortilla and top it off with a generous helping of the mango relish.

A bite of the tangy and spicy mango relish with a buttery, fluffy piece of the fritatta with it’s layers of flavors tastes awesome and is incredibly satisfying.

Polenta with Roasted Bok Choy, Beets and Edamame Salad March 3, 2009

 

When I want to be able to do other things while diinner is getting ready, I usually let my oven do the work. This means I need to do the prep and the assembly (and of course there are short cuts for that as well )

What You Need

1. 2 Bunches of Bok Choy
2. 2-3 small Beets
3. 1 cup frozen shelled edamame
4. 2 cloves of garlic
5. 2 tblsps of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
6. 1 Polenta tube (available in the local supermarket)
7. 1 cup of shredded cheese of your choice
8. Salt and pepper
9. Your favorite salsa or marinara sauce

How Its Done

1. Preheat you oven to 450 degrees
2. Cut the Bok Choy and beets into 1 inch pieces. Do not mix the two.
3. Toss separately dreasong made by mixing the olive oil, crushed garlic coves, salt and pepper. Put in separate oven safe baking dishes. Mix the frozen edamame with the beets. Pop in the top shelf of the oven. Roast for 20-30 minutes till the greens wilt.
4. Cut the Polenta tube into 8 rounds. Place on a greased cookie sheet or silpat (never fails) and top with shredded cheese. Pop in the second shelf of your oven and let cook till the cheese melts and browns a bit (if you work on the polenta and put it in after the veggies, it will be ready by the time the veggies are roasted).
5. Go surf the web or watch TV or work (you workaholics!) for 20 minutes.
6. Take the veggies and polenta out of the oven and assemble dinner. The beets and edamame are served on a bed of the bok choy. I served this with a salsa I had (you can use you favorite marinara- jazz it up with some parsley. Bon Appetit!!