Wok Wednesdays | Chicken Chow Fun

WW wokking through Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge

by Grace Young

 

I had way better success with this recipe than I did when I made the Beef Chow Fun, where I had unfavorable results with the noodles. It certainly helps to have the right stuff. :)

 Mise en place.

Bowl 1: Salt

Bowl 2: Fresh rice noodles

Bowl 3: Ginger, garlic

Bowl 4: Chicken, garlic, ginger, dry sherry, oyster sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch, pepper

Bowl 5: Dry sherry

Bowl 6: Bok choy, shiitake mushrooms

Bowl 7: Chicken broth, sesame oil, oyster sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch

The recipe calls for a one pound sheet of rice noodles to be cut into half-inch-wide strips.  I was fortunate enough to find them pre-cut.

The noodles are stir-fried in salted oil - salt that is added to the oil in the wok - this disperses the salt more evenly than if you sprinkled it over the noodles, says Raymond Leong who taught Grace this recipe; as well as requiring less salt by doing it this way, according to Joyce Jue, a Southeast Asian chef.

The noodles are cooked just until they achieve a crusty layer, then they are removed from the wok and set aside while the rest of the ingredients are stir-fried.

The noodles can be plated and topped with the vegetable mixture as Mr Leong does, or as I did - adding the noodles back to the wok and mixing all together; this way all the noodles are sure to get coated with some of the sauce.



This recipe can be found on page 277 of Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge, by Grace Young.

 

We as a group have agreed not to post the recipes on our blogs. 

 

Book 118 | Taste: Recipes for Entertaining | Cheese Grits with Shrimp and Mushrooms

by Williams-Sonoma

This most delicious meal is comprised of stone-ground grits, cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, butter, hot sauce, bacon, shrimp, mushrooms, garlic, lemon, and scallions.

The cheeses, butter, salt, and hot sauce (I used Hunan Red Chili Sauce) are stirred into cooked grits, and while the grits were cooking, the topping of bacon, shrimp, and mushrooms is prepared.

According to the recipe, the grits should take about thirty-five to forty minutes to cook. Only, my grits were done in ten minutes!

That threw me into a whirlwind. I quickly had to shred the cheeses (for the grits), make a garlic paste (chop & mash garlic w/salt), slice the mushrooms, and cook the bacon, flour the shrimp, and still prep the topping!

Whew! I don't think I have ever shredded, sliced, and sautéed so speedily before. Since I was in such a hurry, I did not take the extra time to remove the tails from the shrimp. I definitely would have preferred them without.

This was a great meal to sit down to after that crazy episode - so warm and comforting.

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The (updated) recipe can be found at the Williams-Sonoma website; click here to be taken there directly.

The Accidental Post: Twice-Baked Potato

Recipe courtesy of Fine Cooking Magazine

These twice-baked potatoes puts all others to shame.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, Fine Cooking is my all-time favorite magazine. Their recipes are no-nonsense, uncomplicated, and always delicious. This months (April/May 2014) issue is no exception.

There are days when I don't feel I have the energy or desire to make an overly involved recipe, or even go out to dinner. On these days, I'll make a baked potato and a salad, and call it a day. Normally, I will just give it a sprinkle of s&p, maybe add some Greek yogurt. Boy, have I been missing out.

Twice-baked potatoes are a bit more involved than your throw-in-the-oven baked potato, but so worth it. I took the main recipe of Potatoes with Cheddar and Chives, and added the sautéed mushrooms from a variation suggestion. A very good call on my part if I do say so myself; the flavor was out of this world - the mushrooms added an earthy, almost meaty flavor, the cheese lending a creamy tartness to the flaky flesh, with a hint of onion from the scallions sprinkled on top. Bliss. Pure bliss.

The potatoes were so beautiful coming out of the oven (my apologies for the poor lighting), I thought I should take a picture, you know, just in case they tasted as good as they looked - and they did, even more so.

These were quite filling to say the least. I mentioned to my husband, that we could easily share one - save half for our breakfast in the morning; I thought it would taste great, topped with a poached egg. He promptly said, uh no - I'm going to eat the whole thing - and he did - and so did I.

My husband also mentioned that I'll have to make these again, maybe for his lunch one day. He even joked about putting in a real oven down at the shop. Hmm.. not a bad idea, actually. 

As I inhaled this heavenly meal, my mind was running overtime on how else I could present this deliciousness. I'm thinking potato pancakes - served with a red pepper sauce, or add the same flavors to your holiday mashed potatoes, or.. leave well enough alone.

These were fabulous... you gotta make em. 

WW: Spicy Long Beans with Sausage and Mushrooms

Wok Wednesdays wokking through Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge

by Grace Young

This was quite tasty, even with the few changes I made; and I'm sure this would be even tastier if made as the recipe was written. You just can't lose with Grace's recipes. 

Grace mentions in the book that there are two varieties of long beans - dark green and pale green. She prefers the dark green for stir-frying for they have a crunchier texture. I was only able to find the light green at the farmer's market. They worked just fine - however, I wonder if the dark green beans squeak against the teeth when you chew them, like the light green beans do.

I purchased fresh shiitake mushrooms in error. How does one do that? By skimming the recipe, rather than thoroughly reading it. This has gotten me into trouble more than once. The recipe calls for dried mushrooms, which you soak in cold water for about 30 minutes or until they are softened (which they never seem to do for me - maybe it was a good thing that I purchased fresh), and reserve some of the soaking liquid to be added later - I subbed plain water. 

The other change I made was I used Spanish chorizo in place of Chinese sausage. I thought for sure it was sausage I had in the freezer. That is what I get for not checking before going to the store - like not reading the recipe thoroughly.. and I omitted the 1/2 teaspoon salt, for the preserved vegetable was extremely salty, even after rinsing.

I'm not sure what gives this dish the "spicy" in the title. My stir-fry was not spicy at all and I did not even realize it was supposed to be, until I sat down to write this post. Maybe it comes from the Chinese sausage that I did not use, or the preserved vegetable - there are different varieties to choose from.

We enjoyed this dish even with the changes that were made. My husband said it was good the next day for lunch, and a co-worker said it was great - and he is Chinese.

 Mise en place.

Bowl 1:  Pork, sausage

Bowl 2:  Mushrooms

Bowl 3:  Chinese long beans

Bowl 4:  Water 

Bowl 5:  Preserved vegetable, scallions, cilantro

Bowl 6:  Soy sauce, sherry, sesame oil

Bowl 7:  Sugar, pepper

One rule of the Wok Wednesdays group is we are asked not to post the recipes here on our blog. If you would like the recipe, you will find it on page 212 of Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge, which you can purchase at your local bookstore or find it at your local library. You can also get the recipe here. However, I highly recommend purchasing the book - you won't be disappointed. 

 

Wok Wednesdays is an online cooking group. If you would like information about joining us, click here, or visit us on Facebook. Would love for you to wok along with us!

 

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Book 106: Eat Your Vegetables: Bold Recipes for the Single Cook

by Joe Yonan

A picture of this book popped up in my news feed on FB, and I knew I had to have it - I'm a sucker for a beautiful cover; I loved the rustic look of the cover photo of grilled asparagus. I popped over to Amazon to leaf through it and the first photo I saw was this galette. I wanted to make it right then and there.

I rushed down to my local bookstore to purchase a copy. As soon as I got home I plopped myself down on the sofa to read through it. Not only am I liking the recipes I'm reading, but I love his essays he has scattered throughout the book of his adventures of family farming, forgetting the clock (cook by smell/sight), a peek behind the scenes of that beautiful stand you swoon over at the farmer's market and more.

I enjoyed this book so much, I went back the very next day and purchased another copy for our daughter and dropped in the mail the same day. She thanked me, and informed me that she follows him on twitter. Mom scores!

This recipe would make a great addition to your Thanksgiving menu, as well as this book to your cookbook collection.

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You don't have to be single to enjoy this book!

This is the first recipe I have made (or come across) that uses the kale stems as well.

If the filling looks a little sparse, that is because I doubled everything but the mushrooms (I had, what I had..), and I forgot to add the kale. If I had made this with the correct amount of mushrooms, this could have been even better, and it was darn good as it was.

First layer of sweet potatoes (I used a yam). I should have started from the center and worked my way out, being the bottom will become the top when flipped. Yes, after cooking, the galette is flipped out onto a plate. You could serve it straight from the pan, but where is the fun in that?

Looks pretty, even without the kale.

Once realizing I forgot the kale, I gave it a quick sautée in a little oil until wilted, and all was well.

 Looks so beautiful I did not want to cover it up!

Cover the filling with the remaining slices of potato. After baking in the oven, you are instructed to brown the potatoes under the broiler to brown. I did, but next time I will skip that step. No need since the galette will be flipped onto a plate.

Fingers crossed.

 Whew! Only three pieces stuck to the pan. :)

Once the galette is flipped onto a plate, it is sprinkled with some green onion and toasted walnuts.

Meals like this make me think.. going vegetarian wouldn't be so difficult; but the hubby makes a mean grilled chicken, among other things.

I had this for lunch two days later - it was just as good, if not better.

Mushrooom & Black Bean Burritos

Recipe from epicurious.com

Looking for something easy, quick and delicious? Look no further. You can have this on the table in under an hour. Even quicker if you use the pre-washed and sliced mushrooms found in the produce section of your supermaket.

This time I went with whole grain tortillas, for my grocery did not have the tortillas I normally buy. I prefer to make them with the green chili corn tortillas if you can find them - they're small so you may need to eat these taco style, depending on how full you fill them. Me, I have a tendency to over-fill..

Don't shy away from these because they're meatless; they are just as filling and satisfying as any meat filled burrito. You won't miss it - I assure you. And don't pass on the goat cheese! It really adds an unexpected wonderful flavor to the filling.

Success meter (1-3): 3

I serve the salsa on the side rather

than adding it to the filling.

WW: Stir-Fried Sugar Snap Peas with Shiitake Mushrooms

Cooking through Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge
by Grace Young


         Stir-Fried Sugar Snap Peas with Shiitake Mushrooms


I am really taking to this whole stir-fry way of cooking. It's quick, easy, healthy, tasty and with minimal clean-up. Who could ask for more?

I absolutely love sugar snap peas; I eat them whole straight from the bag. They make for a great afternoon snack. Just in the last few years I have grown to actually like mushrooms. I used to avoid them like the plague. The shiitakes have a wonderfully earthy, smoky, rich flavor. They may be my favorite so far. The two of these together made for a very satisfying side-dish to the Soy-Ginger Grilled Steak I was serving for dinner.

Reading up on shiitakes they are quite nutritious and seem to have medicinal properties as well:

This food is very low in Saturated Fat, Cholesterol and Sodium. It is also a good source of Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Potassium, Zinc, Copper and Selenium, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Phosphorus and Manganese. (This information taken from the nutritiondata.com website.)

Studies in animals have found antitumor, cholesterol-lowering, and virus-inhibiting effects in compounds in shiitake mushrooms. However, clinical studies are needed to determine whether these properties can help people with cancer and other diseases. It is reasonable to include shiitake mushrooms as part of a balanced diet. (This information taken from the cancer.org website.)

I am cooking through this great book along with the Wok Wednesdays on-line cooking group. We will not be posting this and future recipes from this book in order to help promote the publishing industry and to help keep books alive and thriving!



To get the recipe to make this wonderful vegetable dish, run over to your nearest bookstore and purchase Grace Young's book Stir-Frying to the Sky's Edge. Also check out my fellow blogger's posts to see what they thought.

Succes meter (1-3): 3

I was not sure if my mushsrooms were safe to consume.

They had a fine white powder, mold-like on the surface.

What is mold? A type of fungi.

What are mushrooms? A type of fungi.

The undersides looked OK.

They smelled OK.

I'm alive and well to post this!

Must have been OK!

The mushrooms looked better after a good cleaning.

How do you know if a mushroom is not good?

I used them being that there was an expiration

date of a week out.

Chicken broth, rice wine and soy sauce.

Deliciousness..

An Oscar Party! (featuring another recipe from The Sunset Cookbook)

Recipe: Leek and Chanterell Tart


I was making this for an Oscar party and decided at the last minute to include this in my blog, hence the poor photography (lighting/positioning). In the beginning I told myself this wasn't going to be the case for I really did not have the extra time to be taking pictures. However after making the dough for the crust I could not resist the urge, so I just took a few quick shots and the tart was so beautiful I just had to share.

Success meter (1-3): 3

a tad too big for the plate...