Pho for Cheaters

I remember the first time I had pho. It was in law school, when I was interning for the St. Paul City Attorney's office. A few of the attorneys were going out to a pho restaurant for lunch and had invited me along. Being that I am pretty adventurous when it comes to food, I was excited to try something new. We went to a hole in the wall restaurant dedicated to pho on University Avenue in St. Paul. It was a place so small that they only accepted cash, and I'm pretty sure they don't have a website (because I looked for it on google, since I can't for the life of me remember the name). It was explained to me that pho was a Vietnamese noodle soup consisting of rice noodles, various vegetables, and VERY hot broth. So hot, in fact, the broth itself is supposed to cook the meat in the soup once it is poured over it.

I was talked into ordering the meatball pho (or bo vien). It wasn't until after I started eating it that they told me what the meatballs consisted of. Apparently the reason why the consistency is a little different than your average Italian meatball is because it contains bits of cartilage and beef tendon. Interesting. It was still very good, but after that I generally stuck with the chicken pho (or pho ga) whenever we went back to this restaurant (which was often. It is very good).

Since moving to Kansas City, I have gone through a pho drought. My husband isn't into ethnic food, so I have yet to explore what Kansas City has to offer in the pho category. As a result, I decided the only way I'm going to have pho anytime soon is if I make it myself, which is partially why I made it one of my food resolutions to make before my next birthday.

Disclaimer: the reason this post is entitled "Pho for Cheaters" is because the pho recipe that I ultimately decided on isn't made the traditional way. I was really wanting to make chicken pho, and this recipe seemed the safest. Most of the recipes I was finding that cooked pho the traditional way made beef pho, most likely because cooking steak via hot broth is much less scary than cooking chicken that way. Under cooked steak is not too big a deal. Under cooked chicken, well...

Plus, I used store bought chicken broth instead of making my own broth. Please don't judge...

Pho for Cheaters
From All Recipes

4 oz. dry Chinese egg noodles
6 cups chicken stock
2 Tbs. fish sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. ginger, minced
1 Tbs. lemon grass, minced
5 green onions, chopped
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup bok choy, chopped

To garnish:
sriracha
red pepper flakes

Cook noodles according to the directions on the packaging.

In a large pot, combine the chicken stock, fish sauce, garlic, ginger, lemon grass, and green onions, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes.

After the 10 minutes are through, stir in the chicken, bean sprouts, and bok choy, and let cook for another 5 minutes.

Pho is generally served in large bowls. The largest bowls we have are our pasta bowls. I guess we are going multicultural this afternoon.

Place the desired amount of noodles on the bottom of the bowl (there should be enough for two large bowls. Pour pho over the noodles.

If you like spicy, pho is often garnished with sriracha and red pepper flakes!

Enjoy!

Spring Rolls

Back in the 7th grade, about 30 people in my grade were chosen to go on a trip to Washington D.C. I like to think of ourselves as the "chosen ones". Kidding. Anyway, for the week we were there we were sharing a dorm with other middle schoolers from around the country. One group was from Delaware  one from Alabama, and the last from Connecticut (I think... it's been awhile). One day, it started to snow. The kind of snow that as soon as it hits the ground it melts. Nothing compared to what we got in Minnesota, and the kids from my school were unfazed. Everyone else? Chaos. We saw on the t.v. that all of D.C. was shutting down, and there were New Englanders and Southerners running around in a panic. I'll admit, we made fun of all of them.

Fast forward a few years. This past weekend, I discovered something. I was turning into one of those people I always used to make fun of. The forecast was promising Snowmageddon 2013 part 3 on Saturday, the day of the Bishop Sullivan Center (a really great charity in Kansas City) Auction. I was staying at my in-laws with my mother in law (my father in law was in Las Vegas with my husband) and as soon as it started snowing, we were seriously discussing not going. Even though the snow was melting as soon as it hit the ground, I'll admit, I was nervous were were going to get stuck downtown. The newscasters were telling everyone to stay off the roads if they didn't have to be on the road, which almost sealed the deal that I was getting back in my pajamas. Then the weatherman started giving details of the storm. Above freezing? Won't get more than 3 inches before midnight? ARE YOU KIDDING ME NEWS PEOPLE! I told my mother in law I would drive, and felt a deep shame the entire way there that I had doubted my driving in snow capabilities. Missouri has made me soft.

Despite my few minutes of self loathing, this weekend did end up being very nice. I had my last retreat with my RICA class (the class I'm taking to convert to Catholicism), the Bishop Sullivan Center Auction was fun, and I spent the rest of the weekend hanging out with my mother in law watching "snapped" marathons on the WE channel.

One thing I can always count on when I stay at my in-laws is that I will be fed VERY well. My mother in law, Cathy, is definitely a nurterer. This past weekend, I wanted to give her a break and actually make one of the meals. I had seen this recipe for Spring Rolls awhile back that I've been wanting to try, and I figured Cathy would be much more open to trying them than my picky eating husband. They were amazing.

The only thing from the recipe that I changed was that I brushed the tofu with low sodium soy sauce and grilled it. From past experience, I just prefer grilled tofu to regular. It actually gives a nice flavor to something that is usually so bland.

I would also recommend researching how to wrap spring rolls. I was once taught how to wrap enchiladas, so I assumed it would be a similar technique. While technically it is similar, they were harder to handle than I expected. My spring rolls were not the prettiest thing to look at. But they stayed together and tasted good, so I guess that is all that matters.

Spring Rolls with Almond Butter Dipping Sauce
Very slightly adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

For the Dipping Sauce:
1/3 cup almond butter
1 Tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp. chili garlic sauce
1/2 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp. honey
2-5 Tbs. hot water

For the Spring Rolls:
6-8 rice paper rounds
1 cup hot water
1 sliced avocado
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup baby spinach
1 handful cilantro
1/3 cup firm tofu
Siracha for topping
The original recipe also added 2 carrots, sliced into matchsticks. I'm not the biggest carrot fan, so I left those out.

First, combine the first 6 ingredients for the dipping sauce, and then slowly add the hot water by the Tablespoon, whisking as you go. Add the water to the desired thickness. The more water you add, the thinner the dipping sauce will be. Set aside.

To prepare the tofu, make sure you press the tofu dry first. Then cut into strips, brush the tofu with low sodium soy sauce, and place on the grill. Cook for a couple of minutes on each side, just enough for it to get a little brown. Set aside.

Pour hot water into a shallow bowl or skillet. Submerge the rice paper, making sure all parts are under water, for about 15 seconds. Transfer to a plate or other slightly moistened surface.

In the middle of the rice paper add the tofu, avocado, green onions, cilantro, and spinach, in that order.

Fold the top and bottom sides of the paper over the toppings, then fold over the left side, tuck that side in, and roll it until the other side meets.

You can either serve it immediately, or keep it under a damp towel or plastic wrap and in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. It should last a few days.

Enjoy!

Valerie Comes to Visit + Indian Night!

Happy Martin Luther King Day! I'm currently spending my day off in bed, recovering from my first class at Fusion Fitness. Fusion Fitness is a very popular workout studio in Kansas City. So popular in fact, that the 5:30 a.m. class I went to with my friend Patti was COMPLETELY full. So early! I did, however, find a fool proof way of getting motivated to wake up early to workout: tell a friend you'll meet them there and pay for the class in advance online. We went to the "Barre Intensity" class, which involves using a ballet barre for stability, and many of the moves were developed by a ballerina. I learned 3 things about myself this morning: (1) I have no balance; (2) I'll never be a ballerina. Not even a fitness ballerina; and (3) wearing basketball shorts and your high school basketball practice shirt will make you the manliest looking person at fusion fitness. And when you tuck that shirt into your basketball shorts to keep it from riding up, you look like the nerdiest manliest looking person in fusion fitness. Despite it all, I'm hooked.

Anyway, I had a great weekend! My bff and former college roommate, Valerie, came to visit! We literally spent all of our time together in college, and then after graduation she ups and moves to Asia (South Korea and Indonesia) to teach, and we rarely saw each other anymore. Despite it being awhile since I've seen her, however, when she got here it still felt like college.

Freshman year

The last time Val came to Kansas City we did more touristy things like eating bbq and going to the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum. This time was much more laid back. All we really did during the day on Saturday was shop on the Plaza and finally try out the martini glasses Joe and I got for our wedding.

Later that night Valerie, Joe, and I had drinks at Gram and Dun. Gram and Dun has many different fun drinks, and the night kind of turned into a taste testing. Joe would get the same drinks as me and Val, but would get his in a "manly glass".

Sunday we went to church, and then spent the day just relaxing and watching the lifetime movie about Casey Anthony that I DVR'd the night before. Valerie was in Indonesia when the trial was going on and knew nothing about it until Joe and I made her watch the movie. Apparently that's where you had to be to escape that media circus.

On Sunday we also made an Indian feast. When we were in college, we were somewhat obsessed with this hole in the wall Indian restaurant called India Palace. It was absolutely amazing, and we would go there all the time. When I found this recipe for crock pot chicken tikka masala, which is what we always ordered, I knew we were going to have to try it. It looked simple enough, and I thought even Valerie and I could manage it. And of course, we had to make naan to go with it :)

Joseph isn't the biggest ethnic food fan, so I got him a deep dish Red Baron pizza from the grocery store. I even microwaved it for him. He did like the naan however.

Joe's dinner

Crockpot Chicken Tikka Masala
From Table for Two

5 chicken breasts
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. minced ginger
1 can of tomato puree (28 oz.)
1 1/2 cups plain yogart
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. Garam masala
1 Tbs. cumin
1/2 Tbs. paprika
2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. cayenne pepper (more or least depending on how much heat you want)
2 bay leaves
1 cup heavy cream
3 Tbs. cornstarch
cilantro for topping

For the recipe, click here.

Valerie the chopping machine. Notice the hands.

Obviously best done in your pajamas

Naan

From All Recipes

1 pkg. active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1/4 cup white sugar

3 Tbs. milk

1 egg, beaten

2 tsp. salt

4 1/2 cups bread flour

3 tsp. garlic, minced

1/4 cup melted butter

Dissolve yeast in warm water and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in the rest of the ingredients except the garlic and butter and knead for 6-8 minutes on a floured surface. 

Let rise for one hour, then punch down the dough and knead in the garlic. Separate into golf ball sized balls. Cover and let rise for another half hour.

Preheat a grill to high heat. Flatten the ball of dough to desired thickness. Valerie had the idea to salt both sides of the naan after an initial taste test, and I highly recommend this. Place the naan on the grill. Brush butter on the non-cooked side, and after about 2-3 minutes (or until browned) flip. Brush butter on the other side. Remove from grill.

Yummy!

Flank Steak, Asparagus, and Red Pepper Stir Fry

My husband is a very picky eater. He is also very easy to read when it comes to how much he likes something I cooked for him. If he gets seconds, he loves it. If he just finishes it, he thinks is ok. If he doesn't finish it, he hates it. He will rarely actually tell me he doesn't like something, and in the rare cases he does, he first tells me he likes it, and then a minute later tell me he actually doesn't.

One of those rare cases where he actually told me he didn't like something I made was when I first made him stir fry. Joe isn't the biggest fan of vegetables (even though he eats more now than he used to), and this stir fry was an attempt to get him to eat some. I had made my stir fry with an array of vegetables, shrimp, and stir fry sauce I got at the supermarket. He was "full" when all the shrimp was gone, but all the vegetables remained. I haven't even attempted to make it again.

That is, until I found this recipe. It is for flank steak, asparagus, and red pepper stir fry. Not only are all those things delicious, but you make your own stir fry sauce that is honestly better than any stir fry sauce I've bought at the store. You even use ginger, which is one of those items in the produce section that I've seen and wondered "who actually buys that?" I guess I'm one of those people now. I picked this one out because I thought it looked like a dragon.

 The best part about this recipe (besides the ginger dragon) was that Joe loved it! He finished the vegetables, and even went back for seconds (even though seconds constituted going up and picking out all the remaing meat, but I will take what I can get).

Flank Steak, Asparagus, and Red Pepper Stir Fry

From Simply Recipes

For the Stir Fry Sauce:

3 Tbs. soy sauce

1 tsp. finely chopped ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

1 green onion, chopped

1/2 tsp. chili oil

For the Stir Fry: 

3 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 bunch asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 lb. flank steak 

1 red bell pepper, cut into strips

2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 3 Tbs. water

Cut the flank steak in half lengthwise, and then into thin strips. Boil water in a small saucepan and add the asparagus. Boil for 2 minutes, then drain, rinse in cold water, drain again, and set aside. Prepare the stir fry sauce by combining all the ingredients. Set aside.

Stir Fry the asparagus in 1 Tbs. of the vegetable oil on high heat. The original recipe says to use a wok, but since I don't have one, I just used a skillet. It worked just fine. Stir fry for 2 minutes, and then remove from pan and set aside.

Add another Tbs. of vegetable oil and stir fry half of the beef strips until browned but not all the way cooked through; about 2-3 minutes. Remove from pan, add the last Tbs. of vegetable oil, and stir fry the other half of the flank steak.

When the second batch of steak is cooked, return the first batch to the pan along with the bell pepper. Stir fry for about 1-2 minutes.

Stir the cornstarch mixture and add to the skillet along with the stir fry sauce. Cook for about 1-2 minutes, then add the asparagus and toss until coated with the sauce. 

This dish is delicious as is or on top of rice. Being that I forgot to get rice at the grocery store this week, Joe and I went the low carb route.

Not only is this dish yummy and healthy, but it is very quick to make. Perfect for those busy weeknights.

Healthy Chinese Night

I love Chinese food. My family also loves Chinese food. There is a little Chinese restaurant in Minneapolis that we've been going to since I was in Elementary school, and we go there so often that our waiter knows all of our names and what we order. It's called the Great Wall.

Every year when we celebrate Christmas with our immediate family the weekend before Christmas (before the bigger celebration with our extended family on Christmas Eve) we get the Great Wall for dinner. Just like in A Christmas Story, which we also watch that night. Joe had never had Chinese food until the first time he went to our "small family Christmas" because he thought he wouldn't like it. However, like I suspect he will be with most things I want him to try, he loved it when he tried it. That's because the Great Wall is amazing :)

I do want to say though, what we Americans think is Chinese food is nothing like what they eat in China (as is the way with most ethnic food they serve in America). Having been to China twice, I didn't find any chicken fried rice, spicy chicken, or won ton soup which is what I always order at the Great Wall. Not saying what they eat in China is bad, it's just different. In fact, the Peking Duck and the dumplings I had in Xi'an were delicious. The duck feet I also tried there, not so much.

Tonight for dinner I made healthy versions of chicken fried rice and crab rangoons. The crab rangoons were the healthy version because they were baked instead of fried, and I used brown rice and low sodium soy sauce on the chicken fried rice. Both rival what you would find at any take out Chinese place. Besides the Great Wall. Nothing beats the Great Wall.

Healthy Chicken Fried Rice
Adapted from Rachel Schultz

4 cups cooked brown rice
1/2 bound boneless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces and cooked
1 cup frozen peas
1 small white onion
2 cloves minced garlic
2 eggs
3 Tbs sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Saute the garlic, onion and peas (no need to defrost the peas beforehand). Once the vegetables are tender, crack the eggs into the pan and scramble them with the mixture.

Add the rice, chicken and soy sauce into the skillet. Mix them all together and then take the skillet of the heat.

Baked Crab Rangoons
From The Sparkle Queen

1/8 tsp. garlic salt
1/8 worchestershire sauce
won ton wrappers (about 12-14)
1 small green onion, chopped
4 oz. surimi imitation crab
3 oz. cream cheese

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Mix the cream cheese, worchestershire sauce, and garlic salt, and then add the imitation crab and green onion. Put about a spoonful of the mixture into the center of a won ton wrapper, mosten the edges with water, and then fold the corners together, pressing the edges so that they seal.

Place the wontons on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray

 

Bake for 8-10 minutes and Enjoy!

 

Yummy :)