Recipe: Chili

One pot meals are the best.  They're easy, quick, and the clean up is a cinch.  It was recently gloomy in Southern California, which is the perfect weather for something stewy like chili.  I made do with what I had in the pantry.  Bon appetit  

Ingredients

1.5 lbs of ground beef/pork/turkey (your choosing)

4 oz of tomato paste

2 - 8 oz cans of diced fire roasted tomatoes

1 - 8 oz can of kidney beans

1 - 8 oz can of corn 

1 large shallot, diced

5 diced garlic 

1/4 cup fish sauce
1 tbsp maggi sauce

4 tbsp honey

2 tbsp of cocoa powder

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp oregano
Chicken stock

1. In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil.  Sweat the onion and garlic.  

2. Add the ground protein and brown.

3. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and chicken stock.

4. Add the cocoa powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and kidney beans.

5. Simmer for 1.5 hours.

6. Add the honey, fish sauce, and maggi sauce.  ADJUST TO TASTE.  

Top with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.

Recipe: Cioppino

A few years ago while I was in San Francisco, I tried cioppino for the first time.  It was amazing!  I was on a tomato kick at that time and anything with a tomato base or note had me hooked.  Naturally, I had to recreate the dish at home, but I had some willing guinea pigs to help me devour the entire lot!

Equipment
Stock pot or dutch oven

Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
1 shallot, chopped
1 onion, chopped
5-6 garlic cloves
3 tbsp tomato paste
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp fish sauce
1 - 28oz can of diced tomatoes
8 cups shrimp stock (thank you Insatiably Epicurious for this)
1 cup dry white wine
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 lb of shrimp
1 lb of scallops
1 lb of green mussels
1 lb of manila clams
1 lb of firm-fleshed fish fillets (sea bass, halibut, salmon) cut into 2 inch chunks
Lemon zest
Chopped parsley

Directions
1. In a large stock pot or dutch oven, heat the olive oil over a medium heat.  Add the chopped shallot, onion, and fish sauce.  Saute until

2.  Add the garlic and red pepper flakes.  Saute for about a minute.

3. Add the tomato paste and stir until it is evenly coated over the shallot, onion, and garlic.

4.  Add the can of diced tomatoes, including its juices.  Stir for about a minute

5.  Add the wine, shrimp stock, and bay leaves.   Cover and simmer for 40 minutes.

6. Add the clams and mussels.  Cover and cook about 5 minutes until the clams and mussels begin to open.

7.  Add the shrimp and fish and simmer for another 5 minutes.  At this point, discard any clams and mussels that did not open.

8.  Season the soup to taste using fish sauce and or red pepper flakes.

9.  Garnish with lemon zest and chopped parsley.

Bon appetit!

Recipe: Hu Tieu Sa Te aka Satay Noodle Soup with Beef

Next to pho, this has got to be my ultimate favorite beef noodle soup.  The satay consistency and flavors lend this noodle soup a more stew-like feel than pho with its clear broth.  My mom introduced me to this noodle soup later in my childhood, and I still joke with her that I feel cheated for the earlier years.  I believe this is of Chinese origins, but don't quote me on that.  My mom, however, DID get the recipe from a Chinese friend so...maybe!  If anybody knows, do share your information, please!  

Special Equipment

4 quart stock pot

Broth Ingredients

3 quarts of shrimp stock

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

1 tsp oyster sauce

3 tbsp crunchy peanut butter

1/3 tsp chili oil with crunchy garlic

2 heaping tsp of Lee Kum Kee's Satay Sauce

1. Warm the shrimp stock.

2. Add the hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, crunchy peanut butter, chili oil, and satay sauce to the shrimp stock and thoroughly mix.  

Assembly (simmer broth while you are assembling the bowls)

sliced rib eye

cooked tendon

fresh hu tieu noodles or extra large pho noodles

tomato slices

cucumber, cut into matchsticks

fried shallots to garnish

Tia to (red perilla leaves)

Hung lui (mint leaves)

Hung que (Thai basil)

bean sprouts

lime wedges

Sriracha hot sauce

1. If using fresh hu tieu noodles, separate the noodles after you remove them from packaging.  Fair warning: this will be an oily mess!  If using dry extra large pho noodles, bring a pot of water to boil.  Put pho noodles in using a strainer, swirling noodles the entire time to prevent the noodles from clinging to each other.  Taste test the noodles to determine doneness.  They should be done after about 8-10 minutes.  Make sure the noodles are drained of excess water before placing them into the serving bowl(s).

2. Quickly dip the sliced rib eye into the hot sa te broth to flash cook the meat.  Remove and top the noodles with the flash cooked rib eye and tendon.

3. Arrange the sliced tomatoes and cucumber matchsticks on top of the noodles.  

4. Increase the heat of the broth to bring it to a rolling boil.  Ladle broth into each bowl.

5. Garnish with tia to, hung lui, hung que, bean sprouts, and fried shallots.  Squeeze as much lime as desired.  Add as much Sriracha hot sauce as you can handle.  

Cook's note: I realize my picture does not include cucumber, but that's my personal preference when eating this noodle soup. 

Bon appetit!