Feeding the Frat: Noodle Bowls

So I decided to try my hand at a "Ramen" bowl. But, since I didn't have any ramen noodles on hand, I substituted with glass noodles. 

Bowl composition: 

Ground pork - pan fried with ginger and garlic 

Scallions 

Slivered Fresno Peppers

Soft boiled eggs 

Glass Noodles in a  Curry Coconut Sauce

(Optional) Cilantro 

Ground Pork: 

Pan fry the ground pork (2.5 lbs) with 1 teaspoon of garlic, and 1 teaspoon of ginger, in 1 tablespoon of grapeseed oil. 

Add 1 tablespoon of soy sauce.

Add 1 handful of cut scallions.

Add Salt and Pepper to taste. 

Glass Noodles: 

Boil salted water. 

When water reaches a boil, add your glass noodles. 

Cook for 5-6 minutes. 

Remove noodles and place in an ice bath immediately to stop them from continuing to cook. 

Curry Coconut Sauce: 

Take 1 1/2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil. 

Add 1 teaspoon of ginger, 1 teaspoon of garlic and 1 cut small onion, cook over low heat until the onions caramelize. 

1 1/2 teaspoons of salt

Add Beef Broth (2x 32 oz. boxes).

Add 3 teaspoons of curry powder.

Add one can of coconut milk.

Bring to a low boil and allow to cook at least 30 minutes or until you are ready to plate your noodle bowl. 

The boys liked the bowls and as with most successful sibling evenings, dinner ended with sports, relaxation and a lot of laughter.

Sibling Dinner: Coconut Beef Noodle 'Stewp'

For last night's sibling dinner I made a curry coconut beef noodle "stewp."
Not quite a stew, not quite a soup. 

Before preparing the broth, mix the meat in the following marinade and allow it to sit for at least half an hour.

Beef with Marinade: 

- 3 lbs. stew meat

- 2 tbsp. cilantro

- Lime juice (1 lime)

- 1 tbsp. chopped garlic

- 1 tbsp. lemongrass paste 

- Generous amount of salt

Mix thoroughly and reserve on the side at room temperature while you prepare the broth.

Don't skimp on the salt during this step-
the salt helps to tenderize the beef.

Because I was pretty generous with the salt during this step, I didn't add any additional salt to the broth. So be sure to use your discretion when seasoning later.

Broth:

- Equal parts bone broth and coconut milk. 

(In my case that was 32 oz. of each)

- 2 cups of diced onions 

- 2 cups julienned carrots/spiralized carrots [you can use the carrot noodles that they sell in Whole Foods as an alternative]

- 3 tbsp. curry powder 

- 2 tsp. cilantro

- 2 tsp. ground ginger

- 1/2 tsp. soy sauce

- 3 drops fish sauce

- 2 tsp. safflower oil 

At the very last moment you will need:

- Thin rice noodles 

Caramelize the onions in the oil before adding the rest of the ingredients. Add the rest of the broth's ingredients.

Allow the broth to come to a simmer while you sear the beef in a separate pan.
Add the meat to the broth. 

Cook at a simmer over medium-low heat for one hour. 

Right before serving add the rice noodles (they only need about 3 minutes to cook). 

I served the "stewp" with several garnishes so the boys could customize each bowl according to their  taste. 

Garnishes: 

Shishito peppers 

Bean sprouts 

Napa cabbage with soy sauce and eggs

Scallions 

Avocado slices

Butternut Squash Soup

This butternut squash soup is a game changer. 

It’s simple, delicious, fast, hearty, and easily modified to fit dietary restrictions.

Butternut squash soup with pan-fried salad turnips

Butternut Squash Soup with pan-fried apple sausage, shallots and escarole

You will need:

2 large yellow onions

1 shallot

1 tbsp. olive oil

The flesh of 2 butternut squash

36 oz. Chicken Stock (or Vegetable stock)

1 tbsp. Garlic

1 tsp. Turmeric

1 tbsp. Ginger

1 tsp. Paprika

1 tsp. Cumin

1/2 tsp. Sage

Himalayan Salt

Pepper

Optional: Curry Powder

Cut the squash into chunks approximately 1 inch long. 

If you are in a bit of a rush, a lot of grocers are now selling butternut squash already prepared (peeled and cut).

You do not need to cook your squash before adding it to the pot.

Caramelize the onion and shallots with about 1/2 tsp. of salt in the olive oil over medium heat until almost translucent. 

Add the butternut squash chunks, spices, and the chicken stock. 

Cook for approximately 20 minutes until the squash is tender. 

Turn the heat to low, use your emulsion blender to puree the mixture; season with salt and pepper to taste. 

I like to top the soup with additional protein or sautéed vegetables in order to make it feel heartier. 

This time around, I decided to pair the soup with pan-fried apple sausage, shallots, and escarole.

Butternut squash soup

Butternut Squash Soup with shredded fresh turkey breast.

Recipe soon to follow 

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Fat. 

I added about 1/2 a teaspoon of duck fat to the mushrooms and onions when I thought the mushrooms were getting too soggy. I abhor it when mushrooms get so soggy you don't even know what they are anymore. Duck fat is a great searing agent. 

A butcher recommended using duck fat as a  substitute for butter or olive oil when cooking to add a "richer" flavor. It's 20% lower in saturated fat than regular butter. 

 (At the end I also added one teaspoon of Black Truffle Butter to the "finished" soup to infuse the soup with a little truffle flavoring)

Spice Bundle, Sage, Thyme, Oregano

Ingredients: 

- 1 lb of mushrooms sliced

- 1/4 cup of butter ( I substituted this for 2 tablespoons of olive oil and then the duck fat to sear the mushrooms later) 

- 2 yellow onions 

- 3 cloves of garlic 

- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 

- 4 cups vegetable broth

- 1 cup of light cream or whole milk; 

I've even made this with goat milk, but if you're going to do that I would suggest, 1/2 a cup of goat milk and 1/2 a cup of skim milk.

-Thyme, sage, oregano

-Salt & Pepper 

1. Prep work: Slice the mushrooms, chop the onions, mince your garlic

2. Melt your butter/ add your olive oil, in your pot  over medium heat and cook the onion, garlic, and herbs for about 1-2 minutes do not allow the onions to brown. 

3. Add the mushrooms before the garlic begins to brown (gold is good, brown is bad) 

4. Cook for 3-4 minutes stirring occasionally

Add flour and cook for 1-2 minutes 

5. Remove from heat 

6. Add the stock stirring continuously, place back over the heat and bring to a boil stirring intermittently

7. Reduce the heat once the pot begins to boil and allow to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally 

8. Whisk in the cream at a low heat and allow it to cook on low for 2-3 minutes 

DO NOT BOIL 

9. Season with salt & pepper 

10. Serve