Asian Noodle Salad

Everyone loves a good Asian noodle salad, right? How do you like yours? I like mine with lots of colorful veggies tossed in with the noodles, so it feels more like a “salad” and not just highly seasoned cold noodles. Nothing wrong with plain noodles, mind you! In fact, the beauty of this salad is its flexibility. Add as many or as few extras as you want. I love the colors and crunch of purple cabbage and red bell peppers so they’re in, along with carrots and steamed broccoli.

I’ve also made this salad with almost all noodles and just some sliced green onions and bell pepper. It’s all good. The trick is to let the noodles dry after you cook them, and then dress them with soy sauce alone, so they absorb the flavor of the soy sauce. Then toss in whatever vegetables you are using plus a sweet and sour, ginger garlic sesame dressing. The salad holds up well for several hours, so it’s perfect to take to a potluck too.

 

Asian Noodle Salad Recipe

Prep as many vegetables as you can while the water in step one is heating.

The types of vegetables you can use in this salad is flexible. Don't like broccoli? Leave it out. Prefer napa cabbage to red cabbage? Use it instead.

The recipe calls for the type of Chinese noodles that are typically used for making chow mein. You can also use Japanese soba noodles or any long and skinny, wheat-based pasta (not egg noodles).

Ingredients

• 10 ounces Chinese noodles (for making chow mein)
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 2 - 3 cups raw bite-sized broccoli florets (from about 1 head of broccoli)
• Salt
• 4 ounces mung bean sprouts (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 green onions, thinly sliced white and green parts
• 1 red bell pepper, cored and seeded, thinly sliced and cut into 1-inch long pieces
• 1/4 large purple cabbage, cored and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
• 1 large carrot, peeled and slivered (just continue to peel with a peeler)

Dressing:*

• 1-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 Tbsp white granulated sugar
• 1 medium clove of garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup canola, rice bran, or vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• 4 teaspoons dark sesame oil

*This dressing is just enough to dress the noodle salad in the proportions given, and then lightly so. If you prefer stronger seasoning or more dressing, just increase the amounts by a half and add a bit more soy sauce to the noodles.

Read More: Asian Noodle Salad

Dirty Rice

Why is it that so much great food comes out of Louisiana? Case in point, this “dirty” rice. It’s a Cajun classic, and so good that the first time you eat it you’ll wonder where it’s been all your life. It’s basically a rice pilaf that is called “dirty” because it’s cooked with minced chicken livers or gizzards, which infuse it with crispy, tasty browned bits. If you aren’t a liver lover, don’t worry, the rice doesn’t taste like liver, the addition just deepens the overall flavor of the rice, and the bits are so small you can’t really distinguish them.

 

Dirty Rice Recipe

Use green bell peppers if you want a relatively mild result. If you are looking for something spicier, use jalapeño chili peppers.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup long-grain rice (Carolina, basmati, jasmine, etc)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 cup chicken livers
• 3 slices of bacon, chopped
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper or 1-3 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
• 1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
• 2 green onions, chopped

Read More: Dirty Rice

Moqueca – Brazilian Fish Stew

It seems like every culture with a coastline has their version of a seafood stew. The French have bouillabaise, the Portuguese bacalhoada, New England chowder and San Francisco cioppino.

In Brazil, they make moqueca (pronounced “mo-KEH-kah”), a stew made with fish, onions, garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, and in the northern state of Bahia, coconut milk.

My first encounter with moqueca was a salmon version of the stew prepared by Brazilian blogger Fernanda of Chucrute com Salsicha. So good!

We love making fish stew, but had never thought to use a base of coconut milk. Since then, every Brazilian I’ve met, when the conversation turns to food (as it invariably does), their eyes light up at the mention of moqueca.

A few words about this recipe. First, it’s easy. As exotic as it may sound, you probably have most of the ingredients already in your pantry (you’ll want to get fresh fish), and with prep, making rice, the total time involved is less than an hour.

Second, since this is an American blog, we’re dealing with ingredients we can get here. True Bahian moqueca is made with a fish caught off the coast of northern Brazil.


In our case, we’ll want to use a firm white fish. I used cod for this batch, which is barely firm enough. Halibut would hold up better.

You can also add shrimp or other shell fish to this stew. Palm oil is traditionally used in making moqueca, but it’s hard to come by here, so we are using olive oil.

Finally, adjust the seasonings to taste! If it doesn’t seem flavorful enough to you, you need to add more salt. And probably a little more lime or lemon juice and paprika too.

To any Brazilians who might be reading this blog (Olé Brasil!) if you have a favorite moqueca recipe, please tell us about it the comments.

 

Moqueca – Brazilian Fish Stew Recipe

Traditional moqueca uses palm oil. If you can find it (I checked three stores here and was not able to locate any) add just a tablespoon to the stew along with the coconut milk.

Ingredients

Soup

• 1 1/2 to 2 lbs of fillets of firm white fish such as halibut, swordfish, or cod, rinsed in cold water, pin bones removed, cut into large portions
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 Tbsp lime or lemon juice
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• 1 cup chopped spring onion, or 1 medium yellow onion, chopped or sliced
• 1/4 cup green onion greens, chopped
• 1/2 yellow and 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, de-stemmed, chopped (or sliced)
• 2 cups chopped (or sliced) tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp paprika (Hungarian sweet)
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 large bunch of cilantro, chopped with some set aside for garnish
• 1 14-ounce can coconut milk

Rice

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup white rice
• 1 3/4 cups boiling water (check your rice package for the appropriate ratio of liquid to rice for the type of rice you are using)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Read More: Moqueca – Brazilian Fish Stew

Carbonnade Beef and Beer Stew

When the days are cold, dark, and damp, all we really want to do around here is to curl up with a nice big pot of stew. Known as “Carbonnade a la Flamande”, this Belgian beef stew is made with hearty Belgian ale and plenty of onions. The flavor is a little sweet and sour, the sweet from the onions and either a little added sugar or tomato paste, and the sour from a touch of mustard or vinegar.

Since I first posted this recipe I’ve made a few adjustments to the recipe itself, and we’ve received several recommendations for which ale to use (check the comments). The general view is that you should try to use a Belgian ale for this stew. If you can’t find a Belgian ale, or a Belgian-style ale, you can try Newcastle Brown Ale or Anchor Steam (the last two recommended by Cooks Illustrated for their carbonnade).

We found a couple American ales made in the Belgian style at our local Whole Foods and for our most recent batch of stew used a bottle of Ommegang Abbey Ale. Apparently it is also traditional to include some beef liver with the stew. We passed on this, but if a stew exists that could hold up to the strong flavors of liver, this one would be it. Wonderfully hearty, flavorful, and filling.

Carbonnade Beef and Beer Stew Recipe

You are trying to achieve a sweet and sour flavor with this stew. So, you can swap out the sugar for tomato paste and you can use cider vinegar instead of mustard if you want. You can also brown the meat in vegetable oil instead of butter, though it will be more flavorful with the butter. You can also use a couple slices of bread, instead of adding flour, to thicken the stew.

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 lbs chuck roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 Tbsp butter
• 3 medium yellow onions sliced about 1/4 inch thick (about 8 cups)
• 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups chicken or beef broth
• 1 1/2 cups (12 oz bottle) Belgian beer
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp whole grain mustard
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar

Read More: Carbonnade Beef and Beer Stew

Basque Lamb Stew

Are you familiar with Basque cooking? Basque Country is a region bordering Spain and France at the Western end of the Pyrenees mountains. Basque descendants and communities can be found all over California and Nevada. (More on the history of the Basque people in the Wikipedia.)

Lamb stews are typical of Basque cuisine, as are dishes that include both tomatoes and sweet red peppers.


My father first found the recipe from which we adapted this basque lamb stew in an old issue of Saveur Magazine. He has at least 20 years of back issues of Gourmet, Saveur, and other cooking magazines that he keeps around just waiting for a spare moment to review.

We’ve made this stew several times and just love it. It seems a little odd in that the lamb is first marinated in herbs and white wine, and then braised in stock and red wine. Mixing wines in cooking is so rarely done, but apparently it does happen on occasion in Spanish cooking (we’ve found references in Spanish cookbooks).

Updated, from the recipe archive. First posted in 2005. Enjoy!

 

Basque Lamb Stew Recipe

Feel free to substitute some or all of the paprika with smoked paprika.

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 lbs. lamb shoulder, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, about 1 tablespoon chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• Salt
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 10-ounce can roasted red bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch strips
• 1 large ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup dry, full-bodied red wine
• 1 cup chicken stock*
• Freshly ground black pepper

* If cooking gluten-free, use homemade chicken stock or gluten-free packaged stock.

Read More: Basque Lamb Stew

Chicken Drumsticks, Ethiopian Style

Check out these Ethiopian chicken drumsticks from Hank Shaw! The berbere spice mix is outstanding. ~Elise

This dish sounds a lot more exotic than it really is. It is a recipe I’ve been making, on and off, for 20 years, and it’s nothing more than chicken drumsticks coated in oil or melted butter, dusted with a dry spice rub and baked — or slow-cooked on the barbecue.

What makes this recipe Ethiopian is the spice mix, which is called berbere (ber-BERRY). I learned how to make it from my boss at the first restaurant I ever worked at, the Horn of Africa in Madison, Wisconsin. My boss, a tough old Eritrean named Meselesh Ayele (Eritrea used to be a province of Ethiopia, and is now an independent country), told me that berbere was the original curry, that the Indians copied the Ethiopians.

That was a common refrain in the kitchen: Ethiopia invented everything, and the rest of the world just copied it. They happen to be right when it comes to coffee, but I’m not sure I believe her on the curry thing. What I can tell you is that berbere is indeed a magical spice mix: Think of the sweet aromas of Moroccan food with a muscular punch of garlic and chile. No two berbere mixtures are the same, and cooks guard their secret mixtures with as much vigor as Southerners guard their barbecue recipes.

But there are a few constants: chiles and/or paprika, lots of garlic, black pepper, salt and ginger. Meselesh’s berbere always had a healthy hit of cardamom and fenugreek, too. Without those two ingredients, it just doesn’t smell Ethiopian to me. Other spices not in my berbere, but which are perfectly normal, include anise seed, turmeric, cinnamon, allspice, coriander and dried herbs like oregano and rue. Tinkering is not only allowed, but encouraged.

Cook the chicken how you want. You will need to reach an internal temperature of at least 175° for it to taste right, but I like to cook them slow and low until the meat is almost falling off the bone. The longer you cook, the more you need to baste with all that chicken-y goodness that renders out of the drumsticks.

I was a line cook when I made this recipe as a part of my rotation, which means I didn’t make much money. So for a cheap dinner I used to eat these drumsticks with a little white rice while watching the Wisconsin Badgers play on TV, drinking Leinenkugels or Point beer. Simple pleasures from a different time.

 

Chicken Drumsticks, Ethiopian Style Recipe

You can do this with chicken wings or thighs, too, but don't use breasts — they will dry out.

Ingredients

• 3-4 pounds chicken legs, thighs or wings
• 2 Tbsp peanut oil, or melted butter (or ghee)
• Salt
• Lemons or limes for serving

Spice Mix:

• 2 Tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 Tbsp hot paprika, or 1-2 teaspoons cayenne
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground fenugreek
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Read More: Chicken Drumsticks, Ethiopian Style

Chicken Stew with Walnut and Pomegranate Sauce (Fesenjan)

Here is a stew made for fall! This Chicken Stew with Walnut and Pomegranate Sauce recipe is a classic preparation in Persian cooking, going by the name “Fesenjan”.

Chicken pieces are first browned and then slowly cooked in a sauce with ground toasted walnuts and pomegranate molasses. You might not normally think to make a sauce with walnuts and pomegranates, but it’s a perfect combination!


The toasted walnuts are rich and warm and the pomegranate molasses sharp and berry toned. Cooked slowly with the chicken, the sauce is spectacular. Bowl-licking good.

The only ingredient that might be a little unusual is the pomegranate molasses. You can make your own with pomegranate juice (see our recipe for pomegranate molasses), or look for it at Whole Foods or a store that carries Middle Eastern ingredients.

 

Chicken Stew with Walnut and Pomegranate Sauce (Fesenjan) Recipe

Make your own pomegranate molasses by simmering 1 cup of pomegranate juice until it reduces to 5 Tbsp of syrup.

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 large yellow onions, chopped, (3 cups)
• 2 Tbps unsalted butter
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 5 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
• 1/2 pound walnut halves (about 2 cups)
• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs and/or breasts, trimmed of excess fat, cut into medium size pieces, patted dry and salted
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 Tbsp plus 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Salt
• 1/2 cup fresh pomegranate arils for garnish (optional)

Read More: Chicken Stew with Walnut and Pomegranate Sauce (Fesenjan)