Sunday Nite Dinner » noodles

Zha Ziang Mian (Chinese Spaghetti)

Chuck — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 06:43:32 +0000

Zha ziang mian, aka Chinese spaghetti, is one of Hungry Bear's favorite comfort dishes. It has everything she likes... sweet, salty, spicy and carbs! The rich meaty sauce is nicely contrasted by the cool refreshing vegetable garnish.

It's a popular item in Northern China and legend has it that Marco Polo got his inspiration for Italian spaghetti after spending time in China. Growing up, Hungry Bear often had this dish served with regular spaghetti noodles, but it's best served with Chinese noodles. We included a photo of the brand we like in the slideshow.

The ingredient list looks long, but it's actual quite easy to make. So the next time you want some spaghetti and meat sauce, give this Chinese version a try.

Zha Ziang Mian Recipe

SND Note: Drain the pork fat to make the dish a little less greasy, but you may need to add a splash of chicken stock to prevent it from becoming too dry.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons bean sauce
5 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce (optional)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 pounds ground pork
3 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
2 tablespoons ginger, minced
3 tablespoons green onions, minced
1 pound Chinese noodles
1/2 English cucumber, julienned
2 carrots, julienned
1 cup bean sprouts

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the bean, hoisin, chili garlic and soy sauces; reserve and set aside.
Heat a large wok over high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat. Toss in the garlic and ginger; cook until it's fragrant about 10-15 seconds. Add the pork, stir constantly to break apart meat. Cook until just a bit of pink remains and it begins to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add the wine and stir for a few seconds.
Pour in the reserved sauce and stir to thoroughly coat the pork, until sauce is heated through. Add the green onions and toss to combine well. Serve pork over noodles and garnish with cucumber, carrots and bean sprouts.

Makes 6 servings

[Adapted from The Seventh Daughter by Cecilia Chiang]

Tags: chinese, hoisin, noodles, pork, sauce

Curry Tofu Noodle Stir-Fry

Chuck — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 06:57:02 +0000

After making fried eggs and shrimp, I needed to do something with the extra tomatoes and red onion. I looked in the fridge and saw some tofu and fresh egg noodles that we often pick up at the local Asian supermarket. With a few other ingredients, I whipped up this super easy curry tofu noodle stir-fry.

We enjoyed the dish so much, I made it again a few days later. The first time, I added a little too much hot curry powder for Hungry Bear's taste. My heat tolerance is off the charts, so it was mild for me. The next time I made it, I threw in a little coconut cream to soothe the heat and sweet petite peas for some color.

The main flavors of the dish came from the curry powder and a little sweetness from the tomatoes and coconut cream. If you like a sweet heat, add the coconut cream. We actually preferred it without the cream. At the store down the street, we can find a plethora of fresh egg noodles. I've made the dish with thick, round noodles and thin, flat noodles (pictures 3 and 4 in the slideshow). We liked the thin, flat noodles better.

It's a simple but flavorful dish that can be prepared in less than 20 minutes. And it was a great way for us to clean out the fridge.

Natural Light versus Lowel Ego Light

Another thing I want to point out in the slideshow is the last three pictures. I picked up a set of Lowel Ego lights after Jaden of Steamy Kitchen recommended them. The third to last picture is a shot of the noodle dish with natural lighting (kitchen window). I use the Lowel Ego lights in the last two pictures in the slideshow.

The pictures with the Ego lights are decent, particularly the close-up shot (last picture). The Ego lights are a little harsh compared with natural light, which is softer and more pleasant. This was my first time using the lights, so I'm sure I can improve the picture quality with better light placement. Overall, I'm pleased with the Ego lights, but I need to play with them a little more.

Curry Tofu Noodle Stir-Fry Recipe

SND Note: Soft or medium tofu can be used. We prefer soft tofu, which breaks down and almost becomes a sauce for the noodles. Medium tofu will remain in small chunks as seen in the pictures. If you don't have hot curry powder, substitute 1 tablespoon Madras curry powder with 1-2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper. Any type of noodles (ramen, spaghetti or rice noodles) can be substituted for the fresh egg noodles.

Ingredients

28 ounces (2 packages) soft or medium tofu, cubed
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
10-12 ounces tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon Indian hot curry powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons coconut cream (optional)
1 pound (16 oz) fresh thin egg noodles, cooked

Directions

Drain tofu and blot dry with paper towel. Cut tofu into 1/2 inch square cubes and set aside.
In a large wok, heat oil over high heat. Add onions and stir-fry until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir-fry until softened, about 2 minutes. Mix in sugar, fish sauce, curry powder, salt and coconut cream. Add tofu and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, allowing flavors to penetrate.
Add egg noodles and mix all ingredients. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve.

Makes 4-6 servings

Tags: curry, easy, noodles, peas, red onions, stir fry, tofu, tomatoes

Chinese Beef Chow Fun with Broccoli

Chuck — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 07:27:56 +0000

Over the last few months, we've been cooking a lot of Vietnamese food. And the word, "vietnamese", in the tag/ingredient cloud (below on the right side) has grown larger, dwarfing the "chinese" tag. That's fine with me, but Hungry Bear wants to end this trend and make sure her peeps' food is more represented on SND. So yesterday, she made beef and broccoli chow fun (chao fen).

We both love chow fun, but rarely order it at restaurants because it's just too damn oily. If you have access to a good Chinese/Asian supermarket and can get your hands on fresh rice noodles (he fen or haw fun), beef chow fun is best made at home. Prepared with fresh ingredients, minimal oil and Chinese broccoli, dare I say chow fun can be a healthy, balanced meal. It's sad Chinese food prepared in most restaurants is greasy, salty and generally bad for you, whereas traditional Chinese cooking can be healthy and flavorful.

To prepare the chow fun, Hungry Bear referenced two Grace Young cookbooks. We love Grace Young's recipes, but our biggest pet peeve is that her recipes are always proportioned to serve 4 to 6 as part of a multi-course meal. Hey, that's great if you have time to cook multi-course meals, but it's no good for people like us who cook in mass quantities. So, we always end up doubling or quadrupling her recipes, hoping it's enough as the main entrée.

This time Hungry Bear only doubled the recipe, reduced the oil and added Chinese broccoli to the beef chow fun recipe found in The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen. With fresh ingredients and perfectly cooked flank steak, this was no doubt the best chow fun I've ever had. After adding a dash of chili garlic sauce, I was one happy, chow-fun-eating camper. Now I'm looking forward to the next Chinese dish, as Hungry Bear attempts to restore the Chinese/Vietnamese balance on SND.

Chinese Beef and Broccoli Chow Fun (Chao Fen) Recipe

SND Note: The key ingredient in this recipe is the fresh broad rice noodle (he fen or haw fun). The rice noodles are sold unrefrigerated in 1 pound sheets that are folded over like a large cloth napkin. Normally, chow fun is made with a lot of oil to prevent the noodles from sticking to the wok. Because we use less oil, some of the noodles stick to the wok and break apart. The sticky layer should be scraped from the wok and eaten as "rice crisps", which are crusty and delicious.

Ingredients:
8 ounces mung bean sprouts, about 4 cups, rinsed and drained well
1 pound Chinese broccoli
1 pound flank steak, well trimmed
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 teaspoons cornstarch
3 teaspoons Shao Hsing rice cooking wine
2 tablespoons Chinese dried black beans (dul see)
2 pounds fresh broad rice noodles (he fen or haw fun)
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 slices of ginger
1 1/2 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 scallions, cut into 2-inch sections
3-4 tablespoons oyster sauce

Directions:
1) Cut the broccoli stalks in half lengthwise if more than 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut the stalks and leaves into 2 inch-long pieces, keeping the stalks separate from the leaves.

2) Halve the flank steak with the grain into 2 strips. Cut each strip across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place in a shallow bowl, add the soy sauce, cornstarch, and rice wine, and stir to combine; set aside.

3) Rinse the black beans in several changes of cold water and drain. In a small bowl, mash the black beans with the back of a wooden spoon. Leaving the noodles as a slab, cut noodles crosswise into 3/4-inch-wide strips.

4) Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil, ginger and garlic to wok, and stir-fry about 15 to 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the beef, spreading it in the wok. Cook, undisturbed, 30 seconds to 1 minute, letting the beef begin to brown. Add the mashed black beans and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, or until beef is browned but still slightly rare. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon oil into the wok and stir-fry the broccoli stalks for 30 seconds. Add the leaves and 1 teaspoon salt, stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes until the stalks are bright green and the leaves are limp. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Rinse wok and dry it thoroughly.

5) Re-heat wok over high heat, add 2 tablespoons oil to the wok with the noodles, spreading them in the wok. Cook undisturbed for 1 minute, or until slightly crusty. Add the bean sprouts and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes. Return the broccoli and beef with any juices that have accumulated to the wok, add the oyster sauce and scallions, and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, or until heated through and well combined. Adjust seasonings to taste and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings

[Adapted from The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen by Grace Young]

Tags: beef, broccoli, chinese, chow fun, flank steak, ginger, grace young, noodles, stir fry

Singapore Rice Noodles

Chuck — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 05:06:12 +0000

This past Sunday, Jane and Mark hosted Sunday Nite Dinner. For the main dish, Jane made Singapore rice noodles. The recipe can be found in The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen by Grace Young. From the cookbook...

"In Singapore, it is common to catch the intoxicating aroma of curry in the air. Almost every restaurant serves mai fun — rice vermicelli or rice sticks — stir-fried with curry powder, baby shrimp, scallions, celery and Chinese mushrooms, for this is one of Singapore's most famous dishes."

The Singapore rice noodles recipe serves 4 to 6 as a part of a multicourse meal. Since we were having the noodles as the main entrée, Jane doubled the recipe to serve five of us with leftovers to spare. As a side dish, Jane prepared stir-fried amaranth two ways. Amaranth (yeen choy) is a leafy vegetable that looks like red Swiss chard with red and green variegated leaves. The first amaranth side dish was a simple garlic and salt stir-fry. The second amaranth stir-fry can also be found in The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen and used garlic and wet bean curd (fu yu).

The Singapore rice noodles were delicious. I loved the shrimp, the Chinese barbecued pork and fragrant curry in the noodles. The stir-fried amaranth was a nice hearty green vegetable dish to accompany the noodles. Dinner was great and I had to excuse myself from the table to prevent over-eating. And it was a legitimate reason to go watch football on the couch.

For dessert, Jane made chocolate devil's food cupcakes. As chocoholics, Hungry Bear and I really love when someone makes a chocolate dessert. Considering Jane is a self proclaimed non-baker, we appreciate it even more when she bakes these chocolate cupcakes.

The cupcakes were topped with a ganache. Unfortunately, we managed to make a grainy ganache and then proceeded to completely break it. Luckily, we were able to save it. I'll follow up with a new post explaining how we fixed the ganache and provide more details about the yummy devil's food cupcakes.

SNDsters: Howie, Mark, Jane, Hungry Bear, Chuck

Singapore Rice Noodles Recipe

Ingredients:
4 Chinese dried mushrooms
8 ounces rice vermicelli (mai fun)
2 tablespoons thin soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shao Hsing rice cooking wine
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 ounces small shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/2 cup finely shredded scallions
1 cup thinly sliced celery
2 teaspoons Madras curry powder
3/4 cup homemade chicken broth
4 ounces Chinese barbecued pork, store-bought or homemade, cut into julienne strips

Directions:
1) In a medium bowl, soak the mushrooms in 1/4 cup cold water for 30 minutes, or until softened. Drain and squeeze dry, reserving soaking liquid. Cut off and discard stems and thinly slice the caps.

2) In a large bowl, soak the rice noodles in enough cold water to cover for 20 to 30 minutes, or until noodles are limp and softened. Drain in a colander and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, and salt. Set aside.

3) Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and the shrimp, and stir-fry 10 seconds. Add the scallions and stir-fry 30 seconds, or until shrimp have just turned orange but are not cooked through. Transfer the shrimp mixture to a plate and set aside.

4) Add the remaining 2 tablespoon vegetable oil, celery, and sliced mushrooms, and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add the curry powder and stir-fry 10 seconds, or until fragrant. Restir soy sauce mixture and swirl it into the wok. Add the chicken broth, reserved mushroom soaking liquid, and 1/3 cup cold water, and bring to a boil over high heat.

5) Add the drained rice noodles and return to a boil, stirring noodles to completely coat in curry mixture. Cover and cook over medium-high heat 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until noodles are just tender. Add the shrimp and barbecued pork, and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes, or until shrimp are just cooked through and liquid has been absorbed by the noodles. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6 as part of a multicourse meal

[Recipe via The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen cookbook by Grace Young]

Tags: amaranth, bean curd, fu yu, noodles, shrimp, singaporean, stir fried, yeen choy