Chicken Chow Mein

Living in Taiwan, we were bound to acquire a few Asian recipes—which we were happy to do, of course! Chicken chow mein is a more recent favorite in our house. We make it in large batches, because second helpings are an obvious necessity.

Chow mein originated in Northern China, and is commonly found in Chinese restaurants in America. "Chow mein" means stir-fried noodles, and it's just that: noodles stir-fried in a wok (or frying pan, if you don't have a wok—which you totally should!), made delicious with chicken, veggies, and flavorings.

Chicken chow mein is, of course, best eaten with chop sticks. I'm just not sure there's any other way to do it. If you don't know how to use chopsticks, now is a fantastic time to learn! It's really a very useful skill—I mean, what if you find yourself in the middle of Asia, with not a fork in sight? Not speaking from experience or anything...
But remember, when using chopsticks, never leave them sticking straight up out of your food! It's bad luck. I wouldn't want anything to happen to you ;)

If you need to clean out your vegetable drawer, here's your chance. Chow mein is a very versatile dish. Switch out the chicken for pork, beef, or fried tofu, or try it with some of these other vegetables:

-Bamboo shoots
-Bok choy
-Carrots
-Broccoli
-Snap peas
-Cabbage
-Scallions
-Mushrooms

I love having a variety of vegetables! My plate is always a mountain of chicken and veggies, with just a little bed of noodles. I hope you enjoy this as much as my family does!

Chicken Chow Mein
Serves: 2

Ingredients:
Chicken & Vegetables:
300g (11oz) skinless chicken breast fillets, sliced into strips
1 red pepper, sliced
150g (5oz) bean sprouts
1 large spring onion, sliced lengthways

Noodles:
150g (5oz) dried yellow shi wheat flour noodles, or medium egg noodles*
dash toasted sesame oil

Marinade:
dash dark soy sauce
1 tsp. five-spice powder
1 tsp. chili sauce (optional)
1 Tbs. cornflour

Seasoning:
1-2 Tbs. peanut, sunflower, or vegetable oil
2 Tbs. light soy sauce
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
1. Slice chicken and vegetables.
2. Marinade chicken: Coat chicken with dark soy sauce, five-spice powder, and chili sauce, if using.
3. Boil noodles until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop further cooking. Toss with sesame oil to prevent sticking.
4. Mix cornstarch into the chicken to seal in the juices.
5. Swirl groundnut, sunflower, or vegetable oil around a wok (or frying pan) to coat sides of pan. Heat oil.
6. When oil is hot, add chicken. Cook until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes.
7. Add hardier vegetables first, cooking for one minute. Mix in more delicate vegetables (spring onions, bean sprouts). Stir in noodles.
8. Mix in light soy sauce, sesame oil, and pepper.

*You're looking for noodles that are yellow and curvy. These noodles go by a few different names; you might see them as Egg Noodles, Ramen, or Canton Noodles, among others. Fresh or dried are both fine. Spaghetti will also work in a pinch.

Recipe from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BxiR7gDDNU&feature=youtu.be

Spaghetti Goo

I think I like spaghetti goo mostly because it’s fun to say.

Well, that and there’s spicy sausages in it (love!). However, times were not always so good. Way-back-when, our spaghetti goo was depressingly sausage-deficient. There were a few buried under the mass of noodles, but we all had to compete to be the first one to serve ourselves in order to get enough sausages.
Why didn’t we end this dark age by simply adding more sausages, you ask? Well, we did! And now, not only is our spaghetti goo no longer sausage-deficient, but we don’t have to use caveman manners.

So back to the name—why is it called spaghetti goo (besides that it is fun to say)?
First, it’s obviously mostly made up of spaghetti (and, now, sausages). Theeeeen we pour in lots of cheese, mix it up, and BAM! the spaghetti gets gooey. It’s spaghetti goo!

I’m not going to lie, my mom actually did most of the grunt work when we made this spaghetti goo. I just waltzed in, stirred some vegetables, strained some spaghetti, mixed in some cheese, put it all together, and (shamelessly) gobbled it down. Nevertheless, I enjoyed helping and taking pictures!

Spaghetti Goo

Ingredients:
1 package sausage (such as Eckrich pre-cooked breakfast links)*
1 tsp. butter
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1 small red onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1 Tbs. parsley
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
16 oz. mixed fresh or frozen vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots)
1 can sliced water chestnuts, drained
8-12 oz. spaghetti (about one box)
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Slice sausages into bite-sized pieces.
2. Sauté sausages in butter and garlic. Add chopped onion, herbs and spices.
3. Add veggies and drained water chestnuts. Simmer until cooked.
4. Add spaghetti to veggie mixture. Add 1 cup cheese and sprinkle rest on top.
5. Put in 350ºF oven until cheese is melted, about 10 minutes.

*This is the amount of sausages that we use, but you may want to add more or less according to your sausage cravings.

Recipe from: Connie Petersen

Fresh Pasta

We went to the coolest store in Camogli... it was called Pasta Fresca (creative, right?). It was this place that made me really want to try to make my own pasta.
Behind the displays of different fresh pastas in the front, we could see a big room in the back where they made the pasta. There were piles and piles of noodles laying around. Bowls of homemade sauces were nestled between the differently shaped and colored fresh noodles. It was pick your pasta, pick your sauce, cook and eat. Simple and yummy!

There were so many interesting looking pastas – black squid ink noodles, pillowy gnocchi, stringy spaghetti, bulging cappelletti, perfectly filled ravioli, flat lasagna noodles, and some kind of pasta that looked like peas – I was sad that I couldn't try them all.

In the two times that we went to Pasta Fresca, we got gnocchi and cappelletti with marinara sauce, meat sauce, and pesto sauce. We took it home, cooked it up, and ate it beside some still-warm focaccia bread from the focacceria next door to the fresh pasta place. It was quick, easy, and absolutely delicious.

The gnocchi was a great consistency – nice and soft and creamy. It had a slightly sweet taste to it, so I liked it with the red sauces better than with the pesto. We make gnocchi at home sometimes, but are still working on perfecting that.

Cappelletti means 'alpine hats', and they do look a little like hats. Cappelletti is basically just ravioli in a different shape, and with more filling. Fillings include meat, cheese, or vegetables (we got vegetables). I liked the cappelletti with all of the sauces we got.

Pesto originates in the Liguria region of Italy (which Camogli is located in). I really liked Pasta Fresca's pesto – the basil wasn't ground too small like I saw in a lot of restaurants in Italy, and the flavor was delicious. It reminded me of my mom's pesto. I will say though, Pasta Fresca added a lot of olive oil to their pesto!

Focaccia bread also originates in Liguria. The focacceria we went to had a few different kinds, but we just got the plain one; it was so fresh, warm, and flavorful that it just melted in our mouths...let's just say we didn't miss all the extra toppings! It did, however, drip olive oil ceaselessly...those Italians love their olive oil.

The second time we went to Pasta Fresca, they didn't have the squid ink pasta so instead I had to get it at a restaurant later. It was fun to try and tasted good (there was actually no distinguishable difference in flavor between normal spaghetti and the squid ink spaghetti)!

In the fresh pasta store, they did have some different types of dried pasta on the shelves that looked very interesting. All different shapes and sizes, some (like simple, flat, disk-shaped ones) you just put some olive oil and seasonings on, or others (like the small grain-like ones) you put in soups.

When we got home we only waited a few weeks to try making fresh pasta because we were so anxious to see if we could make it just as good as the Italians...and ours was ONE THOUSAND times better than dried pasta! So, thank you Italy for inspiring me to make fresh pasta – and, for how good it is, it takes surprisingly few ingredients.

Just make a bowl of flour (literally).

Pour in some of your egg, water, salt, and olive oil mixture. Take two fingers and swirl it around, carefully mixing in the edges of the flour bowl little by little and adding more egg mixture.

Knead the dough and chill in the fridge.

Roll into sheets (this is a good work out) and cut into shapes – some easy ones are ravioli, fettucine, or tagliatelle.

Hang 'em up while you're busy so they don't stick together...we used a clothes rack, but anything works.

Boil for a couple minutes in water with a little olive oil, make some sauce, and you're ready to eat! A bonus of fresh pasta? It is much easier to get al dente (not crunchy, not soft, just firm) than dried pasta!

This method can be a little messy/time consuming/labour intensive, so there are some alternatives:

If you don't want to make a flour bowl, you can use a food processor.

You can use a pasta machine instead of rolling it by hand (in which case you have more options for shapes).

You can make a double batch and freeze some pasta for a quick meal later.

Maybe I should just start my own pasta store. I'm pretty sure it would be a big hit in America! All I would need are a few different pasta types, some sauce choices, some boxes, and a scale, just like Pasta Fresca...brilliantly simple and deliciously yummy.

Watch Alton Brown's video for more details on making fresh pasta...it's only 20 minutes and taught me so much!

Pasta

5 servings

Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

3 Tbs. water

1 tsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

Directions :

By hand:

1. On a clean surface, make a well out of the flour; make sure the sides are sturdy.

2. In a small bowl, mix eggs, water, olive oil, and salt.

3. Slowly pour egg mixture into the well. Mix with two of your fingers. Gradually incorporate the sides of the flour well into the egg mixture. Continue mixing in flour until all of the egg mixture is used, but don't force the dough to take more flour.

4. Pasta machine: Make dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in fridge for at least 1 hour.

5. By hand: Knead dough for 8-10 minutes on a floured surface. Make dough into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in fridge for at least 1 hour.

By Food Processor:

1. In the bowl of your food processor combine the flour and salt and pulse 2 to 3 times.

2. In a small bowl, whisk eggs, water and oil.

3. Continuously pour egg mixture into flour while pulsing the food processor.

4. Continue pulsing the food processor until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

5. Follow above directions for hand rolling or machine rolling.

After chilling:

Machine rolling:

1. Follow manufacturer's instructions to create the shape of noodle you want.

2. Boil the fresh pasta according to the directions below or freeze it for later.

Hand rolling:

1. Take 1/4 of the chilled pasta dough and on a lightly floured surface use a rolling pin to roll dough out into a 1/8" thick sheet.

2. Use a pizza cutter to cut pasta into desired shape. Hang noodles up so that they do not stick while other pasta is being cut.

3. Boil the fresh pasta according to the directions below or freeze it for later.

After rolling:

Boiling:

1. Boil some water in a large pot. Add a little olive oil (about 2 Tbs.)

2. Gently drop fresh pasta into water and boil until pasta floats on surface of water and is al dente, about 2 minutes for fresh pasta or 3 minutes for frozen pasta.
3. Serve with sauce of your choice.

Recipe from: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/ravioli-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Pesto

This pesto is about as good as it gets – and I've eaten pesto in Liguria, the region in Italy where pesto originated.

Traditionally, pesto is made using a marble mortar and a wooden pestle. The garlic and pine nuts are crushed to a paste first, then the basil leaves and salt added, with the cheese coming next. Olive oil is mixed in last. This method does produces a more rustic version of pesto with a rougher texture. Instead, we usually use a small food processor for its ability to make smooth pesto very quickly.

To make this pesto the absolute best, use fresh, quality ingredients. Italians never even consider using olive oil that isn't extra virgin or basil that isn't fresh.

To make this pesto extra special, use trofie pasta. Trofie is the pasta that pesto is traditionally served over. This pasta can be very difficult to find outside of Liguria. However, it can be homemade – a task I would like to try someday when our dried stock runs out, using this recipe.

My mom has been using this pesto recipe for years, but I never fully appreciated it until I went to Italy. I ate their pesto, and yes, it is really good (especially in Liguria) – but this pesto is just as good, if not better than some of the pesto I tried in Italy.

Pesto
Makes: 1 1/2 cups

2 cups fresh basil leaves*
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4-1/3 cup pine nuts*
1 tsp lemon juice, optional
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

In a food processor, blender, or using a mortar and pestle, combine all the ingredients and blend until thoroughly combined.
Serve over fettuccine or traditional trofie pasta.
Store extra in fridge for up to a week; the pesto sauce does not need to be reheated when eaten as leftovers. Extra pesto also freezes well.

Substitute ingredients:
*Basil: can try other greens such as kale, spinach, arugula, or parsley (half basil, half spinach is wonderful)
*Pine nuts: can try walnuts, pecans, pistachios, almonds, edamame, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, or sunflower seeds
*Try adding: your favorite herbs like cilantro, mint, or parsley; or your favorite spices like cayenne, ground ginger, or paprika. Or add a dash of your favorite hot sauce.

Ideas for use:
Pesto pasta: mix pesto with noodles; optional: add chicken, cheese, tomatoes, red pepper flakes
Pesto sandwich: spread on pesto, add favorite toppings (cheese & tomatoes); grill bread in butter or olive oil.
Pesto pizza or toast: pizza dough + pesto + chicken + mozzarella or parmesan cheese + tomatoes
Pesto chicken: spoon over chicken breasts, add cheese, bake. Eat with noodles.
Pesto dip: dip crusty toasted bread in pesto

Source: This recipe is from the same lost little Italian cookbook that the bruschetta was from. If anyone knows what cookbook this is, please contact me.

Marcela Hazan’s Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onions

Can something taste bright? Is that a thing? Well, if it is, that is how I would describe this tomato sauce. The tomato flavor just pops in your mouth.

Actually, when I eating the pasta, my eyes almost popped out of my head. I found a hair in my pasta – oh the horror! Luckily I knew it was one of mine and it was in my pasta. It would have been very embarrassing for someone else to find it.

But then that hair had to go and insert itself in one of the better pictures I took? Really? I guess it could have been worse...I could have found the hair after the pasta was already in my mouth. Ew. Bad thought.

This sauce is brilliantly simple – I mean, that is what Marcela is famous for. If you haven't heard of her, you should read this interesting account of her life...after all, she did change the way Americans cook Italian food! We ate this sauce over trofie pasta that we picked up in Italy while we were there, a pasta traditionally used for pesto. Use whatever pasta makes you happy, or even put it on pizza!

Marcela Hazan’s Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onions

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

28 oz (800 g) whole peeled tomatoes from a can (San Marzano)*

5 Tbs. (70 grams) unsalted butter

1 medium-sized yellow onion, peeled and halved

Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Put tomatoes, onion, and butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat.

2. Bring sauce to a simmer, then lower heat; keep sauce at a slow but steady simmer for about 45 minutes or until the fat floats free from the tomatoes. Stir occasionally, crushing large tomato pieces against the side of the pan.

3. Remove sauce from heat and discard the onion. Add salt (and pepper, if desired) to taste.

4. Serve on pasta or pizza. Add parmesan if desired.

*San Marzano tomatoes are preferred, however they may not be available. You can also use diced or puréed tomatoes, but they will need slightly less simmering time as they are already broken down. Using puréed tomatoes will also give the sauce less texture.

Recipe from: Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcela Hazan