Phabulous Pho!

So I've had Ming Tsai's cookbook Blue Ginger for a while now. Got some Thai Basil from Clovis Farmers Market and thought I would try my best to make Pho, as we have had it at Mr. Papayas in Fresno and also Pho and Rolls in Lemoore. Here is Ming's Recipe with a few of my tweaks:

Accompaniments:
Mung Bean Sprouts
Hoison
Thai Basil Leaves
Serrano Chilies
Lime Wedges
Sriracha

Soup:
2 TBS Canola Oil
1 TB finely chopped Ginger
2 Serrano Chilies
4 Leeks, white parts only, julienned
1 large carrot, julienned
salt and pepper
1 TBS Soy Sauce
8 cups Chicken Stock
1/2 tsp. Anise Extract
1-8 oz. piece Beef Tenderloin, thinly sliced
1 8 oz. package rice stick noodles--soaked in warm water for 20 minutes until tender
1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

in a stockpot, heat the oil and add the ginger and chilies. Saute until softened. Then, add the leeks and carrot. Season with salt and pepper. Add the Soy Sauce and Stock. Cook down. I cooked for about 30 minutes, but the recipe says 15 is all it needs. Add the beef until cooked through. I added the noodles to the serving bowls because some in my family do not like a lot of noodles, but you can add them to the soup. Serve immediately.

Ladle soup into bowls and drizzle sesame oil if desired on top of soup. The key to Pho is good broth as well as all the great stuff you put in it. I like mine not too spicy, so the Hoison cuts the spice as well as the bean sprouts and basil. Play around with different combos to find what works for you. There are more than I have listed.

This is a great winter meal and oh so easy to make!

Bon Appetit!

Lamb for Dinner and Oysters for Dessert!

Not really a combo that I was hoping for! LOL. I took out some lamb chops this morning from the freezer and thawed them. Went to my harb garden and picked some fresh oregeno and rosemary, along with some italian parsley. I them drizzled the chops with some olive oil. I chopped the rosemary and oregano, along with 2 cloves of garlic. I then sprinkled the combo on the oiled chops. Right before cooking, I spinkled a little Blasamic Vinegar on them. I then heated my pan, adding olive oil and seared both sides of the chop, giving them a deep caramel colored sear. Then to the broiler to finish. Served with some "potato cakes" infused with fresh chives and some wok sauteed green beans with salt and pepper. Served the chop on the potato cake and added the beans on the side.

Then, after dinner, we got a call that Dave (FIL) wanted to drop off something. When I opened the door, I saw 6 beautiful Blue Point Oysters! Yummy! I had my dessert. Had some limes and Cilantro in the fridge, some Crystal Hot Sauce too. Thought I would make a Wasabi cream sauce. It consisted of a little mayo, wasabi paste, cilantro, cream, and soy sauce. Fun experiment. Really like it. Maybe I need some Tuna next time!! YUMMY!

Thanks again Dave for dessert! :-)

Oh my Gravy!

So, I have a confession to make. I have had an uphill battle with gravy. I have been married for almost 13 years now, and as of last year, had not been able to perfect a gravy from scatch. Well, I have been playing with ideas in my head off and on, and tonight I made a mushroom sage turkey gravy that was freaking awesome! Easy, Easy, Easy! Here is what I did:

Olive Oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
5 button mushrooms, diced
1-2 TBS Fresh Sage, chopped
Apple Cider Vinegar
Chicken Stock
Salt & Pepper
1-2 TBS Corn Starch
1/3-1/2 cup water

Using a frying pan, I sauteed the onion in a little olive oil until traslucent and beginning to have a slightly browned edge to them. Then, I added the mushrooms and sage with a dash of chicken stock and vinegar. The mushrooms with soak up the liquid. Cook until softened. Set aside to cool.

After roasting the turkey, I drain the fat off the drippings from the roasting pan. Place roasting pan on stovetop and add chicken stock (if needed) to losen the yummy bits of turkey off the bottom of the pan. Transfer the mixture to the frying pan. Heat through. While heating mixture, get 2 TBS of corn starch and mix with 1/3 to 1/4 cup water. While stirring the gravy mixture, add a little of the corn starch mixture, keeping the heat at anywhere from medium to medium high. Keep adding starch mixture a little at a time until you reach desired thickness. Salt & Pepper to taste.

Have fun with it!

Paula's Pound Cake

Baking today. I stocked up on butter, eggs, flour, sugar, etc., so I thought it was time to put all those to use. Went through Paula Deen's cookbooks and found "Mama's Pound Cake" recipe. Oh my. 2 cubes of butter, 3 cups of sugar, and 5 eggs. Paula doesn't seem to mess around when it comes to fat! LOL.

Found it online. Here it is: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/mamas-pound-cake-recipe/index.html

:-)

Jules