Monday’s Bread Bowl: Cold Kimchi Noodle Salad w/ Snap Beans

More Crisp Korean Fare

We revisit an old-favorite in this week’s noodle salad that’s seasoned with Kimchi sauce.  Here’s the recipe:

What you will need: 

1 spatula 
1 large bowl 
10 cups water 

1 medium bowl 
1 colander 
1 stock pot 
1 package bean thread noodles 
At least 1/3 cup sugar or more to taste 
1 (8 oz.) jar kimchi base 
1/3 cup sesame oil 
1lb snap beans 
¼ cup palm white vinegar 

Cooking and Directions:

Heat 6 cups water in stock pot until boiling point then place dried bean thread noodles in large bowl.  Next, pour hot water into bowl with noodles until submerged. Let bean thread noodles soak and soften for 2 to 3 minutes then drain in colander. Return cooked noodles to large bowl.  Set aside.

Pour 4 cups water into stock pot then heat on stove until boiling point.  Add snap beans to pot and soak for 5 minutes then drain.  Split each snap bean length-wise at the center as shown.  Set aside.   

       

Combine kimchi base, sugar, vinegar, and sesame oil in medium bowl.  Add kimchi dressing to noodles and toss well. Finally, stir in snap beans then chill in fridge for at least 3 hours before serving.  

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Shzam Jalapeno Poppers

Holy fried peppers

Bite into mouthfuls of capsaicin and you’ll feel the heat.  Our Shzam Jalapeno Poppers, however, also pack another spicy surprise: crushed wasabi peas.  Yup…the Mixed Stew crew combines a Latin-American mainstay with a traditionally Asian ingredient in this week’s recipe.  Meanwhile, the melted cheese cuts the heat with a rich and creamy filling.   Remember intake of capsaicin in most hot peppers also increases the human body’s metabolic rate so it’s healthy for everyone.           

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Shzam Jalapeno Poppers

Packed with cheese and heat

The Mexican tradition gets a two or more unexpected twists in this week’s yummy dish.  Here’s the recipe: 

What you will need:

1 fry-pan

1 serving dish

1 cup vegetable oil

3 medium-sized mixing bowls

6 or 8 Jalapeno peppers

1/3 cup cilantro, minced

1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

2 tablespoons green onion, thinly sliced

2 whole eggs

½ cup milk

½ cup wasabi peas, crushed

½ cup panko breadcrumbs

Cooking and Directions:

Combine feta cheese, mozzarella cheese, green onion, cilantro, and one whole egg in a mixing bowl.  Mix well.  Set aside.  Make an incision, going lengthwise, into each Jalapeno then stuff with cheese mixture.  Repeat for each pepper.  Pour breadcrumbs into another mixing bowl.  Add crushed wasabi peas.  Mix well to form breading for poppers.  Set aside, too.  Now, beat 1 whole egg and 1/3 cup milk in a third bowl.   

Preheat fry-pan on medium-high heat for at least 3 minutes.  Allow the oil to get hot enough for frying.  Dip each stuffed pepper in egg mixture then roll in breadcrumbs.  Place each coated jalapeno in fry pan to brown and crisp up (3-5 minutes).  Turn peppers at least once while frying.  Remove fried poppers to serving dish.  Serve immediately.                         

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Japanese Chopped Salad

Rice crackers instead

You know it has an Asian twist once you bite into cracklin’ rice crackers that have been seasoned with soy sauce.  Meanwhile, iceberg lettuce has the crisp and cool texture that forms the foundation for a satisfying salad.  The Mixed Stew crew also included fresh tangerine pieces for a sweet flavor component.  Forget the same ol’ croutons and try making this yummy and leafy green salad.  Remember that you can substitute the Japanese Rice Crackers with crumbled Ramen noodles.  We recommend Thousand Island Dressing for this dish.      

   

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Japanese Chopped Salad

Lettuce with Asian crunch

The ingredients in this one-of-a kind salad make it a treat with Asian influences to satisfy for your taste buds. Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 large serving bowl w/ lid

1 pair of tongs

1 medium-sized iceberg lettuce, coarsely chopped

2 tangerines, quartered

½ cup rice crackers

1/3 cup dried seaweed aka nori`

1 large tomato, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 tablespoon sesame seed

Preparation and Directions:

Combine lettuce, tangerine quarters, tomato pieces, and seaweed in large serving bowl.  Toss well.  Add rice crackers, seaweed, and sesame seeds.  Serve with thousand-island dressing.   

Wednesday’s Helping: Alternative Ingredients for Very Veggie Eggplant Lasagna

Spice up the layers

Remember that you can different varieties of eggplants to make this dish.  Italian eggplants make for convenient slicing of large round pieces that are more conducive for building lasagna.  Try adding some paprika, red pepper flakes, or even a bit of chili powder for some extra heat.  Try adding fresh basil to the recipe for more minty zest in each bite.  Lastly, we suggest adding shrimp, canned tuna, or canned salmon if you wanna take things in a different direction.  

Wednesday’s Helping: Alternative Ingredients for Red Chicken Wings Adobo

Red with different parts, too

You can take this recipe in different directions.  We suggest chopping in some fresh cilantro, green parsley, or cardamom for a crisper flavor in each bite.  Also, try leaving out the vinegar if you don’t like a tangy or acidic taste. Substitute the chicken wings for skinless chicken breast chunks for a meal with lower calories.  Lastly, use firm tofu –chopped into cubes— if you really wanna go meatless.     

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Red Chicken Wings Adobo

Taste from drumette to wingette

Dressing up chicken wing parts to make them succulent takes more than a bit of effort and this recipe gets the job done.  If you’re tired of the ever popular fried wings or buffalo wings, then we tout making our adobo recipe instead.  The Mixed Stew crew cheated – just a bit – this time by incorporating a White King brand seasoning packet for Pancit Bihon.  The tasty addition helps enhance the achiote and chicken flavors with an eye towards authentic Filipino Cuisine.      

Wednesday’s Helping: Healthier Adouille w/ Garbanzos and Gravy

Keep it creamy but light

The Mixed Stew suggests substituting the heavy cream with whole milk, light cream, or plain yogurt to significantly lower the calorie content in each serving.  Also, look out for andouille sausage made with poultry instead of pork.  Lastly, cut out the dairy all-together with 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch diluted in a ½ cup of chicken broth.  The starch, used to thicken the liquid ingredients, will make light gravy that’s still hearty enough to sauce-up the resulting dish.

Tuesday’s Helping: Background on Pork Ribs Adobo w/ Broccoli

Asian fusion…really

This hybrid recipe possesses shades of our Baby Broccoli w/ Cashews dish.  Meanwhile, we also know its adobo-style thanks to the slow cooking time.  The braising works to tenderize the pork ribs’ meat.  Meanwhile, the walnut chunks add some crunchy bite to an otherwise traditional Asian-staple that’s well-known for its spicy sauce.  The Mixed stew crew then threw in a serving of broccoli for extra nutrition.                 

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Quicker Korean Pancakes

A quick seafood feast

Yes, the Mixed Stew crew had cravings for succulent seafood.   There’s no sacrifice concerning taste and flavor in this recipe.  Our original rendition requires more chopping and prep work in the kitchen.  We used a frozen seafood pack to greatly decrease the effort in the kitchen.  Remember that traditional Pajeon tend to be heartier and grittier when compared to the more Western omelets.            

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Quicker Korean Pancakes

Grill ‘em and serve ‘em

These are served with an eye towards less preparation time in the kitchen.  Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 metal fork

1 large mixing bowl

1 cast-iron skillet

1 serving plate

1 metal spatula

3 tablespoons cooking oil

1/3 cup green onion, thinly sliced

1 (14 oz.) bag, seafood mix
4 whole eggs, beaten

½ cup water

3 jalapeno peppers, minced

½ cup corn starch

1 cup all-purpose flour

 Pinch of salt and garlic powder

Cooking and Directions:

Combine eggs and water.  Beat with metal fork.  Add seafood mix, onion, jalapeno peppers, and salt.  Gradually add flour and corn starch while mixing.  Work toward a cake-like batter consistency.

Heat skillet on medium-high heat.  Grease pan with cooking oil.  You can make a dozen or so small pancakes or 3 to 4 large ones.  Allow pancakes to reach a golden brown on each side (4 minutes tops).  Serve with a dipping sauce of soy sauce, sesame oil, and sliced green onion.             

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Spaghetti Bolognese w/ Spinach

Spinach will do, too

We eased up on the ground beef in this rendition of spaghetti bolognese because of the addition of spinach.  The leafy veggie adds some green nutrition to a traditionally all-meat Italian staple.  Remember that spinach contains several vitamins and lutein, which helps promote healthy eyes.  We recommend using this spaghetti recipe for introducing the little ones to spinach or more spinach in their diet.    

Monday’s Spaghetti Bolognese w/ Spinach

An Unmistakable Pasta and Veggie Combo

The spinach cuts through the meat sauce in this delectable recipe.  Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 large skillet w/ lid

1 wooden spoon

3 tablespoons cooking oil

3 garlic toes, minced

1 (14 oz) pack of spaghetti noodles, cooked al dente

1 medium-sized onion, coarsely chopped

2 lbs ground beef

1 bunch of Spinach, coarsely chopped

1lb seasoned pork sausage

1 (24 oz) store-bought spaghetti sauce

1 (14 oz) diced tomatoes

Pinch of salt and pepper

Cooking and Directions:

Heat skillet on medium-high heat.  Add cooking oil, garlic, and onion.  Sautee ingredients until onion turn translucent.  Crumble in ground beef and pork sausage.  Let meat brown.  Stir well.  Add diced tomatoes to the skillet and cover with lid.  Lower heat to medium and let the ingredients simmer for 20 minutes.  Add jar of spaghetti sauce.  Return lid and let ingredients cook for another 15 minutes.  Stir in spinach.  Let veggies cook through. Stir well then remove from stovetop.  Serve immediately.     

Wednesday’s Helping: Alternate Ingredients for Simple Chicken Salad w/ Cilantro

Cold Chicken Salad Delight

Leftover-fried chicken in a fresh veggie salad cannot be beat in terms of flavor combined with nutrition.  We suggest substituting the cilantro with regular flat leaf parsley or Italian parsley.   Fresh basil is also a great tasting alternative in a pinch.  Coincidentally, use baked chicken instead of fried chicken for less caloric intake per serving.  Eliminate more calories by using skinless chicken breast ensures healthier eating.  If you remove the chicken skin, add crushed pecans or walnuts for a more nutritious crunch.    

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Chicken Salad w/ Cilantro

Again…less is more

The Mixed Stew recommends our simple chicken salad if you have some leftover fast food fried chicken.  We fried more than a dozen chicken thighs last weekend so we had more than a few leftover pieces.  The cilantro adds a spicy and minty bite to this leafy green offering.  Selecting cilantro is a convenient way to add Vitamin K, which contributes to bone health, to your diet.       

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Simple Crispy Chicken Salad w/ Cilantro

A Reinvigorating Standard

Sometimes simple fare hits the spot.  Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 large bowl

1 wooden spoon

1 cup garlic croutons

1 head Romaine lettuce, cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces

3 small carrots, sliced thin lengthwise

3 leftover fried chicken thighs, boned and shredded into bite-sized pieces

2 mini-cucumbers chopped into cubes

½ cup cilantro, coarsely chopped

2 eggs, hard boiled and crumbled

Pinch of black pepper to taste

Preparations and Directions:

Make sure Romaine lettuce is clean.  Place cut lettuce in large bowl.  Add carrot, cucumber, egg and cilantro.  Toss well. Sprinkle with black pepper.  Serve with your favorite salad dressing.  The Mixed Stew used a store-bought creamy Italian.   

Wednesday’s Helping: Alternate Ingredients for Mondongo

It’s appreciated ‘round Latin America

The hearty dish is more stew than soup.  The Mixed Stew added even more grit with the addition of red beans.  Omit the beans for a more traditional take on mondongo.  We suggest using shredded cabbage, napa cabbage, or chuy sum instead of baby bok choy.  Some variations use pork intestines, salted pork feet, or pig tails instead of beef tripe.  Note that Menudo is a close relative of mondongo.     

Wednesday’s Helping: Substitutes for Stuffed Peppers ala Mexico

Without Corno di Toro

The chili peppers lend heat and sweetness to our special recipe.  But what if you cannot find Italian Carmen peppers?  Remember that poblano, Anaheim chile, and even regular bell peppers can do instead.  We recommend farmers’ cheese or cottage cheese if you cannot find queso freco.  Meanwhile, substitute shrimp, canned salmon, or canned crab meat for the canned tuna for different twists on seafood flavors.  Lastly, eliminate the tuna all-together for real vegetarian fare.            

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Stuffed Peppers ala Mexico

A bit of Mexican enchilada

Slicing into one of these stuffed peppers is comfy, like meatloaf, but also spicy like hot tamales.  The carno di toro aka Carmen pepper provides a sweet and peppery skin that acts like a crust to seal in juices for this dish.  Look for the common “longhorn-shape” of these award-winning peppers that often grows longer than 8 inches in length.  We also need to mention that this recipe is a spin on our baked enchiladas recipe.  The green chile verde sauce does the trick in forming a binding ingredient for this rich meal.