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.  

Wednesday’s Helping: Alternate Ingredients for Blackened Mango Chicken

Not only for birds

We suggest substituting the chicken in this week’s dish with a hearty type of fish, such as salmon or mahi-mahi.  Or what about grilling up prawns and scallops?  Again, the mango sauce creates a glaze and crust that prevents natural juices from seeping out of the fish or shellfish.  You can skewer the seafood to make shish kabobs.  Make sure to allocate a proportionate amount of time to marinade the alternate ingredients. 

Tuesday’s Cupful: Double Golden Fish Brand Mango Sauce

Sweet Tropical Dressing

The chicken appears charbroiled but we assure you that it’s yummy.  The seasoning sauces and hot grilling helped seal in the chicken’s juices and flavors.  The Mixed Stew crew used Double Golden Fish Brand Mango Sauce to “offset” the rich soy sauce flavor in the marinade.  A (12.7 oz.) bottle of mango sauce is fairly priced under $5.00 at H-Mart.  This particular sauce also contains hints chili pepper so it’s spicier, too.  Remember that real mangoes constitute a very sweet serving of fiber in every bite.   

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Blackened Mango Chicken

 Sticky and Tangy BBQ Chicken

This was on the menu over the July 4^th weekend.  The Mixed Stew familia had to lick our lips and fingers over this rendition of BBQ Chicken.   Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 large plastic container w/ lid

1 pair of tongs
1 large purple onion, sliced into rings

4 garlic toes, sliced small

6 – 8 chicken leg quarters

1 (12.7 oz.) bottle Double Golden Fish Brand mango sauce

1/3 cup soy sauce

½ tablespoon red pepper flakes

1 Outdoor BBQ Grill with open-flame, at 300 degrees F

1 platter for serving

Cooking & Directions:

Combine chicken parts, onion, and garlic in large container.  Add soy sauce, mango sauce, and pepper flakes.  Toss and coat chicken parts with tidbits and spices.  Cover with lid and place in refrigerator overnight to marinate.  Pull container out of refrigerator in the morning and turn chicken legs over in marinade to ensure a thorough seasoning.  Cover and place back in fridge.

Prepare grill and fire for cooking.  Take chicken out of the fridge at least 1 hour before fire is really ready for grilling.  THE GRILL MUST BE HOT.  Place poultry on grill.  Let chicken parts cook on each side for 8-10 minutes (depending on size).  Expect chicken skin to blacken as shown.  Place fully-cooked legs on platter.  Let chicken rest for 5 or 10 minutes then serve immediately.                    

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: Spicy Vietnamese Fried Chicken Drumsticks

The Mixed Stew is going on hiatus from May 4th thru May 8th.  We hope everyone enjoys a week of hot and spicy repeats. The Mixed Stew will be back on May 11th with even more yummy posts. 

Post from December 2nd, 2013

A lips’ smacking hot and crispy treat

The flavors of soy-sauce and sweetened chili sauce make this a worthwhile and succulent dish.  Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 fry-pan or cast-iron skillet

2 ½ cups canola oil

1 metal tablespoon

1 serving plate

1 pair metal thongs

1 large bowl w/ lid

1 small bowl, glass

8 – 12 chicken drumsticks, thawed

2 cups rice flour

1 large plastic bag, Ziploc

¼ cup soy sauce

1 large shallot, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Juice of ½ lime

3 tablespoons hot chili paste

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons fish sauce

Cooking & Directions:

Place chicken drumsticks in large bowl.  Add soy sauce and toss pieces.  Cover with lid and let marinade for at least 3 hours (turn at least once).  

Pour rice flour into plastic bag.  Add drumsticks to bag and toss well.  Therefore, dredging and coating the chicken pieces in rice flour.  Set aside.   

Heat pan on medium-high heat.  Add cooking oil.  Let pan reach adequate frying temperature.  Carefully place chicken in hot oil to fry until done.  Cooking should take roughly 10 – 12 minutes on each side (depending on the mass and size of the drumsticks).  The chicken should turn golden brown and crispy.  Set aside on serving plate to rest.

Once chicken is done frying, remove all except roughly ¼ cup frying oil from pan.  Return pan to heat.  Sautee shallot and garlic until translucent in pan drippings then add chili sauce, brown sugar, lime juice, and fish sauce.  The sugar should dissolve forming a glaze sauce.

Monday's Bread Bowl: Spicy Hot Tuna Salad

The Mixed Stew is going on hiatus from May 4th thru May 8th.  We hope everyone enjoys a week of hot and spicy repeats. The Mixed Stew will be back on May 11th with even more yummy posts. 

Post from October 17,2011

The Mixed Stew crew loves spicy foods. We tweaked traditional tuna salad and added pepper, cilantro, and garlic to make a tuna salad that’s sizzling. Anyone eating a serving will forget that its served chilled. Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 wooden spoon
1 medium-sized bowl
Plastic wrap
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/2 garlic clove, minced
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped small
2 (5 oz.) portions of canned tuna, drained
1 tablespoon sriracha
1 green jalapeno, diced small
Pinch of salt

Preparation and Directions:

Combine all ingredients in bowl. Mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for 1 to 3 hours before serving.

Wednesday’s Helping: Alternative Ingredients for Chamorro-Style Flank Steak

Steaks done better

We recommend using sirloin, minute, or chuck steak instead of flank.  Remember that leaner cuts should not be cooked until well-done if you desire more appetizing and tender servings.  Meanwhile, substitute the soy sauce with a solid rubbing of plain sea salt or coarse salt.  Wanna kick it up a notch in terms of pungent spices?  Use fish sauce instead of soy sauce for a more fragrant but tasty steak.     

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Chamorro-Style Flank Steak

Island steak on-the-fly

The Mixed Stew crew enjoyed this menu item growing up in Guam.  Grilled flank steak, sliced butterfly-style, was always a yummy site to see and eat.  The Chamorro cooks also piled oodles and oodles of onion rings piled on top for good measure.  The reliable combination soy sauce and lemon juice forms a potent sauce that complements this mean cut’s natural juices and flavors.   

   

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Chamorro-Style Flank Steak

Island-style grilled steak

The tougher steak cut becomes more palatable with simple seasoning and searing.  Here’s the recipe: 

What you will need:

1 large serving plate

1 cast-iron skillet

3 tablespoons canola oil

2 ½ lbs flank steak

3 garlic toes, pilled

1 large yellow onion, sliced into rings

3 tablespoons soy sauce

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt and black pepper to taste

Cooking and Directions: 

Cut into the flank steak in a sideways motion in “butterfly-style” as shown.  Season and rub steak with black pepper and salt.  Heat skillet on medium-high heat.  Grease pan with canola oil.  Throw in garlic toes and repeatedly slide across bottom of pan.  Next, place steak in hot pan.  Let steak sear on both sides for 5 to 7 minutes.  Repeat for all steak pieces.  Place steaks on serving plate.  Keep pan on heat.  Add onion rings and let them sautee until softer.  Toss well.  Pour in lemon juice and soy sauce.  Toss onions again.  Pile onions and pour sauce over steaks.  Serve immediately.          

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Ham –N- Cheese Puto

Such a ham revisit

Ham has the flavor, and then some, needed to serve as the meaty ingredient in stuffing this ol’ Filipino staple.  Remember that puto literally means “rice cake.”  These rice cakes possess a semisweet taste that’s off-set by the smokey ham and melted cheese.  Meanwhile, the Mixed Stew crew added cilantro for a twist.  The herb provides a minty flavor component, which cuts through the sharpness of the cheese and ham.            

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Ham –N- Cheese Puto w/ Cilantro, Too

Yummy cheese buns

The Mixed Stew satisfies anyone’s cravings for East meets West in this week’s selection.  These puto buns are stuffed with bite-sized pieces of ham, shredded cheese and spicy cilantro.  Here’s the recipe:

What you need:

1 medium-sized bowl

1 metal steamer

5 cups water

2 packages from inside the box of White King brand puto mix (contains two packets inside)

1 cup sugar

10 tspns cooking oil

8 -12 puto molds, (substitute 8 -12 heatproof teacups)

2/3 cup ham, diced small

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

½ cup cilantro, minced

Cooking and Directions:

Fill 3 cups water into double boiler and place on stove at high heat.   Meanwhile, combine ingredients to mix and make puto batter in medium-sized bowl.  Fill molds half-way with batter then sprinkle in pieces of ham, cilantro, and a small portion of cheddar cheese.  Fill molds with more batter to cover ham and other tidbits.  Place molds in steamer to cook for 25 minutes.  Serve immediately or let cool and pack away for later.

Wednesday's Helping:Sweet Quesadillas

The Mixed Stew is going on hiatus from April 6th thru April 10th.  We hope everyone enjoys a week of sweet repeats. The Mixed Stew will be back on April 13th with even more yummy posts. Happy Easter!

Post originally from May 7, 2012

A dessert with Mexican flair

The savory version of this food item tends to be a favorite for lunch and dinner.  Here’s a luscious dessert rendition:

What you will need:

1 metal spoon

1 metal spatula

1 chef’s knife

1 medium-sized bowl

1 cutting board

1 fry-pan or skillet

1 serving plate

2 large flour tortillas

½ cup cream cheese

1 ripe banana, thinly sliced

½ cup dried cranberries

3 tblspn honey or maple butter

Butter

1 to 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground

Optional: 

Whipped topping

Cooking and Directions:

Layout one flour tortilla on cutting board.  Smear and spread cream cheese on one-half and one side of tortilla.  Then add a layer of dried cranberries, sliced banana, sprinkled cinnamon, and honey (or maple butter).  Fold over clean tortilla flap to form quesadilla.  Press down firmly.  Heat up skillet at medium-high heat.  Add a pat of butter to skillet and grease bottom of pan.  Next, carefully position quesadilla into skillet.  Let quesadilla cook on each side for 1 to 3 minutes until nicely browned.  Repeat process for second tortilla.  Cut cooked quesadillas into wedges with chef’s knife and serve with whipped topping.  

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background on Chili –N- Cheese Omelet Sliders

Pleasant little bites

This dish was inspired by our Spicy Turkey Sliders.  The egg substitutes for the bread in this recipe.  The Mixed Stew combined chili, green onion, and melted cheese to make a rich and satisfying omelet filling for our “omelet sliders.”  Watch them disappear for breakfast or brunch in a pinch.       

Monday’s Bread Bowl: Chili –N- Cheese Omelet Sliders

A small and spicy morning groove

You need a well-preheated pan to make these small but overstuffed omelets. Here’s the recipe:

What you will need:

1 cast-iron skillet

Non-stick cooking spray

1 serving plate

1 medium-sized bowl

1 metal spatula

1 cup left-over chili

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

¼ cup green onion, thinly sliced

4 whole eggs, beaten

¼ cup milk   

Pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Cooking and Directions:

Heat skillet on medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes.  Generously grease bottom of pan with Non-stick cooking spray.  Make sure pan is HOT!  Pour out a small sphere (3 to 4 inches in diameter) of beaten egg mixture.  Let egg cook through as much as possible.  This forms the omelet’s wrap.  

Spoon and spread 1 to 2 tablespoons of leftover chili on one half of egg circle.  Sprinkle cheddar cheese and green onion over chili.  Next, take metal spatula and lift and fold omelet’s clean side as shown.  Firmly press down egg flap for 10 - 15 seconds to secure omelet’s shape.  Repeat process to make more mini-omelets.  Serve immediately.            

Wednesday’s Helping: Alternative Ingredients for Cheesy Meat Lasagna

Chicken and Turkey Lasagna, Too

The Mixed Stew crew revisits meat lasagna with this week’s dish.  Remember that you can take a short-cut using no-cook lasagna noodles.  We recommend substituting the Italian sausage with sausage made from turkey, chicken, or even tofu for lighter fare.  Meanwhile, substitute the Parmesan cheese with another pungent cheese, such as Grana Padano. Asiago, and Romano.
     

   

Tuesday’s Cupful: Background of Cheesy Meat Lasagna

Rich Parmesan Inside

The Mixed Stew folded Parmesan Cheese into the layers of our Cheesy Meat Lasagna for additional oomph throughout the finished pie.  This week’s recipe, in comparison to our previous meat lasagna, calls for pre-boiled pasta noodles and the shredded Parmesan cheese.   Make sure to allocate for the necessary and extra prep time.  Finally, remember that baked lasagna has to rest before serving.    

Monday's Bread Bowl: Cheesy Meat Lasagna

A Three Cheese Bake

The Mixed Stew crew recently made a big haul of lasagna.  We already featured a very veggie eggplant.  This is the meat lovers’ rendition.

What you will need:

1 aluminum baking pan

Non-stick cooking spray

Aluminum foil

3 tablespoons cooking oil

1 large skillet w/ lid

1 large yellow onion, diced

3 garlic toes, minced

2 cups lasagna noodles, cooked al dente

1 lb Italian Sausage

1 ½ lb ground beef

1 (24 oz.) jar Ragu Tomato Pasta Sauce

1 (28 oz.) can of crushed tomatoes

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

1 (32 oz) tub of Ricotta Cheese

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

½ cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Pinch of Salt and pepper

Cooking and Directions:

Heat skillet on medium-high heat.  Add onion, garlic, pepper, and salt.  Sautee ingredients until onion turn translucent.  Crumble in Italian Sausage and ground beef.  Stir well.  Let meat cook through and brown.  Pour in jar of Ragu sauce and can of crushed tomatoes.  Mix well.  Lower heat to medium-low and cover with lid.  Ingredients should simmer slowly for 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  Add mushrooms to reduced sauce then cover with lid.  Let ingredients cook for another 10 minutes.  Remove pan from heat and set aside.

Preheat oven at 350 degrees.  Grease baking pan’s bottom and sides with cooking spray.  Start building layers of lasagna with a layer of meat sauce.  Spread well to cover bottom of baking pan.  Place a layer of lasagna noodles over the initial meat layer.  Spread a layer of Ricotta, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses on lasagna noodles.  Repeat and lay-down alternate layers until you run out of noodles or the baking pan is full.  Cap off lasagna with a generous layer of shredded cheeses.  Cover with aluminum foil.   

Place unbaked lasagna in hot oven.  Let pan bake for at least 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Remove foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.  Take out lasagna from oven once cooking time is finished.  Let the lasagna rest for at least 15 minutes then cut into and serve.     

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.