Fancy Rahmen

I know we have all heard the quote "when one door closes another opens". If you believe that some doors close because they weren't made for you to walk through.....GREAT you are either an optimistic person and don't mind overcoming obstacles thrown your way or you didn't really try that hard to make it "your" door in the first place. Which ever it might be, don't take that closed door as a slap in the face or you failing at something but more as a sign that you were made for something greater, you might need to work a little harder, probably lose a little more sleep or I don't know show off more grey hair.

The reasons these doors close are usually not very obvious and will not present themselves to you on a silver platter and you probably won't know EXACTLY which door to approach next because lets face it that's not how this shit works! Choices, it all comes down to the choices we make in our lives. Some of these choices are simple and trivial while others impact us immensely but no matter what you decide you are the one in control of either working toward becoming a better person or getting lost in those hallways.


Now that I got my philosophical rant out of the way let's get down to the real choice of the this post! Eating Rahmen.....if you have never eaten the sodium overloaded & msg flavor enhanced packs of goodness then you probably missed out on many other great convenience foods as kid, teenager or young adult who is struggling to figure out why they hell being adult is supposed to be cool!!! ANYHOW.....here is my FANCY version of Rahmen that will require a little more than a microwave or water cooker BUT trust me so worth it. AND the best part is you have the choice to add whatever you want to finish it off or you can just eat the noodles & broth if that floats your boat. Whatever....it's your choice!

Fancy Rahmen

1 TBS oil**
1 TBS minced ginger**
1/2 onion, finely diced**
garlic, minced**
2 TBS Sriracha
1 TBS soy sauce
6 cups of Beef Broth or 6 cups of water & 3 Beef Bouillon Cubes**    
3 packs of Rahmen......ONLY THE NOODLES, throw those NASTY SEASONING PACKS AWAY!!      

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the ginger, onion, garlic and Sriracha. Sauté for 5 minutes stirring constantly, you don't want the garlic or onion to burn.

NOW YOU HAVE THE CHOICE.....I have done it both ways, flavor wise it's the same. The only difference is Option 2 eliminates the visual aspect of onions being in the broth.

Option 1: Add the soy sauce and broth and bring to a boil. Once broth is boiling, add noodles and boil uncovered for 1 minute. Turn heat off and cover. Let the noodles sit in the broth until they are the consistency you prefer. During this time I get all my toppings ready. Transfer noodles to bowls, add your toppings and THEN add the broth.

OR

Option 2: Carefully transfer the Sriracha Mix to a blender and blend the crap out of those onions so it looks like a paste. BE CAREFUL doing this though, not only is it blazing hot but it might make your eyes water a bit. In the same pot you used to heat the Sriracha Mix up add the soy sauce and broth before stirring in the the Sriracha Mix. Now bring to a boil, once the broth is boiling add noodles and boil uncovered for 1 minute. Turn heat off and cover. Let the noodles sit in the broth until they are the consistency you prefer. During this time I get all my toppings ready. Transfer noodles to bowls, add your toppings and THEN add the broth.


Topping Choices: hard boiled eggs, diced avocado, freshly sliced mushrooms, sliced green onion, thinly sliced uncooked beef, shredded chicken, raw shrimp, bean sprouts, sweet peas, shredded carrots, shredded cucumber, snap peas, tofu.....you get the idea....make it your own FANCY Rahmen with whatever the hell you want to add or not it's up to you.





** I use coconut oil but you can use whatever you prefer
**Did you know you can peel ginger and keep it in the freezer?
**I like using sweet onions but shallots work great too.
**use as many or as few cloves as you prefer, trying to tell you how many cloves to use is tricky because I have used anywhere between 2-5 cloves of garlic, it all depends on how big the cloves are or the mood I am in.
**I have made this with Vegetable and Chicken Broth but prefer the Beef Broth best.

Sauerkraut & Potato Stew

If you ask most of my friends where I am from the chances of them telling you Germany are much higher then them telling you where I was born. I guess I can't blame them though, I did spend most of my life growing up in Germany, speak German fluently and even graduated High School from a German speaking school so besides the fact that I was born in Texas and am a proud American I pretty much am as German as it gets.

The best things about living in Germany (besides family & friends) has got to be the food! I miss the local bakeries and butcher shops the most. Or maybe it's the "Turkish" Döner Kebabs you can't actually get in Turkey. Wait, I do really miss eating the best gummy bears ever....Haribo made and sold in Germany are the best!

I have made this stew a number of times and have had all intentions on sharing it with you sooner....but for some reason I always forget to take a picture before it's gobbled up!!

Taste of Germany Stew

2 TBS olive oil
14 oz. smoked sausage, cut into thin slices
1-1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1 small head of cabbage, thinly sliced
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bottle of lager beer
2-3 potatoes, peeled & cubed
2-1/2 cups chicken broth, divided

1-1/2 TBS apple cider vinegar
1 TBS fresh parsley, finely chopped

Directions:
In a dutch oven or large stew pot heat oil, add sausage and brown. Toss in onions; cook & stir until tender. Add cabbage and 1/2 cup of chicken broth; cover and let steam for 5-10 mins. Stir in spices and garlic. Slowly pour in the beer, bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes before adding the potatoes and the remaining broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cook for 40 minutes or until the potatoes and cabbage are soft.

Turn off heat, stir in the apple cider vinegar & fresh parsley....enjoy!

**I like adding a splash of apple cider vinegar to my bowl before I eat it.

Optional: add 1/4 tsp of caraway seeds.....I personally don't like caraway seeds and feel like they aren't missed in the stew but you could add them for a little more "taste of Germany" if you care to.

Coconut Curry Soup

It doesn't matter where we live we still try to find the best Thai restaurant in town. In Tucson, AZ we had a little mom & pops place we really enjoyed going to called "Saing Thai".....I REALLY miss the fresh spring rolls from there. Here in Dhaka, Bangladesh we have a Thai restaurant right down the road from us (within walking distance) called "Soi 71"....my favorite things on the menu are the "Green Papaya Salad" & "Sticky Mango Rice"....yum.

Now even though we could walk to our local Thai restaurant and get decent priced & fresh food anytime, I still much rather make this bowl of goodness at home in my own kitchen where I know exactly what I am stirring together and can smell the magic happening.

My husband actually told me that he doesn't think its "normal" for the cook to "ooh & ahh" over their own food as much as I did while we were eating this soup the other night. So what if I think it was well worth the multiple "oohs & ahhs".....let's just say him and the kids were lucky I didn't pull a "When Harry Met Sally" moment like Meg Ryan did while I was eating this!!

Coconut Curry Soup

1 TBS olive oil or coconut oil
2-3 carrots, peeled & sliced into thin coins
1 large onion, cut in half & sliced
2-3 chicken breast, cubed
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 TBS red curry paste
1 tsp salt
1 can coconut milk (full fat)
2 cans of chicken or veggie stock
1 + 2 tsp curry powder *
1 tsp turmeric
2-3 lime leaves (these add such a great flavor)


Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot. Add onions and cook them until they are soft, do not burn them. Add carrot slices and continue cooking for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger; cook for 1 minute then scoop out the veggies but leave as much of the liquid in the pan as possible.

Now add the chicken in the pot and cook until mostly cooked through. After 5 minutes of cooking sprinkle the chicken with 1 tsp of curry powder, 1 TBS red curry paste and salt. Return cooked veggies back to the pot. Pour coconut milk and stock in your pot. Stir in the remaining curry powder and turmeric. Heat to a simmer then add the lime leaves. Cook for 15 minutes. Taste to season (if you are using a low sodium stock you may need to add a bit more salt but I wait until right before serving to add this since it takes a little cooking to release all the flavors)

You could serve this with steamed potatoes or rice OR eat it just as is.

*use more or less curry depending on how spicy you what type of curry blend you are using, we use the mild curry powder so our kids can enjoy it.

If I am feeling like I need a bit more heat I like to add a few drops of sriracha to mine but trust me this is not a must when it comes to needing flavor enhancing!

Top 5 for 2013

I just realized I never did a Top 5 for my 2013 blog posts. That's what happens when you are moving from one state to another to then pack up and move half way across the world again....all in the matter of 4 months!!

The Top 5 for this year are still family favorites of ours. All 5 recipes can easily be incorporated into a meal plan, prepared in advance or even taken to a potluck.


1. Tamale Chicken Bake

This is an easy go to recipe if you love tamales but don't have the time or the know how to prepare tamales from scratch ;-)

 2. Strawberry Crisp
LOVE this recipe! So easy to make and so delicious.

3. Mexican Cornbread Salad
Not only does this taste yummy but it looks great too.

4. Sweet Sesame Chicken
One of my absolute favorite go to recipes I have.

 5. Turkey & Wild Rice Soup
Nothing taste better then homemade soup and fresh baked bread on a cloudy day.

Curry Chicken

Looking for a appetizer and main course for a Thai themed dinner party or just wanting to try out something new?! Here you go, both of these are tested and approved. 

The great thing about the soup is that you can make it your own in regards of how spicy you want it by adding more curry paste, if you rather use chicken or veggie broth and even if you would like to swap out the shrimp for a different type of protein OR leave it out too.

                                                                                                                             

THAI CURRY SOUP

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ TBS minced lemongrass

1 tsp salt

1 TBS olive oil

*2 TBS red curry paste

*32 oz chicken broth

1 can coconut milk

1/2 cup cooked/steamed potatoes, cubed

1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 TBS lime juice, about half a fresh lime

1/2-1 cup peeled and uncooked medium shrimp

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2-3 green onions, sliced

DIRECTIONS:

Heat olive oil, stir in garlic and lemongrass for about 30-60 secs before adding the curry paste and salt. Heat curry paste for another 30-60 secs, stirring constantly. Pour & stir in 1/2 cup of broth to dissolve curry paste, then add remaining broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low, cover partially and simmer 20 minutes.

Stir in coconut, lime juice, potatoes and mushrooms. Bring back to a boil and then remove from heat.

Stir in cilantro, green onions and shrimp. Soup is ready to serve as soon as the shrimp are pink.

Serve with rice (optional)

From left to right: Chicken Pad Thai, Spicy Lettuce Wraps and Thai Curry Soup

CHICKEN PAD THAI
(Recipe shared with me from my friend Jamie)

8 oz rice noodles

1/4 cup salted peanuts, finely chopped

1/2 tsp grated lime peel

3 Tbs fish sauce

2 Tbs fresh lime juice

2 Tbs packed brown sugar

4 1/2 tsp rice vinegar

1 Tbs Asian chile sauce with garlic

3 Tbs cooking oil

1/2 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized strips

1/2 package of firm tofu (3oz I think...?)

1 Tbs finely chopped garlic

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup fresh bean sprouts

1/2 cup sliced green onion

2 Tbs snipped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

-Place noodles in a large bowl.  Add enough hot water to cover them; let them stand for 10 to 15 or until the noodles are pliable but not soft.  Drain well in a colander.

-Meanwhile, for peanut topping, combine peanuts and lime peel; set aside.

-In a small bowl combine fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, and chile sauce; stir utnil smooth.  Set aside.

-In a 12in nonstick skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add chicken, tofu and garlic; cook and stir about 6 mins or until chicken is no longer pink.  Transfer to a bowl.

-Add egg to the hot skillet and cook for 30 sec.  Turn egg with spatula and cook for 30-60 seconds more, just until set.  Remove egg from skillet; chop egg and set aside.

-In same skillet heat remaining 2 TBS oil over high heat for 30 sec.  Add drained noodles and sprouts; stir-fry for 2 mins.  Add fish sauce mixture and chicken mixture;  cook for 1-2 mins more or until heated through.  Remove from heat and sprinkle with egg, peanut topping, green onion and cilantro.

Pasta E Fagoli ***Surprise Recipe Swap***

Where has this month gone? Does anyone else like these past weeks have just slipped by them. It feels like we just had Spring Break and now my kiddos only have 3.5 days left before Summer Break starts!! 

I have been pretty busy with my current college schedule and on top of that schedule I had a house full of sick children....not a great combo at all. Thankfully I didn't catch the germs and that the germs have finally decided they don't like all the de-germifying I have been doing and have left our house ;-) So I hope you can all forgive me for not having posted much in the past days it really was not my intention to leave you hanging for so long.

Today is May 20th so that means we are FINALLY allowed sharing our partnered up with for the monthly Secret Recipe Swap hosted by Jutta over at Hungry Little Girl. 

I finally get to share the great recipes I have found and will be adding to my keeper files.

Spatulas on Parade was my stalking site for this months swap. Dawn the creator and editor of this blog has been doing a great job with providing a great variety of recipes. I browsed through her recipes and postings....and probably read every single one not because I couldn't find a good recipe but because I really liked SO MANY of her recipes and I REALLY felt she writes from the heart and the way it is.

Now to the recipe....recipes I decided to recreate.....first I decided on her Pasta E Fagoli Soup recipe and then I just couldn't help myself and also made her Everything Tropical Cake. I chose to make the soup because I love eating it at Olive Garden but since I don't go that often I wanted to have a recipe that would compare that I could make at home. The Everything Tropical Cake was chosen because I love coconut, pineapple and mangos but my husband doesn't...thankfully I had a Bunco night with some friends SO it was the perfect opportunity for me to try it! Another reason I wanted to try this recipe was because it is DAIRY & EGG FREE!! 

This is without the frosting.....it seems I can never get a picture with the frosting on my cakes!

Both recipes are keepers :-) 

Pasta E Fagoli

1 lb ground beef or turkey (I used turkey)

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp italian seasoning

2 carrot, finely diced

2 stalks celery, finely diced

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

26 oz. beef stock

1- 25 oz. jar of spaghetti sauce

1 tsp pepper

2 tsp oregano

2 tsp parsley

3/4 cup cooked pasted

Directions:

Cook beef or turkey with the paprika and italian seasoning ***I forgot to add the seasoning...oops***

Drain the fat from the pan before adding it to your crockpot. Add all the remaining ingredients and stir well. Cook on low 6-8 hrs or on high 3-4.   

30 minutes before serving add the cooked pasta and stir.

Serve with parmesan cheese and crispy bread.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everything Tropical Cake

1 1/2 cup flour plus 3 TBS

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup mango nectar

1 tsp white vinegar

5 TBS vegetable oil

3/4 cup shredded carrots

4 TBS crushed pineapple, after draining juices

1/3 cup coconut flakes

1/2 can white frosting

1/2 cup crushed pineapple with the juice

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a glass 2.2 quart rectangle baking dish.

In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients first and mix well. Then add the mango nectar, vinegar, and oil. Mix until combined. Stir in the carrots, pineapple and coconut flakes. Stir well and pour into your prepared pan. Bake 30 minutes, cake will be nice and golden.

Meanwhile, whisk together the frosting and crushed pineapple. Set this aside until the cakes has cooled.  

I decided to pour the frosting mixture onto the cake while it was still warm....well I think it would have been better to frost the cake until after it has cooled because my frosting disappeared!!! The cake was so warm that it melted the frosting! HAHA oh well...it wasn't a bad mistake but it didn't look as pretty as Dawn's cake ;-)

Joining Hungry Little Girl monthly Secret Recipe Swap is as easy as clicking on the link below!

Stephanie's Chili

Who doesn't like to eat a nice hot bowl of chili on a cold day or even during a football game?! I love chili and I love making it. My husband and I have tried many different varieties of making our chili from scratch. After many attempts I have finally found the perfect blend of beans, ground turkey, tomatoes and just enough spices that it doesn't burn your taste-buds away but still brings the punch of flavor.

Some days when I make my chili I use 1 pound of ground turkey and on others I use 2, it just all depends what mood I am in....and what I have in the fridge.

When it comes to tomatoes in chili I am a little picky about the size of the pieces in my chili. I am not a tomato fan as it is but I know they are good for you and they taste good in certain recipes (not everything) but are a must in chili. So to fix the problem of the size I toss the stewed tomatoes in my food processor and pulse them a few times until the large pieces are just perfect, not completely macerated but small enough so you aren't biting into huge chunks.

Another great thing about my chili recipe is that you can control how spicy you make it and if you aren't a spicy eater you won't be sacrificing flavor for the loss of heat. During our last pregnancy spicy was not a friend of mine so I had to adjust the heat and it was just as yummy.  The Rotel tomatoes are my secret ("were") interchangeable heat adjusting ingredient

Stephanie's Chili

1-2 lbs ground turkey 

1 medium onion, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic, minced 

2 TBS chili powder
1 TBS cumin

2 cans kidney beans, drained & rinsed

2 cans black beans, drained & rinsed

1 can italian style stewed tomatoes

1 can mexican style stewed tomatoes

2 cans Rotel tomato ( I use 1x original & 1x Hot)

salt & pepper, to taste 

              

Directions:

Brown turkey along with the onions and garlic.                              

While the turkey is browning drain and rinse your beans, set aside. Then get your stewed tomatoes pulsed to your preference (this step is optional if you don't mind larger pieces of tomato in your chili).
                                                                                                                      

Do not drain juices before stirring in chili powder, cumin into the browned turkey.

Add the stewed tomatoes and Rotel stir.

Now add the beans, stir and then cover and bring to a boil. Then lower the heat to keep the chili at a low and slow simmer. I simmer my chili at least 2 hours stirring constantly throughout the cooking time to prevent any sticking or burning. After the 2 hours are over take a little taste and add salt & pepper to your taste. I usually just add a dash of salt and pepper, not too much. 

Chili is now ready to serve!! I like to eat mine with a bit of greek yogurt (since I can't do sour cream) and tortilla chips or with cornbread. I have a cornbread recipe that is easy to make and is very much enjoyed by everyone in my family.

Turkey & Wild Rice Soup

Thanksgiving is over and Christmas is just around the corner....granted it doesn't look or feel it here in Tucson especially with the temps in the high 70's but we are still getting into the spirit. Tree is up, decorations are out, Little John (our elf) has appeared and cookie baking will start soon (even if I have to turn the A/C on to cool down the house afterwards!!

So until I decide what to do about the hot temps and the urge to bake cookies I will work on using up all our Thanksgiving leftovers. And how doesn't think that making soup is not an easy way to use up leftovers. I don't know about you but I love eating soup?! It is such a comfort food for me, the smells of coking a soup from scratch...yummm.

If only we had some smell-a-vision!!

Turkey & Wild Rice Soup

2 quarts of chicken broth (I used 4 cans)
1/2-1 lb fresh mushrooms, roughly sliced
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped carrots
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2-3 cups cooked wild rice or brown rice ( I use one box of Wild Rice Mix that comes with the seasoning packets...cook as directed minus adding the seasoning)
2-3 cups chopped cooked turkey (or you can use chicken)

Directions:

In a large sauce pan combine broth, veggies, seasoning and bouillon. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 30 mins. In a dutch oven or stockpot melt butter, stir in flour while stirring constantly. Gradually add broth into the flour mixture while whisking (I add about 1 cup of broth). Bring to a boil...continue whisking, carefully pour the remaining soup mixture, stir in rice and turkey. Bring back to a boil just long enough to heat the rice and turkey.

**I like adding a bit of fresh cracked pepper before eating**