Asian Noodles

When I was a little girl, I lived in the Florida Keys. Yeah I know, lucky kid growing up on a tropical island vacation spot. It was great and the Keys still have a warm place in my heart. My mother, who is an immigrant from Costa Rica, often befriended other immigrant mothers and this recipe comes from a lovely Japanese woman that was her friend. It became a favorite in our household and was served as often as regular Italian-American style spaghetti that we loved. I have made a few adjustments to Mom's recipe, adding ginger and Sambal Oelek  (chili paste) for a kick. Don't worry about the long list of ingredients. You can use a food processor to quicken the slicing of the vegetables or buy them precut. I have even used frozen veggies in a pinch. The recipe is very forgiving, and it can be easily doubled. Everyone who has tried this dish loves it. I find these noodles addictive.


Asian Noodles - serves 2

1/2 package of spaghetti (1/2 lb)

1 cup shredded cooked chicken (you can use left overs if you want)

1/2 large sweet onion, Vidalia or other type

1/2 green bell pepper

1/2 red bell pepper

2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced on the bias

1 cup shredded cabbage or romaine lettuce

1 clove garlic minced

1 tsp minced ginger

2 Tbsp soy sauce

1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp Sambal (Vietnamese chillie paste) optional

1/2 cup sliced ham

2 eggs, beaten lightly

1/2 cup water or chicken broth or vegetable broth

1-2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat the water to boil the noodles. Cook noodles until al dente since they will be added to the pot later on.

In a large wok or pan over medium heat, add 1 tsp or so of oil. Pour in eggs and let cook until set. Carefully flip the egg over, trying to keep its shape and thinness. Let cook another 30 seconds or so and remove from pan.  Cut into 2 inch strips. Add ham slices and cook briefly then set aside with cooked egg. These will be garnishes.

To the same pan add remaining oil and sauté onions, bell peppers and carrots. (I use olive oil for everything.) When they are limp (after about 2-3 minutes) add garlic and ginger. If using cabbage, add here. (If using romaine add last.) Add shredded chicken and cooked drained noodles. (Add romaine here if using romaine.) Add the broth or use the cooking water from the noodles. Add soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and chili sauce if using. Mix well. Turn off heat. Taste and correct the seasoning for salt and pepper. You can add more soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce if you wish but I prefer a subtle hint of their flavors since they can be over powering. Serve topped with slices of ham and slices of the cooked egg. Divine!

Thai Inspired Fish / Crab Cakes

Tropical Fish Cakes with Avocado/Papaya relish.


Inspired by my love of Thai food and locally grown ingredients from my home town of Miami, these cakes are a combination of fish and crab cakes, served with a spicy tropical relish of avocado and papaya.

Fish-crab Cakes
Make 8 cakes.
2- 6 ounce cans of crab meat or 1/2 lb fresh crab meat picked over for shells.
1/2 lb mild white, Atlantic fish such as Mahi Mahi or Snapper
3/4 tsp Thai style red curry paste
3 Tbsp light mayonnaise
1/2 cup unseasoned fresh bread crumbs
1 egg + 1 egg white beaten together
1 tbsp chopped kaffir lime leaves (available jarred in speciality shops) or 1/4 tsp grated lime zest.
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground preferred
1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1 clove garlic
1/2 medium sized red onion, cut into small dice
1/2 red bell pepper cut into a small dice

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Sprinkle half the salt and pepper over the fish fillets and cook in a non stick skillet in 1 tsp of olive oil. Depending on the thickness of the filets, limit cooking time to 3-4 minutes per side. Do not overcook. Put cooked fish filets in a large mixing bowl and set aside. Saute ginger, garlic, onion and red bell pepper in remaining oil until soft. Add to fish. Drain crab mixture (if using canned) until fairly dry, squeezing out the excess moisture. Add crab to fish and mix well, leaving a few chucks of fish and crab.

Mix red curry paste, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, lime leaves or zest, and mix until well combined. Add to fish and crab mixture, along with bread crumbs and eggs. Mix throughly and form into patties a little smaller than an average hamburger. You should have eight cakes total. Cover and refrigerate while you make the relish. Pan fry the cakes on medium heat in olive oil until golden using a non stick pan. Fry in two batches, using 1 Tbsp of olive oil for each batch. Serve over bed of shreded iceburg lettuce with the Avocado relish on the side.

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Avocado/Papaya Relish
1/2 head of iceburg lettuce, shreded
1 Haas avocado or 1/2 Florida (large variety) avocado
1 cup papaya cut into small dice
1 minced clove of garlic
1 tsp minced ginger

Dressing:
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tbsp Thai sweet chilli sauce
1 Tbsp Asian Fish sauce
1 Lime, juiced
2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
Pinch of Salt
1/2 tsp or more of Sambal chilli paste (Optional)
Make dressing: In a medium size bowl mix together the chopped cilantro, Thai sweet chilli sauce, fish sauce, lime juice, rice vinegar, and salt.  Add Sambal if you like it really spicy and hot. Set aside.

Add the papaya and avocado to the remaining dressing. Mix to cover with dressing. Refrigerate until searving time.

To serve: Arrange fish cakes on top of shredded lettuce Serve with Avocado-Papaya relish on the side. A side dish of baked or roasted sweet potatoes make a great accompaniment.

Miso Soup

I love Miso soup. There is something comforting about a steamy bowl of soup that soothes the soul. Tonight I was seeking that comfort after a rainy, gloomy day. Within about 15 minutes tops, I had a healthy dinner, a full stomach and a calm spirit. I just made a simple Miso soup; the type I get in restaurants with my sushi. Only there seems to be something so much better about homemade Miso Soup. Mix the miso paste directly in the bowl because if the water is too hot it will destroy the healthy goodness of the miso. The stock used for making Miso soup is called dashi. It is used extensively in Japanese cuisine and is a fish stock made from dried bonito fish and dried seaweed. I use the stock granules but if you can't find them you could make a broth with the kombu, which is seaweed and maybe add a dash of Thai fish sauce. Or if you are a vegetarian simply use the seaweed in a vegtable broth. This is a basic recipe- feel free to add other veggies and/or some soba noodles.

Miso Soup
Makes two servings.


3 1/2 cups water
1 tsp dashi stock granules (I bought mine at an Asian grocery store)
1 slice dried kombu about 5inches by 2 inches long, snipped into bite sized pieces
4 oz firm tofu cut into cubes
2 green onions chopped into thin slices
4 tsp miso paste (I used white miso)

Put the dashi granuels in a pot with the water and kumbo. Bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer.  Add tofu. Simmer about 10 minutes until kombu is soft. Add green onion and let simmer for about another 1-2 minutes.
Meanwhile, set out two soup bowls. In each bowl put 2 tsp of  miso paste. Add a little of water to the miso paste and mix until well blended. I use a wisk. Divide the soup between the two bowls. Mix each well to make sure the miso paste is well blended. Enjoy!