rice noodles

” LION’S HEAD SOUP ” ( SHR ZA TOU )

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Meatballs come in many shapes, sizes and flavors. In the western cuisine we are most familiar with Italian meatballs, while in Asian cuisine soup dumplings are the most common.
Among Asian meatballs, Chinese lion heads are probably my favorite plain (no wrapper) meatballs. They are usually served in a flavorful soup, loaded with the Lions heads, black mushrooms, rice noodles and napa cabbage (pekinensis group cabbage).
Whenever I prepare the soup at home, (click here to see a version I usually prepare at home), I usually do the traditional chinese way, as described above. However, when I prepared the one featured here, I had leftover dumpling wrappers and ground pork mix in the fridge from the previous day’s  “CHINESE PORK DUMPLINGS IN TAMARIND BROTH”. I always have frozen homemade chicken stock in the fridge, so this  ” LION’S HEAD SOUP ” was a no-brainer and it took only a few minutes to put together. Easy does it when you’re lazy ! 🙂
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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Click here for more Lion’s Head Soup  on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for more Soup  on ChefsOpinion
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P.S.
Click Here or Here for Lion’s Head Meatballs Recipe (different recipes)
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” LION’S HEAD SOUP ” ( SHR ZA TOU )

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More Lion’s Head Soup variations :
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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures

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: just a pretty set……..

: shape tennis ball-size meatballs, simmer them in chicken soup until cooked through, about 20 minutes

: add cabbage of your choic (white, napa, bok choy, etc)

: add noodles of your choice (egg noodles, mung bean noodles, rice noodles, wrappers, etc), cook until done, remove from heat, check/adjust flavor

: ” LION’S HEAD SOUP ” ( SHR ZA TOU )

: ” LION’S HEAD SOUP ” ( SHR ZA TOU )

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Shrimp And Rice Stick Pillows With Peanut Sauce And Sweet Chili Sauce

Shrimp And Rice Stick Pillows With Peanut Sauce And Sweet Chili Sauce

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Last night on my way home I stopped at a Vietnamese restaurant where I used to eat pho. I stopped eating there because of the tiny portions (see my post about it by clicking this link: ….Pho….
Knowing that I would be disappointed by the skimpy pho, I placed my hope into an order of summer rolls…….
Well, the same crappy principle as with the pho (a ton of stock, a tiny amount of anything else); only this time, there was a ton of wrapper (2 per roll !) and just a tiny bit of filling. I could have kicked myself for not following my own previous advise to avoid this place.
So, what’s an old cook to do? Well of course, make my own version of rice paper rolls 🙂
Mind you, these are NOT Vietnamese summer rolls! And, because of their plumpness, rather than eating them by hand, I suggest you use a fork in order to have a less messy encounter with these babies. 🙂
However, these rolls consist of the exact amount and ratio of ingredients I craved when I ordered the rolls in the restaurant and was so badly disappointed:
A small amount of wrapper, LOT’S of noodles and shrimp, and NOT drowned in fish sauce and basil. Ahhhh, the good life ! 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
If you prefer the more traditional skinny shape, just arrange the filling accordingly.
P.P.S.
I am still hoping to find a decent Vietnamese restaurant around here 🙂
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Hans’ Peanut Sauce

This recipe may not be the most authentic, but it’s really, really good.
Serve it as a dipping sauce, over hot or cold noodles or as a salad dressing.

3/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

4 1/2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons chili paste

½ teaspoon garlic paste

1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Whisk all the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to use. Whisk again before serving.
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Shrimp And Rice Stick Pillows With Peanut Sauce And Sweet Chili Sauce

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Shrimp And Rice Stick Pillows With Peanut Sauce And Sweet Chili Sauce

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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slice 1 lb medium size cooked shrimp in halves

soak 8 oz rice sticks in hot water until soft, drain, mix with the shrimp (reserve 12 halves for garnish, 2 inside the rool and one on top), fine julienne of 1/4 red pepper and 1/4 yellow pepper, fine julienne of 1/4 red onion and 3 ea finely sliced basil leaves, dress with rice vinegar, fish sauce, chili pepper, kosher salt and sesame oil to taste

prepare the peanut sauce according to the recipe on this page

the good stuff……

rice peper sheets

soak 1 sheet at the time in warm water until pliable

remove to a work surface

add a bit if peppers, cucumber and two half shrimp

top with the salad

fold both sides over the top, then roll tight

recipe will produce 4 “fat” rolls or 8 thin rolls; serves 2

Shrimp And Rice Stick Pillows With Peanut Sauce And Sweet Chili Sauce

Shrimp And Rice Stick Pillows With Peanut Sauce And Sweet Chili Sauce

Shrimp And Rice Stick Pillows With Peanut Sauce And Sweet Chili Sauce

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Flaming Hot Chili Chicken Noodle Bowl With Broccolini And Straw Mushrooms

Meanwhile – in Florida……….BBQ Floridian Style

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OK, while you let this sink in, let’s move on to today’s featured dish :
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If you are not used to VERY hot food, don’t try these noodles !
If you love bland and boring noodle dishes, don’t try these noodles !
If you don’t want to open your mind and taste buds to new sensations, don’t try these noodles !
But, if you love the sensation of flaming hot (spicy) food and the incomparable mouthfeel you get when the pain of the first few spicy bites subside, to be replaced by the warm, slight numbness which can only be achieved by eating large numbers of chilies, then this dish is for you. (Think Szechuan hot pot)
While I don’t eat VERY spicy food as often as I used to, once in a while I need my fix, and today was the time to get it. 🙂
A wonderful dinner, a full belly and clear sinuses – another great and very enjoyable evening !
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Flaming Hot Chili Chicken Noodle Bowl With Broccoli And Straw Mushrooms

Flaming Hot Chili Chicken Noodle Bowl With Broccolini And Straw Mushrooms

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: soak 1 pck rice noodles in boiling hot water until soft

: drain noodles, mix with 1 tblsp sesame oil

: de-bone 4 large chicken breasts, remove skin, slice thin, dust with 2 tblsp riceflour, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: stir fry chicken in 4 tblsp peanut oil until golden and half-cooked, remove from oil, set aside

: in the remaining oil, stir fry 8 cloves of garlic confit and julienne of 1 large white oinion until onions are translucent

: add 7 ea hot chilies, 1 can drained straw mushrooms and 16 oz blanched broccolini

: add 4 tbslp chili sauce, 1 tblsp hoisin sauce, 1/2 tsp grated ginger. 1/2 cup soy sauce and 1/2 water, simmer for one minute

: add the noodles and the chicken with its juices, mix well, check/adjust seasoning; serves 4

: Flaming Hot Chili Chicken Noodle Bowl With Broccolini And Straw Mushrooms

: Flaming Hot Chili Chicken Noodle Bowl With Broccoli And Straw Mushrooms

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Braised Teriyaki Chicken With Spicy Rice Sticks

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Braised teriyaki chicken tastes more intense of teriyaki sauce than grilled or sautéed teriyaki chicken, because the braising process allows the sauce to penetrate the meat much better than marinating and then grilling or sauteing would.
However, if you only like your chicken skin crisp, this preparation might not be for you. But if on the other hand you do like the texture of a braised chicken skin (think coq au vin as a reference) and if you love the braising liquid/sauce from a well-seasoned braised dish (again, think of the great sauce a coq au vin will provide), this “Braised Teriyaki Chicken With Spicy Rice Sticks” will make you happy. The additional sauce from the chicken provides a wonderful coating to the already flavorful rice sticks.
Superb food, achieved with small effort and in little time. Life is Good !
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Teriyaki Dishes on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for Coq Au Vin on ChefsOpinion
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Braised Teriyaki Chicken With Spicy Rice Sticks

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: pour enough boiling water over a 8 oz pack of rice sticks, let steep until al dente, about 8 minutes

: drain rice sticks, toss with 1 tblsp chili oil and 1 tblsp sesame oil

: season 3 ea boneless chicken legs with kosher salt, garlic paste and sriracha sauce to taste

: saute the chicken legs on both sides in 1 tblsp peanut oil

: add 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce and 1/3 cup chicken stock, simmer covered until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes; check/adjust seasoning

: meanwhile, stir fry 1 cup finely sliced bell peppers with 1/3 cup finely sliced yellow onion in 2 tblsp peanut oil, season with1 tsp garlic paste and kosher salt to taste, stir fry another minute

: add the rice sticks, stir fry another minute, check/adjust seasoning

: plate the rice sticks on a serving platter

: top with the chicken legs and the teriyaki braising sauce, garnish with herbs or sprouts of your choice ; serves 3

: Braised Teriyaki Chicken With Spicy Rice Sticks

: Braised Teriyaki Chicken With Spicy Rice Sticks

: Braised Teriyaki Chicken With Spicy Rice Sticks

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Bone-In Rib Eye & Pasta In Peanut Sauce

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Since I am on a set meal plan for the time being, I am cooking a lot of goodies like this one for my very appreciative neighbor who, together with his wife and kid, loves good food but is (not yet) very successful in the kitchen, although this starts to change a bit since I am guiding him/them whenever I have the time 🙂
(I taste all of what I cook for them, but I can not eat any of it) 😦
This one was a great hit, especially the pasta . I had spaghetti in my larder and used those, but if you want the dish to be a bit more Asian in appearance, you might want to use cellophane/ or rice-noodles instead.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Bone-In Rib Eye & Pasta In Peanut Sauce, served with ponzu dipping sauce and thai chili dipping sauce

Bone-In Rib Eye & Pasta In Peanut Sauce

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Preparation:
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To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: Japanese Plate And Serving Platter

: season bone-in rib eye generously with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic, after steak is done to your preferred temperature, let rest in a warm place for at least 5 minutes before slicing

: deglaze pan with mirin, add a bit of water, lime juice, sugar, garlick paste, soy sauce, sriracha and peanut butter, simmer for one minute

: add raw spinach and VERY finely sliced red peppers, remove from heat, check/adjust taste

: add freshly cooked pasta, return to heat, simmer for one minute

: plate pasta on a warm serving dish

: top pasta with sliced steak, sprinkle with sesame seeds

: Bone-In Rib Eye & Pasta In Peanut Sauce

: Bone-In Rib Eye & Pasta In Peanut Sauce, served with ponzu dipping sauce and thai chili dipping sauce

: Bone-In Rib Eye & Pasta In Peanut Sauce

: Bone-In Rib Eye & Pasta In Peanut Sauce

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Chili-Pork Rice Sticks

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If this dish looks too spicy for you – relax 🙂
– The amount of chilies you can see in the pictures are good for my personal palette, but you should add the type (heat level) and quantity you prefer. I suggest you add chilies which are slightly milder than you can tolerate, so that you can add more of them and get that rich, fruity capsicum taste which you can only get by biting into a whole, fried or sauteed chili.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Chili-Pork Rice Sticks

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Preparation :
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To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: season ground pork with five spice powder, salt and black pepper, saute in peanut oil

: add lots of sliced onions, stir fry until onions are translucent

: add chilies of your choice, garlic paste

: add ponzu seasoning, soy sauce

: add hoi sin sauce, oyster sauce

: add water, a dash of sugar, chopped cilantro, simmer for three minutes, check / adjust seasoning

: meanwhile, soak rice sticks in water for ten minutes, cook in boiling water for three minutes, drain, mix with sesame oil

: serving dish

: plate noodles

: top with chili-pork, sprinkle with cilantro

: Chili-Pork Rice Sticks

: Chili-Pork Rice Sticks

: Chili-Pork Rice Sticks

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Spicy Octopus And Rice Noodles In Peanut Sauce

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Yesterday, on my way home from work , I told myself that under no circumstance will I cook and clean up the kitchen, I was just too tired and a bit under the weather.
So, while driving along university drive and contemplating where to stop for a bite or some take out, evaluating the choices a I checked out the restaurants along the way, I crossed off one after the other, knowing that none of them would be able to satisfy my craving for real, good, tasty food for a decent price. Eventually, as I drove by my favorite Asian Market, I made a quick stop to buy some octopus sashimi. I was not sure at this point what I would prepare with it, but I usually have enough stuff at home to fix a couple of good meals. When I got home, rice noodles, peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic paste, grated ginger, chili oil, sesame oil, red chilies, green peppers and onions were the usual suspects. Together with the octopus they became a great and perfect dinner.
As usual, more often than not, if I want to eat exactly what I want, I have to prep it myself (and clean up the kitchen afterward 😦 ).
But as always, it was well worth the time and effort and I’ve saved a bunch of good dollars doing it 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Spicy Octopus And Rice Noodles In Peanut Sauce

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Preparation :
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mix soy sauce, water, peanut butter, sriracha, sesame oil, lime juice, chili oil, simmer for one minute, if too thick, add water, if too thin, add peanut butter

season octopus with kosher salt and chili oil, saute in VERY HOT pan with garlic oil for about 3 seconds, remove from pan, set aside

saute onion, green peppers and red chilies in garlic oil

add rice noodles which you had soaked in warm water for 10 minutes then drained, add a small amount of soy sauce and water, cook until liquid has evaporated

add rice noodles which were soaked in warm water for 10 minutes, then drained, add a small amount of soy sauce and water, cook until liquid has evaporated

put noodles to one side of the pan, add some more garlic oil, add whisked eggs, scramble, cook until eggs are dry

add peanut sauce, mix well

stir fry for another minute, check / adjust seasoning

plate noodles on serving dish, top with octopus, sprinkle with chives and sesame seeds

Spicy Octopus And Rice Noodles In Peanut Sauce

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Pork Ribs & Rice Noodles Soup

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I was tempted to call this dish “Kluay Teaw Moo Toon”, but then I remembered that Mirandi of the “High Heel Gourmet is coming by at ChefsOpinion sometimes and how fierce she is about authentic Thai recipes. (I REALLY don’t want to get her mad 🙂
All jokes aside, this dish is definitely Thai inspired. Fragrant, light, bright, tasty. I hope that recipes like this will inspire my readers to understand the philosophy of cooking as I see it :
Take a look at good stuff, feel inspired by it, learn from it, do your own spin on it. Just make sure you call it “inspired by” or “in the style of”. But then again, if the shoe fit’s……
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“Kluay Teaw Moo Toon”
( “Variation Of A Thai Pork Spareribs Noodle Soup” )

: Kluay Teaw Moo Toon ( “Variation Of A Thai Pork Spareribs Noodle Soup” )

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Ingredients :

Pork ribs, blanched (for a clear stock)
Rice noodles, soaked
Bok choy, substitute with other green vegetable if you prefer, I used brocoli
Bean sprouts, (I prefer the crunch and tasteof raw onion julienne)
Cinnamon stick,
Star anise,
Coriander, crushed
Garlic paste,
Cilantro stems, Thais normally use cilantro root but I can’t get it around here
Cilantro leaf’s, coarsely chopped
Soy sauce,
Sugar,
Kosher salt,
Cayenne pepper,
Onion, peeled, quartered
Ginger, grated
Pork stock, substitute with vegetable stock if you prefer
Peanut oil,

Method :

Saute ribs in peanut oil until lightly browned. Add garlic, ginger , star anis , coriander and onion and saute until fragrant. Add stock and cilantro stems (roots if you can get hold of them) and simmer until ribs are tender but not falling apart, about 2 to 3 hours. Remove ribs and set aside. Adjust seasoning. Strain stock. To serve, place noodles, ribs and vegetables in a serving bowl. Top with boiling hot stock. Sprinkle with cilantro and onion julienne. Serve with soy sauce, chili sauce and fried shallots.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

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