Hakka Noodles

This is an Indo-Chinese dish we have enjoyed from time to time when visiting India. I tried to make it last night, I didn't have the right noodles, and also didn't get the frying right. When we've had it in restaurants, even the noodles were stir fried with a bit of black on them. Anyway it was OK and fairly easy to make, Mahesh liked it and the kids ate some.

Vegetable Hakka Noodless

From Cook with Manali

Ingredients

• 300 grams noodles -- I will look in the India store to find "Ching Hakka" noodles as the recipe requires, if I can't find those I might try to substitute angel hair pasta.
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 green chili, sliced
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 medium red onion, 100 grams, sliced
• 1 large carrot, 100 grams, sliced
• 1 large red pepper, 200 grams, sliced, can use mix of green and red
• 3 stalks green onion, chopped + more to garnish
• 2.5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, or white vinegar
• 1 teapoon hot sauce, like sriracha
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• pinch white pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon chili oil, optional 
•  
• INSTRUCTIONS:
• 1. Chop all the veggies before you start making the noodles.
  2. Boil the noodles according to instructions on the package. I was supposed to cook my noodles for 2 minutes only.
     
     
  3. Drain the noodles and wash under cold running water, this stops the cooking process. Add 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the noodles and toss so that the noodles get lightly coated with the oil and don’t stick to each other. Set it aside.
     
     
  4. In a wok heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil on medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot add the minced garlic and ginger, sliced green chili and chopped celery.
     
     
  5. Saute for few seconds until the ginger garlic starts to change color.
  6. Add sliced onions and saute for a minute or two until the sides of the onion starts turning light golden brown.
     
     
  7. Add in the sliced carrots, bell pepper, green onion and cook for 1 minute on high heat. The veggies should remain crunchy.
     
     
  8. Push veggies to the side, lower the heat and add soy sauce, rice vinegar, hot sauce (like sriracha) and sugar (if using).
     
     
  9. Toss the veggies to combine well with the sauce. Add in the black pepper, salt and white pepper.
  10. Stir in the boiled noodles. Using a pair of tongs, mix it well so that the noodles are well coated with the sauce.
      
      
  11. As a final touch, stir in a teaspoon of chili oil. This is totally optional. Toss the noodles well and garnish with more spring onion greens.
  12. Serve hakka noodles as such or with your favorite Indo chinese dishes! I love mine with chili paneer.
   

Ratatouille

This is a very good recipe!! But greasy. And it took a long time to cook. It was the first time I made ratatouille, I have barely even eaten it in the past. But we saw the movie and I wanted to try making it. I served it on pasta and all the kids ate it and liked it OK. I saw many other recipes online that were healthier but I wanted to make sure and make one the kids will eat for the first time. Next time I will try and cut back on oil and see how that goes.

Ratatouille

From the New York Times

Ingredients

• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 medium white onions
• 3 medium zucchini
• 2 medium eggplant
• 3 sweet red peppers, such as bell peppers, red cubanelle or any other sweet variety
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary (I used dried and fresh would have been better)
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 cup olive oil, more as needed
• 2 large heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes (I used a can of whole tomatoes and it worked fine)
• 2 small bay leaves, ripped in half
• 1 ½ teaspoons fine sea salt, more as needed
• Freshly ground black pepper 

Preparation

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare the vegetables: Smash and peel 3 garlic cloves, reserving the 4th. Halve onions through their roots, and slice halves into 1/4-inch-thick pieces. Slice zucchini into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Cut eggplant into 1-inch cubes or spears. Seed peppers, and cut them into 1/4-inch-thick strips.
3. Spread each vegetable on a separate rimmed baking sheet (use extra sheets as necessary). Add the 3 cloves of smashed garlic to the onion pan. Add 1 sprig rosemary and 2 sprigs thyme to each of the pepper, eggplant and zucchini pans. Sprinkle salt lightly over vegetables. Drizzle 3 tablespoons olive oil on each of the pans.
4. Place all the pans in the oven (or work in batches if they don’t fit at once). Cook until vegetables are very tender and lightly browned at the edges. This will take about 35 to 40 minutes for the peppers (their skins should shrivel), 40 to 45 minutes for the eggplant and zucchini (the eggplant should crisp slightly and the zucchini should be well cooked, so let them go 3 to 5 minutes longer than you normally might), and 60 to 65 minutes for the onions. Don’t worry about the vegetables being pretty; they will meld into the ratatouille. Shake or stir the pans every 15 to 20 minutes or so, especially the onions.
5. In the meantime, prepare the tomatoes: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add tomatoes and blanch until the skins split, about 10 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to quickly transfer the tomatoes to a bowl filled with ice water.
6. Using a paring knife, peel the cooled tomatoes (the skins should slip right off). Halve tomatoes across their equators. Set a sieve over a bowl. Working over the bowl, use your fingers to seed the tomatoes, letting the seeds catch in the sieve and the juice run into the bowl. Discard seeds but save juices. Dice tomatoes and add to the reserved juices in bowl.
7. Finely grate or mince remaining garlic clove. Add garlic to tomatoes along with bay leaves and a large pinch of salt. Set aside.
8. Once vegetables are done cooking, combine them on one baking sheet or a large shallow baking dish and add ingredients from tomato bowl. Toss well. Vegetables will be stacked, and that’s O.K. Cover generously with olive oil, using remaining ¼ cup oil or more, and sprinkle with salt. Everything should have a good coat of oil, but should not be drowning in it. Cook at least 1 hour, stirring every 15 to 20 minutes, until vegetables are very tender and imbued with juices and oil. Add salt and pepper to taste, then serve warm, or let cool.

Okonomiyaki -- Japanese savory vegetable pancake

This is a better recipe than the other one 

 
Okonomiyaki

From Budget Bytes

 
Ingredients

PANCAKES

• 2 extra large eggs
• 1/2 cup water 
• 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 3/4 to 1 cup all-purpose flour 
• 4-5 cups shredded green cabbage 
• 1 carrot 
• 3 green onions
• 2 Tbsp oil for frying  
• Jalapeno, thinly sliced or shredded (if desired but we adults like this)
  

POSSIBLE TOPPINGS:

 

Okonomiyaki Sauce 

2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp kecap manis or sweet soy sauce (I used regular soy sauce for this)
2 tbsp ketchup
1 tsp rice vinegar

Sirracha mayo

Plain Mayo

Fried egg
dried seaweed strips
scallions and coriander/cilantro (all optional)

sliced green onions

sesame seeds

1. To make the okonomiyaki sauce, whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl.

Instructions for Okonomiyaki

• Remove any wilted leaves from the outside of the cabbage. Cut the cabbage into quarters and remove the core. Thinly slice or shred half of the cabbage, or until you have 4-5 cups shredded cabbage. Peel the carrot and shred it using a large-holed cheese grater. Slice the green onions.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, water, soy sauce, and sesame oil until smooth. Begin whisking in the flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until it forms a thick, smooth batter (about 3/4 to1 cup total flour).
• Add the cabbage, carrots, and green onion to the batter and stir until the vegetables are mixed and everything is evenly coated in batter.
• Heat 1/2 Tbsp oil in a non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add 3/4 cup of the vegetable and batter mixture. Press it down into the hot skillet to form a circle, about 6 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. Place a cover on the skillet to hold in the steam, which will help the cabbage soften as it cooks. Cook the pancake until golden brown on the bottom (3-5 minutes), then flip and cook until golden brown on the second side. Pile the cooked pancakes on a plate and cover with foil to keep warm until ready to eat. Add more oil to the skillet as needed as you cook the pancakes.
• To prepare sriracha mayo, mix together 1/4 cup mayonnaise and 2 Tbsp sriracha in a small bowl. Drizzle the sriracha mayo over the pancakes just before serving, followed with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and sliced green onion.

 
5. Transfer the pancake to a plate, and add your toppings – drizzle over your okonomiyaki along with some mayonnaise and a scatter of dried seaweed. Top with a scatter of scallions and coriander.

Ina Garten has been on fire lately with lots of pantry recipes. This one was quite good! Too much salt in the original recipe but I have reduced it here.

From barefoot contessa

Stewed Lentils & Tomatoes

• Good olive oil
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
• 2 cups (½-inch) diced carrots (3 to 4 carrots)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes
• 1 cup French green lentils (7 ounces)
• 2 cups good chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 2 teaspoons mild curry powder
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon good red wine vinegar

Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan.  Add the onions and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to brown.  Add the garlic and cook for one minute.

Meanwhile, place the tomatoes, including the juice, in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse several times until the tomatoes are roughly chopped. (Don't need to do this -- can just break them up with your hands)

Add the tomatoes, lentils, chicken stock, curry, thyme, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to the pot.   Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the lentils are tender.  Stir occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon and check to be sure the liquid is simmering.  (I pull the pot halfway off the burner to keep it simmering.) Remove from the heat and allow the lentils to sit covered for another 10 minutes.  Stir in the vinegar, check the seasonings, serve hot or warm.

Protips: Garlic burns easily so you want to cook it for only a minute.

To remove thyme leaves from the stem, run your fingertips down the stem from top to bottom and the leaves will fall off.

 

spinach muffins

These muffins have 2 cups of spinach and Kiran begged for a third one!

From Jenn

Spinach Muffins

1 cup sliced ripe banana (about 2 small or one medium/large)

2 cups lightly packed spinach

3/4 cup milk (dairy or unsweetened plain nondairy)

1/4 cup honey or sugar

2 tablespoons melted and cooled butter OR neutral oil OR plain yogurt

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup rolled oats

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup flour

Mini chocolate chips, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and grease a muffin tin. 

2. Place all wet ingredients into a blender (not flour and chocolate chips). 

3. Blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowls as needed. You want the greens to be very finely blended in so the batter is green.

4. Pulse in the flour just to combine, or stir it in gently.

5. Pour batter into the prepared muffin tin, filling each cup about 3/4 cup full. Sprinkle with chocolate chips if using.

6. Bake for 15 minutes or until firm to the touch and lightly browned around the edges. (You can also check to see if a cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly.)

7. Remove from the oven and use a paring knife, if needed, to transfer to a wire rack to cool.

8. Serve slightly warm, at room temp, or chilled.

9. You can store the muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days and eat cold or slightly warmed. Or store in a zip top bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature.

Vegan Pad Kee Mao

We all really liked this recipe including the kids!! So I don't want to lose it.

Pad Kee Mao 'Drunken noodles'⁣⁣ adapted from an Instagram recipe by @woon.heng 🧡 
Ingredients (yields 2-3 servings)⁣⁣ ⁣(NOTE: DOUBLE this recipe for 5 of us including Zoey)
  
~ 1lb fresh flat rice noodles (separate noodles to loosen them up)⁣⁣⁣
~ 1/2 package sliced fried tofu or pan-fried firm tofu⁣⁣⁣~ 4 cups mixed vegetables, thinly sliced, such as: bell peppers, onions, carrots, Chinese broccoli, regular broccoli, etc. 
~ 3 shallots⁣⁣, minced
~ 3 cloves garlic⁣⁣
~ 2 cups packed Thai basil⁣⁣ (1/2 bunch)
~ 3 chopped chili⁣⁣⁣ (I left this out for kids)
~ 1 teaspoon chili flakes plus more for garnish⁣⁣ (I left this out for kids)
~ oil & salt to taste⁣⁣⁣
~ lime juice⁣⁣
⁣⁣⁣
🍃Sauce (whisk all in a bowl):⁣⁣⁣
~ 2 tablespoons soy sauce/tamari⁣⁣
~ 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce⁣⁣
~ 4 tablespoons sweet & sour sauce⁣ (I found this in a Chinese grocery store, it said it was a japanese dipping sauce)
~ dash of white pepper⁣⁣⁣

1. In a heated pan on high heat with 3 teaspoons of oil, saute vegetables until cooked through. Remove vegetables and set aside with the sliced tofu.

2. Add 3 more teaspoons oil to pan, sauté shallots & garlic until fragrant. Then, add in tofu and vegetables, rice noodles & sauce. Stir-fry continuously so noodles are all coated with sauce.⁣⁣
⁣⁣
3. Stir in Thai basil, chili, chili flakes (if using) and toss until well combined. Season to your preference & add splashes of water, if needed. Serve warm with some lime juice. ⁣⁣⁣

*If your rice noodles appear hard to separate: place noodles in a microwaveable bowl covered with damp paper towel & heat for 2 mins. This will help soften noodles.

the best banana bread

This one is it

https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/banana_bread/