Another Asian Delight, Please!

Apparently I'm a little obsessed with Asian food. I mean, it's not anything I didn't actually know before--given the option of where to go out to eat, I'm likely to list four Asian cuisines out of five cuisine choices. But I've noticed that I also like to cook Asian-inspired treats as well, as evidenced by the fact that I made the Pad Thai recipe below twice in the same week...

This recipe is pieced together from many places: Various internet recipes, reading the ingredients on the ready-made stuff at the store, my own random additions. It has one solidifying piece though--everyone I make this for really likes it. It may seem complicated but it really is just that it's a multi-step process. Making pad thai yourself will require a trip to the Asian specialty grocer as many of the ingredients can be more easily (and cheaply) sourced there. One thing to note, if you can only find tamarind in a large package at the Asian grocer you can buy a jar of the pre-made "Pad Thai Sauce" on the same aisle and jazz it up by adding more chili paste.

I've included pictures from both of the weeks preparations. The first, a quiet dinner with family, the second, feeding many hungry mouths on girl's night.

Pad Thai
--1 package rice noodles (these will be marked "pad thai" or "banh pho")
--peanut oil (olive oil will work as a substitute)
--garlic, minced
--shallots, minced
--brick extra firm tofu, drained and cubed
--1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into smaller strips
--pad thai sauce (recipe for this below)
--1 egg
--20 medium or large uncooked de-veined shrimp, tails on
--green onions, sliced into 1/4" thick rounds
--bean sprouts, washed and drained
--1/4 cup unsalted dry-roast peanuts (found on the bulk foods aisle of most grocers)
--fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
--limes, quartered

Pad Thai Sauce:
--1/4 cup fish sauce
--1/4 cup tamarind sauce (instructions below)
--2 TBSP brown sugar
--chili paste, to taste (I use the chili and garlic sauce made by the Sriracha folks)

Prepping the Tamarind:
Tamarind comes in either paste or pulp form, either of which will need to be soaked in hot water first. If you're using tamarind paste, start with a spoonful mixed into 1/4 cup of hot water. If you are using pulp, for every one tablespoon of pulp use 1/3 cup boiling water.

Making the Sauce:
Mix all the ingredients together, stirring well until the sugar dissolves. If you need to add a little heat to do this you can make the sauce in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often. I recommend making the sauce while the noodles are soaking and the chicken is cooking and then setting the sauce aside for later. If you like you can make the sauce the day or morning before and stick it in the refrigerator until you're ready for it.

Making the Pad Thai:
Soak the noodles in tepid tap-water for 10 minutes. Don't let them get soggy! It's better to under-soak the noodles and add some water to the pan later than to have ooey-gooey noodles.

In a large skillet with deep sides, add enough oil to evenly coat the bottom of the pan and heat on high. Cook the garlic and shallots for a few minutes (I also like to toast a few peanuts with them). Add the tofu chunks and sear on each side until golden. Add the chicken pieces and cook until cooked all the way through, stirring regularly so nothing scorches. If things seem to be cooking too fast or to hot, reduce the heat to medium-high.

Add the soaked noodles and toss into the mixture like a salad so you don't break them.  Add the sauce, pouring it evenly over the pan to minimize the need for stirring.  In the center of the pan, make room for the egg. Crack the egg into the pan and scramble it before mixing it up into the rest of the meal.

Add the shrimp and stir gently. (Shrimp will cook quickly from the heat of all the items in the pan so it need not make its way to the bottom of the pan). Add 1/2 of the bean sprouts, most of the peanuts (if you didn't roast most of 'em from the start), and sliced green onions and stir to combine.

Plate it up! Top with remaining sprouts, peanuts, cilantro, and limes.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 1 to 1-1/2 hours
Serves: 6
Calories: 471

The Happiest of Happy Hours

Dairy and I don't get along so well. She's like a bossy older sister whom you love and respect but often want to smack upside the head. I love cheese (mmm triple creams) and ice cream and butter (c'mon, from southern roots, whatdaya want?) but these things don't love me anymore. I avoid them when I can but sneak them into my diet when cravings strike or when these items just sound too good to pass up.

But goat cheese? Goat cheese is like the boyfriend who doesn't just bring you flowers, but plants a garden in your honor. Goat cheese never makes me sick and with its lovely creamy texture I sometimes want to eat it by the fork-full.

Today's recipe was inspired by a recent office happy hour where I was delighted to find something that I could eat sandwiched between the usual bar menus of fried cheese and, uh, fried cheese.

Spinach Mushroom Goat Cheese Quesadillas
--1 tbsp olive oil
--small onion, diced
--garlic, diced
--1 bell pepper, seeds removed and sliced or diced (your choice on the color)

--10 oz package of mushrooms, sliced (I cheated and bought pre-sliced for convenience)

--3-4 cups fresh baby spinach, washed and drained (again, I'm a cheater and bought the pre-washed 6oz bag for ease)
--salt and pepper to taste

--4 oz log of goat cheese, sliced into rounds
--4 sun dried tomato tortillas

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large deep-sided skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute a few minutes. Add the bell pepper and cook until the pepper pieces are softened but still firm. Add the mushrooms and cook down until the mushrooms are softened but not mushy.Add the spinach, working in batches and stirring so that the wilted spinach moves to the top and the new fresh spinach is closer to the fire to be wilted.

Brush the tortillas with the tiniest bit of olive oil or spray lighting with cooking spray. Place one tortilla oiled side down on a baking sheet. Add and spread some of the mushroom mix. Top the mix with 1/2 of the goat cheese rounds. Cover with the second tortilla. Repeat this process for the second quesadilla.

Place the quesadillas in the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the top tortilla begins to brown but is not burned. Flip the quesadillas over and cook another 7 or so minutes until the other tortilla begins to crisp and get golden. Remove from the oven, slice up and eat!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...

Time:

Serves: 4 (makes 2 quesadillas)

Calories: 359 per serving (718 per quesadilla)

A Recipe From Dad

I grew up surrounded by food. Both of my parents are really good cooks who enjoy cooking. Neither one of them is a gourmet (but then, neither am I) but they taught me the importance of food. Growing up I learned that food was a source of community and one of the best ways to bring people together. And somehow nothing brings people together like eating a meal with your hands. There's just something about getting messy together that makes you feel like you really get someone.

I remember as a kid I'd get really excited when Dad said he was going to cook that night. His favorite medium: beef. My father is fond of making beef bourguignon, steaks, stir fry. But most importantly, my dad makes really awesome tacos.

They're likely not the healthiest item you'll find here at Bacon & Other Bad Habits, but they taste good, are super simple, and kids and picky eaters will like 'em.

Daddy's Tacos
--1 lb. lean ground beef (or buffalo for less grease/fat)
--cumin
--garlic powder
--onion powder
--cilantro
--garlic, minced
--1 small onion, chopped
--1 tsp. or so fresh ginger, minced
--1/2 jar of medium salsa
--1/2 jar of mild salsa
--8 taco shells
--taco toppings (lettuce, tomato, cheese)

In a large skillet, over medium heat, brown the beef. As the beef cooks, season it with cumin, onion and garlic powders, and cilantro. Add in the onion, garlic, and fresh ginger and use the grease from the cooking beef to cook the onion mixture to translucency.

Once the beef is fully cooked, drain off the excess grease and place the pan back on the stove. Add the salsas and stir well to combine. Heat for a few minutes until the salsa is warmed and some of the liquid cooks down. Serve!

**Dad's trick: Put the cheese in the bottom of the taco shell and then the hot meat on top. When you bite into the tacos the cheese will be gooey and melted.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 20 minutes
Serves: 8 tacos
Calories: 538 per taco (includes 1 oz of shredded cheese)

Show Your Summer Head Cold No Mercy

photo courtesy of Kokoro Photography

I realize it's officially summer now, but unfortunately some of us are plagued by a typically winter infection, the most dreaded of all illnesses--the summer cold! The dastardly summer cold sneaks its way into the most active and unwilling of hosts, bringing the poor soul to his or her tanned knees.

Let's face it: colds always suck. But in the summer?  Colds suck MORE.

My best friend is a dynamic girl-on-the go, spending her summers chasing brides around with a camera. Recently, she fell victim to the terrible summer cold and so, like any good best friend, I whipped up a pot of soup because my Mama taught me that soup fixes almost anything, including a cold.  But in hot hot heat of June, classic chicken noodle soup is a bit too hellish to endure (though tasty, we know).  

Cue this recipe, which is lighter in flavor and consistency than it's noodle-y cousin and is chock full of veggies to soothe that runny nose and sore throat without over-heating the poor sicky. It's also heavy on the garlic; garlic has been used by many cultures for centuries to help kick colds and other bugs. I have a friend who (force?) feeds her children sauteed garlic cloves at the first sign of any cold or flu-like symptom.  Added bonus: Garlic tastes good, even when you're sick, as its strong flavor still comes through all the snot...

Summer Cold Chicken Soup
--TBSP olive oil

--4 whole carrots, scrubbed and sliced into thin rounds

--5 whole cloves garlic, sheared into thin slices

--1 shallot, sheared into thin slices--1 leek stalk, sliced into thin rounds

--3 cups chicken broth

--1/2 rotisserie chicken, shredded

--1 cup water

--salt and pepper

--1 bunch of spinach, thoroughly washed and leaves separated

--garlic powder

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Saute the carrots, garlic, and shallots for a few minutes, until the carrots begin to soften. Add the leeks and cook until the carrots are tender.

While the vegetables cook down, in a large stock pot or dutch oven heat the chicken broth over high heat. Bring it to a rolling boil before added the shredded chicken pieces and the water. Turn down to simmer and add the carrot/leek mixture and add salt and pepper to taste, stirring all together to combine.

Simmer the soup pot for 15 minutes before adding the spinach and some garlic powder. How much garlic powder you add will depend completely upon your personal preferences and how much you can taste through the yucky mucus.  Simmer another 5 minutes--just enough for the spinach to get wilted but not get too soggy--and eat it up.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4
Calories: 336

Are You Going To Scarborough Fair?

So there I am, standing in a strange kitchen staring at what I have. I have chicken. I have tomatoes. I have decided to roast them but haven't planned any farther.  Since I'm housesitting I open the spice cabinet to see what else might be at my disposal. And there they were, the four musical spices...

If you're planning to take a trip to Scarborough Fair any time soon (or you just happen to like Simon & Garfunkel) the mention of parsley or sage or rosemary or thyme always makes me hum the tune. And I've used each of these glorious spices (dried and fresh) to make many meals have that extra oomph. But how would all these herbal powerhouses taste together?

Really, really good as it turned out.

Roasted Chicken & Romas

--1 cup brown rice

--1/4 cup vegetable broth

--8 roma tomatoes

--4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (any additional visible fat removed)
--2 TBSP olive oil

--parsley

--sage

--rosemary

--thyme

--salt and pepper

Cook rice according to package directions, substituting 1/4 cup of the water with vegetable broth.

Core the tomatoes and cut a small X in the bottom of each tomato.  Place the tomatoes and the chicken in an oven-safe dish and coat with the olive oil. Season tomatoes and chicken breasts with the spices.  Cover the dish with aluminum foil and roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Serve each piece of chicken over the brown rice with two roasted tomatoes. Remove the tomato skin if desired.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 55 minutes
Serves:4
Calories: 485

Poached Pasta Perfection

This recipe is one of my favorites for go-to grub! It's quick and easy and contains many ingredients that almost always live in my pantry. I like that I can make it for one or two (or seven if need be) and can easily add meat or other fresh veggies depending upon what I have on hand.

Poaching traditionally involves placing an egg into steadily simmering water (sometimes with a little vinegar to help the egg keep its shape). In today's recipe we will instead poach the eggs in the simmering tomato sauce. Mmmmmmm....

Poached Eggs Pasta with Tomato Tarragon Sauce
--4 oz. dry spaghetti
--TBSP olive oil
--small yellow or white onion, diced
--garlic, minced
--crushed red pepper
--small zucchini, either quartered or thinly sliced
--black pepper
--14.5 oz. can of crushed or diced tomatoes
--tarragon
--1/4 tsp sugar
--2 eggs

Cook pasta (I don't use salt or oil in mine so the calorie counts below will reflect this).

While pasta cooks, heat oil in a large deep-sided skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic, and crushed red pepper and cook 2-ish minutes before adding the zucchini and black pepper (to taste). Cook until vegetables are tender.

Add the tomatoes and sugar and tarragon and stir well to combine. Continue to heat over medium heat, allowing tomato sauce to warm. Eggs are best poached at about 160 degrees--you can measure with a thermometer if you like, but bringing the sauce to a nice medium simmer should suffice.

Once the sauce is heated to a constant temperature, scoot the veggies around to make little spaces for the egg. Make sure to keep some sauce on the bottom of the pan so the egg doesn't stick to it.  Crack the egg into a cup (to ensure it isn't bad) and then pour the egg into the pan. After 3 minutes the bottom of the egg white should be cooked. You can flip the egg if you need to and cook another 2 minutes, or cover the pan for 1 minute to let the heat encapsulate the egg. Serve immediately!

Perfectly poached eggs should be runny in the middle but with warm yolks and encased in a fully cooked fluffy egg white cave.

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2
Calories: 308 per serving

One Hot Mess Of Veggies

As I said earlier this week, making salads can be a lot like making soup or pastas--you can throw together just about anything that tastes good!  There's pasta salad, and fruit salad, and a bevy of options when it comes to any greens-based salad. But I have to admit that even I hadn't thought of mixing in roasted vegetables until I ate a salad at a restaurant called the The Oven.

Their delightful mix of seasonal vegetables on organic greens inspired me to make my own roasted vegetable salad, with some of my favorite additions to add color, texture, and flavor. This salad is hearty enough to be served as it's own meal, but is also a great addition as a side dish as I learned when I made it for a family gathering featuring BBQ pulled pork...

Also, time is running out for our Operation Goodbye Gut contest. Be sure to email your recipe by Tuesday, June 15th to be entered to win our BIGS™prize packs!

Roasted Vegetable Salad
--Handful of raw almonds (about 50 or so)
--1 small onion, chopped
--1 medium zucchini, washed and sliced into thin slices
--1 head broccoli, stems removed and cut into florets
--1/2 bunch of kale, ribs removed and chopped or torn into pieces.
--2 TBSP olive oil
--salt & pepper
--6 medium strawberries, stems removed and sliced
--1 pear, cored and chopped into bite-sized pieces
--1 head of red leaf or romaine lettuce, torn into salad pieces

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place the almonds on a baking sheet and roast in the oven for 5 minutes, removing once to shake/turn them for even roasting. Once roasted, remove from oven and set aside.

Coat the onion, zucchini, broccoli, and kale with olive oil. An easy way of doing this is to place all the veggies into a plastic bag, pouring the olive oil over top, adding some salt and pepper, and shaking the heck out of it until the veggies are evenly coated.  Spread the veggies out on a cookie sheet and roast, turning once, until the vegetables are cooked and begin to crisp.

Once the vegetables are crispy, remove them from the oven.  Combine the lettuce, veggies, fruit, and almonds and serve!

Dammit Jim, I'm a cook, not a doctor...
Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 4 as a meal; more as a side dish
Calories: 235 per serving (as a meal)