Stir Fried Greens with Crispy, Spicy Rice Noodles

We recently returned from 10 glorious, 87 degree days in Miami to the brutally stark contrast of 7” of snow and no food in the house. My immediate thought was of course our serious food shortage situation. So before more snow fell I needed to get to the grocery store and stock up. My second thought was to ensure that I stocked up on greens. And that is all due to our eating patterns during this last trip. Normally when we are in Miami we eat fairly lean. Lots of salads, fresh cut fruit and lighter fare. But this trip was indulgence, and more. More of everything and anything, including sun. So my NY shop was going to be all about getting back us back on track. I filled my cart with lots of produce to make soups and sautéd veggies. And I was on a good track except that as I was looking for true buckwheat noodles, meaning no wheat, just buckwheat a lady placed a package of rice noodles back on the shelf. What else could I do but grab them? Now with my shopping cart busting, and some noodles to make me smile, I went home. (Notice that I didn’t have a third thought of how cold it was. I was betting on the “let’s not focus on the mound of snow” attitude.)

First, I made two different soups which we slurped up for 2 days. But I really didn’t feel like slurping anymore and needed to chew on something, and not just drink my meals. As I stared down at all those greens stir fry was the immediate light bulb. And even though there was snow on the ground, I ventured out to the shed to get our plancha* as thoughts of stir fried noodles and veggies floated in my head and made my tummy gurgle.

*plancha = flat metal grilling surface or pan

A girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. Serious commitment to cooking.

I was fully aware that I was getting a jump start on dinner by cooking at 11am. So I resigned to the idea of eating this dish for lunchtime and making enough to share with ‘others’ (my hubby and sister) so they could enjoy at dinner time.

Here’s what I pulled out of the fridge.

A bounty of greens

Scallions, Cilantro, Swiss Chard, Carrot, Onion, Baby Kale, Baby Bok Choy.

First things first. You should know the drill by now. MISE EN PLACE, people. Cut it all up and ready it for stir frying. I grabbed just handful of each. This is stir fry so you can add as much of each as you like. Amounts are of no consequence here. Let me say that again. Amounts DO NOT matter. Use what you like or what you have.

Now that is a beautiful board full of chopped up veggies.

Look at the vibrancy of that chard!

I’m not usually a big fan of bok choy, but this fresh and tender and tossed with noodles, that’s another story.

Before I tackled stir frying the veggies, I cooked my rice noodles and set them aside. Then on my plancha, I added olive oil and two veggies at a time. I cooked each one separately to keep their integrity. Plus I wanted this dish to have the same feel and eating style as you often see in a big bowl of Asian soup. You know the kinds where all the toppings are sectioned off on the top of the soup and you stir them in as you wish.

I gathered my mise en place board of nutrients, and readied them up next to the plancha for easy grabbing. I only seasoned the veggies with salt, pepper and drizzle of sesame oil as each one cooked, then plated them onto a large platter before enhancing the noodles that were standing by.

The real seasonings was going on the noodles.

The rice noodles I just had to grab. I love me some noodles.

It fits perfectly over two burners. I love this plancha.

Bok Choy and onions getting stirred with love.

A good shot of vitamin A, vitamin K and vitamin B

Once everything was stirred with love I got a slurry of spiced sauces ready. In a cup I mixed a tablespoon of red curry paste, a heaping tablespoon of Thai chili paste, half tablespoon of chili oil and 1/2 cup of olive oil, and a tad of sesame oil. I didn’t actually use all of it. You can use as much or as little heat as you desire.

Having left the scallions on the plancha, I dumped my cooked rice noodles onto the grill and drizzled the slurry on top, then let it cook away until some parts got crispy. I added in the cilantro, then I cut some more and added it to the top.

Done and done. I couldn’t stop eating this. I think I ate too much. So much for eating light again. Sure there were greens, but in order to truly accomplish the lean eating I would have needed to swap the noodle to veggie ratio a bit. Something I recommend you do if you don’t want to rice noodle your way into a carb coma… like I pleasantly did. What can I say, I love noodles.

Something from Nothing Asian Style Noodle Soup

I'm sure you are thinking, "hot soup in the summer?"  But as Charles Grodin's character in the movie Midnight Run so famously proclaimed, " What the hell? What the hell?"  I, too, ask the same.  

Global Warming
Climate Change
Mother Nature Screwing Around

Title it however your heart desires, but the weather is playing havoc with my normal summer cooking patterns. One week it's so hot that the act of eating food is almost a chore, let alone preparing it.  The next week is rainy, chilly and desperately screaming out for warm soup to thaw the soul.  Lucky thing for me I had some items that produced the perfect remedy for the fickle temperature swings occurring in my zip code.  Come to think of it, there are plenty of food items that can go from cold to warm food preparations with just a few adjustments.  

If you are still in a time zone that offers true summer weather, God bless, and just push the pause button on this post and save it for a rainy day in your area code.  Or you can make this as directed then let the soup come to room temperature and add a peanut sauce, for a cold noodle dish. Versatility is the name of this game and the items I purchase and keep stocked in my house better know that going in... Otherwise they are OUT.

Embarking on a food adventure to remove the chill from a rainy Monday put the something from nothing mantra to the test.  I started out knowing I wanted to make soup. That usually cures any of my belly aching about the cold. I knew for sure I had:

If you don't have these curly garlic scapes, garlic will do just fine.

• Onions & Shallot (ever in abundance in my house)

• Garlic scapes** (bought them at the farmer's market because they are only in season for about 2 weeks)

• Ginger (because I've been making ginger mint tea to heal myself from sinusitis)

• Rice Noodles (another staple in my pantry)

Thinly slice the garlic scapes. I like the diagonal, as it gives more surface area when sautéing. Also, cut off the end of the garlic scape and toss out, as this part, much like that of an asparagus, can be tough.

I combined a tad of sesame oil and olive oil and salt to soften up the aromatics.

After I diced up, chopped and sliced up the aromatics (onion, shallot, ginger slices and garlic scapes), they all went into a pot to sauté with some sesame and olive oil. Whilst that was happening, I soaked the rice noodles.  

Rice noodles are easy. Just soak in hot water for 5-10 minutes, then add to boiling water or soup.

As with any something from nothing escapade, I continue to think and build on an idea as I go. So while those were doing their thing, I starting rummaging through my fridge. Next set of items found and destined to be added:

• Jalapeño pepper

• Scallions

• Curly Kale

After all those went into the pot with some water, salt and tumeric, I tasted it and felt it needed a bit more flavor.  I decided to grate some of the items already present in the pot.  (Cilantro would be a great addition but I was happy with just the kale.)

Grating can really intensify the flavor, so garlic scapes, ginger and even the onion got the rasping treatment.   Flavor essence enhanced and into the soup.  Then in went the noodles and just like that I had Asian Style Noodle soup.  

As I mentioned, you can certainly enjoy this one hot, as I did.  Any protein could be added to this. Think grilled shrimp, or chicken or steak even.  But if it's not cold where you are and these flavors are calling out your name, add some peanut sauce and enjoy a cold noodle dish.  This hot, steamy pot did more than just shoo the chills away, it soothed my soul.

Something from nothing is just that darn easy.  

**Garlic scapes you ask?  I am drawn to produce that looks different from the usual fair.  So it should come as no shocker that I would grab these curly, wiry thangs.   Garlic scapes are the actual flower bud of the garlic plant.  They are only in season a short while in late June when the bud is removed to encourage the bulbs to thicken up.  Scapes taste just like garlic, but I feel they are a bit milder. 

Hail to the Kale, Caesar

Kale Caesar Salad

Kale is so very popular that you just want to say, 'Really, do you need to hog the whole stage from other leafy greens?  How much attention does one vegetable need?'  Apparently ALL.  You'd think it was the long lost Kardashian sister, Khail. That said, it is a nice little leaf that does offer what it promises.  As do I. Which is why I am posting this salad.  A few of you asked me to recreate the Kale Caesar Salad that was shown in my review post of Copper 29 Bar.  I, much like kale, like to deliver.  

But before we get down to the nuts and bolts of ingredients and instructions, let's examine the deeper qualities of this bold veg from the cabbage family and see why kale has gained so much fame of late.  First, it is the most nutrient dense leafy gem of all.  Packing Vitamins A, K, C, B6, B1, B2, B3, Manganese, Calcium, Copper, Potassium, Magnesium, Iron and Phosphorus plus it contains powerful antioxidants. It makes a ton of other boostful claims like lowering your cholesterol and fighting cancer. Well, who doesn't love that?!  It's low in calories, low in carbs and good on protein. Gosh damn, what a show off. I guess I can stop being critical and admit it has every right to hog the stage.  Can't say that about many others these days.

Few but mighty ingredients

In the past I have used kale in a few different dishes.  I've made kale chips. I've sautéed it. I've made soup with it. I've added it raw to my Spicy Crunch Slaw.  I even experimented with it many years ago before Kale was all the rage.  I'll post that recipe shortly but for now we will concentrate on hailing to Caesar featuring Kale.  In the version from Copper 29, they added radicchio. Alas, my market didn't have any that looked nice enough to grace this salad, so no go on the radicchio. I used romaine instead. (Not because I thought that was an equal substitute but because I had extra in the house.  Use what you got.)  Their version also used a true Caesar dressing, and you can too.  But I don't eat eggs and wanted to come up with a creamy version that eliminated the raw egg.  I think I hit the mark on creaminess and then some.  

Ingredients

(Makes 6-8 side servings or 4 main)

3 c red kale, finely chopped
3 c green kale, finely chopped
5 c romaine lettuce, chopped
2 T shallots, fine dice
2 T pumpkin seeds, roasted
2 T sunflower seeds
Shards of parm (the amount you desire)
Pear, optional

Instructions

First things first, remove the ribs from the kale leaves.  These are way too hard to eat raw.   Then chop the kale leaves and lettuce in small pieces.  I feel that this is an important step when using hearty kale.  If you leave the pieces too large, they can be a bit rough and tough and slightly unmanageable to deal with... Much like a Kardashian.  So take the time and chop them fine.  Small dice the shallots and shave the Parmesan cheese, setting it aside.  Put all your greens and shallots in your bowl our choice, as it awaits its creamy coating.

Get rid of the ribs.

See, nice small and manageable pieces.

Now it's time to make the dressing.  Remember, if you like traditional Caesar dressing, by all means, knock yourself out.  Below is my interpretation for those who also want to eliminate the raw egg.

The line up for my version of a creamy 'faux Caesar' dressing. (The chives aren't pictured here because I decided to add them after I took the photo. That is truly how the something from nothing style of cooking works. Add as you go.

Dressing

2/3 c Buttermilk
1/2 c Greek yogurt
1 T chives
1 T parsley, chopped
1/2 heaping tsp garlic, crushed  
1/2 t Mustard
2-3 T Parmesan cheese, grated
/2 t lemon zest
1 T lemon juice
1/2 full tsp salt
1/4 t pepper

Then combine all the above ingredients, whisking until smooth.  Easy, peasy.

Don't forget to add the grated parm. This harkens back to the Caesar taste.

Usually, I don't dress my salad until right before serving.  However, due to the heartiness of the leaf, I consider this salad to be more like a slaw which really demands time to let the dressing soak in.  Lovingly pour it over the salad a 1/2 hour before serving, but hold off on adding the shards of parm until right before serving.  Try not to eat too many while you wait.  If you do, just shave some more.

Now here's the part that rockets this recipe to the stars.  Copper 29 served their salad with croutons that were more like heavenly toasts.  Here's my version of those bad boys. 

Ingredients

4-6 thick slices of good crusty bread
3 T butter, room temp softened
1 T Bourbon
1 t Crushed garlic
Sea salt

In a bowl, mash together garlic, butter and bourbon.  Slather the mixture on both sides of the bread slices.

 Sprinkle with sea salt and grill both sides til beautifully browned.  I use a cast iron pan which does the trick.

Oh the sheer crispy, crustiness soaked with warm bourbon butter. Hello, can you say 3 slices is not enough!

Sure this bread has butter AND bourbon, but given Kale's super power properties I think it negates any adverse effects from this mighty 'crouton'. 

So enjoy it all, down to the last crumb, as did my guests.  All in all, I was pleased with how this salad turned out.  I think you will enjoy it too.  Thank goodness we can all Hail the Kale without there being a social media scandal.

Recipe Printable Version

Copper 29 - Bar Bites & More

As is our tradition for our anniversary, we head to Miami at the end of October each year to celebrate. This past October was no different. In years past, we have hosted little gatherings at our apartment there, but with so many dear friends to visit, it’s sometimes easier to gather at a bar or restaurant to catch up.  With the proliferation of so many cool, happening hangouts cropping up all over Miami the question was where do we go.

For this night out we wanted to keep it centrally located for all parties by staying in Coral Gables.  The Gables is an old historic area of Miami known for its Mediterranean Revival style architecture with streets lined by the famous banyan trees. It's home to such landmarks as the Venetian Pool and the Biltmore Hotel, along with the popular and most noted street; Miracle Mile. And that was exactly where we were headed to try out Copper 29 Bar recommended my our friend, Stephanie.  This Coral Gables bar is reviving the idea of the perfect cocktail. Using the art of mixology paired with bar bites to create a relaxed atmosphere of food and drink, which was what we were looking for.

Stephanie ready to eat, drink and be merry.

Especially, given that we hadn’t seen each other in awhile, and our goal was to chat and catch up with each other’s lives. However, that was not quite what we got. Well, at least not on a Friday night.  Don't get me wrong, it's not because the place wasn't cool.  It was cool with an interesting mix of decor including an entire wall of plant life.

But when we opened the door, the music was pumping and the place was jamming and we thought we might not hear each other breathe.  

Silly of us to think that a relatively new hangout on a Friday night would be a quiet place to chill. We were told that the owner recently decided to make Friday nights a Happy Hour with DJ music pumping.  That said, the music mix was a fantastic groove, prefect for dancing and keeping it interesting for a proper happy hour.  If we hadn’t wanted to talk this would have been an ideal spot. And on any other night there, we could have done that.  However, Friday’s are made for letting go after a long week of work.  So we stuck it out because the vibe was happening, the atmosphere interesting and the menu looked promising. (Spoiler Alert:  We were all glad we did!)

Some of us started off with Moscow Mules served in cool copper mugs which keep the drinks nice and chilled. If you enjoy a spicy drink, this one delivers. The ginger beer brings that bite while the mint is refreshing and surprisingly light.  

The rest of our group ordered Martinis and Old Fashioned and they were like a good ole fashion should be…good.

From there, we began ordering a dish at a time, each as good as the last.

Martini, dry, shaken with olives

Good Old Fashioned... good

Jalapeño Corn & Cheese Biscuits

These are decadent balls for yum.  Crispy exterior, doughy middle with whole pieces of corn throughout served with a Bourbon Honey Syrup that has even your biscuit begging you to dip for more.  I loved watching everyone's expression as they popped these in their mouths.  

Eyes wide and then the expressive smile that gleamed; 'what did I just eat and is there enough for everyone else?'.   Only wish there was a bit more jalapeño in these biscuits.  The Bourbon Honey Syrup provided enough sweet that they could have used a bit more heat…  at least for my, and everyone at the table’s taste.  Even with that slight spice suggestion, we would order this again in a heartbeat.

Glistening with honey wonder.

Tuna Tartare

Classical and good balance.  Slight hint of heat that was a nice play off the creaminess of the avocado.  Served with chips for scooping and enjoying each bite.  Well done.

Kale Salad

We’ve all eaten tons of kale salad.  The key is the cut of the kale. The chop on this one rendered the kale tender, and manageable to eat.  The Caesar dressing was creamy but not overbearing and softened the salad just the right amount.  The Parmesan cheese in nice big shards added the salty sharpness we all want. Then there was the addition of radicchio and sunflower seeds that were subtle while still imparting an effective crunch and earthiness. And last but seriously not least; the croutons, which were more like lightly grilled garlic toasts.  Much better than the average crouton who would be ashamed to show up in a salad against this king of crouton. Would you guess that everyone thoroughly enjoyed this salad?  Good guess.

Mac n Cheese

Creamy with lovely Fontina and a deep truffle flavor that perfumed the entire dish.  Sprinkled with bread crumbs and pancetta, this is a dish worth the calories on a Friday night.  And with the music playing,  there is no need for guilt since you can get up and dance some of those calories away.

Looking dark and sultry, this mac n cheese was just that.

Short Rib Sliders

Oh the juxtaposition of these pretty, almost dainty little sandwiches that deliver a fun rollercoaster ride of flavor.  The short ribs were tender and juicy, layered on top of the surprising and interesting addition of polenta.   Caramelized onions sweetened the pot while the alioli had a horseradish note that provided the right kick. Needless to say, these were devoured by our group.

Key Lime Pie in a Jar

Tart and Tangy and Luscious.  Topped with grapefruit that was a surprising, refreshing touch, this dessert was right on point.  Team vote:  Approved. Team goal:  Polish this off.  Goal: Accomplished.

Oreo Cookie pie in a jar

This dessert was decidedly too sweet for my palette and everyone in our group but for those with a true sweet tooth it might just hit the mark.

Music getting our table moving in our seats.

A very cool vibe, as if you were hanging out in your own cozy, stylish lounge.

Overall, the joint was jamming.  A great spot for a Friday night Happy Hour if you want to move to the groove of hip swaying music, enjoy good drinks and upscale bar eats.  If you want to chat and have a quieter evening, I would highly recommend coming on a weeknight to work your way through the menu and have the mixologist blend you up some cocktails.

The food, good service and overall vibe are definitely worth the trip.  So with winter still brewing here in the Northeast, this might just be the right time to head south for more reasons than just the sun. 

Cooper29 is located at 206 Miracle Mile, Miami FL / 786.580.4689

Kale, Potato, Lentil, Cauliflower... Everything but the Kitchen Sink Soup

This is a little story of what happens when I decide to pull everything out of my refrigerator and start cooking.  Yesterday was just such a day, as the chill of autumn has descended upon us, I thought I would make soup.  Since I had cauliflower I was figuring on making my old standby (and very first blog post) Faux Creamy Cauliflower Soup.  Alas, and I will say thankfully,  I opted to go back to my roots of not repeating recipes too often but instead exploring new territories.  

As I've said before, when I go shopping I buy what looks fresh without necessarily having a plan for how to cook them. Such was the case during last week's shop.  As I took these ingredients out and placed them on my board, my first thought was to make separate dishes with each.

Here's what I found: Cauliflower, Kale, French Lentils, Fingerling Potatoes, Red Onion and Garlic

And because the original plan was individual dishes and use the cauliflower for soup, that soup idea grabbed a hold of me and wouldn't let go.  It was just then when the it dawned on me that EVERYTHING I had could indeed be SOUP. Now here's the triple play of culinary delights:  
I didn't have to make separate dishes.
I was still sticking to my original idea of soup.
Plus the big bonus of throwing it all together...  ONE POT!

I had to think this one through to make sure that I cooked this one in the correct stages without having to switch pots.  Also fair warning for this recipe, I won't be giving amounts as this one really harkens back to my something from nothing style.  Use what you have in the quantities you have.

ingredients

Cauliflower
Kale (chopped)
French Lentils
Fingerling Potatoes (cut in bite size pieces)
Red onion (cut in small pieces)
Garlic
Magic 3 (Oil, Salt, Pepper)

Instructions

I started out as if I were making the cauliflower soup (click on the link for recipe reference) but cut the onions small since these were not going to be blended up but in fact be a supporting player in the soup.

When the cauliflower was about cooked about ¾ done, I added the potatoes pieces and lentils. 

Once everything was tender, I pulled out about half of the cauliflower because I didn’t think the soup needed that much cauliflower.  I figured I would blend up the removed portion and still have faux creamy cauliflower soup.   Then I realized that adding some of that back into this soup would add thickness and richness. (But by that time I ate some I only had about 2/3 cup to add to the main soup. Add as much or as little as you want to achieve a 'creaminess' level of your liking.)

 I then added the kale, checked for seasoning and turned the heat off.  The soup is warm enough at this point to wilt the kale.

This came out hearty and earthy and a really lovely blend of a handful of odd and ends from my fridge.  So, let’s recap.  You can follow this recipe as I stated.  Or you can look through your kitchen and create a soup out of what you have.  Here are some ideas for replacement options for the ones I used.

other potential leading characters

Kale = spinach, escarole, mustard greens
Cauliflower =  broccoli, cabbage
Potato = sweet potato, turnip, yucca
Lentil =  chick peas, cannellini beans

Well, you get the idea.  Try my version or play around with any of the above suggestions to make your own version of the “Everything but the Kitchen Sink Soup”.  Falling into the crispness of this season isn’t so bad when you can be warmed by a soup like this.  

Footnote:  As you can see this made a nice big pot of soup which left enough for the next day.  I made jasmine rice and added it to the day old soup.  Yup, it made it even yummier.