recipe

Not gonna lie, Top Ramen was definitely a dietary staple during my college years. Back then, I used to think I was getting fancy if I sauteed a little diced onion and garlic to add to my broth. Ahhh, the more things change, the more they stay the same…

I was craving chicken noodle soup the other day, so I decided to try something with a little kick using some of the leftover roast chicken from the night before.  Enter my new grown-up ramen noodles recipe… which is tops indeed, if I do say so myself.

Queue the ingredients!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tbs sesame oil
• 3 tsp grated ginger
• 4 cloves crushed garlic
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 4 cups water
• 1 oz dried mushrooms
• 2 packages ramen noodles (I used gluten-free rice noodles)
• ½ cup chopped chives
• 1 cup chopped spinach
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• leftover roast chicken or other protein (optional)
• sriracha and soy sauce to taste
• panko crumbs

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat and stir fry garlic and ginger for 2-3 minutes
2. Add chicken stock and water, and bring to a boil
3. Reduce heat, add dried mushrooms and simmer for 10 minutes
4. In the mean time, toss panko bread crumbs with sesame oil and toast in the oven for 5 minutes at 350 degrees
5. Add noodles, protein and vegetables to the broth and simmer for 5-10 minutes
6. Add sriracha and soy sauce to season
7. Spoon into bowls and top with panko crumbs before serving

And here’s the 15-second video recap for those of you who are more visually inclined!

I did this post mainly to show off the adorable new apron and oven mitt that I picked up on sale at Anthropologie… but I gotta admit the pasta’s pretty darned tasty too.  The best part is that you can just throw everything into a single pot and have something truly delicious emerge just 10 minutes later.  Try it out and let me know what you think!

Ingredients

• 10 oz. linguini
• 2 handfuls of grape tomatoes
• 1/3 of a large vidalia onion, sliced
• 3-4 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
• fresh basil leaves, torn
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked red pepper flakes
• kosher salt, to taste
• 1 handful of grated parmesan cheese
• Extra virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Place the pasta in a pot.
2. Slice tomatoes in half and drop in the pot, along with your onions, garlic, basil, red pepper and kosher salt.
3. Cover with 4 cups of water and bring to a boil
4. Cook pasta until al dente, about 7 minutes or so.  Be careful not to overcook, or you’re pasta will come out mushy.
5. Drain pasta, and toss with parmesan cheese and a litle olive oil.
6. Add salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and parsley before serving.

I’ve served this dish with some leftover meatballs for a hearty weeknight dinner, but next time I may try dropping in a few shrimp for a true one pot pasta meal.

Bon Appétit!

One of my goals for 2014 is to cook more, and so far I’ve managed to stay the course.  But I’ve found it’s quite easy to get stuck in a side dish rut.  Potatoes are my absolute favorite food group, so I decided to branch out from my usual mashed or oven fried variety.  The lemon, garlic (and parmesan!) give these potatoes a delicious flavor. I’ve served these to guests twice now, and they’re always a smash (pun intended)!

Try them out for yourself, and let me know what you think.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds baby yukon gold potatoes
• 3 cups chicken stock
• Zest of 1 lemon cut into long strips
• 2 cloves garlic
• Extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Place potatoes in a medium pot with chicken stock, lemon zest and garlic. Bring to a boil, cover and cook for 8 minutes.
3. Drain potatoes, and set the lemon zest aside.
4. Resist the temptation to slurp down the delicious lemon and garlic infused broth… or not.
5. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil and coat generously with olive oil Oil. Use the base of a small saucepan or a large cup to gently flatten each potato. This step goes a lot more smoothly the softer your potatoes are at this point.
6. Arrange the smashed potatoes on the oven tray with the reserved lemon zest and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for ~40 minutes, or until the potatoes are crispy and golden brown.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and parsley before serving.

I’ve served this dish with a simple roast chicken and my to-die-for chicken parm meatballs, but you could really pair them with any main dish… or just eat a big ‘ol plate of potatoes on their own.

Bon Appétit!