Asian Shrimp Noodle--PHO

Problem:  

How to create a reasonably authentic Vietnamese Pho for Number 1 Son to make on his Alaskan salmon fishing expedition?

This picture below is of Mr. Artifact approving of the solution. And it must be good. 
He is wearing a Greek fisherman's cap! :)

Considerations:

Keeping in mind that boiling water on a boat is verboten and uber dangerous; knowing that fishermen don't have time, patience or stomach for rich foods that require retirement to the salon for brandy and cigars; understanding that nutrition, hydration and salt/electrolyte intake are essential for peak physical performance.

Viola!  I think I my be developing something that will work.

Mr. Artifact and I test drove this tonight, and it seemed "do-able", tasty and nutritious.  Of course, Mr. Artifact warned that if this resulted in his demise that he had not yet refilled the transmission fluid or oil on the Herbie, so no one should attempt to drive it in the event he expired.

Basics gathered: sauces, veg and noodles

Cut the veggies into smaller bite-sized piecs.

Important:  lime, garlic and the protein!

Main ingredients:

• about 12  raw or cooked shrimp (I prefer raw, cleaned and shelled--frozen section is great or catch them!)  You could substitute any meaty fish like salmon, or chicken or thinly sliced steak or pork.

• 6 oz mixed stir fry veg (broccoli, carrots, snow peas) from the refrigerator section.  You can get these fresh also, in which case you would chop up about 2 C total. . . or. . . go with a frozen mix of same variety.  (The grocery store fresh veg come bagged in 12 oz  packages.)  Make sure to chop into soup size pieces if they are large.

• 1 bundle Udon noodles (they come in a pack of 3 bundles)

• 4 C chicken broth (one of those big square boxed broths is about 4 C)

• 1 T peanut oil (or other clear vegetable oil)

• 1 t sesame oil

• 1 t chopped fresh garlic

• 1 T Korean hot sauce

• 2 T fish sauce

• 1 T soy sauce

• 1/2 t five spice mix

Garnish:

• 1/4 C chopped cilantro
• lime wedges
• 2 diced green onions on the diagonal
• (you could also add avocado!  I did not have any . . . alas!)

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Pre cooking tips: helpful and paranoid:

Getting ready for fishing or an extended picnic or just planning for the weekday? The noodles will last a week in your fridge once cooked.  YOU NEED TO DO THIS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.  Why not do it on shore?.  This makes cooking so much easier if you can just pull out a baggie of pre-cooked noodles.

Here is how to do it:  when you are on shore, cook the Udon noodles, drain, cool, and put into a baggie for use on the boat.  Noodles cook for 12-13 minutes in lightly salted water.  Drain, cool (run under cool water) and bag.

a useless picture of noodles boiling.

cooked and bagged noodles for the chippie who is on the ball.

• chop up cilantro, green onions and quarter the limes.  Put in baggie  (These will last about 4 days.)
• chop up veg and the garlic and put into baggie (a 3-4 day window)
• shrimps should be frozen before taking on board unless you get them fresh.  If fresh, eat or freeze within 24 hours.Thawed/fresh shrimp last about 24 hours.  .. don't fart around with raw meat.  Freeze if it will be longer.

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Process:

• heat peanut/veg oil and sesame oil in large saucepan/pot 

• Saute veggies and garlic for 2 minutes until veggies start to color more deeply

• Turn OFF heat and add hot sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, and five spice

• Add shrimp (if raw. . . if they are precooked, add when you add noodles)

• Add chicken broth

• Heat to a simmer/slow boil

• Add noodles (and shrimp if it is already cooked)

• Continue to simmer/boil 1 minute

• Take off stove. . .let set 2 minutes

• Ladle into big mugs (you might want some tongs to grab out the noodles)

• Add cilantro and green onions (if you have avocado slices, now is the time to add them)

• Serve with extra hot sauce

• Enjoy!

The finished pho with garnishes.  YUM

Stacey's Basic Lamb Stew

Stacey’s Basic Lamb Stew

1 lb (more OK!) lamb shoulder cut into ½  inch cubes

3 T flour

1½ t salt

½ t pepper

½ t cinnamon

½ t freshly ground cumin

1 pod of cardamom (ground)

1 t red pepper flakes

4 T olive oil or bacon fat

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 quart of stewed tomatoes

(can add eggplant, okra or zucchini also if you want)

1 can garbanzos

Water or broth

Yogurt

Roasted pumpkin seeds (roasted in walnut oil with cumin and salt)

Mix up flour, salt, pepper and cinnamon.  Toss meat in the flour mixture and brown in the oil.  Add garlic, onion, cumin, cardamom and red pepper flakes and sauté ‘til onions look transparent.  Add tomatoes.  Cover and cook medium heat for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the lamb is done to your satisfaction. Add water or broth if you think the stew is getting too dry.  (You can also put this covered into a 450 oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes instead of using the stove top.) If you decide to add eggplant or okra or zucchini, add it during the last 30 minutes (I would just choose one).  When lamb is complete, add the drained can of garbanzos and heat through.  Adjust seasonings to taste (more cinnamon?).  Serve in bowls with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of pumpkin seeds.

Ostreoidea Adventure 
or Fried Bivalves on Fruity Slaw
(Breaded oysters on a slaw of lettuce, kiwi, green apple and avocado)

According to my friends at Wikipedia: "The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of different families of saltwater clams, bivalve molluscs that live in marine or brackishhabitats. In some species the valves are highly calcified, and many are somewhat irregular in shape. Many, but not all, oysters are in the superfamily Ostreoidea."
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I love oysters.  I love them raw, cooked, in stews, fried, and served in cardboard trays outside dockside diners.  In fact, I even like the oysters served at the Waterford, CA Car Wash. . . seriously.  My kids grew up knowing how to slurp oysters raw with a dash of lemon or hot sauce after picking them by the buckets in British Columbia. It's the family clan challenge:  do you like oysters?  yes or no.

Living inland can present some challenges to procuring a ready supply of fresh oysters, though.  Hence, I've come to appreciate the grocery store jarred oysters.  They are great for chowder, stuffing, and  a Hang Town fry. 

Tonight was a Friday, and my training as a good Catholic school teacher just overwhelmed me at the grocery store.  Now, this is something, as I'm Lutheran. . . but I did teach for years in a Catholic school, and this fish on Friday thing definitely has legs. .  . or fins. . .  or in the case of oysters. . . adductors (?). So, into my cart went the oysters and a whole bunch of other useful things.  When I got home, I told Mr. Artifact that we were having oysters for dinner.  Then. . . I scrambled for a complete meal from what was on hand.  After a  glass of wine, I came up with this recipe.   I have to say:  I rock!

Ostreoidea Adventure 
(serves 3-4)

Ingredients:

for the oysters:

• 1 jar fresh oysters
• 1/2 C sunflower (or peanut) oil

dredge:

• 1/2 C flour:
• 1/2 t garlic powder
• dash of cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper

wet soak:

• 1/2 C buttermilk
• 1 egg

breading (mix all in food processor):

• 2 C fresh bread crumbs (I used leftover sourdough bread that I pulsed in the food processor)
• 1/4 C parsley
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 T chopped  red onion
• 1/2 C Parmesan cheese
• zest of lemon to taste
• 1/2 t salt

Salad:

• 2 C shredded iceberg lettuce
• 1 avocado chopped
• 1 green apple, sliced thinly
• 2 kiwis, sliced thinly
• 1/4 C red onion sliced thinly into rings
• drizzle of lemon juice for apples and avocado

Salad dressing:

• 1/3 C lemon juice
• 3 T sugar
• 1/2 t dried ginger
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/8 t white pepper (or more to taste)
• 1 t Dijon mustard
• 1/2 C olive oil
• 1/4 C mayonnaise

Method:

Make the salad first.   Chop all the veg and put into a bowl.  Drizzle lemon juice over apples and avocado to prevent browning.  Set aside.

Make salad dressing by combining all ingredients except mayonnaise and oil.  Whisk together.  Whisk or blend in mayo and olive oil to form emulsion.  Set aside.

Preheat the oil in a large frying pan.
Put oysters into the dredge (or drop into a plastic bag and shake with the dredge).  Dip in buttermilk and egg soak.   Roll in breadcrumb mixture, then fry for about 3-4 minutes. Salt them more if you like when you take them out of oil.   Put on wire rack and keep warm in 250 oven while you get the salad plated.

Assemblage:  plate salad, dress with sauce. Place warm oysters on top of greens, add more sauce.  

Serve, Eat, Enjoy.