Sesame Asparagus Noodles

Asparagus are always welcome friends at the market. They're the first fresh thing to greet you after months of sub-par winter produce daze. They're as much a sign of winter ending for me as seeing little purple crocus in the park. And good gracious they are tasty.

I like them really crisp, so I usually blanche them or quickly saute in the pan with a bit of olive oil and salt. This time I was craving something a bit different, so I thought sesame would be a nice change of pace. Put those pretty green stalks with airy rice noodles and some red pepper, and you've got yourself a meal.

Rice noodles are about as easy as it gets.... just soak in cool water. Follow the package instructions closely though. An oversoak can turn them into a mushy mess. 

Toss the softened noodles with grilled and chopped veggies, herbs and dressing. Garnish with crunchy peanuts and sesame seeds.

Enjoy and be thankful for this first sign of spring. So much more good and beauty is to come.

Sesame Asparagus Noodles
1 package rice noodles
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
2 red peppers, cored and cut into large chunks
1 tablespoon canola oil
Juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
Sesame seeds

Prepare rice noodles according to package directions -- usually about a 15 minute soak in cool water; noodles may vary, so follow package instructions.

Toss asparagus and red pepper in canola oil. Grill over high, direct heat just until cooked through; about 3-5 minutes. Cool and roughly chop.

Whisk together lime juice, sesame oil, soy sauce and rice vinegar. Pour over noodles and toss with asparagus, red peppers, cilantro and green onions. Garnish with peanuts and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Asian Tuna Lettuce Wraps

One of the biggest side effects of moving out of a large urban area? Eating less Asian takeout. I'm ashamed to admit that I used to know what L stop I could call the noodle shop from in order for it to be ready just as I got off the train to walk home. Yes, there was a time they recognized my voice.

We've found a few good joints (LOVE Pho Grand), but the sheer convenience is reduced significantly. And I write a damn food blog, so figured I should make a quick Asian dinner of my own. My apologies to the noodle shops of Chicago for the decreased revenue.

Something about the salty, fresh flavors always call me back. The cilantro, jalapeno, green onion and cucumbers are classic -- with avocado, pineapple and tuna adding just enough twist.

Rice noodles are a great weeknight solution. The water from my tap is hot enough to soften these guys up in just 10 minutes. No boiling needed.

A quick minute to arrange this beautifully will have you wondering why you ever ate straight from the takeout box. Jump in with clean hands and make each wrap your own. 

Asian Tuna Lettuce Wraps

3 albacore tuna steaks

2 heads bibb lettuce, rinsed and leaves separated

1 package rice noodles

1/2 pineapple, thinly sliced

1 cucumber, seeded and thinly sliced

1 avocado, pitted and thinly sliced

1 cup cilantro, chopped

5 green onions, thinly sliced

1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced

4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

3 teaspoons sesame oil

4 teaspoons rice vinegar

2 teaspoons fish sauce

Combine 2 tablespoons soy sauce and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Pour over tuna steaks and allow to marinate for 15 minutes. Preheat the grill and then grill tuna steaks over high-direct heat for 3-4 minutes per side, until firm. 

In large bowl pour hot water over rice noodles, completely covering the noodles. Allow to soak until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Whisk to combine remaining soy sauce, remaining sesame oil, rice vinegar and fish sauce in a small bowl. 

Arrange pineapple, cucumber, avocado, green onions, cilantro and jalapeno on a plate, along with grilled tuna, noodles and lettuce. Let each diner assemble their own wrap and serve sauce on the side. Enjoy!

Hot Sweet Shrimp with Coconut Rice

Even food bloggers get stuck in a rut. For all the recipe development, blog reading and pinning I do, you would think we'd always be eating something different. Truth is, just like you, I find myself reverting back to the same things over and over. Sometimes its a celebration of things you love and sometimes you just need to break free.

Read the rest of this post with Queen's "I Want to Break Free" playing. Sidenote -- Never realized how drag fabulous this music video is. Amazing. 

Yes, it is the season of tomatoes, corn and BBQ, but there are so many other refreshing dishes to consider. "I want to break free." The clean herb flavors and bright citrus notes of many Asian dishes always attract me when it's warm, so I decided to put together this rice dish, punctuated with sweet, creamy coconut. "God knows I want to break free."

Paired with fresh-grilled hot and spicy shrimp and perfectly charred red pepper and pineapple; this rice is sure to break you out of your summer salad rut. "I've fallen in love. I've fallen in love for this first time."

With so many ingredients available at groceries stores and bevy of cultures to inspire us, why would we ever eat the same thing over and over? "I've GOT to break free."

  

Hot Sweet Shrimp with Coconut Rice
2 cups brown basmati rice, thoroughly rinsed
3 cups water
1 cup coconut cream (or coconut milk if you'd like to go lighter)
3 inches ginger, peeled; slice 2 quarter-inch pieces and mince the rest
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup basil, chopped
2 shallots, minced
2 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup toasted almonds, toasted
4 tablespoons soy sauce
Juice of 2 limes
1/3 cup honey
3 tablespoons sriracha
1lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
1/2 pineapple, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 red peppers, cut into 2-inch chunks
2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Combine rice, water, coconut cream and ginger slices in a medium-sized pot and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook until all liquids absorb, about 35-45 minutes. Remove ginger slices. Allow to cool slightly.

While rice is cooking, heat grill over medium heat. Skewer shrimp, pineapple and red pepper; keeping each separate of one another. Combine honey, sriracha and 2 tablespoons soy sauce in a small bowl; set aside. Wipe down grill with vegetable oil. Grill shrimp for 2 minutes per side. Pineapple and red peppers will take about 4 minutes per side. When each skewer is just about finished, brush with sriracha sauce on each side. Allow shrimp to rest for 5 minutes before removing from skewer.

Toss rice with minced ginger, cilantro, basil, shallots, green onions, almonds, remaining soy sauce and lime juice. Serve shrimp, pineapple and red peppers over coconut rice. Top with sesame seeds and enjoy!

Cold Soba Noodles with Peanut Sauce

Is there such a thing as a good carb? Buckwheat noodles are better for you than regular pasta, right? I have no clue, but this sounds like a perfectly reasonable explanation. If anything, buckwheat sounds like its good for me. Ahhh... carb denial. 

Let's have a little diet discussion shall we? I actually hate the word diet. Screams of denials and Kardashian-endorsed Khemicals. Needless to say the last few weeks haven't been my healthiest. Between packing up the kitchen in Chicago and getting together with friends to say farewell, we ate out a LOT more than usual. And all of those beers and dinners made my shorts a wee bit tighter. 

When I start feeling this way, my first fix is to get back in the kitchen. I know it sounds counter-intuitive to cook when one is feeling plump, but the reality for me is that I eat much healthier when I cook. Cooking a meal forces us to make conscientious choices about what we're consuming. You're the one in control of what's on the plate. 

For all this talk of healthy eating, this isn't even THAT healthy of a recipe. But you know what? This homemade noodle dish is fresh and certainly beats take-out. And this is my blog, so I get to rant about dieting when I feel like it. End rant.

Alright, focus on the noodles. Soba are a super tasty Japanese noodle made with buckwheat flour. What's  special about them to me, is that they're really good served chilled. Hello hot summer nights. Hello leftovers.

I dressed them with a basic peanut sauce, which is the same sauce used for satay.

You could certainly have the noodles as your main dish, but they're a great complement to a salad (and feel a bit more full). A little extra sauce would be good dressing too.

Cold Soba Noodles with Peanut Sauce

2 bundles soba noodles (they usually come packaged in small bunches)

2 tablespoons peanut butter

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

3/4 tablespoon sesame oil

1/2 tablespoon sriracha

1 tablespoon grapeseed or vegetable oil

Small handful cilantro, chopped

3 green onions, chopped

Boil about 6 cups water in a medium pot and cook noodles according to package instructions. Once cooked through, drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water. 

Combine peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sriracha and grapeseed oil in a small bowl. Toss to combine with cooked noodles. 

Garnish the noodles with cilantro and green onion. Enjoy!

Thai Steak Salad

Before I left Chicago, I put together one last quick meal in the tiny kitchen. It was a bittersweet endevour to say the least, but the outcome couldn't have been better. Between the going away dinners and packing up the kitchen (I have wayyyyyy too many white dishes), we were eating out nearly every night. We need some lighter, fresh fare to balance. 

Thai Steak Salad is one of my favorite options for when you're craving bright crunch, but need some substance to fill you. I never once saw this on a menu during my time in Thailand, so I can't claim that the execution is authentic, but fish sauce and loads of fresh herbs really do harken back to the incredible cuisine found there. And especially as we head into the heat of summer, this is a great recipe to have up your sleeve(less?).

Green stuff is really at the heart of this dish's flavor and your fingers will smell delicious after prepping it all. There are certainly circumstances in which dried herbs are a find substitute for fresh, but this simply isn't one of them. The herbs will not only provide flavor, but will be part of the leafy greens of the salad. Green onions, lime and cucumbers join the green party like it's St. Patty's (with less morning drunkenness, of course).

Thai basil, mint and cilantro are at the center of attention at this salad party. Each bringing a different flavor note, to build bright complexity. Traditional fresh basil would work just fine here, I just happened to stumble upon Thai basil at the store this week. This variation has slightly more licorice flavor and a sharper pointed leaf. But again, regular ole' fresh basil would be just as good.

A word on chopping herbs... they can be sensitive little bitches. Yes, I just called herbs bitches. They deserve it for so easily bruising. The easiest technique I've found is to stack them up and roll them into an "herb cigarette" and slice. Some of you may be more experienced than others with this rolling technique. I always have to laugh when I see Martha Stewart-types doing this on TV. I'm also very mature.

I had my butcher fillet the hangar steaks so that they were nice and thin. Skirt steak would work here too, but I think hangars have a lovely tenderness. Just be sure it's something cut thin, so that you can easily eat in a salad.

This is where you're all about to get uncomfortable... there is fish sauce in this recipe. You know how Thai food and other Asian takeout never tastes the same at home? It's because we're all terrified of the easy-to-find, yet unfamiliar Asian condiments used to create the flavorful sauces. Do you want to put fish sauce on your cereal? Probably not, but this is the stuff that gives the dressing its authentic flavor. Trust me. Fear not condiments.

Once grilled-off, thinly slice your steaks and top with the goodie herbs, veggies and dressings. See that fish sauce wasn't so bad, right? Or are you still distracted by my joint joke earlier?

Thai Steak Salad
1 1/2 lb hangar steak, filleted and at room temperature
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup chopped Thai basil
1/2 cup chopped mint
3/4 cup chopped cilantro
4-5 green onions, chopped
3 hearts romaine lettuce, chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon sriracha

Preheat grill over high heat. Brush vegetable oil on steaks and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-high and grill steaks over direct heat for 3-5 minutes per side until medium-rare (times may vary depending on the thickness of your steaks).

While the steaks rest, combine basil, mint, cilantro, onions, lettuce and cucumber in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together fish sauce, lime juice, sugar and sriracha for dressing.

Thinly slice your steaks against the grain and arrange atop lettuce mixture. Lightly dress salad and enjoy.

Peanut Chicken Satay with Cabbage Slaw

She be grillin'.... ooh yeah... she be grillin'. Combining the flavors of Asian takeout with the fresh char of the grill. Good heavens I'm a happy girl.

Peanut and soy sauce not only make a fabulous marinade, they're a perfect dressing for a crunchy slaw. One sauce with two uses make this an easy weeknight dinner. Not to mention these chicks grill up in 5 minutes.

Slice the chicken into 1-inch strips... taking care to ensure they're about  the same size. This will keep your grilling times consistent.

The marinade/sauce has great balance -- sweet from peanut butter, salty from the soy sauce, hot from sriracha and bitter from the lime.

For an extra punch on the chicken, add some 5-spice powder before the marinade.

Let this party go on for an evening for lots of flavor.

I notoriously forget to soak my wooden skewers ahead of the grill, so I am getting a pat on the back for remembering this time. Go Carey. You're learning.

Peanut Chicken Satay with Cabbage Slaw

4 tablespoons peanut butter

Zest and juice of 2 limes

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon sriracha

2 tablespoons grapeseed or vegetable oil

6 cups shredded cabbage

3 cups broccoli slaw mix

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless breast, cut into 1-inch slices

2 tablespoons Chinese 5-spice

15 wooden skewers

Mix together peanut butter, lime zest, lime juice, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sriracha and grapeseed oil.

Toss chicken slices with Chinese 5-spice powder and then cover with half the sauce. Allow chicken to marinate in the refrigerator overnight. Reserve the remaining sauce in a covered container. 

Preheat grill. Cover wooden skewers in water and let soak for at least 15 minutes. Skewer chicken slices, one on each skewer. Grill over medium, direct heat for 3 minutes on each side. 

While chicken rests, combine cabbage, slaw mix, cilantro and remaining dressing. Toss and serve with chicken.

Sriracha Soy Chicken Wings

Perhaps you partook in a black tie New Year's Eve filled with Gatsby-esque glamour, elbow-length silk gloves and flowing fountains of sparkling Champagne. I can see the dripping diamonds now. But back to reality, the rest of us usually aren't usually so glamorous. This year we enjoyed a house party with friends and notably a lot of young male guests. So what did I bring? 

First rule of marketing... know your audience. Upon seeing the guest list, I knew Chicken Salad Skewers or Earl Grey Panna Cotta probably wouldn't go over so well. So what to make for a group of rowdy 20-something dudes? Chicken wings...natch! Buffalo chicken wings though, soooo junior year of college. We've matured alright... we've discovered new forms of hot sauce splendor. Sriracha was the perfect way to ring in 2013.

So I know a lot of restaurants now offer "boneless chicken wings," but those are NOT chicken wings. They're chicken fingers with buffalo sauce. Some grocery store brands even go so far as to call them "wingz."  There's a reason they can't call it what it is... walk away. Reject incorrectly spelled foods. 

Man up alright, pull the meet from the bone in a bold act of mastication!!

There is a bit of break-down required when you buy raw chicken wings. A sharp knife will help you easily dissect the two wing pieces and tip. Just cut along the joint and you'll be done in no time.

 
Sriracha, soy, sesame oil, honey, ginger, garlic and lime give this killer Asian flavor. That said, it's still familiar enough to be wing-y and acceptable to the discerning palette of a Bro.

You'll just prepare one sauce mixture, using the most for a marinade and reserving a bit to sauce the wings. 

Ummm... you might also get a little tipsy on gin and Champagne at a party and forget to get more than one photo angle on your prepared wings, not to mention fail to notice a party popper wrapper on the plate. It was 2:00 am by this time, okay? Whoopsypoodle... hope you guys will still love me.

Sriracha Soy Chicken Wings
5 lbs chicken wings
2 inches fresh ginger, grated
5 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 4 limes
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
4 tablespoons sesame oil
6 tablespoons sriracha
3 tablespoons honey

If not purchased prepared, break down chicken wings by separating the two sections and wing tip, using a sharp knife to slice at the joint. Discard the wing tips.

In a large bowl, combine ginger, garlic, lime juice, soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha and honey. Reserve 1/2 cup of sauce. Pour remaining sauce over chicken wings in a large freezer bag, ensuring wings are completely coated. Refrigerate overnight (or at least 4 hours).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken wings on a foil-lined cookie sheet, in a single layer. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Remove wings from oven and rotate on sheet and brush on remaining sauce. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, or until sauce thickens on wings.

Serve hot. I suggest avocado crema as a dipping sauce.

5-Spice Pork and Soba Noodles

One thing I love about so many Asian dishes is that they are speedy quick. Great weeknight fare, but one can only eat so much stir fry (like you don't have a bag in your freezer). Soba noodles make this feel "different" enough to keep from getting bored . I've paired with thin-sliced pork, crunchy vegetables and a simple vinaigrette.

I always find that if I eat sensibly during the week, I never feel guilty indulging on the weekends. Lean meat, whole grain noodles and mess of veg? We're totally nailing it! Bring it Saturday... I've got my stretchy pants ready.

Need another reason to keep reading? This makes for awesome lunch leftovers too, so you can get a good chunk of your week's cooking done in 20 minutes. #winning

Slice the pork into thin strips and simply toss with Chinese 5-spice powder.

And quickly saute. Since you've sliced thinly, the pork will cook up in under 5 minutes. A fresh cabbage salad keeps things nice and light.

Toss and top with a bit of avocado to lend a creamy bite.

5-Spice Pork and Soba Noodles
1 lb boneless pork chop, thinly sliced into strips
2 bunches soba noodles
2 tablespoons Chinese 5-spice powder
2 tablespoons vegetable or grapeseed oil
1/4 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
3 carrots, shredded
6 green onions, thinly sliced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1 avocado, sliced

For vinaigrette
1/8 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
1/8 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil

Toss sliced pork with 5-spice powder. Boil water and cook soba noodles according to package directions. Heat oil over high heat for 2-minutes and then saute pork. The meat will only take 3-5 minutes.

Toss cabbage, carrots and green onions together. Whisk together vinaigrette ingredients and taste/adjust to personal preference. Toss with salad.

Combine drained noodles with dressed salad and toss. Top with pork and avocado. Also delicious served cold.