FFwD- Curried Spicy Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup

This week's selection for French Fridays with Dorie, chosen by Dorie herself, was Spicy Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Soup.
One thing that I love about Dorie's cookbooks, is that she always includes different options and ideas to add a little flair to the basic recipe. This recipe had the option of making a version with curry powder. I love curry powder and I thought it would give great flavor to this soup.

So, I made the curry version. I couldn't help but add some veggies- mushrooms and spinach. I used rice sticks because that is all I could find. Topped with chopped cucumber, chopped peanuts, basil & mint leaves and lime wedges. I omitted the sugar.

This soup was delicious. The flavors all melded together into something wonderful. The fresh mint and basil leaves were the perfect little compliment.
I was really happy with the results. Dorie does it again! You should really get a copy of this book and try the soup for yourself.

Go check out the other versions of this soup by heading over to French Fridays with Dorie!

Pork Strips with Peanut Sauce and Rice Noodles

I think I could be a spokesperson for Cooking Light Magazine. I use their recipes more than almost anything else and I have never, not even once, been disappointed with the results.
This is another really fast dinner. It comes together in literally minutes. Especially if you have rice noodles that are already cooked in your fridge.
I love peanut sauce. When I was little my dad used to make us Nasi Goreng (fried rice) all the time. (I know you won't believe this, but Cooking Light actually has a really great version of Nasi Goreng. Find it HERE when I posted about it or HERE)
He learned how to make Nasi Goreng when he lived in Holland for 2 1/2 years. He always served it with peanut sauce and a fried egg on the side.
Because my dad spent time in Holland- you could also always find Sambal Oelek in our fridge when I was growing up. We used to be scared of this particular condiment because it was so hot!
What does all of this have to do with the recipe here? Well, this recipe includes a delicious peanut sauce that actually has Sambal in it and all of these things remind me of my dad cooking for us.
We loved this dinner. Quick and delcious. Plus, it brought back some great memories of my childhood.

Pork Strips with Peanut Sauce and Rice Noodles from Cooking Light
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup reduced-fat peanut butter
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
1 teaspoon bottled ground fresh ginger (such as Spice World)
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon chile paste with garlic (such as Sambal oelek)
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
Cooking spray
4 (4-ounce) boneless loin pork chops, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
1 (6-ounce) package rice noodles
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
Lime wedges (optional)

Combine first 11 ingredients in a bowl, stirring with a whisk; set aside.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork and pepper; cook 6 minutes or until pork is done. Add peanut butter mixture to pan, stirring well to coat pork; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 minute.
Cook rice noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Add noodles to the pork mixture, tossing gently. Sprinkle with sliced green onions. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.

Up Next- Cookie Carnival- Inside Out Carrot Cake Cookies and my fave food right now

Butternut Squash & Pumpkin Seed Rice Paper Rolls with Cranberry-Chile Dipping Sauce

I know it is getting old. You come to my blog. I profess my love for butternut squash in any form. Well, sorry- the story is not changing. Today, I added another of my favorites- cranberries.

I saw this very interesting recipe on The Recipe Girl and thought it would be the perfect way to use up some of the rice paper wrappers I had in my pantry. Plus, the combination of ingredients just sounded so interesting and well, delicious.

I mean, who doesn't love pumpkin seeds? I was afraid that there wouldn't be any of them left to put in the wrappers because they taste so good roasted.

Don't worry, I made sure some of them made it in.

These rolls required a little bit of extra work, but the final product was oh-so-tasty and worth it. Everyone was pleased.

Cranberries were going for $1 a bag, so I stocked up on them and put a bunch in the freezer. The dipping sauce is reminiscent of cranberry salsa or another fruit salsa, just a little bit tarter. Delish!


Butternut Squash & Pumpkin Seed Rice Paper Rolls w/ Cranberry- Chile Dipping Sauce from The Recipe Girl

who adapted it from Veganomicon
A delicious twist on this Asian favorite...
ROLLS:
1 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch cubes
2 to 3 tsp olive oil
Twelve 8-inch round rice paper wrappers
4 ounces vermicelli rice noodles or rice sticks (the kind you boil in water)

1 cup fresh cilantro, torn into bite-sized pieces (or use Thai basil)
1/3 cup roasted, salted pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
DIPPING SAUCE: (about 2 cups)
1 cup whole, fresh cranberries
1½ cups cold water
½ cup granulated sugar
1 to 2 large serrano chiles, seeded and finely minced (use 1 or 2 based on spice preference)
2 Tbs fresh lime juice


1. Prepare Sauce: Combine cranberries, water and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil. When the cranberries start to pop, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, for about 5 minutes. Add the minced chiles and lime juice, bring to a boil again, and then lower the heat to medium-low. Stir the sauce occasionally, using the back of a wooden spoon to mash some of the cranberries against the sides of the pot. Simmer the sauce, uncovered, for an additional 10 to 12 minutes, until the sauce has reduced by about less than one-fourth and looks syrupy. Remove from heat. The sauce will thicken up more as it cools. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

2. Prepare the squash: Preheat oven to 400°F. Place the butternut squash cubes in a bowl and toss with 2 tsp. olive oil. Add another tsp. if you need to- the squash should all have a light coat of olive oil. Arrange cubes in a single layer and roast for 15 minutes. Remove form the oven, toss, and cook for 10 more minutes or until tender and slightly caramelized. (See Tip below for roasting the pumpkin seeds at the same time). Transfer the squash to a plate to cool.

3. While the squash is cooking, prepare the noodles (use the directions on the package). Drain in a colander and run cold water over them to prevent further cooking. Set aside until ready to use.

4. To assemble: Fill a large pie plate or bowl with very warm water; tap water works just fine. Place two rice paper wrappers in the water at a time, completely submerged and let sit for about a minute, just until they have softened.

5. Handle each wrapper gently as you place it on your work surface (remove both when softened- don't leave in the water). Place about ¼ cup of rice noodles in the lower third of the wrapper, leaving about 1½ inches of margin from the far edges on either side (you'll be folding those in). Place a layer of butternut squash on top of the noodles. Sprinkle with the cilantro and pumpkin seeds. To roll, snugly fold the left and right sides of the wrapper over the filling and tuck it underneath the filling, then roll firmly but gently. Place the rolls seam-side-down on a plate and cut in half when ready to serve. Mix the dipping sauce ingredients together and stir rigorously to dissolve the sugar. Serve with the rolls.

Yield: 12 rolls

Cooking Tips
*To roast pumpkin seeds, spread raw pepitas on a baking sheet and place in the oven at the same time that you're roasting your butternut squash. I gave pumpkin seeds a quick spray of Pam and sprinkled them with salt. Watch closely and stir often. They should begin to brown in about 7 to 10 minutes.
**When you get ready to assemble, it's helpful to set up a little assembly line of the fillings- placed into little bowls makes assembling more efficient

Coming Tomorrow- Cranberry Scones and Cranberry-Orange Muffins

Vegetarian Pad Thai

I saw that Clara made this on I heart food 4 thought (she used shrimp) and since I have been wanting to make Pad Thai at home and also because it had tofu in it (Love tofu)- I decided to give it a go. Quick, easy, totally delicious. It was wonderful. Even the non-tofu lovers really liked this dish. The flavors were delicate and it was really simple to make. Perfect for a weeknight!

Vegetarian Pad Thai from Cooking Light

2/3 cup chili sauce (such as Heinz)

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger

1 teaspoon chopped seeded serrano chile

1/2 pound wide rice stick noodles (bánh pho)

4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided

1 (12.3-ounce) package extrafirm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 large egg whites

1 large egg

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups fresh bean sprouts

3/4 cup diagonally cut green onions

1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro, divided

1/3 cup coarsely chopped dry-roasted peanuts

6 lime wedges

Combine first 6 ingredients; set aside.
Cook noodles in boiling water 5 minutes or until done. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tofu; cook 7 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan.
Combine egg whites and egg, stirring well with a whisk.
Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and sauté for 10 seconds. Add egg mixture, and cook for 30 seconds or until soft-scrambled, stirring constantly. Stir in chili sauce mixture and noodles; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in tofu, bean sprouts, onions, and 1/4 cup cilantro, and cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup cilantro and peanuts evenly over each serving of noodle mixture. Serve with lime wedges.

Coming Tomorrow: A Triple Threat of Treats- Chocolate Key-Lime Cupcake Pies, Gale Gand's Butterballs and Mini Phyllo Tarts, 3 Ways.

Ratatouille with Tofu

I have been wanting to make this recipe ever since I saw it in Cooking Light. I love tofu and ratatouille and so I thought the combination of the two, would be excellent. I was sooo right! This was absolutely delicious- one of the best dinners we have had in a while. I didn't use reduced fat tofu because I had some in the fridge that was not reduced fat, but it still was light. I served it over rice noodles as suggested and it was a hit. And it is all taken care of on the stovetop, as the oven is not fixed yet. I will definitely be making this again!
Ratatouille with Tofu from Cooking Light

Cooking spray

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)

2 cups finely chopped reduced-fat firm tofu, drained (about 11 ounces)

2 cups diced eggplant

1 cup diced zucchini

1 cup chopped plum tomato

4 teaspoons Pesto Coulis*

2 (14-ounce) cans no-salt-added tomato sauce

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add carrot to pan; sauté 6 minutes. Add onion, basil, thyme, and garlic; sauté 4 minutes. Add tofu, eggplant, and zucchini; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add chopped tomato, Pesto Coulis, and tomato sauce; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in cumin, salt, and pepper

*Pesto Coulis

1 cup parsley leaves (about 1 bunch)

1 cup basil leaves (about 1 bunch)

1/2 cup chopped green onion

1/2 cup extravirgin olive oil

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until smooth.