Food By Franz

Recipe of the Month#1 – August 2009 – Cold Japanese Noodles

Soba Noodles are a japanese buckwheat noodle – you can use any pasta, but the wheat noodles give this more texture & earthy flavor. The soba noodles also help on the caloric scale. This recipe is built for two, but it can be combined to make a wonderful picnic side.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp grated/minced ginger
1 lb chicken breast
1/3 C soy sauce
¼ C aji mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 tsp Sirracha (asian hot sauce)
2 tsp sesame oil
Pkg of buckwheat soba noodles
1 bag fresh baby spinach
2 Tbsp red pepper, sliced fine ( I use a red jalapeno or hotter pepper)
4 crimini mushrooms, sliced fine (any fresh mushroom)
Chopped green onions
Toasted sesame seeds or crushed peanuts

To Assemble: Boil water for noodles, drain noodles – wilt spinach in same water, keep noodles handy in cold water. Mix together soy, mirin, ginger, chile paste and sesame oil. Set ½ C aside – toss the rest with the chicken. Grill or broil chicken until done, 4-5 minutes per side approximately, when cool tear or cut into bit size pieces. Assemble your salad – pile noodles in the bottom of each bowl & toss with the red pepper, top with spinach, chicken and mushrooms. Pour the ½ C of sauce between two bowls, garnish with chopped green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

This travels well and is a wonderful chilled salad main for summer. Feel free to add additional vegetables, I have used sliced baby corn, julienne carrots, water chestnuts, even thinly sliced cauliflower.

Caloric Information (from Google)
Chicken – breast or leg – 1 portion, 140 Cal
Mushrooms, Brown, Italian, Or Crimini, Raw – 1 cup, 19 Cal
Noodles, Japanese, Soba, Cooked – 1 cup, 112 Cal (if you use regular pasta-1 portion 248)
Soy Sauce Made From Soy&Wheat (Shoyu) – 1 tbsp, 8 Cal
Spinach – 1 portion, 34 Cal
Oil, Sesame, Salad Or Cooking-1 tbsp, 123 Cal
Dinner – 436 Calories approximately per serving.

published as first ROM – August 2009

Pork Souvlaki, Greek Salad, Garlic Bread

Shopping List:

Pork roast (arm or rump) 1/2 lb per adult
Check your seasonings – oregano? rosemary? thyme? Cavendars?
1 lemon
Oil
Broth or beer
garlic clove
1 cucumber
1 tomato
4 oz Feta cheese
red onion, olives, peppers (optionals)
Vinaigrette
Bread for Garlic bread
Skewers for cooking the pork on. If you don’t have metal skewers, use the wooden ones, but soak them overnight to prevent from charring

To marinade the Pork

Cube the pork into a uniform size(as best you can – this ensures even cooking) and place in a resealable bag, add
juice of 1/2 lemon + 1 tsp of lemon zest (the yellow only from the rind of the lemon)
oregano – 2 tbsp fresh, chopped or 1/2 tsp dried
thyme – 1/2 tbsp fresh, or 1/4 tsp dried
rosemary – 1/2 tbsp fresh, or 1/8 tsp dried
1 Tbsp EEVO (or any oil will do)
1/3 C Beer (or broth)
1/2 Tbsp Cavendars seasoning
Garlic clove, minced – Marinade the port for 3-4 hours.
Place the pork on the skewers, grill or broil on low – turning once.

Serve this with greek salad, recipe follows

Cube the cucumber, tomato, and Feta bite size – Toss with
Red onion, slices (optional)
Vinaigrette – your favorite 1/2 Cup**
klamata or your favorite greek olives (optional)
Peperoncini peppers (optional)

**To make your own vinaigrette – pour scant 1/4 C red wine vinegar and rice vinegar each in a bowl. Drizzle in olive oil with a whisk until emulsified (turns thick yellow) usually a 1/2 C approximately. Season with salt & pepper – perhaps your favorite herb to taste.

Serve with Garlic Bread

Stuffed Vegetables -Greek Style

Ingredients
• 2 medium eggplants (about 1 pound each)
• 3 large red, yellow, or green bell peppers
• 3 large, ripe tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano (or 2 tsp dried oregano) – (add 1 Tbsp of chopped mint for an interesting taste twist)
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• Juice of a large lemon (about 1/4 cup)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pierce the eggplants with a fork and place them in a shallow baking pan. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, remove the stalk and seeds, brush the inside with 1 tablespoon olive oil and place in the baking pan with the eggplants. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the eggplants are soft. Let the eggplants cool to room temperature, then peel off the skin. Cut the eggplants in half, remove the seeds, and dice into 1-inch chunks.

Cut a lid from the tops of the tomatoes and save the lids. Scoop out the pulp from the tomatoes and place in a medium-sized bowl. Add the eggplant chunks and remaining ingredients, except the feta, to the bowl and toss gently.

Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Stuff the tomatoes and peppers with the eggplant mixture and replace the tops. Place the stuffed vegetables in the baking pan. Top each with crumbled feta cheese. Add 1 cup of water to the pan. Bake for 30 minutes. This dish can be enjoyed hot or room temperature.
Serves 4

Ole’ – a new twist on guacamole!
Ingredients:
1 avocado
1/2 a cucumber
1/2 C cabbage
1/4 C onion (red or green)
1 jalapeno pepper
EVOO (oil – use your favorite non flavored)
2-3 tbsp vinegar (more increases sharpness/tang)
sugar
cumin
garlic powder
oregano
S & P

To prepare the salad
Chop cucumber – salt & ice for 10 minutes while you do the following
1 avocado, halved, seeded and cubed – leave in shell w/seed until your ready to mix
De-seed and dice finely the jalapeno pepper
Finely slice the cabbage
Chop fine the red or green onion

Then mix the vinaigrette for salad – use a whisk in a bowl big enough for the salad
Mix – 2 Tbsp EVOO, 2 Tbsp vinegar (experiment w/this – red wine, balsamic, rice or an herbal vinegar)
Whisk this together until it begins to emulsify, then add a pinch of sugar, dash of each-cumin, garlic powder, oregano.
Taste is the key here – when you have the vinaigrette ready, mix in the onion, drained cucumber chunks, cubed avocado, chopped jalapeno
Toss gently with vinaigrette, add S & P to taste – arrange sliced cabbage on plates and spoon salad on top – best served at room temp.
Garnish w/tortilla chip or lime wedge if handy

A grande all around southwest side dish