Drunken Noodles

We went to Blacksburg over the weekend to eat at a fish taco place after shopping at our favorite store, World Oasis.  However, we did not know that the whole town was going to be blocked off for a street fair and there would be no easy way to get to the fish taco place.  Fortunately for us, World Oasis has opened their own Thai/Vietnamese restaurant right next door to their store.  We went in and ordered the Pad Thai and the Drunken Noodles.  We liked the drunken noodles so much I asked the fellow at the check out if we could get the ingredients at the store and he said sure, just tell the clerk you want what was in the drunken noodle dish.  We did, they showed us and we purchased!!

They really have nothing to do with alcohol.  At least, not in the dish itself. I looked up the history of the name and there are two prevailing thoughts.  One, eating it helps a hangover.  The second, a man who was quite often drunk told his wife that the food she cooked was too bland.  In response (or revenge?) she came up with this recipe.  NOT BLAND!!!  Very hot but you can control that heat a bit by making it yourself.  The joys of cooking...

Drunken Noodles
1/3 cup sodium free rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup low sodium soy
1/3 cup fish sauce
4 tablespoons white sugar
1 lime juiced
3 tablespoons sriracha
  combine and set aside
5 cloves garlic
2 shallots
10 thai chilis
  mince and then grind into a paste.  If you have a mortar and pestle this is the time to use it.  If not you can put it in a food processor.
meat of your choice (I used a pound of flank steak cut into small pieces)
1 can baby corn rinsed and drained
2 eggs beaten
2 tomatoes sliced thinly
1 onion sliced thinly
small bunch of thai basil (or regular if that is all you can find, that is what I used)
8 ounces rice noodles

Get your wok hot with about a tablespoon of vegetable oil and add the paste of garlic, shallots and chilis.  Cook for about a minute and throw the meat into the pot.  Cook that for about two minutes stirring it around.  You want it to still be pink at this point because it is staying in the wok.  Add the onion and cook for a minute.  Make some room in the middle of the wok and add a teaspoon of oil and then put the eggs in.  Stir so they are like scrambled eggs.  Add noodles, sauce, tomatoes and corn to the mix and stir gently so as not to tear up the noodles.  Tear up the basil and add it in and you are done.  Dish it up!!

We bought fresh rice noodles in a sheet from the store so I cup them about 1/4 inch wide.  I don't know where to find fresh except at World Oasis so I will try a noodle I can find locally next time.  I don't think the noodle is going to make a huge difference to the flavor of the dish.  This dish is not for the wimpy at heart.  I only had seven chilis and that was enough heat for me.  If you are brave use all 10 and if you are a chicken cut it down to 5.  That is why you cook it yourself, right?  I really liked this dish.  It was not exactly what we had at the restaurant but it was good enough to be a do-over until I can get the original.

Satisfied yet again!!

Cold Soba Noodle Salad

YUMMMMM












It's been a while since I have tried something new and tonight was the night.  As if you couldn't tell, we really like Asian flavors and we are trying to eat lighter.  This recipe managed to take care of both!

This is a take on a Guy Fieri recipe.  It is tweaked a little of course.  I can't seem to resist tweaking...


Soba Noodle Salad
1 9.5 ounce pack of Soba noodles (found at Kroger...who knew?)
   Cook according to package, drain and put in an ice bath to cool quickly, then drain again, set aside
dressing
1 teaspoon spicy sesame oil (found at The World Oasis store) you can use regular
2 tablespoons no sodium rice wine vinegar (Kroger)
2 tablespoons low sodium soy (Kroger)
1 teaspoon sriracha (Kroger)
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (Kroger)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon chili garlic paste (Kroger)
   Combine all these ingredients for the dressing
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
6 green onions
1 cup cabbage (I like Nappa)
1/2 red bell pepper
   Cut the veggies thinly or to whatever size you like.

Combine the veggies and cold noodles and pour the dressing over them.  Dish up and garnish with whatever you like.  We like unsalted peanuts so that is what we use.  If you like toasted sesame seeds or some other nut go for it!!

I really liked the heat on this dish.  My mouth was on fire while eating it but I did not break out into a sweat.  And within twenty minutes of finishing there was no heat evident.  And it wasn't just heat, the flavors were top notch.  Absolutely a do-over!!!  Next time I might add some flank steak to the mix but other than that, I won't change a thing.

Satisfied!!!