Dinner Tuesday 12th March

[Whiskadoodle]

I grew up somehw missing this. no ramen noodle packets when I was in college. Blue Box mac'n'cheese, 19cent pot pies and frozen cardboard pizza. Anything between 2 slices white bread.

Sooooooooo today, I find there is such a thing as real ramen noodles. Have seen on restaurant menus. Haven't tried yet. or attempted to make at home. Guess I better catch up with the times.

 

[Rocklobster]

I grew up somehw missing this. no ramen noodle packets when I was in college. Blue Box mac'n'cheese, 19cent pot pies and frozen cardboard pizza. Anything between 2 slices white bread.

Sooooooooo today, I find there is such a thing as real ramen noodles. Have seen on restaurant menus. Haven't tried yet. or attempted to make at home. Guess I better catch up with the times.

Same with me. I thought ramen was just what you got in the packs. A dried noodle cake with a bit of powdered seasoning. Now a days, I throw the seasoning packets in the garbage and make my own broth. I start with a stock, then usually a bit of ginger, garlic, onion, sesame oil, sometimes oyster sauce. Let that boil for a few minutes, toss in any thinly slices veggies, cooked meat and a few bunches of noodles. Simmer for about 4 or 5 minutes and that's it. You can add a bit of soy sauce, sambal olek, or chili oil in your bowl if you want to season it some more

 

[pacanis]

Nice looking soup, Rock.
Too bad you can't buy the noodles without throwing away the packets. Somebody should offer those.

Looking back on tonight's dinner, I wish I had added a few red pepper flakes to the garlic pasta.

 

[Rocklobster]

Looks good. I need to have me some pork chops soon.....

Those packets are just full of sodium and msg anyway. I can come up with something on my own...I used to save them in a little pot in the kitchen. I had quite a few until I realized that I wasn't ever going to use them so I tossed them out

 

[Barbara L]

We had chicken leg quarters roasted with garlic butter, along with baked potatoes. Fruit for dessert.

 

[tinlizzie]

I start with a stock, then usually a bit of ginger, garlic, onion, sesame oil, sometimes oyster sauce. Let that boil for a few minutes, toss in any thinly slices veggies, cooked meat and a few bunches of noodles. Simmer for about 4 or 5 minutes and that's it. You can add a bit of soy sauce, sambal olek, or chili oil in your bowl if you want to season it some more

Re those Asian seasonings, I usually keep soy sauce in the fridge, but am not familiar with sambal olek, chili oil, or oyster sauce. Do these keep well? That is, if I invest in them but use them only once in a while, will I have wasted my $$? Seems like I have to choose what "style" of cooking I want, then buy specialty items (Indian, for example) for those recipes. What the heck is sambal olek, anyway? Thanks, Mr. Lobster.

 

[Rocklobster]

Re those Asian seasonings, I usually keep soy sauce in the fridge, but am not familiar with sambal olek, chili oil, or oyster sauce. Do these keep well? That is, if I invest in them but use them only once in a while, will I have wasted my $$? Seems like I have to choose what "style" of cooking I want, then buy specialty items (Indian, for example) for those recipes. What the heck is sambal olek, anyway? Thanks, Mr. Lobster.

Oyster sauce is pretty common. It is good in the fridge for a few months. You can get a vegetarian version also. Usually about 3 bucks a bottle. You can use it for stir fries, soups, etc...
Sambal olek is hot chili paste. I would use it sparingly if you aren't into hot(spicey) foods. You don't need it if you don't want it. I usually add a quarter tsp to my bowl and stir it in. But I am a hot spicy food lover. It lasts for a very long time.

Chili oil, is just that. Oil that has been infused with hot chilies. It can be used as a condiment or a cooking oil. It just adds a bit of flavor and heat like a hot sauce. Good for dipping things into, also.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I am in the same situation as tinlizzie!

I have thrown away many containers of exotic ingredients after using only a tablespoon or two.

Now I improvise using things commonly found in my kitchen or I splurge on an exotic restaurant meal.

Do people still use the word splurge?

 

[pacanis]

Add me into that group as well. I hate buying fish sauce and looking at 3/4 of a bottle for the next year... wondering...

 

[Rocklobster]

Add me into that group as well. I hate buying fish sauce and looking at 3/4 of a bottle for the next year... wondering...

I have a few things in there also. Especially Indian chutneys or thai curry pastes. As much as I like a curry, I rarely make them.

Fish sauce lasts forever. Start making yourself some kimchi. It calls for a 1/4 cup in a 2 lb batch...

 

[GotGarlic]

I find that Asian ingredients last quite a long time. I have soy sauce, tamari (thick soy sauce), sesame oil, mirin (sweetened rice wine), rice vinegar, regular rice wine, fish sauce, oyster sauce, Thai red chile paste, Chinese black bean paste with garlic, Thai sweet chile sauce, sriracha (Thai hot sauce), and hoisin sauce. I usually make an Asian dish 3 or 4 times a month.

I like Rachael Ray's suggestion for using up bits of ingredients. She will mix several together and make a sauce or glaze. Just taste and adjust till you like it.

 

[Rocklobster]

I find that Asian ingredients last quite a long time. I have soy sauce, tamari (thick soy sauce), sesame oil, mirin (sweetened rice wine), rice vinegar, regular rice wine, fish sauce, oyster sauce, Thai red chile paste, Chinese black bean paste with garlic, Thai sweet chile sauce, sriracha (Thai hot sauce), and hoisin sauce. I usually make an Asian dish 3 or 4 times a month.

I like Rachael Ray's suggestion for using up bits of ingredients. She will mix several together and make a sauce or glaze. Just taste and adjust till you like it.

Yes. It comes with practice. I used to throw that stuff out for years. Now I have figured out how to make a few recipes and accumulated some Asian dishes into my normal rotation. Like you said, most of it has so much salt in it or is fermented to begin with that it stays well preserved. Although, I still have a jar of chili with garlic in there that I can't remember buying.

 

[pacanis]

Heck. I have a hard time using up a head of lettuce before it turns

 

[Rocklobster]

Heck. I have a hard time using up a head of lettuce before it turns

Same here. Something about iceburg lettuce. It's gotta be the most boring food invented by God... or man

 

[Kylie1969]

We had chicken leg quarters roasted with garlic butter, along with baked potatoes. Fruit for dessert.

Barbara, that sounds really nice

 

[CWS4322]

Same here. Something about iceburg lettuce. It's gotta be the most boring food invented by God... or man

I rarely buy iceberg lettuce (and don't plant it in the garden), but when I do have it on hand (and leftover), I chop it up and toss it in the freezer. I add it to soup or stock or stir-fry.

 

[Kylie1969]

We love iceberg lettuce but with just the two of us we always end up throwing a lot of it away

 

[Kylie1969]

A BLT -- several strips of Wright's Applewood Smoked bacon, sliced heirloom Cherokee tomato, mixed greens on toasted rye with Hellman's. Diced & nuked home-grown zucchini w/butter. A Valentine's leftover Lindt truffle ball for dessert.

That sounds really lovely Lizzie

 

[Rocklobster]

We love iceberg lettuce but with just the two of us we always end up throwing a lot of it away

I buy it with the best of intentions, but usually throw half away....When I ate more bread, I used a lot of it for sandwiches. But even when we have salads, I just usually go with chopped veggies.

 

[pacanis]

I like iceberg in salads. I like a crispy salad mostly and iceberg lends itself well to that, or tacos or especially on a chicken sandwich. Romaine works, but not as well since only the bottom is crispy.
I could never understand though why romaine lasts so much longer than iceberg in the fridge.