I love making Dan Dan Noodles just so I can say the name.  It sounds like the name of the lost Walton.  “Goodnight, John Boy.  Goodnight, Jim Bob.  Goodnight, Dan Dan.”  Of course, if you’re a stickler for accuracy, Wikipedia says the word dan dan refers to the carrying pole that noodle vendors used so it’s really “Peddler’s Noodles.” Just a little obscure tidbit to drop at your next social gathering.  You’re welcome.

Like many American versions of classic ethnic dishes, it bears little resemblance to the original.   But that doesn’t mean those versions aren’t good, chickens.   Bonus points for being a cheap dish that can be made in minutes and served up different ways to please every picky palate at the table.

Here’s my version.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Top them with anything else you like.  I’m a sprouts/peanut gal myself.

Hubby likes red bell pepper, chili flakes and more chili paste (he’s a manly man, you know).

Daughter eldest likes to eat it plain.  Daughter youngest likes to stir in a little peanut butter.

Happy family achieved.  Good night, Dan Dan.

DAN DAN NOODLES

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast fillets, cut into 1/2″ cubes
2 tablespoons canola or peanut oil
2 tablespoons sesame oil
16-ounce package chow mein noodles, egg noodles or spaghetti
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1/2 c. soy sauce
1 c. chicken broth
1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar
1-4 tablespoons of chile-garlic sauce
6 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
½ cup water
½ cup bean sprouts
1 cup peanuts

Start your water boiling for your noodles.

Heat the sesame oil and canola or peanut oil in pan until it’s good and hot.  Toss the chicken with 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch and season with salt and pepper.  Cook the chicken pieces in hot oil until golden.  Remove from skillet.

Toss in your noodles because you’re almost ready for them.

Mince garlic and ginger and saute in same pan.  Add soy sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar and chile-garlic sauce.  If you have a manly man, you’ll probably want 4-5 tablespoons of chili sauce.

Combine 4 tablespoons of cornstarch with ½ cup water and stir it to make a slurry.  Pour it into the saucepan and simmer for about 2 minutes or until it thickens.

Add the chicken and peanuts and warm through.

Drain pasta.  Place cooked noodles onto a serving plate. Spoon chicken and sauce over the top of the noodles, then garnish with chopped peanuts.

        

I love the Food Network.   It’s totally an American thing.  Only in America could a red-headed, freckled Irish Opie-lookalike like Bobby Flay be known for appearing on TV  as an expert in spicy Tex-Mex cooking.

Hence I had to try this recipe of his.  But I modified it a little.  Because, after all, my rigorous food training and experience (1 year at Little Caesar’s in college) makes me qualified to modify a recipe that a chef has tweaked  to perfection.

I changed it enough that I’m almost afraid to call it Churrascarita but I love saying that too much to change it.  And oooh, baby, this stuff was spicy and sweet and really, really good.  I imagine this sauce would be great on just about anything grilled like fish or veggies.   In fact, I think I may whip up a batch and keep it in the fridge.

Francie’s version of Bobby Flay’s Chicken Churrascaritas

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons fresh ground ginger
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1-2 canned chipotle peppers plus 1 tablespoon of the “juice”
1 cup honey
2 TB. soy sauce
1/2 cup lime juice

Put the ginger, brown  sugar, orange juice concentrate, 1 chipotle pepper plus that “juice”, honey, soy sauce and lime juice. Puree until smooth. Pour all but 1/2 cup of the glaze over chicken breasts and marinate for 1 hour in the fridge.

Grill the breasts over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes per side, brushing with reserved glaze occasionally.

And if you want his recipe, it’s here:

http://www.bluemesagrill.com/recipes/archived-recipes/chicken-churrascaritasR/

        

My neighbor, Shala, is passionate about the food from her native Syria.   Several times a month, she shares another delicious dish that is exotic to us but home cooking to her.  Our family favorite is her delicious version of tabbouleh which she tells me is favorite picnic food in Syria.  And when she offered to show me she makes her it, I jumped at the chance. And this is your lucky day, chickens, because you get to see too.

It’s a bit hard to see. This is bulghur mixed with tomato paste in a red bowl.

Now, we’ll start putting it all together.

        

So you like Sloppy Joes, right?  Who doesn’t?  (Well, ok, I see you raising your hand, but I also see that you collect those creepy “Little Elvis” Marie Osmond dolls, so how can we trust your opinion?)  But Sloppy Joes + Young Kids = Dog gets extra dinner.  What to do?  Well, rest easy, chickens.  Francie is coming to your rescue with my Neat Joes and they couldn’t be simpler.

First, make your favorite Sloppy Joe recipe.  Here’s mine.  It makes a lot because we like to have leftovers.

SLOPPY JOES

1 lb. ground chuck or lean beef
1 lb. ground turkey or soy crumbles (mixing half of this with the beef still tastes like all beef…sneaky, no?)
1/2 c. finely chopped onion
1 finely chopped red bell pepper
1 finely chopped green bell pepper (gotta sneak in some veggies!)
2 Tablespoons cider vinegar
1 Tablespoon dried mustard
3/4 c. brown sugar
1 (26 oz.) bottle of ketchup
Salt and pepper to season

Brown the beef and turkey/soy with the chopped onion and peppers.  Drain off any grease.  Mix the ketchup, mustard, cider vinegar and brown sugar and pour over beef mixture.  Season with salt and pepper.

Wait a minute, you say!  I know how to make sloppy joes.  What’s this NEAT thing?  Here ya go.

Fill and put the “cap” back on!

The tips just keep comin’!  If you don’t have an expensive mandoline to make paper thin wafers for chips, I bet you have one of these:

Oh, and the dancing chicken?  Well, you’ll have to click here to read my interview at Simmer Til Done to get the scoop on that.  Tell Marilyn I sent ya.

        

My Southern family loves fried chicken so much, we bleed deep fried oil. My doctor says that could be a problem. So I’m trying out Japanese food which is among the world’s healthiest diets.  I checked out a Japanese cookbook and next to the recipes for sushi and miso soup, I found a recipe that would make my cast-iron skillet proud – tonkatsu.  Traditionally made from pork, I decided to try the chicken version called simply Chicken Katsu.

But it’s still FRIED, you say! Well, don’t get your panties in a bunch.  Baby steps, people.  Baby steps. First off, there’s no skin.  Second, it’s fried in very little oil and the pieces are much smaller since you’re slicing a boneless breast in half and pounding it flat.  I figure that counts for something.

And it was crunchy but not greasy with a greater proportion of crunch to chicken than you’d get at Colonel Sanders.  The secret is the Panko.  I get mine cheap at the Asian Market up the street.  This stuff could make Jello crispy.

Chicken Katsu
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
Pinch of salt and pepper
1/2 cup flour
3 eggs, lightly beaten with a little water
2 cups Japanese Panko crumbs

Heat 1 Tablespoon of canola oil in a non-stick skillet.

Slice the chicken from the sides into two large pieces.  Place each thin piece in a large Ziploc and pound to an even thickness.    Dip the chicken piece in flour, egg mixture, flour, mixture (don’t worry, double dipping is encouraged here!) and finally the Panko crumbs, patting the crumbs firmly into the chicken.

Saute the chicken about 5 minutes on each side until done.  Serve with Tonkatsu sauce.

Tonkatsu Sauce
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup tomato ketchup
1/4 teaspoon ground fresh ginger

In a small saucepan, combine and stir until sugar dissolves.  Store in refrigerator.

        

If you automatically think foods named alliteratively are junk foods marketed to kids, well, I’ve got something to tell you. You’re probably right. I mean, think of all these great gourmet treats… Captain Crunch, Dunkin’ Donuts, Frosted Flakes, Ding Dongs and Fiddle Faddle (the latter which reminds me of my great aunt, Hilda, who used to say this when she got flustered.)

But today, we break that rule, brothers and sisters. Because Ina Garten’s Pesto Peas and Pasta is just the kind of cool, creamy salad that’s great for your next pool party. This is no treat marketed to children although my kids love it.

I borrowed this pic from a friend so you could see how lovely it looks.

Pesto Pasta & Peas

1 lb. fusilli, rotini or shells
1/4 c. olive oil
1 1/2 c. pesto sauce (storebought is fine, but homemade is even better)
10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
3 Tbsp. of fresh lemon juice
1 1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan or Pecorino
1 1/2 c. frozen peas, thawed
1/3 c. pine nuts
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the pasta until al dente and drain. Toss with olive oil and cool to room temperature. In a food processor, combine the pesto, spinach and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and blend well. Add this mixture to the cooled pasta. Add in the Parmesan, pea and pine nuts. Season with salt and pepper.

        

I stuffed them with chopped roasted red pepper, the chopped stems of the mushrooms (you saved those, right?), parmesan and mozzarella, garlic and oregano.  I grilled them for about 10 minutes on medium and then browned them a bit under the broiler to give it that nice, golden brown toasty look (totally optional.)

This is one of of those, “what do I have in the fridge” recipes?  Here are a few ideas to get you pumped:

Strictly Vegetarian

• Roasted red peppers, Gruyere and basil
• Chopped onion, celery and garlic (saute in a little oil first)
• Roasted garlic, white wine and breadcrumbs
• Sun dried tomatoes and ricotta
• Sauteed spinach or chard with goat cheese
• Hummus and feta
• Cucumbers, tomato and ricotta
• Pico de Gallo and Queso Fresco
• Apples, walnuts and blue cheese
• Mesculin (add AFTER grilling) and lemon vinaigrette

Carnivores

• Crab, onion and cream cheese
• Sausage, tomato and basil
• Shrimp, parmesan and Alfredo sauce
• Bacon, potato and Cheddar
• Chicken, oregano and Kalamata olives

On the side, a cheap, fresh, cheap, tasty, did I mention CHEAP salad?  Remember that fresh market I visited?

They said it couldn’t be done.  I fed a family of four a healthy meal for under $10.  (OK, THAT’s been done.) But I fed mine and they actually ATE it!  Ha!  Take THAT!  (Shadow boxes around room.)  Who’s your mama now?!

(Please support your mama now by Digging this post!)

        

I crave coconut.  Anything coconut.  Well, except maybe this thing (Commence coconut crab nightmares…NOW!)  My youngest says coconut makes her gag which makes me wonder if she was switched in the hospital.

On our honeymoon, hubby and I ran into a guy who was splitting coconuts and offered one for us to drink.  He said it was “good for the digestion.”  What he meant was, bring a roll of toilet paper with you. Do you think they ever tire of playing that joke on tourists?   Fortunately, I didn’t drink much of it.  You see, like an idiot, I expected natural coconut to be sweet like SWEETENED coconut that you buy.  (Because, you know…I’m a rube.)

So naturally, I use coconut in everything and this Baked Coconut Tilapia with Fruit Salsa is like dinner and dessert at the same time.  And YET it’s good for you!  (OK, health police, please don’t hunt me down again. I know it’s not tofu, but it is baked and it is fish and it has fruit.  There’s gotta be healthy in there somewhere.)  Plus it’s easy!  Follow along with me.

I usually do about 2 cups Panko (those hippy little Japanese bread crumbs…Love ‘em!  But you can use regular breadcrumbs if you want) and 1 cup of coconut.  Sometimes I throw in a little cayenne.

Another little trick which I didn’t do in this recipe: Mix your Panko or breadcrumbs with about 1 tsp of canola oil and toss well.  Put your panko or breadcrumbs in the oven and toast them for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  It really helps give baked foods that “crispy-fried” crunchiness when you bread with pretoasted breadcrumbs.

Now for the salsa.

See that fruit cup?  I was going to buy a pineapple, a mango and a papaya but realized that the this was a much more frugal alternative.  Packed in juice, no less.

You know the rest.  Put it on the fish all pretty like and accept the kudos.

        

I’ve been visited by the grocery gremlins again.  You know, the ones who devour everything you bring home to cook dinner with so that when you go to make said dinner, the ingredients are now missing, or sometimes the box is still there but it’s now empty and said gremlin put it back without telling you so you wouldn’t know that they ate every last one!? I have three gremlins in this house…I married one and gave birth to the other two.

And yet, despite leaving our cupboards skimpier than a thong, they creep up (like said thong) and begin howling for more food.  What’s a cook to do?

Go on a pantry raid.  With spaghetti, stale bread, olive oil and garlic, I can calm the gremlins.  Here’s how.

SPAGHETTI WITH SPICY BREAD CRUMBS AND GARLIC

2 c. coarse stale bread crumbs (about 3-4 slices chopped up in the food processor or torn into small pieces)
6 Tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic
3/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 pound whole wheat spaghetti
1/2 c. grated Parmesan
1/4 c. freshly chopped Basil

Start your pasta water.  When it comes to a boil, toss in a pound of whole wheat spaghetti.

In saute pan, heat 2 Tablespoons of the oil over medium-high until shimmering.

Cook and stir until the breadcrumbs are golden and toasty.  Remove the crumbs.

Pour remaining 4 Tablespoons of olive oil into pan.  Add 3 more cloves of garlic.  Cook over medium until garlic is just golden, not burnt.

Drain spaghetti, reserving 1/4 c. of the cooking water and toss the spaghetti in the pan with the olive oil.  Add 1/4 c. cooking water and toss again.  Shred 1/4 c. Parmesan in and the bread crumb mixture and toss it AGAIN!

Put it in to a warm bowl and sprinkle with freshly chopped basil.   If you’re like my fire-eating husband and want it hotter, toss in some hot pepper sauce or more hot pepper flakes.

        

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