Spicy Chicken Noodles – It’s The Rice That Makes It Nice

The only downside to this beautiful, spicy chicken noodles recipe is that I’m now going to get even more requests for Pad Thai that I usually do. Which is understandable, since no matter what recipe they’re used in, rice noodles are a proven crowd-pleaser.

By the way, I’ll post a recipe for pad Thai just as soon as my version comes out at least as well as the worst restaurant example in town. I’m not quite there yet. In the meantime, we can all practice our rice noodle soaking technique. As I mentioned, check the package of noodles you buy, as the time will vary depending on the size of the noodle.

I think this dish is perfect for using up leftover chicken, assuming it wasn’t horribly overcooked in the first place. If you did want to use raw chicken, go ahead and chop it up, and stir-fry it for a minute or two, before adding your vegetables. Either way, I really hope you give this spicy chicken noodles recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 large or 4 small portions:

8 ounces dry rice noodles, soaked in 6 cups of boiling, lightly salted water (drain and rinse before using)

8 ounces cooked chicken breast, torn

1 tablespoon sesame oil

For the sauce:

3 tablespoons hoisin

1 tablespoon soy sauce, plus more to taste

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 or 2 tablespoons Sriracha, or other hot sauce

1 teaspoon hot chili flakes

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1/2 cup chicken broth

For the vegetables:

1 large carrot, finely sliced or shredded

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

2 jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced

2 cups finely sliced green cabbage

1/2 cup chopped green onions

3 cloves garlic, finely crushed

1/2 cup freshly chopped cilantro

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Grilled “Tandoori” Lamb – Hold the Tandoor

Since I didn’t cook this marvelous meat in a tandoor oven, it’s not actually tandoori lamb, which will save some of you the time letting me know all the other ways it isn’t the real deal. Accepting that, these days “tandoori” simply refers to the yogurt based, aromatically spiced marinade, whether you grill, broil, or bake the meat.

As usual, please adjust the spice amounts to your tastes, since you know you much better than I do. These should get you close to your friendly neighborhood Indian joint, but still, play around. If you want to add some veggies between the pieces of meat, go ahead, but I have more success cooking them separately.

I really like lamb sirloin, and see it in the stores more often these days, but like I said in the video, leg of lamb, or a shoulder roast, are also very nice for this. If you feel like splurging, you can do lamb chops, but for those, 4 to 6 hours is plenty of time in the marinade. But, no matter which cut you use, or animal for that matter, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Marinade Ingredients for 2 to 3 pounds of lamb

2 to 3 pounds lamb sirloin, cut into about 1 1/2 to 2-inch chunks

1 cup plain yogurt

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more pre-grilling

1 big juicy lemon, juiced

1/4 cup grated or very finely minced onion

2 cloves crushed garlic

1 tablespoon grated ginger

2 generous teaspoons garam masala (click here to make your own)

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon cumin powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

chopped cilantro

fresh lemon

grilled onions

flatbread or rice

spicy cilantro chutney (I don’t have a recipe, but here’s one)

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Lebanese Mountain Bread – A Peak Flatbread Experience

As promised, here is my take on Lebanese Mountain Bread. There are so many reasons why I love this simple bread. There’s the unique texture, gorgeous appearance, and fun-to-make technique, but discovering this also helped me solve a culinary mystery from my childhood.

I used to spend a lot of time at my grandmothers house as a toddler, and every once an a while she would give me something called “Syrian bread,” which was made by a neighbor across the street. It was one of my earliest food memories, and at the time, probably my favorite thing to eat. It was just so much different than the sliced white bread, or crusty Italian bread I was used to eating.

However, the Syrian lady across the street must have been the only person in the area that knew how to make it, since, once she was gone, so was the bread. Over the years, I tried many versions, but I never did come across that exact same experience, and assumed it was lost to history, until I saw something online called Lebanese Mountain Bread, which looked remarkably similar.

After a few (dozen) experiments, I finally nailed it down, and was suddenly transported back to grandma’s kitchen. By the way, this might be as close to a time machine as we ever get. Fair warning, it may take a little practice stretching the dough over the bowl (or Lebanese mountain bread pillow), but your efforts will be richly rewarded, so I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 8 portions Lebanese Mountain Bread:

1/2 cup bread flour

1 teaspoon dry active yeast

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 cup warm water

then add:

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon fine salt)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup bread flour, plus more as needed

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Happy 5th of July!

I hope you had a great holiday, and that your food was just as impressive as the fireworks show, or visa versa. We’re going to take a few days off, so there won’t be any new videos this week, but that’ll give you time to catch up on the ones you’ve missed, as well as continue to build suspense for the upcoming Lebanese Mountain Bread video.

In related news, I’m also experimenting with a few new/old things to serve with the aforementioned, and thoroughly teased flatbread. So, stay tuned for all that, and, as always, enjoy!

.

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Crisp Peach Cobbler – Crispier than a Crisp, Which is Really Just a Crumble

Since we already posted a peach cobbler, I decided to do a peach crisp instead, but I wanted to do a really crispy crisp, and not the same old crumble style. 

I looked at dozens of recipes online, and came across one from the critically acclaimed, “A Boat, a Whale, & a Walrus,” by Renee Erickson. I did change it up a bit, and tweaked the procedure, but that’s where the inspiration is from.

I didn’t mention it in the video, but make sure you put a pan underneath your cobbler as it bakes. I like the heat getting underneath my dish, so I placed the pan on the rack below, but this would probably be fine if you just placed the dish directly on the pan.

This technique should work with any, and all, cobbler-approved fruits, and no matter what you use, it would make a welcomed addition to anyone’s picnic or cookout. Of course, make sure you have plenty of vanilla ice cream around, preferably homemade. So, the next time you’re in possession of some perfectly ripe peaches, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 8 portions:

6 large peaches, cut into 8ths

zest and juice from 1 lemon

- Placed in a buttered baking dish (about 2-inches deep is perfect)

- Mine dish was 10-inches across, and holds 2 quarts

For the batter:

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp

1 1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1 1/3 cups self-rising flour (or all-purpose flour plus 2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon fine salt)

1/3 cup rolled oats

2/3 cup whole milk

For the top:

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

cold water spritzed generously over the top

- Bake at 375 F for about 45 minutes, or until browned and crispy.

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Grilled Flat Iron – Make the Steak, Not the Mistake

Well, at least I don’t have to type the ingredient amounts for this could’ve-been-delicious, flat iron steak. I thought for sure maple syrup, coffee, and bourbon would be great together, but it turns out they weren’t even good together. 

Okay, they were bad. It reminded me of some daily special, gone really wrong, at one of those strip mall steakhouses. Luckily, we have several excellent marinades that will work perfectly with this great steak, and I will list a few below. 

Like I said in the video, the real point was to share what a great cut of beef flat iron is for the grill. It checks all the boxes, and requires virtually no trimming. Plus, and very ironically, it’s especially good for absorbing marinades.

So, enjoy this with your favorite pre-grill meat soak, or check out one of the following links. Regardless, I really hope you give flat iron steaks a try soon.  Enjoy!

Here are some marinade recipes that would be perfect for this:

Grilled Hoisin Beef

Miso-Glazed Skirt Steak

Beerbecue Beef Flank Steak
Thai-Dipped Beef Tri Tip

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American Gyros – Mystery Meat Demystified

If you’re from Greece, you’re probably pretty confused right now, and wondering why I’m calling this gyros. There, pork and chicken are used, in non-ground form, and as the meat turns slowly over a fire, the cooked, caramelized surface is shaved off into thin slices. 

It’s amazing stuff, but believe it or not, I prefer this Americanized “mystery meat” approach, which uses ground lamb and/or beef. The spices are similar, but the texture is totally different, and for me, more interesting. I can eat fresh, identifiable meat anytime, so when I’m in the mood for gyros, I want the stuff you can only get from certain street vendors. Of course, since the meat is ground, you’re taking their word for which specific animals made the ultimate sacrifice, which is why this stuff became affectionately known as “mystery meat.”

This style is perfect for making ahead of time. Once it’s chilled, and sliced, all you need to do is brown it in a pan, and find some flatbread to roll it up in. Preferably, that would be homemade Lebanese mountain bread, which I will attempt to show you in the near future. In the meantime, your favorite pita will do, just as long as you don’t forget to make some tzatziki. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 8 portions:

1 pound ground lamb

1 pound ground beef

1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon freshly minced rosemary

2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 to 3 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste (you can cook a small piece to test)

1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons bread crumb

- Cook at 350 F. for 45 minutes, or until an internal temp of 160 F.
-- Note: to make the pickled red onions, simply slice them about 1/8-inch thick, and cover with red wine vinegar for a few hours, or overnight. They will turn into the beautifully colored garnish seen herein.

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