NOODLES GALORE

 
nevermind my pile of jewels

this is just about the easiest pasta dish to make- not to mention it’s inexpensive and delicious.  every single ingredient that goes into this is clear in the overall taste.  i’d say that this is actually a spring-like dinner, though i can have it any night because i enjoy all the flavors- especially the peas and the trumpet mushrooms.  recipe below.

noodles

egg noodles (i cooked enough for two servings)

 

for the sauce

six small trumpet mushrooms- thinly sliced
half a white onion, sliced thinly
three tablespoons of curly parsley, chopped
four tablesppons of unsalted butter
two tablespoons of heavy cream
salt
pepper
one quarter cup of green peas
juice of one lemon
freshly grated parmesean cheese
one fourth cup of shredded grilled chicken breast

boil water, season with salt, add noodles, and let them cook.  while noodles are cooking, start preparing the sauce.

in a small saucepan melt four tablespoons of unsalted butter, and add the juice of one lemon when the butter is melted.  add the sliced onions and cook until soft.  when onions are soft, season with salt and pepper and add the two tablespoons of heavy cream.  stir until mixed properly.  bring to a slow boil, and let the sauce reduce to half.  next, add the sliced trumpet mushrooms, and parsley.  cook four to five minutes and add the green peas on top.  let cook over medium low-heat until the peas are warm and next add the chicken to the sauce.  when the egg noodles are cooked, rinse them and toss them in the sauce.  serve with the freshly grated parmesean cheese on top.

yummy yummy yummmy.

a dinner held in memory

cooking is in my blood.  my grandmother, hailing from vietnam, owned a vietnamese restaurant in portland for a good 10 years.  and my father’s biggest passion besides fishing, was cooking- thus it’s easy math to realize that i’m a chef since birth.  last monday, a year since my father passed, i decided to cook dinner for my mother and myself that consisted of all the food he enjoyed. 

years ago, when he was 22, he worked at the portland fish market, and every day he brought home one claw lobsters- which he called, WONCWAWLOBSTA.  so obviously i had to cook lobster! not one claw, two claw! in addition to the lobster, i decided to make steamers with marinara sauce.  obviously, there was salada and corn- but i’m just going to focus on the two entrees.  i steamed the lobsters, cracked ‘em, and served them with clarified butter.  the steamers entailed a bit more.  recipe below.

steamers marinara

2 pounds of steamers- rinsed!
can of whole tomatos
one vine tomato
bunch of parsely
basil leaves
carrot
celery stalk
white onion
4 garilc cloves crushed and minced
olive oil
generous amount of dry white wine
salt
pepper
parmesean cheese
1 tbsp of butter

rinse your steamers- if you do not, you will be left with sand in your dish, and that’s not pleasant… trust me.  let the steamers drain in a collinder, while you chop the onions and mince the garlic.  on the stove have a deep pan with olive oil on the bottom, and put the garlic and onions in so they can mingle.  when those become translucent, add the parsley and salt and pepper.  (the amount depends on your taste buds).  when those are nice and translucent add the chopped carrot and chopped celery, and sautee on medium heat for 3 minutes.  chop tomato and add to pot with half a can of whole tomatoes.  take a fork and smash each whole tomato in the pan, so chunks are evenly distributed.  quickly move the veggie mixture from the pot to a blender, and blend until smooth.  move the sauce back into the pan and add the steamers on top.  pour wine over the clams, and add the rest of the whole tomatoes.  cover pan, and let steam for 20 minutes.  when the shells have opened, then your steamers are done.  add the tbsp of butter and the parmesean cheese over the top just to give the dish a little more deliciousness.  garnish with chopped parsley and basil, and a warm baguette.

sorry the photos are terrible.  but enjoy la norriture.

miss e.