Lentil Soup with Lemon

Prep: 35Min; COOK: 40Min; servings: 4  (altered)

INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/8 teaspoon chili powder, or to taste

1 (32 ounce) carton chicken broth 1 cup red lentils 1 large carrot, diced  juice of 3 med/small lemons* 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling 1 pinch chili powder

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and cook until the onion has turned golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, kosher salt, black pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon of chili powder. Cook and stir 2 minutes more until the spices are fragrant.
2.	Stir in the chicken broth, lentils, and carrot. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lentils are soft, about 30 minutes.
3.	Pour half of the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full. Hold down the lid of the blender with a folded kitchen towel, and carefully start the blender, using a few quick pulses to get the soup moving before leaving it on to puree. Puree in batches until smooth and pour into a clean pot. Alternately, you can use a stick blender and puree the soup right in the cooking pot. Do not puree all of the soup, leave it a little chunky.
4.	Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro, then season to taste with salt. Drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of chili powder to serve. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe-Tools/Print/Recipe.aspx?recipeID=160051&origin=detail&servings=4&metric=false

Ching's Midnight Dan Dan Noodles

TOTAL TIME: 30 min (Prep: 15 min; Inactive Prep: -- Cook: 15 min)

 

YIELD: 6 servings

ingredients

NOODLES:

• 1 pound flat wide wheat-flour noodles ( udon)
• Pinch sea salt

• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

TOPPINGS:

• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 tablespoon finely grated freshly peeled ginger root
• 3 red Fresno chiles, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 9 ounces ground beef
• 1/2 cup finely diced cornichons or sweet gherkins

• 1 tablespoon Chinese sesame paste
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Shaoshing rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon Chinkiang black rice vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon ground Sichuan peppercorns
• Freshly ground white pepper

GARNISH:

• 1/4 cup chili oil
• 1/4cup toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 cup light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon ground Sichuan peppercorns
• 3 red Fresno chiles, stemmed, seeded and finely diced

• 2 large scallions, finely chopped
• 1 small handful fresh cilantro, leaves and stems, finely chopped
• 3 to 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock, very hot
• Cook's Note: Sesame paste can be substituted with an equal amount of tahini mixed with 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil.

Directions

For the noodles: Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Add the noodles and salt, stir, and cook until al dente, about 4 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water, and then shake out any excess water and transfer to a bowl. Pour the sesame oil over the noodles and toss well to coat.For the toppings: Heat a wok over high heat until smoking and pour in the peanut oil. Add the ginger, chiles and garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds, and then add the ground beef and cook, breaking up the meat with a spatula, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in the cornichons, sesame paste, soy sauce, rice wine, vinegar and peppercorns and cook until the beef begins to crisp. Season with white pepper and remove from the heat.
For the garnish: Mix together the chili oil, sesame oil, soy, peppercorns and chiles in a small bowl.
To serve, divide the noodles among 6 deep soup bowls and sprinkle the meat topping evenly over each. Pour the hot stock evenly over the noodles, and serve with the chili oil mixture, scallions and cilantro alongside at the table for garnishing.

Recipe courtesy Ching-He Huang 
From: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/ching-he-huang/chings-midnight-dan-dan-noodles.html

LONG JOHN SILVER'S FISH BATTER

Ingredients:

3/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon baking soda soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water

Directions:

1. Sift dry ingredients

2. Add water and mix well

3. Use to coat fish or chicken filets

4. Cover the fish or chicken completely

5. Deep fry until a deep golden brown

Mashed Potato hash

Just mash potatoes plain with butter or you can add yummy ingredients like cooked bacon, cheese, parsley, green onion, garlic, etc. Stuff in to a greased muffin tin, run a fork along the top and brush with melted butter or olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees or until tops are crispy and golden.

Homemade Shake and Bake Mixture

Serving: 9 C

Ingredients:

• 4 cups flour
• 4 cups finely crushed saltine crackers (bread crumbs?)
• ⅓ cup salt (reduce/remove salt)
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp. onion powder
• 1 Tbsp. pepper
• 4 Tbsp. paprika
• ¼ cup vegetable oil