Closet Cooking

Pistachio Asparagus Pesto on Penne

2009-07-09T18:59:00.004-04:00

With asparagus season fading and summers produce starting to enter the farmers market I wanted to try a few of my favorites asparagus recipes. Top on my list was the asparagus pesto pasta. I had discovered a while ago that asparagus makes for a really nice pesto and I have been making it every year since. Pestos normally include a nut and I usually use pine nuts as they add a really nice creaminess to pestos. Recently I had been wondering about using pistachios in a pesto and I though that now was the perfect chance to try. This is one pretty green pesto with the asparagus, pistachios and even a bit of spinach. Of course the first thing that I thought to try the pesto on was a pasta and my choice of noodles was a whole wheat penne making for a nice light and fairly healthy Summer meal. The pistachio asparagus penne was a breeze to make and it tasted great! The pistachios worked really well in the asparagus pesto and I am looking forward to experimenting with using them in more pestos.

Pistachio Asparagus Pesto Pasta

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound pasta
1 cup pistachio asparagus pesto (see below)
parmigiano reggiano to taste (grated, optional garnish)
asparagus tips (optional garnish)
pistachios (chopped, optional garnish)

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta in well salted water as directed on the package.
2. When the pasta is cooked to al dente drain the pasta water reserving some of it.
3. Pour the pasta back into the still hot pan, add the pesto and enough of the pasta water to make a smooth sauce that coats the pasta.
4. Serve garnished with parmigiano reggiano, the asparagus tips and some chopped pistachios.

Pistachio Asparagus Pesto

(makes 1 cup pesto)

Ingredients:
1 cup asparagus (cleaned, trimmed, blanched and chopped)
1/4 cup spinach (optional, helps keep the pesto nice and green)
1 clove garlic (chopped)
2 tablespoons pistachios (toasted)
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (grated)
3 tablespoons olive oil
lemon juice to taste (optional)
salt to taste

Directions:
1. Place everything into a food processor and blend.

Tod Mun Pla (Thai Fish Cakes)

2009-07-08T18:49:00.003-04:00

I have been enjoying making my own fresh Thai curry pastes ever since I discovered how easy they were to make. Since they keep well in the freezer I almost always have some on hand. I recently made a new batch of red curry paste and I was looking for some new recipes to try using some of it in. One dish that I kept coming across was tod mun pla or Thai fish cakes that used red curry paste in the cake mixture. Some of the things that I liked about the tod mun pla recipes were that they included a green vegetable in the form of long beans and that they also used a lot of fresh herbs. The fish cakes promised to be really tasty all by themselves but I found that they were often served with a cucumber dipping sauce which also sounded good. Many of the recipes that I came across called for fish paste but I decided to just use some chopped up white fish which in this case was tilapia. The fish cakes were pretty easy to make. You pretty much just mix everything, form patties and fry them in oil until golden brown. You could deep fry the fish cake but I chose to shallow fry them as it would be easier. The tod mun pla were really tasty! I was right, they were packed with so much flavour that they hardly needed the dipping sauce but it provided some nice contrasting flavours and textures. The fish cakes had a nice crispy outside and the insides were nice and warm and soft and moist. I really liked the freshness that the herbs brought to the cakes and overall they were a really nice light meal.

Tod Mun Pla (Thai Fish Cakes)

(makes 4 appetizer sized servings or 2 light meal sized servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound white fish (cut into small pieces)
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1/2 cup long beans (thinly sliced)
3 kaffir lime leaves (thinly sliced)
1 birds eye chili (thinly sliced)
1 green onion (thinly sliced)
2 tablespoons cilantro (chopped)
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
peanut oil for frying

Directions:
1. Mix everything for the cakes in a large bowl by hand until sticky.
2. Form into small 3 inch diameter cakes.
3. Fry in oil until golden brown on both sides.

Cucumber Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cucumber (seeded and sliced)
1 birds eye chili (thinly sliced)
1 green onion (thinly sliced)
1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)
1 tablespoon peanuts (roasted and finely chopped)

Directions:
1. Heat the water, vinegar and sugar in a sauce pan until the sugar dissolves.
2. Allow the vinegar mixture to cool.
3. Mix everything.

Roasted Strawberry Balsamic Ice Cream

2009-07-07T18:55:00.002-04:00

Strawberry season is in full swing and I have certainly been enjoying it! Last year I tried roasting strawberries for the first time with great results and I was thinking that a roasted strawberry ice cream would be a good idea. Roasting the strawberries seems to concentrate and intensify their flavour and when they roast they release their juices which gets all nice and syrupy and good. While I was thinking about the concentrated strawberry flavour the strawberry and balsamic vinegar combo came to mind as the a splash of balsamic vinegar also helps to bring out the the natural strawberry flavour. As for the recipe, I started with my standard ice cream base and added the roasted balsamic strawberries so it was pretty simple. When roasting the strawberries I place them on a sheet of foil and fold the edges up to make sure to capture all of the strawberry juices that are released. The roasted strawberry balsamic ice cream was so good! I have been experimenting with the number of egg yolks that I use in my ice creams and I have found that the more that you use the creamier the ice cream is and this time I used 3 egg yolks and the ice cream was nice and smooth and creamy. The strawberry flavour in the ice cream was so intense and bright and vibrant and good! This was easily the best strawberry ice cream that I have had and I will definitely be making some more soon.

Roasted Strawberry Balsamic Ice Cream

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups strawberries (cleaned and hulled)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup full milk
1/2 cup sugar (I used vanilla sugar)
3 egg yolks

Directions:
1. Toss the strawberries in the balsamic vinegar and sugar and let sit for 20 minutes.
2. Pour the mixture on a baking pan covered in foil folded up on the sides to capture the juices.
3. Roast the strawberries in a preheated 425F oven until they start to caramelize, about 15-20 minutes.
4. Place the strawberries and the juices into a container and chill in the fridge.
5. Heat the cream, milk and sugar in a sauce pan until it almost boils, about 5 minutes.
6. Reduce the heat to low.
7. Add one tablespoon of the cream mixture to the eggs to temper them.
8. Add the egg mixture to the sauce pan.
9. Cook at low heat until it thickens and can coat the back of a spoon.
10. You may want to strain the mixture at this point to remove any bits that may have formed while cooking.
11. Chill the mixture in the fridge.
12. Mix the cream and strawberry mixtures.
13. Freeze according to the instructions for your ice cream machine.

Wagyu Burgers

2009-07-05T20:43:00.000-04:00

It seems that I have been on a bit of a quest for the ultimate burger lately and I think that I may have found it. Last time I tried getting a nice high quality fatty ground beef and paying attention to the details when preparing and cooking the burgers. Although the burgers turned out great I had another idea to try; wagyu beef. Wagyu is a breed of cattle whose meat is predisposed to fatty marbling. The fat is important for burgers as it adds flavour and it helps to keep the burgers nice and moist and juicy when they are cooked. The wagyu beef promised to make a juicy and tasty burger indeed!

When making burgers I often spice them up a bit and one of my favorite ways to do that is with Montreal steak spice. This time however, I wanted to get the full wagyu beef experience so I seasoned them simply with just salt and pepper. Despite the simple seasoning the wagyu burgers turned out great! I enjoyed the first one topped simply with lettuce and tomato so that I could really taste the wagyu beef. (Of course if you prefer you can top the burger any way you like and certainly the bacon and cheese version makes for a much better photo.) The wagyu burger was nice and juicy and tender and it was easily the best burger that I have ever had! Because the wagyu beef is a bit more expensive I don't think that I will be using it all the time but it will certainly be making appearances for special occasions.

Wagyu Burgers

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds ground wagyu beef
salt and pepper to taste
4 buns
lettuce (optional)
tomatoes (sliced, optional)

Directions:
1. Season the ground beef with salt and pepper.
2. Form into 4 patties 3/4 inches thick and press your thumb into the middle to form a depression on top prevent bulging.
3. Brush the patties with oil, place on grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, about 3-5 minutes per side.
4. Set aside, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
5. Assemble burgers to taste.

Garlic Scape Pesto Scrambled Eggs with Asparagus and Mushrooms

2009-07-04T18:24:00.002-04:00

I had a bunch of the garlic scape pesto left over after I made the pasta and I was wondering what to do with it. While the asparagus has been in season I have been enjoying it for breakfasts combining it with eggs and very often mushrooms in various forms. While I was grabbing the eggs, asparagus and mushrooms for a scrambled egg breakfast I noticed the garlic scape pesto in the fridge and I thought, why not add some of it to the scrambled eggs? I decided to just make the scrambled eggs with asparagus and mushrooms the same as usual except that I would beat the garlic scape pesto into the eggs before adding them to the pan to cook. When I added the eggs with the garlic scape pesto to the pan an amazing garlicky aroma quickly filled the kitchen and I knew that it had been a good idea. The scrambled eggs with garlic scape pesto were really tasty and they went well with the mushrooms. The juicy asparagus cleansed the palate in between bites readying you for more garlicky goodness. I was quite pleased with how adding a pesto to the scrambled eggs worked and I am looking forward to experimenting with adding other pestos to scrambled eggs. I think that pestos would also work well in frittatas and breakfast egg casseroles.

Garlic Scape Pesto Scrambled Eggs with Asparagus and Mushrooms

(makes 1 serving)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon garlic scape pesto
2 eggs
1 tablespoon oil
4 cremini mushrooms (sliced)
4 asparagus spears (cleaned, trimmed and cut into 1 inch slices)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Lightly beat the garlic scape pesto into the eggs.
2. Heat the oil in a pan.
3. Add the mushrooms and saute until tender, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Add the asparagus and saute until tender, about 3 minutes.
5. Add the eggs and stir until they are cooked, about 1-3 minutes.
6. Season with salt and pepper.

Asparagus and Shiitake Mushroom Teriyaki Quinoa Salad

2009-07-03T19:08:00.003-04:00

Since discovering quinoa it has quickly become one of my favorite grains. It is a very versatile grain and I like to use it in salads, soups and even as a porridge for breakfast. I am constantly looking for new ways of enjoying quinoa and I recently came across a teriyaki quinoa that sounded good. Homemade teriyaki sauce is one of my favorite flavours and I immediately jumped on the idea of combining it with quinoa. The teriyaki quinoa that I came across was more of a side dish with just the quinoa and the teriyaki sauce but I was thinking that it would go better as a more substantial salad. Given that teriyaki sauce is Japanese I was thinking about Japanese ingredients and the first thing that came to mind was some teriyaki shiitake mushrooms. Next up was some edamame for a bit of green and a healthy kick and since asparagus was still in season and I had it on hand I threw some in as well. I then garnished it with some toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions. The one critical element that I find really makes Asian inspired dishes is the smell of sesame oil and I always like to add a bit just at the end so that the aroma is nice and fresh as the dish is served. The asparagus and shiitake mushroom teriyaki quinoa salad turned out really well! The quinoa salad was so light and with the teriyaki flavour it was amazing. The toasted sesame seeds added a nice crunch and along with the sesame oil they added another great layer of flavour. Overall this turned out to be a really nice light Summer meal.

Asparagus and Shiitake Mushroom Teriyaki Quinoa Salad

(makes 2 light meal servings or 4 side dish servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
2 cups water
1/2 tablespoon oil
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms (sliced)
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 pound asparagus (cut into bite sized pieces and steamed)
1/4 cup edamame (blanched)
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 green onion (chopped)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds (toasted)

Directions:
1. Simmer the quinoa in the water until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a pan.
3. Add the shiitake mushrooms and saute for a few minutes.
4. Add the teriyaki sauce until it is absorbed, about 1-3 minutes.
5. Add the sesame oil and remove from heat and let cool a bit.
6. Mix everything and serve.

Similar Recipes:
Teriyaki Mushroom Salad
Roasted Strawberry and Asparagus Quinoa Salad
Beef and Asparagus Stir-fry

Take a look at the No Croutons Required grains round up on Lisa's Kitchen.

Garlic Scape Pesto on Fusilli with Garlic Scape Garlic Bread

2009-07-02T17:59:00.005-04:00

While I was searching for ways to use the garlic scapes that I picked up on the weekend the one recipe that kept coming up was a garlic scape pesto. Given that I am a fan of garlic, a garlicky pesto sounded really good! I was a bit concerned though as I did read a few complaints from people that had tried the garlic scape pesto and found it to be too strong. As a test I tried eating some of the raw garlic scapes and although they were fairly strong they were good and I decided to forge ahead. When I took a bite out of the garlic scapes I noticed that they were a bit stringy so I decided to cut the scapes into little pieces before pureeing in the food processor in an attempt to keep the pesto nice and smooth. Other than that bit of chopping the pesto was really easy to make and the pine nuts, parmigiano reggiano, and olive oil mellowed out the raw garlicky flavour nicely. When I make pesto pastas I normally pour a some of the boiling water into a bowl, drain the pasta and put it right the now empty pot and add the pesto and some of the reserved pasta water. The combination of the hot pot and hot pasta water also worked to further mellow out the garlic flavour. In the end the garlic scape pesto was amazing! Given my slight reservations before making it I was a bit surprised and now the garlic scape pesto is my favorite pesto!

With all the thoughts about garlic floating through my head one thing that came to mind was a garlic scape garlic bread. Since I had used the last of my garlic scapes to make the garlic scape pesto I decided to make a garlic scape pesto garlic bread and I topped it with some more parmigiano reggiano and toasted it until the cheese was melted and golden brown. The cheesy garlic scape pesto garlic toast was so good and it went well with the pasta! What a great garlicky meal!

Garlic Scape Pesto

(makes 1 cup of pesto)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup garlic scapes (sliced 1/4 inch thick)
2 tablespoons pine nuts (toasted)
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano (grated)
3 tablespoons olive oil
lemon juice to taste (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Place everything into a food processor and blend.

Tip: If you find the garlic scapes to be too strong you can try blanching them before making the pesto to mellow out the flavour a bit.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

2009-07-01T08:10:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite things to do with strawberries is to combine them with rhubarb. Strawberries and rhubarb is one of those classic flavour combinations and with good reason. The tart rhubarb goes really well with strawberries and I could not let the summer go by without making at least one thing with them. Normally I like to go with a simple strawberry and rhubarb crumble or crisp as they are super easy to throw together but this year I wanted to try making a pie. I still have not mastered the art of pie pastry yet so I have been looking for excuses to practice and a strawberry and rhubarb pie was a perfect one. Pies are a bit more challenging to make and with this one I did alright with the crust but I did forget to add the cornstarch to the filling so it was a bit wetter than I would have liked. Despite the mistake the pie turned out great! The crust was nice and golden brown and light and flaky. The filling tasted amazing and of course the essential scoop of melting vanilla ice cream finished it off perfectly.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

(makes 1 pie)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
3 cups strawberries (cleaned, hulled and sliced)
3 cups rhubarb (cleaned, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
1 cup sugar
1 lemon (juice and zest)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 pinch cardamom (ground)
2 pie pastry crusts
1 egg white (lightly beaten)
1 tablespoon water

Directions:
1. Mix the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar and lemon juice and zest in a large bowl and let sit for 20 minutes.
2. Sprinkle the cornstarch and cardamom on and mix it in.
3. Pour the mixture into a pastry lined pie dish.
4. Top with the other pastry crusts, crimp the sides closed and slice some holes in the top.
5. Mix the egg white and water and brush onto the pie crust.
6. Bake in a preheated 400F oven for 10 minutes, reduce the heat to 350F and bake until it is golden brown on top, about 30 minutes.

Garlic Scape Scampi

2009-06-29T18:40:00.005-04:00

Garlic scapes or the green tops of the garlic plant are often cut off while they are still immature to encourage the bulbs to grow larger. The garlic scapes are edible and generally have a milder flavour than the garlic cloves themselves. I first heard about garlic scapes last year but I had just missed them and I have been patiently waiting to try them since. This weekend I was lucky enough to spot some and I immediatly picked them up. While I was thinking about what to do with the garlic scapes the first thing that came to mind was a variation of one of my favorite dishes, scampi, with the garlic replaced with fresh chopped garlic scapes. Scampi is shrimp dish served in a garlic, butter and white wine sauce. Normally when I make scampi I toss the shrimp and sauce with pasta but this time I decided to serve the shrimp with some crusty bread to soak up all of the buttery, garlicky, sauce. I had heard that cooking garlic scapes would reduce their flavour or make them milder so I changed the recipe up a bit and added the garlic scapes closer to the end to try to retain as much flavour as possible. The garlic scapes did not disappoint! They had the garlic flavor that I enjoy so much but it was some how fresher and it went well in the scampi with the shrimp. With my first experiment with garlic scapes such a success I am looking forward to trying something else with them.

Garlic Scape Scampi

(makes 2 appetizer sized servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 pinch red chili pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 pound shrimp (shelled and deveined)
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 lemon (juice and zest)
1/4 cup garlic scapes (finely chopped)
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:
1. Heat the oil and melt the butter in a pan.
2. Add the red chili pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add the shrimp and saute until cooked, about 2-3 minutes per side.
4. Remove the shrimp from the pan.
5. Add the wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil.
6. Simmer the liquid until reduced by about half, about 3-5 minutes.
7. Add the garlic scapes and simmer until fragrant, about a minute.
8. Add the butter, wait for it to melt and turn off the heat.

Roasted Asparagus with Poached Egg

2009-06-27T21:08:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite ways to cook asparagus is to roast it as roasting seems to concentrate the flavour. Simple roasted asparagus seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper is makes a great side dish and you can easily top it with various things to change it up from meal to meal. You could also top it with something more substantial, like an egg, and turn it into a light meal. Though I have done roasted asparagus topped with fried eggs, scrambled eggs and even chopped up hard boiled eggs my favorite is a poached egg. Roasted asparagus topped with a poached egg makes for a really nice light and healthy meal that I have been enjoying often on weekend mornings over the last few weeks. Really, how can you go wrong topping anything with an egg with a nice runny yolk? I also like to top everything off with some freshly grated parmigiano reggiano and sometimes even a splash of balsamic vinegar.

Roasted Asparagus with Poached Egg

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 pound thick asparagus (trimmed)
4 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
parmigiano reggiano to taste (grated, optional)
balsamic vinegar to taste (optional)

Directions:
1. Spread the asparagus out in a single layer on a flat baking dish.
2. Roast in a preheated 400F oven until tender, about 10-15 minutes.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and reduce the heat to medium.
4. Crack an egg into a bowl and pour the egg from the bowl into the water and repeat for remaining eggs.
5. Let the eggs cook until the whites are set but the yolks are not, about 2-3 minutes.
6. Arrange the asparagus on plates and top with the poached eggs.
7. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle on some parmigiano reggiano.

And the winner is...

2009-06-27T12:19:00.004-04:00

The winner of the Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone: Recipes to Put You in My Favorite Mood cookbook and Curtis Stone apron and Curtis Stone shoulder bag is commenter #176 (via random.org) or Gee of You had me at Ciao Bella!. Gee, please contact me by email lynch.kevin@gmail.com with your address so that I can get the package in the mail as soon as possible.

If anyone knows how to get blogger to add numbers to the comments, please let me know. It took me 30 minutes to write an application to extract the names and number them in order.

Strawberry Balsamic Jam

2009-06-26T20:15:00.005-04:00

Ever since I started making my own jams I have been making a strawberry jam every year when the strawberries are in season. With strawberry season now in full swing it was the perfect time to make some more strawberry jam and I was also running a bit low on supplies from previous years. I like to change things up a bit each year and try something a little different. This year I was thinking that if a touch of balsamic vinegar goes well with and enhances the flavour of strawberries then a strawberry balsamic jam would be a good idea. I pretty much just took the original strawberry jam recipe and added some balsamic vinegar.

After making the jam last weekend I could not resist opening up a jar to try it. My favorite way to taste test a new jam is to have it simply on a slice of toast. The strawberry balsamic jam did not set quite as much as some of my other jams have but it set well enough and it tasted great! You cannot taste the balsamic vinegar in the jam but there is that something extra that you just can't quite put you finger on. When I did a side by side comparison with a plain strawberry jam the strawberry balsamic jam seems brighter and the strawberry flavour seems to be stronger. I have been enjoying the strawberry balsamic preserves all week for breakfast on toast along with scrambled eggs and the still in season asparagus. Another one of my favorite ways to enjoy jams is on plain yogurt as a simple parfait. With fresh local strawberries available I have been enjoying the strawberry jam and yogurt parfait with fresh strawberries and some chopped pistachios.

Strawberry Balsamic Jam

(makes 6-8 cups)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
4 + 1/2 cups strawberries (cleaned, hulled, sliced and mashed)
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 box Certo pectin crystals
7 cups sugar

Directions:
1. Bring the strawberries, balsamic vinegar and pectin crystals to a boil with high heat in a large pot.
2. Add the sugar.
3. Bring to a hard boil for 1 minute.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Stir and skim foam for 5 minutes.
6. Pour into sterilized jars.

To sterilize the jars:
1. Wash in hot soapy water.
2. Keep the lids in boiling water until ready to use.
3. Place jars in 225F oven for 10 minutes and keep warm until ready to use.

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

2009-06-25T19:14:00.003-04:00

When I was at the grocery store I noticed that they still had a lot of cheap pineapples and I remembered that I had recently come across a recipe for a Thai pineapple fried rice in my bookmarks that sounded really good. I had not thought of adding sweet, juicy and tangy pineapple to a fried rice dish but the idea immediately stuck in my mind. I also noticed that the recipe called for a healthy dose of curry powder and combo'd with the pineapple it kind of reminded me of the curried pineapple banana bread that I had recently made and really enjoyed. I was already sold on the dish and the shrimp, cashews and raisins just took it over the edge! I only made a few changes including using brown rice and fresh peas since I had already picked some up at the farmers market. Whenever I make stir-fries, I clean, slice, chop and make sure that I have everything ready and on hand before turning the heat on as things move quickly after you start. The Thai pineapple rice was pretty easy to make after the prep work was done and the results were fantastic. The finished dish was so vibrantly colourful and the curry gave it an amazing aroma. The juicy pineapple and succulent shrimp worked really well with the curry flavours in this fried rice. The curry and chilies added the perfect amount of heat that was balanced by the pineapple and the raisins while the cashews added a nice contrasting texture. I have been raving about how good this fried rice was since I made it. I have a feeling that this dish will enter my regular rotation and given that you could easily use canned pineapple you could easily make this dish year round. You could also easily make a vegetarian version by omitting the shrimp and making a few ingredient swaps.

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oil
2 shallots (sliced)
3 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 red chili (chopped)
1 red pepper (diced)
1 egg (lightly beaten)
3 tablespoons chicken stock (or vegetable broth)
3 tablespoons fish sauce (or soy sauce)
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup cashews (roasted)
3 cups cooked rice (preferably a day old)
1 cup pineapple (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 cup shrimp (cooked, optional)
1/4 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup currants (or raisins)
2 green onions (sliced)
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the shallots, garlic, chillies and red pepper and stir-fry until fragrant, about a minute.
3. Add the egg and stir-fry for a minute.
4. Add the chicken stock, fish sauce, curry powder and sugar and stir-fry.
5. Add the cashews and stir-fry for 30 seconds.
6. Add the rice, break up any clumps and stir-fry for a few minutes.
7. Add the pineapple, shrimp, peas and raisins and stir-fry to mix them in.
8. Remove from heat and serve garnished with chopped green onions and cilantro.

Prosciutto Wrapped Halibut on Asparagus Sauce

2009-06-24T18:57:00.002-04:00

After posting about two desserts in a row I was looking for something a bit lighter and I was thinking that I should enjoy the asparagus as much as possible while it was still here. On the top of my list of asparagus recipes to try was this recipe for prosciutto wrapped halibut on asparagus sauce originally from Food and Wine that I found on Cook Local. I liked the sound of the simple pureed asparagus and leek sauce as I would get to enjoy the asparagus and I would get to use leeks which I don't seem to use all that often. And then there is the halibut; halibut is one of my favorite fishes but it is a bit expensive so it is always a treat when I do have it. The fact that the halibut was wrapped in sage and prosciutto reminded me of saltimbocca alla romana which is really tasty with those simple ingredients. The prosciutto wrapped halibut on asparagus sauce was really easy to make and it turned out great! The prosciutto wrapped halibut is fried in butter first until the prosciutto is nice and crispy on the top and bottom and then it is finished off with a few minutes in the oven ensuring that it does not burn in the frying pan. The crispy, salty prosciutto wrapping was so tasty and the combo with the sage made it even better and then there is the warm perfectly fall apart tender and moist halibut on the inside finishing it off perfectly. The asparagus sauce was surprisingly tasty for being so simple and it worked well to cleanse your palette between each bite of the tasty prosciutto wrapped halibut. Overall this was a really nice light meal and I will definitely be making it again!

Prosciutto Wrapped Halibut on Asparagus Sauce

(makes 2 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic (chopped)
1 leek (finely sliced)
1/2 pound asparagus (cleaned, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces)
1 cup spinach
salt and pepper to taste
2 (6 ounce) halibut fillets
salt and pepper to taste
4 sage leaves
4 thin slices prosciutto
1 tablespoon oil

Directions:
1. Melt the butter in a pan.
2. Add the leek and garlic and saute until tender, about 3-5 minutes.
3. Simmer the asparagus in a small amount of water until tender, about 3-5 minutes.
4. Add the Spinach and cook until wilted, about a minute.
5. Puree the leeks, asparagus and spinach in a food processor.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Place the sauce in a pan on low heat to keep warm.
8. Season the halibut fillets with salt and pepper and top with a sage leaf.
9. Wrap the halibut fillets in the prosciutto.
10. Heat the oil in a pan.
11. Add the fish and cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side.
12. Transfer the halibut to a baking dish.
13. Bake in a preheated 450F oven until the fish has finished cooking, about 5-10 minutes.

Blueberry Clafoutis + Giveaway

2009-06-21T17:17:00.005-04:00

Last week I had the pleasure of attending The Ultimate Chef's Table with Chef Curtis Stone food event put on by The Bay and Curtis Stone to promote his new line of cookware. At this event Curtis Stone showed off his new line of cookware by using it to cook his guests dinner. Of course all of the dishes that he made came straight from his most recent cookbook Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone: Recipes to Put You in My Favorite Mood and included a Tuna Ceviche, a Shrimp and Pesto Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes, a Fresh Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb and a Blueberry Clafoutis. The event took place at Dish cooking studio here in Toronto where it was set up such that all of the guests could sit at tables surrounding the cooking area and watch chef Stone prepare the meal.

I had a great time at The Ultimate Chef's Table with Chef Curtis Stone! The food was really good and I got to meet a lot of interesting people including a few other Toronto food bloggers and Curtis Stone. Curtis Stone was really nice and did a great job of keeping his guests entertained while he cooked dinner. While cooking he also answered any questions that his guests had on any topic. I brought my camera and took some pictures which I uploaded to my flickr account here: The Ultimate Chef's Table with Chef Curtis Stone Photo Set

One of my favorite dishes from the meal was the dessert, the blueberry clafoutis, and I wanted to try making it at home. It is not quite blueberry season here but luckily the stores are currently filled with cheap California blueberries. A while ago I made and enjoyed a cherry clafoutis so I was looking forward to comparing the new recipe with it. Clafoutis commonly has an almond flavour and most recipes that I have seen just call for almond extract but this one uses toasted almond slices that are ground into a powder. This clafoutis was really easy to make; you just mix everything in a food processor and then bake it for a few minutes. I was just as pleased with the home cooked version of this blueberry clafoutis as I was with the one that chef Stone served. Blueberries work really well in clafoutis and I liked the bit of texture that the ground almonds added.

Blueberry Clafoutis

(makes 6 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
3/4 cups almonds (sliced and toasted)
2/3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cups blueberries

Directions:
1. Place the toasted almond slices, sugar, flour and salt in a food processor and process until the almonds are finely ground.
2. Add the eggs and pulse a few times.
3. Add the heavy cream and blend until a smooth batter is formed.
4. Cover and refrigerated the batter for 12 hours.
5. Divide the blueberries between 6 greased 4 inch tartlet pans and pour the batter over them.
6. Bake in a preheated 400F oven until they start to set and the tops start to turn golden brown, about 12 minutes.
7. Let cool and serve with blueberry fool.

Similar Recipes:
Cherry Clafoutis
Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes

Giveaway

At the event I picked up some free swag and I thought, what better to do with it than to use it to hold Closet Cooking's first ever giveaway? I have a copy of "Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone: Recipes to Put You in My Favorite Mood", a Curtis Stone apron and a Curtis Stone shoulder bag that I will send to one lucky commenter. Just leave a comment on this post before Friday June 26th and I will draw for the winner on Saturday.

Update (June 26, 2009): The winner is commenter #176 or Gee of You had me at Ciao Bella!. Please contact me by email lynch.kevin@gmail.com with your address so that I can get the package in the mail as soon as possible.

Strawberry Souffle

2009-06-19T18:18:00.002-04:00

Souffles can seem pretty intimidating and despite the fact that I had successfully made a savoury asparagus and gruyere souffle a while ago, I still had not tried sweet dessert souffle. I was looking for a nice and light strawberry dessert and a strawberry souffle seemed to fit the bill perfectly. After looking at several recipes I came to the conclusion that the base recipe for a strawberry souffle is simply pureed strawberries, egg whites and possibly some sugar to sweeten it up a bit. From there you can add other things citrus zest, liqueurs, etc. I decided to keep mine pretty simple and just went with some vanilla extract. The strawberry souffle was even easier to make than the asparagus one was which is to say that it was dead simple. You simple beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks, fold in the strawberry puree and bake. The biggest problem that I had was trying to photograph them before they deflated. The strawberry souffles were amazing light and fluffy and full of the strawberry flavour. I was quite pleased with the shade of red that I got the insides were even darker. What a really nice light way to enjoy strawberries!

Strawberry Souffle

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup strawberries (cleaned, hulled and pureed)
2 tablespoons sugar (optional)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
3 egg whites (room temperature)

Directions:
1. Mix the strawberry puree, sugar and vanilla extract.
2. Beat the egg whites until you get soft peaks.
3. Gently fold the strawberry puree into the egg whites.
4. Pour the mixture into 4 greased ramekins.
5. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until puffed and golden brown on top, about 12 minutes.

Similar Recipes:
Asparagus Souffle
Molten Chocolate Cake

Singapore Chili Prawns

2009-06-18T18:57:00.003-04:00

As you probably already know, I am a bit of a shrimp fanatic and I am always looking for tasty new ways to enjoy shrimp. I recently came across a really interesting recipe for Singapore chili prawns on Almost Bourdain that sounded so good that it quickly pushed its way to the top of my to try list. Not that it takes much to get me interested in a shrimp dish but the two things that caught my attention with this recipe were the use of the sweet chili sauce and the egg drop. I picked up a bottle of sweet chili sauce a while ago and I really liked it but I have only used it a few times since. I was looking forward to using the sweet chili sauce with shrimp! A while ago, when I made the Chinese hot and sour soup I was introduced to the concept of slowly pouring an egg into a hot liquid while stirring. The egg quickly cooks into little particles that give the liquid an amazing texture in addition to adding some protein to the broth itself. Speaking of hot and sour, these chili prawns have both hot and sour elements along with sweet elements.

The Singapore chili prawns were really quick and easy to make and they turned out great! The sweet, hot and sour tomato sauce was so tasty and it went really well with the succulent prawns. I liked this dish so much that I have already made it a second time. The first time I served it with some cilantro and lime rice and the second time I served it with some crusty bread to soak up the extra sauce which saved me from having to lick the plate clean. :)

Singapore Chili Prawns

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 pound shrimp (shelled and deveined)
1 tablespoon garlic (chopped)
1 tablespoon ginger (grated)
1/4 cup shallots (chopped)
2 chilies (seeded and chopped)
1/2 cup water
4 tablespoons tomato sauce
3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
1/2 lime (juice)
2 teaspoons palm sugar (grated or sugar)
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 egg (lightly beaten)

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the garlic, ginger, shallots, and chilies and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
3. Add the shrimp and saute for a minute on both sides.
4. Add the water, tomato sauce, sweet chili sauce, lime juice. sugar and corn starch and bring to a boil.
5. Stir the egg into the pan and continue stirring until the egg is cooked.

Chicken and Asparagus Salad with Creamy Tarragon Dressing

2009-06-17T18:58:00.003-04:00

With the days getting warmer I find myself turning to salads more often and with the fresh local produce starting to come in it is getting easier. I came across this recipe for a chicken and asparagus salad with a creamy tarragon dressing in the latest issue of Food and Drink. Several things about this salad caught my attention with the primary one being how green it was and how perfectly Spring that was. With the local asparagus coming in already I just had to wait a bit for the local peas to show up at the farmers market and I was all set to go. In general I really like salads like this where you can easily add some meat and turn it into a light meal. I also liked the sound of both poaching the chicken with tarragon and the creamy tarragon dressing as tarragon is a herb that I enjoy but rarely use. Salads are generally pretty easy to make and this one was no exception. The chicken and asparagus salad with a creamy tarragon dressing was really good and I certainly got my tarragon fix. The tarragon dressing was nice and creamy and and I enjoyed the use of the capers in it. During the Spring/Summer when I can get fresh peas I like to use them in salads like this straight from the pods without any cooking and that is what I did this time. This salad was a really nice light Spring meal!

Chicken and Asparagus Salad with Creamy Tarragon Dressing

(makes 2 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups chicken broth
1 small onion (peeled and quartered)
1 sprig tarragon
1 bay leaf
2 small chicken breasts
3 cups baby spinach (or other salad greens)
1/2 pound asparagus (cleaned and trimmed)
1/4 cup peas
1/4 cup pine nuts (toasted)

Directions:
1. Bring the chicken broth, onion, tarragon and bay leaf to a boil in a large pan, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Add the chicken and simmer, covered, for 6 minutes turning once in the middle.
3. Remove from heat and let the chicken cool in the broth.
4. Steam the asparagus and peas (if using frozen) until tender, about 4 minutes and 1 minute respectively.
5. Cut the chicken into slices.
6. Assemble the salad and pour on the dressing.

Creamy Tarragon Dressing

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon plain yogurt
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon capers (chopped)
1 teaspoon tarragon (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic (chopped)
1/4 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Mix everything.

Strawberry Tart

2009-06-16T20:18:00.006-04:00

When I made the asparagus and gruyere tart a while ago I was amazed at how easy it was to work with frozen puff pastry and how great the results were with so little effort. When I made the tart I was eagerly awaiting the start of the strawberry season and I was thinking that a similar sweet version of the tart with strawberries would also be great! While I was waiting for the strawberries I came across a recipe for a strawberry tart on The Hungry Mouse that was just what I was thinking. Now that the strawberries are finally here, the strawberry tart was at the top of the list of things to make. I still had some of the strawberry and rhubarb jam that I had made last year and I thought that the hint of rhubarb would be great on the tart so I went with that for the jam. The strawberry tart was just as easy to make as the asparagus tart and the results were even better. How can you go wrong with a buttery, light and flaky crust topped with slightly roasted strawberries covered in strawberry and rhubarb jam? The only thing missing here is a scoop of melting vanilla ice cream. One thing to watch out for in this recipe is to taste test the strawberry and jam mixture for sweetness ahead of time. If it is a little on the tart side add some sugar to sweeten it up. I am thinking that the next time I make this I might add a layer of cream cheese between the pastry and the strawberries.

Strawberry Tart

(makes 4+ servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 package puff pastry (thawed as directed on the package)
1 egg (lightly beaten)
1 tablespoon water
2 cups strawberries (cleaned, trimmed and sliced)
1/4 teaspoon cardamom (ground, or cinnamon if you prefer)
3 tablespoons strawberry rhubarb jam (or other jam)
1 handful pistachios (chopped)

Directions:
1. Roll the puff pastry out into a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
2. Score a line around the puff pastry 1/2 inch from the edge.
3. Mix the egg and water and brush over the outside of the score.
4. Mix the strawberries, cardamom and jam in a large bowl.
5. Place the strawberries on the pastry on the inside of the score.
6. Bake in a preheated 400F oven until the pastry is golden brown, about 15-25 minutes.
7. Sprinkle with the chopped pistachios.

Asparagus, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Egg Breakfast Casserole

2009-06-15T18:08:00.002-04:00

We are still right in the middle of asparagus season and I have been enjoying the asparagus every week. One of my favorite flavour combinations with asparagus is asparagus and mushrooms. I also really like a nice tangy goat cheese so when I saw a recipe for a breakfast casserole with asparagus, mushrooms and goat cheese on Kalyn's Kitchen I knew that I would have to try it when the asparagus was in season. The last egg breakfast casserole that I made had cottage cheese in and I really enjoyed it so I added it to this one as well. The asparagus, mushroom and goat cheese egg breakfast casserole was super easy to make and it turned out great. I really liked the way the asparagus, mushrooms and goat cheese were layered in the egg casserole. The goat cheese layer was of course on top so that as the casserole baked it got nice and golden brown and good. The juicy asparagus went well with the tangy goat cheese and the mushrooms rounded everything out. One of the things that I like about these egg breakfast casseroles is that the leftover keep well and they are just as good cold as they are after a minute or so in the microwave. This recipe easily makes 6 servings so I have tasty breakfasts to look forward to for the rest of the week.

Asparagus, Mushroom and Goat Cheese Egg Breakfast Casserole

(makes 6 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon oil
8 ounces mushrooms (sliced)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound asparagus (trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces)
1/2 pound goat cheese (sliced)
10 eggs
1 cup cottage cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a pan.
2. Add the mushrooms and saute until tender, about 5-10 minutes.
3. Add the garlic, thyme and season with salt and pepper and saute until fragrant, about a minute and remove from heat.
4. Spread the asparagus out evenly over the bottom of an 8 inch square baking dish.
5. Spread the mushrooms and goat cheese over top.
6. Mix the eggs and cottage cheese and season with salt and pepper.
7. Pour the egg mixture into the pan.
8. Bake in a preheated 375F oven until the eggs are firmly set and golden brown on top, about 20-30 minutes.

Strawberries in Sweetened Condensed Milk

2009-06-14T09:28:00.003-04:00

The first of the seasons strawberries are often a bit on the tart side. Normally I would sprinkle a bit of sugar onto the strawberries and macerate them but I recently came across a new way of sweetening them up a bit; by adding a spoonful of sweetened condensed milk. The sweetened condensed milk sweetens the strawberries without overpowering them and it adds a bit of a thick and creamy texture to them which is really nice.

Similar Recipes:
Strawberries in Balsamic Vinegar
Strawberries Dipped in Sour Cream and Brown Sugar

Strawberry Roundup

2009-06-13T22:58:00.004-04:00

Strawberry season is one of my favorite times of the year. I eagerly look at my calendar and count the days until the middle of June when they come out. By the end of May I start checking the farmers market every weekend hoping that they might be early this year. This year they are finally here! With strawberry season just kicking off I though that I would start out by rounding up some of my favorite ways of enjoying them.

Strawberries in Sweetened Condensed Milk - If your strawberries are a little on the tart side a spoonful of sweetened condensed milk is a great alternative to sugar to sweeten them up a bit.

Strawberries in Balsamic Vinegar - When you do have those perfectly ripe and sweet strawberries it's hard to beat a simple bowl of them with some good balsamic vinegar. (A touch of balsamic vinegar enhances their natural flavour.)

Strawberry Jam - Strawberry season does not last long so one of the things that I like to do is make some strawberry jam so that you can enjoy the strawberries for the rest of the year. You can change things up every once in a while by adding spices or herbs or other fruits or vegetables like a strawberry rhubarb jam.

Strawberry Shortcake - It just wouldn't be Summer with out making strawberry shortcake at least once!

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt - Given that it is warm out, a great way to cool down is to enjoy a bowl of strawberry ice cream or frozen yogurt. There are so many different things that you can do with strawberry frozen treats like this strawberry cheesecake ice cream.

Strawberry and Rhubarb Crumble - Rhubarb is out at the same time as strawberries and they make a great pair. My favorite way to enjoy these two things together is in a nice and simple strawberry and rhubarb crumble, with a scoop of melting vanilla ice cream of course!

Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Butter Toasted Almonds - Sometimes on hot summer days you feel like having a light meal and salads fit the bill perfectly. Strawberries work really well in salads like this strawberry and spinach salad with toaste almonds.

Strawberry Sour Cream Bread - Strawberries also work well in baked goods like muffins or quick breads.

Roasted Strawberry and Asparagus Quinoa Salad - I was also surprised to find out that strawberries also work really well when roasted. I am going to have to try roasting more strawberries this season.

Strawberry and Nutella Crepes - Chocolate hazelnut spread also goes well with strawberries and these crepes are a great way to enjoy this combo.

This is just a sample of the strawberry recipes that I have tried and there more ways of enjoying strawberries here on Closet Cooking.

Penne with Asparagus and Mushrooms in a Gorgonzola Sauce

2009-06-12T18:34:00.003-04:00

I tend to do my grocery shopping on Saturdays so Friday nights dinner very often turns into a clean out the fridge meal. This week I was enjoying the flavour combos of mushrooms and gorgonzola in the burgers smothered in a caramelized onion, mushroom and blue cheese sauce and asparagus and gorgonzola in the asparagus in gorgonzola sauce and I had some of each of the ingredients left over. Pastas are great for clean out the fridge meals and I immediately decided to make a pasta with asparagus and sauteed mushrooms in a gorgonzola sauce. My choice of pasta when using asparagus is penne for its similar shape and I had some whole wheat penne in my pantry that sounded perfect. Pastas like this are a breeze to make and this one turned out great! The gorgonzola sauce was so tasty and it went really well together with the asparagus and sauteed mushrooms. The juicy asparagus seemed to just burst in your mouth and cut through the creaminess of the sauce providing a nice contrast and cleansing your pallet for the next bite. I really like how these throw together, clean out the fridge, type of meals can turn out to be some of the best.

Penne with Asparagus and Mushrooms in a Gorgonzola Sauce

(makes 2 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
4 ounces mushrooms (sliced)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound penne
1 clove garlic (chopped)
1/2 teaspoon thyme (chopped)
1 splash dry white wine
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 ounce gorgonzola (crumbled)
1/2 pound asparagus (cleaned, trimmed and cut into 1 inch slices shaped like penne)

Directions:
1. Melt the butter in a pan.
2. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and saute until tender, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente, abut 7-10 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and thyme to the pan and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
5. Add the white wine and deglaze the pan.
6. Add the milk, heavy cream and gorgonzola.
7. Place the asparagus into a primed steamer until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
8. Simmer the sauce until it thickens, several minutes.
9. Drain the pasta and toss in the gorgonzola sauce along with the asparagus and mushrooms.

Similar Recipes:
Asparagus in Gorgonzola Sauce
Burgers Smothered in a Caramelized Onion, Mushroom and Blue Cheese Sauce
Gorgonzola Sauce on Gnocchi topped with Fried Mushrooms
Gorgonzola and Caramelized Onions Sauce on Penne

Take a look at the Presto Pasta Nights roundup on More Than Words.

Thai Peanut Pork Noodle Saute

2009-06-11T18:57:00.004-04:00

I never really though of using peanuts and in particular peanut butter in savoury dishes until I started food blogging. Since discovering the savoury side of peanut butter I have been thoroughly enjoying it! By far, my favorite savoury way to use peanut butter is a spicy Thai peanut sauce that also includes other Thai flavours such as freshly made Thai red curry paste, coconut milk, fish sauce, palm sugar and lime juice. I am always keeping an eye out for new ways to enjoy this peanut sauce and inspiration struck in the most recent issue of Food and Drink magazine in the form of spicy peanut pork dish. I really liked the idea of the dish but I found the recipe a bit lacking so I took the main ingredients including the rice noodles, the pork tenderloin, the peanut sauce and the red peppers and went from there. The first thing that I did was swap in my favorite peanut sauce for the one in the recipe and then I added more vegetables. Given that you are only sauteing the pork for a few minutes you want to start with a nice tender cut like the tenderloin.

Like most sautes, things move quickly once you start cooking so you will want to have everything cleaned and chopped and really to go before you turn on the heat. Once your prep work is done the rest is really quick and simple. The spicy peanut pork noodle saute turned out great! The tasty peanut sauce covered all of the noodles, pork, and vegetables ensuring that every bite was full of flavour and a bit of heat! The pork cooked up nice and tender and I really enjoyed the vegetable combination. Of course the chopped peanuts added a great crunchy texture to the dish. This turned out to be another great way to enjoy peanut butter in a savoury dish and I will definitely be making it again!

Thai Peanut Pork Noodle Saute

(makes 4 servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1/2 package rice noodles
1 pork tenderloin (sliced thinly)
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 bunch green onions (whites and greens separated)
1 red pepper (thinly sliced)
1 carrot (julienned)
2 cups bean sprouts
1/2 cup peanut sauce
1/4 cup cilantro (chopped)
1 handful roasted peanuts (chopped)

Directions:
1. Place the rice noodles in a large bowl, cover with boiling water and let sit for 10 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a pan on med-high heat.
3. Add the pork and saute until cooked, about 4 minutes and set aside.
4. Add the whites of the green onions and the red pepper saute for 3 minutes.
5. Add the carrots and saute for another minute and set aside.
6. Add the peanut sauce to the pan and bring to a boil.
7. Drain the noodles and add them to the pan along with the pork and beansprouts and toss to coat.
8. Remove from heat, mix in the the greens of the green onions and cilantro and garnish with the peanuts.

Similar Recipes:
Thai Peanut Turkey Burger
Thai Peanut Chicken Pizza
Moo Satay (Pork Satay) with Curried Peanut Sauce
Pad Thai

Take a look at the Presto Pasta Nights roundup on Thyme For Cooking.

Rhubarb Sour Cream Pie

2009-06-10T19:53:00.002-04:00

While I was looking for rhubarb recipes I came a cross a really interesting one for a rhubarb sour cream pie. I had never had a pie that used sour cream as its base filling but it sounded nice and I wanted to try it. I also liked the fact that the pie had a crumb topping as you can never go wrong with crumbs! This rhubarb sour cream pie was really easy to make and the results are certainly worth it! The sour cream filling was nice and sweet and oh so creamy and good! The sweetness of the creamy pie filling was interupted by pockets of tart rhubarb which ended up balancing out nicely. The buttery pie crust added a nice light, crispy and flaky texture which also went well with the creamy filling. I have a feeling that I will be making this wonderfully creamy sour cream rhubarb pie at least once each year while the rhubarb is in season!

Rhubarb Sour Cream Pie

(makes 6+ servings)
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust (pressed into a 9 inch pie pan)
1 egg
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream (feel free to use a low fat one)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups rhubarb (cut into 1/2 inch slices)
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter (melted)

Directions:
1. Mix the egg, sugar, sour cream and 1/3 cup of flour until smooth.
2. Mix in the rhubarb.
3. Pour the mixture into the pie crust.
4. Mix the flour, brown sugar and butter until crumbly.
5. Sprinkle the crumbs over the pie.
6. Bake in a preheated 350F oven until the edges have puffed, about 45-60 minutes.

Similar Recipes:
Rhubarb Crumb Cake
Rhubarb Crisp
Rhubarb Muffins