Sesame Noodles

This week I am making something quick and easy!  We could all use something less time consuming every now and then.  Sesame noodles are one of my favorite foods, and it works really well as a side.  For this meal I made a chicken stir-fry as the main dish.  And to redeem my choices from the last post, this recipe is brought to you in part by chocolate soy milk - a healthier (and easier on the liver) choice.

I also realize I never updated where I was at with my work for NaNoWriMo.  I did finish!!!  This was part of the reason I skipped updating last week (I needed a breather from writing).  It was such a fascinating experience over the course of a month creating a different world and characters to become attached to.  I have done a few creative writing pieces here and there, but never anything to this extent.  The end feeling was awesome!  As I said in my first November post, it may be an awful work of literature to others, but I finished it and it is mine!

Enough babble, let's get started on the recipe!

Ingredients for this dish:

• 1 lb Whole Wheat Angel Hair Pasta
• 3 Green Onions
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 1/4 cup Mushroom Soy Sauce
• 1 tbsp Sriracha Sauce
• 1 tbsp Rice Vinegar
• 1 tsp Sesame Oil

First heat water for the noodles and follow the instructions to cook them.  When done, strain the water and set aside.

While the water is heating, mince the garlic and green onions.  In a small bowl (or measuring cup) mix together the soy sauce, sriracha sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.

When the noodles have been cooked and strained, put in a bowl.  Stir the liquids again to make sure it is mixed, then add to the noodles.  Mix in the garlic, and then the green onions.  Then it is ready to serve!

If you are looking for a variation on this, try using a mix of soy sauce, fermented black bean sauce, and sriracha sauce (with the green onions and garlic still of course).

One more side note before I leave you for next week!  I added a few things to the site layout!  If you notice, there is now a "Subscribe via Email" box to the right.  If you would like to see me in your inbox (when I update of course), sign up!!!

Roasted Garlic Deviled Eggs

 The month is past its halfway point and I'll begin this post yet again with my NaNoWriMo update.  I am now at the 30K mark, and have lost some steam in the past week.  I tried to get ahead last week, because I visited a friend in Rhode Island over the weekend, and writing just was not going to happen while I was there.  I am hoping to pick up some momentum and get ahead of the game.

In the mean time I bring another recipe!  I absolutely love deviled eggs, and I realized any time I've made them  I haven't put in any garlic.  This time I roasted a few garlic cloves (to cook them and so they would blend easier in with the yolks), and it tasted wonderful!  I also have to mention that the olives in the picture above are Garlic Stuffed Olives from Pickle Licious, which have been my latest olive obsession from them.  If anyone is a fan of olives and a fan of garlic, give them a try!

 Ingredients for this Recipe:

• 6 Eggs
• 3-4 Cloves of Garlic
• Mayonnaise
• 1 Tsp Dry Mustard
• Salt
• Crushed Red Pepper
• Paprika

 First, hard boil the eggs.  Put the eggs in a pot with water and bring it to a boil.  Once boiling, set the timer for 7 minutes, then take off the heat (while leaving the eggs in the water) for an additional 7 minutes.  When the time is up, dump the water from the pan, and quench the eggs in cold water.

While waiting for the water to reach boiling, roast the garlic.  There are very helpful guides to how to roast a whole head of garlic (like if you click here or here).  I only roasted a few cloves.  I started by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Peel the cloves and wrap them in aluminum foil.  When the oven is up to temperature, place the wrapped cloves in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until you can stick a fork through a clove easily.  Remove the cloves from the foil.  Put in a bowl and mash with a fork, then set aside.

When the eggs have cooled off remove the shells.  Then cut each egg in half (lengthwise).

 Gently remove the yolks, and place in the bowl with the garlic.

 Mash the yolks with a fork, stirring them together with the garlic.

Stir in mayonnaise until the mixture becomes creamy and smooth.  Add the dry mustard, a dash of salt, and crushed red pepper to taste.

Spoon the mix back into the egg whites, dividing it between the 12 eggs.  Sprinkle with paprika and it is ready to serve!

Garlic Fries

As I mentioned in my previous post (Cheesy Pita Toast), I am participating in NaNoWriMo.  To update from last week, my current word count is around 23,000!  I also realize I forgot to make an "over 9000" joke last week, so I will now...IT'S OVER 9000!!!!  I am still going strong, but I'll let you know next week if that same enthusiasm continues.  There is no garlic in my novel unfortunately, but it gives me all the more reason to keep up with this blog during the process! :)

This week I just really wanted to snack on fries while writing.  Sometimes you just need to go with these urges.  As a result it turned into my recipe for this week!

My ingredients for this week:

• 6 Russet Potatoes
• 4 Garlic Cloves (Georgia Fire from Stoney Creek Nursery)
• 3-4 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 1/2 Tsp Smoked Paprika
• 1/2 Tsp Cumin
• 1/2 Tsp Thyme

 First, preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

Next, mince the garlic.  Slice the potatoes into the shape of your French Fries, and lay on a greased baking sheet.  Combine the paprika, cumin, and thyme in a small bowl and set aside.

Add the oil to a small pan, and heat.  Once the oil is hot, and is starting to boil, add the minced garlic.  Cook the garlic for about 2-3 minutes, then take off the heat, and remove the garlic from the oil and set aside for later.

Use the oil to coat the potatoes on the baking sheet.  Once thoroughly coated, sprinkle the spice mix over the top, and mix until evenly coated.

Put the baking sheet in the oven, and set a timer for 35 minutes.  At about 15-20 minutes in, take the baking sheet out of the oven to stir the fries, then put back in for the remaining time.  Once the 35 minutes are over, check to see if the fries appear golden-brown, then remove from the oven.

Transfer the fries to a bowl, and add the cooked garlic.  Now it is ready to eat!  Eat just as is for a snack or use as a side dish.  If you try making it, or have another spice combination you've used, feel free to leave a comment and let me know!

Cheesy Pita Toast

 
Hello again!  It's November!  For some this means partaking in the month long activity of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), where participants work on writing a 50,000 word novel in a month.  This is my first time being one of those participants.  Though the results may be awful, and though they may not be interesting to anyone other than myself, I plan on finishing this novel and it will be mine!  I feel confident with my start after crossing the 10K mark, but we will see if that confidence continues as the month progresses.  For any readers participating in NaNoWriMo, feel free to comment if you want to discuss or be writing buddies!

I promise the intro is relevant to this week's recipe.  With many people working on their novels, or whatever else keeps the month busy (exams, problem sets, job applications....life), I thought I'd prepare some quicker recipes that could work as appetizers or snacks.  I went through a huge pita phase during one of my semesters at college.  Pita toast was one of the quick and easy things I could make.  It made a great "munchy" that I could snack on while studying or working on an assignment.  It also was an excuse to use my oven when when the weather turned cold.

I also used a new type of garlic for the first time with this recipe!  It was called Georgia Fire, and I had gotten it from Stoney Creek Nursery when I visited the Ithaca Farmers Market.  I think I may have found another favorite (on top of the German Red).  It had a wonderful fragrance, and was definitely a spicy garlic

My ingredients for this week were:

• Whole Wheat Pita
• Olive Oil
• Toma Brianna Cheese (from Cooperstown Cheese Company)
• 2 Cloves of Garlic (Georgia Fire garlic from Stoney Creek Nursery)
• Oregano

First, set your oven to broil.

 It is now time for the prep work.  Cut each pita into quarters.  Open up each quarter and rip it in half.  I did this with two pitas, making about 15-16 total pita toasts (one of which was ripped too much so I saved it as an offering to my eternally hungry dog).

Mince the garlic, and grate the cheese (or use a food processor to grind it up and make it go faster).  The cheese I used was Toma Brianna from Cooperstown Cheese Company.  This is a mild and creamy cheese that melted wonderfully.  Other times I've made this I have either used Parmesan or Mozzarella, depending on what kind of cheese I was feeling like using or what was available in my refrigerator at the time.

With everything prepped, it is time to assemble!  I have no idea if it is just me (it probably is), but I am really awful at using a paintbrush for applying oil or butter onto anything.  On a baking sheet, I first painted the olive oil onto each pita quarter, then added the garlic, then the cheese, and finally sprinkled oregano on top.

Put in the oven for 3-5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the toast is starting to get crispy.  This went great as a side for dinner. It was great to dip in the sauce of our spaghetti dinner, and I look forward to snacking on the rest throughout the night as I novel away.