Quick and Easy Clam Noodle Soup

I have been very lazy lately. Sometimes, I think blogging takes more dedication than I possess with all the cooking, then revising the recipe over and over again. I'm just not really in the mood to try complicated things right now. When I'm in a slump like this, my fallback comfort food is normally a hot bowl of noodle soup.

In Asia, instant noodles are in a league of their own. Ramen shops are hugely popular. At grocery stores, you will find dozens, maybe even hundreds of options - different brands, different flavors, from different countries. On top of that people started adding whatever they could think of to the instant noodles, and publishing these "gourmet" recipes. There are a couple of flavors that I do enjoy once in awhile, but in general, I'm a little leery about all the additives and preservatives they have. Making normal noodles doesn't take much longer, even a bowl of "luxurious" noodle soup.

Whether you are a devoted clam lover, or a soup slurper, this one is for you. It's so quick and easy that there isn't any excuse to wait.

Quick and Easy Clam Noodle Soup

2 qt chicken broth
1 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
8 oz noodles
2 baby bok choy, or the greens of your choice
1 lb manila clams

Boil the chicken broth in a large pot.

In the meanwhile, clean the clams.

Add sugar, and cooking wine to the broth, and stir. Turn the heat down to medium. Add noodles, bok choy and clams to the pot. Cover the pot, and boil for 5 minutes.

Tada! Serve while hot.

If the noodles take longer than 5 minutes to cook, just boil them for the extra time necessary before adding the greens and clams.

More Shrimp

When I made the Roasted Broccoli and Shrimp, I defrosted a whole 2-pound bag of shrimp. Roasting all of them seemed to be a bit too much, so I only used half. The other half went into this delicious chowder. Hey, I just added two stunning entries to my shrimp repertoire!

Of course, I wasn't going to throw away half of the shrimp shells and use only the rest for the shrimp broth. This might have made my broth more flavorful, but I'm certain that half of the shells would have been adequate as well. This was based on Pete Wells' Red Shrimp Chowder with Corn recipe. Are you the type to run out and buy all the ingredients for a recipe? Well, good for you! Unless I planned way ahead, which I seldom do, I'm too lazy for that, so I often improvise. Luckily, Pete's recipe is so good that even with all my changes, it was still wonderful with the sweet and tender shrimp chunks, thick and hearty vegetables, and savory and aromatic broth. A perfect one pot meal for a cold winter night! My only complaint is that it took over 2 hours to make with all that boil and simmer, boil and simmer, boil and simmer. I often underestimate the cooking time, so this meant a very late dinner, though an extremely satisfying one that was totally worth the wait.

Red Shrimp Chowder with Corn

Serves 4 to 6

4 cups water
1 pound shrimp, shelled, chopped into pieces roughly ½ inch thick, shells reserved
2 cans of corn kernels
1 tsp dried basil
4 slices thick cut bacon (about 4 oz), cut into ½ inch pieces
2 small Spanish onions, cut into ½ inch dice
4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
3 carrots, peeled and cut into ½ inch dice
1 parsnip, peeled and cut into ½ inch dice
Salt
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ inch chunks
1 bay leaf
1 14-ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped, juice reserved
Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a medium pot, bring the water, shrimp shells and basil to a boil, simmer for about 20 minutes.
2. In a large pot set over medium heat, fry the bacon. When the bacon is crisp, fish it out with a slotted spoon and set it aside. Saute the onions, garlic, parsnip and carrots in the fat until softened, about 10 minutes. Season with salt.
3. Strain the shrimp-flavored broth into the pot. Add the potatoes and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil, cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Using the back of a wooden spoon, crush a third to a half of the potato chunks against the side of the pot. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and juice, return to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes more.
5. Add the shrimp, stir well, taste and adjust the seasoning, adding salt and black pepper to taste. (The shrimp will cook from the heat of the soup.) Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with some bacon.

Broccoli, Broccoli, Shrimp, Shrimp

I know, I know. It's been quiet here for over a week now. But I haven't forgotten about you, cross my heart. Just the opposite, in fact. The other day, as I was in the kitchen slicing away, phrases describing the dish popped in my head, all by themselves! =) That's when I realized that this little blog of mine is taking over the way I think and prep. I don't mind it though, not one bit. =)

Anyways, the reason that I have been silent isn't that I stopped cooking. It's just that most of the new dishes I've been making are not exceptional. I didn't want to bore you with something ordinary. Now, on second thought, maybe I should just write about everything. This blog is my journey after all. How can one make remarkable dishes EVERY time? Of course, there will be missteps. But before I go down that route, I have something fabulous for you.

My kids love shrimp. And they absolutely adore broccoli. It's as if Melissa Clark created this recipe just for them. This is quick and easy, and very tasty. The recipe calls for whole coriander and cumin seeds. I didn't have any whole cumin seeds, so I substituted with ½ teaspoon of ground cumin, which worked out very well. The coriander seeds, on the other hand, weren't all that pleasant to bite on. I wish I used ground coriander as well. The flavor would probably be better absorbed too. The 1 ½ teaspoons of salt called for sounds like a LOT of salt. (Sorry, that's by no fault of Miss Clark. I didn't pay enough attention, and missed the crucial word "kosher".) Next time, I think I will reduce it to half. I also got lazy, and didn't zest any lemon. But that doesn't seem to affect the flavor at all. Everybody loved it! With the exception of D - the spices are probably a little much for a 3-year old. The broccoli was wonderful, but some bits got a little burned, so I would probably reduce the roasting time to 8 to 9 minutes as well.

Regardless of these modifications, this recipe is definitely a keeper. In the winter, there is the added benefit for warming up the kitchen with a running oven. =)

Roasted Broccoli with Shrimp
based on this recipe

Serves 4

2 pounds broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt (or ¾ teaspoon regular salt)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
⅛ teaspoon hot chili powder
1 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss broccoli with 2 tablespoons oil, coriander, cumin, 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or ½ teaspoon regular salt), ½ teaspoon pepper and chili powder. In a separate bowl, combine shrimp, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, remaining ½ teaspoon kosher salt (or ¼ teaspoon regular salt) and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper.

Spread broccoli in a single layer on a baking sheet. Roast for 8-9 minutes. Add shrimp to baking sheet and toss with broccoli. Roast for 5 minutes, toss again, flipping over the shrimp. Roast for another 5 minutes until shrimp are just opaque and broccoli is tender and golden around edges. Serve with lemon wedges, or squeeze lemon juice all over shrimp and broccoli just before serving.

Simple Clams

A few months ago, I made this. Even though it was good, it was way too much work. Another thing I learned was that Uwajimaya has really fresh mussels and clams. So when I saw Uwajimaya had Manila clams on sale this week for $3.99, I knew I had to get some. I also knew this time I wanted to choose a simpler recipe with white wine.

I did a little search, and chose a recipe from http://www.food.com/. The clams were super tender and meaty. The garlic lost all of its pungency. The prosciutto salty and crispy. Enjoyed with a glass of pinot grigio that the clams were cooked in. Yum. =) Hubby insisted that he didn't like clams. Even better, more for me! =)

The only thing I have to complain is that the sauce was too salty even though I didn't add any salt. (And I'm not one who's on a low-sodium diet, just see what I've cooked in the past and you'd know.) So instead of soaking it all up with bread, I used it to saute the mushrooms for my pasta sauce. Yum, yum, yum!

Clams in Garlic White Wine Sauce
based on this

2 slices prosciutto ham, thin slices
1 tablespoon oil
6 garlic cloves, smashed
1/3 cup Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used pinot grigio)
2 lbs Manila clams (or small clams of your choice, about 30-32, cleaned and scrubbed)

Cut prosciutto into strips. In a large frying pan, heat oil over medium heat. Fry prosciutto until crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove to paper towel to drain.

To the pan, add garlic and half of the parsley. Fry for 1 minute. Add wine. Bring to boil over medium high heat. Add clams, cover and steam until clams open, about 5 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open.

Sprinkle with prosciutto and remaining parsley.

Ladle clams into small bowls and offer plenty of crusty bread to soak up the delicious broth.

Chez Panisse Experience

The first couple of years I was at Berkeley, I had walked right past the Chez Panisse gate many times without seeing it. I always wondered where it was. It was THAT unassuming. Of course, I eventually found the place, and enjoyed a few meals there. Maybe it didn't quite live up to the hype, but my experiences were all pleasant.

The last few months, I have came across several references to recipes from the acclaimed Chez Panisse Vegetables in a number of blogs. So when I got my hands on a copy of Chez Panisse Cafe Cookbook, I thought it was time for me to try a couple of recipes. All things start small, for my first attempt, I chose two simple recipes - Fresh Ricotta Baked with Herbs and Olive Oil, and Baked Scallops with Prosciutto. (OK, OK, I admit, I simplified by skipping the meyer lemon relish and lettuce for the scallop. Yes, I'm sure these components would enhance the flavor of the dishes. However, I also believe that "enhancement" is what you build on top of a solid foundation. If something was distasteful to start with, all the enhancements in the world aren't going to make it fabulous, only mediocre.)

The baking dish I used for the ricotta is only about 1 1/2 inches deep, even though Ms. Waters said to pack in 2 inches of cheese. I took the ricotta out of the oven when it was all puffed up just like a souffle. Unfortunately, before I could even grab the camera, it shrank down. *sigh* Even with only 1 1/2 inch of cheese, the bottom still didn't get all creamy smooth like what you'd expect of baked cheese. The taste? Well, let's just say that even if the puff didn't go poof, my excitement would still be gone by the time I had the first bite. It tasted just like slightly salted ricotta cheese. The baking process didn't seem to alter anything. I felt so cheated. I should have just made another ricotta cheesecake. =(

The scallops, on the other hand, were superb! The outside was slightly crusty, the inside perfectly tender. The natural sweetness of the scallops paired with the salty prosciutto, even without the lettuce and the lemon relish, it was still so scrumptious that I had to keep telling myself "cholesterol, cholesterol, cholesterol.." to stop eating. =) Next time, I will definitely make the complete dish with the relish and all. (I know, my plating looked a little funny. The recipe said to drape the prosciutto over and around the scallops. But the creativity-lacking-me really didn't know how to "drape" artistically.)

With such a successful scallop course, even the uninspiring ricotta could be forgiven. I can't wait to try more recipes from this book.

Shrimp and Corn

I'm bringing J up as a proper food snob. Every night, I ask hubby which protein he'd like to have for the next dinner. Last night, while I was still listing pork, chicken, beef, J looked up and said "I want ribs". I was caught off guard, but pleasantly surprised. As you know I don't like making decision, likewise, hubby likes to shy away from these minute decisions too. So now, there is a new decision maker in the house! I switched my focus to J. "Yes, there are ribs, and we also have shrimp..." I didn't get to finish my sentense before J jumped to the new favorite. "Shrimp!" So, shrimp it is! In an earnest attempt to not make the same dish as a few days ago, I came up with this shrimp and corn dish that was very vaguely based on a few "crystal" shrimp recipes.

Shrimp and Corn

1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, patted dry
2 kernels of ears of corn (or 2 cups of frozen corn, or 1 can 15.25 oz of corn kernel, drained)
1 green onion, shredded
3 slices of ginger (or shredded, my family doesn't like to eat ginger, this way they can be easily picked out)
2 tbsp oil

Marinate:
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chicken bouillon
pinch of ground white pepper
1 tbsp water

Coating:
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp water

Instead of buying already peeled and deveined shrimp, you could also get the easy peel ones. It took about 10 minutes for me to peel the whole pound. However, shrimp has 2 veins, one along the back and one along the inside. The deveined shrimp I've ever seen only has the back vein removed. So it would me another 15 minutes or so to devein them.

I made this in one non-stick pan without even a wipe in between the ingredients. This way, I didn't need to add more oil, and cleanup was super easy.

Mix the marinate well. Toss the shrimp in the marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Mix the coating agents well, set aside.

Heat the oil, add the green onion and gingner, stir a few times to release the aroma. Add the shrimp, when they are no longer transparent, remove from the pan. Add corn to the pan, stir a few times. Add the shrimp back in. Add the coating mixture, stir a minute.

Shrimp in Tomato Sauce

My kids like shrimps. Instead of the normal boiled shrimp served with my simplified cocktail sauce (ketchup and lemon juice, as I never have horseradish or worcestershire sauce on hand), I decided to make the Chinese shrimp in tomato sauce today. It was a hit.

Shrimp in Tomato Sauce

1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, patted dry
1/4 cup oil
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 green onion, minced
1 tbsp corn starch
2 tsp water
pinch of salt
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp cooking wine
1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp chili bean paste (optional)

Instead of buying already peeled and deveined shrimp, you could also get the easy peel ones. It took about 10 minutes for me to peel the whole pound. However, shrimp has 2 veins, one along the back and one along the inside. The deveined shrimp I've ever seen only has the back vein removed. So it would me another 15 minutes or so to devein them.

In a large bowl, mix the corn starch, salt, and water. Toss in the shrimp.
In the pan, heat the oil. Pan fry the shrimp in batches. Turn the shrimp over after they curl up and the tails change color. Remove when they are no longer transparent. Repeat till all shrimp are cooked.

If there is still too much oil left in the pan, pour most of it out, leave only about 1 tsp. Add green onion and ginger, stir till the aroma comes out, add the shrimp, soy sauce, and cooking wine. Mix and stir for a minute. Add the tomato paste and chili bean paste, mix. Remove and serve.