Chicken and Shiitake Lo Mein

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I ran out of time tonight and had to rethink what I was going to make for dinner. My pantry usually contains all the ingredients I need to make a quick Mexican or Chinese meal, and I opted for Chinese this evening because I wanted to try a lo mein recipe I had found on BuzzFeed. While I had to use re-hydrated shiitakes and substituted thighs for chicken breasts I was able to make this meal in a bit less than 30 minutes. The next time I prepare this version of lo mein, and there will be a next time, I plan to use pork tenderloin or tofu in place of the chicken that is recommended in the recipe below. I think you'll like this dish. It's quick and delicious and reasonable to prepare. It makes a great week night family meal and I suspect you won't have leftovers to deal with. Here is how the lo mein is made.

A Quick Noodle Favorite - My Recipe Rotation - Shanghai Mian

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These noodles are to Shanghai what ramen is to Japan or college campuses. They are simple and soothing, but they are not as readily available as ramen in the United States. The noodles are a case of "once bitten." They really are addictive, but not all Chinese restaurants have them on the menu and if you develop a taste for them, chances are you'll have to make them for yourself. Fortunately, they are very easy to make and can be assembled with ingredients that are available in any supermarket. The noodles pack no heat, so they are great for people who do not have adventurous appetites. Here is what I had to say about them and the Chinese earthquake in 2008.

Chinese Noodle Bowls with Asparagus, Mushrooms and Eggs

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We are having a heat wave, and meals that seemed like great ideas several days ago, now seem heavy and unappealing. I had a ton, actually it's more like three pounds, of asparagus sitting in the refrigerator, and I thought I could use it in a few lighter entrees that would be more appropriates on these steamy days. While the Google search engine and I are not always on speaking terms, it sent some new asparagus recipes my way, and I spent the later part of the afternoon experimenting with my bounty. I want to share a couple of the keepers with you this week. Tonight's feature came from the Incredible Egg site, which you can find here. The recipe is for Chinese noodle bowls that contain asparagus, mushrooms and eggs. The eggs are handled in the same way as those that are used to make Spaghetti Carbonara, but this dish is more mildly flavored. The noodles are quite nice and perfect for warm weather or asparagus season. While I think you will enjoy them, I do not want to mislead you. This is not an Asian noodle recipe. It's for an all-American dish that happens to use Chinese noodles and sesame seeds. It has several things going for it, among which is the speed with which it can be prepared. The recipe is also scaled to feed two or three people, depending on how hungry they are, so it would make a great addition to the recipe collections of those who are now cooking for two. I know many of you have carnivores at the table, and, if you wish, chicken or pork can be added to the ingredients without changing the basic nature of the dish. The bowls can be on the table in less than 30 minutes, and as Martha use to say, "That's a good thing." Here is how the bowls are made.

Leftover Ham Lo Mein

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If you enjoy Chinese food I think you'll like this simple version of lo mein. It is an unusual, but delicious, way to use leftover glazed ham. I use tamari, which is a Japanese soy sauce, when I make, this because I've found it has more flavor than the standard low-sodium variety. Tamari is made as a byproduct of miso paste and contains no wheat. It has a darker color and richer flavor than the common Chinese soy sauce you may be more familiar with. It also tastes more balanced and less salty than soy sauce, which makes it great for dipping. If you do not have tamari in your pantry, feel free use to use standard soy sauce in its place. I hope you'll keep this recipe in your files for the next time you have leftover ham. Here is how this version of lo mein is made.

Meatless Meals - Spicy Thai Noodles

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Now that Lent is here, I'm on the lookout for untried meatless meals that promise to be delicious while remaining simple to make. These noodles met that criteria. I found a photo of them on Pinterest, and they looked so luscious that I tracked the recipe back to its source, a blog called A Small Snippet. The noodles are made with pantry items and they take about 20 minutes to prepare. I think you'll agree that meal preparation doesn't get much easier than that. I made these for myself on Sunday, and I've been enjoying them for lunch everyday since then. I did want to briefly talk to you about the heat levels in this recipe. Anyone who has been to Thailand knows that Americans and Thais have different ideas about what is hot. They have a much greater tolerance for heat and that is demonstrated in this recipe. Leana's recipe called for 2 tablespoons of crushed pepper flakes. That is hot enough to take out most taste buds in a single bite and it is meant for courageous dragons who need an infusion of gasoline to fan the flames. While one tablespoon is hot, it is not unbearable, but even that may be too much for many palates. I decided to get around this by listing the quantity of pepper flakes recommended in the recipe as a range that is measured in teaspoons to make it easier to control. The Silver Fox is out of his comfort zone when I use a tablespoon of crushed pepper, so, when I am making the noodles for the two of us, I only use 1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons of the pepper flakes. I suspect you already know your family's tolerance for heat, so adjust accordingly. The noodles are delicious and I do hope you will try them. Here is how they are made.

Frugal Foodie Friday - Mlinci (Croation Baked Noodles)

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...While this Croatian side dish is a great addition to any cook's repertoire, it will be especially helpful to those who need budget dishes to round out family meals. Made with nothing more than eggs, flour and water, this simple dough can can be made more substantial with the addition of aromatics, vegetables and cheese, but in Croatia, this noodle-like flatbread, is dressed with meat or poultry drippings and served in the same way as we serve mashed potatoes here. The dish is an important part of Croatian Christmas dinner, and the noodles, coated with turkey drippings, are given a place of honor alongside the bird. While mlinci are served throughout the Balkans, the dish originated in Croatia. The noodles are actually made from a very thin, dried flatbread that is torn, re-hydrated and then baked for serving. Similar dishes can be found throughout the Middle-East where flatbread has long been known as a practical way to store perishable flour. Unlike pasta. which is made from hard wheat flour and can be stored for long periods of time without losing nutritional content, the soft wheat flour from which mlinci are made, is more likely to degrade, however, once it is baked it, too, can be stored for long periods of time as long as it is kept dry. While the noodles were once considered to be special food and, as such, they became associated with holidays and special occasions, that is no longer the case and they have become an everyday dish.They are actually quite easy to make and while I approached making them as a novelty, they are definitely worth making again. As I didn't have a turkey or the requisite drippings lying around, I dressed my noodles with a light roux based gravy. I could also have used a butter and parsley combination, but I thought the gravy would be a bit more figure friendly. If you are looking for an economical side dish that is a bit different, I hope you'll give these noodles a try. Here is how they are made.