Chicken Chow Mein

October 27, 2010 at 3:03 pm (Asian, baby spinach, black pepper, bok choy, boneless skinless chicken breast, chow mein noodles, cilantro, cornstarch, fresh ginger, garlic, limes, Main Dish, peanut oil, Quick Dishes, red chile pepper, romaine, scallions, sea salt, shiitake mushrooms, soy sauce, vegetable oil, water chestnuts)

by Jamie Oliver.

This dish makes use of a tender juicy Asian cabbage called bok choy, which is simple to cook and really tasty. You should be able to find bok choy in your local grocery store, but, if not, a nice heart of romaine (halved) or a handful or two of baby spinach thrown into the wok for the last 2 or 3 minutes of cooking will do the trick.

Serves 2.

a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 – 1 fresh red chile, to your taste
1 large skinless chicken breast fillet
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
2 scallions
a small bunch of fresh cilantro
1 bok choy
optional: 4 shiitake mushrooms
4 oz (2 bundles) chow mein noodles
peanut or vegetable oil
1 heaped teaspoon cornstarch
1 (8 oz) can water chestnuts
2 – 3 T soy sauce
1 small lime
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To prepare:
1. Put a large pan of water on to boil.
2. Peel and finely slice the ginger and garlic.
3. Finely slice the chile.
4. Slice the chicken into finger-sized strips and lightly season with salt and pepper.
5. Cut the ends off your scallions and finely slice.
6. Pick the cilantro leaves and put to one side and finely chop the cilantro stalks.
7. Halve the bok choy lengthwise.
8. If using the mushrooms, either tear into pieces or leave whole.

To cook:
1. Preheat a wok or large frying pan on a high heat and once it’s very, very hot add a good lug of peanut oil and swirl it around.
2. Stir in the chicken strips and cook for a couple of minutes, until the chicken browns slightly.
3. Add the ginger, garlic, chile, cilantro stalks, mushrooms (if using), and half the scallions.
4. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, keeping everything moving around the wok quickly.
5. Add your noodles and bok choy to the boiling water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, no longer.
6. Meanwhile, add the cornstarch, water chestnuts, and their water to the wok and give it another good shake to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom.
7. Remove from heat and stir in 2 T soy sauce.
8. Halve the lime, squeeze the juice of one half into the pan, and mix well.
9. Drain the noodles and bok choy in a colander over a bowl, reserving a little of the cooking water.
10. Stir in the noodles and bok choy , with a little of the cooking water to loosen if necessary, and mix well.
11. Have a taste and season with more soy sauce if needed.

To serve:
1. Use tongs to divide everything between two bowls or plates, or to lift on to one large serving platter.
2. Spoon any juices over the top and sprinkle with the rest of the scallions and the cilantro leaves.
3. Serve with lime wedges.

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Mushroom Tortellini and Escarole Soup

July 16, 2010 at 3:24 pm (escarole, mushroom tortellini, olive oil, onion, Quick Dishes, shiitake mushrooms, soup, stovetop, vegetable stock)

Don’t be misled into thinking that a great tasting homemade soup needs long, slow cooking–this satisfying soup is ready in just 15 minutes.

Serves 6.

2 t olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped (1/2 C)
3 shiitake mushrooms, sliced (1/2 C)
7 C vegetable broth
5 C chopped escarole
9-oz pkg mushroom tortellini, cooked
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
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In large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and mushrooms and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add vegetable broth and heat through. Add escarole and cook 2 minutes. Add cooked toretllini and heat through. Serve with Parmesan cheese if desired.

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Mushroom Medley

June 9, 2010 at 9:16 pm (7 ingredients or less, black pepper, button mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, parsley, Quick Dishes, salt, shiitake mushrooms, Side dish, stovetop, white pepper)

This recipe is great with shiitake mushrooms or a mixture of shiitake, cremini and white button mushrooms.

Serves 6.

3 T extra-virgin olive oil
10 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C chopped parsley
1 lb fresh mushroom caps, quartered
Salt and freshly ground black or white pepper to taste
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In large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and parsley and cook, stirring often, 1 minute. Add mushrooms and toss over high heat just until beginning to soften, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

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Wild Mushroom Omelet

May 22, 2009 at 4:54 pm (Autumn, Breakfast, butter, eggs, lemon juice, parsley, Quick Dishes, salt, shallots, Spring, stovetop, white pepper, wild mushrooms)

Use a mix of seasonal varieties or your favorite mushrooms to fill this classic French-style omelet. If your pan becomes too hot and the eggs begin to set too quickly, simply lift the pan off the heat to slow the cooking as you stir. Garnish with fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs for a pretty presentation and serve with fresh fruit.

2 T finely chopped shallots
2 T water
2 oz wild mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 T chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 t fresh lemon juice
1/8 t salt
1 T butter, divided
4 eggs, divided
1/4 t salt, divided
1/8 t ground white pepper, divided
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1. Combine first 3 ingredients in a small skillet over medium-high heat; bring to a simmer. Cook 3 minutes or until water evaporates and mushrooms are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in chopped parsley, lemon juice and 1/8 t salt.

2. Melt 1 1/2 t butter in an 8″ skillet over medium high heat. Place 2 eggs in a small bowl, Add 1/8 t salt and a dash of pepper, stirring with a whisk until eggs are frothy. Pour egg mixture into pan, and stir briskly with a heatproof spatula for about 10 seconds or until egg starts to thicken. Quickly pull the egg that sets at sides of the pan to the center with the spatula, tipping the pan to pour uncooked egg to the sides. Continue this procedure for 10 to 15 seconds or until almost no runny egg remains. Remove pan from heat; arrange half of mushroom mixture (about 1 1/2 T) over omelet in pan. Run spatula around the edges and under omelet to loosen it from the pan. To fold the omelet, hold the pan handle with one hand and tip the pan away from you. Give the handle a sharp tap with your other hand so the top edge of the omelet flips over, or fold the edge over with a fork. Slide the omelet from the pan onto a plate, rolling it as it slides, so it lands folded in three with the seam underneath. Tuck in the sides of the omelet to neaten it. Repeat procedure with remaining 1 1/2 t butter, 2 eggs, 1/8 t salt, dash of pepper, and 1 1/2 T mushroom mixture. Yield: 2 servings.

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