asian peanut noodles
so i dicovered my male counterpart at seminary... is counterpart the right word?
this new friend of mine is crazy about the kitchen, just like me, but he's much better at all the good for you foods where i tend to get stuck in the baking realm, until of course the winter rolls around and then i make soups and stews and things....
anyways... he cooks tofu much better than i do... (mine always ends up looking scrambled)... and so we've had this killer dish a couple of times now...
soba noodles, tofu marinated in asian marinade and pan seared and peanut sauce- made with pb, mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, and maeploy (this spicy condiment that's sweet and sour too)...
you mix all those ingredients to get a peanut sauce, toss everything together, frigerate overnight, plate it up, sprinkle on chopped peanuts and a twist of lime, maybe cilantro if you have it, it's OH so delicious, it makes my belly amazingly happy...
ding ding!
yesterday I decided to use up some of those things I have lying around (since I'm leaving this place soon). THe result was an incredible re-creation: something very like Rice-A-Roni (tm).
One of Jason's favorite foods in the whole world is cheddar broccoli RiceARoni. So, having rice to use and broccoli leftover from last week, I tried it out. Here's how it goes:
a few T butter
3/4 cup vermicelli
1 cup organic long-grain white rice
1/2 cup finely chopped broccoli crowns--keep those little bitty pieces too because they make it look more like rice-a-roni!
1/2 onion, chopped very small
2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
salt, pepper, basil, oregano, any other spice you think might be tasty
about 6-10 slices of cheddar cheese
(if you have a big skillet, feel free to just do it in there. I don't, so had to work with two things...hence the strange directions)
melt half the butter in a skillet, add vermicelli. fry one minute. add (washed) rice, fry a couple of minutes until it all seems to be turning a little brown. melt the other half of the butter in a pot. Add onions and broccoli, saute a minute or so, until broccoli begins to brighten. Transfer rice/vermicelli mix into pot with onions and brocolli. Add veggie broth and water. stir well. Add spices. bring to a boil. lower heat and cover. simmer, stirring occasionally, until water is all absorbed. put cheese in, two or three slices at a time. re-cover and allow cheese to melt. stir it in, then add more...repeat until you feel like there's enough cheese. taste...season more according to your taste. Eat.
Jason and Stephen both gave it two thumbs up--and several fingers as well...between helpings. I thought it was pretty darn good myself! And we all know it's better for you than that sodium-filled, MSG laden box stuff. I can't tell you about fat content or anything (it depends how much cheese you use!), but dang...it's good.
