Get Well Pho

While I was sick, I wasn't doing too much of anything, except sleeping.  I slept 12-14 hours a day. During the times I was awake, I barely had the energy to make it to the couch to watch TV.   When I ate, food was quick and easy.  I lost my taste, and most days nothing sounded good.  If something actually sounded good, I ate it, only to be disappointed because it had no flavor.

A couple years ago, I had a bad winter cold.  My friend insisted I need a big bowl of chicken "fuh" to feel better. 

Ummm, what?  

You know, "fuh" from that place over by that market. 

Oh, that's what that is?  "Pho" is pronounced "fuh"?  Gotcha.

So I went with her and got a big bowl of pho. 

It was steaming hot and smelled amazing and tasted even better.  You could tell the broth was homemade and simmered from bones all day long.  There was an assortment of bits and pieces you could get in your pho like tendons and tripe, but I stuck with something "safe" and got thinly sliced steak. 

After the first bite, I was hooked.  Don't tell anyone, but I like it better than my mom's chicken noodle soup she made when we were kids.

 
Now, since I have been sick, I have been lazy and using lots of shortcuts.  

 Yes, I know it's way better to cut up a chicken and simmer it for hours and make a rich, nourishing stock.  But when you are only out of bed for 2 hours a day (that's a generous number, too), you don't have time to simmer a stock and make a fancy meal.  

So this is the shortcut way to make a big bowl of pho.   

Get Well Chicken Pho

1-2 carton(s) Chicken Pho Soup Base
1lb seasoned ground pork sausage (once again, I cheated used "Potsticker" flavor fresh made sausage from the local market...but use plain, add 2 finely chopped green onions, 2tbl finely diced red bell pepper, and salt, pepper, soy sauce and freshly grated ginger to taste)
1/2 of a 14 oz package rice noodles, prepared according to package directions, drained (I use the Taste of Thai stir fry noodles)
A handful of dried Shiitake mushrooms, prepared according to package directions
1 package fresh bean sprouts, rinsed
1 Lime cut in wedges
1 bunch basil, roughly torn
1 bunch cilantro, roughly torn


Preheat oven to 400*.  Shape pork into walnut sized meatballs.  In a heavy oven safe skillet, melt coconut oil over medium high heat.  Brown meatballs on one side for about 2-3 minutes.Carefully turn meatballs over, turn off stove, and place skillet in the oven for 10-15 minutes until meatballs are cooked completely (165* internal temperature). 

In a pot heat soup base until it starts to come to a boil. Don't let it boil away for too long, you just want to get it to serving temperature. 

In a deep soup bowl, place a portion of the noodles in the bottom, followed by a small handful of bean sprouts, a few meatballs, and a bit of the shiitake mushrooms.  Ladle hot broth over the top.  Top with basil and cilantro and a lime wedge.  Serve immediately. 

Ginger Green Onion Noodles

Somehow I ended up with several bunches of green onions in my fridge that were begging to be used.

  (That's what happens when you go out to Larry's and they were 4 bunches for $1).  

I love green onions and their flavor.  A little sprinkle of them just really seem to add that "little somethin' extra" that seems to be missing when you finish a dish.  

But today, because I had so many to use, I needed something where the green onions  would be the star of the dish.  

I turned to Google, and one recipe caught my attention:  "Ginger Scallion Noodles." Doesn't it look tasty???

I really liked the sound of the sauce and the noodles, but I wanted something that would be a stand alone as an entire meal.  I thought of one of my favorite noodle salads and decided to make my own creation that would still taste as good as the real thing, but still fit within my dietary restrictions.

Ginger - Green Onion Noodles

3 large bunches  thinly sliced green onions (greens and whites)
1/2 cup finely minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
Juice of 2 limes
2-3 tbl Fish sauce
2 tbl coconut aminos (or soy sauce)
2 tbl rice wine vinegar
1lb brown rice spaghetti noodles (or regular if not GF)
4 small heads Baby bok choy chopped
12oz fresh Bean sprouts
1 can Bamboo shoots, drained
1 can water chestnut slices, drained


Combine green onions, ginger, grapeseed oil, lime juice, fish sauce, coconut aminos, and vinegar.  Set aside.

Prepare noodles according to package directions.  Drain and rinse.

In a large bowl combine noodles, bok choy, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts.  Add the green onion mixture.  Toss to combine.  Serve at room temperature or refrigerate until serving and enjoy cold. 

Happy Hour: Mojitos

I really love living in Northern California.  I live an hour away from the ocean and a couple hours away from the mountains.  Not many places have beautiful beaches and amazing ski resorts within a couple hours from each other.  I also live in one of the greatest places for agriculture.  I'm less than 30 minutes away from wine country, and every imaginable fruit and vegetable is raised in the area.  I can get amazing strawberries, artichokes, olive oils, fresh pastured meats, and fresh fish...all within an hours drive from my house. 

The one thing I really don't like about where I live are days like today when it's well over 100*.  I despise the heat.  A few years ago we went to a beer fest on the Sacramento river.  It was only mid-May, but it was well over 100*.  I tried to stay hydrated, didn't get to drink any beer, and ended up getting really sick and overheated and ever since my body can't handle the heat. 

So on days like today, I like to take a trip to San Francisco Bay Area where it's generally around 30* cooler.  But, when I can't make it to the bay, I try to stay indoors with the AC on and drink lots of cold water and iced tea.  

On Saturday nights, it's time to relax and spend time with Dave and family and friends.  One of my favorite drinks for a hot summer night is a mojito.  The mint and lime are so refreshing.  Unlike a margarita, the sweetness isn't (or shouldn't be) overpowering.  Drinks that are too sweet usually make me feel sick to my stomach, especially when the thermometer has already exceeded 100* and keeps on rising.  

Strawberry mojitos at sunset

Mojitos are a fairly involved drink to make, and you don't find them on too many bar menus.  Often times when you do, they are made with so much sugar it just tastes like a glass of lime sugar.  

A few years ago, I set out on a quest to make the perfect mojito.  I researched recipes and found them to be pretty standard:  mint, limes, simple syrup, white rum, and club soda.  Some recipes use a lemon-lime soda, but that just adds way too much sweetness in my opinion.  

I went to my local BevMo to get the ingredients and was disappointed to find out that almost every simple syrup is made from HFCS instead of real sugar.  I did find one brand that was made out of real sugar, but it was very expensive for a small bottle.  I knew that simple syrup had to be easy to make since it was just sugar water, and decided that I would make it on my own.  

I started out by taking equal parts of organic sugar and water in a sauce pan.  I brought it to a boil and stirred it until the sugar dissolved completely and a syrup formed.  I then poured the syrup in a glass bottle and put it in the fridge to cool down.  

The only down side to using the organic sugar is that it made a brown syrup instead of a clear syrup, but you won't notice it once you mix up your drink.  

 

I love mjitos so much, I have a wine barrel planter dedicated to growing mint plants. 

Start by washing your lime and cutting half of the lime into 4 wedges.  Add the lime and about a dozen mint leaves into a glass (about 16 oz size glass).  

Muddle the lime and mint together.  I've read so many opinions on how long you need to muddle the lime and mint, anywhere from 10 twists of the muddler to 30 seconds.  The goal is to release the juice from the lime and the oils from the lime peel and the mint leaves.  

Next, you want to fill the glass about 2/3 of the way with crushed ice.  

Add one shot of simple syrup...

...and one shot of white rum.  Get the good stuff, skip the cheap crap in the pastic bottle.  Your head and stomach will thank you the next morning.  

Top off with club soda.  

Stir. Add a straw and enjoy.  

(You could also use a shaker and pour it into a fresh glass, but why dirty up extra dishes when you are at home?) 

"Drink me"

Mojitos

1/2 lime, cut into 4 wedges

12 mint leaves, removed from the stem

crushed ice

1.5 oz simple syrup

1.5 oz white rum

club soda

Muddle together mint and lime.  Add crushed ice.  Pour simple syrup and rum over the ice.  Fill with club soda.  Stir.  Add a straw and serve immediately.