bits and pieces

This is another variation on Yaki Udon, but with shrimp this time. I think I overcooked the shrimp a touch, but it turned out ok. It still felt like there was a little something missing though.

“You had me at ‘we’re fucked…’”

:D

To further fuel my cooking, I bought the Everyday Food cookbook and marked a number of recipes that looked like good ones to try. A lot of them are pasta-based, but I decided to try with cashew chicken, because of how simple it was.

Last night, I toasted the cashews while I was eating dinner, which was pretty simple, since you just toss them on a baking sheet and put them in a 350° oven for 10 minutes. I had to buy a few items I didn’t have, like cornstarch, rice vinegar, and hoisin sauce, but the rest was pretty straightforward.

Tonight, Fred and I cooked it all up, and I think it turned out fairly well, though I didn’t really detect much of the garlic we used. But the flavor was still good and it was really filling, especially with rice fresh from my rice cooker.

I definitely plan on making this one again, though I’d like to try adding something more than the green onion, like another vegetable or mushrooms. But for now, at least I have leftovers to take to work for lunch! :)

Here’s the recipe:

Cashew Chicken
Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, such as safflower
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 scallions, white and green parts separated, each cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 3/4 cup raw cashews (4 ounces), toasted
• White rice, for serving (optional)

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, toss chicken with cornstarch until chicken is coated; season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Cook half the chicken, tossing often, until browned, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
3. Add remaining oil and chicken to skillet along with the garlic and white parts of scallions. Cook, tossing often, until chicken is browned, about 3 minutes. Return first batch of chicken to pan. Add vinegar; cook until evaporated, about 30 seconds.
4. Add hoisin sauce and 1/4 cup water; cook, tossing, until chicken is cooked through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in scallion greens and cashews. Serve immediately over white rice, if desired.

Sometimes I clip out recipes from various magazines, but I haven’t actually tried many of them after all. I’ve started going through my binder of clippings though, and decided to try out this recipe from Real Simple magazine.

It turned out all right for the most part, though it wasn’t quite what I expected. The pappardelle noodles were nice, though they clumped together a bit since I dumped them in a strainer (which wasn’t recommended on the package). The vegetable topping though didn’t seem quite substantial enough in terms of flavor. It was fairly light, with a hint of the butter and chicken stock, but parts of it were a bit salty, and not in a balanced way.

I do have a bit of leftovers now, and I may reheat those, but I don’t know that I’d try this recipe again.

Here it is for reference:

Pappardelle with Cabbage, Prosciutto, and Sage

8 ounces pappardelle or some other wide pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, sliced
Kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 head Savoy cabbage — quartered, cored, and sliced (8 cups)
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 pound sliced prosciutto, cut into strips
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes.

Add the cabbage and broth and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage begins to wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the prosciutto, butter, and sage and cook until the butter has melted. Serve over the pasta.

Substitution: Savoy cabbage has thin leaves that cook quickly. If you can’t find it in the market, try using Napa cabbage instead. In place of the prosciutto, use deli ham or bacon.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

A co-worker sent this to me this morning. Yay!

Tee hee.

Update (09/20/2009): Someone edited this image from pyza’s Flickr photostream. It’s Chmurka the hamster.