Dorm Favorites Revisited: Fiery Miso Ramen w/Mussels

Many blogs back, I started developing recipes with Ramen noodles and  coined the results Dormitory  Gourmet, finding versatile and creative ways to enjoy the same thing without feeling like you are.  These recipes are not limited to just the dorm however, and can be fun and delicious at home as well.  Today's installment of the Dormitory Gourmet is a lovely and simple seafood dish, with wonderful Asian ingredients like Sambal Oelek and Miso.  Sambal Oekek is an Asian chili paste to add as little or as much heat as you can stand.  Miso is a staple in Asian cuisine and is made from fermented soybeans.  Miso imparts support to the broth and long simmered umami notes.  Lime juice adds a spark of citrusy freshness and  the mussels come already cooked, so the prep work is minimal.  Fresh tomato, parsley and garlic help round out the flavor and brighten the overall appearance.
Fiery Miso Ramen w/Mussels
1 lb. pkg. frozen, cooked mussels*
2 c. water
1/4 c. Miso paste**
1 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
2 pkgs. Ramen noodles, using only ONE of the seasoning packets
1 medium tomato, quartered and de-seeded
2 tsp. Sambal Oelek**
1/4 c. fresh parsley, rough chopped
lime juice
lime wedges for serving

SPST
Olive oil for drizzling
In a heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat, add mussels, water and Miso paste.  Bring up to a boil and add Ramen and the seasoning packet.  Bring back up to a boil and stir in tomato crushed with your hands, garlic and Sambal Oelek.  Cover and let cook until most of liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes.
Stir in parsley.  Add a couple splashes of lime juice.  SPST. Drizzle with olive before serving.  Serves 4.


*Precooked mussels can be found in the frozen seafood section of larger supermarkets.
**Miso and Sambal Oelek can be found in specialty shops or grocers.

Cruciferous Goodness!

Right about now, gardens are yielding major harvests of various kinds.  We barely have time to preserve, utilize or give to friends and family before our gardens are ready to show us more of the good stuff.  Popular home garden veggies include green beans, corn, squash, cabbage, zucchini, peas, beets and broccoli to name a few.  Though some people grow broccoli at home, they may not be as partial to it's lighter colored cousin, cauliflower.  Both are in the cruciferous or cabbage family.  Cauliflower is rich in major vitamins and minerals, including potassium, magnesium and zinc, riboflavin,thiamine, and a host of other B vitamins.  Cauliflower is also rich in dietary fiber and phytochemicals known to reduce risks of certain cancers.  There are 4 major types of cauliflower and 4 major colors including white, green, orange and purple.  Cauliflower is best served raw or with relatively low cooking times, as with the extensive heat, there is a drastic breakdown of it's healthy chemical components.  Cauliflower makes for an excellent substitute for potatoes, being similar in taste and texture, but without the carbohydrate factor.  Today's recipe consists of fresh cauliflower and several ingredients of Asian origin to produce a quick and delicious side dish for any occasion.  This recipe is great, because aside from being delicious, it can also promote and maintain a healthy prostate for the men in your life.  Plus, the thermogenic effects of the chilies will help to raise the metabolism and burn more calories throughout the day!!!
Spicy Cauliflower Saute
1 head cauliflower
2 tbsp. rendered bacon fat or olive oil
2 dried Thai chilies
1 tsp. sambal oelek
2 tbsp. oyster sauce, plus 1 tbsp. water
pinch of brown sugar
scant pinch of allspice
1 clove garlic, pressed or finely minced
splash of lime juice
SPST
Preheat cast iron skillet or saute  pan to medium high heat.  Add oil.
Meanwhile,  remove thick inner stalk of cauliflower.   Slice from top to bottom in about 1/4 inch increments.  Season with PEPPER, THE SALT WILL BE ADDED LATER.
Carefully add cauliflower and Thai chilies to pan and shake slightly to get  cauliflower settled and caramelization on some of the slices.  
Cook for about 2 minutes undisturbed, then add  kosher salt to taste.  
After about 1 more minute, toss again to to allow other pieces to get some caramelization, and add sambal oelek, oyster sauce, brown sugar, allspice, garlic and lime juice.
Toss to coat.  Cook for 1 minute more and turn off heat.
Cauliflower should have bite and not be mushy, so DO NOT overcook.  

Some of the florets will break apart while sauteing and that is o.k.

Southern Comfort Foods!

Food can provide more than just sustenance and the building blocks for our body's physical and biological functions.  Food has been used as a glue for bringing families together via gatherings and special events.  We seek out certain foods when older that bring us comfort when we consume them, because they remind us of a time and place when things were less chaotic and have the psychological ability to lift our spirits when feeling low.  I can't really call it Southern Comfort Foods when I cook, because being from the south, (more like middle eastern south) these are foods I learned to prepare at a young age and and have been doing so concurrently to present day.  The foods you may have to travel to mom's or grandma's to eat every now and then, are a part of my regular menu planning.  You wouldn't have to wait until Thanksgiving to enjoy delicious Turkey and Stuffing with Yams and Broccoli Casserole. Easter is not the only time for delicious Ham, Yeast Rolls and Baked Macaroni and Cheese with a hearty helping of homemade Potato Salad.  Meatloaf with Savory Mashed Potatoes and Green Beans long simmered with ham fat is no stranger here.  Creamy Banana Pudding and Sweet Potato Cake with Poppy Seed Caramel Glaze, yeah I make those too. I  have developed those recipes with my own unique spin and I dare say  that I execute them rather well.  Basically, you can precipitate those comforting feelings at will and on the regular, being once every couple of months for time's sake and our waists' sake respectively. That being said, today's menu consists of BBQ Country Style Ribs, Garlic Scented Carrots w/ Peas, and hand picked greens that had been frozen from last harvest.  This menu invokes what I'd like to call SO-CO Nostalgia in that when I hear these foods names, especially the bbq country ribs, I automatically think of Sunday dinners and cookouts and spending time with my family, whom I hold dear.  I get that same feeling preparing these foods and when my people enjoy them so it's a win- win situation, full circle.  My comfort comes from knowing my family will enjoy those meals whole heartedly and give feedback on the highest points as well as possible ideas to make them even better.  Most of the time, they wouldn't change a thing, and that's really a comforting thought!

Garfield's Favorite, Lasagna!

Garfield movies have become my girls' and nephew's new favorite as per cartoon animal entertainment and was a go-to show when I was a young girl.  Most of us are familiar with Garfield and his habits including the consumption of  copious amounts of lasagna.  Needless to say, I have had lasagna on the brain for  few weeks now.   There are  numerous variations of Lasagna, the ever popular Italian dish, and I have several of my own including one with pepperoni, one with classic bechamel and no ricotta, as well as a couple with ricotta and ricotta/veggie blends.

The lasagna  I created today has more of a lighter combination, incorporating more veggies  in part because I had some that needed to be utilized before they lost freshness or expired.  Lean ground turkey is the main protein for this recipe, with about 1/2 lb. good quality ground beef for layering/flavor component.   The ricotta blend contains julienne of spinach, Pecorino Romano, and a scant amount of nutmeg, YES, NUTMEG. Nutmeg complements cheesy dishes and spinach very well.  Small diced zucchini is added for nutritional value and help absorb some of the flavors, like little flavor sponges!  The recipe turned out well and I'm looking forward to leftovers, since to me it tastes better the next day.  I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Having Your Tea with a Knife and Fork!

Many of us enjoy the wonderful and soothing benefits of drinking tea!  Whether it 's iced or brewed hot, teas can provide a plethora of medicinal and antioxidant contributions to our overall health.  Chinese Green Tea has been noted to offer benefits ranging from heart  and lymphatic system health to weight loss.  Whatever your motivation, it's a suitable solution for marinating proteins as well.  I created a recipe last evening using loose Chinese Green Tea and lemon as the primary flavor builder for grilled chicken leg quarters.  The end product was a subtly flavored and citrus scented  bird with lots of smoky infusion and a cacophonous blend of earthy tones.  Using this tea as a marinade, helps to infuse  the chicken with the boundless enzymes that make Chinese Green Tea so popular!  Feel free to use other parts of the chicken if you like. The longer you marinate it, the more pronounced the flavor.
Chinese Green Tea and Lemon Chicken
3 to 5lbs. chicken parts
1 tbsp. loose tea leaves
1 large lemon, halved and squeezed
1 soft chicken bouillon cube
SPST
olive oil for drizzling
seasoned salt
water
In a small saucepan, heat about 2 cups water with chicken cube and tea leaves.
Bring to a boil, and let tea steep in liquid until cooled.
Pour cooled liquid over chicken and SPST.  Add lemon and rind.  Fill vessel with cold water until chicken is just covered.  Refrigerate for several hours until ready to grill or roast. and
When ready to grill, drain and scrap off excess tea leaves, allowing some to stay for dexterity
Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with seasoned salt before grilling!.

They want that CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE...

I am always enthusiastic about developing recipes and sharing them with friends and family.  I especially appreciate it when certain recipes stand out to my family members and they request   an encore appearance!!  Last summer, I really began to work on recipes with zucchini because it was so abundant in our gardens and versatile, not to mention very nutritious. I created various muffin and cake recipes and found a happy medium that my sister Bonnie and her husband really liked.  With this in mind, Bonnie recalled a cake I made last summer and requested one for her family!! Naturally, I obliged!  With a little brainstorming, I made slight alterations and put the recipe to paper.  I tweaked and fine tuned until I felt that I'd achieved a recipe that people would want to re-create at home.  The result is a very moist and quite delicious product that could easily WOW your taste buds into melodious submission.  Lemon zest and shredded coconut contributes to the bright citrusy notes and the texture.  Buttermilk lends amazing moisture and flavor. Unsweetened cocoa deliver mellow chocolate tones and  rich color. Two types of sugar add balance and the subtle molasses imparts color and more flavor abound!  This cake is made completely from scratch including a Vanilla Buttermilk Frosting that really brings the recipe together.  I'm still debating on keeping the recipe as a signature cake or sharing with everyone because I think it's pretty awesome.  Not being pompous in the least, I judge this idea on the fact that my girls loved it and my sister Hollie who doesn't normally indulge in sweets, said it 'made her mouth say Mmm'! LOL.  Last but not least, my mom thought highly of it as well, and she is my most discerning critic! I take that as a win for team Neillio! Go me! It's my Birthday...CAKE!

Tasty Local Fare: Thanks Frank's!

My family and I don't eat out often, but every now and then we enjoy pizza from local pizza establishments, because we do believe in supporting small businesses. Normally, I make our pizzas at home, which is quite easy and cost efficient.  We ordered out from Frank's Pizza on Clarion road in Altavista.  They have a varied selection of pasta and things Italian and white, red and pink sauces. The thin glutenous crust reminds me of slices from trips I made up north in the days of old.  Frank's has a great special with an extra large pie with all the meats if you choose or choice toppings and comes with a small cheese pie to boot.  At around $21, this deal is just so, and is enough for 4 adults and 3 children.  The pizza was surprisingly good with the sauce applied just right and the toppings crisp, fresh tasting, and a slightly chewy crust that is not filling and bloaty like some places.  The slices are HUGE, and remind me of carnival fare, when it's expensive and the taste is money!  The deal is totally worth it and throw in a simple green salad, you have a complete and satisfying meal for the whole family plus a guest or two!!  Thanks Frank's for making eating out make sense for my family and our money!!!
Frank's Pizza
Clarion Rd, Altavista

434) 309-1254  That's my nephew Braelyn sporting his new Mohawk and noshing on Frank's!