Recipe # 8 DryThai Noodle Soup

This started out as a bag of Bean Sprouts in the fridge. My then house mate Felicia decided to sautee them up with green beans, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and maple syrup. They were not bad at all, yet felt like they were missing something. I had always wanted to cook with Pad Thai noodles or Rice Noodles, so I decided to combine them into a soup.

Ingredients:
Bean/Bean Sprout Mixture
Sauteed Onions (3x)
Handful of Sliced Mushrooms - Sauteed
Garlic (Handful of cloves)
Ginger -fresh is better, although in this I had a combination of Fresh and powder, to taste
Cayenne Pepper, Black Pepper, Soy Sauce to taste. I had no need for salt.
Soy-Ginger Broth from Trader Joe's
Small Package of Firm Tofu
10-12 leaves of fresh basil

Yields: 1 big ol' pot full

I cooked the Rice noodles, added the bean/sprout mixture, basil and the soup broth, then all of the other ingredients were sauteed together and added. I let it sit covered for about 4 hours. When I came back to it, all of the moisture had been absorbed by the vegetables and rice noodles, yielding a delicious dry soup. There is still something missing that I am sure an authentic Thai chef would be able to add, both in flavor and presentation. But for a Thursday night dinner not bad at all.




***About half the photos in this blog were taken by expert photographer Joe Saunders. Including this one. As I proceed I hope to attribute the proper photographer to the photos.

Recipe # 7 Avocado Salsa

For those of you out there wondering. Avocado Salsa is not Guacamole. Or Whack-a-mole as I was first introduced to it. There are a few subtle differences. First of all, Guacamole, is usually mashed, smashed, reduced, squished, or otherwise pulverized from its original state. Leaving a nice creamy concoction that can be scooped up with chips. It also contains onion and lemon juice, with the rare exception.
Enter me, I wanted to freshen things up a bit, so I borrowed a recipe for Mango Salsa from Supreme Chef Roz Taubman and began changing it around so the main ingredient was Avocado. This dish is best served chilled, with Chips, Tacos, Burritos, Steak, or any other food with it. You can even eat it by itself.

For 1-2 Servings you will need:

1 Avocado
1 Small ripe tomato
1 small handful of fresh Cilantro, Washed/Chopped
1/4 of a Jalapeno Pepper, minced (add more if you want some hotness)
the juice of 1 Lime
a little Salt and Pepper (I prefer Sea Salt or Kosher Salt) to taste

That's it, pretty simple. Just cube up the avocado and tomato, mix, and chill

Then Enjoy.

*As a note: You can keep an avocado pit or two in the bowl when storing it. Also make sure to press plastic into the mixture when covering to help keep it from turning brown.

Recipe #6 Greek Grilled Cheese

Today I wanted to share with you a take on a classic, the Grilled Cheese. My step mom used to make a variation on this when I was about 12 years old. She claims she learned it while working in a restaurant in the Greek Isles. However, first, let me tell you, that Kirby Von Scrumptious and I threw down some serious sandwiches last Saturday Night (April 26), and the real winners were the judges. But that will all have to wait for a future post. For now, you can also check out her blog at: kirbyvonscrumptious.blogspot.com for more details. Back to the Greek Grilled Cheese.


To make them you have to start with a large appetite. These aren't you Kraft American Singles between two pieces of Miracle Bread.

4 Slices of Wheat Sourdough Bread
8 oz. (or 1 cup) of assorted cheeses (For these sandwiches I used an English Cheddar, Havarti, and a 6 cheese blend
1 Ripe Large Tomato
Handful of Basil, Washed and Ripped.
Irish Butter

Butter one side of each slice of bread. Heat skillet to medium heat, add one slice of bread face down. Immediately add cheese, tomato and basil. I like to have my cheese already in a sandwich shape so I can just lift it off the plate and put it directly on the bread. Then top the sandwich with another slice of bread, butter side up. When golden brown, about 2-3 minutes, flip. Just brown the other side and your cheese should be gooey. Cut Diagonally for best flavor, and largest crustless surface to bite into. I also like to warm up some Tomato Basil soup while I am making the Grilled Cheese, that way it is all ready at the same time. Enjoy!!!