Chicken n Veggies Tettrazini

Traditionally, a tettrazini uses some kind of white meat with a base of onions, carrots, and mushrooms in a butter cream sauce with peas. I made a healthier version using more veggies and skipped the heavy cream using just full fat milk.

Ingredients:

Noodles:
2 cups wide egg noodles

Vegetables:
1/2 cup finely diced onions
1 clove garlic, finely diced
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/2 cup finely diced broccoli
1/2 cup finely diced mushrooms
1/4 diced red pepper
1/4 diced green pepper
Salt, Black Pepper, Dried Thyme

Chicken: (Skip this step if you opting for a veggie recipe)
2 small Chicken tenderloins.

Sauce:
1/2 cup white cooking wine
1 tbsp all purpose flour
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1/2 cup chicken or veg stock

1/2 cup whole milk

Salt, Black Pepper, Dry Italian seasonings, garlic powder

Optional: Hot sauce or Red pepper flakes 
Shredded Mexican Four cheese

Method:

1. The Noodles:

Add noodles in boiling water.  Add some salt and olive oil to the pot. Noodles should be completely submerged under water. It should take about 8 to 10 minutes. When tender, drain the noodles in a colander (take all the water out). Run cold water on the noodles in the colander.  Drizzle some olive oil and toss. Set aside.

2. The Vegetables

Heat olive oil in a flat bottom skillet.  Add the onions and garlic.  Sautee till translucent.  Add the rest of the vegetables to the pan, add the seasonings (salt/pepper/thyme) and cook until tender.  Remove from pan and set aside.

3. The Chicken:

Heat butter or oil in the same pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook for about 4 minutes each side. Set aside. When cool, cut into small bite size pieces.

4. The Sauce:

In the same pan, heat 1 tbsp of butter.  Pour the wine and using a spatula loosen up the chicken dripping left on the pan. Add another 1 tbsp of butter.  When melted, add 1 tbsp all purpose flour. Turn the heat down and using a spatula whisk vigorously.  There should be no lumps in the flour. Add the stock and the milk and mix well. Turn the heat to medium. Add a dash of salt, pepper, italian seasonings, garlic powder, and hot sauce or red pepper flakes. Keep whisking with a spatula. The mixture will reduce and thicken up. Add the cooked noodles and the chicken pieces. Mix well.

5. Putting it all together:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Take an ovenproof dish. Butter the bottom of the pan. Pour the noodles mixture onto the pan. Top the pan with shredded cheese - I used Mexican Four Blend. You can use that or just shredded cheddar cheese. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly.

Serve hot!

Szechwan Veg Hakka Noodles

1 7oz packet Egg Hakka Noodles
Olive oil
Few drops of sesame oil
1 green pepper, sliced lengthwise
1/2 cup sliced red onion, sliced lengthwise
4 green onions, diced
Handful of roasted peanuts
1.5 tbsp of ginger garlic paste
2 red chillies
1 tbsp szechwan chilli paste (Add a little more if you can handle the heat)
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
4 to 6 black peppercorns
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vingar

1. Boil water in a stock pot. Add the noodles and drizzle some olive oil. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Drain water in a colander. Run cold water on the noodles and drizzle some olive oil. Set aside to cool. The noodles should be completely dry before you add them back to the wok.
2. Heat oil in a wok.  Add few drops of sesame oil.  Add red chillies and black peppercorn and saute for about a minute.  Turn the heat to high.  Add the red onions, green peppers, and garlic/ginger paste. Sautee for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the green onions and keep tossing.  Add the szchewan paste, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and rice wine vinegar.  Add a little less than 1/4 cup water and mix well.  Keep the flame on high.
3. Add the noodles and mix well. 

Serve hot.

Chick-n-Asparagus Casserole

2 cups Egg Noodles
2 tbsp butter
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 to 4 serrano peppers
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/2 of 10 oz can Cream of Corn
1 10oz can of Cream of Celery Soup
2/3 cup cooked chicken (Skip chicken for a vegetarian recipe)
2/3 cup black beans, canned
Dash of garlic powder and parsley
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp All purpose flour (if needed)
1 bunch of Asparagus, washed, patted dry, and stemmed
Shredded cheese, Mexican blend preferred
Fried onions (optional)

Melt butter in a saucepan. Add the onions and serrano peppers and sautee until onions turn brown.  Add the tomato sauce and mix. Let the mixture cook and reduce a bit (3 to 4 minutes).  Add the cream of celery soup and stir well. Let it come to a boil stirring frequently.  Now add the cooked chicken, black beans, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic powder, and parsley.  Continue cooking for a few minutes and let cool a little bit.  If the mix appears watery, then add 2 tbsps of all purpose flour to the pot and stir constantly to mix it in. Make sure there are no lumps.  This will thicken the mixture a little.

In a flat pan, heat some olive oil or butter and lay the asparaugs flat.  Add some salt and black pepper.  Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on medium heat. Do not cover and cook and do not overcook as this will go on the casserole and cook some more in the oven.

Cook the egg noodles as per packet instructions (about 5 minutes for 2 cups of noodles). Drain the noodles and drizzle some olive oil. Toss and set aside. 

Preheat the over at 350F.  Grease a round 8 inch baking pan.  Add the noodles in the pan.  Pour the prepared mixture over the noodles.  Sprinkle cheese generously on the top so that all the noodles are covered.  Now line the asparagus as shown.  Sprinkle some fried onions on the top (optional). Bake for 15 minutes. Serve hot. Keep hot sauce handy !!

Singaporean Curry Noodles

When I cook, I am never ready with my ingredients. I just turn the heat on and start chopping some garlic (I love garlic). Then I think about what next!! But, not with this dish.  One has to have all your ingredients ready to go - timing is everything. Time to add, time to toss, time to know exactly when to stop cooking the veggies and noodles, so on and so forth. I was especially scared making this dish because I hope my friend Cha approves this dish - She is from Singapore and knows her Singapore noodles!!!! Cha - Do you approve? :)

Ingredients:

1 cup vermicelli

1 cup cabbage, julienne 

1 cup carrots, julienne

1/2 cup green peppers, julienne

1 cup onions, julienne

1/2 cup celery, julienne

2 green onions stalks (and some more for garnish)

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 tbsp ginger, finely chopped

1/2 tsp Sriracha sauce/Sambal olek

2 tbsp Curry powder (or more depending on your taste)

2 tsp soy sauce + 1/2 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp vinegar + 1/2 tsp vinegar

Fish sauce

Vegetable oil

Sesame oil

1 egg, beaten

Ready? Set? Go!!!

1. First prepare the vermicelli following package directions. Make sure you add oil and salt to the boiling water when you cook the vermicelli. Vermicelli cooks really fast so make sure you are standing right there tasting for doneness. If you overcook the noodles, no guarantee for the taste of this recipe ;) Drain when done, add cold water, and set aside for a few minutes. Now add some oil and toss well while separating the noodles.  Put the vermicelli in the fridge until you are ready with your veggies (The deal here is that you want the noodles as dry as possible)

2. Heat some vegetable oil in a wok and let it get real hot. Add the onions, saute for a minute. Add the chopped garlic and ginger. Sautee for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add all the veggies and keep stirring. Keep the flame on high because you do not want any water to accumulate in the wok. Keep stirring. Add some seasonings: 1/2 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp vinegar, salt, and black pepper.  Saute until veggies are cooked to your taste (I like my veggies a bit crunchy!)  Set aside.

3. Now we are ready to season the vermicelli. Heat vegetable oil in a wok. Add few drops of sesame oil (this is very strong, so add only a few drops).  Add the sriracha sauce, soy sauce, and 1 tbsp curry powder and constantly stir without letting it burn (just few seconds).  Add the noodles and toss well coating the sauces. Keep the flame on high. You dont want the noodles to cook really at this point but just to coat. If you think the wok is too dry, add some veg or olive oil.  Add the veggie mixture, add the remainder 1 tbsp curry powder and toss again. Add some some drops of fish sauce. Set aside.

4. Heat some oil in a wok (I promise this is the last time!).  Add the beaten egg and make and omlette. Add some salt and black pepper. When cooked cut the omelette into long pieces and add on the noodles.

5. Garnish with some green onions. Keep soy sauce and vinegar handy for adding on the top.

- Fish sauce is really fishy. You may not like the taste so use cautiously.

- If the dish is not salty enough, adjust your seasonings.

- Curry powder needs to cook or else it will taste raw. I used Mccormick curry powder.