You would think...

stir-frying a bunch of noodles seems easy enough, but it has been my biggest cooking challenge yet. The thought of so many exotic ingredients in Asian cooking somehow prevents me from exploring these dishes, but I'm happy to finally dip my toe in the water. A dinner with Ann, Cathy, Kathy, & Jen meant Pad Thai with Thai Chili Lime Sauce, Sweet Potato Cobbler & Coconut Ice Cream.

Pad Thai with Thai Chili Lime Sauce

Rice Stick Noodles
4 ounces sliced firm tofu
1 tsp minced garlic
1 egg
1 bundle green onion
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup crushed peanuts

Soak a bag of rice stick noodles until pliable and not soft. Heat a pan on high heat and add a generous amount of oil. Add tofu, garlic, and some tamarind sauce into the pan and let tofu brown. Stir in noodles and add in more sauce. Sprinkle noodles with water to prevent sticking. Crack an egg to the side of pan and mix with the noodles. Toss in slice green onions and bean sprouts. Top with crushed roasted peanuts and sesame seeds. (Adapted from Chez Pim).

Tamarind Sauce

1/4 cup tamarind paste
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp chili powder

Melt all ingredients in a sauce pan and let simmer on low heat.

Thai Chili Lime Sauce

2 tsp red chili flakes
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp Sriracha
1 tsp sweet and spicy sauce
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp fish sauce

Coconut Ice Cream

1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup heavy cream

Combine coconut milk with powdered sugar and whisk to dissolve. Whisk in the cream and keep whisking until soft peaks form a whipped cream. Spoon and smooth the ice cream into a large plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Sweet Potato Cobbler

Filling

1 can sweet potato
1/4 cup brown sugar

Topping

1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tbsp cold margarine
1 egg
1 Tbsp heavy cream
1/4 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss mashed sweet potato and brown sugar together. In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add sliced margarine and mix until a crumble forms. Combine the egg and cream and add the egg mixture to the flour mixture until combined. Spoon peach mixture into a cake pan and drop topping mixture by over the peaches. Bake for 15 minutes. Sprinkle top with shredded coconut and bake for another 15 minutes. Serve warm with coconut ice cream.

I also went on a spontaneous baking spree.



Walnut Chocolate Brownies

1 stick margarine
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 egg beater’s egg whites
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the margarine and sugar in a double boiler until fully melted. Stir in unsweetened cocoa power, salt, and vanilla extract until the mixture is smooth and shiny. Remove the bowl and set aside briefly until the mixture cools. Add the egg whites stirring to combine until batter is runny. Slowly mix in flour a little at a time until batter is shiny, thick, and fully incorporated. Mix in 1/2 cup of the walnuts and chocolate chips. Top with the rest of the walnuts. Spread evenly in the foil lined pan. Bake for 25 minutes until center is moist but not runny.

Mint Chocolate Truffles

6 ouches semisweet chocolate chips
1 Tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp mint extract
decorations

In a double boiler, melt chocolate and heavy cream on medium heat until a smooth ganache forms. Add in mint extract and stir to combine. Remove mixture from heat and let cool before rolling into balls. Roll chocolate into balls with palms and dip into sprinkles. Place truffles on parchment paper and refrigerate until cooled.

Veggies!

Vegetable Frittata

1 egg
1 egg white
1/4 cup roasted red pepper
1/2 cup diced broccoli
1 Tbsp pine nuts
1 tsp parsley
1 tsp oregano
Salt & Pepper
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine all egg and vegetable ingredients in a mixing bowl. Heat skillet on medium high heat and cook garlic until fragrant. Pour egg mixture into pan and top with shredded cheeses. Fry frittata for a minute before placing skillet in oven for 5 minutes. Remove frittata from oven when the top turns brown and sprinkle with some herbs before serving.

Satisfied. All in a week. http://www.tastespotting.com/post/11217/