Pasta International

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Hoisin Beef & Edamame Noodles

Sweet hoisin sauce and tangy lime juice balance perfectly in this quick, colorful, Asian-inspired noodle dish. You can find hoisin sauce and chili-garlic sauce in the Asian section of most large supermarkets or Asian markets. To make this dish a meal, dress a cucumber salad with toasted sesame oil and lime juice and enjoy a cup of jasmine green tea.


Serves: 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients
8 ounces soba noodles or whole-wheat spaghetti
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
8 ounces flank steak, trimmed of fat, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 10-ounce package frozen shelled edamame (about 2 cups), thawed
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add soba noodles (or spaghetti) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are just tender, 6 to 8 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, whisk lime juice, hoisin sauce and chili-garlic sauce to taste with cornstarch in a small bowl.

3. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add steak and cook, stirring occasionally, until just cooked through, about 2 minutes.

4. Transfer the steak to a plate using tongs. Add bell pepper to the juices in the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add edamame and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir the sauce mixture and add to the pan along with the beef and any accumulated juices.

5. Cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Add the noodles; toss to coat. Top with cilantro.


Pastitsio: Greek Meat & Pasta Casserole

Some recipes for this dish do not call for cinnamon in the meat sauce, but in this classic version, put it in. It's a signature taste that has made pastitsio one of the most well-known and loved Greek dishes. This recipe also calls for a thick béchamel sauce.

Traditionally, bucatini pasta is used but any tubular pasta, long or short, can be substituted.




Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds of bucatini pasta (or other tubular pasta like penne, ziti #2 etc.)
1 cup of olive oil
1-2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 1/4 cup of chopped onions
1 1/2 pounds of ground beef
2 1/2 cups of peeled, chopped plum tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
6 whole cloves
sea salt
20 or more ground peppercorns (to taste)
1 1/4 cups of grated kefalotyri cheese (or pecorino)
1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
béchamel sauce with cheese or basic béchamel
Preparation:
Make the Meat Sauce

Sauté the onions until translucent in 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed frying pan. Add meat and continue to stir until lightly brown. Add the tomatoes, cinnamon, cloves, garlic, salt, and pepper and stir well to combine. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid has been absorbed, about 30-35 minutes. This is very important - the meat mixture should be as dry as possible without sticking to the bottom of the pan. Set meat mixture aside, uncovered, and allow to cool.

Preheat oven to 350F (160C). Lightly grease a baking or roasting pan approximately 11 X 14 X 3 inches high.

Prepare the Pasta

While the meat is simmering, prepare the pasta. Cook until slightly underdone, drain, toss with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to prevent sticking, and set aside.

Make the béchamel sauce with cheese or 6 cups of basic béchamel.

Spread the breadcrumbs evenly on the bottom of an 11x15x3-inch baking pan. Use 1/2 the pasta for the first layer and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the grated cheese. Remove cloves from the sauce, add the meat sauce evenly over the pasta, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the grated cheese. Add the remaining pasta on top. Carefully pour the béchamel over the top and use a spatula to spread evenly.

Bake at 350F (160C) for 30 minutes, then sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of grated cheese on top, and continue to bake for another 15 to 30 minutes until the sauce rises and turns golden brown.

Remove pan from oven and allow to cool before serving (Pastitsio is served warm, not hot).

Yield: serves 6-8

Notes: This dish can be prepared the day before, all the way to the béchamel sauce, refrigerated overnight, and cooked the next day after adding the sauce.




Portuguese Shrimp and Pasta

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
1/4 pound chorizo, thinly sliced
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded, and finely chopped tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups Fennel Tomato Broth, recipe follows
1/2 pound kale, blanched and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 pound homemade, or dry pasta, cooked al dente
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup Piri Piri, recipe follows

Directions

Set a 14-inch saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Season the shrimp with the Essence and add to the pan. Saute for about 1 minute, remove from the pan, set aside on a plate and add the chorizo. Cook the chorizo, stirring occasionally, until most of the fat has rendered, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and increase the heat to high. Deglaze the pan with the wine and cook until nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato fennel broth and kale and cook until the liquid has reduced by half, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the salt and swirl the butter into the sauce. Add the pasta, shrimp, and parsley to the pan and continue to cook until the shrimp are cooked through and everything is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve in shallow pasta bowls, drizzled with some of the Piri Piri.

Essence Seasoning

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup


Fennel Tomato Broth:

1 quart shrimp stock
2 cups roughly chopped tomato
1/2 bulb fennel, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon fennel seeds

Place all ingredients in a 2-quart saucepan and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 hour. Stain through a fine mesh sieve. Cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate until needed, up to 1 week in advance.

Yield: about 1 quart

Piri Piri:

1 cup olive oil
2 fresh poblano peppers, stemmed and seeded
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon thinly sliced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh kale

In a 1-quart saucepan, combine the olive oil, poblanos, red bell peppers, red pepper flakes, garlic and salt. Bring to a boil and continue to cook until the peppers begin to darken, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool completely. Transfer to a blender, add kale and puree until very smooth. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate if not using immediately. May be made up to 1 week in advance. Return to room temperature before serving.

Yield: about 1 cup


Pierogies

Pierogies are the Eastern European stuffed dumplings similar to Italian ravioli, Jewish kreplach, Ukrainian varenyky, Russian pelmeni and Chinese pot stickers.

Usually crescent in shape, pierogies offer a variety of flavors to savor, including potato and onion, various cheeses, sauerkraut, sautéed cabbage, ground meat or fruit. Most people are familiar with the crispy, deep-fried version found at local fairs and carnivals, but traditionally these pockets are cooked in boiling water.

Pierogies were considered "poor man's food" derived from basic farm staples of flour, eggs, potatoes and onions.Like many comfort foods, pierogies became an integral part of holiday celebrations. Although officially claimed by Poland in the 13th century,meatless pierogies are served by many cultures at Lenten meals and on Christmas Eve.




There are so many ways to enjoy pierogies that you could literally eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Serve them as a side dish sautéed in butter and smothered with caramelized onions, incorporate them into a casserole or enjoy them as a fruity dessert topped with a dollop of sour cream.

Dough:

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
2 large eggs
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sour cream

Pierogi Dough

To prepare the pierogi dough, mix together the flour and salt. Beat the egg, then add all at once to the flour mixture. Add the 1/2 cup sour cream and the softened butter pieces and work until the dough loses most of its stickiness (about 5-7 minutes). You can use a food processor with a dough hook for this, but be careful not to overbeat. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or overnight; the dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.



Prepare the Pierogies

Roll the pierogi dough on a floured board or countertop until 1/8" thick. Cut circles of dough (2" for small pierogies and 3-3 1/2" for large pierogies) with a cookie cutter or drinking glass. Place a small ball of filling (about a tablespoon) on each dough round and fold the dough over, forming a semi-circle. Press the edges together with the tines of a fork.

Boil the perogies a few at a time in a large pot of water. They are done when they float to the top (about 8-10 minutes). Rinse in cool water and let dry.

Saute chopped onions in butter in a large pan until onions are soft. (Skip the onions for the fruit perogies) Then add pierogies and pan fry until lightly crispy. Serve with a side of sour cream (add some sugar to the sour cream for the fruit filled pierogies) for a true pierogi meal.

Homemade Pierogi Tips:

If you are having a hard time getting the edges to stick together, you may have too much flour in the dough. Add a little water to help get a good seal.

If you don't want to cook all of the pierogies right away, you can refrigerate them (uncooked) for several days or freeze them for up to several months.




The Fillings

Although I know there are many different pierogi fillings, there are three that are traditional. Although not necessary, it is a good idea to make the fillings the day before you make the pierogi and refrigerate it. This is a big cooking job. Breaking it into two days helps.

Sauerkraut (Kapusta) Filling (makes 30 pierogi)

2 lbs sauerkraut
1 lb yellow onions
1 Tbs. sugar

salt

We prefer the refrigerated bagged version of sauerkraut over the canned variety. Drain and wash the sauerkraut to reduce the sharp acid flavor You will have to wash and taste in stages to determine how sour you want it. Be careful not to overwash. You do want a bit of tartness. Finely chop the onions. Fry them in butter until they just become translucent, then add the sauerkraut and sugar. Either add more butter for frying, or add a combination of butter and olive oil. Fry to a golden brown color. Finally, add salt and pepper to taste. Plenty of pepper is needed to give the kraut a little zing.

Potato Filling (makes 30-40 pierogi)

2 1/2 lbs of potatoes (red or Idaho are fine)
1 lbs of onions
salt
pepper

Finely chop the onions and fry in butter until golden brown. Peel potatoes and cut them into thirds; cook until tender. Once cooked, completely drain potatoes and mash with no liquid. Add fried onions, and salt and pepper to taste. Since this is a fairly bland filling, you will find you need a fair amount of salt and pepper.

You can also add cheese (American, Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Cottage Cheese, Pot cheese, Farmers Cheese) to make potato cheese pierogis. Or you can add cabbage and cheese to make Potato Cabbage and Cheese Pierogis. The possibilities are endless.

Cabbage Filling

I don't have a detailed recipe. Basically, do the same for the cabbage as for the sauerkraut filling. Chop a small head of cabbage fairly fine. Add a few chopped onions. Fry in butter until tender. Season with salt and lots of pepper.

You can also add chopped mushrooms (I use crimini or porcini), diced bacon and/or chopped garlic to the cabbage when you cook it in the fry pan .

Fruit Fillings

2 cups Pitted cherries, blueberries, or apples
¾ cup Water
½ cup Sugar – optional
½ tsp Cinnamon or cardamom
1 tsp Lemon juice or a bit of lemon zest.
Breadcrumbs

Combine fruit, water and sugar in saucepan and bring to boil. Simmer until fruit is tender and water is almost gone. Remove from heat and mash slightly. Add cinnamon and lemon juice. Cook and stir over low heat until thick. Stir in enough bread crumbs to form a thick paste.

Serve fruit filled pierogies with sweetened sour cream (mix sugar into your sour cream to taste). Freezes great.



Chicken Pad Thai

The key to perfect Pad Thai is in the cooking (or "not" cooking) of the noodles - learn how to get them chewy-perfect with this recipe. Included is a simple, but authentic pad thai sauce which is tangy and a little spicy. When it's all put together, you'll find there isn't a noodle dish better than pad thai!



Ingredients:

8-10 oz. thin Thai-style rice noodles - look for linguini-size rice noodles (made in Thailand) at Asian/Chinese stores
1 to 1 1/2 cups raw chicken breast or thigh meat, sliced
Marinade for Chicken: 2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups fresh bean sprouts
3 spring (green) onions, sliced
approx. 1 cup fresh coriander
1/3 cup crushed or roughly chopped peanuts (or other nuts, such as cashews)
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

PAD THAI SAUCE:

3/4 Tbsp. tamarind paste dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water (look for tamarind at Asian/Chinese or Indian food stores)
2 Tbsp. fish sauce
1-3 tsp. chili sauce (depending how spicy you want it)
3 Tbsp. brown sugar (not packed)

OTHER:

lime wedges for serving
oil for stir-frying

Preparation:

Place noodles in a pot of water and place on the stove. Bring to near a boil, then remove from heat. Allow to sit while you prepare the other ingredients (about 10 minutes).

Make the Pad Thai Sauce by combining the sauce ingredients together in a cup. Stir well to dissolve both the tamarind paste and the brown sugar. Set sauce aside.
Note: this may seem like a lot of sugar, but you need it to balance out the sourness of the tamarind - this balance is what makes Pad Thai taste so tangy-terrific!

Place chicken slices in a small bowl. Pour the marinade (2 tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp. soy sauce) over the chicken. Stir well and set aside.
Check the noodles. Note that you will be frying the noodles later, so you don't want to over-soften them at this point. Noodles are ready when they are soft enough to be eaten, but are still firm and chewy. Drain and rinse through with cold water. Set aside.

Warm up a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the wok/pan is hot, add 1-2 Tbsp. oil plus garlic. Stir-fry until fragrant (30 seconds).
Add the chicken (together with the marinade). Stir-fry until the wok or pan becomes dry (30 seconds to 1 minute).

Now begin adding some of the chicken stock. Add only a few Tbsp. at a time, enough to keep the chicken frying nicely. Continue until all the chicken stock has been added and chicken pieces/strips are cooked (about 5-8 minutes).

Add the noodles, and pour the Pad Thai sauce over the noodles. Using two spatulas, wooden spoons, or other utensils, quickly stir-fry the noodles. Use a "lift and turn" method (almost as though you were tossing a salad) instead of the usual stir-frying motion, or the noodles with break apart.

Fry the noodles in this way for 1-2 minutes. If you find your wok/frying pan too dry, push noodles aside and add a little more oil to the bottom (but no more broth, or the noodles will become soggy).

Add the bean sprouts and sprinkle over the ground black pepper. Continue "tossing" for 1 more minute, or until noodles are cooked. Noodles are done to perfection when they are no longer "hard" or transulcent. They should be opaque and chewy-sticky wonderful!

Taste-test the noodles for seasoning, adding more fish sauce as needed (I usually end up adding up to 1 more Tbsp. fish sauce, as I like mine on the salty side). Toss well to incorporate.

To serve, lift the noodles onto a serving plate. Top with generous amounts of fresh coriander, spring onion (green onion), and crushed or chopped nuts. Add fresh lime wedges (lime is great squeezed overtop), and serve with a bottle of Thai chili sauce on the side, for those who like it extra spicy. Serve with a cold lager (or a chilled glass of your favorite white wine.)

ENJOY!