Abundance AND Longevity!

Continuing my Chinese New Year Menu, I made "Seared Salmon with Shiitake and Snow Pea Lo Mein." Traditionally, fish (usually steamed whole) is served to represent abundance, and noodles to represent longevity. I couldn't locate any Chinese egg noodles for this recipe, so I used fresh fettuccine. I love the crisp crust on the salmon, and the shiitakes and snow peas are a match made in heaven!

Seared Salmon with Shiitake and Snow Pea Lo Mein

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the salmon

4, 4-6 ounce salmon fillets, skinless and deboned
1/4 cup canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the noodles
6 ounces snow peas
1 bunch scallions, sliced on the diagonal
7 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed (don't eat shiitake stems - they are too fibrous), and sliced
9 ounces fresh Chinese egg noodles, or fresh pasta, like linguine or fettuccine (recommended: Buitoni)
2 tablespoons canola oil

For the sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, optional

Directions:

For the sauce
Mix all the ingredients and reserve until ready to use.

For the lo mein
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the noodles according to package directions.


Meanwhile, in a large heavy skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons canola oil over medium-high heat. When shimmery, add the mushrooms and saute for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the snow peas and scallions and continue to saute for another 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the sauce and noodles. Toss well to coat.


For the salmon
In yet another large heavy skillet, heat the canola oil over high heat. Season the salmon fillets with salt and pepper. Sear the salmon on one side until a golden crust forms, 4-5 minutes. Turn the fish and continue to cook until medium-rare, about 2 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fish.

To serve
Divide the lo mein evenly between 4 large, shallow bowls. Top each with a salmon fillet and serve. (I topped mine with a single cilantro leaf that I had on hand for the dumplings.) Abundance and longevity never tasted so good!

Mexican Pasta?

I am happy to report that I am feeling better, and was actually hungry for lunch! Because I've been under the weather, I really wanted to make myself something comforting and from my childhood, specifically, "Sopa de Fideos!" Sopa de Fideos is a type of "Sopa Seca," meaning dry soup, made with fideo pasta and very popular in Texas. Fideo is a type of Mexican pasta much like vermicelli, which can be substituted easily. In Mexico, this dish is typically served as a second course following a soup course, then a meat course, then concluded with dessert. However, this is a favorite lunch or snack for kids and adults alike.

This recipe reminds me of a passage I read from Entertaining from Ancient Rome to the Super Bowl: An Encyclopedia, which writes, "Because so few cookbooks were published in Spain - John C. Super maintains that there were probably no more than eight cookbooks published in Spain in the first 350 years after the printing press was invented - the transmission of cooking knowledge from person to person was vitally important for the households, palaces, and ecclesiastical institutions of colonial Mexico. Diego Granado's cookbook, Libro del arte de cocina, published in 1614, was one of the first cookbooks used in Mexican kitchens. This book contained a large number of Italian-inspired recipes and thus Italian food influenced Mexican cooking and dining far more than French food did."

This delicious homey dish pays homage to Italian ingredients and illustrates how two food cultures based on very similar ingredients can have such contrasting results. These differences are the consequence of very different culinary techniques, and of course, the use of local herbs and spices. For instance, in Sopa de Fideos, the pasta is fried in oil like a pilaf, then cooked in broth until "dry," as opposed to simply boiling the pasta, as they would in Italy. In addition, with the omission of basil, for instance, cilantro proudly takes over. And finally, as there are endless recipes for Sopa de Fideos, some calling for the addition of diced potatoes, shredded meat, chorizo, and/or chiles, feel free to try it and then make it your own. To truly appreciate this comforting classic, I insist that you garnish it with crema (creme fraiche would be a good substitute), avocado slices, cotija cheese (parmesan would be a substitute), and a sprinkle of cilantro!

Sopa de Fideos

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons canola oil

5 ounces fideo (like La Moderna) or vermicelli (if using vermicelli, break the strands in thirds)

1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped

1/2 cup onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/4 cups chicken stock (If I don't have home-made, I use "Better Than Bouillon" Reduced Sodium Chicken Base)

4 ounces tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2-1 teaspoon chili powder, or more to taste

For garnish: Mexican crema, avocado slices, crumbled cotija cheese, chopped cilantro

Directions:

Heat the oil over medium heat until shimmery. Add the fideo or vermicelli and stir to coat the pasta with the oil.

Continue to stir and turn over the pasta until medium brown, being careful not to let it burn. Add the tomato, onion, and garlic, and continue to stir for a couple minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Pour in the stock and tomato sauce. Stir in the salt, cumin, and chili powder.

Cover the pan, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is tender, about 20 minutes.

Serve warm, garnished with crema, avocado, cotija, and cilantro.

Roasted with Love - Hoarded with Passion

Authentic New Mexican Hatch Chiles are in stores NOW, and only for a very limited time! These chiles are named after Hatch, New Mexico, where they are grown in the heart of Mesilla Valley. The intense sunlight and cool nights give this chile it's mild-medium heat and unique fruity flavor, which I adore! These chiles are the epitome of New Mexican cuisine. Once roasted and peeled, they are perfect for chiles rellenos, added to eggs, thrown in soups and stews, stirred in cornbread, delicious additions to enchiladas and tacos, and are essential for the distinguished green chile cheeseburger! (A staple in my house!) Truly, the sky's the limit when cooking with these phenomenal chiles!

Because of their very limited availability, most hatch chile enthusiasts roast their chiles in LARGE batches (like 10 pounds or more!), peel, de-seed and freeze them for an entire year's supply! Do I do this? Absolutely! I've been buying them up as fast as I can! When purchasing, look for a bright green color, smooth firm skin, a symmetrical shape (if possible), and a bit heavy for their size. For a few chiles, I use my stove-top gas burner (see Techniques, scroll to the very bottom, it was the first technique I posted!), but for large quantities, I fire-up my grill! Not only does the smell of chiles roasting over an open flame make my heart sing, it adds an authentic smokey flavor, and is the traditional method used in New Mexico! (If you don't own a grill, you can also roast them under your broiler in the oven.) So, make some room in your freezer, grab your car keys, and run, don't walk!

Roasting and Freezing New Mexican Hatch Chiles

Ingredients:

As many Hatch chiles you can find!

Plastic wrap

Quart and gallon-size freezer bags (depending on how many chiles you want to preserve)

Directions:

Heat a charcoal or gas grill to high heat. Once the grill is very hot, place the chiles over direct heat, turning occasionally until the skins are blackened and blistered. (If there are any green spots, the skin won't come off.)

When nice and roasted, place the chiles in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to steam and cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, remove them to a cutting board. Pull out the seed pod and with a knife, cut the chiles in half, scrape off the blistered skin and scrape out the seeds.

Once all your chiles are ready, lay out a piece of plastic wrap. Lay one chile at the end, fold over the plastic wrap, lay another chile on top, fold over the plastic over, lay another chile on top, and continue until you have about 6 chiles nicely packaged. (Layering with the plastic makes it easy to remove one chile at a time, as desired.) Place in a freezer bag and remove any excess air. Once you have all your chiles snuggly packaged, place all the freezer bags into a gallon-size freezer bag, squeeze out any excess air, and freeze to use whenever you like. Thaw before using.