Healthy Dinner Idea: Vietnamese Pho

If you've never had pho before, your taste buds are in for a flavor party!  Pho (pronounced "fuh") is the national soup of Vietnam and, while it can be made in a variety of ways, typically includes noodles, herbs, and some type of protein.  My husband used to go to pho restaurants all the time and although I love the soup, I actually have never been to a pho restaurant.  All my pho experiences have been with my own homemade version, which I've adapted from a recipe in the magazine Vegetarian Times.  This recipe is so flavorful, even my daughter loves it.  I modify it a little for her, chopping up the chicken and noodles and using less broth.  I give her a spoon and a straw (to slurp up the broth) and she goes to town!  Here is the recipe for your tasting pleasure!

Yes, there are a lot of ingredients.  Get ready:

Broth:
3 large shallots (1 cup), sliced
1/2 cup dried shiitake mushrooms, coarsely chopped
10 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
fresh ginger, sliced into 12 1/4-inch-thick coins
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
5-6 fresh basil stems
5-6 fresh cilantro stems
6 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

Pho:
10 oz. package udon noodles (or rice noodles)
1 pound boneless/skinless chicken breast (or 1 pkg. Asian-flavor baked tofu, thinly sliced) - not pictured
2 cups soybean sprouts
4 green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 cups watercress (I hate this, but many people like it.  You will not see it here, but feel free to use it!)
2 limes, cut into wedges

1) To make the broth:  Add all the broth ingredients, shallots through cilantro stems, into a large pot.  Don't worry about how pretty you chop things up - it's going to get tossed later anyways.

2) Add 6 cups vegetable broth and 8 cups water to the pot.  Cover and bring to a boil.  When it begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour.

3) While the broth is cooking, prepare the chicken.  Slice as thinly as possible into bite-sized pieces.  If your chicken is frozen, it's even easier to cut into thin slices.  Cover and place in the fridge until it's time to use.  If you are using tofu instead, read on to find out what to do.

4)  Cook the noodles according to the package.  These are udon noodles (I prefer these over rice noodles) which require you to cook in boiling water for about 5 minutes.  After they are cooked, rinse under cold water and set aside.  I'm not sure about how to cook the rice noodles, so make sure you read the package.

5)  After the broth has simmered for 1 hour, strain and discard the solids.  I placed a colander over a large bowl and poured.  You aren't going to use any of this stuff, so just throw it away (you were only using it to extract the flavors).  Put the broth back in the pot.

7)  If you are using tofu, skip this step and go to step 8.  If you are using chicken, read on.  Bring the strained broth back to a boil and add the raw chicken.  If you sliced it thinly, it should cook in about 4-5 minutes.  In fact, it will probably start to turn white as soon as it enters the broth.  When it is fully cooked, remove the chicken from the broth and set aside.

8)  Assemble your soup ingredients:  sprouts, chopped basil, cilantro, and green onions, cooked noodles, lime wedges, and cooked chicken (not pictured).  If you are using tofu, slice and place in a bowl as well.

9)  Assemble your pho:  In a large bowl, place noodles in the bottom of the bowl.  Ladle broth over the noodles and top with chicken/tofu, sprouts, green onions, basil, cilantro, and squeezed lime on top.  Of course, feel free to use as little or as much of each of these "toppers" as you like.  It's all up to you on how you want it to turn out.

This is a very slurpy soup, so grab a fork and a spoon (or a pair of chopsticks) and a big napkin.  And if your family members don't like the slurpy sounds of a happy pho eater, get them some earplugs, too.

I hope you enjoy this soup as much as I do and that you have a "pho"ntastic day!  :)

Quick Dinner Idea!

I made one of my favorite, easy, standby dinners tonight.  It's called...Meat-Bean-Macaroni Mix?  Okay, I don't have a very good name for it, but it's delicious!  I got the recipe from a magazine (I think Cooking Light) a few years ago.  I love it because I usually have everything I need to make it already in the kitchen, which means no last minute runs to the grocery store.  There's a sense of pride I get when I can make a meal using what we have in the house, without spending any extra money.  So, without further adieu, here is my Meat-Bean-Macaroni Mix! (If you think of a better name, by all means, let me know!):

Ingredients:
16 oz package elbow macaroni
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound Italian sausage (or ground turkey, ground chicken, whatever's your pleasure - I used ground chicken in tonight's dish because that's what we had.  If you don't use Italian sausage, I'd probably add a little Italian seasoning for flavor.)
2  15 oz cans of diced tomatoes, undrained
2  15 oz cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste
shaved/shredded cheese (Romano & Parmesan are good choices)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta to al dente (almost soft with just a little bite).  Set aside when done.  Meanwhile...
2. Heat olive oil in large pot.  Add onion and garlic and saute until soft.
3. Add meat and cook until is starts to brown.
4. Add wine to break up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan.  Add tomatoes, beans, fennel, chicken broth, salt and pepper to taste.
5. Bring mixture to a boil.  Turn down heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.  (I usually let mine simmer for a little longer to soak up all the flavors.)
6. Add cooked macaroni.  Add a little at a time - see how much you want.  I usually have about 1 1/2 cups leftover that I'll use in something else the next day.
7. Serve with a little cheese on top.

I hope you all enjoy this dish as much as my family and I do.  It's quick, simple, and relatively healthy, and as a busy mom, I couldn't ask for anything more! :)

Month of Dinners - Day...Who Knows?

So, since Olive has been sick, the cooking in my household has not really been the focus.  It's been mostly frozen pizza and boxed macaroni & cheese - anything quick and easy.  But yesterday, Olive was feeling a little better so I was able to actually cook a real meal.  I got this recipe yesterday while sitting in Olive's doctor's office.  I was browsing the Highlights magazine and came across the recipe.  Yes, you read that right, the Highlights magazine.  In the end, I didn't really like how the meal turned out.  I think it was the goat cheese.  It has a weird, tangy taste.  Maybe next time I'll try using feta.  However, my mom, step dad and husband all liked it, so I guess different taste buds, different tastes.  Anyhow, here's the recipe for you to give it a try if you like!:

Creamy Pasta with Veggie & Bean Medley

Ingredients
1 package small shell pasta (I used orichiette)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 cans garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups peas
2 cups corn
1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled (more or less to your liking)
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Cook pasta until it is al dente.  Set aside.
2. While the pasta is cooking, mix tomatoes, beans, peas & corn in a large bowl.
3. Add warm pasta.  Mix in cheese.  Pasta will warm cheese and melt it to make it creamy.  
4. Add vinegar and oil.  Mix thoroughly and serve!

Month of Dinners Challenge - Day 3

Tonight's dinner was chimichangas!  I made it just because I like to say...chimichanga!  Say it out loud - I'm sure you'll think it's fun, too!  Olive was a good girl while Mama cooked.  She doesn't watch a lot of TV, but I put on Veggie Tales for her to watch.  She was pretty mesmerized, which really helped me get dinner ready!  Here's my new Veggie Tales tune..."Broccoli!  Celery!  Gotta be....Chimichangas!" :)

Chicken Chimichanga with Avocado Salsa

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 jars of your favorite salsa
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 bunch green onions, diced
12" flour tortillas
2 avocados
2 carrots, coarsely chopped
2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 white onion, chopped
butter

Recipe

1. Add chicken, carrots, celery, garlic and onion to a large pot.  Cover with water.  Boil on the stove at medium heat for 45 -60 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Remove chicken and set aside.  Discard stock (or save for later use).  When chicken is cool enough to handle, use 2 forks to shred.
2. Place shredded chicken in a large bowl.  Add 1 1/2 jars of the salsa (or as much to your liking), cheese, and green onions.  Mix well.
3. Lay a tortilla on a cutting board.  Add desired amount of chicken filling (however much you want one serving to be.  You can make it big or small!).  Fold over edges and place seam side down on a parchment paper covered baking sheet.  Repeat using the other tortillas until all the filling is gone.  (I got about 5 chimichangas out of it).  
4. Spread a little butter on top of chimichangas.  Bake at 400F for 25 minutes or until golden brown.  
5. Meanwhile, mix the avocado with remaining 1/2 jar of salsa.  When chimichangas are done, spoon avocado mix on top and serve hot!  Enjoy!

Month of Dinners Challenge - Day 2

It was a rainy day today, which was nice for a change!  It felt like a soup day, so using some things around the house and a few things from the store, I whipped up a delicious soup and sandwich meal.  My family loved it and although most of it ended up on her shirt, my daughter Olive loved it, too!

Potato, Leek & Fennel Soup

Ingredients

2 cups fennel, sliced

2 cups leeks, sliced

2 cups potatoes, peeled and cubed

6 cups broth, vegetable or chicken

salt and pepper

olive oil

Recipe

1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a pot.  Saute fennel and leeks until they start to soften, about 10 minutes.  
2. Add potatoes and broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes.
3. Using a hand immersion blender, puree soup in the pot until it is creamy.  (If you don't own a hand immersion blender, you can puree the soup in batches in a blender.)
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve hot!

Mozzarella, Pesto & Tomato Panini

Ingredients (for 4 sandwiches)

1 loaf french bread

1 cup pesto (store bought or homemade - I used Buitoni Basil Pesto)

2 cups cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

mozzarella ball (get the whole fat - it's worth it!)

olive oil

Recipe

1. Slice bread about 1" thick.  Brush olive oil on one side.
2. Spread about 1/4 cup pesto on dry side of bread.
3. Layer tomatoes on top of pesto.  Slice mozzarella into 1/2" slices.  Layer mozzarella on top of tomatoes.
4. Place slice of bread on top and brush olive oil on outside of sandwich.
5. Put sandwich in a panini press and cook till golden brown.  OR... Put sandwich in a grill pan and put a heavy pan on top (use something heavy to push it down).  When one side is golden brown, flip over and toast the other side.  
6. When bread is golden brown and cheese is melty, you're good to go!  Serve warm and enjoy!

Month of Dinners Challenge - Day 1

For the first day of my challenge, I decided just to use up some things around the kitchen that were going to go bad.  I think I created a pretty good dish not following any recipe.  And most importantly, my family liked it, too!  Here's what I came up with:

Pasta with Brussels Sprouts and Tomatoes

Ingredients
1/2 box spaghetti
5 cups Brussels sprouts
2 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup white wine
olive oil
salt & pepper
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Chop bottoms off of Brussels sprouts and remove any yucky outer leaves.  Place on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil to coat.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Mix with your hands.  Roast in oven at 350F for about 20 minutes, or until outer leaves begin to blacken.  (The leaves aren't burning - they are roasting and taking on a nice, sweet flavor.)
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta until al dente.  Set aside.
3. In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt butter and add onion and garlic until soft.  Add cooked Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, and wine.  Cook over medium low heat until wine begins to reduce.  Add pasta and toss to mix with Brussels sprout mixture.  Add Parmesan cheese and remove from heat.
4. Place mixture onto plates and serve warm!  Serves 4.

Month of Dinners Cooking Challenge

I love cooking good food and trying out new recipes, but lately I've become really lazy about cooking dinner.  I used to cook dinner every night and enjoyed developing my recipes.  However, we've been living with my parents to save some money and my cooking has kind of gone to the wayside.  My mom gets home from work and gets started on dinner before I even have time to think about what I would cook.  I'm not complaining.  I get to spend more time with my daughter and don't have to worry about getting to the store and planning a meal.  It's been pretty nice!  But, we won't be living with my parents forever.  At some point, I'm going to have to start cooking full-time again.  (My husband loves to cook, too, but since he works overnights, he is asleep until about 6pm.)

So, I thought that I could start a Dinner Cooking Challenge for myself.  I am challenging myself to cook dinner every night for the next month, until the end of October.  This means that I am going to have to be vigilant about meal planning and grocery shopping.  I'll have to make sure that when dinner time rolls around that I am prepared, organized, and ready to cook.  Most importantly, I'm going to have to find ways to keep my daughter occupied by herself while I cook.  I can see our gated-off living room directly for the kitchen, so that's not a problem, but Olive usually hates it when I'm in the kitchen and she's not.  She'll stand at the gate and scream at me until I come out.  So, I'll have to figure out a way for her to stay happy.

This face and the crying that comes with it is not fun.  Must figure out a way to keep her happy while I cook!

I'm a little nervous about this challenge, but I think it will be good for me in the end.  I'll be posting what I make each day as proof that I met my goal for the day.  Wish me luck - I'm starting tomorrow!

"Chopped" Challenge!

We like to watch the show "Chopped" on the Food Network.  If you haven't seen it, the contestants are given a basket with mystery ingredients and then have to create a dish using those ingredients.  Around the Olive Juice Mama house, we like to have our own Chopped challenges from time to time.  Last night, it was my husband vs. my stepdad.  My mom and I judged as well as picked the basket ingredients:  ground pork sausage, instant cheddar mashed potatoes, patty pan yellow squash, mini Baybel cheese, and Nutter Butters.  In the end, everything that was made was edible, and actually pretty good!  (We bought a frozen pizza, too....just in case!)

Competitor #1:  Jonathan, my hubby

Competitor #2:  Dan, my stepdad

The basket ingredients

Time Limit:  45 minutes......Begin!

Nutter Butters in the food processor

Chopping some red bell peppers and squash

Uh-oh!  30 minutes to go!

Adding some cheese to the potatoes and sausage patties grilling in a pan.

Cheese in the sausage?  Interesting!

Fry, baby, fry!

Squash and onions 

Believe it or not - Mole sauce made from Nutter Butters.

22 seconds left!  Get your dishes plated!

Dan's completed dish:  A duo of potato.

Jonathan's completed dish:  Sausage meatballs with mole dipping sauce.

In the end, Jonathan won!  And the winner gets to....clean the dishes!  Dan's dish was pretty good, too, but word to the wise - Nutter Butters blended with Baybel cheese and instant mashed potatoes are not a good mix.  Don't try it at home!