Curried squash udon noodles

The Internet has become a terrific resource for cooks. Not only are there endless recipes online (cherry white chocolate cookies, white chocolate and cherry chocolate cookies, cherry macadamia chocolate cookies...), but now there's social networking. For example, we bought an acorn squash earlier this week. I'm not a huge fan of the sweeter squashes or potatoes, so I was struggling to figure out a way to make it exciting to eat. I posted a Facebook status asking for advice on how to prepare it. Within half an hour I had four friends respond, all posting delicious-sounding recipes. I took Mark's cue to curry the squash and made this udon noodle dish.

Curried Squash with Udon Noodles

1 acorn squash
2 tbl sesame oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp yellow Thai curry powder, or more to taste
1/2 block tofu, cut into squares
2 single-serving packets fresh udon noodles
1 shallot, sliced
garnishes like chopped scallions, Thai basil, and cilantro

Slice squash in half (saving seeds to toast in oven!) and place cut side down in a baking dish. Fill an inch or two with water and microwave for 10-15 minutes, until squash is slightly soft. Remove and let squash cool for a few minutes.

In a medium pot, saute onion and garlic in sesame oil. Scrape flesh from squash and add it to the onions. Add curry powder. While squash is cooking, heat a frying pan with vegetable oil and fry tofu, draining on paper towels when brown.

After squash and onions have cooked for 5-10 minutes, add soy sauce and let cook for 2 more minutes. Cover squash with water, then cover pot and simmer over medium-low heat while you are cooking the tofu. Once the squash is soft, blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Add a teaspoon or two of cornstarch to thicken if necessary. Salt and season to taste. Add udon noodles and cook until they are broken apart, three to five minutes.

In the vegetable oil, fry the sliced shallot until crispy. Drain on a paper towel.

Top noodles with tofu, fried shallots, cilantro, basil, scallions, and any other condiments. We bought some black vinegar at the Asian grocery and it goes really well with this dish. I also made some crispy kale with black sesame seeds as a side to these noodles.

Now I'm working on cooking all of the other recipes my friends suggesting on Facebook. Who knows, I might find myself a squash convert!

Meatatarian Musing: Pho

I figured I'd chime in on this one, since I've been largely absent from the Chronicles for several months. I've got to say, this was one of the best Asian dishes Kate's made in awhile, and that's saying a lot coming from me — I don't have the same proclivity towards brothy noodle dishes that she does. Perhaps it's because I've never been a huge soup person. Throughout my formative years, the only soups I knew came from cans and were usually served to me when I was sick. Furthermore, with soupy Asian noodle dishes, I often find it hard to understand what you're actually getting. When we go to Happy Noodle House in Boulder, I usually have a very good meal, but I can never figure out what the hell it is I've ordered.

The same goes for Pho. I've had it a number of times, and it is still really hard to describe. The earthy, sweetish flavor is at odds with the saltiness and spice that is also present. Another weird thing about it is the number of toppings you put on the soup — probably about six or seven different things. I guess it's kind of like a soup version of a hotdog or something — you just put on as much as you like. Either way, it tasted great and I enjoyed it. It's amazing to think that if I never knew Kate, I'm certain I would never ever have eaten a bowl of Pho. I guess that even though I'm way more adventurous than my parents in terms of food, I still have a fair dose of their conservatism, so it's always good to push the limits!

Pho from scratch

I made some veggie pho again. This time, I made my own broth from this recipe instead of using pho cubes. It was delicious!

Garnishes: (clockwise from top left) fresh Thai chilis, Thai basil, limes, green onions, cilantro, bean sprouts

Broth with noodles and thinly sliced, fried tofu

Last harvest before the snow

Last week marked our first few frosts in Boulder. It was time to take stock of what was left on our balcony garden. I harvested nearly all of the carrots (I tried a couple of heirloom + convential varieties and found the Little Finger variety grew the best in our shallow containers), beets, jalepenos, cilantro, and what was left of the basil. I made a soup with the carrots and a sauce with the herbs

Curried Carrot Soup with Pickled Beets


1 Tbl olive oil
4 cups chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
5 cloves clopped garlic
2 Tbl curry powder
1 tsp cayenne
1/2 can coconut milk
salt to taste

2 small beets
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 tsp salt

In a medium pot, cook carrots, celery, and garlic in olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add enough water to cover carrots by an inch or two. Add curry powder and cayenne. Simmer until carrots are soft, about 15-20 minutes. While carrots are cooking, use a mandoline to shave beets into thin slices. Combine vinegar, agave nectar, and salt in a small bowl and add beets. Using an immersion blender or regular blender, puree soup until smooth, adding water if too thick. Add coconut milk and salt and puree to blend. Garnish soup with beets and a sprinkle of cayenne powder.


Roasted Chicken and Potatoes with Tangy Jalapeno Lime Herb Sauce


1 cup packed cilantro
1/2 cup packed basil
1/4 cup olive oil
2 limes, juiced
1 jalapeno pepper
salt to taste

2 chicken breasts (real or fake)

5 small russet potatos
olive oil
sea salt
rosemary

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Puree herbs, olive, juice, pepper, and salt in a food processor until smooth, adding more oil if thick. Set aside.

Cut potatoes lengthwise into wedges. Arrange on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Drizzle with lots of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and rosemary.

Put chicken in a baking dish lined with foil and cover with herb sauce. Fold foil together to cover chicken. Cook for 20 minutes or until done, uncovering for the last 5 minutes.

Turn potatoes after 10 minutes to brown their other side. Remove when brownish and crispy.