egg noodles with beef and chinese broccoli

I'm a huge fan of Chinese Broccoli. But sadly, it's difficult to come by in a regular grocery store (I have to head to Chinatown to pick up a bunch whenever a craving hits). If you can't find Chinese Broccoli readily available in your neck of the woods, most cookbooks and websites suggest to substitute any of its relatives (regular broccoli, broccoli rabe, etc.). But I'm going to beg to differ. While broccoli is certainly permissible, I'm more likely to gravitate towards bok choy or kale as a more fitting substitute. Since Chinese Broccoli is primarily a leafy green, plain old broccoli just wouldn't serve it justice, texture-wise. I'd also urge you to ask your produce market if they would consider getting some in. You never know until you ask, my friends. Whichever route you end up taking, enjoy this quick-cooking crowd pleaser. And given my experience with the take-out lo meins of my past, I can say with confidence, there's no way a better version is ever going to be delivered to your door.

Egg Noodles with Beef and Chinese Broccoli

Serves 4

3 Tbsp. light soy sauce

3 Tbsp. oyster sauce

1 tsp. sugar

1/2-lb. top sirloin steak, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1/2 lb. Chinese broccoli, trimmed, leaves and steams thinly sliced on the diagonal

1 cup unsalted chicken stock

1 Tbsp. dark soy sauce

1 lb. dan mian (fresh thick egg noodles)

1/2 tsp. sesame oil

Freshly ground black pepper

1. Combine 1 tbsp. light soy sauce, 1 tbsp. oyster sauce, and sugar in a bowl. Add beef and marinate for 20 minutes.

2. Heat vegetable oil in a wok over high heat. Add beef and stir-fry until it begins to brown. Add broccoli and stir-fry until tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

3. Bring stock, remaining 2 tbsp. light soy sauce, remaining2 tbsp. oyster sauce, and dark soy sauce to a boil in work over high heat. Add noodles, stir, and cook until most of liquid has been absorbed, 5-10 minutes. Stir in sesame oil, beef, and broccoli. Season with pepper and serve.

Photo above courtesy of Christopher Hirsheimer for Saveur

radicchio with pappardelle

It's flippin' cold. And irritatingly windy. But it's FRIDAY! So I'm willing to turn the other wind-burned cheek on this whole weather thang.

Friday also allows for a certain level of indulgence. Although apparently this past Wednesday did too, which entailed a post wine tasting trip to Bar Boulud where we sipped on a bottle of private label Champagne and then a Northern Rhone Syrah and recklessly nibbled on pomme frites dipped in homemade mayonnaise and cheese and charcuterie plates that could make you blush. Let's just say I woke up with more of a moral hangover than anything else. I'm going to need to hire someone else to deal with my credit card bill this month. Because I'm not looking at it. (Mom, please don't call me to talk about this. Love you. XO.)

In an effort to save a little cash, how about dining in tonight? I just came across this recipe from Saveur for radicchio with pappardelle and it just sounded so perfectly appropriate. I imagine topping each serving with a poached egg could take things for a turn to ethereal.

Radicchio with Pappardelle

Recipe Courtesy of Steven Wagner for Saveur

2 heads cioggia or treviso radicchio

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1/4 lb. pancetta or slab bacon, julienned

3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. pappardelle

freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano

1. Core, then julienne, chioggia or treviso radicchio.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta and brown, stirring occasionally, for 5-10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are golden, about 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cook pappardelle in a large pot of salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Add radicchio to onions and pancetta and cook, stirring until radicchio is wilted, about 3 minutes. Add pasta and reserved cooking water, mix well, season with salt and pepper, and serve topped with freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano.

Image above courtesy of Saveur

no-cook pizza sauce

I'm a bit pizza-obsessed. If you haven't picked up on that yet, you're not paying enough attention. And if you're rolling your eyes because I've yet again mentioned the word 'pizza,' hear me out, Eat and Greet Super Fan(s). I've got something good. Real good.

I just came across a recipe via Saveur for an uncooked pizza sauce courtesy of Nancy Silverton's Pizzeria Mozza (a restaurant I absolutely, positively have to visit when I find myself in LA). The argument here is that the uncooked sauce yields a brighter and more vibrant result than that of a sweeter, cooked sauce. And though I have yet to try this for myself, I fully support this idea, 100%. I totally get it.

That said, looks like I'm just going to have to make some pizza!

[sound of crickets]

To make the sauce, put one 28-oz. can of whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes into the bowl of a food processor, along with 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, 1 tsp. dried basil, 2 minced cloves garlic, and half a grated medium onion. Purée and season with salt and pepper.

monday meal planning

Whether or not you can believe it, Memorial Day is right around the corner. And before I unleash the menu on Wednesday's Weekend Dinner Party post, I thought I'd tease you with a little pork butt.

Since you're not going to be able to purchase a 10 oz. portion of boneless pork butt (shoulder) at the grocery store, go ahead and pick up a 2-1/2 lb. piece. Cut off the amount needed for the Stir-Fried Pork with Leeks recipe below (thank you, Saveur) and then throw the rest in the freezer. We're going to be using that this weekend.

And that's all I'm sayin'.

This recipe comes together in a matter of minutes and will satisfy any and all temptations to peek at the take-out menu. If pork is not your thing, you could certainly use boneless, skinless chicken breast or even shrimp. Just make sure to make up a pot of brown rice to have alongside. Chopsticks, optional. Fortune cookies, required.

Photo Courtesy of Saveur

Stir-Fried Pork with Leeks (Cong Bao Rou Si)

Courtesy of Saveur Magazine, May 2010

Serves 2-4

10 oz. (about .6 lbs) boneless pork butt or shoulder, frozen for 20 minutes and cut into 2" x 1/8" strips

1 tsp. Asian sesame oil

1 tsp. dark soy sauce

1/2 tsp. cornstarch

1/4 tsp. sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp. canola oil

1 leek, white and pale green parts only, cut diagonally into 1/4" slices

In a medium bowl, combine the pork, sesame oil, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, and half the garlic; let sit for 15 minutes.

Heat a 14" wok (or stainless-steel skillet) over high heat until wok begins to smoke. Add 1 tbsp. oil around the edge of the wok and swirl to coat the bottom and sides. Add the leeks and cook, stirring and tossing constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer leeks to a plate and set aside.

Return wok to high heat and add remaining oil around edge of wok, swirling to coat the bottom and sides. Add the pork mixture and remaining garlic and cook, stirring and tossing constantly, until the pork is browned, about 2 minutes.

Add reserved leeks to the wok and cook, stirring and tossing often, until just tender, about 1 minute.

Ever seen Israeli Couscous at the grocery store? If you haven't yet, I strongly urge you to seek it out. It's essentially couscous on steroids. Swollen little pearls of baked wheat which yield a satisfying bite and change things up from your typical orzo, for example. But the two are most definitely interchangeable. This week, I'm planning on putting one together for a light dinner and easily transportable lunch. So you whip one up too.

Israeli Couscous with Shrimp, Feta, and Lemon

1/2 box of Israeli Couscous, cooked to box directions

1 lb. (about 10 to 12 jumbo) peeled, deveined shrimp with tails removed, cut into bite size chunks

1 clove garlic, grated

1 lemon, zested then juiced

1/2 cup crumbled feta

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

In a medium-sized pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add in grated garlic quickly followed by the shrimp. Cook for about a minute or two until just pink and then remove from heat.

In a large bowl, add the cooked Israeli Couscous, shrimp, feta, parsley, and lemon zest. Squeeze in the juice from the lemon and a healthy drizzle of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

THE LIST

1 lemon

1 bunch of Italian flat-leaf parsley

1 leek

garlic (you should have)

soy sauce (pantry item)

sesame oil (pantry item)

cornstarch (pantry item)

2-1/2 lb. pork butt/shoulder

1 lb. peeled, deveined shrimp

israeli couscous (or orzo, orecchiette, whatever)

Wine: Chilled bottle of Sauvignon Blanc (I picked up a bottle of this)