Noodle Stir Fry with Pea Greens

I love new stuff! If it relates to food, I especially love new stuff. While on a hunt for marrowfat pea seeds I discovered a site called Sprout People. They introduced me to the idea of pea greens, which in effect is pea sprouts (think bean sprout) taken to the next logical level. I grew mine myself although in the right area of the country you might find them in a specialty store or farmers market.

1 lb of cooked noodles such as #3 Chinese Noodles, Linguine, Soba or your favorite
2 chicken breast halves or 1/2 pound of pork loin cut into small pieces
4 cloves garlic finely minced
Black Pepper
Lots of assorted veggies* I used in this one
1 can of sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 can of fancy mixed chinese vegetables, drained
1 8 oz package sliced button mushrooms
1 6 oz pkg fresh sugar snap peas
1 large onion sliced thinly
A very large bunch of pea greens
Oil for frying
1/4-1/2 cup of soy sauce**
1 Tbl honey

Heat 2 Tbl of vegetable oil in a wok over high heat until almost smoking. Add your desired meat, the garlic, a sprinkle of black pepper and a bit of soy sauce. Saute until meat is cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside to keep warm add a bit more oil to the pan and add your mushrooms season with pepper and soy sauce and cook until mushrooms begin to brown add the remaining vegetables except the pea greens to the pan and more oil if needed. Toss and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the noodles and cooked meat and pea greens. Season with soy sauce to taste and 1 Tbl honey. Cook and stir until heated through. Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum!


*Other lovely veggies you can use
Bean sprouts
Soy bean sprouts (These are lovely. Traditional bean sprout flavor with a crunchy edamame tasting seed on the end)
Thinly sliced carrots
Broccoli
Snow peas
Green onion
Bamboo shoots
Cabbage (in any form)
Cole slaw mix
Broccoli slaw mix
Whatever takes your fancy although I would avoid beets, turnips and brussels sprouts

**Or try Ponzu, a blend of soy sauce and sidachu citrus this may be my favorite discovery since dry sherry.

Roasted Pork with Vegetables

For the roast
4lb boneless pork loin roast
4 lbs potatoes peeled and cut into halves and quarters
2 lbs baby carrots
2 large onions peeled and quartered
4 cloves garlic peeled and rough chopped
8 oz package Porcini or button mushrooms cut into rough chunks (reserve 2 for the gravy)
Salt and Pepper or greek seasoning to taste
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 butter
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 butter

For the gravy
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry sherry
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 tsp sherry vinegar
2 porcini or button mushrooms finely chopped
2 Tablesoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup water
Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. In a large roasting pan mix the chicken broth, sherry, 1/4 cup butter and vegetable oil together. Add the potato, carrot, onion and garlic, sprinkle heavily with salt and pepper or greek seasoning. Toss the veggies in the broth mixture. Rub the pork loin with salt and pepper or greek seasoning and place fat side up on the vegetables. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid or foil. Cook, covered for 1 hour 45 minutes. Remove from oven and carefully pour as much of the pan juices as you can into a large skillet or saucepan. Sprinkle the mushrooms and the remaining 1/4 cup butter over the vegetables stir lightly to coat and return the roast to oven and turn up to 475 for approximately 1/2 hour.
To the reserved pan juices add the sherry, chicken broth, soy sauce, sherry vinegar, and chopped mushrooms, bring to a boil stir in the cornstarch/water mixture and bring back to a boil. Season with extra pepper to taste.

Also Lemon Chicken

Frying lemons is my new passion.

4 chicken breast halves cut into bite size pieces
2 large lemons sliced very thinly
3 bunches green onion (spring onions, scallions, whatever you call them) white and green cut into 1" pieces
4 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 15 oz can chicken broth or 2 cups homemade (if you have the time for that sort of thing)
1 cup water
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Heat 2 Tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a wok over high heat. Add the lemons to the oil and saute until limp and lightly browned. Remove the lemons form the pan leaving as much of the oil in the pan as possible. Heat the remaining 2 Tablespoons of oil in the pan and add the chicken and garlic, season with salt and pepper and saute until chicken is lightly browned and cooked through. Add the sherry and bring to a boil, cook for one minute. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Meanwhile mix the water and cornstarch together stir into the pan and bring back to a boil, stirring to prevent lumps. Add the green onions and fried lemon and cook 2-3 minutes longer, adjust seasoning if needed with salt and pepper. Seve over rice.

The Second Best Curry Ever

The very best curry Karl ever made for me was so hot one bite immediately caused endorphin euphoria. Indian food is not particularly popular in our little neck of the woods and decent ingredients are hard to come by. We found the Vindaloo paste in an Asian Grocery store the first time and the second time in Indianapolis on the second happiest day of our lives. A trip to Minnesota yielded the Maykway powder but we're gonna have to beg Danny for an airmail package soon as we're almost out of it and tea.

2 lbs sirloin, top round or eye of round sliced into thin strips
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup Patak's Vindaloo Curry Paste *
1 Tablespoon Maykway Hot Curry Sauce Mix **

1 large lemon sliced thinly
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 sweet bell peppers (preferably red and yellow) sliced into strips
1 med onion diced
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
2 jalapeno peppers sliced into rings

1 cup sourcream
2 cups water
1/4 cup Maykway Hot Curry Sauce Mix **

Mix 1 cup sour cream, 1/3 cup Vindaloo paste and the Curry Sauce Mix together in a bowl or zippy bag. Add the sirloin and mix to coat and combine.
Heat the oil in a wok or large fry pan over medium high heat. Add the lemon slices and stir fry until limp and lightly browned. Remove from oil and set aside. Add the sirloin with all of it's marinade to the pan. Cook until the marinade starts to separate and the meat is mostly cooked. Add the bell peppers, onion, tomato and jalapeno and cook for 5 minutes. stir in the remaining cup of sour cream, the water and the curry sauce mix. Stir and bring to a boil, mix the fried lemon slices back in and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Serve over rice or rice pilaf or fried rice. Mmmmmmmm!!!
*You can use a different brand if you must
**Karl's brother sends this to us and it may be difficult to find. You can substitute your favorite curry powder and some cornstarch to get the proper thickening power.