Vegetarian Envy

Here’s another post that originally appeared on World Wide Webers. Click on this post’s title to view the original.

I am not a vegetarian but I hold them in the highest regard. I wish I possessed the willpower and unerring commitment to better health, saving the planet and/or animal rights exhibited by most vegetarians. With only a few exceptions (and I shall not name names), my vegetarian pals are svelte, disciplined not only at the table but in life as well, and concerned with the well-being of the planet and her inhabitants. These are good people and sometimes I wonder if their goodness is a consequence of their vegetarianism or the reason why they became vegetarians in the first place. I, on the other hand, become a salivating, quivery lump whenever I smell bacon. And even though I love animals (not including birds or squirrels), I have no moral qualms about roasting them and slathering them in gravy. Every once in a while, usually after sharing a meal with one particular vegetarian friend (who invariably orders a salad with fat free dressing on the side… oh, the restraint!), I feel inspired to be a better person by cooking a meal composed solely of what grows in the soil. Should you someday also be so inspired, I invite you to prepare this delicious Asian influenced noodle bowl. This is a fun, slurpy dish with big flavors and lots of vitamins. Your taste buds and animals everywhere will thank you.

BOK CHOY NOODLE BOWL

16 ounces udon noodles or your favorite Asian noodle
5 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1 whole star anise
1 tablespoon grated or crushed ginger
2 teaspoons crushed garlic
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 carrot, julienned (cut into 2 inch long matchstick sized pieces)
6 ounces of baby corn, each piece cut in half lengthwise
4 scallions, cut into one inch pieces
3 cups of chopped bok choy (do not pack down the bok choy when measuring)

In a large soup pot, bring broth to a low boil over high heat. Add star anise, ginger, garlic, soy sauce and sesame oil. Add the carrots. Cover, lower heat to medium and continue on a low boil until the noodles are ready.

Meanwhile, in a separate pot, cook the noodles according to the package directions, except undercook by 1-2 minutes. Drain thoroughly. If the noodles require less than 3 minutes to cook, do not cook them.

Add the baby corn to the broth. Add the noodles. If the noodles are uncooked, then boil for as long as directed by the package directions. (Tip: You might need to add an extra half-cup or so of broth if you use uncooked noodles and they soak up some of liquid.) Add the bok choy and scallions when the noodles are ready. Lower heat to low and simmer uncovered for a minute or two until the bok choy is wilted.

Ladle noodles, vegetables and a generous portion of broth into deep bowls. Serve steaming hot. Whomever gets the piece of star anise in their bowl has to stand up and sing a song for the amusement of everyone else.

At the table, try setting out various garnishes so that your guests can customize their noodles. Here are some tasty options:

soy sauce
sesame oil
chopped cilantro
finely chopped or grated lemongrass
chili garlic sauce
lime wedges
thinly sliced daikon radishes
toasted sesame seeds
bean sprouts
cubed, firm tofu (bring to room temperature before serving)

Serves 4.

Golden Split Pea Soup with Ham and Black Pepper Parmesan Biscuits

Let’s face it – split pea soup can be horrifying. Done wrong, split pea soup is sludgy, unpalatable and usually an unfortunate shade of green. Cooked my way, split pea soup is golden like sunshine and redolent with the savory deliciousness of ham and onion. This is a humble and hearty soup, perfect for dunking a black pepper parmesan biscuit. The biscuit’s peppery bite is the perfect compliment to the saltiness of the ham. And underneath it all are the earthy golden split peas, which break down into a rich, creamy porridge-like broth. This soup freezes and reheats well, so whip up a double batch and save some for a long winter’s night.

GOLDEN SPLIT PEA SOUP WITH HAM AND BLACK PEPPER PARMESAN BISCUITS

For the soup:

1 pound dried golden split peas
6-7 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 celery stalk, finely diced
2 medium yellow onions, finely diced
1 carrot, finely diced
2 big garlic cloves, mashed to a paste
1 ham hock or 1 leftover ham bone with plenty of meat on it
1 bay leaf

Heat olive oil in large soup pot over medium heat.

Add celery, onions, carrots and garlic. Saute the vegetables until softened, about 15 minutes. Stir frequently to avoid sticking and burning the garlic.

Add six cups of broth and bring to a simmer.

Add peas. Stir thoroughly.

Add ham hock or ham bone. Add bay leaf.

Cover and simmer for one and a half hours, stirring occasionally. If the soup looks too thick for your liking, add another cup of broth.

Before serving, remove bay leaf and ham from the pot. Shred or cut meat off the ham bone into bite size pieces. Return ham pieces to the soup and stir thoroughly. Simmer for another few minutes.

Serve piping hot.

Serves 6.

For the biscuits:

3 cups sifted flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup grated parmesan
2 coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt into a large mixing bowl.

Stir the parmesan and black pepper into the flour.

Use a pastry blender to cut the shortening into the flour until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Or, use your fingers to rub the shortening into the flour.

Slowly pour in the milk while stirring with a fork. Stir until a soft dough forms.

Sprinkle a little flour onto your work surface. Knead the dough for about 30 strokes.

Use your hands to pat out the dough on the board into a thick rectangle. Then use a rolling pin to roll out the rectangle until it is about 2/3 inch thick. Cut into twelve equal pieces.

Place biscuits on baking sheet one inch apart.

Back for 15 minutes, until golden brown.

Serve warm.

Makes 12 biscuits.

Ginger Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup, as we all know, is THE classic comfort food. Warming the body and soul on chilly days, soothing the aches and pains on sick days, and a mother’s best friend on picky-eater days. I freely admit that I have a fondness for Campbell’s, straight from the tin and zapped in the microwave. It’s an uncomplicated soup that reminds me of less complicated days. But when I am feeling a little more grown-up but still craving chicken noodle soup, I dress up a homemade version with fresh ginger and scallions. This Asian inspired soup is not only easy to prepare and low in fat, it tastes just as mmm mmm good as my beloved Campbell’s.

GINGER CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

2 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 whole black peppercorns OR Szechuan peppercorns
2 nickel sized slices of ginger AND 1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 garlic clove, crushed AND 2 garlic cloves, minced
4 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup bamboo shoots
1 tablespoon soy sauce
12 ounces of your favorite dried Chinese egg noodles
8 cups of low sodium chicken broth

Place chicken, peppercorns, slices of ginger and crushed garlic in a small saute pan with high sides. Add enough cold water to just cover the chicken. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Poach chicken until cooked through and no longer pink in the center, about 10-12 minutes. Turn the chicken over halfway through the cooking time.

Discard the poaching liquid and spices.

Chop chicken into small, bite size pieces.

In a large soup pot, bring broth and remaining ginger and garlic to a boil. Cook egg noodles in boiling broth according to package directions.

One minute before noodles are finished cooking, add chicken, scallions and bamboo shoots to the soup. Stir gently to distribute chicken and vegetables throughout the pot.

Remove from heat and sprinkle with the soy sauce. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 very generously.