Sometimes you just need to bite the bullet and pay full price. That’s what I walked away with after Lisa made this version of Pad Thai from Almost Meatless, a great cookbook to give those in your life who are trying to eat less meat but can’t quite, or don’t want to, go vegetarian. When we went shopping to pick up the ingredients for this one (a few months ago, now), the lump crab meat at our local Whole Foods was something like $32/lb, and they didn’t have any whole crabs on hand. We already had the rest of the ingredients for this recipe at home, so we decided to go with the pre-pack cans of crab meat. The pieces fell apart rapidly and overly-infused the dish with too much crabbiness. One the other hand, we’d never made Pad Thai at home, and it’s good knowing that it’s actually pretty easy to do. Next time we’ll either wait for a sale, or go with tofu.

Whoa, way too crabby.

Chris says:

…but the noodles themselves are good.

Lisa says:

Yeah I like the noodles and the sauce, but the crab is still overpowering.

Chris says:

Although… hunger vs. tastebuds…

Lisa says:

Well obviously hunger wins. But next time I’m just making this vegetarian.

Chris says:

And I like the picture, so there’s that.

Lisa says:

Yes, there’s that — is that why you waited so long to post this one, though? Because it wasn’t exactly our favorite?

Chris says:

Hmm… laziness vs. pride…

Crab Pad Thai
8 oz rice noodles
1 cup tamarind water/concentrate
1/2 cup fish sauce
3 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp soy sauce
8 tsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs, lightly beaten
8 oz lump crabmeat
2 cups bean sprouts
6 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped
2 limes, cut into wedges, for serving

Prepare the noodles as directed on the package by soaking in hot water for 10-15 minutes until just softened, then rinsing under cold water. Set aside.
Whisk together the tamarind concentrate, fish sauce, sugar, and soy sauce in a bowl and set aside.
Make each serving one at a time: Heat two teaspoons of the oil in a wok over high heat. When the wok and oil are hot, drop around 2 cups of the noodles (about 1/4th) and toss continuously for 30 seconds. Add 1/4th of the sauce mixture and 1/2 tsp of minced garlic, tossing to coat the noodles. Push to the side and add in 1/4 of the beaten eggs. Let it start to set, then scramble into the noodles. Add 1/4th of the crab meat, bean sprouts, and scallions, toss to heat through, then plate. Top with peanuts and add lime wedges. Repeat for the remaining three servings.

4 Servings

Here’s a quick & easy, packed-full-of-flavor slurpy bowl of goodness from Super Natural Cooking: Noodles, tofu, and onions swimming in a rich, creamy coconut curry broth. Just the right amount of spice, and a garnish of cilantro and shallots provide nice color contrast to the yellow broth.

Ooooh, good choice! This is different than what we usually make.

Chris says:

Yeah, I’m usually not in the mood for coconut-broth-type dishes like this. I certainly never order them out.

Lisa says:

Well I’m glad you made this one; and I actually like the spiciness level.

Chris says:

Yeah it’s perfect — could always kick in additional hot sauce if you want it hotter.

Lisa says:

What makes it yellow, the curry paste?

Chris says:

It was a little closer to orange before the turmeric. Adding that and the coconut milk gave it the nice yellow color. I think the only thing I don’t think the recipe as shown in the book needs is the peanuts. I’ll leave them out when I make this next time.

Lisa says:

Agreed — they don’t really add much. It’s plenty awesome without them!

Big Curry Noodle Pot
8 1/2 oz. dried whole wheat udon noodles
2 tbsp coconut oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp red curry paste
12 oz. extra firm tofu, cut into 1″ long columns
1 14 oz can coconut milk
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar
Juice of 1 lime
2 shallots, sliced into rings
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Cook noodles according to package directions in lots of boiling water with a dash of salt. Drain, stop the cooking by running cold water over, and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the coconut oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, onion and curry paste, stirring until the curry paste is well incorporated, 1-2 minutes. Add the tofu and gently stir until coated. Stir in the coconut milk, broth, turmeric, soy sauce and sugar. Bring to a slow simmer and keep it there for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the lime juice and noodles, and stir.
Add the noodles and some extra both to each of 4 bowls. Top with the shallots and cilantro.

4-6 Servings

Carrie came over this week for dinner and we enjoyed this crab soup with a spinach salad and plenty of wine. The cilantro relish was a big hit, and though crab is expensive, it was totally worth it in this dish. We all loved it! The recipe comes from The Ultimate Soup Bible.

Carrie says:

Yum, I love crab!

Lisa says:

This soup is awesome…

Chris says:

I think there’s probably a bit too many noodles, but other than that I’m in love with this soup!

Lisa says:

Too many noodles in the recipe?

Chris says:

Nah, the recipe itself is probably a good amount, but my estimating skills are lacking. Determining five ounces out of a package of 16 when some unknown portion of them have already been used apparently is a challenge for me.

Lisa says:

The cilantro topping is awesome.

Carrie says:

Can I have more?

Chris says:

Yes! Let’s finish the batch!

Lisa says:

Leave room for dessert…

Dungeness Crab Soup with Cilantro Relish
SOUP:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, finely chipped
2 red chilies, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb fresh Dungeness crab meat
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
juice of 2 lemons
1 lemongrass stalk
4 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
5 oz angel hair pasta, broken into 2-3 inch lengths
salt and fresh ground pepper

RELISH:
1 cup cilantro leaves
1 green chili, seeded and chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground roasted cumin seeds

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven and add the onion, chilies, and garlic. Cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until the onion is very soft. Transfer the cooked onion mixture to a bowl and stir in the crab meat, parsley, cilantro, and lemon juice, and set aside.
Bruise the lemongrass on a chopping board. Pour the stock and fish sauce into the dutch oven. Add the lemongrass and bring to a boil, then add teh pasta. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 3-4 minutes until the pasta is just tender.
While the soup is simmering, prepare the relish by using a mortar and pestle to make a coarse paste of the cilantro, chili, oil, lemon juice, and cumin.
Remove and discard the lemongrass from the soup. Add the crab mixture into the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then set on low and simmer for two minutes.
Ladle the soup into four bowls and put a spoonful of the cilantro relish in the center of each.

4 Servings

Lisa has running group on Tuesdays, so I try to find recipes that can be prepared relatively quickly and don’t depend on exact timing — and so we can eat as soon as she walks in the door! This pasta dish from Fitness Food fit the bill: tuna steaks are grilled and placed upon a bed of wheat-noodles that have been tossed with plenty of cilantro, green onions, and an asian-inspired dressing. Any recipe that includes the words “one large handful of cilantro” gets my vote!

Lisa says:

Fitness Food rules.

Chris says:

See? You go for a run, you have run-worthy food waiting for you when you get home.

Lisa says:

I love the green onions.

Chris says:

…and of course, the cilantro?

Lisa says:

Of course!

Chris says:

I’d totally make this again if we wanted a quick pasta-and-fish meal. It took all of 20 minutes to make.

Lisa says:

Good, because I’d totally eat it again!

Tuna Steaks on Cilantro Noodles
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp sweet chili sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp spicy sesame oil
salt
pepper
oil spray
2 6-oz tuna steaks, at room temperature
8-oz wheat linguine
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 large handful cilantro leaves, chopped
lime wedges

Mix the lime juice, fish sauce, sweet chili sauce, sugar, and oil in a small bowl with a whisk, and set aside.
Pat the tuna steaks dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat a grill pan over high heat and spray with the oil. Add the tuna and cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until cooked to your liking. Transfer the steaks to a warm plate, cover, and keep warm.
Meanwhile, place the noodles in a large pot of salted, rapidly boiling water and cook according to package directions, until al dente. Drain well. Add half the dressing, half the scallions, and half the cilantro, and toss well.
Divide the noodles between two plates, then place a tuna steak on each. Mix the remaining dressing with the scallions and cilantro and drizzle over the tuna and noodles. Serve with the lime wedges.

2 Servings

Sometimes you know a recipe’s just not going to be anywhere near authentic, not going to be nearly as good as you could get in a restaurant, but could still suffice for a quick weeknight meal. This is one of those recipes, from the cookbook How to Eat Supper. Should you really expect a full-flavored broth — the essence of pho! — in a 20 minute cooking-time recipe? No. If you haven’t yet experienced pho, this might stand on its own as an interesting soup recipe, but if you try to compare it to the real thing, it falls short. But hey — it was good enough to warm our bellies on this chilly evening.

Chris says:

What the pho? This just makes me want real pho, not faux pho.

Lisa says:

What if you just think of it as a noodle soup with slices of beef in it?

Chris says:

Okay — in that case, it’s not bad. But the broth could still be more flavorful. You can definitely taste the broiled veggies, and they’re good, but I really need to try to disconnect the pho association.

Lisa says:

You certainly look like you’re enjoying your sauces.

Chris says:

Pho Shizzle. I’m a meat dipper.

Lisa says:

Oh, pho cryin’ out loud… enough with the puns!

Chris says:

Okay, fine. In fact, there’s my review of this recipe. Okay/fine. Not spectacular, but I certainly didn’t dislike it.

Lisa says:

I agree. Good, not great.

Chris says:

Not pho.

Fee, Fi, Faux Pho
For the broth:
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4 large cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3″ piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
6 whole cloves
1 whole star anise, bruised (or 1/2 tsp anise seed)
freshly ground black pepper
4 14-oz cans chicken broth
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp fish sauce

For the soup:
6 oz rice noodles
6 oz top round steak, sliced paper-thin (place in freezer for 30 minutes before slicing to make this easier)

To Garnish:
cilantro
thai basil
jalapenos, sliced
bean sprouts
lime, quartered
hoisin sauce
sriracha, or other hot sauce

Place an oven rack 4-6 inches under the broiler and preheat. On a large piece of doubled-over foil, scatter the vegetables and spices from the broth ingredients (onion through black pepper) and broil for five minutes, flipping once, until the onion begins to char and the spices are fragrant. Remove from the oven and place everything in a large pot.
Add the broth, sugar, and fish sauce and bring to a low boil. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. While the broth simmers, prepare the rice noodles by soaking them in warm water for 10-15 minutes, or until almost tender. (They’ll lose a little more firmness when the soup gets added.) Drain and divide the noodles between two very large soup bowls. Place the garnish ingredients on a plate and set at the table.
When ready to serve, divide the (raw) beef between the two soup bowls. Ladle the low-boil broth into the bowls (this will cook the meat pretty much instantly). Top each bowl with your preferred garnishes.

2 Servings