Egg Drop Ramen Soup

Soup is what's for dinner -- again. I can't get enough of soup. Period. I went to an Asian style soup this time around. Another one of my favorites. Usually found as a appetizer in many Chinese restaurants. Egg drop soup. This isn't like my other egg drop soup that I had made several months ago, which was towards more the traditional route. I changed this version up with some paprika and ramen noodles. The paprika really adds a new flavor to this famous soup. Garnished it with a sprinkle of safflower (wild saffron) on top. 

Serves 2-3

Egg Drop Ramen Soup

2 12oz can vegetable or chicken stock
1 packet or ramen minus seasoning
2 green onions - chopped
2 eggs - lightly beaten
1 c corn kernels - canned or frozen
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 Tbsp water
salt and pepper
1 tsp safflower (wild saffron) - optional
1 c shredded chicken or pork - optional

In a stock pot, bring the vegetable or chicken stock to a near boil. Stir the stock into a slight whirlpool and gently add the egg. It should look like shredded bits.

Add the cornstarch and stir occasionally until the soup has thickened. Add the paprika, corn, green onion, and the chicken or pork. Season with a little salt and pepper. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. stir occassionally.

Add the ramen noodles and let the soup simmer once more for 5-8 minutes until the noodles have been cooked. Stir it several times to separate them and serve.

Garnish with some safflower.

Baked Squash Potstickers

Another appetizer, I know. In a way, they can be considered a meal, if it's the only thing that you eat. These little Asian dumplings somewhat fulfilled my craving for some dim sum as of late. I remember I had some frozen cooked squash in the freezer that I didn't know what to do with. I could have made soup, but the weather was telling me to do something different. Really who wants soup on a nice sunny day? It doesn't necessarily scream "SOUP." Finger food would be best and what a better way than with some baked potstickers. These are really good and healthy too.

Served with a simple soy sauce dip. This makes roughly 2 dozen little pouches.




Baked Squash Potstickers

1 small box/bag frozen cooked squash (defrosted)
24 wonton wrappers
salt
pepper
1-2 Tbsp dry oregano
1-2 Tbsp dry parsley
2 garlic cloves (minced)
Egg wash: 1 egg beaten with 2 Tbsp water


Preheat oven 400˚F

Saute the garlic in some olive oil in a heated pan. Add in the squash as well as the oregano and parsley. Stir well to combine. Season with some salt and pepper. Cook for 5-8min. Remove from heat and let it cool.

Take a wonton wrapper and baste the edges with the egg wash. Place a dollop of the squash mixture in the center, then bring the edges together. Pinch to seal it shut.

Baste the finished potsticker with some of the egg wash on all sides and place on a lightly greased making sheet. This will help cook the bottom and keep it from sticking.

Bake for 10-15 min.


Soy Sauce Dip

2 Tbsp Soy sauce
1 tsp Lemon Juice

Combine ingredients together.

Enjoy!

Sweet & Sour "See"-Food

Who doesn't love Chinese food? In my every attempt to somewhat healthify whatever I eat, I made some Sweet and Sour "See"-Food. Get it? "See"-food. (insert brief pause. *crickets*) Because you see before you eat. Anyway, it's actually catfish and tiger prawns, but what the heck. Clever, eh?

Traditionally, the "meat" is covered in a tempura-like batter and deep-fried. But I used my usual breading procedure and baked it in the oven instead. It tastes like from a restaurant. Looks like it can be from a restaurant. My kitchen is my restaurant. My dining table is, well, my dining table sans lazy susan.

If you do want to go the more traditional route, you can use cube-chopped pork, beef or chicken. Deep-dry it with an all-purpose flour and cornstarch coating. It just so happens that I saw some fresh looking seafood at the market and went for it.

This is my entry to LK's (Healthy Delicious) Meat-Free Friday Roundup/

Btw, that's me holding the chopsticks. Not fun trying to snap the photos left-handed while trying to hold a piece of fish between two sticks. There's not much room for a tripod. LOL.



Sweet & Sour "See"-Food

Baked Catfish & Prawns:

1 large catfish fillet (cut to 2" pieces)
1/2 lb jumbo prawns (your choice of species - deveined and shelled)
2 Eggs
1/2 c Milk
4 Tbsp All-Purpose Four
1 1/2 c panko crumbs
Salt & Pepper to season


Sweet & Sour Sauce:

Sweet & Sour Sauce (my recipe click here)
1 red bell pepper (chopped)
1 yellow bell pepper (chopped)
1/2 small onion (quartered)
1 8oz can pineapple chucks w/juice


Note: the juice in the pineapple chucks will substitute for the juice that's called for in the original recipe. No need to extra.

Preheat oven 325˚F

In three separate containers: 1-all purpose flour. 2-eggs and milk beaten together (seasoned with a little salt. 3-panko crumbs

Before breading, season the fish and prawns with salt and pepper. Then coat each piece with the flour, egg, then panko. In that order. Place on a baking sheet or pan.

Bake for 30 min. Flip the fish and prawns half way through to get an even browning.

Saute the bell peppers and onions in a saucepan until peppers are slightly tender and the onions are limp and transparent. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside in a dish.

Cook the sweet and sour sauce in a large saucepan minus the pineapple juice.

Bring it to a simmer on low heat then add in the bell peppers, onions and pineapple chunks plus juice. Stir to combine.

When the fish and shrimp are done baking let them cool for 5-10 minutes before adding them to the sweet and sour sauce. Then gently stir them in coating each piece and mixing it with the bell peppers and onions.

Serve with a bowl of steamed or fried-rice.

Egg Drop Soup

I didn't want to make anything too complicated or something that took too much effort to make. I decided that soup was the way to go. It was a chilly night here in LA the other night, so it was a perfect fit. A classic dish found in many Chinese restaurants. This has always been on my favorite soups list. It's simple and easy to make. A nice substitute for the good ol' fashion chicken noodle or tomato.


Egg Drop Soup

4 c chicken or vegetable stock (fresh or canned)
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp of water or stock
1 egg beaten lightly

optional:
1 scallion (finely chopped)
1 c corn (frozen or from cob)
1 c shredded chicken


Over medium to high heat, bring stock to a boil. Then add cornstarch mixtures. Make sure to stir often. This should thicken the stock. Add salt. Keep stirring until cornstarch fully dissolves.

Slowly pour in the egg, continuously stirring. It'll make the egg into that shredded look. Add the corn or chicken.

Let is simmer for two minutes, stir occasionally to keep the cornstarch from settling. Turn off the heat, give it a taste and add more salt, if needed.

Ladle a nice helping into a bowl and sprinkle over some scallions to garnish. Voila!