LouieNep Food

I’m one of those people who buys all types of tortellini- ham and cheese, smoked bacon and garlic, etc., etc.- and ends up just letting it sit in the pantry because I can’t think of anything creative to do with it.

Thanks to email, I now have this deliciously quick recipe:

Dear Jay,
One of my favorite pasta dishes is tortellini & it always gives me a feeling of nostalgia (I grew up with Italians). It’s also very easy to make, especially if you are stuck with a dinner party to prepare for. This is a variant on the traditional “ricotta and spinach” recipe- adding some wild mushrooms, green garlic & wine.
2 x 8 ounce packets of fresh tortellini
1 pound wild mushrooms (fresh preferred)
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs butter
1/4 cup green garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup of white wine
Prepare tortellini according to packet instructions. Clean and chop wild mushrooms. Heat butter and oil to very hot and saute mushrooms very quickly. Add green garlic and wine & simmer for several minutes to make the sauce. Add pasta to pan, toss and cook a minute longer. Serve in warmed soup plates garnished with several bits of sauteed mushroom and a curl of fresh parmesan.
Take care and thanks for making Daily Chef such fun.
Beatrix

Thank you, Beatrix.

Since starting this site my email inbox has been absolutely flooded with submitted recipes, almost all of them wonderful and mouthwatering. Today I’m featuring a recipe we tried last night, very kindly sent in by Eleanor M.:

Lemon Basil Potatoes
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. small potatoes
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 green onions, sliced
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves

Wash and quarter potatoes. In a nonstick skillet, melt butter in olive oil over medium heat. Add potato slices, and cook 6 to 7 minutes or until browned. Stir in green onions, grated lemon rind, and salt and pepper. Cover and cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in basil.

Sound easy? It is. We had it as our side for dinner with roasted chicken, and it was just perfect. The potatoes absorb the tartness of the lemon, and the basil gives it just the right touch of herb. Amazing. Thank you so much, Eleanor!

This is one of those dishes whose recipe doesn’t do it justice- simply because its cooking aroma is so heady, so unbelievably mouthwatering, it cannot be described in words. Great for leftover steak or beef roast. And, since we’ve been on a “thai spree”, nice and spicy too.

Thai Chilli Beef
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb lean beef steak, cut into very thin strips
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsps sesame oil
2 tsps cornstarch
4 red chillies, seeds removed
7 garlic cloves, peeled
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced thin
1 tsp Thai red curry paste
6 tbsps peanut oil
2 red peppers, seeds removed and sliced thick
2 celery stalks, trimmed and sliced
2 tbsps Thai fish sauce
shredded basil leaves

1. Place the beef in a bowl with rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil and cornstarch and mix well. Cover with clingfilm and leave to marinate - refrigerated- for 20 minutes, turning beef over at least once.

2. Place chillies, garlic, onion and red curry paste in a food processor and blend to form a smooth paste. I like to do this in my mortar.

3. Drain the beef, shaking off any excess marinade. Heat a wok and add 3 tbsps of the peanut oil. When nearly smoking, add beef and stir-fry for about a minute. Remove the beef and set aside.

4. Wipe wok clean. Reheat, and add remaining peanut oil. When hot, add chilli paste and stirfry for 30 secs. Add peperrs, celery, fish sauce and more soy sauce. Stirfry for 2 minutes. Return beef to the wok and stirfry for a further 2 minutes, or until beef is cooked. Serve with shredded basil sprinkled on top.

As I said, this smells absolutely heavenly. Feel free to lessen or increase the amount of chillis depending on how hot or mild you like your food. Delicious served with fragrant jasmine rice, or a bed of freshly cooked glass noodles.

(by Lorraine) As most of you know, Louie does the cooking and I do the baking. Today I’m going to share a dirty little secret of mine- a recipe for pie crust that’s quick, easy, and can be made in the microwave! Trust me, no one will ever know.

Lorraine’s Secret Pie Crust
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 pound shortening
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 cup cold water
WHAT TO DO:
In a large bowl, mix together flour and salt; cut in shortening. In a separate, medium bowl, mix together beaten egg, vinegar and cold water. Using a fork, slowly mix beaten egg mixture into flour mixture. Refrigerate for 6 hours. Roll onto a floured surface. Microwave shell on ‘HIGH’ for 4 to 5 minutes.

If making piecrust in a microwave makes you shudder, you can also use the above recipe to make piecrust in a regular oven. Bake in a preheated hot [425�F / 220�C] oven, until golden brown. Instant piecrust… and loads better than storebought!

UPDATE: I am no longer running a recipe contest. Thanks to all of you who joined, and to the winners!

The way this community has grown in these past few weeks is just amazing. Thank you so much to all of you posting in the comments, sending me tons of email, and - most of all - submitting your recipes! You know I love it, and love you all.

I’ve decided to hold a monthly recipe contest for original submitted recipes. We’ll be awarding gift certificates from some of our favorite online retailers in varying amounts, so if you haven’t already please read the contest rules, then submit an original recipe of your own.

Today I’m pleased to feature one of our winning recipes, sent to me by email by Tet. We tried it out yesterday, it’s glorious, and a definite winner!:

Quickie Strawberry Shortcake
Purchased pound cake (we used Sara Lee :-))
1 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 cup fresh strawberries, hulled, sliced

Whip cream in a large chilled bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar and Grand Marnier, and keep whipping until stiff peaks form. Using a large serrated knife, cut pound cake horizontally into 4 even layers. Place bottom cake layer on platter, spread with whipped cream, top with sliced strawberries. Repeat layering 2 more times. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with whipped cream. Garnish with remaining strawberries. Chill 30 minutes to 3 hours before serving. Delish!

I realize I’ve been a little quiet lately- and for that I apologize. But for all the wonderful people leaving comments lately, I’ve got great news- a whole bunch of new recipes coming at you these next few days!

From John in Singapore comes this wonderful email:

When I visited Chiang Mai with my wife last year, I did a cooking course at our hotel & learnt this recipe. As there was some Thai talk with your Spicy Thai Shrimp soup- I wanted to send you this now.
All the best,
John, Singapore.

Pad Thai (Fried noodles Thai style)

There must be as many recipes for this dish as there are cooks! Adapt to what you have on hand. Most often eaten when going to the market as a quick snack, it is not really a dish Thais cook at home!

1/2 package(16oz)wide rice noodles

2 1/2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic

1/4 lb. pork, cut into 1″ by 1/4″ pieces

3 Tbsp. dried shrimps, small size

2 Tbsp. salted radish, chopped(optional)

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

1 Tbsp. thin soy sauce, Dragonfly brand

2 1/2 Tbsp. sugar

1 Tbsp. lime juice

1 cup bean sprouts

1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, break up in a mortar and pestle or chop with a chef’s knife

Cilantro to garnish

Boil 3 cups of water. Pour over noodles in a large bowl and soak for 20 minutes until softened. Drain.

Heat oil in wok, until hot but not smoking. Add smashed garlic. Add pork. Fry until meat is no longer pink. Add noodles, dried shrimps, fish sauce, sugar, lime juice, and bean sprouts. Stir fry for another 3 to 4 minutes until mixed up and heated through. Add salted radish, if using(rinse if very salty). Stir fry another minute. Toss in the peanuts, tossing to mix. Remove to a platter or individual plates to serve. Garnish with cilantro. Serves 2.

When, like me, you’re cooking for two most of the time, it can be difficult to portion your cooking so you aren’t left with a whole month’s worth of leftovers.

We love the mini salad and herb spinner from OXO because not only is it perfect for spinning a salad for two, its non-slip, and extremely easy to use.

I got this as a gift from a friend familiar with my tastes for fun kitchen tools. Who knew I would become so dependent on this?

It slices perfect pats of butter (butter must be chilled), and is just one of those tools that become necessary the more you use it.

How to use it:

Simply place Butter Cutter over a stick of chilled butter and press down. Voila! Perfect pats of butter.

Before I present today’s recipe, I’m pleased to announce a new section: Cook’s Tools.

Today I’m featuring my version of what I consider one of the best dishes in the world:

Spicy Thai Shrimp Soup
What You’ll Need
2 tbsps minced fresh ginger
2 tbsps peanut oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp thinly julienned lime peel
5 cups homemade or tinned chicken broth
1 cup uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/3 cup long-grain white rice
6 large mushrooms, quartered
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
2 tbsps fresh lime juice
4 green onions, chopped

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Saute red peppers and ginger about a minute. Add chicken stock and lime peel, bring to a boil. Stir in rice, reduce heat, cover and simmer about 20 minutes or until rice is very tender. Add shrimp, coconut milk, mushrooms and onion, and cook about 5 minutes- or until shrimp is opaque. Remove from heat. Add lime juice. Use chopped green onions as garnish.

This is spicy, aromatic, and delicious- and the non-traditional addition of rice in the soup makes this a full meal.