Yaki Soba

One of our families favorite dishes is called Yaki Soba. 

It's mouth watering, nose running, eat-as-much-as-you-can good.

Since my last food post went over pretty well I decided to do it again!  So, if you're not at all interested whatsoever in food, just ignore this heavenly meal.

This, my friends, is Yaki Soba.

We start with chopped carrots.

This seems to be a theme with my food posts. Hmmmm... maybe it's a sign that all good food starts with chopped carrots?

Next comes the chopped onions, also a theme.

And one half of a head of cabbage, also chopped.

Note:  This is slightly less than one half because I have certain younger siblings, names will not be mentioned, who like to sit and snack on chopped cabbage.  Yes, Chase and Erin are strange children.  Oops.

May I present the fun soba noodles from a package that automatically makes you feel cultured.  These can be purchased in any oriental market.

Ok, let the fun begin!

To start with, pull out your Wok.  Or, if you don't have a wok you can use a LARGE pan. 

Pour in some sesame seed oil.

Now pour the canola oil in the wok.

And chili paste... in the wok.

Change the amount of chili paste depending on how hot you like your food.  If you like it hot enough to breath fire, add 2 Tbsp.  If you like it hot enough to make your nose run, add 1 to 1 1/2 Tbsp.  If you don't like it hot at all, you've got the wrong recipe.

Now stir fry it for about 30 seconds in the wok.

Have you noticed I like to say the word wok?  It's just fun!

Wok, wok, wok, wok, wok..... see?!

Now add garlic... in the wok.

Ok, ok, I'll try to control myself.

Stir fry it for another 30 seconds.

Here enters the soy sauce.

Throw in the chicken.

And cook it until no longer pink.  Then remove from the wok (I couldn't help myself) with a slotted spoon.

Set it aside and keep it warm.

Dump the vegetables in the wok... the umm, the pan.

Mix the veggies until the sauce covers them well.  Stir fry to cook it all evenly.

Now, while the veggies are cooking down, place your soba noodle that somehow, magically turned white (not sure what's going on here), into boiling water. 

Make sure you follow the package and cook the noodles not even 5 seconds longer than it says, or you'll end up with soggy noodles.  No one likes soggy noodles.

Back to the veggies.  Here the veggies have cooked down just enough.  You still want them to have a little bit of a crunch, so don't cook them to death.

Now add your noodles that have magically turned back to brown.

Stir in the chicken.

Mix in the rest of the soy sauce.

We decided to experiment and add water chestnuts at this point.  It's not called for in the recipe, but it was a fun addition.

Yeah,  we're just fun like that.

Mix it all together so that the flavors combine.

And you have mouth watering, nose running Yaki Soba!

Disclaimer- This picture doesn't do it justice, I was in a hurry and didn't check the settings on my camera.

Here's the full recipe:

• ½ tsp sesame oil

• 1 Tbsp canola oil
• 1 1/2 Tbsp chili paste
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1-2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into 1 inch cubes
• ½ c. soy sauce
• 1 onion, sliced lengthwise into eighths
• ½ medium head cabbage, coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 8 ounces soba noodles, cooked and drained



In a large skillet combine sesame oil, canola oil and chili paste. Stir fry 30 seconds. Add garlic and stir fry an additional 30 seconds. Add chicken and ¼ cup of the soy sauce and stir fry until chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from pan with a slotted spoon, set aside and keep warm. In the emptied pan combine the onion, cabbage and carrots. Stir fry until cabbage begins to wilt. Stir in the remaining soy sauce, cooked noodles and the chicken mixture to pan and mix to blend. Serve and enjoy!

Let me know if you try the recipe!  I love to read your comments!

Macro

Photo tip #4 is called Macro.  Have you ever wondered what that little flower looking setting on your camera is?  Well, that is what is called your Macro setting. 

Get to know your Macro setting.

Be friends with it.

It's a friend you really want to have.

When you put your camera on the Macro setting magical things happen.

• First, your camera lets you get closer to a subject than it normally would and still be in focus.
• Second, it opens your aperture, so that the background will be blurry and your subject will be in focus.  (Remember me talking about this before?  I love this technique so much that I'm bringing it up again!)
• Third, when you look at your pictures after using the Macro setting you get really, really happy and do a little dance... or at least I do, but you didn't need to know that.

Here's my example:

See, doesn't this just make you want to do a little dance?  Oh, the things that make me happy.

Now, like always, it's your turn! Go enjoy your Macro setting, and make sure to do a little dance for me!

Peruvian "Spicy Chicken"

Who out there loves Peruvian food?

(Raising my hand)  Me too!  The flavors of the spices they use are just incredible together. 

When I was down in Chile, Kim let her maid Claudia (who is from Peru) teach us some Peruvian dishes.  One of our favorites that she made is called Giso de Pollo Arvejitas, or if you ask Kim's daughters it's "Spicy Chicken".  Don't be fooled by the name though because it's not really all that spicy hot.

Anyway, to get to the point, I made it for my family tonight and thought I would share the recipe with step by step picture instructions,...

...just because it's too good not to share,

...and just because it gave me a chance to use my camera.  Really, my reasons are selfish.

Believe me, you need to try this.

OK, so here we go.

The first thing to do is dice up one carrot into yummy, orange cubes.

Next, do the same with an onion.  If your kids put up a fuss about onions just cut it up into smaller pieces.  They'll never know you tricked them and put it in.

I promise.

OK, now we get to the good stuff.  In a bowl add garlic, cumin, and salt.

Stir up that good stuff until it's nice and mixed.

Now enters the chicken.  You're supposed to use drumsticks, but all I had were chicken breasts.

Hey! I gotta work with what I got. 

Carefully cut small slices into the chicken.  Now go ahead and press the garlic mixture into the cuts you made and around the whole piece of chicken.

Repeat with each piece of chicken, using up all of the garlic mixture.

Now, melt some butter in a LARGE pan on the stove.  Don't skimp on the pan size.

  No really, don't skimp.

Brown the chicken pieces in the butter, making sure not to overcook them.  We just want them browned, not cooked all the way through.

There, now set your beautifully browned chicken aside for just a little bit.

 

Pour a little oil in your pan and toss in the onions.

Let the onions cook a little before you add curry, pepper, and more garlic.  Mmm, garlic.

Stir it all up.

 Mmm, do you smell that?  If not you really should get going.

Once the onions are cooked through, toss the chicken back in.

Now add two chicken bouillon cubes, crunched up into powder.

Now your yummy, orange, carrot cubes

And the frozen peas.

Add about a cup and a half of water.

Make sure you stir it around good so all your veggies are covered.

Oh, the smell!  This smells like heaven. 

No, really!  This is EXACTLY what heaven smells like.  Just ask me.

Cover up the heavenly goodness, and let it sit on medium heat for 25 minutos.

Now add your frozen corn.  Let that simmer for five more minutes.

Now sprinkle on a handful of cilantro. 

The fresher the cilantro the better.


Do not follow my bad example and use the dried stuff... unless you're completely out of the fresh stuff, and too lazy to run to the store for some... then it's perfectly OK.

Congratulations, you did it!  After torturing your family,... and the neighbors down the street,.... and the family that lives across town with the incredible smell, they finally get to eat it!

Well, your family does anyways.  The poor neighbors and people across town just get to wonder who the amazing cook is and where they can get one.


Serve with a mound of rice and you have "Spicy Chicken"!




Below you'll find the recipe with all the measurements. 


Giso de Pollo Arvejitas (Spicy Chicken)
4-8 Drumsticks
1 Carrot, cubed
1 Onion, diced
1 1/2 cups Frozen Peas
1 1/2 cups Frozen Corn
2 Garlic cloves, minced
3 Tbsp Oil
1 Tbsp Butter/Margarine
1 tsp Curry
1/4 tsp Cumin
2 cubes Chicken Bouillon
1/4 tsp Pepper
1/4 tsp Salt
1 1/2 cup water
Cilantro


Cut slices into drumsticks.  In bowl mix one clove garlic, cumin, and salt.  Press mixture into chicken slices and around entire drumstick.


In large pan melt butter.  Add drumsticks and brown.  Do not brown until cooked through.  Remove chicken and set aside.


In pan add oil and onion.  Cook until onion is slightly transparent and add curry, pepper, and one clove garlic.  Stir.  Add rushed chicken bouillon cubes, peas, carrot, and water.


Cover and cook on medium heat for 25 minutes.  Add corn and cook for 5 more minutes.  Dish should still have a lot of liquid in it, if not add more water.  After the five minutes add a handful of cilantro.


Serve with rice.

Leading Lines

Our tip number three to start off the new year is all about a wonderful thing called leading lines.  Leading lines are... well, just what they sound like, lines that lead the eye to a point in your image. 

There are so many things you can use as leading lines, such as fences, bridges, train tracks,  roads, rivers, trees, shadows, even the horizon line.  If you just start looking you'll find them everywhere!  Be careful though, because once you start looking you won't be able to stop.

In my example picture below I used the lines from the bricks to lead the viewers eye to the girl in the image.