Monday, January 10, 2011

Ode to the Noodle Ranch






Once upon another life time, I chose to eat many a meal at a place called 'The Noodle Ranch' located in a neighborhood called 'Belltown' in Seattle, Washington. This was a life when I rarely cooked anything more complicated than fancy beer nuts (chili-carmelized blanched almonds for poker nights). I lived in a land of late night dining, take away, and (!) delivery foods.

I never thought of myself as a curry eater. But my friend Monte convinced me to try this 'light' variety, the green curry.
Silken tofu cubes, broccoli, and potatoes, in spices and green curry with a side of sticky white rice.
What is not to love?
But this was a love lost when I moved away from the area.
Until Zok decided he could figure it out- and he did.
Here you go: Curry for 2 plus left overs, as created by Zok.

1 medium brown onion, diced.
1 clove of garlic finely diced.
3-4 medium potatoes- such as a Kennebec or the yellow skinned American potato- peeled and cut into small cubes
A fair sized Broccoli cut into bite sized pieces
Silken tofu cut into bite sized cubes
16 oz of Coconut Cream
32 oz of vegetable stock (made from the cube and water)
1 tsp peanut oil
Fresh kaffir lime leaves about 4 thinly sliced, leaf only not center stem/vein
(if you live nearby we have a kaffir lime tree so if you need leaves just ask)
Zest of half of one lime
Juice from the half-lime
2 tbls palm sugar
Clove of garlic (diced)
One small red chili no seeds
5 tbls of fish sauce
2 tbl of green curry paste
* you can leave out the chilli and/or you can add in mushrooms
Rice for 2 people

First-
Peel, cut potatoes and steam until tender but not fully cooked, put aside.

*Make a sauce to set aside by taking the sliced kaffir leaves, lime juice, lime zest, chopped clove of garlic, fish sauce and grated palm sugar and chilli if desired, mix to dissolve sugar

Take the teaspoon of peanut oil, and heat in wok until slightly smoking, then add onion, and one clove of garlic- stir ingredients to coat then add in the 2 tbl. of green curry paste and sauté all for a couple of minutes mixing well.

Add potato to wok, mix well.
Add in vegetable stock, stir well
Add in coconut cream, stir well
Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 10 minutes
Add broccoli and tofu and mushrooms (if desired)
Simmer all for a few minutes
Add Sauce
Lightly stir (lightly to avoid breaking up the tofu cubes)
Simmer until condensed about 15 to 30 minutes-
+This is a good time while this simmers to turn on your rice cooker.
++I don't know the substitution for fish sauce- but of course this is not strictly vegetarian to use and will need to be substituted if you are cooking for a strict vegetarian, this is okay if they are only an aquatarian.

Yum!




6 comments:

Monte Means said...

No mention of how you tortured your favorite Noodle Ranch server by making him wait on a CLOWN? ;-)
I'm enjoying the week of food writing and photos!

Anonymous said...

I am loving these posts!

Colleen said...

Do you think you could follow the instructions?
xx

Colleen said...

Oh- and also Monte I have the Poloroid photo handy of DoodleBug, so don't make me incite nightmares...
Love,
Colleen

Unknown said...

This is great! You two are giving me all kinds of recipes I can steal! Happy cooking

krisha said...

Yum. Zok is awasome. I want a chef/carpenter for my next mate.
;)