Category: Pasta

Bloody Mary Linguine with Jumbo Shrimp

Bloody Mary LinguineBold and Spicy Bloody Mary Linguine!

Bloody Mary Linguine can be done from absolute scratch using Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce, or, you can buy an already perfect blend of Bold and Spicy Bloody Mary mix from your local grocery or Liquor store.  I’m using Zing Zang’s award winning Bloody Mary Mix because it’s fantastic!  Their recipe can be used in so many different drinks, cocktails or sauces like I demonstrate here, it’s well worth keeping year around on my shelf, ready for use.  So if you don’t want to dick around with getting it just right Zing Zangwith your hot sauce, and you don’t want to risk ruining your dish with too much Worcestershire, I definitely recommend picking up a bottle of Zing Zang for your many endeavors!  P.S. They don’t pay me me to advertise for them, It’s just really good Shit!

This Bloody Mary Linguine recipe uses canned stewed tomatoes.  Normally I stay away from Bottled or canned ingredients because I have more control over what I’m putting into my recipe; preservatives etc., not to mention I get a fresher taste and more nutrients when I don’t use food that’s been murdered through the canning process.  I realize I’m a little passionate about food, and I’m getting a little graphic in my verbiage here, but don’t forget the title of this recipe is Bold and Spicy Bloody Mary Linguine!

Bloody Mary Linguine Ingredients:

2 cups Water
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Salt
1/2 pkg Linguine Pasta

3 tbsp Olive Olive Oil
1/3 cup Red Onion Shallots
1 cup Bloody Mary Mix (Use “Zing Zang” or it won’t taste right)
4 chopped Garlic Cloves (optional)
1/2 tsp Celery Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 can Stewed Tomatoes
1/2 cup Vodka

1 lb. Jumbo Shrimp
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp chopped Garlic
2 tbsp fresh chopped Parsley

2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1/3 cup fresh chopped Parsley
Fresh ground pepper to taste

If you can handle it, start 3 burners.  One with a pot of water for the Linguine, a skillet for the Bloody Mary Linguine mix, and another pan for the Shrimp.  Prep everything, but get the Linguine started first because that takes the longest.  For the bloody Mary mix, start with the red onion shallots and follow the above ingredients in the order they are written.  Reduce heat to a simmer and reduce sauce after the Vodka has been added.  Same thing goes for the Shrimp but kill the heat once they’re cooked.  Pull the pasta and combine with the Bloody Mary Linguine mix, then quickly cook and toss the Panko on high heat and add the fresh Parsley and ground Pepper.

Chow Mein, Lo Mein and more Chow Mein

Lo Mein/Chow MeinSo many Choices

Do you know the difference between Lo Mein and Chow Mein?  What about the difference between Chow Mein and Chow Mein? Ah, you didn’t know there are two different kinds of Chow Mein?  If you do that’s great, but most people don’t.  I didn’t.  Well at least at the time I was ordering it from a menu and got something I thought was entirely different and not what I was expecting at all.  That experience was years ago but it was the day that I learned the difference between Eastern and Western Chow Mein.

Eastern Chow Mein is what I got when I was expecting something different.  Apparently Western Chow Mein is what I was expecting and if that’s what I wanted from a place that serves the “Eastern” version of Chow Mein, rather, I should have ordered Lo Mein and it would’ve been the same thing.  Are you confused yet?

Western Chow Mein and Lo Mein recipes are virtually the same thing; lots of oily soft noodles with minimal vegetables.  Eastern Chow Mein is practically the opposite with a few variances, but basically lots of vegetables and minimal crispy noodles.  Western Chow Mein is my favorite, though I’ve come to love the Eastern version and often crave that recipe from time to time.  Lo Mein, or rather, Western Chow Mein is what I’ll be focusing on in this recipe.

TopRamen_ChickenNoodles, Noodles, Lo Mein Noodles

Never use Spaghetti noodles unless you want to fit in with all of the other yahoo’s out there that really don’t know what they’re doing.  You may not know either, but with this Lo Mein/Chow Mein recipe, you’ll be able to wing it like the pros and no one will be able to tell the difference.  You can, however, pull this off with Angel Hair Pasta, but I’m still not recommending an Italian noodle for a Chinese dish.  If you can pick up a soft noodle, something doughy or already cooked near the Tofu and egg roll wrappers in your grocery store, then that’s as good as it’s going to get, unless you make your own.  Though today, I’m going to show you how to do this with an all time very inexpensive favorite of mine, Ramen!  Nissin Top Ramen is what I’m using, with the chicken flavored seasoning packet.  You can literally use any flavor you prefer, but most Restaurants use a chicken or vegetable stock in their kitchen.  So trust me with this one because you’re going to need the broth even after you cook your noodles.

Cook The Noodles Al Dente.  This just means that you need to slightly under cook the noodles.  The reason for this is because they need to be cooked a second time when they are tossed with the vegetables, and this will keep them from getting over cooked and sticky.  Another important tip you need to know is the oil.  I have found that Peanut oil gives a more professional taste to the flavor of the noodles.  Don’t ask me why, because Chinese Restaurants will use Canola and even Soy Bean oil for their noodles, but I just don’t think they bring out that delicious fast food street vendor style of Lo Mein we’ve all grown to love.  For all I know, peanut oil is what the street vendors use.  I can’t be certain but it sure tastes right!

Ingredients:

1 pkg Noodles
4 ounces of Broth from the Noodle bouillon
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp Hoisin or Oyster Sauce
1/3 cup Peanut Oil
1 chopped Garlic Clove
1 1/2 Mixed Vegetables

Vegetables should include Cabbage, Onion and Carrot at a minimum, but can also contain Mushroom, Celery and Bean Sprouts.  Feel free to add any precooked meats like, Shrimp, Chicken or Beef.  Rob the 4 ounces of Broth from the Noodle bouillon and mix the sugar and your choice of Hoisin or Oyster to make the Secret Sauce.  Both are good but add a completely different taste so just choose your favorite.  Cook the noodles Al Dente and strain, then cook the vegetables in the peanut oil and garlic for 30 seconds, add the noodles and toss, then poor the “Secret Sauce” into the noodles and stir until the coloring is even through out the noodles.  The whole cooking process, tossing the vegetables and then combining with the noodles, shouldn’t take you more than 1 full minute to complete.  Serve the Lo Mein Family Style, on one plate, then dish out separately.

I’m a Pasta Fanatic… Aren’t You?

61VnBAoAoWL._SL1000_How Hard Can It Be

If you’re not eating fresh pasta YOU ARE CRAZY!  Especially for the simple reason that it’s incredibly easy to make; not to mention the, “I can’t get enough fresh pasta” taste it leaves in your mouth after you’ve tossed the noodles in your favorite sauce.  I had someone comment on my homemade pasta video a while back.  They were so thankful for my simple little recipe.  This person even went out and bought a little hand churned Pasta maker for like $20 or $30 bucks and mentioned that they were going to start cranking’ that dough out so they could even stalk up the freezer and have it ready to go down the road.

So let’s talk about it shall we?  As you can see in this photo, I’ve got a pasta maker.  It’s been sitting in my storage unit for a while because I’ve been on the road working lately, BUT, was able to pull it out recently and grace my family with a few dishes that involved some freshly made egg noodles.  It doesn’t matter what you decide to make, whether it be Italian, Greek or some twist of your favorite Asian noodle dish, but one thing is for certain, if you’re pasta isn’t the right consistency, you are going to make a mess!  Now this isn’t a contradiction to my theory that pasta is incredibly easy to make, NO!  All I’m saying is, like anything else, you’ve just got to do it right!

You don’t have to follow my recipe by any means but I’ve laid out a basic instructional video for those of you that aren’t too familiar with making your own noodles and in fact don’t have any fancy gadgets or gizmos to “Get’R done”!  The most important thing to know are two simple steps for the final outcome.  ONE, make the dough Dense.  TWO, when the dough is rolled out for the slicing of the noodles, make absolutely sure the dough is dusted with flour and dry enough to separate; otherwise you’ll have a sticky mess.   Easy enough right?  Now watch this video and you’ll see just how easy it really is from any Poor Man’s Gourmet Kitchen!

The Full written original recipe can be found here http://poormansgourmetkitchen.com/making-fresh-pasta-from-scratch.html