Cold Sesame Noodles

I am such a lucky lady! Happy Hubs and I had a very good week.

First, Happy Hubs got to spend a long two nights working his abs from constant laughter with one of his best friends, Dane, making this...

The first night, I got to watch classic All That and Kenan & Kel while they did that. Awwwwwwwww, here it goes!!! 

The next night, I got to catch up with an old friend and watch Hook! Very nostalgic week so far.

I can't believe this movie is 21 years old! Maggie Smith looks about 25 years older than she does now! Did you know that there is a scene in this movie where George Lucas and Carrie Fisher are kissing on a bridge? And Jimmy Buffett, Gwyneth Paltrow, Glenn Close, and Phil Collins are also in this movie?! And where has Robin Williams disappeared to?!? I want to watch Flubber...

This week, I also made one of Happy Hubby's favorites. It's one of my favorites too because it only takes about the amount of time to boil pasta. You can usually find Cold Noodle in most Chinese restaurants as an appetizer. I have changed it around based on what is usually in my kitchen but I have included a link to the book I adapted it from which adds stuff like chopped peanuts and Szechuan preserved veggies. We like it better with carrots instead of cucumbers, I don't like warm and soggy cucumbers. Did I mention I serve it hot? It usually doesn't make it to cold, or lukewarm for that matter. But, because it is so good cold, I try to make extra for lunch the next day. The book also has a recipe for Hot Chili Oil to add, but I usually just sprinkle some red pepper on top. And, yes, I do use peanut butter for this recipe. I don't have Asian Sesame Paste in vast quantities like I do peanut butter. I have actually found that many Asian restaurants use peanut butter too. So, HA!

Cold Sesame Noodles

adapted from Quick & Easy Chinese by Nancy McDermott

Sesame Sauce

3 Tablespoons Asian sesame paste or peanut butter

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons hot water

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar or cider vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Noodles

8 ounces fresh Chinese-style egg noodles (or linguine or spaghetti)

1/3 cup thinly sliced green onion

1 cup carrot slices (1/4 inch thick)

1. To make the sesame sauce: In a medium bowl large enough to toss the noodles with the sauce, combine the sesame paste, soy sauce, water, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, and salt. Stir to combine everything into a smooth, thick sauce.

2. Boil noodles until al dente.

3.  When the noodles are tender but still firm, drain well and place them in the bowl over the sauce. Toss well to coat the strands evenly. Add a little more hot water if needed to soften the noodles and spread out the sauce.

4. Add the green onion and carrots and toss one last time to mix everything well. Transfer to a serving dish and serve warm, at room temperature, or cold. Sprinkle on some red pepper flakes for a kick!

Stay tuned for more fun events this week...

Strawberry Cute-sicles (Clementine Popsicles)

There has been a lot of reading going on in the fart-box that I work at. We are extremely slow and I have officially run out of things to do. When I have stuff to do, I start at 10am and I finish at 11am (at latest). One can only clean glass so many times while there is no one getting finger prints on it.


So, I read Watchmen this week since it took Happy Hubby a very long time to read it and share the book. We both refused to watch the movie until we were both done with the book. We watched the movie and it was very well done and definitely highly recommended even though they changed the ending.

Then, being in a graphic novel mood, I read Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Boxset. This movie, we had seen. I had to read these graphic novels because the movie was so amazing. One graphic novel for each Evil Ex (6 books, 7 Evil Ex's. Read it to figure out the math.). Then I HAD to re-watch the movie because the novels were so good.

Then I read Bossypants by Tina Fey, whom I love! It's kind of aimed more towards women but I think a guy would also get a kick out of it. There is even a part where she thanks any man who buys the book and every women for not buying it but passing it to coworkers. I plan on getting the audio book for my next long journey, which I hope will be very soon.




I had an overwhelming amount of cuties in my kitchen that I did not want to go bad. I am eating them but they do not seem to be diminishing. I found a recipe to make sorbet with cuties and altered it to make popsicles. Happy Hubs said that it might just be his favorite dessert I have made? WHAT?!?!? "But it's so eeeeeeeasy!!!" as my mother-in-law would say. I also had some extra strawberries from the frozen yogurt I made and threw them in as well. For something with only 4 ingredients, I was incredibly flavorful and super refreshing! Now I am getting ideas for making this with other fruits.


Strawberry Cute-sicles 
adapted from epicurious.com


7 clementines or small tangerines (enough to make 1 1/2 cups of juice)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 cup of strawberries (quartered and sliced thin)


1. Finely grate enough zest from clementines to measure 1 teaspoon. Squeeze enough juice from clementines to measure 1 1/2 cups and transfer to a bowl.

2. Bring zest, sugar, and water to a boil in a small saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pour through a very fine sieve into clementine juice.

3. Freeze in ice-cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. Mix in strawberries by hand after the juice is done freezing. Transfer to popsicle molds (or plastic cups with popsicle sticks) and put in freezer to harden (at least 4 hours). This recipe mad about 5 popsicles.

My, what straight teeth he has...

I need to get more popsicle molds...

Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi

This is one of my go-to recipes. I make it once every two weeks or so, alternating with my go-to tilapia recipe that I will share soon. I can make it in about the time it takes to make some fluffy white rice. The ginger glaze is so flavorful, it really enhances the rice. It's good for a quick dinner for after work and before my husband plays his sweet grooves. If you have not seen him perform, you really should (Mom and Dad). He is pretty sauce-some! Not that I am impartial or anything...

Ginger Glazed Mahi Mahi
from allrecipes.com


3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce

• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger root
• 1 clove garlic, crushed or to taste
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 (6 ounce) mahi mahi fillets
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 
  
• 1. In a shallow glass dish, stir together the honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, ginger, garlic and olive oil. Season fish fillets with salt and pepper, and place them into the dish. If the fillets have skin on them, place them skin side down. Cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes to marinate. (I usually flip them half way through.)
• 
  
• 2. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove fish from the dish, and reserve marinade. Fry fish for 4 to 6 minutes on each side, turning only once, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Remove fillets to a serving platter and keep warm.
• 
  
• 3. Pour reserved marinade into the skillet, and heat over medium heat until the mixture reduces to a glaze consistently. Spoon glaze over fish, and serve immediately.

Yummy!