C – I haven’t cooked any of my home cooking in a while.
I think I might have forgotten how to make some of those things. Working at Be Mindful. Be Human., we’re exploring the balance of flavors and finding good tasting things from many different cultures, styles, profiles and ingredients.
We also learn more about being mindful, making human mistakes along the way. With those goals, we’ve moved away from the things I used to make at home.
I am OK with that. Being a well-rounded foodie means learning about and tasting different foods.
The other day, Luke brought over a wonderful book, Pok Pok by Andy Ricker. A book of Thai cuisine that brought back lots of memories of cooking with my parents and my grandmother.
Although I am Cambodian, lots of Southeast Asian foods are similar. Luke wanted to try a few recipes and learn the techniques I learned from my family.
The easiest way of trying to figure out what he wanted to see me make was to have him pick recipes out of the book. Some were similar to the ones I used to make, while others were a lot different. I wanted to try it out.
First off, a noodle dish that I loved growing up. I would eat bowls and bowls of this. My parents would have to stop me from eating so much of it. They worried I would get sick from it.
I loved the sweet and salty flavors of the sauce. My favorite part was the freshly made rice noodles fried with eggs. The more eggs the better. I loved the crispy broccoli and bean sprouts.
My other favorite part were the deep fried garlic pieces on top. If I didn’t have it, something would be missing from the dish. It was an all-over taste explosion. It reminds me of home every time I make it.
| My Home Cooking Week: Stir-Fried Rice Noodles with Pork and Broccoli (a.k.a. Chow Fun) |
- 2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
- 1 head garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 pound pork, thinly sliced against the grain.
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 3 Tbsp Thai light soy sauce (found in Asian stores)
- 3 Tbsp Thai black soy sauce (found in Asian stores)
- 2 Tbsp ketchup
- 4 cups of broccoli, florets cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 Tbsp all purpose flour and ¼ cup water mixed together
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 eggs
- 16oz package fresh rice noodles (found in Asian stores). Separate the noodles.
- ¼ cup bean sprouts
- Soy sauce and hot sauce to taste (optional)
- In a small saute pan, place oil and heat on medium. Add minced garlic head and cook until golden brown and crispy. About 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic it will become bitter. Drain the garlic from the pan and place in a bowl. Set a side.
- In a large wok on high heat, place a tablespoon of oil in the pan. Add pork and cook until the pink is no longer showing. About 5 minutes. Cover if needed. Add garlic clove and mix around.
- Add both soy sauces and the ketchup. Mix well.
- Add broccoli. Toss and let cook for about a minute.
- Add the flour and the water mixture. Cook for a minute or two until the sauce has thickened.
- Taste and adjust seasonings.
- In a saute pan,.place 1 tablespoon of oil and heat on medium high. Add half the noodles at a time, each in separate batches. Cook the noodles for 15 seconds. Crack two eggs over the top of the noodles. Break the yolks and then mix the eggs into the noodles. You will want big chunks of fried egg to make the dish taste good.
- Once done, add the stir fry meat, broccoli and sauce into the pan and mix well.
- Place on a plate. Top with bean sprouts, hot sauce to taste and black pepper.
- Serve.
- Enjoy!
It’s a simple dish and very filling. I think I went overboard with serving. I was so excited to make it and knew how good it was going to be.
Jim and I were stuffed the entire day. Next time, I will serve half as much.