All of the Above | Thai Inspired Dinner

When should I post on my blog what we had for dinner?

Is it when my family exclaims:

A. Mom the flavors are amazing.

B. Mom take a picture first before we finish it all.

C. Mom I'll help you take a picture

D. All of the above.

Yes, the answer is D.  All of the above.  Having said that, tonight's dinner is what I am sharing with you.  So I just took a few pictures below but if you'll excuse me, I'll go back to dinner.  Enjoy!

Thai Noodles

Ingredients:

1/2 pack Rice Stick Noodles

2 tbsp cooking oil

1/4 lb. ground beef

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

4 tbsp oyster sauce

3 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 medium egg

2 tsp sesame oil

1/2 c crushed peanuts

4 cups of chicken stock

Procedure:

Soak the noodles in a pan filled with water.  Leave it for 30 minutes.

Saute the garlic, onions and ground pork in a pan with oil. Sprinkle 1/2 a teaspoon of pepper. Stir fry for about 5 minutes or until the beef turns brown.  Add the oyster sauce, soy sauce and sugar.  Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the crushed peanuts.  Transfer half of the cooked beef on a plate. Set aside.  

Using the same pan (and with half of the remaining beef mixture) add 4 cups of water.  Let it boil.  Add the noodles (do not add the water wherein the noodles were soaked in).  Cook until al dente.  Add the remaining beef mixture and give it a quick stir.  Stir in the egg and drizzle the sesame oil.  Stir for another minute or two.  Season with fish sauce. Sprinkle the rest of crushed peanuts.

Serve while it's hot.

Thai Inspired Shrimp Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb shrimp 

3 cups rice water (water used to wash rice)

1 cup shrimp stock (boil shrimp heads. Extract its flavor by pressing the heads)

2 pcs tomatoes

1 medium onion

3 stalks lemongrass (pounded and sliced)

1/2 inch ginger (pounded)

2 tbsp lemon/pepper powder

1 chili serrano

1/2 can coconut milk

1 tbsp fish sauce (adjust to taste)

Procedure:

Pour the rice water in a pan.  Add tomatoes, ginger, onions and lemongrass.  Add shrimp stock. Allow water to boil or until tomatoes and onions are soft and wilted.  The color of water should turn orange.  

Add shrimp and chili Serrano.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Add coconut milk.  Let it simmer.  Serve hot.  (Now if you want to add more zing to the soup, prick the chili, but do so at your own risk - the Serrano chili is about 5X as hot as the Jalapeno pepper.  The Serrano chiles rate between 8,000 to 23,000 heat units on the Scoville Scale for peppers, SHU units.)