Fried Cellophane Noodles with Bean Curd

When I first saw this recipe, I though, "What's bean curd?!". Turns out, it is just a fancy way of saying tofu!

This dish is a pretty straight forward preparation of vermicelli noodles that tastes close to what you might get in a Vietnamese restaurant. I was worried when making the sauce that it was too fishy and too salty, but actually when we mixed everything together it was balanced well. It definitely needed a little spice, so make sure to top it off with siracha!

Fried Cellophane Noodles with Bean Curd

Courtesy of "The Food Lover's Guide to Noodles and Rice"

Ingredients
1 cup cellophane noodles
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
10 oz bean curd (tofu) diced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 shallots, finely chopped
1 cup bean sprouts
4 oz. frozen string or snap beans, halved
2 scallions, chopped
2 Tbsp roasted peanuts, minced
2 Tbsp dreid shrimps, chopped
3-5 small green chilies, chopped
2 1/2 Tbsp palm or brown sugar
6 Tbsp fish sauce
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the Garnish
2 Tbsp crispy onion
cilantro
1 medium red chili, sliced
4 slices of lime

Directions
Soak the cellophane noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes. Rinse under cold water and drain. Heat half the oil in a wok or frying pan and fry the bean curd until golden brown. Drain on absorbent paper. Add the remaining oil to the wok, then fry the garlic and shallots for about 30 seconds. Add the bean sprouts, string or snap beans and scallions and stir well. Add the cellophane noodles, bean curd, crushed peanuts, dried shrimps and green chili and stir. Season with the sugar, fish sauce and lemon juice, stirring again. Divide the noodles onto four plates. Sprinkle with the crispy onions, cilantro, red chili, and garnish with a slice of lime.

Red Snapper with Asparagus and Chorizo

Seamus is turning into somewhat of a fish-specialty chef, as you may have noticed from this blog. He found this recipe at Food & Wine, and decided to use some leftover sausage we had from a one-night camping trip we did with our friends Marco and Jess the weekend before to make a fish dinner.

The sauce for the fish really make this dish spectacular. I think the mixture of the salty anchovies and spicy sausage makes the perfect unctuous background for the delicately pan-fried fish. The asparagus was a perfect companion and balanced out the entire thing. Another great fish dinner from Shea!

Red Snapper with Asparagus and Chorizo

Courtesy of Food and Wine Magazine at http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/red-snapper-with-asparagus-and-chorizo

1. Two 12-ounce, skin-on red snapper fillets, halved crosswise
2. Kosher salt
3. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4. 4 ounces dry Spanish chorizo, thinly sliced (1 cup)
5. 2 tablespoons minced shallots
6. 2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and halved crosswise
7. 5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
8. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
9. 4 anchovy fillets, minced
10. 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
11. 1/4 cup chopped parsley
12. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1. Season the fish with salt and rub with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. In a large skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil over moderately high heat. Add the fish skin side down and cook for 4 minutes, until golden brown. Turn and cook until the fish is almost white throughout. Transfer to a large plate; keep warm.
2. Pour off the excess fat from the skillet. Add the chorizo and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the the slices curl. Add the shallots, asparagus and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until the shallots are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add 1/4 cup of water and cook until the water has evaporated, 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden brown. Add the lemon juice and cook, stirring, until evaporated. Stir in the anchovies, lemon zest, parsley and butter. Spoon onto plates, top with the fish and serve.