Hello y'all, welcome back to my blog!
I have been contemplating posting my recipes on my blog for a while now. People ask me for my recipes quite often and this is a good way to share them. The main thing that has been holding me back is because this is a vintage blog and for the most part my recipes are not vintage. However I pretty much cook in the spirit of old time cooking, so that has to count for something right? (That is my loop hole anyways). I have several food sensitivities/allergies, which means I do not eat foods that contain preservatives or MSG, foods that are processed or prepackaged. I don't eat foods out of boxes and only on a rare occasion do I eat something out of a can (for example black beans). I do not eat gluten or consume milk however I do eat other dairy products such as cheese, sour cream and yogurt. I only eat and cook with unrefined sugars such as raw local honey, pure maple syrup and coconut palm sugar. I make mostly everything I cook from scratch with whole fresh foods just like in the old days. Yes, it can be time consuming but to me it is worth it. Also from time to time I may mention substitutions that can possibly be made so the recipes are versatile and can perhaps work with others who have their own set of food sensitivities that maybe different than mine. Please note I have been eating and cooking this way since Dec. 2011.
The first recipe I would like to share is:
The Pacific Rim Noodle Salad (this dish always disappears fast in my house hold, I have been known to double, triple and sometimes even quadruple this recipe because it is so popular!):
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| Pacific Rim Noodle Salad, made with buckwheat noodles. |
The recipe originally came from New Woman Magazine 1996.
This salad can be made with shrimp, crab meat or chicken. I usually use jumbo prawns (big shrimp).
Ingredients:
1 bundle *buckwheat somen noodles or brown rice angel hair pasta (both are gluten free). If you have another type of gluten free pasta you prefer such as corn you can use that instead. *For people who are on a grain free diet try buckwheat noodles, buckwheat is not a grain it is from the rhubarb family (oddly enough).
*Note if you are allergic to any of the following veggies you can substitute them out with julienne slices of carrot, whole pea pods or celery just to name a few.
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut in julienne slivers.
3 to 4 young scallions, cut into julienne slivers.
1/2 medium sweet red pepper, seeded, cut into julienne slivers.
1/2 small hot green chili pepper, such as jalapeno, seeded and cut in julienne slivers (this can be omitted for a very mild salad).
1 lb. large shrimp about 18, boiled, shelled, and deveined, or one 1 lb. cooked lump crab meat, or 2 large chicken breasts (8 oz.), poached, skinned and boned after cooking.
2 thin slices peeled fresh ginger root.
1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced.
1/2 tsp. coarse salt (I prefer coarse pink Himalayan salt).
1/4 Cup sherry vinegar, rice wine vinegar or plain white vinegar.
1/3 Cup toasted sesame oil.
1 Tbsp. Light, low-sodium soy sauce (I use Bragg's Liquid Amino's it does not contain preservatives and is made with non GMO soy beans and much better for you than soy sauce or if you have problems with soy you can always try coconut Amino's I have not tried these myself yet).
Optional garnishes: Sprigs of watercress or small dark-green lettuce leaves; 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted in a skillet until golden brown (this is my personal favorite!); or 1 1/2 Tbsp. chopped roasted, unsalted peanuts.
Directions:
1. Boil noodles in 3 quarts well salted water until just tender (follow directions on package), they should be firm but not hard in the center. Drain immediately and rinse in cold water. Drain thoroughly on cloth towel.
2. In large bowl, combine noodles with vegetables and chili pepper and toss lightly. Slice shrimp in half lengthwise (or pick over crab meat, or pull chicken into shreds with fingers) and add to bowl.
3. To make dressing, pulverize ginger, garlic slices, and salt with mortar and pestle, or in a bowl using back of wooden spoon. Combine with vinegar, oil, and soy sauce, adjusting each to taste. Toss dressing through salad ingredients.
4. Divide into portions and garnish.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings. Per serving (6 servings) with shrimp, 282 calories: 29% (22g) protein, 28% (10g) fat, 43% (33g) carbohydrate. 115 mg cholesterol; 325 mg sodium.
Enjoy!
