Daring Cooks Challeng ~Chicken Pho and a Sweet Surprise

The October 2009 Daring Cooks’ challenge was brought to us by Jaden of the blog Steamy Kitchen. The recipes are from her new cookbook, The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook. Check it out HERE.
Gotta love a blogger who gets her own cool cookbook published! And if the recipes I tried today were any indication of the rest of the recipes I'm sold.


The recipes Jaden chose are Vietnamese Chicken Pho and Dessert Wontons. I have had a love of Chicken Pho for a while now. The secret spices were always a mystery to me. It seemed to simple but I could never quite put my finger on the flavors. If I had been really daring I would have tried beef pho, but the truth be told I tried the chicken first at a Vietnamese restaurant and loved it so much I just never wanted to order anything other flavor. So I figured this challenge should be about me making a restaurant food that I LOVE. I was so pleased that the end result was very very much like the pho I fell in love with. The recipe is really straightforward. The spices were the key. I had to search a little bit for the star anise but found it at a local gourmetish grocery store, Metropolitan Market.

For those of you that have no clue what Pho is, Jaden explains (go check out her blog, Steamy Kitchen HERE):

"So what is Vietnamese Pho? Well, it’s like the most insanely delicious noodle soup popular in Vietnam. The broth is simmered for hours and hours with either beef knuckle/leg bone or with a whole chicken. Other accompaniments include ribbons of rice noodles, fresh herbs like cilantro or basil, a wedge of lime or lemon, fresh bean sprouts and fresh sliced chilies if desired.

What makes Pho so different than any other type of noodle soup is the spices that go into the simmering broth. Warm spices like coriander, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, fresh ginger transform an ordinary broth into a very authentic Vietnamese Pho.

Our challenge focuses on Chicken Pho, or “Pho Ga” in Vietnamese. By the way, the correct pronunciation of Pho is “fuh?” Yes, you say the word like it’s a question! Chicken Pho is lighter than Beef Pho and the spices used are a little different as well."

Try not to look too hard at the photo or you will see that I lacked one ingredient (fresh limes) but made do with the dreaded squeeze bottle...hey they come in handy. Here is the broth at a rolling boil. You strain all of the bits and pieces out for the end product. And shred the chicken.


I think Vietnamese cuisine must have its roots in communal eating. Lots of fixings to pick and choose from. Each person can make the dish their own. Shredded chicken, bean sprouts, cilantro, shaved onions, fresh sliced chile peppers, hoisin sauce and sriracha (Cock) sauce were on hand today. For those that don't like cilantro I've seen basil used as well or mint.


Rice noodles round out the Pho. I kind of keep adding ingredients as I eat. When I run low on "stuff" and just have broth I pile more things in.


I just love my little Vietnamese dishes I picked up at Daiso. So happy to have a perfect occasion to break them out!


Here is the recipe:

Servings: Makes 4 servings

Quick Vietnamese Chicken Pho (Pho Ga)

Ingredients:

For the Chicken Pho Broth:
2 tbsp. whole coriander seeds
4 whole cloves
2 whole star anise
2 quarts (2 liters/8 cups/64 fluid ounces) store-bought or homemade chicken stock
1 whole chicken breast (bone in or boneless)
½ onion
1 3-inch (7.5 cm) chunk of ginger, sliced and smashed with side of knife
1 to 2 tbsps. sugar
1 to 2 tbsps. fish sauce

1 lb. (500 grams/16 ounces) dried rice noodles (about ¼ inch/6 mm wide)

Accompaniments:

2 cups (200 grams/7 ounces) bean sprouts, washed and tails pinched off
Fresh cilantro (coriander) tops (leaves and tender stems)
½ cup (50 grams/approx. 2 ounces) shaved red onions
½ lime, cut into 4 wedges
Sriracha chili sauce
Hoisin sauce
Sliced fresh chili peppers of your choice

Directions:

1. To make the Chicken Pho Broth: heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the coriander seeds, cloves and star anise and toast until fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Immediately spoon out the spices to avoid burning.
2. In a large pot, add all the ingredients (including the toasted spices) and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 20 minutes, skimming the surface frequently.
4. Use tongs to remove the chicken breasts and shred the meat with your fingers, discarding the bone if you have used bone-in breasts.
5. Taste the broth and add more fish sauce or sugar, if needed. Strain the broth and discard the solids.
6. Prepare the noodles as per directions on the package.
7. Ladle the broth into bowls. Then divide the shredded chicken breast and the soft noodles evenly into each bowl.
8. Have the accompaniments spread out on the table. Each person can customize their own bowl with these ingredients.

So on to dessert! Jaden challenged us to come up with a creative dessert wonton, so I gave it a go. Not sure how creative they really were..but definitely tasty! I did a trio of wontons in different shapes..mainly so I could remember what was what!



First up....ye olde nutella wonton. I made this shape to resemble a Napoleon hat for the French twist on things. Well..that was kind of an after thought actually...I must admit.



The second was stuffed with one of the limited edition Fudge Snickers minis. They are really good if you haven't tried one. I wrapped those up like little presents.



My favorite and I think the most creative were the Pumpkin Spice Kiss Wontons. Pumpkin flavored kisses might not sound good, but I urge you to give them a try. They are like little bites of pumpkin cheese cake...in this case fried up in a crisp shell.


Here are the simple instructions for the wontons

Chocolate Wontons (and variations of)

Ingredients:

1 large egg
1 tbsp. water
12 wonton wrappers, defrosted (keep wrappers covered with damp towel)
12 pieces or nuggets of chocolate (use any type of chocolate you like)
High-heat oil for frying (i.e., vegetable oil, corn oil)
Confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar) for sprinkling

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water to make an egg wash.
2. On a clean, dry surface lay 1 wonton wrapper down with a point toward you, like a diamond.
3. Place 1 piece of chocolate near the top end of the wrapper.
4. Brush a very thin layer of the egg wash on the edges of the wrapper.
5. Fold the bottom corner of the wrapper up to create a triangle and gently press to remove all air from the middle. Press the edges to adhere the sides. Make sure the wrapper is sealed completely.
6. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and chocolate pieces.
7. Keep the folded chocolate wontons covered under plastic wrap or a damp paper towel to prevent them from drying.
8. In a wok or medium pot, pour in 2 inches (5 cm.) of high-heat oil.
9. Heat the oil to 350º F (180º C) and gently slide a few of the chocolate wontons into the hot oil. Make sure you don’t crowd the chocolate wontons.
10. Fry the wontons for 1 ½ minutes, then flip over and fry another minute until both sides are golden brown and crisp.

I'm offering this up as my Mosaic Monday contribution as well. Be sure and go look at the other Mosaics at Little Red Kitchen.


For those of you interested in joining in on these Daring Challenges, check out the Daring Kitchen.

Flashback and Foodie Friday ~October

This week I'm flashing back to last October. Its hard to believe it's only two weeks until Halloween! I really love this time of year. Its a nice mix of kind of warm but almost cool days. It's the time of year that the sunflowers really start blooming their little hearts out because they know their days are numbered.


And the dahlias finally open their buds... giving us a burst of color before the frosts set in


The hardy asters put on their little show


I love Halloween decorations too..especially the not too scary ones


Its just a silly goofy holiday..kind of like me


And is there anything cuter than mini pumpkins?


Another main reason I love this time of the year and maybe the most important is the food that I start to crave. Its what we call in Louisiana "Gumbo weather".


Hot steamy pot pies hit the spot too


And big apple pies really hit the spot



And before you know it we are gearing up for the BIG eating holiday.....


Hope everyone is having a great Fall! I don't have a picture of these although I made them last year and plan on doing the same in the coming days with an apple from my tree. They are awesome and hit the spot on a breezy autumn day.

Dorie Greenspan’s Applesauce Spice Bars
Pages 117-118, Baking: From my home to yours

For the Bars
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon applejack, brandy or dark rum (optional)
1 baking apple, such as Rome or Cortland, peeled, cored and finely diced or chopped
1/2 cup plump, moist raisins (dark or golden)
1/2 cup chopped pecans

For the Glaze
2-1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/3 cup (packed) light brown sugar
2-1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

GETTING READY: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-x-13 inch baking pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper and dust the inside of the pan with flour. Tap out the excess flour and put the pan on a baking sheet.

THE BARS: Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt.In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the brown sugar and stir with a whisk until it is melted and the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat.

Still working in the saucepan, whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing until they are well blended. Add the applesauce, vanilla and applejack, if you’re using it, and whisk until the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is once again smooth. Switch to a rubber spatula and gently stir in the dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear, then mix in the apple, raisins and nuts. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until the cake just starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the baking pan to a rack and let the cake cool while you make the glaze.

THE GLAZE: In a small saucepan, whisk together the cream, sugar, butter and corn syrup. Put the pan over medium heat and bring the mixture to the boil, whisking frequently. Adjust the heat so that the glaze simmers, and cook, whisking frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Turn the bars out onto a rack, remove the paper and invert the bars onto another rack, so they are right side up. Slide the parchment paper under the rack to serve as a drip catcher, grab a long metal icing spatula and pour the hot glaze over the bars, using the spatula to spread it evenly over the cake. Let cool to room temperature before cutting.
Cut into 32 rectangles, each about 2-1/4 x 1-1/2 inches.

Storing: In a covered container, the bars will keep for about 3 days at room temperature. Because of the glaze, they cannot be frozen.

If any of you have a Flashback post you'd like to share please add your link below. It can be anything you want to flashback too..an old post, a family recipe, older pictures too good to not share or a memory you'd like to relive.


I'm also joining in on Foodie Friday over at Designs by Gollum. Go check out all of the cool foodie posts!

Pay It Forward Winners! Plus Thrifty Thursday!

A day late! But we have our winners for the Pay It Forward contest. See HERE to find out what it's all about if you weren't able to get in on the contest yourself. Also a BIG thanks again to Kate of A Spoonful of Thyme for passing this award on to me. Its a pleasure to pass it along and spread the joy to some other great bloggers out there and I hope they will do the same!


I had fun with the drawing and used a special little vintage fruitcake tin I picked up recently at a hospital sponsored local thrift store near me called Grannie's Attic. They have great prices and I've found some neat stuff. I'm going to participate in Thrifty Thursdays for the first time this week because I want to share this pretty little find. Go check out the other posts at Tales from Bloggerville.


Not sure if you can tell but its a pretty wedgewood blue with a raised white design.


I just couldn't leave it in the store. Not sure how old it is..probably 50s? You just don't see raised marks like this on tins these days. This is on the inside of the lid.


And this is on the bottom


Hidden inside are the names of those that commented on the Pay it Forward post


My trusty assistant will make the selection


An action shot..going in the for pull


And the winners...as luck would have it...commenters 3 and 4! Which coincidentally translates to two Carols! My good friend Carol from There's Always Thyme to Cook and a new friend, Carol of Serendipity. Both ladies have awesome blogs and they have contributed so much to the blogging community. Please go check them out! They will hopefully carry on this Pay it Forward award and pass it on to other bloggers! I will be sending both of them something through the mail pretty shortly. Congrats to both of you!!! Carol from Serendipity..please send your address to suzyq1968@comcast.net. Thanks so much for participating!



For the rest of you that participated get pulled from the tin..I offer you this fall bloom as your consolation prize! All of you bring sunshine to my life!

Mosaic Monday ~Fall Garden Walk

Monday's your last opportunity to join in on my Pay it Forward "contest". If you make a comment on this post you are eligible to win! Be sure and read the "rules" because there is a catch! You have to be willing to pay it forward yourself :-) You have until 9pm Monday, October 5th. I will announce the winners on Wednesday, October 7th.

This is my contribution to Mosaic Monday...a collection of fall flowers from my yard. Go check out all of the other fun and beautiful mosaics at Little Red House.



We had a gorgeous summer and this has led into a fall this has been just as beautiful. I know in two or three weeks we will get our first frost. It usually hits right before Halloween. Until then I am loving whats blooming..and reblooming!

It was a happy coincidence that placed this anemone right next to this yellow climbing bleeding heart (dicentra scandens - a plant EVERYONE NEEDS).



This little visitor always reminds me of the season. They seem to be abundant in October.


Cosmos seem to just reach their stride when the season is ending


I grew this Cactus Dahlia from seed. The petals are kinda wonky :-)


Golden Showers making a second show


And the Super Fairy is too!


Pink anemones mixed in with purple bee balm


And more anemones! I think they look like little angels (with green heads) when they start aging.



Hollyhocks reaching for the sky


A few hydrangeas blooms are still looking pretty


Another Hollyhock, its got such a pretty shade of dusty pink


White fall asters


And the end of the summer sunflowers in beautiful fall colors!


With Fall in the air I also have been in a soup mood, so we enjoyed a nice hot bowl of French Onion Soup this weekend. No real recipe...saute onions and butter..I threw in a dash of white wine. Once onions are golden add to 4-5 cups nicely seasoned beef broth. Let simmer 20-30 mins. Serve with toasted french bread or homemade garlic croutons like I did and top with swiss cheese browned under the broiler.

Flashback and Foodie Friday ~A Fall Flower and Spiced Jam

I'm flashing back only a few weeks, short and sweet. I know fall is on the way when I take my morning walk and the dew has left teeny tiny droplets on every surface. It was one of those days when I captured these diamond studded roses.


With fall in the air, canning seemed like the thing to do! I made some tasty Spicy Peach & Nectarine Jam



Spiced Peach and Nectarine Jam
Adapted from Ball Blue Book

2 quarts crushed, peeled peaches
1/2 cup water
6 cups sugar
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Combine peaches and water; cook gently 10 minutes. Add sugar and spices; slowly bring to boiling, stirring occasionally until think, about 15 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Pour, boiling hot, into sterilized jars. Adjust caps. Yield about 4 pints.



Join me if you have a flashback of any kind..food, flowers, family, fun :-)





If you haven't already done so go check out my Pay It Forward Contest post HERE and make a comment if you're interested in participating!



Don't forget to traipse on over to Designs by Gollum to see all of the Foodie posts!