You Want It, You Got It

I have had some requests (well, actually one)for the recipes for What's For Dinner Wednesday. What my readers want, my readers get. Here goes nothing.....

Chilled Noodles

2 bunches dried somen noodles
2 cups veggies (choose from carrots, green pepper, onion or another favorite) thinly sliced
1 1/2 boneless, skinless chickenbreasts (cut into thin strips)

Bring water to boil and add the chicken first. When the chicken is almost done add the veggies and boil for a minute or so. Finally add the noodles and cook until tender. It is best to keep stirring to make sure the noodles don't stick.

When the noodles are soft, rinse in cold running water. At this point it can be refrigerated os served as is. The colder the better. If you are going to serve right away it is best to add a few ice cubes and mix into the noodles. This helps to keep them from clumping together. If you are going to refrigerate them, before serving add a little cold water to help separate the noodles and then add the ice.

Dipping Sauce

(These sauces a widely available pre-bottled in Japan. I have never made my own, but here is a recipe that I found from a cookbook)

4/5 cup of water
1/2 oz dried bonito flakes
1 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp mirin

Place all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Then reduce to medium heat and skim off the foam that rises to the top. Let simmer an additional minute and remove from heat. When all of the bonito flakes have settled to the bottom, strain through cheesecloth and chill.

Peanut Dressing Spinach

1 package frozen spinach
crushed peanuts as desired
soy sauce as desired

Simply, boil the spinach, rinse under cold water and then press or wring the water out of the spinach. (This step is very important, otherwise you will have a slimy mess.) Add the crushed peanuts and soy sauce to taste. Chill and serve.

Sweet Potato Balls

Use sweet potaoes as a substitute for regular potatoes when making mashed potatoes. Let cool and shape into balls. I sometimes roll them in cinammon and sugar.