Quick Fix Meal - Instant Udon with Mentaiko, Panko, and Grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Friday is finally coming up, but for this week, it means work instead of having fun. I can foresee myself staring at the computer the moment I rolled down my bed all the way till my brain cannot function anymore this Saturday. 

Despite the extra workload, tummy still needs to be fed with yummy food. After all, that might be my only comfort this weekend. Under such time constraint, a quick instant Japanese udon comes in handy.

Instant udon with mentaiko, panko, and grated Parmigiano Reggiano -

Ingredients (for 1)?

• 2 packs of instead udon
• 1 teaspoon of mentaiko
• 2 tablespoons of grated Parmigiano Reggiano
• 1 1/2 tablespoon of panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
• 1 tablespoon of tsuyu (Japanese soup base)
• Some dried seaweed flakes
• Few drops of homemade chili oil
• 1 poached egg (optional)

How?

The ingredients combination was inspired by a local Japanese restaurant. The udon mixed with mentaiko, grated cheese, and topped with crunchy bread crumbs is one of their popular dishes. 

Grate the cheese and set aside for later use -

Boil some water and cook the instant udon according to the packaging instruction. Once ready, saves one scoop of water on the side first. Drain well and transfer the udon to a serving bowl -

Mix the udon with 1 tablespoon of tsuyu and some chili oil. If the udon dries up or sticking together, add some cooking water that was saved earlier.

While the udon is still hot, quickly transfer the grated cheese over. Also top the udon with mentaiko, panko, and some dried seaweed flakes -

Mix well before serving. You can also fancy it up with additional poached egg - if not in a time crunch like me.

You can find precooked udon at your local Asian groceries. In fact, Costco also sells organic version and it's quite tasty. Mentaiko can be stored in the freezer, and Parmigiano Reggiano has been one of the stable ingredients in my fridge. As a result, putting together this meal using all the readily available items definitely saves a lot of time without sacrificing the taste.

Here's one other simple noodles recipe:
Cooking for one - Japanese cold noodles with the best in season cherry tomatoes plus a touch of lemon

Give It An Asian Flair - Creamy Coconut Chicken and Veggie Stew

The Indonesian lady taught my mom a simple coconut stew recipe. Basically you sear the shallots with some salt, add in the protein along with other veggies, and then finish the dish with some coconut milk. The seasonings used were pretty simple, mainly salt and perhaps a few dashes of fish sauce for extra flavor.

I adapted the concept and added a few more spices to give this creamy stew an aromatic kick. 

Creamy coconut chicken and veggie stew -

Ingredients?

• 1 big can/2 cups coconut milk (thicker kind)
• 1 chicken thigh steak (skin on, deboned)
• 1 Asian eggplant (the long and thin kind)
• 1 small broccoli
• 1/2 small cabbage
• 1 big shallot
• 2 red chilies
• 1/2 lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground fennel seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Tiny pinch white pepper powder
• Some homemade chili sauce (optional)

How?

Cut the chicken into large bite size pieces. Discard the eggplant stem and slice the remaining diagonally, about 2 mm thickness. Break the broccoli into smaller pieces, remove the tough fibrous layer if any. Chop the cabbage into large pieces. Discard the chili stems and finely chop the remaining. Peel and slice the shallot. 

Drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil to a big pot and turn to medium high heat. Once it heats up, add in the chicken pieces, skin side down. Sear till the skin turns slightly browned, flip to the other side and sear for 1 minute. Scoop out the chicken and set aside for later use.

No need to add more oil to the pot since the skin fat has been rendered. Add in chopped shallot and 1 teaspoon of salt. 

Cook till the shallot turns translucent then add in the chilies. Add 1 teaspoon of fish sauce first if the pot needs to be deglazed to help in scraping out the browned bits on the bottom.

Add in the broccoli and give it a quick stir, about 2 minutes. Transfer the cabbage over and cook till the leaves have been wilted down by half.

It actually works well that the tougher broccoli is lying on the bottom while waiting for the above cabbage to be cooked through. The broccoli gets more heat and better help in softened the texture. 

Add in 1/2 freshly squeezed lemon juice and mix a little. Add in the eggplant slices. 

Season with ground fennel seeds, turmeric, cayenne pepper, and white pepper. Mix well.

Add the chicken back to the pot then pour in the coconut milk. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to keep the stew at a slight bubble. Cover with lid and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or till the veggies reach preferred texture.

Drizzle some homemade chili sauce if desired. Serve with steamed white rice or French bread. 

Other Asian stew recipes:

• Chinese style beef tendon and ox tail stew
• Southeastern style pork stew using galangal, kaffir lime leaves, and lemon grass
• Braised pork shoulder with Chinese aged Shao Hsing rice wine