I have found that one way to get vegetables into my family is to serve them
with braised meat and noodles in a stirfry sauce.

Yesterday I browned and braised boneless pork ribs. "country ribs" as they
are marketed. I just cut the raw meat into chunks and cooked it slow on low
after it was well browned. This cut has enough fat to make it brown well and
be quite tasty.

Afterward I separated the meat from the broth, and sauteed red and green
peppers lightly, removed them to a dish, then finely chopped onions until
they were well browned but plump, then reduced the broth in the braising pot
while the water for the noodles got hot. Once it was reduced by about a
third, I added mushrooms, ginger, soy and my favorite seasonings (I use a
Pad Thai mix that comes in a packet, just spicy enough), added a bit of stir
fry sauce (and this can be any oriental style sauce you like), dumped in the
noodles and then the cooked vegetables and meat, mixing it all well and
adding stir fry sauce to taste.

It's not "real Chinese" or Thai, or any kind of authentic "cuisine." I leave
that to those of you who are much more artful than I.

Here's the point: the noodles we find in the "oriental" section of the
grocery are expensive, and the cheap Ramen noodles are so full of fat I just
won't use them.

So I've been using regular angel hair pasta broken into thirds or fourths.
It works great, tastes great, and is inexpensive and has no added fat.

cybercat wrote on Mon, 7 Jul 2008 17:11:27 -0400:

> Yesterday I browned and braised boneless pork ribs. "country
> ribs" as they are marketed. I just cut the raw meat into
> chunks and cooked it slow on low after it was well browned.
> This cut has enough fat to make it brown well and be quite
> tasty.

> Afterward I separated the meat from the broth, and sauteed red
> and green peppers lightly, removed them to a dish, then finely
> chopped onions until they were well browned but plump, then
> reduced the broth in the braising pot while the water for the noodles
> got hot. Once it was reduced by about a third, I
> added mushrooms, ginger, soy and my favorite seasonings (I use
> a Pad Thai mix that comes in a packet, just spicy enough),
> added a bit of stir fry sauce (and this can be any oriental
> style sauce you like), dumped in the noodles and then the
> cooked vegetables and meat, mixing it all well and adding stir
> fry sauce to taste.

> It's not "real Chinese" or Thai, or any kind of authentic
> "cuisine." I leave that to those of you who are much more
> artful than I.

> Here's the point: the noodles we find in the "oriental" section of the
> grocery are expensive, and the cheap Ramen noodles are so full of fat
> I just won't use them.

That's true about fat. I think "Instant Ramen" noodles are fried during
the pre-cooking. Rice noodles are pretty cheap in my favorite Chinese
supermarket and are very low in fat. I'm lucky enough to have two stores
fairly close at hand. The Chinese go in for packaged spice mixtures too!
Soba noodles are a bit expensive I guess but, on the other hand, I have
used precooked spaghetti (boil to al dente: 10 minutes) in Thai food in
an emergency.



--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

cybercat wrote:
> I have found that one way to get vegetables into my family is to serve them
> with braised meat and noodles in a stirfry sauce.
>
> Yesterday I browned and braised boneless pork ribs. "country ribs" as they
> are marketed. I just cut the raw meat into chunks and cooked it slow on low
> after it was well browned. This cut has enough fat to make it brown well and
> be quite tasty.
>
> Afterward I separated the meat from the broth, and sauteed red and green
> peppers lightly, removed them to a dish, then finely chopped onions until
> they were well browned but plump, then reduced the broth in the braising pot
> while the water for the noodles got hot. Once it was reduced by about a
> third, I added mushrooms, ginger, soy and my favorite seasonings (I use a
> Pad Thai mix that comes in a packet, just spicy enough), added a bit of stir
> fry sauce (and this can be any oriental style sauce you like), dumped in the
> noodles and then the cooked vegetables and meat, mixing it all well and
> adding stir fry sauce to taste.
>
> It's not "real Chinese" or Thai, or any kind of authentic "cuisine." I leave
> that to those of you who are much more artful than I.
>
> Here's the point: the noodles we find in the "oriental" section of the
> grocery are expensive, and the cheap Ramen noodles are so full of fat I just
> won't use them.
>
> So I've been using regular angel hair pasta broken into thirds or fourths.
> It works great, tastes great, and is inexpensive and has no added fat.
>
>

Try adding some finely julienned carrots and/or some shredded cabbage to
your noodles.

We can't use regular pasta or noodles because of DH's diabetes so we use
Dreamfield's pasta http://www.dreamfieldsfoods.com/ I use regular
spaghetti, but leave it whole, to make lo-mein for us. I add mushrooms,
cabbage, carrots, whatever else needs to clear the fridge and chicken
beef or shrimp. A dash or two of sesame oil really makes it taste
"authentic"

--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

"James Silverton" > wrote

> That's true about fat. I think "Instant Ramen" noodles are fried during
> the pre-cooking. Rice noodles are pretty cheap in my favorite Chinese
> supermarket and are very low in fat. I'm lucky enough to have two stores
> fairly close at hand.

Are these the white noodles? I have never tried them.

>The Chinese go in for packaged spice mixtures too!

I didn't know that. My favorite brand is Sun Bird.

> Soba noodles are a bit expensive I guess but, on the other hand, I have
> used precooked spaghetti (boil to al dente: 10 minutes) in Thai food in an
> emergency.
>

The angel hair I use takes 4 minutes to al dente. We love it.

"James Silverton" > wrote in message
news:%Svck.778$Ae3.15@trnddc05...

<snip>

> That's true about fat. I think "Instant Ramen" noodles are fried during
> the pre-cooking. Rice noodles are pretty cheap in my favorite Chinese
> supermarket and are very low in fat. I'm lucky enough to have two stores
> fairly close at hand. The Chinese go in for packaged spice mixtures too!
> Soba noodles are a bit expensive I guess but, on the other hand, I have
> used precooked spaghetti (boil to al dente: 10 minutes) in Thai food in an
> emergency.
>
>
>
> --
>
> James Silverton
> Potomac, Maryland

Instant noodles Frying process category is really quite interesting. It's
not for the purpose of frying its for the purpose of Drying the noodles.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_noodles

Modern instant noodles were invented in Japan by Taiwanese Momofuku Ando
(????), the founder of Nissin Foods, one of the biggest manufacturers of
instant noodles today. His noodles were boiled with flavoring, deep-fried
with palm oil to remove moisture, and dried into a noodle cake. Other
preservation methods have been tried, including preservation with salt and
smoke, but Ando concluded that palm oil is the most efficient.

In 1958, Nissin launched the world's first instant noodle product, Chikin
Ramen (chicken-flavored instant ramen) in Osaka. Another milestone was
reached in 1971 when Nissin introduced the Cup Noodle, instant noodles in a
waterproof styrofoam container that could be used to cook the noodles.
Further innovations include adding dried vegetables to the cup, creating a
complete instant soup dish.






--
Old Scoundrel

(AKA Dimitri)

"Janet Wilder" > wrote
> We can't use regular pasta or noodles because of DH's diabetes so we use
> Dreamfield's pasta http://www.dreamfieldsfoods.com/ I use regular
> spaghetti, but leave it whole, to make lo-mein for us. I add mushrooms,
> cabbage, carrots, whatever else needs to clear the fridge and chicken beef
> or shrimp. A dash or two of sesame oil really makes it taste "authentic"
>
I will get some sesame oil. I will check out Dreamfields. I just bought
two boxes of different brands of whole wheat pasta recommended by
someone in this group, and will try that the next time. Thanks!

cybercat wrote:
> I have found that one way to get vegetables into my family is to serve them
> with braised meat and noodles in a stirfry sauce.
>
> Yesterday I browned and braised boneless pork ribs. "country ribs" as they
> are marketed. I just cut the raw meat into chunks and cooked it slow on low
> after it was well browned. This cut has enough fat to make it brown well and
> be quite tasty.
>
> Afterward I separated the meat from the broth, and sauteed red and green
> peppers lightly, removed them to a dish, then finely chopped onions until
> they were well browned but plump, then reduced the broth in the braising pot
> while the water for the noodles got hot. Once it was reduced by about a
> third, I added mushrooms, ginger, soy and my favorite seasonings (I use a
> Pad Thai mix that comes in a packet, just spicy enough), added a bit of stir
> fry sauce (and this can be any oriental style sauce you like), dumped in the
> noodles and then the cooked vegetables and meat, mixing it all well and
> adding stir fry sauce to taste.
>
> It's not "real Chinese" or Thai, or any kind of authentic "cuisine." I leave
> that to those of you who are much more artful than I.
>
> Here's the point: the noodles we find in the "oriental" section of the
> grocery are expensive, and the cheap Ramen noodles are so full of fat I just
> won't use them.
>

Noodles are inexpensive in real Asian markets. Also lots of different
types to pick from including fresh ones which are great for some dishes.
I am guessing this is the "Asian" section of some big box?



> So I've been using regular angel hair pasta broken into thirds or fourths.
> It works great, tastes great, and is inexpensive and has no added fat.
>
>

"George" > wrote

> Noodles are inexpensive in real Asian markets. Also lots of different
> types to pick from including fresh ones which are great for some dishes. I
> am guessing this is the "Asian" section of some big box?

Is this how you characterize mainstream grocery chains? If so, then the
answer
is "yes." There is generally no Asian section, more like a noodle section.
I've
priced them at the local chains, Harris Teeter, Kroger, Food Lion, Fresh
Market, Lowes, and Whole Foods. The price tends to be $3 or more
for a packet, and to make a batch the size I want, I need two packets.
Angel hair/spaghetti is at the most 2 bucks a box or bag and has twice
as much in it.

We have lots of Asian groceries, I am just not in the habit of shopping
at them. Time to shake it up a bit and go on an excursion. Will report back.

cybercat wrote:
> "George" > wrote
>
>> Noodles are inexpensive in real Asian markets. Also lots of different
>> types to pick from including fresh ones which are great for some dishes. I
>> am guessing this is the "Asian" section of some big box?
>
> Is this how you characterize mainstream grocery chains? If so, then the
> answer
> is "yes." There is generally no Asian section, more like a noodle section.
> I've
> priced them at the local chains, Harris Teeter, Kroger, Food Lion, Fresh
> Market, Lowes, and Whole Foods. The price tends to be $3 or more
> for a packet, and to make a batch the size I want, I need two packets.
> Angel hair/spaghetti is at the most 2 bucks a box or bag and has twice
> as much in it.
>
> We have lots of Asian groceries, I am just not in the habit of shopping
> at them. Time to shake it up a bit and go on an excursion. Will report back.
>
>
Well worthwhile doing.

On Mon, 7 Jul 2008 20:43:05 -0400, "cybercat" >
wrote:

>
>"George" > wrote
>
>> Noodles are inexpensive in real Asian markets. Also lots of different
>> types to pick from including fresh ones which are great for some dishes. I
>> am guessing this is the "Asian" section of some big box?
>
>Is this how you characterize mainstream grocery chains? If so, then the
>answer
>is "yes." There is generally no Asian section, more like a noodle section.
>I've
>priced them at the local chains, Harris Teeter, Kroger, Food Lion, Fresh
>Market, Lowes, and Whole Foods. The price tends to be $3 or more
>for a packet, and to make a batch the size I want, I need two packets.
>Angel hair/spaghetti is at the most 2 bucks a box or bag and has twice
>as much in it.
>
>We have lots of Asian groceries, I am just not in the habit of shopping
>at them. Time to shake it up a bit and go on an excursion. Will report back.
>

asian markets are fun - just be prepared to be baffled at times. make
sure to check the produce section if they have one, often they have
great prices.

your pal,
blake
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

> We have lots of Asian groceries, I am just not in the habit of shopping
> at them. Time to shake it up a bit and go on an excursion. Will report back.

I highly recommend checking one out. We have one here in the Seattle
area called H-Mart- I think it's a chain. They have some of the most
beautiful produce & meats I've ever seen, and their prices are pretty
low, too.

"merryb" > wrote in message
...
>> We have lots of Asian groceries, I am just not in the habit of shopping
>> at them. Time to shake it up a bit and go on an excursion. Will report
>> back.
>
> I highly recommend checking one out. We have one here in the Seattle
> area called H-Mart- I think it's a chain. They have some of the most
> beautiful produce & meats I've ever seen, and their prices are pretty
> low, too.

Thanks, I will certainly do that.

James Silverton wrote:
> cybercat wrote on Mon, 7 Jul 2008 17:11:27 -0400:
>
>> Yesterday I browned and braised boneless pork ribs. "country
>> ribs" as they are marketed. I just cut the raw meat into
>> chunks and cooked it slow on low after it was well browned.
>> This cut has enough fat to make it brown well and be quite
>> tasty.
>
>> Afterward I separated the meat from the broth, and sauteed red
>> and green peppers lightly, removed them to a dish, then finely
>> chopped onions until they were well browned but plump, then
>> reduced the broth in the braising pot while the water for the noodles
>> got hot. Once it was reduced by about a third, I
>> added mushrooms, ginger, soy and my favorite seasonings (I use
>> a Pad Thai mix that comes in a packet, just spicy enough),
>> added a bit of stir fry sauce (and this can be any oriental
>> style sauce you like), dumped in the noodles and then the
>> cooked vegetables and meat, mixing it all well and adding stir
>> fry sauce to taste.
>
>> It's not "real Chinese" or Thai, or any kind of authentic
>> "cuisine." I leave that to those of you who are much more
>> artful than I.
>
>> Here's the point: the noodles we find in the "oriental" section of the
>> grocery are expensive, and the cheap Ramen noodles are so full of fat
>> I just won't use them.
>
> That's true about fat. I think "Instant Ramen" noodles are fried during
> the pre-cooking. Rice noodles are pretty cheap in my favorite Chinese
> supermarket and are very low in fat. I'm lucky enough to have two stores
> fairly close at hand. The Chinese go in for packaged spice mixtures too!
> Soba noodles are a bit expensive I guess but, on the other hand, I have
> used precooked spaghetti (boil to al dente: 10 minutes) in Thai food in
> an emergency.
>
>
>
I think it is a little strong that Chinese "go in" for spice mixtures.
The stores (just like Western groceries) have various products like that
but they aren't popular. It doesn't take much to add the spices needed
for Asian cooking to your kitchen.

blake wrote on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:21:10 -0400:

> asian markets are fun - just be prepared to be baffled at
> times. make sure to check the produce section if they have
> one, often they have great prices.

The quality can be high too. The same applies to their fresh fish if
they have a fish counter.



--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

blake murphy wrote:
> On Mon, 7 Jul 2008 20:43:05 -0400, "cybercat" >
> wrote:
>
>> "George" > wrote
>>
>>> Noodles are inexpensive in real Asian markets. Also lots of different
>>> types to pick from including fresh ones which are great for some dishes. I
>>> am guessing this is the "Asian" section of some big box?
>> Is this how you characterize mainstream grocery chains? If so, then the
>> answer
>> is "yes." There is generally no Asian section, more like a noodle section.
>> I've
>> priced them at the local chains, Harris Teeter, Kroger, Food Lion, Fresh
>> Market, Lowes, and Whole Foods. The price tends to be $3 or more
>> for a packet, and to make a batch the size I want, I need two packets.
>> Angel hair/spaghetti is at the most 2 bucks a box or bag and has twice
>> as much in it.
>>
>> We have lots of Asian groceries, I am just not in the habit of shopping
>> at them. Time to shake it up a bit and go on an excursion. Will report back.
>>
>
> asian markets are fun - just be prepared to be baffled at times. make
> sure to check the produce section if they have one, often they have
> great prices.
>
> your pal,
> blake
> ** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

I have gotten to know Asian food ingredients pretty well but I find that
they are most helpful when you are trying to figure something out. The
only barrier is when you ask someone who might not have good English
speaking skills.

blake murphy > wrote in

> asian markets are fun - just be prepared to be baffled at
> times. make sure to check the produce section if they have
> one, often they have great prices.
>
> your pal,
> blake


Check out the spice isle too. More great prices. :-)

Forgive snip/edit please
Somebody wrote:
"Here's the point: the noodles we find in the "oriental" section of
the
grocery are expensive, and the cheap Ramen noodles are so full of fat
I just
won't use them. "
========================================

Fargo (as in the movie) has tons of refugees ("New Americans") and
they have enriched our community with several very good ethnic
markets.

My favorite is the A&A "Asian and American" market. Not huge, but big
enough to carry many different "eths".

The proprietor is Cambodian and he carries Cambodian, Thai,
Vietnamese, Indonesian, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, North African etc.

Twice a week he drives his truck to Minneapolis/St Paul and brings
back al these exotic fresh vegetables. One day I counted eight
separate varieties of bok choi. He's got banana flowers, fresh water
chestnuts and bamboo shoots and six kinds of yams. His prices are
competitive with the big box stores and his fresh herbs (basil, mint,
watercress cilantro etc) are much lower. There are three aisles of
noodles and every sauce you can think of.

Of course, he also carries eggs with duck embryos, and fresh chicken
feet and some other stuff I don't want identified, thank you.

The best thing is . . . he takes food stamps!

Lynn in Fargo
16 oz. bottle of Hoisin Sauce on sale for $1.25

On Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:02:26 GMT, "James Silverton"
> wrote:

> blake wrote on Tue, 08 Jul 2008 13:21:10 -0400:
>
>> asian markets are fun - just be prepared to be baffled at
>> times. make sure to check the produce section if they have
>> one, often they have great prices.
>
>The quality can be high too. The same applies to their fresh fish if
>they have a fish counter.

i'm not big on fish, but you're quite right.

your pal,
blake
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **

On Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:04:36 -0400, George >
wrote:

>blake murphy wrote:
>> On Mon, 7 Jul 2008 20:43:05 -0400, "cybercat" >
>> wrote:
>>
>>> "George" > wrote
>>>
>>>> Noodles are inexpensive in real Asian markets. Also lots of different
>>>> types to pick from including fresh ones which are great for some dishes. I
>>>> am guessing this is the "Asian" section of some big box?
>>> Is this how you characterize mainstream grocery chains? If so, then the
>>> answer
>>> is "yes." There is generally no Asian section, more like a noodle section.
>>> I've
>>> priced them at the local chains, Harris Teeter, Kroger, Food Lion, Fresh
>>> Market, Lowes, and Whole Foods. The price tends to be $3 or more
>>> for a packet, and to make a batch the size I want, I need two packets.
>>> Angel hair/spaghetti is at the most 2 bucks a box or bag and has twice
>>> as much in it.
>>>
>>> We have lots of Asian groceries, I am just not in the habit of shopping
>>> at them. Time to shake it up a bit and go on an excursion. Will report back.
>>>
>>
>> asian markets are fun - just be prepared to be baffled at times. make
>> sure to check the produce section if they have one, often they have
>> great prices.
>>
>> your pal,
>> blake
>> ** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **
>
>I have gotten to know Asian food ingredients pretty well but I find that
>they are most helpful when you are trying to figure something out. The
>only barrier is when you ask someone who might not have good English
>speaking skills.

and at this point, there are usually less-baffled occidental customers
who can help you if there's a language problem with the staff.

your pal,
blake
** Posted from http://www.teranews.com **