Super Fast and Easy Hot and Sour Soup

Total time: 20 minutes

It hasn't stopped snowing in New York City since December last year, and when it's cold outside, you want something warm inside. I didn't feel like big cooking though, that's why I just whipped up this quick dish. Takes less than 10 minutes from start to finish!

What You Need
For 2 people

• 2 packages udon noodles including the soup base (if the udon noodles come without, use 1 cube of vegetable or chicken soup instead)
• 3 teaspoons Tom Yum paste (comes in a glass jar and is also labelled as Hot and Sour Soup Mix)
• 5 cup water
• 10 medium shrimp, cleaned and tails removed
• 2 large shitake mushrooms, cut into thin stripes
• 1 lime, 1/2 of it cut into slices, other half squeezed for juice
• Cilantro for garnish

 How It Is Done

1. In a deep pot, heat the water. 
2. When the water is boiling, add soup base, Tom Yom paste and stir gently.
3. Lower heat, add noodles, shrimp, shitake mushrooms to the soup and let simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Ladle soup onto 2 bowls, drizzle lime juice on top, garnish with lime slices and cilantro.

Guten Appetit!
-- Elke♥

Udon Noodles

Living in an Italian/Polish neighborhood in Williamsburg, Brooklyn I can find even the most unique shapes of pasta and most elaborately filled pirogi but not so much Japanese noodles. Yes, the common Asian staples like ramen or glass noodles are available, even some Thai noodles but not so udon. 

To my big surprise, I just found them in the lovely corner store deli on Conseleya and Graham Ave. They do not come cheap with $5.79 for 2 to 3 servings but I am glad to have found udon noodles at all. Now I only need to think about what to do with my newly acquired udon noodles...

-- Elke♥

Wontons filled with leftover Turkey

Total time: 45 to 60 minutes

Thanksgiving is over, and quite some Turkey is left, worth being treated to more than - admittedly - delicious turkey sandwiches.

I recently bought some wonton wrappers when I was in Chinatown and knew I want try some. Since the meat was already cooked, I thought of simply steaming the filled wontons instead of frying them, which would have added more fat and calories to them.

I also just bought a silicon steamer from Williamsburg's Whisk (For the steamer I paid three times as much as I would have on Amazon, but got the sodastream soda maker for 25 dollars cheaper, so in the end, this tiny local store offers better deals than the online giant.)

What You Need

Serves 4 - 6 as appetizer; ca. 25 to 30 pieces

• 1 cup cooked turkey, i.e. Thanksgiving leftover
• 2 cups spinach
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 nob ginger
• 1 cup carrots and celery 
• 3 tsp soy sauce
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp hot sauce (optional)
• Wonton wrappers

How It's Done

 

Preparing the filling

1. Cut the turkey, spinach, carrots and celery in big pieces and add them into the food processor.
2. Add the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil and if you like it spicy, the hot sauce.
3. Blend so that all mixes nicely.

Creating the Wontons

1. Place one wonton wrapper on a non-stick surface.
2. Wet all four sides of the noodle dough with a bit of water.
3. Place a teaspoon of filling in the middle of the dough.
4. Fold the corners so that they form a triangle and press the sides.
5. Take both corners of the triangle and bring them together. Make them stick with a drop of water.
6. Fold the remaining corner to the back.
7. Repeat until no more filling (or wonton warppers) is left.

Steaming the Wontons

1. Put as much water in the bottom of a large pot as your steamer needs and bring it to a nice boil.
2. Prepare the steamer with a little bit of sesame oil.
   I did not do this and my wontons stick to the silicon, which was a pity! 
3. Steam in the basked for about 5 to 7 minutes. They really don't need long since the meat is already cooked and the vegetable should remain somewhat crunchy.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

Guten Appetit!
-- Elke♥