Rice Noodles With Chile And Basil Food

RICE NOODLES AL POMODORO WITH CHILI OIL

Steps:

• Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Remove from heat; add noodles. Let sit, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 4 minutes (time may vary by brand). Drain and rinse under cold running water.
• Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook garlic, stirring often, until softened and golden, about 3 minutes. Add chile and basil sprigs; cook, stirring, just until softened, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes and 1/4 cup water and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the tomatoes have burst and are jammy, 8-10 minutes. Season with salt.
• Add noodles to sauce and toss to coat. Season with more salt if needed. Divide among bowls; drizzle with chili oil and top with sesame seeds and torn basil.

SPICY RICE NOODLES WITH CRISPY TOFU AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. As the oven heats, press the tofu (you can do this by sandwiching the block in paper towels and placing a cutting board, plus a heavy pot, can or book on top).
• Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch cubes and place in a medium bowl. Add the salt and oils, and toss to combine.
• Sprinkle the cornstarch, panko and sesame seeds, if using, and toss gently so the tofu cubes are coated.
• Spread on the prepared sheet and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, flipping once, until golden-brown and crisp.
• While the tofu bakes, start the noodles: Put the dry rice noodles in a big, wide bowl. Fill a kettle, bring the water to a boil, and pour the boiling water over the noodles to cover. Set aside for 6 to 10 minutes, until the noodles are fully rehydrated and soft. (Time may vary by brand.) Then drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again. Transfer noodles to a large bowl.
• As the noodles soak, prepare the spicy sesame oil: In a small pot, combine sesame oil, peanut oil, garlic, ginger, red-pepper flakes and sesame seeds. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook on the lowest heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until the garlic slices turn golden.
• Meanwhile, on your cutting board, make a small mound with the teaspoon of salt. Place the basil and the scallions on top, and use your knife to furiously chop and smash until you have a rough paste.
• Mix the basil paste into the bowl of rice noodles. Pile the baby spinach on top. Pour at least half of the hot oil immediately over the spinach, tossing so that the heat wilts the leaves slightly. Then add the juice of the 1/2 lime and toss to combine. Taste for salt and lime juice, and add more oil as you see fit.
• Arrange the tofu on top of the noodles, or mix them in so that the cubes hide like little treasures. For extra flair, garnish with additional sesame seeds and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.

QUICK CHINESE-STYLE VERMICELLI (RICE NOODLES)

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add rice noodles, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until al dente; do not overcook, or they will become mushy. Drain.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic until tender. Stir in noodles, and season with soy sauce, chili sauce, salt and pepper. Sprinkle top with chopped green onion.

RICE NOODLES WITH CHILE AND BASIL

Steps:

• Soak the rice noodles in hot water to cover for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil. When the noodles are soft, drain them and then immerse them in the boiling water for about 30 seconds. Drain and rinse.
• Heat the oil in a deep skillet (preferably nonstick) over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and chilies and cook about 30 seconds, stirring. Raise the heat to high, add the noodles and sugar and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.
• When the noodles are hot, add the nam pla and lime. Taste and adjust seasonings, then stir in the basil or mint and serve.

SPICY THAI BASIL, CHICKEN & NOODLE STIR-FRY

Steps:

• 1. Mix sugar, lime juice and fish sauce in small bowl. Set aside. Bring large pot of water to boil. Remove from heat. Add red rice noodles, stirring to separate noodles in water. Let stand 5 to 7 minutes or until noodles are tender but firm. (If you are using Asian wheat noodles, you will need to actually cook them for 5-7 minutes rather than merely letting them soak in hot water.) Drain well. Place in serving bowl. Set aside.
• 2. Meanwhile, heat oil in large skillet or wok on medium-high heat. Add garlic and chile; stir fry 15 seconds or until fragrant. Add chicken, carrots and green onions; stir fry 3 to 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
• 3. Stir in fish sauce mixture; stir fry 1 minute. Add basil (or cilantro); stir fry 30 seconds or until basil (or cilantro) is wilted. Add to noodles in bowl; toss to coat. Serve immediately.
• Tip: Thai basil has dark green leaves with purple stems and has a licorice flavor. It can be found in most Asian markets. If unavailable, substitute Italian basil.

RICE NOODLES WITH SCALLIONS AND HERBS

Steps:

• Bring a pot of water to a boil. Cook vermicelli, stirring occasionally, until tender but not mushy, about 4 minutes. Drain, then rinse with cold water. Let vermicelli drain in colander for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally.
• Combine water, fish sauce, lime juice, sugar, and chile.
• Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and scallions, and cook for 10 seconds. Remove from heat.
• Toss scallion mixture with noodles in a serving bowl. Add lettuce, carrot, and herbs, and toss. Serve sauce on the side.

RICE NOODLES WITH GARLIC AND HERBS

Steps:

• In an 8- or 9-inch skillet heat 1 cup oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and fry shallot, stirring, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer shallot with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Fry garlic in same hot oil and drain in same manner.
• In a small bowl stir together tamarind and warm water, mashing tamarind gently, and strain mixture through a fine sieve set over a bowl, pressing hard on solids. Stir in fish sauce, vinegar, sugar, and water.
• In a large bowl soak noodles in cold water to cover 15 minutes. Drain noodles and in a kettle of boiling salted water cook until just tender, 1 to 2 minutes. In a colander drain noodles and rinse under cold water. Drain noodles well.
• In a large skillet cook onion and bell pepper in remaining 2 tablespoons oil over moderate heat, stirring, until softened and add tomatoes, noodles, and sauce. Cook mixture, stirring, until heated through. Add herbs, garlic, and shallot and toss noodles well.