Misua With Patola Soup (Extra Thin Flour Noodles with Green Loofah)

You would think it is strange to eat loofah, that thing you use for exfoliating while in the shower but it's true, patola is loofah in its green form before it's dried to make into loofah and it is edible and yummy. Most Asians I think eat this vegetable. When I was a child in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, I used to see them growing on my neighbor's fence which they gave away to anybody who asked, for free.

Yesterday I went to the grocery for the sole purpose of getting celery root for soup but then I saw this really fresh young patola. I had to see if the grocery has very thin flour noodles we Filipinos call misua (Singaporeans call them meesua) and was so glad they have them. I looked for the recipe in my Filipino cookbooks and I was annoyed that not one among my 6 cookbooks has it. My Singaporean/Malaysian cookbook has almost the same recipe as the Pinoy's, they also use patola which they call ketola. I didn't put seafood and chicken, we had the soup with boiled eggs, just like the way my mother prepared it.

For the soup, saute 2 chopped garlic and 1 sliced onion, add 5 C chicken broth and 1 T patis (fish extract) and bring to a boil, let boil for 2 minutes then add sliced patola, cook for 2 minutes, add 3 bundles noodles, cut in half, and cook for 2 minutes, do not overcook. Adjust seasoning with salt or fish extract. Top with sliced boiled eggs (I like my eggs boiled for only 5 minutes).

Blue Potato Pancake

Each time I go to the grocery there's always something that catches my attention, these blue potatoes surely did. They are a bit sweet and waxy and the blue color is so vivid. I got a pound and did not know what to do with them besides taking photos. I was thinking of a giant hash brown (or should I say blue), pancake, Spanish omelette, or individual latkes. I decided on a giant hash brown/pancake because it is simpler, it does not need eggs like latkes and Spanish potato omelette. It is so nice as a side dish with a little sour cream.

Potato Pancake/Hash Brown
1 pound waxy potatoes
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon sea salt

• Boil potatoes, whole and unpeeled, for 10 minutes. Let potatoes cool in the freezer for 15 minutes. Peel potatoes and coarsely grate.

• In a non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter, saute onions until cooked, add to the grated potatoes with the salt, mix gently. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in the same skillet, add the potato mixture and press onto the skillet. Cover and cook on medium heat until a crust is formed, about 10-15 minutes. Invert on a platter, add the last tablespoon of butter to the skillet and ease back the potato pancake onto the skillet. Cook for 10 - 15 minutes until bottom has formed a crust. Slice into wedges and serve with sour cream. A sprinkling of crisp bacon bits with the sour cream is also very good.

Santa Fe Bean Chowder

I found a package of dry bean soup mix in the pantry. I didn't buy it nor notice it being there before. The package says it makes 3/4 gallon (12 cups), who makes almost a gallon of soup? I don't have a large family and we eat very little like birds (I can only have 1 cup in one sitting), we don't live in a ranch and therefore do not have ranch hands to feed but the mix has to be cooked all at once because the ingredients can't be halved (they're sort of layered inside the package). I cooked the soup anyway, following the directions on the package minus the chicken. I added more garlic and onions than the recipe asked for and used an ageing yellow pepper in place of red. The soup is very good, my only complaint is the spice package does not specify what spices are in it, which I believe are annatto powder, paprika, and a little cayenne. The ingredients on the package: pinto beans, green and red bell peppers, corn, garlic, onion, and cilantro.

The recipe on the package
1 each red and green bell pepper, diced
1 can sweet corn with liquid
1 16-oz can diced tomatoes with liquid
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 pound boneless chicken, diced and sauted until cooked
½ cup white wine
salt and pepper to taste
water, if necessary

• Heat all ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil, turn the heat to medium-low, cover, and slow simmer for 3 hours. Add water if needed after 2 hours. Serve with corn tortilla chips or saltines and shredded cheese. This dry mix actually made 1¼ gallons (20 cups) of chowder/soup that we are drowning in right now.

Tandoori Style Chicken

Lately I have been into cardamom. I just love it in desserts, tea and sweet baked items. It is also the flavor that defines chicken tandoori. I don't have a traditional tandoor oven, I usually grill the chicken. Today I baked them, I'm not in the mood to start the charcoal grill, although it is warmer today at almost 55°F. I bought some frozen naan at Trader Joe's and when I got home I found out they are made in India! They are sooo good, the real thing, soft, pillowy, crunchy, and chewy. I love it hot smothered with unsalted butter, yumm. Naan is the perfect pair to chicken tandoori. Hmm, maybe I should try to bake this naan recipe but it looks difficult.

Chicken Tandoori
2 pounds boneless chicken meat, white or thigh, butterflied
1½ cups plain yogurt
juice of ½ a large lemon
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons ground cardamom
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon annatto powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you want it hotter)
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

• Mix all ingredients thoroughly, marinate overnight in the fridge. Pre-heat oven to 400°F. Arrange chicken on a single layer on a large baking pan and bake for 40 minutes or until chicken is slightly browned, turning once after 25 minutes. Serve with buttered hot naan and salad mix or sliced tomatoes and cucumbers.