Yes, I have decided to pick back up where I left off. In these tough times, too many people have emailed me to let me know that making "something from nothing" is a much-needed quality! So, I have answered the call in the only way I truly know how......cook!
I was recently faced with the type of "leftover" that is my favorite. A scary leftover as well, because when something is a quality ingredient, well, you just don't want to screw it up, frankly. So when I took this out of the freezer, I really had to put my gourmet thinking cap on....
Leftover rib portion of my New Years' prime rib roast! There is a small amount of tender and delicious meat between those bones, and as I always do, I think of Pho...(Vietnamese noodle soup, pronounced "fuh"). There is absolutely nothing on earth as wonderful as that steaming hot bowl, filled with meats and vegetables, spicy and noodle-filled, that I do not love. On to the preparation...first, I
covered the remaining rib bones with water, after carefully separating out the lovely tender bits of prime rib meat, in a large stock pot.
While that was starting to heat up, I stuck a few pieces of onion with some whole cloves, sliced some ginger root, tossed all with vegetable oil and placed on a baking sheet covered with foil.
Under the broiler this goes, to get nice and charred...then, I gathered up some dry ingredients from the Pixie-Pantry for soaking...dried shiitake mushrooms, and rice noodles...
Notice the ingredients in the background getting ready for their part in this tasty soup. In the next photo you see the noodles and mushrooms on the right....I then poured boiling water over them both, to let them soak while I prepped the rest that you see here...
Clockwise from plate. The broiled and cooled onion and ginger, some pickled jalapenos, some fresh basil, fresh cilantro and in back; Thai chili garlic paste, hoisin sauce, pepper, cinnamon sticks, Chinese five-spice powder, and salt.
I added the soaked rice noodles, the drained and chopped shiitake mushrooms, and the thinly sliced prime rib pieces to the prep...
I added the cinnamon stick and the five spice powder to the broth, which had simmered for three hours by now, after straining and putting back into the stock pot...it looked like this..
Keeping it at a nice, hot bubble, it was finally time to start building the bowl...first, prime rib pieces..
Then, in rapid, and getting-ever-so hungry fashion, rice noodles, cilantro, basil, jalapeno, shittake mushrooms, and a dollop each of Thai chili hot sauce, and hoisin sauce...
Now, we ladle over that wonderful beef stock....and let the heat of it finish cooking the beef, and mix all the sauce and noodles in with a spoon...
The results? PHO-TASTIC! hahahaha...if I do say so myself! A warming, comforting, yet exotic spicy broth with tasty additions...that has me craving it again already. See?
Yes, it was the fulfillment of a craving, and a wonderPHOl one at that. What's that? Oh, OK, I'll stop with the PHO references....but it is really.....really....good. Next time you are faced with a cold, snowy Sunday at home, take the time, and make some real, authentic soup.
On to our visit...I went to go and find Kitchen Angel to let her know that soup was literally, on....and just what do you think she was up to now? That's right, that selective and presumptuous lady was strolling down the aisles of my pantry! Selecting what SHE thought were the very best items to use in the next post!
Gotta keep my eye on that one, I tell ya. Eat well, my friends, and stay tuned for the next "Something From Nothing" post ~ which has a decidedly Italian flair! Love and kindness to all,
Pixie
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