Spicy Thai-Style Basil Shrimp

This dish is fresh and flavorful, and comes together in about 15 minutes if you use pre-peeled and deveined shrimp.

1 Tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp Sucanat
2 tsp soy sauce
1 1/4 tsp chili-garlic paste 
1 tsp water
1 tsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp canola oil
1/4 c minced shallots
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 c fresh basil, cut in chiffonade
2 Tbsp fresh mint, cut in chiffonade

Combine fish sauce and the next 6 ingredients (through salt) in a small bowl, stirring to combine. Set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots and garlic to pan; cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add shrimp to pan in a single layer. Cook until undersides turn pink and shrimp are beginning to curl, then quickly flip each shrimp to finish cooking. Add sauce mixture to pan; cook for 1 minute or until mixture thickens and becomes glossy, stirring to coat. Remove from heat; stir in fresh herbs. Serves 6.

Everyday Stir-Fry Sauce

This great all-around stir-fry sauce is tasty on noodles, vegetables and proteins alike.

4 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp roasted sesame oil
1/2 c broth of your choice
2 Tbsp Sucanat (or brown sugar)
2 tsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp Sriracha

Combine all ingredients. Pour onto a finished stir-fry and cook briefly, stirring, until it thickens onto the ingredients. 

Sesame Noodles with Vegetables

Make this with hot, freshly cooked noodles so they soak up the sauce. After that point, it can be served hot, at room temperature, or cold. I like it with salmon on the side (marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, Sriracha and sesame oil, then broiled or grilled), but it would also be good with chicken, strips of omelet, or any leftover protein. 

14 ozs (1 box) Barilla Plus thin spaghetti
1/4 c soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger root
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp Sriracha

1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper

3 scallions, sliced

1/2 bunch cilantro, minced (to make 3/4 to 1 c)

3 c thinly sliced cabbage

1 carrot, peeled and grated

1/2 red bell pepper, sliced, slices cut on bias

2-3 Tbsp sesame seeds

Put pasta to boil in a large pot of salted water. While pasta cooks, stir together soy sauce, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, sesame oil, Sriracha and black pepper. 

When pasta is finished cooking, drain well, then toss with sauce. Mix in scallions, cilantro, cabbage, carrot and bell pepper. Top with sesame seeds. Serves 8.

Vegetarian Udon Soup

This traditional Japanese dish is enriched by the addition of an egg boiled until the yolk is mostly solid. When cut in half, most of the yolk stays with the egg, but a tiny bit stays behind to flavor the broth. If you are not vegetarian, you may include shreds or cubes of cooked chicken, another traditional addition.

4 eggs
1 Tbsp rice bran or other high-heat oil
1 c yellow onion, sliced, slices cut in thirds
12 ozs mushrooms (I used a mixture of cremini and shiitake)
10 c water
2-3 Tbsp broth concentrate (I used Better than Bouillon No Chicken Base), to taste
1 Tbsp grated ginger, more to taste
2-3 Tbsp soy sauce, to taste
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
3 c Napa cabbage, shredded
2 c carrots, sliced on bias
8 ozs prepared frozen potstickers or dumplings
1/2 c pre-roasted asparagus, cut in 1" pieces (optional)
12 ozs fresh udon noodles
3 scallions, sliced

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Cook eggs 6 minutes at a simmer. Remove from heat with slotted spoon; run under cold water until just cool enough to handle. Peel; place 1 egg in each of 4 soup bowls.

While eggs cook, heat large heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add oil and onion; cook until onions are softened with brown edges. Push onions to side; add as many mushrooms as will fit in a single layer. Cook without stirring until mushrooms begin to give up their liquid, then stir and push to side of pot. Repeat until all mushrooms are cooked.

Add a bit of water to pot. Stir vigorously to bring up browned bits. Add remaining water, broth concentrate, ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil. When mixture comes to a boil, add cabbage, carrots, dumplings and udon noodles, according to the time it takes them to cook until just tender-crisp. Refer to dumpling and noodle packages for timings. (My soup was done in less than 5 minutes from this point.)

When soup is done, use slotted spoon and tongs to transfer dumplings and noodles to bowls with eggs. Ladle broth atop this. Sprinkle soup with scallions. Serve with chopsticks and a spoon; pass sesame oil, black pepper grinder, and Sriracha at the table.