Noodles are a staple at Red Geisha's house aka Big Red AND at Liang MaMa's Kitchen. Their thick house-noodles are handmade and shaved just like old Grandma Daisy used to do it. A bowl of these noodles are super yummy, satisfying and perfect for the passionate noodle lover.
This is a 2nd recipe for Red Geisha's blog and it is SO SIMPLE to make!
A healthy, hearty winter soup is just what you need on a cold night or a hard day at work. This soup can be ready to eat in 30 minutes flat. And if you are on a budget, you can make this soup for less than $7.00! Try it and let me know how it worked for you! If you are feeding more than 4 people, UP the ingredients. But you should be able to make a pot of soup and have it for 2 days - for you and your honey.
Red Geisha used all Trader Joe ingredients for this soup: (I happen to be passing by!)
-1 can of corn -1 can of black beans -1 can of diced tomatoes, no salt
-1 package of any sausage (preferably a smoked sausage for rich flavor) -1 brown onion -1 tablespoon of garlic -2 tablespoons of tomato paste -1 can of chicken broth, 1 can water or half box of TJ's Chicken stock (low sodium) -Optional: If you want to sneak in more veggies (for little ones) just add a bag of mixed frozen veggies (16oz) of any sort to the soup
Getting all things in a pot for your soup:
-Heat olive oil over medium heat and saute diced onion -Add garlic (do not brown) -Add cut sausage into pot, saute w/ onions & garlic -Add one can of diced tomatoes -Add tomato paste-Stir until HOT, adjust heat so it's not boiling -Add can of corn, wait till HOT again -Add chicken broth, add can of water -Let the soup come to a boil -Add Salt/Pepper/Cilantro/Parsley - whatever your taste buds like! -Lastly, add can of black beans -Adjust salt, pepper as the soup simmers for 10 minutes -Sprinkle a bit of Parmesan cheese Bon Appetit! You just made your Hearty Winter Soup!
How does it taste?
You deserve a tasty meal!
Cheers to being a health-conscious foodie, Red Geisha
This is for my Peeps who day in and day out voted for my blog "Red Geisha is a Foodie" and helped WIN the BLOG competition at CD Kitchen!
You guys are SUPER COOL! Thank You for taking time out of your busy days to vote for me. Please bookmark my blog and check back every week for new restaurant reviews as well as savory & simple recipes. Feedback is appreciated for restaurants you would like to know about or simply how to cook a delicious meal. Ask Red Geisha! I am here to serve you!
Am I Vegan? NO. Do I want to be vegetarian? NO. Do I like to eat a lighter meal with hidden veggies everywhere? YES!!!
This is a RARE review for multiple locations b/c Red Geisha DOES NOT write about chain stores. That's the thought of the blog - so I try my best to be authentic.
The Veggie Grill is an exception. Not because it's vegan but b/c it's a rare chain that is actually conscious of food choices and the reasons for being vegan. Veggie Grill IS HIGHLY TASTY and every time I've been there, it's been QUALITY. And you know by now, that Red Geisha is VERY PICKY!!!
The "V Burger" is veggie to the max burger. It's amazingly tasty and held together well. But as I found out later, Veggie Grill does not make their patties, GARDEIN (Garden + Protein = GARDEIN) does! The taste is amazing! You'll have to try it with Sweet Potato Fries for an extra $1.50 - it's worth it!!!
5-Star Veggie Burger- SO GOOD
Chicken Filet Wheat Sandwich with Sesame Miso Kale - Fake Chicken and Steamed Kale, that you would never normally order. But it's SO TASTY. A healthy meal for you without the calories. Just AWESOME!
Organic Carrot Cake - So Yummy - I could order over and over and over and over again.
Check out the Veggie Grill at http://www.veggiegrill.com to see what they have on their menu and where they serve their spectacular food. It's great...even for a chain store! Red Geisha APPROVES!
Red Geisha's FIRST Recipe Alert! And I guarantee you that NO ONE else has this recipe - until now!
Mom's Chinese Drunken Chicken is one of those recipes passed down from generations of grandmothers then to your mother and then if you happen to be interested in food, then it's passed on to you. It may be an aquired taste because of the Chinese wine but if you are a fan of authentic chinese food, this should be an appetizing dish for you and your friends.
Here is what you need:
-6 drumsticks ( I buy from Trader Joe's since they claim to have no antibiotics or hormones in their chicken and I live by that) -Goji Berries (any Asian supermarket - $1.99/bag or if you go Shi-Shi then Whole Foods Mkt and you can pay up to $5.99/bag) -1/4 bottle of Shiao-Xing Wine (Asian market like Ranch 99, $1.50 bottle) -Salt, Pepper
-To start, you want to drop your drumsticks in boiling water -Boil for approximately 8 minutes until chicken is cooked -Pour hot water over a handful of Goji berries. Soak for 20 minutes -Wait until drumsticks are cool and dry then put into a ziploc plastic bag -Pour 1/4 bottle of Shiao-Xing Wine into bag with drumsticks -Massage the wine into the drumsticks -Drain the water out of the Goji Berries and add into the bag of chicken -Eyeball a little salt and grind a bunch of pepper into the bag -Swish the bag till every part is marinated -12 - 24 hrs later, you can eat the chicken cold or microwave it for 2 min. and serve on plate -Cheers to Mom's Drunken Chicken!!! Enjoy! Hope you like it! ps... Mom looks cute and is so proud of Red Geisha's blog! She wants you to come over for dinner!!!
5-Star Revelation for Shanghainese food! A PURE DELIGHT!
140 W. Valley Blvd. #212 San Gabriel, CA. 91776 (626) 288-0991
I admit that we (the hubby and I) have been a little 'over the moon' with our chinese food cravings lately and yes I am expecting to gain a few pounds by eating so much but this is what we do! Plus, I am sacrificing my pounds for you! Ok, fine...I'm moving on. Shanghainese food is a delicacy. Please do not compare this type of food to a Panda fast-food joint. There are lots of different types of 'Hot Pots' in Shanghainese food. Some dry hot pot dishes would include Stewed Beef Casserole (oh so tender!), Chili Pepper Eggplant with Chicken & Basil, Fish Filets marinated with Black Bean Garlic Sauce etc. We happen to get Stewed Beef Tendon Hot Pot with Peppers & Onions. Dam, was that yummy!
Steamed Dumplings are a staple in Shanghai. It's what the Shanghainese live on. You can choose from soupy pork dumplings (be careful when you take your first bite! The piping hot broth might explode and burn the roof of your mouth!) or vegetarian steamed dumplings which consist of tofu, clear noodles, mushrooms, mustard greens & onions). The traditional dipping sauce for Shanghainese dumplings is dark vinegar w/ ginger strips. Simple as that. Can you beat $5.95 per order? I think not!
Soupy hot pots are cooked for hours resulting in a savory thick broth. The Shanghainese love their soups! The traditional hot pot consists of meatballs, veggies, egg dumplings, shrimp and vermicelli noodles are added right before serving. The hot pot is a sure fire way to feeling warm and fuzzy and is the ultimate comfort food to tie you over on a cold night. This hot pot cost us a whopping $8.95 and it serves 6 ppl! Choose between Lion's Head Hot Pot (Meatballs) or Combination Meat & Seafood Hot Pot. Incredible value.
The old school Shanghainese know how to make crispy noodles. The 'Double-Sided Fried Noodles' are da bomb. We splurged and got the Whole Crab w/ Meat & Veggies Double Sided Fried Noodles. The dish was a whopping $20.95 b/c of the fresh crab (not fake crab) and it was DELICIOUS. Both sides of the noodles were DEEP FRIED to a crispy tee - which is hard to find at a restaurant. Most of the time they do a half-ass job and we find our double-sided noodles to be soggy & greasy. Make sure you order this dish when you have over 4 people dining b/c it is a HUGE DISH of noodles! Another 5 stars for New Shanghai!
5 STARS for Everything GREAT at Shanghai Restaurant in San Gabriel, CA. We have our two thumbs up for this joint! Contact us for a group dinner! We would be happy to join!
Open 7 days a wk, 11 am - 10 pm Give them a try & don't forget to leave me feedback! I want to hear from you!
In California, there are plenty of tasty pho places to go to. The options are endless. I'm just saying, if you happen to be in this neighborhood or just wanted to take a leisurely drive and have some hella good, super clean, thick brothed pho with 'great service' -- Pho Tasty is the place that will deliver all those goodies. You'll walk away, feeling fuzzy with all that good broth and your wallet wont feel any lighter. The SUPER bowl at Pho Tasty is $6.5o and it comes w/ meatballs! That's what I call a 'Bonus Pho!' I instantly became addicted to Pho Tasty and so will you --IF you happen to be in the neighborhood. : )
Pho Tasty is at 19117 Pioneer Blvd.Artesia, CA90701
(562) 924-1838
Dry noodles w/ Vietnamese BBQ chicken & beef - just add chili sauce
Pho Tasty cures hangovers!
The Vietnamese staple: Fried Spring Rolls do you right
Pho Tasty, 5 stars for great pho, 5 stars for cleanliness, 5 stars for friendly service, 3 stars for distance, $ very reasonable
I'm sharing the love by including the Happy Hour schedule right here, so YOU don't miss it!
When we pinned this place down for Happy Hour, our group of friends and I were elated and couldn't wait to spend very little money for some hours of drinking fine Argentinian wine and indulging in good eats. We got there at 7pm, SHARP - and managed to miss Happy Hour by 30 seconds. Wa Wa!
Ok, so we didn't enjoy the prices of Happy Hour but we managed to order everything on the Happy Hour menu and pay full price for it. I know! Blame LA traffic!!!
Staying true to Mediterranean appetizers & our appetites, we scarfed down 2 plates of Hummus & Pita bread. Keep it coming yo! We're hungry!
Slice of Potato Au Gratin Pie - I 3-star liked it.
Saffron Basil Cream Shrimp - Delectable, 5-stars baby! I could've have gotten another order if we didn't miss HH. Dammit. Anyway, this shrimp is a MUST have!
Two more Must-Have's: -Tierra De Luna Syrah-Malbec - A Velvety bottle of Red for an unbeatable price of $23 -Mouth watering "Gambas Grilled Shrimp" marinated in a pesto chimichurri sauce
A summary shot of some other Tapas Caliente
Who doesn't love Proscuitto on Crostini's drizzled with warm goat cheese and fig honey?
Baked Brie, Fig honey to finish the wine off!
After that 2nd bottle of wine, you too, can pick up your tapas and pose with them! Hello Red Geisha and Hubby!
As you can see, our night at Mediterraneo ended in good spirits! Our skewers managed not to poke anyone's eye out and our stomachs kept our tapas safe. We can't wait to get to their Happy Hour next time!
Mediterraneo, 5-stars for ambience, 5-stars for food, 5-stars for wine, $$$ for full price menu
