Rice Noodles with Miso Butter and Ramen-Style Toppings

Rice Noodles with Miso Butter and Ramen-Style Toppings

Rice Noodles with Miso Butter and Ramen-Style Toppings
Corn, Seaweed, Scallion, Ginger, Bacon (optional), Egg

It’s not a soup, but a noodle dish that borrows the fabulous flavors of miso ramen. The folks at the Food Network are featuring portable, picnic-ready dishes this week. To participate, I’ve transformed ramen soup into a delightful summer noodle salad that is served at room temperature and travels from the backyard, to the park, to the beach, and beyond.

Using fresh summer corn off the cob – it’s seasonal, tasty and unique, sure to be a hit on any picnic buffet. For gluten-free and vegetarian friends – I use rice noodles rather than wheat-based ramen noodles, and while pork is a main ingredient in many ramen soups, the bacon can be served on the side.

Rice Noodles with Miso Butter Recipe

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Kick Off Summer: Zucchini Quinoa Burgers

IMG_3063 zucchini quinoa burger
Zucchini Quinoa Beef Burgers
Sauteed Zucchini Medallions, Broccoli & Clover Sprouts, Feta Oregano Aioli

Memorial Day weekend officially kicks off the summer grilling season. It’s also the time to honor our Fallen while we celebrate our Freedom. It’s a day to balance solemnity with revelry.

In addition to serving great food and drink at our picnic, we hang the U.S. flag, create a patriotic flower bouquet, and observe a minute of silence at 3:00 PM to honor and remember those who have died in service to our nation. Before lighting up the grill, we turn on the television to watch the President lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns, we listen as a lone bugler plays Taps.

With summer on our minds and thinking about balance ~ I thought I would lighten up the burgers with the addition of vegetables, grains, and sprouts. The result was a ground beef burger mixed with loads of shredded zucchini and cooked quinoa, topped with sauteed zucchini medallions and sprouts, plus a flavorful feta aioli. It was surprisingly good and immensely satisfying.

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Le Pique-Nique

le pique-nique
Le Pique-Nique

Poached Duck Foie Gras au Torchon
Pistachio Crust, Pickled Bing Cherries, Lemon Curd
Lavender Fleur de Sel, Pink Peppercorns

Arugula & Mint Salad, French Baguette

duck foie gras au torchon

“The great thing about foie gras is that it’s foie gras…

You don’t have to do anything to it. It’s a luxury on its own,
and your job is to try to make it show what it really is.”

— Thomas Keller

Foie Gras au Torchon

What is served cold and completely overindulgent? Poached Duck Foie Gras au Torchon.

A whole lobe of duck liver is wrapped in the same muslin torchon in which it had been poached.

Torchon means “dish towel” in French,
and is the perfect vehicle for transporting foie gras to le pique-nique. 

Simply remove the torchon and slice the foie gras into discs, then roll the edges in pistachio nuts.

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What Makes This The Land of The Free?

cheeseburger-grilled onion

Happy Birthday America, Sweet Land of Liberty!

As much as we have a passion for food and cooking, holidays, of course, have significance beyond what we’re eating. In addition to roasting a big beautiful turkey on Thanksgiving, we spend time giving thanks and sharing our gratitude. On Independence Day, we relish our cheeseburgers, while letting FREEDOM ring!

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Gourmet Picnic with Spicy Cold Soba Noodle Salad

gourmet picnic
Gourmet Picnic

Spicy Cold Soba Noodles with Peanut, Scallion, and Cilantro
Radish, Tofu, Shiitake, Carrot, Cucumber, Edamame, Shrimp

Natasha, the 5 Star Foodie & Lazaro of Lazaro Cooks! host the 5 Star Makeover Cooking Group, a fabulous monthly event for “sharing ideas and creating gourmet makeovers of selected classic dishes or flavor combinations.”

The 5 Star Makeover assignment for May is Gourmet Picnic Food, perfect for the Memorial Day holiday. “Take your favorite picnic food for a ride and make something special. Lots of leeway and freedom, you choose the ingredients. Just make sure it is 5 Star.”

My contribution to May’s Picnic is a makeover of the ubiquitous pasta salad. This one is portable, delightfully colorful, bursting with flavor, healthy, and since guests compile the salad themselves can be made vegan (just skip the shrimp).

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