Those who know me well understand that cooking, for me, is a creative process. I consider it an accomplishment to be able to come up with a dish I have heard of or tasted before and cook my own version based on what is available on the fridge (and the local market).
This is the case of my roasted red bell pepper sauce on noodles. I was on a noodle mania two weeks ago. I must've missed the taste of my all-time favorite $5-lunch bowl in Wellington, Chef's Palette, which was my to-go food whenever I am low on energy (yes, it happens!) and budget. So I wanted to recreate the experience. I started with sweet basil sauce but I ran out of honey. And there comes red bell peppers and other "spring" vegetables that are really cheap now. Ka-shing! Challenge accepted!
Let me begin by saying that I got the recipe from another blog. I just did my own few tweaks.
Here's what you need:
For the sauce:
3 medium-sized red bell peppers
garlic
shallots
1 tbsp. butter
1 cup chicken stock
salt and pepper
For the noodle dish:
chicken breast (to make chicken stock, while the meat will be added to the noodles once it is mixed with the sauce and veggies)
1 medium-sized carrot, julienned
1 cucumber, thinly sliced as well
fresh basil leaves
250g egg noodle or pasta, cooked as directed
1. Roast the red bell peppers. (Some people advise against taking off the seeds in the middle and just roast the entire red bell pepper. I did not follow it. I gave my red bell peppers a good wash, took of the seeds, and laid it out as flat as I can. In this way, I can roast all sides at a time.)
2. Once the red bell peppers started to get charred and smell really nice, you know it's time to take it off the heat. I sliced the red bell peppers in strips.
3. I sautéed shallots and garlic in butter then added the red bell peppers, salt, and pepper and 1/2 cup of chicken stock.
4. I placed the mixture in the food processor and made an orange, creamy sauce out of it.
5. I put the sauce back in the pan, heat it a bit, then added the remaining 1/2 cup of chicken stock, carrots, and chicken meat. Let it simmer. You can add more salt and pepper.
6. I added the fresh basil leaves and cooked noodles.
7. I garnished it with sliced, cold cucumber. It just gives a fresh and crunchy feel to the dish.
Viola, Arla's Roasted Red Bell Pepper Sauce on Noodles!
P.S. My parents like it! :) (Although the boys at home prefer something sweeter.)
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| Orange and happy. |
