Spicy Noodle Soup With Mushrooms and Herbs from NYTimes

  • 3 tablespoons canola or olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
  •  Kosher salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 ½ pounds mixed mushrooms, such as maitake, oyster, cremini or shiitake, torn into bite-size pieces
  • 1 to 2 fresh red or green chiles, such as Fresno, thinly sliced (or 3/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes)
  • ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce, plus more to taste
  • ¼ cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar, plus more to taste
  • 8 to 10 ounces noodles, such as udon, soba, rice or spaghetti
  • 2 cups herbs (tender leaves and stems), such as cilantro, mint, chives, parsley or a mix, for serving
  •  Sesame seeds, sesame oil or both, for serving (optional)
  1. Heat oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots start to turn a nice golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add mushrooms and half the chile, and season with salt and pepper.
  2. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have softened, released much of their water and turned a deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. (A browned mushroom will have infinitely more flavor than an unbrowned mushroom, because the water inside it evaporates and the flavor concentrates. So do not skip this step.)
  3. Add 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup vinegar and 8 cups of water. Bring to a gentle simmer and season with salt and pepper. Continue to simmer until the flavors have melded and the broth tastes good enough to drink (you will be drinking it), 15 to 20 minutes. Season with more soy sauce and vinegar as you like. 
  4. Meanwhile, cook the noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water until just al dente. (The timing will depend on the type and brand of noodles, so consult the package.) Add the noodles to the pot with the broth, and let them hang out in there for a minute or two to finish cooking and soak up all that flavor.
  5. To serve, use tongs to divide the noodles and mushrooms among bowls, then ladle the hot broth over the top. Serve with the remaining chile, the herbs and the sesame seeds and oil (if using) for people to dress their own bowls to their liking.

General Tso sauce from NY Times

  • 1 small chunk of ginger, 1 1/2 inches long, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons mirin
  • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 1/2 small red dry Chinese chilis
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum, optional

In a blender combine ginger, garlic, soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, vinegar, mirin, and sesame oil. Add chilis, salt, sugar, and xantham gum, if using. Process until smooth. Transfer to a small bowl, and set aside.

Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

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2 pounds orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1/2 teaspoon ground dried chipotle pepper
1/2 teaspoon
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided]
1 onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder, or to taste
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 cup water, or more as needed
1 tablespoon cornmeal
teaspoon Salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/2 cup sour cream, for garnish
1/4C. Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.Combine sweet potatoes, chipotle pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large bowl and toss to coat. Spread sweet potatoes on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer.Roast sweet potatoes in the preheated oven until the outside is crunchy and inside is tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature.Cook and stir remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, onion, garlic, red bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, ancho chile powder, cumin, and dried oregano together in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook and stir until onion is softened, about 5 minutes.Pour tomatoes and water into the onion mixture and bring to a simmer. Add cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, sugar, and cocoa powder. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutesStir black beans and cooled sweet potatoes into the onion-tomato mixture. Add more water if mixture is too thick. Simmer until heated through, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Serve topped with sour cream and cilantro.