Pasta and noodle
Pasta is a specific type of noodle, characterized by being Italian in origin and typically made from durum wheat, eggs, and water, resulting in a firmer texture and golden color. Noodles are a broader category encompassing elongated food strands made from various flours, such as rice, buckwheat, or common wheat, and can have a softer texture and lighter color. While pasta is associated with Italian sauces, noodles are commonly served in broths and have a more global cultural presence.
Pasta
- Origin: Italian.
- Ingredients: Usually made from durum wheat semolina flour, water, and often eggs.
- Texture & Color: Harder durum wheat creates a firmer, more elastic texture and a golden color.
- Preparation: The dough is typically extruded.
- Culinary Use: Served with Italian-style sauces.
Noodles
- Origin:
A broad global category, with strong ties to Asian cuisines.
Ingredients:
Made from various flours, including common wheat, rice, buckwheat, or starch.
Texture & Color:
Softer wheat or other flours produce a lighter color, smoother texture, and quicker cooking time.
Preparation:
Often uses the “roll-and-cut” method, where dough is rolled and then cut into strands.
Culinary Use:
Traditionally served in broths or with sauces, with a wider cultural use than pasta.
Key Differences
- Wheat Type: Pasta uses hard durum wheat, while noodles can use softer common wheat or other flours.
- Inclusion of Salt: Noodle dough often includes salt to help bind the proteins, whereas pasta dough is typically salt-free.
- Manufacturing Process: Pasta dough is usually extruded, while noodles are often rolled and cut.
Stir-fries and curries
My favorite thing to order at a Chinese restaurant is yellow chicken curry. The taste, flavor, and use of ingredients varies in different places. I like it when they use tender breast of chicken with peppers and onions. Recently we had a take out order from a local Chinese place. I ordered their spicy version of the curry chicken. It tasted pretty good!
I always like to recreate my favorite restaurant dishes at home as eating out everyday isn’t realistic.
Today I will be sharing my home version of the quick take-out style chicken curry using fairly simple ingredients.
I like to use chicken breast most of the time when making stir fries because it cooks faster than thighs. I also like to marinate my chicken using a few ingredients beforehand so it produces tender and flavorful pieces of chicken.
I am using onion, green pepper, and celery in this recipe. You can leave out the pepper and celery or add any other veggie you prefer.
As always, this home version tasted much better than the restaurant’s. So if you like curry-flavor dishes, give this one a try.
Ingredients
Chicken marinade
- 3 cups chicken breast, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 tbsp. cornstarch
- 1 tbsp. sherry cooking wine
- 1 tbsp. canola oil
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1 tbsp. minced garlic
- 1 tbsp. minced ginger
- 1 tsp. chili flakes
Sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 6 tbsp. water
- 1 tbsp. fish sauce
Stir-fry
- 6 tbsp. canola oil
- 3 tbsp. curry powder
- 1 cup yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch wide and 1-inch long pieces
- 2 cups green pepper, cut into 1/2-inch wide pieces
- 1/4 cup celery, cut into 1/2-inch wide pieces
Salads and bowls
Green Salad Recipes
Green salads don’t have to be boring, and these recipes are here to prove it! I often make these salad recipes for a healthy lunch, but they’re great cookout and dinner side dishes too.
Simple Green Salad
Crunchy roasted almonds and creamy avocado add amazing textural contrast to this simple salad. My zippy lemon vinaigrette ties it all together!
Italian Chopped Salad
This chopped salad is so flavorful that even salad skeptics will pile their plates with seconds! The key ingredients? A punchy dressing, pepperoncini, and TWO types of cheese.
Arugula Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Juicy roasted grapes, toasted almonds, and shaved Parm give this simple salad an elevated twist.
Sandwiches, wraps, and pizzas
Venison Cheeseburger Pizza
I grew up on Chef Boyardee pizza from a box.
My mom was a great cook but she never made a pizza from scratch, and she would definitely never make a venison pizza. She accepted that my dad was a hunter, but she would never eat what he harvested.
I don’t judge her. My dad was an amazing cook but he never perfected the art of cooking venison. He did make a great stew, however.Red Bull’s New Summer Flavor Is a Tasty Spin on a Discontinued Fan-Favorite FlavorRed Bull’s New Summer Flavor Is a Tasty Spin on a Discontinued Fan-Favorite Flavor
Read More
Mom always turned to the easy-to-make pizza kits that provided a small packet of Parmesan cheese as a topping. She always added mozzarella and a ton of pepperoni, making it a gooey mess and changing it into somewhat of a treat for dinner.
I never cared for traditional pizza crust. To me it was either too dry, too thick, or worse: under-cooked.That is why I love the pizza recipe I’m sharing below. The crust uses crescent roll sheets. If the sheets are unavailable, you can substitute crescent rolls, but you will need to pinch the perforations together. It’s a little more work but still incredibly easy.
Even with canned crescent roll sheets, this pizza is still healthier than takeout pizza, and it is so delicious I am sure it will become a staple in your home like it has in ours.
Our garden vegetables are ripening, so we added fresh zucchini and tomatoes to this pizza. Fresh vegetables are not required, however, for the pizza to turn out amazing. I have made it many times with only venison and onion, and it is still better than any takeout pizza we have had.
Don’t be afraid of the homemade sauce, by the way! It is super simple and uses minimal ingredients.
Ingredients
- 2 cans crescent roll sheets
- 1 lb venison burger
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups zucchini, peeled and chopped
- 2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 (12-ounce) can tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1/3 cup water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Let it heat up for about 2 minutes.
- Add onion and zucchini to oil and cook for about 3 minutes.
- Add ground venison. Season the meat mixture with 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder and a 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
- As the meat cooks, continue to break it up into smaller pieces using the edge of your spatula.
- In a small bowl, add the tomato paste, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder, sugar, Italian seasoning, and water. Mix until the ingredients are combined.
- Remove the meat from the heat once it is thoroughly cooked.
- Prepare the crust. This is a large pizza. I use a 15×20-inch cookie sheet to make this. Open the crescent sheet and hold it by the short edge to stretch it out. Lay it the long way on the cookie sheet pushing it to the outer edges. It should cover half of the cookie sheet. Repeat the process with the second crescent roll sheet and lay it next to the first sheet. Pinch the meeting edge together.
- Spread the tomato sauce evenly all the way to the edges of the dough.
- Add the cheese, spreading it evenly over the entire pizza.
- Spread the venison mixture evenly over the entire pizza.
- Layer the sliced tomatoes on top. I try to space them out evenly.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the crust is brown. Use a spatula to lift the corner of the pizza up to check the crust. Enjoy!
- Quick pitta pizzas: A perfect standby dinner using pitta bread from your freezer and whatever toppings you have on hand, from ham and cheese to vegetables.
- Blackened salmon fajitas: Make a Tex-Mex meal in just 13 minutes by blackening salmon fillets and serving them in warm tortillas.
- Black bean quesadillas: This versatile, meat-free meal is great for feeding a family and can be made vegan by omitting the cheese. Serve with guacamole for added nutrition.
- Chorizo and chickpea stew: A hearty, Spanish-inspired casserole from the store cupboard that can be ready in 15 minutes and served with toasted bread.
- Stuffed mushroom burgers: A more nutritious alternative to meat burgers, serve these on a crispy ciabatta with goat cheese and sun-dried tomato pesto.