Tasting Nissin's Hot & Spicy Firewok Sizzlin' Rich Pork Noodles

Today I'm trying Nissin's Hot & Spicy Firewok Sizzlin' Rich Pork Noodles. Like the previous one, it's a big serving and presented the same way. I cooked it in a bit more water and for 3:30 this time and it was still a bit al dente; another 20 sec did the trick, and the noodles remained chewy throughout. 

I tried it without the fire sauce first. Flavor was good but not at all spicy - I'd call it a basic pork flavor with a hint of soy & sesame. I opened the fire sauce packet and it was not at all the same - this one smelled more like charred or roasted meat and in a pleasant way. Had no qualms about adding this one, so wondering if I got an expired packet on the previous one. It added a little heat, but again nothing worthy of the term "Firewok". I did decide to add a bit of leftover pork and maybe 1/2 tsp of sesame oil and it was pretty tasty. 

This one runs 570 calories and an even 2,000 mg of sodium. 

Verdict: Much better flavor than the chicken one...but less heat. Again not sure I'd spend the money and sodium on it. 

Taste: B

Heat: C

A bit of a reset and expansion of focus - tasting Nissin's Hot & Spicy Firewok Molten Chili Chicken noodles

 I don't post nearly often enough (to either of my blogs). In an attempt to counter that, at least on this blog, I've decided to expand my focus just a bit. As those who know me well know, I have a thing for spicy foods - generally the hotter, the better. I'm thinking about starting a video series involving tastings, "World's Hottest X" rundowns, etc. At the same time, my daughter will be joining me with a focus on weird (to us) foods - think limited-edition flavors, flavors from different cultures, etc. 

So! Today I'm trying Nissin's Hot & Spicy Firewok Molten Chili Chicken noodles. It's a big serving, and advertises that it's 20% bigger than their other ones. Inside are noodles, a packet of seasoning, a packet of freeze-dried vegetables, and something called "Fire Sauce". Pretty straightforward to cook, though I cooked it for 4 min instead of 5 so it didn't get too mushy. 

I tried it without the fire sauce first. It had a decent texture, though still slightly mushy, but I generally expect that from the brands I typically find at the supermarket. There was a bit of heat, but definitely not anything to write home about. 

Next, I opened the fire sauce packet. It has a distinctly chemical smell to it that I found incredibly off-putting, to the point I almost didn't put it in. But I did, and it significantly upped the heat quotient. The smell diffused some, but it's still a very odd undertone that will likely prevent my buying this again. 

As I waited for it to cool, I noted that the noodles absorbed every bit of the water and got even a bit more mushy, though still edible. Per the packaging, it's called noodles in sauce, not soup, so I suppose that's to be expected. 

The entire thing runs 560 calories and 2,050 mg of sodium. Woof. 

Verdict: It was spicy and the heat lingered in a not unpleasant way. Not sure it's worth the weird chemical undertone and the sodium. 

Taste: C-

Heat: B- 

Vegetable Pasta Sauce

I love making this and I don't generally use a recipe. Rather, it's kinda "what vegetables do I have in the house?" and then for every cup or so of vegetables I add one can of either crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce. Here's how I made it today. 

Ingredients:

2 tbsp oil

2 large bell peppers, diced (about 2 cups)

3 large celery stalks, diced (about 2 cups)

1 large onion, diced (about 1 cup)

3 medium zucchini, diced (about 3 cups)

5 15-oz cans of crushed tomatoes and/or tomato sauce

1 cup shredded carrots

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1 cup shredded Parmesan or other hard Italian cheese, plus more to garnish

Directions:

1. Heat a large pot or Dutch overn over medium high heat. Add oil.  

2. Working in 2-3 batches, saute the peppers, celery, and onions for 3-5 minutes. Add zucchini and saute for another 3-5 minutes until vegetables are crisp-tender. 

3. Stir in the tomatoes/tomato sauce and remaining ingredients (through Parmesan). Bring to a simmer, then turn heat down to medium to medium-low to barely maintain the simmer. Simmer sauce for 15 minutes. 

Serve warm over pasta, rice, cabbage, whatever you want. I eat it straight from the pot. 

Add-ins: 

You could also mix in lean hamburger or turkey or pork, ground, browned, and crumbled. I've added bacon sometimes. I often add kalamata olives. Seasoning-wise you could omit the crushed red pepper or increase it, or add other peppers (fresh or spices). Basil would be nice. 

Update 9/21/2020: Other seasoning approaches: 

• Curry powder, paprika, thyme, which is a play on my schaschlik sauce. 
• The full bore schaschlik sauce (based on Kraft Original Recipe barbecue sauce rather than plain tomatoes/tomato sauce)
• Plain barbecue sauce, any variety
• Southwestern style, adding in tomatoes with chilies (e.g. Rotel) or even salsa

Hoppin' John

This is apparently a New Year's Day tradition in some parts of the U.S. that's supposed to bring luck for the new year. Regardless, I really like it and, though it's not the healthiest dish (especially as outlined below), it's an incredible vehicle for hot sauces! I also don't have the patience for dried black-eyed peas, so I use frozen or canned. Canned are significantly softer but faster; I'll address both in the recipe below.

Ingredients:
1 cup rice, cooked and fluffed according to package directions
6 thick-cut bacon slices, diced
1 package andouille or other smoked sausage, sliced 1/4" thick
8 oz (about 1 cup) ham, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper (any color, I prefer green), chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped or minced
2-3 15oz cans of black-eyed peas OR 2 lbs frozen black-eyed peas (and see directions below)
1 quart chicken stock
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp ground thyme
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste, can be omitted)
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
Hot sauce, to taste (optional)

Directions:
1. Prepare rice according to package directions and keep warm.
2. Heat Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook about 5-7 minutes or until nearly desired crispness. Add the sausage and ham and continue cooking until bacon is done and sausage and ham are lightly browned. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat mixture from the skillet and set aside, leaving the rendered bacon grease in the pan.
3. Add the onion, pepper, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender and the onion starts to get translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 2 additional minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Add the black-eyed peas, chicken stock, and remaining ingredients and stir to combine thoroughly. Turn temperature to medium-low to maintain a steady simmer.

• If using frozen peas, cover pot with tight-fitting lid and simmer for 30-40 minutes until peas are tender. 
• If using canned peas, simmer for 5-10 minutes. 

Once the peas are tender, remove from heat. At this point you can either serve the Hoppin' John over the rice or fold the rice into the pot. Serve warm. 

I love hot sauce so feel free to apply liberally. You could also increase the cayenne, add crushed red pepper flakes, add chipotle or ancho chiles, dice in some jalapenos or other fresh chiles, etc. 

Corn Chowder

This is a regular for me on snowy nights. I started putting sweet potatoes in about 10 years ago.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp oil
1 lb ham, diced, or 1/2 lb ham and 1/2 lb smoked sausage
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 large or 4-5 medium potatoes, cut into 1" cubes. I normally use red or Yukon gold.
1 large or 2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1" cubes
1 large carrot, cut into 1/2" cubes
2 cups milk
1 can cream-style corn
4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp then crumbled

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the ham (and sausage, if using) and brown on all sides (3-5 minutes). Remove from pot.
2. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes or until translucent. Return the ham to the pot.
3. Add water, salt, pepper, potatoes, and carrots. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Reduce heat to low. Add milk and corn. Heat, but do not let come to a boil, for 5 minutes. Stir in the bacon and serve.

Chilled Swiss Oatmeal

Think I first had this at a Corner Bakery in Chicago about 15 years ago. Love it especially during the summer. This recipe is not very sweet at all - which I prefer - but you could certainly use flavored yogurt, add honey or maple syrup, add dried fruit, etc. to sweeten it up. You could also use rolled oats, either quick-cooking or old-fashioned, but I like the texture of steel-cut oats.

Ingredients:
4 c. water
1 c. steel-cut oats
1 c. Greek yogurt, plain, I use low-fat but it doesn't really matter
1 large apple, diced (c. 1 cup)
1 large pear, died (c. 1 cup)
1/2 cup finely diced pecans or walnuts (optional)
1/2-1 cup diced dried fruit (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tsp ginger (optional)
Honey, agave, maple syrup, etc. to taste (optional)

Directions:
1. Bring water to boil. Add oats. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 25-30 min or until desired consistency. Remove from heat, cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 30 min or until chilled.

2. Mix in all remaining ingredients and serve.

Keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Schaschlik aka German meat skewers

This has been one of my favorite recipes since I was a child and my family was stationed in Germany. I didn't like the onions or bell peppers, but meat + sauce + BACON is just kind of a winner. It's an interesting take because unlike most skewer recipes, this one is braised rather than grilled. Here's a from-scratch recipe I found that looks pretty good:

http://thehobbycook.blogspot.com/2011/08/german-street-food-greats-schaschlik.html

But I generally go a much, MUCH simpler route. The flavor to me has always been pretty close to barbecue sauce - Kraft Original to be specific. I add a couple other things to it, but it means that prep time is much shorter and I think the taste is very similar to my nearly 40-year-old memories.

Ingredients:
2-3 lbs meat (I use beef, specifically some kind of steak cut like ribeye), cubed into 1" cubes
1-2 large onions, 1" dice
1-2 bell peppers, 1" dice
3 bottles Kraft Original barbecue sauce
1 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp curry powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried thyme
1 lb of thick-cut bacon, cut into 1" dice****

Directions:
1. Place the meat, onions, and peppers into a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, combine barbecue sauce, paprika, curry powder, garlic powder, Worcestershire sauce, and thyme and mix well. Set aside.
3. Thread meat mixture onto skewers: put on a piece of meat, then a piece of the bacon, then either an onion or pepper (alternating). Repeat until each skewer has 3-5 pieces of meat on it.
4. Working in batches, brown each skewer in a large pan over medium-high heat. Remove skewers from pan and place in a large 15"x10" baking pan or casserole dish.
5. Pour the sauce over the skewers. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 375 for 1 hour.
6. Pull the pan out and remove the aluminum foil. Check to see if the meat is fully cooked and tender. If it is not, put pan back in oven, uncovered, and check after an additional 30 minutes.
7. Remove from pan and serve. I generally serve it off the skewer and with Spaetzel; if you can't find that, rice works, cabbage works, or just eat it out of a bowl as-is!

**** I normally use precooked bacon because I like my bacon much more cooked than this approach generally results in. You could par-cook the bacon as well.