What's For Dinner Wednesday? Cod with Soba Noodles in a Spicy Tomato Ginger Broth

Hello Wednesday "Tune-Ins"!  It's so cool that we are getting a little routine Wednesday crew going.  I've gotten some regular feedback on "What's For Dinner Wednesday?" and it is sweeeeet!  Maybe next we'll see some "What's For Dinner Wednesday?" get together to cook thingamabobs happening.  I personally love a good excuse to get a few diverse characters together to attempt a creation or project.  By the way, these recipes are perfect because they are not complex and do not take very long.  This is a good one and is from  a Hunt's tomatoes advertisement for their canned Petite Diced Tomatoes.  I tore it out of some magazine years ago. 

I know, I know, it's Cinco De Mayo!  Is this a food blogging faux pas?  I should have posted the Loaded Up Nachos this week.  Darn it!  So let's delete the chopsticks from the picture below and replace the Bok Choy with Napa Cabbage and the Soba Noodles with a scoop of Yellow Rice, get rid of the ginger, add a dash of cumin and or chili powder to the broth and then we've almost completed a total Mexican makeover of the recipe.  Maybe I'll remember next year.  I did however, include lime AND cilantro in the dish so with that being noted, I would say we are practically "right on" with Cinco De Mayo!  Oh, and lime and coconut in the dessert.  Muy Bueno!

Back to my lime/cilantro kick!  They peek their little green faces out and SQUEEZE/CHOP there they go, into the pot!  All the while loving it, the limes are thankful that they didn't petrify and turn brown again on the counter and the cilantro is elated that it didn't turn into a bag of greenish brownish muck in the chiller drawer.  Not that this would ever happen to them in my kitchen- NEVER,EVER,EVER, EVER.  Sorry, I'm only human.

This dish is one of my all time favorites regardless of the fact that my fish always sticks to the pan when I try to brown it and flip it.  I've tried adding more oil, having a bit more patience and waiting to flip.  Nothing has worked.  Maybe it's because I use frozen Cod Fillets that are thawed out.  Do not throw in the towel though, please.  As long as the fish stays together, the dish will be so so good.  Plus, the stuck fish just adds to the broth.  There now, that's my justification for my unprofessional technique.  It is important to me to mention my detriments to you.  Do not get discouraged.

For the past two years I have tried to cook with only good quality stainless steel pans and not rely on nonstick.  This transition has called for much patience and adjustment.  All in the name of good health.  I'll admit, the whole health "myth/fact"stuff wears me out sometimes.  I WANT ALL OF MY NONSTICK POTS/PANS BACK AND I DON'T CARE IF I EAT TEFLON!  No, not really.  I do care. 

BUT I feel that it is important to mention this story.  My Grandmother is 89 and will be 90 in August.  She still has a very, very, very old Golden Yellow colored Le Creuset Pot and a nonstick edition at that.  Probably one of the first nonstick pots ever created.  She was ahead of her time.  A real trendsetter!  The pot was, that is, a nonstick pot until over the years every single bit of teflon has been consumed from it.  She still cooks in it and now it is healthy to eat from and teflon free.  She rocks on and remains the life of the party.  The end.

Back to the dish at hand.  Besides the unbelievable flavor, it is light and perfect for follwing up with dessert.  So refer back to the Sunday May 2, 2010 post on Limey Coconut Macaroons.  You can bake them in no time flat.  This main entree told the Limey Coconut Macaroons "You complete me."  They did, I heard.  And so did Roy (my dog).

Happy Cooking and Happy Cinco De Mayo!

What's For Dinner Wednesday?  Cod with Soba Noodles in a Spicy Tomato Ginger Broth  (a Hunt's canned tomatoes recipe)

Servings:  4

Nest Essentials:  Large Pot (for boiling Soba) and a Large Skillet (for browning fish and cooking the entire meal)

Nifty Gadgets:  Coarse rasp/grater (for ginger) 

Ingredients:

4 oz Soba Noodles  (if you can't find this type of noodles, use Vermicelli)
2 Tbsp Canola Oil
1 Tbsp grated Ginger (I used a coarse handheld grater/rasp)
2 tsp Garlic minced
4 (4oz) Cod Fillets, patted dry.  (I can't often find fresh Cod, so I buy the Wild Caught Frozen Cod from Target.  It's pretty darn good.)
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 (14.5 oz) can Hunt's Petite Diced Tomatoes, Undrained
1 (14.0 oz) can reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 1/2 Tbsp Chopped fresh basil (I substituted dried this time and started with 2 tsp.  I find dried is stonger)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp Asian sesame oil
4 individual Baby Bok Choy (bottoms trimmed, rinsed well especially near base, cut into lengthwise strips and then cut each strip in half horizontally)
1/4 cup chopped green onions (green part only)


METHOD:
1) Cook Soba Noodles, until just tender, about 4 minutes in boiling water and drain.  Rinse in cool water to stop cooking.  Drain again.

2) Heat canola oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Saute ginger and garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Here is the rasp/grater that I use for my ginger:

3) Season Cod with salt and pepper.  Add cod to skillet and cook, turning once, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes per side.  (This part always sticks to the pan for me.  Don't worry though if it happens to you.  Just continue doing your thing.  The broth will be even better because of it.  The main objective is to try to keep the fish as whole as possible.)

Stuck to the pan fish Confession:

4)  Add undrained tomatoes, broth, water, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes.  Bring mixture to boil.  Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until cod is just cooked through about 20 minutes.  Gently, very gently, remove cod from skillet;  set aside.

5) Add lime juice, broth, cilantro, sugar, and sesame oil to skillet.  Stir to combine.  Add sliced Baby Bok Choy and cooked noodles.  Cover and Simmer until Bok Choy is tender about 1 to 2 minutes.

6)  Divide noodle mixture among 4 serving bowls.  Top each with a piece of cod.  Ladle broth over cod and noodles.  Garnish with Green Onions, another sprinkling of black pepper and Serve.

And Here's Dessert!