A Scientist in the Kitchen

Seaweeds are macroscopic, multicellar algae. They are not really plants but algae a group plant-like organisms, usually underwater, photosynthetic but they have different structures for taking in nutrients from the environment. For one thing, they don’t have roots. Nutrients are taken in by diffusion from the water to the algal body. Unlike plants, which have roots, there is nutrient uptake from the roots to the upper parts of the plants. There are three major groups of these photosynthetic algae-brown, red and green algae.They are not to be confused with seagrasses, though. Seagrasses are vascular like plants. They are attached to the sand as well and grow where there is maximum sunlight. Algae on the other can grow deeper in the sea as they have a different type of photosynthetic pigments to catch the sun’s rays.

Seaweeds are very useful as food and medicine. Most familiar would be the nori seaweeds you can find in sushi and other Japanese food. Or the konbu for making dashi, also in Japanese cooking. They are also sources of carageenan used in ice cream-making as stabilizers. These days, seaweeds are farmed for extracting carageenan. If you like agar for making flans, well, these come from seaweeds, too.

I’ve lived near the sea so I’ve made a lot of seaweed salads. Perhaps you might take a vacation near the sea and come across them. Let me share with you how to enjoy this wonderful bounty from the sea.

Ingredients

250 grams fresh seaweeds (in the picture is a red algae)
1/2 cup cane vinegar
1 medium sized tomato, sliced
1 medium sized onion, slice
salt and pepper to taste

Cut seaweeds along the stems into bite size pieces. Blanch seaweeds in boiling water, around two minutes. Be careful not to overcook them as they might turn into agar and you’d have a flan instead! Wash in cold water then drain. Mix seaweeds, tomato and onion. Add the vinegar and mix well. Season with salt and pepper. It’s this simple!

Seaweeds may not be really plants but they have a lot in common with plants. So this post goes to Weekend Herb Blogging hosted this week by Simona at Briciole .

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There are noodles and there are noodles. And there are noodles served most especially on special occasions. In the Philippines, noodles come in different colors and sizes. Of these, the sotanghon or vermicelli noodles made from mungbean is usually served on feasts like birthdays, Christmas, and New Year. This is a traditional food serve on feasts and I would say a perfect contribution to Monthly Mingle. No feast should be without noodles! It is usually sauteed with chicken and seldom with pork or other meats. Vegetables included would be carrots, cabbages, and snow peas. Like my pancit canton, I like mine chunky and with lots of mushrooms. My sotanghon version is actually a copycat from a resort I went to several years ago. I like the simple mixture of chicken, carrots and shiitake mushrooms so to this day, this is how I cook my sotanghon noodles.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken breast
2 cups chicken broth
1 whole garlic, minced
3 cloves garlic. minced
1 large onion, sliced
1 large carrot, cut cross-wise
100 grams dried shiitake, reserve water after soaking
soy sauce to taste
crushed pepper to taste

1. Boil chicken breast till cooked. Reserve broth. Shred chicken into small pieces.
2. In 3 tablespoon oil, cook garlic until browned. Reserve.
3. Soak shiitake mushrooms till rehydrated. Reserve water. Squeeze mushrooms, remove stems then cut into quarters.
3. Heat 2 tablespoon oil, saute garlic, onion, chicken, soy sauce and pepper. Mix constantly till chicken is browned.
4. Add carrots and mushrooms. Saute and add chicken broth, around 1/4 cup at a time till carrots are half done. Add the remaining broth and bring to a boil.
5. Add the sotanghon noodles and mix well. Season to taste with salt and crushed pepper. Noodles are done if they are easy to cut with a spoon. You may taste the noodles to check if it is smooth as well as to determine the saltiness of the noodles. Add according to taste. (Note: This part is my dad’s favorite [well, me too...]. Time to sample if the noodles are good. He would usually hover in the kitchen and would tell me “Sample time!”). If noodles are not yet soft but the broth is drying up, add a little of mushroom water at a time till noodles are done.
6. Turn of heat then add the garlic and oil on the noodles. Mix well. Noodles will have a garlicky taste.

Maligang Pasko!!!

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Since this is a noodle dish, I would also say that this perfect for Pasta Presto Nights

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