Buffalo Faux Phở

The two Vietnamese restaurants in Amarillo that I was getting phở soup have gone out of business, so I devised a similar soup of my own.

I cook a buffalo steak and then save the pan drippings for this soup.

I use two box mixes:

       Thai Kitchen Bangkok Curry (Dry)
       Lipton's 'Recipe Secrets' Onion Soup Mix (Dry)

Sauté one fourth of a white onion that is diced finely.

During the onion saute process add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and two tablespoons of water.

Season with:

       Garlic powder
       Black Pepper
       Oregano
       Thyme
       Sweet Basil
       Bay Leaf
       Tabasco Sauce
       Worcestershire Sauce
       Oyster Sauce, one teaspoon (Brand: KA-ME, by Panos Brands)
       Add Buffalo steak pan drippings

Watch the liquid level and add just enough water to keep from scorching onions.

MEAT OPTION: I added some left-over pork roast at this point, about an 1/8 of a pound, shredded

After the onions are soft (20-30 minutes), add two cups of water and bring to a boil.

Add half of a package of Lipton's Onion Soup Mix (Two packages per box, so 1/4 of the box contents)

Simmer for 10 minutes
Add the dry powder and oil seasoning of the Thai Kitchen Bangkok Curry mix, stirring frequently to dissolve powder.

After a minute of stirring, add the rice noodles of the Thai Kitchen Bangkok Curry package.

Cook on high heat for 3 minutes with constant stirring.

Serves One

OPTION SPICE: Add sliced fresh jalapeño peppers if desired (I just happened to be out when I devised this recipe this morning)

Modified Thai Kitchen Bangkok Curry Instant Rice Noodle Soup

This is my modification for this store bought soup, Thai Kitchen® brand Bangkok Curry Instant Rice Noodle Soup

Prepare meat patties ahead of time. I use a 50:50 mixture of ground buffalo and pork sausage.

Each meat package I use is 1 lb, so there are a total of 2 lbs of mix mixed together to form 5 patties.

Cook meat patties on stovetop in a covered pan for about a half hour or longer until meat is thoroughly cooked. I start with a high flame then gradually lower the intensity turning the meat every five minutes.

I like to cut them up after they have been cold in the refrigerator over night. I prefer to cut the burger patty into 8 wedges like slices of pie, adding them into the soup after the noodles have softened.

Cook soup as per package direction eXcept use 1 1/2 cups of water instead of 1 cup

Use 1 1/2 quart pan

Extra Ingredients:

1/4 of a Red Bell Pepper - diced
Slice of Purple Onion 1/4 inch thick - then diced to about the size of a grain of rice
Meat Burger - I use a 50:50 mix of ground buffalo and pork sausage - divide burger into 8 pie shapes
3 thin slices of a jalapeno pepper - diced - approximately a tablespoon
2 leaves from Basil plant - diced - remove middle vein of the leaf

Season with Garlic Powder and Black Pepper

Dump all of the ingredients listed above into the soup after the noodles have softened.

Serve with a side container of Hoisin dipping sauce (Vietnamese)


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Thai Kitchen Website 

Uncle Ern's World Famous Soup

Start with one pound of regular ground pork sausage cooked and chopped into small pieces.

Drain most of the grease off meat.

Finely dice an onion, and saute with olive oil until translucent in a separate pan.

Seasonings can be added anytime after the meat has been cooked: Tabasco sauce, one teaspoon of sugar, pepper, oregano, garlic powder.

Then add one can of tomato soup and one small can of tomato sauce, mix that up

Add a can of Van Camp's Pork 'N Beans. Spend some time smashing the beans while mixing them into the soup. Puree part of the beans with a spatula.

Add enough water to keep it fluid, a little less than one can of the tomato soup can amount of water.

Add a half to full 15 oz can of Wolf brand chili, no beans. Adjust amount to your desired taste.

Add a slice of cheese off the end of a block of Kraft Mild Mexican Velveeta that is about a 1/4 inch thick.

The soup burns easily, so watch the amount of heat, stir often.

Add a small amount of Minute Rice, dry, into the soup, maybe a half cup, I use a small amount in my hand.

Double Broccoli Soup

Today's Soup !

1 can of Cream of Broccoli soup
1 can of Broccoli Cheese soup
1/4 pound of leftover chicken, shredded
1 cup of milk
1/2 can of water
1/2 of jalapeño pepper, diced
1/4 of red bell pepper, diced
couple tablespoons of diced purple onion
1/4 cup of frozen corn

Stir often, scorches easily Season with:
Black Pepper
Garlic Powder
Tabasco Sauce
Worcestershire Sauce

A Great Trail Mix

My new snack mix:

Combine in equal volumes:

A) Cashews
B) Nacho flavored Doritos
C) Garden Valley Veggie Wheat Thins

Bust the Doritos and Wheat Thins into 1/4 their original size.

I store the mixture in an old clear plastic container that cashews came in originally.

Bonus Day Candy Bar

This recipe is eXtremely simple. For an improved candy bar eXperience while eating a PayDay candy bar, grab a handful of cashews (halves) and pop some in your mouth before each bite of the candy bar. Chew them up just a little bit before taking a bite of the PayDay. Start off with just a few pieces of cashews at first and then keep adding until you find your optimum personal amount. I like 4 halves.

"My" Version of Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:

1 Can of Chicken Noodle Soup, 10 3/4 oz Campbell's Condensed
7 Saltine Crackers
1 "helping" of chicken meat, prefer thin sliced deli, already cooked, approx 1 oz (just however much you would put on a sandwich)
1 Slice of 2% Milk Pepperjack Cheese, 2/3 oz, Kraft

Season with pepper & garlic powder
Optional Ingredient: Dash of Worcestershire Sauce - try it both ways!

Heat soup in a pan that is around 5-6 inches wide, so that the slice of cheese will lay in it comfortably (don't put cheese in just yet, it goes on last)
Add only a half can of water to the soup.

Add seasonings

Chop up the chicken deli meat, add to soup. Mix.

Heat on med high heat until it begins to boil, then reduce heat to low.

Crunch up the crackers and sprinkle them on top of the pan of soup, do not mix, let the crackers be a layer.

Let the crackers have just enough time to get completely wet before placing the cheese on top. Do not mix.

Let the cheese heat up for three minutes before eating.

Eating straight out of the pan getting a little bit of proportional sized bits of cheese throughout the consumption of the soup.

Serving Size: Just right for one hungry person

ENJOY !!!