Best My Take On Sneaky Orange Puree Recipes

YA-KA MEIN (AKA "OLD SOBER")

Steps:

• 1. Fill a stockpot halfway with water. Add the beef base, seasoning salt, Cajun seasoning, onion powder, oil, pinch of salt and couple turns of the pepper grinder to the pot and whisk to mix up. Place the meat in the stockpot - the water should cover the meat plus about an inch. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is tender and begins to fall apart.
• 2. Remove the beef from the broth and using forks, pull it apart and return the shredded beef to the broth. Add salt and pepper, taste and adjust seasonings. Hold the soup over low until needed.
• 3. Meanwhile, boil the eggs, cool and peel them; set aside. Cook the spaghetti noodles according to package directions.
• 4. To assemble the soup, place a serving of spaghetti noodles in the bottom of a bowl. Use a slotted spoon to extract a serving of the shredded beef and add that on top of the noodles. Ladle the hot broth over the noodles and beef and garnish with green onions and half of a hard-boiled egg.
• 5. Dress it up with a few dashes of soy sauce, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce. Some folks also like to also add a bit of ketchup to theirs.
• 6. SLOW COOKER DIRECTIONS You can also prepare the meat in the crockpot - a good idea if you want to put this on before bedtime in the wee hours of post-Mardi Gras morning! Put the roast and seasonings in the crockpot cover and cook on high for 1 hour, then on low for 6 to 8 hours longer, or, cook on low for up to 10 hours, until meat is falling apart. Boil the noodles, eggs and assemble as above.
• 7. HISTORY, cont. Ya-Ka Mein is a N.O. dish made from a mix of noodles, meat, green onions and hard-boiled egg in a spicy salty broth with an Asian twist from soy sauce. Some dispute the origins of Old Sober in the N.O. area but it's believed that Yakamein was introduced when Chinese workers relocated there from south Louisiana plantations. Chinese immigrants were brought in alongside African slaves to work the railroads in the mid-1800's, and again later when more immigrants arrived to work the sugar plantations in Louisiana following emancipation.
• 8. The Chinese population settled into a section of town on South Liberty, near a newly established Chinese Mission. Soon shops, hand laundries, food markets, and eateries catering to the Chinese population expanded from the Mission and into the 1100 block of Tulane, creating a geographical hub for the Chinese community and what would become known as New Orleans Chinatown. It is believed that Yakamein grew out of this time in history.
• 9. If you're lucky enough to find the Ya-Ka Mein Lady serving this curbside in a local neighborhood, the broth is always ladled into a large styrofoam cup, then drained and repeated several times so that the hot broth will heat the cold noodles. It is then topped with half a hard-boiled egg and sprinkled with green onions. Here is a recipe so that you can have your own hangover cure on hand for a morning after a night to remember - even if you can't.

SNEAKY CHEF'S ORANGE PUREE

Steps:

• Boil covered carrots and sweet potatoes in a medium pot for about 20 min, until both are tender. (Make sure carrots are tender).
• Drain and put them in a food processor with 2 tablespoons of water.
• Puree on high until no chunks. Stop occasionally to circulate.
• Add water as necessary. (Less is better).
• Makes around 2 cups, stores 3 days in refrigerator. or freeze in 1/4 cup portions.

SNEAKY CHEF'S MAKE-AHEAD GREEN PUREE

Steps:

• Raw baby spinach is preferred to frozen spinach for this recipe (more mild flavor); if you must use frozen spinach, only use 1 cup of it.
• If using raw spinach, thoroughly wash it, even if the package says "prewashed."
• To prepare on the stovetop, pour about 2 inches of water into a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Put a vegetable steamer basket into the pot, add the spinach and broccoli, and steam for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the frozen peas to the basket for the last 2 minutes of steaming. Drain.
• To prepare in the microwave, place the broccoli and spinach in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with water, and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes, until very tender. Add peas for last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain.
• Place the vegetables in the bowl of your food processor along with 2 tablespoons of water. Puree on high until as smooth as possible. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water to smooth out the puree.
• This recipe makes about 2 cups of puree; double it if you want to store another 2 cups. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or you can freeze 1/4-cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.

SNEAKY CHEF'S ORANGE PUREE

Steps:

• In a medium pot, cover carrots and potatoes with cold water and boil for about 20 minutes until they are very tender.
• Drain the potatoes and carrots and put them in the bowl of food processor with two tablespoons of water.
• Puree on high until smooth.