East Meets East LA

Now that my apartment is completely sans-Asian, I finally have the gall to attempt a dinner of that persuasion. My new Romanian roommate, Sinziana, donated a bag of rice noodles to the cabinet--so we made a vermicelli bowl. I definitely don't have all those weird oils and pastes that are typically added into Asian food, so I cut some corners. No jokes about this one: it's great.

Begin dish with bringing a large pot of water to boil on stove; prepare a large bowl of iced water next to it, and a colander not far from there. To blanch the vegetables, drop them in the boiling water; remove them when water begins to boil again; drop in iced water bowl, then drain. On a flat or iron skillet at a medium/low heat, cook about a half pound of medium shrimp and about a half pound of steak meat--I bought mine cut-up already--season with salt and lemon pepper.





Then blanch the following:
1 bunch asparagus (cut into 2-3-inch pieces)
3 small carrots (cut or grated into strips)
1 pkg or bunch bean sprouts.
1 large package rice vermicelli noodles

Drain well, then pile into a large bowl--add cooked shrimp and steak once cooled slightly. Add fish sauce.


Bring to boil 1 cup water, 4 Tbsp. rice vinegar, 4 Tbsp. sugar. Let cool, then add: 1 Tbsp. chopped garlic, 1 squirt hot sauce or 1 small chili pepper (chopped), and 5 Tbsp. fish sauce.

Garnish bowls with fresh cilantro, crunched peanuts, and peanut sauce: mix the following in small bowl or 2-cup measuring cup.


1/2 c. peanut butter (your choice on texture)
1 tsp. sugar
4 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. chopped garlic
Juice from a lemon
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. water

Mix with a fork and serve over vermicelli bowls--add water if sauce is too thin. Great with egg rolls, too!