Hot and Sour Soup with shrimp and tofu

If you live in Utah and the calendar says Saturday, October 30th, it is technically Halloween. We don't celebrate on Sunday so the trick or treaters go out on Saturday night. We usually don't get any kids because the church does a "trunk or treat" at the park. I've never been but I guess people decorate the trunk of their car and give out candy to the kids. Somehow the parents must feel safe about that, versus kids knocking on doors of people they don't know.
So, I decided to have Gayle and Mike and Steve over for dinner and experiment, once again, on them. Three new recipes, very brave of me! Since I had to work at the resort until 2 pm, it was like a week night so I picked recipes that were quick. The first thing I made was the dessert. Dark chocolate sorbet. Uber good but a little bit goes a long way! The noodles are super easy and would be a great weeknight side. Just hide the ramen noodle package. Steve gave me a really hard time about that! Unfortunately, Gayle was ill so she and Mike didn't make it, so I benefited with lots of leftovers. Yeah!! So, here we go!
Bon appetite and stay well until next time!

Hot and Sour Soup with shrimp and tofu
5 two cup servings

8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons each light brown sugar, minced fresh ginger and low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon each minced garlic and Sriracha sauce
4 cups shredded napa cabbage
2 cups sliced shitake mushrooms (3 1/2 oz.)
1 cup small-diced extra-firm tofu
1/2 cup minced red bell pepper
1 can sliced bamboo shoots, drained (8 oz.)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
12 oz. large shrimp, peeled, deveined and sliced in half lengthwise
1/2 cup bias-sliced scallions
2 serrano chiles, thinly sliced

Combine broth, brown sugar, ginger, soy sauce, garlic and Sriracha in a large pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.
Add cabbage, mushrooms, tofu, bell pepper and bamboo shoots; simmer 5 minutes.
Whisk together vinegar, lime juice and cornstarch in a small bowl for the slurry to thicken the soup. Return soup to a boil and stir in slurry. Boil soup until it's slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes.
Stir in shrimp and cook until opaque, about 3 minutes.
Serve soup with Cilantro noodles and garnish with scallions and serrano slices.
232 calories per serving

Cilantro Noodles
5 one cup servings

3 packages of ramen noodles (3 oz. each)
2 teaspoon canola oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
salt to tast
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Blanch noodles in boiling water in a medium pot, 3 minutes. Drain noodels and rinse with hot water. Use a salad spinner to remove excess water.
Heat canola oil and sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add shallots and saute until softened, 2 minutes.
Deglaze skillet with soy sauce, then add noodles, tossing to combine. Season noodles with salt; stir in cilantro right before serving.
206 calories per serving

Dark Chocolate Sorbet
serves 4 to 6

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
2 cups boiling water
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 teaspook vanilla extract
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream optional

Freeze the canister of an electric ice cream maker overnight.
Combine cocoa, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan and whisk in 1/2 cup of the boiling water. Stir to make a thick, smooth paste. Slowly whisk in remaining water and bring to a bare simmer over low heat. Turn off heat and add chopped chocolate and vanilla, Stir until chocolate is completely melted.
Chill mixture in a meal bowl set over ice water. Stir occasionally, until thoroughly chilled. Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufaturer's directions. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until desired consistency is reached.
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, if you like.