One Sweet Hobby

Sriracha Chicken Strips With Garlic Noodles

2012-01-31T00:07:00.003+09:00

I bought some Sriracha at the grocery store and looked up some recipes for it and found these on this blog: http://jennsfoodjourney.blogspot.com/2010/04/sriracha-chicken-strips.html. They are very yummy and spicy but not too spicy! I will be making these again and paired with the garlic noodles this meal was a hit! The garlic noodles can be found here: http://budgetbytes.blogspot.com/2009/12/garlic-noodles-168-recipe-042-serving.html

Sriracha Chicken Strips
Adapted from Life's Ambrosia
Ingredients:
1/3 cup sriracha
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about a pound or a little more)
1 egg
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

In a bowl combine sriracha, rice vinegar and ginger. Stir in chicken pieces and coat completely. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place baking sheet you will be using in oven as it preheats. (this will help keep the bottom of the fish crispy). Spray a wire rack with cooking spray and set aside.

In one bowl beat an egg. In another bowl combine panko, kosher salt, pepper and garlic powder.

Remove chicken from marinade, dip into egg and then dredge into bread crumbs. Place breaded chicken on prepared wire rack. Repeat process until all chicken is coated.

Once all chicken is breaded bake for 20 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 minutes, the bread crumbs will brown slightly. Remove from oven, allow to cool slightly.
Enjoy!

Garlic Noodles

Ingredients:

8 oz. (1/2 lb.) angel hair pasta
4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 bunch green onions chopped
4 tablespoons butter (I used 2 tablespoons of I Can't Belive Its Not Butter but would use 3 tablespoons next time)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar (I used 1 tablespoon of Splenda brown sugar blend)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons oyster sauce (I didn't have any so I just put one tablespoon of Sriracha)

Directions:

In a large pot, bring water to a boil to cook the noodles according to the directions on the box (enough water to cover noodles, boil for approximately 5 minutes)
While the pasta cooks, mince the garlic and chop the green onions. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted and bubbly, add the garlic and onions and saute until they are soft but not browned.
While the pasta, garlic and onions are cooking, mix the oyster sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce and sesame oil together in a bowl.
Once the pasta is done cooking, drain it in a colander. Remove the skillet with the sauteed garlic and green onions from the heat. Add the drained pasta and oyster sauce mixture to the skillet and stir well to coat the pasta. If your pasta is stiff or sticky making it hard to stir, mix in a small amount (1/4 cup or less) of hot water to loosen them up.

Enjoy!

Sweet & Spicy Baked Chicken Wings

2012-01-30T23:45:00.006+09:00

I saw this recipe on another food blog that I follow and had to try it. I loved the fact that they were baked so that was an added bonus for me! These are a must try and a great idea for a Super Bowl party. You can find this and more great recipes on this blog: http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/sweet-and-spicy-chicken-wings/

Sweet and Spicy Baked Chicken Wings

Yield: about 6 servings

Ingredients:

3 pounds chicken wings and drums
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 cup honey, divided
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup Frank’s Red Hot
2 teaspoons Sriracha
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a large jellyroll or broiler pan with foil and place a metal rack on top of the foil. Spray rack with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Rinse the wings in cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

3. Arrange wings on metal rack and season with pepper.

4. Place wings in oven and set timer for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, remove the wings from the oven and brush the wings with ½ cup honey. Be sure to glaze both side of the wings, using metal tongs to turn.

5. Place wings back into the oven, set the timer for 30 minutes, and prepare the sauce.

6. In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, remaining 1/2 cup of honey, Frank’s Red Hot, Sriracha, cayenne, and garlic powder; whisk to combine.

7. While the wings are baking, periodically baste both sides of the wings with the sauce (about every ten minutes). Once the timer goes off, crank the heat up to 400 degrees F and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Notes:

- Lining your pan with foil will save you a lot of work, trust me, you don’t want to skip this step. Baked honey and a pan equals a hot mess!
- Control the level of heat by increasing or decreasing the amount of amount of cayenne and Sriracha.
- Things may get a little smoky during the last 15 minutes of cooking, so be sure to turn your ventilation system on.
- Sriracha is typically found in the ethnic aisle of the grocery store.

Enjoy.

Cream Sauce Pasta With Pancetta

2012-01-30T23:35:00.003+09:00

I had leftover pancetta from making the green beans so I thought I would try another one of Laura Vitale's pasta recipes that used pancetta in it. This was very yummy and the leftovers were just as good! Here is the link to her website: http://www.laurainthekitchen.com/arch/pasta_cream_pancetta.html

Ingredients:

Serves 4

8 oz of Pancetta, cut into small pieces
2 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Carton Chopped Tomatoes
1 lb of Pasta, preferably a tube shaped pasta
1 Tbsp of Fresh Parsley, chopped
½ cup of Heavy Cream
½ cup of Parmiggiano Reggiano, freshly grated

Directions:

1) Fill a large pot with water and give it a generous sprinkling of salt, bring to a boil.

2) In a large skillet with high sides over medium high heat, add the pancetta and cook for about 5 minutes or until golden and crispy around the edges, add the garlic and cook for 30 more seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened (this is the perfect time to add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to packaged instructions, drain a set aside.)

3) Once the sauce has thickened, add the heavy cream and cook for a couple more minutes.

4) Taste the sauce and season with a bit of salt and pepper, add the parsley and parmiggiano and give astir, add the cooked pasta and stir until the pasta is all coated with the creamy sauce.

Enjoy!

Banana Nut Bread

2012-01-30T23:07:00.005+09:00

What do you do when you have ripe bananas in the house, you make banana nut bread of course! This was a great way to make sure my husband had breakfast in the morning. I found this recipe from a food blog that I follow: http://www.joyofbaking.com/breakfast/BananaBread.html

Banana Nut Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup (115 grams) walnuts or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)

1 3/4 cups (230 grams) all-purpose flour

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 ripe large bananas (approximately 1 pound or 454 grams), mashed well (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place oven rack to middle position. Butter and flour (or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan. Set aside.

Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Let cool and then chop coarsely.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nuts. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. You do not want it smooth. Over mixing the batter will yield tough, rubbery bread.) Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. This bread can be frozen.

Makes 1 - 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf.

Tuna Onigiri

2012-01-30T22:39:00.004+09:00

One of my husband's favorite snacks in Okinawa was onigiri with tuna inside, that he would get from the convenient store. He hasn't had them since we have been here in Korea; which I am sure they have something similar but he isn't familiar with them here. I decided to try and make them for him. He liked them, which made me very happy! :)

Ingredients:
One small can of tuna
Mayo or Miracle Whip (in our house)
One cup and a half of white sticky rice, still warm
Two large sheets of seaweed
Salt
Rice seasoning (dried vegetables and seaweed) if desired

Directions:

Make your rice and measure out the rice (sprinkle your seasoning at this point) and divide it in half.
Make your tuna to your desired taste of mayo, salt, and if you want spice you can add cayenne pepper.
Get a bowl of water and place it at your work station.
Lay out one sheet of seaweed.
Get your hand wet so the rice doesn't stick to them. Grab half of the rice in one hand press down so it is a thin layer and make a well in the middle, put half the tuna in this well.
Start folding the rice over the tuna so you have the tuna in the middle and the rice on the outside.
Keep wetting your hands as needed.
Press the ball into a triangle shape by making a triangle with your first fingers and thumbs and shaping it.
Place your triangle on the sheet of seaweed on the top middle with the tip of the triangle at the top of the seaweed.
Fold the left corner down towards the right bottom and the right side towards the left bottom.
Pull the bottom up and tuck the sides in on each side.
Repeat these steps with the remaining rice, tuna, and seaweed.

Enjoy!!!

Meatloaf

2012-01-30T22:21:00.004+09:00

I remember back in 2006 watching the Oprah show when Billy Joel's then wife Katie made this recipe. I was never a huge meatloaf fan but, after trying it I was hooked! I normally cut the recipe in half and make a one pound meatloaf but you may want to just make the recipe as is. The leftovers can be frozen or you can make a meatloaf sandwiches! The recipe can be found on Oprah's site as well. http://www.oprah.com/food/Katie-Joels-Meat-Loaf

Meatloaf

Servings: Serves 6

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion , diced (about 3/4 cup)
1 clove garlic , minced (this time I roasted a head of garlic & used that instead of this step)
1 medium red pepper , finely diced (about 1 cup)
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 pounds lean ground beef
2 large eggs , lightly beaten
3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs or panko
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spray lightly with oil.

Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onions, garlic and bay leaf until the onions are tender, about 3 minutes. Add the red pepper and cook until the red pepper is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and thyme and cook for another 2 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and let the onion mixture cool. Discard the bay leaf.

In a large bowl, combine the beef, eggs, bread crumbs, 1/2 cup of ketchup, the Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper and the cooled vegetables. Use your hands to mix everything together.

Transfer the mixture to the center of the baking sheet and form into a loaf. Coat the meat loaf with the remaining 1/2 cup ketchup.

Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours (depending on the shape of your loaf), until the meat loaf is firm. Let set for about 5 minutes before slicing.

Enjoy!

Fettuccine Alfredo with Chicken & Balsamic Green Beans with Pancetta & Garlic

2012-01-03T22:49:00.009+09:00

Fettuccine Alfredo

Serves 2

Ingredients
8 oz Fettuccine
2 Thin Pieces of Chicken Cutlets
1 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste
4 Tbsp of Butter (I used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter Light)
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese

Instructions:

1) Bring a large pot filled with water up to a boil and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt. Add fettuccine and cook according to packaged directions. Drain the pasta once cooked and set aside.

2) Season both sides of the chicken with the garlic powder, onion powder and salt and pepper to taste.

3) In a medium non stick sauté pan with high sides, over medium high heat, melt the butter. Add the seasoned chicken and cook for a few minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from the pan and cut into bite size pieces.

4) In the same pan add the heavy cream and reduce it for 5 minutes. Add the parmigiano and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add the cut chicken and drained pasta. Give everything a big toss and dig in right away!

If you thought you could not get that rich and delicious restaurant quality fettuccine alfredo at home, you were so wrong! Fettuccine Alfredo is probably one of the easiest and inexpensive things to make and it always taste so much better when you make it yourself, that way you can control the quality of ingredients and the quantity of salt.

I think the next time I make this I will add peas.

Balsamic Green Beans with Pancetta & Garlic

Ingredients:

Fresh or frozen whole green beans, boiled for 3 minutes in salted water then drained
3 oz. pancetta chopped, it is easier to work with if you put it in the freezer for 30 mins. before cutting.
2 cloves sliced garlic
Red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt & Pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil

Instructions:

In a big skillet heat olive oil and add pancetta, cook for 3-4 minutes or until brown
Add red pepper flakes to taste and garlic, cook until the garlic is a golden color
Add 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and it get thicker.
Add green beans and stir
Season with salt and pepper and top with additional balsamic vinegar if desired.

Enjoy!

Crepes

2012-01-02T22:04:00.003+09:00

I love finding new recipes on Youtube because you can see people actually cooking things. I made these crepes on Christmas Eve after finding a great channel there. I have since made two other recipes from her channel that I will be posting and everything I have made has been amazing! Please do yourself a favor and check out her channel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIc2E3uvBMA

Crepes:

Ingredients

1 cup of All Purpose Flour
1 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
¼ tsp Salt
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp Melted Butter
1 cup Whole Milk

Preparation

1) Place the first 6 ingredients into a blender, and blend until smooth and no lumps appear.

2) Preheat a 9 inch non stick skillet (or a crepe pan) on medium heat and spray with the nonstick cooking spray. Using a ¼ cup measuring cup scoop the batter into the pan tilting the pan in a circular motion coating the surface evenly .(the crepes take about 30 seconds a side to cook) Continue the same process with the rest of the batter.

3) Once the crepes are all done, top with your favorite toppings.

Enjoy!

Cheeseburger Topped with Korean Sauce & Served with Sweet Potato Fries

2012-01-02T21:36:00.004+09:00

My husband and I wanted something different for our cheeseburgers. I love the sauce that I make for the Korean Fried Chicken and thought it might be good on a burger. I was not disappointed and would try it again.

Korean Sauce:

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Ketchup
2 Tbsp Honey or Corn Syrup(I used Corn Syrup)
1 Tbsp (Sugar, Finely Chopped Onion, Cooking Wine)
1 tsp (Red Pepper Paste, Mayonnaise (I used Miracle Whip), Sesame seeds)
1/2 Tbsp (Minced Garlic, Olive Oil)
1/2 tsp Sesame Oil
1 Pinch Black Pepper

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients and bring to a boil in a small saucepan. Once it starts to boil turn it down a little and cook until thickened.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pancakes Tipped with Homemade Caramel Sauce & Chopped Pecans

2012-01-02T21:33:00.006+09:00

I have a recipe for pumpkin pancakes and it calls for using the pancake mix in the box where you just add water. On Saturday morning my husband and I were so excited for these pancakes. I open the box and measure out one cup of mix, to my horror there are bugs!!!!! I was so upset but I was also so determined to make these pancakes. I saw that my new favorite place to get recipes, Laura In The Kitchen http://www.laurainthekitchen.com/arch/pumpkin_pancakes.html had a recipe for them and they were made from scratch. I did like this recipe very much and I paired it with my topping I normally make with my pumpkin pancakes, caramel sauce with chopped pecans. I am not a pumpkin fan but I do like these very much and it is awesome year round but especially during the holidays!

Pumpkin Pancakes:

Serves 3-4

Ingredients
1 cup of Flour
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Regular Sugar
½ tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
½ tsp Salt
½ cup of Evaporated Milk (you can use regular milk, just omit the water, this is what I did)
¼ cup of Water
1 egg
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
½ cup Pumpkin Puree

Preparation,

1) Preheat a griddle or a non stick skillet over medium heat and spray it with non stick cooking spray or brush it with melted butter.

2) In a large bowl mix together all of the dry ingredients and set aside.

3) In a medium bowl whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together to make sure everything is well combined.

4) Using a ¼ cup measuring cup, pour your pancake batter on the preheated and greased griddle.

5) Cook for about a couple minutes on each side or until cooked through.

6) Serve warm drizzled with homemade caramel sauce with chopped pecans.

Caramel Pecan Topping:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup light corn syrup

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 chopped pecans

Instructions:

Put all of the ingredient except the pecans in a saucepan.
When all the pancakes are done put them on individual plates.
Heat the sauce until it boils.
Remove from the heat and add the pecans.
Drizzle over pancakes.

Enjoy!

Skirt Steak In Galbi Marinade with Corn Tomalito & Vigo Spanish Rice

2012-01-02T21:30:00.002+09:00

Recipe Coming Soon...

Homemade Pepperoni Pizza

2012-01-02T21:27:00.001+09:00

I have been on a quest for the PERFECT pizza dough. I do have to say that this is the best I have tasted so far. The pizza that we made with this was delicious! I have one other one that I am going to be trying and I will share how that one is once I try it. I would recommend this one for sure! I can't believe it has taken me this long to make pizza at home. I will be doing it much more now that I know how easy it is and how much better than ones you order it is.
I found this dough recipe on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH1j7IwiTvw , this is great because you can see a video on exactly how to do it.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 tsp dried yeast (1 pkg.)
pinch of sugar
4 cups plain flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
extra oil for brushing

Directions:

1. In a bowl put the warm water & add a pinch of sugar then, add the yeast. Mix the yeast and water together and set aside for 5 minutes.
2. In a separate bowl add flour and salt, mix. Make a well in the middle of the flour and into the well add the olive oil then, the yeast mixture.
3. Don't stir the mixture but take a butter knife and drag it back and forth cutting into the mixture until it is mixed. (Until your ingredients are blended together, it will not be smooth)
4. Take your hands and mix the dough
5. Flour a working surface and knead your dough until it is soft.
6. In the bottom of a clean bowl coat with a light layer of olive oil and place your kneaded dough in the bowl and brush the ball of dough with some olive oil so you do not form a skin on it.
7. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it for 30 minutes in a warm area. I like to put mine in the oven with only the light on.
8. Roll your dough out and add your favorite sauce and toppings!

Enjoy!

Shepherd's Pie

2012-01-01T22:52:00.004+09:00

I had some leftover mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving and used them to make this. I came across a new recipe for mashed potatoes and here is the link to the blog where I found it . http://www.mylifeasamrs.com/2011/10/creamy-mashed-red-potatoes.html/img_2686 I normally just use butter, heavy cream, and salt & pepper but his new recipe called for sour cream. They were very good and I would use this recipe again. Check out the blog above, she has some really yummy looking recipes!

Creamy Mashed Red Potatoes

Ingredients:

3 pounds petite red potatoes
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter
8 ounces light sour cream (may sub regular)
4 tablespoons skim milk (may sub whole milk)
1-2 teaspoons salt
black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Rinse potatoes and add them to the bottom of a large pot (Note: if some of much bigger than the others, cut them in half). Cover with cold water and salt the water with 2-3 teaspoons of salt. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil until fork tender (a fork should pierce them easily). Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the potatoes.

Drain potatoes and them place into a large bowl. Add butter and beat with a hand mixer until potatoes are nice and crumbled. Add milk and sour cream and continue to mix until smooth, adding salt and pepper to taste. Make sure you salt them well - there is nothing worse than bland potatoes!

Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

Mashed potatoes prepared with the recipe above
1 white onion, peeled and diced
2 tsp garlic minced
1 pound ground beef
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 gravy pack
1 cup water

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas

*sorry for the spaces, blogger was giving me problems!

Directions:

1. Heat a little oil in a pan and saute the onion and garlic for a few minutes
2. Add the carrot and the ground beef (broken up)
3. Cook for a couple minutes and season with salt and pepper
4. Once the beef has browned add the gravy package with the amount of water it recommends on the back of the package.
5. Mix very well and bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and cook until it is thickened
6. Add the frozen peas and corn
7. In a 9 x 9 casserole or glass dish put the beef mixture and top with mashed potatoes so there is a good thick layer. With a fork run it across horizontally and vertically on the top of the mashed potatoes.
8. Top with cheese and bake in a 425 degree oven for about 15 or 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Enjoy!

Chicken Enchilada Soup

2012-01-01T21:16:00.004+09:00

As I have gotten older I have a new found love for soups. I also love the ease of cooking in a crock pot. I came across this recipe while searching for soups for Winter here in Korea. I am so glad I tried it, and I will definitely be making this again.
Here is the website I found it on http://realmomkitchen.com/463/chicken-enchilada-soup-and-my-top-10-soup-recipes/. I will also put the recipe below.

Chicken Enchilada Soup

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (I used the kind with sweet onion in it)
1 10-ounce package frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped yellow, green, or red bell pepper (I used red, which is my favorite pepper)
1 10-ounce can enchilada sauce (I used mild)
1 10.75-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups milk (I used skim)
1 cup shredded Pepper jack cheese (4 ounces)
2 chicken breasts

In a 3 1/2 to 5 quart slow cooker, combine drained beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, and bell pepper. Place 2 chicken breasts on top of mixture. In a large bowl, whisk together enchilada sauce and soup. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Pour sauce mixture over ingredients in cooker.Cover; cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Remove chicken and cut or shred into bite sized pieces. Add chicken back into soup. Top with pepper jack cheese and serve. Can also be topped with avocado, sour cream, or crushed tortilla chips. Note: if the soup is too thick for you, just add a little more milk after it’s all cooked.

Enjoy!

Tonkatsu

2012-01-01T20:50:00.004+09:00

My husband and I miss Japan very much. Lucky for us we have friends who live there and they send us things that we miss. We love the curry chain CoCo Curry. If you are ever in Japan you need to try them! They also have a restaurant chain all around the world. Our friends sent us some CoCo Curry instant curry that you can purchase in the restaurant. I paired it with some Tonkatsu (Panko Breaded Pork Cutlet). You can also eat Tonkatsu with a special sauce they make for it which is a Japanese Worcestershire Sauce. We like the Bulldog Brand the best.

Ingredients:

Pork Cutlets (1/4 inch in thickness)
Egg
Flour
Garlic Powder
Onion Power
Salt & Pepper
Panko Bread Crumbs
Vegetable or Canola Oil

Directions:

1. Trip fat off the the pork cutlets and season them on both sides with salt, pepper, onion & garlic powder.
2. Start heating your oil.
3. Put your flour, beaten egg, and panko in separate dishes. Season flour and egg with salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder.
4. With each piece of pork, dip it first in flour (shake off the excess), egg, then panko.
5. Fry each piece until golden brown and place on a paper towel to soak up any excess oil.
6. Top with Tonkatsu sauce or eat with curry.

Enjoy!

Creamy Balsamic Vinaigrette

2011-11-06T22:14:00.005+09:00

I was searching the internet for a balsamic vinaigrette and I came across this one here http://therecipesociety.blogspot.com/2009/09/creamy-balsamic-vinaigrette.html and thought it sounded good. It was very good but I ended up adding about a tablespoon and a half of honey to make it a little sweeter. I will definitely keep this one on hand but I am still in search of a balsamic vinaigrette that they serve here in Korea. The one here is sweet, garlicky, and salty. I will keep searching and reviewing them here.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp brown sugar
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp basic
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp parsley
1 1/2 Tbs. honey (I added this)

Directions:

Place all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. It if is too thick you can a add a few tsps of water until is is the desired consistency.
Store in airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
Enjoy!

Jello Pumpkin Spice Pudding Pie

2011-11-06T22:00:00.002+09:00

I was grocery store yesterday and they have all of their Thanksgiving foods out. This and Christmas are my favorite times of the year to go grocery shopping. I love all of the different and seasonal foods. There was a set up of Jello puddings with a recipe for Pumpkin Spice Pudding Pie which uses their seasonal Pumpkin Spice Pudding. I had to try it and I am so glad I did. My husband and I enjoyed this and even using the fat free milk and cool whip it was a great dessert! I would be a great alternative for Pumpkin Pie on Thanksgiving if you are watching your calories.

Ingredients

2 cups cold milk (I used skim milk)
2 pkg. (4 serving size) JELL-O Pumpkin Spice Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (8 ounce) tub COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed (I used fat free Cool Whip)
1 (6 ounce) HONEY MAID Graham Pie Crust
1/2 cup PLANTERS Pecan Halves
1 tablespoon honey

Directions

Beat milk, dry pudding mixes and cinnamon with wire whisk until well blended. Spread 1-1/2 cups onto bottom of crust.
Add 1-1/2 cups of the whipped topping to remaining pudding mixture; stir gently. Spoon over layer in crust; top with remaining whipped topping.
Refrigerate 1 hour. Meanwhile, cook pecans and honey in skillet on medium-low heat 2 to 4 min. or until pecans are caramelized, stirring frequently. Spread onto sheet of waxed paper, separating larger clusters. Cool. Sprinkle over pie just before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Filet Mignon with Mushroom-Wine Sauce Served with Twice Baked Potatoes

2011-11-06T20:26:00.006+09:00

Filet Mignon with Mushroom-Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

	1/2 lb Button mushrooms
	Vegetable cooking spray
	Cracked pepper
	1 1/2 c Dry red wine, divided
	2 ts Cornstarch
	Fresh thyme sprigs
	1 ts Dried thyme
	4 4-ozfilet Mignon steaks; about 1 inch thick
	1/3 c shallot; Finely chopped
	1 tb Margarine; divided
	1 tb Low-sodium soy sauce
	1 10.5-oz can beef consomme; undiluted and divided

Directions:

Melt 1-1/2 t margarine in a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add shallot and mushrooms; saute 4 minutes. Add 1 c wine and 3/4 c consomme; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove mushrooms, and place in a bowl. Increase heat to high; cook wine mixture 5 minutes or until reduced to 1/2 c. Add to mushrooms in bowl; set aside. Wipe skillet with a paper towel.

Sprinkle pepper over steaks. Melt remaining margarine in skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add steaks; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 1-1/2 minutes on each side or until done. Place on a platter; keep warm.

Combine soy sauce and cornstarch; stir well. Add remaining wine and consomme to skillet; scrape skillet with a wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute. Add mushroom mixture, cornstarch mixture, and dried thyme; bring to a boil, and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Serve with steaks. Garnish with fresh thyme.

Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 large baking potatoes
2 slices bacon
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
2 green onions, sliced, divided

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Clean potatoes and pat dry.
Lightly coat the potatoes with olive oil and kosher salt
Bake potatoes in preheated oven for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside. (I used Turkey Bacon and cooked it in the microwave).
When potatoes are done allow them to cool for 10 minutes. Slice potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop the flesh into a large bowl; save skins. To the potato flesh add sour cream, milk, butter, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 the green onions. Mix with a hand mixer until well blended and creamy. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins. Top each with remaining cheese, green onions and bacon. (I used light sour cream, skim milk, and fat free cheese. I recommend using low fat cheese because the fat free is very hard to melt as you can see in the picture. I also didn't have green onion on hand but it is delicious in the recipe!)
Bake for another 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Adapted from:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Ultimate-Twice-Baked-Potatoes/Detail.aspx

Bistec De Palomilla

2011-11-06T16:41:00.006+09:00

Being from South Florida, I miss Cuban food very much! Since there is no Cuban food in South Korea, I have to make my own. I made my favorite, Bistec de Palomilla and served it with Cuban style white rice and Cuban style black beans. You can find my recipe for black beans here on my blog. The recipe for the rice and steak are below. I hope you enjoy it as much as my husband and I did!

Bistec de Palomilla

Ingredients:

6-8 oz boneless steaks (top round) 1/4 inch thick
1/4 cup Naranja Agria or (substitute 2 parts lemon juice to 1 part orange juice)
2 tablespoons garlic minced
1/2 medium onion finely chopped
1-cup parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup lime juice
Olive oil

Directions:

In a mixing bowl combine the naranja agria, garlic, salt and pepper to make the marinade. Place the steaks in a deep baking dish in a single layer and sprinkle them with salt on both sides. Pour the marinade over the steaks, cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-hour.

Option 1 for the onions, if you like raw onion: Prepare the garnish in a medium bowl. Combine the parsley, chopped onion, lime juice and drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the mixture. Do not add to much olive oil or the topping will be too soggy. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside
Option 2 for the onions, which is what I did: Slice the onion and when you are done cooking the steaks, cook the onions with the leftover marinade. Cook until golden brown or your desired tenderness. I like mine cooked enough to take the bitterness out of the onion but still a bit crispy.
To cook the meat on a grill: Heat grill to high heat. Remove the steaks from marinade and grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side. Because the steaks are so thin, they will cook very quickly.
To cook the meat on the stove top: Heat skillet in between medium high and high heat, cook steaks about 2-3 minutes on each side.

Cuban Style White Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup extra long grain white rice, if you can find Goya brand that is great, I used Canilla which is a Goya product
2 cups water
1/2 Tbs. vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. salt

Directions:

While stirring, bring to a boil. Then reduce heat, cover and allow to simmer until water is absorbed. Normally 20-25 minutes.

Bring
Enjoy!

Bonless Porkchops with Homemade BBQ Sauce & Quinoa Fried Rice

2011-10-20T16:16:00.007+09:00

I have been wanting to try Quinoa for the longest time. The last time I was at the grocery store I just bit the bullet and bought some, not knowing how to cook it! I came home and searched the internet for a recipe and found one that I thought would be great. The original recipe was for Chicken Quinoa Fried Rice but I omitted the chicken and just made Quinoa Fried Rice. The recipe is here:
http://www.noshtopia.com/2008/06/recipe-quinoa-c.html

I also had some pork chops so I made a batch of our favorite homemade BBQ sauce. I made Emeril's Baby Back Ribs once and loved the BBQ sauce so much that it is our go to BBQ sauce! It's easy to make so I make a batch and save it in a container to use for other recipes. I decided to try the boneless pork chops in the slow cooker. I trimmed the fat off the pork chops and put come BBQ sauce and cooked it for about 6-7 hours on low and then while I was cooking the Quinoa I turned it to high to thicken the sauce. If the sauce doesn't thicken up you, can put it on the stove in a saucepan and turn it to high heat while constantly stirring until it thickens. The BBQ Sauce Recipe is here:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/oven-barbecued-baby-back-ribs-recipe/index.html

Enjoy!

Spicy Thai Chicken Bites

2011-10-20T14:03:00.004+09:00

If you remember back in May I made Korean Fried Chicken that had a delicious Korean sauce. The link to that is here:

http://onesweethobby.blogspot.com/2011/05/korean-fried-chicken-with-chicken-fried.html
I cooked the chicken the same way but changed the sauce. Here is what I did for the sauce: I used Sweet Thai Sauce and Hot Sauce (my favorite is actually Texas Pete and my husband's is Tabasco) but I used Louisiana Hot Sauce for this recipe.

In a wok or large saute pan add about 1/2 cup or more depending on how much sauce you want on the chicken.
Add as much of your favorite hot sauce to the your desired level of spicy.
Stir them together while heating the sauce until it starts to bubble.
Let it bubble for a couple minutes, turning down the heat if it starts to burn.
When the sauce is thick, add the chicken and mix until the chicken is well coated.

Enjoy.

We enjoy this chicken with some cold potato salad!

Taco Rice

2011-10-20T11:46:00.006+09:00

One of my favorite dishes while living in Okinawa was Taco Rice. It is a very popular dish there and you can find it all over the island. If you like tacos and you like rice you definitely need to try this dish! It is very quick and easy.

Ingredients:

Steamed white rice
1 pound ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning (I use Taco Bell)
1/2 cup warm water
Shredded cheese
Shredded lettuce
Diced tomatoes (I omitted because I don't like tomatoes)
Taco sauce

Directions:

In a rice cooker or on the stove make steamed rice
Brown the ground beef and drain
Mix taco seasoning with 1/2 cup of warm water, do not follow the packet instructions
Cook the beef until the taco seasoning is well absorbed
Now you are ready to start layering: steamed rice, taco meat, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and finally taco sauce.

* For the sauce:
In Okinawa they have a specific sauce they sell for Taco Rice (which I miss terribly). You can also use taco sauce or spicy ketchup if they have that where you live. Here in Korea they have Ketchup with Tabasco sauce in it. I personally prefer the taco rice sauce or spicy ketchup.

Enjoy!

Bibimbap (비빔밥)

2011-08-27T23:57:00.009+09:00

Here is another recipe I tried from Aeri. All of my Korean recipes I have posted here have been from you wonderful Youtube channel. I also found out recently that she has a blog with all of her recipes as well as step by step pictures and instructions. Please give her site a look and see if there are any other recipes you might like.

http://aeriskitchen.com/2008/12/bibimbap-%eb%b9%84%eb%b9%94%eb%b0%a5/#more-1105

Main Ingredients:

I made mine with everything except the last three ingredients. I personally don't like Kimchi or radish and my grocery store didn't have bean sprouts. You can really add any other ingredients that you like as well.

⅓ Onion
⅓ Carrot
⅓ Zucchini
⅓ Cucumber
2-3 Leaves Lettuce
½ Green Onion
1 Egg
1 Dried Seaweed
2 Bowls Cooked Rice
¼ Cup MooSaengChae (Radish-sidedish) you can find the recipe for this here- http://aeriskitchen.com/2008/09/korean-radish-side-dish/
¼ Cup Kimchi
2 Handfulls Bean Sprouts

Meat Ingredients:

¼ Cup Ground Beef
½ tsp Soy Sauce
½ tsp Sugar
½ tsp Cooking Wine
½ tsp Sesame Oil
1 Clove Minced Garlic
1 Pinch Salt & Black Pepper

Sauce Ingredients:

3 Tbsp Red Pepper Paste
¼ tsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Brown Rice Vinegar or Apple Vinegar
1 tsp Sugar
¾ tsp Sesame Seeds
1 tsp Sesame Oil
½ tsp Minced Garlic

The recipe also calls for Gosari but I omitted this because I do not like the taste. I am adding it here for those of you who want to know what traditional Bibimbap is made up of.

Gosari Ingredients:

1 Handfull Dried Fernbrake (GoSaRi)
¼ Onion
2 tsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil
½ Tbsp Olive Oil
½ tsp Minced Garlic

Directions:

In a bowl, mix ¼ cup of ground beef, ½ tsp of soy sauce, ½ tsp of sugar, ½ tsp of cooking wine, ½ tsp of sesame oil, 1 clove minced garlic, 1 pinch of salt, and 1 pinch black pepper all together. Set it aside while you are preparing the other ingredients.
Add the boiled bean sprouts, ½ tsp of sesame oil, and 1 pinch of salt. Mix well.
If you are using Gosari follow step 1. and 2., if you are not using it you can skip to the next step.

If you buy dried gosari, soak one handful of gosari in water over night. If the gosari is still not soft, then boil it in water until it becomes soft, before you fry it.
Cut it into 3 inch pieces. In a pan, add the gosari, ¼ of sliced onion, 2 tsp of soy sauce, 1 tsp of sesame oil, ½ tbsp of olive oil, and ½ tsp of minced garlic. Fry for 10 minutes.

Julienne ⅓ of a carrot and ⅓ of a zucchini to the same size.
Slice ⅓ of an onion thinly.
Cut ½ of a green onion thinly. Fry the green onion with a little bit of salt for 5 seconds.
In the same way, fry the onion with a pinch of salt for 20 seconds.
Fry the zucchini for 1 minute with some salt.
Fry the carrot for 30 second with some salt.
Fry the marinated beef until the beef is completely cooked.
Fry one flat egg with a pinch of salt. Slice it thinly.

If you are using Kimchi, follow the following two steps.

Cut ¼ cup of kimchi into small pieces.
Fry with a little bit of oil for 2 minutes. You can add a little bit of sugar if you want.

Cut 1 sheet of dried seaweed into strips with scissors.
Cut 2-3 leaves of lettuce thinly.
Julienne ⅓ of a cucumber thinly.
Add the radish side dish, MooSaengChae
To make the sauce, mix 3 tbsp of red pepper paste, ¼ tsp of soy sauce, 1 tsp of vinegar, 1 tsp of sugar, 1 tsp of sesame oil, ¾ tsp of sesame seeds, and ½ tsp of minced garlic.
In a large bowl, place 1 cup of cooked rice, all of the vegetables, kimchi, egg, and dried seaweed. Put the beef in the center. Then, pour 2-3 spoons of sauce on top of the beef. You can adjust the amount of the sauce, depending on how spicy you want it.
Mix all the ingredients together until well blended.

Enjoy!

Beef GalBi 소갈비

2011-08-05T22:08:00.004+09:00

This by far has been my favorite Korean dish. You can find the recipe along with step by step pictured instructions here: www.aeriskitchen.com. I find all of my Korean recipes on Aeris's website or her Youtube channel (aeriskitchen).

Main Ingredients:

2½ lb. Beef Ribs, also called Flanken Short Ribs (10 pieces)
1 Asian Pear (10 oz)
½ Onion

Sauce Ingredients

½ Cup Soup Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Cooking Wine
1½ Tbsp Minced Garlic
1 tsp Minced Ginger
1½ Tbsp Sugar
1½ Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
¼ tsp Black Pepper
3 Tbsp Finely Chopped Green Onions

Directions:

Soak 2½ lb of beef ribs in water for about 2 or 3 hours to get rid of the blood.
Change the water every hour when some of the blood leaches out. 2 or 3 hours later, rinse the ribs and drain the water.
Cut 1 Asian pear and ½ of an onion.
Grind the pear and onion together in a blender.
Pour the pear and onion mixture on to the beef ribs.
Mix the sauce with the ribs and set them aside for an hour. This will help get rid of the strong meat flavor and make the meat sweet and tender.
In a bowl, combine ½ cup of soy sauce, 2 Tbsp of cooking wine, 1½ Tbsp of minced garlic, 1 tsp of minced ginger, 1½ Tbsp of sugar, 1½ Tbsp Honey, 1 Tbsp of sesame oil, ¼ tsp of black pepper, and 3 Tbsp of finely chopped green onions. Mix everything until the sugar and honey dissolves.
1 hour later, pour the sauce mixture on the beef ribs and mix again.
Cover the ribs with plastic wrap and marinate them for a day in the refrigerator. Flip over all the ribs once or twice while it is marinating.
The next day, grill some of the marinated beef ribs with a little of the extra sauce on a heated pan or grill.
Cook them until the ribs are well done.
After they are cooked I like to put them in a 350 degree oven for about 5 or 10 minutes.
I also freeze half of them and reheat them in the oven. I actually like them the second time better. I like to cook them until they are really well done.

I LOVE this marinade and I am planning to try it on a different cut of beef. I will keep you all posted on how that works out.

Enjoy!

Beef Jap Chae (잡채)

2011-08-04T14:12:00.005+09:00

I thought of my husband when I saw this recipe and thought he would really like it. I was right he LOVED this recipe and I will definitely be making it again. I am not a spinach eater nor an egg eater but I can eat the spinach in this recipe. I will just leave the egg out of my serving. If you are interested in seeing step by step instructions with pictures please visit aeriskitchen's blog at the link below :
http://aeriskitchen.com/2008/12/japchae-%EC%9E%A1%EC%B1%84/#more-1125

Main Ingredients

⅓ Carrot
½ Onion
⅓ Sweet Pepper (Optional)
2 Eggs (Optional)
Olive Oil
Salt & Black Pepper

Beef Ingredients

1 Cup Beef
½ Tbsp Soy Sauce
½ Tbsp Cooking Wine
1 tsp Garlic
1½ tsp Sugar
A pinch of Black Pepper

Mushroom Ingredients

3 Dried Shiitake Mushrooms(I used button mushrooms)
1½ tsp Soy Sauce
½ tsp Sugar
¼ tsp Garlic

Spinach Ingredients

3 oz Spinach
1 tsp Soy Sauce
½ tsp Sugar

Noodle Ingredients

1 Handful (4.6 oz) Cellophane Noodles (Dang Myun)also called glass noodles
2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
½ Tbsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Olive Oil

Seasoning Ingredients

1½ Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
⅛ tsp Black Pepper

Directions

Cut about 4.6 oz (1 cup) of beef thinly
In a small bowl, mix the beef, ½ Tbsp of soy sauce, ½ Tbsp of cooking wine, 1 tsp of garlic, 1½ tsp of sugar, and 1 pinch of black pepper. Set it aside for at least 30 minutes. ( I left mine overnight)
If you are using shiitake mushrooms:Soak 3 dried shiitake mushrooms in the water for 3 hours, and then squeeze out the water.
Whether you are using the shiitake mushrooms or button mushrooms, remove the stems and slice the mushrooms thinly.
In a bowl, mix the mushrooms, 1½ tsp of soy sauce, ½ tsp of sugar, and ¼ tsp of garlic.
Add 3 oz of spinach in boiling water with some salt to keep the color green. Boil for about 30 seconds, and then rinse in cold water. (I used frozen leaf spinach and microwaved it)
Squeeze out the water.
Mix the cooked spinach, 1 tsp of soy sauce, and ½ tsp of sugar. Set it aside.
Cut ½ of an onion thinly. Julienne ⅓ of a carrot thinly. Slice ⅓ of a sweet pepper thinly.
In boiling water, add the noodles and boil for 3-4 minutes. Drain the water. The original recipe says to boil the noodles for 11 minutes but I was reading other recipes for Jap Chae and they all said to boil the noodles for 3-4 mins., and they came out good.
Fry the carrot for 10 seconds with a little salt. (I cooked mine for about one minute)
In a nonstick pan, add 2 Tbsp of olive oil, then add the noodles and stir them. Add 2 Tbsp of soy sauce, ½ Tbsp of sugar. Fry for 2 minutes or until the noodles are evenly colored by the soy sauce.
Cool the noodles. This makes the combination of colors and flavors be good and the noodles will be shiny.
To get better color for this dish: Separate the egg yokes and egg whites, and add 1 pinch of salt for each one. Beat the eggs. Fry and slice them thinly. (I just beat my yolk and egg whites together)
Fry the marinated beef until it is completely cooked.
Fry the marinated mushrooms until they are completely cooked.
In a lightly oiled pan, fry the onion for 20 seconds on high with a little bit of salt. Fry the sweet pepper and carrot for 10 seconds with a little salt. (I cooked both the onions and the pepper for a couple of minutes because I like my veggies a little bit more well done)
In a large bowl, mix all of the noodles, vegetables, and meat.
Add 1½ Tbsp of soy sauce, 2 Tbsp of sesame oil, 1 Tbsp of sugar, 1 Tbsp of sesame seeds, and ⅛ tsp of black pepper.
Mix all of the ingredients together, adding the egg last.

Enjoy!

Korean Beef Bulgogi (Korean BBQ) 불고기

2011-08-04T13:48:00.004+09:00

I am love trying different Korean recipes. I want to make the best of my time here in South Korea. Everything that I have made so far has been really good. I am learning what the staples are in Korean cooking: Sesame oil, Soy Sauce, Garlic, Onion, Green Onion, Sugar,and Gochujang (red pepper paste) depending on the recipe. I picked a recipe from my favorite Korean cooking Youtube channel, aerieskitchen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtVEasGxGpM&feature=relmfu . If you haven't check out her channel yet, you should really go take a look and try some of the recipes.

Meat Ingredients:

3 Cups Beef (Sirloin)
1 Onion
½ Carrot

Sauce Ingredients:

6 Tbsp Soy Sauce
3 Tbsp Sugar
3 Tbsp Asian Pear Juice
3 Tbsp Cooking Wine
3 Tbs Green Onion
1½ Tbsp Garlic
1 Pinch Ginger Powder
1 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
¼ tsp Black Pepper
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil

Directions:

Cut 3 cups of beef thinly
Julienne 2 carrots or 1/2 big carrot, mince 1½ Tbsp garlic, & chop the green onion
Slice the onion
In a bowl, combine: 6 Tbsp of soy sauce, 3 Tbsp of sugar, 3 Tbsp of Asian pear juice, 3 Tbsp of cooking wine, 3 Tbsp of green onion, 1½ Tbsp of garlic, 1 Pinch of ginger powder, 1 Tbsp of sesame seeds, ¼ tsp of black pepper, and 1 Tbsp of sesame oil. Mix everything together
In a large bowl, combine meat and sauce mixture together
Cover it with plastic wrap or put it in a container with a lid. Keep the container in the refrigerator for at least half a day or overnight
The next day, cook the marinated beef in a pan on medium-high heat, until the beef has completely cooked

Serve with rice or wrap in leaf lettuce.

Enjoy!

Tuscan Style Chicken Marsala

2011-07-21T22:42:00.005+09:00

I saw this in the spice isle of my grocery store and thought I would give it a try. It was great, very flavorful and the perfect amount of spice. I served it over No Yolk Egg Noodles but I am sure it would be great over spaghetti or angel hair pasta. I would not use the Egg Noodles again. I served the left overs with white rice and it was much better.

Penne A La Vodka With Chicken

2011-07-01T14:41:00.003+09:00

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, once around the pan in a slow stream
1 tablespoon butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 shallots, minced
1 cup vodka
1 cup chicken stock
1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)
Coarse salt and pepper
16 ounces pasta, such as penne rigate
1/2 cup heavy cream
20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over moderate heat. Add oil, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute shallots for 3 to 5 minutes to develop their sweetness. Add vodka to the pan, 3 turns around the pan in a steady stream will equal about 1 cup. Reduce vodka by half, this will take 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken stock, tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble and reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

While sauce simmers, cook pasta in salted boiling water until cooked to al dente (with a bite to it). While pasta cooks, prepare your salad or other side dishes.

Stir cream into sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove it from heat. Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves.

Mushroom Risotto

2011-07-01T14:38:00.004+09:00

Recipe from The Best Ever Low Fat cookbook.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp dried porcini mushrooms
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 fresh sage sprig, finely chopped (I omitted because I didn't have any sage)
generous 1 1/4 cups risotto rice
1/2 cup white wine
8 oz./ 225 g cremini mushrooms, sliced
3 cups hot vegetable stock
4 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
shavings of fresh Parmesan cheese for garnish

Instructions:

Put the dried porcini mushrooms in a small bowl and pour in the boiling water to cover. let soak for 30 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid. Using a sharp knife, chop the mushrooms and strain the soaking liquid through a coffee filter paper or cheesecloth-lined strainer.
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottom pan. Add the onion, garlic, and sage and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the rice and cook over low heat, stirring constantly to coat the grains and with the oil, for 3 minutes. Add the white wine and cook, stirring constantly, until it has evaporated. Stir in the porcini and cremini mushrooms, the mushroom soaking liquid and a large laddleful of the hot Vegetable Stock. Let simmer, stirring constantly, until all the stock has been absorbed. Continue adding the Vegetable Stock and stirring in this way for 20 minutes, or until all the stock has been absorbed and the rice is tender but still firm to the bite.
Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the Parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide the risotto between 4 warmed serving plates, garnish with shavings of Parmesan cheese and serve.

Enjoy!

Chicken Thighs In Mushroom Sauce

2011-07-01T14:36:00.005+09:00

I found this recipe on The Food Network. Gotta love Rachael Ray!
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/rosemary-grilled-chicken-thighs-and-wild-mushroom-sauce-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Coarse salt and black pepper
3 stems fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped
1 cup chicken
1-ounce dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 slices bacon, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large shallot, chopped
2 portobello mushroom caps, halved and thinly sliced
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup dry red wine

Directions

Heat a grill pan over high heat. Drizzle chicken thighs with oil, season with salt, pepper and rosemary. Grill chicken 5 minutes on each side and remove from heat to rest for 5 minutes.

Place stock in a small bowl and cover. Heat in microwave on high for 2 minutes. Remove stock from microwave with oven mitt. Add dried porcini to the dish and replace the cover. Steep porcinis in stock 5 to 10 minutes to reconstitute mushrooms. This may also be done on the stovetop. Simmer broth, and mushrooms for 10 minutes over low heat.

In a medium skillet, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, saute pancetta, crushed garlic and chopped shallot over medium heat for 3 minutes, to crisp pancetta at edges. Add sliced portobello mushrooms to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Saute mushrooms 10 minutes, or until dark and tender. Add flour and cook 1 minute. Add red wine to the pan and reduce by 1/2, about 1 minute. Add reserved stock and porcini mushrooms to the pan and simmer together 1 to 2 minutes longer to combine.

Slice chicken thighs and fan out on a plate. Ladle thick mushroom sauce down over sliced chicken and serve.

Chicken Parmigiana

2011-06-28T23:06:00.004+09:00

I use my homemade tomato sauce for everything Italian that I make. I had some sauce left over in the freezer so I decided to make Chicken Parmigiana. You can find my recipe for sauce under Meat Sauce Spaghetti here on my blog. Sometimes I make it with meat in it and sometimes I just omit the meat and make tomato sauce. Here is how I assemble my Chicken Parmigiana.

Ingredients:

Flour (I use whole wheat)
2 Eggs
Breadcrumbs I prefer an Italian seasoned (Vigo brand is the best). If you can't get them just add some Oregano & Parmesan cheese to them.
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast pounded down to about 1/4 inch in thickness
Olive Oil
Spaghetti (I used linguini because that is all I had on hand)
Shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Put the flour, eggs (beaten with a little bit of water), breadcrumbs in individual containers.
Season flour and eggs with salt and pepper
Start to heat your oil on the stove over Medium-High heat
Also start heating your water for your spaghetti and cook it al dente
Take a piece of chicken and dip it in the flour (shake off excess)
Dip the floured chicken into the eggs
Finally dip the chicken in the breadcrumbs and make sure they are well coated
When your oil is hot, fry each piece of chicken until golden brown
Remove the chicken from the oil and place it on a rack with paper towels underneath
When all your chicken is cooked and your spaghetti is done, mix some tomato sauce to coat the spaghetti well.
Place spaghetti into a 13 X 9 greased (with cooking spray), top with tomato sauce
Put the chicken cutlets onto of the spaghetti and top each piece with tomato sauce, then cheese
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until the cheese is brown

Enjoy!

Stuffed Peppers

2011-06-01T12:33:00.002+09:00

Ingredients:
4-6 Bell Peppers (color of your liking)
1 pound Ground Beef (in the picture the peppers are made with shredded chicken)
1 tablespoon Garlic Powder
1 cup Cooked Rice
1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper
1 tablespoon Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 tablespoon Grated Romano Cheese
2 Eggs
1 can Tomato Sauce (I use my own homemade sauce)
Bread Crumbs
Olive Oil

Directions:
* Cook rice and set it aside to cool off
* Cut peppers long ways & clean out the peppers
* Wash the peppers & let them dry
* Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
* Combine, ground beef, garlic powder, eggs, cooled rice, cheeses, and salt/pepper; mix well
* Stuff each pepper with the meat mixture
* Pour bread crumbs onto a plate
* Heat some olive oil in a skillet on medium/high
* Dip each pepper with the meat mixture side down into the bread crumbs
* Saute each pepper meat mixture side first in the skillet until golden brown
* Flip the peppers and saute on the outside for another minute
* In a 13 x 9 dish place the peppers breadcrumb side up and pour tomato sauce over them
* Fill the dish with water until it fills the pan halfway up the peppers
* Cover with aluminum foil and bake in your preheated 375 degree oven and bake until the peppers are fork tender, about 45 minutes to one hour.

Enjoy!

Korean Fried Chicken with Chicken Fried Rice

2011-05-31T17:09:00.007+09:00

I saw this recipe on my favorite Korean food blog on You Tube and had to try it. I had some leftover chicken in the freezer that I wanted to use up so I made some Chicken Fried Rice to go with it.

Recipe from "aeriskitchen" on You Tube.
http://www.youtube.com/user/aeriskitchen#p/u/87/a4rbnr1a7qo

INGREDIENTS

For the Chicken:
1 Chicken Breast
1/2 Tbsp Cooking Wine
3 Pinches Salt
2 Pinches Black Pepper
Oil for Cooking

For the Batter:
1 Tbsp Corn Starch for covering
1 Egg White
4 Tbsp Corn Starch
1/2 Tbsp Water (I ended up having to add more water until the batter thins out like in the video)

For the Sauce:
2 Tbsp Ketchup
2 Tbsp Honey or Corn Syrup(I used Corn Syrup)
1 Tbsp (Sugar, Finely Chopped Onion, Cooking Wine)
1 tsp (Red Pepper Paste, Mayonnaise (I used Miracle Whip), Sesame seeds)
1/2 Tbsp (Minced Garlic, Olive Oil)
1/2 tsp Sesame Oil
1 Pinch Black Pepper

Directions:

*Cut the chicken breast into half-inch cubes.
*Mix 3 pinches of salt, 2 pinches of black pepper, and ½ Tbsp of cooking wine with the chicken. Set it aside for about 10 minutes.
*Add 1 Tbsp of cornstarch to cover the chicken. That will help the batter stick better to the chicken.
*To make the batter, combine 4 Tbsp of cornstarch, 1 egg white, and ½ Tbsp of water.
*Put the chicken into the batter and mix.
*To make the sauce, mix 2 Tbsp of ketchup, 2 Tbsp of honey or corn syrup, 1 Tbsp of sugar, 1 Tbsp of finely chopped onion, 1 Tbsp of cooking wine, ½ Tbsp of minced garlic, ½ Tbsp of olive oil, 1 tsp of red pepper paste, 1 tsp of mayonnaise, 1 tsp of sesame seeds, ½ tsp sesame oil, and 1 pinch black pepper.
*Fry the chicken twice to make it extra crispy.
*When the chicken pieces are light brown, remove them from the oil.
*Fry them once more.
*Fry until they become golden brown.
*Cook the sauce on medium heat. Once the sauce starts to boil, cook 1 more minute on medium heat.
*Add the fried chicken into the sauce, and mix it well.
*Add 1 tsp of sesame seeds. If you do not want sesame seeds, you can use chopped peanuts instead.

Yield: 2 Servings

Ingredients:

I will share both of the ways I cook my fried rice with you here. The first version is the one shown above.

4 cups Cooked White Rice "Sticky Rice"
(Just a little tip the older the rice the better the fried rice, usually I make rice in a rice cooker & then keep it in the refrigerator for a day or two) This time I made my rice and cooked the Fried Rice right away.
1 Large Onion (Sliced to your desired thickness)
3 Medium Carrots (Sliced on the diagonal)
Soy Sauce (I used low sodium)
Sesame Oil
Vegetable Oil
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

*Heat 1-2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil in wok or big skillet
*Saute onions and carrots until onions are soft and browning a little
*Add garlic and saute for another minute until the garlic is fragrant
*Add cooked chicken and cook for another minute until the chicken or whatever meat you are using is warm
*Little by little add the rice to the wok and stir all ingredients together well
*Add soy sauce and sesame oil little by little and mix well after each addition
*Keep adding soy sauce and sesame oil until desired flavor, some people like it more salty and some like it with more sesame oil
*Add salt and pepper as needed

~This fried rice was just thrown together with stuff I had on hand. Another version is below.

A childhood friend of mine is Korean-American and I used to love eating over her house because her mother who is Korean is such a great cook! Her mother's fried rice is the best. I learned how to cook it but of course like any recipe you get from someone, it NEVER tastes as good as theirs. Taste if for yourself and see what you think.

Ingredients:

Meat (Pork or Chicken)cut into small cubes
Soy sauce
Sugar
Garlic Salt or Powder
Sesame Oil
Vegetable oil

1 Large Onion chopped finely
2-3 Medium Carrots chopped very finely (I put them in my food processor)
2-3 Green onions chopped
4 cups Cooked Rice

In a small container that you can seal, add meat, garlic salt/powder, salt, pepper, sugar (one teaspoon per handful of meat), soy sauce, and sesame oil. Add enough soy sauce and sesame oil to coat the meat well. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes but up to a day.

Chop all of your vegetables and have them all ready to go. Also have your rice on hand. Heat a little bit of vegetable oil in a wok, add the onions and cook until translucent. Add carrots and cook about 2 minutes. Remove carrots and onions and set aside. Put a little bit more oil in the wok and heat oil until hot, add meat and cook until it is done. Add green onion and cook for one minute. Add onions and carrots back to the wok with the meat. Little by little add the rice mixing well after each addition. When the rice is fully mixed add soy sauce and sesame oil. Mix a little at a time. Add salt and pepper. Keep adding soy sauce and sesame oil until the desired taste.

Enjoy!

Cheesy Chicken Stuffed Shells

2011-05-31T16:21:00.005+09:00

Adapted from Weight Watchers.

Ingredients:

12 shell(s) uncooked jumbo shells
1 1/2 cup(s) tomato sauce
(I make my own sauce,you can find the recipe on my blog under "Spaghetti & Meat Sauce" & omit the meat)
2 large egg white(s), lightly beaten
1 3/4 cup(s) part-skim cottage cheese
(original recipe calls for ricotta cheese but I don't care for ricotta cheese so I substitute with cottage cheese)
4 oz Chicken breast, I boiled mine & then shredded it
3/4 cup(s) chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained of excess water
1 tsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp ground oregano, or other Italian seasoning
3/4 cup(s) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded (shredded)
1/3 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Cook jumbo shells in boiling water according to the package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water to prevent them from cooking further. Set aside.

Coat a 9 x 13-inch pan with cooking spray. Spread 1/2 cup of sauce evenly over bottom of pan and set aside.

For filling, in a large bowl, stir together egg whites, cottage cheese, chicken, spinach, garlic powder and seasoning. Stir in 1/4 cup each of mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.

To assemble, spoon cheese mixture into jumbo shells and place filled shells in a single layer in baking dish. Spread remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses and bake about 30 minutes.

Yields 3 shells per serving.

Spicy Stewed Chicken with Vegetables (Dahk BokkeumTang 닭볶음탕)

2011-04-27T14:03:00.011+09:00

Main Ingredients:
* 1 Whole Chicken cut into pieces or 1 pound Boneless Chicken Breast(I use boneless)
* 2 Cups Onion, cut into quarters and slick thick
* 2 Cups Potato, cut into big chunks
* 1 Cup Carrot, cut into large slices
* 3 Green Onions, cut into one inch pieces on the diagonal
* 1-2 Hot Peppers (Optional) I omit
* 1 1/2 Cup Water

For Chicken:
* 1 Tbsp Cooking Wine
* 1/4 tsp Salt
* 1/8 tsp Black Pepper Powder

Sauce Ingredients:
* 5 Tbsp Red Pepper Paste (found at your local Korean store)
* 3 Tbsp Red Pepper Powder (found at your local Korean store)
* 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
* 1/2 Tbsp Cooking Wine
* 1 Tbsp Sugar
* 1 Tbsp Corn Syrup
* 2 Tbsp Minced Garlic
* 1 tsp Sesame Seeds
* 1 tsp Sesame Oil
* 1 Pinch Black Pepper

*Place chicken in a glass bowl and add the cooking wine, salt and pepper, Mix
*Clean and cut vegetables
*In a separate bowl mix the sauce ingredients until well blended
*In a large pot, place the chicken and vegetables in the pot, add sauce, then water and mix until well blended.
*Cook on Medium-High for about 30 minutes until the Chicken and Potatoes are cooked through.

Yield: 4 Servings

Enjoy!

Here is another recipe from the same YouTube channel I found the Spicy Pork recipe on. Here is a link to the channel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQLO8QPNOp0&feature=channel_video_title

Mongolian Beef

2011-04-25T21:36:00.005+09:00

Ingredients:

* 1 lb sirloin or flank steak

* Marinade:
* 1 egg white
* Pinch of salt
* 1 teaspoon sesame oil
* 1 tablespoon cornstarch

* Vegetables:
* 4 green onions, sliced on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
* 1 8-ounce can baby corn
* 1 garlic clove, minced

* Sauce:
* 3 TB hoisin sauce
* 2 TB water
* 1 TB dark soy sauce
* 2 tsp rice vinegar, or 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
* 1/4 tsp chile paste, or to taste

* Other:
* 1 tsp sugar
* 1 cup oil for frying beef
* 2 TB oil for stir-frying

Preparation:
Slice the beef across the grain into thin strips. Add the marinade ingredients in the order given and marinate the beef for thirty minutes. To prepare the vegetables, wash the green onions and slice on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces. Peel and mince the garlic. Rinse the can of baby corn with warm running water. Drain thoroughly. Mix together the sauce ingredients and set aside.

When the beef has finished marinating, heat the wok and add 1 cup oil. When oil is ready, add the beef and fry until it changes color. Remove the beef from the wok and drain on paper towels.

Clean out the wok with a paper towel, and add 2 tablespoons of oil for stir-frying. When the oil is ready, add the garlic. Stir-fry briefly, and add the baby corn. Add the green onions.

Make a well in the middle of the wok by pushing the vegetables up to the side. Add the sauce and bring to a boil, stirring to thicken.
Stir in the sugar. Add the beef and combine with the sauce and vegetables. Serve hot. Serves 4.

Spaghetti With Meat Sauce

2011-04-25T20:54:00.003+09:00

You will need:

28 oz. can pureed tomatoes
28 oz. can tomato sauce
1 large red onion, quartered then sliced
5 cloves garlic, crushed and minced
Fresh basil
6 Thin sliced boneless pork chops, fat trimmed
2 Rib eye steaks, fat trimmed
Olive oil
Red pepper flakes
Salt & Pepper

~ For a thicker sauce, use 2 cans of puree and omit the tomato sauce.

* Begin by chopping the onion, garlic, basil, and trimming the fat off the meat
* In a large pot heat the pan, add oil, when the pan is hot add onion and cook
on medium heat until caramelized, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and basil, cook for an additional minute until the garlic and basil becomes fragrant.
* Add tomato puree, sauce, red pepper flakes to your liking of hotness, salt & pepper
* Stir to mix and start simmering
* In a skillet, heat pan and add oil.
* Season meat with salt and pepper.
* When oil is hot on high heat sear meat on each side and place in the sauce pot.
* Simmer sauce for a minimum of 2 hours, the longer the better.
* Serve over your favorite pasta.

Enjoy!

Black Beans

2011-04-22T09:35:00.003+09:00

You will need:

1 large onion
1 large green pepper
3 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed, and chopped
3 tablespoons mojo sauce or 3 tablespoons vinegar (I use Mojo)
Olive oil for frying
2 or 3 cans plain, unseasoned black beans
1 bay leaf
3 teaspoons ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Make a sofrito by chopping onion and green pepper. Sauté onions and green pepper in olive oil until onions are translucent.

Add crushed and chopped garlic and sauté another minute or so. Take about one cup of beans and mash them to make a chunky paste.

Add this paste, the canned beans and the sofrito to a sauce pan. Add bay leaf, mojo, cumin, and let simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.

Serve over rice.

* If you are only cooking for 2-3 people, only use one can of beans and then half of all the other ingredients.

* I personally like my beans the thickness you see in the picture. If you see that the beans are too watery just cook on high heat while stir constantly until some of the liquid evaporates out and you have your desired thickness.

Enjoy!

Chicken Fajitas

2011-04-20T16:52:00.003+09:00

You will need:

Marinade:
1/8 cup lime juice
1/8 cup lemon juice
1/8 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic-crushed
3 teaspoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound boneless chicken breast

Mixture for vegetables:
2 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
dash of salt
dash of pepper

Vegetables:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 regular Spanish onion sliced
1/2 medium green pepper sliced thin
1/2 medium red pepper sliced thin
Handful of mushrooms sliced

~ Combine all ingredients for marinade in a seal-able container, add chicken, cover and refrigerate at least for 2 hours or overnight.
~ Combine water, lime juice, lemon juice, salt and pepper; set aside.
~ Grill meat over medium-high flame for 4-5 minutes per side. Flip the chicken when you see the outside of the chicken cooked.
~ Cut meat into strips, set aside and keep warm.
~ In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook onion, peppers, and mushrooms in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When browned add the reserved soy sauce mixture and add the chicken and toss to coat. Serve with flour tortillas and your choice of fajita fixings.

Chicken Katsu

2011-04-18T21:30:00.010+09:00

Chicken Katsu

You will need:

Boneless chicken breast
Flour
Panko bread crumbs
Eggs
Salt and Pepper
Garlic Powder
Vegetable Oil
Tonkatsu Sauce

* Pound the chicken breast until it is about 1/4 inch in thickness, season with salt and pepper.
* In three different containers put, panko, flour, and eggs. Season the egg with salt and pepper and season the flour with garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
* Pour oil in your pan you will be frying in and set it to medium high.
* While your oil is heating prepare the chicken by dipping each piece
in flour, egg, then finally into the panko bread crumbs.
* When all of your chicken is prepared fry until golden brown. When removing from the oil hold each piece up and let the excess oil drip off then place on a wire rack with a paper towel underneath to catch the oil.
* Once all of your chicken is done cut into strips and drizzle with tonkatsu sauce.
I use the Bulldog brand.
Enjoy.

* If you would like to try something different and make Tonkatsu replace the chicken with pork.

Spicy Fried Pork (Cheyuk-Bokkum)

2011-04-15T10:33:00.005+09:00

Since I am not doing any baking here in Korea, I figured I would share some of the meals I cook. I will do my best to post the recipes as well.

While searching the internet for some Korean recipes to try, I turned to YouTube. I came across this wonderful channel and found a few recipes to try. You should go and check it out...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wzsiY-i0xU

Spicy Fried Pork (Cheyuk-Bokkum)

Ingredients you will need:

2 1/2 cups of pork (boneless-shoulder or loin) sliced thin
1 Tablespoon of white cooking wine
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup sliced onion
2 green onions cut in 1 inch pieces
Green chili pepper and red chili pepper(if you want it extremely spicy!) I omitted.
5 Tablespoons red pepper paste (found in your local Korean market)
1 Tablespoon red pepper powder (found in your local Korean market)
1 Tablespoon soy sauce (I use low sodium)
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 Tablespoon sesame oil
Small amount of vegetable oil
Green leaf lettuce
White rice, sticky rice as I call it but it is the same as sushi rice. You can also find this at the Korean market

Add sliced pork, cooking wine, salt and pepper in a large glass bowl and mix well. Let sit until you are done preparing the rest ingredients. Next slice the onion, green onion, and mince garlic. In the bowl that you have your meat,add all remaining ingredients except the green onion and chili peppers if you are using them. Mix all of the ingredients well with two spoons or disposable gloves (you do not want to get it on your hands). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least three hours. To cook, heat a small amount of vegetable oil in a skillet. Cook pork until cooked, add green onion and chilies (if you are using them) cook for an additional 5 minutes. Serve with green leaf lettuce and white rice. To eat simply put some rice in your lettuce, then add some pork, wrap the lettuce and eat. You can also add kimchi or any sauce you want.

Enjoy.

Yield: 2 ~ 3 Servings

Peanut Butter Pie Take 2

2011-03-28T21:12:00.004+09:00

I had a late lunch with some friends so instead of baking something I decided to make a peanut butter pie. It is quick and easy, which is what you need with an infant in the house. Stay tuned, I will be updating later this week.

Bun In The Oven...

2010-12-22T16:05:00.003+09:00

The bun that was in our oven has fully cooked.

Life in Korea is going well. It is very cold here right now as you can see in the picture below. I am still not sure how much baking I will be doing here, due to my little oven and the baby. If I do happen to bake something I will make sure to post it here.

Keep checking in for updates...

Update...

2010-08-02T20:58:00.006+09:00

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. We have a couple of updates...

We just completed a move from Japan

to Korea

I am not sure how much baking I will be doing here because my oven is so tiny it reminds me of an Easy Bake Oven. If I do bake something I will definitely be sharing it with everyone here. I am sure there will be something I make.

The other reason is......

We are expecting our little blessing in November.

Stay tuned.

Mini Teddy Bear Cake

2010-05-19T22:49:00.002+09:00

お誕生日おめでとうございます- Sayo-san

My friend Sayo is having a birthday this month. I made her a Mini Teddy Bear Cake along with a dozen cupcakes.

Basketball Cupcakes

2010-04-13T09:44:00.002+09:00

Chocolate cupcakes decorated as basketballs.

Super Mario Mushroom Cake

2010-04-10T21:33:00.004+09:00

Happy Birthday Nathan!
The same little boy that requested the shark cupcakes, also received this cake for his birthday.

Shark Fin Cupcakes

2010-04-08T21:18:00.004+09:00

Birthday cupcakes for a little boy who loves sharks...
Happy Birthday Nathan!

Princess Cupcakes

2010-03-31T19:54:00.004+09:00

Little Girl's 1st Birthday

Sunflower Cupcakes

2010-03-31T19:52:00.002+09:00

Elmo Cupcakes

2010-03-31T19:40:00.008+09:00

Happy Birthday Jackson!

Minnie Mouse Cupcakes

2010-02-26T21:04:00.004+09:00

My friend's little girl is having her second birthday this weekend. She chose Minnie Mouse as her theme so I made some cupcakes for her party.

Happy Birthday Zoe!

Quiche

2010-02-11T18:10:00.004+09:00

My dear husband attended a Superbowl party this year, so I made a couple of quiche for him to bring. Since we live in Japan the Superbowl was shown at 8 a.m. I am not an egg eater (I know it is weird) so I have no clue how to make quiche. I turned to the internet as I often do and ended up on http://allrecipes.com/Default.aspx . I found this one recipe in particular that got great reviews http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Clarks-Quiche/Detail.aspx. I made the following changes to the recipe.
1. Changed the servings from 16 to 8
2. I used light sour cream, fat free cheddar cheese, half egg beaters/half eggs, light Parmesan, and fat free half and half. I also left out the olive oil and used cooking spray.
3. I didn't layer it as the recipe states, instead I went with the suggestions of others. I mixed all of the filling together, then divided it up between (2) 9 inch regular pie crusts. Finally I put the egg, half & half, and parsley mixture on top and baked.

*Next time I think I would make this with Turkey Bacon

The quiche was liked by all that tried it. My husband especially liked it but I think that is because his wife made it. (wink)

Baby Shower Cupcakes & A Diaper Cake

2010-02-01T23:36:00.003+09:00

A group of friends here in Japan are throwing a baby shower for one of us who is pregnant and due in March. In Japan they do not do "Baby Showers" so this will be the first for them. There will be games with prizes, punch, food, party favors, and gifts.
I made this little diaper cake as the centerpiece for the table.
I also made these cupcakes.

Strawberry Short Cake Cupcakes

2010-02-01T23:32:00.001+09:00

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cake

2010-01-13T20:53:00.004+09:00

Time again for another friend's birthday. Peanut butter cake was her request. I wanted to do do something different. I searched the internet and came across this amazing looking cake. If you are interested in the recipe it can be found here:

http://savorynotebook.blogspot.com/2005/08/chocolate-peanut-butter-crunch-cake.html

It was pretty simple to make yet time consuming. The taste however was AMAZING! My friends thought it looked like a Cheesecake Factory cheesecake. I would make this again for sure.

誕生日おめでとう Megumi-san

Coming Soon

2010-01-03T13:46:00.004+09:00

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crunch Cake

BBQ Baby Back Ribs

2010-01-03T13:27:00.006+09:00

I had to share these ribs that I made the other day with everyone. My friend gave me the instructions that had been given to her by her mother-in-law. I suggest you try these out you will not be disappointed!

Baby Back Ribs - cut into fours or threes (I got mine individually cut)
Sweet Baby Rays Honey BBQ Sauce
Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil (must be the heavy kind)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Cut a big piece of foil and smoother the ribs with barbecue sauce using a brush
Place ribs so the arch is facing down
Pull the top and bottom of the foil and fold down then fold each side to the center
Place on a lined baking sheet

Bake @ 350 degrees F for 45 minutes
then
Decrease the oven to 250 degrees F & continue to cook for another 3 hours

Enjoy!

Cheesecake Factory Cheesecake

2009-12-23T18:27:00.007+09:00

A friend of mine celebrates her birthday in the month of December. Her birthday cake request was for a cheesecake. Instead of baking a cheesecake, I thought it would be a great idea to get a variety of different slices of Cheesecake Factory cheesecake.

Godiva Chocolate & Dulce de Leche

Tuxedo Mousse (my fav) & Tiramisu

Mika-san お誕生日おめでとう

Holiday Baskets 2009

2009-12-17T21:55:00.006+09:00

After much debate, I finally decided what would make up my Holiday Baskets this year.

Soft Ginger Snap Cookies
Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies
Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
Snickerdoodle Blondies

18 dozen cookies later the finished product came out wonderful! Each year I look forward to making these Holiday baskets, giving a little bit of home away from home.

May all of my blog readers have a Happy Holidays and a very prosperous New Year!

2009-12-11T20:10:00.002+09:00

Stay tuned... Christmas Baking is coming soon!

A Wonderful Gift

2009-12-11T19:46:00.004+09:00

How cute is this cake server? A friend of mine who lives in Tokyo got this wonderful gift for me. I think it is the cutest thing! The funny thing is I didn't have one. I am now a proud owner of a very stylish cake server.

Kyokoサン本当にありがとう

Pumpkin Pie

2009-11-21T21:24:00.003+09:00

I am sorry it has been a while since I have updated my blog. I made my very first homemade pumpkin pie. I personally don't like pumpkin pie but my husband and friends loved it.

Hole In One Cupcakes

2009-08-29T21:37:00.009+09:00

Tyler's Ultimate Cheesecake

2009-07-31T17:13:00.003+09:00

I made this cake for a friend as a thank you for her kindness and helpfulness! When I asked her what she wanted for me to make for her.... Cheesecake was her response. So the time came for me to make my very first cheesecake. I looked up some recipes on the web and deceided on Tyler's Ultimate Cheesecake from the Food Network.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/the-ultimate-cheesecake-recipe/index.html

Thank you Megu for your friendship and for being so kind and helpful!

Perfect Party Cake Take Two

2009-07-28T20:33:00.004+09:00

I made that Perfect Party Cake for a friend that was celebrating her 18th Wedding Anniversary.

Happy Anniversary!

The Scoop On The Loop

2009-07-28T20:16:00.003+09:00

My friend and I tried this new little cafe here in Okinawa called "The Scoop On The Loop." I wanted to share the pictures with everyone because all the little details were so cute.

We both had Iced Coffees

Cute little ice pitcher

My friend's Cheesecake

My Black Sesame Chiffon Cake

Lemon Cupcakes With Rasberry Jam Filling

2009-07-14T20:18:00.007+09:00

Today we had a party for my friend's dog. My friend requested Lemon Cupcakes for us humans to eat. I looked up a cupcake recipe on Cassie's How To Eat A Cupcake blog and found these.

http://howtoeatacupcake.net/2008/02/lemon-and-black-raspberry-cupcakes.html

I topped mine with Scooby graham cracker cookies in the shape of bones. I am not a big fan of lemon flavored cakes but these were really good and refreshing. The cake in the picture below was made by the dog cafe we had the party at. Cafe Millet here in beautiful Okinawa, Japan.

http://millet.a-thera.jp/

Happy 3rd Birthday Bambi

Here is one of my furbabies at the party.

Perfect Party Cake

2009-07-12T20:44:00.006+09:00

My friend's birthday is this month, the birthday girl requested a cake with fruit. I searched the blogs I follow on a regular basis and found the recipe on this great blog http://therepressedpastrychef.com/2008/07/22/dories-perfect-party-cake-revisited/ The cake was so delicious! It had a light lemon flavor, plus my combination of rasberry and apricot jam filling made it perfect. I would recommend this cake to everyone! I will definitely be making it again.

誕生日おめでと

Nanako!

Dooney & Bourke Cake

2009-06-26T20:14:00.007+09:00

The customer's wife was getting a Dooney & Bourke purse for her birthday. What better way to highlight her special day than to have matching goodies to go with the gift.

My Little Pony Cupcakes

2009-06-15T12:24:00.004+09:00

Chocolate cupcakes with homemade buttercream topped with miniature My Little Ponies. Per request one of the cupcakes was filled with the pink frosting for a game at the party. Whoever gets the cupcake with the frosting in the middle will win a prize.

Kahlua Cupcakes With Chocolate Fudge Frosting

2009-06-08T23:03:00.005+09:00

Since I made my dogs a birthday cake for their birthday, us humans need something to celebrate as well. I found these Kahlua Cupcakes on this blog and they looked so yummy.

http://livinginthekitchenwithpuppies.blogspot.com/2008/09/cupcake-hero-kahlua-cupcakes-with.html

I made them exactly as stated on the blog and the cupcakes were a bit small. Next time I will make a batch and a half and fill the cupcake liners up more to make bigger cupcakes. The frosting is so yummy. I topped mine with chocolate covered espresso beans.

Doggie Birthday Cake

2009-06-08T22:50:00.006+09:00

My two dogs both have birthdays in June. Satchmo was two years old on June 4th and Fiona will be one year old on June 17th. We are going to celebrate their birthdays at a dog cafe (Cafe Leafmoon) tomorrow. Here is the doggie birthday cake I made them. It is a sugarfree cake made up of all healthy ingredients, yogurt in the middle, frosted with cottage cheese, decorated with carrots and peanut butter.

SAP Cakes

2009-06-04T17:28:00.004+09:00

My husband put in an order for two cakes for his staff. Half chocolate, half vanilla cake with homemade buttercream & their logo made out of fondant.

Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

2009-05-16T21:41:00.007+09:00

Sayo, 誕生日おめでとう

My friend's birthday is this month, her birthday request was cupcakes. I saw this recipe on one of my favorite blogs and had to make them...

http://mybakingaddiction.blogspot.com/2008/10/chocolate-cupcakes-with-peanut-butter.html

I used brownies and put the mini peanut butter cups in the middle. I did use the recipe for the peanut butter frosting. These were very yummy! If you like chocolate and peanut butter they are a must try!

Breakfast With The Boss

2009-05-13T22:15:00.014+09:00

My husband asked me to make some goodies for his job.

This is what I came up with.

Banana Nut Crumb Muffins

The recipe can be found on this wonderful blog:

http://mybakingaddiction.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-favorite-banana-crumb-muffins.html

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Crumb Topping

1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 10 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.
2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. 3. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, egg and melted butter. Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
4. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon. Cut in 1 tablespoon butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Recipe for this can be found another wonderful blog:

http://www.browneyedbaker.com/2009/03/13/sour-cream-coffee-cake/

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Yield: 8 to 10 servings

12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
3 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1¼ cups sour cream
2½ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

For the streusel:

¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ cup all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
¾ cup chopped walnuts, optional

For the glaze:

½ cup confectioners’ sugar
2 tablespoons real maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Finish stirring with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

For the streusel, place the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, and butter in a bowl and pinch together with your fingers until it forms a crumble. Mix in the walnuts, if desired.

Spoon half the batter into the pan and spread it out with a knife. Sprinkle with 3/4 cup streusel. Spoon the rest of the batter in the pan, spread it out, and scatter the remaining streusel on top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes. Carefully transfer the cake, streusel side up, onto a serving plate. Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and maple syrup together, adding a few drops of water if necessary, to make the glaze runny. Drizzle as much as you like over the cake with a fork or spoon.

Blueberry Crumb Muffins

Recipe at:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/To-Die-For-Blueberry-Muffins/Detail.aspx

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Sunflower Cupcakes

2009-05-13T22:11:00.005+09:00

Cookie Monster & Elmo Cupcakes

2009-04-29T22:01:00.006+09:00

Kids Cake

2009-04-26T22:34:00.004+09:00

Cake Bouquet

2009-04-24T21:26:00.005+09:00

1st Birthday For A Little Boy

2009-04-23T12:21:00.004+09:00

Coming Soon...

2009-04-23T11:55:00.006+09:00

Elmo & Cookie Monster Cupcakes

Easter Cupcakes

2009-04-12T17:03:00.006+09:00

Perfectly Chocolate Cupcakes With Java Meringue

2009-03-30T21:55:00.006+09:00

I was looking for a new cupcake recipe to try, and found one on How To Eat A Cupcake.

I have made this Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake before but didn't get a chance to try it. This recipe was good and with the very yummy Java Meringue. If you want to try this recipe you can visit:

http://howtoeatacupcake.net/2009/02/ironcupcake007-mocha-cappucino-hi-hats.html

Anpanman Cupcakes

2009-03-27T20:47:00.006+09:00

Chocolate cupcakes with homemade buttercream decortated with candy.

Orange Chiffon Cake

2009-03-23T22:19:00.016+09:00

This month I had two of my friends having birthdays. For one I made Peanut Butter Pie (in another post) and for the second birthday the requested cake was Orange Chiffon Cake. I made the same cake recipe as the Earl Gray Chiffon Cake (in an older post) that I found on http://beyondsalmon.blogspot.com/2008/03/earl-gray-chiffon-cake.html

but I changed some things.

My changes were as follows:

Wet Ingredients- 3/4 cups of freshly squeezed orange juice instead of Earl Gray Tea
Wet Ingredients- 1 tsp. of vanilla extract and 1 tsp. of orange extract
For the icing- 3 Tbsp. of orange juice instead of tea
For the icing- 1/2 tsp. of vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp. of orange extract
Note that in my icing I may have messed up by leaving the gelatin too long. When I came back I had orange jello, so I just mixed that with whipped cream and it made little beads of orange jello in the icing which was actually nice!

If you need a fool-proof recipe for chiffon cake, it is located in the link above!

Peanut Butter Pie

2009-03-23T22:04:00.008+09:00

Peanut butter pie recipe:

4 oz. Cream Cheese
1 cup 10x (powdered) sugar
12 oz. Cool whip
3/4 cup smooth creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup chopped peanuts
9 oz all ready made pie crust ( I use either Oreo, Vanilla Wafer, or Graham Cracker Crust)

Whip cream cheese until light and fluffy
Beat in 10x sugar
Add milk & peanut butter
Fold in cool whip
Pour into shell
Sprinkle top with peanuts
Chill for at least 8 hours to set

Not A Sweet... But Still My Hobby

2009-03-18T21:38:00.004+09:00

I normally only post my sweet creations on here, but what I made for dinner tonight was so good I had to share it. I had some boneless short ribs that I have never tried to cook before, so the search for a recipe began. I found a recipe which I had all of the ingredients for so I decided to go with it.

http://www.latimes.com/features/custom/holidays/la-fo-hanukkahrec5bdec05,0,6642536.story

*The only change I made was using beef stock instead of veal stock. *

I served it with steamed broccoli and

My husband was so pleased and said this was a definite do over. He also mentioned this was like an anniversary dinner! I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as we did.

Bon Appetit...

Coming Soon

2009-03-14T18:29:00.000+09:00

Anpanman Cupcakes

Box O' Chocolate Crinkles

2009-03-14T18:19:00.002+09:00

Chocolate Crinkles
½ Cup Vegetable Oil
4 Squares Unsweetened Chocolate
2 Cups Sugar
4 Eggs
2 Tsp. Vanilla
2 Cups Flour
2 Tsp. Baking Powder
½ Tsp. Salt
Confectionary Sugar

· Melt chocolate in a double boiler
· Mix melted chocolate, sugar, and oil
· Add one egg at a time while mixing
· Add vanilla
· Add dry ingredients
· Chill dough over-night in covered bowl
· Roll dough into balls (about the size of a ping-pong ball)
· Roll dough balls in confectionary sugar
· Place on a greased baking sheet
· Bake at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes
· Let cool on flat surface

Dr. Seuss Cake

2009-03-01T00:40:00.005+09:00

Homemade Chocolate Cake with Buttercream.

Custom decorated Dr. Seuss book design.

Too Much Chocolate Cake

2009-02-26T23:08:00.010+09:00

I am getting together with some friends on Saturday and I wanted to make a special treat. I found this recipe on:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Too-Much-Chocolate-Cake/Detail.aspx

It has great reviews so I decided to give it a try. It smells great and I will dust it with powdered sugar and post some updated pictures when that is done and the cake is cut.

**** UPDATE ****

Dusted cake with powdered sugar.

Here is the cake after it was cut. This cake was very moist and delicious!

Coming Soon...

2009-02-25T20:31:00.001+09:00

Mini Rum Cakes

2009-02-25T19:37:00.006+09:00

Basketball Jersey Cake

2009-02-20T23:18:00.013+09:00

Hello Kitty Cake With Polka Dots

2009-02-16T08:42:00.009+09:00

My friend's daughter turned one year this month.
I made her a vanilla cake, homemade buttercream, with fondant polka dots.
Happy Birthday Zoe-chan!!

Neapolitan Cupcakes With Strawberry Meringue Buttercream

2009-02-15T09:36:00.013+09:00

I like visiting:
http://howtoeatacupcake.net/2008/01/neapolitan-cupcakes.html

She has some really great recipes on there. I had to try these Neapolitan Cupcakes.

Spaghetti & Meatball Cake

2009-02-15T00:44:00.007+09:00

Homemade Red Velvet Cupcakes

2009-02-11T21:35:00.003+09:00

I found this recipe on http://howtoeatacupcake.net/2009/02/red-hot-velvet-cupcakes-w-boiled.html

It was very yummy and I loved the cinnamon frosting!