About Me!
I'm a busy stay-at-home mommy of a 2 year old monst-- er toddler. This is a blog about stuff I like to cook, including recipes and pictures. <3
recent entries
 Slow-Cooker Black Bean Soup
Giant V-day Candy Coated Sugar Cookies
French Croissants
Stovetop Popcorn - Way Easier Than Pie!
Trying out new things
Classic German Food
Not Exactly the Same Old Pumpkin Pie
Ginger Cookies
So easy its Cheesy... Yaki Onigiri
Little Pies
Messages
Archives
|
Nearly Effortless Mexican Style Dinner!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008 | Time: 10:11 AM
Having a (very demanding) 5 month old baby, I don't cook as much as I'd like. But I also don't want to have to eat out, which is expensive, or eat unhealthy food, which is.. unhealthy.. So this is one really easy recipe I came up with. Its almost not even worth calling it a 'recipe' because there are only two ingredents and just one step. This one is wonderful for a multi-tasking mom, I can hold the baby, talk on the phone, cook and clean, at the same time with this one ;)
I use boneless, skinless chicken breast for this because I buy them cheap in a bag, frozen. Fresh chicken is expensive, but you can substitute pork or beef or another kind of chicken such as thighs.
You could really put whatever you have on hand in this. Hot peppers, canned tomatoes, etc.
For 4 Servings
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2-3/4 jar of salsa (or picante)
Put chicken in crock pot (yes you can put it in frozen!) pour salsa over top. Add a little water, maybe a cup or so. Turn the pot on high for about 5 hours. Shred chicken with forks. Easy!
Serve on top of flour or corn tortillas with toppings you like - cheese, sour cream, guacamole,etc. You can use store bought guacamole, but I like the flavor better when I make my own. I dont really measure it so this is approximate - rule of thumb, just taste it ;)
 Easy, Very Tasty, Guacamole
2 ripe, medium size avocados
1 tsp minced garlic (or powder if you have that)
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1 tbsp lime juice (or lemon, but lime is nicer)
1/3 of a yellow onion, chopped very small
1 chopped, ripe tomato (optional)
Cut avacado in half, lengthwise (from stem to end, and around the other way, from end to stem) and twist open. Pull out the pit, scoop out the avocado into a bowl. Mash with a fork. Add garlic, salt, lime juice, onion and tomato (optional), stir to combine.
I like to put my avocados in the refrigerator, and eat the guacamole cold.
The Tofu Shake Diet!
Thursday, April 17, 2008 | Time: 6:26 AM
Every morning I have a tofu shake for breakfast! Its a fast, delicious, healthy way to start your morning off! My sister-in-law loves it too, and finds it very helpful in losing weight!
Lots of protein and vitamins, fiber too - excellent for the digestive system. Vegan/vegetarian, get your serving of fruit and calcium and everything all at once!
This is an inexpensive shake to make - 1 box tofu $1.25, 1 bag frozen fruit $6, 1/2 gallon soymilk $4, 1/2 gallon cranberry juice $3. For one person, this will last at least a week until you need to buy more tofu. The other ingredients, i find, will last at least 3 weeks making 1 shake every day!
I never really measured the ingredients, so I'm guessing here, just add enough liquid so its the right consistency (drinkable slush!).
 1/8 block of tofu
1/2- 3/4 cup soymilk
1/2-3/4 cup juice (i like cranberry, just make sure its 100% juice, no sugar added!)
a handfull of frozen fruit
Makes one big shake - could make two small ones easily.
The trick is to get everything in the blender the right way. Sometimes its hard to blend up whole, frozen fruit, so the way I do it is to add them in that order - with the fruit last, on top of the liquid. I guess it would be easier to use chopped fruit too, but I'm lazy :)
Anyways just put everything in, blend, and enjoy! This is just my 'recipe' but you can put anything you want in it, even fresh fruit if you have it on hand (though if you like the consistancy of a milkshake, you can add crushed ice). Ive tried spices like cinnamon, and even sugar free coffee flavoring syrup is delicious!
Great for on-the-go, keeps for a few hours in a insulated travel cup.
Yum! Sweet Potato Snack
| Time: 5:31 AM
A quick, healthy snack! Sweet potatoes have all kinds of goodness in them - including protein and vitamin C! An easy, quick, healthy meal - cook a sweet potato in the microwave till soft (in a paper/towel), add 1/4-1/2 a can of black beans, top with cheddar cheese (or cheese substitute if you are vegan). Given the time and inclination, you can of course bake the potato in the oven or roast it under some coals in a campfire... I used to eat this quite often while in college, poor, and vegetarian :) Delicious and healthy!
I quite like sweet potato 'fries' as a snack, or as a side with a meal like roast chicken or baked fish, etc. Would be a nice bento food because I think they're good room temperature too.
But don't forget to peel the skin, personally I find its too bitter with the skin on once its baked.
 Ingredients:
sweet potato
salt, pepper
olive oil
oregano
minced garlic
Peel and cut sweet potato into nice long strips, almost an inch thick. Toss them in olive oil with salt, pepper, and some dried herbs like oregano. Spread in one layer across a baking sheet or foil. Bake at 400 F (200 C) for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. When they look ready, I add a little minced garlic, then bake for another 2 minutes. Serve them nice and hot!
For a slightly quicker bake, you can just use a mixed pepper spice if you have it - I have some fajita seasoning that includes black pepper, garlic, onion powder and some other stuff. You could really go crazy with the spices, maybe some chili powder and serve with sour cream - the spicyness with the cream really sets off the sweetness of the potato.
Ez Perfect Chicken Teriyaki
| Time: 4:20 AM
I found this recipe on cooksillustrated.com - my new favorite cooking site! You do have to subscribe to get the good stuff (there are some free videos and recipes too), but it's well worth it! They test every recipe until they get it just right, so all of their creations are delicious. Well thats the theory anyway, so I'm trying them out to see - and so far, this first recipe I've made is excellent.
I had to aquire some mirin (rice wine vinegar), but I usually keep a bag of frozen chicken thighs ($5 at walmart) in my freezer. I used powdered ginger because I couldn't find any whole or minced! It was still yummy, but I think it would've been better with fresh ginger. Sometimes I really miss the west coast, they always have the right ingredients :)
I've been trying unsuccessfully to make this recipe for a while. I finally gave up, but when I found it on cooksillustrated, it seemed so straight forward I had to just try it. And I'm very happy with the results - its nearly exactly like proper teriyaki from my favorite teriyaki restaurant :)
Previously, I've tried with chicken breast, and it was always dry and funky. Its obvious to me, now, that it can really only properly be made with chicken thighs *duh* (the sweeter dark meat). And leaving the skin on to crisp under the broiler is genius! Sweet, juicy chicken with a crispy exterior.. and the mirin really makes the sauce, dont leave that out!
I can go on and on about how delicious this is, but you really have to try it for yourself!
This dish doesn't really need much with it, I serve it with rice and a little toasted pineapple (made under the broiler alongside the chicken). You could serve it with a side of salad.. but the chicken is really the only thing you'll want to munch, trust me!
(note: would make a great bento food, its great cold or hot)
This recipe serves Two.
| 4 | bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 5 ounces each), excess skin and fat trimmed; remaining skin slashed 3 times with paring knife |
| Ground black pepper | | 1/4 | cup soy sauce | | 1/4 | cup sugar | | 1/4 | teaspoon grated fresh ginger | | 1 | small garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1/2 teaspoon) | | 1 | tablespoon mirin | | 1/4 | teaspoon cornstarch |
1. Position oven rack about 12 inches from heat source; heat broiler. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper; set thighs skin side up on broiler pan (or foil-lined rimmed baking sheet fitted with flat wire rack), tucking exposed meat under skin and lightly flattening thighs to be of relatively even thickness. Broil until skin is crisp and golden brown and thickest parts of thighs register 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 20 to 26 minutes, rotating pan halfway through cooking time for even browning.
2. While chicken cooks, combine soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and garlic in small saucepan; stir together mirin and cornstarch in small bowl until no lumps remain, then stir mirin mixture into saucepan. Bring sauce to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced to 1/3 cup and forms syrupy glaze, about 4 minutes. Cover to keep warm.
(I added some toasted sesame seeds to the sauce, too - adds a little richness and extra crunch!)
3. Transfer chicken to cutting board; let rest 2 to 3 minutes. Cut meat crosswise into 1/2-inch- wide strips. Transfer chicken to serving platter; stir teriyaki sauce to recombine, then drizzle to taste over chicken. Serve immediately, passing remaining sauce separately.
Preparing the chicken - click on the picture for larger version
|
Nearly Effortless Mexican Style Dinner!
Wednesday, April 30, 2008 | Time: 10:11 AM
Having a (very demanding) 5 month old baby, I don't cook as much as I'd like. But I also don't want to have to eat out, which is expensive, or eat unhealthy food, which is.. unhealthy.. So this is one really easy recipe I came up with. Its almost not even worth calling it a 'recipe' because there are only two ingredents and just one step. This one is wonderful for a multi-tasking mom, I can hold the baby, talk on the phone, cook and clean, at the same time with this one ;)
I use boneless, skinless chicken breast for this because I buy them cheap in a bag, frozen. Fresh chicken is expensive, but you can substitute pork or beef or another kind of chicken such as thighs.
You could really put whatever you have on hand in this. Hot peppers, canned tomatoes, etc.
For 4 Servings
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2-3/4 jar of salsa (or picante)
Put chicken in crock pot (yes you can put it in frozen!) pour salsa over top. Add a little water, maybe a cup or so. Turn the pot on high for about 5 hours. Shred chicken with forks. Easy!
Serve on top of flour or corn tortillas with toppings you like - cheese, sour cream, guacamole,etc. You can use store bought guacamole, but I like the flavor better when I make my own. I dont really measure it so this is approximate - rule of thumb, just taste it ;)
Easy, Very Tasty, Guacamole
2 ripe, medium size avocados
1 tsp minced garlic (or powder if you have that)
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)
1 tbsp lime juice (or lemon, but lime is nicer)
1/3 of a yellow onion, chopped very small
1 chopped, ripe tomato (optional)
Cut avacado in half, lengthwise (from stem to end, and around the other way, from end to stem) and twist open. Pull out the pit, scoop out the avocado into a bowl. Mash with a fork. Add garlic, salt, lime juice, onion and tomato (optional), stir to combine.
I like to put my avocados in the refrigerator, and eat the guacamole cold.
The Tofu Shake Diet!
Thursday, April 17, 2008 | Time: 6:26 AM
Every morning I have a tofu shake for breakfast! Its a fast, delicious, healthy way to start your morning off! My sister-in-law loves it too, and finds it very helpful in losing weight!
Lots of protein and vitamins, fiber too - excellent for the digestive system. Vegan/vegetarian, get your serving of fruit and calcium and everything all at once!
This is an inexpensive shake to make - 1 box tofu $1.25, 1 bag frozen fruit $6, 1/2 gallon soymilk $4, 1/2 gallon cranberry juice $3. For one person, this will last at least a week until you need to buy more tofu. The other ingredients, i find, will last at least 3 weeks making 1 shake every day!
I never really measured the ingredients, so I'm guessing here, just add enough liquid so its the right consistency (drinkable slush!).
1/8 block of tofu
1/2- 3/4 cup soymilk
1/2-3/4 cup juice (i like cranberry, just make sure its 100% juice, no sugar added!)
a handfull of frozen fruit
Makes one big shake - could make two small ones easily.
The trick is to get everything in the blender the right way. Sometimes its hard to blend up whole, frozen fruit, so the way I do it is to add them in that order - with the fruit last, on top of the liquid. I guess it would be easier to use chopped fruit too, but I'm lazy :)
Anyways just put everything in, blend, and enjoy! This is just my 'recipe' but you can put anything you want in it, even fresh fruit if you have it on hand (though if you like the consistancy of a milkshake, you can add crushed ice). Ive tried spices like cinnamon, and even sugar free coffee flavoring syrup is delicious!
Great for on-the-go, keeps for a few hours in a insulated travel cup.
Yum! Sweet Potato Snack
| Time: 5:31 AM
A quick, healthy snack! Sweet potatoes have all kinds of goodness in them - including protein and vitamin C! An easy, quick, healthy meal - cook a sweet potato in the microwave till soft (in a paper/towel), add 1/4-1/2 a can of black beans, top with cheddar cheese (or cheese substitute if you are vegan). Given the time and inclination, you can of course bake the potato in the oven or roast it under some coals in a campfire... I used to eat this quite often while in college, poor, and vegetarian :) Delicious and healthy!
I quite like sweet potato 'fries' as a snack, or as a side with a meal like roast chicken or baked fish, etc. Would be a nice bento food because I think they're good room temperature too.
But don't forget to peel the skin, personally I find its too bitter with the skin on once its baked.
Ingredients:
sweet potato
salt, pepper
olive oil
oregano
minced garlic
Peel and cut sweet potato into nice long strips, almost an inch thick. Toss them in olive oil with salt, pepper, and some dried herbs like oregano. Spread in one layer across a baking sheet or foil. Bake at 400 F (200 C) for about 20 minutes, or until lightly browned. When they look ready, I add a little minced garlic, then bake for another 2 minutes. Serve them nice and hot!
For a slightly quicker bake, you can just use a mixed pepper spice if you have it - I have some fajita seasoning that includes black pepper, garlic, onion powder and some other stuff. You could really go crazy with the spices, maybe some chili powder and serve with sour cream - the spicyness with the cream really sets off the sweetness of the potato.
Ez Perfect Chicken Teriyaki
| Time: 4:20 AM
I found this recipe on cooksillustrated.com - my new favorite cooking site! You do have to subscribe to get the good stuff (there are some free videos and recipes too), but it's well worth it! They test every recipe until they get it just right, so all of their creations are delicious. Well thats the theory anyway, so I'm trying them out to see - and so far, this first recipe I've made is excellent.
I had to aquire some mirin (rice wine vinegar), but I usually keep a bag of frozen chicken thighs ($5 at walmart) in my freezer. I used powdered ginger because I couldn't find any whole or minced! It was still yummy, but I think it would've been better with fresh ginger. Sometimes I really miss the west coast, they always have the right ingredients :)
I've been trying unsuccessfully to make this recipe for a while. I finally gave up, but when I found it on cooksillustrated, it seemed so straight forward I had to just try it. And I'm very happy with the results - its nearly exactly like proper teriyaki from my favorite teriyaki restaurant :)
Previously, I've tried with chicken breast, and it was always dry and funky. Its obvious to me, now, that it can really only properly be made with chicken thighs *duh* (the sweeter dark meat). And leaving the skin on to crisp under the broiler is genius! Sweet, juicy chicken with a crispy exterior.. and the mirin really makes the sauce, dont leave that out!
I can go on and on about how delicious this is, but you really have to try it for yourself!
This dish doesn't really need much with it, I serve it with rice and a little toasted pineapple (made under the broiler alongside the chicken). You could serve it with a side of salad.. but the chicken is really the only thing you'll want to munch, trust me!
(note: would make a great bento food, its great cold or hot)
This recipe serves Two.
| 4 | bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 5 ounces each), excess skin and fat trimmed; remaining skin slashed 3 times with paring knife |
| Ground black pepper | | 1/4 | cup soy sauce | | 1/4 | cup sugar | | 1/4 | teaspoon grated fresh ginger | | 1 | small garlic clove , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1/2 teaspoon) | | 1 | tablespoon mirin | | 1/4 | teaspoon cornstarch |
1. Position oven rack about 12 inches from heat source; heat broiler. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper; set thighs skin side up on broiler pan (or foil-lined rimmed baking sheet fitted with flat wire rack), tucking exposed meat under skin and lightly flattening thighs to be of relatively even thickness. Broil until skin is crisp and golden brown and thickest parts of thighs register 175 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 20 to 26 minutes, rotating pan halfway through cooking time for even browning.
2. While chicken cooks, combine soy sauce, sugar, ginger, and garlic in small saucepan; stir together mirin and cornstarch in small bowl until no lumps remain, then stir mirin mixture into saucepan. Bring sauce to boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced to 1/3 cup and forms syrupy glaze, about 4 minutes. Cover to keep warm.
(I added some toasted sesame seeds to the sauce, too - adds a little richness and extra crunch!)
3. Transfer chicken to cutting board; let rest 2 to 3 minutes. Cut meat crosswise into 1/2-inch- wide strips. Transfer chicken to serving platter; stir teriyaki sauce to recombine, then drizzle to taste over chicken. Serve immediately, passing remaining sauce separately.
Preparing the chicken - click on the picture for larger version
|
about me
me me me me me meeeee....
|
blog roll
- your links here
|
about my site
This site was designed by BibiPiggy and edited by ME :o) Links to give credit:
stephanie | designer
wordpress | inspiration
evelyn's place | pixels
lovelycore | pixels
sweet-note | image
annabel | others
|
you have on hand in this. Hot peppers, canned tomatoes, etc.
Easy, Very Tasty, Guacamole
1/8 block of tofu
Ingredients:
