I love, love, love a spicy steak salad, or rather, an Evil Jungle Salad from Houston’s, or a spicy Asian Noodle Salad … the names can go on & on. These are generally just a bed of greens, some thin noodles, basil, mint and cilantro and thin sliced steak served with a nice spicy dressing. Some, like the one from Houston’s counterbalance the spiciness with avocado and mango slices which is delicious, but not mandatory. I am only giving the dressing recipe as the salad should be how YOU prefer…
1 lime
½ cup olive oil
½ cup soy sauce
3 tbs sesame oil
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 ½ tbs ground ginger or 3 tbs fresh grated
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Red pepper flakes to desired hotness
Cilantro, if available, chopped. Do NOT add until you are ready to serve the dressing, otherwise it gets icky.
Squeeze lime to get as much juice as possible into wide mouth jar that has a tight fitting lid. Add rest of ingredients, put lid on and shake, shake, shake. Add cilantro to jar and shake right before serving. I do not normally refrigerate as it firms up but I suppose you could/should.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Sesame Noodles
This is one of the things that Hubby requests that I make frequently. He just loves it for some reason. Princess does too but not The Boy. It’s easy and heck, a little different than normal.
1 lb box of spaghetti (thin or angel hair if you have, regular will work)
2 tbs sesame oil
½ cup soy sauce, preferably low sodium
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbs sugar
Handful fresh cilantro, ripped up
1 tbs ginger, grated (I discovered the stuff in the tube)
1 tsp chili oil (or again, the stuff in the tube!)
3 green onions, sliced
Handful (1 cup) pea pods, sliced in bite size pieces
Toasted sesame seeds
Cook pasta til al dente. Drain OVER the pea pods and rinse with cold water. Mix together sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, cilantro, ginger & hot chili oil in large bowl. Dump noodles with pods and toss to coat all. Add green onions and toss more. Chill til sauce is absorbed by noodles.
Ok, this is soooo easy to modify. You can add red pepper slices, carrot shreds, small broccoli, just about anything you want to make this more to your taste! Yummmmm
1 lb box of spaghetti (thin or angel hair if you have, regular will work)
2 tbs sesame oil
½ cup soy sauce, preferably low sodium
¼ cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbs sugar
Handful fresh cilantro, ripped up
1 tbs ginger, grated (I discovered the stuff in the tube)
1 tsp chili oil (or again, the stuff in the tube!)
3 green onions, sliced
Handful (1 cup) pea pods, sliced in bite size pieces
Toasted sesame seeds
Cook pasta til al dente. Drain OVER the pea pods and rinse with cold water. Mix together sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sugar, cilantro, ginger & hot chili oil in large bowl. Dump noodles with pods and toss to coat all. Add green onions and toss more. Chill til sauce is absorbed by noodles.
Ok, this is soooo easy to modify. You can add red pepper slices, carrot shreds, small broccoli, just about anything you want to make this more to your taste! Yummmmm
Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
I can't believe it but I've had this recipe for 2 years. To actually hold on to the paper that long ... wow. Originally came from FoodTv - Ellie Krieger, I believe, but of course, modified to suit our taste.
1/2 cup soy sauce (I use the super thick stuff)
3 tbs brown sugar
4 tbs sherry
4 tbs rice wine vinegar
1 tbs sesame oil
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 large piece (about the size of the garlic)ginger, grated
dash of red pepper flakes (to taste)
sesame seeds (optional)
2 pks of b/s chix thighs (I generally use costco brand and there are 5per pack but lately have been doing the bone in thighs for cost reasons.)
Mix marinade all together, pour over the top of chicken in baking dish. Let marinate in fridge for 1 to 8 hours.
Heat oven to 375, bake covered for about an hour (we like our chicken well done, and thighs really do need to cook longer). Take foil off around last 15 minutes, sprinkle with sesame seeds & cook til chicken & seeds are golden (don't burn the seeds!)
Make the sesame noodles to go along and enjoy!
1/2 cup soy sauce (I use the super thick stuff)
3 tbs brown sugar
4 tbs sherry
4 tbs rice wine vinegar
1 tbs sesame oil
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 large piece (about the size of the garlic)ginger, grated
dash of red pepper flakes (to taste)
sesame seeds (optional)
2 pks of b/s chix thighs (I generally use costco brand and there are 5per pack but lately have been doing the bone in thighs for cost reasons.)
Mix marinade all together, pour over the top of chicken in baking dish. Let marinate in fridge for 1 to 8 hours.
Heat oven to 375, bake covered for about an hour (we like our chicken well done, and thighs really do need to cook longer). Take foil off around last 15 minutes, sprinkle with sesame seeds & cook til chicken & seeds are golden (don't burn the seeds!)
Make the sesame noodles to go along and enjoy!
Red Sauce (spaghetti sauce)
This is a sauce that taste awesome, but you really must let it simmer away for several hours ... I generally make it on a Sunday, serve some that night & freeze the rest in 2 ziploc bags for 2 to 5 more meals (depending on number of people).
2 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 to 1.5 lbs of italian sausage, remove from casing
3/4 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp marjoram
1 large bay leaf, break in thirds (don't forget if an extra piece falls in!)
6 oz can of tomato paste (I've used 12 by accident, just add a little water)
6 regular size cans of either tomato sauce, crushed or diced (your choice, I use sauce as hubby hates chunky cooked tomatoes)
1 can water
salt & pepper to taste
1/3 c fresh basil, juilenned (have forgotten so many times that I don't know what the difference is)
In medium size stock pot, heat oil. Saute onions & garlic 1 minute or so, then add sausage and cook, breaking up as it cooks.
Cook, stirring occasionally til sausage is cooked, but not overly so. If there is too much fat at bottom of pan for your taste, drain and then add rest of ingredients, except the fresh basil, stir to combine. Bring to a boil, stirring all the while. Reduce heat to low simmer til just bubbling (perking). Simmer, uncovered 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
After an hour, stir in fresh basil (if you happen to remember!).
Serve, freeze, etc.
2 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 to 1.5 lbs of italian sausage, remove from casing
3/4 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp marjoram
1 large bay leaf, break in thirds (don't forget if an extra piece falls in!)
6 oz can of tomato paste (I've used 12 by accident, just add a little water)
6 regular size cans of either tomato sauce, crushed or diced (your choice, I use sauce as hubby hates chunky cooked tomatoes)
1 can water
salt & pepper to taste
1/3 c fresh basil, juilenned (have forgotten so many times that I don't know what the difference is)
In medium size stock pot, heat oil. Saute onions & garlic 1 minute or so, then add sausage and cook, breaking up as it cooks.
Cook, stirring occasionally til sausage is cooked, but not overly so. If there is too much fat at bottom of pan for your taste, drain and then add rest of ingredients, except the fresh basil, stir to combine. Bring to a boil, stirring all the while. Reduce heat to low simmer til just bubbling (perking). Simmer, uncovered 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
After an hour, stir in fresh basil (if you happen to remember!).
Serve, freeze, etc.
Chili Cheese Dogs
I always forget how easy these are to make and how happy everyone is with them. They are gooey and make a great patio meal.
1 pkg of hot dogs. Any type will do
1 can of no bean chili
1 bag of cheddar cheese, shredded
1 pkg of hot dog buns
Now that you have the difficult list of ingredients down, lets cook.
Steam hot dogs til cooked. I use my bamboo steamer, but you can use a steamer rack, or if you prefer, fry them up in a skillet with a bit of water. Please, do not EVER boil your dogs.
Heat the chili on low heat.
Place buns in large baking dish. Open each one up a bit and put the dog in … push down as you will need room on top.
Top each dog with some chili (as little or as much as you’d like) and then liberally spread each with cheese.
Toast under broiler til the cheese is melted. If desired, you can top with onions, tomatos, peppers, whatever, before serving. Scoop out with a large spatula or spoon as they will be really gooey but oh so yummy.
1 pkg of hot dogs. Any type will do
1 can of no bean chili
1 bag of cheddar cheese, shredded
1 pkg of hot dog buns
Now that you have the difficult list of ingredients down, lets cook.
Steam hot dogs til cooked. I use my bamboo steamer, but you can use a steamer rack, or if you prefer, fry them up in a skillet with a bit of water. Please, do not EVER boil your dogs.
Heat the chili on low heat.
Place buns in large baking dish. Open each one up a bit and put the dog in … push down as you will need room on top.
Top each dog with some chili (as little or as much as you’d like) and then liberally spread each with cheese.
Toast under broiler til the cheese is melted. If desired, you can top with onions, tomatos, peppers, whatever, before serving. Scoop out with a large spatula or spoon as they will be really gooey but oh so yummy.
Tacos
This is not really a recipe as I do not make my own taco mix seasoning. I know, I know. But it’s just so much easier to buy the little packet and I can get them on sale fairly cheap. I do prefer the El Paso brand over others. I don’t know what it is. Maybe the color of the meat after it cooks?
I use ground turkey. Ground chicken if I can find it on sale. Will use ground beef, but it must be the 93/7 ratio. I just hate that fat in the bottom of the pan that needs to be drained out after cooking.
I use flour tortilla shells. Nope, don’t make these from scratch either. I have but it is a little time consuming, in my opinion and they just don’t taste that great. I suppose if I applied more effort and such, they could be better, but I do NOT have the time lately. Just wrap up in a damp cloth napkin and zap in the microwave for about 30 seconds to warm them up.
Gotta have diced onions, tomatos and Franks Hot Sauce. I use the Vidalia onion chopper thingy for the onions and tomatoes. Piece of cake.
Shred the lettuce by cutting the iceburg in half, take out the core, and then thinly slice. Doesn’t need to be perfect, but should be fairly thin.
Ahhh lets see, what else? OH. Cheese. Uh huh. Generally we use sharp cheddar, already shredded (that would be why the freezer inventory turned up 8 bags), but have used Mexican blend. Not sure whats up with that stuff though, didn’t particularly care for it, too much artificial taste.
Sour cream. I'm the only one in this house that likes sour cream on tacos.
Also, we always serve with chips & salsa. Salsa from a jar on nights like this. Since I almost always turn the leftovers into a taco salad for lunch then next day, I need all the extra leftover tomatoes for that!
I use ground turkey. Ground chicken if I can find it on sale. Will use ground beef, but it must be the 93/7 ratio. I just hate that fat in the bottom of the pan that needs to be drained out after cooking.
I use flour tortilla shells. Nope, don’t make these from scratch either. I have but it is a little time consuming, in my opinion and they just don’t taste that great. I suppose if I applied more effort and such, they could be better, but I do NOT have the time lately. Just wrap up in a damp cloth napkin and zap in the microwave for about 30 seconds to warm them up.
Gotta have diced onions, tomatos and Franks Hot Sauce. I use the Vidalia onion chopper thingy for the onions and tomatoes. Piece of cake.
Shred the lettuce by cutting the iceburg in half, take out the core, and then thinly slice. Doesn’t need to be perfect, but should be fairly thin.
Ahhh lets see, what else? OH. Cheese. Uh huh. Generally we use sharp cheddar, already shredded (that would be why the freezer inventory turned up 8 bags), but have used Mexican blend. Not sure whats up with that stuff though, didn’t particularly care for it, too much artificial taste.
Sour cream. I'm the only one in this house that likes sour cream on tacos.
Also, we always serve with chips & salsa. Salsa from a jar on nights like this. Since I almost always turn the leftovers into a taco salad for lunch then next day, I need all the extra leftover tomatoes for that!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Pantry Food - Blackbeans with Corn & Chicken
This came from my local paper, http://www.sunsentinel.com/ as a way to make something yummy using our hurricane supplies, kind of funny as it’s pretty tasty and I make it about once a month! I generally make it for lunches or quesadillas
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can corn, no salt if possible, drained
4 scallions, thinly sliced, about ½ cup
1 red/yellow or orange pepper, diced
1 can of chicken, drained (or ¾ lb / 3 cups cooked chicken), cut into bite size pieces
Juice of 2 limes (3 tbs)
¼ cup olive oil
1 tbs ground cumin
Salt & pepper to taste
Diced tomatoes (optional, but highly recommended)
Baked tortilla chips, optional
Avocado, optional (diced)
In large bowl, mix all except chips & avocados. Chill 30 minutes or one day ahead. Mix to redistribute dressing and top with chips & avocado if using.
This is really good to use as a filling on quesidillias, just omit the chips & avocado, use a little cheese on the tortilla shell and grill up.
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can corn, no salt if possible, drained
4 scallions, thinly sliced, about ½ cup
1 red/yellow or orange pepper, diced
1 can of chicken, drained (or ¾ lb / 3 cups cooked chicken), cut into bite size pieces
Juice of 2 limes (3 tbs)
¼ cup olive oil
1 tbs ground cumin
Salt & pepper to taste
Diced tomatoes (optional, but highly recommended)
Baked tortilla chips, optional
Avocado, optional (diced)
In large bowl, mix all except chips & avocados. Chill 30 minutes or one day ahead. Mix to redistribute dressing and top with chips & avocado if using.
This is really good to use as a filling on quesidillias, just omit the chips & avocado, use a little cheese on the tortilla shell and grill up.
Shark Chips
Another simple recipe to use with the fryer.
Take your taters, scrub them well (or peel if desired).
Slice them super thin using a mandolin. Honestly, you need to either use the mandolin or your food processor as they need to be almost paper thin.
Toss in a bowl of cold water til ready to cook.
When ready to fry, drain and place on towel, dry off as well as possible, make sure there is not any excess water.
Heat oil to 375 and cook batches til crispy.
Drain, place on platter and lightly salt. We make a little dippy sauce using a bit of ketchup, ranch dressing and a touch of mustard.
These are really yummy, almost like potatoe chips but much more tasty!
Take your taters, scrub them well (or peel if desired).
Slice them super thin using a mandolin. Honestly, you need to either use the mandolin or your food processor as they need to be almost paper thin.
Toss in a bowl of cold water til ready to cook.
When ready to fry, drain and place on towel, dry off as well as possible, make sure there is not any excess water.
Heat oil to 375 and cook batches til crispy.
Drain, place on platter and lightly salt. We make a little dippy sauce using a bit of ketchup, ranch dressing and a touch of mustard.
These are really yummy, almost like potatoe chips but much more tasty!
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