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February 18, 2015

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Appetizers, Fish, Recipes

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Crab Cups

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I know that I said that I would get back to doing this now that my life has settled down again, but for some reason, I just haven’t. Well, I am going to say it again and hope it sticks this time.  I recently made a crab appetizer that I have done a few times now with the help of Jenn.  It was really her idea about a year ago to make these for a dinner party, but we ate them without taking pictures, so there’s no record of that.  Coincidentally, I also made them for a dinner party this go around and took pics for good measure.  Now, they aren’t the greatest pictures (and there is no plating) as I was running late to the party (fashionably late of course). We originally got the recipe from here.  And each time, I tweaked it a little to fit my needs better.  They are definitely easy to make and so far, both dinner parties enjoyed them a lot.  My colleague actually just asked me for the recipe.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 pkg of flour tortillas, cut into drinking glass rim-sized circles
  • 1 8oz pkg soft cream cheese
  • 2 (6 ounce) can crab meat, drained (original recipe calls for 1, but c’mon…)
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
  • 2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 pinch paprika

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Directions:

  • *this is where I made some tweaks* The original recipe called for biscuit dough, which I have tried and it just turned out too doughy and took away from the whole dish.  This time I tried little circles of flour tortillas, which turned out to be a lot better
  • Brush the tortilla circles with a little bit of melter butter or olive oil and press into a muffin/cupcake pan
  • Bake the tortillas at 375 degrees for ~10 min or until golden brown and crispy
  • At the same time, mix the cream cheese, crab meat, mayo, parmesan, cheddar cheese, green onion, and Worcestershire sauce in a mixing bowl
  • Place a spoonful of the mixture into each tortilla bowl (still in the muffin pan) and garnish with a dash of paprika
  • Bake at 375 degrees for ~15-18 minutes
  • Take them out and enjoy with some friends/impress some coworkers

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January 27, 2015

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Dessert, Recipes

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Fruit Tart

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I haven’t posted in a while because I have been traveling over the past few weeks, but decided it was time to post something again.  Every year my family does a joint dinner, where we all cook a dish (appetizer, main, side/vegetable, dessert).  They are assigned randomly, but we do it so that you get all 4 before we go around again.  This year was the start of a new cycle and lo and behold, I drew dessert.  Not exactly my forte, as you notice, most of the desserts on here are courtesy of my sister.  But, if nothing else, I am up to a challenge.  So I couldn’t decide what to make (leaning between a creme caramel and fruit tart), but I kept coming back to a fruit tart and just decided to go for it. I got the recipe from here.  In the end I think it turned out pretty good and it looked pretty too, which is always a plus.

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Ingredients:

  • Quiche/tart pan with removable bottom
  • 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened and sliced
  • 8oz package cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar, separated
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Fresh strawberries
  • Fresh kiwi
  • 1 can peaches
  • 1 oz can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

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Directions

  • For the crust, combine the confectioners’ sugar, flour, and butter in a food processor
  • Press the dough into the tart pan filling the bottom and into the ridges, making sure it is as even as possible
  • Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes until lightly brown
  • Filling: Whip the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla together until smooth and even
  • Spread the filling over the crust evenly
  • Cut the strawberries and kiwi into thin slices
  • Arrange the strawberries, kiwi, and peaches to your liking on the tart
  • To make the glaze, combine the limeade, cornstarch, 1/4 cup sugar, and lime juice in a small saucepan over medium heat
  • When it is clear and thick (stirring occasionally), let it cool for a minute or 2
  • Brush the glaze over the tart and refrigerate until ready to serve

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January 1, 2015

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Dessert, Recipes

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Creme Brûlée

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We had family dinner again at our apartment and my sister again had dessert.  This time she got ambitious and decided to make a creme brûlée.  This required me to buy the ramekins and torch, which I was happy to oblige because why would I turn down buying a torch?  So there was a package deal at Bed Bath and Beyond that came with 4 ramekins and a torch.  Turns out that the ramekins are freaking tiny and basically useless.  Good thing I had the souffle ramekins, so we decided to use those.  Turned out to be great dessert and super interactive as everyone got to torch their own before eating (which left everyone wanting to torch other stuff, but that could have been dangerous).  She got the recipe from the Food Network.

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Ingredients

  • 1 qt heavy cream
  • 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
  • 1 cup vanilla sugar, divided (we used regular sugar)
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 2 qts hot water

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Directions

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees
  • Over medium heat, boil the cream, vanilla bean and its pulp
  • Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes (also remove the bean)
  • Whisk together 1/2 cup sugar and egg yolks in bowl
  • Slowly add the sitting cream, stirring continually
  • Pour the liquid evenly into the ramekins (will fill about 8)
  • Place the ramekins in a roasting pan
  • Pour enough hot water into the pan until the water level comes half way up the ramekins
  • Bake until the creme brulee is set (~40-45min) but still soft in the center
  • Remove the ramekins and refrigerate for ~2hours
  • Take them out of the refrigerator and let sit for ~30 min
  • Cover the tops of the creme brulee with sugar, making sure there is a fairly even coat over the top
  • Torch the crap out of it (or however much you want)
  • Let sit for a minute and enjoy!

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December 22, 2014

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Appetizers, Meat, Recipes, Sides

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Stuffed Bell Peppers

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So the other day I decided to try something that a year ago I would never have done – a stuffed bell pepper.  1) because I never stuffed anything before and 2) I never really ate whole bell peppers – just wasn’t my thing.  I can’t even tell you what got me thinking to do this, I just decided to I guess…weird.  It was a simple meal with limited ingredients and turned out decently.  It could also be an appetizer now that I think about it. Could have probably used more cheese and salt though.

Ingredients

  • Large bell peppers, halved
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 2 cups cooked rice (brown/white/your choice)
  • Shredded cheese of your choice (amount of choice too)
  • Salt and pepper
  • Paprika

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Instructions

  • In a large sauté pan, add a little oil and cook the ground pork
  • Salt and pepper generously and continue to cook
  • Add the cooked rice into the pan and continue to mix and cook (you don’t have to add all the rice, your choice)
  • Add more salt and pepper as needed
  • Place the bell pepper halves on a large baking sheet
  • Fill the halves with the pork/rice mix to desired fill
  • Top with as much cheese as you want
  • Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 10-15 minutes
  • Top with a dash of paprika, and then eat it, duh

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December 15, 2014

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Appetizers, Meat

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Carne Asada Tacos

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I don’t know about you, but I love me some Mexican food – tacos, burritos, tortas, I’ll eat them all.  But tacos (like those $1 ones you get from a cart) have a special place in my heart.  With that being said, I decided to try my hand at making some carne asada tacos (turns out its more expensive to make than to buy probably).  They actually turned out pretty good though.

Ingredients for asada:

  • 1 lb skirt steak (I cut them into pieces that would fit on my grill)
  • 2 oranges, juiced
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 1 handful finely chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 serrano chile, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tbsp vinegar
  • salt and pepper

Ingredients for salsa

  • 4 ripe tomatoes
  • 1 serrano chile
  • 1 lime
  • 1/2 white onion
  • handful of cilantro
  • salt

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Other ingredients:

  • tortillas
  • white onion, chopped
  • cilantro, chopped

Directions:

  • Mix all the ingredients in a large ziplock bag and let it marinate for ~30-45 minutes
  • On an oiled grill over medium heat, cook the steak until your desired doneness (I like med-med rare)
  • let rest for 10 minutes, then cut into slices
  • Meanwhile, put the ingredients for the salsa in a food processor and pulse until liquidy
  • Heat the tortillas in a slightly oiled pan, place the meat slices on the tortilla
  • top with chopped onions, cilantro, and salsa and enjoy!

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December 4, 2014

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Pasta & Noodles

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Sesame Peanut Noodles

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So it has been FOREVER since I last posted, and by forever I mean 2 months.  That doesn’t mean I haven’t been cooking, but these past 2 months have been crazy.  So here is a simple vegetarian asian noodle dish I made a little while ago.  I actually got the recipe from the comments section of this Yahoo! Food article.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb noodles (I used a thin Chinese noodle)
  • 1 red bell pepper, slice
  • 1 cucumber, julienned
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1/4 cup rice vinegar
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 Garlic Cloves
  • 1 green onion, chopped

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Directions

  • Boil the noodles and drain
  • Slice the bell pepper and chop the green onion and set aside
  • In a food processor, blend the peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, and garlic together
  • Add the water and blend again
  • Add over the noodles and mix thoroughly
  • Add the bell pepper and green onions

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October 4, 2014

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Meat, Recipes

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Pork Chops with Amber Peach Chutney

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I realized that it has been awhile since I last posted. Life has been really hectic and I havn’t had a chance to cook too much beyond fast and simple things. But a little while ago, I had some peaches and decided to make pork chops with what I guess would be my take on a peach chutney. It uses beer, which is always a good thing, but it comes out more like a sauce I guess than an actual chutney. Either way, whatever you want to call it, it was pretty good.

Ingredients

  • Pork Chop (thick cut)
  • 2 yellow peaches, pitted, cut into slices
  • 6 oz amber ale
  • 1/4 tbsp butter
  • Kosher salt and pepper
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1/2 yellow onion
  • spinach

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Directions

  • Salt and pepper the pork chops
  • Fry the chops in a skillet over medium heat, then transfer to a plate and tent with foil
  • In the same skillet, cook the peach slices until soft and slightly reduced over low-medium heat
  • Add the 6oz of beer and the lemon juice
  • Cook until the beer reduces and the alcohol is gone
  • Add the pork juice that has collected on the plate and stir in the butter
  • At the same time grill the onions until clear and slightly wilt the spinach
  • Plate the pork chop over the spinach and top with amber peach sauce/chutney
  • Eat and eat some more

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September 19, 2014

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Fish, Recipes

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Pan Fried Cod Over Bok Choy

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My sister reminded me the other day that I needed to use our bok choy soon, otherwise it was going to go bad. Instead of being a normal person and using what I had in the fridge to make a meal, I went out and bought some fish in order to not waste $2 worth of bok choy lol. Anyways, I bought cod since that seemed easiest at the moment. This was a pretty fast meal that you can make in about the time it takes your pot of rice to cook, so everything will be ready at the same time, which is always a good feeling.

Ingredients:

  • Cod fillets
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tsp ginger
  • 2 cloves of garlic minced
  • Dash of white pepper
  • Bok Choy, halved
  • Jasmine rice

Directions

  • Place the cod fillets, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and white powder and let marinate for 30 min
  • In a skillet, over med heat, fry the bok choy halves (turn sparingly) in 1 tbsp of oil
  • In a large frying pan, over med-high heat, heat the oil until smoking
  • Add the cod fillets and cook thoroughly and there’s a nice, crisp to the outside (~3 min on each side)
  • Place the fish and bok choy over a bed of rice and eat

All in all a quick, healthy, and flavorful Asian meal. Hope you enjoy it!

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September 15, 2014

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Appetizers, Recipes, Salads

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Picnic Broccoli Salad

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At the request of the ladies in my life to eat healthier, I have been making more salads than ever before. When they asked, my first thought was boring! Then I requested if mac salad, potato salad, and pasta salads count, but apparently they do not. Thus, today is a broccoli salad, complete with mayo, bacon, and cheese…yummm healthy….Actually, it’s not unhealthy and its pretty good too. I mean you can always make it unhealthy by adding as much crap as you want into it, but I kept it pretty simple.

Ingredients

  • 3 heads of broccoli, florets chopped into eatable pieces
  • 1 cup mayo
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • salt and pepper
  • 6+ strips of bacon (up to you)
  • 1/2 red onion, chopped
  • Halved grape tomatoes
  • Shredded cheddar cheese (as much as you desire)
  • Chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
My bacon is happy

My bacon is happy

Directions

  • Blanch the broccoli florets in a pot of boiling water, drain and set aside
  • Mix the mayo, lemon juice, vinegar, sugar in a bowl
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Meanwhile, fry the bacon until crispy, dab with paper towel to get excess oil off
  • Chop the bacon
  • Add the bacon, onions, tomatoes, nuts, and cheese to the broccoli and mix well in a large bowl
  • Add the sauce and mix thoroughly (use enough to coat well, but you don’t need to use all of it)
  • Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 min
  • Serve and enjoy

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September 12, 2014

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Appetizers, Recipes, Salads

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Seared Tuna with Asian Vinaigrette Salad

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My uncle loves to go deep sea fishing, and recently went out for tuna. He caught some yellowtail and some yellowfin. Every time he goes I always ask for some, and this time, he delivered! Tuna is pretty expensive to buy, so getting it fresh for free is pretty awesome. I seared the tuna and served it over a salad with an asian vinaigrette. The salad was made from a spring mix and napa cabbage cut into strips like a slaw.

Ingredients

  • Tuna loin
  • Spring salad mix
  • Napa cabbage
  • Grape tomatoes
  • 1/2 red onion
  • 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • 1 tsp grated ginger
  • Some chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

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Directions for tuna and salad

  • Rinse the tuna and pat dry with paper towels
  • Grind black peppercorns onto a plate and roll the tuna loin in the pepper
  • Pour a little canola oil into a pan on high heat
  • Sear the tuna for a few seconds on each side, place on a plate and put it in the freezer for a few minutes to stop the cooking process
  • Cut the napa cabbage into strips, halve the tomatoes, and thinly slice the red onion

Directions for vinaigrette

  • Heat the vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat, then mix the sugar in until it dissolves
  • Combine the oil, soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, ginger, and cilantro
  • Pour in the vinegar and sugar mix
  • Mix the dressing and chill in the refrigerator for ~20 minutes

Slice the tuna into ~ 1/4 inch slices and serve over the salad. This was my first time making an asian vinaigrette, and I really liked it. I was getting tired of balsamic dressings, so this was a nice alternative. The napa also added a different flavor and textural element which was nice. Overall, the salad was really good and I used the leftover dressing again the next day. And then there’s the tuna, which is always delicious. Hope you enjoy!

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