tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-834738320269836632024-03-19T04:08:48.820-04:00Grubbin' PugsFunaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-2935150975580303492015-09-30T21:02:00.001-04:002015-09-30T21:02:18.991-04:00One-Pot Pasta with Spinach, Artichoke Hearts, and Chicken<div style="text-align: center;">
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I've been in a bit of a cooking rut lately and have been just relying on my old recipes to get me through the year. So while I've still been cooking, I didn't have anything new to post here since my move last fall. <br />
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Actually, that's kind of a lie. I've had a couple new recipes that I wanted to tweak a bit more before posting. But, for the most part, I've been using my old recipes. Dealing with a longer commute home and house-related stuff, it's nice to have good standby dishes that I can make with my eyes closed. <br />
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Once the oppressive heat and humidity of summer started to fade, I began craving some warm and hearty pasta dishes. Then I came across this one-pot pasta dish that was too good to not try. And try I did and it's awesome. So easy, yet satisfying and yummy! And at the end of it I have minimal dishes to clean up. Perfect for my lazy self.<br />
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<u>Servings</u>: 3-6 (original recipe says 6, but I typically eat 2 "normal" servings for dinner making this 3)<br />
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<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
12 ounces pasta (I used whole wheat penne)<br />
28 ounces canned diced tomatoes<br />
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth<br />
1 small yellow onion, chopped<br />
2 teaspoons garlic, minced<br />
1 teaspoon dried oregano<br />
1 teaspoon dried rosemary<br />
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes<br />
6-8 ounces baby spinach<br />
14 ounce can of artichoke hearts, sliced<br />
1-2 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken<br />
1 tablespoon of olive oil (or cooking spray)<br />
1/4 cup feta<br />
Grated or shaved Parmesan cheese (topping)<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
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<u>Instructions</u>:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a Dutch oven (or coat it with a cooking spray) over medium heat.</li>
<li>Add 1 chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes.</li>
<li>Add 2 tsp minced garlic and stir together for 1 minute.</li>
<li>Add 28 oz diced tomatoes, 2 cups chicken broth, 12 oz pasta, 14 oz sliced artichoke hearts, 1-2 cups cooked chicken, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp rosemary, and 1/4 tsp red pepper. </li>
<li>Stir everything together and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. </li>
<li>Reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until pasta is slightly al dente.</li>
<li>Remove from heat and stir in 6-8 oz baby spinach and 1/4 cup feta. </li>
<li>Salt and pepper to taste and let stand for 10 minutes so sauce can thicken. </li>
<li>Before serving, stir again and top with grated or shaved Parmesan (and some extra feta if you want).</li>
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See, so easy! I confess that I may have been a little bit more generous with the cheese at times.</div>
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Can you see the sad pug face in the corner?</div>
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Focus on the pasta.<br />
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Focus on the pugs.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcisXGJL1_Y3XViJCo9ZYw_CwuAXbFSbhzNPy-HNEQTyRw8WES337BlgTH7dYK0aMk5tEmFil8vasN6ujBg55C-kAqdbpyxT67C6rYCslDMXZVq4THdQ_N2YFVggBqoBlAY4WIaz16TMe_/s1600/upload_-1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcisXGJL1_Y3XViJCo9ZYw_CwuAXbFSbhzNPy-HNEQTyRw8WES337BlgTH7dYK0aMk5tEmFil8vasN6ujBg55C-kAqdbpyxT67C6rYCslDMXZVq4THdQ_N2YFVggBqoBlAY4WIaz16TMe_/s640/upload_-1" width="640" /></a></div>
And can we get a close-up of those lil begging faces?<br />
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I had them at cheese.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkM32_PsPSiirw_dUtLN5rVsiaWy9i8vL0TNvCHb8TBFAqtRQGYHBCYxrdAFfxu9eBmwASZoCy-HOn6X8u_Q9ULc2MrP2vcHNye5SB8aC6MywSrvx3ulZHbhFabV6cjF5u0WQDqsMBLuYd/s1600/upload_-1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkM32_PsPSiirw_dUtLN5rVsiaWy9i8vL0TNvCHb8TBFAqtRQGYHBCYxrdAFfxu9eBmwASZoCy-HOn6X8u_Q9ULc2MrP2vcHNye5SB8aC6MywSrvx3ulZHbhFabV6cjF5u0WQDqsMBLuYd/s640/upload_-1" width="640" /></a></div>
Adapted from <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pasta-tomato-basil-sauce?utm_source=un_display_na_ti_20150513_outbrainrightrail">My Recipes</a>.Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-29072982207253222882014-11-16T14:56:00.000-05:002014-11-24T20:10:36.284-05:00Tropical Jalapeño Margaritas<div style="text-align: center;">
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I recently bought and moved into my first house (yay!) and I have a friend who was kind enough to come help me pack. That's true friendship! To help ease the pain of packing, we decided to make some fun margaritas. She told me about a recipe her friend used that involved watermelons and <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">jalapeño-infused tequila and I knew we had to make it! Margaritas always involve a bit more work than other drinks, but a good margarita can be delicious, fun, and relaxing. Since we are well past watermelon season, I bought a couple bags of frozen fruit which are perfect for when you're craving margaritas outside of summer! I'm not normally a big tequila drinker so I upgraded and got some top shelf tequila to make it a bit smoother and it really makes a big difference!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">The </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">jalapeño-infused tequila adds a bit of kick to the drink which my friend and I love, but if spice in drinks isn't your thing, then just use regular tequila and leave out the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">jalapeños. But there's something about the spicy and sweet combination in these drinks that was so good that it made packing a painless breeze...well kinda.</span></div>
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<u>Servings</u>: 4 drinks</div>
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<u>Ingredients</u>:</div>
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6 <span style="font-family: inherit;">ounces </span>tequila</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">jalapeño, sliced</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">8 ounces pureed fruit, strained (I used a frozen tropical mix with pineapple, mango, and strawberry)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">4 ounces orange liqueur</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">1/2 cup sugar</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">1 cup water</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (approximately 8-12 limes)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">Salt, for rimming</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">Lime wedges, for garnish</span></span></div>
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<u>Instructions</u>:</div>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Make the <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">jalapeño-infused tequila by p</span>lacing 6 oz of tequila and 1 sliced <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">jalapeño </span>in a jar in the fridge for at least one hour (I did two hours one time and three hours another), but no more than several hours. The longer you let it sit, the spicier it will get! If you don't want spicy, then just omit this step and use regular tequila.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">In a small saucepan or pot, heat over low heat 1 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Set aside and let cool.</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Puree your favorite fruit until you have about 8 oz. </li>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">I used my immersion blender because I don't have a real blender. That worked fine, but if you do that I'd recommend defrosting the fruit first. Sometimes I got impatient and blended the frozen fruit, but it took more time and I had to be more careful with fruit chunk splatter.</li>
</ul>
<li style="text-align: left;">In a pitcher, mix the<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 16.1200008392334px;"> fruit puree, the cooled sugar-water mixture, 1 cup lime juice, and 4 oz orange liqueur together. Strain the mixture and discard the solid bits.</span></span></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">Remove the </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">jalapeño slices from the tequila and stir in the </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">jalapeño-infused tequila to the margarita mixture (or if you don't want spice, just add regular tequila).</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">For serving, cut lime wedges and use them to wet the glass rim and then dip the rims in coarse salt. Pour the margarita into the glass over ice and garnish the glass with a lime wedge and/or jalapeno slices.</span></li>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">Now time for the photos! These were taken pre-move. I think this might be my last Grubbin Pugs post taking place in my old apartment! (Unless I find old ones I forgot to post before.)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="line-height: 16.1200008392334px;">The dishtowel behind the glass is to hide all the packing supplies and clutter!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZqfG-wm-EGL5s9dl6GWtGMcuTPWzva6vMEFr31q6RWHrxwn0CZ22las6mzBLQ0URXWVH8kvyWw8xHdMiSluV1Gy802e5L_Rk5CnoW-i42fZh23Emb0j2dKo9BrAOrCrR0yyMz4izERbn/s1600/20141026_175331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDZqfG-wm-EGL5s9dl6GWtGMcuTPWzva6vMEFr31q6RWHrxwn0CZ22las6mzBLQ0URXWVH8kvyWw8xHdMiSluV1Gy802e5L_Rk5CnoW-i42fZh23Emb0j2dKo9BrAOrCrR0yyMz4izERbn/s1600/20141026_175331.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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Even though there are watermelon slices on the cup, sadly there are no watermelons in the drink. But the pineapple, mango, and strawberry frozen fruit mix I got from Target was delicious!</div>
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Cheers Sunny and Rosy! Let's toast to the new house and to not moving again for a very very very long time!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXzvFqVqEsdqnt2gA6IPWZ6_CNZ2R9tiJm-RQFImU0iMhnJ4GUsWmCW4f1jbwuQAJHbCdDSCO7KqsMCLe41uuBPjdhzLDwEGEWaZUDpyoYCTQJi9DaxEytQuwkfqyAR8I0PSavlSQvDUL/s1600/20141026_174941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCXzvFqVqEsdqnt2gA6IPWZ6_CNZ2R9tiJm-RQFImU0iMhnJ4GUsWmCW4f1jbwuQAJHbCdDSCO7KqsMCLe41uuBPjdhzLDwEGEWaZUDpyoYCTQJi9DaxEytQuwkfqyAR8I0PSavlSQvDUL/s1600/20141026_174941.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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The pugs were all confused and anxious with all the packing at the time I took these photos. Poor Suns Buns and Rose Pose. </div>
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.jasonandshawnda.com/foodiebride/?s=watermelon+margarita">Confections of a Foodie Bride</a>.</div>
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Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-8664987863029056522014-08-28T21:38:00.001-04:002014-08-28T21:38:38.090-04:00Gnocchi with Tomatoes, Vegetables, Mushrooms, Chicken Sausage, and Basil<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jwTThX8nfp6VgSXO4YN8VWBis5FyIl0KbhbiQWZEwTV-sJRLqUaMva2EJocK6gLCA2pOSLuy8sEQ-uha1eLwuIGJVK9ONntCx2yDpqixBIwrcl2n-eK8WWFz8hjtEuAcgcHdbwpumCO8/s1600/20140828_200900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8jwTThX8nfp6VgSXO4YN8VWBis5FyIl0KbhbiQWZEwTV-sJRLqUaMva2EJocK6gLCA2pOSLuy8sEQ-uha1eLwuIGJVK9ONntCx2yDpqixBIwrcl2n-eK8WWFz8hjtEuAcgcHdbwpumCO8/s1600/20140828_200900.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
I really don't cook with gnocchi enough and I don't know why. They're made with one of my favorite foods (potatoes) and they're like lil pillows of heavenly goodness. Well problem now solved because I found my perfect gnocchi recipe! <br />
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This dish is super flavorful, adaptable, and quick to make. I did most of my prep work on Sunday, as usual, and then on Thursday of that week I just had to cook up the gnocchi and throw everything else in the pan. Makes for a great weeknight meal when you want something easy and yummy to make after a long day at work (and boy have I been having some long and terrible days at work lately). And while I added my current favorite vegetables and mushrooms here you can add almost whatever vegetable you have handy. If you'd like a drier dish you can leave out the can of diced tomatoes, but I like the extra sauciness it adds. <br />
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This is definitely getting added to my regular meal rotation because it's yummy and easy. While I love all the recipes I post here, I definitely favor the easy and fast ones in my day-to-day cooking because that leaves more time for lounging with my pugs, and believe me I need a lot of that with the past few weeks I've been having at work.<br />
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<u>Servings</u>: 2-4<br />
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<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
1 pound gnocchi<br />
12 ounces chicken sausage (I like a spicy kind with jalapenos), sliced<br />
12-16 ounces grape or cherry tomatoes, halved<br />
1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes<br />
1 small/medium zucchini, chopped into half or quarter moons<br />
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped<br />
10 ounces of baby bella mushrooms, chopped<br />
1/2 cup fresh basil, julienned<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)<br />
Shaved or grated parmesan for topping (optional)<br />
<br />
<u>Instructions</u>:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Boil salted water and cook 1 lb gnocchi for 2-3 minutes until the gnocchi just start floating to the top. Drain well and toss with drizzle (or spray) of olive oil (this will prevent them from sticking together). Set aside.</li>
<li>Heat a large skillet over medium heat and spray the pan or drizzle some olive oil. Add 12 oz chopped chicken sausage and cook for 3-4 minutes or until the sausage starts to brown.</li>
<li>Push the sausage to the side of the skillet and add 12-16 oz halved grape/cherry tomatoes and cook on high heat for 1-3 minutes.</li>
<li>Stir the tomatoes and sausage together and add 10 oz chopped mushrooms, 1 chopped bell pepper, and 1 chopped zucchini to the skillet. Stir together and cook for 2-4 minutes.</li>
<li>Add the gnocchi, the can of diced tomatoes, and 1/2 tsp of crushed red pepper (optional) to the skillet and stir together. Cook for a couple more minutes.</li>
<li>Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup of basil. </li>
<li>Salt and pepper to taste and top each bowl with some grated or shaved parmesan and enjoy!</li>
</ul>
<div>
And now time for the pictures!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I'm never without my two sous chefs, Sunny and Rosy. Though it looks like one's sleeping on the job!</div>
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This dish was so yummy and flavorful but I also loved how bright and colorful it was. I would've added more basil but most of my basil had already gone bad by the time I made this late in the week. Darn you perishables! I really wish I had a nice garden with some fresh basil.<br />
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Basil is a nice topping and all but nothing really compares to cheese. CHEESE.<br />
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And a nice sprinkling of coarse salt and black pepper and some crushed red pepper! Rosy's tail was doing its happy helicopter twirl as soon as I got out the cheese.<br />
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Rosy put your licker away!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjMi4-vcMtNVEV7hgXYk4F3RSnO4_vYBo8Doir2mIoLHT9yoDb_nMTwNZzQ_Zn4LBSHFgvsQnGkdPiz9SvZQnLTWYOQ1DoYHYloBupoFVr-AQfMlyJoI7MEgTn-_jG-0r7c25s8Fxsqv6/s1600/20140828_201153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjMi4-vcMtNVEV7hgXYk4F3RSnO4_vYBo8Doir2mIoLHT9yoDb_nMTwNZzQ_Zn4LBSHFgvsQnGkdPiz9SvZQnLTWYOQ1DoYHYloBupoFVr-AQfMlyJoI7MEgTn-_jG-0r7c25s8Fxsqv6/s1600/20140828_201153.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
As soon as Rosy smelled the pepper the bowl lost all temptation.<br />
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Instead Rosy and Sunny patiently waited for me to finish taking pictures so that they could get their own lil pepper-free parmesan slivers as treats.<br />
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"Take that away human and place some fresh and clean parmesan stamps on our tongues!"<br />
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-gnocchi-skillet-with-sausage-amp-tomatoes-recipes-from-the-kitchn-206429">The Kitchn</a>.<br />
Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-58094012750001362132014-07-14T09:55:00.000-04:002014-07-14T09:55:33.544-04:00Summer Bean Salad with Chicken Sausage<div style="text-align: center;">
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Sigh. We're at that time of the year when I forget the horrid winter and start looking forward to fall. Oh DC, why must I live here and why must your summers be so brutal and disgusting?<br />
<br />
With a generous seasoning of salt and pepper, a crazy amount of Tabasco sauce splashed on it, and a nice ice cold drink, this is one of my regular standby summer dishes that I make repeatedly throughout summer. While you do need to use the stove for this, it's just to heat up some sausage. The rest is so simple and easy, you can throw this together at the end of a workday as you try to ignore the sweat dripping down your back from the lovely commute in an un-air conditioned packed metro car and walk home in an atmosphere that can best be described as hot jello. Better yet, make this the day before and refrigerate it so that you can dig into a nice and cool dish as soon as you get home. <br />
<br />
<u>Servings</u>: Original recipe says 10 servings and I laugh and laugh at that. No, this is more like 3-5. But it can be more servings if you use this as a filling for a sandwich or wrap.<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
1 15-oz can corn, drained and rinsed<br />
1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed<br />
1 15-oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed<br />
1 orange bell pepper, diced<br />
4 scallions, chopped<br />
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil<br />
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar<br />
1 lemon, juiced<br />
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard<br />
12 oz chicken/turkey sausage, quartered lengthwise and chopped<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
Cooking spray or extra olive oil<br />
Tabasco or hot sauce (optional)<br />
<br />
<u>Instructions</u>:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>In a large bowl combine a can of corn, a can of black beans, a can of kidney beans, a chopped orange bell pepper, and 4 chopped scallions.</li>
<li>In a small bowl, whisk together 3 tbsps olive oil, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard, and the juice from one lemon (if you want this extra flavorful, be very generous with the balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard (adding maybe up to an extra 1/2 tbsp)).</li>
<li>Heat a large pan or skillet over medium heat and coat with cooking spray or a tbsp of oil. </li>
<li>In the pan/skillet, cook 12 oz chopped chicken/turkey sausage for 5-9 minutes, or according to package instructions (choose a spicy sausage for some extra heat and flavor - I like Trader Joe's jalapeno chicken sausage).</li>
<li>Add the sausage and the oil/vinegar dressing to the corn and bean mixture and combine all ingredients until everything is well coated with the dressing. </li>
<li>Season with salt and pepper to taste and add some splashes of Tabasco sauce or other hot sauce if you'd like more spice, which I always do! Adds an extra vinegary punch too!</li>
</ul>
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Now time for the pictures featuring my sad begging pugs! Look at those sad twinkling lil eyes. </div>
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Sorry girls, but this is not dog-safe. Please don't cry Sunny!<br />
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A good sprinkling of fresh cracked pepper makes such a difference on so many dishes! I also add Tabasco sauce to so so many of my dishes. I am seriously addicted.</div>
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Put away those lil tongues girls! <br />
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You may sniff, but don't touch. Or lick. Or eat.<br />
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Ok ok I'll get a dog treat for you girls before I dig into this deliciousness!<br />
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/SOS-OClock-Scramble-Rescue-Earth-Friendly/dp/0312578113">SOS! The Six O'Clock Scramble to the Rescue</a>.</div>
Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-63142715213988215452014-06-15T16:15:00.002-04:002014-06-15T16:15:49.872-04:00Lighter Tuna Casserole with Vegetables<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfkyA2yTAx8vjuIuxMCVBKogwymOMGw1sOcmEtTL-frWEG2u-E1qb6UTLRSr9kdYMSBDi-xrsVgUml65co03DQ792HnfQtmVeOL8bJ5GFLHrrU44zjDh3gJDx2voTNfBhuiUahEQjuc0et/s1600/20140615_144215.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfkyA2yTAx8vjuIuxMCVBKogwymOMGw1sOcmEtTL-frWEG2u-E1qb6UTLRSr9kdYMSBDi-xrsVgUml65co03DQ792HnfQtmVeOL8bJ5GFLHrrU44zjDh3gJDx2voTNfBhuiUahEQjuc0et/s1600/20140615_144215.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
I love old school comfort foods even though I didn't grow up with most of them. My family mostly ate Korean food for dinner with occasional take-out/delivery foods, spaghetti, and burritos. My mom never made any of the old school casseroles; they're something I discovered as an adult. <br />
<br />
One of the downsides to cooking is that you realize what goes into all those delicious dishes. And butter, fat, and salt make everything taste good! So this is a healthy spin on the classic tuna casserole dish. It doesn't use canned soup and incorporates more vegetables. It doesn't quite taste the same as the old school dish but it's really good in its own way. And you can eat this satisfying and filling dish without any guilt (or at the very least minimal guilt)!<br />
<br />
<u>Servings</u>: 3-5 (for me this is a 3 mealer, sometimes 2)\<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
1/3 cup low-fat (or nonfat) sour cream<br />
2 tablespoons reduced fat mayonnaise<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1/2 teaspoon dried dill (or 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh dill)<br />
8 ounces dried pasta (I used a whole wheat fusilli)<br />
10 ounces tuna (drained and flaked)<br />
1 large or 2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced (I cut mine a bit smaller)<br />
2 large tomatoes, diced<br />
3 celery stalks, finely chopped<br />
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese<br />
Cooking spray or oil for greasing casserole dish<br />
<br />
<u>Instructions</u>:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Cook 8 oz noodles according to its directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.</li>
<li>Spray or grease a casserole dish and preheat oven to 350 degrees.</li>
<li>In a small bowl combine 2 tbsps mayonnaise, 1/3 cup sour cream, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp dried dill until well mixed.</li>
<li>In a large bowl combine 1-2 chopped zucchini, 3 chopped celery stalks, 10 oz tuna, and the cooked pasta.</li>
<li>Pour in the sour cream sauce and stir together until pasta mixture is well coated.</li>
<li>Pour pasta mixture into the casserole dish and bake uncovered for 25 minutes.</li>
<li>Take out the dish and top with 2 chopped tomatoes and 1 cup shredded cheese. Put back in oven for an additional 5-7 minutes.</li>
<li>Season each dish with salt and pepper to taste.</li>
</ul>
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And now for the pictures!</div>
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Any recipe here on Grubbin Pugs starts with pathetically sad begging pugs. Here's one.</div>
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And then there were two (and my shoes).<br />
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Anytime I bring out the cheese, Sunny and Rosy get really excited and hopeful.<br />
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Because of course I have to give them a teensy bit of cheese! Rosy always does a little hopping dance as she waits for a sprinkle of cheese in her bowl.<br />
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Pop it in the oven and out comes some gooey cheese. GOOEY!<br />
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"Psst! Sunny she's done something magical to the cheese! It smells even more amazing now!"<br />
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Lil beggars.<br />
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Life is all about perspective. Two of my favorite things are pugs...</div>
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<br />
And food!<br />
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And with a little sprinkling of salt and pepper I'm ready to chow down! None for the girls but they did get some cheese as I mentioned before and a tiny bit of leftover tuna from the cans.<br />
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Mmmm!<br />
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No licks Sunny!<br />
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Put those tongues away! Ok, time to take the bowl away before one of the girls manages to get a lick in.<br />
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/SOS-OClock-Scramble-Rescue-Earth-Friendly/dp/0312578113">SOS! The Six O'Clock Scramble to the Rescue</a>.</div>
Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-82934651297223071472014-05-14T11:49:00.001-04:002014-05-14T11:49:24.004-04:00Lemony Couscous with Chicken and Spring Vegetables<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVU07HoA4fMKiYpsTK4OGxpF5P1zxK5ZxoFCsVqytcR_R6losZSMd62v90jMDz9Tl0q9QC1huHR8JXKqPN3O1qoSqKopMJO2VGiUovfPzTkBhh-c8CxY-eF3b-mDTflhc6KykiV3sSTAca/s1600/20140430_201614.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></div>
Now that the warmer weather is here I've been at a bit of a loss as to what to make for dinner lately. I don't want anything that will take too long, but it's not quite summer so I'm not really wanting any salads or cold dishes. I find spring to be the hardest time to come up with interesting and satisfying dishes. Winter dishes are my favorite, but as the temperature and humidity goes up and my holiday weight gain is still reluctant to completely go away (argh!), I try to embrace some lighter meals around April-May. This is right around the time when I start making a lot of grain-based or couscous-based dishes. <br />
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The spring vegetables and lemon juice here turn a regular chicken and couscous recipe into a springtime meal and this is so quick and easy it's great for weekday dinners.<br />
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<u>Servings</u>: 2-4<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
4 scallions, chopped (you can separate the white and green parts, but I don't)<br />
1 lemon (a few wide strips of zest and juice from the entire lemon)<br />
12-16 oz asparagus, green beans, or haricot verts, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces<br />
1/2 cup frozen peas<br />
1-2 tsp minced garlic<br />
1 cup couscous<br />
1-2 cups chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces<br />
1/4 teaspoon thyme<br />
1 1/4 cup water <br />
Butter or olive oil for greasing pan<br />
Parsley, chopped (optional, for topping)<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
<u>Instructions</u>:<br />
<ul class="body-b checklist component-list">
<li>Spray a large saucepan or heat 1 tbsp of butter or olive oil over medium-high heat.</li>
<li>Add chopped scallions, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes until the scallions are softened.</li>
<ul>
<li>If you don't like wilted green scallion parts, then you can separate out the white and green parts and just cook the white parts at this stage and add the green parts later. I'm lazy and don't care so I just dump them all in at this point.</li>
</ul>
<li>Add 1-2 tsp minced garlic and 1/4 tsp thyme and cook for 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant.</li>
<li>Add a few strips of lemon zest and 1 1/4 cups of water. Season with salt and pepper and bring the mixture to a boil.</li>
<li>Add 12-16 oz chopped asparagus/green beans/haricot verts and 1/2 cup peas and bring back to a boil. </li>
<li>Stir in 1 cup couscous and add in 1-2 cups of chopped/shredded chicken. Cover pan, remove from heat, and let sit for 7 minutes.</li>
<li class="component checklist-item">Remove lid and add lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a sprinkling of parsley on top.<span class="component-data checklist-item-data" itemprop="ingredients"></span> </li>
</ul>
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Now for some pictures! Anytime I cook anything with chicken, Sunny and Rosy promptly make their presence known in the kitchen. It's really hard to ignore their begging faces and sad uncurled tails.<br />
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Could they get any closer to the stove? Sometimes I have to nudge them away with my feet because there's nowhere for me to stand while I'm cooking! <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYazke1ckOsG5Yb3NHSZN9RP4lzJ9scsVLQy5qNnXER09uOACwZ_Cz_neNsaj2VLCiMASy8jpV17DxXZFPlgd3tl0U6lKM4lVfhSTn7ujpjF_58Phl16MXfQSsdE7Ay4KTEmcRwDwTlBAO/s1600/20140430_201455.jpg" height="480" width="640" /> </div>
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Scooch! Scooch! </div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4b54u08SS1r2HtmL19iz5mV9hyxzGmCwTDhx-Kp-YqxMIcH4t01vP32jOnz0jqibuDOMgTNPO9QywtTHQ_XUhGtYntIkwo8kXNmfAaTPWyEVf1tqiGj5bszU037cpkPAdxRxluziWqAVb/s1600/20140430_201456.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></div>
Yeah...I usually add a lot more salt and pepper after I take photos. But I don't think you want to see a pile of salt and pepper so I focus on the actual food for the blog. But with this recipe, a good seasoning of salt and pepper and lots of lemon juice really makes this dish!<br />
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Sniff sniff. None for the pugs of course but I always put aside some plain chicken when I'm cooking for a treat after taking photos! Pugs are very very food oriented in case you didn't know.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjns2dRJEeOU2zpxwAornlgHwpUhWHwpUXNwk2gYtv6bHe0SzjZepKFG814UuQVdqYMbhjmnuAXzGRLCnUUEYA5wbz2MMeaMo5mt6AkVrpbVSvItYmn_XaTrpFnqRV5l1PcDfo7c80lNGFY/s1600/20140430_201552.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></div>
Pose for me! Smile! Look happy! <br />
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And there goes Rosy's tail. <br />
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I am always torn between focusing on the food or my pugs, which is silly because we all know what's most important on this food blog...PUGS.<br />
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But here's one focused on the food just for giggles. <br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-GkDSb0MdMZy4rJ2yvn24H5lrzKaiCO8Mf0o7b59Wvsnffz-pApbTE25FMUGQGATsd9-ZGN0Oz-BMnMw5EBL3n8guvlbcaALMIdTYnkiiTp2OLa29GYD7uGBYhcgw6J71TgBlq9B9pSuR/s1600/20140430_201613.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></div>
Adapted from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/318667/spring-vegetable-couscous-with-chicken">Martha Stewart</a>.Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-80603902126517006582014-03-22T15:57:00.000-04:002014-03-22T15:57:40.909-04:00Coconut Banana Bread<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQFWtHeGxLJnhyItHwVlDJyl_9zI40zUw3hgS6Uy119qGuR3QAPjDl2m37vFZR0wmrVWOgMR7I4S4cd-F5U6Xg1waAtzdb5ah4pw9RIVlvH18dIbGXCGJFcBToaMABPpHFAZhOXZ6BOHe/s1600/20140322_145421.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCQFWtHeGxLJnhyItHwVlDJyl_9zI40zUw3hgS6Uy119qGuR3QAPjDl2m37vFZR0wmrVWOgMR7I4S4cd-F5U6Xg1waAtzdb5ah4pw9RIVlvH18dIbGXCGJFcBToaMABPpHFAZhOXZ6BOHe/s1600/20140322_145421.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
There's some sort of banana gene that runs in my family on my dad's side. My dad, my sisters, my nephew, and I all love bananas and eat them regularly. To see the amount of bananas that my mom buys for my dad and my sister buys for herself and her son on a weekly basis, you would think they worked at a zoo or lived with Curious George. <br />
<br />
While I love bananas, I don't always manage to eat them all before they start browning (and I'm not talking about some slight browning and freckling - I actually love bananas when the peels are a bit brown because that means it'll be sweeter and soft inside). I wish I had taken a picture of the bananas I used for this recipe so you could see how far gone they were. So even if you think your bananas are too brown and mushy for use, have no fear, they'll just be easier to mash and will make your bread even more banana-y in flavor!<br />
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As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm a coconut addict and I have a huge bag of shredded coconut sitting in my pantry that was just asking to be used in this recipe. Bananas and coconut = yum! If I'd had coconut milk I might have considered using that instead of regular milk to intensify the coconut flavor, although maybe that would overwhelm the banana flavor. <br />
<br />
Banana bread also freezes very well, so there's never a good reason to throw out your brown bananas. Make some banana bread and then eat it or freeze it for later! Nothing better than freshly baked bananas and some coffee (or in my case and with the warmer days approaching, iced coffee).<br />
<br />
<u>Servings</u>: 1 loaf made in a 9x5 loaf pan.<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
1/2 cup unsalted butter<br />
3/4 cup granulated white sugar<br />
2 large eggs<br />
2-3 medium very ripe bananas<br />
1/4 cup milk<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
2 cups flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt<br />
1/2 cup shredded coconut (plus some extra for topping the loaf)<br />
Cooking spray (I used a coconut oil spray from Trader Joe's)<br />
<br />
<u>Instructions</u>:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Preheat oven at 350 degrees. For ease of removal later, line the loaf pan with parchment paper, letting the edges stick out over the sides so you can grab onto them later. Spray the pan and paper. </li>
<ul>
<li>(I have a love/hate relationship with parchment paper - love its nonstick properties but trying to keep the curling paper straight and out of the way was a pain. If you don't have any parchment paper, just make sure to grease the pan well.)</li>
</ul>
<li>Melt 1/2 cup butter in the microwave over low heat and then whisk together the butter with 3/4 cup white sugar in a large bowl until combined.</li>
<li>Add 2 large eggs to the batter and whisk until smooth.</li>
<li>Add 2-3 bananas to the batter and mash with the whisk or a fork (or, if you don't want any banana lumps, mash the bananas in a separate small bowl and then add the mush into the batter).</li>
<ul>
<li>If your bananas are very brown then the banana flavor will be stronger and you can get away with 2 bananas. If they are just a little brown and freckly, maybe consider going up to 3. I used 2 since my bananas were completely brown. </li>
</ul>
<li>Add 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt to the batter and, using a spatula, stir everything together until just mixed and there is no more dry flour visible.</li>
<li>Fold in 1/2 cup shredded coconut (this is the stage where you can add other ingredients based on preference (e.g., nuts, chocolate)).</li>
<li>Pour batter evenly into the pan and smooth the top. </li>
<li>Optional: sprinkle the top of the loaf with some extra shredded coconut. I did this mainly to look nice with some toasted coconut on top, but then afterwards when cutting the bread it was kinda a pain crumbling all over the place (which Rosy LOVED cleaning up).</li>
<li>Bake for 50-65 minutes, depending on your oven. Start checking at 50 minutes and then every five minutes after until the loaf is dark brown and cracked on top. Toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.</li>
<li>Place pan on a cooling rack and let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes.</li>
<li>After the first cooling period, remove bread from pan (if you used the parchment paper method, simply lift the bread out by grabbing onto the paper's edges) and cool another 10 minutes before slicing.</li>
<li>Keep bread covered for several days (if the loaf lasts that long!) or wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and keep in freezer for up to 3 months.</li>
</ul>
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And now time for the pictures! <br />
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Stupid parchment paper. Hate trimming it to fit the pan while it's curling all over the place and getting in the way. But gotta love the benefits of using it while baking!<br />
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Since I had 4 super duper ripe bananas, I simply doubled the recipe above and made two loaves.<br />
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Love that crack!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-oG70uQ2QckGRVmrJLjLDbsNXvHYfXIx3Sk1RvDQOEmDBwr3r4RLEvc99mGb3-MfD7DdTxm2AKbuimuSfq0EWmaUr0g49PmEwwJP9S6x-hDk_RmxuBp9B2Vyx7ULzefKz0z_T5nSmJVz9/s1600/20140322_142059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-oG70uQ2QckGRVmrJLjLDbsNXvHYfXIx3Sk1RvDQOEmDBwr3r4RLEvc99mGb3-MfD7DdTxm2AKbuimuSfq0EWmaUr0g49PmEwwJP9S6x-hDk_RmxuBp9B2Vyx7ULzefKz0z_T5nSmJVz9/s1600/20140322_142059.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
Peek-a-boo, I see you!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivC7BIXyBSd2MFMqUJ6TToEGNP9G1lKVXZWhLELMf7rpbfzZOLkWTI050phRvqK4KtjKSSqlfH_qykOOmIwCkAo32iiB43PUZm1eliqZ8fwPc5V5cYZmyOl90E1zMEMFuFibLwsWk_0B_Z/s1600/20140322_142050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivC7BIXyBSd2MFMqUJ6TToEGNP9G1lKVXZWhLELMf7rpbfzZOLkWTI050phRvqK4KtjKSSqlfH_qykOOmIwCkAo32iiB43PUZm1eliqZ8fwPc5V5cYZmyOl90E1zMEMFuFibLwsWk_0B_Z/s1600/20140322_142050.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
Anytime I bake anything, Sunny is never intrigued and just stays on the couch or her bed. But Rosy loooves baked goods and sweets! She came trotting over as soon as I opened the oven and my apartment was filled with delicious banana bread smells!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBqLJhV1Ybr-e0uqIuwmcYe6TP8RC2a5LUaMYSV9eJkTRTlYJ7uzMEOAVj01HvMzm961NKRtFeOn83bntFYQvceqw_EQEHy1NIF4UeAJlQfcHedF9AE8IBzg212ujad_tTPrtUGdnIlNn/s1600/20140322_142116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeBqLJhV1Ybr-e0uqIuwmcYe6TP8RC2a5LUaMYSV9eJkTRTlYJ7uzMEOAVj01HvMzm961NKRtFeOn83bntFYQvceqw_EQEHy1NIF4UeAJlQfcHedF9AE8IBzg212ujad_tTPrtUGdnIlNn/s1600/20140322_142116.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
"Excuse me, are you sure you don't need a taste tester? I'd gladly offer up my services!"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhOu0xPVsy67VBv3Al75piZK8bP9SVv39rVmyfCGIV0Ty_TLqyBgm5kvT2fGYUl8dl5IlBCwX192Z1fPtJqsBv5Io1mt5HaNT0CiOco0NmwYpFnOMZn6gWTjxHV4kWFdT3r-0d8gahJ0M/s1600/20140322_142128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguhOu0xPVsy67VBv3Al75piZK8bP9SVv39rVmyfCGIV0Ty_TLqyBgm5kvT2fGYUl8dl5IlBCwX192Z1fPtJqsBv5Io1mt5HaNT0CiOco0NmwYpFnOMZn6gWTjxHV4kWFdT3r-0d8gahJ0M/s1600/20140322_142128.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
Sunny finally realized something was going on in the kitchen and came to join us after the cooling periods were over. She didn't necessarily want any crumbs, she was just hoping that all this kitchen activity meant I'd open the fridge so she could wedge herself in there and beg for her beloved carrots.<br />
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Slicing into the loaf!<br />
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Rosy's totally focused on the bread! Sunny's in her own little world, probably dreaming of carrots.</div>
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When it was time to sample the bread I decided to enjoy my afternoon snack with some iced coffee. I used to only drink my coffee black, but my sister has ruined me by introducing me to fun flavored non-dairy creamers, like Girl Scouts cookie-flavored creamers! Now I can't stop! Today I used the Samoa flavored creamer (I also have a Thin Mint flavored one). Sunny and Rosy got REALLY close to the bread for some good sniffs. </div>
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Look at Rosy's begging shiny eyes!<br />
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Hope you enjoy!<br />
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-basic-banana-bread-139900">The Kitchn</a>.Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-15372110560882751702014-02-13T09:30:00.000-05:002014-02-15T23:22:06.757-05:00Pancakes/Waffles with Dark Chocolate and Coconut Pudding Filling (Taiyaki/Bungeoppang)<div style="text-align: center;">
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Snow day, snow day! Woohoo! Sunny and Rosy are thrilled to have me home for the day but they're not so thrilled with the snow. Unfortunately I still have some conference calls to dial into, but at least I can make something fun at home like these taiyaki/bungeoppang! Taiyaki is the Japanese version and Bungeoppang is the Korean version, and it's essentially a crisp pancake-y/waffle-y dough with some sort of fun filling inside. Sweet red bean paste is the common and traditional filling, but there are all sorts of different fillings nowadays including different kinds of puddings, nutella, mashed sweet potatoes, custards, and even savory fillings like cheese or breakfast sandwichy kind of things. In Japan and Korean it's common to find street vendors cooking these up fresh and serving them piping hot on cold wintry days. While they now come in different molds, the fish one is the one that I remember growing up and it's the traditional shape oddly enough. <br />
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To make these fun little fish, first you need this bad boy<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTEfYVQ1jHvr47d5akQjZ3RvEOhMYtmovEfSys1d9AXQSmSQfuu_GyFFpsOJt-fH4nCJs5vN7GkaCy3QU0qdEdIzc4RwWds5m4oqhgJpLl8fp3vjV1kWNvdT1JqgBCiKklxuKOm22nmVQ9/s1600/20140202_111436.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTEfYVQ1jHvr47d5akQjZ3RvEOhMYtmovEfSys1d9AXQSmSQfuu_GyFFpsOJt-fH4nCJs5vN7GkaCy3QU0qdEdIzc4RwWds5m4oqhgJpLl8fp3vjV1kWNvdT1JqgBCiKklxuKOm22nmVQ9/s1600/20140202_111436.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a><br />
I got mine from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Taiyaki-Japanese-Fish-Shaped-Cake-Maker/dp/B00065YBEU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392263116&sr=8-1&keywords=taiyaki+pan">Amazon</a> but I bet you could find it way cheaper at an Asian market/store.<br />
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I almost didn't post this because there's no real recipe here and it involves a special type of pan, but something about these lil fish-shaped pancakes just make me happy and me and my family love these! And snow days are just begging for something fun to make and eat! While I like sweet red bean paste ok, it's not necessarily my favorite and I didn't have any red beans handy so instead I made something I'd like better - dark chocolate and coconut pudding! Oh yeah. <br />
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These are best eaten fresh and hot, but I've frozen them and reheated them ok in the toaster oven. Sometimes the filling doesn't heat up all the way, but in a way I actually like that even better! You get the hot and crisp waffle-y texture on the outside and then an ice cream-y pudding inside! <br />
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[Update 2/15/14: I think next time I make these I'll add a tablespoon of sugar to the batter to sweeten it up. If you use a pre-made pancake/waffle mix and you may want to add something to sweeten it up a bit.]<br />
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<u>Servings</u>: Depends on how much batter and filling you make. You need a lot more batter than filling and you can cook two fish at a time.<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
Favorite pancake/waffle mix/recipe<br />
14 oz can of coconut milk, divided<br />
1/4 cup sugar<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt (coarse or sea salt, otherwise you might want to use a little less)<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
3 tablespoons cornstarch<br />
3 tablespoons cocoa powder<br />
5 ounces (a little more than 1/2 cup) of dark chocolate, chips or coarse chunks<br />
<br />
<u>Instructions</u>:<br />
<br />
First we have to make the pudding so that it has time to chill. <br />
<ul>
<li>Shake the can of coconut milk well and then in a medium saucepan or pot heat over low heat half the can of the coconut milk, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 tsp salt. Heat slowly and don't let the mixture boil.</li>
<li>In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining coconut milk, 3 tbsps cornstarch, and 3 tbsps of cocoa powder.</li>
<li>Slowly add the cornstarch mixture to the saucepan/pot while stirring everything together well. Continue to whisk over low heat for a few minutes until the mixture starts to thicken and resemble a pudding texture.</li>
<li>Remove the saucepan/pot from heat and stir in 5 oz (approximately 1/2 cup) of dark chocolate and 1 tsp vanilla. Continue stirring until all of the chocolate is melted and mixed in and the mixture is smooth and pudding-like. </li>
</ul>
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<div>
</div>
<ul>
<li>Pour pudding into a bowl, cover, and put in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours. If you want to avoid a skin forming at the top, you can press a plastic wrap against the top of the pudding.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Now it's time to make the taiyaki/bungeoppang!</div>
<br />
<ul>
<li>There are more traditional recipes for the batter that use cake flour, but if you're lazy like me, just use your favorite pancake/waffle mix. I used Bob's Red Mill 10-grain pancake/waffle mix in an effort to try to make these a little healthier (ha!) and followed the waffle instructions.</li>
<li>Oil the pan and heat it over low heat to warm it up.</li>
<li>Pour some batter into the fish molds so that they're about halfway filled. You don't have to worry about getting the fin so much because as the batter heats up it'll spread, but the tail is a bit trickier so you may need to add a few dribbles there. </li>
<li>Take your pudding (or favorite filling) and spoon it into the middle of the batter. This will also spread when heated up so be careful to not overfill. I found that about 1 tbsp was the right amount for me.</li>
<li>Then pour some more batter on top to cover the filling. It's ok if you don't cover it completely but try to do as best as you can without overfilling the molds. See my crappy attempt below (notice how I had to go back and fill in the bald spots in the tail, and I still had more to fill in the left one).</li>
</ul>
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<br />
<ul>
<li>Shut the lid of the pan and then vigorously flip over the pan and heat the other side. Flipping the pan with some force helps to dislodge the batter from the other side of the pan.</li>
<li>Continue cooking for a few minutes, flipping every minute or so until the fish are golden brown. You can lift up the lid a bit to peek and make sure they're cooked all the way. </li>
</ul>
<br />
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<br />
<ul>
<li>If you overfilled then there will be some crunchy extras along the fish that you can remove with kitchen scissors, knife, or fingers.</li>
<li>Eat them quickly while they're still hot! They'll start to get soggy if you let them sit out so if you don't plan on eating them soon consider freezing them so that you can reheat them later.</li>
</ul>
And now some pictures featuring my kitchen "helpers"!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnaCjoh24d66hakxB6SYnkPF3_1Ko2IKdQwCPfCxX6QqTf5KG3JXCosaZP3NJo9ti_kOK0-0v-58kFZMbPg6gJnpPo3nzgBFS0wURxpL-x4Z2o1Q4Ld-wfDhIJyVW28m3QOiaZMSFeedZL/s1600/20140202_122514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnaCjoh24d66hakxB6SYnkPF3_1Ko2IKdQwCPfCxX6QqTf5KG3JXCosaZP3NJo9ti_kOK0-0v-58kFZMbPg6gJnpPo3nzgBFS0wURxpL-x4Z2o1Q4Ld-wfDhIJyVW28m3QOiaZMSFeedZL/s1600/20140202_122514.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a> </div>
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Sniff the fish!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLjFddrajgZWsI9UX_BPbDhzjbBlO6DPKD9-waygNJuV6tFLmHrs558Ik5gSOLIV4sT4FBCwHFD9vu6lWadX7520Ys_Y1IXhkoz1lqdnGLE57fBGY2VGv6r0sY2QOeNZz7CLGqSZRQztZL/s1600/20140202_122527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLjFddrajgZWsI9UX_BPbDhzjbBlO6DPKD9-waygNJuV6tFLmHrs558Ik5gSOLIV4sT4FBCwHFD9vu6lWadX7520Ys_Y1IXhkoz1lqdnGLE57fBGY2VGv6r0sY2QOeNZz7CLGqSZRQztZL/s1600/20140202_122527.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
Rosy's moving to a better begging spot.<br />
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Sorry none for you girls, but if you pose nicely I'll give you a special dog treat!<br />
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Ok now time to test one of these out...<br />
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It's so hard to resist Sunny's begging when she puts on her saddest face and dances around on her back paws! But no, this is most definitely not a dog-friendly treat!<br />
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Pudding-licious!<br />
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And lest you think that all my fish were well shaped and browned on my first attempt, here's a plate of my rejects.<br />
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Sunny and Rosy offered to help me get rid of these rejects. But I put them in the trash instead. And by trash, I mean my stomach.</div>
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Chocolate pudding recipe adapted from <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/dreamy-dessert-recipe-coconut-chocolate-pudding-168054">The Kitchn</a>.Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-32654990388603348252014-01-29T22:59:00.002-05:002014-01-29T22:59:57.247-05:00Salsa Verde Chicken Soup<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXLYNwZ1_D8PuABz2S2PsRPYSBG5KfSu16w5tTPQpZ_g0iZu4_dNVpTBzp9nUWSf45uzbNCML1Igy9oVZDbJA-G9PKP4vdbKKZi5tpf_sQzab3yd-rsrWE3eBHdwQ8Ks0FH3OyoTZKzf8/s1600/20140129_204729.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikXLYNwZ1_D8PuABz2S2PsRPYSBG5KfSu16w5tTPQpZ_g0iZu4_dNVpTBzp9nUWSf45uzbNCML1Igy9oVZDbJA-G9PKP4vdbKKZi5tpf_sQzab3yd-rsrWE3eBHdwQ8Ks0FH3OyoTZKzf8/s1600/20140129_204729.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
There are so many fantastic recipes I come across on the internet but I find that the ones I actually make and repeat are the ones that are user friendly and quick and easy to make. I usually try to do as much prepping for my recipes over the weekend and so having something that doesn't take too long to make after I come home from a long day of work is a definite plus! These dishes may not have the beautiful nuanced layers of flavors that longer and more complicated dishes may have, but they pack a tasty punch for the amount of time and effort I put into them. This is one of those dishes! A great weeknight soup that you can eat with some extra tortilla chips. There's something wonderful about a dinner where you just throw everything into one pot. Especially if you're as bad at cleaning up all your dishes afterwards as I am.<br />
<br />
<u>Servings</u>: 4 (so that means 2 for me)<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
12-oz jar salsa verde<br />
15-oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed<br />
15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed<br />
3 cups cooked chicken, shredded<br />
4-5 cups chicken broth<br />
1 cup corn<br />
1 teaspoon ground cumin<br />
1 tablespoon jalapeno, chopped (optional)<br />
Shredded cheese (optional for topping)<br />
Lime wedges (optional for topping)<br />
Sour cream (optional for topping)<br />
Green onions, chopped (optional for topping)<br />
Tortilla chips, crumbled (optional for topping)<br />
Salt and pepper, to taste<br />
<br />
<u>Instructions</u>:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Heat 12 oz salsa verde in a pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 2 minutes.</li>
<li>Add 3 cups shredded chicken, 1 can of cannellini beans, 1 can of black beans, 4-5 cups of chicken broth, 1 tsp cumin, 1 cup corn, 1 tbsp chopped jalapeno (optional). Bring to a boil, and then lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.</li>
<li>For serving, top each bowl with salt and pepper to taste, shredded cheese, squirt of lime juice, dollop of sour cream, a sprinkling of green onions, and/or crumbled tortilla chips. I added all of the above and it was delicious!</li>
</ul>
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And now pictures!</div>
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Oops excuse the stray flip flops in the corner. Didn't see those before! I don't even know why they're out since it's crazy freezing here lately. Clearly, I'm as good at cleaning my stuff as I am at washing dishes right after eating. </div>
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It was a race to take enough photos before the sour cream dollop melted!<br />
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Ack the lighting in today's photos wasn't the best. <br />
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Lip smacking good! Don't feel too bad for Sunny and Rosy. They didn't get any soup but they may have gotten a little bit of extra shredded cheese!<br />
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/southwestern-chicken-soup-10000000780308/">My Recipes</a>.</div>
Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-60567669000397427792014-01-21T21:15:00.002-05:002014-01-21T21:15:37.190-05:00Dijon Chicken Stew with Potatoes and Kale<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfP7IVSZPDO20TQwzcUPkp_JQAMQGOvtgInsB95xRl9J5dRh74TOVxRAwZ4wDxIQGKPpGfWyeY0iBnhYecJ2TNi7s26zu99D2tvPWRMRp1Vol5A8u30AA-hmB-DKs4aBDoChF2TUJ74nr/s1600/20140121_194703.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTfP7IVSZPDO20TQwzcUPkp_JQAMQGOvtgInsB95xRl9J5dRh74TOVxRAwZ4wDxIQGKPpGfWyeY0iBnhYecJ2TNi7s26zu99D2tvPWRMRp1Vol5A8u30AA-hmB-DKs4aBDoChF2TUJ74nr/s1600/20140121_194703.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
Snow day, snow day! Yippee!<br />
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I'm always torn between wanting a lot of pretty snow with a day off from work and having to battle dog walks with two stubborn pugs. Well for now I'm happy to have spent an extra day with my lazy girls lazing on the couch, catching up on household chores, and making this yummy Dijon chicken stew! A cold, snowy day always calls for a hot and hearty dish for dinner to eat as you watch the snow blowing by your window.<br />
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<u>Servings</u>: 6 servings (for me this is 2-3 meals)<br />
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<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
2 cups sweet onions (or leeks), sliced<br />
4 garlic cloves, minced<br />
12-16 oz chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces<br />
5 ounces chopped kale, swiss chard or collard greens (stems removed)<br />
10 oz baby bella mushrooms, sliced<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided<br />
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, divided<br />
1 cup dry white wine<br />
4 cups chicken broth, divided<br />
1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon flour, divided<br />
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard<br />
2 medium/large potatoes, peeled and cubed<br />
1 teaspoon thyme<br />
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)<br />
Olive oil or cooking spray<br />
Extra salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste<br />
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<u>Instructions</u>:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Pour 1 tsp of olive oil in a Dutch oven or use a cooking spray/oil diffuser and heat over medium-high heat. </li>
<li>Add 2 cups chopped sweet onions and 10 oz sliced mushrooms and cook for 6 minutes, stirring frequently.</li>
<li>Add 4 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Spoon the mixture into a large bowl and set aside.</li>
<li>Place 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper into a shallow bowl. Dunk the 12-16 oz chopped chicken pieces (I used chicken breasts, but you can use dark meat if that's your preference) in the flour and shake off any excess.</li>
<li>Heat another tsp of olive oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for about 6 minutes, browning it on all sides. To help the browning, it's best to cook this in two batches. Set aside the cooked chicken with the onions and mushrooms.</li>
<li>Add 1 cup white wine to the Dutch oven and scrape up the browned bits. Continue until the wine has reduced by about half.</li>
<li>In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup chicken broth with 1 tablespoon flour until smooth. Add this to the Dutch oven, along with 3 cups of chicken broth, and 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard. Bring to a boil.</li>
<li>Add back in the chicken, mushrooms, and onions, and add 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper, and 1 tsp thyme. Stir everything together and then cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.</li>
<li>Add 2 chopped potatoes and 5 oz kale. Cover and cook for an additional 30 minutes.</li>
<li>Season to taste your bowl with additional salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper (I like mine spicy!).</li>
</ul>
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Ok enough with all the words. Now the pictures!</div>
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My messy stew. I kinda ruined my Dutch oven with this recipe as I wasn't paying close attention to the onions at first and then I compounded that with the browning of the chicken. That's ok, I'm letting it soak now in some hot water and baking soda.</div>
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The girls were relaxing on the couch but as soon as I started spooning the stew into my bowl they jumped down and ran to the kitchen. They know they get a little treat if they pose nicely for photos!<br />
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As you can tell I like to add lots of black pepper and crushed red pepper to my bowls! My brother-in-law thinks me and my sisters have completely warped our taste buds because we're all heavy pepper users.</div>
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Sniff test! <br />
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Rosy knows by know that she never gets what's in the bowl so she doesn't even try to eat what's inside (unless it's something she really loves, like cheese) and just waits for me to give her the doggy-safe treat.<br />
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Spot the pug below?<br />
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/dijon-chicken-stew-with-potatoes-kale-10000001142000/">My Recipes</a>.Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-13169347804339365182013-12-26T12:11:00.000-05:002013-12-26T12:11:04.273-05:00Grapefruit Pound Cake<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwx08xcWi7zjt7Aq_wUy_ODQUJbJxX5Nl9Jf0ulrFD9qEGqa1i3oYBMXhaIgfE4AUyaUlbViAfxgdEb91AW_NjBjow0uJ3jLpX-tesYhEHNC-rgVEI1ZWdWYA97mEKrIKUsGarIVydxfL3/s1600/20131225_035757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwx08xcWi7zjt7Aq_wUy_ODQUJbJxX5Nl9Jf0ulrFD9qEGqa1i3oYBMXhaIgfE4AUyaUlbViAfxgdEb91AW_NjBjow0uJ3jLpX-tesYhEHNC-rgVEI1ZWdWYA97mEKrIKUsGarIVydxfL3/s1600/20131225_035757.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
Ever since I started cooking a few years ago, I always try to bake something special for the holidays. I always bake my <a href="http://www.grubbinpugs.com/2013/02/snowball-cookies.html">snowball cookies</a> and <a href="http://www.grubbinpugs.com/2013/02/dark-chocolate-cookies-no-butter-or.html">dark chocolate cookies</a>, due to the demands of various family members, but I like to try something new for the big dessert after dinner. This year I found one that everyone loved! Well, all the grownups loved it but the kids found the icing too sweetly tart. The icing is a love it or hate it kind of thing because that's where the cake gets a lot of its grapefruit flavor and some might think it's either too tart or too sweet. Personally I think the icing and the cake have to go together and so did all the grownup members of my family! Some of us don't even love grapefruit, but we all thoroughly enjoyed the cake. So if grapefruit isn't your thing normally, still give this cake a try! I mean who doesn't love a nice, dense pound cake? A great alternative from the usual pies this season or a heavy chocolatey dessert!<br />
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<u>Servings</u>: Hm hard to say. I cooked mine in a 9-inch pan and 7 of us had slices and we ate a little more than half the cake so maybe 12-16 servings depending on the size of the slices.<br />
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<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
2 cups all-purpose flour (lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with knife)<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
5/8 teaspoon salt, divided<br />
1 2/3 cup granulated sugar<br />
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened<br />
8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened<br />
2 large eggs, room temperature<br />
1/4 cup canola oil<br />
2 tablespoons grapefruit rind, grated<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1/2 cup 2% reduced fat milk<br />
1/2 cup grapefruit juice<br />
1 cup powdered sugar<br />
Baking spray or butter/oil for pan and dusting of flour<br />
<br />
<u>Instructions</u>:<br />
<br />
<i>Cake:</i><br />
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<ul>
<li>Preheat oven to 325 degrees.</li>
<li>Coat pan with baking spray, butter, or oil and lightly dust with flour.</li>
<ul>
<li>Pound cake should normally be cooked in a tube pan (the original recipe called for a 10-inch tube pan) as that type of pan helps to ensure the cake is evenly cooked, but since I didn't have one and didn't want to buy one for this cake I used my regular 9x2 cake pan and that worked pretty well. I lined the bottom with parchment paper to help ease removal from pan later. You can also use two loaf pans for this instead. Pound cake rises a lot so make sure you pick a big enough pan with enough height so you don't risk overflow.</li>
</ul>
<li>Mix together 2 cups flour, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.</li>
<li>In a large bowl add 1 2/3 cup granulated sugar, 6 tbsps butter, and 8 oz cream cheese. Using a mixer beat at high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.</li>
<li>Add 2 large eggs to the mixture, one at a time, beating well after each addition.</li>
<li>Beat in 1/4 cup canola oil, 2 tbsps grapefruit rind, and 1/2 tsp vanilla.</li>
<li>Alternate adding the flour mixture and the milk to the batter, starting and ending with the flour mixture. The batter should be smooth and thick at the end.</li>
<li>Pour or spoon the batter into the pan and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. If you insert a toothpick in the center it should come out mostly clean with moist crumbs on it. </li>
<li>Cool in pan on a rack for 10 minutes then remove cake from pan and cool completely on rack.</li>
</ul>
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<i>Icing</i>:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Bring 1/2 cup grapefruit juice to boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Continue cooking for a few minutes until the grapefruit juice is reduced to about 3-4 tablespoons.</li>
<li>Stir in 1 cup powdered sugar, and 1/8 tsp salt until the icing is thick and smooth. </li>
<li>Either drizzle over cake or you can do what I did was to use a knife to evenly spread the icing on top of the cake.</li>
</ul>
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Now enjoy! And here are some photos! </div>
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Beginning of course, with some begging pugs.</div>
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I made the cake the night before so that on Christmas I had everything ready to go. I love my cake carrier. I can bring a cake with icing without having to worry about pug hairs flying into them when driving!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKivPKLW4uFrJcSQwUCBoFY5X68oX98sqE0iFvCza9AHxy6miWYk-YCA_XaWnidYvEIv1DpL-owUxBj1gc5r-bgypAS0119FaFFPsyzjoM8AGtTqbvimJWO0VVjvmx5PRtda_DKgHHIX_Y/s1600/20131225_035934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKivPKLW4uFrJcSQwUCBoFY5X68oX98sqE0iFvCza9AHxy6miWYk-YCA_XaWnidYvEIv1DpL-owUxBj1gc5r-bgypAS0119FaFFPsyzjoM8AGtTqbvimJWO0VVjvmx5PRtda_DKgHHIX_Y/s1600/20131225_035934.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
Come on lil pugs, off to grandma's we go!<br />
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Excuse the paper plates, we were trying to minimize clean-up afterwards and the dishwasher was already full and running!<br />
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Mmmmm. I may just have to make this again next year instead of searching around for a new recipe!</div>
<br />
<br />
Adapted from <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/grapefruit-pound-cake-50400000118562/">My Recipes</a>.Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-54393913026111417702013-12-26T12:06:00.001-05:002013-12-28T14:56:45.673-05:00Cranberry Cake<div style="text-align: center;">
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When I was in kindergarten or first grade one of my classmate's mothers shared a cranberry bread recipe with the whole class. I took that little piece of paper with the recipe on it home and from that point on every year we made that cranberry bread at Thanksgiving and Christmas! That recipe has long since been lost so when I saw a recipe pop up for cranberry cake on one of my favorite food sites <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-cranberry-cake-16000">The Kitchn</a> I was itching to try it out for my family on Christmas! This cranberry cake was soooo good, everyone agreed it was way better than the old cranberry bread recipe we used to make. One of my sisters even went so far as to say that she thinks this is the best thing I've ever baked, surpassing her old favorite of the <a href="http://www.grubbinpugs.com/2013/02/dark-chocolate-cookies-no-butter-or.html">Dark Chocolate Cookies</a>. (She later amended this after trying my <a href="http://www.grubbinpugs.com/2013/12/grapefruit-pound-cake.html">Grapefruit Pound Cake</a> to say that this cranberry cake and the grapefruit pound cake are tied as her favorites). So now I'm officially entering this cranberry cake recipe to my "recipe box" here at Grubbin Pugs where I'll be sure to never lose it or forget it. And so a new tradition has begun and I foresee lots of this cranberry cake in future Thanksgivings and Christmases!<br />
<br />
<u>Servings</u>: Made two low loaves in my 9x5 loaf pans. The Kitchn said that this could make one 10-inch springformm cake or four 4-cup loaves or 24-30 cupcakes.<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
3 large eggs<br />
2 cups granulated sugar<br />
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
1 teaspoon orange rind, grated<br />
2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
2 1/2 cups cranberries (one 12-ounce bag)<br />
<br />
<u>Instructions</u>:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</li>
<li>Grease pan(s) and dust with flour.</li>
<li>In a large bowl, use a stand or hand mixer to beat 3 large eggs and 2 cups sugar until the batter is very smooth and pale yellow, and has increased in volume. Since there is no leavening agent in this recipe, this is where the cake will get it's height from. By the end, the batter should have doubled in volume and should leave ribbons on top of the batter when you lift the beaters up.</li>
<li>Beat in 3/4 cup butter and 1 tsp vanilla for a couple minutes until butter is well incorporated into the batter.</li>
<li>Using a spatula or spoon, fold in 2 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, 2 1/2 cups cranberries, and 1 tsp grated orange rind. By the end the batter will be thick and the cranberries should be evenly distributed throughout. </li>
<li>Spoon the batter into the pan(s) and even it out. </li>
<li>Bake for 60-80 minutes for the springform. For smaller pans start checking at about 40 minutes. My two 9x5 loaves took a little over an hour to bake. Toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean. </li>
<li>Let cake(s) in pan(s) cool for 20 minutes on a rack. Then run a knife along the inside edge of the pan(s) and remove the cake(s). Cool completely for an hour before serving. This cake also keeps and freezes well!</li>
</ul>
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And now the photos!<br />
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My cakes did crumble and slightly break apart underneath during removal from the pan, but nothing too serious. Just be careful when removing from the pan!<br />
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Do you like my four loaves? Two cranberry loaves and two pug loaves!</div>
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Look at how sad Sunny looks here!</div>
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Oh oops this slice just came right off! Guess I'll have to eat it!<br />
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I made this on Christmas Eve to eat on Christmas, and when I first tried it I thought it was pretty good but when I ate it again the next day it tasted sooooo much better! I think having the night for all the flavors to meld together helped or something.<br />
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I insisted that everyone try a little piece of the cranberry cake when I first arrived, and that quickly turned into one of the loaves being devoured in just minutes by everyone. (Excuse the paper plates as we were trying to minimize the amount of clean-up that day!)<br />
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Sorry Rosy, none for you! But don't worry, she got a lot of delicious treats during Christmas dinner!<br />
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-cranberry-cake-16000">The Kitchn</a>.Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-88740152956623937322013-12-18T22:38:00.000-05:002013-12-19T18:17:52.983-05:00Sun-dried Tomatoes, Bacon, and Goat Cheese Pasta<div style="text-align: center;">
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Sometimes my best dishes are the random ones I throw together based on my current favorite ingredients. And you can be sure that that list always includes cheese and bacon! It makes me sad that I only started eating goat cheese as an adult. Think of all those wasted childhood years of not knowing the joy that is delicious goat cheese. Goats may freak me out with their scary eyes, but man they make some good cheese.<br />
<br />
This pasta is a great cheesy dish with an added kick of the sundried tomatoes and bacon. I like to make this during the colder months because there's nothing more comforting (other than my beloved soups) than a nice creamy pasta bowl!<br />
<br />
[Note: For most of my bacon dishes I use a thick cut turkey bacon from Trader Joe's. The texture is not so much the traditional crispiness you would get with regular turkey and instead is more like ham. I love regular bacon but will often use turkey bacon to cut back on the calories and fat. If you want to use traditional bacon, then cook it first, and let it drain on paper towels afterwards, and then once cooled crumble into the pasta at the end when you're mixing everything together. Or if you're feeling lazy like I always am, especially after coming home from work, then just cook it with the onions. And if you're looking for a vegetarian dish, just omit the bacon! I've done it before and it's still super yummy.]<br />
<br />
<u>Servings</u>: 6 (which means it's a 3 mealer for me)<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
16 oz dried pasta (I used a whole wheat penne here)<br />
1 onion, diced<br />
1 teaspoon minced garlic<br />
3 oz sundried tomatoes, chopped<br />
1 teaspoon dried rosemary<br />
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes<br />
3-4 ounces goat cheese<br />
2-4 slices bacon<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
1/4 cup reserved pasta water (optional)<br />
Chives, chopped (optional topping)<br />
<br />
<u>Instructions</u>:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Cook pasta according to instructions. (Optional: reserve about 1/4 cup of the pasta water before draining for future use.)</li>
<li>Cook 1 chopped onion, 1 tsp rosemary, 1 tsp garlic, 3 oz sundried tomatoes, and 2-4 chopped slices of bacon for 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are starting to brown and bacon is starting to crisp. </li>
<li>Add 1 can diced tomatoes to the onion mixture and let simmer for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.</li>
<li>Drain pasta and put the pasta back into the pot along with 3-4 ounces of goat cheese. Stir until the goat cheese covers all the pasta.</li>
<li>Add the onion mixture to the pasta as well as the crumbled bacon and stir all together until well mixed. If you like a saucier sauce, add about 1/4 cup pasta water (which is what I did in the photos below).</li>
<li>Season with salt and pepper to taste.</li>
<li>Optional: Top each bowl with some chopped chives.</li>
</ul>
<br />
Aaaaand cue the sad begging pugs. Sunny's taught Rosy the technique of uncurling the tail to look extra sad and pathetic.<br />
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I love using fresh herbs for toppings on my dishes. Normally it's parsley but today I decided to go with chives!</div>
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The girls want some bacon and cheese! </div>
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Sniff sniff.</div>
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Closing in...<br />
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Getting closer!<br />
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And no the girls did not get any taste - there are onions and garlic in this dish! But I did give them a little topping of cheese with their carrot snack afterwards.<br />
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/SOS-OClock-Scramble-Rescue-Earth-Friendly/dp/0312578113">SOS! The Six O'Clock Scramble to the Rescue</a>.Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-20464487310671429702013-12-16T22:05:00.000-05:002013-12-16T22:05:45.727-05:00Minestrone Soup with Bacon<div style="text-align: center;">
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I don't know why it's taken me so long to try a minestrone soup, because I made one today and it was awesome! Since this month has been so cold, I've been loving my soups. And while I have the tried and true, I am always searching for new recipes because I get bored easily. My taste buds demand new and yummy flavors and my tummy demands a hearty and satisfying meal. Well this soup meets all those requirements!<br />
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Lots of minestrone soups are made with pasta, but I omitted that to keep it lighter...and then I added in bacon! I am a bacon addict. This can easily be made vegetarian by omitting the bacon, and can be personalized with various vegetables. I've seen other recipes with celery, carrots, green beans, etc., but keep in mind that since this is a relatively quick cooking soup things don't break down as much as in longer cooking recipes (which is why I didn't add any celery or carrots).<br />
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This is definitely going into my permanent soup rotation! Sigh, why can't I just stay at home with my pugs during these cold winter days, making yummy soup and bread, instead of going to work? At least this is quick and easy enough that I can make it on any weekday once I get home.<br />
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<u>Servings</u>: 5-6 (though for me this is a 2-3 mealer)<br />
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<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
Cooking spray or olive oil<br />
1 medium onion, chopped<br />
2-4 slices bacon, chopped<br />
2 teaspoons minced garlic<br />
2 tablespoons tomato paste<br />
12-16 ounces kale, swiss chard, or collard greens, stalks removed and leaves chopped<br />
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme<br />
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes<br />
2 (15 ounce) cans of white kidney beans, rinsed and drained<br />
1 (14.5 ounce) can of diced tomatoes<br />
4 cups vegetable broth<br />
1-2 cups water<br />
Grated Parmesan and chopped parsley for topping (optional)<br />
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<u>Instructions</u>:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Heat Dutch oven over medium heat and either spray with cooking spray or heat 1 tsp of olive oil.</li>
<li>Add 1 chopped onion, 2-4 chopped slices of bacon, 2 tsp garlic, and a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cook for 6-7 minutes until onion softens and bacon browns.</li>
<li>Add 2 tbsp tomato paste and stir into onion mixture until everything is well coated. </li>
<li>Add 12-16 oz of hearty greens, 1/2 tsp thyme, and 1 tsp of red pepper flakes.</li>
<li>Stir everything together for 4-5 minutes as the greens should start to wilt.</li>
<li>Add 2 cans of white kidney beans. If you like a thicker soup, either mash some of the beans before adding, or once in the Dutch oven use a spoon to mash some of the beans.</li>
<li>Add 1 can of diced tomatoes, with juice, 4 cups of vegetable broth, and 1-2 cups of water (depending on how many greens you added and how hearty or brothy you like your soup).</li>
<li>Bring the soup to a boil and then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the greens are tender.</li>
<li>Season with salt and pepper to taste.</li>
<li>For serving, sprinkle a little bit of chopped parsley and grated Parmesan on each bowl. This goes great with some nice crusty bread!</li>
</ul>
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Now for the pics! </div>
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Look at Rosy. She looks like she's thinking, "Mmmm that smells so good! I can smell the bacon!"</div>
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Rosy tries different begging tactics but Sunny always does the pathetic sit by the fridge.<br />
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Love the sprinkling of Parmesan and parsley! I hate chopping herbs but I find that chopped parsley is a fantastic topping on most soups and pastas.<br />
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Begging eyes and tails down!<br />
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I like negating any healthy benefits of my soups by adding bacon and cheese. Bacon and cheese on everything!!!<br />
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Now mix it all together. One of my favorite things about cheese in soup is how it gets stuck on the spoon and so when you scrape it with your teeth you get a nice saucy, hot concentrated jolt of cheese!<br />
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And there goes Rosy's tongue.<br />
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Ack and there goes Sunny's tongue! She was too quick for me this time! Luckily she didn't get any soup, just bowl. She was super disappointed afterwards that the smell of the soup didn't match with the taste of bowl.</div>
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Ok time for me to eat!<br />
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Hey leave it alone! This is for me!</div>
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I had dropped a little bit of the Parmesan on the floor and Rosy quickly licked it all up. Then as I ate, she would periodically return to the kitchen and lick the same spot over and over again, trying to get every last crumb and hoping that some more cheese would magically appear. She's a cheese monster! <br />
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Can't blame her. Cheese is gooooood.<br />
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/338170/minestrone-with-collard-greens-and-white?czone=food%2Fdinner-tonight-center%2Fdinner-tonight-main-courses&gallery=297026&slide=255253&center=276948">Martha Stewart</a>.<br />
Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-34045039006676886962013-12-08T12:17:00.001-05:002013-12-08T12:28:07.990-05:00Ginormous Pancake aka Dutch Baby Pancake<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wwCIZ-1MEPXpToPwEn5ApcgaW6yx1iZVzg0BXYrK6HoagQyhZH26cU6d4gvY1nYZpBdGEKyVixUJh8__oE4GbGC0Da5ZazPuAe1b06mq0K9DZKRKqtic10LoRCRM6SMiLLdxQZmbJ4pl/s1600/20131208_113116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5wwCIZ-1MEPXpToPwEn5ApcgaW6yx1iZVzg0BXYrK6HoagQyhZH26cU6d4gvY1nYZpBdGEKyVixUJh8__oE4GbGC0Da5ZazPuAe1b06mq0K9DZKRKqtic10LoRCRM6SMiLLdxQZmbJ4pl/s1600/20131208_113116.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
I love special and fun traditions, especially those that revolve around cold weather and/or holidays. One of my favorites was one my first grade teacher had for every first rainy day of the month. I grew up in southern California so it only really rained in the fall and winter months (I was shocked to discover when I got older that most areas of the U.S. have rain year round). And every first rainy morning of the month my teacher would bring in a huge urn of hot chocolate and bags of marshmallows. You had the option of bringing in your own mug and I always brought in my beloved mug with my name on it (I have an unusual name so this mug I found in Solvang, CA was a treasured possession!). This simple and yet awesome tradition made a dreary and rainy school day seem so special. <br />
<br />
Now that I live on the east coast where it rains so much, I don't really make a big deal out of a rainy day other than to chase around my wet pugs with paper towels as I try to dry them off. But now my CA rainy day equivalent is a snow day! There's nothing better than the first few snowy days in a winter, especially if it means cancelled work or a late arrival! Sadly, today's wintry mix is on a Sunday but I still wanted to do something special for it. Usually I make a fun breakfast for a snow day, like a breakfast sandwich or pancakes. And now I'm adding this ginormous pancake aka Dutch baby pancake to my snow day routine! This is best served right away but it's super easy to put together and quick to bake. What could possibly be better than eating this delicious pancake on a cold, snowy day, except for maybe sipping a steaming cup of hot chocolate with melting marshmallows on top in a special mug with your name on it?<br />
<br />
<u>Servings</u>: 2-4 (or if you're feeling really glutinous 1 - shhh, I won't tell!)<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
2 large eggs<br />
1/2 cup milk<br />
1/2 cup flour<br />
2 teaspoons sugar<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1 tablespoon butter<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla<br />
Powdered sugar and lemon wedges for topping<br />
(Can top instead with maple syrup or fruit)<br />
<br />
<u>Instructions</u>:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Place oven-safe skillet in the oven and preheat oven to 425 degrees </li>
<li>In a large bowl whisk 2 large eggs and 1/2 cup milk until light and frothy.</li>
<li>Add 1/2 cup flour, 2 teaspoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and whisk together until well mixed and smooth (a feat I still am never able to fully achieve). Let the mixture sit at room temperature while you wait for the oven to reach temperature.</li>
<li>Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and add 1-2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet. Swirl the butter around to coat the entire pan.</li>
<li>Pour batter into the skillet and place back in the oven to bake for 12-18 minutes until pancake has puffed and is golden brown.</li>
<li>Sprinkle with powdered sugar, squirt a bit of lemon juice on top, and serve immediately (you can slice it up into wedges for serving).</li>
<li>[Alternatively: you can top instead with maple syrup or fruit.]</li>
</ul>
<div>
As soon as I go into the kitchen to cook, Sunny assumes her usual pathetic begging pug position. She alternated between looking sadly at the ground, resting her chin on the drawer handle, and staring up at me with her sad lil eyes.</div>
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Ahhh fresh out of the oven!</div>
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I like topping my pancake with powdered sugar and some squirts of a lemon wedge, but you can top it with lots of other things like maple syrup or your favorite fruit.</div>
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Ah nothing like a fun and delicious breakfast/brunch on a cold snowy day!</div>
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The begging pugs are back.</div>
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Rosy really really wanted to try some of this. She was begging more for this than a lot of my other savory dishes!</div>
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Trying to sneak a lick!<br />
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Sunny's eyes here crack me up!</div>
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Maybe I should rename these Pug Baby pancakes?</div>
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For those wondering, a quick internet search informed me that Dutch Baby pancakes are actually of German-American origin and the name is the result of a misinterpretation of the word "deutsch" for "Dutch" (like the Pennsylvania Dutch).</div>
Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-76324780138488398932013-11-25T22:44:00.000-05:002013-11-25T22:45:19.972-05:00Sweet Potato Biscuits with Rosemary<div style="text-align: center;">
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Some days I don't feel like cooking at all and eat shin ramen or frozen food. And then other days I go into a internet-researching-and-cooking frenzy. Well, I think we're entering one of those phases. It started off so simply, with a brief conversation with my sister about our Thanksgiving duties. She asked if I could bring a dessert and do mashed potatoes. I did a vanilla cranberry crumb cake last year which was good but a little dry and so I decided to do some research for something new. And then the internet researching part of the frenzy began. So now I've decided to make four things for Thanksgiving - pumpkin pie cake, onion-mustard monkey bread, mashed potatoes, and these sweet potato biscuits with rosemary. <br />
<br />
My first time making biscuits! The quality of my biscuits vary wildly based on how careful I am with evening out the dough and my carelessness, but regardless of how they look, they taste delicious! I made two batches and froze them for easy reheating before Thanksgiving dinner. I like the savory aspects of sweet potato things, but you can easily tweak this recipe to make it sweeter.<br />
<br />
Now that I know that making biscuits is relatively easy, I'm very concerned about my waistline in the coming cold months. I ate two right as they came out of the oven. But so worth it. Nothing better than slightly burning your fingertips as you tear apart at a warm biscuit! Man I wish I had some bacon so that I could make a super yummy breakfast sandwich!<br />
<br />
<u>Servings</u>: 12-16 2-inch biscuits<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
1 pound sweet potatoes, scrubbed<br />
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for cutting the biscuits)<br />
2 tablespoons brown sugar (use 3 if you want your biscuits sweeter)<br />
1 tablespoon baking powder<br />
1 1/8 teaspoon salt<br />
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut into chunks<br />
1/2 cup reduced fat milk (plus 1-4 more tablespoons as needed)<br />
1 egg yolk<br />
1 tablespoon heavy cream<br />
Handful of rosemary sprigs<br />
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional - adds a nice kick but I omit it for the ones my niece and nephew might eat)<br />
<br />
<u>Instructions</u>:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Pierce the sweet potatoes in several places with a fork and microwave for 10 minutes (alternatively, you can bake them for about 1 hour in the oven at 400 degrees, but microwave is easier!). Let cool a bit and then peel the skin off and mash the sweet potatoes in a bowl with a fork. Place 1 1/2 cups of mashed sweet potatoes in the fridge until it's chilled (if you have any extra you can save for another batch or do what I did and give your dogs a treat).</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3VsvbejrgEWzhPlcM2bE_kF_p4RQ9pXJ8bUEZNukcI7HV16pO_hv7ZeGet8kgHiKAiP8lMovGpddBUkzXo9M9Bzan_FWlDpXkiK58J3F0BAg7B0VNsb2f2XJeYDI0ysl9IPlj6N4W7Lxk/s1600/20131124_152340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3VsvbejrgEWzhPlcM2bE_kF_p4RQ9pXJ8bUEZNukcI7HV16pO_hv7ZeGet8kgHiKAiP8lMovGpddBUkzXo9M9Bzan_FWlDpXkiK58J3F0BAg7B0VNsb2f2XJeYDI0ysl9IPlj6N4W7Lxk/s1600/20131124_152340.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<ul>
<li>In a large bowl add 2 1/2 cups flour, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper and stir until all ingredients are well mixed together.</li>
<li>In a small bowl mix together 1 1/2 cups mashed sweet potato with 1/2 cup milk until well blended together. </li>
<li>Cut 8 tablespoons of butter into the dry mixture using a pastry blender, two knives (slicing like crossed swords), or your hands. Cut in the butter until there are pea-sized pieces of butter incorporated in the mixture. You want to have small pea-sized amounts of butter left intact as these lil pockets of cold butter help create air pockets in the biscuits when they bake and help the biscuit rise and keep it fluffy.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQA5ahWinH8RBRFHTo9k6okZxfRT_HlPVaQN30heEc9hFQLYHy_63taz76m9Fo0zz2nsBQtIMuAYHdal7ymAVqJtltAD04YNFoRwvCLuKobMI22-K7eUuThvA7UWKLP-FSTa34xF-9gRwY/s1600/20131124_154813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQA5ahWinH8RBRFHTo9k6okZxfRT_HlPVaQN30heEc9hFQLYHy_63taz76m9Fo0zz2nsBQtIMuAYHdal7ymAVqJtltAD04YNFoRwvCLuKobMI22-K7eUuThvA7UWKLP-FSTa34xF-9gRwY/s1600/20131124_154813.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>Add the sweet potato-milk mixture to the dry mixture and stir until just mixed. If ingredients are too dry and not sticking, add some extra milk, 1 tablespoon at a time as needed. Don't overmix or this will lead to tough biscuits.</li>
<li>Refrigerate dough for 15 minutes.</li>
<li>Preheat oven to 425 degrees and either line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or grease it.</li>
<li>Mix together one egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of heavy cream and set aside.</li>
<li>On a floured surface dump the dough and pat it out until it's about 1/2 inch thick throughout. </li>
<li>Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter (or upside down glass/jar/can) cut out as many biscuits as you can. Push the cutter down sharply but do not twist! That'll seal off the edges and seal in the steam so the biscuits won't rise. Place biscuits on the cookie sheet.</li>
<li>Once you've cut out as many biscuits as you can the first go around, gather up the leftover scraps and pat it together and then out again. Stamp out more biscuits and add them to the cookie sheet. Supposedly each round you do this the biscuit will be less fluffy and potentially tougher so some recipes I saw said to only do this one extra time, but I hate waste and so I keep doing this until almost all the dough is used.</li>
<li>Brush the egg-cream mixture on top of the biscuits and then lightly press a few pieces of rosemary on top. </li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzzXZDDHk3BaePLJajetxZsX_vDm-RxUA8fDZOYG4m8qjC_YXCarHANV6ckMxCI-aHEJlBe0M-2RIJgpzZE_WS32nIqCwDWXmlAgMo76B8s_Tmh9BUskHFH-oY5PYmy2F0j-XxH9pNf-D/s1600/20131124_162547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilzzXZDDHk3BaePLJajetxZsX_vDm-RxUA8fDZOYG4m8qjC_YXCarHANV6ckMxCI-aHEJlBe0M-2RIJgpzZE_WS32nIqCwDWXmlAgMo76B8s_Tmh9BUskHFH-oY5PYmy2F0j-XxH9pNf-D/s1600/20131124_162547.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>Bake the biscuits for 20 minutes or until they are golden.</li>
<li>Serve warm (or in my case, eat it while burning your tongue and fingertips over the kitchen sink) or you can freeze them and then reheat in the oven.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Now the fun part, more photos! </div>
</div>
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<br />
You can see how inconsistent I was with the height of my biscuits. Meh - I'm no perfectionist.<br />
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Mmm!<br />
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Moved some over to the cooling rack.<br />
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Back to eating more biscuits!<br />
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If you cook it, they will come. <br />
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Nom nom nom!<br />
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Sigh, my view every time I eat.<br />
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So of course I felt bad and had to give the girls a teeny bit of sweet potato! Sweet potatoes for my sweet pugtatoes!<br />
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/herb-topped-sweet-potato-biscuits">Food and Wine</a>.Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-18693091195906590052013-10-28T11:20:00.000-04:002013-12-09T19:30:45.129-05:00Seafood and Brown Rice Porridge (modified jeonbokjuk)<div style="text-align: center;">
<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGtvYrrrKKAQ5sOQVEpHSabuN-pYbP5MakZgqIOrQt2u4IZIlRbWoA09hcHwawSf-0QlnxhzOR3pzIi6ntMksPT_vDdnojQA2vbd78TqC96vQGx2NRj9sO_xCYi9ea7iG8aoRpgh1W6TFX/s1600/20131027_191015.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></div>
I've been on a big Korean food kick lately. Well I always crave Korean food, but I mean I've been trying to cook more of it myself. I used to shy away from it because a lot of the dishes require ingredients you can only get at a Korean/Asian market, but this modified jeonbokjuk dish I made is great because it requires no special ingredients and yet it tastes yummy and comforting! This dish reminds me of the plain rice porridge my mom used to make all the time and it also reminds me of one of the best airport meals I ever had at the Incheon airport in Seoul.<br />
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Jeonbokjuk is traditionally made with short grain white rice and abalone. I love abalone! One of the best food experiences in my life was when I went to Jeju Island with my mom and we climbed over the slippery rocks, sat on wet upside-down buckets, and ate fresh abalone (with a side of kimchi of course) that was sold by the female divers (haenyo) there. So, so good. Unfortunately, it's not as easy to come by here and so I used a seafood mix from Trader Joe's that had squid, shrimp, and scallops. You can pick any kind of seafood that you like best. I also used brown rice because that's what I had handy (I'm slowly making my way through a giant bag of rice I bought forever ago) and I generally try to eat brown rice instead of white nowadays. The brown rice doesn't break down as easily as the white rice though so adjust soaking and cooking times as necessary.<br />
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Unfortunately the weather warmed up yesterday when I made this and I always run really hot the day after a long run so it wasn't an ideal type of day to eat this but I still loved spooning this wonderful Korean comfort food and foresee many cold winter days when I'll be making this again!<br />
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[12/9/13 update: Generally you're supposed to eat this day of and pretty soon after cooking it, but I've refrigerated it and eaten it the next day or two without problems. It congeals so you have to stir in some extra water when reheating and save the green onions and seaweed for any refrigerated amount and add it fresh to the reheated portions.]<br />
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<u>Servings</u>: 2-4 (4 if you're serving something else with it, but for me this is a 2 mealer)<br />
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<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
1 cup shrimp/squid/scallops, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (use whatever seafood you prefer)<br />
1 cup short grain brown rice<br />
2 tablespoons sesame oil<br />
2 cloves of garlic, minced<br />
4 green onions, chopped<br />
1/4 cup carrots, chopped into small pieces<br />
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, chopped into small pieces<br />
7 cups water<br />
1/2 cup roasted seaweed, crumbled <br />
Salt (and pepper (optional)) to taste<br />
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<u>Instructions</u>:<br />
<ul>
<li>Wash 1 cup of brown rice and then soak it in cold water for at least two hours (I soaked it about 4). Drain well and set aside.</li>
<li>Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat and add 2 tbsps of sesame oil.</li>
<li>Add 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 cup chopped seafood, 1/4 cup chopped carrot, and 1 cup chopped shiitake mushrooms to the pot and stir for 30 seconds.</li>
<li>Add the 1 cup of brown rice to the pot and stir continuously for 3-6 minutes until the rice starts to look translucent.</li>
<li>Add 7 cups of water to the pot and stir everything together. Let the water come to a simmer and then cover the pot and decrease the heat to low. </li>
<li>Cook rice for 30-45 minutes with the lid on, stirring occasionally to make sure the rice doesn't stick and burn to the bottom. (I put my heat too low in the beginning and ended up cooking mine for 45 minutes).</li>
<li>Once the rice has broken down into a porridge-like texture, add 1 tbsp of soy sauce and approximately 1 tsp of salt. Taste and add another tbsps of soy sauce or more salt if desired (I used 2 tbsps of soy sauce). </li>
<li>Serve hot and topped with crushed roasted seaweed and chopped green onions. Add salt and pepper to taste if desired. </li>
</ul>
When I opened it up the steam fogged up my camera lens! Look how pathetically sad my chub chub pugs look. <br />
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I like to put a lot of green onions and seaweed on mine! But I took a photo first with it looking nice and dainty because otherwise all you'd see in this photo would be a big ol pile of green onions and seaweed!<br />
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Can we all just take a second to stop and look at Sunny's sad pug slump in front of my fridge and Rosy's desperately pleading face? <br />
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Sunny wouldn't budge from that spot so when I had to open the fridge I
had to nudge the door against her and slide her across. Only then did
she jump up and then wedge herself partially inside the fridge, looking
at her precious carrots. Sigh. <br />
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I usually try to minimize my use of oil in my foods and often substitute with cooking sprays (Trader Joe's makes so many good ones!) but trust me and use the full 2 tbsps of sesame oil. Sesame oil is such a fragrant and flavorful oil and you can really taste it in this dish! See even the pugs can smell it! <br />
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This is the kind of dish that is good to make on a cold and dreary day when you need something to warm you from the inside and also something good to help someone who is recovering from an illness.<br />
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And I got all my ingredients from Trader Joe's, even the roasted seaweed (they have a sweet/salty snack version that I just used because I was too lazy to make a trip to the Korean market)! Oh, well the rice was originally from a Korean market, but you can get rice anywhere. Enjoy! <br />
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/jeonbokjuk">Maangchi</a>.Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-82475930024969040362013-10-17T22:08:00.000-04:002013-10-17T22:08:10.634-04:00Fish and Shrimp Stew with Tomatoes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Now that fall's started I'm in the mood for soup! While I love so many of the recipes I've posted on here already, I'm always on the lookout for new recipes to try out. I stumbled across this one and it was the first fish-based stew that I thought looked yummy and yet easy and quick to make. And yes it is all three!<br />
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Unfortunately today was a little warm and it was so humid that my hair cowlick did what my friend calls "happy puppy ear." I hate humidity so so much, and yet I live in a terrible city for it. By the time I got home it was late and I felt gross and hot. I so wasn't in the mood for cooking up a soup but I had my fish and shrimp thawing in the fridge. This was really fast to put together since I did my chopping over the weekend and it was so yummy! A nice change from my usual bacon or sausage driven soups! Of course one can never have too much bacon or snausages, but this is a nice change and a great seafood option.<br />
<br />
<u>Servings</u>: 3-6<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
1 medium onion, chopped<br />
3 garlic cloves, minced<br />
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped<br />
1/4 cup carrot, chopped<br />
10 ounces baby bella mushrooms, chopped<br />
1/4-1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped<br />
1/4-1/2 cup green onions, chopped (optional)<br />
1/2 cup dry white wine<br />
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes (no salt added)<br />
2 cups vegetable broth<br />
1-1 1/2 pound firm white fish (e.g., tilapia or cod), cut into approximately 1-inch pieces<br />
1/2-1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed (I like to cut my shrimp into 1-inch pieces too)<br />
2 tablespoons capers<br />
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano<br />
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper<br />
Cooking spray or olive oil<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
<u>Instructions</u>:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>If using frozen shrimp and fish, make sure they're properly thawed.</li>
<li>Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and either use a cooking spray or heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil.</li>
<li>Add 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped red bell pepper, 1/4 cup chopped carrots, and 3 minced garlic cloves to the pot/Dutch oven. Stir occasionally for about 4 minutes and then add 10 oz chopped mushrooms and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes. (I may omit the carrots next time as I don't really like carrots unless they're used in a long cooking soup. This recipe is so fast that the carrots were still too carrot-y for my taste).</li>
<li>Add 1/2 tsp dried oregano and 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper. Stir and cook for 1 minute.</li>
<li>Add 1/4 cup chopped parsley and 1/2 cup dry white wine. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.</li>
<li>Add 28 oz diced tomatoes and 2 cups vegetable broth. Stir everything together until well mixed and bring the soup to a simmer. (At this point I tasted the soup and was a bit disappointed with the tomatoe-y taste. I was almost tempted to season it then but thought it best to wait to the end and I am so glad I did! The fish, shrimp, and capers really change the flavor of the soup so wait to season!)</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>Add 1-1 1/2 lb white fish to the soup. Stir occasionally for about 3 minutes until the fish is almost cooked through.</li>
<li>Add 1/2-1 lb shrimp to the soup (I like having things in my soup bite-sized so I cut up my shrimp into approximately 1-inch pieces). Stir occasionally for about 2-3 minutes until shrimp is just cooked. </li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>Remove pot/Dutch oven from heat and stir in 2 tbsps capers. Then add salt and pepper to taste (with the capers, you'll need less salt than usual with soups so season after adding the capers in).</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>Optional: Top each bowl with a sprinkling of chopped green onions. I had some extra chopped green onions from another recipe and I love green onions so I thought I'd add some to my soup. It adds such a nice crunch and extra flavor to the soup! I then finished with an extra bit of fresh cracked pepper. </li>
</ul>
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Sniff that bowl Sunny. Aw man, look at how gray Rosy's getting in her muzzle already! She's only 3!</div>
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Anytime I cook Rosy can't stop licking her lips! Look at her crazy tongue go!<br />
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.cookincanuck.com/2012/10/fishermans-soup-recipe-with-tilapia-shrimp-tomatoes-capers/">Cookin' Canuck</a>.</div>
Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-4327033586716357932013-10-14T21:54:00.000-04:002013-10-16T15:40:06.015-04:00Dakbokkeumtang - Korean Spicy Chicken Stew<div style="text-align: center;">
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Lately I've been on a Korean food kick. I see my parents fairly often and usually my mom cooks dinner if I stay long enough but we usually eat the same dishes because my mom knows they're my favorite and I always prefer them first. But this means that lately I've been missing some of the other dishes that my mom no longer makes when I visit. There are a few dishes that I want to try out in the near future but funny enough the first Korean dinner I made all by myself is actually one my mom never made for me (or at least I can't remember if she ever did).<br />
<br />
This dish is called dakbokkeumtang (formerly called dakdoritang) and it's a very spicy chicken stew that is best served with rice (or in my case, brown rice). You can get gochujang and gochugaru at any Korean/Asian market and don't worry about having a huge tub with no use - you can mix the gochujang with a bit of rice vinegar and dip veggies in it like broccoli or Asian cucumbers. You can also substitute other red pepper powders for gochugaru but it may make the dish taste a little different. Dakbokkeumtang is meant to be very spicy but if you have a lower spice tolerance you can certainly cut down on the red pepper paste and powder, but you may want to increase the amount of soy sauce or salt to adjust the flavor. Also, if you're not used to eating spicy foods and you try making this super spicy, beware that may cause your tummy to get upset. Dakbokkeumtang is also traditionally made with either dark meat or a mixture of white and dark meat, but since I favor white meat I used chicken breasts for this. I've left some of the ingredient amounts flexible and made some modifications as I find that a lot of Korean cooking is about personal taste and variations.<br />
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<u>Servings</u>: 3-5<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
2 pounds chicken, cut into 1/2-1 inch pieces (or if dark meat, you can leave on the bone)<br />
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks (approximately 1-inch pieces)<br />
2 medium onions, cut into large chunks (approximately 1-inch pieces)<br />
2-4 tablespoons chopped green onions<br />
2-4 tablespoons garlic, minced<br />
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced<br />
1/4-3/4 cup soy sauce (depends on if you use low sodium and how salty you want it)<br />
1 1/2-2 cups water (depends on how brothy you want it)<br />
1 tablespoon sugar<br />
1/4 cup gochujang (Korean red chili paste)<br />
1-2 tablespoons gochugaru (Korean red chili powder)<br />
1 6-ounce bag baby spinach<br />
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, lightly toasted<br />
6 dried shiitake mushrooms (optional)<br />
1 green chili pepper, chopped (optional)<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
<u>Instructions</u>:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Add in a large pot or Dutch oven 1/4-3/4 cup soy sauce, 2-4 tbsps garlic, 1 tbsp ginger, 4 tbsp gochujang, 1-2 tbsps gochugaru, and 1 tbsp sugar until sauce is well mixed.</li>
<li>Add in 2 lbs chicken, 2 chopped onions, and 1 1/2-2 cups water.</li>
<li>Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and then cover and cook for 20 minutes.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>Optional: Place 6 dried shiitake mushrooms in a large bowl of warm water to soften. When softened enough, cut into strips. I like shiitake mushrooms so I added them to the dish, but they have a unique flavor and texture so if they're not your thing omit them.</li>
<li>After 20 minutes, add in 3 chopped potatoes, 6 sliced shiitake mushrooms, and 1 chopped green chili pepper. </li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>Stir together all the ingredients and then cover and cook for another 20 minutes. The potatoes will help thicken the stew.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>After the second 20-minute period is up, remove lid and let cook uncovered for 3-5 minutes to let the sauce thicken.</li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>Stir in 1 6-ounce bag of baby spinach and 2-4 tablespoons green onions until spinach is wilted and coated with the sauce.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHB3XipF0Yzjptl8Ha5HZT0Pfaze3Ea9ik4zt4NWAK_Db-NK4IND_vi1-lShQ_M3XECaY0lkrW1ksYxbZ_yucAGNQqb6krRveIsGY7LR2ZonA2C-bx-hz-UnZs6E5ZiVenNq_24DR9AcA3/s1600/20131014_200015%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHB3XipF0Yzjptl8Ha5HZT0Pfaze3Ea9ik4zt4NWAK_Db-NK4IND_vi1-lShQ_M3XECaY0lkrW1ksYxbZ_yucAGNQqb6krRveIsGY7LR2ZonA2C-bx-hz-UnZs6E5ZiVenNq_24DR9AcA3/s1600/20131014_200015%25280%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<li style="text-align: left;">Remove from heat and sprinkle lightly toasted sesame seeds on top of the chicken. Serve with some rice.</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qCdZcp3i_ob_KoFmttK9K3BukN28xyk0NNNYQki2WvXHkER7pciubzzdgB5XYNMjZPgspOGmOR589lI8AeQa1IaNULb-y8jwoMustgxZjCmECobq1zBnG6T1z3YA8DIfYRYluNDekOOi/s1600/20131014_200142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qCdZcp3i_ob_KoFmttK9K3BukN28xyk0NNNYQki2WvXHkER7pciubzzdgB5XYNMjZPgspOGmOR589lI8AeQa1IaNULb-y8jwoMustgxZjCmECobq1zBnG6T1z3YA8DIfYRYluNDekOOi/s1600/20131014_200142.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
Of course no tasting for the girls since this had a ton of spicy things and onions. But I cooked a teensy bit of chicken for them separately as a birthday treat for them (Sunny turns 9 and Rosy turns 3 today!).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_AqC_-Wn_n2p7H0heSPBawplw4U8I1TstbrZqZwhPBIKVQTHdZ2YpiRPxdCdqLKvhPtzzlgTSZu7DkcAF3YCwG6G6icJBt_ikUA1MMNAoSQYsO-XXFOlAOhc7uB-9YB728AoEYiFqpjnc/s1600/20131014_200156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_AqC_-Wn_n2p7H0heSPBawplw4U8I1TstbrZqZwhPBIKVQTHdZ2YpiRPxdCdqLKvhPtzzlgTSZu7DkcAF3YCwG6G6icJBt_ikUA1MMNAoSQYsO-XXFOlAOhc7uB-9YB728AoEYiFqpjnc/s1600/20131014_200156.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcUt6bEpp-GHoGjznKeFfpQNferkjNCYHapTK4sFPMTbBhF3wbbqBcrKckR81GYU_cXYUZr6CYvEhRxgjSB920FXSs05LANKKIBTw9OGVRa3Cypm_pwKHGbWrUBmawNXv1EIKVQemmCkE/s1600/20131014_200217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzcUt6bEpp-GHoGjznKeFfpQNferkjNCYHapTK4sFPMTbBhF3wbbqBcrKckR81GYU_cXYUZr6CYvEhRxgjSB920FXSs05LANKKIBTw9OGVRa3Cypm_pwKHGbWrUBmawNXv1EIKVQemmCkE/s1600/20131014_200217.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2WUB-mmX4IgMSQUou790l96xsIJH5AoKFAiShTMybuv4NlDXfV9dIbesg7QTG0Rg2hcw91SuMLyeImkCUZUGkQes8lBp9AgNpvF9Xit3uv_eblHl7JM1FFlJB4Z-IMeOHhykSXLv_Vov/s1600/20131014_200220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs2WUB-mmX4IgMSQUou790l96xsIJH5AoKFAiShTMybuv4NlDXfV9dIbesg7QTG0Rg2hcw91SuMLyeImkCUZUGkQes8lBp9AgNpvF9Xit3uv_eblHl7JM1FFlJB4Z-IMeOHhykSXLv_Vov/s1600/20131014_200220.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
Adapted from <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/dak-bokkeum-spinach-korea-50400000119683/">My Recipes</a> and <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/dakbokkeumtang">Maangchi</a>.Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-86744999279359164332013-10-12T11:00:00.000-04:002013-10-12T12:01:16.638-04:00Hoddeok (Korean Pancakes with Sweet Filling)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH04tMm1vfNURAQfoRmswig2G5BkmmGPNfNAbstdDdUsSAfSGJlyGBZLTK5t2uYyk9hXxNXFcEDWzCM0mIEdcKdYLmpJCI_KUU2uCJyRSx6Uoo9QFpGL4bO91O5mGYuaOLwPQFTUWyxEhJ/s1600/20131011_225112.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH04tMm1vfNURAQfoRmswig2G5BkmmGPNfNAbstdDdUsSAfSGJlyGBZLTK5t2uYyk9hXxNXFcEDWzCM0mIEdcKdYLmpJCI_KUU2uCJyRSx6Uoo9QFpGL4bO91O5mGYuaOLwPQFTUWyxEhJ/s1600/20131011_225112.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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I don't know how I lived for so long in New York away from all my family because now if I don't see my parents and eat some of my mom's Korean cooking, I get some serious cravings. I keep begging my mom to write down her recipes so that I can try them out but she claims it's too difficult for her because she doesn't really measure anything. I very rarely ever see her whoop out a measuring cup or measuring spoons. Actually, I don't know if she even owns any measuring spoons (I'll have to check next time I'm there).</div>
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So recently I was craving Korean food and discovered the joy that is YouTube videos of Korean cooking. One of my favorites is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/Maangchi">Maangchi</a>. Just the sound of her ginormous knife on the cutting board (for some reason all Korean moms I knew would use their one huge knife for all their chopping) reminds me of my mom when cooking. Since I won't be doing my grocery shopping for the week until later I wanted to find a recipe with ingredients that I might have in my pantry/fridge. Then I saw her hoddeok recipe and I knew I had to make some! Hoddeok is a Korean pancake that is filled with something yummy, like a red bean mixture or some sweet syrupy goodness. My mom never made this at home, but we would often buy it in Koreantown or there's a frozen version that you just pop into the toaster oven. It's a great treat on a cold and dreary day. Since the past few days have been overcast and nonstop raining, I believe the universe was telling me that I had to make these. </div>
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<u>Servings</u>: Makes 8 hoddeoks</div>
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<u>Ingredients</u>:</div>
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2 cups all-purpose flour</div>
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1 cup lukewarm water</div>
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2 teaspoons yeast</div>
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1/2 teaspoon salt</div>
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2 tablespoons white sugar</div>
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1 tablespoon vegetable oil (plus extra for cooking with)</div>
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1/2 cup brown sugar</div>
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1 teaspoon cinnamon </div>
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2 tablespoons finely chopped nuts (I used almonds because that's what I had handy)</div>
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<u>Instructions</u>:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Pour 1 cup lukewarm water into a medium-large bowl.</li>
<li>Add in 2 tsps yeast, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 tbsps white sugar, and 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Stir until well mixed.</li>
<li>Add in 2 cups flour and stir until well mixed.</li>
<li>Cover bowl tightly with saran wrap and let rise for about one hour.</li>
<li>After the hour's up, stir the dough to release the air bubbles (I used my small rubber spatula for this).</li>
<li>Cover again and let rise for an additional 10-20 minutes.</li>
<li>While the dough is on its second rise, in a small bowl mix together 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon, and 2 tbsps of finely chopped nuts.</li>
<li>After dough is done with its second rise, flour a cutting board or other surface very well. This dough is very sticky, so be generous with the flour!</li>
<li>Pour out the dough onto your well-floured surface. Tuck in the edges towards the center and knead it a bit as you get the surface area lightly coated with the flour.</li>
<li>Separate the dough into 8 evenly sized pieces.</li>
<li>Flour your hands well and with each of the 8 pieces do the following: Flatten it a bit with your hands and in the middle pour 1/8 of the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture in the middle. Curl your hand inwards as you raise the edges of the dough towards the center, closing the dough up as you pinch and pat down the center part. Do this 8 times with each piece of dough and set aside, seam side up. The dough is really sticky so do your best and keep extra flour close by!</li>
<li>Heat a large pan a smidgen over medium heat. I found that with my stove I needed to set it right in between medium and medium-high to get the best results. Experiment with your stove to see what works best for you and the color you want to achieve with your hoddeok.</li>
<li>Pour a little bit of oil into your pan or use a cooking spray and heat it up.</li>
<li>Place your dough ball seam side down into the pan and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute until bottom is brown. I found on my stove I needed to do closer to 1 minute.</li>
<li>Using a spatula, flip over and then gently press down with your spatula (carefully use your finger to help press down the spatula) across the dough to flatten it out into a circle about 4 inches in diameter. Cook for an additional 1 minute.</li>
<li>Flip the dough again and press down with your spatula for a little bit. Lower the heat to low to medium-low and cover. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.</li>
<li>Remove lid and if you want to make sure the filling inside is melted, flip the hoddeok a couple times and gently press down with your spatula.</li>
<li>Remove hoddeok from pan and plate it. Hoddeok is best served piping hot from the cooktop. There's a fine balance between getting it when it's perfectly hot and delicious, and burning your fingers and tongue. I usually end up with burnt fingers and tongue because I'm so impatient.</li>
<li>While hoddeok is best served fresh, unless you're cooking for 8 people or are super duper hungry with a crazy fast metabolism, you may want to consider a few options: (1) If you plan on serving/eating the rest in the next day or two place the dough in the fridge until you use it; (2) Freeze dough and thaw before you need it; (3) Make the dough balls with the filling inside and then freeze the balls on a cookie sheet until frozen and then in an airtight container. Thaw before you cook it up; or (4) Make the hoddeoks and freeze them on a cookie sheet until frozen and then in an airtight container. Reheat in a toaster oven or in the oven. Of course none of these options are as good as fresh and hot, but sometimes we gotta make do with what we can. Since I'm super lazy, my preferred method is to make them completely, freeze, and then toast them to reheat them. </li>
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Now comes the pictures! </div>
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Here are my cute little dough balls.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAiThll2fUks5AmM5tz_KREwdWn7_PvfzOdEx8KDD8urJ1tAHBqxtDo_nne-NHUsPVuu_izOqF1p1cA356KYB0KfLNUn01yhqbKf0zHK3wfrX4KYhNRpCp-6z1pakaW5E4-wEcrv8c4LeD/s1600/20131011_221956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAiThll2fUks5AmM5tz_KREwdWn7_PvfzOdEx8KDD8urJ1tAHBqxtDo_nne-NHUsPVuu_izOqF1p1cA356KYB0KfLNUn01yhqbKf0zHK3wfrX4KYhNRpCp-6z1pakaW5E4-wEcrv8c4LeD/s1600/20131011_221956.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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The first batch I made I didn't flatten them enough or cook them long enough so the filling wasn't as syrupy as I'd like. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilebESDqxnuQPOgki_3nKg0vw9BAGx8Gze1smq_WFN04cNuxs7402NgcnzISVrJkVLnU3xGcQk-IwwiCprcbm2V7kpY7Ycbs-0lCJEcrau55ICeyhHV9ToaPW3HLxkW_zB01QkEw5KRaDj/s1600/20131011_223058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilebESDqxnuQPOgki_3nKg0vw9BAGx8Gze1smq_WFN04cNuxs7402NgcnzISVrJkVLnU3xGcQk-IwwiCprcbm2V7kpY7Ycbs-0lCJEcrau55ICeyhHV9ToaPW3HLxkW_zB01QkEw5KRaDj/s1600/20131011_223058.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
Surprisingly the girls were not in the kitchen as I cooked these up. They usually don't when I cook sweets but as soon as the bacon hits the pan or I cook some other savory food they are promptly by my feet. I think they were also tired from their busy day of going to the groomers, playing with their new ginormous elephant toy/bed from Costco, and going on stubborn walks in the pouring rain all day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZb1irPORhfTWsc5Mk6P5MedCBMQsNEzoTmB3Pp1MqX3Ip_QIGHVk0251RHykMCpm5YhE499HqR5evFAqPuP-U3zNMuWJvJMutEeRllRueXAZm383znkBvrTvBFzSPlqeYt-y6GYwCf2h/s1600/20131011_223107.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoZb1irPORhfTWsc5Mk6P5MedCBMQsNEzoTmB3Pp1MqX3Ip_QIGHVk0251RHykMCpm5YhE499HqR5evFAqPuP-U3zNMuWJvJMutEeRllRueXAZm383znkBvrTvBFzSPlqeYt-y6GYwCf2h/s1600/20131011_223107.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
So the next batch I flattened them out a bit better and cooked at the longer times I mentioned above.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV28w3Y62CHG54YJNfk-dbbylP-bIi0cU7ZgIU09VUjcSRW6YavAEYqxkICR0qtj5XQN3yqqb1iUsAUICBMsdXy8jXSn36cHhVHQdyJ9iUseG0OKg2iar_0maTOWxLisqrpIWBpahsUP42/s1600/20131011_223451.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV28w3Y62CHG54YJNfk-dbbylP-bIi0cU7ZgIU09VUjcSRW6YavAEYqxkICR0qtj5XQN3yqqb1iUsAUICBMsdXy8jXSn36cHhVHQdyJ9iUseG0OKg2iar_0maTOWxLisqrpIWBpahsUP42/s1600/20131011_223451.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
A couple were a little too dark on one side, but they were much better and syrupy inside!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnnVgqiwXclstKcTMWnG1HoMpcKnjr-2RbhHruVIIvD7h0kvvhTjH62UxJ7CecZ0Dq5CcmeylA3wL9HRzpQXrxHNI6N0_F3OqfwD6G-FgkWv4d9u5nvMcyLcI6iMCrJpUAS57F-8UNUuM/s1600/20131011_225054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnnVgqiwXclstKcTMWnG1HoMpcKnjr-2RbhHruVIIvD7h0kvvhTjH62UxJ7CecZ0Dq5CcmeylA3wL9HRzpQXrxHNI6N0_F3OqfwD6G-FgkWv4d9u5nvMcyLcI6iMCrJpUAS57F-8UNUuM/s1600/20131011_225054.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
The girls were still lounging on the couch and I couldn't do a post without them so I brought the plate over to taunt them and take photos.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn4EAkFWUAsDUGORhiVuhZb7CnJhiEK3TM4sU17BJeTtFTn0cBVe7_Zu6ABku-3GawjM8off-K6c6rSEhVCANfs8J3wZW_GNSkpZXY3hoC0iaAIBaCfGytpgrK3uzaiHAHKIh4zZM56QAk/s1600/20131011_225106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn4EAkFWUAsDUGORhiVuhZb7CnJhiEK3TM4sU17BJeTtFTn0cBVe7_Zu6ABku-3GawjM8off-K6c6rSEhVCANfs8J3wZW_GNSkpZXY3hoC0iaAIBaCfGytpgrK3uzaiHAHKIh4zZM56QAk/s1600/20131011_225106.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
Sunny's super tired!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEwdg7zqS4hBD8-q_TJNEgyH-vMFmMqS5wTdiDr-hBP_aZMTgxb8AZOOirGdO-ip_BtgtHaysk1p_ujXmVJi7XPQde6YRPYYIhJ7H4xjdewMDFbcuUdGtIYkhM-60RhFhCBbQLFNp3puf/s1600/20131011_225110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaEwdg7zqS4hBD8-q_TJNEgyH-vMFmMqS5wTdiDr-hBP_aZMTgxb8AZOOirGdO-ip_BtgtHaysk1p_ujXmVJi7XPQde6YRPYYIhJ7H4xjdewMDFbcuUdGtIYkhM-60RhFhCBbQLFNp3puf/s1600/20131011_225110.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
Then I brought them back into my kitchen and started eating! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_KSNYEjmzaXXSZN2f-u6FZ5NjTBEviY-P3kuvwxYok3SPSW7Q6ECISI5EOL5JZccKD-hzaepykHu_iAkANFxwecj8hCWvC2nQWxc_Vim374DrJ758KCzT96TM43EI0lI3PKBHFnoVakz/s1600/20131011_225158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_KSNYEjmzaXXSZN2f-u6FZ5NjTBEviY-P3kuvwxYok3SPSW7Q6ECISI5EOL5JZccKD-hzaepykHu_iAkANFxwecj8hCWvC2nQWxc_Vim374DrJ758KCzT96TM43EI0lI3PKBHFnoVakz/s1600/20131011_225158.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
So good! But now I feel crazy stuffed from having eaten so many as I tried to find the right cooking temps and times for my stovetop!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin56lFm6zZosFQNqIAwazMnLTPKsGxuIIa8Y0GnUrFO6VsiTlo5B6ALC0TnD440Em1W-cuU9Io2rqHjedFwHSDxI1czY0e-ccmZ5x0hiKhMgFo79AqoyMXOF78K4NF6f6d9-KwCd9yO71Z/s1600/20131011_225201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin56lFm6zZosFQNqIAwazMnLTPKsGxuIIa8Y0GnUrFO6VsiTlo5B6ALC0TnD440Em1W-cuU9Io2rqHjedFwHSDxI1czY0e-ccmZ5x0hiKhMgFo79AqoyMXOF78K4NF6f6d9-KwCd9yO71Z/s1600/20131011_225201.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
Oh yeah.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEoNfX4JxvpCT-7UjwqvhuOxuD_7PGYc_YoavX1I7EET8l9SG68MjczrKDB7UHlvOD9E1a4zdnXtzvq9XEahtCJGG_Xa5MOHPeuX-PpGhzQhYVcS7fKJ4A9mvbL8hSS1A8gvqdkahIyKUX/s1600/20131011_225318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEoNfX4JxvpCT-7UjwqvhuOxuD_7PGYc_YoavX1I7EET8l9SG68MjczrKDB7UHlvOD9E1a4zdnXtzvq9XEahtCJGG_Xa5MOHPeuX-PpGhzQhYVcS7fKJ4A9mvbL8hSS1A8gvqdkahIyKUX/s1600/20131011_225318.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
I froze a bunch of them and look forward to reheating them on cold and lazy weekend mornings. I think I'll be making and eating a lot of these this fall and winter! And I might try experimenting with different fillings and flavors. Maybe a pumpkin one???<br />
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/hoddeok">Maangchi</a> (watch her YouTube video - it's very helpful as it shows each step in action).Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-83378095122131122142013-10-09T18:28:00.000-04:002013-10-14T21:54:30.175-04:00Tomatoey Chicken Sausage, Bacon, Beans, and Bread Crumbs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUvx0fwNsbsbh5DKz3XLSq9L5EbDJL6YE1R0LWdyDZAh_7BpFxc3-GPY78SkgZajpe85PNQ0GjOEN24ZAf3-ndqqZjhSOKYGxAdHagArpdZ1EBnVFoLP4IEgtX-R1OtQQtwOsW2n_i48Xy/s1600/20131009_002646.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></div>
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Sometimes I get into a cooking rut because I get busy, lazy, and/or I'm tired of my seasonal dishes and waiting for the change of a season. I was loving my spring/summer dishes before, but as the months tick by and the heat and humidity persist, I get tired of them and want a change. For the last two weeks I was going through that phase and ate mostly hot dogs and frozen food. By last weekend, I felt gross and was eager to start up my cooking again and this week the weather is finally starting to cool down enough that I can get excited for fall dishes! </div>
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Anytime I see a recipe that involves sausage and beans I flag it as a possible future dish because those are usually easy and you can't go too wrong with that flavor combination. I liked that this one also had tomatoes (how much do I heart Trader Joe's canned diced tomatoes with no salt?) and the novelty of homemade bread crumbs (a first for me). And then I saw that this recipe had bacon and there was no question about it - I had to make this! I tell you, bacon searches me out! Since I had some chard leftover from my other dish this week, <a href="http://www.grubbinpugs.com/2013/10/orzo-with-caramelized-fall-vegetables.html">Orzo with Caramelized Fall Vegetables, Bacon, and Ginger</a>, I added some in as well. I love a nice colorful dish! I went a little too long in the broiler so my bread crumbs were almost burned. I panicked but luckily they still taste amazing and I managed to not set off my smoke detectors. Ah fall, it's so good to have you back! Now just keep winter at bay for a while.</div>
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<u>Servings</u>: Original recipe says 6 but this is a 3-mealer for me (I basically need at least 2 normal person sized servings).</div>
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<u>Ingredients</u>:</div>
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4 slices of thick cut bacon, chopped (I used Trader Joe's peppered uncured turkey bacon)</div>
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1 large onion, chopped</div>
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3 garlic cloves, minced</div>
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1 tablespoon thyme</div>
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1/2 cup dry white wine</div>
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1 14.5-ounce can of diced tomatoes</div>
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1 1/4 cup chicken broth</div>
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2 14.5-ounce cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed</div>
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12 ounces sausage, cut in half lengthwise and in 1/2 inch pieces (I used Trader Joe's garlic chicken sausage)</div>
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1/4 cup parsley, chopped</div>
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1-2 cups kale or chard, chopped</div>
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3-5 cups bread, cut into 1-2 inch pieces (I used about 1/3 of a Trader Joe's sourdough baguette)</div>
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Pat of butter</div>
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Salt and pepper to taste</div>
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<u>Instructions</u>:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Preheat oven to 325 degrees.</li>
<li>Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add 4 chopped slices of bacon and cook for a few minutes until browned and slightly crisp.</li>
<li>Add 1 chopped onion to the bacon and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender.</li>
<li>Add 3 minced garlic cloves and 1 tbsp thyme and cook for an additional minute.</li>
<li>Add 1/2 cup white wine and cook for 2 minutes.</li>
<li>Add a can of diced tomatoes and cook for 2-4 minutes until sauce is thickened.</li>
<li>Add 1 1/4 cup chicken broth and 2 cans of cannellini beans and bring the mixture to a simmer.</li>
</ul>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT8hPQj1tVNd1G9MUlJTY0k-q6dYrD-515mn5g2dF4PuXm7tmL7qH3zOOMhBnNXZPbZxi40AcU3EVxa5IGwSqZeGiJv5fnFOEM3vuVmppWCQkjU2F3l9R87EtwNJOhO89u8iWX1uYapRzQ/s1600/20131008_234205.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></div>
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<ul>
<li>Add 12 ounces chopped sausage to the mixture and stir everything together.</li>
</ul>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhARcNWdZaxkjB5p-rKs7gMk7w3xP3hdFliOj8SciwAEIqXGp9tzyMFZc9uEnT4nyG2RdPQbQv694xLteDIGfXsqqMvMQy_8f3ED_tGgKi9av8XYLvNMIwXfgEveQ9aRx-1pUYu6omAu7N4/s1600/20131009_001508.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></div>
<ul>
<li>Move skillet to the oven and bake for 30 minutes.</li>
<li>While the skillet is in the oven, prepare breadcrumbs by either toasting them in a toaster oven or melt a pat of butter in a skillet over medium-high heat and then add 3-5 cups chopped bread. Stir the bread frequently until it browns, approximately 8-10 minutes. I used my cast iron skillet and had to lower the heat halfway through as the bread was browning too fast.</li>
</ul>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQKILJI9v95TdpjytlQZMZ07GWjQJlXv89alMSONkxl67Y74doSSOjXu4Wt2kzWxu5GVce8RvW9HdZknhTToWx_uXUZE6ebzS0hJiEQWjBA55k8GU9coUrGl8-UCLux4WubYIw6cSiUjQ/s1600/20131009_001337.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></div>
<ul>
<li>Remove from heat and stir in 1/4 cup chopped parsley into the bread crumbs and season with some salt.</li>
<li>Remove skillet from oven and stir in 1-2 cups of chopped kale or chard.</li>
<li>Heat broiler.</li>
<li>Spoon the breadcrumbs evenly on top of the skillet mixture.</li>
<li>Place the skillet back in the oven and broil about 6 inches from the heat source for 1 minute. I did 2 and ended up with my breadcrumbs almost burnt (still tasted good though!).</li>
<li>Remove skillet from oven and add salt and pepper to taste.<span style="text-align: center;"> </span></li>
</ul>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP_RhaXL5JCiFyycbyYQInhrIq_0tLLQZFOEeZXUFf6FEk2dB8PpcvA5rS3eaKz3h5bOB_Nu92j30o4n_bqjDkBkeWIvkwcsGVb7tx6S_LE7QfEDvEyHYRxF5Ms76zwYNzeFF3Y06kQmIk/s1600/20131009_002238.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnrq1WxKzwIME9_-Z1CwzY6U8uE_9C-XqzamIc_1t9cKrJh0TpBR41PQ6ieqmEEMIUje7ibz5tz5H3kJmx35zfXip2mkB_PTHt0hc_0nYgHcd_VvEnxevyOp6QK7C50d56eyrTrKp8bN0W/s1600/20131009_002243.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></div>
Mmm smells so good and tastes so yummy!<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcBMbgTBRGR0_xW3jFmdNAflHwQyxU1afTHb5kzyHVnAiZbUgtN8GozK96HyfNdEsxFLhLEpl5YAw3otB_ZNFoba-ql9g8p_22WRQKXJS9T-LyTNo_InhhrQ1VTesKYX_OL1abvbDVHFBM/s1600/20131009_002545.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></div>
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0dsee-xhceN6Herl2PKgpfsGtZMjbbYgQ8bskJ-UhGmaFmMUeja2rXXTUDaLtXOpxwY6DbyZv6vLsQcHuiV7K4lCiRJYs_XBjnwS1D2r9JPKXut-E4fJmckx7bDD7vpXg_S1_SSTbVKq/s1600/20131009_002605.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></div>
I may have almost burnt the breadcrumbs during the final broil stage, but I actually really liked them like this! They were more flavorful and crunchy. But oh man was my oven smoky when I first opened the door so watch it carefully if you want to broil more than 1 minute!<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBcf4a2g0oh6jQ0J6YDKGs60sfE-Ij2gGOshyphenhyphend-v0lP2MwVRbYMzo52YENxWXGTb6CBXF72-ZPPCmUl9jBKhjkPj9zj0abcnwNSdjI416sjgycYAv2Ahy94xcUKhmAZZcnoYqAnRHBoS_F/s1600/20131009_002618.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></div>
The bacon and sausage in this dish are just too much for Sunny and Rosy to resist.<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL90wGSfYEGuGhzRbkKyUDIjCcT0hXYcwS0vjhQY1swbrtvcd-Z6ktgPZuoR9Cb5sMFgIjOUdayAYSlotB-SJYF8FuKQXQ8u6PlMvNt9zeVHQ3TEGgYXd7HRNVV0K_Lwa8LTekfOEnzmu4/s1600/20131009_002633.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></div>
No licks! This has onions and other things that wouldn't be good for you! But of course I did set aside itty bits of the bacon for them in the beginning as a treat afterwards. They've gotten really good at posing with my food because they know they'll get at least a tiny bite of something yummy!<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGHETd3_Zajuk7_8hP-S2V0aS0rMZId-x5EuUwZ01GsAx7JvpuNSruQ91vmwJ7vp17xs-g9SOyIGXOUW86KBp6tuv2O1ngrbfMX3tK-_ZDsCoIK46JA9Ue8KykdcimT0hzK41F65v07lS/s1600/20131009_002635.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></div>
Another recipe to add to my regular fall/winter rotation!<br />
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<img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKXe_1E34yXXqhmCja2PtXwtBGEqqF4mrp5TswBuM01PHoa7jWt2ECSXg6AzxAWER2BmJElRw0Jpy-8ECONFOnfdw1MXS-TTigEv8NfYUWKsNkbR1VXZXOyS8rY7xDA0enP8xkapD3Y9k/s1600/20131009_002645.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></div>
Adapted from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/870109/pork-sausages-and-white-beans">Martha Stewart</a>.Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-19122313794205092062013-10-06T23:13:00.000-04:002013-10-09T17:11:33.272-04:00Orzo with Caramelized Fall Vegetables, Bacon, and Ginger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfUQUhBohXcP48VwrleQmHABBtSkY6z1aWkVvx6OX87SHIYQzkx4AcVHT_rnHcB42U57Npku3Vf_dCOsegtBfLJUzpv0mcjwKLmk1-62jyqBSDIfh4KXEAzoaoCqXC1JD2hUhjfg0frUj/s1600/20131006_211214.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfUQUhBohXcP48VwrleQmHABBtSkY6z1aWkVvx6OX87SHIYQzkx4AcVHT_rnHcB42U57Npku3Vf_dCOsegtBfLJUzpv0mcjwKLmk1-62jyqBSDIfh4KXEAzoaoCqXC1JD2hUhjfg0frUj/s1600/20131006_211214.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sorry I've been neglecting this food blog! I had a bunch of great summer recipes I planned on posting but then I got really busy at work and lazy at home. Well, at least I know I'll have recipes to post next summer. </div>
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October, where is all the cool and brisk weather we're supposed to be having??? It's been crazy warm the past few days and the girls and I are not pleased. I love fall and it just doesn't feel like fall yet! I'm craving some of my fall recipes (which are mainly soups and stews) but it's just too hot for those kinds of foods. So I was really excited to see this recipe pop up again on my favorite food blog, The Kitchn. It takes a bit of time to make but it's pretty easy and it has all those delicious fall flavors that I've been craving. I made this dish with turkey bacon because in case you couldn't tell from my past recipes, I <3 bacon (of all kinds), but you can easily make this vegetarian by not adding any bacon, and it can even be made vegan if you omit the cheese at the end as well. Alternatively, I bet this would taste great with some sausage instead of bacon.</div>
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<u>Servings</u>: The original recipe says this serves 4 as a main dish and 6 as a side dish, but I think this is a 2-3 mealer for me.</div>
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<u>Ingredients</u>:</div>
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1 cup dried orzo</div>
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1 large sweet potato (or two small/medium ones), peeled and diced</div>
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2 medium onions, diced</div>
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4 garlic cloves, minced</div>
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4 slices of thick bacon, diced (I used Trader Joe's peppered uncured turkey bacon)</div>
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6-8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps diced</div>
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1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced</div>
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1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar</div>
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2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce</div>
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2 cups chard or kale, stalks removed and chopped</div>
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Grapeseed, peanut, or vegetable oil</div>
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Shaved parmesan to top (optional)</div>
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Salt and pepper to taste</div>
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<u>Instructions</u>:</div>
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<ul>
<li>Cook 1 cup dried orzo according to instructions but only for 6 to 7 minutes until it's barely al dente. Drain orzo, stir in a little bit of oil, and set aside.</li>
<li>Heat a very large pan over high heat and then heat up a little bit of oil in the pan if you're not going to add bacon. (Use an oil with a high smoke point, so that means no olive oil.) If you are making this with bacon, cook the bacon for a few minutes and then spoon the bacon into a bowl and set aside but leave the bacon grease in the pan. (If you're using turkey bacon or a low fat bacon, you may need to add some oil to the pan if there's not enough leftover in the pan.)</li>
<li>Add the peeled and diced sweet potato to the pan and spread it out into one layer. Cook for about 4 minutes until the potatoes start to brown and then flip/stir the potatoes and cook for another 3 minutes.</li>
<li>Lower the heat to medium, push the potatoes to one side and add two diced onions to the pan with a sprinkle of salt. Cook onions for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to brown.</li>
<li>Add 1 tbsp minced ginger and 4 minced garlic cloves to the onions. Stir together and push to the side next to the potatoes.</li>
<li>Add 6-8 oz diced shiitake mushrooms to the pan and let cook for about 4 minutes. Flip/stir the mushrooms and then cook for another 4 minutes.</li>
<li>Add back in the cooked bacon and stir everything together. All the ingredients should be browning nicely and the potatoes should be softened.</li>
<li>Whisk together 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp soy sauce, and 2 tbsp oil (I ran out of my other oil and had to use sesame (love the taste of sesame oil!), which doesn't have a high smoke point but at this point most of the cooking is done and I didn't have too many problems so long as the vent fan was on high). </li>
<li>Pour the vinegar-oil mixture into the pan and mix everything together, scraping the bottom as needed. Cook for about 3 minutes. (If the food is really sticking, you can add a tiny bit of water to help scrape.)</li>
<li>Increase heat to medium-high and gradually add in the cooked orzo, continuing to scrape the bottom as needed. Cook for about 5 minutes. The orzo should be browning nicely, helping to deepen the flavor and color of the orzo with all the other ingredients.</li>
<li>Stir in 2 cups of chopped chard or kale and cook for about 1 minute so that the greens are just wilted into the mixture.</li>
<li>Remove pan from heat and salt and pepper to taste.</li>
<li>Before serving, top each dish with some shaved parmesan (optional).</li>
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Sunny and Rosy volunteered to be tasters, but too bad they can't have onions! I did set aside two itty bitty bites of bacon for them after I cooked it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmMarbttznS4FtCkIuJYSq4qOIS81FLjUbiswXpcUkp_kYxufTY0a_XOHlFL5rxPSC25cP4M8qOuJOTPAp98puEDaivHMiUEjklUWkwhi7m0ILLepHI-ALwlQIOpImwbzYRYMgd9YEzpF/s1600/20131006_210940.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmMarbttznS4FtCkIuJYSq4qOIS81FLjUbiswXpcUkp_kYxufTY0a_XOHlFL5rxPSC25cP4M8qOuJOTPAp98puEDaivHMiUEjklUWkwhi7m0ILLepHI-ALwlQIOpImwbzYRYMgd9YEzpF/s1600/20131006_210940.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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You don't have to add the cheese at the end but it really adds a nice punch of flavor to the dish!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTAp5BIMsRUT7jgJpR52Knk0SBbRZ-Sq4174txgmLWUPRmy44-8-ybLup24c1aRN7xvv0kTDukXEEDigQC3KH5XdREdj0aRAVQynHGP9uVqpTriRm6zorB3J5hvcKSJLYIKHp5ot5Vcf8G/s1600/20131006_211155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTAp5BIMsRUT7jgJpR52Knk0SBbRZ-Sq4174txgmLWUPRmy44-8-ybLup24c1aRN7xvv0kTDukXEEDigQC3KH5XdREdj0aRAVQynHGP9uVqpTriRm6zorB3J5hvcKSJLYIKHp5ot5Vcf8G/s1600/20131006_211155.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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The girls are looking at the dish so longingly!</div>
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Hey, keep that tongue in check Rosy! No tasting!<br />
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Ok, enough torturing the girls. Now it's time for their well-deserved bacon treat!<br />
<br />
This recipe does take some time to caramelize all the vegetables but it's such a fantastic fall dish! I'll definitely be adding this to my regular rotation of favorite recipes.<br />
<br />
Adapted from <a href="http://www.thekitchn.com/recipe-orzo-wit-158228">The Kitchn</a>.Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-6042877687325486742013-07-18T21:59:00.001-04:002013-10-09T17:12:24.045-04:00Couscous Salad with Mushrooms, Corn, Black Beans, Scallions and Avocado<div style="text-align: center;">
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I usually don't like avocados in my salad and sandwiches, although I love guacamole. I think it's because the flavor is so strong and the texture is so unique so that's all I end up tasting and I feel like it overwhelms whatever I'm eating. But this recipe seemed so intriguing I had to give it a shot. Plus I'm a big fan of Israeli couscous ever since I had my first taste at my eldest sister's wedding over a decade ago. I'd never cut and peeled my own avocado and man those suckers are super easy to peel!<br />
<br />
The couscous salad goes so well with the avocados - a perfect marriage of flavors and textures! This is a great dish to eat warm or cold for the summer months when avocados are plentiful! <br />
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<u>Servings</u>: 2-4 (this is two dinners for me)<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
1 1/3 cups of Israeli/pearl couscous (Trader Joe's has a great box of these)<br />
2 tablespoons (approximately) of extra virgin olive oil, divided (or cooking spray)<br />
10 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced<br />
1 1/2 cups chopped scallions<br />
1 1/4 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)<br />
1 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained<br />
2-3 limes, juiced<br />
1 avocado, pitted and sliced or chopped<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
1-2 tablespoon chopped cilantro<br />
1 sliced jalapeno (optional)<br />
Hot sauce (optional)<br />
<br />
<u>Instructions</u>:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Cook 1 1/3 cup of couscous according to instructions and set aside.</li>
<li>While couscous is cooking, heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Add a couple teaspoons of oil or coat with a cooking spray and then cook 10 oz of sliced mushrooms, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until golden grown. Season mushrooms lightly with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl and set aside.</li>
<li>Add another teaspoon of oil to the pan or another coating of cooking spray and cook 1 1/4 cup of corn and 1 1/2 cup chopped scallions, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes until scallions are soft and the corn is browned. If you want, you can divide the scallions into white parts and green parts and cook the white parts now and set aside the green parts to add in later, but I'm lazy so I just throw them all in the pan.</li>
<li>Remove pan from heat and add to the pan the cooked mushrooms, 1 can of black beans, and the juice from 2-3 limes. If you separated the scallion greens earlier, add them back in now.</li>
<li>Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.</li>
<li>Top each dish with the chopped avocado and cilantro. Avocado slices look all pretty and fancy but practically it's easier to eat if you just chop up the avocado in small pieces. </li>
<li>Optional: Add a sliced jalapeno or a couple splashes of your favorite hot sauce for some heat!</li>
</ul>
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Sunny looks all tired as though she was the one doing all the cooking!<br />
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Yum!<br />
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/317484/couscous-salad-with-black-beans-mushroom">Martha Stewart</a>.Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-58852343758496770622013-07-08T23:17:00.002-04:002013-10-09T17:15:28.834-04:00Summer White Bean Salad with Vegetables, Basil, and Parmesan<div style="text-align: center;">
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I love reading food blogs that draw their inspiration from the local and fresh ingredients of the day at the farmer's market or gardens. Unfortunately I don't have the time the time to shop often at farmer's markets and I am terrible with plants. I tried growing herbs recently on my tiny less than 6-inch balcony/sill and quickly killed them off. I'm quite lethal with plants. So my shopping experiences are pretty much limited to random grocery stores and Trader Joe's. So when I saw the fresh yellow and green zucchini at my last Trader Joe's trip, I thought it would be nice to do a veggie heavy summer salad. It's too hot to turn on the stove or oven! This was a perfect refreshing salad and it's a nice vegetarian option to include in my rotation this summer. <br />
<br />
So let's just pretend like I got my inspiration while digging up some fresh zucchini from my lovely garden or while slowly strolling down the neighborhood farmer's market in a cute summer dress, and not while rummaging through the Trader Joe's vegetable shelves in my pug fur-covered sweatshorts (yeah that's right, I said sweatshorts). <br />
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<u>Servings</u>: 4, but if you're going back for seconds and this is your main dish then more like 2.<br />
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<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
2 15-ounce cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed<br />
2 small zucchinis, halved lengthwise and then sliced into half moons<br />
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved<br />
1/2 cup onion, chopped<br />
1 cup green beans (or haricot verts), trimmed and thinly sliced<br />
1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn or chopped<br />
1/2-2/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese (depends on how cheesy you want it)<br />
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil<br />
1 tbsp lemon zest<br />
2 lemons, juiced<br />
Salt and pepper to taste<br />
<br />
<u>Instructions</u>:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>In a large bowl mix together 2 cans of cannelini beans, 2 chopped zucchinis, 2 cups grape tomatoes, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1 cup chopped green beans, 1 cup chopped basil, 1/2-2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tbsp lemon zest, and the juice from 2 lemons. </li>
<ul>
<li>If you want to cut back on the bite of raw onions, try soaking the cut onion pieces in cold water for at least 10 minutes.</li>
<li>Small zucchini are sweeter than large ones as the seeds from large ones greater than 10-12 inches take on a bitter flavor.</li>
</ul>
<li>Season with coarse salt and cracked pepper to taste.</li>
</ul>
<div>
I added a teeny bit of leftover chopped red bell pepper here too but you can't even see it. Next time I might try adding more to add some more.</div>
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Sunny and Rosy are getting pretty good at sitting in the right spot for my photos! They know they get treats if they pose well!</div>
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/336476/white-bean-salad-with-zucchini-and-parme">Martha Stewart</a>.</div>
Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83473832026983663.post-61538008409312743952013-07-04T23:48:00.000-04:002013-10-14T21:55:03.244-04:00Cold Soba Salad with Chicken, Basil, and Bell Peppers<div style="text-align: center;">
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One of my favorite summer dishes that my mom used to cook when I was younger was simple soba that she'd serve cold in lil bundles that we'd dip in cold tsuyu seasoned with wasabi and with lots of handfuls of chopped green onions and nori seaweed. That started my love affair with soba. I continued this love affair in my adulthood, even though I never cooked it myself, by frequenting one of my favorite midtown New York lunch spots, Soba Nippon, where I'd eat soba warm in a delicious broth during the winter and then cold as part of a huge chicken salad during the warmer months. I haven't come across a soba preparation that I didn't like! <br />
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I was recently craving soba again but it's been way too hot and humid to even think of eating it warm in a broth (<a href="http://www.grubbinpugs.com/2013/02/chicken-soba-soup-with-poached-egg.html">Chicken Soba Soup with Poached Egg</a>) and I didn't have any tsuyu handy (well I did find a bottle in the very back of my pantry but I won't even tell you how old the expiration date was!) so I decided a cold soba salad would be a perfect healthy and delicious dish! The fresh basil and vinegar/lime juice sauce really make this meal for me. And topping it with some coarse salt, black pepper, toasted sesame seeds, and spicy red pepper boost the flavors of the dish. This soba salad is pretty easy to make and can be really quick to put together if you do all the chopping in advance. <br />
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<u>Servings</u>: 4 (but if you go back for seconds then this would serve 2)<br />
<br />
<u>Ingredients</u>:<br />
8-9 ounces soba<br />
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil<br />
2 limes, squeezed<br />
2 tablespoons rice vinegar<br />
2 bell peppers, thinly sliced,<br />
1-2 cups fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced<br />
2-3 cups chicken, cooked and shredded<br />
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted<br />
Salt and black pepper, to taste<br />
Red pepper (gochugaru) (optional)<br />
<br />
<u>Instructions</u>:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Cook 8-9 oz of soba according to packet instructions al dente. Rinse cooked soba in cold water, drain, and set aside.</li>
<li>In a large bowl whisk together 2 tbsps toasted sesame oil, juice from 2 limes, and 2 tbsps rice vinegar. Add salt and pepper to taste.</li>
<li>Toast 1 tbsp sesame seeds until lightly browned. Watch this carefully as sesame seeds can go from beautifully toasted to terribly burnt real quickly. </li>
<li>Add to the large bowl with the sauce 2 sliced bell peppers, 1-2 cups thinly sliced basil, 2-3 cups shredded chicken, and the cold soba. Toss until well mixed and sauce evenly covers all the ingredients.</li>
<li>Top each bowl with toasted sesame seeds and additional salt and pepper to taste. </li>
<li>Optional: Add some red pepper for a spicy kick. I like to add gochugaru, which is a Korean red pepper powder which I mooch from my mom.</li>
</ul>
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Sorry girls, this is spicy and not for you! I did set aside tiny bites of chicken before adding it to the noodles and gave the girls a lil taste as a reward for posing nicely for these photos.</div>
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/313389/cold-soba-noodle-salad-with-chicken-pepp">Martha Stewart</a>.Funaekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06747482698967920421noreply@blogger.com1