Teriyaki Chicken

Lately the struggle has been real trying to decide what to make for dinner.  Thank goodness for easy recipes like this that my family enjoys. 

 This is my go to teriyaki sauce recipe that I use.  It is super easy to make and my family seems to like it.  You can use it for teriyaki chicken or shrimp. 

I am thankful for easy recipes like these on a weekday. 

Teriyaki Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon water
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic

Directions: 

1. Wisk cornstarch and water together in a small bowl.  This is for thickening the sauce. 
2. Combine the cornstarch mixture with brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and garlic. 
3. Pour sauce into a small saucepan over low heat.  Allow to simmer while whisking.  Bring to a boil then remove from heat. 
4. Cook with your choice of protein. 

I like to sprinkle sesame seeds for garnish.  Service with rice and a vegetable and dinner is ready!

Keep cooking friends!

XOXO



Teriyaki Salmon Dinner

Trying to lead by example by eating healthy with my toddler.  Introducing Baby Girl to food has been fun.  So far she is a pretty good eater.  But I mean, look who her parents are. 

One of Baby Girl's favorite is salmon.  This is my favorite too because it is easy to make. 

Teriyaki Salmon

Ingredients:

1 salmon filet

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup honey

salt

pepper

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350F

2.  Spray a 9x13 baking dish with oil.

3.  Mix soy sauce and honey.

4.  Pour over salmon. 

5.  Salt and pepper.

6.  Bake for about 20 minutes depending on oven. 

I served my salmon with rice and green beans. 

Baby Girl gobbled it up. 

Keep cooking friends!

XOXO



Shrimp Stir Fry

Baby Girl is now 15 months old.  I have lost the pregnancy weight.  However, I am still working on the TTC weight gain.  I have been trying to start 2016 right and meal prep.  January was not that successful at all.  February is not too bad.  I have been trying to use Pinterest and Instagram for inspiration for meal ideas. 

This meal was a hit in my house.  El Husbee and Baby Girl ate it.



Stir fry shrimp with vegetables.  I also tried making rice with frozen vegetables.  It's okay.  I mean not my first choice.  But I am trying to get in as many vegetables as possible. 

Shrimp and Vegetables

1lb shrimp

1lb mushroom

1 onion, small

1 red bell pepper

1lb broccoli

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1.  Rinse and clean shrimp. 

2.  chop up all vegetables

3.  Heat up pan with oil and garlic. 

4.  Once you smell the aroma of garlic put in onions. 

5.  Once the onions are tender put in shrimp.  Cook until pink shows.

6.  Toss in mushroom, red bell pepper, and broccoli.  Put lid on pan.  Cook until broccoli is green. 

Keep cooking my friends!

XOXO

Baked Ravioli

Sometimes it is a nightmare trying to figure out what to make for dinner on the weekdays after a long day at work.  Since El Husbee and I are avid Costco shoppers we stock up on random items.  For instance, frozen raviolis.  Now I am not sure if we are the only ones with this problem but when we boil raviolis we always lose some in the process.  So when I learned through Pinterest that you can bake raviolis you better believe I was on board with this. 

Baked Ravioli
Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen ravioli
2 jars alfredo sauce
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded colby cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:
1.  Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray
2.  Spread 1 bottle of alfredo sauce into baking dish.
3.  Arrange frozen raviolis in a single layer in dish.
4.  Pour 2nd bottle of alfredo sauce over raviolis.
5.  Sprinkle sun dried tomatoes
6.  Sprinkle shredded cheese over raviolis
7.  Bake in the oven for 30 minutes
8.  Let cool for about 5-10 minutes before eating
9.  Enjoy!

I think I went a little too crazy with the colby cheese and parmesan cheese this time.  I would definitely tone down the cheese the next time I make this.  But I am pretty sure I will never make raviolis the old fashion way again!  I love my oven!

Keep cooking friends!

XOXO 

Ribeye Dinner

I believe I have stated that I do not grill.  I can do all the prep work.  I cut, marinade, and clean.  But actually standing in front of the grill?  Nope.  Too scary.  I leave that to El Hubby.  I like to call it team work.  I get everything ready, he grills, we eat dinner.  Bam!

This dinner was nothing fancy.  El Hubby seasoned the ribeye steaks with some salt and fresh ground pepper and then slapped them on the grill.  I whipped up some garlic mashed potatoes, mac n cheese, and of course a salad.  I also roasted some broccoli but it never made it on the plate.  We had a lot of leftovers but that is the intention so that we have food to pack for lunch. 

Khloe the pup always wants to play.  However Khloe the pup's favorite game is keep away.  Which is only fun for her.  She pretends to give you the ball and then snatches it away right before you get it and runs off wagging her tail only to come back and do it all again.  Ah weird little doggie but I guess as long as she burns off energy that is all that matters. 

Keep on cooking friends!

XOXO

Diner Meatloaf Muffins

I am always trying to think of things to make for dinner that is fast.  After all, who really wants to wait over 1 hour for dinner to cook? Wait time really kills me.

Okay I will be honest.  I am not a fan of meatloaf.  I don't know what it is.  But then most of the time I am not a fan of a slab of meat.  Must be really weird for most people.  Oh well.  However, my husband is a fan of meatloaf.  So as the wonderful wifey that I am I make meatloaf for him.

Now if I have to eat meatloaf it better be fun.  I had seen this recipe to make meatloaf using a muffin pan to reduce time.  Ha!  What a fabulous idea!  Plus, then dinner can be cute.  Of course I decorated the meatloaf with mash potato and bacon to make them look like cupcakes.  I am weird.  I don't apologize. 

Diner Meatloaf Muffins
Adapted from From Dahlias to Doxies

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup carrot, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
1/2 cup ketchup
1 cup Club crackers (about 20), finely crushed
2 tablespoons mustard
1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 eggs
cooking spray

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350F.
2.  Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat.  Add the onion, carrot, garlic and oregano to the pan and saute a couple minutes.  Set veggies aside to cool.
3.  In a large bowl, combine beef, ketchup, crackers, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and pepper.  Add the cooled veggie mixture and eggs; mix together well.
4.  Coat muffin pan with cooking spray.  Use a ice cream scooper to scoop meat mixture into muffin pan.  Top each muffin with BBQ sauce.  Bake for about 25 minutes.

I love that there are veggies in this meatloaf.  Somehow it makes me feel like I am serving something healthy.  This was fairly easy to make.  Ingredients were all items that should be easily found in the pantry.  You can even substitute any kind of crackers.  However, Club crackers are nice and buttery and ohhhhhhh sooooooo good.  Use them if you have them.  Making the meatloaf into little cupcakes really made me happy.

On Saturdays that El Hubby and I feel like giving ourselves a special treat we walk to a near by breakfast restaurant and eat outside with the pup.  Those are my favorite breakfast times.  It's nice and relaxing eating outside on a nice day.  Sadly usually people do not opt to eat outside in Fresno.  It's quite sad.  Cause in other towns such as San Francisco it is quite common.  But I guess that means move room for my little family.  The pup loves going to Country Waffle.  She loves when people walk by and ask to pet her.  But mostly she loves when she gets eggs.  Oh and we are good pet owners who bring the pup's own bowl and stuff.  (don't want to make some people cringe by letting the pup eat off human plates)  However the last 2 times that my little family went our favorite waitress has not been there.  She is always so nice, pets the pup and makes sure we have water to give to the pup.  My little family needs to start looking for another breakfast place near by because apparently all the other waitress are not too keen in serving people outside even though they have a patio.  El Hubby heard one of the waitresses say "well they better leave a big tip".  Now coming from a family of restaurant owners and having been a waitress at one time in my life before leaving a tip is very important to me cause I remember a time living off of tips.  However, I would never say it out load.  Plus, we never leave a mess and always clean up after ourselves.  Whatever!  Rude people make me angry and sad.  So the hunt for a new breakfast place has begun.  Hopefully I will find a place in walking distance that will let my little family eat outside. 

Keep cooking friends!

XOXO

Crab Mac n Cheese

As a kid raised by Chinese parents I never got to eat mac n cheese.  Friends would talk about mac n cheese in a box.  I would watch the commercials on tv.  But at the grocery store my mom would laugh at me when I held up a box of mac n cheese.  Once I got older my mom did try to make me mac n cheese.  My mom used cheese whiz (yes the kind in a jar) and mixed it with noodles.  Now I am not going to say that it wasn't tasty.  But come on, that is not mac n cheese.  So now that I am older, married, and cooking meals I make mac n cheese.  Oh and know for sure my kids someday will be eating mac n cheese. 

What's more grown up than crab mac n cheese?!?  Okay I know mac n cheese is a kid item.  But with a grown up ingredient such as crab there is no need to be ashamed of eating mac n cheese no more! 

Ingredients:
2 cups uncooked pasta
crab
4 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons minced onion
4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 cups milk
3 cups shredded cheese

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.  Cook pasta until al dente.  Drain and set aside
3.  Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.
3.  Add the onion and cook until tender.
4.  Add flour, salt, dry mustard, and paprika.  Mix well.
5.  Stir in the milk and cook until thickened, about 5 minutes.
6.  Add 2 cups of shredded cheese and stir until melted.
7.  Toss in the pasta and crab meat.  Pour into baking dish.
8.  Sprinkle remaining cheese.  Bake for about 30 minutes.

This dish is super yummy.  The leftovers are just as yummy.  

Enjoy!
XOXO

Mapo Tofu

Oh one really can't go wrong with Mapo tofu.  I mean, what can be better than the meat-tofu-spicy combination.  Actually chocolate and peanut butter can probably beat it.  But we are talking savory right now.  So remember when I said I could only make a handful of Chinese dishes?  Well if you couldn't tell already the husband and I are having Chinese night for dinner.  Here is my version of Mapo Tofu:

Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground turkey (combine with 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch)
1 box extra firm tofu, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
2 inch piece of ginger, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks green onions, diced
4 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon garlic chili
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 jalapeno, minced

Directions:
1.  Fry tofu in oil.  Cook until firm. Set aside.
2.  Saute ginger, garlic, and green onions until fragrant.
3.  Add ground turkey and cook.
4.  In a mixing cup, combine soy sauce, garlic chili, cornstarch, water, and jalapeno.
5.  Add fried tofu to meat.  Pour sauce over tofu and meat.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes.
6.  Serve with rice.

Now I used ground turkey instead of the traditional pork because ever since the husband had ACL surgery we have not worked out as much, but of course did not eat any less or healthier, so now we are getting back on track.  So turkey is my way of making this dish healthier.  This would taste much yummier with white rice but once again I served it with brown rice.  All in all it's a pretty healthy dish without having to sacrifice too much on flavor.  This dish is extremely easy to make.  One of those even a college student could do it kind of recipe. 

Enjoy!
XOXO

Sweet & Sour Chinese Eggplant

Now I have to be honest.  There are not many traditional Chinese dishes that I know how to make.   Oh and by not many I mean there are really only a handful.  Sweet and sour Chinese eggplant is something I grew up eating.  My mom use to make this all the time.  Of course she has no recipe written down (darn Chinese women who cook from the heart) and she used pork that she cut up herself ... but do I look like a little Chinese housewife to you?  Okay don't answer that.  I don't think I even truly appreciated my mom's cooking until I moved out.

Now there is a difference between Chinese eggplant and regular eggplant.  The regular eggplant that you see in the grocery stores are big and round.  I have only been able to find Chinese eggplant at Asian supermarkets.  Chinese eggplant is purple like the regular kind but long and skinny.  I don't know much about regular eggplants but growing up eating Chinese eggplant all I know is it is good.

Here is my version of my mom's sweet and sour Chinese eggplant:

Ingredients:
3 Chinese eggplants, diced into 1 inch pieces
1/2 lb ground turkey
2 inch piece of ginger, sliced thinly
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks green onions, diced
1 teaspoon corn starch
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water

Directions:
1.  Combine ground turkey meat with 1 teaspoon cornstarch and mix well with your hand.  Set aside.
2.  Fry eggplant pieces in hot oil for about 2-3 minutes.  Remove from wok or pan.
3.  Saute garlic, ginger, and green onion in the pan until fragrant.
4.  Add ground turkey to pan to cook
5.  In a mixing cup, mix soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, and water together.  Pour over the cooking ground turkey meat.
6.  Add in the previously fried eggplant pieces and bring to a boil.
7.  Turn the heat to medium low and cover.  Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes until cooked.  Serve hot over rice.

Now my mom has never had my version of this dish so I can't tell you if she approves or not but I can say that the husband approves.  So maybe my children won't end up eating only American, Mexican, and Italian food.  Ha!

Enjoy!
XOXO

Asian Bowtie Pasta

 

I love pasta salads.  They are so versatile.  You can eat them hot, room temperature, or cold.  For my joint birthday BBQ with my friend Leslie I knew I had to make this pasta salad.  

Now if you ask my mom she would tell you that I am a pretty good cook, until it comes to Chinese food.  I say it's not my fault because Chinese food is a art and let me tell you I am not artist.  If you ask a Chinese person for a recipe this is usually their response, "oh just put a little of salt and little of soy sauce and what ever will make it taste good".  That my friend is not a recipe.  Needless to say I hardly ever ask my mom for recipes even though she is a pretty awesome cook.  What will my poor Chinese kids eat?  This salad!  

Okay unlike most Chinese cooks I actually have listed ingredients.  Maybe I am a "banana" like those kids in high school use to call me.  Whatever!  I like instructions.

Ingredients:

1 lb farfalle (bowtie) pasta

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/4 cup sesame oil

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon honey

3 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers, cut julienne

1 cup of green onions diced

2-3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

3 tablespoons roasted sesame seeds

Pepper to taste

3 cups washed baby spinach

2 tablespoons red pepper flakes (optional but highly recommended)

Directions:

1.  Boil and cook pasta according to directions.  Drain pasta and set aside.

2.  Use small pot to heat oil, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, and rice wine vinegar over low heat until honey is dissolved.  Remove from heat and toss in the pasta.

3.  Add the bell peppers, chicken, green onions, pepper, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes.  Toss well to coast all ingredients.

4.  Before serving, toss the pasta with the spinach.

Pasta can be served chilled or warm at room temperature.  

This bowtie pasta salad was a hit at the BBQ.  I made a pretty big tray of it and by clean up time it was all gone.  Even had people ask for the recipe.  I call that a hit!  The husband even asked me to make it a few days later after the party because he didn't get much of it at the BBQ.  

Enjoy!

XOXO

Turkey Chili over Tater Tots

So with the weather outside dropping what is more warming than chili. What's better than chili? Cheese and tater tots. Combine everything and you have a fantastic dinner.

Now the chili I make is beyond easy. Totally semi-homemade here cause after all I am a working house wife.

Chili:

Chili Mix

2 cloves garlic

1 lb ground turkey meat

1 diced onion

3 diced jalapeno peppers (add more or less to your spice level)

1 can pinto beans

1 can diced tomato

Toppings:

shredded cheese

green onions

sour cream

tater tots

Bake tater tots as directed.

Mince the garlic and put it in a hot oil. Brown the turkey meat in the oil. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the jalapeno peppers, pinto beans, and tomato. Simmer for about 10 minutes on how heat.

Serve the chili over the tater tots and throw on your favorite toppings.

This has become one of my husband's favorite dinners. Of course a salad is pretty necessary in order to get some veggies. But who cares about veggies in the winter when you can eater hearty chili? Ah, just throw some more green onions on and hit the treadmill tomorrow.

XOXO

Shrimp & Pork Chow Fun

I have come to the conclusion that Chinese food is yummy because it takes so much more time to make than other foods. There is so much prep time to make Chinese food.

Last night I made chow fun. Chow Fun is pretty much as Cantonese as I get. Good thing my poor Cantonese husband is American born and knows no better.


1/2 pound of Pork (I will be quite honest I have no idea how much pork I really used)
12 shrimp
chow fun noodles
3 cloves garlic minced
oil
1 onion sliced
1/4 pound bean sprouts
green onions
soy sauce
salt

I sliced the pork into strips and then marinated it in the garlic and about 1/4 cup soy sauce. Cook the pork in oil with the onions until the pork starts to turn brown. A good amount of oil needs to be added which will later help in cooking the chow fun noodles. Then add the shrimp and a tablespoon of salt. Once the onions start to turn translucent add the chow fun noodles. Once the chow fun noodles start to become soft in the pan add your green onions.

Now the husband and I love spicy food so I added about 1 tablespoon of Chinese hot chili.

I high recommend using a wok to cook this or a very big pan. I love woks cause they are big and great for Chinese dishes or cooking pasta in sauce.

This dish turned out great for me. Husband ate 3 bowls. What a successful dinner.

XOXO

Spicy Beef Noodles

My cousin has been posting pictures on all these noodles places that he has been going to lately. All these pictures inspired me to make some noodles of my own.


I made a chicken broth with chicken bouillon. Sorry I did not have anything to make beef broth. So 3 cups boiling water to 3 tablespoon chicken bouillon, 1/4 cup soil sauce, and 2 tablespoon Chinese chili sauce. Now 2 tablespoon Chinese chili sauce is pretty spicy for the average person. You can tone it up or down to your taste. Then I added 3 carrots to the pot.

Next is I thinly cubed some beef. I used a non fatty part of beef. Next time i think I will pick something with more fat. I threw the beef in a pan with 3 cloves of minced garlic, a chunk of ginger sliced, and oil. The ginger is to not make the beef taste so "meaty". Hopefully that makes sense. Now this is not to cook the beef. Just to put a nice sear of flavor on it. Once the sides are brown throw the beef into your broth pot. Cook for 30 or so minutes to make the beef tender. Note: fatty beef means not only more flavor but a more tender beef too.

Boil up some Chinese noodles and serve with some green onions. I like a lot of green onions cause I think it makes it taste super yummy.

Such a yummy meal on a cold night. Oh and left overs are awesome cause you just keep making noodles until the broth is gone. (Maybe throw in some extra carrots into the broth too)

XOXO

Spicy Fried Shrimp Sandwich

So coming up with what to eat for dinner is always a struggle. You want to have variety but racking your brain while at work can be frustrating too.

Yesterday afternoon I came up with this idea ... and then executed it for dinner!

So first I made a egg mixture with 2 eggs, salt, fresh ground pepper, cayenne pepper, and hot sauce. Soaked 18 shrimps in the egg mixture.

Then I made a dry mixture with 1/2 cup self rising flour, 1/4 cup corn meal, fresh group pepper, and cayenne pepper.

Put some oil in a pan and lets get frying! So take the shrimp out of the egg mixture and cover it with the dry mixture. I did each shrimp at a time but next time I am going to dump the dry mixture and shrimp into a bag and shake. It will save a lot of time. So I fried the shrimp and let them dry on some paper towels.

Next I made a little cayenne pepper and mayo sauce and what I mean by that is I just put some cayenne pepper into some mayo. Toast my sandwich roll, spread the cayenne mayo, put 6 shrimp onto each roll, lettuce, and some diced shrimp.


Man was dinner good! The husband ate 2 sandwiches! Dinner success and all done in 30 minutes. Whoot whoot!

XOXO