Lobster Monday

Glenn and a student flew up to Boston for the afternoon on a training flight and brought back fresh lobsters! (For $13 each!!!)

Stella wasn't so sure what to think, but Glenn and I thought they were delicious. The perks of having a pilot hubby aren't so bad!

Pinspiration #2

I made these forever ago, but I am currently wishing I had a whole bunch more. They are super easy and only have a few ingredients: cream cheese, vanilla and powered sugar. Whip it up and pipe it in to a hollowed out strawberry. The recipe calls for crushed graham crackers on top but I used a few cookies that we had since I just needed a few.

I loved them because I got the taste of cheesecake without the heaviness or calories of a whole piece of cheesecake. I suppose if I eat a whole plate full, I'm not saving so many calories! Try them!

Missing Japan: Recreating Shinshinmen

If you were a Liberty Bell in Japan, you went to Yokohama-Ya. It was the squadron's favorite ramen restaurant and Glenn's as well. He has especially been missing his favorite food so we attempted to recreate it this week and I think we got pretty close!

Step 1: But this instant ramen. We're not recreating the wheel here.

Step 2: We took a few hints from Alton Brown here and soaked the raw, 1/2 lb of ground pork in a mixture of 3 oz soy sauce, 1 tsp cornstarch, 1 T rice vinegar and 1 T of asian hot sauce. We let it sit on the counter for 20 or so while we prepared the noodles.

Step 3: We cooked the ground pork in a skillet and added 1/2 of the 4 green onions we chopped up.

Step 4: We followed the directions on the package for the ramen and then topped it with the pork and the rest of the green onions. Delish!

And of course, it wouldn't be the shinshinmen experience without gyoza! We used the other 1/2 pound of groud pork and added to to it:
- 2 chopped leaks
- 1 grated carrot
- 1/2 T of minced ginger
- 1 T of brown sugar
We sauteed everything in a pan, added the pork and then let it cool.

 I used prepackaged wonton wrappers and filled them with about 1 T of filling. I think we made about 30 gyoza with the 1/2 pound of meat.

 Glenn pan fried them in about 1/8 inch of oil and we let them drain on papertowels.

 A little taste of Japan hear at home! We are definitely going to have to make this again!

Hot pockets

Anyone seen the Jim Gaffagan sketch about hot pockets? Glenn and I quote him at least once a week.

"your act is bologna..."

Anyway, we used hot pockets as the inspiration for last nights dinner, except bigger and not so frozen.

We've actually made several of these calzones before. I love them because we can put all sorts of leftovers in them.

This time we had some roasted chicken from last week and broccoli from a few nights ago (plus a little more from the freezer. Add a little cheese and some ranch and roll it up in a premade pizza dough and you've got a yummy dinner!

Sumiyo Snacks: Potatoes!

I had class with my student, Sumiyo, this week and as usual, she brought me some sort of edible gift. This one was better than those in the past (dried fish snack mix? No thanks.)- homegrown potatoes from her garden! Sumiyo and her family have many projects they work on including a large farm, silk moth collecting and an air-conditioning business. I'll be making Traxler family potato salad for the 4th of July BBQ just like my grandma and mom always made. It will be my first attempt though so I hope I do it justice!

What's for Dinner? Curry-coconut shrimp

So it doesn't look like a winning recipe, but as my first attempt at an Indian curry, I was pretty impressed with myself! I didn't follow the recipe at the top of this link, but rather the comment at the bottom that had these directions:

After reading the other reviews I made some changes. The end result was PERFECT!!! IT CAME OUT BETTER THAN MY FAVORITE RESTAURANT. If you make it this way you will not be dissapointed. This is what I did: I mixed in the blender 1/4 c canola oil, 1 medium onion, 1 red bell pepper and 5 cloves of garlic to create a chunky paste. I then sauted it for 4 min, lowered the heat to simmer and added 2 tsp minced ginger, 2 tbsp curry powder, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes and 2 tbsp flour, mixing energetically for 2 min. I then gradually added 2 c of light coconut milk all the while mixing energetically untill the sause thickened and became uniform. I simmered the sauce for 4 min, then increased the heat to medium-high again, added the shrimp, mixed well to coat and cooked for 4-5 min. Finally I added 1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro and 3/4c shredded coconut, mixed one last time and turned off the heat.

I just realized I forgot the cilantro though, that would have at least made it look prettier. I added a little bit of salt to the dish as well after I tasted it. It was really easy to make. You should definitely try it!

Poop Coffee

In an attempt to help me clean out the cabinets and use up things that won't move, Glenn and I finally got around to drinking his poop coffee from Bali.

I was surprised that it tasted different from our regular Caribou coffee, but I guess I should be surprised. I guess it did take the ultimate journey through a small jungle animal.

It had a strong roasted flavor and it was really good! If it didn't cost so much, I'd buy it again! Glenn did note that it didn't taste good cold though. Only a hot coffee drink. It only took us a year to drink, but it was worth it!

Dirty Pantries

My mom sent me this picture of her fridge this morning. I must say I'm impressed! My mother suffers from Difficultythrowingthingsawayitis and also Icanrarelyseethebackmyfridge Syndrome.

Not to air her dirty pantries, but when I lived there for a short stint before moving to Japan, I cleaned out and organized her pantry. During that time, I threw away a box of cake mix that expired in 1997. We didn't move in to the Minnesota house until 1998. That means, it not only expired a year before, but then it made the journey from Illinois to Minnesota. It's ok though, she has a problem.

It appears though, she has gotten help! Good work, Mom. It's a good thing that your condition is not hereditary or I would have had a hard time living in my 800 sq ft apartment or moving every couple years! Let the purging and cleaning begin! Well...I'm gonna need to see some orders before I get too crazy... Let the orders arrive soon!

What's for Dinner? Meatload Sandwiches

Glenn and I recently made these sandwiches from a recipe in BH&G. Not the healthiest thing, but oh so good! I can't find a link online, but here is the basic recipe.

Mix 1/4 cup ketchup with a teaspoon of curry powder (that's enough for 2 sandwhiches). On two pieces of bread, melt cheddar cheese with sliced green onions under the broiler for a few minutes. On top of the cheesy bread, layer a piece of lettuce and a slice of meatloaf and then some of the ketchup mixture. Layer the two pieces of bread and top with a pile of french fries and then the last piece of ketchuped-bread. It's a massive sandwich, but you won't be disappointed!

What's for Dinner? Spicy Sweet Chicken Wings

A fellow E-2 spouse (who is now stationed in Naples, Italy. Jealous!) posted this recipe for Spicy Sweet Chicken Wings. Her notes are correct that you don't need the dipping sauce, but I thought I would give Martha's recipe a shot since it was her original recipe. They turned our really well especially since we have a chicken wing connoisseur in the family!

What's for Dinner? Curry Coconut Ramen

The Stars & Stripes newspaper ran a contest to use the 40 cent ramen packages in a different and inventive way. One of them sounded good so I gave it a try. I had to buy some veggies, a lime, ramen and coconut milk, but I already had the rest of the ingredients (which looks like a lot now that I see the picture).

I cooked the garlic in a little bit of oil, sauteed the cabbage and veggies. Set them aside along with the cooked noodles. Then I made the sauce using coconut milk, peanut butter, soy sauce, rooster sauce and curry powder. Then I added the noodles and veggies back and tossed everything together while adding a little pasta cooking water and lime juice.

 I topped it with cilantro and chopped peanuts and a few more squirts of lime juice. I'd definitely make this again!

What's for Dinner? Butternut Squash and Feta Risotto

I have a love for butternut squash. It's sweet, it's creamy and it tastes good in many different things. I first learned to love it when my friend Laura made this pasta and now I use it all the time.

Last week I made butternut squash and feta risotto using this recipe I found online. Risotto is pretty easy though because you don't have to use exact measurements. Just add things and cook it until it is finished. That's the part that takes the longest though, but I enjoy stirring and reading facebook on the iTouch. It's relaxing to me.

The sweet squash and salty feta was a perfect combo. Since I bought a giant butternut squash, I still have almost half of it left after making a batch of the bacon/butternut pasta and this risotto. I diced the entire squash and then froze it. It lasts for a couple weeks. What to made next? Have any favorite butternut squash recipes? I might try a curry butternut soup next!

What's for Dinner? Cosmopolitan Chicken Salad

I had a leftover can of jelly cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving and wanted to use it up. I found this recipe on my favorite Allrecipes.com. It was pretty easy to make. I already had everything in the pantry/fridge. I made the dressing/marinade one day and put it in the fridge overnight and then had salad for dinner the next night. Oh and I used apricot jelly instead of orange marmalade...close enough.

I still have half a can of cranberry jelly to use though....what to make next?

What's for Dinner? Cranberry Chutney

 It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without making this recipe in my house. It's my favorite cranberry sauce of all times. I even made it early so I could have it for Glenn and I's Sunday night Thanksgiving. I think my mom cut the recipe out of the newspaper many years back and we've been making it ever since.

Here's the recipe:

• 1 12 oz. bag of fresh or frozen cranberries
• 1 lemon, zested, cut off the pith and cut the inside into 1/4" cubes
• 1 jalepeno, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup crystallized ginger, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon dried mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick, remove before serving

Bring everything to a boil and reduce the heat until it thickens. Don't write blog posts and forget about it because then you get cranberry jam like I have this year. Still as delicious, but not exactly what I was going for.

I hope you like it!

What's for Dinner? BBQ Chicken Pizza

I had some leftover bbq chicken and cooked bacon in the fridge from a chef salad I made the other day, so I decided to make a BBQ chicken pizza with it. So easy and fast! I made it again for Glenn and he was a big fan!

I only used half the roll of pre-made pizza dough and put the other half back in the fridge. Spread some BBQ sauce, slice some red onions and cover the bacon and chicken with cheese. Before I ate it, I also put some chopped cilantro on top. Other recipes call for gouda cheese, but I didn't have any so I just used a mozz/provolone mixture.

Definitely will be making this again!

What's for Dinner? Pancake Friday

Have I written about Pancake Friday before? I don't even remember. It started back in Kingsville when Glenn would be gone for a weekend or two on a cross country or CQ Det or whatever the other million reasons they are gone for. I'd finish work or get home from work with plans to meet my girlfriends later that night. The thought of cooking and cleaning up a dinner on a Friday night, never sounded appealing. Thus was born, Pancake Friday.  I'd cook them and freeze them ahead of time and then just heat them up on Friday. And you know my love of breakfast breads... I'm putting it in my will. Must serve breakfast breads at the funeral of Kelly D. Smith. It's gonna be there. Ahh... pancakes, I love you.

What's for Dinner? Eggplant Stacks

Here is another recipe from Cook Yourself Thin called Eggplant Stacks. It's pretty much eggplant parmesan minus all the yummy cheese, but still pretty good. Here's the recipe. You might be able to read it if you click on the picture.

Slice the eggplant. If you are using an American eggplant, I would slice it horizontal in to circles. J eggplants are tiny though so I had to go lengthwise. Oil, salt, pepper, grill, brush with marinade.

After the eggplant is soft. Place it on a baking sheet and put a layer of pesto, tomato, basil and feta. Then repeat. Heat it in the oven until the cheese is melted.

Easy dinner! Just kind of expensive by the time you buy eggplant, basil, pesto and feta.

What's for Dinner? Spaghetti with Clam Sauce

My friend Nicole cooked this for me one night when I was at her house and wrote down the recipe for me. It's so easy and uses mostly pantry items so it's easy any night of the week.

I halved the recipe since I cook for one most nights and it was still enough for dinner and lunch the next day. The recipe below is probably good for the whole family.

1 lb pasta, cooked (I used this funky black Target pasta my mom sent me. Tastes the same and thought it looked good with the clams actually, not all beigy)
4 T butter
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 T flour
2 (7 oz) cans minced clams
4 T chopped parsley (fresh, or 2 T dried)
3/4 t dried thyme
3/4 t dried basil
S & P to taste

Melt butter in a large sauce pan and add garlic. Stir in flour and juice from clams. Bring to a boil stirring constantly. Add clams and herbs. Simmer 5 minutes stirring constantly. Season with S & P. Add pasta and toss.

Top with grated parmesan cheese.

Even Elton wanted some. :)

What's for Dinner? Coconut crusted chicken tenders with apricot sauce

I was craving something chocolate and coconut a few weeks ago and ended up making some yummy bar cookies, but then I ended up with half a bag of coconut flakes that I didn't know what to do with.

On the back of the package was a recipe for coconut crusted chicken. Sounds good to me. I'm too lazy to go get the package out of the pantry and I didn't really follow it as far as measurements go (since it was for 1 lb. of chicken and I used 1 chicken breast).

Mix together some corn starch, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

In a second bowl, whisk 1 or 2 egg whites depending on how much chicken you are doing.

In a third bowl, put a cup or two of the coconut flakes.

A la Rachel Ray and her dredging "stations", dip the chicken in the corn starch mixture, then the egg whites and finally coat with the coconut flakes. I cut the chicken in to chicken "strips" but you could use this for the entire chicken breast as well I think.

I "fried" the chicken in about 1/4 of oil. Turning a couple times to cook each side until cooked through.

To make the apricot dipping sauce, combine 1/2 cup apricot preserves, a tablespoon or so of orange juice and red pepper flakes to taste (I'd add a lot more next time. This time I used about 1 teaspoon) in a small sauce pan. Heat until the preserves have "melted".

That's about it! Easy! The coconut looks a little burnt, but it didn't taste like it.

What's for Dinner? Chicken Bruschetta

Ok, so I really had it for lunch today, but I'm not starting a 'What's for Lunch?' series. So anyway, I bought some tomatoes the other day for a different recipe that I'll blog about later. Buying tomatoes in our house is a rare thing because Glenn hates them. He'll eat tomato sauce, but a fresh tomatoe? Forget about it. A small and insignificant thing, but one for the "+" side of deployment I suppose.

I also had some basil in the fridge that was quickly going bad, so I need to use up both...allrecipes.com to the rescue and I found Chicken Bruschetta on Garlic Bread. I didn't have green onions or fresh garlic so those got exnayed, I used garlic powder instead. It worked.

The recipe also called for canned tomatoes, but like I said, I used fresh. I also used some boiled/shredded chicken instead of canned chicken. It was yummy! A perfect, light summer lunch. And have I told you about my love for feta cheese? More recipes with feta cheese to come!