Beef and Broccoli Rabe Penne

Here is another recipe from Clean Eating Magazine that I liked so well, I made it twice in just a couple of weeks. It is SO easy... So easy, I didn't even check the recipe the second time!

I'm really not sure that I have the right to reprint these recipes (in fact, I'm pretty sure I don't), and there isn't a page I can link to. But it's from the Jan/Feb issue, 2012, Page 47. You marinate the steak slices in a little tamari, and I whisked together some orange juice and some orange zest, and some red pepper flakes (separately). I used my zester to shave some garlic and ginger in the pan, then stir-fried the meat and red bell peppers into that. The broccoli rabe is chopped and rinsed, cooked for 1 minute in boiling salted water, then you fish it out with a spider and put your pasta in the same pot. It all comes together in the stir-fry pan after draining, then finish it with the orange glaze and some sesame oil at the end.

Does that count as "reprinting?" We'll find out.

I was always a bit timid of broccoli rabe, but boiled and drained like this and put into stir-fry, it is really delicious. I just chopped it up, leaves, stems, blossoms and all. And it is about 99 cents for a large bundle, so as a dark leafy green it is really economical. 

Chinese Cabbage, Help Me Into These Pants

So, I'm six months out from my second baby. As with the first time, after the nausea subsided, I wanted a variety of greasy meats. Here's a glimpse of the type of thing I craved during my pregnancy! Hopefully, you can keep your breakfast down.

Since you probably can't tell, that's Jaenicke's hot dog chili (from my frozen stash, since they're 2 hours away and only open in summer) on pasta,  and Cheez Whiz. And a salad. You know, for the baby. Not impressed? Okay, how about a little fire, Scarecrow?

I also made the chili into a pizza. Oh yeah, and of course, chili dogs, because I didn't need to be creative all the time, I just needed to cram it into my gigundic maw.

I couldn't even wait to take the picture for that one.

Anyway, here's the pasta remix:

I cut the extra-firm tofu in half lengthwise, wrapped it in paper towels, and pressed it under a heavy pot for over an hour. Then I cubed it, tossed it in corn starch, and fried it very lightly in just a tiny bit of oil. When it was done, I seasoned it with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Then I set it aside, and sautéed mixed mushrooms (with shiitake and oyster, but you can use regular), and cubed Chinese cabbage (bok choy). I seasoned it with a tiny bit of salt, pepper, and a LITTLE Chinese five spice blend. Then I tossed it in a whisked mixture of about a tablespoon of Hoisin sauce, a little rice wine vinegar, and about a half cup of chicken broth. I served it over buckwheat soba noodles and added the tofu back in. I have a little less than 8 pounds still to lose, and then I'm buying all new underwear for myself as my reward. I will let everyone know when I get there by announcing on facebook, "IT IS UNDERWEAR DAY AT LAST."

Oh, what the hell. Here's one more photo of Jewel's chicken fingers, cheese sticks, and various full-fat dipping sauces. Time to say, "Bon voya-gee, Sam and Stella!"

Asian Meatball Soup

I've been way into soup lately, especially with noodles. (By the way, I think you should enter that as a sexy response on your next singles' website chat: "So, like, what are you into?" "Soup.") And I happened to read somewhere that you can use a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter in place of the egg to bind meatballs. So I thought that would lend itself nicely to an asian-inspired meatball soup.

I mixed the meatballs with frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed dry), some Chinese five-spice seasoning (go easy, it has clove in it), seasoning and a little ginger. I used ground turkey meat as usual. Then I sautéed carrot, onion, garlic and celery, and added the broth and the meatballs, then noodles. I simmered it until the meatballs were cooked and the noodles were done, then I garnished with some chive and red bell pepper.



I had my buddies Katie and Marshall over, and served them this soup. Katie said it tasted like soup she'd had as a kid in Singapore, which flattered me... Must be the five-spice. It also helps to serve dinner around 9 pm after everyone has had several beers.

Salad Week: Asian Salad

Here's another simple tossed salad, with some Asian-inspired flavors.



I marinated chicken breasts (pounded flat or purchased thin) in peanut oil and teriyaki sauce for about an hour. I grilled that, sliced it, and topped some mixed greens with it. I also added feta cheese, scallions, walnuts, and green apple chunks. For the dressing, I mixed a little sesame seed oil, olive oil (because the sesame seed is expensive, and you can taste it while not adding much), about two tablespoons soy sauce, and a chunky tablespoon of peanut butter. Whisk it all together, pour it on, and enjoy!

Salad Dressing for Dinner

Why is blogging so difficult? Seriously, I'm going to try not to bore you with the details, but I am slowly trying to get one chunk done at a time on my current project: making it so I can easily blog from UPSTAIRS on the laptop. See, the big ol' computer is downstairs in Chris' office, and I don't like sitting in the basement. But until recently all the networked files couldn't be accessed until I turned on that computer. Now I don't have to, but there are still some bugs to work out! Shih.

Anyway, one of the tastiest things I'm stuck on lately is a new way to do a chicken cutlet around here. I've been taking a package of the Perdue Fit 'N Tasty thin-sliced chicken breasts (you could pound them yourself if you're so inclined), putting them in a large Ziploc with salad dressing and olive oil, and letting them marinate in the fridge. I like honey mustard or ranch dressing. It works great with leftover dressing -- you know, the large containers you get with other stuff? I had a couple of containers of honey mustard from some "big salads" I got at some places, and some ranch dressing at another time from our new favorite pizza place, Wayne's. We get the ranch dressing with the cauliflower bites that they have. Yum. Too good to waste!



You just mix up the dressing and the olive oil by hand after you seal the bag. When you open it, you dredge the chicken in a little Italian breadcrumb, and lightly fry it in a little oil, then drain it on paper towels. "Winner winner, chicken dinner!" It is so moist and delicious, I've been making it once a week.



I serve it with brown rice and a veggie. I cooked up the brown rice, and I happened to also have some Newman's Own Low Fat Sesame Ginger dressing also on hand. I mixed some of that into the rice, and hey presto! An asian side dish.

Anyhoo, sorry about the kinks in the system. I'm working them out, and if not, I'll try and get over my fear of the basement and post more often!

Mmmm... Umami!

I found this article from the Wall Street Journal to be intensely illuminating, and I just had to share it. (Please do not get the impression that I am a regular WSJ reader; I am nowhere near that deep.) At first I clicked on the title and read it just out of curiosity: a new taste discovered? Neat.

But now I realize that this article is all about me. Some of you out there are sweetness junkies and carb-lovers. My husband is a good example: we have joked for years about the loving way that he hovers over any pastry, bread, rice, potato, sugary snack or, *gasp*, any combination of the aforementioned (like a cinnamon roll, or a sugared pastry.) I have always said that I like salt as much as he likes sugar, but that isn't exactly right. I do often find dishes to be too salty. But now I know what it is that I really crave: umami!

The article describes "umami" as the deep, meaty, satisfying and complex flavor that is present in a variety of foods: Worcestershire sauce, mushrooms, parmesan cheese, anchovies, and on and on. Just as table sugar is "just sweet," MSG is "just umami." Some parts of the article are a bit scary, like the goings-on of a certain food lab that is using "an artificial taste bud" (bringing sci-fi images of a large, disembodied organ to mind -- if I touched it, would it taste me?) to test artificial means of manufacturing umami, and a PR push to get the public to accept MSG as a "more natural product." But there are natural ways of bringing out the umami flavor that is already present in foods: by roasting, grilling, drying, and sautéing. To me, this gives a name to something that I have figured out in experimenting with vegetarian foods. Using certain ingredients, combined with certain techniques (mushrooms, parmesan, roasted veggies, grilled tofu and eggplant, sun-dried tomatoes, etc.) make a dish much more satisfying than those without. I'm not a vegetarian, but I think the knowledge makes my vegetarian dishes better. Personally, I think it is umami that separates the vegetarian entrées from the side dishes.

It also explains why I've always needed parmesan in my chicken soup! What I need now is a t-shirt that tells the world what I really am: "Umami Freak."

P.S. I first read this article on a tiny screen in small text -- I apologize, but I misspelled umami the first time around. My thanks to those who commented and shouted this at me in ALL CAPS. Oops.

Coconut Chili and Bean Medley

Here's something I experimented with the other night that came out quite good. It has a sweet and spicy, vaguely eastern flavor due to the light coconut milk and seasonings. I've been playing with coconut milk a lot since tasting Thai curry a few years ago, and this is another of my variations.

• Sauté half of a yellow onion (diced) and four minced cloves of garlic with a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a deep pan.


• Add 1/2 bag golden raisins, and four cooked and diced Yukon gold potatoes.


• Add 1 can rinsed and drained kidney beans, one can rinsed and drained chick peas, and 1/2 bag steamed or prepared lentils (about one cup).


• Add 1 can light coconut milk, three-quarters of a jar of Trader Joe's roasted red pepper and eggplant dip***, 1/3 bag of cashews, and 1/3 bag frozen peas.


• Season with salt, pepper, a little cumin and coriander, and a more generous amount of chili powder to taste. Heat through and combine until peas are thawed, and the dish is warm.


• Serve over brown rice, and garnish with red bell pepper or scallions.

I think this dish is easy to prepare, even if you don't really cook. It looks like a lot, but it is all "pantry" ingredients, and it is my favorite style of cooking (just combining things in a pan.) Don't be scared if it looks a little strange... The raisins give it a burst of sweetness, and the nuts give it a nice crunch. The leftovers (and there will be a lot), reheated very well, and it may have even tasted better after a couple of days in the fridge.

*** You could make your own by processing oil-packed red peppers (with the oil), garlic, and grilled eggplant until smooth.

Bacon Fried Rice

I know, I know, it sounds sinful... But it wasn't, really. I had some of that wonderful turkey bacon from Trader Joe's, some leftover brown rice and some veggies (like shredded carrots), so I diced the bacon, diced garlic, and some red onions in just a little olive oil, and tossed in the rice and some slivered almonds. Lastly, I drizzled in a couple of beaten eggs until they scrambled (takes a few seconds).

If I'd had some eggplant and some fresh basil, I might have added that for a sort of thai flavor. Sounds naughty, actually very nice... tastes great!

Bobazzi Curry

I'm baaaack! Sorry I've been away so long... The good news is, it seems like more people than ever are reading the blog, and having nice things to say about it. The bad news is, I've taken this particular opportunity to post not so often. Nice, right? Well, I graduate in two months, and I think I'll get my life back somewhat after that. It will be on to part-time work for me (as dad used to say, "Lord willing and the waters don't rise.")

I'm stealing my brother's descriptor again to title this chicken curry. My parents used to make chicken curry pretty often when I was a kid, and serve it over rice. They made it with a milk-and-flour-base, yellow curry powder, onion, apples, peas and chicken. I have tried it a few times, and I varied it a little for this recipe... I've patterned it more after the creamy coconut milk curry you get in Thai restaurants. The curry really became a whole "nother thing," and it's just as easy, or easier to make than the other type.



I started by pan-searing chicken breasts with Thai curry powder (plenty of it), and salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I cooked them just about through, but I don't worry about it too much. They'll be going into the curry sauce, and will finish cooking pretty quickly. So you just remove it from the pan, let is sit a bit, and then chop the breasts into chunks.



Back in the pan, I added a little oil more oil than usual, (about a quarter cup or less), garlic, chopped onion, and several tablespoons of Trader Joe's macadamia nut and cashew butter. I wanted to use this as a thickener, in place of the flour. If that isn't available to you, I think peanut butter would work just as well -- though you'd probably have a more distinctive peanut flavor.

When that was stirred in together and nicely melty, I added the chicken, and two cans of light coconut milk. I brought the heat up through everything, and let it all thicken.

Taking a little more help from Trader Joe's, I chopped the microwavable fingerling potatoes and added those in (I've since made this with Yukon potatoes I cooked first). I added salt and more curry powder, coriander and a little cayenne to taste. I dropped some green peas in at the last moment (frozen, Market Day, natch) and served it over brown rice.



I have since garnished the curry with diced red bell pepper and scallions, and some toasted slivered almonds. Next time, I think I will try adding some green apples to the sautee (something that will hold up to the heat) as my folks used to do. Doesn't match the Thai "pattern" so much, but for me, it'd be nostalgic. Probably would be good with some golden raisins, too!

Matcha Latte

Remember when I posted mournfully about the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf frozen matcha drink that I can't get here in the midwest? Well I figured out a first-rate substitution! And I couldn't be happier if I had flipping yellow butterflies floating out of my ears. To the tune of "Grazin' in the Grass." On pan flute.

Trader Joe's has come to my rescue yet again. I had read about their matcha beverage on the fabulous Super Eggplant. She was less than thrilled with the drink mixed up hot, as it is intended. But I thought it might be just the thing for a frozen version. I put the recommended amount (3 tblesp.) in the blender, with an "eyeballed" amount of ice and fat-free milk.



It was really excellent -- similar to Coffee Bean's version, though not quite as perfect... But then, how could it be? Still, with some whipped cream on top, it was not too sweet and very tasty. I am very pleased...

Can you believe I am drinking stuff like this with umpteen inches of snow on the ground? I must really miss California.

Sushi is Better Fried

Two more posts about Cali... Whoops, three. And then it's back to my own cooking! I'm having problems with the internet connection, but Lord willing and the waters don't rise, I'll post them all today.

We went out for sushi at a place near Dave called Miyako (you can even view the whole menu online at this site. Will revisit this page later...) It was really delicious. This post features more of Dave's camera phone photos. I gots ta git me one of those.

We started off with an appetizer of tempura-fried jalepe?os with cream cheese and tuna in them. They had a delicious, creamy and spicy sauce on top. I could have eaten an order by myself.



I'm not crazy about sashimi, but I do love the photos of it. I'm always tempted by the new craft stuff online in the shape of it -- jewelry and pillows and stuff -- although I don't really eat it.



The sushi rolls we got are lined up in the photo in the order I liked them best (just by coincidence -- even my OCD knows certain limits.)



The first was either the Aloha or the Caterpillar roll... It had mango around the outside, which may have been pickled or treated in some way, because it wasn't as juicy or as citrus-y as we would have liked. The middle was the Philadelphia roll, with smoked salmon and Philly cream cheese, and it was very good. The Tempura Shrimp rolls on the right were my fave, because how can you beat anything fried? The sauce on it was also delicious.

It was a great meal, and we all left feeling full for not too much money... But not bursting at the seams. Mmmm, sushi. Meat without the regret!

Matcha, Matcha, Mat-cha

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is one of the best things about California. If you ask me, anyway. Sadly, according to the store locator on their website, there are none within 200 miles of where I live. Franchise opportunity? Or should I say, "franchizoonity?"



They are vaguely similar to a Starbuck's, only they aren't really on every single corner like Starbucks are (in any city, including those in California.) Still, when visiting Dave, I make sure he goes out of his way so that I can git me a matcha, or Green Tea Iced Blended. Made with nonfat milk, and not too many calories -- if you get the small size. Which, of course, I don't. (Hey, I only get one once a year.)



Here is the one I had, lovingly placed atop Dave's car. I am crazy about the flavor of this variety, and while I will enthusiastically sample the purchases of others (Chris had a Pomegranite Blueberry that was nice), I have yet to find one that surpasses this flavor. It tastes like those enriched milk products you used to get as kids, like Tiger's Milk. Anybody remember that? It was a powder you added to your milk. I did an internet search for it, but all I turned up was set of results for the protein bars. Dad used to get ours at Kroger.

Anyway, I digress (or should I say "tigress?" Ehh.) I've tried the Starbuck's version, but this one, in my opinion, is far superior.

Thai Chili Garlic Paste

Nearly a year ago, I purchased a lot of new ingredients that were called for in a cookbook I got called "30-Minute Thai." I have only followed the recipes once or twice, but I've monkeyed with the ingredients quite a bit. I like to mix them with other asian ingredients, like soba noodles. I call this "Asian Fusion." Nah, you know me better than that. I call it, "My Cookbook is Too High Up and Requires a Stepladder."

You'd be hard-pressed to abuse soba noodles (which are yummy in plain broth or anything else), or fish sauce (milder than soy), but one ingredient I've had to learn to treat with respect is the thai chili garlic paste. Here's what you don't do:



Don't assume that two puny tablespoons and some olive oil for an entire bag of sliced pork tenderloin won't kill your entire family if you use it as a marinade. Because it will. As my friend J. Moy stated, "Oh hell no. That shit will blow your head off." Sure, on the jar it says, "condiment." But I can't imagine an amount of this stuff small enough for me to actually be able to use it as a topping. I dunno if we're way too caucasian, but my husband and I cried, sweated, and blew our noses through half of a pork chop each before conceding total inedibility. I was able to salvage the rest of the chops only by slicing up the leftovers and putting them into wonton soup. Whew. Which is a relief, because for a couple of days, looking at the leftovers in the fridge actually made me afraid.

Don't run from your leftovers. Here's what you can do:



Despite thai chili paste being the bad-boy in my fridge, my peanut butter has fallen deeply in love with him. And they are great together. You can mix a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter with about 1/4 teaspoon and enough olive oil and fish (or soy) sauce to thin it out, and it makes a great brush-on for chicken (with a little salt and pepper).



I now really love the chili sauce for the authentic, layered flavor it gives to the sauces you mix it with. (And let's face it, the stuff sure is economical at this concentration.) You can use it as a great toss with soba or rice noodles, too. I start with a little garlic and oil, add the merest quarter teaspoon of chili sauce, the same two tablespoons of peanut butter, and thin it with chicken stock. Add some scallions, veggies, fish sauce, and toss in the cooked noodles. I top it with crushed peanuts. I like the noodles with chicken, or fried tofu triangles.



Cut the firm tofu into the triangle shape, and roll them in corn starch. Fry them for a couple of minutes in shallow oil on each side until golden. Drain, and salt and pepper them with a little regular ol' chili and garlic powder. Crispy and savory, without the sensation that a thousand screaming-hot white dwarf suns are dying on the surface of your tongue. Which no one wants.

I am Siam

A place Chris and I like to go for some quick Thai takeout is "I am Siam" on Dundee road in Wheeling. Here's a link to the Citysearch listing, under which I believe I am the sole reviewer...) The dining room isn't very tidy, but the food is very consistent. We love the way that they package the takeout so carefully to keep the texture of everything just right by the time you get it home. They separate the breaded shrimp, the egg, the cucumber salad (which I could eat a pound of, then drink up all the dressing with a straw), etc. Good stuff, Maynard.