cookng

Drunken Chicken with Shitaki Mushroom and Ginger - Steamed

2012-02-03T16:19:00.001-05:00

Drunken chicken, marinated chicken in rice wine.

And yes, I love it very marinated, the wine just does something magical to the meat - helps tenderize and gives it this lovely aroma.

Often reminds me of the chicken wine soup Mama Ng likes to cook for us from time to time. Very popular in the cold seasons as it helps promotes the blood circulation. It is very strong in flavor but delicious and best consumed in small amounts. Will post more on Mama Ng chicken wine soup one day.

Here is my version.

Steamed Chicken with Mushroom and Ginger

I used boneless chicken thighs, marinated in rice wine mixture over night.

Steamed it with 2 types of mushroom and a lot of ginger. With the tender chicken soaking in the ginger rice wine mushroom broth.... delicious ! You can serve it over noodles, rice or congee. We had it with white rice and Chinese broccoli on the side.

Ingredients

- Chicken - Boneless thighs - slice into 1 -2" size

- Shitake Mushroom - cut to 1 "

- Wood ear mushroom - cut to 1 "

- Ginger - cut in matchsticks

- Garlic - minced

- Scallion - cut slant

Marinate for the meat

-ShoaXing - Rice wine

-Light soy sauce

-Sesame oil

-brown sugar

-white pepper

-garlic and scallion - minced

* combine together in a bowl and adjust the seasoning to your liking

Wood ear and Shitake Mushroom

Most of the flavor you get is from the shitaki and not much from the wood ear but you get a fun jelly texture.

Soak into warm water until soften then slice in bite size pieces.

Mix together the marinated chicken with mushrooms garlic and ginger.

Top with scallion ( I like to drizzle a few drops of fish sauce right before steaming)

Steam for 20 - 30 mins depending on the amount of meat.

while the chicken was cooking I quickly stirred fry Chinese broccoli with garlic and oyster sauce.

Here's dinner... and don't forget the chili garlic hot sauce!

Do you have a favorite drunken chicken recipe?

Please do share *

Simple fish tacos

2011-11-22T17:07:00.001-05:00

This dinner takes less than 30 mins (if you're quick in the kitchen) to make and is so healthy! This has been our go to fish dinner recently and it is so easy to make! As with all our recipes we always stress that quality of ingredients is key to deliciousness! I use organic when possible and it makes a difference. You can also build with more salsas and toppings like shredded cheese or chipotle cream. I hope you all enjoy this fun and yummy meal!

Simple Fish Tacos

Heirloom tomato salsa

Sweet tomatoes 3 cups

Onion 1/4 cup small dice

Salt to taste

Cilantro a handful minced

Squeeze of lime

mix together!

Guacamole

2 ripe avocados

1/4 cup chopped onion

Salt to taste

Lemon 2 tbs

Mush avocados with fork,mix in rest

Tilapia

Pan fried with salt and pepper

Shredded cabbage

Whole wheat tortillas

Annie's Veggie Eggy Frittata

2011-07-06T18:03:00.043-04:00

The morning is here and have a table of hungry tummies waiting..

Looking for a quick and simple eggy breakfast dish ?

Here we have Annie's Veggie Eggy Frittata!

Grab a bowl and some eggs- crack and whip them together

Heat oil on a non stick or cast iron pan - add chopped ingredients

- onion ,red potatoes , zucchini and summer squash

- herbs and season with salt and pepper

Add in the egg mixture and stir until all set

let it cook on medium heat - when it starts bubbling

pop in the oven ( pre-heated 350 ) for 10 - 15 minutes

Remove from oven and add any cheese you like!

we have aged provolone here.

Enjoy!

we all had seconds! Thank you Annie!!

Lemon Chicken Kale Soup

2011-04-30T02:37:00.000-04:00

Here is a super fast and easy recipe for a super comforting and delicious soup. It isn't made completely from scratch, although you can if you would like to and have the time. I like to use kale but you can substitute with any leafy green. This is what I make when I'm exhausted but still want to make something healthy and satisfying for the family. This takes 40 minutes from start to finish and that includes the prep time. That's quick! I made this last week and now looking at the pictures, I sure wish I had some!

INGREDIENTS

1 rotisserie chicken, meat hand pulled in bite size pieces

2 boxes chicken stock

3 carrots

1 bunch kale

1 lb potatoes

1 onion

3 cloves garlic

tablespoon thyme

lemon juice to taste

I served with crusty bread and tomato persian cucumber feta salad

COOK

saute onion and garlic

add carrots

add potatoes

add thyme

saute until veggies start to brown a little

add stock, bring to boil & simmer until veggies are al-dente

add chicken meat

add kale

salt and pepper to taste

lemon juice to taste (I used 1 1/2 lemons)

I find fresh organic veggies tastier than conventional

Farm Fresh Dinner

2011-03-22T01:51:00.002-04:00

rigatoni with asparagus, garbanzo beans and tomato

A friend at work subscribes to a organic farm delivery service that drops off a box of produce at her doorstep every week. Lucky for me, her boyfriend, the one that actually cooks the stuff was out of town this week and I was the recipient of the box! The box contained some fruit, green leaf lettuce, cabbage, red chard and asparagus. It was beautiful beautiful produce. Last night I made chicken adobo and sauteed the cabbage with garlic and oyster sauce. Tonight's dinner really highlights the farm fresh ingredients that I had on hand and inspired this beautiful and delicious dinner. The green leaf lettuce actually had taste unlike much of it's supermarket kin already washed and ready to go in the bags. I did have to wash everything from the farm but the work was so worth it. I dressed the salad simply with olive oil, balsamic, salt and pepper.

The pasta was super simple. I sauteed garlic, onion, a can of garbanzo beans and the asparagus from the farm. Then I added a can of chopped tomato, salt and pepper to taste. Toss with pasta of choice. That's it! It was so delicious!

I love this farm direct delivery idea so much. I love how you don't know what's in the box until it gets to you. I love how the cooking is inspired by ingredients. It's local and sustainable. I'm sold. This is the farm where I am http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com. I've read that this is getting popular all over the US so do a google search and see if this is available to you. Happy cookng!

Healthy Lunch Ideas

2011-02-23T01:36:00.003-05:00

grilled chicken breast with dino kale, sugar snap peas, quinoa mixed with sauteed mushrooms with S&P and balsamic

In our household, we've been consciously trying to improve our diet by trying to stick to lean proteins, lots of leafy greens and whole grains. We've totally converted to brown rice, spelt pasta (infinitely better than whole wheat pasta) and whole grains like quinoa and barley. One big personal hurdle was to eat healthy lunches while at work. It is too challenging to stick to healthy options when left to eat out or do take out. It is also very very expensive to eat take away healthy organic foods. I was spending up to $20 a day sometimes eating from places like Real Food Daily! Well, I got wise and put in a little effort on Sunday nights to prepare lunch items. I've been doing this for a month now and I've not only saved money but lost weight and feel great! I basically steam vegetables, make a whole grain and a protein. I try to stretch out the pre-made items by switching out the protein or adding an avocado or nuts. Sometimes at the end when I'm low on items, I'll supplement with hummus and flax bread. The following are list of things that combine well as a salad or as a group of sides like the pic above with yummy grilled chicken breast. I personally don't care for traditional salad too often but can eat lightly steamed greens everyday! Remember, try to vary your diet as much as possible and always eat whole foods. I know us cookngs love our pork and yummy comfort foods. With moderation and balancing with wholesome options, we can eat really anything we want!

Ideas for lunch items

Proteins: chicken breast, boiled eggs, lentils, tofu, tuna, pork tenderloin

greens: kale, collard greens, chard, arame seaweed, broccoli

veggies: carrots, sugar snap peas, sprouts, squash

grains: brown rice, quinoa, kashka, barley, cous cous

dressing: tahini or Annie's Asian Sesame dressing

toppings: nuts, sunflower seeds, japanese seaweed/sesame condiment

Please share your ideas for easy healthy lunches in the comments!

Chinese New Year Celebration Feast 2011

2011-02-21T17:50:00.000-05:00

Chinese New Year 2011

Sharing Mama Ng's Menu

Braised shiitake mushroom with oyster and

fat choi ( might be some type of sea veggie? looks odd but fun to eat)

Lobster with ginger scallion and chinese celery

Foo jook tong ( bean curd soup) with mushroom and chinese dried scallops

Pea shoot stir fried with garlic and fish sauce

Crispy roast pork

Steamed seabass with ginger scallion and soy sauce

Buddha's delight ( Lor horn jai)

quite of list of ingredients used in this dish, let's see if i can remember them all,

napa cabbage, shiitake mushroom, bean noodles, wood ear fungus, water chestnut, beancurd sticks, fat choi , snowpeas , am i missing anything else ?

sorry about the poor photo, couldn't wait to eat

White poached chicken served with oyster and hot mustard sauce.

Always happy with Mama Ng poached chicken, so moist and tender.

Posted a little late but better than never.

Did you enjoy your New Year's celebration?

Top Chef All Star thoughts

2011-02-17T23:42:00.005-05:00

Does working under extreme conditions truly measure a chef's talents? Is this the Amazing Race or Top Chef? While a fun and dynamic challenge, I couldn't help but to feel bad for these poor tired souls. Clearly, the requirement of running laps on no sleep got the better of ALL of them. The culmination, Carla puttering around the store still shopping with only under an hour to cook. All of the dishes lacked imagination and the choice of equipment baffles me. What I would have done is grab a rice cooker and an electric wok and rocked a stir fry over rice. No? Who hasn't gone to a greasy Chinese joint at 3AM after partying all night? Just sayin' Come on! But this is why I pose the extreme conditions question. Does the effort for better television destroy the potential for truly inspirational cooking? I for one am not a fan of the one-hand-tied-behind-the-back or no-utensils or no-sleep challenges.

Poor Angelo. This week I realize that he really was not getting weirder and weirder. I really did not see until now that this is a man at his Top Chef threshold. He was running on empty. The same chef who put out complex and beautiful food made salty potato soup. Sad but it was his time to go. I knew something was up when Mike was singing his praises followed by clips of uncharacteristic bro-love gestures from Angelo.

Dale won with grilled cheese and tomato soup. I'm sure it was a fine grilled cheese and tomato soup. But really? A grilled cheese and tomato soup won an elimination challenge of Top Chef All Stars with only 7 chefs left? Maybe Bravo should do a Top Top Chef Producers show.

thoughts:

Why did they even have the interior designer guy on? That was so random.

Okay, maybe having Ming Tsai judge was more random than the interior designer guy.

I wasn't a fan of the Muppet quickfire. But since Molly liked it I liked it too. Ok, I liked Elmo's "cow chips" comment.

Nice sweater Bourdain!

To Molly he's Dr. Tony!

Top Chef All Star thoughts

2011-02-12T00:20:00.006-05:00

Well, well, well. Ciao Fabio. We are sad to see him go but after all, it is Top Chef, not Top Comedian! He is SO funny though! Bravo needs to give him his own show. This episode is one of my all time favorites. The challenges were interesting and dynamic and how 'bout having Jimmy Fallon as guest judge?? He was so much fun! His family and the announcer guy from the show were hysterical! Congrats to Carla for one delicious looking pot pie. This is very reminiscent of her season where she really steps up leading into the finals. Let's hope she can go all the way again! I really like her food; simple, honest and always true to her style. Dale goes from too bland to too salty. Come on bro! Wake the #$@ up!! Antonia rocked the tongue and showed some skills. The rest were not memorable. Angelo acts creepier and looks greasier every episode. What's going on with that dude?

a little like Hannibal Lecter? just a bit?

thoughts:

Hey Angelo! It's "chee-poht-lay" (chipotle)

What was Dale calling Angelo? Was it "stunning guy"?

I like eating tongue but was a little skeeved by seeing the whole big thing being sliced. ewww

Stir Fried Chicken with Mushroom and Soybean Stick

2011-01-28T18:35:00.002-05:00

Another quick stir fry for a lazy night....

Did a quick check in the kitchen to see what I had handy.

Opened the fridge: cooked chicken breast in the pantry: dried shiitake mushroom and soybean sticks

hmmm......got it!

Decided to do a stir fry with famous-never fail oyster sauce and tons of garlic.

We were also fighting a cold so I made sure the garlic was not cooked all the way ( natural antibiotic)

The semi cooked garlic along with the oyster sauce gave the mushrooms a slightly buttery chewy texture which I like. The result was perfect, a savory side dish good with salad, rice or congee.

Ingredients:

chicken - cooked + shredded
dried shiitake mushroom - soak in warm water until soft- thinly sliced
dried bean curd stick- soak in warm water until soft - cut into half inch size
oil
oyster sauce
head of garlic - minced
white pepper
cilantro

Heat pan with oil, add half of the minced garlic, mushroom, cook for a minute then

add bean curd sticks and chicken, give it quick stir and toss

add the rest of the garlic and oyster sauce, give it quick stir and toss again make sure it all mixed well.

Done!

Great with fresh cilantro!

Top Chef All Star thoughts

2011-01-23T12:05:00.002-05:00

Wow, brother Dale truly showed his prowess not only in the kitchen but also in his wargame strategies! I mean picking Marcel to be the opposing captain is probably the Top Chef all time best strategic move...ever...period. He knew no one would cooperate with him. The other team was doomed no matter who was on his team. It is sad that the only thing I remember about Dale from his original season is his temper. It is obvious that he did a lot of soul searching after seeing himself act like a douche on national TV. These days, his cooking is impressive and his temperament in control and confident. Well done Dale! Even though he wasn't the winner, he stood out most for me. Blais is such a whiny crybaby that it is hard to take him seriously. Also, I'm personally not drawn to his cooking style. Although his bromance with Fabio is very funny. Too bad it is Blais since we all know he will never measure up to Stefan. Nevertheless it is still very funny. I started following Fabio on twitter and he is just as funny. He plugs his ebook a little too much but its still very adorable because its Fabio. Also, his show recaps has me in stitches!

Well, you all know I am delighted and dancing about Marcel's elimination. All the other chef's have been so professional with their criticism, boiling it down to poor people skills. For me, it seems a spanking and a time out is in order!

thoughts:

Really Angelo, stop making crudo. Snore....

Did anyone see Tre? Was he even on the show? What happened to the "force in the kitchen"?

Did Marcel dye his hair? Why does it look so different?

Top Chef All Stars thoughts

2011-01-08T00:01:00.003-05:00

Ok now. You just can't mess with Chinese people and their dim sum! Getting really bad dim sum while starving from waiting forever was NOT a good situation. I was surprised there wasn't a mutiny. The diners must have been invited and comped is all I can guess. It was a disaster of epic proportions and the judge's blogs say the show didn't look as bad as it really was. All I can say is if the cookNgs were there, we would have been in that kitchen way before Tom decided to go check. You know, get things in order! There would have at least been some decent fung jow from Casey's stash! I was sad to see Casey go because she actually could cook and had a decent personality. Boy did that Jaime dodge another bullet. Bye bye next week? We can only hope since this is Top Chef, not Top Scallop.

thoughts:

Was Angelo always that tall? Angelo, really, don't make a raw dish.

The quicker quickfire was lame. Tom gets to decide which dishes measured up to his own?

How arbitrary is that?

The anger management is wearing off. Dale is definitely starting to simmer. I'm getting a little nervous.

Top Chef All Stars thoughts

2010-12-23T20:34:00.005-05:00

Was Jaime always this lame? I remember her being pretty tough and cooking pretty good food? How can this be the same wallflower that is on this all star season? Is she just wilting under the pressures of failing twice? I gave her the benefit of the doubt when she cut her finger and left to go get stitches. But now this? Hiding? I totally regret stating that she is one of my favorites. Now on the other hand, last night I remembered what was so awesome about Carla. She just totally came out, did her style food, against the disapproval of her teammates and WON! I must say that judges table is so nerve racking now that some of the weak links are gone. It really was crazy to see Spike go last night! Was his dish really worse than the others??

thoughts:

Are they really going there with Angelo again? I mean they went as far as Gail coming out and asking if they felt he was sabotaging?? REALLY? Lame drama

That being said, I wouldn't let anyone cook my salmon! What a dumb ass!

Most overused ingredient - yuzu

Taylor Dent? He had the personality of a head of lettuce, iceberg.

Top Chef All Stars thoughts

2010-12-16T00:10:00.006-05:00

Now that was an episode! It was truly an All-Stars week with amazing food, interesting elimination challenge and power house guests. The level of food was what I would expect from chefs of this calibre that have the experience of competitive cooking. So much better than the first two episodes! The judging was fair and I was happy to see Dale win. His dish looked so delicious! All I can remember of Dale from his previous season are his temper tantrums. I like this kinder gentler Dale. Maybe he went to anger management or discovered kava root. Maybe there just hasn't been anything that pissed him off enough yet....

Farewell Stephen and the other Dale. Oh well, have to find someone new to pick on now that Stephen is gone.

thoughts:

I felt embarrassed for Tom when he made the Led Zeppelin analogy.

Where does Stephen buy his clothes? Really! I want to know!

Someone tell Angelo that he is not Asian. I understand embracing a culture but come on! Now maybe if he grows his hair long and wears it in a braid...

Turkey Zucchini Pasta

2010-12-14T13:50:00.000-05:00

One night after work feeling tired but still in the mood to cook. The first thing that came to mind was pasta as I had most of the ingredients at home already. All I needed to pick up was some ground turkey and fresh basil.

Turkey Zucchini Pasta

pasta
1 lb ground turkey
1 med. onion - diced
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 can of crush tomatoes
1 zucchini - diced
dried oregano
balsamic vinegar
brown sugar
chili flakes
grated cheese
fresh basil

Bring pot of water to boil for pasta
Heat a pan with oil, add the diced onion, ground turkey, brown then add minced garlic-sautee for a minute. Add crushed tomatoes with juice. Bring to a gentle simmer
Add the oregano, chili flakes, sugar, a quick drizzle of balsamic vinegar and zucchini, stir.
Done when zucchini are cooked

Another delicious simple pasta dish!

Isn't it always nice

to come home to

a well stocked kitchen *

pass the cheese please.....

Top Chef All Stars thoughts

2010-12-10T00:30:00.007-05:00

All I can say is wow! That Jen is a loose canon! She just lost it! Overall, a very sad ending since she was one of my favorites. She's totally bad-ass! But alas, she was (again) her own worse enemy, obviously overcompensating for her self doubt with a ridiculous and embarrassing display of bravado. She seemed like she snorted a couple of lines before judges table no? You don't want to see someone go out like that, not even for the sake of good TV. The location was cool but the episode seemed like one big quickfire. The elimination challenge was kind of lame. Making a buffet breakfast for 150 kids is not such an interesting challenge. The judges totally never mentioned anything about how kid friendly the breakfast was during judging. I don't think there are many kids out there that eat gazpacho and gnocci for breakfast. Then again, the Ngs eat dinner food for breakfast all the time. But then we are talking about Top Chef aren't we? Anyway, I'm still kinda uncomfortable from this episode.

thoughts:

Funniest comment - Dale re: Joe Jonas "I thought he was a pastry chef"

Most annoying chef du episode - Stephen. I liked how he thought he was doing the Italian thing with Fabio. He seems as Italian as Olive Garden. If they show that stupid clip of him opening champagne bottle with the machete again, I'll stop watching the show.

Most boring judge, ever - who thought it was a good idea to bring Katie Lee back?

Most tragic ending - Jennifer Carroll. Just say no, girl

Top Chef All Stars thoughts

2010-12-02T00:50:00.004-05:00

The premier episode did not disappoint and in fact I am super excited about this all star season! Excellent choice to have Anthony Bourdain as a rotating judge. He's just awesome.

The bar is set pretty high in the kitchen and all the food looked pretty amazing. With a few exceptions of course. It's always sad to see Fabio on the bottom for a pasta dish. I mean, how embarrassing! I was never impressed and still don't know why Marcel is always in the mix. In fact, I had the opportunity to taste his food at Test Kitchen recently. To my surprise, he was the guest chef of the night and I was disappointed. His food is too contrived and is just not very good. The stuff he put out tonight was much of the same. Stephen is just so annoying, annoying personality, annoying wardrobe, annoying food. His body is so weird too. On that note, life must get better for all chefs that appear on Top Chef because they all gain so much weight! Well, all the women look the same but all the guys, not so good. For some reason, I do not remember Richard at all. I totally watched his season but he is a stranger to me. Who is he? Well, they sent home the right person. Ciao Elia. She was kind of annoying too, clearly not ready for the level of competition. For the most part it was fun seeing all the contestants and remembering particulars about each. I'm sure I'm wasn't the only one waiting for Dale to wig out and slam a sheet pan over someones head. Well, its going to be a fun season and you'll hear from me again! Did I mention that Bourdain is a judge????

Pan Fried Strip Steak Dinner

2010-12-01T16:45:00.000-05:00

NY Strip Steak pan fried medium rare please!

I will never forget my first juicy steak that was made by my lovely grandmother. Perfectly charred and tasty every time, seasoned with only salt and pepper, filling up the air with the most delicious aroma. She only ever used her favorite well seasoned cast iron skillet ( god knows how long she had it ).

I wonder which of us sister owns it now hmmmm? they should be so lucky,

Here sharing a quick and easy steak dinner.

2 Strip Steak

Remove from fridge and let it sit in room temperature for about 10-15 mins.

After that, season well with salt and pepper

Roast Onion and Tomatoes

While the steak is coming to room temperature. Heat oven to 375.

Slice tomatoes and onion, season with salt, pepper, oregano and a drizzle of olive oil.

Pop in the oven and let it roast for 30 mins- I like to check on them at 20 mins

Add the steak to a heated pan with oil.

They were a little less then a inch thick so i fried them for 3 mins on each side.

Pan fried strip steak medium rare

with rice, roasted tomatoes & onions

and sugar snaps.

I love having steak with rice,

as you cut into the steak with the rice soaking up the tasty juice, soo good.

Very juicy and tender with sweetness of the veggies.

Who is having steak tonight?

Pho' Grand Vietnamese Weekend Lunch

2010-11-24T16:56:00.002-05:00

Pho Grand Vietnamese Restaurant

277 Grand Street
New York, NY 10002
(212) 965-5366

When having Vietnamese food, I always like to order a

No#2 Pho Beef Noodle Soup -

with fresh eye of round, brisket, navel, tendon, etc..

with a squeeze of lemon and handful of fresh basil...

to the very last drop pf pho' ...slurp!

and sometimes -

Beef stew with toast bun

chunks of beef shank, gelatinous tendon that melts in your mouth

and carrots swimming in this rich broth.

so savory

First time trying -

Deep Fried Crab Wanton

first bite was delicious then the richness of the cream was overpowering

so just one bite was fine for me

We like to come here whenever we can. Nice quick service and place seems clean.

Are you hungry yet?

Breakfast - Simple Tomato Onion Scramble

2010-11-22T18:05:00.000-05:00

Egg-Onion-Cherry Tomatoes-Cilantro

scramble the eggs and chop the rest of the ingredients

For smooth & moist scramble eggs I like to

add small cold cubes of butter to the mixture,

this way it cooks with the egg and not brown it.

Add oil to a heated pan then tomatoes and onion to follow

When the tomatoes / onions are cooked down - add the egg mixture

Lighty scramble on medium low heat until desired doneness

a light sprinkle of your favorite cheese and cilantro and serve!

**How do you like your scramble eggs? **

I know this is a very easy recipe.

I tend to get out of hand with snapping photos so why not share :)

Enjoy!

Shanghai Lunch - Shanghai Garden Restaurant

2010-11-02T18:20:00.006-04:00

*updated*

Looking for delicious Shanghai cuisine?

This little hole in the wall down in Chinatown is where we like to go sometimes. It is a very small space with booths and connecting tables. It might be a little wait but it's worth it.

The service is good,very nice and attentive.

Shanghai Garden Cuisine

14A Elizabeth Street

New York, NY 10013

Chinatown 212-964-5640

Chilled Combination Dish :

marinated jelly fish - crunchy and fresh on the palette

boneless pig's trotter - taste like pastrami with gelatinous texture

drunken chicken - a nice pungent wine flavor with a fresh finish....what more can I say?

* this dish can be fun and tasty if you're on the adventurous side and

it's a perfect starter*

Another one of my favorite Shanghai dishes :

Stir Fried Rice Cakes with Shredded Pork, Preserved Vegetables and Bamboo shoots

The nice and chewy rice cakes with the crunchy texture from the bamboo shoots blends nicely with pickled and sweet vegetables. Sounds nice right?

Deep Fried Jumbo Shrimp with Mayo and caramelize walnuts.
They were huge, crunchy to bouncy with each bite.
Succulent shrimp we have here, so good..

Wonton with hot chili and garlic sauce

This was okay....they were too big for my liking and the sauce seem sweet then tangy

but might work for you

Who would like to join us next time?

Crabby Jerry's Seafood Lunch

2010-10-30T16:06:00.000-04:00

Nice weekend trip with the family out at Greenport Long Island NY.

Here we are enjoying lunch at Crabby Jerry's

Started with a good old Bloody Mary

Steamed Lobster

Steamers

(could have this everyday,soooo buttery good)

Mixed green salad with a Stone crab claw

Weather was beautiful, the company was perfect. It was a very nice weekend indeed.

Turkey & Lentil Stew

2010-09-19T00:32:00.000-04:00

This dish started as an idea for turkey chili, and then I remembered that I always end up picking out the beans halfway through the bowl. So then I decided to use lentils instead and it came out great. Can't really call it chili anymore without the beans so we'll just say stew (for the purists out there). Anyway the result was so delicious that our two year old asked for seconds! It is really healthy and very easy to make. To cut prep and cooking time down, I recommend using cooked lentils for those of you that have access to Trader Joe's. They sell these amazing cooked beluga lentils in a vacuum sealed plastic bag. If you don't have a Trader Joe's just use regular lentils and adjust the cooking time to accommodate. Or just use beans and you can call it chili! We serve it with rice and lots of hot sauce! I like Tapatio or Tabasco. Those of you that don't have to worry about feeding a toddler should add paprika and chili powder while cooking the stew! As with most stews, there is a lot of room to play around and add ingredients that you like. Some interesting variations might include okra or mushrooms. Of course the quality of ingredients changes the dish a lot. I love San Marzano brand tomatoes. I also like to add a couple of tablespoon balsamic vinegar at the end to give it some depth of flavor.

ingredients

2 lbs ground turkey

1 package of cooked lentils (about 3 cups, more if you like)

1 can whole peeled plum tomatoes (hand crushed or food mill)

2 medium carrots diced

1 bell pepper diced

1 can plain tomato sauce

1 quart container chicken stock

1 medium onion diced

4 cloves garlic minced

1 tablespoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon onion powder

salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar to taste

brown turkey, set aside
saute garlic and onion until caramelized
add carrots and peppers, not all at once to keep heat of pan
return turkey and get it back to a good sizzle
add spices
add tomato and tomato sauce, bring to boil
add stock to consistency desired, keep extra broth in case stew thickens too much
simmer on low heat for 40 mins (or when the carrots are very soft)
add cooked lentils and simmer for another 10 mins
enjoy!

Baked Tilapia Fish with Sake

2010-09-16T11:06:00.001-04:00

Now doesn't this look just yummy !

This is a very simple delicious dish made by Annie aka anniebananee.

Ingredients:

Tilapia Filets

Sake

Soy sauce

Chili Sesame oil

garlic

ginger

scallion

cilantro

salt and pepper

1. Line baking sheet with foil - lay out the filets with some garlic,ginger,scallion - seasoned with salt and pepper - a nice hearty drizzle of Sake.

2. Cover fish with foil and bake until done.

3. Heat oil in pan , when hot add in the rest of the ginger,garlic and scallions. Let it slightly brown and infuse the oil then pour over the fish. You can season the fish with soy sauce/chili sesame oil for extra flavor.

Dinner is Ready!

The Sake Baked Tilapia was served with

Baby Bok Choy , Stir fry String Beans, and Annie's perfect Steamed Egg.

Thank you Annie!

VacatioNg-Roast Pork anyone?

2010-08-28T14:28:00.003-04:00

We roasted a 10 lbs pork shoulder during our vacation. It turned out amazing... We finished every bit of it. You have to crisp up the skin at the end. Forget about watching your cholesterol. You and your guests will be fighting over the yummy, crispy skin. I guarantee it! I'm not sure if you remember my "I heart pork" post, that is where I got my inspiration. The recipe I use is a typical latin one (pernil). You have to try it!

First you pick the meat. Don't you just love him... He's so happy.

Clean and make slits all over the pork to insert the garlic and marinade.

Recipe:

-One 8-10 pound bone-in pork picnic shoulder with skin

-1 head of minced garlic

-1 cup of cilantro( finely chopped)

-1 cup of onion ( small diced)

-1 tbsp of salt for every pound

- 2 tsp of ground black pepper

- 2 tbsp of vegetable oil

- 2 tbsp of white vinegar

- 2 tbsp of adobo seasoning

Combine the garlic , cilantro and onion in a medium size bowl. Stir in the salt, adobo, pepper, oil and vinegar. Rub garlic paste all over the pork. Make sure to get some of the paste into the incisions so the flavoring can penetrate the meat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

Allow the meat to sit at room temperature for 30 mins before cooking. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Slow roast the pork for 6 hours, uncovered, skin side up (this is if you have all the time in the world). You can also roast it at a higher temperature for a shorter cooking time ( 400 degrees for an hours and then at 350 degrees for 2-3 hours) I'm sorry, you're committed at this point. When that is done, set your oven to broil to crisp up the skin. Make sure you get all of the skin. Be very careful. It is extremely hot. Use oven mitts! You'll thank me after :)

This is the perfect roast.

We served it with rice, beans and tortilla wraps that night.

Wish you all were there. Enjoy!