This dish doesn’t look that spicy. However, when you combine jalapenos, spicy chili sauce and  whole peppercorns, I assure you, the layers of heat are on like Donkey Kong! Of course, you are free to control the amount of spice in this recipe, though if you like heat, go for it!

Recipe: Tofu and veggies on fire
Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

1 package of mushrooms, cut into strips
2 cups of sliced Napa cabbage
1 cup of sliced carrots
1 package of firm tofu, cut into cubes
2 jalapenos, minced (remove seeds for less heat)
1 tablespoon of chili bean sauce
2 tablespoons of rice wine
1 tablespoon of black bean sauce
2 teaspoons of soy sauce
1 teaspoons of sesame oil
1 tablespoon of Sriracha sauce
1 tablespoon of whole peppercorns
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Vegetable oil for the pan
1 stalk of scallion, chopped (for garnish)

Procedure:

1. Heat up a frying pan (or wok) to high with 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil. Add mushrooms and cabbage. Cook until all the water has released, about 3-4 minutes. Add carrots.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix chili bean sauce, rice wine, black bean sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil and Sriracha sauce together. Add garlic and peppercorns while you’re at it. Set aside.

3. Lower heat to medium. Add tofu. Cook for 3 minutes. (Bonus tip: cut tofu the lazy way by leaving it in the container and using a pairing knife.)

4. Add about 1/2 of the sauce first. Taste and add more if desired. Cook over low heat until the sauce is nice and thick and the water has evaporated. Add scallions on top. Serve immediately with rice.

If you’re not familiar with MOO, they print business cards online, along with postcards, unique minicards, stickerbooks, and greeting cards. You can upload your own images or artwork to create cards, or choose a designer business card template  to personalize with your own details. I’m not design savvy at ALL, so I just modified one of the designs that were already there.

Want some cards of your own? Read more to find out how to win!

The 16 point thick stock is great print quality and has a smooth satin feel. Fancypants!

For a chance to win one of the MOO prizes, post a comment below with an answer to this question: what dish you cook would look best on your business cards and why? The winner will be chosen by the lovely folks at MOO. They’re looking for fun, creative and unique answers, and only the best will win! If you make them laugh, you have a good shot of winning!

Winners will be chosen from the comments below. Be sure to enter a valid email address. This giveaway ends on May 16, 2012 at 5 pm. Good luck!

Disclaimer: I was provided with the opportunity to give these business cards away at no cost to me (except for shipping). The winner is responsible for shipping costs. No monetary compensation has been granted for writing a review. I do not write on behalf of anyone else; all thoughts and opinions are my own. This giveaway closes on May 16th at 5 pm.

Unfortunately, the dessert was not sweet enough Not wanting to waste coconut milk, I placed a lid on it and went to bed.

The very next morning, I mixed coconut milk, flour, vanilla, eggs and dry coconut flakes for pancakes. The coconut milk had enough fat, allowing me to omit butter altogether. The end result? Moist and fluffy pancakes with hints of coconut, topped with Nutella. This would have been the perfect sweet/savory combination with some thick cut bacon on the side!

Looks like I’ve found my go to pancake recipe! It’s a great twist on an old classic. I’m so glad I was able to redeem a messed up recipe!

Recipe: Fluffy Coconut Pancakes
Makes 12 pancakes

I used coconut oil to pan fry these, as it has a high smoking point. It also adds a hint of coconut flavor and produces better results than other kinds of oil.

Ingredients:

1 cup of white flour
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 medium eggs
1/2 cup of whole milk
1/2 can of coconut milk (about 7 oz.)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 teaspoons of dehydrated coconut (more for garnish)
1 tablespoon of coconut oil (optional)
Nutella (optional)

Procedure:

1. Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt to a bowl. Create a well in the middle. Add coconut milk, whole milk, vanilla and coconut flakes.

2. Heat up a small pan over high heat. Using a ladle, add about 2/3 of a scoop of batter to the pan. Lower heat and cook until bubbles form, about 2 minutes. Bubbles mean that the pancake is ready to be turned over.

3. Cook for another minute on second side, or until golden. Repeat with remaining batter, adding more oil to the pan each time.

4. Serve with a sprinkle of coconut flakes and Nutella on top.

The last time I made chili in a dutch oven, the beans never got soft even after hours and hours of continuous cooking. I learned the hard way that dried beans, though healthier, need special care and attention! I used the most time consuming method possible, so I will probably use canned beans next time.

Recipe: Slow cooked beef and lentil chili
Makes about 10-12 servings

Aside from making the beans in the oven for 2 hours, I sauteed the beef and onions separately for 2 reasons: 1) to build an extra layer of flavor, and 2) to remove some of the fat. If you want to dump everything into the cooker, feel free. I assure you, your chili will turn out just fine.

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon of olive oil
1.5 pounds of ground beef
1 medium onion, diced (about 2 cups)
3 jalapenos, diced
1 Mexican pepper, diced
10 cloves of garlic, 5 minced, 5 whole
1 35 oz. can of stewed tomatoes
1 16 oz. bag of black beans or 2 15.5 oz of canned black beans
1 16 oz. bag of lentils or 2 15.5 oz of canned lentils
1 tablespoon of oregano
1 tablespoon of cumin
1 tablespoon of chili powder
2 teaspoons of salt
Freshly cracked pepper
1 cup of water
Grated sharp cheddar cheese (optional)
Sour cream (optional)
Scallion (optional)
Bread (optional)

Directions for dried beans (no presoak method), from The Kitchn:

Heat the oven to 325°. Put 1 pound of beans in a 3-quart (or larger) Dutch oven or pot with a tight-fitting lid. A clay pot is ideal. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Add enough water to cover the beans by about 1 inch. Put on the lid and bake for 75 minutes. Check the beans and stir them. If they are tender, take them out of the oven. If they aren’t done, put them back in for 15 minute intervals until they are, adding a cup of hot water if they seem to be drying out. This will take at most 2 hours, but will probably take less than 90 minutes.

Procedure:

1. Heat up a large pan with olive oil. Over high heat, add meat, onions, and garlic cloves. Add  1 teaspoon of oregano, 1 teaspoon of cumin, along with salt and pepper. Cook until meat has turned brown and no pink remains, about 6-7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer meat and onions to the slow cooker lining. Discard liquid and fat.

2. To the slow cooker lining, add jalapenos, Mexican pepper, beans, lentil, and canned tomatoes. Add rest of the spices spices and stir. Add water.

3. Close lid and cook on low setting for at least 7 hours.

4. Adjust seasonings to your taste. Ladle into bowls. Serve with cheese, sour cream, and scallions on top.

Fun fact: why use a microplane when you can use a spoon to grate ginger?

I used red cabbage for this coleslaw, and found that it stood up well to the marinade. Feel free to use whatever cabbage you want. I promise it will taste delicious either way!

Recipe: Honey Ginger Coleslaw
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 of a medium red cabbage (about 3 cups)
1 medium carrot, sliced into thin strips (about 1 cup of sliced carrots)
1 scallion, chopped (white parts only)
2 tablespoons of cider vinegar
1 tablespoon of honey
1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
1″ fresh ginger, grated
Salt & fresh cracked pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Using a mandoline (if desired), shred cabbage in a large bowl. Set aside. Slice carrots into thin strips.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together vinegar, honey, and mustard.

3. Grate fresh ginger over the cabbage.

4. Add  marinade to the bowl with cabbage in it. Add carrots and scallions. Add salt and pepper. Mix together thoroughly.

5. Cover and refrigerate overnight (if possible). If not, refrigerate for at least 2 hours. You might want to adjust seasonings once the slaw has been in the fridge.

Having a slow cooker is great because all you do is put the ingredients in, go to work, then come back home to a meal that is ready to go. The idea of having it cook while nobody is home can be a bit unnerving, but you’ll get over that pretty quickly when you taste the end result! The coleslaw recipe will be posted in the following post.

Recipe: Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Makes 8 sandwiches

You can use the regular oven to make pulled pork as well. Generously coat the dry rub on the pork, wrap with foil, then cook on 350 F for 3 hours, or until tender.

Ingredients:

2 pounds of pork shoulder, fat trimmed
2 large onions, sliced into rings
1/2 cup of rice wine
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoons of dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon of white sugar
2 tablespoons of paprika
2 teaspoons of kosher salt
6 cloves of garlic, minced
Fresh cracked pepper
1 cup of water
BBQ sauce of your choice (I mixed hoisin & Sriracha sauce together)
16 slices of toasted bread

Procedure:

1. In a bowl, mix sugars, paprika, salt, garlic and pepper together. In a separate bowl, mix rice wine and Worcestershire sauce. Set aside.

2. Place a layer of onions on the bottom of the slow cooker liner. Add pork. Rub liquid ingredients all over the pork. Then repeat with dry ingredients.

3. Pour 1 cup of water (or just enough to submerge the meat) and place on low setting. Cook for 7-8 hours, or until the pork falls apart easily to the touch. Transfer pork to a separate bowl. Discard onions and liquid.

4. Mix with BBQ sauce and serve between 2 pieces of toasted bread.

When I wrote my last post, I didn’t realize that “a little break” would mean that I wouldn’t be able to blog for a whole month! Ack.

Our wedding day was awesome, filled with so much love and our honeymoon to Turks and Caicos was even better!

As of this week, I’ve finally started cooking in our very own kitchen!! It feels great to get back into the swing of things. Thank you again for all of your well wishes and see you soon!

Photo by Albert Cheung Photography

Needless to say, things are a bit hectic around here. I haven’t had a chance to cook, let alone come up with new recipes. After we return from our honeymoon, we’ll need to settle into our new place, so blogging probably won’t be possible for a while.

It has been an incredible journey thus far, and I look forward to starting our life together! I will be sharing recipes from our new kitchen, so stay tuned for that.

Thank you for all of your support and love!

Enough said.

For extra flavor in each bite, I added large chunks of garlic, along with a sauce that I concocted using everything in my fridge. I used Yvo’s suggestion of heating the back of a cookie sheet on high heat in place of a pizza stone. This pizza is seriously one of the most delicious things I’ve ever made, and would love for you to give it a try!

You can make your own dough if desired. For this recipe, I used pizza dough from my local pizzeria. One serving of dough was enough for two 10″ pizzas.

Recipe: Bacon Kimchi Pizza
Makes one 10″ pizza

Ingredients:

About 1/2 pound of pizza dough
2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
1 cup of aged kimchi, cut into strips
3 cloves of garlic, sliced
2 on the vine tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
3 strips of bacon (and fat!)
1 teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons of Hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon of Sriracha sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon of mayonnaise
2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
2 stalks of scallion
2 teaspoons of olive oil

Equipment: Cookie sheet, frying pan, rolling pin, pizza cutter (optional), colander, kitchen scissors

Procedure:

1. In a pan over high heat. Place bacon on the pan and cook until crispy on both sides, about 6-7 minutes. Transfer bacon pieces to a plate. With the fat that is already on the pan, turn the heat to high. Add kimchi, with garlic and cook. Continue to stir and cook until there is no more moisture left in the pan. Once the kimchi and garlic both turn slightly brown, remove from heat.

2. Place cookie sheet upside down on the top rack of an oven set at 500 degrees.

3. Slice tomatoes into 1″ pieces. Sprinkle kosher salt all over the tomatoes to draw out the moisture. Place it over a bowl and set aside.

4. Place flour on your surface and rolling pin. Roll out the dough slowly into a circle. Take the dough in your hands and stretch them out as evenly as possible. Continue rolling until the dough forms a circle.

5. In a small bowl, mix Worcestershire sauce, Hoisin sauce, Sriracha sauce (optional), and mayonnaise. Adjust seasonings to your liking. Set aside.

6. Remove cookie sheet from the oven. Let the pan cool for about 2 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to the sheet (so that the pizza doesn’t stick to the pan later.)

7. Place pizza dough directly on the cookie sheet. Spread 1 teaspoon of olive oil on the dough. Add sauce. leaving a little bit of space on the edges. Add tomatoes. Add kimchi. Use kitchen scissors to cut scallions and bacon right onto the pizza. Finish with cheese.

8. Place pizza in the middle rack of the oven and cook for 7 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the dough has a crispy brown color.

Just in case you’re wondering, the word “deviled” is a general term for foods made with spicy ingredients. In this case, the “devil” would be paprika and Dijon mustard.

The recipe I’m posting is a general guide. Feel free to swap different spices to see which flavor pairings you like the best. Next time, I might try adding some wasabi or curry powder.

Recipe: Deviled Eggs
Makes 24 deviled eggs

Ingredients:

1 dozen extra large eggs (preferably not fresh, a week old would be best)*
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon of dried dill
1.5 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
Dash of paprika
Fresh cracked pepper
Kosher salt
1 stalk of scallion or chive (for garnish)
6 strips of cooked bacon (optional)
Ice

Equipment: Large pot, medium sized bowl, knife, piping pastry bag (or Ziplock bag), scissors

*Lay your egg on its side overnight on a tray in the fridge to get the yolks stay in the middle. You know, for aesthetic purposes.

Procedure:

1. Carefully place eggs in a large pot (so they don’t break). Cover with cold water, enough to cover the eggs by 1 inch.

2. Cover the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. After about 6 minutes, turn off the heat.

3. Let the pot stand, covered, for 30 minutes. (If using bacon, simply cook bacon on a skillet, then crumble over the top).

4. Once cooled, place eggs in a large bowl filled with cold water and ice. Wait about 10 minutes, then peel the eggs.

5. Slice each egg in half, lengthwise. Remove the yolk and place in a bowl. Set aside the egg whites.

6. In the bowl, mix egg yolks, mayo, dill, mustard, salt and pepper together until creamy. Adjust seasonings to your taste.

7. Place egg whites on a tray, with the circle facing up. Add egg yolk mixture into piping bag (if using a Ziplock bag, cut off a corner) and pipe until filled.

8. Carefully sprinkle paprika on each egg. Hold the scallion or chive above each egg, and make thin slices with the scissor for decorating.