New Ingredient Time!

Its about that time again! Another new ingredient went into this dinner. Can you guess that it is? Here is a picture:

Its a Japanese Sweet Potato. This is not to be confused with the ever popular and brightly colored Purple Potato that is also common in Japan. This sweet potato is purple on the outside, but not so on the inside, it is like a regular potato. It was a little softer than most potatoes that I am used to cooking, but it tastes pretty much like a regular potato, or whatever you happen to season it with.

For this meal I just cubed the potato and baked it with seasonings. I paired it with a glazed-beef recipe that I saw on another blog and thought Hubby and I would like.

~Beef w/ Brown Sugar Glaze~

(adapted from The Wannabe Chef)

1/2 lb. stir-fry beef strips

2 tbsp. sesame oil (or olive oil)

5 tbsp. cornstarch (or flour)

2 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1/4 c. water

1/2 tbsp. rice vinegar

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. garlic powder

In a lg. skillet or wok heat the sesame oil over med. high heat. Coat the beef with the cornstarch or flour and set aside. In a small bowl, add the brown sugar, soy sauce, water, vinegar, salt, chili powder, and garlic powder. Mix until sugar is dissolved.

Add the beef to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until all off the beef is browned. Slowly pour in the brown sugar-soy sauce liquid. Continue to cook as the water evaporates. It will eventually form a thick glaze, coating the beef. Once the beef is coated remove from heat. Add a drizzle of sesame oil, toss, and serve.

For the potatoes I just winged it: I cubed them up, tossed them in olive oil, oregano, garlic powder, garlic salt, onion powder, rosemary...maybe some other herbs. I then baked them at 375 for about 30 min. Just keep an eye on them so they don't burn. The potatoes are done when they can be cut easily with a fork (aka fork tender). Remove and serve with the beef.

Hubby really liked the beef. He said he could taste the difference with the sesame oil. To him it tasted more "nutty"....what a complement! I liked the sweet and savory aspect the brown sugar gave it. The potatoes were alright, nothing to special, they just tasted like plain old herbed potatoes...

The beef is highly recommended...Hubby asked for it to be served again. Stay tuned for the next installment of another new local ingredient!

ENJOY!

Sizzle....Sizzle....

POW!

Can ya guess what this it? Huh huh...can ya!!!  IT'S MY 100th BLOG POST!! Ahhhh! I am UBER excited! Can ya tell!! Hahaha!

I thought that I had missed it by a few, but I went through all of my posts and realized that there were a lot of drafts that I had never actually posted. So, I deleted the ones that I didn't want to post any longer, and voila! This is my 100th post! I made it! -->Happy Dance<--

So, for my 100th post I am going to share with you, not one, but TWO recipes. Two sizzling, hot, and spicy recipes. I can tell its spicy when 1. While I am cooking said item, when I breath in the smoke it makes me choke and the peppers go up into my nose and I can feel the burn, and 2. When my Hubby is eating said food, he is visibly sweating...yeah, he likes his food hot...

Here is Spicy recipe number 1:

~Spicy Beef Curry~

1 lb. stir-fry cut beef

3 carrots, diced

1 yellow onion, chopped

1-2 small green chilies, w/ seeds, diced

2 tsp. minced garlic

2-4 c. chicken or beef stock

5 tbsp. vegetable oil

1/4 c. flour

4 tbsp. curry powder

1 tsp. chili powder

2-3 tsp. ginger

1-2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. paprika

1 tsp. ground coriander

2 tsp. salt

In a large pot, heat 2 tbsp. vegetable oil. Saute onion and garlic until softened. Add the ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Add the carrots and peppers, stir a few times, and then add the stock. 

While the mead is cooking, make a roux. Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a med. skillet until warmed through. Over med-low heat, add the flour and stir, cooking until the flour is blended and takes on a pale golden hue. Add curry powder, chili powder, ginger, cayenne pepper, paprika, and coriander. The mixture will be powdery and dry. Take 1/2 c. of the hot liquid from the meat pot and slowly add it to the curry-roux mixture, stirring constantly to form a smooth paste. By spoonfuls, add the curry paste back to the beef mixture, stirring to dissolve. Add the salt.

Simmer the curry for 20-30 min. until the sauce as thickened and the beef and vegetables are tender. While the curry is finishing up, cook some white rice according to package directions. Check the curry a min. or so before serving, if it is too thick, add more stock or water and simmer for a few min. longer. Serve the curry over the rice in a shallow bowl. 

The spicy roux

This curry sure did have a kick! I only had a little bit, it was much to hot for me...but my Hubby sure did like it! He was sweating...really sweating when he was done! I guess I did a good job! ;-)

NOTE: I adapted this recipe by combining various curry recipes and researching what made curry so spicy. Its a big hot pot of the "best of" curry, and our/my Hubby's personal preferences....

And...being on a spicy/hot kick, I also made....

~Spicy Turkey Breakfast Patties~

1 lb. ground turkey

3 tsp. chili powder

2 tbsp. paprika

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder (salt)

1 egg, beaten

1 dried Anaheim chili, diced

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix well. Shape into small disks. Cook in a med skillet over med heat until cooked through, flipping once, about 7-8 min. Place remaining disks on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze until solid. Remove from pan and put into a plastic baggie. Remove and cook as needed. (No need to de-thaw!)

The spicy ground turkey mix...just look at that color!

These were hot as well! They were really easy to cook up to. When I did cook them and I breathed in the smoke, I got a jolt from all the pepper and spices that were in these...yowza... I served these to my Hubby for breakfast. Serving them as just plain patties, in a breakfast sammi, and I broke a few up and made them into a breakfast burrito! Yummy, yummy!

Restaurant Side Note: One of the first off-base restaurants we tried over here in Okinawa was Cocos Curry House. They make japanese style curry where you can pick your meat, veggies, and other toppings as well as your spice level 1-10 with 10 being the hottest. The first time we went, Hubby started off with a level 5 spice. He said it was alright. Then the next time we went, he bumped it up all the way to a 10! The only difference he commented on was that the heat lingered a lot longer, but it was not that much more "spicy" hmmm..... He later made a comment that my curry was more spicy! That is was better! teheheh I did a little *victory dance* inside. It's good to hear that homemade won over a restaurant!

And what did I get at Cocos? (I'm not much of a curry fan....) I got some garlic naan! It was alright...I think I would have preferred it plain or with garlic in the dough versus cheese and garlic bits on top of the naan...but alas...it met my craving for something starch-y and garlic-y!

Kabob Cookout Weekend!

I have finished my first week of cooking new meals! Albeit, with a slight adjustment: I swapped Friday for Saturday (hubby was gone & we had a guest over Saturday night). Wanting to impress, and also wanting something good, filling, and healthy....we decided on veggie and meat Kabobs. Steak kabobs at that!

Let me tell you, they were a lot of work, but very very worth it. We also decided on an appetizer and a dessert. For the app I made "Cali"-schetta, which is basically bruschetta but with avocado, cheese, and other stuff added in. For dessert I decided to make some lemon bunt cake. My hubby loves things with lemon. I think its the tart/sweet combo.

Everything turned out wonderful. We grilled the kabobs, veggies, pineapple, and meat outside. I made the appetizer, baked the cake, and made a batch of cornbread ( I was craving some...with honey...yum). Hubby helped with the prep work, cutting the veggies, mixing the cake, and stuff like that. When the guests arrived, drinks were passed out and the appetizers were eaten! Then, not to long after, dinner was served!

~"Cali"-schetta~

1/2-1/3 baguette, cut into 1/2 in. slices on the diagonal

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 lg. garlic clove, peeled, plus 1 clove, peeled and finely chopped

2 med. ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 avocados, pitted, peeled and chopped

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese

2 tbsp. chopped cilantro*

2 tbsp. lime juice

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

Heat oven to 350 F. Lightly brush both sides of the bread slices with olive oil. Toast on a baking sheet for about 4 min. per side. Remove from oven and rub one side with the whole garlic clove. Let cool. In a med. bowl mix together chopped garlic, tomato, avocado, onion, cheese, cilantro, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 30 min. Top each bread slice with a spoonful of tomato/avocado mixture and serve.

*I left the cilantro as an optional garnish, I am not a fan of it, at all...

~Steak & Veggie Kabobs~

Steak, cut into 1 1/2 in. cubes

Marinade (10-30 min. stuff)*

Red, yellow and green peppers

Red onion

Cherry tomatoes

Zucchini

Squash

Button mushrooms

Pineapple

Kabob Skewers

Preheat grill. Marinade the steak in refrigerator. Soak skewers in water. Cut all the veggies into uniform pieces, about 1 1/2 in. each. (with the exception of the tomatoes). Peel and core the pineapple and cut into 1 1/2 in. cubes. Thread the veggies onto skewers, alternate veggies for looks. Thread the pineapple onto skewers. Thread the meat onto skewers. Grill the veggies and meat directly over the flame on med. heat. Place the pineapple above to warm with veggies and meat are cooking. Cook until meat is at your preferred doneness (We went for med. so it was about 10 or so min. each side) and veggies are charred and soft. Remove from grill. Place pineapple directly on grill and char, about 2 min. each side. Remove. Serve family style.

* I used a Teriyaki-style marinade

Ingredients before cooking

Nice char grilled meat, veggies, and pineapple!

~Lemon Cake~

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp.

2 1/2 c. sugar

4 XL or lg. eggs, room temp

1/3 c. grated lemon zest (6-8 lg. lemons)

3 c. AP flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

3/4 c. + 3 1/2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

3/4 c. buttermilk, room temp*

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a bunt pan. Cream butter and 2 c. sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for about 5 min. or until light and fluffy. Mixing at med. speed, add eggs, one at a time, and lemon zest. 

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In another bowl combine 1/4 c. lemon juice, buttermilk and vanilla. Add flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to butter and sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Pour batter into pan, smooth the top, and bake for 45 min. to 1 hr. until a cake tester comes out clean. Remove and let cool

Combine 1/2 c. sugar with 1/2 c. lemon juice in a small saucepan, and cook over low heat until sugar dissolves.** Pour over slightly cooled cake. Let cool completely. For glaze, combine powdered sugar and remaining 3 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice in a bowl. Mix with a whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cake, letting glaze drizzle down sides. Cut and serve.

*I accidently bought half & half instead on buttermilk. I used it, and it worked just fine.
**I missed this step. I added all the sugar and the full 3/4 c. lemon juice in the batter. Again, it worked just fine.

This meal was wonderful! It was also very fun, I love to entertain! (and a little bit of showing off my cooking ability...  :-) all in good fun) Everything tasted oh so yummy! All the "Cali"-schetta went, but we did cut up a few two many veggies, but, as you will see soon, they will not go to waste!

Oh, how I love desserts. This lemon cake satisfied a craving that I have been having for some time now. I get that typical craving for a baked good every now and again, but I cannot justify baking a whole batch of cookies for just 2 people. Enter entertaining: I can make a dessert! Aha! Wonderful.

Well, I hope that this inspires you to try these recipes. And soon too! Grilling season is almost over! (depending on where you live of course) Use those summer veggies, fruit and meat! Try something new, even if you don't stick to the recipe, it can be done and taste good!

Great way to spend the evening!

ENJOY!

Last Night of Large Scale Baking...

So, the other night was the last night of this mens group called "Band Of Brothers" that I have been cooking for. Its just a group of guys, college aged, that come and eat, play some games and have fellowship time. I have made about 7 0r 8 recipes of various degrees trying not to repeat various categories like mexican, or italian. I like variety in my life! So, here is what I have made (to the best that I can recall)

Make your own Tacos

Turkey Joe's

Fancy Mac & Cheese

Pork Loin

Penne w/ Meat Balls

Chow Mein

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

Dorito Casserole

(I feel like there might be another one that I can't remember)

Anywho...I made all of these recipes at home, then took them over to church so that they could eat them! There was also some sort of side dish that accompanied them, like garlic potatoes, veggies, salads, cornbread, and other things. And, OF COURSE there was dessert to go along with them, like cookies, cakes, and cupcakes and an apple crisp. I really did enjoy doing this project because I like to share my cooking with other people, for them to be happy and enjoy it! I am sad that it is now over....but, to cheer me up, I am going to share some recipes with my wonderful readers!

~Dorito Casserole~

(From Mixing Bowl Magazine)

1 lb. ground beef

1 pkg. (1.25 oz.) taco seasoning

1 small onion, chopped

1 can (10.75 oz.) condensed fiesta nacho cheese soup

1 can (10.75 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes and greed chilies

1 can black beans, rinsed

1 bg. (14 oz.) Dorito nacho cheese chips, crushed

1 pkg. (8 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Sour cream

Salsa

Preheat the oven to 350F. In a large skillet, brown ground beef and onion; drain. Add taco seasoning (and water) and cook according to package directions. In a large baking dish, layer the bottom with 1/2 of the crushed chips. Set remaining chips aside. In a large bow, combine seasoned beef and onion mixture, nacho cheese soup, cream of mushroom soup, black beans, and undrained diced tomatoes with chilies. Mix well. Pour into pan with chips. Layer with remaining chips and top with the cheese. Bake for 20 min. or until cheese in melted and edges bubble. Top servings with sour cream and/or salsa if desired. Enjoy!

Browning the onions and ground beef

Adding the taco mix and water

Casserole pre-bake

Casserole post-bake

Nummy Jiffy Cornbread

~Apple Crisp~

1 1/2 c. flour

1 1/4 c. quick cooking oats

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

3/4-1 c. butter, melted

2 tsp. cinnamon

6 c. chopped apples

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. water

3 tbsp corn starch

Preheat oven to 350F. Combine the flour, oats, brown sugar and 3/4 c. melted butter. Mix together. Add more butter if mixture is dry. Pat 1/4 of this mixture into the bottom of a greased 8 1/2 x 11 in. pan. (will not cover entirely) Mix together the cinnamon and apples in a large bowl and arrange in the pan. In a saucepan boil the sugar, water and corn starch. Once it boils, remove from heat and pour over the apple mixture in the pan. Top with the remaining oat mixture, being sure to distribute evenly. Bake in oven for 1 hr. Let cool slightly and serve with vanilla or caramel ice cream. Enjoy!

Apple crisp pre-bake

Apple crisp post-bake

I hope that you enjoy these recipes and I do recommend them! The casserole was a hit as well as the apple crisp! Good for eaters of all ages!

~Turkey Joe's~

1 lb. ground turkey

1 sm. onion, chopped

2/4 c. brown sugar

1 10.75 oz. can tomato soup

Dash of worcheshire sauce

Pinch of red chili powder/flakes

Brown the onions and ground turkey until translucent and cooked though. Add the can of tomato soup and brown sugar and spices. Let simmer until the soup is no longer watery, about 20 min. Server on buns of choice.

ENJOY!!