Pad Thai Traditional With Chicken and Vegetarian

This is one of my favorite Thai dishes, it is simple, hearty, and very delicious. I remember the first time I ate this dish and it just made me crave more.

Ingredients with Chicken:
2 lbs thawed chicken breast sliced thin
2 Tbsp good quality fish sauce, I use
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp natural peanut butter, with no sugar added, just finely ground peanuts
1/2 cup freshly crushed peanuts
6-8 leafs of Thai basil
2.5 Tbsp coconut palm sugar
3 smashed garlic cloves
Hand full of snow peas
1 package medium sized rice noodles

Ingredients Vegetarian:
same as above but no chicken
Plus these:
Red bell pepper sliced
Thinly sliced carrots
Hand full of snow peas

Step 1
Cooked rice noodles until almost done, should have a bit of hardness left, when you stir fry later the noodles will cook the rest of the way. Drain and let sit in cold water until ready to use or they will get very sticky.

Step 2
Stir Fry chicken w/veggies in canola oil, natural peanut butter, and smashed garlic until chicken is done, add two hand fulls of rice noodles wet, but do not dump the water they are sitting into the pan. Mix fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and lime juice together, add to chicken and veggies. Make sure you put this sauce mixture in at the same time as the noodles and veggies. Stir fry until veggies are still a bit crunchy, add at the last minute the basil. Do not overcook the veggies.

For vegetarian do not add veggies first, add noodles with all ingredients, stir fry, then add veggies, stir fry until veggies are slightly crunchy. Pull off heat and set to the side to cool a bit.

Step 3
Wrap fresh peanuts in plastic wrap and whack away, smash them the best you can, make sure that you do not leave the plastic wrap loose or peanuts will be flying all over.
Plate the Pad Thai and sprinkle the smashed peanuts all over. Enjoy and eat it up.

Another Buffalo Lasagna and Sauted Green Beans

So everyone liked my buffalo lasagna I cooked last time so I made it again with a different twist, some fresh grated asiago (the good imported stuff with no fillers or anti caking agents) fresh grated mozzarella, and well you have it better than the last time!

Ingredients:
1 box of uncooked lasagna noodles
2 Tbsp olive oil
7-8 cups crushed tomato
1.5 cups of ricotta cheese
1/2 cup fresh grated asiago cheese
2-3 cups fresh grated mozzarella
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan
1 lb ground buffalo
4 baby bella mushrooms diced
1 Tbsp brown sugar
4 diced garlic cloves
2 Tbsp Litehouse freeze dried italian herb seasoning
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 lb of fresh prepared green beans
Sea salt
black pepper
1 Tbsp butter

Step 1
In a sauce pan add 1 Tbsp olive oil, tomatoes, seasoning, mushrooms, 3 diced garlic cloves, and brown sugar. Salt to taste and simmer until flavors have blended well. Let simmer the whole time you are doing the rest of the steps for the lasagna.

Step 2
Put noodles on to boil, cook until al dente, drain

Step 3
Brown ground buffalo in 1 Tbsp olive oil, it is easy to overcook, so make sure to leave just a tad bit of pink, this will cook away in the oven

Step 4
Add ricotta to the tomato sauce, let simmer for 3-4 minutes, take off heat and set to the side, add browned buffalo

Step 5
Place noodles and sauce in a lightly oiled casserole in layers starting with sauce, noodles, sauce, noodles, etc. Every other layer should include some of the freshly grated cheese except for the mozzarella. When you have reached the top of the casserole pan cover with a bit more sauce and add the mozzarella. Bake on 350 until cheese is slightly golden.

Step 6
Blanch green beans in sea salt mild brine for 5 minutes, remove and place in ice cold water, in a saute pan add sweet onion, 1 clove diced garlic, and butter, saute for 3-4 minutes, add green beans with black pepper and sea salt to taste.

Bon Appetit

Gai Lan (Chinese Broccoli) and Beef with Fried Spring Roll

Sorry for the blurry pictures, I took them not Mandi, and well I do not know my way around her camera!

So I had gai lan sometime ago and I really was impressed with the flavor and freshness of the green! As usual I put my own twist to it. I hope you will enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 lb gai lan (chinese broccoli)
14 oz thinly sliced flank steak
2 sliced red bell peppers
5 diced garlic cloves
1.5 Tbsp oyster sauce
1.5 Tbsp light soy sauce
5 Tbsp wild flower honey
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 cup Thai basil leaves
3 cups cooked jasmine rice
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp sirarcha hot sauce
1/4 cup water

Step 1
Thaw and thinly slice flank steak, place in bowl with oyster sauce, honey, soy sauce, hot sauce, and water mix well, let marinate for 30 minutes while you cook the gai lan.

Step 2
Rinse and cut the ends off the gai lan.

Step 3
In a saute pan add oils and saute garlic and green onions for 2-3 minutes. Add marinated beef to hot saute pan and sear beef. Add bell peppers and let reduce until liquid has thickened but be careful not to burn the sugars in the honey!

Step 4
Add rice to beef and brown a bit, serve hot over the gai lan

Fried Spring Roll

Ingredients:

1 head chopped napa cabbage
1 bag presliced carrots
spring roll wrappers
Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce

Step 1
Wet the spring roll wrappers well, place veggies to one side, wrap up, fry in canola oil.

Serve with sweet chili sauce

Ropa Vieja

This has to be one of my favorite dishes, it is easy, it is slow cooked, and oh so good. Leftovers can be put on a sandwich with some cheese and a tad bit of hot sauce, and you have another winner.

Ingredients

1 Large 2-3lb rump roast, or flank stank, I can get the roast for cheaper, slow cook it, and it is very tender

5 garlic cloves diced
3-4 Tbsp Badia Sazon Tropical seasoning, this has no msg in it as some of the other spices of this line do
2 large sliced red bell peppers
1 large slice sweet onion
1.5 cups of green olives
6-8 cups of crushed tomato
3-4 cups water
3 cups cooked rice
1 lb red beans

Step 1
Slow cook the roast or steak in a crock pot for 4-6 hours or until slightly pink with 1.5 Tbsp seasoning above

Step 2
Shred and cut up beef so that it is tattered looking, add all other ingredients and mix well. Let sit over night in the refrigerator and finish cooking until veggies are cooked to where there is a bit of a crunch left in them.

Step 3
Soak beans overnight while meat is marinating overnight. Cook beans with a clove of garlic diced, sea salt, and 1 tsp seasoning used above until beans are soft.

Serve over rice and some freshly cut cilantro!

Shrimp Fried Rice

I like fried rice but I hate the way they do it in most american chinese places. This is my take on the disk, and it is so delicious.

Ingredients:
2 cups jasmine rice
2 hand fulls snow peas
2 diced garlic cloves
1 cup carrot slices
1/4 cup green onion chopped
3 Tbsp chopped cilantro
3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
3 Tbsp sweet chili sauce
1/2 pound raw peeld and deveined shrimp
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp canola oil

Step 1
Cook rice ahead of time, saves alot of time in cooking
Place shrimp in oils with green onion, garlic, and cilantro, saute until shrimp is almost pink, add veggies, rice, and sauces. Saute and brown rice slightly.

Step 2
Take off burner and let sit for about 4-5 minutes to cool down some.

Awesome Rosemary Chicken with Rice and Veggies

Another easy dish, even easier than the pasta and meatballs!

Note: When I cook I do not measure exactly, I spice to taste, and tweak the dishe as it goes if needed.

Ingredients
3 cups cooked jasmine rice
2lbs thinly sliced chicken breast
1 diced garlic clove
3-4 Tbsp of dried rosemary, or to taste
2 cups organic chicken stock
1 Tbsp sea salt
3-4 cups frozen mixed veggies
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated asiago cheese
Olive Oil

Step 1
Place chicken, spices, 1 cup chicken stock, in olive oil, cook chicken until almost done, add mixed veggies and another cup of chicken stock, let simmer for 15 minutes or until veggies are cooked. Add milk, sea salt to taste, and asiago cheese. Simmer until cheese is metled.

Step 2
Cook cook while cooking chicken

Step 3
Mix altogether with rice and enjoy!

Refreshing Pasta and Meatballs

So I do not like heavy italain food ie heavy creams, lots of butter, and lots of cheese. I like it simple, tasty, and healthy. I do not have any asian ingedients at the house right now so it has been other dishes that I have made up. This is simple, healthy, and tasty.

Ingredients:
1lb organic ground turkey breast
6 cups of crushed tomato
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
Two sliced yellow squash
Litehouse freeze dried Italain seasoning
2 cloves diced garlic
1 tsp black peper
1 Tbsp sea salt
Italian style bread crumbs with Romano cheese
2 Eggs
Fresh block of asiago cheese
4-6 Hand fulls of cooked whole wheat thin spaghetti noodle

Step 1
Add tomatoes, olive oil, spices, and squash to a sauce pan, simmer for 20 minutes, add sugar, simmmer for another 10 minutes
Cook noodles, do not make a full 1lb box, that will be too much noodle not enough sauce

Step 2
In mixing bowl add eggs, 1/2 bread crumbs, and turkey, mix all together well, make sure that the meat mixture is firm but not too much bread crumb, ground turkey breast is low in fats and if you use too much bread crumbs it will suck up alot of the natural moisture. Roll into balls and place in olive oil, cook on medium until meat balls are cooked thoroughly. Use meat thermometer to test inside temp 170-180 degrees F

Step 3
Mix drained pasta with sauce, meat balls, and shave fresh asiago cheese on top, eat with a salad or by itself.

Very hardy and great for you.
Good Eating!!!

Italian Wrap Up

Note: The gleam on the wrap is the juices from the tomatoes! Make sure that you do not use too much oil, oil should never make a food gleam, it it does, you used too much!

I was thinking about doing something for one of my best friends for his birthday and I thought why not dinner? So I went to the store and started up my brain. I was thinking something not spicy but full of flavor, knock your socks off, and quicker than usual. Mandi helped me throw some ideas out there but nothing was coming to me and we were running late. Then I remembered how Josh told we about a month ago that we was in want of some really good cheese. I started from there, put the meal together with some great fresh ingredients and of course a good cheese.

Ingredients:
2 yellow squash sliced into thin strips
3 long red sweet peppers
3 diced garlic cloves
3 hand fulls of chopped fresh bella mushrooms
Basil and Sun dried tomato tortillas
Pesto, homemade or a good brand, do not buy the cheap stuff
1.5 lbs chicken breast cut into strips
6 skinned roma tomatoes
1 head of romaine lettuce
2 Tbsp Litehouse freezed dried italian seasoning ( best not live plant stuff so I have use)
Asiago Cheese, the real stuff, it should be a harder cheese, not mushy, or processed
Sea Salt to taste
Olive Oil

Step 1 sauté the squash, mushrooms, chicken, herbs, garlic, in some olive oil, salt to taste, add skinned tomatoes after 6-7 minutes, reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Step 2
Wash and prepare lettuce, grate cheese, and set aside

Step 3
While chicken is cooking roast sweet peppers in oven on 425 until skin bubbles and turns dark brown, remove skin, and cut into strips

Step 4
Layout the tortillas, spread some pesto, lay down the lettuce, cheese, sweet peppers cut into strips and put chicken dish on top. Eat up, it so good!

Slow Cooked Pork Loin with Black Beans and Rice

So besides Asian cuisine I like to dabble in Caribbean foods especially Cuban and Puerto Rican. This is a simple dish that I learned from my Cuban next door neighbor growing up.

This dish is not suppose to look fancy, it looks a bit dull, but the flavors are simple, yet robust, especially if you use freshly ground cumin!

A sofrito is used in most Cuban meat dishes but this one is using the spices to simmer and infuse in the beans and meat!

Ingredients
5 Long sweet red peppers roasted
1 pork loin roast seasoned with 1 tsp freshly ground cumin cumin, 1.5 tsp black pepper, 1 Tbsp diced garlic, and 1 tps oregano
1/2 sweet onion diced
White Rice
1 lbs black beans uncooked

Step 1
Defrost pork loin if frozen. Season and rub the spices into the meat, message it well. Place in crock pot and cook on high for roughly 2 hours, then cook on low for 4 hours. Slow cooking is Cuban cuisine. Do not start the beans until 2 hours before the loin will be done. Do not make the rice before hand or roast the peppers. you want everything fresh.

Step 2
Rinse black beans follow directions on the back of the bag, generally I like to soak overnight, but there is a quick cooking method, too much too type right now so look on the bag it will tell you. Add spices same as above for the loin but no oregeno and double amounts or to taste. I like more cumin in mine, but just eye it. Cuban food is not about measurements, it is about great aromas/slow cooking, so use the spices to your tastes. Simmer the longer the better the flavor, make sure black beans are fully cooked.

Step 3
Roast long sweet red peppers, let cool, skin, and add to beans with chopped sweet onion

Step 4
Cook white rice

Step 5
When pork loin is done it should fall apart to the touch, shred and put over rice and beans. Pour some juice from the beans and meat over the entire dish!

Mandi's Faux Cheesecake Pie

Okay, This is Delicious, EASY, CHEAP, yummy, and WAY less calories that real cheesecake! Enjoy!


Ingredients:
Cheesecake flavored pudding
1 1/2 C skim milk
1 Regular size tub Coolwhip (I like lite)
1C of fresh sliced strawberries
1 Graham cracker (Or nilla) Pie crust

In mixer combine pudding and milk until fully mixed. Add 1/2 the tub of Coolwhip (Save the other 1/2 for later.) Mix until well mixed! Pour into pie crust, stick in fridge or freezer. (Doesn't matter it's only a few minutes) clean out mixing bowl and throw in the fresh strawberries (YUM) and the rest of the coolwhip. Mix until coolwhip is pink and combined will. DON'T MIX TOO LONG YOU WANT COOLWHIP TO STAY FLUFFY! Take out pie and add the topping. Place in freezer for 8 minutes until firm but not frozen, and enjoy!!! If you have leftovers to save place i in the freezer so the next time you enjoy it it's a frozen delicious pie.

Zesty Steak Burger

So here is something that gets away from my obsession with spice and peppers well sort of. I still add hot sauce to mine afterwards just because I am an addict. We went to the store and looked around and could not figure out what we wanted to cook. There was a guy at the meat counter who asked the butcher if he could get some of the fresh top sirloin tender steak ground for tartare. It got me thinking get some of that same meat for a burger and add my own twist. With the inspirations that Mandi is always great at providing I put together this very delicious steak burger.

Please note that the reason why I say do not overcook the sweet potato fries is apparent, I slightly burned a few, but miraculously they still tasted great! But look at that burger it looks mouth watering!

Ingredients:

1 lbs Ground top sirloin tender steak ( I prefer grassfed beef over grain fed)
1/2 sweet onion in strips
Colby Jack Cheese
Green leaf lettuce
French style hamburger buns ( do not use the cheap ones you get at the family cookout)
1 bag frozen sweet potato fries unless you are willing to make them fresh, in our case we did not feel like peeling and cutting sweet potato.
Powdered garlic to taste
Fresh white peppercorn to taste
1/2 tsp fresh ground cumin
Sea Salt to taste
Sriracha hot sauce for spice if you want it like me, because it is the best hot sauce to go with just about anything!

Step 1
Mix ground steak with spices and cheese. Make sure you get a marbled effect with the cheese. Prepare patties and make sure you put an indent on the top of the burger.

Step 2
Caramelize the sweet onion in butter until golden

Step 3
Get your lettuce ready, put the patties on the heat, and put fries in the oven

Step 4
Cook the patties where you like them, raw, pink, slightly pink, or all the way. be sure to cover the pan with a lid it helps to cook the meat faster and melts the cheese all the way inside the meat. Do not forget about the fries, since they are sweet potato they will burn faster as the sugar content is higher. Toast your bun or have it cold. Place the patties on the buns, add the onions, lettuce, fries to your favorite plate and eat up. It is simple, delicious and oh so good!

4 Roasted Pepper Chicken Wrap

Onions in Picture not Finished

Ingredients:

4 Anaheim Peppers
4 Poblano Peppers
4 Red Bell Peppers
1-2 Jalapeno Peppers depending on spice level
3 Diced Garlic Cloves
2 Tbsp Sea Salt
1/2 Diced Sweet Onion
Large flour tortillas
Sour Cream
Home Made Salsa found on this page
1 Avocado mashed
Sharp Cheddar
1-2 lbs Chicken Breast
1-2 Tbsp Butter

Step 1
Roast your peppers either on a grill or in the oven (450 degree oven). Coat all peppers with some cooking oil spray. When roasting you must pay attention until done or you will over cook them. You want to have a very dark brown coloration on the outside of the pepper. The skin should bubble and start to separate from the pepper. Turn often to make sure all sides are cooked evenly. Set aside and let cool, peal skins from the pepper. Chopped peppers and place in a bowl, add diced garlic. Add the sea salt.

Step 2
Take diced or in strips sweet onion and caramelize in butter. Make sure to golden none should be brown or you will get a burnt taste. Add to peppers

Step 3
Sauté sliced chicken in olive oil until almost done, add peppers and finish cooking. After the chicken is done set this with a lid for 5-6 minutes.

Step 4
While chicken and peppers are sitting, either use the home made salsa recipe on here, or a good store bought kind. Mix with sour cream and set in frig until ready to use.

Step 5
Either hot or cold place tortilla on plate, add avocado, salsa mix, sharp cheddar, and chicken with peppers, wrap up and enjoy!