Asian Style Chicken and Snap Peas

 

As I grow as a cook, I am learning that if I want more authentic flavors, I need to use more authentic ingredients. When it comes to Asian dishes, that is even more true! I was on the hunt for a yummy Asian chicken dish that felt like it came from a restaurant. So, I started researching and learning about the different ingredients that make that work.

 

 

Chinese cooking wine, or Shaoxing wine, will add a rich Asian flavor different from just chicken broth. It enhances the food in a unique, and delicious way. I have also learned that Oyster Sauce is not something to fear. It actually has a savory tone that pulls into the chicken and, along with the wine, creates a uniquely Asian flavor.

 

 

These two ingredients will really ramp up your flavors. Sesame Oil is another very common product used, but I put a warning with this ingredient. It is very potent and can quickly overtake a dish. The smallest amount can add a wonderful sesame, almost nutty flavor to your dish. But too much can overpower the dish and the flavors become more bitter. Use it with caution. You can always add more, but you can’t take it away.

 

 

While I use snap peas, you can also enjoy snow peas, broccoli, carrots, whatever your heart desires. You can serve it alone, or with white or brown rice. It’s a fast and comforting weeknight meal when life is on the go.

 

 

Asian Style Chicken and Snap Peas

Prep: 15 minutes  Cook: 10 minutes

 

 

Chicken:

1 ½ - 2 lbs chicken, thinly sliced

1 ½ tsp baking soda

1 clove garlic, minced

2 c snap peas (or snow peas)

1 green onion

1 Tbs Peanut Oil

 

Sauce:

½ c chicken broth

2 Tbs cornstarch

2 Tbs Chinese cooking wine

2 Tbs Lite soy sauce

2 tsp oyster sauce

½ tsp sesame oil

½ tsp peanut oil

¼ tsp white pepper

½ tsp sugar

 

Prep the chicken and place it in a glass bowl. Sprinkle the baking soda over it. Mix it in and set it aside to rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, prep the garlic, snap peas, and the onion.

 

Begin heating a large skillet or wok at high heat. While that heats up, mix the ingredients for the sauce together. After 15 minutes, rinse the chicken with a sieve to remove excess baking soda. Pat the chicken dry and add the peanut oil to the hot pan. If the pan is ready, the oil should roll and start to slightly smoke.

 

Add the chicken to the pan and don’t touch it. Let a sear form on the meat for a few minutes. You’ll know there’s a good sear when the chicken will move without sticking. After a few minutes, and a check that the meat is ready, stir the chicken to allow other sides of the pieces to get a cook as well. Add the garlic and stir it for a minute. Then add the snap peas and onion and stir them all together. Finally, add the sauce to the pan. It should thicken and coat all the food. If it seems too thick, you can add a little water to the pan to thin it out. Only add a bit at a time so it doesn’t thin it too much.

 

Serve over rice and garnish with some more fresh green onion. Serves 6.

Carne Guisada

 

Sometimes you want a stew with a Mexican flavored twist. Sometimes it feels like you have to wait until the weather starts to cool down so it feels like it’s okay to eat a stew. The great thing about this recipe is that it feels totally acceptable to eat this year round! It’s just good, classic comfort food.

 

 

It hits all the marks. Soft and flavorful beef that’s rich and toothsome, the peppers add a unique zing and blend perfectly with the rich and creamy tomatoes. Finally, add some pepper and potato pieces to round out the meal, and you have an amazing blend of flavors and textures.

 

 

You can serve this with a basic spring mix salad, or some amazing Spanish rice for a complete meal. It also goes amazing with your favorite corn bread or corn muffins.

 

Carne Guisada

Prep: 20 minutes  Cook Time: 40 minutes

 

Sauce:

4 dried guajillo chili peppers

2 dried chili ancho or dried California chili peppers

2 garlic cloves

1 8oz can tomato sauce (I like la Mexicana)

2 c water, divided

 

Beef:

1-1  ½ lb beef (diced, ground, or sew meat)

1 ½ Tbs AP Flour

1 tsp salt

½ tsp Mexican oregano, ground cumin, garlic salt, black pepper

1 bell pepper (any color), diced

½ yellow onion, diced

1 jalepeno, diced

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1 c beef broth

3 potatoes, peeled and diced

 

Clean, de-stem and de-seed your chili peppers. Place them in a medium pot and cover them with water. Bring the pot to a boil and then turn it off and let them soak. Meanwhile, place the garlic and tomato sauce into the blender. Add the soaking peppers and 1 cup of the heated water and blend until smooth. Reserve a second cup of the heated water. Pour the sauce through a sieve to remove any seeds or skins. Use the reserved water if necessary to help with this. Once the sauce is ready, set aside.

 

In a small bowl, combine the flour with the other seasonings listed for the beef. Sprinkle the seasonings over the meat and mix them together well with your hands. In a large saute pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown the meat in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan. Set each batch aside in a bowl while you cook the next batch.

 

Once the meat is finished, add a bit more oil and saute the onions and peppers, just until the onions are translucent. Then add the meat back to the pan along with the tomatoes and mix everything together. Finally pour the sauce into the pan and the beef broth. Mix everything together, put a lid on the pan and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Finally, add the potatoes, mix them in and put the lid back on for another 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and cooked through.

 

 

Serve with rice, beans, and tortillas.

Matcha Chia Pudding

 

I am totally guilty of buying products that I’ve never used before simply so I will be forced to play with that ingredient and see what I can come up with. Matcha is one of those ingredients.

 

 

I have always been super curious about matcha. Lots of people rave about it and it’s a popular ingredient in fancy coffee drinks and pastries. But how can I use it in a way that I will keep using it? Something I really enjoy and is totally worth any effort.

 

 

Enter chia pudding. Chia is another one of those ingredients I started playing with years ago and love! But I’m not always sure how to get it into my daily diet. Chatting with a friend, she mentioned using chia and almond milk to make an overnight pudding. It comes out creamy and thick and goes so well with fresh fruit. So I decided to try it with matcha. Amazing!! This might be my favorite version yet! If you like other chia pudding flavors but you’re looking for something more summery and chilled I highly recommend this one! It hits all the notes and is great for a snack or dessert.

 

 

Matcha Chia Pudding

 

 

1 c almond milk

2 tsp matcha powder

1 scoop vanilla protein powder

1 ½ tsp agave nectar

¼ c chia seeds

 

In a blender cup, add everything except the chia seeds. Blend it all together just until smooth. Add the chia seed and mix it together. Pour it into 2 individual cups and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Serve with blueberries, raspberries, almond slivers, Greek yogurt, or whatever toppings you might enjoy. 

 

Sausage Penne Pasta

 

There was a restaurant in town that has the most amazing and delicious sausage and pepper penne pasta dish! I’d go as often as I could, but it was getting to be an expensive habit and then they changed ownership and it was no longer on the menu. I wandered if it was something I could make myself.

 

 

We started experimenting at home and one thing led to another and we made it! Since then I have been perfecting the dish, but I just never got around to putting it on my blog, until now.

 

 

This is a very diverse recipe. You can use all sorts of different veggies; grape tomatoes, mushrooms, different colored bell peppers, or even sweet Italian peppers. There all sorts of options. Have fun with it!

 

 

The cream acts as a neutralizer for the acid in the marinara sauce. If you don’t want to use a lot, you don’t have to. You can use as much or as little as you’d like. However, I would recommend at least some because it does add to the creamy experience when you eat the dish.

 

 

Sausage Penne Pasta

 

 

2 Tbs EVOO

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

1 red pepper, sliced

3-4 italian sausage links, mild or spicy or a mix

2 garlic cloves, minced

24 oz marinara sauce, homemade or jarred

½ to 1c heavy cream, depending on how much cream you like

1 ½ c dry pasta, I prefer penne but others work too

¼ c fresh chopped parsley

 

 

 

 

Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook the noodles according to the package. Strain them and set them aside.

Heat a large saute pan to med-high. Add 1Tbs EVOO and warm it but not to smoking. Add the veggies and let them sear and soften for a few minutes. When the onions become translucent and the peppers soften, remove them from the pan and add the rest of the EVOO. Remove the sausages from their casings and once the oil is heated but not smoking add it to the pan. Brown the meat on all sides. Add the garlic to the meat and let it cook for another minute. Then add the veggies back into the pan.

Add the marinara slowly, using the liquid to help scrape up the bits on the bottom of the pan. That’s where so much flavor is. Add the rest of the sauce and then add the heavy cream. Start with ½ cup and then add more as needed. Once the sauce starts to bubble, turn it down to a simmer and add the noodles. Stir to combine and then put a lid on the pan and let it simmer for a few minutes. Stir it once more and it’s ready to serve. Add some fresh chopped parsley to the top of the dish for garnish.

Mac n Cheese Half Batch

 We have been using this particular recipe for years to make our homemade mac n cheese. It's easy to put together, it holds up in the fridge for re-heating better than most recipes, and it's so easy to adapt. Sometimes I even like to put it in individual dishes and throw in the broiler with a little cheese on top to give it a crisp. 

 

I discovered though, as my cooking has evolved, that I don't like to make a meal out of this recipe. It has held better as a side dish instead. While that works fine when we have big gatherings, when it's just our family of four, we really needed something that was a smaller amount, thus minimizing the leftovers (which can be difficult to finish). 

 

So, I started playing with the recipe, and getting it to a point that the family loved it and there was no wasted ingredients. Other ways to make this recipe unique and stand out would when you're finishing it: (1) add bacon crumble to the top, or pancetta, or ham, you get the idea, (2) add cheese or bread crumbs or panko crumbs to the top, (3) put carrots and peas in the mac or on top along with the other toppings. You can treat it a lot like a baked potato and make it as loaded as you want. It would make for a great buffet style item for groups of people to individualize their meal. 

I guess what I'm trying to say is a smaller batch can sometimes be fun. You can have fun with it without going overboard or overindulging. Just make it exactly how you want it. 

Mac n Cheese Half Batch

1 3/4 c water, divided

1 5oz can evaporated milk

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 c dry pasta of choice

1/2 tsp cornstarch

1/4 tsp dry ground mustard

1/8 tsp Tabasco (6-8 drops)

6 oz cheese (such as colby, cheddar or monteray jack) about 1 1/2 c shredded*

2 T butter

 

 

 

 

In a medium to large stock pot,  add 1 1/2 c water, the can of milk, and salt and bring to a boiling simmer. Add the pasta and allow to boil simmer for about 11-13 minutes, or however long the pasta package directs. 

Meanwhile, to the final 1/4 c water add the cornstarch, dry ground mustard, and tabasco sauce and mix together. Once the pasta has cooked, add the cornstarch mix and stir for a minute or two to allow it to thicken a bit

Remove the pot from the heat and add the cheese in half cup batches. Stir and melt completely before adding the next batch. Once all the cheese has melted and is completely incorporated, add the butter and allow the to melt completely while stirring. 

Serve immediately with your chosen meal, and enjoy!

*This recipe works best if you shred the cheese yourself. Using pre-shredded cheese allows the anti-caking powder to prevent proper incorporation. You can have fun with flavors here though. Pepperjack is a lot of fun for a zippy sauce. Quesadilla cheese works well, and of course a mozzarella and parm would work. Experiment and have fun with it.

Sea Turtle Quilt

 

There’s a shop in San Diego area called Rosies Calico Cupboard that I have to stop at every time we go to San Diego. They have a great selection of all sorts of fabric genres and other quilting/sewing needs.  It’s a fun treasure hunt.

 

 

Three years ago, my daughter went into the shop with me and found a minky sea turtle fabric that she wanted me to make a quilt with. It was an interesting idea, and when I found it was on sale I couldn’t resist. 

 

 

Unfortunately for my daughter, the project got tabled and while I worked on a bunch of other projects. I hadn’t thought of it until I realized we were about to head to San Diego again! I quickly put together a pattern and figured out how many fabrics we’d need for the top. When we arrived the following year, I had my daughter come with me and pick out some batiks for the top. She narrowed it down to greens and purples and we’d use blues for the background. Perfect!

 

 

This time I started working on it right away and got the blocks finished up, but we needed one more fabric for sashing, so it was back to the shop again. This time I went alone and found the perfect sashing.

 

 

Now that all the blocks were finished, I was able to start piecing everything together. I was trying to mix things up in an unpredictable way to give it an organic feeling like you’d have in the ocean. I also had the turtles swimming in different angles for the same reason.

 

 

Once all of the sashing was complete, I added one more blue border and called the top good. Now I just needed to match it up with the backing we’d gotten all those years ago. It turned out the backing wasn’t quite big enough. I did the best job I could lining up with front with the back and then after quilting, I trimmed the whole thing down to the right size.

 

 

The binding was made with the same blue that’s bordering the top. I wanted to keep it subtle and really focus on the turtles. My daughter is thrilled with it. She especially loves the minky backing. I was worried about working with it but it wasn’t a problem at all.

 

 

My son liked what he saw and asked when I’d start his! I totally forgot I was going to make one or him too. Looks like it’s back to Rosies this year to get everything I need for his. The good thing is that I now know what’s needed and it should go together more smoothly. Here’s hoping!

 

Christmas Lights Quilt

 This top actually dates back to my covid lockdown series, not because it’s when I started it but because it is made of the scraps from a quilt made during that time.

 

 

Back in 2022 I made the Rainbow Cubic Quilt with this beautiful rainbow pack I’d gotten in a raffle.  I was also able to complete a table runner with some of the scraps… and yet I still had more. So what to do with those…

 

 

After sitting on the shelf for a while I finally decided something had to be done with them. Everything was sewn together, I just didn’t know what to do with them. It happened to be Christmas time and I thought they kind of remind me of Christmas lights. Inspiration hits.

 

 

I got to work creating the hexagons and then laid them out randomly so they’d be all spread out among the grey hexagons. I added the white to spread them out, but in hindsight I think I added a little too much white. 

 

 

I got all of the rows together and felt like it really didn’t need a border; it was already a pretty modern-style quilt. I needed a backing though, and found one on my annual trip to Rosies in San Diego. It was the oversized backing fabric, which meant less piecework to get it to the right size.

 

 

My goal with the quilting was to make sure everything had good texture on it, but I felt like there was no 

need for a particular pattern. So I went with a meander and kept it simple.

 

 

Once it was all done, I added my label and completed the binding with some of the backing fabric I still had left. All finished!

 

 

I took a step back and looked at my finished product and realized I accidentally switched the last row, so it’s not in step all of the other rows. Yikes! Oh well, I’ve heard the Amish believe nothing should be perfect so they purposely add flaws to the quilts. I’m sure that’s what this was. I purposeful mistake. It’s curious to see if others notice it.
 

Scrappy Pinwheel Quilt

What do you do with the scraps from a project? I always struggle with this when I use a technique that causes cut pieces that are already sewn together, making it a pre-sewn block. It’s like it’s meant to be in something. I just don’t always have the time or patience if the pieces get too small.

 

 

So, back in 2022 I made my Natural Beauty Garden LatticeQuilt. It turned out awesome, but had a lot of little half-square triangles that were already sewn together. I wasn’t sure if I should try to turn them into something or let them go. While I thought about it, I completed Natures LostFour-Patch quilt with the leftover 10” squares.

 

 

That project gave me time to think about how I wanted to deal with the small pieces. I was finally ready to get to work on this one. I decided it was worth it.  This one is the last of the trio with this set of fabric. I pulled out everything I had and started putting it all together.

 

 

I started with the small pieces that were the original leftovers and made them into pinwheels. Once they were made I had to figure out a plan for them. I had some black with a black floral pattern on it that I really wanted to use in a project, so I decided to use it here even though solid black was used in the pinwheels. It felt like a small enough difference that wasn’t too noticeable and added some character as well.

 

 

Once all the pinwheel blocks were completed, I used the leftover backing fabric to make the sashing. The large flowers are such a great pop of color. I used the black-on-black floral for the cornerstones as well.

 

 

For the backing, I had the blue version of the floral that was used in the sashing. The large print is excellent for a backing.

 

 

I used a basic meander quilting as this quilt was already busy enough, and then I put on my tag and the binding, which was more leftovers from previous projects. I was really working hard to finish up all the fabric.

 

 

I love how this one turned out. It would be a fun baby quilt with a more modern and vibrant feel, or a great sofa blanket that adds color to the room. The colors in the fabric are just so much fun! I’m really glad I decided to use up the small pieces I had left. I feel like I really used every part of the layer cake pack that started all this. And yes, I still have a bit of fabric left but it’s minimal enough that I can save it for a scrappy project. Phew! 

Classic Juicy Meatloaf

When my husband and I first moved in together, we started trying recipes that we were familiar with to figure out what our tastes and styles were. The classic Lipton meatloaf was something we both knew well from childhood.

 

 

As we got older and played with more flavors, I realized this was a recipe that really could use some jazzing up. I wanted to add more texture and moisture with zucchini and fresh onion. Also, I found that combining the bread crumbs with milk first allowed for a more moist loaf as well.

 

 

I’ve never been a fan of sauce on top of a meatloaf. I like the crispy meaty bits that happen when you make it without a topping. I also like to add my own amount of ketchup to my individual piece while I eat.

 

 

 

We always pair this with mashed potatoes. The combination of meat and potatoes is just too classic! It is absolutely comfort food that I’ve been perfecting for years now.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Classic Juicy Meatloaf

 

2 lbs ground beef

1 medium zucchini, finely shredded and drained

¼ c onion, minced

½ c bread crumbs

¼ - ½ c milk

2 eggs

1/3 c ketchup

1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix

 

 

 

 

 

Pre-heat the oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs and the milk. Use the amount of milk that moistens the bread crumbs to a wet sandy feel, but not soggy. After a few minutes of soaking, add the rest of the ingredients. Mix everything together well.

 

Line a glass baking dish with aluminum foil and spray the bottom with cooking spray. Shape the meatloaf into a loaf shape; it should be long and even a little oval on the ends. You can also make it more rectangular, whatever you prefer.

 

 

Spray the top of the loaf with the cooking spray and then place it in the oven. Leave it in the oven for about 50-60 minutes, when it reaches 165F internal temperature. Pull it out and let it sit to cool for about 10 minutes. Serve with ketchup or barbecue sauce, which ever you prefer, or leave it undressed like me.

Meatball Minestrone

 

Sometimes it’s nice to have a light, savory, and scrumptious soup that comes together fast. It’s also nice to have a soup that can crossover into warmer seasons, or cool seasons that just won’t cool down.

 

 

We have been spending so much of our winter in the 70s and 80s so far, and it’s hard to get into my usual soups when it’s so warm. The rare day that we cool into the 60s I will definitely be pulling out my creamy butternut squash soup, or my warm pasta fagioli, but for now we are hitting the spring-style soups.

 

 

Usually I like to puree my soups to make them creamier without adding the extra fat of heavy cream. This recipe definitely tastes best when you keep it real. Diced veggies mixed with the yummy meatball morsels make the balance perfect. Add the pasta for a little more texture, and the spinach for one more kick of healthy-heartiness and you have a great balance.

 

 

The longer the soup simmers, the better. Sometimes I will make the broth and meatballs part of the soup ahead of time and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Then when it’s closer to dinner time, I heat it back up and add the noodles and spinach to finish it off. Makes for a fast meal, either prepped or not. Enjoyed with some focaccia or crusty sourdough is perfection!

 

 

Meatball Minestrone

 

Meatballs:

1 lb Italian sausage (or you can use ground duroc pork, chicken or turkey)

1/3 c panko crumbs

¼ c freshly grated parmesan

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp dried basil

1 tsp salt, more if needed

½ tsp pepper, more if needed

 

Broth:

2 Tbs EVOO

1 yellow onion, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 ribs celery, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 c chicken broth

2 c water

½ tsp dried oregano and dried thyme

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

1 c elbow pasta

1 c baby spinach, chopped

 

In a bowl, mix together all of the meatball ingredients. Roll the meatballs out into small balls, about ¾-1 inch size. Set these aside and continue to prep the rest of the ingredients. I like to have everything chopped, diced, and measured before I start to make things go more smoothly.

 

Heat your dutch oven over med-hi heat. Add your oil and begin browning your meatballs. Make sure to move them around to get all sides nicely browned, and don’t overcrowd the pot. Once they are browned, remove them to a paper towel lined plate and continue with the second batch. Once the second batch is done, remove them and set aside with the others.

 

Add a bit more oil and stir in the onions, carrots, and celery. Let those cook down a bit, until the onions become a bit translucent, and then add the garlic. After about a minute, add the chicken stock and water. Add the meatballs back to the pot, and also add the bay leaves and the dried oregano and thyme. Stir everything together and check for salt and pepper. Now add the pasta and let it cook for about 10 minutes, checking for al dente.

 

Once the pasta is ready, add the spinach and let it wilt for a minute. Your meatballs should be cooked through at this point, but it doesn’t hurt to check one. Pull the soup off the burner to let it cool a bit and then serve. This is amazing with some focaccia or sourdough.