Thai night!

My husband loves Thai food, and has been really missing one of his favorite restaurants in Boston. And, I had a can of coconut milk I needed to use, so what better than to make a Thai dish. It was my first attempt at making Thai, and I think it came out great. It has a bit of a kick, but not too much. And the coconut milk is nice and creamy!! My husband prefers the oil-based spicy sauces of Thai, so he didn't love this recipe. That will be the only reason I may not make it again.............so, on to hunting for a Prik Pao recipe for the husband!

Thai Curry Chicken Stirfry
(adapted from allrecipes.com)

1 can light coconut milk
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 tbsp red curry paste (could use more, if you like more than mild to moderate spice)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch of asparagus, sliced in half inch pieces
1 small to medium squash, chopped
1 can of pineapple
2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1/2 inch strips


Drain pineapple, and save about 1/2 cup of pineapple juice.

In a bowl, mix the coconut milk, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, pineapple and red curry paste.

In a skillet or wok, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Stir in the onion, and garlic, and cook until lightly browned. Mix in chicken strips, and cook about 3 minutes, until browned. Stir in the coconut milk sauce. Continue cooking until sauce starts to bubble. Mix in asparagus, squash and pineapple. Cook until heated through. Serve over the cooked rice. Serves 6.

WC Recipe Exchange: Mini Meatloaf Muffins

We did a recipe exchange on the cooking board I frequent, and the theme was healthy cooking. We all submit a recipe to the organizer, she randomly distributes the recipes out to everyone, and we get to try a new, healthy recipe. I am so excite dto see who made mine, and see how they came out.

This is the recipe I received. I do not like meatloaf, so this was a great dinner for my husband, because it is his favorite!!

I did have to make several changes. My regular muffin pan mysteriously disappeared weeks ago, and still has not turned up. My changes are in red below. Over all, this recipe was great, and my husband would love me to make it again!

Mini Meatloaf Muffins

(source: adapted from a recipe on Bakespace click link for original recipe)

INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. Lean Ground Beef
1/4 cup eggbeaters (we do not use/buy eggbeaters, so I just separated the eggs and used the egg whites.)
1 small onion diced(my husband does not like onions, but likes the onions flavor. So, I used 1 tbsp onion powder.)
1/2 green pepper finely diced (I omitted these because we do not like peppers)
2/3 C. Bread Crumbs (we do not use bread crumbs because my husband is lactose intolerant, and most have dairy in them. So, I used a shake and bake packet- so good!)
1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 Tbsp. BBQ Sauce
1 8 oz. Can Tomato Sauce (did not have tomato sauce- I know, who runs out of tomato sauce- so I used ketchup)

DIRECTIONS:

1.) Mix all ingredients except for tomato sauce.

2.) Put into a lightly greased muffin pan.(I used large muffin pans, due to the MIA regular muffin pan)

3.) Bake for about 30 minutes at 350

4.) Remove from oven and spread tomato sauce evenly over meatloaf.

5.) Bake an additional 5 minutes. I omitted steps 4 and 5 and they were very tasty.


Yields 8 muffins, 2 muffins per serving (made 6 mega muffins)
POINTS per Serving: 5 (I am not sure how much my version changes the points. I am guessing it would be a bit more, due to the larger size of my "muffins")

My husband's favorite-Pot Stickers

My husband would eat Chinese or Thai take-out every day if he could. In order to save us some money, I decided to try making one of his favorites at home. They are really easy and so good.........just a bit time consuming. Eventually, I hope to make a ton of these all at once, and freezing them. That is for another day, though.

Pot Stickers
(source: a member of What's For Dinner on www.thenest.com)

1/2 pound ground turkey( I used ground pork)
1/2 head green cabbage, chopped
2 green onions, chopped (I had to omit these because my husband does not like them)
1 tbsp grated ginger (omitted because I did not have any on hand)
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 package wonton wrappers, about 50
olive oil

sauce - mix together
3 TB soy sauce
2 TB rice wine vinegar
1 tsp brown sugar
dash sesame oil

Cook ground pork in pan. Drain and set aside. Mix together cabbage, green onion, ginger root, salt, sugar, sesame oil and cooked pork. Chill in frig about 30 minutes.

Place about a teaspoon on the mixture in the center of the wrapper. Brush edges with water. Fold over and press to seal.

Heat a large pan and add about 2 tablespoons of oil. Place pot stickers in pan - don't crowd them. Cook about 30 seconds then flip and cook additional 30 seconds. Add about 1/4 cup water, cover pan and cook about 3 - 4 minutes. Remove to paper towels to drain. Serve with dipping sauce.

The best marinade EVER!

This was a last minute dinner. I had purchased a london broil steak at the store on sale, and figured that would be our dinner that night. I looked around the internet for a way to cook this, and came across the yummiest marinade I have ever tasted. So much flavor. I will be using this for any cut of meat in the future!!

Marinated London Broil
(source: www.foodnetwork.com)

4 large garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
2/3 cup olive oil
1 (2 to 2 1/2 pound) London broil
To make marinade: In a bowl, whisk together marinade ingredients until combined well. Put London broil in a large resealable plastic bag and pour marinade over it. Seal bag, pressing out excess air, and set in a shallow dish. Marinate meat, chilled, turning bag once or twice, for 8 hours.

After marinating, I broiled this for 7 minutes each side for medium! I let the meat set for 10 minutes before cutting ans serving. Soooooo, good. I then topped a salad with the tender meat......YUM!

Finally made some blondies!

Where have these been all my life? They are so good, that I guess it is best it took me 30 years to come across these! You can really add in whatever you want to this basic recipe. I decided to add in plain m&m's and chopped peanuts this time. I will be making more of these in the future!

I mentioned a few months ago that I am a member of a chat room, where all we discuss is food. Well, this is one of a thousand recipes I have come across in this chat room. There is another member in the chat room who had these in her blog, so she is my source. Her chat room name is bakingblonde, and her blog is one I visit often for great ideas! I have linked the recipe below to her blog.



Peanut and Plain M&M Blondies
(source: bakingblonde from www.thenest.com)

8 Tbsp butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup flour
1/2 cup M&M's, chopped
1/2 cup peanuts, chopped


Preheat oven to 350.

Line an 8x8 pan with foil and lightly spray with cooking spray.

In a large microwave safe mixing bowl melt the butter. Allow to cool for 5 mintues. Mix the brown sugar with the melted butter and beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla. Add salt, stir in flour and baking powder (if using). Mix in any additions (some ideas below).

Pour into prepared pan and use a greased spatula to evenly spread mixture in pan and level the top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until set in the middle. (I baked for 22 minutes)Cool on rack before cutting.

My first Giada recipe

I love Giada, and have so many of her recipes I want to try. I knew this is one that my husband would love, so I thought I would start with it. The flavor was great, but it was a bit too greasy for me. Maybe the short ribs I bought were not the best cuts of meat? I would love to try it again with a leaner or more expensive cut of meat, and see if it comes out even better (less grease). Of course, my husband did love it, so I will be making it again any way :-)


Short Ribs with Tagliatelle
(source: www.allrecipes.com)

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 ounces chopped pancetta (about 1/2 cup)
2 1/2 pounds short ribs
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped (I did not have carrots on hand, so these were omitted)
1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves (I did not have fresh, so I used about 1/8 cup of dried parsle
2 cloves garlic
1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes (whole or diced)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
2 1/2 cups beef broth
3/4 cup red wine
1 pound fresh or dried tagliatelle (I used egg noodles because this is what I had in the pantry. It came out egg-cellent with these noodles......he he!)
4 to 6 teaspoons shaved bittersweet chocolate (I omitted this only because I did not have any on hand. I would love to try it with the chocolate next time!)

Place the olive oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat. Cook the pancetta until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, season the short ribs with salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes total.
Meanwhile, combine the onion, carrot, parsley and garlic in a food processor and blend until finely minced. Then add the tomatoes and tomato paste and pulse.
Once the short ribs are browned, carefully add the mixture from the food processor to the pot. Return the pancetta to the pot and stir. Add the rosemary, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, beef broth, and wine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Remove the meat and bones from the pot. Discard the bones. Shred the meat and return it to the pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes for dried pasta and 2 to 3 minutes for fresh. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the pot and stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta liquid 1/4 cup at a time, if
needed, to moisten the pasta. Transfer to serving bowls, top each bowl with 1 teaspoon of chocolate shavings. Serve immediately.

Pumpkin and Cream Cheese......YUM!

I have had my eye on this recipe for at least a month. I love pumpkin and anything with cream cheese. I have not had anything pumpkin flavored since November, and I have a few cans of pumpkin puree in pantry that I needed to use. We also have some friends who just bought their first house, and I knew I wanted to make them something yummy for their housewarming gift. And, since they share my love of pumpkin flavored anything, I knew this was the perfect opportunity to whip these delicious little morsels together. Our apartment smelled soooooo incredible while these were cooking, so I could not wait to taste one of these. And they did not disappoint!!



Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins
(source: allrecipes.com)

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons brown sugar

4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons white sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons chopped pecans

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin (This is almost 1-15oz can of puree. I used the entire can)
1/3 cup olive oil (I was skeptical of this, because of the taste of olive oil, but they came out fabulous)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour 18 muffin cups, or use paper liners.

To make the filling: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until soft. Add egg, vanilla and brown sugar. Beat until smooth, then set aside.

For the streusel topping: In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Add butter and cut it in with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.

For the muffin batter: In a large bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center of flour mixture and add eggs, pumpkin, olive oil and vanilla. Beat together until smooth.

Place pumpkin mixture in muffin cups about 1/2 full. Then add one tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture right in the middle of the batter. Try to keep cream cheese from touching the paper cup. Sprinkle on the streusel topping.

Bake at 375 degrees F (195 degrees C) for 20 to 25 minutes.

I love me some Olive Garden

I love a lot of food at Olive Garden, especially the bread sticks and house salad. But, one of my favorite things at Olive Garden is the Pasta e Fagioli. So, when I came across the copycat recipe for this, I knew I wanted to make it. I did make some changes, since I wanted to use certain food we has around the house, but it still came out really good. I would like to try it another time, and make it exactly as the recipe calls for, so I can compare the taste to Olive Garden. But, for now, this hit the spot!!


Olive Garden's Pasta E Fagioli
(source: www.bigoven.com)

1 pound ground beef (I used ground pork, because that is what I had on hand)
1 small onion, diced (1 cup)
1 large carrot, julienned (1 cup) (I only omitted these because I did not have any)
3 stalks celery, chopped (1 cup) (same as carrots)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 14.5-ounce cans diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can red kidney beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can great northern beans (with liquid)
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
1 12-ounce can V-8 juice (used an extra can of tomato sauce, because I did not have any tomato juice)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 pound (1/2 pkg.) ditali pasta (I used alphabet pasta, because that is what I had in the pantry)


Brown the ground beef in a large saucepan or pot over medium heat. Drain off most of the fat.

Add onion and garlic and sauté for 10 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients, except pasta, and simmer for 1 hour.

About 50 minutes into simmer time, cook the pasta in 1 1/2 to 2 quarts of boiling water over high heat. Cook for 10 minutes or justuntil pasta is al dente, or slightly tough. Drain. (I just threw the pasta in my pot, and cooked it in with the soup. I would not recommend this, and will not do it again. My final dish came out quite starchy, and I think it is because I did not cook the pasta separate, and drain it before I put it in the pot.)

Add the pasta to the large pot of soup. Simmer for 5-10 minutes and serve.
Serves 8.