Honey Teriyaki Salmon

During lent season I usually try to make a lot of Salmon dishes..since its our favorite fish. I try to make a dish that would go well with rice or salads.

Ingredients:
1 slab of salmon
5 T of honey
10 T of teriyaki sauce ( Kikkoman)
Green onion-- chopped
Cucumber

Mix honey n teriyaki sauce together.. Pour over salmon.. Bake @ 350 for 20 minutes.. Then add green onion and broil for about 20-30 seconds.... You want it to caramelize on the top .. Keep a close eye cuz you don't want it to burn

***If you would want more juice.. Add more teriyaki sauce

I like to eat it with cucumber but you can eat with any vegetable that you like.
ENJOY!!!

Spinach and artichoke dip

DIRECTIONS:

16 oz bag frozen spinach- thawed--squeeze all the water out
1/2 c butter
2 tbls minced garlic
1/2 onion--minced (cut into very small pieces)
1/4 c flour
1 pint heavy cream
1/2 chicken stock
2 tsp Lemon juice
1 t hot sauce
1/2 t salt
1 c parm cheese
8 oz sour cream
1 1/2 c shredded white cheddar
2 can of 8 oz artichoke hearts -drained and chopped


Sauté garlic and onions in butter until golden
Stir in flour, cook 1 min
Solely whisk cream and stock , cook until boiling
Stir in lemon, hot sauce, salt and parmesan cheese (U can use the powder cheese from the can)...if u don't have the shredded ones .... stir until cheese has melted
Remove from heat and cool for 5 min
Stir in sour cream, 1/2 cup of white cheddar cheese, artichoke hearts and spinach

pour into a baking dish
Sprinkle  1 cup white cheddar evenly on top 

bake @ 350 for about 20 minutes until the dip is nice and bubbly 

Serve with  Tortilla chips...or toasted baguettes  

with a side of salsa and sour cream.

ENJOY 

OXO vegetable container

I am obsess with OXO container. I got these a few weeks ago and LOVE THEM!! I have to say they keep my vegetables lasting longer... I also go a step further and place a paper towel on the top and on the bottom of my lettuce or bean sprouts!! My bean sprout actually last over a week in this container ... and if many of you know.. Bean sprout doesn't last more than 3 days in the bag ;(

I am going to go get another 2 for the rest of my other vegetables

Pad Thai

(Got this recipe from a friend...but I tweak it a little bit)
Ingredients:
1 lb Shrimp or chicken (cut chicken in cube)
2 T Cornstarch
3 t Soy sauce
(marinate the protein  with 3 t soy sauce n 2 T cornstarch)

2 C Pad Thai sauce
1 C Toothpick carrot (I just sliced mines really thin but you can buy yours in the veg section)
1/2 C Bean sprout
1/4 C Green onion
1/2 Onion -- chopped
4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 C crush Peanut
4 eggs--scramble
tofu--cube
1 pack of pho noodles--soak in hot water for about 20 minutes...drain..and cut into 6 in long...makes easier to eat...don't over soak for the noodles will be soggy ---set aside


Sauce: 2 C pad Thai sauce
1 T srirache (or some chili sauce)
4 t brown sugar
2 t fish sauce (if u don't have fish sauce...add a  soy sauce instead)
Mix well

1. Scramble up 4 eggs then set aside
2. Olive oil and put the onion , garlic and sauté that up until translucent.. Then add the shrimp or chicken..
3. When the protein is cooked (if u r using shrimp... Don't over cook.. Once it's a little pink.. Add the noodles & shrimp...pour the sauce.. Toss n coat well.. Then add carrots..and egg .... I don't want the carrots to be over cook so once the sauce reduce n the noodle is al dente..I plate it
4. Garnish with some green onion.. bean sprout , crush peanuts
Squeeze some lemon or lime on it

And if u like it a little more spicier .. Add some srirache
Enjoy

Shrimp peel and deveined...ready for soy sauce & cornstarch 

Bean sprout, onion, peanuts and carrots 

Drained pho noodles and cut into 6 in 

Pad Thai sauce (got at the asian store) 

tofu (cubed) 

Pad Thai right before I plated it 

Noodle soaked in hot water 

Pad Thai...garnished with bean sprout, green onion and lime wedge 

also I squirt some srirache sauce all over

ENJOY 

My new obsession

I went to a Stella & Dot party on Sunday. I think I went a little over board

Can't wait to wear my new loot ;)

Pho Bo (Vietnamese beef noodle soup)

Ingredients:

3 gallon of water 

4 pounds beef bones/ox tails
1 pound beef (chuck roast)
1 large  onion (charred)
7  inch piece of ginger ( charred)
9 star anise
6 cloves

1 tablespoon of chicken powder 

1 pho package
3 stick cinnamon
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 large rock sugar
1 pack of rice noodles (cooked as directed on package)
1 pound steak (good quality, sliced thinly)
beansprouts
Thai basil (thinly sliced)
cilantro

mint
2 jalapeno peppers (sliced)
1 limes (sliced)
 hoisin sauce
 chili sauce (srirache) 

*** I put all the seasoning in a little tea ball...anise, cloves, peppercorns 

Direction:

1. Place the bones into a large stock pot and bring to a roiling bowl for a few minutes.

2. Drain the water, rinse the bones and the pot and fill with clean water.

3. Add the beef, onion, ginger, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, fish sauce and sugar and simmer for 2 hours.

4. Remove the beef and continue to simmer for another 2 hours.

5. Strain the solids from the broth and season the broth to taste with fish sauce and rock sugar.

6. Shred the beef that was simmered in the broth

Pour broth over noodle...

**Garnish with the basil, cilantro, jalapeno peppers, lime slices, bean sprouts, hoisin sauce and chili sauce (srirache).

*****You can charred the onion and ginger directly on the flame of a gas stove.

Ox Tail 

Beef Shank 

Important step in the broth preparation is charring of the ginger and onions. The charring adds a complexity to the stock that is absolutely crucial to the dish.

Chicken powder, Pho package, anise, cinnamon sticks and rock sugar 

Simmering for almost 6 hr on low 

Thin sliced chuck roast, thin sliced ribeye, beef balls ( bo vien),  basil, mint, cilantro, red onion, bean sprouts and thinly sliced green onion.  I ended up chopping up the herbs for serving.

hoison sauce 

srirache sauce 

Make a bowl with what you like. I like mines with everything ;) 

Almond Bundt cake

I love baking when the weather is nice and chilly outside. I guess that is why you would see me in the kitchen more in the winter than summer LOL

I used this recipe during Halloween for the kids candy corn cupcake... It's a bumped up cake mix... I love it and its 10 times easier than my almond cake recipe.. It's a BOX cake mix but it's so good. I just added a cup of sour cream , a large box of vanilla instant pudding and 3 T of almond extract .. then to take it over the edge a little I added some silvered almond to the battered and sprinkle on top with more .. I am definitely keeping this recipe

Tony Chachere's

I use Tony in about 95% of my cooking. This is one seasoning that I always have at least 2 cans in the house.
When I am cooking with Tony.. All I need is a little pepper n maybe some sugar and I am good... It's pack with many other seasoning so I don't need to add any other seasonings.

Refrigerator bins

I wanted to try to find a way to group my foods in the refrigerator so I got some refrigerator and freezer bins today to try. I picked up 3 from Bed Bath & Beyond and 2 vegetable containers to hold my lettuce n bean sprouts.. I use bean sprout so much but I can only get them at the Asian market which is about 30 minutes from my house ( no traffic) so I only pick them up when I am at the Asian market but when they are stored in the bags it gets rotten so fast... I am hoping with these vegetables storage it will keeps fresh longer.

So far I am liking them.. I might have to go get some for the freezer too.

Green Beans

French green beans with sauté ground meat

1 lb French green beans.. Blanche (cook in water for about 4 minutes then shock with ice water)
1 lb of ground meat (beef) I like to use 80/20 because I like it to render a little fat so the meat is moist n has some juice
1 t garlic power
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 t Tony
1 t sugar
1/2 onion
1 T oyster sauce

Sauté the ground meat with all the ingredients then add 1/2 C of water

I like to plate it over my green beans
Garnish with green onion and Pepper

Snap ware cereal containers

I have a few of these Snapware cereal containers that I still use... I like them also but I find that the mouth (opening) is a little too wide compare to my Rubbermaid cereal containers and they do not hold a large box of cereals. So I tend to use my Rubbermaid containers more... also the grip is a little wider so it's harder for my kids to grip them.

They do keep the cereals fresh just like the Rubbermaid containers . They aren't as bulky as the Rubbermaid.

Guess you can't win them all ;)

Rubbermaid

Many people have asked me which is my favorite containers for storing cereals...and I have to say that these rubbermaid are by far the BEST I had...I been using them for years...and they are easy to handle. My kids can get their own cereals and I am not afraid of them dropping them and breaking them. Also I LOVE the side hand grip. Also they fit the WHOLE BOX of cereal...and they keep my cereals FRESH!!!! They are also VERY AFFORDABLE ;) 

Bang Bang Shrimp

Ingredients:
2 lb of shrimps--peeled and deveined
4 T of cornstarch
olive oil
walnut---I just put them in a fry pan without any oil and fry then up on low heat for about 5 minutes ...remember to stir them occasionally

sauce:
1/2 cup of mayo
1/4 cup of sweet thai chili
2 T of sriracha

Batter up the shrimps with the cornstarch. Put a little olive oil in a pan and fry up the shrimps until they get a golden brown...in the meantime...u mix  the mayo, chili and sriracha sauce together...set that aside.

Take the shrimps out and dip in the sauce...whatever is left...pour over the shrimp. I usually just toss all the shrimp in the sauce...garnish with either lettuce or steam broccoli

Top with candy walnut or toasted walnut


serve with white rice...
ENJOY

Snacks

Every week I pack the kids snack and load a little basket in the car. What I do is go into my pantry and take 3 snacks out and put them in individual bags. When they get into the car they just grab a little bag so they can snack on for the ride home.

Bacon, cheese and egg breakfast wreath

1 pack of bacon
1 can of croissant
3 eggs
cheddar cheese


I used 1 can of croissants .. Unrolled them and lay them on a baking pan..I laid the bigger corner inside n let the pointed corner outward. I did spray the pan with some Pam. I scramble up 3 eggs and I cut up 1 pack of bacons into little 2in cube. Cooked up the bacon
Next I layer the bacon then eggs and sprinkle some cheddar cheese

Bake @ 350 for 20 minutes

Garnish with more bacon
Happy Sunday 😉

Disney World 2013

Our ANNUAL trip to Disneyworld 

Foodie from Disney World 2013

 China Exhibit @ Epcot

 The Wave @ Contemporary 

 Dole Pineapple ice cream and juice @ Magic Kingdom 

Adventure land 

 Chef Mickey @ Contemporary 

 Red Velvet cupcake @ Hollywood Studio 

 Passion Fruit creme puff @ Be Our Guest in Fantasyland @ Magic Kingdom 

Steak @ Be Our Guest in Magic Kingdom 

We alway enjoy the foods are Disneyworld... 

Salmon Burger

3 piece of salmon filet 

1 T of mayo on each filet

Tony and pepper

bake for 15-20 minutes @ 350 

serve on Kaiser bun with lettuce, tomato & cucumber 

sauce...1/2 C of soy sauce

1 T of lemon juice

handful of chopped cilantro

I drizzle the sauce on the top of the buns n a lil on the bottom...

I like mines with a lil sirachi sauce too..gives it a lil kick 

enjoy

Crawfish Ettoufe

4 stalk of Celery--chopped 

1 large onion--chopped

1/2 bell pepper--chopped

parsley--chopped

saute with 1 stick of butter

saute until the veggies are translucent 

then add in the 1 can of rotel ( they have mild, original, hot) I usually use the original..which is pretty spice ...if u don't like spicy..then get the MILD

saute for about 5 minutes then add the 2 can of CREAM of MUSHROOM...cook for another 5 minutes ...remember to keep stirring and reduce heat to medium low...cuz it can burn pretty quickly...

then add in your crawfish tails or shrimps...I used 1 bag of crawfish tails...

Sometimes I would add fresh mushroom chopped...and 1 can of cream of celery and 2 bags of crawfish tails ....

*** Season with more pepper and Tony if u like...I think this is perfect for us already

serve over rice 

garnish with fresh chopped parsley and green onion 

enjoy 

OXO ...a deal

A few weeks ago I went to Sam and spotted this beauty...12 pieces of OXO for 79.99
THAT was a DEAL ;)