Tag: Simple

Posted on

Ampaipitakwong Fried Rice (aka Pete’s)

 

Pete’s Fried Rice

  • 2 cups broccoli florets
  • 2 carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 medium sweet onion, diced
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 3-4 C cold leftover rice
  • 3 T canola oil
  • 1 T sesame oil
  • 2 eggs
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. Beat the eggs in a bowl and set aside.
  2. Heat 1 T canola oil in a nonstick wok over high heat.  Coat pan with the hot oil by twirling.
  3. Add the egg and fry until golden brown and curling on the edges.  Flip and brown the other side.  When cooked through, remove to a plate and set aside.
  4. Add the remaining canola oil to the wok, heat on high, and twirl your wok.
  5. Add carrots and broccoli, stir fry for 2-3 minutes.
  6. Add onions and stir fry for a minute.
  7. Add rice and stir-fry while breaking up the clumps until rice is heated through.  Add more canola oil to prevent sticking, if needed.
  8. Turn heat down to medium-high.  Cut the eggs into large dice.  Add the peas, corn, and eggs to the work.  Stir constantly until the frozen vegetables are heated through.
  9. Season with salt and pepper. Add sesame oil.

 

There have to be as many versions of Fried Rice as there are cooks.  I wrote this line several years ago for another fried rice recipe.  I was making fried rice for dinner when suddenly I realized that one of my favorite fried rice recipes was not written down anywhere.  So after dinner I sat down at my computer and…

Ampaipitakwong Fried Rice!  Number One Son was a damn good soccer player and he had some damn good coaches.  Coach Ampaipitakwong was one of those coaches.  Watching Coach dribble was like watching a professional dancer. His son Ant went on to play professional soccer in Thailand.  But I digress.

At one of those pot luck soccer get togethers that kid soccer teams do all the time Coach Ampaipitakwong brought a tub of fried rice.  It was incredible!  And after years of producing clumpy bad fried rice, I finally got it down.  Here is my version of Coach’s fried rice.

Nobody could pronouce Ampaipitakwong correctly.  So we shortened his name to Coach Pete.  Pete’s Fried Rice.

Tips – The rice needs to be cold and leftover from the previous day or two.  Be daring and use different vegetables.  Add animal protein.  Add fried tofu.  On second thought, don’t add fried tofu.

May your fried rice never clump.

 

 

Posted on

Lasagne Stacks

image

I know, it’s been a while since I posted a recipe.  The problem is that the original intent was to post family recipes from a time long long ago so that they would be preserved for future generations to enjoy.  But I ran into some problems.  I can’t remember what I cooked 25 years ago.  Sometimes I can’t remember what I fixed yesterday.  Life changes and you change too.  I can’t remember the last time I made lasagne.  If I made a tray of lasagne now, we would be eating it for a week.

Then I discovered a unique concoction called the lasagne stack.  For the noodle layers you use those refrigerated won ton wrappers that you’ve never bought before because you vowed at one point in your life never to make won tons from scratch.  But the wrappers are just pasta.  And you don’t have to boil them first.  You layer, bake, eat.

I feel guilty about never progressing past six or seven dishes you can make with a cooked chicken.  So I’m not numbering these recipes.  And the kids never ate anything similar to this dish when they were little.  I made this up because I was in the mood for lasagne and for the first time in my life, bought won ton wrappers.  Welcome to the first recipe in The Stack Project.

Quantities are for four stacks.

  • 24 won ton wrappers – six per stack
  • a handful of fresh spinach leaves
  • 1 cup bechamel sauce
  • 1 cup ragu
  • grated parmesan
  • shredded mozzarella
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a baking dish large enough for the number of stacks to be made, cover the bottom with several spoonfuls of ragu.
  3. Arrange four won ton skins in the baking dish. Leave enough space between each so when fully baked they won’t all glump together.
  4. Start stacking.  Spread some sauce, spinach, cheese on each wrapper.  Add another won ton wrapper and repeat.  Alternate between white and red layers.  Get creative.
  5. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 20-25 minutes.
  6. Uncover, add more mozzarella to the top of each stack and bake for another five minutes or until the cheese melts.
  7. Enjoy.

This dish came into being because I had leftover homemage ragu and an urge for lasagne.  I wish I had this concept when the kids were little.  Including prep time, this took all of 45 minutes.

Posted on

Tri-Tip Beef Stew

My memories of beef stew growing up was that it came out of a can and tasted pretty bad.  My mother was not a very good cook.  She was however very good at opening cans.  Consequently, I never really cared much for beef stew.

This weekend we had friends over for dinner.  At first, we were thinking pizza.  No, we just did that a couple of weeks ago with this crew.  So I decided to cook but wanted to keep it simple.  I also wanted to clean out the freezer a bit since winter is coming and there might be some stuff in there that needs to get cooked.  I went rummaging.  I found tri-tip steaks.

“Am I going to grill these things before next summer?”

Probably not.  Stew.  Problem solved.

Tri-Tip Tips:

This cut makes a wonderful stew.  The packages of stew meat you find in the store consist of cubes from different cuts.  Some are very lean which makes for a healthier dish, but less flavor.  A good tri-tip is well marbled and the extra fat makes this stew quite tasty.  You’ll note no potatoes in this stew.  I served the stew over plain rice.  Add potatoes if you wish.  We had homemade cornbread and salad on the side.  A crusty bread works too.  Readers with a keen eye will notice this recipe is similar to Mike’s Pot Roast.  You caught me.

Update 01.07.17

As much as I love making this stew I have a confession to make.  I’ve been making beef stew with top blade steak.  I’m not going to change the name of this stew.  But I should.  Good tri-tip has been hard to find at the stores but one store always seems to have top blade steaks in their meat case.  Well marbled too.

If you decide to use top blade keep the steaks whole and brown on both sides.  The rest of the instructions are the same.  Prior to serving pull the steaks apart with two forks into bite sized chunks.  This particular cut will make the most tender beef stew you ever had.

A lot better than canned too.

Tri-Tip Beef Stew

Ingredients

  • 1.5 to 2 lbs boneless tri-tip roast,  well marbled, cut into one inch cubes
  • 2 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 T butter (optional)
  • 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 stalk celery, small dice
  • 1 carrot, peeled, small dice
  • 3-4 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
  • 1/2 lb white mushrooms, rinsed and quartered
  • 1/2 lb frozen organic green peas
  • 1/2 C Sweet Marsala wine
  • BIG Pinch dried thyme
  • 2-3 T tomato paste with basil
  • 1 C low sodium beef broth
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. In a cast iron enamel covered pot heat 2 T of oil on medium high heat. Brown beef cubes in pot, several minutes on each side.  You might need to do this in batches to allow a good browning of the meat.
  2. When beef is browned add the onions, small dice carrot, and celery to the pot and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes.  Add the garlic, mushrooms and a pinch of thyme, and saute for another minute.  Add the Marsala wine and continue to saute until the alcohol evaporates.   Add tomato paste, beef broth and mix thoroughly.
  3. Cover and adjust the heat down to a low simmer.
  4. Cook for 2 hours, or longer.
  5. Approximately 45 minutes before serving add 1 T butter (optional) and the remaining carrot chunks.  Reduce heat back to low.
  6. Around 10 minutes before serving, add 1/2 pound frozen organic green peas.
  7. Simmer on low heat until peas are heated through.
  8. Adjust for seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.
Posted on

Butternut Squash Enchilada Casserole

Butternut Squash Enchilada Casserole

1 T olive oil
1 butternut squash (1½ lb.), halved and seeded
1 medium sweet onion, diced (1 cup)
1 4.5 ounce can diced green chiles
1 clove garlic, minced (1 tsp. )
3 oz. cream cheese
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
Enchilada sauce (homemade or canned)
8-12 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place squash cut-side down on baking sheet. Roast 45 minutes, or until soft. Allow to cool, scoop into a bowl and mash.

2. Heat oil in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, and sauté until soft. Add chiles and garlic. Cook 1 minute.

3. Stir in mashed squash, cream cheese, cumin, and nutmeg. Turn the heat off and mix well.

4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread 1 cup enchilada sauce over bottom of 13- x 9-inch baking dish. Layer tortillas followed by the squash mixture, then cheddar cheese. Repeat, ending with cheddar cheese as your final layer on top. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the sides start bubbling and the cheese is melted and gooey.

5. Serve with your usual Tex-Mex sides and condiments. Extra cheese, sour cream, sliced avocado, green onions, jalepeno peppers, salsa, chips, beans, rice. Or a side salad works too but not as satisfying.

I sometimes forget this blog is about recipes.  I get off on a tangent like mislabeled seafood or nasty who knows what’s in them chicken nuggets from China.  FOCUS!  It’s about the food, the recipes, and the memories.  A long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away I used to make a squash enchilada  casserole when fall rolled around and the hard squashes started appearing in the market.  I was always amazed at how tasty this dish was without any meat in it.  Like all great family recipes this one exhibits the following classic characteristics.

The kids didn’t like it when they were little and I never wrote the recipe down.  I’m sure if I wanted to waste an hour or two I could find the original recipe yellowed and faded, taped to a 3 x 5 card somewhere.  I also know that when I find the original recipe it won’t be how I make it now.  Why bother looking? I do recall the original recipe called for some cooked potato added to the squash mixture.  I also recall the original did not have green chilies in it.  So here you go. This recipe is from memory.  I hope it tastes good.

I can’t believe this is my 100th post.

TIPS

 If you like (or need) an extra kick, sub a heartier pepper for the green chilies.  Need protein?  Add a can of black beans, rinsed and drained, to the middle layer of the casserole.  Monterrey Jack would be a nice sub for the cheddar.  Or Smokey Chipotle Cheddar might work too.  (I have a chunk of this in the fridge and it’s looking for a recipe).  But most of all, have some fun with this recipe.

Update 11.17.14

I know, two days after posting and I’m making changes already.  Step 4 –  for the middle layers, tortillas, squash mixture, cheddar cheese, repeat.  No enchilada sauce.  The red sauce goes only on the bottom of the pan and on the top layer of tortillas.  The final layer is tortillas, enchilada sauce, and shredded Monterrey jack cheese.  Yellow corn tortillas are fine but I used white corn tortillas.  I only needed ten tortillas.  You’ll get eight generous servings from this casserole.  I made some quick enchilada sauce with a 28 ounce can of diced tomatoes and some chicken stock.  You can leave out the chicken stock if you’re a picky vegetarian.  You can leave the cheese off too but I won’t take any responsibility for how your casserole turns out.

Posted on

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup all-purpose white flour
1/2 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 beaten eggs
1 cup low fat milk
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

In a medium mixing bowl stir together flours, rolled oats, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center. In a small mixing bowl combine egg, milk, pumpkin, spice mix and oil. Add egg mixture to flour mixture all at once. Stir batter just till blended.
For each pancake, pour about 1/4 cup of the batter onto a lightly greased preheated griddle or heavy skillet. Cook several pancakes at a time over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or till the tops are evenly bubbled and the edges are dry, then turn and cook until golden brown on the second side. Repeat with remaining batter.

An unused cup of canned pumpkin stored neatly in a tiny plastic container  sat at eye level in the fridge for nearly a week.  This was really starting to bother me.  I really didn’t want to throw away perfectly good pumpkin.  Worse, I hoped the squash wouldn’t spoil before I figured out what to do with it.  Muffins?  Bread?  I just couldn’t make up my mind.  Eventually I settled upon pancakes.  Those with a keen eye will notice that this recipe is pretty much my standard pancake recipe with pumpkin in it.

Memo to Family:

This is a new recipe.  So don’t try to remember when I first made everyone orange colored pancakes.

Posted on

White Chicken Chili

“I’m not dressed.  Could you water the front patio plants?”

“Yes dear.”

It was rather cool outside this morning.  Fall is definitely in the air and the morning chill made me think of chili.  Since I had just finished breakfast, chili was not an option this morning.  We were leaving on a short road trip in about an hour.  No time to make chili.

I decided to add another chili recipe to the blog!  For years I’ve made a white chili culled from two different recipes.  One recipe definitely came from the NY Times while the source of the second is unknown.  One recipe called for tomatoes; the other recipe didn’t.  So in my grand tradition of never following recipes exactly I have had to pull out two separate recipes to make this chili.  Fading memories instruct me on what to put in and what to leave out.  Fearing the worst, I figured I better write this down before I forget.

Tips:

This chili tastes better without tomatoes but if you like tomatoes in your chili, add a can of diced tomatoes.  It won’t be white anymore.  It will be pink.  Pink chili???

I prefer boneless thighs to boneless breasts but either works well.  If you’re using fresh cilantro, add it as a condiment at serving time.

This chili, like most chili dishes, tastes better the second day.

This chili also tastes better when you drink a good craft beer while cooking it.

I’m serious.

White Chicken Chili

Ingredients

  • 1 to 1.5 lbs boneless chicken cubed
  • 1/4 C seasoned flour (salt pepper)
  • 3 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large Sweet onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 4 oz can chopped green chilies
  • 1 green pepper, diced (optional)
  • 1 C chicken broth
  • 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (optional)
  • 1 Tsp dried cilantro
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp oregano
  • red pepper flakes, dash
  • Tabasco or your favorite hot sauce, to taste (optional)
  • 1 16 oz can organic white kidney or Great Northern beans, drained
  • Salt and pepper
  1. Combine flour and salt, and pepper in a gallon size plastic baggie.  Add the chicken, close the bag, and shake well until all of the chicken pieces are well coated with the flour mixture.
  2. Heat 2 T olive oil in a large stock pot over high heat.  When the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces and brown on all sides.  Lower the heat to medium high to avoid burning the chicken.  You will get pieces of flour and chicken stuck on the bottom of the pan.  This is OK.  Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside.
  3. Reduce heat to medium-low.  Add 1 T olive oil, onion, garlic green pepper, cilantro, cumin, and oregano.  Saute 5 minutes.
  4. Add chicken broth and scrape the brown pieces from the bottom of the pot.
  5. Add chicken, green chilies and simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes.  If the mixture starts to get too thick, thin out with more chicken stock.
  6. Five minutes prior to serving, add the beans.  Simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until the beans are warmed through.
  7. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  8. Serve with your favorite hot sauce, peppers, grated cheese, etc.
Posted on

Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw – (NOT) Bon Appétit

via Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw РBon App̩tit.

There are a bunch of clipped recipes in the cookbook holder by the stove.  This Bon Appétit recipe has been there since 2009, February 2009 to be exact.  We love this recipe for a quick and healthy meatless meal.  Earlier today I glanced at the recipe to make sure all ingredients were on hand because you always have at least one ingredient missing.  I just don’t want the missing ingredient to be missing after I start cooking.

Wait a minute!  This isn’t how I make this dish!  OK, full stop.  No more writing.  I will make my tacos tonight and then write the recipe down.

6:41 PM CST update

I’ve left the link to the original recipe.  I was right.  I make this dish differently than I did five years ago.  So here we go.  I also made some fresh guacamole and to be perfectly honest, the flavors are intense, the textures varied, and it…is…HEALTHY.

1 15-ounce can organic black beans, drained, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (maybe more)
3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil and 2 teaspoons canola oil
1 whole lime juiced, 1/4 lemon juiced

1/4 cup diced red onion, 1 clove garlic minced

pinch oregano, dash celery salt (trust me on this one)

2 cups organic green cabbage, thinly sliced
2 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 white or yellow corn tortilla shells, crispy
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Your favorite hot sauce or salsa

  1.  Drain and rinse the black beans, set aside.
  2. In a small saucepan, saute the onion and garlic until soft.  Add oregano, cumin, and garlic. Saute until the spices are fragrant.
  3. Add the well drained black beans.  Add lemon juice. Heat until warmed through.  Mash the beans with a spoon but leave it chunky.  Season with celery salt. Set aside.
  4. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the olive oil and juice of one lime.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Add a dash of sugar to cut the acidity if needed.
  5. Add the green onions, cilantro, and cabbage.  Mix well and set aside.

This recipe will make enough for 4-6 tacos.  If you need more servings, double the bean recipe and buy more taco shells. You will not need to double the cabbage slaw portion.  You’ll have plenty.

Construct your tacos.  Place some beans in the taco shell, followed by salsa, feta cheese, and slaw.  If you are using guacamole, put in on your taco last.

TIPS –

We recently discovered La Tiara authentic Mexican taco shells from Gladstone Missouri.  Yeah, I was thinking the same thing as you until I tried these shells.   Use fresh cabbage and not the bagged sliced slaw next to the bagged salads.  In a pinch, go ahead and use the bagged stuff.  But once you use fresh cabbage, you won’t go back to the bag version.  This taco recipe is perfect for a Meatless Monday.  May I suggest oven roasted sweet potatoes and corn for sides?

Posted on

Pinto Beans with Turkey Kielbasa

Before I moved to Texas I didn’t know what a pinto bean was.  I haven’t lived in Texas for some time but I still have to have my pinto beans.  The other day I was in the grocery store meandering as I normally do and found turkey kielbasa on sale for 99 cents.  After checking the last sale date (still good) I tossed the sausage into my cart.

A couple of weeks pass and the kielbasa is still in the fridge.  I needed to do something with my bargain but what?  There was a lively discussion recently about the differences between Tex-Mex, Cal-Mex, New Mexico-Mex, AZ-Mex, and the unfortunate stuff we have where I live…Okie-Mex.  I recalled the best bean soup ever from a restaurant in the DFW area.  The soup came complimentary with your meal.  So I figured I’d just make a pot of beans.  I always leave the spicy hot peppers out because some people don’t like their food too spicy.  But this pot of beans just needs a lot of jalapenos and Tabasco sauce.

 

  • 1 pound dried pinto beans
  • 3 slices bacon, diced
  • 1 pound turkey kielbasa, diced
  • 1 medium sweet onion, diced
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6-8 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon dried cilantro
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Rinse and sort the beans. Place in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, turn off the heat, cover and soak the beans for one hour. Drain and rinse the beans. Set aside. Rinse the pot and return to the stovetop.

When the pot is dry, add the bacon and crisp up on medium-high heat. Add the kielbasa and saute for several minutes until browned. Add the onion and peppers and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Pour in the water, deglaze the pot, and scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen up the bits of goodness.

Return the beans to the pot and add water to cover. Stir in the cilantro, chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika, black pepper, and salt. Bring the pot to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down to low and simmer partially covered for a minimum of 2 hours. Check the pot every now and then. Add more water if needed.

SAMSUNG

 

 

Update 06.13.14

Maybe it’s Friday the 13th or something, but I just tasted my beans.  Don’t get me wrong,  The beans are awesome tasty.  But it is not nearly close to Herrera’s out of this world bean soup!  Either I keep working on this recipe or just give up.  OK, I give up.

Dr. Lee, remember #13a double beans, no rice?  Go to Herrera’s.  Not even gonna attempt that one.

 

 

Posted on

Turkey Meatloaf

By now you know the story: I never ate meatloaf growing up and rarely, if ever, made meatloaf when the kids were kids.  Funny things happen to you when you work from home.  I’ve learned how to take short mini-breaks of about five minutes to do prep work for dinner.  It helps to give yourself brain breaks during the workday and you also get a head start on dinner.  You reduce eye strain and the risk for carpal tunnel syndrome.  And did I mention you get a head start on dinner?  So the other week I found myself staring at a package of ground turkey that I found on sale, wondering what to make for dinner.

Meatloaf!  I went with a recipe that I sort of recalled from watching too many Food Network shows and stuff I had in the fridge.  Mirepoix (onions, carrots, and celery) formed the base of the flavor profile.  Thyme pairs well with turkey.  I was set to go.

Turkey Meatloaf

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 stalks celery diced

2 carrots diced
1 onion, diced
2 teaspoons (about 3 cloves) chopped garlic
1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
2 eggs
3/4 cup bread crumbs, Panko
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried parsley leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat and add the carrots, onions, celery, and garlic. Saute until just soft, remove to a large mixing bowl and cool.
  3. When the vegetables are cool, combine all of the remaining ingredients together.
  4. Form the meat mixture into a brain shaped loaf in an oiled oven tray or baking dish.
  5. Bake for approximately 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

Tips –

If you have the loaf in the fridge for any amount of time prior to baking, take the meatloaf out of the fridge for at least 30 minutes before baking.  Bringing the meatloaf back to near room temperature reduces the possibility of under-cooking your dinner.  Do not use ground turkey breast.   There is not enough fat and your meatloaf will turn out dry.  Regular plain old ground turkey is a mixture of white and dark meat, skin, and fat.  Trust me, it tastes better.

Mashed potatoes is mandatory.  You can add a vegetable or salad and no one will care.  But mashed is mandatory.

This meatloaf makes great leftovers for sandwiches.

  

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.