Flank Steak with Sweet Slaw and Japanese Eggplant

I followed a recipe from epicurious for this dinner and Blake grilled the steak. Unfortunately, I can't remember at all how I prepared the eggplant which is unfortunate because it was really good. I used Japanese eggplant, which I sauteed in some oil. I looked at several recipes for cooking Japanese eggplant, so I think I used a combination of rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and chili sauce, since a number of recipes contain those ingredients.

Ingredients:
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
* 5 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger, divided
* 1 garlic clove, pressed
* 1 1 1/2-pound flank steak
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 3 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
* 2 red jalapeños, thinly sliced into rounds
* 5 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage (about 9 ounces)
* 3/4 cup chopped green onions, divided

Directions:
Mix soy sauce, oil, 3 teaspoons ginger, and garlic in resealable plastic bag. Add flank steak and seal bag; turn to coat. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes, turning occasionally.

Stir sugar and vinegar in small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves; remove from heat. Add jalapeños and remaining 2 teaspoons ginger. Place cabbage and 1/2 cup green onions in medium bowl.

Pour vinegar mixture over and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Let stand while grilling steak, tossing occasionally. Sprinkle 1/4 cup green onions over slaw.

Peanut Noodles with Bok Choy

I haven't posted any of the things I've cooked since October, I guess because I've been too busy doing wedding stuff all the time. I can't remember half of the recipes, but I'm posting them anyway just to keep track.

This is from a recipe on epicurious. I remember this was just ok. It was supposed to be served room temperature, but we wanted it hot so I heated it up again before serving. I think that made it a lot better, but since it was kind of a hassle to make and had a lot of ingredients, I don't know if I would make this again.

Ingredients:

* 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
* 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
* 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
* 2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
* 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel
* 1 tablespoon soy sauce
* 2 garlic cloves, peeled
* 1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lime peel
* 2 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper, divided
* 1/3 cup canola oil
* 8 ounces soba noodles
* 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
* 3 cups (loosely packed) mixed baby greens
* 2 heads of baby bok choy, cored, thinly sliced crosswise
* 1 English hothouse cucumber, cut into matchstick-size strips
* 3 green onions, cut into matchstick-size strips
* 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro plus sprigs for garnish
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
* Salted roasted peanuts

Directions:

Puree first 9 ingredients and 1 teaspoon red pepper in blender until smooth. With machine running, gradually add canola oil through opening in lid. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before continuing.

Cook soba noodles in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Rinse with cold water; drain well. Using kitchen shears, cut noodles crosswise in 2 to 3 places. Drizzle noodles in strainer with sesame oil and toss to coat.

Place greens, bok choy, cucumber, green onions, chopped cilantro, and mint in large bowl. Add 1 teaspoon red pepper, dressing, and noodles; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and peanuts and serve.

Maple Glazed Tuna with Pear and Potato Salad

I made this last night, so I'm caught up with posting. I thought the tuna was just ok, but we both thought the potato pear thing was good and unusual. Next time I'll only buy one tuna steak so we can share it and not eat so much.

Tuna Ingredients:
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons maple syrup (see Tip)
Juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup olive oil
Four 6-ounce tuna fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cilantro sprigs

Directions:
1. Whisk together the mustard, maple syrup, lime juice, and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Set aside.
2. Season the tuna on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the tuna and cook for 30 seconds on each side.
3. Remove from the pan and brush both sides of the tuna with the maple-mustard glaze. Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with the cilantro. Serve with the pear-potato salad.

Potato Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters or 1/2-inch pieces
2 Bosc pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup blanched almonds, roughly chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup shredded baby spinach

Directions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the potatoes and sauté until golden, about 12 minutes. Add the pears, onion, garlic, almonds, and curry powder and sauté for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Toss with the lemon juice and spinach.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

I made this salad to eat for lunch last week. It doesn't look so good in the picture I finally remembered to take one day at lunchtime. It was pretty tasty though and I would make it again.

Ingredients:
1 package chicken tenders
salt, pepper
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 can artichoke hearts, halved
1/4 cup kalamata olives, quartered
1 can hearts of palm, sliced
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, quartered
3 tbsp pesto
toasted pine nuts
crumbled feta cheese

Directions:
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Check to make sure they are cooked through, and cut into cubes. Cook quinoa according to package directions. Meanwhile cut all vegetables. Mix vegetable with cooked quinoa. Add in chicken, nuts, and pesto. Top with feta cheese and serve.

Grilled Lamb Shoulder with Roasted Carrots

I wanted to make lamb chops, but I couldn't get enough so I ended up buying lamb arm shoulder chops. They are supposed to be a flavorful and cheaper cut compared to a regular loin chop. I marinated them and then Blake grilled them. We ate it with some roasted carrots and the leftover cauliflower.

Lamb Marinade:
salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Marinade lamb for as long as possible, but remove from the refrigerator for the last 30 minutes.

Carrots:
Split lengthwise. Season with olive oil, salt, pepper, and italian seasoning. Roast at 400 for about 30 minutes.

Roasted Tomatoes and Cauliflower Gratin

I'm pretty sure I made these as side dishes to go with steak that Blake grilled. I didn't take a picture of the whole meal though. Blake didn't love the tomatoes, which I should have anticipated but I liked them and we both loved the cauliflower. I think I used this recipe as a suggestion for that.

Tomato Ingredients:
Vine tomatoes
Salt, pepper, Italian seasoning
olive oil

Directions:
Toss tomatoes in oil and seasoning. Pop into 400 degree oven and roast until puckered about 30 minutes.

Cauliflower Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 1/2 cups milk
salt, pepper
breadcrumbs
1 cup cheddar cheese
1 cup gruyere
parmesan
2 tbsp flour

Directions:
Heat the cauliflower, milk, flour and salt together over medium heat. When the cauliflower is softened and the mixture is thickened, slowly stir in cheeses, except for parmesan. Season to taste. Pour into greased casserole dish. Top with breadcrumbs and parmesan and bake at 400 for about 30 minutes or until browned and bubbling.

Beet Salad with Feta

Blake got an Ipad for the second time and I added a bunch of recipes on epicurious to his favorites with their app. Now he emails me what he wants me to make. I followed this one exactly but the rhubarb was nasty so we picked it out. It was a pretty weird idea. Otherwise the salad was good. I think I bought 7 beets and it was way too much. I used the extra beets up in a pasta the next night, which was tasty, but turned pink from the beets. I don't think I took a picture of it, because it did not look appetizing, but the recipe also came from epicurious.

# 8 2- to 2 1/2-inch-diameter red or yellow beets, 4 of each color if available
# 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
# Coarse kosher salt
# 3 cups water
# 1/2 cup sugar
# 1 pound trimmed rhubarb stalks, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices
# 3 large oranges
# 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
# 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
# 1 tablespoon minced shallot
# 1 teaspoon honey
# 3 cups watercress sprigs
# 1 1/4 cups coarsely crumbled feta cheese (about one 7-ounce package)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Place beets on large sheet of foil. Wrap beets in foil. Roast beets until tender when pierced with fork, about 1 hour. Unwrap and cool beets. Peel, then cut each into 8 wedges.

Bring 3 cups water, 1/2 cup sugar, and pinch of coarse salt to simmer in large saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add rhubarb. Simmer over medium heat until just tender but still intact, 1 to 2 minutes (do not overcook or rhubarb will be mushy). Using slotted spoon, transfer rhubarb to platter and cool completely. DO AHEAD: Beets and rhubarb can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.

Finely grate enough peel from 1 orange to measure 1/2 teaspoon; transfer to small bowl and reserve for dressing. Cut off peel and white pith from all oranges. Working over medium bowl to catch juice and using small sharp knife, cut between membranes to release orange segments into bowl; squeeze membranes to release juice into bowl. Transfer 2 tablespoons orange juice to bowl with orange peel. Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, shallot, honey, and remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil into bowl with orange peel and orange juice mixture. Season dressing with coarse salt and pepper.

Arrange watercress, beets, rhubarb, and orange segments on 6 plates. Sprinkle with feta and drizzle with dressing.

Pasta for leftover beets

# 1/3 cup pine nuts
# 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
# 2 large onions, quartered lengthwise through root end, sliced crosswise (about 4 cups)
# 3 garlic cloves, minced
# 2 bunches 2-inch-diameter golden beets with fresh healthy greens; beets peeled, each cut into 8 wedges, greens cut into 1-inch-wide strips
# 12 ounces farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
# 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving

Heat heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add pine nuts and stir until lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer to small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons oil and onions to same skillet and sauté until beginning to soften and turn golden, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to sauté until onions are tender and browned, about 30 minutes longer. Add garlic and stir 2 minutes. Scatter beet greens over onions. Drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons oil over; cover and cook until beet greens are tender, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook beets in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer beets to medium bowl. Return water to boil. Add pasta to beet cooking liquid and cook until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.

Stir onion-greens mixture and beets into pasta. Add pasta cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls to moisten. Season with salt and coarsely ground black pepper. Stir in 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Divide pasta among shallow bowls. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve, passing additional cheese.

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

It seems like I've been making a lot of chicken, but I remember us grilling a lot of steak. Since that's Blake thing I don't take pictures of it. This was tasty and good as leftovers that I took to school all week. I looked at a couple recipes (here's one, and here's another) but then I pretty much made it up. It's been a while so I don't quite remember what kind of soups I used (I don't think I used mushroom) and I don't remember exactly what I did. I'm kind of guessing with the directions now... I served it with a simple green salad and some frozen garlic bread sticks that were not so great.

Ingredients:
1 package chicken breast, cooked and cubed
1 bag egg noodle
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 can chicken broth
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt n Pepper to taste
unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
milk (how much?)
1/2 cup coarsely grated Gruyère cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces)
1 cup coarsely crushed crackers

Directions:
Melt the butter in a pan and sautee the onion until soft. Meanwhile, boil water and cook noodles according to package instructions. Add in the soups and the chicken broth. Heat until well incorporated. Whisk flour with milk and add to the soup mixture to thicken it. When thickened, add in cubed chicken and heat through. Then add in shredded cheddar and gruyere. Grease a casserole dish with butter and preheat oven to 350. Drain noodles and stir into sauce mixture. Pour into casserole dish. Top with crushed crackers and a little more shredded cheese and bake until golden brown and bubbly. Let set before cutting and serving.

No Mayo Avocado Chicken Salad

I really liked this recipe which I followed off of a blog I saw on foodgawker. I just used about 2 cups of chicken from a precooked chicken I bought at the store. I ate it for lunch for a few days, stuffed in pita bread.

Ingredients

2 cups diced cooked chicken breasts (use cold)
1 small red onion, diced
1 small green apple, diced
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 avocado, mashed
2 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
2 pita pockets, halved

1. In a bowl, combine the yogurt, avocado, red onion, apple, and salt and pepper to taste. Add lemon juice and stir to coat evenly.
2. Add the cooled chicken to mixture, Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
3. Spoon into pita pockets and serve with extra toppings like tomatoes, lettuce, sprouts or cheese!

Chicken with Mushroom and Artichoke in White Wine sauce

I found this recipe on Annie's Eats blog in an effort to make something healthy yet tasty. I think I liked this recipe. I made a stuffed Provencal tomato to go with it which we both really liked. I just cooked a little onion and garlic and mixed it with oil, breadcrumb, and parmesan and then stuffed and baked the tomatoes til they looked brown and done. I didn't really use a recipe for that. I also served it with some Uncle Ben's minute wild rice.

Ingredients:
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. herbes de provence (or a combination of other dried herbs such as basil, parsley, oregano, thyme)
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (2 chicken breasts total)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
2 cups sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 (14 oz.) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup chicken broth
Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Minced fresh parsley, for serving

Directions:
In a pie plate or shallow dish, combine the flour, dried herbs, salt and pepper and stir with a fork to blend. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture. Using tongs, coat the chicken breast halves in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess.

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 8-10 minutes, turning halfway through cooking. Remove the chicken to a plate; cover and keep warm.

Add the butter to the pan and warm until melted. Add the mushrooms and artichokes to the pan and cook until most of the liquid is released from the mushrooms and the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

In a liquid measuring cup, combine the white wine, chicken broth, and reserved tablespoon of flour; whisk until smooth. Add the mixture to the skillet, cooking until it is warm and slightly thickened. Return the chicken to the pan to warm through and cover with sauce. Serve the chicken with sauce spooned over the top, and garnish with grated Parmesan and fresh parsley as desired.

Chicken Shitake Manicotti

I haven't posted anything I've made in a while. Things have been crazy since Blake and I got engaged and I've been spending much more of my computer time looking at wedding stuff. So I'm just going to post what I have even though I probably don't remember too much about it anymore.

I found this recipe on foodgawker, as usual. I think I pretty much followed the recipe. Mine came out a little thicker than I think I would have liked. It made a lot and I ate it for lunch for a few days though and it was good as leftovers. I served it with some crusty bread and green salad.

Preparation:
Olive oil
1 head garlic
1 cup dried shitake mushrooms
Boiling water

Manicotti:
6 manicotti, cooked to al dente
1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
1 large green onion, sliced, greens reserved
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp parmesan cheese, grated
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
¼ tsp each salt and black pepper

Sauce:
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp white whole wheat flour
1 cup milk
2 tbsp parmesan, grated
¼ tsp each salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Slice off the top third of your garlic head, place it cut side up on a piece of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap in the foil and bake for about 45 minutes or until soft. Set it aside to cool.

Place the mushrooms in a bowl and cover with hot water. Allow to sit for about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and reserve the water for stock. Gently dry the mushrooms and then roughly dice. Reserve about a 1/ 4 cup for the sauce.

Heat about 1 tbsp of olive oil in a skillet and add the onion and garlic, cook for 1 minute then add the mushrooms, chicken and water. Cook for about 5 more minutes until everything is heated through. Stir in the parmesan, ricotta, salt and pepper. Set aside and allow to cool so that you can handle the filling.

In a sauce pan create a roux by melting the butter over medium heat, and then whisk in the flour to form a paste. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly whisk in the milk. Whisk constantly to smooth out any clumps. Return to the heat, still whisking, and allow the sauce to thicken to your desired consistency. It should coat the back of a spoon when it is ready.

Remove the pan from the heat and squeeze in the roasted garlic cloves (careful not to let any of the skins to fall in), parmesan, salt and pepper and whisk until smooth. Stir in the reserved mushrooms.

Spread 2 tbsp of the sauce in the bottom of a casserole dish. Divide the filling into six equal parts and fill each manicotti shell by hand or with a spoon. Place each shell in the baking dish, and then pour the remaining sauce over the top.

Bake for about 15 minutes until the sauce is bubbling. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 3 to 5 minutes. Then serve and garnish with the reserved onion greens, or scallions. Serves 2 to 3 people.