Browsing Tag

garlic

Tasty

The Easiest Miso Soup

June 18, 2014

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I love a dinner that makes for a great lunch the next day and this soup was an answer to my prayers!  Super easy, quick and VERY delicious!

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Miso Soup 

  • 1 portion of soba noodles (usually about 3 oz)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsp. freshly grated ginger
  • 1 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • dash sesame oil
  • 7 cups water
  • 2 carrots, cut into matchsticks
  • 5 tbsp. white miso paste
  • 1-2 tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1 lb extra firm tofu, cubed
  • 4 cups fresh spinach, sliced
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  • sesame seeds
  1. Cook soba noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside (make sure to run under cool water to stop cooking).
  2. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat and sautee garlic and ginger for about one minute.
  3. Add water and bring to a boil.
  4. Add carrot and boil for about two minutes.
  5. Reduce to a simmer, then add miso and soy sauce and stir.
  6. Add tofu, soba noodles and spinach to pot and stir until spinach is wilted.
  7. Serve soup and top with scallions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

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Tasty

Thai Night

February 17, 2014

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I realized that with all of the sunny winter days California has had these past few months, slow cooking meals haven’t been on my radar.   When the weather took a turn a couple of weeks ago, I was excited to get back in my “winter groove” of crock-pot cooking!  Here as a Thai inspired menu I put together for Sunday dinner:

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Skinny Pina Coladas

  1. Pour rum into a low ball glass with 1 large ice cube.
  2. Top with lime juice, stir and enjoy!

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Crockpot Curried Thai Short Rib Tacos with Mango Salsa

Recipe via Half Baked Harvest 

Short Ribs

  • 3 lbs beef short ribs, seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
  • 1 cup sweet thai chili sauce
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon thai red curry paste
  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce
  • 1 head butter lettuce and/or small tortillas

Mango Salsa

  • 1 mango, diced
  • 1/2 small jalapeño, seeded & diced
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 4 green onions, chopped

Thai Peanut Sauce

  • 1 (14 oz) can lite coconut milk
  • 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon thai red curry paste

Instructions:

  1. Heat olive oil in a heavy bottom pan and brown/sear short ribs over medium-high heat (about 1 minute for each side).
  2. Remove ribs and transfer to the crock-pot bowl.
  3. Add garlic, ginger, sweet thai chili sauce, soy sauce, thai red curry paste and fish sauce to crock-pot bowl/ribs.  Cover and cook on low for 8 hours (5-6 on high). The key is to make sure the meat is falling off of the bones when you remove them.
  4. While the ribs are cooking, make the mango salsa but mixing all the ingredients listed about together in a bowl.  Season to your liking and store in the fridge until ready to serve (I recommend doing this in the morning as well… it will only taste better the longer the flavors can meld).
  5. Make the peanut sauce by heating coconut milk, peanut butter, brown sugar, soy sauce and thai red curry paste in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.  Bring to a low bowl and stir until sugar has dissolved, peanut butter has melted and you are left with a smooth peanut sauce.  Store until you are ready to eat.
  6. Once the ribs are fully cooked, remove from the crock-pot and shred with a fork.  Feel free to put meat back into crock-pot with sauce (if you aren’t a “sauce” person, or like your meat a little drier than you can skip this step).
  7. Serve meat with lettuce (for lettuce cups) or tortillas (for tacos), and top with mango salsa and peanut sauce.
  8. Garnish with chopped peanuts and cilantro.

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Tasty

Sweet Potato Avocado Burger

January 29, 2014

Sweet Potato Patty with Avocado

My husband craves burgers 24/7, but as I’ve gotten older, red meat has become less appealing (gasp I know). Therefore I have been attempting to sneak in “burger substitutes” here and there.  The flavors of this burger were AMAZING and I loved being able to take the patty to work the next day (I topped it with avocado slices drizzled in lime juice and cubed veggies). Garlic Aioli Burger How Sweet It Is is one of my favorite foodie blogs, and this sweet potato burger is right on the money!

Smoky Sweet Potato Burgers with Roasted Garlic Cream and Avocado

Adapted from How Sweet It Is

  • 2 large sweet potatoes/or yams
  • 2 bulbs of roasted garlic
  • 1 – 14.5 oz can cannellini beans (rinsed and drained)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon cumin
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 avocado, sliced
  • 2/3 cup plain greek yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon maple syrup
  • buns – brioche or whole wheat
  1. Pierce the potato with a fork and wrap it in paper towel. Microwave sweet potatoes for 10 minutes (flipping at the 5 minute mark.  Slice in half and scoop out flesh once cool enough to handle.
  2. In a large bowl, coarsely mash beans (a fork will do), then add in sweet potato and mash together.
  3. Add in spices, salt and pepper, minced garlic, egg, panko and flour and mix until well combined.
  4. Place bowl in the fridge for 15-20 minutes, to help set the mixture.
  5. Make your yogurt mixture by combining yogurt, garlic, and maple syrup in a blender until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil.
  7. Remove sweet potato mixture from fridge, and form into 4-6 equal patties.
  8. Place on hot skillet and cook about 5 minutes on each side (until side is golden). Flip and repeat.
  9. Toast buns and top with sweet potato patty. Top with garlic cream and avocado slices… enjoy!

Sweet Potato Burger A great burger alternative when watching the big game this weekend!

Tasty

Lacinato Kale Salad

November 13, 2013

Lacinato Kale Salad

I came across this salad a few months ago and have been addicted ever since.  I can’t believe I haven’t shared it yet, because my routine as of late, has been to go to the farmer’s market and get 3 bunches of kale for $5 and whip up this salad Sunday night for work lunches for the week.

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I love this salad for many reasons… mainly because a. it tastes great, b. it’s easy to make, and c. you can make it days before you eat it (how many salads can you do that for!?).

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So make sure to head on over to MarinMamaCooks.com and check out my favorite salad recipe!  I also like to use ricotta salata instead of Parmesan to mix it up!

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*It is also recommended that you don’t use any paper-like leaves in your salad… so tune in next week to see what you can do with that leftover kale!

Tasty

Girls Love to Brunch

November 6, 2013

Every Sunday I tell myself I am going to wake up and whip up an amazing brunch for the hubby and I, and by the time I work my way down my mental to-do list, I am too overwhelmed… this past weekend though I was excited to put together a brunch that tasted like it took MUCH more time than it did.

Brunch

The key to this meal – the best ingredients you can find.  I went to the farmer’s market at 9am and bought farm fresh eggs, Early Girl tomatoes (that no joke you could smell when walking by their stand… I didn’t even know tomatoes could smell amazing!??!), and Levain rustic bread from the Manresa Bread Project.  By 11am I was home from errand running and was eating this meal by 11:30am… doesn’t get much better than that!

Charred Tomatoes and Toast 

  • 4 Slices Rustic Bread
  • 4 Tomatoes
  • 1 Clove of Garlic, peeled and sliced in half
  • 4 Eggs
  • Salt and pepper
  • Olive Oil
  1. Toast your bread (you could put it in the toaster, but I toasted in in a pan on the stove)
  2. Remove from heat and rub sliced end of garlic on bread.
  3. Brush olive oil on bread.
  4. Slice tomatoes in half (I sliced the ends off too, just because I’m weird about them)
  5. Brush sliced end with olive oil.
  6. Heat a pan over medium heat and once pan is warm place tomato, sliced side down on pan.
  7. Don’t move and let them cook for 3-4 minutes (until charred).
  8. Remove tomatoes from pan and place 2 atop each piece of bread.
  9. Drizzle some olive oil in a pan and crack eggs into pan.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  10. Let eggs cook, undisturbed for 2-3 minutes (until egg white sets)
  11. Remove eggs once finished and place atop tomatoes and toast

Now what is the best thing to wash this meal down with? My easy go to brunch drink – a Michelada Cubana!

Michelada Cubana

Michelada Cubana 

  • 1 Corona 
  • Fresh squeezed lime juice (of 2 limes)
  • 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • 4-5 dashes of Tabasco (or more if you love it really hot)
  1. Rim a glass with lime juice and salt. 
  2. Mix ingredients listed above and pour into glass.

Michelada

*I premixed this drink in a pitcher when I got home and refrigerated it while I was making brunch.  Once the eggs were cooked I poured it into the salt rimmed glass and was good to go!

Cocktail Eggs Brunch