[Cook] Nasu no Agebitashi (Spicy Sweet-and-Sour Eggplant)

This recipe called for Japanese or Chinese eggplants. But I didn't find these at my local supermarket so I just used regular eggplants. Also I didn't deep fry the eggplants as instructed in the recipe. Instead I just used less oil and sauteed them in a wok. This dish tastes good even when it's cold. I didn't think this dish is spicy at all. But it was savory, sweet, and sour all at the same time. The flavor is quite addicting.


Nasu no Agebitashi (Spicy Sweet-and-Sour Eggplant)

[Cook] Hiyayakko (Cold Tofu with Ginger and Green Onions)

This appetizer dish is super easy, and "should" taste good. But somehow the one I made was pretty horrible. It was so bad that I took one bite and the rest ended up in the trash can. The problem was the tofu. I bought all natural soft tofu from Sprouts (it is Sprouts store brand). Somehow this tofu just doesn't have the right flavor and texture. It tasted rough and had a bit sour taste to it. I have no idea why it was sour. The expiration date was 2 weeks away so I don't think the tofu had gone bad. But I will know not to buy tofu from Sprouts again (although it is still my favorite supermarket). I shall try this again with soft silky tofu from an Asian supermarket.


Hiyayakko (Cold Tofu with Ginger and Green Onions)

[Cook] Kabocha Nimono (Sweet Simmered Pumpkin)

It was my first time cooking kabocha pumpkin. I had such a hard time to cut the pumpkin in half. I asked my sister about it. Her tip was to place the pumpkin in the microwave for a few seconds. I shall try that next time. The sweet simmered pumpkin was soft, sweet, and very yummy.


Kabocha Nimono (Sweet Simmered Pumpkin)

[Cook] Inside-out Pizza-dilla Margerita

Super easy and very yummy! Thanks, Rachel Ray.



Inside-out Pizza-dilla Margerita

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), once around the pan, plus more for drizzling
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 pinches red pepper flakes
1 can diced fire-roasted tomatoes (15 ounces), drained
1/4 teaspoon, a couple of pinches, dried oregano
Salt and black pepper
8 flour tortillas (8 inch each)
1 pound ball smoked mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh basil, about 20 leaves, torn or shredded

[Cook] Stuffed Poblanos

This one was a complete failure! I didn't find Poblanos pepper in my supermarket. So I just grabbed some similar looking peppers. This one was sooooo spicy. This whole dish ended up in the trash. *sign*



When I took it out of the oven, I immediately started coughing from the spiciness.... man it was horrible!!

[Cook] Greek Quinoa Burgers

 

This home-made vegetarian burger tasted even better than veggie burgers from restaurants. And it's sooo easy to make!



I served it with simple Greek salad with lettuce, olives, tomatoes, and feta cheese with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.

[Cook] Cheddar Grits with Southwest Black Beans

I woke up this morning at 5:30am to cook because I want to bring home-cooked food to work for lunch. The Cheddar Grits with Southwest Black Beans was so good that waking up that early was all worth it!


Cheddar Grits with Southwest Black Beans

Grits is the same as polenta, I think? This vegetarian meal tasted great, and it was very satisfying. I love how the grits just had a little kick of spiciness with cayenne pepper.

[Cook] Grilled Round Steak Dinner

I bought some round steak from Ralphs. It was labeled as "breakfast style". I think this is the kind of  steak you get when you order "egg and steak" at breakfast joints. The steak was cheap, and it also tasted cheap. The meat was tough even though it was cooked to medium. I didn't like the steak AT ALL! But Dr. P didn't mind it. He still finished the whole plate. What a good husband! haha....


Grilled Round Steak Dinner

To cook the steak, I buttered a hot grilled pan, seasoned the steak with grill seasoning for steak, and grilled each side for about 5 minutes.

[Cook] Turkey Meatloaf

I usually make plan on what to cook for dinner the night before. I'll take a quick look at my fridge, freezer, and pantry, and think about what can I make from what I have. Then I would put the frozen meat in the fridge to defrost. It should be ready by the time I cook for dinner the next day. Last night's creation was turkey meatloaf. The recipe was adapted from Health Magazine, but I made some modifications to use ingredients I had on hand. The meatloaf came out really soft and moist. Success!


Turkey Meatloaf

1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon steak sauce
1/3 cup water
3 tablespoon ketchup
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 cup bread crumb
1 egg

[Cook] Chinese Red Cooked Pork Ribs

There's a great sale on pork spareribs for $1.47/lb. I was able to buy a 5+ lb full rack for only $7.63. My mom makes the best Chinese "red cooked" pork ribs. So I called my mom to get her recipe. Mom told me all the ingredients that goes into the braising sauce, but she wasn't sure about the amount because the way she cooks is by her "feeling" so she never measures anything. I did my best to figure out the correct proportion for everything. It turned out PERFECT! It tastes exactly like my mom's!


Chinese Red Cooked Pork Ribs

I started cooking at 9am. The ribs finished right on time for lunch. This was my version of Memorial Day's salad, ribs, and corn.

[Cook] Homemade Chinese Dinner

This was a Chinese dinner I made at home using what I had in the fridge.



Sauteed shacha beef, shrimp omelette, tofu stir-fry, and pig's ear from 99 Ranch Market.

[Cook] Trader Joe's Bool Kogi & Satay Peanut Stir Fry Vegetables

This another "semi-homemade" easy meal for lazy cook.


Trader Joe's Bool Kogi & Satay Peanut Stir Fry Vegetables

I was doing grocery shopping at Trader Joe's, and tried a sample of their Bool Kogi with the satay peanut veggies at the tasting station. I thought both the meat and vegetable tasted pretty good. So I bought them for dinner that night.

[Cook] Caramelized Onions

One of the practice on "How to Cut Using a Chef's Knife" lesson on Rouxbe is to slice onions. Of course you don't want the onion to go to waste. So there is a recipe to make Caramelized Onions.


Caramelized Onions

It took me two hours to make those Caramelized Onions, but it was well worth it.

[Cook] Sauteed Cabbage

I found this online cooking school called Rouxbe. They had a sample lesson on their website, and I thought it looked great. I showed Dr. P, and he also thought I would learn to become a better cook from the cooking school. He also thought it would benefit him because he will get to eat all the delicious food. He liked the idea so much that he actually bought the one year membership for me as a gift. (Thanks hubby!) My first lesson was learning how to properly use a knife. I practiced on some leftover cabbage from our St. Patrick's Day dinner. Then I made simple Sauteed Cabbage using a recipe on Rouxbe.


Sauteed Cabbage

Because of copyright, I don't think I can post the full recipe with precise measurements here. The dish was made simply with chopped cabbage, butter, salt and pepper. Buttery crisp cabbage tastes pretty good. This would make a great side dish.

[Cook] Spinach Croquettes

冰箱裡面有一把在農夫市場買的新鮮菠菜，另外還剩下一顆也是在農夫市場買的紅洋蔥，那就用這些材料來做個洋蔥菠菜煎餅吧！這個食譜其實應該可以適用任何蔬菜吧！看看家裡冰箱有哪些蔬菜，用這個煎餅的方法都可以料理喔！這個煎餅我覺得小朋友也會很喜歡，尤其是不喜歡吃蔬菜的小朋友，用這個方法料理不錯。


洋蔥菠菜煎餅 Spinach Croquettes

材料：
1把菠菜
1顆洋蔥
2個蛋
1/2杯起司絲(任何種類都可以)
1/2杯麵包粉(Bread crumbs)
橄欖油
鹽
胡椒

[Cook] Potatoes with Peppers and Onions

只要蔬菜切一切，放進烤箱，很快就完成的超級簡易料理，雖然簡易，但是一點都不減美味喔！


烤洋蔥青紅椒馬鈴薯 Potatoes with Peppers and Onions

材料：
大約2磅的馬鈴薯
1顆甜紅椒，切條狀
1顆青椒，切條狀
1顆洋蔥，切粗絲
4顆大蒜，去皮
1小匙紅胡椒粉
3大匙橄欖油
鹽
胡椒

[Cook] Stuffed Portobellos with Tomatos, Rosemary, and Cheese

菇類一直是我最愛的食物之一，不管是任何種類的菇我都愛，香菇蘑菇金針菇，還有這種Portobello大香菇，這個大香菇又大又嫩，煮出來的湯汁有肉的香味，所以很多素食的人都拿這種香菇來當主食，不知道台灣有沒有賣？



迷迭香起司番茄大香菇 Stuffed Portobellos with Tomatos, Rosemary, and Cheese

材料:
2大匙黑醋
1顆檸檬的汁
2小匙伍斯特醬汁(Worcestershire sauce)
2大匙橄欖油
4個大香菇(Portobello Mushrooms)
鹽
胡椒
3顆番茄，切小塊
2枝迷迭香，切碎
4片起司