[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] 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] Field Salad with Snow Peas, Grapes, and Feta

I love the grape and feta cheese in this salad. Such a perfect combination with the balsamic dressing. The snow peas added some crunch to the salad, but I would enjoy the salad just as much with or without it.


Field Salad with Snow Peas, Grapes, and Feta
The sweetness of fresh snow peas and grapes is balanced perfectly by sharp feta in this crisp green salad.

5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (the web version recipe used white wine vinegar)
5 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 cups gourmet salad greens
2 cups snow peas, trimmed and cut lengthwise into thin strips
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

[Cook] Spring Brunch

Instead of going out to eat, I made Eastern brunch at home! I got Wine, Food & Friends by Karen MacNeil at Border's bargain bin for only $5 (original price $25!). The recipes in the book all came from Cooking Light Magazine. Ms. MacNeil basically put the menu together, and suggested wines to pair with the menu.


Field Salad / Frittata / Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

The Spring Brunch menu includes

* Field Salad with Snow Peas, Grapes, and Feta

* Frittata with Spinach, Potatoes, and Leeks

* Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

* Strawberry-Almond Cream Tart

[Cook] Greek Salad

This Greek Salad recipe came from Rouxbe. It's a great recipe to make to practice chopping skill. This is not your typical Greek salad with lettuce, olive, and feta cheese. This is a REAL Greek salad with no lettuce, but bunch of other crunchy vegetables. It is seriously the best Greek salad I've ever had!


Greek Salad

The vegetables used were cucumber, green pepper, red pepper, yellow pepper, red onion, tomato, kalamata olives, parsley, and basil. Lots of flavor. And of course the must for Greek salad, Feta cheese.

[Cook] Baked Sweet Potato Salad

我很喜歡吃烤蕃薯，超級懷念台灣那種騎著腳踏車賣烤蕃薯的老爺爺，記得小時候十元就可以買到一大顆用報紙包著香噴噴熱呼呼的烤蕃薯，現在在美國，只能自己用烤箱烤蕃薯來吃囉！



烤蕃薯沙拉 Baked Sweet Potato Salad

材料:
4顆蕃薯
3大匙香菜末
1顆萊姆的汁
2/3原味優格
1顆紅椒，切丁
3根芹菜，切丁
1/4顆紅洋蔥，切丁
1根紅辣椒，切丁(如果怕辣可以不加)
鹽
胡椒

[Cook] Cream Cheese Pasta Meal

大家應該都還熟悉凱薩沙拉，但是這是用魚露調出來的泰式風味醬汁，另外我還灑上了自己喜歡的羊乳酪(goat cheese)，吃起來別有一番風味！開胃蝦的醬料很好吃喔！我覺得用來抹在三明治中應該也不錯吃！起司麵做法真的超級簡單的，而且材料也很少，可是成果的味道卻是異常的好吃，我常常做這道給朋友吃，吃過的朋友會念念不忘呢！還曾經有朋友半夜打電話來跟我說他肚子餓然後一直想著這道起司麵呢！哈哈！



泰式凱薩沙拉 Thai Caeser Salad

材料:
2大匙魚露
1大匙檸檬汁
1小匙蒜末
1/2小匙胡椒
3大匙橄欖油
4人份生菜
帕爾馬起司粉 (Parmesan cheese)

[Cook] Lemongrass Chicken & Thousand Year Old Egg Tofu

一道菜辣辣的, 一道菜很爽口, 搭配起來很不錯喔!



香茅辣雞

材料:
1大匙油
3瓣大蒜, 切末
1根香茅, 切末 (Lemon Grass)
1/4杯辣椒醬
1大匙魚露
1顆洋蔥, 切小塊
1磅雞胸肉, 切成條狀
2根蔥, 切末

[Cook] Balsamic Vinegar Italian Meal

這次menu很義大利風喔！只要30分鐘，感覺就像在義大利用餐一樣喔！再搭配一杯紅酒，會不會太浪漫了點？！

迷迭香雞 (Rosemary Chicken Breasts)

材料：
4塊去骨去皮的雞胸肉
2大匙香醋 (Balsamic vinegar)
2大匙橄欖油
3梗迷迭香，去梗只留葉，切碎，約2大匙
鹽
胡椒
4瓣大蒜，拍碎

[Cook] A Thai Meal

今天的菜色是走泰式風格，泰國菜的特色就是酸酸辣辣的，其實泰國菜並不難做，不一定要上餐廳也能在家享受泰國風的一餐喔！

泰式牛肉沙拉 Thai Beef Salad (Yam Nuea)

材料：
1磅牛排
1/4杯萊姆汁
2大匙魚露
2大匙紅辣椒切末 (不吃辣可省略)
3瓣蒜頭，拍碎
1個洋蔥，切絲 (我個人比較喜歡用紅洋蔥，因為比較不辣)
1個小黃瓜，切薄片
2大匙香菜，切末
3根蔥，切末