Bibimbap & Babies

January 17, 2018

IMG_1288Well, it’s been almost a year since I last posted, my bad. Turns out, growing spawn that makes you puke your entire first and third trimester while chasing around a toddler doesn’t exactly inspire you to cook. Now that I’ve hatched my latest creature, I have picked the knife back up, and am ready to entertain again. Most of my recipes lately have been on the healthy-ish side because I’m trying to burn off the remaining baby fupa and I somehow thought it would be a wise idea to go to Mexico 3 months post partum. I’ll post plenty of pictures wearing my burka while poolside, grubbing on chicken fingers and margs–get excited. That being said, a lady needs her carb fix every now and then, and since I’m doing dry January**,  I figure a little rice here and there won’t kill me. Enter these bibimbap inspired bowls….forbidden (black) rice topped with chopped veggies, meat and a fried egg. Crawdad and I saw an episode of DDD this weekend where Guy Fieri got some pork dish and it inspired me to make this braised pork. Trim as much of the fat off the pork before braising it so that you don’t end up with greasy meat.

Braised pork 

  • 3.5 lb pork shoulder, trimmed of excess fat, and cut into 3×3 inch cubes
  • 1 c. low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 c. sake
  • 1/4 c. sugar
  • 1/3 c. miso paste (white miso paste is preferable, found in refrigerated section)
  • 2 tbs. ginger paste (found near the herbs)

Whisk all the marinade ingredients and pour over the cubed pork. Go ahead and marinate it in the pan you’ll be cooking it in, marinate in fridge overnight. Bake at 350 for 3 hours then shred into small pieces/chunks with forks. Let it sit in it’s sauce. This recipe makes a ton of leftover pork.

Bibimbap Bowls (serves 2)

  • 1 c. black rice
  • 1 3/4 c. water
  • 2 portobello mushrooms, chopped (you can also use a 6oz. package of baby bellas or white shrooms)
  • 1 tbs. olive oil
  • 1/2 tbs. sesame oil
  • 1/2 seedless cucumber, julienned (Crawford said he would do without this, so if you don’t like cukes, don’t include)
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1/4 c. pork braising liquid (after it’s been cooked)
  • 2 fried eggs
  • however much pork you want in the dish
  • sriracha or sambal chile paste for heat
  • cilantro, for garnish
  1. Combine water and rice and bring to a boil. Once it’s boiling, lower to simmer and cover, cooking for 25 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Remove lid and let it sit until you assemble.
  2. Saute the shrooms in the olive and sesame oils for 10 minutes until the shrooms are browned and cooked. If you want the have the mushrooms separate (like in the photo), remove from the heat. Since you’ll be mixing all the sh*t together anyways, I recommend just mixing the mushrooms and rice together with the sake/miso/soy sauce. If combining, add in the cooked rice and the braising liquid and cook for 5 minutes.
  3. While the rice and mushroom mixture is cooking, fry 2 eggs to your liking.
  4. Once the rice and mushrooms have absorbed the sauce, transfer to two bowls, and top with the pork, green onions and cucumber. Garnish with chopped cilantro and spicy sauce of choice.

I’ll be writing up more recipes with the hope of posting weekly. However, I make no promises since the 2 hours of free time I have a day have been strictly dedicated to re-watching Gossip Girl. Each season has 25 episodes, and I’ve shamefully made it to season 5. I forget how ridiculous and wonderful it is. Plus, I was forced into watching The Killing, which is horribly terrifying, so I like my Upper East Side escape. Makes me forget that I’m covered in other peoples boogers and a human napkin 95% of the time. Kids are great.

 

peace.

 

**by dry January, I mean I had the flu, then was on steroids so I didn’t drink. Until now. Now I am sitting in my bed, on my laptop, obviously watching GG, drinking a glass of wine because one of my kids screamed like they were on fire and the other threatened the push in her brother’s soft spot. And one of them just woke up but I put the monitor on mute because I’m a good mom. She’ll survive…

IMG_1289

Chicken Pad Thai Squoodles

February 10, 2017
close up of the yumminess

close up of the yumminess

It’s ten days into no carbs, no dairy, and I’m dying. My noodle a week habit is the hardest to quit, and I’ve been craving pasta like no other. Well, I’ve been craving any sort of bread product. I’ve had several uncomfortable moments of staring sexually at a loaf of bread, and that awkward encounter at HEB where I just picked up a baguette and sniffed it. I need help. This recipe is legit, and I *almost* tricked myself into thinking I was eating noodles. Almost. If you have Veggie Noodle Company squoodles in your grocery produce section, snag them asap. We have the zucchini, butternut squash and sweet potato ones here–hoping they’ll start carrying the beet squoods  soon.

side view

Butternut Squash “Pad Thai”

  • ½ C. creamy peanut butter
  • ½ C. hot water
  • ¼ C. sambal chili paste
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbs. ginger paste
  • ¼ C. low sodium soy sauce
  • 2 tbs. olive oil
  • 1 package Veggie Noodle Co. Butternut Squash spirals
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 package Asian vegetables
  • 1 lime

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk the first six ingredients together. Reserve half for dressing, and marinate the chicken breast in the other half. Once the chicken has marinated for 15 minutes, place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, flip and bake another 15 minutes. Remove and let it rest for 10 minutes, while you prepare your “noodles” and veggies. I usually use whatever fresh veggies I have left in the fridge (this is a good clean-out-your-fridge recipe), but a bag of Asian frozen vegetables works just as well. If you are using frozen veggies, steam them in the microwave according to the instructions. In a sauté pan, heat olive oil to medium heat and add in the squoodles. Sauté for 5 minutes, add in the vegetables, and cook another 30 seconds, then add in the rest of the sauce. Divide into two bowls, and  top with the chicken and juice of a lime. You can sprinkle on some chopped nuts for crunch (my favorite are wasabi soy almonds).

overhead view

Chimi-Chimi-Coco What? STEAK ‘n Potatoes

February 9, 2017
pls. excuse the shitty pic, was too hungry to snap with a real camera

pls. excuse the shitty pic, was too hungry to snap with a real camera

Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri

  • 2 lb. skirt steak
  • ½ C. red wine vinegar
  • 5 cloves garlic
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 1 tsp. crushed red pepper (less if you prefer less heat, can always add more once you try the sauce)
  • 1 bunch cilantro
  • ½ bunch parsley. Flat leaf is preferred, but our grocery didn’t have, so I used curly
  • 2 tbs. chopped fresh oregano (if you cannot find fresh, use 2 tsp. dried—TEASPOON, not tbs. if dried)
  • 1 c. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. salt

In a food processor, combine all the ingredients except the oil and salt and pulse until herbs are roughly chopped, not completely broken down. Drizzle in the oil slowly, and add salt to taste. In a large bowl or ziplock, marinate the meat in half the chimichurri for at least 2 hours, but up to 24 hours. Heat your grill to high heat, and grill each side for 3 minutes until medium rare. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing and topping with the remaining chimichurri. Top with roasted garlic if wanted.

 

Y’all-also, my recipes are now “shopable” on Recipost, click here to have the ingredients delivered to your doorstep, so legit! Shop the recipe HERE

 

Roasted garlic

  • 2 heads of garlic
  • 2 tbs. olive oil
  • Salt to taste

Take a whole head of garlic and slice off the top third, exposing most of the clove. Drizzle with 1 tbs. olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Wrap in foil and roast at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes. I recommend roasting several heads of garlic at the beginning of the week and having it on hand. I always make at least 2 heads for the steak recipe.

Oven Fries

  • 2 russet potatoes
  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 4 tbs. olive oil
  • 2 tsp. corn starch
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. pepper
  • ½ tsp. cumin
  • ½ tsp. paprika

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all the dry seasonings together and set aside. If you don’t care for those ingredients, make up your own seasoning, or use something you have on hand. Cut the potatoes in to equal sized sticks, I usually do .25” sticks. For the regular potatoes, soak in cold water for 30 minutes to remove excess starch. By doing this, you will get a much crispier fry, while still getting the soft and fluffy center. After 30 minutes, drain the water, and dry the potatoes as well as you can (blot with towels or paper towels). While those are soaking, toss the sweet potatoes with the corn starch, then toss with oil and spices. In a bowl, toss the regular potatoes with 2 tbs. olive oil and half the spice mixture. Place the regular potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (you might need two), making sure that the potatoes don’t touch. Bake, turning every 15 minutes, for 45-50 minutes. The sweet potatoes won’t need quite as much time, so bake, on parchment lined baking sheet, for 30-35 minutes, turning once or twice during cooking.

everything slopped onto the plates

everything slopped onto the plates

Chopped Salad

  • 1 package arugula, chopped
  • 1 package spinach, or mixed greens, chopped
  • 8 slices bacon, cooked
  • 1 large avocado, sliced
  • 1 small container of shaved parmesan
  • 2 tbs. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbs. balsamic glaze (available with the vinegars)

Combine everything together and top with the oil and vinegar. Add salt and pepper as needed.

snap o' salad

snap o’ salad