Israeli Couscous Pilaf

Here is the recipe for Israeli couscous that makes a great side dish with the Mediterranean Salmon:

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cups Israeli couscous
1 3/4 cups chicken stock
salt + freshly ground pepper
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 plum tomatoes, finely diced
1 Tbsp coarsely chopped parsley

1. In a large sauce pan over medium heat, add olive oil, heat till a shimmer appears, then add onion and saute until translucent.
2. Add couscous and stir until coated with olive oil. Saute until slightly golden, about 1 minute.
3. Add chicken stock, cover the pan, and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes.
4. Season with salt and pepper. Add lemon juice, tomatoes, and parsley, and serve.

MEDITERRANEAN STYLE POACHED SALMON

OK--this is Mom's first post on a blog--EVER!! But I got this great recipe from a cooking class that I held in my home early in November. The chef was Mary Spencer, who is well-known in the Northville/Novi/Plymouth area. Mary's daughter, Allie, and Jane played soccer together back in grade school. We always had amazing end-of-season soccer parties, because Mary and her husband Bill cooked for us!

I asked Mary for a healthy main course, and this is what she made for us. It's super easy, super fast, and tastes amazing. You can use any seafood--it would be great with tilapia!

1Tbsp olive oil
1-1/2 Tbsp. minced shallot
1Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup white wine
1-1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cup marina sauce (Mary uses Trader Joe's tomato basil sauce)
1 Tbsp. capers
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped

1. Heat olive oil in a pan with a lid and add the shallots and garlic. Cook, stirring for one minute. Add the red pepper flakes and wine and cook 3-5 minutes. Add the chicken stock, marinara sauce, capers and olives. heat to simmer, and cook about 5 minutes.

2. Season salmon with salt and pepper and lay in pan on sauce. Bring back to simmer and cover pan. Continue cooking for about 7-9 minutes until fish is just cooked through. (Hint from Mary--If you slide a spatula under half of a filet and it starts to break along the muscle fibers, the fish is done!)

Tonkatsu Pork with Brussel sprout hash

Tonkatsu pork is basically an asian-style pork cutlet, tenderized (with the back of my santoku knife, cris-cross style, once through with parallel hits then again with hits perpendicular to the first ones) and floured/egged/panko-ed then sauteed in some canola oil.

The tonkatsu sauce is the best part.  It is basically ketchup mixed with worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, and dry mustard.  It makes a great dipping sauce for the pork.

For the brussel sprout hash, I now declare brussel sprouts as my favorite vegetable.  So good.  Sauteed them in some olive oil with salt, then added diced sweet potato and cooked that until both were softened.  Tossed some garlic powder and salt on them and done! Nom.

First Quiche Everrrrrrr

 As the title suggests, I made my first quiche ever.

My mom used to make quiche and I love those little appetizer quiches that are at parties and stuff, but I didn't realize how easy it is to make!

I had a pie crust to use, and I caramelized onions and added broccoli with garlic and salt, then put the veggies in the pie crusted pan. I couldn't find my pie pan so I made square quiche haha.

Next was the mozzarella cheese.  I ran out of that so I added mexican blend cheese on top of the veggies.

Next I mixed 4 eggs worth of egg white starter (I wasn't sure if it would turn out too runny, but it worked just fine!) and 1.5 cups of milk and poured it over everything and baked it for 30 minutes at 350F.  NOM.

Take-out Chinese? Made-in Chinese!

Ha.

Crab rangoon from this recipe: Crab Rangoon

Basically we used Krab instead of crab...haha fake crab!
But everything else the same, and they turned out AMAZING.

Kevin made his sweet chili sauce composed of the Huy Fong Foods Chili Garlic sauce (Rooster brand!), honey, and soy sauce.

Next up is beef chow mein from this recipe: Beef Chow Mein

I used julienned carrots, sliced mushrooms, water chestnuts, and broccoli with these noodles: nasyoa asian style noodles (Nasoya brand) which was exactly like eating those thick lo mein noodles which were delicious! Way better than using spaghetti haha.

It was so simple, just added oyster sauce and some soy sauce and it was so good! (I didn't add the water the recipe told me to and it turned out just fine)

NY Strip Steaks a la Kevin

New York strip steaks cooked to perfection with steamed asparagus and mashed potatoes with a mushroom marsala type sauce on top! So good!

With Delirium Tremens and Whole Foods hard cider too!

Scalloped potato crusted tilapia and halibut

I mandoline sliced potatoes and Kevin made potato "scales" for the fish, and crisped them up in a frying pan before baking them.  We also baked a sweet potato and tossed our favorite salad of spinach and apples with a balsamic vinaigrette.  I was bored and so I made crispy chips out of the remaining sliced potato and topped the salad with them. NOM.  The fishies were topped off with a citrus beurre blanc sauce. Extra NOM!


Crispy scales!

Finished product!
 

Sweet potato and Apple dominoes!

Nom. Used a mandoline again. Basically the same recipe as the regular domino potatoes but with sweet potatoes and apples! Topped with butter and some brown sugar and baked for 1 hr at 375.

More Pizzaaaa

I decided to make a cornmeal pizza crust this time.  Very simple:
- 1/2 cup corn meal
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 T olive oil
Knead for 5 minutes and spread out on a baking sheet, top with whatever you want.

It was heavier but still good.  Had an onion and some chicken so I thought BBQ chicken pizza!  Caramelized onions of course...(I don't like onions that still have a crunch)

Pre-baked the dough for a few minutes, threw some Sweet Baby Rays on it, then topped it with the chicken and onions, then cheese.  Baked it for 10 minutes more to melt the cheese.

Then I drizzled some more BBQ sauce on it. =)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I can't find the recipe I used to make these, but Fall is my favorite season and I love apple picking and pumpkin carving/seeds/pie/anything.

So you just get the picture, but a lot of the recipes I found were pretty much exactly like what I used. =)

P-I-Z-Z-A, Pizza Pizza Everyday!

So, I really wanted pizza last night, so after we went grocery shopping and all got SO MUCH FOOD (yay!), I made a caramelized onion pizza. (Not pictured here because I forgot to take a picture, but I can promise you, it looked nothing like this...my dough always looks much more misshapen. Haha.)

The dough was so easy and turned out great, so I thought I'd post it here:

1 packet (0.25oz) of yeast

1 tsp of sugar

1 cup warm water

After 8-10 minutes, add 2 1/2 cups of flour, 1 tsp of salt and 2 Tbs of olive oil.

Knead for 5 minutes, and let sit for however long (I only let it sit for like 15 minutes, and it still turned out good).

Pre-bake for 5 minutes, then I topped with sauce and the caramelized onions and slices of buffalo mozzarella. NOM

Chicken Marsala

My first post!

So it was a Wednesday and I had a fair amount of work to do... so I made dinner with Jane instead!

I had picked up some mushrooms and fresh herbs at the grocery store the other day so I thought I'd give chicken marsala a try. I was also feeling creative earlier in the day and threw together a batch of chicken meatballs that we also had with the marsala.

The meatballs were super easy. Mix the following ingredients by hand, roll into meatballs, and bake at 400° F for 15 minutes:

• 10 oz. ground chicken
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp. parmesan cheese
• Progresso Italian bread crumbs
• Italian Seasoning Mix (parsley, basil, oregano, thyme)
• Salt and Pepper to taste

For the chicken, I used Emeril's recipe. Jane and I split up the prepping and cooking duties. It was also pretty easy. Served over some linguine and paired with a nice chianti, it was a fantastic distraction from our work!

Quick and dirty Japanese Dinner!

Not wanting to make anything that takes too long, this is my quick go-to for days when I need food FAST and nom-able... Pan fried salmon with a ginger eel sauce, basmati rice with seaweed and toasted sesame seeds and of my fav, Spinach Horense Go-mae which is blanched spinach with a mirin miso dressing topped with toasted sesame seeds! Sorry Jane, my presentation and photography skills can't match up to yours!

Tilapia and brussel sprout hash

Kevin and I collaborated on another dish!  He baked some tilapia and flaked it onto a bed of greens, then topped it with a soy orange glaze.  I sauteed some brussel sprouts and diced potatoes with salt, pepper and garlic.  Kevin finished the plate off with some garlic bread. Nom!

Domino potatoes and buffalo

Super excited to make these domino potatoes!  Cut potatoes into large rectangles, then used a mandoline to thinly slice the potatoes and then sort of shuffled them like cards and placed them in a baking tray like dominos.  Topped them with butter and baked at 425 deg for 40 minutes.  I'm going to try this with my sweet potatoes too.  Nom.

Easy french onion soup:  carmelize onions in a saute pan and then toss in a saucepan of beef broth and simmer for a while (20-30 minutes), and then top with crusty bread and cheese!

Rubbed salt and pepper on two 5oz buffalo steaks and grilled them, topping them with an easy red wine sauce.  The sauce started with a roux of butter and flour, then 3/4 c of red wine, simmering until most of the alcohol boiled off, and then about 1 c of beef broth.

Roommate dinner!

After Crystal City's Wine and Jazz fest (aka all you can drink wine for $20) I eked out some bruschetta and Amie made baked ziti!  (We were too hungry to take picture of that though)

Cornish hens and ratatouille!

No, we also didn't watch the movie. But I love that movie!

Had a rub of thyme, sage and rosemary on the cornish hens and Kevin made some ratatouille with yellow and green zucchini, red peppers, eggplants, onions and tomatoes with garlic and thyme.  I made some mashed sweet  potatoes with salt, pepper, garlic and a little touch of sugar.

Added French bread and French wine. Haha. Nom! Perfect after a long week of exams and clinic and blah. =)

Yay For Everyoneee!!!

Okay, so now this is a collaborative food blog instead of just my nomming. =)

Also since you all probably don't know each other, I'll vaguely introduce everyone (I'm bad with introductions).

Here's everyone who is on the blog (or was invited and hopefully will join soon!) and how I know them:

- Me:  I am me.

- Kevin:  In the GWU DPT program w/ me. Also goes on dates w/ me sometimes. =)

- Jeff:  Also in the GWU DPT program w/ me!

- Matt:  Went to Michigan with me and pushed me off sidewalks into bushes.

- Mike:  Went to elementary/middle/high school, and college together!

- Katie:  COUSINS! (and Sachs Waldman law firm co-workers)

- Andrea:  Worked at Probility Physical Therapy in Ann Arbor together!

- Rob:  Michigan buddies from freshman year!

- Nodair:  Also in the GWU DPT program w/ me!


In your first post, you can say where you live, and some stuff about yourself. If you want. And foodstuffs.

Okay, back to studying...

Tilapia + Salads!

Kevin and I collaborated on a dish! (Rare occurrence since each of us usually ends up taking control in our respective kitchens)

Kevin lightly floured and sauteed the tilapia and made some ramen.  I added the ramen noodles to sauteed cabbage with a splash of soy sauce, ginger, and garlic for a noodle salad of sorts and then cut up an apple matchstick style and tossed it with spinach and a pear vinaigrette that Kevin whipped up.

Yay teamwork!

Cali edition: subway party sub-esque

Nothin' fancy but so delicious. And it looked too good to not post. Giant french bread surrounding turkey, ham, lettuce, tomato and spicy hot mayo, sliced party sub style and eaten party sub style on the beach (everything falling out the sides haha).

Cali edition: bbq'd shrimp pasta

Marinated some raw shrimp in olive oil, garlic salt and pepper then skewered them and grilled them along with fresh green beans marinated in olive oil, lemon juice salt and pepper.

Tossed the shrimp with whole grain pasta a la Nate and a light lemon butter sauce and topped it with a few green beans.

Cali edition: brownie cookie sundaes

Wanted brownies, settled for brownie cookies made with leftover chocolate from the beach bbq and s'mores (always nom).
Threw two in a bowl with ice cream, hot fudge and pecans on top. Sooooo good.

I think this is the recipe we used: http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/desserts/brownie-cookies-2/

Cali edition: pizza on the grill

Made some dough, spent some dough (at Target while the other dough was rising ha ha), then came back to grill pizza! It was a lot simpler than I thought, and really quick. And the dough didn't fall through the grates like I thought it would.

1. Brush the top of the tossed dough with olive oil, flip it on the grill (medium-high to high) oil side down and brush the other side with olive oil and them close the grill for about 2 minutes or so and then flip.

2. Once you flip the dough, quickly top the pizza and then close the grill for another 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted and the bottom of the crust is crisp with some grill marks.

We topped one pizza with pizza sauce, fresh tomato, basil and mozzarella.  The other with caramelized onions, pears and mozzarella.  Nom!

Cali edition: poolside potato salad

While waiting for Annie to get off work, Nate and I were poolside at their apartment with margaritas and this potato salad: roasted potatoes, fresh raw green beans, tomatoes, sour cream, garlic, salt, pepper and basil.

Brunch in Cali

Giant French toast with Michigan maple syrup and pecans. Plus some "freaky melon" as nate described it. Haha.

Cleaning out the fridge/Carb loading for the Boomerang bus!

So since break is coming up and I'll be gone for 2 weeks, Lola and I cleaned out the fridge and I threw together what we had left.

Made 2 pastas:
- One with sauteed ground beef with italian herbs and Rao's marinara sauce and fresh mozzarella
- The other just tossed with egg

Diced up grape tomatoes and mozzarella and tossed that with a balsamic glaze and stuffed the chicken breasts with it and baked them, topping them off with a drizzle of balsamic.

(Napkin art by Kevin)

Sushiiiii

Hahah, I stumbled upon this game...and it was hilarious! Sushi Cat 2.

Anyhow, we made sushi at Nod's place (Lola, Jeff and I were the first people from PT2013 to visit the house of Nod!).

We tempura-ed shrimp and asparagus, and halfway through Nod found an egg that he forgot to add to the batter. Still turned out good!

Made many maki haha:

- Spicy tuna with avocado

- Salmon and cream cheese

- California

- Tempura shrimp and cucumber with eel sauce

- Spicy tuna and salmon with cucumber

- Spicy tuna with tempura asparagus

- Cucumber avocado

Nod wanted to try deep fried ice cream...video attempt and failure here. Loud laughter ensues, and our dessert adventure ends in regular ice cream with cinnamon and Kahlua which is DELICIOUS.

Kevin makes more steak!

Since Kevin has so much steak in his freezer, we had it again! Nom.

Steak cooked a perfect medium rare with pasta, cherry tomatoes and a balsamic glaze with French bread on the side.

Oven-fried chicken!

Used a mix of all of the non sugar cereals in my little variety pack to make the crispy coating (corn flakes, special k, and rice krispies haha), along with salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper. Marinated the chicken thighs and legs (after much work cleaning and separating them...grr) in buttermilk and minced garlic before coating them and baking then for 40 minutes.
Hard work, but so worth it. Nom.

Kevin makes steak!

New York strip steaks with caramelized onions, a side of sauteed button mushrooms and peppers with pasta and a delicious sauce over it all. Nom!

Nom-tastic Nectarine Caprese

Sliced nectarines, torn mozzarella di bufala, and fresh basil chiffonade with balsamic glaze drizzled on top. Sliced grape tomatoes on the side, for a little traditional-ness. NOM.

(I like cheese. So what if there's a lot of it on the plate...)

Asian-style veggies and garlic nom (naan)

Used the leftover diced mushrooms, onions, water chestnuts and cabbage to saute with soy sauce, chili garlic sauce and some brown sugar.  Also added diced red peppers.

Baked some garlic naan. Was going to make an Olga's style pita but decided it might be too messy, so I ate them separately but together. Still NOM.

Nom: Steamed Dumplings!

Used my bamboo steamer for the first time and I love it! It made making dumplings super easy.


1. Dice mushrooms, cabbage, water chestnuts, and onions.
2. Mix vegetables with pork, soy sauce, and sesame oil.
3. Fill wontons.
4. Steam wontons in batches of 14ish.


Kevin brought over some chili garlic honey sauce for dipping the dumplings and the baked crab rangoons I made earlier. NOM.

Nom-sparagus pasta with lemon and goat cheese!

Boiled mini farfelle pasta and added asparagus for the last 3 minutes.
I tossed that with olive oil, lemon juice and creamy goat cheese.
I added garlic sauteed mushrooms and diced chicken too. NOM.