Category: Cooking

January 27, 2011

Ingredients

• 8 oz. tri-color rotini
• 1 bunch broccoli, cut into florets and stems discarded (about 3 cups)
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• ightly salted cashews or peanuts, optional for serving
• For the sauce:
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 tsp. ginger powder
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tbsp. sesame oil

Directions

1. Bring water to a boil and add the tri-color rotini. Cook until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, cut up the broccoli and red pepper. Place in a covered saucepan with about 1/2 inch of water. Steam over medium-high heat for 7 minutes.
3. In a small food processor (or whisked by hand), combine all ingredients for the sauce. Blend until well mixed.
4. In a large bowl combine the pasta (drained) and broccoli and red paper (also drained). Pour the sauce over the top and stir to combine.

Recipe based on "Szechuan Noodles with Chicken and Broccoli" from Ina Garten

Categories: Cooking

Tags: vegetarian

March 22, 2010

As a busy graduate student, my schedule does not always allow time to make a home cooked meal. In addition, it can be difficult to cook small enough portions for a single bachelor. My solution is to make extra food ahead of time and place some leftovers in the freezer. Some foods freeze well and others do not. Below are some tips I've learned over the years.

• Rice - Cooked rice freezes surprisingly well -- much better than potatoes. Consider substituting rice for potatoes when freezing an entire meal; for example, freeze beef and gravy with rice instead of mashed potatoes.
• Potatoes - Only sweet potatoes (either roasted or mashed) freeze well. Mashed, roasted, or baked white potatoes take on a strange consistency when thawed and are not recommend for freezing.
• Gravy - Gravies vary in how well they freeze depending on their consistency. Thin gravies (which are only slightly thickened) or gravies with high fat content (primarily gravies made from pan drippings) freeze the best. Other gravies can be frozen but may remain partially congealed when thawed and reheated.
• Frozen Vegetables - Make a meal complete by using divided leftover containers and filling one portion with a frozen vegetable. Corn or beans, with a tablespoon of water added, both work well. When reheating the leftovers, the frozen vegetables will be steamed to the right consistency.
• Soups, chilis, and stews - These make great one-dish meals. Avoid freezing noodles or potatoes by reserving some of the soup, chili, or stew specifically for freezing and adding the noodles and potatoes only to the portion you plan to eat right away. It is easy to make more noodles or potatoes when you thaw the leftovers.

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October 17, 2009

This is a great recipe to make with leftovers. You can make a meal of roast chicken, potatoes, and corn one night, then have soup made from the leftovers as another meal during the week.

• 2 cups roasted or rotisserie chicken, cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 cups roasted fingerling potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
• 2 cups cooked corn (preferably cut from the cob)
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1 tsp seasoned salt

1. Cut the roasted or rotisserie chicken and fingerling potatoes into bite sized pieces.
2. Over low heat, combine the soup and milk. Whisk to mix well.
3. Add the chicken, potatoes, and corn, and spices, stirring to combine.
4. Warm over low heat for 25, stirring every 5 minutes. The soup should not boil; turn down the burner if it does.
5. Serve with crusty rolls or bread.

Recipe serves 2-3. Leftovers can be heated in a microwave on high for 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring halfway through.

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August 27, 2009

Peanut sauce gives this dish a peanut flavor and a slight kick. The spice is offset by crisp broccoli which adds some color and crunch to the dish.

• 0.5 lb. boneless beef sirloin
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 2 14 oz. cans (optionally, reduced-sodium) beef broth
• 3 Tbsp. bottled peanut sauce
• 1/2 box (8 oz) spaghetti or linguine noodles
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• Handful sliced almonds

1. Cut the beef sirloin into thin (about 1/8") strips.
2. Heat olive oil in a 12" non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the beef strips and cook until well done, about 6 minutes.
3. Add the beef broth and peanut sauce to the skillet. Turn to medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
4. Add the spaghetti or linguine, broken in half. Boil for 10 minutes.
5. Add the broccoli and continue cooking for about 3 minutes, or until most of the beef broth has reduced.
6. Transfer to serving plate and top with sliced almonds.

Recipe serves 2-3. Leftovers can be heated in a microwave on high for 1 minute.

Recipe based on "Spicy Beef-Noodle Bowl" as published in Better Homes and Gardens.

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June 22, 2009

I just spent a long weekend in Door County, WI, my favorite vacation destination. The vacation included lots of time by the pool enjoying some sunny weather and catching up on reading. In this post, however, I wish to highlight my dining experiences throughout the weekend.

The Shoreline Restaurant
Gills Rock, WI
Friday Lunch
I selected the Santa Barbara burger, a 1/4 lb. burger featuring guacamole, black olives, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and onion. The burger was perfectly done with just enough cheddar cheese melted on top to add a bit of cheddar flavor. No ketchup or mustard was required as the guacamole served as the only necessary condiment. The black olives added a twist from other similar burgers I've had before and the white onion (most likely some sort of sweet white onion) was not overpowering. On the side was fresh fruit, a unique and enjoyable complement to this excellent burger.

Wild Tomato Wood-Fired Pizza and Grille
Fish Creek, WI
Friday Dinner
Wild Tomato is a new restaurant in Fish Creek, replacing the previously existing Diggers along Hwy 42, north of downtown Fish Creek. The restaurant is a no-frills family focused environment with both indoor and outdoor seating. My meal featured Petite Caesar Salad and the D-Lux pizza. The Caesar salad was a simple classic, but was in need of more dressing and less cheese. The pizza featured flavorful pieces of Italian sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, onion, red bell pepper, and extra cheese. It was definitely a step above my normal Papa John's pizza fare, but it did not leave a lasting impression. The pizza contained the amount of cheese I would expect; I would not consider it to have had extra cheese. And, the crust was overly done - to a blacked crisp - on about half the pizza. Wild Tomato is a bit over priced for the calibre of its pizza. It is potentially worth a visit for those looking for a causal dinning experience.

Fish Creek Market
Fish Creek, WI
Saturday Lunch
Fish Creek Market offers made-to-order sandwiches at its deli in the rear of this small speciality foods store. Customers have a choice of multiple breads, fresh deli meats including turkey and roast beef, a variety of typical sandwich condiments, four choices of cheese, and other additional sandwich toppings. The sandwiches can be ordered with chips and a cookie, an apple and a cookie, or all three side items. I ordered turkey and pepper jack cheese on a kaiser roll with lettuce, tomato, onion, and oil and vinegar. On the side, I got chips and a cookie. The sandwich was excellent, piled high with almost a 1/4 lb of juicy turkey lunch meat. The veggies were fresh, and the oil and vinegar was a nice complement but more could have been added. The cookie was delicious but small; only about two bites. I would definitely recommend ordering a sandwich from the Fish Creek Market to enjoy at a picnic in one of the local parks.

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