Sunday, August 17, 2014

Greek Meatballs with Herb and Lemon Orzo.


... "It's the end of the weekend. A lot of the school districts where I live are starting school sometime this week. We both wanted something different than French and Italian staples that James and I usually have for Sunday dinner.

Greek Meatballs with Herb and Lemon Orzo -- Orzo. Water. S & P. Lemon Zest. Lemon Juice. Mint. Dill. Garlic. Olive Oil. Hearty White Sandwich Bread. Plain Yogurt. 85% Lean Ground Beef. Red Onion. Feta Cheese.

This summer was full of events. James and I getting married, me having knee surgery, and now starting a new job here shortly, and everything in between ... this summer went way too fast. The only thing that James and I didn't do was go on honeymoon - so, this Greek meal was kind of our "Greek Getaway."

All things must come to an end, just like this meal and summer. James got up from the table and washed the dishes. I stared at a now clean kitchen and said to myself, 'I have to start thinking about autumnal dishes and holiday season food.' ..." /wanting my mom's Filipino food ... /smiles

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Pecan Bars.


... "On a cold rainy day, James and I needed a warm sweet bite to cheer me up and satisfy my sweet tooth. I needed some heat and sunshine to turn my frown upside down. I blasted the oven to 350 degrees and made ...

Pecan Bars: CRUST - AP Flour. Baking Powder. Salt. Light Brown Sugar. Pecans. Unsalted Butter. FILLING - Unsalted Butter. Light Corn Syrup. Vanilla Extract. Bourbon. Dark Rum. Salt. Egg. Pecans.

The chewy, crunchy, sweet, and salty Pecan Bars hit the spot. All I needed now is an Arnold Palmer to wash it all down ... y'all." /still working on my fake Southern accent

Thursday, August 7, 2014

Korean-Style Beef and Rice.


... "I had a great weekend with James and Maxwell. From Hungarian to Japanese and all the pastries and movie food in between - I need to up my game a little bit. I shouldn't be walking around, but no one can take the chef out of me - regardless if I had knee surgery and all I wanted when I got home was dol sot bibimbap ...

Korean-Style Beef and Rice - Bean Sprouts. Carrot. Cucumber. Seasoned Rice Vinegar. Short-Grain White Rice. Water. Blade Steak. Soy Sauce. Vegetable Oil. Shiitake Mushrooms. Garlic. Spinach. S & P. Egg. Toasted Sesame Oil.

- NOT PICTURED -

Gochujang Sauce: Gochujang (Korean Hot Pepper Paste). Garlic. Ginger. Scallion. Toasted Sesame Oil. Toasted Sesame Seeds.

Kimchi: Napa Cabbage. Kosher Salt. Garlic. Gochugaru (Korean Chili Powder). Sugar. Fish Sauce. Soy Sauce. Ginger. Salted Shrimp. Scallions. Leek. Carrot.

Granted this dish is a labor of love not to mention this is only an adaptation of the original dol sot bibimbap. Like the Korean proverb goes: 고생 끝에 낙이 온다 (Go-saeng Ggeut-eh naki eun-da) ... 'At the end of hardship comes happiness.' The hardship here was the pain surging through my knee while cooking today. However, the happiness is the end result. One beautiful dish that filled me up. With the said, I'm going to take my pain killer pills and fall asleep. I know that I'm going to be dreaming about something delicious ..." /dreaming about my next meal