Thai Peanut Noodles

Like I said yesterday, I love the Our Best Bites cookbook. This recipe is from their cookbook, as well. This was Jeremy's birthday dinner request. I've had it flagged ever since I bought the book. This was delicious, and I quote Jeremy "heaven in my mouth". Pretty simple and quick to make. Chicken is listed only as side note as optional. However, I think it's a must! Especially when you are feeding a hungry man. :-)

This recipe has been added to our regular dinner rotation.

Thai Peanut Noodles:

1 chicken breast, very thinly sliced
1/2 c. chicken broth
3 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1-2 tsp. Sriracha chili sauce (1 is mild with a bite, 1.5 is medium, 2 is hot)
1 1/2 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
8 oz. Udon or linguine noodles
Chopped green onions
Chopped cilantro
2 limes, cut into quarters
Chopped peanuts

1. Cook noodles in salted water.
2. Stir-fry very thinly-sliced chicken in some olive oil with a couple cloves of garlic, some fresh ginger, some green onions, soy sauce, and a small squirt or two of Sriracha chili sauce.
3. In the meantime, combine chicken broth, peanut butter, chili sauce, honey, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk until smooth and remove from heat.
4. Toss cooked noodles with sauce and divide among 4 bowls. Sprinkle with green onions, cilantro, chopped peanuts, and garnish each serving with 2 lime quarters.
5. Before eating, squeeze lime juice over noodles and stir to combine.

Cheese Steak Sandwich

I found this recipe in my Our Best Bites cookbook (which I absolutely love). Sometimes I forget that you can serve a sandwich for dinner...but since this is warm, and involves steak, I think it's totally appropriate for dinner. Both Jeremy and I loved this sandwich, we had it again the next night.

On a side note, my SIL Brittany just told me there is a Our Best Bites cookbook signing in Seattle/Bellevue next weekend! It's now on my calendar!

Cheese Steak Sandwiches:

1 lb. steak (you really can use any cut; since you’re going to slice it up and season it heavily, there’s really no need to splurge on a fillet mignon.)
2 Tbsp. butter
1 green bell pepper
1 medium yellow onion
Provolone
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Hot sauce (our favorite is Crystal)
4 Hoagie French rolls

1. Cut steak VERY thin, and set aside. (Get your husband to do it, if he's good with a knife. :-)
2. Slice bell peppers and onions. Set aside.
3. Heat 2 Tbsp. butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add steak and stir-fry. Season heavily with salt and lots of freshly-ground pepper.
4. When meat is about half-cooked, add peppers and onions. Stir occasionally, cooking until most of the liquid is evaporated and meat is cooked through.
5. Season with hot sauce to taste. Just a little bit for me.
6. Turn broiler on high. Position sliced buns on baking sheet and spoon steak mixture inside. Top with cheese and place under broiler for 1-2 minutes or until cheese is melted and bread is slightly toasty.

This sandwich is JUICY GOOD!

Stuffed Spinach Shells

(I'm really embarrassed about the lame photos for this post. I'll try not to use iphone anymore!! But still wanted to post this recipe b/c it's really yummy!!!)

I've always loved food. I grew up in New Orleans, and in my opinion ate at the best restaurants in the world. Ok, I guess I can't say "world", because I'm definitely not a "world traveler"- The only place I've been out of the country is Mexico. Anyways, my heart (and taste buds) are in New Orleans. When I was in High School, I applied to a favorite local Italian restaurant, Figaro's, close to my (childhood) home on a whim, and was hired that same day. One of my favorite things there was their Stuffed Pasta Shells. And it also reminds me of my mom, too, she would always order it. So I tried to find a close enough recipe to resemble this said stuffed shell recipe. After searching around, this is what I found.

On a side note, my 14 month old LOVES LOVES LOVES this. She wanted to eat the whole pan. And she had leftovers again and again until they were all gone.

Spinach and Artichoke Stuffed Shells
(Makes 6 servings)

6 oz jumbo shell pasta (1/2 a standard box or about 20 shells)
15 oz ricotta cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 can (or jar) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 cups grated Fontina or mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, divided
1 egg
salt
freshly ground black pepper
24 oz jar marinara sauce



1. Cook pasta shells according to package directions, drain well and let cool.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3. Combine ricotta, garlic, spinach, artichokes, 1 cup Fontina, 1/4 cup Parmesan and the egg. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper (you won’t need much salt since the cheese is salty).
4. Spread a cup of marinara sauce on the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish.
5. Fill the cooked shells with about 2 tablespoons of the ricotta mixture. Arrange the shells in rows in the baking dish. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells and sprinkle with the remaining Fontina and Parmesan.

6. Bake covered with foil for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes until cheese is golden and bubbly. Remove from oven and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Breakfast Burritos

First of all, sorry for the lazy iphone photo. :-( Sometimes it's just too convenient. Every now and then I like to shake up the usual boring breakfasts (bagels with cream cheese and strawberries, cereal, Greek vanilla yogurt with granola and fruit, and our latest easy kick--cinnamon rolls from the refrigerated can) and make a yummy warm breakfast burrito. It takes more effort but boy is it worth it! I tried to copy my absolute favorite Breakfast Burrito of all time from Rooster Cafe in Costa Mesa, near my previous job at Rauxa.

So here is the rundown of what I like to put in my burrito:

• Thick slices of bacon, chopped in big pieces.
• Crunchy shredded hashbrowns cooked in above mentioned bacon grease
• Light and fluffy scrambled eggs (with a wee bit of milk mixed in egg mixture). do not overcook eggs!!
• Shredded (sharp or medium) cheddar cheese
• Freshly chopped cilantro
• Freshly made salsa - but that isn't always handy, so the salsa in the jar will have to do the majority of the time.

Greek Couscous Salad

This was my favorite dish served at Pearce's first birthday party! I LOVE anything with a vinaigrette, and I'm a pretty big fan of Greek food in general.

Since the party was at lunch time (12-2p), I wanted to serve a chicken salad sandwich and two different kinds of salads. Naturally I thought one of the salads should be a pasta salad...but then I wanted to do something different for the second "salad". I recently purchased the new "Our Best Bites Cookbook" for inspiration for the luncheon...and I was glad I did! I got several ideas from this cookbook. And as soon as I saw the picture for the Greek Couscous on the "Salad" intro page, I was pretty sure this would be the one.

This recipe is awesome as is!! i didn't change anything!! (Except I like to use fresh ingredients whenever possible - so I subbed fresh rosemary for dry- but I realize at such a small amount it doesn't make a big difference, so I would just use dry next time.) AND, I didn't pour in all of the vinaigrette, most of it though.

SO.. here is the awesome recipe that is found only in their new cookbook and NOT on their website.

GREEK COUSCOUS SALAD

1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken broth plus enough water to make 2 cups
1/2 teaspoon dry oregano leaves
1 teaspoon dry basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon crushed dry rosemary
1 (10 ounce) box dry couscous (about 1 1/2 cups) - I used the "Middle Eastern" brand from the box
2 cups diced tomatoes, or 1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved- I used the latter
1 medium cucumber, diced- I also peeled it, because I don't like the peelings
1/2 cup diced red onion
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1/2 cup crumbled feta- I LOVE feta so I used a bit more
1/2 cup chopped parsley- Jeremy's not a big parsley fan, so I maybe used a heaping 1/4 cup


Vinaigrette:
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 garlic cloves, pressed or finely minnced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the chicken broth and water, oregano, basil, and rosemary in a small pot on the stove top. Bring to a boil  Add the couscous, cover the pot with a lid, and remove from heat. Let sit for at least 5 minutes and then fluff with a fork. Cool to room temperature.
2. Combine cooled couscous, tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, olives, feta, and parsley. Set aside.
3. In a small jar, combine vinaigrette ingredients and shake until combined. Pour over salad, stir, and then refrigerate 2 hours before serving.  Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.
4. If desired, garnish with fresh parsley, extra feta cheese, and lemon slices for squeezing on top.

Citrus Garlic Shrimp Linguini

This is one of my mother-in-law's recipes. It's so delish! I got the recipe after the first time we had it. It is  a Curfew family favorite, and especially in our home, too! I now keep frozen (raw) shrimp from Costco in the freezer, and use them for this fancy and easy meal. It only takes about 30-40 minutes to make from start to table. Here is the recipe...

Citrus Garlic Shrimp Linguini

1 pkg linguini

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup (fresh squeezed) orange juice
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 to 4 garlic cloves, peeled
3 tsp grated lemon peel
2 tsp grated orange peel
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
shredded parm cheese - lots and lots!!!
minced fresh parsley

1. cook linguini according to pkg directions. meanwhile in a blender or food processor, combine the next eight ingredients; cover and process until blended.
2. pour into a large skillet. heat through. add shrimp. cook for 5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. drain linguini. toss with shrimp mixture. sprinkle with cheese and parsley.

{Spicy} Orange Beef Stir Fry with Fried Rice

I got this recipe combo from my allrecipes.com cookbook. It was paired together and labeled "better than chinese take-out dinner". We both really liked this, and I've made it twice already. I added red bell peppers (in additional to original recipe). It has a nice orangey flavor and can be spicy with red pepper flakes. If you don't like spicy, you can just leave that out.


SPICY ORANGE BEEF
(Adapted from allrecipes.com)
Servings: 4

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound round steak, cut into thin strips on the diagonal
1 red bell pepper, sliced in strips
1/8- 1/4 cup orange zest
1-2 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger (I like to substitute 1 tsp fresh ginger grated if I have it)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup beef broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup orange marmalade (don't leave this out!)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (use less if you don't like spicy!!)

1. In a wok or skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add beef strips 1/3 at a time. Stir-fry for 3 minutes or until browned, removing the done pieces to a plate lined with paper towels.
2. Return all the beef to the wok. Stir in red bell pepper strips, orange zest, garlic, and ginger; stir-fry 1 minute.
3. In a medium bowl, combine cornstarch, broth, soy sauce, marmalade, and red pepper. Pour this mixture into the beef, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 1 minute. Serve hot.

FRIED RICE
(Adapted from allrecipes.com)
Servings: 4


In the cookbook it was paired with "Fried Rice". I love it when side dishes are suggested...leaves me from using my brain too much. I think this was an easy and yummy recipe. I followed direction almost completely.

2 2/3 cups water
1 1/3 cups uncooked white rice
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 (10 ounce) package frozen green peas, thawed
2 green onions, chopped

1. In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, season eggs with salt and pepper.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in small frying pan, pour in eggs. Coat the bottom of the pan with the eggs, in order to cook them evenly; cook for about 3 minutes. Flip the eggs, cook one minute more and remove them to a cool surface. Let them cool, then cut them into thin slices. Set aside.
3. Place rice in skillet; break up any clumps and toss to coat with oil. Stir in soy sauce, peas, eggs and green onions. Stir and cook until heated through, approximately 3 minutes.