Quick Sautéed Spinach and Mushrooms

Spinach and mushrooms go so well together.  They are quick to prepare and satisfying.

Chicken Breast Stir Fry

Stir frys are quick and easy.  The hardest part is cutting up the ingredients.  The good news is that these days, you can buy pre-cut vegetables for just about anything and when it comes to stir fry, there are no hard rules as to what goes in the wok.  So pick and use as little or as many vegetables as you desire.

The Greek Scramble

Scrambles have endless possibilities.  They can be basic or elaborate or somewhere in between.    There are no hard rules about scrambles or when they have to be eaten, 
so think beyond breakfast - because scrambles are equally delicious for lunch or dinner.

Oven Lau Lau

This recipe reminds me of a scene from the movie “The Joy Luck Club”.  The aunties are playing mah jong and one of the younger niece’s states with confidence that she has played mah jong before with her Jewish friends in college.  The aunties glare at her and say with absolute conviction; “No-No”.  “That is Jewish mah jong, not Chinese mah jong.”  As if there is a difference…

There might not be any difference when it comes to mah jong but there is a clear difference between Hawaiian and Mainland Lau Lau’s. 

Lomi Lomi Salmon

Lucky me!  Visitors from Hawaii means lau lau’s for me from Young’s Fish Market (my absolute, hands down favorite!) and if I’m really lucky I get a bag of poi too!  So the only thing that’s missing is the Lomi Lomi Salmon and maybe… some Chicken Long Rice.

Pork or Chicken Adobo (Filipino)

Pork Adobo

Filipino adobo is a well loved plate lunch choice among the locals in Hawaii.  It’s an easy one pot meal of stewed pork or chicken and sometimes a combination of both.  Adobo gets its unique flavor from a handful of simple ingredients (soy sauce, vinegar and garlic) and works best with fattier cuts of pork like the shoulder, butt, spareribs or belly.  Pork loin would not be a good choice for this dish, it’s too lean.

Chicken Breast with Roasted Tomatoes & Mushrooms

When my husband says to me this is delicious.  I immediately know that the dish is light with clean balanced flavors. 

So the rule still stands with everyday food at my house, Keep it simple, stupid!  These dishes usually end up being the ones that get the most requests.

Pork Guisantes (Filipino Pork and Peas)

In Hawaii we enjoy many different cultures and the one common thread - is in the sharing of food.   Pork Guisantes is yet another one of those comfort foods that's simple to make and satisfying to eat.

In Spanish, guisantes [gee-sahn’-tay] translates into peas.  

What a beautiful way to say something so plain.

Filipino Pork and Peas is a one pot meal with tender bites of pork in a garlicy tomato sauce. 

Pork Guisantes (Filipino Pork with Peas)

2          pounds            pork butt, sliced

2          cloves              garlic, minced

1          med                 onion, chopped

1          8oz. can          tomato sauce

1          8oz. can          water

1          bay                  leaf
1         Tbs.                 patis (fish sauce)

1          tsp.                  kosher salt

¼         tsp.                  black pepper

1 ½      cups                frozen peas

4          oz. jar              pimentos or red peppers, sliced thin

1.    Heat about 2 Tbsp. oil in a large skillet over med-high heat.  Add onions then garlic and sauté for 1 – 2 min.  Then add pork until browned. 

2.    Add tomato sauce, water, bay leaf, patis, salt and pepper; bring to a boil; lower heat and cover.  Cook for about 30 minutes or until meat is tender; stir occasionally.

3.    Add peas and pimentos or red pepper; cover and cook for about 2 - 3 minutes, just to heat the peas.

4.    Serve with rice.

Lemon Chicken with Spinach

The first time that I tasted these flavors together was at a local mid-eastern restaurant.  Luckily they had an open kitchen so I could watch them prepare my meal. All it took was a handful of fresh ingredients that melded together creating a light flavorful dish with a clean finish. 

Corn Egg Drop Soup aka Egg Flower Soup

Happy New Year!!!  It’s 2012 the year of the Black Dragon so what better way to start off the year than with a steaming bowl of Chinese soup.

Ma Po Tofu

My husband and I are quite excited to check out a new Chinese restaurant in Eugene.  We have lived and eaten here for the last 18 years and let me tell you, it has been a struggle to find authentic Chinese food that hasn’t been Americanized.  Truth be told, I have tried at least 90% of the Chinese restaurants in Eugene always leaving disappointed.  But tonight will be different.

Roast Chicken Breast for Two

The long hot days of summer are behind us.  It is time to turn on our ovens again!  Fall has arrived bringing with it shorter days with a cold snap in the air. 

I saw this method of roasting chicken in the South of France on the sidewalk in front of a grocer.

Korean Blanched Spinach

Korean restaurants always bring out an assortment of yummy sides to go along with the meal, but at home it’s usually just a dish of kim chee. Tonight I am serving up a small assortment of side dishes, blanched spinach, fried tofu and of course kimchi.

This simple spinach dish was absolutely delish and made me feel as if I were eating a dish that was truly authentic.

Easy Eggplant with Lemon and Parmesan

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Eggplant is one of those vegetables that you either love or you don’t.  There is no middle ground when it comes to eggplant.  I’m one of those that love eggplant and am always looking for new ways to prepare it.  The quickest and easiest way that I discovered is to pan fry the eggplant with mayonnaise.  I know you are thinking “Mayonnaise”? But trust me on this one.  The mayonnaise works magically without making them greasy.  It makes sense, mayonnaise is simply a mixture of oil and eggs.

Spicy Seared Scallop Salad

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I love scallops and was looking for another idea of how to prepare them.  I found this recipe by Cathy Lowe and had to give it a try because it sounded so delicious.  Spicy blacked scallops dotting a bed of mixed greens tossed with creamy mustard vinaigrette.

Puerto Vallarta Inspired Carnitas

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Last year Kono and I were invited to our friend Dave’s place in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico.  It was right on the beach with a priceless view conveniently located next to an abundance of amazing restaurants, many of which we had the pleasure of dinning at.

Montreal Chicken

Tonight I made a simple roast chicken seasoned with nothing more than McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning. I found it among my spices as I was deciding what to do with my chicken for dinner.  I know that I didn't buy it so… Kono must have brought it home and I’m glad that he did.

Stuffed Tofu with Pork Hash

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This is my multi-purpose pork hash filling recipe for won tons, sui mai, stuffed shitake mushrooms, steamed pork hash with duck eggs (yummy), and stuffed tofu.

Carnes Asada in Mojo Marinade

Cuban mojo marinade with the addition of cilantro is an inspiration from Tyler Florence.  How can something so simple taste so good?

The fresh bright flavors of the lime and orange juice blend perfectly together with the garlic, serrano, and cilantro, each ingredient adding its own distinct layer of flavor to make this an amazing go to marinade anytime of the year.

Sour Cream Salsa Salad

It’s clean out the fridge time again. 

I had ½ an ice burg lettuce, a couple of handfuls of baby pear tomatoes, some fresh mozzarella and bay shrimp.  Digging a little deeper, I found ½ a container of sour cream and ½ a container of salsa leftover in my fridge.  So I mixed the two together to make a yummy dressing to top the other goodies I found. 

It doesn’t get easier than that.

I served this with Mojo Marinated Skirt Steak and Spicy Chorizo Spanish Rice.