There is a Kitchen in My House?

Funny, I've been using it for storage!

My, it has been a few, hasn't it? I have probably cooked one meal since birthday week. The following week was dominated by finals, and last week was dominated by illness. Basically, I have been eating (in order) lasagna, leftover lasagna, nothing, hand-delivered Ramen (I have amazing friends), soup, nothing, whatever sounded good, and chili dogs.

Not much in there that would make a good blog post.

However, I am making stew tonight (party hard, I know), and I found a few pictures on my phone from a restaurant Chris and I went to a few months ago.

So for the second or third time in two months, I will get back into the swing of things and start posting a little more often around here.

All Grown Up.

I'll let you in on a little secret...

With the exception of the rare spinach-based salad, I have never made a salad with anything but iceberg lettuce.

Not that iceberg lettuce is bad by any means, I've just learned that it doesn't really fit well with some types of salad.

So, this week, I expanded my salad horizons and made, what I consider, a grown up salad.

I have no idea what besides spinach was in this mix I bought, but it said organic, and it looked fancy so I went for it.

The rest of the ingredients were based off of The Pioneer Woman's Steak Salad, which is based off of the steak salad from Dave and Buster's.

Mine included: Mixed greens, tomatoes, pecans, 5-cheese italian blend, blue cheese dressing, steak, fresh ground pepper, and PW's Onion Strings.

It was fantastic, and actually it was my first steak salad ever. 

Oh how I have grown since iceberg lettuce and Kraft singles.

(Again, not that that is not tasty in its own right.)

Want me to prove how (else) I've grown?

Ahh, birthdays. You get to eat cake, and someone else does the baking. Nothing wrong there!

The 100th.

This post is the 100th of KO Kitchen, and I'm sad to say it won't be anything special.

But maybe, just maybe, it will be the post that gets me back on track in the kitchen!

The following is simply my meal plan for the upcoming week. 

Sunday:

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

On another note, I cannot wait to make PW's "Fancy Macaroni" again. However, it won't be this week.

Monday:

This Steak Salad.

I'll be swapping the dressing for a different kind, I'm not sure what yet.

Tuesday:

BLT's

Wednesday:

Cheese Roll House for my Birthday. Hooray!

Thursday:

My Alfredo Pizza

I know, I know. Macaroni and Cheese, Cheese Roll, and this?! It's my birthday week. That's my only excuse.

Friday:

Lasagna

Saturday:

Caprese Chicken

Sloth.

This is not working as I thought it would.

(By "this" I mean the whole 'cooking for one' thing.)

I thought it would liven up my cooking. I looked on the bright side, and I thought how wonderful it would be to make all of the things I love that Chris doesn't.

Instead, I have been so, so lazy. The first week I cooked soup on Sunday and ate it for three days. Then I made Lemon Pasta and ate that for three days. That pretty much took me through the week. I had a few meals here and there the second week, then I made four chicken breasts. The first night I had BBQ chicken, for lunch the next day it was Chicken Parmesan Light. That night for dinner I added Cream of Chicken soup to some rice and the chicken. The following night I added salsa and shredded cheddar to the last chicken breast and rice.

I am so sick of chicken, and I still have a decent amount left to go through before I can restock my freezer with meat.

Tonight, I'm having Chicken Spaghetti. Fake fried chicken will come soon after.

To liven things up, I tried to make cookies the other day. They melted. Let that sink in. They didn't burn. They melted. How does that happen? Who does that?

I do, apparently.

I'll get back in the swing of things soon. I have to. I think the problem is the sink full of dishes in my kitchen. It's just not as fun to cook when you have to clean up after yourself. Bummer.

Shrimp and Avocado Quesadilla.

Mike's Tex-Mex is arguably one of the better aspects of Misawa. As I mentioned in a previous post, I ordered a Shrimp and Avocado Quesadilla the last time we went there, and it was fantastic. All I can criticize is that it was just a bit bland. However, they served it with a delicious sauce, unfortunately, I haven't a clue what was in it.

I wasn't absolutely sure on what all was in the actual quesadilla either, but I had an okay guess.

After peeling the tails off half a bag of shrimp I cooked them in a mix of butter and EVOO, seasoning the shrimp with salt, pepper, white pepper, garlic, lemon pepper, and lime juice. As the shrimp cooked the sauce thickened and I poured the whole pan out onto a plate off to the side. 

I then roughly smashed an avocado and tossed it into the pan, stirring it around for about 30 seconds before removing it as well.

Finally, I grated up a bunch of parmesan cheese. Then it was time to build the quesadillas.

This amount of cheese, shrimp, and avocado made two LARGE quesadillas. I started with a layer of parmesan, sprinkled shrimp (still coated in the sauce it cooked in) over the cheese, and added gobs of avocado in between the shrimp. I sprinkled a bit more cheese over the top, added the top quesadilla, and cooked it on both sides until the outsides were crisp and the cheese was melty.

The quesadillas turned out just as good as the one I had at Mike's, but they, like their inspiration, were a bit bland. The second day, when the spices on the shrimp had settled over night, was perfect.

Adventures in Cooking for One.

The title says it all. It is official. For the next seven months I will be cooking for one.

This is problematic, as I have too many leftovers as it is when cooking for two.

It's not as simple as just cutting recipes down, folks. You might think it is, but I'm here to tell you, it just isn't.

This week I am over indulging my pasta obsession, and I don't care. To be honest, I just want it out of the house so that this weekend I can make a clean start with what food is in my kitchen.

So, this week I'll be making:

Pork Stir Fry with Asparagus and Mushrooms

Fettuccine Alfredo

Spaghetti/Penne with Mushroom Ragu

(I never get mushroom Ragu! Stoked.)

Smoked Turkey Melts

Shrimp and Avocado Quesadillas

That should clear out my shelves and refrigerator pretty well, and next week will be a completely new start.

More to come on the quesadilla mentioned above. I had one for the first time at Mike's Tex-Mex this week, and it was phenomenal. 

Corned Beef and Cabbage.

No slugs this time!

It has been a while since I last posted. You can read a bit about the blur this month has been in this post over at 'Life Moves Pretty Fast'.

Anyway, I did promise to make Chris Corned Beef and Cabbage before he left, and I did keep my promise.

So good.

All you need for this recipe:

Corned Beef Brisket with a Seasoning Packet (These are usually packed with the brisket.)

A little bag of baby carrots

Potatoes

Cabbage

One stick of butter

Water

Put the (for the purposes of this post 3.5lb) corned beef brisket in a large pot on the stove. Pour in enough water to just cover the meat. Empty the seasoning packet on to a piece of cheesecloth or the like, wrap it up tightly, and submerge it in the pot.

Turn your burner on high or medium high, throw a lid on it, and wait for about an hour.

After an hour, turn the brisket over, and add more water if needed.

After another hour and a half or so, turn it again, toss in the baby carrots, and chop and add the potatoes to the pot.

After another hour, roughly chop and add in the cabbage. At this point, if you are me, throw in a stick of regular, salted butter for good measure.

Finish it off for another half hour or so. Remove the brisket to a cutting board, and mix the rest together well. Cut the brisket into bite sized pieces and add back to the pot. Cook for another ten minutes or so, letting the corned beef break up a little in the mix.

Serve with bread and butter or crescent rolls.

My Sous Chef's Favorites.

If you follow my ramblings over at Life Moves Pretty Fast, you have probably caught on to the fact that Chris will be leaving shortly for an extended period of time. This blog will spend the next 6-7 months chronicling my adventures in cooking for one.

I figure that I can't let him leave without sending him off with some of his favorite dinners.

Due to the hectic nature of the next two weeks there won't really be meal plans. However, at some point the following will be made just for my departing Sous Chef:

Steak

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Double Musky Scampi

Mike's Tex-Mex 

(Hey, I said it all would be made, not that I would make it all.)

I can't think of anything else he would really want. His only request was the Corned Beef and Cabbage. I told him I would make it on the condition that he handled the cabbage this time.

Needless to say, I won't be working with any while he's gone.

I sure will miss his occasional help with dinner and his more than occasional breakfast cooking. I fear that his temporary replacement will be far less help around here.

After all, what am I to do with a Sous Chef who isn't allowed in the kitchen!?

I've Been Bad.

This has nothing to do with my lack of a menu plan posting this week.

It also has nothing to do with the fact that we went out to eat at least three times last week (all new restaurants).

It does, however, have everything to do with the fact that I found another excuse to make Alfredo sauce.

Hello, lover.

I can't be blamed in this. I did what anyone would have done. I had a store-bought pizza crust that was sitting neglected in my refrigerator, and I didn't feel like spending any significant time or effort on dinner. I had no pizza fixings. I did, however, have everything needed to make Alfredo.

I ask, what would you have done?

Here's what I did:

I baked the aforementioned pizza crust until the top was just firm. It was less than halfway done baking at that point.

While it pre-baked I made Alfredo. Butter, heavy cream, black pepper, nutmeg (if you're feeling saucy...HAH! Knee-slapping pun intended.). Grate up plenty of Parmesan and sprinkle it over the sauce in batches letting it thicken and get all melty.

*Important! You know how I use half and half for Fettucine Alfredo? Don't do that! You need the Alfredo to be on the thick side. If it's too saucy I imagine it will just soak into or run off the pizza crust. Very bad. Avoid this. Thicker is better.*

I slathered the less than half-baked pizza crust with Alfredo. I used half a stick of butter, and probably half a cup of heavy cream, and I probably used 2/3 of the sauce I made. All the better. More for dipping for those of us who lack self-restraint.

Next, I covered the sauce with whatever cheeses are in the Italian 5-Cheese Kraft bag. I think I used just over 3/4 of the bag.

I sprinkled the top of the cheese with fresh ground black pepper and put it in the oven to finish cooking.

Once it was done added a little more black pepper and nutmeg to the top.

As previously stated, I used the leftover Alfredo for dipping purposes.

As even earlier stated, I've been bad. And you can be too! Make this soon.

Menu for the Week: 29 August - 4 September .

Oh my, this week was a lazy one. I actually willingly made the Hamburger Helper. Most of these are carry-overs from last week.

Sunday:

Baked Chicken Strips

Mashed Potatoes

Corn

Monday:

Apple Pork Tenderloin

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Broccoli

Tuesday:

Shrimp and Crab Legs

Rice

Broccoli

Wednesday:

Ranch Chicken Tacos

Thursday:

Cheesy Chicken and Rice "Pot Pie"

Friday:

BBQ Chicken

Green Beans

Baked Potatoes

Saturday:

*New Restaurant Night!*

Menu for the Week: 22 August - 28 August .

Last week, true to his word, Chris made dinner while I had finals. Except there was one day when we went out to dinner. Then I had to make him Chicken Cordon Bleu on Friday because that was our deal. I think I got the short end of that.

On to this week!

Sunday:

Portobello-Prosciutto Burgers

Blue Corn Chips with Spinach Dip

Monday:

Chicken and Dumplings

Tuesday:

Shrimp and Crab Legs

Rice

Broccoli

Wednesday:

Apple Pork Loin

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Green Beans

Thursday:

Baked Chicken Strips

Mashed Potatoes

Corn

Friday:

Chicken and Avocado Sandwiches

Broccoli

Chips

Saturday:

Hamburger Helper

I'm praying to every deity I can think of that we end up going out. Chris bought it for his dinner making week last week and never made it. I want it out of my house.

Once More...A Week in Review.

No sense in wasting time; let's get right into it!

Cheesey Chicken and Bean Burritos with Mexican Rice

Pretty delicious, even I was surprised! Chicken breasts were cooked and shredded. I used large, thick tortillas. I layered strips of cheddar cheese down in the center of a tortilla, refried beans went on top of that. Finally I piled chicken on top of the beans and threw on some cumin, chili powder, salt, and white pepper. I topped it all off with a bit of taco sauce and some hot sauce. The burritos were folded up and cooked in a 400* oven until the cheese was melted and the tortillas were nice and toasty. Pioneer Woman has the Mexican Rice recipe. It can be found here (click me!).

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Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Macaroni

First and most complicated...cook the chicken!

Oh, actually it's pretty simple! The chicken was seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, and parsley.

I've gone over Alfredo sauce before, just remember...butter, cream (or half and half), black pepper, and A LOT of parmesan. Meanwhile, cook some short-cut pasta, and about halfway through add in some broccoli and cook until both are tender.

Mix everything together, and add more parmesan as needed for taste or to thicken the sauce.

Finally, top the whole thing off with the finished chicken breast. Tasty! Then again, how can alfredo not be delicious?

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Chili!

Call me crazy, but I had never made homemade chili before this week. I should have done this years ago, as I like my chili more tomato-y than chili-y which is somewhat hard to find.

Beef, browned with salt, pepper, onions, and garlic.

I added in a can of beans in chili sauce and a can of diced tomatoes.

Then I just started throwing stuff in the pot. I was a bit lost. Half a can of tomato sauce, a tiny can of tomato paste, cumin, a palmful of chili powder (and then a little more), and some chicken broth to thin it out a bit.

Topped with cheddar and sour cream. Tah-dah!

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"Chicken Bella"

Okay, so this wasn't really Chicken Bella, I don't think. Here is what I do know:

- Chicken breasts were marinated in EVOO, lemon juice, parsley, salt, pepper, and garlic. Then they were sauteed on the stove top.

- I deglazed the same pan with chicken broth and white wine, turned the heat to high and let the wine reduce.

- I sliced up some button mushrooms and added them to the wine/chicken broth mixture.

- When the mushrooms were cook I turned the heat down and added some cream and half and half.

- Once that was thoroughly mixed I added lots of shredded parmesan and some chopped up artichokes.

- Finally, I added some chopped up fresh parsley.

Once the sauce was finished I poured it over the chicken breasts and some cooked spaghetti. I loaded up the rest of the plate with Caesar Salad. Too good!

Menu for the Week: 8 August - 14 August .

We are back from vacation, and it is time to get cooking again! As busy as I will be the next few weeks, I'm still really excited to get back in the kitchen.

Sunday:

Cheesy Chicken and Bean Burritos

Mexican Rice

*This never got made before we left.*

Monday:

Chicken Casserole Pockets

Salad

*Um. It works in my head. Pizza crust dough, cheesy rice and chicken casserole, fold it all up together. Should work, yeah?*

Tuesday:

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Macaroni

Caesar Salad

*Is it obvious that I have 8lbs of chicken breasts in my freezer?*

Wednesday:

Mini-Meatball Sandwiches

Fresh Vegetables

*Finally, some red meat!*

Thursday:

Chili

Baked Potato

Carrots

*Okay, bear with me. I know this is more of a Fall/Wintery meal. I know the heat index in Misawa has been 100+ recently, but I can't help myself.*

Friday:

Pork Tenderloin

Mashed Potatoes

Corn

*You know, I did tell Chris that this week was going to be a grab-n-go week, what with term papers and finals and such. That quick and easy dinner thing has gone out the window, I think.*

Saturday:

Chicken Bella

Pasta

Stuffed Tomatoes
*I don't know that this will actually be Chicken Bella. It will actually most likely be a cross between Chicken Bella and Chicken Piccata...minus the capers. All I know is that I am excited. And that I almost made it through a week without combining lemon and pasta. Almost.*

Somebody Doesn't Get It.

That somebody would be my husband.

Oh, I'm certain he gets it now. We've had one or two conversations over this trip of ours about my preferred vacation activities. I dislike doing touristy type things. (Though I did buy a Tokyo Starbucks cup...) But that has nothing to do with food.

This does:

We were heading out of the Ueno Zoo yesterday, and Chris wanted to grab lunch. "Okay," I said, "If memory serves there is a Friday's down there." He didn't want Fridays. He wanted something Japanese. "Why?" I asked. "Because we're here."

It was then I realized he didn't get it.

We live in Japan. We have lived in Japan for over a year now. Misawa has no shortage of Japanese food. We will have more than a few chances to partake in any of said Japanese food we haven't tried yet in the next year and a half we are here.

So, I explained that and said that while I am in Tokyo I want to eat all of the food I can't eat while in Misawa. He started to come around. 

It does make sense.

I have all the Japanese food I could want available to me at all times. The restaurants from back home are few and far between, and we just happen to be around them right now.

Hard Rock.

Outback.

The New Sanno's restaurants. 

(...which included a breakfast restaurant. Woohoo! By the way, try going from 16 months of restaurants out in a Japanese city to one in an American hotel. Service wise - it's a trip. I think I'm going to have a panic attack whenever we go back to the States. Servers coming to my table, asking me questions, without prompting from a chime whose button I have pushed to summon them. I just want to eat in peace!)

Chili's.

Burger King. 

(Misawa's BK is closed until September.)

Japanese food is good for my day-to-day life.

Chicken fajitas, bloomin' onions, breakfast buffets, fried pickles, and BK are better suited for vacation.

The end.

Menu for the Week: 25 July through 31 July.

Yes, I know it's Wednesday. Apologies all around. We are preparing for vacation this week, and it has been just a little crazy. If I get even half of the things done that I need to get done I will count myself a success.

Sunday:

Grilled Chicken with Lemon Basil Pasta from The Pioneer Woman

*Yes, more lemon pasta. Yes, I do think I'm developing a problem.*

Monday:

Grilled Chicken Sandwiches

Sweet Potato Fries

Cucumbers

These were delicious! Nothing too fancy. I marinated the chicken in lime juice with salt and pepper, then I grilled it. I piled it onto slices of sourdough bread with lettuce, tomato, shredded parmesan, and avocado. Some bites were the sandwich alone, some included ranch. Hot sauce would have been good too.

Tuesday:

Lemon Lime Shrimp

Rice

Cucumbers

The shrimp was marinated in lemon juice and lime juice with salt, pepper, lemon pepper, and a bit of garlic. It was cooked in a pan with 1/2 a tablespoon of butter. When the shrimp was pink I added a bit of heavy cream and some shredded parmesan. The rice was cooked with salt and lemon pepper.

Wednesday:

Beef and Broccoli

Thursday:

Cheesy Chicken and Bean Burritos

Mexican Rice

Beans

Friday:

My spin on PW's 'Fancy Macaroni' recipe

Caesar Salad

Saturday:

I have a date with the girls from the bank, so it is leftovers/fend for yourself night.

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Sunday - Saturday: We'll be on vacation in Tokyo and around Yokota! Woohoo!

Another Week in Review.

Yes, I do find these week in review posts of mine lazy.

Four classes, 30+ hour work week, a house that is incapable of staying clean...I have to have a relaxed attitude about something. Sadly, blogging is it.

Anyways, moving on!

Food. Good food. This week had it. So did last week, actually. I think I have a few things from then as well. Let's dive into iPhoto and see what we can find.

Ahh, yes. I *super puffy heart* my new waffle maker. It's pretty awesome. This was just your average buttermilk waffle. I'm looking forward to some blueberry waffles and maybe some chocolate chip.

 

NOT Pat's pizza. It was alright though. I couldn't for the life of me figure out what was on Pat's pizza, I just remembered cheese, black and green olives, garlic, and artichokes. So that is more or less what is on these english muffin halves. Not bad, but not as good as the original!

Rachael Ray's Chicken Parm Chicken Salad Subs. Holy wow, these were good. I think I might use a few less onions next time (I believe the recipe is linked down below) because they were a little strong, but otherwise this was delicious. You may notice in the instructions the recipe mentions adding the Mozzarella. When you look at the ingredient list Mozzarella isn't on there. I cut up chunks and threw it in with the chicken, tomatoes, and onions. Yum.

We ended up in Hachinohe today, and we tried out Coco's Curry House off of the recommendation of about 127 people. Their curry was very, very good (I like curry, but it is rare that I actually enjoy it), and their garlic-cheese naan is phenomenal. Yum.

Menu for the Week: 18 July through 24 July.

Sunday:

Shrimp Fried Rice

This never got made yesterday. A late lunch meant no dinner for us. It works out well, actually. The rice is best leftover for Fried Rice dishes.

Monday:

French Dips

Carrots

I was excited to do a post on the French Dips I make, but the Commissary ended up not having any French Onion Soup. I bought Onion Soup(?) Mix, so we'll see how this goes.

Tuesday:

Pork Strips

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Cooked Carrots

Wednesday:

Smoked Turkey Melts

SunChips

Carrots

Thursday:

Baked Chicken Parmesan Lite

Spaghetti

Green Beans

Friday:

New Miyaki

We will be trying out a new (for us) restaurant. Chinese this time, mmmm.

Saturday:

Italian Sausage and Sweet Peppers

Be ready...Chris is cooking dinner.

The Chef Salad.

A good Chef Salad is a wonderful thing.

I first had one at the Tree Top's restaurant at Omaha's zoo, and I have been hooked ever since. As I mentioned in my last post, I've been waiting a week for mine, and tonight is the night.

Lettuce, carrots, sharp cheddar, smoked deli turkey and honey ham, black olives, hard-boiled eggs, light ranch, and bread crumbs instead of croutons.

All I am waiting for is Chris's dinner to be done, and then I can dig in.

Delicious.

Menu for the Week: 11 July through 17 July.

Wait until you hear read what is planned for Friday!

Tonight:

Lettuce-Wrapped Cheeseburgers

Roasted Potatoes

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

*This was a carry over. We had McDonald's for lunch yesterday (for shame), and as such did not want burgers again for dinner.*

Monday:

Chef Salad

Grilled Chicken Breast

Fact: I was planning on eating this salad on Friday - looked forward to it all week. I got home from work, made my hard-boiled eggs, and napped while they cooled. I woke, ravenous, to find that we had no ranch dressing! So sad. Luckily I had leftover shrimp taco fixings.

Tuesday:

The Pioneer Woman's Baked Lemon Pasta

Actually, I've made this before, and I won't be baking it.

Wednesday:

Chicken Parmesan Salad Subs from Rachael Ray

Corn on the Cob

Thursday:

"Pat's Pizza"

Or what I hope will be something close Pat's pizza. Long story short, our friend Pat made pizza over 4th of July weekend, and it was GOOD. Stay tuned.

Friday:

Steak

Mashed Potatoes

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Our week will finally be over, hooray! And, yes, I said "our week". Chris is back on day shift! No more free reign dinner nights, but I'll take him over those any day!

Saturday:

Shrimp Fried Rice

Someone please remind me to make the rice at least a day ahead of time. Please and thank you.

Okay, so it's more or less a menu for half a week.

I am sick of food again.

This is exactly how I got after my visit to Yokota. There I had eaten Chili's, Friday's, microwave meals, all kinds of not so healthy things, and by the time I got home I was sick of eating, sick of food.

This weekend I loaded up on junk food/holiday food, and I've suffered for it. Yesterday I felt sick all day. Today I want nothing to do with anything edible.

Alas, Chris needs something for lunches the rest of the week.

Tonight (Wednesday):

Parmesan Pork Chops

Mashed Potatoes 

Broccoli

Thursday:

Shrimp Tacos

Friday:

Kristen's Free Reign Dinner Night

I work 'til 530pm, so I'm thinking I might stop for Ramen.

Saturday:

Burgers on the Grill

Oven Roasted Potatoes

Grilled Corn on the Cob

A Little Bit of This, a Little Bit of That.

Mmmmmmm. This was from last week. This pizza looked so much better than my first. It probably had something to do with the fact that I rolled the crust's edge so that it actually baked up to look like a thick crust pizza. It was ground turkey supreme; and, though it could have used more sauce, it was very good.

We had lamb chops on Sunday. I said that it tasted like steak. Chris disagreed. We both enjoyed it. What I loved more was the grilled corn on the cob. Oh man, was that tasty!

Last week when I was supposed to have grilled pork, baked potatoes, and broccoli I ended up tossing everything together. I bought the chunks for pork kabobs and sauteed them on the stove. Then I prepared one of the frozen broccoli and cheese packs. I layered the broccoli and cheese on a buttered baked potato and put the pork on top. It was quick, easy, and surprisingly good!

Tonight is Chicken and Olives from the Pioneer Woman (linked below). I'm really excited about it. I have been wanting to try this recipe since I first saw it. The Summer Shrimp Stir-Fry (also linked below) was phenomenal!

Menu for the Week: 27 June - 3 July.

I will get into one or two things from last week, tomorrow.

Tonight:

Lamb Chops

Grilled Corn on the Cob

Baked Potatoes

Monday:

Summer Stir Fry from The Pioneer Woman

Tuesday:

Chicken with Olives from PW

Wednesday:

Lemon Shrimp

Brown Rice

Zucchini

Thursday:

Leftovers

This is a strange day. I thought Chris's 4-day weekend was Friday-Monday, meaning he wouldn't need food for Friday. Turns out I was wrong. Sorry, babe!

Friday:

BBQ Chicken

Baked Potatoes

Corn on the Cob

Saturday:

Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Kabobs

Brown Rice

Menu for the Week: 20 June - 26 June.

Sunday:

Spaghetti and Meatballs

Monday:

Grilled BBQ Chicken

Sweet Potato Fries

Corn on the Cob

Tuesday:

Supreme Pizza with Ground Turkey on a Whole Wheat Crust

Wednesday:

Sauteed Pork

Baked Potatoes

Broccoli

Thursday:

Grilled Shrimp Skewers

Risotto

Broccoli

Friday:

Kristen's Free Reign Dinner Night

I have a going away dinner somewhere out in town that I'm hoping to make it to!

Saturday:

Lamb Steaks

Risotto

Corn on the Cob

Ohashi.

Another restaurant, another blog post.

(With horrible quality cell phone shots!)

We went out to Ohashi last night, and did we ever eat!

Fried Cheese with a sweet, strawberry-ish sauce.

Chris's Fried Chicken.

My Tempura dishes. Prawns, sweet potato, jalepeno, vegetables, some kind of fish, and something that I didn't recognize but was tasty nonetheless.

Chris's skewers.

Pork & Cheese rolls. These were delicious!

Grilled Miso Rice Balls. I was not a fan; it didn't taste like Miso.

Green Tea Ice Cream! Mmmm.

Overall, it was a very good meal, and the service was infinitely better than the last time we were there. It probably helped that we had a party of two instead of a party of twenty plus.

A Week in Review.

Because I never made it here during the week. Hey, taking four classes is rough.

First, a little about the Garlic Lemon Shrimp. This actually went in a different direction that I expected it to. I got a little crazy, and after cooking the shrimp in EVOO, garlic, and seasoning it with salt and pepper, I added a ton (like two very juicy lemons worth) of lemon juice and some white wine. I let it cook like that for a few minutes and added some heavy cream (bad, I know). When all was said and done I served it over rice, and it was delicious.

The Chicken Quesadillas turned out great too. I guess you really can't screw up quesadillas, but I'd never made one from scratch. At least not one with more than cheese in it. I cooked up a few chicken breasts and shredded them. Then I mixed some taco seasonings with the chicken. (Note: I just tossed the spices with the chicken. I didn't cook them with water or anything.) I spread shredded cheddar cheese over half of a large, somewhat thicker tortilla, added a layer of chicken, more cheese, and some taco sauce, and folded the empty half over the top. I sprayed a skillet with cooking spray and threw in the quesadilla, flipping halfway through. These were served with Taco Rice, which has officially become one of my favorite foods.

Finally, the "Jambalaya". Was it Jambalaya? Who knows, but here is how it went...

Kielbasa and garlic in EVOO.

Toss in some shrimp and cook until the shrimp turns pink.

After the shrimp is cooked, add some vegetables. I went with green peppers and onions.

Pour in some rice and enough chicken broth to cook the rice in. Cover the skillet and let steam until the rice is done.

It will look a little like this.

Finally, add a can of diced tomatoes and any spices desired. I went with salt, pepper, white pepper, paprika, and some red pepper flakes.

(Honestly, I added some of those spices to the shrimp and kielbasa before this point. I just forgot until now. Choose your own adventure!)

This is what you end up with, and it was very, very good.

Menu for the Week: 13 June - 19 June.

Sunday: 

Chicken with Mushrooms and Artichokes

Slices of Sourdough Bread and Butter

Salad

Monday:

Garlic Lemon Shrimp

Rice

Salad

Tuesday:

Chicken Quesadillas

Taco Rice

Wednesday:

Baked Chicken

Mashed Potatoes

Corn

Thursday:

"Jambalaya"

(It's in quotes because I know in my head what I'm making; I just don't know if it is actually jambalaya.)

Friday:

Kristen's Free Reign Dinner Night

Something at the Lia Sophia party I'm going to, I'm sure.

Saturday:

Out for Ramen, I hope!

(We are going hiking early on Saturday, and I'm certain we will be starving when we get back. I'm also certain I won't feel like cooking!)

I Like...

...the grill I bought Chris for his birthday because it allows me to make things like this:

The beef was marinated in soy sauce, a bit of worcestershire, salt, pepper, and probably some Lawry's. I added tomatoes, button mushrooms, green pepper, and onion to the skewers. Chris threw them on the grill for a bit, I baked up some potatoes, and there was dinner!

I also like my Griddler because it allows me to make things like this:

...without having to use a heavy can on top of a flat bottomed dish. These are Turkey Melts, and they are delicious. I once worked at a restaurant, and somewhere along the way I became hooked on their Turkey Melts. Luckily for me they are easy to recreate. Heat up a griddle or panini press or skillet. Cut a loaf of sourdough bread into thick slices. Layer a slice of bread with Monterey Jack cheese (half a slice or a whole slice depending on the size of the bread), thick sliced deli turkey, tomato slices, and another slice (or half slice) of Monterey Jack. Top the sandwich off with another piece of sourdough, and melt some butter onto your screaming hot griddle (or whatever you're using). I use the Griddler, so I just throw the sandwiches on, close the lid - pressing down to slightly squish everything together, and walk away until I think it's time to flip them. Now, is it necessary for me to flip the sandwiches when they are already being cooked on both sides? Probably not. However, there is always more butter on the bottom of the griddle, so I like to flip the sandwiches and let them cook on the opposite sides for just a minute to sort of "dry out" the bottom piece of bread. Dip these babies in ranch dressing, add a salad and/or sweet potato fries, and you have one of my favorite go-to meals.

Menu for the week: 6 June - 12 June.

Sunday:

Grilled Beef Kabobs

Baked Potatoes

Corn on the Cob

Monday:

Szechwan Chicken

Tuesday:

Double Musky Scampi

Salad

Wednesday:

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

Salad

Thursday:

Turkey Melts

Sweet Potato Fries

Friday:

Kristen's Free Reign Dinner Night

Leftovers, Subway, or back to Sapporo for some more Spicy Miso Ramen!

Saturday:

Out to eat at Yoshino's.

Fake Chicken Parmesan.

I love chicken parmesan.

I don't love that the chicken in chicken parmesan is usually breaded and at least slightly fried.

(Okay, I do love that, but my waistline does not.)

I've made fake chicken cordon bleu, so I figured chicken parmesan would be even easier to 'healthy-up', and it was.

Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, parsley, and basil.

Heat a tablespoon of EVOO on high in a skillet.

Lightly sear both sides of the chicken.

Turn down the heat and cook the chicken until the inside is no longer pink, turning occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook some rice. I used Minute and cooked it in the microwave. When the microwave stopped I sprinkled basil and garlic powder into the rice. Set it back in the microwave (don't turn it back on) to steam the flavors in and to allow the rice to finish cooking.

When the chicken is done remove it from the pan.

(If you're me this is where you rinse out the pan and use it to cook your broccoli. Then you rinse out the pan again and set it back on the stove.)

Pour in the desired amount of marinara sauce, sprinkle in some garlic powder, and return the chicken to the pan.

Flip the chicken around to coat it in the sauce, and grate some parmesan over the top.

After a minute or so put a lid on the pan to help melt the cheese.

When the parmesan is melted, it's done!

Serve chicken next to or over the rice.

Spaghetti and Meatballs.

I would have lived on spaghetti and meatballs when I was a kid if my parents would have let me.

I would live on spaghetti and meatballs now if I wasn't also cooking for my husband.

I love spaghetti and meatballs.

(Interestingly, I did NOT love spaghetti and meatballs when I was pregnant. It was a very, very confusing feeling for me. But since I am not currently pregnant, nor do I intend to become pregnant for at least another year, I am free to enjoy spaghetti and meatballs to my heart's content.)

I do nothing special to the actual spaghetti or the marinara (ahem - um, Ragu). Well, I add bread crumbs, parsley, and sometimes some other random spices (lemon pepper, anyone?) to the sauce. Don't ask why; I don't know. Chris did it once, and it was delicious. I just tweak it every now and then.

But the meatballs. I love these meatballs. Actually, I love it when my Mom makes these meatballs. Chris loves it when I make them, but I don't think mine taste the same as Mom's. However, since Chris likes them, and since I know I am using the same recipe as Mom I stick with it and assume that they are fine because they do taste good.  Maybe food just tastes better when it's being cooked by your Mom.

1lb ground beef

1 cup of bread crumbs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

2 well beaten eggs

1 tablespoon of parsley

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste.

Mix well with your hands and form into balls. Are you a big meatball person or a mini meatball person? I'm somewhere in between.

Brown the meatballs on all sides.

Drop the meatballs being used that day into the sauce and simmer for one hour. I rarely have the patience to wait an hour, but if you do all the better. I use 5-6 meatballs in one dinner (for two people) and freeze the rest for another day.

Too good.

Shrimp Tacos!

These were supposed to be a very, very loose replication of a shrimp taco that I had at a place called Taco Derio at a mall near Yokota.

They turned out nothing like that taco but were delicious nonetheless.

Peel the tails off of the amount of shrimp needed and cook in a pan with EVOO, salt, pepper, white pepper and the juice of a lime.

Mix one part mayonnaise with two parts sour cream. Add a few drops of Sriracha and mix well.

Chop any remaining toppings - lettuce, avocado (which I forgot), etc.

Shred up some parmesan cheese.

Prepare tortillas - warm, fry, the world is your oyster.

Pile a bit of everything on the tortilla, squeezing lime juice over the top. Add a bit more Sriracha if you think you can handle it and enjoy!

Some notes:

-Sriracha is pretty extreme. If you find a suitable, less flaming alternative feel free to use that. I really do dig Sriracha's flavor in this though.

-Have fun with meals like this and use things like flavored tortillas. Mine were on chipotle tortillas, and the chipotle really added to the tacos.

Quick, easy, tasty. My favorite kind of meal!

Menu for the week: 30 May - 5 June.

Sunday:

Salmon with Lemon/Garlic Butter Sauce

Risotto

Steamed Broccoli

*This means there is leftover Risotto in my house...dangerous.*

Monday:

Grilled Chicken

Baked Potatoes

Corn on the Cob

Tuesday:

(Fake) Chicken Parmesan

Rice

Broccoli

Wednesday:

My spin on this Chicken Piccata

Thursday:

Pork Tenderloin

Mashed Potatoes

Corn

Friday:

*Kristen's Free Reign Dinner Night*

Going back to my youth for Macaroni and Cheese.

You know, the one in the blue box.

Yum.

Saturday:

Grilled Lemon Chicken

Mushroom Risotto

Corn on the Cob

P-I-Z-Z-A.

Enough said, yes?

Tonight's pizza: 1/2 cheese and garlic, 1/2 pepperoni and sausage on a whole wheat crust.

Tonight's pizza: messy, imperfect, wicked awesome.

Start things out with the base of every good pizza, the crust. I simply modified this recipe to my liking. I also halved it since the recipe linked makes two crusts.

I used whole wheat flour instead of all purpose and added in some parsley and garlic powder. Do whatever you wish with the ingredients, but follow the same basic directions listed.

For the sauce I did something similar. Because I'm, like, soooo gourmet, I started out with this:

But then I redeemed my canned sauce using self by adding all of this:

Garlic powder, parsley, oregano, and white pepper for just the slightest kick.

While you are letting the spices mingle with the sauce you should probably decide what toppings you would like on your pizza. I wanted cheese and garlic, and for Chris I threw on some pepperoni and sausage. Commence preparing the toppings.

Then comes the fun part - or the hellish part if you're me. Rolling out the crust. Try as I might, I cannot get a crust looking like I want it to just by using my hands. So, I bastardized the homemade pizza making process by rolling it out with a rolling pin.

Except that I can't work a rolling pin correctly to save my life, so my crust was still a bit imperfect.

Finally, a fun part; building the pizza. Everyone is going to have a different way of doing this, and everyone is going to think their way is the right way. I started with the sauce, then added the garlic (on my side) and the sausage (on Chris's side).

Because I was hungry, distracted, eating pepperoni and mozzarella slices, or one of a million other excuses I could give, I stopped taking pictures of the prep process there. So, I added freshly grated parmesan cheese to my side, covered the entire thing in fresh mozzarella slices, added more sausage and some pepperoni on the 'Chris side', and sprinkled the whole thing with more parmesan.

In the 450 degree oven it went for 15 minutes.

This is what came out:

Will it win the award for prettiest pizza of all time? No. Is it a tad lopsided? Yes. Is it overflowing with mozzarella? Yes...oh, wait, that's not a bad thing at all!

I can say this much, it tasted damn good. I haven't tried a slice from Chris's side. Honestly, with as much as I ate from my side, I don't need it. But I am curious about his side came out.

Oh pizza. So simple. So quick. So amazingly good.

Though, admittedly, not so good for you.

At least it had a wheat crust, right?

The end.