Two Meals in One...

Two meals in one post that is. Actually, I got two meals out of the risotto, and it might have been even better the next day.

Story time! I might have mentioned on here, and I definitely mentioned over at Life Moves Pretty Fast... that, while at Yokota, I went to a delicious little Italian restaurant right out of the gate. I went there twice and had Risotto both times. The first night I had Risotto Parmigiano, and the second night I had Risotto with Prosciutto, which also had a wonderful herb called Rocket in it. I tried to recreate the Risotto with Prosciutto on Sunday night. It went pretty well! I wish the Prosciutto would have been thinner, and I wish I had been able to find Rocket.

Once again, this is a "ruse"-otto because, Lord forgive me, that is Minute Rice in there. I might just be saying this because I've never had Arborio rice (that I know of), but it all works the same to me. Just like any risotto, I cook my "ruse"-otto slowly in a cup of liquid to start out with, then just adding more in as need be. This was 1.5 cups of Minute Rice in Chicken Broth. I think I used almost two cans.

I also added a tablespoon or two of butter and some half & half when I felt it needed to be creamier. Also, I didn't want to over do it on the Chicken Broth flavor.

Meanwhile, I prepped my favorite ingredient. Mmm. Parmesan. I bought this bowl in Tokyo.

I like being able to say that.

"Well, Kristen, that sure is a neat looking bowl. Where'd you pick up that gem?"

"Oh, you know, just strolling the kitchen shops in downtown Tokyo."

Anyway...on to another great ingredient.

Because the Chicken Broth was slowly taking over even with the half & half I continued to add. And also because, well, why not? I added maybe a splash too much, but I just cranked up the heat, kept stirring that rice, and let it reduce.

(Insert Rocket here.) Parsley will have to do.

I used almost the whole bowl of shredded parmesan which was almost a whole wedge. Got that?

Stir together adding wine/broth/half & half as wanted or needed for desired consistency. Don't forget salt and pepper! You probably won't need a ton of salt. I didn't use much. I went a little nutty with the black pepper. I don't think there is such a thing as too much fresh ground black pepper. Once everything has melted together you are left with a delicious, cheesy, creamy, gooey, fattening mess of deliciousness. The way it was intended to be...

"Oh, wow Kristen! Those plate/mini platters are really neat too! They look like they match the bowls."

"Yep, they do. Picked them up at the same shop."

"Where was that again?"

"In Tokyo."

At this point there was room in the pan so I tossed in maybe two tablespoons of chicken broth and quickly heated up three slices of Prosciutto. I didn't want it cooked at all, just hot.

You don't even have to use Prosciutto though. Like I said, I ate just the Risotto reheated the next day, and it was still awesome.

Love stuff that keeps like that.

Yesterday was Chicken Curry with Potatoes and Jasmine Rice. It was good, but it about melted my face off...and I like spicy!

Tonight, well, tonight is another story. Story time! While at Yokota the girls from training and I went to a mall. The other teller from Misawa had something from Taco Derio called 'Taco Rice". I had never heard of this before, but it could not have been easier to make or more delicious.

I started off by browning turkey. Yes, for tacos and the like I use the other-other white meat. Yes, that is a potato masher off to the side. I use it to break up my meat. Try it if you have a squiggly one like I do. It's sure to change your life.

Work that McCormmick's magic and turn that turkey into taco meat.

At this point (actually, before this point) you should start on the rice. Just use Minute and pop it in the microwave.

I also went and prepared the rest of my ingredients and ate a salted Roma tomato with lemon juice.

Because it sounded good, that's why.

Finally, (not that this takes long) time to assemble.

Rice and cheese.

Then some meat and lettuce...

Avocado slices and salsa. 

This was delicious, quick, and easy. I wolfed it down. I so wish my homemade salsa would have kept long enough to let me use it on this, but alas, Pace made due, and it was still amazing.

Give it a try.

Menu for the week: 28 March - 4 April.

I know, I know, it's late. However it is a very busy week. I started work. I have finals. I have a massive cramp in my toe...all that good stuff.

Sunday:

Risotto with Prosciutto.

Monday:

Honey BBQ Chicken

Baked Potato

Tuesday:

Chicken and Potato Curry

Jasmine Rice

Wednesday:

Taco Rice

Thursday:

Garlic and Lemon Shrimp

Rice

Broccoli

Friday:

Mac 'n Cheese

(Fridays are "Kristen gets to eat anything she wants" nights.)

Saturday:

Steak

Mashed Potatoes

Corn

Sunday: Easter Dinner!

Ham with Orange Glaze

Hashbrown Casserole

Green Beans

The Saint Marc's Craftsmanship Experience.

Originally, I said that I was going to keep restaurant experiences over at Life Moves Pretty Fast. However, since I have the whole Tokyo/Yokota trip to go over on that blog I figured it wouldn't hurt to go into my awesome dining adventure here.

Saint Marc's Craftsmanship is a French(ish) restaurant in Fussa City, Japan. Some of the girls from training and I headed there one night after class for dinner.

Our instructor had told us that the servers here bring around different flavored breads every ten minutes, and he wasn't lying. I think almost all of us polished off five to seven (different) rolls by the end of the meal. I went with a dinner set called the "Casual Course". What that meant was I received a choice of bread or rice along with soup, a mini salad, an appetizer, a main course, dessert and tea.

Cheese bread and Green Tea roll. The Green Tea bread was my favorite!

Corn soup. Very good, even better with ground pepper. I kept thinking that Chris would have loved it.

Mini-salad and the appetizer.

The appetizer: bean (edamame) and lobster mashed potato.

Calf steak with vegetables and "fries".

Lemon tea and vanilla ice cream for dessert.

My dinner at Saint Marc's was by far my favorite dining experience of the trip, even compared to Chili's! It was delicious, and a new experience (the multi-course meal) for me. I loved it, and I definitely wouldn't mind taking a trip back down there with Chris once or twice before we leave Japan. 

No Menu for This Week.

No menu for next week either actually. KO Kitchen is on hiatus until I get back from Tokyo! I'll be gone until the 26th of March. Too bad Chris won't swoop in and write about his kitchen endeavors these next two weeks. I'm sure those would be some fun reads! 

The Most Requested Meal.

Chris likes steak. No, he LOVES steak. He loves my meatballs as well. But, the number one most requested meal from Chris is Chicken Cordon Bleu. That is what I made tonight.

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Chicken Garlic Cream Sauce and Caesar Salad.

I'm sure there are plenty of ways to do this, but this is how I roll.

-Hammer out a boneless, skinless chicken breast to a thin, rollable state.

-Dip the chicken breast in an egg wash, coating both sides.

-On a plate pour enough bread crumbs to coat both sides of all of your chicken.

-Add whatever you'd like to the bread crumbs and mix around. I add salt, pepper, garlic powder, and parsley.

-Take the egg washed chicken breast and coat it in the bread crumb mixture. Remove to a plate.

-Lay a few slices of ham onto the crumb covered chicken breast, then add a slice of Provolone or Swiss cheese.

-Roll the chicken breast and secure the roll with toothpicks.

-Place the chicken seam side down in a baking dish and add a tablespoon of butter on top of each piece.

-Bake at 475 degrees for 30 minutes. (I usually go lower and slower, but I was in a rush tonight, and actually I think this is the best one I've made.)

The sauce was just half & half, chicken broth, salt, pepper, parsley, and garlic powder. I simmered it on the stove for 15 minutes or so, and added a chicken broth/flour mixture as a thickener. That didn't really work, but it tasted good!

Go To.

We all have them, and this is one of my favorites. It's quicker and easier than spaghetti and meatballs and has more of a kick to it too.

Penne with Spicy Sausage aka "Mostaccioli"

(Odd, considering I use and prefer penne. It's just what I've always called it.)

First up, I cut two and a half to three bratwurst (I like the "Hot" variety. Use what you'd like) out of their casings, and cut them into bite size pieces. They get tossed in a pot and browned up.

Once it's brown, add in your sauce and let simmer for however long you feel is right.

We were hungry, so once I got the sauce simmering it was straight to the other parts of the meal. I started cooking my penne and my garlic bread.

For the garlic bread I spread butter over both sides of Texas Toast cut white bread. I seasoned each side with garlic powder, parsley, and parmesan cheese. I turned the Griddler on medium high (with the grill plates on) and let it grill away! It came out tasting really good!

Finally, decide if you are an "all mixed up" or "over the top" type of person. We are all mixed up people here.

(I was of course referring to how you prefer to serve your pasta and sauce together.)

Throw a salad together (or not), and there's dinner! It doesn't get easier than this, folks.

Menu for the week: 7 March - 13 March.

Sunday:

Penne with Spicy Sausage

Salad

Garlic Bread

Monday:

Pot Roast with Carrots and Onions

Mashed Potatoes

Corn

Tuesday:

French Dips

Salad

Wednesday:

PW's Ranch Style Chicken

Broccoli

Baked Potatoes

Thursday:

PW's Macaroni and Cheese

Caesar Salad

Friday:

Pork Tenderloin

Green Beans

Mashed Potatoes

Saturday:

Chicken Cordon Blue

Broccoli

Potatoes

What a Steak Dinner Looks Like at My House.

Just like everyone likes their pancakes a certain way, I think everyone likes their steak a certain way. Just the meat, loaded with seasonings, medium-rare, leather--ergh I mean "well-done", with a baked potato, mashed potatoes, rice pilaf (weirdos), everyone has their own brand of the steak dinner. This is one of mine.

Steaks. Ribeye, please.

The one in front is mine. Call me crazy, but I'm not a huge fan of marbling. I don't care what "they" say. I don't care what has been proven. I like to look at a steak and see meat, not fat. 

But sadly I can't eat that whole steak, so I cut it down to size.

And then this guy's day...

...gets a whole lot better.

My steak seasoning is the stuff of legends. Not really, but my husband who thinks steak should "taste like meat" enjoys it, and it has once been requested by my brother who is the pickiest eater I know. It's simple, it's good, and it changes each time. The amount of each ingredient does at least, the basic formula stays more or less the same.

Salt, pepper, Lawry's, dried onion flakes, dried parsley, Montreal Steak Seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, rub it all in, flip it over and do the same to the other side.

Seasonings:

Sauce:

Rub:

Throw the steaks off to the side and prep the rest of the ingredients in your meal. For me that would be broccoli, mushrooms, and a potato in some form. Tonight I did grilled. Usually, I make mashed. Every once in a blue moon I'll do baked, but my oven and microwave leave something to be desired, and I just can't be bothered to wait that long most days. But I digress...

Boil the potato disks until just tender and drain. (Then, if your me, get water boiling in the pot again to steam the broccoli.) Lay the disks out and spray with butter (or brush melted butter on...this would be so much better I think, but I've already had Alfredo this week, so it was 'I Can't Believe It's Not Butter' for me.) and sprinkle desired seasonings over the top. I used salt, pepper, parsley, garlic powder, and a pinch of ground dry mustard.

(Ignore my stove spill, please.)

Next up, get them on the grill! I am loving this Griddler more by the day.

(Can you guess which two should have stayed in the water a bit longer? No worries. We didn't need five potatoes each anyway.)

Once they have spent a few minutes grilling up, start steaming your vegetable and cooking those mushrooms if you are into that sort of thing. In this house we happen to be very into that sort of thing. I brown them up in a few sprays of butter, then add pepper, Lawry's, and Worcestershire.

This is how they should have stayed. Then everything was cooking, and I got bored and added more Worcestershire. I do things like that. I don't know why. Especially since I take the Chris approach to mushrooms...meaning, I think they should taste like mushrooms. Tonight's barely retained their orgininal flavor after adding all of the seasonings. I could have added more "butter" to the broccoli. I could have added more garlic to the potatoes, but instead I chose to bastardize the mushrooms. It's a crazy world.

Meanwhile, It was time to throw Chris's steak on the grill. He is one of those people who enjoy eating a medium-well to well-done steak. He rarely, if ever, gets that. It's not because I think it's wrong to cook a steak that long, I just physically cannot do it. It usually ends up medium. It drives me nuts to see a steak cooking that long, and I'm always sure it has to be way overcooked (and to me, it is). He has yet to really complain, so I just stick to what I know.

You may also see that I flipped the potatoes.

I *heart* grill lines.

I let those cook up some more, and when it was time to flip Chris's steak I tossed mine on as well. I'm a medium-rare kind of girl. Actually, I'm the kind of girl who would just as soon sear each side for 30 seconds and eat it like that. As long as it looks cooked on the outside and is warm throughout, I'm happy.  What would that be? Rare? Almost rare? Not quite medium-rare? Whatever it is, if it doesn't melt in my mouth I want no part of it.

Moo.

(Yes, I realize that was unnecessary.)

Eventually, I flip my steak, serve up the broccoli and potatoes, and get the steaks off the grill. It all ends up looking something like this:

Yum. Add some A-1 and some ranch for the potatoes, and I am good to go!

Love.

There is little else that I love to see in my kitchen more than this:

(Again, I have no idea why these are so foggy on the blog.)

I also am loving the new Griddler. I'll be using it with the grill plates for steak tomorrow.

Take a closer look at this one. Oh yeah, this guy is mine.

Of course, they are all mine. Chris doesn't like leftover pancakes. Actually, Chris doesn't like any pancakes that aren't of the chocolate chip variety.

And when I said they were all mine, I meant all but one of them.

This one is for Guinness.

It was the reject "bowl scraping" pancake.

Oh how good you were giant, less giant, and two small pancakes.

I think everyone likes their pancakes a certain way, but I have to tell you all that once again PW rocks it out. Check out her recipe for 'Perfect Pancakes'.

My Quest.

Fettuccine Alfredo.

Pioneer Woman gave me the math, I'm trying to find the right numbers. To do what? To lighten up Fettuccine Alfredo.

(I'll wait until you all stop laughing.)

Really though, I have avoided making this dish for the last few months because we've been eating better than we used to. This week I decided I couldn't wait any longer. It's quick. It's easy. It is freaking delicious. I love it. I wanted it in my tummy.

I also decided I was going to stray a little from PW's recipe in an attempt to lessen the food guilt because this is the only dish I feel that for, but as I've mentioned, it is also a favorite in this house. Instead of using a cup of heavy cream, I used half a cup of 1% milk mixed with half a cup of 1/2 & 1/2. I also mixed in a teaspoon or less of flour to help thicken things up. This halved the calories of the cream part of the sauce. However, I was concerned about the creaminess and taste of the end result. Did it end up working out? Onward!

Uh. Yum.

I hate, hate, hate cooking Fettuccine. I find if you don't stir it constantly when it is least stir-able it sticks together no matter what you do. I also love cooking Fettuccine because once it is no longer sticking together you don't have to stir it anymore. Just pop the lid on and forget about it.

This part is where the "make Alfredo healthy" quest sort of falls by the wayside. I think you have to use real butter. Eventually, I will try it with something ever so lighter, but that day was not today. In fact, I didn't even need the half stick that was in there (I only made half a box of pasta). I just threw it in for good measure.

This was my milk/half and half mixture. I used about a half to three-quarters of a cup for half a box of pasta. I like to err on the side of too much sauce.

Mix in what you feel is necessary. Black pepper is a must, fresh ground if you know what's good for you. I never would have considered putting nutmeg in this dish, but PW got me hooked.

Toss half the grated up cheese into a bowl and pour the still hot sauce on top of it. I was really, really depending on the cheese to thicken the sauce up.

Add the just drained pasta on top of the cheese/sauce pile.

And toss the rest of the cheese on top. Mix everything together, and let it thicken up. Using the milk and half and half mixture produced a need for a little more cheese to thicken the sauce. Of course, this was alright, because I don't think I had grated enough for the original recipe (even halved) to begin with.

Most people would taste the dish to see if any extra spices are needed. I go by smell and past experience. If the scent of the  pepper and nutmeg doesn't stick out, I add more. Almost every time I have served this meal at that point Chris has added more black pepper to his plate, and I have added more nutmeg to mine. So, this time, I added more of each right after the additions from the "scent test". 

After all of the adjustments it came out perfect! I know, I know. It is still nowhere near the realm of healthy, but saving a few hundred calories in the sauce has to count for something, right?

Make this soon! You won't be sorry.