Simple Hasselback Potatoes

I'm sure you've seen the gazillion posts on Pinterest for hasselback potatoes. I know I have, hence this post. Fancy things aren't they? They're like roasted potatoes, but fancy with it's scalloped look. Like every other potato, yam or sweet potato, it's a blank canvas and you can add any topping and seasonings to your hearts content. I had mine plain. Butter is a must. No substituting.



Simple Hasselback Potatoes
recipe adapted from recipes in need

2 small golden potatoes (it's what I had on hand, but use whatever potatoes you want)
2 TBsp butter
sprinkle of garlic powder
season with salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400F.

Wash and scrub potatoes.

Gently slice the potatoes into thin slices, but make sure not to cut all the way through.

Bake potatoes on a foil lined baking sheet for 60-70 minutes or until potatoes are done.

For more hasselback potatoes recipes, check these out:

3 cheese hasselback potatoes
Hasselback Potatoes with Beetroot and Pepperberry Salt
Lazy Sunday hasselback potatoes

Mosa's Guacamole

My friend Rosina came up to visit me for a week, hence the lack of posts and lack of communicating with my blogger friends. My bad. I'll have some posts up about our adventures, but if you follow me on Instagram, you did see snippets... or more like food we ate. So, one thing Ro said she'd do is make me some Mexican food which I was over the moon so excited.

First up, guacamole. Can't have Mexican food without some guacamole ya know? It's a very basic recipe and you can add more of this or more of that to suite your own taste, but for me, this was sooo spicy! What can I say, I'm weak.



Mosa's Guacamole

5 avocados, de-pitted and sliced
2 jalapenos, diced (or minced)
1/4 cup red onions, diced
1 1/2 TBsp minced garlic
2 small vine tomatoes, diced
2 limes, juiced
Salt & Pepper for taste

Add your avocado, one jalapeno, onions, garlic, one juiced lime and mash everything together in a large bowl.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add in more jalapeno and/or lime juice.

Top with diced tomatoes and gently mix into the dip.

Note: To store leftovers, place saran wrap right on top of the guacamole (touching it) and make sure there's no air. I put mine in a tupperware and it's been 2 days and still very fresh!

Japchae

One of my favorite Korean dishes aside from Korean BBQ and Bibimbap, Japchae is pretty up there. The first time I ever had Japchae was when we were stationed at Ft Drum, NY. If you're stationed up there, it's called Koreana. I miss that place!

Ever since I got back into Kpop (waaaay before Psy and Gangnam Style took over the world) and watching shows, I have been eating and cooking more Korean dishes. There's a tiny K-Town out here down S Tacoma Way and I'm lucky there's a couple Korean markets near by. They also recently opened up a H-Mart closer to my house *woot*



I posted chicken stir-fry with japchae sauce awhile ago and it's pretty much the same thing except this time, I used the right noodles and what a huge difference! I also doubled the sauce and mine turned out a little sweeter then the first time I made it. I wish there was a kick to it though... next time, I would add a little spice to it. You can also add beef like the original recipe, but I omitted that.



Japchae
recipe from Korean Bapsang

6 ounces Korean potato starch noodles (dangmyeon)
4 - 5 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked until plump
6 ounces fresh spinach
1 small carrot
1 small sweet onion
2 scallions

vegetable oil for stir frying
salt and pepper

Sauce:

3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons roasted sesame seeds

Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix well until the sugar is dissolved.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, and cook the noodles according to the package directions (5-6 minutes). Rinse in cold water and drain. Cut the noodles with kitchen shears or a knife into 6 -7 inch lengths. Mix in 2 tablespoons of the prepared sauce in a large bowl.

Cut stems off the mushrooms and slice into 1/4-inch thin strips. Season with 1 tablespoon of the sauce.

Blanch the spinach in boiling water only until wilted. Drain quickly and shock in cold water. Squeeze out excess water, cut into about 2-inch lengths, and lightly season with salt and pepper.

Cut the carrot into match sticks. Thinly slice the onion. Cut the scallions into similar lengths.

In a large non-stick skillet, stir fry the noodles over medium heat, stirring frequently, until translucent and a bit sticky (about 3 - 4 minutes). Transfer back to the large bowl.

Stir fry each vegetable (except the spinach) separately with 1 teaspoon of oil over medium high heat, lightly sprinkling with salt and pepper, about 1 - 2 minutes. (Do not overcook. The vegetables should be crisp.)

Transfer the vegetables to the large bowl with the noodles as each is cooked.

Combine all the ingredients and the remaining sauce. Toss well by hand. Adjust the seasoning to taste by adding a little more soy sauce and/or sugar.

Chicken Stir-Fry with Japchae Sauce

It doesn't get dark til 8pm here and dinner has gone from 6pm to now past 8! I've been craving for Japchae for awhile now and the Korean market is a good 20+ minute drive away so instead, I used whatever ingredients I had on hand. Japchae means a mixture of vegetables and traditionally you use sweet potato noodles (dangmyeon), but I used Vermicelli (bean threads) instead. The flavor of the sauce is the right balance of saltiness and sweetness.

So, I started to follow this recipe, but I messed up and ended up kind stir-frying everything together and tossing in the sauce. It's almost like Japchae, but not? I recommend rinsing the vermecelli after you drain so keep from sticking. It was a huge mess. Overall, it was delicious and I wish I made more!



Chicken Stir-Fry with Japchae Sauce
Recipe adapted from Korean Bapsang

3 bundles of vermecelli
1 small carrot, cut into matchsticks
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 scallion, diced
1/4 cucumber, sliced
1 chicken thigh, cut in bite-size chunks
vegetable oil for stir frying
salt and pepper

Sauce:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix well until the sugar is dissolved.

Soak vermecelli noodles for 15 minutes in hot water. Drain and rinse with cold water. Cut the noodles with kitchen shears and set aside.

Cook the chicken thigh with 1 TBsp of the sauce and 1 TBsp oil til fully cooked. Set aside.

Stir-fry the vegetables with 2 TBsp of the sauce.

Mix in your noodles, chicken and the rest of the sauce. Cook til heated through.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

If you just hopped on over from Melissa's blog, Hiiii! If not, Hiii anyways. Roasted Brussels sprouts is one of my favorite last minute dinner ideas. I get lazy from time to time and sometimes, I don't even want to get in the car to pick up something. As long as I have either Brussels Sprouts or fresh broccoli, I always roast them. One foil lined baking sheet = no clean up!

Also, I accidently scheduled this post for MARCH instead of April, so sorry if the link from her post doesn't bring you to the right place. Fail on my end.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon

10-15 Brussels sprouts, cut in half or quarters
a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
1 TBsp of chopped garlic
salt and pepper to taste
2 strips of bacon*, cut in to bite size chunks
1 TBsp of chopped onion

Preheat oven to 375F.
Put cut up brussels sprouts on foil lined baking sheet.
Drizzle with EVOO, garlic salt and pepper. Add bacon and onion. Mix.
Bake 15 minutes. Mix it up a bit.
Put back into the oven and bake another 5 minutes.

* You can omit the bacon and instead add in some balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with parmesan cheese or a squeeze of lemon.

Roast Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Cranberry over Barley

Now that is one long title! I am so excited today to share with you this recipe I adapted from Cookie + Kate. Also, did you know brussels sprouts has a 'S' after brussel? YEA ME NEITHER. I am too lazy to go back to adjust my photos though. Okay, back to the sprouts! I tried roasted brussels sprouts sometime last year and I was hooked instantly. I love to season mine with a little salt & pepper, squeeze of lemon and some chili pepper flakes. Another all time favorite is drizzling it with some balsamic vinegar... sprinkle of parmesan is also really good. How do you like your brussels sprouts?



I had pinned this recipe from Pinterest and with the sun out yesterday, I knew I had to grab the chance to make this so I can take some photos. The original recipe uses a different method and it calls for maple syrup and Gorgonzola cheese. I omitted both ingredients and just roasted the sprouts on a cookie sheet like I usually do.

The dish is light and healthy which is always a plus. You get that sweet candied tartness from the cranberries (I used dried cranberries) and then you have the fluffy barley. Honestly, I wish I made more! I like the way I made it... might be a little bland for others, but just season it a little more with salt and pepper. For leftovers, I added some leftover cut up rotisserie chicken.

Roast Balsamic Brussels Sprouts with Cranberry over Barley
recipe adapted from cookie + kate

1 pound Brussels sprouts, tips cut off, discolored leaves removed and sliced in half
1 tablespoon olive oil (I used EVOO)
Salt
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 1/2 cups cooked barley
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, or more to taste

Cook the barley according to package direction.
Preheat oven to 375F
Add cut Brussels sprouts and drizzle with EVOO and seasoned with a bit of salt. Roast 10 minutes.
Add dried cranberries and balsamic vinegar and roast for another 5 minutes.

Creamy and Cheesy Broccoli Soup

Creamy and Cheesy Broccoli Soup

4 cups broccoli florets
2 cups water
1/2 tsp onion salt
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
6 TBsp butter
6 TBsp flour
3 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
2 cups milk
1 TBsp fresh parsley, minced
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Bring a large pot of water and onion to boil and add broccoli, celery and carrots. Bring to boil, drain and set aside.

Saute onions in butter until tender. Stir in flour to form a smooth paste. Slowly add broth and milk, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute: add vegetables and remaining ingredients. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes until tender.

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread
Recipe from Food&Wine

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 pound zucchini, coarsely shredded


1. Preheat the oven to 375°. Butter an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2-inch loaf pan and coat it with sugar. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and baking powder. In a medium bowl, whisk the canola oil with the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Add the shredded zucchini. Stir the zucchini batter into the dry ingredients.

2. Pour the zucchini bread batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the zucchini bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Roast Chicken with Potatoes in Creme Fraiche Chive Sauce

The chicken was seasoned with salt and pepper than rubbed down with softened butter mixed with thyme and garlic paste. I stuffed the cavity with half a onion, lemon slices, thyme and 2 garlic cloves.

The potatoes in Creme Fraiche Chive sauce was so good!! I misread the recipe and added a whole container of creme fraiche instead of 1/4 cup. Overall, still delicious and it went fabulously with the chicken.

Creme Fraiche Chive Sauce
Original recipe from Mycookinghut

1 lb. petite idaho potatoes
1 cup crème fraîche
1/2 fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp finely grated lemon zest
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp minced chives
salt & pepper to taste


Method:

1. Put the potatoes in a large saucepan, add cold water to cover by about an inch. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer gently until potatoes are tender, anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes depending on their size (test doneness with a fork).

2. When the potatoes are done, drain all the water and let them sit in the pot for five minutes to steam and dry.

3. Whisk together the crème fraîche, lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil and chives in a small bowl until combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4. Halve or quarter the potatoes, if large and toss with the crème fraiche mixture.

Broccoli Sausage Pasta

Just posting old recipes from my old blogspot which I plan to delete once everything is transferred over! Definitely expect loads of recipe posts coming soon!



Broccoli and Sausage Pasta
Original recipe from Good Life Eats

2 cups broccoli florets, cooked till tender crisp
3 links mild italian sausage
1 red onion, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper, more if you like
salt and pepper to taste
12 ounces Ronzoni garden delight radiatore pasta, cooked according to package instructions

In a large saute pan, drizzle a couple teaspoons of olive oil. Add the sausage, cooking until browned on all sides. Remove sausage and slice into rounds. Return to pan. Add onion to the sausage and saute until the onion is tender, about 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute more.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine, making sure to scrape up all the browned bits. pasta, and broccoli. Season to taste with salt and pepper and sprinkle with crushed red pepper. Serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

I've been trying to make this beef stew since Sunday, but this recipe calls for it to cook on low for 8-10 hours! Yes, I know, I can put it on high and cut the time, but I figured I'd be a good girl and let it cook all day. Except, I got tired of looking at the ingredients cluttering up my counter top last night and thank God I already chopped all my veggies and all that was left was to open some cans. I even browned the meat and what a mess that was! I have to say though, cooking this recipe at the hour I did and having the smell wafting through your house ALL night is possibly one of the dumbest things I've ever done! I couldn't go to bed til almost 5AM and the smell was just tormenting me.

I have come to the conclusion that I may or may not be a stew-type person. I've made stew a couple times in the past and even then, it's just not my thing. Just like pot roast. I can eat a bowl, but I get over it quickly, but thank God for my husband who loooooves it and will eat the leftovers :) As delicious as it smelled, my first bowl was kinda lacking flavor even though I added a bunch of black pepper (I have an addiction), but I added an extra 1/4 tsp of kosher salt and it's fine now. The stew itself is good, but could be better imo. I think next time I'm either going to add more seasoning, maybe some thyme and I wonder if red wine would give it a little more depth? Overall it's still a good recipe. I ate it for brunch and for dinner and that usually never happens. I don't like to eat the same exact thing (unless it's Pho) in one day.



Slow Cooker Beef Stew
Original recipe from Movita Beaucoup

1-2 lbs of stewing beef, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tablespoon EVOO
1 medium sized onions, chopped into large pieces
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 cup of baby carrots, chopped
about 10 mini-potatoes, cut in half or quartered
1 28 oz. can whole plum tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
3 cups sodium reduced beef broth, divided
2 bay leaves
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and then lightly brown the meat in batches. Transfer browned beef to a plate and set aside.

Dump the tomatoes into the slow cooker (juice and all). Crush them with a potato masher or the back of a spoon. Add the onions, celery, carrots and potatoes. Sprinkle the Italian seasoning over the vegetables and then add the beef and any accumulated drippings. Pour 2 1/2 cups of the beef broth over the beef and vegetables. Give the mixture a quick stir. Add the bay leaves.

Cover and cook on low for 8 – 10 hours.

About 20 minutes before serving, add the peas, salt and pepper. In a small bowl whisk together the flour and remaining 1/2 cup of beef broth, creating a smooth paste. Stir into the stew. Replace the slow cooker cover and cook until thickened (about 15-20 minutes).

Remove the bay leaves before serving.

Roast Chicken with Lemon-Garlic Green Beans

After coming home from leave, we're trying to get our life back into a routine and getting back into cooking. I was definitely spoiled this trip, eating delicious food all day every day. It was nice not having to plan out meals and cooking for awhile.



I came across this roast chicken recipe and best of all, it was simple quick and it was one in one pan! Perfect for a quick weeknight meal or a Sunday meal. I used chicken thighs since they were on sale last week at Safeway. Bone-in and skin will help keep chicken moist, but you can also choose skinless boneless option.

Roast Chicken with Lemon-Garlic Green Beans
Original recipe from Real Simple

6 tablespoons evoo
2 lemons, 1 thinly sliced, 1 juiced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 pound trimmed green beans
4 red potatoes, quartered
3 chicken thighs

Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large baking dish or cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish or skillet.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper; add the green beans and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the green beans and arrange them on top of the lemon slices. Add the potatoes to the same olive-oil mixture and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, arrange the potatoes along the inside edge of the dish or skillet on top of the green beans. Place the chicken in the same bowl with the olive-oil mixture and coat thoroughly. Place the chicken, skin-side up, in the dish or skillet. Pour any of the remaining olive-oil mixture over the chicken.

Roast for 50 minutes. Remove the chicken from the dish or skillet. Place the beans and potatoes back in oven for 10 minutes more or until the potatoes are tender.

Quick Baked Veggies and Sausage

Had a busy Saturday running from one grocery store to the next looking for Ezekiel bread which I did find at Trader Joe's, but they didn't have the one I was looking for. DH headed out to Bellevue for a BMW meet and ended up just picking up Jack in the Box for himself since I can't eat that anymore. I got home a little late and was starving and really didn't want to slave in the kitchen, but I remember seeing a grilled squash and sausage recipe online awhile ago. Instead, I baked mine for about 20-25 minutes til the sausage is cooked through. Delicious quick, healthy (maybe not so much on the sausage) and simple!

Baked Veggies and Sausage

1 Yellow Squash, cut into bite size chunks

1/2 Zucchini, cut into bite size chunks

1 Sausage, cut in half

Drizzle of Evoo

pinch of salt

dash of black pepper

sprinkle of onion powder

sprinkle of Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F

Place everything in an oven proof dish, drizzle with evoo and seasoned to taste.

Bake everything for about 20-25 minutes til vegetables are soft and sausage is cooked through.