boneless tandoori chicken

mood: semiotic
listening to: front line assembly :: ghosts/heartquake

ever since i began this blog, people have been asking me to create indian dishes and there is one in particular that people have asked for. well, thanks in large part to my father-in-law, it's finally here. we started with the base recipe that he provided and amped it up with some zing! this is simple, tasty and just required a little bit of preparation, but it's guaranteed to put a smile on anyone's face... especially those of you who've been asking for something like this.

Ingredients: 2 lbs. chicken breast tenders, in halves 1 lg tub of yogurt 1/2 red onion, minced 1/2 bunch of cilantro, minced 7-8 garlic cloves, minced 1 tbsp. of salt

4 tbsp. tandoori masala powder 1 tbsp. paprika 1 tbsp. turmeric powder 1 tbsp. ginger root, minced t tbsp. chili powder 2 tbsp. olive oil

Preparation:
- slice onion and cilantro and blend into puree
- combine onion/cilantro puree with yogurt, garlic, ginger, tandoor masala, paprika, turmeric, chili, olive oil and salt into large bowl
- place chicken into yogurt marinade and pierce with a fork. let chicken marinate for 5-6 hours, piercing with fork every 2 hours
- after marination, heat up the barbeque and grill chicken pieces
- serve with lemon, juiced over chicken and with rice and yogurt

the ingredients in the recipe are enough for 4 people.

black bean and guacamole sandwich

mood: redolent
listening to: orbital :: never/wonky

this is a really simple and healthy dish to make. i was looking around for something different and found this recipe online, but they referred to this as 'torta' which doesn't really make sense as this preparation uses a baguette and the majority of places say that a torta is a circular bread that is not similar to bread. anyhoo, enough of this breadology 101. this recipe takes about 20 minutes to make from start to finish and can be used as a simple snack or as part of a meal. this dish can be served warm or cold and i, of course, added in some of my own ingredients to jazz it up.

Ingredients: 1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed 1/8 cup of salsa 1 serrano pepper, diced i tsp of ground cumin 1/4 cup of minced cilantro 3 gloves of garlic, minced

1/4 small onion, diced 1 avocado, pitted 1 lime, cut in half and juiced 1 baguette, cut in quarters 2 cups of shredded cabbage

Preparation:
- first, canned black beans contain a lot of sodium, so to reduce this, run the beans under water.
- in a medium size bowl, mash the black beans, salsa, pepper, cumin and garlic together.
- in a separate bowl, mash the avocado, lime juice, cilantro and onion together.
- remove the soft bread from the bread pieces.
- if you choose, you can warm up the black bean mixture or you can spread it directly on one side of the bread. spread the guacamole mixture on the other side.
- lay some of the shredded cabbage on top and put the sandwich together and enjoy.

the ingredients in the recipe are enough for 4 sandwiches.

arroz con pollo

mood: phlegmatic
listening to: sleigh bells :: tell 'em/infinity guitars

happy 2011! ha ha, it's been a long time. while it's september and this is the first time i'm posting anything, i've been making some new dishes. for whatever reason, i haven't been taking pictures and i'm been hella lazy. in any case, this is a dish that i got to try while in costa rica and it's got some crazy flavor. you can adjust the measurements as you like as it is a pretty simple recipe to make. i even made the dish into a formation of a volcano with lava coming out of it... just like they did it in CR.

Ingredients: 2 chicken breasts 1/2 red onion, sliced 1 green pepper, diced 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 cups brown rice 1 lime, squeezed 14 oz can chicken broth	1 tsp salt 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 tsp paprika 1 tsp cumin 3 tbsp olive oil 1/2 cup white wine 1 ham steak, cubed

Preparation:
- slice chicken breasts into 1 in. cubes and the sprinkle pepper, salt, cumin and paprika over top
- heat oil at medium heat and then put chicken into saucepan. cook until chicken is light brown
- add in sliced green pepper, onion, ham steak and garlic into saucepan
- cook for a few minutes and then add brown rice, chicken broth and wine and stir
- cover the saucepan for about 20 mins on medium heat, stirring occasionally

costa rican gallo pinto (rice and beans)

mood: galvanized
listening to: front line assembly :: angriff/release/pressure wave

so it's been a long while since i've posted anything and since i'd even cooked anything. bit of lost inspiration, coupled with summertime activities and some travel and accounted for the massive timesuck. it's like a vortex where time just spirals away... but none the less, on a recent trip to costa rica, i was introduced to a new and beautful treat by the name of lizano. if you've heard of this stuff, you know what i'm talking about it. it's got a nice tangy zesty flavor that's not spicy and it just gives everything a little added kick. i've officially dubbed this as the national condiment of costa rica.

and with this loveliness comes a new and extremely easy dish to make. the costa rican's call this "gallo pinto," but we know it better as rice and beans. they literally eat it for all meals of the day and i totally understand why. it's delicious... even when i make it. it doesn't take a lot and it's a real easy dish to make.

Ingredients: 1 green pepper, diced 1 red pepper, diced 6 green onion stalks, sliced 4 large garlic cloves, minced 1 can, black beans 2 cups, cooked brown rice cilantro

1 tsp, ground fennel 1 tsp of salt 1/2 tsp, cumin dashes of worcestershire sauce 2 tsps, hot sauce 6 tbsp, lizano sauce canola oil

Preparation:
- cook 2 cups of brown rice and set aside.
- heat canola oil in a skillet on medium heat and adding peppers and onions. stir until soft then add the fennel, cumin and garlic.
- add in beans, undrained, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and 2 tbsps of lizano sauce and stir on medium.
- transfer bean/pepper mixture into a large pot and add in rice and mix. add 4 tbsp of lizano and salt, as desired.
- sprinkle cilantro leaves on top and serve.

"balls to the walls" pesto chicken pasta

mood: mystified
listening to: flying lotus :: beginners falafel/melt!/gng bng

first off... i cannot take credit for the name of this recipe. i was experimenting in the kitchen, throwing some ingredients together, and when it was finished, i had a hard time coming up with a name. one person suggested 'balsamic pesto chicken pasta', which is great, but someone else blurted out this name which was too good to be true and there is the etymology of the dish name.

this is relatively easy dish to make, which came out very tangy and the marinade held quite well in the chicken. you may want to use more pesto than i did. i purposely used less, because it can get overwhelming and the amount i used was perfect for me.

one note: because it's warm out here, i was able to use the grill. if you live in a cold weather climate, the possibility of this may be less likely.

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast
balsamic vinegar
garlic powder, sprinkle
worcestershire sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
green onions, sliced
1 small jar of pesto
artichoke hearts
whole grain rotini pasta

Preparation:
- in a bowl, marinate chicken in worcesteshire and balsamic mixture with garlic powder sprinkled over top, overnight
- once marination is complete, cook on grill till you have some good grill lines on chicken
- in a large pot, bring water to a boil and add in pasta on medium heat
- in a saucepan, add garlic cloves and green onions and cook till slightly brown
- add in pesto sauce and artichoke hearts
- when chicken is done, cut into pieces and add to pesto mixture
- serve mixture over top of pasta

you could just as easily marinate it in italian dressing as well.

eggplant parmesan

mood: feisty
listening to: greymachine :: wolf at the door/sweatshop

tis the season for me to be a slacker... and a slacker is what i've been. i've actually made a few dishes here and there, but they haven't quite been up to snuff and therefore, the long delay between posts. finally, i feel somewhat comfortable in posting this as it took a few iterations for me to get it right, but it's at a place that i feel like i can share this. jenn hoyt, here's a veggie dish finally!

Ingredients: 2 eggplants, peeled and sliced italian breadcrumbs 2 eggs 1 tbsp white horseradish balsamic vinegar 4 garlic cloves, minced salt yellow pepper, sliced green pepper, sliced 4 green onions, sliced	ginger black peppercorn fennel seed canola oil dried basil dried oregano 2 cans, plain spaghetti sauce mozzarella cheese parmesan cheese cheddar cheese

Preparation:
- preheat oven to 350°
- peel and slice eggplant; dip eggplant slices in egg and into italian breadcrumbs
- bake slices for 5-10 minutes or until light brown
- in a sauce pan, heat canola oil
- add garlic, ginger, fennel and peppercorns
- stir in green onion and yellow and green peppers
- add in white horseradish, balsamic vinegar and salt to taste
- stir in spaghetti sauce, basil and oregano
- heat mixture until slightly bubbling
- grease a casserole pan and put layer of spaghetti mixture on bottom of pan
- place layer of baked eggplant slices on top
- coat with mixture of parmesan, mozzarella and cheddar cheese
- repeat spaghetti sauce, eggplant and cheese until all ingredients are used
- cover with foil and heat in oven for 40-45 minutes

serve with a nice salad and bread and you're good to go

grilled salmon and asparagus with horseradish sauce

mood: lethargic
listening to: dj krush :: transitions/四極 (japan extra track 2)

after months and months of dancing around it, i finally mustered up the courage to cook some salmon. it's been a long time coming and it was mostly due to the fact that i couldn't think of anything that i wanted to make with it. i wasn't enthused about just laying a salmon fillet on top of buttered rice or anything like that, but recipe intrigued me, mostly because of the sauce that accompanies the salmon. i added in some grilled asparagus for some added variety. i think you'll enjoy this one.

Ingredients: 3 salmon fillets non stick vegetable spray 3 tbsp vegetable oil 2 tbsp white horseradish 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp worcestershire sauce 2 garlic cloves, minced salt lemon juice louisiana hot sauce asparagus spears garlic salt	Horseradish Sauce: 3/4 cup sour cream 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 tbsp white horseradish 2 tbsp basil 1 tbsp oregano 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tsp soy sauce louisiana hot sauce

Preparation:
- to create the horseradish sauce, combine all elements and mix thoroughly
- coat grill rack with nonstick spray and start grill on medium heat
- in separate bowl, mix oil, horseradish, soy sauce, worcestershire, minced garlic, salt, lemon juice and louisiana hot sauce
- coat salmon fillets with marinade, then place on grill
- grill salmon for about 5-7 minutes per side or until the center becomes desired color
- remove salmon fillets and lay asparagus spears on grill
- occasionally turn the asparagus and coat with garlic salt and sprinkle worcestershire sauce
- cook for about 8-10 minutes and remove from grill
- serve with horseradish sauce

grilled chicken with sun-dried tomato pesto and artichoke hearts

mood: charismatic
listening to: scorn :: can but try/part of

in case you missed it, it was my birthday this past weekend... (insert happy birthday song)
thank you... anyways, in celebration of my birth, i tried to make something a bit more simple with some ingredients that i haven't been able to use as of yet. this quest let me settle on this recipe which allowed me to use artichoke hearts, a vegetable that i've become quite fond of lately. in any case, this is a very easy recipe that shouldn't take more than 45 mins to make. it will require you to use a grill, so for those of you in the east, you may want to try making this one sooner than later, since that white stuff will be falling on the ground shortly.

Ingredients: 3 chicken breasts worcestershire sauce white vinegar lime juice louisiana hot sauce balsamic vinaigrette oregano	basil salt 2 garlic cloves, minced 14.5 oz can of dice tomatoes 15 oz can of artichoke hearts, drained 3/4 cup of sun-dried tomato pesto 1 sm can of sliced olives

Preparation:
- marinate chicken in mixture of lime juice, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, vinegar, balsamic vinaigrette, salt, oregano and basil for 15-20 mins.
- grill chicken
- in a separate pot, mix tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts and pesto on medium heat
- add in oregano, basil, garlic and salt and mix on low heat
- when chicken is grilled to your liking, remove from grill and serve tomato/artichoke mixture on top of the chicken.
- in the picture is a san francisco sour dough french loaf, but choose whatever bread you want

tasty beef lasagna

mood: tempestuous
listening to: meat beat manifesto :: hellfire/less
slacker, slacker, slacker... can you blame me? the weather is always gorgeous, so of course i'm outside enjoying myself. with the fall approaching, it was time to get back to some basics and what better way to bring in the colder weather with hearty lasagna. i'm biased, but this is the best thing that i've made to date. this is one my all-time favorites and so i've had to some time to practice and perfect this, but my roommate just confirmed my bias by stating, "it's good and really hearty!"

Ingredients: 1.25 lb lean ground beef 4 garlic cloves, minced ginger, minced fennel ground coriander salt red pepper, sliced green pepper, sliced 1/2 yellow onion, sliced italian parsley balsamic vinegar	louisiana hot sauce chili powder oregano basil 2 15 oz. cans of tomato sauce no-boil lasagna noodles 2 eggs (or egg substitute) 1 15 oz. can of ricotta cheese 9 oz. shredded cheddar cheese 6 oz. shredded parmesan cheese

Preparation:
- preheat oven to 350°
- in a pan, brown and drain ground beef
- add in garlic, ginger, parsley, onion, peppers, oregano, basil and fennel on medium-high heat
- stir in tomato sauce, salt, ground cardamom, balsamic vinegar, tapatio and chili powder; reduce heat to medium-low
- in a separate bowl, mix ricotta cheese, 2 eggs and 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
- grease a 9x17 pan and put a thin layer of meat mixture to coat bottom
- layer lasagna shells on top
- pour thin layer of ricotta cheese mixture
- cover with 1/2 of cheddar cheese and 1/2 of remaining parmesan cheese
- repeat meat, lasagna shells, ricotta and cheeses
- add oregano and basil on top
- cover with foil and place in oven for 35 mins or until desired readiness.

turkey infused sloppy joe's

mood: encouraged
listening to: snoop dogg :: sexual eruption

i decided to try my hand at an old school favorite and an american past-time. think back to your childhood and remember when you had a bad day and mom had sloppy joe's waiting for you. those messy little manifestos made my day... and of course, they were a million times better than the crap that the lunch lady used to serve in the cafeteria (see adam sandler's "lunchlady land" for further analysis). instead of going the normal route and using ground beef and mix like manwich, i wanted to see if i could concoct something just as potent and even tastier. the jury is still out, but initial results are proving positive.

Ingredients: 1 lb. ground turkey 1 red pepper, diced 1/2 yellow onion, diced 2 large garlic cloves, minced 2 in. of ginger, minced canola oil lemon juice 2 8 oz. cans of tomato sauce

1/3 bottle of barbeque sauce chili powder garam masala cajun seasoning worcestershire sauce hot sauce crushed red pepper flakes salt

Preparation:
- in small sauce pan, heat canola oil on medium heat
- add ginger and garlic and cook till slightly brown
- add onion and red pepper and cook on medium heat, sprinkle lemon juice over mixture
- in separate large pan, begin to brown turkey
- when turkey begins to brown, add in mixture from other pan and heat on medium heat
- add tomato and barbeque sauce, mix thoroughly
- add chili powder, garam masala, crushed red pepper, and worcestershire and hot sauce
- add in cajun seasoning and salt to desire and mix
- when ready, serve on hamburger bun

enjoy those childhood memories or give your children new memories to enjoy.

grilled chicken with jalapeno and cilantro sauce

so it's been a while and i've slacked once again, but i've found a good one where the basis actually comes from a site that i have some familiarity with. meals.com had a dish that really caught my attention, but as usual, i kicked things up a notch. the original recipe called for 5 ingredients... i added in a bunch more. enjoy!

Ingredients: 3 boneless chicken breasts yellow pepper, sliced red pepper, sliced 5 green onions, chopped lemon juice tabasco sauce 1 tbsp. of canola oil 3 cups of brown rice pinch of salt Marinade: 2 tbsp. of white vinegar 2 tbsp. of soy sauce 2 tbsp. of worcestershire sauce sriracha sauce lemon juice chili powder cumin powder olive oil/balsamic vinegar dressing

Jalapeno/Cilantro Sauce: 2 tbsp. of white vinegar 4 green onions 2 large cloves of garlic 1 in. of ginger 2/3 cup of cilantro, chopped 4 jalapenos, sliced 2 tbsp. of lemon juice 2 tbsp. of worcestershire sauce tabasco sauce peppercorns fennel seed coriander seed

Preparation:
- place chicken breasts in marinade (if possible, marinate for a few hours)
- when ready, place chicken pieces on grill; grill until chicken is ready, set aside
- in blender, combine all ingredients for jalapeno and cilantro sauce
- make 3 cups of brown rice
- in a sauce pan, heat canola oil until ready; add chopped green onions and peppers
- heat on medium heat and add lemon juice, tabasco sauce and a pinch of salt
- when ready, serve chicken, onions and peppers over rice
- pour jalapeno/cilantro sauce over top

that's all... enjoy!

shepherd's pie

this is an old favorite, but i added some fixins that haven't used in the past. it's perfect cause it contains all of the major food groups, i think: meat, dairy, vegetable and grain group. well, wait... there's no grain group, but if you throw in a dinner roll, then you have all four. anyways, here we go.

Ingredients: 6-8 small yukon gold potatoes 4 carrots, chopped 1 can of peas, drained 1 can of corn, drained cheddar cheese sour cream margarine 1 medium onion, chopped 3 garlic cloves, minced 1/4 in. ginger, finely chopped	1 lb ground beef canola oil salt pepper cumin fennel seed tabasco sauce lemon juice bbq sauce worcestershire sauce

Preparation:
- bring large pot of salted water to a boil and add potatoes; cook for about 15 minutes or under potatoes are slightly tender
- drain pot and mash; add in margarine, sour cream, 1 cup of cheddar cheese and salt; set aside when done
- pour canola oil into a pan and heat; add garlic, ginger and fennel, cook on medium heat
- preheat oven to 375°
- add onion to pan and cook until slightly brown
- add beef and cook through, remove excess fat
- add in cumin, lemon, worcestershire, tabasco and bbq sauce and mix thoroughly
- drain peas and corn and add carrots into mixture
- coat casserole pan with cooking grease and spread meat mixture onto bottom of the pan
- cover with 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese and put mashed potatoes on top
- bake in oven for 20 minutes or until lightly brown

like i said, if you add a dinner roll to this, then you've got all 4 four groups.

shrimp fajitas

so i know it's been a while, but i've been dealing with some issues... nonetheless, i have conjured up some new recipes which i will be posting very shortly. this first one is an old favorite with a twist. i've made steak and chicken fajitas before, but i decided to try out using shrimp instead to see how it would work out. here are the results:

Ingredients: canola oil 4 garlic cloves ginger green pepper, cut in strips red pepper, cut in strips 5 green onions 3 jalapenos, sliced 1 lb, medium cooked shimp worcestershire sauce white vinegar soy sauce	louisiana hot sauce lemon juice cumin powder chili powder fennel seed ground coriander taco seasoning whole wheat tortillas fat-free sour cream salsa mild cheddar cheese

Preparation:
- heat 1 tbsp canola oil in large panon medium and add minced garlic and ginger
- add green pepper, red pepper, green onions, jalapenos and cook for 5-10 minutes
- add cumin, chili powder, vinegar, fennel seed, coriander, worcestershire sauce and mix
- reduce heat to medium-low and add in shrimp; stir in taco seasoning, lemon juice, hot sauce; cook for 5 minutes
- when ready, serve on whole wheat tortilla and add sour cream, cheddar cheese and salsa.

roll up and enjoy!

turkey enchiladas with tomato sauce

happy décimo de mayo! i planned to post this earlier this week to celebrate what most people in the US think is mexican independance day, but in fact a day that only holds significance as a victory for the mexican army over the french in 1862.

but i digress... i was so inspired that i didn't make one round of enchiladas, i made two! the first one used tomato sauce and i decided to change things up as well and try using ground turkey instead of chicken or beef and from the few reviews by others, it was an appropriate choice. here are the results for round 1 (as you can tell, i was too hungry to wait for the photo to get taken).

Ingredients: canola oil pinch, mustard seed pinch, peppercorns 1/2 medium white onion, chopped 3 cloves of garlic, minced 1 lb. taco-seasoned ground turkey ginger, minced chili powder lemon juice salt	3 cans, tomato sauce 2 cans, diced green chilis worcestershire sauce sriracha sauce 6 large wheat tortillas 3 green onions 1 lb. cheddar cheese, shredded sour cream salsa

Preparation:
- pour canola oil in pan and put mustard seed and peppercorns in on medium heat
- add white onion, garlic and ginger and saute on medium heat
- add turkey and cook till lightly browned
- preheat oven to 350°
- on medium-low heat, add in green chilis, chili powder, worcestershire, sriracha, lemon juice and salt
- add 1 1/2 cans of tomato sauce to pan, stir thoroughly then put on low heat
- spoon mixture into large tortilla, add spoonful of salsa; sprinkle cheese on top, roll flour tortilla up and place in a large, greased casserole pan; repeat process 5 more times
- put sour cream on top of enchiladas to your desire, pour rest of the tomato sauce and remainder of cheddar cheese; add chopped green onions on top
- cover with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes in oven

green turkey enchiladas with chili beans

this is the second one that i made cause i felt inspired to trying using green sauce instead of tomato. again, i used turkey as the meat of choice to be able to do an appropriate comparison between the 2 enchilada choices. i added a few extra ingredients into this to kick up the flavor and from initial comments of two unnamed people, they seemed to prefer this one. here are the results for round 2.

Ingredients: canola oil pinch, mustard seed pinch, peppercorns 1/2 medium white onion, chopped 3 cloves of garlic, minced ginger, minced 1 lb. ground turkey chili powder lemon juice salt slice olives	2 cans, diced green chilis worcestershire sauce sriracha sauce green enchilada sauce, divided chili beans 6 large wheat tortillas 3 green onions taco seasoning 1 lb. cheddar cheese, shredded sour cream salsa

Preparation:
- pour canola oil in pan and put mustard seed and peppercorns in on medium heat
- add white onion, garlic and ginger and saute on medium heat
- add turkey and cook till lightly browned
- preheat oven to 350°
- on medium-low heat, add in taco seasoning, green chilis, chili powder, olives, chili beans, worcestershire, sriracha, lemon juice and salt
- add half of green enchilada sauce to pan, stir thoroughly then put on low heat
- spoon mixture into large tortilla, add spoonful of salsa; sprinkle cheese on top, roll flour tortilla up and place in a large, greased casserole pan; repeat process 5 more times
- put sour cream on top of enchiladas to your desire, pour rest of the enchilada sauce and remainder of cheddar cheese; add chopped green onions on top
- cover with tinfoil and bake for 30 minutes in oven

beef and pork stuffed peppers

i was away on vacation, visiting my sister and together, we made something up and i coined a new term. this recipe will appear here soon after i finish perfecting what to put in it. until then, i'm going through my backcatalogue and hoping to improve on some things that i made in the past. the is one of the first dishes i ever tried to make. that time, i was just throwing random things that i could find around the house. this time, everything is a bit more calculated, but feel free to substitute or add anything you want.

Ingredients: 1/2 lb. ground beef 1/2 lb. ground pork 1/2 medium onion 5 garlic cloves, minced ginger, minced 1 cayenne pepper 2 green bell peppers 2 red bell peppers 2 yellow bell peppers 1 can olives, sliced 1 can tomato soup 1 can tomatoes, diced 1 can chili beans 3/4 lb. cheddar cheese, shredded	1 cup brown rice garam masala ground cardamom cumin powder chili powder salt oregano basil worcestershire sauce rice vinegar soy sauce tabasco sauce lemon juice

Preparation
- in a large skillet, brown ground beef and sausage
- once drained, add vinegar, cardamom, cumin, chili powder and garam masala; put into large pot and heat on medium-low
- in same skillet, add onion, garlic, ginger, and cayenne pepper; cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, then add the large pot
- heat large pot on medium and add chili beans, tomatoes, olives and tomato soup; mix
- add tabasco, lemon juice, worcestershire, soy sauce, oregano, basil and salt; mix thoroughly; boil rice and add to mixture
- bring separate pot of water to boil; cut tops of bell peppers off and remove innards; cook peppers for 10 minutes or until slightly tender
- on medium-low heat, add cheddar cheese and allow to simmer
- preheat baking oven to 350°; drain peppers and allow to cool
- on baking sheet, add mixture inside of peppers and cook in oven for 25 minutes
- when oven sounds, sprinkle cheddar cheese on top of peppers and place back in oven until cheese melts

shrimp creole jambalaya

i remember trying to make jambalaya many years ago and i screwed it up so badly, i had to turn it into chili. this time, i completed what i started out to make - a dish with spanish and french influence. most jambalaya recipes i've seen include chicken, but i decided to leave it out and substitute with some other things.

one note, if you don't want to make it as spicy as i have, replace the serrano and jalapeno peppers with something not as high on the scoville scale.

Ingredients: canola oil 3 garlic cloves ginger, sliced green pepper medium onion 3 serrano peppers 3 jalapeno peppers 15 oz can, crushed tomatoes ranch style beans pre-cooked shrimp ham steak, cubed 2 andouille sausage, sliced	5 pieces of bacon, 1 in. slices lemon juice worcestershire sauce tabasco sauce sriracha sauce salt paprika ground coriander chili powder cajun seasoning cumin 4 cups, brown rice

Preparation:
- heat canola oil in pan and add garlic and ginger
- add peppers and onion and sautee for a few minutes
- remove mixture with slotted spoon and put in large pot on low heat
- in same pan, add sausage, ham, pre-cooked bacon; add lemon juice, worcestershire and tabasco sauce;
- add paprika, coriander, and chili powder; stir until light brown, then add shrimp for 2-3 minutes
- remove meat mixture and add to large pot
- add in ranch beans and crushed tomatoes and stir on medium heat; add in lemon juice, sriracha, cumin and cajun seasoning
- in separate pot, bring brown rice to bowl
- when rice is ready, drain and then add rice to large pot
- stir mixture on low heat, add salt as necessary

when ready, put it in a bowl and in your belly!

beef stir-fry with water chestnuts

one note... my last post conveyed my intent to create two dishes and to post 2 new dishes. one part was accomplished in that i made two dishes, but the second part did not take place, due in full part to the total crash of my laptop 2 weeks ago. i lost all the pics of the dish which ended up being the best lasagna that i've made to date, so it just means that i'll have to make it again... hmmm...

anyways, here's a new one for y'all to dig into and my first real foray into the world of asian cuisine... specifically, chinese food. i figure if i'm going to order it up or eat at these various locations, i might as well give it a shot. and the attempt turned out quite magnificent.

Ingredients: corn starch lemon juice sriracha sauce ketchup water canola oil curry powder cumin powder ground coriander fennel seed black peppercorns mustard seed salt	1 lb. sirloin steak, cut into thin strips 3 garlic cloves, minced ginger, minced 4 green onions, chopped 6 asparagus stalks 2 tomatoes green pepper water chestnuts baby corn bean sprouts snow peas zucchini soy sauce worcestershire sauce

Preparation:
- create beef marinade by adding 1.5 tbsp corn starch, 1.5 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp worcestershire, 2 tbsp of water 1 tbsp canola oil; mix until smooth, add in beef and marinate for 1 hour
- heat oil in large pan on high, add mustard seed, peppercorns, fennel, garlic and ginger
- when garlic is light brown, add in marinated beef and cook on medium heat
- when beef has reached desired color, removing beef with slotted spoon and set aside
- add green onion, green pepper, asparagus, water chesnuts, baby corn, bean sprouts and zucchini to same pan on medium heat and cover for a few minutes.
- add beef back and tomatoes, stir and cover on low heat
- create sauce to put over mixture by adding corn starch, soy sauce, water, ketchup, lemon juice, coriander, curry powder, cumin, sriracha and salt; add to pan, stir thoroughly
- boil brown rice in separate pan (or cheat and use a rice cooker like me)

serve mixture over brown rice with tsingtao in hand.

greek shrimp pasta with spinach and tomatoes

ok, this time i was slacking, but that's only because i was moving. now that i'm settled, i'm making up for my slackness and made two dishes. the first was something new and little bit different than what i've been tackling. the second is an old favorite, which once again, in my humble opinion, has turned out better than expected. here's dish numbero uno.

Ingredients:
canola oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
green onions
fresh spinach
whole black olives
whole wheat penne pasta
shrimp
balsamic vinegar
lemon juice
rice vinegar
1 can, cannellini beans
2 cans, diced tomatoes
basil
salt
pepper
feta cheese


Preparation:
- bring water to a boil with a pinch of salt and add penne pasta
- in a large skillet, heat canola oil and add garlic and green onions on medium heat
- add in tomatoes, cannellini beans and basil and cook through and let simmer
- add spinach and cook until spinach wilts into sauce
- on low heat, add shrimp, black olives, and a dash of balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and rice vinegar
- add pepper and salt to taste
- serve over cooked pasta and add feta cheese crumbs

απόλαυσε! (supposedly enjoy in greek)

peppered meatloaf and mashed potatoes with chives

i know that i deviated slightly from my decree of posting something once a week (by 2 days, eh!), but it's because i've been trying my hand at something i've never been good at... indian recipes. i won't go into it right now, but it's a work in progress that i'm... working on. they are coming, but it's taking me a bit longer to get it just right.

i decided to take a break from failing miserably at dishes from the motherland and tried my hand at an old favorite. i've always liked meatloaf, but it's always been just too much of a good thing, so i added some extra goodness. and i didn't stop there -- instead of using potatoe flakes and making synthetic mashed potatoes, i created real mashed potatoes for the first time. everything turned out supremely... mmm!

Meatloaf Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1/2 yellow onion
1/2 cup, italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup, shredded cheddar cheese
1 egg
1 cup of salsa
3 garlic cloves, minced
minced ginger
cilantro
dry oregano
dry basil
worcestershire sauce
soy sauce
lemon juice
garam masala
salt
5x9" meatloaf pan

Mashed Potatoes Ingredients:
2 lbs, yukon gold potatoes
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 cup milk
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup of chives, chopped
4 oz. low-fat cream cream
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
salt

Meatloaf Preparation:
- preheat oven to 350°
- combine beef, peppers, onion, cilantro, oregano, basil, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, lemon juice, bread crumbs, salsa, cheese, egg, garam masala, garlic and salt into a bowl and mix everything together
- place meat mixture into 5x9 pan
- cook in oven for 45 minutes or until ready

Mashed Potato Preparation:
- boil salted water and put potatoes in
- when potatoes are soft (not mushy), remove and peel
- place potatoes in bowl and mash with a fork (or a mixer for you high-tech people)
- add in chives, margarine, cream cheese, milk, garlic, salt, parmesan cheese and mix together (if it's still clumpy, try adding more milk)

serve with meatloaf and enjoy!