Menu - Week of January 12, 2009

This is going to be a busy week for us. Monday we have a PTA Board Meeting and both David and I have to attend (with the kids). We're going to eat dinner there.  Tuesday I am checking out a new book club with a friend,  but I have to eat dinner at home before we go. Wednesday, Nati is getting an art award at a different school in the evening so I have to have dinner ready to heat up when we get home. Thursday, we have a PTA General Assembly and TAKS night. They are providing dinner for the parents. Friday, it's Daniel's birthday party and we are just ordering pizza. Saturday, will be the first day that we actually have time to cook!

I am hoping to use easy recipes during the week and save the more involved ones for the weekend.  I am also hoping to use my new, Real Thai Cook book, on Saturday when we have more time.  I have been so enamored of Yan-Kit's cookbook that I totally forgot about the Thai one.  Here's my plan for the week, after looking in the fridge and the pantry to see what ingredients I have:

• Monday - Dinner at PTA meeting
  
• Tuesday - Fried Rice (leftover rice from Saturday's stir fry dinner), Tossed Salad, Orange Wedges
  
• Wednesday - Broiled Salmon, Mexican Rice, Pico de Gallo, Strawberries
  
• Thursday - Dinner at TAKS meeting
  
• Friday - Pizza at Daniel's Birthday Party
  
• Saturday -  Pad Thai (from my new Thai Cookbook!)
  
• Sunday - Grilled Steak, Roasted Potatoes, Grilled Asparagus
  

Pad Thai (from Real Thai: The Best of Thai's Regional Cooking by Nancie McDermott)

Serves 1 as a main course, 2 as an appetizer

1/4 pound dried rice stick noodles

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic

8 shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon fish sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

2 tablespoons coarsely chopped, dry-roasted peanuts

1 cup bean sprouts

4 slender green onions, slice in 1-inch lengths

1 lime, quartered length-wise

Soak rice noodles in warm water to cover for 15 to 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, prepare all the remaining ingredients and place them next to the stove, along with a small serving platter. When the noodles are very limp and white, drain and measure out 2 1/2 cups.  Set these by the stove as well.

Heat a wok or large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat surface. When the oil is very hot, drop a piece of the garlic into the pan.  If it sizzles immediately, the oil is ready.  Add the garlic and toss until golden, about 30 seconds.  Add the shrimp and toss until they turn pink and are opaque, no more than a minute.  Remove from pan and set aside.

Add the egg to the pan and tilt the pan to spread it into a thin sheet.  As soon as it begins to set and is opaque, scramble it to break it into small lumps.  Remove from the pan and set aside with the shrimp.

Add the remaining tablespoon oil, heat for 30 seconds, and add the softened noodles.  Using a spatula, spread and pull the noodles into a thin layer covering the surface of the pan.  Then scrape them into a clump again and gently turn them over.  Hook loops of noodles with the edge of the spatula and pull them up the sides, spreading them out into a layer again.  Repeat this process several times as the stiff, white noodles soften and curl into ivory ringlets.  Add the fish sauce and turn the noodles so they are evenly seasoned.  Add the sugar and peanuts, turning the noodles a few more times.

Reserving a small handful for garnish, add the bean sprouts along with the green onions and shrimp-egg mixture.  Cook for 1 minute, turning often.  Transfer the noodles to the serving platter and squeeze the juice of 2 lime wedges over the top.  Garnish with remaining bean sprouts and lime wedges and serve at once.

Enjoy!

Restaurant reviews

Dinner tonight was Cajun Shrimp Stir Fry, David's favorite.  It's basically shrimp, garlic, onions, olive oil, Tony Cachere's Cajun seasoning, and a little beer.  We served it with rice.  It was good, but I wish he'd used something like Corona or Dos Equis instead of the ale he used.  It was a little sweeter than I'm used to.  I still ate every morsel off my plate!

We took a friend out to dinner last night to Guero's, a very popular Mexican restaurant on trendy South Congress (SoC0).  I had the flautas. They were a disappointment. I love the atmosphere at Guero's but I have never been satisfied with their food. Last night's flautas were not deep fried all the way. Some sections were hard and others were soggy. The flautas wer also too thick. Real flautas are made with plain roasted or boiled chicken tightly wrapped in corn tortillas so they look like flutes. Hence, the name. Last night's flautas looked more like clarinets. The drinks were kind of watery, too. I need to order something safer next time like the nachos. Who screws up nachos?  It's not possible.

This morning I went to breakfast with two friends. We go out for breakfast every Friday.  It's nice to see them.  We usually go to Waterloo Ice House and order the migas.  They are SO good!  Today, we decided to try Satellite Cafe.  Satellite Cafe gets an A+ for presentation.  One of my friends ordered some sort of eggs benedict and they look so delicious sitting on their little English muffins.  It came with roasted red potatoes and fruit.  It looked divine.  My other friend ordered some kind of omelette that also looked very good.  They both said the food tasted terrific.  I ordered the basic breakfast - two eggs, potatoes, bacon, and two mini pancakes.  It was good, but I ordered the eggs over-easy and they were overcooked.  The yolk had been allowed to set too much and they were not as runny as I like them.  I didn't want to order them sunny side up because I'm afraid of salmonella, but I might ask for them that way next time.  The bacon was too thick and it tasted like it was microwaved.  To top things off, some of the potatoes were not cooked all the way.  The pancakes were good, but too small, in my opinion.  The price is kind of expensive for breakfast food.   We'll have to go back to Waterlook next time!

I am also trying to cut back on eating out.  I'm doing great not eating out with the family, but I am still spending too much money eating out with the girls.  I need to figure out a Plan B.  

Ok, falling asleep....TTYL.

Menu update

The Kung Pao Shrimp Monday night turned out so delicious.  It tasted even better than the one we get at the local chinese restaurant!  The shrimp was perfectly cooked - not chewy, not crunchy. Just perfect.  I will definitely make that recipe again.

The same can be said for the Fried Rice.  It tasted just like take-out.  Using the wok is currently a two-person operation for us.  Unfortunately, David was not home in time for us to make the Fried Rice together so I ventured on my own.  I heated the wok until smoke was rising. I added the oil and swirled it around.  I dumped the garlic and onions in there and they immediately started sizzling.  Good sign!  I added the slightly beaten egg (with oil and salt) and it said to let it sit for 5 seconds until it sets at the bottom before you stir it.  While the egg cooked, I turned around to get the rice from the counter and when I turned back to the wok, the onions were black and the egg was looking funny. What the?!  How did that happen so fast?  I guess maybe the heat was on too high. Is that possible?  My first thought was to dump the whole thing and start over, but it was too much work already so I just added the rice and the soy sauce and finally, the rest of the green onions.  I was afraid it was going to taste burnt, but it did not.  It tasted smoky, but delicious.  Even Isabella ate it by the handful.  I LOVE that Fried Rice!!!  And it does not require that many ingredients.  This will be another one of those recipes that we make over and over again.

My only concern with all these wok recipes is that they all use soy sauce and salt.  I wonder if our sodium intake is exceeding the recommended daily allowance.  How does one check for that? I must research this...

Last night's meal was a disappointment.  I thought I was going to make a Spanish-style Sweet Potato Soup but turns out I had no chickpeas.  Aaargh.  I looked up another soup recipe and found one titled "Vegetable Chowder" in Mollie Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook. It took a LONG time to make that soup. Almost an hour and the result was not that great.  It was tasty, but nothing to write here about. It had potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onion, garlic, and butter.  The main flavoring was thyme and the base was milk.  It made for a nice mellow flavor, but something was missing.  Not sure what.  I usually check the number of servings before I prepare a dish, especially a new one.  Who wants to be stuck with a huge pot of soup that nobody likes?  Well, I was in too much of a hurry last night and did not notice that the soup I was making was for 8 people.  So yes.  Now I have a this huge vat of soup sitting my refrigerator and no one likes it that much.  I am hoping to have a bowl for lunch and then we'll eat it again for dinner tonight.  (No potato pancakes for us tonight.) Then, sadly, I'll have to discard it. :( I hate throwing away food, but I can only stomach so much thyme-y soup.

I have to report that my grocery shopping is going great.  I have been diligent about setting up menus every week and basing my grocery shopping on that and it is working miracles for our budget.  I am consistently under-budget and we're eating pretty good (I think).  :)  

Ok, more later.  

Menu - Week of January 5, 2009

We are back to trying to eat healthy after a crazy two weeks of eating.  My sister's wedding is in four months and my sister Lili and I are the matrons of honor.  I must fit into the dress!  

This week I am going to try to use my new wok and my new Yan-Kit's Classic Chinese cook book.  Over break, David and I made Kung Pao Chicken.  It was very tasty, but I did not have enough chicken in the freezer at the time so the whole thing came out a little too saucy.  I am going to try to make it again this week. Here's what I'm thinking:

• Monday - Kung Pao Chicken, white rice, spinach salad, and orange wedges (recipe follows)
  
• Tuesday - Fried Rice (using leftover white rice from Monday; recipe is found below), steamed broccoli, spinach salad, apple slices
  
• Wednesday - Sweet Potato Soup, cut up veggies, tangerines
  
• Thursday - Potato Pancakes, cut up veggies, applesauce
  
• Friday - Cajun Shrimp with Rice, steamed spinach with vinegar, banana rounds
  
• Saturday - Stir Fried Shrimp and Veggies, white rice
  
• Sunday - Grilled Steaks and Baked Potatoes
  

Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients:

12 ounces chicken breast meat

4 tablespoons peanut oil

2 or 3 dried red chilies, seeded and cut into pieces

2 cloves garlic, peeled and diced diagonally

4 to 6 thin slices fresh ginger root

1 tablespoon Shaohsing wine or medium-dry sherry

3 scallions, cut into small rounds

2 ounces roasted peanuts

For the marinade:

1/2 tsp salt

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons Shaohsing wine or medium-dry sherry

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon egg white, lightly beaten

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 or 2 tablespoons chili sauce

2 teaspoons rice or white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

6 tablespoons clear stock or water

1. Cut chicken into thin strips. Cut into cubes about 1/2 inch square.  Put into a bowl.

2. Prepare the marinade: Add the salt, soy sauce, wine or sherry, cornstarch, and egg white to the chicken.  Mix well and let marinate for 15 to 30 minutes.

3. Prepare the sauce: Mix together soy cause, chili sauce, vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, and stock or water.

4. Heat a wok over high heat until smoke rises.  Add the oil and swirl it around.  Add the dried chili, stir, then add the garlic, and ginger, then stir to release their aroma.  Add the chicken. Sliding the wok scoop or metal spatula to the bottom of the wok, turn and toss for about 60 seconds. Splash in the wine or sherry around the side of the wok, stirring and tossing continuously.  Add the scallions and continue to stir for another 30 to 45 seconds.  The chicken should be almost cooked by now.

5. Add the well-stirred sauce to the wok.  Continue to stir while it thickens. 

6. Add the peanuts, stir to mix for a few times, then transfer to a warm serving plate.  Serve immediately.

Fried Rice

Ingredients:

3 cups or 14 ounces boiled rice, cooked at least 3 or 4 hours in advance

2 tablespoons peanut or corn oil

2 scallions, cut into small rounds, white and green parts separated

1 large egg, lightly beaten with 

           2 teaspoons oil and 

           1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon salt (no, not a typo)

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons clear stock (optional)

1. Loosen grains as much as possible.

2. Heat a wok over high heat until smoke rises.  Add the oil and swirl it around.  Add the white scallions, stir a few times, then pour in the egg.  Let stand for 5 to 10 seconds, so that the egg sets at the bottom but remains runny on the surface.

3. Add the rice.  Sliding the wok scoop or metal spatula to the bottom of the wok, turn and toss continuously for 3 to 4 minutes or until thoroughly hot.  Season with the salt and soy sauce.  If the rice is very hard, add the stock and stir for a few more seconds.  Add the green scallions.  Put in a warm serving bowl and serve immediately.

You can find the soup and the potato recipe in a previous post.  Enjoy!

Food for Posadas

We had a holiday party over Christmas break and the menu was based on food typically found at Mexican Posadas:

Menudo - a spicy soup made with tripe and hominy.  This was so easy to make that I'm kicking myself for not making it sooner.  Our Mexican grocery store, Fiesta, sells the tripe already cut up. They also sell a packet of spices called Menudo Spice Mix.  And the only other ingredients are garlic, cumin, and hominy.  I boiled the two pounds of tripe and a head of garlic (unpeeled) in about a gallon of water for about 3 hours.  Once the tripe is tender add the Menudo spice mix, a dash of cumin, and a large can of hominy.  Let is simmer for another hour.  Serve it with lime wedges, diced onions, and tortillas.  It is delicious!

Mexican Rice.  This is my Grandma's recipe: Pour one small can of tomato sauce, plus half of the can filled with water, one large clove of garlic and 1/4 of a large onion into the blender. Blend until smooth.  In a skillet, heat up about two tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat.  Add 1 cup of rice.  Stir until the rice is translucent.  Add 1/4 cup of the tomato mixture. (Save the rest for making more rice another day). Stir until the tomato mixture looks dark red. Add two cups of water and 2 tablespoons of Knorr Suiza chicken bouillon.  Stir.  Cover. Bring to a boil. Add a whole serrano pepper to the top of the rice.  This just flavors it and does NOT make it spicy.  Reduce heat to lowest setting.  Cook for 15 minutes.  Turn off burner.  Let sit for another 5 minutes before serving.

Borracho Beans.  Make a pot of pinto beans like you normally would or use a large store-bought can of pinto beans.   Put beans in large stock pot. Add 2 cans of chicken stock and salt to taste or 4 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of Knorr Suiza chicken bouillon (add no more salt). In a different skillet, cook six cut-up slices of bacon.  Drain excess fat.  Once bacon is cooked, add 1 large, chopped tomato, 1/2 a  large, diced onion, 1 diced serrano pepper (seeded if you don't want it to be spicy), 1 minced garlic, and a dash of garlic salt. The salt helps draw out the moisture from the tomatoes. When the onion is translucent, add 1/2 a bunch of chopped cilantro. Stir until cilantro wilts.  Add to pot of beans.  Bring to a boil.  Add 1/2 a beer.  This where the name "borracho" (drunken) beans comes from.  Lower heat and simmer for about an hour.  Serve along with tamales or with rice.

Ponche.  This is a traditional hot, spiced fruit punch served at Posadas.  Pour 1 gallon of apple cider into a large stock pot.  Add 1/2 a gallon of water, 2 piloncillos (raw packed brown sugar), 3 cinnamon sticks, 1 bag of sugar cane cut into small chunks, 1 bag of tejocotes (I could only find them frozen at Fiesta), 2 apples cut up, 2 pears cut up.  Bring to a boil.  Let simmer for about an hour.  Serve hot.

Tres Leches Cake.  Bake a yellow cake using your recipe or store-bought mix.  Let cake cool. While cake is cooling, pour 1 can evaporated milk, 1 can sweetened, condensed milk, and 1 cup of milk into a saucepan.  Put over medium heat.  Stir until milk begins to boil.  Take off heat immediately and let cool.   Once cake is cool, use a fork to poke holes all over the cake.  Using a ladle, pour milk onto the cake in small amounts.  Wait until the cake absorbs the milk, and then pour some more.  You will use about 1/2 of the milk mixture.  Cover outside of cake with cool whip and decorate with halved strawberries.  Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. 

We also had tamales, bunuelos, and ojarascas, but I did not make those.  I could've made them in advance, but our weekends were too hectic.  We'll try again next year.  Enjoy!

Menu - Week of 12/15

It feels like I blink and a week goes by.  Am I that busy that I don't even notice the days passing by?  That is kind of sad.  Winter is supposed to be a time to slow down.  With the short days and the cool weather, I should spend more evenings reading by the fire.  I need to restart my annual tradition of reading the entire Little House on the Prairie series over the Christmas break.  I used to do that before the kids came.  N loves those books; D not so much. 

Anyway, I am forgetting that this blog is about food.  I am looking forward to cooking a lot of dinners this week.  I love sitting down at the table, giving thanks for our meal, and lighting the advent candle this season.  So for this week's menu:

• Monday -  Party Leftovers (Chinese Egg Rolls, Queso Dip, Pizza, Macaroni and Cheese, fruit)
  
• Tuesday - Broiled Salmon with Herbs, Mexican Rice, Edamame, Corn on the Cob (on sale), Orange Wedges
  
• Wednesday - Baked Potatoes, Steamed Broccoli, Carrots, Grapes
  
• Thursday - Sweet Potato Soup, Rolls, Cheese and Apple Slices
  
• Friday - We're ordering pizza.  After dinner, we are caroling around the neighborhood and coming back home to hot cocoa, and we're roasting marshmallows by the fire (it's supposed to be 70's degrees, but we'll pretend it's still cold!).
  
• Saturday - Paella, Raw Veggies
• Sunday - Grilled Steaks, Potato Wedges, Grilled Asparagus

Broiled Salmon with Herbs:  Rinse 1 lb. salmon fillet.  Pat dry with paper towels.  Rub with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon sage, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, salt and pepper to taste.  Broil for fifteen minutes or until done.  I am serving this with Rice, but  you can also use this fish to make fish tacos.  Just serve in corn tortillas and add pico de gallo and thinly sliced cabbage. Delicious!

Provecho!

Menu - Week of 12/8

Last week was awful in terms of eating out and eating unhealthy.  We were at school most of the day because of the book fair and we got home fairly late which means we ate out at places such as McD's a lot.  Not good for the checkbook or for the body.  Must start the body cleansing process tomorrow.   

We still have tons of turkey leftovers, but I am getting tired of turkey, plus we are trying to eat less meat.  So here is what I am planning for dinners this week:

• Monday - Potato pancakes, steamed broccoli, watermelon
  
• Tuesday - Turkey stroganoff with egg noodles, carrots with dip, strawberries
  
• Wednesday - Bean burritos, rice, tangerines
  
• Thursday - Gypsy Soup (from Mollie Katzen's, The New Moosewood Cookbook), grapes
  
• Friday - Dia de la Virgen de Guadalupe at Mexic-Arte Museum - must eat Mexican food there!
  
• Saturday - We are hosting David's faculty party at our house.
  
• Sunday - Grilled steaks, baked potatoes, and tossed salad (so much for not eating as much meat!!!)  You can't live in Texas and not eat steak.
  

Potato Pancakes (from Healthy Meals in Minutes): I love this recipe.  The pancakes taste so much better with sweet applesauce.  This recipe makes 12 pancakes.

3 russett potatoes, peeled and coarsely shredded

1/2 a small yellow onion, grated

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 tablespooons chopped fresh parsley

1 large egg

1 egg white

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, divided

Nonfat plain yogurt or unsweetened applesauce (optional)

1. Place potatoes in colander and rinse.  Squeeze dry on paper towels.
   
2. In a large bowl, combine onion, flour, and parsley.  Stir in egg, egg white, salt, and paper. Add potatoes; mix well.
   
3. Spray a large non-stick skillet with vegetable cooking spray.  Heat skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 1 teaspoon of butter.  Place about 3 tablespoons of potato mixture in skillet; flatten into pancake with spatula.  Make 3 more pancakes in skillet as directed.
   
4. Cook until browned on the bottom, about 7 minutes, pressing with spatula.  Turn carefully; cook until golden on other side, about 6 to 7 minutes.  Place on a plate and cover to keep warm. Repeat twice with the remaining butter and potato mixture.  Serve with applesauce or yogurt.
   

Provecho!