Our original novice women’s group got together the other night. Four of us are still rowing but the others have since moved on to other sports or endeavors. I can’t imagine why, doesn’t everyone love getting up at the crack of dawn four days a week? We met at Moultrup’s house, Gidge, 2-seat, Snookies, Way-way, and Aimster to catch up, eat, drink and be merry. We talked about lots of things, our kids, husbands, politics, books, fears, and of course rowing. We laughed, argued, reminisced, and teased each other just like families do when they get together..
Since I had to work that day I needed a quick and easy dish I could prep early and grab and go after work. One of my absolute favorite blogs is Smitten Kitchen, great recipes, wonderful writing, very entertaining. Her recipe for Sticky Sesame Chicken Wings fit the bill and is a favorite with my kids, hubby, friends, well, just about anyone who has tried them. I threw the wings into the marinade before heading to work, came home and popped them into the oven. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
3poundschicken wingettes or chicken wingssee note up top
1large garlic cloveminced
1teaspooncoarse or kosher saltplus more to taste
2tablespoonssoy sauce
2tablespoonshoisin sauce
2tablespoonsmild honey
1teaspoonAsian sesame oil
Pinchof cayenne or dash of Sriracha (I use the chili garlic paste ~1 heaping tsp
1 1/2tablespoonssesame seedslightly toasted
1scallionfinely chopped
Instructions
Make the marinade. Stir together garlic, salt, soy, hoisin, honey, sesame oil and cayenne or Siracha
Add wings to marinade and mix well. Marinade at least 30 minutes to overnight.
Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large shallow baking pan with foil and lightly oil it.Spread wings and any sauce that fell to the bottom of the bowl out on the prepared baking pan in one layer.
Roast, turning over once, until cooked through, about 35 minutes. Transfer wings to a large serving bowl* and toss with sesame seeds and scallion.
If wings need more color, broil for a couple minutes on high heat or finish the wings on the grill, decrease baking time by 5-10 minutes
Simple Minced Pork,So Easy Your Kids Could Make This. Mine Can!
When I went off to college and moved into an apartment, I would call my Dad (he was the chef in our family) for advice on cooking. “Dad, what kind of meat do I use for stir fries? I learned the hard way that beef chuck was not the right choice. How do I make corn soup, steamed pork patty? Invariably, I wanted to learn how to make dishes I had grown up eating, food that reminded me of home and family.
Everything comes full circle, now my kids are calling me for recipes and tips on how to make the dishes they love. Fortunately, many of the dishes are simple and quick, perfect for a student’s lifestyle not to mention for families always on the go. This is one such dish, its easy, versatile and inexpensive, ok, cheap. Adapted from Chubby Hubby, “Simple Minced Pork” is the Asian version of Sloppy Joes. You can serve it over rice or noodles, you can make it with ground turkey or chicken instead of pork or use any kind of mushroom, like creminis instead of shiitake…it’s really up to you. If your going low carb, use it as filling for a wrap made with lettuce or serve it over zucchini noodles (Check out White on Rice blog for noodles) the sky is the limit!
8fresh shiitake mushroomsstalks removed, finely chopped or use creminis
4green onionsfinely chopped
1/2of a small yellow onionminced
1teaspoonminced fresh ginger
2tablespoonssake
2tablespoonsmirin
4tablespoonssoy sauce
1-2Tchicken stock or broth
Instructions
Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add yellow onion to pan, fry until onion softens and looks translucent. Add mushrooms, ginger and ground pork. Lower heat to medium. Add sake, mirin, soy sauce and chicken broth. As mixture cooks, break up the pork as much as possible. Stir-fry to reduce sauce and brown meat. Add green onions and cook for additional minute. Stir well and serve over rice (brown or white) or noodles.
For a more substantial meal, serve with a poached egg or a Japanese style hard boiled egg.
Goes well with Asian noodles with similar thickness to linguine or fettucine.
Hi again! It’s me, Jamie, the favorite child. Because my last blog post was such a hit, I assume, and because work is winding down, I’ve decided to write another guest blog. I know, you’re welcome. In case you forgot, which I highly doubt because my last post rocked, I am the second child of the family, currently living by myself in Houston for the summer, and about to start my second year at Rice University.
So, as you guys have seen from the last couple of blog posts, my mom loves to bike. Incidentally, she also does not take shit from anyone, which speaking as her daughter, has good and bad points. The good is the strong female role model I get to learn from–seriously guys, my mom is the coolest. Not only is she crazy smart, athletic, and awesome at cooking but she is also just an all around superstar who coached me in baseball and soccer, went to all my school and athletic events, and is always there whenever I need advice. The bad is that, unfortunately, she never took shit from me either/she gets scary when she’s angry. Okay, to get back to my story, my mom loves to bike. I do too, but not as much as her. She bikes a lot, and so did I when I was younger. Nowadays, I run. And no, I don’t love running. I actually dislike it. Sure, there are some days when a nice easy jog in the shade feels great and, yes, on those days I totally get why people love to run, but most days I don’t get it. It is painful. No, it doesn’t “clear my mind” and it isn’t “calming and relaxing.” I mean, you are literally firing off every muscle in your body at once, how does that relax someone? Aside from the fact that I look like death while running, I am also highly competitive, so I think that everything is a race. This makes every run for me a combination of a steady even pace with a bunch of spurts of speed sprinkled in. Sorry five year old girl on a pink tricycle, you’re going down. I will beat you to that crunchy leaf up there. Probably not the best running habit, but I can’t help it.
But running is awesome for your body, so I’ve tried to make it a routine this summer. I run about 6 days a week here in Houston, and I try to run between 2.5-4 miles each run. I run just before it gets dark, but it’s still anywhere between 80-95 degrees. I get so hot by the end of the run, that the shower can’t even get cold enough to cool me down. On top of that, I’ve started eating healthier, partly because I am too cheap to buy junk food but also because I’m honestly too lazy to go to the store and buy all the ingredients I need for cookies when I start to crave it. I like to make a huge meal at the beginning of the week that will last me to the end. Honestly, not sure if this is the most safe practice in terms of food going bad, but hey its worked so far. My favorite is just roasting a bunch of veggies and chicken and eating them with an egg and a piece of toast. It’s pretty fool proof, and it’s pretty damn simple. Currently feeling great, yet I am a little worried about when I move back into school and go back to the salty, fried meal plan. Fingers crossed the sophomore 15 isn’t a thing, I’ll keep you posted though.
Jamie’s Basic List to a Better, Less Terrible Feeling Run
1) Wearing cool athletic clothes and shoes actually does help. Look good, feel good. If you are like me and love Lululemon but realize it’s insanely expensive, try Gap fit.
2) Don’t run the same route three times in a row. It is a lot safer, plus it keeps things a little interesting. Even so much as running a route backwards helps.
3) Make sure to time yourself. If you don’t have a running tracker/fit bit like me, time your runs so you know about how far you’re going.
4) Push yourself. By pushing yourself throughout the entire run, you get faster, which makes for less time where your body feels like it’s about to collapse.
5) Try not to match the pace of a tall guy in short shorts who has like 3% body fat. Unless you are a tall guy in short shorts with 3% body fat, you will lose, and subsequently feel like your body is on fire.
6) Listen to your body. I know everyone says this, but it really is true, if you feel like a slug the entire day, it makes no sense to plan a run that’s 4 miles long. Start off with a mile, and go from there.
Ok, like I said before, this is the simplest thing ever. Just pick out whatever veggies you want--my favorites are cauliflower, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, and onions--and cut them into a little bigger than bite sized pieces. Toss them in some olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and whatever other spices you want, and throw them in the oven on 400 for 30-40 minutes. You can also add chicken breasts on top of the veggies.
If you haven’t discovered it yet, the New York Times Cooking site is an absolute gem. It is filled with amazing recipes from the food writers of the NYT including Melissa Clark, Sam Sifton, Mark Bittman, and Florence Fabricant. If you subscribe to the site, each week a newsletter arrives in your inbox filled with the latest seasonal recipes and which ones are trending. All recipes are well written, easy to follow and accompanied by photos. I’ve tried quite a few with good results such as this chicken shawarma from Sam Sifton. And don’t forget to read the comments from other users, a critical bunch those NYT readers who do not hesitate to give their take on the recipes!
2poundsbonelessskinless chicken thighs or 6 bone in chicken thighs
1large red onionpeeled and quartered
2tablespoonschopped fresh parsley
Instructions
Prepare marinade for the chicken. Combine the lemon juice, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, turmeric, cinnamon and red-pepper flakes in a large bowl, then whisk to combine. Add the chicken, and toss well to coat. Cover, and store in refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 425. Use the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to grease a rimmed sheet pan. Add the quartered onion to the chicken and marinade, and toss once to combine. Remove the chicken and onion from the marinade, and place on the pan, spreading everything evenly across it.
Put the chicken in the oven, and roast until it is browned, crisp at the edges and cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to rest 2 minutes, then slice into bits. (To make the chicken even more crisp, set a large pan over high heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, then the sliced chicken, and sauté until everything curls tight in the heat.) Scatter the parsley over the top and serve with tomatoes, cucumbers, pita, white sauce, hot sauce, olives, fried eggplant, feta, rice — really anything you desire.
Or grill chicken. Drain chicken from marinade, toss vegetables into marinade. Grill or oven roast onions and peppers. Grill chicken over indirect heat, turn halfway through, total grill time of 24 minutes for bone in chicken, 12-15 minutes for boneless.
Hello! Before you get all excited to read what cool new post this blog has to offer, let me stop you right there. It’s time to get really excited because, yes, this is not Debbie writing. Fortunately, good ‘ol Deb here decided to let her daughter, Jamie, (that’s me!) take a whack at blogging. So buckle up readers and followers (all 3 of you?) for an exciting glimpse of what it’s like to be a 19 year old girl living all alone for the first time, a good 2,000 miles away from her family in the—rather stormy—city of Houston, Texas.
Whenever I tell people that I’m living in Houston for the summer, they always ask…..why..? Why would you ever leave the great state that is California, equipped with superb weather surrounded by mountains and beaches and awesome food? And for a second, I nod and smile, and in my head wonder if I am, in fact, a crazy person for doing such a thing. Houston definitely is different from Los Gatos. It rains here, a lot. And I’m not talking just a light drizzle every now and then. I’m talking hurricanes and tropical storms(whaddup trop storm Bill?) that DUMP rain and wind onto Houston and cause flash floods and rattle the windows in my room.
Did I mention that it’s a constant 90-plus degrees, too?
I also am not in possession of a car, which is quite inconvenient to get around Houston, and if it weren’t for my 8-5 job, I would probably stay holed up in my room watching Netflix all day—which is what I do after I get home from work. But after that second is over, I realize that I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Houston is an awesome city, once you get out and about. It’s diverse and fast-paced and always fun to explore. For once in my life I’m earning a steady paycheck, paying rent, buying my own food, navigating through a completely new city, and making my own decisions. I feel like a grown-up, and I’m pretty darn proud of myself.
Have You Eaten Yet?
But what you never realize before you start living on your own is how much you’ll miss your mom. I never notice until I go home and follow her around like a puppy dog. So, on days when I especially miss her, I like to cook recipes that she always makes me. The other day, I decided to make her chicken tortilla soup—a slightly spicy, warm, and cheesy bowl of goodness that reminds me of home.
Note: Skip the tortillas and serve tortilla chips on the side for folks to add with other garnishes, Or fry tortilla strips and serve them on the side instead of adding to the soup. Yes, they thicken the soup but sometimes I’m going for a lighter soup.
Sometimes my mom will add corn or black beans to the soup transforming the soup into a hearty meal in a bowl! It is a super flexible soup, add any veggies you like, chayote, and squash would go well. Think of this as a yummy version of Stone Soup.
1/2-1cupchopped yellow onionOh for goodness sakes, 1 medium onion, use the whole thing
3clovesgarlicpeeled and finely chopped
3/4teaspoonground cuminlike cumin? Add more
3/4teaspoondried oregano
1/4teaspoonchili powderspicier? Add more
1/4teaspoonpepper
8cupsfat-skimmed chicken broth
14ouncesfire-roasted tomatoes (canned)diced canned tomatoes can be substituted
4ouncecan of Dice Green Chilisor use any fresh pepper, green bell pepper, Anaheim pepper, saute' with onions. Or you can char-grill them and peel and dice and add to soup.
1 1/2poundsboned, skinned chicken breastsor start with bone-in chicken breasts, bones add flavor. Allow to simmer a little longer,~ 15-20 minutes.
Salt
6corn tortillas6 in. wide See notes for substitute
The Garnishes
1firm-ripe avocadocubed or thinly sliced
2tablespoonsfresh cilantrochopped
8ouncesAny cheese that melts would workCheddar, Monterey Jack, Mozarella, Cotija
Diced green onions or white onions
Tortilla strips or chips
1lime cut into wedges
Adds-feel free to add more veggies or beans to this soup!
1cupCorn, canned or frozen
115 ouncecan Black Beans, drained
1chayote, zuchinni-diced and added to soup during simmer
Instructions
In a 5- to 6-quart nonstick pan over medium heat, stir onion, garlic, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and pepper until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth, tomatoes (including juice), and green chilies. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
Add chicken breasts to the broth and return it to a boil over high heat then reduce heat immediately and simmer until chicken is cooked through (cut to test), about 10 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, stack tortillas and cut into 1/8-inch-wide strips. Add to boiling broth. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. This is the traditional way of making tortilla soup. Add optional vegetables, corn or beans at this point also. See notes for blasphemous shortcuts, lol...
Shred chicken. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit and peel it. Thinly slice or cube and place in a shallow bowl. Shred cheese and place in a bowl.
Before serving, season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls, garnish with cilantro, avocado, green onions and cheese. I usually leave all these fixings in bowls for folks to help themselves!
Did I get your attention? Ok, it may not be the best damn banana bread recipe as there are probably millions, but it is really yummy and very easy to make! How easy? The kids made this bread in pre-school. They would smoosh the bananas, mash the butter and sugar together and crank the sifter, and with a little (ok, a lot) of help, stir and pour the batter into the muffin tins. Over the years we have played with the recipe and added different nuts, chocolate chips, blueberries, dried apricots or Nutella to the batter. It can be baked in a loaf pan or in muffin tins, your choice. It really is simple & delicious and we have Teacher Heidi to thank for the recipe!
Simple and delicious banana bread from my kids' pre-school days.
Course Breads, quick breads
Cuisine American
Keyword Banana Bread
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 55 minutesminutes
Ingredients
2cupssugar
1cupbutter
6ripe bananasmashed
4beaten eggs
Dry Ingredients
2 1/2cupsall-purpose flour
1tspsalt
2tsp.Baking soda
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together flour, salt and baking soda and set aside.
Cream butter and sugar until well blended, it does not have to be light and fluffy since you want some density to your bread. Beat in eggs one at a time.
Add flour mixture and bananas to butter-egg batter alternating dry ingredients with bananas, begin with third of the flour mixture, then half of the banana, third of flour, the remaining half of bananas and end with remaining dry ingredients. Honestly, in a pinch, just dump it all in at once and stir well to combine completely. Should be fine.
For muffins, line 2-12 cup muffin tins with paper liners or butter and flour cups. Fill about 2/3 full. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
For loaf bread, use 2 buttered and floured 9x5 loaf pans and fill equally with batter. Bake 45-55 minutes or until tester comes out clean. The top of bread will be fairly dark when done. Cover top with tin foil if the bread begins to brown too much. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Makes 2 loaves or 2 dozen muffins
Notes
Be creative! Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips to batter and/or chopped toasted pecans or fresh blueberries. For the bread in the photos, 3 heaping teaspoonfuls of Nutella were plopped and swirled into the batter before baking. Recipe can be halved.
I love alfresco dining and today was the perfect day to enjoy breakfast outside. Banana blueberry pancakes made by my daughter, crispy bacon, a big bowl of fresh berries and mangoes (another reason to love summer), and yogurt with homemade granola. Perfect! We set up outside in the garden, wait, forgot the coffee, back inside, grab the pot. Back outside….WHAT? Sammy our dog, who has never, ever, ever eaten anything off the counter or table (a point of pride for us); who will sit in a car surrounded by food including banana bread, egg rolls, fried chicken wings AND not touch any of it; HAS EATEN THE ENTIRE PLATE OF BACON, in a matter of seconds gobbled up 10 slices of bacon and licked the plate clean. I’m still mad at him…..
Well, we still have pancakes. I will share the easiest way to cook perfect bacon despite not having a photo of said bacon, just the dog who ate the bacon.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set wire rack on top. Lay bacon slices on rack. Do not overlap slices. Place in oven and bake 15-20 minutes until desired doneness. The bacon cooks perfectly, lays flat and best of all you don't have to stand at the stove watching it fry! Clean up is relatively easy, especially if you line your pan with foil.
Variations:
For a sweet bacon, sprinkle bacon with brown sugar and bake as directed, spice it up by adding cayenne to brown sugar and sprinkling on bacon.
