Shrimp and Tofu Pad Thai

Hey everyone! I know its been a  like a month since my last post and I apologize it has been a crazy few weeks! First of all I had finals and then graduated!! Then about a week after I graduated by Brother-in-law got married and I helped my mother-in-law put that on. Then a week after that we went to Hawaii!! We got home about a week ago and I have been settling in to my new life :) It has been tons of fun! I am back now and back to a schedule and back to the blogging! 

Ok so at the end of June for one of my classes I had to throw a international dinner party. I went all out using my best china I got for my wedding a few years ago and decorated the tables and my awesome friend Lindsey took so beautiful photography for me! She did an amazing job, I was grateful to have her there because I had no time to take pictures with all the cooking an I wouldn't have even thought to do it! 

Over the next few days and weeks I will be sharing all six dishes and the drink I made. All Thai food so I hope you love Thai food because I do!! The first dish I want to share with you is Shrimp and Tofu Pad Thai. One of the best things about Pad Thai is how adaptable it is. You can change your meat, take out the tofu, or go meatless. It is all up to you!

P.S. for all of you that live in remote, tiny parts of the country and think you can't get these ingredients think about this: I live in Idaho and bought everything I needed at WinCo Foods!! If I can get it, so can you and sometimes you just have to make a substitution (easy pesy).  

Shrimp and Tofu Pad Thai

Recipe adapted from RasaMalaysia.com

Serves 4-6 people

Ingredients:

 Pad Thai Sauce:

4 tablespoons store-bought Pad Thai paste

2 teaspoons tamarind paste/concentrate ( I couldn't find this, so because Tamarind is a sweet and tangy flavor I used half brown sugar ad half lime juice There was still something missing, but I did the best I could)

3 tablespoons fish sauce

3 teaspoons sugar

2/3 cup water

1-2 teaspoons chili powder

Other Ingredients:

8 oz packaged Pad Thai noodles

3 tablespoons cooking oil

2 eggs

1 lb. peeled and deveined raw shrimp

1 tablespoon minced garlic

A small bunch of chives (cut lengths)

1 cup bean sprouts

1 lime, cut into 8 wedges

1/2 cup coarsely chopped unsalted roasted peanuts

2 blocks pan-fried Tofu

Method:

Soak the rice noodles in hot water for about 15 minutes or until they soften. Drain and set aside.

Combine the ingredients for the Pad Thai sauce in a bowl.

Heat up a wok and add oil. When the oil is very hot, add the minced garlic and do a few quick stirs. Add shrimp into the wok and stir until half cooked and then add the fried tofu pieces, noodles and Pad Thai sauce into the wok and stir continuously. Push the noodles to one side and crack the eggs into the wok, break it up by stirring and wait for 10-15 seconds, and then stir in the noodles. Add bean sprouts and chives into the wok, stir for 1 minute, dish out, sprinkle some peanuts on top and serve with a wedge (or two wedges) of lime. 

                                                                     Done!!

Here are more pictures of the final product! One of the greatest things about thai food is that they have (for the most part) very simple and quick cooking methods. Of course this is a trade off for having lots of different ingredients which gives Thai food its flavors. Thai food is known for having many flavors being brought together and harnessed in a beautiful way and maybe thats why I love it so much!  

                                                                Happy Eating!!!

Best Rice Pudding Ever!

Do you love rice pudding? Or better yet, do you HATE rice pudding? The this recipe is for you! Let me tell you, I never liked rice pudding. When I found out it was the hubs favorite desserts besides apple pie, I almost cried. It was a disgrace toCrème brûlée and all other amazing desserts! Well I took this class called Practical Homemaking (i know, i can here all you feminists cringing, but it is one of the finniest classes I have taken in my college career!) One portion of the class was cooking and we had a day were we talked about food storage foods. Back story: about 1 year ago I bought 25lb bag of rice from WinCo trying to save money and we still have it! (oh, that wasn't nearly as long of a story as I thought it would be. ha!) So I try to cook a lot of rice.

Like I said, the hubs loves rice pudding and for the last two years of our marriage the only way he got it was if he combined leftover rice, milk, sugar, and cinnamon...um gross. He basically was eating a sweet rice cereal, it doesn't sound as bad as it looked! Trust me, ok? So when we made this in my class, I tried it (for the hubs and because I have this thing where I always try the foods I make. I refuse to dislike something without trying. I know it’s ironic because I wouldn't try the hubs nasty rice cereal...thank you). So I tried it...and I LOVED IT!! So I had to make it for the hubs and I swear when I said the words "Hey, how about I make some rice pudding tonight?" He literally has this look that was somewhere between crying and unbelievable excitement...it was adorable! So after that huge story...here is the recipe for the amazing rice pudding!

RICE PUDDING

¾ c. uncooked white rice
2 c. milk, divided
1/3 c. white sugar
¼ t. salt
1 egg, beaten
2/3 c. raisins
1 T. butter
½ t. vanilla


In a medium saucepan, bring 1 ½ cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

In another saucepan, combine 1 ½ cups cooked rice, 1 ½ cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining ½ cup milk, beaten egg and raisins. Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla. Serve warm.

HAPPY EATING!!

  

Pico de Gallo

As I promised I have the Pico de Gallo! I know I said I would post this a few days ago, but things have been crazy! I feel like my weekends are sometimes busier than the rest of my week. I threw this dinner party Saturday, it was basically my final for my International Foods class. We had to cost out, decorate and throw an international dinner for 6 people. I chose Thailand and it was so much fun! I will have recipes and pictures for you next week and I will go more into everything I did then! Anyway I spent most of Friday and Saturday prepping for that. I did most of the cooking myself! Like I said...crazy!

                                       

So Pico de Gallo....easy peasy (spelling? I don't think I've ever written that out before haha). Here is the most simple recipe you will ever encounter!

Pico de Gallo

Ingredients:

5 jalapenos-chopped

                    seeded or not. your choice. Seeded will make it less spicy, but where's the fun in that?

3 tomatoes-chopped

1/2 white onion-diced

1/4 bunch cilantro-chopped

1-2 cloves garlic-minced

garlic salt to taste

1 lime juiced

1-3 cubes of ice

                  depending on how big your cubes of ice are. The ice is the key to enhancing the flavors. It helps bring everything out and just taste amazing!

Alright..here's the hard part....

Directions:

Add all the ingredients to a bowl and stir. Let sit for 10-20 minutes in the refrigerator. 

 AND...done. Told you it was hard! (yes, there is heavy sarcasm there). Seriously easy and seriously amazing. Try this tonight!

HAPPY EATING!!

Yummy Summer Salsa

So yesterday in my International Foods class we headed off to Mexico! I'm telling you we had some awesome food. I made the Salsas! It was so much fun and I have now acquired two new amazing salsa recipes! These salsas are super practical and you can make them super fast (depending on how fast you chop haha for me that means it takes a little longer).

 By the way neither of these salsas are very hot (for all you with tender palates out there)! I love love super hot salsa so to put this in perspective, my husband swears they are not that hot, and I promise he is kind of wimpy when it comes to spicy foods! However, if you are like me and can take the heat ;-) these salsas are super customizable and you can make them as hot as you want them!!

My beautiful creations!

So today I am going to give you the Avocado Chile Salsa recipe and tomorrow I will post the Pico de Gallo recipe!

Avocado Chile Salsa

Ingredients:

1 whole red onion--quartered and finely sliced
2 whole red chilies--seeded and sliced or diced
1 whole lime--zested and juiced
2 whole large avocados--halved and pitted
2 large tomatoes--seeded and diced
1 large handful of cilantro leaves
TT salt and ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Put the onion, chile, and half of the lime juice into a bowl and set aside to marinate for a few minutes.

2. Using a spoon, scoop out small balls of avocado into a serving bowl. Add the lime zest and remaining juice and turn gently to coat. This will help stop the avocado from browning.

3. Add the diced tomatoes to the onion mixture, toss gently, then add the avocado mixture. Tear the cilantro over the top and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

See! Easy! Told you lol 

Try this with you next meal. Top a taco or enchilada, or serve as an appetizer with tortilla chips. No matter how you eat it, it is awesome!! Let me know how you tried it and how it was! I want to know, and don't forget to come back tomorrow for the delicious Pico de Gallo recipe!

You do not want to miss it!

 HAPPY EATING!!

Customize your Casserole

Casseroles make easy and quick dinners, not to mention tasty! Honestly, do you want to know how casseroles were invented? Some Mom out there had no clue what to make for dinner so she threw what ever she had in a Pyrex and threw it in the oven and called it good...true story. Seriously, though its that easy. Here is an awesome chart for you to make your own custom casserole!

CHOOSE ONE INGREDIENT FROM EACH COLUMN

Protein Food 1 ½ to 2 cups	Sauce 2 cups white sauce seasoned OR 1 can condensed soup + 1/3 cup liquid	Cooked Vegetables 1 ½ cups	Cooked Pasta, etc. 1 ½ to 2 cups	Topping 2 – 4 Tablespoons
Cooked ham, slivered Cooked or canned chicken or turkey Cooked beef, veal, lamb or pork Hard-cooked eggs Frankfurters Cheese Canned tuna or salmon Canned luncheon meat	Cream of celery & milk Cream of chicken & buttermilk Cream of potato & sour cream Green pea & tomato juice Cheddar cheese & vegetable juice Tomato & water Cream of mushroom & cream	Cooked or canned green beans Cooked or canned peas Cooked or canned carrots Cooked or canned asparagus Cooked broccoli	Noodles Rice Macaroni Potatoes Spaghetti Corn Sweet potatoes Cooked Beans	Crushed potato chips Fresh bread crumbs Fried onion rings Pine nuts Potato sticks Cracker crumbs Slivered almonds Crushed stuffing mix Crushed corn flakes

EASILY SERVES 8 PEOPLE                               Bake 30 minutes @ 35

Happy Eating!!

Panda Express Orange Chicken Copy Cat Recipe

As I promised here is my recipe for Panda Express Orange chicken!! I have been dying to post this recipe and have finally perfected it I think!! I hope you all love it and try it. This recipe took me about 45 minutes from start to finish!! Not quite 30 minutes, sorry, but I do have some some quick 30 minute recipes coming up this week! By the way my husband LOVES  this recipe, he said it was better than Panda, I'm not quite sure about that (I am a HUGE Panda fan), but I'll let you decide!

Copy Cat Panda Express Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

  

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
pepper
oil (for frying)
1/2 cup cornstarch, plus
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tablespoon ground ginger (or fresh; ground is sometimes easier to find)
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (I use the dried flakes; more or less depending on how spicy you want it)
1/4 cup green onion, chopped
1 tablespoon rice vinegar

Slurry

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Orange Sauce:

1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons of brown sugar
5 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon orange juice concentrate

1 tablespoon Orange zest (optional) plus some for garnish  

Directions:

1. Place chicken pieces in large bowl. Then (in a separate bowl) stir in egg, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon oil and mix well.

2. In a separate bowl mix cornstarch and flour together.

3. Stir flour mixture into egg mixture. Then, add chicken pieces, stirring to coat. Stir until all the chicken is coated well. Some pieces will stick together. Pull them apart so that each piece is covered well and not attached to any other pieces of chicken. This will make them easier to fry and better to eat. 

                                                

4. Heat oil for deep frying in a sauce pan so that you have enough oil to cover the chicken completely. I usually use about 4 inches of oil in the pan. Heat the oil to about 375 degrees or until it reacts to chicken when the chicken is put in.

Don’t let the oil smoke, the oil is too hot if the chicken browns on the outside and it isn’t cooked inside. This step take a little trial and error, you have to get a feel for the heat of the oil. You want the inside and the outside of the chicken to cook at the same rate. I recommend trying a piece when you think your oil is hot enough, when the test piece looks cooked take it out and cut it open. This will help you see if the inside and outside are cooking the same. If your oil is too low the chicken will soak up too much oil and will take a REALLY long time to cook. You should get it to the right temperature pretty quick, don’t worry, it isn’t as hard as it sounds. You will pick it up rather easily.

5. Cook small batches of chicken at a time, frying should take about 3 to 4 minutes each or until golden crisp and cooked all the way through. Try not to overcook your chicken, but just do your best! This isn’t a test! P.S. failure is the best way to learn in cooking. Remove chicken from oil with slotted spoon and drain on paper towels; set aside.

                                              

                                             

6. In a separate saucepan combine the ingredients for the orange sauce. Put this pan on the heat and bring to a boil, then remove from the heat. Set aside.

7. In a clean wok and heat 15 seconds over high heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil add garlic and green onions. Stir-fry until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add ginger and crushed red pepper; let cook for a few seconds. Then add the rice vinegar and stir for 3 seconds. P.S. take a whiff at this point! It smells amazing and SUPER strong!

                                             

                                             

8. Add Orange Sauce and bring back to a boil. Then, add the cooked chicken, stirring until well mixed.

9. In a small bowl stir water into 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth and then add to chicken mixture. Stir continuously until sauce thickens. Stir orange zest if desired.

                                             

                                           

                                            

                                           

TADA!!! I hope you enjoy this! It is SO yummy!!! Make it and let me know how it went! I would love to hear about some of your experiences with this dish!

Happy Eating!!

Panda Express on a Dime!!

Do you love Panda Express as much as the rest of us?!? Do you crave it, but can't afford to go out to Panda Express EVERY night?!

                                     

Well why don't you try out my version of Panda Express Orange Chicken?! 

This picture was taken with my iPhone and has NO ALTERATIONS! Yup its just looks that good, and let me tell it was even prettier in person and tasted twice as good as it looks!!!!



My recipe coming this Wednesday night!! Watch for it!!!

Update: This recipe has been posted!! Check it out here