Teriyaki Beef & Soba Noodle Soup

Cooking for two can be easy.  Whats better than soup on a stormy cool day?  Soup & teriyaki beef skewers.  I'm doing my own thing like I always do and trying my own twist on this meal.  I always try to use the freshest and healthiest ingredients I can get.  Sadly, we just started growing our garden this last week.  All my ingredients that I'm using are store bought for this.

What you will need:

1 pound of beef (thinly sliced beef sirloin)

2 servings of soba noodles

1 32 oz box of garlic onion infused beef broth (basic beef broth would work too)

1 teaspoon of fresh or powdered ginger

2 garlic cloves

1 medium onion

2 large carrots

1 bag of fresh bean sprouts

1 hand full of fresh chives

2 teaspoons of olive oil

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon of sesame oil

1/2 cup of soy teriyaki sauce (for marinade)

2 teaspoons of teriayki sauce (for after beef is cooked)

2 teaspoons of sweet chili sauce (for topping on soup, if desired) 

wood skewer sticks

chop sticks

Soaking wood skewers in water so they won't burn while cooking the teriyaki beef.  I always set out what I'll need ahead of time to save time when cooking later.  Garlic & roasted onion infused beef broth for the soup, soba noodles, ginger ( I wish I had fresh, sadly just powdered) and a couple garlic cloves.

I cut my beef into strips and put into a shallow dish with the soy teriyaki sesame seed marinade.  Then I covered the dish and set into the refrigerator until I'm ready to use.

Once your ready to start cooking, you take the wood skewers that have socked in water and put the teriyaki beef onto the skewers placing them onto a sheet pan.  Preheat over to 400* while you put together the soup.

After getting the beef skewers ready and set aside now start boiling a pot of water to cook the soba noodles.  The soba noodles I used take only 2 min. to cool.  Then chop up one onion two cloves of garlic and thinly slice two large carrots.  I also set out my bean sprouts and chives.

The noodles cook fast so I have a bowl set aside to put the finished soba noodles into while I make the base of the soup.  I put the beef into the oven for 16 to 17 min. leaving it set to 400* and flipping them once.

Putting a bit of olive oil on the bottom of the same pot you boiled your noodles in after dumping the water out.  Put on medium heat, add in the onion garlic and carrots and cook until soften.  Just a few min. will do.  Add the beef stock into the pot along with some soy sauce and sesame oil ginger pepper if you want.

Once the beef is finished pull out and let rest while you add the bean sprouts and chives into the soup.  Quick and easy your simple dinner is ready to enjoy.

  

The beef I leave on the skewers when serving.  Before I plate the beef I like to drizzle a bit of extra teriyaki sauce onto of them.

We like to top our soup off with some sweet chili sauce.  Leaving the beef on the skewers makes for easy eats and looks fun too.  The next time I make this soup I plan on using mushrooms and celery.  I hardly ever make things the same way twice.

Just another perfectly simple easy meal for two or more.

Eat, Love & Live

Enchiladas

Fall is now here and cooking is more about comfort and warmth.  I really enjoy making personal dishes for my boyfriend and I whenever I can.  It's kind of fun and easy on me when doing the portions.  Tonight was personal chicken enchiladas.

Dinner for two...

1 chicken breast chopped up

1 onion

1 bell pepper

1 avocado

1 lime

1 garlic clove

1 can of green chili's

1 bottle of enchilada sauce

1 cup of gradated cheese

10 corn tortilla's heated up in olive oil

1/2 cup of olive oil

1/2 cup of salsa

sour cream

sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

2 personal backing dishes (oven safe)

With all these there is even enough to make your own quick guacamole.

I started by cooking up the breast of chicken with a bit of olive oil half the onion, chopped up garlic clove, half the bell pepper, half the lime squeezed on top.  Once the meat is cooked all the way threw then add the can of chili's and salt pepper to taste.  Then splash in just a quarter of the enchilada sauce.  Turn down onto a simmer or low heat and let it set until ready to fill the tortillas.  After getting the chicken cooked up then start a pan on medium heat with the olive oil and pan fry them up 30 seconds on each side.  Cooking one at a time then setting them on a towel after cooking then repeating until all ten are cooked!

After finishing up the tortillas your now ready to put a small amount of enchilada sauce on the bottom of each backing dish. This is a good time to set the oven on 325 to preheat.   Taking one tortilla at a time adding the chicken filling into each one rolling them up setting them into the backing dish.

Once you have finished up filling all the corn tortillas now your ready to add the rest of the enchilada sauce to each backing dish evenly.  Then split the cheese up evenly between the two backing dish's as well.  Add as little or as much cheese as you like.  I just gave a ball park idea of a 1 cup.  You can even add olives to the top if you like.  Now put them into the 325* preheated oven for 15 min.  to heat everything evenly and melt the cheese on top.

While the enchiladas are backing now  you can put together your guacamole.  Putting the other half of the chopped onion, bell pepper, and squeezing the other half of the lime into the bowl.  Then chop up all of the avocado and add that.  Sometimes I use a fresh tomato chopped up but tonight I didn't have one.  When I don't have a fresh tomato I use a spoon full or two of salsa.  I add salt and pepper to taste as well.  Mix well and it's ready to be part of the topping!

When the time is up pull the backing dishes out and set to cool for 5/10 min.

Time to top with sour cream, salsa and that yummy fresh guacamole you made!

We were only able to eat about half and that is part of what I love about meals like this.  There are seconds or left overs for each person in one dish no mess and perfect for covering and setting in the frig for later.

Hope that you all enjoy this one.  It's quite simple and yet looks like you spent a lot of time and effort to make dinner.  The only thing we were missing with this dinner tonight was a Patron margarita on the rocks.

Eat, Love, & Live

Mango Smoothie 

(organic)

My boyfriend and I are on a smoothie kick right now.  Enjoying fresh fruits and kicking up the healthy living a few notches.  Perfect for spring time.  Trying out lots of new flavors and combos has been a lot of fun so far.  Today was such a sunny nice warm in the 80's kind of day having a smoothie for lunch was perfect.

I've been out in the yard off and on all weekend pulling weeds and helping in the garden a bit.  Finding my herb garden just thriving again is quite pleasing to me.  I love having fresh herbs to add to all of our meals.  My most favorite herb plant I have is my "Pineapple Basil" plant.  Smells and tastes just like pineapple.  When cooking sometimes coming up with ideas is simple more often then not.  Today this just fell together without much thought at all.  I wanted a mango orange smoothie so I knew right away I was going to use the "Pineapple Basil".  Fresh, crisp, clean, green, and bit of sweet was perfect pairing with this smoothie!

Here is what you will need to make this smoothie:

Will make for 2 people, to 4.  (4 people if 8oz glass)!

2 banana's organic

2 medium to small oranges organic

1 apple organic 

2 serving sizes of frozen organic mango cubes

8 pineapple basil leaves fresh

2 large spoon fulls of Greek yogurt (0% fat, plain yogurt is what we use)

You will need a bit of liquid just to help get the blender working good, I always add a splash of some kind of fresh organic juice (with this smoothie I just put a splash of strawberry banana juice)

You will just need a blender to make this smoothie, a few glasses and enjoy!

I like to make things enjoyable and fun.  I served them up in mason jar's with a straw and a few more fresh "Pineapple Basil" leaves.  Pretty, and food, drinks, anything we eat always is much more enjoyable when its served up and pleases our eyes along with all the other senses.  So when your serving up your meals or drinks always think about that and know everyone will love your hard work and cooking that much more if you find a way to make it look enjoyable too!

Eat, Love, & Live

Scones

Just want to share one of my favorite Sunday morning treats with all of you.

I do love my coffee that just happens to pare really well with something lightly sweetened fresh warm yet popping with fresh fruity flavors like SCONES?  Well... maybe coffee cake!  

These two flavors are by far my favorite and I really think only best when served right out of the oven pipping hot.  Raspberry Lemon and Blueberry both with a sprinkle of sugar crystals or just sugar in the raw on top.  I like to use frozen organic berries out of season, they work nicely.  Looking forward to in season and fresh warm berries are by far much better.  That's almost a given that fresh is better than frozen, however sometimes you must do what you have to do.

Now, I do a few different types of scones.  When I do not have time to do from scratch yet I cheat and use a box mix.  When I have more time and am willing to take the time I do use bisquick mix.  I'll let all my readers know right now I am not the baker in the family at all.  When I do bake it's out of need and want for something sweet and tasty.  My sister happens to be the one that is our little baker in the family.  I enjoy more the savory foods than the sweets when it comes to making and creating.  

Again, this time I'm at a loss for a recipe to share with all of you, mostly just popping out some yummy ideas and photos, that is more up my ally.  Just so you all know the photo up above I took of my sisters home made Blueberry Lemon Scones.  Now, I hope you all enjoy these yummy creations and that they might spring some ideas into your head, and in my cooking world I believe that if you think of something that seems and sounds good and not sure if it will be... TRY!  You won't know unless you give it a go.  With my scones it's a basic mix and I just thought how cool it would be to have berries sitting on top that have been baked along with the scones.  These are best eaten fresh due to all the juice and the fresh berries on them.  Next day is okay, however they don't save as well as if you were to mix the berries in with the dough.   Just a helpful tip! 

Best enjoyed with good friends and family.

Now go and make you & your friends some scones and coffee, then enjoy your day!

Eat, Love, & Live

Quinoa & Chicken

Trying new this is fun.  Don't ever be afraid of something new and different.  This is a really good meal in your dutch oven pot and great for a house full or dinner guest.  

Tonight we tried something new.  Quinoa!  It was really easy, just like cooking rice.  Tasty and very filling, also rather pretty and light.  Perfectly paired with chicken veggies and tomato basil sauce.    Tonight I just wanted to post up a beautiful picture of our dinner and share the new food we tried with all of you!  No recipe this time, I just threw this together and it worked out rather well... Inspired by a recipe I saw, I changed it up to make it more our liking and we loved it... Served up with some left over fresh bakery bread from the other night dinner was a hit!  This meal only took me 40min. to make and that was mostly due to trying to figure out what all I wanted to add to the pot... I so love being about to just cook it all in one dutch oven and call it a meal.  Less mess and work on trying to watch other items in other pans pots etc. and hope nothing buns... Easy and simple whenever you can is a must!

We are still on a quest to eat even more healthy than we do now.  More white meats and sea food, fish, and much more veggies and fruits.  Looking for more flavors and more colors.  Food to fuel us and keep us going for as long as we can live.  To eating for a long healthier life!  If any of you have not tried this Quinoa I highly recommend giving it a go.  It's really quite good!  Get out there and try something new this coming week!  

Try Quinoa!

Eat, Love, & Live

Roman Chicken Saltimbocca

Tonight I just had to make something that would melt in your mouth and leave you wanting to lick the plate and want more.  I found it!  

I have everything I need, except lemon.  It never fails I have lemon and can't seem to use it up fast enough and when I do need it there isn't any to be found.  I ran to the store and grabbed up some lemon and fresh baked bread to go with dinner.

I can't take credit for the high light of this dish I found this recipe and just want to share it with you all because not only did it taste fabulous but looked really pretty too and was quick and easy to make.  Anyone could do this dinner and rock it.  The whole family no matter how big or small would love it to the last bite.

I have to give credit when credit is due.... Thank you goes out to Whole Foods for their amazing website and recipes that they post up.  Here is the link to their site if anyone wants to see where I found this fantastic recipe.  http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/roman-style-chicken-saltimbocca

I love finding things and changing them up most of the time.  This time I didn't want to change what they had done at all.  Only thing I changed was amounts of things due to the fact I only cook for two people.  We only each needed one chicken each so I cut the recipe in half.  However I did add extra sage because I love sage, and less butter.  We don't hardly ever ever use butter.  I remember tonight why I love butter so very much.  This little blog tonight I won't post up the recipe because you can all just use the link to Whole Foods site.  I came up with the sides all on my own and they went really well with the chicken.  The broccoli was olive oil salt pepper and some water, sired then steamed just while I prepped the chicken.  Having potato's was a must tonight we have a ton of them to use and they just sounded good.  They are olive oil, salt, pepper, and sage.  Baked the potato's in the oven like fries, roasted... Perfect sides.  Lets not forget the fresh bread I picked up at the store, it was some seed bread. Really good choice too.

I was proud of myself tonight for taking on a new dish tonight.  Thinking I was going to post step by step tonight I took pictures of it all. Guess I can still share with you all so you see how easy it truly was.  

Yes that sage isn't very big yet but it came from my herb garden.  The prosciutto was so good that I picked up from Trader Joe's two weeks ago.  I love foods that I can get and hold onto and use more than once or twice to make a dressed up dinner.  I bought my bottle of white wine there too!

Like I said just use the link I posted and get the how to on all this, it's simple.  I'm cooking the chicken here and that only took a matter of 8 min. tops.  

This was a first for me tonight.  Making a wine sauce, and thought all these years how scary and hard it would be to get right.  I'm laughing so hard right now because it was so simple and so easy anyone could do it and it totally made the dish.  That and the lemon slices to add to it once all was plated.

The chicken gets set aside on a pretty platter waiting, and covered for it's wine sauce to cover it and make it taste like a bit of Roman heaven in your mouth.

I so think anyone can make this for diner and feel classy having something so melt in your mouth for dinner.  We felt like we had gone out and had a really high end chicken dish.  Don't ever be scared of trying new things, this is how you can find something that you really enjoy and might just fall in love with.  This will be a chicken dish I won't have any problems making again.  Change up the side dishes and have it again soon.  

I even had a small glass of the wine with dinner to help add to the flavors, that is just not something I do often.  The wine was a nice complement with the chicken and the wine sauce.

Now go and cook, take your self out of your comfort zone and enjoy.

Eat, Love, & Live.

Carrot Pancakes

Home made anything is always better than anything else.  Today I started out thinking Id just have my normal breakfast (frozen waffle with peanut butter and organic jam).  Then it came to me that I wanted to just try something new.   I have a few things left in the frig that I wanted to use before they go bad like my carrots, almonds and milk.  It had to be "Carrot Pancakes"!  Easy to make and so good, no egg, all healthy and a good start to the day.

I can't imagine anyone not loving or at the very least liking pancakes.  Even if you don't like carrots these healthy cakes full of nothing but goodness will totally draw you in wanting more.  My rule of thumb is you should always try something you have never had once before you can JUDGE it!  This said, you won't know what your missing until you have had one, or maybe just a bite. That one bite is all its going to take to hook you into falling for these "Carrot Pancakes". 

Now, as always setting out everything you will need before jumping right in.  Main reason for this I can't tell you how many times I've started to make something and gotten part way, half way, or maybe right up to the end and one KEY ingredient I needed I sadly ended up not having.  Always good to know what you have to work with before you start backing or cooking like crazy.  That is a true time saver.

Here is what you will need:

1 cup Pancake mix

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I added a bit more to these)

3/4 cup milk (non fat, soy, or whatever you want)

2 tablespoons oil (coconut, canola, vegetable)

1/4 cup of raisins 

1/4 cup crushed pineapple (drained)

3/4 cup graded/shredded carrots

1/4 almonds

1 ripe banana

maple syrup

Simply mix the milk into the pancake mix, ground cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of oil, making sure it's all well mixed.  Then add everything else and mix together.  Note:  I left out the nuts because my boyfriend doesn't like almonds much and he isn't really into nuts in his food.  I ended up sprinkling them on top of the pancakes after I plated mine, leaving him nut free.  Heat a medium pan on medium heat adding ever little of the oil so that the pancakes will not stick.  I like mine a little less cooked, yet cooked all the way threw.  Making sure that they are nice and golden brown on each side.  You can make them any size or shape that you wish.  We like them to be almost plate size, so cooking one at a time is how I do it.

While each one cooks I have a serving platter set aside with a towel to keep them warm until they are ready to be served.

Once I was ready to plate these, my boyfriend came in happy to try them, the house smelled so good.  He added a fresh half a banana to each of our plates.  That made for an extra flavor and sweetness to the pancakes.  Then topped them off with almonds and light maple syrup.

Next time I make these I'll be adding the banana into the batter and topping them off with my pineapple basil drizzle of local honey and some almond butter.  I might even go as far as sprinkling fresh ground cinnamon on top too!

I think you should all put this on your need to try list.  

Kids would enjoy them and so will all of us big kids. 

These pancakes just might very well make you love your carrots just that much more too.  

Now go make create and enjoy. 

Eat, Love, & Live.