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

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.

Grilled Chicken Corn Chili Salsa

After a busy day sometimes for gets forgot and one or two people become starving people.  This was beyond starving mod.  I knew I had a few veggies that just had to be used up and I needed to fix something that wouldn't take to long before we both fell apart from lake of food.  Tonight I came up with this little number.  

Trying new things can be fun at times.  Note at times! 

Tonight I took a few items I really needed to use up before they went bad and put this together.  It's sweet spicy and crisp and cool at the same time.  If you like corn, sweet corn this corn chili salsa is rather good stuff.  The fresh cilantro adds a nice clean crisp heat to the dish.  I really love cilantro.  The corn chili salsa I fond on my most recent trip to Trader Joe's.  It was a must try. 

Here is how I did this.

So here is what you will need:

(this is a dinner for two, you can add or cut down if needed)

1 jar of corn chili tomato-less salsa

2 organic boneless skinless chicken breast 

4 thin slices of ready to use polenta

1 teaspoon of menudo mix

1/4 cup of red onion

1/4 of fresh chopped brussels sprouts

1/4 of cherry tomato's

half of an avocado (sliced)

mixed shredded cheese 

fresh cilantro (for garnish)

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 

sour cream (we only use light)

salt 

pepper

I always when starting to make a meal set every thing out I'll be needed.  Then with this dish I started by putting 2 table spoons of olive oil into a medium frying pan heated up to a medium heat added the two chicken breast.  Once they are in add the menudo mix onto the chicken with some fresh ground pepper and a small amount of salt for taste.  The menudo mix is rather hot and spicy so easy does it if it's your first time using it.  I really enjoy the heat so I tend to over do it most of the time.  Cooking chicken until cooked threw.  While the chicken is cooking cutting up veggies and prepping the polenta. 

Now once all the veggies and polenta are prepped and ready and the chicken is cooked all the way threw, now you add the corn chili salsa to simmer with the chicken.  This can stay on a low simmer while you finish cooking the polenta and getting your plate ready for plating. 

Now you want the heat up a second pan to fry up the 4 polenta rounds in.  If you have never tried polenta before I really think its a must.  I've never bought it ready to use in a roll before tonight.  I always made it from a instant mix.  This is a must when it comes to short cuts.  Saves a lot of time let me tell you!  All I did for us tonight was grilled up a few rounds I cut off the tube of polenta, four total in a bit of extra virgin olive oil with a bit of fresh ground pepper and salt to taste. Then I put the rest into a zip lock and set into the frig for another night soon to cook up into something else! 

While the polenta is grilling now start getting your plates out and setting up for serving.

Once all of the polenta cakes are heated and grilled nicely on both sides to your liking you can sever all this up, chicken salsa on top of the polenta cakes then adding the fresh veggies to the side with a nice sized soup full of sour cream some cheese and cilantro on top.  I totally forgot while I was enjoying making this to keep track of the time it took to put this all together... I'll just say on the safe side 30 to 40min.   I hope you all give this a go and feel free to change it up and make it your own.  I'd love to hear what you all think so feed back is very welcome on any of my blogs I post.  Now go cook, eat, and enjoy!

Eat, Love, & Live

Chicken Potsticker Soup

Dinner doesn't have to be boring or take over an hour to be amazing!

Soup is a perfect dinner meal all in one.  Simply full of flavor, color, and totally healthy.  

Finding fun and easy quick meals doesn't have to mean you go to a drive threw or pick up pizza on your way home from work.  Fresh veggies and a few healthy short cuts to help whip up something warm filling and tasty is right before your eyes.

I must give credit to Trader Joe's for this idea I took a spin off from them and just ran with it. Giving it my own twist adding and changing a few things along the way.  Hey, that's what great chefs do, get fantastic ideas for others and change it up!  Here is my take on it.

Chicken Potsticker Soup is a perfect meal in one bowl that's full of flavors that pop in your mouth yet delicate with a hint of heat.  Really fresh veggies are the way to go and with your favorite filled potsticker make this meal all yours.  You can use veggie filled, chicken, pork, or shrimp!  I'll totally recommend Trader Joe's frozen potstickers.  Most of the time I tend to shy away from boxed, canned, frozen, anything processed, however with Trader Joe's I have found that I don't have to worried about the frozen products.  They are good and all healthy.  Everything in moderation people.  

I have to cook just for two so most of my meals I create I cook up for two but anyone can double the recipes and a lot of the time we end up with leftover for lunch the next day.  This was perfect for the two of us.  I made just enough for us to both have plenty of soup for dinner.  We both really like trying new fun things when it come to food and I plan on sharing some of our fun with all of you.

In the last year or so I have really started to take a turn to much more healthy food choices than ever before.  Never eating out hardly ever, mostly only when we travel has it's up sides for sure.  I have become very creative and willing to spend the bit of extra time and money to really enjoy what we eat.  I totally believer it's paying off.  Remember key to a long happy healthy life is a healthy you.  Food plays such a large roll in that.  You are what you eat!

Here is how I did this.

What you will need:

1 package of Trader Joe's Chicken Potsticker's 

1 large box of veggie broth (I use organic only low sodium)

1 small yellow onion

2 small carrots

2 stalks of celery

1 cup of fresh spinach 

1 cup of bean sprouts

small hand full of fresh cilantro 

small hand full of chopped up fresh green onion

1 tablespoon soy sauce 

1 tablespoon sesame oil

4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

sweet chili sauce to taste after serving

You will need about 30 or 40 min. for this meal.

Here is how you put it all together to make a bowl full of yum.  

The first thing I did was set all my items out. Then getting out a large frying pan putting 2 of the 4 tablespoons of olive oil into the pan, setting it at a medium heat.  Once the oil and pan was warm I put 14 of the potstickers into the pan, yes still frozen.  Just having them over the medium heat to lightly brown them. I would keep a close eye on them so that they do not burn, turning them often is what I found worked for best evenly browning. 

I then chopped up my onion, celery, and carrot really quick to put into a large pot that has the other 2 tablespoons of olive oil in it.  Turning that onto a medium heat as well.  Once that is warmed up put in the mirepoix (onion, celery, carrot) to cook until the onion is translucent.  

Now your potstickers should be almost done and if they are all I did was set them off to the side with a cover on them to keep warm.  Then once the mirepoix is ready add in the veggie broth bring up to a gentle boil and also add in the spinach, bean sprouts,  soy sauce, and sesame oil.  Giving that just a moment to combined after coming to a gentle boil.  Then you add in the chicken potstickers.  Quickly chop up your green onion and grab some cilantro for your garnish and your ready to enjoy this fantastic full of flavors soup.

I loved adding the sweet chili sauce to mine after plating, so did my boyfriend.  I think it gave it a nice added bit of sweat and heat.  I sure hope that all of you try this with an open mind and be ready to fall in love with this soup.  We sure did.  

Eat, Love, & Live

Just Starting Out....

This first blog I do will just be a rather short entry, more like an introduction into what will be coming after!  I  tend mostly to focus on dinner meals/menu what it comes right down to it.  Not being home much during the day due to having a full time job like most of us do I am not with much time for cooking breakfast or lunches!  However with that said, yes I still do those meals just not much exiting going on the first half of the day.  When planning out my meals for lets just say a week I try and focus on veggies first then meat.  I then draw out ideas from that.  It can be a challenge to come up with new and fun ideas to keep meal times from becoming the dreaded ho hum boring that can so often take place with busy working home cooks.  

How my cooking obsession really came about was due to my life style change to get fit and be happy and healthy.  I'm a strong believer in you are what you eat!!  Changing portion size to cutting almost everything I had known for 7 years out and starting all over from scratch has not been an easy feat, but I've taken on the challenge facing it head on and not backing down!  This is to the rest of what is going to be a long and healthy happy life!

Lets get right to it....

I happen to be an artist first then a cook!  I love food almost more than anything come to think of it.  With my passion for food and creativity I jump in and take on the kitchen like it's a blank canvas waiting to be painted.  

Color, taste, texture, aroma are so important.  Time is also something to consider when cooking.  Most often I tend to get home late and trying to stay healthy and fit.  It's not a good idea to eat so late or close to bed time.  With that in mind time is of the essence and I feel I'm starting to get a grip on saving time when cooking dinner once I get home.  Trying to keep prep to finish time all together no longer than 45 min. from the time I start is more than a must.  So many times I run into friends, family, strangers that think I've lost it or I'm nuts to cook all my meals at home and never eat out.  Most of them can't believe I can make the meals I do in such a short time too!  Eating healthy and at home doesn't have to mean being stuck in ones kitchen all day or for hours on end.  Now if I could work on keeping my spending down a bit then I feel like I'll have ACED this whole thing.  Still learning and part of that is being lucky enough to have a green house a garden.  However that is only seasonal.  

I invite you all to come along and share with me my goods and bad's, my trails and triumphs in the kitchen.  Food/Cooking is all about enjoyment, healthy living, living a rich and happy life.  Eating right can really set you up for only good, I totally believe moderation and a balance of all fresh, organic, and non-processed foods are a must.  

Looking forward to sharing my creations with you all!

Eat, Love & Live