What's Cooking: Steak Salad

I made a delicious stead salad yesterday night for dinner that was so good I forgot to snap any pictures! It's a super easy recipe and I highly recommend for summer dinners. It's so refreshing. 

Red Wine Vinaigrette

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tbsp honey

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tsp salt 

pepper 

Place all of the ingredients in a sealable container and give it a really good shake! 

For the steak salad, you'll need: 

Steak - cooked to desired doneness 

Salad mix 

tomatoes

olives 

blue cheese crumbles 

avocado 

I like to mix the salad with the salad dressing and then put the steak on top. I'll be sure to take a picture next time. 

Have a great day everyone! 

xoxo

What's Cooking: Honey Soy Glazed Salmon

I usually just grill salmon on the BBQ or bake it in the oven, but wanted to try something different today. After a lot of perusing online, I found a recipe for Honey Soy salmon. I modified the recipe a little bit since I didn't have everything on hand. It came out beautifully! As an accompaniment, I served french green beans with caramelized onions and some soba (buckwheat) noodles in a soy/sesame oil sauce. This was such a great, light, and summery meal. I'm definitely making it again. The plus side is that everything was ready in about 20 minutes.

Honey Soy Salmon
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp of rice vinegar

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl until well combined. Place salmon in a resealable plastic baggie with half of the sauce mixture. Let marinade for at least 15 minutes and up to 1 hour.

Turn on the broiler of your oven.

Place marinaded salmon onto foil covered sheet pan. Broil for about 6-8 minutes or until fish flakes easily.

Green Beans w/ Caramelized Onions 
1/4 of an onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp oil or butter
1 pinch of salt
2 cups green beans (I used frozen b/c it was all I had on hand)

Heat pan over medium heat. Add oil and onions into the pan. Add a healthy pinch of salt and periodically stir onions until they're a nice dark brown.

Add green beans, stirring to combine well. Cover with a lid and let cook for about 5-6 minutes. Flavor with salt and pepper as desired.

Soba Sesame Noodles
1/4 cup of soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1-2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 tsp of white vinegar
red chili sauce

Adjust all the amounts to your liking. Some people may like it a little sweeter

Mix above ingredients well and add to cooked soba noodles.
Add some scallions and sesame seeds if you want to be fancy.

Writing this post is making me hungry again!

Happy Father's Day!

I just wanted to wish my Dad the happiest of Father's Days. I'm so proud to have such a smart, courageous man as a father. 

Happy Father's Day to all you other dads out there! 

Pig Pickin' Cake

In honor of Father's Day, I thought I'd bake something to bring over to the family gathering tomorrow. I originally ate this cake at a friend's house and fell in love with how light and moist the cake was and the delicate flavor of the frosting. I was completely shocked when I found out how easy it was to make. This was the first time I made this cake into cupcakes, but I thought they came out rather well.

Anyone know where the name comes from? I think it's the weirdest name!

Pig Pickin' Cake 

1 box yellow cake mix
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 can of mandarin oranges
4 eggs
1 container of whipped topping (Cool Whip)
1 package of instant vanilla pudding
1 can crushed pineapple

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Combine cake mix, vegetable oil, mandarin oranges with the juice, and the four eggs together until well blended. Pour into two greased cake pans or lined cupcake tins. Bake 18-20 minutes for cupcakes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove cake from pan, allow to cool completely before frosting!

To prepare frosting, mix whipped topping, instant vanilla pudding, and pineapple together. Spread on cupcakes or pipe on using a pastry bag and tips.

Hope you enjoy this recipe!

New Episode Recap

I did another episode recap for the reality show "Bethenny, Getting Married?" It's so much fun to do and I really hope I'll get to do other shows in the future. Please check it out and send it on to your friends!

Bethenny, Getting Married?

Photo courtesy of Monsters and Critics 

Our new sofa makes a debut!

I managed to convince the husband that we needed a new sofa (I've been begging for years!) for our living room. We were using the ones that he had from his bachelor days, which I didn't love, to say the least! The best part of the new sofa is that each piece reclines. I didn't know how comfortable recliners were and I'm not sure how I'll be able to sit on anything that doesn't recline ever again.

Here's the new setup:

I almost think that we need to buy one more armless chair to make the sofa wider. It looks good in the living room, but doesn't quite fill the space. I put a small shelf on the left side of the sofa and a storage bench that we had in another spot in the living room. 

What do you guys think? Should we buy another piece? 

Nursing Cover

I made a nursing cover for my friend, Kristin, who's expecting a baby soon. I made one previously for my sister shortly after she had my nephew. It's an easy, fun project, that doesn't take too long to accomplish. I did some research and made the dimensions similar to a popular name brand version. If anyone wants a tutorial, let me know.

Ma's Cha Gio (Vietnamese Spring Rolls)

I managed to get my mom's recipe for cha gio after grilling her with questions since no Vietnamese mom I know even uses measuring cups or spoons. I tried to get her to be as specific as possible, but it was like asking the sky to be green. I know I could have googled another recipe, but I was only interested in making egg rolls that tasted just like my mom's! My mom is such a good cook that the thought of her food makes my mouth water. My husband is already addicted to her cooking and always asks what she's going to cook before we go visit.

My first attempt came out really well. I've always had the job of rolling egg rolls when my mom was making them, but I never realized how much work it was to prepare the filling. It's all of the chopping and mixing that is so time consuming. Hopefully I'll have children one day so I can get some free labor. Here's the recipe I used.

Ma's Cha Gio

1 lb ground pork
1/2 lb shrimp (shelled, deveined, and chopped)
1 large carrot, grated
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 of a small jicama root
1 cup of Black Fungus rehydrated and chopped
1 cup of bean thread; rehydrated and cut (vermicelli)
3 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp pepper
a dash of salt
1 package of spring roll wrappers

Mix all of the above ingredients in a large bowl.

Now, roll your cha gio! I start by placing about 2 tablespoons of filling onto the middle of my wrapper. 

Next, fold the bottom corner up. 

Now, fold the sides in. 

Then, starting from the bottom, roll your way up. 

I fried mine in about 2 inches of oil in a 2 quart sauce pan. Fry them until they're golden brown. Remove from pan and let drain on paper towels. 

Here's what the finished product looks like. 

I always love to eat mine with rice noodles, lettuce, and fish sauce. I forgot to snap a picture with the salad greens, but that's usually how we eat it. 

Voila! 

I hope everyone's weekends are going well. I'm exhausted now, but I'll be back with some new posts later. 

xoxo! 

OOTD - Reed Shirtdress

I finally broke out the Reed shirt dress yesterday. I got complements all day on it from random strangers! I guess it was a hit. Truthfully, I felt like an overgrown Girl Scout. I'm truly a color-phobic person by nature. Excuse the undone hair and poor iPhone picture quality. I was on my way to a haircut appointment and the iPhone 4.0 will soon be mine!

Hope everyone has a great weekend! 

Am I a Monster or a Critic?

In a fantastic turn of events, my good friend Alicia introduced me to a woman who edits an entertainment website called Monsters and Critics. Turns out she was looking for recap writers for various shows and gave both Alicia and me opportunities to write for her.

Check out my first foray into entertainment writing in my recap of Bravo's new show "Bethenny, Getting Married?"

The Largest Eclair EVER - Martha Green's

Hubby and I went out to breakfast at Martha Green's Eating Room last weekend. It's a little restaurant that has a bakery attached. The baked goods are out of this world!

When hubby spotted the largest eclair known to mankind, he knew he had to have it. I'm not sure if the photo really captures the ginormity of the eclair. I can't tell you if it was delicious or not. My darling husband wouldn't give me a bite!

I can say that the Orange cupcake was delicious though. It was white cake filled with lemon curd and topped with orange cream cheese frosting. I was in heaven!

If anyone has a good lemon/orange cupcake recipe, let me know!

Lemon Squares

Who doesn't love the deliciously sweet taste of a good lemon square? This recipe was given to me by a former coworker after I lamented about my previous lemon bar failures. She told me she had been using this recipe for over 40 years! I thought it would be the perfect sweet treat to bring to a pool party last weekend.

The secret to this recipe's success is definitely the simplicity of it and the use of Meyer lemons. This variety of lemon is sweeter and juicier than some of its counterparts. Definitely give this recipe a try! You won't be sorry (well, maybe your waistline will be).

Lemon Squares


Part I:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 cups flour
pinch of salt

Mix above ingredients and pat into a 9x12 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

Part II:
4 beaten eggs
6 tbsp flour
6 tbsp lemon  juice
2 cups of sugar
grated rind of 1 lemon

Mix above ingredients and pour over Part I (after the crust bakes). Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Let cool slightly. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, cut into bars or squares.

Noah @ the Park

Noah and his mom came for a little visit the other day and we took the opportunity to go to the park, visit with his grandpa, and take some pictures.

Noah is really good at throwing his ball (especially into the fountain) and running!

Thanks for coming to visit, Noah-bear! 

Vietnamese Yogurt

I was really looking forward to trying to make some Vietnamese yogurt after I saw it on my friend Christine's blog. I remember my mom making these all the time when I was a kid and it brings back fond memories of my childhood. I think I get all my culinary curiosity from my Mom. She was always trying out new recipes or techniques and I always wanted to help her out in the kitchen. If only Vietnamese moms used more precise measurements. Getting her to tell me a recipe is a rather abstract practice.

The closest Asian market is about 10 miles away and I was too lazy to make the trek on Sunday. I just bought the store brand sweetened condensed milk and the generic plain yogurt for the starter. Unfortunately, when I got home, I realized I forgot one of the key ingredients...the milk! I really didn't want to go back to the store, so I started searching online for different yogurt recipes. I stumbled upon Andrea's recipe at Viet World Kitchen. Her recipe didn't call for any milk so I decided to give it a go.

I think it came out really well, although perhaps not as tart as I would have liked. I didn't let them set out for a long time since I didn't factor in enough time. I was afraid of going to sleep and them coming out too tart. I really do like the flavor though. It's nice and light with a soft, sweet taste. I also can't believe how much yogurt it made and how cheaply! I was able to make 10 half cup servings for about $3.00 total. I think that's a great deal!  I'm definitely going to try Christine's recipe next time.

Here's the link to the recipe I used: http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/blog/2009/08/vietnamese-yogurt-recipe.html

Steak Fajitas

I've been looking for a good steak fajita recipe so we could get our Mexican food fix at home. It's too hard to resist the chips, rice, beans, and cheese when we go out! This recipe was easy and had a great flavor. I think it'll work great with chicken next time.

Fajita Marinade
1/4 cup lime juice
1/3 cup water
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 tsp salt
4 cloves garlic

Mix the above ingredients in a resealable baggie. Add meat, mix together. Let marinade in fridge for at least two hours or overnight.

I sauteed bell peppers and onions in the pan before I added the meat.

Mirror Redo

I've been wanting to put a full length mirror near our door for ages. We keep all of our shoes in our coat closet downstairs and I could never see my whole outfit without standing on top of furniture or going back upstairs.

I bought this mirror for $15 at Marshall's. I didn't hate the original color, but didn't think it went with the rest of the decor of our home.

(Sorry for the poor iPhone pic, it's the only before pic I snapped.) 

Most of the other frames in our home are black, so I wanted to bring in something a little lighter, so I chose an antique white. Here's the result after several coats of spray paint. 

Much better, don't you think? 

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

I took the opportunity to bake some cookies today since it was relatively cool out. There's no way I'm turning the oven on once summer hits and it's over 100 degrees outside.

I love this recipe and think that it's the perfect chocolate chip w/nuts recipe. The ratio of nuts to chips is just right and the sea salt gives just enough saltiness to counter the sweetness. I've used both pecans and walnuts, both with great results.

I used my trusty silicone mat and parchment paper. 

The ones on parchment tend to spread out more, making thinner crispier cookies. 

The ones on the silicone mat come out thicker. 

Chocolate Chip Cookies w/ Nuts
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1 stick butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract - I always add a splash more..it'll make the cookies tastier
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt (I add a bit more b/c I like salty sweet cookies, so add an extra pinch)
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts (or pecans), toasted and chopped (toast in a 300 degree oven for 7-10 minutes, but watch them carefully so they don't burn!)

Preheat to 300F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat the sugars and butters together until smooth. Mix in the egg, vanilla, and baking soda.

Stir together the flour and salt, then mix them into the batter. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Scoop dough into 2 tablespoon balls and arrange about 2 inches apart on baking sheet.

Bake for 18 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool. 

** If you're using both racks, rotate your baking trays halfway through (move the top pan to the bottom and flip the direction they're facing). It'll make your cookies cook more evenly.