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Showing posts from January, 2013

Beef Kalgobi: Korean Short Ribs

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This recipe is courtesy of my cousin, Chi Khanh, aka the other Christine Cao. Its been made by my aunt, who said even her picky kiddo loved it, and my sister, who's hubby scarfed it down. I've made it once so far and it was good, although my local HEB was a little lacking in beef short rib selection. I hope to try it with some Korean style short ribs from the Korean grocery store next time. As my cousin said, "Super easy, so tasty! Even the kids like it, score!". Thanks for the great recipe, Chi Khanh! Beef Kalgobi: 4 lbs boneless short ribs sliced thin (1/8 inch ) or 5 lbs flanken style short ribs (korean style cut) Sauce 1 cup low sodium soy sauce 1 cup minus 2 TB light brown sugar 4 Tb sesame oil 4 Tb rice wine vinegar 4 Tb grated ginger 1 whole head garlic grated 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (can omit if you dont have) Garnish 1 bunch green onions chopped 2 Tbs sesame seeds toasted Put meat in a dutch oven, barely cover (don't drown the meat...

Best Ever Baked Meatballs

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I found this recipe randomly on Pinterest and decided to give it a try for our New Years party. Suffice it to say, it was a hit and disappeared within minutes! The ingredients are easy to have on hand, especially if you have a basil plant. It takes a max of 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to bake. Easy shmeasy and tres yummy. I like to make my meatballs a little smaller then the picture I took (trial and error; Ping Pong sized are the best) and they are great on their own as an appetizer or with spaghetti and sauce. Best Ever Baked Meatballs 1lb hamburger 2 eggs, beaten with 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup grated Parmesan 1 cup panko or bread crumbs (I use panko) 1 small onion, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon salt freshly ground pepper to taste 1/4 cup minced fresh basil Mix all ingredients with hands. Form into ping pong ball sized meatballs. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until a nice crust has formed and meatballs are cooked throu...

Easy Classic Crepes

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This morning was a lazy Sunday for sure. Reid and I woke up at the crack of 10 am craving something tasty for breakfast. After shooting down suggestions to go out to get breakfast tacos or crepes, I decided to try my hand at making some crepes at home. Reid got me a Blendtec blender for Christmas and its been awesome. We've been making at least one smoothie every day. Nothing like gulping down a pound of fruit or veggies to stave off any not-so-new-years-resolutions-friendly cravings. Anyway, I thought it would be good to try and use the Blendtec for something other than smoothies and so I used it to mix this light batter together. You could probably easily use a whisk instead. Any filling you crave will work. I made banana and chocolate, strawberry, and butter and sugar filled crepes. The butter and sugar crepes are my favorite. My grandparents live next to Montmartre in Paris so it is always a pleasure to stroll down to the nearby creperie with family for a warm, crispy, delici...

No Knead, 4 Ingredient Rustic Bread

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My aunt, Co Be, hosted our family Christmas Eve dinner this year at her house. Christmas Eve is always such joyous time for me to be wi family and something I look forward to each year. My whole dad's side of the family gets together for an epic, delicious feast. This year, the menu included hen xao (vietnamese clam salad), shrimp and mayo, baked Brie, assorted cheese, foie gras, hot onion dip, this no knead bread, Osso Bucco, honey ham, zucchini pie, two salads, creamed spinach, mashed potatoes, broccoli casserole, bun bo chay (vegetarian), cheese cake, Che dau (vietnamese mung bean dessert), fruit tart, and John's famous cookies. After dinner, the younger children unwrap their gifts and the adults had a white elephant exchange. It was lots of fun and I'm sad it's already over but at least I got this quick bread recipe to remember it! I also have a new Dutch oven from my aunt to use for this recipe! I made this earlier this week and I couldn't believe who simp...

Chorizo Stuffed Acorn Squash

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I originally made this in the fall, but obviously have had some lag on my blogging. Found this in Real Simple magazine. It was my first time cooking acorn squash and it was so good and perfect for the fall. Reid really loved it, too! Ingredients 2 acorn squashes (about 1 1/2 pounds each), halved and seeded 1/2 cup bulgur 4 ounces manchego or Cheddar, grated (about 1 cup) 3 ounces cured chorizo, chopped 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley 3 tablespoons olive oil kosher salt and black pepper 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 head red leaf lettuce, leaves torn (about 6 cups) Directions Heat oven to 450° F. Place the squash halves cut-side down in a baking dish, add ¼ inch water, cover with foil, and bake until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the bulgur according to the package directions. In a medium bowl, combine the bulgur, manchego, chorizo, parsley, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Turn the squash halves cut-si...

Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are freaking yummy! I made them because I had tons of oatmeal and dried cranberries in my pantry but I've made them twice since because they are so good.  I brought them into work twice, and they were gone in a blink.  I usually don't like to use recipes with ingredients I may not use often or again, and  this recipe uses cardamon which I didn't already have so I thought about ommiting it, but it is really good with the cardamon.  You can buy cardamon in the bulk ingredients section of your grocery store, so then you don't end up with a whole jar of something you don't use often. I've been wanting to post this recipe  for a while now, but never remember to snap a picture before they're gone.  Guess I'll have to make them again... :) Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies Ingredients: Directions: Recipe adapted from Food Network http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/oatmeal-cranberry-cookies-recipe/index.html