Bahn Mi Flatbread

If you've been reading my blog, you've noticed that I am obsessed with two things. Wings and any form of pizza. Lately I have been messing around with kimchi. I am curious how far I can take it. From tacos to pizza, so far this stuff is a delicious addition. Not sure how it would work with wings (probs wouldn't), but I think a bahn mi, kimchi burger is in my very near future. After the kimchi obsession leaves me, who knows what will take over next but I am excited to be exposed to some new and interesting foods out there!

Ingredients for Crock Pot:

• 2-3lb pork tenderloin
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsps fish sauce
• 3 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 tbsp minced lemongrass

Ingredients for Pizza:

• 1 thin crust pizza crust
• 1/4 cup kimchi
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot
• 1 cucumber thinly sliced
• thousand island for drizzling

I've been trying to get my head out of the snob idea that everything played on the radio is literal crap. The past two years have been me trying to accept Pop music for what it really is, Popular music played because it's enjoyable and nothing you have to really think about. Give me that catchy tune and that killer beat, and baby I'm yours. Thanks Charlie XCX

Directions:

1. For your meat, place your tenderloin into a slow cooker, and add the rest of the ingredients. Cook low for 7-8 hours or High 4-5.
2. When the meat is done. Remove it from the slow cooker and shred it with a fork.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
4. Place meat on the pizza evenly, then add your carrot and kimchi.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until crust is crispy.
6. Add your cucumber and drizzle the thousand island over the top. 
7. Cut and serve!

Happy Eatings Everyone!

Flakey Mozzarella Sticks

There I am at eighteen, a freshman in college, confident about any academic hurdle my university wants to throw at me and it's dinner time. The grocery store is a block away and I have fifteen dollars in my purse, so I am off to get dinner. In my purchases I have chicken, broccoli and rice, all things my mother had made me on numerous occasions and then I realize, I have absolutely no idea how to cook any of it. Didn't you just have to say 'Dinner is ready!', and voila you'd have a hearty tasty meal to consume? Why didn't they teach me this in high school!? I don't think chicken is suppose to be pink!

The point to this is to combat anyone who tells me that they CAN'T cook. We all have to start somewhere and I was certainly not born a great cook. It was taught, over years of mistakes. Ups and downs. Come on and start!

Ingredients:

• cheese sticks (get some, like get some string cheese)
• crescent rolls (1 tin)
• Vegetable oil

It's comedy night here in our house, now laugh:

Directions:

1. Roll up your cheese sticks in the crescent rolls. (You might have to cut the cheese sticks in half, or they will explode which is cool but not if you want them to explode in your mouth).
2. Heat up about 2 inches of the oil in a fry pan. Not to boiling but simmering.
3. Place a few rolls at once in the hot oil, and fry for about 2 minutes on both sides, or until golden brown around the whole roll or it will still be doughy.
4. Set on a paper towel when finished to drain any extra oil.
5. Serve hot!

Happy Eatings Everyone!

Spinach and Mushroom Tortellini Soup

Most days, I am all about just making people laugh, hanging out, and just enjoying people's company.  But some days there's nothing I want more than to ignore everyone and everything, being around people can be draining, going out, exhausting. Some times I just need to be alone in silence and think about nothing but recipes, wine, video games and Nora Ephron movies. Turning off my phone and ignoring the outside world, or at least the people in it trying to contact me, is how I refuel. No, I'm not hanging out with you tonight, I have a date with my cat and Buzzfeed.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter 
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4 cup flour 
• 6 1/2 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth
• 4 ounces cheese tortellini and 4 oz spinach tortellini
• 1/2 cup fresh grated parmigiano reggiano
• 10 ounces baby spinach
• 1/2 cup milk
• salt and pepper to taste

    This song encompasses how I feel a lot of the time. I just want to build a fort, read comics and watch Star Trek. Or drink wine and make a living room picnic with a stack of Marvel movies. Or marathon Gilmore Girls while eating chocolate and hanging out with no one. Or goofy dance while karaoke-ing Prince songs in a house all to myself.

Directions:

1. In a large stock pot saute your mushroom and onion in butter. Then add the garlic, thyme and flour. Keep stirring until pastey.
2. Next add your broth and stir until bubbling. Add your tortellini and cook until soft.
3. Then add your milk and spinach, keep stirring until spinach is well incorporated into the soup.
4. Ladle into individual bowls and top with freshly grated parm and S&P.

Happy Eatings Everyone!

BBQ Onion Grilled Cheese

My poor stomach lately, last weekend a panic attack set my gut into a frenzy and I could only keep down saltines and ginger ale, ain't anxiety swell? This weekend I had a nice little bout of food poisoning. It's been neat. Nothing like not being able to enjoy one of your favorite things and just eating crackers. Don't get me wrong a good saltine is great here or there or with a nice soup, but it gets quite bland after three days. So let's celebrate a little something that doesn't resemble anything close to a cracker. CHEESE!

(Makes 2 sandwiches)

Ingredients:

• Bread
• Cheddar Cheese, sliced
• 1/4 red onion sliced thinly
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil/or oil of your choice (probably not sesame though...)
• 4 tbsp your choice of BBQ sauce

I have been digging some Folky, Country goodness this morning while being slightly productive and finally getting this post out to your guys, I have a lot more I have to write up, so look forward to more om noms! Anyway, I love Emmy Lou serenading me on this fine morning and I hope you do too.

Directions:

1. Slice your onion in thin long strips. Then sauté them in your oil until soft.
2. Next place your cheese on a slice of bread, I do about three slices per sandwich. Add your onion on top of the cheese.
3. Place 2 tbsp of the BBQ on each sandwich, close the sandwich with another piece of bread.
4. I use a waffle iron to make grilled cheeses, because I find it pointless to have both a waffle iron AND a panini grill. So I melt my grilled cheese for about 4 minutes under the waffle iron. 
5. Voila! Serve!

Happy Eatings Everyone!

Easy Protein Balls

No matter how hard I seem to hope for the snow to go away it stays (sorry east coast). I've been productive today, four hours of homework out of the way, laundry done, dishes (almost done), and making this recipe for our breakfast this week and it's not even two o'clock yet. I think I'll stop to take a breather, stare listlessly at the snow and drink some tea. It's not like I have any right to complain, I know we need the moisture for our summers it's just that January through mid March is the worst, it's not Christmas, I don't need snow anymore. With each passing day the snow piles, melts away, piles up again and so on, snow is cruel and rude and I don't appreciate it. Anyway, here's to productivity, wanting rain and ignoring the white flakes of death falling outside my window.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup regular oats
• 1 cup white chocolate chips (or regular)
• 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup flax seeds
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
• 1 tbsp chia seeds

Hanging out with me while I make a mess in the kitchen are some dear old friends of mine, since I've been dancing all day to Prince, Tom Waits and Tina Turner it's only natural I progress onto Talking Heads. I am pretty sure they've made it on my blog before but they deserve extra appearances. Get them beats!

Directions:

1. Place all of your ingredients into a large bowl.
2. Using your hands, mix the ingredients and make balls about the size of cookie dough balls and place them in a container.
3. Place the container in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes if you plan to eat some right away, then keep refrigerated.

Happy Eatings Everyone!

BBQ Chicken Flatbread

You know that feeling of utter and complete relaxation? When your muscles are loose and your nerves have taken a vacation? Well that feeling hasn't payed me a visit in quite sometime. Basically if you live with anxiety that feeling never really comes until you have two or three days of absolutely no responsibility, living in a cave, netflix marathoning bliss. But who has that luxury? I love having alone time with my favorite shows, a great meal that I just made, a nice beer and snuggling with my cat. This is how I unwind, this is how I feel relaxed. Call it introverted, or socially awkward, or what have you. I honestly just don't care, I'm still coping with Bowie and Rickman dying.

Ingredients (for one pizza):

• 1 flatbread
• 4-5 tbsp your choice of BBQ sauce
• 1/2 cooked chicken, cut into strips
• a handful of shredded mozzarella 
• 1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/8 cup thinly sliced and sautéed red onion

I'm in the mood for some good 50's vocalists. June Christy is over looked a lot, probably because she lived amongst the Ella's and Judy's of the world, but the girl can hold her own. So here's one of my favorite Duke Ellington songs, performed by the lovely Mrs. Christy.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spread BBQ sauce on flatbread
3. Add your chicken and onion evenly over the flatbread.
4. Sprinkle your cheese on top, then bake for 8-10 minutes or until flatbread is crispy.
5. When cooling, add your cilantro and slice the flatbread.
6. Serve!

Happy Eatings Everyone!

Gin and Jam

I have been knee deep in prerequisites. That is, I have started school and it's been a tad overwhelming. It's been four years since I was a student and I am learning to be in a classroom again. All I know is that it's about time, my dreams of becoming a teacher are about to become a reality. In the meantime, I will try not to leave you dangling without delicious new things to try! I found this recipe and knew instantly that I did not have all the ingredients but that I wanted it right away. So I improvised and think I stumbled upon something just as good. Let's do this thing.

Ingredients (makes one drink):

• 2 oz gin
• 4 oz tonic
• 1 tbsp blueberry jam
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

I have been listening to almost too much Motown lately, I say almost because there's no such thing as too much. Sing it Jackie! Love cooking/shakin' drinks to this. 

Directions:

1. In a martini shake, shake all of your ingredient together.
2. Strain drink of any jam bits that are in there.
3. Pour over ice.
4. Serve!

Happy and Safe Drinking Everyone!