Weekday Kickoff: Korean curry over rice

There's always that dish that hits the spot. That dish you randomly crave because of all the depth of flavors and spices. The dish that just says home. For me, one of those dishes is curry over rice. My mom used to make a big pot of it and I could eat it for days--of course I wouldn't crave it for another couple months, but that urge for the spicy goodness will come again.

I have yet to figure out a homemade curry recipe--all Korean homes use the sauce mix to create the curry sauce, so this is with the sauce mix you can find in your local Asian market. They have varying spice levels, but I always like a slight kick to my dishes, so I used the "medium hot". In time, I'll figure out a homemade curry sauce recipe, but this is always a quick and easy dish to kickoff the week! 

The preparations are easy. For 6 servings (I made a lot just like my mom does):

3 potatoes cubed

3 carrots paysanne (a vegetable cut that is thinner than a cube, but not as quite thin as a dice)

1 lb. beef cubed

1/2 red onion diced

2 tbsp. olive oil

In a large skillet, warm up the oil and add the cubed beef and diced onion. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook the meat to a medium and then add the potatoes and carrots. Cook it down for 15 minutes and then add approximately 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Sometimes the oil creates a foam. Not sure if it adds anything to it, but I always scoop it out. Use the cubes in the sauce mix as needed to the desired consistency and taste. 

In our home, we use jasmine rice over the plain white rice because we like the texture and consistency of jasmine and basmati rice better. Use whatever rice you prefer! =)

According to John: "I wish I had another stomach to eat all the rest of the left over curry. Perfect blend of flavors and spice." (Note: He had 3 servings! HAHA)

Anyways, we hope you enjoy. Good food + Good company = A great time!

Thank you, Lord, for providing us food and time to eat and enjoy together. I'll cook for you in heaven one day! Amen =) 

1 month celebration: Chicken Tagliatelle w/ Vodka Cream Sauce

One month. Well, nobody that we know of celebrates a month into their relationship/marriage, but perhaps they just keep it a secret so that no one gets on them for being sappy! Regardless, we decided to celebrate. Why not? :)

So, I decided to make something special--homemade pasta! I've had a beautiful stand-up KitchenAid mixer with pasta roller attachments and a pasta drying rack sitting in my kitchen boasting it's monstrosity and beauty--quite intimidating! Given that I cook mostly Italian, homemade pasta definitely was the next level of Italian cooking I've been waiting to conquer. Yesterday was my chance :)

There's something so special about homemade pasta. First, the texture and the density is all so different from the dry pasta we buy in grocery stores. Second, it has to be good when there is so much time, love, and care devoted to creating a delicate and perfect pasta.

The dish I decided to make was chicken tagliatelle in a vodka cream sauce. It embodied all the characteristics of this first month--true, genuine, sweet, happy, and exciting. Let me tell you...this is the first time I had fresh, homemade pasta and I don't think John and I can go to a restaurant and have pasta again...the texture and taste is so different when it is fresh!

The dish was amazingly subtle and flavorful with a nice balance between sweet, spicy, and herbacious [herbacious is not a real word =P]. John couldn't stop saying, "Mmmmm!" So, let me share the dish with you!

Pasta dough

Yields 4 servings

2 cups semolina flour OR 1 cup semolina + 1 cup all-purpose flour

3 eggs

1 tbsp salt (optional)

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp water (as needed depending on the consistency of the flour)

After you mix and knead the dough, cover in plastic wrap and let it sit for 45 minutes at room temperature to let the gluten settle.

I used the KitchenAid pasta roller and cutter to make tagliatelle :) 

TIP: After rolling on the widest setting, fold and roll it through again. Continue to roll it twice on each setting--folding it over after the first roll out--to the second to last setting. This will enhance the consistency and elasticity of the pasta!

When boiling the pasta, cook for only 3-4 minutes! There's nothing better than an al dente pasta.

TIP: Add a slight drizzle of olive oil in the boiling pasta water to prevent sticking! :)

Vodka Cream Sauce

Vodka sauce

Grilled chicken

Heavy cream

Cayenne pepper

Red pepper flakes

Fresh parsley  

Pinch of sugar

When it comes to sauces, I never follow recipes or measurements, so I've just provided what I included in the sauce :)

After you drain water from the pasta and plate it on the dish, pour the sauce over the pasta and make sure the sauces fall through the cracks and stick on the pasta. 

Anyways, we hope you enjoy. Good food + Good company = A great time!

Thank you, Lord, for providing us food and time to eat and enjoy together. I'll cook for you in heaven one day! Amen =) 

Taking on TGI Friday's: BBQ Spare Ribs & Green Bean Fries with Wasabi Dipping Sauce

Tonight was going to be a pasta kind of night--still a bit tired from all the Disney excitement, but I came across good deals on spare ribs at the grocery store. John is a meat guy, so he needs his meat once in a while :) I don't buy spare ribs much so I don't really know the average pricing, but it was $13 for a full rack (4 lbs.) of ribs! That's less than what you would pay for for a half rack in restaurants!

TIP: If you go to the grocery store on the weekends, the butcher usually drops the prices super low to get the next batch for the following week, so make your weekends fancy with low-cost, good quality meat!

I thought cooking ribs was out of my league, but it's so easy! I made Jack Daniels BBQ Ribs that were simply fall-off-the-bone goodness! It had the most amazing smokey, sweet flavor, despite the rushed cooking. The char on the top was as if I grilled it on a charcoal grill, but little do you know that this was baked in the oven--not broiled like most recipes instruct. Now, don't let me get to the juiciness of the meat! It was so moist and tender even though spare ribs are known to be on the tougher side. You didn't even need a dipping sauce for it :)

Here's the secret: 

Preheat the oven to 200 F. 

1. Drain out the blood when you get fresh ribs and pat dry. 

2. Create an awesome dry rub! (Ground chili pepper, red pepper powder, brown sugar, garlic powder, salt, and onion powder)

3. Generously rub the dry rub all over the ribs (top, bottom, and sides). And when I say generously, I mean complete coat! Then spread a liberal layer of Jack Daniel's Original BBQ Sauce.

4. In a broiler pan, put the rack on and add water! The water is the secret to keeping the meat moist and tender. The water should cover half of the rack.

Here's another secret. Add 3 fresh bay leaves to the pan.

5. Cook for 20 minutes in 200 F. Then crank the heat to 400 degrees. Most home cooks don't have the time to slow cook for hours, so this is just a modification that definitely does not fall short of highly rated ribs around.

6. Cook for 1 hour 20 minutes (this is for 4 lbs.) Check on it every half hour to coat with the Jack Daniels BBQ Sauce. You don't need much--just a thin layer at this point.

7. Let the rack rest for 3-5 minutes. If you cut into it immediately after taking it out, the juices escape! 

8. Serve and enjoy!

The fried green beans were lightly battered in a flour/water mixture (seasoned with salt, black pepper, and ginger) and fried. As a dipping sauce, I tried to recreate Friday's wasabi sauce. John said it was on point! Two ingredients: Wasabi and ranch dressing! Easy!

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According to John: "Juicy and tender. Perfectly cooked. One of Andi's best dishes yet!"

Anyways, we hope you enjoy. Good food + Good company = A great time!

Thank you, Lord, for providing us food and time to eat and enjoy together. I'll cook for you in heaven one day! Amen =)

Slow Saturday Morning: Blueberry buttermilk pancakes with strawberry banana smoothies

Fresh picked blueberry buttermilk pancakes

Today's morning is summed up by Jack Johnson's song, "Banana pancakes." Without any agenda to stick to, the only thing we intended to do for the morning was to take it slow and start the day with the fresh tastes of blueberry buttermilk pancakes--slight crunch on the surface, soft and moist on the inside with warm blueberries popping in every bite, and a drizzle of warm maple syrup on top! John, my husband--still not use to calling him that, had to jump up to give me a hug after one bite. I'd say that was positive feedback =) The recipe is simple: fresh blueberries (my mom picked them from a local orchard this week!), buttermilk flour mix, eggs, milk, maple syrup, and oil. Make sure to grease the griddle lightly--you don't want greasy pancakes.

To contrast the warm pancakes, I made refreshing smoothies (everyone's favorite so far). Again, the recipe is simple. As long as you stay true to the ingredients' flavors, the perfect combinations make a refreshing drink. For this strawberry banana smoothie...well, that pretty much sums up the recipe! Fresh bananas (1-2, depending on how much of the banana taste you prefer), fresh strawberries (6-10), 2/3 cup fresh orange juice, 1 TBSP sugar, and ice (6-8 cubes). Put it all in a blender and blend until smooth. Remember that these proportions make 2 large servings =)

So here we are--satisfied by the brunch as we (mostly John) watch The Walking Dead. A bit gross for me, but it's tolerable to see when I look up with discretion! What is it with men and zombies?!

Anyways, we hope you enjoy. Good food + Good company = A great time!

Thank you, Lord, for providing us food and time to eat and enjoy together. I'll cook for you in heaven one day! Amen =)

Newlyweds and food lovers.

We are newlyweds. Since day one of our dating period, food has been one of the many things that brought us together. I mean, who doesn't come together when good food is there to share? That's the exact beauty of food--it's to share and enjoy together.

When I'm in the kitchen, food is not only a passion for me, but a mindful integration of love and inspiration. Food is exciting, complex, and simple--a lot like love.

Anyways, when you see the one you love enjoy the combination of textures and flavors in a dish crafted together with a touch of love and finesse, he tastes everything--the smile as he eats says it all :)

I absolutely love to cook, but let me tell you...I have the worst memory. All the dishes friends and family have enjoyed are all but a clouded memory. Sometimes I can recall the gist, but never the exact recipe--quite a frustrating moment when that happens!

So to have an ongoing archive of dishes I make in my kitchen for the one(s) I love, I decided to start up this blog. That way, I can always go back to the dishes that put smiles on people's faces. This isn't, however, just a channel to archive, but it's a blog to share the food that brings my family together.

Hope you enjoy =)