I Saw, I Pinned, I Conquered

Like a lot of other people, I'm loving pinterest right now!  It's such a great way to research and organize ideas.  A lot of pins are dreams of things to have, do, or make in the future, but here are a few things 

 I saw, I pinned, I conquered!

Blackberry Claufoutis looked yummy.... so I made some!

 Vertical Gutter Garden looked super cool... so I made one!

These chicken lettuce wraps made me hungry... so I made some!

 

I loved the way this peach tart was decorated... so I made one!

I wanted a meyer lemon tree... so I got one!

Chicken Napa Cabbage Wraps

I love spring and summer cooking because of all the fresh produce available.  This recipe is delicious and FULL of healthy veggies!

Chicken Napa Cabbage Wraps with Cucumber Relish and White Rice = YUM!

I find the napa cabbage holds up better than other lettuce and is easier to eat.  Make sure you make lots of stir-fry because everyone will ask for seconds.

First grab some asian ingredients from the pantry for a stir-fry sauce.  I used ready-made stir fried sauce and jazzed it up with some other seasonings.

Brown your chicken pieces and deglaze with sauce.

Saute some fresh spring veggies;  Here I used carrots, asparagus, onions, and zucchini.

Chop some cucumber, bell pepper, radish, and herbs.  Season with mirin, lime juice, and olive oil for a light relish to add even more crunch to your lettuce wraps.

I love extra condiments, so I also made a quick spicy mayo.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Cucumber Relish and Spicy Mayo
Serves 4


Chicken Stir-Fry
2 large chicken breasts, cut into 1/2" cubes
3 TB Stir-Fry Sauce (or hoisin sauce)
1 TB soy sauce
1 TB mirin
1-2 tsp chili garlic sauce
3 cups of chopped veggies, like grated carrots, diced onion, zucchini and onion
1 small head napa cabbage

Cucumber Relish
1 cup diced fresh veggies, like grated radishes, diced cucumber and bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped herbs, like parsley and mint
1 TB lime juice
1 TB mirin
1 TB olive oil

Spicy Mayo
1/4 cup mayo

1 TB lime juice

1 TB mirin

1 TB chili garlic Sauce

Brown the chicken in some oil.  Mix all the ingredients for the stir-fry sauce and add to deglaze the pan.

Set the saucy chicken aside, stir-fry the vegetables in the same pan.  Re-add the chicken and sauce.

Cut and wash napa cabbage leaves, 2-3 per person is good.

Mix all the ingredients for cucumber relish and spicy mayo.

Serve with white rice.

Hawaiian Inspired Dinner

My boyfriend loves Hawaiian BQQ fast food restaurants - you pick a meat with an asian flavored sauce and it's serves with macaroni salad and white rice.  A little too much starch, so I just went with macaroni salad filled with lots of veggies with teriyaki steak.

I LOVE pickles.  Pickled anything.  At any time, you will find at least 6 jars of pickled things in my fridge.  Hopefully, they will all be home-made and from the garden in a few months!  Pickle juice and mayonnaise make an amazing pasta salad dressing.

Whenever it comes time to chop herbs, I'm always short on cutting board space.  This is a good tip - place your herbs in a small bowl or a cup and use scissors to clip the herbs!

Teriyaki Steak (Serves 4)

2 pound london broil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1TB ginger, minced
1 TB garlic, minced
1 TB sesame seeds
1/2 of a granny smith apple, grated

Marinate the london broil for at least 45 minutes.  Remove from marinade and pat with paper towels.  Place on a rack and broil for 10 minutes until it begins to caramelize.  Flip it over and cook for another 10 minutes.  Allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing thinly.  While the meat rests, pour the marinade into a pan, bring to a boil and reduce to a syrupy sauce.

Veggie Filled Macaroni Salad with Pickle Dressing (Serves 4)

2 cups macaroni, boiled till cooked through and drained, but still warm
2 cups diced vegetables, I used carrots, radishes, and broccoli
1/4 cup chopped pickles, I used pickles, banana peppers, jalapenos, and olive mix
2-3 TB pickle juice
1/4 cup mayo, I always use light mayo
2 TB chopped parsley

Mix pickles, pickle juice, mayo and parsley.  Add macaroni and vegetables.  Warm macaroni soaks in the dressing better than cold.  Allow to sit in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Pork al Pastor in Baked Crispy Tacos

I love Mexican food!  Pork al Pastor is traditionally shoulder layered with onions and pineapple, cooked on a rotating rotissere similar to Middle Easter Shawarma.  

I used pork chops since I had them in the freezer.  Take your pork chops and dice them up.  Marinate them with pineapple juice, cilantro, cumin, and chili powder.  Make a quick salsa by pureeing some tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, and some spicy peppers in the blender.  While the pork is marinating, start your taco shells by placing two corn tortillas on a piece of foil and spray both sides with non-stick spray.  Like so.... 

Cover them with another piece of foil.

Take the top of the foil and fold it to the bottom.  Scrunch up the ends to fold it together.  Your tortillas are sandwiched inside in the shape of a crispy taco.

Bake at 400F for 12 minutes, then flip them over and bake for 12 more minutes.

While those are baking, brown the marinated pork up in a little oil.

Remove the pork and set aside.  Deglaze the pan with a little water and add the salsa puree.  

Pour that onto the reserved meat.  

 In the same pan, saute some onions and peppers.

When the onions and peppers are nice and brown, add the reserved meat and salsa.

Earlier, I made a simple cucumber guacamole by mashing up some avocado with lime juice, salt, and pepper.  Then mixed in some small diced cucumber.

To plate it up, put your pork into the crispy shells and topping with some shredded cheese.  Serve with some shredded cabbage and the cucumber guacamole.  Enjoy!