Homemade Pesto Sauce

Big tub of fresh basil (I think it was at least 4 cups)
1/2 cup walnuts
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tbs lemon juice

Blend everything together and add more olive oil if it looks too pasty. I usually add freshly grated Parmesan cheese but I didn't have enough so I skipped it.

Instead of pine nuts I used walnuts. I got a basket full of walnuts last year for Christmas from my co-worker. It came with this old school nut cracker and it took a while for me to fill an entire ziploc bag. Hurt my fingers but I think it's worth it. I kept the entire bag in the freezer. I opened the bag and used it today for my pesto sauce.

I made so much again I have a tiny jar for another meal.

I cooked some Trader Joe's Spinach And Chive Linguine Pasta. Boiled it according to the instructions from the package. Drained water added 3 tablespoons of my homemade pesto sauce and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese. Looks perfect but this dish is not done yet.

Pan Fried Salmon topped with fresh Pesto Sauce

1 salmon fillet seasoned with kosher salt & freshly cracked pepper. Pan seared for a few minutes & added some of my homemade Pesto sauce. Nice pairing for my linguine.

Yummy dinner for a crazy mother of twins. Good night.

Chocolate Cupcakes

Designed cupcake toppers and white frosting with pink sugar crystals. I didn't use the chocolate frosting for this recipe.

HERSHEY'S "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" Chocolate Cake (I used this recipe but for cupcakes)

Ingredients:

* 2 cups sugar
* 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
* 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup milk
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 cup boiling water
* "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING (recipe follows)

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost with "PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING. 10 to 12 servings.

VARIATIONS:
ONE-PAN CAKE: Grease and flour 13x9x2-inch baking pan. Heat oven to 350° F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely. Frost.

THREE LAYER CAKE: Grease and flour three 8-inch round baking pans. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake 30 to 35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost.

BUNDT CAKE: Grease and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Heat oven to 350°F. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. Frost.

CUPCAKES: Line muffin cups (2-1/2 inches in diameter) with paper bake cups. Heat oven to 350°F. Fill cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake 22 to 25 minutes. Cool completely. Frost. About 30 cupcakes.

"PERFECTLY CHOCOLATE" CHOCOLATE FROSTING (I skipped this one)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. About 2 cups frosting.

Crabs in Coconut Milk

Crabs in Coconut Milk (Ginataang Alimasag)

Ingredients

* 4 lbs crabs
* 8 cups coconut milk
* 1/8 cup cooking oil
* 4 large cloves garlic, crushed
* 3 tbs ginger, julienned
* 3 tbs white onions, minced
* 3 pcs jalapeno pepper
* 2 tbs rock salt
* Spinach leaves (optional)
* Green Beans (optional)

Directions
1. Wash and clean crabs, discard carapace and claws then set aside.
2. Saute garlic in oil until light brown.
3. Add onions then crabs. Stir well until crabs change color.
4. Add coconut milk and jalapeno pepper.
5. Bring to a boil for 2 minutes.
6. Simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Season with salt.
8. Add veggies and continue simmering for 1 minute.

You can also use the same recipe for shrimp.

BBQ Pork Tenderloin

BBQ Marinade

• 2 lbs. tenderloin
• 3 tbsp. brown sugar
• 2 tbsp. minced garlic
• ½ cup vinegar
• ½ cup soy
• Ground black pepper
• ½ cup 7-Up or Sprite (optional)
• 3 tbp ketchup

Marinade tenderloin overnight. Grill pork 15 minutes on each side. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with Quinoa salad.

Quinoa Salad with Pine Nuts and Cilantro

This is sooo yummy and healthy. I actually didn't add the pine nuts. Didn't have time to stop by Trader Joe's after all.

2 cups quinoa, rinsed very well
1 tsp kosher salt
4 cups water
2/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 bunch cilantro, finely chopped
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
4 green onions, finely chopped
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
A few grinds black pepper

In a medium saucepan, add water and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add quinoa. Cook uncovered until most of the liquid is absorbed and the quinoa is sputtering, about 10 minutes. Turn heat to low and simmer until all liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and scoop quinoa into a bowl. Set aside and cool.

Heat a small skillet over high heat. Add pine nuts and toss lightly until toasted. Pour onto quinoa. Add chopped ingredients. Stir to combine.

Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Pour over quinoa and stir well. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Yields 6 servings.

Spaghetti with Stuffed Meatballs

Recipe from William Sonoma. This dish is perfect for Fall or Winter. This recipe makes a ton of meatballs I suggest freezing them in a separate container and then freeze the prepared sauce as well. A nice warm comforting dish for a pot luck, dinner with family and friends. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

* 1/3 cup milk
* 1 cup fresh bread crumbs
* 1 lb. ground pork
* 1 lb. ground veal
* 1 lb. ground beef
* 1/3 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more
for garnish
* 3 eggs, lightly beaten
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 3/4 tsp. kosher salt
* 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
* 1/3 lb. mozzarella or provolone cheese, cut into
1/2-inch cubes
* Olive oil for frying
* About 6 cups tomato sauce (see related recipe
at left)
* 2 lb. spaghetti, cooked and drained
* Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for serving

Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the milk and bread crumbs. Add the ground pork, veal, beef, the 1/3 cup parsley, the eggs, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix briefly with your hands. Form the mixture into 2-inch balls. Press a mozzarella cheese cube into the center of each ball, sealing it inside.

In a large electric skillet set on medium-high heat, heat 1/2 inch of oil until almost smoking. Add the meatballs and cook until browned, about 1 minute per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined tray.

Discard the oil in the pan. Pour the tomato sauce into the pan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until cooked through, about 30 minutes. Uncover and cook for 10 minutes more.

Put the pasta in a warmed large, shallow bowl. Top with the sauce and meatballs and garnish with parsley. Serve immediately and pass the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese at the table. Serves 10 to 12.

Baby Back Ribs with Homemade BBQ Sauce

Baking the Ribs
Sliced baby back ribs into small portions. Seasoned with Montreal Seasoning and wrapped individually in foil. Bake for 2 1/2 hours at 350.

Homemade Sweet & Spicy BBQ Sauce

Ingredients

* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 2 cups ketchup
* 1 cup Mr. Yoshida Gourmet sauce
* 1/2 cup vinegar
* 1/2 cup soy sauce
* 1/4 cup lemon juice
* 1 tablespoon garlic powder
* 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
* 1 teaspoon spicy sesame oil or regular sesame oil (makes it nice and nutty) if you don't have the spicy oil use 1 tablespoon of Siracha
* 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
* 1 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until the flavors are blended. Remove from the heat; cool.

Let it simmer and keep stirring until the sauce thickens.

Color of your sauce gets darker too.

After roasting ribs for 2 1/2 hours. Place them on a wire rack and use a cookie sheet to catch the BBQ sauce drippings. We got lazy so we broiled the ribs instead of grilling. You can wrap your cookie sheet with foil wrap for easy clean-up after baking the ribs. I forgot about it so I ended up soaking my pan overnight. Totally worth it!

We paired it with steamed broccoli. We figured we needed something green to go with our tasty food.

Here's Mark enjoying the yummy dinner.

Baked Teriyaki Salmon

Ingredients:

2 slices of of salmon fillet
fresh cut string beans
1/2 cup cauliflower
1/2 cup broccoli
1/2 cup Mr. Yoshida Gourmet Sauce
1 cup orange juice
1 tsp. pepper

Clean salmon with water and pat dry. Using a shallow baking pan and add orange juice 1 hour before baking. This process will help with the fishy taste. Don't leave it for more than an hour the acidity will cook your fish. Let it sit inside the fridge for an hour. Before baking add your Mr. Yoshida sauce and add pepper. Bake for 20 min. and broil for 5 minutes. The top will be nice and brown and sauce reduced.

Preparing your veggies (easy way) using your microwave
I used a big bowl added my string beans and wet paper towel. I have a setting for cooking fresh beans on my microwave. I think it's roughly 2 minutes for a small portion. Set aside and use the same bowl for your cauliflower and broccoli. Use microwave settings again and add all the cooked veggie in the same bowl. Add light butter and season with salt & pepper.

That's it! Quick and easy recipe. Mark doesn't like fish and he likes this one a lot.

Green Curry

* 400 grams chicken (a little less then 1lb.)
* 3 tbsp green curry paste (see green curry paste recipe or use prepared curry paste)
* 2 1/2 cups coconut milk (1 1/2 cans Chaokoh brand coconut milk or squeezed out from 400 grams grated fresh coconut)
* 5 small fresh Thai eggplants, quartered
* 2-3 fresh red spur chilies, sliced diagonally
* 2 kaffir lime leaves, torn
* 1/4 cup sweet basil leaf (optional)
* 1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce
* 1 1/2 tsp palm sugar
* 1 tbsp cooking oil (not olive oil, but corn, safflower or peanut oil)
* Sweet basil leaves and red chili slices for garnish

Preparation

1. Slice the chicken into thin pieces.
2. Saute the green curry paste in oil over medium heat until fragrant, reduce the heat, gradually add 1 1/2 cups of the coconut milk a little at a time, stir until a film of green oil surfaces.
3. Add the chicken and kaffir lime leaves, continue cooking for 3 minutes until fragrant and the chicken is cooked through. Transfer to a pot, place over medium heat and cook until boiling. Add the remaining coconut milk, season with palm sugar and fish sauce. When the mixture returns to the boil add the eggplants. Cook until the eggplants are done, sprinkle sweet basil leaves and red chilies over, then turn off the heat.
4. Arrange on a serving dish and garnish with sweet basil leaves and red chilies before serving.

Braised Beef with Fresh Chinese Noodles

1/2 lb egg noodles (I used Chinese egg noodles)
1 lb lean beef
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ginger, grated
1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
2 1/2 tablespoons oil
2 1/2 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine
1/2 cup mirin
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup duck broth or 1/2 cup chicken broth (I like chicken broth)
4 teaspoons water
6 green onions, sliced (for garnish)
* Add Chinese cabbage

1. Cook the noodles in salted boiling water just until tender; drain, and rinse under cold water.
2. Slice the beef into very thin slices.
3. Mix together the garlic, salt, ginger, cooking wine, and five-spice powder, and add the mixture to the beef; mix.
4. Heat the oil and saute the beef over high heat for 2 minutes.
5. Mix together the soy sauce and broth, and add it to the beef; bring to a boil. Cook until beef is fork tender.
6. Add noodles, mix well and heat thoroughly.
7. Add the green onions & Chinese cabbage, and stir for another minute.
8. Serve immediately. You can also add fried garlic for topping.

Enjoy!

Greek Chicken Kabobs

Greek Chicken Kabobs with homemade rice pilaf and tzatziki sauce served with warm pita bread



Marinade (keep refrigerated for 2 - 3 hours before grilling)

* 1 (8 ounce) container fat-free plain yogurt
* 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese (for topping after grilling)
* 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 2 teaspoons dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1/2 teaspoon of Montreal seasoning
* 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
* 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch pieces
* 1 large red onion, cut into wedges (optional)
* 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces (optional)

Note: You can substitute chicken with flank steak or shrimp.

Homemade Rice Pilaf Greek Style

2 c. rice
1 stick butter
1 tsp. saffron
4 c. meat stock (I used chicken)
1/2 cup frozen peas
Salt and pepper

Melt butter in skillet and brown rice 5-8 minutes. Gradually add hot meat stock and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, with cover on. Add salt and pepper and cook until the rice is done. All liquid should be absorbed by the rice when it is well done. Add peas towards the end. Allow to stand a few minutes before serving. Serves 4.

Homemade Tzatziki Sauce

You can get the recipe here. I made my own version.
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/07/greek-yogurt-tzatziki-recipe.html

I didn't buy English cucumbers. I used the regular cucumbers and removed the seeds. I grated the halved cucumbers and squeezed the juice. If you don't do this your sauce will get watery. I added the freshly squeezed cucumbers in a bowl and added 1/4 cup of lemon juice, 1 cup of Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese, salt, pepper, 1/4 tsp. cumin and freshly chopped dill. This sauce is a nice refreshing dip or sauce for your chicken kabobs.

DIY Homemade Strawberry Jam

Our weekend routine is pretty simple. We always shop at Harris Teeter. Now, we pack the boys up and they tag along with us on our shopping trip. Last weekend strawberries were on sale. I could not pass it up. It was so darn cheap. It was buy 1 container get 2 FREE. I'm such a sucker when it comes to these especially with fruits. I was planning on eating a bowl each day for breakfast. Taking care of two baby boys sometimes you forget to eat breakfast. I opened the fridge yesterday and three containers of strawberries where still in there untouched. I felt horrible now that I'm a stay-at-home mommy I should do a better job in using everything we have in our fridge and pantry so I decided to make some strawberry jam.

Perfect breakfast. Homemade strawberry jam with toast.

Strawberry Jam

2 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled (I used 2.5 lbs. instead)
3 cups of white sugar
1/4 cup of lemon juice

Wash and slice strawberries and use a heavy bottomed saucepan. Mix together the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to high, and bring the mixture to a full rolling boil. Boil, stirring often, until the mixture reaches 220 degrees F (105 degrees C). Transfer to hot sterile jars, leaving 1/4 to 1/2 inch headspace, and seal. Process in a water bath. If the jam is going to be eaten right away, don't bother with processing, and just refrigerate.

Got this kit from Walmart. It's cheap and totally worth it. Just follow the information from the packaging. It's so simple and easy to do.


Remove the foam from the pan and let it simmer until the sauce thickens. You don't want white foam in your jam.



Testing if your jam is ready

Place three plates in a freezer... after about 10 minutes of boiling place a tsp of the liquid of the jam onto the cold plate. Return to freezer for a minute. Run your finger through the jam on the plate... if it doesn't try to run back together (if you can make a line through it with your finger) it's ready to be canned!

2 1/2 containers of strawberries and look what I got? This is such a great idea after strawberry picking. Next spring I will bring the boys with me at Page Farms and we'll be picking strawberries.

Here's the pretty strawberry jam I made. Ready to be given to my friends. :)

Homemade Atchara (Grated Pickle Papaya)

3 to 4 lbs green unripe papaya, grated
2 medium sized carrots, julienned
1 large onion, thinly sliced lengthwise (optional)
10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 tbsp whole peppercorn
1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips (instead of bell pepper I actually like the taste of small sweet peppers)
1 knob ginger, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup salt (to dehydrate papaya)
1 1/2 tsp salt (for the brine or syrup)
2 cups white vinegar
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2 small boxes raisins

1. Place the grated papaya in a large bowl and combine 1/4 cup salt then mix until the salt is well distributed.

2. Cover the bowl and place inside the refrigerator overnight (the salt will dehydrate the papaya).

3. Place the grated papaya in a colander or strainer then rinse with running water.

4. Using cheesecloth (or any cloth) as a container, put the rinsed papaya inside the cloth and squeeze until all the liquid comes out.

5. Put the papaya back in the large bowl and combine with carrots, garlic, ginger, onions, whole pepper corn, bell pepper, and raisins

6. Heat the saucepan and pour-in the vinegar and bring to a boil.

7. Add the sugar and 1 1/2 tsp salt then stir until well diluted

8. Turn of the heat and allow the syrup to cool down until temperature is low enough to handle.

9. Place the combined vegetables and spices in a sterilized airtight jar and pour-in the syrup

10. Seal the jar and place inside the refrigerator for a week (or 5 days minimum to achieve the expected texture and flavor).

11. Serve cold with fried dishes. Share and Enjoy!

Baked Teriyaki Salmon with Basmati Rice Pilaf

Baked Teriyaki Salmon (dinner for two) with Basmati Rice Pilaf

Ingredients:

2 slices of of salmon fillet
1/2 cup Mr. Yoshida Gourmet Sauce
1 cup orange juice
1 tsp. pepper

Clean salmon with water and pat dry. Using a shallow baking pan and add orange juice 1 hour before baking. This process will help with the fishy taste. Don't leave it for more than an hour the acidity will cook your fish and you don't want that to happen. Let it sit inside the fridge for an hour. Before baking add your Mr. Yoshida sauce and add pepper. Bake for 20 min. and broil for 5 to 10 minutes. The top will be nice and brown and sauce reduced.

That's it! Quick and easy recipe. Mark doesn't like fish and he likes this one a lot.

Basmati Rice Pilaf

2 c. rice
1 stick butter
2 1/2 c. chicken stock
1/2 cup frozen peas
Salt and pepper

Melt butter in skillet and brown rice 5-8 minutes. Gradually add hot chicken stock and allow to simmer for 10 minutes, with cover on. Add salt and pepper and cook until the rice is done. All liquid should be absorbed by the rice when it is well done. Add frozen peas and allow to stand a few minutes before serving. Serves 4.

Homemade Wonton Soup

Enjoying dinner with Mark while the boys are sound asleep.

Wonton Dumplings
* 1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
* 1 pound ground pork
* 16 uncooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined & finely chopped (optional)
* 1 tablespoon sesame oil
* 1 tablespoon soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
* 1 egg
* 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1 (16 ounce) package wonton wrappers

Broth
* 8 cups chicken broth
(you can make your own or use store bought salt free broth)

Veggies & Extra Seasonings - Toppings
* 1 medium head bok choy, torn into 2-inch pieces or fresh spinach
* 16 snow peas
* 1/2 cup dried blank fungus (use the black strips you can get it at any Asian super market) - soak in warm water for 15 minutes and add to your broth
* 1 dash soy sauce, or to taste (optional)
* 1 dash sesame oil, to taste (optional)
* 1 teaspoon green onions (optional)

Noodles
* Wonton Noodles (cook for 1 minute and drain and transfer to a big bowl then top with dumplings, veggies and broth

Directions

1. Add all the ingredients for the dumplings in a big bowl and blend well.

2. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the pork filling onto the center of each wonton wrapper. Use your finger or a pastry brush to lightly moisten the edges of the wonton wrappers with water. Fold one corner of the wrapper over the filling onto the opposite corner to form a triangle. Press the edges together to seal. Moisten the two long ends of the triangle, fold them together, and press them firmly to seal. Or you can wrap like a little purse...it's easier and faster.

3. Bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Drop the wontons, one by one, into the broth, and let them cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until they float to the surface. Reduce heat to a simmer, and gently stir bok choy, and reserved sliced mushrooms and then drop in the snow pea pods. Garnish with the remaining green onions and a dash of soy sauce and sesame oil, and serve immediately.

Enjoy!