What I Made for Dinner :: Pork Ramen

I used the braising liquid from the Chinese Style Honey Hoisin Sticky Ribs to make the soup for the ramen. It has to be diluted because it's pretty salty. I used hot water but it's probably better if you make a proper soup base the way they do for the double soup technique.

I sauteed nappa cabbage, enoki mushrooms, and red onion and flavored it with the soup. Leftover ribs and green onions complete the ramen toppings. I used packaged fresh Chinese noodles, which were decent. The flavor was pretty nondescript but they held up well in the noodles without getting too soggy.

This really is a great way to put all of the yumminess from making the ribs to good use. I'll be making this again!

What I Read for Fun :: Lola

Lola: A Ghost Story
written by J. Torres and illustrated by Elbert Or

What I Baked for Dessert :: Butter Mochi

My husband isn't a huge fan of super-sweet desserts and doesn't generally go for birthday cake. So, for his birthday this year, I decided to make butter mochi, which he's been requesting I make since he tried it for the first time back in December.

Butter mochi is a Hawaiian dessert that's almost like a chewy custard. When I write it like that it doesn't sound that great, but if you like the texture of mochi, then this is a great dessert because it has a subtle sweetness and mild coconut flavor. I'm not a fan of shredded coconut so I chose this recipe that uses coconut milk, which, oddly enough, I rather enjoy. 

This is a really filling dessert so it's great for a party. It also goes really well with milk ... or green tea! I particularly enjoyed my corner piece, which was still warm from the oven. The top of the butter mochi had a slight crust to it that contrasted well with the chewy, creamy interior. That crust disappears after the butter mochi cools completely so enjoy it while you can!

What I Made for Dinner :: Chinese Style Honey Hoisin Sticky Ribs

The husband requested ribs for his birthday dinner, and instead of buying ribs I thought I would attempt to make them. Instead of traditional BBQ ribs I opted for Asian-style ribs since I had a recipe Pinned from a few weeks ago: Chinese Style Honey Hoisin Sticky Ribs.

I used spare ribs because the Chinese market didn't have baby back ribs, and they're a fine substitute (plus, I got two full racks for less than $15). Another option would be beef ribs.

Because I was making two racks I doubled the recipe and I managed to jam it all into one six-quart pot for the braising part of the recipe. I braised the meat for an hour and a half (a lot of commenters said any longer and the meat fell off the bone) and checked on the ribs. The ribs that were completely submerged were a darker color and definitely cooked to a tenderness that I like. But the ribs on top, that weren't completely submerged at first, were still a little tough. So I submerged those ribs and moved the completed ribs to the top, just to keep them moist. I braised it all for another half hour.

The one "mistake" I made was that I doubled the glaze part of the recipe and that wasn't necessary; I had a ton leftover. The dish is really enhanced by the sesame seeds and green onions. The green onions, in particular, help to cut the fattiness of the pork.

I plan to use the leftover braising liquid for ramen soup later in the week. This is an idea that was posted in the comments section. Further proof that reading the comments of those who've made the dish before you is an essential part of recipe-reading.

What I Made for Dinner :: Tofu Wanzi (Fried Tofu & Bacon Fritters) andBeef & Vegetable Stir-Fry

I found the recipe for Tofu Wanzi when Saveur posted a recipe for dipping sauces. Frankly I wasn't that interested in the sauce ... it was the fried goodness that I wanted to try!

The recipe itself is quite easy. You just have to give yourself at least six hours to press out the moisture from the tofu. Per my usual self, I didn't read that part of the recipe until just before I was about to start making dinner. I ended up pressing the tofu in the fridge for a good 24 hours (and we ate out that night!).

The other great thing about this recipe is that you can fry the tofu as crispy as you'd like. My first batch came out quite crispy and there was only a little tiny bit of identifiable tofu in the middle. Other batches I pulled the fritters out of the oil more quickly, and ended up with a crisp outside and a creamy, tasty middle. And I also had batches in between. (Seriously, this recipe makes a lot of fritters ... you can experiment!)

As an accompaniment, I made a beef and vegetable stir-fry. I think I mentioned this before on this blog, but Trader Joe's sells a thin-sliced beef that I don't recall seeing in the stores back in California. I stir-fried the meat with carrots, onions, celery, and mini bell peppers cut into matchsticks. I used saké and oyster sauce to flavor it. Super easy and pretty tasty.

Speaking of Trader Joe's, I'm into their Japanese-style rice with hijiki, fried tofu, and edamame. Sometimes I need rice that's not just plain rice and this fits the bill. Plus, you just have to microwave it!

What I Made for Dinner :: Roast Chicken a la The Pioneer Woman

Roast Chicken is on our dinner rotation pretty frequently (i.e., once a month or so). I don't often veer from my usual method, but even I get bored of that roast chicken occasionally. So, off to the Internet to find an alternative. Lately, when I'm googling new recipes, I always skim the Pioneer Woman's version of the dish because she tends to have quick and/or easy recipes. So far I've had pretty good results with them.

Her version is a lemony Roast Chicken, but because I was making this with what I had at home, it probably wasn't as lemony as hers. I served it with mashed potatoes and steamed cauliflower. Tonight ended up being a very pale dinner!

Modifications:

• I didn't have any rosemary so I used dried thyme instead.
• I only used one lemon because that's all I had. (I really need to find a way to have an indoor lemon tree.) After quartering the lemon, I actually salted and peppered them so some of the flavor would be imparted into the cavity; I've always found it a bit cumbersome to salt and pepper the inside of a chicken.
• I forgot to juice the lemon over the chicken before stuffing the cavity with the lemon wedges.
• I put some butter under the skin and my husband commented that it was more moist than my usual method.

Things to watch out for:

• Smoky oven! In the comments someone mentioned not having the oven so hot (425 degrees) for the whole cooking time, just the last 15 minutes or so to brown the skin. But they didn't mention what the temp should be instead. I would guess somewhere between 375 and 400.
• The butter didn't spread as easily as the Pioneer Woman's photos suggested. It was either because the skin wasn't dry enough so the butter slid right off; the chicken was still too cold and the butter hardened as it touched the chicken; or the butter wasn't soft enough, period. I ended up basting the chicken half an hour into baking with more butter because I didn't use all of the butter initially. But I really think you can get away with not using so much butter to begin with.

This roast chicken recipe is definitely a keeper. It's pretty easy to prepare and it's tasty! I love that the skin crisps up really nicely, at least on the top. I usually eat the dark meat, and the skin wasn't as crisp on the bottom of the chicken. I'm debating whether I should flip the chicken half way through baking, which is how I usually do it ...

What We Ate for Dinner :: sub*urban trading co.

Appetizers (shared between all of us):
Shaved cauliflower, Apple, Dried Cranberry, Pistachio Salad with Buttermilk Vinaigrette
Warm Mixed Nut and Coriander Dukkah with Olive Oil & Crusty Bread <-- so good!

Main Dishes:
Cured Duck Leg Sandwich with Shaved Onions, House Mayo, Bibb Lettuce & Fig Preserves on Toasted Baguette served with Green Salad (huband)
Pork Tenderloin and Bacon Tartine with Bibb Lettuce, Pickled Onions, Radish & Dijonnaise on Toasted Baguette served with Green Salad (daughter)
Roasted Hanger Steak with Yucca & Almond Puree, Roasted Pepper Sauce and Stock Reduction (son)
Roasted Leg of Lamb with Roasted Butternut, Crushed Blue Cheese and Cider Sauce (mother-in-law)
Vegetable Pot Au Feu: Carrots, Onions, Chestnuts and Cabbage over Creamy Grits Topped with Soft-Cooked Duck Egg (me)

Desserts (shared between all of us):
Apple Pie with Whipped Cream (they don't have ice cream)
Cheesecake

The website says they pride themselves on being a great "neighborhood joint," and that's exactly what they are. Good service, good food, reasonable prices, and a casual dining experience.

sub*urban trading co.
10301 Kensington Pkwy
Kensington, Maryland 20895
301.962.4046

What We Ate for Dinner :: Black's Bar & Kitchen

As a belated dating anniversary and Valentine's Day dinner, we went to Black's Bar & Kitchen. The food is contemporary American with an emphasis on regional ingredients (Virginia and Maryland).

Appetizers (shared):
Cornmeal-crusted Fried Oysters <-- I believe they only use Maryland oysters
Kale Salad with Sweet Potato Custard, Caramelized Walnuts and Bacon

Main Dishes:
(Daily Special) Short Ribs (husband)
Fried Chicken (me)

Black's Bar & Kitchen
750 Woodmont Avenue
Bethesda, MD 20814
301.652.5525

What I Made for Dinner :: Noodles with Flank Steak, Bok Choy, and Black Bean Sauce

Sometimes I need a good dose of protein and a quick recipe for dinner. Enter Noodles with Flank Steak, Bok Choy, and Black Bean Sauce. I didn't use the BBQ grill, just a grill pan and it was quite easy to make. My flank steak was a bit uneven in thickness so one side was more rare than half of us liked it. I solved that by slicing the meat (after resting, of course) and then putting it back on the grill pan. Smaller pieces, faster cooking time. 

Our one complaint was the noodles. I did not pick the right kind of noodles from the Chinese market. I'm going to have to research that a bit more. Rice would've sufficed. 

What I Made for Dinner :: Cod en Papillote

We don't eat a lot of fish at home even though we all like fish. I think it's mostly because it stinks up the house. But in order to get away from a meat-heavy diet I need to incorporate more seafood into my meal planning. 

En Papillote is an easy way to cook fish and get a good serving of vegetables in. You can use tin foil, but I have on occasion accidentally punctured holes in the "envelope," so I prefer to use parchment paper for the papillote. 

I seasoned the cod with salt and pepper, placed a bunch of thinly sliced vegetables (onion, green onion, peppers, asparagus, enoki mushrooms, and cilantro) on the fish, and then drizzled soy sauce, sesame oil, and sake over it all.

It took 20 minutes or so to cook in the oven at 400 degrees, but it depends on the thickness of your fish.

The beauty of en papillote is that you can use almost any kind of fish and add almost any kind of vegetable with any kind of fat (olive oil, butter, sesame oil, etc.). And the prep work is really pretty easy.

What I Made for Dinner :: Seafood Stew

Seafood Stew (I modified a recipe by Hugh Acheson)

As much as I love octopus, I didn't have the energy to deal with prepping it so I opted to omit it this time. And to continue with Cheater Mode, I went with frozen seafood and clams, mostly because I wasn't sure when I was going to make the dish.

The recipe also calls for veggies I'm not a huge fan of: fennel, celery, and butternut squash. So, instead, I used carrots, baby bell peppers, and a sweet potato I had lying around the kitchen. That's the beauty of stew; for the most part you can easily substitute the vegetables.

I also discovered that I like farro. It was my first time eating (and cooking) it, actually, and it reminded me of barley, which I love. It's nice to mix up the grains every once in awhile.

What I Made for Dinner :: Crunchy Sesame Chicken Wings

 
I am not a fan of football by any stretch of the imagination, but we have two boys in the house so our weekend TV-watching is often dominated by sports. I am thrilled that Super Bowl Sunday = the end of football season. There's nothing like celebrating the return of TV-watching for the girls than a chicken wing party masquerading as a Super Bowl party!

I make a different chicken wing recipe every year, and for the last few years I've focused on baked wings. (I tell myself it's because they're healthier, but I'm not fooling anyone.) I found this year's recipe -- Crunchy Sesame Chicken Wings -- from the Splendid Table, but it's originally from Mad Hungry: Feeding Men & Boys by Lucinda Scala Quinn, a cookbook I have at home.

This recipe comes together easily and quickly because there's no huge prep work, marinating, or drying time in the fridge (although the idea intrigues me). Although it's an inefficient use of space to put whole wings on the baking sheets, it really cuts down on prep time. (Have you ever had to break down 20+ wings? It's not too difficult but it's time-consuming, and when I did it a few years ago, my hand ended up hurting from cutting through the joints.) Also, the drumette, wing, and wing tip cut apart really easily after the wings are done baking. I also liked that, besides the wings (which I got at Costco in freezable packs), I already had all of the ingredients at home. I used panko instead of regular breadcrumbs and they turned out great. And the name of the recipe doesn't lie; the outside of the wings end up crunchy and quite tasty.

I will definitely make this again, keeping these points in mind:

• Don't overcoat the chicken with the dry ingredients.
• Flip the wings when you increase the temperature of the oven.

This is to make sure the coating browns and crisps up evenly. I'm speculating that because I had two baking sheets of wings in the oven at the same time and I didn't flip the wings, I got some wings that had patches of white (i.e. uncooked) coating. I had to keep baking those pieces, flipping every once i awhile, to make sure the outside wasn't floury (yuck!). I'm also wondering if using the convection setting on my oven would help with this.

My one regret is that I made too many. It's a strange regret since I like them, but I'm guessing these don't hold their crunch very well after refrigeration. I'll be eating these leftovers all week so I'll have to experiment with various reheating techniques. I'll post an update if I can.