Orange-Avocado Pasta Salad

Extended Shelf Life for: Limes, Avocados, Tangerines, Onion

Sometimes you just throw something together quick and it works out in all the perfect ways.

Ingredients/Directions:

Prepare pasta of choice. Slice and dice an avocado, mix with juice of one lime, salt to taste, one minced onion and 2 chopped oranges which have been zested to add additional flavor to the dish. Add pasta to the avocado-orange mixture, mix - let set for a few moments before serving and devouring. Probably fits spring/summer better, but...when you dive...what can you do?

Pumpkin Cauliflower Curry

Extended Shelf Life for: Pumpkin, Cauliflower

Sometimes, I just put things together because it makes sense in my head and I look at a handful of recipes just to be sure it's worked out in somebody else's head at some point in history and then I simply go for it.

This is one of those recipes, so you know what that means...I didn't measure.

Except, I kind of did because I'd already frozen the cauliflower (1 cup) and pureed pumpkin (2 cups) and I used a single, normal sized can of coconut milk (maybe 14-16oz?) The part I didn't measure then, was of course the spices...go figure. But here's what I used, lots of curry, some cumin, cayenne, a dash of cinnamon, and salt. If I would have had other Indian spices, I would have used them as well, such as turmeric or graham-masala. Then, I simmered it all on the stove top, prepared some rice and we had a ridiculously quick, delicious dinner, just like that!

German Mish-mash Breakfast

Extended Shelf Life for: Bread Heels, Onions

I think bread heels are slightly obnoxious...until you learn to use them in delicious ways that is.

Since I purchased the Juicer that Can do Everything, I have made my own bread crumbs simply by saving the heels in the freezer until I have enough to fill up a cookie sheet to dry out, on low heat in the oven before running them through the juicer (mincing nozzle of course, not the juicing nozzle).

However, the other day, I had a few bread heels leftover and happened to read this page on Squidoo, which has a handful of great, frugal, use-up-things-in-the-kitchen-recipes, the first of which was this German Mish-mash which was incredibly easy and so, stinkin' delicious!

Ingredients/Directions:

In a heavy skillet, melt 3 Tbsp. Butter, when it's melted, add half of a sliced onion and stir for a couple of minutes until onions are tender and little brown. Add two slices of bread that have been cubed and stir until they absorb all the butter and become little bite sized toasts. Pour in two beaten eggs, coat bread and onions, cook until eggs are no longer runny. Season with salt and pepper, enjoy!

Thai Chicken Pasta

We returned to our original 519 Kitchen with the added benefit of random condiments remaining in the refrigerator. Ones such condiment was a Thai Marinade from a local Pizzeria. Remembering this very pizzeria's infamous Thail Chicken Pizza, I decided to do something similar replacing the pizza crush with some pasta, marinating some chicken, chopping some green onions and tossing in some mozzarella cheese. A fabulously quick, simple and light meal for the early fall months (or days if you happen to live in Laramie, WY).

Sausage and Kale Soup

 

Upon returning to Laramie and even to our old abode, I was not disappointed when our good friends and upstairs neighbors/home-owners offered me the opportunity to do some food prep with their CSA veggies, so long as everyone in the house could have some food to chow-down on.

When I saw the fridge filled with Kale and realized that Italian Sausage was just a few blocks away at the local grocers, I remembered this Sausage and Kale soup from a couple years ago and knew exactly what to do!

 Ingredients:

4 cups Potatoes, peeled and diced
1 lb. Italian Sausage
1 lg. Onion, diced
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1 bunch Kale, green or purple, chopped
3 qts. Broth or Cold Chaser Tea
1 cup Heavy Cream (can also substitute yogurt, sour cream and/or milk)
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Frank's Red Hot Sauce, to taste

Directions:

Boil potatoes until tender. Meanwhile, in a seperate pot, cook Italian sausage. Remove sausage from pan, drain some drippings if there are a lot or just use them to saute onion and garlic. Stir in Kale, cook about 2 minutes, then add broth. Drain potatoes, add potatoes and sausage, salt and pepper, cook until heated through. Before serving, add Heavy Cream, heat through.

Banana Cream Pie

Ingredients/Directions:

From Delia Creates

Prepare a single pastry crust that has been pricked at 400 F for about 12 minutes or until lightly golden.

Meanwhile, heat 3 cups of Milk in microwave for approximately 3 1/2 minutes. 

While milk is heating, combine 1/3 cup Cornstarch and 2/3 cups Sugar. Add 3 Egg Yolks to the sugar mixture. 

Add 1/2 cup of the hot milk to the egg/sugar mix, stir and gradually add remaining milk, this will be your custard. 

Continue to cook the custard in the microwave at 2-3 minute intervals, stirring in between intervals until you reach the desired consistency. Chill custard.

Layer bananas (2-4 fresh) and custard in the pie crust, chill and serve with whip cream.

I sprinkled some cinnamon and nutmeg on top of my bananas for added pizzazz!

Enjoy with friends on a weeknight card game gathering!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Banana (n)Ice Cream Pie

Remember the Banana (n)Ice Cream sandwiches?

Well this is basically the same idea...but in Pie form.

Graham Cracker Crust - or Oreos or Nilla Wafers, anything would do.

Banana (n)Ice Cream with Peanut Butter blended in.

Banana (n)Ice Cream with Coco Powder blended in.

Crust, Peanut Butter Layer, Coco Layer = P.B. Chocolate Banana (n)Ice Cream Pie!

Keep in the freezer, let set at room temp about 20 minutes before serving for easy slicing and forking^^

Tuna and Tomato Stuffed Baguette

The thing I love most about traveling, whether it's in the country where I reside or if it's an adventure which requires a seat on an airplane, is discovering new foods and combinations of old favorites.

When I did my study abroad in Granada, Spain, I lived with a host mother. Anytime my friends and I were going on an organized or spontaneous weekend outing she'd make me two Bocadillos - a simple yet always delicious baguette sandwich. No matter the occasion, I always left my home-stay with one baguette filled with an egg and cheese omelet and another baguette stuffed with tuna, tomatoes and a bit of olive oil.

I studied abroad in the fall of 2005, yet distinctly remember the joy of having these two sandwiches to munch on weekend getaways. So, 7 years later, it's time to re-create the magic!

Rather than simply slicing my baguette however, I dug out the dough and then stuffed a mixture of tuna, tomato, olive oil, basil, salt and pepper into the opening, let the olive oil have a couple minutes to soak into the bread and then enjoyed every last bite of this single meal which brings back some of my fondest Spanish memories.

Wonton Mini-Quiche

It seems certain things get pretty trendy on Pinterest...in the blogosphere.

S'more anything.

Cake batter anything.

Salted caramel anything.

Quinoa anything.

Avocado anything.

You know the drill.

A little less trendy, but always present nonetheless is the mini-bite-size-taco/lasagna/spinach-dip-cup/thing-you-wish-you-thought-of-dish.

Well, this was an inspiration based on those trendy little, single-serving dishes.

Served 'em up at a going-away brunch and enjoyed some for a few days after for our morning breakfast.

Ingredients/Directions:

Prepare a muffin/cupcake tin with oil and/or flour. Preheat oven to 350 F (177 C).  Place a wonton or dumpling skin into each cup and gently press down. I found 3 whisked eggs was the perfect amount for 6 regular sized cups. Add a splash of milk and your choice of quiche fillings to the egg mix before splitting the mix between the wonton cups. I filled half of mine with steamed broccoli and cheddar and the rest with chopped sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella. Bake for approximately 15 minutes until  egg is no longer runny. Remove from pan and toast on the oven rack a couple more minutes if you desire a more crisp and golden 'crust'. Super quick and super easy!

Diget Parfait

Diget's are basically the Korean version of Graham Crackers.

Layered between yogurt and bananas with a sprinkle of cinnamon and sugar, they make for a quick, easy and delicious start to the morning.

Banana-Brownie Pie

I've been mastering pie crust. But was running low on pie fillings/current seasonal fruits in Korea are not entirely pie friendly.

And I wanted a brownie.

And bananas.

And fresh whipped cream.

So, I threw a pie shell into a dish, pricked it with a fork, baked for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, I whipped up a box of brownie mix. Dumped the batter in the pre-baked pie crust, baked according to the package directions. When it was time to serve up the dish, I simply sliced a banana onto the brownie/pie and scooped a spoon or two of cream on top.

It was delicious.

Every single bite.

Mason Jar Taco Salad

Mason Jar salads are apparently all the rage on the blogging world...or in the Pinterest world...they are not all the rage in South Korea - but that doesn't mean we haven't heard about them nor that we can't bust out a few ourselves ^^

I try to think ahead. We had some obligations coming up, so I opted to throw together some Mason Jar Salads and see how they worked out. They were quite delicious. I may have needed a bit more dressing, and a bit more space at the top for easier shaking, otherwise - it was a nice dinner and seems like a promising picnic option...time to get into our car and enjoy some road trips!

Ingredients/Directions:

The basics of Mason Jar Salads are to layer up starting with dressing, a hearty set of veggies, cheese and finally lettuce.

For this Taco Salad, I started with a yogurt dressing which I threw together - essentially plain, home-made yogurt with chili powder, cayenne powder, salt, pepper and cumin. (Sour Cream and Salsa would work equally well, if not better for a taco salad). Next, I threw in some corn, followed by tomatoes and black beans. Once those items were layered in, I tore some lettuce into the jar and finally placed some tortilla chip crumbs on the very top. When the dinner hour rolled around, the hubs and I got some exercise shaking our jars and enjoyed some salad (except Mike doesn't really like corn, so he didn't enjoy his as much).

Tomato Basil Noodle Bowl

We've had the great pleasure of being invited to various meals at the homes of our Korean friends lately and I'm continually finding myself being inspired to try out ingredients that are common in Korea and food preperation methods that also seem relatively specific to Korea.

The other night, my friend served us a bowl of cold noodle soup with water kimchi. She explained it's kind of a common and quick dish in many Korean homes - simply boil noodles (I'm not sure about this specific kind of noodle...it's a common noodle in Korea, a little like spaghetti meets ramen). Anyway, once the noodles are drained, you place them in a bowl and then spoon over the top some broth or in the case of water kimchi, you spoon in some kimchi and the liquid portion of the kimchi.

I like noodle bowls. Spooning a broth of already prepared noodles, it's just nice.

Ingredients/Directions:

Prepare adequate amount of Korean noodles or ramen per individual being served. In seperate sauce pan, heat up chicken broth with any desired spices (salt, pepper, garlic, onion, etc.) Drain noodles and divide amongst the bowls. Tear a few fresh leaves of basil into each bowl, slice of chop tomatos and add to bowls, spoon broth into bowl, top with fried egg and grated parmesan if desired.

Tuna and Dill Kimbap

Sometimes, nothing comes together more quickly and easily in my Korean kitchen than a few rolls of Kimbap. This new Kimbap in a Pinch variation is one of my new favorites.

Ingredients/Directions:

Into about a cup of cooked rice mix a large handful of chopped dill, a tablespoon or two of Mustard, 1/4-1/3 cup Plain Yogurt, a couple squirts of Mayonnaise and a tin of Tuna. Split this mixture evenly on 2-4 sheets of seaweed, roll, slice, enjoy!

(All measurements are approximations as I generally just eyeball this type of recipe, if you decide to measure it out exactly, please leave a comment with either your post of the recipe or your measurements!)

Egg Topped Purple Pesto Pasta

Looking for something quick and easy? Why not boil up some pasta (don't forget this trick to prevent spillage), toss in some home-made pesto, sprinkle with cheese and top with one or two fried eggs? Quick, easy, light and delicious.

Quick Beer Brownies

The day after St. Patrick's day we had, sitting in our home, just over 1/2 cup of flat Home-brewed Porter from a friend. I had earlier seen a recipe for brownies using beer in place of water - using a brownie mix obviously. I had also recently seen a Korean brownie mix at my local mart and was itching to give it a shot.

I went down to the mart, paid my 3,000 won for a mix and headed back up the hill to work some translation magic. Without too much effort, I quickly realized these brownies were designed to be baked in a microwave (which is AWESOME for expats in Korea without an oven) But, I obviously wanted to use my oven, so I just assumed I'd put them in for the normal baking temp 350*F (177*C) and normal baking time 10 minutes.

So, a quick whisk of the mix and just over 1/2 cup of dark Porter I threw the brownies into the oven and soon had a warm rich brownies to share with our friend the home-brewer and...our own bellies...obviously!

Breakfast Rice Bowls

Some important things going on here in 519 Kitchen.

First of all, I made my own yogurt!

And it's amazing.

And it's easy...Although incubation is a long-going process.

And it's delicious.

Second of all, I've made time for breakfast.

Not just some lame toast.

Or a pastry from the convience store.

A hearty, nutrious breakfast so I can be at least one step ahead of the work grind.

I was inspired by a friend who recently told me she made a large batch of brown rice at the beginning of each week then ate it cold for breakfast, like cereal, with fruit and yogurt.

I was also inspired by the countless Pinterest examples of 'make-ahead' and 'freezable' breakfasts.

So, I combined the inspiration and got excited about my home-made yogurt and the result has been 4 mornings of delicious, hearty breakfast for me AND the hubs!

In true 'Pinterest' fashion, I seperated out the rice into individual servings so that step would be taken care of each morning. Then, each morning all I have to do is sprinkle on some flaxseed, spoon in some fruit (this week has been blueberries and bannas), drizzle with honey and scoop some yogurt on top before mixing it all up and sitting down in the big comfy chair to enjoy my morning nourishment and perpare my body for the upcoming day.

So. friggin. fantastic.

Easy Tomato and Alfredo Baked Pasta

Extended Shelf Life for: Alfredo Sauce

The expiration date on this Alfredo Sauce had long since passed...fortunately, I have a long history with using 'expired' foods, so I wasn't phased, but was in a bit of hurry to use that jar up and have a satisfying meal.

This isn't rocket science. It doesn't even really belong on a food blog, but I have developed a habit of keeping track of what comes out of my kitchen, what my brain comes up with in those moments I don't want to cook or am too impatient to wait for a more proper and creative meal. This one of them - boil pasta, mix with sauce, toss in a tomato or two, throw in some basil if you have it on hand, a small bit of mozzarella mixed into the pasta dish is nice and of course, top the dish with some cheese before throwing into to oven for 30 minutes or so when it'll be nice and golden, crispy, cheesy and delicious!

Udon with 'Poached' Egg and Veggies

This was uh-mazing. And easy.
Pinterest Inspired.
Original Recipe here - from the Kitchn

Ingredients/Directions:

2 cups of water per Udon Noodle package -- if you're using the one such as that pictured in the bottom right of the above collage. Bring water to a boil then add Udon Noodles, cook 3-4 minutes or until near done. Throw in chopped cabbage, cover with a lid and let cabbage cook/steam for 1-2 minutes.  Mix in sauce packets from Udon Noodle package (soy and such) then carefully put a raw egg (in this case 2) into the boiling water, let it cook until set, dish into bowls, sprinkle on some green onion and enjoy!

Unstuffed Pepper Soup

I quite enjoy stuffed peppers, however I tend to be impatient and too much of a procrastinator to actually make them happen.  Not to mention, I really have a thing for soups. I don't remember any quantities or anything of an exact nature in regards to this dish, but this blog is primarily for personal records and as a source of inspiration to those folks who find a random assortment of whatnot waiting in their fridge...

You may remember when I took a day to prepare some foods once-a-month-style so that doubling up on my Master's wouldn't be deadly? Well, I used one cup of that Tomato Sauce in addition to home-made chicken broth and a cup of Cold Chaser Tea to provide the base for this dish. That of course was after sauteing Onion, Bell Pepper, Jalapeno and Garlic in a touch of olive oil. I also had some corn lying around, so threw that in the pot and soaked up all the excess liquid by throwing in some rice I cooked up quickly in the rice cooker. Season with salt and pepper, serve with cheese and sour cream if you're so lucky and enjoy as part of a Monday night dinner with a good friend and someone you love - they'll probably devour it all ^.^