This is a Knife

I love the scene in the movie Crocodile Dundee where he tells a would-be robber "That's not a knife" whips out a giant machete and says "This is a knife." I feel like saying that every time I use my Chinese cleaver. It's my favorite knife. Although it looks heavy it is deceptively light, cuts with a razor sharp edge and can be used for anything from thinly slicing ginger to de-boning a chicken. In this modern world where you can buy kitchen knives for hundreds of dollars a piece this knife cost a whopping $6.99. Seriously the best-knife-ever!

Tuesday Tips - Garlic Stink

Earlier in the month I posted about how you peel garlic. I love cooking with garlic and eating garlic but have you ever noticed how the smell lingers on your hands after you work with it? It seems no matter how much you wash your hands there is still a garlic scent. There are two simple ways to eliminate that smell from your fingers:

1. Ginger - With Chinese cooking garlic and ginger are natural compliments. Simply cut the garlic first and the ginger second. The juice from the ginger removes the garlic scent and stickiness.
2. Stainless Steel - Simply rub your hand on something stainless steel...a knife (though that could be dangerous), pot or even your sink. The smell comes right off.

 

 

Or if you like kitchen gadgets and gizmos you could buy this nifty bar. It's simply a soap shaped stainless steel bar. We got one for my mother-in-law years ago and it works like a charm!

Things That Make Me Happy

 

I've been a little stressed out lately. It happens easily to me as I am a Type A personality. I tend to forget to enjoy the simple things in life when this happens. So for this post I am going to list random things that make me happy. It is 3 am so forgive me if things get a bit wacky. Note: The list is in no particular order. Also all the photos in this post are from my Sis' Instagram pictures.

• Goofy boys
• Little girls in pig tails
• Jimmy
• Care packages (giving and receiving them)
• Japanese Irises
• Slinky's
• Musicals
• Pineapple

 
• Phone calls with my sis
• The smell right as it starts to rain
• Haribo Gummy Bears (made in Germany - they taste very different than the ones from Turkey or Spain)
• People with accents
• Expressive eyebrows
• Collections
• Stylishly accessorized people (I'm trying to learn)
• Music boxes

• French fries
• Knee high socks
• Fat dogs
• Watching little kids' "light bulb moments" when they get something for the first time
• Thick comforters on soft beds
• S'mores
• Books
• Gnomes

• Vegetables fresh from the garden
• My dads singing when he's happy
• Travel
• Crazy suitcases
• Hugs from my mom
• Comfortable shoes
• Belly laughs
• Mexican hot chocolate

• Sleeping babies
• Rice
• Sales and coupons
• Christmas decorations
• Sporks
• My parents' cooking
• Bright colored rain boots
• Meals with loved ones

• My in-laws
• Soft pretzels/pretzel bread
• Farmer's markets
• Seat heaters in cars
• Rocking chairs
• Coats/Jackets
• Freshly bathed kids
• Lady bugs

• Baking
• Kit Kat
• Pretty aprons
• Kids hugging each other
• Pasta
• Freshly laundered sheets
• Blueberries
• Rainbows

• Funny pictures
• Family pictures
• Pussy willows
• Pizza with good crust
• Baby thighs
• Tillamook cheddar cheese melted on corn chips
• Nate's inability to tell jokes (they're so bad it's funny)
• Silly String

• Dim Sum
• Gabby's love of sparkles
• Warm bread
• My friends
• Disneyland
• Going out to dinner
• Singing (even though I am usually off key)
• Cupcakes
• Sleep...I think I'm finally ready to go back to sleep. Goodnight!

Spinah Puffs

I have a thing for Spanikopita or anything resembling it. Pastry, spinach and feta make my tummy happy. My darling of a hubby made these cute little Spinach Puffs for Mother's Day. They turned out beautifully.

 

Start by squeezing out the spinach until it is as dry as possible. Toss into a bowl and mix with feta, onion, olive oil, and garlic. Season to taste.

 

 

Mix in one egg. Check out those pro mixing skills!

Take one sheet of puff pastry (thawed of course!) and cut into 3 equal strips. Save one strip for a later use. With the remaining two strips, cut those into 3 squares for a total of 6 squares. Spritz the muffin tins with non-stick spray and place a square in each muffin cup.

 

Spoon filling into each cup.

 

 

Fold the corners to meet in the center and give them a little pinch to stay together. Brush with an egg wash and bake.

 



Cool a bit before scarfing down or you will burn your tongue...not that I know from experience or anything.

Spinach Puffs

Ingredients:

1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1/2 c. crumbled feta
1/4 c. minced onion
1 T. olive oil
1 t. minced garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed , rolled out to a 12" square, kept chilled

Directions:

Using your hands, squeeze spinach until dry, forcing out as much water as possible (too much water will make for soggy filling; you should have about 2/3 cup well-drained spinach). Mix spinach and next 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, beat 1 egg to blend; fold into spinach mixture.

Cut puff pastry into 3 equal strips. Reserve 1 strip for another use. Cut each remaining strip into 3 squares for a total of 6. Place a square in each muffin cup, pressing into bottom and up sides and leaving corners pointing up. Divide filling among cups. Fold pastry over filling, pressing corners together to meet in center.

Beat remaining egg to blend in a small bowl. Brush pastry with egg wash. Bake until pastry is golden brown and puffed, about 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let puffs cool in pan for 10 minutes. Run a sharp paring knife around pan edges to loosen; turn out puffs onto rack to cool slightly before serving.

Asian-Style Chicken and Rice

The weather has been chilly and wet and when the weather is like that I want hearty stick-to-your rib type food. I came across this recipe for Asian-Style Chicken and Rice from a free food magazine sampler and it seemed to fit the bill.

Start by thinly slicing the green onions. Keep the white parts and dark green parts separated.

Next up mince the garlic and ginger. Try mincing the garlic first and then the ginger. Ginger will help take the garlic stink from your hands.

The fresh shiitake mushrooms are next. I found these beauties at Trader Joe's.

Remove the stems and thinly slice the caps. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a Dutch oven and cook chicken skin side down for about 7 minutes. Set aside. (My picture of this was grossly out of focus. Sorry. Still need to get my eyes checked one of these days!)

To the same pot add the scallion whites, ginger, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook until aromatic, about 1 minute

 

Stir in the rice, broth, salt and pepper. Be careful pouring in the broth as the pot will be very hot and it might snap and bubble a bit! 

 

Once the broth is boiling add the chicken bake in, skin side up. Try not to immerse the chicken as you want crisp skin.

Bake with the lid on for 25 minutes or so or until the liquid is absorbed.

 

Remove the chicken from the pot and stir the green parts of the scallions and some cilantro into the rice. Serve warm.

The whole family loved the rice. It was flavorful, fluffy and quite good. The chicken on the other hand was a bit bland. I think it needs to be marinated first, maybe in a bit of rice wine, soy and ginger. I think I'll try doctoring it a bit next time.

Asian-Style Chicken and Rice

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
salt and pepper
4 scallions
2 T. ginger, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 oz. shiitake mushroom caps
1 1/2 c. Aborio rice
3 2/3 c. chicken broth
1/8 c. cilantro

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with sat and pepper. Cook chicken, skin side down, until skin is crisp and golden, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Add scallion whites, ginger, garlic, and mushrooms to pot and cook 1 minute, stirring. Stir in rice, broth, 1/2 teaspoon sat, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil and place chicken on top, skin side up. Cover pot, transfer to oven, and bake until chicken is cooked through and liquid is absorbed, 25 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and stir scallion greens and cilantro into rice. Serve warm.

Tuesday Tips - Sprinkles

When you give your child a donut with sprinkles on them be careful what they are wearing...did you know that sprinkles + slobber stains clothing? At least the green sprinkles do!

Pretending Sleep

Gab has a new favorite game. She loves to pretend she's asleep. Some days she really does trick me and I think she is asleep. Like the other day on our way home from Costco I was positive she was asleep. She wasn't. She kept her eyes closed for over 5 minutes...incredible patience for an almost two-year old.

But then I hear a little giggle and one or two eyes pop open.

Then it is full on laughter for having "tricked" mom.

"Yay!" she screams. I love this age. Endless fun!