Monday, May 31, 2010

Happy Memorial Day

Thanks to all those serving our country!

Sirloin steak, with the sides crusted with ground coffee, served with Hollandaise sauce, baked yam fries, and asparagus. A small red onion cooked in the sucs and deglazed with chicken broth.
I made the Hollandaise sauce by scratch. I bought the book Michel Roux Sauces: Revised and Updated Edition and this was mt first sauce attempt. Came out well :)


Thai Basil Chicken

Thai Basil Chicken

The recipe can be found here. I didn't have any chilis or fish sauce and used soy sauce instead. Not quite salty enough. I added some boiled broccoli florets for veggies. Served on top jasmine rice.


Sunday, May 30, 2010

iittala dinnerware

When expensive department stores have big sales, it's fun to see what's on sale in the home dept. Usually it's items I still can't afford, but we came across some Finnish dinnerware marked down. The iittala bowls and plates, $12 & $22. I bought what they had left. They do sell them on the barney's website as well. They're made in Finland :)



Saturday, May 29, 2010

Bouchon for lunch

Bouchon in Beverly Hills across from the Montage. I've been to the Bouchon Bar to snack, this time to try out lunch. We asked for a table outside and it was the perfect weather to eat outside. The downtside is their yellow umbrellas! Most of the pictures turned out yellow. The food is very good and very rich. We were too full for dessert although we bought a few macarons at Paulette's later that day.

View




Iced Tea


Bread


Bibb Salad (they give two servings)


The Short Rib Hash


Roasted Chicken

Friday, May 28, 2010

Beef Chow Fun leftovers

Leftover beef chow fun from Phoenix. I stir fried some zen choy and garlic to have some veggies.


Zen Choy with Garlic


Beef Chow Fun

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Soba Noodles with Beef

Soba Noodles with Beef Stir Fried with Zen Choy, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and cooking wine.


Monday, May 24, 2010

Pork with Pan Sauce

Pork Tenderloin with red wine pan sauce and Chinese broccoli.

1/2lb pork tenderloin
1/4 cup red wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1Tb butter
salt
pepper
small red onion
2 cloves of garlic
oil

Friday, May 21, 2010

Stir Fried Pork

Stir Fried Pork with Chinese Broccoli

I used pork tenderloin, came out yummy. Cooked with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and rice vinegar.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Baked Panko Chicken

Baked Panko Chicken with Red Wine Sauce and Brocolli, served over cabbage. I'm not sure how I came up with this one, the market didn't have zucchini for another recipe so I made up this one.

1 large cbicken breast
2 cups Panko
1 egg
1/2 red wine
1/2 chicken broth
2 shallots - diced
3 garlic cloves - diced
1TB olive oil
1TB butter
1 head broccoli
1/4 head cabbage, cut into long shreds
miso paste
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 450F
Cut chicken into smaller pieces. Dip in bowl of a mixed egg. Dip into Panko. Place the foil and place onto foil or cooking mat. Cook for 20-30mins. Remove and place on plate and tent.

Boil water, then add brocolli. Boil to desired softness. Remove, drain, and pour cold water over to stop cooking. Cut into smaller pieces.

Preheat pan, add olive oil. After oil is warm, add butter, shallots, and garlic. After 1-2 minutes, add red wine. When reduced down to a syrup, add broth. As it reduces, add broccoli.

Warm a plate, add a layer of cabbage. Add chicken on top. Add a little miso to each piece. Pour pan sauce and broccoli over. Add a dash of salt and pepper to taste.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Penne Pasta with Ground Turkey

De Cecco Penne Pasta with Ground Turkey, Scallions, Garlic, Bok Choy.
Yes, more bok choy. I need to buy more veggies :)

2 cups of penne
10oz ground turkey
4 stalks bok choy
4 garlic cloves
salt
pepper
basil
lemon juice
lemon zest
olive oil
1TB butter

Dice the garlic. Dice the scallions. Cut up the bok choy.
Add salt, pepper, lemon juice, lemon zest, and some garlic to the turkey.
Cook pasta for 13 mins in salted water.
Add olive oil to pre warmed pan. When warm , add butter, garlic, scallions. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add in turkey. Break into smaller pieces as it cooks. Add in bok choy to one area.
Keep mixing unril turkey is down. Drain pasta and add to pan. Mix well, add a little more oil.
Serve on warm plate. Add salt, pepper, and fresh basil.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Curry with Beef

Curry with beef, bok choy, and jasmine rice. Some fresh rosemary sprinkled on top of the rice.

Fried Egg

Fried Egg cooked with garlic served with a side of blackberries.

Fresh basil and rose salt are spinkled on top

Saturday, May 15, 2010

Soba Noodles with Pork

Soba Noodles with Pork & Bok Choy

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Hello Stir Fry!

I wanted to try this recipe here, but lacked a lot of ingredients and made up something else.

1 chicken breast (cut into small pieces)
1 head of Taiwan cabbage (cut into long pieces)
1 green bell pepper
5 cloves garlic (diced)
2Tb olive oil
1Tb butter
salt
pepper
5 stalks of Bok Choy
2Tb low salt soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar

I followed the cooking order/times from the real recipe. Be sure to open up the windows and turn on the fans, rice vinegar smells pretty knarly.

Tastes very good! Uno, dos, zesty!

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Yam Hash with Black Forest Ham

Yam Hash with Black Forest Ham adapted from this Sweet Potato Hash recipe.
I used a peeler to make the yam hash slices.

2oz of Black Forest Ham with Organic Thyme


Onions cooking


All done


The flavor and smell is wonderful.

Carafe of Lemongrass Tea

I picked up this Made in Italy Carafe at Ross. Holds lemongrass tea well.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Kohryu Ramen

Kohryu Ramen in Costa Mesa. We were looking for somewhere to eat that wouldn't be swamped with Mother's Day crowds. We got there before it got crowded.

Garlic Ramen - oh wow, lots of cooked garlic, yummy. There's a chunk of pork as well, but the garlic is the winner. My new ramen favorite.


Wonton Ramen - tasty wontons

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Café Mocha

New beans from Counter Culture Coffee arrived.


Decaf Espresso Rustico

4oz Milk
1Tb Chocolate Syrup

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Beef Fried Rice

Beef Fried Rice with ginger, garlic, soy sauce, Yu Choy, old rice, and an egg.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Panko Chicken with Roasted Asparagus

Panko Chicken with Roasted Asparagus and Japanese Rice
Goes well with some cold tea. I bought the asparagus at the farmer's market for just $2.

.75lb boneless chicken leg/thigh meat
1cup panko
1/2cup flour
1-2eggs
1lb asparagus
olive oil
kosher salt
salt
pepper
miso paste
lemon juice
Japanese rice

Wash and cook rice in rice cooker.

Preheat oven to 425F. Wash/cut ends off asparagus. Dry with towels. Add to bowl with olive oil, pepper, and a little kosher salt. Mix well. Place in oven for 15 minutes.

Add salt/pepper to chicken. Coat in flour, then dip in egg, then dip in panko mix.
Fry in pan until brown on one side then flip over. When done, place on plates with paper towels.

Add miso paste to dish. Squeeze some lemon over chicken. Sprinkle with rosemary. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the asparagus.

Roasted Asparagus


All ready

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Stir Fried Soba with Pork and Bok Choy

Stir Fried Soba with Pork and Bok Choy

3.1oz (1 roll) organic Soba
3Tb Soba sauce
3 cloves garlic
oil
salt
pepper
1/2lb precut pork
3 baby bok choys
1 green onion

Cut garlic into small pieces. Add salt & pepper to pork. Wash and cut bok choy into smaller pieces. Cut up green onion. Boil water, boil soba for 3minutes, remove, drain.

Fry garlic for 1 minute then add pork. After 1-3 minutes, move pork and add in green onions and bok choy. 2-3 minutes later, add in soba, add in soba sauce, mix well. Cook for a few more minutes. Serve hot.

Monday, May 3, 2010

Taco Monday

Taco Monday. With a side of boiled purple carrots.

1/2lb 93% lean ground beef
1/2 yellow onion
salt
pepper
garlic
mission yellow corn tortillas
oil
lemon zest
garlic salsa (vons brand)
lettuce
purple carrots

Boil carrots in water.
Cut up lettuce to small pieces.
Dice up the onions, garlic and add lemon zest. Add salt & pepper to ground beef.
Warm up pan, add oil once warm. Once oil is ready add onions, garlic, zest. Cook for a few minutes then add beef in. Mix well and cook until done.

In another pan, add oil and fry the tortillas to shell shape.



Sunday, May 2, 2010

Noodle House - quick review

We dropped by Noodle House in Rowland Heights for lunch. The parking lot if pretty insane, I'm not sure where all those people were eating at, it wasn't at the Noodle House. They hand make their dumplings. We overheard them tell others it was a 45 minute wait for pan fried. We ordered Vegetable steamed dumplings, green onion pancake, and beef noodle soup. A little on the more pricey side.

The verdict: pass. The dumplings are big but nothing to write home about. The green onion pancake was still sorta mushy for being fried. Soup was ok. Nothing worth taking pictures of.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Chicken Fried Rice

Chicken with flavorful fried rice and veggies. The fried rice was cooked with finely chopped ginger and garlic, yu choy and some soy sauce.

1 chicken breast
day old rice
3 cloves of garlic
2 inches of ginger
1TB soy sauce
2TB light soy sauce
oil
yu choy
salt
pepper
1 egg

Wash and peel ginger. Cut up finely. Do the same with garlic. Mix together and place in small bowl. Wash and pat dry yu choy or any other veggie. Cut into smaller pieces. Add a little garlic/ginger to yu choy. Cut chicken in smaller pieces, add salt & pepper.

Pre heat pan, when ready, add oil. Once oil is warm, add some of the ginger/garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes, then add chicken. Cook for 3-5 minutes, not all the way cooked Remove chicken to a plate and tent. Add rice in, add the rest of the ginger & garlic on top. 1-2 minutes later, make space in the middle, add egg. Once egg is almost cooked, mix into rice. Add the yu choy, mix. Add in the soy sauce, mix well. Keep stirring to prevent rice from sticking too much to pan. Add chicken back and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Server on a warm plate. Goes well with green tea.

Farmer's Market

I found some Lemongrass today at the local farmer's market. They siad I could plant the roots to grow more, so I will. Only $1 for a bunch.



Some oraganic strawberries, 3 trays for $5



Unrelated: little flowers from the backyard

Brasserie Pascal

Brasserie Pascal has brought back their awesome specials for May & June! They're located at the Fashion Island mall in Newport Beach. Can't beat these $10 specials.

Le Parfait 10

GRILLED FILET MIGNON
with Peppercorn Sauce, Mashed Potatoes and Mixed Vegetables

SAUTÉED HALIBUT
with Lemon Beurre Blanc, Parmesan Risotto, and Mixed Vegetables

PLAT DU JOUR
Daily Special, Ask Server


"LE PARFAIT 10" IS NOT AVAILABLE DURING SUNDAY BRUNCH HOURS OR HOLIDAYS. MAXIMUM OF
5 ORDERS PER PARTY. SPECIALS MAY NOT BE SHARED AND ARE AVAILABLE FOR DINE-IN ONLY.


Brasserie Pascal
327 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach, CA 92660
P: 949.640.2700
www.PascalNewportBeach.com