Vacation Vacation Vacation

Today is cloudy and cold and all I can think of is how I wish I could stay home from work.  I could drink hot tea, stay inside and clean the place up and o how nice that would be...

2.5 more days of work...2.5 more days of work...come on I can make it!

Japanese Shrimp Burger Ebi Katsu

I love it when I attempt to make a brand new recipe that not only have I never made before...but I've never eaten before.  This weekend I made a Japanese Shrimp Burger!   The prospect of shrimp mushed together in a patty that is fried in hot oil, made me both anxious and intrigued.  But life is all about pushing limits and trying new things, right? And besides, if it's supposedly the most popular item at the Mcdonald's in Japan, how can it be bad? So on Sunday I ventured forth to the grocery store, bought my ingredients to make this exciting new recipe and viola! Japanese Shrimp Burger!

It was actually quite easy.  I think next time I will not add as much sake and make sure my shrimps are more dry because when I combined my flour, I think the liquid caused my patty to be a touchy gooey but nothing too bad.

I doubled coated my patty in the flour egg bread crumb mixture to make it as crispy as possible.  
 

Top: Flour, Egg, Bread mixture is essential to crispy patties. Bottom: Condiments to put on burger.

 I used two recipes I found online and made slight adaptations of each, RunnyRunny999 and from Sumo Kitchen.

Japanese Shrimp Burger and French Fries

Friday

It's Friday. <3

Breaded Chicken

Here's a way to cook chicken that's quick and delicious.  If you have a thick cut of chicken breast, cut it in half across the plane so that each piece will cook quicker, more evenly, and have more flavor.

2 Chicken Breast, cut across to make thinner pieces
1 cup bread crumbs (I used panko)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt and some pepper or more or less according to taste
1 tsp dried coriander
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp dried parsley
(you can really use whatever herbs you like, sometimes I use different herbs)
1 tsp garlic powder
1 egg
4 tbs flour for dredging

Combine bread crumbs, paprika, salt, pepper, coriander, and herbs.  
Lightly salt and pepper pieces of chicken on both sides
Dip each piece in flour, shake off excess.
Dip in egg, shake off excess.
Dip both sides in bread crumb mixture to coat chicken.
Add about 1 tbs of olive oil to a large skillet on medium heat.
Add chicken breasts and cook on each side for about 4-5 minutes per side until cooked through.  Add more oil if pan becomes too dry.

I served with honey roasted sweet potatoes and mustard greens.

Ramen: Food of the College Students

Instant Ramen with Sliced Cabbage

It is a well known fact that Instant Noodles such as Ramen and Cup of Noodles are popular food items for college students because they are freakishly cheap, super fast, and easy to make.  Although I did eat instant noodles during my time at college, my fondest memories of ramen come not from college but from the comfort of my home, made by my dad. 

He use to add pieces of ham and eggs to the soup and serve it with thinly sliced cabbage.  A very simple meal but packed with so much flavor.  Back then I appreciated it for a quick and satisfying meal.  Now, I appreciated it for the memories of my dad's efforts to keep us full.

All done!

 Keeping in line with my quick and cheap meals.  Today, in order to satisfy my craving for cinnamon buns, I brought a package of Pillsbury Orange Cream Cinnamon Buns at the grocery store.  They are baking in the oven right now as I write.  One day, I know I'll have the time and space to make cinnamon buns from scratch, but today, these will suit me just fine. 

Pillsbury Orange Cream Cinnamon Buns. Good, but next time I'll try original.

Over the River and Through the Woods...

Beautiful view of the mountains on our way home.

Gosh...when it's cold all I want to do I stay inside, drink hot tea, and keep the heater on.  I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Now it's time to move on to Christmas.  It seems like each year the holidays go by faster and faster and I barely have time to enjoy it before it's gone!

I had a great Thanksgiving this year.  My whole family was together with the addition of a new sister =) hehe (sister-in-law).    We played games, hanged out, and of course had great food.  I think my dad's turkey this year was the best that he's made.  Nhat and I started a tradition last year of having our own little Thanksgiving meal together before we head home.  Last year was good for my first time, but this year was even better.  I learned from my mistakes and my meal came together quite nicely.

Dinner for two?

My menu was Butter-Herbed Roast Turkey, Mash Potatoes, Roasted Yams, Green Bean Casserole, Chestnut Stuffing, and Homemade Cranberry Sauce and Turkey Gravy.  I can't wait for the day when I can host Thanksgiving for my family. In the mean time, I just keep practicing with Nhat. =)

Chestnut French Bread Stuffing

Bake and Cake

The past few weeks I have been craving a nice fluffy piece of decadent cake.  Usually when my cake craving comes a calling, I can take out my mixing bowls and spoons and whip up something in the kitchen. However, being a working woman now ;) I don't have too much time for baking.  So this past week when I found out a new Asian grocery market open up near by that had a bakery, imagine my delight!  I guess my cake craving was contagious because Nhat started craving cakes too. And so we ofcourse made a visit to the new grocery store and picked up a cake.

We decided on a Ube cake.  I love that the cake was very soft but it was a little too dry for my liking.  The ube frosting however, was delicious.

Our cake craze didn't stop there.  Nhat has been talking about a bakery that one of his doctors constantly rave about, Porto Bakery.  This past Saturday we decided to make the 40 minute drive to give it a try. I got a Cubano Sandwich and Nhat got a Slow Roasted Pork Sandwich and Chicken Empanada (spelling?).  

Slow Roasted Pork Sandwich with Fried Plantains

 

 

 

Cubano with Fried Plantains.

We also took a Mixed Berried Milk Cake home.  Too bad our milk cake melted on the drive home, but it was still good.  The cake was moist and frosting was delicately sweet.