Candied Jalapenos

Looky there, I kept my promise.  No kid photos.  Just food.

I made this recipe for the first time two years ago, and have been making it ever since.

Jars are requested at Christmas now.

So, so, so good.

And crazy easy if you have a food processor with a slicer.

I used this recipe:

Sweet Candied Jalapeno Peppers

When I made them this year for Christmas, I used ten pounds of peppers.

That would have been A LOT to slice by hand.

All you do is bring the vinegar, sugar and spices to boil, throw your peppers in, cook for a few minutes, then transfer to jars.

The recipe gives canning instructions, but I just stick mine in the fridge.

We generally use ours on Mexican-style dishes, but my girlfriend had some on flat bread with cream cheese.

Mmmmmmmmm.

They're seriously so stinkin' good, they'd be good on anything.

The amount of heat depends on the peppers.  I think this last batch was hotter than the previous, which was fairly mellow.

But even the hotter version isn't insane.

Just enough kick.

Did I mention how good they are?

That's ten pounds of peppers worth.

They cook down quite a bit.

We had nachos for dinner last night and I smothered mine in them.

Ahhhhjeahhhhh.

Good stuff, kids.

Meal Plan #2 2016

The number in the post title is in no way a commitment, nor a promise, to continue sharing them on a regular basis.  I just happened to have another one done, so figured I'd throw it out there.  "Series" are not my strong suit.  I have a hard time following through.  Anyone remember Fun Food Friday and Word Up Wednesday?

We're celebrating The Kid's birthday this weekend, so since I'll be running to the grocery store for party food ingredients, I figured I had better sit down and get a menu together so I could kill two birds with one stone.  Again, I based the dinners on things we already have on hand, and again, I'll throw in some notes of what I'm using like I did last time.  Links to recipes are green.  I know, I'm switchin' the color up.  ;o)

Quick Broccoli Pasta and Garlic Bread

(Broccoli in the fridge, noodles in the pantry, bread in the freezer.  This is so easy and so delicious.  I like to add a squeeze of fresh lemon to my plate, too.)

Spaghetti and Meatballs, Green Salad, and Garlic Bread

(Noodles are in the pantry, I have a big bag of Costco meatballs in the freezer that a friend passed down to me, salad ingredients are in the fridge from a quick birthday present trip to Walmart yesterday, bread is in the freezer.)

Pot Sticker Lettuce Wraps and Steamed Rice

(I've been craving these, so I'm basically buying all the ingredients except the lettuce, orange, rice, and pantry items.  Now that I look at the ingredients again, all I really have to buy is the ground pork, green onions, water chestnuts, and hoisin.)

Chicken Primavera and Oven Roasted Potatoes

(This is still one of my favorite all-time recipes.  I've made it more times than I can count.  I used to only make it with pork chops, but after trying it with chicken last time, I'm goin' for round two.  Chicken thighs are in the freezer, homemade apple butter in the fridge, pepper bacon end pieces in the freezer, taters in the pantry.  I can't wait to eat this.)

Enchilada Pie and Green Salad

(I was gonna do enchiladas, but then remembered the lazy way.  I have two cooked chicken thighs in the freezer, a jar of homemade enchilada sauce in the freezer, tortillas, refried beans, green chilies, and cheese on hand.  Salad fixin's in the fridge.)

Burgers and Fries

(Sometimes a burger sounds so dang good.  I have a ton of slider buns in the freezer, so figured I'd use some up.  I have to buy ground beef and a slicing tomato, but everything else is easy.  And generally I do homemade oven "fries", but I'm buyin' the frozen ones this time around.  Ahhh jeeeaaaahhhhh.)

And there ya go.  

Another six days worth of dinners.

Let me know if ya try any!

Bulgogi Marinade + The Latest Meal Plan

Is it weird to post a recipe without photos of the finished dish?  I was sitting in front of my cleaned off plate and went, oh shit, I forgot to take pictures!!!

I've been making this marinade for as long as I can remember.  It originally came out of our newspaper.

It's sooooo good on flanken-style short ribs, but they're pretty spendy, so sometimes I'll use it to marinate a less expensive cut of meat.  Sirloin, flank steak, tri-tip, whatever.  It's all yummy.

We almost always have it with white rice and either a veggie or an Asian-style salad or slaw.

And lots of Sriracha.

So, so delicious.

Here's the recipe with my notes:

Bulgogi (Fired Beef)

Printable Recipe

2 pounds Korean-style short ribs or 1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin or other beef cut

1/2 C soy sauce

3 Tbsp granulated sugar

3 Tbsp grated Asian pear, grated Fuji, or other sweet apple

2 green onions, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, grated

4 Tbsp sesame seeds, toasted (you can buy them already toasted)

4 Tbsp sesame oil

1 Tbsp ground black pepper

If using beef sirloin, slice diagonally across the grain into long thin strips about 1/4 inch thick.  (This is easiest if you stick the meat in the freezer for a bit.)  Set aside.

Combine soy sauce, sugar, apple, green onions, garlic, sesame seeds, sesame oil and black pepper; mix well.  Transfer to a large ziplock bag and add the meat.  Seal and toss the bag lightly back and forth to coat the meat.  Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Prepare grill.  Remove meat from refrigerator. Thread beef slices, if using, lengthwise onto skewers, putting 2 to 3 pieces per skewer.  Transfer remaining marinade to bowl.

Cook the skewers over medium-high heat.  Grill, basting beef with reserved marinade and turning frequently to prevent burning, until medium-rare, 3 to 4 minutes.  

To cook short ribs, grill 2 to 3 minutes per side until brown and crispy on all sides.

You can eat the skewered meat as-is with your side dishes, or make lettuce wraps with it.  Delicious.

As for the ribs, they just may change your life.

Here's what we'll be eating over the next week or so:

*  Chorizo Burgers with Spicy Ranch, Cotija and Avocado, Oven Fries, and Fruit
*  Chorizo (leftover cooked meat from the burgers), Cotija & Avocado Quesadillas and Fruit
*  Grilled Beer Can Chicken, Potatoes, and Green Beans
*  Grilled New York Steak, Garlic Roasted Chickpea Salad with Feta & Mint, Tomato, Basil, & Feta Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms, Crispy Fried Japanese Eggplant (from the garden!), and Bread
*  Lemongrass Pork, Eggplant and Mushrooms in Garlic Sauce (from the garden again!), and White Rice
*  Banh Mi Sammies (using leftover Lemongrass Pork) with Pickled Carrots & Daikon and Fruit
*  Grilled Chicken Salads and Bread
*  Cheese Steak Sammies, Chips, and Fruit

Please see my sidebar for the parties I link up to.

Brie, Ham, Apple, White Cheddar, and Rhubarb Chutney Paninis

Soooo, you're gonna wanna go ahead and make this asap.  That was a mouthful of a title (pun intended), but I didn't want to exclude anyone.

I've been itchin' to try some new recipes with my rhubarb from the garden, and this chutney was up first.  My sister got me the Williams Sonoma, "Cooking From The Farmer's Market", Cookbook for Christmas and I can't eat my way through it fast enough.  The chutney recipe came out of it.  It was actually meant to go with pork, but I wasn't feelin' the pork, so I brainstormed a bit with my fridge open.  And this sandwich happened.

I don't wanna toot my own horn or anything, but it was SO FRIGGIN' GOOD.  Okay, it could be partly because I was starving. And partly because melted cheese between two pieces of bread is my version of heaven.  But still.  I think I can safely say it's a winner.  Annnnnnd, I wanna throw it out there that you can totally skip the ham if you want.  I had cooked a whole one a few days prior, so we had leftovers.  I don't do that nasty packaged lunch meat, so mine would have been meat-free otherwise.

Okay, I'll stop rambling and share the chutney recipe first.  I made a few substitutions that I'll make note of.

Rhubarb Chutney
Printable Recipe

1 C brown sugar
1/2 C cider vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon zest (I substituted lime zest)
3 - 4 rhubarb stalks, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cinnamon stick
2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger (I substituted ground to taste)
1/2 C golden raisins (I substituted a mix of diced dates and dried cranberries)
1/4 C chopped walnuts (I substituted pecans)
1/8 tsp salt

In a saucepan over low heat, cook the sugar, vinegar, and lemon zest, stirring until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.   Add the rhubarb, cinnamon, and ginger.  Raise heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the rhubarb is soft, about 15 minutes.  Remove the cinnamon stick.  Add the nuts, raisins, and salt, and cook for about 3 minutes.  Let cool.

Super duper easy, right?  It filled a mason far, so I have plenty of leftovers after our sammies.  I stuck it in the freezer and will save it for when I need an appetizer.  Brie and rhubarb chutney crostini anyone?

Here's the chutney, all brewed up and ready for spreadin':

And now, for the piece de resistance....

I used a yummy sliced deli bread.

Spread some of that rhubarb goodness all over one side .

Lay your brie out on the other side.

Now you need some ham.

Or not.

Prosciutto would be delicious, too.

Apples up on top of that.

I used Granny Smith.

And finally, more cheese.

White cheddar to be exact.

Or some other white cheese.

Asiago, Manchego, Gruyere, none of them would suck.

Now slap the lid on that bad boy, butter up the outsides, and throw it in the panini maker.

Or, you could use a pan on the stove.

Or the oven works, too.

Here's heaven:

The Kid doesn't learn from strangers.

"That one's mine."

I made a simple salad of mixed greens, candied nuts and orange vinaigrette to go with.

Here's dinner on my plate:

So flippin' good.

Please see my sidebar for the parties I link up to.

Damn Good Asian-Style Marinade

I have a zillion Asian-style marinade recipes that I make and love, but this one probably gets whipped up the most at my house.  It's easy, doesn't have a mile-long list of ingredients, (like they sometimes do), you can get everything at a regular grocery store, and it's delicious on anything.  This last time, I marinated some chicken breasts, but it's seriously good on any kind of meat.  Flank steak is all kinds of delicious.

Here's the recipe with my notes:

Damn Good Asian-Style Marinade
Printable Recipe

1/2 C veggie oil
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1/2 C soy sauce (I usually use the reduced-sodium one)
1/4 C packed brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1-inch piece ginger, grated
1/4 C fresh lime juice (about 2 medium limes)
2 pounds of meat (chicken, steak and pork are all delicious)

Depending on how many dishes you want to wash, you can throw everything in the food processor or blender to combine.  I'm usually too lazy for that, so I just mix it all up with a whisk.

Put your meat in a dish or ziplock bag and cover with marinade. Marinate overnight.  (I've been known to decide to make this in the afternoon, so if you're doin' the last minute thing, try to marinate it for at least an hour.)

When you're ready to eat, fire up the grill, remove the meat from the marinade, and cook it till it's done.  Obviously, the amount of time will depend on the meat you went with.

Sit back and prepare to make yummy noises.

We had ours with steamed rice, corn on the cob, and cucumber chips.  And homemade sweet chili sauce that I made with green jalapenos this last time.  Good stuff.

Here's dinner on my plate:

So easy.

So good.

Please see my sidebar for the parties I link up to.