August 25, 2014

Morning Parfait (breakfast)

I'm going to start by saying I mistakenly read the instructions as saying to microwave the cream cheese with the raisins and orange juice. I should also mention that I switched out the cream cheese for non-fat greek yogurt, and finally I should say that I microwaved the yogurt. I think I need to stick to making dinner recipes when my brain is functioning on all cylinders. That said, I only heated the yogurt for 30 seconds and I didn't die after eating it. I also forgot to add the vanilla somewhere in there which I think would've been a nice touch, but otherwise everything was great. The idea of eating a parfait was actually fun and Eric called it "fancy" and it really was. Presentation definitely matters.

Fresh squeezed OJ

Should not be yogurt here...

Yogurt, raisins, orange zest

Things I learned from this recipe:

I had no idea how many varieties of peaches there were. I've never been a huge fan of them, but I sampled one at the farmers market this past weekend that tasted like a nectarine, and I love nectarines. I wish I could remember the type of peach it was but it is alluding me.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Sure

The recipe

August 24, 2014

Spicy Mango Shrimp

by Irene Lindvall

I have been making this dish for a few years now and love the spiciness. I've served it over rice many times and over butter lettuce for a quick lunch several times. Again, Eric only tolerates it because of the mango factor, but I rather enjoy it. I've used both fresh and frozen mango and can't really notice a difference. One of the reviewers said the not ripe mangoes added an extra tart to the dish she really enjoyed. Today I used unripened and the dish tasted the same as it always does. Regardless, I still really like it and will continue to make it. I should add that I always omit the coconut because we don't care for it so I'm not sure what impact that has on the dish.

Onions

+ soy sauce, lime juice and basil

+ shrimp

+ mango

Things I learned from this recipe:

I like that one of the reviewers said to switch out basil for cilantro. I will definitely be trying it the next time I make it.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Yes

The recipe

August 23, 2014

Cucumber Smoothie

by Irene Lindvall

My dad absolutely hates cucumbers so I'm laughing at the thought that I even made this recipe. My dad literally eats all foods except cucumbers, and I'm sure he'd be happy to know this smoothie did not taste so great. It doesn't taste awful, but I think there should've been something else besides cucumbers in it. It oddly tasted like a liquid version of a veggie dip because of the dill. I did like the addition of club soda (and mint) and thought I should try this with other smoothies.

Pre-blend

Blended

Things I learned from this recipe:

Dill should not be allowed in a smoothie.

Would I make this recipe again?:

The recipe

August 22, 2014

Southeast Asian Chicken & Noodles

by Irene Lindvall

As I was prepping for this dish I realized the stark resemblance to last night's meal. Almost all of the liquids were the same (+chicken broth) and all of the herbs are the same (+mint). It was so close that I thought I used these directions to make last night's meal and had to double-check the two ripped pages just to make sure I hadn't messed up. I did not mess up, however, I realized the most delicious dish would be a combination of this dish and the last. We liked the noodles from tonight over the rice. We liked the thighs from last night over the breast meat. We liked the addition of flavor from the chicken broth and ginger tonight, and of course Eric liked the green beans over the mango. I think I could do without the seasoning on the chicken from last night, but I really liked the timing of the ginger in tonight's dish. It was one of the last things added right before serving and it was a flavor that really came out instead of being lost in the heat of the wok.

Prep

Chicken, green beans & garlic

Cooking

Prep #2

Juices added

Things i learned from this recipe:

I would've really liked a touch of heat in this dish. I read the reviews of it and someone added Sriracha just after plating. I would definitely consider that for next time.

I'm sad that a couple days ago I finally ran out of green onions from my deck garden. I think it had been at least two months (maybe longer) since I had to purchase them.

Would I make this recipe again?:

Maybe a hybrid version.

The recipe

August 21, 2014

Mango Chicken Over Rice

by Irene Lindvall

I really like the way chicken thighs cook and was happy to make another recipe with them. I was a little hesitant about making this dish because Eric isn't the biggest fan of cooked mango (let alone fresh mango) AND I'm cooking with mango again on Saturday, but I forged ahead. The dish was very easy to make and I used frozen rice to cut down on time. The seasoning trio was interesting for the chicken and Eric liked the way it had a little kick (I didn't taste it unfortunately), but I should've went with my gut on the sizing of the thighs. The directions say to just half the thighs and I kept reading it thinking, really? I really should've went with chunks because they just didn't cook right. Otherwise, the dish was fine and I appreciated how quick it was to make.