Project after Project after Project

my apologies, again, for having neglected my site.

it has been a very long time since i've been on here - and an even longer time since i've posted any of my own adventures or projects.

so, here, in one slam, i will feature 4 or 5 recent projects, that i was either too lazy or too tired to put up.

also, a few things: i'm using larger pictures now for easier viewing / some pix are crap b/c i'm still playing with settings on my camera AND i have unsteady hands.

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> FIRST UP: GARLIC BABY BOK CHOI
i frequent the UH Farmer's Market every Friday b/c they have good produce and sometimes they have something interesting. this recipe is not interesting, but i like bok choi, so bought some. along with..... garlic.

Fresh Bok Choi

Fresh Garlic

1. Grab garlic, peel and mince

2. saute garlic with a little olive oil until they are slightly browned, but not burnt

3. Add in bok choi, saute until leaves are slightly soft. add black pepper and teriyaki sauce (recipe below) and cook until sauce has slightly thickened.

my HOME-MADE teriyaki sauce

>> TERIYAKI SAUCE:

2 C shoyu

3 C sugar

3 Tbsp. sesame seeds

4 Tbsp. sesame oil

5 cloves garic, minced (or 4 heaping Tbsp. garlic powder )

1-2 stalks green onion, minced

1/4 C Shiracha hot sauce

-mix all ingredients together and use for whatevers. for best results, cook sauce on stove until it has thickened in to a syrup type constency, then use for marinades, etc...

- keep in mind, these measurements are guesses..... depending on what i do, i dont really measure when i cook - i taste as i go, and adjust as needed.

the results: Garlic Baby Bok Choi - so good!

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> NEXT UP: STEAK.........

i received this rub from some friends as part of a gift from my last birthday. i'm pretty sure its from Whole Foods. i wanted to try it out, so i made a couple of steaks - ironically, the steaks are also from the same friends.... go fig :)

1. Grab the rub, mince some garlic, and rub both all over the meat

2. on medium, heat some olive oil and start frying

3. chop up 5 rashers of bacon and saute in a small pot, stirring occasionally as it browns
4. while bacon is cooking, chop up bell peppers and mushrooms
5. when bacon is about done, throw in bell peppers and mushrooms and saute together

6. after about 4 or 5 minutes, turn steaks over and cook until desired done-ness.

The Result: awesome dinner, serve with rice

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> NEXT: HERB ROASTED POTATOES

i love Costco. bulk everything. on a recent visit, i came across a bag of mixed, small potatoes. it did not say what kind of potatoes were included in the mix, but it was a mix of what looked like, red potatoes, purple (sweet?, after trying, no) potatoes and yukon gold? i guess i'll never know. either way, they were a good mix.

HERBED POTATOES:

20 small potatoes, cut in half

olive oil to coat

salt to taste

3 Tbsp. dried Rosemary, crushed

3 Tbsp. dried parsley

1 Tbsp. smoked paprika

3 Tbsp. garic powder

- mix together dry ingredients, toss potatoes in oil and herb mix. put everything in a small baking pan and roast in oven for 20 min. at 400 degrees, mixing with spoon half way in cooking.

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> NEXT NEXT: POT ROAST

i've wanted to attempt this for a while. the last pot roast i made was ages ago. it was a miso pork pot roast that was pretty awesome. this time around, i wanted to do a beef pot roast. i got a pretty good deal at Costco for the meat, use the potatoes from that bag i talked about earlier, and chopped up some carrots to toss in with it. i'm going to format the recipe layout a little differently for this one, so pay attention......

“Quick” Pot roast
2 – 2 1/2 lbs chuck roast
1 1/2 c. beef broth*
1/2 c. red wine**
1/4 c. water
2 Tbsp. parsley flakes
3 Tbsp. dried rosemary, slightly crushed
1 Tbsp. ground pepper
1 envelope dried onion soup mix
1 beef bouillon cube (optional)***
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
1 large stalk celery, minced

2 Tbsp. butter (1 Tbsp. for meat, 1 Tbsp. for sauce)
2 – 3 Tbsp. AP flour or cornstarch
1 pound carrots, cut into 2 inch chunks
1 pound red potatoes, cut into 2 inch chunks

1. Mix together broth, wine, water, parsley, rosemary, pepper, onion mix, bouillon, garlic, bay leaf, and celery. Marinate meat for 20 min.

2. Take out meat and put in a large pot. Pour in 1/2 of marinade liquid and cover. Throw 1 Tbsp. of butter on top of meat. Simmer roast in liquid for 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours............. but dont forget........

......... Flip the meat over in the pot when it is half way done (at 1/2 hour mark, or 45 min).

3. Take the other half of marinade liquid and begin to reduce in a smaller pot. add 1 Tbsp. of butter to thicken a little.

4. After meat is done, take out roast and let it rest on a cutting board. Keep the liquid simmering.

5. Using a collapsible steamer basket, place carrots and potatoes in the larger pot of simmering liquid and cover. Steam the vegetables for about 15 minutes. At 15 min. mark, take the vegetables out of the steamer basket and place them directly into the liquid in the pot. Take the small pot of reduced liquid and pour over the vegetables; cover and simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes.

6. After vegetables are done, remove them and keep on the side. In the large pot, that should have all of the liquid now in it, reduce until sauce thickens and add the flour at the end to help thicken more – be sure to mix flour with a little warm water first before putting into the roast sauce – to avoid lumps.

7. Slice roast as thick or thin as you like, pour on sauce and serve with potatoes and carrots

>> Additional notes about the pot roast:
* I used broth, but if using stock instead, omit water and use 2 cups stock, instead of 1 1/2.
** I used Cabernet Sauvignon, but you can use any good red.
*** I threw in a bouillon cube for more beef flavor, but you can omit if it tastes too salty - the salt in the onion soup mix and the beef broth makes it salty enough. If using stock, you may want to add the bouillon.
- You could also do this in the oven, but I would do the vegetables in a separate pan, only b/c the potatoes might take on too much liquid.

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> NEXT NEXT NEXT: POTATO CHIPS

so, i still had a lot of potatoes..... and, they were on the verge of spoilage. i hate wasting food, so i thought, "geez, i'm tired of roasted potatoes - what should i do?"

i'll make potato chips!

i know this is not a pic of potatoes or chips - THIS is a pic of my injury due to bad judgement. using my madoline, i began slicing potatoes. the finger guard wasnt holding it as good as i would like, so i thought "i'll just use my hand and be careful" - i am an idiot. funny enough, i didnt bleed. i was lucky. oh, and the madoline injury is on the tip of my first finger. the band aid on my pinky is from an altercation i had at work..... with a tape dispenser. :P

1. after slicing potatoes thin, heat up about 1/2 a quart of oil (i used canola) on med-high. when oil is hot, throw in potato slices ONE AT A TIME. this will prevent them from sticking together. the chips are ready to take out when: they turn golden brown, and the oil stops making crazy cooking noises. you'll know what i'm talking about when you do it.

2. drain on paper towels and racks if you have them

lookin goooooood.....

3. season with a little salt, toss, and EAT. so good.

TIP: to cut the greasy oily-ness of the chips, after you drain them on paper towels, use a salad spinner to get rid of excess oil, THEN season your chips.

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Well, thats it for now. hope this wasnt overload for you. thanks for keeping up with me! laters everyone......