Pad Thai a la us

A delicious and spicy pad Thai, adapted from "Sukhothai Pad Thai" on allrecipes.com

Pad Thai with Chicken



Ingredients

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 to 2 teaspoons chili paste (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons tamarind pulp (or fresh-squeezed lime)
• 1 (8 ounce) package dried rice noodles
• 1/2 cup toasted sesame oil
• 8 oz thin-cut chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch strips
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 4 eggs
• 1-1/2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1-1/2 cups ground peanuts
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts 
• Cilantro to taste

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, make Pad Thai sauce: blend sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, chili paste, and tamarind pulp until it begins to boil. Simmer on low until needed, whisking frequently.
2. Soak rice noodles in cold water until soft; drain (or prepare according to "stir fry directions" on package....they need to be slightly undercooked so that they don't end up mushy when adding to the dish).
3. In a large skillet or wok over medium heat, cook meat thoroughly, seasoning with ginger, black pepper, and chili powder. Once cooked through. push chicken to one side of the pan.
4. Warm oil in the other side of the wok/skillet and then add garlic and eggs; scramble the eggs. Once eggs are cooked through, mix in with the chicken.
   
5. Add prepared noodles and bean sprouts.
   
6. Stir in sauce, 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar, 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, ground peanuts, chives, cilantro, and paprika. Mix thoroughly.
    

Garlic Croutons

I got made fun of a bit for this one....I mean, isn't salad supposed to be simple? :-)

I've had trouble finding non-processed croutons...I did find an organic, whole wheat variety, but honestly, they sucked. So I decided to make them myself. They're very easy! And I mean, what else are you going to do with that stale bread??

Garlic Croutons


Ingredients

• Stale bread (I used 3 hoagie rolls that had been in my fridge for a couple weeks. The staler, the better....just make sure it hasn't gone moldy!)
• 4 tablespoons butter (I use organic butter. For my 3 rolls, I actually needed a full stick of butter)
• 1 clove minced garlic (I used garlic powder instead)
• Herbs of choice (I used parsley and Italian seasonings)

Directions

1. Cut bread into small cubes
   
   
   
   
2. Melt butter in large skillet; add garlic + herbs
3. Add bread cubes to skillet and toss until well coated; cook on medium for about 1 minute (I had to do 2 batches, each with 4 tbsp butter).
4. Spread bread onto baking sheet (lined with foil so you don't have to clean the pan!).
5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes - turning croutons frequently to avoid burning and to ensure even baking.
   
   
   
   

Put unused croutons in an airtight container or bag and store in pantry. I plan to keep adding to my supply every time I have some bread to use up, so that I always have some on hand for a quick salad.

New Year's Day Pork & Sauerkraut!

You know what they say....pork & kraut on New Year's Day will bring you good luck all year long. This year I made a pork tenderloin and sauerkraut in the slow cooker, and threw in some kielbasa for good measure. I decided to go the easy route on this one....simple ingredients.


What I learned: The 3-pound tenderloin I bought was actually two tenderloins! I did not realize this (I'm a tenderloin newbie, apparently) until it was cooked and started to split down the middle. I think one would have been plenty....now I know!

Slow Cooker Pork, Sauerkraut, and Kielbasa


Ingredients:

• 3-lb pork tenderloin
• 2 tbsp olive oil
  
• McCormick's cracked peppercorn roasting rub (See? Easy!)
  
  
• 1 large can sauerkraut
• 8 oz beer (I used Sam Adams Winter Lager -- 6 oz for the slow cooker and 2 oz for frying up the kielbasa)
• 1 pound low-fat pork kielbasa

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large skillet.
   
2. Coat tenderloin with seasoning rub.
3. Sear tenderloin, until browned on all sides.
   
   
4. Pour sauerkraut into slow cooker, add 6 oz beer.
   
   
5. Place tenderloin on bed of kraut (add more seasoning if some was lost in the skillet).
   
   
6. Cook on high for 3-4 hours (or low for 6-8 hours....cook until internal temperature of meat is at least 160 degrees F - I love my digital meat thermometer!).
7. At some point while pork is cooking, slice kielbasa into 1-inch chunks and cook in skillet with approx 2 oz beer (more if you'd like).
   
   
8. Once heated through and browned, add kielbasa to slow cooker for remainder of cook time.
   
   

Party Pretzels

I really had no idea what to call these because I've only ever heard them called "those pretzel-chocolate-M&M thingies". So I'm calling them Party Pretzels. I've made them for Halloween using orange and brown M&Ms and I've seen them at baby showers (baby blue and light pink M&Ms), bridal showers (in the wedding colors), and football parties (in team colors). Such a versatile little snack!

On top of that, they're incredibly simple....and the perfect blend of sweet and salty.

Party Pretzels



Ingredients

• Mini pretzels (rounds, windowpanes, buttersnaps, etc)
• Chocolate disks (I used Wilton Candy Melts, which you can get in various colors/flavors - I stocked up on milk chocolate, dark chocolate, peanut butter, strawberry, and vanilla)
• M&Ms - colors of your choice (I used the Valentine's mix for this batch, but pulled out the red since I was going with a pink and white theme).

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees F
2. Separate the M&Ms by color (if you're going with a color theme); do this beforehand so that you're not rushing to pull out the color you need later (the chocolate might harden quickly).
   
   
3. Line baking sheet with wax paper
4. Spread out pretzels on sheet, removing any broken pieces
5. Center a chocolate disk on each pretzel
   
   
6. Heat in oven for 4-7 minutes (until the chocolate is soft enough to push an M&M into it, but not so soft that it melts all over the place)
7. Remove baking sheet from oven and press an M&M into each piece (I put the "m" side down; if you have specially printed M&Ms, put the words facing up)
   
   
   
8. Put in refrigerator for a few hours, until chocolate is solid. Store in airtight container or Ziplock in a cool place (I keep mine in the fridge).

Green Iced Tea

Bill's favorite drink lately has been Arizona Green Iced Tea, so I came up with a way to make it at home. I usually make him 2-3 gallons a week!

Note: It's not really a precise art. I just kind of mix it up and adjust it as needed. My apologies for the lack of exact measurements...

Green Iced Tea

Ingredients

• 16 Lipton Green Tea bags (I sometimes use Organic)
  
  
• 4-4.5 quarts water in a large pot (some will evaporate)
• 1-1.5 cups sugar, to taste
  
• 10-12 "counts" of honey, to taste
• 5-10 "counts" of lemon juice, to taste
  

Directions

1. Boil water; remove from heat and add tea bags.
2. Allow to steep for 30-60 minutes (the longer, the stronger)
   
3. Remove tea bags.
4. In a 4-quart pitcher, add sugar, lemon juice, and honey (for honey and lemon juice, I just pour while I count to 10).
   
5. Carefully pour hot tea into pitcher; mix with ladle or wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved.
6. Refrigerate until chilled.
   Serve with ice.

Pittsburgh Pierogies!

I got a pasta maker attachment for my Kitchen Aid stand mixer for Christmas and, of course, I couldn't wait to make homemade pierogies! Pierogies have been one of my favorite foods since I was a kid - I'd literally eat them by the dozen when I was a teenager. We'd eat them on Fridays during Lent, serve them for Steelers parties, and sautee some whenever we got the craving. I first convinced Bill to try them when we were at Fathead's in Pittsburgh with my parents, after a Pens game. He was hooked, too. Shamefully, I have only made frozen, storebought pierogies until now; so it's time to challenge myself to make the real thing.

Here is a recipe I found on Pittsburgh.about.com:

Homemade Potato & Cheddar Pierogies
Note: I doubled the recipe below so that I would have some to freeze for later. For a double recipe, I used a total of 8 large russet potatoes. I definitely have a lot of potato mixture left over, too.

Yield will depend on how thin you roll the dough out and what size you make. I was able to make 3 dozen with a double recipe.

Potato, Cheese & Onion Filling
Ingredients

• 5-6 large potatoes
• 1/2 large onion
• 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
• butter for sauteeing onion
  

Directions

1. Peel and boil potatoes until soft.
   
   
2. While the potatoes are boiling, finely chop onion and saute in butter until soft and translucent. [I prefer to skip the onions in the mixture, just using potatoes and cheese]
3. Mash the potatoes with the sauted onions and cheese, adding salt and pepper to taste.
   
   
   
4. You can also add some fresh parsley, bacon bits, or other enhancements if you desire.
5. Let the potato mixture cool and then form into 1" balls.

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Pierogi Dough
Ingredients

• 2 cups flour, plus extra for kneading and rolling dough
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup sour cream, plus extra to serve with the pierogi
• 1/4 cup butter, softened and cut into small pieces
  
  
• butter and onions for sauteing
• filling of your choice (potato & cheese filling recipe below)

Directions

1. Mix together the flour and salt.
2. Beat the egg, then add all at once to the flour mixture.
3. Add the 1/2 cup sour cream and the softened butter pieces and work until the dough loses most of its stickiness (about 5-7 minutes). You can use a food processor with a dough hook for this, but be careful not to overbeat.
   
   
4. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes or overnight; the dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
   
   

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Pierogi Preparation

1. Roll the pierogi dough on a floured board or countertop until 1/8" thick.**I used my Kitchenaid Pasta Roller tool, starting at setting 1 and working up to setting 4:
   
   
   
   
2. Cut circles of dough (2" for small pierogies and 3-3 1/2" for large pierogies) with a cookie cutter or drinking glass. **I used a large plastic tumbler**
   
   
3. Place a small ball of filling on each dough round and fold the dough over, forming a semi-circle.
   
   
4. Press the edges together with the tines of a fork.**I tried this but ended up pressing the edges together with my fingers, like you do to decorate a pie crust.**
   
   
5. Boil the perogies a few at a time in a large pot of water. They are done when they float to the top (about 8-10 minutes).
   
6. Rinse in cool water and let dry.
7. Saute chopped onions in butter in a large pan until onions are soft.
   
   
8. Add pierogies and pan fry until lightly crispy.
   
   

Serve with a side of sour cream for a true Pittsburgh pierogi meal.

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Homemade Pierogi Tips

1. If you are having a hard time getting the edges to stick together, you may have too much flour in the dough. Add a little water to help get a good seal.
2. If you don't want to cook all of the pierogies right away, you can refrigerate them (uncooked) for several days or freeze them for up to several months.
3. You can fill pierogies with pretty much anything you want, though potato and cheese is the most common.
   

Triple Chocolate Ice Cream (KA Stand Mixer)

Another fun Christmas gift I got was the KitchenAid stand mixer ice cream attachment. I'm a total ice cream addict, so it didn't take me long to try this new gadget out!

Triple Chocolate Ice Cream
(recipe courtesy of KitchenAid ice cream maker manual. I adjusted the fat content to suit my taste...original recipe calls for heavy whipping cream instead of light cream, and half-and-half instead of fat-free milk. I also halved the original recipe here)

Ingredients

• 1 cup light cream, divided (1/4 cup and 3/4 cup)
  
• 1 (1 ounce) semi-sweet chocolate baking square, cut into chunks (I used 1 ounce semi-sweet chocolate chips)
  
• 1 (1 ounce) unsweetened chocolate square, cut into chunks (I used 1 ounce Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips)
  
• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/6 cup cocoa powder
• 4 egg yolks
  
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• pinch salt
• 3 ounces chopped milk chocolate (I used more Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips)
  
  

Directions

1. Freeze Kitchenaid Ice Cream freezer bowl for at least 15 hours before starting this recipe.
2. In small saucepan, place 1/4 cup whipping cream, semisweet and unsweetened chocolate chips.
   
3. Heat over medium-low heat until chocolate melts, stirring frequently.
   
4. Remove from heat; set aside.
5. In medium saucepan over medium heat, heat milk until very hot but not boiling, stirring often. Remove from heat; set aside.
6. In small bowl, combine sugar and cocoa powder; set aside.
   
   
7. Place egg yolks in Kitchenaid mixer bowl and beat with wire whisk attachment.
   
8. Gradually add sugar mixture into beaten eggs and continue to mix about 30 seconds or until well blended and slightly thickened.
   
9. Very gradually add melted chocolate mixture and the heated milk; allow to mix until well blended.
   
10. Pour this mixture into a medium saucepan; stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until small bubbles form around edge and mixture is steamy. Do not boil.
    
11. Transfer mixture into a large bowl (NOT the KA ice cream freezer bowl); stir in remaining 3/4 cup light cream, vanilla, and salt.
    
12. Cover and chill thoroughly, at least 8 hours (I chilled mine in the freezer for 2 hours).
13. Wait until mixture is completely cooled; remove from fridge/freezer and then remove ice cream freezer bowl from freezer. Follow manufacturer's instructions for assembling freezer bowl to the stand mixer.
    **The goal is to allow the freezer bowl to sit out for as short a time as possible, as it begins to thaw immediately.**
    
14. Put the mixture into your ice cream maker and set to setting "2"; allow to churn for about 20 minutes. Mixture will grow in volume as it is churned.
    
15. During the last 1-2 minutes, add in the milk chocolate chunks (or any other mix-ins).
    
16. Immediately transfer ice cream into serving dishes or freeze in airtight container.
    NOTE: KA ice cream maker tends to make "soft serve" consistency:
    
17. The KA manual says to put ice cream in an airtight container and allow to sit in the freezer for a couple more hours for firm consistency.